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[ January 20, 2021 ] Sports news on the rose hill rockets Sports betting
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HomeSports bettingFavorite sports and sports news services in europe
Favorite sports and sports news services in europe
The sports sector in Europe is highly organized with professional sports leagues for most of the games which are played here. Football, amongst all of the other sports which are played, can be viewed as as one of the preferred sports played in Europe. The European football clubs are considered for being the best paid teams around the word because of their strong standing in the overall game. The game almost has achieved a cult status amongst its followers.
The European club championship is known as the UEFA Championship league and it is one of the most esteemed tournaments amongst football clubs throughout the continent. Apart from taking part in this tournament, national football clubs across Europe also take part in the UEFA European Football Championships which can be considered to be the principal national championship for men?s football. Europe also has dominated the FIFA World Cup and it is viewed as worthy adversaries by their Latin American competitors.
The European Premier League, Spanish La Liga, the Italian Seire A, Russian Premier League, the French Ligue1 and the German Bundesliga are the most prominent football leagues in Europe.
Amongst Mediterranean region, Basketball and Volleyball are sports of popular choice being played in countries like Serbia, Croatia, Russia, Greece, Italy and Spain. Another sport which is very popular in Europe is road bicycle racing. This sport finds its followers in France, Belgium, Germany, Spain Switzerland and many more countries.
Ice Hockey is popular mostly in East European countries and Scandinavia.
Cricket and Rugby as sports have retained and gained prominence primarily in Great Britain and the British Isles, Italy and France respectively. Cricket, which used to be the summertime sport of the English, continues to be successfully imported to most parts of the globe, especially to regions that fell within the British Empire and developed hence. Though rugby isn’t as popular a sport in Great Britan anymore, it does carry a small following of rugby enthusiasts in Britain.
Some of the major sports news providers in Europe are ESPN, BBC Sport and Sky Sports. ESPN credits itself on being ?the worldwide leader in sports? and also a huge network that spans the globe. From covering the action in the football Premier League games to championships in tennis, hockey, motorsports, rugby, and several popular sports, ESPN broadcasts live sporting events from across Europe. ESPN Classic in Europe covers the FA Cup, European Cup, League Finals Cup along with some other games from England
Sky Sports gave tough competition to BBC Sport since its inception. They’ve played a crucial role in the commercialization of British Sports. They too focus considerably on football but have also concentrated on motorsports and golf, having taken the broadcasting rights of the A1 Grand Prix and the PGA tour golf.
Eurosport sports channel is accessible across Europe in 59 countries in 20 languages which makes it perhaps the most favored sports news channel in Europe. Not only do they broadcast events such as UEFA Champions League and UEFA cup in football but in addition air the prestigious Le Tour de France and other road racing events. Additionally they also cover tennis events such as the French Open and the World Snooker Championships. In addition they cover the Olympics.
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CONSTRUCTION OF THE SEPIA FPSO ADVANCED ONLY 1% IN THE SECOND QUARTER
Petrobrás currently has seven platform ships under construction, scheduled to enter operations between 2021 and 2023. Some of the works have managed to progress well despite the pandemic. Others not so much. This is the case of the FPSO Carioca, which will be installed in the Sépia field, in the Santos Basin. Work was at a slow pace during the second quarter. According to Petrobrás, the unit ended June with 88% of physical progress completed. At the end of the first quarter, this percentage was 87%. The platform ship, which will be chartered by the Japanese Modec, is being built in China, under the responsibility of the Bomesc and Cosco shipyards.
Modec is building another three units for the Brazilian state-owned company. The FPSO Guanabara, planned for the Mero field, advanced 6% in its physical progress, going from 80% in the first quarter to 86% in the second quarter. The vessel is also being developed in China, at the Cosco shipyard.
Meanwhile, the FPSO Almirante Barroso, which will be the fifth unit deployed in the Búzios field, was another unit with more timid physical progress – only 4%, going from 32% to 36%. Again, the works are carried out at the Cosco shipyard.
The FPSO Anitta Garibaldi, which is being prepared for the Marlim field, in the Campos Basin, had its works at a more intense pace. The unit advanced from 11% of physical progress in March to 31% at the end of June.
Leaving projects involving the Japanese company Modec, the other two platforms that are being built for Petrobras have made relatively considerable progress. The FPSO Anna Nery (Marlim field), which is being developed by Malaysian Yinson, went from 11% completion to 19%. Meanwhile, SBM Offshore’s FPSO Sepetiba reached 41% completion of work by the end of June – an 11% increase compared to March.
Source: PetroNoticias
Brazil, Deepwater, Petrobras, Suppliers
Offshore driller Noble Corp. files for bankruptcy to handle $3.4 billion in debt
PETROBRAS EXPECTS TO SIGN MOST REFINERIES SALES IN 2021 AND COMPLETE RLAM NEGOTIATION IN UP TO TWO MONTHS
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China through the lens of John Thomson 1868 - 1872
February 9, 2010 to June 6, 2010 – Merseyside Maritime Museum Merseyside Maritime Museum is the first UK venue to show this extensive exhibition of almost 150 photographs by the legendary Scottish photographer and travel writer John Thomson (1837-1921). The ph… Organized by Wellcome Library/Merseyside Maritime Museum | Type: exhibition
Relics of old London: Photography and the spirit of the city
February 27, 2010 to June 22, 2010 – Architecture Space, adjacent to the Royal Academy Restaurant, Burlington House Prompted by the imminent demolition of an old London inn near St Paul's, the Society for the Photographing of Relics of Old London set about using photography as a means of documenting buildings that… Organized by The Royal Academy | Type: exhibition
Curious: The Craft of Microscopy
March 3, 2010 to July 3, 2010 – Hunterian Museum, Royal College of Surgeons Not quite Victorian photography per se, but might be of interest to the more technically minded BPH-bloggers out there keen on the science of microscopy. As part of the Royal Society's 350th anniver… Organized by Royal College of Surgeons | Type: exhibition
The Moving Image
March 9, 2010 to September 1, 2010 – Hove Museum & Art Gallery See movement and time unfold in a new exhibition at Hove Museum. The Moving Image contrasts how movement is shown in both photography and art. Eadweard Muybridge was a 19th century photographer who… Organized by Hove Museum & Art Gallery | Type: exhibition
The Photographs of Frederick H. Evans : A Record of Emotion
April 11, 2010 to June 6, 2010 – J. Paul Getty Museum Frederick H. Evans (British, 1853–1943) was best known for his photographs of medieval cathedrals, such as the image at right of England's Wells Cathedral—arguably the best-known example of his work.… Organized by Getty Museum | Type: exhibition
'An Eye for the Sound'
May 4, 2010 at 10am to June 7, 2010 at 6pm – The Richard Young Gallery Photographer Tim Motion is exhibiting his striking images of the many jazz musicians that he has photographed over the years. He has captured some of the genre’s most prolific stars, greats such as R… Organized by The Richard Young Gallery | Type: photography, exhibition
Pictures by Women: A History of Modern Photography
May 12, 2010 to March 21, 2011 – The Edward Steichen Photography Galleries, Third Floor, The Museum of Modern Art For much of photography’s 170-year history, women have expanded its roles by experimenting with every aspect of the medium. Pictures by Women: A History of Modern Photography presents a selection of… Organized by The Museum of Modern Art | Type: exhibition
The Other Britain Revisited: Photographs from New Society
May 14, 2010 to September 26, 2010 – Photography Gallery 38A, V&A South Kensington As reported by the blog creator, this exhibition shows the outstanding documentary photographs from 1962 to 1982, originally published in the pioneering magazine New Society. The display will feature… Organized by Michael Wong | Type: exhibition
Amsterdam 1845 – 1875, The First Photographs
May 23, 2010 to June 27, 2010 – Stadsarchief Amsterdam The City Archives present a wide-ranging overview of Amsterdam’s rich photographic heritage from the third quarter of the nineteenth century. The exhibition brings together the very best photographs… Organized by Museumjaarkaart | Type: exhibition
Husbands & Wives
May 23, 2010 to July 11, 2010 – National Portrait Gallery The National Portrait Gallery will present Husbands & Wives until 11 July 2010. This exhibition presents a glimpse at the private lives of Australian couples and families through rare portrait ph… Organized by National Portrait Gallery | Type: exhibition
Exposed : Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera
May 28, 2010 to October 3, 2010 – Tate Modern An insight into photographic images made surreptitiously or without the explicit permission of those depicted. Spanning a variety of lens-based media from the late nineteenth century to the present… Organized by Tate Modern | Type: exhibition
The Still in Motion London Photography Festival
June 5, 2010 at 11am to June 6, 2010 at 7pm – The Horse Hospital An exhibition of pinhole photographs. The first edition of the Still in Motion London Photography Festival will take place at the Horse Hospital, on the 5th and 6th of June 2010, with an opening the… Organized by Still in Motion/Stenoflex | Type: exhibition/launch, event
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The Veiled Man
September 20, 2017 July 12, 2020 ~ Shayne Davidson
Ernest Long, marine engineer, who was arrested last Monday night on a charge of masquerading as a woman on the street, figured as a defendant in two court actions yesterday.
He appeared in Police Judge D.S. O’Brien’s court to answer to the masquerading charge, where he entered a plea of guilty.
The costume which Long wore at the time of his arrest was produced in court. It consisted of frilly lingerie, spiderweb silk stockings, fancy pumps and other feminine attire.
Judge O’Brien continued the case until next Wednesday to gave (sic) Dr. O’Neill further time for observations.
Mrs. Lulu Long, the engineer’s wife, made him a defendant in divorce proceedings in the superior court yesterday afternoon, alleging cruelty.
— San Francisco Chronicle, March 25, 1922
Ernest Long was arrested on March 21, 1922, in San Francisco for dressing in “women’s garb” and for carrying a concealed weapon — a revolver — that police found on him. At the time of his arrest Ernest worked as a marine engineer on the steamship “Rose City,” which traveled between San Francisco and Portland.
Ernest’s wife, Lulu, told police he awakened her in the middle of the night and forced her to help him dress in women’s clothes, then instructed her to go back to bed. Lulu also claimed that Ernest had been dressing as a woman for the past seven years, since their marriage in 1915, and that he only owned one suit of men’s clothing.
“I’m trying to hook up with a vaudeville circuit,” he explained. “But I’m not ready yet. I wouldn’t want any publicity right now.” Seems like an odd comment from a man who spent his life working in male-dominated jobs, including as a machinist, engineer, plumber and sailor.
Unfortunately he got plenty of publicity, when articles about his arrest appeared in newspapers around California and in his native town of Portland, Oregon.
Why was Ernest arrested? In 1863 a law was passed in San Francisco making it a criminal offense for a person to appear in public in “dress not belonging to his or her sex.” The law would remain in place until 1974. San Francisco was not alone — many other American cities also passed laws prohibiting cross-dressing.
Men arrested in 1927 in Los Angeles for cross-dressing. Jesse Brown Cook scrapbook.
Ernest was born into an extremely unusual family. His father, Pon Long, was Chinese and his mother, Selina, was born in England. The couple met in 1877 when Selina worked as a teacher in a private Chinese school in San Francisco. Pon, described as a lawyer and merchant, had immigrated to America in 1869. The couple managed somehow to get a marriage license, despite the anti-miscegenation law in California prohibiting marriage between people of different races. Their marriage, described in the news as a “strange affinity,” shocked San Franciscans.
The Long family spent the next 12 years in Portland, Oregon, where they were tolerated despite the law there against interracial marriage. In 1889, when Ernest was an infant, Pon, Selina and their six children sailed to China. A seventh child, Mabel, was born in Hong Kong in 1892. The family spent years dividing their time between China and America. The children, including Ernest, identified as Caucasian on census and passport documents.
The San Francisco police photographed Ernest in full gear for use as evidence in court, even though the clothes he wore when arrested were submitted as evidence. Unusually for police suspect photos, he looks relaxed, pleased and dreamy-eyed. His legs in their “spiderweb silk stockings” appear heavy and masculine, but his feet are surprisingly petite. It’s probable that he saw bound feet on girls and women while he lived in China. He may have hoped to emulate the look, considered a mark of beauty in China and also thought to be a sexual stimulant for a woman’s male partner.
The 1922 arrest wreaked havoc on Ernest and his family. Lulu filed for divorce and later deserted him, taking their three children with her. However the couple reunited and had five more children, though ultimately, they divorced in the early 1940s.
Ernest died in San Diego, California, 55 years after his arrest for “masquerading as a woman.”
Featured photos: Ernest Long, Mar. 21/22, Jesse Brown Cook Scrapbooks Documenting San Francisco History and Law Enforcement, ca. 1895-1936. Collection of the UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library.
Also shown: Ernest Long, 1917 passport photo.
Posted in 1920s bound feetCaliforniaChinaChinesecross-dresserdiscriminationfemale impersonatormixed raceOregonPortlandSan Franciscotransvestite
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3 thoughts on “The Veiled Man”
I would so love to meet you, Shayne! I also love vintage photos of cross dressers. I don’t have anyone in my life who is even vaguely interested in the collection I’ve amassed. What a wonderful story this is! I’m so glad his story was happier than Eugenia’s.
Same here! I promise you I’m coming to Australia at some point!
Then it is certain we will meet! 😃
Leave a Reply to Shayne Davidson Cancel reply
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Tag Archives: Kentucky Derby runner-up
Proud Citizen
What could be more American than funnel cake on the Fourth of July?
(2014) Drama (Giant Dolphin) Katerina Stoykova-Klemer, Natalie E. Cummings, Leif Erickson, Ryan Case, Judy Sanders, Sami Allison, Elliott Moore Haynes, Blakeley Burger. Directed by Thom Southerland
Being alone in a city where you know nobody can be daunting. Sometimes all you can do is play tourist, particularly when you have a lot of time on your hands. While it can be liberating to be alone in a city – you make all the decisions about where to eat, what to do, when to do it and so on – it can also reinforce the loneliness in your own life at home.
Krasi (Stoykova-Klemer) is a Bulgarian poet and playwright who has just taken second place in a theater competition. First place got to see their play produced in New York City. Second place got Lexington, Kentucky. There was no third place.
So she’s left Bulgaria for the bright lights and big city of Lexington but things almost immediately begin to get strange. First of all, Debbie (Cummings), the stage manager who was supposed to meet Krasi at the airport is quite late; she seems flustered as the play is in technical rehearsals and opens just a few days hence. She dumps Krasi at her non-descript hotel and rushes back to the theater, leaving Krasi on her own.
Not knowing anything about the area, Krasi decides to explore downtown Lexington…on foot. It’s a bit of a walk from her hotel but doable, so she puts on a nice dress and heads out, all dressed up and nowhere to go from a literal standpoint. While the downtown area is pleasant enough, there aren’t a lot of people there and those that are aren’t particularly hospitable.
The name of the play that Krasi wrote is Black Coat and is autobiographical. Andy (Erickson), the actor portraying her father seems quite nice; Jeremy (Case), the director is also flustered but friendly at least; Natalie (Burger), the young actress playing Krasi as a teen is a bit withdrawn, spending time practicing on the violin when she’s not texting her friends but is more focused on schoolwork and getting into college than on picking Krasi’s brain for insights which Andy is more prone to doing. Andy takes Krasi to a beautiful urban park in Lexington which she appreciates but his invitation to dinner seem to create a distance between them.
She takes a tour of a local horse farm which is where Kentucky Derby runner-up Proud Citizen resides. She appreciates the horse and a pony that she gets to meet very much; there are statues of horses all over downtown Lexington but no actual horses. Lucy (Allison), the tour guide, befriends Krasi and invites her over for dinner where Krasi becomes enchanted with Elliot (Haynes), her 3-year-old son. Krasi eventually spends the night.
The next day is the Fourth of July and Lucy invites Krasi to go downtown and see the festivities. There’s funnel cake and parades, and eventually fireworks but while they are there Lucy meets an ex-boyfriend. She initially doesn’t want to get his attention but Krasi makes sure that he notices her and the two converse. The ex wants to take Lucy out and Krasi insists that Lucy go, promising to take Eliot home and watch over him until she returns.
She’s eventually gone overnight and Krasi goes outside after Elliot goes to sleep to play with sparklers, neglecting to lock the back door when she comes back in. After she falls asleep, Elliot wanders outside. When Lucy does eventually return, she is panicked to find that Elliot isn’t in his bed. She eventually finds him nearby but Krasi is absolutely mortified and leaves, having a lot to do as that evening is opening night for the play in any case and then she’ll be returning home the next day.
There is more but this is more of a slice of life, five days in a different country for Krasi. Southerland, a Kentucky native, shoots this in black and white which gives it a kind of timeless feel that combines Eastern Europe with a bygone era in America. The lovely black-and-white cinematography really sets the tone for the film.
Most of the cast is made up of amateurs, several of them having local stage experience in the Lexington area but that’s it. They do a pretty solid job considering their lack of film experience. Stoykova-Klemer has no acting experience; she is a poet who has a radio show in the Lexington area whose voice caught Southerland’s ear and whose story inspired the character of Stasi. In fact, Black Coats is the name of Stoykova-Klemer’s published book of poetry which in turn inspired the play that bears its name in the movie.
Loneliness is a central theme here; most of the main characters suffer from it in one form or another. Horses are also a main element which seems pretty understandable as they are a major part of the world that is Lexington. Most of the time Krasi handles the loneliness with a smile, but she has at least one moment of self-pity during the movie which is also understandable. It’s hard not to feel sorry for yourself when you’re alone as nobody is there to do it for you.
A good deal of the movie was improvised by the actors, making the conversation sound real and unforced. The story gets a little disjointed though; although it all makes sense by the end, it meanders a bit during the five day period which is I suppose the way our own stories in real life tend to be told.
This isn’t a movie for everybody. Those who are impatient, require their movies to be loud and kinetic will find this to be boring, which it most assuredly is not. This is a reflection of life and of an outsider looking at America through an outsider’s prism. We have a tendency to take things for granted over here, the kind of things that are hard to come by in lands less blessed by freedom and plenty than we are. We sometimes fail to realize how enviable our lives can be but then again, it is as human as it gets to want more than what we already have…or at least something different.
REASONS TO GO: Amateur cast comes through. Surprisingly conversational. Slice of life.
REASONS TO STAY: May be too low-key for some. A little bit scattered.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Lucy’s 3-year-old son is her 3-year-old son in real life.
CRITICAL MASS: As of 4/13/15: Rotten Tomatoes: no score yet. Metacritic: no score yet.
COMPARISON SHOPPING: Lost in America
NEXT: Once Upon a Crime: The Borelli-Davis Conspiracy
Posted in New Releases | Tagged broken camera, Bulgaria, cinema, Drama, drama competition, Films, Florida Film Festival, Florida Film Festival 2015, Fourth of July, funnel cake, Giant Dolphin, horse farm tour, horses, Katerina Stoykova-Klemer, Kentucky Derby runner-up, Lexington, loneliness, movies, opening night, parade, playwright, poet, Proud Citizen, reviews, thouroughbreds, travel friendship, urban park | Leave a reply
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Home » Alcohol Rehab
Is it Safer Than Other Drugs?
How is it Treated?
Alcohol addiction, also called alcoholism, refers to a chemical and emotional dependency on alcohol that causes a person to drink compulsively despite the harmful consequences. For instance, if frequent drinking is starting to cause health issues and you continue to use, it could point to an addiction. Because alcohol is so prevalent in American culture and around the world, alcoholism has been a deeply rooted problem for centuries. Today, it continues to pose a serious threat to many people.
According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 86 percent of people over 18-years-old drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime. That’s significantly more than any other psychoactive drug, especially one used recreationally.
Not everyone who drinks becomes addicted to alcohol or struggles with a substance use disorder. Still, the prevalence and overall acceptance of alcohol in the culture could explain the prevalence of alcoholism in the United States.
Does Its Legality Mean It’s Safer Than Other Drugs?
Some may assume that because it is legal for most people to buy and consume alcohol freely, it means that it is safer than prescription and illicit drugs. While it is regulated and less unpredictable when compared to street drugs like heroin and cocaine, alcohol’s effects can be dangerous, even rivaling some illegal drugs.
When abused, alcohol can cause significant medical complications, intoxication that impairs driving, and physical dependence. Alcohol has been linked to serious diseases that affect different parts of the body including multiple types of cancer, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, dementia, depression, and a host of other illnesses.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that drinking had led to as many as 88,000 deaths between 2006 and 2010. As of 2015, the CDC estimates that there is an average of six deaths each day caused by alcohol poisoning. Plus, binge drinking has become so common that it’s almost a rite of passage among college students and young adults. As many as one in six U.S. adults binge drinks four times every month, which means 17 billion binge-drinking events occur annually. Binge drinking doesn’t guarantee deadly effects or even the development of alcoholism. A considerable number of college-age young adults binge drink multiple times but never develop a problem with alcoholism.
It does, however, increase the risk of serious consequences, including:
Risky sexual behavior
Violence, like assault, suicide, or homicide
Contracting sexually transmitted diseases
Memory and learning problems
Alcoholism and chemical dependence
In many cases, frequent drinking does lead to alcoholism and physical dependence, which can cause serious long-term consequences if it’s not addressed. Alcoholism is a disease that is difficult to overcome without help, and withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous. If you or someone you know is struggling with alcoholism, there is help available.
How Alcoholism Works
Alcoholism is a disease that affects the limbic system of the brain, which is closely tied to reward and motivation. As a disease, it’s complex and chronic, and it can be incredibly difficult to overcome. In fact, addiction is defined by its nature of causing impulsive drug use and cravings that are hard to control. Addiction often starts with abuse that leads to dependence. Alcohol, like all psychoactive drugs, affects your nervous system’s communication pathways. More specifically, it’s a central nervous system depressant, which means it causes the nervous system to slow down, producing a calming feeling.
Depressants like alcohol typically work by affecting gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors, which are responsible for regulating excitability in the nervous system, causing anti-anxiety, hypnosis, sedation, and relaxation. Alcohol works by binding to these receptors and increasing the efficacy of your naturally occurring GABA. When you drink a moderate amount of alcohol (one drink between one and two hours), your liver can process out the psychoactive chemical before it reaches your brain. If you drink more than that, your liver can’t handle it, and it gets into your bloodstream and reaches your brain.
Excessive drinking can cause euphoric effects that trick your limbic system into thinking that drinking alcohol is an important life-sustaining activity.
Other activities that activate your limbic system include eating, finding comfort, and positive social interaction. Alcohol and drug euphoria offer the same reward triggers only they are much more intense. Your reward center will respond by causing cravings and compulsions to seek out alcohol.
We‘re here 24/7. Pick up the phone.
Signs of Alcoholism
Though the disease is chronic, alcoholism has several warning signs as its developing. Addressing it early can facilitate more successful recovery outcomes. Alcoholism often starts with repeated alcohol abuse. Binging is defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) as drinking more than four drinks for women and five drinks for men within two hours. This will bring your blood-alcohol level to 0.08 g/dL, which is enough to impair your reasoning skills, depth perception, and peripheral vision.
Excessive drinking and repeated binging can lead to chemical dependence. The first sign of dependence usually is a growing tolerance. You might notice the amount of alcohol you can drink is growing. This is not because your liver is processing more; it’s because your brain is getting used to it and might even be learning to counteract its effects. Dependence will cause you to stop using alcohol purely for recreation. You may feel you need to drink to feel normal. If you are drinking alone or in the morning before starting your day, it’s a red flag.
If you are worried about a friend or family member, some signs can point to a possible alcohol abuse disorder, including:
Drinking more than planned
Trying and failing to cut back or stop
Drinking alone
Drinking in the morning
Often feeling sick or hungover
A decline in work or school performance
Drinking despite consequences like a DUI
Hiding alcohol around the house
Lying about drinking
If you notice any of these signs in yourself or someone else, there are treatment options available to help address an alcohol use disorder, and all of them can lead to lasting recovery.
How Is Alcoholism Treated?
Alcoholism may be a chronic and complex disease, but it can be treated with evidence-based therapies and experienced medical and clinical professionals. Treatment for alcoholism usually starts with medical detoxification. Alcohol, like other central nervous system depressants, can cause potentially deadly side effects during withdrawal.
Repeated abuse of alcohol forces your brain to adapt to the presence of alcohol. It may start to produce excitatory effects to counteract the effects of the alcohol, which continue to be suppressed.
When you stop drinking, the excitatory chemicals in your brain come back dramatically, causing an overactive nervous system. This can cause anxiety, restlessness, nausea, vomiting, irritability, confusion, seizures, and a serious medical complication called delirium tremens (DTs).
In medical detox, you will be treated and monitored by medical professionals to alleviate uncomfortable symptoms and avoid potentially dangerous medical complications.
After detox, clinicians will help you find the next level of care that’s right for you. If you have become addicted to alcohol, it will take more than a week of detox to recovery effectively. Addiction treatment involves several levels of care, from inpatient/residential services to outpatient treatment. During treatment, you will work through a treatment plan that you create with your primary therapist. This may include a variety of therapy options, such as individual therapy sessions, group therapy, behavioral therapies, and others.
The purpose of these therapies will be to help you achieve sobriety. You may learn to identify triggers, develop strategies to avoid relapse, and address any underlying issues like a mental health problem.
CDC. (2015, January 06). Vital Signs from https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/alcohol-poisoning-deaths/index.html
CDC. (2018, May 10). Alcohol and Public Health. from https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/binge-drinking.htm
CDC. (2018, January 03). Alcohol and Public Health from https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (n.d.). Drinking Levels Defined from https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/moderate-binge-drinking
Joseph Raspolich
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Building a Café from Scratch
Sen Phearum has achieved his goal of owning his own café.
Phoung Vantha
PHNOM PENH--Early in the morning, with a table full of customers sipping coffee, Sen Phearum reflected on how his business has grown in the last two years. As the owner of Café Cheangmai, Phearum has seen a steady increase in the number of customers, even as the number of coffee stands has also increased over the years. Phnom Penh is very much still developing its coffee culture and it’s one that Phearum is keen to tap into.
Coffee wasn’t what Phearum had initially had in mind after he graduated from high school in Bati District, Takeo Province in 2008. He had just moved to Phnom Penh to continue his studies in management, but by the time he reached his second year, it became apparent he needed a job to support himself.
“My first job was in marketing, but I didn’t receive a salary, just a daily rate of around $6 per day,” he said. “At that time he also gives up his school as that job required me to go to the province offend.”
It was mid-2009 when he decided to resign from his marketing job and, after asking friend for advice, found a new job in 2011. By this point Phearum was enrolled at the Vanda Institute, studying accounting and so he needed a job that was flexible around his studies—this is how he got into coffee.
“I got a job to work in a café with no experience and it felt like I had started a new life,” he recalled. “For the first three months, I was just cleaning tables and floors, but before long I was taking orders and making coffee,” he said.
In his second year of working at the café, he became more engrossed with coffee and his love with the coffee industry grew—he knew he had to learn about all things related to coffee.
“The coffee business not only taught me about how to make a coffee, but many things; stock control, coffee age, management, but my accountancy class also helped me to understand how to control the stock and management in a coffee shop,” he said.
In 2017, after more than seven years, he decided to stop working with the café and focused on starting his career as a freelance coffee adviser, aiming to help new start-ups in the coffee business.
“I planned to run my own café too, but I didn’t have the money at the time,” he said.
After one year as a freelancer adviser, he became confident with the coffee business. “I started run my business in 2019, my workplace gave me salary and knowledge, with nearly two years, my customers are increasing day by day.”
“I quite sure that my coffee taste will satisfy customers, I want to build my own brand,” he said. “It is unlike what people say, people think running a coffee business is easy because it is just like selling boiling water.”
For Phearum, his seven years of experience and his love for coffee have helped him to follow his dreams of running his own business.
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A Brief Introduction to Part-of-Speech Tagging
A field of computer science that has captured my attention lately is computational linguistics — the inexact science of how to get a computer to understand what you mean. This could be something as futuristic as Matthew Broderick’s battle with the WOPR, or with something more practical, like Siri. Whether it be text entered by a human into a keyboard or something more akin to understanding the very unstructured format of human speech, understanding the meaning behind parsed words is incredibly complex — and to someone like me — fascinating!
My particular interest as of late is parsing — which from a linguistic perspective, means the breaking down of a string of characters into words, their meanings, and stringing them together in a parse tree, where the meanings of individual words as well as the relationships between words is composed into a logical construct that allows higher order functions, such as a personal assistant. Having taken several foreign language classes before, then sitting on the other side of the table as an ESL teacher, I can appreciate the enormous ambiguity and complexity of any language, and much more so English among Germanic languages, as to creating an automated process to parse input into meaningful logical representations. Just being able to discern the meaning of individual words given the multitude of meanings that can be ascribed to any one sequence of characters is quite a challenge.
Parsing Models
Consider this: My security beat wore me out tonight.
In this sentence, what is the function of the word beat? Beat functions as either a noun or a verb, but in this context, it is a noun. There are two general schools of thought around assigning a tag as to what part of speech (POS) each word in a sentence functions as — iterative rules-based methods and stochastic methods. In rules-based methods, like Eric Brill’s POS tagger, a priority-based set of rules that set forth language-specific axioms, such as “when a word appears to be a preposition, it is actually a noun if the preceding word is while”. A complex set of these meticulously constructed conditions is used to refine a more course dictionary-style assignment of POS tags.
Stochastic methods, however, are more “fuzzy” methods of building advanced statistical models of how words should be tagged not based on a procedural and manual analysis of edge cases and their mitigations, but using training models over pre-tagged corpra, in a manner hearkening to the training sets applied to neural networks. These trained models are then used as a baseline for assigning tags to incoming text, but no notable option for correction of any specific error or edge case other than retraining the entire model is available for refinement. One such very interesting concept is treating the tagging of parts of speech as Hidden Markov Models, which is a probabilistic model that strives to explain how a process with a defined pattern that is not known other than sparse characteristics of the model and the inputs and the outputs through the process.
This continues to be a good candidate for doctorial theses in computer science disciplines.. papers that have caused me to lose too much sleep as of late.
Parsing Syntax
Even describing parts of speech can be as mundane as your elementary school grammar book, or as rich as the C7 tagset, which provides 146 unique ways to describe a word’s potential function. While exceptionally expressive and specific, I have become rather fond of the Penn Treebank II tagset, which defines 45 tags that seem to provide enough semantic context for the key elements of local pronoun resolution and larger-scale object-entity context mapping. Finding an extensively tagged Penn Treebank corpus proves difficult, however, as it is copyright by the University of Pennsylvania, distributed through a public-private partnership for several thousand dollars, and the tagged corpus is almost exclusively a narrow variety of topics and sentence structures — Wall Street Journal articles. Obtaining this is critical to use as a reference check for writing a new Penn Treebank II part-of-speech tagger, and it prevents the construction of a more comprehensive Penn-tagged wordlist, which would be a boon for any tagger implementation. However, the folks at the NLTK has provided a 10% free sample under Fair Use that has provided somewhat useful for both checking outputs in a limited fashion, but also for generating some more useful relative statistics about relationships between parts of speech within a sentence.
To produce some rudimentary probabilistic models to guide ambiguous POS-mappings for individual words, I wrote a five-minute proof of concept that scanned the NLTK-provided excerpt of the WSJ Penn Treebranch corpus to produce probabilities of what the next word’s part of speech would be given the previous word’s tag. The full results are available in this gist.
Future Musings
My immediate interest, whenever I get some free time on a weekend (which is pretty rare these days due to the exceptional pace of progress at our start-up), is pronoun resolution, which is the object of this generation’s Turing Test — the Winograd Schemas. An example of such a challenge is to get a machine to answer this kind of question — Joe’s uncle can still beat him at tennis, even though he is 30 years older. Who is older? This kind of question is easy for a human to answer, but very, very hard for a machine to infer because (a) it can’t cheat to Google a suitable answer, which some of the less impressive Turing Test contestant programs now do, and (b) it requires not only the ability to successfully parse a sentence into its respective parts of speech, phrases, and clauses, but it requires the ability for a computer to resolve the meaning of a pronoun. That’s an insanely tough feat! Imagine this:
“Annabelle is a mean-spirited person. She shot my dog out of spite.”
A program could infer “my dog” is a dog belonging to the person providing the text. This has obvious applications in the real world if you can do this, and it has been done before. But, imagine the leap in context that is exponentially harder to overcome when resolving “She”. This requires not only an intra-sentence relationship of noun phrases, possessive pronouns, direct objects, and adverbial clauses, but it also requires the ability to carry context forward from one sentence to the next, building a going “mental map” of people, places, things — and building a profile of them as more information or context is provided. And, if you think that’s not hard enough to define .. imagine the two additional words appended on to this sentence:
, she said.
That would to a human indicate dialog, which requires a wholly separate frame of Inception-style reference between contextual frames. The parser is reading text about things which is actually being conveyed by other things — both sets of frames have their own unique, but not necessarily separate, domains and attributes. I’m a very long-way off from ever getting this diversion in my “free time” anywhere close to functioning as advertised… but, then again, that’s what exercises on a weekend are for — not doing, but learning. 🙂
Posted by Sean McElroy on August 22, 2013 in Programming
Robustness in Programming
(For my regular readers, I know I promised this post would detail ‘a method by which anyone could send me a message securely, without knowing anything else about me other than my e-mail address, in a way I could read online or my mobile device, in a way that no one can subpoena or snoop on in between.’ A tall order, for sure, but still something I am working to complete in an RFC format. In the meantime…)
I have the benefit of supporting an engineering group that is seeing tremendous change and growth well past ideation and proof of concept, but at the validation and scaling phases of a product timeline. One observation I’ve made about the many lessons taught and learned as part of this company and product growth spurt have been the misapplication of the Jon Postel’s Robustness Principle. Many technical folks are at least familiar with, but often can quote the adage: “Be conservative in what you do, be liberal in what you accept from others“. Unfortunately, like many good pieces of advice, this is taken out of context when it relates to software development.
First off, robustness, while it sounds positive, it not a trait you always want. This can be confusing for the uninitiated, considering antonyms of the word include “unfitness” and “weakness”. On a macro-scale, you want a system to be robust; you a product to be robust. However, if you decompose an enterprise software solution into its components, and those pieces into their individual parts, the concerns do not always need to, and in some cases should not, be robust.
For instance, should a security audit log be robust? Imagine a highly secure software application that must carefully log each access attempt to the system. This system is probably designed so that many different components of the system can write data to this log, and imagine the logging system is simple and writes its output to a file. If this particular part of the system were robust, as many developers define it, it must, as well as possible, attempt to accept and log any messages posted to it. However, implemented this way, it is subject to CRLF attacks, whereby a component that can connect to it and insert a delimiter that would allow it to add false entries to the security log. Of course, you developers say, you need to do input checking and not allow such a condition to pass through to the log. I would go much further and state you must be as meticulous as possible about parsing and throwing exceptions or raising errors for as many conditions as possible. Each exception that is not thrown is an implicit assumption, and assumptions are the root cause of 9 out the OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities in web applications.
Robustness can, and is often, an excuse predicated by laziness. Thinking about edge cases and about the assumptions software developers make with each method they write is tedious. It is time consuming. It does not advance a user story along its path in an iteration. It adds no movement towards delivering functionality to your end users. Recognizing and mitigating your incorrect assumptions, however, is an undocumented but critical requirement for the development of every piece of a system that does store, or may ever come in contact with, protected information. Those that rely on the Robustness Principle must not interpret “liberal” to mean “passive” or “permissive”, but rather “extensible”.
In the previous example I posited about a example logging system, consider how such a system could remove assumptions but still be extensible. The number and format of each argument that comprises a log entry should be carefully inspected – if auditing text must be descriptive, then shouldn’t such a system reject a zero or two-character event description? While information systems should be localizable and multilingual, shouldn’t all logs be written in one language and any characters that are not of that language omitted and unique system identifiers within the log languages’ character set used instead? If various elements are co-related, such as an account number and a username, shouldn’t they be checked for an association instead of blindly accepting them as stated by the caller? If the log should be chronological, shouldn’t an event specified in the future or too far in the past be rejected? Each of these leading questions exposes a vulnerability a careful assessment of input checking can address, but which is wholly against most developers’ interpretations of the Robustness Principle.
However, robustness is not about taking whatever is given to you, it is about very carefully checking what you get, and if and only if it passes a litany of qualifying checks, accepting it as an answer to an open-ended question, rather than relying on a defined set of responses, when possible. A junior developer might enumerate all the error states he or she can imagine in a set list or “enum”, and only accept that value as valid input to a method. While that’s a form of input checking, it is wholly inextensible, as the next error state any other contributor wishes to add will require a recompile/redeploy of the logging piece, and potentially every other consumer of that component. Robustness need not require all data be free-form, it must simply be written with foresight.
Postel, wrote his “law” with reference to TCP implementations, but he never suggested that TCP stack implementers liberally accept TCP segments with such boundless blitheness that they infer the syntax of whatever bits they received, but rather, they should not impose an understanding of the data elements that were not pertinent to the task at hand, nor enforce one specific interpretation of a specification upon upstream callers. And therein lies my second point — robustness is not about disregarding syntax, but about imposing a convention. Robust systems must fail as early and as quickly as possible when syntax, especially, has been violated or cannot be accurately and unambiguously interpreted, or if the context or state of a system is deemed to be invalid for the operation. For instance, if a receives a syntactically valid message but can determine the context is wrong, such as a request for information from a user who lacks an authorization to that data, every conceivable permutation of invalid context should be checked, not fail to consider each in a blasé fashion to leave room for a future feature that may, someday, require an assumption made in the present, if it is ever to be developed. This crosses another threshold beyond extensibility to culpable disregard.
In conclusion, building a robust system requires discretion in interpretation of programming “laws” and “axioms”, and an expert realization that no one-liner assertions were meant by their authors as principles so general to apply to every level of technical scale of the architecture and design of a system. To those who would disagree with me, I would say, then to be “robust” yourself, you have to accept my argument. 😉
Posted by Sean McElroy on August 7, 2013 in Programming
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The Rum Diary (Blu-ray disc)
Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Giovanni Ribisi, Aaron Eckhart, Richard Jenkins, … 2
Bruce Robinson writes and directs this drama based on the debut novel of Hunter S. Thompson. Johnny Depp, who also co-produces the film, stars as burned-out vagrant freelance journalist Paul Kemp, who leaves his life in New York behind and heads off south to work for a local newspaper in San Juan, Puerto Rico. There he adopts the debauched, liquor-soaked lifestyle of Hemingway's 'Lost Generation' and develops an unhealthy obsession with Chenault (Amber Heard), the beautiful fiancee of shady property developer Sanderson (Aaron Eckhart).
Romeo and Juliet (English & Foreign language, DVD)
Leonard Whiting, Olivia Hussey, Milo O'Shea, Michael York, John McEnery, … 2
Franco Zeffirelli directs this version of Shakespeare's romantic tragedy - breaking with the norm and casting a 17 (Leonard Whiting) and 15-year-old (Olivia Hussey) to play the lead roles. The filming took place in Italy, broke another tradition by having nude love scenes, has a well-known score by Nino Rota (who went on to write the music for 'The Godfather') and is probably still one of the most profitable film adaptations of a Shakespeare play. The film was nominated for 4 Academy Awards and won 2 - for Costumes and Cinematography.
They All Love Jack - Busting the Ripper (Paperback)
Bruce Robinson 1
R353 R247 Discovery Miles 2 470 Save R106 (30%)
LONGLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION A book like no other - the tale of a gripping quest to discover the identity of history's most notorious murderer and a literary high-wire act from the legendary writer and director of Withnail and I. For over a hundred years, 'the mystery of Jack the Ripper' has been a source of unparalleled fascination and horror, spawning an army of obsessive theorists, and endless volumes purporting finally to reveal the identity of the brutal murderer who terrorised Victorian England. But what if there was never really any 'mystery' at all? What if the Ripper was always hiding in plain sight, deliberately leaving a trail of clues to his identity for anyone who cared to look, while cynically mocking those who were supposedly attempting to bring him to justice? In THEY ALL LOVE JACK, the award-winning film director and screenwriter Bruce Robinson exposes the cover-up that enabled one of history's most notorious serial killers to remain at large. More than twelve years in the writing, this is much more than a radical reinterpretation of the Jack the Ripper legend, and an enthralling hunt for the killer. A literary high-wire act reminiscent of Tom Wolfe or Hunter S. Thompson, it is an expressionistic journey through the cesspools of late-Victorian society, a phantasmagoria of highly placed villains, hypocrites and institutionalised corruption. Polemic, forensic investigation, panoramic portrait of an age, underpinned by deep scholarship and delivered in Robinson's inimitably vivid and scabrous prose, THEY ALL LOVE JACK is an absolutely riveting and unique book, demolishing the theories of generations of self-appointed experts - the so-called 'Ripperologists' - to make clear, at last, who really did it; and more importantly, how he managed to get away with it for so long.
Withnail and I (Blu-ray disc)
Richard Griffiths, Daragh O'Malley, Richard E. Grant, Noel Johnson, Paul McGann, … 1
Bruce Robinson's celebrated cult comedy starring Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann. It's the end of the 1960s and two out-of-work actors, Withnail (Grant) and 'I' (McGann), subsist on a diet of booze, drugs and fags in their revolting Camden flat. In order to escape the depressing nexus of visits from their dealer and the months of untouched washing-up, they escape to the country, with the intention of getting some R and R at a cottage owned by Withnail's uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths). However, things do not exactly go as planned, Withnail being particularly unsuited to the quiet social mores of countrypeople. The pair's friendship starts to become sorely tested amid the vicissitudes of their 'holiday'. More ominously, uncle Monty appears in person seemingly with something of an eye for 'I'.
The Rum Diary (DVD)
Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path - National Trail Guide (Paperback, Re-issue)
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Running 93 miles from the heathland and forest on the Norfolk-Suffolk border, via stunning sandy beaches, picturesque villages and wild, empty salt marsh to the traditional seaside resort of Cromer on the north Norfolk coast, the Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path is a wonderfully varied and interesting National Trail. There is the archaeological interest of the Roman road whose route the trail first follows to the coast, the magnificent architecture of Norfolk' s characteristic flint churches, and for birdwatchers an embarrassment of riches, from the rare stone curlews of Breckland to the marsh harriers sailing above the reedbeds at the spectacular nature reserves of Titchwell and Cley. This official guide, published in conjunction with Natural England, is the only companion you need.
Private Road (Blu-ray disc)
Bruce Robinson, Susan Penhaligon, Michael Feast, Robert Brown, George Fenton, … 1
British drama which follows the relationship of a young couple. Author Peter (Bruce Robinson) takes time out from working to move in with his receptionist girlfriend, Ann (Susan Penhaligon), against the wishes of her parents. When Ann falls pregnant, Peter is torn between pursuing his artistic passion of writing and committing to the domestic lifestyle.
International Logistics: Trade Operations Management (Hardcover)
Many Mansions - A centennial celebration of The Robert Treat Hotel (Paperback)
The Healthy Adventures of Charisma N' TRISHA Goode - A Colorful Meal is a Healthy Meal (Paperback)
Pamela Brown; Lugene Kennebrew; Contributions by Bruce Robinson
How to Get Ahead in Advertising (DVD)
Mick Ford, Tony Slattery, Rachel Ward, John Shrapnel, Jacqueline Pearce, …
Richard E. Grant plays a successful advertising executive who cracks up while trying to think up a campaign for a new spot cream. He then develops a spot himself, which soon enough grows a face and begins talking to him.
The Tragedy of Contemporary Gospel Music (Paperback)
Brooks Bruce Robinson
Afrodescendants' position at the lower-end of economic metrics in the US was reinforced during the Great Recession of 2008-2009. Social groups in such a position are expected to use all available resources to improve their plight-including religion. A key component of the Afrodescendant religious tradition (in and outside of religious liturgies) is Gospel Music. No question about it, Gospel Music has been used historically as a motive force for improving conditions for Afrodescendants. Did Afrodescendants use Gospel Music to improve their economic condition in response to the Great Recession? More broadly, what are the discernable effects of contemporary Gospel Music? THE TRAGEDY OF CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL MUSIC reflects findings from musical, content, and Probit regression analysis of contemporary Gospel Music. We find that, while economic concerns are strongly present in the Gospel Music exchange, the music is not widely used to motivate improved economic outcomes for Afrodescendants.
God, and Dr. Bannister - This War Can Be Stopped (Hardcover)
Frank Bruce Robinson
God, and Dr. Bannister - This War Can Be Stopped (Paperback)
Bow Wows & Meows - "Doggone funny" DOG cartoons (Paperback)
Funny dog and cat cartoons - endorsed by Mort Walker (creator, "Beetle Bailey"), Glenn McCoy (co-creator, "The Flying McCoys"), Leigh Rubin (creator, "Rubes"), Brian Basset (creator, "Red & Rover"), Kevin Fagan (creator, "Drabble"), Fred Travalena (comedian, impressionist) and other famous humorists.
Bow Wows & Meows - CAT Cartoons - Volume 1 (Paperback)
FUNNY dog & cat cartoons - endorsed by Mort Walker (creator of 'Beetle Bailey'), Glenn McCoy (co-creator of 'The Flying McCoys'), Leigh Rubin (creator, 'Rubes'), Brian Basset (creator of 'Red & Rover'), Kevin Fagan (creator, 'Drabble'), Fred Travalena (comedian, impressionist) and other famous humorists
Logistics Management: A Practical Guide (Hardcover)
Procurement, Materials Handling and Customer Service in Supply Chain Management (Hardcover)
Managing Supply Chain: Operations, Production and Quality (Hardcover)
Manufacturing Planning and Logistics Management (Hardcover)
Supply Chain Management: Operations and Logistics (Hardcover)
Service Management (Hardcover)
Principles of Supply Chain Management (Hardcover)
Supply Chain Management: Planning and Operations (Hardcover)
Essentials of Supply Chain Management (Hardcover)
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Imagine Dragons CD R230 Discovery Miles 2 300
Scentos: Scented Crayons (24 Pieces)
Michael Keaton, Linda Cardellini, … Blu-ray disc R167 Discovery Miles 1 670
Handover Foam Brush (2")
Utopia L1/R1 Triggers for Smartphones or…
Russell Hobbs Crease Control Steam Iron…
eFootball PES 2021: Season Update
Bantex PP Economy Folder (A4)(Purple)
R6 Discovery Miles 60
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Remaining Prayerful and Eucharistic through 2020
Parish Profile: St Aidan would be proud of Rooty Hill Parish
By Jordan Grantham, 19 September 2018
Members of St Aidan's Church Choir. Photo: Diocese of Parramatta
A hundred people stand outside the main Sunday morning Mass at St Aidan’s Parish, Rooty Hill. It is also standing room only inside, crying room and side chapel are full.
The parish is bursting at the seams, showing the power of cultures that have been imbued with Christ and His Faith.
The parish has an Irish history, a Maltese maturity and a Filipino future. It’s a sign of the universality of the Roman Catholic Church and Her evangelising mission to connect all people to Christ.
“The parishioners are very generous, even when they don’t have much money,” Fr Alan Layt, parish priest, said.
The communities come together in a beautiful harmony, such as when a Maltese family in the parish raises money for Filipino orphans through an annual baking sale.
St Aidan himself was a great evangeliser, bridging cultures and changing lives. He made huge inroads with his monks in the evangelisation of the English, much more so than the original Benedictine mission to England under St Augustine of Canterbury.
“Aidan holds the first place in the evangelisation of our race. Augustine was the apostle of Kent, but Aidan was the apostle of England,” Dr Lightfoot, a 19th century ecclesiastical historian, wrote. Count Montalembert, another historian, wrote that “what the sons of St Benedict could only begin was completed by the sons of St Columba.”
St Aidan had Irish blood, was formed in a Scottish monastery and evangelised many of the English at the request of the devout Northumbrian King, St Oswald.
He was an appropriate saint for the old Irish farmers of Rooty Hill, when the first Church was dedicated in 1915. The Irish would have been quite proud that St Aidan played an important role in reforming the mostly godless Englishmen from their pagan ways.
St Aidan founded the monastery on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, taking inspiration from the monastery he entered as a youth on the island of Iona. Likewise, Rooty Hill is demographically something of a Catholic island, with almost 40% of locals identifying as Catholic.
It was first made its own parish in 1950, growing out of Penrith Parish and then St Marys Parish. The first parish priest, Fr John Morreau, was so popular that they named the local Morreau Oval and Reserve after him. The parish originally contained a number of present day parishes, including Mount Druitt and Plumpton.
The current Church was built in 1982, with doors large enough to fit statues carried for processions in the Maltese Catholic tradition.
“We need to extend the Church, just to cover the people who are standing outside,” Fr Alan said.
Fr Alan is very concerned to protect his parishioners from the elements, which can reach over 40 degrees in summer.
Most parishioners today have a Filipino background and Fr Alan describes the area as “part of the growing Filipino-belt.”
It’s a busy place, with Deacon Jesse Balorio, Deacon Jerome Emmanuel and retired clergy Fr Ed Kenny and Deacon Brian Myers there to assist.
Some important Catholic organisations in the area of the parish include Our Lady of Consolation Aged Care of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, St Agnes Catholic High School and St Aidan’s Primary School.
The Sisters of Charity, Sisters of St Joseph and Franciscan Sisters have run the primary school at different stages.
The parish contains the Rooty Hill RSL Club, the largest licensed club in NSW, which is a convenient venue for large events, such as Catholic Youth Parramatta’s LIFTED Live and Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta’s staff formation days with Dr Edward Sri in late July.
Filipino CatholicFr Alan LaytIrish CatholicMaltese CatholicRooty HillRooty Hill RSLSt Aidan's Rooty Hill
Jordan Grantham
US Bishops renew call for peaceful transition of power
The Diocese of Parramatta is hosting the 2022 Conference of the National Association of Deacons in Baulkham Hills. Details here....
For all of us, 2020 was a year like no other. Tanya Quinn from the Diocese of Parramatta's Pastoral Planning Office reflects on what she was able to draw...
The Well Top resources of 2020 – My Journey, Our Journey series
The Well Top resources of 2020 – My Journey, Our Journey series...
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Home India News Indian security agencies concern on increasing footprints of Turkish NGOs in Jammu...
Indian security agencies concern on increasing footprints of Turkish NGOs in Jammu and Kashmir
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s efforts on taking an anti-India stand on Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has not been limited to his anti-Kashmir rhetoric at the United Nation General Assembly (UNGA), rather, his efforts to influence the issue are now visible in the region.
Turkey-based Islamist charity organisations and Turkish NGOs have launched a blitzkrieg in Jammu and Kashmir, especially after the abrogation of Article 370. It is observed that activities of Turkey-based outfits intensified in the Union Territory during Ramadan.
“One of the most prominent and powerful Turkey-based NGO, which organizations has a worldwide presence and most of its units, located abroad, found to be indulged in anti-India activities. During last Ramadan, the organisation distributed food and money in the form of zakat in Jammu and Kashmir.
It also organised a charity programme in Jammu and Kashmir on Eid. Organisation’s unit in Germany also conducted charity for Kashmir and extended its support for the separatist elements.” said a senior officer deployed in the Central security establishment.
Observers of Islamist charity organisations believe that the NGO has been floated by Turkey’s Religious Directorate, Diyanet — an organization aggressively promoting Erdogan’s religious agenda. The organisation is also a member of the Union of NGOs of Islamic World — IDSB.
The IDSB is an umbrella organisation of Islamist NGOs controlled by Diyanet and has been tasked with promoting Erdogan’s geopolitical agenda. IDSB also issued a statement criticizing India’s move to abrogate Article 370 and termed it a ‘threat to global peace and stability’. It has also pulled-in a number of Indian Islamic NGOs in its fold, thereby working to subvert and converge entities for furthering Erdogan’s interests in India, along with the world.
Another major outfit with significant presence in J&K and other parts of India is Hayder Foundation. The organisation has been conducting charity work in Kashmir and has intensified its activities post 5 August 2019. It organises ‘Yesevi Supper’, based on the organisation’s Turkish name, all over India. A couple of locals have confessed that the organisation is promoting political Islam in the region and garnering support for Erdogan.
Besides major organisations, Turkish entities are also registering their presence in the Kashmir valley in tits and bits. Through minor, but countless activities, Turkish organisations are working gradually to spread all over J&K. For example, Dora Kubra Yildiz – a prominent member of Erdogan’s party and office bearer of Turkish NGO ‘One Packet of Happiness’, claimed to organise a hand-pump charity in Kashmir in July 2020.
Besides their activities in J&K, Turkish NGOs are also subverting Indian students studying in Turkey on the issue of J&K through events and organizational memberships. They specially target Kashmiri students and invite them as participants and speakers in events organised on the Kashmir issue. Till date, over a dozen anti-India events have been organised in Turkey after abrogation of Article 370, partnered by Pakistani outfits based in Turkey. A number of ISI proxies attend the event along with diplomats of Pakistani missions, including the Pakistani Ambassador to Turkey himself.
Apparently, the biggest damage that is being done to India is by two Turkish organisations controlled by Erdogan’s party and his son Bilal Erdogan. These organisations are — YTB (Turks Abroad and Related Communities) and TUGVA (Turkey Youth Foundation). These two organisations select Indian students for providing scholarships to study in Turkey and assist them in admission and settling down.
“Once the students reach Turkey, they get associated with these two organizations and most of them end up as active cadres. Since the past few years, the number of Kashmiri students receiving scholarships by these organisations has significantly increased. Further, upon the return of these students back to India, they act as ambassadors of Erdogan’s party and further contribute to the selection process for scholarship, besides other things. The Turkish Embassy in India ensures maintaining a perennial contact with these students.,” a source aware of these developments said Zee News.
The role of Turkish missions in India also needs to be highlighted. Turkish missions have been able to build a strong support base in Islamic institutes and the ones that run courses in Turkish language like Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, besides many others. A number of student leaders argue that Turkey has also been able to make inroads in the students’ politics in India, Students Islamic Organisation – one of the strongest student outfits in India has a strong base in states like Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, New Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir. Islamic Students Circle (ISC), a subset of SIO, is believed to operate under Turkish influence. Reportedly, it believes in Erdogan’s idea of political Islam and is on an undeclared mission to promote Erdogan as the tallest leader of Muslim Ummah all over India and as Messiah of Kashmir in J&K.
Turkey has also transcended the Line of Control (LoC) in an attempt to exert its influence in Jammu and Kashmir. The only difference is that the efforts made on the other side of the LoC are overt in nature. Besides succeeding to expand its political Islam in PoJK and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), it has also taken its business interests to these areas. Turkish companies have already set up their projects in PoJK and G-B, which are making profits by exploiting these resource and mineral rich areas. Several projects are being run by Turkish aid agencies in these two territories.
Recently, a senior official from Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) – Gokhan Umut visited PoJK and G-B and met Ali Amin Gandapur – Pakistani Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan.Both of them brainstormed on the ways to increase Turkey’s participation as well as its investments in PoJK and G-B. Gandapur also invited Umut for investing in G-B, which is already opposing the entry of companies and CPEC and alleging the stakeholders of the projects to breach human rights of the locals, changing ethnic demography, and degrading the environment. Turkey has also been sending its media personnel from Anadolu Agency and TRT to send pro-Pakistani andanti-India reportage and G-B.
Turkey, through its covert operations in J&K and overt activities in PoJK and G-B, has ensured an all-round degradation of Jammu and Kashmir. Turkish activities are destroying every USP that Jammu and Kashmir has, from scenic beauty and natural resources to multi ethnic demography and Sufi culture- Turkey is destroying all.
The commotions of Turkish organizations in J&K are not only leading to instability in the region , but also posing a lot of threat to India’s national security. It is also believed that these organizations are indulged in money laundering, breaching the FRCA (Foreign Contributions Regulation Act). These organisations are also believed to be indulged in terror financing in Kashmir through charity, zakat, and unaccounted foreign money. Besides, they have also been successful in promoting radical Islam throughout the nation, especially, along the stretches with Muslim majority. Radicalisation by these outfits has also begun to bear fruits as they are believed to be the actual forces behind multiple trivial incidents of violence. Hence, it becomes necessary for the Indian law enforcement agencies to track down the links of these Islamist charity organisations and launch a crackdown to ensure stability in J&K and national security of India. (Zee News)
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Search Memorial Funds
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Bonnie Ruth Smith
The Bessie Mae Murray and Bonnie Ruth Smith Memorial Scholarship, established in 2017, is a tribute to the memories of Bessie Murray and Bonnie Smith, two strong African-American women who were pillars of their communities. They were the matriarchs of their family’s, and have each left a tremendous legacy in their names.
A scholarship will be awarded annually to a student who demonstrates strong morals, a love for their fellow woman, positivity, and actively strives to better herself and her community.
Bessie and Bonnie were both lifelong nurtures and caregivers. It is our goal to continue to help advance our fellow sisters in bettering their lives, with the same mindset, ethics, and strength that these two women exhibited in their lifetime.
Bessie Mae Lowe was born and raised in Palestine, Texas on November 25, 2017 to Bethel and Zola Lowe; she was the second of seven children. She came from modest beginnings, being raised on a farm in a one bedroom home, with no electricity or running water. In 1933, in an era when it was difficult for African Americans to receive formal education, Bessie attended Pine Hill Elementary until the sixth grade. In 1938, she attended Henry High Scholl in Elkhart, Texas. She graduated valedictorian in 1943.
On June 19, 1947 Bessie married Isaiah Murray and moved to Houston, Texas. She had three son, and went on to become an entrepreneur for over 40 years. In 1960, she opened Murray’s Daycare Center, which she owned and operated until 2004. Bessie was a devout Christian, and strongly walked in faith until the day she transitioned to Heaven on August 4, 2017.
Bonnie Ruth Graham was born on November 17, 1919 to Rufus and Bertha Graham in Stafford, Texas; she was the eldest of seven children. As a child she was passionate about learning and helping others.
In 1935, Bonnie married Frank Smith, Jr and moved to Houston, Texas. Their union produced twelve children. She worked in her community and assisted her neighbors by offering words of encouragement and being available to lift a helping hand, when needed.
Bonnie enjoyed cooking, sewing, caregiving, serving God, and spending time with her family and friends. She devotedly raised her children under the word of God until the day He called her home on September 4, 2016.
In the name of these two great women, we want aide minority women in making their tomorrow better than their today. Education is a priceless tool than no person can take away; whether the education is a two-year institution, a four-year college, or a vocational school. “The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge.” – Bertrand Russell.
Ithaca McCollin
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The above Memorial Fund is established as a division of Charitysmith Nonprofit Foundation (EIN 87-0636433). All donations are tax- deductible in accordance with federal tax law. Receipts for tax purposes are sent via US Mail within two weeks of donation. Please consider asking if your employer participates in a gift-matching program. If so, your donation may be matched by your employer.
For questions regarding your donation or this memorial fund please contact CharitySmith.
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Home/News/Iran Opposition/Online Conference Reject Mullahs’ Propaganda Against Iran’s Democratic Resistance
Online Conference Reject Mullahs’ Propaganda Against Iran’s Democratic Resistance
Editor September 9, 2020
On Saturday, the National Council of Resistance of Iran held the latest in a series of virtual conferences to discuss escalating conflicts between the Iranian regime and its people.
Shahriar Kia
Iran, Ashraf, MEK, MKO, Albania
MEK virtual conference in Ashraf-3 (Albania)
On Saturday, the National Council of Resistance of Iran held the latest in a series of virtual conferences to discuss escalating conflicts between the Iranian regime and its people. As well as highlighting recent activities by the country’s democratic opposition, the event celebrated the 55th anniversary of the founding of the NCRI’s main constituent group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK).
In July NCRI held a similar conference over three days, in place of an annual in-person gathering of expatriates. Saturday’s event conveyed much the same message as the “Free Iran Global Summit,” but placed much more emphasis on the perspective of the Iranians themselves, as opposed to the geographically and ideologically diverse supporters who have participated in previous gatherings.
Both events were viewed in real time by members of approximately 300 Iranian communities from throughout the world. Many representatives of those communities took center stage in Saturday’s livestream, as individual supporters of the MEK delivered personal remarks detailing the MEK’s ongoing struggle for freedom and outlining their expectations regarding the aftermath of recent mass uprisings in Iran.
Speakers joined the conference from California, Texas, Virginia, Germany, France, Sweden, and so on. While many are professional or political activists, others hold careers in fields like education, medicine, and engineering, but have committed to supporting the Iranian Resistance through financial donations, political campaigns, and echoing voice of the Iranian people in events and demonstrations organized by the NCRI and MEK.
Maryam Rajavi waving to thousands of Iranians all over the world joining the Iranian Resistance’s virtual conference
Some speakers acknowledged being raised in families that have supported the MEK since its founding, but others described realizing later in life that the MEK and NCRI represent the best hope for democracy and civil rights in Iran. Fatemeh Sarhadi, of the Association for Human Rights and Democracy, told the conference, “My relationship with the MEK did not begin in friendship. I had many questions. But as I asked and learned, I came to respect their ideals, the sacrifices they have made and the struggle they lead.”
The MEK’s leading role in the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom, particularly inside Iran, has become much more apparent in recent years. For most of the 41 years the mullahs have been in power, the Iranian regime has been trying to downplay the MEK’s strength and popularity, brushing off the MEK as a “cult” or a “grouplet” with little organization or support within Iran. But in January 2018, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was effectively compelled to walk back this propaganda after a nationwide uprising revealed widespread popular endorsement of the MEK’s platform.
Thousands of Iranians from all over the world join the Iranian Resistance’s virtual conference
Khamenei explained in a speech while the uprisings was still ongoing, the MEK had “planned for months” to popularize anti-government slogans and facilitate public demonstrations in upwards of 100 cities and towns. Participants in the uprising called attention to a false distinction between two factions of the regime. Identifying “hardliner” and “reformists” by name, the protesters declared that “the game is over” and that they intend to overthrow this regime.
But unlike other countries, the alternative to the mullahs’ regime is clear. The NCRI has long identified Mrs. Maryam Rajavi as the prospective leader of a transitional Iranian government following the mullahs’ overthrow and pending the country’s first truly free elections. Commitment to such elections is part of Mrs. Rajavi’s 10-point plan, which outlines the NCRI’s vision for the future of Iran. Other specific principles that attract the people and especially the youth of Iran to the Iranian Resistance include separation of religion from the state, gender equality, freedom of expression, and disregard for nuclear weapons and ethnic or sectarian conflicts.
maryam rajavi, statement, Iran coronavirus, covid-19, mek, ncri
Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the NCRI
At the conclusion of Saturday’s conference, the participating Iranian communities presented a joint statement affirming these principles and making it clear that they can be achieved only via the overthrow of the existing regime. And toward that end, the participants also appealed for international assistance, not in the form of direct intervention but simply through coordinated political support for the Iranian people and recognizing their right to overthrow the mullahs’ regime.
Ashraf-3, home of the MEK members
“The international community must recognize the right of the Iranian people to fight against religious fascism and to establish democracy and the rule of the people in Iran,” the concluding statement said. “Supporting the MEK and [its] Resistance Units… is the national duty of anyone who is committed to the freedom of Iran.”
But the conference touched upon the idea that the international community and especially the have traditionally been derelict in this duty. Although the three-day teleconference in July and the previous annual gatherings have made it clear that the Iranian Resistance enjoys considerable support among foreign policymakers. The Resistance, in turn, has repeatedly criticized status quo “appeasement” policy of the international community toward the Iranian regime.
Furthermore, the NCRI has described that appeasement as resulting from the influence of Iranian propaganda, much of which is squarely focused on the MEK. In her own speech on Saturday, Mrs. Rajavi noted that “the clerical regime is admitting… in a thousand different ways that its main problem is the structure of the PMOI/MEK. So, it must be obliterated and beheaded to guarantee the regime’s survival. This is the common goal pursued by all the regime’s mercenaries.”
This preoccupation has led to a number of direct attacks on MEK members and supporters, and to over 100,000 deaths, including 30,000 in a massacre of political prisoners during the summer of 1988. The appeasement policy has also led to the MEK being included, for a time, on the State Department’s list of foreign terrorist organizations. This designation was removed in 2012 following multiple court cases that failed to establish any wrongdoing on the part of the organization. Yet false narratives about the MEK have lingered in international media and policy circles because of attempts of the regime’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security.
Even where the regime has failed to demonize the MEK as a terrorist group, it has spread the much bogus notion that the Resistance enjoys little support inside its homeland. But the regime’s historical propaganda campaign against the MEK and remark by mullahs’ top officials such as Khamenei rejects these bogus claims.
Saturday’s conference in Ashraf 3 alone rejects these claims. Thus, speeches from Iranian expatriates were accompanied by video messages from MEK supporters and “Resistance Units” inside Iran. The subjects of those videos remained anonymous, underscoring the fact that any affiliation with the MEK is potential grounds for the death penalty. But that in and of itself goes a long way toward falsifying the regime’s claims accusing the MEK as being a cult.
If it was such a marginal movement, why would the regime currently be in the process of cracking down on those who followed the MEK’s lead in demanding regime change during the January 2018 and November 2019 uprisings? And as one participant in the conference asked, why would Iran’s state media outlets have produced 32 films and television series over the past two years, to counter a movement that isn’t able to replace the clerical regime?
Answering these questions not only reject the regime’s propaganda, but it also shows what group is the viable alternative to the Iranian regime.
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US Treasury Dept. Fintech Innovation Report Touches on Crypto, Blockchain
August 1, 2018 CryptCrazeCrypto Trends
A major new report from the U.S. Treasury Department has called for a more agile and conducive regulatory approach to innovations in the fintech sector.
A major new report from the U.S. Treasury Department published July 31 has called for a more agile and conducive regulatory approach to innovations in the fintech sector.
The 222-page report, devoted to ‘Nonbank Financials, Fintech, and Innovation,’ only fleetingly touches upon cryptocurrencies and distributed ledger technologies (DLT) such as blockchain, noting that these are currently being “explored separately in an interagency effort led by a working group of the Financial Stability Oversight Council.”
Overall, the document indicates a strong impetus on the part of the U.S. government to foster nascent financial technologies and to modernize existing regulatory frameworks in order to remove impediments to their evolution.
The report advocates “more streamlined and tailored oversight,” proposing a set of recommendations that suggest a strong inclination to rationalize overly complex regulations that may stymie growth. These include harmonizing unwieldy state-by-state money transmission legislation, which is notably currently applied to U.S. crypto exchanges.
Noting that interest in crypto assets has “substantially increased” from financial authorities worldwide, the Treasury singles out the dedicated efforts on the part of the G20 to set out appropriate metrics for monitoring the emerging sector.
While it notes that these include managing the “inherent risks” that crypto assets “currently pose for investor protection and anti-money laundering and illicit finance regimes,” the report cites a G20 communique from March that affirms “that technological innovation, including that underlying crypto-assets [sic], has the potential to improve the efficiency and inclusiveness of the financial system.”
The Treasury further acknowledges a range of DLT applications that are being developed by the financial services industry –– although it notes that their benefits are still “highly uncertain –– including:
“Commodities trading and securities settlement […] trusted identity products and services […] [and] the potential for central bank-backed digital currencies, or a tokenized form of a fiat currency that utilizes DLT, [which some assert] could potentially help reduce fees, processing times, and operational risk for market participants.”
The Treasury further advocates the use of regulatory sandboxes and encourages efforts “to create labs, working groups, innovation offices, and other channels for industry participants to engage directly with regulators. A “symbiotic relationship” between regulators and innovators “is needed to support the U.S. economy and maintain global competitiveness.”
This latter notion chimes with concerns voiced recently by the president of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), who said that the U.S. is “falling behind” other countries in fostering innovation. The CFTC’s president noted in particular that the agency lacked the legally sound procedures that would enable it to directly participate in trials of blockchain proof-of-concepts (PoC), despite that fact that it has created a dedicated LabCFTC for promoting innovation in fintech.
PR: XcelTrip Accepts Major Crypto Currencies on Its Revolutionary Online Travel Portal
Crypto Markets Dump $15 Billion in 18 Hours
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Erasure – The Violet Flame (Album Review)
November 11, 2014 Erasure – The Violet Flame (Album Review)
Posted at 15:07h JA Rivera cryptic rock, CrypticRock, Music reviews, News, Reviews 0 Comments
Pop music, in the USA especially, has a certain negative connotation to it. The naysayers will tell you it is mindless, empty music made for the sole purpose of making money. UK Synthpop legends Erasure have not only embraced the term, but, after nearly thirty years of making music, they have perfected it. Nowhere is this more evident than on their latest release, The Violet Flame.
A violet flame, in mystic terms, is a flame of rebirth. This is clearly the intent and result in Vince Clark and Andy Bell’s most recent effort; unlike more recent releases, which were darker, gloomier, and dwelled heavily on the tragedies that have befallen the band members, Erasure have come back this time with their signature Dance sound. There is not one song on this album that could be called a “ballad.” While the lyrics are at times dark and relay the recent trials faced by both band members, the music, with the aid of producer extraordinaire Richard X, is a non-stop party. Songs like the album opener “Dead of Night,” “Sacred,” and the upcoming second single from the album “Reason” are destined to keep DJs and club-goers happy for a few summers.
Regardless of one’s preferred musical genre, it is difficult not to appreciate the technique and skill that Clarke and Bell put into crafting songs. With Bell’s melodic vocals full of emotion and Clarke’s superior technical skills, each song could easily be a single and would more than likely chart. As an early pioneer of Electronic music, Clarke has refined the sounds that brought him to the forefront of Synthpop in the early 1980s. Listening to the brilliant “Smoke and Mirrors” leads one to wonder what Depeche Mode, the band Clarke founded, would sound like today if Clarke had never left to pursue other endeavors.
Longtime fans of Erasure will not find anything greatly innovative on the group’s sixteenth studio record The Violet Flame, but will take great pleasure in the nostalgic feeling that it will invoke with its hooks and melodies. That is not to say, however, that it does not feel modern and updated. New Erasure followers, and fans of Electronic music of all types, will find plenty to enjoy as they are kept dancing. As for the naysayers, well they simply do not know what they are missing when it comes to exciting Synthpop music such as Erasure’s. CrypticRock gives Erasure’s The Violet Flame 4 stars out of 5.
Album review, Andy Bell, Erasure, Synthpop, The Violet Flame, Vince Clarke
JA Rivera
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Newsletter | Press
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Edouard Lock and Stina Nyberg to create for Cullberg Ballet
Renowned choreographer Edouard Lock creates 11th Floor directly for Cullberg Ballet. The work is inspired by jazz and film noir of the 1950’s, and focuses on an unspoken crime of passion, unstable relations and repressed tensions. With music written specially by Gavin Bryars and costumes by Ulrika van Gelder, 11th Floor is an elegant and sophisticated period piece with ten of the Cullberg Ballet dancers. Composer, jazz musician and bassist Gavin Bryars has composed works in a variety of styles of music, including jazz, free improvisation, minimalism, historicism, experimental music, avant-garde and neoclassicism. He has created music to several operas, string quartets, concertos, as well as choral music. He has collaborated with many chorographers and directors; Edouard Lock, Merce Cunningham and Robert Wilson, among others.
Edouard Lock created, already at the age of 20, works for several different companies in Canada. Lock founded his own company La La La Human Steps 1980 in Montréal and the company had great international success with big scale dance productions. The award winning Lock had his international breakthrough in 1985 with Human Sex, and he has worked with many different companies, as well as artists such as Louise Lecavalier, David Bowie and Frank Zappa. Many of Lock’s works have appeared on film, as well as the acclaimed film adaptation of Amelia directed by Lock himself in 2004. He is counted as one of the ground breaking superstars of modern dance.
The Swedish choreographer Stina Nyberg, one of the most interesting young choreographers of today, will create Tones & Bones. The choreography, the sound design by Anna Sóley Tryggvadóttir and the lighting design by Chrisander Brun are parallel and intertwined. During its creation the performers will not only create a dance piece, but also learn to become musicians, playing and performing the music of their own show, making Tones & Bones into a joyful expansion of the role of the dancer. Tones & Bones focuses on how hierarchies between music and dance can be constructed, destroyed and re-constructed.
“There is a distinct sense of recognition to watch somebody do their very own best on stage, to dare both succeed and fail. For me it is about using experiences to questioning ideas about quality and professionalism. And to learn something new on the way, says Stina Nyberg.”
Stina Nyberg graduated from the MA in choreography at DOCH in Sweden in 2012. She is working as part of several collaborations as well as alone, always relating her different projects and work roles as part of her choreographic work. She is interested in methods and the notion of practice, and co-curated the Practice Symposium in September 2012. During 2011-2013 Stina has presented several works at MDT in Stockholm; latest the solo Musical and earlier The Environment and The Way Sounds Attack. In 2012 she made the piece Orkestern for the Royal Swedish Ballet School, performed in the gold foyer at the Royal Opera in Stockholm. These works deals with the relationships between sound production and movement, and through constructing specific practices for each work attempts to create other logics for moving and thinking. Stina teaches her own movement practices created within the choreographic project Fake somatic practice and has together with Zoë Poluch devised a workshop on dancing. This spring she has developed the solo Horrible mixtures with premiere at MDT in March 2014. Together with Amanda Apetrea, Nadja Hjorton, Halla Ólafsdóttir and Zoë Poluch she choreographed Samlingen for Cullberg Ballet at the Museum of Dance in Stockholm in 2013. Since 2012, Stina has been developing, choreographing and performing in the Shaking the habitual show with the Swedish band The Knife, a collaboration that continues with a US/Canada tour in April.
Erica Espling
Marketing and PR Manager Cullberg Ballet
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Iran vs. America In “The Marketing War” — Where Being The Victim Is Victory →
Good And Evil vs. Victimization And Justification
Posted on November 11, 2006 by Gabriel
“It’s like my dad always said,
sooner or later everyone gets shot.”
‘Moe The Bartender’, The Simpsons
“Non-violence means cooperation where possible,
but resistance when it is not.”
‘Lord Chamberlain’, Kundun (1997)
‘”No politics but ours, no religion but The State.” This is how it starts. This is how we move from democracy to totalitarianism, through the keyhole of Leftism.’
Fear The Seeds
“We do not seek to be the guardians at the gate.
But there is no one else.”
How Facism Becomes Justified Through Victimization
A Canadian politician, responding to a question about safety and war, recently said “women and children are the core of our species.” There are parallels between this statement and the way the NDP and Conservative parties view Canada’s mission in Afghanistan.
Anthropologically it is men who have provided the physical security to the family unit in times of conflict. In the NDP mind-set this means men become the conflict, therefore no men equals no conflict, no men then means women and children become the core of our species. Carried on this means there would be no conflict in Afghanistan if there were no more soldiers. But, say the Conservatives, the NDP has no influence over the enemy’s soldiers so by pulling our soldiers out we leave the Afghan women and children defenceless against the enemy.
It has long been NDP policy that all soldiers are bad to the point where there should be no Canadian soldiers, only blue-beret unarmed observers who valiantly stand between two warring parties and take notes, or who stand between two exhausted opponents who are recharging. On the other hand the Conservatives believe soldiers and war can be a force for good, in which case Canadian soldiers should be in Afghanistan killing for a cause and fighting for Afghani’s who have nothing but want something more.
The very base of the problem is the NDP and The Left’s rejection of the concepts of good and evil. If there are no evil acts, just various degrees of victimization, then there is no good, just various degrees of justifications. Therefore, these believers contend, we can stop shooting back and simply send in teams of negotiators and grief counsellors because the Taliban are just misunderstood and fighting against the people who turned them into victims.
This makes sense because The Left rejected the concepts of “good and evil” when they rejected religion. What “big corporations” are to today’s Left, religion (opiate for the masses) was to The Left a hundred years ago. Religion, specifically Christianity, were the original Armies of Imperialism to “The Left” of the 19th century. The horror with which The American Left greeted evangelical voters who supported evangelical-ish politicians is a perfect example of how “The Left” still views religion today. Religious Leftism for these people is simply rebranded 1970’s socialism and Marxism-Lite, where a higher being holds no one responsible and all are forgiven not out of penitence but because there can be no sin except judgement, and only people who believe in good and evil judge.
These views can also be seen in Canada in the virulent attacks against the stereotypical “Western evangelical voters” who “elected” Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party. These people, the NDP and their supporters say, are ignorant voters because they make political decisions based on whether they feel an issue is good or evil, right or wrong. These people are an anathema to “The Left” because to “The Left” it is these people who are responsible for the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, these religious maniacs are also to blame for 9-11 (the chickens who came back to roost were bible fed), because it was these people who fought the Soviet Union by supporting bin Laden instead of understanding and respecting the will of the Soviet people, and it is these people who “unconditionally” support Israel’s right to exist.
The Left in Canada, America and Europe are now completely enthralled with the philosophy of Moral Relativism, which equates the Americans with the Soviet Union because the Americans want to build a fence to stop illegal immigration from Mexico and the Soviet Union built a wall to keep in millions of political prisoners. Or the Americans are as guilty as the Nazi’s because both had prison camps. Or a suicide bomber in a Khandhar market is justified in blowing up a marketplace because Canadian soldiers just cleared a village of Taliban fighters.
Women and children are not the core of our species. The core of our species is both male and female. Our species is capable of some pretty horrible shit, but we’re also quite capable of coming back from the edge of every abyss we find. We can sit around the fire listing all the reasons why Hitler went batshit insane: no one liked him; he was a crappy painter; the 1919 Paris Treaties; he had a huge hole in his brain, or the reasons why bin Laden got lost in his own ass: the 1919 Paris Treaties; the huge hole in his brain; his father hated him; whatever. But when The Left dropped religion, or when religion became something to be used only for unblinking and unjustified forgiveness, they lost the concept of freewill. People chose to send planes into the WTC, people chose to set Hutu against Tutsi, Idi Amin chose to eat people, Lenin chose to create the Gulags, Stalin chose to starve 20million Ukrainians to death, Mao chose to kill 45million Chinese in his grand leap forward, Castro chooses to jail political dissidents, Mugabe is choosing to starve his people, a bunch of British citizens chose to blow up 50 other Brits, a bunch of Canadian citizens chose to plan an attack on Parliament.
It is the philosophies of justification, victimization and undeserved forgiveness which have led us to war again and again. Freewill is about choosing one side or the other, freewill is all about Good and Evil. More importantly, understanding the concept of freewill means you understand the difference, it means understanding what is good and what is evil and that there will be consequences.
If you find a broken link, or the YouTube stuff isn’t loading
properly, let me know and I’ll find an alternative…
I’m Canadian, it’s what we do. Off the ice.
This entry was posted in Afghanistan, American Politics, Canadian Politics, Christianity, Conservative, Iraq, Middle East Politics, US Middle East Policy. Bookmark the permalink.
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Home Opinion Letters Trump’s policies reason enough to vote for him
Trump’s policies reason enough to vote for him
When someone asks me why I will vote for President Trump on Nov. 3, or if he or she says something like, “I can’t believe you would vote for Trump,” I simply reply:
I’m not voting for Trump.
I’m voting for the First Amendment and freedom of speech.
I’m voting for the Second Amendment, and my right to defend myself and my family.
I’m voting for the next U.S. Supreme Court justice(s) to protect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
I’m voting for the continued growth of my 401(k) and the stock market.
I’m voting for a return of our troops from foreign countries, and the end to America’s involvement in foreign conflicts.
I’m voting for the Electoral College and the republic we live in.
I’m voting for the police to be respected once again, and to ensure law and order.
I’m voting for the continued appointment of federal judges who respect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
I’m voting for our jobs to remain in America and not again be outsourced to China, Mexico and other foreign countries.
I’m voting for secure borders and legal immigration.
I’m voting for the military and the veterans who fought to give the American people their freedoms.
I’m voting for continued progress toward peace in the Middle East.
I’m voting to fight against human/child trafficking.
I’m voting for freedom of religion.
I’m voting for the American flag, which is disrespected by the Democratic Party.
I’m voting for the right to voice my opinion and not be censored.
I’m not just voting for one person; I’m voting for the future of my country.
What are you voting for?
Jean Lecours
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Developmental, Educational, Gender, Teams October 5, 2015 July 30, 2016
How do popular kids behave in a cooperative task with a classmate?
Popular girls showed more skilful leadership than others, popular boys showed less.
In classrooms around the world, there’s an unwritten hierarchy, with most of the kids knowing each other’s standing in terms of popularity. Past psychology research has looked into the ways that children and teens attain this status, including the ability to influence their peers, either in skilful, sensitive ways or through coercion and manipulation. A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology takes a different approach by looking at how popular children, aged 11, behave when they participate in a one-on-one cooperative task with a randomly chosen classmate. Away from the eyes of the rest of the class, will they be rude and pushy, or show tact and leadership?
Tessa Lansu and Antonius Cillessen recruited 218 eleven-year-old girls and boys from nine schools in middle-class communities to complete a cooperative task in same-sex pairs. The task required each pair of children to sit at a computer together and fill out a form about planning a classroom party, including making decisions about the time and date, and what snacks would be on offer. A webcam recorded the discussions which took about ten minutes. Before this, all the children had answered questions about who was the most and least popular child in their class. The researchers used these ratings to ascertain each child’s overall popularity.
Three judges coded the videos of the interactions for various behaviours, including skilful leadership (essentially when one child got the other one to follow their lead, but in a flexible way that took account of the other child’s feelings and goals), overall influence, coercive or bossy behaviour and submissive behaviour.
Perhaps the most striking finding was the sex difference that emerged: the more popular girls were with their class as a whole, the more skilful leadership they showed in the cooperative task with a single class-mate. By contrast, boys’ class popularity was associated with their showing less skilful leadership in the task. Overall, peer popularity was a more significant factor in the girls’ interactions than the boys, also being associated with their having more influence and showing less submissive behaviour.
The researchers also looked at how a child’s behaviour in the task was related to the popularity of their partner. Both girls and boys adopted a low profile when they were collaborating with a popular partner: they tended to avoid using coercion and any negative behaviour, suggesting they did not want to upset their popular classmate. “Interaction partners of high-status adolescents may keep a low profile because they are aware of the capabilities of the high-status influential peer,” the researchers said. These results could also be interpreted the other way around, though, as showing that children were happier to bully and coerce classmates who were unpopular in class.
This is a very new area of study and there were some issues with the methods, including the fact the people coding the videos of the interactions didn’t always agree on the nature of the behaviours on display. Also, the data only speak to the relevance of class popularity to behaviour in same-sex partnerships, and to behaviour in a cooperative task, as opposed to a competitive task or other one-on-one situation. Still, these are fascinating results ripe for follow-up. For example, can the observed sex differences be explained by possible differences in the ways girls and boys attain popularity: boys using group-level leadership, girls juggling numerous one-on-one relationships?
There could be practical insights here too. “If a teacher wants to promote assertiveness and leadership in a girl, having her work with a highly popular peer might not be the best option because the popular peer’s reputation or behaviour could evoke submissive behaviour in the girl,” the researchers said. “Instead, the teacher could pair her with an average-status peer, or maybe explicitly assign a more submissive role to the peer with whom she would be interacting, in order to promote the girl’s assertiveness.”
Lansu, T., & Cillessen, A. (2015). Associations of group level popularity with observed behavior and influence in a dyadic context Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 140, 92-104 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2015.06.016
A child’s popularity is related to where the teacher seats them in the classroom
What happens to the cool kids when they grow up?
Post written by Christian Jarrett (@psych_writer) for the BPS Research Digest.
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Home Interviews and Features Tennessee Williams’s ‘Lady from the Village of Falling Flowers’ returns
Magic Time!
Tennessee Williams’s ‘Lady from the Village of Falling Flowers’ returns
Spooky Action brings back the delightful production directed by Natsu Onoda Power redesigned for viewing online.
John Stoltenberg
Spooky Action Theater’s utterly charming production of The Lady from the Village of Falling Flowers—a recently discovered early work by Tennessee Williams directed for puppets and people by Natsu Onoda Power—has been redesigned for viewing on YouTube through January 14, 2021.
This innovative interpretation of “a Japanese fantasy” (as Williams called it) mixes Japanese kamishibai-style street theater with storytelling performers and features Dylan Arredondo, Melissa Carter and Jared H Graham. Tickets are available online.
On the occasion of this digital remount of a delightful fable about love, we rerun John Stoltenberg’s interview with Power when the production was in previews.
Natsu Onoda Power crafts a Tennessee Williams puppet show
How the renowned multimedia artist prepared for a world premiere in P-Town
Originally published September 24, 2019
Sitting in the front row in a child-size chair, I watched a puppet show based improbably on a play by Tennessee Williams. The occasion was a preview at Spooky Action Theater of a never-before-produced script that Williams wrote as a university student and titled The Lady from the Village of Falling Flowers. Subtitled “A Japanese Fantasy in One Act,” it had been mounted in miniature by Natsu Onoda Power, who not only directed and designed it but built almost every bit of it.
“I’m very crafty,” she joked as we chatted in the theater afterward.
Director Natsu Onoda Power with the kamishibai (picture play) puppet stage she built for ‘The Lady from the Village of Falling Flowers.’ Photo by Laura Mertens.
The play will have its world premiere September 26 to 29, 2019, at the Tennessee Williams Theater Festival in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
Renowned for imaginative stagings that include her Helen Hayes Award–winning adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Lathe of Heaven, Onoda Power was approached by David Kaplan, the festival curator and cofounder, to do Falling Flowers utilizing kamishibai, a Japanese art form that translates as picture play. “The script invited some sort of unusual visual treatment,” Onoda Power said. “And they were specifically looking for people who knew kamishibai.”
Onoda Power knew the form well. She had been using kamishibai as inspiration for several recent multimedia works. For each of the three scenes in Falling Flowers, she amplified and enhanced it.
In the first scene of ‘The Lady from the Village of Falling Flowers,’ Dylan Arredondo (The Emperor) and Jared H. Graham (The Prime Minister) operate two-dimensional puppets. Photo courtesy of Spooky Action Theater.
“Kamishibai is usually a set of illustrated placards with narration on the back. You flip it to reveal different pictures to tell the story,” she explained. “Falling Flowers starts out in the first scene looking like traditional kamishibai then introduces cut-out two-dimensional puppets. Then in the second scene it moves to miniature three-dimensional puppets. And in the third scene we use Noh-inspired masks—not worn on the performers’ faces but held in their hands and operated like puppets to tell the story.”
Drawing inspiration from the 11th-century Japanese classic The Tale of Genji, Williams wrote Falling Flowers about an Emperor who enlists his Prime Minister to help him find a wife. The Emperor expects her to be a wonderful poet. He won’t settle for anyone who isn’t. Eventually he finds the Princess poet he’s looking for and they fall in love.
In the second scene of ‘The Lady from the Village of Falling Flowers,’ three-dimensional puppets come in to play. Photo by Natsu Onoda Power.
“There are many layers of meanings in the progression of the characters’ representation from illustration to cut-out puppets to full-size,” Onoda Power explained. “I thought that for Williams, Falling Flowers was an experiment in storytelling. I imagine him writing it like an exercise. He was taken by this ancient Japanese text and wanted to do his own version of it. I wanted to do something similar: a study in different forms of storytelling that I am actively borrowing.
“It’s not mimicry, it’s more adaptation—my own adaptations of established forms.”
Nobody familiar with Williams’s body of work would think Falling Flowers part of it. And one wonders how many other works he put in the drawer that were also not what we think of as Williams. “This is like a delightful surprise, that he was even compelled to do it,” Onoda Power said. Her staging of Falling Flowers is a form of “honoring his imagination,” she said, “boldly approaching different forms and then using them.
In the third scene of ‘The Lady from the Village of Falling Flowers,’ Noh-inspired masks are used as puppets. Photo by Natsu Onoda Power.
“There’s another reason behind the multiple modes of representation,” she continued. “This is a text that if someone were to write it today, they may be accused of cultural appropriation. It’s Tennessee Williams essentially writing in the Japanese voice. And because we’re putting it up in the contemporary U.S., there are some challenges. Like who’s going to play these characters if we do it with humans? Do they have to be Japanese actors? Except these characters are hardly authentically Japanese—and what’s authenticity anyway? However, if we do it with puppets and not just one set of puppets or one set of illustrations but multiple, then we see many different ways in which we perceive these characters, all of which constitute the complex figures that these characters are.”
The cast of three—Dylan Arredondo (The Emperor), Jared H. Graham (The Prime Minister), and Melissa Carter (The Lady and The Princess), all alumni of the National Players touring ensemble—had worked with Onoda Power before. At the preview I saw, they seemed completely in sync with the performance style, the language, the puppetry, Onoda Power’s vision, and one another.
Dylan Arredondo (The Emperor), Jared H. Graham (The Prime Minister), and Melissa Carter (The Princess) in scene three of ‘The Lady from the Village of Falling Flowers. Photo courtesy of Spooky Action Theater.
“I often think about many versions of ourselves,” Onoda Power reflected. “We present ourselves in so many different versions in our daily lives. And all these versions are true. I wanted to play with that idea with multiple puppet possibility.”
Melissa Carter (The Princess) and her princess finger puppets in the second scene of ‘The Lady from the Village of Falling Flowers.’ Photo courtesy of Spooky Action Theater.
This esthetic approach also gives context to the gender politics of the play. “I felt that many different forms of puppets could give us a meta commentary about that,” Onoda Power said. “We think we’ve come so far in the way we speak about gender or we enact gender, but we’re not yet in full human form. We’re in the closer-to-human but still masked-puppet phase. The transformation of performance styles in the three scenes is a record of a gender discourse.”
I noted that the three actors seemed to put air quotes around much of what they said—notably Melissa Carter as The Lady and The Princess. When she’s reacting, you can see that she’s commenting all the time. Onoda Power shed light on that.
“There’s a line at the top of the third scene where the Emperor asks, ‘Are you a princess?’ And she says, no, ‘I’m just a stupid woman.’ We wanted to inflect that line with ‘because everybody said so.’ ”
Mask in progress for ‘The Lady from the Village of Falling Flowers. Photo by Natsu Onoda Power.
Besides working out the presentation conceptually, besides working with the performers on acting style and props, Onoda Power also designed and constructed everything—the puppets, the toy stage, the placard paintings, the masks—it’s all her handiwork (except six cute little princess finger puppets that Carter offered to make and wears in scene two). Onoda Power possesses an extraordinary synthesis of conceptual and dramatic artistry with mechanical and sculptural dexterity.
“I don’t think I can separate them,” she told me. “A lot of the ideas come while I’m making things. Also, in rehearsals as we work with things, sometimes the objects give you ideas. You don’t know until you have the puppet in your hand what it’s going to do.
“I usually do the first phase of rehearsals with mockups. Then I take a little time between the initial rehearsals and the final set of rehearsals to make everything. For this one, we had three days of workshop in July and then we didn’t really come back until four days before preview. I had a month and a half in between for me to figure things out.”
When the show goes on the road to Provincetown, it will be set up for outdoor performances and taken down at night. It’s all compact and transportable. “Everything fits in a suitcase,” she said. “Everything is built to fit exactly. Everything has its compartment. And I made custom pillows for each piece, so for instance, each mask has a little cushion that closes with Velcro and protects it.”
The family-friendly show runs about 35 minutes. It has grownup themes, it’s not a children’s story, but it’s told as if it were, which is both disarming and engaging, and it’s totally accessible. A kid could watch the show and be inspired go home and write a poem.
What makes The Lady from the Village of Falling Flowers seem like Williams of the future, a precursor of his work to come, is its reverence for imagination and the poetic soul.
“Only verse makes things eternal. Only literature and art make things eternal,” Onoda Power said of the play. “It’s celebrating art.”
Running Time: About 35 minutes, with no intermission.
The Lady from the Village of Falling Flowers was produced by Spooky Action Theater and was performed in previews September 21, 2019, at Spooky Action Theater – 1810 16th Street NW, Washington, DC. The play had its world premiere September 26 to 29, 2019, at Wa Garden, 220 Commercial Street Provincetown, Massachusetts, as part of the Tennessee Williams Theater Festival.
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John Stoltenberg is currently interim editor in chief of DC Metro Theater Arts. He writes both reviews and his Magic Time! column, which he named after that magical moment between life and art just before a show begins. In it, he explores how art makes sense of life—and vice versa—as he reflects on meanings that matter in the theater he sees. Decades ago, in college, John began writing, producing, directing, and acting in plays. He continued through grad school—earning an M.F.A. in theater arts from Columbia University School of the Arts—then lucked into a job as writer-in-residence and administrative director with the influential experimental theater company The Open Theatre, whose legendary artistic director was Joseph Chaikin. Meanwhile, his own plays were produced off-off-Broadway, and he won a New York State Arts Council grant to write plays. Then John’s life changed course: He turned to writing nonfiction essays, articles, and books and had a distinguished career as a magazine editor. But he kept going to the theater, the art form that for him has always been the most transcendent and transporting and best illuminates the acts and ethics that connect us. He tweets at @JohnStoltenberg.
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Dave Creech
~ Life on the Green Side
Cornus angustata – Chinese Evergreen Dogwoods a Big Surprise in East Texas
Posted by creechdavid in Uncategorized
As far as we’re concerned the Chinese evergreen dogwood is one durable plant. It’s been a surprise here in East Texas for over two decades. Given a little soil drainage and some protection from the western sun, it develops into a fine specimen small tree. The bloom show on a good sized tree can be stunning, a cloak of white flowers for several weeks in mid summer. The blooms are followed by interesting sweet red fruits which are edible. While not about to take over the grocery chains in the South, they are good. Extremely useful in a famine my friends in China would say. In our winters the foliage remains dark green with only the harshest winter turning foliage slightly purple. In particularly cold winters further North into Zone 7, the foliage might drop. We have offered this tree for years in our plant sale and most find the tree easy to grow and pest free. This is one of our favorite trees and we highly recommend growing one in your garden!
A seven year old tree in the Gayla Mize Garden
So far, the trees do not appear to be invasive. Even though we’ve allowed plenty of fruit drop, we’ve yet to see a problem. Time will tell.
Propagation by seed is easy. One month cold and moist is suggested and then sow in a community flat. Cuttings can be taken anytime but percentages are often low. It is best to take May-June cuttings and root them under frequent mist.
There is one variety we have in the collection, “Empress of China”. It was selected by the great plantsman John Elsley for exceptional bloom count, beautiful fruit and great garden vigor. It touts glossy, leathery bright green leaves. In theGayla Mize garden we have planted a long line of seedlings of this tree and there are differences here and there but they’re not dramatic. Some seedlings do seem to have better flowers and we’ll continue to see if anything is worth introducing. Right now, it strikes me that seedlings are solid and perform well.
For a mid summer show, this small tree is a surprise. While available, it’s yet to be a market mover in Texas. We think East Texas and across the Gulf South will make a fine home for this tough as nails ornamental.
Hibiscus dasycalyx – Saving the Neches River Rose Mallow
I’ve concluded that Hibiscus dasycalyx, the Neches river rose mallow, is certainly in danger of being lost in the wild. Intrusion by other mallows seems to favor the invader, whether H. moscheuotis, H. militaris, or H. laevis. Where they comingle come progeny sharing a fairly friendly gene pool. It’s a modest megacharasmatic endangered plant with a neat story. Known in the wild from only four populations in East Texas, it must be noted that the species has found a home in over a dozen reintroduction projects, as well as in Southern Arboretums, botanical gardens and home landscapes. While no barn burner in the market, it has moved into all kinds of horticultural and nursery channels across the South. Along the way, as professional and amateur horticulturists and breeders are known to do, it’s been used to produce a range of interesting hybrids. The long narrow leaves are unique and incorporating that aesthetic into progeny with large red, pink, or white flowers, well, it’s done. Given half a chance, this wetland species will survive in a home landscape. To be totally cheerful, all it needs is a naturally wet site, good sun, and you can’t let the spot grow into a forest.
First a little botany: Hibiscus dasycalyx is a shrubby-appearing herbaceous perennial that grows 0.8-2.3 meters in height. The glabrous leaves are narrow and deeply lobed, and the flowers are white to cream with a crimson throat. The calyx is densely covered with long hairs, and the seeds are densely reddish hairy. The specific epithet “dasycalyx” translates from the Greek to mean a fruit-covering that is “shaggy” or “thick-haired”. Blake (1958) commented that the species is distinguishable from all other United States Hibiscus spp. because of its densely spreading hirsute calyx. An obligate wetland species (Reed 1986), H. dasycalyx is a member of Section Muenchhusia (n=19), a group of five closely related Hibiscus species that are uniquely designated “rose mallows” (Blanchard 1976). The rose-mallows may have evolved recently and all are in floodplain or coastal plain wetland habitats of the eastern U. S., the western boundary being East-Texas north to Canada. Seed dispersal for this group appears to be entirely water-dependent.
Hibiscus dasycalyx in flower July 2017
Diversity in the plot: H. lavevis (?) and H. dasycalyx.
Rarity: Ecological and Genetic Status
The four known locations of H. dasycalyx are wetland habitats within floodplain plant communities of large creeks (Houston Co. and Cherokee Co.) and in major river bottoms (Trinity Co.). These plant community types have been termed by Nixon (1985)
as Wet Creek Bottom and River Bottom Communities. Within these communities, Hibiscus dasycalyx occupies open slough and oxbow habitats that experience periodic flooding. The Trinity County site is on the Neches River floodplain and was discovered by Ivan Shiller in 1955. This original site was later designated the type locality by Blake (1958). In 1978, 23 years later, a second population was found by Claude McLeod on Tantaboque Creek, a tributary of the Trinity River in Houston County.
Old image of Jeff Williams, SFASU ATCOFA, and a colony near Ponte, Texas
In 1988, when only two locations were known, investigators found that the type locality of H. dasycalyx had already been severely disturbed (McMahan 1988). Paul Cox (1988) and Elray Nixon reported that “all but two plants had been dredged up from an expanded drainage project and were resprouting in a soil bank about three meters above the former water level”. The third documented population on Mud Creek, a tributary of the Angelina River in Cherokee County, was found in 1992 by Jason Singhurst (Carr 1992). It too has suffered over the years (mowing, herbicides, etc.).
In the early 1990s it was noted that all four populations are in serious decline. Surveys performed by TNHP staff and Warnock in slough and oxbow habitats have produced negative findings (Orzell 1990, Warnock 1995). Over the past years, cursory searches have been conducted in potential habitat around highway-river crossings in at least 35 counties. Habitat reduction by drainage and filling of sloughs and oxbows, prevention of oxbow production, and channelization have likely negatively impacted H. dasycalyx populations (Warnock 1995). In addition to habitat reduction, genetic drift appears to be a major threat to this extremely rare species. The two wide-spread and closely related H. laevis and H. moscheutos are found growing in the same or nearby wetland habitats. Apparent hybrids with H. moscheutos have been found at the Trinity Co. and Houston Co. populations. Hybrids with H. laevis have also been noted at the Cherokee Co. site.
Orland Blanchard (1976) conducted thesis research on the Hibiscus section Trionum Sensu Lato in 1976. Blanchard’s research included morphological descriptions, systematics, hybridization studies, and distribution/habitat information for H. dasycalyx. In 1992, Klips hypothesized that H. dasycalyx is a product of diploid hybridization speciation between two wide-spread sympatric closely related species, H. laevis All. (halberd-leaf rose-mallow) [syn. H. militaris Cav.] and H. moscheutos. Klips (1995) studied morphological relationships and conducted electrophoretic screening on the three species and determined that H. dasycalyx is probably not the product of hybridization but perhaps a recent offshoot from the interfertile and morphologically similar H. laevis. The genetic relationships among these three Hibiscus species and the potential for current and future genetic-swamping of the rare H. dasycalyx has been reported (Blanchard 1976, Klips 1995, Warnock 1995). Despite these questions, many investigators continue to recognize H. dasycalyx as a distinct species as concluded in early work (Gould 1975, Correll & Johnson 1979, Nixon 1985). The debate remains.
Research on H. dasycalyx has been conducted by Texas-based agencies and institutions, including the Texas Natural Heritage Program (TNHP), the Texas Nature Conservancy (TNC), the CPC at Mercer Arboretum and at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens (SABG), the Texas Regional Institute for Environmental Studies (TRIES, Sam Houston State University), the Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) Arboretum and the USFWS in Houston and Austin. These organizations have reported on the status of survey, habitat and plant vigor, and/or propagation of H. dasycalyx (Cox 1988, Orzell 1990, San Antonio Botanical Center 1990, Smith & Creech 1995). Blanchard (1976) and the San Antonio Botanical Center (1990) have reported successful cultivation of H. dasycalyx. Likewise, Erin Smith, SFASU graduate research assistant, conducted rooting experiments from stem cuttings, seed germination and fertilization trials in 1994 and 1995 (Smith & Creech 1995). Additional stem-cutting propagation and fertilizer trials were conducted by the author in 1995 on cultivated plants of H. dasycalyx. In general, these studies indicated favorable rooting percentages of softwood cuttings under mist with photoperiod interruption.
A variety of ecology research has been published on other rose-mallows. This information can be useful in the formulation of a conservation strategy for H. dasycalyx because of the similarities in habitat niche and reproductive strategy of these species. Genetic affinities between H. laevis and Florida-endemic H. coccineus have been studied by Wise and Menzel (1971), elucidating a lineage with H. dasycalyx. Also important is the fact that all of the rose-mallows appear to be pollinated primarily by Ptilothrix bombiformis Cresson (Anthophoridae), a non-social bee that is a Hibiscus specialist (Blanchard 1976; Spira 1989). Therefore, study of the pollination ecology of other rose-mallows may be pertinent to the understanding of H. dasycalyx’s current status and future chances as a self-sustaining species. Research on the pollination ecology (Spira et al. 1996, Spira et al. 1992), pollen competitive ability (Snow & Spira 1994), selfed progeny vigor (Snow & Spira 1993), seed predation and reproductive success (Spira 1987) has been conducted for the wide-spread rose-mallow, H. moscheutos. In addition, dissertation research is available on the community production and biomass allocation of H. moscheutos (Cahoon 1982) as well as on the distribution, herbivory, and seed set problems of southeastern Hibiscus spp (Cochis 1964; Robbins 1985). Observations from these investigations can guide the development of appropriate strategies for the augmentation of H. dasycalyx at in-situ and ex-situ locations.
Cultivation research has been conducted on other rose-mallows as well. H. moscheutos has been cultivated for ornamental use in the United States since the mid 1800’s (Welch & Grant 1995). For the establishment and maintenance of cultivated H. moscheutos, which is a heavy feeder, an annual application of a balanced fertilizer is recommended (Giles et al. 1980). Propagation and horticultural care information on both H. moscheutos and H. laevis (syn. H. militaris) can be found ubiquitously in gardening literature (Griffiths et al. 1992). The Landscape Restoration Handbook lists these two rose-mallows as native species suitable for introduction into marshy habitats in the Southeast U. S. (Harker et al. 1993). The Handbook provides information on plant type, environmental tolerances, aesthetic value, wildlife value, flower color, bloom period, and landscape use for over 3300 native plant species.
Conservation and Recovery Strategies
Prior to the addition of H. dasycalyx to the Category 1 candidate list, Warnock (1995) indicated that there were no mechanisms for protection of this rose-mallow since known populations are subject to mowing, discing, bulldozing, herbicide use, drainage, genetic swamping from sympatric rose-mallows, genetic drift and, potentially, are subject to over-collecting. Unless the species is listed as endangered or threatened, either at the state or federal level, the remaining H. dasycalyx plants and its habitat cannot be protected or managed for conservation (Warnock 1995).
Listing a rare plant species is not a panacea, however. The 1973 Endangered Species Act (ESA) may prevent the federal government and private citizens from harassing or killing listed animal species on both public and private land, but there are no prohibitions from destroying threatened and endangered plant species by private citizens on private land (Doughty & Parmenter 1989). Since the federal government is prohibited from the extirpation of threatened and endangered plants, federally funded or managed projects are required to mitigate activities to ensure conservation. Because the majority of the known occurrences of H. dasycalyx are found on private land, listing by the federal government may have little effect on the destiny of this species. Listing or not, the key to recovery of this Hibiscus is the implementation of cooperative agreements among federal and state agencies, institutions, and private land owners.
While it was once the priority of the USFWS to explore conservation possibilities that could avoid the listing of H. dasycalyx as endangered (Nemec pers. comm. 1996), the species is now listed. While rare plant management can involve many different methods, there is an increasing need for population re-introduction and restoration to be a part of the recovery plan (Falk 1987). Re-introduction is defined as the intentional establishment of a plant species where it has become extirpated for the purpose of establishing a self-sustaining population (Maunder 1992). In order to implement re-introduction and restoration, cultivation studies need to be implemented. It is obvious that the primary goal of conservation research on a given species is not horticultural knowledge, but such knowledge is necessary to develop techniques for cultivating rare species as a means to an end (Affolter 1997).
For H. dasycalyx, conservation strategies recommended by Warnock (1995) include the cultivation of plants to ensure against catastrophic loss, to prepare for re-introductory work, and to provide for scientific and educational activities. However, Ashton (1987) asserts that genetic viability of remaining populations of rare plants must be estimated before a conservation strategy is executed. This research requires funding. It is unknown when or if H. dasycalyx will be federally listed and when funding will be allocated for genetic viability research and conservation strategy design, initiation and implementation. While genetic viability is being ascertained for any rare species, immediate propagation and development of controlled ex-situ sites can check over-collecting due to potential horticultural value and curb destructive and unethical collection into the future (Mc Cartney 1995). As for H. dasycalyx, it appears that ex-situ preservation measures need to be taken soon since habitat preservation is tenuous for the three existing populations. Species such as H. dasycalyx, which have fewer than five locations, may become extinct if a chance event causes a population crash (Falk 1992). In addition to the threat of continued habitat degradation, Klips (1995) suggests that H. dasycalyx should be isolated from H. laevis and H. moscheutos to avoid dilution by gene flow when establishing preserves. Since hybridization is occurring at all three of the natural populations, this recommendation excludes them as re-introduction sites. In the interim, Mill Creek Gardens can provide a safe ex-situ site for cultivated H. dasycalyx because the site is isolated from all other Hibiscus species. Continued propagation and monitoring would be under the auspices of the Stephen F. Austin State University Arboretum. Since funding for the implementation of conservation projects is affected by federal, state, and industry politics, many plans are not implemented or can occur piecemeal over time. Augmentation via propagation and establishment in ex-situ sites needs to be initiated while waiting for the necessary bureaucratic processes to occur.
RESEARCH PLOTS, NACOGDOCHES, TX
A randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used for this H. dasycalyx fertilizer and mulching trial. Plants were randomly divided into groups of four and randomly assigned to three blocks of eight groups each. 32 plants were planted in each of three blocks, giving a total of 96 plants. Treatments were randomly assigned to 24 experimental units (plots) containing four plants each, with each treatment appearing exactly once in every block. Between the four rates of fertilizer and two mulching regimes, there are eight different treatments per block. The blocks are 6.1 by 12.2 meters (20 by 40 feet). The plots are 3.05 by 3.05 meters (10 by 10 feet).
Broad overview of the terrain adjacent to plots
In September of 1995, 96 plants were selected from several hundred plants using guidelines regarding morphologically correct features for the species. A portion of the H. dasycalyx plants used were stem cuttings taken from a single plant that had been propagated from the type locality and grown at the SFASU Arboretum. The rest of the plants used were progeny of these cutting-grown plants. The seeds were germinated and the cuttings were rooted and grown in the SFASU Arboretum greenhouse; then hardened off in one gallon cans in an outdoor shade house from 1994 to 1995. A selection protocol was followed because putative hybrids with H. moscheutos occur at the type locality. Appendix 3 provides a comparison of morphological features among H. dasycalyx, H. moscheutos, and H. laevis (Warnock 1995).
The fertilization and mulching experiment on H. dasycalyx at the Mill Creek Gardens research site was initiated in October of 1995 and concluded in November of 1996. Two separate applications at four rates of slow release 14-14-14 OsmocoteÒ fertilizer was made during the trial, once during planting (October 18, 1995) and again, approximately one month after dormancy-break (March 21, 1996). The slow release fertilizer is encapsulated within multiple layers of polymeric resin. When water vapor penetrates the permeable shell and dissolves the nutrient core, the resulting osmotic pressure within the granule meters the liquid nutrients through the coating and into the surrounding soil/media (Scotts 1995). 14-14-14 OsmocoteÒ is coated to provide approximately 4 months, based on an average soil temperature of 70°F. Some use can occur in the winter months by an herbaceous perennial such as H. dasycalyx, via absorption and storage in the roots.
Research plots
The fall application (10/18/95) of the four rates (0, 18, 36, and 72 g) was applied in-ground and as a top-dress (total application was 0, 36, 72, and 144g). The fertilizer was mixed into the soil/mulch directly below the roots as the plantings were made. The top-dress was applied within the root zone (10 cm radius) of the plants. The spring application (3/21/96) was a repeat of the 0, 18, 36, and 72 g rates as a top-dress only. Therefore, total fertilizer application for the study was 0, 54, 108, and 216g per plant. In the dry soil plots “wells” of soil/mulch were constructed around the root zones. In the standing-water plots plastic collars were placed around the plants to hold the fertilizer prills within the root zones. To further avoid intra-specific interaction of root zones and fertilization, the plantings were made at least a meter apart.
The low application rate (54g/plant) is equivalent to applying 12lbs of fertilizer per 100 plants or 1.9 ounces per plant. In terms of pounds per square-foot, the low rate is equivalent to .36 lbs/ft2. For 14% NPK, the low application rate is approximately .05 lbs/ft2 of each of the nutrients.
For plots selected to receive mulch, two gallons were mixed in the planting hole and four gallons of mulch was applied as top-dress around the plant. All holes were dug uniformly to accommodate the addition of mulch. For each non-amended plant, the soil was simply returned to the planting hole with the appropriate rate of fertilizer.
Plants were watered at the end of planting time (10/18/95) and then again on 10/28/95 due to drought conditions. Weed removal was conducted once during the study. In mid September 1996, all plants were removed within a 20 cm radius of each H. dasycalyx, regardless of their perceived threat.
Stacy Scott collected data for three years (1196, 1997 and 1998). Results concluded that mulch and fertilizer (applied at planting) improved plant performance three years in a row.
Influence of fertilizer, mulch, and soil condition on growth, stem number and capsule number
Influence of fertilizer on mulched and non-mulched plants
We concluded fertilizer treatments did help plant growth and long term survival. Mulch did not. What was most interesting is that even though fertilizer was applied only in the first year, the benefits of that application were still significantly apparent three years later. Perhaps the additional growth in the first year allowed the fertilized plants to compete with weeds later in the plant’s life.
RESEARCH PLOT REVISITED IN 2013
Dr. Dave Kulhavy and students revisited the plots in 2013 and mapped the plants. Data collected included plant height and number of stalks per plant.
Number of Stalks and Plant Height distribution
With this data, Dr. Kulhavy and students placed plants in categories based on stalk number. Because stalk number is some indication of plant size and age, it could be demonstrated that in nearly twenty years, the plants have a fluid presentation across the site.
Dr. Dave Kulhavy and students in summer of 2013 mapping the colony
Distribution of plants by number of stalks in 2013
Large plants inside and outside the original plots.
GENETIC VIABILITY RESEARCH NEEDED
A major issue surrounding the propagation and re-introduction of extremely rare species such as H. dasycalyx is the small number of plants that exist. Would re-introduction involving the propagation of a few individuals (a narrow genetic base) warrant the time and expense of such a project? The CPC (1991) recommends that between 10 and 50 individuals could preserve a significant fraction of the genetic information within that population. As of 1995, the three populations of H. dasycalyx contain as few as several to perhaps no more than 60 plants, and because each of the populations are hybridizing with H. moscheutos or H. laevis, it is likely that this sampling criteria will not be met for this species. Some investigators suggest that dozens of genetic individuals are needed to preserve fit genotypes in progeny (Guerrant 1992; Ashton 1978). However, this assertion may be based on theoretical assumptions or on animal studies and does not necessarily characterized long-term or species-specific plant studies (Eloff and Powrie 1990). New populations of plants are often started by one or several founding individual(s) and have become genetically viable and self-sustaining. One example cited by Eloff and Powrie (1990) involved the establishment of three plants of Aloe spectabilis (Aloeaceae) transplanted in 1900 to a location genetically isolated from any colony of Aloe. The original three plants produced a population whose numbers have increased to about 10,000 plants. These investigators indicate that at least with Aloe spectabilis, three plants were sufficient to establish a self-sustaining population with apparently the same diversity as the original colony.
Amber Miller, USFW, during a July 6, 2017 survey of the reintroduction plot
Even if the CPC’s recommended sampling criteria is met, it is argued that ex-situ conservation of a small genetic sample can lead to unpredictable changes in gene frequencies and loss of gene combinations (Ashton 1978). Some investigators assert, further, that the use of genetically “depauperate” or cloned material will doom a project because of the genetic homogeneity of the re-introduced individuals (Maunder 1992; Gordon 1994). There is no question that artificial augmentation terminates the natural selection process, but is it necessarily true that the use of small samples causes deleterious or undesirable gene combinations? Stebbins (1950) states that, as a matter of course, naturally rare plant species evolve thoroughly exposed to inbreeding and that depression is unlikely to occur. The answer is species and strategy specific. More research is needed in the arena of founder effects and population bottlenecks involving naturally rare plant species before decisions are made to forego conservation of them. An excellent examination of extinction probability and minimal viable population (MVP) regarding the conservation of rare plant species can be found in Conservation Biology (Fiedler and Jain 1992).
Closer to the focus of this research is “conservation horticulture,” defined by Affolter (1997) as the application of techniques and the knowledge base of horticulture to rare plant conservation. The technical aspects of a re-introduction project for endangered plant species must be logistically feasible or the effort is academic (Falk and Olwell 1992). The technical feasibility questions posed by Falk and Olwell (1992) are: Is there enough re-introduction material? Are propagation and transplanting techniques being studied? What are the interim management needs of newly transplanted material? Horticulturists have begun to respond to the concerns of managers who are struggling with the huge task of rare plant management. The International Conference on Botanic Gardens and the World Conservation Strategy (Bramwell 1987) encouraged the involvement of botanic gardens in conservation action; botanic gardens should maintain, propagate and make available stock of threatened species for scientific and horticultural research. The International Conference stated that no single approach to the conservation of endangered species can be relied upon; therefore, ex-situ conservation is a necessary adjunct to in-situ conservation (Bramwell 1987). Given (1987) lists five reasons why botanic gardens and arboreta should grow plants for conservation purposes (p.104):
To have as many threatened species in cultivation as practicable as an insurance against their loss in the wild.
To cultivate critically threatened species in sufficient numbers so as to prevent significant genetic erosion.
To have material available for research and for assessment for economic use.
To have collections of plants available for educational programs and for public displays.
To propagate and maintain plants suitable for use in programs, to reintroduce species into the wild, or to reinforce wild populations.
Since the late eighties, the CPC and the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) have instituted standards for documentation, study, and maintenance of rare plant collections at ex-situ sites (BGCI 1993; Wieland 1995).
HORTICULTURAL RESEARCH OF H. DASYCALYX
There is very little information regarding the cultural and maintenance needs of nursery-grown H. dasycalyx for establishment in wildland situations has been published. This information is needed because horticultural treatments, such as fertilization and mulching, may positively affect survivorship, establishment and biomass and reproductive vigor (Poincelot 1980, Vitousek 1982, Merwin and Stiles 1994, Boodley 1996). Plants require an adequate nutrient supply for proper growth, sexual maturity and senescence (Barbour, et al 1987). In the case of some ex-situ habitats, “mitigation” introduction sites, and re-introduction locations which have incurred ground-disturbing activities, soil nutrients may be in short supply or out of balance (Vitousek 1982). Nitrogen is usually the limiting nutrient in many communities, particularly following disturbances. Other cultural treatments such as mulching can maximize growth and availability of essential plant nutrients (Merwin and Stiles 1994). Poincelot (1980) characterizes mulches as the ultimate conservation agent: mulches increase soil moisture retention, mitigate soil erosion, provide a temporary barrier to competition, and mediate soil temperature.
Generally, optimizing plant growth by whatever means, can give the target plant an initial competitive edge over other plants already established in the community. Response of plant vigor in the rare H. dasycalyx during the first year of establishment to fertilization and mulching provides feasibility information for the implementation of ex-situ and re-introduction projects. Equally as important, this study also provides first year anecdotal field observations on inter-specific competition, microhabitat differences regarding moisture regime, and herbivory at this ex-situ location.
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Agathis australis – The Kauri Tree, Lord of the Forest
18 Thursday May 2017
Touching ancient trees is a habit of many of my tree obsessed friends. It’s a connection humans can make with the past, present and future. Some of my more spiritual friends think it transfers a kind of cosmic energy from one to the other and vice versa. I’m not sure about that, but I like the idea.
Janet and I at the big one, Tane Mahuta, May 13 2017
In early May 2017, Janet and I made the trek to the North part of the North Island in New Zealand to visit the last remnant of the ancient Kauri forest. The Kauri tree is Agathis australis which is one of a relatively small genus of 22 species. It’s an evergreen tree, a member of the Araucariaceae family of conifers and was once widespread during the Jurassic, now restricted primarily to the Southern hemisphere. The bark is smooth and light grey to grey-brown, usually peeling into irregular flakes. The lowest branches fall away, leaving circular scars. The juvenile leaves are larger than in adults, more or less acute. The male pollen cones appear usually only on larger trees after seed cones have appeared. The female seed cones usually develop on short lateral branchlets, maturing after two years.
Male pollen cone and female cone
The original forest was logged heavily in the last of the 19th century and first half of the 20th century. The kauri was popular because it enjoyed a straight bole free of knots and made excellent masts for ocean faring ships. The timber is generally straight-grained and of fine quality with an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and rot resistance, making it ideal for yacht hull construction.. The wood is commonly used in the manufacture of guitars and ukuleles due to its light weight and relatively low price of production. It is also used for some Go boards (goban). The uses of the New Zealand species (A. australis) included shipbuilding, house construction, wood panelling, furniture making, mine braces, and railway sleepers. Various species of kauri also yield various resins that have value. While only 2% of the original forest now remain, what’s there is protected and under the conservation ethos of the Māori, the original settlers of New Zealand.
You can tell a lot about a culture in how they greet each other. For some, a hongi is a traditional Māori greeting in New Zealand. It is done by pressing one’s nose and forehead to another person at an encounter. With a hongi, the ha, or breath of life, is exchanged and intermingled and is thought to share the souls of both involved. Through the hongi a person is no longer a visitor but is instead part of the people of the land. With that status, one is obliged to share in all the activities and duties of the people there. In long ago times, that meant bearing arms in battles or in tending crops and harvesting the bounty of the earth. So the hongi is a tradition that involves sharing the breath of life, an act that comes directly from the Gods.
Janet planting a hongi on the ancient one
Tāne Mahuta is the big one. Its age has been estimated at between 1,250 and 2,500 years. It is the largest kauri known to stand today. The Māori name is the name of a God and means “Lord of the Forest”. There are other giant kauri nearby with the second largest being Te Matua Ngahere. The “Four Sisters” are nearby and thought to be siblings that made their home together. Tāne Mahuta is certainly the most famous tree in New Zealand. While known to the Māori well before European settlers landed, the stand wasn’t identified until the 1920s when road contractors were surveying for the road that how runs through the forest.
Te Matua Ngahere
In the Māori creation myth, Tāne is the son of Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatuanuku, the earth mother. In this legend, Tāne separates his parents from their marital embrace until his father the sky was high above mother earth. Tāne then sets about clothing his mother with flora and fauna. These are regarded as Tāne’s children. In 1971, the tree had a trunk girth of 45.2 ft. with a trunk height of 58 ft. The total height of the tree was 168 feet and the trunk volume has been estimated at 8630 cubic ft. Total volume of wood estimated at 18,250 cubic feet.
There’s a serious threat to the remaining Kauri. From the Forest Phytophthoras of the World website: (http://forestphytophthoras.org/species/agathidicida ), I offer the following: “In 1972 a Phytophthora was associated with dead and dying trees in a kauri forest stand on Great Barrier Island, an island off the northern New Zealand coast . Symptoms included yellowing of foliage, canopy thinning and occasional tree death. The causative organism was identified as P. heveae by J. Stamps of the Commonwealth Mycological Institute. In 2006, Phytophthora ‘taxon Agathis’ was reported from kauri in a forest west of Auckland on regenerating and mature trees. The original identification of the causative organism as P. heveae was questioned, as the ITS–sequence of the isolate obtained from the Great Barrier Island and those from the mainland since 2006 was identical to P. castaneae. This raised the possibility that the kauri Phytophthora was a new species within Clade 5 of the genus (Blair et al. 2008). The ‘Kauri killing’ Phytophthora organism has been now formally described as Phytophthora agathidicida B.S. Weir, Beever, Pennycook & Bellgard (Weir et al., 2015), distinct from P. castaneae and other species of Phytophthora.” There’s no doubt the disease has made its way in to the Waipoua forest and the trail entrances are equipped with sanitizers to spray the soles of shoes of any visitors, who are encouraged not to wander in the forest but to stay on the trails. The shallow roots of the kauri tree are particularly susceptible to infection and dead and dying trees are nearby. The long term prospects for the kauri tree will now rest with scientists who are feverishly screening for resistant seedlings with the hope that replanting will insure the forest remains. Still, the long term prospects are seen as dismal and the chance to stand in the shade of these giants may not be with us forever.
At the head of the trail into the Kauri forest there are precautions to take
Kauri tree killed by Phytophthora
Parrotia persica and P. subaequalis – They Don’t Call them Ironwoods For Nothing
Like so few of us, this fellow gets better with age. While Persian Ironwood is not overly encumbered with a blinding floral display, this tree makes up for it with great form, bark interest, good Fall color, and a durable disposition in the garden. Given a little time (OK, ten years or more), this tree will create a lively conversation. Best performance in the Deep South is to keep the tree in a spot that’s slightly acidic, medium moisture, and well drained. That said, this tree has been through the grinder here, from freezes, droughts, and blasting heats to floods and tornadoes and hurricanes, and they just keep on trucking.
The genus name recognizes the founder F.W. Parrot (1792-1841) who was a German Naturalist. Parrotia persica is a small, single to multi-trunk deciduous tree that will top out at 20-40′ tall. The flowers lack petals and are comprised of reddish stamens surrounded by brown bracts and they appear before leaves appear. With a good hand lens, you might call them pretty. Fall color is a key feature with most showing off with a butterscotch to yellow as temperatures cool in the Fall. With age, the bark exfoliates to show green, white or tan patches beneath and it’s quite striking the older a tree gets.
Flowers will not win best in show but are attractive on close inspection
The bark is a key feature . . .
There are varieties. We’ve worked hard to get the pendulous form and have has several that never panned out. I acquired three that were fakes before finally getting the real thing. I think it’s a Kew England plant under many names but ‘Kew’s weeping’ is the real deal. It’s strongly weeping and defines the word slow. We are rooting it and if I hand you a one gallon it means I like you. Special plant for someone looking to be edgy. We have one cultivar named ‘Biltmore’ and I assume it’s from the big tree there but it looks like the straight species to me. ‘Vanessa’ is another variety, and does seem to feature a slightly different foliage look in the Fall and is perhaps a bit more upright. Don’t have an opinion on whether it’s really smaller statured. There are other varieties reported but we haven’t found them. P. persica ‘Bella’ features upright branches and widely serrated ovate leaves. These leaves are reported as deep-purple when young and then mature to a rich green colour. The leaves are also reported to twist slightly, which adds further interest. P. persica ‘Horizontalis’ is a semi-weeping variety with wide spreading horizontal branching. P. persica ‘Jodrell Bank’ is supposedly more of an upright form. P. persica ‘Pendula’ is passed around as a weeper but when folks ask, I say “not so much.” I don’t know anything about a clone called P. persica ‘Select’ which is reported to have purple-edged new leaves that become uniformly green after the first flush.
Dirr lists these and others including, ‘Burgundy,’ ‘Felicie,’ ‘Globosa,’ ‘Henny’s Dwarf,’ ‘Jennifer Teats,’ ‘Jodrell Bank,’ ‘Lamplighter’ (variegated, unstable), ‘Persian Lace’ (variegated), ‘Purple Halo,’ ‘Purple Moon,’ ‘Purple Rim,’ ‘Ruby Vase,’ and ‘Summer Bronze’. In fact, Dirr’s article is a fine read as he too finds the plant totally reliable and totally underutilized. http://www.nurserymag.com/article/nm1212-persian-ironwood-plants/
‘Vanessa’ Fall Color
Parrotia subaequalis should be a rage. It’s related to P. persica but very rare and only recently introduced. What’s odd about P. subaequalis is that it was found in eastern China, about 3500 miles away from the natural range of P. persica. Another odd fact is this tree was a recent find, first characterized by Deng in 1992. Arnold Arboretum had small plants in the garden in 2004. From that auspicious start, the plant has been scattered far and wide. We’re contributing to that. What’s sad for me is I saw the plant at the Nanjing Botanical Garden years ago but assumed it was P. persica and never gave it a second glance, chalking it up to Chinese nomenclature issues. I never caught it in the Fall because that’s what separates the two immediately. It’s brilliant red.
Parrotia subaequalis in the Fall
SFA Gardens Dec 2017
Easy to root and grow, we are multiplying P. subaequalis as fast as we can. If we give you one, it means we like you. There’s a great story in Arnoldia that every fan of the Hamamelidaceae should read:
http://arnoldia.arboretum.harvard.edu/pdf/articles/2008-66-1-the-chinese-parrotia-a-sibling-species-of-the-persian-parrotia.pdf
I don’t think I’ve ever met a plant enthusiast who didn’t find this tree special and the conversation wanders into why it doesn’t make a top ten list somewhere. I guess it’s the lack of flowers? Maybe it’s because it’s so slow to get going? Maybe we’re just not that fond of Persia in the Deep South? It’s just not well known in the South and rarely encountered in the nursery trade, never seen at the mass markets. For whatever reason, this tough and durable tree is worthy of any well drained full sun spot in the Southern garden.
Vitex agnus-castus – A Tree For The Most Chaste Among Us.
Baluchistan in the 1980s was a different time. As an American, as a USAID consultant for the fruit industry, I was treated by my hosts in fine fashion. After all, the money was flowing into the country from various aid agencies. Pakistan was having to deal with hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Russian/Afghanistan war and the USA was helping the Pashtuns, the second largest ethnic group in Pakistan. They were Afghans. So, at the time, I was one of the good guys. My first encounter with a chaste tree in the wild was in a narrow dry mountain valley in this western province. The white to lavender blooms were dancing above the finely cut leaves of ten to fifteen foot shrubby trees that ran along the stream. This is the home of the chaste tree. For centuries farmers had captured the mountain run off of these streams into stone aqueducts that carried the flow out of the canyons down into valleys and then into small canals that split and split again to feed fruit orchards, vegetable farms and local villages. A system of waterways are the Karez irrigation system of the region and they serve as more than just an irrigation source. They tie farmers, villagers, and communities together in a long history of water rights, cooperation and wars. When we talk about water wars, this place wins. Along the run of the flow out of the mountains, the adjacent lands prospered. This is one of the natural homes of the Chaste tree.
Columbia Park, Shreveport, LA
Vitex agnus-castus is an ancient tree. It’s home is a wide swath across the Mediterranean. It enjoys many names including hemp tree, chaste tree, chasteberry, Abraham’s balm, and monk’s pepper. Vitex agnus-castus is a bit different from related Vitex species in that it can tolerate some winter freezing without dying. The tree was used in basketry. However, I cannot verify if its reputation as an anaphrodisiac is true. That means anti-libido. You might have seen it coming. Chaste tree? Monk’s pepper? At any rate, it is reported to have been used in men’s prison to keep the more festive males in check. There are reports sailors made good use of it during their long voyages on the sea. Just the name Monk’s pepper implies something; I’m not sure what. Anyway, the ground seed does look a lot like pepper and I can attest it tastes a little like pepper, but I never really wanted to overindulge. I can also testify that the rumor that Hillary Clinton was going to make it the state tree of New York is patently false. It’s just another darn example of that fake news problem.
Vitex agnus-castus can be cut back annually and will still rebloom
Long naturalized here and there, the species has been in cultivation in the South since 1670. The chaste tree is a butterfly attractant and sports showy blue, white, mauve, or pinkish blooms from May into September. This small tree can be left to reach 10 -15’ in height or whacked back to more desired proportions. If the spent blooms are cut away, the tree returns with another vigorous show of flowers. While exceptionally drought resistant, the chaste tree appreciates a good garden soil and moisture and vigorous plants mean longer and more dramatic inflorescences. In the north, the species can be effectively used as a perennial. Since it blooms on new growth it cannot be knocked out of a bloom show even when frozen close to the ground. Vitex is easy to root. While considered to be a cross-pollinating plant, single plants will self pollinate and make seed as well.
The variety ‘LeCompte’ is a nice form with long blue inflorescences and it came from the town of LeCompte, Louisiana. It was captured out of a home landscape by Greg Grant and a van load of SFA students. The story goes that the van screeched to a stop, the doors flew open, the cuttings were liberated, an escape was made good and the whole escapade took less than fifteen seconds. It may not be true but it does lend credence to the adage that if you have ten horticulturists in a room you’re looking at nine thieves.
LeCompte
There are many varieties. Salinas Pink and Flora Ann are introductions that showcase pinkish blooms with Flora Ann the pinkest in the trade. Both are Greg Grant introductions. These two provide a little different twist to the normal blues, lavenders and whites of most varieties in the trade.
Vitex agnus-castus ‘Flora Ann’ is a Greg Grant introduction and still the best pink
Other varieties include: Abbeville Blue – Deep blue flowers; Alba – White flowers; Blushing Spires – Soft pink flowers – a poor pink in our region; Fletcher Pink Lavender-pink flowers – not in our collection; Lilac Queen – Lavender flowers; broad spreading; 20 feet tall – not in our collection; Montrose Purple Rich – violet flowers; Rosea – very pale light pink; Sensation – lavender blue; Shoal Creek – Large blue-violet flowers on 12 to 18″ inflorescences; leaf spot resistance; Silver Spire – White flowers.
A current variety trial near the coliseum parking lot runs from North to South.itex agnus-castus has a long and interesting history. It’s a plant with a story. It’s tough, drought resistant and reliably flowers. It may have value if you’re locked in a prison cell and need to keep your mind properly focused. It attracts bees and butterflies. If you don’t like the way it’s acting, you can cut it all the way to the ground and it’ll return that spring and be flowering by summer. Texas A & M University named it a Texas Superstar and branded it with yet another name. It’s now promoted as the “Texas Lilac”, which I objected to simply because it’s not a darn lilac (Syringa species) and it’s not really a Texan. It just immigrated here. My protest went nowhere and I’m more convinced than ever that fake news is winning.
Wisteria frutescens ‘Dam B’ – Or is it Damn Bee?
Back in late May, 1998, Greg Grant and I were admiring a particular Wisteria frutescens in the SFA Mast Arboretum’s “lines of vines”, a collection of 96 vines on posts. The plant was found by Lynn Lowrey, legendary plant hunter, near the dam of a lake in southeast Texas that was oddly named Dam B. We were discussing the merits of the plant. It had nice-sized blooms for the species, clean foliage, good texture, a little repeat blooming, and had been easy to keep in bounds. There we were scratching our heads for a good name when in a flash, one of those pesky bumble bees made a dive at Greg’s head. He rocked backwards took a swat at the critter and muttered, “Damn bee”. I said, “That’s it! We’ll name it Dam B.” After all, the plant was collected at Dam B. To Greg and I, the name made sense but the problem remained with the spelling. Should we go with “Dam B” or “Damn Bee”? This created a healthy debate on who might or might not be offended. Were there better names out there, or would this grab the public attention to plant more native Wisterias? We never really settled the issue, couldn’t come up with a better name, and the inspiration soon left the both of us so the name ‘Dam B’ stuck. Over the years, the clone has been passed around and can be found in commerce, either as ‘Dam B’, or occasionally as ‘Lowrey’, and rarely as ‘Damn Bee’.
‘Dam B’ sports light blue/lavender, finely scented, pendulous flowers in six-to-ten inch long racemes that mix perfectly with the fine-textured foliage. This plant enjoys a heavy flowering season in late May and June and then blooms lightly and sporadically throughout the summer and into the fall. Pruning and deadheading certainly encourages repeat blooming. Our specimen “on a stick” was easy to keep in bounds and the suckers from the crown are easy to take care of in comparison to their Asian cousins.
Wisteria frutescens ‘Dam B’
‘Dam B’
This selection of Wisteria frutescens has been with us many years and I have seen it at other locations; it’s a promising candidate for the southern gardener wanting a less rambunctious vine with wisteria-like charm. There are other Wisteria frutescens to consider. ‘Amethyst Falls’ out of Head-Lee Nursery in South Carolina remains a popular standard, sports dark bluish purple popcorn like blooms and is popular because it never sets seed which allows it to bloom repeatedly. We have Wisteria frutescens ‘alba,’ the white flowering form and another seedling in the Arboretum. ‘Memphis Blue’ enjoys a long true blue inflorescence. ‘Longwood Purple’ is another dark flowered popcorn bloom form. Our collection also includes three selections by Maarten van der Giessen of Best Liners of Semmes, Alabama and they look strong. Our latest acquisition is a “pink” form found by Peter Loos and Matt Welch several years ago near Pascagoula, Mississippi. While not a sizzling hot pink, there’s enough pink there to give us hope for future selections.
Wisteria frutescens ‘Peter’s Pink’ really is kind of pink
‘Peter’s Pink’
Wisteria frutescens is native, hardy, drought-tolerant and much better behaved than those closely-related, yet less civilized Asian cousins, Wisteria floribunda, the Japanese wisteria and Wisteria sinensis, the Chinese wisteria. The main problem with these two brutes is growth rate. A vigorous Chinese or Japanese Wisteria can become a monster if left untended for very long (like overnight). Root suckers can gain an incredible foothold far from camp. Plant Wisteria frutescens.
Propagation is easy. Softwood cuttings under mist in June and we have had good success with hardwood cuttings taken in late winter. All Wisterias appreciate full sun, a well-drained soil and good horticulture during the establishment years. A three year old vine is here to stay, quite capable of dealing with heat, drought, cold, floods, and the gardener’s neglect and occasionally, abuse. Tough plants for a tough place on earth.
Vitex rotundifolia – Is Beach Vitex a Beauty or a Beast?
Is beach Vitex a beauty or a beast? Isn’t this an invasive species? Isn’t this the dreaded “Kudzu of the beach” now threatening the Carolina dunes? Isn’t this the focus of all kinds of eradication campaigns? Why would any serious horticulturist even talk about a plant like this, much less write about it? Well, we’d just like to quietly point out that there are many areas of the southern USA where it’s quite common in landscapes – and it’s simply just another interesting non-invasive exotic plant. That’s the case in our region of Texas. It’s no thug here.
Beach vitex in the lines of vines
With over thirty years of experience with this hardy evergreen species in the USA – it’s an immigrant from Hawaii, believe it or not – we can now say there are many parts of the South where beach Vitex is rather tame. This is a species grown in fairly large numbers from a wide range of wholesale nurseries in Texas, Alabama, and Louisiana. Considering the fact that this is one tough immigrant from Hawaii, and the fact it’s easy to keep alive, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that it appears here to stay. Given a little positive horticulture, the plant can be downright beautiful, and it’s in that vein the plant can be used. First, let’s give testimony and respect to the species as a landscape candidate, without discounting its invasive potential in areas where it finds itself too much at home. Writing this piece conjures up memories – thirty years ago – of some officials of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department visiting J.C. Raulston, Director of the North Carolina State University Arboretum, and suggesting to him that promoting, growing, thinking about or touching this plant was just about the most horrible thing a horticulturist could do.
Beach vitex makes a big trunk when trained on a post
Yes, this plant is easy to grow. In coastal sandy spots, it can go where you don’t want it to, and when it’s there it can and will smother native vegetation. It can be a bad boy. So here’s the rule: In those sections of the country that beach Vitex is way too frisky for its own good, don’t plant it, and, when you see it, kill it. In our Zone 8 region of Texas, we have never seen a seedling and if landscapers used the plant as described in this treatise, well, the end result is no problem. As a groundcover in our region, beach Vitex is not that voracious. At the San Antonio Botanical Garden in Texas (a bit warmer than Nacogdoches, Texas in the winter and summer), Paul Cox reported that it’s “manageable”. Knowing Paul Cox, that might not be too good. At any rate, experience is a good teacher.
First, how bad is this plant? Well, it is a native of the USA, but only because it comes from Hawaii. First introduced as an exciting groundcover over 30 years ago as a potential groundcover for sunny dry spots, this introduction made its way to the sand dunes of South Carolina, and it’s there that beach Vitex has come to be quite frightening. This brief note isn’t intended to stir up a fight in the horticultural crowd. The invasive exotic issue is real and one that deserves respect and attention. We know that. However, an invasive in one spot can be quite docile in another and it’s in that vein this article is presented.
Lines of vines in the old days, two thugs side by side?
If you happen to live in a region of the USA where beach Vitex never throws seedlings – and where it’s easily managed in a run – the plant does have attributes. We have long enjoyed it as a vine in our “line of vines” collection. The foliage is beautiful, clean and fully evergreen. The blooms are relatively inconspicuous coming in the fall as blue spikes. While attractive up close, they are never overwhelming. Our most conspicuous specimen in the Mast Arboretum “line of vines” has been trained to a post and never fails to gain approval by visitors. We’ve used the plant as a vine and as a groundcover and found that it responds to an occasional shearing. Once again, let me repeat, we’ve never seen a seedling in our Zone 8 garden (not that we won’t find one tomorrow!) – and in our garden it’s not that vigorous, nor does it generate much fear and loathing. That said, tread with trepidation.
Scuttelaria suffrutescens ‘Texas Rose’ – A Plant That Needs Petting
Scuttelaria suffrutescens ‘Texas Rose’ is a pink-flowering skullcap that’s actually from Mexico. It’s surprised Southern gardeners with its charm and durability. It’s a neatly mounding sub-shrub to one foot tall and about twice that wide with fine leaves and twigs. It sports bright pink snapdragon flowers and makes a shiny addition to the front of any border or as specimens massed. In mild winters here in the Pineywoods, it’s evergreen and has never failed to perform well if given just a little attention.
P.C. Standley describes the type specimen from Coahuila, Sierra de la Silla near Monterrey, as a small shrub. While more popular in the gardens of central and west Texas, this plant deserves greater use in the dry, sunny gardens of East Texas with Zones 8 and 9 most suitable. We have found that good specimens always elicit some kind of urge to pet the plant – probably because the mound appears and happens to be very firm to the touch. The plant has a bright show in May and early June and the blooming period persists throughout the summer and fall if under decent horticulture. It ends to rebloom after rainfall events.
‘Texas Rose’ Scuttelaria in the Bicentennial Garden, Houston, Texas
There are now a number of pink-flowering forms of this species appearing in mostly western nurseries and they appear under different names including ‘Cherry skullcap’, ‘Mexican pink skullcap’, to ‘Texas Rose’. I suspect but can’t prove they are all the same clone or seedlings of the clone that goes all the way back to an expedition to Mexico with Lynn Lowrey and Ray Jordan in October 1987. From the Friends of the SFA Mast Arboretum Newsletter # 5 and if you’ll please forgive that this is an ancient scan and a few pages are out of order, there’s some interesting information that can be found HERE:
http://sfagardens.sfasu.edu/images/files/Documents/Newsletters/lh%20October%201987.pdf.
This chronicles an interesting expedition to the San Madre Oriental mountains with Lynn Lowrey and Ray Jordan back in a time that Mexico was peaceful and inviting. In that piece, I wrote that, “after backtracking east to the main road that runs between Montemerellos and Monterrey, we made one last side excursion to Chipinque. The mountain town and associated forest is home for thousands of Mexican redbuds, numerous oaks, and a forest floor of salvias and penstemons. On one hike, a large-flowered Phaseolus vine was spotted, and, according to Lynn, the best find of the trip, a skullcap colony, Scuttelaria species. This rhizomatous, perennial herb made a strong attractive ground cover in a few sun-lit forest pockets.”
Actually, as I remember the find, I said, “Lynn, what’s that plant with the pink flowers,” and Lynn responded, “what flowers?” Amazingly, I came to learn that Lynn was red color blind and could only discern reds, pinks and greens when they were real close to his eyes. This always leads me astray. One of the great plantsmen of all time, my friend JC Raulston, had no sense of smell. When folks ask what’s wrong with me, I usually say, “I’m somewhat addled.”
This particular trip had as a goal primarily the collection of oak and other fall seeds that we encountered. One of those oaks was Quercus rysophylla and one of those seedlings ended up in the garden here at SFA, a towering giant that I think is the #2 size wise in the nation. Peckerewood has the biggest. In the case of the Scuttelaria, a few cuttings were taken and rooted easily at SFA. As we were about to cross back into Texas, we stopped at a favorite cantina to clean seed, organize cuttings, remove any soil from root systems all in an effort to make it through the USDA inspection station. I can remember Lynn remarking the little skullcap was probably the best find of the trip. Well, it certainly found its way into the market and google world. We have found the plant easy to root under mist and plants should be moved soon after the first root initials make their appearance. Leaving cuttings in mist after rooting too long can result in dead cuttings.
This is full sun plant for the South and should be give sharp drainage. A raised bed is perfect. In the Arboretum, we have had good success with dry-loving plants by using sandy loam berms and a thin layer of crushed decomposed granite as a mulch. The plant responds to fertilizer. Some attention should be given the plants during the first two establishment years and we have not found the plant to be particularly rhizomatous, behaving instead like a green stiff mound throughout the year. The plant survived the December 1989 dip to zero degrees and Tony Avent of Plant Delights in Raleigh, North Carolina, has kept the plant through many winters. After a number of years, I discovered the clone had been given the name ‘Texas Rose,’ a name coined by Tim Kiphart, SFA Horticultura alum, who provided Tony with the plant. I’m confident that this is the same plant as the one in the Arboretum, the plant collected in October 1987. As for the others that dot the trade, I’m not so sure where they came from. There are darker flowered forms, perhaps derived from sports, or seed, or as a new collection.
A Labyrinth is NOT a Maze
I’ve always admired labyrinths and mazes. They connect us to the past, the present and the future. After seven years of thinking about it, we finally have a labyrinth in the Gayla Mize Garden. It’s a classic seven course design with a wonderful East Texas look.
The labyrinth under construction. Drone view by Dr. Dave Kulhavy, College of Forestry
The labyrinth is surrounded by a circle of ‘Slender Silhouette’ sweetgum trees. It’s a unique columnar tree – fastigiate is the term – and the original tree was discovered on the edge of a lake in Tennessee by legendary plantsman, Don Shadow. It was reported to be 60′ tall and only 8′ wide. Well, Don liberated some cuttings and grafted the clone. He returned later to get some more wood and was caught by the landowner with a gun. It’s Tennesee, you know. He was persuaded to leave quietly and returned later to find that the tree was cut down. However, it really didn’t matter because the original grafts took and the tree was saved for posterity. Please don’t disparage the fact that it’s a sweetgum, often hated and reviled for the round sweetgum balls that scatter across lawns and gardens in the South. Stepping on one barefoot can make you an enemy of the tree. So when folks ask, does it have balls, I always say, “Yes, it has sweetgum balls, but they don’t fall far from the tree.”
Even though we’ve talked about a labyrinth for many years, it wasn’t until Eagle Scout Luke Stanley approached me about a project that this came together. Most Eagle Scout projects involve building picnic tables and boardwalks. When I mentioned this opportunity, Luke jumped at the chance. While funding was an issue, it finally all came together. The project received a boost near the end with Tim Howell’s donation of a Klingstone Paths treatment, a chemical that bonds all the pea gravel into a concrete hard surface, one that is permeable to rain. It breathes.
Duke Pittman tamping things smooth and Tim Howell applying the chemical
So, what is a labyrinth? The term labyrinth is generally synonymous with a maze. However, in modern times it’s accepted that a labyrinth is not a maze and a maze is not a labyrinth. Contemporary scholars and enthusiasts observe a distinction between the two. In this specialized usage, a maze refers to a complex branching multicursal design with choices of path and direction, while a unicursal labyrinth enjoys only a single path to the center. You can get lost in a maze. On the other hand, a labyrinth is easy to navigate. It requires no complex thinking to stroll one’s way to the center. It’s impossible to get lost. Follow the path.
After Klingstone Chemical Paths treatment
Unicursal labyrinths appeared early in man’s history as designs on pottery, baskets, body art and in drawings on walls of caves, churches, businesses and homes. The Romans used ornate unicursal designs on walls and floors in tile or mosaic. Many labyrinths set in floors or on the ground are large enough that the path can be walked. Unicursal patterns have been used historically both in group ritual, for private meditation and in recent times have found therapeutic value in hospitals and hospices.
Our single-path classical seven-course design fits the association of the Labyrinth on coins as early as 430 BC. Even though literal descriptions made it clear that the Minotaur was trapped in a complex branching maze, from Roman times till now labyrinths were almost always unicursal. Branching mazes were later reintroduced when garden mazes became popular during the Renaissance.
Now I realize that the average East Texan may not embrace the psychic and cosmic benefits of a labyrinth. We like chicken fried steak, Bar-B-Q, beer in a can and hunting wild hogs. A labyrinth just doesn’t come to mind. Some citizens are truly suspicious of labyrinths as strange and alien inspired. However, it’s just not true. No matter your persuasion, we encourage you to saunter to the middle and then saunter out. To get the full benefit, you should approach the entrance and concentrate on your breathing for a minute or so. Empty your mind. Relax. Then start the trek. Go for a very slow pace. For our labyrinth, it takes about five minutes to make your way to the center rock. Sit a spell, contemplate your well being and then take the stroll out. Science proves that your blood pressure will drop, your mood will improve, and all will seem right with the world. In these trying times, a labyrinth might just be the medicine we need.
Ray Mize – Another Soldier Has Fallen
Ray Mize passed away March 13, 2017 in Nacogdoches. He was 86 and lived a full life. Ray was a great friend of the SFA Gardens, the University and this community. I’ve known Ray since the 1980s. His wife Gayla was the light in his eye. She volunteered from the very beginning of the Arboretum and in all kinds of city beautification projects. Ray was always in tow. He was a cattleman and I ran a few head in Shelby County. He liked agriculture. I did too. So, we kind of connected. It was Gayla that brought him to loving flowers. Behind the scene, both Gayla and Ray had much to do with the creation of the Ruby Mize Azalea Garden. Of course, everyone knew Ray adored Gayla and for good reason; she was a very beautiful, sweet and special lady in our town.
The road to the Gayla Mize Garden was a long one. There’s about 68 acres of land along University Drive that was owned by SFA. In 2008, Dr. Mike Legg in Forestry and Michael Maningas in Recreation submitted a Texas Parks and Wildlife proposal for a trails project. The proposal needed collaborators and some matching funds. That was us; SFA Gardens stepped up and as part of the deal, I wanted to name the property SFA Recreational Trails and Gardens (SFARTG). They agreed and the University agreed. Over a mile of trails came together and the SFARTG was dedicated in March 2010. Well, time passed and the trails were there but no garden. We did plant a line of the purple spider azaleas Koromo shikibu that are the front of the Ruby Mize Azalea Garden, but that was about it. There’s a reality at universities: no money, no garden.
When Gayla Mize passed away in 2009, Ray had lost his soulmate. He would drive down University and see that sign shouting out “SFA Recreational Trails and Gardens.” He would think, “where’s the $%&! Garden?” The first I knew of Ray’s interest in building a legacy garden was in 2010. I received a call from the secretary in the Agriculture building. According to her, a large man with a patch on one eye had walked in to the main office. He was carrying an axe and a crosscut saw wanting to know “where is that $#%!& Dave Creech? He needs to get to work.” To be honest, Ray kind of scared the ladies there in the front office. I had moved my office to the Tucker House at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center and we soon got connected. Ray was interested in that that frontage along University as a legacy for Gayla Mize. We visited about what might be done. A relationship was born.
As most of you know, things move slowly at a University. I often say our speed is deceiving; we’re actually slower than we look. Ray visited with the administration and the University gave their blessing on the idea of a legacy garden. Well, Ray would give us a little funding and we’d go into action. Ray told me, “I like to try on a pair of shoes before I buy them.” We kept at it. Being stubborn gardeners, we kept chipping away. It did take a serious effort to get the understory of privet, tallow, green briar vine, and honeysuckle out of there. We took out a few trees which always add to the excitement of garden building. We needed a clean forest floor to see what we had. We needed a garden design and Barb Stump sprang into action with that. After all she was the designer and creator of the Ruby Mize Azalea Garden. Who better than her! We had to deal with some drainage issues. There were plants to acquire and grow. There was building a trail system inside the eight acres of garden. In 2011, when Ray was convinced he was on the right track and our crew was up to the task, he stepped up and provided the legacy endowment.
Well before we made a serious run at planting azaleas, camellias and Japanese maples, I gave Ray a call and said get to the garden and I wanted him to plant the very first tree. Burrows Creek defines the northern edge of the Gayla Mize Garden and we planted a nice baldcypress. It remains to this day and I suspect it’ll be there for a few thousand years.
Ray Mize planting the first tree in the garden in 2010
The dedication of the Gayla Mize Garden took place April 16, 2012.
Dedication April 16, 2012
Ray Mize and President Baker Patillo, April 16, 2012
Ray was no average donor. He provided us with over-the-shoulder attention all the time. Ray was old school. Skip the paperwork, roll up your sleeves, and make it happen now. He’d catch me in my office or the garden and never fail to nudge me to move faster. We needed more flowers. What the heck was I doing with my time? I said trails take time. Before I knew it, he had enlisted his grandson Ryan Cupit to help us get the trail base in. Why wasn’t the gazebo finished? We’re working on it. Did I understand what it meant to make hay when the sun shines? Yes, I’m trying. Did he have to bring some of his folks in there to make something happen? I’d explain that it takes one hundred years to build a garden, two hundred if you don’t rush it. He wasn’t convinced. Ray was a man on a mission. Our conversation usually ended with him saying, “Am I going to have to go talk to Baker?” That, of course, is the SFASU President, Baker Patillo. I hoped he was bluffing but it did provide additional incentive. Ray liked to tease and he always let me know at the end of our visits how pleased the way the garden was growing.
Ray truly loved the garden. It was an important connection to Gayla and to everyone in our community. The Agriculture in him meant he understood what it’s like to grow things on a big scale and what drought, floods and freezes can do. He had empathy. Ray noticed when the parking lot was full and that always made him feel good. He liked the place being used. Ray was more than a supporter; he was an aggressive participant for a greener Nacogdoches. Leaving a legacy for Gayla, for his two children Jimmy and Lysa, for all his grandchildren, and for all the citizens of Nacogdoches, well, this was Ray’s way of paying it forward. When I walk the garden now, I feel there’s someone above pointing out all the stuff we need to be doing. I suspect it’s Ray and I’ll bet anything Gayla has him planting something in God’s back forty.
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DCTRS
Damascus Center for Theoretical and Civil Rights Studies
‘Atlantis’ review: A Ukraine-set dystopian fable TV audience for President Biden inauguration larger than Trump Orange County to open second mass COVID-19 vaccination site Lilly Singh takes a loss on Hollywood home USC vs. Stanford game postponed because of COVID-19 issues
The FDA didn’t ‘approve’ Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. Here’s why
DCTCRS December 12, 2020 5 min read
A lot of things are different when you’re in the midst of a global pandemic. A case in point: How federal regulators scrutinize and authorize new vaccines.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ushered in a new phase of the fight against COVID-19 on Friday by giving its blessing to a vaccine made by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech. It’s the first such vaccine to get a green light from the FDA, and immunizations will begin in a matter of days.
There are plenty of reasons why it passed muster. Clinical trial data indicate that:
• It was 95% effective at preventing cases of COVID-19 in both Latinos and non-Latinos.
• It was 100% effective in Black people.
• It was 94% effective in people who were at least 56 years old. (The older you get, the greater the risk of a serious case of COVID-19.)
• It was 95% effective in those who had at least one medical condition that made them more likely to develop a serious case of COVID-19.
• It was 96% effective for people who were obese, another condition that makes people more vulnerable to COVID-19.
Yet none of this was enough for the vaccine to win official FDA approval. What it got instead was a more limited emergency use authorization.
Blame it on the pandemic.
During a public health emergency, it’s imperative to develop new medicines and vaccines as quickly as possible. But even when speed is of the essence, the FDA still takes the time to be sure patients aren’t subjected to untested therapies that do more harm than good.
So the agency uses an alternative evaluation process that’s designed to vet things more quickly than the usual FDA approval regimen. If a drug or vaccine passes muster, it’s granted an emergency use authorization, or EUA.
An EUA can be used on a brand-new medical product or on an existing one that has already been approved for another purpose. They’re not limited to vaccines — under the right circumstances, an EUA can be granted to anything used to “diagnose, treat, or prevent serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions,” the FDA explains.
What are those conditions?
For starters, the country needs to be in an official, specific kind of public health emergency. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar declared that the coronavirus triggered a nationwide public health emergency that began on Jan. 27, but that declaration doesn’t count because it was issued under the Public Health Service Act.
The legislation that matters is the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, a law passed in 1938 that empowered the FDA to regulate medications, among other things. Azar issued a public health emergency under this law that was effective as of Feb. 4.
Another important condition for issuing an EUA is that “there are no adequate, approved, and available alternatives” to the product being authorized. That’s certainly the case with vaccines against COVID-19, a disease that only came on the scene at the end of 2019.
An experimental vaccine being considered for emergency use authorization still must be tested in multiple rounds of clinical trials. In Phase 1, the candidate vaccine is given to a small number of healthy people at gradually increasing doses to make sure it’s safe and well-tolerated. A Phase 1 trial might provide some preliminary information about ideal dosages as well.
Next comes a Phase 2 study, which involves more volunteers testing various doses. At this point, the study will branch out to include people with a variety of health conditions, not just those who are in great shape. This is also when a vaccine is first compared head-to-head against a placebo.
If no safety issues crop up, things proceed to Phase 3. Thousands of study volunteers from a variety of backgrounds are randomly assigned to receive either the vaccine or the placebo. This type of study helps researchers measure the effect of the vaccine. For instance, in Phase 3 trials of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, eight of the 17,411 people who were given the vaccine wound up becoming sick with COVID-19, compared with 162 of the 17,511 who got the placebo. Using that and other data, researchers determined that the vaccine was 95% effective at preventing COVID-19.
To be considered for an EAU, a Phase 3 vaccine trial should include “well over 3,000” participants, and at least half of them should be tracked for at least two months after receiving their final dose.
Once sufficient data are in hand, the FDA can decide whether emergency use authorization is warranted. Doctors and scientists on the agency’s staff pore over the study results. So do the independent scientists and health experts on the agency’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee.
In the case of a vaccine, authorization can be granted if “the known and potential benefits outweigh the known and potential risks,” the FDA says.
The agency also assesses the company’s ability to consistently produce high-quality doses of its vaccine.
Granting emergency use authorization isn’t the end of the story. Once an authorized vaccine goes out to the public, its manufacturer must keep track of any serious side effects that befall those who take it, especially adverse events that result in hospitalization or even death.
The FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other government agencies will do their own safety monitoring as well. If the FDA ever determines that the benefits of the vaccine no longer outweigh the harms, the emergency use authorization can be revoked.
An EUA can last only as long as a public health emergency is in effect. But scientists anticipate that the coronavirus will continue to circulate in humans even after the COVID-19 pandemic ends. In that case, vaccine makers that want to keep their products on the market will need to have regular FDA approval — and to get it, they’ll need to keep their Phase 3 clinical trials going.
And that’s probably what they’ll do. The FDA said it expects vaccine makers who receive emergency use authorizations to “continue to collect placebo-controlled data in any ongoing trials for as long as feasible” so they can apply for regular approval.
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Orange County to open second mass COVID-19 vaccination site
January 21, 2021 DCTCRS
California schools can act as COVID-19 vaccine centers
COVID vaccines reach Long Beach food workers; teachers next
‘Atlantis’ review: A Ukraine-set dystopian fable
TV audience for President Biden inauguration larger than Trump
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After the tragic death of Mike Thalassitis, there is no justification for Twitter users bringing back the cruel ‘Muggy Mike’ hashtag – The Independent
by deadceleb January 31, 2020, 5:45 pm 1.1k Views
Like the good Samaritans they are, the producers at ITV jumped in to save us from our collective January blues this year, with an additional series of Love Island that kicked off some five months before the usual scheduling.
No longer forced to wait until the summer months to sit indoors and watch tanned, svelte wannabe celebrities lie around in the sun, many of us tuned in to the sixth series of the reality dating show on the 12 January, the winter edition of which sees contestants live in a villa in South Africa for around eight weeks, instead of the usual Mallorca.
Sadly, though, the newly-launched winter series has failed to dominate our Whatsapp group chats and instead delivered a lacklustre display of drama, with only faint traces of chemistry between fame-hungry contestants.
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And the viewing figures attest to this; an average of 2.5m viewers tuned in to watch the season premiere, compared with around 3.3m for the series before and 2.9m for the series before that.
For many of that 2.5m, scrolling through Twitter and demonstrating their support – or disdain – for particular contestants as they vie for each other’s affections, coin corny catchphrases and attempt to form authentic connections in a matter of weeks is part and parcel of the viewing experience.
During Thursday evening’s episode, viewers watched as police officer Mike Boateng strived to woo student and VIP hostess Jess Gale, having been dumped just a couple of days prior by Leanne Amaning, claiming that he and Jess “have a good connection”.
The hashtag “Muggy Mike” soon began trending on Twitter, as some accused Mike of acting in a disingenuous manner towards Luke Mabbott, with whom Jess is currently coupled.
Originating during the 2017 series of Love Island, Muggy Mike was the harsh nickname given to contestant Mike Thalassitis by fellow islander Chris Hughes, when Mike coupled up with Chris’ love interest, Olivia.
When it was announced in March 2019, that Mike had taken his own life at the age of 26, reality television personality Sam Thompson, who starred alongside Mike on Celebs Go Dating, shared a heartfelt tribute to him on Instagram, in which he recalled Thalassitis speaking with “sadness” about the origin of the “Muggy Mike” nickname.
The revival of the “Muggy Mike” hashtag on Twitter this week prompted scores of criticism, with several people stating it demonstrated a complete lack of respect for Mike and his family.
Jess Gale and Mike Boateng on the 2020 winter series of Love Island (ITV)
“The fact that Muggy Mike is trending in the UK… did y’all not learn from the last time? People get carried away so quickly. It’s sickening,” one person tweeted. “People bringing back the nickname ‘muggy Mike’ is so disrespectful, people advocate for mental health but do things like this wtf,” another wrote. Luis Morrison, who competed in Love Island in 2015, described the use of the term as “sick and twisted”.
The deaths of Mike; Sophie Gradon, who died in 2018 two years after taking part in Love Island; and Steve Dymond, who died shortly after appearing as a guest on The Jeremy Kyle Show, sparked conversation about the care Love Island contestants receive when they are thrust into the spotlight upon leaving the villa.
Pleas made by former islanders following Mike’s death for Love Island to improve its treatment of participants’ mental wellbeing prompted the show’s producers to update their duty of care rules. Before the start of the 2019 series of Love Island, ITV announced that all contestants would receive a minimum of eight therapy sessions when they returned home. Psychological and medical assessments of all islanders were carried out before filming commenced, and they were given “bespoke training” on how to cope with social media, handle their finances and adjust to life after the show.
But while the producers of Love Island have taken positive steps towards better safeguarding the mental wellbeing of participants on the show, the same cannot be said for the millions of people who tune in to watch the show every night. What can be done to stop social media trolls from spewing hate and making malicious remarks that Love Islanders will likely be bombarded with when they leave the show?
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1/16 Stormzy
Stormzy told Channel 4 in 2017 that by opening up about his depression he hoped to help others. “I think for them to see I went through it would help,” the BRIT-award-winning musician said. “For a long time I used to think that soldiers don’t go through that. You know? Like, strong people in life, the bravest, the most courageous people, they don’t go through that, they just get on with it…and that’s not the case.”
2/16 Robert Pattinson
Twilight star Robert Pattinson told The Telegraph he struggled with depression for a period of time. “’I had a bit of a struggle at first because my life really contracted and I couldn’t do a lot of the stuff I used to be able to do.” He advised aspiring Hollywood actors to “take care” of your mental health. “If you get as famous as quickly as I did, your personal growth stops suddenly.”
3/16 Michael Phelps
Former American swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, experienced periods of depression and suicidal feelings. He told Today in 2018: “After years and years and years of just shoving every negative, bad feeling down to the point where I mean, I just didn’t even feel it anymore…and for me, that sent me down a spiral staircase real quick and like I said, I found myself in a spot where I didn’t want to be alive anymore.”
4/16 Zayn Malik
Zayn Malik told The Sunday Times Style magazine about suffering with an eating disorder and anxiety. “We’re all human. People are often afraid to admit difficulties, but I don’t believe that there should be a struggle with anything that’s the truth,” said the former One Direction singer. “If you were a guy, you used to have to be really masculine, but now expressing emotion is accepted and respected.’
5/16 Will Young
Singer Will Young has spoken about his experience with suicidal thoughts. “There’s a part of my brain that is telling me that you’re about to die, [so] you either shut down, freeze or you run. The only thing I can do is go to bed.” He said that without the help of his therapist he probably would have been successful in his suicide attempts. “I have so many mental thoughts in my head: ‘You’re never going to sing again’. ‘That was a s*** dance move.’ ‘They’re hating you.’”
6/16 Professor Green
After his father took his own life in 2008, rapper Professor Green started speaking openly about his mental health problems and the pressure on men to be strong. “We have to figure out a way that men can talk to one another and figure out how to make themselves feel better,” he told theiNews. Although he is pleased to “start conversations” Green warns how becoming a mental health spokesperson can be high pressure. “It’s difficult because sometimes you’re having a great day, then someone comes up and tells you something absolutely horrific; I’m not a psychologist and it’s really hard.”
7/16 Donald Glover
American actor, comedian, writer and musician Donald Glover, who performs under the name Childish Gambino told Vice in 2013 he’d been through periods of depression following the end of his tour. “I was just super depressed. I mean, I tried to kill myself. I was really fucked up after that [tour], because I had this girl that I thought I was going to marry and we broke up. I didn’t feel like I knew what I was doing. I wasn’t living up to my standard, I was living up to other people’s standards, and I just said ‘I don’t see the point’.”
8/16 Shawn Mendes
Shawn Mendes told People magazine that talking about his mental health problems was the “scariest” thing he’s ever done. “I still struggle with it but just remember every day that everyone deals with some level of anxiety or pressure; we’re all in it together.” He told The Sun in 2018: “All pain is temporary, and the thing is with anxiety, and why it’s such a hard thing for people who don’t have it to understand.”
9/16 Jim Carrey
Comedian and actor Jim Carrey told iNews that he had struggled with depression throughout his life. “At this point, I don’t have depression. I had that for years, but now, when the rain comes, it rains, but it doesn’t stay. It doesn’t stay long enough to immerse me and drown me anymore.”
10/16 Pete Wentz
Fall Out Boy frontman Pete Wentz has spoken openly about his bipolar disorder diagnosis and other mental health problems. He said that it took him to reach breaking point before asking for help. “My best piece of advice, more than anything, is that there’s other people out there that feel [suicidal], or are feeling that right at that time,” he said. “Maybe your favorite actor, or a guy in a band, or whoever, there are people who feel that exact same thing and have made it through that. I would say more than anything, you’re not alone in it.”
11/16 Jon Hamm
“I struggled with chronic depression,” Mad Men star Jon Hamm told The Guardian in 2010. “I did do therapy and antidepressants for a brief period, which helped me.” Hamm said medication helped change his “brain chemistry” enough so he could get out of bed. “I don’t want to sleep until four in the afternoon. I want to get up and go do my shit and go to work,” he says.
12/16 Rob Delaney
Catastrophe actor and comedian Rob Delaney, who lost his son Henry to brain cancer in January 2018, said he has long struggled with depression and encouraged others in the same position to seek help. “Asking for help is strong because it leads directly to staying alive,” he says. “Not asking for help is as fear-based a decision as a human being can make and can lead you swiftly in a bad direction. It’s not exaggerating to say that path can end in death.”
13/16 Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson
Dwayne Johnson has spoken on numerous occasions about mental health. On ITV’s Lorraine Kelly he said: “Depression doesn’t discriminate, and I thought that was an important part of the narrative if I was going to share a little bit of my story of the past. Regardless of who you are or what you do for a living or where you come from, it doesn’t discriminate, we all kind of go through it. If I could share a little bit of it and if I could help somebody, I’m happy to do it.”
14/16 Ryan Reynolds
“I have anxiety, I’ve always had anxiety,” the Deadpool actor told the New York Times in 2018. “Both in the lighthearted ‘I’m anxious about this’ kind of thing, and I’ve been to the depths of the darker end of the spectrum, which is not fun.” Reynolds said he went through a period of partying to try and make himself “vanish” in some way and would frequently suffer with anxiety-related insomnia.
15/16 Bruce Springsteen
Bruce ‘The Boss’ Springsteen told Esquire magazine in 2018 that although he wouldn’t describe himself as being mentally unwell, he has “come close enough” and takes medication to cope. “I’m on a variety of medications that keep me on an even keel; otherwise I can swing rather dramatically and the wheels can come off a little bit.”
16/16 Prince Harry
Prince Harry has been a vocal supporter of mental health campaigns like ‘Time To Talk’. He also has spoken openly about his own problems following the death of his mother, Princess Diana. He told The Telegraph: “I have probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions when all sorts of grief and sort of lies and misconceptions and everything are coming to you from every angle.” Harry said there was “huge merit” in talking about your issues and keeping quiet only makes things worse.
For weeks, contestants live in a bubble in the villa, mostly unaware of what the public think of them. The shock of discovering that the entire country knows who you are – and has formulated strong opinions about your every move – is an undeniably overwhelming thought.
And before you dismiss Twitter trolls and suggest people “just ignore them” or “block them”, we know cyberbullying is a serious, wide-reaching issue. According to charity Enough is Enough, nearly half of young people have received “intimidating, threatening or nasty messages online”, while more than half of teenagers in the US say they have been “bullied or harassed” on the internet.
A report released by charity Barnardo’s in June 2019 detailed how young people’s mental health is affected by various aspects of social media. On the topic of online harassment, the report stated: “Insight from Barnardo’s services shows that cyberbullying can negatively affect children and young people’s self-esteem and, in some cases, can lead them to consider taking their own lives.”
Despite years of discussions about how to tackle cyberbullying on social media platforms, firms have been somewhat slow to react. This month, Twitter announced it is currently testing new features that could allow users to control who has the ability to respond to their tweets, or give them the option to block all replies. “We want to help people feel safe participating in the conversation on Twitter,” the social media platform stated.
But will this change the amount of offensive comments posted about reality TV stars? Unlikely. In April 2019, the government proposed the introduction of a regulator that would make it legally required for social media companies to protect their users, and yet accepted at the same time that cyberbullying and trolling are examples of behaviours that have “a less clear legal definition”.
No matter what your opinions of the current cohort of Love Island contestants, it’s worrying that less than a year after the death of Thalassitis, a number of viewers have already returned to adopting a hashtag with a troubling past while bashing out cruel tweets without a second thought to how they might impact their subject.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
For services local to you, the national mental health database – Hub of Hope – allows you to enter your postcode to search for organisations and charities who offer mental health advice and support in your area.
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Seven Mercedes-Benz 300 SLRs as visiting stars at the Goodwood Festival of Speed
ClassicEvents0 Comments
The most successful racing sports car of the 1955 motor sport season is making a sensational gala appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed: 60 years after the Mille Miglia victory by Stirling Moss driving a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, the world’s largest automotive garden party is celebrating the British racing icon Moss and his erstwhile team colleague Hans Herrmann in their authentic silver racing sports cars from 25 to 28 June 2015.
“Seven original Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR racing sports cars reunited with the racing drivers of that era at the fascinating Festival of Speed – a unique reminiscence of the 1955 motor racing season,” says Michael Bock, Head of Mercedes-Benz Classic and the Customer Centre. “We are very pleased to be celebrating the 60th anniversary of this most successful season in the motor sport history of Mercedes-Benz together with Sir Stirling Moss and Hans Herrmann, and with the six 300 SLRs from our vehicle collection plus the 300 SLR from the French national motor car museum in Mulhouse.”
Only nine of the 300 SLR racing sports car with which Mercedes-Benz immediately won the 1955 world sports car championship were built. Eight of these 300 SLRs have survived, six of them in the care of the Mercedes-Benz Classic vehicle collection and marked by very different biographies. Apart from the outstandingly successful open racing sports cars of 1955 with chassis numbers 1 to 6, the exclusive family of cars in the W 196 S series includes two coupés intended for long-distance competition, though they never actually raced. They have chassis numbers 7 and 8. The car with chassis number 10 had modified technical features with a view to the 1956 season. The latest research shows that there was never a car with chassis number 9.
In Goodwood, Mercedes-Benz Classic is presenting the cars with chassis numbers 1, 2, 4, 5 (the last on loan from Cité de l’Automobile, Collection Schlumpf in France), 7, 8 and 10. Accordingly the 2015 Festival of Speed will provide a comprehensive insight into the different development stages of the W 196 S in the exciting ambience of past motor racing eras. As a special highlight, Sir Stirling Moss will be reunited with the 300 SLR bearing chassis number 4. It was in this very car, still in original condition, that Moss won the 1955 Mille Miglia – the 300 SLR’s very first race outing – in the best time ever achieved for the 1000-mile race. To commemorate this victory, the car in Goodwood bears the legendary start number 722 with which Moss and his co-driver Denis Jenkinson took to the starting ramp for the Mille Miglia at 7.22 a.m. on 1 May 1955.
Historical authenticity – right up close
Stirling Moss and Hans Herrmann were two of the drivers who contributed greatly to the outstanding success of Mercedes-Benz in the 1955 motor racing season. The reunion of these two veterans with the seven 300 SLRs at the 2015 Festival of Speed amounts to a fascinating and authentic journey through time. Visitors will experience at first hand how perfect interaction between man and machine still works its magic 60 years on: after more than six decades, both Sir Stirling Moss and Hans Herrmann will take to the wheel of their 1955 racing sports cars and drive them on the hill circuit. With his victories in the Mille Miglia, the International Tourist Trophy (with John Cooper Fitch) and the Targa Florio (with Peter Collins), Sir Stirling Moss in particular stands for the race history of the 300 SLR. But in 1955 Hans Herrmann too was a hot favourite for victory in the Mille Miglia, until he was forced to retire by an unfortunate defect when in second place.
In addition to Sir Stirling Moss and Hans Herrmann, other Mercedes-Benz Brand Ambassadors such as Klaus Ludwig, Jochen Mass, Sir Jackie Stewart, and Susie Wolff will be guests at the 2015 Festival of Speed. The 22nd Festival of Speed will be held from 25 to 28 June 2015 on the estate of the Earl of March and Kinrara in Goodwood (Sussex, England). The motto for this year is “Flat-Out and Fearles”. All in all, the organisers are expecting well over 600 exclusive vehicles and around 150,000 visitors.
Known as “the world’s largest automotive garden party”, the Festival first held in 1993 celebrates the culture and beauty of sporty motor cars and motorcycles against the grand backdrop of Goodwood House. The centrepiece of the Festival are racing and sports cars presenting a veritable symphony of motor racing history and speed. The highlights are the runs on the historic hill circuit beginning from 8.45 a.m. on all three days, as well as the driver’s paddock open to all visitors and providing an unrivalled close-up view of exclusive sports cars from all eras and categories. There are also numerous accompanying events such as runs on the rally circuit in the estate’s forest, the auctioning of precious classic cars by the auction house Bonhams and a fly-past by the Red Arrows display team of the Royal Air Force.
The Formula 1 world champions meet the heroes of 1955
Mercedes-Benz Classic has a strong, longstanding partnership with the Festival of Speed. In 2014, to mark 120 years of Mercedes-Benz motor sport, the Stuttgart-based brand presented numerous winners of famous racing victories from the company’s collection in Goodwood. It was also in 2014 that the sculptor Gerry Judah dedicated his “Central Feature” to the unique motor racing history of the Mercedes-Benz brand. Accompanying the original racing cars and racing sports cars from the Mercedes-Benz vehicle collection, many private collectors will by tradition be presenting their outstanding classics and helping the brand’s motor sports history to shine once again.
This powerful historical narrative is counterbalanced by the power the brand represents in modern times: in 2015, the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team will be among the guests in Goodwood. The reigning Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton and his team colleague Nico Rosberg will meet up with the motor racing heroes of 1955. Current Mercedes-Benz sports cars and Mercedes-AMG models will also appear in the “Moving Motor Show” on 25 June. Since 2010, the Festival of Speed has always started on a Thursday, with the procession of sporty motor cars.
Source: Mercedes-Benz Classic
300 SLRGoodwoodGoodwood Festival of SpeedMille MigliaSir Stirling Moss
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120 years of motor sport at Mercedes-Benz take centre stage at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2014
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Mercedes-Benz Classic at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2011
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Abstract Submission
Solomon Aronson
Solomon Aronson is a tenured professor at Duke University and Executive Vice Chairman in the Department of Anesthesiology.
He earned his BS in molecular biology with distinction at the University of Wisconsin and his MD with honors in research at the Medical College of Wisconsin. After completing an anesthesiology residency including a year as chief resident at the University of Texas Medical Galveston, he completed a fellowship in cardiac and vascular anesthesia at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston. Thereafter, he was recruited to the University of Chicago where he ascended to the rank of full professor and served as chief of the cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia division. In 2011, Dr Aronson received his MBA with a concentration in Health Sector Management at Duke University Fuqua School of Business.
Having written over 300 manuscripts, book chapters, and abstracts as well as 6 textbooks, he is recognized as an expert on topics concerning perioperative echocardiography and perioperative blood pressure risk, perioperative medicine and population health, healthcare strategy and health economics. He has lectured nationally and internationally.
Among the many research awards and lecture honors received over the years, Dr. Aronson has been repeatedly elected from among his peers to be listed in Best Doctors in America. He continues to serve on the Joint Commission and AMA task force for overuse as well as the FDA as a consultant SGE after having served on the FDA as a member of the Anesthesia and Life Support Advisory Committee and Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee. He is an elected fellow of the American Society of Anesthesiology, American Heart Association, the American College of Chest Physicians, the American College of Cardiology, and the American Society of Echocardiography and an elected member of the Association of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists and Association of University Anesthesiologists. In 2017, Dr Aronson was honored with an adjunct professor appointment from the University College London.
Dr Aronson serves on the board of directors as well as director of business development for the Physicians Diagnostic Clinic (PDC), a physician practice group at Duke and has served as chair of their Finance Committee in the past. He currently serves as vice chair on the PDC Board of Managers. He has served on the Economic Committee of the American Society of Anesthesiologists for 12 years and currently serves on their committee for future models in anesthesia practice. In addition, he served on the board of directors and was president of the intraoperative council in the American Society of Echocardiography and served on the board of directors and was president for the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiology. He is a founding trustee member of the National Board of Echocardiography and has served on their board of directors. In 2013, he was elected to the Science Accelerator Committee and the Leadership Committee for Cardiopulmonary, Critical Care, Perioperative & Resuscitation Council of the American Heart Association.
Dr Aronson is married to Dr Leena Sharma and they have 2 children, twins who both graduated from college. In addition to enjoying time with his family, he works at his tennis and golf games, listens to music, pursues drawing and painting interests and enjoys traveling and serving his community. He serves on the board of directors for the Greater Durham Boys and Girls Club of America.
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e-Celebspy
George Karl Net Worth - Income And Earnings As An NBA Coach
Home Net Worth George Karl Net Worth - Income And Earnings As An NBA Coach.
BY PALISTHA Updated on 30 November, 2020
George Karl Net Worth
George Karl has earned millions from his four decades long career as a basketball coach. Image Source: George Karl Twitter.
Birth Name George Matthew Karl
Birth place Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, USA
Profession Former Professional Coach and Player
Hair Color Grey
George Karl Net Worth And Income Source
How Much Did George Karl Earn During His Playing Career?
Income From His Coaching Career
Income From Book Sales
Lifestyle And Assets
George Karl is best known as one of the nine coaches in the National Basketball Association (NBA) to have won more than a thousand games. He is a former coach and also a former player who first joined the NBA in 1973 as the point guard for the San Antonio Spurs.
Since his rookie debut in the early 1970s, the American basketball coach has found fame and amassed a fortune from his coaching career. Unlike his playing career, which only lasted five years, George Karl's net worth has been heavily impacted by his earnings as a head coach for an NBA team.
Montrezl Harrell Net Worth - Look At The NBA Player's Salary And Contract
As one of NBA's head coaches with more than a thousand game wins, the American coach has amassed considerable wealth from his coaching career. George Karl's net worth also includes his earnings as a professional player in the NBA from 1973-78.
George Karl attended Penn Hills High School and was part of the men's basketball team there. Karl studied at the University of North Carolina and played for the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team for three years till 1973.
After an amazing collegiate career, George took part in the 1973 NBA draft and was picked by the New York Knicks in the fourth round but chose to sign on to the San Antonio Spurs and played in the American Basketball Association (ABA).
The following three years saw Karl as the team's starting point guard playing alongside George Gervin. Then in 1976, the Spurs joined the NBA, and George only got to play limited minutes. This resulted in the point guard retiring from the game in 1978. While his playing career did not generate as much success as he hoped, George Karl's net worth must have been impacted by his yearly salary.
Immediately after retiring from his professional playing career, George joined the coaching staff of the San Antonio Spurs as an assistant coach. He spent two years assisting head coach Doug Moe, who has previously coached him in the same team. Karl was named the head coach for the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) team, Montana Golden Nuggets. He led the team to two CBA Finals and won Coach of the Year in 1981 and 1983.
George returned to the NBA in 1983 and became the director of player acquisition for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The following year, Tom Nissalke was fired as the head coach and was replaced by Karl. He guided the team to their first playoffs in six seasons. However, the next season did not bring similar success, and he was dismissed in March.
George Karl continued to be part of professional teams from various leagues like Golden State Warriors, Albany Patroons, and Real Madrid, but couldn't generate as much success as he had hoped. After the 1991-92 season with Real Madrid, he was announced as the head coach for the Seattle SuperSonics in 1992.
With Seattle SuperSonics, Karl generated mixed results with seven playoff appearances in seven seasons. Even after four division championships, he was dismissed from his position before the 1998-99 season. August 1998 saw George sign a lucrative contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Over the years, he helped rebuild the struggling team but could not clinch any significant titles. He then left the Bucks in 2003 and took a break from the NBA scenes for a few years. George then signed on to Denver Nuggets as their head coach in 2005. He guided the team to various significant victories and even led the Western Conference All-star team in 2010. Even though the team did not win the finals, Karl was awarded a one-year contract extension worth $4.5 million.
The famous coach was with the Nuggets till 2013 and then signed a four-year, $15 million deal with the Sacramento Kings as their head coach in 2015. According to an article from Bleacher Report, he reportedly was set to pocket $1.25 million for his first season with the team and then $3.25 million in the 2015-16 season.
Due to poor performances in his second season with the Kings, he was fired in April 2016 and lost out on earning $5 million for his last two seasons with them. After this, the retired player was not picked up by any other team. However, George Karl's net worth must have been heavily influenced by the millions he earned during his coaching career which was nearly four decades-long.
Like many other NBA stars, George Karl also published books documenting his time in the league. He released the book titled, Furious George: My Forty Years Surviving NBA Divas, Clueless GMs, and Poor Shot Selection in 2017. He also co-wrote two books with Terry Stotts and Price Johnson, which was published in 1997. Given below are those books and their respective prices:
Books Prices
Furious George: My Forty Years Surviving NBA Divas, Clueless GMs, and Poor Shot Selection $27.70 (Hardcover)
101 Basketball Out of Bounds Drills (101 Drills) $9.99 (Kindle)
101 Offensive Basketball Drills $19.84 (Kindle)
These books are all available on Amazon and the income from the sales has undoubtedly helped raise George Karl's net worth.
George Karl has earned millions from his successful coaching career and now enjoys a lavish lifestyle. Throughout the years, he has lived in various cities and invested in properties in every city. He owned a 3,180-square-foot house in Sacramento's Arden Park which was sold for $910K in August 2016. He had purchased the property the previous summer for $870K and put up for sale with an asking price of $945K.
In addition to his Arden Park home, Karl also invested in properties in Denver, Colorado while coaching for the Denver Nuggets. In October 2016, he sold his house in the Crestmoor Park neighborhood. The house was reportedly listed for $2 million and had received offers over the asking price.
While it is unclear where he is residing currently, there is no doubt that George Karl and his family are enjoying a lavish lifestyle.
George Matthew Karl was born in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, on May 12, 1951.
He grew up in Pittsburgh and graduated from Penn Hills High School in the year 1969.
He was previously married to Cathy Cramer from 1977 to 1998.
He has three children, Coby Karl, Kaci Karl, and Kelci Karl. Coby followed in his father's footsteps and played for and coached teams from various leagues.
He supports the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital as he himself is a thyroid cancer survivor.
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Published on 26 November, 2020
George Karl George Matthew Karl Cathy Cramer Coby Karl Kaci Karl Kelci Karl George Gervin Doug Moe Tom Nissalke Terry Stotts Price Johnson Richest Celebrity Celebrity Babies
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Benefits and shortcomings of the synchronic approach.
Benefits and shortcomings of the synchronic approach
What are the benefits and shortcomings of the synchronic approach to the study of society used by functionalists and structural functionalists?
Traditionally, all linguistic study was diachronic: all language study focused on language’s change over time. For example, a predominant question asked in a diachronic study is how did Old English transition to the very different Middle English to the different, yet similar, Modern English of Queen Elizabeth’s time. For example, see the progress of Old English gieddian to Middle English singan to the uninflected Modern English sing. Or see the progress of the modern representation of a sleep vision (for which we now have no single word other than “dream” OE drēam; ME dreem) from Old English mǣting to Middle English sweven. It is clear there is much of interest in diachronic study
The thing it foliage out, even so, is definitely the connection between language and culture: it never asks Why changes happened from your social standpoint nor How culture makes use of language or perhaps is influenced by variations in it. The answers to these and similar questions lies not in the progress of language over time (diachronic) but in language and society interacting in a given set time (synchronic). Synchronic study of language is the study of the interaction between language and society in a fixed time period. Therefore, synchronic language study answers these questions previously neglected by diachronic study. Therefore, the advantage to synchronic language study is that the social linguistic dynamics of a set time period may be discovered.
Moreover, the established time period of synchronic study might be previously or it could be from the provide. Diachronic study can look only at the past. Consequently, while synchronic study may lead to attempts to predict future changes based on present dynamics, diachronic study can only poorly lend itself to attempts at predictions. A disadvantage of synchronic study is that perspective is lacking. With only synchronic language study, data may be misunderstood in its context and lead to conclusions that are faulty. For example, it may lead to predictions skewed by historic bias or it may lead to definition of sub-group dynamics skewed by inadequate background data.
At the start of this option, you must ask, “Why am I understanding this vocabulary? ” Of course, an ideal study would include both diachronic and synchronic study, but if your intention is to be an oral translator for, for example, the tourism trade, a synchronic approach is advantageous because it deals with the way a language works in a specific time period (here, the present). But if you want to translate historical texts or literature from past centuries, you will want to know how the language formed and grew through many time periods—a diachronic study. If you are, for example, a student from another culture seeking to learn English for a tourist guide occupation, you would want to concentrate on modern synonyms, modern slang, modern connotation, modern cognates, etc.; but if you wanted to be an English history scholar, you would want to study the Chaucerian contributions, the Elizabethan expansion, and the r-metathesis phenoma, etc., and in that case a synchronous approach would not be as fruitful. Virtually all language scholars study both elements of a language. The important difference is the question you ask – is it “What does that word mean? ” or “Where did that word come from? ” and it is easy to see that these two questions are inexorably linked. That is why a good dictionary gives word origins as well as denotative definitions.
Sociolinguistic investigation from the practice of Labov (1966, et seq.) has tended to pay attention to phonological and morphosyntactic variation, with discursive difference acquiring relatively tiny focus (though see, e.g., Hasan 2004). Nevertheless, just as the incorporation of qualitative methods, such as ethnography (e.g., Eckert 1989, et seq.), has advanced sociolinguistics, the incorporation of quantitative variationist methods into the (traditionally qualitative) study of language-in-interaction can enhance discourse analysis. This is particularly evident in critical analyses of institutional discourse, such as Conley and O’Barr’s (1990) research in small claims courts, which found (qualitatively) that most litigants use one of two discursive strategies in presenting their cases and (quantitatively) that users of the more successful strategy were, overwhelmingly, educated men, a finding that the authors attributed to gendered differences in the distribution of opportunities to acquire “powerful” discourses. This paper explores discursive variation in another institutional setting—the classroom—examining synchronic and diachronic variation in the discursive strategies teachers use in allocating turns at talk to individual students. Teachers use two main turn-allocation strategies: “individual nominations” and “invitations to bid” (Mehan 1979), each of which will be discussed in turn.
Possible data advise that person nominations were actually the main surface-allocation technique in U.S. classrooms from the 70s, comprising over 70 % of teacher-began interactions (Mehan et al. 1976, Griffin & Humphrey 1978). The predominance of this floor-allocation method has been attributed to teachers’ goal of equitably distributing turns at talk and the fact that individual nominations make it easy to ensure that every student takes such a turn (Griffin & Humphrey 1978: 88). Despite the enduring importance of this objective (see, e.g., Fennema 1990, Secada et al. 1995), more recent research suggests that invitations to bid (discussed in the next section) have since become the predominant floor-allocation method in many classrooms (Lemke 1990: 7).
The SoCal classroom corpus consists of detailed transcriptions of eight reading and math lessons— approximately 4.5 hours of interaction—video-recorded in 2008 in three third-grade classes (students ages 8-9) at a diverse Southern California public elementary school located in a lower-middle class suburban neighborhood.1 The three teachers in the corpus are White females. At the time of recording, one was in her 11th year of teaching, one in her 13th, and one in her 24th. Of the 20 students in each class, approximately half are White and half are Hispanic, with roughly equal numbers of boys and girls and just under 42 percent receiving free or reduced-price meals, all of which was representative of the school at that time.
There are actually 262 circumstances in the SoCal class room corpus in which a trainer allocates a convert at talk to an person pupil. Of these, 11.5% (n = 30) are individual nominations—where the teacher extends a response opportunity and selects a student to respond without that student’s having bid—and 88.5% (n = 232) are invitations to bid—where the teacher extends a response opportunity and solicits students to make themselves known (e.g., by raising a hand) if they want a turn at talk, then nominates one of the bidders. This stands in stark contrast to the results of comparable analyses from the 1970s, which found that individual nominations (which made up a mere 11.5% of turn allocations in the SoCal classroom corpus) constituted over 70% of all teacher-initiated interactions (Mehan et al. 1976, Griffin & Humphrey 1978). This supports Lemke’s (1990, p. 7) impression that invitations to bid have become the predominant floorallocation method used in classrooms. Discussion of these findings with those involved in the study provides further support for the notion of a shift in discursive practices, as educators are apparently well aware of the move from individual nominations to invitations to bid and see it as part of a larger, ostensibly positive move away from the ‘authoritarian’ classroom of old and toward a more ‘egalitarian’ model (cf. Cazden 2001).
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Curating a New Literary Canon
Who (and what) deserves to be in America’s first museum dedicated to writers?
Rebecca Makkai
The Christmas I was eleven, I received, in my stocking, the 1988 edition of the American Authors Card Game. An update of the classic Game of Authors deck first introduced in 1861, it featured thirteen authors, one for each number (Robert Frost, for instance, was on the 5’s), each card showcasing a different work by that author. It was for this reason that two decades before I read Moby-Dick, I could have told you, with great confidence but no real understanding, that Herman Melville also wrote Billy Budd and Omoo and Typee.
The original 1861 edition included twelve white men and one white woman (Louisa Mae Alcott). My 1988 deck featured… one woman. This time it was Willa Cather, and she was, naturally, the queen. James Baldwin had joined the fray, but the remaining eleven authors were white and male. Being a kid, I thought nothing of this. I just figured Theodore Dreiser was someone important enough that any well-educated child ought to be able to rattle off four of his book titles.
Cut to ten years later, when I nearly broke up with a college boyfriend because he refused to acknowledge the ways canonization was wrapped up in cultural hegemony, a word I’d only learned within the previous six months. By twenty-one, this was a topic I’d passionately emote over when drunk.
Walking through Chicago’s new American Writers Museum a week before it opened to the public, I felt like a cross between that eleven-year-old (wide-eyed, thirstily trying to absorb the canon, inspired by history) and that twenty-one-year-old (tallying up gender and race and queerness on the 100-author “American Voices” wall of fame and doing some quick math).
The museum’s creators faced an impossible task, the same one undertaken perennially by anthologists and English professors: How can we represent four hundred years of American literary history in a way that doesn’t reinforce the unfortunate hierarchies of those four hundred years?
How can we represent four hundred years of American literary history in a way that doesn’t reinforce the unfortunate hierarchies of those four hundred years?
The museum itself, the only one of its kind in the country, is slick and sleek and exponentially more entertaining than you’d ever imagine a museum about people who sit in chairs all day could be. The second-floor space at 180 N. Michigan Ave. is appropriately lofty and quiet and gorgeous, with gallery spaces by Amaze Designs of Boston. Interactive games let users create poetry or compete to guess quotations or choose a quirky writing routine. Across from the author wall is a “Surprise Bookshelf” from which 100 small panels, each with the title of a different book or poem or song or movie, open to reveal photos, or play audio or video recordings, or (who can resist?) pump out scents. Elsewhere, there’s a hypnotic word waterfall in which quotes about America (not sappy ones, either!) reveal themselves in succession. You can take a Philip K. Dick-inspired test to figure out if you’re an android. Lest we get too modern, a charming bank of manual typewriters invites visitors to compose their own texts. A bit less charmingly, two kiosks let readers input data on their favorite books — data which is then mined not only by the museum but also by Goodreads (aka Amazon), who have loaned the museum the platform. (On the other hand, Amazon already knows when you’re out of toilet paper, so perhaps this is a benign violation.)
Photo: Rebecca Makkai
One of two temporary exhibits features the scroll on which Jack Kerouac feverishly wrote the original draft of On the Road. (Inspiring takeaway for visiting 11th graders: write high!) While I’m not a Kerouac fan, this is the kind of stuff that gets me: actual artifacts that real writers touched. I learned more about writing from studying a marked-up reading copy of one of Charles Dickens’ stories at the Dickens House Museum in London than I did from several writing workshops combined. In Sewanee, Tennessee, I once stared in awe for ten full minutes at Tennessee Williams’ toaster. His actual toaster! That he put his bread in every morning! My wish that the museum could include more objects like these might be selfish, but I don’t think I’m alone. Perhaps it would be too costly to acquire Hemingway’s fishing rod, but I can’t imagine Amy Tan would begrudge them the loan of an old mouse pad.
Perhaps it would be too costly to acquire Hemingway’s fishing rod, but I can’t imagine Amy Tan would begrudge them the loan of an old mouse pad.
I found the other temporary exhibit deeply confusing. You walk into a dimly-lit greenhouse-inspired space and make your way through some potted palms to listen to poems by W. S. Merwin, Ross Gay, and others. It has something to do with Merwin living in Hawaii and taking care of plants, and is meant to be an experience — one that’s never adequately explained. By the time I’d been whacked in the arms by three sharp palm fronds and stared in confusion at the ambient props — rubber boots, a roll of duct tape — I wasn’t as receptive a poetry absorber as I might have been. Was this Merwin’s actual duct tape, on loan? (If so, I take it all back.) Making one exhibit space educational and the other experiential is, though, a grand idea, and I have great hopes that in the future I’ll be able to walk through Richard Wright’s Chicago or lick Roald Dahl’s wallpaper.
Dungeons & Dragons & Communal Storytelling
I was involved in two different fundraisers for the museum during its seven-year planning phase, and although I lent my support to it as wholeheartedly as I’ll support anything literary in Chicago, I wasn’t the only one a bit baffled, early on, as to what this space was intended to be. “It’s not going to be a library,” we kept hearing, and then we’d be shown a picture of some shadowy figures looking at some shadowy banners. What’s emerged from all that vagueness is in fact specific, beautifully designed, and engaging — a place that, confusing palm room not withstanding, will easily absorb you for an afternoon. It’s a fitting addition to Chicago’s already spoiled-for-riches museum scene, and, as poet Anna Castillo put it during a talk the day I visited, it’s “a reminder that we [as Americans] are a literary people.”
It’s a fitting addition to Chicago’s already spoiled-for-riches museum scene, and, as poet Anna Castillo put it during a talk the day I visited, it’s “a reminder that we [as Americans] are a literary people.”
I’m left not wondering what it is anymore, but, on the simplest levels, who it’s for.
A younger child could enjoy a few parts of it — the children’s literature room (in which one panel describes E. B. White as a “20th century Thoreau” — a point on which my own kids, sorry to say, would be lost), and some of the interactive games — but given the adult bent of most of the literature on display, and given that a woman of average height had to ask me to open some of the top Surprise Library panels for her, on the whole it’s not designed for kids. (If your kid is an exceptionally tall Merwin fan, rest assured she’ll have a blast.)
Adults, on the other hand, are going to fall into two categories: those who already know this stuff, and those who don’t care. If you already know Edward Said’s Orientalism, and you open a panel to learn that he “transformed the study of cultural exchange and power,” which you probably also already knew, you’re going to be less than awed. If you’ve never heard of Farenheit 451, opening a panel to see a video of a burning book might not do much for you. The museum does contain an event hall, though, and the calendar of upcoming readings promises to bring a steady flow of literary adults through the space; my wildest dreams see this museum paralleling, for fiction, the superb programming that the Poetry Foundation has already brought to Chicago.
I believe the sweet spot for visitors is adolescence. The eighth-grader who wants to be a writer and will absorb whatever you tell her about who’s important and why. The sophomore English class with the energetic teacher who gets everyone to pick an author off the wall to present about for three minutes. The college Lit major who drags his girlfriend there to impress her (and himself) with how much he knows.
In other words: Eleven-year-old me would have eaten this place up. I’d have played the digital magnetic poetry game and typed on the typewriters and taken mental notes on the writers I didn’t know yet, long before I was capable of reading their work. Fifteen-year-old me would have gotten all emo over the recordings of Langston Hughes reading his own work.
Fifteen-year-old me would have gotten all emo over the recordings of Langston Hughes reading his own work.
Meanwhile, twenty-one-year-old me would have freaked the hell out over representation. Because here’s the thing: Of the 100 plaques on the author wall, only 28 are women. 18 are people of color. Granted, we’re dealing with centuries of history in which women and people of color were not necessarily granted literacy, let alone publication. Poor Phyllis Wheatley can only hold up so much sky.
The ratios are far better than those of my 1988 card game, but in an exhibit for which the only rule is that the authors be American and deceased, there are missed opportunities. The writers on that wall are presented chronologically, by year of birth — Oscar Hijuelos, born in 1951, is the last — and of the last ten authors on the wall, only one (Flannery O’Connor) is a woman. That proportion might have made sense for the 18th century — but for the more recent past, what gives? Why not Adrienne Rich? Why not Lucille Clifton?
That said, there are serious efforts toward inclusion — of genre and populism and style, as well as race and ethnicity. Hijuelos is preceded at the end by August Wilson and, before him, by the Native American writers Vine Deloria Jr. and James Welch.
And it’s hard to point to the authors who should go. Would I really argue that Kurt Vonnegut should be dropped in favor of Lorraine Hansberry? Well, maybe. Yes, actually.
It depends, again, who this space is for. If the idea is to curate — to present to the world, in some official capacity, the Most Important People in American Literary History — then the battle is unwinnable. There’s no way we’re all ever going to agree. We see certain writers as canonical because we were always told they were canonical. That old question: If you’d never heard of the Mona Lisa, would you truly pick it out of all the paintings in the Louvre to stand in front of and gawk at? It’s famous because it’s great, sure, but there are other great things in the Louvre. It’s mostly famous because it’s famous; canonization is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
If the idea is to curate — to present to the world, in some official capacity, the Most Important People in American Literary History — then the battle is unwinnable.
If, on the other hand, the idea of this museum is — as it seems to be — to inspire the next generation of writers, then why cling to someone like John Updike to the exclusion of, say, a single Asian-American author?
Of course it’s only the one wall that I’m harping on, and although I didn’t run the numbers, it’s possible that other portions of the museum do a better overall job with representation. (NB: Writers beyond the one hundred on the main wall are represented in the museum’s other exhibits and games; Asian-American authors are featured in the Surprise Library, for instance.) I don’t know that anyone could have done better than this at striking a balance between education and inspiration. But that wall is central, the first thing many visitors will see, and its very presence feels authoritative, definitive.
Ultimately, I’m thrilled that the museum is here — and you should be too — even as we should keep pushing and questioning what it is and what it’s saying. Just as we already do with anthologies — and just as the art world has been doing in regards to museum and gallery representation for decades. This space is, like American literature itself, a place to revel in and balk at and demand more from.
When my daughters are old enough, I’ll take them there and let them experience the unadulterated joy that comes with feeling you’re getting the important stuff, the quick download of all the culture you’ll need.
And then ten years later I’ll take them there again, and we’ll really talk.
Rebecca Makkai is the author most recently of The Great Believers, a finalist for the National Book Award and one of the New York Times’ top ten books of 2018.
Artificial Intelligence & Climate Change…in a Race to the End of the World
Zachary Mason is a novelist, an AI expert, and the author of a new book that will send a chill down your spine.
May 24 - Adam Morgan Read
Toni Morrison Let Us Know We Are More Than the Work We Do
Considering some of the legendary novelist's lessons on the anniversary of her death
Aug 5 - Jennifer Baker
New Literary Festivals Lead the Way by Celebrating Diversity
Two upcoming events ask: Who's still not being heard?
Apr 19 - Jennifer Baker
Dan Mallory Is the Oldest Story in Publishing
The explosive story of a con artist editor lays bare the everyday lies publishing tells itself about who deserves to succeed
Feb 12 - Ruoxi Chen
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Exploring and Rebuilding Genres: Notes on Jo Walton
Tobias Carroll
How does it shape a writer to analyze their own genre of choice? Though numerous writers can shift between reviews and fiction, the number known equally well as both novelists and critics is smaller. Head into the realm of contemporary science fiction and fantasy, and the number dwindles further. Thomas M. Disch’s 1998 The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of: How Science Fiction Conquered the World was, like the work of its author, alternately insightful and frustrating–Disch made some interesting points about science fiction and the larger culture, but also occasionally bogged down in Disch’s own feuds, including one with Ursula K. Le Guin. Reading it today can be a strange experience, as the insights and jabs grow increasingly at odds with one another as the book progressed.
Last year brought with it Jo Walton’s What Makes This Book So Great, which compiled two and a half years’ worth of short columns that Walton had written for Tor.com. (Walton is still a regular contributor to the site.) Her focus was on fantasy and science fiction; in her introduction to the book, she notes that her “genre perspective” persisted for works that fell outside of those boundaries. As examples, she cited “how George Eliot should have single-handedly invented science fiction or wishing wistfully that A.S. Byatt had read Delany.” Reading it proves insightful, both for the boundaries of science fiction and fantasy and to get insight into Walton’s own creative process.
To date, Walton has released eleven novels; her twelfth is due out this summer. She’s received several major awards for her work, including a World Fantasy Award for 2004’s Tooth and Claw and a Nebula and Hugo for 2011’s Among Others. Some of Walton’s work foregrounds its supernatural or speculative elements; other works are more ambiguous. In her review of Among Others, Elizabeth Hand noted that “Walton does a deft job of balancing much of her tale upon a knife-edge where the reader is never quite sure whether the magic described is real or imagined.” Whether you read said novel as fantasy or realism, its bibliophilia and exploration of flawed familial dynamics make for a subtle, compelling read. It’s a novel that abounds with references to the science fiction and fantasy of the late 1970s, and it’s that community in which its protagonist immerses herself.
Walton also has a fondness for alternate histories, both as a writer and as a reader. (Her exploration of Terry Bisson’s Fire on the Mountain also contains some discussion of utopian novels, which will be relevant shortly.) Farthing, about a politically-charged murder and its investigation, began the Small Change trilogy. In the trilogy’s history, British aristocrats negotiated peace with Hitler early in the Second World War; by the time of the late 1940s, war between the Nazis and the Soviets rages on, and the worst aspects of British society appear to be hastening a shift into fascism. In Walton’s essay on Josephine Tey’s Brat Farrar, she notes that some of the quirks of Tey’s setting prompted her to envision the alternate timeline for Farthing:
This is a 1949 in which people cheerfully went on holiday in France eight years before and in which a thirteen year old running away seven years before could cross France and get work on a ship there — in 1941 and 1942? Surely not.
Last year’s My Real Children began with an institutionalized woman named Patricia Cowen as she looks back on her life, her memories adversely affected by her dementia. The novel begins as a straightforward look at her youth in the first half of the twentieth century; at a critical moment, a decision is made, and the novel follows the two timelines that result. To compare it to another novel of a life re-lived in 20th-century Britain, it’s Sliding Doors to the Groundhog Day of Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life. (Walton has cited Ken Grimwood’s Replay as one of the stories she feels that it resembles most.) There’s plenty in My Real Children that impresses, including the subtle differences between each of the two timelines.
It’s also a powerfully sad book: dementia claims Patricia in each one, and by the end of the novel, the state in which she exists is one of confusion, unsure of which set of memories is real. But at the same time, it’s unexpectedly optimistic: neither of the timelines in which she lives precisely lines up with our own. It’s the butterfly effect in practice, perhaps: that the outcome of one phone call might lead the world in a wildly different direction. For all that the novel makes certain outcomes inescapable, it also takes as a given that one ordinary human life can effect change on a grand scale.
The relative realism of much of her recent work sits in sharp contrast to her latest novel, The Just City. Throughout What Makes This Book So Great, Walton moves through a variety of styles and approaches to genre. Samuel R. Delany is frequently discussed, and there are also long stretches dedicated to Lois McMaster Bujold’s galaxy-spanning Vorkosigan novels and stories and Steven Brust’s works set in Dragaera. (Walton describes it as “[looking] like fantasy but there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s science fiction underneath.”) Given this omnivorousness with respect to genre shadings, it’s tempting to see The Just City as a kind of end run around the boundaries that expectations of styles and subgenres can establish.
What makes The Just City a particularly intriguing read in light of all of that, then, is that it isn’t just an idiosyncratic work blending science fiction and fantasy–it’s a work by someone who knows the ins and outs of both genres. Though for all of that, it’s also proudly in certain traditions: specifically, the idea of a seemingly utopian society with a flaw at its heart. The way in which that society emerges is unique, however: Greek gods decide to set up Plato’s Republic in the distant past, and summon willing participants from throughout time to govern it.
Walton has written that this is the first book in a trilogy, and it’s a particularly unconventional beginning: The Just City’s narrative is one that by necessity encompasses everything from intrigue among the gods to Socrates communicating to robots from the future to the logistics of setting up a utopian society. It’s unabashedly philosophical science fantasy, and suggests that Walton is staking out a very particular corner of the genre as her own. For all that The Just City is staking out its space with Big Ideas and a narrative that both spans time and occasionally exists outside of it, Walton roots much of it in recognizable psychology. It’s a quality that helps the book hold together–grounded characters accepting an eminently fantastical premise goes a long way.
The essay that closes What Makes This Book So Great is titled “Literary criticism vs. talking about books.” In it, Walton notes that she doesn’t consider herself a critic, but does explore some of the larger issues that her explorations of novels and stories have sparked, noting in particular “a divide within SF between literary and popular” that she notes is “drawn in a very strange way.” However Walton views these pieces, they do a fine job of re-opening discussion on some works, pointing readers towards others that may be unfamiliar, and providing illuminating looks at her own fiction. As author and reader, Walton’s contributions on both sides of the divide are helping expand and shape the genres in which they’re found.
Tobias Carroll is the author of the short story collection Transitory and the novel Reel. He is the managing editor of Vol.1 Brooklyn, and writes Words Without Borders’ Watchlist column.
INTERVIEW: Jayinee Basu, author of Asuras
Feb 27 - Caleb Hildenbrandt Read
Everyone Deserves a Mother Figure Like Juniper from “Wise Child”
My own mother took good care of me, but it took a fictional witch to nurture my soul
Jan 7 - Anne Thériault
A Definitive Ranking of All the Tamora Pierce Series
From Beka to Alanna to Kel, how do these beloved heroines stack up?
Oct 29 - Jae-Yeon Yoo
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IT must be a very remote corner of America, indeed, where the writings of George MacDonald would not only be known but ardently loved. David Elginbrod, Ranald Bannerman. Alec Forbes, Robert Falconer, and Little Diamond have many friends by this time all over the land, and are just as real personages, thousands of miles west of New York and Boston, as they are hereabouts. Now there must be some good reason for this exceptional universality of recognition, and it is not at all difficult to discern why MacDonald's characters should be welcome guests everywhere.
The writer who speaks through his beautiful creatures of imagination, imploring us to believe that
"Every human heart is human.
That in even savage bosoms
There are longings, yearnings, strivings
For the good they comprehend not.
That the feeble hands and helpless
Groping blindly in the darkness
Touch God's right hand in that darkness
And are lifted up and strengthened—"
that writer, if he be a master of his art, like MacDonald, will be a light and a joy in every household, however situated.
It is pleasant, always, to hold up for admiration the authors who have borne witness to the eternal beauty and cheerful capabilities of the universe around us, whatever may be our own petty sufferings or discomforts; who continually teach us that Optimism is better than Pessimism, and much more moral as a conduct of life, and are lovingly reminding us, whenever they write books or poems, of the holiness of helpfulness. All MacDonald's pages are a protest against selfishness, and that mean and narrow spirit which would elevate our petty selves above our contemporaries, and arrogate to an individual catalogue all the virtues that are attainable by mortal acquirement.
Heine observes, somewhere, that we must not investigate too curiously the lives of prominent men. "They are, oftentimes," says the witty poet, "like the bright gleams of light which glow so brilliantly that we think they must be jewels hung on leaf and twig by king's children at play in the royal gardens—but if we search for them by day we find no glittering gem, but only a repulsive little insect, which crawls painfully away, and which our feet do not crush, only for some strange compassion." The personality of the author from whom these happily-chosen extracts have been made, will bear the closest inspection at any and at all times. As a novelist, an essayist, a poet, and a preacher, he stands always in broad sunlight, and no dark shadow ever rests upon the dial of his pure and healthy inspiration. Those of us who know the man, and love the sound of his pleasant voice, so full of tender sympathy with all that is best and strengthening in human life, on comparing notes, would not hesitate to claim for him the eulogy expressed in these beautiful old sixteenth century verses—verses embalming an exceptional character, and one which the abiding Wisdom of Poesy never ceases to hold up for our pattern, in all that exalts and dignifies the soul of man and woman.
"Within these woods of Arcadie
He chief delight and pleasure tooke
And on the mountain Parthenie,
Upon the chrystall liquid brooke:
The muses met him every day,
That taught him sing, to write and say.
A sweet attractive kind of grace,
A full assurance given by lookes,
Continuall comfort in a face,
The lineaments of Gospell bookes;
I trowe that countenance cannot lie,
Whose thoughts are legible in the eie.
Was never eie did see that face,
Was never eare did heere that tongue,
Was never minde did minde his grace,
That ever thought the travell longe;
But eies and eares, and every thought
Were with his sweet perfections caught."
James T. Fields.
GEORGE MacDonald, preacher, poet, novelist and essayist, was born in Huntley, Aberdeenshire, in the year 1825. His father was at that time one of the proprietors of the Huntley Mills; and the annals of the little parish show that he was a lineal descendant of the MacDonalds of Glencoe those "Lords of the Isles" whose stern resistance to arbitrary rule form one of the most thrilling episodes in Scottish history.
The wild picturesqueness of that early home in the heart of Aberdeenshire, its snow-capped peaks, its mountain torrents, its lochs and its firths, its deep ravines, its dreary moors, must all have exerted a strong, moulding influence upon the impressible nature of the dreamy, enthusiastic boy. We can imagine him "going out to meet the spring," as he himself describes Hugh, in David Elginbrod, and finding in Nature "the grand, pure, tender Mother, ancient in years, yet ever young . . . From the depths of air, from the winds that harp upon the boughs and trumpet upon the great caverns, from the streams, from the flowers, she spoke to him. And he felt that she had a power to heal and to instruct; yea, that she was a power of life, and could speak to the heart and conscience mighty words about God and Truth and Love."
At an early age he entered the University of Aberdeen, and after his graduation he studied for the ministry at Owen's college, Manchester, and at Indiana college, in Highbury, London.
Upon taking holy orders, he became a leader of the "Independents" and preached for some time in the counties of Surrey and Sussex.
In the year 1855, he published his first book, a dramatic poem entitled Within and Without, and this was soon followed by A Hidden Life. Of these two poems, an able critic says, "We can find nothing in the subsequent writings of MacDonald of which the substance (by which we mean more than the germ) is not to be grasped here." Aside from the fine dramatic passages in Within and Without, there are many minor poems incidental to the scenes, such as the sonnet,
"And weep not though the beautiful decay,"
and the sweet child-poem,
"Little white lily sat by a stone,"
that have already become classical.
In 1857, MacDonald travelled on the continent, and visited Algiers before his return home. Possibly to the bewitching atmosphere of the East, as well as to these months of enforced leisure, is due the fresh kindling of his imagination which bore fruit the following year in his publication of Phantastes, that beautiful Faerie Romance which received so many warm encomiums from Dickens. In this wonderful story of the man who went out to seek his ideal, and ended by being glad at having lost his shadow, the symbols are easily interpreted, and the whole allegory is full of dainty touches and fine episodes.
In the interval that followed, before the publication in 1863, of his first novel, David Elginbrod, many charming poems and thoughtful essays from the pen of MacDonald occur in the periodical literature of the day. Among the poems may be mentioned Light, which reminds one strongly of Wordsworth's Ode to Immortality; and Somnium Mystici—an exquisite dream picture of the soul laid asleep in the world beyond, awakened for the new life, and trained through successive stages of discipline for the coming of the Son of Man, in whom all beauty and all love are seen to be consummated.
The Portent, published in 1864, is a highly imaginative romance, founded upon the old Scottish belief of the Inner Vision or Second Sight. As a story it is unsatisfactory, but it is an original, masterly production—fulfilling throughout its own natural conditions —and by some critics it is considered MacDonald's best work.
In 1865, Alec Forbes of Howglen, was published; and in the two following years, Adela Cathcart, Dealings with the Fairies, The Disciple and Other Poems, and Unspoken Sermons, revealed still more clearly the growing power of a writer whose name was now well known on both sides the water.
When, a few years later, he visited the United States, it was no stranger, but an honored and dearly-loved friend, whom we welcomed to our shores; and the remembrance of his kindly face and "cheerful words" as he spoke to us in church and lecture room comes up vividly before us, as we write.
In Annals of a Quiet Neighborhood, and its sequel, The Seaboard Parish, we begin to realize the intense sympathy of MacDonald, not only with the soul of Nature, but also with the great throbbing heart of humanity.
As some writer has happily expressed it, ''Of all life considered as a chain ; of its actions and reactions; of life as an ascent of pulsations up to the Divine, MacDonald has an electrical consciousness; and it runs through all his writings. This gives his imagination a buoyancy which permits him to lay burdens on light wings — but they float, and we are deeply impressed, though the brightness of the page is not for a moment dimmed."
The breadth and manliness of tone and sentiment, the deep perceptions of human nature, the originality, fancy, pathos, the fresh out-of-door atmosphere, everywhere apparent—above all, the earnest, wholesome, but always unobtrusive religious teaching, that underlies all his writings, give to the works of George MacDonald a certain magnetic power that is indescribable.
Robert Falconer, published in 1868, is one of the most powerful novels of the nineteenth century; and yet as we peruse some of the later works of the author, St. George and St. Michael, for instance, Wilfred Cumbermede, Malcolm, Marquis of Lossie, and Sir Gibbie, the steady growth of the writer's abilities incline us to think that the best work of George MacDonald is yet to come.
E. E. B.
After being raised in Huntley, Aberdeenshire, by devout Calvinist parents, he attended King's College in Aberdeen. At Highbury Theological College, he received his divinity degree, and in 1850 he became a pastor of a Congregational church in Arundel. Early the following year, he married Louisa Powell, with whom he enjoyed a long and happy marriage.
The Scotsman was forced to resign his pulpit in 1853 because he liked to dabble in "German theology," meaning the new higher critical approach to biblical studies emerging from that country. He never took another church but spent the rest of his life lecturing, preaching, and especially writing.
Between 1851 and 1897, he wrote over 50 books in all manner of genre: novels, plays, essays, sermons, poems, and fairy tales. And then there were his two fantasies for adults, Phantastes (1858) and Lilith (1895), which defy categorization. During these years, Lewis Carroll became a good friend and gave him the first manuscript of Alice in Wonderland to read to his children. Other British literary luminaries—like John Ruskin, Charles Kingsley, Lord Tennyson, and Matthew Arnold—were among his associates and admirers.
When McDonald visited the United States in 1872 for a lecture tour, the likes of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Greenleaf Whittier, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Mark Twain paid him homage. After his stay in New York City, one large Fifth Avenue church offered him the almost unheard of salary of $20,000 a year to become its pastor. MacDonald thought the idea preposterous.
His success did not exempt him from more-than-ordinary suffering. Poverty plagued him so much that his family occasionally faced literal starvation. His own lungs were diseased, and tuberculosis killed two brothers and two half-sisters. It also ravaged his children, four of whom died before him. He himself had a stroke at age 74 and lapsed into virtual silence for the last seven years of his life.
Still, MacDonald believed suffering was finally redemptive: "All pains, indeed, and all sorrows, all demons, yea, and all sins themselves, under the suffering care of the highest minister, are but the ministers of truth and righteousness."
MacDonald eventually became an Anglican, but he never had much patience with high theology or liturgy—he said it often stood in the way of people encountering Christ personally. Furthermore, it wasn't just the church but all of creation that revealed God: "With his divine alchemy, he [God] turns not only water into wine, but common things into radiant mysteries, yea, every meal into a Eucharist, and the jaws of death into an outgoing gate."
MacDonald's popularity has faded with time, though he retains a small, loyal following, and his The Fairy and the Goblin (1872) and The Fairy and Curdie (1883) are still read by children. But in his day, he inspired not a few of the 20th century's favorite writers, like G.K. Chesterton, J.R.R. Tolkien, Madeleine L'Engle, and C.S. Lewis, to name four. "I have never concealed the fact that I regarded him as my master," wrote Lewis; "indeed I fancy I have never written a book in which I did not quote from him."
We have some books you can read about him...
Cheerrful Words (pdf)
George MacDonald (pdf)
Biographical and Critical Appreiation by Joseph Johnson
The history of Gutta-Percha Willie
The working genius by George MacDonald (1901) (pdf)
The Poetical Works of George McDonald in two volumes (Vol 1) (etext)
Robert Falconer (etext)
The Fairy and Curdie (children's story)
The George MacDonald WWW Page
Home to the George MacDonald Society
Return to our Poetry Page
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Interspecies SCNT-derived Humanesque Blastocysts
Since the 1950s, scientists have developed interspecies blastocysts in laboratory settings, but not until the 1990s did proposals emerge to engineer interspecies blastocysts that contained human genetic or cellular material. Even if these embryos were not permitted to mature to fetal stages, their ethical and political status became debated within nations attempting to use them for research.
"Mitochondrial DNA and Human Evolution" (1987), by Rebecca Louise Cann, Mark Stoneking, and Allan Charles Wilson
In 1987 Rebecca Louise Cann, Mark Stoneking, and Allan Charles Wilson published Mitochondrial DNA and Human Evolution in the journal Nature. The authors compared mitochondrial DNA from different human populations worldwide, and from those comparisons they argued that all human populations had a common ancestor in Africa around 200,000 years ago. Mitochondria DNA (mtDNA) is a small circular genome found in the subcellular organelles, called mitochondria.
Subject: Publications, Theories
Early Infantile Autism and the Refrigerator Mother Theory (1943-1970)
In 1943, child psychiatrist Leo Kanner in the US gave the first account of Early Infantile Autism that encouraged psychiatrists to investigate what they called emotionally cold mothers, or refrigerator mothers. In 1949, Kanner published Problems of Nosology and Psychodynamics of Early Infantile Autism. In that article, Kanner described autistic children as reared in emotional refrigerators. US child psychiatrists claimed that some psychological or behavioral conditions might have origins in emotional or mental stress, meaning that they might be psychogenic.
Subject: Disorders, Theories
Categorization of Conservative, Semi-Conservative, and Dispersive DNA Replication Theories (1953–1956)
In 1956, Gunther Stent, a scientist at the University of California Berkeley in Berkeley, California, coined the terms conservative, semi-conservative, and dispersive to categorize the prevailing theories about how DNA replicated. Stent presented a paper with Max Delbrück titled “On the Mechanism of DNA Replication” at the McCollum-Pratt Symposium at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. In response to James Watson and Francis Crick’s proposed structure of DNA in 1953, scientists debated how DNA replicated.
"Testing the Kin Selection Theory: Who Controls the Investments?" from The Ants (1990), by Bert Hölldobler and Edward O. Wilson
In “Testing the Kin Selection Theory: Who Controls the Investments?” Bert Hölldobler and Edward Osborne Wilson discussed the predictive power of kin selection theory, a theory about the evolution of social behaviors. As part of Hölldobler's and Wilson's 1990 book titled The Ants, Hölldobler and Wilson compared predictions about the reproductive practices of ants to data about the reproductive practices of ants. They showed that the data generally supported the expected behaviors proposed by kin selection theory.
Paternal Sperm Telomere Elongation and Its Impact on Offspring Fitness
Telomeres are structures at the ends of DNA strands that get longer in the DNA of sperm cells as males age. That phenomenon is different for most other types of cells, for which telomeres get shorter as organisms age. In 1992, scientists showed that telomere length (TL) in sperm increases with age in contrast to most cell of most other types. Telomeres are the protective caps at the end of DNA strands that preserve chromosomal integrity and contribute to DNA length and stability.
Fetal Programming
Fetal programming, or prenatal programming, is a concept that suggests certain events occurring during critical points of pregnancy may cause permanent effects on the fetus and the infant long after birth. The concept of fetal programming stemmed from the fetal origins hypothesis, also known as Barker’s hypothesis, that David Barker proposed in 1995 at the University of Southampton in Southampton, England.
Subject: Processes, Theories, Reproduction
“Mothers’ Anxiety During Pregnancy Is Associated with Asthma in Their Children” (2009), by Hannah Cookson, Raquel Granell, Carol Joinson, Yoav Ben-Shlomo, and A. John Henderson
In 2009, A. John Henderson and colleagues published “Mothers’ Anxiety During Pregnancy Is Associated with Asthma in Their Children,” hereafter, “Mothers’ Anxiety,” in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Previous studies had shown that maternal stress during pregnancy affects children’s health during childhood. The researchers explored the association of asthma in children with maternal anxiety during pregnancy. The cause of asthma is often unknown.
Subject: Theories, Reproduction, Publications, Disorders
Stem Cell Tourism
When James Thomson of the University of Wisconsin announced in 1998 that he had derived and cultured human embryonic stem cells(hESCs), Americans widely believed-and accepted-that stem cells would one day be the basis of a multitude of regenerative medical techniques. Researchers promised that they would soon be able to cure a variety of diseases and injuries such as cancer, diabetes, Parkinson's, spinal cord injuries, severe burns, and many others. But it wasn't until January 2009 that the Food and Drug Administration approved the first human clinical trials using hESCs.
Subject: Theories, Ethics
Edward Drinker Cope's Law of Acceleration of Growth
The Law of Acceleration of Growth is a theory proposed by Edward Drinker Cope in the US during the nineteenth century. Cope developed it in an attempt to explain the evolution of genera by appealing to changes in the developmental timelines of organisms. Cope proposed this law as an additional theory to natural selection.
Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex (1998), by Alice Domurat Dreger
Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex, by historian of science Alice Domurat Dreger, was published in 1998 by Harvard University Press. In the book, Dreger describes how many doctors and scientists treated human hermaphrodites from the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century. She states that during this time period, many physicians and scientists struggled to determine the nature sex, and to support a classification of sex as male or female, many physicians and scientists resorted to viewing a person's gonads for identification of his or her sex.
Subject: Publications, Theories, Disorders
Karl Ernst von Baer's Laws of Embryology
In 1828, while working at the University of Konigsberg in Konigsberg, Germany Karl Ernst von Baer proposed four laws of animal development, which came to be called von Baer's laws of embryology. With these laws, von Baer described the development (ontogeny) of animal embryos while also critiquing popular theories of animal development at the time.
The French Flag Model
The French flag model represents how embryonic cells receive and respond to genetic information and subsequently differentiate into patterns. Created by Lewis Wolpert in the late 1960s, the model uses the French tricolor flag as visual representation to explain how embryonic cells can interpret genetic code to create the same pattern even when certain pieces of the embryo are removed. Wolpert's model has provided crucial theoretical framework for investigating universal mechanisms of pattern formation during development.
Subject: Processes, Theories
The Germ-Plasm: a Theory of Heredity (1893), by August Weismann
Friedrich Leopold August Weismann published Das
Keimplasma: eine Theorie der Vererbung (The Germ-Plasm: a
Theory of Heredity, hereafter The Germ-Plasm) while
working at the University of Freiburg in Freiburg, Germany in 1892.
William N. Parker, a professor in the University College of South
Wales and Monmouthshire in Cardiff, UK, translated The
Germ-Plasm into English in 1893. In The Germ-Plasm,
Weismann proposed a theory of heredity based on the concept of the
Lynn Petra Alexander Sagan Margulis (1938-2011)
Lynn Petra Alexander Sagan Margulis was an American biologist, whose work in the mid-twentieth century focused on cells living together in a mutually advantageous relationship, studied cells and mitochondria in the US during the second half of the twentieth century. She developed a theory for the origin of eukaryotic cells, that proposed two kinds of structures found in eukaryotic cells mitochondria in animals, and plastids in plantsÑwere once free-living bacteria that lived harmoniously and in close proximity to larger cells, a scenario called symbiosis.
Subject: People, Theories
"The Spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian Paradigm: A Critique of the Adaptationist Programme" (1979), by Stephen J. Gould and Richard C. Lewontin
The Spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian Paradigm:
A Critique of the Adaptationist Programme, hereafter called
The Spandrels, is an article written by Stephen J. Gould and
Richard C. Lewontin published in the Proceedings of the Royal
Society of London in 1979. The paper emphasizes issues with
what the two authors call adaptationism or the adaptationist
programme as a framework to explain how species and traits evolved. The paper
is one in a series of works in which Gould emphasized the
“The Intergenerational Effects of Fetal Programming: Non-genomic Mechanisms for the Inheritance of Low Birth Weight and Cardiovascular Risk” (2004), by Amanda J. Drake and Brian R. Walker
In 2004, Amanda J. Drake and Brian R. Walker published “The Intergenerational Effects of Fetal Programming: Non-genomic Mechanisms for the Inheritance of Low Birth Weight and Cardiovascular Risk,” hereafter, “The Intergenerational Effects,” in the Journal of Endocrinology. In their article, the authors assert that cardiovascular disease may develop via fetal programming, which is when a certain event occurring during a critical point of pregnancy affects the fetus long after birth.
Subject: Publications, Theories, Reproduction
Translational Developmental Biology
Translational developmental biology is a growing approach to studying biological phenomena that explicitly aims to develop medical therapies. When discussing the generation of new therapies it is often argued that they will emerge as a "translation" from "fundamental biology." Although translational research is not a new term, "translational developmental biology" has been steadily gaining popularity as discoveries in cell and developmental biology, particularly those involving stem cells, provide a basis for regenerative medicine.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Strains 16 and 18
The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) strains 16 and 18 are the two most common HPV strains that lead to cases of genital cancer. HPV is the most commonly sexually transmitted disease, resulting in more than fourteen million cases per year in the United States alone. When left untreated, HPV leads to high risks of cervical, vaginal, vulvar, anal, and penile cancers. In 1983 and 1984 in Germany, physician Harald zur Hausen found that two HPV strains, HPV-16 and HPV-18, caused cervical cancer in women. In the early twenty first century, pharmaceutical companies Merck & Co.
The Hayflick Limit
The Hayflick Limit is a concept that helps to explain the
mechanisms behind cellular aging. The concept states that a normal human
cell can only replicate and divide forty to sixty times before it
cannot divide anymore, and will break down by programmed cell death
or apoptosis. The concept of the Hayflick Limit revised Alexis
Carrel's earlier theory, which stated that cells can replicate
themselves infinitely. Leonard Hayflick developed the concept while
at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia,
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(-) Remove Legal filter Legal
United States v. Milan Vuitch (1971)
In the 1971 court case United States v. Milan Vuitch, hereafter US v. Vuitch, the US Supreme Court ruled that a Washington, DC law was constitutional by overturning a 1969 district court decision. Beginning in the early twentieth century, Washington, DC, prohibited abortions except for abortions performed to preserve the life or health of the pregnant woman. In 1969, Milan Vuitch, a physician in Washington, DC, was convicted of criminal abortion for providing an abortion when the woman’s life was not endangered.
Subject: Legal
Adolescent Family Life Act (1981)
The 1981 Adolescent Family Life Act, or AFLA, is a US federal law that provides federal funding to public and nonprofit private organizations to counsel adolescents to abstain from sex until marriage. AFLA was included under the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1981, which the US Congress signed into law that same year. Through the AFLA, the US Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, funded a variety of sex education programs for adolescents to address the social and economic ramifications associated with pregnancy and childbirth among unmarried adolescents.
Subject: Legal, Outreach, Ethics, Reproduction
“Abstinence Education: Assessing the Accuracy and Effectiveness of Federally Funded Programs” (2008), by Government Accountability Office
On 23 April 2008, the US Government Accountability Office, or GAO, released a report titled, “Abstinence Education: Assessing the Accuracy and Effectiveness of Federally Funded Programs,” hereafter “Abstinence Education,” in which it investigated the scientific accuracy and effectiveness of abstinence-only education programs sanctioned by individual states and the US Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS. GAO is a government agency whose role is to examine the use of public funds, evaluate federal programs and activities, and provide nonpartisan support to the US Congress.
Subject: Legal, Reproduction, Publications
United States v. Dennett (1930)
In the 1930 US federal court case United States v. Dennett, Mary Coffin Ware Dennett was cleared of all charges of violating the anti-obscenity Comstock Act, a charge she had incurred by distributing her sex education pamphlet called The Sex Side of Life: An Explanation for Young People. The United States Postal Service charged Dennett under the Comstock Act, which prohibited the distribution of sex-related materials through the mail.
US Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program
In 1996, the US Congress mandated that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) create and regulate the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program. The program tests industrial and agricultural chemicals for hormonal impacts in humans and in wildlife that may disrupt organisms' endocrine systems. The endocrine system regulates the release of small amounts of chemical substances called hormones to keep the body functioning normally.
Subject: Disorders, Legal, Ethics
In re Agent Orange Product Liability Litigation (1979-1984)
In the legal case In re Agent Orange Product Liability Litigation of the early 1980s, US military veterans of the Vietnam War sued the US chemical companies that had produced the herbicide Agent Orange, and those companies settled with US veterans out of court. Agent Orange contains dioxin, a chemical later shown to disrupt the hormone system of the body and to cause cancer. As veterans returned to the US from Vietnam, scientists further confirmed that exposure to Agent Orange caused a variety of cancers in veterans and developmental problems in the veterans' children.
Subject: Legal, Ethics
Eugenical Sterilization in the United States (1922), by Harry H. Laughlin
Eugenical Sterilization in the United States is a 1922 book in which author Harry H. Laughlin argues for the necessity of compulsory sterilization in the United States based on the principles of eugenics. The eugenics movement of the early twentieth century in the US focused on altering the genetic makeup of the US population by regulating immigration and sterilization, and by discouraging interracial procreation, then called miscegenation.
Subject: Outreach, Legal, Ethics, Publications
Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (1993)
In its 1993 decision Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the US Supreme Court established the Daubert Standard for evaluating the admissibility of scientific knowledge as evidence in US federal courts. When it began in trial court, the case addressed whether or not Bendectin, an anti-nausea medication taken during pregnancy, caused birth defects. However, after the trial court dismissed the case for lack of admissible evidence, Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Buck v. Bell (1927)
In 1927, the US Supreme Court case Buck v. Bell set the legal precedent that states may sterilize inmates of public institutions because the court argued that imbecility, epilepsy, and feeblemindedness are hereditary, and that the inmates should be prevented from passing these defects to the next generation. On 2 May 1927, in an eight to one decision, the US Supreme Court ordered that Carrie Buck, feebleminded daughter of a feebleminded mother and herself the mother of a feebleminded child, be sterilized under the 1924 Virginia Eugenical Sterilization Act. Buck v.
Sindell v. Abbott Laboratories (1980)
Sindell v. Abbott Laboratories was a 1980 California case that established the doctrine of market share liability for personal injury cases. For such liability, when a drug causes personal injury and the manufacturer of the drug cannot be identified, each producer is responsible for paying the settlement in proportion to the percentage of the market they supplied. Judith Sindell and Maureen Rogers brought the case against the producers of diethylstilbestrol (DES), which their mothers had taken during pregnancy to prevent miscarriage and other complications.
Sterilization Act of 1924
The passage of the Virginia Sterilization Act of 1924 demonstrates how science has been used to drive policy throughout history. In the case of the Virginia sterilization law, the science used to draft the law was based on the principles of eugenics. With the help of Harry Laughlin's Model Sterilization Law, the state of Virginia was able to pass its own law allowing sterilization of the feebleminded, expressing sterilization as a health issue that needed to be protected from the public.
Planned Parenthood Committee of Phoenix v. Maricopa County (1962)
In the 1962 case Planned Parenthood Committee of Phoenix v. Maricopa County, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that Arizona Revised Statute 13-213, which banned the public advertising of contraceptive or abortion medication or services, was constitutional. However, the court also ruled that that Arizona Revised Statute 13-213 did not apply to Planned Parenthood's distribution of contraceptive information, allowing Planned Parenthood to continue distributing the information.
Subject: Legal, Organizations
Social Implications of Non-Invasive Blood Tests to Determine the Sex of Fetuses
By 2011, researchers in the US had established that non-invasive blood tests can accurately determine the gender of a human fetus as early as seven weeks after fertilization. Experts predicted that this ability may encourage the use of prenatal sex screening tests by women interested to know the gender of their fetuses. As more people begin to use non-invasive blood tests that accurately determine the sex of the fetus at 7 weeks, many ethical questions pertaining to regulation, the consequences of gender-imbalanced societies, and altered meanings of the parent-child relationship.
Subject: Reproduction, Ethics, Legal
The Singapore Bioethics Advisory Committee
Established in tandem with Singapore's national Biomedical Sciences Initiatives, the Bioethics Advisory Committee (BAC) was established by the Singapore Cabinet in December 2000 to examine the potential ethical, legal, and social issues arising from Singapore's biomedical research sector, and to recommend policy to Singapore's government.
Subject: Organizations, Ethics, Legal
Texas Medical Providers Performing Abortion Services v. Lakey (2012)
In the 2012 case Texas Medical Providers Performing Abortion Services v. David Lakey, a US appeals court ruled as constitutional a Texas law that required abortion providers in the state to show women receiving abortions the ultrasound images of their fetuses. The law also required providers to describe the sounds of the fetuses' nascent hearts. In doing so, the court set precedent that ultrasound readings are necessary medical information for pregnant women seeking abortions, increasing the wait-period for women seeking abortions.
China's One-Child Policy
In September 1979, China's Fifth National People's Congress passed a policy that encouraged one-child families. Following this decision from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), campaigns were initiated to implement the One-Child Policy nationwide. This initiative constituted the most massive governmental attempt to control human fertility and reproduction in human history. These campaigns prioritized reproductive technologies for contraception, abortion, and sterilization in gynecological and obstetric medicine, while downplaying technologies related to fertility treatment.
Subject: Ethics, Legal, Reproduction
"Hybrids and Chimeras: A report on the findings of the consultation" by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority in October, 2007
In 2007, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority in London, UK, published Hybrids and Chimeras: A Report on the Findings of the Consultation, which summarized a public debate about research on, and suggested policy for, human animal chimeras. The HFEA formulated the report after conducting a series of surveys and debates from earlier in 2007. The HFEA issued a statement in September 2007, followed by an official report published on 1 October 2007. Their report on human-animal chimeras set a worldwide precedent for discussions of the ethical use of those embryos in labs.
Subject: Publications, Legal, Outreach
US Regulatory Response to Thalidomide (1950-2000)
Thalidomide, a drug capable of causing fetal abnormalities (teratogen), has caused greater than ten thousand birth defects worldwide since its introduction to the market as a pharmaceutical agent. Prior to discovering thalidomide's teratogenic effects in the early 1960s, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not place regulations on drug approval or monitoring as it later did. By 1962, approximately 20,000 patients in the US had taken thalidomide as part of an unregulated clinical trial before any actions were taken to stop thalidomide's distribution.
Skinner v. Oklahoma (1942)
In 1942, the United States Supreme Court Case of Skinner v. Oklahoma ruled that states could not legally sterilize those inmates of prisons deemed habitual criminals. Skinner v. Oklahoma was about the case of Jack Skinner, an inmate of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma, who was subject to sterilization under the Oklahoma Habitual Criminal Sterilization Act of 1935. The case, decided on 1 June 1942, determined that state laws were unconstitutional if those laws enabled states to forcibly sterilize inmates deemed to be habitual criminals.
Subject: Ethics, Legal
Davis v. Davis (1992)
In Davis v. Davis (1992), the Supreme Court of Tennessee decided a dispute over cryopreserved preembryos in favor of Junior Lewis Davis, who sought to have the preembryos destroyed over the objections of his former wife, Mary Sue Davis. The decision in Davis, although not binding in other states, suggested a framework for resolving similar disputes in the US. That framework established that courts should follow the wishes of those who contribute their sperm and egg cells, or gamete providers, to create preembryos.
The US President's Council on Bioethics (2001-2009)
The US President's Council on Bioethics was an organization headquartered in Washington D.C. that was chartered to advise then US President George W. Bush on ethical issues related to biomedical science and technology. In November 2001, US President George W. Bush created the President's Council on Bioethics (PCB). Convened during a nationwide cloning and embryonic stem cell research debate, the Council stated that it worked to address arguments about ethics from many different perspectives.
Subject: Organizations, Legal, Ethics
Doolan v. IVF America [Brief] (2000)
The implication of the court's decision was that Thomas Doolan's identity or personhood existed at the embryo stage in vitro, thus the fact that he was born with cystic fibrosis was not attributable to the decision of the in vitro fertilization providers to implant one embryo instead of another. The other unused embryo may not have carried the cystic fibrosis genes, but that other embryo was not Thomas Doolan. The decision in Doolan has not been publicly tested in other jurisdictions.
Paretta v. Medical Offices for Human Reproduction [Brief] (2003)
The court decided a child of in vitro fertilization born with cystic fibrosis does not have the right to sue for wrongful life even in the presence of demonstrable acts of medical negligence because to allow such a case would grant the IVF child rights not possessed by naturally born children. The decision in Paretta has not been publicly tested in other jurisdictions.
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The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) 09:00 Extreme frosts recorded in Yakutia
Irkutsk Region 08:45 The number of seismic stations will increase in the Baikal region
Sakhalin Region 08:00 Swindlers pretending to be police officers detained on Sakhalin
Kamchatka 07:40 Ambulance doctors did not receive payments for high workload in Kamchatka
Branches of the Tretyakov Gallery and the Museum of the East will appear in Vladivostok
The Governor of the Primorsky Territory, Vladimir Miklushevsky, announced the appearance of branches of the Tretyakov Gallery and the Museum of the East in the Territory. The head of the region made a corresponding statement during the next edition “Vladimir Miklushevsky. Blitz "on the air of the state television and radio company" Vladivostok ".
The fact that regions need to open branches of well-known Russian museums, said Russian President Vladimir Putin during his working visit to Primorye in November 2014.
During the meeting with the head of state, Vladimir Miklushevsky said that Vladivostok is actively preparing for the opening of the Hermitage branch. Vladimir Putin noted that it is not necessary to stop at this point, and suggested opening also branches of the Russian Museum, the Tretyakov Gallery and the Museum of the East in the capital of Primorye.
string (22) "Standard"
The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Nature is challenging
The harsh climate of Yakutia can be turned into a true ally, and in the cold - to build a business
The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) "It will make even a pillar blossom!"
A former schoolteacher grows grapes on permafrost
Interview Long-term mission
Evgeny Titov: "Do not be afraid of loans, the main thing is to build financial models"
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Vol. 24, Issue No. 35-36, 02 Sep, 1989
Updated on 2 September 1989
TATA PRESS-Higher Profit Margin
TATA TEA Boom Continues TATA TEA has established a pilot plant at Munnar for the production of button mushrooms and has commenced test marketing the produce. It is intended to set up a major export-oriented project in the future. Other projects in the pipeline include a spice processing centre at Cochin and a medicinal and aromatic plant processing centre at Munaar. The company also proposes to develop lands/estates which may form part of its business activities. The company has achieved sales of Rs 209.11 crore during the 15-month period ended March 1989 as compared to Rs 136.18 crore in the previous 12 months and earned a gross profit of Rs 28.62 crore against Rs 29.55 crore. Net profit is Rs 17.07 crore (Rs 11.05 crore). The directors have recommended a final dividend of 35 per cent on the capital enlarged by a two-for-five bonus issue which together with the interim of 15 per cent makes a total of 50 per cent as against 45 per cent paid for 1987. The quantum of dividend amounts to Rs 7.81 crore, an increase of about 55 per cent over the sum of Rs 5.11 crore paid for the previous year. The extension of the accounting year has involved the inclusion of the operations of two January-March quarters during which most tea companies, particularly those in north India, have hardly any production of black tea and expenses generally exceed income.
Read more about TATA PRESS-Higher Profit Margin
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Updated on 25 September 1993
CENTURY TEXTILES-Troubled Year
operations. This is brought out also by total remuneration to employees which, though already relatively low at Rs 2.5 crore in 1991-92, has declined to Rs 1.3 crore, taking the percentage of wages to gross value added from 12.4 to 2.6. Interest charges increased from Rs 1.8 crore to Rs 2.7 crore. The company has maintained dividend at 25 per cent, though on equity capital which has more than doubled on account of the conversion of debentures. That the P/E ratio has fallen drastically to 5.0 is evidence enough of the erratic nature of the company's performance.
Read more about CENTURY TEXTILES-Troubled Year
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Asile de Nuit, Asile de Jour et Créche Israelites
The history of the Asile de Nuit, Asile de Jour et Créche Israelites (Jewish night asylum, day asylum and day nursery) dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, when forty philanthropists founded the Jewish Asylum-Philanthropic Society in Paris to assist Jewish refugees fleeing pogroms in Osteuropa. In the 1930s, the Asile de Nuit, Asile de Jour et Créche Israelites once again became a destination for German-Jewish refugees in particular, who escaped Nazi persecution to Paris and were largely dependent on support. In this original footage the different activities of the Asile were documented.
Content Context Source
At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, Jews increasingly migrated from Eastern Europe to France, among other places, to escape economic hardship and pogroms. As a result, the Jewish Asylum-Philanthropic Society was founded in Paris in 1900.
The premises of the Jewish Asylum were initially located at 15 Rue du Figuier in the Marais district, the Pletzl (the small square in Yiddish). In 1910, a night asylum was then built in the 18th arrondissement (42 rue des Saules). The film documents the accommodation in the Rue de Chevalier de Barre in the Montmartre district. The asylum’s activities included counseling and accommodation, food distribution and educational services, and childcare. The asylum is a good example of how infrastructures for refugees is reused and refugee relief work builds on each other transhistorically.
March of Time – outtakes – Jewish Refugees in Paris
Steven Spielberg Film and Video Archive, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Public Domain
Reworked and edited by Miriam Schulz
Paris Support Networks
“I was arrested, had to leave the country illegally – I’ll tell you about it in a moment – I had an immediate satisfaction. I thought, at least I did something!”
Hannah Arendt about her 1933 and the circumstances of her escape
In her interview with Günter Gaus, Arendt talks about the reasons that led her to flee to Paris.
“I also love the banks of the Seine, I like to walk along its course. It reminds me of the Danube.”
Paul-Adolphe Löffler on Paris and Antisemitism
In undated diary entries, the writer and journalist Paul-Adolphe Löffler (1901-1979) writes about his favorite places in Paris – mostly places of the French…
“In particular, she pointed out that 224 children had been granted permission to enter France thanks to the COMITÉ and had actually arrived”
Activities of the Comité Israélite pour les Enfants venant d’Allemagne et de l’Europe Centrale
In 1938, Baroness Germaine de Rothschild (née Germaine Alice Halphen, 1884–1975) founded the Comité Israélite pour les Enfants venant d’Allemagne et de l’Europe Centrale…
“I wanted to sit by the side of the road, to die rather than walk. It was hopeless after all”
Hertha Pauli’s “Journal of an Escape” from France
From October to November 1940, writer Hertha Pauli published a three-part account of her escape through German-occupied France via Spain and Portugal to the…
“The first months absorbed all our strengths to build a new life.”
Elsbeth Weichmann: Paris, a New Beginning
Social Democratic politician Elsbeth Weichmann (1900-1988) describes her arrival and the first months in the French capital in 1933, after she had to flee…
“Hate is even more magically powerful than love.”
Joseph Roth: Money Issues
The Austrian writer Joseph Roth (1894–1939) did not wait long and left Berlin shortly after Hitler’s seizure of power. By February 1933, he was…
“I received my diploma at the age of eleven and a half and left immediately at twelve to look for work.”
Child Labor in Paris
Fé Garcia Petit talks about how she started working when she was twelve to support her parents financially.
Czech and German refugees in Paris, 1938-1939
These pictures show arrival and support structures for refugees from the Czech Republic and Germany in Paris in 1938 and 1939.
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Universally unique identifier
(Redirected from Globally Unique Identifier)
128-bit number used to identify information in computer systems
A universally unique identifier (UUID) is a 128-bit number used to identify information in computer systems. The term globally unique identifier (GUID) is also used, typically in software created by Microsoft.[1]
When generated according to the standard methods, UUIDs are, for practical purposes, unique. Their uniqueness does not depend on a central registration authority or coordination between the parties generating them, unlike most other numbering schemes. While the probability that a UUID will be duplicated is not zero, it is close enough to zero to be negligible.
Thus, anyone can create a UUID and use it to identify something with near certainty that the identifier does not duplicate one that has already been, or will be, created to identify something else. Information labeled with UUIDs by independent parties can therefore be later combined into a single database or transmitted on the same channel, with a negligible probability of duplication.
Adoption of UUIDs is widespread, with many computing platforms providing support for generating them and for parsing their textual representation.
4 Encoding
6.1 Nil UUID
6.2 Version 1 (date-time and MAC address)
6.3 Version 2 (date-time and MAC address, DCE security version)
6.4 Versions 3 and 5 (namespace name-based)
6.5 Version 4 (random)
7 Collisions
8 Uses
8.1 In COM
8.2 As database keys
In the 1980s Apollo Computer originally used UUIDs in the Network Computing System (NCS) and later in the Open Software Foundation's (OSF) Distributed Computing Environment (DCE). The initial design of DCE UUIDs was based on the NCS UUIDs,[2] whose design was in turn inspired by the (64-bit) unique identifiers defined and used pervasively in Domain/OS, an operating system designed by Apollo Computer. Later,[when?] the Microsoft Windows platforms adopted the DCE design as "globally unique identifiers" (GUIDs). RFC 4122 registered a URN namespace for UUIDs[1] and recapitulated the earlier specifications, with the same technical content.[citation needed] When in July 2005 RFC 4122 was published as a proposed IETF standard, the ITU had also standardized UUIDs, based on the previous standards and early versions of RFC 4122.[citation needed]
UUIDs are standardized by the Open Software Foundation (OSF) as part of the Distributed Computing Environment (DCE).[3][4]
UUIDs are documented as part of ISO/IEC 11578:1996 "Information technology – Open Systems Interconnection – Remote Procedure Call (RPC)" and more recently in ITU-T Rec. X.667 | ISO/IEC 9834-8:2005.[5]
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) published the Standards-Track RFC 4122,[1] technically equivalent to ITU-T Rec. X.667 | ISO/IEC 9834-8.
In its canonical textual representation, the 16 octets of a UUID are represented as 32 hexadecimal (base-16) digits, displayed in five groups separated by hyphens, in the form 8-4-4-4-12 for a total of 36 characters (32 hexadecimal characters and 4 hyphens). For example:
123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000
xxxxxxxx-xxxx-Mxxx-Nxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx
The four-bit M and the 1 to 3 bit N fields code the format of the UUID itself.
The four bits of digit M are the UUID version, and the 1 to 3 most significant bits of digit N code the UUID variant. (See below.) In the example, M is 1, and N is a (10xx2), meaning that this is a version-1, variant-1 UUID; that is, a time-based DCE/RFC 4122 UUID.
The canonical 8-4-4-4-12 format string is based on the record layout for the 16 bytes of the UUID:[1]
UUID record layout
Length (bytes)
Length (hex digits)
time_low 4 8 integer giving the low 32 bits of the time
time_mid 2 4 integer giving the middle 16 bits of the time
time_hi_and_version 2 4 4-bit "version" in the most significant bits, followed by the high 12 bits of the time
clock_seq_hi_and_res clock_seq_low 2 4 1 to 3-bit "variant" in the most significant bits, followed by the 13 to 15-bit clock sequence
node 6 12 the 48-bit node id
These fields correspond to those in version 1 and 2 UUIDs (that is, time-based UUIDs), but the same 8-4-4-4-12 representation is used for all UUIDs, even for UUIDs constructed differently.
RFC 4122 Section 3 requires that the characters be generated in lower case, while being case-insensitive on input.
Microsoft GUIDs are sometimes represented with surrounding braces:
{123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426652340000}
This format should not be confused with "Windows Registry format", which refers to the format within the curly braces.[6]
RFC 4122 defines a Uniform Resource Name (URN) namespace for UUIDs. A UUID presented as a URN appears as follows:[1]
urn:uuid:123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426655440000
Encoding[edit]
The binary encoding of UUIDs varies between systems. Variant 1 UUIDs, nowadays the most common variant, are encoded in a big-endian format. For example, 00112233-4455-6677-8899-aabbccddeeff is encoded as the bytes 00 11 22 33 44 55 66 77 88 99 aa bb cc dd ee ff.
Variant 2 UUIDs, historically used in Microsoft's COM/OLE libraries, use a mixed-endian format, whereby the first three components of the UUID are little-endian, and the last two are big-endian. For example, 00112233-4455-6677-8899-aabbccddeeff is encoded as the bytes 33 22 11 00 55 44 77 66 88 99 aa bb cc dd ee ff.
Variants[edit]
The "variant" field of UUIDs, or the N position indicate their format and encoding. RFC 4122 defines four variants of lengths 1 to 3 bits:
Variant 0 (indicated by the one-bit pattern 0xxx2, N = 0..7) is for backwards compatibility with the now-obsolete Apollo Network Computing System 1.5 UUID format developed around 1988. The first 6 octets of the UUID are a 48-bit timestamp (the number of 4-microsecond units of time since 1 January 1980 UTC); the next 2 octets are reserved; the next octet is the "address family"; and the final 7 octets are a 56-bit host ID in the form specified by the address family. Though different in detail, the similarity with modern version-1 UUIDs is evident. The variant bits in the current UUID specification coincide with the high bits of the address family octet in NCS UUIDs. Though the address family could hold values in the range 0..255, only the values 0..13 were ever defined. Accordingly, the variant-0 bit pattern 0xxx avoids conflicts with historical NCS UUIDs, should any still exist in databases.[7]
Variant 1 (10xx2, N = 8..b, 2 bits) are referred to as RFC 4122/DCE 1.1 UUIDs, or "Leach–Salz" UUIDs, after the authors of the original Internet Draft.
Variant 2 (110x2, N = c..d, 3 bits) is characterized in the RFC as "reserved, Microsoft Corporation backward compatibility" and was used for early GUIDs on the Microsoft Windows platform. It differs from variant 1 only by the endianness in binary storage or transmission: variant-1 UUIDs use "network" (big-endian) byte order, while variant-2 GUIDs use "native" (little-endian) byte order for some subfields of the UUID.
Reserved is defined as the 3-bit variant bit pattern 111x2 (N = e..f).
Variants 1 and 2 are used by the current UUID specification. In their textual representations, variants 1 and 2 are the same, except for the variant bits. In the binary representation, there is an endianness difference.[1] When byte swapping is required to convert between the big-endian byte order of variant 1 and the little-endian byte order of variant 2, the fields above define the swapping. The first three fields are unsigned 32- and 16-bit integers and are subject to swapping, while the last two fields consist of uninterpreted bytes, not subject to swapping. This byte swapping applies even for versions 3, 4, and 5, where the canonical fields do not correspond to the content of the UUID.[1]
While some important GUIDs, such as the identifier for the Component Object Model IUnknown interface, are nominally variant-2 UUIDs, many identifiers generated and used in Microsoft Windows software and referred to as "GUIDs" are standard variant-1 RFC 4122/DCE 1.1 network-byte-order UUIDs, rather than little-endian variant-2 UUIDs. The current version of the Microsoft guidgen tool produces standard variant-1 UUIDs. Some Microsoft documentation states that "GUID" is a synonym for "UUID",[8] as standardized in RFC 4122. RFC 4122 itself states that UUIDs "are also known as GUIDs". All this suggests that "GUID", while originally referring to a variant of UUID used by Microsoft, has become simply an alternative name for UUID, with both variant-1 and variant-2 GUIDs being extant.
For both variants 1 and 2, five "versions" are defined in the standards, and each version may be more appropriate than the others in specific use cases. Version is indicated by the M in the string representation.
Version-1 UUIDs are generated from a time and a node ID (usually the MAC address); version-2 UUIDs are generated from an identifier (usually a group or user ID), time, and a node ID; versions 3 and 5 produce deterministic UUIDs generated by hashing a namespace identifier and name; and version-4 UUIDs are generated using a random or pseudo-random number.
Nil UUID[edit]
The "nil" UUID, a special case, is the UUID 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000; that is, all bits set to zero.[1]
Version 1 (date-time and MAC address)[edit]
Version 1 concatenates the 48-bit MAC address of the "node" (that is, the computer generating the UUID), with a 60-bit timestamp, being the number of 100-nanosecond intervals since midnight 15 October 1582 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the date on which the Gregorian calendar was first adopted. RFC 4122 states that the time value rolls over around 3400 AD,[1]:3 depending on the algorithm used, which implies that the 60-bit timestamp is a signed quantity. However some software, such as the libuuid library, treats the timestamp as unsigned, putting the rollover time in 5236 AD.[9] The rollover time as defined by ITU-T Rec. X.667 is 3603 AD.[10]:v
A 13- or 14-bit "uniquifying" clock sequence extends the timestamp in order to handle cases where the processor clock does not advance fast enough, or where there are multiple processors and UUID generators per node. When UUIDs are generated faster than the system clock could advance, the lower bits of the timestamp fields can be generated by incrementing it every time a UUID is being generated, to simulate a high-resolution timestamp. With each version 1 UUID corresponding to a single point in space (the node) and time (intervals and clock sequence), the chance of two properly generated version-1 UUIDs being unintentionally the same is practically nil. Since the time and clock sequence total 74 bits, 274 (1.8×1022, or 18 sextillion) version-1 UUIDs can be generated per node ID, at a maximal average rate of 163 billion per second per node ID.[1]
In contrast to other UUID versions, version-1 and -2 UUIDs based on MAC addresses from network cards rely for their uniqueness in part on an identifier issued by a central registration authority, namely the Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI) part of the MAC address, which is issued by the IEEE to manufacturers of networking equipment.[11] The uniqueness of version-1 and version-2 UUIDs based on network-card MAC addresses also depends on network-card manufacturers properly assigning unique MAC addresses to their cards, which like other manufacturing processes is subject to error.
Usage of the node's network card MAC address for the node ID means that a version-1 UUID can be tracked back to the computer that created it. Documents can sometimes be traced to the computers where they were created or edited through UUIDs embedded into them by word processing software. This privacy hole was used when locating the creator of the Melissa virus.[12]
RFC 4122 does allow the MAC address in a version-1 (or 2) UUID to be replaced by a random 48-bit node ID, either because the node does not have a MAC address, or because it is not desirable to expose it. In that case, the RFC requires that the least significant bit of the first octet of the node ID should be set to 1.[1] This corresponds to the multicast bit in MAC addresses, and setting it serves to differentiate UUIDs where the node ID is randomly generated from UUIDs based on MAC addresses from network cards, which typically have unicast MAC addresses.[1]
Version 2 (date-time and MAC address, DCE security version)[edit]
RFC 4122 reserves version 2 for "DCE security" UUIDs; but it does not provide any details. For this reason, many UUID implementations omit version 2. However, the specification of version-2 UUIDs is provided by the DCE 1.1 Authentication and Security Services specification.[4]
Version-2 UUIDs are similar to version 1, except that the least significant 8 bits of the clock sequence are replaced by a "local domain" number, and the least significant 32 bits of the timestamp are replaced by an integer identifier meaningful within the specified local domain. On POSIX systems, local-domain numbers 0 and 1 are for user ids (UIDs) and group ids (GIDs) respectively, and other local-domain numbers are site-defined.[4] On non-POSIX systems, all local domain numbers are site-defined.
The ability to include a 40-bit domain/identifier in the UUID comes with a tradeoff. On the one hand, 40 bits allow about 1 trillion domain/identifier values per node ID. On the other hand, with the clock value truncated to the 28 most significant bits, compared to 60 bits in version 1, the clock in a version 2 UUID will "tick" only once every 429.49 seconds, a little more than 7 minutes, as opposed to every 100 nanoseconds for version 1. And with a clock sequence of only 6 bits, compared to 14 bits in version 1, only 64 unique UUIDs per node/domain/identifier can be generated per 7-minute clock tick, compared to 16,384 clock sequence values for version 1.[13] Thus, Version 2 may not be suitable for cases where UUIDs are required, per node/domain/identifier, at a rate exceeding about one every seven seconds.
Versions 3 and 5 (namespace name-based)[edit]
Version-3 and version-5 UUIDs are generated by hashing a namespace identifier and name. Version 3 uses MD5 as the hashing algorithm, and version 5 uses SHA-1.[1]
The namespace identifier is itself a UUID. The specification provides UUIDs to represent the namespaces for URLs, fully qualified domain names, object identifiers, and X.500 distinguished names; but any desired UUID may be used as a namespace designator.
To determine the version-3 UUID corresponding to a given namespace and name, the UUID of the namespace is transformed to a string of bytes, concatenated with the input name, then hashed with MD5, yielding 128 bits. Then 6 or 7 bits are replaced by fixed values, the 4-bit version (e.g. 00112 for version 3), and the 2- or 3-bit UUID "variant" (e.g. 102 indicating a RFC 4122 UUIDs, or 1102 indicating a legacy Microsoft GUID). Since 6 or 7 bits are thus predetermined, only 121 or 122 bits contribute to the uniqueness of the UUID.
Version-5 UUIDs are similar, but SHA-1 is used instead of MD5. Since SHA-1 generates 160-bit digests, the digest is truncated to 128 bits before the version and variant bits are replaced.
Version-3 and version-5 UUIDs have the property that the same namespace and name will map to the same UUID. However, neither the namespace nor name can be determined from the UUID, even if one of them is specified, except by brute-force search. RFC 4122 recommends version 5 (SHA-1) over version 3 (MD5) due to the addition of a salt, and warns against use of UUIDs of either version as security credentials.[1]
Version 4 (random)[edit]
A version 4 UUID is randomly generated. As in other UUIDs, 4 bits are used to indicate version 4, and 2 or 3 bits to indicate the variant (102 or 1102 for variants 1 and 2 respectively). Thus, for variant 1 (that is, most UUIDs) a random version-4 UUID will have 6 predetermined variant and version bits, leaving 122 bits for the randomly generated part, for a total of 2122, or 5.3×1036 (5.3 undecillion) possible version-4 variant-1 UUIDs. There are half as many possible version-4 variant-2 UUIDs (legacy GUIDs) because there is one less random bit available, 3 bits being consumed for the variant.
Collisions[edit]
Collision occurs when the same UUID is generated more than once and assigned to different referents. In the case of standard version-1 and version-2 UUIDs using unique MAC addresses from network cards, collisions can occur only when an implementation varies from the standards, either inadvertently or intentionally.
In contrast to version-1 and version-2 UUID's generated using MAC addresses, with version-1 and -2 UUIDs which use randomly generated node ids, hash-based version-3 and version-5 UUIDs, and random version-4 UUIDs, collisions can occur even without implementation problems, albeit with a probability so small that it can normally be ignored. This probability can be computed precisely based on analysis of the birthday problem.[14]
For example, the number of random version-4 UUIDs which need to be generated in order to have a 50% probability of at least one collision is 2.71 quintillion, computed as follows:[15]
n ≈ 1 2 + 1 4 + 2 × ln ( 2 ) × 2 122 ≈ 2.71 × 10 18 . {\displaystyle n\approx {\frac {1}{2}}+{\sqrt {{\frac {1}{4}}+2\times \ln(2)\times 2^{122}}}\approx 2.71\times 10^{18}.}
This number is equivalent to generating 1 billion UUIDs per second for about 85 years. A file containing this many UUIDs, at 16 bytes per UUID, would be about 45 exabytes.
The smallest number of version-4 UUIDs which must be generated for the probability of finding a collision to be p is approximated by the formula
2 × 2 122 × ln 1 1 − p . {\displaystyle {\sqrt {2\times 2^{122}\times \ln {\frac {1}{1-p}}}}.}
Thus, the probability to find a duplicate within 103 trillion version-4 UUIDs is one in a billion.
Uses[edit]
Significant uses include ext2/ext3/ext4 filesystem userspace tools (e2fsprogs uses libuuid provided by util-linux), LVM, LUKS encrypted partitions, GNOME, KDE, and macOS,[16] most of which are derived from the original implementation by Theodore Ts'o.[9]
One of the uses of UUIDs in Solaris (using Open Software Foundation implementation) is identification of a running operating system instance for the purpose of pairing crash dump data with Fault Management Event in the case of kernel panic.[17]
In COM[edit]
There are several flavors of GUIDs used in Microsoft's Component Object Model (COM):
IID – interface identifier; (The ones that are registered on a system are stored in the Windows Registry at [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface][18] )
CLSID – class identifier; (Stored at [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID])
LIBID – type library identifier; (Stored at [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib][19])
CATID – category identifier; (its presence on a class identifies it as belonging to certain class categories, listed at [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Component Categories][20])
As database keys[edit]
UUIDs are commonly used as a unique key in database tables. The NEWID function in Microsoft SQL Server version 4 Transact-SQL returns standard random version-4 UUIDs, while the NEWSEQUENTIALID function returns 128-bit identifiers similar to UUIDs which are committed to ascend in sequence until the next system reboot.[21] The Oracle Database SYS_GUID function does not return a standard GUID, despite the name. Instead, it returns a 16-byte 128-bit RAW value based on a host identifier and a process or thread identifier, somewhat similar to a GUID.[22] PostgreSQL contains a UUID datatype[23] and can generate most versions of UUIDs through the use of functions from modules.[24][25] MySQL provides a UUID function, which generates standard version-1 UUIDs.[26]
The random nature of standard UUIDs of versions 3, 4, and 5, and the ordering of the fields within standard versions 1 and 2 may create problems with database locality or performance when UUIDs are used as primary keys. For example, in 2002 Jimmy Nilsson reported a significant improvement in performance with Microsoft SQL Server when the version-4 UUIDs being used as keys were modified to include a non-random suffix based on system time. This so-called "COMB" (combined time-GUID) approach made the UUIDs non-standard and significantly more likely to be duplicated, as Nilsson acknowledged, but Nilsson only required uniqueness within the application.[27]
Some web frameworks, such as Laravel, have support for "timestamp first" UUIDs that may be efficiently stored in an indexed database column. This makes a COMB UUID using version 4 format, but where the first 48-bits make up a timestamp laid out like in UUIDv1.[28][29]
Birthday attack
Object identifier (OID)
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Leach, P.; Mealling, M.; Salz, R. (2005). A Universally Unique IDentifier (UUID) URN Namespace. Internet Engineering Task Force. doi:10.17487/RFC4122. RFC 4122. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
^ Zahn, Lisa (1990). Network Computing Architecture. Prentice Hall. p. 10. ISBN 978-0-13-611674-5.
^ "CDE 1.1: Remote Procedure Call". The Open Group. 1997.
^ a b c "DCE 1.1: Authentication and Security Services". The Open Group. 1997.
^ "ITU-T Study Group 17 - Object Identifiers (OID) and Registration Authorities Recommendations". ITU.int. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
^ "Registry Keys and Entries for a Type 1 Online Store". Microsoft Developer Network. Microsoft.
^ "uuid.c".
^ "Globally Unique Identifiers". Microsoft Developer Network. Microsoft.
^ a b "ext2/e2fsprogs.git - Ext2/3/4 filesystem userspace utilities". Kernel.org. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
^ "Recommendation ITU-T X.667" (PDF). www.itu.int. October 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
^ "Registration Authority". IEEE Standards Association.
^ Reiter, Luke (2 April 1999). "Tracking Melissa's Alter Egos". ZDNet. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
^ Kuchling, A. M. "What's New in Python 2.5". Python.org. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
^ Jesus, Paulo; Baquero, Carlos; Almaeida, Paula. "ID Generation in Mobile Environments" (PDF). Repositorium.Sdum.Uminho.pt.
^ Mathis, Frank H. (June 1991). "A Generalized Birthday Problem". SIAM Review. 33 (2): 265–270. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.5.5851. doi:10.1137/1033051. ISSN 0036-1445. JSTOR 2031144. OCLC 37699182.
^ gen_uuid.c in Apple's Libc-391, corresponding to Mac OS X 10.4
^ "Crashdump Restructuring in Solaris". Blogs.Oracle.com. Oracle. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
^ "Interface Pointers and Interfaces". Windows Dev Center - Desktop app technologies. Microsoft. Retrieved 15 December 2015. You reference an interface at run time with a globally unique interface identifier (IID). This IID, which is a specific instance of a globally unique identifier (GUID) supported by COM, allows a client to ask an object precisely whether it supports the semantics of the interface, without unnecessary overhead and without the confusion that could arise in a system from having multiple versions of the same interface with the same name.
^ "Registering a Type Library". Microsoft Developer Network. Microsoft. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
^ "Categorizing by Component Capabilities". Windows Dev Center - Desktop app technologies. Microsoft. Retrieved 15 December 2015. A listing of the CATIDs and the human-readable names is stored in a well-known location in the registry.
^ "NEWSEQUENTIALID (Transact-SQL)". Microsoft Developer Network. Microsoft. 8 August 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
^ "Oracle Database SQL Reference". Oracle.
^ "Section 8.12 UUID Type". PostgreSQL 9.4.10 Documentation. PostgreSQL Global Development Group.
^ "uuid-ossp". PostgreSQL: Documentation: 9.6. PostgreSQL Global Development Group.
^ "pgcrypto". PostgreSQL: Documentation: 9.6. PostgreSQL Global Development Group.
^ "Section 13.20 Miscellaneous Functions". MySQL 5.7 Reference Manual. Oracle Corporation.
^ Nilsson, Jimmy (8 March 2002). InformIT. InformIT. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
^ "Helpers - Laravel - The PHP Framework For Web Artisans". Laravel.com.
^ Cabrera, Italo Baeza (31 January 2020). "Laravel: The mysterious "Ordered UUID"". Medium.
Online UUID Generator (Recommended by ITU-T, see link below)
Universally Unique Identifiers (UUIDs)
Recommendation ITU-T X.667 (Free access)
ISO/IEC 9834-8:2014 (Paid)
Technical Note TN2166 Secrets of the GPT – Mac Developer Library
UEFI and Windows – Microsoft TechNet
CLSID Registry Key Information – Microsoft Developer Network
How to generate and parse UUIDs (or GUIDs) in Java
Commons Id
Syntax and semantics of the DCE variant of Universal Unique Identifiers (UUIDs)
Random UUID Probability of Duplicates
A Brief History of the UUID
UUID Decoder tool
Understanding How UUIDs Are Generated
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(Redirected from Rameshwaram)
This article is about the temple town. For main temple, see Ramanathaswamy Temple. For other uses, see Rameswaram (disambiguation).
Town in Tamil Nadu, India
From top: Ramanathaswamy Temple tower, Pamban Bridge, and a set of fishing boats.
Nickname(s):
Rameswaram, Ramesvaram, Rameshwaram, ராமேஸ்வரம்
Show map of Tamil Nadu
Show map of India
Coordinates: 9°17′17″N 79°18′47″E / 9.288°N 79.313°E / 9.288; 79.313Coordinates: 9°17′17″N 79°18′47″E / 9.288°N 79.313°E / 9.288; 79.313
Second Grade Municipality
• Body
Municipality of Rameswaram
55 km2 (21 sq mi)
10 m (30 ft)
820/km2 (2,100/sq mi)
Rameswaramkar
• Official
UTC+5:30 (IST)
TN 65
Jagannath Puri
Rameswaram (also spelt as Ramesvaram, Rameshwaram) is a town and municipality in the Ramanathapuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is on Pamban Island separated from mainland India by the Pamban channel and is about 40 kilometres from Mannar Island, Sri Lanka. It is in the Gulf of Mannar, at the tip of the Indian peninsula.[1] Pamban Island, also known as Rameswaram Island, is connected to mainland India by the Pamban Bridge. Rameswaram is the terminus of the railway line from Chennai and Madurai. Together with Varanasi, it is considered to be one of the holiest places in India to Hindus, and part of the Char Dham pilgrimage.
It is written in the Ramayana that the Divine King Rama built a Ram-Setu with Hanuman's help from here across the sea to Lanka to rescue his wife Sita from her abductor Ravana. The Ramanathaswamy Temple, dedicated to Shiva, is at the centre of the town and is closely associated with Rama. The temple aorship Shiva, Rama wanted to have a lingam and directed his trusted lieutenant Hanuman to bring it from Himalayas.[2][3] Since it took lonnd the town are considered a holy pilgrimage site for Shaivas.[4][3]
Rameswaram is the closest point from which to reach Sri Lanka from India, and geological evidence suggests that the Rama Sethu was a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka.[5] The town has been in the news over the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project, Kachchatheevu, Sri Lankan Tamil refugees and capturing local fishermen for alleged cross-border activities by Sri Lankan Forces.[6] Rameswaram is administered by a municipality established in 1994. The town covers an area of 53 km2 (20 sq mi) and had a population of 44,856 as of 2011. Tourism and fishery employ the majority of workforce in Rameswaram.
1 Legend
5 Municipal Administration and politics
6 Economy
7 Transport and Communication
8 Education and utility services
9.1 Ramanathaswamy Temple
9.2 Temple Tanks
9.3 Gandhamathana Parvatham
9.4 Dhanushkodi
9.5 Hindu Pilgrimage
10 Interaction with Sri Lanka
10.1 Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees
10.2 Rameswaram Fishery
10.3 Kachchatheevu
10.4 Sethusamudram Canal Project
Legend[edit]
Rameswaram means "Lord of Rama" (Rāma-īśvaram) in Sanskrit, an epithet of Shiva, the presiding deity of the Ramanathaswamy Temple.[7] According to one of the versions of Ramayana, Rama, the seventh avatar of the god Vishnu, prayed to Shiva here to absolve any sins that he might have committed during his war against the demon-king Ravana in Sri Lanka.[8][3] According to the Puranas (Hindu scriptures), upon the advice of sages, Rama along with his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana, installed and worshipped the lingam (an iconic symbol of Shiva) here to expiate the sin of Brahmahatya incurred while killing of the Brahmin Ravana.[9] To wger to bring the lingam, Sita built a lingam, made of just Sands of the shores, which is also believed to be the one in the sanctum of the temple.[2]Sethu Karai is a place 22 km before the island of Rameswaram from where Rama is believed to have built a floating stone bridge, the Ramsetu bridge, that further continued to Dhanushkodi in Rameswaram till Talaimannar in Sri Lanka.[8][10] According to another version, as quoted in Adhyatma Ramayana, Rama installed the lingam before the construction of the bridge to Lanka. However, both Valmiki and KambaRamayana does not have any evidences about this Rameswaram story.(http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/letters/article2595588.ece) [11]
The history of Rameswaram is centred around the island being a transit point to reach Sri Lanka (Ceylon historically) and the presence of Ramanathaswamy Temple. Tevaram, the 7th–8th century Tamil compositions on Shiva by the three prominent Nayanars (Saivites) namely Appar,[12] Sundarar and Thirugnanasambandar.[13] The Chola king Rajendra Chola I (1012 – 1040 CE) had a control of the town for a short period.[14] The Jaffna kingdom (1215–1624 CE) had close connections with the island and claimed the title Setukavalan meaning custodians of the Rameswaram.[15] Hinduism was their state religion and they made generous contribution to the temple.[15] Setu was used in their coins as well as in inscriptions as marker of the dynasty.[15]
According to Firishta, Malik Kafur, the head general of Alauddin Khalji, the ruler of Delhi Sultanate, reached Rameswaram during his political campaign in spite of stiff resistance from the Pandyan princes in the early 14th century.[16][17][18] He erected a mosque by name Alia al-Din Khaldji in honour of victory of Islam.[16][17] During the early 15th century, the present day Ramanathapuram, Kamuthi and Rameswaram were included in the Pandya dynasty.[14] In 1520 CE, the town came under the rule of Vijayanagara Empire.[14] The Sethupathis, the breakaway from Madurai Nayaks, ruled Ramanathapuram and contributed to the Ramanathaswamy temple.[14][3] The most notable of them are the contributions of Muthu Kumara Ragunatha and Muthu Ramalinga Sethupathi, who transformed the temple to an architectural ensemble.[19] The region then fell under the rule of different leaders Chanda Sahib (1740 – 1754 CE), Arcot Nawab and Muhammed Yusuf Khan (1725 – 1764 CE) in the middle of the 18th century.[20] In 1795 CE, Rameswaram came under the direct control of the British East India Company and was annexed to the Madras Presidency. After 1947, the town became a part of Independent India.[14]
An aerial view of Dhanushkodi, at the tip of Rameswaram
Rameswaram has an average elevation of 10 m (33 ft). The island is spread across an area of 61.8 km2 (23.9 sq mi) and is in the shape of a conch. 74% of the area has sandy soil due to the presence of sea and it has many islands surrounding it, the Palk Strait in the north west and Gulf of Mannar in the south East.[21] The Ramanathaswamy Temple occupies major area of Rameswaram. The beach of Rameswaram is featured with no waves at all – the sea waves rise to a maximum height of 3 cm (0.10 ft) and the view looks like a very big river. Rameswaram has dry tropical climate with low humidity,[21] with average monthly rainfall of 75.73 mm (2.981 in),[21] mostly from North-East monsoon from October to January. The highest ever temperature recorded at Pamban station was 37 °C and the lowest was 17 °C.[22]
Map of Ramsetu's Bridge (a chain of limestone shoals) and environs, before the cyclone of 1964.
Ramsetu Bridge is a chain of limestone shoals, between Rameswaram and Mannar Island, off the northwestern coast of Sri Lanka. Geological evidence suggests that this bridge is a former land connection between India and Sri Lanka.[23] The bridge is 29 km (18 mi) long and separates the Gulf of Mannar (North-East) from the Palk Strait (South-West). It was reportedly passable on foot up to the 15th century until storms deepened the channel. The temple records record that Rama's Bridge was completely above sea level until it broke in a cyclone in 1480 CE.[24] The bridge was first mentioned in the ancient Indian Sanskrit epic Ramayana of Valmiki.[25] The name Rama's Bridge or Rama Setu (Sanskrit; setu: bridge) refers to the bridge built by the Vanara (ape men) army of Rama in Hindu mythology, which he used to reach Lanka and rescue his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana.[25] The Ramayana attributes the building of this bridge to Rama in verse 2-22-76, naming it as Setubandhanam.[26] The sea separating India and Sri Lanka is called Sethusamudram meaning "Sea of the Bridge". Maps prepared by a Dutch cartographer in 1747 CE, available at the Tanjore Saraswathi Mahal Library show this area as Ramancoil, a colloquial form of the Tamil Raman Kovil (or Rama's Temple).[27] Many other maps in Schwartzberg's historical atlas[28] and other sources such as travel texts by Marco Polo call this area by various names such as Adam's Bridge, Sethubandha and Sethubandha Rameswaram.[29]
Religious census
Religion Percent(%)
±%
16,755 —
27,928 +66.7%
1971–2001:[21]
2011:[30]
According to 2011 census, Rameswaram had a population of 44,856 with a sex-ratio of 969 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929.[31] A total of 5,022 were under the age of six, constituting 2,544 males and 2,478 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 6.8% and .03% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the town was 73.36%, compared to the national average of 72.99%.[31] The town had a total of 10579 households. There were a total of 16,645 workers, comprising 69 cultivators, 20 main agricultural labourers, 148 in house hold industries, 15,130 other workers, 1,278 marginal workers, 11 marginal cultivators, 26 marginal agricultural labourers, 44 marginal workers in household industries and 1,197 other marginal workers.[30] The total number of households below poverty lane (BPL) in 2003 were 976, which is 10.45% of the total households in the town and these were raised to 3003 (29.12%) in 2007.[21]
As per the religious census of 2011, Rameswaram had 87.4% Hindus, 4.36% Muslims, 8.13% Christians, 0.03% Sikhs, 0.01% Buddhists, and 0.07% following other religions.[32]
Municipal Administration and politics[edit]
A street in Rameswaram
Municipality Officials
Chairman A. Archunan[33]
Commissioner P.M.N. Mujibur Rahman[34]
Vice Chairman R.Ghunasekaran[35]
Member of Legislative Assembly Dr. Manikandan[36]
Member of Parliament A. Anwhar Raajhaa[37]
According to the Madras Presidency Panchayat Act of 1885, Rameswaram was declared a panchyat union during British times. It became a township during 1958 and was declared a municipality in 2004.[21] Rameswaram is a 3rd grade municipality having 21 wards, out of which 6 are general wards for women and one is reserved for Scheduled Caste women.[38] The major sources of budgeted income for Rameswaram municipality comes from the Devolution Fund of ₹17 million (equivalent to ₹31 million or US$430,000 in 2019) and property tax of ₹2.4 million (equivalent to ₹4.3 million or US$61,000 in 2019).[39] The major expense heads are for salaries of ₹6 million (equivalent to ₹11 million or US$150,000 in 2019), operating expenses of ₹3.7 million (equivalent to ₹6.7 million or US$94,000 in 2019), and repair & maintenance expenditure of ₹2.3 million (equivalent to ₹4.2 million or US$58,000 in 2019).[39] The functions of the municipality are devolved into six departments: General, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, Town planning and the Computer Wing.[40] All these departments are under the control of a Municipal Commissioner who is the supreme executive head.[40] The legislative powers are vested in a body of 21 members, one each from the 21 wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected Chairperson assisted by a Deputy Chairperson.[41]
Rameswaram comes under the Ramanathapuram assembly constituency and it elects a member to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly once every five years.[42] The current MLA of the constituency is Dr. Manikandan from the AIADMK .[36]
Rameswaram is a part of the Ramanathapuram (Lok Sabha constituency) – it has been realigned in 2008 to have the following assembly constituencies – Paramakudi (SC), Ramanathapuram, Mudukulathur, Aranthangi, Tiruchuli (newly created).[43] The constituency was traditionally a stronghold of the Indian National Congress that won 6 times till the 1991 elections, after which it was won twice each by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). The current Member of Parliament from the constituency is A. Anwhar Raajhaa from the AIADMK party.[37]
Rameswaram Island Aerial view from Pamban Bridge
India's renowned scientist and former President of India, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, was born in Rameswaram.[44]
Economy[edit]
Being a pilgrimage town, the majority of the population is involved in tourism related industry consisting of trade and services.[45] Service sector increased from 70% in 1971 to 98.78% in 2001, while the agricultural sector reduced from 23% in 1971 to 0.13% in 2001.[45] Rameswaram is an industrially backward town – there has been no demarcation for industrial land due to the pilgrim sanctity and ecological fragile geography.[45] Being an island town, the traditional occupation was fishing, but due to poor returns, the people in fishing community have gradually shifted to other professions.[45] Banks such as State Bank of India, Indian Bank and RDCC Bank have their branches in Rameswaram.[46]
Transport and Communication[edit]
Road and rail bridge
Pamban Bridge is a cantilever bridge on the Palk Strait that connects Rameswaram to mainland India. The railway bridge is 6,776 ft (2,065 m)[47] and was opened to traffic in 1914. The railroad bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge section that can be raised to let ships pass under it . The railway bridge historically carried metre-gauge trains on it, but Indian Railways upgraded the bridge to carry broad-gauge trains in a project that finished on 12 August 2007. Historically, the two leaves of the bridge were opened manually using levers by workers.[47] About 10 ships – cargo carriers, coast guard ships, fishing vessels and oil tankers pass through the bridge every month. After completion of bridge, metre-gauge lines were laid from Mandapam up to Pamban Station, from where the railway lines bifurcated into two directions, one towards Rameswaram about 6.25 miles (10.06 km) up and another branch line of 15 miles (24 km) terminating at Dhanushkodi. The noted Boat Mail ran on this track between 1915 and 1964 from Chennai Egmore up to Dhanushkodi, from where the passengers were ferried to Talaimannar in Ceylon. The metre-gauge branch line from Pamban Junction to Dhanushkodi was abandoned after it was destroyed in a cyclone in 1964.[48]
Pamban lighthouse, Rameswaram
There are daily express trains connecting major cities in Tamil Nadu like Chennai, Madurai, Trichy and Coimbatore.[49] There are express and passenger trains connecting to major destinations.[49] The Ramanathapuram – Rameswaram National Highway is the main connecting link from Rameswaram to the mainland.[50] Before the 1914 train service linked the mainland with Rameswaram, boats were the only mode of transport to Rameswaram island.[50][51]
Rameswaram TV tower
[52] The Rameswaram municipality covers a total road length of 52 km and 20 km of national highway covering about 80 percent of the town.[53] The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation runs daily services connecting various cities to Rameswaram and operates a computerised reservation centre in the municipal bus stand of Rameswaram.[54]
Rameswaram is the important port among all the ports in the district, having a ferry service to Talaimannar of Sri Lanka, though not operational throughout the year.[52] Limited foreign trade is conducted with Jaffna, Kaits, Talaimannar and Colombo.[52]
The Rameswaram TV Tower is the tallest tower in India.[55] The tower is a 323m tall circular concrete tower with a square steel mast of 45m height, diameter of 24m at the bottom tapering to 6.5m at top.[56] The tower has been designed for a wind velocity of 160 km/h.[56] There are two lighthouses in Rameswaram, the Pamban lighthouse and Rameswaram lighthouse.[57]
Education and utility services[edit]
Ramanathapuram district has one of the lowest literacy rates in the state of Tamil Nadu and Rameswaram, following the district statistics has a lower literacy rate. There are a couple of Government high schools, one each for boys and girls.[58] There are seven other schools namely, Swami. Vivekananda vidyalaya Matriculation School( which provide excellent education in the island and secure district and state level ranks in board exams frequently), St. Joseph Higher Secondary School, Mandapam Panchayat Union 9 – School, Micro Matriculation School, Sri Sankara Vidhyalaya, Holy Island Little Flower School and Kendriya Vidhyalaya School.[58] Alagappa University Evening College is the only college present in the town[59] and all the nearest colleges are located in Ramanathapuram and Paramakudi.[60][59]
Electricity supply to the town is regulated and distributed by the Ramanathapuram circle of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB).[61] Water supply is provided by the Rameswaram Municipality – the head works is located at Nambunayaki Amman Kovil, Meyyambuli, Semmamadam & Natarajapuram and distributed through four over head tanks having a total capacity of 1430,000 litres.[62] About 6 metric tonnes of solid waste are collected from the town every day in the four zones covering the whole of the town.[63] Rameswaram does not have a sewerage system for disposal of sullage and the disposal system consists of septic tanks and public conveniences.[64] Roadside drains carry untreated sewage out of the town to let out raw into the sea or accumulates in low-lying area.[64]
Rameswaram comes under the Karaikudi Telecom circle of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India's state-owned telecom and internet services provider. Apart from telecom, BSNL also provides broadband internet service[65] along with other major internet service provider like Reliance.[66]
Religion[edit]
Being a Hindu pilgrimage centre, Hindus form the visitor base of the city. There is a minority of Christians belonging to the fishing community. C.S.I island mission church and St Antony's Church at Oriyur on the eastern shore of the island are prominent Churches in the island.[50]
Ramanathaswamy Temple[edit]
Main article: Ramanathaswamy Temple
Corridor of 1000 pillars
The Ramanathaswamy Temple is the most notable historic landmark of the town. Located in the centre of town, Ramanathaswamy Temple is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva. The temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines, where Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlinga meaning "pillar of light".[67] It is also one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalam temples and is glorified in hymns by the three of the most revered Nayanar saints (7th century Saivite saints), Appar, Sundarar and Tirugnana Sambandar. The temple in its current structure was built during the 12th century by Pandya Dynasty. The temple has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in India. The breadth of these columned corridors varies from 17 to 21 feet with a height of 25 feet.[11] Each pillar is sculpted in Nayak style as in Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple.[11] The contribution of the kings of the Sethupathy dynasty (17th century) to the temple was considerable.[68][11] Large amount of money was spent during the tenure of Pradani Muthirulappa Pillai towards the restoration of the pagodas which were falling into ruins – the Chockattan Mantapam or the cloistered precincts of the temple was reconstructed by him. The rulers of Sri Lanka contributed to the temple – Parakrama Bahu (1153–1186 CE) was involved in the construction of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.[68][11] The eastern tower and shrine of Nataraja were built by Dalavai Sethupathy in 1649 CE.[11] The second enclosure is ascribed to Chinna Udayar Sethupathy and his son Ragunatha Thirumalai (1500–1540 CE).[11] The third enclosure was constructed by Muthu Ramalinga Sethupathy (1725–1771 CE) – his statue is located in the entrance of the corridor.[11]
Temple Tanks[edit]
Kothandaramar Temple, Rameswaram
There are sixty-four Tīrthas or Theerthams (holy water bodies) in and around Rameswaram. According to the Skanda Purana, twenty-four of them are important. Of the 24, 14 are in the form of tanks and wells within the precincts of the temple.[3] Bathing in these tanks is a major aspect of the pilgrimage to Rameswaram and is considered equivalent to penance. Twenty-two of the tanks are within the Ramanathaswamy Temple. The foremost one is called Agni Theertham, the sea (Bay of Bengal). Jatayu, King of the Birds, who fought in vain with the demon-king Ravana to save Sita, is said to have fallen down at Jadayu Theertham as his wings were severed.[69] Villoondi Theertham literally translates to 'buried bow', is located around 7 kilometres from the main temple on the way to Pamban.[69] It is believed to be the place where Rama quenched the thirst of Sita by dipping the bow into the sea water.[69] Other major holy bodies are Hanuman Theertham, Sugreeva Theertham and Lakshmana Theertham.[69]
Gandhamathana Parvatham[edit]
Gandhamathan Parvatham, a hillock situated 3 km to the north of the temple is the highest point in the island.[69] There is a two storeyed hall, where Rama's feet is found as an imprint on a chakra (wheel).[69] The Ramarpatham Temple is located on the hillock.[69]
Dhanushkodi[edit]
Dhanushkodi is the southernmost tip of the island and houses the Kothandaramaswamy Temple dedicated to Rama.[69] Though Dhanushkodi was washed away during the 1964 cyclone, the temple alone remained intact. It is 18 km way from the centre of the town and can be reached by road. A popular belief is that, Dhanushkodi is where Vibishana, a brother of Ravana surrendered before Rama in the epic Ramayana.[69]
Hindu Pilgrimage[edit]
People taking a holy dip in Agni theerth, Bay of Bengal
Rameswaram is significant for many Hindus as a pilgrimage to Varanasi is considered to be incomplete without a pilgrimage to Rameswaram. The town along with the Ramanathaswamy temple is one of the holiest Hindu Char Dham (four divine sites) sites comprising Badrinath, Puri and Dwarka.[70][71] Though the origins are not clearly known, the Advaita school of Hinduism established by Sankaracharya, attributes the origin of Char Dham to the seer.[72] The four monasteries are located across the four corners of India and their attendant temples are Badrinath Temple at Badrinath in the North, Jagannath Temple at Puri in the East, Dwarakadheesh Temple at Dwarka in the West and Ramanathaswamy Temple at Rameswaram in the South. Though ideologically the temples are divided between the sects of Hinduism, namely Saivism and Vaishnavism, the Char Dham pilgrimage is an all Hindu affair.[73] The journey across the four cardinal points in India is considered sacred by Hindus who aspire to visit these temples once in their lifetime.[74] Traditionally the trip starts at the eastern end from Puri, proceeding in clockwise direction in a manner typically followed for circuambulation in Hindu temples.[74] The temple is one of the famous pilgrimage sites historically – the Maratha kings who ruled Thanjavur established chatrams or rest houses all through Mayiladuthurai and Rameswaram between 1745 and 1837 CE and donated them to the temple.[75]
Interaction with Sri Lanka[edit]
Rameswaram is frequently in headlines over fishermen issues like attack, arrest and alleged harassment by Sri Lankan navy for alleged cross border activities, Sethusamudram canal project, Kachchatheevu, Sri Lankan Tamil refugees and also on intercountry smuggling between India and Sri Lanka.[6] As an initial step to curb enhanced smuggling, the Tamil Nadu government has set up 30 more marine police stations to bring the state's entire coastal belt under close vigil.[6] Rameshwaram is still under Sri Lanks's hands. Parakramabahu I
Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees[edit]
During the intense civil war of Sri Lanka, post 1980, Rameswaram acted as one of the focal points of smuggling and intense patrolling was carried out during the period.[76] There are a total of 65,940 registered destitute Sri Lankan refugees dwelling in 129 Refugee camps situated in different parts of Tamil Nadu as of Apr 2000 and a majority of them enter via Rameswaram.[77] There are an additional 20,667 non-camp refugees who entered via Rameswaram, registered in Mandapam transit camp and opted to reside outside the camps in various parts of Tamil Nadu.[77] On 11 March 1990, a record number of 2,337 refugees in 38 boats arrived from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Rameswaram – this was the largest number of refugees arriving in a single day since the ethnic violence from July 1983.[78] As of October 2006, an estimated 200,000 refugees have been reported in Mandapam Camp.[79] Sivarasan, one of the mastermind behind the Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the ex-prime minister of India registered as refugee in Rameswaram camp on 12 September 1990.[80]
Rameswaram Fishery[edit]
Fishing boats in Rameswaram
Being an island, a significant population is involved in fishery traditionally. There have been incremental cases of Rameswaram fishermen allegedly killed or arrested by Sri Lankan navy along the maritime borders of India and Sri Lanka from the time of Sri Lankan civil war during 1983.[81] In the face of simmering tension after the 1985 January Colombo bound Yaldevi train attack in which 22 Sri Lankan soldiers and 16 civilians were killed, Rameswaram fishermen dared to venture to seas spelling acute hardship for the 10,000 fishermen family.[82] An estimated 381 fishermen have been killed in the sea due to shoot outs from 1983 to 2009.[81] The Sri Lankan army attributed the killings to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), but the casualty continues even after the end of LTTE in the region.[81] The Tamil Nadu state government has increased the compensation of casualty from the original ₹ 100,000 to 500,000 (US$1,800 to $9,000).[81] There has not been a single prosecution in any of the 381 killings committed so far from the Indian judiciary.[81] The cases not being filed is attributed to the fact that people killed beyond the maritime boundary of India are not eligible for compensation and not many file complaints against the Sri Lankan navy.[81] Though the Indian judiciary has provisions to prosecute foreigners, there is little progress due to the diplomatic overheads involved.[81] Indian government has also ventured into the use of technology like use of Global positioning system (GPS) by the fishermen and enabling cellphone blips to alert their mobile phones whenever they are crossing into Sri Lankan waters. The Sri Lankan navy has confirmed reports on Indian fishermen risking the international boundary due to depleted catch in Indian waters.[83]
There is a yearly 45-day ban on fishery with motorboats in the region.[84] The fishing ban for the year 2012 was effective during the months of April–May.[84][85] The jetty at Rameswaram is the largest landing centre for fishing boats in the region and it usually comes alive after the ban, with the arrival of fishermen, boat captains, shore workers and others from their native places.[85]
Sea World Aquarium is a natural habitat lying opposite to the Rameswaram Bus Stand, having an assortment of underwater creatures – it is the only one of its kind in the state, filled with such varied marine life forms including exotic species.[50]
Kachchatheevu[edit]
NASA satellite photo: Rameswaram on top, Sri Lanka at the bottom of the photo
Another focal point on the simmering tension between Indian and Sri Lankan governments is over the use of Kachchatheevu, an uninhabited island 15 km north of Rameswaram, belonging to Sri Lanka.[86] The accord of 1974 allows fishermen of both the countries for resting and soaking the nets in the island.[87] Repeated allegations on attacks by the Lankan navy, which on many occasions killed Indian fishermen, prevented them from making it to the island.[87] The annual two-day Saint Anthony fest at the island draws huge number of people from the fishermen community of both the countries.[87][87][88] The number of pilgrims for the 2012 function crossed 4,000, the largest attendance in the past two decades.[87] The feast also provides an opportunity for the Indian fishermen to meet their Sri Lankan counterparts and exchange views on their mutual problems.[87] The event served as a meeting point to find brides and grooms from both countries, but this practice has now been stopped from the 90s due to political constraint of fishermen family living in different countries.[87]
Sethusamudram Canal Project[edit]
Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project proposes linking the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka by creating a shipping canal through the shallow sea sometimes called Setu Samudram, and through the chain of islands variously known as Ram Sethu or the Rama's Bridge. A few organisations are opposing the dredging of Ramasethu on religious, environmental and economical grounds. Many of these parties and organisations support implementation of this project using one of the five alternative alignments considered earlier[89] without damaging the structure considered sacred by Hindus. With 22 km (14 mi) of dredging remaining, the project is held from March 2010 by a Supreme Court order seeking the Central Government to clarify the status of the bridge as a national monument.[90] In 2014, the Modi government decided that the Pamban pass would be deepened for the project to be completed.
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Guruge, Ananda (1991). The Society of the Rāmāyaṇa. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications. p. 68. ISBN 81-7017-265-9. rama talaimannar.
Gibson, Lynne (2002). Hinduism. Oxford: Heinemann Educational Publications. ISBN 0-435-336193.
Gunasingam, Murugar (1999). Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism. Sydney: MV. p. 238. ISBN 0-646-38106-7.
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Tirugnanasambandar (2004). Muthalam Thirumurai (PDF). Online: Project Madurai.
Thirunavukkarasar (2004). Aaram Thirumurai (PDF). Online: Project Madurai.
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Stranger Things Season 4: New Teaser Reveals Jim Hopper's Return
Stranger Things Fans Rejoice As David Harbour's Jim Hopper Will Return For The Fourth Season Of The Hit Netflix Series.
PTI | Updated on: 15 Feb 2020, 05:45:18 PM
Stranger Things 4 (Photo Credit: Twitter)
Los Angeles:
Stranger Things fans rejoice as David Harbour's Jim Hopper will return for the fourth season of the hit Netflix series. The character had seemingly died towards the end of the last episode of the third season, which premiered in July 2019. However, a post-credit scene had hinted that Hopper might be alive.
On Friday, the streamer released a teaser video, titled From Russia With Love, that confirmed that Harbour's character is alive but imprisoned by the Russians. "Stranger Things", created by Matt and Ross Duffer, is set in the 1980s and takes a look at the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, where a secret government lab accidentally opens a door to another dimension referred to as the Upside Down.
From Russia with love… pic.twitter.com/ZWEMgy63Et
— Stranger Things (@Stranger_Things) February 14, 2020
The show also features Winona Ryder, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Millie Bobby Brown, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery and others.
In a statement, obtained by Entertainment Weekly, the Duffer Brothers announced the start of production on the fourth season. "We're excited to officially confirm that production on Stranger Things 4 is now underway and even more excited to announce the return of Hopper. Although it's not all good news for our 'American'; he is imprisoned far from home in the snowy wasteland of Kamchatka, where he will face dangers both human and other.
Also Read: Bigg Boss 13 Finale: Timings, Finalists, Prize Money And Everything Else You Need To Know
"Meanwhile, back in the states, a new horror is beginning to surface, something long buried, something that connects everything. Season 4 is shaping up to be the biggest and most frightening season yet, and we cannot wait for everyone to see more. In the meantime, pray for the American," the director-duo said.
For all the Latest Entertainment News, Web Series News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Stranger Things Stranger Things 4 Teaser
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When and where to watch ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Opening Ceremony
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Opening Ceremony Live Streaming Online, CWC 2019 Is Set To Be Launched Today With A Lavishing At The Mall, A Famous Road City Of London.
News Nation Bureau | Edited By : Vedant Sharma | Updated on: 29 May 2019, 06:57:51 PM
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is set to be launched today with a lavishing opening ceremony at The Mall, a famous road city of London. The ceremony will be hosted by England's former all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and comedian Paddy McGuinness. The mega event will be attended by about 4,000 people. Meanwhile, if you're on Indian Standard Time, then you can watch the Opening ceremony here.
In what promises to be the most celebrated ceremony in cricket’s history, the fans will be treated to live sport, music and amusement for the entire duration of the ceremony. “It will be the most celebrated start to a Cricket World Cup ever,” the International Cricket Council (ICC) had earlier said in a press release. Although the participating teams will not be attending the ceremony, many former players and celebrities will be present to help kick-start the competition.
At least one former player and a celebrity icon from each of the 10 participating teams are expected to be present at the ceremony. According to a report from The Times, England will be represented by Kevin Pietersen and Chris Hughes.
ICC remained hopeful that the party-like opening ceremony will not only attract more audience but also act as a booster for the popularity of the tournament. The ceremony is also going to stage a live cricket match between the former player and some current cricketers – depending on who attends. The night promises to be an exciting adventure and provide a perfect opening for the World Cup 2019.
When to Watch Opening Ceremony of Cricket World Cup 2019? Know Date, Time & Venue Details:
The opening ceremony of ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 will be held on May 29, 2019 (Wednesday). The ceremony will begin at 09:30 pm IST (Indian Standard Time), 04:00 GMT and 05:00 pm BST (British Standard Time). The opening ceremony will be held at The Mall, which is located near the Buckingham Palace in Central London.
ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Opening Ceremony Live Streaming, Live Telecast Online & Live Updates:
Star Sports holds the broadcast rights of Cricket World Cup 2019 in India. It will also provide the live telecast of World Cup opening ceremony. The live telecast of the opening ceremony will be available on Star Sports 1 and 2. The live streaming of the opening ceremony will be available on Hotstar. In England, Sky Sports have broadcasting rights. BBC will be providing the live updates.
For all the Latest Sports News News, ICC World Cup News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
India continue to lead Munich shooting World Cup standings
ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: England’s quest for glory begins against under-achieving South Africa
MS Dhoni sets field for Bangladesh while batting for India
ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Opening Ceremony ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Schedules ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Venues
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Why doesn’t NATO take Russia’s approaches on a new security pact seriously? Because the Freedom, Democracy, Stability and Prosperity labels attached to the Organization are no more than outer packaging which hides the reality within: NATO is no more and no less than an instrument which serves the interests of the arms lobby.
Russia’s approaches for a bilateral security treaty, which would inevitably pass by a serious and long-standing binding bilateral agreement on friendship and non-aggression, will not be accepted by NATO for one reason alone: NATO is not about collective security any more and has not been since the Warsaw Pact was disbanded on July 1, 1991.
Last month, Andres Fogh Rasmussen, the non-elected Danish Secretary-General of the non-elected NATO (which nevertheless still dictates the foreign policy of its member states), declared “There can be no doubt whatsoever that NATO will remain our framework for Euro-Atlantic security”. In a nutshell, there is no space for collective agreements with Russia because NATO continues to focus its attention on the Western Europe-Atlantic space common to the Cold War.
It is old hat. NATO has not moved on. It is an anachronism. NATO provides jobs for the boys. NATO serves the interests of the arms lobby which gravitates around the Pentagon and which has its tentacles deep within US foreign policy. NATO is a stone around the neck of the taxpayers not only of the United States of America but also of its member states. Who, after all, funds its operations? Just in Afghanistan and Iraq, the operations of NATO countries have cost almost one trillion dollars (one thousand billion, or 1,000,000,000,000). How many hospitals and schools could be bought with that?
Where NATO could move forward, reinventing itself and including Russia would be by respecting its pledges over the years not to expand (yet NATO’s word means nothing), by fighting international terrorism, by fighting piracy and by fighting international crime, including trafficking of drugs, human beings and weapons, side by side with Russia or any other nation wishing to modernise its objectives and fight what exists, instead of inventing ghosts to justify the self-perpetuation of the anachronism.
Yet while NATO likes to mention these areas, it maintains its Euro-Atlantic stance, freezing Russia out, not paying attention to Russia’s concerns and all the time aiming for an expansion into central and Eastern Europe, where there are plenty of customers for weaponry. And why should NATO reinvent itself when all it is today is the instrument to implement the policies of the arms lobby?
NATO’s strategy is clear in its breach of a pledge given to Russia in 1998 not to station “substantial combat forces” on territory formerly belonging to the Warsaw Pact. Why then did it expand? Who can give one single military reason for the expansion onto territory the Organization promised not to enter?
And what is NATO doing in Afghanistan? Today, Afghanistan produces twice as much heroin as the entire world produced in the year 2000 before the military invasion, by NATO, against the Taliban. Given that the cultivation of the opium poppy funds the Taleban and Al-Qaeda, what exactly is NATO doing? In recent years, instead of diminishing, the heroin production on Afghanistan has grown not two-fold. Not three-fold, not ten-fold, not even by twenty times. Today, the heroin production from Afghanistan is 40 times higher than it was in 2000.
In 2009, heroin produced in Afghanistan killed over 90.000 people around the world. Everybody knows that NATO pays the Taliban not to attack, so is the priority to allow them to produce heroin so that they can afford to pay, to keep NATO’s losses down?
In which case, what is NATO?
Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY
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Enlightenment on the Path of Grief
A spiritual journey through dying and death
As far as I know, there have been three miracles around Michael’s death.
How does one remember a love so long and true? How can I speak of my love without falling apart, without being down on my knees, without knowing that any words I could ever speak would be inadequate and pale beside the reality?
As far as I know, there have been three miracles around Michael’s death. The first miracle is that I haven’t had a single migraine headache since the day he died, and I’ve had severe migraines for 25 years. In what is certainly the most difficult time of my life, I haven’t had headaches. I believe that Michael took the underlying pattern of my headaches with him when he left. It was his parting gift to me.
Michael was a deeply spiritual man. In fact, our first real conversation outside of work-related things was about our shared excitement over the Seth books and the underlying reality they revealed. We agreed that we both knew that Seth was revealing the Truth. We knew we were being taught the meaning of life and of death. And we knew that few others shared our passion for this spiritual work. I had already loved his earthy quick dry wit, but now something else emerged. I realized I had found a like-minded soul.
From that moment on, each of us looked for reasons to spend time together – to laugh, to speculate, to talk, to agree on how to value the immense beauty of the Mystery that contains us. From that moment on, it was love.
When Michael died, we’d been together for almost 35 years, and we’d known that we were soul mates. When we met, both of us were coming out of relationships that had scarred us, and we were wary. Well, actually, I was wary. Michael already knew we were supposed to be together. In fact, he said that he’d known it on the day we met more than a year before this. All I had known was that this man was interesting, smart, and really funny. And I wanted more.
Through fits and starts we found our way to each other and were married. It was weird for me. I’d always ridden on passion, and though there was a kind of passion, this was a quiet and calm steadiness that continually surprised me. This was a passion that I didn’t understand. This was Michael.
We raised three good boys into three good men together. We hear so many stories of children so damaged by divorce that their lives are shattered. And though there was surely damage, all three of these boys grew into good men, and to a large extent, I believe that this is because of Michael, because of the kind of man he was, the kind of model he was.
Michael was so amazing that without a word from me, he knew how to be with my children. He knew how to play with them, how to make fun out of He Man figures and legos, how to soothe a frightened child, how to calm an angry one. He was a miracle right from the start.
And saying that, it took me awhile to realize what a real miracle he was – for we could talk about anything that arose between us. Granted, it was always me bringing things up, but when I did, he’d go there with me – through all the highs and lows, he never wavered. His patience with my moods, my quicksilver gyrations, my endless questioning became the balm for my soul. I, in turn, became the language of his heart.
He was also brilliant. His knowledge of esoterica and his ability to integrate genuinely difficult information into workable and practical experience was more developed than anyone else’s I’ve ever met.
It was his brilliance and his inspiration that initiated Eastwind School into being. It was mine that engendered Eastwind Healing Center. Neither of us could have done it alone. It was the alchemy of our marriage, the balance of spirit and heart, the magic of true love, that allowed the first integrative medicine center in Iowa to be born. It was here that we learned the language of teaching in the highest sense that allowed so many to be touched by our work together.
Michael was the most spiritually devoted man I’ve ever known. He literally spent his entire adult life studying and practicing various systems of self development. He started with TM at age 19, then went to Seth, then to the Kabbalah, then to The Tree of Life, then to Western magical traditions. Along the way he also studied Tibetan Buddhism, Reiki, energy healing, Chinese medicine, and various other esoteric healing methods. He was literally the most learnèd man I’ve ever known in the integration of strange magic. His whole adult life was spent in the quest for enlightenment.
In December of 2015 we were initiated into the meditational practice of Light and Sound. Four months later, on April 12, 2016 he realized his essential nature, became enlightened, and was forever changed. I do not say this lightly. This was the real thing and it was evident in the deepening calm and presence around him, a presence that pervaded even the most extreme physical difficulties.
At that time, though we didn’t have the diagnosis, he was already suffering from the disease that killed him. Once he was diagnosed and quit working as a psychologist and a healer, he struggled to find some purpose that would fulfill him. He never really found one. In many ways I think that his enlightenment was his purpose, and it is what allowed him to die. He’d done what he set out to do, and really, there wasn’t anything more that he needed from this life.
We called a psychic who we’d relied on through the years for wisdom and guidance. She told him that he would die within two years unless he learned to receive. She kept saying that: “You must learn to receive, you must learn to receive.” She said he had been a healer in many lifetimes, and that in all of those lifetimes he had given more than he’d received, and in that process, he’d created an imbalance that required adjustment. She said that the final learning of this lifetime was to open his heart to receive love from others, not just from me, but from all the many who were willing to give it in ways both small and large.
While he was in the hospital this last month, I did a tarot card reading on the course of his illness. There were 7 major arcana in this reading which is a very strong indicator that one is now in the hands of Fate with little to no ability to control the outcome. In this reading, the outcome card was The Star — the card of transcendence. When I looked at the reading, I knew he was dying soon. I also knew that when the Tower’s lightning bolt struck, Michael was held in the lap of the Great Mother (the Empress). It was clear that he would move into a state of trust and peace (the Fool) that would lead to The Star.
Five days before he died, Michael said that he realized that all the things that involved dying were easily falling into place, while the things that involved living, were not. I don’t think he believed he would be dead within five days, but he did see that death was coming. He had heard his body’s spirit telling him it couldn’t go on much longer, and he accepted it’s message.
He began to cry more easily than he ever had, and this was a man who almost never cried. He cried when people brought food to our door, he cried when friends dropped in for a short visit, he cried over the kindness of the Hospice team, he cried when his son helped him brush his teeth, he cried after meditating because he was so full of love that he was ecstatic and grateful.
I believe that in the end he did learn to receive. He was bedridden and absolutely reliant on others for his care, and his dear spirit became even gentler, even more loving. He started calling me “my love.” “My love, would you be able to get me another drink?” “Thank you, my love.” He’d never done that before and I knew that in his absolute reliance on others for help, he was experiencing a depth of receiving he hadn’t previously realized.
On April 25th, he woke me up at 3:30 am. This was the second miracle. I had put on sound-deafening headphones because of a barking dog in our neighborhood. I’d also taken a sleeping pill out of sheer exhaustion and a profound need for sleep. Though there was no physical way that he could have aroused me, I “heard” him calling me and I awakened.
I rushed into the living room to find him gasping for breath and demonstrating what I now know is a “death rattle” – his body so full of fluid that he could barely breathe or speak. He was physically in great distress. I hooked him up to oxygen but it didn’t help. Then I started to do energy work around his crown and 3rdeye and heart, particularly his crown, opening it so that his spirit could fly out easily. At this point tears were flowing down my face and falling on his bald head. I kept saying, “I love you so much, I love you so much.” With his last gasp he said, “…love…you.” His eyes rolled up to the top of his head, there was one last shudder, his eyes rolled down, and he was gone. Our last words were words of nothing but love.
When he died I felt a brief, deep shock, and then, suddenly, I was very, very calm. A peace came over me and I meditated and sat with his body by myself until Hospice came and then my brother and his wife awakened.
My brother’s wife came into the living room where Michael’s body was laid and said she had a headache. She said it was a weird headache in that she was seeing stars. I said it sounded like it could be the aura that precedes a migraine. I asked her if she wanted some medication but she said it didn’t really hurt.
And here is the third miracle: On their way back to Colorado, my sister-in-law told my brother that she’d realized that the only time she saw stars was when she was looking at Michael’s body. Clearly, he was sending us all a message.
The peace of Michael’s death has remained in our home. I am in deep grief, but there is a level of stillness that wasn’t here before. I know he went to the Stars. Finally, he has found his way back home.
Author: candidasblog
I am a mind-body psychologist with over 40 years of clinical experience in which I integrate various aspects of psychological and spiritual understanding to help others heal. My husband, Michael, was also a mind-body psychologist and we founded an integrative medicine center together in 1997 called Eastwind Healing Center. In August, 2016 my husband was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness called Amyloidosis. Four months before this, he became enlightened. This has changed almost every aspect of our lives and this blog is an attempt to understand and articulate how spirituality can inform and strengthen the journey through mortal illness. Michael died on April 25, 2018. In numerology this is the number 22 -- the number of the Master Teacher. May his teaching, and mine, enlighten your load. View all posts by candidasblog
Author candidasblogPosted on May 13, 2018 December 22, 2019 Categories Candida Maurer, Caregiving, Death and dying, Enlightenment, Grief, Love, Tarot
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She Is Risen! March 21, 2020
Pestilence and Redemption July 29, 2019
The Long Goodbye April 26, 2019
The Lovers April 13, 2019
Resting In Peace October 9, 2018
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Releases: Trends Report
TRI On-site and Off-site Reported Disposed of or Otherwise Released (in pounds), Trend Report for facilities in Alliance Castings Co Llc (TRI ID 44601MRCNS1001E) for MANGANESE chemical, U.S. 1988-1997
Fugitive Air
Stack Air
Total Air Emissions
Surface Water Discharges
Underground Injection Class I Wells
Underground Injection Class II-V Wells
Total Underground Injection
RCRA Subtitle C Landfills
Other Landfills
Total Landfills
Land Treatment/Application Farming
RCRA Subtitle C Surface Impoundment
Other Surface Impoundments
Total Surface Impoundments
Other Land Disposal
Total On-site Releases to Land
Total On-site Disposal or Other Releases
Off-Site Disposal-Storage Only
Off-Site Disposal-Solidification/Stabilization (metals only)
Off-Site Disposal-Wastewater Treatment-Metals Only
Off-Site Disposal-Underground Injection Class I Wells
Off-Site Disposal-Underground Injection Class II-V Wells
Total Off-Site Disposal-Underground Injection
Off-Site Disposal-RCRA Subtitle C Landfills
Off-Site Disposal-Other Landfills
POTW Transfers - Releases to Class I UI Wells and Landfills
Off-Site Disposal-RCRA Subtitle C Surface Impoundments
Off-Site Disposal-Other Surface Impoundments
Total Off-Site Disposal-Surface Impoundments
Total Off-Site Disposal-Landfill/Surface Impoundments
Off-Site Disposal-Land Treatment
Off-Site Disposal-Other Land Disposal
Off-Site Disposal-Other Off-site Management
Off-Site Disposal-Waste Broker
Off-Site Disposal-Unknown
Total Off-site Disposal or Other Releases
Total On- and Off-site Disposal or Other Releases
1 1988 95 0 95 0 . . 0 . . 69,157 0 . . 0 0 69,157 69,252 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69,157 . . . . . 69,157 138,409
2 1989 103 1 104 0 . . 0 . . 123,935 0 . . 0 0 123,935 124,039 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123,935 . . . . . 123,935 247,974
3 1990 250 5 255 0 . . 0 . . 77,000 0 . . 0 0 77,000 77,255 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47,000 . . . . 47,000 124,255
4 1991 76 1 77 0 . . 0 . . 0 0 . . 0 0 0 77 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35,000 . . . . 35,000 35,077
5 1992 94 1 95 0 . . 0 . . 0 0 . . 0 0 0 95 . . 43,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43,000 43,095
6 1993 83 1 84 0 . . 0 . . 0 0 . . 0 0 0 84 . 38,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38,000 38,084
7 1994 250 5 255 0 . . 0 . . 0 0 . . 0 0 0 255 . 42,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42,000 42,255
8 1997 250 5 255 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . . 0 0 0 255 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42,000 . . . . . 42,000 42,255
1 2005 2,317 288 2,605 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2,605 . . . . . . . . 39,041 . . . . 39,041 . 1,015 . . . 40,056 42,661
2 2006 2,672 4,671 7,343 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7,343 . 1 . . . . . . 22,614 . . . . 22,614 . 1,143 . 12 . 23,770 31,113
3 2007 2,009 5,995 8,004 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8,004 . . . . . . . . 20,002 . . . . 20,002 . 5,339 . 11 . 25,352 33,356
4 2008 2,141 6,233 8,374 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8,374 . 20,766 . . . . . . 34,776 . . . . 34,776 . 2,886 . 89 . 58,517 66,891
5 2009 280 739 1,019 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,019 . 4,632 . . . . . . 4,295 . . . . 4,295 . 169 . 891 . 9,987 11,006
6 2011 1,405 2,664 4,069 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4,069 . 8,965 . . . . . . 11,040 . . . . 11,040 . . . 72 . 20,077 24,146
7 2012 1,440 2,393 3,833 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3,838 . 23,378 . . . . . . 18,445 . . . . 18,445 . . . 74 . 41,897 45,735
8 2013 1,433 1,742 3,175 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3,175 . 18,134 . . . . . . 15,120 . . . . 15,120 . 417 . 63 . 33,734 36,909
9 2014 543 2,268 2,811 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2,811 . 26,997 . . . . . . 21,026 . . . . 21,026 . . . 44 . 48,067 50,878
10 2015 556 2,542 3,098 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3,098 . 25,849 . . . . . . 24,134 . . . . 24,134 . . . 44 . 50,027 53,125
11 2016 303 591 894 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 894 . 21,265 . . . . . . 18,543 . . . . 18,543 . . . 94 . 39,902 40,796
12 2017 83 1 84 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 84 . . . . . . . . 693 . . . . 693 . . . 10 . 703 787
Users of TRI information should be aware that TRI data reflect releases and other waste management activities of chemicals, not whether (or to what degree) the public has been exposed to those chemicals. Release estimates alone are not sufficient to determine exposure or to calculate potential adverse effects on human health and the environment. TRI data, in conjunction with other information, can be used as a starting point in evaluating exposures that may result from releases and other waste management activities which involve toxic chemicals. The determination of potential risk depends upon many factors, including the toxicity of the chemical, the fate of the chemical, and the amount and duration of human or other exposure to the chemical after it is released.
Off-site disposal or other releases show only net off-site disposal or other releases, that is, off-site disposal or other releases transferred to other TRI facilities reporting such transfers as on-site disposal or other releases are not included to avoid double counting.
On-site Disposal or Other Releases include Underground Injection to Class I Wells (Section 5.4.1), RCRA Subtitle C Landfills (5.5.1A), Other Landfills (5.5.1B), Fugitive or Non-point Air Emissions (5.1), Stack or Point Air Emissions (5.2), Surface Water Discharges (5.3), Underground Injection to Class II-V Wells (5.4.2), Land Treatment/Application Farming (5.5.2), RCRA Subtitle C Surface Impoundments (5.5.3A), Other Surface Impoundments (5.5.3B), and Other Land Disposal (5.5.4). Off-site Disposal or Other Releases include from Section 6.2 Class I Underground Injection Wells (M81), Class II-V Underground Injection Wells (M82, M71), RCRA Subtitle C Landfills (M65), Other Landfills (M64, M72), Storage Only (M10), Solidification/Stabilization - Metals and Metal Category Compounds only (M41 or M40), Wastewater Treatment (excluding POTWs) - Metals and Metal Category Compounds only (M62 or M61), RCRA Subtitle C Surface Impoundments (M66), Other Surface Impoundments (M67, M63), Land Treatment (M73), Other Land Disposal (M79), Other Off-site Management (M90), Transfers to Waste Broker - Disposal (M94, M91), and Unknown (M99) and, from Section 6.1 Transfers to POTWs (metals and metal category compounds only).
For purposes of analysis, data reported as Range Code A is calculated using a value of 5 pounds, Range Code B is calculated using a value of 250 pounds and Range Code C is calculated using a value of 750 pounds.
A decimal point, or "." denotes the following: if "NA" is reported across an entire row, the facility submitted a Form A (i.e., the facility certified that its total annual reportable amount is less than 500 pounds, and does not manufacture, process, or otherwise use more than 1 million pounds); or if a decimal point is reported in a single column, the facility left that particular cell blank in its Form R submission (a zero in a cell denotes either that the facility reported "0" or "NA" in its Form R submission). A decimal point is reported in the following columns because the element was not required to be reported for that year (the Form R has been changed over the years to require more detailed reporting for some media): Underground Injection Class I, Underground Injection Class II-V, RCRA Subtitle C Landfills and Other Landfills for the years 1988 to 1995; Off-Site Disposal - RCRA Subtitle C Landfills, Off-Site Disposal - Other Landfills and Off-Site Disposal - Surface Impoundments for the years 1988 to 2001; Other RCRA Subtitle C Surface Impoundments, Other Surface Impoundments, Off-Site Underground Injection Class I Wells, Off-Site Underground Injection Class II-V Wells, Off-Site Disposal - RCRA Subtitle C Surface Impoundments and Off-Site Disposal - Other Surface Impoundments for the years 1988 to 2002.
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Anthony Fauci’s Baseball Card Broke A Sales Record
آگوست 1, 2020 Posted in مامی No comments
Rob Carr/Getty Images
It’s official: Dr. Anthony Fauci is the real MVP of the nation’s battle against coronavirus
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has become one of the most recognizable faces in the country over the last six months. Early on in the pandemic, the 79-year-old and member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force effortlessly emerged as America’s go-to coronavirus expert. Since, Fauci has become a national treasure and was recently even asked to throw the first pitch during last Thursday’s MLB season opening game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees. It only made sense that baseball card purveyor Topps issued a limited-edition trading card capturing the moment. And guess what? It broke company records in just 24 hours.
According to Topps, their Topps NOW limited-edition baseball trading card featuring Fauci set an all-time print record run, selling 51,512 cards. The cards were only available for 24 hours and retailed for $9.99 each.
“We’re excited by the popularity of Dr. Fauci’s Topps NOW card,” Emily Kless, Topps communications manager, said in an email, according to News-Press. “Topps prides itself on capturing the unique moments of the MLB season, one baseball card at a time, and Dr. Fauci’s inclusion in this year’s Topps NOW cards is just one way in which we are highlighting the uniqueness of the 2020 season.”
In the card’s image, the beloved doctor wears his team’s jersey (the Nationals, ICYDK) — with a hat and face mask, of course — honoring the team’s 2019 World Series Championship. On the back of the card, usually reserved for player stats, Fauci is revered as an “ardent Washington Nationals fan” explaining that his pitch “signaled the official start of the 2020 MLB season.”
Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images
“I feel a little embarrassed and humbled,” Fauci told CNN about the card sales. “I hope that Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle are not looking up at me saying, ‘What the heck is going on here?’”
Fauci has become such an icon in America, that Academy Award winning actor Brad Pitt depicted him on SNL. In fact, Pitt was even nominated for an Emmy for said performance of Fauci. But you know what’s even cooler? That Fauci was instrumental in his casting. During an appearance on CNN’s “New Day” in April, when asked which actor should play him on TV, Fauci said, “Oh, Brad Pitt, of course.”
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Hybrid Electric Buildings; A New Frontier for Energy and Grids
Posted on April 12, 2017 by duanetilden
. Hybrid Electric Buildings are the latest in developments for packaged energy storage in buildings which offer several advantages including long-term operational cost savings. These buildings have the flexibility to combine several technologies and energy sources in with a large-scale integrated electric battery system to operate in a cost-effective manner.
San Francisco’s landmark skyscraper, One Maritime Plaza, will become the city’s first Hybrid Electric Building using Tesla Powerpack batteries. The groundbreaking technology upgrade by Advanced Microgrid Solutions (AMS) will lower costs, increase grid and building resiliency, and reduce the building’s demand for electricity from the sources that most negatively impact the environment.
Building owner Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing hired San Francisco-based AMS to design, build, and operate the project. The 500 kilowatt/1,000 kilowatt-hour indoor battery system will provide One Maritime Plaza with the ability to store clean energy and control demand from the electric grid. The technology enables the building to shift from grid to battery power to conserve electricity in the same way a hybrid-electric car conserves gasoline. (1)
In addition to storage solutions these buildings can offer significant roof area to install solar panel modules and arrays to generate power during the day. Areas where sunshine is plentiful and electricity rates are high, solar PV and storage combinations for commercial installations are economically attractive.
For utility management, these systems are ideal in expansion of the overall grid, as more micro-grids attach to the utility infrastructure overall supply and resiliency is improved.
In recent developments AMS has partnered with retailer Wal-Mart to provide on-site and “behind the meter” energy storage solutions for no upfront costs.
Figure 2. Solar Panels on Roof of Wal-Mart, Corporate Headquarters, Puerto Rico (3)
On Tuesday, the San Francisco-based startup announced it is working with the retail giant to install behind-the-meter batteries at stores to balance on-site energy and provide megawatts of flexibility to utilities, starting with 40 megawatt-hours of projects at 27 Southern California locations.
Under the terms of the deal, “AMS will design, install and operate advanced energy storage systems” at the stores for no upfront cost, while providing grid services and on-site energy savings. The financing was made possible by partners such as Macquarie Capital, which pledged $200 million to the startup’s pipeline last year.
For Wal-Mart, the systems bring the ability to shave expensive peaks, smooth out imbalances in on-site generation and consumption, and help it meet a goal of powering half of its operations with renewable energy by 2025. Advanced Microgrid Solutions will manage its batteries in conjunction with building load — as well as on-site solar or other generation — to create what it calls a “hybrid electric building” able to keep its own energy costs to a minimum, while retaining flexibility for utility needs.
The utility in this case is Southern California Edison, a long-time AMS partner, which “will be able to tap into these advanced energy storage systems to reduce demand on the grid as part of SCE’s groundbreaking grid modernization project,” according to Tuesday’s statement. This references the utility’s multibillion-dollar grid modernization plan, which is now before state regulators. (2)
San Francisco’s First Hybrid Electric Building – Facility Executive, June 28, 2016
https://facilityexecutive.com/2016/06/skyscraper-will-be-san-franciscos-first-hybrid-electric-building/
Wal-Mart, Advanced Microgrid Solutions to Turn Big-Box Stores Into Hybrid Electric Buildings, GreenTech Media, April 11, 2017 https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/wal-mart-to-turn-big-box-stores-into-hybrid-electric-buildings?utm_source=Daily&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=GTMDaily
Solar Panels on Wal-Mart Roof http://corporate.walmart.com/_news_/photos/solar-panels-roof-puerto-rico
This entry was posted in Building Science & Construction, Business, Energy, Energy Projects, Facilities Management, Green Building & Architecture, Grid Technology, Net Zero, Renewable Energy, Renovations and Retrofits, Smart Cities, Sustainability, Sustainable Development by duanetilden. Bookmark the permalink.
1 thought on “Hybrid Electric Buildings; A New Frontier for Energy and Grids”
operatorcarpenter on July 27, 2017 at 11:20 am said:
It’s all about storage, storage, storage right now. I can’t wait to see the story about the smart apartment dweller who lives next door to a large solar array, and has a battery where she stores the excess electricity produced by her neighbor, and the sells it at peak pricing….give it 10 years, i guess
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Government announces Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety
On Sunday 16 September Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the Government’s decision to ask the Governor General to establish a Royal Commission into the aged care sector.
View the Prime Minister’s announcement here.
New report: Talking with young people about the National Framework
“In 2016, the Commonwealth Department of Social Services (DSS) jointly engaged the CREATE Foundation and the National Children’s Commissioner to undertake a series of consultations with young people across Australia about the three strategies outlined in the Third Action Plan.
CREATE, as project manager, subsequently con…
Families Australia welcomes Commonwealth Government support for Royal Commission recommendations
Families Australia’s CEO Dr Brian Babington today welcomed the Commonwealth Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, in particular that it would issue a formal apology to survivors of institutional child sexual abuse and establish a National Office for Child Safety. Th…
Celebrating National Families Week 15-21 May
Celebrate families!
Please join us in celebrating the vital role that families play through National Families Week, held every year between 15 and 21 May.
Meet the 2019 National Families Week Champions.
Over a hundred thousand people get involved in hundreds of community events during the Week in Australia’s biggest celebrati…
Healthy Communities: Child and maternal health report
The Healthy Communities: Child and maternal health in 2013–2015 In Focus report was released 19 April 2018 by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Four key maternal and child health indicators are explored in this latest report:
– smoking during pregnancy
– child and infant mortality
– low birthwei…
The Hon Dr David Gillespie MP media release: Leaders reaffirm commitment to protect Australia’s children
Federal Assistant Minister for Children and Families, The Hon Dr David Gillespie MP, addressed the annual meeting of the National Coalition on Child Safety and Wellbeing in Canberra on Thursday 29 March 2018.
Read the media release here.
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Fantasy Football Tips Gameweek 12
Welcome to Fantasy Football Tips Gameweek 12
As if you didn’t need reminding, we’re now in November and, in the Northern Hemisphere at least, that means such joys as the temperatures starting to fall and the nights drawing in – not to mention the gamble of walking through leaves and finding a freshly-placed dog turd lurking there. They say jealousy is a bad thing but it creeps in when you know the weather is getting better elsewhere, south of the equator. That side of the planet, of course, couldn’t just leave it at that either, could they? No, South Africa had to beat England in the Rugby World Cup too, didn’t they?! Jokes aside, fair play to the Springboks – they deserved it.
Anyway, back to the UK and we’ve just celebrated Halloween and Bonfire Night. In the case of the former, you could say it was quite the horror show if you didn’t have the popular options in your starting XI like Lundstram – sorry Matt and AT – or, for that matter, Mane or Abraham. Those with Soyuncu and Walker were also enjoying an evil laugh to themselves as they moved past their rivals in the mini leagues.
Looking ahead, it’s the opportunity for those who haven’t had a great weekend to let Gameweek 12 go off with a bang, both in their fantasy football team and in the skies. We’re now approaching one third of the way through the season – yes, 33 per cent. Hopefully some of the tips below will help your team be one that lights up the whole sky with a bang, rather than one of those disappointing ones in a supermarket value pack that fizzles away and does nothing, leading to groans of disappointment and the panicked sounds of people saying not to return to it. Yep, we’ve all been there.
My first selection is the goalkeeper who put on a heroic display for his team when they played Liverpool at Anfield and conceded a last minute equaliser up the road at Goodison Park a week later as Spurs were down to 10 men following that injury you don’t even want to think about. I, of course, mean Paulo Gazzaniga. Some of the saves he pulled in that Gameweek 10 tie were fantastic and you could argue the home side should have scored about four or even more against a pretty unpredictable Spurs squad. At £4.5m, he is the North London side’s number one goalkeeper whilst Hugo Lloris is sidelined indefinitely – as Pochettino is rumoured to be sniffing around the Ajax side for a stand-in when it comes to the January transfer window.
Looking ahead to his fixtures, the Argentinian who hails from the same small town as his boss has got Sheffield United at home this gameweek, as the two sides meet in the league for the first time since 2007. When it comes to meetings at Spurs’ stadia, the last two have finished in the home side’s favour with clean sheets both times. Whilst both squads and managers have differing fortunes – Chris Wilder is doing an incredible job at the moment – you can’t help but think that, surely, Pochettino’s men need to put the disappointment of the start of the season behind them and actually start to put in worthy performances. A trip to West Ham is on the cards next, before Bournemouth then come to town, two teams who are also unpredictable when it comes to performances.
Rightly joint top of the form table is my next suggestion and, breathe in, it’s a Watford player! Costing just £4.8m, Ben Foster has been the main reason why Watford aren’t already dead and buried – the fact he has amassed 25 points and six bonus in the last four gameweeks speaks absolute volumes. In the last fixture against Chelsea, the man from Leamington Spa managed the most saves of his campaign so far with eight and, unbelievably, produced a headed goal attempt to force a good save off Kepa at the end.
For Watford this weekend, it’s the opportunity for pundits everywhere to dig out one of the great phrases in football punditry: the relegation six-pointer! The trip to Carrow Road already looks like a huge game and Quique Sánchez Flores and his squad will be looking to the fact Norwich have only scored two goals in the last six Premier League fixtures as the likes of Teemu Pukki are constantly denied any decent service. That’s led to a less-than-desirable 11 in as many games. Once Watford have returned from Norfolk, they then face Burnley at home and Southampton away – who have so far scored 14 and 10 goals, respectively – and so it’s a massive month if they want to stay in the top flight.
Whilst Sheffield United’s Dean Henderson should be given a mention as he sits on top of the clean sheet tables alongside Man City’s Ederson with five from 11, the next three fixtures against Spurs, Man United and Wolves are rather off-putting. Therefore the next actual suggestion is Wolves’ Rui Patricio at a slightly more premium price of £5.2m, when compared to the other offerings in this section at least. Owned by just 12.4 per cent of teams, he has so far kept three clean sheets and collected 46 points, averaging just under four per match.
The main reason for my selection, however, is down to the fixtures the Portuguese shot stopper has ahead of him. Whilst Villa at home may not be guaranteed to keep a clean sheet – says the Villa fan, thinking about Dean Smith’s attacking brand of football and keeping everything crossed – the greens and greys of the fantasy football fixture tracker, or the green and yellow of our own schedule, that run between now and Gameweek 17 suggest there is a nice run of ties to look forward to. Indeed, once the Midlands derby is out the way, there are trips to Bournemouth and Brighton, with visits from Sheffield United and West Ham.
As you’ll probably remember from last season, the premium picks were the top picks when it comes to points and this campaign is also beginning to follow suit, as Leicester’s Ricardo Pereira and the Liverpool duo of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson sit in the top four. Of course, you don’t need me to tell you that this season’s hero, John Lundstram, does go against that grain as he sits pretty at the top with a ridiculous 68 points, having risen from his starting price of £4m to £4.8m already. Thanks to the two he scored against Burnley, the Sheffield United number seven is also at the top of goals scored by a defender, with three. He is deserved of a place in the FPL hall of fame, joining legends including Michu, Charlie Adam when he was at Blackpool, Mahrez in Leicester’s title winning campaign and last season’s Wan-Bissaka and Matt Doherty.
However, on the presumption you have the 25-year-old in your team, I’ll then swerve to Nathan Ake, who was excellent in the 1-0 win over Man United. That was his third consecutive clean sheet and followed on from two 0-0 results against Norwich and Watford which saw the Dutchman pick up two bonus points in each. Funnily enough, he was one of the most-picked defenders at the very start of the season but then disappointed many FPL managers – myself included – as just seven points were collected over Gameweeks 1 to 5. Since then, however, it’s been 39 from six and therefore an average of 6.5 per match in that time.
Offering somewhat of an attacking threat, with a goal and assist to his name so far this season, the former Chelsea player now travels to Newcastle to face a team that has been playing better since its 5-0 loss to Leicester, having defeated Man United and West Ham, picked up a draw against Wolves and gone down by just the one goal away at Chelsea. Bournemouth fans who do make the five-and-a-half-hour car journey up north this weekend can, however, be buoyed by the fact the Magpies have the second fewest goals scored with nine – only Watford fare worse with six. They will also hope there’s not a repeat of the last time the Cherries visited St James’ Park – when it finished 2-1 to the home side – and, instead, ends up like the two previous trips which ended up 0-1 and 1-3 to the away team. If Ake does not get in and amongst the points in that fixture, there’s then the opportunity for him to redeem himself against Wolves back at home two weeks later.
Should you not want to fork out £5m for a Bournemouth defender, there is of course the alternative in the form of Diego Rico, another player who started the season at £4m and then rose up in price as FPL managers noticed the minutes being played and points gained. Whilst still at the bargain basement price of £4.3m, the Spaniard has notched up 19 points in the last three fixtures and seems to be a set part of the starting XI as he has now played 90 minutes in seven consecutive matches.
Our resident Newcastle fan will now be happy to see one of his team’s players make the next pick, as Jetro Willems has caught my eye. The number 15 is on a season-long loan from Eintracht Frankfurt with an option to buy and, should he continue with the form he’s in at the moment, you would like to think Mike Ashley would dip into his purse and fork out to make it permanent. So, may I be the first to wish Jetro a safe journey back to Germany at the end of the campaign.
Owned by just 1.2 per cent of managers – making him a great differential – the £4.5m defender already has a goal, two assists, six bonus and a duo of clean sheets, totalling 40 points. As previously mentioned, the tie against Bournemouth on Saturday could go either way, however trips to Aston Villa, Sheffield United and Burnley join home ties against Southampton and Crystal Palace between now and Boxing Day. The game against Man City in Gameweek 14 is the speed bump in what could be a smooth road and would probably be a good time to stick the player on the bench.
Fikayo Tomori has shown himself to be a great way into the Chelsea defence. Even though his price has risen, it’s still only £4.8m which wouldn’t usually get you 720 minutes out of a possible 720 from Gameweek 4 to now. Whilst he has only kept two clean sheets in that time, as Brighton and then Newcastle didn’t manage to find the back of the net against Frank Lampard’s men, he can still look ahead to favourable fixtures once the Champions League game against Ajax is out the way.
I say that with confidence as the trip to the Etihad in Gameweek 13 is the only tie between now and Gameweek 18 that would make you want to stick him on your bench. First up is Crystal Palace who have scored seven in as many games, whilst West Ham and Aston Villa then make up the next two fixtures after that trip to Manchester City. In the case of the Hammers, two games have passed without a goal let in, whilst the four meetings against the Villains have seen just one conceded, as the West Londoners have scored 11 in that time.
It’s no wonder Leicester City are where they are in the table when things are working so well at both ends of the pitch. Ben Chilwell and Caglar Soyuncu, priced £5.6m and £4.8m respectively, have been the star players of a Leicester defence that is the joint-best with Sheffield United, when it comes to the number of goals conceded. Kasper Schmeichel has only had to pick up the ball from the back of the net eight times so far, which is one less than the combination of Adrian and Alisson at Liverpool and two fewer than Man City’s Ederson. Chilwell and Soyuncu have been at the centre of both that and the threat at the opposite end of the pitch, meaning they have been seriously among the points. Typically, I opted for the more-expensive Ricardo Pereira in my team and, whilst he has slightly more points in total compared to his counterparts, the Portuguese number 21 has been less prolific in the last couple of weeks. Between this trio, however, there has been four goals and five assists, along with four total clean sheets.
Arsenal come to the Kingpower Stadium this Saturday in a game that could well be the first real challenge for the Leicester defence and it’s for that reason that they have been given the last mention in the article. Whilst the Arsenal backs have been notoriously porous this season, laying claim to just two clean sheets so far, you could say there could be further attacking gains to be had, though it’s not realistic to expect that from your defenders week in, week out. There is also the threat from Aubameyang, who has scored eight so far and has netted three in two meetings with the East Midlanders. The service of great fixtures then resumes after the Gunners, as you then have to look to Gameweek 18’s opponent, Man City, for the next toughie. Other than the obvious obstacle of price rises and resultant affordability, perhaps hold off on a Leicester defender for one gameweek if you don’t yet have one.
My first midfielder pick is probably no surprise whatsoever. I try not to be predictable, but you just can’t look past Sadio Mane. On my wildcard this season, I bit the bullet and chose him over Salah to save the money and he has definitely repaid me since. Ironically, he’s now only £0.3m cheaper and so could well overtake the Egyptian in a matter of weeks if things keep going the way they are at the moment.
As I’m sure all of you who support a Premier League team can testify, it’s quite the bittersweet feeling when one of your FPL players scores against the team you support in ‘real life’. That was me when Mane managed to assist Robertson’s equaliser and then went and scored the winner as the last touch of the ball. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a Villa fan or because I know what the Liverpool team are like, but I just knew they were going to win – even before Robertson’s goal. Anyway, that game was the sixth time the Senegalese has found the back of the net and fourth time he has set one up for someone else. And that’s even before he faces this weekend’s opponents.
Ah wait, yes. That’s Man City, a game that could well decide who wins the Premier League title this season. Well, as tough a game as it no doubt will be, Mane has managed to score five and assist one in 12 games. Crystal Palace lie in wait after the international break, who have always been quite the pain in the Merseysiders’ behinds, however life then gets quite a bit easier for the Reds on the run up to the festive period with Brighton, Everton, Bournemouth and Watford. I doubt, however, Klopp will allow his players to take time off for Christmas shopping – it’s already shown that they will need to win each and every game to stand a chance of being first at the end of Gameweek 38.
Having sung the praises of Leicester’s defence, it’s probably no real shock that I’m also recommending you take a look at James Maddison and Youri Tielemans, who would set you back £7.3m and £6.5m respectively. The duo have joined Ayoze Perez in bringing in the FPL points for managers and league points for the Foxes, though I still can’t bring myself to recommending the guy who signed from Newcastle back in July.
In the case of the former England under 21 player, anyway, he has scored and assisted three and, with each singularly taking place, it means more than half of his league games have brought a return in some shape. As for the cheaper option in the Belgian 22-year-old, there are three goals and two also set up, with four bonus along the way, coming to a total of 51 points – only two fewer than his colleague who costs £0.8m more. That’s something to bear in mind for the more cash conscious players among us!
As previously mentioned, Leicester face a less than solid Arsenal defence and they can also look back fondly on the last two times the Gunners have come to the Kingpower Stadium, as a total of six have been netted in 3-1 and 3-0 victories. One of those was scored by Tielemans, too. Even before this season, where Rodgers’ men now sit third in the table, accompanied by the second-most goals scored with 27, they have had a good record against the Seagulls, the next opposition. An impressive seven have been put past Mat Ryan in the four meetings since they were promoted to the Premier League.
Looking away from Leicester, I’ll briefly mention the Villains and their budget-friendly John McGinn at £5.8m. Whilst Wolves will be looking to avenge their League Cup defeat, as Raul Jimenez is also finding form again, the lads in gold and black have not been as solid at the back when compared to the previous season. I fancy McGinniesta, as the Aston Villa faithful like to refer to him, to offer the kind of threat he did against the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs, which has contributed to a total of three goals and two assists. Not bad for someone with such a modest pricetag.
The trip up the Aston Expressway and M6 to Molineux is one of two crucial games, as the visit of Newcastle after the international break is ahead of three more difficult fixtures in the shape of Man United, Chelsea and Leicester. That said, the former Hibs man has shown himself to be more than worthy opposition to the big teams and there is the reward of a Christmas schedule that delivers much kinder games to the claret and blues.
“What do I do with Raheem Sterling?” has been the question on the lips of a good few FPL managers already this week following his one-point total at home to Southampton, leading to a whopping two-pointer as captain. The £12.1m player has already been transferred out by 72,000 players, making him the fourth favourite to face the axe, behind Heung-Min Son, David Silva and Mo Salah.
Looking at his stats, he has seven goals and one assist, however five of the times he scored where in the first three weeks. That translates as 31 points from Gameweek 4 to now – 28 less than Mane, 23 lower than Kevin De Bruyne and three below Mo Salah’s total. Even more depressingly, it’s still eight points until he reaches Christian Pulisic’s collection over the same period and he’s only played more than the golden 60 minutes three times, with a trio of games missed entirely.
This week it’s another uncomfortable return to Anfield for the alleged Real Madrid target, especially when you consider the fact the 24-year-old has only set up one against his former club in seven league encounters. After that, it’s Chelsea, who he has three goals and two assists against in 14 across all competitions, before Newcastle who have only conceded three of his attempts in 11 matches. Hardly encouraging statistics and so, yes, it may be time to look elsewhere with all that money tied up – especially as he is only £0.1m more expensive than he was back at the start of the season, should you need to hurriedly buy him back.
Man United have three big games coming up, as they ‘welcome’ Brighton to Old Trafford after the international break, with Sheffield United and Aston Villa following on. Anthony Martial seems to have already made a difference to the side since his return from injury, as much as the 1-0 loss to Bournemouth gave a quick reality check. The Red Devils’ win rate is 77 per cent when the Frenchman is in the starting XI, quite a difference to the 28 per cent when he isn’t. That works out at 2.4 points per game compared to 1.2 – or 2.3 goals scored compared to 1.1.
Costing £7.6m and owned by just 6.4 per cent of managers, he has three goals and one assist to his name, which isn’t bad having played just 440 out of a possible 990 minutes. He is, however, just one to keep an eye on at this stage as it’s also worth knowing the 23-year-old hasn’t scored more than two FPL points in any game against the Seagulls and then faces that Sheffield United defence that has only conceded eight so far. If your purse strings are a bit tight, there’s also the £6.2m Daniel James who, compared to his colleague, has found the back of the net the same amount of times but has set up one more.
My picks when it comes to forwards are, coincidentally, the three most transferred-in players within that department and I feel I must start with Tammy Abraham. He is now an essential player to have in your team if you don’t already – especially with a very reasonable £7.9m price tag, meaning you can spend some cash elsewhere. Indeed, the player who has the number nine on his back has nine goals and 73 FPL points to his name, second only to Jamie Vardy on both factors.
The run up to Christmas is quite straightforward for Chelsea, bar ties away to Man City and Spurs in Gameweeks 13 and 18. That duo will prove to be challenges for the lad from Camberwell in London, whose goals have only come against squads in the bottom half of the league, with the exception of Sheffield United. Crystal Palace are up first as Tammy can look back on the one he scored against them whilst in a Swansea shirt and the Blues look to make it 11 consecutive games of scoring at least one against the Eagles. Sixteen goals have been scored in that period since March 2014.
So, another player within that top three of transferred-in forwards is actually the player who sits at the top of the pile in more ways than one. So far this week, 169,000 FPL managers have seen it fit to bring Jamie Vardy into their team, contributing to 27.5 per cent of the seven million players. The £9.4m party icon doesn’t need much introductions as he leads the race for the Golden Boot after finding the back of the net 10 times already – helped, of course, by that match away at Southampton.
As for his record against the opposition coming up, well, put it this way, I’m very strongly tempted to captain him when he faces Arsenal this week. In eight meetings, he has scored as many – that includes two the last time the two sides met at the Kingpower Stadium, along with a trio across both ties in the season before that and a total of three in the campaign where they went on to win the title. The 32-year-old’s relationship with Brendan Rodgers – professionally, of course – has brought the best out of him as he has now scored 19 times since his coach’s reign in the East Midlands began, five more than any other top-flight player over the same time. Brighton are then next for the Foxes, a team Vardy also likes to play against, having slotted away three in the four ties since the Seagulls were promoted to the Premier League.
Completing this well-bought trio is Raul Jimenez, who seems to be rekindling the kind of form that made him such an FPL favourite last season. The £7.2m player is £0.3m cheaper than he was at the start of the season, as the goals and assists were initially reserved for the cup games, however the 28 points in the last four games show he’s transferring that to the league. The Mexican has scored two and set up as many in that period, helping to lift his team to 12th in the table.
Looking ahead, he’s against a Villa team that has conceded 18 so far this campaign – only the teams in the relegation spots have let in more – which means there is every chance that the number nine could get in and amongst the points once again. After that, Wolves continue to enjoy a run of fixtures that give the opportunity for them to look up the table further, with the Vitality Stadium the location for their match against Bournemouth after the international break. That’s a squad Raul has only played against twice – as they played each other home and away in the top division for the first time ever last season – and yet he managed to score one in both.
Thanks for reading Fantasy Football Tips Gameweek 12. This article was written by Swirly.
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Smash says:
Any suggestions. One free transfer and one million in the bank. No idea if I’m starting the right players and I fly to India in a few hours
Neilos says:
Hey Smash. We have virtually the same team except I have mane. I’m contemplating Maddison and Martial in for KDB and Cantwell. Not done it yet but that’s what I’m leaning towards. Ps have a great time
Yeah I think Sterling would be more likely to leave for me than KDB. Thanks
Stone Frog says:
It’s either Cantwell or Lundy, whichever you fancy, and then leave the FT.
Yeah just can’t be convinced Cantwell will start
Makes sense to bank I guess. I have a very similar team, will probably just end up holding with the IB coming up.
To continue on the same theme as Neilos. Bank this week, but then you could consider something like Sterling/Cantwell/Tomori to Maddison/Martial/Robertson.
Yeah that’s not a bad shout
Damn that’s a good call…..
constantine says:
Hey Smash. India? Which place and why, if I may ask..
Holiday. I just love travelling. Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Varanasi, Amritsar, Rathambore. Finish off in the Maldives. I hope the holiday is better than my fantasy team
Great. I am in Delhi. Agra has the Taj Mahal. Ranthambore is famous for tigers. Maldives is serene(I think you know that). India is a blast of varieties. Hope you like it.
Yeah thanks. I’m excited
Good morning guys
Would you get rid of Kun for Vardy?
Then leave it there or take a -4 for greenwood to jiminez? I’ve made a right mess this season, never been this low and the others are taking great pleasure at my downfall!!
Yes I’d do the first one but then leave it at that as you have benching issues galore already.
VillageDan says:
Better GW last weekend and out scored most in my ML’s, so some welcome green arrows. Resisted the transfer last week so have 2FT this week. Im thinking I should change Serg to Vardy and then;
1 – Guengouzi to Tielemans
2 – Digne to Pereira
3 – McGinn to Martial / Maddison
Any other suggestions are most welcome, Good luck this week
GentleBenAKA says:
Serge to Vardy sounds good but then I’d suggest rolling the other free so you have 2FT for the IB.
gaz03 says:
Morning guys, any transfers for the site team?
Think they transferred out all their City and Liverpool players
kumakier says:
Tough choice for captain but I decided to trust vardy ‘s home record against arsenal ‘s leaky back.
Knowing my luck Tony will punish me again and score a few against palace
Phoenix619 says:
Any advice on my starting 11 & bench order lads ??
Also 1ft left so any suggestions?
Roll the free
Cheers Ben. Is bench order ok too ???
Yes. Although I’d have Lundy playing instead of one of your Newcastle guys.
in 4 days, 16 hours, 8 minutes
OddDane on Fantasy Football Live Match Chat Gameweek 19: “That’s bull tbh. He’s the 2nd most captained by top 10k with ~36% choosing him and most overall. If he’d…” Jan 21, 22:20
IvanTheTerrible on Fantasy Football Live Match Chat Gameweek 19: “No Bees, he has his glory moments now and again but…. Mahrez, Gundo and Bilva are more steady options and…” Jan 21, 22:12
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You Are Here Home Health News American from cruise ship docked in Cambodia tests positive in Malaysia for coronavirus
American from cruise ship docked in Cambodia tests positive in Malaysia for coronavirus
FitManitoba - February 15, 2020 at 8:54
A quarantine area is seen at a cruise ship terminal, following the outbreak of the coronavirus in China, in Port Klang, Malaysia February 13, 2020. REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – An 83-year-old American woman who had been a passenger on a cruise ship that docked in Cambodia has tested positive for the new coronavirus on landing in Malaysia, health authorities said on Saturday.
The American woman flew to Malaysia on Friday from Cambodia along with 144 others from the ship, the Malaysian health ministry said in a statement. The woman’s husband had tested negative, it said.
The MS Westerdam, operated by Carnival Corp unit Holland America Inc, docked in the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville on Thursday after being shunned by five countries on fears that passengers could be carrying the virus.
The Westerdam, carrying 1,455 passengers and 802 crew, spent two weeks at sea.
The passengers were tested regularly on board and Cambodia also tested 20 once it docked. None was found to have the new coronavirus that has killed more than 1,500 people, the vast majority in China.
U.S. President Donald Trump has thanked Cambodia for taking in the ship in a rare message to a country that is one of China’s closest allies and has often been at odds with Washington.
(This story recasts first paragraph.)
Reporting by A. Ananthalakshmi and Joseph Sipalan, Editing by Timothy Heritage
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
healthNews
Randomized trials could help to return children safely to schools, study finds
When Can You Get The COVID-19 Vaccine — And What Can You Do Now?
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Questions 4 and 5
4. Are the current pledges by countries adequate to tackle climate change?
As part of the Paris Agreement, 162 pledges were submitted to the Climate Change Convention describing how each country intends to tackle climate change. These pledges cover 189 countries accounting for about 98 percent of global GHG emissions15.
Most of the INDCs include pledges on how countries plan to reduce GHG emissions and to adapt to climate change. Because for the first time most developing countries made these types of pledges, 83 percent of them are in part or entirely conditional to the provision of finance, technology and capacity-building, for their full implementation.
Various research groups analyzed the collective impact of the INDCs16. These studies used different methodologies and criteria for their assessment17. Some studies, for example, include all unconditional and conditional INDCs, while others only include unconditional ones. Different assumptions were also used to harmonize the information included in the pledges submitted by countries, as well as to make projections for the rest of the century, beyond the 2030 timeframe of the INDCs. Thus, the conclusions from these studies on the collective impact of the INDCs vary.
All the studies agreed that the INDCs show a real increase in the commitment by countries to combat climate change. Collectively, pledges by countries to be undertaken between 2020 and 2030 contribute to lowering the global GHG emissions trajectory compared to the current path.
Current pledges, however, are far from sufficient to put the world on a pathway to meet the 2ºC target18.
To stay below 2ºC, global GHG emissions should be reduced by 22 percent from current levels (of 54 GtCO2-eq) to reach 42 GtCO2-eq in 2030, as concluded by the IPCC and the UNEP Emissions Gap assessment19. However, if only unconditional pledges are implemented, global GHG emissions are expected to increase by six percent in 2030, reaching 56 GtCO2-eq (range 54-59). If unconditional and conditional pledges are fully implemented, global GHG emissions will remain at about the current level of 54 GtCO2-eq (range 52-57)20. The difference between the projected level of global GHG emissions in 2030 and what they should be to stay below 2ºC, or the emissions gap, is 14 GtCO2-eq (range 12-17)21, or 33 percent above the 2ºC pathway. This emissions gap is comparable to the annual emissions from the world’s energy production, which totaled 17 GtCO2-eq in 201022, to supply electricity, fuel and natural gas used by other sectors. As a reference, without the Paris Agreement pledges, global GHG emissions are projected to reach 65 GtCO2-eq (range 60-70)23 in 2030, or an increase of about 20 percent.
Moreover, the INDCs are legally non-binding pledges made at the international level. Pledges are subject to approval at the national level through policies, regulations and incentives for their implementation in each country. Thus, pledges may be changed, raising or reducing the overall GHG emission reduction targets.
5. Will a transition to renewable energy address climate change?
A transition to renewable energy for electricity generation is an important component to address climate change. However, a radical change in the way the world produces and uses energy (electricity, fuel and natural gas) is required.
Currently, about 82 percent of the energy produced in the world is obtained by burning fossil fuels –31 percent oil, 29 percent coal and 22 percent natural gas24.
Because energy is used by different sectors, the IPCC made a comprehensive analysis by sector to identify measures and policies to be implemented in the next 2-3 decades to transform the way energy is produced and used everywhere. Some examples include increasing the deployment of low-carbon energy for electricity generation25 (currently non-fossil fuel electricity generation is 30 percent –16 percent from hydropower, 5 percent from renewables and 11 percent from nuclear power26), increasing the energy efficiency in the industry sector27, promoting the conversion of vehicles to low-carbon fuels in the transport sector28 and including on-site renewable energy systems in existing and new buildings29. In addition, options were also assessed in the non-energy sector, including improving crop, water and livestock management and reducing deforestation in the agriculture, forestry and land use sector30.
Several INDCs describe measures in various sectors, such as increasing the share of renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency, using fuel efficiency standards in the transport sector, improving crop and livestock production, establishing waste management and recycling programs and promoting the conservation and sustainable management of forests and reducing deforestation. More than half of the INDCs, however, only focus on measures in the energy sector, with some countries aiming at 100 percent renewable energy supply for the electricity sector31.
Actions to reduce GHG emissions will have to be implemented in all sectors, and not just to transform the generation of electricity. Producing energy without burning fossil fuels (or decarbornizing the production of energy) will be critically important since world population is estimated to increase by 40 percent, to 10 billion by 205032, which in turn will double the demand for energy33, increase the demand for food, clean water, and other basic human needs.
Sources and references:
15. Climate Action Tracker ↩
16. Studies on INDCs were developed by Climate Action Tracker, Australian-German Climate and Energy College, Climate Interactive, Danish Energy Agency, European Commission Joint Research Centre, the International Energy Agency, London School of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MILES Project Consortium, PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, among others. The Synthesis Report on the aggregate effect of the INDCs by the Climate Change Convention (FCCC/CP/2015/7) and The Emissions Gap Report 2015 by UNEP summarize the research from these studies ↩
17. World Resources Institute (2015): http://www.wri.org/blog/2015/11/insider-why-are-indc-studies-reaching-different-temperature-estimates ↩
18. UNEP. The Emissions Gap Report 2015 (2015) ↩
19. IPCC, AR5, WG III, Chapter 6 (2014) and UNEP. The Emissions Gap Report 2015 (2015) ↩
22. IPCC, AR5, WG III, Chapter 1 (2014) ↩
24. Key World Energy Statistics, International Energy Agency (2015) ↩
27. IPCC, AR5, WG III, Chapter 10 (2014) ↩
31. Synthesis report on the aggregate effect of the INDCs (FCCC/CP/2015/7) and UNEP. The Emissions Gap Report 2015 (2015) ↩
32. World Population Prospects: The 2015 Revision, United Nations Population Division (2015) ↩
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A History of Sheep Ranching at Madrone Coast Farm
Posted on March 20, 2019 March 20, 2019 by Fibershed
Written by May Reid-Marr & Photographed by Paige Green
In my first communication with Alison Charter-Smith of Madrone Coast Farm, she emphasized the importance of the farm’s location in Sheep Ranch, California. As you might guess from the name, this town of 35 has a long history of raising sheep, and an environmental and cultural legacy born of that practice that persists today. The place is imbued with sheep history.
Until December 2015, Madrone Coast Farm was located in Felton, California, just outside Santa Cruz. Alison and her husband’s move to Sheep Ranch, CA has meant a lot of changes for the farm, both logistical and cultural. The challenges of the move, however, have been offset not only by their beautiful new farm property but also by the community in Sheep Ranch. Since moving, Alison feels as if she has finally found her place.
The landscape around Sheep Ranch is classic California: nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the small town is surrounded by pine forest, and golden rolling hills punctuated by California live oak trees. The occasional small creek is marked by elderberry and willow. At about 3,500 feet of elevation, they have long, hot summers and cool, wet winters.
The town has an open grazing policy, meaning flocks are free to roam as they please. There is a herd of feral sheep, who can occasionally be seen wandering into town. Alison is surrounded by life-long sheep ranchers, including her neighbor, who is still tending her flock, at 90 years of age. The history of the place, and the agrarian community there was a huge draw to Alison and her husband. The property on which Madrone Coast Farm is now located was previously a horse ranch, and before that was used as rangeland for sheep and cattle. The area is also home to the Sierra Miwok Tribe, and evidence of their ancestry can be found on the property in the form of several grinding stones.
The move doubled the size of the farm from 97 acres in Felton, to 200 in Sheep Ranch. Being new to the property, Alison wasn’t sure what to expect from the land. With the arrival of spring, however, she was delighted to observe the wide variety of plant species present in her pasture. It yielded a great mixture of annuals and perennials including grasses and legumes, yarrow and chicories.
This incredible vitality in the pasture meant that the hills were green through June. Not only has this pasture provided excellent forage for her sheep, but it has also meant that she hasn’t needed to worm her animals once since the move. Her animals look healthier and fatter than in previous seasons, and she is expecting a good set of lambs this year. Watching the incredible benefits to her sheep on the new pasture has cemented Alison’s belief that raising pasture animals has everything to do with soil health. The diversity of Madrone Coast Farm and Alison’s management practices help produce strong soil. Healthy soil grows beautiful pasture, which means healthy animals, which means a more manageable workload and better financial sustainability for the business. It’s a win – win – win.
On the new property, Alison and her husband continue to raise a flock of 36 Olde English Babydoll Southdown sheep and Large Black hogs, breeds that were both developed in Southern England, where Alison’s family is from. They sell the resulting pork, lamb, and wool in addition to eggs and vegetables.
When she talks about the future of the farm, Alison’s enthusiasm is palpable. Moving forward, she has plans to expand the farm operation to include cattle. This addition will create more balanced grazing of the pasture, the multi-species grazing will improve soil health, and in turn yield a more balanced farm system overall. With more land, she also has the opportunity to expand the size of her sheep flock. She is breeding, of course, for animal health and breed conformation, but also for the quality of wool. With a few promising ewes, she is looking forward to seeing how the quality and quantity of her wool improves over time.
Alison views her farm not only as a system in itself but also as part of a larger cultural system. Her dedication to regenerative agriculture and agrarianism is immediately clear. She believes that working with animals is of huge benefit to people’s ethics and virtues. She is fond of saying that “animals make you so honest.” School groups often come out to the farm because she believes that interaction with animals, especially at a young age, grows compassion, curiosity, and awareness. Maintaining (or reviving) this familiarity with animals within her community remains a priority.
Alison’s ability to maintain an unabashed enthusiasm for the work she does, while being practical about the logistical realities of farming, make for a strong impression of dedication. She is equally dedicated to breeding preservation, quality wool production, pasture management, community building, agricultural education, and being a business owner. She manages to attend to each priority with grace and aplomb.
Learn more about Madrone Coast Farm, by visiting them on Facebook here.
Posted in Farmers, Interviews, Wool
All of Her Own Making: Designer and Fiber Artist Keyaira Terry
4 Simple Guidelines from the Fibershed Clothing Guide
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Subject Descriptor = Anthropology & Sociology
Professor M. G. Swift, Chair of Anthropology and Sociology
Dr Belinda Probert of department of Anthropology & Sociology......
Professor Stephen Mennell of department of Anthropology & So......
Dr Gary Bouma of department of Anthropology & Sociology
Dr William Foddy of Department of Anthropology & Sociology
Graduates Dr Michael Fett (left) and Harriet Fett (right), w......
Dr Robyn English of department of Anthropology & Sociology
Sue Stevenson (right) and June Harrison in Anthropology muse......
Professor Peter Boss of department of Anthropology & Sociolo......
Dr Evan Williams winner of 1982 Jean Martin Award
Chris Chamberlain (left) and David Scott launching 'Class Co......
Visiting Professor Don Swift
Lecturer in Sociology Andrew Milner
Professor of Sociology, W. H. Scott
Reader in Sociology, Dr Bob Birrell
Professor William H. Scott, Chair of Anthropology and Sociol......
Faculty of Arts associate dean (research) and deputy directo......
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Books Chevron Right
Author Interviews Chevron Right
Helen Hoang on how her mother's immigrant story inspired The Bride Test
By Maureen Lee Lenker
April 30, 2019 at 08:30 AM EDT
Credit: Eric Kieu; Penguin
With her debut novel The Kiss Quotient, Helen Hoang quickly established herself as an author to watch.
Published last June, the romance — which follows an autistic woman named Stella who hires an escort to help her get comfortable with intimacy — became a 2018 hit, making best-of-the-year lists and landing a movie deal.
The Kiss Quotient was not only an inspiring, heartwarming love story that she described as a reverse Pretty Woman, it also came with Hoang’s own compelling personal attachment to the tale: the fact that Stella’s neurodivergence helped Hoang make discoveries about herself and find answers she’d craved her entire life.
Now the author is back with an equally personal tale in The Bride Test. Here, her hero, Khai Diep, cousin to The Kiss Quotient’s Michael, is autistic — a young man who believes he has no feelings because of the stereotypes surrounding autism that have worn him down. Again, Hoang drew on her personal experiences and thoughts on the complicated emotionality of autism. “I would love for someone on the spectrum to read this book and to feel validated that they are emotional,” she tells EW. “That they are kind. That they have feelings.”
Even more personally, Hoang turned to another member of her family, her mother, a Vietnamese refugee, to craft her heroine, Esme Tran, a young woman who agrees to an arranged marriage for the chance at a better life for her family and finds love in the process. Though the story is set in the present day, Hoang based Esme’s journey on her mother’s story and the wells of inner strength it takes to create a new life for yourself in a strange and often unwelcoming place.
Ahead of the May 7 release of The Bride Test, EW caught up with Hoang to learn more about her mother’s impact on this book, why she wanted Khai to be her hero, and what pithy rom-com pitch she can attribute to her rich storytelling this go-around.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: The story of how Stella helped you make discoveries about yourself is so remarkable. In this case, Khai is your autistic character: Did you have to do different research or reach a different understanding of his neurodivergence, since it can be different for women and men?
HELEN HOANG: From the outside autism looks different between men and women, but I believe that on the inside it’s very similar. The main difference is that women have learned to mask their autistic traits better to fit in better with their peers for whatever reasons — be they society, or maybe there’s a genetic tendency. I don’t know. When I wrote Khai, I basically wrote an autistic woman but I took away the desire and the ability to mask his autism, so I think that’s the main difference. At least from what I’ve seen.
You created such a rich world in The Kiss Quotient. Why was Khai’s love story the next one you felt compelled to tell?
While I was researching autism, I ran across this website online, and they basically [said] that autistic people are heartless. That we don’t feel emotions and we can’t experience empathy. That made me really angry. Because it’s not true. It might look true sometimes. But it’s really not. A lot of the autistic people I’ve interacted with are the kindest, most considerate people I know. Khai was born from that feeling of injustice. I wanted to tell that story because it’s a pretty common stereotype for autistic people that we don’t have feelings, and I wanted to show how damaging it is to continue that and how bad it is when we ourselves believe that. I’ve gotten letters from parents saying that they worry because their children believe that about themselves, and it’s really heartbreaking to me. Another part of why I wanted to write Khai is that’s a journey that I’ve been going on throughout my life. When I was younger, I was told I have a stone heart. So many of those things are taken directly from my life, and I wanted to share that through him.
You write so beautifully of how your mom gave birth to Esme’s story in the author’s note. Can you tell us more about that?
Growing up, my mom told us her refugee story so many times. How she escaped from Vietnam by getting on the boats and the bombs were falling and everyone was terrified. There was a long trip and everyone was packed like sardines. I heard that story a lot. She made it sound like that was the hardest part, that was the most challenging part of being a refugee. But there’s an entire other side to her story. Escaping from Vietnam is a huge. It takes a massive amount of bravery, but starting over in a foreign country with a foreign language with no money with everyone depending on you, with racism and sexism, that’s something else entirely. That’s something that she never spoke to me about. I think she did that because she was protecting me. She wanted me to stay innocent. All I saw was her accomplishments, and I thought it was easy — that it was easy to be an immigrant and start over in a place that isn’t entirely kind to you. With this book, I wanted to illustrate that missing part of the story that she didn’t tell me, because it’s important and it might be even harder than escaping from Vietnam.
A lot of Esme’s story came directly from conversations with your mom?
A lot of them. Not entirely, because it did have to modernize. Esme isn’t a war refugee, but I definitely tried to bring as much of that experience of first coming to a country and trying to assimilate and being confused.
I know you recently lost your mom. In the wake of that, has The Bride Test taken on even more resonance and importance for you?
In my head, this book has become my mom’s book. The cover [is] yellow and red. I’m really proud to have those colors on the cover because they’re deeply Vietnamese. As much as [my mom] loves America, she loved her homeland too, even though she didn’t agree with the politics. Looking at the book reminds me of her. It reminds me of how strong she was and how much she loved all of her kids. It brings me back to those conversations I had with her while I was drafting the book. She talked to me about what it’s like to be poor in Vietnam and about what it was like when she first came to the U.S. The first time someone offered her breakfast cereal, and she had no idea what it was. She worked 19 hours a day, but she had that drive because she wanted to take care of her family and she wanted to prove herself. I can remember all that when I look at this book. I’m hoping over time, it will erase the memory of what she was like at the end, and then I will only see the good parts.
For so many, The Kiss Quotient gave readers empathetic insight into what it’s like for someone on the spectrum. Certainly Khai still fills that need, but do you hope or intend for the novel to do the same for the Vietnamese immigrant experience?
I would love for the book to provide some insight into that. I honestly did my best. But I admit that I’m constrained by my lack of personal experience because I’m not an immigrant. I’ve never been poor like my mom, and so when I was writing this book I felt that lack. I felt it very keenly. I know that if I’d lived this experience that I could’ve brought so much more depth and nuance to the story and to the character. I would love to see new voices rise and share these stories from a more authentic perspective.
As you were writing, the nation’s stance on immigration has become intensely volatile and troubling — did that impact your story at all or make it difficult or more pressing to write?
Around the time that I finished writing The Kiss Quotient was when our new president was elected, and that was a fiery moment for me. Shocking. And then there was the Muslim ban and all these things. I wrote this book with a fire in my heart. I wanted badly to humanize immigrants. I know that it’s a controversial topic, that people are coming into the country illegally. I know that that is wrong, but I think it’s important to look at people as people and not as numbers on paper or as statistics. They will give visas to people with certain qualifications — skills, education, or if they’re very wealthy. When you judge a person based on those criteria, it’s guaranteed you’re going to miss out.
How do you feel about the fact that your work has sort of transcended genre in a sense? I talk to so many people who aren’t romance readers who just delight in your writing.
I’m extremely honored by that. I love romance. I’m proud if I can introduce people to romance. But mostly I’m just grateful when anyone reads my books.
We get more glimpses of fan-favorite character Quan here — he’s next, right?
Yes. Quan is next. That’s the book I’m writing now, and I’m trying really hard to give him a story that is worthy of him because I just love him to pieces. It’s called The Heart Principle. It is kind of a cross between a gender-swapped Sabrina and Say Anything.
You often described The Kiss Quotient as a reverse Pretty Woman. Do you have something equally as pithy for The Bride Test?
Green Card meets Four Weddings and a Funeral — but with autism.
For more, pick up the new issue of Entertainment Weekly, on stands now or buy it here. Don’t forget to subscribe for more exclusive interviews and photos, only in EW.
The 10 best romance novels of 2018
How Hollywood is rekindling the rom-com — with the help of romance novels
Writing a romance novel with an autistic heroine helped Helen Hoang understand herself
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A review of the epidemiologic evidence linking ultraviolet radiation and cataracts.
Catherine A. McCarty, Hugh R. Taylor
Administration (DMED)
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cataract is the most common cause of blindness in the world and there are currently no strategies to prevent it. The aim of this paper is to review the epidemiologic evidence linking ultraviolet (UV) radiation and cataract. METHODS: Published epidemiologic research articles on UV and cataract were reviewed against the epidemiologic criteria for causality: biological plausibility, strength of the association, specificity, experimental evidence, temporal sequence of events, dose-response relationship, and consistency. RESULTS: The majority of the 22 epidemiologic studies reviewed met most of the epidemiologic criteria for causality and support an association between UV-B and the development of cortical cataract and perhaps posterior subcapsular cataract. CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiologic data justify the implementation of public health campaigns to raise public awareness of the risk of cortical cataract due to ocular UV-B exposure. Future researchers should be careful to avoid potential bias by measuring personal ocular UV exposure and by quantifying cataract carefully.
Developments in ophthalmology
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'A review of the epidemiologic evidence linking ultraviolet radiation and cataracts.'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Ultraviolet Rays Medicine & Life Sciences
Cataract Medicine & Life Sciences
Causality Medicine & Life Sciences
Eye Medicine & Life Sciences
Blindness Medicine & Life Sciences
Health Promotion Medicine & Life Sciences
Epidemiologic Studies Medicine & Life Sciences
Public Health Medicine & Life Sciences
McCarty, C. A., & Taylor, H. R. (2002). A review of the epidemiologic evidence linking ultraviolet radiation and cataracts. Developments in ophthalmology, 35, 21-31.
A review of the epidemiologic evidence linking ultraviolet radiation and cataracts. / McCarty, Catherine A.; Taylor, Hugh R.
In: Developments in ophthalmology, Vol. 35, 2002, p. 21-31.
McCarty, CA & Taylor, HR 2002, 'A review of the epidemiologic evidence linking ultraviolet radiation and cataracts.', Developments in ophthalmology, vol. 35, pp. 21-31.
McCarty CA, Taylor HR. A review of the epidemiologic evidence linking ultraviolet radiation and cataracts. Developments in ophthalmology. 2002;35:21-31.
McCarty, Catherine A. ; Taylor, Hugh R. / A review of the epidemiologic evidence linking ultraviolet radiation and cataracts. In: Developments in ophthalmology. 2002 ; Vol. 35. pp. 21-31.
@article{3b1424526e394d59b437177fb21917ca,
title = "A review of the epidemiologic evidence linking ultraviolet radiation and cataracts.",
abstract = "BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cataract is the most common cause of blindness in the world and there are currently no strategies to prevent it. The aim of this paper is to review the epidemiologic evidence linking ultraviolet (UV) radiation and cataract. METHODS: Published epidemiologic research articles on UV and cataract were reviewed against the epidemiologic criteria for causality: biological plausibility, strength of the association, specificity, experimental evidence, temporal sequence of events, dose-response relationship, and consistency. RESULTS: The majority of the 22 epidemiologic studies reviewed met most of the epidemiologic criteria for causality and support an association between UV-B and the development of cortical cataract and perhaps posterior subcapsular cataract. CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiologic data justify the implementation of public health campaigns to raise public awareness of the risk of cortical cataract due to ocular UV-B exposure. Future researchers should be careful to avoid potential bias by measuring personal ocular UV exposure and by quantifying cataract carefully.",
author = "McCarty, {Catherine A.} and Taylor, {Hugh R.}",
journal = "Modern problems in ophthalmology",
publisher = "S. Karger AG",
T1 - A review of the epidemiologic evidence linking ultraviolet radiation and cataracts.
AU - McCarty, Catherine A.
AU - Taylor, Hugh R.
N2 - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cataract is the most common cause of blindness in the world and there are currently no strategies to prevent it. The aim of this paper is to review the epidemiologic evidence linking ultraviolet (UV) radiation and cataract. METHODS: Published epidemiologic research articles on UV and cataract were reviewed against the epidemiologic criteria for causality: biological plausibility, strength of the association, specificity, experimental evidence, temporal sequence of events, dose-response relationship, and consistency. RESULTS: The majority of the 22 epidemiologic studies reviewed met most of the epidemiologic criteria for causality and support an association between UV-B and the development of cortical cataract and perhaps posterior subcapsular cataract. CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiologic data justify the implementation of public health campaigns to raise public awareness of the risk of cortical cataract due to ocular UV-B exposure. Future researchers should be careful to avoid potential bias by measuring personal ocular UV exposure and by quantifying cataract carefully.
AB - BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cataract is the most common cause of blindness in the world and there are currently no strategies to prevent it. The aim of this paper is to review the epidemiologic evidence linking ultraviolet (UV) radiation and cataract. METHODS: Published epidemiologic research articles on UV and cataract were reviewed against the epidemiologic criteria for causality: biological plausibility, strength of the association, specificity, experimental evidence, temporal sequence of events, dose-response relationship, and consistency. RESULTS: The majority of the 22 epidemiologic studies reviewed met most of the epidemiologic criteria for causality and support an association between UV-B and the development of cortical cataract and perhaps posterior subcapsular cataract. CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiologic data justify the implementation of public health campaigns to raise public awareness of the risk of cortical cataract due to ocular UV-B exposure. Future researchers should be careful to avoid potential bias by measuring personal ocular UV exposure and by quantifying cataract carefully.
JO - Modern problems in ophthalmology
JF - Modern problems in ophthalmology
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Captopril: Association with Fetal Death and Pulmonary Vascular Changes in the Rabbit
Ingegerd M. Keith, James A. Will, E. Kenneth Weir
Captopril (D-3-mercapto-2-methylpropanoyl-L-proline) has recently been approved for the treatment of refractory systemic hypertension. Administration of this agent has been shown experimentally to decrease circulating levels of angiotensin II and to increase levels of bradykinin and prostaglandins. In order to examine the effect on the pulmonary vasculature of the neonate, captopril was administered to rabbits from the middle of pregnancy to term, at doses comparable to those used in man. Fetal death in 20 treated rabbits was 86%, in contrast to 1% in 12 control rabbits. Some of the rabbits were made hypoxic in a hypobaric chamber (522 mm Hg pressure) during the period of captopril administration. Under these conditions, captopril administered to the maternal rabbits had a demonstrable cardiopulmonary effect in the neonates, as demonstrated by a significant reduction in pulmonary arteriolar medial thickness and both left and right ventricular weights compared to the hypoxic untreated controls. In view of these observations it would be prudent to avoid using captopril for the treatment of hypertension during pregnancy, until the mechanism of fetal death and the reasons for species variation are known.
Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine
https://doi.org/10.3181/00379727-170-41446
10.3181/00379727-170-41446
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Captopril: Association with Fetal Death and Pulmonary Vascular Changes in the Rabbit'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Fetal Death Medicine & Life Sciences
Captopril Medicine & Life Sciences
Rabbits Medicine & Life Sciences
Pregnancy Medicine & Life Sciences
Bradykinin Medicine & Life Sciences
Keith, I. M., Will, J. A., & Weir, E. K. (1982). Captopril: Association with Fetal Death and Pulmonary Vascular Changes in the Rabbit. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, 170(3), 378-383. https://doi.org/10.3181/00379727-170-41446
Captopril : Association with Fetal Death and Pulmonary Vascular Changes in the Rabbit. / Keith, Ingegerd M.; Will, James A.; Weir, E. Kenneth.
In: Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, Vol. 170, No. 3, 07.1982, p. 378-383.
Keith, IM, Will, JA & Weir, EK 1982, 'Captopril: Association with Fetal Death and Pulmonary Vascular Changes in the Rabbit', Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, vol. 170, no. 3, pp. 378-383. https://doi.org/10.3181/00379727-170-41446
Keith IM, Will JA, Weir EK. Captopril: Association with Fetal Death and Pulmonary Vascular Changes in the Rabbit. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. 1982 Jul;170(3):378-383. https://doi.org/10.3181/00379727-170-41446
Keith, Ingegerd M. ; Will, James A. ; Weir, E. Kenneth. / Captopril : Association with Fetal Death and Pulmonary Vascular Changes in the Rabbit. In: Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine. 1982 ; Vol. 170, No. 3. pp. 378-383.
@article{106d6e75a07f4fb78ab62bd239b0b52c,
title = "Captopril: Association with Fetal Death and Pulmonary Vascular Changes in the Rabbit",
abstract = "Captopril (D-3-mercapto-2-methylpropanoyl-L-proline) has recently been approved for the treatment of refractory systemic hypertension. Administration of this agent has been shown experimentally to decrease circulating levels of angiotensin II and to increase levels of bradykinin and prostaglandins. In order to examine the effect on the pulmonary vasculature of the neonate, captopril was administered to rabbits from the middle of pregnancy to term, at doses comparable to those used in man. Fetal death in 20 treated rabbits was 86%, in contrast to 1% in 12 control rabbits. Some of the rabbits were made hypoxic in a hypobaric chamber (522 mm Hg pressure) during the period of captopril administration. Under these conditions, captopril administered to the maternal rabbits had a demonstrable cardiopulmonary effect in the neonates, as demonstrated by a significant reduction in pulmonary arteriolar medial thickness and both left and right ventricular weights compared to the hypoxic untreated controls. In view of these observations it would be prudent to avoid using captopril for the treatment of hypertension during pregnancy, until the mechanism of fetal death and the reasons for species variation are known.",
author = "Keith, {Ingegerd M.} and Will, {James A.} and Weir, {E. Kenneth}",
doi = "10.3181/00379727-170-41446",
journal = "Experimental Biology and Medicine",
T1 - Captopril
T2 - Association with Fetal Death and Pulmonary Vascular Changes in the Rabbit
AU - Keith, Ingegerd M.
AU - Will, James A.
AU - Weir, E. Kenneth
N2 - Captopril (D-3-mercapto-2-methylpropanoyl-L-proline) has recently been approved for the treatment of refractory systemic hypertension. Administration of this agent has been shown experimentally to decrease circulating levels of angiotensin II and to increase levels of bradykinin and prostaglandins. In order to examine the effect on the pulmonary vasculature of the neonate, captopril was administered to rabbits from the middle of pregnancy to term, at doses comparable to those used in man. Fetal death in 20 treated rabbits was 86%, in contrast to 1% in 12 control rabbits. Some of the rabbits were made hypoxic in a hypobaric chamber (522 mm Hg pressure) during the period of captopril administration. Under these conditions, captopril administered to the maternal rabbits had a demonstrable cardiopulmonary effect in the neonates, as demonstrated by a significant reduction in pulmonary arteriolar medial thickness and both left and right ventricular weights compared to the hypoxic untreated controls. In view of these observations it would be prudent to avoid using captopril for the treatment of hypertension during pregnancy, until the mechanism of fetal death and the reasons for species variation are known.
AB - Captopril (D-3-mercapto-2-methylpropanoyl-L-proline) has recently been approved for the treatment of refractory systemic hypertension. Administration of this agent has been shown experimentally to decrease circulating levels of angiotensin II and to increase levels of bradykinin and prostaglandins. In order to examine the effect on the pulmonary vasculature of the neonate, captopril was administered to rabbits from the middle of pregnancy to term, at doses comparable to those used in man. Fetal death in 20 treated rabbits was 86%, in contrast to 1% in 12 control rabbits. Some of the rabbits were made hypoxic in a hypobaric chamber (522 mm Hg pressure) during the period of captopril administration. Under these conditions, captopril administered to the maternal rabbits had a demonstrable cardiopulmonary effect in the neonates, as demonstrated by a significant reduction in pulmonary arteriolar medial thickness and both left and right ventricular weights compared to the hypoxic untreated controls. In view of these observations it would be prudent to avoid using captopril for the treatment of hypertension during pregnancy, until the mechanism of fetal death and the reasons for species variation are known.
U2 - 10.3181/00379727-170-41446
DO - 10.3181/00379727-170-41446
JO - Experimental Biology and Medicine
JF - Experimental Biology and Medicine
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| 0.702348
| 0.702348
|
Gas production by feces of infants
Tianan Jiang, Fabrizis L. Suarez, Michael D. Levitt, Steven E. Nelson, Ekhard E. Ziegler
Background: Intestinal gas is thought to be the cause abdominal discomfort in infants. Little is known about the type and amount of gas produced by the infant's colonic microflora and whether diet influences gas formation. Methods: Fresh stool specimens were collected from 10 breast-fed infants, 5 infants fed a soy-based formula, and 3 infants fed a milk-based formula at approximately 1, 2, and 3 months of age. Feces were incubated anaerobically for 4 hours at 37°C followed by quantitation of hydrogen (H2), methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), methanethiol (CH3SH), and dimethyl sulfide (CH3SCH3) in the headspace. Results: H2 was produced in greater amounts by breast-fed infants than by infants in either formula group, presumably the consequence of incomplete absorption of breast milk oligosaccharides. CH4 was produced in greater amounts by infants fed soy formula than by infants on other diets. CO2 was produced in similar amounts by infants in all feeding groups. Production of CH3SH was conspicuously low by feces of breast-fed infants and production of H2S was high by soy-formula-fed infants. CH3SCH3 was not detected. Only modest changes with age were observed and there was no relation between gas production and stool consistency, although stools were more likely to be malodorous when concentrations of H2S and/or CH3SH were high. Conclusions: Gas release by infant feces is strongly influenced by an infant's diet. Of particular interest are differences in production of the highly toxic sulfur gases, H2S and CH3SH, because of the role that these gases may play in certain intestinal disorders of infants.
Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition
Breast-fed
Formula-fed
Gas production
Infant feces
Sulfur gases
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Gas production by feces of infants'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Feces Medicine & Life Sciences
Gases Medicine & Life Sciences
Infant Formula Medicine & Life Sciences
Diet Medicine & Life Sciences
methylmercaptan Medicine & Life Sciences
dimethyl sulfide Medicine & Life Sciences
Hydrogen Sulfide Medicine & Life Sciences
Jiang, T., Suarez, F. L., Levitt, M. D., Nelson, S. E., & Ziegler, E. E. (2001). Gas production by feces of infants. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, 32(5), 534-541. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005176-200105000-00009
Gas production by feces of infants. / Jiang, Tianan; Suarez, Fabrizis L.; Levitt, Michael D.; Nelson, Steven E.; Ziegler, Ekhard E.
In: Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, Vol. 32, No. 5, 12.07.2001, p. 534-541.
Jiang, T, Suarez, FL, Levitt, MD, Nelson, SE & Ziegler, EE 2001, 'Gas production by feces of infants', Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, vol. 32, no. 5, pp. 534-541. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005176-200105000-00009
Jiang T, Suarez FL, Levitt MD, Nelson SE, Ziegler EE. Gas production by feces of infants. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition. 2001 Jul 12;32(5):534-541. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005176-200105000-00009
Jiang, Tianan ; Suarez, Fabrizis L. ; Levitt, Michael D. ; Nelson, Steven E. ; Ziegler, Ekhard E. / Gas production by feces of infants. In: Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition. 2001 ; Vol. 32, No. 5. pp. 534-541.
@article{fad8cc8a473c4b7ea5b45eefdc7a128a,
title = "Gas production by feces of infants",
abstract = "Background: Intestinal gas is thought to be the cause abdominal discomfort in infants. Little is known about the type and amount of gas produced by the infant's colonic microflora and whether diet influences gas formation. Methods: Fresh stool specimens were collected from 10 breast-fed infants, 5 infants fed a soy-based formula, and 3 infants fed a milk-based formula at approximately 1, 2, and 3 months of age. Feces were incubated anaerobically for 4 hours at 37°C followed by quantitation of hydrogen (H2), methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), methanethiol (CH3SH), and dimethyl sulfide (CH3SCH3) in the headspace. Results: H2 was produced in greater amounts by breast-fed infants than by infants in either formula group, presumably the consequence of incomplete absorption of breast milk oligosaccharides. CH4 was produced in greater amounts by infants fed soy formula than by infants on other diets. CO2 was produced in similar amounts by infants in all feeding groups. Production of CH3SH was conspicuously low by feces of breast-fed infants and production of H2S was high by soy-formula-fed infants. CH3SCH3 was not detected. Only modest changes with age were observed and there was no relation between gas production and stool consistency, although stools were more likely to be malodorous when concentrations of H2S and/or CH3SH were high. Conclusions: Gas release by infant feces is strongly influenced by an infant's diet. Of particular interest are differences in production of the highly toxic sulfur gases, H2S and CH3SH, because of the role that these gases may play in certain intestinal disorders of infants.",
keywords = "Breast-fed, Formula-fed, Gas production, Infant feces, Sulfur gases",
author = "Tianan Jiang and Suarez, {Fabrizis L.} and Levitt, {Michael D.} and Nelson, {Steven E.} and Ziegler, {Ekhard E.}",
journal = "Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition",
T1 - Gas production by feces of infants
AU - Jiang, Tianan
AU - Suarez, Fabrizis L.
AU - Levitt, Michael D.
AU - Nelson, Steven E.
AU - Ziegler, Ekhard E.
N2 - Background: Intestinal gas is thought to be the cause abdominal discomfort in infants. Little is known about the type and amount of gas produced by the infant's colonic microflora and whether diet influences gas formation. Methods: Fresh stool specimens were collected from 10 breast-fed infants, 5 infants fed a soy-based formula, and 3 infants fed a milk-based formula at approximately 1, 2, and 3 months of age. Feces were incubated anaerobically for 4 hours at 37°C followed by quantitation of hydrogen (H2), methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), methanethiol (CH3SH), and dimethyl sulfide (CH3SCH3) in the headspace. Results: H2 was produced in greater amounts by breast-fed infants than by infants in either formula group, presumably the consequence of incomplete absorption of breast milk oligosaccharides. CH4 was produced in greater amounts by infants fed soy formula than by infants on other diets. CO2 was produced in similar amounts by infants in all feeding groups. Production of CH3SH was conspicuously low by feces of breast-fed infants and production of H2S was high by soy-formula-fed infants. CH3SCH3 was not detected. Only modest changes with age were observed and there was no relation between gas production and stool consistency, although stools were more likely to be malodorous when concentrations of H2S and/or CH3SH were high. Conclusions: Gas release by infant feces is strongly influenced by an infant's diet. Of particular interest are differences in production of the highly toxic sulfur gases, H2S and CH3SH, because of the role that these gases may play in certain intestinal disorders of infants.
AB - Background: Intestinal gas is thought to be the cause abdominal discomfort in infants. Little is known about the type and amount of gas produced by the infant's colonic microflora and whether diet influences gas formation. Methods: Fresh stool specimens were collected from 10 breast-fed infants, 5 infants fed a soy-based formula, and 3 infants fed a milk-based formula at approximately 1, 2, and 3 months of age. Feces were incubated anaerobically for 4 hours at 37°C followed by quantitation of hydrogen (H2), methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), methanethiol (CH3SH), and dimethyl sulfide (CH3SCH3) in the headspace. Results: H2 was produced in greater amounts by breast-fed infants than by infants in either formula group, presumably the consequence of incomplete absorption of breast milk oligosaccharides. CH4 was produced in greater amounts by infants fed soy formula than by infants on other diets. CO2 was produced in similar amounts by infants in all feeding groups. Production of CH3SH was conspicuously low by feces of breast-fed infants and production of H2S was high by soy-formula-fed infants. CH3SCH3 was not detected. Only modest changes with age were observed and there was no relation between gas production and stool consistency, although stools were more likely to be malodorous when concentrations of H2S and/or CH3SH were high. Conclusions: Gas release by infant feces is strongly influenced by an infant's diet. Of particular interest are differences in production of the highly toxic sulfur gases, H2S and CH3SH, because of the role that these gases may play in certain intestinal disorders of infants.
KW - Breast-fed
KW - Formula-fed
KW - Gas production
KW - Infant feces
KW - Sulfur gases
JO - Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
JF - Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
|
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| 0.36957
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Seizures following head trauma in dogs: 259 cases (1999-2009)
Steven G. Friedenberg, Amy L. Butler, Lai Wei, Sarah A. Moore, Edward S. Cooper
Objective-To determine whether dogs with head trauma have a greater incidence of seizures than the general canine patient population. Design-Retrospective case series. Animals-259 client-owned dogs. Procedures-Medical records of dogs evaluated for head trauma at The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center from 1999 to 2009 were reviewed. Data were collected regarding the cause of the head trauma, physical examination and neurologic examination findings, comorbidities, and the development of seizures during hospitalization. A telephone survey was conducted to question owners regarding the development of seizures after discharge. Relationships between the nature of the head trauma and the development of seizures were then examined. Results-3.5% of dogs with head trauma developed in-hospital seizures, and 6.8% of dogs with head trauma for which follow-up information was available developed seizures after hospital discharge, compared with an epilepsy rate of 1.4% in our hospital. Dogs that developed in-hospital seizures were significantly more likely to have been hit by a car or experienced acceleration-deceleration injury. Additionally, 10% of dogs with traumatic brain injury had in-hospital seizures. No visit or patient characteristics were significantly associated with the development of out-of-hospital seizures. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Dogs with head trauma may develop seizures at a greater rate than dogs in the general canine patient population. Particularly in the immediate to early posttraumatic period, clinicians should remain vigilant for the development of posttraumatic seizures and treat patients accordingly.
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.241.11.1479
10.2460/javma.241.11.1479
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Seizures following head trauma in dogs: 259 cases (1999-2009)'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
seizures Agriculture & Biology
Craniocerebral Trauma Medicine & Life Sciences
dogs Agriculture & Biology
Dogs Medicine & Life Sciences
neurological examination Agriculture & Biology
Canidae Medicine & Life Sciences
comorbidity Agriculture & Biology
Friedenberg, S. G., Butler, A. L., Wei, L., Moore, S. A., & Cooper, E. S. (2012). Seizures following head trauma in dogs: 259 cases (1999-2009). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 241(11), 1479-1483. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.241.11.1479
Seizures following head trauma in dogs : 259 cases (1999-2009). / Friedenberg, Steven G.; Butler, Amy L.; Wei, Lai; Moore, Sarah A.; Cooper, Edward S.
In: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Vol. 241, No. 11, 01.12.2012, p. 1479-1483.
Friedenberg, SG, Butler, AL, Wei, L, Moore, SA & Cooper, ES 2012, 'Seizures following head trauma in dogs: 259 cases (1999-2009)', Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, vol. 241, no. 11, pp. 1479-1483. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.241.11.1479
Friedenberg SG, Butler AL, Wei L, Moore SA, Cooper ES. Seizures following head trauma in dogs: 259 cases (1999-2009). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 2012 Dec 1;241(11):1479-1483. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.241.11.1479
Friedenberg, Steven G. ; Butler, Amy L. ; Wei, Lai ; Moore, Sarah A. ; Cooper, Edward S. / Seizures following head trauma in dogs : 259 cases (1999-2009). In: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 2012 ; Vol. 241, No. 11. pp. 1479-1483.
@article{60b7d911ae8e4368be8dd91690acace3,
title = "Seizures following head trauma in dogs: 259 cases (1999-2009)",
abstract = "Objective-To determine whether dogs with head trauma have a greater incidence of seizures than the general canine patient population. Design-Retrospective case series. Animals-259 client-owned dogs. Procedures-Medical records of dogs evaluated for head trauma at The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center from 1999 to 2009 were reviewed. Data were collected regarding the cause of the head trauma, physical examination and neurologic examination findings, comorbidities, and the development of seizures during hospitalization. A telephone survey was conducted to question owners regarding the development of seizures after discharge. Relationships between the nature of the head trauma and the development of seizures were then examined. Results-3.5% of dogs with head trauma developed in-hospital seizures, and 6.8% of dogs with head trauma for which follow-up information was available developed seizures after hospital discharge, compared with an epilepsy rate of 1.4% in our hospital. Dogs that developed in-hospital seizures were significantly more likely to have been hit by a car or experienced acceleration-deceleration injury. Additionally, 10% of dogs with traumatic brain injury had in-hospital seizures. No visit or patient characteristics were significantly associated with the development of out-of-hospital seizures. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Dogs with head trauma may develop seizures at a greater rate than dogs in the general canine patient population. Particularly in the immediate to early posttraumatic period, clinicians should remain vigilant for the development of posttraumatic seizures and treat patients accordingly.",
author = "Friedenberg, {Steven G.} and Butler, {Amy L.} and Lai Wei and Moore, {Sarah A.} and Cooper, {Edward S.}",
doi = "10.2460/javma.241.11.1479",
journal = "Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association",
publisher = "American Veterinary Medical Association",
T1 - Seizures following head trauma in dogs
T2 - 259 cases (1999-2009)
AU - Friedenberg, Steven G.
AU - Butler, Amy L.
AU - Wei, Lai
AU - Moore, Sarah A.
AU - Cooper, Edward S.
N2 - Objective-To determine whether dogs with head trauma have a greater incidence of seizures than the general canine patient population. Design-Retrospective case series. Animals-259 client-owned dogs. Procedures-Medical records of dogs evaluated for head trauma at The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center from 1999 to 2009 were reviewed. Data were collected regarding the cause of the head trauma, physical examination and neurologic examination findings, comorbidities, and the development of seizures during hospitalization. A telephone survey was conducted to question owners regarding the development of seizures after discharge. Relationships between the nature of the head trauma and the development of seizures were then examined. Results-3.5% of dogs with head trauma developed in-hospital seizures, and 6.8% of dogs with head trauma for which follow-up information was available developed seizures after hospital discharge, compared with an epilepsy rate of 1.4% in our hospital. Dogs that developed in-hospital seizures were significantly more likely to have been hit by a car or experienced acceleration-deceleration injury. Additionally, 10% of dogs with traumatic brain injury had in-hospital seizures. No visit or patient characteristics were significantly associated with the development of out-of-hospital seizures. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Dogs with head trauma may develop seizures at a greater rate than dogs in the general canine patient population. Particularly in the immediate to early posttraumatic period, clinicians should remain vigilant for the development of posttraumatic seizures and treat patients accordingly.
AB - Objective-To determine whether dogs with head trauma have a greater incidence of seizures than the general canine patient population. Design-Retrospective case series. Animals-259 client-owned dogs. Procedures-Medical records of dogs evaluated for head trauma at The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center from 1999 to 2009 were reviewed. Data were collected regarding the cause of the head trauma, physical examination and neurologic examination findings, comorbidities, and the development of seizures during hospitalization. A telephone survey was conducted to question owners regarding the development of seizures after discharge. Relationships between the nature of the head trauma and the development of seizures were then examined. Results-3.5% of dogs with head trauma developed in-hospital seizures, and 6.8% of dogs with head trauma for which follow-up information was available developed seizures after hospital discharge, compared with an epilepsy rate of 1.4% in our hospital. Dogs that developed in-hospital seizures were significantly more likely to have been hit by a car or experienced acceleration-deceleration injury. Additionally, 10% of dogs with traumatic brain injury had in-hospital seizures. No visit or patient characteristics were significantly associated with the development of out-of-hospital seizures. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Dogs with head trauma may develop seizures at a greater rate than dogs in the general canine patient population. Particularly in the immediate to early posttraumatic period, clinicians should remain vigilant for the development of posttraumatic seizures and treat patients accordingly.
U2 - 10.2460/javma.241.11.1479
DO - 10.2460/javma.241.11.1479
JO - Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
JF - Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
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Strategies to identify long noncoding RNAs involved in gene regulation
Catherine Lee, Nobuaki Kikyo
Stem Cell Institute
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been detected in nearly every cell type and found to be fundamentally involved in many biological processes. The characterization of lncRNAs has immense potential to advance our comprehensive understanding of cellular processes and gene regulation, along with implications for the treatment of human disease. The recent ENCODE (Encyclopedia of DNA Elements) study reported 9,640 lncRNA loci in the human genome, which corresponds to around half the number of protein-coding genes. Because of this sheer number and their functional diversity, it is crucial to identify a pool of potentially relevant lncRNAs early on in a given study. In this review, we evaluate the methods for isolating lncRNAs by immunoprecipitation and review the advantages, disadvantages, and applications of three widely used approaches - microarray, tiling array, and RNA-seq - for identifying lncRNAs involved in gene regulation. We also look at ways in which data from publicly available databases such as ENCODE can support the study of lncRNAs.
Tiling array
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Strategies to identify long noncoding RNAs involved in gene regulation'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Long Noncoding RNA Chemical Compounds
DNA Chemical Compounds
Human Genome Medicine & Life Sciences
Biological Phenomena Medicine & Life Sciences
Immunoprecipitation Medicine & Life Sciences
RNA Chemical Compounds
Lee, C., & Kikyo, N. (2012). Strategies to identify long noncoding RNAs involved in gene regulation. Cell and Bioscience, 2(1), [37]. https://doi.org/10.1186/2045-3701-2-37
Strategies to identify long noncoding RNAs involved in gene regulation. / Lee, Catherine; Kikyo, Nobuaki.
In: Cell and Bioscience, Vol. 2, No. 1, 37, 06.11.2012.
Lee, C & Kikyo, N 2012, 'Strategies to identify long noncoding RNAs involved in gene regulation', Cell and Bioscience, vol. 2, no. 1, 37. https://doi.org/10.1186/2045-3701-2-37
Lee C, Kikyo N. Strategies to identify long noncoding RNAs involved in gene regulation. Cell and Bioscience. 2012 Nov 6;2(1). 37. https://doi.org/10.1186/2045-3701-2-37
Lee, Catherine ; Kikyo, Nobuaki. / Strategies to identify long noncoding RNAs involved in gene regulation. In: Cell and Bioscience. 2012 ; Vol. 2, No. 1.
@article{357bc0b5d1d04644b6dbbdab18600a05,
title = "Strategies to identify long noncoding RNAs involved in gene regulation",
abstract = "Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been detected in nearly every cell type and found to be fundamentally involved in many biological processes. The characterization of lncRNAs has immense potential to advance our comprehensive understanding of cellular processes and gene regulation, along with implications for the treatment of human disease. The recent ENCODE (Encyclopedia of DNA Elements) study reported 9,640 lncRNA loci in the human genome, which corresponds to around half the number of protein-coding genes. Because of this sheer number and their functional diversity, it is crucial to identify a pool of potentially relevant lncRNAs early on in a given study. In this review, we evaluate the methods for isolating lncRNAs by immunoprecipitation and review the advantages, disadvantages, and applications of three widely used approaches - microarray, tiling array, and RNA-seq - for identifying lncRNAs involved in gene regulation. We also look at ways in which data from publicly available databases such as ENCODE can support the study of lncRNAs.",
keywords = "ENCODE, Immunoprecipitation, Long noncoding RNA, Microarray, RNA-seq, Tiling array",
author = "Catherine Lee and Nobuaki Kikyo",
journal = "Cell and Bioscience",
publisher = "Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America",
T1 - Strategies to identify long noncoding RNAs involved in gene regulation
AU - Lee, Catherine
AU - Kikyo, Nobuaki
N2 - Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been detected in nearly every cell type and found to be fundamentally involved in many biological processes. The characterization of lncRNAs has immense potential to advance our comprehensive understanding of cellular processes and gene regulation, along with implications for the treatment of human disease. The recent ENCODE (Encyclopedia of DNA Elements) study reported 9,640 lncRNA loci in the human genome, which corresponds to around half the number of protein-coding genes. Because of this sheer number and their functional diversity, it is crucial to identify a pool of potentially relevant lncRNAs early on in a given study. In this review, we evaluate the methods for isolating lncRNAs by immunoprecipitation and review the advantages, disadvantages, and applications of three widely used approaches - microarray, tiling array, and RNA-seq - for identifying lncRNAs involved in gene regulation. We also look at ways in which data from publicly available databases such as ENCODE can support the study of lncRNAs.
AB - Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been detected in nearly every cell type and found to be fundamentally involved in many biological processes. The characterization of lncRNAs has immense potential to advance our comprehensive understanding of cellular processes and gene regulation, along with implications for the treatment of human disease. The recent ENCODE (Encyclopedia of DNA Elements) study reported 9,640 lncRNA loci in the human genome, which corresponds to around half the number of protein-coding genes. Because of this sheer number and their functional diversity, it is crucial to identify a pool of potentially relevant lncRNAs early on in a given study. In this review, we evaluate the methods for isolating lncRNAs by immunoprecipitation and review the advantages, disadvantages, and applications of three widely used approaches - microarray, tiling array, and RNA-seq - for identifying lncRNAs involved in gene regulation. We also look at ways in which data from publicly available databases such as ENCODE can support the study of lncRNAs.
KW - ENCODE
KW - Immunoprecipitation
KW - Long noncoding RNA
KW - Microarray
KW - Tiling array
JO - Cell and Bioscience
JF - Cell and Bioscience
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Unseen Showgirl Icons: Vanessa Show
Crew· July 25, 2020
When talking about LGBTQI+ entertainers in Latin America, it is impossible not to mention Vanessa Show, a legendary character who paved the way for Argentinean trans women in mainstream media.
Vanessa was born in 1950, and she lived a lavish childhood in a wealthy upper-class family —her father was a successful Egyptian farmer and her mother a Moroccan heiress and from a very early age, Vanessa was held to high moral standards by her parents.
At 13, after finishing elementary school, Vanessa escapes from her home in Santiago del Estero, looking to find herself. She settles in Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, where, despite the fact that she was destitute and homeless she pursues a career as a performer. In the city, Vanessa works as a dishwasher and potato peeler, and invests every penny earned in dance classes. At 15, she begins working as a backup dancer in some of the most prestigious venues of the city, the Maipo and the National theatres. There, she performed elaborated tricks and choreographies alongside some of the most recognized showgirls of the time.
It wasn’t until the early-1970s, with the dawn of sexual liberation, that she began to explore her gender identity through clothing. Alongside a group of male dancers with whom she worked, Vanessa got in full drag and took to the streets to celebrate along with her friends. That was the moment when she realized that she felt the most comfortable presenting herself as a woman.
She quit her job as a backup dancer to pursue a career as a showgirl. She began working in minor venues and cabarets in the city of Buenos Aires until she earned the main role in a production at the legendary Teatro Corrientes. At the time, drag and “female impersonation” were illegal, and she was severely censured by the authorities. In this regard, she recalls in a 2019 interview:
“It was a burlesque theatre. I was the star and I was backstage, about to go out and close the show. All of the sudden, two police officers burst into the dressing rooms shouting “Where’s the man dressed as a woman, we’re going to arrest him”, to which I answered by pointing my crimson nail: “He ran over there!”, and they didn’t suspect. I was unclockable.”
Her career took off in the mid-1970s, as she was hired to work around the world. She had important seasons in Italy and Spain, while in France she is considered one of the most memorable showgirls of the legendary Carrousel de Paris. She was also one of the very first trans entertainers to succeed in Morocco, country in which she lived for almost a year. She worked successfully abroad for almost 20 years.
Role Models: Photographer Petra Kleis
She returned to Argentina in the early 1990s, and her success around the world earned her multiple commendations. Today, she is recognized as an authority in the theatrical world, and she is partially in charge of the wardrobe department for plays and musical revues at some of the most important venues of the country.
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Glen Park Neighborhoods History Project
Glen Park Women
Events & More
Covering Zip Codes 94112, 94127, and 94131
Glen Park Glen Canyon Park Sunnyside
Fairmount Heights Diamond Heights
The GPNHP is fiscally sponsored by Independent Arts & Media, a California non-profit corporation.
Early History of the Hills South of Twin Peaks in the Old Rancho San Miguel
The Yelamu of San Francisco
The Spanish and Mexican-California Period
Immediately south of Twin Peaks and east of Mt. Davidson in San Francisco you'll find four additional peaks of the San Miguel Range: Red Rock Hill, Gold Mine Hill, Fairmount Hill (the latter also includes Billy Goat Hill), and Martha Hill. On each is situated one or more neighborhoods, each with its own rich history and unique legacy.
On the summits of Red Rock Hill and Gold Mine Hill is the planned redevelopment community of Diamond Heights, originally conceived in 1950. Its California-modern architecture stands in sharp contrast to the electric mix of architectural styles ranging from late 19th-century Victorian to 21st-century modern just down the hill. These mostly older homes, located in the neighborhoods of Glen Park, Sunnyside, and the Fairmount Heights, were all once considered rural areas, offering shade trees, fertile ground for quaint gardens, and more days of sunshine than many areas of the of the City.
Yet, from the downtown perspective, and lacking suitable roads for easy access, most considered these neighborhoods to be too far out in the Outside Lands, some four to five miles from the City's business center. Home sales would remain sluggish for decades, generally attracting European immigrants working blue collar jobs. It would take a major disaster, the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906, for home buyers to begin to take notice, leading each of the neighborhoods into a housing boom.
Little is known about the specific history of each of the four hills before the Gold Rush. It is believed that as many as 10,000 Muwekma Ohlone (Muwekma is believed to be an Ohlone word meaning "the people") lived between San Francisco and Point Sur, divided into many tribelets with a variety of languages. The Yelamu tribelet of the far northern San Francisco peninsula practiced hunting and gathering, partaking of the abundant flora and fauna of the region. Permanent villages had been established for thousands of years at the mouths of creeks emptying into the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, including Islais Creek that originates just north of Glen Canyon. It is likely that, when the seeds and berries they depended on came into season, they made their way up the slopes of the four hills to to fill their baskets.
The lifestyle of native Ohlone was turned upside down when Franciscan missionaries established Mission Dolores in 1776. Their goal: to establish a Catholic utopia that would serve to convert "beasts" into European-like "people of reason." Each mission in the system from Sonoma to San Diego varied in their treatment of Native Californians during this period of assimilation, with many natives being treated as slaves, and the population of Ohlone rapidly declined. Following baptism, free will was taken away, gender separation reduced birth rates, and practice of their traditional culture was forbidden. The greatest impact came from the lack of immunity to European disease. The death knell sounded for most with the introduction of influenza, small pox, mumps, measles, and syphllis.
The Spanish brought cattle with them on their journey north, and tanning became one of the first industries in the Bay Area. There was much open space surrounding Mission Dolores, but much of it to the west and north was mostly sand dunes. Yet, southeast of the mission were hills suitable for grazing, what became known as Nuevo Portrero and Viejo Portrero, or New and Old Pasture, respectively - today's Portrero Hill. It is likely the rich fertile soils of Glen Canyon and the four adjacent hills also attracted cattle for grazing.
During the Mexican-California period, Jose de Jesus Noe petitioned governor Pio Pico to grant him one Spanish league - exactly 4444.34 acres in 1845. Using modern landmarks, the land extended south from Mt. Sutro to today's San Mateo County line, east along San Jose Avenue, and west to Junipero Serra Boulevard, comprising one-sixth of the land mass of San Francisco. A section of Noe's San Miguel Rancho along the summits of the peninsular divide south of Twin Peaks would one day be transformed into the neighborhoods of Glen Park, Sunnyside, Fairmount Tract, and Diamond Heights we know today. Moreover, despite the fact that Glen Canyon today seems to be largely undeveloped open space, this does not mean it was never developed and has a remarkable history all to itself.
Click on a label on the map to learn more about each neighborhood.
Glen Canyon
Diamond Heights
© 2015 - 2021. The Glen Park Neighborhoods History Project is fiscally sponsored
by Independent Arts & Media, a California non-profit corporation.
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← Archived 2017 topics: Black-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles orientalis) – request for information from Central Asia
Archived 2017 topics: Anambra Waxbill (Estrilda poliopareia): downlist from Vulnerable to Near Threatened? →
Archived 2017 topics: Tessmann’s Flycatcher (Fraseria tessmanni): List as Least Concern?
Posted on November 22, 2016 by Hannah Wheatley (BirdLife International)
This discussion was first published as part of the 2015 Red List update. At the time a decision regarding its status was pended, but to enable potential reassessment of this species as part of the 2017 Red List update this post remained open and the date of posting was updated.
Tessmann’s Flycatcher (Muscicapa tessmanni – BirdLife species factsheet, recently moved to genus Fraseria) is currently listed as Data Deficient, but sufficient information may now be available to support listing the species as Least Concern.
F. tessmanni is found in West Africa where it is known from Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria (from which there have been no recent records; Elgood et al. 1994), Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and mainland Equatorial Guinea (Dowsett 1993). The species is reportedly rare throughout much of its range although it is locally common in at least some areas, e.g. in and around Bia National Park, west Ghana (Dowsett-Lemaire and Dowsett 2005). It has possibly been overlooked owing to its similarities with Dusky-blue Flycatcher Bradornis comitatus, the two species often occurring together (Holbech 1996, F. Dowsett-Lemaire and R. Dowsett in litt. 2007).
F. tessmanni occupies mid-levels of forest edge and small gaps in primary forest (Dowsett-Lemaire and Dowsett 1999a, 2000a), with a record from thicket on the edge of a small swamp in a large area of intact forest (F. Dowsett-Lemaire and R. Dowsett in litt. 1998, F. Dowsett-Lemaire in litt. 2010). It has never reliably been recorded far from areas of primary forest (F. Dowsett-Lemaire and R. Dowsett in litt. 2007).
The population size of F. tessmanni is unknown, however the species has a large range and it is now considered to be common in south-west Ghana, where it has a wide distribution (F. Dowsett-Lemaire in litt. 2013). Given its wide distribution in Ghana, it is also likely to be widespread across the border in Côte d’Ivoire (F. Dowsett-Lemaire in litt. 2013). It is therefore unlikely that the species has a population small enough to qualify it for listing as Threatened under Criteria C or D.
F. tessmanni is threatened by the conversion of forest to more intensive farms and plantations and small populations could be disappearing throughout its range (M. Gartshore in litt. 1999). However, F. tessmanni is known to occur at forest edges and a lack of data makes it impossible to assess whether its population is declining due to forest loss.
Given the large range of F. tessmanni and its likely large population size, it is proposed that the species is listed as Least Concern.
Information is requested on the severity of threats, population size and trends of this species. Additional comments on the proposed listing are also welcome
Dowsett, R.J. 1993. Afrotropical avifaunas: annotated country checklists. In: Dowsett, R.J., Dowsett-Lemaire, F. (ed.), A contribution to the distribution and taxonomy of Afrotropical and Malagasy birds, pp. 1-322. Tauraco Press, Liège, Belgium.
Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Dowsett, R.J. 1999. Birds of the Parque Nacional de Monte Alen, mainland Equatorial Guinea, with an updating of the country’s list. Alauda 67: 179-188.
Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Dowsett, R.J. 2000. Birds of the Lobéké Faunal Reserve, Cameroon, and its regional importance for conservation. Bird Conservation International 10: 67-87.
Dowsett-Lemaire, F. & Dowsett, R.J. 2005. The avifauna of the dry evergreen forests of Mali. Malimbus 27(2): 77-111.
Elgood, J.H., Heigham, J.B., Moore, A.M., Nason, A.M., Sharland, R.E. and Skinner, N.J. 1994. The birds of Nigeria. British Ornithologists’ Union, Tring, U.K.
Holbech, L.H. 1996. Faunistic diversity and game production contra human activities in the Ghana high forest zone, with reference to the Western Region. Institute of Zoology, University of Copenhagen, 1996.
This entry was posted in Africa, Archive. Bookmark the permalink.
3 Responses to Archived 2017 topics: Tessmann’s Flycatcher (Fraseria tessmanni): List as Least Concern?
Andy Symes (BirdLife) says:
Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN
Based on available information recommendation for the 2015 Red List would be to pend the decision on Tessmann’s Flycatcher and keep this discussion open until 2016, while leaving the current Red List category unchanged in the 2015 update.
Further information is needed before the global status can be resolved.
The final Red List category will be published on the BirdLife website in late October and on the IUCN website in November, following further checking of information relevant to the assessment by both BirdLife and IUCN.
Based on available information, our proposal for the 2016 Red List would be to pend the decision on this species and keep this discussion open until 2017, while leaving the current Red List category unchanged in the 2016 update.
Final 2016 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in early December, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
Hannah Wheatley (BirdLife) says:
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline of 4 August, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
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The Golden Age of Solar Innovation
By Richard Matthews · Comments (1) · Thursday, September 1st, 2016
From efforts that mimic nature like leaves and trees, to arrays that float on water or in space, there has been a wide range of solar energy innovations in 2016. From tiny solar applications of nanotechnologies to massive space-based arrays, the growth of solar power is being fueled by market forces, including increasing efficiency and decreasing cost.
The number of possible innovative applications is virtually limitless. To address the problem of intermittency, we need solar storage systems and systems that work at night. We need solar powered airports, solar powered airplanes and drones capable of staying in the air indefinitely. While some of these innovations may sound like science fiction, they are in fact current day realities.
Solar technologies continue to evolve in terms of decreasing costs, increased performance, and greater functionality. With new efficiency records being set almost every week, this is an exciting time for solar energy. There is every reason to believe that the price of solar will keep declining as we see even more innovation. Conventional crystalline silicon solar cells still rule, but thin-film solar cells are catching up. There are also entirely new solar technologies that are on the cusp of commercial scale production.
Declining costs are key to the widespread adoption of solar power. In 2016, solar became the least expensive form of energy generation in the world and prices are expected to fall another 59 percent in the next decade.
Earlier this year, researchers developed a system that set an all-time solar efficiency record. The record-setting cell has a conversion efficiency of 34.5 percent compared to less than 20 percent for the average solar panel. This takes us two-thirds of the way to the theoretical maximum efficiency for solar cells. According to one report, the 35 percent conversion rate was not expected until 2050.
Pseudo synthesis
Researchers have developed bionic leaves that mimic photosynthesis. In this process, solar electricity is used to split water into oxygen and hydrogen, microbes then feed on the hydrogen and convert CO2 in the air into alcohol fuels.
Solar tree
An Indian institute has created a solar tree to harvest energy from the sun. The self-cleaning “Solar Power Tree” can harness maximum solar energy and minimize land use. A 5 kW Solar Power Tree takes up only four feet, whereas an equivalent conventional solar array would occupy 400 sq. ft. The tree also gets one hour more sun per day, translating to 10-15 percent more power. Future trees can be made even more efficient by incorporating rotating panels that align with the movement of the sun.
A spherical sun-tracking solar energy-generating glass globe called Betaray, concentrates light up to 10,000 times. Its solar harvesting capabilities are 35 percent more efficient than conventional dual-axis photovoltaic designs. It can be used for cloudy days; it can even be used to generate power from moonlight.
Floating solar photovoltaic arrays also called floatovoltaics, are able to cover drought-stricken lakes to both generate power and conserve water by reducing evaporation. floatovoltaic projects are now being built all around the world including Australia, Brazil, China, England, India, Japan, South Korea, and California.
A transportable carpet-like solar panel has been developed called the Roll-Array. It generates 10 times more power than other transportable solar panels on the market today. The system comes with batteries and inverters that are attached to the base of the panels.
A new generation of an all-weather solar panel is composed of thin-film solar laid over a sheet of graphene. By incorporating graphene, solar panels are able to harvest energy from the sun and generate electricity from the rain. Such solar panels have already been built by a team of scientists in Qingdao, China.
Nanotechnology (aka nanotech) is one of the most promising solar developments. This involves dimensions and tolerances of less than 100 nanometers. A technology called thermophotovoltaics broke through the upper limit of silicon solar cell efficiency this year. The key to breaking the record is trapping heat from the sun before it reaches the solar cell. The heat is then emitted in the form of thermal radiation, which is tuned to wavelengths that can be assimilated by the solar cell. This carbon nanotube solar cell has the potential for high-efficiency solar conversion even on cloudy days.
A new kind of nanoscale rectenna (half antenna and half rectifier) can convert solar and infrared into electricity. This technique uses carbon nanotubes to generate solar power with 40 percent broad spectrum efficiency at a one-tenth of the cost of conventional solar cells. Researchers have already created nanocones that increased solar cell efficiency by 15 percent. Scientists have also fabricated nanomaterial that can even make solar panels work in the dark.
Thin light and transparent
A completely transparent ultrathin solar panel has been developed that can absorb only the invisible parts of the solar spectrum—ultraviolet and infrared radiation. Such solar cells could be incorporated into any existing glass or plastic surface from smartphones to skyscrapers.
Researchers have also created the thinnest and lightest photovoltaic cells ever in 2016. This ultrathin solar cell is so light, it can sit on a soap bubble. Practical applications include fabric, paper, and glass. These cells are about 1.3 microns thick or one-eighth the thickness of the average human hair. They weigh only 0.01 lbs. per square yard (3.6 grams per square meter) or one twentieth of the weight of a piece of paper. Conventional silicon-based solar modules produce about 6.8 watts per lb. (15 watts per kilogram). This new solar cell produces 2,720 watts per lb. (6 watts per gram), or about 400 times as much as conventional solar panels. The manufacturing of these cells also has a much smaller environmental footprint than conventional solar panels. Because of its light weight, these cells may be ideal for aerospace applications.
There is an unlimited new frontier for solar beyond earth’s atmosphere. Harvesting the sun’s energy from space may be the most promising application of solar energy. Space enables solar to overcome the biggest obstacles hindering terrestrial arrays. The first is the problem of intermittency, the second is storage and the third is scale. They would also last for centuries.
Zero gravity makes massive solar arrays possible. As an uninterrupted supply, it will not need to be stored and it can be continuously beamed down to earth via satellite using microwave technology. In fact, the final frontier is such an ideal environment for solar that some predict there will be an energy race in space. This technology could be a game-changer by providing unlimited supplies of inexpensive emissions-free power to people all around the world.
Researchers in the U.S., China, Japan, the UAE and elsewhere believe that space-based solar is technically feasible and they are currently testing the concept. There are already space based solar projects in the pipeline including a solar power satellite from Solaren, which has signed an agreement with Pacific Gas and Electric in San Francisco.
The Space Solar Power Initiative (SSPI) has developed a system of lightweight space based tiles which can convert solar energy to radio waves and beam power back to Earth. These “multifunctional tiles” can be used to build the largest space structure every constructed.
We have entered the age of the Anthropocene, a time defined by human destruction of the planet, but solar energy is leading the way out of the mess we have made with innovative energy innovations. Historians will look back on this period as the golden age of solar power.
Richard Matthews is a consultant, eco-entrepreneur, green investor and author of numerous articles on sustainable positioning, eco-economics and enviro-politics. He is the owner of The Green Market Oracle, a leading sustainable business site and one of the Web’s most comprehensive resources on the business of the environment. Find The Green Market on Facebook and follow The Green Market’s twitter feed.
Image credit: wikimedia
Categories : Climate Change and Business, Energy, Global Warming News, New Energy Economy, Renewable Energy, Solutions, Technology
Tags : advanced solar energy research, alternative-energy, energy innovation, New Energy Economy, photovoltaics, Renewable Energy, Solar cell, solar energy, Solar Energy Technology, Solar Innovation, Solar panel, solar power array, Solar Powered, Solar Powered Trees, Solar Tree, solar-power, Thin film solar cell
Solar Innovations are Revolutionizing Energy – GMO test says:
[…] article was originally published in Global Warming is Real under the title, “The Golden Age of Solar Innovation” From efforts that mimic nature like leaves and trees, to arrays that float on water […]
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Talking subs: What we could see from new rule at NCAA Regionals and beyond
Cal Men's Golf
By Brentley Romine May 13, 2018 4:02 pm
By Brentley Romine | May 13, 2018 4:02 pm
Last spring at Rich Harvest Farms, 23 of the 30 men’s golf teams brought a sixth player to the NCAA Championship. With substitutions being allowed for the match-play portion for the first time, teams wanted to be prepared, just in case. However, none of the eight match-play qualifiers, seven of which had an extra man in attendance, made a switch.
This year, with subs allowed for regionals and the NCAA Championship at Karsten Creek, there could be a few cases where teams take advantage of the new rule, though likely not many.
Coaches seem to take one of three approaches to the new rule. Some will bring a sixth guy just for experience, and will only make a substitution if there is an injury or illness. A few coaches said there could be a situation where a sub is brought in for performance reasons. Others aren’t bringing a sixth man at all.
Subs have yet to be allowed in the women’s game, though this year’s regional in Austin, Texas, was a perfect example of where subs could come into play. Several players fell ill during the tournament because of a virus. East Carolina had to withdraw because it couldn’t field enough players in the second round. Baylor made the NCAA Championship, but the Bears had to play the final round a player down and with another very ill.
Here is a look at what several coaches think of the new rule and how they plan to approach substitution this postseason.
Jay Seawell, Alabama
“That’s going to be interesting. I’ve basically thought about that all year. We are not going to bring a substitute to the regional. It’s three rounds. We have a contingency plan if there is an injury, but I don’t foresee myself ever doing it in a three-round stroke-play event. I like who our team is, and we’ll battle through it.
“I do think it becomes more of an option when you’re talking a lot of rounds at the NCAA Championship. I’d be surprised if somebody doesn’t do it. I don’t think it will be as big as people think it is, because I think us coaches feel comfortable with our players and our No. 5 men. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t go that way.
“I feel comfortable with five at regional, but we will travel with six if we make it to the NCAA Championship, because it is a lot of golf. I think you have to have a lot of communication before you even go. How we’re going to handle it is at NCAAs, we’ll tell our No. 6 guy the only scenarios that will get him in because the last thing you also need is someone on the bench going, ‘Well, I hope he messes up because I’d like to play.’
“I think it’s a great rule and I’m glad we have it, but it’s not as easy as a player plays bad, another goes in. You don’t want people looking over their shoulder or pulling against each other, but you also want to be prepared in case of injury.”
Walter Chun, Cal
“It throws a new twist in things. I’m going to bring six guys, and if there’s a chance I’m not comfortable with someone I may just use the substitution rule.
“At first I wasn’t sure how to react to the rule, and I’m still a little unsure because if I do substitute someone then automatically I’ve shown that player that I’ve lost confidence in him, so it’s a delicate balance. But on the flip side, it gives someone an opportunity to either watch or just experience a regional.
“I’m not sure who my sixth is going to be, but it will probably be a younger guy. I don’t know if I would’ve been able to do that if not for this rule, especially in this case. I’m not sure I would’ve been able to fly an extra guy across the country just to spectate.”
Roy Edwards, Colorado
“The new substitution rule is a good one for the postseason, especially considering illness or injury. We have played four-count-four multiple times the last several years due to sickness or injury, and while not fun it is part of dealing with issues in the regular season.
“The new rule allows every team to be full strength during the NCAA tournament. I wouldn’t support it during the regular season, as there would be a huge budget impact, but for the postseason I think it is brilliant. We definitely will be utilizing the opportunity.”
Alan Bratton, Oklahoma State
“I would expect every school would bring a sub, so in the worst case that someone is injured and you have the ability to sub, you can. I’m not sure how many coaches will use it. I think that’s up to the individual coach and the certain circumstances for each team. But we’ll certainly be bringing a sixth player.”
J.W. VanDenBorn, UMKC
“I think the rule makes a lot of sense for injury and illness. It is going to be very interesting to see how many cases arise due to poor play.
“We are absolutely traveling a sixth player. We have done so for years due to an injury situation at conference championship in 2007. You obviously want to give yourself every option in that scenario.
“I believe it is going to pretty hard to pull the trigger on substitution outside of injury or illness. I could see a scenario in which we would sub if a player’s performance is struggling significantly and they are mentally defeated by the course or overwhelmed by the stage – much harder combination to come back from than just poor play. Even then, I believe it will be a case-by-case judgment.
“Could also see a scenario where we are in contention for advancement and we have four players who have played well for two rounds and the fifth has not contributed by a wide margin.”
Christian Newton, Colorado State
“I like it only for match play. I’m worried it will hurt individual golf opportunities, which I think is a more valuable experience versus watching golf in the regular season. I am not bringing a sub to regionals. If I did bring one, I’d only sub for an injury or misconduct.”
Chris Malloy, Ole Miss
“I have a sixth guy with me. It will take something substantial, for sure, to plug him into my lineup this week.
“I think I really like the rule. Allows for some wiggle room in case of illness like we saw last week in Austin on the women’s side. Also, from a coaching standpoint, it allows for a bit of strategy potentially.”
Chuck Winstead, LSU
“Right now I don’t intend to take a sixth player. I can always change my mind, but that’s how I’m looking at it right now. And I guess I’m doing that because that’s what we’ve always done. I guess I’ll have to evaluate what I see out of other teams.
“I know last year at the NCAA Championship there were a few teams that took six guys and no one subbed. I’ll be interested to see across the country what the feel is with that.
“I’ve looked at the rule along the lines of if you have an injury or sickness, then at least you have someone there that can play and you’re not just playing with four.
“Now, looking at it from a competitive standpoint, certainly there are other things to be considered, but I haven’t really analyzed that piece because this year’s team we haven’t really had another guy play, so it really hasn’t come up.”
Jamie Bermel, Kansas
“I think it’s a great idea. I did bring a sixth man and will use if someone gets hurt or sick. If nothing else, he gets to experience a regional, and the pressure and competition that it entails.”
Andrew Tank, Iowa State
“Would only sub due to illness or injury. I know who my top 5 are at this point. Bringing a sub to regionals, but mostly to give him the experience and see what it’s like. He’s a freshman.”
– Lance Ringler contributed Gwk
Cal Men's Golf, College golf, Golf, NCAA Tournament, Digital Edition
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Religious Leaders Lobby Congress for Foreign Aid
by Josef Kuhn | Nov 4, 2011 | News
WASHINGTON (RNS) As Congress prepares for a high-stakes battle over federal spending, religious leaders are lobbying senators to preserve foreign aid as a moral obligation.
“We’re talking about lives—great numbers of lives that are saved with minimal input on our part,” said the Most Rev. Denis Madden, the Roman Catholic auxiliary bishop of Baltimore and vice chair of Catholic Relief Services, on Wednesday (Nov. 2).
Madden affirmed that poverty-focused international aid makes up just 0.6 percent of the federal budget, but that amount feeds more than 46 million people and saves 3 million lives through immunizations each year.
Sen. Christopher Coons, D-Del., hosted the closed-door conversation, which was also attended by Sens. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Roy Blunt, R-Mo.
“Part of the discussion centered on the importance of reminding the American people that hunger and poverty around the world has a human face—that we’re not just talking about statistics, but real people,” said the Rev. John McCullough, director of Church World Service, the humanitarian arm of the National Council of Churches.
The Rev. David Beckmann, president of Christian anti-hunger group Bread for the World, said the Senate faces a proposal from the House to cut foreign humanitarian programs by 20 percent, which he said would cause “14 million of the most desperate people in the world” to lose food rations.
But he saw hope in a recommendation from the Senate Appropriations Committee to leave the funding intact.
“Responding to hunger and poverty is not a partisan issue … it is a moral issue that people of faith, across the political spectrum, agree upon,” said McCullough.
Beckmann said one of the strongest voices for preserving poverty relief programs during the budget debate has been the Circle of Protection initiative, composed of “predominantly white evangelical organizations where people are, in general, very conservative.”
Maj. Betty Israel, national social services secretary for the Salvation Army, noted that because anti-poverty programs make up only a sliver of federal spending, they could not be used as a “budget balancer.”
Aside from tangible benefits to the world’s poor, several activists noted that foreign aid also raises the international standing of the United States.
Sayyid Syeed, a national director for the Islamic Society of North America, referred to the pro-democracy Arab Spring uprisings and said, “It would be very unfortunate if we would take a step back from that world leadership at a time when it is needed the most.”
Tags: Josef Kuhn, Politics, Relief Aid, Religious Leaders, RNS
February 23, 2020 by Bruce T. Gourley April 23, 2020
9% of Young Children in US Live in Deep Poverty by Zach Dawes Jr November 23, 2020
How Our World’s Religions View Poverty and the Poor by William Brackney February 22, 2019
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You are at:Home»Features»Holding the Torch for Georgia’s Tax Credits, “The Peach”, Casting, and More: Our Hour with Shay Bentley-Griffin of Chez Studios
Holding the Torch for Georgia’s Tax Credits, “The Peach”, Casting, and More: Our Hour with Shay Bentley-Griffin of Chez Studios
By News on December 18, 2017 Features
By Mollee Harper, Senior Editor,
Georgia Entertainment News shared an hour with three-time Emmy nominated Casting Director and Producer Shay Bentley-Griffin, CSA, who was recently honored by the Business Chronicle among the “Women Who Mean Business”. Georgians are realizing $9.5 billion annually in economic impact from the Georgia tax credits for entertainment, since the bill first passed in 2008. Shay Bentley-Griffin is the original champion, negotiator and marathon-runner to ensure Georgia’s infrastructure in the entertainment business would prosper, and last.
Bentley-Griffin is also founder of Chez Studios and has been deeply involved in the industry for more than two decades, working as a talent agent, casting director, and providing acting workshops, training and mentoring to the next generation of actors, and literally touching thousands of television episodes, and major films.
During our time together, Bentley-Griffin shares insights from her role as co-chair of the committee that worked to pass the Georgia Tax Credit in 2008. Highlights of her extensive career in Hollywood are interwoven into her extraordinary contributions to the boom that is now Georgia’s entertainment industry. She shares her passion for the business and Georgia’s success, and her determination to cast, crew, film, write, direct, produce, post….all of it here in Georgia.
Georgia Tax Credits….In the Beginning
Bentley-Griffin shared, “I think I was born in the industry.”
“I was co-chair of the governor’s film and entertainment advisory committee under Governor Purdue. In the early stages of that, we began to talk to him about what needed to happen to make Georgia a competitive workplace. Those things take time. At the time, many Georgians regarded entertainment as a fun thing that came in and out of our State, but not necessarily a money-maker.”
Bentley-Griffin described, “I worked as a special consultant with the film consultant. I had been in and out of LA since I started my business. It was tough because we were competing with Canada, and then Louisiana. In the beginning, no one thought we had anything to offer. Georgia did have a good infrastructure and good people. That’s when we began to realize we had to have something more in incentives to really compete.”
“Later, Governor Purdue charged us with the responsibility to find out exactly what we needed. We put together a committee to figure it out. There were five of us on the committee to create the ideas. There was one from Savannah and the other four of us were here in Atlanta. We went to work. It took us some time to make sure we had a plan that was good enough, smart enough and competitive enough to take to the governor. We had the 20% credits in place but needed that final piece to get us to that 30%. That was critical.”
“The GA peach logo gave us that extra 10%. The GA peach was worth a whole lot more than anyone could begin to imagine. It really helped to brand Georgia. The GA peach would be out there forever and was and is still invaluable to our marketing efforts. Our peach is seen everywhere.”
“We sat down with the governor and showed him we had a plan. When he saw that peach, he realized this was a plan that might work. We told Governor Purdue, ‘If we can get this to work, we will put Georgians to work. It will affect so many other areas of commerce.’ Typically people think about the talent and crew. We had that here and knew that. But, there are so many other businesses that have flourished as a result.”
“It’s an astounding number, an estimated 85,000 plus Georgians are working now due to the industry. Real estate was struggling during the unsettling times of 2008. Now real estate has really rebounded and part of that has been as a result of the industry being here. I don’t think anyone realized the affect it would have on all of these other areas.”
“Plus we have 12 studios here in Georgia, and more to come. And, the Georgia Academy is here to train more Georgians so they are qualified and successful in these new jobs. We’ve been able to put a lot of construction industry workers back to work in the entertainment industry now. We recently heard a talk about how the industry has affected the tourism industry here too. The film industry is now a significant part of Georgia’s tourism industry.”
“We finally heard back from the governor, ‘If you can get it passed through the session, I’ll sign it.’ We went to the Capitol and talked to the different representatives. Working with those legislatures was a big part of what we did. It became a full time job for the four of us in Atlanta. Eventually, people wanted to meet us, the people who were working in the industry. We worked hard to convert them into followers. That shift eventually turned into people asking us what else can be done. We always answered ‘protect the tax credit’. It is the secret that turned our film economy in Georgia. It is supporting so many other types of businesses that support the entertainment industry. To this day, I always tell everyone to protect this bill.”
“Ed Spivey, the first Georgia film commissioner, came out of retirement to help us. He was an incredible help with this bill. He really knew how to handle the issues. He worked with people like Burt Reynolds and others that came in to shoot in Georgia in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Ed really kept people like Burt coming back, among others. We knew we had a really good infrastructure before 2008. By 2009, we knew it was going to have to be bigger.”
“At the Georgia Film Academy, we want to train Georgians so we don’t have to bring in people from other places. I am so dedicated to Georgia first. I want to see our people get the roles and opportunities, as well as financial rewards whenever possible. I am happy to share that with surrounding markets with qualified people, but not before Georgians have had a chance at anything we are doing. I think the Georgia Film Academy has really helped here in the training end of it.”
“I started training actors when I got in the business. I realized we had to have a stronger talent pool. We didn’t want to just send extras from Georgia to the set. We wanted our people to have starring roles.”
“We have had actors in Georgia that have now been able to retire under SAGs retirement plan. Not many people have had the opportunity to work long enough and build up their retirement plan. That’s really great to see this happen.”
Bentley-Griffin added, “Our biggest challenge was to create something that we knew was competitive, and something that the film office could use that would work. We needed to be able to compete against New Orleans. They were really busy and calling a lot of us there for work. I said I was not going to go over there and train their actors to work. We knew whatever we put up in Georgia needed to help us compete there in Louisiana and Canada. We had to appeal to people to come shoot in Georgia.”
“The second challenge was coming up with a package that the governor would feel comfortable with signing. We knew we had to get this bill right. It didn’t have everything we wanted, but it had enough. Since then, we’ve seen that support added for the music industry and gaming industry. We are all in this together. The film industry had to be strong to lay that foundation.”
“We had to do this to be a business that takes us into the future. The industry really came together and has remained united. We did a telephone campaign in the beginning. It was great to hear the answer, ‘We got it we got it! You can stop calling now.’ The Georgia film credit passed with 99%.”
“The entertainment industry here in Georgia has been extremely united with a lot of great people willing to work hard for it and to give money to take care of our lobbyists to make sure the bill did not fail. It was the passion of those of us who had worked in the industry. It was an unexpected thing. I had to consider if I would move to California. No, I’m not going. I’m going to stay here and fight. And that’s what some of us did to make sure it had a chance to continue on.”
“I remember saying if we could not save our industry, we would be the only generation to have worked in film industry in Georgia.”
“Right before the bill passed, some people were going to California to work and they were reaching out and saying, ‘please bring us home. Please bring us back to the Georgia film industry.’ I was president and founder of the Georgia Production Partnership (GPP). We were certainly an odd group, because we honestly believed we could have a film industry in Georgia at a time when no one believed it could happen. Somehow we did and continued to fight, and it did. I am so proud to have been part of the inspiring, hard working and professional group in this market with the vision to make it happen.”
“It worked!!! We never doubted ourselves. Those of us on the committee really were dedicated to bring more work to Georgia. We were determined and certain that we could make it better. And, make it a real industry people can respect and that we could maintain in years to come.”
“There are many communities who have had film work in their towns. The reach is incredible. We see that all over the State. Savannah is getting stronger, along with other Georgia towns. When I used to go to Los Angeles, so often I would see signs with initials on them. One day I found out those signs were pointing to production sets. What has been so amazing to me years later is to drive around Atlanta, or that small town in West Georgia, and see those bright yellow signs with initials on them. That means there’s a film shooting somewhere in the area. If you ride around you will see a lot of them now.”
“It was a dream that came true. It was the best of all worlds for me. I spent a lot of time in LA early on in my career. LA was always good to me and gave me a chance.”
“I love hearing about new actors being discovered here. Some are even coming back from LA to work here or set up studios here. That is the way you would hope the plan would go. I would always say, ‘we are lending our people to LA’. I don’t encourage talent to go to LA now. I feel like everyone in California is trying to come here now. We have agents and talent calling us wanting to work here on a regular basis.”
“I always ask, ‘Do you pay taxes here in Georgia?’ If no, you are not local. You are here to work. I am still going to put up the best of the Atlanta talent first, because they pay taxes here. I never had to say that a lot, because everyone understood that was my bottom line. If you are part of us, be a part and contribute.”
Inside Chez Studios
Chez Studios is a multi-faceted company offering full-service casting to the television and film industry, a variety of training and workshop programs for new talent and experienced actors, and a production house. Chez Studios is located at 2221 Peachtree Road NE, Suite D, Atlanta, Georgia, 30309.
Bentley-Griffin offered, “Chez Studios started out as a talent agency in the early ‘80s. Then in the ‘90s, I moved into casting and closed the agency. Those were two big transitions I made when I found greater needs in other areas of the business. That is why I am so passionate about productions now. We need to build our own great content from Georgia and put our writers, directors, producers to work and put our actors in starring roles on those on the screen. It means something to their careers and it means something to the industry building our own library of content for Georgia.”
“As far as casting, I am in a very blessed place. It’s not the way it once was. I can pick and choose a little more.”
“The first big thing I did in casting was ‘In the Heat of the Night’. It was like I was casting a movie of the week, every week. That created a bigger demand for good actors.”
“I just worked for the fourth time on Clint Eastwood’s next movie, and am beginning to work on a second movie for Ang Lee we will start at the first of the year. Along with Billy Bob Thornton, I have had the opportunity to work with the industry’s best. A very special project was working on a Netflix project with a great friend of mine who just moved back here from LA. We get the opportunity to work on some really great projects. My bigger goal is to help the independent filmmakers. In casting end of it, we can give a little advantage. We try to handle all casting from the people here in Georgia. That saves money and also creates a greater value to those actors.”
“We have some wonderful people on the casting end and a great team that goes to all of the various shows to give us the opportunity to see talent working that may not have agents yet.”
“As we discover more talent, we are able to build our profile and make Georgia known as a place with great talent. It will be such a great day when people are ready to invest in what we are doing, get behind the industry and help us to make these independent projects a reality.”
“I’ve loved to train and help actors since I was an agent. I quickly realized we needed the kind of training to help our actors grow. Some actors are born with it, but others can really excel if they are giving the right training. I began to call on casting and agent friends of mine in LA and NY to come to Atlanta to help train our actors. I believe we have to create as strong a talent pool as we can. We get there by working with actors that have been in the business for a long time.”
“I know our agents in Atlanta fight for it all the time, to put our actors in bigger roles. We have actors here with resumes that are simply unbelievable. We are not at that place where we cast here first then bring the rest from LA. That’s where we need to be.”
“When someone asks me how many roles I can cast out of Georgia. My answer is just as many as I can. My goal is always to have at least 75% of the talent cast locally.”
“I am also advocate. Please don’t be unkind to talent that lives here. We can save you money, because you won’t have all of the expenses associated with travel and LA agents. Just give the actors the money they deserve for the role. You will still save a lot of money.”
“I remember when I was getting ready to move into casting, still an agent at the time. I was trying to sell a director on what I thought I could do. I told him I would bring him 80% of the cast. I remember I said to him, ‘You tell me what that is worth to you.’ I got that job, we put Georgia talent to work, and it did save him a lot of money.”
“I do stand by the professionals that work with us in our program from LA to NY. We have some of the finest people in the industry working with Chez Studios. We go to the expense to make sure we bring in the very best. I am very proud of that. They believed for many years in what we are trying to build here. I know the actors here will not be given misdirection.”
“To be honest, most of those of us in the business can tell you quickly if someone really has the talent. Some are born with it like the young Dan Byrd, Seth Meriwether and Dakota Fanning, and many others. They were born with it, and we just enhanced it. Some others have the instinct, but don’t know how to put it together. It doesn’t take long for good instructors to see that and help enhance their skills. If it isn’t in you to do it, the sooner you find out and stop spending money on it, it’s the best gift we can give you. Sometimes you see someone who just doesn’t have it. The camera just doesn’t love everyone the same. If the camera doesn’t love you, you are not a marketable face. We’ve seen that over the years. There are still a lot of ways to be in the industry than just being in front of that camera. I always tell people there are many other opportunities for you.”
“I believe in training. We do it the very best that we can and hope to continue to do it. We are expanding that part of the business too now. It’s wonderful to watch talent grow through training and see them audition and succeed.”
“We are continuously doing workout weekends through intense work for two days with instructors who are on top of their game. They know immediately how hard to push someone to meet their potential. I feel strongly about that to not encourage someone to keep pursuing it if they have been trying for 4-5 years and are not getting booked. I think it’s so much more important to build the best talent pool, and give other opportunities to those who want to be industry, but are not going to be in front of the camera.”
“We also want to find the new talent, up and coming producers and those who are trying to create films here and get them stamped with that peach so they can be successful here. I believe we haven’t finished yet. When we are making our movies here and not depending on bigger markets to bring their work to us, we will indeed be an independent film market. And, Georgia will be known for their film industry. We do have everything we need. We just need to continue to encourage Georgia investing with the opportunity to take advantage of the tax credit.”
“I always want to be able to inspire and be a good place of information for those coming into this business. It’s just as tough for me. I’m as good as my last job just as are the actors. I do understand that. Casting directors can get depressed too. We all feel that depression from time to time. I am so grateful I was able to discover that early on. People always ask if I ever wanted to be an actress. I just sordof knew early, this is what I do better. I just put all my efforts into being the best at what I can be. I think the thing I am the proudest of over the years, while I was building my career some of the actors I’ve worked with over the years have become lifelong friends.”
“So many people out there are now holding that line and helping to build our market. I once talked with a producer. She said, ‘You could work out there in LA. However, what you do is so unique here. What you are building is so special. Sometimes it’s just as great to bloom where you are.’ I am so glad I stayed to bloom here.”
Bentley-Griffin shared, “Advocating for Georgia has been a huge part of my life. After the tax credit passed, I thought I might get out of this business and go do something else. I had an honest conversation with myself. I love this business. I can’t seem to let it go. If you love what you do, it’s impossible to quit.”
“If my business had been something that I had not loved and valued in my life, it would have been easy to walk away. You have to be studying this business all the time. I seem to care too much to say, ‘today is the day’. It’s in my nature to move quickly to something else. I’m real happy with the way the business is right now.”
“I am also a huge supporter of the industry as a whole and of women in this industry in particular. I want to see more of our talented and qualified women doing more. It’s exciting to work with some of the women coming into the business from all directions including lawyers, directors, and more. It’s a great opportunity to help them avoid the mistakes I’ve made. I want to leave this industry in a better place than I found it.”
“Recently, we were referred to as the third location production market. We don’t want to have anyone create a number for us. We are among the top three. And in April of this year, we were cited by the Hollywood Reporter as the number one production sight in America, and number five in the world. It may vary, but to be declared number one by the Hollywood Reporter; that is incredible! We need to stay competitive.”
Bentley-Griffin added, “We are about to do an independent film. It is not an LA kind of project. I want to be able to do it here. I am so excited the money is from here. We are using local cast in great roles and getting them on that screen. There are many of us who want to bring our projects to life on the big screen and want Georgia to be known as one of the most creative markets in the industry. When I realized moving to LA was not what I wanted to do, everything changed.”
“When actors from Georgia are so recognizable in LA the tides will have turned. And, when our actors have so much work in their own state, we will be where we want to be. That’s where we’ll see industry grow in the next 5-10 years. It will be so unbelievable that such an industry exists in Georgia and we were the people who believed it could. So many people believed.”
Bentley-Griffin concluded, “I feel so blessed to have had a career in this business. I have worked with wonderful people in this business. People tell me I’ve had the best of both worlds. I’ve had great opportunities and relationships with people in LA and NY, and yet still get to be where I want to be helping build the industry up here in Georgia. I am extremely proud to have been able to raise children, live where I want to live and have the career that I have.
“I was recently honored with an award from the Business Chronicle; it was probably one of the greatest highlights of my career. I was included in the most fabulous group of ‘Women Who Mean Business’. I love that title. When I was chosen to be recognized, I was so excited that people realized I am running a business here. That meant more to me, although I’ve had meaningful honors within the entertainment industry over the years. This one meant more coming from outside of the industry, to be recognized as a business person. I was the first person from the entertainment industry to be recognized with this business honor. That alone is truly a treasure, very special, and meaningful to me.”
She added, “I had to have a song play when I went to the stage to receive my award. The Rolling Stones song ‘Satisfaction’ is what I chose. I was so satisfied with my achievement that day, although I am always certain there is another mountain.”
“In fact, we are already onto the next endeavor. We have recently been asked to look for the lead roles for a new upcoming television pilot by a major network here in Georgia. That has never happened before. That is something that is truly exciting and the culmination of that next dream.”
“There is no word I understand less than the word ‘No’. I don’t believe in ‘No’. I will probably go out of this world not understanding ‘No’.”
Bentley-Griffin added, “I definitely think I have more to do.”
To learn more about Chez Studios, visit their company website at:
http://www.chezstudios.com/.
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Home Photos Here's the line-up for this week's Ray D'Arcy Show
Here's the line-up for this week's Ray D'Arcy Show
It’s going to be an educational Saturday Night for viewers of this week’s episode of The Ray D’Arcy Show.
The line-up has been revealed and Cork native Dr Pixie McKenna will be on hand to discuss her new RTE2 show Pixie’s Sex Clinic.
The TV star’s new show will lift the lid on how young Irish people really feel about sex and sexual health.
Pixie will also discuss her time on Channel 4 hit Embarassing Bodies and RTE’s You Should Really See A Doctor.
Guest: Pixie McKenna will be discussing her new show
Meanwhile, Father Brian D’Arcy will be joining Ray on the sofa to reflect on his 47 years as a priest, and to share his memories of the late Terry Wogan and Frank Kelly, amongst others.
Republic of Telly’s Joanne McNally will also be on hand to update viewers on her search for her birth parents and she will also discuss life as one of Ireland’s fastest rising stand-up stars.
New York hotelier John Fitzpatrick will provide his unique take on the upcoming American presidential election, his friendship with the Clintons, and his career at the heart of one of Ireland’s best-known family hotel dynasties.
Guest: Republic of Telly’s Joanne McNally will be on the sofa
Music will be provided by up and coming Irish band State Lights.
Saturday April 9th – RTÉ One, 10:05pm
The Ray D'Arcy Show
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Evangelical leaders sign up to battle climate change
By David Roberts on Feb 9, 2006
Last week I wrote a post called "Jesus Interruptus" (a title that failed to elicit the encomiums it deserved, ahem), about efforts by a group of evangelical leaders to prevent the National Association of Evangelicals from making a formal statement on global warming. Later that day, I was contacted by Paul Gorman, executive director of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, who said I’d gotten the story all wrong, that the NAE had never planned to issue a statement, and, somewhat cryptically, that I should keep my eyes peeled for news on Wednesday.
Well, here it is Wednesday, and here’s the news:
Despite opposition from some of their colleagues, 86 evangelical Christian leaders have decided to back a major initiative to fight global warming …
Among signers of the statement, which will be released in Washington on Wednesday, are the presidents of 39 evangelical colleges, leaders of aid groups and churches, like the Salvation Army, and pastors of megachurches, including Rick Warren, author of the best seller "The Purpose-Driven Life."
"For most of us, until recently this has not been treated as a pressing issue or major priority," the statement said. "Indeed, many of us have required considerable convincing before becoming persuaded that climate change is a real problem and that it ought to matter to us as Christians. But now we have seen and heard enough."
This is excellent news — and I say that as someone able to find the cloud in any silver lining. It’s debatable how much power conservative Christians actually have in Republican politics — as opposed to, say, big business — but they are certainly perceived to have great power. And they are perceived to be as conservative as conservative gets. This move could decisively dispel (finally!) the illusion that global warming is a partisan issue.
And worse yet, from the perspective of the Bush administration, the Evangelical Climate Initiative specifically calls for federal legislation to establish a carbon cap-and-trade system.
And it won’t stop with the press conference: The Initiative will continue with television and radio ads in states with lawmakers influential on energy issues, along with educational events in churches and Christian colleges.
The television spot links images of drought, starvation and Hurricane Katrina to global warming. In it, the Rev. Joel Hunter, pastor of a megachurch in Longwood, Fla., says: "As Christians, our faith in Jesus Christ compels us to love our neighbors and to be stewards of God’s creation. The good news is that with God’s help, we can stop global warming, for our kids, our world and for the Lord."
Yowza.
Those in the evangelical community particularly friendly toward the administration are already in full damage-control mode, of course. In this brief but informative NPR story, we hear this:
"I don’t see James Dobson. Is there a more influential evangelical than James Dobson?" observes Richard Land, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. "I don’t see Chuck Colson. I don’t see Franklin Graham. So these are obviously prominent evangelicals and I — please don’t in any way think that I am denigrating anyone who’s on this list — but it is not an exhaustive list of evangelical leaders, let’s put it that way."
That’s how they’ll try to spin it: This is some kind of addled splinter group. But I doubt it will fly. Back to the NYT piece:
Of those who did sign, said the Rev. Jim Ball, executive director of the Evangelical Environmental Network: "It’s a very centrist evangelical list, and that was intentional. When people look at the names, they’re going to say, this is a real solid group here. These leaders are not flighty, going after the latest cause. And they know they’re probably going to take a little flak."
To see the kind of mindset that these forward-thinking evangelicals are up against, I conclude with some mind-bogglingly backward thoughts from Richard Land:
Land says the Bible makes clear that God expects human beings to take care of the earth. But "human beings come first in God’s created order," he adds. "And that primacy must be given to human beings and for human betterment. If that means that other parts of nature take a back seat, well, then they take a back seat." Land argues that slowing economic growth and development by overly strict environmental controls will harm human beings.
Good thing Noah didn’t think like that.
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1:01 – Electioneering Part 1: Teaching Redistricting
Teacher Mele Sato explains how she got students excited about congressional …
Listen to the latest Episode
Mele Sato
Alec Patton
In this episode, teacher Mele Sato explains how she got students excited about congressional redistricting by literally starting from where they lived – studying maps to see how their communities were divided by district lines, and what that meant for how they were represented.
You can learn more about the Electioneering Project here.
[MUSIC PLAYING] From High Tech High and the California Department of Education, this is the Project Essentials podcast. I’m your host Alec Patton. Mele Sato’s electioneering project is a 12th grade math project, and like the name implies, it’s about politics. But it’s not a politics project like any others I’ve ever seen. Nobody talks about political parties, or policies, or even political candidates.
Instead, they zoom in on the most important part of any election. Voting. And that means three things. How do you cast your vote? How are votes tallied? And what are the boundaries of the district you vote in? As a result, Mele explained to me, the project is grounded in a very simple essential question.
The electioneering project I titled, Does My Vote Matter? And it evolved into, how does my vote matter? Which really was about how can one individual’s vote have an impact on the congressional district in which that person resides. And so, what we did was look at our current voting systems figuring out which ones were fair which ones weren’t fair.
And so then that took us to how districts are drawn, the geometry of gerrymandering. Who decides where the districts are drawn? Who decides what voting systems are used in which elections? And then how does an individual vote? And how does an individual become informed?
A project that rests on the twin pedestals of congressional district and alternative voting systems might sound unbelievably boring to you, but the electioneering project is full of shocking revelations, passionate debates, and best of all, students trying really, really hard to solve complicated intractable real world problems using math.
Mele’s secret is that she starts from two things that every human being finds compelling. First, their own lives, and second, unfairness. This episode is all about how Mele turns congressional redistricting into an opportunity for students to examine their own lives. Episode two in the series is about how Mele appeals to teenager’s concern, some might say obsession, with fairness to engage them in studying alternative ways of casting and tallying votes.
That’s not fair, like I heard that over and over again with the kids.
You’ll hear more about that in the next episode. Right now, let’s get into congressional redistricting. It starts with a concept called compactness.
We started learning about measures of compactness, and so that’s how they determine whether congressional districts have been gerrymandered, or tampered with, or drawn to give preference to a political party, or not. And all of a sudden, when we were measuring compactness of different congressional districts in San Diego County, they had some sense of, OK, why am I, who live in Barrio Logan, grouped in the same district as somebody who lives in Campo? That makes no sense to me. We have very different concerns, and issues, and values. How are we all in the same congressional district together?
So a little bit of local San Diego context. Barrio Logan consists of 1 and 1/2 square miles in downtown San Diego. Its population is 27,000. Campo, on the other hand, is a small town in East San Diego County. It covers 23 and 1/2 square miles with a population of 3,000. To break that down, Barrio Logan contains about 15,000 people per square mile. Campo contains 130 people per square mile. They are also 50 miles apart. So Mele’s students are right. They’re pretty different from each other.
We looked at maps of where congressional districts were drawn, and they saw their neighborhood. And they had to answer the question, who’s my representative? I didn’t know that they represent me in Congress, over there in Washington DC, and I don’t know who they are. Wait, but you live like two minutes away from me. How come you have a different person that represents you? We would have gone to the same school, but we have different representatives in the House? How does that make sense?
So listening to them discuss that sort of purpose– it really brought some context to them. And zooming in to, zooming in on the congressional districts. You could see the exact roads that they turn on. They’re like, wait, what, how, who made that decision? Who made that decision to turn here instead of just go straight?
So who did make that decision? It turns out that in California, at least, the answer is actually less sinister than you might expect.
California’s really interesting. We’re one of a few states that has an independent commission of citizens that redistrict. So it is not the legislature that redistricts. So I think that the students here found that really interesting and powerful. That oh, we have a different system set up. It isn’t politicians that are doing this.
So that when we started to calculate compactness of our current congressional districts in San Diego County, recognizing that some of them didn’t score as highly on compactness than some of them, the students were bought into redrawing them, so that they became more compact.
So one of the products that the students got to choose was redistricting California’s congressional districts 49 through 53. I focused just on those because they’re within San Diego County, so obviously, bringing that relevancy still to the students. When they’re drawing those lines they’re actually thinking about, am I cutting up a neighborhood? Am I cutting up my neighborhood?
What’s really cool is that when students redistrict their neighborhoods to make them more compact, it doesn’t need to just be a theoretical exercise. Remember that independent commission Mele mentioned earlier that determines congressional districts? They take submissions.
It’s called the California Citizens Redistricting Commission and they actually take submissions for planning. They take submissions for public mapping, and they take submissions for redistricting. So in the 2020 census, one of the huge conversations is about apportionment, and how those seats in the House are going to be divvied up based on the populations of each state.
Every 10 years is when the commission redistricts. So by taking public submissions, our students in 2021, following the 2020 census getting that data back, could potentially redistrict all of California, and submit it as a potential plan, as an independent party or independent group of people. I think that’s super powerful, and really cool, and definitely would up their game in terms of how detailed are they getting. Where are they drawing that line? It’s less about just following the highways and the rivers, but really thinking about, in their neighborhood who are they splitting up?
So just to break this down. Mele’s students looked at how their own neighborhoods were split into congressional districts. Discovering that, while they might not share a member of Congress with each other, some of them shared a member of Congress with a small town 50 miles away.
Then they set out to make those districts more fair and representative, using mathematical measures of compactness to do it. And in 2021, students can submit their redistricting plans to the state of California, and they could end up redistricting the entire state. So that’s redistricting.
But what about what we actually do when we show up at a polling place and cast our ballots? What about how those votes are counted? Are we voting the right way? Could we be doing it better? Mele and her students decided to find out by holding an election and running the results through a few different voting systems.
Taking the results of an election, applying different voting systems to it, and seeing that a different person would win in every voting system. They were like what? What?
We’ll get into all that next episode. For now, thanks so much for listening to the Project Essentials podcast. Project Essentials is a production of High Tech High and the California Department of Education. I’m your host Alec Patton. And our theme music is by brother Hershel. And brother Hershel has an EP out. So check them out on SoundCloud, Bandcamp or wherever you get your digital music. So long.
fair, podcast, project, season 1, STEM, student, Voting
1:10 – Ben Daley on Continuous Improvement
1:08 – Brandy Williams: Doing School for Exceptional Learners
1:21 – How Carol Cabrera Stages Student Plays on Zoom
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« Forced Labour, Prostitution and Child Marriages: Rescuing Victims of Human Trafficking in Malawi | ‘Thousands of Refugees and Migrants Are Dying, Many Others Suffer Extreme Human Rights Abuses on Journeys to Africa’s Mediterranean Coast’ »
‘Every Country in the World Is Affected by Human Trafficking’
29 July 2020 (United Nations)* — Human trafficking is a crime that exploits women, children and men for numerous purposes including forced labour and sex. Since 2003 the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has collected information on about 225,000 victims of trafficking detected worldwide.
Munni was married at age 14, but her husband left her when she became pregnant – she was later sold to a brothel by a man offering to find her a job. Photo: UNICEF/Shehzad Noorani
Globally countries are detecting and reporting more victims and are convicting more traffickers. This can be the result of increased capacity to identify victims and/or an increased number of trafficked victims.
In 2006, responding to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) request for intergovernmental agencies to further cooperate in order to strengthen technical assistance provided to countries in the area of human trafficking, the Government of Japan hosted a coordination meeting of international organizations working to counter trafficking in persons.
The participating organizations (ILO, IOM, UNICEF, UN Women, UNHCRand UNODC) decided to continue the effort initiated and proposed the creation of a coordination group. The Inter-Agency Coordination Group Against Human Trafficking (ICAT) was formally established in March 2007.
In 2010, the General Assembly adopted the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, urging Governments worldwide to take coordinated and consistent measures to defeat this scourge. The Plan calls for integrating the fight against human trafficking into the UN’s broader programmes in order to boost development and strengthen security worldwide. One of the crucial provisions in the Plan is the establishment of a UN Voluntary Trust Fund for victims of trafficking, especially women and children.
The Trust Fund facilitates effective, on-the-ground assistance and protection to victims of trafficking, through grants to specialized NGOs. It aims to prioritize victims coming from a context of armed conflict and those identified among large refugee and migration flows.
In 2013, the General Assembly held a high-level meeting to appraise the Global Plan of Action. Member States also adopted resolution A/RES/68/192 and designated July 30 as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons. This resolution declared that such a day was necessary to “raise awareness of the situation of victims of human trafficking and for the promotion and protection of their rights.”
Members of the refugee and host community came together to demonstrate solidarity against forced human trafficking in eastern Sudan in in 2018. © UNHCR/Bahia Egeh
In September 2015, the world adopted the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and embraced goals and targets on trafficking in persons. These goals call for an end to trafficking and violence against children; as well as the need for measures against human trafficking, and they strive for the elimination of all forms of violence against and exploitation of women and girls.
Another important development is the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants, which produced the groundbreaking New York Declaration. Of the nineteen commitments adopted by countries in the Declaration, three are dedicated to concrete action against the crimes of human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
Every country in the world is affected by human trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit, or destination for victims. Traffickers the world over continue to target women and girls. The vast majority of detected victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation and 35 per cent of those trafficked for forced labour are female.
Conflict further exacerbates vulnerabilities, with armed groups exploiting civilians and traffickers targeting forcibly displaced people. Data also shows that trafficking happens all around us as the share of persons trafficked within their own country has doubled in recent years to 58 per cent of all detected victims, according to the 2018 UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons.
Coordinated action to address trafficking in persons for forced labour
The COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating the precarious conditions of trafficked victims and allowing for the creation of new avenues for traffickers to recruit and exploit vulnerable people. In response, the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons(ICAT), has released a new Issue Brief, seeking to increase awareness and provide a series of recommendations for policy action, identification and protection of victims, and accountability for perpetrators.
*SOURCE: United Nations. Go to ORIGINAL.
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School of Humanities History
SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES > History of the School of Humanities
EDGAR ODELL LOVETT
1908, Rice’s founding president, Edgar Odell Lovett, wrote a charter outlining the establishment of “a Public Library, and the maintenance of an Institution for the Advancement of Literature, Science, Art, Philosophy and Letters …” This direction created the foundation for what would become the Rice Institute.
RICE INSTITUTE
1912-1915, The Rice Institute formally opened on October 12, 1912, and classes began October 23, 1912. Rice quickly built a humanities program by offering courses in Latin, French, Spanish, German, philosophy, history, poetry, psychology and English.
RICE'S FIRST HUMAITIES PROFESSOR
Rice’s first humanities professor was a lecturer from Central University of Kentucky, Thomas Lindsay Blaney, who was recruited to teach German. Other faculty appointments followed Blaney’s and the areas of study grew: Stockton Axson and John Thomas McCants in English; Albert Leon Guerand in French; and William Ward Watkin in architecture. These original faculty members shaped Rice’s humanities disciplines as well as established early post-graduate opportunities in English, French and German.
THE DRAMATIC CLUB
1921, The Dramatic Club, which later became the Rice Players, was formed. In 1964, Neil “Sandy” Havens would become the Rice Players’ first full-time director.
OWEN WISTER LITERARY SOCIETY
1922, Owen Wister Literary Society begins. The Owen Wister Literary Society was started at Rice University in 1924 to handle the overload of its sister societies as the university grew and the need arose for additional societies for women students. In the fall of 1924, Miss Adelle Roensch, a Rice girl, saw the need for another literary society (the third) on the campus. After discussing this idea with Mr. McCann, she got the go-ahead sign. While searching for a set of initials which would spell the school's mascot (OWLS, not SAMMY), Oscar Wilde was suggested by the girls and discarded by the administration.
FIRST HUMANITIES PHD
1933, the first humanities doctorate degree was awarded in history. The first doctoral programs in the humanities were formally established in English and history in 1951.
FIRST RICE RHODES SCHOLAR
1934, Samuel R. Dunlap ’31 was the first of many Rice graduates to win a Rhodes Scholarship. He pursued his graduate work in English literature and received his PhD in 1939.
THE RICE OWL LITERARY MAGAZINE
1939, the Rice Owl Literary Magazine merges with Rice Alumni News.
KATHERINE FISCHER DREW
1944, Katherine Fischer Drew, '44, '45, earns her first degree from Rice. She goes on to see Rice from many more angles--as a graduate student, the first female faculty member, a department chair, and an acting dean.
1945 LONG-RANGE PLAN EXPANDS HUMANITIES FACULTY
1945, the Board of Trustees developed a long-range plan for Rice, including the expansion of faculty and facilities and the modification of the curriculum to require all students to take courses in language literature, history, social studies, philosophy and education.
J. NEWTON RAYZOR ENDOWS CHAIR
1953, J. Newton Rayzor ’17, the first Rice graduate to serve as a trustee of Rice, endowed the Masterson chair in history and the Rayzor chair in religious studies.
FONDREN LIBRARY
1947, the cornerstone of Fondren Library is laid in December.
FIRST RICE PROVOST
1953, Dr. Carey Croneis appointed Rice's first provost. He served as provost under President Houston until 1960 and at that time assumed the additional responsibilities of Acting President following President Houston's resignation due to ill health. He served as both Provost and President until the appointment of Kenneth Sanborn Pitzer as President in July 1961. In 1961 Dr. Croneis was named Chancellor and held that position until his retirement in 1970. He was thus named Wiess Professor Emeritus of Geology and Chancellor Emeritus.
KONSTANTIN KOLENDA
1953, Konstantin Kolenda joins the philosophy faculty three years after graduating. He goes on to teach for 38 years.
JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN HISTORY
1958, “The Journal of Southern History” moved to Rice.
HAMMAN HALL
1959, Hamman Hall, named in honor of George Hamman and largely financed by the George and Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation, was the first building dedicated to performance arts programs at Rice.
FIRST DEAN OF HUMANITIES APPOINTED
1959, William H. Masterson ’35, who received his undergraduate degree from Rice and joined the history faculty in 1951, was named the first Dean of Humanities.
1960, the Board of Governors proposed that the Rice Institute change its name to William Marsh Rice University and the new name became effective on July 1, 1960.
STUDIES IN ENGLISH LITERATURE
1960, the “SEL Studies in English Literature 1500-1900” began in the English Department as a quarterly journal of historical and critical studies seeking to explore and understand British literature.
NEW SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES BUILDING
1962, the J. Newton Rayzor Family Foundation financed the construction of a new building, Rayzor Hall, designed to house the humanities.
ALAN GROB
1961, Alan Grob joins Rice faculty in the English department and served as chairman from 1981 to 1987. He taught courses in Shakespeare, British Romantic poetry, Wordsworth and Keats and Victorian literature at Rice for more than 40 years before retiring in 2002. He was the recipient of multiple Brown Awards for Superior Teaching as well as the George R. Brown Prize for Excellence in Teaching.
SEMI-CENTENNIAL OF RICE
1962, Semi-Centennial of Rice is celebrated with the Academic Festival, drawing 20 world-renowned scholars to campus for the “Man, Science, Learning, and Education” lecture series.
J.S. FULTON
1963, J.S. Fulton appointed interim dean of the School of Humanities.
KATHERINE TSANOFF BROWN
1963, Katherine Tsanoff Brown, who entered Rice at age 15 and graduated in 1938, returned to the university to teach art. She served as the dean of undergraduate affairs from 1973-1983.
ALLEN MATUSOW
1963, Allen Matusow joined the history faculty, specializing in 20th century U.S. history. He served as Dean of the Humanities from 1981-1995.
FRANK E. VANDIVER
1963, Civil War scholar and Rice professor, Frank E. Vandiver, secures sponsorship from the university to start the Jefferson Davis Association. Editorial offices open in December 1964, and after several years of scouring the country for documents, the first volume is published in 1971.
PHILIP WADSWORTH
1964, Philip Wadsworth appointed dean of the School of Humanities.
NEIL "SANDY" HAVENS
1964, Neil "Sandy Havens becomes the first to serve as Rice Players' full-time director and the first tenured professor of theatre. Sandy goes on to teach for over 30 years and later served as department chairman of the Department of Art and Art History 1994-96.
DEPARTMENT OF FINE ARTS
1965, Rice established the Department of Fine Arts. Katherine Tsanoff Brown, James Chillman, John O’Neil and David Parsons were the original faculty for this department, which offered courses in art history, architecture, and visual and dramatic arts.
CHARLES GARSIDE, JR.
1966, Charles Garside, Jr., arrives to become part of the History Department faculty.
FINE ARTS MOVES TO TEMPORARY FACILITIES
1967, after a flood, the Department of Fine Arts moved from Fondren Library to new temporary facilities in Allen Center while Sewall Hall is constructed.
VIRGIL TAPAZIO
1967, Virgil Tapazio appointed dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
GEORGE R. BROWN TEACHING AWARD
1967, Louis H. Mackey (Philosophy), Trenton Wann (Psychology), Alan Grob (English), and Louis P. Galambos (History) are five of the six recipients of the inaugural George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching. Professor Alexander X. Byrd received the award in 2006 and 2013.
1968, the Bachelor of Arts program in Linguistics is established, and linguistics post-doctorate degrees are awarded through the particular language departments and Anthropology. The Department of Linguistics will officially be founded in 1968.
WILLIAM MASTERSON APPOINTED PRESIDENT
1968, the Board of Trustees appoints William Masterson, former dean of the School of Humanities, the university president--only to have him resign five days later amidst student and faculty protest.
DEPARTMENT OF FINE ARTS CHANGES TO DEPARTMENT OF ART AND ART HISTORY
1968, art benefactors Jean and Dominique De Menil moved their spectrum of art activities from the University of St. Thomas to Rice. The Department of Fine Arts becomes the Department of Art and Art HIstory and includes film, photography, studio art, and art history.
DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES
1968, the Department of Religious Studies was founded.
1969, the new Institute for the Arts held its first exhibition titled, "The Machine as Seen at the End of the Mechanical Age," co-sponsored by the Museum of Modern Art. The Machine was one of the most important exhibitions of the 1960s dealing with art and technology.
RICE MEDIA CENTER
1969, the Media Center (part of the Fine Arts Department) began courses on film with James Blue as instructor (pictured left). The Rice Media Center was the founded by art patrons Jean and Dominique de Menil to provide a channel through which different peoples of the world could communicate through film and art. The Media Center continues to serve as a vital part of the Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts today.
THE NEW INSTITUTE FOR THE ARTS
1969, Houston arts patrons John and Dominque de Menil brought a team of art historians and staff, an art library, and a photography and film program to the university’s Fine Arts department. As the department gained momentum with the de Menils’ ongoing support, the Rice Media Center was established, alongside the Rice Art Museum and the Rice Institute for the Arts. The sites quickly developed reputations for presenting the most innovative art, photography and film exhibitions in the city.
DENNIS HUSTON JOINS ENGLISH FACULTY
1969, Professor Dennis Huston joined the faculty of the English Department. He went on to teach 47 years at Rice.
GEOFF WINNINGHAM JOINS THE FACULTY IN THE MEDIA CENTER
1969, Professor Geoff Winningham joins the faculty of the Rice Media Center, part of the Department of Art and Art History, to teach photography. Winningham, earned his undergraduate degree in English from Rice and his work in photography and film-making supported by numerous fellowships and awards, including two Guggenheim Fellowships and 5 grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. Professor Winningham continues to each photography in a teaching career that spans almost 50 years at Rice.
BOB PATTEN JOINS ENGLISH FACULTY
1969, well-known Dickens scholar Robert Patten, now the Lynette S. Autrey Professor Emeritus in Humanities, arrives at Rice. Specializing in 19th-century British literature and art. Professor Patten taught from 1969-2012.
SEWALL HALL
1971, Sewall Hall was built to accommodate the visual and dramatic arts at Rice, as well as a gallery space.
1979, The School of Social Sciences is founded, splitting from the School of Humanities and moving to Sewall Hall.
1981, Allen Matusow appointed dean of the School of Humanities.
GEORGE R. BROWN FORENSIC SOCIETY
1984, the George R. Brown Forensic Society was formed, replacing the original Rice Forensic Society, as the university’s competitive intercollegiate speech and debate team.
HERRING HALL
1984. Herring Hall was completed and named for Robert J. Herring, former chair of the Rice Board of Trustees.
GEORGE RUPP
1985, The university’s fifth president George Rupp, was inaugurated and became the first Rice president to have a background in a humanities discipline (religious studies).
1986, Larry McMurtry, who earned his master’s degree in English from Rice in 1960, won the Pulitzer-Prize for his novel “Lonesome Dove.”
1987, The Humanities Research Center was established by a faculty working group.
1988, in 1988, Professor Richard Smith, George and Nancy Rupp Professor of Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University, established Rice University's Asian Studies program and Asian Studies major. During its twenty-five-year history as an undergraduate major, the Asian Studies program was supported by the enthusiastic participation of Rice faculty and also by grants from various foundations such as the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation.
1989, the Program in Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations is established.
STUDY OF WOMEN AND GENDER
1992, the newly founded interdisciplinary Program for the Study of Women and Gender enrolled its first majors. The program expanded its course offerings, establishing a graduate program and later changed its name to the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality.
RICE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY
1994, Sewall Gallery is renamed Rice University Art Gallery and a full-time director, Kim Davenport, is hired. A year later, the gallery will showcase its inaugural exhibitions – "Leon Golub: New Work and Adrian Piper’s Cornered." Rice Gallery has been the only university gallery in the nation dedicated to commissioning site-specific installation art.
JUDITH C. BROWN
1995, Judith C. Brown is appointed dean of the School of Humanities.
CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF LANGUAGES
1997, the Center for the Study of Languages was established under its first director, Regina Kecht, and housed in Rayzor Hall.
HUMANITIES BUILDING
2000, the School of Humanities celebrated the opening of the Humanities Building, which includes Pitman Tower, the Phoebe and Bobby Tudor Conference Room and the Lee and Joe Jamail Courtyard.
GALE STOKES
2000, Gail Stokes is appointed dean of the School of Humanities.
GARY WIHL
2003, Gary Wihl is appointed dean of the School of Humanities.
DEPARTMENT OF ART AND ART HISTORY
2003, Art History and Visual Arts became two distinct departments, growing out of what was previously the Department of Fine Arts. Within a few years, Rice Theatre was established and in 2007, the Institute for the Arts became the Rice Cinema Program.
R2: THE RICE REVIEW
2004, English professor Justin Cronin established "R2: The Rice Review," an undergraduate literary journal published annual in the spring.
2005, The Campbell Lecture Series was established thanks to a generous gift from T.C. Campbell ’34.
CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF WOMEN, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY (CSWGS)
2006, the School of Humanities establishes the Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality (CSWGS), which houses the Program in Poverty, Justice, and Human Capabilities (PJHC), and "Feminist Economics," an internationally-renowned journal whose founding editor, Diana Strassman, is director for PJHC.
VISUAL ARTS AND THEATRE REUNITE
2006, the Rice Theatre Program leaves the Department of English to return to the Department of Visual Arts. The new department is now the Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts.
HOUSTON ENRICHES RICE EDUCATION (HERE)
2007, the Houston Enriches Rice Education (HERE) Project was established to advance Rice’s relationship to the larger Houston community while enhancing faculty research and both undergraduate and graduate education.
2007, the interdisciplinary Program in Jewish Studies was established.
2009, Allen Matusow appointed interim dean of the School of Humanities.
NICOLAS SHUMWAY
2010, Nicolas Shumway became Dean of Humanities.
RICE GALLERY CLOSES
2017, Rice Art Gallery closes its doors with the Sol LeWitt exhibition, Glossy and Flat Black Squares (Wall Drawing #813), 1997, spring 2017. Kimberly Davenport, director, Rice Art Gallery: "The next exhibition will be the final installation at Rice Gallery. I hope you will join us on February 9th, when with mariachis and margaritas, we will celebrate the opening of Sol LeWitt's Glossy and Flat Black Squares (Wall Drawing #813), a re-installation of the work LeWitt originally created for the Gallery in 1997. Your presence and this majestic work will be a fitting tribute to the installations presented over the past 22 years, the exceptional artists who made them, and all those who have supported this idea, this space, and its artists.
KATHLEEN CANNING
2018, Kathleen Canning began as Dean of Humanities.
2019, Humanities students interested in health care careers will have a new pathway into medical school thanks to an agreement struck between Rice University and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The medical humanities is the study of the social, cultural, ethical, and historical dimensions of how doctors, patients, and communities understand the lived experience of health and disease. The Program at Rice is the first of its kind in the United States and a response to a nationwide demand for more intellectual diversity among medical school applicants.
CENTER FOR AFRICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES
2019, the Center for African and African American Studies opens in the School of Humanities to serve as Rice’s primary location for curriculum and research related to Africa and to people of African descent in the Americas and beyond. Offering a broad base for teaching and pedagogical resources as well as interdisciplinary scholarship and programming that brings Rice into national and international conversations, the center is a clearinghouse for critical conversation, instruction, cutting-edge research and community outreach in an interdisciplinary fashion.
CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
2019, the Center for Environmental Studies opens in the School of Humanities. The center is one of only a few research center in the world specifically designed to foster and incubate research on the energy/environment nexus across the arts, humanities and social sciences.
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By: High Fives & Stage Dives August 4, 2019
Meg & Dia release new record ‘happysad’
Watch the brand new video for American Spirit.
Last Friday, the newly reunited Meg & Dia released their new album, happysad, through Pure Noise Records. The surprise 10-track album is now available to be purchased or streamed.
“Being a huge fan of director Saman Kesh (Ed Sheeran, Calvin Harris) and his work, I wrote him an Instagram message asking if there was a chance that he would be interested in working on a music video with us for American Spirit, explains Dia. “I wasn’t expecting a response, but I got one, and soon after we met up for dinner and talked in depth about our past history, our album and what the song means to us. Meg and I knew instantly that Saman and his co-director, Justin Hopkins, were the right team.”
“We got to explore our fun, quirky sides with this video, and dive deeper into our relationship as sisters,” Dia adds. “It shows us coming together at the end, which is exactly how I feel in real life. I always feel stronger and more clear-headed with my sister around — like I can take on anything, whether it’s my own inner critic, a breakup, or yes, a giant, crazy, killer robot.”
The reunion came about after Dia released her second solo album, Bruises in 2017. Something about the experience felt off and she felt drawn to the musical past she’d shared with Meg. “There was this thing that just started calling me,” Dia explains. “I wasn’t happy playing alone.”
Unbeknownst to Dia, Meg had also been feeling an urge to regroup with her sister and get the last incarnation of the band back together. In fact, she’d been so determined to do so that she’d been attempting to send telepathic messages to her sister and the universe in general. “I had been toying with the idea of manifestation,” explains Meg, “and bringing about a reality with my mind. I had the desire to be creative and have a deeper connection with Dia, so I started visualizing us playing together again for a week, and on the eighth day she called me and asked. And there was no hesitation. I was so ready to jump on board.
The two sisters grew up writing and performing together in Utah which inspired them to start their band, Meg and Dia, in 2007. After years of success, from signing to Warner Brothers Records to touring the world with artists such as Dashboard Confessional and Angels and Airwaves, the band officially parted ways in 2012. During their time apart, the sisters took time to discover themselves as individuals. Dia pursued a solo career continuing her success in music, having seven #1 radio hits around SE Asia and penning songs for artists such as Illenium, M83, Kaskade, Lindsey Stirling, and more, while Meg explored her spirituality and opened up a successful and beloved coffee shop back home in Salt Lake City.
happysad is an album that neither of them thought they’d ever make, but after going their separate ways and finding what makes them each unique, Meg and Dia have come together again to make the most refined and collaborative record of their career. It finds their friendship rekindled, their creative spark reignited and their musical horizons expanded.
While in the past, Meg and Dia would take turns to write individual songs on albums, their efforts on happysad were much more collaborative. It means these 10 songs are a blend of Meg and Dia’s two distinct yet compatible personalities – songs which show how in tune they are with each other but also how different they both are. At its core, however, is a fragility and vulnerability shared by both of them, but which they hope can help others who may feel similar.
happysad track listing:
Lit Match
Better At Being Young
Boys Can Cry
Dear Heart
Get an earful of Birthmarks’ new track ‘Charcoal’
SeeYouSpaceCowboy announce album & new video
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Last edited by Akirr
2 edition of laws of the Dean Forest and Hundred of Saint Briavels, in the county of Gloucester found in the catalog.
laws of the Dean Forest and Hundred of Saint Briavels, in the county of Gloucester
James G. Wood
a collection of statutes, awards & public documents relating to the forest and hundred : with notes and appendices, and descriptions of all the gales of coal and iron confirmed by the awards of 1841, or subsequently granted, with the present rents and royalties, and notes of forfeitures & surrenders
by James G. Wood
Published 2000 by Ross Old Books, Past and Present Books in Ross-on-Wye, Coleford .
Originally published: London: H. Sweet, 1878.
Statement foreword by Dr Cyril Hart.
Pagination xii, 478p.
Abenhall is a tiny, ancient village in a secluded quiet valley near parish includes the settlement of Plump Hill, on the Mitcheldean to Cinderford Road as it climbs into the high Forest. Once part of the Westbury Hundred (which was known as Dene at the time of the Doomsday book) Abenhall is on the Flaxley to Mitcheldean Road.. Originally a mining and iron making centre The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, forms a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north-west, Herefordshire to the north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.. The area is characterised by more than square kilometres ( sq mi
An Act to make further Provision for the Management of Her Majesty's Forest of Dean, and of the Mines and Quarries therein and in the Hundred of Saint Briavels in the County of Gloucester. Dean Forest Act 31 & 32 Vict. c. An Act to extend the Provision in "The Duchy of Cornwall Management Act, ," relating to permanent ://(Repeals)_Act_ An Act for regulating the opening and working of Mines and Quarries in the Forest of Dean and Hundred of Saint Briavels, in the County of Gloucester. The Dean Forest (Mines) Act, 1 & 2 Vict. c. An Act the title of which begins with the words "An Act to transfer the Management," and ends with the words " and Annuities for Terms of Years."
Sparkenhoe was a hundred of Leicestershire, England in the south-west of the county, covering Market Bosworth and Hinckley, broadly corresponding to the modern districts of Blaby and Hinckley and Bosworth. The meeting place of the Sparkenhoe Hundred was probably at Shericles Farm near Desford (SK), which derives from scirac meaning "the hundred oak". Full text of "Rights of Common and Other Prescriptive Rights: Being Twenty-four Lectures Delivered in Gray's " See other formats
Some general directions for a comfortable walking with God
Rent Act 1977
treatise describing and explaining the construction
Descendants of Reinold and Matthew Marvin of Hartford, Ct., 1638 and 1635
Commentaries on U.P. police regulations
Classics on the Trinity
Adult education - research in progress in Britain 1973
Debra Doesnt Take the Dare (Growing Up Happy)
A fawn in the grass
Organic detritus and its role as a food source in chalk streams.
Code of the Lifemaker
HIV/AIDS and sex education for young people
Keeping America free from foreign animal diseases. 7. Vesicular diseases
Eminent Edwardians
Proceedings: Fifth International Symposium on Assessment of Software Tools and Technologies
Society and religion in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Ice fishing for kids
The Elusive grasshopper.
Laws of the Dean Forest and Hundred of Saint Briavels, in the county of Gloucester by James G. Wood Download PDF EPUB FB2
Get this from a library. In the county of Gloucester book laws of the Dean Forest and Hundred of Saint Briavels, in the County of Gloucester: a collection of statutes, awards & public documents relating to the Forest and Hundred: with notes and appendices.
[James G Wood] LAWS OF DEAN - Hart, Cyril. Author: Hart, Cyril Published by: The British Publishing Company Edition: 1st Description: Hardback. Nearly fine condition.
Being a Supplement to "The Laws of the Dean Forest and Hundred of St. Briavels, in the County of Gloucester" by James G. Wood Green cloth boards, gilt title to front. x + 25 › Books, Comics & Magazines › Antiquarian & Collectable.
for the Dean Forest (Mines) Act (See end of Document for details) Dean Forest (Mines) Act CHAPTER 43 1 and 2 Vict An Act for regulating the opening and working of Mines and Quarries in the Forest of Dean and Hundred of Saint Briavels in the County of Gloucester.
[27th July ] Annotations: Modifications etc. (not altering text) A miner must be born and living within the Hundred of St Briavels, be over 21 years old and to have worked for at least a year and a day in a mine within the Hundred of St Briavels.
Today the Hundred of St. Briavels includes the statutory Forest of Dean and every parish touching the Forest border. Registration.
Once a person matches the correct LAWS OF DEAN. by Cyril Hart. Published by The British Publishing Company. 1st. Nearly fine condition. Being a Supplement to "The Laws of the Dean Forest and Hundred of St.
Briavels, in the County of Gloucester" by James G. Wood Green cloth boards, gilt title to front. x + 25 pages. Corners very slightly bumped and rubbed. Stock no ?page=2&route. LAWS OF DEAN.
by Cyril Hart. Published by The British Publishing Company. 1st. Nearly fine condition in a very good dustwrapper. Being a Supplement to "The Laws of the Dean Forest and Hundred of St. Briavels, in the County of Gloucester" by James G. Wood Green cloth boards, gilt title to front.
x + 25 pages. Corners lightly :// An Act to make further Provision for the Management of Her Majesty’s Forest of Dean, and of the Mines and Quarries therein and in the Hundred of Saint Briavels in the County of The Forest of Dean is set apart from the rest of the country, with almost an island feel about it.
Bounded by the Severn on the south and east, and the Wye to the west and north, with the city of Buscalibre México - Libros del Autor Wood James G - ver opiniones y comentarios. Compra y venta de libros importados, novedades y bestsellers en tu librería Online Buscalibre México y :// LAWS OF DEAN Written by Cyril Hart.
Stock no. Published by The British Publishing Company. 1st Nearly fine condition. Being a Supplement to "The Laws of the Dean Forest and Hundred of St. Briavels, in the County of Gloucester" by James G. Wood Green cloth boards, gilt title to front.
x ?page=2. The laws of the Dean forest and hundred of Saint Briavels, in the county of Gloucester. A collection of statutes, awards & public documents relating to the forest and hundred; with notes and appendices, and descriptions of all the gales of coal and iron confirmed by the awards ofor subsequently granted, with the present rents and royalties, and notes of forfeitures & :// RUARDEAN is a village and parish, 6 miles south from Ross, 9 north-east from Monmouth, 6 north-east from Coleford station on the Hereford, Ross and Gloucester railway, 2½ from Kerne Bridge and from London, in the Western division of the county, hundred of Saint Briavels, county court district and union of Ross, rural deanery of South Forest, archdeaconry of Gloucester and diocese of LAWS OF DEAN Written by Cyril Hart.
Stock no. Published by The British Publishing Company. 1st Nearly fine condition in a very good dustwrapper. Being a Supplement to "The Laws of the Dean Forest and Hundred of St. Briavels, in the County of Gloucester" by James G. Wood ?page=3. The Laws Of The Dean Forest And Hundred Of Saint Briavels, In The County Of G $ Free shipping.
Details about Forest Trees of Kentucky and The Forest Laws of Kentucky (/31) A book that looks the same as New. Might have been opened once or :// Extracted from A P Baggs and A R J Jurica, 'Forest of Dean: Bounds of the forest', in A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 5, Bledisloe Hundred, St.
Briavels Hundred, the Forest of Dean, ed. C R J Currie and N M Herbert (London, ), pp. available online [accessed 6 The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England.
The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the Buscalibre Argentina - Libros del Autor James G Wood - ver opiniones y comentarios. Compra y venta de libros importados, novedades y bestsellers en tu librería Online Buscalibre Argentina y :// The laws of the Dean Forest and Hundred of Saint Briavels, in the County of Gloucester: a collection of statutes, awards & public documents relating to the Forest and Hundred: with notes and appendices.
London: H. Sweet. Natural Resources. xii, p. ; 22 cm.; UK Fiche: Woolrych, Humphry W. (Humphry William), ?colldocid=&Page=4. CHAPTER I.— a.d. – 1. Origin of the name “Dean”?—The Buck Stone and other Druidical remains—“The Scowles,” &c., and other ancient iron-mines, worked in the time of the Romans—Symmond’s Yat, and other military earthworks—Domesday Book, and investment of this Forest in the Crown—William I., and probable date of Free Miners’ Franchise—Castle of St.
Briavel’s Laws, rules, orders, and regulations for the government and controul of the several prisons in the county of Gloucester by Gloucestershire (England) () 6 editions published between and in English and held by WorldCat member libraries worldwide.
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.
The area is characterised by over square kilometres ( sq mi) of mixed woodland, one of the The other was James Thompson, an 18 year old road man from Coleford who wrote a journal with the grand title of "The Original Directory to the Royal Forest of Dean ".
The book was kept by James who was born at Lords Hill House, Coleford. It The Forest of Dean Coalfield formed during Upper Carboniferous times, when the area was a nearshore-intertidal environment of semi-marine estuaries and swamps.
The area today is a raised basin plateau of Paleozoic rocks folded in the Variscan occurs in a raised asymmetrical syncline with a steeper eastern limb that surfaces in the area of Staple Edge and the Soudley Valley producing
helpyouantibiotic.top - Laws of the Dean Forest and Hundred of Saint Briavels, in the county of Gloucester book © 2020
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Dates and Origins of Lag Ba'Omer
Lag BaOmer Bonfire (tomergabel / CC-by-sa)
Lag Ba'Omer Dates in 2021, 2022 and 2023
Lag Ba'Omer is celebrated at the following dates:
Tuesday, March 30th 2021
Thursday, May 19th 2022
Tuesday, May 9th 2023
Lag Ba'Omer occurs on the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, coinciding with the 18th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar. It is a minor Jewish holiday that commemorates the anniversary of the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
In the second century, a Mishnaic sage named Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai revealed the deepest secrets of the kabbalah in the Book of Splendor, otherwise known as the Zohar. This was a landmark text in Jewish mysticism leading to several customs including bonfires and pilgrimages to Bar Yochai's tomb. According to the Talmud, 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva died of a divine plague because of their lack of respect for one another. Bar Yochai was one of the five students that survived and went on to divulge some of the deepest secrets of the Kabbalah. It is for this reason that this day is usually associated with light as a representation of wisdom.
The Counting of the Omer is considered a semi-mourning period until Lag Ba'Omer on the 33rd day. It is common to schedule celebrations such as weddings, parties, haircuts and listening to music on this day. Bonfires are typical both in Israel and in the religious Jewish diaspora. These represent the great light left behind after the teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Children are often given their first haircuts on Lag Ba'Omer.
This day is also a popular wedding day for Ashkenazi Jews, whereas Sephardi Jews tend to hold weddings on the next day. This tends to be the first opportunity for a wedding in the early spring or summer for those who do not hold celebrations between Passover and Lag Ba'Omer.
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/679300/jewish/What-Is-Lag-BaOmer.htm
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/lag-baomer/#
http://www.aish.com/h/o/33o/91684314.html
http://www.jewfaq.org/holidayb.htm
Baptist Celebrations
Catholic Celebrations
Islamic Celebrations
Jewish Celebrations
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On The Hub: COVID 19 information and resources for the Johns Hopkins University community>
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JHU - Institute for Computational Medicine > News & Events > Calendar
Distinguished Seminar Series
2016 Computational Medicine Night Jeffrey Moehlis Nathan Price Rong Li Saroja Ramanujan Sridevi Sarma Su-In Lee Suchi Saria Thomas Knudsen
Molecular Reflections of Health and Disease from Longitudinal Deep Phenotyping Across Thousands of People
“Molecular Reflections of Health and Disease from Longitudinal Deep Phenotyping Across
Thousands of People”
Dr. Nathan Price is a professor at the Institute for Systems Biology where he co-directs with Lee Hood the Hood-Price Integrated Lab for Systems Biomedicine. He is also affiliate faculty at the University of Washington in the Departments of Bioengineering, Computer Science & Engineering, and Molecular & Cellular Biology. In 2019, he was selected by the National Academy of Medicine as one of their 10 Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine.
Dr. Price co-founded Arivale, a scientific wellness company that was named as Geekwire’s 2016 startup of the year. Dr. Price is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) and on the Board of Advisors for the American Cancer Society (WA). He is also the chair of the NIH study section on Modeling and Analysis of Biological Systems (MABS).
Dr. Price has won numerous awards for his work, including an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship, a Howard Temin Pathway to Independence Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award, a young investigator award from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust, and being named as one of the inaugural “Tomorrow’s PIs” by Genome Technology. He was also named as a Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar, received the 2016 Grace A. Goldsmith Award for his work pioneering scientific wellness, and was selected as an Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Scholar by the National Academy of Medicine.
Dr. Price also serves on numerous scientific advisory boards including for Roche (personalized healthcare division), Providence St. Joseph Health, Sera Prognostics, Trelys, Basepaws, Navican, Mexico’s National Institute for Genomic Medicine (INMEGEN), the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Thought Leaders Council, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability. Dr. Price served on the National Academy of Medicine committee to set best practice guidelines for developing omics-based tests in clinical trials from 2010-2012. He has served on the editorial boards of several scientific journals, including Cell Systems, Science Translational Medicine, BMC Systems Biology, Industrial Biotechnology, Biotechnology Journal, and was previously a Deputy Editor of PLOS Computational Biology. He is also a fellow of the European Society of Preventive Medicine. He has published over 160 scientific papers (H-index > 57) and given over 200 invited talks.
To join live event click here: https://wse.zoom.us/j/92482144405
Recording will be available here after the event.
Healthcare in the 21st century will need to become increasingly focused on wellness as a key strategy for dealing with the chronic diseases that account for 86% of healthcare costs in the US. To enable the precision health strategies of the future — what we call ’scientific wellness’ — it is necessary to generate large amounts of data on healthy people to quantify wellness states and to observe the earliest transitions to disease in order to enable predictive and preventive medicine. I will discuss how such ‘deep phenotyping’ data has been used to: (1) inform about how our gut microbiome and blood metabolites are related; (2) how the gut microbiome becomes more unique to each individual in healthy aging (3) map out the manifestation of genetic risk in the body, giving clues about how we might design intervention strategies to preemptively reduce disease risk on a personalized basis; (4) how the success of lifestyle/dietary-aimed interventions is quantitatively affected by personal genetics, and (5) how we can use deep phenotyping to calculate ‘biological age’ measures that can be modified through actionable possibilities to track progress on wellness goals. Taken together, such approaches hold tremendous promise for the future of health optimization and preventive medicine contextualized to each person’s unique genome, lifestyle, and history.
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idgroup branding
Martha’s Vineyard: The Family House
Here for you, so you can be there for them
Services We Provided: Branding from the Core®, Facilitated Strategic Planning Sessions, Logo, Visual Identity System, Brand Standards, Website Design, Print / Billboard / Broadcast / Digital Campaigns, Custom Photography, Social Media Strategy and Graphics, Media Strategy
After several unsuccessful attempts to secure a grant, fledgling organization, Martha’s Vineyard, finally rose to the top to be named the fifth recipient of the Brand on Us initiative.
Martha’s Vineyard of Pensacola serves out-of-town individuals and families who have relatives receiving healthcare treatment at local hospitals and rehabilitation facilities by providing them with free food, lodging and emotional support during their stay. Since its inception in 2009, it has served over 700 families, but one major factor has prohibited its growth and outreach: little to no brand recognition in the community.
Through the Brand on Us initiative, idgroup and its team of strategic planners and creative visionaries have worked together to help create a more visible brand for the organization. Additionally, on the heels of a massive capital campaign set to launch in 2018, the leadership of Martha’s Vineyard also saw an opportunity to leverage the new brand for fundraising outreach to build a brand new, state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Pensacola.
Before development of the new brand began, idgroup concluded that the biggest obstacle to the organization’s awareness… was the name.
In 2009, Martha Rouse was hospitalized due to a serious motorcycle accident. Eventually, Martha succumbed to her injuries and lost her life. But through her and her family, Martha’s Vineyard was born as a place of respite for those dealing with a loved one’s health crisis.
To honor the organization’s story, idgroup kept the name, but added a descriptor to strengthen the organization’s position: The Family House.
In 2018, Martha’s Vineyard emerged as Martha’s Vineyard: The Family House with its stated campaign slogan: “Here for you, so you can be there for them.” The logo, inspired by the Bible verse, John 15:5, became a symbol of the organic power of healing and growth.
The Brand on Us project concluded in October 2017, and together with its media partners, the campaign launched in February 2018.
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You are here: Home / Movie Star Biographies / Lennox Pawle – The Career of Copperfield’s Mr. Dick
Lennox Pawle – The Career of Copperfield’s Mr. Dick
April 27, 2013 By Cliff Aliperti Leave a Comment
Mr. Dick asks David, “Do you remember the date that King Charles the first had his head cut off?”
“I believe it was in the year sixteen hundred and forty-nine,” David replies, no doubt curious as to why Mr. Dick should ask.
“Well, so the books say,” replies Dick. “But I don’t see how that can be. Because if it was so long ago, how could the trouble have got out of his head, when it was cut off, and into mine?”
“I’m sure I don’t know,” says David.
“It’s very strange. King Charles’ head is always popping into whatever I write. But, no matter. No matter.”
Mr. Dick rises from his seat and skips over to the giant kite that he’s made to fly with David.
I haven’t seen Lennox Pawle, the actor who plays Mr. Dick in MGM’s 1935 adaptation of David Copperfield, in any of his other movies. It’s only a small handful of titles, but does include a role in The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1931) and bit roles in both Mata Hari (1931) and his final movie, Sylvia Scarlett (1935), which I have seen, but can't recall Pawle. I'm sure I'll bump into Mr. Pawle again--I'll be looking next time--but until that day Mr. Dick will more than suffice.
I’ve been curious about him ever since I wrote about David Copperfield and judging by the Pawle searches on this site every time Turner Classic Movies airs that movie, some others are wondering about him as well.
I included a brief biography of Pawle in my Copperfield post, and unfortunately I don’t have much to add to the story beyond a better grasp of those original details.
John Lennox Pawle was born at Marylebone, Middlesex, England on April 27, 1871, the son of John Christopher Pawle, a London solicitor, and his wife, Maria. You can find a brief (three pages) summary of Pawle milestones as gathered from various historical documents at Archive.org.
Lennox Pawle with Freddie Bartholomew and Edna May Oliver in David Copperfield
Before becoming an actor Lennox Pawle worked as a newspaper reporter and is said to have owned a racing newspaper at some later date.
He began his acting career at Sarah Thorne’s Dramatic School some time around 1890. His stage debut came later that decade in Ticklish Times. Pawle gained experience in London, where before the turn of the century he was already known as a comic actor, and eventually became a member of Maude Adams’ Playhouse company.
Lennox Pawle arrived in America in 1910 to play in the Liebler Company’s production of Pomander Walk. Pawle played a retired butler, Brooks-Hoskyns, in the hit play by Lionel N. Parker, who soon provided George Arliss with his signature role in 1911's Disreali. Pomander Walk must have been very popular as well because the Brooklyn Eagle was still referencing it to spark memories of Pawle some seventeen years later!
Pawle also scored on Broadway as a lovable old bookseller in Charles Frohman’s revival of Liberty Hall in 1913.
Perhaps Pawle’s greatest round of press coverage came in another play by Parker, The Highway of Life, an adaptation of David Copperfield performed in modern dress and centering upon Pawle's part of Mr. Micawber. One newspaper claimed this was the first time Micawber had been played in America since 1851! Parker’s daughter Dorothy also appeared in the play as Little Em'ly.
Edgar Kent, Dorothy Parker and Lennox Pawle in Pomander Walk, 1911
Pawle married Dorothy Parker when they returned to England in 1914. It was Pawle’s second (possibly third) marriage, after having been granted a divorce from Janet Mary Pawle in 1909. Parker, who as I mentioned in my Copperfield article was not that Dorothy Parker, eventually left Pawle behind in America to return to England in 1924. She remarried after Pawle’s death in 1936.
Lennox Pawle remained in England during the years of the First World War, but returned to Broadway in 1919 to play in the opera Monsieur Beaucaire. I assume it must have had a comic role for him to play. Towards the end of the war he had appeared in a few British films and made his American movie debut as Samuel Pepys in J. Stuart Blackton’s The Glorious Adventure (1922).
Lennox Pawle, at far right, as Samuel Pepys in The Glorious Adventure (1922). From Motion Picture, July 1922.
Pawle remained busy on Broadway throughout the 1920s. He made his return to the movies in 1929, appearing in three titles for Fox Films in that single year: Married in Hollywood, The Sky Hawk, a aviation film which gained him some press notice, and for Raoul Walsh in Hot for Paris. Then it was back to Broadway for a part in Florenz Ziegfeld’s production of Simple Simon, a Rodgers and Hart musical comedy, in 1930.
Pawle next appeared in the two 1931 films for MGM, The Sin of Madelon Claudet and Mata Hari, before finishing off his Broadway career in Collision, a flop lasting just seven performances.
Pawle received plenty of positive notices for his small part as Mr. Dick in David Copperfield, but unfortunately he would only appear in Fox’s The Gay Deception and in a small role as a drunk in Sylvia Scarlett before a cerebral hemorrhage took his life, February 22, 1936.
Lennox Pawle's part in David Copperfield is small. Most people remember the movie for W.C. Fields though Freddie Bartholomew, Edna May Oliver and a host of others will gain mention before Pawle as well. And deservedly so. The movie is filled with a cast that seem to have jumped from Dickens' pages to come to life for MGM. But no character makes me smile more than Pawle's simple Mr. Dick, described by Oliver's Aunt Betsey as, "the most friendly creature in existence.” It's impossible to watch David Copperfield without coming away wondering, who was that guy?
"An old and intimate friend."
He was, like many of his contemporaries, somebody whose career has largely slipped from memory. A stage actor of some prominence in the 1910s and '20s, who died before he could really make his mark in Hollywood. He only made it into the movies a dozen times, and a few of those are lost or forgotten. But we have Mr. Dick, and that's enough.
“Don’t pretend to be wool gathering when you’re as sharp as a surgeon’s lancet.” - Aunt Betsey to Mr. Dick
Pawle had the following correspondence between himself and a theatrical manager, Robert Arthur, published in the “Era Annual for 1908.” Those letters in their entirety:
Lennox Pawle in Liberty Hall, 1913
Regent St., October 2, 1902
Dear Mr. Lennox Pawle,
What are your terms for pantomime?
Green Club Room, October 4, 1902
Dear Mr. Robert Arthur,
My terms for pantomime are £30 a week
Lennox Pawle
Before I paid you £30 a week for pantomime, I should like to see you in pantomime.
If you saw me in pantomime you wouldn’t pay me £30 a week.
”A Panto. Proposal.” Sunday Times (Perth, WA: 1902-1954) 1 Mar 1908: 18. Trove. Web. 27 Apr 2013.
”Lennox Pawle Has Important Role in Cort Theater Farce.” Daily Star 17 Aug 1927: 5. Old Fulton NY Post Cards. Web. 27 Apr 2013.
”Micawber as a Stage Character.” Brooklyn Daily Eagle 15 Nov 1914: 13. Old Fulton NY Post Cards. Web. 27 Apr 2013.
"Your common sense is invaluable," says Edna May Oliver to Lennox Pawle in David Copperfield
Filed Under: Movie Star Biographies Tagged With: David Copperfield, Lennox Pawle
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Revised for 2015 – Freddie Bartholomew Biography
Available on Amazon for just 99¢ - Freddie Bartholomew: An Informal Biography has had a major revision since the last update of the Immortal Ephemera post in 2012. Includes new Introduction, Filmography, Bibliography and Footnotes, four photos, and a more polished telling of Freddie's biography with additional film notes.
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Geraint Thomas sets out pre-Tour de France racing plans
Daniel Ostanek
ALTO DA FIA MONCHIQUE PORTUGAL FEBRUARY 20 Start Geraint Thomas of The United Kingdom and Team INEOS during the 46th Volta ao Algarve 2020 Stage 2 a 1839 km stage from Sagres Vila do Bispo to Alto da Fia 884m Monchique VAlgarve2020 on February 20 2020 in Alto da Fia Monchique Portugal Photo by Tim de WaeleGetty Images
Geraint Thomas has confirmed his pre-Tour de France race schedule, with the Tour de l'Ain and Critérium du Dauphiné on his calendar in the run-up to the race, which kicks off in Nice on August 29.
Speaking to Welsh broadcaster S4C, Thomas said that he's only taking in eight days of racing before starting the Tour, though there will be time for some course recons after the Dauphiné.
Thomas added that a big reason for racing the Tour de l'Ain is the fact that stage 3 of the race shares many of the same roads as stage 15 of the Tour de France, with the Col de la Biche and a summit finish on the Grand Colombier on the menu for both.
"The team start racing on August 1, but for me, there's a three-day stage race [Tour de l'Ain] in France, which one of the stages is the same as the Tour, so I'll start there," he told S4C.
"Then I'll have two days off and then we'll do the Dauphiné, which is the traditional last race before the Tour anyway. That's shortened, it's normally eight days but now it's five. I'll do a couple of recons after that, and then there will only be a week and then we'll go to the Tour."
Geraint Thomas believes meritocracy will decide Team Ineos leadership at Tour de France
Evaluating Team Ineos' 10-man Tour de France long list
Geraint Thomas' 36-hour challenge more than triples goal for NHS fundraising - Video
Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas in contention for World Championships
Thomas, who won the Tour in 2018 and finished runner-up behind teammate Egan Bernal last year, said that he has missed racing this year, while also keeping the COVID-19 pandemic in perspective. The Welshman hasn't raced since the Volta ao Algarve in February, where he finished 21st overall.
"Missing the racing part was disappointing but there was a lot bigger things going on, so you can understand why," he said. "Everyone's way of life drastically changed, but luckily for us, I went back to Cardiff for 50-odd days in the end.
"I was still able to go out on the road and train, and spend a bit of time with the family, which I never normally would. And especially having a young boy at home, Macsen, that was a nice positive from it.
"I'm getting on a bit now, I've got maybe three, four, five years left so I just want to make the most of those years and race my bike and enjoy it," added the 34-year-old. "It was tough going but there's a lot of people who are in worse off positions than us."
In lieu of real racing, Thomas has logged plenty of time on the Zwift virtual platform during lockdown, taking part in April's Team Ineos eRace up the Alpe du Zwift, June's Team Ineos eRace Classic and stage 2 of the Virtual Tour de France earlier this month. Back in April, he rode three consecutive 12-hour shifts in his garage to raise £375,528 for NHS charities.
Thomas said that racing on Zwift has been a fun experience, and has also helped with training, given that he has been competing against his fellow pros.
"It's not the real thing, but it is very realistic," he said. "The Zwift races have definitely helped me get more out of myself, because you're racing against your teammates online. Even if you're not that up for it to start with, as soon as you get going, that competitiveness comes out anyway and you all end up racing hard, so they're definitely a good workout.
"I'll probably be a bit like 'ah whatever, we'll see how it goes', but as soon as you get going, you do some stupid attacks. But we'll just have a bit of fun with it, it's definitely a good alternative to rolling around on your own."
Ineos general manager Dave Brailsford added that racing online has boosted the team's camaraderie and morale during lockdown.
"It's good to see them working hard," he said. "To see them racing again is fantastic. It's great for team morale and a great thing to be doing for everybody.
"Camaraderie, supporting each other, and the human factor is very important at this time. Anything you can do to connect people together – including the fans – is well worth doing."
Reruns of the Team Ineos eRace (Friday July 17, 9pm BST) and the Team Ineos eRace Classic (Friday July 24, 9pm BST) will be aired on S4C and on demand at S4C Clic. The broadcaster will also carry live coverage and highlights of the 2020 Tour de France, which runs from August 29 to September 20.
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A130 Bypass Essex
Project Value - £76m
Project Sector - Roads
Use of the road has continued to increase to the extent that a contractual clause has now been implemented to enable a 9Km length of this road to be widened to a dual 3-lane carriageway utilising the existing hard shoulder.
The Northern Section (Chelmsford to the A132 Rettendon Turnpike) was opened to traffic in January 2002 and the Southern Section was opened in February 2003.
Sirhowy Enterprise Way
£35.9m
The 30-year Sirhowy Enterprise Way concession covers the design, build, finance and operation of improvements to the A4048/A472 strategic highway network between the north of Blackwood and the east of Pontllanfraith.
Golden Ears Bridge
C$1500m
The Golden Ears Bridge is a six-lane extra dosed bridge in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia. It spans the Fraser River, connecting Langley on the south side with Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge on the north side.
M40 London to Warwick
Award of the concession in 1996 included online widening of the motorway between junctions 1a-3, adding an extra lane of motorway (dual 3 to dual 4) in both directions whilst maintaining the traffic flows.
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Faculty bylaws 2019
Faculty of Health Sciences Bylaws
Provide a framework for decision-making authority, responsibility, and accountability for the Faculty of Health Sciences.
- All Faculty of Health Sciences full-time academic staff and support staff
- All Faculty of Health Sciences part-time and contract professors and support staff
HIGHEST-LEVEL RESPONSIBILITY
Vice Dean, Governance and Secretary
Revision date(s)
June 2011, January 2019
Bylaw 1: Interpretation (definitions)
1.1 ACADEMIC STAFF: A person appointed on a half-time or full-time basis at the University of Ottawa with the rank of lecturer, assistant professor, associate professor, full professor, or a professor seconded to the University of Ottawa.
1.2 ACADEMIC UNIT: Grouping of professors and students within an academic and research program of professional training, usually a “school” within the Faculty of Health Sciences.
1.3 APUO: Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa.
1.4 APTPUO: Association of Part-Time Professors of the University of Ottawa.
1.5 BOARD OF GOVERNORS (BOARD): University of Ottawa Board of Governors.
1.6 DIRECTOR AND ASSOCIATE DEAN: Director of an academic unit (usually a school).
1.7 DEAN: Titular head of the Faculty.
1.8 EX OFFICIO MEMBER: A member of a body given a specific responsibility by virtue of office or position.
1.9 FACULTY: Faculty of Health Sciences.
1.10 FACULTY COUNCIL: Faculty Council of the Faculty of Health Sciences.
1.11 PART-TIME PROFESSOR: Academic staff member who is hired to teach on a contractual basis, including, but are not limited to, APTPUO members or members holding Long Term Appointments (LTA).
1.12 PRESIDENT: Head of the University of Ottawa.
1.13 REGULAR FACULTY MEMBER: An academic staff member holding a regular appointment, as defined in article 17 of the APUO collective agreement, and who is a member of the APUO.
1.14 REGULAR STUDENT: A student enrolled full time in a program at one of the academic units of the Faculty of Health Sciences.
1.15 SECRETARY OF THE FACULTY: An administrator at the Faculty who is Secretary of the Faculty Council, Faculty Assembly, and Faculty Executive Committee.
1.16 SENATE: Senate of the University of Ottawa.
1.17 VICE-DEAN: Member of the Faculty’s administrative team.
Bylaw 2: Nominations
2.1 The nomination committee or school council for each academic unit (school) manages the nomination of persons to serve on external committees or committees of the University or, of an academic unit, that align with the Faculty’s Strategic Plan.
2.2 The Office of the Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary, or equivalent, acts in a coordinating and supporting role for the nominations and election process to Faculty, University, and External Committees.
Bylaw 3: Faculty administrators
The Faculty of Health Sciences oversees the management of five academic units (schools): the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, the School of Human Kinetics, the School of Nursing, the School of Nutrition Sciences, and the School of Rehabilitation Sciences.
3.1 Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences
The Dean is the titular head of the Faculty.
The Dean is the chair of the Faculty Council and is an ex officio member of all committees of the Faculty.
3.2 Vice-Deans
A Vice-Dean is appointed by the Dean in collaboration with the Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs, or equivalent, after consultation with the selection committee that includes a representative appointed by the Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs and at least two members of Faculty Council, elected by Faculty Council.
The Vice-Dean’s role is to actively contribute to the development of the Faculty’s Strategic Plan and to support the pursuit of excellence within the Faculty. The Vice-Dean executes their duties with the aim of maximizing opportunities for the Faculty to innovate and occupy a leading position.
A Vice-Dean reports directly to the Dean, carries out functions as assigned by the Dean, is an ex officio member of the Faculty Executive Committee and Faculty Council, and reports on their activities to the Faculty Executive Committee and Faculty Council.
The term of office for a Vice-Dean is normally three years, renewable. The renewal follows the same procedure as for the original appointment.
A Vice-Dean is expected to show leadership in scholarly pursuits by maintaining teaching and research activities.
A Vice-Dean remains active in the service of their academic unit (school) in accordance with the division of work established by an agreement between themself and the Dean and Director and Associate Dean of the academic unit (school).
List of Vice-Deans
Vice-Dean, Academic (or equivalent)
Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary (or equivalent)
Vice-Dean, Professional Affairs (or equivalent)
Vice-Dean, Research (or equivalent)
Any other Vice-Dean as the Dean appoints from time to time in the interest of the good governance of the Faculty and to align with the Faculty’s Strategic Plan
3.2.1 Vice-Dean, Academic
The Vice-Dean, Academic, assists the Dean by assuming functions related to undergraduate and graduate programs.
The role of the Vice-Dean, Academic, is to contribute actively to the development of the Faculty’s Strategic Plan in support of the quest for academic excellence through curriculum development and the recruitment and retention of high calibre students.
The role comprises two main aspects: to provide strategic leadership on educational matters and to provide leadership and oversight for building greater student capacity (academic program quality and delivery) and improving students’ trajectory through the Faculty’s programs (strategic enrollment management).
The Vice-Dean, Academic, is a member of the Faculty Council and the Faculty Executive Committee and reports on their activities.
3.2.2 Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary
The Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary, assists the Dean by assuming functions that contribute to the effective governance of the Faculty and also serves as secretary of the Faculty, the Faculty Council, and the Faculty Executive Committee.
The role of the Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary, is to act as a consultant and resource person to the Dean, Vice-Deans, and the Director and Associate Dean of the academic units (schools) with respect to the interpretation and application of University and Faculty policies and regulations.
The Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary, consults with the Dean to develop agreements between the Faculty and partner organizations.
The Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary, works with the Dean to address grievances, appeals, and complaints that may result in litigation.
The Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary, is an ex officio member of the Senate, Faculty Executive Committee, and Faculty Council and reports on their activities.
3.2.3 Vice-Dean, Professional Affairs
The Vice-Dean, Professional Affairs, in close consultation with the Dean, the Vice-Dean, Academic, and the Director and Associate Deans of the academic units (schools), contributes to development of the Faculty’s Strategic Plan to support academic excellence in the Faculty’s programs from the perspective of practical and professional experiences (e.g., clinical placements, work-integrated learning, experiential learning).
The Vice-Dean, Professional Affairs, maintains close ties between the Faculty of Health Sciences and community partners (e.g., hospitals, clinics, health-related facilities, and community agencies), government partners, and private sector partners for all matters related to professional and clinical training, including integrating best practices into the curriculum, accreditation, and labour-related requirements for academic activities and risk management.
The Vice-Dean, Professional Affairs, is a member of the Faculty Council and the Faculty Executive Committee and reports on their activities.
3.2.4 Vice-Dean, Research
The Vice-Dean, Research, assists the Dean by assuming functions related to the development, promotion, planning and coordination of the Faculty’s research activities.
The role of the Vice-Dean, Research, is to contribute actively to the development of the Faculty’s Strategic Plan in support of the quest for excellence and competitiveness in research and the advancement of knowledge in health sciences.
The Vice-Dean, Research, is a member of the Faculty Council and the Faculty Executive Committee and reports on their activities.
3.3 Director and Associate Dean
A Director and Associate Dean is the titular head of an academic unit (school). The Director and Associate Dean, in consultation with the Dean, develops the academic unit’s (school) strategic plan in support of excellence in research and in program content and delivery to develop academic talent and promote innovative thinking.
A Director and Associate Dean is expected to show leadership in scholarly pursuits by maintaining teaching and research activities.
Bylaw 4: Faculty council
The Faculty Council develops bylaws for the effective management of Faculty affairs. Such bylaws are subject to approval by the University’s Senate in academic-related matters and by the Board of Governors or designated University authority for all other matters (section 18(2) of the University of Ottawa Act, 1965),
4.1 Mandate
4.1.1 Makes recommendations to and request approval from the Senate on:
a. The development of, or changes to, academic programs offered by the Faculty, including interdisciplinary and inter-faculty programs;
b. The policy on and conditions for admission to the Faculty and the requirements for student promotion;
c. All policies aimed at fostering the growth of the Faculty.
4.1.2 Examines in broad outlines the Faculty’s budget already approved by the Board of Governors to ensure that it reflects the priorities established by the Faculty Council.
4.1.3 Except as otherwise indicated, establishes the powers, functions and membership of permanent Faculty committees and any other standing or ad hoc committees as required.
4.1.4 Provides feedback to the administrative team on the Faculty’s strategic and development plans.
4.1.5 Receives all periodic reports from the Faculty before they are submitted to the University’s central administration.
4.1.6 Establishes bylaws, subject to approval by the Senate for academic matters and by the Board of Governors or designated University authority for all other matters.
4.1.7 Establish general policies, regulations, and procedures for the Faculty.
4.2 Membership
The Faculty Council comprises the following members:
4.2.1 Ex-officio members:
a. Dean, as Chair (non-voting member except in the event of a tie);
b. The Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary, or equivalent, acts as secretary for the Council;
c. All other Vice-Deans;
d. Director and Associate Deans of the academic units (schools);
e. The Faculty’s Chief Administrative Officer;
f. The two faculty members elected to the Senate;
g. The Faculty of Health Sciences student representative on the Senate.
4.2.2 Regular faculty members:
a. Three faculty members elected from the School of Human Kinetics;
b. Three faculty members elected from the School of Nursing;
c. Three faculty members elected from the School of Rehabilitation Sciences;
d. Three faculty members elected from the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences;
e. Three faculty members elected from the School of Nutrition Sciences program;
f. Five faculty members elected from the Faculty of Health Sciences.
4.2.3 Students:
a. The elected president, or their designate, from the undergraduate program student association in the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, the School of Human Kinetics, the School of Nursing, and the School of Nutrition Sciences;
b. The elected president, or their designate, from the graduate program student association in the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, the School of Human Kinetics, the School of Nursing, and the School of Nutrition Sciences;
c. Two graduate students elected from the School of Rehabilitation Sciences.
Student members do not take part in in-camera deliberations or decisions involving individual cases dealing with academic staff and students.
4.2.4 Support staff:
a. One elected regular full-time support staff member;
b. Manager, Academic Trajectory, or delegate (non-voting member);
c. Director, External Relations, or equivalent (non-voting member).
4.2.5 Part-time faculty members:
Two elected part-time faculty members from the Faculty of Health Sciences.
4.3 Procedures for electing members
a. Academic units (schools) hold elections each May to elect regular faculty members for a two-year term, renewable once. Any vacancy that occurs between elections must be filled by the academic unit (school) concerned according to its own procedures.
b. Members are elected by the regular faculty members of the academic units (schools). All regular faculty members from the Faculty’s academic units (schools) are eligible.
c. The Director and Associate Deans of all academic units (schools) convey the election results to the Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary, or equivalent. The term of office runs from July 1 of the current year to June 30 of the following year. All members are eligible for re-election following a one-year absence.
4.3.2 Student members:
a. The elected president, or their designate, of each academic unit’s (school) student association is a member of Faculty Council.
b. The term of office is the mandate of the student association president.
c. All regular students registered in one of the Faculty of Health Sciences academic units (schools) are eligible.
d. Following the election, the Director and Associate Dean of each academic unit (school) will convey the names of the elected (or acclaimed) student association president for the current year to the Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary, or equivalent.
4.3.3 Support staff member:
a. The support staff representative is elected by their peers by secret ballot during the elections organized by the Chief Administrative Officer of the Faculty, as the person responsible for support personnel. All nominations must be supported by at least three other regular staff members.
b. Term of office is two years, renewable once.
c. Term runs from July 1 of the current year to June 30 of the following year.
d. The Faculty’s Chief Administrative Officer communicates the election results to the Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary, or equivalent.
4.3.4 Part-time professors:
a. The Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary, or equivalent, begins the election process by asking the academic units (schools) to initiate a nomination call in their respective units. The Director and Associate Dean of the academic unit (school), or delegate, is responsible for the election. The name of the elected person in each academic unit (school) is then submitted to the Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary, or equivalent. If more than two candidates are submitted, an election among the part-time professors of the Faculty is held to fill the two part-time professor seats.
b. Elections are held annually in May.
c. The term of office is one year, renewable once.
d. Terms run from July 1 of the current year to June 30 the following year.
e. All part-time professors of the Faculty’s academic units (schools) are eligible.
4.4 Quorum
Quorum is a majority of the total number of seats held by voting members. Student members are not counted when determining whether quorum has been met for meetings held from May to September, inclusively.
4.5 Vacant seats
4.5.1 When a seat becomes vacant following a member’s resignation or for any other reason, the Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary, or equivalent, requests that the academic unit (school) concerned call an election to fill the vacancy, in accordance with the approved procedures. No election will be called for vacant seats during the last two months of a term.
4.5.2 If an elected member of the Faculty Council is appointed to one of the offices described in 5.2.1, the member resigns from the Council. An election will be held to fill the vacant seat.
4.5.3 If a student member is unable to fulfill a term, the unit’s Director and Associate Dean appoints a new student representative in consultation with the student association of the academic unit (school).
4.5.4 If a part-time professor is unable to fulfill a term, the Vice-Dean Governance and Secretary, or equivalent, calls a special election among part-time professors to fill the vacant seat.
4.6 Meeting frequency and procedures
4.6.1 The Faculty Council must hold at least four meetings per academic year.
4.6.2 Meeting dates and times are set by the Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary, or equivalent, in collaboration with the Dean and announced to the members at the beginning of the academic year.
4.6.3 A special meeting of the Faculty Council may be called at the Chair’s discretion.
4.6.4 In the event a special meeting is called by Faculty Council members, a written request to the Chair must be made by one third of the Council members.
4.6.5 Requests for items to be added to the agenda of a regular Faculty Council meeting must be submitted in writing to the Chair or Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary, or equivalent, 10 working days prior to the regular meeting date.
4.6.6 The Chair and the Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary, or equivalent, are responsible for preparing the agenda in consultation with the Vice-Deans, the Director and Associate Dean of the academic units (schools), and the Chief Administrative Officer. A copy of the agenda is sent to each member at least one week before the meeting. The Chair may add items of an urgent nature to the agenda during a meeting with the consent of the majority of members present.
4.6.7 The Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary, or equivalent, is responsible for preparation of the minutes. A copy of the minutes is sent to each member, generally one week in advance of the next meeting.
4.6.8 Motions must be presented orally and properly seconded (a member can call for a written motion). Recommendations from the Faculty’s standing committees must have been presented and approved by the Faculty Council or the appropriate authority in order to be implemented. Voting on motions is by show of hands unless the Faculty Council decides otherwise. Results of the votes must be recorded.
4.6.9 The Council presents and receives reports, excluding recommendations, without vote. Committee recommendations contained in the Committee’s reports, except those from the Committee on Academic Progress and Integrity, are treated as motions and voted on as indicated in 5.6.8.
4.6.10 A summary of the Faculty budget is presented by the Dean or the CAO to the Faculty Council at the start and the conclusion of each academic year.
Bylaw 5: Standing committees
5.1 Faculty Executive Committee (FEC)
5.1.1 Mandate
a. Makes recommendations to the Dean related to budgets, finances, and the overall administration of the Faculty.
b. Works with the Dean to establish priorities and draft annual budget estimates for the following year, in keeping with the terms of the Faculty’s academic development plan.
c. Ensures the implementation of the Faculty’s academic, research, and space policies, as approved by the Senate.
d. Provides a forum for discussion on academic and administrative policies and on Faculty orientations.
e. Exercises such powers as delegated by the Faculty Council and carries out other functions as assigned by the Faculty Council.
f. Acts with the same power and authority as the Faculty Council in order to deal with urgent matters that may arise between Council meetings (does not have the authority to change existing regulations or to introduce new ones).
g. Ensures the implementation of academic and administrative policies approved by the Faculty Council.
h. Carries out all other functions as assigned by the Dean or the Faculty Council.
5.1.2 Membership
The Faculty Executive Committee comprises the following members:
a. The Dean, as Chair (non-voting member except in the event of a tie);
b. The Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary, or equivalent, as Secretary;
d. The Director and Associate Dean of the academic units (schools);
e. The Faculty’s Chief Administrative Officer.
Other persons may be invited when deemed necessary.
5.1.3 Quorum
Quorum is a majority of the total seats.
5.1.4 Frequency of meetings
The Faculty Executive Committee meets once a month.
5.2 Dean’s Executive Council (Décanat)
a. Ensures the sound management of the Faculty.
b. Presents recommendations on administrative matters to the Dean.
c. Makes recommendations related to Faculty policies, the budget, space planning, and communications and marketing to the Dean.
d. Advises the Dean of the progress of the various Faculty projects.
The Dean’s Executive Council comprises the following members:
a. Dean, as Chair;
b. All Vice-Deans;
c. Chief Administrative Officer.
5.3 Undergraduate Studies Committee (USC)
The Undergraduate Studies Committee considers and makes recommendations to the Faculty Council on:
a. Conditions of admission to the Faculty’s bachelor and first professional degree programs.
b. The structure of programs, with particular regard to the role and content of general education (as compared to specialized education).
c. Creation of new programs.
d. Changes to or cancellation of courses or programs.
e. Courses proposed by the Faculty’s schools or programs.
f. Implementation of policies and other measures to ensure academic success and a high-quality student experience, including international mobility agreements.
g. Recruitment and liaison strategies and activities.
h. Submission of written reports to the Faculty Council as often as necessary and at least once per year.
i. The committee carries out all other functions as assigned by the Faculty Council.
The Undergraduate Studies Committee comprises the following members:
a. Vice-Dean, Academic, or equivalent, as Chair (non-voting member except in the event of a tie);
b. Assistant Director of, or professor responsible for, undergraduate programs (Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences; School of Human Kinetics, School of Nursing, School of Nutrition Sciences);
c. One undergraduate student nominated by the academic units (schools) and programs and appointed by the Faculty Council;
d. Manager, Academic Trajectory.
The Undergraduate Studies Committee meets as often as necessary and at least twice per year.
5.3.4 Term of office of Assistant Director of, or professor responsible for, undergraduate programs
The term of office of this member is the duration of their mandate as Assistant Director of, or professor responsible for, undergraduate programs.
5.3.5 Term of office for student member
The term of office for the student members is one year, renewable once.
Quorum is a majority of the total seats. Student members are not counted when determining whether quorum has been met for meetings held from May to September, inclusively.
5.4 Committee on Academic Progress and Integrity (CAPI)
The Committee on Academic Progress and Integrity makes recommendations to the Dean and Faculty Executive Committee on all matters for which it is responsible and that deal with a student’s academic progress. It can strike subcommittees for specific issues as it deems necessary.
a. Acts, in consultation with the academic units (schools), to address student progress.
b. Assesses claims in cases influencing the academic standing of a student, including issues related to program progression, academic fraud, and appeals.
c. Periodically reviews practices to ensure test security that are used when administering exams.
d. Increases professors’ awareness of rules and procedures related to academic fraud and appeals.
e. Submits a written report to the Faculty Council as often as necessary and at least once per year.
f. Makes recommendations to the Dean related to academic standing (e.g., when sanctions are imposed).
g. Carries out all other functions as assigned by the Faculty Council.
The Committee on Academic Progress and Integrity comprises the following members:
b. One unionized academic staff member (APUO or APTPUO member) from each academic unit (school) in the Faculty.
Non-voting members
c. The assistant to the Vice-Dean, Academic, or equivalent, as secretary for the Committee;
d. A representative of the Academic Office.
The Committee on Academic Progress and Integrity meets as often as necessary and at least twice per year.
5.4.4 Term of office for academic staff members
The term of office for academic staff members is two years, renewable once.
Quorum is a majority of voting members.
5.5 Graduate Studies Committee (GSC)
a. Makes recommendations to Faculty Council and the Research Committee on:
i. Admission requirements for the Faculty’s graduate programs.
ii. The structure of programs, with particular regard to the role and content of general education (as compared to specialized education).
iii. Creation of new programs.
iv. Changes to or cancellation of courses or programs.
v. Implementation of policies and other measures to ensure academic success and a high-quality student experience, including international mobility agreements.
b. Submits written reports to the Faculty Council as often as necessary and at least once per year.
c. Carries out all other functions as assigned by the Faculty Council.
The Graduate Studies Committee comprises the following members:
a. The Vice-Dean, Academic, or equivalent, as Chair (non-voting member except in the event of a tie).
b. Manager, Academic Trajectory.
c. Assistant Director of, or professor responsible for, graduate programs from each of the Faculty’s academic units (schools).
d. One student registered in a graduate-level professional program nominated by each of the academic units (schools) on a rotating basis and belonging to an academic unit (school) other than the unit of the student member in 6.5.2 (e).
e. One student registered in a graduate program (with thesis) nominated on a rotating basis by each of the academic units (schools) offering these programs and belonging to an academic unit (school) other than the unit of the student member in 6.5.2 (d).
The Graduate Studies Committee meets as often as necessary and at least twice per year.
5.5.4 Term of office of Assistant Director of, or professor responsible for, graduate programs
The term of office of this member is the duration of their mandate as Assistant Director of, or professor responsible for, graduate programs.
The term of office for student members is one year, renewable once.
5.6 Research Committee
The Research Committee promotes Faculty research, including interdisciplinary research, and coordinates research activities.
a. Makes recommendations on:
i. the establishment and updating of the Faculty’s research policy and a Faculty research development plan;
ii. the priorities to be established in the allocation of funds for research out of the Faculty’s operating budget;
iii. the budget estimates for research and planning;
iv. the administration of the research budget;
v. the allocation of the budget for the various projects, in line with the Faculty’s strategic direction.
b. Submits written reports to the Faculty Council as often as necessary, but not less than once per year.
c. Fulfills other research-related activities of relevance to the Faculty.
The Research Committee comprises the following members:
a. Vice-Dean, Research (or equivalent) as Chair of the committee. The Chair does not vote except to break a tie vote. The Chair has the deciding vote;
b. One faculty member from each of the Faculty’s academic units (schools) (Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, School of Human Kinetics, School of Nursing, School of Nutrition Sciences, School of Rehabilitation Sciences);
c. One student registered in a graduate program (with thesis).
As well as the following non-voting ex officio members:
d. The Faculty of Health Sciences’ Senior Research Advisor;
e. The Faculty of Health Sciences’ Research Administrative Officer.
5.6.3 Term of office
The terms of office are two years, renewable, for regular faculty members and one year, renewable, for student members.
5.7 Faculty Teaching Personnel Committee (FTPC)
The Faculty Teaching Personnel Committee and Committee membership are governed by the collective agreement between the University of Ottawa and the APUO.
One representative from each academic unit (school) within the Faculty serves on this committee.
5.8 Faculty Assembly
The Faculty Assembly is an advisory board of the Faculty of Health Sciences.
a. Receives the annual report of the Faculty.
b. Makes recommendations to the Faculty Council.
The Faculty Assembly comprises the following members:
a. The Dean, as Chair;
b. All members of the Faculty Council;
c. All full-time faculty members and support staff;
d. Any other person designated by the Faculty Council.
The Faculty Assembly meets once in each academic year, at a time convenient for the members.
Bylaw 6: Amendments to bylaws
6.1 Procedure for amending bylaws
6.1.1 A proposed amendment to these bylaws must be sent to all Faculty Council members at least 10 working days before the meeting at which the proposed amendments are to be discussed.
6.1.2 An amendment to these bylaws must be recommended by two thirds of Faculty Council members in order to be adopted.
6.2 Authority
Any amendment to these bylaws must be approved by the Executive Committee of the Senate.
6.3 Concordance and title
The Vice-Dean, Governance and Secretary may amend Bylaws in order to update the designation, the titles or identity of officials or departments.
6.4 Periodic review
The Faculty of Health Sciences bylaws will be reviewed periodically.
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Home Singer Male Raekwon Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics
Raekwon Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics
Corey Woods
Raekwon the Chef, Raekwon, Lou Diamonds, Lex Diamonds, Shallah
Raekwon at the European premiere of The Art of Rap in July 2012 in London
Staten Island, New York, United States
Raekwon’s formal education information isn’t available.
Rapper and actor
Father – Raekwon was raised without a father.
Mother – Andrea Woods
Siblings – Kareen ‘Kay’ Woods (Older Brother) (Manager and CEO of ICE H20 records). He has one more brother and a sister.
Raekwon is represented by –
DonPerrion Woods.
Gold Point Management.
He was previously managed by his brother, Kareen Woods.
Ice H2O Records, EMI Music
Raekwon has dated
Tabatha Lewis – Raekwon first met Tabatha Lewis in 1994. She was a senior in high school at that time and Raekwon was performing in North Carolina. Lewis would later give birth to his daughter, Cori Andrea Woods. In September 2012, it was revealed that Tabitha was homeless and lost custody of her child to Raekwon. She alleged that while she was pregnant with his child, he was already sleeping with some other girl. He intentionally kept her away from the spotlight as per Tabatha.
Raekwon has a son by the name of Jabairi from a relationship with his longtime girlfriend. However, he has refused to disclose his girlfriend’s identity and has rarely attended public events with her.
Raekwon at the GQ and LeBron James Celebrate All-Star Style in February 2015
Plump face
Short cropped hairstyle
Neatly trimmed beard
His body specifications may be –
Chest – 45 in or 114 cm
Arms / Biceps – 14 in or 35.5 cm
Waist – 40 in or 102 cm
Raekwon at the Time Is Illmatic Opening Night Premiere during the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival
Raekwon has done a radio commercial for fruit flavored drink, Fruitopia.
In 2009, he converted to Islam.
Being a member of the popular rap group Wu-Tang Clan, which has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide.
Being one of the leading exponents of Mafioso Rap.
The immense acclaim garnered by his studio album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II.
In 1995, he released his debut studio album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) was his rap group Wu Tang Clan’s debut studio album. It was released in 1993 to widespread commercial success.
As an actor, in 1999, Raekwon made his first film appearance in a minor role in the crime drama movie, Black & White.
In 2003, Raekwon made his TV show debut in French Connection episode of action drama TV mini-series, Kingpin.
Raekwon’s workout routine and diet plan aren’t available.
Raekwon Favorite Things
His Songs – Eye for Eye (Your Beef Is Mines) from The Infamous (1995), Glaciers of Ice from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (1995), Box in Hand from Ironman (1996), John Blaze from Don Cartagena (1998), Skew It on the Bar-B from Aquemini (1998), 100 Rounds from Immobilarity (1999), Casablanca from Immobilarity (1999), Let My Niggas Live from The W (2000), Fire Water from Endangered Species (2001) and many more.
Music Albums – The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (By Slick Rick (1988)), Supreme Clientele (By Ghostface Killah (2000)), Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (By Raekwon (1995)), Doggystyle (By Snoop Dogg (1993)), Life After Death (By The Notorious BIG (1997)), Hell on Earth (By Mobb Deep (1996)), My Life (By Mary J. Blige (1994)), Follow the Leader (By Eric B & Rakim (1988)) and many more.
Things to Cook – Chicken Fingers, Macaroni and Cheese, Baked Lemon Fish, Steak and Fried Chicken
Food – Tacos, Burritos, Pizza, and Pasta
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Single – North Star
Source – Vulture, Consequence of Sound, Food and Wine, Spin
Raekwon at the GQ Celebration of NBA All-Star Weekend in February 2017
Raekwon Facts
In November 2015, a federal court revealed that Raekwon and his Wu Tang group mate RZA were investigated by FBI for their alleged connection to the murder of two drug dealers in Staten Island in 1999.
In April 2007, he and fellow Wu Tang member RZA had a mini feud after the latter claimed that Raekwon had disappeared from the recording of the new album. In return, Raekwon accused RZA of compromising of Wu Tang quality and creating mediocre music.
He has established his own record label, ICEH20 Records, which is run by his brother Kay.
In 2007, he was included in the list featuring the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007) by About.com.
He and his close friend and collaborator Ghostface Killah had decided to record his iconic album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… in Barbados as they wanted to be somewhere tranquil where they could work with the clear mind.
Raekwon had to shift from Barbados to Miami to work on his album because he and Ghostface faced racism there. They weren’t allowed to stay in the hotel as well.
He wasn’t interested in working on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II because he is not a fan of music album sequels. But he had to cave in as his fans had been asking it for years.
Although he collaborated with the legendary rapper The Notorious B.I.G. for single Stop the Breaks, they had a long-running feud as they regularly dissed each other in their songs.
In September 2009, the MTV named him on the list featuring “10 Hottest MCs in the game”.
The popular hip-hop website HipHopDx declared him Emcee of the Year in 2009.
Visit his official website @ raekwondachef.com.
Listen from him on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Instagram, iTunes, SoundCloud, YouTube VEVO, and Google+ VEVO.
Do what you Love, Love what you do: Ed Skrein’s Mantra...
Josh Bowman Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics
Maadhavi Latha Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics
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Jul 29, 2020 Jul 28, 2020 HTBS
Clubs and Boathouses on the Tideway: Part V
Gas Carrier “Navig8 Ametrine” passing Erith RC.
By Daniel Walker, text & photography
Daniel Walker fills in an oversight or two in his series on the rowing clubs of the Tideway. Read Part I, Part II, Part III and Part IV.
When I planned out the four parts of my article on the rowing clubs and boathouses of the Tideway, I managed to wholly overlook two clubs that although based a long way from the familiar waters of Putney and Hammersmith are very firmly part of the Tideway scene. Indeed, these clubs are probably those most keenly exposed to the realities of rowing on a major commercial waterway: Erith Rowing Club and Gravesend Rowing Club.
Erith and Gravesend are located towards the eastern end of the Tideway, the last two rowing clubs before the Thames reaches the sea. And, I now know, they are 66km by bicycle from my home in Barnes. At least its 66km from Gravesend and somewhat less from Erith.
Erith RC is the low wooden building to the left.
Erith Rowing Club was founded in 1943, making it one of the youngest clubs on the Tideway, perhaps second only to Fulham Reach Boat Club. However, rowing in Erith seems to pre-date the club by some years, with a town regatta that can trace its roots back to the end of the 19th century. The regatta faded away in the 1950s, but the club continues strongly to this day.
Erith RC occupies a wooden building right on the edge of the Tideway with access via stone steps directly in front of the building or via a substantial wooden slipway a few metres away.
Wooden slipway close to Erith RC.
Eleven miles further downriver, Gravesend Rowing Club was founded in 1878 and like many rowing clubs, their earliest days involved renting rooms from a pub or hotel, in Gravesend’s case, the Commercial Hotel. Their first clubhouse was built around 1908, carefully adhering to the requirement not to exceed eleven feet in order in order that “the coastal defence guns in the fort would have a clear field of fire over the top”. The present building was opened in 1990.
I visited Gravesend on a splendid sunny Saturday afternoon this month. Unfortunately, the Coronavirus restrictions meant that there was no rowing activity and the club was closed. The clubhouse, a white, wooden-clad building sits on a very seaside-esque promenade along the edge of the river, here a broad and intimidating waterway. Like Erith, Gravesend has a large wooden slipway allowing access to the water even at low tide.
The town of Gravesend itself is in Kent, meaning that Gravesend RC is the only Tideway rowing club not to be within the administrative boundaries of London. The origin of the name Gravesend is disputed, many believing it to be derived from “graves end” – the place where the graves of the Black Death dead ended up; however, the Domesday Book from 1086, about 500 years before the plague, records the town as Gravesham and thus it seems more likely that the name is derived from either grafs-ham, the place at the end of the grove or from graaf-ham, the home of the reeve or bailiff.
Erith RC
Fulham Reach BC
Gravesend RC
Tideway
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Rhododendron: The National flower of Nepal
National Flower, Asia, Locale, Nepal
The national flower of Nepal is Rhododendron. The beauty of Rhododendron catches many tourist every year.Nepal is the land of snow peaks and it has a significance importance from the cultural point of view. Nepal is actually land between the high Himalayas and the Indian plains. Nepal is being visited by many tourists each year for many reasons and Rhododendron in one of the many reasons.
Interesting facts about Rhododendron.
The Rhododendron is the national flower of Nepal. The name Rhododendron comes from the combination of two ancient greek word rhodon which means rose and dendron which means tree. It belongs to Ericaceae family and is the genus of 1024 flowering species. It is spread in the southern highlands of north America but Asia is the centre of its production. it can grow up to 100 cm tall and the largest Rhododendron was recorded up to 98 ft tall. Its leaves are arranged in the spiral order and can grow up to a range of 1 cm to around 50 cm, but one exceptional was reported up to 100 cm. Apart from Asia, the Rhododendron is also native to Greenland, Queensland, Some region of Australia, Even it is also found in many parts of Europe. It is not only the national flower of Nepal but also the state flower of Jammu Kashmir (Indian-controlled) and Azad Kashmir(Pakistan-controlled) , it is the state flower of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, India. The interesting facts is that, not only native people likes this beautiful flower but a number of insects like to devour upon them.
Why is Rhododendron the national flower of Nepal ?
There are no such records for Rhododendron as being the national flower of Nepal. But many Natives believes that for the following reasons the Rhododendron is the national flower of Nepal. The pharmacology of Rhododendron, rhododendron species have been used in ancient medicines from along time in making antioxidant, Flavonoids and other phenolic compounds and as that it is the sign of danger or to beware but many natives believe that for its eye-catching looks and shape made it the National flower of Nepal.
Orchid: National Flower of Thailand
Rose: The National Flower of Morocco
Red Rose: The National Flower of Iraq
Lily: The National Flower of Italy
Iris Tectorum: The National Flower of Algeria
Golden Wattle: The National Flower of Australia
Tags: interesting facts about rhododendron, National fruits of nepal, nepla national flower, rhododendron, why rhododendron is the national flower of nepal
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Integrating immigrants: How well are Canadian schools doing?
Can the current good results continue?
By John Richards
From Europeans arriving in the U.S. Midwest and Canadian Prairies in the late 19th century to (primarily) Asians arriving in Canadian cities in the late 20th century, the key to intergenerational integration of immigrants has been a high-quality education system, leading to immigrant employment levels similar to those for nonimmigrants. The first rung on the education ladder is high school completion. Nine of ten young Canadian adults aged 20–24 have at least a high school certificate.
However, this is a low rung. To have a good chance at a job yielding a middle-class income usually requires a trades certificate, college diploma or university degree. Nearly seven of ten Canadians aged 25–34 have reached one of these rungs. If we set aside the shameful fate of Aboriginal students, the Canadian K–12 school system overall is not faltering – among either native-born or immigrant children. But there is no guarantee that its present performance will persist.
While overall, immigrant students fare as well as native-born students or slightly better, immigrant education poses two potential problems. Within some ethnic communities, high school completion rates are mediocre, especially for those who arrived after 2000. Second, in the long term the prominence in Toronto and Vancouver of “ethnic enclaves” – the term the geographer Daniel Hiebert employs for census tracts in which visible minorities comprise over 70 per cent of the population1 – may generate difficult-to-manage education dynamics.
Why analyze ethnic origin?
The factors relevant to explaining students’ school performance range from school quality to parental education and family income to education expectations of students and their school peers. Whether ethnic origin should be included as one of these factors is a contested question.2
Some argue against. The correlation between student education outcomes and family ethnic origin may be high, but what appears as the impact of ethnicity should be understood as the impact of other features of the student’s family, its socioeconomic condition or school quality. Furthermore, to identify ethnic differences in education outcomes potentially aggravates social divisions based on ethnic differences, thereby increasing attitudes of marginalization among groups with weak school outcomes and ethnic superiority among those with strong outcomes. France is a country that officially subscribes to these arguments and gathers no official data on ethnicity, including the role of ethnicity in school outcomes.
Overall, however, the case for gathering, publishing and analyzing ethnic-based data is stronger than that against. While ethnic origin is never the sole factor in explaining children’s education outcomes, in most rigorous quantitative studies, after accounting for independent explanatory factors, family ethnic origin still appears as a statistically significant and often important determinant of those outcomes.
The channels through which ethnicity influences outcomes may be differences in family expectations for children’s education between ethnic communities or school peer effects among students of a particular ethnic origin. A subtle but important form of discrimination may play a role: for students of ethnic groups with weak outcomes, teachers and school administrators may develop low expectations; among ethnic groups whose families display high expectations, teachers may develop very high expectations, which in turn discourage students from other ethnic origins. If ethnic origin does play a role in one generation and ethnic communities tend to congregate geographically in enclaves, then intergenerationally the role of ethnicity is amplified.
Furthermore, in the absence of open analysis of ethnic differences, anecdotes prevail. Relative performance of neighbourhood schools is a key factor in parents’ decisions on where to live. Better that such decisions be based on results of objective analysis of schools than on anecdotes, which distort by accentuating the exceptional.
Outmigration from neighbourhoods whose schools display weak outcomes frequently hampers the potential to use education to reduce interethnic income gaps. Outmigration denies potential positive student peer effects to the remaining students. In U.S. schools, this dynamic has made closing of education gaps between black, Hispanic and Indigenous students on one hand and ”white” students (which in this context includes visible minorities such as East Asian) on the other a Sisyphean undertaking. Similar dynamics of visible minority concentration in particular urban enclaves are taking place in Europe.3
How immigrant children perform in school
Until the last quarter of the 20th century, the United States was ahead of other industrial countries in providing education – first primary and later secondary – to all.4 No longer are U.S. K–12 results impressive. The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), organized by the OECD, has become the most respected comparative measure of performance among national school systems.5 The most recent available data are from the 2015 “round” of PISA tests. Canada ranked well above the OECD average on all three subjects assessed. Its overall ranking among all participating countries (whether or not OECD members) was tenth in mathematics, third in reading, seventh in science. The difference between Canada and the respective OECD average is statistically significant for all three. By contrast, the United States ranked 40th in mathematics, 24th in reading, 25th in science.6
PISA results also show that immigrant education outcomes in Canada (and Australia) are exceptional relative to other OECD countries with large immigrant populations, and that U.S. immigrant student results are mediocre.
For each participating country in the 2012 round, PISA divided sampled students into three categories: students born in the relevant country to nonimmigrant parents (nonimmigrant), students born in the relevant country to parents born in another country (second generation) and students who themselves were born in another country (first generation). A good school system seeks both to maximize the share of students performing at high levels, and to minimize the share performing at low levels. Figure 1 illustrates immigrant and nonimmigrant student performance in mathematics for selected countries: the share performing at or above level 3 (Figure 1A) and the share at or below level 1 (Figure 1B). Among the high-immigrant OECD countries illustrated, Canada and Australia enjoy the highest and second-highest share of first-generation students scoring at level 3 or above, and the lowest and second-lowest share of such students performing at level 1 or below. U.S. performance is slightly, but only slightly, better than the overall OECD average.
Relative to most countries, Canada and Australia have the crucial advantage of being surrounded by large oceans and having no land border with a low-income country. Hence both countries have been able to impose stringent education and language requirements on legal immigrants, and illegal immigrants are few. For economic immigrants (as opposed to family members or refugees), Canada’s point system places over half of the 100 potential points on two criteria: education level (maximum 25 points) and proficiency in one or both of Canada’s official languages (maximum 28 points).7 The combination of geography and a “points system” is almost certainly the explanation for the fact that immigrant student PISA results in these two countries are as good as those of nonimmigrant students, and in some cases better.
Immigrants and high school completion
The data in Figures 2 and 3 concern young adult first-generation immigrant cohorts aged 20–24 at the time of the 2011 census.8 This is the youngest tabulated cohort for which it is reasonable to expect completion of secondary school. While they are all in the same age cohort, the immigrants’ ages at time of arrival obviously differ. The 1981–1990 arrivals were infants when their parents or guardians reached Canada; the 2006–2011 arrivals came between the ages of 15 and 24.
On average young adult immigrants aged 20–24 outperform their Canadian-born counterparts in terms of high school completion (Figure 2). Specific immigrant group completion rates range from 84 per cent to 98 per cent. As Colin Busby and Miles Corak document, there is a late-arrival disadvantage.9 As illustrated in Figure 2, the gap is small among many immigrant groups, but among two groups (Southeast Asians and West Asians) the late-arrival disadvantage is nearly 10 percentage points.
Two reasons explain the disadvantage. For students whose families speak neither French nor English as mother tongue, it is much easier to learn a Canadian official language (often by osmosis from other children) when under age 10, which excludes those in the two most recently arrived cohorts. A second reason is that recent arrivals will have undergone most if not all of their primary and secondary education in their country of origin. If that training is of considerably lower quality than that in Canadian schools, students may, independently of any language difficulty, face frustration and fail to complete.
Figure 3 renders the story more complex. The trend line linking average completion rate to period of arrival displays the late-arrival disadvantage. Admittedly, the trend lines of individual immigrant groups resemble random strings of spaghetti, but they display relevant information. Two groups (Koreans and Filipinos) display consistently superior completion rates with little variation by period of arrival. The potentially worrisome results are among those groups displaying large declines between the pre- and post-2000 periods of arrival. West Asians and Southeast Asians experience a decline in excess of 10 percentage points between cohorts arriving in 1991–2000 and in the most recent period. Completion among the most recent arrivals for these two groups averages below 80 per cent. Chinese immigrant students remain at or above the average for all immigrants, but they too have experienced a large decline in completion rates, of nearly 10 percentage points, between pre- and post-2000 periods of arrival.
Immigrants and postsecondary education
High school completion is the minimum education level for a Canadian adult to have more than a 50 per cent chance of being employed (as reported in the Canadian census).10 However, jobs available with just high school are typically low-wage and lack security. To realize middle-class Canadian incomes, some form of postsecondary education is typically necessary. The youngest tabulated cohort for which it is reasonable to expect adults to have completed postsecondary education is ages 25–29. The statistics in Figure 4 display the share in this cohort with a bachelor’s or higher university degree, a college diploma or a trades certificate. If we are to flag potential problems, there are three ethnic groups (Latin Americans, blacks and Southeast Asians) whose average postsecondary education completion rates are at least five percentage points below the comparable rate for nonimmigrants.
The Youth in Transition Survey (YITS) provides evidence on many interrelated factors that may be relevant in determining immigrant student choices with respect to pursuit of postsecondary education. Two detailed studies, one by Ross Finnie and Richard Mueller and the other by Victor Thiessen, used YITS data.11
Thiessen defined four sets of variables: indicator variables to distinguish otherwise unspecified aspects of a student belonging to a particular regional ethnic grouping and whether the student is first- or second-generation immigrant; variables describing the family’s socioeconomic condition (parental income, presence of two parents, status of parental occupation, employment status of mother, number of siblings); variables describing relevant aspects of the family’s “culture” (importance of postsecondary education to parents, importance to student peers, student academic effort); and “performance” variables that reflect grades and courses chosen in secondary school. Finnie and Mueller defined similar sets of variables, and in addition added a set of variables to indicate province of residence.
After allowing for available controls, certain variables emerged in all specifications as having a statistically significant impact on the probability of an immigrant student pursuing a university degree, relative to settling for high-school only:
Parental education: More education matters. The education impact is particularly powerful if at least one parent possesses a university degree.
Family income: It matters, but much less so than parental education.
Ethnic origin: As with data used in this article, YITS ethnic origin identification is mostly at the regional level. The overwhelmingly most important ethnic effect reported is the large positive impact on university attendance among Chinese-origin students, both first- and second-generation, even after allowing for all other controls.12 The impact is smaller but there is a positive impact associated with students from other Asian countries.
Parental and peer expectations for children’s education: Parental expectations as to the level of education for their children are significant, as are peer student plans for postsecondary education, albeit less so.
High school performance: Good high school grades and choice of pre-university courses are extremely powerful indicators of a student’s subsequently pursuing a university degree.
The “gold standard” for assessing the impact of any particular factor on education outcomes is a random control trial in which a random sample of students is selected and divided between those who receive a “treatment” (for example, participation in an early childhood education program) and those who do not and thereby can function as “control.” If, at the end of the experimental period, the treatment group performs significantly better or worse than the control, the difference can with little doubt be attributed to the treatment.
Obviously, random control trials are not feasible in assessing most factors bearing on children’s education. Instead, rigorous analysis relies on multivariate regressions, controlling for as many potentially relevant factors as possible. Unfortunately, regression analysis cannot eliminate all ambiguities. For example, one of the most powerful variables in the YITS data in terms of its impact on pursuit of a university degree is for the student to have chosen university-preparatory courses in high school. Should this variable be considered a proxy for the student’s ambition and capacity? Or is it better modelled as an outcome determined by parental expectations, which in turn are partially determined by ethnic origin?
A tale of two Vancouver suburbs
In a recent study of the geographic distribution of visible minorities (whether born in Canada or abroad) in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, Daniel Hiebert documents shifts between the 1996 and 2011 censuses in visible minority share of Census Metropolitan Area population and in share of visible minorities living in “ethnic enclaves.” Shifts in Montreal are modest, but in Toronto and Vancouver they are large (see Figure 5).13 Had the additional post-1996 visible immigrant population spread itself evenly across all census tracts of Vancouver and Toronto, the proportion living in an enclave would have risen by 2011, but the share would be under 25 per cent in each. Had the increase in each census tract been proportional to its 1996 visible minority share, the enclave share would have risen to about 30 per cent. The actual 2011 enclave shares reported by Hiebert imply a heavy concentration of visible minority immigrants choosing to live in neighbourhoods that, already in 1996, contained sizable visible minority communities.
To illustrate potential education policy dilemmas, consider the two suburban municipalities in Vancouver in which over half the population are visible minorities and approximately half the neighbourhoods, as defined by Hiebert, are “ethnic enclaves.”14 In Richmond the dominant visible minority is East Asian, in Surrey South Asian. The best comparative education data readily available are from the low-stakes provincewide test (Foundation Skills Assessment or FSA) in three core subjects (numeracy, writing and reading). All provincial students take these tests in Grades 4 and 7, and the provincial education ministry publishes results using three scores.15 For these two school districts, Figure 6 shows school district deviations, at Grades 4 and 7, from the corresponding provincial averages. (Table 1 shows distributions of provincial level results for the two grades.) In general, Richmond scores are above the provincial average; Surrey’s are below. The most dramatic difference between the two school districts arises in the numeracy results.
There is no reason to believe provincial support for schools is different in Surrey than in Richmond. However, FSA scores differ substantially, and ethnicity is almost certainly a significant factor. Do school peer effects also play a role? Is there evidence of outmigration among families not belonging to the dominant ethnic minority? The data provided in Figure 6 are suggestive, but nothing more. Jane Friesen and Brian Krauth have addressed some of these questions in detail: “We find that attending an ‘enclave’ school provides a slight net benefit to Chinese home-language students and a large net cost to Punjabi home-language students. The results are consistent with a simple model of peer effects in which the academic achievement of peers is much more important than their home language.”16
The link between schools and attitudes toward immigration
Overall, all but three immigrant groups realize high school completion rates among young adults aged 20–24 above the comparable rate for nonimmigrants – which is reassuring. But Southeast Asians and West Asians display a disturbing trend in that the high school completion rates for both have declined continuously since the 1991–2000 arrivals. Relative to those arriving in 1991–2000, the decline among the most recent arrivals is in excess of 10 percentage points and, for both, the completion rate among the most recent arrivals is below 80 per cent. In addition, there is a clear disadvantage in high school completion among most immigrant children arriving as teenagers.
These results indicate the importance of immigration services, in particular English or French as second language programs in provincial schools. School districts in metropolitan areas are devoting resources to this task but improvements are feasible. On the basis of qualitative analysis in Vancouver, Angela Rai reports evidence that provincial authorities do not adequately recognize teaching of an official language to immigrants as a major career path for teachers. In Quebec, schools are attempting simultaneously to integrate immigrants into French as the provincial langue commune and teach English as a second language. Here, linguistic immigration services have loomed as a larger issue than in the other provinces.17
The snapshot of recent student performance in two Vancouver school districts is only suggestive (“two swallows do not a summer make”). However, the large increase in immigrant share of Toronto’s and Vancouver’s population and the dramatic increase in the proportion of visible minorities living in “enclaves” should invite some concern. Will these cities over the next generation generate ethnic-based education inequalities similar to those that have arisen in cosmopolitan U.S. and European cities?
Observing the PISA results among first- and second-generation immigrants, Canada’s performance is an obvious outlier – as is Australia’s. Almost certainly, the ability to require rigorous education and language qualifications among potential immigrants is a key explanation for Canada’s superior immigrant student results. Given the importance of well-educated parents able on arrival to speak and read one of Canada’s official languages and able therefore to tutor their children, political pressure to relax the language and education requirements is disconcerting. A high-profile example of such pressure is the lobby by several Vancouver MPs in ridings with large South Asian communities.18
At present, Canada’s school system is doing relatively well and the majority of Canadians hold generally favourable attitudes toward immigration. Successful schools and favourable attitudes to immigration are linked. If our school system falters – as has the U.S. K–12 system – immigrant education and integration will suffer. And the large minority (38 per cent) who agree “strongly” or “somewhat” that “overall, there is too much immigration” would no doubt increase.19
1 Daniel Hiebert, Ethnocultural Minority Enclaves in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, IRPP Study 52 (Montreal: Institute for Research on Public Policy, 2015).
2 Peter Stevens and Gary Dworkin, eds., The Palgrave Handbook of Race and Ethnic Inequalities in Education (London, England: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014).
3 For the United States, see Robert Putnam, “E Pluribus Unum: Diversity and Community in the Twenty-first Century,” 2006 Johan Skytte Prize Lecture, Scandinavian Political Studies, Vol. 30, No. 2 (2007); William Julius Wilson, The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, The Underclass and Public Policy, 2nd edition (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2012); National Assessment of Education Progress, The Nation’s Report Card: Executive Summary (2015), retrieved here. For Europe, see Paul Collier, Exile: How Migration is Changing Our World (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014).
4 Claudia Goldin and Lawrence Katz, The Race between Education and Technology (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2010); Daron Acemoglu and David Autor, “What Does Human Capital Do? A Review of Goldin and Katz’s The Race between Education and Technology,” Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. 50, No. 2 (2012), pp. 426–463.
5 PISA is conducted among students aged 15 in all OECD members, plus others that choose to participate. It is organized in “rounds,” once every three years, among a random sample of secondary school students in a random sample of schools. In the 2015 round, the sample exceeded 500,000 students; the Canadian sample was over 30,000. The emphasis in each round is on one of three core competencies: reading, science and mathematics. In the 2015 round the emphasis was on science.
6 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, PISA 2015 Results: Excellence and Equity in Education (Paris: Author, 2016), p. 19. The U.S. mathematics score is significantly below the OECD average. U.S. reading and science scores do not significantly differ from the OECD average.
7 Canada, Six Selection Factors – Federal Skilled Workers (2015), retrieved here.
8 To generate adequate sample sizes for cross tabulation, Statistics Canada has aggregated immigrant communities into regional groupings. The data discussed are from online tabulations.
9 Colin Busby and Miles Corak, Don’t Forget the Kids: How Immigrant Policy Can Help Immigrants’ Children, E-brief 174 (Toronto: C.D. Howe Institute, 2014). Busby and Corak find the high school incomplete rate as a function of age at arrival assumes a positive slope for immigrant children who arrive above approximately age nine.
10 See my Are We Making Progress? New Evidence on Aboriginal Education Outcomes in Provincial and Reserve Schools, Commentary 408 (Toronto: C.D. Howe Institute, 2014).
11 Ross Finnie and Richard Mueller, Access to Post-Secondary Education in Canada Among First and Second Generation Canadian Immigrants: Raw Differences and Some of the Underlying Factors (2008), retrieved here ; Victor Thiessen, “The Pursuit of Post-Secondary Education: A Comparison of First Nations, African, Asian and European Canadian Youth,” Canadian Review of Sociology, Vol. 46, No. 1 (February 2009), pp. 5–37.
12 Worth noting here is the difference in coefficient values attached to the ethnic indicator variables when the regressions are run with and without adjustment for “cultural” variables such as parental expectations. Without, the ethnic identity coefficients are larger than when the “cultural” variables are included. This implies that the distributions of education expectations of parents and student peers are not random with respect to ethnic origin; they are to some extent colinear.
13 Hiebert, Ethnocultural Minority Enclaves, p. 14. Hiebert defines five neighbourhood categories. In the first, visible minorities comprise below 20 per cent of the local population; in the second, between 20 and 50 per cent. In the third, visible minorities are the majority, but are below 70 per cent. In the fourth and fifth, defined as “enclaves,” visible minorities are over 70 per cent. The difference between these last two categories is that, in the fourth, no particular immigrant group dominates; in the fifth, one group is dominant. The great majority of visible immigrants living in enclaves live in single-ethnicity enclaves. Montreal’s visible minority trend is dramatically different from that in Toronto and Vancouver. The major reason is probably the insistence by the Quebec government since passage of Bill 101 in 1977 that most immigrants enroll their children in French-language schools. The Quebec experience, prior to passage of Bill 101, was that the great majority of nonfrancophone immigrants to Quebec transitioned from their mother tongue to English. As I indicated in Language Matters: Ensuring That the Sugar Not Dissolve in the Coffee, monograph in Canadian Union Papers, Commentary 84 (Toronto: C.D. Howe Institute, 1996), transition to French has increased considerably since the 1980s.
14 According to the National Household Survey (Statistics Canada, NHS Focus on Geography Series , cat. no. 99-010-X2011005), 53 per cent of Surrey’s population and 70 per cent of Richmond’s are visible minorities. In Surrey, 26 per cent of the city’s population identify as South Asian, exactly half the visible minority population. In Richmond, the Chinese comprise 53 per cent of the city’s population, well over half of the visible minority population.
15 British Columbia, Reporting on K–12 (2015), retrieved here and here.
16 Jane Friesen and Brian Krauth, Enclaves, Peer Effects and Student Learning Outcomes in British Columbia (Vancouver: Metropolis British Columbia, Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Diversity, 2008). Friesen and Krauth evaluate peer effects in Richmond and Surrey, using a “value added” model of changes in Grade 7 versus Grade 4 results in the provincial core competency test.
17 Angela Rai, Canadian Immigrant Youth and their Academic Performance, Master’s thesis, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, 2015; Tania Longpré, Québec cherche Québécois pour relation à long terme et plus : comprendre les enjeux de l’immigration (Montreal: Stanké, 2013).
18 Peter O’Neil, “MPs lobby to ease language rules for immigrants.” Vancouver Sun, February 12, 2016.
19 Environics Institute, Focus Canada: Immigration and Multiculturalism (2015), retrieved here.
John Richards
John Richards is a member of the faculty in the Graduate Public Policy School at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. He has written extensively on social policy in Canada, primarily via the C.D. Howe... Read More
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Home > Newsroom > Top Stories > VEB to guarantee up to 100 bln to banks for lending to small businesses - Shuvalov
VEB to guarantee up to 100 bln to banks for lending to small businesses - Shuvalov
MOSCOW. March 27 (Interfax) - VEB will provide guarantees with a total amount of up to 100 billion rubles to banks for lending to micro and small businesses, said VEB Chairman Igor Shuvalov, quoted by the press service of the state corporation.
"In the current circumstances, it is critically important to support entrepreneurs and work collectives. Under the new mechanism, VEB.RF will provide guarantees of up to 100 billion rubles to the largest banks and SME Bank for lending to micro and small businesses," said Shuvalov.
"Within the guarantee coverage, VEB will provide a guarantee of 75% of the loan. The program should cover entrepreneurs with a total number of employees of about 1.5 million people," said the head of VEB.
Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin held a meeting to discuss the launch of preferential lending programs for SMEs and microenterprises, which faced financial problems due to coronavirus.
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Mayo Clinic in the News Weekly Highlights
By Karl Oestreich
Mayo Clinic in the News is a weekly highlights summary of major media coverage. If you would like to be added to the weekly distribution list, send a note to Emily Blahnik with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News.
Karl Oestreich, manager enterprise media relations
Smoke-Free Workplace Leads to Fewer Heart Attacks
by Anahad O’Connor
A new study has found the strongest evidence yet that smoke-free workplace laws that reduce secondhand smoke inhalation can lead to reductions in heart attacks. The research, carried out by scientists at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., found a 33 percent drop in heart attack rates in one Minnesota county after public smoking bans were enacted. “I think the bottom line is this should turn the page on the chapter discussing whether or not secondhand smoke is a risk factor for heart attacks,” said Dr. Richard D. Hurt, an author of the study and a professor of medicine at Mayo.
Circulation: The New York Times has the third highest circulation nationally, behind USA Today (2nd) and The Wall Street Journal (1st) with 1,150,589 weekday copies circulated and 1,645,152 circulated on Sundays.
Additional coverage: NPR, Reuters, Washington Post, MedPage Today, Senior Journal, KOSU Okla.US News & World Report, TIME, Newsday, NBC News, LA Times , USA Today , MarketWatch, WYSO Miami, The Bunsen Burner, Healthline, Clinical Endocrinology News, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Indianapolis Star, KNAU Ariz. , FOX News, Daily Titan Calif., Science News, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Tiroler Tageszeitung (Austria), Focus (Germany), Winnipeg Free Press Canada, Yahoo! News Canada, MSNBC.com, HealthDay, Chicago Tribune
Context: A decline in the incidence of myocardial infarction (MI, heart attack) in one Minnesota county appears to be associated with the implementation of smoke-free workplace laws, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.
Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) is associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) in nonsmokers, and research suggests that the cardiovascular effects of SHS are nearly as large as those with active smoking, according to the study background. Elimination of smoking in public places, such as by smoke-free laws and policies, has the potential for reducing smoking and perhaps cardiovascular events.
Richard D. Hurt, M.D., and colleagues at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., evaluated the incidence of MI and sudden cardiac (SCD) death in Olmsted County, Minn., during the 18-month period before and after implementation of smoke-free ordinances. In 2002, a smoke-free restaurant ordinance was implemented and, in 2007, all workplaces, including bars, became smoke free.
Study Article and Abstract
Public Affairs Contact: Kelley Luckstein
Exercise should be prescribed like other medicine, doctors say
by Janice Neumann
Doctors should prescribe exercise for patients who are physically inactive to help keep them disease-free, according to a recent commentary in the Journal of Physiology. Dr. Michael Joyner, a professor of anesthesiology at Mayo Clinic, argues that if doctors "medicalized" physical inactivity, exercise could be the prescription of choice for high blood pressure, heart disease, some cancers and other health ills.
Circulation: The Chicago Tribune’s average weekday circulation is more about 425,000. Average Sunday circulation is more than 781,000. According to the Tribune, its newspaper reaches more than five million consumers while covering 76% of the market.
Context: A sedentary lifestyle is a common cause of obesity, and excessive body weight and fat in turn are considered catalysts for diabetes, high blood pressure, joint damage and other serious health problems. But what if lack of exercise itself were treated as a medical condition? Mayo Clinic physiologist Michael Joyner, M.D., argues that it should be. His commentary is published in the August issue of The Journal of Physiology.
Public Affairs Contact: Sharon Theimer
Better Homes & Garden
Health Ask our Expert: Lynne Shuster, M.D., director of the Office of Women’s Health at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Q. I recently saw a sign for free diabetes screenings at my local drugstore. Are these tests trustworthy? A. If you’ve never been tested for type 2 diabetes, and if you’re over 45 or have risk factors…a free pharmacy screening is a great place to start.
Teen Girl Uses Disease to Help Others
by Brittany Lewis
For many 13-year-olds, the biggest worry they have is homework or what their friends are doing. But for one young girl, her worries are much bigger than that. Ballet, jazz, tap. 13-year-old Katie Rhoten does it all. "I love to dance. I've been doing that since I was two years old and it's one thing that I really love," she said. But last year, she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and could only dance for 30 minutes a week…A disease thought to be reserved for the older, striking someone so young. "Well roughly 1 in 1,000 kids will get arthritis and most of them are younger than 13 probably 50 percent of the ones are actually before age seven is. The good thing is the long term outlook is generally pretty good," said Dr. Tom Mason, a Pediatric Rheumatologist at Mayo Clinic Children's Center.
Florida Times-Union
Neptune Beach breast cancer survivor embraces journey
by Janay Cook
Debbie Cooper was 110 feet underwater and losing oxygen. Her scuba-diving tank had run out and she began to panic. Suddenly her husband, Robby, handed her his air valve. They began to buddy-breathe, an emergency rescue-breathing technique…Two years later on Jan. 10, the healthy 49-year-old with no family history of breast cancer was diagnosed with the disease’s Stage 3. Cooper said she would essentially have to buddy-breathe the next nine months, getting by with the support of her friends, family and co-workers…According to Kathleen Gargin of Mayo Clinic, Cooper had no major complications throughout the treatments and maintained a positive attitude.
For more coverage of Mayo Clinic in the News, please link to our news clip blog here.
To subscribe: Mayo Clinic in the News is a weekly highlights summary of major media coverage. If you would like to be added to the weekly distribution list, send a note to Emily Blahnik with this subject line: SUBSCRIBE to Mayo Clinic in the News.
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Tags: Archives of Internal Medicine, Better Homes & Gardens, Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Cancer, Cancer, Chicago Tribune, Clinical Endocrinology News, Daily Titan Calif., Debbie Cooper, diabetes, Dr. • Better Homes & Garden, Dr. Lynne Shuster, Dr. Michael Joyner, Dr. Tom Mason, Eau Claire, endocrinology, Endocrinology / Diabetes, Florida Times-Union, Focus (Germany), Fox News, HealthDay, Healthline, high blood pressure, Indianapolis Star, JAMA, joint damage, Katie Rhoten, KNAU Ariz., KOSU Okla.US News & World Report, LA Times, MarketWatch, Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic Children's Center, Mayo Clinic in the News, Mayo Clinic Office of Women's Health, MedPage Today, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, MSNBC.com, NBC News, Newsday, Nicotine Dependence Center, NPR, Obesity, Pediatrics, Reuters, rheumatoid arthritis, Rheumatology, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Science News, Senior Journal, The Bunsen Burner, The Journal of Physiology, TIME, Tiroler Tageszeitung (Austria), USA Today, Washington Post, Winnipeg Free Press Canada, Wisconsin, WYSO Miami, Yahoo! News Canada
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Home / Stock Picks / Stocks to Sell / Virgin Galactic Can’t Hype Away Lousy Math
Virgin Galactic Can’t Hype Away Lousy Math
Recent deals with NASA don’t substantively improve SPCE stock
By Chris Markoch Jun 29, 2020, 8:23 am EST June 27, 2020
Virgin Galactic (NYSE:SPCE) seems to be in the business of making news. For example, the company is pointing to increased demand for space travel even though they still seem years away from putting those individuals in flight. However, that doesn’t seem to be deterring investors from buying SPCE stock. In fact, the stock is up over 30% in 2020.
Source: Tun Pichitanon / Shutterstock.com
But it hasn’t been a smooth ride. In fact, after soaring above $30 per share in February, SPCE stock gave up that gain and briefly turned negative for the year. It’s since come back, but I suspect that may be due to the increased activity of day traders.
However, the stock recently got a nice boost as the company announced a partnership with NASA to help train astronauts for voyages to the International Space Station. There is enthusiasm that this could be part of the company taking a larger role in getting civilian missions ready.
The partnership also includes an agreement for the two entities to work together toward the development of high-speed travel technologies. This is somewhat intriguing, because NASA has one of the smaller budgets as a percentage of the federal budget. Yet their overall budget has been steadily increasing.
But none of this seems to solve the issue of a company that is bleeding money now.
The Business Model Remains Murky
Something about SPCE reminds me of Jurassic Park without the ethical questions. Ultimately, the company’s One Small Step program seems like a theme park ride for our highest income individuals. Case in point, some of the program’s initial customers include celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Leonardo DiCaprio.
I’m not making a value judgment about the company’s ambitions. I think it’s a cool idea and as someone who loves a good roller coaster, I think it might be fun to experience weightlessness for a minute or two.
But ultimately, SPCE is selling an experience. And it’s an experience that will only be available to a select group of individuals. I know this because the company has made the deals it has with NASA. It knows that it has to have a revenue stream that goes beyond their suborbital flights.
Mark Hake broke down the math problem that SPCE faces:
If the company’s break-even cash flow number is $60 million per quarter, it will need over 240 people every quarter. In other words, 240 people paying $250,000 every quarter will only keep the company’s cash flow at break-even levels.
One of These Stocks Is Not Like the Other
I recently wrote about the promise of Crispr Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP). This is a company that is on the vanguard of gene-editing therapy. The company is not yet profitable. It has not yet brought a candidate to market. It may be years before either of those realities happen.
And yet, I find the stock compelling. It’s a stock that reflects a world of hope that begins to deliver on the promise of genetics. We can easily imagine that if Crispr can deliver a treatment for sickle cell anemia soon, can it be too much longer before it will be able to eradicate some forms of cancer? I’m not making a claim. I’m just saying it’s a future we can imagine.
But I also cautioned investors that they should invest in this stock before it starts to deliver on its promise. Because once it does, the easy gains will already be gone.
Then there’s SPCE. This is a company that’s on the leading edge of another futuristic technology. They are also not yet profitable. And although they do have a product to offer, it still seems like it’s going to be several years before it may be commercially viable.
But in the case of SPCE stock. I don’t find the stock all that compelling. We can’t really imagine a universal benefit where average Americans can take a trip to suborbital space. And the company acknowledges that it’s difficult to find enough high net worth individuals that are willing to pay at least $200,000 for a suborbital flight.
You Can Wait on SPCE Stock
And so, I caution investors that they shouldn’t invest in SPCE stock until it begins to deliver on its promise. My InvestorPlace colleague Dana Blankenhorn summed it up well in offering his take on SPCE stock:
Its system works in theory. The company has done some test flights. But until there are real flights, with paying passengers, it’s all a guess.
Without a proven model that will help it make money, the stock isn’t going to the moon anytime soon.
Chris Markoch is a freelance financial copywriter who has been covering the market for over five years. He has been writing for InvestorPlace since 2019. As of this writing, Chris Markoch did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2020/06/spce-stock-has-math-problem/.
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2012: Canada Council for the Arts
Samina Mansuri
In her recent work, Samina Mansuri uses as a starting point media depictions of war-torn places such as Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq as well as the twin towers or places like New Orleans that have been ravaged by natural disasters. Frequently the architecture of these locations, captured from an aerial view, is reduced to ash or rubble. These views tend to provide a detached sense of actual place. Through a transformed language of aerial cartography Mansuri creates subjective mappings of an ambiguous location of trauma. Through this she aims to bring attention to viewers about mediated representations of misery and its impact on individual and public memory.
Samina Mansuri (born Karachi) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Toronto, Canada. She received her BFA from Pratt Institute, New York and MFA from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh. Mansuri has exhibited her work internationally for over two decades. Recent exhibitions include Qualia or the pulse of Steel, Hamilton, Canada 2012; Out of Rubble, Space Gallery, Pittsburgh, 2011; Leaning Towards Collapse, A Space Gallery, Toronto, Canada, 2011; Empire of Dreams Phenomenology of the Built Environment, Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, Toronto, Canada; Double Consciousness, Mattress Factory Museum, USA, 2007 and Post-Object, Doris McCarthy Gallery, Scarborough, Canada, 2007. Her works are represented in public and private collections and have been extensively featured and reviewed in catalogs, books, newspapers and journals.
Samina Mansuri, Ash 9 Tararatiie, 2008, Giclee print, 44 × 5213/16 in. (111.76 × 134.11 cm). Courtesy of the artist.
Samina Mansuri, After Images: Cedibidaee Reconstruction Site 9, 2010, Multimedia installation with video projection, 228 × 180 × 24 in. (579.12 × 457.2 × 60.96 cm). Courtesy of the artist.
Samina Mansuri, Ash 5 Olaraaee, 2008, Giclee print, 34 × 34 in. (86.36 × 86.36 cm). Courtesy of the artist.
Samina Mansuri, Mukiirati, 2008, Giclee print, 34 × 34 in. (86.36 × 86.36 cm). Courtesy of the artist.
Samina Mansuri, After Images: Cedibidaee Reconstruction Site 10, 2009 - 2011, Multimedia installation with video projection, 240 × 228 × 24 in. (609.6 × 579.12 × 60.96 cm). Courtesy of the artist.
Residents from Canada
Anaïs Castro
Canada Council for the Arts
Sara Cwynar
Sobey Art Awards, National Gallery of Canada
Lou Sheppard
2012: The Dr. K. David G. Edwards & Margery Edwards Charitable Giving Fund, The Ian Potter Foundation, American Australian Association
Rebecca Baumann
Rebecca Baumann works primarily in sculpture and installation. Through a formal and conceptual exploration of materials, Baumann’s recent works have critically interrogated ideas of happiness and celebration in contemporary life. Often kinetic and ephemeral in nature, her sculptures and installations seek to affect the audience through their experiential, momentary and emotive qualities. Baumann’s current area of interest, the relationship between color and emotion, has been influenced by further research into psychology, sociology, color theory and art history.
Rebecca Baumann (born 1983, Perth, Western Australia) received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Curtin University of Technology, Perth in 2003. Baumann has exhibited nationally in Australia in various group exhibitions, including: Contemporary Australia: Women, Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane; Primavera, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney; and NEW11, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne. Her solo exhibitions include: Untitled State of Mind, Gallery ON, Poznań, Poland; This Glorious Mess, Free Range Gallery, and from the beginning; one more time, Fremantle Arts Centre. Baumann has been the recipient of the Art & Australia/Credit Suisse Private Banking Contemporary Art Award and the Qantas Spirit of Youth Award.
Rebecca Baumann, 2010-2011, 25 smoke canisters, 1375m3 colored smoke, aluminum and electric detonator, 5 min.
Rebecca Baumann, 2011, 100 flip-clocks, laser-cut papers and batteries, 51 × 142 × 31/2 in. (129.54 × 360.68 × 8.89 cm).
Rebecca Baumann, This Glorious Mess, 2009, Drum fans and streamers, Dimensions variable.
Rebecca Baumann, Untitled Cascade, 2010, Tinsel curtains, domestic fan and 1.2k Selecon Zoomspot, Dimensions variable.
Residents from Australia
The Dr. K. David G. Edwards & Margery Edwards Charitable Giving Fund, Create NSW, Embassy of Australia in Washington, DC
Tim Bruniges
Australia Council for the Arts, The Dr. K. David G. Edwards & Margery Edwards Charitable Giving Fund
Emily Floyd
The Dr. K. David G. Edwards & Margery Edwards Charitable Giving Fund, Australia Council for the Arts, Creative Victoria
2012: Wallace Arts Trust
Akiko Diegel
Akiko Diegel’s works deal with existence: things that are consumed, worn, worked, worried, carried, things used as comforts and things used as crutches. Diegel’s practice utilizes and examines the act of collecting, recording, constructing and stitching. She works to balance the works between the corporeal and the behavioral sides of being a person. Diegel’s final artworks often relate to the body and human behaviors. Her practice moves fluidly between the seductively kaleidoscopic and the poised, quiet and contained.
Akiko Diegel (born Japan) lives and works in Auckland, New Zealand. She graduated with an MFA in 2008 from the Elam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland. In 2011, Akiko Diegel was awarded the Paramount Award for her work, Cure, at the 20th Annual Wallace Art Awards. Her work has been included in the Wallace Art Award finalist exhibition every year between 2006 and 2010. Diegel was a finalist in the Waiheke Art Awards (2011), the Waikato Museum National Contemporary Art Award (2007-2010) and the Norsewear Art Award (2007).
Akiko Diegel, Untitled, 2009, Wool blanket.
Akiko Diegel, Up Where We Belong, 2008, C-type print, 151/2 × 151/2 in. (39.37 × 39.37 cm).
Akiko Diegel, Untitled, 2008, Wool blanket, 7 × 10 in. (17.78 × 25.4 cm).
Residents from New Zealand
Imogen Taylor
Wallace Arts Trust
Andy Leleisi’uao
New Zealand, Germany
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How can Senegal combat illegal fishing?
The Senegalese coastline is one of Africa’s richest fishing grounds. Generations of communities have depended on fishing to make a living, but more recently, these once-abundant stocks have attracted a spate of illegal activities.
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing has become one of the main maritime threats facing the West African nation. Unauthorised industrial fishing ships, in particular, have been plundering the country’s reserves. The result is an annual loss to the state of 150 billion CFA (US$272 million).
Last year, the Oleg Naydenov – a Russian trawler – was seized and its crew arrested by the Senegalese navy, with support from the French. This was one of many cases where unlicensed European and Asian vessels exploit West African waters, taking advantage of weak surveillance systems. With a crew of 82 sailors, this 120-metre-long ship is capable of processing an estimated 20 000 tonnes of fish annually. It would take 645 canoes typically used by small-scale, or artisanal, fishers to take away that tonnage per year.
Illegal fishing in Senegal led to an annual loss of US$272 million
Russia was sentenced the maximum fine under Senegalese law of 400 million CFA (about US$727 000), and the cargo was confiscated. A key question, however, is how many vessels of this kind continue to operate illegally in West Africa without being apprehended.
The Oleg Naydenov would likely have been used as a case study for the Senegalese legislators who drafted the country’s new fishing code, which was enacted in July this year.
They may have been inspired by this example to raise the financial penalty to a maximum of one billion CFA, or US$1.8 million. An area of concern, however, is that the law does not make it mandatory for fishing vessels flying the Senegalese flag to have observers on board.
Just because a vessel is Senegalese does not, of course, guarantee that it will fish in a lawful way. An unmonitored national ship could still operate in prohibited areas, carry out unauthorised commercial operations at sea and make false logbook entries. This is also true for a licensed, but unmonitored foreign vessel.
A report published yesterday by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) investigates claims by the chairman of an organisation of traditional fishermen in Senegal’s Ziguinchor region, namely the inter-professional economic interests group of Cap Skirring, that vessels in possession of shrimp permits haul in large numbers of species in additional to the shrimp (by-catch), which they then throw overboard, already dead. ‘A shrimp trawler can take in five tonnes of fish and take away only 200kg of shrimp,’ the organisation complains.
In the same vein, non-governmental organisation (NGO) Greenpeace has condemned Chinese ships for falsifying reports of their catch in Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea to minimise fees due to the state. Greenpeace estimates that these falsified statements have incurred losses of 372 million CFA (US $676 000) to the Senegalese economy between 2000 and 2014.
A shrimp trawler can catch five tonnes of fish and take away only 200kg of shrimp
This amount may even be greater, since investigators were unlikely to have discovered all instances of fraud. Greenpeace also reported that some 114 Chinese ships were involved in 183 cases of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal and Sierra Leone. These ships, among other things, failed to obtain licences, used non-regulatory mesh and fished in prohibited areas.
Beyond the economic loss suffered by the country and those fishermen who comply with regulations, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing destroys marine biodiversity.
Twin trawling – a technique practised by illegal fishermen known where two or more trawlers are harnessed together – not only captures immature species, but also destroys fish breeding areas.
The ISS report further reveals how artisanal fishermen in the region of Ziguinchor also conduct illegal fishing – both inland and out at sea. These fishermen often use banned monofilament nylon nets, which have a tighter mesh and capture immature or undersized fish. This has a negative effect on species reproduction and growth. When these nets wash away at sea, they suffocate fish on the seabed and can take up to 40 years to disintegrate.
In addition, artisanal fishermen do not always respect protected fishing areas. On 13 August this year, the Senegalese navy seized two canoes operating illegally in the protected area of Ngaparou, a town located 80km south of Dakar.
Beyond economic losses, illegal fishing also destroys marine biodiversity
Yet, as stated in the ISS report, Senegal’s fishing activities play a vital socio-economic role. The sector employs 17% of the labour force and the livelihoods of several communities depend on fishing activities. As a result of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, Senegal’s fish stocks have dropped significantly, and its fishermen are drawn to operating illegally in other countries’ maritime spaces.
This has happened in Guinea-Bissau, where the maritime authorities have arrested Senegalese fishermen for failing to seek permission or for using fake licenses. Similarly, the arrest of 17 Senegalese fishermen for illegal fishing in Morocco, reported by the media last October, might also have been a consequence of depleted fish stocks in Senegal.
The Senegalese state has launched several initiatives to help the country’s artisanal fishermen. Encouragingly, local authorities and artisanal fishermen organisations are being granted the right to manage fish unloading sites. Royalties are collected and shared with the city councils, which provide public lighting and sanitation. The state provides oversight via the Local Committees of Artisanal Fisheries, which are chaired by departmental prefects.
The ISS report suggests, among other things, that mechanisms to promote fish reproduction and growth be established and strengthened, and that vessel monitoring systems be reinforced. It also encourages the state to grant more responsibilities to professionals in the management of artisanal fisheries. In this way, Senegal could not only hope to effectively rid itself of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, but could also do so in a way that protects the security of its other precious resource: the population.
Barthélemy Blédé, Senior Researcher, André Diouf, Intern, Conflict Management and Peacebuilding division, Pascaline Compaoré, Conflict Prevention and Risk Analysis division, ISS Dakar
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Mr. Harsh Manglik
(BT/ME/70)
Mr. Harsh Manglik is a seasoned leader armed with 48+ years of rich and global experience in business and consulting, aerospace automotive, electronics, telecommunications and IT. Amongst his various stints with national and international organizations, he is most remembered for his gigantic contributions in shaping Accenture India operations. Currently, he is a Distinguished Executive in Residence and Adjunct Professor of Management at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business. He has also been featured on the cover of Forbes magazine. In 2008, IIT Kanpur conferred upon him the Distinguished Alumnus Award for his contributions to the Indian and the global industry. "We need to accept responsibility and accountability and be truthful. Without trust and straight talk, a leader has no standing".
Mr. Manglik received his B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kanpur in 1970. From 1970 to 1972, he worked as a management trainee with Metal Box, Calcutta. Following it, he joined the Case Western Reserve University, USA and received his master's in mechanical engineering & design optimization in 1974. In 1976, he obtained an MBA degree from Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business. From then on, he served in several senior positions in some of the renowned 'blue chip' organizations including Booz Allen Hamilton, Pratt & Whitney and UTC Corporate, IBM and Symantec. From 2006 to 2011, he was the Chairman and Geography Managing Director of Accenture, India, bringing with him a rich and diverse experience in global consulting, aerospace and IT. He also served as the Chairman of Executive Council, NASSCOM for a year starting from 2010. For his insightful leadership and outstanding work with Accenture, he was listed by The Economic Times (India) as the "Top 10 Most Powerful MNC CEOs." During an interview, Mr. Manglik said, "Leaders inspire, build something that outlasts themselves and focus on nurturing the next generation of leadership. Managers make things work, which is equally important."
Prof. Minwalla is recognised as a leader in quantum gravity research. He has done path-breaking work on string theory and uncovered an unexpected connection between the equations of fluid and superfluid dynamics and Einstein's equations of general relativity. His work revealed that in the hydrodynamic limit, the geometry of a black hole in Anti-de Sitter space is governed by the same equations as a relativistic Navier-Stokes fluid.
In future, he plans to study the various aspects of gravitational dynamics, quantum field theory dynamics and their interrelations via the AdS/CFT correspondence. He may also work on the dynamics of vector matter-Chern Simons theories and the structure of the equations of hydrodynamics as revealed by their dual gravity description.
Mr. Manglik has been instrumental in supporting collaborations between industry and academia. He has served on the boards of many business and academic organizations across the world including Cyient Limited as an independent director, 2012-2017; InfoTech Enterprises as a non-executive independent director since 18 July 2012; IIT Kanpur as a member of the BOGs and Carnegie Mellon University's Presidential Committee on India. He has previously served on the Founding Operating Committee at MIT's Leaders for Manufacturing graduate program. He is an invited member of the National Council of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Since October 2013, Mr. Manglik has been serving as a Distinguished Executive in Residence and Adjunct Professor of Management at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business.
Listed by The Economic Times (India) as the "Top 10 Most Powerful MNC CEOs".
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ENCYCLICAL LETTER
OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF FRANCIS
TO THE BISHOPS PRIESTS AND DEACONS
CONSECRATED PERSONS AND THE LAY FAITHFUL
ON FAITH
1. The light of Faith: this is how the Church’s tradition speaks of the great gift brought by Jesus. In John’s Gospel, Christ says of himself: "I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness" (Jn 12:46). Saint Paul uses the same image: "God who said ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts" (2 Cor 4:6). The pagan world, which hungered for light, had seen the growth of the cult of the sun god, Sol Invictus, invoked each day at sunrise. Yet though the sun was born anew each morning, it was clearly incapable of casting its light on all of human existence. The sun does not illumine all reality; its rays cannot penetrate to the shadow of death, the place where men’s eyes are closed to its light. "No one — Saint Justin Martyr writes — has ever been ready to die for his faith in the sun".[1] Conscious of the immense horizon which their faith opened before them, Christians invoked Jesus as the true sun "whose rays bestow life".[2] To Martha, weeping for the death of her brother Lazarus, Jesus said: "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (Jn 11:40). Those who believe, see; they see with a light that illumines their entire journey, for it comes from the risen Christ, the morning star which never sets.
An illusory light?
2. Yet in speaking of the light of faith, we can almost hear the objections of many of our contemporaries. In modernity, that light might have been considered sufficient for societies of old, but was felt to be of no use for new times, for a humanity come of age, proud of its rationality and anxious to explore the future in novel ways. Faith thus appeared to some as an illusory light, preventing mankind from boldly setting out in quest of knowledge. The young Nietzsche encouraged his sister Elisabeth to take risks, to tread "new paths… with all the uncertainty of one who must find his own way", adding that "this is where humanity’s paths part: if you want peace of soul and happiness, then believe, but if you want to be a follower of truth, then seek".[3] Belief would be incompatible with seeking. From this starting point Nietzsche was to develop his critique of Christianity for diminishing the full meaning of human existence and stripping life of novelty and adventure. Faith would thus be the illusion of light, an illusion which blocks the path of a liberated humanity to its future.
3. In the process, faith came to be associated with darkness. There were those who tried to save faith by making room for it alongside the light of reason. Such room would open up wherever the light of reason could not penetrate, wherever certainty was no longer possible. Faith was thus understood either as a leap in the dark, to be taken in the absence of light, driven by blind emotion, or as a subjective light, capable perhaps of warming the heart and bringing personal consolation, but not something which could be proposed to others as an objective and shared light which points the way. Slowly but surely, however, it would become evident that the light of autonomous reason is not enough to illumine the future; ultimately the future remains shadowy and fraught with fear of the unknown. As a result, humanity renounced the search for a great light, Truth itself, in order to be content with smaller lights which illumine the fleeting moment yet prove incapable of showing the way. Yet in the absence of light everything becomes confused; it is impossible to tell good from evil, or the road to our destination from other roads which take us in endless circles, going nowhere.
A light to be recovered
4. There is an urgent need, then, to see once again that faith is a light, for once the flame of faith dies out, all other lights begin to dim. The light of faith is unique, since it is capable of illuminating every aspect of human existence. A light this powerful cannot come from ourselves but from a more primordial source: in a word, it must come from God. Faith is born of an encounter with the living God who calls us and reveals his love, a love which precedes us and upon which we can lean for security and for building our lives. Transformed by this love, we gain fresh vision, new eyes to see; we realize that it contains a great promise of fulfilment, and that a vision of the future opens up before us. Faith, received from God as a supernatural gift, becomes a light for our way, guiding our journey through time. On the one hand, it is a light coming from the past, the light of the foundational memory of the life of Jesus which revealed his perfectly trustworthy love, a love capable of triumphing over death. Yet since Christ has risen and draws us beyond death, faith is also a light coming from the future and opening before us vast horizons which guide us beyond our isolated selves towards the breadth of communion. We come to see that faith does not dwell in shadow and gloom; it is a light for our darkness. Dante, in the Divine Comedy, after professing his faith to Saint Peter, describes that light as a "spark, which then becomes a burning flame and like a heavenly star within me glimmers".[4] It is this light of faith that I would now like to consider, so that it can grow and enlighten the present, becoming a star to brighten the horizon of our journey at a time when mankind is particularly in need of light.
5. Christ, on the eve of his passion, assured Peter: "I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail" (Lk 22:32). He then told him to strengthen his brothers and sisters in that same faith. Conscious of the duty entrusted to the Successor of Peter, Benedict XVI proclaimed the present Year of Faith, a time of grace which is helping us to sense the great joy of believing and to renew our wonder at the vast horizons which faith opens up, so as then to profess that faith in its unity and integrity, faithful to the memory of the Lord and sustained by his presence and by the working of the Holy Spirit. The conviction born of a faith which brings grandeur and fulfilment to life, a faith centred on Christ and on the power of his grace, inspired the mission of the first Christians. In the acts of the martyrs, we read the following dialogue between the Roman prefect Rusticus and a Christian named Hierax: "‘Where are your parents?’, the judge asked the martyr. He replied: ‘Our true father is Christ, and our mother is faith in him’".[5] For those early Christians, faith, as an encounter with the living God revealed in Christ, was indeed a "mother", for it had brought them to the light and given birth within them to divine life, a new experience and a luminous vision of existence for which they were prepared to bear public witness to the end.
6. The Year of Faith was inaugurated on the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. This is itself a clear indication that Vatican II was a Council on faith,[6] inasmuch as it asked us to restore the primacy of God in Christ to the centre of our lives, both as a Church and as individuals. The Church never takes faith for granted, but knows that this gift of God needs to be nourished and reinforced so that it can continue to guide her pilgrim way. The Second Vatican Council enabled the light of faith to illumine our human experience from within, accompanying the men and women of our time on their journey. It clearly showed how faith enriches life in all its dimensions.
7. These considerations on faith — in continuity with all that the Church’s magisterium has pronounced on this theological virtue[7] — are meant to supplement what Benedict XVI had written in his encyclical letters on charity and hope. He himself had almost completed a first draft of an encyclical on faith. For this I am deeply grateful to him, and as his brother in Christ I have taken up his fine work and added a few contributions of my own. The Successor of Peter, yesterday, today and tomorrow, is always called to strengthen his brothers and sisters in the priceless treasure of that faith which God has given as a light for humanity’s path.
In God’s gift of faith, a supernatural infused virtue, we realize that a great love has been offered us, a good word has been spoken to us, and that when we welcome that word, Jesus Christ the Word made flesh, the Holy Spirit transforms us, lights up our way to the future and enables us joyfully to advance along that way on wings of hope. Thus wonderfully interwoven, faith, hope and charity are the driving force of the Christian life as it advances towards full communion with God. But what is it like, this road which faith opens up before us? What is the origin of this powerful light which brightens the journey of a successful and fruitful life?
WE HAVE BELIEVED IN LOVE
(cf. 1 Jn 4:16)
Abraham, our father in faith
8. Faith opens the way before us and accompanies our steps through time. Hence, if we want to understand what faith is, we need to follow the route it has taken, the path trodden by believers, as witnessed first in the Old Testament. Here a unique place belongs to Abraham, our father in faith. Something disturbing takes place in his life: God speaks to him; he reveals himself as a God who speaks and calls his name. Faith is linked to hearing. Abraham does not see God, but hears his voice. Faith thus takes on a personal aspect. God is not the god of a particular place, or a deity linked to specific sacred time, but the God of a person, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, capable of interacting with man and establishing a covenant with him. Faith is our response to a word which engages us personally, to a "Thou" who calls us by name.
9. The word spoken to Abraham contains both a call and a promise. First, it is a call to leave his own land, a summons to a new life, the beginning of an exodus which points him towards an unforeseen future. The sight which faith would give to Abraham would always be linked to the need to take this step forward: faith "sees" to the extent that it journeys, to the extent that it chooses to enter into the horizons opened up by God’s word. This word also contains a promise: Your descendants will be great in number, you will be the father of a great nation (cf. Gen 13:16; 15:5; 22:17). As a response to a word which preceded it, Abraham’s faith would always be an act of remembrance. Yet this remembrance is not fixed on past events but, as the memory of a promise, it becomes capable of opening up the future, shedding light on the path to be taken. We see how faith, as remembrance of the future, memoria futuri, is thus closely bound up with hope.
10. Abraham is asked to entrust himself to this word. Faith understands that something so apparently ephemeral and fleeting as a word, when spoken by the God who is fidelity, becomes absolutely certain and unshakable, guaranteeing the continuity of our journey through history. Faith accepts this word as a solid rock upon which we can build, a straight highway on which we can travel. In the Bible, faith is expressed by the Hebrew word ’emûnāh, derived from the verb ’amān whose root means "to uphold". The term ’emûnāh can signify both God’s fidelity and man’s faith. The man of faith gains strength by putting himself in the hands of the God who is faithful. Playing on this double meaning of the word — also found in the corresponding terms in Greek (pistós) and Latin (fidelis) — Saint Cyril of Jerusalem praised the dignity of the Christian who receives God’s own name: both are called "faithful".[8] As Saint Augustine explains: "Man is faithful when he believes in God and his promises; God is faithful when he grants to man what he has promised".[9]
11. A final element of the story of Abraham is important for understanding his faith. God’s word, while bringing newness and surprise, is not at all alien to Abraham’s experience. In the voice which speaks to him, the patriarch recognizes a profound call which was always present at the core of his being. God ties his promise to that aspect of human life which has always appeared most "full of promise", namely, parenthood, the begetting of new life: "Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall name him Isaac" (Gen 17:19). The God who asks Abraham for complete trust reveals himself to be the source of all life. Faith is thus linked to God’s fatherhood, which gives rise to all creation; the God who calls Abraham is the Creator, the one who "calls into existence the things that do not exist" (Rom 4:17), the one who "chose us before the foundation of the world… and destined us for adoption as his children" (Eph 1:4-5). For Abraham, faith in God sheds light on the depths of his being, it enables him to acknowledge the wellspring of goodness at the origin of all things and to realize that his life is not the product of non-being or chance, but the fruit of a personal call and a personal love. The mysterious God who called him is no alien deity, but the God who is the origin and mainstay of all that is. The great test of Abraham’s faith, the sacrifice of his son Isaac, would show the extent to which this primordial love is capable of ensuring life even beyond death. The word which could raise up a son to one who was "as good as dead", in "the barrenness" of Sarah’s womb (cf. Rom 4:19), can also stand by his promise of a future beyond all threat or danger (cf. Heb 11:19; Rom 4:21).
The faith of Israel
12. The history of the people of Israel in the Book of Exodus follows in the wake of Abraham’s faith. Faith once again is born of a primordial gift: Israel trusts in God, who promises to set his people free from their misery. Faith becomes a summons to a lengthy journey leading to worship of the Lord on Sinai and the inheritance of a promised land. God’s love is seen to be like that of a father who carries his child along the way (cf. Dt 1:31). Israel’s confession of faith takes shape as an account of God’s deeds in setting his people free and acting as their guide (cf. Dt 26:5-11), an account passed down from one generation to the next. God’s light shines for Israel through the remembrance of the Lord’s mighty deeds, recalled and celebrated in worship, and passed down from parents to children. Here we see how the light of faith is linked to concrete life-stories, to the grateful remembrance of God’s mighty deeds and the progressive fulfilment of his promises. Gothic architecture gave clear expression to this: in the great cathedrals light comes down from heaven by passing through windows depicting the history of salvation. God’s light comes to us through the account of his self-revelation, and thus becomes capable of illuminating our passage through time by recalling his gifts and demonstrating how he fulfils his promises.
13. The history of Israel also shows us the temptation of unbelief to which the people yielded more than once. Here the opposite of faith is shown to be idolatry. While Moses is speaking to God on Sinai, the people cannot bear the mystery of God’s hiddenness, they cannot endure the time of waiting to see his face. Faith by its very nature demands renouncing the immediate possession which sight would appear to offer; it is an invitation to turn to the source of the light, while respecting the mystery of a countenance which will unveil itself personally in its own good time. Martin Buber once cited a definition of idolatry proposed by the rabbi of Kock: idolatry is "when a face addresses a face which is not a face".[10] In place of faith in God, it seems better to worship an idol, into whose face we can look directly and whose origin we know, because it is the work of our own hands. Before an idol, there is no risk that we will be called to abandon our security, for idols "have mouths, but they cannot speak" (Ps 115:5). Idols exist, we begin to see, as a pretext for setting ourselves at the centre of reality and worshiping the work of our own hands. Once man has lost the fundamental orientation which unifies his existence, he breaks down into the multiplicity of his desires; in refusing to await the time of promise, his life-story disintegrates into a myriad of unconnected instants. Idolatry, then, is always polytheism, an aimless passing from one lord to another. Idolatry does not offer a journey but rather a plethora of paths leading nowhere and forming a vast labyrinth. Those who choose not to put their trust in God must hear the din of countless idols crying out: "Put your trust in me!" Faith, tied as it is to conversion, is the opposite of idolatry; it breaks with idols to turn to the living God in a personal encounter. Believing means entrusting oneself to a merciful love which always accepts and pardons, which sustains and directs our lives, and which shows its power by its ability to make straight the crooked lines of our history. Faith consists in the willingness to let ourselves be constantly transformed and renewed by God’s call. Herein lies the paradox: by constantly turning towards the Lord, we discover a sure path which liberates us from the dissolution imposed upon us by idols.
14. In the faith of Israel we also encounter the figure of Moses, the mediator. The people may not see the face of God; it is Moses who speaks to YHWH on the mountain and then tells the others of the Lord’s will. With this presence of a mediator in its midst, Israel learns to journey together in unity. The individual’s act of faith finds its place within a community, within the common "we" of the people who, in faith, are like a single person — "my first-born son", as God would describe all of Israel (cf. Ex 4:22). Here mediation is not an obstacle, but an opening: through our encounter with others, our gaze rises to a truth greater than ourselves. Rousseau once lamented that he could not see God for himself: "How many people stand between God and me!"[11] … "Is it really so simple and natural that God would have sought out Moses in order to speak to Jean Jacques Rousseau?"[12] On the basis of an individualistic and narrow conception of conscience one cannot appreciate the significance of mediation, this capacity to participate in the vision of another, this shared knowledge which is the knowledge proper to love. Faith is God’s free gift, which calls for humility and the courage to trust and to entrust; it enables us to see the luminous path leading to the encounter of God and humanity: the history of salvation.
The fullness of Christian faith
15. "Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad" (Jn 8:56). According to these words of Jesus, Abraham’s faith pointed to him; in some sense it foresaw his mystery. So Saint Augustine understood it when he stated that the patriarchs were saved by faith, not faith in Christ who had come but in Christ who was yet to come, a faith pressing towards the future of Jesus.[13] Christian faith is centred on Christ; it is the confession that Jesus is Lord and that God has raised him from the dead (cf. Rom 10:9). All the threads of the Old Testament converge on Christ; he becomes the definitive "Yes" to all the promises, the ultimate basis of our "Amen" to God (cf. 2 Cor 1:20). The history of Jesus is the complete manifestation of God’s reliability. If Israel continued to recall God’s great acts of love, which formed the core of its confession of faith and broadened its gaze in faith, the life of Jesus now appears as the locus of God’s definitive intervention, the supreme manifestation of his love for us. The word which God speaks to us in Jesus is not simply one word among many, but his eternal Word (cf. Heb 1:1-2). God can give no greater guarantee of his love, as Saint Paul reminds us (cf. Rom 8:31-39). Christian faith is thus faith in a perfect love, in its decisive power, in its ability to transform the world and to unfold its history. "We know and believe the love that God has for us" (1 Jn 4:16). In the love of God revealed in Jesus, faith perceives the foundation on which all reality and its final destiny rest.
16. The clearest proof of the reliability of Christ’s love is to be found in his dying for our sake. If laying down one’s life for one’s friends is the greatest proof of love (cf. Jn 15:13), Jesus offered his own life for all, even for his enemies, to transform their hearts. This explains why the evangelists could see the hour of Christ’s crucifixion as the culmination of the gaze of faith; in that hour the depth and breadth of God’s love shone forth. It was then that Saint John offered his solemn testimony, as together with the Mother of Jesus he gazed upon the pierced one (cf. Jn 19:37): "He who saw this has borne witness, so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth" (Jn 19:35). In Dostoevsky’s The Idiot, Prince Myskin sees a painting by Hans Holbein the Younger depicting Christ dead in the tomb and says: "Looking at that painting might cause one to lose his faith".[14] The painting is a gruesome portrayal of the destructive effects of death on Christ’s body. Yet it is precisely in contemplating Jesus’ death that faith grows stronger and receives a dazzling light; then it is revealed as faith in Christ’s steadfast love for us, a love capable of embracing death to bring us salvation. This love, which did not recoil before death in order to show its depth, is something I can believe in; Christ’s total self-gift overcomes every suspicion and enables me to entrust myself to him completely.
17. Christ’s death discloses the utter reliability of God’s love above all in the light of his resurrection. As the risen one, Christ is the trustworthy witness, deserving of faith (cf. Rev 1:5; Heb 2:17), and a solid support for our faith. "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile", says Saint Paul (1 Cor 15:17). Had the Father’s love not caused Jesus to rise from the dead, had it not been able to restore his body to life, then it would not be a completely reliable love, capable of illuminating also the gloom of death. When Saint Paul describes his new life in Christ, he speaks of "faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal 2:20). Clearly, this "faith in the Son of God" means Paul’s faith in Jesus, but it also presumes that Jesus himself is worthy of faith, based not only on his having loved us even unto death but also on his divine sonship. Precisely because Jesus is the Son, because he is absolutely grounded in the Father, he was able to conquer death and make the fullness of life shine forth. Our culture has lost its sense of God’s tangible presence and activity in our world. We think that God is to be found in the beyond, on another level of reality, far removed from our everyday relationships. But if this were the case, if God could not act in the world, his love would not be truly powerful, truly real, and thus not even true, a love capable of delivering the bliss that it promises. It would make no difference at all whether we believed in him or not. Christians, on the contrary, profess their faith in God’s tangible and powerful love which really does act in history and determines its final destiny: a love that can be encountered, a love fully revealed in Christ’s passion, death and resurrection.
18. This fullness which Jesus brings to faith has another decisive aspect. In faith, Christ is not simply the one in whom we believe, the supreme manifestation of God’s love; he is also the one with whom we are united precisely in order to believe. Faith does not merely gaze at Jesus, but sees things as Jesus himself sees them, with his own eyes: it is a participation in his way of seeing. In many areas in our lives we trust others who know more than we do. We trust the architect who builds our home, the pharmacist who gives us medicine for healing, the lawyer who defends us in court. We also need someone trustworthy and knowledgeable where God is concerned. Jesus, the Son of God, is the one who makes God known to us (cf. Jn 1:18). Christ’s life, his way of knowing the Father and living in complete and constant relationship with him, opens up new and inviting vistas for human experience. Saint John brings out the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus for our faith by using various forms of the verb "to believe". In addition to "believing that" what Jesus tells us is true, John also speaks of "believing" Jesus and "believing in" Jesus. We "believe" Jesus when we accept his word, his testimony, because he is truthful. We "believe in" Jesus when we personally welcome him into our lives and journey towards him, clinging to him in love and following in his footsteps along the way.
To enable us to know, accept and follow him, the Son of God took on our flesh. In this way he also saw the Father humanly, within the setting of a journey unfolding in time. Christian faith is faith in the incarnation of the Word and his bodily resurrection; it is faith in a God who is so close to us that he entered our human history. Far from divorcing us from reality, our faith in the Son of God made man in Jesus of Nazareth enables us to grasp reality’s deepest meaning and to see how much God loves this world and is constantly guiding it towards himself. This leads us, as Christians, to live our lives in this world with ever greater commitment and intensity.
19. On the basis of this sharing in Jesus’ way of seeing things, Saint Paul has left us a description of the life of faith. In accepting the gift of faith, believers become a new creation; they receive a new being; as God’s children, they are now "sons in the Son". The phrase "Abba, Father", so characteristic of Jesus’ own experience, now becomes the core of the Christian experience (cf. Rom 8:15). The life of faith, as a filial existence, is the acknowledgment of a primordial and radical gift which upholds our lives. We see this clearly in Saint Paul’s question to the Corinthians: "What have you that you did not receive?" (1 Cor 4:7). This was at the very heart of Paul’s debate with the Pharisees: the issue of whether salvation is attained by faith or by the works of the law. Paul rejects the attitude of those who would consider themselves justified before God on the basis of their own works. Such people, even when they obey the commandments and do good works, are centred on themselves; they fail to realize that goodness comes from God. Those who live this way, who want to be the source of their own righteousness, find that the latter is soon depleted and that they are unable even to keep the law. They become closed in on themselves and isolated from the Lord and from others; their lives become futile and their works barren, like a tree far from water. Saint Augustine tells us in his usual concise and striking way: "Ab eo qui fecit te, noli deficere nec ad te", "Do not turn away from the one who made you, even to turn towards yourself".[15] Once I think that by turning away from God I will find myself, my life begins to fall apart (cf. Lk15:11-24). The beginning of salvation is openness to something prior to ourselves, to a primordial gift that affirms life and sustains it in being. Only by being open to and acknowledging this gift can we be transformed, experience salvation and bear good fruit. Salvation by faith means recognizing the primacy of God’s gift. As Saint Paul puts it: "By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God" (Eph 2:8).
20. Faith’s new way of seeing things is centred on Christ. Faith in Christ brings salvation because in him our lives become radically open to a love that precedes us, a love that transforms us from within, acting in us and through us. This is clearly seen in Saint Paul’s exegesis of a text from Deuteronomy, an exegesis consonant with the heart of the Old Testament message. Moses tells the people that God’s command is neither too high nor too far away. There is no need to say: "Who will go up for us to heaven and bring it to us?" or "Who will go over the sea for us, and bring it to us?" (Dt 30:11-14). Paul interprets this nearness of God’s word in terms of Christ’s presence in the Christian. "Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)" (Rom 10:6-7). Christ came down to earth and rose from the dead; by his incarnation and resurrection, the Son of God embraced the whole of human life and history, and now dwells in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Faith knows that God has drawn close to us, that Christ has been given to us as a great gift which inwardly transforms us, dwells within us and thus bestows on us the light that illumines the origin and the end of life.
21. We come to see the difference, then, which faith makes for us. Those who believe are transformed by the love to which they have opened their hearts in faith. By their openness to this offer of primordial love, their lives are enlarged and expanded. "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Gal 2:20). "May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith" (Eph 3:17). The self-awareness of the believer now expands because of the presence of another; it now lives in this other and thus, in love, life takes on a whole new breadth. Here we see the Holy Spirit at work. The Christian can see with the eyes of Jesus and share in his mind, his filial disposition, because he or she shares in his love, which is the Spirit. In the love of Jesus, we receive in a certain way his vision. Without being conformed to him in love, without the presence of the Spirit, it is impossible to confess him as Lord (cf. 1 Cor 12:3).
The ecclesial form of faith
22. In this way, the life of the believer becomes an ecclesial existence, a life lived in the Church. When Saint Paul tells the Christians of Rome that all who believe in Christ make up one body, he urges them not to boast of this; rather, each must think of himself "according to the measure of faith that God has assigned" (Rom12:3). Those who believe come to see themselves in the light of the faith which they profess: Christ is the mirror in which they find their own image fully realized. And just as Christ gathers to himself all those who believe and makes them his body, so the Christian comes to see himself as a member of this body, in an essential relationship with all other believers. The image of a body does not imply that the believer is simply one part of an anonymous whole, a mere cog in great machine; rather, it brings out the vital union of Christ with believers, and of believers among themselves (cf. Rom 12:4-5) Christians are "one" (cf. Gal 3:28), yet in a way which does not make them lose their individuality; in service to others, they come into their own in the highest degree. This explains why, apart from this body, outside this unity of the Church in Christ, outside this Church which — in the words of Romano Guardini — "is the bearer within history of the plenary gaze of Christ on the world"[16] — faith loses its "measure"; it no longer finds its equilibrium, the space needed to sustain itself. Faith is necessarily ecclesial; it is professed from within the body of Christ as a concrete communion of believers. It is against this ecclesial backdrop that faith opens the individual Christian towards all others. Christ’s word, once heard, by virtue of its inner power at work in the heart of the Christian, becomes a response, a spoken word, a profession of faith. As Saint Paul puts it: "one believes with the heart ... and confesses with the lips" (Rom 10:10). Faith is not a private matter, a completely individualistic notion or a personal opinion: it comes from hearing, and it is meant to find expression in words and to be proclaimed. For "how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?" (Rom 10:14). Faith becomes operative in the Christian on the basis of the gift received, the love which attracts our hearts to Christ (cf. Gal 5:6), and enables us to become part of the Church’s great pilgrimage through history until the end of the world. For those who have been transformed in this way, a new way of seeing opens up, faith becomes light for their eyes.
UNLESS YOU BELIEVE,
YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND
(cf. Is 7:9)
Faith and truth
23. Unless you believe, you will not understand (cf. Is 7:9). The Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint translation produced in Alexandria, gives the above rendering of the words spoken by the prophet Isaiah to King Ahaz. In this way, the issue of the knowledge of truth became central to faith. The Hebrew text, though, reads differently; the prophet says to the king: "If you will not believe, you shall not be established". Here there is a play on words, based on two forms of the verb ’amān: "you will believe" (ta’amînû) and "you shall be established" (tē’āmēnû). Terrified by the might of his enemies, the king seeks the security that an alliance with the great Assyrian empire can offer. The prophet tells him instead to trust completely in the solid and steadfast rock which is the God of Israel. Because God is trustworthy, it is reasonable to have faith in him, to stand fast on his word. He is the same God that Isaiah will later call, twice in one verse, the God who is Amen, "the God of truth" (cf. Is 65:16), the enduring foundation of covenant fidelity. It might seem that the Greek version of the Bible, by translating "be established" as "understand", profoundly altered the meaning of the text by moving away from the biblical notion of trust in God towards a Greek notion of intellectual understanding. Yet this translation, while certainly reflecting a dialogue with Hellenistic culture, is not alien to the underlying spirit of the Hebrew text. The firm foundation that Isaiah promises to the king is indeed grounded in an understanding of God’s activity and the unity which he gives to human life and to the history of his people. The prophet challenges the king, and us, to understand the Lord’s ways, seeing in God’s faithfulness the wise plan which governs the ages. Saint Augustine took up this synthesis of the ideas of "understanding" and "being established" in his Confessions when he spoke of the truth on which one may rely in order to stand fast: "Then I shall be cast and set firm in the mould of your truth".[17] From the context we know that Augustine was concerned to show that this trustworthy truth of God is, as the Bible makes clear, his own faithful presence throughout history, his ability to hold together times and ages, and to gather into one the scattered strands of our lives.[18]
24. Read in this light, the prophetic text leads to one conclusion: we need knowledge, we need truth, because without these we cannot stand firm, we cannot move forward. Faith without truth does not save, it does not provide a sure footing. It remains a beautiful story, the projection of our deep yearning for happiness, something capable of satisfying us to the extent that we are willing to deceive ourselves. Either that, or it is reduced to a lofty sentiment which brings consolation and cheer, yet remains prey to the vagaries of our spirit and the changing seasons, incapable of sustaining a steady journey through life. If such were faith, King Ahaz would be right not to stake his life and the security of his kingdom on a feeling. But precisely because of its intrinsic link to truth, faith is instead able to offer a new light, superior to the king’s calculations, for it sees further into the distance and takes into account the hand of God, who remains faithful to his covenant and his promises.
25. Today more than ever, we need to be reminded of this bond between faith and truth, given the crisis of truth in our age. In contemporary culture, we often tend to consider the only real truth to be that of technology: truth is what we succeed in building and measuring by our scientific know-how, truth is what works and what makes life easier and more comfortable. Nowadays this appears as the only truth that is certain, the only truth that can be shared, the only truth that can serve as a basis for discussion or for common undertakings. Yet at the other end of the scale we are willing to allow for subjective truths of the individual, which consist in fidelity to his or her deepest convictions, yet these are truths valid only for that individual and not capable of being proposed to others in an effort to serve the common good. But Truth itself, the truth which would comprehensively explain our life as individuals and in society, is regarded with suspicion. Surely this kind of truth — we hear it said — is what was claimed by the great totalitarian movements of the last century, a truth that imposed its own world view in order to crush the actual lives of individuals. In the end, what we are left with is relativism, in which the question of universal truth — and ultimately this means the question of God — is no longer relevant. It would be logical, from this point of view, to attempt to sever the bond between religion and truth, because it seems to lie at the root of fanaticism, which proves oppressive for anyone who does not share the same beliefs. In this regard, though, we can speak of a massive amnesia in our contemporary world. The question of truth is really a question of memory, deep memory, for it deals with something prior to ourselves and can succeed in uniting us in a way that transcends our petty and limited individual consciousness. It is a question about the origin of all that is, in whose light we can glimpse the goal and thus the meaning of our common path.
Knowledge of the truth and love
26. This being the case, can Christian faith provide a service to the common good with regard to the right way of understanding truth? To answer this question, we need to reflect on the kind of knowledge involved in faith. Here a saying of Saint Paul can help us: "One believes with the heart" (Rom 10:10). In the Bible, the heart is the core of the human person, where all his or her different dimensions intersect: body and spirit, interiority and openness to the world and to others, intellect, will and affectivity. If the heart is capable of holding all these dimensions together, it is because it is where we become open to truth and love, where we let them touch us and deeply transform us. Faith transforms the whole person precisely to the extent that he or she becomes open to love. Through this blending of faith and love we come to see the kind of knowledge which faith entails, its power to convince and its ability to illumine our steps. Faith knows because it is tied to love, because love itself brings enlightenment. Faith’s understanding is born when we receive the immense love of God which transforms us inwardly and enables us to see reality with new eyes.
27. The explanation of the connection between faith and certainty put forward by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein is well known. For Wittgenstein, believing can be compared to the experience of falling in love: it is something subjective which cannot be proposed as a truth valid for everyone.[19] Indeed, most people nowadays would not consider love as related in any way to truth. Love is seen as an experience associated with the world of fleeting emotions, no longer with truth.
But is this an adequate description of love? Love cannot be reduced to an ephemeral emotion. True, it engages our affectivity, but in order to open it to the beloved and thus to blaze a trail leading away from self-centredness and towards another person, in order to build a lasting relationship; love aims at union with the beloved. Here we begin to see how love requires truth. Only to the extent that love is grounded in truth can it endure over time, can it transcend the passing moment and be sufficiently solid to sustain a shared journey. If love is not tied to truth, it falls prey to fickle emotions and cannot stand the test of time. True love, on the other hand, unifies all the elements of our person and becomes a new light pointing the way to a great and fulfilled life. Without truth, love is incapable of establishing a firm bond; it cannot liberate our isolated ego or redeem it from the fleeting moment in order to create life and bear fruit.
If love needs truth, truth also needs love. Love and truth are inseparable. Without love, truth becomes cold, impersonal and oppressive for people’s day-to-day lives. The truth we seek, the truth that gives meaning to our journey through life, enlightens us whenever we are touched by love. One who loves realizes that love is an experience of truth, that it opens our eyes to see reality in a new way, in union with the beloved. In this sense, Saint Gregory the Great could write that "amor ipse notitia est", love is itself a kind of knowledge possessed of its own logic.[20] It is a relational way of viewing the world, which then becomes a form of shared knowledge, vision through the eyes of another and a shared vision of all that exists. William of Saint-Thierry, in the Middle Ages, follows this tradition when he comments on the verse of the Song of Songs where the lover says to the beloved, "Your eyes are doves" (Song 1:15).[21] The two eyes, says William, are faith-filled reason and love, which then become one in rising to the contemplation of God, when our understanding becomes "an understanding of enlightened love".[22]
28. This discovery of love as a source of knowledge, which is part of the primordial experience of every man and woman, finds authoritative expression in the biblical understanding of faith. In savouring the love by which God chose them and made them a people, Israel came to understand the overall unity of the divine plan. Faith-knowledge, because it is born of God’s covenantal love, is knowledge which lights up a path in history. That is why, in the Bible, truth and fidelity go together: the true God is the God of fidelity who keeps his promises and makes possible, in time, a deeper understanding of his plan. Through the experience of the prophets, in the pain of exile and in the hope of a definitive return to the holy city, Israel came to see that this divine "truth" extended beyond the confines of its own history, to embrace the entire history of the world, beginning with creation. Faith-knowledge sheds light not only on the destiny of one particular people, but the entire history of the created world, from its origins to its consummation.
Faith as hearing and sight
29. Precisely because faith-knowledge is linked to the covenant with a faithful God who enters into a relationship of love with man and speaks his word to him, the Bible presents it as a form of hearing; it is associated with the sense of hearing. Saint Paul would use a formula which became classic: fides ex auditu, "faith comes from hearing" (Rom 10:17). Knowledge linked to a word is always personal knowledge; it recognizes the voice of the one speaking, opens up to that person in freedom and follows him or her in obedience. Paul could thus speak of the "obedience of faith" (cf. Rom 1:5; 16:26).[23] Faith is also a knowledge bound to the passage of time, for words take time to be pronounced, and it is a knowledge assimilated only along a journey of discipleship. The experience of hearing can thus help to bring out more clearly the bond between knowledge and love.
At times, where knowledge of the truth is concerned, hearing has been opposed to sight; it has been claimed that an emphasis on sight was characteristic of Greek culture. If light makes possible that contemplation of the whole to which humanity has always aspired, it would also seem to leave no space for freedom, since it comes down from heaven directly to the eye, without calling for a response. It would also seem to call for a kind of static contemplation, far removed from the world of history with its joys and sufferings. From this standpoint, the biblical understanding of knowledge would be antithetical to the Greek understanding, inasmuch as the latter linked knowledge to sight in its attempt to attain a comprehensive understanding of reality.
This alleged antithesis does not, however, correspond to the biblical datum. The Old Testament combined both kinds of knowledge, since hearing God’s word is accompanied by the desire to see his face. The ground was thus laid for a dialogue with Hellenistic culture, a dialogue present at the heart of sacred Scripture. Hearing emphasizes personal vocation and obedience, and the fact that truth is revealed in time. Sight provides a vision of the entire journey and allows it to be situated within God’s overall plan; without this vision, we would be left only with unconnected parts of an unknown whole.
30. The bond between seeing and hearing in faith-knowledge is most clearly evident in John’s Gospel. For the Fourth Gospel, to believe is both to hear and to see. Faith’s hearing emerges as a form of knowing proper to love: it is a personal hearing, one which recognizes the voice of the Good Shepherd (cf. Jn 10:3-5); it is a hearing which calls for discipleship, as was the case with the first disciples: "Hearing him say these things, they followed Jesus" (Jn 1:37). But faith is also tied to sight. Seeing the signs which Jesus worked leads at times to faith, as in the case of the Jews who, following the raising of Lazarus, "having seen what he did, believed in him" (Jn 11:45). At other times, faith itself leads to deeper vision: "If you believe, you will see the glory of God" (Jn 11:40). In the end, belief and sight intersect: "Whoever believes in me believes in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me" (Jn 12:44-45). Joined to hearing, seeing then becomes a form of following Christ, and faith appears as a process of gazing, in which our eyes grow accustomed to peering into the depths. Easter morning thus passes from John who, standing in the early morning darkness before the empty tomb, "saw and believed" (Jn 20:8), to Mary Magdalene who, after seeing Jesus (cf. Jn 20:14) and wanting to cling to him, is asked to contemplate him as he ascends to the Father, and finally to her full confession before the disciples: "I have seen the Lord!" (Jn 20:18).
How does one attain this synthesis between hearing and seeing? It becomes possible through the person of Christ himself, who can be seen and heard. He is the Word made flesh, whose glory we have seen (cf. Jn 1:14). The light of faith is the light of a countenance in which the Father is seen. In the Fourth Gospel, the truth which faith attains is the revelation of the Father in the Son, in his flesh and in his earthly deeds, a truth which can be defined as the "light-filled life" of Jesus.[24] This means that faith-knowledge does not direct our gaze to a purely inward truth. The truth which faith discloses to us is a truth centred on an encounter with Christ, on the contemplation of his life and on the awareness of his presence. Saint Thomas Aquinas speaks of the Apostles’oculata fides — a faith which sees! — in the presence of the body of the Risen Lord.[25] With their own eyes they saw the risen Jesus and they believed; in a word, they were able to peer into the depths of what they were seeing and to confess their faith in the Son of God, seated at the right hand of the Father.
31. It was only in this way, by taking flesh, by sharing our humanity, that the knowledge proper to love could come to full fruition. For the light of love is born when our hearts are touched and we open ourselves to the interior presence of the beloved, who enables us to recognize his mystery. Thus we can understand why, together with hearing and seeing, Saint John can speak of faith as touch, as he says in his First Letter: "What we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life" (1 Jn1:1). By his taking flesh and coming among us, Jesus has touched us, and through the sacraments he continues to touch us even today; transforming our hearts, he unceasingly enables us to acknowledge and acclaim him as the Son of God. In faith, we can touch him and receive the power of his grace. Saint Augustine, commenting on the account of the woman suffering from haemorrhages who touched Jesus and was cured (cf.Lk 8:45-46), says: "To touch him with our hearts: that is what it means to believe".[26] The crowd presses in on Jesus, but they do not reach him with the personal touch of faith, which apprehends the mystery that he is the Son who reveals the Father. Only when we are configured to Jesus do we receive the eyes needed to see him.
The dialogue between faith and reason
32. Christian faith, inasmuch as it proclaims the truth of God’s total love and opens us to the power of that love, penetrates to the core of our human experience. Each of us comes to the light because of love, and each of us is called to love in order to remain in the light. Desirous of illumining all reality with the love of God made manifest in Jesus, and seeking to love others with that same love, the first Christians found in the Greek world, with its thirst for truth, an ideal partner in dialogue. The encounter of the Gospel message with the philosophical culture of the ancient world proved a decisive step in the evangelization of all peoples, and stimulated a fruitful interaction between faith and reason which has continued down the centuries to our own times. Blessed John Paul II, in his Encyclical Letter Fides et Ratio, showed how faith and reason each strengthen the other.[27] Once we discover the full light of Christ’s love, we realize that each of the loves in our own lives had always contained a ray of that light, and we understand its ultimate destination. That fact that our human loves contain that ray of light also helps us to see how all love is meant to share in the complete self-gift of the Son of God for our sake. In this circular movement, the light of faith illumines all our human relationships, which can then be lived in union with the gentle love of Christ.
33. In the life of Saint Augustine we find a significant example of this process whereby reason, with its desire for truth and clarity, was integrated into the horizon of faith and thus gained new understanding. Augustine accepted the Greek philosophy of light, with its insistence on the importance of sight. His encounter with Neoplatonism introduced him to the paradigm of the light which, descending from on high to illumine all reality, is a symbol of God. Augustine thus came to appreciate God’s transcendence and discovered that all things have a certain transparency, that they can reflect God’s goodness. This realization liberated him from his earlier Manichaeism, which had led him to think that good and evil were in constant conflict, confused and intertwined. The realization that God is light provided Augustine with a new direction in life and enabled him to acknowledge his sinfulness and to turn towards the good.
All the same, the decisive moment in Augustine’s journey of faith, as he tells us in the Confessions, was not in the vision of a God above and beyond this world, but in an experience of hearing. In the garden, he heard a voice telling him: "Take and read". He then took up the book containing the epistles of Saint Paul and started to read the thirteenth chapter of the Letter to the Romans.[28] In this way, the personal God of the Bible appeared to him: a God who is able to speak to us, to come down to dwell in our midst and to accompany our journey through history, making himself known in the time of hearing and response.
Yet this encounter with the God who speaks did not lead Augustine to reject light and seeing. He integrated the two perspectives of hearing and seeing, constantly guided by the revelation of God’s love in Jesus. Thus Augustine developed a philosophy of light capable of embracing both the reciprocity proper to the word and the freedom born of looking to the light. Just as the word calls for a free response, so the light finds a response in the image which reflects it. Augustine can therefore associate hearing and seeing, and speak of "the word which shines forth within".[29] The light becomes, so to speak, the light of a word, because it is the light of a personal countenance, a light which, even as it enlightens us, calls us and seeks to be reflected on our faces and to shine from within us. Yet our longing for the vision of the whole, and not merely of fragments of history, remains and will be fulfilled in the end, when, as Augustine says, we will see and we will love.[30] Not because we will be able to possess all the light, which will always be inexhaustible, but because we will enter wholly into that light.
34. The light of love proper to faith can illumine the questions of our own time about truth. Truth nowadays is often reduced to the subjective authenticity of the individual, valid only for the life of the individual. A common truth intimidates us, for we identify it with the intransigent demands of totalitarian systems. But if truth is a truth of love, if it is a truth disclosed in personal encounter with the Other and with others, then it can be set free from its enclosure in individuals and become part of the common good. As a truth of love, it is not one that can be imposed by force; it is not a truth that stifles the individual. Since it is born of love, it can penetrate to the heart, to the personal core of each man and woman. Clearly, then, faith is not intransigent, but grows in respectful coexistence with others. One who believes may not be presumptuous; on the contrary, truth leads to humility, since believers know that, rather than ourselves possessing truth, it is truth which embraces and possesses us. Far from making us inflexible, the security of faith sets us on a journey; it enables witness and dialogue with all.
Nor is the light of faith, joined to the truth of love, extraneous to the material world, for love is always lived out in body and spirit; the light of faith is an incarnate light radiating from the luminous life of Jesus. It also illumines the material world, trusts its inherent order and knows that it calls us to an ever widening path of harmony and understanding. The gaze of science thus benefits from faith: faith encourages the scientist to remain constantly open to reality in all its inexhaustible richness. Faith awakens the critical sense by preventing research from being satisfied with its own formulae and helps it to realize that nature is always greater. By stimulating wonder before the profound mystery of creation, faith broadens the horizons of reason to shed greater light on the world which discloses itself to scientific investigation.
Faith and the search for God
35. The light of faith in Jesus also illumines the path of all those who seek God, and makes a specifically Christian contribution to dialogue with the followers of the different religions. The Letter to the Hebrews speaks of the witness of those just ones who, before the covenant with Abraham, already sought God in faith. Of Enoch "it was attested that he had pleased God" (Heb 11:5), something impossible apart from faith, for "whoever would approach God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him" (Heb 11:6). We can see from this that the path of religious man passes through the acknowledgment of a God who cares for us and is not impossible to find. What other reward can God give to those who seek him, if not to let himself be found? Even earlier, we encounter Abel, whose faith was praised and whose gifts, his offering of the firstlings of his flock (cf. Heb 11:4), were therefore pleasing to God. Religious man strives to see signs of God in the daily experiences of life, in the cycle of the seasons, in the fruitfulness of the earth and in the movement of the cosmos. God is light and he can be found also by those who seek him with a sincere heart.
An image of this seeking can be seen in the Magi, who were led to Bethlehem by the star (cf. Mt 2:1-12). For them God’s light appeared as a journey to be undertaken, a star which led them on a path of discovery. The star is a sign of God’s patience with our eyes which need to grow accustomed to his brightness. Religious man is a wayfarer; he must be ready to let himself be led, to come out of himself and to find the God of perpetual surprises. This respect on God’s part for our human eyes shows us that when we draw near to God, our human lights are not dissolved in the immensity of his light, as a star is engulfed by the dawn, but shine all the more brightly the closer they approach the primordial fire, like a mirror which reflects light. Christian faith in Jesus, the one Saviour of the world, proclaims that all God’s light is concentrated in him, in his "luminous life" which discloses the origin and the end of history.[31] There is no human experience, no journey of man to God, which cannot be taken up, illumined and purified by this light. The more Christians immerse themselves in the circle of Christ’s light, the more capable they become of understanding and accompanying the path of every man and woman towards God.
Because faith is a way, it also has to do with the lives of those men and women who, though not believers, nonetheless desire to believe and continue to seek. To the extent that they are sincerely open to love and set out with whatever light they can find, they are already, even without knowing it, on the path leading to faith. They strive to act as if God existed, at times because they realize how important he is for finding a sure compass for our life in common or because they experience a desire for light amid darkness, but also because in perceiving life’s grandeur and beauty they intuit that the presence of God would make it all the more beautiful. Saint Irenaeus of Lyons tells how Abraham, before hearing God’s voice, had already sought him "in the ardent desire of his heart" and "went throughout the whole world, asking himself where God was to be found", until "God had pity on him who, all alone, had sought him in silence".[32] Any-one who sets off on the path of doing good to others is already drawing near to God, is already sustained by his help, for it is characteristic of the divine light to brighten our eyes whenever we walk towards the fullness of love.
36. Since faith is a light, it draws us into itself, inviting us to explore ever more fully the horizon which it illumines, all the better to know the object of our love. Christian theology is born of this desire. Clearly, theology is impossible without faith; it is part of the very process of faith, which seeks an ever deeper understanding of God’s self-disclosure culminating in Christ. It follows that theology is more than simply an effort of human reason to analyze and understand, along the lines of the experimental sciences. God cannot be reduced to an object. He is a subject who makes himself known and perceived in an interpersonal relationship. Right faith orients reason to open itself to the light which comes from God, so that reason, guided by love of the truth, can come to a deeper knowledge of God. The great medieval theologians and teachers rightly held that theology, as a science of faith, is a participation in God’s own knowledge of himself. It is not just our discourse about God, but first and foremost the acceptance and the pursuit of a deeper understanding of the word which God speaks to us, the word which God speaks about himself, for he is an eternal dialogue of communion, and he allows us to enter into this dialogue.[33] Theology thus demands the humility to be "touched" by God, admitting its own limitations before the mystery, while striving to investigate, with the discipline proper to reason, the inexhaustible riches of this mystery.
Theology also shares in the ecclesial form of faith; its light is the light of the believing subject which is the Church. This implies, on the one hand, that theology must be at the service of the faith of Christians, that it must work humbly to protect and deepen the faith of everyone, especially ordinary believers. On the other hand, because it draws its life from faith, theology cannot consider the magisterium of the Pope and the bishops in communion with him as something extrinsic, a limitation of its freedom, but rather as one of its internal, constitutive dimensions, for the magisterium ensures our contact with the primordial source and thus provides the certainty of attaining to the word of Christ in all its integrity.
I DELIVERED TO YOU
WHAT I ALSO RECEIVED
(cf. 1 Cor 15:3)
The Church, mother of our faith
37. Those who have opened their hearts to God’s love, heard his voice and received his light, cannot keep this gift to themselves. Since faith is hearing and seeing, it is also handed on as word and light. Addressing the Corinthians, Saint Paul used these two very images. On the one hand he says: "But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture — ‘I believed, and so I spoke’ — we also believe, and so we speak" (2 Cor 4:13). The word, once accepted, becomes a response, a confession of faith, which spreads to others and invites them to believe. Paul also uses the image of light: "All of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image" (2 Cor 3:18). It is a light reflected from one face to another, even as Moses himself bore a reflection of God’s glory after having spoken with him: "God… has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Cor 4:6). The light of Christ shines, as in a mirror, upon the face of Christians; as it spreads, it comes down to us, so that we too can share in that vision and reflect that light to others, in the same way that, in the Easter liturgy, the light of the paschal candle lights countless other candles. Faith is passed on, we might say, by contact, from one person to another, just as one candle is lighted from another. Christians, in their poverty, plant a seed so rich that it becomes a great tree, capable of filling the world with its fruit.
38. The transmission of the faith not only brings light to men and women in every place; it travels through time, passing from one generation to another. Because faith is born of an encounter which takes place in history and lights up our journey through time, it must be passed on in every age. It is through an unbroken chain of witnesses that we come to see the face of Jesus. But how is this possible? How can we be certain, after all these centuries, that we have encountered the "real Jesus"? Were we merely isolated individuals, were our starting point simply our own individual ego seeking in itself the basis of absolutely sure knowledge, a certainty of this sort would be impossible. I cannot possibly verify for myself something which happened so long ago. But this is not the only way we attain knowledge. Persons always live in relationship. We come from others, we belong to others, and our lives are enlarged by our encounter with others. Even our own knowledge and self-awareness are relational; they are linked to others who have gone before us: in the first place, our parents, who gave us our life and our name. Language itself, the words by which we make sense of our lives and the world around us, comes to us from others, preserved in the living memory of others. Self-knowledge is only possible when we share in a greater memory. The same thing holds true for faith, which brings human understanding to its fullness. Faith’s past, that act of Jesus’ love which brought new life to the world, comes down to us through the memory of others — witnesses — and is kept alive in that one remembering subject which is the Church. The Church is a Mother who teaches us to speak the language of faith. Saint John brings this out in his Gospel by closely uniting faith and memory and associating both with the working of the Holy Spirit, who, as Jesus says, "will remind you of all that I have said to you" (Jn 14:26). The love which is the Holy Spirit and which dwells in the Church unites every age and makes us contemporaries of Jesus, thus guiding us along our pilgrimage of faith.
39. It is impossible to believe on our own. Faith is not simply an individual decision which takes place in the depths of the believer’s heart, nor a completely private relationship between the "I" of the believer and the divine "Thou", between an autonomous subject and God. By its very nature, faith is open to the "We" of the Church; it always takes place within her communion. We are reminded of this by the dialogical format of the creed used in the baptismal liturgy. Our belief is expressed in response to an invitation, to a word which must be heard and which is not my own; it exists as part of a dialogue and cannot be merely a profession originating in an individual. We can respond in the singular — "I believe" — only because we are part of a greater fellowship, only because we also say "We believe". This openness to the ecclesial "We" reflects the openness of God’s own love, which is not only a relationship between the Father and the Son, between an "I" and a "Thou", but is also, in the Spirit, a "We", a communion of persons. Here we see why those who believe are never alone, and why faith tends to spread, as it invites others to share in its joy. Those who receive faith discover that their horizons expand as new and enriching relationships come to life. Tertullian puts this well when he describes the catechumens who, "after the cleansing which gives new birth" are welcomed into the house of their mother and, as part of a new family, pray the Our Father together with their brothers and sisters.[34]
The sacraments and the transmission of faith
40. The Church, like every family, passes on to her children the whole store of her memories. But how does this come about in a way that nothing is lost, but rather everything in the patrimony of faith comes to be more deeply understood? It is through the apostolic Tradition preserved in the Church with the assistance of the Holy Spirit that we enjoy a living contact with the foundational memory. What was handed down by the apostles — as the Second Vatican Council states — "comprises everything that serves to make the people of God live their lives in holiness and increase their faith. In this way the Church, in her doctrine, life and worship, perpetuates and transmits to every generation all that she herself is, all that she believes".[35]
Faith, in fact, needs a setting in which it can be witnessed to and communicated, a means which is suitable and proportionate to what is communicated. For transmitting a purely doctrinal content, an idea might suffice, or perhaps a book, or the repetition of a spoken message. But what is communicated in the Church, what is handed down in her living Tradition, is the new light born of an encounter with the true God, a light which touches us at the core of our being and engages our minds, wills and emotions, opening us to relationships lived in communion. There is a special means for passing down this fullness, a means capable of engaging the entire person, body and spirit, interior life and relationships with others. It is the sacraments, celebrated in the Church’s liturgy. The sacraments communicate an incarnate memory, linked to the times and places of our lives, linked to all our senses; in them the whole person is engaged as a member of a living subject and part of a network of communitarian relationships. While the sacraments are indeed sacraments of faith,[36] it can also be said that faith itself possesses a sacramental structure. The awakening of faith is linked to the dawning of a new sacramental sense in our lives as human beings and as Christians, in which visible and material realities are seen to point beyond themselves to the mystery of the eternal.
41. The transmission of faith occurs first and foremost in baptism. Some might think that baptism is merely a way of symbolizing the confession of faith, a pedagogical tool for those who require images and signs, while in itself ultimately unnecessary. An observation of Saint Paul about baptism reminds us that this is not the case. Paul states that "we were buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life" (Rom 6:4). In baptism we become a new creation and God’s adopted children. The Apostle goes on to say that Christians have been entrusted to a "standard of teaching" (týpos didachés), which they now obey from the heart (cf. Rom 6:17). In baptism we receive both a teaching to be professed and a specific way of life which demands the engagement of the whole person and sets us on the path to goodness. Those who are baptized are set in a new context, entrusted to a new environment, a new and shared way of acting, in the Church. Baptism makes us see, then, that faith is not the achievement of isolated individuals; it is not an act which someone can perform on his own, but rather something which must be received by entering into the ecclesial communion which transmits God’s gift. No one baptizes himself, just as no one comes into the world by himself. Baptism is something we receive.
42. What are the elements of baptism which introduce us into this new "standard of teaching"? First, the name of the Trinity — the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit — is invoked upon the catechumen. Thus, from the outset, a synthesis of the journey of faith is provided. The God who called Abraham and wished to be called his God, the God who revealed his name to Moses, the God who, in giving us his Son, revealed fully the mystery of his Name, now bestows upon the baptized a new filial identity. This is clearly seen in the act of baptism itself: immersion in water. Water is at once a symbol of death, inviting us to pass through self-conversion to a new and greater identity, and a symbol of life, of a womb in which we are reborn by following Christ in his new life. In this way, through immersion in water, baptism speaks to us of the incarnational structure of faith. Christ’s work penetrates the depths of our being and transforms us radically, making us adopted children of God and sharers in the divine nature. It thus modifies all our relationships, our place in this world and in the universe, and opens them to God’s own life of communion. This change which takes place in baptism helps us to appreciate the singular importance of the catechumenate — whereby growing numbers of adults, even in societies with ancient Christian roots, now approach the sacrament of baptism — for the new evangelization. It is the road of preparation for baptism, for the transformation of our whole life in Christ.
To appreciate this link between baptism and faith, we can recall a text of the prophet Isaiah, which was associated with baptism in early Christian literature: "Their refuge will be the fortresses of rocks… their water assured" (Is 33:16).[37] The baptized, rescued from the waters of death, were now set on a "fortress of rock" because they had found a firm and reliable foundation. The waters of death were thus transformed into waters of life. The Greek text, in speaking of that water which is "assured", uses the word pistós, "faithful". The waters of baptism are indeed faithful and trustworthy, for they flow with the power of Christ’s love, the source of our assurance in the journey of life.
43. The structure of baptism, its form as a rebirth in which we receive a new name and a new life, helps us to appreciate the meaning and importance of infant baptism. Children are not capable of accepting the faith by a free act, nor are they yet able to profess that faith on their own; therefore the faith is professed by their parents and godparents in their name. Since faith is a reality lived within the community of the Church, part of a common "We", children can be supported by others, their parents and godparents, and welcomed into their faith, which is the faith of the Church; this is symbolized by the candle which the child’s father lights from the paschal candle. The structure of baptism, then, demonstrates the critical importance of cooperation between Church and family in passing on the faith. Parents are called, as Saint Augustine once said, not only to bring children into the world but also to bring them to God, so that through baptism they can be reborn as children of God and receive the gift of faith.[38] Thus, along with life, children are given a fundamental orientation and assured of a good future; this orientation will be further strengthened in the sacrament of Confirmation with the seal of the Holy Spirit.
44. The sacramental character of faith finds its highest expression in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is a precious nourishment for faith: an encounter with Christ truly present in the supreme act of his love, the life-giving gift of himself. In the Eucharist we find the intersection of faith’s two dimensions. On the one hand, there is the dimension of history: the Eucharist is an act of remembrance, a making present of the mystery in which the past, as an event of death and resurrection, demonstrates its ability to open up a future, to foreshadow ultimate fulfilment. The liturgy reminds us of this by its repetition of the word hodie, the "today" of the mysteries of salvation. On the other hand, we also find the dimension which leads from the visible world to the invisible. In the Eucharist we learn to see the heights and depths of reality. The bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ, who becomes present in his passover to the Father: this movement draws us, body and soul, into the movement of all creation towards its fulfilment in God.
45. In the celebration of the sacraments, the Church hands down her memory especially through the profession of faith. The creed does not only involve giving one’s assent to a body of abstract truths; rather, when it is recited the whole of life is drawn into a journey towards full communion with the living God. We can say that in the creed believers are invited to enter into the mystery which they profess and to be transformed by it. To understand what this means, let us look first at the contents of the creed. It has a trinitarian structure: the Father and the Son are united in the Spirit of love. The believer thus states that the core of all being, the inmost secret of all reality, is the divine communion. The creed also contains a christological confession: it takes us through all the mysteries of Christ’s life up to his death, resurrection and ascension into heaven before his final return in glory. It tells us that this God of communion, reciprocal love between the Father and the Son in the Spirit, is capable of embracing all of human history and drawing it into the dynamic unity of the Godhead, which has its source and fulfillment in the Father. The believer who professes his or her faith is taken up, as it were, into the truth being professed. He or she cannot truthfully recite the words of the creed without being changed, without becoming part of that history of love which embraces us and expands our being, making it part of a great fellowship, the ultimate subject which recites the creed, namely, the Church. All the truths in which we believe point to the mystery of the new life of faith as a journey of communion with the living God.
Faith, prayer and the Decalogue
46. Two other elements are essential in the faithful transmission of the Church’s memory. First, the Lord’s Prayer, the "Our Father". Here Christians learn to share in Christ’s own spiritual experience and to see all things through his eyes. From him who is light from light, the only-begotten Son of the Father, we come to know God and can thus kindle in others the desire to draw near to him.
Similarly important is the link between faith and the Decalogue. Faith, as we have said, takes the form of a journey, a path to be followed, which begins with an encounter with the living God. It is in the light of faith, of complete entrustment to the God who saves, that the Ten Commandments take on their deepest truth, as seen in the words which introduce them: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt" (Ex20:2). The Decalogue is not a set of negative commands, but concrete directions for emerging from the desert of the selfish and self-enclosed ego in order to enter into dialogue with God, to be embraced by his mercy and then to bring that mercy to others. Faith thus professes the love of God, origin and upholder of all things, and lets itself be guided by this love in order to journey towards the fullness of communion with God. The Decalogue appears as the path of gratitude, the response of love, made possible because in faith we are receptive to the experience of God’s transforming love for us. And this path receives new light from Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (cf. Mt 5-7).
These, then, are the four elements which comprise the storehouse of memory which the Church hands down: the profession of faith, the celebration of the sacraments, the path of the ten commandments, and prayer. The Church’s catechesis has traditionally been structured around these four elements; this includes the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is a fundamental aid for that unitary act with which the Church communicates the entire content of her faith: "all that she herself is, and all that she believes".[39]
The unity and integrity of faith
47. The unity of the Church in time and space is linked to the unity of the faith: "there is one body and one Spirit… one faith" (Eph 4:4-5). These days we can imagine a group of people being united in a common cause, in mutual affection, in sharing the same destiny and a single purpose. But we find it hard to conceive of a unity in one truth. We tend to think that a unity of this sort is incompatible with freedom of thought and personal autonomy. Yet the experience of love shows us that a common vision is possible, for through love we learn how to see reality through the eyes of others, not as something which impoverishes but instead enriches our vision. Genuine love, after the fashion of God’s love, ultimately requires truth, and the shared contemplation of the truth which is Jesus Christ enables love to become deep and enduring. This is also the great joy of faith: a unity of vision in one body and one spirit. Saint Leo the Great could say: "If faith is not one, then it is not faith".[40]
What is the secret of this unity? Faith is "one", in the first place, because of the oneness of the God who is known and confessed. All the articles of faith speak of God; they are ways to know him and his works. Consequently, their unity is far superior to any possible construct of human reason. They possess a unity which enriches us because it is given to us and makes us one.
Faith is also one because it is directed to the one Lord, to the life of Jesus, to the concrete history which he shares with us. Saint Irenaeus of Lyons made this clear in his struggle against Gnosticism. The Gnostics held that there are two kinds of faith: a crude, imperfect faith suited to the masses, which remained at the level of Jesus’ flesh and the contemplation of his mysteries; and a deeper, perfect faith reserved to a small circle of initiates who were intellectually capable of rising above the flesh of Jesus towards the mysteries of the unknown divinity. In opposition to this claim, which even today exerts a certain attraction and has its followers, Saint Irenaeus insisted that there is but one faith, for it is grounded in the concrete event of the incarnation and can never transcend the flesh and history of Christ, inasmuch as God willed to reveal himself fully in that flesh. For this reason, he says, there is no difference in the faith of "those able to discourse of it at length" and "those who speak but little", between the greater and the less: the first cannot increase the faith, nor the second diminish it.[41]
Finally, faith is one because it is shared by the whole Church, which is one body and one Spirit. In the communion of the one subject which is the Church, we receive a common gaze. By professing the same faith, we stand firm on the same rock, we are transformed by the same Spirit of love, we radiate one light and we have a single insight into reality.
48. Since faith is one, it must be professed in all its purity and integrity. Precisely because all the articles of faith are interconnected, to deny one of them, even of those that seem least important, is tantamount to distorting the whole. Each period of history can find this or that point of faith easier or harder to accept: hence the need for vigilance in ensuring that the deposit of faith is passed on in its entirety (cf. 1 Tim 6:20) and that all aspects of the profession of faith are duly emphasized. Indeed, inasmuch as the unity of faith is the unity of the Church, to subtract something from the faith is to subtract something from the veracity of communion. The Fathers described faith as a body, the body of truth composed of various members, by analogy with the body of Christ and its prolongation in the Church.[42] The integrity of the faith was also tied to the image of the Church as a virgin and her fidelity in love for Christ her spouse; harming the faith means harming communion with the Lord.[43] The unity of faith, then, is the unity of a living body; this was clearly brought out by Blessed John Henry Newman when he listed among the characteristic notes for distinguishing the continuity of doctrine over time its power to assimilate everything that it meets in the various settings in which it becomes present and in the diverse cultures which it encounters,[44] purifying all things and bringing them to their finest expression. Faith is thus shown to be universal, catholic, because its light expands in order to illumine the entire cosmos and all of history.
49. As a service to the unity of faith and its integral transmission, the Lord gave his Church the gift of apostolic succession. Through this means, the continuity of the Church’s memory is ensured and certain access can be had to the wellspring from which faith flows. The assurance of continuity with the origins is thus given by living persons, in a way consonant with the living faith which the Church is called to transmit. She depends on the fidelity of witnesses chosen by the Lord for this task. For this reason, the magisterium always speaks in obedience to the prior word on which faith is based; it is reliable because of its trust in the word which it hears, preserves and expounds.[45] In Saint Paul’s farewell discourse to the elders of Ephesus at Miletus, which Saint Luke recounts for us in the Acts of the Apostles, he testifies that he had carried out the task which the Lord had entrusted to him of "declaring the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). Thanks to the Church’s magisterium, this counsel can come to us in its integrity, and with it the joy of being able to follow it fully.
GOD PREPARES A CITY FOR THEM
(cf. Heb 11:16)
Faith and the common good
50. In presenting the story of the patriarchs and the righteous men and women of the Old Testament, the Letter to the Hebrews highlights an essential aspect of their faith. That faith is not only presented as a journey, but also as a process of building, the preparing of a place in which human beings can dwell together with one another. The first builder was Noah who saved his family in the ark (Heb 11:7). Then comes Abraham, of whom it is said that by faith he dwelt in tents, as he looked forward to the city with firm foundations (cf. Heb 11:9-10). With faith comes a new reliability, a new firmness, which God alone can give. If the man of faith finds support in the God of fidelity, the God who is Amen (cf. Is 65:16), and thus becomes firm himself, we can now also say that firmness of faith marks the city which God is preparing for mankind. Faith reveals just how firm the bonds between people can be when God is present in their midst. Faith does not merely grant interior firmness, a steadfast conviction on the part of the believer; it also sheds light on every human relationship because it is born of love and reflects God’s own love. The God who is himself reliable gives us a city which is reliable.
51. Precisely because it is linked to love (cf. Gal 5:6), the light of faith is concretely placed at the service of justice, law and peace. Faith is born of an encounter with God’s primordial love, wherein the meaning and goodness of our life become evident; our life is illumined to the extent that it enters into the space opened by that love, to the extent that it becomes, in other words, a path and praxis leading to the fullness of love. The light of faith is capable of enhancing the richness of human relations, their ability to endure, to be trustworthy, to enrich our life together. Faith does not draw us away from the world or prove irrelevant to the concrete concerns of the men and women of our time. Without a love which is trustworthy, nothing could truly keep men and women united. Human unity would be conceivable only on the basis of utility, on a calculus of conflicting interests or on fear, but not on the goodness of living together, not on the joy which the mere presence of others can give. Faith makes us appreciate the architecture of human relationships because it grasps their ultimate foundation and definitive destiny in God, in his love, and thus sheds light on the art of building; as such it becomes a service to the common good. Faith is truly a good for everyone; it is a common good. Its light does not simply brighten the interior of the Church, nor does it serve solely to build an eternal city in the hereafter; it helps us build our societies in such a way that they can journey towards a future of hope. The Letter to the Hebrews offers an example in this regard when it names, among the men and women of faith, Samuel and David, whose faith enabled them to "administer justice" (Heb 11:33). This expression refers to their justice in governance, to that wisdom which brings peace to the people (cf. 1 Sam 12:3-5; 2 Sam 8:15). The hands of faith are raised up to heaven, even as they go about building in charity a city based on relationships in which the love of God is laid as a foundation.
Faith and the family
52. In Abraham’s journey towards the future city, the Letter to the Hebrews mentions the blessing which was passed on from fathers to sons (cf. Heb 11:20-21). The first setting in which faith enlightens the human city is the family. I think first and foremost of the stable union of man and woman in marriage. This union is born of their love, as a sign and presence of God’s own love, and of the acknowledgment and acceptance of the goodness of sexual differentiation, whereby spouses can become one flesh (cf. Gen 2:24) and are enabled to give birth to a new life, a manifestation of the Creator’s goodness, wisdom and loving plan. Grounded in this love, a man and a woman can promise each other mutual love in a gesture which engages their entire lives and mirrors many features of faith. Promising love for ever is possible when we perceive a plan bigger than our own ideas and undertakings, a plan which sustains us and enables us to surrender our future entirely to the one we love. Faith also helps us to grasp in all its depth and richness the begetting of children, as a sign of the love of the Creator who entrusts us with the mystery of a new person. So it was that Sarah, by faith, became a mother, for she trusted in God’s fidelity to his promise (cf. Heb 11:11).
53. In the family, faith accompanies every age of life, beginning with childhood: children learn to trust in the love of their parents. This is why it is so important that within their families parents encourage shared expressions of faith which can help children gradually to mature in their own faith. Young people in particular, who are going through a period in their lives which is so complex, rich and important for their faith, ought to feel the constant closeness and support of their families and the Church in their journey of faith. We have all seen, during World Youth Days, the joy that young people show in their faith and their desire for an ever more solid and generous life of faith. Young people want to live life to the fullest. Encountering Christ, letting themselves be caught up in and guided by his love, enlarges the horizons of existence, gives it a firm hope which will not disappoint. Faith is no refuge for the fainthearted, but something which enhances our lives. It makes us aware of a magnificent calling, the vocation of love. It assures us that this love is trustworthy and worth embracing, for it is based on God’s faithfulness which is stronger than our every weakness.
A light for life in society
54. Absorbed and deepened in the family, faith becomes a light capable of illumining all our relationships in society. As an experience of the mercy of God the Father, it sets us on the path of brotherhood. Modernity sought to build a universal brotherhood based on equality, yet we gradually came to realize that this brotherhood, lacking a reference to a common Father as its ultimate foundation, cannot endure. We need to return to the true basis of brotherhood. The history of faith has been from the beginning a history of brotherhood, albeit not without conflict. God calls Abraham to go forth from his land and promises to make of him a great nation, a great people on whom the divine blessing rests (cf. Gen 12:1-3). As salvation history progresses, it becomes evident that God wants to make everyone share as brothers and sisters in that one blessing, which attains its fullness in Jesus, so that all may be one. The boundless love of our Father also comes to us, in Jesus, through our brothers and sisters. Faith teaches us to see that every man and woman represents a blessing for me, that the light of God’s face shines on me through the faces of my brothers and sisters.
How many benefits has the gaze of Christian faith brought to the city of men for their common life! Thanks to faith we have come to understand the unique dignity of each person, something which was not clearly seen in antiquity. In the second century the pagan Celsus reproached Christians for an idea that he considered foolishness and delusion: namely, that God created the world for man, setting human beings at the pinnacle of the entire cosmos. "Why claim that [grass] grows for the benefit of man, rather than for that of the most savage of the brute beasts?"[46] "If we look down to Earth from the heights of heaven, would there really be any difference between our activities and those of the ants and bees?"[47] At the heart of biblical faith is God’s love, his concrete concern for every person, and his plan of salvation which embraces all of humanity and all creation, culminating in the incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without insight into these realities, there is no criterion for discerning what makes human life precious and unique. Man loses his place in the universe, he is cast adrift in nature, either renouncing his proper moral responsibility or else presuming to be a sort of absolute judge, endowed with an unlimited power to manipulate the world around him.
55. Faith, on the other hand, by revealing the love of God the Creator, enables us to respect nature all the more, and to discern in it a grammar written by the hand of God and a dwelling place entrusted to our protection and care. Faith also helps us to devise models of development which are based not simply on utility and profit, but consider creation as a gift for which we are all indebted; it teaches us to create just forms of government, in the realization that authority comes from God and is meant for the service of the common good. Faith likewise offers the possibility of forgiveness, which so often demands time and effort, patience and commitment. Forgiveness is possible once we discover that goodness is always prior to and more powerful than evil, and that the word with which God affirms our life is deeper than our every denial. From a purely anthropological standpoint, unity is superior to conflict; rather than avoiding conflict, we need to confront it in an effort to resolve and move beyond it, to make it a link in a chain, as part of a progress towards unity.
When faith is weakened, the foundations of humanity also risk being weakened, as the poet T.S. Eliot warned: "Do you need to be told that even those modest attainments / As you can boast in the way of polite society / Will hardly survive the Faith to which they owe their significance?"[48] If we remove faith in God from our cities, mutual trust would be weakened, we would remain united only by fear and our stability would be threatened. In the Letter to the Hebrews we read that "God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them" (Heb 11:16). Here the expression "is not ashamed" is associated with public acknowledgment. The intention is to say that God, by his concrete actions, makes a public avowal that he is present in our midst and that he desires to solidify every human relationship. Could it be the case, instead, that we are the ones who are ashamed to call God our God? That we are the ones who fail to confess him as such in our public life, who fail to propose the grandeur of the life in common which he makes possible? Faith illumines life and society. If it possesses a creative light for each new moment of history, it is because it sets every event in relationship to the origin and destiny of all things in the Father.
Consolation and strength amid suffering
56. Writing to the Christians of Corinth about his sufferings and tribulations, Saint Paul links his faith to his preaching of the Gospel. In himself he sees fulfilled the passage of Scripture which reads: "I believed, and so I spoke" (2 Cor 4:13). The reference is to a verse of Psalm 116, in which the psalmist exclaims: "I kept my faith, even when I said, ‘I am greatly afflicted’" (v. 10). To speak of faith often involves speaking of painful testing, yet it is precisely in such testing that Paul sees the most convincing proclamation of the Gospel, for it is in weakness and suffering that we discover God’s power which triumphs over our weakness and suffering. The apostle himself experienced a dying which would become life for Christians (cf. 2 Cor 4:7-12). In the hour of trial faith brings light, while suffering and weakness make it evident that "we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord" (2 Cor 4:5). The eleventh chapter of the Letter to the Hebrews concludes with a reference to those who suffered for their faith (cf. Heb 11:35-38); outstanding among these was Moses, who suffered abuse for the Christ (cf. v. 26). Christians know that suffering cannot be eliminated, yet it can have meaning and become an act of love and entrustment into the hands of God who does not abandon us; in this way it can serve as a moment of growth in faith and love. By contemplating Christ’s union with the Father even at the height of his sufferings on the cross (cf. Mk 15:34), Christians learn to share in the same gaze of Jesus. Even death is illumined and can be experienced as the ultimate call to faith, the ultimate "Go forth from your land" (Gen 12:1), the ultimate "Come!" spoken by the Father, to whom we abandon ourselves in the confidence that he will keep us steadfast even in our final passage.
57. Nor does the light of faith make us forget the sufferings of this world. How many men and women of faith have found mediators of light in those who suffer! So it was with Saint Francis of Assisi and the leper, or with Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta and her poor. They understood the mystery at work in them. In drawing near to the suffering, they were certainly not able to eliminate all their pain or to explain every evil. Faith is not a light which scatters all our darkness, but a lamp which guides our steps in the night and suffices for the journey. To those who suffer, God does not provide arguments which explain everything; rather, his response is that of an accompanying presence, a history of goodness which touches every story of suffering and opens up a ray of light. In Christ, God himself wishes to share this path with us and to offer us his gaze so that we might see the light within it. Christ is the one who, having endured suffering, is "the pioneer and perfecter of our faith" (Heb 12:2).
Suffering reminds us that faith’s service to the common good is always one of hope — a hope which looks ever ahead in the knowledge that only from God, from the future which comes from the risen Jesus, can our society find solid and lasting foundations. In this sense faith is linked to hope, for even if our dwelling place here below is wasting away, we have an eternal dwelling place which God has already prepared in Christ, in his body (cf. 2 Cor 4:16-5:5). The dynamic of faith, hope and charity (cf. 1 Th 1:3; 1 Cor 13:13) thus leads us to embrace the concerns of all men and women on our journey towards that city "whose architect and builder is God" (Heb11:10), for "hope does not disappoint" (Rom 5:5).
In union with faith and charity, hope propels us towards a sure future, set against a different horizon with regard to the illusory enticements of the idols of this world yet granting new momentum and strength to our daily lives. Let us refuse to be robbed of hope, or to allow our hope to be dimmed by facile answers and solutions which block our progress, "fragmenting" time and changing it into space. Time is always much greater than space. Space hardens processes, whereas time propels towards the future and encourages us to go forward in hope.
Blessed is she who believed (Lk 1:45)
58. In the parable of the sower, Saint Luke has left us these words of the Lord about the "good soil": "These are the ones who when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience endurance" (Lk 8:15). In the context of Luke’s Gospel, this mention of an honest and good heart which hears and keeps the word is an implicit portrayal of the faith of the Virgin Mary. The evangelist himself speaks of Mary’s memory, how she treasured in her heart all that she had heard and seen, so that the word could bear fruit in her life. The Mother of the Lord is the perfect icon of faith; as Saint Elizabeth would say: "Blessed is she who believed" (Lk 1:45).
In Mary, the Daughter of Zion, is fulfilled the long history of faith of the Old Testament, with its account of so many faithful women, beginning with Sarah: women who, alongside the patriarchs, were those in whom God’s promise was fulfilled and new life flowered. In the fullness of time, God’s word was spoken to Mary and she received that word into her heart, her entire being, so that in her womb it could take flesh and be born as light for humanity. Saint Justin Martyr, in his dialogue with Trypho, uses a striking expression; he tells us that Mary, receiving the message of the angel, conceived "faith and joy".[49] In the Mother of Jesus, faith demonstrated its fruitfulness; when our own spiritual lives bear fruit we become filled with joy, which is the clearest sign of faith’s grandeur. In her own life Mary completed the pilgrimage of faith, following in the footsteps of her Son.[50] In her the faith journey of the Old Testament was thus taken up into the following of Christ, transformed by him and entering into the gaze of the incarnate Son of God.
59. We can say that in the Blessed Virgin Mary we find something I mentioned earlier, namely that the believer is completely taken up into his or her confession of faith. Because of her close bond with Jesus, Mary is strictly connected to what we believe. As Virgin and Mother, Mary offers us a clear sign of Christ’s divine sonship. The eternal origin of Christ is in the Father. He is the Son in a total and unique sense, and so he is born in time without the intervention of a man. As the Son, Jesus brings to the world a new beginning and a new light, the fullness of God’s faithful love bestowed on humanity. But Mary’s true motherhood also ensures for the Son of God an authentic human history, true flesh in which he would die on the cross and rise from the dead. Mary would accompany Jesus to the cross (cf. Jn 19:25), whence her motherhood would extend to each of his disciples (cf. Jn 19:26-27). She will also be present in the upper room after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, joining the apostles in imploring the gift of the Spirit (cf. Acts 1:14). The movement of love between Father, Son and Spirit runs through our history, and Christ draws us to himself in order to save us (cf. Jn 12:32). At the centre of our faith is the confession of Jesus, the Son of God, born of a woman, who brings us, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, to adoption as sons and daughters (cf. Gal 4:4).
60. Let us turn in prayer to Mary, Mother of the Church and Mother of our faith.
Mother, help our faith!
Open our ears to hear God’s word and to recognize his voice and call.
Awaken in us a desire to follow in his footsteps, to go forth from our own land and to receive his promise.
Help us to be touched by his love, that we may touch him in faith.
Help us to entrust ourselves fully to him and to believe in his love, especially at times of trial, beneath the shadow of the cross, when our faith is called to mature.
Sow in our faith the joy of the Risen One.
Remind us that those who believe are never alone.
Teach us to see all things with the eyes of Jesus, that he may be light for our path. And may this light of faith always increase in us, until the dawn of that undying day which is Christ himself, your Son, our Lord!
Given in Rome, at Saint Peter’s, on 29 June, the Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, in the year 2013, the first of my pontificate.
[1] Dialogus cum Tryphone Iudaeo, 121, 2: PG 6, 758.
[2] Clement of Alexandria, Protrepticus, IX: PG 8, 195.
[3] Brief an Elisabeth Nietzsche (11 June 1865), in: Werke in drei Bänden, München, 1954, 953ff.
[4] Paradiso XXIV, 145-147.
[5] Acta Sanctorum, Junii, I, 21.
[6] "Though the Council does not expressly deal with faith, it speaks of it on every page, it recognizes its living, supernatural character, it presumes it to be full and strong, and it bases its teachings on it. It is sufficient to recall the Council’s statements… to see the essential importance which the Council, in line with the doctrinal tradition of the Church, attributes to faith, the true faith, which has its source in Christ, and the magisterium of the Church for its channel" (Paul VI, General Audience [8 March 1967]: Insegnamenti V [1967], 705).
[7] Cf., for example, First Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith Dei Filius, Ch. 3: DS 3008-3020; Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei Verbum, 5: Catechism of the Catholic Church, Nos. 153-165.
[8] Cf. Catechesis V, 1: PG 33, 505A.
[9] In Psal. 32, II, s. I, 9: PL 36, 284.
[10] M. Buber, Die Erzählungen der Chassidim, Zürich, 1949, 793.
[11] Émile, Paris, 1966, 387.
[12] Lettre à Christophe de Beaumont, Lausanne, 1993, 110.
[13] Cf. In Ioh. Evang., 45, 9: PL 35, 1722-1723.
[14] Part II, IV.
[15] De Continentia, 4, 11: PL 40, 356.
[16] "Vom Wesen katholischer Weltanschauung" (1923), in Unterscheidung des Christlichen. Gesammelte Studien 1923-1963, Mainz, 1963, 24.
[17] XI, 30, 40: PL 32, 825.
[18] Cf. ibid., 825-826.
[19] Cf. Vermischte Bemerkungen / Culture and Value, ed. G.H. von Wright, Oxford, 1991, 32-33; 61-64.
[20] Homiliae in Evangelia, II, 27, 4: PL 76, 1207.
[21] Cf. Expositio super Cantica Canticorum, XVIII, 88: CCL, Continuatio Mediaevalis 87, 67.
[22] Ibid., XIX, 90: CCL, Continuatio Mediaevalis 87, 69.
[23] "The obedience of faith (Rom 16:26; compare Rom 1:5, 2 Cor 10:5-6) must be our response to the God who reveals. By faith one freely submits oneself entirely to God making the full submission of intellect and will to God who reveals, and willingly assenting to the revelation given by God. For this faith to be accorded, we need the grace of God, anticipating it and assisting it, as well as the interior helps of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and converts it to God, and opens the eyes of the mind and makes it easy for all to accept and believe the truth. The same Holy Spirit constantly perfects faith by his gifts, so that revelation may be more and more deeply understood" (Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei Verbum, 5).
[24] Cf. H. Schlier, Meditationen über den Johanneischen Begriff der Wahrheit, in Besinnung auf das Neue Testament. Exegetische Aufsätze und Vorträge 2, Freiburg, Basel, Wien, 1959, 272.
[25] Cf. S. Th. III, q. 55, a. 2, ad 1.
[26] Sermo 229/L (Guelf. 14), 2 (Miscellanea Augustiniana 1, 487/488): "Tangere autem corde, hoc est credere".
[27] Cf. Encyclical Letter Fides et Ratio (14 September 1998), 73: AAS (1999), 61-62.
[28] Cf. Confessiones, VIII, 12, 29: PL 32, 762.
[29] De Trinitate, XV, 11, 20: PL 42, 1071: "verbum quod intus lucet ".
[30] Cf. De Civitate Dei, XXII, 30, 5: PL 41, 804.
[31] Cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration Dominus Iesus (6 August 2000), 15: AAS 92 (2000), 756.
[32] Demonstratio Apostolicae Predicationis, 24: SC 406, 117.
[33] Cf. Bonaventure, Breviloquium, prol.: Opera Omnia, V, Quaracchi 1891, 201; In I Sent., proem, q. 1, resp.: Opera Omnia, I, Quaracchi 1891, 7; Thomas Aquinas, S. Th I, q.1.
[34] Cf. De Baptismo, 20, 5: CCL 1, 295.
[35] Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei Verbum, 8.
[36] Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium, 59.
[37] Cf. Epistula Barnabae, 11, 5: SC 172, 162.
[38] Cf. De Nuptiis et Concupiscentia I, 4, 5: PL 44, 413: "Habent quippe intentionem generandi regenerandos, ut qui ex eis saeculi filii nascuntur in Dei filios renascantur".
[39] Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei Verbum, 8.
[40] In Nativitate Domini Sermo, 4, 6: SC 22, 110.
[41] Cf. Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, I, 10, 2: SC 264, 160.
[42] Cf. ibid., II, 27, 1: SC 294, 264.
[43] Cf. Augustine, De Sancta Virginitate, 48, 48: PL 40, 424-425: "Servatur et in fide inviolata quaedam castitas virginalis, qua Ecclesia uni viro virgo casta coaptatur".
[44] Cf. An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine (Uniform Edition: Longmans, Green and Company, London, 1868-1881), 185-189.
[45] Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei Verbum, 10.
[46] Origen, Contra Celsum, IV, 75: SC 136, 372.
[47] Ibid., 85: SC 136, 394.
[48] "Choruses from The Rock", in The Collected Poems and Plays 1909-1950, New York, 1980, 106.
[49] Cf. Dialogus cum Tryphone Iudaeo, 100, 5: PG 6, 710.
[50] Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium, 58.
Labels: Encyclical, Faith, Light, Pope Francis
17th Sunday in OT (C) - How do you Pray?
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Savita Punia: I had to be mentally strong during the quarantine
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Khel Now
The 30-year-old goalkeeper revealed her happiness to resume sporting activities following a break for the pandemic.
Having completed their 14-day self-isolation period, Indian senior hockey teams on Wednesday resumed sporting activities at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) National Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Players seemed to be in a jovial mood as they stepped outdoors to resume sporting activities. The Indian women’s hockey team’s experienced Goalkeeper Savita Punia was one of the players who was visibly happy at the occasion.
She said, “It is a good moment for all of us because we are finally able to resume sports activities, and do outdoor running as well. In our rooms, we were only able to do bodyweight exercises and use resistance bands. So it is a positive sign that we are able to get back to some sort of outdoor activities following all the SAI SOPs in a very secure environment here at SAI. It was more about staying fit and maintaining your well-being when we were in our rooms, but the feel-good factor is back now.”
“When you are a professional athlete, it gets really hectic sometimes because you are travelling every other day, and playing often. As such you don’t really get the chance to introspect at length, but these few months and especially the past 14 days, I’ve had the chance to look back on a lot of things and understand myself better.”
Having had the opportunity to be all by themselves for a period of 14 days, Savita Punia said it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all of them to self-evaluate and take out time for themselves.
ALSO READ: Why we need to get over the golden era of Indian hockey
“What I’ve realized is that this is the only time I might get in my life where I can analyse a lot of things – personal and professional – and work towards bettering them. It may be the choices I’ve made at certain stages or something that I can add to my personality on and off the field to make it better. It might vary for different people, but I totally believe that it has been one of the most important phases in my life as I’ve had to be very strong mentally as well,” said Savita Punia, who hails from Sirsa, Haryana.
“I think it is just remarkable the kind of work that SAI and Hockey India have done to provide us with a safe environment here and provided us with all the necessary SOPs for the resumption of sports activities. What it means is that we were really confident and excited to step outside of our rooms, and resume the sports activities. Credit also goes to our team management for providing us with a schedule that ensured we stayed fit during these months, and can now get our rhythm back.”
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She also shared insights on her team’s new routine after the quarantine period. “We have to get back to full fitness so we will be including outdoor running, high-intensity workouts and a bit of stick-work to our schedule. We started today with an outdoor exercise session maintaining social distancing, and will be resuming sports activities on the hockey pitch to get our rhythm back while also following safety protocols as stated in the SOPs,” she concluded.
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State Street Ballet Presents Women's Work, honoring the legacy of Léni Fé Bland. Featuring the World Premiere of Anne's Window, inspired by the life of Anne Frank
Winner of the 2016 Indy Award for Excellence in Choreography
The Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara would like to thank the State Street Ballet for reaching out to our local Holocaust Survivors, and for letting us be part of this special process – it’s something that we and the survivors will remember for a very long time.
Post by Cecily Stewart, Outreach Coordinator, State Street Ballet & Choreographer of Anne's Window
The story of Anne and her family is timeless; everyone can relate to the feelings of frustration, confusion, fear, joy, love, hope, and community that she expresses. As Ronald Hoffman says when sharing his survival story, "We all have our own wars." What struck me in particular as I conceived and created this work, is that though I am drawn to Anne's struggle and experience on a personal level, I am overwhelmed by the parallels of what Anne's family faced and the plight of refugees throughout the world today.
Millions of people like Anne died and were displaced in the Holocaust. I hope that delving into Anne's world through music, theater, and dance, the audience will emerge with an empathy and compassion for the many, many people who are still being persecuted today. If awareness is the key to change, I believe that understanding is the key to empowerment. It is my hope that Anne's story leaves the audience feeling empowered to change the world for the better. In Anne's own words, "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."
Hearing the stories of the Holocaust from people who actually lived through it was an incredible experience. The opportunity to ask them questions was invaluable and made it much easier to delve into the work of creating a dance and imagining what that time must have been like. As a group, the cast was unified by the shared experience of hearing these stories and it certainly enriched the piece.
Review by Charles Donelan, The Santa Barbara Independent
One good answer to that came with the evening’s final and featured piece, Cecily Stewart’s ballet theater composition Anne’s Window. Anne Frank certainly had enough hope, and her example has lit up the lives of countless people in dozens of languages and thousands of places all over the world. Using eight dancers and an actor, Sofia Ross, who spoke the words of Anne Frank from a small desk at the corner of the stage, and then from amid the action, Stewart conjured the entire range of feelings contained in Frank’s extraordinary small universe. There was the agony of those who were arrested and taken away to the camps, but there was also the heartbreaking beauty of young love and a first kiss. The dancers sat at a long table to represent the tense, anxiety-filled process of eating a meal in self-enforced captivity.
Finally, in a long sequence that illustrated Frank’s determination to hang onto her ideals, no matter what, the choreography represented her inner world as a place of peace, justice, and solidarity. It reminded me of the great dream ballet in the second act of West Side Story, “Somewhere (There’s a Place for Us),” which memorably insisted that even when the outside world is profoundly hostile, somewhere “we’ll find a new way of living, we’ll find a place for forgiving.” “Hold my hand and I’ll take you there, hold my hand and we’re halfway there” the characters sing, and in Anne’s Window, we see this gesture become real as each of the dancers takes the hand of another in turn until the last link turns out to be missing, and a light comes on over Frank’s little desk, now empty. It was a terrifically poignant moment, and a powerful reminder of the way that dance can help access the emotional truths at the heart of our most profound experiences.
For more information on the State Street Ballet, click here.
Photo credit David Bazemore.
Art at the JCC Special Event: A Conversation with Willem Volkersz
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Approved 4-2-20
ASEC Minutes
1:55 – 4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26, 2020
https://us.bbcollab.com/guest/d2bcc04e30514631a729dcdd48e73e8e
Members Present: Donna Cole, Jenny Dahlberg; Tim Dalby, chair; Stephanie Elkins; Mallory Musolf; Leslie Petty; Deb Shapiro; Lindsey Stoddard Cameron; Bill Tishler
Guests: Michael Bernard-Donals, Denny Hackel, Laurent Heller, John Horn, Alyson Kim, Karl Scholz
The meeting was called to order at 1:57 p.m.
The minutes of March 19, 2020 were approved with one correction.
Guest: Laurent Heller, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration
Vice Chancellor Heller started out by saying the COVID-19 situation is very trying, and that he was very impressed with and felt lucky to have such a great team working on these issues. While there have been partial activations in the past, this is the first time that the campus Emergency Operations Center has been fully activated. A main focus has been University Housing and their residence hall and dining facilities. The number of students in the dorms has been reduced from 8,000 to around 600. Some people are unable to return home. The university will continue to house those individuals, and they will be further consolidated into fewer buildings. The campus EOC is in close contact with the state EOC, and they have been working on clearing out some buildings to help out first responders and other essential services.
The focus has been on health and safety, but they have been looking at budgetary impacts as well. The Budget Office is working on several scenarios. Housing and dining fees have been refunded, and parking fees will not be collected during this time, or will be refunded as needed. There are many impacts to the auxiliaries. Campus has been firm on guidance with respect to the Safer-at-Home Order. Usage of campus facilities has been greatly reduced, with the vast majority being closed and locked. Vice Chancellor Heller reiterated that, for safety reasons, only essential employees should come into campus.
Hiring for non-essential positions has been suspended, but hiring may continue for positions that had already been posted. HR is working on remote onboarding. Eighty hours of leave have been offered to any employee impacted by COVID-19. They are also evaluating new federal legislation and other possible impacts that may stem from that.
Guest: Karl Scholz, Provost
Provost Scholz addressed the potential impacts from internet outages interfering with coursework. He emphasized the importance of asynchronous course delivery as the primary strategy during this time. Colleagues at DoIT are working hard to monitor platforms and staff up help lines. With 12 days notice and nearly 9000 sections to be ported into an alternative format, we have ported 99.9% of those courses, and now we can pivot to greater focus on the student experience in this alternative delivery system. In response to a question about the impact of negative student evaluations, Provost Scholz stressed that teaching evaluations should only be one part of an instructor’s overall evaluation for promotion. We should be understanding of the situation, but we also want student feedback on the experience.
On the topic of how much autonomy instructors have on whether and how their courses proceed, the instructor does not have complete autonomy. Entry level courses are department assets, and curriculum should be handled at the department level. Best practices should be shared as they arise. With regard to clinical courses, some have been postponed, while others have been creatively redesigned. This is a huge issue in the health sciences as well as the School of Education. There has also been creative redesign of courses in the fine arts.
On the question of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff serving as a voice for emeritus faculty and staff, Provost Scholz indicated that given the workload of that position, it is a question as to how much time there would be for this. Provost Scholz concluded by reiterating the outstanding nature of the university community coming together to work through this crisis.
Guests: Carole Kolb, Administrative Search Coordinator; Adam Kindschy, Special Assistant, Chancellor’s Office; Matt Mayrl, Chief of Staff, Chancellor’s Office (Recording of Search and Screen Presentations)
The recent move to no longer record presentations for finalists in search and screen processes emerged out of a project looking at best practices in administrative search processes with peers to make sure we remain competitive. Many of our peers do not record these presentations, as they can put candidates in awkward positions with their home institutions. This has caused the loss of candidates in several UW-Madison searches. The search process is meant to vet candidates, but it is also meant to recruit them, and we want to mitigate exposure for unsuccessful candidates. Limiting the availability of candidate materials to a specific amount of time is also part of this process. The Chancellor charged Carole and Adam with benchmarking our peers, and only about 10% of large public universities are still recording these presentations. During the current situation with COVID-19, live streaming will be done. This was already planned with the Dean of Extension search, since the stakeholders for that position are spread throughout the state. There will be some means of delivering video presentations for other positions, and the candidates understand that this is a special situation. For in person presentations, individuals who are not able to attend are encouraged to send delegates to ask questions on their behalf.
Liaison Reports
Jenny Dahlberg reported that the search and screen committee for the Secretary of the Academic Staff had its first meeting. The deadline for applications has been extended to April 12.
Bill Tishler reported that the committee to look at campus usage of Box has been postponed indefinitely, and the Policy Library Working Group has also been postponed until the end of April. One of the main discussion topics at the University Committee meeting on March 23 was around tenure clock extensions.
Guest: Michael Bernard-Donals, Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff
Vice Provost Bernard-Donals reported that the working group met on March 25 for possibly the last time. The group feels it has addressed the need to have clear distinction between the three ranks and clarifications around the thresholds for achieving those ranks. He also talked about the issue of tenure clock extension, which came up in discussions with his colleagues in the Big 10. All faculty, including CHS and clinical track faculty, will have the opportunity to extend their tenure clock. Because it is slightly different for CHS/clinical faculty, deans and chairs have been asked to replicate the process of tenure clock extension for those tracks. The expectation is that those extensions will be granted as needed. They are not expecting much in the way of logistical problems, and this will be a way to relieve concerns of probationary faculty in these areas. The extension will be for up to 1 year. This is not a blanket extension. It applies to anyone whose mandatory review date is after December 31, 2020. People who are in a review process right now are not covered by this, though there is language that says that if the review date is before 12/31/20 and an individual thinks they should be covered, that the individual should apply.
Vice Provost Bernard-Donals also reported on the recent virtual chat with remote employees. The consistent thread to the conversation was a hunger for greater inclusion and more professional development opportunities. He will be talking with Mark Walters about brainstorming ways to make Learning and Talent Development courses more available to those employees. He also asked ASEC about any issues related to COVID-19. ASEC offered a shout-out to DoIT for all their support during this time and stated that HR had done a great job with setting up the leave bank. There is a concern about long-term solutions and recovery of some programs, including the question of possible layoffs down the line. Concerns also include childcare for essential staff, what to do when running out of cleaning products, and consideration for essential employees extending their own educational programs through fall semester if they aren’t able to complete them in the spring.
Tim Dalby, ASEC chair, reiterated what Vice Chancellor Heller said with respect to building management and added that the plan was to have only 37 buildings open eventually. Essential research is still being clarified. Conversations around summer term as well as pass/fail grading are also in process. He has also requested strengthening language around flexibility for employees with child care needs in future communications.
Jake Smith, Interim Secretary of the Academic Staff, reported that the elections for standing committees will go forward as planned and will be announced sometime in the next week. He also reported that he, Heather Daniels, and staff in the Secretary of the Faculty Office have conducted further testing in order to find the right platform to test a virtual Assembly meeting. He is also working to determine how the delay in TTC will impact the new districting rules, and this will come forward for discussion at a future meeting.
• April Assembly Agenda
ASEC will conduct a test run early next week and determine whether to go forward at its April 2 meeting.
• Topics for Guests
OHR – salary administration guidelines, update on teaching faculty title, long-term solution for 80-hour leave bank, potential impacts of COVID-19 on probationary periods for staff
Meeting adjourned at 4:39 p.m.
Minutes submitted by Jake Smith, Interim Secretary of the Academic Staff
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Summit honored by Best Companies to Work for in Texas 2014
TYLER, Texas – For the second straight year, Summit Industrial Products has been honored as one of the Best Companies to Work for in Texas.
Summit, an industrial lubrication company founded in 1982, has been based in Tyler since 1989 and is known across the world as an industry leader in synthetic lubricant technology for industrial applications.
Out of the 100 companies honored, Summit was 21st on the 2014 Best Companies to Work for in Texas list. They were the only manufacturing company chosen.
“We believe strongly that happy employees are good employees,” said Fred Pate, president of Summit. “Summit is all about relentlessly serving our customers and each other. We’re happy to be honored in this way because it means our employees feel valued.”
This statewide survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Texas, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and businesses. It was created in 2006 and is a project of Texas Monthly, the Texas Association of Business (TAB), the Texas State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management (TSC-SHRM) and Best Companies Group.
Summit, which is a part of Klüber Lubrication based in Munich, Germany, is in the small business category, which includes companies with between 15 and 99 employees.
For more information on the Best Companies to Work for in Texas program, visit www.BestCompaniesTX.com.
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Broken Promises: Can the World’s Stressed-out Pension Plans Be Rescued?
From Chicago to the Champs-Elysees and beyond, distressed retirement plans these days face a set of bleak options. Countries around the world are trimming benefits and raising their retirement ages to make up for pension shortfalls. In the United States, a blue-ribbon panel has been studying ways to keep Social Security solvent, even as many state and local pension plans are seriously underfunded. Companies, too, are feeling the pain; the bloated liabilities of pension plans are increasingly squeezing corporate profits.
These challenges come amid a global economic crisis that has battered savings and investments counted on by many people to finance their retirement. Now governments must struggle to rescue their pension plans while economies still are reeling from the sharpest downturn since the Great Depression. “Decisions that were made 30 years ago are now coming home to roost,” says Keith Ambachtsheer, president and founder of KPA Advisory Services in Toronto, which advises public and private pension plans. “Under rosy optimistic assumptions that were the reality of the 1980s and the 1990s,” he says, promises were made, risks were ignored and demographic shifts were downplayed or swept under the rug.
Here is a look at some of the most daunting challenges that today’s pension plans face and the actions that are being taken to address them.
Global View — The Challenge: For national retirement systems, the problem frequently boils down to falling birth rates and longer life spans. “It’s the two blades of the scissors coming together: Not enough workers paying in and people living a very long life,” says Olivia S. Mitchell, professor of insurance and risk management and executive director of the Pension Research Council at Wharton.
The relentless aging of the world’s population creates this scissors-like phenomenon. By 2050, developed countries will average just two people between the ages of 15 and 64 for each person 65 and older, according to the United Nations, down sharply from five younger persons for each older one in 1999. With fewer people to finance their retirement, older individuals will have to settle for less generous benefits or spend more years on the job, or perhaps do both.
The Action: The growing imbalance is forcing governments to revamp their retirement promises in sometimes politically explosive ways.
In October, French lawmakers voted to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62 despite rancorous street protests, with the increase to take full effect in 2018.
Germany is gradually raising its retirement age from 65 to 67 beginning in 2012 and taking full effect in 2029; Spain plans to phase in a similar increase between 2013 and 2025.
In Britain, the retirement age will rise from 60 to 65 for women and from 65 to 66 for men by 2020 and is to reach 68 for both sexes by 2046.
China and India, the world’s two most populous countries, are reconsidering their retirement ages. Rapidly aging China is studying raising the age from 50 for female workers and 60 for males, without saying what the increases might be. India is mulling a move to boost the age from 60 to 62 for central government employees.
While Sweden has kept its retirement age at 65, the country indexes its pensions to longevity projections so that monthly benefits fall when the national longevity rate rises.
Australia, which requires employers to contribute to workers’ privately managed retirement accounts, plans to increase the mandatory contributions from 9% to 12% of pay by 2019 to bolster the funds.
The Outlook: While some countries may have pulled pension plans back from the brink, other plans are still on borrowed time. The economic crisis has proved that governments cannot borrow endlessly to fund unrealistic pension obligations, says Ambachtsheer. Whether by forcing citizens to save, or by increasing the minimum retirement age or reducing pension benefits, governments around the world will have to make tough choices to keep their retirement plans solvent. “When assumptions change,” says Ambachtsheer, “you had better turn the dial so that you get sustainability.”
Social Security — The Challenge: Although the United States is aging less rapidly than Europe or Japan, the strain on Social Security is growing. Some 155 million U.S. workers paid Social Security taxes to cover about 38 million recipients in 2000, for a ratio of 3.4 workers per beneficiary, according to Social Security trustees. Today, roughly the same number of workers supports 43.5 million beneficiaries for a ratio of 2.9 to 1. That number is certain to keep falling as 77 million baby boomers move into retirement.
The Social Security trust funds are projected to run dry by 2037, at which time payroll taxes will cover just 78% of the benefits that retirees will require. But the date 2037 belies the true nature of the crisis that is already unfolding, says Kent Smetters, professor of insurance and risk management at Wharton. “The system is taking in less money than it’s paying out,” he says.
Nor is the system’s $2.6 trillion trust fund really something to fall back on, according to Smetters, since Washington counts the fund as both an asset for Social Security purposes and a source of financing for the federal debt. This amounts to “counting the same dollar twice,” Smetters says. “The real question is, ‘What is our nation’s ability to pay future retirement benefits?’ The trust fund itself does not really contribute to that ability.”
The Action: The United States has quietly reduced Social Security benefits “through the back door,” says Wharton’s Mitchell. In the past, only half of Social Security income was taxed,” she says. “Now it’s up to 85% and it may go up to 100% if the system gets into worse trouble.”
But such fixes may be stopgaps at best. The chairmen of President Obama’s have floated the idea of raising the full Social Security retirement age to 69, up from the current ceiling of 67 for those born since 1960. Raising the age to 70 would solve about 20% of the Social Security shortfall, says Smetters. Attacking such increases are critics who say that raising the age would leave people who hold physically demanding jobs unable to work long enough to collect full benefits.
Permanently eliminating the annual cost-of-living-increases for Social Security benefits could be another step toward fixing the program. These increases began in 1975 and will be suspended in 2011 for the second straight year because of low inflation. But like the notion of raising the retirement age, the idea of permanently ending the increases is highly controversial.
The Outlook: Social Security’s problems will continue to worsen until the gap between the cash coming into and going out of the system is finally corrected, says Smetters, who worked on Social Security reform as a deputy assistant U.S. Treasury secretary for economic policy from 2001 to 2002. Countries like Australia and Mexico have developed fixes for their retirement programs that include a combination of public pensions and mandatory private savings accounts, adds Smetters. “In general, that’s a good idea, but I don’t think we have the political ability to do it here. These other countries got to where they are because something went really wrong.”
Corporate Pensions — The Challenge: If Social Security isn’t fixed, Americans will have to rely more on personal savings or company pensions to fund retirement. But these, too, are on shaky ground. When the stock market crashed in 2008, assets in retirement accounts and pension funds lost trillions of dollars. The loss devastated millions of American workers in defined-contribution programs such as 401(k) accounts, especially those workers near retirement who held most of their assets in stock. Nearly one in four workers between the ages of 56 and 65 had more than 90% of their accounts in equities on the eve of the market crash, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute in Washington, D.C.
Corporations have been slammed as well. requires companies to keep their defined benefit plans — those that promise lifelong payouts — at least 60% funded. This forced companies to shift more money into their plans as the stock market fell, whacking corporate profits. In a double whammy, record low interest rates have slowed the growth of pension assets in relation to promised payouts, causing companies to divert still more money into plans to maintain the funding requirements. The Federal Reserve’s November decision to buy $600 billion of U.S. bonds to stimulate the economy is expected to worsen the problem by further lowering interest rates.
These woes mark a dramatic turnaround from the 1990s when pension plans actually padded company profits since surplus funds can be counted as income. At the end of the last century, corporate defined benefit plans were 130% funded, according to Milliman, a Seattle, Washington-based actuarial consultant. Back in the 1990s, General Electric “made more money from their pension plan than from light bulbs,” quips John Ehrhardt, a coauthor of Milliman’s annual pension studies.
The Action: Corporations have been shedding their defined benefit pensions since 1978, when Congress amended the tax code to cover defined contribution programs like the 401(k) plans for which employees bear the risk. A Towers Watson study in 2010 found that just 59% of Fortune 1000 companies still sponsored defined benefit plans, and roughly one third of those have frozen out new employees. Wharton’s Mitchell sums it up this way: “Defined benefit is dead and we’re never going back.”
The Outlook: Companies must continue to pay pension benefits to retirees who now collect them and to employees who are vested in the programs. The federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation insures these plans. But new employees who are not eligible for pensions, and workers in plans that have stopped accruing funds, must learn to invest on their own behalf through defined contribution programs and individual retirement accounts. “For the majority of Americans who don’t understand financial investing, this makes it a lot harder for them,” says Wharton management professor Keith Weigelt. “If the 401(k) is how we’re going, we need financial education earlier.”
State and Local Plans — The Challenge: State and local governments, the final holdouts for traditional defined benefit plans, may be in the deepest distress of all. State governments say they are about $1 trillion in the hole when it comes to unfunded pension liabilities, while municipalities count themselves $190 billion in arrears. Even these numbers may severely underestimate the problem, according to studies by Robert Novy-Marx of the University of Rochester and Joshua Rauh of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. The authors place the true figures as high as $3 trillion for the states and $574 billion for local governments. By Novy-Marx’s and Rauh’s calculations:
Illinois will run out of pension assets in 2018 even if it earns an 8% annual return on investments.
Chicago has a $44.8 billion unfunded liability and only enough assets to last until 2019.
New York City, the largest municipal plan in the country, is $122.2 billion in the hole and its funds are on track to run out in 2021.
How could all this happen? For years, state and local governments have calculated their future pension obligations based on aggressively high rates of return, says actuary Jeremy Gold of New York City-based Jeremy Gold Pensions. This allowed the governments to reduce the amounts they socked away and drew the plans into riskier investments. “Since the mid-90s, [state and local pension plans] have been substantially underestimating the value of their promises,” says Gold. “If you put a dollar on a dollar’s worth of benefits, then we as the taxpayers are indifferent. But if you’re putting 70 cents on a dollar’s worth of benefits, then you’re giving away too many benefits.”
The Action: States and municipalities will soon be forced to choose from an unappetizing menu of options that include raising taxes, slashing benefits and even scuttling plans. “In some places, particularly towns and counties, we’re going to see situations where they will have to renege in one fashion or another,” says Gold. In a worst-case state like Illinois, there has been talk of a federal bailout.
The Outlook: While the ultimate solution will be to raise taxes or cut benefits, states and municipalities know that neither policy is feasible in today’s economic doldrums. So instead of scaling back, some local governments are investing in riskier assets, such as international funds or private equity or venture capital funds, says Smetters. “They’re all playing the double-down game. They lost the first round and now they are risking everything to get it back.”
There are few easy fixes to the world’s pension problems. Whether the plans are public or private, defined benefit or defined contribution, individual or group, the deepening dilemmas reflect an aging world, wishful thinking, misguided investment strategies and plain bad luck. Digging out will take years of hard work. “It’s some combination of put in more money, work longer, reduce your benefits,” says pension consultant Keith Ambachtsheer. “These economic principles can’t be violated.”
"Broken Promises: Can the World’s Stressed-out Pension Plans Be Rescued?." Knowledge@Wharton. The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, 06 December, 2010. Web. 21 January, 2021 <https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/broken-promises-can-the-worlds-stressed-out-pension-plans-be-rescued/>
Broken Promises: Can the World’s Stressed-out Pension Plans Be Rescued?. Knowledge@Wharton (2010, December 06). Retrieved from https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/broken-promises-can-the-worlds-stressed-out-pension-plans-be-rescued/
"Broken Promises: Can the World’s Stressed-out Pension Plans Be Rescued?" Knowledge@Wharton, December 06, 2010,
accessed January 21, 2021. https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/broken-promises-can-the-worlds-stressed-out-pension-plans-be-rescued/
How Companies Can Leverage Technology to Deliver Hyper-Personalized Services
The need for digital transformation in companies is obvious and urgent. But many businesses, especially those burdened by legacy systems, still struggle to transform their operations to cater to the increasingly empowered digital customer. By the time companies overhaul their[…]
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Did You Know April 18 Is ‘World Heritage Day’
World Heritage Day In India – 18 April 2020
THE RICH HISTORY OF WORLD HERITAGE DAY: April 18 is observed as World Heritage Day every year. It is to preserve the human heritage and to realize the efforts of the relevant organizations.
The world has been incorporated with several rich monuments and sites to wonder at. We have to preserve them perfectly and dutifully for the next generations of the people to know the values of cultural heritage. The amazing monuments and sites are considered to be rich in depicting the centuries of greatness to the people. So, The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in 1982 pronounced that 18th April as World Heritage Day. This decision of celebrating World Heritage Day on 18th April was approved by the General Assembly of UNESCO in 1983. It was approved as a goal to improve awareness and exhibit the importance of cultural heritage, monuments and to conserve them.
However, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) organization was formed on the principles outlined in the Venice Charter, which is also known as the 1964 International Charter on the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites. The more you preserve, the more you could portray the richness of different cultures across the world.
Did You Know April 18 Is 'World Heritage Day'
Editorial April 16, 2020
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It’s Morning In America. Again.
Featured / judybradt / 2 Comments
What shall we do?
I was born in Canada. I become an American citizen in 2010. Four years ago less a day, I began to realize how much I had to learn about what it meant to be a citizen.
Since 2016, I’ve written –and mostly not published — thousands of words over the past four years as I’ve tried to find my way to greater understanding and connection with my fellow citizens in a country I chose. So here are four of my conclusions, along with calls to action.
How Did We (Well, I) Get Here?
I came to the U.S in 1988 on a diplomatic A-2 visa. In 2002 I began an ultimately successful application for the infamous “green card,” which gave me continued legal status to live and work in the U.S. once after I left the Embassy.
When I left the Embassy in 2003 George W. Bush was still President. I did not have a high opinion of him, and felt he was spoiling for a reason to deepen the United States’ military involvement in the Middle East after 9/11… but none of that was really my problem because I didn’t elect him and couldn’t vote. I lived here, I worked here, I still didn’t really know how long I’d be here, and it wasn’t my country anyway. I was a guest.
I had learned many things about this country since moving here in 1988. I knew a lot more about regional and popular cultures (and accents, and histories, and rivalries) than I had when I arrived. I knew this country as being more than a moderately scary racist country populated largely by militaristic ignorant evangelical rednecks.
I had met thousands of Americans, not all of them inside the beltway, who were none of these things. I had come to understand how narrow electoral margins were. I had come to observe the electoral college with a furrowed brow, especially after Bush/Gore in 2000. I had gotten used to explaining to my fellow Canadians that, in a spirit of neighborliness, it was important to remember that, no matter who got elected President, pretty close to half the people who voted voted for the other guy.
Not all the citizens in my home away from home supported a President a lot of us didn’t care for, so don’t condemn all Americans before you get to know them. If you were talking to someone who voted (60 percent of citizens, and 86% of registered voters, in 2000) nearly half those who voted did NOT support the policies of the Bush Administration. I still thought of the United States as a place that didn’t always feel safe — and certainly not uniformly safe for everyone who lived here.
Everything to do with racism — which I didn’t follow particularly closely but just left me with a feeling of vague discomfort about something that I didn’t think was my problem, as I wasn’t a citizen anyway — was something I saw as how the United States was different from Canada, but also not my problem. Not a citizen, not my problem.
In 2008, Barack Obama was elected.
This was, in my view, such a stunningly positive, powerful, outcome. I figured that a country that could elect Barack Obama had fixed racism. The country was clearly filled with an ever-growing majority of enlightened, educated, liberally-minded citizens who truly believed… well, something. I felt safe.
And inspired. Hope. Change. The whole nine yards. The revolution was clearly complete.
So I submitted my application for citizenship on July 4th 2009. That application wasn’t particularly necessary. So long as I didn’t ever leave the United States for more than six months, and generally behaved myself, I’d be able to apply to renew that status every ten years.
I became a U.S. citizen in February of 2010.
I still remember the citizenship ceremony. A hundred of us, and our allotted guests, were squeezed into a windowless room in a suburban northern Virginia office building.
The ceremony was fairly brief but sweet: we were all seated, and then the Citizenship and Immigration Services officer asked us each to stand when the name of our country of origin was read aloud. A remarkable number of nations were represented, and eventually all 100 of us were standing.
And we swore the oath of allegiance together.
Then we were asked to “…give our attention to the screen for a message from the President. My heart sank as it had for most of the previous eight years every time I had heard those words…
And then the picture of Barack Obama filled the screen.
Yes. I thought. I’m in the right place.
For a little less than six years, all was well. Health Care was won — a major victory on par with Social Security and the Civil Rights Act. By 2016, we were headed to elect the first woman president. The right things were happening. My country, ‘tis of …
My team had lost, and in a fairly spectacular fashion.
After I lay awake in the dark listening to the 6 am National Public Radio news, I fought back wave after wave of fear and horror.
And then I paused between waves to realize that, if those who voted represented the will of those who did not, then right now about half the country was having its first morning in eight years of NOT waking up with feelings of horror, fear, and revulsion that overwhelmed me in that moment.
To be realistic, there was probably a lot more staunch indifference, disappointment, resignation and ignorance in that mix among what would eventually be called “…a lot of good people on both sides…”, but for me everything from that moment flipped to an epic perception of good and evil.
I had forgotten the dark side of my own simple American civics lesson for Canadians: Some of the people around me (possibly up to half of them) would have gladly said yes to the most loathsome force imaginable if Obama and his whole family could have been put out of existence.
Electing Donald Trump, I feared, was their way of getting as close to that outcome as they could get.
All the evil demons of civil society that I had feared Before Barack had not gone away for the past eight years. Banished to the basement, perhaps, they had just been down there plotting and lifting weights, and had now come up ready to take back their country.
So maybe I’d be paying less tax…but I could expect to spend a lot more time and money contributing to efforts to protect reproductive rights, immigrant children, indigenous people, the environment.
Was this what I signed up for?
1. Citizenship Is Our Full Time Job.
Being a citizen is a full time job, whether or not the candidate you voted for wins.
Win or lose, every one of us is responsible to stay engaged, to hold the winners to account, to protect those who are at risk, prepare for the next round, and bring more people with you.
We don’t get a four year vacation if our candidates win. Our responsibility as citizens is to work hard, and spend time and resources to enlist understanding and support from the other side.
If your candidate loses, you don’t get to sulk or seek vengeance.
2. To Go Fast, Go Alone. To Go Far, Go Together.
Margins are thin. Half the people around you weren’t really happy about how things turned out four years ago. And the other half aren’t happy now. But we need to move ahead together.
One of the hardest, and most important, things I did over the past four years was to find the emotional currency and courage to seek out friends who I knew didn’t vote the way I did.
I had to find the communication skills it took to have actual conversations, where the objective was simply civil engagement despite a difference of opinion. That was hard for me to do, as I had spent my recreational time in university as a competitive debater. I grew up thinking that every conversation, from formal events to casual chats, all had winners and losers.
A lot of my friends, a lot of people I knew, simply couldn’t be bothered trying to understand or appreciate or engage with the Other Side, as America became increasingly polarized.
What I saw and heard, what I perceived, disturbed and shocked me. Four years of dog-whistle racism. Of national leadership that inspired and brought out into the light and encouraged the most vile elements of the ugly, ignorant, redneck, racist, violent, America that I thought had gone away because I simply decided not to see them.
I had many civil conversations. Smart people of all ages and skin colors and origins. Veterans, business owners. I managed to ask, “What were you thinking?” (and not “what were you THINKING!), and then listen to their answers without trying to persuade them of anything.
I do not understand QAnon any better. I still disagreed with my friends about some things, but my discovery was very similar to this:
Three-quarters believe the government should expand its coverage of health care. Two-thirds believe there should be stricter gun laws. 79% think abortion should be legal. 76% support investing more in education. A staggering 96% support infrastructure improvements. 75% say it’s somewhat/very important to promote more racial and ethnic diversity. 76% say racism continues to be a big problem.
~ Mark Manson
RELATED: It’s a slow-moving car wreck and we’re all in it
Political polarization has shifted our range of emotional response. It used to span disappointment or resignation on one end, and patient activism on the other. I discovered that the left was just as capable of ugly beliefs and behavior as the right. I hadn’t noticed that before. Anyone who has spent the last four years sipping (or chugging) a toxic cocktail of fear and anger will find it difficult to access the part of our brain and emotions that is rational enough to let us connect with others who don’t think the way we do.
So, let’s start by changing what we’re drinking (and what we’re thinking). We need to commit to new conversations across differences we might only be imagining or presuming. Before someone will listen, they need to feel heard. Sit down and chat with me or someone else who thinks differently from you over a cup of something else. Even borrow a tradition from my country of birth, and join me for a nice cup of tea.
3. Re-Discover Civility and Generosity
In some ways, America just won big: whatever their motivation, people showed up to vote in record numbers. As a nation, we are more politically engaged. Voter turnout was 67%, the highest in 120 years. Millions more people registered and voted, period. Over 800,000 new voters were registered in Georgia alone (thank you, Stacey Abrams).
Did it have to cost us four years of rampant incivility, of “us versus them” politics, to get there?
Was it necessary for us to let the bar that represents the level of civility, credibility, integrity, the country demands of a president get buried so deep in the dust that we wonder why there’s a bump in the road?
I admit it’s a lot easier (and occasionally feels more satisfying) to cast things in simple, polar, terms and just hate people I disagree with than it is to invest the energy to actually try to understand them.
But the people I admire most are the ones who are relentlessly, persistently, willing to keep asking questions, keep listening, stay engaged, with people they disagreed with. Like Nelson Mandela. Or Daryl Davis, the Black man who befriended the KKK. As he explained in the documentary, “Accidental Courtesy,”
Give them a platform. You challenge them. But you don’t challenge them rudely or violently. You do it politely and intelligently. And when you do things that way chances are they will reciprocate and give you a platform
~ Daryl Davis
Also anyone who’s willing to get into Good Trouble, Necessary Trouble. Thank you, John Lewis.
Winners do not get to put on golf cleats and tap dance on the heads of the losers. Winners have the duty to heal, to build common cause among people whose views are different from theirs, and to create a stronger and more diverse coalitions so that even those who lost feel they have a voice.
Now, our leaders need to build common cause among people whose views are different from theirs, to create a stronger and more diverse coalition so that even those whose candidates lost feel they have a voice.
Are there universal, inarguable truths? Are there injustices so deep that violence is the only way to be heard? I’m hoping not. I’m still learning about that.
4. Keep Having Tough Conversations.
Ever join a community or a club or an association and notice on the bottom of the membership application the question, “Which committee will you join?”
It takes time and patience to build a coalition, to broaden the base of support and understanding on an issue in order to get things done. That’s what committees are for.
If you’re having second thoughts about whether or not you’ll get involved, realize that those who are contrary-minded and passionate are already hard at work. Shaping the direction of a country is a long game. If there’s somewhere you’d like us all to be four years from now, the journey has already begun. Are you coming?
Here’s how I think it works: We are all in the American community. Lots of us are already actively engaged in the issues we’re passionate about. We need to keep conversations going. Every voice matters, and not just on election day. You can never know when the conversation you have, that difficult conversation you’re not really sure whether it mattered, shifted how someone thought. and what they said. And what they did.
You matter. We all do.
It’s a new day. Let’s re-commit to each other.
As I Light A Single Candle
January 13, 2021 January 18, 2021 / judybradt / Leave a comment
A friend asked me how I was doing in the wake of the January 6th violence on Capitol Hill. I reflected for a moment, and told him, “Stirred but not shaken.”
First step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one. America is not the greatest country in the world anymore.”
~ Will McAvoy, Atlantic Cable News
You’ve read about what inspired my journey into American citizenship. It’s not that I thought the United States was the greatest country in the world. I believed in its commitment to keep working to be better.
I still do.
I left Canada to come to the United States in 1988 because I wanted to make even a tiny impact in a much larger universe. If I have remained true to that goal, then surely there has been no better time to speak up, to stand up, to take action, than the past four years.
Over the past four years, I have seen a lot of darkness. Attitudes and actions, of individuals and crowds and parties and voters and politicians and media, in support of values and beliefs and policies I consider abhorrent.
Much of that darkness was there before the 2016 elections; I just never noticed until I started looking at what was right in front of me.
Donald Trump, both before and since taking office, has actively practiced or invited, encouraged, and praised those engaging in or supporting, systemic racism, xenophobia, bullying, denigration, misogyny, and lawlessness, culminating in insurrection against democracy itself.
In the days after the 2016 elections, I was shocked by America’s choice of a President. I thought I was ready to speak up, to blog and voice my views.
As I grew more aware of the darkness and its daily impact on people around me, I felt increasingly uncertain of what I could possibly do to make a difference. Each day brought a deeper understanding of how fragile, how illusory, was my picture of America.
Day after day, I sank deeper into incredulity and frustration. I spent most mornings of the past four years waking up, reading or hearing the news, and asking myself, “WHAT?”
Sure, I had had to study civics for my citizenship test… but there has rarely been a morning since 2016 when I didn’t wake up, hear the news, and ask my U.S.-born husband, “Explain something to me…”
The list of things I don’t understand has gotten longer rather than shorter.
The list of problems America needs to solve — as a nation, as a society, and among ourselves as individuals who have to live and work together — has definitely gotten longer.
The list of things where I feel like I can do anything useful to contribute to making this a better place overwhelms me daily.
Racial justice is high on this list, so as this blog post comes to an end, I’ll tell you where I got to on that last year.
Reading, studying, watching, zooming, posting, and apologizing, most of what I accomplished was to get a deeper understanding of how much I didn’t know, and make mistakes I hope not to make again.
I can hardly expect to roll back over 400 years of racial injustice (alone or with help)
Any day that I can wake up and CHOOSE what impact racial injustice will have on my day, and someone else does not have that choice, is a day that I have an obligation to be taking action to extend that privilege to all.
So I get up in the morning and light another candle: Pick One Thing.
I hope you do, too.
Do. One. Thing.
One day more.
Messy Reflections
August 12, 2018 August 14, 2018 / judybradt / Leave a comment
I was moved to start this blog almost two years ago, in yet another attempt to speak fearlessly, with authentic voice. Today I marvel at both how easy and how hard that is to do.
Despite declaring that I intended to step up to use my authentic voice, I didn’t blather my is-the-sky-falling fears all over the internet. I watched and listened and learned more about my contrary-minded friends. I didn’t stop talking to them…but I’m still pretty cautious about talking current events with almost anyone.
I question whether to publish a personal opinion on current events if what I write isn’t supported by the most clear evidence and most carefully-researched facts I can find. I’m giving myself permission today to write exactly that kind of messy and relatively unedited piece.
Fact-finding about current events that get my attention has become more challenging. I’ve come to understand how carefully I need to read any media. I notice how quickly I want to nod at left- skewed media and how vehemently I want to dismiss the right. New second step: pause after noticing my emotional response, and ask, “Am I reading this piece as objectively as I would a piece written from the opposite point of view?”
Reading Factfulness, “Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World — and Why Things Are Better Than You Think… a 2018 book by the late Hans Rosling [, who] suggests the vast majority of human beings are wrong about the state of the world,” was both specifically enlightening and broadly instructive. If you’re unlikely to read the book, then consider checking out one of his TED talks.
(I thank my friend Stephanie Alexander for recommending this to me along with the other items on Bill Gates’ summer reading list.)
Just for fun, see how well you do on this quiz about global development. (Confession: I did quite well only because, knowing that most chimpanzees scored better than educated human respondents, I deliberately approached the questions with the mindset of “what’s the best case that could conceivably be true?”)
The enlightening part: the book explains why the news (from local to international) often leaves me and others feeling that we live in exceptionally troubled times. It was a fascinating reminder that, as a result, even extremely smart people are far less well-informed than they think they are about the world. And, most importantly, Dr Rosling offered clear, simple, antidotes in each chapter of the book — like a checklist to let anyone make a first pass at doing our own fact-checking about anything we read or hear or see.
The book reminded me of the posts by my conservative-minded friend Todd, who told me he deliberately picks up and re-posts positive news. I’m glad he does. And I’m glad I make my own pass at fact-checking those, too.
Did I pay any attention to the previous Administration’s southern border or immigration policies? Hardly at all. I just liked and trusted those in power then in the same way that millions of other people simply like and trust the current Administration and leadership without much thought now.
I’m dismayed to find myself so often responding numbly to American domestic politics in a way that so many writers predicted in 2016 would become sadly normal.
Within that frozen numbness, I feel light refracted among countless shards.
The part of me that wants to make a difference. The shard that just wants to get through the day, love my loved ones, care for my family. The chunk that knows that even being able to do that — stop thinking about the pain and disadvantages of others — means I am privileged beyond all imagining. The broken bit that knows intellectually that constant outrage is not only unsustainable but actually unhealthy and destructive. The pointy sliver that keeps singing, “Not good enough,” as it is swept along and slowly crushed in a glacial mass.
The more posts and books and articles and shares I read from smart, thoughtful people, the less able I feel to write. Every time I consider writing something, I feel intimidated by the careers of at least five people I met in university who have gone on to become nationally-renowned, critically-thoughtful, fact-ful, journalists.
Well, that makes no sense. My thirteen-year-old niece is much better at drawing than I am. My twenty-two year old niece is a professional graphic artist. My nineteen-year-old niece is an award-winning equestrienne. If I wanted to be really, really, good at any of those things (or journalism, for that matter), I would have to apply time and resources and study and practice. In the meantime, none of those facts is any reason for me not to enjoy creating artwork or riding a horse. Even if somebody is watching or judging me.
Comparison is the thief of all kinds of things.
Since 2016, I’ve come to understand more about “bubbles” and what I lose by staying in mine and avoiding conversations with people who disagree with me. Which is odd because the primary way I spent my time recreational time at university treated conversation as a contest. Competitive debating had winners and losers. Okay, I remember losing a lot of the time.
I remember noticing, too, that the people who won a lot of the time were good at more than logic. While a couple of them are now among my professional journalist friends, and several are teachers or lawyers or even law professors, the very best of the best were good at theatre. They were clever as well as smart. They made you laugh as well as made you think.
I’ve gotten better at engaging in conversation with people who I know feel differently than I do. I’ve learned more about how to express curiosity about their views and to listen without interrupting. I am a long way from mastering how to express my own contrary views on a political (or often any) subject to someone and be able to continue explore those differences in that conversation.
I used to think that being a conflict-avoider was a virtue. Apparently not; never was. But the opposite of conflict-avoidance isn’t conflict-seeking. It’s conflict resolution.
On Pushing Back Entropy
In the wake of 2016 presidential elections, I was shocked and confused and naive. I was easily drawn toward every left-leaning sky-is-falling piece I read. I was unnerved by anything more than a tiny smidge right of rock-solid-center. I was somehow afraid that if I wrote anything critical of the current Administration, something terrible would befall me.
I’ve gained some perspective in watching how events unfold in America under the leadership of those with whom I disagree. Many of those in power are working hard to undo as many as they can of the previous Administration’s policies that they feel to their very core were utterly wrong for America. Policies that were created by those who believed equally fervently in a different set of ideals for America.
When my thirteen-year-old niece was in town last week, we visited the Newseum. One of the exhibits was a video narrated by Martin Sheen (an actor I like very much, particularly for his flawless portrayal of the richly-flawed Jed Bartlet of Aaron Sorkin’s West Wing). The video presented the deeply conflicted political views that were present in the United States from its earliest days — between Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Other actors in the video portrayed public figures of those days, in those figures’ own words. The expressed views were no less passionate about politics, and no less nasty about opponents or the press, than anything I’m reading today.
All of which is to say, the nation has survived strong national differences and evolved as a result of them for well over two hundred years.
Such tug and push and pull of forces is entirely natural in our world, which is driven by that dynamic at both micro (“Yes, it is bedtime”) and macro (about which I’m reading about more in David Christian’s Origin Story) levels.
So far, the processes on which the American political system is based continue to function within the broad parameters under which they were established.
Have its democratic systems and processes as established and evolved truly brought liberty and justice for all?
Oh, uh, nope. At least, not yet.
Has any system of government done that?
Steady-state perfect equality of outcomes and opportunities for all individuals does not exist. Such a state, in a universe currently understood to be driven by the laws of entropy, is only possible for fleeting split-seconds.
Is that a reason to give up trying to achieve that?
Many democratic systems start out with a declared intention of making things better for everybody (even if the definition of “everybody” also needs continuous improvement over time).
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity…
On Racial Injustice
I’m thinking about racial injustice again today as my writing about the current affairs flows into awareness of the “Unite the Right II” rally scheduled to start in DC in a couple hours.
There is plenty of racism and prejudice and related injustice in Canada, where I was born. I admit that I gave very little thought to these issues during the 28 years I lived there.
I have thought a great deal, and occasionally written and advocated (hit the giant “NOT ENOUGH” button), about these issues since I moved to the United States in 1988 for many reasons.
People who are now my family and my friends have opened their hearts and souls to share the stories of their lives and loves. They have opened my eyes and my mind to things that were right in front of me that I had never noticed or though much about before I met them.
Publications from left or right of center support the idea that those who enjoy economic prosperity in the United States, or who are well-off in part because of the strength of the U.S. economy, benefit in part from the fruits of slave labor. For instance:
Forbes (which the site Media Bias considers moderately right of center), published Dina Gerdeman’s 2017 article, “The Clear Connection Between Slavery and American Capitalism” about scholars who explored “the true ties between 19th century economic development and a brutal system of human bondage in the 2016 book Slavery’s Capitalism: A New History of American Economic Development“
In 2014, The Atlantic (judged by the same source to be left-center-biased), published an article by Ta-Nehisi Coates that led me to his longer piece making The Case For Reparations.
Every year since 1989, Rep. John Conyers’ has introduced a bill similar to H.R.40, to establish a commission to examine slavery and discrimination in the colonies and the United States from 1619 to the present and recommend appropriate remedies.
I’ve read some things about the I wasn’t aware, until deep into the article, about how much in reparations Germany paid to Israel, for example. Is there any way that reparations for the Holocaust, or for American internment of people of Japanese origin, or for slavery anywhere, can ever be considered fully repaid?
I don’t think so. But that’s all the more reason to pass Congressman Conyers’ bill.
In the meantime, there are everyday human things I can do. Things like noticing and stopping micro-aggressions. Things like listening to — and believing — people who talk about their experiences of discrimination that are alien to me.
I remember criticism of law enforcement and security efforts in Charlottesville surrounding the 2017 Unite The Right rally as poorly-planned and inadequate. So this year when I read:
[Many] protesters on the campus of the University of Virginia Saturday night… expressed antagonism towards police, some of whom were dressed in riot gear and who had a large presence throughout the city to prevent any outbreak of violence.
“There’s a profound difference in this year and last year and that is the heavy police presence,” said Lisa Woolfork, an associate professor of English at the University of Virginia and a local organizer with Black Lives Matter.
Some people might be comforted by the police, Woolfork continued. “But for folks like me, black and brown folks, folks in Black Lives Matter, we don’t equate a heavy police presence with safety, so we see this as a perceived risk and increasing the possible harm that might occur to us.”
~ CNN, 12 August 2018
I’m reminded that my experience with law enforcement is different. I’ve read some about the deep historical roots of conflict between law enforcement and people of color in the United States. I wish I knew what the right answer was.
What amount and type of police presence, if any, might be right for such an occasion? That raises questions of “right for whom?” Right to minimize criticism in case violence breaks out? Right to minimize public expression of protest? Right to separate groups likely to break out in violence if they contact each other? Sufficient to minimize people of color from being heard? Enough to protect public and private property from damage?
Did those responsible for public safety confer with those planning to assemble to discuss the type and amount of law enforcement that would be present? Or is that not done?
Do rally-ers of the left want to have as little police presence as rally-ers of right had last year? I keep circling back to understand how and why people of color often don’t have a warm and trusting relationship with law enforcement.
I hunted around for an article about the origins of racially-based police brutality from a source that Media Bias considered absolutely centrist. I found one at ThoughtCo.com: The Black Codes and Why They Matter Today.
I wonder how that changes.
So does my friend Rovan Wernsdorfer. He is a tireless warrior for justice who always has something thoughtful to share. One of his posts, of Robert Reich’s new “Ten Steps To Finding Common Ground (Without Fighting),” inspired this one. Whether you read the article, watch the video, or both, please do.
This blog post got started about seven hours ago. It’s the only thing I’ve done today, though the thoughts have been building for months. Well-composed articles have a point, a beginning, a middle, an end. This one doesn’t. It’s more like Nuke LaLooshe’s pitching…kinda all over the place.
Maybe it has a lot of at least two of those.
Election Anniversary: An Early Thanksgiving
November 6, 2017 / judybradt / Leave a comment
This week, as the first anniversary of the election of Donald Trump, leaves me thoughtful and thankful for how much more I have than I had a year ago. Surprised? Here’s what I mean.
As a result of the words and actions of this Administration and those it inspired, I’m more engaged in American political life than I ever felt the need to be since I became a citizen in 2010.
I’m more attuned to the situations and voices of people who are concerned for their rights and freedoms under the current Administration. I’m more alert to the need to take action, to speak up, and to stand with them and for them. I’m more willing to invest my time and my social currency in social justice. I’m more willing to drop old assumptions about people and look beyond appearances to explore the opportunities for ally-ship.
I have more courage to speak my mind about issues that are controversial, and to be ready for some people to decide they might not like me so much as a result. I am more public about what I believe, and have published more personal and thoughtful blog posts as a result.
I am more ready to challenge others when they say or do something that I think is not okay. I am unequivocally prepared to try and to fail, to be vulnerable and imperfect, and to be held accountable for my mistakes when someone calls me on being out of integrity.
I’m more interested than ever in hearing the views and thoughts of people who believed a year ago that electing Donald Trump was going to bring them the brighter future they dreamed of. How similar, or different, are things today from what you hoped?
I’m more curious about what’s in the hearts and hopes and minds of people who hold different views than I do. I’m grateful for every conversation I had the courage to launch with a new goal: to listen, rather than to argue.
I’m more attentive to the power of empathy and the value of common humanity to close what can seem like a chasm of difference between people. I am more willing to engage someone in an uncomfortable conversation on an important issue rather than avoid situations that risk misunderstandings and hurt feelings and conflict despite the best of intentions to do no harm.
I’m more aware of the origins and contemporary manifestations of racism and the pervasive effects of white supremacy in a great many aspects of American life. I’m more informed about the effects of how American history is taught in most high schools. If you’re wondering why that matters, especially if you’re a teacher, read more here.
I’m much more ready to have conversations in which my most important goal is to listen to understand. That’s not just a result of the past year, but a continuing evolution of a key change for me. I spent my formative years in university with a roving pack of competitive debaters. It seemed to me then that every conversation was a battle to be won or lost. I lost most of those battles. I didn’t like losing. I’m pretty sure that experience shaped how I looked at relationships for a long time (and not in a good way).
I care a lot more about people in situations I never used to think about. I wonder what kind of policies — Republican or Democratic — it would take to bring back, or start to restore, economic prosperity and health to people who have lost their jobs or can’t find work, to people who are chronically ill, to people who are drug-addicted.
I’m ever more disappointed in people who attack others based on what they look like or what they believe or how they dress. While I’m on the subject, it was never okay to call any group of people a “basket of deplorables.” That was wrong the first time I heard it, and it’s still wrong. I’m more aware of how horrible it must feel to be the object of such attacks.
I’m more aware of the times — both long past and sometimes painfully recently — that I’ve said and done such unkind things to others, especially out of old patterns of sarcasm, or of wanting to sound clever at someone else’s expense. In retrospect, it wasn’t good to do in university, where I picked up the habit from a couple of people in my social set. It never served me well, and it’s a behavior best banished. I’m more determined than ever that that’s not okay, and more determined to do better and be better: to walk my talk, to be the change that I want to see in the world.
I’m more grateful for a political system of checks and balances, and for every politician who has worked to seek some kind of common ground.
I’m more determined to make a positive difference in the communities where I show up, and more willing to have faith that even those with different beliefs from me are showing up with a heartfelt intention that is much the same.
The Path Of Allyship
October 16, 2017 / judybradt / Leave a comment
I didn’t go to the Women’s March, the day after the 2017 Inauguration. I had a long list of reasons for not going. I still have mixed feelings about my decision to not march. I still have unequivocal angst about the future of America under the leadership of its current President.
Since I had become an American citizen in 2010, up until this year there hadn’t been an issue that had galvanized me to take to the streets. Looking back, I would seem to have thought that “somebody else” had been doing their best to keep anything I might have been paying attention to pretty much headed in a direction I approved of.
In November of 2016, America didn’t suddenly become more racist, or more opposed to transgender rights, or more poor. But an electoral majority of voting Americans had been stirred up to become more afraid, and more angry, more eager to blame, and more hateful of their targets of blame.
Since election day, millions of Americans have felt tossed into a series of ever-more destructive topical storms of presidential pronouncements and policy controversy. There is barely enough time to recover from one before the next arrives.
That being said, when I (and arguably the Democratic party) wasn’t paying attention, millions of other Americans apparently spent the previous eight years feeling voiceless and uncaringly tossed-about.
Have you noticed? The effect is similar to being hit by a series of hurricanes. If all someone sees is an onslaught of attacks on everything she considered normal and familiar, she becomes numb. It’s all too easy to stop caring what’s happening to anyone in the next community or even the next block. Our only focus is on day-to-day survival.
That kind of atmosphere leaves a population easy prey to a leader with a large public platform who proposes to ease the pain by presenting someone (or better yet, a diverse array of communities — as the ones to blame, and to make those communities a focus of anger and hate?
In today’s America, the President’s words and actions have emboldened millions of people to think that it’s okay to say and do hateful things that their neighbors had considered not just unacceptable but completely beyond the pale.
Millions of others on both sides of the aisle have been citizens longer than I. They have seen cycles of change before. Maybe their lives weren’t too bad before the election, and they can’t imagine anything terrible happening to them now.
Experience has taught some that nothing really changes no matter who is in power. They commiserate in quiet corners of concern or continuing despair, but avoid engaging with the contrary-minded. Even if things change in the next election and the pendulum swings the other way, it won’t matter.
Others figure that, like riding out the stock market dips, all they need to do it wait it out. Things will eventually change in the next election, the pendulum will swing the other way, and nothing can go seriously wrong for long.
As a relatively new citizen, I found myself among those who have been tossed and confused trying to make sense of wave after wave of events that threaten to erode or simply wash away things we hold dear. We want to do something constructive, but have no base of experience in how to respond to or engage with people who seem passionately opposed to us. We are afraid of the consequences — from broken friendships and conflicted conversations to lost business — of wading into a disagreement on a flashpoint issue.
Staying silent suddenly feels wrong to me. What I find stunning is the range communities and policies I care about that I find under assault. The price of courage seems intimidating. But a growing number of communities are being hit with the tab of those who aren’t willing to speak up.
There is an overwhelming number of things happening that concern me and move me to wish for better actions and outcomes. I am frustrated by my lack of time to research and write thoughtfully about all of these things. I want the United States to have gun laws as well as access to mental health care that together can significantly reduce violence.
I want all Americans to have access to healthcare they can afford. I want all of us to stand up for each other regardless of our appearance or abilities. I want a clean environment for us and for future generations. I want people to be able to recognize the common humanity in us all, and to treat each other with dignity despite our differences of opinions.
I want people to have the ability to move away from places where their homes have been destroyed and the support and legal ability to start over (I’m talking about the international refugee crisis, which, at over 65 million refugees, is at an all-time global high).
Somewhere in the middle of all of that I am also trying to run a business and give my professional best to the people I am here to help. Thinking about even a fraction of those things on any given day can leave me feeling overwhelmingly inadequate. I also want to love and laugh and have time with friends and family and explore and adventure. That’s just the list that is top of mind at the moment. I don’t have answers for all of those things. I find it hard to escape the feeling that it’s my responsibility to make a difference on all of them.
I’ve come full circle to the advice I was giving myself almost a year ago. I need to pick a lead issue and dig in, and have faith that others will do the same across the board.
I took to the streets for the March For Racial Equality. This was my first experience as a participant in public protest. I had sorted out many of the questions the plagued me during the Women’s March. I had figured out what the point was.
I didn’t think the Department of Justice was going to pay the least attention to anything that several thousand people chanted or held up on signs.
I didn’t want to accidentally say or do the wrong thing when I arrived with the intention of supporting other humans.
Many people at the march were delighted when I asked to take pictures of them with their signs. I was thrilled every time another marcher wanted to take a picture of my sign. In that moment, we were a community in motion.
I did think that it mattered for a few thousand white people who saw us pass by to notice all the other white people who were marching for racial justice.
And it turned out to matter to me, to feel common cause with thousands of law-abiding fellow marchers. I feel a lot less alone writing my blog post.
I feel inspired to learn how to engage more deeply in conversation, with respect and curiosity, with those who seem to think differently from me. And while we explore our differences, to begin to find the things we have in common.
Educate, Don’t Incarcerate.
About 20% of Virginians are black. But 60% of its state prison inmates are black.
Black people don’t behave a certain way because of the color of their skin. If the way justice is administered in Virginia suggests that, then the system needs fixing.
The injustice of that outcome starts early. Commonwealth of Virginia has the distinction of referring nation’s highest ratio of young people of color into the criminal justice system. 16 of every 1000 Virginian young African-Americans end up there. That’s what “school-to-prison pipeline” means.
As a human being, I cannot abide a justice system that streams a record number of young people, and a disproportionate number of children, of color into prison.
A local public meeting opened my eyes to the “school-to-prison pipeline.” It’s one more face of racism in America. It shows up in my header graphic for this post, adapted/expanded by Ellen Tuzzolo from an original graphic published by the Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence, with a similar rank of “social acceptability” as “Police murdering People of Color” and “Confederate Flags.”
In Virginia, African American students get suspended at 3.6 times the rate of white students. They make up 23% of the student population but account for 58 percent of short term suspensions, 60 percent of long term suspensions, and 55 percent of expulsions.
Why does that happen and how did it start? If you have had kids in school in the United States over the past 25 years you might know this: in many communities School Resource Officers (SRO) are on-site in the schools as employees of local law enforcement agencies. They are under the direction to use police procedure to enforce state and local law. It was news to me…and so were the consequences.
In the early 1990’s, many communities started to place police officers in the schools to increase safety. But their roles expanded over time. Research showed that the presence of police in a school resulted in a greater number of young people being arrested for minor offenses. What in my day might have been a “mild scuffle” with the vice-principal could be today’s “assaulting a police officer,” which a law enforcement official must report as a crime.
Childhood trauma is often a cause of serious childhood misconduct. Black and Latino students are at a greater risk than white students of having experienced childhood trauma. Youth of color are also more likely than white youth to attend schools with police officers. This means that students of color, who may have greater need for mental health care than white youth, are instead dealt with by police officers who are untrained or insufficiently trained in responding to trauma.
~ RawStory.com 9/7/16
Without adequate training of adult teachers and leaders, and without detailed briefings for parents and students about the rules of engagement, even simple everyday interactions have the potential to escalate easily into disciplinary action and suspensions.
Suspensions mean missed classes. Missed classes bring students stigma and social isolation and put them on a path of failing grades that can be difficult to reverse.
Kids make mistakes. Repeatedly. They need more than once chance to get it right, and the criminal justice system often doesn’t give them that chance.
Once the get into the criminal justice system, these young people are imprisoned at an annual cost of $150,000 per person. That’s more than enough money to send that same person to college for four years!
Both the school board member and the Assistant Public Defender who spoke at the meeting agreed that the schools need more resources and better training for teachers and school resource officers, for starters. That’s yet another expenditure I’d support before putting kids in prison.
Imagine what kind of change we would see in communities if even half of those kids got the resources and opportunity to overcome obstacles they were born into, and the support to defy those disadvantages to see and make choices that would get them to college instead of to prison.
As a human being as well as a taxpayer, I’d rather my money send kids to college than send them to prison.
This isn’t just a problem in Virginia. It’s certainly an issue that all voters (but most immediately those in Virginia, which holds gubernatorial elections on November 7th, 2017) should know how candidates will address before they head to the polls.
And it’s an issue that we should all care about as human beings.
Why White People Can’t Afford Silence
August 31, 2017 / judybradt / 1 Comment
Racism is a daily reality for persons of color.
Even to say that I think about racism and privilege more and more is to admit the privilege of having the choice to ever not think about these issues. People of color don’t have that choice. I acknowledge up front that people face discrimination and hatred for many reasons other than race, too; right now I am writing about race. Trust me, I’ll get to others.
I cannot imagine what it would be like as a young person to cross a threshold of realization that every single morning I wake up I could fully expect my day to be filled with racism taking the form of everything from tiny slashes and pricks by the unwitting to full-on intentional deadly assault by haters who know nothing about me but the color of my skin. Maybe today would be better than yesterday. But the odds aren’t great.
No one in America, no one anywhere, deserves to live that way. Anyone who does not live in such a constant state of assault has a responsibility to fight for those who do.
I was deeply disturbed to see a president who did not immediately and unequivocally condemn racism in the face of a public demonstration of activities that were inarguably intended as such. I disagree with his policies, but his implicit support of racism betrays the fundamental American values established in the constitution (and its amendments) that he swore to protect and uphold.
For me to be silent about his behavior simply to avoid the discomfort of being in disagreement with people I know who support this president flies in the face of everything that America stands for, everything that drew me to seek the American citizenship that I now hold. As a citizen, it is my responsibility to stand up and say, “No more,” and then actually do something about it.
Events in Charlottesville brought my attention back to facets of racism that I either didn’t know or hadn’t thought much about recently.
I read arguments on both sides of the “Lost Cause” of what the Confederacy stood for. I remain convinced that it was, at its core, about the fate of slavery in the United States. Any other arguments simply obscure the fact that thousands of people sought to sustain a way of life in which they could legally treat fellow humans like objects.
I discovered that the surge in new statues of Confederate generals represents racial conflict, response by white Americans to their fears during times of greater advocacy of equality for black Americans.
I was heartened by the community leaders who covered or removed those statues from places of honor. I was left wondering why communities wouldn’t all go back into their own histories and seek to replace those statues and names with those of people whose work and actions and sacrifices represent all that those communities and all their citizens aspire to today.
I live on a street probably named for a Confederate general. My city of Alexandria recently rescinded its 1953 policy to name all new north-south streets after Confederate generals and are in the process of re-naming the Jefferson Davis Highway. There are no plans to systematically change the names of over 60 streets named for Confederate leaders, I just discovered how someone may apply to re-name a street in Alexandria. I have a feeling there’s more to it than submitting a form. Re-naming streets takes time and money, none of which is infinite. Would I rather use that time and money keeping young kids out of the criminal justice system? Actually, yes. But I’d like to ask some of my African-American friends how they feel about that, too.
I noticed the memes, like “This is not a wakeup call. The alarm has been ringing for over 200 years, and y’all been hittin’ the snooze button,” and “Where would you put a statue to honor someone who raped your wife and beat your children?”
It was clear to me that people who say they want to exercise their right to freedom of speech to say things they know are offensive to the majority of Americans have more in mind than expressing their views when they take to the streets to exercise that freedom armed with weapons.
I am still ashamed by my utter naivete and blindness in thinking for even an instant that a country that could elect Barack Obama had risen above racism. I cannot believe that I was not awake to the signs of how many millions of Americans loathed that president specifically for his race. I cannot believe I didn’t pay attention to how many people felt threatened by all he symbolized for them as a black man in a position of power, and how determined they were to replace him with someone who represented as much of a polar opposite as they could imagine.
A white woman recently said to me, about protests against racial injustice, “They should just get over it.” I am ashamed that I didn’t know what to say to her, and that I did not say something as simple as “That is not okay.”
But I know that racism isn’t something from which white people can seek personal absolution. I can accept responsibility for the times when I did not speak up against racism in its many pervasive forms, and work to become ever more conscious of opportunities to do so. There are still plenty of those.
Until every person of color everywhere on the planet all agree that they are not discriminated against because of the color of their skin, it’s not over. Discussions of racism make a great many white people profoundly uncomfortable. That’s particularly so for those who look at their ethical selfie and say, “Well, I don’t behave that way. Explain to me again why you think you still have problems, and what you expect me to do about it.”
“Structural racism”… has been perpetuated throughout history and is present in education, politics, public safety, culture, health, and also social relations.
~ Aline Ramos
So long as it’s present in our laws, education systems, media, culture and society, we’re all responsible for working to eliminate it. In other words, white people, racism should make us feel uncomfortable. That’s the very least it should do. If we are not noticing it around us every day, then we’re not trying hard enough. Racism should make us feel disturbed and angry and compassionate and on fire with determination to wipe it out.
Yes, if you are white, it can take a lot of deliberate effort to try to see the world and understand the stories of centuries of pain and humiliation and fear that fill the daily lives of persons of color.
I’m grateful for every person of color who has published examples from their own experience to help white people understand what privilege is. I’ve written about the gifts of insight I have received from my step-mother-in-law, Pocahontas Gertler, whose life story is of a determined warrior for social justice. Re-reading Lori Lakin Hutcherson’s ten poignant examples of privilege brought it home to me yet again.
I’m working on understanding the worldview and experience of people of color. That’s well-defined task, because that experience is changing every day, both for better and for worse, depending on who you are and where you are.
“There aren’t any crib notes or 5-minute YouTube videos to fix you. If you’re really determined to do better, know that this journey will take the rest of your life. Think of it as continuing education or an independent studies class where you need to proactively seek out the content. Don’t ask us to provide the information for you. Instead, participate in your own education. We’ve already given you enough of our free labor. Don’t ask us for anymore.”
~ Real Talk: WOC and Allies
Here are three of my favorite stories that bring this home.
Black musician Darryl Davis has been befriending Ku Klux Klan members through gentle conversation for almost 25 years. They hand over their hoods when they change their views. Just watch how he does it in this two minute trailer of the award winning film, Accidental Courtesy.
Accidental Courtesy – Theatrical Trailer from Sound & Vision on Vimeo.
Said Davis,
The most important thing I learned is that when you are actively learning about someone else you are passively teaching them about yourself. So if you have an adversary with an opposing point of view, give that person a platform. Allow them to air that point of view, regardless of how extreme it may be. And believe me, I’ve heard things so extreme at these rallies they’ll cut you to the bone.
Give them a platform.
You challenge them. But you don’t challenge them rudely or violently. You do it politely and intelligently. And when you do things that way chances are they will reciprocate and give you a platform. So he and I would sit down and listen to one another over a period of time. And the cement that held his ideas together began to get cracks in it. And then it began to crumble. And then it fell apart.
See for yourself how people with deeply-held views behave when they first discover each other as human beings rather than carriers of opposing ideologies. (Credit: Heineken UK)
More binds us than divides us — if we are willing to look past what we see and get to know who we are. See all that we share, in Three Beautiful Human Minutes by Danish filmmaker Asger Leth.
What can white people do?
I’m now remembering the vow I took after election day: to seek out conversations with those whose beliefs are different from mine. I’d kind of tailed off my efforts. It’s I got back into my discomfort zone.
Silence in the face of racism is not acceptable, and never has been. Neither is righteous hand-wringing. Just saying, “Isn’t that awful?” to all our white friends changes nothing if we are not also taking action.
As Ali Owens says, white people doing nothing is part of the problem. Noticing, denouncing, and pushing back against white supremacy in all its forms is our constitutional responsibility.
Aline Ramos suggests nine ways that white people can support the fight against racism.
The Southern Poverty Law Center offers these community-focused ideas.
Probably the most powerful is conversation. Research shows that in order for someone to change their position, they first need to feel heard. We need to discover each other as humans. That is anywhere from uncomfortable to surprising to downright scary.
Why would anyone even listen to racism? Consider this: because it has better odds of opening the door to changing someone’s mind than does arguing.
Listening to views we find offensive or repugnant is uncomfortable. Actively drawing people who hold these views into conversation is even more scary. In part, we’re afraid of what someone might think of us as listeners. We’re afraid that the person who’s speaking these things might infer that we agree with them. We’re afraid that a bystander to our conversation might infer that we tolerate these views and think the worse of us.
The president’s words and actions since Inauguration Day this year have left me with a continually-deepening sense of paralysis. I remembered the prescient voices of those who, last November, predicted a dangerous national numbness as a new normal swept the nation. There was nothing I liked about the incoming president. He had said he was going to do a lot of things I didn’t like. Democratic government permitted Americans to elect him and offers me ways to speak and act to contradict his policies.
Since the election, I’ve felt increasingly overwhelmed by wave after wave of this Administration’s words and actions that I disgree with. I want to be thorough and thoughtful when I write, to check my facts and sources before I publish. But when events in Charlottesville brought racism once again into the front and center of public discourse, that drove my choice for this post.
Some people will disagree with me. Others will show me things I didn’t know, and I will need to be prepared to process the inevitable shame I feel from appearing to be less than perfectly knowledgeable. I will disagree with some of them, too. I don’t like conflict. But staying silent to avoid the discomfort of being in disagreement with someone gives implicit support to actions and policies that fly in the face of everything that America stands for, everything that drew me to seek the American citizenship that I now hold.
Brene Brown’s video “We Need To Keep Talking About Charlottesville” in the aftermath of violence reminded me that I don’t have to wait to find the perfect words to speak about racism, about immigration, about human rights, about all the fundamental human values that are under an assault led from the highest levels in America right now.
Okay, and what else will I do, besides listening and writing? I’ve found two issues I’m ready to work on. One is voter registration. For the other, that’s my next post.
Departure Is Not An Option.
June 2, 2017 / judybradt / 6 Comments
The President said today that he will withdraw the United States from the Paris Accord.
This is just plain wrong-headed thinking.
We all live on this planet. So every one of us is also responsible for cleaning up our messes. Didn’t your mom tell you as much? She was right, and is in a united front with Big Mama: Mother Earth herself.
Reducing the burden of environmental regulations on businesses does not guarantee economic growth and new jobs. In the long term, reversing the United States’ commitments to a clean environment will hurt Americans and hurt our neighbors.
China’s commitment is “to lower carbon dioxide emissions (compared to its 2005 level) by 60 to 65 percent by 2030 and India’s commitment to lower emissions by 33 to 35 percent by 2030.” The deadline the U.S. set for its own reduction is 2025. In so doing, America would be first in leading the world at cutting emissions!
The President wanted a deal that is more “fair;” that puts America first. What on earth is fair about sustaining actions that soil the planetary nest for us all?
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are all impossible if we are ill. We lose our liberty to choose the life we want to live if our air and soil and water are contaminated with things that make us sick. The theoretical prosperity businesses will achieve from spending less to comply with regulations will be outstripped by the costs of a faltering environment that will fail in part because those regulations were rolled back.
Which jobs are going to grow by backing out of the Accord? America’s natural gas, wind and solar industries today employ over five times as many American workers as the coal industry.
If the Administration is looking for a big win, this isn’t it. Leaving the Paris Accord is a colossal, irresponsible, error. Is it possible that the point of making a big statement that has no immediate impact but gets a wide swath of people upset is look like you had a big win? To declare the intent to withdraw from the Accord costs no money up front, takes no Congressional approval, and appeals to Trump supporters because Their Guy is telling the whole world to get stuffed.
Could the White House simply want to create more uncertainty and distraction from myriad other issues that are much closer to hand and on which it’s much harder to accomplish anything of substance?
I’ve stopped trying to guess what the White House is up to. Plenty of people who are smarter than I am are investigating that already. I’m not impressed by either of the arguments offered by twenty-one Republican Senators who support the President on this issue. Their first argument is that participation in the Accord will generate litigation that will prevent the President from rolling back the Clean Power Act. I’m not mollified by the idea that even if the United States were to withdraw from the Paris Accord, it still holds a permanent seat at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), out of which the Accord arose.
Three things this week give me great heart: Big Industry, Big Cities, and Big Thinkers.
Watch Big Industry. Leaders of 30 of America’s largest corporations, spanning transportation, energy, agriculture, manufacturing, banking and technology urged the President to support the accord. ExxonMobil shareholders directed their company to publish reports that document how climate change is likely to affect its business. Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric, said the President is wrong. Lloyd Blankfein, head of Goldman Sachs, used his first-ever tweet to say that the President is wrong on this one.
Related: Harvard Business Review details on U.S industry support for the Accord
Watch Big Cities. Today, mayors of 68 American cities announced their plan, to independently align their efforts, representing over 36 million Americans, with the other 194 nations that adopted the accord. Ironically, that list includes Pittsburgh, PA…despite the President’s announcement that his decision to withdraw from the Accord supports a brighter future for cities like Pittsburgh.
Watch Big Thinkers. Today, Elon Musk, the last of the Silicon Valley CEO’s on the President’s advisory boards, today resigned, tweeting, “Am departing presidential councils. Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world.”
Neil deGrasse Tyson opined, “If I and my advisors had never learned what Science is or how & why it works, then I’d consider pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord too.”
I just finished the latest book by author and NYT columnist Tom Friedman. It couldn’t be better timed. Thank You For Being Late: An Optimists’s Guide To Thriving In The Age Of Accelerations, concludes with 17 policy options that Mother Nature would support if she led a political party.
And closer to home, literally: As I was writing this, a young man came to the door asking me to get in touch with Senator Warner, to oppose 31% funding cuts to EPA and support programs that sustain the Chesapeake Bay. I was glad to chat with him.
The New “Pursuit of Happiness”
May 15, 2017 May 15, 2017 / judybradt / 1 Comment
Since mid-January, the first three minutes of news I hear when my alarm goes off leave me with more questions than answers. Why is this happening? What are they thinking? Why are they doing this? I needed to identify factual reporting of what did happen, and set aside speculation about what might happen.
After absorbing the last four or five months a gamut of other people’s news and blogs and opinions and comedy and hand-wringing, I’ve been delayed by the quaint need to research facts before throwing unsubstantiated opinions out on my own blog.
I’m back. I’ve had time to do some research. I just needed to curb my penchant to footnote it all.
I’m dismayed to realize that no right or freedom in America is protected in perpetuity. The last few months have left me better informed about all the ways something once passed into law, implemented in regulation, and even decided by the Supreme Court, can be undone. One of the responsibilities of citizenship, apparently, is constant vigilance in defense of the freedoms one holds dear.
Has “…the pursuit of happiness…” become synonymous with “fight for rights”? Until this moment, I hadn’t considered that. A friend of mine told me that she sincerely hoped that protest marches in America never become as common as the ones in South Korea. There, she said, “nobody pays attention anymore.” I’d have to agree with her hope.
I like it when people speak plainly, tell each other what they want and need, and sensibly work it out. I have never been able to understand the gamesmanship of political bargaining or even marketplace haggling for that matter.
I also want to be able to take a President of the United States as his word. Experience shows me that I can expect this President to consistently disappoint me in that regard. It seems just rude to routinely set aside everything someone says and wait a few days or months for updates to see what he really meant to say.
RELATED: The New York Times “…logged at least one false or misleading claim per day on 91 of his first 99 days.” >>MORE
Hats off to members of the media right across the political spectrum who have nailed down a process to rapidly fact check, interpret, and understand the words and actions of the new Administration. I noticed when the White House press office started saying, “…the President believes…” is though his belief alone sufficed to substantiate a fact.
Looking back, I disagreed with many of the decisions and policies during George W. Bush’s administration. I remember feeling a pall of darkness around the deepening of military involvement post 9/11, and unease about deficit and the foundering economy. But at that point I wasn’t a citizen. Resident alien, full-time legal guest. It was someone else’s country, someone else’s problem.
Now that I am a citizen, under this Administration, I struggle. This is my first experience voting in a presidential election when my team didn’t win. I feel somehow personally responsible for what I fear will be negative consequences of the new Administration’s policies for me, for people I care about, for the country, and for the rest of the world.
I’m more curious about reporting outside my “bubble” than I was before the election. I took less comfort in, and applied more critical thought to, left-leaning media sources after the election. Which cherished freedoms are actually threatened?
Will I look back and regret that I didn’t drop everything else and become a full time civic activist? My ancient inner voice is always scolding me, saying, “Uncomfortable? Not good enough. What are you doing to make a difference?”
I don’t have a lot of patience for speculation about all the things that MIGHT happen. I’m no pundit, and a bad guesser. Until this year, if a law were passed about something I care about, and the critical details of how it will work were to be in the implementing regulations, I’ve submitted comments on draft regulations.
On occasion, I’ve stepped up to advocate for a law (to expand opportunities for women-owned businesses in federal contracting) or against (proposed budget cuts in funding research on ovarian cancer).
Right now, the White House and the Administration are constantly taking actions, and Congress is considering bills, on many positions I disagree with.
So I’ve changed my approach. I don’t have my members of Congress on speed dial. I have called them and written them more since January than at any time since I took my oath of citizenship in 2010.
I pay far more attention to the minutiae of how the legislative process works, because I’m much more concerned that the Republican majority and White House will make policy and pass laws that I don’t think are in America’s best interest.
Even though Republicans hold power in two of three branches of government, they have do not have unanimous views or vision. Being in opposition is easier than governing. The President is surprised to find that he does not get his way. The Democrats and Republicans in Congress are listening to their constituents before they vote, not simply voting along party lines. The greatest fears of those out of power have not come to pass (at least not yet).
I’ve taken a step back from liberal blogosphere weekly listings of all the worrisome bills that have been introduced. Most bills proposed don’t become law. The 114th Congress was more productive than the 113th and 112th Congresses. The House beat its historical average, passing 11.2% of bills it introduced. The Senate passed 4.8% of its bills, fewer than its 7.1% average.
I have realized that the stream of news from the embattled left requires just as much critical reading as the ebullient right. I’ve trimmed my media feed to a handful of sources from the mainstream swim lane, below, and sample a bit of the governing majority viewpoint from contrary-minded friends and the right side of the infographic.
I’ve waited a couple of months to see how things are unfolding before even trying to write. Every day, I’m spending more time sorting through the latest events and announcements. Every day, I hear the new thing. I’m grateful for reporters who dig in to clarify or confirm or correct whatever the President said. I wait and see what happens next. Then I research to figure out what I know, what I don’t know. I try to get to a point where I know enough to have an intelligent conversation or ask intelligent questions with someone else on either side of the aisle.
I don’t expect to agree with the current Administration on much. But I watch and listed and ask questions to try and understand. Here are just a few issues that are top of mind for me right now.
The Executive Order banning travelers and suspending entry of refugees from six predominantly Muslim countries: does not increase national security by preventing attacks by Islamist militants. There is already so little chance of terrorist attack in the United States by someone from those countries that the ban changes virtually nothing. The ban helps the President and his Administration gain support from Americans who have been made to believe they are not safe. By pointing to people from predominantly Muslim countries as a potential danger, the travel ban makes people feel the President has made them “safer” by banning those people.
Health care: Is the Affordable Care Act perfect? No. Are there major issues that need to be addressed so that insurers will continue to offer coverage? Yes. But why would Republicans and the White House propose changes that experts estimate may result in between six million and twenty million people losing health care coverage ? The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that proposed changes in health care would cut taxes by at least $600 billion. I just paid my 2016 taxes. Would I have preferred to keep that money? Not if it’s the price I need to pay to live in a country where people who are sick can get care without going bankrupt. Not if my taxes give people better access to everyday care that keeps them healthier and out of emergency rooms and expensive procedures that could have been avoided.
Oh, about the absence of female legislators among the thirteen members to work on health care in the Senate? Diverse groups make better decisions. We need that more than ever. MORE>>
Tax policy: My inexpert understanding is that a big goal of changing health care policy is not simply to undo a previous Administration’s work, but to cut taxes and stimulate growth. Yet not one of 42 economists surveyed by the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business (which regularly polls economists) believes “…the cuts would stimulate the economy enough to cancel out the effect on total tax revenue.”
Environmental protection: clean air, water, energy and soil enable good health and the quality of life. I want laws and regulations to support that. Why would we stop protecting those things? Why dismantle regulations that do? I am not an environmental economist. I don’t have the data to support my belief that money spent to protect and improve the environment is money well spent. If you have data showing that protecting the environment is a waste of money, show me. I am baffled by the idea that money in someone’s pocket is more important than the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink. Animals that destroy their habitats die. When a community finds its environment has been poisoned, people can get sick or die while waiting for governments to fund and take remedial action. Poor communities may face even greater environmental risks under the new Administration, if EPA cuts funds to the environmental justice program that provides seed money, funds and advocacy they need to fix or prevent those problems.
Immigration has so many facets. I immigrated legally. I filled out forms and paid fees and followed the rules. Do I believe that people should immigrate legally? Yes. Do I believe that the United States should allow more of its citizens to sponsor and help resettle refugees who are screened for security risks? Yes.
I also want this country and its leaders to find compassionate ways to tackle tougher issues.
Should all people who have entered illegally be deported? If not, then what should happen? Undocumented entry itself breaks the law. What if people commit another crime? “Criminal alien” is not defined in U.S. immigration law or regulations. The law is similarly ambiguous about what crimes are sufficient cause to deport an alien. If someone has entered illegally, and they’ve committed a crime, well, how serious a crime is a good enough reason to deport them? On one hand, a law is a law. On the other hand, how can we guarantee enforcement that is free of racial bias or xenophobia?
Russian influence on the U.S. elections? I hope it’s possible to get clarity on the past, and have justice prevail. Regardless of the results of any investigation, the election results can’t be undone. So what can we do, moving forward, to be aware of, and ward off, such a thing in the future?
The entire casting and recasting of White House and Administration officials? I didn’t care for many of the Cabinet appointees. Firing FBI Director James Comey? That story’s still coming out. I’ve found that the most perplexing situation yet. He and his fellow appointees swore or affirm an oath under 5 U.S.C. 3331 to “…support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”
I absolutely want officials who are doing their level best to support and defend the Constitution, and whose job is loyalty to the citizens they serve.
I’ve learned to paying attention to bills and proposals on the things I care about most. I’ve marched for some things and raised funds for others. I’ll keep doing that, because the majority of those in power might not want the same outcome as I do.
Contrary Conversations
February 26, 2017 February 26, 2017 / judybradt / Leave a comment
A single unfriending opened the door to a lot more understanding.
What I’m learning from conversations with people outside my bubble is a lesson in unity that we all need to learn. These are the kind of conversations that need to pave the road between now and November 2018, and November 2020…and beyond.
In the days following the election, many of my liberal Democrat leaning friends publicly ended their friendships with people who voted for Donald Trump. The unfrienders were making unilateral judgements of the values and desires and aspirations of people based on the button they hit in a polling booth. I was surprised by the venomous language coming out of people I had considered to be smart and kind and thoughtful.
I set aside judgement of both the unfriended and the unfrienders, and put on my thinking cap (which is not pink). So much could be going on with both sides. Hurt, fear, anger, shock, disappointment. The only way to know for sure is to talk with people.
One such “unfriending” thread gave me the clue to a new conversation. I wrote to Ken and asked him if he’d get together with me for a conversation on current affairs. He not only agreed, but went out of his way to meet with me. “I don’t normally discuss politics,” he began. “Most people don’t know I voted for Trump.”
I had two goals, I told him. First, I wanted to ask him what motivated his choice, and perhaps discover potential for common ground between us. Second, I wanted him to hold me accountable for my resolve to not argue with him about his views. My vow was to listen closely, and ask questions to clarify my understanding. If we found we could be allies on some issues, that would be a bonus.
What did Ken expect the new President to do, in return for that vote?
Ken’s top issue: “Cut fraud, waste, and abuse,” he said. “I would love to see a massive effort to cut waste and a move toward fiscal responsibility. Big one for me. I’m in love with the idea of small government. While that may never happen, any move that way is positive.” Even the best run governments have plenty of fraud, waste and abuse. I’d recently skimmed a link that Ken had posted about improprieties in financial management and contracting at a Department of Veterans Affairs office in Texas. If that story were true, it certainly sounded like an example of the kind of thing I would like to see a lot less of. How one goes about that is a topic for another day.
Next thing: Tax simplification. “I like his direction on tax simplification and most of the economic agenda (cut back on regulation and tax changes encouraging repatriation of taxible assets).”
I don’t get emotionally wrapped around the axle about taxes. Even in years when it’s hard, I’m glad to pay mine. Taxes mostly get me excited in a good way, along the lines of Mr. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes’ quotation, “Taxes are the price we pay for civilized society.” What do I think the taxes of a civilized society should fund? Watch for another blog post. I decided I could wait for a future conversation to compare and contrast visions with Ken on that.
Third thing: “Immigration.” I’d like to hear more about Ken’s views on that, too. As an immigrant, now a citizen, myself, I had had to file paperwork and pay fees and line up and line up and line up and wait for years. I hadn’t really stopped to take apart my own position on a whole complicated collection of issues related to immigration yet, so I didn’t dig any deeper at that point. Once I figured out my own stuff, I would want to pick up that conversation, too. Immigration isn’t a monolithic issue, and I would bet we would find several things where we agreed. Just as we were having lunch, lawyers and protesters were headed to international airports to aid and support thousands of people from seven predominantly Muslim countries who had been temporarily banned from entering the United States by Executive Order of the President.
I asked him how he felt about health care, particularly coverage of pre-exisiting conditions. Ken, for example, has a degenerative disease that. If he were to change jobs, would he want his new employer to be required to cover that condition? Well, yes, if his wife’s insurance couldn’t cover him. Is the Affordable Care Act perfect? No, he and I agreed. Does America’s health care program — under whatever name — need work? Yes. Should it be scrapped without an alternative? Again, no.
Now, my other line of inquiry: What issues or rights did he know were at risk when he voted for Trump, and still remained concerned would come under attack by the new Administration?
His watchdog issues? “Big concerns can probably be sumarized as swing back toward religious right (abortion, marriage equality, sexuality, war on drugs).” It would seem that Ken and I are allies on these issues as well as on sexual freedom (including freedom of expression as well as human rights for gay, lesbian, queer and transgendered people).
So, unsurprisingly, we have many issues where we share common concerns. My bet is that there are going to be more in the months to come, especially if we keep talking and listening to each other.
RELATED: Sam Altman, who runs a Silicon Valley incubator shares highlights of his quest to have a hundred conversations like that. MORE >>
Am I going to be angry for the next four years with everyone who voted for Trump? Of course not.
First, that would be not only a waste of time, but also squander the precious opportunity to build allies.
Second, the polls suggest that the more people I talk to, the more friends I’m going to find, and that those numbers are doing to keep growing.
RELATED: After a month in office, Trump’s favorable rating had dropped as low as 38%. See details on that and other polls MORE>>
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Movies: Past, present and future
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'The Vow' writers: A tale Tatum and McAdams could appreciate
February 20, 2012 | 7:30 am
What if you were engaged to your professional partner and called off the wedding -- but decided to keep working together anyway? It could be a plot line from a movie like "The Vow" or "He's Just Not That Into You." But it's something a tad more surreal: the real-life story of the writing duo behind those films.
Directed by Michael Sucsy and released last week, "The Vow" is set to close out a strong holiday weekend with a likely four-day haul that will top $27 million, making it the most lucrative release of the young year. The relationships in the Rachel McAdams-Channing Tatum romantic drama, in which he must court his amnesiac wife anew after she wakes from a coma and reverts to an earlier version of herself, are complicated enough.
But the tale of writers Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein rivals anything their characters grapple with.
Kohn and Silverstein dated for seven years, then broke up in the early 2000s. They proceeded to marry other people -- she, in 2005, music executive Jason Linn; he, two years later, actress Busy Phillips. They each now have daughters with their new spouses. But they continue to collaborate on scripts about relationships and romance -- in fact, they've found far more success since their breakup -- as they practice what is surely one of the oddest professional relationships in a town filled with them.
Abby: "It's a little weird," speaking by phone this weekend in a joint interview with her writing partner, the two routinely finishing each other's thoughts.
Marc: "Maybe more than a little weird."
Abby: "I think when I first started dating [my husband], he had questions, but he got it pretty quickly."
Marc: "My wife had a tougher time at the beginning."
Abby: "It's not simple."
Marc: "It's not a simple thing to explain on a first date."
Abby: "On a third date."
After meeting in film school at USC and hooking up as lovers and filmmaking partners, Kohn and Silverstein graduated and began writing feature scripts about young love. Though only in their 20s, they soon sold a pitch, a back-to-school comedy titled "Never Been Kissed." Within a year, the movie was shooting with Drew Barrymore. It was considered a respectable hit when it came out in 1999.
PHOTOS: "The Vow" premiere
The years that followed were rougher. The pair toiled in television, watching as pilot deals came and went. For a time their relationship intensified -- they became engaged and were just a few months from the wedding -- then it sputtered. The two decided to break up. (Abby: "When we were younger it was work all the time." Marc: "It was probably a little unhealthy, though we got a lot more done." Abby: "We got a lot more done, and we also didn't do anything else.")
Most couples would have thrown in the towel on their creative partnership at that point. But the breakup wasn't messy, and besides, the two had more pressing concerns.
Marc: "When we decided not to get married, we were contractually obligated on a pilot."
Abby: "We were in pre-production; we couldn't take time off."
Marc: "So we figured we should try to work together."
Abby: "We had to do it."
Marc: "It was not great."
Abby: "But it didn't take that long for it to get normal again."
They continued with that pilot, then others. At one point they even created a show, "Splitsville," that was based on their own story. It didn't turn into a series, but the pair continued trying to get a movie or television show going.
Then a few years ago, a break came. After numerous writers tried to crack the story on a thin self-help book called "He's Just Not That Into You," Kohn and Silverstein had the idea to turn it into an ensemble romance with overlapping characters. They were given the assignment, then watched as the movie went on to become a hit in February 2009.
Soon after, they did some work on "Valentine's Day," another ensemble romantic comedy. That became a hit too. And then came "The Vow," a project at the company then called Spyglass (a third writer the pair didn't work with, Jason Katims, also got a screenplay credit, while a fourth received a story credit). The movie is Kohn's and Silverstein's third Valentine's Day hit in four years -- all after they called it quits as a couple.
The two events, they say, might not be a coincidence. They speculate that they're able in their scripts to cover the gamut of romantic experience -- breakups and happy unions, expressed as both comedies and dramas -- because they'd been through it all themselves.
The inspiration for "The Vow," in fact, came from a potential scenario in their own lives. "It was like 'What would happen if somehow I forgot I was with my husband and thought I might still have feelings for Marc. How would my husband react?'" Kohn said. (Silverstein added that he thought one reason the movie has caught on is because "there's something sort of simple and appealing about someone promising to do something and trying to stick to it.")
The pair is heading back to their writing cave (well, an office they rent jointly). They'd like to try to write an original script; much of their work to this point has been based on existing projects. They're also set to start work this week on a rewrite of a comedy called "Mean Moms" that's a sequel of sorts to " Mean Girls." It's something they feel qualified to write now that they have children themselves, just as they feel qualified to write a range of other romantic stories.
Marc: "I think we have the best of both worlds. I know a lot of writing teams that, as good friends as they are, still can't say to each other what we can say to each other."
Abby: "There's no tiptoeing with us."
Marc: "We've already said the worst possible things to each other."
Abby: "Well, maybe not the worst."
Review: "The Vow" leaves you wanting more
"The Vow" leads strong weekend with $41.7 million
"The Vow:" What is it about Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams?
-- Steven Zeitchik
twitter.com/ZeitchikLAT
Photo: Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams in "The Vow." Credit: Screen Gems
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Tag Archives: high tech
Starting a new Haifa beat
Posted on March 11, 2013 by Laura Rosbrow
As some of you know, I have started to write about the Haifa area. I can do this now that I am working from home and have the 4 hours of my day back that I used to spend commuting. Yipee.
Here is my first piece, titled, “The allure of the city by the bay,” which I published in the Jerusalem Post‘s weekly metro section. It’s their top story this week!
Screenshot on Metro’s page, Monday, March 11: http://www.jpost.com/Metro/Home.aspx
If you have ideas for pieces I can write about Haifa, the North, or about whatever, let me know. I’m looking to develop my portfolio considerably, so any ideas would be appreciated.
Without further ado, here’s the piece, texted below so that you can read it beyond the paywall (sshh).
The allure of the city by the bay
A small immigrant shift is taking place in Haifa. What does the city have to offer Anglos that other urban areas do not?
By LAURA ROSBROW
Photo by: Itamar Grinberg
Many would say it is hard to find English-speakers in Haifa – that although one can hear English spoken occasionally in public, it does not happen often. So it may come as a surprise that there are over 700 members of the “Haifa Young English Speakers” Facebook group.
At an HYES pub night recently – an event held once or twice a month – several dozen people crowded into the dimly lit, cozy student bar and restaurant Nola Socks, located near the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. It was a diverse and well educated group. Many studied at the Technion.
Several were postdoctoral students. Quite a few were new immigrants, only one or two of whom wore kippot, though there were some Israelis there as well.
According to statistics from Nefesh B’Nefesh, there is an immigrant shift taking place: More Anglos are coming to Haifa. Since 2008, the number of North American and British immigrants who have moved to the northern city has tripled. In the same period, the number of olim from those countries has not even doubled.
However, this movement is small. According to Smadar Stoller Porat, the city’s project director of immigration for olim from English-speaking countries, the total number of English-speaking olim living in Haifa is around 2,600.
What is Haifa starting to offer Anglos that other urban areas cannot? Put simply, it’s cheap and beautiful.
Rental apartments cost around half what they do in Tel Aviv, and unlike in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, many apartments in Haifa have views. If you want a San Francisco-like view from your apartment and a more affordable quality of life, Haifa delivers.
MOLLY MULLIGAN, a 30-year-old American postdoctoral student in biomedical engineering at the Technion, is HYES’s social activities coordinator.
Raised Christian but now secular, she came to Israel because a doctoral mentor urged her to work with his colleague at the Technion. Asked if she plans to stay in Israel after her postdoc is done, she says she wants to if she can.
“I would like to stay, but I have to see if I can get a work visa. The level of work being done at the Technion and the companies I’ve had interactions with is just very high,” she says.
Aside from sometimes being mistaken for a Russian, Mulligan barely mentions encountering any difficulties.
In contrast, Diana Polansky, who made aliya five months ago from New York, seems less certain she will stay in Haifa. The 33-year-old Polansky says she doesn’t know if she was sold the truth about the city as an ideal launching pad.
“It’s hard to survive here. People come to Haifa for the lower cost of living, but then can’t find a job,” she says. “You’re not saving anyone any money if you can’t work.”
Indeed, this is the key reason Haifa is cheap: Beyond the Technion, the University of Haifa and the hi-tech industry there are fewer lucrative job opportunities than in the Center.
And even though Kevin Mayer – a 33-year-old Australian immigrant to Haifa – is an engineer, he thinks he will probably move to the Center of the country. “I’m looking both in the Center and in Haifa.
A lot more jobs in engineering are in the Center, so I’m more likely to be in the Center.”
FOR THOSE newcomers unanchored by institutions like the Technion, the critical support they need to stay in the city seems to be a partner. Tellingly, Stoller Porat asserts that “Haifa is great for young families and young couples who want a good quality of life that’s not too difficult.”
She has less to say about what benefits the city may have for singles.
This family-friendly atmosphere was one of the factors that motivated 39-year-old Josh Turner, his wife, Revital, and their two children to make aliya a little over two years ago from Canada to Kiryat Bialik, a short drive away from Haifa.
The Turners’ greatest challenge in moving to Kiryat Bialik was finding work, as it is for most olim. But “I got around that by starting my own business,” says Josh. “I do international PR for companies. I’m a bigger fish in a small pond in the North, as opposed to a small fish in a big pond in the Center.”
He says he appreciates what the area has to offer and thinks it’s a pleasant, affordable place to raise a family.
Australian immigrant Tanya Ford, meanwhile, lived in Tel Aviv for more than four years before recently moving to Haifa to live with her Israeli boyfriend, and she feels there have been many benefits to the move.
“It’s a lot cheaper than living in Tel Aviv in terms of rent. In my field, which is engineering, there is a lot of work available here. And it’s beautiful – it reminds me of Sydney,” she says.
However, she cannot see Haifa becoming a hub for new immigrants, as there simply aren’t the numbers for it.
“Anglos and olim are attracted to places where there’s a bunch of olim,” she points out. “Haifa isn’t an ideal starting point for olim, but I think it offers a lot to people who are more settled down and established in the country. I think it was a really good move at this point in my aliya life.”
Annette Cohen, a religious woman who made aliya from the US in the early 1960s and has lived in Haifa ever since, sums up what is good about Haifa for Anglos: more interaction with Israelis and with nature.
“Haifa is good for people not interested in living in an English-speaking community,” she says. “And after all these years, I still stop to stare at the view.”
Posted in Cultural, Published | Tagged Aliyah, green, Haifa, high tech, immigrants, Media, moving challenges, relocation, Technion, views | 1 Reply
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