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Floryn has raised €9 million from Endeit Capital to fuel expansion in Europe
Investments 3 min read , May 28, 2020
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 28 May 2020 – Dutch fintech Floryn has raised €9 million from Endeit Capital and existing shareholders, including Peak Capital. Floryn, active in the online lending market for small and medium-sized enterprises, will use part of the funding to recruit additional staff for product development. The remainder will go toward fueling its national and international expansion, as demand for business loans has increased by 98%.
Earlier this year, Floryn received a PSD2 license from the Dutch Central Bank and was recently granted access to the Dutch loan guarantee scheme BMKB-C. This programme was set up to help SME entrepreneurs affected by the corona crisis. Floryn’s competitive position in relation to banks is further bolstered by the increased digitisation that was a result of the current health crisis. With Endeit Capital, Floryn brings on board a committed investor with extensive experience in the field of international expansion and acquisitions.
Higher adoption of online lending
"The need for online loans with a good customer experience and quick credit assessments has increased rapidly now that the world is adjusting to a new normal," said Sven van der Biezen, CEO and co-founder of Floryn. “In addition, accurate and real-time risk assessment has also become more important. Floryn’s use of innovative technology to tackle these issues sets it apart from banks and gives SMEs the opportunity to secure a loan quickly, even in times like these.”
Better risk assessment through technology
Floryn’s substantial investments in, among others, machine learning have lead to faster and improved risk assessments. Instead of taking out-of-date financial statements into account, Floryn chooses to focus on recent banking transactions and other data points. As a result, the percentage of losses are below 2%, even during the coronavirus crisis.
“Floryn is driven by technology, data and processes, making the company much more efficient and accurate. We look forward to using our experience for the benefit of growing Floryn’s business.” says Edwin Hengstmengel, Partner of Endeit Capital. Stefan Bary, Managing Partner of Peak Capital, who are making a follow-on investment in Floryn, agrees. Bary adds: “As a result, their performance is solid even during the coronavirus crisis. Floryn has demonstrated that it has the necessary execution power to become an important player in the rapidly changing fintech market.”
About Floryn
Floryn is a fast-growing Dutch fintech company, offering loans of up to €2 million to small and medium-sized enterprises and excellent customer experience management and service. Floryn was founded in 2016 by Sven van der Biezen (CEO), Marijn van Aerle (CTO) and Gion van den Bogaert (CFRO). The company has raised € 6 million in equity in 2017 from, among others, Peak Capital (known for Catawiki and OneFit) and Kalo Bagijn, co-founder of BinckBank and Brand New Day. In 2019, €60 million in financing was provided by NIBC and private investors. In addition to a PSD2 license from the Dutch Central Bank (De Nederlandsche Bank), Floryn has also obtained access to the Dutch loan guarantee scheme (BMKB-C), set up to help SME entrepreneurs affected by the coronavirus crisis. The company, located in the Jheronimus Academy of Data Science (JADS) in 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, employs 50 people. Further information can be found at www.floryn.com.
About Endeit Capital
Endeit Capital was founded in 2006 and has offices in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Hamburg, Germany. Since its foundation, the company has invested growth capital in more than 30 European internet scale-ups across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the UK, Finland, the Netherlands and Belgium. The focus is on companies in the areas of B2B/B2C SaaS and marketplaces. Endeit Capital actively supports its portfolio companies to become market leaders. Several of the businesses Endeit has invested in have since been sold, mostly to listed companies. Examples are Albelli, Metrixlab, UnamicHCN and Hyves in the Netherlands; Contorion and Gastrofix in Germany and Unruly in the UK. Further information can be found at www.endeit.com.
Investments 1 min read
Trengo raises EUR 1.75M investment by Peak Capital
Investments SaaS 4 min read
Why we invested in Route42
Jacqueline van den Ende
Peak Capital invests in Route42 and Storychief during second edition of the Fundathon
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Tag Archives: pacific rim
‘Pacific Rim 2’ officially set for 2017
It’s official: Legendary Pictures will make a sequel to Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim. Universal Pictures will release the flick in 2017. Details were dropped by del Toro in a short video clip, who also added that an animated series would precede the sequel. Original screenwriter Travis Beachem will continue with franchise development, but actual […]
guillermo del toro, pacific rim, pacific rim 2, quickflix
The body electric – Pacific Rim review
July 9, 2013 by Simon Miraudo 0 Comments
By Simon Miraudo July 9, 2013 Guillermo del Toro‘s dream of helming The Hobbit trilogy was crushed by circumstances out of his control (specifically, MGM’s money woes). His next proposed project, the pricey At the Mountains of Madness, was nixed by Universal, despite Tom Cruise being attached to star. You could forgive the Mexican filmmaker […]
charlie day, charlie hunnam, guillermo del toro, idris elba, pacific rim, quickflix, Rinko Kikuchi, simon miraudo
Jessica Chastain signs on for Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak
April 8, 2013 by Simon Miraudo 0 Comments
Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim is yet to hit cinemas, but actors are signing on to his follow-up in droves. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jessica Chastain is the latest to put her hand up for a part in his horror flick Crimson Peak. She joins Emma Stone, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Charlie Hunnam. The picture concerns a woman […]
benedict cumberbatch, charlie hunnam, crimson peak, emma stone, guillermo del toro, jessica chastain, pacific rim, quickflix
The 10 most exciting films of 2013
January 11, 2013 by Simon Miraudo 0 Comments
The 10 most exciting films of 2013. By Simon Miraudo. Though the holidays are over and many of us are back at work, it’s hard to feel anything but elation during January. With the whole year ahead of us, anything is possible. Yes, we can lose that Christmas weight! Yes, those new Arrested Development episodes […]
12 years a slave, a good day to die hard, acod, anchorman - the legend continues, before midnight, captain philips, catching fire, evil dead, fast and furious 6, gravity, hansel and gretel witch hunters, insidious 2, iron man 3, magic magic, man of steel, monsters university, nymphomaniac, oldboy, pacific rim, pain and gain, quickflix, side effects, simon miraudo, star trek into darkness, stoker, the 10 most exciting films of 2013, the counselor, the double, the great gatsby, the heat, the hobbit - the desolation of smaug, the incredible burt wonderstone, the wolverine, the world's end, this is the end, touchy feely, world war z
Guillermo Del Toro is too busy for Star Wars Episode 7
January 8, 2013 by Simon Miraudo 0 Comments
Guillermo Del Toro has revealed he was approached to potentially direct Disney’s Star Wars: Episode 7, but declined on account of his full schedule. Del Toro told The Playlist, “they haven’t formally approached me, [but] we got one phone call to my agent saying, ‘Is Guillermo interested?’” Unfortunately, Del Toro passed on the opportunity. “It […]
disney, guillermo del toro, michael arndt, pacific rim, quickflix, star wars episode 7, the hobbit
Trailer Debut: Pacific Rim
The feature trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s epic aliens vs. robots flick Pacific Rim has crash-landed. It tells of human kind’s apocalyptic battle with ocean monsters. Their primary line of defence: giant robots. It looks like a cross between Transformers and Akira and Godzilla and Cloverfield and Aliens and your teenage brother’s fantasies. Some of those things are good! The flick was recently post-converted to 3-D. Pacific Rim […]
charlie hunnam, guillermo del toro, idris elba, pacific rim, quickflix
Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim being post-converted to 3-D
Guillermo del Toro‘s upcoming sci-fi epic Pacific Rim will be post-converted to 3-D, despite the director previously suggesting it would not be a good fit. Deadline suggests this is Warner Bros’ attempt to make the movie a ‘billion-dollar club’ contender, with the higher 3-D ticket prices certain to inflate grosses. “I didn’t want to make the movie 3D because […]
3-d, charlie day, charlie hunnam, idris elba, pacific rim, quickflix, Rinko Kikuchi, wb
Poster Debut: Pacific Rim
The poster for Guillermo del Toro’s newie Pacific Rim has been unveiled at Comic Con (courtesy of Slashfilm). Though the plot had previously been kept under wraps, we now know one thing for sure: it has a giant robot! The picture stars Sons of Anarchy‘s Charlie Hunnam, Oscar nominee Rinko Kikuchi, the suddenly ubiquitous Idris Elba, and It’s Always Sunny […]
charlie day, charlie hunnam, guillermo del toro, idris elba, pacific rim, quickflix, Rinko Kikuchi
Guillermo del Toro will direct Emma Watson in new Beauty and the Beast tale
Guillermo del Toro will direct Warner Bros’ upcoming Beast, based on the classic Beauty and the Beast tale. According to Variety, Emma Watson is in final negotiations to star in the pic (as the beauty, obviously). Del Toro has long been attached to produce a Beauty and the Beast flick for WB, but today’s news confirms he will direct the […]
beauty and the beast, emma watson, guillermo del toro, pacific rim, quickflix, ron perlman
Jamie Foxx cast as lead in Tarantino’s Django Unchained
Jamie Foxx will star as the title character in Quentin Tarantino‘s upcoming tale of vengeance (aren’t they all?) Django Unchained, according to Variety. It was originally rumoured that Will Smith was in the running to star as the freed slave eager to take revenge on plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). Idris Elba was also […]
django unchained, guillermo del toro, idris elba, jamie foxx, leonardo dicaprio, pacific rim, quentin tarantino, quickflix, will smith
Charlie Hunnam to venture into Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim
May 11, 2011 by Jess Lomas 0 Comments
Sons of Anarchy’s Charlie Hunnam is set to star in Guillermo del Toro’s latest film Pacific Rim, according to Deadline. Pacific Rim is a futuristic story about malicious creatures who are threatening the earth, destroying it city by city … hmm, sounds familiar. Using highly advanced weaponry, the humans must band together to protect their […]
at the mountains of madness, charlie hunnam, guillermo del toro, pacific rim, quickflix, sons of anarchy, undeclared
Guillermo Del Toro’s At The Mountains of Madness is dead
March 9, 2011 by Tara Judah 1 Comment
Sorry Guillermo Del Toro fans. Although earlier reports suggested his big budget horror film At The Mountains of Madness would begin filming in June, The Criterion Cast has revealed the film was given the red light, rather than green. Deadline report that his next project might now be Pacific Rim, scripted by Travis Beacham, which […]
at the mountains of madness, australian online dvd rental, guillermo del toro, james cameron, pacific rim, quickflix, tom cruise
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Tag Archives: tom hanks
Amy Ryan the latest amazing person to join Tom Hanks/Steven Spielberg/Coen brothers collaboration
Amy Ryan, an Oscar nominee for Gone Baby Gone and essential supporting player in most everything else, is set to star opposite Tom Hanks in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming, untitled Cold War thriller. As if the flick didn’t already have an impressive pedigree, Matt Charman’s screenplay was recently retooled by the freaking Coen brothers. Based on […]
amy ryan, cold war, gone baby gone, quickflix, steven spielberg, the coen brothers, tom hanks
Joel & Ethan Coen rewriting Steven Spielberg’s Cold War thriller
Well, here are two great flavours that hopefully go great together. Joel and Ethan Coen, busy at work prepping their next film Hail Caesar, are taking the time to rework the script to Steven Spielberg’s upcoming Cold War thriller, THR reports. Still untitled, the pic tells of attorney James Donovan’s real-life efforts to negotiate the […]
coen brothers, quickflix, steven spielberg, the bfg, tom hanks
Steven Spielberg to film Roald Dahl’s ‘BFG’
Steven Spielberg will adapt Roald Dahl’s beloved BFG for the big screen, but probably not before he completes his untitled Cold War thriller with Tom Hanks. According to THR, Spielberg will make BFG for DreamWorks in the early months of 2015, giving him time to squeeze in a “smaller movie” before then. That small movie is believed to be […]
bfg, quickflix, steven spielberg, tom hanks
Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks might reteam for Cold War thriller
April 22, 2014 by Simon Miraudo 1 Comment
Recent Oscar snubbees Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks might soon reteam for a Cold War thriller, Variety reports. Spielberg is circling a few potential projects to serve as his next directorial effort, and though the long-delayed Robopocalypse is the closest to getting a budget approved, this Cold War flick might just cut in line. Hanks would […]
quickflix, robopocalypse, steven spielberg, tom hanks
The Top 10 Male Performances of 2013
By Simon Miraudo December 10, 2013 Spoiler alert: James Franco will top this list. Question is, for what? The divisive overachiever appeared in – and I am not sh***ing you – at least 13 movies this past year, not including his stint on The Mindy Project, his Comedy Central Roast, and that Kanye West spoof […]
christian bale, ethan hawke, hugo weaving, James Franco, james gandolfini, matt damon, michael b. jordan, michael cera, michael douglas, paul rudd, quickflix, simon miraudo, the top 10 performances of 2013, tom hanks
The rights stuff – Saving Mr. Banks review
By Simon Miraudo December 10, 2013 There’s nothing quite as “inside baseball” as movies about the movie-making process (except, I suppose, movies about the intricacies of baseball). John Lee Hancock‘s Saving Mr. Banks takes us behind the scenes and into the Walt Disney sausage factory, where P.L. Travers’ beloved novel Mary Poppins was adapted into a Hollywood […]
emma thompson, john lee hancock, mary poppins, quickflix, saving mr. banks, simon miraudo, tom hanks
‘Saving Mr. Banks’ can’t show Walt Disney smoking
At a gala screening of Saving Mr. Banks over the weekend, the filmmakers explained why they were unable to showcase Walt Disney’s intense addiction to tobacco: it’s due to Disney studios’ somewhat ironic ‘no smoking’ rules. The flick concerns Walt’s (Tom Hanks) efforts to score the Mary Poppins rights from author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson). Director John Lee Hancock […]
emma thompson, john lee hancock, quickflix, saving mr. banks, smoking, tom hanks
The shipping dudes – Captain Phillips review
October 22, 2013 by Simon Miraudo 0 Comments
By Simon Miraudo October 22, 2013 Chaos reigns in many of Paul Greengrass‘ films, from the harrowing September 11 thriller United 93 to his written-on-the-fly Bourne sequels. Captain Phillips carries over the handheld camera-work and forever-increasing tension of those features, but chaos is not quite the right word to describe its contents. Based on the […]
barkhad abdi, captain phillips, paul greengrass, quickflix, simon miraudo, tom hanks
Play It Again – The Bonfire of the Vanities (Flop Edition #2)
September 4, 2013 by Jess Lomas 0 Comments
By Jess Lomas September 4, 2013 Play It Again is a weekly feature in which our classic-film connoisseurs revisit a revered motion picture from the annals of movie history, to see if it holds up… or if it has aged terribly. And yes, it takes its name from a famously misquoted Casablanca line (hey, whatever; […]
Home, Play It Again, Reviews
bruce willis, jess lomas, melanie griffith, morgan freeman, quickflix, the bonfire of the vanities, tom hanks
Trailer Debut: Saving Mr. Banks
July 16, 2013 by Jess Lomas 0 Comments
The first trailer for Saving Mr. Banks has been released and it looks simply supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Tom Hanks plays the man behind the mouse, Walt Disney, on a mission to fulfil a 20-year-old promise to his daughters: to turn their favourite book, Mary Poppins, into a film. The only thing standing in his way? The book’s […]
emma thompson, john lee hancock, mary poppins, quickflix, saving mr. banks, tom hanks, walt disney
First look at Tom Hanks as Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks
Here is your first look at Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as author P.L. Travers in the upcoming film Saving Mr. Banks. The film tells the true tale of Disney’s efforts to bring Travers’ tale Mary Poppins to the big screen; their difficult relationship almost threatening to derail the project. Considering the […]
emma thompson, john lee hancock, mary poppins, p.l. travers, quickflix, saving mr. banks, tom hanks, walt disney
Trailer Debut: Captain Phillips
The trailer for Paul Greengrass’ Captain Phillips, Tom Hanks’ best Oscar hope in years, has arrived online. Hanks stars as Richard Phillips, whose cargo ship – the Maersk Alabama – was hijacked by Somali pirates in 2009. Though the teaser boasts Greengrass’ credentials as director of The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, the better […]
captain phillips, paul greengrass, quickflix, richard phillips, tom hanks
Soula coaster – Cloud Atlas review
By Simon Miraudo February 27, 2013 Cloud Atlas could have been a freak show. It features a cavalcade of stars – each playing multiple characters – masquerading as members of the opposite sex across six seemingly disconnected storylines that span hundreds of years. Souls recur across lifetimes. Not everyone stays the same race. Tom Hanks appears […]
andy wachowski, ben whishaw, cloud atlas, david mitchell, doona bae, halle berry, hugh grant, hugo weaving, jim broadbent, jim sturgess, lana wachowski, quickflix, simon miraudo, tom hanks, tom tykwer
See Hugo Weaving as a woman and a Korean man in Cloud Atlas
August 6, 2012 by Simon Miraudo 0 Comments
Warner Bros has released images of Hugo Weaving in Lana and Andy Wachowski‘s collaboration with Tom Tykwer, Cloud Atlas, giving us a clear indication of the race and gender swapping being undertaken by the entire cast. These pictures shows Weaving as a female nurse, a Korean man, a decrepit old creep, and a red-head. OK, that last one isn’t […]
andy wachowski, cloud atlas, david mitchell, halle berry, hugo weaving, jim broadbent, lana wachowski, susan sarandon, tom hanks, tom tykwer, wachowskis
Trailer Debut: Cloud Atlas
July 27, 2012 by Simon Miraudo 1 Comment
Nearly six-minutes of Lana and Andy Wachowski‘s epic collaboration with Tom Tykwer, Cloud Atlas, has been revealed online, inspiring awe and confusion amongst all who have not read David Mitchell’s sprawling novel of the same name. The picture stars Tom Hanks,Susan Sarandon, Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess, Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, and many others; each playing multiple characters across several […]
cloud atlas, halle berry, hugo weaving, jim broadbent, jim sturgess, lana and andy wachowski, quickflix, susan sarandon, tom hanks, tom tykwer, wachowskis
R.I.P. Maurice Sendak
Where the Wild Things Are author, illustrator, and television producer Maurice Sendak has died from complications following a recent stroke. He was 83 years old. Sendak is best known for the fantastical world he crafted in his somewhat anarchic 1963 picture book Wild Things, which was adapted into a film twice; first as an animated […]
death, in the night kitchen, maurice sendak, quickflix, sesame street, tom hanks, where the wild things are
Tom Hanks might play Walt Disney in Mary Poppins making of
Tom Hanks is considering portraying Walt Disney in the ‘making of Mary Poppins‘ dramedy Saving Mr. Banks, Deadline reports. The film will tell of Walt’s 14-year attempt at convincing Aussie author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) to make a movie from her series of children’s books. Travers’ tale was highly personal, hence her hesitation to hand […]
disney, emma thompson, john lee hancock, mary poppins, quickflix, saving mr. banks, tom hanks
Poster and Trailer Debut: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The poster and trailer for Stephen Daldry‘s adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close has debuted online. And, boy oh boy, you may want to keep the tissue box handy for this one… Child genius Thomas Horn stars as Oskar Schell, an inventive kid whose father (Tom Hanks) dies in the World […]
extremely loud and incredibly close, quickflix, sandra bullock, stephen daldry, thomas horn, tom hanks
“Everybody’s swapping race and gender” in the Wachowskis’ Cloud Atlas
September 2, 2011 by Jess Lomas 1 Comment
Ben Whishaw discusses his role in the upcoming Cloud Atlas in an interview with Vulture, and reveals there will be some gender bending amongst the star-studded cast. Vulture prompted the young British star to discuss his varied roles in the film after mentioning his co-star, Aussie Hugo Weaving, was to play six roles. Whishaw reveals, […]
ben whishaw, cloud atlas, david mitchell, halle berry, jim broadbent, jim sturgess, quickflix, susan sarandon, tom hanks, tom tykwer, wachowskis
Toy Story was almost called Toyz in the Hood
August 25, 2011 by Simon Miraudo 0 Comments
Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich has shared with his Twitter followers a selection of almost-titles for Pixar’s first Toy Story film (which have been dutifully compiled on Ain’t It Cool News). Apparently, Toy Story was just a place-holder, and Pixar employees were encouraged to submit a better name. Although more than 200 titles were thrown around, […]
disney, lee unkrich, pixar, quickflix, tim allen, tom hanks, toy story, toy story 3
Tom Hanks personally refunds money for Larry Crowne
History’s nicest man, Tom Hanks, has reportedly refunded some movie-goers who were disappointed with his latest vehicle Larry Crowne. According to The National Enquirer, Hanks was at a petrol station filling up his car (movie stars – they’re just like us!) when he was met by a couple who had just come from a screening of […]
larry crowne, michael bay, quickflix, refund, tom hanks
First look at Tom Hanks in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The first official image of Tom Hanks and young star/child genius Thomas Horn in the upcoming adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer’s acclaimed novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close has been released by Warner Bros. With director Stephen Daldry at the helm, recent Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock starring opposite Hanks, and the novel’s subject matter and […]
extremely loud and incredibly close, jonathan safran foer, quickflix, sandra bullock, stephen daldry, thomas horn, tom hanks
Ron Howard abandons Dan Brown trilogy
Ron Howard will not direct the feature film adaptation of Dan Brown’s novel The Lost Symbol, despite helming its predecessors The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. According to Deadline, Howard will still produce the flick, which follows Robert Langdon on yet another symbology-related mystery. A studio insider claims Howard “”didn’t want to do that […]
angels and demons, dan brown, quickflix, ron howard, the da vinci code, the lost symbol, tom hanks, under the banner of heaven
King without a crown – Larry Crowne review
Larry Crowne – Starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Directed by Tom Hanks. Rated M. By Simon Miraudo. As an actor, Tom Hanks has often been compared with Jimmy Stewart. As a director, he seems to take his cues from frequent Stewart collaborator, Frank Capra. Larry Crowne, Hanks’ second effort behind the camera, […]
film review, julia roberts, larry crowne, quickflix, simon miraudo, tom hanks
Tom Hanks talks Toy Story 4
So, this is unexpected. Tom Hanks has reportedly told BBC’s Breakfast News that Pixar are working on Toy Story 4. According to Bleeding Cool (who spotted Hanks’ appearance on the BBC), a reporter asked the live-action Woody the simple question: ‘Will there be a Toy Story 4?’ He responded casually: “I think there will be yeah. […]
pixar, quickflix, tim allen, tom hanks, toy story 3, toy story 4
New trailer for Tom Hanks’ Larry Crowne
June 14, 2011 by Danielle Marsland 0 Comments
A trailer was released for the Tom Hanks-directed Larry Crowne back in March. Out in the US in July, the film’s plot has been likened to the quirky TV show Community: it features a man (Hanks) who loses his job, signs up for community college, joins a scooter gang and… finds some meaning, we guess. […]
julia roberts, larry crowne, quickflix, tom hanks, trailer debut
Tom Hanks joins Wachowskis’ Cloud Atlas
Tom Hanks has signed up for the epic adaptation of David Mitchell’s sprawling novel Cloud Atlas, to be helmed by Andy and Lana Wachowski (The Matrix) and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run). According to Deadline, Tykwer and the Wachowskis will jointly write and direct the project, which features six-interconnected stories. The convoluted logline is as […]
andy and lana wachowski, cloud atlas, quickflix, tom hanks, tom tykwer
Toy Story stars team up for live action Jungle Cruise
The voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen will forever be fixed to Woody and Buzz from Pixar’s Toy Story saga. So it’ll be mighty strange to hear those reunited voices coming out of their live action counterparts in the brand new Disney film Jungle Cruise. According to Deadline, Hanks and Allen will appear in […]
australian online dvd rental, jungle cruise, pixar, quickflix, tim allen, tom hanks, toy story 3
Child genius cast in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
December 17, 2010 by Jess Lomas 0 Comments
Wiz-kid Thomas Horn has been cast as the young lead in Stephen Daldry’s adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer’s hit novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Deadline reports. Thomas will play Oskar Schell, a highly intelligent and sensitive, yet precocious 9-year-old who begins a journey two years after his father is killed in the September 11, […]
australian online dvd rental, extremely loud and incredibly close, quickflix, sandra bullock, stephen daldry, tom hanks
What’s beyond infinity? Toy Story 3 review
Toy Story 3 – Starring Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack. Directed by Lee Unkrich. Rated G. Originally published June 22, 2010. By Simon Miraudo. The question was never going to be, “Is Toy Story 3 any good?” Based on Pixar Animation Studios track record, the film was always going to be incredible. The […]
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BREAKING: Canada Sends Military To Handle Illegals Flooding Their Southern Border
10 Aug, 2017 by Terresa Monroe-Hamilton
This is what you get when you elect a socialist leader like Trudeau. Poor Canada. The Canadian government is sending approximately 100 soldiers to our northern border with them to help police and border guards handle an influx of illegal aliens and refugees expected to cross into Canada for asylum. It’s a back road in New York that crosses into Quebec. Thousands have already crossed over according to Canada… mostly Haitians. Of course, all of this is being played up as fear of President Trump and ICE conducting deportations. Fresh out of sympathy here.
DHS announced in May that the extension for those that came here because of a natural disaster will be extended one more time. What you don’t hear, is that these people could start the process of citizenship and be granted a reprieve, but they don’t do that. More than 5,000 have crossed into Canada so far. Canadian officials told the AP they estimated 400 illegals crossed the border at the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle this Sunday alone. Montreal’s iconic Olympic Stadium has been transformed into a refugee center to handle the influx and it is almost full. The Canadians encouraged this problem and they will now have to deal with it.
The Associated Press reported Wednesday that the Canadian government is sending “about 100” soldiers to assist police and border guards at the remote road on the Quebec-New York border that has become the nexus of an outpouring of illegal aliens living in America.
The back road crossing, with no official border post, near Champlain, New York, and Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Quebec, has seen thousands of people, mostly Haitians residing in the United States, come by taxi and other conveyences to try to illegally enter Canada. Typically, the outflow is reported as resulting from “fear” of the climate created for illegals in the United States.
Haitians in particular may be agitated because the “temporary protective status” (TPS) many of them were granted in the aftermath of that country’s devastating 2011 earthquake may be coming to an end. The status, granted by the Department of Homeland Security to specific groups of people suffering from war or natural disaster, has been extended time and again over the last seven years from its original six-month grant. TPS was never meant to grant the Haitians covered by it permanent residence in the United States, and they were expected to return to Haiti when the disaster had passed.
Canadian Forces soldiers have been deployed to help the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency handle these people. The soldiers will set up a permanent border crossing, with a tent camp for up to 500 refugees (and that is what they are). They are being arrested as soon as they step into Canada, but this sounds an awful lot like Europe to me. They will probably be allowed to stay under Canadian asylum laws. Big mistake.
Liberal Party Member of Parliment Brenda Shanahan, who represents the district in which the crossing lies, tried to dampen the migrants’ expectations when she spoke to reporters. “It’s not a free ticket for refugee status” she said. “We would actually like to make that very clear, that regardless of what people are reading on social media and so on, crossing the border here does not guarantee an automatic entry.” But if Trudeau gets his way it will and so far he’s calling the shots. Buckle up Canada and take a long hard look at Germany, because your Prime Minister is taking you down that same road.
Terresa Monroe-Hamilton
Terresa Monroe-Hamilton is an editor and writer for Right Wing News. She owns and blogs at NoisyRoom.net. She is a Constitutional Conservative and NoisyRoom focuses on political and national issues of interest to the American public. Terresa is the editor at Trevor Loudon's site, New Zeal - trevorloudon.com. She also does research at KeyWiki.org. You can email Terresa here. NoisyRoom can be found on Facebook and on Twitter.
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GOYA’s Billionaire CEO Warns: ‘We’ve Got An Iceberg Of Communism Ahead Of Us’
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Reactive force field development for magnesium chloride hydrates and its application for seasonal heat storage
A.D. Pathak, S.V. Gaastra-Nedea, A.C.T. Duin, van, H.A. Zondag, C.C.M. Rindt, D.M.J. Smeulders
MgCl2 hydrates are considered as high-potential candidates for seasonal heat storage materials. These materials have high storage capacity and fast dehydration kinetics. However, as a side reaction to dehydration, hydrolysis may occur. Hydrolysis is an irreversible reaction, which produces HCl gas thus affecting the durability of heat storage systems. In this study, we present the parameterization of a reactive force field (ReaxFF) for MgCl2 hydrates to study the dehydration and hydrolysis kinetics of MgCl2·H2O and MgCl2·2H2O. The ReaxFF parameters have been derived by training against quantum mechanics data obtained from Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations consisting of bond dissociation curves, angle bending curves, reaction enthalpies, and equation of state. A single-parameter search algorithm in combination with a Metropolis Monte Carlo algorithm is successfully used for this ReaxFF parameterization. The newly developed force field is validated by examining the elastic properties of MgCl2 hydrates and the proton transfer reaction barrier, which is important for the hydrolysis reaction. The bulk moduli of MgCl2·H2O and MgCl2·2H2O obtained from ReaxFF are in close agreement with the bulk moduli obtained from DFT. A barrier of 20.24 kcal mol−1 for the proton transfer in MgCl2·2H2O is obtained, which is in good agreement with the barrier (19.55 kcal mol−1) obtained from DFT. Molecular dynamics simulations using the newly developed ReaxFF on 2D-periodic slabs of MgCl2·H2O and MgCl2·2H2O show that the dehydration rate increases more rapidly with temperature in MgCl2·H2O than in MgCl2·2H2O, in the temperature range 300–500 K. The onset temperature of HCl formation, a crucial design parameter in seasonal heat storage systems, is observed at 340 K for MgCl2·H2O, which is in agreement with experiments. The HCl formation is not observed for MgCl2·2H2O. The diffusion coefficient of H2O through MgCl2·H2O is lower than through MgCl2·2H2O, and can become a rate-limiting step. The diffusion coefficient increases with temperature and follows the Arrhenius law both for MgCl2·H2O and MgCl2·2H2O. These results indicate the validity of the ReaxFF approach for studying MgCl2 hydrates and provide important atomistic-scale insight of reaction kinetics and H2O transport in these materials.
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
https://doi.org/10.1039/C6CP02762H
10.1039/C6CP02762H
publisher versionFinal published version, 3.24 MB
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Reactive force field development for magnesium chloride hydrates and its application for seasonal heat storage'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
magnesium chlorides Physics & Astronomy
heat storage Physics & Astronomy
Magnesium Chloride Chemical Compounds
Dehydration Chemical Compounds
Hydrolysis Chemical Compounds
Heat storage Chemical Compounds
hydrates Physics & Astronomy
Density functional theory Chemical Compounds
Pathak, A. D., Gaastra-Nedea, S. V., Duin, van, A. C. T., Zondag, H. A., Rindt, C. C. M., & Smeulders, D. M. J. (2016). Reactive force field development for magnesium chloride hydrates and its application for seasonal heat storage. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 18(23), 15838 - 15847. https://doi.org/10.1039/C6CP02762H
Pathak, A.D. ; Gaastra-Nedea, S.V. ; Duin, van, A.C.T. ; Zondag, H.A. ; Rindt, C.C.M. ; Smeulders, D.M.J. / Reactive force field development for magnesium chloride hydrates and its application for seasonal heat storage. In: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 2016 ; Vol. 18, No. 23. pp. 15838 - 15847.
@article{913895e9d3524f61ab43769353a928c9,
title = "Reactive force field development for magnesium chloride hydrates and its application for seasonal heat storage",
abstract = "MgCl2 hydrates are considered as high-potential candidates for seasonal heat storage materials. These materials have high storage capacity and fast dehydration kinetics. However, as a side reaction to dehydration, hydrolysis may occur. Hydrolysis is an irreversible reaction, which produces HCl gas thus affecting the durability of heat storage systems. In this study, we present the parameterization of a reactive force field (ReaxFF) for MgCl2 hydrates to study the dehydration and hydrolysis kinetics of MgCl2·H2O and MgCl2·2H2O. The ReaxFF parameters have been derived by training against quantum mechanics data obtained from Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations consisting of bond dissociation curves, angle bending curves, reaction enthalpies, and equation of state. A single-parameter search algorithm in combination with a Metropolis Monte Carlo algorithm is successfully used for this ReaxFF parameterization. The newly developed force field is validated by examining the elastic properties of MgCl2 hydrates and the proton transfer reaction barrier, which is important for the hydrolysis reaction. The bulk moduli of MgCl2·H2O and MgCl2·2H2O obtained from ReaxFF are in close agreement with the bulk moduli obtained from DFT. A barrier of 20.24 kcal mol−1 for the proton transfer in MgCl2·2H2O is obtained, which is in good agreement with the barrier (19.55 kcal mol−1) obtained from DFT. Molecular dynamics simulations using the newly developed ReaxFF on 2D-periodic slabs of MgCl2·H2O and MgCl2·2H2O show that the dehydration rate increases more rapidly with temperature in MgCl2·H2O than in MgCl2·2H2O, in the temperature range 300–500 K. The onset temperature of HCl formation, a crucial design parameter in seasonal heat storage systems, is observed at 340 K for MgCl2·H2O, which is in agreement with experiments. The HCl formation is not observed for MgCl2·2H2O. The diffusion coefficient of H2O through MgCl2·H2O is lower than through MgCl2·2H2O, and can become a rate-limiting step. The diffusion coefficient increases with temperature and follows the Arrhenius law both for MgCl2·H2O and MgCl2·2H2O. These results indicate the validity of the ReaxFF approach for studying MgCl2 hydrates and provide important atomistic-scale insight of reaction kinetics and H2O transport in these materials.",
author = "A.D. Pathak and S.V. Gaastra-Nedea and {Duin, van}, A.C.T. and H.A. Zondag and C.C.M. Rindt and D.M.J. Smeulders",
doi = "10.1039/C6CP02762H",
pages = "15838 -- 15847",
journal = "Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics",
publisher = "Royal Society of Chemistry",
Pathak, AD, Gaastra-Nedea, SV, Duin, van, ACT, Zondag, HA, Rindt, CCM & Smeulders, DMJ 2016, 'Reactive force field development for magnesium chloride hydrates and its application for seasonal heat storage', Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, vol. 18, no. 23, pp. 15838 - 15847. https://doi.org/10.1039/C6CP02762H
Reactive force field development for magnesium chloride hydrates and its application for seasonal heat storage. / Pathak, A.D.; Gaastra-Nedea, S.V.; Duin, van, A.C.T.; Zondag, H.A.; Rindt, C.C.M.; Smeulders, D.M.J.
In: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, Vol. 18, No. 23, 23.05.2016, p. 15838 - 15847.
T1 - Reactive force field development for magnesium chloride hydrates and its application for seasonal heat storage
AU - Pathak, A.D.
AU - Gaastra-Nedea, S.V.
AU - Duin, van, A.C.T.
AU - Zondag, H.A.
AU - Rindt, C.C.M.
AU - Smeulders, D.M.J.
N2 - MgCl2 hydrates are considered as high-potential candidates for seasonal heat storage materials. These materials have high storage capacity and fast dehydration kinetics. However, as a side reaction to dehydration, hydrolysis may occur. Hydrolysis is an irreversible reaction, which produces HCl gas thus affecting the durability of heat storage systems. In this study, we present the parameterization of a reactive force field (ReaxFF) for MgCl2 hydrates to study the dehydration and hydrolysis kinetics of MgCl2·H2O and MgCl2·2H2O. The ReaxFF parameters have been derived by training against quantum mechanics data obtained from Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations consisting of bond dissociation curves, angle bending curves, reaction enthalpies, and equation of state. A single-parameter search algorithm in combination with a Metropolis Monte Carlo algorithm is successfully used for this ReaxFF parameterization. The newly developed force field is validated by examining the elastic properties of MgCl2 hydrates and the proton transfer reaction barrier, which is important for the hydrolysis reaction. The bulk moduli of MgCl2·H2O and MgCl2·2H2O obtained from ReaxFF are in close agreement with the bulk moduli obtained from DFT. A barrier of 20.24 kcal mol−1 for the proton transfer in MgCl2·2H2O is obtained, which is in good agreement with the barrier (19.55 kcal mol−1) obtained from DFT. Molecular dynamics simulations using the newly developed ReaxFF on 2D-periodic slabs of MgCl2·H2O and MgCl2·2H2O show that the dehydration rate increases more rapidly with temperature in MgCl2·H2O than in MgCl2·2H2O, in the temperature range 300–500 K. The onset temperature of HCl formation, a crucial design parameter in seasonal heat storage systems, is observed at 340 K for MgCl2·H2O, which is in agreement with experiments. The HCl formation is not observed for MgCl2·2H2O. The diffusion coefficient of H2O through MgCl2·H2O is lower than through MgCl2·2H2O, and can become a rate-limiting step. The diffusion coefficient increases with temperature and follows the Arrhenius law both for MgCl2·H2O and MgCl2·2H2O. These results indicate the validity of the ReaxFF approach for studying MgCl2 hydrates and provide important atomistic-scale insight of reaction kinetics and H2O transport in these materials.
AB - MgCl2 hydrates are considered as high-potential candidates for seasonal heat storage materials. These materials have high storage capacity and fast dehydration kinetics. However, as a side reaction to dehydration, hydrolysis may occur. Hydrolysis is an irreversible reaction, which produces HCl gas thus affecting the durability of heat storage systems. In this study, we present the parameterization of a reactive force field (ReaxFF) for MgCl2 hydrates to study the dehydration and hydrolysis kinetics of MgCl2·H2O and MgCl2·2H2O. The ReaxFF parameters have been derived by training against quantum mechanics data obtained from Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations consisting of bond dissociation curves, angle bending curves, reaction enthalpies, and equation of state. A single-parameter search algorithm in combination with a Metropolis Monte Carlo algorithm is successfully used for this ReaxFF parameterization. The newly developed force field is validated by examining the elastic properties of MgCl2 hydrates and the proton transfer reaction barrier, which is important for the hydrolysis reaction. The bulk moduli of MgCl2·H2O and MgCl2·2H2O obtained from ReaxFF are in close agreement with the bulk moduli obtained from DFT. A barrier of 20.24 kcal mol−1 for the proton transfer in MgCl2·2H2O is obtained, which is in good agreement with the barrier (19.55 kcal mol−1) obtained from DFT. Molecular dynamics simulations using the newly developed ReaxFF on 2D-periodic slabs of MgCl2·H2O and MgCl2·2H2O show that the dehydration rate increases more rapidly with temperature in MgCl2·H2O than in MgCl2·2H2O, in the temperature range 300–500 K. The onset temperature of HCl formation, a crucial design parameter in seasonal heat storage systems, is observed at 340 K for MgCl2·H2O, which is in agreement with experiments. The HCl formation is not observed for MgCl2·2H2O. The diffusion coefficient of H2O through MgCl2·H2O is lower than through MgCl2·2H2O, and can become a rate-limiting step. The diffusion coefficient increases with temperature and follows the Arrhenius law both for MgCl2·H2O and MgCl2·2H2O. These results indicate the validity of the ReaxFF approach for studying MgCl2 hydrates and provide important atomistic-scale insight of reaction kinetics and H2O transport in these materials.
U2 - 10.1039/C6CP02762H
DO - 10.1039/C6CP02762H
JO - Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
JF - Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
Pathak AD, Gaastra-Nedea SV, Duin, van ACT, Zondag HA, Rindt CCM, Smeulders DMJ. Reactive force field development for magnesium chloride hydrates and its application for seasonal heat storage. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 2016 May 23;18(23):15838 - 15847. https://doi.org/10.1039/C6CP02762H
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Indenyl Carbametallaboranes III. The Synthesis and Characterisation of Novel Rhodium Carbaborane Compounds with 3-(C2B9)-8-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9, 10-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-7,8-nido-C2B9, 9-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-7,8-nido-C2B9 and 3-(η-C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9 Structures
Zoë G. Lewis, Alan J. Welch
Institute of Chemical Sciences
School of Engineering & Physical Sciences
Title full: Indenyl carbametallaboranes. III. The synthesis and characterization of novel rhodium carbaborane compounds with 3-(C2B9)-8-(C9H6)Rh(C9 H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9, 10-(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)-7,8-nido-C 2B9, 9-(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)-7, 8-nido-C2B9 and 3-(η-C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B 9 structures. When RhCl3·.3H2O and indene are refluxed in methanol a brown solid, [(C9H7)RhCl2]x, is deposited. This, in turn, reacts with a suspension of Tl2[7,8-nido-C2B9H11 in CH2Cl2 to afford three products, 3-(C2B9H11)-8-(C9H 6)Rh(C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2 B9 H10 (Ia), 10-(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)-7,8-nido-C 2B9H11 (IIa) and 9-(C9H6) Rh(C9H7)-7,8-nido-C2B9H 11 (IIIa). In Ia, which was characterized spectroscopically and crystallographically, a closo-(C2B9H11)Rh(C2B9 H10) fragment is bonded to a (C9H6)Rh(C9H7) fragment via a B(8)C bond, whereas in IIa and IIIa, which were characterized spectroscopically, the same organometallic fragment is linked to, respectively, B(10) and B(9) of a 7,8-nido-C2B9H11 unit. Reaction of [(C9H7)RhCl2]x with Tl2[7-(CH2OCH3)-7,8-nido-C2B 9H10] gives rise to a single isolatable product of 7-CH2OCH3-10-(C9H6)Rh(C 9H7)}-7, 8-nido-C2B9H10 (IIb) shown to be a simple analogue of IIa by NMR spectroscopic study. An analogue of IIIa, namely 7-Ph-9/11-(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)-7,8 -nido-C2 B9H10 (IIId) is one of the two products isolated following the reaction between [(C9H7) RhCl2]x and Tl2[7-Ph-7,8-nido-C2B9H10, the other being the closo carbametallaborane, 1-Ph-3-(C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9 H10 (IVd) characterized by unit cell and space group determination. A structural analogue, 1,2-(CH2OCH3)2- 3-(C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9H 9 (IVc) is the only product isolated from the reaction of [(C9H7)RhCl2]x with Tl2[7,8-(CH2OCH3)2-7,8-nido- C2B9H9]. The structural characterization of each of these novel rhodium carbaborane species is discussed, and the implications of their structures on the nature of [(C9H7)RhCl2]x is considered.
Journal of Organometallic Chemistry
https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-328X(92)83419-I
10.1016/0022-328X(92)83419-I
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Indenyl Carbametallaboranes III. The Synthesis and Characterisation of Novel Rhodium Carbaborane Compounds with 3-(C<sub>2</sub>B<sub>9</sub>)-8-{(C<sub>9</sub>H<sub>6</sub>)Rh(C<sub>9</sub>H<sub>7</sub>)}-3,1,2-closo-RhC<sub>2</sub>B<sub>9</sub>, 10-{(C<sub>9</sub>H<sub>6</sub>)Rh(C<sub>9</sub>H<sub>7</sub>)}-7,8-nido-C<sub>2</sub>B<sub>9</sub>, 9-{(C<sub>9</sub>H<sub>6</sub>)Rh(C<sub>9</sub>H<sub>7</sub>)}-7,8-nido-C<sub>2</sub>B<sub>9</sub> and 3-(η-C<sub>9</sub>H<sub>7</sub>)-3,1,2-closo-RhC<sub>2</sub>B<sub>9</sub> Structures'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Rhodium compounds Chemical Compounds
rhodium compounds Physics & Astronomy
indene Chemical Compounds
Rhodium Chemical Compounds
Organometallics Chemical Compounds
Nuclear magnetic resonance Chemical Compounds
Suspensions Chemical Compounds
Lewis, Z. G., & Welch, A. J. (1992). Indenyl Carbametallaboranes III. The Synthesis and Characterisation of Novel Rhodium Carbaborane Compounds with 3-(C2B9)-8-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9, 10-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-7,8-nido-C2B9, 9-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-7,8-nido-C2B9 and 3-(η-C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9 Structures. Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, 438(3), 353-369. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-328X(92)83419-I
Lewis, Zoë G. ; Welch, Alan J. / Indenyl Carbametallaboranes III. The Synthesis and Characterisation of Novel Rhodium Carbaborane Compounds with 3-(C2B9)-8-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9, 10-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-7,8-nido-C2B9, 9-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-7,8-nido-C2B9 and 3-(η-C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9 Structures. In: Journal of Organometallic Chemistry. 1992 ; Vol. 438, No. 3. pp. 353-369.
@article{1abb0f4a5aa04d08a29ba67665fd0258,
title = "Indenyl Carbametallaboranes III. The Synthesis and Characterisation of Novel Rhodium Carbaborane Compounds with 3-(C2B9)-8-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9, 10-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-7,8-nido-C2B9, 9-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-7,8-nido-C2B9 and 3-(η-C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9 Structures",
abstract = "Title full: Indenyl carbametallaboranes. III. The synthesis and characterization of novel rhodium carbaborane compounds with 3-(C2B9)-8-(C9H6)Rh(C9 H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9, 10-(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)-7,8-nido-C 2B9, 9-(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)-7, 8-nido-C2B9 and 3-(η-C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B 9 structures. When RhCl3·.3H2O and indene are refluxed in methanol a brown solid, [(C9H7)RhCl2]x, is deposited. This, in turn, reacts with a suspension of Tl2[7,8-nido-C2B9H11 in CH2Cl2 to afford three products, 3-(C2B9H11)-8-(C9H 6)Rh(C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2 B9 H10 (Ia), 10-(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)-7,8-nido-C 2B9H11 (IIa) and 9-(C9H6) Rh(C9H7)-7,8-nido-C2B9H 11 (IIIa). In Ia, which was characterized spectroscopically and crystallographically, a closo-(C2B9H11)Rh(C2B9 H10) fragment is bonded to a (C9H6)Rh(C9H7) fragment via a B(8)C bond, whereas in IIa and IIIa, which were characterized spectroscopically, the same organometallic fragment is linked to, respectively, B(10) and B(9) of a 7,8-nido-C2B9H11 unit. Reaction of [(C9H7)RhCl2]x with Tl2[7-(CH2OCH3)-7,8-nido-C2B 9H10] gives rise to a single isolatable product of 7-CH2OCH3-10-(C9H6)Rh(C 9H7)}-7, 8-nido-C2B9H10 (IIb) shown to be a simple analogue of IIa by NMR spectroscopic study. An analogue of IIIa, namely 7-Ph-9/11-(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)-7,8 -nido-C2 B9H10 (IIId) is one of the two products isolated following the reaction between [(C9H7) RhCl2]x and Tl2[7-Ph-7,8-nido-C2B9H10, the other being the closo carbametallaborane, 1-Ph-3-(C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9 H10 (IVd) characterized by unit cell and space group determination. A structural analogue, 1,2-(CH2OCH3)2- 3-(C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9H 9 (IVc) is the only product isolated from the reaction of [(C9H7)RhCl2]x with Tl2[7,8-(CH2OCH3)2-7,8-nido- C2B9H9]. The structural characterization of each of these novel rhodium carbaborane species is discussed, and the implications of their structures on the nature of [(C9H7)RhCl2]x is considered.",
author = "Lewis, {Zo{\"e} G.} and Welch, {Alan J.}",
doi = "10.1016/0022-328X(92)83419-I",
journal = "Journal of Organometallic Chemistry",
Lewis, ZG & Welch, AJ 1992, 'Indenyl Carbametallaboranes III. The Synthesis and Characterisation of Novel Rhodium Carbaborane Compounds with 3-(C2B9)-8-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9, 10-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-7,8-nido-C2B9, 9-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-7,8-nido-C2B9 and 3-(η-C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9 Structures', Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, vol. 438, no. 3, pp. 353-369. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-328X(92)83419-I
Indenyl Carbametallaboranes III. The Synthesis and Characterisation of Novel Rhodium Carbaborane Compounds with 3-(C2B9)-8-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9, 10-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-7,8-nido-C2B9, 9-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-7,8-nido-C2B9 and 3-(η-C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9 Structures. / Lewis, Zoë G.; Welch, Alan J.
In: Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, Vol. 438, No. 3, 20.10.1992, p. 353-369.
T1 - Indenyl Carbametallaboranes III. The Synthesis and Characterisation of Novel Rhodium Carbaborane Compounds with 3-(C2B9)-8-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9, 10-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-7,8-nido-C2B9, 9-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-7,8-nido-C2B9 and 3-(η-C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9 Structures
AU - Lewis, Zoë G.
AU - Welch, Alan J.
N2 - Title full: Indenyl carbametallaboranes. III. The synthesis and characterization of novel rhodium carbaborane compounds with 3-(C2B9)-8-(C9H6)Rh(C9 H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9, 10-(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)-7,8-nido-C 2B9, 9-(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)-7, 8-nido-C2B9 and 3-(η-C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B 9 structures. When RhCl3·.3H2O and indene are refluxed in methanol a brown solid, [(C9H7)RhCl2]x, is deposited. This, in turn, reacts with a suspension of Tl2[7,8-nido-C2B9H11 in CH2Cl2 to afford three products, 3-(C2B9H11)-8-(C9H 6)Rh(C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2 B9 H10 (Ia), 10-(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)-7,8-nido-C 2B9H11 (IIa) and 9-(C9H6) Rh(C9H7)-7,8-nido-C2B9H 11 (IIIa). In Ia, which was characterized spectroscopically and crystallographically, a closo-(C2B9H11)Rh(C2B9 H10) fragment is bonded to a (C9H6)Rh(C9H7) fragment via a B(8)C bond, whereas in IIa and IIIa, which were characterized spectroscopically, the same organometallic fragment is linked to, respectively, B(10) and B(9) of a 7,8-nido-C2B9H11 unit. Reaction of [(C9H7)RhCl2]x with Tl2[7-(CH2OCH3)-7,8-nido-C2B 9H10] gives rise to a single isolatable product of 7-CH2OCH3-10-(C9H6)Rh(C 9H7)}-7, 8-nido-C2B9H10 (IIb) shown to be a simple analogue of IIa by NMR spectroscopic study. An analogue of IIIa, namely 7-Ph-9/11-(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)-7,8 -nido-C2 B9H10 (IIId) is one of the two products isolated following the reaction between [(C9H7) RhCl2]x and Tl2[7-Ph-7,8-nido-C2B9H10, the other being the closo carbametallaborane, 1-Ph-3-(C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9 H10 (IVd) characterized by unit cell and space group determination. A structural analogue, 1,2-(CH2OCH3)2- 3-(C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9H 9 (IVc) is the only product isolated from the reaction of [(C9H7)RhCl2]x with Tl2[7,8-(CH2OCH3)2-7,8-nido- C2B9H9]. The structural characterization of each of these novel rhodium carbaborane species is discussed, and the implications of their structures on the nature of [(C9H7)RhCl2]x is considered.
AB - Title full: Indenyl carbametallaboranes. III. The synthesis and characterization of novel rhodium carbaborane compounds with 3-(C2B9)-8-(C9H6)Rh(C9 H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9, 10-(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)-7,8-nido-C 2B9, 9-(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)-7, 8-nido-C2B9 and 3-(η-C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B 9 structures. When RhCl3·.3H2O and indene are refluxed in methanol a brown solid, [(C9H7)RhCl2]x, is deposited. This, in turn, reacts with a suspension of Tl2[7,8-nido-C2B9H11 in CH2Cl2 to afford three products, 3-(C2B9H11)-8-(C9H 6)Rh(C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2 B9 H10 (Ia), 10-(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)-7,8-nido-C 2B9H11 (IIa) and 9-(C9H6) Rh(C9H7)-7,8-nido-C2B9H 11 (IIIa). In Ia, which was characterized spectroscopically and crystallographically, a closo-(C2B9H11)Rh(C2B9 H10) fragment is bonded to a (C9H6)Rh(C9H7) fragment via a B(8)C bond, whereas in IIa and IIIa, which were characterized spectroscopically, the same organometallic fragment is linked to, respectively, B(10) and B(9) of a 7,8-nido-C2B9H11 unit. Reaction of [(C9H7)RhCl2]x with Tl2[7-(CH2OCH3)-7,8-nido-C2B 9H10] gives rise to a single isolatable product of 7-CH2OCH3-10-(C9H6)Rh(C 9H7)}-7, 8-nido-C2B9H10 (IIb) shown to be a simple analogue of IIa by NMR spectroscopic study. An analogue of IIIa, namely 7-Ph-9/11-(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)-7,8 -nido-C2 B9H10 (IIId) is one of the two products isolated following the reaction between [(C9H7) RhCl2]x and Tl2[7-Ph-7,8-nido-C2B9H10, the other being the closo carbametallaborane, 1-Ph-3-(C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9 H10 (IVd) characterized by unit cell and space group determination. A structural analogue, 1,2-(CH2OCH3)2- 3-(C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9H 9 (IVc) is the only product isolated from the reaction of [(C9H7)RhCl2]x with Tl2[7,8-(CH2OCH3)2-7,8-nido- C2B9H9]. The structural characterization of each of these novel rhodium carbaborane species is discussed, and the implications of their structures on the nature of [(C9H7)RhCl2]x is considered.
U2 - 10.1016/0022-328X(92)83419-I
DO - 10.1016/0022-328X(92)83419-I
JO - Journal of Organometallic Chemistry
JF - Journal of Organometallic Chemistry
Lewis ZG, Welch AJ. Indenyl Carbametallaboranes III. The Synthesis and Characterisation of Novel Rhodium Carbaborane Compounds with 3-(C2B9)-8-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9, 10-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-7,8-nido-C2B9, 9-{(C9H6)Rh(C9H7)}-7,8-nido-C2B9 and 3-(η-C9H7)-3,1,2-closo-RhC2B9 Structures. Journal of Organometallic Chemistry. 1992 Oct 20;438(3):353-369. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-328X(92)83419-I
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Alumnae in the Visual Arts July 12, 2011
Laurie Brown ’59
“I’m not making a moral or political judgement. I’m interested in the big picture. Coming out of Scripps, you have a way of reasoning about the world, connecting with the time in which you’re living while at the same time attempting to maintain an awareness of the larger realities of both the past and the […]
“I’m not making a moral or political judgement. I’m interested in the big picture. Coming out of Scripps, you have a way of reasoning about the world, connecting with the time in which you’re living while at the same time attempting to maintain an awareness of the larger realities of both the past and the future.”
Photographer Laurie Brown grew up in los Angeles and then moved to Orange County where she has been a resident for the past thirty-five years. She has a B. A. degree from Scripps College in Claremont, California. a M. A. degree in Fine Arts from California State University , Fullerton and has taught in the Photography Department at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California. In 1978-79 she was the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. Her work has been exhibited in Japan and at numerous museums and institutions across the country including: The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the San Franciso Museum of Modern Art, The Oakland Museum, Newport Harbor Art Museum, the Photographic Resource Center at Boston University, The Friends of Photography, Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona and the Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art. In 1979 Brown was a participating artist in two limited edition portfolios- L.A. Issue, by the Los Angeles Center for Photographic Studies and West Coast Now by Susan Spiritus; and in 1984 she published a portfolio of her own work entitled Earthedges. Among the collections including her photographs: Federal Reserve Bank of San Franciso, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, San Franciso Museum of Modern Art, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The Oakland Museum, The Stanford Museum, Newport Harbor Art Museum, Minneapolis Institute of the Arts, The Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the California Museum of Photography , the University of Art Museum, Long Beach and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Idelle Weber ’54
Suzanne Muchnic ’62
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← Profit from pain is inhumane! Demo Tuesday 15 Nov, 7.45 am & 4.40 pm
The pains of imprisonment →
Controversial prison industry summit held at Tower of London targeted by protesters
Posted on November 15, 2016 by Reclaim Justice Network
G4S among the security firms and other companies profiting from the detention system who will be gathering at £1500 per head event
Tower of London trustees asked to cancel event warned of ‘reputational risk’
A controversial security industry summit being held at the Tower of London was targeted by protesters this morning, who accused the event of “ profiting from migrant suffering.” Campaigners say that while the public face of the European Custody and Detention Summit is careful to spin itself as a networking event to share best practice, a leaked copy of the summit’s agenda exposed both the commercial motivations and the involvement of a series of disreputable companies in the sector.
Originally the event organisers had described the Tower of London as ‘the world’s original high security prison,’ but subsequently removed it from their publicity materials after criticisms from the campaigners.
The protesters handcuffed themselves to each other while prominently displaying barcodes on their bodies, symbolizing the profits being made from the suffering inherent in prisons, borders and the arms industry.
Among the security companies speaking at the £1500 per head event today will be representatives of G4S, one of the world’s biggest security companies. As well as supplying technology used for Israel’s apartheid wall in Palestine, G4S has contracts to provide services in UK detention centres such as Yarl’s Wood and has faced criticism from a range of human rights groups over accusations of abuse by their staff. In 2010 alone there were 773 complaints against G4S by detainees, including 48 claims of assault, and over half related to Brook House detention centre, near Gatwick airport. G4S have even faced claims of manslaughter after the unlawful killing of Jimmy Mubenga, who died while being restrained by G4S guards during a deportation flight
The coalition of campaigners have written to the trustees of the Historic Royal Palaces charity who are responsible for the management of the Tower of London saying that “By allowing the Tower of London to be used by industries whose profits are directly based on repressive and violent practices that result in the suffering of marginalised communities, we feel that the reputation of the Historic Royal Palaces’ Trust is being tarnished.”
On Friday 11 November the organisers of the protest were invited to hear justifications about the nature of the summit from the organizers, but they left the meeting with their original criticisms unchanged.
Aisha Dodwell, a migration campaigner at Global Justice Now said: “There’s such an ocean of human misery and suffering involved in militarised borders, detention centres and prisons, and it’s obscene that a private sector is not only making billions of pounds out of that misery, but actively looking for ways to expands its markets. The Tower of London is one of the UK’s most iconic cultural landmarks, and it’s disgraceful that it would allow itself to be associated with such disreputable arms companies and private security firms.”
Tom Kemp of the Reclaim Justice Network said: “Despite the claims of the organisers, this summit is not about improving conditions for people in custody. Security companies, prison builders are coming together to sell technologies that expand and privatise the criminal injustice system. This is not a penal reform event, this is a trade fair that promotes the interests of the industries of incarceration and border enforcement. We want an immediate end to profiteering that contributes to the expansion of unjust systems of punishment and detention”
Andrew Smith of Campaign Against Arms Trade said: “As long as companies like G4S have a hand in policy events like this, the outcome can only be further criminalisation, repression and incarceration of migrants and other marginalised groups. The Tower of London can not allow itself to be used as a prop to legitimise arms companies and those who profit from misery.”
The coalition of groups who are organized the protest include:
Reclaim Justice Network. SOAS Detainee Support. Campaign Against Arms Trade. The London Latinxs. Right to Remain. Brick Lane Debates. Network for Police Monitoring (Netpol). Lesbian and Gays Support the Migrants. NUS Black Students’ Campaign. Stop the Arms Fair. Global Justice Now.
This entry was posted in G4S, Immigration detention, Prison Profiteers. Bookmark the permalink.
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Passionately written and frequently blunt, the Power and the Poor Box: Inside Vinnies, is full of thoughts by social justice journalist Cliff Baxter, on what the Society needs to be, in order for it to maintain its relevance to those it serves.
Some of these relate to differing views over whether the Society should be known as a welfare organisation only, or one that also gets involved with social justice advocacy.
‘The Society’s future is not as a hand-out ‘welfare’ organisation, filling in the social gaps ignored by our national government, but as a spiritual organisation that can confirm and restore human dignity,’ Mr Baxter, also a former editor of The Catholic Weekly, maintains in his yet-to-be published, early 2000s book.
‘It can facilitate their discovery of the ability they have to change unjust social structures, and to find their rightful place in the community hitherto denied to them by those who hold the power.’
Fast forward to 2017, plans are underway for a congress in Adelaide in October, where there will be ample opportunities for attendees to discuss their views on achieving a positive vision for the Society’s future.
Catering for up to 200, attendees will include regional council presidents, and a strong contingent of the Society’s youth and staff. Participants will be invited to collectively analyse organisational challenges the Society faces, particularly in relation to membership.
Each person who comes will bring with them, their own personal take on how the Society’s work is and should be done.
For Bernie O’Brien, regional president of the St Vincent de Paul Society’s Sunshine Coast Conference, a congress like this, the first of its kind in more than 60 years, ‘allows us to see what others are doing, enabling us to learn from them.’
‘Equally, the Congress will undoubtedly provide opportunities for interaction, learning and debate,’ he adds.
For Leo Woodman, Regional President of Broken Hill, in the far west of outback NSW, networking is crucial.
‘Aside from finding out what others are doing, we learn from their mistakes, and are open to new ideas and the possibility of changing the way we have always done things,’ he said.
A key aim of the Congress is for attendees to return to their work with a new take on navigating the changing nature of social injustice, emerging manifestations of poverty, inequality, loneliness and exclusion.
In this edition of The Record, we invite you to read about challenges facing regional presidents in Broken Hill, where isolation is all-pervading; in the outer northern Adelaide suburb of Elizabeth, where an entire industry is winding up; and at Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, where low income people often struggle to find suitable accommodation in an area driven by tourism.
The Society’s South Australian State Premier Brian Spencer reminds us the world around us is changing, ‘and we need to reconsider the needs of the people we serve and how we serve them.’
We are also inviting all of our Society’s members to take part in a short survey ahead of the Congress (find out more about the survey). This will help organisers ensure we make the best use of our time together in Adelaide.
The Congress will be an opportunity to reflect on our own identity, mission and structure. It will also, however, be a time of analysing the new forms of poverty, inequality and marginalisation that the Society is called to address, which is why we have also devoted some space to these matters in this issue.
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candyman real story
Most recently, Michael helped launch Screen Rant's new horror section, and is now the lead staff writer when it comes to all things frightening. Not only did Candyman look at horror through a racial lens, it actually filmed at Chicago's infamously crime-ridden Cabrini Green housing project. But to many parents and children, the story … More: Candyman Remake Updates: Release Date & Story Info. A one-stop shop for all things video games. The Candyman is an urban legend that tells the scary story of a murdered slave who returns from the dead in search of revenge if you say his name five times. The Candyman is the titular mainvillain of the1992 slasher horror film of the same name, loosely based on the short story"The Forbidden" from the anthology Books of Blood, written by Clive Barker. Most recently, Michael helped launch Screen Rant's new horror section, and is now the lead staff writer when it comes to all things frightening. He appears from the mirror, covered in bloofd and bees and has nothing but murder on his mind. The last part of the chilling new clip tells the story of Candyman himself. Back in the days of slavery, Candyman was a black slave named Daniel Robitaille, who worked on a plantation in New Orleans. He was well-educated, came up in polite society and eventually became a … Candyman: The David Klein Story (122) IMDb 6.5 1h 16min 2011 ALL. Those weren’t fleshed out until the movie, with Candyman becoming a black man with the casting of Tony Todd. A one-stop shop for all things video games. Before Get Out, Candyman was probably the most famous instance, making it all the more appropriate that Peele himself is set to write and produce 2020's Candyman revival. Ronald accompanied his children and their friends to the first stop of the night: 4112 Donerail Drive. They say that many years ago, the Candyman was a real man. When not writing, Michael enjoys going to concerts, taking in live professional wrestling, and debating pop culture. The film has … Michael Kennedy is an avid movie and TV fan that's been working for Screen Rant in various capacities since 2014. He also loves both Marvel and DC movies, and wishes every superhero fan could just get along. Now, say his na… The character of Candyman (Tony Todd) is himself a product of racist hatred and injustice, having been a man named Daniel Robitaille until he was murdered by a white lynch mob for falling in love and conceiving a child with a wealthy man's daughter. They say that many years ago, the Candyman was a real man. Click the button below to start this article in quick view. Related: Every Horror Movie Confirmed For 2020 Release Date. DaCosta is … He was a talented painter and was chosen by the plantation owner to paint a portrait of his daughter. Ronald Clark O'Bryan, nicknamed The Candy Man and The Man Who Killed Halloween, was an American man convicted of killing his eight-year-old son on Halloween 1974 with a potassium cyanide-laced Pixy Stix that was ostensibly collected during a trick or treat outing. Housing is one of the most important determinants of lifespan. Wednesday, October 31, 2018 PASADENA, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston's "Candyman" has become something of an urban legend. Black spaces matter! The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. Cabrini Green became infamous for how dangerous it was, earning a reputation as a place anybody who didn't live there would do best to avoid. In that time, Michael has written over 2000 articles for the site, first working solely as a news writer, then later as a senior writer and associate news editor. Here are … The re-imagining of "Candyman" might be even more bone-chilling than the original. The character of Candyman (Tony Todd) is himself a product of racist hatred and injustice, having been a man named Daniel Robitaille until he was murdered by a white lynch mob for falling in love and conceiving a child … In the film, he is portrayed by Tony Todd. The man nicknamed The Candy Man was responsible for at least 28 killings over a 3-year span, before he met his own demise at the hands of one of his young proteges. While actual plot details on the reboot - which Peele has dubbed a "spiritual sequel" to the original Candyman - remain scarce, it's been confirmed that Todd will reprise the role he made famous. After reading her story in the newspaper, filmmakers used her story to inspire Candyman – a film in which the title character emerges through bathroom mirrors to murder his victims. He was a 19th-century artist and the son of a wealthy black family. We must invest in our own spaces and in our own well-being. With the aid of two young accomplices, serial killer Dean Corll carried out a brutal series of murders in the early 1970s that continues to haunt Houston, Texas to this day. And then there’s the framing story, about the painter documenting what the world did to these black human beings, real and fictional. They rushed Ronald as he walked through the door. The upcoming “Candyman” is a direct sequel to the 1992 film, which centered on the vengeful ghost of a black artist and son of a slave who kills those who summon him. A reader commented Monday on the superficial similarities between the story I wrote and the 1992 movie Candyman. Yes, there was a real story about a monster called the Candy Man, but he wasn’t a slave from Louisiana, nor was he a ghost living in Cabrini-Green. The tumultuous legacy of the Cabrini Green housing project ended in 2011, when the last of its buildings was torn down. | iHeartRadio Related: Eddie Murphy As Candyman Nearly Happened: Why He Didn't Get The Role. Painter Daniel Robitaille, later known as Candyman, was the son of a slave, the lover to Caroline Sullivan, and the father of Isobel Sullivan. This lent Candyman a dramatic authenticity and weight beyond the normal supernatural slasher flick. Paranormal Vs The Haunting Of Bly Manor: Which Is Better? A FL native, Michael is passionate about pop culture, and earned an AS degree in film production in 2012. Birds are a lot smarter than you might think! Of all the urban legends about poison-laced Halloween candy, one is true. Considering Candyman's characterization within his films, it makes sense that the way he operates and appears was directly inspired by two popular, oft-repeated real life urban legends. Candyman’s origin story begins when he was still alive, the son of a slave who got rich in industry. CANDYMAN tells the amazing true story of David Klein who came up with the concept of Jelly Belly jellybeans. In that time, Michael has written over 2000 articles for the site, first working solely as a news writer, then later as a senior writer and associate news editor. Back in the days of slavery, Candyman was a black slave named Daniel Robitaille, who worked on a plantation in New Orleans. He also loves both Marvel and DC movies, and wishes every superhero fan could just get along. Not only did Candyman look at horror through a racial lens, it actually filmed at Chicago's infamously crime-ridden Cabrini Green housing project. After segregation ended officially though, Cabrini Green still remained a predominantly black neighborhood, and also one stricken with poverty and crime. In the context of the Candyman films, the character is an urban legend who draws his power from those who believe in him, and anyone who challenges that belief by daring to speak his name five times into a mirror instantly becomes a target. Sputnik: The Alien Creature's Origins & Powers Explained, Candyman Movie True Story: Chicago’s Cabrini Green, Every Horror Movie Confirmed For 2020 Release Date, Candyman Remake Updates: Release Date & Story Info, Halloween 1978: Michael Myers' Driving Plot Hole Explained, Underwater Proves Sci-Fi Horror Movies Are Better Without A Space Setting, The Biggest Mistakes Alien Resurrection Made (& How It Could Improve), Megan Is Missing's Viral TikTok Challenge & Controversy Explained, Why The X-Files Revival Was Worth Making (Despite Its Problems), Nightmare On Elm Street Remake's Biggest Freddy Change Was The Original Movie Plan, Raised By Wolves: Why Father's Eyes Are Blue Like Mother's, The Stand: Every Power Randall Flagg Has In The Stephen King Book, Twin Peaks Complete Timeline (& Every Alternate Timeline) Explained, Idle Hands: How Real-Life Tragedy Got The Horror Movie Pulled From Theaters, How Newt Almost Returned After Being Killed In Alien 3, Ratched: Every Movie Easter Egg & Reference In Ryan Murphy's TV Show, Freaky's Best Kill Referenced A Hated Friday The 13th Sequel, Why The Amityville Horror Remake Was So Unsuccessful, Buffy The Vampire Slayer's Worst Season 7 Death Was Completely Unnecessary, The Outsider: Why The HBO Show Was Canceled (&How It Could Return Anyway), American Horror Story: Every Horror Movie Easter Egg In Coven, IT: Why Stephen King Made Pennywise Into A Clown. That horror film about urban legends centered on a … Read the story and find out how to play the Candyman Challenge. The owners … For you see, the Candyman is a vicious killer with a bloody hook for hand. Director Nia DaCosta shared an eerie but stunning animated teaser for her upcoming reboot. Houston's"Candyman" has become something of an urban legend. New Candyman Trailer Shows the Haunting Story of the Titular Character and Real-Life Racial Injustices June 18, 2020 by Mekishana Pierre First Published: February 27, 2020
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Maaziah Mountain
Maaziah Mountain » Blog
bio: 1
By Charles Brady, 2018-10-03
Jim and April Upton (Maaziah Mountain) began making music together before they were married in 1985. They continued performing Jim’s original compositions together as a couple, then as a family group as their children grew.
Over the years the make-up of the band changed, sometimes even the group’s name changed, but the focus always remained on Jim’s original songs. April, the voice of Maaziah Mountain, has been compared to Allison Krauss, Suzy Bogus, and Karen Carpenter. Their musical stylings were referred to by one radio personality as folk music played with bluegrass instruments. Some of their tunes are true Americana, but overall their music displays clear country, folk, bluegrass and gospel influences.
By the dawning of the year 2017, Jim and April’s musical journey had slowed to a stand-still. Their children and others who had played with them had moved on. “We really had no clear direction or vision for our music any longer,” said Jim. Early that year, however, the hand of Providence seemed to be moving in a new direction. Jim was reconnected to an old friend, Ron Adams, whose wife, Gemma, was in the process of recording an album in Nashville with gospel and inspirational country music legend, Chuck Day. During this process, Ron and Gemma had given Chuck some of Jim and April’s music. As a result, Chuck invited Jim and April to come to Nashville and record a song or two with him. That recording session evolved into a five song EP – The Kingdom Bound.
The first song released to radio (the title cut) rose to #45 on the Inspirational Country Music chart. Other releases are scheduled for the future and for Jim and April and Maaziah Mountain . . . the journey continues . . .
Online At: http://www.maaziahmountain.com
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About Maaziah Mountain
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Nicole ‘The Lip Doctor’ Bell redefining cosmetic dentistry
By Daron Pressley | February 22, 2020 | 0
Dr. Nikki “The Lip Doctor” Bell redefines cosmetic dentistry. (Photo credit: Raymond Adadevoh)
Long Island native Dr. Nicole Bell, also known as “The Lip Doctor,” has risen to success as a result of fusing dentistry and advanced esthetics.
After graduating from Baldwin Senior High School, Bell attended Manhattan College in Riverdale, New York, on a full academic scholarship. Her dental career began with studies at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, where she earned a doctor of dental surgery degree in 2001.
Currently, Bell shares two locations — in Long Island’s Freeport village and in downtown Brooklyn — where she is certified to treat with lasers and performs most procedures without the use of a drill or anesthetic.
Rolling out had the opportunity to speak with Bell about her passion for cosmetic dentistry, what differentiates her practices, and her advice for entrepreneurs in the medical field.
When did you realize that you wanted to be a doctor?
When I was 5 years old I won a science fair, and after the competition, I was asked what I wanted to be when I grow up. I said, “I want to be a doctor.” Having my parents segue and guide me along the way made me feel like there was nothing to prevent me from becoming a doctor. The word doctor just stuck with me, and I continued to move forward. Medicine was intriguing but, more specifically, dentistry became appealing to me in college. I was heavily influenced by the dean of my dental school who is now the president of the dental school at Meharry Medical College.
Click continue to read more.
Posted in Female Success Factor and tagged beauty industry, Black Doctors, entrepreneurship
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That Infamous 1890 Sinkhole
On November 12, 2018 November 18, 2018 By Melvin CollierIn DNA, Genealogy
In 1921, a huge chunk of the stored 1890 census was destroyed in a fire at the Commerce Building here in Washington, DC. More can be read about that fire here. Genealogist Robyn Smith calls it “The 1880 Donut Hole,” as she brilliantly demonstrates its effect on her research in her blog post. However, I personally would like to call it “That Infamous 1890 Sinkhole” because it has the potential of swallowing up entire family branches, never knowing that they even existed. That “Infamous 1890 Sinkhole” caused a family branch in my Ealy family tree to go unknowingly missing for 20 years. Additionally, that omitted family branch even contains someone quite famous! This is how I stumbled across them and my famous relative.
Recently, I was browsing through an old Ealy Family Reunion booklet that a family member gave me some years ago. The Ealy Family has been having family reunions every two years since 1974. Much of the history and family tree included in past booklets were based on oral history and family recollections. To a researcher, this documented oral history can be greatly helpful in tracing the roots of the family.
I compared the family tree to the one I had built. My family tree was primarily based on names I had found in census records. Not surprising, the family tree in that reunion booklet contained names that I was unaware of, or had missed, and I had additional names that were not listed. I soon realized that one of the missing from my family tree was a daughter of my great-grandmother’s sister, Annie Ealy Beamon. Her name was simply recorded as Jessie Butler. How in the world did I miss Cousin Jessie?
Annie Ealy Beamon (1852-1909) of Scott County, Mississippi (Picture courtesy of Mae Williams)
My great-great-grandparents, Robert “Big Bob” Ealy & Jane Parrott Ealy, had at least 13 children, born between 1845 and 1871. Aunt Annie was their second oldest daughter, who was born around 1852. She was reported in their household in the 1870 Leake County, Mississippi census. Also, a marriage record revealed that Aunt Annie Ealy married Moses Beamon on 20 January 1874 in nearby Scott County.
I then found Aunt Annie and her budding family in the following 1880 Scott County census. There was no child named Jessie.
The 1880 U.S. Federal Census, Scott County, Mississippi: Moses & Annie Ealy Beamon with three young children when this census was taken – Lula (age 5), Edward (known as William Edward) (age 3), and an unnamed son (age 1); available on Ancestry.com.
Since the 1890 census was destroyed, the next available census was the 1900 census. Twenty years had passed. The following is Aunt Annie’s household in the 1900 Scott County census. Again, there was no child named Jessie in the house.
The 1900 U.S. Federal Census, Scott County, Mississippi: Moses & Annie Ealy Beamon with seven children in the house in 1900, including twins, Cora & Dora. Their oldest son, William Edward Beamon, lived next door with his new bride, Jennie; available on Ancestry.com
Although seven of Aunt Annie’s children were in the house, with her oldest son living next door, someone from the household told the census enumerator that Aunt Annie was the mother of 11 children with all 11 of them living. I could only count 9 children. According to Scott County marriage records, her oldest child, Lula Bell Beamon, had married Lafayette (Fate) Ferrell on 15 December 1894. They lived nearby. Therefore, who were the other two children who weren’t living in her house in 1900? Maybe one of them was Jessie?
Aunt Annie Ealy Beamon died in August, 1909 and buried at Midway Baptist Church in Scott County, Mississippi. (Picture by Denise Christian)
Luckily, for Mississippi researchers, the Enumeration of Educable Children records are great sources and a great substitute for the missing 1890 census. A school census of all children was mandated by the state of Mississippi. These records were started in 1878, and they reported the names of all school-age children between the age of 5 and 20 years old for each county. The age and sex of each child were recorded. Most of the records were taken every four years. After 1878, the records were divided into districts and by household with the name of a guardian, typically a parent. Also, after 1878, the records were racially divided. Most of these records have been digitized and are now online here at familysearch.org. The 1885-1896 records have proven to be a great substitute for the twenty-year “sinkhole” in the census records that was caused when most of the 1890 census was destroyed.
The earliest school record online for Scott County was for the year 1885. However, when I checked those 1885 school records, there was no school-age child named Jessie listed for Moses Beamon, who was noted in the following two separate entries. Instead, three school-age children between 5 and 20 were recorded: Lula (10), William (8), and Hassie (5). Maybe Hassie was Jessie? Or maybe Jessie was under the age of 5 and therefore not recorded? Which one is it?
1885 Educable Children records, Scott County (Harperville district), Mississippi
I then researched the Scott County, Mississippi History & Genealogy Network site to see if I can find a marriage record for a Jessie Beamon to a Butler groom. I hit pay dirt! A couple named Jessie Beeman and Sam Butler married on 20 February 1900. Bingo! Next, I researched the 1900 Scott County census to see if I could find these newlyweds. Bingo again! I found them.
The 1900 U.S. Federal Census, Scott County, Mississippi: Sam (21) & Jessie Butler (17) (newlyweds); available on Ancestry.com
According to the 1900 census, Jessie’s reported birth date was March 1883. Therefore, she was almost 17 years old when she married Sam Butler. She was too young to be recorded in the 1885 Educable Children records. She was born after the 1880 census, and she was married and living in her own house with her new husband when the 1900 census was taken. That’s why I had missed her, and she had been missing for 20 years in my family tree. Later censuses (1910, 1920, 1930, 1940) revealed that she and Sam Butler had at least 8 children: Willie (1903), Austin (1904), Johnnie Mae (1909), Robert (1912), Wilson (1914), L.A. (1917), Cora Lee (1919), and Elizabeth Butler (1920).
Marvin Sapp with his three children, from left, Marvin Jr., Mikaila, and Madisson.
(Source; public domain)
A Facebook friend, Davita Baloue, who I knew is connected to the Butlers from Scott County, informed me that this was indeed her family. We then realized that we are cousins! To add, she also informed me that Sam & Jessie’s youngest daughter, Elizabeth, was the maternal grandmother of the well-known gospel singer, songwriter, and minister, Pastor Marvin Sapp, of Grand Rapids, Mich. So not only did that “Infamous 1890 Sinkhole” caused me to miss this family branch for two decades, but it caused me to not even know until recently that Marvin Sapp is my father’s 2nd cousin twice removed.
Marvin Sapp’s first cousin took the MyHeritage DNA test, and she shares 83.9 cM over 4 segments of identical DNA with my father. She’s my father’s 2nd cousin twice removed, too.
The obituary of Marvin Sapp’s maternal grandmother, Mrs. Elizabeth Butler Stribling (1920-2000) of Forest, Mississippi, the daughter of Jessie Beamon Butler and the granddaughter of Annie Ealy Beamon
(Shared by Davita Baloue)
Marvin Sapp – “Never Would Have Made It”
Veterans Day Tribute: Honoring My Look-Alike and Others’ Service in World War I
Cluster Genealogy Leads to Slave-owner’s Identity
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California Moves to Protect Declining Leatherback Sea Turtles
By Turtle Island Restoration NetworkAugust 19, 2020Uncategorized
For Immediate Release, August 19, 2020
Catherine Kilduff, Center for Biological Diversity, (202) 780-8862, CKilduff@BiologicalDiversity.org
Annalisa Tuel, Turtle Island Restoration Network, (408) 621-8113, ATuel@SeaTurtles.org
Prehistoric Reptiles Threatened by Fishing
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The California Fish and Game Commission voted 5-0 today to advance leatherback sea turtles to candidacy under the state’s Endangered Species Act. The vote follows a June 2020 recommendation by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife that increased protections may be warranted. The action came in response to a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity and Turtle Island Restoration Network.
Today’s unanimous vote triggers a year-long review by the department to determine if these populations should be formally protected under the California Endangered Species Act. The Act’s protections apply during the candidacy period.
“Leatherback sea turtles got the protections they deserve and desperately need with this vote advancing them to candidate status,” said Catherine Kilduff, a Center attorney. “Leatherbacks have traveled across the Pacific for millions of years. California has now committed to ensuring they survive reckless fishing practices and other threats to their existence.”
Scientists estimate that West Pacific leatherback sea turtles have declined by more than 80% since the 1980s and are anticipated to decline by 96% by 2040. An estimated 50 West Pacific leatherbacks forage in California waters annually, as compared to 178 West Pacific leatherbacks during the years 1990-2003. Whale-watching trips observed three leatherback sea turtles in August in Monterey Bay.
“Leatherback sea turtles are on the edge of extinction, and this decision brings them one step closer to getting the protections they deserve,” said Annalisa Tuel, policy & advocacy manager for Turtle Island Restoration Network. “We are pleased to see California take responsibility to ensure leatherbacks do not go extinct in our lifetimes.”
Protecting leatherbacks under the state’s Endangered Species Act would make them a state conservation priority. The state law would also provide a backstop to potentially weakened protections for leatherbacks under the federal Endangered Species Act.
A new review of leatherback sea turtle science released last week concludes that West Pacific leatherbacks, one of seven distinct populations of leatherback sea turtles world-wide, face a high extinction risk. The National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that all seven leatherback sea turtle populations remain endangered and denied a petition by the commercial fishing industry to relax some protections.
The Center and TIRN sued the Trump administration after a fishing permit issued last year exempted vessels from the federal ban on longline gear off California. Longlines stretch up to 60 miles, with thousands of baited hooks. A federal judge in Oakland ruled Dec. 20 that the federal government had failed to adequately consider impacts on leatherbacks when it revived longline fishing, blocking the permit.
The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
Turtle Island Restoration Network is a global ocean conservation nonprofit whose mission is to inspire and mobilize people around the world to protect marine biodiversity and the oceans that sustain all life on Earth.
Tell the National Park Service to NOT KILL Tule Elk
Turtle Island Restoration NetworkOctober 6, 2020
Protect Loggerhead Turtles from Hawai’i Longlines
Turtle Island Restoration NetworkMarch 16, 2020
Save the Okinawa Dugong from a U.S. Military Base
Turtle Island Restoration NetworkFebruary 8, 2020
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Filmmaker’s Statement
People in the Film
Scene by Scene Synopsis
Woodlands Families
Shared History
Just Like Family
Home / Discussion Guide
FILM SYNOPSIS
Shared History is a one-hour documentary based on the conversations and encounters of a group of black and white families connected to each other since before America’s Revolution.
For generations, descendants of slaves and slave owners at Woodlands Plantation, the remnants of antebellum estate in South Carolina, have passed down stories about the ongoing relationship between their families. While independently researching their families’ histories, three contemporary descendants, Rhonda, Charles and Felicia, meet and begin to uncover the mythologies about the old relationship. Rhonda is descended from one of the enslaved families that stayed on at the plantation after the Civil War. Charles’ family left. He did not know his great grandfather had been the coachman, much less a slave, at Woodlands. Felicia’s family has owned the plantation since 1821. She had been told as a child that her ancestors had been “good masters.”
Using an extraordinary collection of historic images, documents, and oral histories as well as family photographs, film footage, and videos, this program documents the living descendants’ efforts to examine the persistence of the relationship and expose the myths that have sustained their connection for more than two centuries.
Shared History personalizes contemporary views of American history–a history that includes slavery and its aftermath of segregation and inequalities. By witnessing the interactions of Americans directly connected to each other through slavery, viewers see the constructed mythologies that made this particular relationship possible. In doing so, they are challenged to examine their personal responsibility in perpetuating or transforming the national mythologies of slavery and race that we all live with today.
INTRODUCTION TO THE GUIDE
Shared History was designed from the beginning to facilitate dialogue among general viewers about the realities of the historical and contemporary relationships between black and white people in this country. In addition to its broadcast on public television and its screening at festivals and conferences internationally, Shared History has been used in the workplace and schools and by religious groups, government agencies, and community organizations to provoke thoughtful discussion about US racial issues. The Shared History discussion guide was created with these types of groups in mind to stimulate conversation and dialogue with suggested issues and questions that address the issues resulting from slavery and segregation in the United States.
Atlanta GirlsDiscussions about race are often frustrated by the difficulty in achieving honest, civil and open conversation about a topic characterized by the unresolved, complex and paradoxical history and relationships between blacks and whites. The film offers an unusual opportunity to approach the issue of race disparities without minimizing the destructiveness of the institution of slavery but with a focus on the present and future, one that recognizes the behaviors of specific individuals and families rather than generalizations about faceless, nameless groups.
The story of Shared History unfolds through the eyes and words of the descendants of the slave owners and the enslaved people of a South Carolina plantation. The major theme of the film is embodied in a statement by the narrator that “We are who we are because of each other.” This confirms recognition that slavery did not only happen to African Americans, but was the major cultural force in the development of US culture for over 300 years of US history.
Through the personal interactions of the families in the film, Shared History touches on several issues or forces that have affected our behaviors in the present including:
the subtle undermining of individual purpose within the paternalistic plantation system employed by many southern slave owners in the 19th century;
the use of denial by slave owners and their descendants to create stereotypes and mythologies that help temporarily overcome feelings of guilt; and
resistance, distrust, and dissembling of the descendants of enslaved people in their efforts to deflect exploitation and discrimination.
These are fundamental issues that are part of our modern relationships and continue to delay honest evaluation of our shared history.
This guide provides:
a synopsis of the film
a contextual statement from project academic advisor, Karen E. Fields
a list of the descendants with key speaking parts
a group of questions that can elicit thoughtful and measured comments and discussion, and
a list of resources for further study and action.
Karen E. Fields, Writer and Academic Advisor
Frank Martin, Writer and Academic Advisor
William Woodson, Consultant
Felicia Furman, Writer
Judith Trent, Editor
Funding for the Discussion Guide was made possible by:
The Humanities CouncilSC
We would like to thank The ETV Endowment of South Carolina and SCETV for their on-going support of Shared History.
Awarded Best Film/Video on Matters Relating to the Black Experience
at the XXIII Black International Cinema, Berlin
The Smalls Family
The Smalls family is connected to Woodlands Plantation through the Laboards. Henry Smalls married Mary Anne Laboard, one of the youngest children of Wilson and Sallie LaBorde. According to the brochure of the second annual Smalls-Laboard family reunion, Henry Smalls–probably the father of the Henry that married Mary Anne LaBorde–was “the son of Ben Felder and Annie Smalls. Ben and Annie came over from England on a boat that docked in Charleston, S.C…. Ben Felder was a white Englishman, and Annie was a mulatto.” A Ben Smalls, 21, black, is listed in the 1870 Midway census with Ann, 20. In the 1880 census, he is listed as age 32 and living with wife Ann and children Willie, George, Henry, Eugenia, and Rebecca. All are listed as mulatto. In the 1900 census, there is listed a Binn Smalls with wife Ann, and children Rebecker and Edmon. In that same census, there is listed a Henry Smalls, age 25, living with his wife (name illegible) and daughter, Dottie.
The Singleton Family
Harry, Ely, and Becky Singleton also remained in the Midway area after the war and are listed in the group of freedmen identified in the contract between Isaac Nimmons and Charles Carroll in July of 1865 as working at “the Pinckney Place.” The Singleton name is also connected to Woodlands through William Gilmore Simms, whose mother was named Harriet Ann Augusta Singleton. At the time of her death in 1808, Simms inherited 25 slaves, and there is a possibility that the African American Singletons may be descended from them.
The 1870 Bamberg census lists a Harry Singleton, a 38-year-old black farmhand as head of a household consisting of Rebecca, age 37, and children Hura (sp?), 16, Elizabeth, 14, Christina, 12, Sylvia, 10, Eugenia, 6, and Harry, 2. In 1880, Harry, age 50, is recorded as head of a household that includes his wife Rebecca, 50, and children Hattie, Rebecca, Eugenia, Inae, and a nephew, Robert Olin. Also in that year, a Rebecca Singleton purchased 80 acres of land from Francis Fishburne Carroll just north of and adjacent to Woodlands. (Francis Fishburne Carroll was the son of Charles Carroll, who was a close friend, neighbor, and kinsman of William Gilmore Simms.) Harry Singleton, age 70, appears again in the 1900 Midway census with his wife Emma, 55.
The Rowe Family
As with the Rumphs, it is likely that the Rowe family has been associated with the Simms family since the 18th century through their earliest South Carolina ancestor, Michael Christopher Rowe.
Mrs. Oliphant also made several statements indicating the Rowe family was originally part of Oak Grove Plantation, and was part of the group of bondsmen who were brought to Woodlands when Simms married Chevillette Eliza and established residence there in 1836. In a tribute she delivered at the funeral of Mary Anne Rowe, she said, “For more than 200 years, the Rowe family have been associated with our family. They lived first with the Simmses on the Orangeburg side of the Edisto and in 1836 moved with us to the Bamberg side of the river. They have been with us here for more than 100 years.”
According to Beecher’s list of freedmen, at least three members of the Rowe family stayed on at Woodlands during the years after the end of the Civil War including Bundo, Berubo, and Caesar Rowe. However, the Woodlands Plantation Book does
George Rowe sharecropped Mary C. Simms Oliphant’s portion of Woodlands between 1921 and 1930’s. His daughter, Llewelyn Rowe Hopkins, was “sent up” by her father to Greenville—about 300 miles away—to work for Mrs. Oliphant. She stayed there for over fifty years.
Mrs. Hopkins daughter, Bertha Mae Harrison remembers her grandfather, George Rowe, telling them that his father was named Jim Redford and that he changed his name to Rowe when he married into the Rowe family—presumably to Clancia Rowe.
*Names are spelled as found in the historical record.
The Simms Family
The Simms family is descended from William Gilmore Simms (1806 – 1870), noted 19th-century literary figure and Chevillette Eliza Roach Simms, the daughter of Nash Roach. They had 16 children, but only six survived childhood including William Gilmore, Jr., Mary Lawson, Chevillette Eliza, Govan Singleton, and Charles Carroll. Simms also had a daughter, Anna Augusta Singleton, from his first wife, Anna Malcolm Giles.
By virtue of Simms’ literary achievements, Woodlands is designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior and is currently used by the Simms descendants for family retreats, hunting parties, and community gatherings.
William Gilmore Simms was a native South Carolinian who gained far-ranging literary acclaim in his day as the most prolific southern antebellum writer. Hailed as the man of letters of the Old South, Simms garnered the respect of readers in the North and South, including such contemporaries as Edgar Allan Poe and James Fenimore Cooper. Simms’ versatility and talent were evidenced in some 72 book-length works, including novels, short story collections, poetry, drama, literary criticism, essays, history, and biography. Among his better known works are The Yemassee, his most popular Indian novel; The Partisan, the first of seven Revolutionary War romances; Richard Hurdis, one of his eight Border Romances; and The Wigwam and the Cabin, A Collection of Short Stories. Following the Civil War and after his death, Simms’ works fell out of favor.
His biographer, John C. Guilds, writes: “Alone among American novelists of the 19th century, Simms perceived a national literary need, sensed his capability to fulfill it, developed a plan to attain it, and lived to complete it. Simms had vision, commitment, intensity, and perseverance—ingredients without which sustained literary accomplishment of the first magnitude is impossible. Relatively early in his career, in 1845, Simms articulated his mission for artistic fulfillment with precision and comprehensiveness, and throughout his life he remained constant to that mission, neither altering its formulation nor wavering in his commitment. Simms’ vision of America depicted in his fiction extends from 16th-century Florida (Vasconselos and The Lily and the Totem); colonial South Carolina (The Cassique of Kiawah and The Yemassee); the Revolutionary War (Joscelyn, The Partisan, Mellichampe, Katherine Walton, The Scout, The Forayers, Eutaw, and Woodcraft); through the trans-Mississippi migration in the early 19th century (Guy Rivers, Richard Hurdis, Border Beagles, Confession, Beauchampe, Charlemont, Helen Halsey, The Wigwam and the Cabin, the Cub of the Panther, Voltmeier). To Simms, his writings about ante-colonial America, the English colonies, the Revolutionary War, and the rampaging frontier were part of a sustained, interconnected literary saga. He traced the development of American national consciousness through four centuries in two dozen books which, taken together, form a powerful, intense, highly readable epic and constitute a unique national literary treasure. Though Simms’ achievements are various and varied—his poetry [see “Among the Ruins”], in particular, is important for both historical and aesthetic reasons—his vision of an American literature by Americans found its fullest expression in the novel; and it is here that his immortality is assured.”
Recent research by a core of southern scholars has revived interest in and appreciation of the writings of Simms. Since 1952, there have been a number of publications that support Simms’ prominence as a nationally significant author including six volumes of his letters, The Letters of William Gilmore Simms, a collection of his poems, the Guilds biography, and a series of critical publications about his work including Long Years of Neglect and William Gilmore Simms and the American Frontier also by John C. Guilds and The Poetry and the Practical by James E. Kibler, among other related works.
William Gilmore Simms’ granddaughter, Mary C. Simms Oliphant (1891 – 1988), was also an historian In 1916, the state superintendent of education asked her to update her grandfather’s 1860 history of South Carolina for use as a texbook. In 1932, Oliphant wrote an entirely new South Carolina history textbook. The Simms History of South Carolina went through 9 editions and was used by South Carolina junior high school students.She later wrote a reader to introduce third-grade children to their state.Oliphant’s most ambitions project, and the one for which she is most widely known, was her work to collect, edit, and publish Simms’s letters.
Other grandchildren of William Gilmore Simms include Zaidee Aldrich Simms Cole (1882 – 1968), William Gilmore Simms IV (1883 – 1953), Harold Algernon Simms (1888 – 1965) and Anne Lee Simms Buck1893 – 1969).
The Nimmons Family
Although the Simms and Nimmons families did not maintain close ties after the Civil War, Isaac Nimmons was a key figure at Woodlands and a significant presence in the Midway community through the end of the 19th century. William Gilmore Simms, Jr. describes him as follows:
Isaac Nimmons was our father’s body servant and coachman, and a great favorite with all the children. He had been a stable boy of my grand uncle A. R. Govan, who imported the great race horse Bosters from England, and as a partner of Col. William Johnson of Virginia ran a number of horses on the Washington Race trace at Charleston. Isaac was a born sport and knew the history of all the great races by heart, and being a good raconteur, endeared himself to the children of his many track anecdotes….
A.R. Govan, the uncle of the wife of William Gilmore Simms, Chevillette Eliza Simms, was a planter in the Orangeburg District who moved to Mississippi in 1828, indicating that Nimmons might have come to Woodlands at that time or in 1847 when Roach moved to Woodlands permanently.
Nimmons played a critical role in the lives of the Simms family at the end of the Civil War when he helped evacuate the family from Woodlands. He delivered food and other provisions to them in Columbia where they moved to escape Sherman’s destructive march through South Carolina.
In February 1865, after Woodlands was burned by Sherman’s stragglers, the neighbors in the community accused Isaac Nimmons of setting the fire. William Gilmore Simms, Jr. describes the incident as follows:
Sometime after the army had passed, a jury of citizens in the neighborhood arrested my father’s coachman and body servant Isaac Nimmons and tried him for the burning [of Woodlands]. The weight of the evidence exonerated Isaac, although there was a good deal of feeling against him, but general opinion was that the dwelling was burnt by some of the bands of bummers that hung on to the outskirts of the army.
The Laboard Family
In a tribute Mrs. Oliphant delivered at the funeral of Arthur Laboard who helped her restore the gardens at Woodlands in the 1950s, she wrote: “The family of the LaBordes [sic] came to Woodlands from Beaufort in 1861 when the Northern Army occupied that part of the coast. The LaBordes have been with us ever since. Arthur LaBorde’s grandmother, Sallie LaBorde, was beloved by every member of the Simms family and I have a picture of her which I shall always cherish.”
According to Mrs. Oliphant, the LaBorde family had been part of a group of 40 or 50 slaves from the plantation of Dr. Fuller located near Pocotaligo in Prince Williams Parish, Beaufort County. However, the LaBordes (who now spell their name Laboard) may have already been at Woodlands prior to the Civil War. Bessie Laboard Brown has said that her grandmother, Sallie LaBorde, who Mrs. Oliphant referred to as “Maum Sallie,” told her that she was “sold to the Simms in Midway.” She said, “Grandmamma’s father was a rice farmer in Beaufort.” Sallie, who married Wilson LaBoard (possibly the same person called Vincent) who was already at Woodlands, may have been one of this group from the Fuller plantation.
According to Beecher’s list of freedmen who remained at the plantation after the Civil War, Vincent, Sally, Tina, and Edmund LaBorde stayed on at Woodlands. The 1867 tax return book for Barnwell Parish also lists a Wilson Labboard [sic], who owed $1 in “capitation” tax. Also in that year, Wilson LaBorde filed a complaint with the Freedmen’s Bureau against Daniel Rowell, a Midway farmer with whom he had contracted for one-third of the crop. When the harvest was completed, he and Sallie were ordered off the plantation, apparently in an attempt by Rowell to renege on their deal. He and Sallie are back at Woodlands in 1868 according to the Woodlands Plantation Book, which lists work completed by, items purchased from, or accounts with Vincent LaBorde in the years 1868 and 1874.
Edmund LaBorde, 42, is listed in the 1870 Midway census with his household composed of Eugenia (possibly the Tina mentioned above), 43, Dorcas, 69, and George, age 20. Edmund is also listed as owning land valued at $250 and other property valued at $200. The 1870 Federal Census of South Carolina Agriculture, Midway, lists an Edward Labord owning 25 acres of land although no deed is listed in the Barnwell County Courthouse records. The population census of that year also lists a Weston Laborde (probably Wilson LaBorde), 29, Sarah Anne (probably Sallie), 23, and children Jeffry, Nancy, Sandie or Landie, and Dolly.
The 1880 census lists an Edmon Labord, 65, and his wife, Eugenia, 60 as living in Midway. There is also a Vincent Labord, 45, with wife Sallie, 38, and children Nancy, James, Dolly, George, Cornelia, and Richard.
Additionally, one of the youngest children of Wilson and Sallie LaBoard, Mary Anne LaBoard, married Henry Smalls, forming the Smalls family link to Woodlands.
The Roach Family
Nash Roach was the father of Chevillette Eliza Roach, who married William Gilmore Simms in 1836. He also owned a plantation across the Edisto River in Orangeburg County called Oak Grove that he acquired through his marriage to Eliza Ann Govan (1791 – 1822), the daughter of Daniel Govan (? – 1797) and Louisa Robinson. This was Roach’s principal residence and primary income property until 1846 when he sold Oak Grove and moved to Woodlands to live with his daughter and son-in-law. In colonial days, Oak Grove was called “St. George”; during the Revolution, it was referred to as “Chevillette’s” after Eliza Ann Govan’s stepfather, John Chevillette. “St. George,” not to be confused with the town or district of St. George in adjacent Dorchester County, was a land grant consisting of many acres just below the town of Orangeburg. This land grant was given to Daniel Govan’s father, Andrew Govan (? – 1771) in 1757. In 1758, Andrew Govan married Rachel Rowe (1740 – ?), daughter of Michael Christopher Rowe (1715 – 1787) by his first marriage.
Along with his two brothers Samuel and Henry, Michael Christopher Rowe, a Scotsman, was a landowner in the Orangeburg District. In 1757, he received two land grants near the town Orangeburg – one for 150 acres and the other for 250 acres – and in 1758 he received another grant for 700 acres. He also bought other lands in the same area for a total of over 3,000 acres.
On June 4, 1759, Rowe transferred 100 acres of land in the Orangeburg District to his daughter and son-in-law, Rachel and Andrew Govan. Daniel Govan, Andrew’s son, was to inherit the “St. George” property – 1,300 acres – at the time of his mother’s death, although it appears that Daniel died before his mother. Andrew Govan’s will stipulated that his personal property, presumably including his slaves, would be split equally between his widow, Rachel, his son, Daniel, and daughter, Rachel, although other evidence suggests that Rachel inherited all of the slaves. The first federal census reveals that Daniel Govan owned at least eight slaves in 1790. His daughter, Eliza Ann Govan, who probably inherited Oak Grove at the time of her grandmother’s death and also presumably her slaves, married Nash Roach in 1813. It is assumed that Roach became the proprietor of Oak Grove at that time.
The Glover Family
Isom Glover was known as the torch-tender and had charge of the firewood for the estate. According to Mrs. Oliphant, “It was he who, as a young man, at great personal risk saved the [Benjamin] West portrait of Simms when the house was burned [by Sherman’s troops] in 1865.” He does not appear in Beecher’s list of freedmen at Woodlands in June of 1865. However, he is listed as having a sharecropper’s account at Woodlands in January of 1868. An Isom Glover shows up in the 1870s census in Midway, at age 24, living with wife Sarah, 20, and son Robert, 2. There is an Isham Glover, age 35, in the 1880 Midway census with wife Martha, and children Mariah, Paul, Laura and Gabriel.
An Isham Glover from Bamberg is also recorded in the 1890s Special Schedule of Surviving Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Widows of the US during the War of the Rebellion. Although not identified in federal military records as having enlisted or served in the US Army, he apparently provided some service or support to federal troops during the Civil War, despite saving the West portrait of his master, perhaps when Sherman’s troops as they passed through Midway. He was the only African American listed in the Special Schedule from the Bamberg area.
The Rumph Family
The earliest remembered ancestor of the Rumph family is Jim Rumph (1810 – 1922). His granddaughter Llewellyn “Mudd” Manigault (1901 – 1986) spoke of his own father. He was 112 when he died, having lived through 57 years of enslavement, the Civil War, Sherman’s destruction of Woodlands and most of Midway, the famine after the war, the failure of Reconstruction, the difficulties of sharecropping, and the boom in farming that resulted from the exigencies of World War I. Jim Rumph fathered a son named Jim Rumph (1875 – 1937), who also had a son named Jim Rumph (1900 – 1985). All three farmed property that was once part of the original plantation and which the Rumph family has owned since 1917. All were the managers of Woodlands, on behalf of the Simms family, and all are buried in the cemetery on the plantation property. Earthlee Rumph (1907 – 1993), one of the grandchildren of the old Jim Rumph, reported that Jim Rumph came “direct from Africa” as a young man and was “auctioned off” in Charleston. According to Mr. Rumph, Jim Rumph was about 18 when he was put on a slave ship in Africa bound for Charleston. “He was auctioned in Charleston and [they] sent him from Charleston to Beaufort, where he started his home.”
The only mention of a Jim in the plantation book after the Civil War is in the section entitled, “Births of Negroes.” The first entries at the top of the page list the births of George, 1842, Ceasar, 1848, Abbie, 1849, Garrick, 1851, and Glover, 1856, all children of Jim and Doll. The Simms family presumes that this “Jim” was the old Jim Rumph and that this family was one of at least two families of which Jim Rumph was the father.
The Rumph name does not appear in the Midway District 1870 census, the first federal census in which former slaves were accounted. However, there is a listing for a James Easterling, age 38, a farmhand living alone and it is remembered that Llewellyn “Mudd” Manigault spoke of the Easterlings. Other grandchildren, Earthlee Rumph—Mrs. Manigault’s brother—and Bessie Laboard Brown, recounted that Jim Rumph “ran away” and changed his name to Easterling; one could assume this man was the old Jim before he changed his name to Rumph or back to Rumph.
A James Rumff [sic] * is listed in the 1880 Midway census as a laborer, age 40, with wife, Mary, age 28, and children Ella, 8, Augusta, 7, Webster, 6, Martha, 4, and Sandy, 6 months. (Augusta may be Bessie Laboard Brown’s mother Eliza Rumph who she said was originally named Augusta—also the name of William Gilmore Simms’s oldest daughter—but she did not like the name and changed it at some point to Elizabeth.) This record would suggest that this James Rumff, listed as age 40 in 1880, is not the same person as James Easterling, listed as age 38 in 1870, however, census enumerators often just guessed at the age of those interviewed and sometimes simply made mistakes.
The Rumphs are related or associated with several other families in the Midway community. The 1900 Midway census lists Eugene (Moss) Rump as a “nephew,” aged 13, living with the McCormick family including B. McCormick, age 53, Margaret, his wife, age 60, and their three children ages 16 to 22. Since Eugene Rumph is listed as a nephew, Margaret may have been a sister of the old Jim Rumph, Moss Rumph’s father. The Rumph family remembers that Moss Rumph’s mother (listed as Mary Black in his obituary) died when he was an infant and that he lived with cousins for a number of years.
The Rumphs may also be related to the Richburgs. According to William D. Howard, a descendant of the Hightower and Nimmons families in Bamberg and Barnwell Counties, his great great grandmother, Masouri Richberg, lived at Woodlands prior to the Civil War. Mr. Howard wrote an unpublished historical narrative, My Wealth Has Come, about his family’s connections to West Africa and their early life in the United States. A copy is located in the Bamberg County Public Library. He reported that his grand uncle, Bequert Richburg, told him that Masouri had been a slave on the Simms place and that she also had a daughter named Masouri, but that she became a McCormick. She married Daniel Richburg and later settled in Bamberg. Madrew Ramsey Stuart, a great granddaughter of Abbey Ramsey, also remembered that she had an ancestor named Masouri. She said that Abbey was related to the Nimmons from the Orange Grove community. She was told by her cousin Annie Lou (nicknamed Plum) that Nimmons people used to visit Aunt Rachel, Abbey’s daughter, in the hospital. Mrs. Oliphant wrote that Jim Rumph’s wife, Birdie (Stokes) Rumph, told her “Jim’s mother’s people were Nimmons.” If she was referring to her husband Jim (as opposed to his father or grandfather) his mother was Eliza Wright, daughter of Abbey Ramsey.
Earthlee Rumph said that the Richburgs were only indirectly related to the Rumphs. He offered that the Richburgs and Rumphs “came over on the same ship” and that one family was sold to the Simms and the other sold to the Richburgs. In a 1994 interview, a cousin of the Rumph family, Reverend Daniel Richberg, stated that his family, like the Rumphs, were from “George’s.” A white Richburg or de Richebourg family owned property near Summerton. William Howard stated that “Until about 1835, my ancestors [his mother’s father’s family, the Richburgs] actually were enslaved to the David and Hope Pearson family who lived on what is today Highway 21 which runs between Branchville and Orangeburg.”
A number of the descendants of the Rumph still live near Woodlands Plantation today including the Manigaults, Currys, Warrens, Georges, Ryants, Hayneses and Kearse. Rhonda Kearse, one of the three narrators of the Shared History documentary, is the daughter of Margaret Kearse. Margaret’s mother was Edith George. Mrs. George and her siblings including Elliott “Junior” Manigault, Dorothy Manigault, Sadie Ryant, Lottie Curry, and Eugenia Haynes, are the children of Llewellyn “Mudd” Manigault, the granddaughter of the first Jim Rumph.
The Curry Family
Mrs. Oliphant identifies Cynthia Curry as the head cook at Woodlands. Cynthia, Albert, and Billy Curry are listed in the group of 47 freedmen identified by James Beecher as remaining at Woodlands after Sherman’s destruction of Midway. Beecher named Billy Curry foreman of the group who had planted a corn crop on the property, presumably after the Simms family moved to Columbia.
Cinthia and Albert are listed in the section of the Woodlands Plantation Book entitled “Births of Negroes” as being the parents of Sam, born 1862, Eugene, born 1856, and Alice, born 1859. Martha, born 1861, is listed as a “child of Cinthia.” Apparently, Albert Curry, the father or brother of Billy, stayed at Woodlands at least until 1868.
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Anderson Bookshop Naperville, Author event, Barack Obama, Book signings, Joe Biden, mystery, Quirk Books, Series, Uncategorized
Hope Never Dies: A Obama-Biden Mystery
Posted by Jane Simon Ammeson on August 16, 2018 August 20, 2018
Watching news clips of Barack Obama windsurfing off of Richard Branson’s private island, kayaking with Justin Trudeau and BASE jumping in Hong Kong with Bradley Cooper while he’s grouting tile in his master bathroom and playing darts on a board his daughter gave him years ago, Joe Biden, feeling left-out (he doesn’t even have Secret Service protection anymore), grumpily wonders why the 44th president hasn’t called him in the months since Donald Trump took office. Biden’s grousing changes quickly when Obama appears in the woods behind his house late one night, coolly smoking a cigarette and delivering the terrible news that Finn Donnelly, the Amtrak conductor that Biden befriended as he traveled back and forth between Delaware to Washington D.C. has been murdered. On his body, Barack says, was a printout map of Biden’s home. Is someone targeting the vice-president?
And so the bromance rekindles as the ex-president and ex-vice are back working as a team as they race to solve the crime in Andrew Shaffer’s Hope Never Dies (Quirk Books 2018; $14.99). The title is a parody of the James Bond movie “Tomorrow Never Dies” and the dime store detective novel-like-cover depicts Obama, the wind whipping his red tie behind him, standing in the passenger seat of a Thunderbird convertible pointing the way as a determined Biden drives but the story itself isn’t farce. Shaffer, who is a New York Times best seller author, says that though the action is over-the-top at times—Obama roughing up a biker; Biden head-butting a villain and getting thrown off a fast moving train to name a few—he resisted getting too campy.
“The book is more than a one-note joke,” says Shaffer.
Growing up in Iowa, Shaffer enrolled in the University of Iowa’s noted creative writing program.
“They teach serious fiction there and you’re reading a lot of serious authors like Phillip Roth,” he says. “So I’m writing like I’m in my 60s, divorced and living in the suburbs. I was only 21 and I thought what am I doing? I wanted to write the type of fiction I like to read such as authors like Elmore Leonard, Donald Westlake and Lawrence Block.”
Shaffer had been thinking about writing a mystery with Joe Biden as the main character for years.
“I thought about maybe making it a cozy type of mystery,” he says. “But I got the idea for this when they’d been out of office for a week or so. I wrote a note to my agent asking how about a Biden-Obama mystery and she said really? I said yes.”
Inspired by the 1980s buddy cop movies he liked such as “Tango & Cash,” Shaffer says that the mystery isn’t just about Biden’s love of ice cream but instead covers serious topics such as the opioid epidemic. Since the book’s recent release on July 18, it’s been selected as an Amazon Best Book of the Month: Thrillers July 2018 and an Official Summer Read of Publishers Weekly. He is already working on the next book in the series, Hope Rides Again.
“It’s a legacy in ways,” Shaffer says about the series. “”It’s for people, no matter what part of the political spectrum they’re on, need some kind of hope.”
Ifyougo:
What: Book signing with Andrew Shaffer.
When: Sunday, August 19 at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Anderson’s Bookshop, 123 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville, IL.
FYI: (630) 355-2665; andersonsbookshop.com
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Noodles on the Silk Road
A Cultural Exploration of China and Italy Through Noodles
Food and identity
The meaning of food
My Experiences with Foods
Teochew food
Ethiopoan
Food, our identities
Food that impact our lives
Ode to Jajangmyeon
What food means to me
A new classic
I am what I eat
Inspired by the king of the kitchen
Stories in my life
The cultural significance of our food
Food as a Shield and a Weapon
My food upbringing
Food Pho thought
Growing up as a Vietnamese American
Identity of Noodle
Imitation Writing
Alane Salierno Mason
Cheng Ji
Hong Junju
Jennifer Barone
Qu Yuan
Noodle Project
Posted on July 5, 2018 by Abi Chin
Noodles in China and Italy: A Reflection on Food, Culture, Identity, and Love
by Abigail Chin
The noodle is a remarkable culture bearer for China and Italy because noodles reflect and illustrate the unique societal values and identities of both countries and their respective cultures in different ways. Noodles are made from simple ingredients, but the context in which they are produced and consumed within Italy and China imbue the noodle with great meaning and identity beyond the noodle’s simple categorization as a food product.
At the most basic level, the noodle performs the basic function of giving people affordable nutrition in both China and Italy. The base ingredients for noodles are some combination of flour, water, and/or eggs. As such, noodles contain protein, minerals, and carbohydrates, along with some minerals. Noodles in China are considered a staple food, as seen in “Bite of China: Staples Foods.” Noodles are a cereal food, and “cereal food is the main body of the traditional Chinese diet, the main source of energy for the human body, and also the most economical energy food” (Journal of Ethnic Foods, Ma and Zhang 212). Noodles have performed the all-important role of feeding millions of Chinese people for hundreds of years, and China is the largest consumer of noodles in present-day. Italy also relied on noodles as an economical staple food during different times in history. For example, in Let the Meatballs Rest we learn that around 1630, pasta was very popular in Sicily but less so in Naples, where it was still considered a luxury. During that time, Neapolitans suffered from terrible famine and poverty as a result of Spain’s poor governance. There was an extreme shortage of the former staple food meat, and the Neapolitans took advantage of the mechanical pasta maker and made macaroni their new, economical staple food in the place of meat. During that time, they were given the nickname “macaroni-eaters” because of their love of pasta, and in the 1800s Italy as a whole country took on that label (Montanari161-162). Noodles have played an essential part in providing wholesome nutrition to both China and Italy. The rise in popularity of macaroni in Naples is a great example of how different regions of Italy and China experience noodles in different ways, according to different regional characteristics and traditions.
In China, noodles are a staple food, but there are thousands of different noodles varieties throughout the different regions, provinces, and cities of China. Each region of China has its own signature noodle dishes with vastly different preparation methods and flavor combinations. China is a large country with so many different types of climates, so many food traditions remain popular in specific regions in part because their respective geographic environments and climates are conducive for growing and preparing certain foods. However, perhaps just as significant is the fact that certain food traditions arose in a specific region, and people in that particular region care to continue the tradition, or perhaps people in other regions do not have quite the same affinity for the tastes of other regions’ noodle dishes. It has been said Chinese are the most food-oriented people in the world, and food traditions are among the most important traditions that the Chinese people keep. This is illustrated beautifully by the way noodles are prepared and eaten throughout China.
Bamboo pole pressed noodles are a remarkable noodle dish that can only be found in southern China, while pulled noodles are a proud tradition of Northern China. Bamboo pole noodles are made in a small area of China that includes Canton and Hong Kong, while pulled noodles are made throughout a large area of Northern China. The art of making bamboo pole noodles is a strenuous and lengthy process that was invented one hundred years ago and has been passed down between each generation since then (Hsiang Ju Lin 309-311). The art of bamboo pole noodles requires patience, discipline, and precise attention to detail in order to achieve the proper texture and form of noodle. The process of making these noodles is detailed by Hsiang Ju Lin in “Slippery Noodles.” The dough is made by mixing duck eggs straight into wheat without water, and then pole operator must bounce and pivot on the bamboo pole for hours, folding the dough at certain intervals (309-311). A person who makes this type of noodle does so as his or her full-time job or career, because making these noodles properly requires a good amount of training and experience; it seems it is not the type of dish that a person can make at home on a whim. This noodle reflects the culture and discipline of the Southern Chinese people in the Canton and Hong Kong areas, because this process requires an hours-long commitment to excellence and quality in order to enjoy even one bowl of noodles. On an individual level, the bamboo pole operators’ dedication, strong work ethic, and craftsmanship is embodied in these noodles. The fact that these particular noodles have remained popular, and that the art has been passed down over a hundred years shows the value that Chinese culture places on the art of quality food.
On the other hand, pulled noodles give us a window into the cultural fabric of northern China. These noodles have a long history in northern China. While pulling the noodles, the “noodle-maker would give a riveting performance” (Hsiang Ju Lin 312). The fact that noodle-makers would put on a show in a street stall or in a restaurant reveals that they had a ready audience for their noodle-making. The Chinese are a food-oriented culture, and the ready audience for noodle-makers illustrates that Chinese people appreciated and continue to appreciate the artisanship and hard work that goes into making the noodles. This presents a stark contrast to American restaurants, where the chef and cooks most often remain behind the closed double doors of the kitchen, and never come out to show how food is made. In the USA, it seems that at nicer restaurants, it is essential that the process of cooking be hidden from the customer, with a distinct separation between front-end wait staff and back-end chefs and cooks. The emphasis and value are placed on the appearance and taste of the food when it lands on the dining table, but less so in the process behind it. The performance of noodle pullers illustrates that the Chinese, specifically the northern Chinese in this case, value every step of the noodle-making process, not just what ends up in their bowl on the table. Lanzhou pulled noodles are a different type of pulled noodles that were invented by Muslims who settled in the Xian and Lanzhou cities of northern China after they traveled in from the west on the Silk Road (Hsiang Ju Lin 313-314). This dish marries traditional Muslim beef soup with pulled noodles native to northern China. The soup was made from green parsley, red pepper oil, white noodles, radish, coriander, beef, spice blends, and a signature clear broth. The clear broth of this noodle dish is very different from the rich and heavy sauce that is often served with pulled noodles in northern China (314-315). This particular noodle dish is a great example of how other cultures could influence and contribute to the noodle culture in China. Lanzhou pulled noodles are a direct result of the Silk Road and how the Silk Road changed and influenced Chinese culture in the northern region.
In Italy, the noodle is a wonderful symbol of the entire Italian culture and more specific regional traditions. The earlier example of the Neapolitan development of a macaroni culture reveals an important aspect of Italian culture. When discussing Italian culture, it is important to recognize that each region of Italy has a distinct history. Each region was conquered, occupied, and liberated multiple times by different rulers and countries, and during different time periods. Some regions of Italy did not interact with other regions for hundreds of years at a time, so each region developed its own cultural identity and food culture. In addition, different regions of Italy have geographies that are suited to raising different kinds of crops and livestock, furthering the regional difference in cuisine. While pasta is now recognized as the signature food of Italy, each region has a very different history with pasta. In the Middle Ages, Sicily “was the region of Italy where industrialized dry pasta first took hold” (Montanari 161). Up to this point, Sicilians were known as “macaroni eaters” (161). However, around 1630 after pasta became an economical staple food in Naples following a period of famine, Neapolitans became known as “macaroni-eaters” (162). It wasn’t until the nineteenth century that the entire country of Italy was known as “macaroni-eaters” (162). Since this date coincides with the unification of Italy in 1861, I imagine that perhaps the unification enabled pasta in all its forms to travel and become widespread throughout the entire country, rather than stay confined within specific regions.
In addition, the example of cappelletti and tortellini further illustrates the different food traditions in the different regions of Italy. In the present-day region of Emilia-Romagna, the noodle dishes of cappelletti and tortellini are filled differently (Montanari 42). In Romagna, cappelletti are filled with cheese as a result of the sheep culture in the region. On the other hand, in Emilia tortellini are filled with meat as a result of the native pork culture 42). Both regions incorporate filled pasta dough into their regional cuisine, but the different fillings are a nod to their separate histories of occupation. While the landscape differences between Emilia and Romagna contributed to this difference, the fact that the Longobards occupied Emilia and the Byzantines ruled Romagna is a likely cause of different food traditions illustrated by these stuffed pasta dishes (42-43).
The noodle is an important cultural element of both Italian and Chinese societies and their respective cultures. Both the Chinese and Italians demonstrate their commitment to high quality food made with love and expert-level care through noodles. In the article “Noodles, Traditionally and Today”, we learn that there are thousands of noodle varieties in China (Zhang and Ma 210). These noodles are crafted with great care and hard work, such as with bamboo pole noodles and hand pulled noodles. Within Italy, there are hundreds of varieties of noodle shapes, from capellini to bucatini to the classic spaghetti. There must be thousands of unique pasta dish varieties after accounting for sauce varieties. The overwhelming variety of noodle shapes and forms indicates that both Chinese and Italian culture truly value the art and form of noodles. In Italian culture, “different shapes of pasta, although alike in substance, produce different effects on the taste buds” (Montanari10-11). There is an understanding in Italian culture that the form of food, such as pasta, will profoundly affect the taste or flavor of a dish. With this belief, the number of pasta shapes that have been created over the years clearly illustrates the Italian commitment to seeking excellent taste and flavor in food. In Chinese culture, the value of the balancing of the five flavors in conjunction with the hard work in making noodles illustrates the Chinese dedication to quality food.
Noodles play an important role in Italian culture because pasta is the food most associated with Italian food culture by both Italians themselves and by people throughout the world. The traditional pasta and tomato sauce is a great example of the signature of Italian cuisine. Italians, perhaps more than any other culture in the world, perfected the art of drawing from a variety of gastronomical cultures to create superb food. There is great debate over which part of the world first invented noodles, and we may never truly know if China or Italy or the Middle East created the first proper noodle. Regardless, the Italians took the noodle tradition and perfected the production and drying of noodles and pasta. Tomatoes and tomato sauce were brought to Italy from the Americas, and they are not native to Italy. However, because of the masterful Italian cooking techniques, pasta and tomato sauce will forever be associated with Italy’s cultural identity. Pasta is the perfect “metaphor for the unity and variety of Italian alimentary styles” (Montanari 160). The Italians’ ability to draw from different gastronomical cultures is an important part of Italian food culture, and the noodle personifies this ability more than any other food.
Noodles have an incredibly important position in Chinese food culture because of the Chinese are an incredibly food-oriented culture. Food is interwoven into all of the significant Chinese customs, rituals, life events, and holidays. Noodles in China are especially imbued with customs and meaning. For example, many noodle dishes have other names that reflect their place in Chinese culture rather than the food in the dish Qishan minced noodles are also known as “sister-in-law noodles” because it is said that a poor student was able to pass his civil service exam only because of the great noodles his sister-in-law prepared for him. Later, many people tried to cook the same noodle dish to seek success for their sons in their exam. So, the noodles also took on another epithet of “ashamed son noodles,” in reference to parents’ shame when the same noodle dish did not lead to their son’s success. The naming of noodle dishes shows that many noodles dishes are linked with other aspects of life, and the food is always connected to other aspects of life. There are many other noodle dishes that are forever linked with certain traditions or customs in Chinese culture. For example, longevity noodles or long-life noodles, are served at birthday parties. In “Bite of China: Staples Foods”, we see that there is a beautiful noodle tradition that is performed at a 70th birthday celebration in one village in China. Since long noodles are associated with a long life, every member of a village is served a bowl of noodles upon arriving at a birthday party. Each person picks the longest noodle out of his or her bowl, and places it in the bowl of the man who is celebrating his birthday. The birthday celebration can only be complete after the man eats the bowl of the longest noodles. Here, the noodles symbolize the love and good wishes from every member of the community to this man. It is clear that noodles in Chinese culture are much more than the ingredients, they are a special food that represents love and can guide one through both big and small life events.
Both Italian and Chinese cultures emphasize the importance of eating meals with loved ones. In China, it is incredibly important to eat food with family. In Italy, a big part of the Mediterranean diet tradition is eating with others, whether that be friends or family. The amount of hard work, care, and attention to detail that goes into selecting, preparing, and eating noodles is more than the sum of its parts: it is love. There is love that goes into preparing noodles well in both Italian and Chinese culture. In the story “Crossing the Bridge”, a family chef labored over many noodle dishes and experimented with many techniques and styles of cooking until he found the perfect technique to keep noodles warm for the beloved son in the family (Durack 182-183). In the “Art of the Feast”, we see the time and care the women in an Italian family put into shaping hundreds of little tortellini by hand. In the same episode, we see two men go around to several different shops over the course of a whole day to collect the perfect ingredients for just one noodle dinner, as is common in Italian culture. Making noodles with pride and care for others is an act of love. In “A Bite of China: Staple Foods”, a cameraman named Bih-Bo lives in Beijing with his wife, while his two daughters, parents, and parents-in-law live far away in the countryside. He is only able to see his parents and twin daughters once a year, at the Spring Festival celebration. He mentions that his favorite dish is his mother’s braised noodles. He explains that the traditional noodles and jaozi that his family makes together during this time will remain a “seed planted in [his children’s] soul” that they can always remember and think of as a happy memory with family. All of these examples stand in stark contrast to the American culture of fast food, where speed and hunger gratification are valued highest, and there is much less emphasis on the source of ingredients or what it actually takes to bring wonderful food to the table.
What is the noodle/what are noodles?
The noodle is a combination of flour and some liquid that can be shaped into hundreds of shapes, with varying thickness and hundreds of textures, by a variety of methods such as pulling, pressing, and casting with molds. The noodle provides a healthy form of nutrition and sustenance for all people across the world’s many cultures. It is a nutritious, wholesome food that comes from a global gastronomic tradition of quality, care, wholesome nutrition, and love. Throughout human creativity and hard work, society has created thousands of different noodle dishes.
Noodles have fed people for hundreds of years, during times of prosperity and times of desperation. They can convey nonverbal messages such as well-wishes, good luck, celebration, and love. When the noodle is prepared with love, it can bond families, build friendships, and strengthen communities.
CategoriesIdentity of Noodle
One Reply to “Noodles in China and Italy: A Reflection on Food, Culture, Identity, and Love”
Fine way of explaining, and pleasant article to obtain facts regarding my presentation focus, which i am
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Tracing the Origins of the Noodle July 8, 2018
Final Paper: The Exquisite Sociohistorical Intersection of Brasil and Italia by Willi Freire July 5, 2018
Noodles in China and Italy: A Reflection on Food, Culture, Identity, and Love July 5, 2018
Authenticity: the Evolution of Chinese Food in America by Akshitha Adhiyaman July 4, 2018
History of the Tomato in Italy and China: Tracing the Role of Tomatoes in Italian and Chinese Cooking July 3, 2018
My mother making jiaozi for me
Blog Posts Select Category Alane Salierno Mason (1) Cheng Ji (2) Du Fu (3) Frances Mayes (1) Hong Junju (10) Identity of Noodle (27) Imitation Writing (24) Jennifer Barone (2) Nancy Savoca (1) Noodle Project (9) Qu Yuan (2) Shu Xi (1) Susannah Chen (1) Uncategorized (19) What We Eat (25)
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thepumphandle
Thanksgiving turkey gets Presidential pardon – Turkey workers, however, can’t get a break
By egrossman on November 26, 2013.
As Americans prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday and the White House gets ready for President Obama to pardon the National Thanksgiving Turkey in a Rose Garden ceremony on Wednesday November 27 that will “reflect upon the time-honored traditions of Thanksgiving,” let us take a moment to reflect upon the welfare of the men and women who process the millions of turkeys on their way to Thanksgiving dinners.
First, according to the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), about 220,000 people currently work in the poultry processing industry in the US, at an annual median wage of about $25,000 a year, with half earning between $8.76 and $11.70 an hour. In the top ten turkey-producing states, most of those employed in meat slaughtering and producing earn between $22,660 and $23,870 annually. Most poultry processing plant workers are from ethnic minorities; many are also recent immigrants and women. Only about 30 percent of these workers are represented by unions. The workers who handle birds after they’re slaughtered typically handle about 30 or more turkeys a minute during shifts that run eight to nine hours. The birds can weigh more than 16 pounds each. (Imagine moving a cold 16-pound slippery dead turkey every two seconds between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.) The work also involves heavy machinery, sharp cutting equipment and disinfection chemicals. So this work is not only low-paying, but hard and often hazardous.
The meat industry says injury rates in poultry processing are at an all-time low and below that for the entire food manufacturing sector. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), however, “Since 1975, workers in this industry have consistently suffered injuries and illnesses at a rate more than twice the national average.” Repetitive motion injuries, muscoskeletal disorders, and joint pain are common throughout the poultry-processing industry. OSHA inspection records also record machine injuries and cuts to fingers – including amputations. A recent National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) investigation has also found poultry processing line speeds resulting in high incidence of muscoskeletal and other injuries.
Last Thursday – a week before this year’s Thanksgiving celebration – I spoke to Esmundo Juárez Carranza, who had worked in a turkey processing plant in Arkansas for seven years. He worked there until this September, when he was fired after leaving his work station to take a bathroom break. His job was to hang plucked turkeys (that had had their feet cut off) by the head as they came off a belt and before they went to the next point in processing. For many years, he said, there were three workers on this line. Two people would work hanging turkeys while the third would pick up the turkeys that had fallen off the line, clean them (including of any feces) and put them back on the line. With three people they were able to spell each other on these tasks, said Carranza. But recently, he said, the company reduced staff so there were only two people on his line. This meant more turkeys falling on the floor with no one to pick them up, he said. It also meant it became harder to take a toilet break. The lack of bathroom breaks was a problem for many workers, some of whom developed kidney stones, he said.
On the typical night shift that Carranza worked, each person would handle about 15,000 turkeys each, so that the two-person line processed about 30,000 turkeys a shift. “Sometimes they’d speed up the line really fast,” he said. “After they cut staff, the station was much dirtier and there was more pressure to get the work done,” he explained.
For this work, which he did five or six days a week, Carranza was paid $10.95 an hour. “There was never a set time for a shift to end,” he said. “We stayed until all the turkeys were processed.” He always had pain in his arms and hands, he said. Carranza said his unemployment claim was denied and that he’s been unable to find a new job so he’s been living on his small amount of savings that is starting to run out.
Carranza is but one of thousands of workers, but his experience, says Tom Fritzsche, staff attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center’s (SPLC) Immigrant Justice Program, mirrors what SPLC has documented previously in its surveys of poultry workers. Fritzsche explained that in addition to being disciplined for taking bathroom breaks, workers have told of being threatened with firing for using the emergency stop buttons when they needed to halt work on their processing lines.
Tony Corbo, senior lobbyist with Food & Water Watch, a DC-based non-profit, concurred that lack of bathroom breaks is a problem endemic in poultry processing. The fact that a great many poultry processing plants are not unionized exacerbates such difficulties in workers’ schedules, he said. Another industry workday issue is that of guaranteed compensation for jobsite time spent changing into and out of required protective clothing These are the kinds of basic rights that it can be hard to assure without union representation.
Proposed changes prompt warnings
The pace of work in turkey and other poultry plants is a pressing issue, as has been reported previously by The Pump Handle. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed a rule that would allow for increased processing line speeds and fewer USDA inspectors. Speaking to reporters on November 21, Ken Ward, a retired USDA poultry inspector with 30 years of experience said the USDA’s proposal would effectively turn over professional government inspections to private company employees with no formal training. What USDA is proposing, said Ward, would remove “highly trained USDA inspectors on slighter lines who inspect each and every turkey” and turn over “bird by bird inspection to company employees who are called sorters.” According to Corbo, USDA’s proposal would eliminate about 800 USDA inspectors.
“Current conditions in chicken and turkey plants make it impossible to work with dignity,” said Carranza. “If they increase the line speed even more, the workers won’t be able to do their jobs as well. There will be more contamination in the product, and the companies will blame the workers,” he explained.
The National Turkey Federation (NTF) supports the USDA proposal. In a statement this spring, the NTF president Joel Brandenberger called the proposed rule “a modern, sensible approach that will allow food safety inspectors to focus on the public health” and redeploy its resources in a manner that better protects the public from foodborne diseases and makes our food supply even safer.” NTF says data from a pilot program suggests that “no increase in worker injuries [are] expected under the new system.” Additionally, NTF said that while “improving food safety is the primary concern, the proposed rule fosters the hiring of additional in-plant personnel in many regions.” A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, however, has since questioned the validity of the data the poultry industry has used to support the safety of the USDA proposal.
Butterball, the nation’s largest turkey producer according to industry statistics, declined via its public relations firm to make anyone available for an interview, as did Foster Farms, another of the top ten US turkey producers – all of which are NTF members. Perdue spokesperson Joe Forsthoffer said his company did not have a specific position on the USDA’s proposed rule. Perdue, he explained, thinks the “important thing is that the inspection process continues to reinforce public trust in the American food system.”
Included among USDA’s answers to my questions about turkey processing was a reference to a recent blog post by the National Chicken Council vice president for communications, who suggested “it’s as safe” to work “the omelet station at the country club champagne brunch as it is to work in a poultry processing plant.” This piece, wrote the USDA spokesperson “has a nice holiday touch.” Perhaps a nicer “holiday touch” would be to have the nation’s turkey producers – and the federal government – truly enable the men and women who labor to bring poultry to market to work in safety, health and dignity.
Elizabeth Grossman is the author of Chasing Molecules: Poisonous Products, Human Health, and the Promise of Green Chemistry, High Tech Trash: Digital Devices, Hidden Toxics, and Human Health, and other books. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications including Scientific American, Yale e360, Environmental Health Perspectives, TheAtlantic.com, The Washington Post, Salon and The Nation.
poultry plants
low-wage workers
muscoskeletal disorders
muscoskeletal injuries
poultry inspection
poultry plant workers
poultry rule
Hazards behind a chicken dinner: US poultry workers ask USDA and OSHA to protect their safety
Nearly 50 billion pounds of chicken (about eight billion chickens’ worth, or 37 billion pounds of poultry products) were processed in the United States in 2012 by about half a million workers, many of whom handle more than 100 birds per minute. This labor involves standing in chilled processing…
Final USDA poultry rule: Line speeds stay the same, but no word from OSHA; food safety advocates call it a step backwards
For 17 years, Salvadora Roman deboned chickens on the processing line at Wayne Farms in Decatur, Alabama. In particular, she deboned the left side of the chicken — a task she was expected to perform on three chickens each minute during her eight-hour shift. Because of the repetitive movement and…
Poultry industry says it’s being "framed as poster boy for unsafe workplaces"
The poultry industry must have its head stuck in the chicken coop. With Thanksgiving nearly upon us, the industry is trying to convince the public that poultry-processing plants are great places to earn a living. In just about a week, they’ve issued two written statements insisting they have…
Reality check on USDA’s claims about its plan to privatize poultry inspection
Several recent newspaper editorials have gotten under USDA’s skin. Editors at the Charlotte Observer, Raleigh News Observer, Bellingham (WA) Herald and Gaston (NC) Gazette are skeptical that the USDA’s plan to “modernize” the poultry slaughter inspection process is a wise move. In “Fed's proposed…
“Hazards of the gig economy” – Temp workers at greater risk for workplace injury but poorly protected, say labor advocates
On a typical week, about 3 million people are on the job in the United States as temp workers, this according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In September 2016, just shy of 3 million people were working as temps – an all-time high. Numbers can vary depending on how temp work is defined, but…
EPA announces first chemicals for “fast-track” under new chemical law - Selection highlights law's limitations and continuing role for states
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the first five chemicals it will “fast-track” under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act for the 21st Century (LCSA). The EPA now has until June 22, 2019 to identify where these chemicals – all considered persistent,…
In wake of Chevron Richmond fire, California aims to improve refinery safety
Four years ago, in August 2012, a corroded pipe at the Chevron refinery in Richmond, California ruptured, resulting in a catastrophic fire and a toxic vapor plume that engulfed, not only the refinery, but also spread over the northeastern San Francisco Bay area. Nineteen Chevron employees were…
Farmworker advocates ask EPA to ban widely used, highly toxic pesticide
“If you’re a farmworker, you’re still using something that’s been deemed too dangerous to use in homes,” said Amy Liebman, Migrant Clinicians Network director of environmental and occupational health. What she’s talking about is the pesticide chlorpyrifos, a neurotoxic, organophosphate insecticide…
Dangerous chemicals, dangerous technology – Industry’s persistent push to protect asbestos
Asbestos has long been the poster-child for the United States’ failure to adequately protect Americans from hazardous chemicals. Yet despite its notoriety, asbestos remains in use, exposing, not only workers but also their families, communities and in some cases, consumers to a known and deadly…
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Large-scale land grant to Sime Darby to grow oil palm in Liberia threatens the rights of local communities, their food security, and puts their wellbeing at risk
Large-scale land grants totaling more than 1.5 million acres to Sime Darby and Golden Veroleum for oil palm and rubber plantations jeopardizes land rights of local populations, threatens local livelihoods and wellbeing of communities, and puts the future viability of one of the world’s most significant biodiversity hotspots into doubt. A new report (Uncertain Futures) released, by the Liberian NGO Sustainable Development Institute, today presents testimonies of people affected by Sime Darby operations in western Liberia and highlights the fears of others where the company plans to expand in the coming years.
According to the report, “the situation facing communities impacted by the expansion of Sime Darby’s plantation in Garwula District, western Liberia is dire: the plantation is on their doorsteps, and their farms and farmlands are being swallowed up by it. There are very few alternative livelihood options.” According to locals interviewed for the report, Sime Darby did not pay compensation for farm lands to them. They also claim that compensation paid for crops that had been destroyed was inadequate and that forest areas used for cultural practices had also been destroyed and planted with oil palm.
In 2009 the Government of Liberia allocated more than half a million acres of land to Sime Darby without consulting or securing the consent of those living on and using the land. Based on reaction of communities in the counties affected by the land grant, it is highly likely that communities and private landowners in these areas will continually challenge implementation of the contract. According to the report, this might lead to Sime Darby and the government using aggressive tactics to ensure that the company continues to expand, which could generate conflicts that then deteriorate into violence. On the other hand the government and Sime Darby could accept that the contract cannot be implemented without violating the rights of others and therefore renegotiate the terms. Though this will slow down the company’s operation, it could provide an opportunity to rectify past failures by holding proper consultations with private landowners and communities, and for those with an interest in oil palm development on their land to negotiate a fair deal that takes into account their livelihoods and the overall environmental health of their communities.
But, the report caution that regardless of how well the contract is negotiated, and how much incentive the government and Sime Darby are able to offer, there will inevitably be private land owners, families and communities who will not want to give up their land for oil palm plantation. In such situation the government and Sime Darby would do well to recognize and respect the rights and interests of these groups. This would not only demonstrate a genuine desire to uphold the rule of law on the part of the government, it would also demonstrate that the government puts the interests of its citizens above all else.
Silas Kpanan’Ayoung Siakor, the author of the report, points out that “the situation highlighted by this case study is about much more than the impacts of a single company.” He warns “allocating large swathes of fertile agricultural land to foreign companies for several decades is dangerous, because as these companies expand their plantations communities’ ability to cope will be stretched to the limit, and it will push people further into poverty, as their income generating activities are curtailed and earning capacities become limited”.
“To avoid future conflicts, the government needs to critically examine its policy on land allocation, with a view to reforming the current processes for allocating land to investors, especially in the agricultural sector. The current approach disregards the rights and livelihoods of those that inhabit these lands, and generates conflicts between the companies and the host communities. A new approach that is developed through an inclusive process should allow for those that would be affected by the proposed project to have a greater say in the decisions regarding whether or not the allocation is made. The new approach and processes should be based on the principles of fairness and justice, and backed by appropriate legislation” the report concludes.
Silas Kpanan’Ayoung Siakor, Campaigner, Community Rights Program, Sustainable Development Institute
Email: sksiakor2005[at]gmail.com
Jonathan W. Yiah, Coordinator, Sustainable Development Institute
Email: managementtea[at]sdiliberia.org, Phone: +231 886 426271
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Concerts & Live Music Culture Activities
@discoverLA
Los Angeles Event Spotlight: November 2015
Marching band at the 83rd Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade | Photo courtesy of The Hollywood Christmas Parade
There's no shortage of awesome activities happening in the City of Angels this November. From sporting events to family friendly outings and much more, get ready to enjoy all that L.A. has to offer.
Beauty and the Beast (Nov. 13-22, 2015)
enlarge photo [+]
The smash Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast comes to the Hollywood Pantages Theatre starting on Nov. 13. The family-friendly production will feature the animated film’s Academy Award-winning score with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman, with additional songs with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice. Get your tickets here.
UCLA Bruins vs. Washington State Cougars (Nov. 14, 2015)
The UCLA Bruins take on the Washington State Cougars on Nov. 14, 2015 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Get your tickets here.
1001 Rose Bowl Dr. Pasadena, CA 91103
Add to My LA
The Grove Christmas with Seth Macfarlane (Nov. 14, 2015)
Join The Grove for our most spectacular Christmas event yet! On Saturday, November 14, we will ring in the 2015 holiday season with The Grove Christmas with Seth MacFarlane. Presented by Citi, the event will begin at 7:30 p.m.* and will include MacFarlane singing some of the holiday’s most cherished songs backed by a vibrant 70-piece orchestra. Special guests Meghan Trainor and Katharine McPhee will join him. Plus, experience the annual lighting of The Grove’s 100-foot Christmas tree, a performance by The Top Hat dancers, the season’s first snowfall, the arrival of Santa Claus himself and a fantastic fireworks finale! *Pre-show will begin at 7 p.m.
189 The Grove Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90036
L.A. Lakers vs. Detroit Pistons (Nov. 15, 2015)
Catch the L.A. Lakers at the world famous STAPLES Center as they take on the Detroit Pistons. Click here for full season schedule.
1111 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90015
Joey Arias’ Billie Holiday Centennial (Nov. 19, 2015)
Beloved downtown New York cabaret singer and drag artist Joey Arias pays homage to the legendary Billie Holiday with an acclaimed cabaret production at the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater. His spellbinding portrayal of Holiday, with some wardrobe assistance from fashion designer Thierry Mugler, has been praised internationally, ever since he sang the songs of Lady Day in his legendary hit production Strange Fruit in the early 1990’s. Learn more here.
New Found Glory and Yellow Card (Nov. 21, 2015)
Pop-punk powerhouses New Found Glory and Yellowcard head to The Wiltern on Nov. 20, 2015 for a show you don't want to miss! Get your tickets here.
The 84th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade (Nov. 29, 2015)
The 84th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade presented by the City of Los Angeles and benefiting the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, will kick off the holiday season with floats, balloons, costumed characters, bands, equestrians and celebrities from all genres! This year’s Grand Marshals are none other than magicians extraordinaire Penn and Teller. Learn more here.
Hollywood and Orange Los Angeles, CA 90028
View in Experience Builder
Experience Builder
1111 S. Figueroa St.
90015 Los Angeles , CA
189 The Grove Dr.
1001 Rose Bowl Dr.
91103 Pasadena , CA
The Hollywood Christmas Parade
Hollywood and Orange
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You are here: Home1 / Blog: Thoughts on the forces behind Geopolitics
This article will take you over a month to get through if you investigate all the resources and links provided. However, it’s still only a synopsis of the most significant information, in my humble opinion, that I’ve found in over 20 years of investigating the powers and influences on the Western world, and beyond. Now, it has come to a period in our history where people have become extremely divided on many levels, particularly politically. The political division has usually been on two-party lines (e.g., Democrat vs. Republican in America; Labour vs. Tories in England; Labour vs. Liberal in Australia) but more recently, it’s whether you are for or against Trump. Why?
In social psychology, researchers often use a tool called Forced Choice surveys. As the title suggests, this type of survey forces a definitive response rather than “I don’t know.” This is how I feel about politics in Australia and Trump! The end goal of this article is to shed some light on the grey areas of geopolitics. I suspect my perspective will be quite different from the norm. To start with, I don’t like forced choices! I tend to think in terms of continuums and the variables that get you from one parameter to the other, and maybe even beyond. Politically, I like to think I’m apolitical and really no party tends to accommodate my views.
Importantly, if you entertain the notion that there’s a hidden hand running Western politics, then this two-party system might well be the ideal vehicle for accommodating it. First, it allows the illusion of choice, and hence accommodates the chant of democracy. In reality, democracy is a term often used but not evident in reality, and what we do have politically tends to be totally corrupted materially. Second, only two parties need to be controlled. Of course, some will say that Western democracy in the three countries noted above allows minor parties. However, a quick look through history will show how they are quickly suppressed or subverted, if they gain a significant presence (e.g., the Tea Party in America).
The more appropriate way to think about political systems is on a continuum with Collectivism and Individualism as the parameters. All Political systems effectively fall on that continuum, with Collectivism representing more Marxist, Communist, Socialist social systems; while Individualism representing a more free-market approach. In reality, all social systems tend to incorporate elements of both, and it is their weighting that determines where they lie on the continuum. The links below provide a good discussion on the topic with G. Edward Griffin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqmBesHL_Es
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Twix3jNQEg
Two key factors need to be controlled if the hidden hand theory is to be entertained, (1) finances, and (2) information. Typically, if finances are controlled then the control of information follows. Given the importance of finance, let’s have a quick look at the corporate ownership of banks in Australia. The four main banks in Australia are ANZ, CBA, NAB, and Westpac. It’s evident in the tables below that the big 4 banks control 80.89% of the Occupied Housing Mortgages and 85.30% of the Investment Housing Mortgages in Australia. The combined mortgages they hold over Australians total $1.6 trillion as of December 2017.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2018/feb/08/the-big-four-banks-are-getting-even-more-powerful-at-australians-expense
The most frightening aspect of this is that the control of these banks is determined by overseas interests (see the next table). Voting control is held mainly by nominee companies with offshore parent companies. Shareholders hide their identities by using nominee companies. This is a lot of power and influence accommodated by very little transparency. Curiously, the percentage of shareholdings for the four largest shareholders is very similar for all four banks, and over time any changes in the percentage of ownership appear to change in unison across the big four banks (e.g., National Nominees decreasing its shareholding as Citigroup Nominees increases it). Further, the top three Shareholders own in excess of 40% of all four of the banks. That could buy a lot of influence over our elected officials!
Table 1 Shareholdings compiled from the 2019 and 2014 Annual Reports of the Big Four Australian Banks.
I’m not going to expand out too much into the international networks. If you are interested then you should look for Eustace Mullins book, “Secrets of the Federal Reserve” for historical context. The Bank of International Settlements is also important to research. It’s known as the bank for the central banks and is located in Basel Switzerland. Mullin’s book suggests that the Federal Reserve is privately owned. This is quite a revelation for many and takes us to the banking families who generally keep a low profile. An academic paper on the cross-holdings of share ownership gives important insight (Vitali, Glattfelder, & Battiston, 2011). It shows how 147 transnational companies (TNC) control 40% of 43,060 of the top TNCs in the world. A good portion of these 147 super TNCs are London and Wall Street Banks. It’s interesting to note that HSBC’s largest shareholder, BlackRock, was recently overtaken by Ping An Insurance Group Co of China Ltd as the largest shareholder. BlackRock, Inc is the worlds largest assets manager with $7.4 trillion in assets under management as of the end-Q4 2019. Getting behind the corporate veil requires transparency across international borders, and I won’t be holding my breath for this to be forthcoming. The question that should be asked is how can so much power and influence be so opaque?
This link below is G. Edward Griffin’s talk on the Federal Reserve and the Central Banking system:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu_VqX6J93k
I’ve been a consumer of alternative news sites and more obscure resources for more than 20 years. One hero of mine is Anthony C Sutton who passed away in 2002. Sutton was an academic historian with incredibly well-researched perspectives of who drove geopolitics in the West during the 20th and 21st centuries. A couple of his book’s worth finding are “Wall Street and the Rise of Hitler”, and “America’s Secret Establishment.” All his books are well referenced and essentially lead to the conclusion that wars are designed to divide, conquer, and then push an “elite” agenda. “The elite” are identified as the power behind the old banking families, public institutions, NGOs, and so on. In America’s Secret Establishment, the book clearly demonstrates, how a secret society from Yale, the Skull and Bones, who only has 15 new members each year, is behind some of the most influential groups in America. The society is driven by a Hegelian philosophy, which has been the driving force between both Nazism and Marxism. Some selective quotes from the 2002 editions book’s introduction expands on the Hegelian philosophy:
“Hegelianism glorifies the State, the vehicle for statist and materialist ideas and policies in education, science, politics and economics.”
“Progress in the Hegelian State is through contrived conflict: the clash of opposites makes for progress. If you control the opposites, you dominate the nature of the outcome.”
“We trace the extraordinary Skull and Bone influence in a major Hegelian conflict: Nazism vs. Communism. Skull and Bones members were in the dominant decision-making positions – Bush, Harriman, Stimson, Lovett, and so on – all Bonesmen, and instrumental in guiding the conflict through use of “right” and “left.” They financed and encouraged the growths of both philosophies and controlled the outcome to a significant extent. This was aided by the “reductionist” division in science, the opposite of historical “wholeness.” By dividing science and learning into narrower segments, it became easier to control the whole through the parts.“
He then goes on to present a case for this group’s involvement in the dumbing down of society. How is this done? Well here’s a list of some of the entities that members of the order either set up, ran or both:
American Historical Association
American Chemical Association
American Psychology Association
Carnegie Institution
Council for Foreign Relations
Below are some links to Anthony C Sutton’s books. I guarantee you will see history and our current world completely differently if you are being exposed to this information for the first time:
https://www.collativelearning.com/author%20antony%20c%20sutton.html
https://www.voltairenet.org/IMG/pdf/Sutton_Wall_Street_and_the_bolshevik_revolution-5.pdf
https://www.voltairenet.org/IMG/pdf/Sutton_Wall_Street_and_Hitler.pdf
https://ia802708.us.archive.org/22/items/AmericasSecretEstablishmentOrderOfSkullbones/AmericasSecretEstablishmentOrderOfSkullbones.pdf
Below is a link to an old interview with Norman Dodd by G. Edward Griffin. Dodd was the chief investigator into tax-exempt foundations in 1953. His findings very much collaborate with the picture painted by Anthony C Sutton. About 20 minutes into the youtube link below he gives some very revealing insights about the Carnegie Foundation. Recorded in the 1909 minutes of the Foundation they reported an investigation into how to get America involved in a war. They also noted that they had to control the State Department and all its machinery. During the first world war, they made plans to prolong the war. They also realized they needed to control education and they approached the Rockefeller Foundation for assistance. He noted that the Ford Foundation, Carnegie Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and others seemed to work in conjunction with each other for specific goals. He also mentions the controlling of the recording of history by selectively granting scholarships. The initial beneficiaries of those scholarships were very much involved in the setting up of the American Historical Society. It was Charlotte Iserbyt who provided Anthony Sutton with the information on the Skull and Bones because her father and grandfather were members. She was concerned mainly with the Yale Order’s influence on education.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Dodd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgL8rqqddAU
https://ia800304.us.archive.org/19/items/DoddReportToTheReeceCommitteeOnFoundations-1954-RobberBaron/Dodd-Report-to-the-Reece-Committee-on-Foundations-1954.pdf
Membership of the Yale Skull and Bones:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Skull_and_Bones_members
The three clips below tells how Charlotte Iserbyt shared information with Anthony C Sutton and what she discovered with respect to the Order’s plans for controlling education among other things:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzIYJqRnj3s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FKDzkrexss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ5JRCnBsRY
The discussion on Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt’s Wikipedia entry is very illuminating. It reminds me of the quote from George Orwell’s book 1984, “You haven’t a real appreciation of Newspeak, Winton,” he said almost sadly….”In your heart you’d prefer to stick to Oldspeak, with all its vagueness and its useless shades of meaning. You don’t grasp the beauty of the destruction of words… Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thought crime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it… Every year fewer and fewer words, and the range of consciousness always a little smaller.”
Below are some of the quotes from the Charlotte Iserbyt’s Wikipedia talk page:
Supposedly, in 1910 an educator named Flexner was funded by the AMA, and Rockefeller monies funneled through the Carnegie Foundation for the advancement of education to write a report recommending non-drug treatment medical schools be closed, the remaining schools merge with established universities, and that these universities be funded in part by huge grants provided by the tycoons of the day. While the result improved medical training due to increased funding, it wiped out effectively/virtually all study of non-drug therapy methods (in keeping with Rockefeller’s heavy investment in drug & chemical industries & desires for monopoly control of various economic sectors). The US Government & AMA closed/defunded most non-conforming medical schools, battling at one point with the chiropractors to have them also snuffed out of legitimate business.
In 1917 another congressman entered into the US Congressional Record that in 1915 Standard Oil & J.P. Morgan & other interests had manipulated the ownership/control of the largest newspapers to write news that followed the dictates of the elite group. The elite group’s immediate goal in 1915 was to influence the public’s opinion towards the USA joining in fighting in WWI, a foreign war started in the Balkans where Americans had little or no interests. The various industrialists had multiple goals including war profiteering.
She is known for writing the book “The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America” that itemizes changes gradually brought into the American public education system that attempts to both eliminate the influences of a child’s parents (religion, morals, national patriotism), and mold the child into a member of the proletariat supposedly in preparation for a socialist-collectivist world of the future. She documents the changes (as originating from the plans formulated primarily by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Education, Rockefeller General Education Board), and the psychological methods used to implement and effect the changes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Charlotte_Thomson_Iserbyt##
Information Control
The next major issue required to support the Hidden Hand hypothesis is the control of information. A big part of this is obviously education as eluded to by Iserbyt, Dodd, and Sutton. However, today there is also the ever-increasing influence of the corporate world. The Candian philosopher John Ralston Saul warned about the corporatization of the public and academic sectors, whose roles he saw as keeping the corporate sector honest. His book, The Unconscious Civilization suggested that for a healthy society all three of these sectors need to be strong and independent. However, as we see from Iserbyt’s, Dodd’s, and Sutton’s work there is a surreptitious hand at work, that is publicly unaccountable and opaque. If the Hidden Hands workings do come to light, retribution for the Light-bringer can be substantial. Charlotte Iserbyt’s, Norman Dodd’s and Anthony Sutton’s treatment is a testament to this view. A recent interview of Devin Nunes suggests this information’s censorship struggle is still a huge issue and has only become more complicated (see below):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqpVsmfrdEw
Caitlin Johnstone’s summing up to recently leaked intelligence by an unidentified spook captures the current state of play, “All parties involved in spreading this malignant psyop are absolutely vile, but a special disdain should be reserved for the media class who have been entrusted by the public with the essential task of creating an informed populace and holding power to account. How much of an unprincipled whore do you have to be to call yourself a journalist and uncritically parrot the completely unsubstantiated assertions of spooks while protecting their anonymity? How much work did these empire fluffers put into killing off every last shred of their dignity? It boggles the mind.
It really is funny how the most influential news outlets in the western world will uncritically parrot whatever they’re told to say by the most powerful and depraved intelligence agencies on the planet, and then turn around and tell you without a hint of self-awareness that Russia and China are bad because they have state media.
Sometimes all you can do is laugh.“
https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2020/06/28/this-russia-afghanistan-story-is-western-propaganda-at-its-most-vile/
Bari Weiss’s resignation letter is particularly enlightening on the current culture of America’s paper of record, The New York Times:
https://www.bariweiss.com/resignation-letter
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/nyt-chief-threat-democracy-eric-weinstein-takes-flamethrower-paper-record-after-bari
Over the last 50 years information in geopolitics and politics, generally for most people, has been accessed through television and print media. In the last 20 years, the role of the internet has been making major inroads into the traditional information resources. What has also occurred during this period has been a major consolidation of the ownership of the media corporations, with just 5 conglomerates controlling 90% of the American market, AT&T, Comcast, The Walt Disney Company, ViacomCBS and Fox Corporation. And more importantly, these media conglomerates have become less newsworthy and more opinion-based, on a partisan basis. Here is an interesting link on media bias. Can you notice a bias in the examples they use?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_bias_in_the_United_States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concentration_of_media_ownership
And below is a chart representing partisan orientation and reliability sourced from Ad Fonte Media in 2017. I suspect in the time of Trump information sources have become less reliable and more partisan, irrespective of the political leaning:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_Fontes_Media#/media/File:Second-Edition-News-Chart.V2.jpg
The increased importance of social media platforms has certainly come to the fore in the time of Trump’s period as President. Attempts to apparently address fake news by groups such as fact-checker can be equally as misleading and partisan. Not to mention complete omissions through censorship and shadow banning. Below is an interesting discussion on censorship with respect to those platforms by Tyler Durden:
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/purge-natural-progression-woke-censorship-tyranny
A very interesting article about the Chinese influence on the msm (main stream media):
https://dcdirtylaundry.com/list-of-major-us-corporate-medias-business-ties-to-china/
Here’s some interesting discussions on how algorithms used in search engines can manipulate or omit information:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=159&v=Vpqnye8nH9k&feature=emb_logo
https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2020/07/28/election-interference-google-purges-breitbart-from-search-results/
Project Vertitas is a group that goes undercover to expose some of the unethical practices of corporations. The link below takes you to their homepage with a range of stories dealing with media, internet and other corporate entities:
https://www.projectveritas.com/
Sharyl Attkisson highlights how Facebook’s fact checking board is stacked with 18 out of the 20 members linked to Soros funded groups. Therefore it is no surprise that their decisions on censorship appear to be left leaning. My own experience has indicated this after being shadow banned for supplying scientific evidence for hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in combating COVID-19. In this case, not just politics but greed may play a role. I’ve taken the opportunity to include the links here along with Attkisson’s report:
https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2020/08/04/factcheck_sidebar_factcheck_sidebar_factcheck_sidebar_factcheck_sidebar__124710.html
A summary of studies on hydroxychloroquine:
https://c19study.com/
A good discussion between two doctors on their treatment regimes:
https://youtu.be/3ywj-PZTt4g
An ebook on COVID-19 protocols by people who should know. If you are short of time just read DR George Fareed’s letter on pages 239-243:
https://files.internetprotocol.co/ebook-covid-19.pdf?
Great article on the suppression of HCQ along with those who benefit from this action:
https://www.coreysdigs.com/health-science/covid-19-the-coverup-the-cure-and-key-evidence/
Sometimes it takes a fresh set of eyes to get to the truth. A great example of this was when a new editor, from out of town, Marty Baron, came to the Boston Globe. He got the Spotlight team, who specialised in long term investigative reporting, to look into allegations of child sexual abuse by Roman Catholic Priests. What was unique about Baron’s direction to the Spotlight group was that he said, “they should concentrate on the system rather than individual priests.” When they got the records of the priests for the Boston Diocese, they found that the priests suspected of child sexual abuse were put on 6 months sick leave, and then moved to another parish. The key point I want to make here is, that to get the big picture you need to step back and appreciate the patterns. I might add I’ve often thought that after seeing this movie, which I thoroughly recommend, is that Jeffrey Epstein may have got away with his blatant pedophilia by entrapping and blackmailing other very powerful people too. He may well have been protected by intelligence agencies in a sordid game of geopolitical blackmail for information and action.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotlight_(film)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-c-ZOMyLs8
Figure. Here’s an interesting list that Q provided associated with Jeffrey Epstein on the 2nd of July, 2020. I’ve put it here for posterity!
The First Gulf War
Here is a frightening example of the use of propaganda to manipulate Americans into supporting a war. Alternate sources suggest that Iraq was set up by America to invade Kuwait. First by economic pressure and then later by diplomatic ambiguity.
Here’s some background information on the situation in Iraq leading up to the first Gulf War. In particular, the economic manipulation of oil prices by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia:
https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/6844/doc_6846_290_en.pdf
April Glaspie was the US Ambassador to Iraq in 1990. April Glaspie’s ambiguous quote to the Iraqi’s, “We have no opinion on the Arab-Arab conflicts, like your border disagreement with Kuwait.” This has been interpreted by many as giving Iraq a green light to invading Kuwait. Though an old State Department official rebuts this view below:
https://adst.org/2016/02/a-bum-rap-for-april-glaspie-saddam-and-the-start-of-the-iraq-war/
What can’t be argued is that propaganda played a major role in tweaking the American people emotionally into supporting the action in Kuwait. The text and link below relate to some of the propaganda used leading up to America’s intervention for the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. Prior to this, the American public showed little interest in Kuwait’s situation. In fact, most Americans probably don’t know where Kuwait is today or even care.
Her last name is al-Ṣabaḥ (Arabic: نيره الصباح) and she is the daughter of Saud Al-Sabah, a member of the Kuwaiti royal family, and at the time Kuwaiti ambassador to the United States. Of course, they didn’t want her identity revealed. This false testimony was used as a pretext for war with Iraq. Tears and all, she should have been given the chair for crimes against humanity. F**king Lying Bitch! Nayirah al-Ṣabaḥ (Arabic: نيره الصباح), called “Nurse Nayirah” in the media, was a fifteen-year-old Kuwaiti girl, who alleged that she had witnessed the murder of infant children by Iraqi soldiers in Kuwait, in verbal testimony to the U.S. Congress, in the run-up to the 1991 Gulf War. Her testimony, which was regarded as credible at the time, has since come to be regarded as wartime propaganda. The public relations firm Hill & Knowlton, which was in the employ of Citizens for a Free Kuwait, had arranged the testimony. Nayirah’s testimony was widely publicized. Hill & Knowlton, which had filmed the hearing, sent out a video news release to Medialink, a firm that served about 700 television stations in the United States. That night, portions of the testimony aired on ABC’s Nightline and NBC Nightly News reaching an estimated audience between 35 and 53 million Americans. Seven senators cited Nayirah’s testimony in their speeches backing the use of force. President George Bush repeated the story at least ten times in the following weeks. (Wikipedia) Full video at c-span video website. HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN KUWAIT, Oct. 10, 1990, The Congressional Human Rights Caucus conducted a hearing to investigate alleged Iraqi human rights violations in occupied Kuwait. Cases of rape, execution, imprisonment, and the destruction of hospitals in Kuwait were heard by the committee.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0qUiY6SrUI
Also of interest, the PR firm Hill & Knowlton did work for both the Democratic and Republican parties!
Now we have some background information let’s look for geopolitical patterns
So if you’ve just gone through the information above on Kuwait. Can you see a pattern? Let me help you. George Bush Senior was a member of the Yale Skull and Bones Order, as was his son and father. Don’t forget the Order’s basic mantra based on the Hegelian philosophy of divide and conquer. The State Department was certainly implicated in encouraging the Iraqi’s action, even if it was unintentional. Remember the Carnegie Foundation’s minutes where it was noted the importance of the State Department for controlling populations and instigating wars. You decide if it was intentional or not? Maybe the actions of George Bush junior will help you decide?
Wars Post 911
More recently, just after 911, there were lots of good sites that provided pretty convincing arguments that the justification for going into Iraq was bogus. However, nothing came out in the mainstream media. General Wesley Clark noted that straight after 911, he asked one of Bush’s Generals if they were going into Afghanistan? He said it was worse than that, there was an agenda to go into seven other countries too (i.e., Iraq, Syria, Libya, Iran, Lebanon, Somalia, and Sudan).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXS3vW47mOE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TY2DKzastu8
When you look at the list, Bush got the war agenda started with Afghanistan and Iraq. There was a US-backed intervention in Somalia in 2006, a continuing Sudanese civil war to 2005, and a brief outbreak occurred in Lebanon for 34 days in 2006, between Hezbollah and Israel. Ironically, the 2009 Nobel peace winner, Barack Obama’s administration got involved with wars in Libya, Ukraine, and Syria. It reminds me of the Steven Wright quote, “I’d kill for a Nobel peace prize.“ Further, Julian Assange (wikileaks) contended that Hillary Clinton’s State Department was very hawkish for interventions in Libya and funded ISIS!
(I.e., taken from email by Cheryl Mills to Hillary Clinton titled Tick Tock on Libya)
“Secretary Clinton’s leadership on Libya. HRC has been a critical voice on Libya in administration deliberations, at NATO, and in contact group meetings — as well as the public face of the U.S. effort in Libya. She was instrumental in securing the authorization, building the coalition, and tightening the noose around Qadhafi and his regime.”
https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/emailid/26998
https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/?q=%22Libya%22+&mfrom=&mto=&title
https://observer.com/2016/08/clintons-former-employer-lafarge-faces-allegations-of-funding-isis/
While we are at it here’s a very interesting article on the players in Syria. I’m sure you’ll recognise some of the names and the usual pattern of the implication of the US State Department and members of the Order.
https://consortiumnews.com/2017/12/21/did-obama-arm-islamic-state-killers/
I want to concentrate on Ukraine next as it’s the most recent region that has encountered regime change. Politically, in America, many roads have led to Ukraine during Obama and Trump’s Presidencies. It was the source for some of the Russian dossier, Trump’s conversation with the Ukrainian President was the basis for the impeachment proceedings, and there are corruption allegations shadowing some of Obama’s administration and their associated families. In addition, George Soro’s funded organizations appear to have been in play with the US State Department. Interestingly, similar style organizations have been implicated in the riots in America.
Several groups in the media outside the mainstream have been looking into Ukraine. I will refer to Glenn Beck’s, John Solomon’s, and Rudy Giuliani’s work as it comes with considerable supporting documentation and official testimonies. Contrary, to the more emotionally driven partisan diatribe presented in the mainstream media. Although typically most of what is revealed here is usually omitted or scantly reported. I’m going to let this series of links do the talking. Follow those I will give an overview of what was revealed.
Biden’s Ukraine Scandal Explained (Chalkboard on DNC Collusion, Joe Biden, Soros, Trump…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nUZekJ3pfM
The Democrats’ Hydra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si-vMj-FB88
Ukraine: The Final Piece
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCSwqca8KXU
Core principles of media: (1) Truth and Accuracy, (2) Independence, (3) Fairness, (4) Humanity, and (5) Accountability.
Part 1 Media Lies on Ukraine (Proof Alexandra Chalupa worked with DNC and Ukraine).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgtHMrnTPQw
Part 2: Media Lies on Ukraine (Proof Joe Biden DID fire Shokin for Hunter, Barisma Investigation).
Part 3: Media Lies on Ukraine (Proof Officials there DID interfere with Trump).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nhp_syBY8k
Part 4: Glenn Beck Suspicious Missing Money in Ukraine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7n3ordzP7c
Soros Linked organisations:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Society_Foundations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Renaissance_Foundation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine_Crisis_Media_Center
US State Department Civil Society:
https://2009-2017.state.gov/statecraft/cs20/index.htm
Ukraine Omission of Evidence so that Biden and others are protected and supporters of Trump were not:
https://justthenews.com/accountability/russia-and-ukraine-scandals/fired-prosecutor-was-given-biden-ukraine-allegations#
Translated Ukrainian press conference by MP Andrei Derkach and Konstantin Kulik of bribery and corruption relating to the Bidens, Poroshenko, Kent, Soros and many more related to the Democratic Party:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei6O14Td89g
Great link to Investigations being carried out by CD Media:
https://creativedestructionmedia.com/sections/investigations/
here’s a link to Rudy W. Giuliani’s podcasts where you’ll find reports on the corruption in Ukraine involving American officials, businessmen and Politicians:
https://rudygiulianics.com/podcast/
Here’s an interesting link that alleges how the missing billions in Ukraine were used. Former Ukrainian General Prosecutor Yuri Lutsenko stated in Ukrainian media that former American Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, prevented billions of dollars of Ukrainian public funds stolen by former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, from returning to Ukraine in order to keep the money accessible to the DNC and the Hillary Clinton campaign by the democrats through the Franklin Templeton Investment Fund:
https://creativedestructionmedia.com/investigations/2019/12/23/former-ukrainian-prosecutor-alleges-ambassador-yovanovich-prevented-yanukovych-stolen-billions-from-returning-to-ukraine/
https://creativedestructionmedia.com/investigations/2020/08/02/report-obama-weaponized-the-federal-government-against-american-people-and-it-all-started-in-ukraine-this-answers-all-those-nagging-questions/
If you have digested even just a few of those links what can you conclude about America’s involvement with Ukraine? First, Joe Biden was put in charge of Ukraine by Obama. Second, John Kerry and Hillary Clinton in their positions as Secretaries of State were involved in regime destabilization and change in Ukraine, through their oversight of the State Department’s Civil Society groups. Third, this was done in conjunction with George Soro’s funded groups such as Open Society. Fourth, corruption oversight groups were set up in Ukraine and were overseen by the US State Department. Fifth, very generous payments were made to Joe Biden’s son for sitting on a Ukraine Gas company called Burisma Holdings Ltd. He couldn’t speak Ukrainian and had no experience in the industry. He was paid over $80,000 a month! Sixth, over US $7 billion has gone missing from Privatbank in Ukraine. Links between the owners of the bank, the US State Department, DNC, and Obama officials have been alleged. Curiously, Hunter Biden attended Yale, though I don’t know if he was a member of the Yale order. One of his business partners also attended Yale, John Kerry’s stepson, Chris Heinz. Of course, John Kerry also went to Yale and is a member of the Skull and Bones! The old Yale Order, State Department, War and War profiteering pattern raises its head again!
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hunter-biden-ukraine/what-hunter-biden-did-on-the-board-of-ukrainian-energy-company-burisma-idUSKBN1WX1P7
https://nypost.com/2018/03/15/inside-the-shady-private-equity-firm-run-by-kerry-and-bidens-kids/
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ukrainian-indictment-reveals-hunter-biden-group-made-165-million-mp
One of the key practises in Buddhism is to learn how to detach from emotion. That doesn’t mean you become devoid of emotion, you learn to observe and understand it, rather than let it drive you. If you’ve become emotional about American politics then I think you will find this article on Information Operations (IO) very illuminating. “Information Operations has nothing to do with the information itself. IO is about controlling how you feel about information and creating emotions so deep-seated, you’ll break off all long term relationships with friends, family, work, and social relationships and never look back.” The link below looks at information operations in Ukraine and later against Trump:
https://medium.com/@georgeeliason/obamas-coup-against-donald-trump-and-a-terrorist-plot-against-america-7224603c40ec
The Humanitarian Cost in Ukraine
I’ve been in contact with people in the war zone in Eastern Ukraine. Tens of thousands of people have died in the conflict and well over a million people have been displaced from their homes. Pensioners and people with disabilities who live in the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk have to cross the border to get their pensions. The wait can take many hours in sub-zero temperatures. Of course, there is also the risk of being shot at or shelled. Children in this region are mentally and physically scared with over 750 education facilities damaged in the conflict. For people like myself, an environment like that to live in is incomprehensible.
The implication for Europe has been the huge influx of refugees from North Africa and the Middle East. Is this by design to help destabilise Europe and if so whose goal and to what purpose would that be?
Interactive Map of Ukraine:
https://liveuamap.com/
Reports on the situation in Ukraine over the last couple of years:
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/ukraine
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/05/1038861
For a normal person, it’s hard to understand how people could do these sorts of things to their fellow human beings. If you’ve looked at any social psychology it’s classic second-year university reading to be exposed to the experiments conducted by Stanley Milgram and Phillip Zimbardo. The links below are interesting reviews of their legacies. In short, if people are put in certain situations they can be very inhuman to each other. In Milgram’s research, it was found that the more removed a person was from the consequences of their actions the less empathy they had.
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/01/rethinking-one-of-psychologys-most-infamous-experiments/384913/
https://www.simplypsychology.org/zimbardo.html
Random but Relevant Information
The influence of academia on student action with respect to political affiliation in America. The attached link starts about 2.30 minutes in with Professor Emeritus John Ellis. He discusses how the campus has changed from 3 to 2 left to right-leaning professors in the 1950s, now it’s 13 to 1. Current hiring is leading to a 50 to 1 ratio. You can’t have a one-party system that stays sane. Ellis quoted John Stuart Mill, “To have a healthy political state you will always need a party of order and stability on one hand and another of progress and reform on the other.” He then said, “it is precisely the opposition of one against the other that keeps both parties within the bounds of reason and sanity. If you take one away it goes crazy.” Hence, we’ve lost academic freedom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6c1619uZSo
This link is for those interested in a synopsis of the Philosophy of Mill’s Utilitarianism, Liberalism and, Democracy:
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mill-moral-political/#ConRem
Getting rid of John Bolton certainly indicates that Trump is antiwar:
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/luongo-john-bolton-resistance-hero-or-traitor-common-decency
Trump has certainly shown up to mid-2020 that he is not interested in being involved in any new wars and would like to get out of the ones he has inherited. See from around 15.40 in the clip below as his Press Secretary states that Trump doesn’t believe in foreign adventurism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cukcJq3efj0
Really interesting documentary on the use of private contractors to hide the nefarious practices of the intelligence community. There are also very important insights into the players behind the DNC hacking, Seth Rich, and the Russian and Ukrainian hoaxes:
https://www.brighteon.com/fde592b6-4efd-415a-8268-f29bf288ac65
So where does this leave Trump? This is my speculation. He has never been part of the establishment club although he’s been on the periphery. He certainly has been attacked relentlessly by the mainstream media, the Democrats, and the establishment Republicans. The majority of these attacks have been emotion-based rather than of any substance. People who have been involved with him personally, and don’t have a partisan or establishment bias, seem to give him a very positive endorsement for his intelligence, instinct, and sense of humor. This contrasts with the public profile presented in the media. If he is truly fighting the establishment, as I suspect he is, then the image we are presented in the media makes sense. Also, finding who he can trust is taking all of his first term. I have a suspicion that he is being backed by some very serious military people. That’s one of the reasons Michael Flynn was so aggressively targeted, because he knew where the skeletons were in the Obama closet. Most importantly to me, he has shown a clear antiwar stance to date. I suspect this will be one of his key reelection platforms. However, dealing with the two-faced Republican establishment will be his greatest test. At least it is more blatant now with examples such as a Super PAC being set up by old Bush-era officials. For those that truly hope he is attempting to drain the swam, actions like this tend to reinforce that belief.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/hundreds-former-george-w-bush-staffers-launch-pro-biden-super-pac
On the other hand, Joe Biden seems to have the mainstream media on his side. He has barely been taken to task for previous conflicts of interest evident in Iraq, Ukraine, and China. Further, there are serious doubts about his cognitive health and who might really be running his show. All of this adds up to him being a perfect establishment candidate. What’s probably most concerning is the strengthening extreme left element within the democratic party. The desperation to get rid of Trump has led to quite reckless actions and it will be interesting to see what transpires after John Durham’s report. The current rioting behaviour on the streets in America certainly contains patterns that have been used for regime change overseas. Again I suggest you look out for similar operations to those conducted by the Civil Society and Open Society groups. Don’t forget the Hegelian philosophy of those that hold the purse strings.
The links and views contained above do indeed argue that a hidden hand has deeply influenced the last 100 years of geopolitics. Some of those players have been revealed by Sutton and others. What’s important to note is that the politicians are just pawns in this game of chess. If we truly want peace then the people who back the corrupt politicians need to be taken to task. They have blood on their hands. Trump’s action indicates he is the first President, probably since Kennedy, to take the establishment on. I have no doubt that he has some very serious backing behind the scenes. He wouldn’t be alive otherwise!!
On the other hand, if you have been a “get rid of Trump at all costs” person, I hope I’ve given you some food for thought on seeing a different picture. There’s a lot more at stake than just Trump and it might be quite sometime before someone else comes along who tries to drain the swamp. I was asked when Trump first came to office, to give just one word of what I thought of him. My answer was “potential.” She looked at me as if I was a complete freak. I didn’t try to explain my position because I didn’t have the time and it wasn’t the place. I’ve written this now because I think it is the time and I now have the place:-)
Judicial Watch:
https://www.judicialwatch.org/
Here’s an example of their work and a reason why Obama and his appointees targeted General Michael Flynn:
https://www.judicialwatch.org/deep-dive/obama-wh-benghazi-lies/
https://www.judicialwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Baker-Ignatius-prod-1-03564-Flynn-MtC.pdf
Wikileaks:
https://wikileaks.org/
Here’s an example of an intelligence report with respect to Joe Biden in Ukraine, among other things:
https://wikileaks.org/berats-box/emailid/43823
Q It’s an interesting resource that I’ve followed for over a year. It’s speculated to be white knight military intelligence. I don’t know but I’ve found it insightful. The mainstream media has described Qanon as a cult. I haven’t heard of a cult that encourages you to think for yourself! :
https://qanon.pub/
Trafalgar Group for Polls. It had the most accurate polls for the 2016 Presidential Election:
https://www.thetrafalgargroup.org/
https://www.thetrafalgargroup.org/news/real-clear-politics-pollster-who-got-it-right-in-2016-does-it-again/
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. must have foreseen cancel culture with his short story, Harrison Bergeron, first published in 1961:
https://archive.org/stream/HarrisonBergeron/Harrison%20Bergeron_djvu.txt
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Union Station is a major railroad station that opened in 1925 in Chicago. It replaced an earlier station built in 1881. It is now the only intercity rail terminal in Chicago, as well as being the city's primary terminal for commuter trains.
The station stands on the west side of the Chicago River between West Adams Street and West Jackson Boulevard, just outside the Chicago Loop. Including approach and storage tracks, it is about nine and a half city blocks in size. Its facilities are mostly underground, buried beneath streets and skyscrapers. It is located near the Willis Tower.
Media related to Chicago Union Station at Wikimedia Commons
This short article about a place or feature in the United States can be made longer. You can help Wikipedia by adding to it.
Retrieved from "https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chicago_Union_Station&oldid=6979656"
Railway stations in the United States
Buildings and structures in Chicago, Illinois
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This page was last changed on 8 June 2020, at 01:11.
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Pamphlet Concerning the Reformation of the Church
A Pamphlet Concerning the Reformation of the Church`
Issue: 3, 11/1/1986, Vol 63/1987 By: Kuyper Abraham, in Translated Treasures, Pamphlet Concerning the Reformation of the Church
(In the last paragraph Kuyper has discussed reformations which took place in the time of special revelation and are recorded for us in Scripture, and reformations which took place in the history of the church of the new dispensation. He has done this to show the different kinds of reformations…
A Pamphlet Concerning the Reformation of the Church
Issue: 4, 11/15/1986, Vol 63/1987 By: Kuyper Abraham, in Translated Treasures, Pamphlet Concerning the Reformation of the Church
(In the previous article Kuyper, in speaking of the present calling of his church to engage in church reformation, has made a distinction between three groups of churches which exist within the State Church. One group of churches has retained a somewhat Reformed character. Another group of churches has become…
In the third place, concerning ecclesiastical assemblies, the thoughts comes to us: 1)The consistories ought to be prepared to come to the help of churches of the second group and to work by mission activity in dead churches of the third group. 2)The consistories ought to strive to remove the…
(In the preceding paragraph Kuyper has talked about reformation which comes about through a split between a local congregation and the church federation. In this paragraph he speaks of reformation by means of a split between the individual and his own congregation.) 58. Concerning Reformation By Means Of A Break…
A Pamphlet on the Reformation of the Church
Issue: 8, 1/15/1984, Vol 60/1984 By: Kuyper Abraham, in Translated Treasures, Pamphlet Concerning the Reformation of the Church
(Kuyper has begun discussing what is actually involved when an individual breaks with his own church. He emphasizes strongly the spiritual frame of mind which a person must possess if he is to engage in church reformation. He has discussed this already in the last article which appeared, and he…
Issue: 11, 3/1/1986, Vol 62/1986 By: Kuyper Abraham, in Translated Treasures, Pamphlet Concerning the Reformation of the Church
(In the last paragraph Kuyper has argued against all wrong passivity by explaining in some detail the words of Zechariah 4:6: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” In discussing this passage he has underscored the importance of active participation in the…
(Kuyper is discussing the marks of the true and false church so that those who are called to engage in church reformation may be able to recognize the difference. He has criticized the view of those who hold to a pure-church ideal and who make the holiness of individual members…
(In the last paragraph Kuyper has distinguished between reformation and revolution by pointing out that reformation is always done in obedience to God.) 62. Concerning Reformation and the Magistrate. The question is also brought up and is of importance: does not a part of the work of reformation belong to…
(Kuyper, in this paragraph, is discussing the marks of the true and the false church. He does this so that the child of God who is called to engage in church reformation may be able to distinguish the two from each other.)
Issue: 16, 5/15/1985, Vol 61/1985 By: Kuyper Abraham, in Translated Treasures, Pamphlet Concerning the Reformation of the Church
(The last paragraph dealt with the distinction between the true and the false church and the importance of distinguishing between the two for the work of church reformation.)
(In the last paragraph Kuyper has concluded his discussion of how an individual engages in church reformation and finally makes a break with his church when such church reformation proves impossible from within: In, the following paragraph, Kuyper goes on to discuss the whole concept of the true and the…
(Kuyper has been talking about the role which the magistrate must take in the work of church reformation. In the last paragraph he spoke vehemently against Article 36 of our Belgic Confession which gives to the magistrate the right to exterminate heresy. Although Kuyper does not deny that the magistrate…
[In this paragraph Kuyper is discussing reformations in Scripture and in history. In the last installment he has spoken of reformations in the Old Testament. He now speaks of reformations in the New Testament and in history.) After the fall of the kings until Jesus’ public ministry we read in…
(Kuyper has been talking in general about the matter of authority in the church. He is in the process of discussing different types of church government. In the previous article, he discussed the Romish system of church government. Now he turns in this article to the Lutheran system and other…
(In discussing the question of authority in the church, Kuyper is still talking about the. different forms of church, government. He has already discussed the Romish form of church government, the Lutheran system of church government, and the Reformed system of church government. He now turns his attention to the…
(In the last installment of this translation Kuyper was talking about the exercise of authority in the church. He had mentioned a direct authority, i.e., an authority by which Christ rules directly over His church. He concluded the last paragraph with the statement: “But also with the use of means…
(In the last installment Kuyper has spoken of the authority which belongs to the office of believers in the church and the authority which belongs to the special offices in the church. He has discussed this question in a very general way and reserved particular discussion of it for future…
11. In which way the office in the church of Christ works in the New Dispensation.
(The following paragraph is the concluding paragraph of Chapter 1 in which Kuyper deals with general principles of church reformation. In particular, he has been talking in previous paragraphs concerning the nature of the offices in the Church of Christ. In this paragraph he discusses the work of the Holy…
A Pamphlet on the Reformation of the Churches
(Note: Kuyper is still talking in this paragraph of the proper formation of the church. In this connection he has talked about the relationship between the church as organism and the church as institute, the relationship between the office of believers and the special offices in the church, and how…
(Kuyper takes the position in this pamphlet that in order to understand reformation in the church one must understand deformation. And in order to understand the deformation of the church one must understand what the Scriptural idea of the church is. In the last paragraph Kuyper has spoken of the…
(In his discussion concerning the ideal form which the church of Christ ought to take on this earth, Kuyper has discussed the fact that a congregation is made up of believers and their seed, that the church receives into her fellowship members from other churches, that the church must also…
Introductory Remarks Before we actually begin the translation of this work of Dr. Abraham Kuyper, a few brief remarks are in order.
We make only a short statement by way of introduction to the following pamphlet. Just because the Reformation of the church is now a relevant issue, Luther’s 400th anniversary has a more urgent significance. Also in Luther’s day men did not thoughtlessly begin the demolition of what was incurably filled…
Chapter I: General Principles 1. What the Reformation of the Churches implies.
3. The fourfold way in which the church of Christ can be understood. On the ground of the authority of Holy Scripture, the essence of the church must be considered as distinguished under four aspects. One can refer to the church as it is determined in the counsel of God;…
A Pamphlet Concerning the Reformation of the Churches
(In the last article which appeared in the Standard Bearer of Kuyper’s “Pamphlet Concerning the Reformation of the Churches” Kuyper discussed his views on the relation between church and state. In this and successive paragraphs, Kuyper discusses the duties of the individual office bearers and the function of the office…
5. How God’s Word governs the whole life of the church.
7. Why the church in an earlier time had no need of its own regulations, but has this need now.
(In this paragraph which is continued in this article and in the preceding paragraph Kuyper has begun a discussion of reformation by means of a break with the church. He has only introduced this subject, but has emphasized in the preceding material, that such reformation must be: 1) a work…
10. How this kingly authority of Christ works on earth through the instrumentality of human persons.
(Kuyper has been talking about the particular work of the individual office bearers. He has discussed up to this point the office of the ministry of the Word and the office of elders. In the following two paragraphs he turns to the work of professors of theology and the work…
(In the last two paragraphs Dr. Kuyper has discussed the functioning of the office of all believers in the church and has made some remarks concerning the church’s material possessions. He now continues with the discussion of the government of the church.)
(Kuyper is discussing reformation in the church through the way of separation from the church. He is discussing the conditions under which such separation becomes necessary and the individual’s calling to be obedient to God even when he faces opposition from his church. This kind of reformation must begin in…
(Kuyper has been talking about the institute of the church and particularly about the special offices in the church. In connection with the latter, he has just finished in the previous paragraph a discussion of Christian discipline.)
(As Kuyper is discussing the deterioration of the church, he discusses how this deterioration or deformation takes place in various aspects of the church’s life. He has spoken of this deterioration in the confession of the church, in the walk of the church, in the administration of the means of…
Issue: 7, 1/1/1982, Vol 58/1982 By: Kuyper Abraham, in Translated Treasures, Pamphlet Concerning the Reformation of the Church
(Kuyper is discussing in some detail the deterioration of the church. He has discussed this deterioration in various aspects of the church’s life. In the last paragraph which appeared in the Standard Bearer, he discussed this deterioration in the government of the church.)
(In the last paragraph Kuyper has discussed the responsibility of individual members, whether ordinary members of the congregation or office bearers in the church, with respect to unfaithfulness and disobedience in the church. He has discussed what the calling of these members is and how they must begin the work…
(In the last article Kuyper began a discussion of the reformation of the church by way of separation from the denomination. He talked briefly about the fact that such reformation always begins in the local congregation. But as that reformation begins in the local congregation, it can be either opposed…
Chapter 4 CONCERNING THE REFORMATION OF THE CHURCHES (With the last paragraph Kuyper has finished his discussion of how the church here on earth goes through a process of deterioration. He now turns his attention to the reformation of the churches.)
(In the last article Kuyper began a discussion concerning reformation by means of separation from the denomination. He suggested, in this connection, two possibilities: one possibility is that the consistory of a local congregation is in conflict with the church federation; the other is that an individual is in conflict…
. (In the last paragraph Kuyper has explained that the deformation of the church is due to three causes: the destructive work of Satan, the sins of individual members, and the sins of the fellowship of the church as a whole. He continues this discussion in the following paragraph.)
(Kuyper has begun his discussion of how a church which has deteriorated must be reformed. In the last paragraph which appeared he strongly emphasized that all reformation must be the work of God alone.)
(Dr. Kuyper has finished his discussion of the special offices in the church: minister, professor, elder, and deacon. In this paragraph he turns to a discussion of the office of believer.)
(In discussing the positive side of the question, i.e., the renewal or reformation of the church, Kuyper has discussed the need for spiritual awakening in the hearts and in the lives of the individual members. In the last paragraph he insisted that this was essential to all church reformation. He…
(In this entire section of the pamphlet Kuyper has been talking about the causes of deterioration in the church and has discussed how this deterioration develops in the church as the church undergoes a change from a condition of spiritual strength to one of grave weakness.)
(In the first part of this paragraph Kuyper has been discussing the question of reformation by gradual church renewal. He has compared the deterioration of the church with a sickness which strikes a body and he has compared the work of reformation to the work of a doctor who attempts…
(Kuyper has discussed the unity of the church as that unity is expressed in broader ecclesiastical assemblies and in relationship with other denominations worldwide. He now concludes chapter 2 of his book with the following paragraph.) 33. Whether the Churches Ought to Interfere in What Does Not Belong to the…
(In the last part of the last article Dr. Kuyper began a discussion of the deformation of the churches. He defined what he meant by deformation, i.e., the deterioration of a church which had once held a correct form according to the Scriptures and was now in need of church…
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The Big Bang Theory, Star: The record of US audiences of the week!
Like every Saturday, it’s time to take stock of the American audiences of your favorite series. So who’s on top, who makes a flop? Discover it now!
That’s it, the majority of the series are now in winter hiatus and we find ourselves for the last record of the hearings before a moment, since the first series only come back in mid-January. This week, there was still the final mid-season of Season 7 of The Walking Dead and the launch of the new series from FOX, Star , so it’s time to see what has interested the American public. Let us start with Sunday evening and his last episode of the year, we can not say that The Walking Dead has made brightly. Although the audiences remain very good, and are even slightly higher than the previous week but with 10.58 million viewers and 5.1%, it is far from the almost 14 million that was in front of the final mid-season season 6 . Meanwhile, Showtime aired Shameless US to 1.58 million curious (0.6%), the series remains stable. Also, Emmy Rossum seems to have confirmed the renewal of Shameless US for season 8! The chain also proposed The Affair (670,000 and 0.2%) while HBO aired the season finale of Divorce (500,000 and 0.2%).
Regarding series of networks, CBS does not splurge with Madam Secretary (7.82 million and 0.7%) and Elementary (4.73 million and 0.6%) for their mid-season finals, and FOX is still better with the Last Man on Earth that brings 2.20 million people with a rate of 0.9%. CBS is catching up with its comedies since Monday night dominates the evening, despite a slight decrease in hearing, with Kevin Can Wait (7.31 million and 1.4%), Man With a Plan (6.62 million 1.2%), 2 Broke Girls (5.81 million and 1.2%) and The Odd Couple (5.23 million and 1%). In addition, Scorpio is not doing too badly with 7 million fans and 1.1% over 18-49 years. Finally, Timeless experiencing a decline with 4.81 million curious and only 1% on the target. Without This is Us on the evening of Tuesday, NCIS resumes its leading position with 14.74 million viewers and a rate of 1.7%.
For their last episodes of the year, the family comedies ABC Tuesday night, The Middle (6.39 million and 1.6%), American Housewife (5.32 million and 1.5%), Fresh Off the Boat (3.86 million and 1.2%) and The Real O’Neals (3.06 million and 0.9%) are rising. If New Girl is stable on FOX with 1.62 million curious and 0.8% over 18-49 years, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is experiencing a slight decline but remains best with 2.15 million and 0.9%. Scream Queens (1.13 million and 0.9%) also remains stable. MTV side, there were 550,000 people before the episode 5 of season 6 of Teen Wolf , with a rate of 0.3 to the target. That remains little, but the hearings date back slightly from the previous week. Wednesday night, the hearings Empire back to broadcast the final mid-season since the series attracted 7.58 million of curious for a rate of 2.7% over 18-49 years. This allowed the channel to make a rather good launch for its new series, Star which drew the attention of 6.71 million Americans with a rate of 2.2% on target.
The FOX dominates the evening, and it is obviously followed by the subsequent family comedies of ABC. Is it because it is the final mid-season or because Modern Family was proposed that night, but the audiences are up for The Goldbergs (6.20 million and 1.7%), Black- ish (5.46 million and 1.6%) and Speechless (5.46 million and 1.6%). For its part, Modern Family has gathered 6.81 million viewers with a rate of 2%. It’s the same for the final winter of Designated Survivor , who gets the perks winning 1 million viewers in one week, with a total of 6.18 million and 1.2% on the target. Meanwhile, on cable, 2.05 million Americans have followed the new episode of Vikings (0.6%) on History, while there were only 290 000 people in front of Salem , which of Was canceled by WGN America. The Big Bang Theory ended the year in beauty as there were 15.96 million viewers (3.4%) to follow the birth of Bernadette and Howard’s child! You can also find our reactions gifs to episode 11 of season 10 of The Big Bang Theory on melty. This benefits obviously the other series of CBS, The Great Indoors (8.11 million and 1.6%), Mom (8.23 million and 1.5%), Life in Pieces (6.94 million and 1.3 %) and Pure Genius (5.5 million and 0.9%). Moreover, Nashville was back for the launch of its fifth season aired now on CMT. The hearings are far from good since there were only 420,000 in front of the premieree season with a rate of 0.1%. What do you think ?
Теги bernadette, father, howard wolowitz, season 10, tbbt, The big bang theory
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Zeitgeist: The Movie, Myths, and Motivations
The Internet movie Zeitgeist uses dishonesty to make an ideological point that could have easily been made ethically.
Today we're going to point the skeptical eye at one of the most popular Internet phenomena from the last couple of years: Zeitgeist, a freely downloadable documentary movie. It purports to critically examine Christianity, the cause of 9/11, and the world economy. Instead, it paints them all with a single wide stroke of the conspiracy paintbrush. "Zeitgeist" is a German word meaning the spirit of the times, thus Zeitgeist the movie purports to pull aside the curtain and reveal the true nature of the world in which we live. The problem with the film, as has been roundly pointed out by academics worldwide, is that many of the conspiratorial claims and historical references are outright fictional inventions. Zeitgeist does have a message that's not necessarily invalid, but it's lost underneath the unequivocal dishonesty.
For a long time, people have been asking me to do a Skeptoid episode about Zeitgeist. I've resisted, mainly because it's so poorly researched that I didn't feel it deserved any response from legitimate science journalism. But people have kept asking. And, obviously, a lot of viewers have been swayed by it. I've even had people who innocently bought into it write me and quote Zeitgeist as an authority, suggesting I do some episode promoting one of its claims. Zeitgeist, and the 9/11 conspiracy movie Loose Change, are largely what motivated me to produce Here Be Dragons, my free 40-minute video giving a general introduction to applied critical thinking, which I felt was a more appropriate response than publicly acknowledging either film. But I spent some time learning more about Zeitgeist, its sequels and related events, and its creator, and concluded that the mainstream criticism of the film doesn't tell the whole story, and its worldwide impact does make it deserving of a more critical examination.
Understanding Zeitgeist means understanding its creator, Peter Joseph Merola, a young musician, artist, and freelance film editor living in New York City, at last account. I've found no reference to any educational or professional experience pertaining to any of the subjects covered in the movie. He moved to New York in order to attend art school. That appears to be the extent of his qualifications to teach history and political science, but of course it doesn't make him wrong. It may, however, explain why many of his factual claims contradict what anyone can learn from any textbook on religious history or political science.
Merola made a second film, Zeitgeist: Addendum which offers much better insight into the man and his motivations for creating Zeitgeist. He's basically a postmodern utopian, who spends most of his effort speaking out against money-based economics. He advocates the rejection of government, profit, banking, and civil infrastructure: basically, the "establishment". Once you understand where he's coming from, it makes it a lot easier to understand why he made Zeitgeist and tried so hard to point out the corruption and evils of the establishment. The problem is that he simply made up a bunch of crap to drive his point, and that's where he crossed the line between philosophical advocacy and unethical propaganda.
Much of what makes Zeitgeist popular is that the sustainable utopia he describes is very compelling. It's probably not very realistic, but it's alluring at an organic level. Mistrust of the establishment has been a popular theme ever since a caveman first raised a club, so the two combine to make the message of Zeitgeist appealing, at some level, to nearly everyone. For example, in his sequel, Merola profiles futurist Jacque Fresco who envisions what he calls a "resource-based economy", a world without money where the Earth's natural resources are freely available to all and responsibly managed through public virtue and high technology. This is a fine idea, and while its practicality and workability can certainly be debated, it's perfectly valid as a philosophy. And so, it was from this utopian perspective that the young idealist Peter Joseph Merola set out to first convince us that our current system is fundamentally broken.
He began in the first of Zeitgeist's three chapters with an assault on Christianity. The film draws many parallels between the Nativity story and pagan sun worship and astrology, suggesting that their origins are all the same. This is followed by an impressive set of similarities between the life of Jesus and the life of Horus, the Egyptian god — similarities far too extensive to be simple coincidences. And then, taking key points from the life of Jesus (the virgin birth, December 25th, a resurrection after three days, and so on), we find that the same elements are found in the stories of many other gods from diverse cultures, namely the Phrygian Attis, the Indian Krishna, the Greek Dionysus, and the Persian Mithra. Merola's presentation is compelling, and constitutes a convincing argument that Christianity is just one of many branches of mythology stemming from the same ancient stories going all the way back to prehistoric sun worship.
Where this compelling presentation breaks down is, well, almost everywhere. The majority of Merola's assertions are flagrantly wrong, as if he had begun with a conclusion, and worked backwards making up facts that would get him there. He gave no sources, but it turns out that most of these same claims about other gods having the same details as the Jesus stories come from a 1999 book called The Christ Conspiracy: The Greatest Story Ever Sold. Christian scholars in particular have been highly critical of Merola's unresearched and wrong assertions, which is understandable given that they are probably the best authorities on religious histories.
Part II of the movie depicts the 9/11 attacks as having been perpetrated by the American government, essentially repeating the same basic charges found throughout the 9/11 "truth" community. These charges fall into two basic categories: innuendo and misinformation. Innuendo like the Bushes knew the bin Ladens, the alleged hijackers have since been found to be alive and well, the inexperienced pilot couldn't have hit the building; and misinformation like straw man arguments mischaracterizing what we all watched that day. These, and many other tactics claimed by the "truthers" to be evidence that the attack was an inside job, have been thoroughly addressed elsewhere and I'm not going to go into them here. In short, searching for alternative possible motivations, and finding and making extraneous connections between various people and events, does not prove or serve as evidence of anything. Raising the specter of doubts or alternate possibilities is very effective in distracting people away from the facts, as we saw so dramatically in O. J. Simpson's murder acquittal, and as we see throughout the 9/11 "truth" movement.
According to a New York Times interview with Peter Joseph Merola in which he was asked about the 9/11 conspiracy claims made in Zeitgeist, he says he has since "moved away from" these beliefs. While it's great that he was willing to come out publicly and say that he's abandoned one line of irrational thinking, to me it says more that he leaves it in the movie anyway (Zeitgeist has gone through a number of revisions, and he's had ample opportunity to edit out sections he no longer believes). This is only speculation on my part, of course, but I'd guess he leaves it in because it so dramatically illustrates the evils of the establishment, which is a pillar of his philosophy. If true, it would show that the content of Merola's films are driven more by ideology than by fact.
That this is Merola's ideology is most impactfully illustrated in part III of Zeitgeist. This asserts the existence of what Merola believes is a worldwide conspiracy of international bankers, who are directly responsible for causing all wars in the past century as a way to earn profits. From his student art studio, Merola purports to have uncovered plans, known only to a select few of these hypothesized bankers, to combine the currencies of Canada, the United States, and Mexico into a single denomination called the Amero, as a next step toward an eventual one world government. In fact, the Amero was proposed in a couple of books: in 1999 by Canadian economist Herb Grubel in The Case for the Amero, and in 2001 by political science professor Robert Pastor in Toward a North American Community. The number of economists not proposing an Amero is much larger. This chapter of Zeitgeist goes into great detail, most annoyingly in the way it quote-mines everyone from Thomas Jefferson to Carl Sagan (from letters both real and counterfeit) to suggest that leaders in government and science have always known about this. People knowledgeable in this subject have gone through Zeitgeist point-by-point and refuted each and every one of its dishonest claims, none more effectively than Edward Winston on his Conspiracy Science website, which I highly recommend if you want to discuss any of the nitty gritty details in any section of Zeitgeist.
I can empathize with Peter Joseph Merola on one level. When I first started the Skeptoid podcast, I didn't really yet know what it was going to be about or where it was going to lead. I didn't keep references either. Having done it a few years, I now have my focus dialed in much better. I can see the same evolution from the conspiracy theories in the original Zeitgeist film to the utopian and philosophical topics Merola now talks about. He described Zeitgeist's inception as a personal project and a "public awareness expression", a context in which it was unnecessary to keep references or even to be historically accurate. I suspect that if he'd known where he was going to be today, he wouldn't have made Zeitgeist, and would have instead gone straight to the sequel which almost completely omits the conspiracy theories and untrue history.
If he had, the Zeitgeist franchise would probably not be nearly so successful. Nothing commands attention and feeds our native desire for power like a good conspiracy theory. If you know about the conspiracy, you're in on the secret information, and you are more powerful than the conspirators. For better or for worse, we all have a deep craving to have the upper hand. This is perhaps the main reason for the unending popularity of Zeitgeist, Loose Change, Alex Jones, Richard Hoagland, and other conspiracy theory machines. It also explains the passion shown by those who defend them: All that matters is "being the one who knows more than you," and the facts are a distant second.
Dunning, B. "Zeitgeist: The Movie, Myths, and Motivations." Skeptoid Podcast. Skeptoid Media, 9 Mar 2010. Web. 15 Jan 2021. <https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4196>
Callahan, T. "The Greatest Story Ever Garbled." Skeptic. The Skeptics Society, 25 Feb. 2009. Web. 2 Mar. 2010. <http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/09-02-25>
Dunbar, D., Reagan, B. Debunking 9/11 Myths: Why Conspiracy Theories Can't Stand Up to the Facts. New York: Hearst Books, 2006.
Feuer, A. "They’ve Seen the Future and Dislike the Present." New York Times. 16 Mar. 2009, N/A: A24.
Lippard, J. "Zeitgeist: The Movie." The Lippard Blog. Jim Lippard, 11 Jun. 2008. Web. 2 Mar. 2010. <http://lippard.blogspot.com/2008/06/zeitgeist-movie.html>
Meigs, J. "Debunking the 9/11 Myths: Special Report." Popular Mechanics, March 2005 Issue. 1 Mar. 2005, Year 103, Number 3.
Pastor, Robert A. Toward a North American Community: Lessons from the Old World for the New. Washington: Institute for International Economics, 2001. 111-115.
Siegel, Jon. "Income Tax: Voluntary or Mandatory?" Jon Siegel's Income Tax Protestors Page. Jon Siegel, 31 Jan. 2007. Web. 3 Mar. 2010. <http://docs.law.gwu.edu/facweb/jsiegel/Personal/taxes/IncomeTax.htm>
Winston, E. "Zeitgeist, the Movie Debunked." Conspiracy Science. Edward L Winston, 1 Jan. 2008. Web. 2 Mar. 2010. <http://conspiracyscience.com/articles/zeitgeist/>
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South Bend Museum of Art
Website for the South Bend Museum of Art, South Bend, IN
Warner Rotunda & Carmichael Gallery
An Ekphrastic Event for Sharing the Muse
ArtLights
Vantage Society
Memorial and Tribute Gifts
SBMA Board of Trustees
« Kiera Faber
OBSCURER
JOB OPENING: Director of Marketing and Development »
By Mark Rospenda | Published: January 4, 2021
Warner and Jerome J. Crowley Community Galleries
(Museum hours: Wednesday – Sunday, noon – 5:00 p.m.)
Due to Covid-19 Numbers rising, we will not be having the annual Meet me in the Gallery event. However, we invite viewers to visit during our museum hours!
Wednesday – Sunday | 12:00–5:00 p.m.
Suggested Donation: Adults $5, under age 12 free. (SBMA & WVPE members admitted free)
2021 Virtual Awards Ceremony: Sunday, February 7
SBMA Facebook and Website 12:00 p.m. EST: Virtual Awards Ceremony will be posted to SBMA’s Facebook Page and Website along with a virtual tour of the exhibition.
For more than 90 years, The Scholastic Art & Writing Award program has sought to encourage, foster, and reward creativity in our nation’s classrooms and to confer recognition on emerging talent. Our region, which covers 18 counties, has participated for decades, beginning in the Tea Room of the former Robertson’s Department Store in downtown South Bend. L.S. Ayres hosted the exhibition until the South Bend Museum of Art became involved.
The South Bend Museum of Art is now the affiliate for the Scholastic Art Awards’ Northwest Indiana and Southwest Lower Michigan Region. This region includes the following counties: INDIANA counties of Benton, Cass, Elkhart, Fulton, Jasper, Kosciusko, Lake, LaPorte, Marshall, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, St. Joseph, Stark, White; and MICHIGAN counties of Berrien, Cass and St. Joseph.
The Scholastic Art Awards represents the most comprehensive national annual assessment of the creative spirit among American teens. Three core values have not changed since The Awards inception: freedom of expression, a blind adjudication process, and work criteria based on originality, technical proficiency, and emergence of personal voice. Students in seventh through twelfth grade submit digital images of their work, which is juried by more than 50 jurors solicited from the local arts and education community. A process of “blind adjudication” is used, whereby judging is determined on a merit basis with only the art object under review, without any knowledge as to student identity (gender, race, background, etc.). Jurors are instructed to select artwork that excels in 1) Originality, 2) Technical Skill, and 3) Emergence of a personal vision or voice.
Regional awards are given in several categories:
Gold Key: The highest level of achievement on the regional level.
Approximately 5 – 7% of all regional submissions are recognized with Gold Key Awards and all are considered for national-level recognition.
Silver Key: Approximately 7 – 10% of all regional submissions are recognized with Silver Key Awards.
Honorable Mention: This Award recognizes students with artistic potential. Approximately 10 – 15% of all regional submissions receive Honorable Mention Awards.
American Vision & Voice Nominees: Five works are selected out of all Gold Key works (across categories) as the “Best of Show” for each region.
Digital images of all of our GOLD KEY Awards are sent on to National Adjudication in New York City. Award recipients at the national level are invited to participate in the Awards Ceremony held in New York City at Carnegie Hall, have their work shown in noted galleries, attend workshops, be considered for scholarships, and have their names included in the New York Times article covering the Scholastic Art Awards.
The SAA competition has strong positive impact in our community, showcasing the vast talent in our region, not only the talent of the students, but of the teachers and mentors who work with them to assure their excellence. Many young artists who have gone on to highly productive careers in the arts have received their first encouragement and recognition through the SAA program, which bolstered their confidence to pursue their dreams.
SAA is also the most heavily attended exhibition in the SBMA annual schedule (about 5000 visitors annually) and is intrinsically connected to our mission of supporting arts education for youth. There is not a single arts program for high school and middle school students which has the broad reach or lifelong educational impact of the Scholastic Art Awards and SBMA is committed to working with the local SAA board to keep it alive and vibrant in our region.
Support the Scholastic Art Awards!
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2021 © South Bend Museum of Art | 120 South Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., South Bend, IN 46601 | 574.235.9102 | Contact Us
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196 Andrew Jackson Park RD
andrewjackson@scprt.com
Museum hours: 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Sat & Sun, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.; 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Mon thru Fri
Schoolhouse hours: Closed until further notice.
8 a.m.-6 p.m., daily from Nov.1-March 31; 9 a.m.-9 p.m., daily April 1-Oct. 31
Museum hours: Sa-Su 1 p.m.-5 p.m., M-F by appointment or when staff is available
Schoolhouse hours: mid-March to Nov., Sa 1 p.m.-5 p.m. and Su 2 p.m.-5 p.m.
11 a.m.-noon, daily
$3 adults; $1.50 SC seniors; $1 children age 6-15; age 5 & younger free
Andrew Jackson State Park
Crawford Trail
Length: 1.1-mile loop
Type: Hiking trail
Description: You will begin this sloping, woodland path at the trailhead to the right of the Meeting House. This easy-to-follow, dirt trail will guide you through a mixed oak, cedar, and pine forest in an undeveloped area of the park. In the quiet of this area you may hear the songs of many birds, or encounter deer, rabbits, snakes and other wildlife. Please follow the trail to the right when it splits behind the Meeting House.
During your hike you will cross a road twice. The second time you will need to go left for approximately 150 feet to reconnect to the trail.
Garden of the Waxhaws Trail
Description: From the left of the fishing dock, begin this easy-to-follow, occasionally steep, loop trail that provides fishing access and scenic views of the 18-acre park lake. You will cross a grassy causeway over the dam, and wind along a rooted, dirt path through a mixed pine and hardwood forest. Watch your step on the slopes and wet areas, especially after a recent rain. You may see waterfowl, squirrels, snakes and other wildlife.
Tips and information: Remember to wear insect repellent in warm weather. Pets must be kept on leashes. Restrooms, water and picnic shelters are available near the museum and camping areas.
At Andrew Jackson State Park
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News from the Diocese
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South Texas Catholic
Serving the Diocese of Corpus Christi
St. Mary’s designated Texas’ first Fair Trade University
St. Mary’s University has become the first institution of higher education in Texas to achieve Fair Trade University status. Fair trade is a social movement that helps producers in developing countries work in safe conditions, improve the lives of their families and earn extra money to invest in their communities.
Producers–often children–of coffee, tea, chocolate, handicrafts and other products in developing countries often work in poor conditions and are paid less than a living wage. Producing some of these commodities may damage the environment. By purchasing fair trade products, consumers increase global quality of life, protect the environment and ensure the production of high quality goods.
St. Mary’s is the 28th institution of higher education in the nation to receive the designation by Fair Trade Colleges and Universities–and the first of the three Marianist universities, including the University of Dayton and Chaminade University of Honolulu.
“What we buy, eat and drink impacts people and the environment around the world,” University President Thomas Mengler, J.D. said “This is a vital step in living our Catholic and Marianist mission on campus.”
The mission calls for St. Mary’s to educate leaders for the common good, and it is inspired by the Characteristics of Marianist Universities, which call the institutions to educate for service, justice and peace.
St. Mary’s has worked with its food service contractor to make fair trade-certified foods, beverages and items available in its dining facilities, convenience stores and University-hosted catered meetings. The University bookstore also offers fair trade products. With the assistance of a fair trade committee of students, faculty and staff, the university demonstrates its commitment to sustainability by educating the campus about Fair Trade and encouraging the community to support fair trade.
To promote awareness and to celebrate the fair trade designation, free fair trade coffee and chocolate will be available to the campus community on April 29. Time and location will be finalized soon.
The university will not incur increased costs because the cost of fair trade goods will be reflected in the sales price. Fair trade products often are slightly more expensive, because of the fair wages paid to the producers, the investment in their communities, and the cost of transporting goods not purchased at bulk rates.
Students Mydori Nomura (B.B.A. ’14) and Becky Montes (B.B.A. ’14) helped start the University’s fair trade initiative in 2013, when they formed the campus fair trade committee. Fair trade principles also have been covered in courses taught by Zaida Martinez, Ph.D., Professor of International Business; and Clare Acosta Matos, the campus Minister for Social Justice and Catholic Relief Services Fair Trade Ambassador.
In summer 2014, St. Mary’s received a $1,000 grant from Fair Trade USA, which was used to hire a fair trade intern and buy promotional materials. Also, University Ministry holds an annual fair trade holiday gift sale in the University Center.
St. Mary’s University, founded in 1852, is the first institution of higher learning in San Antonio and the oldest Catholic university in the Southwest. It offers 75 programs, including doctoral and law programs, and has a diverse student population of about 3,800 of all faiths and backgrounds. Its vision, as a Catholic and Marianist liberal arts institution, is to become one of the finest private universities in the region, a gateway for graduates to professional lives as ethical leaders in Texas, the nation and the world.
South Texas Catholic · 555 N. Carancahua, Suite 750, Corpus Christi, Texas 78401 · (361) 693-6605
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January 6, 2013 Column Father De Celles
Thanks. As the Christmas Season continues, I’d like to add 3 more Christmas “thank you’s” to those from prior weeks. First, I want to thank all of you for your generosity in the Christmas collections. Between the collection for Sunday the 23rd and Christmas Day, and including special donations and second collections, you donated over $130, 000 to the parish. That is one of the highest collections for those combined days in our history. Thank you so much for your generosity. Second, on behalf of Fr. Kenna and myself, I want to thank all of you who dropped off baked goods and other treats and gifts for us in the rectory. You kindness is overwhelming. And last but not least, I want to thank 7 year old Holly Diamond who was very helpful to me at Christmas Midnight Mass, as she carried the statue of the Baby Jesus in procession for the Blessing of the Christmas Crèche.
The Epiphany of the Lord
Benedict XVI, Homily (Excerpts), January 6, 2012
“The wise men from the East lead the way. They open up the path of the Gentiles to Christ. … The experts tell us that they belonged to the great astronomical tradition that had developed in Mesopotamia over the centuries and continued to flourish. But this information of itself is not enough. No doubt there were many astronomers in ancient Babylon, but only these few set off to follow the star that they recognized as the star of the promise, pointing them along the path towards the true King and Saviour. They were, as we might say, men of science, but not simply in the sense that they were searching for a wide range of knowledge: they wanted something more. They wanted to understand what being human is all about. They had doubtless heard of the prophecy of the Gentile prophet Balaam: “A star shall come forth out of Jacob and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel” (Num 24:17). They explored this promise. They were men with restless hearts, not satisfied with the superficial and the ordinary. They were men in search of the promise, in search of God. And they were watchful men, capable of reading God’s signs, his soft and penetrating language. But they were also courageous, yet humble: we can imagine them having to endure a certain amount of mockery for setting off to find the King of the Jews, at the cost of so much effort. …For them it was a question of truth itself, not human opinion. Hence they took upon themselves the sacrifices and the effort of a long and uncertain journey. Their humble courage was what enabled them to bend down before the child of poor people and to recognize in him the promised King, the one they had set out, on both their outward and their inward journey, to seek and to know….
“The wise men followed the star. Through the language of creation, they discovered the God of history. To be sure – the language of creation alone is not enough. Only God’s word, which we encounter in sacred Scripture, was able to mark out their path definitively. Creation and Scripture, reason and faith, must come together, so as to lead us forward to the living God. There has been much discussion over what kind of star it was that the wise men were following. Some suggest a …a supernova, …one of those stars …in which an inner explosion releases a brilliant light for a certain time, or a comet, etc. This debate we may leave to the experts. The great star, the true supernova that leads us on, is Christ himself. He is as it were the explosion of God’s love, which causes the great white light of his heart to shine upon the world. And we may add: the wise men from the East, who feature in today’s Gospel, like all the saints, have themselves gradually become constellations of God that mark out the path. In all these people, being touched by God’s word has, as it were, released an explosion of light, through which God’s radiance shines upon our world and shows us the path. The saints are stars of God, by whom we let ourselves be led to him for whom our whole being longs.”
Feast of St. Raymond of Peñafort. Tomorrow, January 7, is the feast of our parish Patron. St. Raymond was born at Villafranca de Benadis, near Barcelona, in 1175. At only 20 years of age he became professor of canon law in 1195, and taught for fifteen years. He left Spain for the University of Bologna in 1210 to complete his studies in civil and canon law. He held a chair of canon law in the university for three years and published a treatise on ecclesiastical legislation.
Raymond returned to Barcelona to teach in 1219. Soon thereafter he received a heavenly vision in which the Blessed Mother, under the title of “Our Lady of Mercy,” instructed him to help St. Peter Nolasco found the Order of Mercedarians, which would be devoted to the ransom of Christians taken captive by the Moors (Spanish Muslims). Raymond did not join that order but rather received the habit in the Dominicans in Barcelona in 1222. As a Dominican, Raymond continued to teach and preach, and devoted considerable effort working to convert Moors and Jews, founding institutes at Barcelona and Tunis for the study of Oriental languages, as well as coaxing St. Thomas Aquinas to write his Summa Contra Gentiles to help in his efforts.
At the request of his superiors Raymond published the Summa Casuum, a book on cases of conscience for the guidance of confessors and moralists, the first guide of its kind. This work eventually led to his appointment as confessor and theologian to Pope Gregory IX in 1230. His expertise in juridical science led the pope to direct Raymond to re-arrange and codify the canons (juridical laws) of the Church, which required him to rewrite and condense decrees that had been multiplying for centuries, contained in some twelve or fourteen collections already existing. The pope published Raymond’s work in 1231, and commanded that it alone should be considered authoritative and used in the schools. From then on St. Raymond would be known as the “Father of canon law.”
After this, Raymond returned to Spain. In 1238 he was elected General of the Dominican Order, but he resigned two years later, claiming that at 63 years old he was too old for the job. He continued his writing, preaching and pastoral work, as well many important responsibilities entrusted to him by various popes, for another 37 years until his death in Barcelona on January 6, 1275, at the age of 100. He is the patron saint of lawyers, both canon and civil (the latter with St. Thomas More). (Based, in part, on an article in the Catholic Encyclopedia (www.newadvent.org)).
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May St. Raymond pray for us and lead us to have a happy, holy and grace-filled 2013!
Oremus pro invicem, et pro patria. Fr. De Celles
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As Jobstown stands tall- Labour is in the gutter
Posted by: Socialist Party May 11, 2017
Immediately after the protest in Jobstown in 2014, Joan Burton went to Garda Headquarters in the Phoenix Park, and what began was a polital joint venture involving two wings of the establishment.
The Gardaí wanted prosecutions to help re-assert their authority and control in the many communities who had resisted the Gardaí’s action and political policing to support Irish Water’s imposition of meters.
From the trial, it is clear that Joan Burton was immediately considering how she could get some personal political advantage from events. On top of that the government, who had been anxious to split the new mass water charges movement, clearly felt that with the help of their friends in the media they could pose Jobstown as a violent riot and weaken the challenge their policies were facing.
Crossing the rubicon
Given the seriousness of the case, undoubtedly the Labour Party itself has been fully behind Joan Burton’s desire to get convictions. In the witness box Joan Burton asserted that as a leader of Labour she politically descended from James Connolly, and claimed to “carry on his ideas”. Linking Connolly to this attempt to criminalise working-class protest is just the latest disgraceful denigration by the Labour Party of the tradition of those who built the labour movement.
In a time when the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the British Labour Party has raised the prospect that it could possibly be reclaimed from the stranglehold of the ultra-capitalist Blairites, the actions of Labour here and Burton’s testimony are the last nails in the coffin of the party here. The Rubicon is not just a river in Italy, it is a line that has been crossed so many times by the Labour Party that now nothing remains of Connolly and Larkin in that party.
Blatant class prejudice
In the witness box, Burton defended Labour’s, and her own, record in government, in an attempt to try to deny that there was any basis for an angry protest. Even when videos were shown where everyone in the court could see and hear what was going on, she tried to deny that there were political chants.
But it’s the content of Joan Burton’s and her political adviser’s evidence and testimonies which really show that class prejudice now dominates in Labour, notwithstanding that many trade unions are still formally linked and fund the party.
In her desire to get convictions she distorts practically everything. She referred to the protesters as “wild” and stated that she was “running for her life”. In the dock, her adviser, referred to those present at the end as “dregs”. This is about a community that they viciously assaulted through their policies; a community that despite all the hardship it has to put up with, voted 87% in favour of marriage equality in 2015. The working-class people of Jobstown stand tall, Labour is in the gutter.
In its voracity to go after the right to protest, Labour and the establishment have targeted eighteen people on charges of false imprisonment and violent disorder, taking groups of protesters to court at a time (with seven on trial at this time). That has meant that, having given her evidence, Joan Burton could be cross-examined seven times.
Under instruction from the defendants, which includes Paul Murphy TD and members of Solidarity and the Socialist Party, the barristers for the defence have not only seriously challenged the distortions of Burton, but have also exposed the rotten political role of the Labour Party.
Labour betrayed people in government. Now, intent in defending themselves they have a vested interest in attacking working class people and democratic rights in the courts. They are beyond the pale. Whatever happens in the trial, it is clear that workers, women and the young need to build a new political movement to fight for real change, the day has long passed for the patching up of Labour, it must go.
Joan Burton Jobstown trial Labour Party Paul Murphy 2017-05-11
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US Republicans lead the assault on healthcare with new repeal bill
Donald Trump’s US government is pushing through healthcare attacks, but mobilising on the streets can beat them back, reports Alistair Farrow
Published Tue 9 May 2017
Trump discusses repealing Obamacare with lawmakers in March 2017
The horror show of US healthcare entered one of its darkest chapters last week. The Republican Party has pushed the repeal of the Affordable Care Act through the House of Representatives.
The bill is yet to be voted on by the Senate.
Obamacare was flawed to begin with. And the compromises made to push it through the US legislature left millions cut off from the limited protections it offered.
But the repeal bill, the American Health Care Act (AHCA), is a wholescale assault on the social aspects of US healthcare that exist.
It is a victory for the right wing of the Republican Party, such as the Freedom Caucus that overturned the first version of the AHCA.
This version is even more vicious. It will cut Medicaid by more than £600 billion over the next ten years.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bill would leave 24 million people without insurance in ten years time if passed.
It will mean 129 million people with some form of medical condition could see their insurance premiums increase far beyond what they can afford.
It also means that insurance companies can say that a wide range of medical problems are “pre-existing conditions”. Meaning people may not be able to file claims for them.
These include sexual assault, domestic abuse and rape.
Republican congressperson Mo Brooks tried to justify the move by saying that “those people who lead good lives...they’ve done the things to keep their bodies healthy”.
Employers in the US with over 50 workers are supposed to provide a health insurance plan for them. The AHCA will mean that these requirements are dropped, leaving millions of people looking for insurance on the private market.
The changes will also mean that states will decide whether insurance plans need to cover the costs of check-ups and other standard procedures.
The Trump administration wants to drive the market into most aspects of US society.
The movement that sprung up around town hall meetings during the first Obamacare repeal bill has been reignited (see below). And health campaigners are joining others fighting Trump’s attacks.
That’s the way the movement can win.
Mobilise and take to the streets against the right
Protests took place in over 50 cities and towns across the US on Monday.
They were called by the Women’s March organisation that was behind the huge protests that followed Donald Trump’s inauguration.
People used the mobilisation to push back against the attacks coming from the White House.
In cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Virginia Beach and Normal in the state of Illinois, activists held protests against the repeal of Obamacare.
In other places people held protests outside senators’ local meetings with stalls for people to sign the Women’s March “declaration of liberation”.
Meanwhile the Harvest Movement is building up to its most serious action yet—a seven day strike.
The Harvest Movement is the migrant workers’ organisation behind the Day Without Immigrants protests on 1 May.
Tue 9 May 2017, 14:23 BST
Millions worldwide reject Trump’s sexist bigotry
Workers come last in the first of US president Donald Trump's budgets
Donald Trump gets beaten on Obamacare as activists get set for new struggles
Thousands strike and march in the US for migrants’ rights on May Day
Women's Liberation
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POLL ALERT: Gonzaga is clear-cut No. 1 in Top 25, then Baylor, Kansas; No. 6 Wisconsin leads 9 ranked teams from Big Ten
NEW YORK (AP) -- POLL ALERT: Gonzaga is clear-cut No. 1 in Top 25, then Baylor, Kansas; No. 6 Wisconsin leads 9 ranked teams from Big Ten.
Red Sox land top Dominican prospect on international signing day
The Red Sox have reportedly reached an agreement with one of the most athletic prospects in this year's international class.
When Leonard Fournette suddenly found himself out of work, one of the first people who reached out to the former Jacksonville Jaguars running back was Tom Brady. The six-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback thought he'd be a nice addition to a talented group of playmakers being assembled around him in Tampa Bay. ''I knew I could come in and help the team out,'' Fournette said, reflecting on his surprise release by the Jaguars in early September and getting an opportunity to restart his career with a team with championship aspirations.
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· Published December 27, 2019
Report: James Wiseman signs agent, now preparing for 2020 NBA Draft
Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
James Wiseman, the potential No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, has reportedly moved forward with his plan to leave Memphis and prepare for the NBA Draft by signing with the the agency Excel Sports.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the 7-foot center has chosen his representation and will now focus his efforts on preparing for the upcoming draft in June.
Memphis 7-footer James Wiseman — a potential No. 1 overall pick — has signed with @excelsm for his NBA representation, league source tells ESPN. Wiseman will start preparing for the June NBA Draft now.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 27, 2019
Memphis Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway tried to convince the freshman center to stay, but the NCAA’s existing suspension against Wiseman ultimately led to him leaving the program.
The NCAA announced in November Wiseman was ineligible to play after Hardaway helped Wiseman and his family move to Memphis when he was still in high school. Later, the NCAA ruled Wiseman needed to serve a 12-game suspension and pay a fine before returning.
Wiseman, a five-star recruit in the 2019 class, played in just three games for the Tigers. He averaged 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and three blocks per game.
While the 18-year-old will have only played three games at the collegiate level, his talent and size will help him still draw consideration for a top pick in June.
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· Published January 26, 2020
WATCH: Doc Rivers emotionally reflects on Kobe Bryant’s life
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers has been through a lot in his career in the NBA. The news of Kobe Bryant’s heartbreaking death on Sunday left Rivers more devastated and emotional than ever as he reacted to the news of Kobe’s death.
Speaking to reporters in Los Angeles, Rivers was unable to speak for several moments as he was overcome with grief. As he talked about Bryant’s impact on the game and how much he meant to him, even more tears and pain came from his voice.
“He had that DNA that very few athletes can ever have.”
Doc Rivers on Kobe Bryant. pic.twitter.com/kSS7sjKaI1
— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 26, 2020
Rivers competed against Bryant at the beginning of Bryant’s career. When Rivers moved into coaching, he got even more opportunities to coach against one of the NBA’s greatest competitors and most unstoppable players in the history of the game.
The two had grown even closer since Bryant’s retirement with Rivers now working in Los Angeles. Rivers also shared how he saw the special impact that Bryant’s life and tragic death had on the young players in the Clippers’ locker room.
The entire NBA world is grieving right now and dealing with a sudden pain that will last for a while. Bryant’s impact on the game and countless lives will never be forgotten.
As Rivers’ emotions showed, NBA players and coaches will be playing with a heavy heart in the days and weeks to come.
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Hampi – Revisit to the ruins…
This is my Photo Essay featured on India Untravelled
I visited this land of the lost… a couple of years ago. That time, it was at the onset of my journey as a travel writer. After two years and many a miles covered on the road, I decided to revisit these ruins to enchant myself, only this time I decided to stay in here longer than I did the last time around. While it was a weekend trip and the entire place could be covered in a couple of days, it isn’t much fun if you don’t let the atmosphere and the beauty of these ruins sink in to you. Doesn’t really make a lot of point if you don’t enjoy the beauty of the Tungabhadra river, maybe take a dip or two in it… Doesn’t really give you peace of mind, unless you perch atop the Matanga hill, the very same hill where Sugreev lived… Besides discovering and rediscovering a lot of things from last time, I felt truly close to the place, especially since I took a good 3 to 4 days of time to explore the village and it’s ruins, while at the same time and here’s what I had to discover.
A little about Hampi
Hampi is situated within the ruins of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Before the city of Vijayanagara, it still is an important religious centre, housing the Virupaksha Temple, as well as several other monuments from the old city. The ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed as the Group of Monuments at Hampi. As rustic as it may look, this city is beautifully known for its ruins and a grand heritage of ancient archives of a lot of archaeological madness that can only be found out here. You will but obvious enjoy every site without having to worry about what you know or do not, for such is the aura of this enchanting place that it’ll consume every bit of you and make you feel different in an aspect of life. Be it taking a dip in the Tungabhadra river, which I did almost everyday, or be it taking a walk around the village and just meeting people who like you are fascinated by the beauty of this place. Or for that matter, hanging out near the outskirts of the city or taking a cycle down to the ruins of various parts within and outside the town… Every moment has its own variety and charm to it. From the various historic sculptures, the monolithic bull, the Narsimha statue carved out of one stone, the Shiva Linga underground caves or be it the queen’s public bath, the pushkarni… Every monument and every rock in this town has its own story, a story that can’t be depicted without its own style and eternally discoursing philosophy…
Though I visited this place with a lot of interest and I’ll make it a point to visit it every year, I feel that no matter how many times you see this place, you won’t be able to forget or not want to be back here again. Not just for the experience of being in a place where supposedly legends from the Ramayana were written or if this place was part of a historic, mythical and legendary city of the vanar sena (Kingdom of apes) where the great lords Wali and Sugreev, fought their battles and lived among fellow subjects, but for the fact that the heritage that it brings to our culture and India something to be proud of. A place that is etched in history for its most fascinating legends that stood the test of time and the rocks that lived on to withstand the future…
Stone Chariot at the Vijaya Vittala temple
The Stone Chariot at Vittala Temple
The Stone Chariot at the Vijaya Vittala temple has to be one of everyone’s favorites, certainly is mine. The beautiful construct is a wonder of architecture in itself. in the Vittala Temple Complex is a shrine built in the form of temple chariot. An image of Garuda was originally enshrined within its sanctum. Garuda, according to the Hindu mythology, is the vehicle of lord Vishnu. It is also a symbol of Karnataka Tourism. This time when I went I saw floodlights have been installed in the temple complex that provide illumination at dusk, thereby adding to the scenic beauty of the architecture.
Ugra Narsimha Statue carved out of a single rock
Narasimha in his deadly form, this one is a huge Ugra Narasimha, statue of 6.7 meter height in the south region of the temple complex of Hemkuta group which contains the Virupaksha Temple. Narasimha, being half-man and half-lion, is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. This gigantic statue is worth seeing. One of the most enchanting things about this statue is that it’s carved out of one rock… Hence it’s part of my top favorites in Hampi.
Inside the Vijaya Vittala Temple (The Musical Pillars)
The Musical Pillars
Now this is certainly fascinating, if not in today’s day and age, certainly in the times of the Vijayanagra Empire… This unique architecture is a fascinating modern art haven and scientifically very interesting to explore. The musical pillars produce a different sound when tapped at the top side, middle (like a bell) and the bottom side of the pillar. If you tap all pillars at same time, they produce a beautiful melodies of musical note.
The Monolithic Bull near Matanga Hill
The Monolithic Bull of Hampi
This structure as you walk across the Hampi Bazaar and the police station in the town, you’ll notice, that the more closer you get to it, the more magnificent it gets and when you reach the place where this bull is situated, it’ll make you realize how much grace this statue has within its enchanting eyes. Locally known as Yeduru Basavanna or Nandi, this monolithic bull marks the east end of the Virupaksha Bazaar. The statue is housed in a twin storied pavilion built on an elevated platform. A heap of gigantic boulders behind the pavilion offers an interesting backdrop. Though partially mutilated and carved in a coarse style, this Nandi attracts visitor owing to its giant size.
Sunset at the Matanga Hill
Hampi by Sunset at Matanga Hill
This had to be one of the most beautiful sites for me in those 4 days… I always wondered how the town would look at dusk, more than dawn, the fascination of the ruins around dusk brought an aura a golden enchantment to the fact that these ruins now, mean a lot more than just the beauty and the complex stories and architecture that they brought along with it. It stood for a significant lot of history, a history which cannot be told in this blog alone, a history that one has to go through after reading the UNESCO guidebook of Hampi… But all that apart, just the mere sight of the town across the Matanga hill and the beauty of the sunset engulfing this settlement took my breath away. It was as if, it gave me the reason for its mystic nature and truth to the unexplored was brought out, out from the best of all of us… One must explore Hampi to finally realize what it’s true beauty is all about.
Elephant Stable in the Lotus Mahal Complex
The Humongous Elephant Stables
This is another really interesting piece of architecture that you would really enjoy… And as usual, feel really insignificant, when you look at the housing for a really huge elephant back in the day. Although, built by the islamic architects in the later part of Hampi’s era, this building is very significant from the way its combined it’s architecture and the whole ensemble fits into the current scheme of things when you look at the ruins. More importantly, it is one among the few least destroyed structures in Hampi and is a major tourist attraction. This long building with a row of domed chambers was used to ‘park’ the royal elephants.
Lotus Palace or Kamala Mahala
The Air Conditioned Lotus Mahal
Now, this caught my eye, very much, especially because of the interesting architecture and for a reason that it was very cool. I took a look around and decided to investigate why in the scorching heat is this structure cooler from the inside. To my amazement, and of course to a fascination of one kind, I was told by the guide who was around that this was one of the places in the ancient times where queens used to rest and relax, in fact, it had a built in air conditioning system. The structure had in-built terracota pipes and there was a well beside this temple. Water was filled into those pipes and fans were used to circulate the cool air within the palace with drapes around on its gates.
Ruins of the Hazara Rama Temple
Carvings on the walls of Hazara Rama Temple
Hazara Rama Temple (A thousand Ramas)
One of the most enchanting thing about this temple is its beautiful wall carvings and enchanting structure, even though it’s ruined…The reason it’s called the ‘Hazara Rama’ temple is cause of the fact that the carvings depict comic strips of Hindu mythology, Ramayana in long arrays, on to the walls of this temple. Probably this is the only temple in the capital with its external walls decorated and the temple got its name Hazara Rama (a thousand Rama) Temple because of these Ramayana panels on its walls.
Off the banks of Tungabhadra River
Now, one of the things I didn’t hesitate to do this time around, in fact I could thank my hotel owner for this, for he recommended me to cool off by taking a bath in the Tungabhadra river. And believe you me, it was quite a fascinating experience. Be free of yourself, enchanting place that it is, give yourself to the beauty of the river that is part of a lot of places in Karnataka, this was just the experience I wanted to make this trip the most indulging in its own sense. Now the small boats you see are of local fishermen and boatmen, they give you a ride across the river for some 200 bucks to take you to the Anjaneya mountain, one where Lord Hanuman was believed to have lived during the times of Ramayana.
Octagonal Bath in Hampi
Octagonal Bath
This structure, as the name indicates, is a gigantic bathing area made in the shape of an Octagon. The bath shelter is designed with an octagonal shaped platform at the middle and an encircling pillared veranda around it. The circular section between the veranda and the platform is the water (now empty) area. To the west of it you can spot the ruined bases of numerous palaces.
Sasivekalu Ganesha
This particular monument and structure would be seen by you as soon as you enter Hampi, that is if you are coming via Hospet by a bus. This statue has a Lord Ganesha with a snake tied around its tummy, there’s an interesting story behind it too… In Hindu mythology Lord Ganesha is known for his eating habits. Once he ate so much food that his tummy almost burst. He immediately caught a snake and tied it around his tummy as a belt to save his tummy from bursting.
Kadalekalu Ganesha
This one is also right around the corner as soon as you enter Hampi… This giant statue of Ganesha was carved out of a huge boulder at the northeastern slope of the Hemakuta hill. The belly of this statue resembles a Bengal gram (Kadalekalu, in local language) and hence the name.
Last but not least, this one certainly deserves a mention in my photo essay as it was quite a place to be… On the last day when i was about to leave back to Mumbai, I decided to just sit in the shady complex of this temple, and read a book, The Book of Ram, by Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik. While the experience in itself was great, thanks to the great book, the whole ambiance meant a lot more… The nice cool shade within the complex with the fresh smell of stone and breathing the air of this mystic town was also an added experience. Virupaksha Temple is also known as the Pampapathi temple, it is a Shiva temple in the Hampi Bazaar. It predates the founding of the Vijayanagar empire. The temple has a 160-foot (49 m) high tower at its entrance. Apart from Shiva, the temple complex also contains shrines of the Hindu goddesses Bhuvaneshwari and Pampa. It also is very significant during the Hampi festival, where a chariot is taken into procession and stands right outside the temple on other days. Hampi all in all means a lot to those who are interested in archaeology, mythology, photography and of course travel. But more importantly, for the spectacle of array of beautiful art that it stands for, a culture that it had back in the day and something that we as Indians should still cherish and be happy that we are part of this wonder.
Do let me know what you think about this beautiful place and if you have ever been here?
This entry was posted in South and tagged Hampi, Hampi Ruins, India, Kada, Krishnadevaraya, Lord Rama, Matanga Hills, Ramayana, Sasivekalu Ganesha, Sugreev, UNESCO Site, Vijayanagara, Wali, World Heritage Site on October 3, 2012 by srinistuff.
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Review: The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs (Tarragon)
March 13, 2012 Winston Soon 2 Comments
The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs by critically acclaimed playwright plays at Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre
The beguiling and suspense driven The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs is Tarragon’s latest mainstage offering from critically acclaimed Canadian writer Carole Fréchette. Sometimes there is no better date than a night out at the theatre and the nature of this show makes for a great date night. My date and I marvel as we walk into the theatre. Staged on a completely bare floor that looks as though it is made of glass, the audience creates an L-shape around the action.
The effect of Astrid Janson’s set and Weyni Mengesha’s direction is one of complete intimacy and I can’t imagine a better staging for a show that is built around suspenseful intensity.
Both the set and Frechétte’s set-up are classic and perfect – it has all the intrigue of a 1950’s Hitchcockian thriller. A wistful young blond named Grace (Nicole Underhay) enters a whirlwind marriage and moves into a palacial estate with sitting rooms, various gardens, a gorgeous swimming pool and ten guest rooms.
Perhaps an homage to Hitchcock, Grace’s Mother Joyce (Sarah Dodd) freely admits she has named her daughters Anne and Grace presumably so they could have lives that envy princesses. She hilariously laments what life is like as a “Joyce”, living in a five-room bungalow. She is thrilled with Grace’s new dashingly handsome and rich husband Henry (Rick Roberts) and encourages Grace not to rock the boat. That job is left to her outspoken sister Anne (Claire Calnan) who challenges the foundation of a relationship based on so little information and time. Rounding out the cast is Henry’s longtime Eastern European maid, Jenny (Raquel Duffy). Every actor is fantastic, really true to both the characters and the genre of the piece .
With a set that’s as open concept as this one, it is the job of the actors and lighting to create the suspense. My date and I were completely blown away by perhaps the most outstanding element of this entire show, the lighting. Often underappreciated or even unnoticed, this show deserves the Dora Mavor Moore Award for lighting, hands down.
The show begins right at the moment of intrigue – the narrow hallway that leads to a small door, which leads to the forbidden room at the top of the stairs. The suspense in the first twenty minutes is so intense that at one particular moment I jumped and screamed – and I wasn’t the only one. What a testament to what fantastic acting, sound, lighting and a true commitment to genre can do.
With the audience around me so completely enraptured, I had a quick moment of breath to reflect on what a departure this show seemed to be in recent memory for Tarragon. There was such accessibility to the show – I envisioned every summer stock picking it up.
But I spoke my thoughts too soon. I’d rather not give anything away but I have to be honest, I don’t really understand what actually happened at the end so I have nothing to actually give away. Judging by the comment cards posted in the reception following the show, I wasn’t alone. “Superbly acted, brilliant lighting. Didn’t get it”. Yep. That about sums it up. My date left the theatre angry. “You build it up so beautifully and then you give us…..that!?” (I should add that my date followed that statement with an expletive that I will choose to leave out).
Myself, I was nonplussed as well. As I left the theatre I kept thinking about all the clues that we were given that added up to, well, nothing. For me, the first half of this show stays committed to its genre and the effect is the most captivating theatrical experience out there. The second half of the show will likely turn into the most frustrating.
Yes, life doesn’t always make sense, but the genre of suspense does. It feels like either the show doesn’t live up to its genre or it decided to switch half way through. Either way, it seemed like a lot of people were left scratching their heads. If you didn’t, please let me know. I left feeling like the show was completely unfinished.
In fact, when the lights came up, I was confused as well because there had been a fog warning but the fog was nowhere to be found. Maybe it is hiding in the small room at the top of the stairs.
– The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs is playing at Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Ave) until April 8, 2012.
– Shows run Tuesday to Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2:30pm and 8pm, Sunday at 2:30pm
– Tickets range from $21 to $51
– Tickets are available b calling 416-531-1827 or online
Photograph by Cylla von Tiedemann
Previous PostReview: The Paprika Festival (Tarragon Theatre)Next PostCheap Theatre in Toronto for the Week of March 12, 2012
2 thoughts on “Review: The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs (Tarragon)”
My companion and I attended on Sat. 10 March. She enjoyed it thoroughly, and is better at filling in the blanks than I am. My reaction was closer to your own i.e. there was the potential for something truly special, but in the end it was not delivered. We exited separately and both of us overheard conversations along the lines of those comment cards. The performances are great, especially Nicole Underhay as Grace, and Raquel Duffy as the creepy/sexy maid Jenny. Note to anyone planning to attend : there are huge spoilers in the playwright’s notes in the handout brochure. Overall : recommended.
Margaret Dunsdon says:
I just saw the play last night (April 5). I liked so much about it–great set, good actors, lots of playing with our emotions–but I also didn’t quite “get” the ending. It’s a rare complaint that there are too many ideas/possibilities–but, it’s true, and I agree with you that that’s a cheat. Still, wasn’t sorry I went.
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NHS Continuing Healthcare Team 0300 561 1444 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Cedar Court
Guildford Road
KT22 9AE
Surrey Heartlands CCG hosts NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care (FNC) services across Surrey on behalf of the three Surrey CCG’s – North East Hampshire & Farnham CCG [Farnham GP patients only], Surrey Heartlands CCG and Surrey Heath CCG.
What is NHS Continuing Healthcare?
NHS Continuing Healthcare funding is a package of ongoing care that is arranged and paid for by the NHS. This is for individuals who have been assessed and found to have a ‘primary health need’ as set out in the National Framework. Such funding is provided to an individual aged 18 or over, to meet health and associated social care needs that have arisen as a result of disability, accident or illness.
NHS Continuing Healthcare is free (with no financial assessment) unlike support provided by local authorities, for which a financial charge may be made depending on your income and savings.
You can receive NHS Continuing Healthcare funding in a variety of settings, including your own home, or in a care home with nursing. If you choose to receive your care in your own home, the NHS already provides for healthcare, e.g. services from a community/district nurse or specialist therapist. They will fund associated social care needs (e.g. personal care and domestic tasks, help with bathing and dressing). If you choose to receive your care in a care home with nursing, the NHS will also pay for your care home fees, including board and accommodation.
If you are eligible, the Continuing Healthcare Team will be responsible for identifying and funding a package of care that has been discussed and agreed with you and your family or representative. Funding is subject to regular review and if your healthcare needs change the funding arrangements may also change.
A public information film from NHS England provides a guide for individuals and their families to NHS Continuing Healthcare and what to expect throughout the complex assessment process. There is also an easy-read guide ‘What is NHS Continuing Healthcare’ for people with learning disabilities.
The revised 2018 National Framework sets out the principles and processes of NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care. This guidance, which replaces the previous version of the National Framework published in November 2012, was implemented on 1st October 2018.
NHS England recognises that information and support are vital to all individuals involved in the CHC process and has therefore funded an independent information and advice service through a social enterprise called Beacon. This service is supported by a consortium of leading voluntary sector organisations including Age UK, Parkinson’s UK and the Spinal Injuries Association.
Beacon provide information and advice on their website and individuals are also able to access up to 90 minutes of free advice with a trained NHS continuing healthcare adviser.
The Continuing Healthcare Team support the use of advocacy for any individual to represent their views or speak on their behalf. This could be a family member, friend or peer, a local advocacy service or someone independent who is willing to undertake an advocacy role.
How is eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare assessed?
Eligibility is not dependent on a particular diagnosis or disease or determined by where your care is provided. Where a person’s “primary need” is a health need, they are eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare. Deciding whether this is the case involves looking at all the relevant needs from the assessment process. Where an individual has a primary health need, the NHS is responsible for providing all of their health and social, including accommodation, if that is part of their need.
Consideration of primary health need includes taking into account what those needs are and their impact on the care required to manage them. In particular, to determine whether the quantity or quality of care goes beyond the limits of Local Authority.
Consideration is given to the following areas: -
Nature and type of need: This describes the particular characteristics of an individual’s needs (which can include physical, mental health or psychological needs) and the type of those needs. This also describes the overall effect of those needs on the individual, including the type (‘quality’) of interventions required to manage them.
Intensity of need: This relates both to the extent (‘quantity’) and severity (‘degree’) of the needs and to the support required to meet them, including the need for sustained/ongoing care (‘continuity’).
Complexity of need: This is concerned with how the needs present and interact to increase the skill required to monitor the symptoms, treat the condition(s) and/or manage the care. This may arise with a single condition, or it could include the presence of multiple conditions or the interaction between two or more conditions. It may also include situations where an individual’s response to their own condition has an impact on their overall needs, such as where a physical health need results in the individual developing a mental health need.
Unpredictability of need: This describes the degree to which needs fluctuate and thereby create challenges in managing them. It also relates to the level of risk to the person’s health if adequate and timely care is not provided. An individual with an unpredictable healthcare need is likely to have either a fluctuating, unstable or rapidly deteriorating condition.
To support consistent decision making, the NHS Continuing Healthcare Decision Support Tool (DST) has been developed for use by practitioners. This enables them to obtain a full picture of needs and to inform the decision regarding the level of need that could constitute a primary health need.
The DST, combined with the practitioners own experiences and professional judgement, will enable them to apply the primary health needs test in practice in a way which is consistent with the limits on what can be legally provided by a Local Authority.
Eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare is based on an assessment of an individual’s presenting care needs. An NHS Continuing Healthcare Checklist may be completed initially to decide if a full assessment, known as a DST should be undertaken.
The DST provides the basis for decisions on eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding. This must be completed by the multi-disciplinary team, which will include as a minimum, two professionals from different health professions or one professional from a healthcare profession and one who is responsible for undertaking community care assessment (a social care professional). Specialist staff and mental health staff could also be involved dependent on the individual’s needs.
What is NHS-funded Nursing Care?
NHS-funded Nursing Care (FNC) is the funding provided by the NHS directly to care homes with nursing to support the provision of nursing care by a registered nurse. Where the individual is living in their own home or a care home without nursing, then the NHS will provide such care via community services, such as district nurses.
How is eligibility for NHS-funded Nursing Care assessed?
In all cases individuals will be considered for eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) before a decision is reached about the need for NHS-funded Nursing Care.
If a checklist indicates that no referral is necessary for a full assessment, but registered nursing needs are identified, then FNC can be awarded without the need for a further assessment.
If the Decision Support Tool identifies that the patient is not eligible for CHC then it will go on to consider whether they are eligible for FNC.
The registered nursing needs are services provided by a registered nurse and involving either the provision of care or the planning, supervision or delegation of the provision of care, other than any services which, having regard to their nature and the circumstances in which they are provided, do not need to be provided by a registered nurse.
How do I apply for NHS Continuing Healthcare or NHS-funded Nursing Care?
A nurse, doctor or other qualified healthcare professional or social care practitioner can apply the Checklist to refer individuals for a full consideration of eligibility from within the community or hospital setting.
A referral can also be made in the form of a telephone call, email or letter from a patient or their representative. This will usually result in the completion of a Checklist by the CHC Team.
What is a Fast Track
The Fast Track application is there to ensure that individuals who have a “rapidly deteriorating condition and may be entering a terminal phase” have access to NHS Continuing Healthcare funding with minimum delay and without the need to complete a DST.
A completed Fast Track Pathway Tool, which clearly evidences that an individual is both rapidly deteriorating and may be entering terminal phase, is sufficient to establish eligibility.
The Fast Track Tool will be completed by an ‘appropriate clinician’ described in the National Framework as a person who is:
Responsible for the diagnosis, treatment or care of the individual under the National Health Service Act 2006 in respect of whom a Fast Track Pathway Tool is being completed;
A registered nurse or a registered medical practitioner.
The ‘appropriate clinician’ will be knowledgeable about the individual’s health needs, diagnosis, treatment or care and be able to provide an assessment of why the individual meets the Fast Track criteria.
If you are involved in supporting those with end of life needs, (including those in wider voluntary and independent sector organisations) you should contact the appropriate clinician who is responsible for the diagnosis, care or treatment of the individual and ask for consideration to be given to completion of the Fast Track Pathway Tool.
How do I appeal an eligibility decision?
Where an individual has been found not eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare or NHS- funded Nursing Care following completion of a DST, they or their representative can appeal the decision within 6 months of the date of the outcome letter.
Appeals in the first instance should be sent to:
NHS Continuing Healthcare Team
When an appeal is received it will be acknowledged by way of a telephone call from a clinician, which also allows the opportunity to establish any process issues that the appellant may have in addition to the outcome of the DST. A letter will then be sent to the appellant together with a questionnaire to complete and a request for documentation in relation to their authority to act.
Once this has been returned, evidence will be obtained from all parties involved in the patients care for a period of six weeks either side of the date of completion of the DST being appealed. This evidence will be reviewed by a clinical assessor who was not previously involved in the completion of the DST. The appellant will then be advised in writing of their decision.
If the appeal is not resolved at this point, then the next stage of the local appeal process is the offer of a Local Resolution Meeting (LRM). The individual and/or their representatives will be invited to attend the LRM and to participate in the discussion. The meeting will be chaired by a member of the clinical team who will be accompanied by a Clinical Assessor.
This meeting will review the original DST decision and the outcome of the first appeal. Notes will be made of the meeting discussion and these together with the Clinicians’ decision will be sent to the appellant. We aim to offer a date for the LRM as soon as the request is received and these meetings are currently taking place within two months.
Where it is identified at the Appeal stage that the DST was not conducted as an MDT the team will make every effort to hold the LRM as an MDT. Although Local Authority are not required under the terms of the National Framework to attend the LRM, an invitation is always sent to them, ahead of the meeting affording the opportunity to attend if they wish to do so. Where the DST was not completed as an MDT, and the Local Authority choose not to attend, the LRM will be held using clinicians from different backgrounds wherever possible.
If, following the LRM, the individual or their representative remain unhappy with the CCG’s decision, they can approach NHS England to request an Independent Review Panel (IRP) by writing to:
NHS England South
South West House
Blackbrook Park Avenue
TA1 2PX
FAO: Continuing Healthcare Administrator
All appropriate steps will have been taken by the CHC Team to resolve the case locally before an IRP is convened.
The IRP can be asked to review either or both of the following:
a) The procedure followed by a CCG in reaching a decision as to that person’s eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare;
b) The primary health need decision made by a CCG.
The IRP meeting, arranged and hosted by NHS England in accordance with the National Framework, will make a recommendation to the CHC Team in the light of its findings on the above matters.
Following an IRP, if the original decision is upheld, but there is still a challenge, the individual has the right to make a complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO).
The complaint needs to be made in writing, within 12 months of the date of the IRP outcome letter to the PHSO at the following address:
Millbank Tower
SW1P 4QP
What is a personal health budget and who can have one?
A personal health budget is an amount of money that can be given directly to a person receiving NHS Continuing Healthcare to allow them to manage their healthcare and support such as treatments, equipment and personal care, in a way that suits them. The allocation of this budget is agreed with the individual and is based upon a detailed care and support plan.
NHS England have produced a short video entitled ‘what are personal health budgets?’ which describes what they are and how they are helping people to get care and support that is right for them
If you are registered with a GP in Surrey, are eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare and are receiving your care at home, you can ask for a personal health budget.
Who do I contact for more information about personal health budgets?
If you want to know more or you have any questions about personal health budgets, you can call and speak to a member of the personal health budget team on 0300 561 1344.
Surrey Independent Living Council work closely with us to help people with their personal health budgets by providing independent advice and support.
How does a personal health budget work?
When NHS Continuing Healthcare funding has been agreed you will receive a letter confirming this. If you are interested in arranging a personal health budget (PHB) please get in touch with the team and they will arrange for a PHB Case Coordinator to contact you.
The case coordinator will work out the amount of money which will be available to you based on your health and wellbeing needs. If you want to go ahead, a personalised care and support plan will be developed by you and the PHB Case Coordinator, which meets your needs and NHS funding rules. You can, if you choose, also be supported throughout this planning process by an Independent Living Advisor from Surrey Independent Living Council.
As soon as your Health Support Plan has been approved, your personal health budget will need to be activated. This can be organised in a number of different ways:
Notional personal health budget – No money changes hands. You find out how much money is available for your assessed needs, and together with your NHS team, you decide on how to spend that money. They will then arrange the agreed care and support for you.
Third party personal health budget – An organisation legally independent of both you and the NHS (for example, an independent user trust or a voluntary organisation) holds the money for you, and also pays for and arranges the care and support agreed in your care plan.
Direct payment – You get the money to buy the care and support you and your NHS team agree you need. You must show what you have spent it on, but you, or your representative, buy and manage services yourself.
You can also choose to receive your budget as a combination of the three options above.
Your PHB Case Coordinator is responsible for making sure the help and support you are receiving is meeting your needs. As your needs change, so might your personal health budget, to make sure it is giving you the most appropriate support.
Can I make a retrospective claim for care already received?
The CHC Team will only consider requests for retrospective reviews where it is satisfied that one or more of the following grounds for the review exist:
The CHC Team failed to carry out an assessment of the patient’s eligibility for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding when requested to do so.
The request for a retrospective review is for periods of unassessed care.
The period to be considered is after 01.04.2013 as the opportunity to claim for periods before that date has now passed.
Requests for a retrospective review, which should detail the period you want to be considered, should be sent to:
If the CHC Team agree to undertake a retrospective review the applicant will be asked to complete a questionnaire and provide documentation in relation to their authority to act.
Once this has been returned, evidence will be obtained from all parties involved in the patients care for the duration of the claim period.
The evidence will be reviewed by a clinical assessor who will complete a Portrayal of Needs (PON) document detailing the individual’s health needs throughout the period of the review. Once completed the PON will be shared with the applicant who will be requested to confirm the details presented and provide any further comments they may have.
The clinical assessor will use the PON, together with any comments made, to produce the retrospective Decision Support Tool(s). The DST(s) will contain a recommendation on the individual’s eligibility for NHS CHC or NHS-funded Nursing Care (FNC) for the period of the review. That recommendation will be submitted to a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) panel, as the Local Authority do not participate in the retrospective process.
Wherever possible, the MDT will comprise two healthcare professionals from different backgrounds from within the CHC Team. The MDT panel will consider the clinical assessor’s recommendation and make the final decision on eligibility.
A letter detailing the outcome of the retrospective review will be sent to the applicant. The outcome will be either:
The individual was eligible for Continuing Healthcare Funding/NHS-funded Nursing Care throughout the period of the Retrospective Review
The individual was eligible for Continuing Healthcare Funding/NHS-funded Nursing Care for part of the period of the Retrospective Review
The individual was not eligible for Continuing Healthcare Funding/NHS-funded Nursing Care for any part of the period of the Retrospective Review
If the CHC Team decide that the individual was eligible for all or part of the period under consideration, arrangements for a reimbursement will be made.
If the applicant is unhappy with the outcome of the Retrospective Review they can notify the Appeals Team within six months of the date of the outcome letter that they wish to appeal the decision further. Any appeal of a retrospective review will follow the appeals process.
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Home » Epic Hollywood Movie Filmed at Tees Barrage
Epic Hollywood Movie Filmed at Tees Barrage
Teesside’s leading tourist destination and award-winning attraction Tees Barrage International White Water Centre is featured in the highly anticipated and two-time Golden Globe winning movie, 1917. The World War I epic stars British actors George MacKay (Pride) and Dean-Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones) along with Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Colin Firth and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Sir Sam Mendes, the Oscar®-winning director of Skyfall, Spectre and American Beauty, brings his singular vision to a visceral new epic inspired by the experiences of his grandfather and others who served in World War I. 1917 hits cinemas across the UK this Friday (10th January) following a successful evening at the Golden Globes earlier this week where it picked up ‘Best Motion Picture – Drama’ and ‘Best Director – Motion Picture’. 1917 is also nominated for nine BATFAs.
Tees Barrage International White Water Centre, managed by community leisure trust Tees Active, is no stranger to hosting TV and movie productions. In recent years the attraction has welcomed hit shows such as ITV’s Vera, Sky’s Storm City presented by Ben Fogle, MTV’s Geordie Shore, CITV’s Dare Master and most recently, BBC’s Countryfile. Following its release, 1917 will be the biggest movie to feature a Tees Valley landmark since the 2007 war drama Atonement, which featured Redcar’s seafront.
Tees Active Managing Director Leon Jones, explains, “We are thrilled to be part of such an incredible movie with some of the biggest names in film. 1917 is a real Hollywood epic that has given our staff and everyone involved a rare opportunity to experience something extra special. The Tees Valley is home to some excellent filming locations and we are extremely proud to be able to support the UK film industry. We worked closely with our partners at Stockton Borough Council and Canal & River Trust to provide an international standard white water course that is capable of attracting Hollywood blockbusters of this magnitude.”
Resident Teessider’s may recall a great deal of speculation and excitement surrounding the water course in June last year and reasons as to why the site was cloaked in mystery.
Tees Barrage Watersports Facility Manager, Chris Gibbens, added, “We worked closely with the location and production teams who chose Tees Barrage above other sites in the UK due to its diversity, expert team and unique ability to simulate extreme water conditions in a controlled environment. It was essential that we could replicate the same water conditions over and over to enable the production team to capture multiple shots, which made it the perfect location to shoot a variety of scenes.”
In a recent interview with Indiewire, Oscar®-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins, known for The Shawshank Redemption, No Country for Old Men and Blade Runner 2049, spoke about filming at Tees Barrage, “We literally built a road out of scaffolding that ran alongside the water flow. This was so that we could use a tracking vehicle to follow George down the course. A 20-foot telescopic Technocrane arm with a three-foot drop down to a Libra remote head holding our camera under slung beneath it, allowed us to boom out over the water. We used a Hydroflex underwater housing to submerge the camera for a short section of the work.”
1917 is released in cinemas across the UK on Friday 10th January 2020.
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Drawing on the work of thinkers from various political, cultural and religious traditions, the Module provides resources that explore why freedom of expression and information matters. It distinguishes between the main theories underpinning the protection of free speech and the rejection of censorship, and links these philosophical arguments to more recent international political developments.
The search for truth
Self-Development and Tolerance
Democracy and Development
Other Historical Foundations
Access to the Press—A New First Amendment Right
Author: Jerome A. Barron
"The press, long enshrined among our most highly cherished institutions, was thought a cornerstone of democracy when its name was boldly inscribed in the Bill of Rights. Freed from governmental restraint, initially by the first amendment and later by the fourteenth, the press was to stand majestically as the champion of new ideas and the watch dog against governmental abuse. Professor Barron finds this conception of the first amendment, perhaps realistic in the eighteenth century heyday of political pamphleteering, essentially romantic in an era marked by extraordinary technological developments in the communications industry. To make viable the time-honored "marketplace" theory, he argues for a twentieth century interpretation of the first amendment which will impose an affirmative responsibility on the monopoly newspaper to act as sounding board for new ideas and old grievances."
Barron, Jerome A. "Access to the Press. A New First Amendment Right." Harvard Law Review 80, no. 8 (1967): 1641-678. doi:10.2307/1339417.
Background and Interpretation of the Declaration of Principles
Author: IACmHR
In October 2000, following debates among different civil society organizations, and in support of the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights approved the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression. The Declaration constitutes a basic document for interpreting Article 13 of the American Convention on Human Rights. In light of the importance of these principles, the Commission also published an interpretation of the principles set forth in the Declaration.
OAS, IACmHR. Background and Interpretation of the Declaration of Principles. 108th regular period of sessions. 2-20 October 2000
View Link in Spanish
Compulsory Membership in an Association Prescribed by Law for the Practice of Journalism. Advisory Opinion OC-5/85
Author: IACtHR
“[T]he Government of Costa Rica […] submitted to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights […] an advisory opinion request relating to the interpretation of Articles 13 [Freedom of thought and expression] and 29 [Restrictions Regarding Interpretation] of the American Convention on Human Rights […] as they affect the compulsory membership in an association prescribed by law for the practice of journalism […]. The request also sought the Court's interpretation relating to the compatibility of Law No. 4420 of September 22, 1969, Organic Law of the Colegio de Periodistas (Association of Journalists) of Costa Rica […], with the provisions of the aforementioned articles.”
IACtHR, Compulsory Membership in an Association Prescribed by Law for the Practice of Journalism. Advisory Opinion OC-5/85. Series A, No. 5. 13 November 1985
Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression
In October 2000, following extensive debates among different civil society organizations, and in support of the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights approved the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression. The Declaration constitutes a basic document for interpreting Article 13 of the American Convention on Human Rights.
OAS, IACmHR. Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression. 108th regular period of sessions. 2-20 October 2000
Free Speech in an Economic Perspective
Author: Richard Posner
Posner offers an economic model by which to evaluate the costs and benefits of regulation in speech cases.
Posner, Richard A. Free Speech in an Economic Perspective. 20 Suffolk University Law Review 1 (1986).
The Inter-American Legal Framework Regarding the Right to Freedom of Expression
Author: IACmHR, SRFoE Catalina Botero
“The objective of this publication is to present inter-American jurisprudence that defines the scope and content of this right in a systematic and updated way. Among the most important topics it highlights: the importance, function, and characteristics of the right to freedom of expression, as well as the types of speech protected; the prohibition of censorship and indirect restrictions; the protection of journalists and social communications media; the exercise of freedom of expression by public officials; and freedom of expression in the area of electoral processes.”
OAS, IACmHR, Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, Catalina Botero. The Inter-American Legal Framework Regarding the Right to Freedom of Expression. OEA/Ser.L/V/II. CIDH/RELE/INF. 2/09. 30 December 2009
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Amazon, Western Union debut PayCode to sell goods in emerging markets and let shoppers pay in cash
Ingrid Lunden @ingridlunden / 2 years
While Amazon has been methodical (read: a little slow) in launching local versions of its site for various global markets, it has now embarked on a secondary track to snag more business outside the 14 countries where it has built out full operations.
Amazon has partnered with Western Union to set up a service called PayCode, which lets people shop and pay for Amazon items using local currencies that would not have been accepted on the site before, starting with services in 10 countries: Chile, Columbia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Peru, Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand.
Specifically, shoppers in these markets will now be able to go into Western Union outposts and pay for their Amazon purchases in cash, which also means that payment cards or other virtual payment methods will also not be required to buy from Amazon — one of the barriers to expanding the service up to now into more emerging economies, where card and bank account penetration is much lower than in developed markets like the U.S. and Europe.
“Amazon is committed to enabling customers anywhere in the world to shop on Amazon.com, and a big part of that is to allow customers to pay for their cross-border online purchases in a way that is most convenient for them,” said Ben Volk, director, Payment Acceptance and Experience at Amazon, in a statement. “Amazon PayCode leverages the reach of Western Union to make cross-border online shopping a reliable and convenient experience for customers who do not have access to international credit cards, or prefer to pay in cash.”
In terms of what they will be able to buy, people can shop across the breadth of the Amazon marketplace, but Amazon notes that they will only be able to use PayCode if it’s offered as an option at checkout (which will only happen in the markets where PayCode is supported); if the item that is chosen is “export eligible,” and if the item’s value “exceeds the maximum value allowed for use on this payment type” — although Amazon doesn’t appear to specify what that maximum value is. Once you complete the purchase online (or possibly more likely, on mobile), you get a “PayCode” QR code that you will have 48 hours to take to a Western Union to pay for the goods; otherwise your order gets cancelled.
The deal between Amazon and Western Union was initially announced last October, with very little detail and fanfare. The PayCode name then appeared to leak out a month later around what appeared to be a test in India (where it has not launched… yet). Today was the first time that the companies unveiled the first launch countries.
PayCode is a significant advance for Amazon as it seeks to step up to the next level of being a global e-commerce powerhouse to compete against the likes of Alibaba.
The latter company has made a lot of inroads to work in a wider array of markets beyond its home base of China, specifically tapping into a long tail of supply from its home market and demand for those goods abroad. Alibaba is also taking care of business when it comes to making more seamless transactions related to those trades. Just today, its financial services affiliate Ant Financial announced that it would acquire U.K.’s WorldFirst, which provides foreign money transfer for businesses and individuals, for a price that we heard from sources was in the region of $700 million.
Amazon currently operates 15 Amazon websites globally: in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain and Turkey. (It appears also to have a Prime-only site in Singapore.) Up to now, these would have been the only countries where Amazon would offer goods in local currencies.
Adding a new tranche of countries using PayCode will potentially massively expand how many people can shop on Amazon without Amazon going through the steps of setting up full-fledged operations in those countries to serve those consumers and sellers. (Or, this being Amazon, this would be a key way for the company to start testing the waters to figure out which market might do best with a full-fledged store.) Over time, you might imagine that Amazon might extend PayCode to markets where it has sites, too, to give shoppers more flexibility in how they pay for goods for themselves or that they are buying for others.
It’s a big market opportunity. Amazon cites estimates from Forrester Research that say cross-border shopping will represent 20 percent of e-commerce by 2022, accounting for $630 billion.
For Western Union, this is a potentially big partnership, too.
Today, PayCode allows people to use Western Union to act as a physical pay station for their Amazon goods, giving Western Union a small cut on those transactions. But you might imagine how this could evolve over time, where remittances sent from family members abroad via Western Union — a very common use of remittance networks — might immediately get redeemed to cover purchases on Amazon.
Similarly, Western Union is working closer with MPesa, the African mobile wallet service that lets people essentially use their phone top-up account as a payment account, and you could imagine how this too could get incorporated into the PayCode experience to facilitate buying and paying on devices, without having to go into Western Union shops and use actual cash.
“We’re helping to unlock access to Amazon.com for customers who need and want items that can only be found online in many parts of the world,” said Khalid Fellahi, SVP and General Manager of Western Union Digital, in a statement. “This is a great example of two global brands innovating and collaborating to bring customers more convenience and choice. In a world where cross-border buyers and sellers are often located on different continents and in completely different financial ecosystems, our platform is ideally suited to solving the complexity of collecting local currency and converting it into whatever currency merchants need on the other end.”
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Stripe Atlas Guides Incorporation
Understand what it means to turn your business into a company and how to do it.
Patrick McKenzie
Patrick has built four software companies that did business internationally. He now works on Atlas at Stripe.
Starting an internet business?
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A business typically exists as soon as the person engaging in the activity says it does. The label business is simply a statement about intent: if you intend an activity to make money by providing goods or services to customers, congratulations, that activity is a business.
A company, on the other hand, is a particular operating structure registered in some jurisdiction. They come with substantial rights and responsibilities.
Many entrepreneurs wonder whether their businesses should become companies (via a process called “incorporation”) and, if so, when, and what form of company? We’ve written a quick guide to explain this.
logo-orrick
Orrick, the global tech law firm, is the legal partner for Stripe Atlas. Experts at Orrick contributed their expertise to this section (see disclaimer), and Atlas users can access a more detailed Atlas Legal Guide written by Orrick.
What is the alternative to incorporation?
By default, a business has no existence apart from its owners. This is called a sole proprietorship (sometimes called a sole trader outside of the U.S.) if it has only one owner or a partnership if it has multiple owners.
Sole proprietorships are extremely common; the Internal Revenue Service (the U.S. taxation agency) is aware of approximately 27 million of these informally organized businesses (compared to approximately 6 million formally incorporated businesses.) This is broadly true across most countries which have a distinction between sole proprietors and corporations.
So why incorporate if 80%+ of entrepreneurs do not? To quote the Orrick Legal Guide for Stripe Atlas:
The primary reasons for selecting a corporate form is for the limited liability and perpetual existence that these organizations can provide because once a company is formed, it is regarded as a separate legal entity from its owners. Sole proprietors and partnerships are usually personally liable for the debts and obligations of their businesses and the businesses cease upon the death or departure of the principals.
Incorporation is primarily about risk reduction for all parties in an enterprise.
Incorporation clarifies the ownership interests of entrepreneurs, investors, and employees, allowing everyone to be confident that they are receiving the deal which they believed they bargained their money/labor for
Incorporation moves liability for debts and obligations of the business from the entrepreneurs into the company itself – since the law recognizes it as a separate entity from its owners
Incorporation turns a business from a concept into a thing; that thing can be owned, bought, sold, borrowed against, destroyed, etc., like any other property
Incorporation sends a signal to customers, partners, and the rest of the world that the business intends to operate in a professional manner
The chief reason many entrepreneurs choose to not incorporate is that running a real business is complicated and expensive. A sole proprietorship exists as soon as you say it does. It can stop existing almost as quickly. A company, on the other hand, is like a puppy: owning it obligates you to expensive upkeep, even when you are tired of it chewing on the furniture.
When to incorporate?
Whether to incorporate one’s business or not is a decision to make carefully after talking to one’s professional advisors, such as a lawyer or accountant. Some factors which typically counsel incorporation are:
Incorporate immediately if you’re told to by professional advisors
Some businesses are, by their nature, so exposed to liability that they should almost always be operated as an incorporated entity. Your lawyer and/or accountant can, given a brief description of your business, likely give you their considered opinion on whether your industry or business model strongly warrants incorporation.
Your lawyer or accountant might also advise incorporation as a proactive measure if you have substantial assets outside of the business, such as e.g. other business interests or a house, which should be protected from debts/liabilities attached to the business.
Incorporate if you want to share ownership with anyone else
Unincorporated partnerships can exist. That said, they have some drawbacks compared with incorporated partnership structures, like limited liability companies (LLCs). Most entrepreneurs with partners choose to have an LLC or corporation.
Partnerships are extraordinarily customizable with regards to who is contributing what and who ends up owning what as a result of the partnership. This customizability can be extremely complicated, and making sure the agreement is fair to all parties (and appropriately de-risked) can run up a large tab for professional services. It is possible you can economize on costs and complexity by adopting a variant of an LLC or corporation.
An unfortunate fact of starting businesses is every relationship will eventually come to an end. LLCs and corporations have well-established mechanisms for removing a partner or winding down entirely. Ad-hoc partnerships often don’t, adding additional headaches, expense, and legal risk to an outcome which is likely already an unhappy one for all involved. You can avoid heartache during the dissolution of your ad-hoc partnership by formalizing the partnership early.
The legal name for an ownership interest in a company is equity. There exist a variety of ways to grant it. These implicate an existing legal infrastructure which dates back hundreds of years. Holders of equity have predictable rights which they can reasonably assume will be enforced; this is part of what makes equity in a successful business so valuable.
Most founders who want to share ownership of a business with employees or advisors (even if they’re not full partners), choose to grant equity—via a well-defined instrument—in an entity rather than having poorly specified, informal agreements that come back to bite you later.
Incorporate when you anticipate taking investment
Sophisticated investors want to know that, in return for their investment, they will share in the economic proceeds of the business as agreed. This is much easier to guarantee for corporate entities than for unincorporated businesses; we have centuries of practice in accounting for how much money companies make, apportioning varying amounts of control over their operations, and handling disputes in interpretation regarding agreements made about them.
Most serious investors prefer to invest in a corporate entity rather than an unincorporated entity. The exact timing of incorporation depends on the particular deal and investor; sometimes the deal is struck in principle before incorporation and formalized with the newly-incorporated company, usually the company being formed is a prerequisite to having the deal.
Incorporate before hiring a full-time employee
There are many, many ways that businesses are regulated. One of the most detailed and complicated ways is in their interactions with employees, due to the social importance of the employment relationship. Accordingly, bringing on your first employee causes a quantum leap in the level of sophistication that you have to bring to running your business and to the potential downside risk of being non-compliant.
Additionally, your business may be responsible in some circumstances for that employee’s actions. If you have not incorporated, the business does not have a separate identity than you personally, so you personally might be forced to pay for their mistakes.
Incorporate as your business approaches material size or complexity
As businesses grow, they tend to get more complicated and to accrete more sources of risk. You’re shipping more products to more customers. Your services start getting sold to more sophisticated customers, who have more to lose if you break things and more propensity to sue when things get broken. You attract the attention of bad actors.
Incorporation can help limit your personal exposure to risks which that might properly belong to the business you’re running.
What “material size” means to you is a great question to run by your accountant, but as a guideline, in the United States, many businesses with revenue above $100,000 choose to incorporate.
What types of companies are there?
Companies, in the United States, are regulated at the state level, not at the federal (national government) level. The laws of the 50 states generally provide for limited liability companies (LLCs), corporations (generally referred to as “C corps”), and a few more exotic options which are not relevant to most people running internet companies.
Should I have a C corporation?
Most companies that seek to raise investment from investors in the United States choose to have a C corporation, specifically, a Delaware C corporation. It is the overwhelming choice of technology companies and their investors—over 90% of IPOs in the US from 2007 through 2014 were of Delaware C corporations (see here, page 8). If you have another type of entity, your investors may ask you to dissolve it or convert it into a Delaware C corporation as a condition of, or pre-requisite to, investing, which can be needlessly costly.
Why do venture capital investors overwhelmingly prefer to invest in Delaware C corporations? Quoting the Orrick Legal Guide for Stripe Atlas:
Forming your company in Delaware is easiest and most efficient. Delaware is the state of incorporation for more than 60% of Fortune 500 companies. Delaware has an established body of laws governing corporations: it’s the only state to have a separate business court system (the Court of Chancery). This is meaningful to entrepreneurs for two reasons. First, there is a long-established body of laws relevant to corporations that has been tested in the Delaware courts over many years. In the event of any legal action, therefore, there is a high degree of predictability. Second, Delaware has a long record of pro-management decisions. Venture capitalists (VCs) feel more at ease when they see that a company is incorporated in Delaware because it is familiar to them.
Should I have an LLC?
LLCs have a few advantages over C corporations:
They cost less to incorporate
They’re generally easier to incorporate and administer in an ongoing fashion
They offer pass-through taxation, which may be more tax efficient in some circumstances, particularly for smaller firms
Many solo entrepreneurs, consultants, or folks doing freelance work choose LLCs for these reasons. It is far less common to see high-growth technology companies choose to organize as LLCs—those companies usually choose to take investment at some point, at which point they typically will be forced by investors to become C corporations.
You can now choose to form an LLC using Stripe Atlas. You can read more about the Stripe Atlas LLC, and about tradeoffs between an LLC and C Corporation, in this guide.
Is one type of corporation more a “real business” than the other?
This is an excellent question for many of our international entrepreneurs, since in some countries some classes of corporation are treated as second-class corporate citizens. This is not widely true in the United States. Companies are happy to deal with both C corporations and LLCs. Individual consumers largely do not particularly understand the difference. Both are well-understood, supported options for interacting with the government.
I’ve heard of S corporations?
An S corporation is not a separate type of company. It is a particular way to elect (ask the IRS for) the pass-through tax treatment of LLCs with the corporate form of a C corporation. The IRS covers the topic in more detail here. We’ll cover S corporations in more detail at a later date.
Who can incorporate companies?
Substantially anyone can incorporate a U.S. company and own all of its equity interests. You do not have to be a U.S. resident or U.S. citizen. A foreign company can incorporate and wholly-own a U.S. company. Misconceptions about this are common, but the Orrick Legal Guide for Stripe Atlas is clear:
There are no U.S. federal or state laws that require a stockholder or LLC member to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to form a U.S. company. Non-U.S. nationals can own all of the shares of a U.S. corporation or be the sole members of a U.S. LLC. Nor must a member of the corporation’s Board of Directors or corporate officers own any shares (like “directors’ qualifying shares”). Similarly, all of the members of the U.S. corporation’s Board of Directors and all of its officers can, if so desired, be non-U.S. nationals and U.S. non-residents.
There exist millions of U.S. corporations which are directly controlled by people outside the United States, including many people/corporations who are not U.S. citizens. This is considered a normal business practice—the United States does an incredible amount of business internationally, which requires foreigners to be able to transact business in the United States, and when they do so it is often most convenient for them to transact as U.S. entities. People routinely incorporate U.S. companies for projects as simple as owning a flat or a condominium.
Corporations owned by foreign residents or non-citizens are still corporations.
This guide is not intended to and does not constitute legal or tax advice, recommendations, mediation or counseling under any circumstance. This guide and your use thereof does not create an attorney-client relationship with Stripe, Orrick, or PwC. The guide solely represents the thoughts of the author and is neither endorsed by nor does it necessarily reflect Orrick's belief. Orrick does not warrant or guarantee the accurateness, completeness, adequacy or currency of the information in the guide. You should seek the advice of a competent attorney or accountant licensed to practice in your jurisdiction for advice on your particular problem.
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Singapore Education
Singapore Schools
Why Choose Singapore?
Singapore is an island city-country with a population size of approximately 5.8 million and four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. With a government that strongly advocates English and bilingualism, it comes as no surprise most people in Singapore are bilingual with a handful even trilingual! Its high percentage of citizens of Chinese ethnicity has resulted in English and Mandarin being the two most commonly used languages in the country.
Singapore’s emphasis on English as the main language for business has propelled Singapore into the financial powerhouse it is today, boasting the world’s third-best financial centre, behind only to New York and London. It is also an extremely safe place for residences and businesses as evidenced by the Rule of Law Index 2017-2018 which ranked Singapore as the safest country in Asia, and boasts an education system that is also amongst the best in the world. The country’s renown education system, which is consistently touted as one of the best in the world, consists of various syllabus that cater to students of different strengths. It is this educational diversity that makes Singapore such an attractive and ideal location for foreigners to pursue their education.
Pre-School Level
This level consists of pre-school playgroup for children at ages 3 and 4, followed by 3 years of kindergarten where the focus is on developing the basic language skills, writing skills, creativity and social skills of children. Singapore’s pre-school education direction is set through the belief that children are curious, active and competent learners, with a strong focus on holistic development that emphasizes social interaction between children and their peers, teachers and other adults which are vital for their development into intelligent, strong, active and competent people.
Singapore’s primary education consists of 6 years of compulsory study with the first 4 years focused on providing students with a strong foundation in English, Mother Tongue, Mathematics and Science. Students are then streamed according to their academic ability and required to sit for the national Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) at the end of their 6 years of Primary education, whereby they will be admitted into a secondary school based on their academic merit and choice.
Secondary Level
Singapore students at the Secondary level are placed in different streams: “Express”, “Normal (Academic)”, or “Normal (Technical)”, based on their PSLE results. Students in “Express” will study for four years in preparation of the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary-Level (O-Level) examinations while those in “Normal (Academic)” will go through four years of study that lead up to the Singapore Normal-Level (N-Level) examinations where students who fare well will study a fifth year and sit for the Singapore-Cambridge GCE O-Level examinations. Finally, those in “Normal (Technical)” go through four years of studying subjects of a more technical nature to prepare them for vocational education after the Singapore N-Level examinations.
Post-Secondary Level
The tertiary level consists of multiple options available to students depending on their results and interests. Those with good O-Level examination grades (score of no more than 20 points for English and 5 best subjects) may choose to attend Junior College where they will study for two years in preparation for the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Advanced-Level (A-Level) examinations. Students may apply to Polytechnics and arts institutions in Singapore where the wide range of courses in various fields provide students with an industry-oriented education that prepares them for the working
Living and Education Costs
As the fourth most expensive city in the world for expatriates to live in, the standard of living in Singapore is quite naturally one of the highest in the world as well with an estimated average of $750 to $2,000 spent by international students monthly on living expenses.
Apart from tuition fees at international schools in Singapore which typically fall within the range of $18,000 to $36,000 annually, home rental and transportation (if you choose to buy a car) will be your biggest expense. However, transportation costs can be decreased drastically by sticking to public transport – such as buses and trains – which are readily available and extremely convenient. Dining options in Singapore are plentiful, a meal at a hawker centre or food court can easily cost as little as $4, while more upscale restaurants spanning a variety of cuisines cost upwards of $20 per meal.
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David Braben
Acorn Archimedes Atom BBC Micro David Braben Video Game Pioneers
The Code Show May 28, 2019 0
David Braben has been called “one of the most influential computer game programmers of all time”, based on his early game development with the Elite series in the 1980s and 1990s. Next Generation listed him in their “75 Most Important People in the Games Industry of 1995”, chiefly due to the original Elite.
Elite was developed in conjunction with programmer Ian Bell while both were undergraduate students at Cambridge University. Elite was first released in September 1984 and is known as the first game to have 3D hidden line removal. In 1987, Braben published Zarch for the Acorn Archimedes, ported in 1989 as Virus for the Atari ST, Commodore Amiga and PC.
After Zarch, Braben went on to develop the sequel to Elite, Frontier, published in 1993 and founded Frontier Developments, a games development company whose first project was a version of Frontier for the Amiga CD32. Braben is still the CEO and majority shareholder of the company, whose projects since 2000 have included Dog’s Life, Kinectimals, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, LostWinds, Planet Coaster, Elite: Dangerous, Jurassic World Evolution, Kinect Disneyland Adventures, Zoo Tycoon, Coaster Crazy and games based on the Wallace & Gromit franchise.
I suppose I had a fascination with microcomputers even before I owned one myself. I used to read magazine listings and things like that and thought ‘Wow’. It just filled me with wonder and the simplicity of it all. I got an Acorn Atom when I was about 16 or 17 and it was fantastic. It had everything I needed and that was the beauty
VISIT —> The Frontier website
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Sir Clive Sinclair
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Creating a community for women in science
Cord ImportMay 10, 20122 mins read
April 16 marked an important day for women working in science and mathematical fields in Waterloo region, as the Wilfrid Laurier University senate approved the development of The Centre for Women in Sciences.
The centre will open this fall and reach out to Laurier and the rest of the community. With Waterloo being “a part of the Technology Triangle” there is a lot of potential for the centre to thrive and build strong connections.
“The mission of the centre is to create a community for women in science that brings together not just women in the Laurier community but also others who are in the region,” said Shohini Ghose, the professor who will head the program.
The centre will be a hub that works to connect students with faculty across the different sectors of the sciences and those studying gender issues in the science community.
“Typically those social scientists are not talking to natural scientists,” Ghose explained. “It connects those two groups and that could lead to new collaborations and new initiatives.”
“There are certain areas of science, where the proportion of women is still pretty low,” added Ghose, noting that this was a main factor in creating the centre.
It will also aim to “develop mentoring at work and establish connections” between women in the sciences and different faculty and community leaders.
Other institutions in the region have already shown support for the creation of the centre including the Perimeter Institute, Conestoga College, the University of Waterloo as well as, according to Ghose, other companies that have expressed interest to collaborate.
But it is not only institutions that have shown an interest in the centre. Students also have something to look forward to as a student committee within the centre is being developed.
“I hope that this will also be student driven,” Ghose shared.
Students will have the chance to make connections and be a part of events but with their personal involvement there will be the possibility of student run workshops and conferences.
Over the next three years the university will be funding the centre to get it started, but then will apply for government grants and external funding from various companies and groups.
As the Centre for Women in Sciences at Laurier grows, Ghose said the main focus will be “communication and getting the word out as well as raising the profile of women and community in general.”
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REVIEW: “CODE 404” (Peacock Original)
I love a good sci-fi comedy. The melding of sci-fi concepts and comedy is often endlessly entertaining. However, there seems to be a general lack of sci-fi comedies on TV – especially in America. There are the occasional horror comedies and fantasy comedies but you don’t see many sci-fi comedies. This is where Peacock’s newest show, CODE 404 enters. A blend of traditional buddy cop comedies and entertaining sci-fi concepts, CODE 404 is an enjoyable, dryly funny show. Plus there’s a pretty fun mystery at the heart of the series. (4 out of 5 wands.)
(NOTE: There may be mild spoilers for Code 404 ahead. You have been warned.)
CODE 404 (created by Daniel Peak, Tom Miller, and Sam Myer)
DI John Major (Daniel Mays) and DI Roy Carver (Stephen Graham) are the best of the best at an elite undercover police team. When Major’s cover is blown and he is met with his untimely death, he is brought back to life with some glitchy AI technology. Now, he’s better than ever – or so he thinks.
First things first – CODE 404‘s humor will not be for everyone. It has that distinctly-British brand of dry humor. It’s not the kind of show that’s going to make you laugh multiple times a minute, nor is it meant to be. But it is amusing. However, many American viewers may not click with the show – and that’s okay. Comedy is subjective and it doesn’t always translate across borders. That being said, I thought CODE 404 was pretty funny. On the whole, the humor worked well for me. That’s not to say that every single joke lands – there is a recurring gag involving DI Major’s inability to remember a co-worker’s name that is both not funny and borderline in bad taste – but much of the humor is solid. Again, it’s rarely “roar with laughter” funny, but it’s amusing and it helps keep the energy of the show high.
What surprised me about CODE 404, though, is how solid its plot was. Going in, I was expecting the show to have more of a stand-alone, case of the week format, but no. It’s far more serialized than I’d expected it to be. There are different cases each episode, but they often take a backseat to the show’s central narrative – who killed DI Major and why. That mystery makes for a great hook to keep viewers coming back each episode and I appreciate how it was executed. Obviously, I can’t say much about it, but it’s engaging. Parts are predictable, but there are all the twists and turns you want there to be, too. All in all, it’s a solid mystery to anchor a show like this around.
As for the other narratives, most of the stand-alone cases aren’t that interesting. They’re ripe for humor, sure, but they’re not great mysteries. To be fair, this largely seems intentional. These Mysteries aren’t meant to be good, because DI Major and Carver are sort of inept. But it’s still worth pointing out. The ongoing character arcs, however, buoy the show. Much of the show’s comedy comes from the interpersonal problems of its characters – like DI Major adjusting to being alive again, his wife, Kelly (Anna Maxwell Martin), adjusting to Major’s return from the dead, and DI Carver coping with the guilt he feels concerning DI Major. These are the kinds of arcs you’d expect to see in a drama and while they’re not always executed as well as they could be, they do help audiences connect to these characters and get invested in their stories. And, ultimately, they’re fun to watch – and that’s what matters in the show like this.
As for the characters, they’re a bit weak. Most of them feel pretty archetypal; Major is the dumb goofball, Carver is his partner who always takes the heat, the superintendent (Rosie Cavalier) is clueless, the scientist responsible for Major’s AI resurrection (Amanda Payton) is ridiculously overzealous, etc. This isn’t necessarily a problem – many comedies feature broadly-sketched characters. But it is kind of a shame most of them don’t get any real development. Maybe future seasons will tackle that. That said, the actors do a great job. Graham and Mays have excellent chemistry together and you instantly buy their bond. The show largely succeeds because of how good they are. Tracy Ann Oberman has a great run in the latter half of the season and it’s always nice to see her. The same is true for Amanda Payton. I loved her on Trial & Error and I love her here. The cast, as a whole, are all excellent and I’m eager to see them continue in these roles and be given more to do next season.
At the end of the day, CODE 404 is a pretty enjoyable show. While it’s comedy isn’t necessarily laugh-out-loud funny, it’s still amusing. Its central mystery is more than enough to keep audiences hooked throughout the show’s six 25-minute episodes. The actors’ performances breathe a lot of life into these characters, whose character arcs form much of the show’s backbone. Ultimately, if you’re looking for a good sci-fi comedy, CODE 404 is a pretty good bet. It’s a quick binge and it’s well worth a watch if you enjoy these kinds of British comedies.
4 out of 5 wands.
Posted in tv shows and tagged amanda payton, Anna Maxwell Martin, CODE 404, comedy, daniel mays, daniel peak, nbcuniversal, peackock tv, peacock, Rosie Cavaliero, sam myer, sci-fi, science fiction, scifi, serial, stephen graham, tom miller, Tracy Ann Oberman on September 25, 2020 by Michael Cook. Leave a comment
← REVIEW: “Tenet – The Complete Screenplay” by Christopher Nolan
REVIEW: “The Last Halloween: Children” by Abby Howard →
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UK and EU agree post-Brexit trade deal
The EU and UK have reached a post-Brexit trade deal, ending months of disagreements over fishing rights and future business rules.
At a Downing Street press conference, Boris Johnson said: "We have taken back control of our laws and our destiny."
The prime minister added that although arguments had been "fierce" it was a "good deal for the whole of Europe", driving jobs and prosperity.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said it was a "fair and balanced" deal.
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Home › City Hall
Designer: Michael Keller
Publisher: Tasty Minstrel Games
City Hall sees players competing to become Mayor of New York City. They do this by attempting to be the most successful at both bringing people into the city as well as campaigning for the citizens' approval. Whoever best balances these two goals will win the election.
There are seven offices within City Hall. These offices deal with a different aspect of building the city or campaigning, such as the Tax Assessor, Surveyor, or Zoning Board. In a round, each player will get to activate one of these offices. However, just because you activate an office doesn't mean you will get to use it. The other players will have an opportunity to use their influence to steal control of the office away from you. Keeping it will require countering with your own influence. However, you can instead let another player control that office this round and add their influence to your own, giving you a leg up on controlling things later on.
In using these offices, players will buy land and build properties to create attractive neighborhoods that will bring the most people into the city – or they might place a factory next to an opponent's housing complex to drive people out. They will also tax their constituents to raise funds (with the option of sacrificing popularity to tax at higher rates), buy and sell influence to the Lobbyist, and campaign to increase their approval level.
At the end of the game, the citizens of the city will vote based on which player brought them in and that player's approval level. Special interest groups will also collect votes for players based on certain goals, such as Wall Street backing the player with the most money. Whichever player has the most votes on election day will become Mayor of New York and appoint his or her opponents to the Sanitation Department.
City Hall on Boardgamegeek.com
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The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)
Fri 1 Jul 1870
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page3923063
(1870, July 1). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 1. Retrieved January 16, 2021, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page3923063
The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) 1 July 1870: 1. Web. 16 Jan 2021 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page3923063>.
1870, The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), 1 July, p. 1. , viewed 16 Jan 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page3923063
{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page3923063 |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |volume=LXII, |issue=10,019 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=1 July 1870 |accessdate=16 January 2021 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}
Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation
The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Fri 1 Jul 1870, Page 1
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Is Our Drinking Water Safe? The EPA’s Decision to Not Limit or Monitor Levels of Toxic Pesticide and Industrial Waste in Our Drinking Water
Alice Adder,
The fourth Contaminant Candidate List (CCL 4) was published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on November 17. The Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996 (SDWA) requires the publication of the CCL every five years. The CCL includes contaminants that are not currently governed by the EPA’s Primary Drinking Water Regulations, which place legal limits on the levels of hazardous and carcinogenic contaminants in drinking water.
Every five years the EPA must make a determination whether or not to regulate at least five contaminants from the CCL. Inclusion on the CCL does not necessarily mean a contaminant will be regulated. For example, in 2008, the EPA issued a preliminary decision to not regulate percholate, which has been found in drinking water in the United States. Percholate, which is used by the defense industry as an ingredient in rocket fuel, was first identified as a possible contaminant in 1998. It has been identified with increased risk of neurodevelopmental impairment in fetuses. It has also been linked with delayed development and decreased learning capability in the infants and children of pregnant and lactating women. In February 2011, percholate became the first contaminant to be regulated under the SDWA, when the EPA reversed its preliminary decision.
According to a 2011 US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, the EPA “based most of its final determinations to not regulate 20 contaminants on the rationale of little to no occurrence of the contaminants in public water systems.” According to an official quoted in the report “in most cases, the agency lacks adequate data to fully characterize the extent of exposure,” and instead, uses a conservative assumption that the relative exposure from drinking water is only 20 percent. This means the EPA simply assumes that 80 percent of our exposure to these contaminants comes from sources other than drinking water, such as inhalation, because it does not have data which prove otherwise. Determinations to not regulate contaminants are based on this assumption.
The report also questioned the credibility of the EPA’s analytical methods in making regulatory determinations, stating that “(The) EPA made decisions on nine contaminants relying on tests that were not sensitive enough to detect them at the agency’s health risk benchmarks.” The GAO found that for 9 of 20 contaminants cleared by the EPA, the lowest level of a contaminant reported under their testing protocols exceeded the health reference level. In other words, the EPA’s testing protocols were not sensitive enough to detect contaminants that posed a health risk. This is terrifying.
Aldrin, Terbufos and Hexachlorobutadiene are among the contaminants the EPA has cleared. Aldrin is a highly toxic insecticide that has been banned by the US Department of Agriculture since 1970. Hexachlorobutadiene is used in the manufacture of rubber compounds. According to the National Institute For Health Open Chemistry Database, “no information is available on the health effects of (this contaminant) in humans.¨ Although the EPA has classified hexachlorobutadiene as a possible human carcinogen, the agency has decided to not limit the levels of this hazardous industrial waste in our drinking water.
In 2011, the EPA decided to not regulate terbufos. Terbufos is another highly toxic pesticide. Earthjustice, a nonprofit public interest law firm, has been fighting for years to convince the EPA to ban Terbufos. The EPA has classified Terbufos as non-carcinogenic to humans, but a 2010 study has found “suggestive associations” between occupational Terbufos use and several forms of cancer. The authors of the study caution there simply is not enough existing experimental evidence to support a stronger link between Terbufos exposure and cancer. Despite lack of evidence that they are safe, the EPA continues to clear these contaminants. There are no regulations in place to limit, or even monitor, the levels of these widely used industrial and agricultural contaminants in our drinking water.
Contaminants that are currently on the list of unregulated contaminants include RDX, an explosive used by the US military in thousands of munitions that is classified by the EPA as a possible human carcinogen; methyl bromide, a highly toxic pesticide linked with depletion of the ozone layer; Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE), a carcinogenic gasoline additive that has been detected in drinking water throughout the United States; Tribufos, a carcinogenic and highly toxic pesticide; Ethoprop, a carcinogenic and highly toxic pesticide; Dimethipin, a Class C possible carcinogen and toxic pesticide; o-Toludine, a carcinogen used primarily in dye manufacturing.
RDX, methyl bromide and MTBE were not included on the list of contaminants to be monitored for possible regulation over the next five years.
We’re furious.
White supremacists, conspiracy theorists, and far right extremists have gone unchallenged long enough. The armed rampage at the U.S. Capitol on Jan 6th was not the end of their attacks on democracy.
We urgently need to do more to fight against the far right and its violence — while we still can.
Please join us in our fury and help us amplify the voices of the authors and activists fighting for our future.
Alice Adder
Alice Adder’s main areas of interest are the privatization of security, the military-industrial complex, expansion of the surveillance state and the militarization of police departments. Follow Alice on Twitter.
Meet the “Rented White Coats” Who Defend Toxic Chemicals
How corporate-funded research is corrupting US courts and regulatory agencies.
David Heath,
Congress Bows to the Chemical Lobby on Toxics Regulation
New legislation would make it harder for states and the EPA to regulate toxic chemicals in toys, building materials and clothing, but President Obama still has a chance…
Rick Hind,
Ten Things You Need to Know About the New US Chemicals Law
The updated Toxic Substances Control Act brings new hope for protecting Americans’ health and environment. Here’s what you need to know.
Elizabeth Grossman,
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The Progressive Democrat
Discussing The Way Forward For Progressive Democrats
Russian Attack
by The Progressive Democrat July 18, 20185:06 am
Wake Up America! We Are Under Attack!
The much-heralded Putin-Trump Summit in Helsinki, Finland has come and gone. In a stunning climactic joint press conference, President Trump disgraced not only himself but his country. Fawning over Putin, Trump appeared mesmerized by the stoic Putin, who was obviously in full control and dominated the president of the United States. Trump failed to even suggest that Putin and the Russian intelligence services were responsible for attacking the United States’ 2016 elections and continuing their attacks to this day. It is time for some straight talk about this president and the threat he poses to our democracy.
Politicians, members of the media and former and present government officials should not keep referring to the Russian encroachment into the foundational stones of our democratic institutions as “meddling” and “interference.” The Mueller investigation release of 12 indictments against the Russians should assure even the most ardent skeptic that the Russians weren’t meddling or interfering. If you take the time to read the Mueller Indictments you will understand the lengths the Russians went to and the sophistication of their attacks on our country. The one good thing about these indictments is that the American intelligence community was smarter than the Russians by discovering the facts and evidence necessary for these indictments!
Going forward, we should make no mistake. These were attacks on the United States by a foreign country. These attacks are no different than the Japanese infamous strike on the Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor in 1941 or the unimaginable suicide mission that brought down New York City’ Twin Towers in 2001. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Congress responded immediately by declaring war on Japan. President George W. Bush responded with Congressional approval to launch a war in Afghanistan against Al- Qaeda camps and Osama bin Laden. Both Roosevelt and Bush took action to defend the country against “all enemies both foreign and domestic.”
It should be noted that the oath presidents take does not literally require the him or her to defend the country against “all enemies both foreign and domestic.” It only requires a president to swear or affirm that she or he “will to the best of his/her ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” In lieu of the Russian attack on our country, how has President Trump responded to these attacks given the new evidence produced by the Mueller indictments?
In typical Trump fashion, he had one set of statements in Helsinki and another one day after returning to Washington. Here is a report by Politico of what he said in Helsinki and here is what he is stubbornly conceding one day later according to Bloomberg News. Trump’s hope is that he can verbally muddy the water and move on to create more chaos to distract from his disaster in Helsinki. The American public shouldn’t buy it this time.
Several points should be kept in mind about this president:
Despite his first worst fears, in all probability he is not the legitimately elected president of the United States. Russia, by Putin’s own admission, wanted Trump to win the election saying “Yes, I did. Yes, I did. Because he talked about bringing the U.S.-Russia relationship back to normal.” When since the end of World War II have relations with Russia ever been normal? By ordering the Russian attacks on our democracy, “normal” means something quite different to Putin. More likely he sees it as having a president in his pocket who dares not cross him.
Trump is no patriot. According to Webster “The word patriot signifies a person who loves his or her country and is ready to boldly support and defend it.” Trump hardly is supportive of our intelligence community, the FBI, the CIA, the Department of Justice and members of his own administration who are trying to defend this nation against all enemies both foreign and domestic. Trump continues to denigrate, insult and threaten our allies from Canada, to the European Union, the United Kingdom and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Can he now expect them to come to our aid if we need them? If Russia decides to invade Estonia or Latvia, will he honor our commitment to defend a NATO member? Trump is great on tough talk, but when the chips are down will he fold like a cheap suit?
We can stop trying to figure out why Trump behaves the way he does. After 500 and some days in office, we pretty well understand his behavior. There is no further need for psycho-social pondering. He is a compulsive liar, lying to the American public on over 3,300 occasions as president. He is a malignant narcissist with a comorbid anti-social personality disorder. He is corrupt, taking every opportunity to use his presidency to enrich himself in violation of laws forbidding him to do so. He berates, insults, slanders, and bullies anyone who disagrees with him, while having an incessant need to be liked. He has no intellectual curiosity which causes him to be ignorant of almost all of the areas of government of which he responsible. In spite of his claims to have a good college education, he is oblivious to the nation’s and the world’s history. He doesn’t read. He doesn’t read his national security briefings, relies totally on his own intuition. Trump is incompetent, corrupt, ignorant, and mentally ill. He is a danger to our country.
At this point, it is up to Congress to put this president in check, something it has been unwilling to do. Every member of Congress takes this oath when taking office: “I, do solemnly swear that I will 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.” If the president is not going to defend our Constitution, the foundation of our democracy and the values and principles expressed therein, then it would seem Congress is obligated to do so. The question then becomes are there any members of Congress who have the courage and fortitude to stand up to the president and deal with Putin? Are there any true patriots left in Congress? Or will they remain long on rhetoric and short on action?
Ultimately in the end, a democracy can only depend on its people. In many respects it is a fragile experiment. A government founded on the rule of law and equal justice, assurance of a free press, guaranteeing freedoms of religion, speech, peaceful assembly and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances can not long endure when the governed become apathetic and immune to tyranny. It is time for all patriots to confront its representatives. The people must protect their democracy by confronting their representatives at every town hall meeting, every political rally, even storming the gates of the White House and the halls of Congress and exercising their right to vote in November. To paraphrase the words of Edmund Burke: The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good persons to do nothing. We should have no illusions. Putin’s intentions are evil and President Trump will do nothing to defend us against those intentions.
Tagged with: America's defense Mueller Indictments Patriots Trump's Disgrace
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Scientists have found a way to use satellite imagery to detect plastic pollution in the ocean
Satellite imagery showing plastic pollution off the coast of Scotland | Credit: Lauren Biermann
Elizabeth Alberts
Reducing emissions helped Tesla bank $354 million in the first three months of 2020
In 2018, Lauren Biermann was scouring a satellite image of the ocean off the coast of the Isle of May, Scotland, searching for signs of floating seaweed for a project at her university. Her eyes were drawn to lines of white dots gently curving along an ocean front.
“It was weird because I was seeing floating things that didn’t look like plants, and I didn’t know what they could be,” Biermann, an Earth observation scientist at Plymouth Marine Laboratory in the U.K., explained. She said she considered the fact that it could be plastic, but found it hard to believe that Scotland had patches of plastic off its coast. “I spent the first three months trying to prove that it wasn’t plastic, so I went and made a library of all of the things floating, like foam and driftwood.”
During her investigation, Biermann came across a project conducted by the University of the Aegean in Greece, in which a team of academic staff and students used drone and satellite image technology to identify “plastic targets,” such as water bottles, plastic bags and fishing nets, on the sea surface. This data helped Biermann connect the dots in her own research.
“I went, yes, okay, this is plastic,” Biermann said. “It was the first time I had … data to validate what I had seen in Scotland, and that’s how I could build a spectral signature of plastic, and then go and apply it to other places.”
More than 8.3 billion tons of plastic waste enter the oceans each year, equivalent to a garbage truck dumping its contents into the sea every minute of the day, according to a report by the World Economic Forum. Anything more than 5 millimeters in size, about a fifth of an inch, is generally considered to be “macroplastic,” while anything below that size is “microplastic.”
Biermann and a team of colleagues embarked on their own study of detecting ocean plastic through satellite imagery, and recently published their findings in Scientific Reports. First, they obtained high-resolution optical data from the European Space Agency (ESA), which is gathered by the Sentinel-2 Earth observation satellite. Second, they used the plastic target data from the University of the Aegean to help differentiate plastic debris from natural objects like driftwood and seaweed.
A manta swimming amongst plastic pollution in the ocean in Indonesia. Image by Elitza Germanov.
Then the researchers employed an algorithm to develop a “floating debris index” (FDI) that would identify macroplastics, like plastic water bottles and plastic bags, bobbing on the surface of the sea.
“I will read an article or a social media post about marine plastic pollution, and then go and look at that area, using Sentinel-2, and process the data using the floating debris index … and then extract those values and feed it into the machine learning algorithm,” Biermann said.
Biermann and her colleagues have tested these methods on satellite imagery of coastal waters off Accra, Ghana; the San Juan Islands, U.S.; Da Nang, Vietnam; and east Scotland, reporting an 86% accuracy rate.
However, the process of identifying plastic isn’t always straightforward. Cloud cover and rough seas can compromise the data, and macroplastics won’t stay in one place for a long time, particularly in coastal zones, Biermann said. “Things change really quickly, so a Sentinel-2 image that I look at today would have been taken two days ago, and by then anything that I see is gone,” she said.
Satellite showing plastic pollution off the coast of Ghana. Image by Lauren Biermann.
While plastic tends to get pushed around in the ocean, winds and ocean currents will propel it into clusters that stay in one place. Biermann says she hopes that optical satellite data can help identify these aggregates, and that people and organizations can use this information to work on solutions.
“There will be cleanup operations like the Ocean Voyages Institute, which we’d like to work with. They would then go to where we spotted things, and they would be able to remove tons of plastic at a time,” Biermann said. “This really is the first technical exercise, but we would then like to apply the method, far more broadly … to rivers and open waters.”
Biermann makes an important clarification: this satellite data shouldn’t be seen as a solution to the plastic pollution issue.
As global temperatures rise, researchers are concerned that senior citizens are at higher risks of heat and climate-related catastrophes
“On its own, it can’t do anything to curb the plastic pollution problem,” Biermann said. “The way to curb plastic pollution problem is to address the source. We know that the majority of plastics come from land, so it’s not just addressing the source in terms of the industry, but also in terms of waste management practices on land.”
Plastic pollution floating in the Pacific Ocean. Image by Juan Garcia / Flickr.
She says she also hopes this data will help build awareness of the global plastic pollution issue, and inspire action on the issue.
“What I don’t want to see is my work being used to greenwash the problem — now we can see it from space, so we know where to go and fetch it,” she said. “That’s not the case at all. And I think if anything, it’s just to say there that there’s enough of it now that it can be seen from space, [and we should] take that message to heart. The individual is not the problem here, and our individual behavior is not generating plastic on such a scale that it can be seen from space. Really, it is an industry problem.”
This article was originally published at Mongabay and republished here at theRising with permission.
Interested in how entrepreneurs are reacting to accumulating plastic pollution in the ocean? Check out this interview we did with the winner of last year’s prestigious Google Science Fair.
Featured Ocean Pollution Plastic Pollution Science
Elizabeth Alberts May 2, 2020
These two events sent Tesla stock down almost 20 percent since earnings day
Meet Rebecca Sabnam: How Growing Up In Bangladesh Inspired A 17-Year-Old Climate Activist
Meet Elsa Mengistu: The Story Of A 19-Year-Old Howard University Student Fighting Environmental Racism
EPA chief: the new USMCA trade agreement is “the first time environmental provisions are the center of a North American Trade Agreement”
What do Q-tips and tissues have in common? Danish startup LastObject makes reusable ones in hopes of ending throwaway culture
Major airlines at SFO will use sustainable aviation fuel from Finland company Neste to reduce carbon emissions
New Trump administration policy may restrict sustainability investing, making it more difficult to invest in ESG funds that ‘put social goals before profits’
1.5 acres can change an entire community: how vertical farming startup Eden Green Technology is tackling food insecurity during Covid-19
More than half of the world’s turtle and tortoise species are now threatened with extinction, according to a new study published by 51 experts
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Some Problems With That New Climate Change Report
Last Friday, as in Black Friday, the Fed.gov released the latest version - 1700 pages - of the National Climate Assessment (NCA). Typical of media reaction is The Atlantic, wondering "why would they release this on Black Friday? To keep people from reading it?" and then going on to highlight that the report "contradicts nearly every position taken on the issue by President Donald Trump." Funny how they never criticized Obama for all his Friday and holiday weekend document dumps.
The fact of the matter is that the report is required by law, was scheduled for "late in the year" all along, and is a product of government agencies and employees that have nothing to do with President Trump. It's not like the report was put together by a team President Trump picked by hand. If anything it's the opposite: it's a report put together by a team Barack Obama picked.
Which means it's based on all the bad data we see all the time: temperature series that have been adjusted to make the past look colder and the present hotter (long term temperature records from around the world always disagree with the adjusted version the Feds use); wild exaggerations about the effects on hurricanes, fires and every aspect of our lives.
Nicolas Loras at the Daily Signal reports on four points you might find useful should you need to point out the errors of the "the world is going to end before I grow up" crowd at a holiday get together.
It wildly exaggerates economic costs.
One statistic that media outlets have seized upon is that the worst climate scenario could cost the U.S. 10 percent of its gross domestic product by 2100. The 10 percent loss projection is more than twice the percentage that was lost during the Great Recession.
The study, funded in part by climate warrior Tom Steyer’s organization, calculates these costs on the assumption that the world will be 15 degrees Fahrenheit warmer. That temperature projection is even higher than the worst-case scenario predicted by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In other words, it is completely unrealistic.
It assumes the most extreme (and least likely)climate scenario.
Here we have to go down a rabbit hole. The NCA is based on a model called Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5. In estimating impacts on climate change, climatologists use four representative trajectories to project different greenhouse gas concentrations. The NCA chose the most severe and least likely of the four different trajectories.
It assumes “the fastest population growth (a doubling of Earth’s population to 12 billion), the lowest rate of technology development, slow GDP growth, a massive increase in world poverty, plus high energy use and emissions.”... It estimates nearly impossible levels of coal consumption, fails to take into account the massive increase in natural gas production from the shale revolution, and ignores technological innovations that continue to occur in nuclear and renewable technologies.
When taking a more realistic view of the future of conventional fuel use and increased greenhouse gas emissions, the doomsday scenarios vanish. Climatologist Judith Curry recently wrote, “Many ‘catastrophic’ impacts of climate change don’t really kick at the lower CO2 concentrations, and [Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5] then becomes useful as a ‘scare’ tactic.”
It cherry-picks science on extreme weather and misrepresents timelines and causality.
This seems to happen all the time.
A central feature of the National Climate Assessment is that the costs of climate are here now, and they are only going to get worse. We’re going to see more hurricanes and floods. Global warming has worsened heat waves and wildfires.
But last year’s National Climate Assessment on extreme weather tells a different story. As University of Colorado Boulder professor Roger Pielke Jr. pointed out in a Twitter thread in August 2017, there were no increases in drought, no increases in frequency or magnitude of floods, no trends in frequency or intensity of hurricanes, and “low confidence for a detectable human climate change contribution in the Western United States based on existing studies.”
It relies on energy taxes which are a costly non-solution.
Through the use of the wildly pessimistic "Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5" and the wildly exaggerated costs, the authors of the report are clearly trying to drive readers to the conclusion that the costs of inaction (10 percent of America’s GDP) dwarf the costs of any climate policy.
The reality, however, is that policies endorsed to combat climate change would carry significant costs and would do nothing to mitigate warming, even if there were a looming catastrophe like the National Climate Association says. Which there is precious little evidence to support.
Two articles in the New York Mullet Wrapper Times: Last January, it was OK to say the forest management practices that left 100 million dead trees on the ground could cause a horrifying wildfire season. In November, after the worst of those wildfires it suddenly was no longer acceptable to say forest management might be a problem, but it was thought critically important to quibble over the wording of the president's tweets.
In the land of uncomfortable truths is this fact: virtually no country on Earth is meeting its Paris Accord obligations. Here's another one: the US is now the global leader at reducing its emissions even though we didn't sign the accords. Possibly the most uncomfortable truth of all: if all of the dire assumptions and models in the Climate Change camp are applied, the Paris accords result in a net temperature change of 0.05C by 2100. The current NOAA procedure rounds the high and low temperature to the nearest whole degree Fahrenheit (0.55°C, a value eleven times greater than the .05°C savings Paris offers). That means the effect of Paris would be undetectable. There are no words for how preposterous I find this.
From The One Graph Every Discussion About the Paris Climate Treaty Needs to Include: here.
Labels: enviro-nuts and flakes, politics, Sciencey
Media Criticizes Melania Over WH Christmas Decorations
Acting as if there isn't a staff responsible for the White House, and Melania personally chooses every aspect of every decoration, the media criticized her for the choice of red decorations this year. Some twit on Twitter said it was reminiscent of the outfits from A Handmaid's Tale, which is apparently something they see everywhere this year. (Project much?) You might recall that they criticized her last year for her choice of white decorations. No, there isn't a color theme she could have chosen that wouldn't draw criticism.
Mainstream media outlets such as The Washington Post, USA Today, Time, HuffPost, San Francisco Chronicle and Vice all mocked the decorations, often masking their disdain by focusing on the backlash of trolls on social media.
The Babylon Bee points out that she was criticized for decorating the White House with the skulls of their enemies.
While past first ladies have decorated the White House with traditional Christmas wreaths, trees, holly, and lights, Trump opted to mount the heads of her slain foes throughout the executive residence "as a warning."
"Did she go too far?" one pundit on CNN pondered. "I gotta say, these heads don't exactly say 'peace' and 'love' like a good, old-fashioned wreath would, you know?"
Pressed about whether skulls presented enough holiday cheer and festive spirit, the First Lady commented, "The skulls bring out the festive joy of the holiday season in our decor. We're reminded to treasure what we have when we see the skulls of our conquered foes every time we walk through these sacred halls." She paused and added, "It's all to point us to the reason for the season."
And what's the reason for the season?
"To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women," she stated.
Offered Without (Much) Comment
Because there isn't much to add. The article pretty much says it all. Hat tip to the Blaze PM newsletter:
Yale study: White liberals use ‘less competent’ language with blacks — but conservatives don’t
Cue the tape of Hillary saying "I don't feel no ways tired", pandering to a black church in 2007.
The study is published psychology research by Cydney H. Dupree, assistant professor of organizational behavior at the Yale School of Management and summarized in Yale Insights.
According to new research by Cydney Dupree, assistant professor of organizational behavior at Yale SOM, white liberals tend to downplay their own verbal competence in exchanges with racial minorities, compared to how other white Americans act in such exchanges. The study is scheduled for publication in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
While many previous studies have examined how people who hold racial bias behave in multi-racial settings, few have studied how whites who are more well-intentioned interact with people of other races. “There’s less work that explores how well-intentioned whites try to get along with racial minorities,” Dupree says. “We wanted to know their strategies for increasing connections between members of different social groups—and how effective these strategies are.”
The team found that Democratic candidates used fewer competence-related words in speeches delivered to mostly minority audiences than they did in speeches delivered to mostly white audiences. The difference wasn’t statistically significant in speeches by Republican candidates, though “it was harder to find speeches from Republicans delivered to minority audiences,” Dupree notes. There was no difference in Democrats’ or Republicans’ usage of words related to warmth. “It was really surprising to see that for nearly three decades, Democratic presidential candidates have been engaging in this predicted behavior.”
Could it be that until very recently Republicans didn't speak to minority audiences because they weren't invited and didn't expect to be able to get more than 1% of those voters to even consider listening to them, anyway?
In another experiment, they tried to test how white participants would speak to a hypothetical or presumed-real interaction partner. They were assigned someone to compose an email to:
For half of these participants, their partner was given a stereotypically white name (such as “Emily”); for the other half, their partner was given a stereotypically black name (such as “Lakisha”). Participants were asked to select from a list of words for an email to their partner. For some studies, this email was for a work-related task; for others, this email was simply to introduce themselves. Each word had been previously scored on how warm or competent it appears.
The researchers found that liberal individuals were less likely to use words that would make them appear highly competent when the person they were addressing was presumed to be black rather than white. No significant differences were seen in the word selection of conservatives based on the presumed race of their partner. “It was kind of an unpleasant surprise to see this subtle but persistent effect,” Dupree says. “Even if it’s ultimately well-intentioned, it could be seen as patronizing.”
Down here in the south, when we're faced with a patronizing person, we tend to say, "bless her heart" (or his or their).
So the article's takeaway is that liberals tended to talk down to minorities when addressing them, while conservatives didn't. Which is to say the liberals attribute less intelligence and less accomplishment to minorities, so they crank back their obviously superior intellect to talk to the inferior minorities. Conservatives tended to talk to minorities as if they're simply other people and should be treated as equals.
Labels: politics, the big picture
Old School NASA vs. New Woke NASA
The contrast is giving me whiplash. Nausea.
This afternoon, I watched the live feed of the Insight probe landing on Mars. It was classic JPL - on one of their great days. Every milestone clicking off on schedule, everything going right. Every minor milestone caused the controllers at their terminals to applaud for a few seconds. Finally the call that landing was verified, and there was quite a bit more celebration.
That was followed a few minutes later by the first photo from the lander. When the live video coverage shut down, everything had happened on schedule and it looked great. NASA has successfully soft-landed a vehicle on the Red Planet eight times. It has always been difficult, but JPL makes it look like they know what they're doing - because they do. Even though they've done it more than any other group, JPL has lost craft on the way to Mars and a landing.
The contrast, though, comes from a set of articles linked by the Blaze this morning. It seems the New Woke NASA scientists think ‘exploration’ is ‘problematic’ and oppose Mars missions like this one:
Adler astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz is the Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology, not to mention a guest star (as herself) on National Geographic’s Mars TV series. Cosmologist Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is with Department of Physics at the University of Washington, and fellow at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. And together they are, counter-intuitively, not so keen on the exploration or colonization of Mars.
In fact, the very word “exploration” is inherently “problematic”, they would have us believe, as detailed in a panel discussion published at Gizmodo last week. It was highlighted Sunday by Powerline, with the observation that “if these folks had been with NASA in the 1960s, we’d have never made it to the moon.” That may seem like a snarky insult on the part of Powerline, but in fact it’s precisely the point that the scientists made.
It seems that they feel we have no right to explore Mars, and any such thoughts should focus on social justice for Martian inhabitants. Inhabitants? What inhabitants? Personally, I think that missions from the first Viking landers in 1976 through the most recent missions show that Mars is a sterile planet; or perhaps we could say the probability that microbes exist on the planet is vanishingly small (1 in 10^-10 to PFA a number).
(Astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz of National Geographic's 'Mars' at The Beacon Theater on November 14, 2018 in New York City. - Photo by Andrew Toth/Getty Images for National Geographic)
The two were also featured in Gizmodo in a piece called "Decolonizing Mars" (is the publicity the two are getting what it's all about?) I find the phrase puzzling: there are no colonies on Mars to "decolonize". There are several probes, thoroughly sterilized before launch, on the surface, but no colonies to "decolonize" and bring the settlers home from. Still the rhetoric we get from these two talks about indigenous peoples rights and other things that just don't seem to fit the situation at all.
Walkowicz: In my work, I’ve been thinking about issues around how we talk about going to Mars, and plans that people make for what they want to do when they get there—whether it’s living on Mars, doing scientific research and trying to figure out its history, or corporate interest in mining or resource extraction of any kind.
There are a variety of scientific reasons why human presence might make certain investigations easier on Mars. But I’m disturbed by the way people talk about going to Mars as if the planet is ours... When we talk about terraforming, that’s a planetary-scale strip mining operation. If you transform a planetary environment, even if you think you know how to do it, that represents a total alteration of the chemistry and physics of the planet, which means you may erase the history of life that might be there.
I can’t give you an example of what a decolonized Mars looks like, but it starts by having multidisciplinary conversations about the things that happen here on Earth. I often give examples of Standing Rock as an Earth-based example of interests colliding, where you have indigenous people opposing a large-scale project that, much like space exploration, features cooperation between private industry and the government...
Prescod-Weinstein: I’m trying to think carefully about what our relationship to Mars should be, and whether we can avoid reproducing deeply entrenched colonial behaviors as we seek to better understand our Solar System. This includes thinking about why our language for developing understandings of environments that are new to us tends to still be colonial: “colonizing Mars” and “exploring” and “developing,” for example. These are deeply fraught terms that have traditionally referred to problematic behaviors by imperialists with those that we would call “indigenous” and “people of color” often on the receiving end of violent activities.
When I first read that piece in the Blaze this morning, my reaction was to say we need to just shut down NASA entirely. If that's what became of the agency that was so good in the 1960s, they've outlived their usefulness. Shut them down and sell the assets to the highest bidders. DOD or private industry. Other countries - if there's no security risk. Then I watched the landing and it brought back memories of the good old days. They do know what they're doing! They're not all about Muslim outreach! Now I don't know what to do. Does NASA stay or get zeroed out?
Wait! I found an image of an indigenous Martian on a rare trip to Earth! This must be what the woke NASA scientists were thinking of! I have to reexamine all my thoughts about this.
Original Chuck Jones artwork from.
Labels: commies and other idiots, Sciencey
I See Market Distortions and Dysfunctions - Part 2
The emphasis of part 1 centered on how the government money ends up influencing the costs of virtually everything in the healthcare sector. In having an infinite checkbook, because government spending isn't constrained by anything real, they can pay whatever they want toward healthcare. The graphs shown and linked to tell the story that the US government spending on healthcare per capita is the fourth highest in the world, but the government's spending as a percentage of total spending on healthcare, the US ranks near the bottom. That just means private sector spending in the US, mostly the insurance plans most Americans get through their jobs, is higher than in the countries with very large government healthcare systems.
Still, the government requirements for what insurance must cover and how much Medicare pays for specific expenses impose some of the cost inflation in the medical system.
The infinite checkbook distortion applies to education, too. The data I have is 10 years old, and while I've used it before, searches for an update have yet to yield something newer. At that time, college tuition rose at about 3 times the regularly cited cost of living.
From John Uebersax on Creative Commons (Wikimedia).
The explanation for how government money causes this is straightforward "supply and demand". There are only so many seats in the colleges, and the demand exceeds the supply. In a normal market, that means price rises until demand falls; some number of people would say that's overpriced and find another way around the problem. If the majority of people decide to go around college, tuition will start to come down. Colleges find they can charge whatever they want because government guaranteed financial aid pays for it. Right now, there's a limited supply of seats compared to the demand, and the public demands those government loans. Politically, we can't ration or cut money for college loans and grants because that be mean, if not hateful. It would deprive some poor underprivileged student of their chance - their chance to take out an enormous loan on a bet they'll be able to pay it back.
There's a tremendous push for free college, or at least free community college. That will make the situation worse. Those calling for free community college assert that since current community college graduates appear to have an increased value in the job market, we should create more of them. This shows complete ignorance of the law of supply and demand. If people coming out of community college make more than high school graduates it's because they're thought to be worth the cost to employers. To create more CC graduates is to reduce their differential value and drive the wages down.
Simply stated, if everyone goes to community college, there's nothing to distinguish the community college graduates and an Associates degree becomes functionally the same as a high school diploma. It's already regularly referred to as 13th and 14th grade, "free college" will formalize that.
Extra credit question: will "free college through a bachelor's degree increase or decrease the differential pay of bachelor's degree holders?" Same principle: more graduates would drive the pay differential down. It will have less effect on Masters degree holders, and a graduate degree will functionally take over the role of the bachelor's degree in society.
In all cases the government's fiat currency and infinite checkbook combine to distort the costs and benefits. It's as predictable as the sunrise.
As some wise guy said, if you think it's expensive now, wait til it's free.
I See Market Distortions and Dysfunctions
Almost everywhere I look, I see non functional markets: education, health care; the financial sides of almost everything. The cause is always the same: big government. In particular, the financial distortions that come from our constantly inflating monetary supply and the policies around it.
This was initially prompted by the coincidental combination of an article on Bayou Renaissance Man "Putting health-care costs under the microscope" and one from FEE (the Foundation for Economic Education), "The Idea That the US Has a "Free Market" Health Care System Is Pure Fantasy".
In the latest campaign season, I don't think we went two days without hearing someone advocating "Medicare for All", or "Single payer healthcare". In a stunning departure from normal political discourse, CEO of the Democratic National Committee Seema Nanda was surprisingly honest. Nanda admitted she had no idea how to pay for it.
Nanda was asked at a Yahoo Finance summit how Democrats plan to pay for the “very expensive … $3 trillion a year” Medicare-for-all plan that Democratic candidates ran on in the 2018 midterm elections.
“Your answer is I don’t know how we’re going to get there but these are all big conversations we need to be engaged in,” Nanda said.
The impression we get is that we're in a wolves' den of terrible free market forces where providers charge whatever they want and kill off their patients (the two don't seem to go together). The problem is we aren't in a free market for medical care, with very few exceptions. We have a bastardized system where the people who pay for the product aren't the ones most affected by it. Healthcare is paid for by brokers (insurance companies) who skim off a percentage for themselves. People paying for that insurance pay not just for coverages they want and need, but they pay for many others because lobbyists get congress to mandate all insurance plans cover their favorite expenses; everything from sex change treatments to addiction treatments to other psychological treatments. Devoted teetotalers are required to pay for addiction treatment coverage. Families beyond the child bearing years or with no desire or interest in having children pay for maternity coverage.
Medical costs are scary. One of the reasons they're so scary are the market distortions we see throughout the medical world. Almost regardless of what you can save in your life (assuming you're not in the billionaire class), you can be wiped out at the end of your life by the costs of treating your final problems. This makes people sensitive to the idea of a "safety net" and this is where the interest in things like Medicare for All comes from.
But let's face it. A great many voters, whether Republican or Democrat, want to hear the magic words "safety net" when it comes to health care. This is why even voters in Idaho, voted to—as they saw it — expand the health care safety net.
As far as public spending as portion of total healthcare spending, the US is pretty low on the list, however the per capita US government healthcare spending is fourth highest in the world, behind only Norway, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. With the government having a practically infinite checkbook (they just create more debt out of thin air), it essentially doesn't matter how much it costs, because the supply of money rises to meet the demand.
If you want to see a graphical representation of "things that can't go on won't go on", look at this plot of the growth of Fed.gov healthcare spending vs. GDP growth. Healthcare spending is going up about 4x the GDP. Where can the money to pay for even continuing the current expense rates come from? Aside from that, how can anyone argue the practically infinite checkbook of the Fed.gov doesn't add price pressure upwards?
The point of the article (from Mises Institute and excerpted at FEE) is that the idea that claims we have some sort of free market health care nightmare are false. We haven't had a market in health care in a really long time, if ever. With insurance structured as it is, patient and provider never negotiate or agree on prices. With very few exceptions, providers don't post prices, so you can't shop around for the best value in a doctor, hospital, or whatever. In general, if you tried to find out what a procedure would cost at a hospital, you'd never find someone who could tell you the cost because nobody knows. Most patients don't care what it costs as long as the insurance pays for it. They never seem to equate the cost of their insurance premiums with part of the cost of the medical procedures.
I have to believe free market reforms would help immensely, mainly because there's a handful of places where free market principles are already working. In his usual, bombastic style, Denninger talks about some of this at Market Ticker.
When it comes to surgeries (Hospital Part "A" stuff) may I point to The Surgery Center of Oklahoma which routinely, even when it has to buy supplies and drugs at monopolist prices which are 100-500% or more of a market price, manages to undercut the local hospital in your town by that very same 80% I cited as necessary? Were they able to buy supplies and drugs at market prices it would likely be 90%. Oh, and you're one twentieth as likely to acquire an infection in said surgery center as your local hospital because they can't bill you for the cost of fixing their own mistakes and as a result they're far more-careful than your local hospital is.
Posted by SiGraybeard at 10:22 PM 14 comments: Links to this post
Science Story of the Year So Far
I was reading other people's blogs today, and both Bayou Renaissance Man and Borepatch had stories that made me want to do a serious blog post about important things.
And then I got an email today about a scientific fact and exploration of how it works that are without a doubt the biggest science story of the year.
Wombats poop little cubes, about 3/4" on a side. I did not know that. You Aussies can laugh at me now, but I've never seen a wombat in person before, and certainly never seen their poop. The story is about a group that researched and discovered exactly how cubical poop is formed. As the friend who sent me the email said, "when you read this, you'll shit a brick". Well, the wombats will.
Derek the wombat at 8 months old. Derek was rescued from his mother's pouch after she was hit by a car in December 2015. It doesn't say if Derek is still alive, or what the life expectancy of a wombat is.
The wombat, native to Australia, produces about 80 to 100 cubes of poop each night. It is known to deposit piles of dung outside burrows and on top of rocks and logs, most likely to communicate with other wombats, researchers believe.
"Wombats have really strong sense of smell that they use probably for communication," said University of Tasmania wildlife ecologist Scott Carver, who co-authored the study. "We don't know what that information they're sharing is, but it might be something about mating, it might be something about general advertising about who's in the area."
It is thought that the cubed shape of the poop means it is less likely that it will roll away, and is prominent for other individuals to notice and smell, Carver added.
Less likely to roll away? Do wombats only poop on steep inclines or hills? I suppose it's a plausible explanation, but exactly how they could extrude cubical poop when every other species ever observed extrudes more or less cylindrical poop was never understood. Then the article runs what I think is my favorite sentence of the last year, or more:
Researchers, led by the Georgia Institute of Technology's Patricia Yang, said they have uncovered the digestive processes behind the mystery and presented their findings at the 71st Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics in Atlanta on Sunday.
The American Physical Society is about as prestigious an academic society as there is. I bet nobody there had another APS paper on poop formation, though.
To solve the puzzle, the team examined the digestive tracts of wombats that had to be euthanized following vehicle collisions in Tasmania, Australia.
The wombat takes about two weeks to digest its food and researchers found that as faeces move into the final 8% of the intestine, it changes from a liquid-like state into solid matter. At that stage the dung takes on the shape of separated cubes measuring about two centimeters in length.
"The weird thing is that if you open up a wombat you actually find that the cubes become formed in the lower part of the intestine, before they exit the body," Carver said.
By inflating the intestine with a long balloon, the researchers found that the wombats' intestine walls stretch unevenly, allowing for the formation of the cube shapes.
"The local strain varies from 20% at the cube's corners to 75% at its edges," the team said.
"Basically around the circumference [of the intestine], there are some parts that are more stretchy and some parts that are more stiff," Carver said. "And that is what creates the edges and the cubing."
There ya go, if you'll pardon the expression. The wombats' intestinal walls are stretchier in some place and stiffer and others; exactly what you'd need if you were trying to design a system to extrude cubes.
As I understand natural selection and evolutionary theory, a trait survives to become dominant in a species if it offers survival advantage - or comes along with other genes that do offer survival advantage. That means the cubical poop must be important to the wombat - not in the sense of wildlife bar bets like saying "I bet you can't poop a cube like I can"; it has to increase the chance of surviving and mating. Perhaps, at some point, some proto-wombat ancestor dude got to mate more because the proto-wombat ancestor babes were impressed with their cubical poop. "I was going to pair up with Jeffy, but Todd poops these beautiful little cubes!" Maybe cubical poop was thought to be so cute that the wombats who could produce it got all the girls and the ability spread through the wombat population like wildfire. Or you could say God has a sense of humor.
Happy Thanksgiving! It's a Convenient Breaking Point
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! As is virtually always the case, no blogging tomorrow as I take the day to go down to visit my brother in South Florida. He always does up a big Thanksgiving spread and it's good to get together.
What do I mean by "convenient breaking point"? Do you recall me mentioning adding a different optical sensor to my CNC lathe, with the ultimate goal of having that do all my little threading jobs? I've spent the time since then modeling and then making the parts to make it happen. I changed the approach I was planning to use; instead of mounting the sensor on a metal bracket attached to the lathe headstock, I've moved the mounting to the plywood base the lathe sits on. Today, I completed all the parts and test mounted them. The real mounting, wiring, and getting it all working starts after the break, possibly Saturday. (A description of the disk, the sensor (in turquoise) and how this all works was back in late October. Third paragraph up from the end.)
The lathe and all the parts on it were a CAD model I got from somewhere long ago (like 2004 or '05). Every dimension I've checked is accurate, and now I need to double check dimensions on a piece or two of mine because it ends up being too short and interfering with something.
This is a test fit. I'll use it to mark up the bottom of the flat-bottomed U-shaped piece and the plywood to mount this to the plywood base. Then starts the wiring and the process of convincing the controller software to do what I want.
All five of the pieces together. The large U bracket was done on the big mill while the two rotationally symmetric parts were done on the micro mill rotary table. To hold the hub and disk (left) on the small rotary table, required a special tool that I had to make yesterday
Ignore the two short cylinders at the top of this frame. Those are a graphite and a cold rolled steel version of the pistons for my Duclos flame eater engine. Just extra pars (junk) now.
However you spend your Thanksgiving, I wish you the best. Take some time to be deliberately thankful - even for the troubles of life. Yeah, being grateful for troubles sounds odd, but it sure seems in retrospect that growth occurs in response to trouble, not in response to idyllic wonderfulness.
Labels: Events, Me, shop
Arriving at Mars Monday the 26th
The US' Insight Martian lander is set to land on the red planet this coming Monday at around 12 noon Pacific time (3PM Eastern). The mission was planned so that with a launch on any day of a window stretching from last May 5 through June 8, the landing would be on Monday the 26th. That means that every path would be slightly different, but in broad strokes, the mission would launch while Earth is closing on Mars in our inner orbit and then pass Mars by the time the probe lands.
The probe itself is the first mission of its kind. While previous probes were primarily aimed at determining the presence or possibility of life, this one has a totally different sort of mission: to investigate the geology of Mars.
The mission of NASA’s newest space probe lives up to its acronym of a name, Insight: Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy, and Heat. Overall, its goals are to 1) understand the formation and evolution of terrestrial planets by investigating the interior structures and processes of Mars; and 2) determine the current levels of tectonic and meteorite impact activity on Mars.
To get to these goals, Insight will determine or measure:
The thickness and structure of Mar’s crust.
The composition and structure of its mantle.
The size, composition, and physical state of its core.
The thermal state of its interior.
The rate and geographic distribution of any seismic activity.
The rate of meteorite impacts on the surface.
The lander is equipped with appropriate probes for this work, which (of course) are things that have never been flown before: a seismometer and a probe that's deployed 10 feet into the soil to sense heat flow and other physical properties. Heat sensors on the probe can measure temperature differences as small as 0.02°F. A spring-loaded tungsten block will hammer the probe down into the ground, taking an estimated 5,000 to 20,000 strokes at one stroke every 3.6 sec (5 to 20 hours worth of hammering). Data from the probe will give astronomers a way to assess the planet’s interior energy and its dissipation.
(The Insight spacecraft was built at Lockheed Martin Space's facility in Denver, Colorado)
The surface of the probe is studded with other sensors as well. More details a both Machine Design and the Mission home page.
A very novel aspect of this mission is that there are actually three probes on the way to Mars: insight and two smaller Mars Cube Ones (MarCO) spacecraft, each measuring 14.4 × 9.5 × 4.6 in. The satellites are now a few thousand miles or so behind Insight on their own trajectories under their own propulsion and steering. They each carry high-gain antennas and a compact radio, enabling them to communicate with Earth from up to 93 million miles away. The Cube Ones will be relaying data from Insight to Earth during probe’s the descent and landing phases. They also have cameras and have taken and sent images back to Earth during the flight.
NASA will provide coverage of the Insight landing, streamed live on YouTube here.
Labels: cool stuff, Sciencey
The Long Florida Nightmare is Over
The long recount nightmare is over, and it's not quite two weeks since it started.
Today, Matt Caldwell (R) conceded the election for Agriculture Commissioner to Nikki Fried (D) - I honestly don't know if that's pronounced "Freed", like set free, or "Fried" like fried chicken. The Orlando Sentinel says in that linked article that Caldwell was the only statewide GOP candidate to lose.
All I really had against her could be summed up in a description that's easy to put together out of her campaign website: "she's a liberal, activist, big city lawyer". In her campaign, Fried promised to make the focus of her administration pushing medical marijuana and opposing the NRA. I don't think her office has anything in particular to do with the state's medical marijuana law that was passed two years ago, and as close as she can get to the mythical NRA liberals complain about is that her office manages the concealed carry licenses for the state. I'm not sure how badly she can screw it up, but I have confidence she can find a way.
I assume you heard that over the weekend, the recount of the state's governor's race changed the margin between Ron DeSantis and Andrew Gillum by one vote. Gillum conceded for the second time on Saturday.
And in what was probably the most talked about race, Governor Rick Scott maintained enough lead over incumbent Senator Bill Nelson that Nelson conceded for the second time on Sunday. Bill Nelson was a lifer in elected office, starting his career as a state representative in 1972.
While I view the governor's race as the one with the largest impact on my day to day life as "a Florida man", the Agriculture Commissioner's office has a lot of responsibilities beyond agriculture and those aspects could impact daily life. They're officially called the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. In addition to the concealed weapons license, they're responsible for checks on weights and measures, including grocery store scales and gasoline pumps, and they support agriculture, forestry, water quality and more.
The sense of dread emanating from Broward and Palm Beach counties is starting to fade away, and I'm starting to feel as comfortable as on election night, before the Wednesday when it all went sideways. Sigh of relief.
Labels: Events, politics
50 Years Ago, The Population Bomb Dropped
The book by Paul Ehrlich, that is. First published in May of 1968, I was 14, I recall it being talked about widely and seriously. It was by a scientist after all. The Stanford University biology professor famously claimed that population growth would result in resource depletion and the starvation of hundreds of millions of people. I recall conversations about "hamburger wars" as people fought to the death for dwindling supplies of food.
Ehrlich prophesied that hundreds of millions would starve to death in the 1970s (and that 65 million of them would be Americans), that already-overpopulated India was doomed, and that most probably “England will not exist in the year 2000.”
In conclusion, Ehrlich warned that “sometime in the next 15 years, the end will come,” meaning “an utter breakdown of the capacity of the planet to support humanity.”
Doomsday prophesy sells, and doomsday from someone with a handful of letters after their name (MS, PhD etc.) sells even better. The future didn't turn out quite as dismally as Ehrlich suggested; he famously lost a bet where he picked a "basket of commodities" and bet that these five metals would go up in price in 10 years (1980 to 1990) - they declined in price an average of 57.6% while the population increased. Nevertheless, he influenced a generation or two of policy makers.
I've written about these predictions many times, but the one that I always think of first was from June, 2013. It starts with a simple idea. First off, I recall hearing around 25 or 30 years ago that the entire population of the world would fit in Jacksonville, Florida, without resorting to high rise apartments: just the square feet of Jacksonville divided by the number of people. It would be highly impractical, each person only gets about a 2' by 2' square, but did you ever think the entire population of the world would fit in a single American city? As I said at that time:
According to the Wiki, the area of the state of Florida is 65,755 square miles. Given the 7 billion people in the world, if you spread them evenly across the state, every person in the world would get 261.9 square feet. That's not a big room (unless you're in NYC), and small by US standards, but generous compared to much of the world.
Certainly the population of the world would fit in the southeast states. The graphic I used in 2013 takes the population of the world and puts them into a living area that matches the population density of six example cities.
If we housed every single person on earth with the population density of Paris, they would fit into the area of three states: Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas. If we used the population density of New York City, the entire population of Earth could fit into the area of Texas. Likewise if we used the more generous suburban spread of Houston, the whole population of the planet would fit in the middle states of America shown in that dark orange, bottom right.
Yes this is a mental exercise, but for city dwellers who have never been in places where you can go hours without seeing another person (or drive without seeing another car), it has to be shocking.
Paul Ehrlich wasn't the first to advance this sort of idea. I immediately thought of Thomas Malthus in the early 1800s but have read the idea goes back much farther. According to Marian Tupy being quoted at FEE (the Foundation for Economic Education).
Depletionism has a long pedigree that goes back to the Atra-Hasis, an 18th-century BC epic in which the Babylonian gods deemed the world too crowded and unleashed a famine to fix the “problem.” Confucius, Plato, Tertullian, Saint Jerome, and Giovanni Botero revisited the issue over the succeeding centuries.
Ehrlich's credentials caused him to influence policy makers around the world. Ehrlich advocated for mass sterilization, sex-selective abortion, and infanticide - tell me he didn't get his wish - and in his drive for radical population control, Ehrlich said he would prefer “voluntary methods” but if people were unwilling to cooperate, he was ready to endorse “various forms of coercion.” Look at China, where their “one child” policy has led to massive amounts of abortions and abandonment of girls; today 12 boys are born for every 10 girls. How many Chinese girls have been adopted into the West?
To allow women to have as many children as they want, Ehrlich said, is like letting people “throw as much of their garbage into their neighbor’s backyard as they want.”
It's hard to get through the block heads of the modern socialists (cough - Occasional Cortex) just how much better life is today than even a hundred years ago. The average person has things in their house that the richest royalty in the world couldn't have had in 1900; and I'm not just talking about the computer or whatever you're reading this on. Clean running water, public sanitation and antibiotics are miracles, brought about by the intellect of man, and, yes, to some degree by the free and open markets. Pneumonia? The killer scourge in past centuries? The antibiotics are free at Publix.
Yes we live on a finite planet. Yes, we can't pave it over like Coruscant in the Star Wars movies. The thing that the anti-progress people like Ehrlich or that 1800 BC Babylonian author never seem to grasp is that human ingenuity is the most powerful resource on Earth. Time after time, humanity has faced environmental problems or shortages and figured out ways around them.
The history of the human race is a history of using that ingenuity to improvise, adapt, and overcome. It's not a smooth continuum but things get better. In the long term, that's always true. Last words to Marian Tupy at FEE:
To quote the British historian Thomas Babington Macaulay, “On what principle is it that with nothing but improvement behind us, we are to expect nothing but deterioration before us?”
Labels: commies and other idiots, economics, the big picture
3D Printing Metal Parts Without A Metal Printer
There's no doubt that 3D printing as an industry continues to grow, and the technology is pushing into all sorts of new areas. Solid Concepts printed the first full metal 1911 in 2013, using a process called Direct Laser Sintering in which a laser heats a metal-bearing powder causing the metal to melt and flow in a layer.
[see video ] [I]in overview, the machine contains a tub of a specially formulated powdered metal, and the laser heat is used to fuse particles of the powder into solid metal. The tub is lowered a small increment (.001"?) and the powder re-leveled, allowing the laser to sinter the next layer. Layer by layer the part is built up until the final shape is there. Post-processing - clean up, heat treating, and finishing - is required.
It's cool, but it shouldn't be the only way to get metal gun parts using a 3D printer.
Do you have a class ring from school? How about other commercial jewelry? The vast majority of commercial jewelry is made through a process called lost wax casting (overview here), in which a wax model of the jewelry piece is embedded in a ceramic mix which is fired to harden the ceramic (called investment) and then further heated until the wax melts and runs or burns out of the mold - where the wax is "lost" in lost wax casting. Finally, the metal is cast into the cavity in the ceramic which is identical size and shape to the initial wax model. The technique is also widely used in manufacturing of many things.
There are thousands of home hobbyists who cast silver or gold jewelry at home (or in a club or Makerspace environment), and these metals melt at high temperatures. Sterling melts at 1640 F, while pure silver melts at 1761 F. Pure gold melts at 1945F, and different karat gold mixes melt at lower temperatures. By contrast, aluminum melts at 1220 F but iron melts much hotter: 2802. For any engineering use, you should check the melting point of the alloy, but the point is that the process is certainly compatible with aluminum alloys, and with the right torch (to get that higher melting point), casting steels seems to be within reach.
But what about the mold? A few minutes of searching found three different videos showing plastics designed for 3d Printing molds that will be cast in metal.
Moldlay filament is used in this video, which features a home made printer designed to be easy to put together.
MachinableWax's Print2Cast printing filament specifically made for metal casting 3d printed models is introduced in this video.
Wrapping up these there is PolyCast™, another filament designed specifically for the metal casting industry; and the video demonstrates what the industrial process looks like.
I'm deliberately avoiding the subject of green sand casting molds made from wood or other things in the shop; this sort of casting is part of a lot of home shops. This is just concentrating on 3D printing. Because of the flail about 3D printed guns.
Is A New Grand Solar Minimum Upon Us?
That's the prediction Dr. Valentina Zharkova advances in a presentation of her "Climate and the Solar Magnetic Field Hypothesis" presentation at the Global Warming Policy Foundation in October, 2018.
Dr. Zharkova's work has appeared here before, with the first time in 2015 predicting a decline in solar activity to Maunder minimum levels last seen in the Little Ice Age.
Their predictions using the model suggest an interesting longer-term trend beyond the 11-year cycle. It shows that solar activity will fall by 60 percent during the 2030s, to conditions last seen during the Maunder Minimum of 1645-1715.
Some link somewhere led me to a summary of Dr. Zharkova's talk over at Signs of the Times (SOTT) which says:
The information she unveiled should shake/wake you up.
Zharkova was one of the few that correctly predicted solar cycle 24 would be weaker than cycle 23 - only 2 out of 150 models predicted this.
Her models have run at a 93% accuracy and her findings suggest a Super Grand Solar Minimum is on the cards beginning 2020 and running for 350-400 years.
There are two videos of her presentation; the short "highlight" video is 20 minutes long and the long one is an over an hour and a half (93 minutes - the last 33 are a rambling Q&A that's not worth much). Watch the long one; the 20 minute video is very low content density - almost content free. Having watched her talk, I think the last sentence in that quote from SOTT misinterprets something she said. She didn't say the next minimum would be starting in 2020 and running 350-400 years, she said there's a cycle of grand minima that occur on roughly 350-400 year intervals (time mark 53:40 in the video shows it). The solar minimum that we appear to be going into is expected to last from "2020 to 2053".
Dr. Zharkova's work is on the solar dynamo, the magnetic fields that create virtually everything we see on the sun. It began by observing the sun and attempting to come up with a model to explain the patterns we see. Reviewing this work and trying to see the differences between this and some of her publications which I've talked about in the past, it's very similar to the research published in Nature. That 2015 prediction was based on two Principal Components measured over perhaps three cycles (~33 years).
In the current work, she includes more terms of the Principle Components, four terms instead of two. Adding more terms should produce a better model fit. (A familiar example might be using more terms in a construction of a square wave by adding Fourier series components. If you use two sine wave harmonics, it doesn't look square at all, but as more terms are added, the wave you're constructing gets more square.)
While we've all heard on stock market service commercials the disclaimer that, "past results do not guarantee future performance", I'm inclined to weight Dr. Zharkova's team's predictions favorably based on her predictions about this cycle. The strong part of her predictions is this track record. The weak part is that while it's a smart, modern technique from Digital Signal Processing, it still depends on observations from a short period of time. While it matches these observations well, I still don't know how well it can be extrapolated over thousands of years. She makes comparisons to ancient sunspot observations, and the predictions and observations are in agreement, but the data to compare predictions to is very sparse. One observation every couple of solar cycles isn't much of a test.
My usual way of looking at predictions like this has always been that I'm wary of predictions for another Maunder minimum on general principles. It was both severe and at the dawn of solar observation. We simply don't have detailed data of anything before the Maunder that we can compare current conditions to.
Dr. Zharkova does predict that weather is likely to become colder due to the solar minimum, and then adds in the motion of the sun in the solar system, the Milankovich cycles. She says emphatically and repeatedly that she's not a climate scientist, she's a solar physicist, which sounds to me like, "I'm not a climate scientist; I'm a real scientist". That's worth a few points, itself.
Time to Start Paying Attention to DC Again
Better worded as "time to start paying attention to the attention whores". At least keep an eye on them.
Hat tip to Miguel at Gun Free Zone for an article on, and link to the text of, the first of what will certainly be many attempts at gun control bills, HR1175 introduced by New Joisey Democrat Frank Pallone. My gut feeling is that this might pass the house on a straight party line vote and then will be shuffled under a desk in the senate and never see the light of day - if the Senate has any sense and the President doesn't try to push it like he did banning bump stocks. However, as someone said, "never underestimate the ability of Republicans in groups to do stupid things".
The bill is going after the ability to build a gun from parts by banning basically everything. The bill is called: the “3–D Firearms Prohibitions Act” but that's a lie. The only place 3D Firearms are ever mentioned is in the title. It's about outlawing the ability to build or repair your own guns.
The first section is titled: “Do-it-yourself assault weapon ban,” and it takes the approach of declaring gun parts as banned hazardous products under section 8 of the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2057). They include any "firearm receiver casting or firearm receiver blank or unfinished handgun frame", which they specify is not actually a gun, but that "after purchase by a consumer, can be completed by the consumer to the point at which such casting or blank functions as a firearm frame or receiver for a semiautomatic assault weapon or machinegun or the frame of a handgun." Note this wipes out not only the entire 80% AR lower market, and the newborn 80% handgun market, but it also wipes out the much smaller market for "0% lowers".
Then they go into destroying the sales of parts for guns by adding that "An assault weapon parts kit. or a machinegun parts kit," are hazardous products and are to be banned as well, when they add the definition:
the term “assault weapon parts kit” means any part or combination of parts designed and intended to enable a consumer who possesses all such necessary parts to assemble a semiautomatic assault weapon;
Any part means any part, from a replacement sight to replacement stock or barrel, or anything they so deem. This would make it illegal to sell replacement triggers, or replacements for each and every spring, pin and metal piece in a fire control group. Anything.
The issue with regulating buying parts is that it also makes it impossible to repair your guns, which will make them the only piece of private property you own that you're not allowed to repair. If every single component has to be serialized and tracked from "cradle to grave", parts get more expensive, probably get harder to find and the industry is probably decimated. Of course to the guys behind this bill, everything we consider negative is part of their goals.
Oh, when they use the term "semiautomatic assault weapons", they are also specifically talking about pistols and shotguns. This isn't about ARs and AR pistols, this about anything other than revolvers - or anything beyond single shot black powder. Anything semiautomatic is lumped into this bill.
(4) the term “semiautomatic assault weapon” means—
(A) a semiautomatic rifle or semiautomatic shotgun that has the capacity to accept a detachable ammunition feeding device; or
(B) a semiautomatic pistol that has—
(i) the capacity to accept a detachable ammunition feeding device; and
(ii) any one of the features described in subsection (b);
(6) the term “semiautomatic pistol” means any repeating pistol that utilizes a portion of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fixed cartridge case and chamber the next round and requires a separate pull of the trigger to fire each cartridge;
(8) the term “semiautomatic shotgun” means any repeating shotgun that utilizes a portion of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fixed cartridge case and chamber the next round and requires a separate pull of a trigger to fire each cartridge.
There's a lot of space in the bill dedicated to everything getting serialized, and creating agencies of the Federal government that will administer serializing. As Miguel points out, serial numbers never solve crimes, but they provide traceability and make it easier for the government to know who owns what and that is all they care about come Confiscation day.
This seems largely put together from other old failed laws, unless they've been feverishly working on the bill for the last couple of weeks - but it doesn't look like it was "worked on". According to the header, it was introduced on November 2nd. Judging by news reports, it seems the lame duck session has just started, and they're already involved in identity politics wars over Comrade Peloski's bid to be Speaker again. Seriously, do you guys have any arguments that aren't identity politics or assigning free will and intent to inanimate objects?
Labels: gun control, politics
It Looks Like That Indonesian Boeing 737 That Went Down Was Boeing's Fault
Word is breaking today on Ars Technica that the Indonesian Lion Airways Boeing 737 Max that went down two weeks ago was due to failure of a system on which Boeing had released almost no training information.
On November 6, Boeing issued an update to Boeing 737 MAX aircrews. The change, directed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), came because Boeing had never provided guidance to pilots on what to do when part of an updated safety system malfunctioned—the very scenario that the pilots of Indonesia's Lion Air Flight 610 faced on October 29. Not knowing how to correct for the malfunction, the aircrew and their passengers were doomed. All aboard were lost as the aircraft crashed into the Java Sea.
First approved for commercial operation by the FAA on March 8, 2017, the MAX is just beginning to be delivered in large volumes. Lion Air was one of Boeing's primary foreign customers for the MAX, which is also flown by Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, and Air Canada. The Lion Air aircraft lost in the accident was virtually brand new, delivered by Boeing in August; this was the first accident involving an aircraft touted for its safety.
In what I can only describe as incredibly shocking, Boeing never told pilots about one key new safety feature—an automated anti-stall system—or how to troubleshoot its failure.
In aviation, the word "stall" doesn't mean what it does in a car. The engines are running, it's that the aircraft's wings can no longer achieve lift. An aircraft's wing can only generate lift over a relatively narrow range of angles to the oncoming air, called the angle of attack (AOA). This graphic, from Ars, illustrates an example.
From the top down, the nose is angled at 6 degrees to the horizontal for cruising. More lift can be achieved by increasing that angle, which is done by raising the nose, and maximum lift (for this wing) occurs with the aircraft at a 15 degree angle. The aircraft can go beyond that while maintaining lift but as it does, the lift goes down as the region of separated air gets larger, eventually destroying the ability to lift. In the right conditions, passengers can see the air separating on the top side of the wing, usually during takeoff, and it appears as fog forming in the area shown as the "separation point" in the middle figure.
The way the original piece said, "Boeing issued an update to Boeing 737 MAX aircrews. The change, directed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)" sounds like an airworthiness directive (AD); ADs are generally considered serious in the business because they mean the aircraft isn't considered safe to fly unless the subject of the AD is fixed. The November 6th update raised an outcry from pilots in the US.
Allied Pilots Association spokesperson and 737 captain Dennis Tajer told Reuters that his union members were only informed of a new anti-stall system that had been installed by Boeing on 737 MAX aircraft after the Lion Air crash. “It is information that we were not privy to in training or in any other manuals or materials,” Tajer told Reuters.
Jon Weaks, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, told Bloomberg, “We don’t like that we weren’t notified.” Southwest has ordered 257 737 MAX aircraft; American has orders for 85 still pending.
In the past, aircraft had manual ways of notifying the pilot that it was going into a stall, by sensing the AOA and when it got into regimes likely to stall, turning on motors that shook the control stick or yoke in the pilot's hands.
But the new system in the 737 uses data from the aircraft's AOA and airspeed sensors to proactively counter pilot error, adjusting the aircraft's controls to push the nose down if the sensors indicate the aircraft could stall.
Initial data from the investigation of the crash of Lion Air Flight 610 indicates that the AOA sensor was providing "erroneous input," according to a Boeing statement. The aircraft had recently had an AOA sensor replaced, and had experienced additional unidentified issues; a maintenance technician was aboard at the time of the crash, but not because of the AOA sensor.
The faulty AOA sensor data may have caused the aircraft's trim system to lower the nose down in order to avoid a stall. This would only occur during manual flight; when in autopilot, the AOA sensor data would not have affected flight controls.
It's worth emphasizing here that the issue is that Boeing never mentioned this system in training materials with the new Max deliveries and nobody in the air crew knew what to do with erroneous AOA data because they were never trained in what to do. A system the pilot didn't know was on the aircraft failed and caused the aircraft to behave unexpectedly.
Boeing has apparently released new training materials; materials that should have preceded delivery of the first 737 Max. The text of the Service Bulletin for the newly delivered Maxes is in the Ars link.
This one strikes close to home. I've met a few people in that program at Boeing. When I retired from Major Avionics Corporation, some of the radios (and radar) for the Max were things I'd designed in the past. It's hard for me to wrap my head around a screw-up like this.
Farewell to Stan Lee
Stan Lee, probably America's most prolific story teller of the 20th and early 21st century left us today at age 95. The last I heard, within the last couple of months, he was working on the coming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies currently in the production process. That tells me it was probably not a long lingering illness. That's A Good Thing.
To those kind of peripherally familiar with Stan, he was the creator of Spider Man, but he was more than that. He gave life to a host of story lines in the Marvel comics, many of which have been turned into move franchises.
As the guiding force behind the spectacular rise of Marvel Comics in the 1960s, Lee — and his artistic collaborators — devised characters that broke the mold of conventional comic-book superheroes: No longer were they one-dimensional costumed crusaders who were all good, struggling against villains who were all bad.
Marvel's superheroes, which Lee developed with Marvel artists such as Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, battled not only complex villains but also their own personal demons in stories that have been praised for their “wit and subtleties” — ingredients that greatly expanded the appeal and readership of comic books.
But the character that Marvel had the most success with was Spider-Man, which Lee and Ditko introduced in August 1962.
Spider-Man's alter ego, Peter Parker, was a bookish and alienated teenager who gained his superpowers after being bitten by a radioactive spider.
Although the web-slinging crime fighter clashed with various villains, he was still the same geeky Parker: a bookworm who is bullied by football players, ignored by girls and lives with his motherly aunt, who reminds him to wear his galoshes in the rain.
“You ask the audience to suspend disbelief and accept that some idiot can climb on walls,” Lee said in a 1992 Washington Post interview, “but once that’s accepted, you ask: What would life be like in the real world if there were such a character? Would he still have to worry about dandruff, about acne, about getting girlfriends, about keeping a job?”
Among fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe a part of every new movie is watching for Stan Lee's cameo appearance. This thread on Reddit has the canonical capture of them all; reproduced here at lower resolution. Unfortunately, it stops about a year ago, before the last few movies.
This shows almost the complete Marvel phase 1 through phase 3 movies except for the last few: Black Panther, Infinity War, Deadpool 2, and Ant Man and the Wasp - in that order. Coming in 2019 will be Captain Marvel, with the introduction of Brie Larson as the eponymous lead (I just don't get enough chances to use the word 'eponymous'), and then Avengers 4, which settles the majority of damage done in Infinity War. To some degree. Probably.
Avengers 4 is the end of Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 3. Sony will technically kick off Marvel’s Phase 4 with Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel on July 5, 2019. Sony owns the rights to Spider-Man, but his story takes place in the MCU, proved by Captain America: Civil War.
That’s it for Marvel's confirmed Phase 4 release dates, though we do know Marvel has greenlighted a Black Panther sequel, a Doctor Strange sequel, and another Guardians of the Galaxy movie to complete the trilogy. Expect to see those characters back after Avengers 4.
There I go getting all ramped up over the coming movies. This is supposed to be a sober, quiet, "so long, Stan Lee. You've brought me hours upon hours of fun, escapism, and lighthearted entertainment. I'm going to miss you."
Battle of Quotes
Mike Miles at 90 Miles From Tyranny posted this Twitter exchange a couple of hours ago:
Nice reply, but I was thinking more of something like, "Not like a souffle at all. Millions of people have made souffles, but not once in recorded history has anyone made socialism work". I try to underline this if socialism ever comes up in conversation. Everyone's heard the argument, "it failed because the wrong people were in charge"; the argument is "since it's been tried since thousands of years before it had a name, and nobody has ever been the 'Right People' that made it work. What makes you think you're so special?"
But I don't have a Twitter account or a time machine to go back and answer it.
Then I thought of this one that says it better than I can.
Labels: commies and other idiots
Happy Birthday Devil Dogs
Not in the Drakes Cakes sense, but to the US Marine Corps. November 10th is the day traditionally celebrated as the founding of the Marines in 1775 at Tun Tavern, making this the 243rd anniversary. Which means there were "US Marines" before there was a US. What did they call themselves in 1775?
As I've said before, everyone knows there's a constant din of the different services poking fun at each other, but I don't have a dog in these fights. Never was in any branch. The systems I've worked on tended to be for the Navy with some split between the Air Force and the Navy. All I can say is that I've worked on some of their toys.
I know that all sorts of kids from all sorts of backgrounds go into the Marines, but I've never met an ex-Marine who wasn't an honorable man. Considering that perhaps the most famous marine, Chesty Puller, is quoted as having said, “Take me to the Brig. I want to see the 'real Marines' ”, maybe I've only been meeting fakes.
On Account of I'm Sick of Politics Again
Some more fun stuff.
A couple of weeks ago, a friend called me up about a puzzle he had. He's a disabled Navy Vet who has a hard time getting around but his only daughter lives far away so he has no family in town to rely on. I've taken him to the VA hospital in Orlando a couple of times. That aside, his puzzle is that he has taken up sign making in wood with a router and templates. I think he's using something similar to this kit from Rockler. His problem concerned the back side of the sign and how to hang it on the wall. Turns out Rockler sells a handy template kit for that problem and he bought that one, too.
His problem was that of the three places to rout a hanging slot, he used only a short one and the setup time was lots longer than cutting the router pass. He said five minutes to make the setup and a few seconds to make the cut. He wanted to know if I could see a better way.
I gathered that how he located the slot was by lining the top edge of the template with the top edge of his board and the long edge (on the right in that photo) over the edge of the board. Then, while holding the template down on the board, he taped it down to keep it from moving. I suggested I make something like the Rockler template but which had vertical straight edges on the sides and he could pull it into place in the corner. I'd make a pair of templates, one for the left and right corners. As a guide, I sketched up the left corner template in CAD and sent it over to him.
I could hear the answer without the phone and he lives about a mile away. So into the shop. All the measurements came from taking his Rockler template for the slot and the slot's position with respect to the edges. I made two identical pieces of quarter inch thick aluminum for the templates and identical pieces of 1/8" aluminum for the edges. The two quarter inch pieces were clamped together for all the operations so that the sizes came out the same and the position of the slot in the center were cut in one pass. Top and side vertical pieces are held by two 6-32 machine screws each.
To use, they're slapped down onto the board, the right angle edges find and hold the board's corner in a second. He says he holds them down with painters tape to make the cut. Dropped the time to make his slot to small fraction of what it was.
My friend is apparently getting a little business going making wooden signs. He's asked me for fixture ideas a couple of times since then. While none of it was in mechanical manufacturing, 40 years in the manufacturing industry has left its mark on me and I've passed on ideas about fixturing to make jobs less fussy.
Meanwhile, I continue down the road of making my CNC lathe ready to thread. My optical sensor board is here. I found the part number and looked up the data sheet to get the part dimensions. Modeled the part and a way of using it on the Sherline. (I didn't do the model of the Sherline lathe itself. Just the parts in green and turquoise)
Work never goes as quickly as I'd like, but it's moving along.
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FG to amend Act establishing national endowment for arts
By Tribune Online On May 27, 2020
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the Federal Government will amend the Act establishing the National Endowment for the Arts to enable it to play a pivotal role in responding to the demands of the sector, which has been negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Minister stated this in Abuja on Wednesday, in his opening remarks at the Virtual Forum of the African Union Ministers responsible for Arts, Culture and Heritage.
”We have decided to amend the Act establishing the National Endowment for the Arts so it can better meet the demands of the sector, which has been greatly impacted by the pandemic.
”The main objectives of the Endowment is to support every medium and area of creative activity in the art, culture and heritage sector as well as to foster professional excellence in the sector,” said Alhaji Mohammed, who doubles as the 2nd Vice Chairperson of the African Union’s 3rd Specialized Technical Committee on Youth Culture and Sport.
He noted that the Creative Industry remains the worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic because it is audience-centred and, with the social distancing, ban on mass gathering and travel restrictions put in place globally, the fortunes of the industry has taken a nosedive.
ALSO READ: Edo Guber: Ize-Iyamu picks APC nomination form, repeats vow to work with other aspirants
“This is why we have decided to face the challenges squarely. Realizing the imperative of having a collective and government-supported approach in dealing with the situation, we have set up a 22-member stakeholders committee, cutting across art, culture, heritage, tourism, streaming, music, film, etc., to come up with immediate, short and long term economic stimulus and initiatives for the industry, in order to mitigate the effect of the pandemic on the sector,” the Minister said.
He said the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has also set aside N50 billion for smallholder businesses and the Creative Industry to support the industry in the post-Covid-19 era.
“I have no doubt that the measures we are putting in place will yield positive results in sustaining the Creative Industry in Nigeria in the days to come. I also look forward to sharing in the experiences from other member-nations of the African Union in tackling the challenges occasioned by the pandemic,” the Minister said.
The virtual meeting, which was chaired by Alhaji Mohammed, was joined by about 20 Ministers of Arts, Culture and Heritage in Africa, who made presentations.
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Compel Lai Mohammed to pay me my retirement benefits, retired civil servant begs…
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The Delightful Traveler
Where Adventure is a way of life!
The Okapi Population Gets a Boost at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
On October 19, 2018 October 19, 2018 By thedelightfultravelerIn travel, Uncategorized
Yesterday was World Okapi Day, and I believe there’s no better way to celebrate this magnificent animal than announcing the birth of one more!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is celebrating the birth of a rare okapi, who was born on Oct. 1 to mom Zelda. Weighing in at 54 pounds, the calf was up and mobile within the first hour of his birth. He has been nursing and bonding with his mom. The pair will remain in a backstage habitat for the next few months before joining the animals on the savanna.
The calf’s parents – mom Zelda and dad Mandazi – were chosen to breed through the Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and ensures responsible breeding of threatened and endangered species.
When I visited the okapi care team recently, keeper Kim Thomson expressed how excited she was to care for a new calf and how it changes the dynamics of her team’s routine.
“We will spend a lot of time conducting observations on mom and calf making sure the calf is bonding well with mom, nursing well and basically hitting all of the milestones we would expect of a growing okapi,” Kim said.
Okapis are an endangered species found in rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Known as the ghosts of the forest, okapis are shy, reclusive and rarely encountered in the wild. In fact, they weren’t even discovered until 1901. There are an estimated 20,000 okapi in the world, and their population continues to decline due to poaching and habitat loss from commercial logging and mining.
Through the Disney Conservation Fund and our involvement in the AZA’s Species Survival Plan, I’m proud to say Disney has been at the forefront of okapi conservation for many years. We have a long-standing relationship with the Okapi Conservation Project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In fact, the AZA recently recognized Disney’s Animal Kingdom for its contributions to the Okapi Conservation Project.
Ready for YOUR next Adventure? Let Mad Hatter Adventures, Travel Company – Authorized Disney Travel Planner, HELP YOU!
Contact them TODAY for a FREE Quote! Info@MadHatterAdv.com
*Images and Content from Disney Parks Blog
adventureAnimalsDIsneykidstravel
Toy Story Land Media Event COMING SOON!
First Look Inside the Reimagined World of Disney Stores
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Working Group C: Cybercrime
Cybercrime is included in the Delhi Communiqué as one of the five prioritized themes in the Global Agenda for cyber capacity building.
Working Group C brings together governments, industry and experts focused on coordination of capacity building efforts relating to cybercrime. Through the Working Group, GFCE Members and Partners discuss issues related to capacity building in combatting cybercrime and work together towards coordination of capacity building efforts on development and implementation of legal frameworks, strengthening criminal justice and law enforcement responses to cybercrime, as well as the development of formal and informal frameworks for cooperation.
Working Group C is also a place for those involved in the prevention, response and assessment of cybercrime to engage with each other and share knowledge and expertise, leading to the development of capacity building projects and initiatives that help countries deal with the challenges presented by cybercrime, identification of best practices to amplify these on a global scale, and assessment of the impact cybercrime responses for more informed and inclusive capacity building activities.
Working Group C members have submitted information on over 130 projects, 21 tools and 22 publications. These resources can be accessed here on the Cybil Portal, a knowledge-sharing platform for cyber capacity research.
Focus in 2021
In 2020 the Working Group convened in two full meetings, once in July and once in November. In addition, a virtual session was held during the GFCE April V-meetings on the topic of capacity building and countering cybercrime. This session aimed to get a better picture of what has been happening in this space considering the recent pandemic and what effect this might have had for a concurrent rise in cyberattacks and cybercrime.
A primary focus of WG-C in 2021 will be on restructuring the way that members communicate and collaborate with each other. Given recent challenges there is a need to make these aspects more efficient and easier for members to contribute to the ongoing activities of the group. In addition, WG-C will look to update the available information on existing knowledge and expertise within the group, as well as confirming and beginning implementation of project proposals.
Enhancing coordination between the activities of Working Group C members was a clear goal identified after the establishment of the Working Group in 2018. This is in line with the broader objectives of the GFCE. The Working Group on Cybercrime has been a platform for constant discussions between members willing to engage, share and learn from each other whilst submissions of Working Group members to the Cybil portal go some way towards achieving that objective.
The Working Group has been home to the Friends of The Gambia clearing house support group. The Gambia has partnered and been collaborating with several GFCE Members and Partners on developing its capacity to combat cybercrime. Since September 2019 The Gambia has made big steps in developing and implementing legislation on cybercrime. Beyond keeping Working Group C members updated on the status and progress, WG-C members have been assisting The Gambia in reaching out to other GFCE Members and Partners on broadening support provided in other areas of the request, notably on the establishment of a national Computer Emergency Response Team and forensics lab.
In 2019 the GFCE entered into a partnership with the Korean Supreme Prosecutor’s Office (KSPO) and World Bank on the establishment of a capacity building hub for the Asia region. WG-C was identified as a place for KSPO to bounce off initial ideas on the establishment of the hub, and the Working Group has provided advice and feedback to KSPO.
Those interested in initiatives developed by GFCE Members and Partners from 2016 in the area of cybercrime can view the Impact page of the GFCE here.
Since the beginning of 2020, GFCE Working Group C has been acting as a sounding board for proposed activities of the KSPO Capacity Building Hub. Once the Hub is operational, the intention is that Working Group C will be a critical source of resources and support for the coordination of the outreach activities of the Hub. KSPO continues to keep the Working Group updated on progress. In 2021 the aim is to have a clear plan of engagement between WG-C and its members with the Hub.
In January 2020 The Gambia provided further information on activities under its request for support. The Working Group identified priority areas of the support request where no support is currently being provided and is still needed from members of the GFCE community. This outline was distributed across the GFCE Working Groups. A session was arranged for 19 May 2020 during the GFCE V-meetings to bring these stakeholders together, discuss progress and reach out to a broader group that may have been able to help expand the support into the other (under-supported) areas of the official request. Since the introduction of the support request in WG-C, The Gambia has updated its Draft Cybersecurity Strategy & Action Plan, drafted and approved a data protection law a draft cybercrime bill, began establishing the gm CSIRT and expects to soon establish a digital forensic laboratory for the national police force.
Details of work done by Working Group C can be found in Working groups 2020 Report.
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Staff Picks: Albums of the Year
Nora-Grayce Orosz, Steven Keehner, Chelsea Renay, Liv Meier, Nicole Acosta, and Matt Reich|December 9, 2017
As the year is winding down, we’ve had some time to reflect on some of the great music that has come out in 2017. With the recent release of the Grammy nominations, it’s clear that there’s been a drastic shift since last year. The strong presence of women and nominees of color is a refreshing change from the historically white-washed, male dominated winners of past seasons. From established music titans Kendrick Lamar and Jay Z, to breakthrough stars SZA, Khalid and Lil Uzi Vert, this season is shaping up to be an exciting year for the Grammys. Here’s the Impact staff’s picks for our favorite albums of the year.
As You Were by Liam Gallagher
Label: Warner Bros. Records
Released: October 6
Following the split of the legendary band Oasis, the journey for lead singer Liam Gallagher has been interesting. Succeeding the fall of Oasis, Liam and the other remaining Oasis members (aside from his brother, Noel Gallagher) formed the band Beady Eye. Beady Eye released two solid albums, but they never came close to achieving the same success as Oasis; this eventually led to the band’s demise in 2014. While Noel’s band, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, were achieving moderate success, Liam couldn’t say the same.
Following Beady Eye’s split, Liam went under the radar for a while, all the while denying that he would ever go solo, such as on Twitter, “Solo record are you f*cking tripping d*ckhead im not a c*nt LG X”. This attitude persisted for about eight months until August 2016, where Liam then tweeted, “It’s official I’m a c*nt LG x”. By doing this, he unofficially announced that he would be going solo. Fifteen months later, As You Were was released. This led to a fantastic campaign that saw Liam performing on various TV shows and his Tweets (which are worthy of their own article) generated a lot of publicity. As You Were was the most hyped post-Oasis album from either Gallagher brother.
As You Were kicks off with “Wall of Glass”, this the epitome of Liam Gallagher: loud guitars, catchy lyrics, and an iconic chorus which combine beautifully to remind us why Rock is NOT a dying art. As you continue to progress through the album, you’ll be met with a sound that is a nostalgic throwback to all rock fans, especially fans of Oasis. This album will not change the genre as we know it, but it personifies it better than anything I’ve listened too in recent times. Liam Gallagher is the last of a dying breed aka the “Rock Star”. Through his big mouth and personality, he creates an ego that doesn’t exist in the music that is consumed today, it’s aggressive, and it kicks ass.
This anger is personified into songs like “Greedy Soul” or “Bold”, which feels like built up anger that was just waiting to be released. Like any great Frontman, Gallagher can also write an incredible ballad like “For What It’s Worth”, it’s an apology for all the wrongs he has committed throughout his life, or “Chinatown”, which through its music video, is an homage to Liam’s stomping grounds. Both songs are slow and methodical; As You Were has so much of Liam Gallagher’s personality crammed into it, this allows for the songs to float all over the place but still share one common quality: pure Rock N Roll.
This album is so important; it’s a reminder that Rock will always be around, even if we have to look a little to find it.—Steven Keehner
Rainbow by Kesha
Released: August 11
“I know that I’m perfect, even though I’m fucked up / Hymn for the hymnless, don’t need no forgiveness” Kesha sings as a subdued beat merges with her vocals to create “Hymn” off her long-awaited comeback album Rainbow.
“Hymn” is one of several songs off of her Grammy-nominated album for Best Pop Vocal Album. This album marks Kesha’s first Grammy nomination as well. This year started with the global Women’s March in response to the election of Donald Trump and is coming to a close with Time Magazine’s Person of the Year issue recognizing The Silence Breakers. A title that has come to describe the coalition of women and men who have come forward with their experiences, prior or current, of sexual harassment, assault, and degradation by men in their lives.
Also, the notable figures who have impacted the conversation or launched the #MeToo movement. Kesha’s first album in four years, Rainbow, is my pick for favorite album to come out in 2017 because of how her own #MeToo story impacted the album, and its message of healing past wounds, self-worth, and self-empowerment, especially for women.
It is the album that encapsulates this year’s reckoning and the future events to unfold. The “We R Who We R” singer and song-writer has always stood for the marginalized, alone, and afraid. When she came forward with the abuse she suffered from Dr. Luke and her court battle to end her contract with him, it was heartwarming to see the outpouring of support via the “#FreeKesha” from her fans and fellow artists online.
Kesha’s overcoming of the pains and scars will tear you up as you listen to the lead single “Praying.” “I had to learn how to fight for myself / And we both know all the truth I could tell /I’ll just say this is “I wish you farewell” Kesha does not mention Dr. Luke by name, but is believed to be referencing him. Yet, the song is a healer for all those who have been torn down by others. She is joined by Eagles of Death Metal, The Dap-Kings Horns, and country icon Dolly Parton.
The song “Woman,” featuring The Dap-Horn Kings, with its Louisiana flare and funk mix set to the tune of several live instruments. The song an anthem to raise your spirits, before you listen to “Let ‘Em Talk” where she gives her musical “F you” send off to all those who judge her, encouraging others to do the same. “Do your worst, ’cause nothing’s gonna stop me now” They can try their worst, but Rainbow is proof she is unstoppable in her rise from the ashes. —Matt Reich
Ctrl by SZA
Label: Top Dawg Entertainment
Released: June 9
SZA’s Ctrl is the album that you never knew you needed in your life until you heard it.
The album brings the classic R&B and neosoul vibes while also giving the listener a taste of a more subtle, indie rock ballads influence as well. When asked about her inspiration behind the album, she sums it up in a concise statement, “Ctrl is a concept, I’ve lacked control my whole life and I think I’ve craved it my whole life.” Who can’t relate to that? As a 20-something feeling her way around in this world, I can personally relate to some of the scenarios written about in SZA’s dreamy tracks. —Chelsea Renay
Melodrama by Lorde
Label: Interscope/Republic Records
Released: June 16
Let’s just talk about one of the most talented, young artists of our generation.
Lorde’s “Green Light” was easily the song of the summer, with her lyrics resonating with heartbroken but kickass women everywhere. I know that I constantly had “Thought you said that you would always be in love, but you’re not in love no more,” stuck in my head even when I wasn’t feeling gloomy.
Four years after the release of Pure Heroine, by a shy teenager, Lorde lays her whole, wild heart out in Melodrama. The now 21-year-old and her producer/co-writer Jack Antonoff built her most recent album off of whether or not the New Zealand singer should mourn the loss of her first love, or move on and embrace the singe life . This dynamic plays out fantastically in the album.
It is structured with extreme highs and lows that signify the rockiness of young relationships. Some songs resonate with the heartbroken, while others have a more post-breakup feel of freedom.
So, whether you’re feeling somber or you’re ready to party, the album truly has something for everyone and from start to finish is simply killer. — Liv Meier
Lust for Life by Lana del Rey
Label: Interscope
Released: July 21
Lana Del Rey’s fourth studio album marks a starch departure from her typical melancholic, lamenting over lost loves persona. On Lust for Life, Del Rey has appeared, at least lyrically, to have underwent a significant personal transformation.
Even when the first images of her album cover were released, fans knew they were in for something very different. The broad smile Del Rey broadcasts prominently from her cover art is a break in the pattern of moody pouts she has sported in each prior album cover. The title truly marks a change in attitude, and a newfound lust for life.
Collaborations with hip hop icons The Weeknd, Playboi Carti, and long-time collaborator and friend ASAP Rocky are interspersed throughout the record, and often feel a little all over the place. However, hip hop influences have always been a factor in Del Rey’s music. It seemed fitting that she harken back to some of her urban influenced roots that marked much of her debut Born to Die on this latest album.
Production-wise, Del Rey maintains the relationships with her previous producers and engineers, such as Rick Nowels, Kieron Menzies, Justin Parker and Max Martin. This time around, though, she has enlisted the help of a few other members of music royalty to round out the record.
On Lust for Life, Del Rey collaborates with the white witch herself, Stevie Nicks, as well as Sean Ono Lennon, son of John Lennon. “Beautiful People with Beautiful Problems” with Nicks, and “Tomorrow Never Came” with Ono Lennon, are two of my personal favorites off of the album, and in my opinion two of the most beautiful folk pop songs to have been released in decades.
Lines like, “It’s enough to be young and in love,” on her lead single “Love,” and “There’s a change gonna come, I don’t know where or when/But whenever it does, we’ll be here for it,” on “Change,” further cement the idea that the brooding siren has undergone a major growth of character.
Perhaps the most poignant record on the album, however, is the last track, “Get Free.” In the closing track, Del Rey weaves a beautiful narrative of the convoluted world she has been living in throughout her years in the limelight.
“Sometimes it feels like I’ve got a war in my mind, I want to get off, but I keep ridin’ the ride/ I never really noticed that I had to decide, To play someone’s game or live my own life/ And now I do/ I wanna move/ Out of the black (out of the black)/ Into the blue” The chorus rings out triumphantly, and listeners are left feeling a weight lifted from the dark, somber place most of her albums exist in, and into a weightless, ethereal plane of personal awakening. Del Rey recognizes that the part she previously has played may have been grounded in more truth than she originally realized, but now she is finally ready to move from the black, into the blue. — Nora-Grayce Orosz
More Life by Drake
Released: March 18
Champagne Papi has done it again. The Canadian rapper’s album, More Life, exceeded fans expectations after his bomb release of Views just a year earlier. After dominating the Billboard Hot 100 charts with catchy, lead single, “Fake Love,” he proved his 22-song-playlist is one for solo experimentation and expressive collabs.
Singles “Blem,” “Passionfruit,” and “Teenage Fever,” presented the supple beats and velvety R&B side of Drake that we’re glad to see revived after his similar chart-breaking single “Fire & Desire” from Views.
The track “Get it Together,” (featuring Black Coffee and Jorja Smith) is sure ease your soul with newcomer Smith’s enchanting vocals, proving herself worthy of being the only female addition to the album. His collab-based singles such as “Portland” (featuring Quavo and Travis Scott) and “Glow” (featuring Kanye West) elevated some true rap melodies and are sure to become your favorite “hype” songs.
Thanks Drake, my fellow Scorpio, for becoming the first artist I go to every time I open my Spotify. — Nicole Acosta
Nora-Grayce Orosz, Former Managing Editor
Nora-Grayce is a journalism major from Yonkers. She's a music and pop culture addict who lives for festivals and food. In her spare time she can be found...
Steven Keehner, Impact Staff
Steven Keehner was the Managing Editor of the greatest publication on the Hudson.
Hailing from the mediocre Town of Oyster Bay, New York, he enjoys...
Chelsea Renay, Former Social Media Editor
Chelsea. Chelsea Renay. Chels. Che (Only if you're her best friend Sam!) Chelsea Martin is a New Haven, Conn. native and is studying Radio and Television...
Liv Meier, Former Associate Editor
Olivia Meier, most commonly referred to as Liv, is a journalism student at Mercy College. And while she loves New York, she is a true Jersey girl. If she’s...
Nicole Acosta, Managing Editor
Nicole is from The Bronx and is a journalism major at Mercy College. Her hobbies include discovering new places to eat on a budget, photography, listening...
Matt Reich, Former Associate Editor
Matt Reich is a guy constantly on the go who can't let a minute go unused. Born in a city in Texas, raised in rural Connecticut, and now he's trying to...
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The Force Is Strong with These 10 Star Wars Films
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The information above does not qualify as a recommendation or an opinion with regard to conducting any transaction or investment. Each investor should conduct his or her own checks and verifications, while taking into account his or her specific circumstances and requirements. All the relevant aspects of the purchase, including the legal, economic and tax aspects, should be carefully examined with the assistance of professionals and consultants on the investor’s behalf. The information above or on the site and the blog does not qualify as an offer of investment and is meant for general information only. Offers for selling of the securities will be delivered only to ‘Accredited Investors‘ as defined in the first supplement of the Israeli Securities Law, 5728-1968. The Elephant, shall not be responsible or liable and shall not guarantee in any way the return of the investments to investors, including any profits earned as a result of such investments. The engagement with the investors shall be in accordance with the transaction documents and the conditions stipulated therein, subject to the negotiations that will be held with the investors. The Elephant charges fees from sellers and buyers of securities, and therefore The Elephant has an interest in the information posted about various companies. The information published on the Site, does not constitutes an investment consulting as defined in the Regulation of Investment Consulting, Investment Marketing and Portfolio Management, 1995, and the said information is not a substitute for professional consulting which among others takes into consideration the special needs of every person. For those who are considering making an investment (including sale and purchase of securities) via the website, can apply different laws deriving from their residence or citizenship, including tax laws, laws relating to the statement or report on investment activity, laws relating to the eligibility of investing, regulatory issues in process and so on. Therefore, those who are considering making such an investment, undertake to examine the applicability of any applicable laws, as they are committed to take all necessary action in order not to violate the said laws, including to disclose fully and fairly in relation to any investment to any local lawfully authority, as the law requires such disclosure.
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Maja Göpel
Maja Göpel is a political economist and important voice for a sustainable transformation of society working at the intersection of economy, politics and society. She presents her ideas in scientific publications ("The Great Mindshift") as well as public books “Unsere Welt neu denken”, which has been on the German bestseller list for months. From 2017 to 2020, she was Secretary-General of the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU), a body that advises the government on the design of global transformations towards sustainability. Previously, she headed the Berlin office of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy and represented the interests of future generations in EU and UN processes as Director Future Justice at the World Future Council. In 2019, Maja Göpel was appointed honorary professor at the Leuphana University of Lüneburg. She is a member of the Club of Rome, the World Future Council, the Balaton Group, the Bioeconomy Council of the German Federal Government and a co-initiator of the Scientists for Future network. On top of that, she supports several organisations by being a member of their scientific advisory councils, board of trustees or foundation councils.
"Unser Welt neu denken. Eine Einladung", 2020
"The Great Mindshift. How a New Economic Paradime and Sustainability Transformations go Hand in Hand", 2016
Email: maja.goepel@thenew.institute
Twitter: @beyond_ideology
What gives you hope?
All forms of love.
How does change happen?
When a set of committed people decide to unite their abilities.
If you could have a conversation with one person (dead or alive) who would that be?
Gandhi.
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The Difference Engine – First UK Start Up Incubator Outside London For All
by James Glick — in UK
The Difference Engine is a new incubator, based in the north-east of the UK, willing to put £200,000.00 into 10 budding digital start ups that can be based anywhere.
In what is thought to be one of the first major acceleration programmes outside of London, they will receive 8% equity on any return the start ups make with the aim of sparking an increasingly attractive business environment in the local and national economy.
Although they are looking to develop the local business environment, businesses are not restricted to the area after the programme and can be from anywhere; as long as they can work legally in the UK that is.
The programme revolves around a mentoring system with both public sector and entrepreneurial support offering a fantastic opportunity for the winning applicants. Some of the mentors include influential individuals from both local and national company’s including Strategic Development Director of Onyx Group, Alistair White and Alan Timothy, Chief Scientist at i-snapshot.
The launch of The Difference Engine is a reflection upon how much unlocked entrepreneurial talent we know there is in the UK and Europe,” said Jon Bradford, managing director, The Difference Engine. “A lot of this talent never realises its potential because there is limited access for young entrepreneurs to intensive mentor lead programmes. The Difference Engine is something UK entrepreneurialism, and the digital sector, worldwide, has been crying out for.”
At the start, each team will be given £20,000 in return for an eight per cent share in the resulting business. At the conclusion of the programme, investor-ready businesses, will present to a group of venture capitalists and angel investors at a demonstration day.
John Bradford, the man behind the programme re-affirms the need and also the potential for these kind of offerings in the UK.
“Similar programmes have been a great success overseas, namely TechStars in the US, and such initiatives really can play a crucial role in developing a start-up culture,” continued Bradford. “We are confident that the calibre of this programme will enable the creation of some of the country’s most exciting digital start-ups, who will make a valuable contribution to the UK’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
“The Difference Engine is comparable to Y Combinator (Silicon Valley), TechStars (Boulder, Colorado & Boston, Massachusetts) and Seedcamp (London). Outside of London, this will be the first major acceleration programme to be set up in Europe.” read the Press release.
The first programme, based in Middlesbrough is as mentioned accepting applicants now with a deadline of 4 January 2010 and start date of 15 February. The second will start in July and be based in nearby Sunderland.
There is an abundance of talent in the UK, and with The Difference Engine and hopefully many more programmes from them and other accelerators, we will see increased innovation and investment on British soil.
Here at The Next Web UK – we have a real passion for start ups and look forward to not only hearing how the programme and it’s start ups get on but any other talented businesses wanting to expose their products and services to a UK and international audience.
Read next: The Difference Engine - First UK Start Up Incubator Outside London For All
Surveillance group exposes disturbing Huawei patent for AI-powered Uighur detection
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Home Columnist New White House Could Permanently Remove Public ...
New White House Could Permanently Remove Public Charge Rule
By SUNITA SOHRABJI/EMS Contributing Editor
The incoming Biden-Harris administration has an opportunity to immediately revoke implementation of the public charge rule, easing anxiety for millions of immigrants who have denied themselves federal benefits over the past three years for fear of losing their ability to upgrade their immigration status.
“Public charge will be a front-burner issue for the new administration because it is so entwined with our current public health crisis and connected to the pandemic,” said Daniel Sharp, chief of the Office of Immigrant Affairs in Los Angeles County’s Department of Consumer and Business Affairs. “We do expect the new administration to prioritize the issue,” he said in an interview with EMS, noting that President-elect Joe Biden had committed to ending the rule while campaigning for office.
If Democrats take back the Senate with the Jan. 5 Georgia run-off election, the incoming Congress has an opportunity to permanently remove public charge from the immigration code, said Sharp. He noted that if it is not permanently removed, a future administration could once again implement the rule, which has had an enormously chilling impact on immigrants even before it was formally rolled out by the outgoing Trump administration.
“It is going to take a multi-year effort to undo the harm that this rule change has set in,” he said.
The public charge rule, which was introduced with the Immigration Act of 1882, is a means test used to determine ineligibility for immigration or residency status. The seldom-used rule can be used by consulates abroad to determine whether an applicant could ever become completely dependent on public benefits; and by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to deny a green card to those unable to essentially pass a wealth test. Factors such as age, the ability to speak English, and future earning capabilities are used as determinants of whether or not to grant a visa or green card.
USCIS can deny a green card to immigrants who have ever used Supplemental Security Income; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; general assistance cash benefits (welfare); Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly called food stamps); Section 8 Housing or Rental Assistance; or federally funded Medicaid.
Public charge is not invoked during the naturalization process.
Critics of the rule have called it a “cruel wealth test,” used to keep poor immigrants out of the U.S. In the early 1900s, the rule was frequently invoked to bar immigrants from the developing world for permanent residency in the U.S. In more recent years, the rule has been less frequently invoked: prior to 2019, less than one percent of all immigration cases were denied based on the public charge rule.
Currently, more than 10.3 million immigrants use some form of federal benefits.
Manjusha Kulkarni, executive director of the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, noted that when President Donald Trump hinted in 2017 that he was going to implement the little-used rule, “the news spread like wildfire in the immigrant community.”
Even before the rule was finalized in August 2019, immigrants began denying themselves federal benefits, including school lunch programs, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which are not considered in public charge determinations; immigrants nonetheless dis-enrolled their children from the benefits, fearing possible impact to their immigration status.
Kulkarni referred to data from Health Affairs which reported that 260,000 immigrant children had been dis-enrolled by their families from receiving Medicaid since 2018 and 70,000 children were no longer enrolled in SNAP.
A paper published by the Journal of Pediatrics in December noted the severe impact of the public charge rule on children. “By tying the use of vital public health programs to immigration and residency status, the Administration is forcing a choice between seeking critical services or securing status in the United Status,” said the authors of the study: Nina Patel, Swapna Reddy and Natalia Wilson of Arizona State University. The described the rule as impacting the most-vulnerable children in the nation.
“Current anti-immigrant sentiment, rhetoric, and policy changes, such as the public charge rule, have resulted in a culture of fear, misinformation, distrust, and isolation, all of which have health implications,” noted Patel, Reddy, and Wilson.
Despite the current uncertain future of the rule, Kulkarni encouraged immigrants to avail of federal benefits, especially during the pandemic. “It is so important for all of us to stay as safe and as healthy as possible at this time, when we are living under the greatest public health crisis of our lifetime.”
“People should not go without meals, COVID-testing and care, and housing benefits,” she said, noting that the Biden Administration is likely to take a “180 degree turn” to remove the rule.
Sharp noted that immigrants in California also began dis-enrolling from Medical, a state-funded program, for fear of losing their immigration status. “People were confused,” he said, adding also that students dropped their applications for federal scholarship programs, which are not considered in public charge determinations. Benefits were also dropped by U.S. citizen children living in mixed-status families with undocumented parents or siblings.
At the start of the pandemic, Sharp’s office began receiving a record number of calls from immigrants who were concerned about accessing benefits. “The people most impacted by the pandemic were not applying for public benefits,” he said.
Sharp characterized it as a “double whammy.” Undocumented people, despite being gainfully employed with deductions taken out of their paychecks, did not qualify for unemployment insurance benefits, and they were not accessing benefits for which they were qualified to receive, he said.
The public charge rule is written so as not to be invoked during a national crisis, but immigrants have little understanding about the nuances of the rule, said Sharp. National election results, which brought Biden to office, held out a glimmer of hope for immigrants “that better times are ahead in the near future,” he said, but added: “We have been down this road before. There have been so many moments of on again, off again in this tennis match of implementation.”
After the final rule was rolled out in August, 2019, it was immediately blocked by several lower courts.
On Jan. 27, the U.S. Supreme Court granted the administration’s Public Charge: New Ethical Considerations for Adjustment Cases and allowed public charge to be implemented nationwide beginning Feb. 24, just as the COVID pandemic began to take force in the U.S.
On Nov. 2, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals blocked public charge in the Cook County v. Wolf case. Amy Coney Barrett, now a Supreme Court Justice, wrote the dissenting opinion, siding with the Trump Administration’s theory that immigrants must be able to prove self-sufficiency. That case will now be heard by a full panel in the 7th Circuit. Meanwhile, immigrants in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin must continue to file the I-944 form, a declaration of self sufficiency, with their adjustment of status applications.
On Dec. 2, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in the City and County of San Francisco v. USCIS case, blocked the rule from being implemented in 15 states, including California.
Kulkarni said it is highly unlikely that the incoming administration will appeal the Ninth Circuit ruling. Consulates abroad have been blocked from implementing the public charge rule since July.
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【NEW EXHIBITION】100th Rose Queen
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Cathay posts record loss of more than $1 bln
Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airlines posted a staggering half-year loss of over a billion U.S. dollars on Wednesday (August 12).
The company's chairman Patrick Healy called the first six months of 2020 quote "most challenging that the Cathay Pacific Group has faced in its more than 70-year history."
Like the rest of the travel industry amid the global health crisis, the year has been a hammer blow for Cathay, which has reduced its passenger flights to a barebone schedule.
Passengers are few - and border restrictions around the world make travel difficult.
Cathay has received a $5 billion dollar rescue package led by Hong Kong's government.
So far, it hasn't made large-scale job cuts, but it has warned it is reviewing all aspects of its business model with an update expected by the fourth quarter.
It's reached a deal with Airbus to delay delivery of new planes to try and save cash, and says it's in talks with Boeing to do the same.
It's also begun to send a third of its fleet, which is mostly grounded, outside of Hong Kong to store them in less humid conditions.
According to an average of 13 analysts polled by Refinitiv expects, Cathay is expected to report a full-year loss of nearly $1.8 billion dollars.
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Laura Whitmore defends appearance on British Army podcast, saying she was not ‘trying to recruit people’
Sabrina Barr
Laura Whitmore has defended her recent appearance on a British Army podcast following criticism, saying she is not “trying to recruit people” to join the army.
On Monday 3 August, The Locker, a new podcast by the British Army, launched its first episode, with the subject line: “Could the gym be bad for your confidence?”
The debut episode features host Natalie Morris, who is joined by Whitmore and serving army soldier Ella to discuss the impact of the gym on body positivity.
Whitmore shared a post on Instagram promoting the podcast, posting a photograph of herself wearing a camouflage-print sweatshirt and saying she was “really pleased to share the first episode of the new podcast series”.
The Irish presenter's post originally included the hashtag “#armyjobs”, but this tag has since been deleted.
Several people criticised Whitmore for starring on the podcast and sharing the post on Instagram, claiming that she was trying to “recruit” for the British army.
“Very disappointed in Laura Whitmore promoting the British army. Given our history with Britain and what that army has done to us in our not so far back history you’d think an Irish woman she’d have more cop on,” one Twitter user from Ireland wrote.
“Laura Whitmore says she wasn’t trying to recruit for the British army despite using the #armyjobs tag and it being advertised by... army jobs,” another said.
Some critics also expressed their confusion that immediately following her social media posts about her appearance on the podcast, Whitmore shared a tribute to John Hume, the late Northern Irish politician who won a Nobel Peace Prize and helped to bring about the end to the Troubles.
A post shared by Laura (@thewhitmore) on Aug 3, 2020 at 9:33am PDT
“It’s too early for me to get my head around Laura Whitmore’s ad for the British Army podcast, followed by a John Hume quote,” tweeted write Lisa Hughes.
Whitmore responded to the tweet, saying: “Well when you’re trying to get your head around it, actually listen to the podcast and a really important conversation for women and being female in all sorts of male dominated industries.”
Hughes replied to Whitmore stating: “I’m a big fan of your work but thought this was really disappointing. I don’t see what gender has to do with it. John devoted his life to stopping the atrocities of the same army this podcast is effectively a recruitment drive for.”
In response, the Love Island presenter said: “Gender has EVERYTHING to do with it as that’s the conversation,” before stating in another tweet that “every industry and body is bettered by equality and a balance of all sexes”.
Well when you’re trying to get your head around it, actually listen to the podcast and a really important conversation for women and being female in all sorts of male dominated industries x
— Laura Whitmore (@thewhitmore)
Whitmore later shared two follow-up tweets in response to the criticism she received, saying that the focus of the podcast was to highlight “body issues”.
“I was asked to be a guest on a podcast talking about body issues and being a female in a male dominated industry. As I have done a lot in the past,” the 35-year-old said.
“The other guest was a young female soldier. If this looked like me trying to recruit people to the army that is not the case at all.”
I was asked to be a guest on a podcast talking about body issues and being a female in a male dominated industry. As I have done a lot in the past. The other guest was a young female soldier. If this looked like me trying to recruit people to the army that is not the case at all
The presenter added that she wanted to “clear up” any “confusion” about her decision to appear on the British Army podcast.
“I know to those who actually listen to the podcast they’ll understand but in case there’s any confusion I wanted to clear it up,” she said.
Laura Whitmore says it took her a year to talk about her miscarriage
Black women in the UK four times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth
Black women in the UK four times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirthDisparity with white women shows need for action, doctors say, despite slight improvement in mortality rate
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Ex-Trump campaign aide sues over Russia probe surveillance
FILE - In this Nov. 2, 2017, photo, Carter Page, a foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, speaks with reporters following a day of questions from the House Intelligence Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Page, who was the target of a secret surveillance warrant during the FBI’s Russia investigation says in a federal lawsuit filed Friday, Nov. 27, 2020, that he was the victim of “unlawful spying.” The suit from Carter Page alleges a series of omissions and errors made by FBI and Justice Department officials in applications they submitted to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to eavesdrop on Page on suspicion that he was an agent of Russia.(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former Trump campaign associate who was the target of a secret surveillance warrant during the FBI's Russia investigation says in a federal lawsuit that he was the victim of “unlawful spying.”
The suit from Carter Page alleges a series of omissions and errors made by FBI and Justice Department officials in applications they submitted in 2016 and 2017 to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to eavesdrop on Page on suspicion that he was an agent of Russia.
“Since not a single proven fact ever established complicity with Russia involving Dr. Page, there never was probable cause to seek or obtain the FISA Warrants targeting him on this basis,” the lawsuit says, using the acronym for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
Page has received death and kidnapping threats and has suffered economic losses and “irreparable damage to his reputation," according to the lawsuit, which was filed Friday in federal court in Washington.
The lawsuit to some extent echoes the conclusions of a Justice Department inspector general report that found significant problems with the four applications. Former FBI and Justice Department leaders who were involved in signing off on the surveillance have since testified they wouldn't have done so had they known of the extent of the issues, and the FBI has initiated more than 40 corrective steps aimed at improving the accuracy and thoroughness of applications.
In the complaint, Page accuses the FBI of relying excessively for information on Christopher Steele, a former British spy whose research during the 2016 campaign into Donald Trump's ties to Russia was funded by Democrats. It says the FBI failed to tell the surveillance court that Steele's primary source had contradicted information that Steele had attributed to him, or that Page had denied to an informant for the FBI having “any involvement with Russia on behalf of the Trump campaign.”
The complaint also accuses the FBI of having misled the surveillance court about his relationship with the CIA, for whom Page had been an operational contact between 2008 and 2013. A former FBI lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, pleaded guilty in August to altering an email to say that Page had not been a source for the CIA.
The suit names as defendants the FBI and the Justice Department, as well as former FBI Director James Comey, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and additional officials who were involved in the Russia investigation.
Despite the problems with the warrant applications, the scrutiny of Page, who was never charged with any wrongdoing, accounted for only a narrow portion of the overall investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
The same inspector general report that detailed problems in the applications also concluded that the FBI had a legitimate basis for opening the Russia investigation, and did not find evidence that any of its actions were influenced by political bias.
3 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Superstars On Reclaiming The Feminine Power Of Make-Up
We're all born naked and the rest is drag
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The Birth of the Coalition of Normal People May Be Upon Us
Posted: Nov 06, 2020 12:01 AM
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.
Source: AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu
Throughout this election, there were signs of the birth of a coalition of normal people unhappy with the radical turns our country has been taking. Regardless of how the presidential race turns out, the potential political realignment is unmistakable. Hispanic and blue-collar workers are shifting noticeably away from the overtures of the left-wing, "defund the police" crowd. I'm not sure who thought violence and looting in the streets of so many of our cities would have no political repercussions, but it did, and it brought regular Americans together in a way that bodes well for the future.
Our election year was dominated by antifa riots on one side and QAnon conspiracies on the other. Between actual Marxists lighting buildings on fire and huge swaths of America thinking our country is run by a secret pedophile ring, it was hard not to fear for our future.
The hard left, with the backing of the corporate media and many in corporate America, made a serious effort to stoke American racial division. Since the sin of slavery centuries ago, the issue of race has cut against all that America is supposed to stand for. Civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. fought hard to put those issues behind us and asked us to look at each person's character rather than what color skin they happened to be born with. That very premise -- a cornerstone of liberal American thinking -- was under attack this year. The overwhelming defeat of that attack has been the best part of this whole election.
The most dramatic shift happened in the state of Florida, where the Hispanic population consists of a large number of Cubans and Venezuelans. Despite the rise in socialist popularity among our youth, those with the most direct personal experience with left-wing government came out hard against it. Hillary Clinton won the Hispanic vote in Florida by 27 points in 2016. This time, President Donald Trump drew to a near tie. Results in other states were less dramatic, but even in Georgia and Ohio, Trump performed around 15 points better against Joe Biden than he did against Hillary. According to CNN's exit polling, Trump also picked up about 4 points among African Americans nationally over his performance in 2016.
These are large gains, and they are more noteworthy considering the months of racial division our country has just been through. What's driving the change? The two most obvious answers are criminal justice and economic concerns. Voters of all stripes trusted Trump more on the economy and crime. Despite the left's attempts to make absolutely everything about race, it turns out that kitchen-table issues are still important to minority communities.
Americans have for too long voted largely along racial lines. If those trends had continued, based on our country's demographics alone, the Republican party would have become a permanent minority party. That was the Democrats' hope for converting states such as Florida and Texas.
It seems like we may instead be shifting to more voting by economic interests. Those at the lower end of our wage scale have felt stuck in neutral (or reverse), while top-income Americans have benefited from international trade, automation and the information technology age. During the Trump years, for the first time in a long time, lower-income workers saw larger wage gains than middle- or higher-income workers. Voters seem to know that. That's what the results show, anyway.
All this presents a huge opportunity for the Republican Party. If Republicans can capture more hardworking Americans of all races, our politics will be forever changed. On the flip side, if Republicans don't pull off that sort of realignment, they are doomed to fail in a demographically changing country. A Republican party focused on moving beyond harmful racial divisions and improving the plight of working Americans seems possible based on the results we are seeing.
Figuring out how to share prosperity more widely without harming prosperity in the process is a real challenge. Too many Americans have felt left behind in an increasingly global and automated economy. It's not easy to come up with fixes for that, but to date, our political leaders haven't really tried. They're closely attuned to the needs of the huge businesses that dominate Washington. Those businesses have flourished these past few decades. In the process, we have seen that what's good for big business -- especially huge, multinational businesses with overseas growth goals -- is not always what's good for America.
Many politicians still don't even recognize the issue. They decry populism and the ugliness that can come with it without looking at its root causes. Others, who do see what's really happening in our country, have chosen the easy way out by demagoguing these issues with superficial, politically popular fixes rather than real solutions. We need a third option: smart politicians who are committed to finding real solutions to restore the American dream for the many who feel it slipping away.
We have a country worth fixing. Addressing these issues should be the primary focus going forward. If the Republicans do that, then they could be home to a broader, more enduring, working-class majority of regular Americans of all races. The left fears this more than anything else. On the flip side, if we continue to ignore this dynamic, the result will probably be a continued surge in socialist popularity among young Americans, as we have seen these past few years.
Just ask the Cubans how that turns out.
Neil Patel co-founded The Daily Caller, one of America's fastest-growing online news outlets, which regularly breaks news and distributes it to over 15 million monthly readers. Patel also co-founded The Daily Caller News Foundation, a nonprofit news company that trains journalists, produces fact-checks and conducts longer-term investigative reporting. The Daily Caller News Foundation licenses its content free of charge to over 300 news outlets, reaching potentially hundreds of millions of people per month.
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Jan 28, 2013 11:33am PT
Rosenblum’s future on WB lot remains unsettled
TV Group president may depart studio when his deal ends in August
Stuart Levine, Cynthia Littleton
Now that Warner Bros. TV Group president Bruce Rosenblum has been passed over for the CEO job, the question is whether he will remain at the studio.
Ultimately, however, it may not be his decision.
Rosenblum’s current deal ends in August, and newly tabbed CEO Kevin Tsujihara may want to bring in someone new to run the TV group or promote someone from within — think Warner Bros.’ popular TV president Peter Roth — to the top smallscreen job on the lot.
Though Rosenblum has succeeded in putting Warner Bros. on top as the most productive TV studio in town, Tsujihara could be concerned about dealing with an employee who feels slighted. The lingering sting over not receiving the Golden Ticket to take Warner Bros. into the future as its new CEO could affect Rosenblum’s relationship with Tsujihara.
The drawn-out, extremely public process of appointing a successor to Warner Bros. chairman-CEO Barry Meyer was antithetical to what insiders on the Burbank lot refer to as “the Warner Bros. way.” The studio has long prided itself on stability and humility among its top execs.
Speculation about the studio’s future boss was fired up from the moment Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes set in motion the “bakeoff” among Tsujihara, Rosenblum and Jeff Robinov for the CEO title. Rather than quieting the industry chatter, the September 2010 decision to extend Meyer’s contract by another two years and create an “office of the president” comprised of the three execs only heightened the scrutiny of the trio, on and off the lot. It also suggested a more top-down approach to running the studio’s three main business units — and that has never been the Warner Bros. corporate business model.
More than any of the other majors, sources say, WB is run as a series of fiefdoms — a mentality that predates Meyer’s 14-year tenure as CEO. The news of Tsujihara’s appointment on Monday came as a shock to most execs in the TV and film units, in part because he’s such an unknown commodity to most of them.
The film, homevid and TV divisions have few crossover activities, and historically, there’s never been much high-level brainstorming or information sharing among senior management. There’s also little cheerleading for individual accomplishments, but rather an emphasis on respecting the studio’s collective muscle around the world and the storied legacy that goes all the way back to the five Warner brothers who got their start in the nickelodeon biz a century ago.
“They leave you alone to run your business,” said a top WB exec. “As long as you run it well, they let you do your own thing.”
The culture of autonomy extends across the country to the Time Warner corporate offices in Gotham. Few if any execs on the Burbank lot had any real insight into Bewkes’ thinking about the CEO succession issue because he wasn’t showing his hand. When media reports emerged last summer that Rosenblum’s appointment was a fait accompli, Bewkes didn’t hide his exasperation, telling reporters that he would make up his mind when he was good and ready.
Almost as frustrating as the run-up to the decision was the mystery around why Rosenblum didn’t get the job. Many on the lot and around Hollywood thought he would be given the CEO title.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed; who wouldn’t be?” he said in a corporate statement that was surprising in its honesty. “Warner Bros. is a unique and special place, and I know it will be in good hands with Kevin at the helm. I continue to be proud of our accomplishments, and I have the most respect and admiration for our amazing team at the studio — a team that is thriving in an ever-transforming business.”
The conventional wisdom had settled on Rosenblum because Warner’s thriving TV group is such a big part of the studio’s overall business — not to mention the importance of TV profits (also harvested from Turner nets and HBO) to Time Warner. Some industry insiders speculated that Bewkes took a counterintuitive approach in assessing the CEO needs and that Rosenblum may have been handicapped by his own success as leader of the TV Group.
The division heads and organizations below him are solid and stable — meaning that they can withstand his departure should he move on.
If Rosenblum leaves, those to be considered for the post would include not only Roth — who also runs reality-heavy Warner Horizon and Warner Bros. Animation — but three others who report directly to Rosenblum.
Jeffrey Schlesinger is the well-regarded longtime boss of Warner Bros. Intl. and has helped the studio pocket billions from the global sales of WBTV series. There’s also Hilary Estey McLoughlin, who heads Telepictures, and Ken Werner, in charge of domestic TV distribution.
Many insiders believed Rosenblum would have ultimately been the best choice as CEO based on Warner Bros.’ healthy TV business, which accounts for more than 50% of WB’s revenue. WBTV has over 50 series — scripted and reality — on the air across both broadcast and cable.
Tops for the studio right now is CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory,” which, in its sixth season, just hit a series high in total viewers by topping 20 million overall viewers. Show has been a goldmine for Warner Bros. not only on the domestic front in primetime but on the syndie side as well on TBS and station groups. Pricetag for the syndie sale was about $2 million per episode.
Other hit shows for Warner Bros. include NBC’s “The Voice” and newbie drama “Revolution,” both of which were instrumental in moving NBC from fourth to first in the 18-49 demo this fall, as well as “Person of Interest,” “Two and a Half Men” and “Arrow.”
Currently in the midst of pilot season, the studio has several promising shows that could move forward to series, including a pair from J.J. Abrams (including “Believe” at NBC) and “Boomerang,” a John Wells project at Fox.
The choice of Tsujihara, with a background in home entertainment and digital media, signals the skill sets that Bewkes sees as necessary to lead the studio in the future. Yet many on the TV side were surprised given that Rosenblum’s team of domestic and international execs have spearheaded virtually all of their own dealmaking in emerging markets and new-media platforms. But Bewkes has long been an inscrutable decisionmaker — as evidenced last month when he handed the reins of CNN to Jeff Zucker, a polarizing figure in the TV biz.
Of the three execs in the footrace for the CEO crown, Rosenblum has the longest tenure in the WB fold. He joined the studio in 1989 as part of its acquisition of Lorimar Telepictures. He has long been seen as a protege of Meyer’s, which also made him a logical frontrunner for the promotion. Sources said Meyer made a point of not lobbying Bewkes on behalf of any of the three.
Rosenblum’s move in 2011 to be elected post of chairman-CEO of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences was seen in the industry as a bit of campaigning for the larger CEO leadership role — but that may have backfired.
A longtime colleague of Rosenblum’s said he was motivated by the TV Acad’s clear need for a strong leader with “skin in the game” as an active participant in the biz and by his natural optimism that he could make things better.
Now that Warner Bros.’ season of corporate politicking has come to a close, Rosenblum still has plenty of skin in the game. And that natural optimism? Friends predict he’ll be bloodied for a time but ultimately unbowed.
• Knocking on Kevin’s door
• Robinov retains pic power base, but speculation stirs
• Kevin Tsujihara’s WB milestones
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Tower Hamlets District
Statistical comparisons will be made with Havering (change comparison)
Total Population 1801 to 2011: Population grew from 159,799 in 1801 to 254,096 in 2011.
Age Structure, in 5-year bands, from 1861 to 2011: In 1861, only 3.31 per cent of the population were aged 65 and over, but by 2011 6.13 per cent were.
Changing Industrial Structure 1841 to 2011: In 1841, 45.53 per cent of all workers worked in manufacturing, but in 2011 this had fallen to 1.96 per cent.
Male Unemployment from 1931 to 2011: The highest male unemployment rate recorded by the census was 27.54 per cent in 1991, and the lowest was 2.92 in 1961.
Precentage of workforce with degrees 1951 to 2011: In 1951, only .641 per cent of occupied males had stayed in education past age 20, but in 2011 41.03 per cent of the population had degree-level qualifications.
Proportion of male workers with professional and managerial jobs, from 1951 to 2011: In 1951, 7.88 per cent of men had these generally better paid jobs, and in 2011 this had risen to 32.2 per cent.
Over-crowded housing, from 1911 to 2011: In 1911, 57.14 per cent of people were living in households with over 1.5 persons per room, but in 2011 this had fallen to 6.76 per cent.
Tower Hamlets District, Middlesex
TOWER HAMLETS Preferred English Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
00BG Code: Office for National Statistics English Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
This unit was associated with the following other units:
Nature of association
Other unit involved
was preceded by TOWER HAMLETS LB Local Government District F. Youngs, Local Administrative Units: Southern England (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 311.
LONDON Government Office Region Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
INNER LONDON Modern (post 1974) County Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
LONDON CfC Primary Urban Area Centre for Cities, Primary Urban Areas: Spatial definitions
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, Tower Hamlets District through time | Census tables with data for the District/Unitary Authority, A Vision of Britain through Time.
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| 0.874252
| 0.874252
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North Norfolk District
Statistical comparisons will be made with Uttlesford (change comparison)
Total Population 1801 to 2011: Population grew from 46,190 in 1801 to 101,499 in 2011.
Age Structure, in 5-year bands, from 1861 to 2011: In 1861, only 7.24 per cent of the population were aged 65 and over, but by 2011 28.77 per cent were.
Changing Industrial Structure 1841 to 2011: In 1841, 50.92 per cent of all workers worked in agriculture, but in 2011 this had fallen to 3.94 per cent.
Male Unemployment from 1931 to 2011: The highest male unemployment rate recorded by the census was 9.11 per cent in 1991, and the lowest was 1.48 in 1951.
Precentage of workforce with degrees 1951 to 2011: In 1951, only 2.11 per cent of occupied males had stayed in education past age 20, but in 2011 22.26 per cent of the population had degree-level qualifications.
Proportion of male workers with professional and managerial jobs, from 1951 to 2011: In 1951, 17.66 per cent of men had these generally better paid jobs, but in 2011 this had fallen to 17.42 per cent.
Over-crowded housing, from 1911 to 2011: In 1911, 17.55 per cent of people were living in households with over 1.5 persons per room, but in 2011 this had fallen to .24 per cent.
North Norfolk District, Norfolk
NORTH NORFOLK Preferred English Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
33UF Code: Office for National Statistics English Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
We know of no associations with other units.
EAST Government Office Region Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
NORFOLK Modern (post 1974) County Census of Population (2001 Key Statistics)
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, North Norfolk District through time | Census tables with data for the District/Unitary Authority, A Vision of Britain through Time.
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by Alex Sharp | Nov 4, 2020 | Past Shows
This is the hilarious story of a theatre group trying desperately to put on a play in spite of maddening interference from a haughty author who keeps revising the script. Act I is a rehearsal of the dreadful show, Act II is the near disastrous dress...
Flaming Idiots
by Alex Sharp | Sep 1, 2020 | Past Shows
Carl and Phil decide that the ladder to success at the post office is missing a few rungs. They know that big money is waiting for people with entrepreneurial spirit and sound business judgement. They have lots of the spirit but little of the judgement,...
On the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday, Catherine, a troubled young woman, has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, a famous mathematician. Now, following his death, she must deal with her own volatile emotions. April 22 – May...
Cantankerous novelist Charles Condomine, re-married but haunted (literally) by the ghost of his late first wife, the clever and insistent Elvira who is called up by a visiting “happy medium,” one Madame Arcati. June 16 – July 15, 2006 This Production...
Based on the beloved Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz, Snoopy sparkles with wit and warmth as it depicts life as seen through the eyes of Schulz’s unforgettable characters. Musical numbers include “Just One Person,” “Poor Sweet...
by Alex Sharp | Aug 16, 2020 | Past Shows
TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE is the autobiographical story of Mitch Albom, an accomplished journalist driven solely by his career, and Morrie Schwartz, his former college professor. April 11 – May 17, 2008 This Production Has Ended Cast Morrie Schwartz...
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James Spader Movies
Avengers: Age of Ultron HD
When Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong and it's up to Earth's mightiest her..
Director: Joss Whedon
Actor: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, James Spader, Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Crash (1996) DVD
After getting into a serious car accident, a TV director discovers an underground sub-culture of scarred, omnisexual car-crash victims who use car accidents a..
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Romance
Director: David Cronenberg
Actor: James Spader, Deborah Kara Unger, Holly Hunter, Elias Koteas, Rosanna Arquette, Peter MacNeill, Cheryl Swarts, Yolande Julian, Nicky Guadagni, Ronn Sarosiak
Lincoln HD
As the War continues to rage, America's president struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on the de..
Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook, Tommy Lee Jones, Lee Pace, Jackie Earle Haley, Jared Harris
Secretary HD
A young woman, recently released from a mental hospital, gets a job as a secretary to a demanding lawyer, where their employer-employee relationship turns int..
Director: Steven Shainberg
Actor: James Spader, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeremy Davies, Lesley Ann Warren, Stephen McHattie, Amy Locane, Patrick Bauchau, Jessica Tuck, Oz Perkins
Supernova DVD
Set in the 22nd century, when a battered salvage ship sends out a distress signal, the seasoned crew of the rescue hospital ship Nova-17 responds. What they f..
Country: Switzerland, United States of America
Genre: Science-Fiction, Horror, Thriller
Director: Walter Hill,Jack Sholder,Tricia Ronten
Actor: James Spader, Angela Bassett, Robert Forster, Lou Diamond Phillips, Peter Facinelli, Robin Tunney, Wilson Cruz, Eddy Rice Jr., Knox White, Kerrigan Mahan
The Blacklist - Season 5
The Blacklist - Season 5 HD
A new FBI profiler, Elizabeth Keen, has her entire life uprooted when a mysterious criminal, Raymond Reddington, who has eluded capture for decades, turns him..
Director: Jon Bokenkamp
Actor: James Spader, Megan Boone, Diego Klattenhoff, Ryan Eggold, Amir Arison, Harry Lennix
The Blacklist - Season 6 DVD
Raymond “Red” Reddington, one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives, surrenders in person at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. He claims that he and the..
Actor: James Spader, Megan Boone, Harry Lennix, Diego Klattenhoff, Ryan Eggold, Mozhan Marnò, Amir Arison, Hisham Tawfiq, Parminder Nagra
Actor: James Spader, Megan Boone, Harry Lennix, Diego Klattenhoff, Amir Arison, Ryan Eggold, Hisham Tawfiq, Mozhan Marnò, Parminder Nagra, Laura Sohn
The Office Season 1 DVD
A fresh and funny mockumentary-style glimpse into the daily interactions of the eccentric workers at the Dunder Mifflin paper supply company. This fast-paced ..
Actor: Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, B. J. Novak, Steve Carell, Ed Helms, James Spader
The Watcher HD
A detective tracking a serial killer gives up all hope of solving the crimes and moves to another city. After he's settled in the old acquaintance he makes hi..
Genre: Crime, Horror, Mystery
Director: Joe Charbanic
Actor: James Spader, Keanu Reeves, Marisa Tomei, Ernie Hudson, Chris Ellis, Robert Cicchini, Yvonne Niami, Jenny McShane, Gina Alexander, Rebekah Louise Smith
Wall Street HD
A young and impatient stockbroker is willing to do anything to get to the top, including trading on illegal inside information taken through a ruthless and gr..
Director: Oliver Stone
Actor: Charlie Sheen, Michael Douglas, Martin Sheen, Daryl Hannah, John C. McGinley, Hal Holbrook, Sean Young, Terence Stamp, James Spader, Chuck Pfeiffer
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the kinks: something else by the kinks
Country: US. The inner sleeve definitely needs to be replaced by a MOFI (or equivalent) sleeve to protect future playback. Label: Pye Records - NPL 18193,Pye Records - NPL.18193 • Format: Vinyl LP, Album, Mono • Country: UK • Genre: Rock • Style: Classic Rock Genres: Pop Rock, Baroque Pop. Why buy with musicMagpie? 2:18 PREVIEW Tin Soldier Man. Something Else by the Kinks is that band's Sgt. And just as impressive is the emergence of Dave Davies as a songwriter. Publisher ADA. Part of the album's power lies in its calm music, since it provides an elegant support for Davies' character portraits and vignettes. 5.4K 3. Catalogue Number SMRCD029. Indeed, Something Else sounds like nothing else from 1967. The Kinks are one of those joyful bands that constantly delivered phenomenal music at a mesmerizing ratio. And Something Else is the Kinks … New: A brand-new, unused, unopened CD in perfect condition. Something Else was arguably the most important moment in the career of The Kinks. It is a bit of a transitional album with the band's then producer Shel Talmy leaving early on and Ray Davies taking over production duties as he would for the rest of the band's run. Tracks 1-13 released as Somethin' Else By The Kinks - Pye NPL 18193 (mono) on 15 Sept. 1967 (first time released in mono cd) Tracks 13 and 14 ("Waterloo sunset" and "Act nice and gentle") first released as A and B-side to Pye single 7N 17321 (mono) on 5 May 1967. Best yet, it closes with the timeless "Waterloo Sunset," arguably the best pop melody and most endearing lyrics Davies ever composed. FREE 12 Month Warranty on Tech. PEPPER - and it was all the better for it. Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Pitman Pressing. Magpie Certified Refurbished Tech. When they are doing their things, the Kinks are marvelous to listen to. FYI Don't buy this rare mono promo copy for sound quality. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. It marks the final involvement of American producer Shel Talmy in The Kinks' 1960's studio recordings; henceforth Ray Davies would produce … 2:42 PREVIEW Death of a Clown. 3:16 PREVIEW Two Sisters. Part of the album's power lies in its calm music, since it provides an elegant support for Davies' character portraits and vignettes. 1967 Preview SONG TIME David Watts. They are quite simply a one-of-a-kind, brilliant band all-around. Something Else By the Kinks | The Kinks. 5. Add to Watchlist Unwatch. Something Else by the Kinks The Kinks. Something Else by The Kinks was first released in September 1967. 4. Cover has 2 sticker residue/tears on top of front cover, see picture.on the back seam folded/torn at bottom. During April 1966, they began recording this album, Something Else by The Kinks , which - while it did churn out two hit singles - … The Kinks are an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1964 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. A good pressing indeed, I really love the low end on Lazy Old Sun, however, I feel the backing harmonies on Waterloo Sunset are way too present, perhaps it's just my sensitive ears. Released September 15, 1967. Artist: The KinksTitle: Something Else By the KinksProduct Type: VINYL LPLimited vinyl LP repressing of this 1967 album from the iconic British Rock band led by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. Released in 1967 on Antar (catalog no. CMS 2209 30 PV, CVPV 76 035, CVPV. A classic from the archives, Something Else is the fifth studio album by The Kinks and gets a loving reissue on Sanctuary. 76 035, (LP, Mono + LP, Mono, Ltd + Album, Ltd, RE, RM, Red), Algo Mas Por The Kinks = Something Else By The Kinks, Something Else By The Kinks, LP, Album, RP, NSPL 18193, Something Else By The Kinks, LP, Album, Unofficial, NPL 18193, NSPL.18193, Something Else By The Kinks, LP, Album, Mono, RE, NPL 18193, Something Else By The Kinks, LP, Album, Pit, RS 6279, Something Else By The Kinks, LP, Album, HTSLP 340044, Something Else By The Kinks, LP, Album, RE, NSPL 18193, Something Else By The Kinks, LP, Album, Mono, Promo, R 6279, Something Else By The Kinks, LP, Album, RP, RS 6279, 6279, Something Else By The Kinks, LP, Album, NSPL 30111, Favorites from my collection - all genres, All Over The Map: A Live Document Of My Favorite Albums, 1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (2011 Edition). It marks the final involv The matrix matches perfectly except DAMONT is hand written on both sides instead of just Side 1. Original Inner sleeve marked / stained, see photo. On 140g vinyl with the original UK tracklisting, it’s the last Kinks album to be produced by Shel Talmy and showcases one part of a mid-career high that’s still an influence today. 1. This item: Something Else By The Kinks (Bonus Track Edition) by The Kinks Audio CD £9.34 Face to Face (Bonus Track Edition) by The Kinks Audio CD £8.76 Arthur (Deluxe Edition) by The Kinks Audio CD £9.89 Customers who bought this item also bought Also left side of the label says mono/stereo on side 1 and 2. From the martial stomp of "David Watts" to the lovely, shimmering "Waterloo Sunset," there's not a weak song on the record, and several -- such as the allegorical "Two Sisters," the Noël Coward-esque "End of the Season," the rolling "Lazy Old Sun," and the wry "Situation Vacant" -- are stunners. Adding to your cart. The Kinks never rock very … A couple of minor ticks. Indeed, Something Else sounds like nothing else from 1967. As Ray Davies' songwriting becomes more refined, he becomes more nostalgic and sentimental, retreating from the psychedelic and mod posturings that had dominated the rock world. Out on vinyl LP from Sanctuary. referencing Something Else By The Kinks, LP, Album, Mono, RE, NPL 18193 Agree with most of the prior commentary. View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1967 Vinyl release of Something Else By The Kinks on Discogs. Something Else by the Kinks Tracklist. The Kinks: Something Else By The Kinks (LP, Album, Mono) Piccadilly, Piccadilly, Piccadilly: RR-30293, NSPL.18193, NPL 18193: Israel: 1967: Sell This Version 14 Day Money Back Guarantee. Indeed, Something Else sounds like nothing else from 1967. SOMETHING ELSE BY The Kinks, often referred to as just SOMETHING ELSE, was their fifth UK studio album. Condition is Very Good. The Kinks never rock very hard on the album, preferring acoustic ballads, music hall numbers, and tempered R&B to full-out guitar attacks. The album marks the final involvement of American producer Shel Talmy in The Kinks' 1960s studio recordings; henceforth Ray Davies would assume recording production. Listen free to The Kinks – Something Else By The Kinks (David Watts, Death of a Clown and more). Limited vinyl LP repressing of this 1967 album from the iconic British Rock band led by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. Death of a Clown Lyrics. The listener is amused and confused, enchanted and entertained, and always questioning. Pepper, a sweeping but quite accessible exploration of all that the band was capable. The Kinks never rock very hard on the album, preferring acoustic ballads, music hall numbers, and tempered R&B to full-out guitar attacks. 2:04 PREVIEW Harry Rag. 6.8K 2. by The Kinks. PEPPER - and it was all the better for it. It touched on all the highlights of their catalog thus far, while … The Kinks - Something Else (+8 Bonus Tracks) (Remastered) [IMPORT] CD 1998 WITH HYPE STICKER ON CASE Condition Grade of Offered Item CD: EX+ Inserts: EX Promo or Cut/Out: NO Record Club: NO GET YOUR HARD ROCK/METAL/OR OTHER FIX HERE!! Product description. The inner sleeve definitely needs to be replaced by a MOFI (or equivalent) sleeve to protect future playback. 3. Yet another hopeless effort by Discogs 'Contributors' -- not a single photo to distinguish this release from others, I HAVE THIS VERSION AND ON THE RIGHT ON THE BACK COVER IN THE BOX WHERE THERE IS HTSLP 34004 UNDER THERE IS ALSO A NUMBER 344 . David Watts Lyrics. What an album ! 13208; Vinyl LP). Something Else by The Kinks, often referred to as just Something Else, is the fifth UK studio album by the English rock group The Kinks, released in September 1967. I have this pressing, but the PRT label is slightly different from anything I have seen here on Discogs. It is far inferior sounding to an original UK mono Pye pressing but it does use the true mono mix. 6. If you were an average American pop consumer in 1967, you very likely had a … Something Else. Something Else By The Kinks. What He said -- where are the photographs of this issue? The item you've selected was not added to your cart. FREE, Fast, Contact-Free Delivery on ALL Orders. Ships from United States. Today, we explore the Kinks’ wistful 1967 classic Something Else. Indeed, Something Else sounds like nothing else from 1967. Pretty sure I have this version BUT runout look like this: Sadly, as I usually like Canadian made records, this one sounds quite dull compared to the UK or any European 1st year pressings. The original release is a fantastic album from beginning to end. Agree with most of the prior commentary. FREE Delivery on all Orders! 2:04 PREVIEW No Return. His Dylanesque "Death of a Clown" and bluesy rocker "Love Me Till the Sun Shines" hold their own against Ray's masterpieces, and help make Something Else the endlessly fascinating album that it is. Discover more music, concerts, videos, and pictures with the … Their third single, the Ray Davies-penned "You Really Got Me", became an international hit, topping th… Label: Reprise Records – RS 6279. SOMETHING ELSE BY The Kinks, often referred to as just SOMETHING ELSE, was their fifth UK studio album. 1. Side 1, NPL 18193A-1 * … Released in the autumn of 1967, SOMETHING ELSE BY THE KINKS came across as a kind of polar opposite to The Beatles' SGT. Some photographs from the Contributors so that buyers can distinguish this counterfeit from genuine copies..? The Kinks, Something else by the Kinks, vinyl LP, NPL18193, A1/B1, 1967. It is a bit of a transitional album with the band's then producer Shel Talmy leaving early on and Ray Davies taking over production duties as he would for the rest of the band's run. 2. Something Else by The Kinks was a transitional album which straddled the riff-driven pop songs of their early years and the more artful compositions of the band’s “middle” era. Face to Face was a remarkable record, but its follow-up, Something Else, expands its accomplishments, offering 13 classic British pop songs. THANKS. Something Else by The Kinks. Something Else, an Album by The Kinks. Free shipping. These reissues might never market appreciate, but as a buy, hold and play collector, I am pleased to have a sonically quality pressing, at a decent price point, to enjoy the magic of 60's Kinks. All CD’s are at least Ex or Mint unless noted. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm and blues and Merseybeat, and were briefly part of the British Invasion of the United States until their touring ban in 1965 (as a result of constant fighting between the brothers). Sign in to check out Check out as guest . The album marks is the last of five by the band which involved producer Shel Talmy. Released: 1967. The Kinks never rock very … IS IT A LIMITED EDITION? Something Else by The Kinks was first released in September 1967. THE KINKS T SHIRT Something Else By The Kinks SMALL MEDIUM LARGE or XL. Add to cart . Released in the autumn of 1967, SOMETHING ELSE BY THE KINKS came across as a kind of polar opposite to The Beatles' SGT. 13 tracks (36:23). The Kinks - Something Else By The Kinks rare Russian import .
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the kinks: something else by the kinks 2020
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World Coin News
wcoinnews.com
Home » Politics » Secret Service experts are speculating in group chats about how Trump might be hauled out of the White House if he won't budge on Inauguration Day
Secret Service experts are speculating in group chats about how Trump might be hauled out of the White House if he won't budge on Inauguration Day
The US Secret Service has never had to drag a president out of the White House.
But President Donald Trump's refusal to concede the election and his suggestions that he might not budge have Democrats and former law-enforcement officials envisioning a scenario where he won't exit the White House on Inauguration Day.
So what happens if a newly sworn-in President Joe Biden shows up at the White House on January 20 and Trump won't leave the Oval Office?
Government experts and former officials said it could fall to the Secret Service to usher Trump out, but former Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security officials told Insider there was no playbook for that.
"This is such uncharted territory," a former Secret Service agent told Insider.
The Secret Service has never had to drag a president out of the White House. And there's no obvious government playbook on how to handle a commander in chief who refuses to budge when his replacement shows up at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
President Donald Trump still refuses to concede the election, and he told some of his advisors he won't leave the White House on Inauguration Day, according to CNN. This all has triggered speculation about how Trump might be physically removed from the building when the new president is sworn in on January 20.
It's even been a hot topic in a private group chat involving former Secret Service officials and Department of Homeland Security alumni from both Republican and Democratic administrations, according to a former Obama administration DHS official.
Biden's team has said the government would have no trouble removing "trespassers" from the White House if it comes down to that on Inauguration Day.
But how exactly would that go down?
Insider interviewed five former officials who worked for the US Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security about what the government would do if Trump didn't go voluntarily. They all agreed it was not among the long list of incidents they'd ever had to practice for and said it could put the agencies in an uncomfortable position.
'We're not there to evict people'
A worst-case scenario that appears unlikely but not entirely out of the question: A newly sworn-in President Biden shows up at the White House on January 20, ready to sign a pile of executive orders. But Trump insists he's still president and won't leave his desk in the Oval Office.
"That's when you really get to the ultimate flash point," one former senior DHS official said. "I can't imagine it ever getting to that point, but in this environment, there's a lot of firsts."
There's usually a clear script for presidential power handovers. The departing president hosts the president-elect at the White House on the morning of January 20 before they ride together to the US Capitol for the inaugural ceremony. Afterward, the ex-president and his family fly away in a helicopter. Meanwhile, staffers back at the White House swap out the outgoing president's belongings for the new first family's.
But it's unclear whether those formalities will take place in January, or whether a spurned Trump would even attend the inauguration ceremonies. There's speculation he might opt to leave town entirely — perhaps even kicking off his own 2024 campaign that day — or that he might not leave the White House and continue to dispute the election outcome.
If he stays in the White House, many government experts predict that Trump's physical removal from office would come down to the Secret Service — an agency within DHS that's charged with protecting the president and evicting trespassers from the complex. But that's complicated for many reasons, including the fact that the Secret Service also protects former presidents, which Trump will become on the afternoon of Inauguration Day.
The Secret Service agents who are assigned to protecting the current president have every right to say to the ex-president, "You have to leave," said Norm Ornstein, a resident scholar at the conservative public-policy think tank American Enterprise Institute and a government-operations expert.
But the agency — which prides itself on protecting presidents regardless of their political leanings — will want nothing to do with that, former Secret Service officials said.
"We're not there to evict people; we're there to protect people," a former Secret Service official who was involved in previous presidential transitions said. "I don't see the Secret Service going in there and knocking on the door and saying, 'Time to leave, sir. Checkout is at 11 o'clock.' Are they going to physically pick him up and do it?"
That former official said the onus would be on people close to Trump and GOP members of Congress to convince the president that his term is up in the unlikely event "that he does barricade himself in there."
Judd Deere, a White House spokesman, told Insider last month that the president "will accept the results of a free and fair election," when asked whether Trump intended to leave the White House after Biden is sworn in.
Gray area for the Secret Service
There's never been an official manual detailing what law-enforcement officials ought to do if a president won't leave office, former Secret Service and DHS officials told Insider. But they suspect government officials are thinking about it now, given Trump's continued refusal to concede to Biden.
Before Trump's presidency, "I don't think anyone ever anticipated such a possibility," said one former Secret Service agent who served under Republican and Democratic presidents.
Secret Service officials are trained for scenarios like what to do during a State of the Union address when the president and Cabinet are in Congress and a designated survivor is kept in a hidden location in case of attack. But a president refusing to leave the White House is a "whole gray area," another former agent said. "This is such uncharted territory."
Julia McMurray, a Secret Service spokeswoman, declined to comment on whether the agency might play a role in removing Trump from office.
Secret Service Director James Murray was appointed to the job by Trump in May 2019 and oversees about 6,500 employees, including more than 3,000 special agents. More than 130 were forced to isolate or quarantine because of coronavirus exposure, The Washington Post reported. That is partly because some officers attended Trump campaign rallies ahead of the presidential election.
Murray reports to acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, a Trump ally and vocal cheerleader for the administration's immigration policies.
Wolf is one of the many Trump loyalists remaining in the upper echelons of this administration, despite recent purges of those deemed disloyal to the president. Two top DHS employees were forced out by the White House in November over suspicions that they weren't sufficiently loyal to the president, The Post reported.
DHS alumni game out eviction scenarios in a group chat
Former DHS officials and Secret Service agents have been speculating about how agents might get involved if Trump won't leave. Each former official interviewed by Insider said they hoped the president would leave office well before the Secret Service or other law-enforcement officials would need to get involved.
The former Secret Service official who worked on past transitions has been fielding regular questions about what the agency would do if Trump refused to leave. That person said the Secret Service ought to make it clear to the public that it wouldn't be those agents' job to get involved. "You cannot ignore this," the ex-official said.
Military leaders also declared early on that they didn't intend to help settle any election-related arguments. Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, rejected suggestions that the military could escort Trump out of the White House if he refused to go.
The process for removing Trump from the Oval Office has been a hot topic of discussion on a group chat with former Secret Service officials and other DHS alumni from both Republican and Democratic administrations, said Douglas Smith, who served as assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security during the Obama administration.
One scenario that's been floated: The Secret Service detail charged with guarding Trump would "sort of close their eyes" while Biden's new Secret Service team comes in and walks Trump out the door, Smith said.
There has also been speculation the FBI could get involved or that the US Marshal Service, a branch of the Justice Department, could come in and escort Trump out, Smith said. The US Marshal Service did not respond to a request for comment.
"This has never ever, ever happened before," Smith said. But ultimately, it could work just like any other eviction.
"If you're renting your apartment in DC, and you don't pay your rent, don't pay your rent, don't pay your rent, and they finally get a judgment against you, you're evicted," Smith said. "It won't be the Secret Service's responsibility to prevent him from being evicted. That's not their job."
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Snowblind (Cherringham - A Cosy Crime Series 8)
Matthew Costello, Neil Richards
Neil Dudgeon
Cherringham - A Cosy Crime Series
One of the worst blizzards in years hits Cherringham, cutting off the village from the rest of the world. Just outside of town, Broadmead Grange is a struggling retirement home, housed in a gothic mansion behind towering walls. One of the home's residents, poor old Archy, becomes Cherringham's latest victim after he loses himself amongst the snow drifts. Did Archy really just fall victim to the elements, or was there foul play involved? Jack and Sarah take on the case to dig up the truth. Cherringham is a serial novel à la Charles Dickens, with a new audio episode released every two weeks. Set in the sleepy English village of Cherringham, the detective series brings together an unlikely sleuthing duo: English web designer Sarah and American ex-cop Jack. Thrilling and deadly - but with a spot of tea - it's like Rosamunde Pilcher meets Inspector Barnaby. Each of the self-contained episodes is a quick listen for the morning commute, while waiting for the doctor, or when curling up with a hot cuppa. For fans of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple series, Lilian Jackson Braun's The Cat Who series, Caroline Graham's Midsomer Murders, and the American TV series Murder She Wrote, starring Angela Lansbury. Co-authors Neil Richards (based in the UK) and Matthew Costello (based in the US), have been writing together since the mid 90's, creating content and working on projects for the BBC, Disney Channel, Sony, ABC, Eidos, and Nintendo to name but a few. Their transatlantic collaboration has underpinned scores of TV drama scripts, computer games, radio shows, and - most recently - the successful crime fiction series Cherringham. The narrator of the audiobook, Neil Dudgeon, has been in many British television programmes including the roles of'DCI John Barnaby' in'Midsomer Murders' and'Jim Riley' in'The Life of Riley'. He is also known for his film roles in'The Nativity','Sorted' and'Son of Rambow'. In 2012 Dudgeon starred as'Norman Birkett' on BBC Radio 4's Afternoon Play series written by Caroline and David Stafford.
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Glossary of professional wrestling terms
Work (electrical)
Barge (disambiguation)
Offshore (hydrocarbons)
Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable nomenclature through its long existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses, and the slang itself is often referred to as "carny talk." In the past, wrestlers used such terms in the presence of fans so as not to reveal the worked nature of the business. In recent years, widespread discussion on the Internet has popularized these terms. Many of the terms refer to the financial aspects of pro wrestling in addition to performance-related terms.
Beekman, Scott. Ringside: A history of professional wrestling in America (Greenwood, 2006)
Foley, Mick (2000). Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-103101-1.
Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat, Les Thatcher (2005). The Professional Wrestlers' Workout & Instructional Guide. Sports Publishing LLC. ISBN 1-58261-947-6.
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Glossary_of_professional_wrestling_terms
Electrical work is the work done on a charged particle by an electric field. The equation for 'electrical' work is equivalent to that of 'mechanical' work:
The electrical work per unit of charge, when moving a negligible test charge between two points, is defined as the voltage between those points.
Qualitative overview
Particles that are free to move, if positively charged, normally tend towards regions of lower voltage (net negative charge), while if negatively charged they tend to shift towards regions of higher voltage (net positive charge).
However, any movement of a positive charge into a region of higher voltage requires external work to be done against the field of the electric force, work equal to that electric field would do in moving that positive charge the same distance in the opposite direction. Similarly, it requires positive external work to transfer a negatively charged particle from a region of higher voltage to a region of lower voltage.
The electric force is a conservative force: work done by a static electric field is independent of the path taken by the charge. There is no change in the voltage (electric potential) around any closed path; when returning to the starting point in a closed path, the net of the external work done is zero. The same holds for electric fields.
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Work_(electrical)
A work of art, artwork, art piece, piece of art or art object is an aesthetic physical item or artistic creation. Apart from "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from literature and music, these terms apply principally to tangible, portable forms of visual art:
An example of fine art, such as a painting or sculpture
An object that has been designed specifically for its aesthetic appeal, such as a piece of jewelry
An object that has been designed for aesthetic appeal as well as functional purpose, as in interior design and much folk art
An object created for principally or entirely functional, religious or other non-aesthetic reasons which has come to be appreciated as art (often later, and/or by cultural outsiders)
A non-ephemeral photograph, film or visual computer program, such as a video game or computer animation
A work of installation art or conceptual art.
Used more broadly, the term is less commonly applied to:
A fine work of architecture or landscape design
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Work_of_art
Barge or barges may refer to:
Barges, Côte-d'Or, a commune in Burgundy
Barges, Haute-Loire. a commune in Auvergne
Barges, Haute-Saône, a commune in Franche-Comté
Barge, Piedmont, a comune in the Province of Cuneo
Sérgio Filipe da Silva Barge, a Portuguese footballer
Barge, a flat-bottomed boat
Vehicular Ferry
Barge, a NATO reporting name for the Tupolev Tu-85, a Soviet aircraft
BARGE, an American gambling convention
Barge fascia a finishing piece attached to a barge rafter
Barge rafter, a rafter on the end of a gable roof
Barges, a contact adhesive
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Barge_(disambiguation)
Offshore may refer to:
Offshoring, active movement of companies to offshore centers
Offshore financial centre, jurisdictions which transact financial business with non-residents
Offshore investment, relates to the wider financial services industry in offshore centers
Offshore bank, relates to the banking industry in offshore centers
Offshore Stock Broker, relates to stock brokers in offshore centers
Offshore fund, collective investment in offshore centers
Offshore trust, trust arranged in offshore jurisdiction
Offshore drilling, discovery and development of oil and gas resources which lie underwater through drilling a well
Offshore construction, construction out at sea
Offshore powerboat racing, powerboat racing
Offshore hosting, server
Offshore wind power, wind power in a body of water
Offshore (novel), a 1979 British novel by Penelope Fitzgerald
"Offshore" (song), a 1996 song by British electronic dance music act Chicane
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Offshore
"Offshore", when used relative to hydrocarbons, refers to an oil, natural gas or condensate field that is under the sea, or to activities or operations carried out in relation to such a field. There are various types of platform used in the development of offshore oil and gas fields, and subsea facilities.
Offshore exploration is performed with floating drilling units.
Petroleum industry glossary from Saipem Spa.
Petroleum industry glossary from Anson Ltd
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Offshore_(hydrocarbons)
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EuropeEurope Politics
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau scolded for criminal case
By Mehboob Ali Shaikh
Mehboob Ali Shaikh
Mehboob Ali Shaikh is the Bureau Chief of World News Observer. Based in Canada, working with Toronto 360 TV. Mehboob has accomplished Years of experience in print and broadcast media. He is an active participant in Social media strategies, including Facebook, Twitter and Skype.
Canada’s ethics commissioner rebuked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Wednesday after finding he broke laws by pressuring the attorney general to settle a criminal case against engineering giant SNC-Lavalin.
The scandal, which unfolded earlier this year, tarnished Trudeau’s image, cost two ministers and two senior officials, and put liberals in a heated contest with conservative opposition in the election.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he accepts full responsibility after Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion found he violated the Conflict of Interest Act by trying to influence then-justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould and get her to overrule a decision to not grant a deferred prosecution agreement to Quebec-based engineering firm SNC-Lavalin.
Independent Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion said Trudeau and his officials had sought to “influence the prosecutor in her decision to intervene in a case related to criminal prosecution.”
Trudeau must pay a small fine of up to 500 Canadian dollars (375 dollars) for violating Canada’s Conflict of Interest Act. But just two months before the election, the political price may be much higher.
Trudeau has long denied accusations that his small circle sought to protect SNC-Lavalin from a corruption trial.
According to Sky News, Prosecutor Jody Wilson-Raybould rejected the plaintiffs’ request to settle the case and the trial is scheduled to begin soon.
But after her resignation, she told lawmakers that she was subjected to “sustained” political pressure to intervene in the case, including “veiled threats.” Dion concluded that “the prime minister’s authority and position were ultimately used to question the decision of the Director of Public Prosecutions as well as the authority of Ms. Wilson as Chief Legal Officer. ”
He also concluded that “partisan political interests were improperly placed before the attorney general for consideration”, especially as a court conviction could lead to the denial of profitable SNC-Lavalin contracts that would result in job losses and thus undermine the liberals’ efforts to win the election.
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Editorial: Time to update voter rolls
Wednesday, August 6th, 2014 at 12:02am
You can’t say you haven’t been given plenty of notice.
The New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office announced Monday that it has started its big biennial chore of updating voter rolls across the state, this time in preparation for the elections of 2017.
The current activities won’t affect anyone’s ability to vote in this year’s election, so there is no reason to panic or look for a sinister reason for the timing.
Bureau of Elections Director Bobbi Shearer said the office is following federal law in starting the process to update 2017 voter registration rolls at this time. Federal law requires states to maintain updated voter files and remove the names of voters who have become ineligible because they have moved or for other reasons.
Postcards are being mailed to about 186,000 New Mexicans who are registered to vote but who have, for instance, had mail returned as undeliverable or who have filled out a change of address form. If the post office returns one of the Secretary of State’s cards as undeliverable and the person named does not vote in the next two years or update his or her address, that person may be removed from the voter roll for the 2017 election.
Voter rolls are supposed to be updated every two years, though that hasn’t always occurred in New Mexico. Shortly after taking office in 2011, Secretary of State Dianna Duran reported that the Department of Justice had informed her New Mexico had failed to purge inactive voters the previous seven years and as such was the only state out of compliance.
Voting is tied to a person’s physical address, particularly in districted races like state House and Senate. A correct address is needed to determine the makeup of a voter’s ballot. People who receive the cards should return them.
And, while it is a civic duty to vote, a voter also has a duty to make sure his or her registration is current. It’s a simple process that protects this most precious right.
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Ending De Facto Debtors’ Prisons in the United States
By Jocelyn Rosnick
This piece is also featured by the Vera Institute.
John and Sam were trapped in a vicious cycle of incarceration. When money was scarce, John would make Sam’s court payment instead of his own so she could stay out of jail and care for their child. It was a heartbreaking choice that he made more than once. John has been incarcerated four times for failure to pay fines and costs—each time for 10 days. Even though John and Sam were on the brink of homelessness, the court never asked about their financial ability or offered an alternative to payment.
This is modern day debtors’ prison.
When money was scarce, John would make Sam’s court payment instead of his own so she could stay out of jail and care for their child.
Since 2009, numerous ACLU investigations have revealed that people are being jailed simply for being too poor to pay their fines and fees. These practices damage communities, waste taxpayer dollars, and frequently trap victims in a cycle of incarceration and poverty, while also flagrantly violating the law. Even more troubling, debtors’ prisons create a two-tiered system of justice in which the poor often receive harsher punishments and end up paying more in fees for the same crimes as their wealthy counterparts, simply because they are poor.
In 2013, the ACLU of Ohio issued The Outskirts of Hope, detailing debtors’ prison in Ohio, and created a series of videos to highlight the stories of those affected. We also sent legal demand letters to courts where debtors’ prison occurred and issued an action alert that prompted hundreds of Ohioans to ask the Ohio Supreme Court to take administrative action. As a result of this work, thousands of Ohioans have been released from jail, and over $180,000 has been credited to people for the time they were unconstitutionally jailed.
Shortly after the release of our report, the chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court met with the ACLU of Ohio and pledged to help stop debtors’ prison practices in Ohio courts. In addition to providing training on how to properly collect fines and costs and to step in where debtors’ prisons occur, the Ohio Supreme Court pledged to create a “bench card.”’ The bench card is a concise resource for judges that clearly lays out proper and improper methods to collect fines and costs, and even outlines the process for a court to substitute community service for court costs.
Since the bench card’s release, debtors’ prison-related complaints have severely dwindled. The ACLU believes in the simple principle that no one should ever be jailed for being too poor to pay their fines. After years of investigation and advocacy, along with firm guidance from the Ohio Supreme Court, this simple principle is becoming reality, and thousands of Ohioans are able to start new lives.
Learn more about the ACLU’s current efforts to end debtors’ prison across the country.
The Ohio Supreme Court’s bench card was the first of its kind in the country, but after widespread media attention, other jurisdictions have begun to use it as a model to help stop de facto debtors’ prison practices in their own state.
Tags: criminal justice, Debtors' Prison
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New strategy to change the reality of disability, inclusion and sport
Activity Alliance have released a new three-year strategy – Achieving Inclusion Together. Determined to change the reality of disability, inclusion and sport, the charity looks to a future where disabled people are just as likely as non-disabled people to be active. Leaders from Government, sport, leisure and third sector joined the call for action when the strategy was unveiled at Activity Alliance’s 20th Anniversary celebration last night.
Disabled people count for one in five of our population, but are currently the least active group in society and twice as likely as non-disabled people to be inactive. Participation rates have remained stubbornly resistant to growth for many years, despite Activity Alliance’s research showing that seven in ten disabled people want to be more active.
The new 2018-2021 strategy, Achieving Inclusion Together, drives Activity Alliance’s vision that disabled people are active for life. It builds upon the success as the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) and sets the goals under the new operating name, Activity Alliance.
Based on clear outcomes by March 2021, the strategy outlines the desire to see the number of active disabled people on a sustainable upward trajectory. The three strategic outcomes will have an impact at different levels:
Individual: Enhanced health and well-being for all disabled people (physical, mental, social, emotional and economic well-being).
Societal: A more equal society in which disabled people can achieve more through increased opportunities and choice.
Organisational: A system where organisations have fully embedded approaches to inclusion into their mainstream work so they can effectively support individual disabled people.
September 2018 marks 20 years since the national charity formed. To celebrate this important milestone, partners and stakeholders joined Activity Alliance at a special evening reception in London, on Wednesday 5 September.
During the evening, Activity Alliance’s Chief Executive, Barry Horne called for actions not words. He urged leaders to use the robust insight and support available to deliver promises and make active lives possible for disabled people.
About the strategy, Horne said:
“Our ambition is to create a step change in the number of disabled people participating in sport and active recreation. Although some may see it as a challenge to engage so many inactive people, partners need to embrace the opportunity to make a real difference. We are confident we have the right framework to support a major upturn in disabled people’s activity rates, but we cannot do it alone.
“The barriers that exist for disabled people are wider than those they face in sport. It will take national and local government, organisations who serve disabled people, as well as sport and leisure providers to look inwards at their own strategies. Over the next three years, we look forward to working with a broader mix of stakeholders to develop stronger collaborative approaches.
“I’m extremely proud of our work over the last 20 years, but there is clearly a mismatch between what disabled people want and what sport and leisure offers. We cannot settle for the same old approaches being repeated year after year. Collectively, we can change the reality of disability, inclusion and sport and ensure more disabled people have opportunities to be active.”
Sport England’s Chief Executive, Jennie Price, said:
“I would like to congratulate Activity Alliance on their 20th anniversary and for their new strategy Achieving Inclusion Together. We welcome - and share - their determination to change the reality for disabled people who want play sport and be active.
“We recognise that the number of disabled people involved in sport and physical activity is too low, and although we understand more about the barriers they face, much more needs to be done to tackle them. That’s why we have identified disabled people as a key audience within our strategy Towards an Active Nation and we look forward to working closely with Activity Alliance to reduce the inequalities they have rightly identified.”
Activity Alliance 2018 - 2021 strategy, Achieving Inclusion Together, is available to read on the website www.activityalliance.org.uk/strategy
Find more information on Activity Alliance on www.activityalliance.org.uk
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Maderno's Fountain in St Peter Vatican
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The Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply St. Peter's Basilica (Latin: Basilica Sancti Petri), is an Italian Renaissance church in Vatican City, the papal enclave within the city of Rome.
Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter's is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and one of the largest churches in the world. While it is neither the mother church of the Catholic Church nor the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, St. Peter's is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic shrines. It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world" and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom".
Catholic tradition holds that the Basilica is the burial site of St. Peter, one of Christ's Apostles and also the first Pope; supposedly, St. Peter's tomb is directly below the high altar of the Basilica. For this reason, many Popes have been interred at St. Peter's since the Early Christian period. There has been a church on this site since the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. Construction of the present basilica, replacing the Old St. Peter's Basilica of the 4th century AD, began on 18 April 1506 and was completed on 18 November 1626.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter%27s_Basilica
photo: Zeiss Batis 18mm
original size 25000x12500
www.abagontheroad.com
Copyright: Flaviodmt76
Tags: square; church; religion; unesco; exterior; night; lights; art; architecture; people; fountain
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More About Rome
The World : Europe : Italy : Lazio : Rome
Overview and HistoryAll roads lead to Rome, the capital of Italy, current football world champions, where western civilization really got cookin' and Christianity gained its foothold on an empire.According to legend, the city was founded on the Palatine Hill by Romulus and Remus, just after they finished wiping wolf's milk from their lips. Romulus killed his brother Remus in a fight over who had the right to name the city, hence "Rome" and not "Remo". He attained divine status after his death, being given the name "Quirinus," the root of which you can see in the Quirinale Palace.The Quirinale Palace is the home of the President of the Italian Republic. Its fountain has two ancient statues of Castor and Pollux, sons of Zeus, the famous twins of the Gemini constellation.Rome is famous for its seven hills: Aventine, Caelian, Capitoline, Esquiline, Palatine, Quirinal, Viminal. Vatican City is on Vatican Hill which is not one of the seven hills. It's its own state, too, not technically under the authority of Italy. It's also the smallest country in the world.Within Vatican City you can find the Pope of course, the Basilica of St. Peter and also Michaelangelo's masterpiece -- the painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. This painting is a fresco, which means the paint is part of the actual plaster. The painter mixes plaster and pigment at the same time and had to finish the work before the plaster dried, and by the way he was laying on his back to do it. Call me crazy but I think the requirements for being an artist have declined in their stringency of late. Vatican City has an insane amount of pure-gold artwork as well.Since Rome predates the Christian era, you will find many examples of gods and goddesses who were worshipped in the Pantheon, or, "Temple to All the Gods." This is the oldest domed building still standing in Rome, dating to 35 B.C and first reconstructed in 126 A.D. It's been in continuous use since it was built, and has been a Catholic church since 700 A.D.Students of history may also enjoy the Roman Forum, around which the ancient city first developed. This area included the Senate and Republican government, and a central marketplace where everyone came for news, supplies, gossip and everything else. It's between Palatine hill and Capitoline hills, a swampy spot that was drained during the Forum's construction. Doomed to repeat history, or fascinated by its roots? Take your pick.All roads lead to Rome except this one, it leads to the Colosseum. Forget Youtube, Netflix and getting laid. REAL entertainment comes from the Colosseum. Do you know why we have popcorn and movies today? Because first they had Bread and circus at the Colosseum, baby! Fake pirate battles in an ocean of real blood! Two vs. one gladiator ambushing with Neptune's tridents and deadly spiked nets! Here's the interior.If this is what you see around you, you'd better hope to find a sharp sword in your hand to go with it.Now nevermind all that old stuff, welcome to the Hippodrome, race fans! Besides being the coolest panorama on the whole site, the Circus Maximus was where they had the chariot races and judges who knew how to take a bribe for pole position.But let's zoom back out for a second. Rome is located on the Tiber river. Crossing the Tiber are many bridges dating back several centuries, for instance Ponte Cavour, Ponte Umberto, and the Saint Angelo bridge.Rome offers an enviable array of Renaissance and Baroque architecture due to its luck; like Prague and only a few other cities, it escaped major damage during WWII.Now here are a few little things to get you there so you can investigate the more than 2500 years of history which continue to seep into out modern times.Getting ThereFiumicino Airport provides international access for flights into Italy. You can connect to it by bus, train or taxi. The train takes about thirty minutes and costs five euro or so.There's a smaller airport called Ciampino, which handles mostly charter flights, and has a bus line running to meet the Metro.TransportationThe historic center of Rome is less than two miles from the central Colosseum and Piazza di Spagna, so you might as well walk there. The bus network is very extensive but the Metro is probably easier to get your head around. It's called the Metropolitana and it makes a loop around, rather than through, the city. Basic tickets cost one euro. Night buses run between midnight and four am when the metro stops.You can also hop onto one of the many tourist buses for a guided ride around Rome. These prices are a lot higher than the metro, but it's an activity more than just a ride.Now if you really want to do as the Romans do, rent yourself a Vespa scooter and drive it one-handed, shouting.People and CultureYou don't have to have a lot of money to have good style. That's Italian culture in a word.I'll go up against Paris right here and say that Italians have style all sewn up. Rocking a scooter in a red dress and stiletto heels? Come on.Here are a few piquant expressions which further the idea:"Finish that pasta so Nonna doesn't have to put it away.""It's sugar sweet and as big as your hand.""People do not age at the table."And concerning the stereotype that Italians all talk with their hands:"Mathematics is not a matter of opinion."Just imagine how funny it was, the first time that one sprung out.Things to do & RecommendationsFirst of all, go back and see all the panoramas in the top section. After you've been through the places and back, try these:Modern art at Gallery Nuovo Pesa.Worm through the Aseq esoteric library on your way to Limonaia Cafeteria for lunch.After lunch, pick up a few things at the most popular market in Rome, Piazza Vittorio.Be glad you're there and not eating only memories in the Traianei Market ancient Roman market.Some other gems in the city: the Trevi Fountain and its marketplaceFor a little more religious history, visit the 18th century Rococo style Plaza of St. Ignacio. Saint Ignacio was the founder of the Jesuits or Society of Jesus, the largest male religious order in the Catholic church.There are also some beautiful green spaces in Rome, like the historic park Il Pincio and Villa Borghese parks. Look at those cherry blossoms!For music lovers, the Auditorium is the main music hall in Rome.Text by Steve Smith.
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VEŠKERÁ PRÁVA NA OBRÁZKY A FOTOGRAFIE PATŘÍ PŘÍSLUŠNÝM FOTOGRAFŮM.
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The Kid Ruins the Picture
Story Sent in by Douglas:
Liz and I were on a date, out to see a movie. I think it was one of the Scream films, and what's important to remember is that she had requested to see this film in particular. We had been out together before, but not to see a movie. I paid for our tickets and we sat down in the crowded theater.
Liz would not shut up the entire time. From the opening credits to the final scene, she had a comment about everything, which she said out loud, whether I wanted to hear it or not.
"I've never heard of any of these people," she said over the opening credits. At first, I thought she was trying to be funny, and so I took it in stride. Then, she continued, with each name: "I haven't heard of him. Haven't heard of her. Haven't heard of him. Can't tell if it's a man's name or woman's name, but haven't heard of it, in either case."
Thanks, Liz. I'm glad. I hoped she'd settle down after the opening credits, but throughout the first scene, she snorted, groaned, or vocalized disgust. "Five minutes in, and the acting sucks!" she said loudly enough for about everyone in the theater to hear.
Someone shushed her, and she was quiet for about a minute. When she did speak again, it was a bit lower in tone. "Their outfits make no sense. Isn't it supposed to be springtime in the movie? They're dressed in autumn clothes."
I nodded sharply. In the next scene, she had even more to say. "You haven't seen them use the bathroom yet. That's unrealistic. I hate movies that are unrealistic."
"This is a horror film," I reminded her.
She said, "So horror stories take place in a parallel universe where people don't shit? I'm confused. Can you explain it to me?"
I shushed her, and she was quiet, again, for a good long minute. Next scene, and she was at it again, back to regular volume. "Why's that guy trying to mack it with that girl? She's ugly. They're both ugly." She turned to me. "Have you noticed that every actor in this film is ugly?"
Another shush from the surrounding audience. I asked her, "Do you want to go see another film? You don't seem to bs enjoying this."
Her eyes widened, but not at me. She pointed at the screen and said, "Gross!" A couple was kissing, onscreen. Then, louder, Liz repeated, "Gross!"
"Shut up!" someone in the audience yelled.
Liz took no notice. "I can't wait until these people die," she said, then specified, "The people in the movie."
What a relief. I asked her, "Would you like to see another film? Seriously, I don't mind." Especially if it would shut her up, even for a short while.
She shrugged. "This is fine."
She kept her voice low, but continued comment after comment. If her comments were funny, I'd have possibly been able to condone it, but they consisted of complaint after complaint. I must have offered to switch films at least half a dozen times more, but she refused to budge, and would not shut up. I then went from being nice to shushing her, which kept her quiet for a few seconds each time.
After a little while longer, I moved a few seats away from her, as she simply would not be quiet. But Liz? She just kept talking, as if I was still there. She didn't even seem to notice that I had left. I did my best to concentrate on the rest of the film, and when the end credits rolled and she was still commenting, I stood up and asked her if she was ready to go.
"God yes," she said, standing up, "I hated that stupid movie."
I said, "We could've gone to see another one. I offered it several times."
She gave me a funny look. "You did? I don't remember. I would have jumped at the opportunity."
Last date.
Posted by JMG at 11:15 AM
Labels: Stories, Written by a Guy
theMediator 6/27/2011 1:12 PM
That has gotta be some sort of record for self-absorption.
Claire (and Nikki) 6/27/2011 2:06 PM
What a fuckin cunt. As OP said, it's one thing to *occasionally* make funny comments at a movie, or if you're both seeing a movie that you know will suck, and you're just going for "laffs," but to be THAT obnoxious?! I would have left and pretended to get soda and reported her stupid ass to an usher. Get her carted out of there.
churro 6/27/2011 5:07 PM
Personally I think it would've been fun to mess with her; people like her seem to think their silly little opinions are highly valuable so it's easy to push their buttons.... take a contrarian position and just antagonize her on everything until she flipped her lid... if I played my cards right she would've been hauled outta the theater in tears while everyone else pointed and laughed (the ones who weren't aggravated with her incessant verbal diarrhea, that is)
Anthony 6/27/2011 7:00 PM
^ Somehow I don't think she would really care what he says, or even notice.
When I was younger I used to throw M&Ms at the heads of loud talkers in movie theaters, and I eventually became really accurate at it. But eventually I stopped after I pegged a loud talker during the movie Avatar, and when the movie ended I saw that they were mentally retarded, which made me feel horribly guilty. Anyway, the point of my story, OP, is that you shouldn't have gotten angry at Liz for her disabilities, but rather pitied her.
Also, why are you dating retarded women?!? That's just MESSED UP.
Julie Lada 6/27/2011 9:35 PM
My husband and I were at a movie once when a gaggle of skinnyjeaned and Beiber-haired teenagers sat a few rows in front of us and proceeded to play musical laps and talk/giggle loudly throughout the first 40 minutes of Sherlock Holmes. Finally he walked down a few rows, stuck his head over their shoulders and, in a stage whisper so the whole theater could hear, said, "Shut the FUCK UP!" A few people applauded and the kiddies quieted down.
About 10 minutes later, however, we saw one of them pull an usher aside and point at us. The little shitheads actually tried to get us booted out. Nothing ever came of it, but wow. How self-absorbed can you be? "We were only being obnoxious and distracting! He had the nerve to *yell* at us for it!"
Ugh, I have a couple of friends like this bitch. Granted, they also have social disorders, but I don't think that's an excuse. I don't go to the movies with them anymore.
Claire (and Nikki) 6/29/2011 11:32 AM
Wolfie: mentally handicapable people need sex too. As do physically handicapable people. Stop the hate.
Baku-chan me too
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» Mackenzie King
Mackenzie King
Surname King
Given Name Mackenzie
Born 17 Dec 1874
Died 22 Jul 1950
Category Government
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
ww2dbaseWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King was born in Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario. Highly educated, he was elected to the parliament in 1908 and became the first Minister of Labor in 1909. After a defeat in 1911, he went to the United States to work for the Rockefeller family in the field of labor relations. In 1919, he became the leader of the Liberal Party and returned to the parliament soon after. In 1921, he became the Prime Minister of Canada, but resigned in 1925 as a result of a bribery scandal in his government. He returned to the seat of Prime Minister once again after the 1926 election. During his second term, he introduced socialist programs such as pensions for retirees and appointed Canada's first female senator, Cairine Wilson. He lost the seat once again after the defeat in the 1930 election, but returned to power once more in 1935. He supported Britain's appeasement policy toward Nazi Germany, and traveled to Germany to meet with met with Adolf Hitler and Hermann Göring. He believed, as revealed in his diary, that Hitler "might come to be thought of as one of the saviours of the world"; it was a sentiment that many British and Canadians believed at that time. His appeasement policies included the refusal to allow German Jews, fleeing Nazi policies, to enter his country. King realized war was inevitable in Aug 1939 and mobilized Canada for war. As a symbol to suggest Canada's independence from Britain, he delayed the Canadian entrance into the war until 10 Sep 1939, one week after the British. In 1940, his government introduced conscription for home service (until Nov 1944, only volunteers were sent overseas). During the war, King migrated Japanese Canadians to internment camps, but German Canadians received no such treatment; moreover, properties of Japanese Canadians were sold at public auctions during their exile, therefore many Japanese Canadians were unable to return to their homes after the war. This brought much criticism toward King. He hosted the Quadrant Conference in Aug 1943 and Octagon Conference in Sep 1944, both in Quebec, for Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt to discuss the Allied strategic visions at the respective stages of the war. King retired in 1948 and passed away in his home near Ottawa in 1950.
ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.
Last Major Revision: Jun 2006
Mackenzie King Timeline
17 Dec 1874 Mackenzie King was born.
11 May 1944 In an address delivered to both Houses of Parliament in the Palace of Westminster in London, England, United Kingdom, Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada, stated that Canada's fight would be a fight to the finish and that the Canadian people would not relax until the monstrous conspiracy of the Fascist Powers to dominate and enslave the world had been eliminated. He further declared that once the war in Europe was ended, Canadian forces would join the other Allies for the final assault on Japan.
22 Jul 1950 Mackenzie King passed away.
See all 22 photographs of Mackenzie King
Visitor Submitted Comments
Show older comments
1. Anonymous says:
24 May 2011 10:59:10 AM
i believe that this is a very important topic. i think your company should right more about what his role in ww2 was because i didnt find this very clear .
- grade 10 student
2. TIM says:
15 Nov 2011 09:14:22 AM
PM WLM King wanted nothing to do with the strategic direction of the war. He would have rather kept the Canadian soldiers that were stationed in Britain to remain there. While a great Prime Minister of Canada he was very hurtful to Canada's foreign relationship commitments.
During the last 5 yrs of the war it was the Mackenzie King's own Cabinet War Committee that forced his hand to become more active in the war.
He was a close supporter of GEN. A.G.L.McNaughton, very careful in his dealings with GEN. Harry Crerar. He had a huge falling out with his own Defence Minister forcing him to resign and asking GEN.McNaugton to replace him.
PM King also favoured the Royal Canadian Navy to the Army or Air Force but was the first person to offer PM Churchill Canadian bases for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
13 May 2012 04:28:34 PM
Wait, he got this off of wikipedia? I don't know if i should trust this anymore...
19 Dec 2012 01:19:37 PM
i agree with the first comment, this should be more clear and there should be more information. I am also a grade 10 student, and i was hoping this would help me but it did not.
22 Oct 2014 03:20:39 AM
grade 10 good but very little information
All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.
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More on Mackenzie King
Event(s) Participated:
» Quadrant Conference
» Octagon Conference
» Paris Peace Conference
Mackenzie King Photo Gallery
"Goddam it, you'll never get the Purple Heart hiding in a foxhole! Follow me!"
Captain Henry P. Jim Crowe, Guadalcanal, 13 Jan 1943
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News|Corruption
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Malaysia''s former Prime Minister Najib Razak arrives at court on Tuesday morning to hear the verdict in the first of a series of cases he''s facing in relation to billions of dollars allegedly siphoned from state fund 1MDB [Ted Regencia/Al Jazeera]
Kate Mayberry
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Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak arrives at the Kuala Lumpur High Court last August as the prosecution wrapped its case. Najib has denied wrongdoing [Vincent Thian/AP Photo]
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“I want justice,” he wrote. “I want to clear my name.”
Aik. Ada lagi. Staf-staf saya buat surprise hari ni. Mereka inilah yang banyak bantu saya selalu dengan tugasan harian. Terima kasih 😊
A post shared by Najib Razak (@najib_razak) on Jul 23, 2020 at 11:59pm PDT
Some cases related to 1MDB have been settled without jail time being served.
Last week, Malaysia reached a $3.9bn deal with US investment bank Goldman Sachs to drop criminal charges over its role in the scandal, and in June withdrew money-laundering charges against Najib’s stepson Riza Aziz, who had been accused of using money diverted from 1MDB to fund the blockbuster movie the Wolf of Wall Street.
The film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Martin Scorsese, was banned in Malaysia.
Riza’s production house had already paid a fine to the Department of Justice in the US, while the settlement with Malaysia came to just over $107m.
Away from 1MDB, other politicians forced to answer corruption allegations after the 2018 election have also had their cases dropped or settled, including the former chief minister of the Borneo state of Sabah.
“Since the change of government, there have been a number of rulings in favour of those who were prosecuted,” said Ross Tapsell, senior lecturer at the Australian National University’s College of Asia and the Pacific. “The trend seems to be towards softer rulings.”
The SRC decision is being handed down five years to the day that Najib fired Muhyiddin and four other ministers as the revelations about 1MDB snowballed. Muhyiddin was sacked as deputy prime minister and home minister while then-Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail, as well as the head of the Special Branch, were also removed from their positions.
Najib Razak’s stepson Riza Aziz, left, pictured with Wolf of Wall Street stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Jonah Hill and producer Joey McFarland the film’s 2014 premiere in London, recently agreed to a $107m settlement with the Malaysian government over money-laundering allegations [File: Paul Hackett/Reuters]
Later, Muhyiddin joined forces with the opposition, which had united in a bid to remove Najib. In the 2018 polls, he campaigned alongside veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad and the Pakatan Harapan coalition, to call for a full investigation into 1MDB and an end to corruption.
“It would look very bad for the Muhyiddin government if Najib was let off, especially as Muhyiddin himself was sacked and campaigned on these corruption cases,” Tapsell said.
Muhyiddin became prime minister in March, aligning himself with UMNO and the Islamic party PAS to form a conservative, Malay-nationalist administration, after the king was convinced that he had a majority in Parliament.
Still, while he was won plaudits for his effective control of the coronavirus pandemic in Malaysia, his coalition’s majority is wafer-thin.
Parliament did not sit until earlier this month – bar a single ceremonial day for the official opening – and a vote to remove the speaker who had taken on the job under the previous administration was secured by only two votes. Rumours of a snap election are rife.
“For Muhyiddin, a conviction would take away his absolutely most daunting rival – and would spare him from having to cooperate with a coalition-mate he has ripped apart previously,” said Meredith Weiss, professor of political science at the University at Albany. “At least as important, a conviction (especially one worded clearly enough to increase the odds of its holding up on appeal) would certify his government as opposing corruption.”
Muhyiddin Yassin emerged as prime minister in March after a power grab in the then-ruling coalition led to the resignation of predecessor Mahathir Mohamad. His coalition has a wafer-thin majority in Parliament [Lim Huey Teng/Reuters]
UMNO too has its problems, which could undermine the ruling coalition’s position.
A number of senior politicians, including leader Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, are on trial for corruption. If any of them are found guilty, and the decision is upheld on appeal, they will lose their seats in Parliament.
Najib himself was also ordered last week by a Kuala Lumpur court to pay a staggering 1.69 billion ringgit ($397.4m) in unpaid taxes for the period from 2011 to 2017.
When Najib was first charged over SRC, Thomas noted the case was one of the most straightforward involving 1MDB; a case that spans at least six countries and involves a complex money trail through numerous shell companies and far-flung tax havens.
There was “overwhelming evidence” against Najib, he said.
Many Malaysians, emboldened by the May election result – the first time UMNO had been defeated since independence – were eager for a conviction, but there were also die-hard supporters who refused to believe that the scion of one of the country’s most influential political families could be guilty of such a crime.
Najib’s supporters plan to gather outside the court on Tuesday.
“For many Malaysians, it would be nice if Najib Razak was convicted,” said Oh Ei Sun, a political analyst who once worked in Najib’s office. “People are worried about the economy and wider government policies. A conviction would be an antidote to what progressives see as the regression of the country.”
Timeline: How Malaysia’s 1MDB financial scandal unfolded
1MDB was set up as a state fund to drive new investment in Malaysia, but investigators say the money went elsewhere.
Malaysia’s Najib takes witness stand in 1MDB-linked graft case
Former prime minister relaxed and confident as he faces multiple corruption charges over failed fund.
Malaysia’s Najib tones down the bling ahead of 1MDB fraud trial
Overthrown prime minister seeking to reinvent himself as man of the people in a trial that has now been postponed.
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All Kinds of News for December 09, 2020
Personnel Changes / Clinical, Ownership / Programming Change / Evolution / Programming / Trips / Visitors To Campus / Research / Buildings & Grounds / Trainings
Greenbrier Academy’s Recent Clinical Hire Brings Over 30 Years of Experience
Published December 09, 2020Greenbrier Academy for Girls
Category: Personnel Changes / Clinical, Ownership
Greenbrier Academy is excited to announce the addition of Ginger Dahl, MACE, MAMFC, LPC to the clinical team. Ginger brings over three decades of experience working with youth and their families in various residential facilities, public service agencies, public-school settings, and private practice. Throughout her career, her focus on relationships and emotional healing has underlined her passion for those who have experienced early childhood trauma, disrupted attachment, PTSD, and family conflict.
“Over the years, it has been my honor to help families repair broken relationships,” Ginger says. “The reward of seeing a family’s new beliefs set in or a student break free from past trauma that had defined them is what I love most about what I do.”
Ginger’s preference for a holistic approach to therapy eventually attracted her to Greenbrier. “I love having the support of a treatment team and using multiple modalities and interventions to help a student breakthrough,” says Ginger. “It’s much more effective than just one-on-one therapy alone.”
Ginger was trained by Dr. Bruce Perry and is certified in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT). She is also certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Equine Assisted Therapies (EAGALA) and is in the final phase of her certification to be a Registered Play Therapist. She holds a Masters in Christian Education and a Masters in Marriage and Family Counseling from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas as well as a Bachelor's in Psychology from Athens State University in Athens, Alabama.
Originally from northern Alabama, Ginger has lived and worked in Texas, Florida, and Oklahoma before moving to West Virginia to be closer to family and join Greenbrier Academy. Ginger is the proud mother of 5 children aged 18-25.
“We are thrilled to have Ginger as part of our Greenbrier team,” says Rachel Call, Greenbrier’s Executive Director/CEO. “Aside from her vast experience as a clinician, she has jumped right into our community and therapeutic model with an enthusiasm that’s hard to find.”
Greenbrier Academy is a therapeutic boarding school for girls aged 14-18 located on 140 acres of woodland in Pence Springs, WV. We offer an immersive therapeutic program specifically designed to reestablish core beliefs. This is done through the collaborative effort of our signature programs, therapy and college-prep academics within a supportive community of sisterhood.
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Santa's scribbling, just not sailing
David Adlerstein
The Apalachicola Times
Ok, so Santa Claus isn’t arriving on a shrimp boat on Friday.
It’s not the Jolly Old Elf’s fault. A special directive issued by the ABCDC (Apalachicola Bay Center for a Dashing Christmas) asked that Kris Kringle nix the tradition, and refrain from direct contact with children and adults, but instead to maintain communication by letter with all those children who want to share their Christmas wishes.
And so, in gracious deference to the wishes of the ABCDC, the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce is presenting a modified version of its annual Apalachicola Christmas Celebration, to be marked once again on the day after Thanksgiving, from 4 to 8 p.m.
The streets will be lined with luminaries and merchants will be open late, filling the downtown with holiday spirit. Look for the Grinch to make appearances throughout town that night.
“Remember that there is a mask order in the city of Apalachicola so bring your masks for going into shops,” said John Solomon, director of the chamber of commerce.
He said Santa has sent postcards to all the town’s business and restaurants for children to fill out and drop in Santa’s Mailbox at the chamber, at 17 Avenue E. “He will be writing back to each one of them,” said Solomon.
In addition, Santa Claus has posted a video with a special message to the chamber’s Facebook page.
The shrimp net Christmas tree in Riverfront Park will be lit at dusk on Friday, by Mayor Kevin Begos.
On Saturday, Nov. 28, the Apalachicola downtown, as well as Eastpoint and St. George Island, will mark Small Business Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with businesses offering all manner of gifts, foods and beverages.
Then on Saturday, Dec. 5, in front of the chamber offices and the Dixie Theatre on Avenue E, there will be the annual Holiday Fresh Market.
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© 2021 www.apalachtimes.com. All rights reserved.
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British (Born 1938 ) FREE LISTING
Influence: Historically influential or important
Terry O’Neill is one of the world’s most accomplished and collected photographers whose work hangs in national galleries and private collections worldwide.
He has produced covers for Time, Newsweek, Stern, Paris Match, The Sunday Times Magazine, Vanity Fair and many others for over six decades. He has been photographing presidents, prime ministers, rock stars, Oscar winners and the British Royal Family since he first picked up a camera in 1958.
His work has delivered iconic movie posters, album covers and fashion plates for the world’s top designers and he has discovered supermodels such as Jodie Kidd.
For more than 50 years his camera has chronicled the frontline of fame, in particular the emerging rock stars and icons of the 60s. He photographed The Beatles and The Rolling Stones when they were still struggling young bands seeking a recording contract in London’s clubs and pubs. O’Neill worked closely too with Frank Sinatra over 30 years, being granted access to the chairman back stage and in private.
A former jazz drummer, O’Neill pioneered backstage reportage photography with the likes of Sinatra, Bowie, Elton John, The Stones, The Who, Eric Clapton, Chuck Berry and many others, capturing the stars up close and personal in the days when the relationship between photographer and subject was unfettered by image-conscious marketing and brand managers
O’Neill was with Sharon Tate shopping for baby clothes days before she was murdered by the Manson gang – and narrowly escaped death himself when, feeling unwell, he excused himself from the party at the Tate mansion just two hours before it started.
Formerly married to Faye Dunaway, his photograph of her in Beverley Hills, the morning after she won her Best Actress Oscar for Network, has been nominated as the most iconic Hollywood shot of all time.
Now in his 70s, O’Neill continues to work and remains the photographer of choice for many household names today, including Simon Cowell, and Gordon Ramsey.
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WWE Rumors
AEW Rumors
Rumor Roundup
WRESTLINGWORLD
Daniel Bryan Goes Into Self Isolation, Wade Barrett Reveals How He Responded To WWE’s New Contract Offer
By Phillipa Mariee
The COVD-19 pandemic has caused a number of problems for WWE in recent weeks, including having to move WrestleMania to the Performance Center as well as pre-taping upcoming episodes of Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown.
In addition to this, it was revealed earlier this week that both Dana Brooke and Rey Mysterio have been quarantined while Carmella and Corey Graves look to also be stuck inside since Carmella hasn’t been added to the SmackDown Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania and Graves hasn’t been seen on WWE TV in a number of weeks.
It appears that these are not the only stars who have been affected either since Daniel Bryan recently announced on WWE’s The Bump that he was going into self-isolation for a week when he finally heads home because his wife Brie Bella is pregnant and he doesn’t want to risk her health.
“Everything is going well with all of us health-wise. The hard part is that because Brie’s pregnant and she’s more susceptible to all of this and I’ve been around other people and flying and all that kind of stuff, when I get home, which is not yet, I don’t get to go directly to Brie. I go into self-quarantine for a week just to make sure I’m okay, but those are the necessary steps we have to take right now just to keep this from spreading more.”
Wade Barrett left WWE back in 2016 and has since looked to move into the acting business. The former Intercontinental Champion was a guest on Colt Cabana’s Art of Wrestling Podcast where he revealed his reaction to WWE’s attempt to sign him to a new contract four years ago.
“I left [the WWE] around April or May of 2016, I told them that my contract was coming up, and I told them that I wasn’t re-signing. They tried to make a couple of offers, and I told them ‘It doesn’t matter what you offer me, I need to leave. I f–king hate it here.’ I loved my job until, probably, the end of 2014, beginning of 2015. I did some exciting things and some not so exciting things…I thought if I kept improving my physique, and I got ripped, that’ll convince them. Maybe, I need a catchphrase. Maybe, I need a t-shirt that’ll be a big sell. Maybe, I need to do more with my in-ring skills. There was always something in my head like I can improve this and I can improve that.”
“By the time I got to 2015, I was sliding down the card. I was getting opportunities that I thought were kind of wasted. Like, I became the King of the Ring, which sounds like it should be impressive, but what it was followed up with was zero rises. It was like ‘What are we going to do with these guys today? Ah, just have them wrestle for three minutes, and have this guy [Stu] go over…’ Suddenly, after putting in all that effort, I had to climb up the card and get to where I wanted to be. It wasn’t rewarding, to say the least. It was a realization that it didn’t matter what I was doing there, I’m just waiting for one man to give me the thumbs up or thumbs down. I’m spending my whole career waiting and hoping that I get a thumbs up,” via WrestlingInc.
Copyright © 2018. WrestlingWorld.Co. All Rights Reserved.
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Israel/Occupied Territories: New report reveals misery of Palestinian Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights's lives under occupation
The human rights organisation is calling on Israel to lift blockades and restrictions in the Occupied Territories and to ensure prompt passage and access to adequate medical facilities for pregnant Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights and others in need of medical care.
Israel is also called on to stop the widespread destruction of Palestinian homes and property.
The report does not just blame Israel's military occupation for abuses of Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights's rights, but also criticises Palestinian law enforcement and judicial institutions as unwilling to enforce the law.
The Palestinian Authority is called on to assume full responsibility for safeguarding Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights's rights, including by repealing discriminatory legislation.
Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said:
"Palestinian Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights's suffering has been two-fold: they have borne the brunt of conflict and decades of Israeli occupation and in Palestinian society they are also denied full rights and protection.
"Israel's military machine has chewed up Palestinian Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights for far too long, while the Palestinians in their turn must now rise to the challenge of properly protecting Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights's rights."
The 36-page report,Conflict, Occupation and Patriarchy: Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights Carry the Burden, examines the impact on Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights of spiralling violence and unprecedented levels of restrictions on movement imposed by Israel on Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, as well as increased violence against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights in Palestinian family life.
The report looks at five main issues:
military checkpoints, blockades and curfews
abuses of Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights in Israeli detention
domestic violence, 'honour' crimes and other gender crimes
house demolitions and destruction of other property
discriminatory laws
The report highlights the way that scores of Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights have been forced to give birth at some of the hundreds of Israeli military checkpoints, sometimes actually by the roadside.
Several Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights have lost their babies because Israeli soldiers denied them passage.
For example, Rula Ashtiya was forced to give birth on a dirt road by the Beir Furik checkpoint after Israeli solders refused her passage to Nablus hospital.
Her baby died a few minutes later:
"At the checkpoint there were several soldiers; they ignored us.... I crawled behind a concrete block by the checkpoint to have some privacy and gave birth there, in the dust, like an animal. I held the baby in my arms and she moved a little but after a few minutes she died in my arms."
Kate Allen said:
"Israel as an occupying power has an obligation to ensure adequate medical care for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and especially pregnant Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights, yet Israel has consistently disregarded its obligation and the army has often impeded access for Palestinian Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights, Children's rights and men to healthcare facilities."
The report also highlights the fact that the Israeli army has destroyed over 4,000 homes and vast areas of agricultural land since the end of 2000.
This has left tens of thousands of Palestinians - most of them Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights and Children's rights - homeless and destitute.
In one case last year, two Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights -one aged 85, the other 65 - had their home in Rafah demolished by an Israeli army bulldozer while they were trapped inside it. They managed to escape only after neighbours broke open the rear of the house.
The report's criticisms of the Palestinian Authority include the fact that domestic violence and 'honour' crimes are almost never investigated.
Although there are no reliable statistics, violence against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights in the family, including sexual abuse, rape and so-called 'honour' killings, have reportedly increased in the Occupied Territories during the past four and a half years, but few of those responsible for such killings have been brought to justice.
Additionally, Palestinian Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights and girls at risk of being killed by their families have often been unable to escape to safety because of blockades and restrictions imposed by the Israeli army.
Kate Allen added:
"The Palestinian Authority must take measures to eradicate violence against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights and to prevent, investigate and punish abuses against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights."
View the full report online
More about Israel and the Occupied Territories /p>
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Bold. Crunchy. Satisfying. BBBB snacks are made from broad beans (aka fava beans), roasted and seasoned to perfection. Bada Bean crunch broad beans are more than just a snack on the go; it is also a great nut, chip, or crouton alternative - toss them on salads, sprinkle them on soups.
Also known as fava beans, are green legumes that come in pods. They have a slightly sweet, earthy flavor and are an excellent source of soluble fiber, protein, folate, and several other micronutrients.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fava-beans#
The non-volatile oil pressed from the seeds of sunflower (Helianthus annuus). Sunflower oil is commonly used in food as a frying oil, and in cosmetic formulations as an emollient. Sunflower oil is most commonly used for high cholesterol and preventing heart disease.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflower_oil
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-40/sunflower-oil
A form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye. Rice flour is a common substitute for wheat flour.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_flour
A species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and Chinese onion. It is a common seasoning worldwide. Most of its health benefits are caused by sulfur compounds formed when a garlic clove is chopped, crushed or chewed. It contains manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, selenium, fiber, calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B1.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-health-benefits-of-garlic#section2
Member of the Allium genus of flowering plants that includes garlic, shallots, leeks, and chives. They are nutrient dense and an excellent sources of vitamin C, sulphuric compounds, flavonoids and phytochemicals. Onions are packed with B vitamins, folate, pyridoxine, as well as potassium.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/onion-benefits
https://www.livescience.com/45293-onion-nutrition.html
Made by evaporating salt water. It is mostly composed of sodium chloride. It is minimally processed, so it contains trace amounts of minerals, including potassium, iron, and calcium.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_salt
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sea-salt-benefits
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This is the One you're looking for
Nokia 7 Plus initial impressions: Ticking all the right boxes
The Nokia 7 Plus marries Nokia's industrial design with the simplicity of Android One.
Harish Jonnalagadda
HMD Global revived the Nokia brand last year, initially focusing on the budget segment with the Nokia 3, Nokia 5, and the Nokia 6. While the manufacturer rolled out the Nokia 8 to cater to the premium category, it wasn't quite as good as the OnePlus 5T or the Mi Mix 2.
For its 2018 portfolio, HMD is introducing several phones aimed at different price points in one go — there's the Android Go-based Nokia 1 for the entry-level segment, the Nokia 6 2018 for the budget category, the Nokia 7 Plus at the mid-range segment, and the Nokia 8 Sirocco is the company's flagship.
The Nokia 7 Plus is the most interesting device of the lot, as it is the first Nokia-branded phone to feature an 18:9 form factor. The 6-inch FHD+ (2160x1080) IPS LCD panel has vivid colors and decent saturation levels, and it gets sufficiently bright that I didn't face any issues trying to read the contents of the screen under harsh sunlight.
Design is another area where the Nokia 7 Plus stands out. The phone is constructed out of series 6000 aluminum, and the six-layer ceramic coating at the back gives it a delightful matte texture. It feels great to hold in-hand, and the copper accents around the fingerprint sensor, camera module, and the Nokia logo at the back contrast the black color scheme very well.
The bezels up front are akin to what you'd find on the Pixel 2 XL, and although the device is on the larger side, the grippy back makes it comfortable to hold. I've been using the phone for just over a day now, and I like the overall design and the in-hand feel.
This is Nokia's industrial design at its best.
The mid-frame is also finished with a lustrous copper hue, and it adds a nice visual flair to the device. This is classic Nokia industrial design, and my wife says it's the right amount of bling for a phone. And being a Nokia-branded phone, you can be assured that it's built like a tank — the phone has the right amount of heft, and the overall build quality is top-notch.
The Nokia 7 Plus has a lot to offer on the hardware front as well — it is the first phone to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset in India. The chipset launched last year, and the OPPO R11 was the first phone to be powered by it. Xiaomi's Mi Note 3 also had the same chipset, as did Vivo's X20. All of these devices were limited to the Chinese market, so it's great to see a phone powered by the Snapdragon 660 make its way to India.
As for why the Snapdragon 660 is a big deal, it is the first chipset to feature Qualcomm's Kryo cores in the mid-range category. The chipset features eight semi-custom Kryo 260 cores split into two clusters — four cores clocked at 2.2GHz that are designed to handle performance-intensive tasks, and four energy-efficient cores clocked at 1.8GHz.
The Snapdragon 660 in the Nokia 7 Plus is a performance monster.
Essentially, you're getting performance that's equivalent to the Snapdragon 821, but in the mid-range segment. As for the rest of the specs, the Nokia 7 Plus comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC 5.1 internal storage, a microSD slot that can accommodate 256GB SD cards, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.0, LTE Cat 6 modem, and three microphones.
Another highlight of the Nokia 7 Plus is the dual camera at the back — a 12MP primary camera with f/1.75 lens, 1.4 micron pixels and Dual Pixel autofocus, and a secondary 13MP shooter with f/2.6 lens and 1 micron pixels that offers 2x lossless zoom. Both cameras feature Zeiss optics, and Nokia is bringing back the pro mode, a mainstay on its phones during the Lumia days.
I haven't had a chance to test out the camera extensively yet, but here's a preview of what you can expect from the Nokia 7 Plus on this front:
The Nokia 7 Plus excels at daylight shots, and the camera is quick to dial in on a subject. The interface itself looks dated, but it has all the options laid out in an easy-to-understand format. As for low-light photography, here's how the Nokia 7 Plus matches up against the OnePlus 5T:
Nokia 7 Plus on the left, OnePlus 5T on the right.
The Nokia 7 Plus preserves the overall detail, and has significantly less noise than the OnePlus 5T. Colors don't look washed out, and it managed to do a great job in this scenario. I'll go into much more detail on what the Nokia 7 Plus' camera is capable of next week, so stay tuned.
HMD announced earlier this year that all of its phones will be based on the Android One platform going forward, which means they'll be one of the first to receive platform and security updates. The company did a magnificent job in terms of rolling out updates over the course of the last 12 months, and thankfully that's not going to change this year.
My Nokia 7 Plus unit is running Android 8.0 Oreo with the February 1, 2018 security patch, and it's likely HMD will roll out an update before the phone goes on sale with the latest security patch and the Android 8.1 Oreo update. The software experience is one of the best you'll find in this segment, and the unadulterated interface coupled with the beefy Snapdragon 660 makes the Nokia 7 Plus breeze through everyday tasks.
The Nokia 7 Plus will go up for pre-order in India starting April 20 for ₹25,999, with sales set to kick off from April 30. It is true that the pricing is slightly on the higher side (a 22K price point would've been the sweet spot), but Nokia phones always commanded a premium, and the Nokia 7 Plus is worth it just because of the Snapdragon 660 and that evocative design.
I'll have much more to share about the Nokia 7 Plus in the coming weeks, so keep it locked to Android Central for more. In the meantime, let me know what you think of Nokia's latest mid-ranger in the comments below.
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Last year, the growth of security theater around the already pallid corpse (for me) of American air travel--in other words, the new TSA regulations--drove me to promise myself that I would give the allegedly pallid corpse of American rail travel a shot next year. I'd been mulling over the idea in any case for a few years, and found the extra irritation of the TSA (potential, as it turned out in my case) simply the straw that broke the camel's back. I'd taken the train a couple of times as a kid, from Baton Rouge to Memphis and back again to visit my uncle, and a couple of times as an adult, once from Ann Arbor to Royal Oak (a Detroit suburb, for you non-Michiganders) for my friend's wedding reception, and from Ann Arbor to Chicago and back again for my aunt's graduation from Methodist seminary at Northwestern. All trips were quite pleasant (and inexpensive, at least the more recent ones), and fairly short (though the Royal Oak trip was only the start of my odyssey that day, a bracing hike and bus ride through one of the first major American metropolitan areas to have been planned with an eye towards making pedestrians obsolete).
This year's Thanksgiving trip would be a different matter altogether. I'd board in Ann Arbor, take the "Wolverine" train to Chicago, have a three-hour layover in Union Station (site of the famous Brian DePalma Potemkin ripoff in The Untouchables, which had once been my favorite movie in middle school), and then take the "City of New Orleans" (famously celebrated by Arlo Guthrie and Willie Nelson) from Chicago to Hammond, Louisiana, a trip lasting through the night and much of the day. From this last named, seat of Tangipahoa Parish, and a pleasant town (one of probably more than a few "strawberry capitals") north of New Orleans and east of Baton Rouge (and best of all, south of Tickfaw, one of the greatest place names in human geography) which I got to know quite well during the horrible city directory job I had right after college which helped kill my first car (among other things), my people would pick me up and drop me off, as it's only a half-hour drive from Baton Rouge. The other possibility was going all the way into New Orleans and then taking the bus to Baton Rouge. The pickup seemed simpler, all agreed.
Louis CK's great riff on air travel is well-taken, but I've been growing disillusioned with the medium for a while. Planes have shrunk to tin cans, airports have lost their cosmopolitan flair, at least for me (the airport always used to be my favorite part of the trip), and last but not least, the round trip shuttle from Ann Arbor to Detroit Metro Airport usually runs around $100 ($45 each way, then tip). Add to that an airport tax running somewhere around $50-65 and there can be a fairly hefty financial argument for rail travel. My ticket actually cost a few dollars over the cheapest available airfare, but there was all that stuff I didn't have to pay, and the lure of adventure (or at least unfamiliarity) offered by the train that the plane (something that admittedly, pace Louis, "flies through the air... incredibly") didn't really conjure anymore. So, mindful of the issues, I committed myself, and set off the 21st of November, traveling across the country to my boyhood home.
I doubt I'm spoiling this for anyone, but it was fantastic. It'll be a good long while, hopefully, before I see the inside of a plane again. Where to start?
1. The scenery was a huge selling point. It's a fine and memorable thing to see the earth from 30,000 feet up or however high you fly, but it does start to get samey, especially if you follow, as I have for the past decade, a well-worn groove between the Great Lakes and the Gulf Coast (flying from Akron to Santa Barbara to visit my friend Karen, she of the aforementioned wedding reception, was an eye-opener--not only was it my first experience of the Pacific, but also my first exposure to proper, stereotypical mountains, with snowcaps, edges, and everything). Forest, rivers, farmland, lather, rinse, repeat. It makes a colossal difference to see it all from the window of a train. The beginning and end of my trip were especially noteworthy, as I previously had quite different experiences of those landscapes.
Some of you will know the beauty of Ann Arbor's parks and waterways, especially the Huron River, and there was a special pang I felt on leaving the station and traveling alongside the last named for a few minutes, as work and weather have prevented me from doing the old cycle photography for a couple of months. Having ridden to Dexter last summer, and having ambitions to visit Chelsea the same way (the latter not the bloated English Premier League soccer giant but a small town in western Washtenaw County), there was a bit of a thrill in seeing the towns (and inoperative rail stations) on the way west. South Mississippi was another case; on our yearly family trips to visit grandparents in Jackson, we would always travel north along I-55, noting the signs for various towns along the way--Brookhaven, Hazlehurst, McComb (the last named the site of Robert Moses' insanely heroic work in educating and registering voters in the early 1960s). The way was pretty quick, but it never really gave you more than the "18-wheeler view"--gas stations, a McDonald's, and various "gas, food, lodging" signs. The train gave you the lowdown on each postcard-pretty, "Rose For Emily"-like location, city halls, grand, decaying houses, and spruced up, largely unused train stations rolling unobtrusively past amid the kind of landscape that easily cozens gullible Hollywood filmmakers into thinking "maybe it wasn't so bad after all."
All that leaves aside the natural beauty showing up in pretty unlikely places. The endless Southern drill of pine trees, spread needles and rest areas coating I-55 between those aforementioned towns gives way just off the road to a mess of marsh, farmland, and forest in which hawks and egrets cavort unmolested, the latter taking long, flaxen dumps into still, shimmering ponds. The same goes for much of Indiana's Lake Michigan coast (extending into southwest Michigan along the St. Joseph River, site of Spain's brief, hilariously abortive occupation of present-day Michigander turf at Niles--a fittingly Catholic irruption, being just down the river from South Bend and Notre Dame), abruptly shifting from the industrial Moloch of Hammond and Gary into a patchwork of greens and golds studded with ponds, inlets, and the kind of weird, dream-like horizon that you often see far to the north of the Lower Peninsula. Then there's your David Lynch form of natural beauty. I fell asleep before Memphis on the way down (though it came in half-hour increments, from what I remember), but was able to catch the dawn and sunrise on the way back amid the comfortingly bleak prairies and corn plots of central Illinois, feeling time stretch forever and eternity beckon, especially if you're listening to the right music.
2. The culture made a fascinating study. Rail travel used to be a huge deal in this country (and hopefully will be again), and in a place as big and diverse as the U.S., it's hard not to fall victim to certain myths. It was definitely a worry for me, as I knew more than my share of train fetishists in grad school. I can scarcely think about railroads without thinking of "them" (love them though I did) happily moan "choo-choo trains"(half-jokingly, I'm convinced) at the mere mention of their beloved transportation medium. As a result (?), the people-watching wasn't as rich as I thought, but after twelve hours, it'll get a little old, I don't care how vitally human and life-affirming you are. I'm pretty sure there were a couple of suggestive glances here and there, but I'm notoriously bad at identifying and interpreting such, and it was hard to tell in any case when the only thing on most people's minds was sleeping more than an hour at a time. Socializing was limited, but necessary when it came to the dining car, as there were many passengers and limited seating. I wound up striking up a conversation with Marty, a friendly glazier from Springfield, Illinois, who had heard of my workplace and was heading for New Orleans for a family-free holiday (on culture shocks and Ann Arbor: "I went to Illinois, so having a winning football team was a culture shock"). The food was all right, though inevitably overpriced (still, they served food, planes, did you hear that?), and the burger I ate stayed with me for a long time. Beer (basically Bud and Heineken) was the same, though it really didn't cost much more than it would at, say, the Alley Bar. Still, I'll definitely have to plan more carefully in that area next time (which I started to on the Wolverine my way back, forgoing food and grabbing sodas at the CVS by Union Station).
Things reached their peak late at night on my thirty-seventh birthday, which was also the first day of my return trip. I had brought my laptop, and the train didn't have wi-fi (which was usual, except for short routes and easily covered areas, like the northeast corner handled by the high-speed Acela). This was something approaching bliss, to be honest, even if the great British Horror Films "Agadoo Cup" had just started (of which more below or possibly later this week?). I was still able to listen to my music and transcribe stuff I was writing, mainly for a few longer projects (I wrote much of the original of this post between Dowagiac and Kalamazoo). Sitting at a table in the "Sightseers' Lounge" (an observation deck just before the dining car that allows substantial views both sides and above), typing away furiously after I finished a page (I generally try to write manually before typing, especially for these projects, though sometimes, as with this post, it's a little impractical), digging the Edward Hopper-like solitude passengers implicitly request at that hour and usually get, despite the cackling little kid playing Uno with his mom and brother (replacing the other cackling little kid playing Travel Scrabble with his grandma), letting the mood carry me on, the Stygian darkness of western Tennessee rolling by out the window (it may be different during the day), I wrote almost four thousand words that day (mostly that evening, as I was wrestling with The Tale of Genji for much of the remainder), comfortably busting my earlier record. It was a great birthday, all told, though I promised myself more physical pleasures the next day. Speaking of which...
3. The Chicago Layover! I had tried to avoid laying any plans too grandiose for two to three hours free in downtown Chicago (each way!). So when your only stab at megalomania in that regard is a possible visit to the Art Institute, I think you're in pretty good stead. We rolled in around five on the 21st, and after I regained my bearings regarding Union Station, I took a hike down Canal, then Madison Street, wondering how long it would take me to reach Michigan Avenue and possibly the lake (about fifteen, twenty minutes, it turned out). I already doubted my chances of hitting the Art Institute at all, so I simply redoubled my steps and ran right into Reckless Records, a local store with a few locations around the metro area. After finding the Go! Team's new album, Rolling Blackouts (which I've seeking out for a while), I started back towards Union Station, where the line for the "City of New Orleans" resembled the exit visa-seekers' procession in Casablanca. On the return journey into the station, we had our own form of architectural tour contrasting the magnificence of the Loop with the institutional decrepitude of the South Side. As the great skyscrapers slowly came into view, the increasingly cloudy skies actually rendered them more impressive than they might have been on a sunny day. Storing my luggage, I set off for breakfast at Lou Mitchell's, less than a block away. It's a little sad to hear on your way north that "limited breakfast service will be offered" only a couple of hours before Kankakee, knowing that Lou Mitchell's awaits at trip's end, especially when it takes the form of a turkey sausage omelet with gravy and hash browns, city sophisticates (poisonously?) glittering even at half past nine on a Saturday morning, and a little girl giving her too-boisterous uncle a deserved stinkeye.
Lou Mitchell's--and indeed downtown Chicago in general (at least the few streets I walked that day)--startled me with friendliness and familiarity. This impression may be somewhat illusory. A friend sojourned there for a couple of years and went through a nasty depression before returning to Ann Arbor, and I myself got a rather cagey response when complimenting a fellow shopper at Reckless for buying Jules Dassin's 1950 noir classic Night and the City. Even given that wealth of anecdotal evidence, it felt open and accessible in a way I doubt New York ever would (though I haven't been there in ten years, and then only a day). Toronto was the same in many ways, even with that extra Canadian distance. Something to do with the Lakes, maybe? It helped that I was able to stroll through so much cultural history during a walk of just a few blocks, architectural and cinematic above all. Architectural placards (very prestigious stuff in Chicago) stood out in a way I hadn't noticed the last time, and I got into it to the extent of accidentally interrupting an architectural tour at Adams and LaSalle. "Where's the Rookery?" asked some guy in passing. "It's around the corner!" I replied, pretty much exhausting my twenty-second-old knowledge. It turned out, of course, that the guy was leading a tour and the line was part of the spiel. Very briefly chastened, I wound up turning on Michigan, taking a good long optical whiff of the majestic skyline (the Art Institute opened way too late for me to go, especially with that line that suspiciously resembled something out of Casablanca), and then taking a plunge through Grant Park, whose historical importance as the site of the 1968 riots at the Democratic National Convention has since been eclipsed for me by its importance as the focal point for Haskell Wexler's magnificent Medium Cool. Walking up to the Chicago River's series of bridges (uh... the opening to Perfect Strangers?), then back down and along Madison (ducking inside Reckless again), looking down LaSalle and remembering the first great confrontation in The Untouchables, wondering how much territory out of my walk Ferris, Cameron and Sloane might have covered in forever deleted or lost scenes from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, deciding to track down as many great unseen Windy City films as I could... it was a fantastic morning, and only really started raining once I got back to Union Station. I bounded inside, down the DePalma ripoff steps, and then to retrieve my luggage and head for the gate, where I found that the line for the Wolverine had exhausted my limited repertoire of cheap Casablanca comparisons.
Thanksgiving itself passed pleasantly and without incident, which was something of a surprise as my brother and sister-in-law were out of town on the day visiting friends in Texas. It was good to see the family, eat and drink, and once more take stock of how much my hometown has changed since I was born and grew up there. As my brother drove me from Hammond, the forests and fields had been cleared more and more with empty lots waiting for McMansions and McMansionettes to sprout. The city itself was thronged more and more with big box shopping centers and developments upon developments, spreading out from a relatively rejuvenated city center struggling to keep control of the exurban centrifuge. I never paid much attention to urban planning issues when growing up, and now that life in Ann Arbor has necessarily whetted my interest, I wonder if the frenzy for development was always there, some neo-"New South" thing that I'd hardly ever noticed due to my fondness for Baton Rouge's more senior districts, like downtown and the area around LSU (not to mention my old neighborhood, which I'm guessing doesn't look all that different). The last time I'd hit the place and veered outside family gatherings, I had been more than a little surprised by the changes in the riverside downtown.
Probably the biggest single change for me to face was the disappearance of Village Square, an old-school strip mall relatively near my neighborhood off College Drive and the site of so many formative experiences and distinctive small businesses. Elliott's Books, where my dad would buy us a book every week when we were kids (and who claimed with partial conviction that their downfall was due to the establishment of my former employer Barnes and Noble nearby). K&B, local branch of the New Orleans-based drugstore giant whose signature logo and ice cream were an indelible part of local culture, and where I worked the glorious summer of 1994. Frumbrussels, the painfully cute candy store where I developed an infernal crush on lovely, lace-curtain Deadhead cashier Julie and wrote a godawful story about it, later published in my college literary magazine (there was a larger one later partly concerning her which wasn't as bad, but still a trial). Last but not least, Coffee Call, Baton Rouge's home of beignets, where my family would eat most Sundays before church, and which I would later treat as my own Cafe Deux Magots--as, in my defense, would many, many others--in the infant glory of my nicotine habit, indulging in reading, writing (the likes of which I cringe to remember), visiting with friends, an hour debate on "Westerns vs. musicals" with a girl named Thais, the incongruity of my K&B workclothes in said setting, the gradual realization of hippies' drawbacks from watching artist Dan, the general thrill of starting to make my own life, and a weeklong fling with the wacky, ravishing Nicole the aforementioned summer, a fling well over by the time we organized a convoy to Lollapalooza at New Orleans (and therein lies a tale). In retrospect, it may have been unsurprising how eerily the memories clustered there, for it was a lovely place I didn't truly appreciate until I moved away. Unlike many strip malls, it was built with a sense of character, its central structure bisected with an L-shaped, verdant expanse of grass and flowers, occasionally spanned by the odd arched bridge, covered to create a strangely Japanese feel. On warm summer nights, when the intense summer heat of the Louisiana day had hoiled off and the kids, myself included, got friskier and rowdier, it could seem like a punkass version of The Arabian Nights, or did to my old suburban self. A few years ago, the central structure was completely torn down and replaced by a Wal-Mart; that didn't really hit me until last week.
A weird ambition of mine that's been building for a couple of years is to return for a week sometime and try out a "normal" visit, one that isn't for a wedding, funeral or holiday. You would have to pay me a great deal of money to live anywhere in the South again, but if I had to, Louisiana would probably be the state and Baton Rouge the place. For my money, there's more interesting history, culture and music than elsewhere in the region (and vastly better food) and my personal background might make an easier adjustment (though the opposite could well be true). That, at any rate, was my position until last week. It would be interesting to see if it still holds in the face of the preschool local political trends that have swept the country and have probably hit the South worse than other (though they didn't exactly have to hit very hard). For example, will the public institutions and transit systems measure up against places that believe more in government? Is Eddie Money still available on an hourly basis on the radio station whose call sign I've thankfully forgotten the same way that Dave Matthews still is at Ann Arbor's WQKL? There's information available, but I'd be curious to see how much feels familiar to me and how much I now need to learn. I expect one thing I won't need to learn is that Baton Rouge will always be a part of me, even if I'll likely never again be a part of Baton Rouge.
Apologies for that annoying "stinger" ending. I'm not being ironic; it just seemed rather pat, but I can't quite think how else to end it. Happy December.
Posted by Charles J. Microphone at 12:01 AM EST
Updated: 1 December 2011 12:14 AM EST
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Commercial Lives of the Mexican Walrus
Now Playing: Arrah and the Ferns--"Science Books"
"I have trouble keeping lunch down when I read these jeremiads about how sad and mysterious it is that our institutions of government are failing. It's not a mystery. One side wants them to fail [italics mine]. And there's very little the other side can do about it, beside point it out, which the president has started doing--and now he's the one being divisive! They've turned the world inside out."
Michael Tomasky to Steve Benen, 20 October 2011.
That statement had to be gotten out of the way, as it really can't be made enough. For the past couple of years, I've noticed people on Facebook and elsewhere complain about the lack of political bipartisanship on the national (and state, for that matter) level, often with grotesque handwringing and complaints regarding "politicians on both sides of the aisle." This is bullshit; I'll be the first to moan about the shortcomings of liberals and Democrats, but generally because they're becoming less liberal and less Democratic. The reason? That's what is actually happening with many of them. The Overton Window has shifted dangerously to the right in this country and there are still people who think "both sides need to come together," ignorant despite the evidence that one side has no interest in doing so, and that the other side will never be able to do enough of it to satisfy them, no matter how hard they try (and they've done plenty in the last few years). It's one of those tiresome questions or complaints that are constantly made despite a fairly simple answer, rather like "why do you still watch that show if you actually complain about it or have problems with it?"* It's a bit of a rant, of course, but I've had it up to here with this pathological goal-shifting. Nobody likes to be seen as "ideological," but everybody is in one form or another, regardless of degree. Boston politics and sports writer Charlie Pierce is terribly inspiring in this regard (despite his frequent if entertaining slides into polemicism and his laugh on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me):
"It will be the policy of this blog not to treat ignorance with respect simply because that ignorance profits important and powerful people. It will be the policy to operate on the principle that, while there may be two sides to every question, rarely are they both right. If this blog sees a man walking down the street with a duck on his head, it will report that it saw a man walking down the street with a duck on his head. It will not need two sources for that. It will not seek out someone to tell it that what it really saw was a duck walking down the street with a guy on its ass."
I hardly ever write directly on politics because I get too furious and because there are much better writers for it out there than myself. You may, of course, riposte with my lack of expertise on writing, films, music, etc., but I still feel, in my Paleolithic way, that politics (in its "pure" form, if there is such a thing) is fundamentally important in a way that the others aren't (no matter how often they all converge). Thank you. Now that I've gotten all that out of the way, we can move on to more subjective ramblings and musings on those aforementioned "less important" things so dear to my own heart.
Given the near-seven years of this blog's existence, a gap of a month or two is hardly something over which I or anyone else should really get "het up." Nevertheless, it always feels a little awkward when I jump back in the pool once more, and never more so than now. Usually I'll have listened to new music, watched new movies, or read new books, and will happily natter away about them. This autumn, though, there's been very little of that. I started writing again in late September after a break of a few months, and I've been a lot more productive than I expected, having knocked down a story, gotten halfway through another, and already embarked on yet another, longer project. In between, I've been editing a few other things and investigating potential venues for whatever work I eventually send out. The latter line I've been pushing for years, but I'm finally at the point where I've got enough work to submit without feeling embarrassed. The venues are a problem, though. In this day and age, they rise and fall like a cybernetic literary Whack-A-Mole, some completely shutting down and others simply not accepting fiction contributions due to volume of submissions (and others springing up out of nowhere).
It's really enough to make one consider the whole self-publishing route. Considering the rate and manner of change in media consumption these days, that option grows more attractive by the week. Established writers (including two I greatly respect, one of whom I've already quoted in this very entry) have trotted out the old Samuel Johnson chestnut, "No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money."** I used to let that line bum me out, but then slowly realized that the Great Cham lived towards the beginning of a literary culture that's now undergoing what I reckon is a sea-change (he also wilfully failed to understand George Berkeley, even if his mockery of American colonists' slaveowning hypocrisy is one of my all-time favorite verbal putdowns). My two published stories appeared (several years ago) via Lulu; why oughtn't others? At this time in my life, I'm starting to see more hidden opportunity in this uncertain literary universe than cause for despair. A good thing? I intend to try the more traditional routes to exposure first, but the alternative no longer appears the unthinkable disgrace it once did.
Inspiration's important, too. My new-ish (six months old) work schedule has partially separated me from my creative colleagues, but we still find time to talk fairly regularly about each other's work. There's also a great deal to be found in fellow bloggers (it gets alphabetic towards the end, though that wasn't the intention)...
Rare Oats: My wonderful friend and former co-worker Tara moved to Chattanooga last year, and has been posting from there ever since, both about life as a transplanted Michigander in the South (the amusing reverse of my situation, being an assimilating Michigander from the South) and about her rapidly progressing pregnancy. Great stuff on life, politics, and culture.
The Argumentative Old Git: My BHF chum Himadri, ensconced in England's Home Counties, started this arts beacon some time back. The most erudite blog I've ever read and a constant inspiration to me, in literary terms, not to forsake the old in pursuit of the new. It wasn't an implicit admonition that took long to accept, but certainly in this rapidly-changing day and age, the survival of any kind of cultural "canon" can only be a good thing, so long as we don't deny other works of quality.
Red Stick Forward: My brother and his wife returned to our hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana several years ago, armed with a snarky wit and incisive political instincts. What else to do with those but start a blog, I ask you? It languished for a while, but is now back with a happy vengeance. Even those not from this country will probably be familiar with Louisiana's bizarre governmental reputation, and the "Red Stick" is particularly instructive, sitting at the meeting place of so many different areas--North and South Louisiana, Protestant and Catholic, Florida Parishes and Trans-Mississippi***, the (much) Greater New Orleans Area and the rest of the States, etc. Also proof that the South hardly lacks its share of sensible progressives, even if they have their work cut out for them, to put it mildly.
Squirrels In Love: Other friends make me look like John Frickin' Henry when it comes to blogging. Take Amy, for example, one of the nicest, sweetest people I know. She really needs to get back into gear, alternating gorgeous musings and fables which, though long-awaited, are always worth it. Hopefully she'll update more frequently in future.
Stanger Lore: Jim, another BHF chum, hails from the London area (or Brighton, can't remember which) and has recently updated--thankfully--sharing the burden and delight of being an aspiring writer in the strange, inchoate culture of which I've previously written. It's always good to know there's at least one more out there, especially one with as big a heart and compelling literary impulses as he.
Sour Salty Bitter Sweet: My friend Margot rides forth mercilessly dissecting cherished myths and notions about food, eating, and culinary culture (occasionally my own) and thank everything for it. A cultural scholar at the University of Michigan, she's been working on these issues for her dissertation (hopefully to appear as a book), which are elegantly and usually convincingly played out in the blog (which I really need to read more often).
Banjo Pickin' Girl: My friend and former co-worker Leeann has been teaching English in Costa Rica for the past year and has been blogging about it with unvarnished charm and considerable humor (I had the honor of seeing her at Open Mic Night at the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase and she was easily one of the best performers--not meant as faint praise, I hasten to add). One hopes she'll return to us soon, no matter how interesting the culture or wildlife.
Buxusartis: There's a certain deli somewhere in America which receives food (and food-related) products, many of which are kept in boxes with interesting or noteworthy designs on them. One fine fellow I happen to know has started a blog devoted to these (accidental?) masterpieces, including avocado mascot Nacho Macho, the notorious "Walrus of Michoacan." It's an idea that will hopefully last some time, especially if the sweet potato fine "De Chene Boys" show up once more.
Other literary inspirations have been coming out of the woodwork--or Netflix, anyway. Ever since Deadwood, I've been involved in the American national sport of processing TV through box sets and blocks of episodes--generally through Netflix, and now through Hulu. I've finished Deadwood, The Wire, Party Down, and Veronica Mars (for my money the best American network show of the 2000s), have caught up with Parks and Recreation (for the most part), and am cracking down on Community and Breaking Bad. For some reason, it took until a few hours ago to realize what literary inspirations these shows could be, especially Party Down, which strikes closer to my own personal experience over the past ten years so than any show I've ever seen. I'm still wedded to prose, but the idea of writing teleplays may well lie down the road, especially in this era of DIY film and YouTube. The answer, I suppose, is to keep it diverse, reading both "literary" and "genre" fiction (not really believing in the existence of either) and watching quality TV in an effort to stay in the cultural current. All in all, I reckon I'll be pretty busy this winter, which is probably a good thing as it's likely to be a hard one. Maybe we should move to Tuvalu? In any case, stay safe and warm, and hopefully there'll be more regular foolishness and merryandrewdom from this end.
*A situation which may be familiar to old-school Doctor Who fans in particular. See "Davies, Russell T." and especially "Moffat, Steven."
**The Google search to make sure I got the quote right (there's irony there somewhere if I think hard enough) yielded this refreshing article from a couple of years ago which brilliantly encapsulates the present writing environment (that I've been able to discern) in the relevant paragraph towards the end.
***I'm pretty sure that's really just a military term from the Civil War, but reckon it applies fairly well in this situation.
Posted by Charles J. Microphone at 8:32 PM EDT
Updated: 24 October 2011 5:50 PM EDT
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Hallelujah Hosers
Now Playing: ELO--"10538 Overture"
John Graves Simcoe (1752-1806) was the first Governor of Upper Canada and the effective founder of Toronto, establishing Fort York and designating the embryonic settlement the capital of the new territory (split from Lower Canada, or Quebec, after the growing number of English-speaking Protestant settlers complained about having to live under French law and allegedly dominated by Catholic priests) in 1793. He's probably best known besides for being the first British colonial official to abolish slavery in any capacity, and for his wife Elizabeth, whose diaries apparently figure large in Canadian literature for their early impressions of "British North America." As of the 1st of August of this year, John Graves Simcoe became my freaking hero.
My dad is a member of the American Bar Association, who for some reason were having their annual convention in Toronto this year, and invited me to join he, my brother and sister-in-law, and my half-brothers there for a few days. I hadn't had a "Great Lakes vacation" in four years, and my fondness for the country's music and fascination with the mysterious giant to our north pretty much made it a no-brainer. I'd been toying with the idea of heading through Toronto to Georgian Bay for a couple of days, but this would certainly do nicely. I read some Margaret Atwood and Alice Munro for a little literary background (Atwood's The Robber Bride for Toronto, and Munro's The Beggar Maid for the country in-between, the latter festooned with rolling farmland and spinning windfarms). I got there on July 31, had dinner with the gang, and woke around 4:30 that next morning for what would be one of the great days of my recent life.
Simcoe Day is August 1, honoring the city's founding and its occasionally befuddled founder (whose story is touched on in Alan Taylor's superb The Civil War of 1812). As a result, I got into Fort York (still largely preserved despite the American Army's torching the place in 1813--the stunt that got the White House burned in revenge a year later) free, touring the buildings and watching flag parade. Somehow the "free" part came to symbolize that day, which I spent all across the city--the Distillery District, the University, Little Italy, Ossington, and probably a few other places I've forgotten. Toronto, as unsurprisingly as my gushing can make it, I found a wonderful place, shambolic and even ugly in places, but all the better for that. It's said to lack a real center and even an identity, but then the same has been said for Canada in general, and both have thrived and earned my own admiration despite (or because of?) these alleged lacks. There was a real friendly vibe to the city, which was both classically (stereotypically?) Canadian and thrillingly cosmopolitan; Toronto's long been one of the most multicultural cities in the world and it's very evident everywhere. It didn't feel all that weird to be an American there (even with the farce in Washington underway at those very moments, touched on at the Handsome Furs show Tuesday night); every now and again there were jolting reminders that one was actually in a foreign country, but I have to wonder if I got away with my "disguise" (screwing up on the College St. streetcar doors and not knowing Steamwhistle only made pilsners my two main "mistakes"). It all seemed so unimportant when I was having such a great time.
Monday was a case in point. I started at Balzac's, a coffee shop in the Distillery (which, like another establishment I could name elsewhere in the Great Lakes, seemed to favor all-black attire and took its monicker from a nineteenth-century French author), ambled down the Esplanade, skirted the heart of downtown, hung around Fort York, visited the Ontario Legislative Assembly (out of session), the slightly underwhelming Royal Ontario Museum (of course, I was pretty exhausted by then, which might have had something to do with it), had calamari at a terrifyingly enthusiastic Japanese izakaya, then took the streetcar (the Toronto Transportation Commission deserves odes--and has probably gotten them) west into Little Italy to visit No One Writes To The Colonel, a lovely bar (with probably the best lighting I've ever seen in one), based on owner Marty Smits' joint of the same name back in the old country (Latvia) which was hosting the Short and Sweet film series, sister to similar events in London and Capetown. I chatted with bartender Anna and a couple of the regulars, and then settled down to a batch of diverse little flicks which I sadly had to desert halfway through. If you're ever in Toronto, I highly recommend it, for the friendly neighborhood feel and especially for the St. Ambroise Apricot Ale, the best new beer I had during my trip (I'd made a point to check out some of the "vintages," and that was certainly the most memorably). Afterward, I went west again, getting off at Ossington and walking about twenty minutes to Communist's Daughter, a charismatically divey little place maybe twice the size of my room (named after a song by Neutral Milk Hotel, probably the most popular and influential band ever to come out of Ruston, Louisiana). I'd struck gold again; bartender Michael was celebrating his birthday and there was a festive atmosphere among the regulars, especially after some musicians appeared for an impromptu show (I discovered them to be the Lemon Bucket Orkestra, who have their own page on CBC 3). I contributed to thwarting the B-side of Radiohead's In Rainbows being played, of which I'm very proud. I was pretty well tuned up by then, and left a mawkish note of thanks for the bar in general. I then went to the wrong bar and figured it was probably time to head home, crammed with the unforgettable image of a late summer evening on College Street with bicycles thronging the streets and one of the most genuine, laid-back urban communities I'd ever encountered.
The next day was a little more restful, with a visit to High Park and the rare native savanna of pre-European Ontario, save for tiring through the Art Gallery of Ontario and the increasingly samey Quebecois folk paintings of Cornelius Krieghoff (1815-72; it might have been a little more interesting to see just a sample of his sketches of the Second Seminole War, in which he served during his brief career as an American). The unbeatable collection of the "Group of Seven" (the early twentieth century bunch who tried to liberate Canadian art from European slavishness by stressing the country's natural beauty) and Emily Carr (and the unjustly neglected Kathleen Munn) more than made up for it, though. I had resolved early on that I couldn't leave Canada without seeing a cool band (the Lemon Bucket Orkestra being completely unexpected), as they're now, for me, as emblematic of the country as the Mounties, and went to see the Handsome Furs and Parlovr at the Horseshoe Tavern, more or less the Blind Pig of Toronto (it's about triple the size, from what I could tell). The show was fantastic (I hadn't paid much attention to Parlovr before, but they were marvelous), I didn't indulge nearly as much as the previous night, and it even served as a little taste of Montreal for one American who never wound up making it east of the Don River. Just to be in the same room with someone who had been in Wolf Parade--now sadly disbanded--was thrill enough. Add a leisurely amble along Queen Street West beforehand and anything that happened the next day would be a foregone anticlimax.
It would have been the case anyway as it was completely overcast and I used the time to check out the Islands. The bike rental place was closed, but I got to wander around a bit, get a few nice shots of Lake Ontario, and in general soak up the atmosphere. I also got to wander around the first floor of the CBC building and thrill to the idea that Tom Allen might be broadcasting at that very moment (shame Julie Nasrallah's show comes out of Ottawa). That night, we all went to the top of the CN Tower for dinner (my vertigo proving less of an issue than I'd feared) and I found myself rather thankful that the day hadn't been nicer, as I'd have been sadder to leave (my return to Ann Arbor was less depressing than I'd figured, largely because it isn't another city of similar size and because our bus from Detroit was an hour late). Now I can't decide whether I want to go back to Toronto or check out Montreal next. Either way, it certainly won't be the last time I go back to Canada. Even if customs prove douchier than they did on my trip (I got through fine, but some of my fellow passengers had problems), it's well worth the risk.*
*The Canadians were professionally perfunctory, the American who searched my bag on the way back was pleasant, but his colleague who checked my passport... "Zingerman's... that's quite a famous delicatessen, is it not?" For some reason, the precise diction of the last few words made me wonder if it was he who was shamming and not (potentially) me. A weird educational moment, to say the least.
Updated: 5 August 2011 11:09 PM EDT
Leaves of Gloom
Now Playing: Cousteau--"How Will I Know"
My first years in Ann Arbor (c. 2002-05) weren't--despite the presence of some great work friends--terribly happy ones, but one place that always served as a silver lining for my existence was the downtown Borders on Liberty Street between Maynard and State. That location was the "flagship store," the whole business having been started by the Borders brothers a block away about thirty years before I moved to Ann Arbor. I had grown enamored of Borders during my time in Akron (1999-2002), especially as I bore a grudge against Barnes and Noble for being unjustly fired from my supervisor job in 1998, and I was delighted to find my new favorite such a central and long-standing landmark of my new town's erratically--if smugly and expensively--beating heart. Though my appetite for owning new books as opposed to reading them had declined considerably in that time for reasons stated in previous posts, I spent a lot of time and money there, and was happy to do so.
It's surprising how many fond memories I have of the place: acting on recommendations from the New York Times Book Review (which they used to sell separately--and I used to buy religiously--for 75 cents), one of which was Alan Furst's Dark Star, wolfishly devoured in one of the darkest corners of Conor O'Neill's on a busy Friday night; moping around aimlessly after a nasty day at Chateau Fluffy and learning to my retro delight that Asia of "Heat of the Moment" fame were playing live upstairs; meeting a lovely lady downstairs for one of the first actual dates I'd arranged in half a decade; and, of course, numerous crushes on the staff. There are probably others I can't remember right now, but it was always there, a dependable place to browse and learn. It was certainly representative of a big box chain, but I suspect I would have preferred it to rivals like Barnes and Noble or Books-A-Million even without my regrettable experience with the former. There was always a comfortably shambolic feel to Borders that would have been anathema to Barnes and Noble, at least, and I don't think I ever had a genuinely bad interaction with a worker there. Especially in downtown Ann Arbor, many of the people had been there forever, even after the labor troubles of the middle aughties (which had a lot to do with the foreboding management changes), and for me at least, the "flagship store" might as well have been one of the many independent bookstores that dotted the local landscape (and was certainly preferable in atmosphere and lack of hostility to a place like David's). It helped that people like that tremendously dour gentleman who used to tend bar at the Del Rio worked there.
Last night's news, that Borders was liquidating and that all stores would gradually shut down through August, wasn't exactly unexpected, but I think people like me were holding out for some kind of last-minute solution. A lot of good people will be without jobs, and a culturally vital (if greatly ailing) downtown space will be lost. I was going to post a review of one of the books I recently bought there, but it's too depressing even for that. I'm there or pass by almost every day, and to think that it'll be gone is... unthinkable.
Thank you, Borders workers, and the best of luck.
The Five Days of Michigan
Now Playing: The Doobie Brothers--"What a Fool Believes"
Gary Shteyngart, Super Sad True Love Story (2010): It was probably fitting that my first serious foray back into recreational fiction would be a critically acclaimed, unusually effective sci-fi satire that mirrored many of my own recent irritations with modern culture. Shteyngart's third novel was the June offering for the University of Michigan Fantasy/Sci-Fi Theory Reading Group--an assemblage which I'd occasionally considered joining but had never gotten around to finding--so the choice was in many ways already determined (I didn't end up going for various reasons, maybe wisely). I really had no idea how things would go down; I'd heard of Gary Shteyngart, as an entertainingly acerbic chronicler of immigrant life (Soviet Jewish in particular) in the new fin-de-siecle America, and what I'd heard had intrigued me enough not to form any prejudices, as I might otherwise against the This American Life and McSweeney's run of literati (my experience with Sarah Vowell, not to mention general principles, should have warned me off such intransigence). His earlier novels, The Russian Debutante's Handbook and Absurdistan, had a generally high reputation, and I reckoned that if I dipped my oar back in the waters of contemporary fiction, it might as well be in the company of this guy.
A decade or two in the future (I think), Lenny Abramov works as a lifestyle headhunter for a biotech corporation that specializes in prolonging the lives of the wealthy and powerful, with an eventual eye towards upgrading to de facto immortality. For the past year, he's been knocking around Europe on special assignment with little to show for it until he meets the vivacious young Eunice Park at a Rome party. Instantly besotted, he can't get her out of his mind on his return to the States, even with the pressures of his job, the ambiguous attentions of Joshie Goldmann--his "charismatic" boss--and the neverending assimilation problems of his own cranky immigrant parents. His transatlantic correspondence with Eunice runs into problems when she returns to the States, largely due to issues with her own cranky immigrant parents (in her case, Korean Christian). Their relationship faces a number of problems: a twenty-year age difference, clashes of temperament, combative friends and relatives, their bizarre motives for getting involved in the first place, and their existence in a horrifically commercialized world all the more appalling for being a worryingly close extrapolation of our own.
The United States is governed by the "Bipartisan Party" with a puppet president and a Defense Secretary controlling the real power. He, in turn, must answer to the Chinese Central Banker, as the country is effectively mortgaged to pay its debt. American troops are fighting in Venezuela and former allied blocs in Europe are clamoring to decouple from long-existing strategic alliances. The political horror goes hand in hand with the consumerist nightmare of contemporary culture, as practically everyone stays nearly all the time on their "apparats" (think more sophisticated and powerful iPhones), and the citizenry are largely defined by their occupations (Media, Credit, Retail) and credit status ("Low Net Worth Individuals," or LNWIs, are kept effectively segregated in ghettos and slums). Lenny faces the same shady issues normally found in older male relationships with younger females, but in this case against a cheerfully grim backdrop of political and societal collapse. The story's epistolary delivery exemplifies the differences between the two: Lenny's tale arises from his old-fashioned, hand-written diary (text is frowned upon in their world, apparently due to the smell), while Eunice's emails and archived chats tell her side of the relationship. Unsurprisingly, they both learn a great many things about their relationship and their world as each are rocked by crisis after crisis. The story never quite loses its sense of humor even as it grows increasingly somber, and there are some rather bravura descriptive setpieces (one in particular put me in mind of Cloverfield, of all things).
Shteyngart's connection with my own worries was startling and a little unnerving. Barely two blog posts after I implicitly kvetched against the unstoppable columns of Internet culture, he's delivered the perfect satirical blow. Often satire can be too overblown, too off in its pacing or emphasis, or simply too gratuitously nasty. Somehow, though, Shteyngart manages to weave through any number of roadblocks. The novel follows in the great tradition of writers like Yevgeny Zamyatin, George Orwell, J.G. Ballard, and Margaret Atwood, in which the projected dystopias really have easily identifiable roots in their contemporary societies (and are in some cases barely distinguishable from them). In many ways, like Ballard, Shteyngart is exploring his fears in a world where many of them have already been made flesh. It may explain, too, why the satire's so unexpectedly well-balanced. Jim Munroe's Everything In Silico tried something similar several years ago, but I found it unsuccessful, maybe because it was too close to a cyberpunk aesthetic. There's the occasional cartoon villain in SSTLS, but the major relationship, between Lenny and Eunice, is well portrayed, and Eunice comes through as a believable young woman trying to redefine her humanity in a world which has little use for it (though there were a few close calls). If I have any criticism of the fundamentals, it's that Eunice is slightly less the equal partner in the narrative, though admittedly Lenny's had twenty more years' worth of rumination. All in all, it was a fantastic reintroduction to contemporary fiction, and an encouraging sign for someone like me to continue participating in both consuming and creating same.
Posted by Charles J. Microphone at 12:01 AM EDT
Updated: 14 June 2011 8:45 PM EDT
Lewis Mallard, Wing Commander
Now Playing: St. Vincent--"Just the Same But Brand New"
One thing that I miss about my former situation at work, besides knowing that I'd be able to sleep in almost every morning, regardless of whether or not I actually did so, was the camaraderie with my fellow workers. There's plenty of that (and increasing) in my present situation, but the evening shift was considerably enlivened by the fact that we were all "creatives" in one way or another. I wrote fiction, another was a musician, and another has gone on to great success as a burlesque MC. Conversations, especially with "J" the musician, were not only generally entertaining but often educational. It felt good to be able to bounce ideas off each other; I felt there was a fair degree of cross-fertilization underway. Their examples inspired me to keep going myself. I'll still see them at work, of course, and J and I had a brief discussion recently that confirmed me in a decision I made some time ago. He had heard an interview on NPR with a writer commenting on the fact that there now might actually be more writers than readers, and that the writer knew or had heard of a college-level creative writing teacher who required students to not only read twelve new books a year, but also to buy them and present the receipts for course credit. It was a drastic but understandable method to keep aspiring writers involved not only in contemporary creative currents, but also the industry in which they hoped to make inroads, however small.
I don't entirely buy this view. Even from my sub-bottom-feeder perspective, publishing has made a number of its own mistakes, and there are more than a few success stories that highlight ways out of the corporate minefield which has, largely for technical reasons, become such an obnoxious object of scorn for many aspiring writers (and readers). My own two published stories were brought out by an individual in another country who I'd never met (Chris Wood of British Horror Films), who published them in an anthology through Lulu simply because he liked the kind of stories that came out on his web forum. I also consider it highly unlikely, physically or otherwise, that there will be more writers than readers for a very long time. Maybe in MFA programs, but doubtfully elsewhere. The imbalance is probably growing, though, and the thought made me question further my own creative priorities. I've written previously on my decreased reading due to increased writing, but that isn't the whole story.
One of my literary heroes, Michael Moorcock, gave an interview about ten years back for Mojo in which he encouraged budding fantasy writers not to read fantasy, as much of that genre was conceptually enslaved to the half-century-old techniques and concerns of a reactionary Oxford English don who only did what he did because he found the Norman Conquest an unparalleled linguistic tragedy (I'm embellishing just a little, but it's accurate in general). While this advice was largely given for ideological reasons, Moorcock was also keen to ensure that budding writers of his ilk had a wide grounding in different types of literature (I think he mentioned Angus Wilson and Elizabeth Bowen, among others). At the time, and since, I chose to focus on the no-man's-land between the genres that people like Dunsany, H.P. Lovecraft, and Clark Ashton Smith had explored so brilliantly well before Tolkien (and Neil Gaiman since, with mixed results), but I fear I may have taken Moorcock's advice a little too much to heart. I grew into the kind of automatic curmudgeon I'd always distrusted, and almost completely threw over contemporary fiction of any kind (minus a few favorites, like Laurie Notaro or Alan Furst) for "the classics," whatever those are. The only time I generally came into contact with anything post-1980 was in the pages of the New York Times Book Review (when Borders still carried it). Recently, with my drive to build an artist's portfolio of sorts for myself, I started to slide off reading altogether, occasionally nipping into a non-fiction work that looked particularly interesting (Colin Tudge's The Bird and Alan Taylor's excellent reexamination of the War of 1812, to name two). For someone like me, who had once prided himself on reading hundreds of books a year, it was a bizarre turnaround.
I've been writing stories and working on a longer project now since the end of August, and have written over 100,000 words in doing so. It went very well for much of the time; I wrote or finished seven stories and made considerable headway on the projects. Towards the end, though, it's become rather wearing. I've been forcing myself sometimes to make my quota (at least 2000 words a week), and there have been a few shameful occasions when I've failed. I don't want to end up producing knowingly substandard work through a misguided sense of artistic duty. It's helped that the writing has considerably enlivened a traditionally drab and dismal season; I came close to utter despair my first few winters in Ann Arbor, and though having a social life generally took the sting out of them after 2005, there was always the threat that the black dog would return, a threat that was soundly neutralized by the sense of purpose and accomplishment I had this winter. This weekend I start a break which could last well into the autumn (although even now I've planned a "working vacation" in the late summer, in honor of one recent idea which I've arbitrarily decided needs to be written next to a pool as much as possible). Much of this break, I suspect, will involve reading. I still have a pile that needs to be broken (including The Tale of Genji, Don Quixote, and long-awaited revisitations of Thucydides and Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea trilogy), and even then I shouldn't let that interfere with my rediscovering the contemporary (I've recently made stabs with Lorrie Moore and Denis Johnson). I've had enough grounding in the "classics"; it's time for me to act my age in the best way and realize that a love for one doesn't have to preclude an interest in the other. I knew that once and it's high time I knew it again.
Desperately Seeking Susan (1985): I felt I owed it to the memory of the 1980s, as I would miss June's Plastic Passion, to watch Madonna's big-screen debut one evening. It seemed especially pressing as I can no longer tell her and Lady Gaga apart (I understand this is a big worry for people). After I finished, I couldn't believe how I'd let such a lovely, funny genre-blending film escape me. Director Susan Seidelman began her career with the low-budget Smithereens, about punk and new-wave culture in New York during the early 80s, and Desperately Seeking Susan bears unmistakable imprints of that same culture. Richard Hell shows up in a small role, as do a great number of later cinematic luminaries of the 1980s and beyond--John Turturro, Anne Magnuson, Giancarlo Esposito, Laurie Metcalf and others (there are even echoes from earlier avant-garde periods, as Peter Maloney, who appeared in Brian DePalma's films of the late 1960s, as well as 1969's magnificently scattershot Putney Swope, appears as magician Ian). New Jersey housewife Roberta (Rosanna Arquette) becomes obsessed with the frequent mentions of "Susan" (Madonna) in the personals section of her paper, and eventually tracks down the mystery woman to a rendezvous at Battery Park in Manhattan. What follows involves eternally entertaining plot devices such as mistaken identities and jewel thieves, all at the service of one woman's self-discovery. Madonna's first film sees her at her freshest; she came out of the same New York bohemian milieu (albeit as a transplant from Michigan, including a stint in my own present city) as Seidelman's earlier work, and her exploding celebrity at the time helps her adopted culture to galvanize the film's aesthetic and style; these were 80s I could get behind (I couldn't get "Into the Groove" out of my head for several days afterward). Though Madonna's casting was doubtlessly a big draw and "Susan" is in the title, the film's focus is Roberta's transcendence of her suburban lifestyle and mindset (it's refreshing that husband Gary, though somewhat caricatured, isn't a complete douchebag--Mark Blum played a similar though less sympathetic role in the same year's Crocodile Dundee). I'd forgotten how affecting a screen presence Arquette was; luminous, feisty, independent and determined. She apparently still keeps busy these days, but it's great to see her at the beginning of an interesting career in Susan. We don't learn much about what makes Roberta tick (she mentions "dreams," but they're never spelled out in the slightest detail), but then again, she hasn't been given much chance to find out, and the possibility that she might soon have time makes for a happily exciting notion.
Iris Owens, After Claude (1973): After Claude marked the start of my attempt to get back into buying and reading books on impulse again. I had a long and fraught history of such in my younger days, but had scaled down drastically in my thirties for various reasons I may already have mentioned--now, happily, space rather than finance plays the major role in this restriction. There's a larger post in the dilemma, but I'll stick with After Claude for now. The grimly hilarious account of one woman's breakup and near crackup in boho Manhattan, After Claude almost instantly took pride of place in my heart next to satirical masterpieces like A Confederacy of Dunces and Lucky Jim. The comic vision is equal to the former and the prose has maybe even greater belly laughs than the latter. After Claude defiantly claims its own identity, though; Iris Owens was a ferociously uncompromising female writer of postwar America (and Europe, where she dabbled in pornography--"porn" sounds so post-her) who never quite realized the promise some saw in her and likely didn't care. At a time when second-wave feminism was in full swing, Harriet was an annoying, unstable, toxic heroine who would hardly have offered an inspiring example to anyone. The plot is fairly simple. Harriet is dumped by her French boyfriend Claude and sent away from their apartment in Greenwich Village. After a series of stratagems to win him back (or at least to restore the status quo), she ends up at the Chelsea Hotel where she falls victim to a weird cult partly led by Roger (who acts on the orders of the even more mysterious Victor, a name which I just realized has a great deal of similar significance for me). Harriet narrates throughout, and her disdain and sarcasm are inexhaustible and unstoppable; the first half of After Claude has a railroad tempo that's hardly noticeable until it's almost over (when Harriet reaches the Chelsea). Seeing the diatribes and put-downs rendered in such plain type on the page put me in mind of Laurie Notaro; I wonder if she's a fan. I won't try and single out a particular zinger; they seem to blend into themselves to make it nearly impossible.* The final third is strangely downbeat, quite unlike Confederacy or Jim. I never got the feeling that Harriet really learned anything or that she's headed for better things; it's a strange kind of comic novel, in my experience (I should definitely read more; again, for another post), but all the more bracing (and Harriet all the weirdly nobler) for it. The experience of reading was strange in itself; Harriet's struggles with Claude came in the intervals of the Tickled Fancy Burlesque Company's show at the Blind Pig; patrons must have thought the frequent outbursts of laughter from the guy in the corner pretty peculiar, if they noticed at all. The madcap histrionics and bitter wit well matched my friends' antics on stage. The next morning, wrapped in the comforting arms of a deliciously mild hangover, the alternately amusing and creepy account of the Chelsea Hotel perfectly fit the gray morning outside and the occasional nagging feeling of another weekend almost gone. Though I can't promise such an aesthetically perfect reading experience for others' introduction to this terrific novel, nobody should let the possibility of its absence stop them.
*Oh, all right: "Claude, who had learned his English in England, spoke with one of those snotty, superior accents, stuffed into a slimy French accent, the whole mess flavored with an occasional American hipsterism, making him sound like an extremely rich, self-employed spy." And "Maxine had more accents than Peter Ustinov, but unless you punched her in the stomach, you never heard the real one."
Updated: 31 May 2011 5:13 AM EDT
When Potatoes Matter
Now Playing: The Dirtbombs--"Good Life"
Back during the Internet's relative toddlerhood, when I was in college during the mid-1990s, we still called the thing "the IRC," or "Internet Relay Chat." A far cry from the world-spanning Moloch of today, it was mostly chat rooms rendered in script that wouldn't have looked out of place on a TRS-80 (unless we actually used TRS-80s, which I can't remember and which probably would have been funnier). Every now and again we would get joke lists via email of the kind that still occasionally show up in people's inboxes. One of my personal favorites was one listing great ways to confuse your students (on the supremely infinitesimal chance that any of my hundred or so former students are reading this, savor that one, I guess). This was primarly down to #30 or whatever it was: "Wear mirrored sunglasses and speak only in Turkish. Ignore all questions." I still crack up over the possibilities of its applicability in everyday life.
My recent cooling period on the Internet (or, somewhat more accurately, Facebook and the British Horror Films Forum I've frequented now for eight years) has put the strategy in mind more than once. It's not just that it all seems to be taking more and more of my time and energy; I've been writing fiction pretty much nonstop since the end of August, and that's tightened things up a bit. My work schedule, too, has recently changed, though in a way fulfilling a few ambitions, with more hours and greater opportunities to learn (which are already paying off at home, although it can be a pain getting up at five in the morning for the majority of the week). For the past couple of months, my "own time" has been more and more precious to me, and I may well be blaming the Internet a little too much for my own lack of discipline. I have to ask, too, why I'm on it so often. It has become a major, practically basic feature of postmodern life, but that's no excuse for staying on past, say, two hours (I should stress that this doesn't happen very often, but it feels quite obnoxious and endless when it does). It doesn't help, either, that I feel temperamentally unsuited to much "Internet culture." The vast majority of "jargon" irritates and occasionally enrages to a truly irrational degree. The frequency of interesting, civilized debates degenerating into atavistic, witless screaming matches may be a confirmation of some fundamentally pessimistic views of human nature, but it isn't one that I really want (or more importantly, need) to see. I don't need, for instance, to innocently call up the Barnaby Jones theme tune off YouTube in a moment of easily excusable nostalgia and find a racist flamewar going on in the comments section (I do need to refuse to find out how it started). It's at moments like those that "wearing mirrored sunglasses and speaking only in Turkish while ignoring all questions" is really the only way to go.
My disillusionment with the Internet puts me in mind of the time that I should never consider "the good old days," when I went online at the library and had the rest of the time to read, write, listen to the radio, watch movies, cook, and engage in any number of activities. I'm well aware that millions of people manage to accomplish this feat pretty much daily, but for some reason it seems to eat into my consciousness at an increasingly alarming rate. So, starting this weekend, I'm resolved to limit my access to a maximum of two hours a day, and even that's probably stretching it. This decision may force me to discipline myself and my free time and maybe even (paradoxically?) blog a little more. I have toyed with the idea of giving my Internet home an honorable end over the past couple of months (probably more seriously than I have since 2007), but I know I'll just start it back up again at some point, and it's much easier just to keep it around (I still like the title). It strikes me as a little odd that, about this same time last year, I was drifting into a total anomie, disinterested in largely everything. It was a brief yet horrible feeling, and fortunately it's been the diametric opposite recently. There's so much to do right now, and it seems like I can't quite decide on what to handle first. Books I still need to read, movies I could watch, home cooking to do, photos to take, bike trips to be taken, stories and longer projects to be edited, gardens to be planted and tended... Restricting the Internet, and taking a writing break, will help nicely.
Ride The High Country (1962): Sam Peckinpah is a director whose critical adulation I've never been able to understand. The Wild Bunch (1969) was slightly underwhelming when I first saw it, and I could never figure that out until much later (I think a lot of male viewers and critics get overwhelmed and somewhat flattered by the rampant machismo). Major Dundee (1965) offers the unique spectacle of an uninvolving disappointment with an unimprovable cast of quirky character actors of which Charlton Heston is the thespian triumph (and it's a real performance, not a "Heston"). Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) is frequently unwatchable, even if Warren Oates is strangely endearing throughout. Straw Dogs (1971) and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973) are both very good, and the latter has one of the best Western soundtracks ever. So it was with a mixed track record in mind that I approached Ride the High Country, Peckinpah's first Western and, as it turned out, a superb cinematic achievement. Steve Judd (Joel McCrea) is an aging lawman who takes a job with a bank to buy gold from miners in a nearby camp and transport it to safety. He enlists his old friend and partner Gil Westrum (Randolph Scott, who sounds like a patrician version of Foghorn Leghorn) to help, and en route they run into Elsa (Mariette Hartley), the dissatisfied daughter of a religious zealot (the great R.G. Armstrong). Gil feels mistreated and abandoned after his years of service to various communities, and has his own plans for the gold. What follows is a gently subtle morality play, with an old friendship tested and a new romance kindled (between Elsa and Gil's young protege Heck, played by Ron Starr). There's plenty of action, especially when the family of Elsa's intended (two of them played by future Peckinpah stalwarts Warren Oates and L.Q. Jones) get riled up, but it gets subsumed into the larger story of Steve and Gil. Their contrasting attitudes towards the hand life has dealt them make for surprisingly powerful drama, especially considering that the characters are played by two leading men who attracted criticism in their prime for being slightly wooden (Scott in particular is fantastic). The end might be heartbreaking if it didn't seem so natural and inevitable, as the mountains loom in the distance, two people prepare to begin a new life, and my take on Sam Peckinpah becomes more and more conflicted.
There will be more in the near future, but I can already feel other priorities press. A good omen, maybe.
Updated: 22 May 2011 6:16 PM EDT
Lord Help The Mister
Now Playing: Sleater-Kinney--"Living In Exile"
One of the familial relationships that, to me, feels most alien is that between two sisters. I have a brother, and we get along fine, but I always wondered what having a sister would be like (although I now have a sister-in-law who rather wonderfully feels more like an actual sister). To be a sister's sister might be a more remote imagining for me than to wonder what it would be like to be female, if that makes any sense. So it's always interesting to see these relationships portrayed on screen, especially when it offers a blitheringly obvious way to link a few films--one all right, two terrific--that I've seen recently.
Sunshine Cleaning (2008): I used to get Entertainment Weekly, and, though I just a couple of weeks ago liberated myself from its poisonous, superficial, middlebrow dreck (and those were just the film reviews), I remember seeing Sunshine Cleaning in the reviews fairly recently. When I realized that "fairly recently" meant nearly three years ago, I figured it was safe to say that I'm getting old, and that time which seemed an eternity to me twenty, ten, or even five years ago looks like much less now. This accidental reminder of my mortality may have prejudiced me against Sunshine Cleaning. That's not to say I don't necessarily like it. Rose and Nora (Amy Adams and Emily Blunt) are two sisters living in New Mexico, Rose a single mother and Nora a directionless twentysomething. They have a quirky, endearing father (Alan Arkin, and there were many who thought he was basically repeating his performance that I haven't seen in Little Miss Sunshine) and Rose is carrying on an affair with a married cop (Steve Zahn, long may he work). Rose's son has a learning disability, but her need to get him transferred to a special school runs into financial problems. A chance remark by the cop regarding the high pay of crime scene cleaning staff gives Rose the idea to start her own business in that field, and she enlists Nora to help her do it. The plot isn't exactly Dumas. Rose and Nora confront their friends, family, and their own misgivings before finding themselves by the end of the movie. Dad gets mixed up in all sorts of ridiculous business ideas, and it's all very quirky. By far the strongest feature, and what saves Sunshine Cleaning from being one of "those" movies, is the combined power of the leading performances by Adams and Blunt and the believability of their relationship with each other. A lesser movie would have Rose ensconced in a comfortable, "middle-class" job and in a safe but boring relationship, married or otherwise, willing and able to look down her nose at Nora for not being able to hold on to a "working-class" job or relationship, especially as both, according to dominant media narratives, are in eternally plentiful supply and supremely dependable (all other evidence to the contrary, if my suppressed rant isn't obvious enough). Maybe Nora could show up and embarrass her at some pivotal moment at a company reception or christening or some such. In Sunshine Cleaning, though, Rose is a "waitress" (as they still call them in movies), a couple of sick days or a rude customer away from sharing Nora's socioeconomic status, and the change works well for the movie. Rose and Nora are a lot more alike than either want to admit, and Adams and Blunt beautifully render the ambiguity of their sisterhood (it hardly hurts that I'm more than a little in love with Adams, and my respect for Blunt has consistently grown ever since I saw her play Boudicca's daughter in that British TV movie with Alex Kingston). Though the movie itself isn't such great shakes, its portrayal of Rose and Nora's sibling relationship, and the relative realism of its context, lift it well above many of its peers.
Beeswax (2009): Andrew Bujalski is, to some, the leading light of the so-called "mumblecore" movement, and to my mind, he's one of the best directors working in this country today--if not the best. Part of my high regard stems from the instant familiarity of his dialogue and situations. There's probably nobody else living (though I hope to find others, and have noticed a fairly large contingent of IFC-looking films at the library, so we'll see) who so accurately portrays the lives of relatively "aimless," predominantly white, vaguely left-of-center American twenty- and thirtysomethings*. One could take his work, drop it smack in the middle of Ann Arbor or Ypsilanti, and that's pretty much it, to a considerable extent.** I first encountered his work in 2005's Mutual Appreciation, and seeing 2003's Funny Ha Ha further bolstered my admiration. His first two films were set in Boston and New York, and operated in an obviously quasi-bohemian setting. Beeswax, though, relocates to "flyover country," which would be more exciting to me if it wasn't set in Austin, Texas, which along with Portland, Oregon, has been sucking up the bohemian-minded since I was in high school, if not before (including several friends over two decades). Real life twins Tilly and Maggie Hatcher play, respectively, Jeannie and Lauren, two young women living in Austin with, like the sisters in Sunshine Cleaning, more similar lifestyles than one would think from their respective status. Jeannie is part-owner and manager of a small hipster clothing shop (think Orchid Lane in Ann Arbor), and Lauren is frequently employed, shall we say, eventually starting to think about teaching in Africa. The plot hinges around a threatened move by Jeannie's partner Amanda to sue Jeannie and take sole ownership of the business, while Lauren helps her sister handle her troubled relationship with legal adviser Merrill (Alex Karpovsky) and tries to fend off well-meaning family advice for both sisters. There isn't a great amount of dramatic plot here, but plenty of quiet tension and honest charm, as it feels like a chapter in the lives of two people has been boiled down into a straight, unaffected docudrama. Given the actresses' real life relationship, it's unsurprising how good they are in their roles--the Hatchers are affecting yet low-key, with (full disclosure) an earthy gorgeousness that put me in mind of several women in my own past. Though Maggie Hatcher has wonderful moments, such as her postpartum glee in breaking up with an uninspiring boyfriend or helping her sister out with an impromptu photo shoot in a rural pasture, Tilly Hatcher owns what there is to be taken from the movie's commons, finding her own kindness and good humor put to the test by Amanda's complaints and potentially troublesome workers, gently fending off Merrill's desire for their relationship to be something more, teasing Lauren over her legal advice on what to do with Amanda, and wordlessly implying the effect her own situation as a paraplegic has had on her life (a situation the movie--mostly--effortlessly downplays). Though Bujalski's films have immortalized situations like the sisters' before, Beeswax marks a new care that's taken with the visuals; every location looks authentic and lived-in, in a way that was sometimes hard to tell with the rudimentary color of Funny Ha Ha and the grainy monochrome of Mutual Appreciation. It's a wonderful movie, especially if you come across it in the library with--best of all--liner notes from Kevin Corrigan (long-time stalwart of American indie film and well-known in these quarters for playing Uncle Eddie in Grounded For Life), who waxes just a little rhapsodic about some of the performances and situations, but then who am I to gainsay him? Jeannie and Lauren's experiences (sorry, Randall in Clerks) are just as epic and timeless in their own way as some of the greatest stories and novels.
Away We Go (2009): Away We Go will always rank as one of my great surprises of the cinema. I first read about it somewhere (Entertainment Weekly, probably), and it tripped all sorts of alarms in my head: quirky hipster/slacker couple (John Krasinski seemingly having been created in some foul social lab as the perfect male type--especially the glasses), script partly written by Dave Eggers (who I knew about from his involvement with McSweeney's, the producers of one excellent national secondary school literacy program and two godawful literary anthologies--nice mix, that), Peter Travers had probably given it a thoroughly ass-kissing and characteristically inaccurate blurb in Rolling Stone... I can't remember the exact circumstances, but I think I'd sworn at some point to avoid it like the plague. I can't remember the moment or reason I'd decided to check it out--my guess is (a) mild, slightly bored curiosity or (b) "There's no way this thing can be any worse than (500) Days of Summer." Whichever it was, thank you (or, in the words of Krasinski's Office character Jim Halpert, "Congratulations, universe; you win"). Burt (Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph) are a couple in their early thirties living near Burt's parents in upstate New York, and Verona is pregnant. A rash decision on the part of Burt's parents (Jeff Daniels and Catherine O'Hara) makes them realize that they need to shop around for parental examples and a good place to raise the kid, as they both (a little conveniently?) have jobs they can always do from home. A cross-country odyssey follows, from New York to Arizona to Wisconsin to Quebec to Florida, visiting friends and relatives who may provide guidance... It started dangerously, with quirky quips between husband and wife that made me worry, but Away We Go almost instantly righted itself, and dreaded imagined trowel-loads of pointless irony were replaced by a gentle, touching rumination on impending parenthood (yet another fundamentally alien situation for this reviewer). Much of the credit must go to Krasinski and Rudolph, who make Burt and Verona one of the most all-around sympathetic and believable couples in recent cinema. They help to keep things steady through some iffy patches that seem a little unbelievable (Maggie Gyllenhaal's New Agey academic) or overly literary (a speech delivered over pancakes in a Montreal restaurant, which is redeemed by some excellent acting from the supporting cast). One of the best moments comes when Verona visits her sister Grace (Carmen Ejogo) in Arizona, and the two have a lovely moment of reconnection (and, it seems, reconciliation) over the tragedy of their parents' death. It's sisterhood, even if it's only there for a bit, and it does influence much of what follows from Verona's perspective. By the end, they seem to have settled on the answer to their question, but then they can always ask more. This was Sam Mendes' first film from an original screenplay since the hugely overrated American Beauty, and it was too bad this didn't garner the kind of Oscars that the earlier work did. From the DVD extras, it appears that he went after the kind of actors he'd always admired, and it helps that he might as well have cherry-picked my own brain: Allison Janney, Jim Gaffigan, the exquisite Gyllenhaal, Josh Hamilton, O'Hara and Daniels, and best of all Melanie Lynskey, whose ongoing role in the grotesque Two and a Half Men (relevance! today's headlines!) has hopefully left unobscured her work in such films as Ever After, Shattered Glass, Flags of Our Fathers, The Informant! and Up In The Air. I was blown away by her work in Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures (1994) and puzzled for some time afterward why she hadn't had the kind of career that co-star Kate Winslet (deservedly) amassed. It's good to see her doing so well, and she (playing the pair's college friend Munch in Montreal) probably has the most memorably haunting moment in the film. There's so much wonderful stuff here, even unintentional (?) meta-moments like Paul Schneider playing Burt's brother Courtney in much the same way as Schneider plays the kind of generically witty "Jim Halpert" character Krasinski established on The Office in Parks and Recreation (my new favorite show, incidentally). It's a great film, with an agreeably contemplative score by Alexi Murdoch, and all the more for my surprising love for it. On top of everything else, it means that I'll actually have to read Dave Eggers (and Vendela Vida) now. As I'm in the middle of a contemporary American fiction kick right now (Lorrie Moore and Denis Johnson), I suppose it won't be too much hassle.
Downton Abbey (2010): And just for laughs... my Anglophilia's taken on bit of water since I started reading the comments at the Guardian, but it's had a huge impact on my own consciousness (largely for reasons described towards the end of the last blog post), and there was probably a time when I would have swallowed Downton Abbey hook, line and sinker. The Edwardian saga of a country estate and noble family threatened with dissolution, and the ongoing travails of their servants, it was a huge success in the UK, and unsurprisingly became one of PBS Masterpiece's biggest hits in years, possibly decades. Part of this may be that it hearkens back to the days of its distinguished forbear, Upstairs, Downstairs (which was remade last year to mixed critical reaction, and will be appearing on PBS soon), and part that it portrays a settled, luxurious (for some) lifestyle (soon to fall victim to war and upheaval) in a time of economic and political uncertainty. There are, of course, a number of differences. Upstairs, Downstairs was rather more subtle, at a time when stories could proceed at a more relaxed pace, and was created by Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins, two English actresses of working-class origins. Downton Abbey uses the cinema shorthand of the modern age, almost every plot point blatantly telegraphed (with a few clever fakeouts) and was created and written by the excruciatingly aristocratic Julian Fellowes (writer of Altman's Gosford Park and Kilwillie on Monarch of the Glen, if you're into that sort of thing), apparently a lord as well. There was a time when I thought that the fascination in some American quarters with the British aristocracy was due to a secret discontent with democracy and a lust to be ruled, rather than governed. I still believe this to some extent, but I also think that there's a simple fascination with difference--people speaking the same language and maintaining anachronistic, seemingly ludicrous institutions like monarchy and aristocracy, are inevitably going to be of interest in one way or another. It was with this charitable view in mind that I watched Downton Abbey (amusingly mistyped Downtown Abbey by my DA-loving friend on Facebook--that would have been something to watch), and on the whole I enjoyed it. It was hard to forget that its creator and writer is associated (as a Tory peer) with the present political drive to return the UK (or at least England) to the social conditions prevailing at the time of Downton Abbey, but that perversely added to the enjoyment. There are also three sisters: languid, haughty Mary (Michelle Dockery), deceptively mousy Edith (Laura Carmichael), and inquisitive, idealistic Sybil (Jessica Brown-Findlay), all daughters of Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) by his American mercantile heiress wife Cora (Elizabeth McGovern). Mary, the eldest, needs to be married off first, and Mary alternately schemes to make this happen and resents the need for it. Edith resents the attention paid her elder sister by parents and admirers and tries to make more room for herself with both, sometimes emulating her sister by using underhand means. Sybil couldn't seem to care less, being a little more worried about getting the vote than marrying into a family like her own. Into the toxic mix comes Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens), a distant cousin of the Granthams who has now become the heir apparent overnight with the death of the other candidates aboard the Titanic (seriously, although they did that on Upstairs, Downstairs, too). It's all great fun until somebody loses an eye or says something like "dreadful news about that Austrian Archduke" (which practically happens, I swear, even if they probably would have been more worried at the time about the potential rebellion of Protestant Ulster in reaction to a possible Home Rule Act). It's trash, but wonderfully entertaining, and one must say that Bonneville and McGovern have fantastic chemistry. The locations are all sumptuous and sybaritically rustic, and Maggie Smith makes her largely inevitable appearance as Grantham's mother, the Dowager Countess (which reminded me of the Leonard Maltin Guide's take on Joan Collins' performance in The Bitch or The Stud--can't remember which: "a role she could play in her sleep--and does").*** The acting's generally terrific, with good turns by longtime favorites such as Penelope Wilton and Jim Carter, and it's great to see Coronation Street's Rob James-Collier (Liam Connor "himshelf") as a devious footman. All in all, it'll be great fun to follow the story into the Great War and beyond, see who survives, and what other kinds of devious plots and junior high exposition will result. If nothing else, it's been a boon for Masterpiece, and by extension, PBS, and let's hope that every little bit helps.
*I would have said "middle-class," but I'm actually starting to buy the culturally tenuous nature of class in America, and just as I wouldn't describe myself as middle-class in my present situation, I don't think one can describe Lauren in Beeswax as such, although Alan in Mutual Appreciation and Marnie in Funny Ha Ha qualify to an extent.
**On a more upscale and blockbuster level, the first section of Cloverfield was surprisingly squirm-inducing in this manner.
***It's not that bad, but it gives me an excuse to call to mind another favorite, the review of Iron Eagle: "Not boring, just stupid."
Updated: 7 March 2011 4:53 PM EST
Saturday Paradise
Now Playing: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band--"Night"
William Boyd, Any Human Heart (2002): My reading log that I kept for most of the 1990s records that I completed William Boyd's Brazzaville Beach on 13 July 1998. That was a difficult summer (and year) for me and it's not much of a surprise that little of the plot or themes stuck with me as I was occupied with much else at the time. I did have a lingering respect for Boyd that kept nagging at me for much of the intervening twelve years--he was a critically acclaimed British writer, much of whose work involved the interactions between Western and non-Western cultures, especially in Africa. Any Human Heart touches rather more briefly on the theme than his other work, but it was lying on the "free book" shelf at the Ann Arbor Public Library and I figured that was probably a sign of some sort (it didn't hurt that I knew a British TV adaptation--C4--was on the Masterpiece schedule after Downton Abbey). Any Human Heart poses as the collected journals of British writer, critic, and onetime spy Logan Mountstuart, and covers the 1920s to the 1980s. It's a grand, kaleidoscopic look at the twentieth century as seen through one man's wonderfully imperfect eyes, and, as some may note, bears no little resemblance in large to Anthony Powell's A Dance To The Music of Time. The resemblance doesn't last very long--Powell's alleged British riposte to the likes of Proust or Musil was tedious, meandering, and fatally quotidian, arguably the most overrated literary work I've read in a good long while (and it didn't have the excuse of being written in the 80s). Boyd's "discovery," on the other hand, is brisk, engaging, and indulges in a terrific degree of smartassery (I also can't avoid the exhilarating suspicion that he wrote it as a combined defiance/pisstake of his lauded "precursor").* Logan (LMS as he's termed in the entertaining "editor's notes") begins life as an Anglo-Uruguayan student at Oxford, experiences brief celebrity as a writer in Paris and a journalist during the Spanish Civil War (palling around with Ernest Hemingway, among others), gets involved in intrigue and incarceration during the Second World War in the Bahamas and Switzerland (crossing swords with the ex-Edward VIII and Mrs. Simpson), experiences the heady rush of Manhattan life in the 1950s as an art dealer during the apogee of Abstract Expressionism, finds late adventure both as an English teacher in Nigeria during the Biafra War and a naive (?) participant in a radical left-wing revolutionary, possibly terrorist, group, and reflects on his amazing experiences at the end of his life in a remote corner of France.
I started Any Human Heart without any grand expectations, but it's a marvelous job and well worth reading. It could have been a name-dropping nightmare ("oh, hello, Hemingway") but somehow LMS' humanity and flaws shine, however great the tarnish at times, through any possible obscurement by the great and "good." With LMS, Boyd's basically raised one of the multifarious, often anonymous supporting characters in the lives of so many famous twentieth-century artistic figures to center stage (it would be like Floyd Dell becoming the central focus of Reds). If LMS has a real-life counterpart, it would probably be someone like Cyril Connolly (who, I recently discovered, died the day after I was born), who published one novel and a rumination on failure before moving on to become one of the century's most influential critics. Boyd also identifies one William Gerhardie as a primary inspiration in this excellent Guardian interview.* LMS has much the same kind of career, but with a number of picaresque scrapes and follies that barely touched even Connolly's eventful life. It helps, too, that not only are his flaws are front and center but that he's generally honest about them. He's a bit of a womanizer and hardly ever knows what he really wants, but tends to readily admit to this, at least in his journals. Through minor triumphs and appalling tragedies, he manages to keep his wits about him and never stops enjoying life in one form or another well into his twilight years, when even his retirement sojourn in France yields one more compelling mystery. The journals are breezy, clear and incisive throughout, and Boyd's mischievous editing brilliantly fits the spirit of his fictional "subject." The "liner notes" tend to help the story along in surprising ways, and the interaction of creator and character in this way is deliciously exhilarating. LMS' central "moral," if it can be called that, is that "we're none of us the same person" (literally translated in the series, as described below), and his own life, going through enormous swings of joy and sadness, triumph and tragedy, is a very good proof of such. Most of us probably won't hit the highs and lows of such a life, but it was heartening to read, especially for one reader nearing middle age who hopefully has a while yet to truly peak.
The TV series would inevitably be a disappointment, but it wasn't as much of one as I'd feared. LMS is played by three different actors--Sam Claflin, Matthew MacFadyen, and the great Jim Broadbent--and the action necessarily clips by at great speed, with fairly sizable chunks excised (most sadly the Nigeria sequence) and certain events altered or subtly ignored (LMS' reason for moving back to London from New York). Fortunately, it gets better as it goes along, with the older, wiser, sadder LMS visibly showing both the weight and benefit of his advancing years. Weirdly, the Masterpiece promo namechecks Gillian Anderson (Mrs. Simpson) and Kim Cattrall (LMS' friend and mistress Gloria)--and even MacFadyen (admittedly familiar to Masterpiece and British TV viewers)--but not Broadbent, the only Oscar-winning member of the cast. It clicks along nicely towards the end, which is at once both heartbreaking and heartwarming, with LMS full to the brim of memories, especially of the great love of his life, Freya Deverall (the smolderingly gorgeous Hayley Atwell). Even the unexpected appearance of Myanna Buring (aaaaigh!) as a German revolutionary of the Baader-Meinhof era wasn't as annoying as I'd dreaded (I think I'm on record somewhere calling her the "modern-day Yutte Stensgaard," but that's probably wildly unjust). All in all, it certainly wasn't a match for the book (and probably didn't achieve the extraordinary popularity of the preceding Masterpiece phenomenon, ITV's Downton Abbey), but it was an affectionate abridgement by Boyd of his own masterpiece, and will hopefully get more people interested in this tremendously engaging writer, as I myself have.
Masterpiece itself was the result of an amalgamation of Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery!, both of them PBS staples for decades. There are now Masterpiece Classic, Masterpiece Mystery, and Masterpiece Contemporary (the latter mainly concerning itself with British imports that can in no way be considered period dramas, at least from before the 1960s or so). Watching these shows was a major part of my adolescence (not as great as Doctor Who, although the early 90s repeat of I, Claudius came pretty damn near), and, though they're a major target of those who would rid this country of one of its great cultural triumphs (and are coming close, having won a vote in the House of Representatives to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting), had an enormous impact on how I saw the world. Watching shows made for a different country will inevitably change one's outlook on how one sits in the wider world, and this was never more true than of British imports on PBS. Shows like Masterpiece Theatre, privileging though they are (or have been in the past) of a certain kind of British identity (upper-and-middle-class, rural and suburban), do a great job of continuing the work shows like Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood started, demonstrating to interested viewers that they aren't alone. They're special, but so is everybody else.*** Seeing people with the same language but radically different accents on a regular basis on TV helps to both consciously and unconsciously underline this reality; it "humanizes" "others," if you like. It follows therefrom that we're all in it together, facing many of the same problems, and that it therefore makes sense to work together on an equal footing. These are the messages I got as a kid and young adult from public broadcasting, and I've never seen any convincing argument against them (they also lay at the conceptual core of just about all the world's religions--one reason why I'm hesitant, devout agnostic though I've become and critic of organized religion though I've been for decades, to offer blanket condemnations of such institutions). In the world we presently inhabit, too, they stand as some of the only positive reinforcements of this same emphasis on cooperation and togetherness that have given this country some of its finest moments and greatest glories. Especially in places where there isn't access to cable TV or the internet, it's one of the only conduits for a wider culture and a showcase for differing views and voices. **** Even with the existence of cable, PBS shows personally come out on top for me largely due to their cooperative ethos (you only have to compare egregious cable cooking shows, focusing on camera-friendly primping and standards of competition that suggest the contestants haven't mentally cleared kindergarten, let alone culinary school--and let's not open that can of worms, eh?--or the vetting process, with something like Simply Ming). It's a great thing that exists in this country, this cooperative impulse, and has been trodden into the ground over the past several years, if not several decades, largely by people who can't bring themselves to believe that other people are worth anything, let alone as much as themselves. In short, PBS stands for everything that's finest in America, and it would be an extraordinarily stupid act of cultural self-harm if we let it fall into the disrepair these Tea Party-influenced legislators seem to want so badly.
*"27 November 1936: Evelyn [Waugh] was in the bar with some people and, in conversation, I let him know I'd just been in Spain and told him how impressed I'd been with the Republican spirit. He looked at me pityingly, his pale blue eyes wide and bright. 'Spain has nothing to do with you or me, Logan,' he said. And then immediately contradicted himself by asking if I'd seen any burnt-out churches. I'd seen locked ones, I said, but no signs of anti-clericalism. Then he changed the subject and started asking me questions about Aethelred and the Edgefields. Sometimes I think I'm only of interest to Evelyn because I married an earl's daughter."
**Their reviews are often shit, but they usually do good interviews.
***I've often seen the spectacularly wrong-headed accusation made elsewhere that Mr. Rogers actually encouraged self-centeredness among children by his emphasis on personal "specialness." I was well aware at the time that he was talking to many other kids just like me in that regard, and I'm pretty damn certain everyone else knew the same (just about every lesson imparted by the Kingdom of Make-Believe involved this idea, with a subtle anti-monarchist twist). When the arguments reach that level of crapitude, you can be fairly sure you're dueling with someone on bad faith.
****My friend Richard lives in California's Inland Empire, and apparently the region is already suffering the effects of KCET's harebrained decision to detach itself from the CPB and run itself largely on British imports, forgoing the kind of educational and grassroots American programming that forms much of the rest of PBS' output. That's the kind of thing we can anticipate across the country if the CPB gets defunded.
Updated: 28 February 2011 1:16 PM EST
A Poor Judge Of A Great Masterpiece
Now Playing: Blur--"Sunday Sunday"
From the outset, it should be made clear that today's title was my college friend Will's opinion of my take on the 1961 film epic El Cid, with Charlton Heston in the starring role. The most unusual slice of 90s nostalgia that's resulted this week from my furious fit of memory-gouging, inspired by what follows...
Sara Marcus, Girls To The Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution (2010): Riot Grrrl was a feminist movement for political, social, and cultural change that began in the early 1990s and linked the myriad concerns of many disaffected young women. It expressed itself most famously through the music of a variety of performers, most notably Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, and later Sleater-Kinney (itself the product of earlier Riot Grrrl bands like Heavens To Betsy and Excuse 17), but also through instances of social connection and political action--Riot Grrrl chapters were set up in the movement's hubs of Washington, DC, and Olympia, Washington, as well as a number of other cities throughout the country. Though enormously influential on both the development of third-wave feminism and independent music, it foundered for a time on both hostile mainstream media attitudes and the internal tensions which were largely inevitable among so many passionate, intelligent, and talented individuals. Though Riot Grrrl chapters as such had gone their separate ways by the late 1990s, the movement remains a powerful inspiration and example to a great many women (and not a few men, myself included).
That, at, any rate, is a relatively neutral portrayal of a protean phenomenon that lay beneath the pop culture mainstream of my own young adulthood like a simmering fault line. I started the 1990s as a teenage boy intellectually and idealistically sympathetic to feminism but riven by the same hormonal tug-of-war that can make life at that age such a glory and a hell for young people. This conflict arguably helped to reinforce, to some extent, the same patriarchal norms that some (at least I) tried desperately to escape. I didn't encounter Riot Grrrl in any obviously discernible guise until I read a piece on Sleater-Kinney in Rolling Stone, a chance encounter from which they would proceed to become my favorite American band of the 90s, but in reading Sara Marcus' superb history of Riot Grrrl's life and times, I was struck at how many times my own life had nearly intersected with, if not Riot Grrrl, the same problems and concerns it faced.
At sixteen or seventeen, I was involved in a counterdemonstration against Randall Terry's grotesque "pro-life" Operation Rescue outside Baton Rouge's now sadly defunct Delta Women's Clinic. The rise of groups like Operation Rescue had been a major catalyst, along with the tortured Supreme Court tale of Planned Parenthood vs. Casey, for pro-woman action and organizing, as well as the much-ballyhooed declaration of 1992 as "The Year of the Woman." In college in Virginia, I had a number of female friends who held Sassy magazine in high regard, and caught a few echoes that way; Sassy, being a young women's magazine with a relatively "alternative" approach, was one of the primary media battlegrounds for Riot Grrrl. The rise of zines and DIY publishing was another prominent feature of the movement, and I remember quite a few friends and acquaintances of mine who started their own in senior year--one of them a friend of my friend Annie's (whose name I sadly can't remember), whose concerns and pieces were squarely addressed in opposition to the dominance of patriarchal culture (reading them, I felt a profound helplessness, which was fairly educational in itself). Then there was our college's inaugural Take Back The Night rally, at which I remember hearing people I knew muster their enormous courage and take the stage to describe their rapes or abuse; I'm pretty sure the organizers were familiar or had links with the movement. Much of the movement's activity, even during its alleged decline, was centered around the DC area and Northern Virginia, and it's sad to think that the only time I ever managed to get up there during my time at Roanoke was for NORML's National Marijuana Day in 1996. All this blather is by way of expressing how tantalizingly close many of these events, discussions, and issues came to intersecting my own life and possibly changing it for the better, and this is all coming from someone--a straight white male of middle-class background--who arguably needed the movement's help the least. I think it would be presumptuous in the extreme for me to make any personal claims on its background or development, and I'm not trying to do that here. Its ideals, though, still point a way towards a better world where much of the bullshit that's negatively impacted my life in many ways (and may have done the same to people I knew who I cared about or loved, and perhaps still does) is no more, or at least has been shown to be vulnerable to challenge. I also love the music (even if the stuff I was listening to while Riot Grrrl was in the ascendant was closer to my "now playing" selection on today's blog post).
Sara Marcus, a writer and musician who had been a Riot Grrrl (and arguably still was), came to the University of Michigan to give a talk on her book (she gave a reading the next day, but I had to work). It was with all the aforementioned in mind that I went to hear her speak, on the origins of Riot Grrrl, its historical context, and its complex relations with an often hostile mainstream media. The room, a fairly decent-sized one in Lane Hall, was packed with people of many ages, which was good to see. It was an excellent talk (with great musical samples), all the more so for the questions and discussion that followed--these latter ranged from the ability of music to be political, the necessity of physical tangibility to revolutionary messages (i.e. zines vs. blogs), and some of the undercurrents that helped to fracture and change the movement. I was completely unprepared for the rush of 90s nostalgia that hit me while listening, and though I didn't need to be sold, I bought the book (a little surprised I didn't buy two), and looked forward to reading it (in between Hawthorne and Maupassant--it was an interesting time for reading) all week. I got done with it a couple of days ago, and it's fantastic.
It's great both as an even-handed, wideranging narrative of an important historical moment and as a piece of nonfiction literature. Marcus draws her personal experience into the book from the very first, describing her hellish adolescence in suburban Maryland, what Riot Grrrl meant to it, and how it changed it. The narrative runs from 1989 to 1996, examining how Olympia, with its alternative mecca of Evergreen State College, and DC, with its political and cultural resources and legendary punk and DIY scene of the 1980s, became the movement's twin nodes. Bikini Kill, achieving popularity in its Pacific Northwest scene, developed the concept of "Riot Grrrl" as a way to help young women faced with the same conflicting messages that they were, especially those powerless in a legislative sense (under 18). They, and their fellows such as Bratmobile, migrated to DC in the early 1990s as a way to harness the potential inherent in such a scene (with the help of established musicians like Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat and Fugazi). By 1993, Riot Grrrl had become a national phenomenon, commented on (and more usually caricatured) by major media outlets. Young women everywhere conducted meetings, went to rallies, formed bands, demonstrated, and carried out the occasional act of "culture jamming" (in one such described, a couple of Riot Grrrls went into a magazine section and slipped self-affirming, body-neutral messages into fashion rags like Cosmo or Vogue).
By 1994, though, a number of conflicts had arisen. Bikini Kill's success put distance, however unintentional, between the movement's founders and the very women that Riot Grrrl was supposed to help. The movement's ideals, too, formed a paradoxical obstacle. Riot Grrrl was all about subverting the media, but there were times when some kind of media presence was the only way to reach women without the often privileged communication networks on which the movement had started. Privilege also played a role in the complex relations the movement explored with women of different races, sexual orientations, body types, and economic backgrounds, with a number of arguments and divisions arising therefrom (it should be mentioned that Riot Grrrl's approach, with all its faults, was a lot more self-aware in this regard than previous feminist movements). It didn't help that most interactions with the wider media resulted in grotesque misintepretations, the result of simplification and stereotype. The end is left as something of an open question--the Riot Grrrl "movement" ended in whatever "official" sense it had existed, but there are still plenty of Riot Grrrls out there, and thank everything for it.
Marcus' work has risen to one of my all-time favorites in non-fiction. It's hard to tell whether this impression will last, but it's also hard not to admire the often seamless way in which she integrates political, social, and cultural history, having to focus in one instance on the electoral politics that produced the legislative climate of the early 90s, and another on a close reading of songs like Bikini Kill's "Rebel Girl" (as well as my favorite, "Alien She"), and then the same on a striking piece of confrontational art in which activist Angela Seguel posed naked with a pro-Riot Grrrl message written on her body--the mini-history of that one statement is marvelous. That particular instance also serves as a great example of how the movement influenced and helped create, to a certain extent, third-wave feminism, a more inclusive, sex-positive discourse than its occasionally puritanical predecessor of the 1960s and 1970s. Marcus sometimes makes that point directly, but more often wisely lets it arise naturally through the actions and examples of the Riot Grrrls themselves. Her style is breezy yet authoritative, with colloquialisms employed much more deftly than other writers I could name (and admittedly love, like Sarah Vowell).
I also find it remarkable how non-judgmental it all is throughout (although this tendency--constructively criticizing one's fellows without the negativity--is fairly appropriate for a history of Riot Grrrl). Nobody stands out as a "hero" or "villain," and even the most rigorous of popular histories that I've read on nearly any subject tend to get that one wrong. The only ongoing obvious villain of the piece is the patriarchal culture that made (and make) Riot Grrrl's struggles so necessary in the first place. As for heroes, Marcus makes quite clear that they all are in one way or another. Kathleen Hanna arose early as a representative figure of both Riot Grrrl and Bikini Kill (both names the brainchild of bandmate Tobi Vail), but her own frequent disavowals and colossal misgivings regarding this common human tendency effectively scuppered any claim to traditional hero status. Teen maverick Jessica Hopper, whose celebrity-seeking and association with movement-bashing Courtney Love made her a suspicious figure to many Riot Grrrls, comes across rather sympathetically, as a confused young woman trying to make the best of her situation. The links with the nearby Seattle grunge explosion of the time are interesting to note, too; Kurt Cobain was friends with the Bikini Kill members, habitually plugged the band in interviews, and was Tobi Vail's ex-boyfriend (only one reason for Love's hostility, and Vail was disappointed in what she saw to be Cobain's selling out), and his own internal tensions (DIY purity vs. rock megastardom) hold an interesting mirror to what would happen with Riot Grrrl later down the road.* It's a very understanding yet clear-eyed lens through which these stories are seen, and the difference is enormously refreshing. Marcus conducted numerous interviews with movement veterans throughout the country, and the result is a bracingly collective recollection of a transformative time in many lives. It's a marvelous work and I anticipate rereading it with pleasure.
It's really served to inspire me, too, in rather alarming ways. This year's been a pretty shaky one already, both abroad and at home, and my own resolutions to do something about lingering and negative issues in my life (obliquely described above) have only gotten stronger both through observation of the world scene and the examples provided throughout Girls To The Front. Listening to the discussion at Marcus' talk earlier this week made me wonder what's keeping me from doing what I need to do. It's a wonderfully frightening, liberating feeling and I hope it stays with me for a considerable time to come.
*As someone who largely couldn't have given two figs for Cobain or his music (and who only remembers where he was when the news came that he'd killed himself--at college one morning via the primitive pre-Internet IRC--because of the national youth freakout that promptly ensued), I came away from Girls To The Front feeling more than a little sympathy for the guy. Still not into the music, though.
Updated: 19 February 2011 12:27 PM EST
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Ceiling Restorations
Asbestos Licenses
About Asbestos
Asbestos is a major health threat to thousands of New Zealanders and millions of people around the world. Here we provide some general asbestos information and a background context for asbestos in New Zealand. If you've got any question regards asbestos in your workplace of house don't hesitate to contact us.
‘Asbestos’ is a term describing naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals (rock-forming minerals) and is mined from rock. There are two groups, and six common types:
White asbestos was the most common form of asbestos used in New Zealand, followed by brown asbestos; and blue to a lesser extent.
Under a microscope, white asbestos looks different from brown and blue asbestos.
White asbestos has long, curly fibres, which are flexible enough to spin and weave into fabric. Its versatility made it the most common type of asbestos in building and household products.
Brown asbestos has harsh, spiky fibres. It was mostly mined in Africa, and was often used in asbestos cement sheet and pipe insulation. It was also used in insulating board, ceiling tiles and thermal insulation.
Blue asbestos is known for its excellent heat resistance and ability to repel water. It was mostly mined in South Africa, Bolivia and Australia. In South Africa it was called ‘woolly stone.’ It has straight, thin, blue fibres.
Blue asbestos was used to insulate steam engines, and is also found in some spray-on coatings, pipe insulation and cement products. It is brittle, and products containing blue asbestos often malfunction. This increases the potential of airborne asbestos exposure for people doing maintenance, repair and replacement work.
Blue asbestos is claimed to be the ‘most dangerous asbestos’ because its fibres are so thin. This makes them easy to inhale and lodge in the linings of a person’s lungs. However, all types of asbestos should be treated with equal caution, because all of their fibres can be inhaled into the lungs.
A brief history of asbestos
Asbestos has been used for thousands of years. Archaeologists believe people living in the Stone Age (about 750,000 years ago) used asbestos in candle and lamp wicks.
Approximately two and a half thousand years ago in Finland, people used asbestos to strengthen clay pots and make them heat-resistant. Ancient Greeks and Romans wove asbestos into material for shrouds, tablecloths and napkins.
During the Industrial Revolution, asbestos was mined and manufactured in massive amounts. People liked it because it was ‘flameproof’, waterproof and resistant to chemicals and electricity. Most importantly, it was malleable – an excellent product for insulating boilers and engines, and for building and binding things.
Once asbestos mining became mechanised, it became a cheap and widespread product. However, the link between asbestos and ill health was not thoroughly investigated until the early 20th century.
Asbestos and New Zealand
Officially, asbestos awareness in New Zealand started in the 1930s. In 1938, the Report of the Interdepartmental Committee on Silicosis linked asbestos with deadly lung conditions.
The government report said asbestosis is a disease similar to silicosis, and asbestos is capable of producing a ‘deadly pulmonary disease.’
Many New Zealand workers were exposed to asbestos in railway workshops, in the building industry, shipping, sawmilling and asbestos cement industries. Wharf workers unloading asbestos from ships, fitters, electricians, boiler workers, carpenters, brake repairers and others were also exposed to asbestos.
Raw asbestos was first imported into New Zealand in the late 1930s. It was used to make products that comprised of asbestos mixed with cement. These products were manufactured until the mid-1980s.
Asbestos ban
It became illegal to import blue and brown asbestos into the country in its raw form from 1984. Asbestos-containing products (also known as ACMs) in New Zealand at the time were used until supplies ran out.
On 1 October 2016, it became illegal to import asbestos-containing products into New Zealand.
Asbestos in building materials
Buildings built, altered or refurbished from 1940 until the mid-1980s are likely to contain ACMs. Buildings built after 1 January 2000 are less likely to contain ACMs, but some buildings built after this time may contain ACMs.
Asbestos in houses and the workplace
Until the mid-1980s, asbestos was often used as a fire retardant and insulation. Examples are:
insulating board
friction linings
gas or electric heaters
lagging around pipes
Asbestos-related diseases
In 2010 around 170 people died of asbestos-related diseases. Breathing in airborne asbestos fibres is a serious risk to health. Once the fibres are breathed in, they lodge in the lungs and may cause diseases like asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Most asbestos-related diseases take around 20 years before their symptoms start to show.
The health risks increase when:
people inhale more fibres
exposure is more frequent
exposure occurs over a long period of time.
All types of asbestos can cause asbestos-related disease.
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Erik Lindman. Photo: Lindsey Castillo.
Volta New York Announces 2020 Exhibitors, Peter Blum Gallery Now Represents Erik Lindman, and More
Volta officially announced that it’s returning to New York this year—Volta was forced to cancel its 2019 event after the Armory Show took over its venue following the discovery of structural problems at Pier 92. The fair is under new management—it was bought by Ramsay Fairs in October and recently appointed Kamiar Maleki director—and has a new location, Metropolitan West. Its next edition will feature fifty-four galleries from thirty-five cities and five continents and will run from March 4 to March 8. Exhibitors include Gallery Bastejs (Riga), Cohju Contemporary Art (Kyoto), Green Point Projects (Brooklyn), Anna Laudel (Istanbul), John Wolf (Los Angeles), and ZINC Contemporary (Seattle). A full list of participants can be found on the fair’s website.
The Dallas Art Fair also issued its 2020 exhibitor list, which comprises ninety-four galleries: Karma (New York), Marlborough (New York and London), Perrotin (Paris, New York, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, and Shanghai), and Simon Lee Gallery (London, Hong Kong and New York), among others. Galleries participating in the fair for the first time include Carlos/Ishikawa (London), Kamel Mennour (Paris and London), Massimo De Carlo (Milan, London, and Hong Kong), Rodolphe Janssen (Brussels), and Salon 94 (New York).
“We are delighted to see so many loyal galleries returning for 2020 and especially pleased to see a great number with experimental, curated, or solo presentations,” said fair director Kelly Cornell. Highlights include an exhibition showcasing local talent, “Here Now: North Texas Artists in 2020,” curated by Creative Time director Justine Ludwig and Brandon Kennedy of the Dallas Art Fair. The upcoming edition will take place at Fashion Industry Gallery (f.i.g.) in the city’s Arts District from April 16 to April 19.
An art critic accidentally destroyed an artwork at Zona Maco in Mexico City. According to Artnews, Avelina Lésper shattered a sculpture by Gabriel Rico when she attempted to place a Coca-Cola can on top of the piece. Titled Nimble and sinister tricks (To be preserved with out scandal and corruption) I, 2018, the work comprised a tennis ball, a knife, a feather, a soccer ball, and other objects that appeared to be suspended in the middle of a single pane of glass and was for sale for $20,000. In a statement issued by the Mexico City–based gallery OMR, which featured the work in the middle of its booth, a spokesperson said that Lésper showed a “huge lack of professionalism and respect” when she attempted to touch the artwork.
Artist Erik Lindman has joined Peter Blum Gallery. Born and based in New York, Lindman earned his BA from Columbia University in 2007 and received a Yale Norfolk Painting Fellowship in 2006. Known for incorporating found objects such as sheets, fragments of plastic armatures, and shards of stainless steel into his works, Lindman was honored at the Artist x Artist Gala by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in 2019 and is a recipient of the Louis Sudler Prize for Excellence in the Arts as well as the Ellen B. Stoeckel Fellowship. His work has been included in exhibitions at the Kunsthalle in Freiburg, Switzerland; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; White Columns in New York; and Kaviar Factory in Henningsvær, Norway; among other institutions. His next exhibition with the gallery will open on April 9.
Lisson Gallery now represents abstract painter Joanna Pousette-Dart. Born in New York to Abstract Expressionist and founding member of the New York School of painting Richard Pousette-Dart, she studied painting at Bennington College in Vermont. Known for drawing from a wide range of sources for her paintings, including from Islamic, Mozarabic, and Catalonian art; Chinese landscape painting and calligraphy; and Mayan and American Indian art, Dart was also heavily influenced by her experiences living and working in New Mexico. In the 1990s, she shifted from painting on rectangular canvases to using curved panels. A solo exhibition of her recent paintings and works on paper will open at the gallery’s Tenth Avenue location in New York on February 29. The gallery will also display her work at its booth at Frieze Los Angeles this weekend.
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Land, Sea and Air
Drone Filming
Ross Birnie
Ross has worked on productions with the BBC, Sky Sports, BT Sports and ITV amongst many other production companies, films and online video production. He recently interviewed and filmed Sir David Attenborough.
He graduated from the University of the West of England, in Bristol with a Masters Degree in Wildlife Filmmaking with the BBC Natural History Unit.
As well as this, he has a BA Hons Degree in Television Production and online Media.
CAA certified drone operator, having provided drone filming for Tatu Pictures programs for the BBC; Kate Humble: My Sheepdog and Me and Kate Humble: Off the beaten track.
Fishing TV's programs for Sky Sports and BT Sports; Carp Wars series 1 and 2 and The fishing TV show.
BBC The One Show segments with Big Deal Films.
Ross has his HSE commercial media scuba diving license with over 600 dives around the world from the cold waters of Scotland to the bath warm waters of the Maldives.
He has also worked on many productions as a topside cameraman, with vast experience using anything from GoPros and DSLR's to Canon C300's, Sony FS7's and Red cameras.
John Dunford
Director and Camera Operator
John is a multi-skilled shooting director with over 10 years’ full-time experience in a competitive industry.
He has directed and shot a huge variety of presenter led and observational documentary series over the years as well as numerous instructional and corporate videos.
With have a good flair for creating an interesting or entertaining story whilst on location and getting into as many situations with a camera as possible.
He has worked in a variety of tough environments including jungles, mountains, rough seas and arctic conditions.
Spending long periods outside and working with nature has driven him to anticipate weather and light conditions well.
Recent projects have taken him to the Amazon Rainforest, African Savannah, Northern Norway, Iceland and Europe, not forgetting some amazing locations in the UK.
He has recently worked on both series of Carp Wars on Sky Sports and was the shooting Director on Channel 4's Confessions of a Paparazzi.
He graduated from the University of Staffordshire with a BSc Degree in Film Production Technology.
John is an expert operator of everything from GoPro's to his own trusted Sony FS7.
Ryan Birnie
Post Production and Motion Graphics
Ryan is the founder of RYRY, a successful Design and Animation studio.
He has created amazing content for various organisations and companies such as Google.
He is in charge of all of our Post Production, Motion Graphics, Animation and Graphics work.
Ryan graduated from the University of Essex with a BA Hons Degree in Graphic Design.
The very next day after graduating he was snapped up by a well known and respected design company.
He worked there for four years, eventually becoming the Lead Motion Designer, before spreading his wings to become a freelancer.
By gaining a great reputation in the industry, and cementing relations with many new clients and customers, he was able to start RYRY.
He has extensive knowledge and experience using After Effects, Adobe Illustrator, Premier Pro and Final Cut Pro.
Ryan is also an experienced photographer and scuba diver.
© 2020 BeeFly Studios
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White Paper: National Instruments LabVIEW Graphical Developmental Platform
The core technical components of the LabVIEW platform - from National Instruments
For 20 years, scientists and engineers have been using LabVIEW to build automated data acquisition and instrument control solutions for their design labs, validation labs, and production floors. Over this time, LabVIEW has evolved and improved through many new releases and extensions based on active user feedback and experimentation, to the point that LabVIEW has become a de facto industry standard for these application areas (see Figure1). At its core, the LabVIEW graphical programming language has enabled technical professionals with no formal programming training or background to build advanced automated measurement and control systems very quickly. But LabVIEW has evolved into much more than just a programming language. LabVIEW has a widespread collection of tools that make up a graphical development platform for design, control, and test. This paper outlines the core technical components of the LabVIEW platform that has enabled it to deliver unprecedented productivity to so many users over the past two decades, and reviews the breadth of application tools and libraries that are driving the LabVIEW platform into new industries and markets.
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What are the main factors for the growth of Solar PV market in USA?
The USA is emerging out as one of the leading countries in the field of a solar energy market. The solar PV capacity of USA has reached to 21.3 gigawatts in the first quarter of 2015, which is primarily driven by the utility-based solar market (Please read "Top 10 solar powered countries"). The USA has installed around 6.2 gigawatts of solar PV systems in 2014, a growth of around 30% with respect to the previous year 2013. The year 2014 has witnessed the highest number of solar PV installations in a year.
Overview: Facts & Statistics
Capital: Washington DC
Area: 98,57,306 \(Km^2\)
Population: 318.9 million (2014)
Location Coordinates: \(38.88^0\) North, \(77.02^0\) West
The western and the south-western region receives relatively more solar radiation than rest of USA. The states in this region are:
(Must read: Solar Insolation levels of 10 largest countries (area-wise) in the world)
And because of this reason, most of the solar PV plants are concentrated in this region. The North and the South Carolina are also having solar PV installations.
The total solar PV installations
The Total solar PV installations = Residential solar PV + Non- Residential Solar PV + Utility based Solar PV
Installed Capacity (MW) in 2014
Residential Solar PV
Non residential Solar PV
Utility based Solar PV
The Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of these categories of since 2014 are as follows:
CAGR since 2010
You can see that the utility-based solar PV is growing at the fastest rate among the three categories. The year 2014 has the highest number of Solar PV installations of around 6.2 gigawatts, the growth can be shown as follows:
Cumulative Capacity in MW
You can see that solar PV growth has been quite rapid and fast in past few years.
What are the factors which are responsible for such impressive growth in the solar PV market?
The significant factors which accelerated the growth of solar PV market in USA are as follows:
(1) The incentive of solar investment tax credit
The owner of the solar system is eligible for financial incentive of 30% of the total expenditure on the system, with no maximum limit. This rebate is applicable to the following categories:
Commercial sector
Cooperative Utilities
Investor owned utilities
Net effective tax = Total tax payable minus (30% of the expenditure on the solar system)
The homeowners can avail this incentive by purchase & installing the solar system at their homes. The owner can claim this 30% of the expenditure on solar system by reducing it from the total taxes payable by him in that financial year.
Because of this incentive big companies like Wal-Mart, IKEA, and Macy are going solar with acceleration. Also, more than 4000 schools in USA have adopted solar energy to meet their daily energy needs. This initiative has made them an energy independent and they are saving money.
(Insight: How much is your solar roof top saving in different months of the year?)
Other than this, the friendly environmental reviews, cash grant in terms of tax credit and guaranteed loans are the factors pushing the growth of solar PV in USA.
(2) The falling cost of solar PV installation
The declining cost of installation has played a significant role in the growth of solar PV market in USA. According to the latest reports, the solar system installation prices are dropped by 9% - 12% in the year 2014.
The Residential solar PV market has crossed 1 GW installed capacity mark in year 2014. As residential solar PV systems are generally smaller than Non-residential and Utility based power projects, therefore installation cost per watt is higher.
The solar system installation cost has dropped from $ 3.83 to $3.43 in 2014.
There is around 11% decline in the installation cost of Non- Residential solar PV system installation cost from 2.53 to 2.25 per watt in 2014
The Utility solar PV constitutes more than 60% of the total solar PV installations in 2014. As these projects are done on large scale, therefore the cost of installation is lowest among the three categories. The cost of installation per watt is reduced from $ 1.77/watt to $ 1.55/watt, a more than 12% fall in the cost of installation in year 2014.
The above are the average prices, because the actual prices vary from location to location in the country.
(3) The facility of Net Metering
The USA is pioneered in Net Metering facility. It is a mutual agreement between the owner of the solar power system and the state electricity department that if excess electricity from owner’s power plant is generated then it will be sold and transferred to the utility grid. In case of shortage or deficit of electricity then the owner can buy from the utility grid. The whole process of net energy transferred is managed by bi-directional energy meter. This facility is a win-win situation both for the utility company and the owner of the power plant. The utility company is getting electricity without any investment in setting the plant while on the other hand the owner of the power plant is selling excess electricity and earning profits.
The most favorable American states for Net- Metering with A grade rating are:
Virginia (West)
The demand in the Residential market is growing consistently while the Non-Residential Market is struggling to grow because of the reduction in the incentive schemes in Arizona and California. The Growth primarily driven by utility solar market, it constitutes more than 60% of the total solar PV installations. California is again number 1 in terms of the solar PV installations in the country.
The incentive solar investment tax credit is going to expire next year in 2016, which may lead to the decline in the growth of solar PV installations unless government extends the tenure of the tax credit or come out with a more lucrative solar policy to boost the growth of Solar PV in the country.
How to measure the efficiency of your solar roof?
What is the average cost of solar roof in India?
Why China's solar PV industry is growing very fast?
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About Us Testimonials Creative Services Media Pack Subscribe Work With Us Work For Us Contact Us
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Growing for the Future
ZZ2’s farming roots date back to the 19th century, the van Zyl family continuing to honour its legacy while looking ahead to the future of an ever-changing agricultural sector
Writer: Sean Galea-Pace | Project Manager: Donovan Smith
“Agriculture in South Africa, although incredibly challenging, is a very exciting space to be working in.”
Today, the agricultural sector in South Africa is regarded as one of relatively few industries within the country that can showcase real growth and potential for job creation.
During the past two decades, the industry has transitioned away from mass large-scale intensive farming and the production of low-value food crops like wheat and milk to high-value export products that include deciduous fruit, citrus and game.
The opening statement comes from Tommie van Zyl, CEO of South African farming enterprise and fresh produce company ZZ2.
“Due to the unique diversity of our climate, we can grow many different crops,” he continues. “Despite South Africa being a water scarce country, we’re now at the forefront worldwide in managing our water resources. By removing invader plant species, careful planning of our resources and by employing the best technologies we have managed to overcome many of the water challenges facing us.”
And agriculture in the country is only expected to grow. The sector is anticipated to register a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.5 percent during the forecast period of 2020-2025 – this follows a positive 2019 during which the price received by farmers rose by 4.3 percent alongside a five percent increase in the amount spent on agricultural inputs.
Van Zyl also recognises the plethora of workers at its disposal. “The pool of young, skilled and highly qualified employees available to us can only bode well for the future,” he says.
“We are already designing and building highly complex pack-houses using our own team of young skilled engineers. The diversity of cultures within South Africa also means that we can call on the talents and creativity of many different people within the country. We also have the ability (and have done so) to bring in some highly skilled individuals from the arms and mining industries to assist us in employing the best technology as these industries scale down their operations in South Africa.”
Tommie van Zyl, CEO
Indeed, van Zyl has a legacy of his own to uphold.
The family began their farming journey over 100 years ago. Today, van Zyl explains that the need for independence and a passion for farming has always been the lifeblood of his family for generations.
“Willem van Zyl, our ancestor from the Netherlands, worked as a fresh produce farmer for the Dutch East Indian Company in the Cape of Good Hope,” he explains. “He later bought a farm in Franschhoek where he farmed with fresh produce, wine and livestock. His descendants left the Cape during the 1830s and gradually moved north. Eventually, they settled in the region east of Polokwane in 1880.
“My father formed the present company in 1966. Tenacity, an eye for a business opportunity, a knack for communicating with employees in their own language and an unwavering self-belief stood him in good stead over the years. I grew up on the farm and it was always my dream to continue to grow the legacy my father had left us.”
ZZ2 farms are primarily in the Limpopo Province where their sought-after tomatoes and avocados are cultivated. However, the firm also operates in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Gauteng, North-West Province, Mpumalanga and across the border in Namibia.
The enterprise also grows mangoes, onions, dates, cherries, apples, pears, stone fruit, almonds and blueberries. The ZZ2 brand is well-recognised and possesses a proud history backed by a great customer value offering and superior economic value for all its stakeholders.
As a result of the South African economy being stagnant over the past few years, the enterprise decided to concentrate on superfoods that could be exported, a move which Van Zyl believes was essential.
“Our tomatoes and onions that are only destined for the local market were not showing any growth,” he explains. “Therefore, we decided to leave the hectares of the tomatoes and onions unchanged but to concentrate on improving the productivity of these crops.”
ZZ2’s portfolio has also been extended to include dates, cherries, blueberries and almonds. However, it is the avocado market that particularly piques van Zyl’s interest.
“We’ve been farming with avocados since the early eighties, but we’ve always been hampered by the lack of planting material,” he explains. “We established our own avocado nursery a number of years ago and this has now enabled us to begin an expansive growth strategy.
“We are very positive regarding our avocados as we see the per capita consumption of avocados increasing on a yearly basis worldwide. Currently, South Africa only has access to Europe for its avocados. As South Africa is ideally placed to serve the east and far eastern markets, ZZ2 will be in a very good position once market access is gained to serve these markets.”
Another enabler for the future is technology.
With industries the world over beginning to digitise at scale, farming is no different, and van Zyl believes that embracing new technology is fundamental and will continue to have a growing impact.
“It is vitally important to embrace digital farming techniques and digitisation strategies in the agricultural sector,” he adds. “Agricultural activities will continue to become more intense, detailed and have a greater emphasis on cost-savings. This will also lead to greater emphasis on effective resource utilisation and environmentally friendly farming practices as well as more effective packing facilities and increasingly optimised logistics flows.”
Looking ahead, van Zyl harbours ambitions of increasing the number of crops exported but stresses the importance of improving its current offering before extending its portfolio.
“We aim to become the preeminent supplier of avocados out of South Africa utilising the very early window we have to get into the market before Peru,” he says, bringing the conversation to a conclusion.
“We will continue to work with our government to get access to more markets especially in the East and Far East. We will probably not diversify too much further but rather concentrate on growing and improving on the productivity of the crops we currently have.”
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Drought in Northeast Brazil
Aldo Rogerio da Costa Araujo, far left, and his father Arnoldo Lopes de Araujo, center, unload cactus from a delivery truck on their small farm near Sao Jose do Egito, in Pernambuco state. The semi-arid region known as the sertao has annual dry seasons, but 2012 is considered the worst in decades. Araujo cannot grow enough feed animals and pays for the cactus load in order for his animals to survive. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)
Arnoldo Lopes de Araujo sits in his home on his small farm near Sao Jose do Egito, in Pernambuco state. The semi-arid region known as the sertao has annual dry seasons, but 2012 is considered the worst in decades. Araujo cannot grow enough feed animals and pays for loads of cactus in order for his animals to survive. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)
Aldo Rogerio da Costa Araujo sits in his home on his small farm near Sao Jose do Egito, in Pernambuco state. The semi-arid region known as the sertao has annual dry seasons, but 2012 is considered the worst in decades. Araujo cannot grow enough feed animals and pays for loads of cactus in order for his animals to survive. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)
Arnoldo Lopes de Araujo slices up cactus from a recent delivery on his small farm near Sao Jose do Egito, in Pernambuco state. The semi-arid region known as the sertao has annual dry seasons, but 2012 is considered the worst in decades. Araujo cannot grow enough feed animals and pays for the cactus in order for his animals to survive. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)
Arnoldo Lopes de Araujo near some of his cattle on his small farm near Sao Jose do Egito, in Pernambuco state. The semi-arid region known as the sertao has annual dry seasons, but 2012 is considered the worst in decades. Araujo cannot grow enough feed animals and pays for loads of cactus in order for his animals to survive. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)
A view of Sao Jose do Egito, Pernambuco state. With the local reservoirs dry, all water in the city in the Semi-arid region known as the sertao must be trucked in. Those who can afford it pay to have their home cisterns filled, while others must get wait for government trucks to fill the community tanks. The region has dry season every year, but 2012 is considered the worst in 30 years. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)
Severina Ferreira da Costa, 81, in her home in Sao Jose do Egito, Pernambuco state. With the local reservoirs dry, all water in the city in the Semi-arid region known as the sertao must be trucked in. Those who can afford it pay to have their home cisterns filled, while others must get wait for government trucks to fill the community tanks. The region has dry season every year, but 2012 is considered the worst in 30 years. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)
Severina Ferreira da Costa, 81, of Sao Jose do Egito, Pernambuco state, Carries water buckets from a neighborhood tank. With the local reservoirs dry, all water in the city in the Semi-arid region known as the sertao must be trucked in. Those who can afford it pay to have their home cisterns filled, while others must get wait for government trucks to fill the community tanks. The region has dry season every year, but 2012 is considered the worst in 30 years. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)
The local, dry, reservoir in Sao Jose do Egito, Pernambuco state. All of the water of the town in the Semi-arid region known as the sertao must be trucked in. Those who can afford it pay to have their home cisterns filled, while others must get wait for government trucks to fill the community tanks. The region has dry season every year, but 2012 is considered the worst in 30 years. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)
A view of the countryside near Arcoverde in Pernambuco state. The semi-arid region known as the sertao has annual dry seasons, but 2012 is considered the worst in decades. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)
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What does the Bible say about Cain’s wife?
Not much, actually. Sometimes the Bible makes very clear and specific statements regarding an issue that leaves little doubt. Other times, to arrive at the truth, we need to do a comparative study and come to a reasonable conclusion based on the evidence.
In the case of who Cain married, there is abundant evidence that he married his sister.
Eve was so named “because she was the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). The Bible says that Adam and Eve had sons and daughters (Genesis 5:4) other than the three sons that are specifically mentioned. It was out of these daughters that Cain must have found his wife. It makes sense, because there was no one else around.
The earliest inhabitants of the earth had no other choice than to marry their brothers or sisters in order to fulfill the divine command, “Be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis. 1:28). We know that before the time of Moses, it was not forbidden to marry a sister. For instance, Abraham married Sarah, his half-sister. Genetic vitality at the time was pure and strong, so there was no danger for intermarrying that would produce genetically endangered offspring. As the population increased and DNA began to corrupt further as a result of the curse, such marriages were prohibited. (See Leviticus 18:6-17.)
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England star Grealish charged with fourth driving offence
England midfielder Jack Grealish has been charged with a fourth driving offence according to court documents published on Monday.
The 25-year-old Aston Villa playmaker has been charged with allegedly driving carelessly near the club's training ground in October.
Police had said in June Grealish had been charged with three offences, including failing to stop at the scene of an accident, connected to an incident during the first lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic on March 29.
He is due to appear in court in Birmingham on Tuesday.
Court documents issued ahead of the hearing show Grealish has also been charged with driving without due care and attention on October 18 this year.
That was the day of Villa's 1-0 win over Leicester in which he was named man of the match.
Grealish -- who attracted rave reviews in his first start for England the 2-0 defeat by Belgium earlier this month -- had professed himself to be "deeply embarrassed" after the incident in March.
In the video message, posted on March 30, the Villa captain said he had "stupidly agreed" to go to a friend's house during the coronavirus lockdown.
Less than 24 hours before the incident, Grealish had launched a video appeal for people to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.
Source: News24
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Success in business, British-Pakistan Relations and Opportunities for the Future
We are delighted to support The Asia Scotland Institute for hosting an online webinar to discuss “Success in Business, British-Pakistan Relations and Opportunities for the Future.”
The webinar will seek to expose the experience of these three highly successful British businessmen in an attempt to learn more about British-Pakistan relations, succeeding as a British-Pakistani in Britain and learning about future opportunities for UK/Pakistan trade.
About the panellists:
Asif Rangoonwala
Aneel Mussarat
Amjad Pervez
Dr Suhail Chughtai
Please join us on Thursday the 8th of october at 5pm [BST]
Asif Rangoonwala – a successful business entrepreneur, with interests spanning the food, property and sport sectors. He is also heavily involved in philanthropic activities through the Rangoonwala Foundation established by his late father. Asif is Chairman of South Street Asset Management a student accommodation management company, focusing on management of operations and marketing as well as property sourcing and developments of new bespoke student accommodation for clients in the student accommodation sector. He is the founder of UK based Eurobuns Limited, a hugely successful venture in the industrial baking sector, for which he received the Queens Award.
Aneel Mussarat – started in business in 1989 in the Real Estate sector, focusing on student accommodation, housing and commercial developments/investments. MCR Group has grown into a large Real Estate company, which operates UK wide with offices in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh. MCR has a pipeline to deliver 8000 houses throughout the UK with a value in excess of £2B and a substantial large commercial portfolio spread all over the UK which consists of office and residential units. Aneel has submitted an application to the Charities Commission to register a Charity, namely ‘The Rafay Mussarat Foundation’. The charity is named after his Son and late Father. The Foundation aspires to build homeless shelters across the UK and to build FREE Mother and Child Hospitals in Pakistan throughout Punjab.
Amjad Pervez – a seasoned successful leader with a track record of managing and implementing innovative business solutions ensuring growth profitability and thus delivering strategic objectives both in the private sector and public policy sphere . He has diverse business interests including food, packaging, health care, technology and investing in new start-ups.With over 30 years of experience, he is extremely well networked in his own business sectors as well as leading on other important local regional and international institutions both in the private and public sector .Founding director of Bradford Centre Regeneration Company (2004/10)BCR which was set up to create the master plan to regenerate the Bradford City Centre.As chairman of Education and enterprise committee for the Local Enterprise Partnerships LEP (2012/14) he led his team in creating the concept of ecosystems of enterprise where the education sector and the private sector collaborated to mitigate the skills gaps within the UK economy
Dr Suhail Chughtai – a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons in Glasgow and has over 25 years of experience at the level of Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon.Dr Suhail Chughtai is a UK based Orthopaedic Surgeon and Medico-legal Examiner. Apart from being an experienced medical professional with over 15 years of consultant level experience in Orthopaedic & Trauma surgery, he has been a Microsoft Certified Specialist since 2001. He has designed and instructed over 50 Medical IT courses in Pakistan, UK and Saudi Arabia since 2001.
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