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Date: Mon 10/Jun/2013, 10:45
The services sector, which accounts for almost three-quarters of the British economy, grew by more than expected as the Markit/CIPS purchasing managers’ index rose to smash analysts’ expectations.
New car registrations leapt 11% last month to about 6,000 a day.
Housebuilding enjoyed the fastest increase in activity in more than two years, according to the Markit/CIPS construction purchasing managers’ index.
Average property values rose 2.6% to £166,898 in the year to May, according to Halifax.
The Commons security and intelligence committee reported that equipment from Huawei has become integral to broadband and mobile networks, rebuking civil servants for not warning earlier of security concerns.
The Commons Treasury committee supported the nomination of Dame Clara Furse, Richard Sharp and Martin Taylor to the Bank of England’s financial policy committee but criticised Furse over her non-executive director role at Fortis bank, which had to be bailed out during the financial crisis.
HSBC was taken to court in New York for failing to deal with home foreclosure proceedings swiftly, thus flouting a proce3ss designed to keep people in their homes.
The Co-operative added two more turnaround experts – Richard Pym as chairman of its bank and Richard Pennycook as group finance director – to put the business on an even keel.
After Brussels unveiled anti-dumping duties on China’s solar panels, Beijing began an investigation into European wine exports.
Tesco admitted that domestic sales had begun to fall again, mainly in electrical goods but also in the wake of the horsemeat scandal.
The Competition Commission ruled that Eurotunnel’s launch of MyFerryLink service across the Channel was anti-competitive.
Sunseeker the yachtmaker, is close to being sold to a Chinese company, Dalian Wanda, for about £300m.
The private equity owners of Foxtons have hired three banks in the run-up to floating the estate agency for an expected £400m.
Debt at Network Rail has rocketed to £30.4bn, an increase of £3bn.
Simon Nixon, co-founder of Moneysupermarket, sold an 18.5% stake in the comparison website, raiding £200m, while retaining a 29% stake.
James Caan, the former Dragons’ Den entrepreneur made his debut as the government’s social mobility adviser, urging parents not to help their children find jobs – and was found to have employed his daughters at his own companies.
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Local News >
Tester calls for Senate hearing
Senator states it is time we prioritize the significant challenges that Native women face
Issue Date: 9/5/2018
Last Updated: 9/4/2018 7:20:47 PM | By Karen Peterson
News from the office of Senator Jon Tester
U.S. Senate — U.S. Senator Jon Tester is calling on the Senate to hold a hearing on missing and murdered Native American women.
In a letter to the leadership of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, Tester is demanding the committee bring together law enforcement agencies, tribes, and Native American women for a public hearing in order to gather testimony and work towards a solution to this growing epidemic.
“It is time we prioritize the significant challenges that Native women face and identify the barriers that give way to the staggering statistics we see today,” Tester wrote. “I believe a hearing is a critical step that will not only help raise awareness, but provide a space for much needed dialogue to foster action.”
Native American leaders recently told Tester at a public meeting in Montana that 20 Native American women have gone missing in the state since the beginning of 2018. Of the 20 women, only one has been found.
Native American women and girls in Montana face a murder rate that is 10 times higher than the national average. More than 80 percent of Native American women have experienced violence and almost half have experienced it within the past year according to the National Institute of Justice.
Tester underscored to his colleagues that urgent action is needed to protect Native American women and increase safety in Indian Country.
“We owe it to the thousands of women and their families to work together and find solutions that prevent these horrible acts from happening,” Tester added.
Tester has been a leading voice in the Senate to combat the missing and murdered Native American epidemic and he helped pass a Senate Resolution designating May 5, 2018, as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls.
Tester also secured a historic $133 million earlier this year from the Crime Victims Fund specifically for tribes to assist survivors of violent crimes and he is sponsoring legislation to establish a long-term funding stream not previously accessible by tribes to support domestic violence shelters, legal assistance, and abuse prevention in Indian Country.
Tester is sponsoring the bipartisan Savanna’s Act to improve information sharing between tribal and federal law enforcement agencies, increase data collection on missing Native American women, and improve response protocols.
Crime Native American government
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Justine Greening – 2012 Speech on International Aid Transparency
Below is the text of the speech made by the Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening, which was held on 6th December 2012.
Sustained growth and poverty eradication around the world have been underpinned by what the Prime Minister has called the golden thread of development: open societies and open economies where everyone can participate and use their skills and maximise their potential. Transparency is one of the building blocks of the golden thread. Transparency helps to create the basic conditions that people need to lift themselves out of poverty.
The Prime Minister has challenged us all to get our house in order, including in the developed world. Driving greater aid transparency is a critical part of this. I made it clear in my first few weeks in this job that I will continue to focus on getting value for money from our aid programmes and will do it transparently. UK taxpayers will demand no less from us.
But it is not just citizens in Britain who need more transparency of aid budgets. Transparency means that recipient governments can plan and manage the resources coming into their country. It empowers citizens and parliamentarians in these countries to hold governments and donors to account.
In India DFID supported the Government of Bihar to develop the Right to Public Services Act 2011 and implement a public awareness campaign to improve services for the poor. Establishing this as a right and raising awareness of it, led to a big increase in application for services. The first 5 months saw more than 9 million applications and there was an associated improvement in service delivery with more than 80 per cent of applications successfully processed.
So transparency is important. I’m speaking to the converted here. Today I want to talk about two things. Firstly, I want to commend the UK aid sector for the progress that we have made together.
And secondly, I will announce new work that means my department will be pursuing even faster progress.
The UK has played a leading role on aid transparency amongst the major donors.
The Prime Minister’s commitment to transparent public servicesand open data has enabled DFID to lead and drive a similar agenda in the aid world. DFID has made great strides over the last couple of years. We were the first development organisation to publish data according to the International Aid Transparency Initiative’s standard.
We redesigned project documents to make them more accessible to the public. Transparency featured heavily in DFID’s Country Operational Plans and in the Multilateral Aid Review. We have continued to put more new and detailed information on our aid spend into the public domain. And we are continually working to improve the quality of this data.
All organisations receiving DFID Partnership Programme Arrangement funding will now publish data in line with the International Aid Transparency Initiative standard this year. UK Civil Society Organisations, such as CAFOD, Oxfam GB and Save the Children UK, are leading the world in this area. DFID is promoting greater transparency and accountability in the countries with which we work – encouraging work towards more open government and fiscal transparency.
These efforts have borne fruit – we saw DFID jump from 5th place to 1st place in the space of a year in the Publish What You Fund Aid Transparency Index. It was great recognition of our achievements and the effort put in by DFID staff all over the world.
Even so, this also needs to be an international effort. Transparency was one of the four key principles that countries agreed in Busan.
The International Aid Transparency Initiative agreed a common standard for aid transparency in February last year. This is now a shared objective of 35 major aid providers. It is endorsed by 22 partner countries. And in November UN Women became the 100th organisation to publish their data.
DFID has a bold and ambitious vision on transparency.
We believe it should be possible for anyone, anywhere to track our aid spending right through the aid system – from the taxpayer to the beneficiaries. Increasing the traceability of aid will help beneficiaries feed-back on its impact, increase transparency of governments, and reduce waste, fraud and corruption.
At the Open Up! conference, DFID shared the Department’s new Open Aid Information Platform. I think this is really exciting. The Platform will give line of sight on our programmes from start to finish. But the Aid Information Platform will only work if organisations and intermediaries down the aid chain provide information about what they are doing with DFID’s funding. What more do we need to do?
So we are launching what I’ve called an Aid Transparency Challenge to ourselves and our partners to deliver this vision.
Firstly, we will require organisations receiving and managing funds from DFID to release open data on how this money is spent in a common, standard, reusable format.
They will need to require this of sub-contractors and sub-agencies – right through the aid chain. This will include the unique identifiers that will make it possible to follow the money.
We will support our partners in this process and we’re going to make sure it is not an unreasonable barrier to accessing DFID’s aid. But we are very serious about making aid more traceable.
Secondly, we recognise that making aid information open is the just the start. For transparency to be transformational we need to encourage the use of this aid data. So to do this we will establish an Aid Transparency Challenge Fund to stimulate work by developers to create tools promoting the use of open aid information, supporting the traceability of aid, and improving results reporting.
Such tools may also help us answer critical questions on traceability of different delivery chain models; making data relevant to different users whether they are aid data experts in Kenya or activists in Britain; and relating aid data with other datasets, such as development indicators.
We believe this is a public good so we will require that all tools developed through this Fund are made ‘open source’ so that others can use and further develop them. To go alongside this we will also bring developers together to build awareness of the business opportunities open aid data creates.
New International Development Sector Transparency Board
DFID will also seek challenges from the people who produce and use this data through establishing a new International Development Sector Transparency Board by March next year. This Board will have representatives from DFID, civil society, aid contractors, open data experts, partner countries, privacy experts and other government department representatives.
Finally, we will improve our data through geocoding aid, showing on maps where DFID aid is spent at the local level. And we can make it compatible with partner country budget classifications, enabling government and citizens to see where aid is supporting their own priorities increasing accountability. We will improve our data by publishing feedback of those directly affected by aid.
To conclude, we are at a critical juncture in development with discussions of a new framework for international development. Now is the opportunity to build on our progress in driving a more transparent aid system and look forward to the opportunities we now have to work together to embed the principles and practice of transparency in the heart of development cooperation.
CategoriesUncategorized Tags2012, Justine Greening, Speeches
Previous PostPrevious Justine Greening – 2011 Speech to the Economic Research Council
Next PostNext Justine Greening – 2013 Speech to Conservative Party Conference
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If Barack Obama were a stock, would you be buying or selling?
If Barack Obama were a stock, would you be buying or selling? On the Rasmussen Approval Index History exchange, Obama Inc. (stock symbol “BHO”) is already down from its January 21 price of 27 pct to 11 pct.
The usual disclaimer on investment vehicles, “past performance is no guarantee of future performance,” doesn’t apply in this case: there is no past performance, other than management’s campaign to get you to invest.
Obama, Inc. has just taken over a long-established firm with two lines of products: foreign policy and domestic policy. Foreign policy has little upside; domestic policy, tremendous risk.
Foreign policy, in the age of Islamic terrorism, is primarily about the hard product line: safety and military success. While there is growth potential in the soft product line — what the Europeans think of us — that won’t support the stock price in difficult times. And the two product lines cannibalize each other. Promoting military strength will make the Europeans unhappy, as, in the domestic line, will the Buy American provision in the “stimulus” bill.
The lead hard product is Iraq. Unfortunately for Obama, Inc. there is little room for growth in that line. The war in Iraq has been won — won by the discredited former CEO, and won despite the specific advice of the current CEO. Iraq is now, or seems to stockholders, secure and democratic.
What can go wrong? Just about everything. It’s the Middle East, after all. The problem for Obama, Inc. is that it has widely advertised that it intends to change the business strategy, so any failure will be attributed to the new CEO. And if the new CEO reverts to an approach more like his predecessor’s, he will risk alienating his preferred stockholders, as well as the Europeans.
Obama, Inc. has a similar problem with Iran. The CEO has stated that it must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. But how is he going to stop it? By bombing Iran? Please. Through negotiations? Perhaps, and only perhaps, with a different president, but Iran’s current president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is eligible to run again when his term ends in August 2009, and who can say he won’t be reelected? Successful negotiations have to be regarded as iffy at best — not a promising growth story.
Obama, Inc. also has a problem in Afghanistan, which presents all the difficulties of Iraq in an even less tractable country. Honoring his sales campaign pitch, the CEO has announced he will send more troops to Afghanistan, but one of his most prominent stockholders has advised him not to “try to put Afghanistan aright using the U.S. military.” What are the chances BHO can sanitize Afghanistan (the Soviets couldn’t, and the Secretary of Defense has said the effort will be a “long slog”) while keeping his stockholders happy? Slim to none.
The domestic policy line faces a different problem. The product is doing terribly. Business, and confidence, are down. Unemployment, and fear, are up. Fortunately for Obama, Inc., the problems originated on the previous CEO’s watch. But now the pressure is on to produce change — and not change the stockholders have to believe in, but change they can actually see.
Will Obama, Inc. be successful? Contrarians doubt it. The business strategy is to spend massive sums of money, but there are historical precedents suggesting that course will almost certainly fail. Any money pumped into the economy has to come from somewhere. There are only two sources, taxes and bonds, but they are really the same: the productive sector. The government can take money from today’s productive sector, or it can borrow from tomorrow’s productive sector.
An earlier CEO of this enterprise — his name if I recall correctly was Ronald Reagan — reminded us that when you tax something you get less of it, and when you subsidize something you get more of it. Taxing the productive sector in order to subsidize the unproductive sector, like a split-strike conversion strategy, may be good politics, but it’s not likely to fix the economy. The economy may fix itself, but then again it may not, or may not for a number of years. Stockholders may not be patient.
Could Obama, Inc., long on rhetorical smooth talk and media hype, get lucky? Of course. But savvy investors don’t bet on luck and hype.
That’s why the smart money is selling Obama short.
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65 years ago today - Dec 9, 1953
[J. Reuben Clark]
Proposed Statement of President McKay to State Legislators.
In the early 1930's the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints transferred to the State of Utah, Dixie College, Snow College, and Weber College. The deeds in each instance provided that in the event the particular college was not maintained as a Junior College by the State, it would revert to the Church.
If the Legislature now decides no longer to operate these three Colleges, the Church will again take title to them and operate them as a part of its educational system.
Drafted by Pres. Wilkinson.
[The Diaries of J. Reuben Clark, 1933-1961, Abridged, Digital Edition, Salt Lake City, Utah 2015]
45 years ago today - 45 years ago - Dec 31, 1973-M...
70 years ago today - Dec 31, 1948
125 years ago today - Dec 31, 1893
125 years ago today - Sunday, Dec 31, 1893
130 years ago today - Dec 31, 1888 (Monday)
185 years ago today - 1833 Winter.
45 years ago today - Dec 30, 1973-Sunday
40 years ago today - Dec 29,1978
120 years ago today - Dec 29, 1898 (Thursday)
120 years ago today - Dec 29, 1898; Thursday
45 years ago today - Dec 28, 1973-Friday
120 years ago today - Dec 28, 1898; Wednesday
120 years ago today - 120 years ago - Dec 27, 1898...
120 years ago today - Dec 27, 1898; Tuesday
5 years ago today - Dec 26, 2013
115 years ago today - Thursday, Dec 24, 1903
120 years ago today - Friday, Dec 23, 1898
175 years ago today - Dec 22, 1843 (Friday)
135 years ago today - Dec 21, 1883; Friday
160 years ago today - winter of 1858
185 years ago today - about (Fri) Dec 20, 1833
45 years ago today - Dec 19, 1973-Wednesday
185 years ago today - 1833: 18 December
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2017 Valspar Championship results: Adam Hadwin holds off Patrick Cantlay for 1st PGA Tour win
With a four-shot advantage coming into Sunday, Adam Hadwin had about all the comfort one could possibly have while sleeping on a lead. The one problem? He’d still have to navigate the Snake Pit to grab that first win.
It was a white-knuckle finish, but Hadwin closed with just enough to hold off a hard-charging Patrick Cantlay through one of golf’s toughest closing stretches to pick up his first PGA Tour victory. An even-par 71 was just enough to get it done for Hadwin, sealing the deal with a par on the 72nd hole after Cantlay gave ground and stumbled to a bogey. But for a time through the difficult finishing stretch at the Innisbrook Copperhead course, it didn’t look like it would be easy.
In only his second start back after a 27-month absence from the PGA Tour, the world’s 1,419th-best player fired a 4-under-par 67 to nearly win Sunday at the Valspar Championship for his first PGA Tour victory. And what a long road it’s been to get back to a stage he long seemed destined to dominate.
The former UCLA top amateur was golf’s Next Big Thing in 2011 and 2012. He won almost every award and honor available for amateur players through those two years — low amateur at the US Open and Masters, the Nicklaus Award, the Haskins, the Hogan.
Therefore, I’ve given Duke the nod as the final top seed at the top of the South regional. North Carolina ranks fifth overall, which means they’re destined for the Midwest. As the top No. 2 seed, the Tar Heels cannot be sent to the closest available region, the East, since the Villanova Wildcats, the No. 1 overall seed, are already there. Bracketing rules also require that they’re separated from Duke. So it’s a possible Elite Eight matchup with the Kansas Jayhawks for Roy Williams’ squad.
With that determination made and my bubble choices made earlier this afternoon, here’s my final projected bracket of the 2016-17 season.
MLS Week 1 preview and fixtures: Timbers vs. Minnesota opens a great week of games
Jacob deGrom leaves the game after being hit by a line drive
Ravens attempt to disassemble ESPN report, point by point
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Quarterhill Announces Record Q3 2017 Financial Results
Record revenue and Adjusted EBITDA driven by patent license business
OTTAWA, Nov. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Quarterhill Inc. ("Quarterhill" or the "Company") (TSX:QTRH) (NASDAQ:QTRH), announces its financial results for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2017. All financial information in this press release is reported in U.S. dollars, unless otherwise indicated.
Third Quarter Highlights
Revenue of $85.9 million, exceeding the high-end of the expected $72.5 to $82.5 million range previously provided
Adjusted EBITDA* of $60.6 million, exceeding the high-end of the expected $50.0 to $56.0 million range previously provided
Net income of $26.2 million, or $0.22 per share
Announced a new comprehensive license agreement with Samsung, in the Technology segment
Acquired a portfolio of patents in the Technology segment using the partner model; patents are related to Content Delivery Network technology
Announced three contracts collectively valued at more than $10.0 million, in the Mobility segment
Acquired iCOMS Detections S.A. ("iCOMS"), based in Belgium, in the Mobility segment
"Our strong performance in Q3 reflects a significant contribution from WiLAN, our patent license business," said Shaun McEwan, Interim CEO of Quarterhill. "Patent licensing tends to generate variable quarterly performance and Q3 clearly demonstrates the upside that can occur from that type of business model. The significant cash flow that will be generated from our Q3 performance will help to support Quarterhill's growth initiatives."
Approval of Eligible Dividend
The Board of Directors has declared an eligible quarterly dividend of CDN $0.0125 per common share payable on January 5, 2018, to shareholders of record on December 15, 2017.
Business Strategy and Segments
Quarterhill is developing a portfolio of established businesses that have histories of generating cash flows from their operations in the "Technology", "Mobility", "Factory" and "City" segments of the Industrial "Internet-of-Things" market. As of September 30, 2017, the Company had investments in three of its four targeted segments: Technology (WiLAN); Mobility (IRD); and Factory (VIZIYA).
Quarterhill is working to build a consistently profitable company with a diversified investment base and global market presence within its segments, and to increase shareholder value by emphasizing the importance of recurring revenue streams and the predictability of operating results. The Company intends to achieve these objectives through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions.
Q3 and Year-to-Date 2017 Consolidated Financial Review
Quarterhill's consolidated financial results for Q3 2017 include full quarter contributions from each of its wholly owned subsidiaries; Wi-LAN Inc. ("WiLAN"), International Road Dynamics Inc. ("IRD") and VIZIYA Corp ("VIZIYA"). The 2016 comparative period information presented represents solely WiLAN's results for the specified period. Certain comparative information has been restated to conform to the new basis of presentation.
Consolidated revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2017 were $85.9 million, compared to $16.6 million in the same period last year, which represents an increase of 417%. The increase was primarily due to strong patent licensing results from WiLAN and the inclusion of a full quarter of operations from IRD and VIZIYA. Consolidated revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 were $112.1 million, compared to $62.7 million in the same period last year.
Gross margin for the three months ended September 30, 2017 was $67.5 million, or 78.6%, compared to $11.2 million, or 67.5%, in the same period last year. Gross margin for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 was $76.7 million, or 68.5%, compared to $43.0 million, or 68.6%, in the same period last year. Gross margins for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2017 reflect contribution across all three segments, compared to the same periods last year, which reflect only the operations of what is now the Company's Technology segment.
Operating expenses include selling, general and administrative costs, research and development costs, depreciation, amortization, loss on disposal of intangible asset, and special charges. Operating expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2017 were $31.3 million, compared to $8.7 million in the same period last year. Operating expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 were $51.5 million compared to $33.9 million in the same period last year. Operating expenses increased in the year-over year periods due to the addition of the IRD and VIZIYA operations, acquisition-related costs associated with the purchases of IRD and VIZIYA, and a $15.2 million non-cash charge in Q3 2017 related to a loss on disposal of an intangible asset.
Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended September 30, 2017 was $60.6 million, or $0.50 per basic Common Share, compared to $9.4 million, or $0.09 per basic Common Share, in the same period last year. For the nine months ended September 30, 2017, Adjusted EBITDA was $63.1 million, or $0.55 per basic Common Share, compared to $36.2 million, or $0.30 per basic Common Share, in the same period last year. The year-over-year increase in Adjusted EBITDA is primarily due to strong performance in the patent license business in Q3 2017 and the inclusion of operations from the businesses acquired earlier in 2017.
Net income for the three months ended September 30, 2017 was $26.2 million, or $0.22 per basic and diluted Common Share, compared to net income of $0.7 million, or $0.01 per basic and diluted Common Share, in the same period last year. For the nine months ended September 30, 2017, net income was $22.6 million, or $0.19 per basic and diluted Common Share, compared to net income of $2.4 million, or $0.02 per basic and diluted Common Share, in the same period last year. As described above, the year-over-year increase in net income is primarily due to strong performance in the patent license business in Q3 2017 and the inclusion of operations from the businesses acquired in 2017.
Cash generated from operations for the three months ended September 30, 2017 was $9.3 million, compared to $6.2 million in the same period last year. Cash generated from operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 was $20.8 million compared to $29.3 million in the same period last year. Cash from operations was negatively impacted in Q3 2017 due to a significant increase in accounts receivable, of which the related amount was collected in full subsequent to quarter-end.
Cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments amounted to $40.6 million at September 30, 2017, compared to $107.7 million at December 31, 2016. The decrease is primarily attributable to $67.4 million spent on the acquisitions of IRD, VIZIYA and iCOMS, and $18.2 million spent on the repayment of patent finance obligations, which were partially offset by cash generated from operations of $20.8 million in the nine month period.
The table below highlights financial performance for the Company's Technology, Mobility and Factory segments. For detailed results and discussion related to these segments, please refer to the Management's Discussion and Analysis document, which will be filed on SEDAR and at www.quarterhill.com in the investor section.
For the three months ended September 30, 2017
Cost of revenues (excluding depreciation and amortization)
Selling, general and administrative
Amortization of intangibles
Loss on disposal of intangibles
Special charges
Results from operations
Finance expense
Foreign exchange loss (gain)
Other expense (income)
Income (loss) before taxes
Current income tax expense (recovery)
Deferred income tax expense (recovery)
Income tax expense (recovery)
Adjusted EBITDA
Other reconciling items:
Effect of deleted deferred revenue
Increased costs from inventory step-up
Stock based compensation
Effect of deleted prepaid expense
For the nine months ended September 30, 2017
Current income tax expense
Conference Call and Webcast
Quarterhill will host a conference call to discuss its financial results today at 10:00 AM Eastern Time.
The live audio webcast will be available at http://event.on24.com/wcc/r/1527032-1/438BD0AD28382873CEDA2B344C7CFB3C
To access the call from Canada and U.S., dial 1.888.231.8191 (Toll Free)
To access the call from other locations, dial 1.647.427.7450 (International)
A webcast of the call will be available at http://event.on24.com/wcc/r/1527032-1/438BD0AD28382873CEDA2B344C7CFB3C
A telephone replay will be available from 1:00 PM ET on November 9, 2017 until 11:59 PM ET on November 16, 2017 at: 1.855.859.2056 (Toll Free) or 1.416.849.0833 (International).
Conference ID #: 99524733
Non-GAAP Disclosure*
Quarterhill follows U.S. GAAP in preparing its interim and annual financial statements. We use the term "Adjusted EBITDA" to mean net income from continuing operations before: (i) income taxes; (ii) finance expense or income; (iii) amortization of intangibles; (iv) special charges and other one-time expenses; (v) depreciation of property, plant and equipment; (vi) effects of deleted deferred revenue; (vii) the effects of fair value step up in inventory acquired, and (viii) stock based compensation. Adjusted EBITDA is used by Quarterhill management to assess our normalized cash generated on a consolidated basis and in our operating segments. Adjusted EBITDA is also a performance measure that may be used by investors to analyze the cash generated by Quarterhill and our operating segments. ADJUSTED EBITDA IS NOT A MEASURE OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE UNDER U.S. GAAP. IT DOES NOT HAVE ANY STANDARDIZED MEANING PRESCRIBED BY U.S. GAAP AND IS THEREFORE UNLIKELY TO BE COMPARABLE TO SIMILARLY TITLED MEASURES USED BY OTHER COMPANIES. ADJUSTED EBITDA SHOULD NOT BE INTERPRETED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO NET EARNINGS AND CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATIONS AS DETERMINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH U.S. GAAP OR AS A MEASURE OF LIQUIDITY.
About Quarterhill
Quarterhill is a diversified investment holding company focused on growing its business by acquiring technology companies in the Industrial Internet of Things segment across multiple segments. Quarterhill targets companies with a broad range of products and services that capture, analyze and interpret data, and that have strong financial performance, excellent management teams, strong intellectual property underpinnings and significant opportunities to develop long-term recurring and growing revenue streams. Quarterhill is listed on the TSX and NASDAQ under the symbol QTRH. For more information: www.quarterhill.com.
This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other United States and Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information are based on estimates and assumptions made by Quarterhill in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and the expected effects of new business strategies, as well as other factors that Quarterhill believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Many factors could cause Quarterhill's actual performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Such factors include, without limitation, the risks described in each of its February 10, 2017 annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2016 (the "AIF") and its August 9, 2017 Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for the 3 and 6 months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 (the "Q2 MD&A"). Copies of the AIF and the Q2 MD&A may be obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov. Quarterhill recommends that readers review and consider all of these risk factors and notes that readers should not place undue reliance on any of Quarterhill's forward-looking statements. Quarterhill has no intention, and undertakes no obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Quarterhill Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Operations
(in thousands of United States dollars, except share and per share amounts) (unaudited)
For the three months ended,
For the nine months ended,
September 30,
Loss on disposal of intangible (Note 9)
Foreign exchange (gain) loss
Finance (income)
Finance expenses
Income before taxes
Net Income (loss) per share
Basic and fully diluted
Weighted average number of common shares
Supplemental Condensed Consolidated Interim Statement of Operations Information
For the six months ended,
Total cost of revenues
Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Comprehensive Income
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustment
Comprehensive income
Condensed Consolidated Interim Balance Sheets
As at
Short-term investments
Restricted Short-term investments
Unbilled revenue
Loans receivable
Prepaid expenses and deposits
Property Plant and Equipment
Investment in joint venture
Deferred income tax assets
Bank indebtedness
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
Income taxes payable
Current portion of patent finance obligation
Current portion of deferred revenue
Acquisition notes payable
Patent finance obligation
Success fee obligation
Deferred revenue
Deferred income tax liabilities
Capital stock
Additional paid-in capital
Accumulated other comprehensive income
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Cash Flows
Cash generated from (used in):
Non-cash items
Equity in earnings from joint venture
Loss on disposal of intangible
Gain (loss) on disposal of assets
Accrued investment income
Embedded derivatives
Changes in non-cash working capital balances
Dividends paid
Long term debt
Common shares repurchased under normal course issuer bid
Common shares issued for cash on the exercise of options
Common shares issued for cash from Employee Share Purchase Plan
Cash used in financing
Acquisition of Viziya, net of cash acquired
Acquisition of IRD, net of cash acquired
Acquisition of iCOMS
Purchase of short-term investment
Purchase of property and equipment
Repayment of patent finance obligations
Purchase of intangibles
Cash used in investing
Foreign exchange loss (gain) on cash held in foreign currency
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity
paid in
Balance - December 31, 2015
Comprehensive earnings:
Other Comprehensive Income
Shares and options issued:
Stock-based compensation expense
Conversion of deferred stock units to common shares
Exercise of stock options
Sale of shares under Employee Share Purchase Plan
Shares repurchased under normal course issuer bid
Dividends declared
Balance - September 30, 2016
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Reconciliations of GAAP Net Income (Loss) to Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted for:
Effect of deleted prepaid expenses
Adjusted EBITDA per share
SOURCE Quarterhill Inc.
For media and investor inquiries, please contact: Shaun McEwan, Interim CEO, T: 613.688.4898, E: smcewan@quarterhill.com; Dave Mason, Investor Relations, T: 613.688.1693, E: ir@quarterhill.com
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Renewable Energy & Other Topics
Paul Gipe
Revenge of PURPA
The much maligned Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, PURPA for short, is back in the news. Not that it ever went away. PURPA has been the foundation stone upon which renewable electricity generation has been built in the United States.
However, for more than a decade PURPA has been superseded as a policy mechanism supporting renewable energy development as one state after another has implemented Renewable Portfolio Standards. The latter has gone by various names as proponents search for a more politically palatable term for mandating that utilities use renewable energy for a portion of their generation.
In April, Karlee Weinmann at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance posted a piece, Getting the Price Right for Local Wind and Solar, on the continuing fight with electric utilities over the price of renewables under PURPA.
This has been a very long fight. PURPA became law in 1978!
Now, PURPA may return to prominence with a vengeance.
In PURPA and Solar, Chadbourne & Parke’s Robert Shapiro advises that "PURPA is expected to overtake state renewable portfolio standards as the biggest driver for utility-scale PPAs in 2017 due to falling solar electricity prices.”
This phenomenon is not unique to solar photovoltaics. The same can be said for the falling price of wind energy as well.
E3 Analytics’ Toby Couture says this could be a turning point. “After decades of utilities trying to dilute it, suppress it, and even have it stricken from the books, PURPA is back with a vengeance as PV costs fall below avoided costs in a growing number of U.S. states,” says Couture. “This is a historic turn-around, and something that both Jimmy Carter and Jerry Brown can, and should, be proud of. The basic principle of requiring utilities to buy power from non-utility generators if they can beat utilities on price remains fundamentally sound.”
Couture has written extensively about renewable energy policy, PURPA, and feed-in tariffs. He was the principle author of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s groundbreaking report A Policymaker’s Guide to Feed-in Tariff Policy Design.
PURPA is sometimes considered the first feed-in tariff policy. Couture and other policy wonks have long argued that feed-in tariffs don’t necessarily require payment above avoided cost. The tariffs can and should reflect the cost of generation even when that cost is lower than the avoided cost under PURPA.
That day has come for at least wind and solar in some locations.
“Although it took almost four decades, PURPA’s Section 210 is finally poised to finish part of the work it was originally designed to do,” says Couture, namely, to put the U.S. utility sector on a path of reduced fossil-fuel reliance, reduce utilities’ monopoly power, and drive increased competition throughout the sector. This is a landmark for the U.S. renewables industry.”
<- Back to: News & Articles on Large Wind Turbines
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Peter Yates
Reckless contempt: Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited v Khan and others [2018] EWHC 2581 (QB)
The need to avoid making dishonest and misleading assertions in the context of litigation is not, frankly, something which the...
Discontinuance, costs, and multiple Defendants: BAE Systems Pension Funds Trustees Ltd v Bowmer & Kirkland Ltd [2018] EWHC 1222 (TCC)
This case is a reminder, if any were needed, of the difficulties facing Claimants in deciding whether or not to pursue multipl...
Indemnity costs, allegations of fraud and discontinuance: PJSC Aeroflot v Forus and others [2018] EWHC 1735 (Ch)
There are lessons for practitioners in all areas in the judgment of Rose J in Aeroflot v Forus and others. That case – a long-r...
The fruits of iniquity: RTA Protocol fixed costs and the solicitor’s lien
On 18th April 2018 the Supreme Court gave judgment in Gavin Edmondson Solicitors Ltd v Haven Insurance Company Ltd. The case r...
Samuels v Birmingham City Council: intentional homelessness and benefits
On 19th February 2018 the Supreme Court granted permission to appeal the Court of Appeal’s decision in Samuels v Birmingham C...
Saunders v Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2018] EWHC 343 (QB)
Burdens of proof, res ipsa loquitur and experts’ jointstatements: Saunders v Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Founda...
Solicitors, statements of truth and CNFs: Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Limited v Yavuz and others [2017] EWHC 3088 QB
In Liverpool Victoria Insurance Company Ltd v Yavuz and others, Warby J found that the parties to a crash-for-cash conspiracy w...
Section 33 of the Limitation Act 1980: Mossa v Wise [2017] EWHC 2608 (QB)
The High Court upheld a Master’s decision to allow a clinical negligence action to proceed pursuant to section 33 of the Limit...
You can’t have it both ways: costs and applications
Higgins and others v (1) ERC Accountants and Business Advisers Ltd and (2) Granite Tax Ltd [2017] EWHC 2190 (Ch)In Higgins and o...
Summary judgment – you can’t just hope for the best; Dodd v Raebarn Estates Ltd and others [2017] EWCA Civ 439
In Dodd v Raebarn Estates Ltd and others [2017] EWCA Civ 439 the Court of Appeal gave brief but useful guidance on the corre...
“Meticulous in her preparation of cases."
Legal 500 (2011)
‘He specialises in fraud, drugs and conspiracy cases.’
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Paul Margocsy developed a love of painting at an early age. He became engrossed in wildlife art and this passion lead to his research in ornithology. With no formal art training, and through experimentation, he has become a renowned and highly acclaimed artist. His paintings are more than simply paint on paper. Through precise detail, the fine rendering of feather and eye and claw, in watercolour and opaque gouache, the viewer sees a bird rather than a painting. We are tempted to bypass the brilliance of the painting for the wonder of the bird itself. With a photographic memory, and prodigious drawing skills, Paul is able to capture more than a visual truth. Through observation and knowledge of different bird species behaviours, he captures the character and charm of his subjects.
In 1990 Paul was included in a book presenting 70 of the best living, traditional and realist artists in Australia. In 1991 Australia Post commissioned him for a stamp issue on water birds and, in 1994, he completed a commission for the United Nations of an endangered species series and this was released in Vienna.
Paul has released two books on his art with his latest release titled “Away With the Birds”. His greatest achievement to date is being selected to exhibit at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, “Birds in Art” exhibition in America, making him only the third Australian to be chosen in 20 years. His painting was chosen to tour America for one year, with 80 of the world’s best wildlife artists. Paul has been honoured with a fellow membership to “The Wildlife Art Society Of Australasia” for services to the Society and Wildlife art.
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Five Minute Introduction: Saratoga
School: Saratoga
Colors: purple and yellow
Stadium: Robert Hileman Field
Times worth remembering: Starting in 1974 and stretching through 1977, Saratoga put together one of the best stretches in history. Over those four seasons, the Panthers went 30-4, posting 14 shutouts. Saratoga didn’t give up more than 20 points in any of those 34 games and only 10 opponents cracked double digits on the scoreboard. The Panthers’ four losses were by a combined 18 points.
Times worth forgetting: Four years, one victory: That’s the conundrum the Panthers faced from 1966-69. In those four years, the only win the Panthers could manage was a 17-12 victory over Burns in the 1968 season finale — a win that snapped a 26-game losing streak, including a streak of 15 shutout losses in their previous 18 games. But the Panthers couldn’t capitalize on that one win and went 0-8-1 in 1969.
Best team: For all the struggles Saratoga went through in the late 1960s, the mid-1970s must have felt like heaven. The best team of that bunch was the one from 1974, in which the Panthers split a mythical state title with Tongue River after an 8-0 season. Saratoga gave up just six points all season and scored 348, one of the most dominating seasons in state history.
Biggest win: Football doesn’t often give second chances, but that’s exactly what Saratoga had in 1975. After losing to Guernsey-Sunrise 16-12 on Oct. 10, the Panthers’ playoff chances rested on another shot against the Vikings just 18 days later. The second time around, the Panthers held top-ranked Guernsey-Sunrise to just 109 total yards and, behind Steve Shaw’s two touchdowns, beat the Vikings 20-6. It was Guernsey-Sunrise’s only loss of the year and gave Saratoga its first playoff berth. Saratoga went on to beat Upton later that week for its first playoff victory and a berth in the first Class B championship game of the modern era.
Heartbreaker: Although Saratoga has lost its two championship games by a total of seven points, the biggest heartbreakers came in the form of not getting a chance to play for the championship at all. After a Class B runner-up finish in 1975, the Panthers went 7-1 in both 1976 and 1977 but didn’t qualify for the playoffs in either season. That’s because both times, the Panthers lost to Guernsey-Sunrise for the southeast district’s playoff spot — both times by 14-8 scores. Saratoga lost in the regular-season finale in 1976 in Guernsey and in the fourth week of the 1977 season in Saratoga.
Saratoga team page.
Shutout (or shut out) for the season? Not in Wyoming.
My domination post the other day got me really interested in Wyoming’s best defensive (and worst offensive) teams. Admittedly, it’s easier for me to look this up, rather than the best offensive (and worst defensive) teams, based on how my database is set up, but I hope to post something this summer about the top offensive teams in state history…
Now that that’s out of the way… It still somewhat suprises me that no team in Wyoming, at least from 1946 to the present, has ever gone unbeaten, untied and un-scored-upon. Three teams, though, have come close.
Upton in 1971 and both Saratoga and Torrington in 1974 have special distinctions no other Wyoming teams can claim. These three teams are the only teams that gave up points in only one game of their seasons, and these three teams are the only three to allow fewer than 10 points in a season. Every other team in Wyoming’s history allowed points in at least two games of their seasons (of teams that played at least four games), which makes the defensive work accomplished by these three teams that much more special.
Saratoga and Torrington only gave up six points in their separate 1974 seasons, Saratoga in an 8-0 season run while Torrington in a 9-0 campaign. Upton gave up eight points in 1971 while compiling a 7-0-1 record.
For comparison, here are the team’s respective dominating seasons:
Coach: Mike Koulentes
S6/1974 Burns 0 Saratoga 12
S13/1974 Lingle 0 Saratoga 28
S20/1974 Saratoga 40 Hanna 0
S27/1974 Saratoga 52 Glendo 6
O2/1974 Saratoga 51 Bow-Basin 0
O11/1974 Saratoga 70 Guernsey-Sunrise 0
O18/1974 St. Mary’s 0 Saratoga 60
O25/1974 Pine Bluffs 0 Saratoga 35
Torrington 1974
Coach: Jim Wiseman
A30/1974 Douglas (SD) 0 Torrington 27
S6/1974 Kimball (NE) 0 Torrington 10
S13/1974 Lusk 0 Torrington 26
S20/1974 Torrington 27 Buffalo 0
S27/1974 Douglas 0 Torrington 49
O4/1974 Torrington 19 Glenrock 6
O11/1974 Newcastle 0 Torrington 42
O18/1974 Torrington 41 Wheatland 0
O25/1974 Torrington 22 Gillette 0
Upton 1971
Coach: Kent Morgan
S3/1971 Upton 28 Hill City (SD) 0
S10/1971 Arvada-Clearmont 0 Upton 39
S17/1971 Upton 16 Tongue River 0
S24/1971 Upton 14 Sundance 0
O1/1971 Big Horn 0 Upton 44
O8/1971 Midwest 8 Upton 26
O15/1971 Upton 0 Moorcroft 0 tie
O22/1971 Upton 16 Hulett 0
O29/1971 Glenrock Upton canceled-snow
However, there have been many, many more offensive teams that have failed to crawl out of single digits for an entire season’s worth of scoring. In fact, 10 teams couldn’t get into double digits when you added all their scoring for their season together (minimum four games). All of these teams only scored in one game of their seasons. They are:
Greybull 2000 (6 points, 0-7)
Hulett 1955 (6 points, 0-4)
Midwest 2007 (6 points, 0-7)
Mountain View 1978 (7 points, 0-6)
Normative Services 2003 (6 points, 0-6, although three games were lost by forfeit)
Saratoga 1967 (6 points, 0-9)
Sundance 1946 (6 points, 0-7-1)
Sundance 1952 (7 points, 0-8)
Wyoming Indian 1978 (6 points, 0-7)
Additionally, seven other teams scored in only one game of their seasons — although that one game allowed them to break past the single-digit barrier. Those squads include:
Kemmerer 1954 (12 points, 0-7)
Meeteetse 1986 (12 points, 0-7)
Mountain View 1972 (20 points, 0-9)
Superior 1957 (14 points, 0-6)
University Prep 1949 (12 points, 0-5)
Wyoming Indian 1979 (18 points, 0-7)
What comes out of this? Well, going a season with only one touchdown is much more common than going a season only giving up one touchdown. I guess it shouldn’t be too surprising to me that there are more teams that have struggled to score than those that have dominated on defense. However, it still surprises me that Wyoming, at least since 1946, hasn’t seen a “shutout season” on either side of the ball. (Of course, this comes with the qualifier that I DO know that the Heart Mountain camp team in 1943 went unbeaten, untied and un-scored-upon, and that some of the older teams from back in the ’10s and ’20s probably accomplished the feat, too.)
Five Minute Introduction (times four): Albin, Dayton, Pavillion, Superior
School: Albin
Nickname: Wildcats
Times worth remembering: Albin was consistently decent, winning at least one game in each of the shortened seasons from 1946-50, including the only multiple-win season that I can find, a 2-1 campaign in 1946.
Times worth forgetting: The Wildcats went four seasons with only one victory, and only played one more game after that victory, ending the program after a 1-6 season in 1955.
Albin team page.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
School: Dayton
Nickname: Elks
Colors: blue and red
Times worth remembering: The Elks had a relatively successful run before combining with Ranchester to form Tongue River in 1956, including four consecutive conference championships from 1952-55 and a state championship in 1953.
Times worth forgetting: The Dayton program was extremely successful for its short span In fact, it had only two losing seasons – an 0-2-1 campaign in 1949, the first full-fledged year of the program after World War II, and a 2-3 season in 1951.
Dayton team page.
School: Pavillion
Times worth remembering: It didn’t take long for Pavillion to gain respect. After a 1-7 season in its 1959 premiere, the Panthers went 7-1 in 1960, reeling off seven victories in a row to start the season before falling to Shoshoni in the season finale.
Times worth forgetting: The Panthers’ biggest struggles came in back-to-back seasons in 1962 and ’63. Pavillion went 2-6 in 1962 and 1-6-1 in 1963, losing five times by shutout while failing to climb out of double digits 12 times in 16 games. The 1963 season was particularly tough; the Panthers only scored 26 points all season and the only victory came in a 2-0 slugfest against Meeteetse.
Pavillion team page.
School: Superior
Nickname: Dragons
Colors: purple and white
Times worth remembering: After finding mixed success against Class A schools through 1957, the Dragons dropped to Class B play in 1958 and immediately became a powerhouse. Superior posted three consecutive winning seasons from 1958-60, including a 7-0 season in 1960. In those three years, Superior went 18-3-1. However, none of the seasons, not even the 1960 undefeated season, resulted in a playoff berth.
Times worth forgetting: The Dragons knew when they were in above their heads. Superior’s last year of Class A play was in 1957, a year in which the Dragons posted an 0-6 record. The team was shut out five times in those six games and scored only once, in a 25-14 loss to Saratoga.
Superior team page.
Newsbreak: New coach in Rawlins
Rawlins hired a new head coach (Rawlins Daily Times). … Rawlins joins Jackson as schools in 3A that will have new coaches next fall. Do you know of any other schools making changes at the top? Post a comment below or e-mail me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.
Updates: Lingle, Manville, Cokeville, Mountain View, Moorcroft, Big Horn, Albin, Sunrise and a whole bunch of coaches
It’s spring break here in Laramie. What that means for me is more time in the Coe Library basement. I’m mostly chipping away at 1941 right now, but I’m spicing things up by tossing in an occasional Coaches Project or Byes Project search. Here is some of what I’ve uncovered/updated in the past week or two:
Recent updates have been made for Arvada-Clearmont, Basin, Big Horn, Burlington, Byron, Cokeville, Cowley, Deaver-Frannie, Greybull, Guernsey, Hulett, Lander, Lingle, Manderson, Moorcroft, Morton, Pinedale, St. Mary’s, St. Stephens, Saratoga, Sunrise, Superior, Ten Sleep, Thermopolis, Tongue River, Wheatland and Worland Institute.
Wheatland has been particularly difficult — the list I worked with to start was full of errors — but I think I’ve got most of it straight now.
Added Lingle’s game with Harrison, Neb., on Oct. 12, 1951 (and added it to the missing games list because I couldn’t find a result)
Added Lingle’s 39-12 victory over Manville on Oct. 26, 1951
Added Cokeville’s 53-0 victory over Mountain View on Sept. 11, 1959
Removed a game between Moorcroft and Big Horn scheduled on Oct. 3, 1958 (Big Horn didn’t have a team that season)
Noted the Nov. 8, 1957, game between Moorcroft and Big Horn was canceled
Added Lingle’s victory over Harrison, Neb., on Oct. 7, 1953 (and left it on the missing games list because I couldn’t find a final score)
Removed a game between Albin and Lingle on Oct. 24, 1952 (Albin didn’t have a team that season)
Added the score for Lingle’s 34-12 loss to Lyman, Neb., on Sept. 14, 1951
Noted the Nov. 2, 1951, game between Lingle and Sunrise was canceled
Five Minute Introduction: Upton
School: Upton
Nickname: Bobcats
Stadium: B.F. Weaver Field
Times worth remembering: The Bobcats were consistently their best in the five-year stretch from 1969-72, in which Upton went a combined 35-6-3. The Bobcats’ best finish came in a 7-0-1 1971 season in which they ended up second in the final statewide poll; Upton’s chance to take on top-ranked Glenrock in the final week of the 1971 season went by the wayside due to a late October snowstorm that slammed the state. Upton also finished fourth in the final Class B-C ballot in both 1969 (7-2) and 1970 (7-1-1).
Times worth forgetting: Back-to-back winless seasons in 1949 (0-7) and 1950 (0-6) were the hardest for Upton to trudge through. In those 13 losses, the Bobcats were shut out six times and failed to crawl out of single digits on all but two occasions. On average, Upton lost games those two seasons by a score of 30-4.
Best team: Although the 1971 team only gave up eight points in its mythical runner-up season, and although the 1961 team won the school’s first state title, the Bobcats’ best pound-for-pound team likely came in 2005. Led by seven first-team all-state choices, including CST Super 25 first-team choices Jason Watt (2004) and Dan Dysart (2005), the Bobcats finished that season 10-1 and whitewashed Guernsey-Sunrise 55-6 in the 1A championship. Upton’s only loss was a 26-19 nail-biter to eventual 2A champion Sundance — in Sundance. Outside of that, the Bobcats outscored foes by an average of 36-5, as only one opponent came within 19 points.
Biggest win: The good feelings from Upton’s 1961 championship only lasted so long, and by 2005 the Bobcat faithful were ready for another trophy. After cruising through most of the regular season with ease and wiping out Shoshoni by 52 points in the 1A quarterfinals, Upton traveled to Cokeville for a key semifinal game. Unfazed by both the Panthers’ tradition and the 500-mile one-way trip, the Bobcats played a flawless defensive game and Dysart scored the lone touchdown in a 7-3 victory. Confidence boost? You bet — Upton breezed past defending champion Guernsey-Sunrise by 49 points the following week in the 1A championship in Guernsey.
Heartbreaker: Upton put up the type of defensive effort needed to beat Cokeville in the 1998 Class 1A-D2 title game, holding the Panthers to just 111 yards of total offense. But the Bobcats’ offense never came through. Upton had four turnovers, including a fumble on a punt that led to Cokeville’s game-winning touchdowns, and the Bobcats lost 12-7. It was Upton’s second title-game loss in as many years.
Upton team page.
Five Minute Introduction: Powell
School: Powell
Stadium: Panther Stadium
State championships: 1957, 1987 and 2006
Times worth remembering: The Panthers have consistently been one of the top teams in the Bighorn Basin, and that was made particularly clear in a pair of three-year spans — the three years from 1955-57 and the three years from 1965-67. The Panthers went 28-2 from 1955-57; both losses were to Worland, and both losses kept Powell from playing in the Class A championship. Finally, in 1957, the Panthers beat the Warriors and went on to win the title with an 11-0 season. And from 1965-67, Powell went 25-3-1, including 8-1-1 in 1966 and 9-0 in 1967, each good enough to win a mythical Class AA-A state championship.
Times worth forgetting: Powell’s toughest times came in back-to-back winless seasons in 1992-93. The Panthers went 0-8 each season and were outscored by an average of 30-5 in the two seasons; only two of the losses were by single digits.
Best team: It’s basically a toss-up between Powell’s two undefeated teams — the 11-0 team from 1957 and the 9-0 team from 1967. The slight nod goes to the ’57 team, which won the Class A title but was probably the best team in the state regardless of class. One of Powell’s 11 victories was 13-6 over Sheridan, which finished 7-1-1 and tied Natrona for the mythical Class AA championship. And few teams controlled a championship game the way the Panthers did in ’57, in which they destroyed Torrington 40-6 on the Trailblazers’ home field to win the title.
Biggest win: The 1966 season finale was set up perfectly for the Panthers — a chance to prove themselves against the top-ranked team in the state, Cody, on the Broncs’ home field. And the Panthers never hesitated. Powell controlled the game from start to finish, winning 32-13 in an “upset” that vaulted the Panthers into first place in the final statewide poll despite an early-season loss to Worland and a tie with Riverton. The 1967 finale set up similarly, but in that game top-ranked Powell justified its ranking by smacking Cody 20-7.
Heartbreaker: Powell had all the momentum going its way heading into the second-to-last game of the 1978 regular season against Rock Springs — the Panthers had won six in a row, four by shutout, and were seemingly in perfect shape for the Tigers. But the Tigers didn’t get the message from Powell and beat the Panthers 15-7. Rock Springs went on to win the state championship, beating Laramie 7-6 two weeks later; Powell beat Cody the next week to finish at 7-1 but never again reached the same level of success in Class AA ball.
Powell team page.
2010 Kickoff Countdown
Check out the top left corner of the home page. There’s something there you might want to check out from time to time….
Montana, Idaho, six-man changes and mercy rules
Somehow, Montana’s recent changes to its football makeup slipped past me, and I only recently found out that the Montana six-man league is going back to “just” a Montana league.
If you remember, the Montana league was the home for Wyoming squads Meeteetse and Ten Sleep for several years before those two programs came back to the Equality State when the WHSAA formed the state’s new six-man division that started play last year.
However, the Montana league also included a pair of Idaho teams — Clark County and Leadore — in its league in recent years. But with the Wyoming teams heading out, and with an eight-man option available in Idaho, the Montana High School Association didn’t include the Idaho schools in its recent reclassification work.
Neither Leadore nor Clark County had programs as of 2006, so both programs were relying on a long-term stay in Montana to survive. As it is, both programs are going to be forced to transition to eight-man… or find another place to play.
For now, both squads will be playing in Idaho’s eight-man Sawtooth Conference. You can read about Leadore and Clark County getting boot from Montana league, or more on the Sawtooth Conference reformation.
For those of you thinking Wyoming might open its arms to the two Idaho schools, think again. Travel concerns will likely squash those ideas right away. Consider this: It’s about 300 miles from Guernsey to Meeteetse… but another 250 from Meeteetse to Clark County (in Dubois, Idaho) and about 340 from Meeteetse “through the Park” to Leadore. Oof.
One other quick note comes from Montana, where the Big Sky staters made changes to their mercy rules. …
Five Minute Introduction: Kelly Walsh
School: Kelly Walsh
Colors: green and yellow
Stadium: Harry Geldien Stadium
Times worth remembering: KW had 10 consecutive winning seasons from 1975-84, and back-to-back championships in 1980 and 1981 were the Trojans’ crowning achievement in that span. The 1980-81 teams were a combined 19-1; the 1982 and 1983 teams followed up with consecutive 7-2 seasons, although neither team reached the state title game.
Times worth forgetting: Back-to-back 0-8 seasons, an overall 16-game losing streak, from 1997-98 was by far KW’s toughest stretch. Only three of those 16 games were decided by fewer than 10 points. The 1997-98 seasons were part of larger difficulties for the Trojans, who played in the “Toilet Bowl,” reserved for the last-place teams in the two 4A conferences, five consecutive times from 1996-2000.
Best team: You want flash and dash? Try the KW team from 1980, which featured future UW Cowboy Allyn Griffin and future MLB star Mike Devereaux and outscored opponents, on average, 33-8. You want consistency? Go for the 1981 squad, which shut out six of its final seven opponents and finished on the right side of an average score of 25-3. The slight nod goes to the ’81 team, which is KW’s only undefeated team in school history.
Biggest win: There aren’t too many big-game wins for KW — only five playoff wins in 46 years — but the Trojans are 3-0 in title games. The biggest of those came in 1980, the first year KW won an Oil Bowl and a state championship in the same season. The Trojans beat Rock Springs 20-7 in Rock Springs for the state championship a week after beating Natrona 28-13 in the Oil Bowl to secure the spot in the title game.
Heartbreaker: How about the first Oil Bowl in 1965? Playing without any seniors, the Trojans stuck right with Natrona for nearly four quarters and appeared to take the lead after a 70-yard punt return for a touchdown by Frank Wojtech. But officials ruled Wojtech stepped out of bounds at midfield, KW couldn’t score, and thus began a series of Oil Bowl heartaches.
KW team page.
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Tv Shows/
Based in Quantico, Virginia, the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) is a subsection of the FBI. Called in by local police departments to assist in solving crimes of a serial and/or extremely violent nature where the perpetrator is unknown (referred to by the Unit as the unknown subject or unsub for short), the BAU uses the controversial scientific art of profiling to track and apprehend the unsub. Profiling entails coming up with basic characteristics of the unsub and the victims (referred to as the victimology), using evidence from the case and matching that information to historic precedents and psychological analyses as a means to solve the case. Because of the nature of the work conducted by the BAU - the work being time consuming and psychologically demanding - its members are fiercely loyal to the Unit and to its other members. Also because of the work's overall demanding nature, not many members of the BAU have been able to maintain a happy or stable family life. Written by Huggo
Genre : Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller,
Actor : Matthew Gray Gubler, Kirsten Vangsness, Thomas Gibson, A.J. Cook, Shemar Moore, Joe Mantegna, Paget Brewster,
Director : ,
Country : USA | Canada,
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller,
Profiler is an American crime drama that aired on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The series follows the exploits of a criminal profiler working with the FBI's fictional Violent Crimes Task Force based in Atlanta, Georgia. Ally Walker starred as profiler Dr. Samantha Waters during the first three seasons, and was later replaced by Jamie Luner as profiler Dr. Rachel Burke during the show's final season. Robert Davi, Roma Maffia, Peter Frechette, Erica Gimpel and Julian McMahon co-starred throughout the show's run. Caitlin Wachs played Dr. Waters daughter for the first two seasons, a role taken over by Evan Rachel Wood in 1998. Profiler shares a similar lead character and premise with the Fox Network series Millennium, created by Chris Carter. Both shows premiered at the beginning of the 1996–97 television season.
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller, Mystery,
Homicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de facto series finale. The series was originally based on David Simon's book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets. Many of the characters and stories used throughout the show were based on events depicted in the book, which was also part of the basis for Simon's own series, The Wire on HBO. Although Homicide featured an ensemble cast, Andre Braugher emerged as the series' breakout star through his portrayal of Frank Pembleton. The show won Television Critics Association Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Drama in 1996, 1997, and 1998. It also became the first drama ever to win three Peabody Awards for best drama in 1993, 1995, and 1997. In 1997, the episode "Prison Riot" was ranked No. 32 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. In 2007, it was listed as one of Time magazine's "Best TV Shows of All-TIME." In 1996 TV Guide named the series 'The Best Show You're Not Watching'. The show placed #46 on Entertainment Weekly's "New TV Classics" list.
When a pizza delivery driver is shot dead in south London, a tenacious detective goes after the people traffickers behind his murder and unravels a conspiracy that goes to the top.
100 min (14 episodes) | 50 min (36 episodes) | 90 min (20 episodes)
From England to Egypt, accompanied by his elegant and trustworthy sidekicks, the intelligent yet eccentrically-refined Belgian detective Hercule Poirot pits his wits against a collection of first class deceptions.
Private eye Laura Holt grudgingly accepts a new partner when a mystery man assumes the identity of her fictitious boss, Remington Steele. Together, the two battle crime as their feelings for each other. Written by Melissa Jones [email protected]
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller,
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IUPUI IUPUI IUPUI
Faces of IUPUI
Shannon McCullough
Faces of IUPUI: Shannon McCullough
Shannon McCullough sits in a studio at the Herron School of Art and Design. Photo by Liz Kaye, IU Communications
When Dr. Shannon McCullough graduated with her doctoral degree in higher education and student affairs in 2016, she made history as one of eight women of color to receive a Ph.D. from the School of Education that year. Dubbed the "Great Eight," the group represented the largest group of African-American women to ever receive doctorates from the same school at the same time, affirming their accomplishment and cementing their legacy. To commemorate their graduation, the women created the Great Eight Scholarship to support other graduate students — especially black women — seeking to pursue degrees in the School of Education at IUPUI.
For McCullough, receiving her doctoral degree was a remarkable and humbling distinction that was years in the making. As an undergraduate psychology student in the IUPUI School of Science, McCullough got involved with a new program at the Bepko Learning Center called Structured Learning Assistance. In 2001, she became one of the program's first psychology peer mentors. Through this experience, she discovered a love and talent for mentoring that propelled her academic and professional career.
"That program became the subject of my doctoral research, so that's a big point of pride for me," said McCullough.
After receiving her undergraduate degree from the School of Science, McCullough returned to the Bepko Learning Center and brought her passion for mentoring, first as coordinator of science mentor initiatives, then as assistant director of academic support services, and finally as the center's associate director until 2013. Mentorship remained a core focus in each of these positions, which encompassed course instruction, curriculum development and assessment, student recruitment, and cross-departmental collaboration and planning.
From top: McCullough (second from right) with The Great Eight; McCullough laughs with colleagues; McCullough works at her desk. Top photo courtesy of News at IU; bottom photos by Liz Kaye, IU Communications
Now serving as assistant dean of admissions and student affairs at the Herron School of Art and Design, McCullough provides strategic vision and leadership on enrollment management, student access and retention, and academic success at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In addition, she oversees the student affairs programming, including co-curricular and engagement activities, and of course, the school's mentoring initiatives.
"I came to IUPUI in 1999 for my undergraduate degree. Since then, not only have I advanced through three degrees on this campus, I also began my path in a professional career in academia," McCullough said. "I am very proud to be at IUPUI. I'm a Jaguar through and through."
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By Amjad Iraqi
|Published December 27, 2015
Arab group in Israel paves new future for town's next generation
University students from Tira are proving they can be a force for change in the Palestinian community in Israel. The key: taking the fate of their hometown’s youth into their own hands.
Speakers take questions from the audience at the inaugural ‘Tira Talks’, 4 December 2015 (Photo courtesy of Academiyu al-Tira)
Three weeks ago, the building of the municipality of Tira, a Palestinian Arab town in the Muthalath (“Triangle”) area of Israel, was bustling with over two hundred people gathering in its auditorium.
Five speakers took the stage and delivered captivating talks on five different topics, all of which were nothing short of inspiring. Fadi Matar, the 24-year-old founder of the organization behind the event, described the process of making it happen in a community not used to such initiatives. A professor and scientist then spoke about how his own experience could be an example for youths to build a successful and fulfilling career. An activist made the case for why youths should visit Palestinian villages destroyed and depopulated during the Nakba. A fashion designer showcased how to create modern women’s clothing out of their grandmothers’ traditional Palestinian gowns. And a man told the story of how he channeled difficult moments in his life into a passion for Arabic calligraphy.
The Palestinian-Israeli singer challenging everyone's misconceptions
By Orly Noy | December 25, 2015
I won't apologize for being a Palestinian feminist
By Samah Salaime | July 11, 2015
A new activism, a new politics, a new generation of Palestinians in Israel
By Henriette Chacar | March 11, 2015
The “Tira Talks” were organized by the Academiyu al-Tira (“the students/educated of Tira”), a local collective of Arab university and college students from the town. Inspired by the TED talks format, the Academiyu initiated the event as a creative way to invigorate new social interests and ideas among the town’s residents.
“We wanted to give members of our community a stage to speak about their lives, experiences, and special pursuits,” said one of the organizers. “We want our town to know the diverse kinds of people we have in our midst.”
Tira, a largely conservative Muslim town, has for years garnered a negative image among both Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel as a place of crime, reckless driving, and gun violence – problems that indeed affect the town to this day. However, local initiatives like the Academiyu are showing that there is much more to the town than these stereotypes, with many even seeing their work as playing an important role in countering Tira’s social troubles.
+972 Magazine spoke with two members of the Academiyu: Mais Jondia, 21, an accounting student at Tel Aviv University; and Aseel Bishara, 21, a medical student at Ben-Gurion University. The two spoke about the beginnings and purpose of the collective and its engagement with the community in Tira. But they also spoke about the challenges they faced in starting their movement in the town, both as activists and as young women in a conservative society.
Mais Jondia (left) and Aseel Bishara (right), members of the youth collective Academiyu al-Tira.
What is the Academiyu?
The Academiyu is a local youth collective that was started two years ago by a group of university students from Tira, who wanted to create a new outlet for community engagement in our hometown. When we first met, we did not have any concrete ideas for what we could do; but within a few months, we began creating whole projects and activities that we would run throughout the year.
There are currently 82 Members of the Academiyu, who are involved in the decision-making process and can vote; and 190 “Friends” of the Academiyu, who do not vote on decisions but assist our activities whenever they can. We are proud to say that more than half of both our Members and Friends are women. All of them come from a wide range of backgrounds and educations – political science, medicine, art, architecture, music, and more – which are valuable for what we learn from each other and for their contributions to our activities.
Members of the Academiyu al-Tira, a local youth collective of university students from the Palestinian Arab town of Tira in Israel. (Photo courtesy of the Academiyu al-Tira).
Why was the Academiyu created?
The idea for the group was born out of two main things: our confrontations with Israeli society, and our experiences in the Arabic education system.
Our generation of Arab students, like the previous generations, has grown up living and learning next to the Israeli-Jewish community. We have had to deal with many problems with this society, both because of our different cultures and because of the pressures we face as a discriminated minority in the country. This environment created the feeling that we as Arab youths have to reclaim the power to change things for our generation, in order to transform our community’s experience.
The ‘Tira Talks’ logo on the stage of the auditorium of the Tira municipality building, 4 December 2015. (Photo courtesy of the Academiyu al-Tira).
We looked back at our personal experiences to identify some of the sources of these problems, and we found that our high school years were a critical stage for influencing these issues. When we were in high school, we did not know what we wanted to do in the future, or what we wanted to learn in university. We never received much help from our school counselors, whose advices were feeble and outdated. So we were usually left to fend for ourselves without proper guidance or assistance.
We therefore realized that, in order to reduce the educational gaps for the Arab youth, we had to target the students in the high schools. Now with the Academiyu, we hope to put our town’s youth at a better starting point in their personal and educational lives than the earlier generations.
What programs and activities does the Academiyu do, besides the Tira Talks?
Our first and main program is with two of Tira’s high schools, with which we organize a biannual “academic day” in which university students talk to the high school students about their various fields of study, the different universities and colleges, career opportunities, and so on. We start with a lecture about higher education in general; then we divide the students into smaller, more focused groups of five to six people, in which they talk about themselves, their interests, and their ideas for the future; and then we have an open fair to share information on different academic studies. Other activities we do for high school students include tutoring for the matriculation exams, and organizing day trips to universities in the country.
University student members of the Academiyu al-Tira speaking with Arab high school students as part of their educational program for Tira’s youth. (Photo courtesy of the Academiyu al-Tira)
Our second main program is called “Kitabi Kitabak” (“my book is your book”). During the summer holidays, we collect all kinds of books that people would like to donate, and then invite the public to come and take any of the books for free. The first year we tried this was tricky, as people were not used to exchanging books this way; but by the following year, the people were more familiar and excited about it. We now have a sticker that we give to people who participated, as a way to encourage pride in the project.
Other programs we have include: “Khutwa Ula” (“the first step”), in which first-year Arab university students are assigned an older student to help them transition into university life; and a program called “Students of today, leaders of tomorrow,” where we have children in the 5th and 6th grades participate in a competition to design a volunteer project that they will carry out through their schools. It’s wonderful to watch 12 and 13 year old kids in that program, young as they are, think about what they want to do for others in their community.
Along with other smaller activities, we are also active on our Facebook page, through which we post not only about the work of the Academiyu, but also more generally about local events, activities, news, and public campaigns (such as against drug use) in Tira and the Palestinian community.
Students organizing donated books as part of the “Kitabi Kitabak” (“my book is your book”) program of the Academiyu al-Tira. (Photo courtesy of the Academiyu al-Tira).
What challenges have you faced with your social activism?
The violence in Tira is one of the biggest problems. A few years ago, we both used to be the only female members of the Darna Association (a movement for youth empowerment), and we would take part in demonstrations to draw attention to violence in the community, and to encourage young people to express their thoughts about the issue. It was not easy. We had frequent confrontations with some people from the community, even threats.
When we talked with our families and friends about the problems in Tira’s society, they were antagonistic from the very beginning. They would say “Why are you doing this? Focus on your studies instead.” They believed there was no hope or point in trying to bring change to the town. Some would even say “What man will look at you (as a future wife) when he knows that you are doing these things?”
Our parents’ generation is very different. They didn’t want us to be part of groups where there were more boys than girls. Our fathers would go to the mosque to hear religious sermons, then come to us and ask why we are involved with the Academiyu. We had to fight hard to break down these doors. But in the end our key to success was in not letting these opinions affect us. The violence and inequality within our society will never be solved if we do not fight to change the minds of the younger generations.
A posted note with an audience member’s feedback on the Tira Talks event held on 4 December 2015. (Photo courtesy of the Academiyu al-Tira).
Are you seeing a positive impact from the Academiyu’s work?
Definitely. Through our activities, we are empowering the individuals we interact with, and the environment in which we live. It is not just a place for us to meet new people and talk about our problems. It is a place for students to give back to the place where we came from.
In two years, we have grown from a small group of students to an organization of nearly 300 people. We are seeing a new enthusiasm for volunteering from youths in Tira, with more and more students outside the collective asking to join as Members or Friends. With the Academiyu’s success, our parents also aren’t questioning our social activism or our involvement in the collective anymore; now they are actually encouraging us and others to keep going.
The model of the Academiyu has also become popular. People from other Arab towns are now asking us how to carry out programs like the Tira Talks and Kitabi Kitabak, with some wanting to start their own groups too. We see this as a good kind of competition, to encourage others to do what they can for their communities. We now have connections with groups in Kufr Bara and Umm el-Fahm, and we are now trying to develop larger projects for the whole Triangle area.
So overall, we can see that the Academiyu is becoming something special. At the entrance to the Tira Talks, we were giving out name tags to all the participants, and we saw so many different people – young and old, students and teachers, residents of Tira and visitors from other towns. This response gives us the confidence to believe that we can have an effect not only on our own hometown, but on the wider Palestinian community in Israel as well.
Palestinian Citizens of Israel
palestinian youth
Building a new Mizrahi political home in Israeli politics
Why are Israeli liberals suddenly courting a far-right nationalist?
A truly inspiring article and project. Would love to see this happen in other places, too. I just shared the article with 2 educational networks to hopefully, get the ball rolling.(ETNI – English Teachers Network in Israel, Negev English Teachers)
I am truly impressed by this initiative. I think it should be publicized as much as possible. I think that seeing Arab youth actively taking a part in improving their own lives, will have such an impact amd break down so many stereotypes in the Jewish community and change the way Jews look at Arabs. I would love to see many, many more initiatives such as this one!
I’m a Palestinian citizen of Israel and have lived between Israel-Palestine, Kenya, and Canada. I’m an advocacy coordinator at Adalah, a policy analyst for Al-Shabaka, and a contributing editor at +972 Magazine. Currently in Haifa. Views here are my own.
More from Amjad Iraqi
For Michelle Alexander’s critics, Palestinians don’t deserve civil rights
A masterclass in Palestine solidarity
‘This is how you change the status quo’: Rethinking the Palestinian boycott of Jerusalem elections
Want to combat Israeli authoritarianism? Listen to Palestinians
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Keith Gill Named Sun Belt Conference Commissioner
Jay Walker
sunbeltsports.org
Keith Gill, the Executive Associate Commissioner of the Atlantic-10 Conference, has been named the new Commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference. He replaces Karl Benson, who will retire at the end of the athletic year.
Gill becomes the first African-American Commissioner of an FBS Conference.
“I am honored and excited to have been selected as the Commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference and I am grateful to President Becker and all of the Sun Belt presidents and chancellors for allowing me this opportunity,” said Gill. “I look forward to serving and working with them, their outstanding institutions, the administrators and coaches of the conference and the student-athletes that continue to push the Sun Belt to the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics.”
Gill has been involved in intercollegiate athletics for 25 years and previously served as Athletic Director at American University and at Richmond. He has also served as Assistant Athletics Director at Vanderbilt and Senior Associate Athletics Director at Oklahoma.
“On behalf of the Sun Belt Conference’s presidents and chancellors, I am delighted to announce the appointment of Keith Gill as the next commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference,” said Georgia State and Sun Belt President Dr. Mark P. Becker. “Keith is a proven leader with deep experience across the many dimensions of intercollegiate athletics. Combining that with his passion, integrity and enthusiasm, Keith will be an outstanding leader as the Sun Belt continues on its rising trajectory.”
It was mutually agreed that GIll will officially begin his new role on May 1. Gill is the sixth Commissioner in Sun Belt history.
Source: Keith Gill Named Sun Belt Conference Commissioner
Filed Under: louisianas ragin cajuns, sun belt conference
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Channing Tatum’s ‘Gambit’ Removed From Release Schedule
The good news about Disney’s acquisition of Fox, for a Marvel fan anyway, is the possibility that eventually the X-Men will join Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe after almost 20 years off in their own movie franchise. The bad news about Disney’s acquisition of Fox, for an X-Men movie fan anyway, is the very strong possibility that once Dark Phoenix is released, you will never see the Fox versions of the X-Men characters (except maybe Deadpool) ever again.
That includes the Fox X-Men characters that never made it to the screen but were in development. For years, Channing Tatum has been attached to a movie where he would play the X-Men‘s beloved thief-turned-hero, Gambit. In 2015, Tatum even appeared at Fox’s San Diego Comic-Con panel, where he posed with Hugh Jackman, Stan Lee, and the rest of the movie X-Men family.
Despite Tatum’s obvious enthusiasm, the film has never come together. Years of delays ensued as numerous directors like Doug Liman and Gore Verbinski joined and left the project. The last we heard, any development on the film was on hold pending Disney’s acquisition of Fox. But now that the acquisition is complete, Disney has condensed the upcoming Fox slate into their own lineup of movies, and their new release calendar included this ominous line:
GAMBIT (FOX) previously dated on 3/13/20 is removed from schedule
That doesn’t necessarily mean the film is dead. It just means it’s not happening in March of 2020, and Disney didn’t give it a specific release date at a later time. In this case, the fact that the movie never got off the drawing board may be to its benefit. Disney is almost certainly not going to want to continue Fox’s X-Men universe in any way (again, except for Deadpool, which they’d be dopes not to carry forward). Since Channing Tatum never appeared as Gambit onscreen, he can be the MCU’s Gambt at some point down the line. And maybe he could even get his own movie at some point down the line too. But the key phrase there is “down the line.” Given how carefully Marvel plans their calendar, and how far in advance as well, that won’t happen any time soon.
But maybe some day? As a wise man named Gambit once said “If I’ve learned anyt’ing about life wit de X-Men ... it’s dat anyt’ing is possible”
Gallery — The Best and Worst Superhero Movie Costumes Ever:
Sign Up For the ScreenCrush Newsletter
Source: Channing Tatum’s ‘Gambit’ Removed From Release Schedule
Filed Under: Disney, Marvel, X-Men
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Kane Brown Countersues Ex-Producer, Alleges Fraudulent Contract
Kane Brown has responded to a breach of contract lawsuit from a former producer by filing a counterclaim that alleges their original contract was fraudulent.
The 25-year-old singer struck back at his former producer, Polow da Don — whose real name is Jamal Jones — a month after Jones filed suit against Brown, accusing the singer of breaching a contract they signed in 2015. Jones claimed to have "discovered" Brown before any label would accept him, and he produced three songs on Brown. One of those songs, "Used to Love You Sober," went on to help launch Brown's now multi-platinum career, and Jones' suit claims that Brown and his team reached out to Sony and signed a deal that excluded him after he held the exclusive rights to Brown's services and was trying to get him signed to Epic Records.
Nashville's Tennessean newspaper reports that in a counterclaim filed on Monday (March 18), Brown claims that Jones “is unsatisfied with the millions of dollars in royalties, revenue and income he has made off of Kane Brown’s hard work" and says the producer "fraudulently induced Mr. Brown into signing a lopsided recording agreement in 2015 and repeatedly misled Mr. Brown and others to protect it."
In the 51-page filing, attorneys for Brown allege that the original agreement between the producer — whose other credits include Usher, Rihanna, Pitbull and Nicki Minaj — is fraudulent because the producer and his company, Zone 4, significantly misrepresented their ability to further Brown's career. Due to an agreement with Epic Records that they did not disclose, Brown alleges, they had limited means of negotiating on Brown's behalf with any other label.
"Mr. Brown would not have entered the 2015 agreement with Zone 4 had he known that Zone 4 was contractually prohibited by operation of the Secret 2013 Epic/Sony Deal from shopping his recording to any record labels other than Epic/Sony," the counter-complaint states.
Brown's filing also claims that Jones and Zone 4 signed a different agreement with Brown’s current label in 2016 that nullified any other claims he may have over the 2015 deal. Brown is asking the court to dismiss Jones' lawsuit and return to Brown "any and all revenue" that derived from the 2015 deal and his work with Jones.
Brown's representatives declined to comment on the counterclaim when contacted by the Tennessean. Jones and Zone 4's lawyers did not respond to a request to comment on the matter.
The Nastiest Lawsuits in the History of Country Music:
Source: Kane Brown Countersues Ex-Producer, Alleges Fraudulent Contract
Filed Under: Kane Brown
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← True and clear messaging is vital for adolescents. A 1994 study found that three of four boys who think they are homosexual as teenagers even out their sexual desires by the time they are adults. Of children who think they’re the opposite sex, 80 to 95 percent come to accept themselves as they are. These numbers clearly show that the lost can find their way home. But our churches are not even leaving the porch light on, and some get stuck in the wilderness, in a misery they may never have approached if they had heard a few of the right words at the right time from the pulpit. If your priest is negligent in this regard, print this post and share it with him.
Barnhardt Satanists Manifesting: Antipope Bergoglio Carries a Stang – the Ritual Staff of Witchcraft As I have said and written before, one of satan’s most clever moves has been to foment, encourage and push mentally ill and demonically oppressed people to LOUDLY broadcast insane, ridiculous, totally false “conspiracy theories”. We all know the types and categories. Mind control beams, “chem trails”, shape shifting lizards, underground civilizations, flat earthers, the list goes on and on and on. What this has done is make it almost impossible to point out, discuss, and warn about ACTUAL sinister goings-on and actual, honest-to-goodness conspiracies that are very real. We all know that the word “Freemasonry” in the U.S. is automatically lumped into the above category, even though in Europe Freemasonry is largely understood to be the extremely powerful and influential socio-political entity that it is, and many Europeans further understand that the core of Freemasonry is the desire to exterminate the Catholic Church and replace it with the one-world secular humanist political religion of Freemasonry. Trying to warn about such things as the musloid political system gets one lumped in with “conspiracy theorists”, as does trying to warn about the massive infiltration, influence, power and agenda of the sodomite cabal, both in the secular realms of politics and entertainment, AND in terms of the infiltration of the Institutional Church. Perhaps the most difficult actual conspiracy to discuss without being dismissed out of hand is the actual cult worship of satan. But, it is real, and it is manifesting before our eyes, so someone has to call these things out knowing full well that to do so means that 99.9999% of the populace will instantly call one a “crazy fool”. That’s fine. If fitting in to this culture constitutes sanity, then please God, let me never be sane. Antipope Bergoglio carrying a Stang. Note the prominent iron nail, and the human form at the base of the fork. Textbook Stang. It is a MORAL CERTAINTY that the stick that Antipope Bergoglio tried to pass off as a ferula yesterday in the Mass opening the Sin-nod on Sodomy is a “STANG”. Antipope Bergoglio said is was a “gift” from “young people” who SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED that he use it in the opening Mass of the Sodo-synod. That story right there by itself is DAMN PECULIAR. A Stang is a witch/warlock’s ceremonial staff. It is always forked, and always has an iron nail driven through it. Ideally it has a human form carved or integrated into it somehow. The Stang signifies several things, the first being a satan himself. Read the quote below from a witchcraft blog: “Gary describes the Stang as primarily a symbolic tool rather than a working one, and as such it stands in for the Devil himself, holding his power and his dual nature. The Devil and the Stang is often less about strict duality and more about the transgressing of boundaries, The Devil being a spirit I often think of as non-binary and difficult to define in terms of absolutes.” Almost like a… “god of surprises?” Sounds familiar, eh? Like every Casa Santa Marta sermon, and every airplane presser? Yeah. That’s mild compared to this quote from the same article: “The witch is bound to no dogma. This makes them a threat to a Christianity established on doctrine. The witch insists everything in creation has its place. The Church insisted on two contrary substances God and The Devil. The witch strives for synthesis.” Nicholaj De Mattos Frisvold- Craft of The Untamed. G.W.F. Hegel, please dial “666” on a white courtesy telephone…. Let us revisit the quote of the Canadian faggot priest Tom Rosica, who is, once again, the English language press spokesman for this Sodo-synod from just a few weeks ago: “Pope Francis (sic) breaks Catholic traditions whenever he wants because he is “free from disordered attachments.” Our Church has indeed entered a new phase: with the advent of this first Jesuit pope (sic), it is openly ruled by an individual rather than by the authority of Scripture alone or even its own dictates of tradition plus Scripture. “ -Fr. Tom Rosica, Vatican press spokesman Anyway, the iron nail in the Stang symbolizes multiple things, including a phallus/coitus, a mocking of the Crucifixion of Our Lord, and is the triple motif of the threefold serpentine, telluric and cainic “powers”. The “serpentine” meaning is obvious – the devil himself, in the garden, “gifting” Adam and Eve with the “liberating” and “enlightening” words, “No, you shall not die the death. For God doth know that in what day soever you shall eat thereof, your eyes shall be opened: and you shall be as Gods, knowing good and evil.“ The word “telluric” refers to earthly power, whose source and symbol is “the serpent”, “deep in the earth”. The third motif symbolized by the iron nail in the Stang is the Cainic “powers”. Now, hold on to your hats. Here’s the opening from the Wiki article on “Cainism”, and remember folks, we are talking about Cain, whose sacrifice God rejected and he thus murdered his brother Abel because as St. John teaches, “Cain slew Abel because his works were evil, while those of his brother were just (1 John 3:12), and we read in Hebrews that “by faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain” (Hebrews 11:4).” —— The oldest source is to be found in Irenaeus, adv. Haer. i. 31. Cain and Abel He tells us that the Cainites regarded Cain as derived from the higher principle. They claimed fellowship with Esau, Korah, the men of Sodom, and all such people, and regarded themselves as on that account persecuted by the Creator. But they escaped injury from Him, for Sophia used to carry away from them to herself that which belonged to her. —— One thing I learned in researching the actual cult worship of satan once I learned about and confirmed that the Vatican is the nexus of satanism in the world today, is the fact that satanists are commanded, at some point once they have sufficient power, to openly MANIFEST their satanism. If the Bergoglian antipapacy doesn’t constitute “having sufficient power”, then I don’t know what would. I am morally certain that Antipope Bergoglio’s carrying of a Stang with the iron nail so prominently positioned, into the opening of a farce synod whose entire agenda is the ratification of sodomy, is a clear case of manifestation of satanism. And if that makes me a conspiracy theorist, so be it. Some conspiracies are real. St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O prince of the Heavely Host, by the power of God, cast into hell satan and all evil spirits who prowl throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen. Links: “How To Use A Stang” Wikipedia article on Cainism (must read) “The Stang and the Devil At the Crossroads” This entry was posted in Uncategorized on October 4, ARSH 2018 by Ann Barnhardt. →
A “woman’s right” to kill her unborn child is unquestioned, like a religious belief. Following the patterns of Aztecs and Incas and other pagans, ancient and modern, practitioners of this religion are willing to sacrifice human children to obtain a great gift – for them, the gift of sex without the threat of parental obligations. It’s doubtful that even adamant feminists would be willing to die for these beliefs – since such a belief by definition prioritizes their own lives over their unborn children. But quasi-religious beliefs do not always demand a willingness to die rather than renounce them. Ethical and unethical beliefs often display a “slippery slope” syndrome. If you believe it is perfectly all right to destroy a human being in utero, it may seem quite easy to believe you can destroy the reputation of another human being (Brett Kavanaugh) for the sake of the cause.
Another Phase in the Cultural Proxy War
Howard Kainz
The current claims and counterclaims about what Judge Brett Kavanaugh did or did not do more than thirty years ago should – in theory – have been weighed on the merits (and out of the public eye unless further corroboration emerged). But it’s difficult not to see the controversy, which is now impossible to resolve after so much time, as a proxy war over something else. Whether Judge Kavanaugh is confirmed – today or at some point in the future – that proxy war is not coming to an end, but only entering a new phase.
Abortion is not just a particular issue on which the present candidate for Supreme Court Justice has been examined; it is the crucial issue. Republicans and Democrats disagree, sometimes sharply, on many things – global warming, immigration, religious freedom, gay marriage, capital punishment, health care, contraception, entitlement spending, gun rights, etc. But the defining “red line” is abortion.
The Democratic Party, in its platform and practices, has become the party of abortion. A valiant group, Democrats for Life America (DFLA), has been fighting to include pro-life provisions in the Democratic platform and claims that one-third of Democrats are pro-life. DFLA refused to endorse Barak Obama in 2008; there are only a handful of Democratic candidates that they have been able to endorse.
A Democratic president like Barak Obama would never appoint or nominate a candidate for an important position who was openly pro-life, as was clearly demonstrated in the State, Education, and Justice Departments, Homeland Security, etc. during Obama’s presidency. The “deep state” is not open-minded.
Republicans vary. They are not universally pro-life but typically support pro-life candidates. Some Republicans are primarily interested in economics, national security, limited government, or other issues; but being “pro-life” does not automatically disqualify a candidate in the minds of most Republicans.
Consider: Brett Kavanaugh might have shown some sympathy for issues connected with Republicans in his Congressional hearings – gun rights, limiting paths to citizenship for illegal immigrants, discontinuing elements of Obamacare, etc. – and still have gained support from some Democrats, as well as Republicans. But if he had even suggested that he would favor overturning Roe v. Wade, it would have killed his candidacy, even for Republicans such as Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
Essentially, the right to abortion is a right to kill a human being during gestation. Some Democratic “pro-choicers” might personally refuse to exercise their “license to kill.” But they consistently preach that fetuses are just a “mass of tissue” and women have the right to control their own bodies.
Photo: Sipa/AP
Such homicides, therefore, have to be sanitized by being assigned to professional medical hit men (or women). But a “woman’s right” is unquestioned, like a religious belief. Following the patterns of Aztecs and Incas and other pagans, ancient and modern, practitioners of this religion would be willing to sacrifice human children to obtain a great gift – for them, the gift of sex without the threat of parental obligations.
It’s doubtful that even adamant feminists would be willing to die for these beliefs – since such a belief by definition prioritizes their own lives over their unborn children. But quasi-religious beliefs do not always demand a willingness to die rather than renounce them.
Ethical and unethical beliefs often display a “slippery slope” syndrome. If you believe it is perfectly all right to destroy a human being in utero, it may seem quite easy to believe you can destroy the reputation of another human being for the sake of the cause. If you can lie to yourself that a human fetus is “just a mass of tissue,” it’s not too great a stretch to lie to others to maintain the falsehood.
If you really believe that a fifth conservative on the Supreme Court could destroy forever the “abortion right” that has been bestowed on millions of women by a few liberal members of the Court in the past, then you may feel duty-bound to keep a potential Justice out of such a position by any means possible.
The present situation seems to exemplify such garbled ethics.
To review: Christine Ford, a California psychology professor active in the Trump Resistance movement, sent a letter to the senior Democratic senator in California, Dianne Feinstein, alleging attempted rape in high school by candidate Kavanaugh. She requested anonymity, but her message was leaked to the media and cast a cloud over the largely successful (though interrupted by angry and boisterous activists) Congressional hearing on Kavanaugh’s candidacy.
Professor Ford’s lawyer, Debra Katz, noted for defending Democrats Bill Clinton and Al Franken when they were accused of sexual crimes, came to Professor Ford’s defense, along with other lawyers and interested parties. Senate Democrats, all except two of whom have pledged never to support Kavanaugh’s candidacy anyway, pushed for a renewed “he-said, she-said” hearing, in which both the accuser and the accused presented credible testimonies. Kavanaugh, being accused of an indictable felony, understandably became more emotional than in his earlier Senate hearing.
Other even less credible accusations of sexual crimes and even gang-rape began to surface, preventing Republican senators from making a final decision until an FBI investigation could be conducted, interviewing alleged witnesses (several of whom had already sworn under conditions of perjury, that they know nothing of the alleged crimes).
We are now at the end of FBI investigations – at least it appears so – but as many anticipated, they have only been able to show that no one has corroborated Professor Ford’s charges. Such uncorroborated accusations, recklessly released to the public, seem to have done nothing more than further poison our politics and inflame our national passions.
Judge Kavanaugh seems likely to be confirmed by the Senate. As of this writing, his nomination was sent forward, 51-49, with a final vote scheduled for sometime today. Yet the Democratic Party and supporters of “abortion rights” will not take defeat lightly. This is the beginning, not the end, of yet another battle in the cultural civil war that has already been brewing for some time – and will not end any time soon.© 2018 The Catholic Thing. All rights reserved. For reprint rights, write to: info@frinstitute.orgThe Catholic Thing is a forum for intelligent Catholic commentary. Opinions expressed by writers are solely their own.
Howard Kainz, Emeritus Professor at Marquette University, is the author of twenty-five books on German philosophy, ethics, political philosophy, and religion, and over a hundred articles in scholarly journals, print magazines, online magazines, and op-eds. He was a recipient of an NEH fellowship for 1977-8, and Fulbright fellowships in Germany for 1980-1 and 1987-8. His website is at Marquette University.
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Swearing on the Bible, Nino Ricci’s Testament
Published: March 15, 20035:52 pm Updated: March 31, 20193:59 pm
Author Marisa De Franceschi
It was the ending, the final pages of Nino Ricci’s Testament (Doubleday, 2002; $25.00) that gripped me most, even though I knew the ending before cracking the book’s spine. Testament is Ricci’s fictional account of the life of Jesus as seen from the perspective of four people who knew him: Yihuda of Qiryat (Judas), Miryam of Migdal (Mary Magdalen), Miryam, his mother Mary, and Simon of Gergesa, the shepherd who recounts the actual crucifixion.
As in his previous works, Ricci’s exquisite prose draws the reader into the events of the story he is telling. He is, as always, precise and acute with language. Reading the final pages of Testament was like witnessing a holy day procession taken to the extreme. One cannot help but flinch reading: “… and then his arms were stretched out along the cross beam with a soldier holding each and the spikes were nailed in at the wrists. The first blow was the one that got a scream but it was also the easiest, since it was only flesh to pass through. Then there were just the grunts of swallowed pain and the thump of the nails sinking into the wood.”
Ricci has divided his version of the story into four “books” recalling the four Gospels. Stylistically, he weaves together the events of the story from four points of view so that we are always left wondering and questioning what is true and factual on the one hand, and what has been embellished, exaggerated, misinterpreted or misunderstood. Each of the four storytellers, for instance, talks about the many “miracles” attributed to Jesus, such as raising Lazarus from the dead. But as we look at the story from the various points of view, we begin to understand that appearances are not always what they seem, and stories are usually and naturally transformed by the telling and the teller. (The recounting of the Lazarus story is reminiscent of Ricci’s treatment of an apparent death in his novel In A Glass House. In that case, it was Rita’s dog who was wrongly presumed dead.) This technique makes the reader question and doubt every story ever heard, not just the Bible stories retold here. The contradiction of the teachings of Christianity is one of the ironies the reader must deal with. By analogy, we are being asked to examine the status quo, perhaps as Jesus himself did.
This novel will challenge the establishment, perhaps in ways Jesus did in his day. Here was a man who dared question tradition, who accepted women for who they were, and who saw beyond the grotesquely diseased and disfigured bodies of the lepers. For the authorities of the day, he did everything he wasn’t supposed to do. Ricci seems to have done the same, and will no doubt be castigated by some for invoking the reader to examine events and accounts critically.
There are recurring themes in Testament which some readers will find comforting; others will find them sacrilegious or disturbing. In Ricci’s version, the unique nature of the central character is not attributable to his being the Son of God; he is simply an extraordinary person with unexplainable powers.
Another recurring theme in Testament is marginality. Ricci’s character is more marginalized than the “conventional” Jesus in that he is the bastard son of Mary. According to this story, Mary was violated by a Roman after Mary’s father unwittingly put her in harm’s way. Marginality, therefore, is critical to this Jesus, not only because he takes up the cause of all those considered outcasts such as the sick and the poor, but also because of his own condition. This Jesus is both human and humane, and perhaps this was Ricci’s point in making him a bastard.
Slightly more in accordance with convention is Ricci’s presentation of his Jesus as a door to a state of unparalleled justice and peace where people are judged by their internal qualities and not by the particular circumstances of their external appearance or position. Time and again, we read of this man who seems to be beckoning people to enter this new world. Judas sums up his story by saying: “But there was in Yeshua that quality that made one feel there was something, still some bit of hope, some secret he might reveal that would help make the world over. Tell me your secret, I had wanted to say to him, tell me, make me new. And even now, though I had left him, I often saw him beckoning before me as towards a doorway he would have had me pass through, from darkness to light.”
Mary, his mother, too, describes it this way after meeting Miryam of Migdal as they both wait for news of Jesus who has been arrested: “… when she spoke of my son the wonder I heard in her voice was not so different from what I myself had felt, that sense of a doorway Yeshua stood before, to some new understanding. Except that she had passed through it, and saw things in a different light, and who was I to say that the miracle she had witnessed had not occurred, for those who have eyes to see it.” This, perhaps, is what Ricci is asking us to do.
Testament is explosive in every sense. The shattering of the conventional story will be controversial, but Ricci would be well aware of that. Testament, however, must be judged as a work of fiction and Ricci, the novelist, has every right to spin his story his way. He is not swearing on a stack of testaments, that this is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. He is just telling the story his way.
Marisa De Franceschi’s most recent collection of short stories is titled Family Matters (Guernica, 2001). She makes her home in Windsor, Ontario.
First published in Accenti Magazine, Issue 1.
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Published: January 12, 20041:10 am Updated: March 28, 20191:12 am
Author Len Gasparini
After September 11, 2001
Author Elettra Bedon
Queen of the Majorettes
Published: September 1, 20141:56 pm Updated: March 26, 20191:34 am
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People of Québec... Then and Now
Explore the great and small history of Québec from New France to today, accompanied by a guide-interpreter.
People of Québec… Then and Now, de 2019-05-29 11:00:00 à 2019-05-29 12:00:00
The tour presents the history of Québec. Accompanied by a guide-interpreter, the visitor traverses 4 great periods of history that impacted its development:
New France
The British Colonial Regime
The 19th and 20th centuries until 1960
The contemporary period from the Quiet Revolution to the present
This permanent exhibition situates the great founding moments of today's Québec. It is an interpretive synthesis of over four hundred years of history, full of meaning for today's citizens. People of Québec…Then and Now is the story of men and women, who through their aspirations, projects and achievements, created an original society and identity in North America. The exhibition unfolds chronologically and is divided into four "blocks of time", each immersing the visitor into a different era with the help of objects and artifacts, geographical maps and audiovisual documents
The films were directed by filmmaker Benoît Pilon as part of a co-production involving Musée de la civilisation and the National Film Board of Canada.
Planning a group visit?
Information or reservation : mcq.org/groupes or 418 692-1151. Group rates
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Lisboa Region
Pena Palace
Pena Palace & Park Skip-the-Line Entrance Ticket
4.2 / 5 2088 Reviews
The Palace of Pena stands atop a rocky peak, which is the second highest point in the Sintra hills (the only place higher than the palace itself is the Cruz Alta, 528 metres above sea level).
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Visit the wonderful Pena Palace
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The palace is situated in the eastern part of the Park of Pena, which one has to pass through to reach the steep ramp built by the Baron of Eschwege that provides access to the castle-like building. The palace itself is composed of two wings: the former Manueline monastery of the Order of St. Jerome and the wing built in the 19th century by King Ferdinand II. These wings are ringed by a third architectural structure that is a fantastical version of an imaginary castle, whose walls one can walk around and which comprises battlements, watchtowers, an entrance tunnel and even a drawbridge.
In 1838, King Ferdinand II acquired the former Hieronymite monastery of Our Lady of Pena, which was built by King Manuel I in 1511 on the top of the hill above Sintra and had been left unoccupied since 1834 when the religious orders were suppressed in Portugal. The monastery consisted of the cloister and its outbuildings, the chapel, the sacristy and the bell tower, which today form the northern section of the Palace of Pena, or the Old Palace as it is known. King Ferdinand began by making repairs to the former monastery, which, according to the historical sources of that time, was in very bad condition. He refurbished the whole of the upper floor, replacing the fourteen cells used by the monks with larger-sized rooms and covering them with the vaulted ceilings that can still be seen today. In roughly 1843, the king decided to enlarge the palace by building a new wing (the New Palace) with even larger rooms (the Great Hall is a good example of this), ending in a circular tower next to the new kitchens. The building work was directed by the Baron of Eschwege.
The 1994 repair works restored the original colors of the Palace’s exterior: pink for the former monastery and ochre for the New Palace. In transforming a former monastery into a castle-like residence, King Ferdinand showed that he was heavily influenced by German romanticism, and that he probably found his inspiration in the Stolzenfels and Rheinstein castles on the banks of the Rhine, as well as Babelsberg Palace in Potsdam. These building works at the Palace of Pena ended in the mid-1860s, although further work was also undertaken at later dates for the decoration of the interiors. King Ferdinand also ordered the Park of Pena to be planted in the Palace’s surrounding areas in the style of the romantic gardens of that time, with winding paths, pavilions and stone benches placed at different points along its routes, as well as trees and other plants originating from the four corners of the earth. In this way, the king took advantage of the mild and damp climate of the Sintra hills to create an entirely new and exotic park with over five hundred different species of trees. The Palace of Pena was designated a National Monument in 1910 and forms part of the Cultural Landscape of Sintra, which has been classified by UNESCO as World Heritage since 1995.
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Estrada da Pena, 2710-609 Sintra, Portugal. Please skip the line and go directly to the entrance gate.
• Pena Palace is located in Sintra, which is located about 30 kilometers from Lisbon – you can reach Sintra easily by taking the train from Lisbon
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• This ticket allows you to skip the line to the ticket office but not the direct entrance to the palace
• Tickets are valid until 31st October 2019
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Horowitz Law > Legal News Blog > Clergy Abuse > Fr. Robert J. Brague – Diocese of Scranton
Fr. Robert J. Brague – Diocese of Scranton
Leave of Absence: 1979, 1988
Transfer to Diocese of Venice (Florida): 1990
Died: 1997
Assigned as follows:
St. Ann (Tobyhanna, PA)
St. Peter (Wellsboro, PA)
Ss. Peter and Paul (Towanda, PA)
St. Maria Goretti (Laflin, PA)
Pocono Central Catholic High School (Cresco, PA)
St. John the Evangelist High SChool (PIttston, PA)
Holy Cross (Palmetto, FL)
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Fr. Robert Brague:
In 1979, less than 10 years after he was ordained, Brague took a leave of absence from ministry in the Diocese of Scranton because he had serious doubts about his desire to continue in ministry as a Catholic priest. He returned to work in June 1980.
According to media reports, the Diocese of Scranton received information that Fr. Robert Brague was sexually abusing a girl from his parish. Brague later testified in a civil lawsuit against the Diocese of Scranton. He admitted that when she was 17 years old, in 1987, he initiated a sexual relationship with her. He originally denied the allegations when confronted by the Bishop of Scranton, and the abuse continued. Four months later, she became pregnant and he was forced to admit that he had sexually abused her. He was put on a second leave of absence in September 1988.
The Diocese first became aware of the situation when the girl’s sister wrote to then-Bishop James Timlin to outline the situation. He responded by saying that both Brague and his victim were to blame for the situation, not the Diocese, and that he expected that “certainly Fr. Brague will take care of his obligations.”
The child was born in April 1989. When he turned 6, the Diocese of Scranton arranged for him to be admitted, on full scholarship, to a Catholic grammar school.
Brague moved to Florida in 1990, where he continued to work as a priest. The victim’s lawsuit was settled in 1995, but his faculties were never restricted except that he was forbidden to work in the Diocese of Scranton again. Other than that, the Bishop of Scranton highly recommended Brague for work in the Diocese of Venice, Florida, in 1989.
Brague died in 1997. He was residing in the Naples, Florida, area at the time and continued to work as a priest in the Diocese of Venice (Florida) until his death.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Scranton. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Pennsylvania, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Scranton now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Contact us at (954) 641-2100 or adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com today.
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Herman Frank Discusses His New Solo Album & His Career With Accept
Andrew Catania January 30, 2019 5 Comments AcceptHerman Frank
By Andrew Catania
Introducing Heavy Metal veteran HERMAN FRANK to the crowd is just meaningless like carrying coals to Newcastle. The guitarist has been an integral part of the German metal scene since the early 80s. From ACCEPT to VICTORY to his solo project started in 2009 and his work as a producer, the Hanoverian has proved a recipe for uncompromising Heavy Metal.
With the first three albums “Loyal To None“, “Right In The Guts” and “The Devils Ride Out“, Frank and his comrades-in-arms are causing storms of enthusiasm in both the press and the fans. And the fourth album “Fight The Fear”, cast in the same mold, will not change that. The Heavy Metal veteran and his men bring to proof, that the former solo project is much more than a mere one-man show of the name giver.
Together with MASTERPLAN front vocalist Rick Altzi, guitarist Heiko Schröder, former RAGE drummer André Hilgers and JADED HEART bassist Michael Müller, the musicians show that this is the perfect teamwork for a close-knit band. With razor-sharp riffs, sublime, hell for leather solos, consistently delivered high-class vocals between melody and heaviness, and a rhythm section, that drives every single song forward like a clockwork, HERMAN FRANK presents a flawless metal album, without even a single second of boredom. The opener “Until The End” goes like a train and sets the pace, “Terror” is a top-notch stomper, whose sinister groove fits perfectly with the lyric´s mood, “Hail Row” takes a breather, shortly afterward it gathers speed and no prisoners are taken, until the ballad “Lost In Heaven” is enough to make a stone cry. “We’ve never had this kind of band structure before,” Herman enthuses. “Each of us plays an active part in our collaboration, and the result is a fantastic and highly constructive approach to our work.” In particular when it comes to the group’s lyrics, Frank has always believed in his proven dictum: “I feel that the vocalist should contribute the lyrics because at the end of the day he’s the one who has to get them across to the audience and fill them with life. That’s the way I’ve been working with Rick since ‘Right In The Guts’ and the result speaks for itself.” Altzi sums up the lyric´s sense: “It wasn’t my intention to make any political statement on this album but my frustration concerning where we are in the world today somehow led me to write lyrics about that. How do we adapt to the threat and the fear of violence?
Mankind seems to have a short memory keeps on doing the same mistakes over and over again. How we in modern time still let’s religion dictate and form the decisions made by people and governments? “With a slight grin, Rick adds, “but I only wrote eight out of fourteen lyrics, so there’s enough room for love songs and pure rock’n roll.”
I spoke with Herman and we spoke about the new album and ACCEPT.
How is the reception of the new album coming?
HF: I think everybody loves it. I am really excited. I am overwhelmed from the critic’s reaction to the album.
Did you do anything differently with this album vers others?
HF: Yes, I used six-strings. (Laughing) No, just to be honest, it’s the same procedure every time, every second. This time I recorded the drums in a proper studio, recorded the rest in my studio, went over to Sweden, to Rick’s house, and recorded the bulk of it over there. What’s different is I used a sound engineer to mix it.
Did you produce it? Who does the lyrics and music?
HF: I always produce my own albums. I let Rick write the lyrics. I give Rick a couple of hook lines, a couple of phrases for the verses, and we go from there
What inspires you to start a song? Is it a certain riff?
HF: It’s certainly been my practice sitting and fiddling around with the guitar, and then, if you get lucky, once in a while, there’s a riff coming up or a melody that you can record on an iPhone, or a tape recorder, or something, and then the funny part starts, you have to go to the studio and unleash this idea. Then you start writing and, the tricky part, you have to come up the energy to write the final song. I mean you choose this verse and then maybe this one, once it’s going easier, and you got it. But a couple of them, you just throw them in the garbage.
What brand of guitars are you using?
HF: It’s a Duesenberg. they’re hand made here in Germany. I’ve got two models and I used both on this album. I just use these two guitars. Maybe because I don’t have a deal right now. (chuckling)
Are you ever going to consider touring the States, or is it just too expensive to come over here?
HF: (Chuckling) That’s the thing, you know? it’s not just in the neighborhood. It’s getting tougher and tougher to go on tour in the proper way. I think we are at least, doing a couple of shows in Europe and we start in the middle of April. I don’t think that we will make it to the States. It’s too far away and it costs too much. I mean if the album’s doing well, I would love to come back to the States.
When you did your album in 2009, and then you came back to Accept, and then you left again and resumed your solo career, was it just creative differences with the other band members?
HF: it was just time to leave the band. Let’s put it this way, I wanted to do music the way I started to. I wanted to have my own band. I wanted my own music and just wanted to just play my own leads. Not to follow somebody’s guitar. I was getting too old for it. It’s fine to be a backup, but after a couple of years It’s time for a different thing,
When they brought Mark on board, how was that different from Udo?
HF: Mark is a really nice guy and really promising. It’s kind of a different voice and Mark really doubles Udo in his personal way. I prefer the style of Udo’s singing. He is original Accept. There is this voice sticking in your head. On the new songs, which Mark sings for the first time in Accept, it’s a different character, but it’s very good. You can’t compare them really. They are a match for certain things, but they are quite different people.
I do like them both. I couldn’t have the decision which one I would prefer.
It would have been great if they would put a couple of albums with Udo and Mark together. That would be awesome.
For more information on Herman Frank please visit:
https://www.facebook.com/hermanfrankband/
To purchase Fight the Fear which comes out on 2/8/19 please visit:
https://shop.afm-records.de/de/herman-frank/
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87th INFANTRY DIVISION - Golden Acorn
Activated 12 Dec 42 • Entered Combat 13 Dec 44 • Days of Combat 134 • Casualties 6,034
Maj. Gen. Percy W. Clarkson (Dec 42 - Oct 43)
Maj. Gen. Eugene M. Landrum (Oct 43 - Apr 44)
Maj. Gen. Frank L. Culin, Jr. (Apr 44 - inactivation)
Rhineland (15 Sep 44 - 21 Mar 45)
Ardennes-Alsace (16 Dec 44 - 25 Jan 45)
Campaign Route Map of the 87th Infantry Division
This vintage map chart the journey of the 87th Infantry Division throughout World War II. The map can be zoomed in and purchased at HistoryShots.com.
The 87th Infantry Division arrived in Scotland, 22 October 1944, and trained in England, 23 October-30 November. It landed in France, 1-3 December, and moved to Metz, where, on the 8th, it went into action against and took Fort Driant. The Division then shifted to the vicinity of Gross Rederching near the SaarGerman border on the 10th of December and captured Rimling, Obergailbach, and Guiderkirch in short order. The 87th was moving into Germany when Von Rundstedt launched his offensive in the Ardennes. The Division was placed in SHAEF reserve, 24-28 December, then thrown into the Bulge battle in Belgium, 29 December. In a fluctuating battle, it captured Moircy on the 30th and Remagne on the 31st. On 2 January 1945, it took Germont, on the 10th Tillet, and reached the Ourthe by the 13th. On 15 January 1945, the Division moved to Luxembourg to relieve the 4th Division along the Sauer and seized Wasserbillig on the 23d. The 87th moved to the vicinity of St. Vith, 28 January, and attacked and captured Schlierbach, Selz, and Hogden by the end of the month. After the fall of Neuendorf, 9 February, the Division went on the defensive until the 26th, when Ormont and Hallschlag were taken in night attacks. The 87th crossed the Kyll River, 6 March, took Dollendorf on the 8th, and after a brief rest, returned to combat, 13 March 1945, crossing the Moselle on the 16th and clearing Koblenz, 18-19 March. The Division crossed the Rhine, 25-26 March, despite strong opposition, consolidated its bridgehead, and secured Grossenlinden and Langgons. On 7 April, it jumped off in an attack which carried it through Thuringia into Saxony. Plauen fell, 17 April, and the Division took up defensive positions, 20 April May, about 4 miles from the Czech border. On 6 May 1945, it took Falkenstein and maintained its positions until VE-day.
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Non-Executive Directors
Knowledge Transfer Network Ltd (KTN)
Expenses will be paid, but otherwise these positions are unpaid.
Non Executive Director
Not-For-Profit, Public Services
The Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) is a not-for-profit company funded by Innovate UK (part of UK Research and Innovation), Government departments and industry. It brings together businesses, entrepreneurs, academics and funders to develop new products, processes and services. Our aim is to help innovative businesses succeed and through this grow the economy and improve people’s lives.
We are now looking to appoint two Non-Executive Directors to our Company Board. Applicants must have a career record of achievement, and:
• A strong interest in and understanding of innovation, together with broad knowledge of the UK innovation landscape;
• An ability to bring independent and impartial judgment to bear on the operation of a not-for-profit SME, operating at a national level;
• Insights into the opportunities from and approaches to the integration of innovation activities across sectors and technologies;
• Experience of formulating high level strategic input, for example into Government consultations or sector strategies on innovation needs and priorities;
• Experience of engagement with R&D-active businesses, academics and public institutions.
We are particularly keen to add to the Board individuals with strong experience of one of:
• The creative economy, including design;
• Business development for not-for-profits;
• Communications, especially government relations;
• Knowledge transfer in the context of international development.
Appointments will be initially for a three-year term and are likely to involve commitments of between five and ten days per year. Expenses will be reimbursed, but otherwise these positions are unpaid.
Expressions of interest along with concise CVs should be sent, by closing date of Monday, 6th May to: jean.aligorgi@ktn-uk.org.
Selected candidates will be invited to interview by a subset of existing KTN Directors.
Additional information can be found at http://www.ktn-uk.co.uk/jobs
KTN is committed to building a diverse organisation and therefore strongly encourages applications from underrepresented groups.
Non Executive Director Public Services Per Annum jobs in London (Greater)
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ageofempires.wikia.com » Norse
googlesearch.wikia.com » Google Chrome
men.wikia.com » Jimi Hendrix
rock.wikia.com » Glenn Branca
rock.wikia.com » Jimi Hendrix
rock.wikia.com » Mazzy Star
commons.wikimedia.org » User:Martinwm
<a href="http://archive.today/RyZbm"> <img style="width:300px;height:200px;background-color:white" src="https://archive.is/RyZbm/469a9a871f26a18aaf9396b59fad0f3a2d5a45bd/scr.png"><br> Aarhus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia<br> archived 18 Apr 2015 22:15:44 UTC </a>
{{cite web | title = Aarhus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia | url = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aarhus | date = 2015-04-18 | archiveurl = http://archive.today/RyZbm | archivedate = 2015-04-18 }}
This article is about the city in Denmark. For the convention on public participation, see Aarhus Convention. For the meteorite, see Aarhus (meteorite).
From top and left to right: Aarhus skyline, Aarhus City Hall, Isbjerget, Christmas in Aarhus
Location in Denmark
Coordinates: 56°09′N 10°13′E / 56.150°N 10.217°E / 56.150; 10.217
Central Denmark (Midtjylland)
First mention
City Status
• Type
Jacob Bundsgaard (S)
Area[1]
91 km2 (35 sq mi)
• Municipal
468 km2 (181 sq mi)
Highest elevation
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population (2014)[2]
• Urban density
• Municipal density
698/km2 (1,810/sq mi)
Aarhusianer
(+45) 8
Aarhus or Århus (Danish pronunciation: [ˈɒːhuːˀs] ( listen)) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula, in the geographical centre of Denmark, 187 kilometres (116 mi) northwest of Copenhagen and 289 kilometres (180 mi) north of Hamburg. It has 261 570 inhabitants (1 January 2015) in the inner urban area and a municipal population of 326,676. Eurostat calculates 845,971 inhabitants in the larger urban zone.
The history of Aarhus began as a fortified Viking settlement founded in the 8th century with the first written records stemming from the bishopric seated there from at least 948. The city was founded on the northern shores of a fjord at a natural coastal harbour and the primary driver of growth was for centuries seaborne trade in agricultural products. Market town privileges were granted in 1441, but growth stagnated in the 17th century as the city suffered blockades and bombardments during the Swedish Wars. In the 19th century it was occupied twice by German troops during the Schleswig Wars but avoided destruction. As the industrial revolution took hold, the city grew to become the second-largest in the country by the 20th century.
Today Aarhus is at the cultural and economic core of the region and the largest centre for trade, services and industry in Jutland. The city is the 92 largest in the European Union,[3] It is also a top 100 conference city in the World.[4] It is the principal industrial port of the country in terms of container handling and an important trade hub in Kattegat. Major Danish companies have based their headquarters here and people commute for work and leisure from a wide area in Region Midtjylland. It is a centre for research and education in the Nordic Countries and home to Aarhus University, Scandinavia's largest university, including Aarhus University Hospital and INCUBA Science Park. Being the youngest city in the country, with students making up 13% of the population, Aarhus is also one of the fastest growing with an average growth of 4,000 people per annum since 2010. The city is a central part of the East Jutland metropolitan area, the second largest area of population (1.26 million people) and economic growth in Denmark.
Aarhus is notable for its musical history. In the 1950s many jazz clubs sprang up around the city, fuelled by the young population. By the 1960s, the music scene diversified into rock and other genres. In the 1970s and 1980s, Aarhus became the centre for Denmark's rock music fostering many iconic bands such as TV-2 and Gnags. Aarhus is home to the annual eight-day Aarhus International Jazz Festival, the SPoT Festival and the Northside Festival.
1.1 Aarhus/Århus spelling
2.1 Early history
2.2 Middle Ages – 18th century
2.4.1 Second World War
2.4.2 Post-war period
2.5 21st century
3.1 Surrounding areas
3.2 Topography
3.3 Climate
4 Politics and administration
4.1 Districts and boroughs
4.2 Environmental planning
5.1 International communities
6.1 Port of Aarhus
6.2 Tourism
6.3 Research parks
7 Cityscape
7.1 Landmarks
8.1 Museums
8.2 Performing arts
8.3 Events and festivals
8.4 Recreation and parks
8.5 Cuisine
9 Sports
11 Infrastructure
11.1 Transport
11.2 Healthcare
13 Twin towns—Sister cities
14 Notable people
The city was mentioned for the first time in 948 by Adam of Bremen who reported that Reginbrand, bishop of the church of Aarhus, participated in a church meeting in the city of Ingelheim in Germany.[5] In Valdemar's Census Book (1231) the city was called Arus, and in Icelandic it was known as Aros, later written as Aars.[6] It is a compound of the two words ār, genitive of ā ("river", Modern Danish å), and ōss ("mouth", in Modern Icelandic this word is still used for "river delta").[7] The name originates from the city's location around the mouth of Aarhus Å (Aarhus River).[8][9] The spelling "Aarhus" is first found in 1406 and gradually became the norm in the 17th century.[6]
Aarhus/Århus spelling[edit]
With the Danish spelling reform of 1948, "Aa" was changed to "Å". Some Danish cities resisted the new spelling of their names, notably Aalborg and Aabenraa. Århus city council explicitly embraced the new spelling, as it was thought to enhance an image of progressiveness.[10] In 2010, the city council voted to change the name from "Århus" to "Aarhus" in order to strengthen the international profile of the city. The renaming came into effect on 1 January 2011.
Certain geographically affiliated names have been updated to reflect the name of the city, such as the Aarhus River, changed from "Århus Å" to "Aarhus Å".[8] It is still grammatically correct to write geographical names with the letter Å and local councils are allowed to use the Aa spelling as an alternative. Whichever spelling local authorities choose most newspapers and public institutions will accept it. Some official authorities such as the Danish Language Committee, publisher of the Danish Orthographic Dictionary, still retain "Århus" as the main name, providing "Aarhus" as a new, second option, in brackets.[11]
Early history[edit]
The Viking Age town (North is left).
Reconstruction of an early church at Moesgaard Museum.
Founded in the early Viking Age, Aarhus is one of the oldest cities in Denmark, along with Ribe and Hedeby.[12]
Recent archaeological finds under the Aros settlement's old defences indicate the site was a town as early as the last quarter of the 8th century, considerably earlier than had been generally supposed.[13][14] This was discovered after an archaeological dig in 2003, which unearthed half buried longhouses, firepits, glass pearls and a road; all dated to the late 700s.[15] Archaeologists have conducted several excavations in the inner city since the 1960s and some of them have revealed wells, streets and more houses, used both as homes and workshops for the Vikings. In the houses and adjoining archaeological layers, everyday utensils like combs, jewellery and basic multi-purpose tools from approximately the year 900 have been found.[16] Some of them are on display at the Viking Museum.[17]
The centre of Aarhus was once a pagan burial site until Aarhus' first church, Holy Trinity Church, a timber structure, was built upon it during the reign of Frode, King of Jutland, around 900.[18] In the 900s an earth rampart for the defence of the early city was also constructed, encircling the settlement, much like the defence structures found at ring fortresses elsewhere. The rampart was reinforced later on by Harald Bluetooth, and together with the town's geographical placement, this suggests that Aros was an important trade and military center. There are strong indications of a former royal residence from the Viking Age in Viby, a few kilometres south of the Aarhus city centre.[19]
The bishopric of Aarhus dates back to at least 948, when written sources mention the bishop of Reginbrand attending the synod of Ingelheim in Germany.[20] The bishopric and the town's geographical location propelled prosperous growth and development of the early medieval town.[21] The finding of six runestones in and around Aarhus indicates the city had some significance around the year 1000, as only wealthy nobles traditionally used them.[22] The era was also turbulent and violent though, with several naval attacks on the city, like Harald Hardradas assault around 1050, when the Holy Trinity Church was burned to the ground.[13][23]
Middle Ages – 18th century[edit]
Aarhus Cathedral (1300s).
From the end of the 12th century, the streets of the old town were developed at the initiative of Peder Vognsen, who was bishop of Aarhus from 1192 until his death in 1204. Vognsen also began work on the cathedral which was completed in 1300. As a bishopric, Aarhus became a prosperous religious centre in the Middle Ages. The Church initiated several buildings in and around the city and international contacts secured good trading opportunities especially with Germany and Norway.[21] The oldest existing charter granting market town privileges dates from 1441, although the town no doubt enjoyed similar privileges even before it became a bishopric. Despite the status of Aarhus, farming produce from the surrounding area was exported unlawfully from neighbouring ports. It was only in the 16th century that the city's merchants finally gained control. The defensive earth ramparts were dismantled around 1477 and the town grew steadily, the population rising to about 4,000 by 1620.[24][25]
Aarhus, 1768
In 1657 octroi was imposed on agricultural products in larger Danish cities, effectively creating a toll barrier between rural and urban areas. To prevent smuggling and enforce the tax it became necessary to erect wooden walls around the city. City gates and toll booths were constructed on the major thoroughfares, Mejlgade and Studsgade. Up to the 19th century the gates were occasionally moved outwards as the city expanded with Mejlgade receiving its last gate in 1812. The city gates funnelled most traffic through just a few streets which were increasingly used by traders. As a result, large merchants' quarters were created at the ends of the streets.[26]
In the 17th century, although Aarhus was still a large city with many rich merchants, its growth came to a standstill as a result of the Swedish wars and competition from Copenhagen.[25] It was only in the middle of the 18th century that it once again began to prosper with trading conditions improving as a result of agriculture in the surrounding area. Grain in particular proved to be a remunerative export. Factories were established in the town and expansion of the harbour began around 1810.[27]
View of Aarhus, 1850
Denmark supported France during the Napoleonic wars (1803–1815) and was subsequently excluded from international trade for some years. The loss of Norway in 1814 further caused a large drop in grain exports. Combined these factors resulted in an economic recession that temporarily stunted the growth of the city. However, from the 1830s, economic conditions started to improve and trade rebounded. Factories with steam-driven machinery gradually became more productive as the industrial revolution took hold and regular steamship links with Copenhagen began in 1830.
In 1838, the electoral laws were reformed leading to elections for the 15 seats on the city council. The rules were initially very strict allowing only the wealthiest citizens to run. In 1844 only 174 citizens qualified out of a total population of more than 7,000.[28] The newly formed city council, mainly composed of wealthy merchants and industrialists, quickly looked to improve the harbour which up to this point had been situated along the mouth of the Aarhus River. Larger ships and growing freight volumes made a river harbour increasingly impractical. In 1840, this led to the construction of the new industrial harbour on the coast, north of the river. Over the next 15 years, it became the largest industrial harbour outside Copenhagen. From the outset, the new harbour was controlled by the city council, as it is to this day.[29]
Prussian soldiers herding cattle by Aarhus cathedral, 1864
During the First Schleswig War in 1849 Aarhus was occupied by German troops from 21 June to 24 July. The city was spared any fighting but in Vejlby north of the city a cavalry skirmish known as "Rytterfægtningen" took place which stopped the German advance through Jutland.[30] The war and occupation left a notable impact on the city as many streets, particularly in Frederiksbjerg, are named after officers commanding the Danish forces at the time. Fifteen years later during the Second Schleswig War the city was again occupied, from 28 April 1864 to 20 November.[31][32]
Toldkammeret (Custom House, 1898)
Despite wars and occupation the city continued to develop. In 1851 the octroi was abolished and the walls that had been surrounding the city were removed providing easier access for trade.[29] In 1862 Jutland's first railway was established from Aarhus to Randers. While Aarhus became an important railway hub, the harbour provided a sound basis for seafaring and commerce, initiating significant industrial growth in the city in the second half of the 19th century. It expanded rapidly, soon becoming Denmark's largest provincial city. The population increased drastically from some 15,000 in 1870 to around 52,000 in 1901. In an effort to compensate, the city annexed large land areas and developed quarters like Trøjborg, Frederiksbjerg and Marselisborg.[33]
Throughout the second half of the century new industries were established, many of which would leave prominent iconic marks on the inner city. The Ceres Brewery was established in 1856 and served as Aarhus' local brewery for more than 150 years, gradually expanding into what became known as Ceres-grunden (lit.: the Ceres-grounds).[34][35][36] In 1896 local farmers and businessmen joined forces to create KFK (Korn- og Foderstof Kompagniet), focussing on grain and feedstuffs. KFK soon established departments all over the country, while its headquarters remained at the Aarhus harbour with the large grain silos which still stand today.[37][38][39]
During the 20th century Aarhus became an industrial city and commercial port. The harbour underwent a series of expansions and culturally, the city marketed itself as the "Capital of Jutland" expanding many of its cultural institutions like the national library, universities such as Aarhus University, which was established in 1928, the Aarhus Theatre and hospitals. Aarhus continued to grow and by the middle of the century it was still the most important business centre in Jutland. For east and central Jutland, it was also the top financial, educational and cultural centre. While industry continued to grow, the service sector started to develop too. Important new factories included the dockyard of Flydedokken and the oil mill of Århus Oliefabrik.
Second World War[edit]
Liberation celebrations, 1945
On 9 April 1940, German troops invaded Denmark and occupied the city, establishing their headquarters in the university and from 1943 the Gestapo based their headquarters for Jutland there as well. In the later years of the war Aarhus became an important transport hub for seaborne supplies to Norway. On 4 July 1944, a freight barge loaded with ammunition exploded in the harbour, killing 33 people and causing significant destruction to the harbour area.[40]
Resistance fighters under fire, Bispetorv, 1945
In 1944 the resistance movement in Jutland encouraged the Allies to conduct an air raid against the German headquarters in Aarhus to destroy files and obstruct operations.[41] On 31 October the Aarhus Air Raid saw a "daring, low-level precision bombing attack" on the Gestapo headquarters in Aarhus by 25 Mosquitoes from the Number 140 Wing of the RAF Second Tactical Air Force. Resistance leader Pastor Harald Sandbaek was being held captive there at the time. The bombs dropped in the centre of the former University of Aarhus building, killing an estimated 150–200 Gestapo members and some 30 Danes while destroying German files on the Danish resistance.[42][43]
Several Schalburgtage operations took place between August 1944 and May 1945, when the occupation ended. The largest occurred on the night of 22 February 1945 when a series of explosions in central Aarhus destroyed or damaged a number of buildings, including Aarhus Teater. Other such operations included two attempts at destroying Aarhus City Hall, recently completed in 1941.
The surrender of German forces officially came into effect on 5 May 1945 but in Aarhus fighting broke out shortly before midday between resistance fighters and a small German force that refused surrender. The fighting claimed the lives of both resistance fighters and civilians but by the end of the day order was restored and on 8 May British forces entered the city, officially liberating it.[44]
Post-war period[edit]
Trams in Aarhus, 1969
In the mid-1970s, the population was decreasing but by the 1980s, it was once again on the rise. The service sector prospered, overtaking trade, industry and crafts as the leading sector of employment. Aarhus became Denmark's second major centre of research and education, although the electronics and metallurgy sectors also continued to expand. Workers gradually began commuting to the city from most of east and central Jutland and the region became more interconnected throughout the years.
In 1971 the tram system that had operated since 1884 was closed down and the city instead opted to focus on and expand bus services run by the municipal bus company.[45] With the trams gone new possibilities opened up on the former tram routes and by 1972 the rails and asphalt had been removed from Strøget and the first major pedestrian-only walkway in the city was inaugurated. Over time it was further expanded to include Ryesgade and it evolved into the busiest commercial street in the country by the turn of the century.[46]
From 1980 onwards the city experienced constant growth especially in the student population that had tripled between 1965 and 1977 and continued to grow.[47] The late 20th century became a period of creativity for the city; international brands such as Gaffa and the KaosPilot school were founded in 1983 and 1991 respectively. The period also became a renaissance for music in Aarhus with many popular bands such as TV2, Gnags, Thomas Helmig, Bamses Venner and Shit & Chanel making their debut.[48][49]
21st century[edit]
Accelerating growth since the early 2000s brought the city to roughly 260,000 inhabitants by 2014. The rapid growth is expected to continue until at least 2030 when Aarhus municipality has set an ambitious target for 375,000 inhabitants, 220,000 jobs, 200,000 homes and 60,000 students.[50]
Developments in the Docklands
The growth in population is accompanied by a number of large-scale construction projects in and around Aarhus. The heart of the city is experiencing a significant change of both the skyline and land use, as many old industrial sites are being redeveloped. Most importantly, starting in 2007, the former docklands are being converted to a new mixed residential, commercial and recreational area dubbed "Aarhus Ø" (Aarhus Docklands) to accommodate 7,000 new residents and 12,000 jobs.[51] When Royal Unibrew closed the Ceres breweries in central Aarhus in 2008, a large site opened up, which is now being developed into "CeresByen", home to 1,100 people, schools and businesses[52] with construction initiated in 2012. The former DSB train repair facilities at the square of Frederiks Plads close to the railway station, have been demolished and the area is now under development as a small business district with high-rise buildings scheduled for completion in 2017.[53][54] The main bus terminal is planned to be moved to the central train station by 2018 and the current site will be made into a new residential district.[55][56]
Construction of the first light rail system in the city commenced in 2013, with the first increment to be finished in 2017.[57] The light rail system is planned to eventually tie many of the suburbs closer to central Aarhus. The next phase will connect a large planned suburb west of Lisbjerg.[58][59]
Aarhus is located on the Bay of Aarhus on the eastern shore of the Jutland peninsula, by road 38.5 kilometres (23.9 mi) south of Randers, 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Horsens and 44 kilometres (27 mi) east of Silkeborg.[60] Aarhus lies south of the peninsula of Djursland and faces the Kattegat to the east with the peninsulas of Mols and Helgenæs across the bay to the north and east.
Surrounding areas[edit]
Favrskov Municipality Syddjurs Municipality Mols
Silkeborg Helgenæs
Skanderborg Odder Municipality Samsø
Topography[edit]
Egådalen. A broad and flat valley, marking the northern limits of Aarhus
The bay has a depth of 10 m (33 ft) quite close to the shore, providing a natural harbour. The early settlement was placed on the northern shores of a fjord, that stretched far inland.[25] The fjord no longer exists, having been replaced by the Aarhus River and Brabrand Lake a few kilometres west of the city. The land around Aarhus was once covered by forests, remains of which exist as Marselisborg Forest to the south[61] and Riis Skov to the north.[62] Several larger lakes extend west from the Skanderborg railway junction and rise to heights exceeding 152 metres (499 ft) at Himmelbjerget.[63]
The hilly area around Aarhus consists of a moranial plateau from the last ice age, broken by a complex system of tunnel valleys. The most prominent valleys of this network are the Aarhus Valley in the south, stretching inland east-west with the Aarhus River, Brabrand Lake and Tåstrup Sø (Tåstrup Lake) and the Egå Valley to the north, with the stream of Egåen, Kasted Mose (Kasted Bog) and Geding Sø (Geding Lake). Much of the two valleys has been drained and subsequently farmed, but recently some of the drainage was removed for environmental reasons. The valley system also includes the Lyngbygård Å (Lyngbygård River) in the west and valleys to the south of the city, following erosion channels from the pre-quaternary. By contrast, the Aarhus River Valley and the Giber River Valley are late glacial meltwater valleys. The coastal cliffs along the Bay of Aarhus consist of shallow tertiary clay from the Eocene and Oligocene (57 to 24 million years ago).[64][65][66][67]
Climate[edit]
Cityscape in summer
Cityscape in winter
Aarhus is in the humid continental climate zone (Köppen: Dfb) [68] and the weather is influenced by low-pressure systems from the Atlantic which result in unstable conditions throughout the year. Temperature varies a great deal across the seasons with a mild spring in April and May, warmer summer months from June to August, frequently rainy and windy autumn months in October and September and cooler winter months, often with snow and frost, from December to March. The city centre experiences the same climactic effects as other larger cities with higher wind speeds, more fog, less precipitation and higher temperatures than the surrounding, open land.
Western winds from the Atlantic and North Sea dominate across the country resulting in more precipitation in the west. In addition Jutland rises sufficiently in the centre to lift air to higher, colder altitudes further attributing to increased precipitation. Combined these factors make east and south Jutland comparatively wetter than other parts of the country.[69] Average temperature over the year is 8.43 °C (47 °F) with February being the coldest month (0.1 °C) and August the warmest (15.9 °C). Temperatures in the sea can reach 17 to 22 degrees Celsius in June to August, but it is not uncommon for beaches to register 25 degrees Celsius locally.[70][71]
The geography in the area affects the local climate of the city with the Aarhus Bay imposing a temperate effect on the low-laying valley floor where central Aarhus is located. Brabrand Lake to the west further contributes to this effect and as a result the valley has a very mild, temperate climate. The sandy ground on the valley floor dries up quickly after winter and warms faster in the summer than the surrounding hills of moist-retaining boulder clay. These conditions effect crops and plants that often bloom 1–2 weeks earlier in the valley than on the northern and southern hillsides.[72]
Because of the northern latitude, the number of daylight hours varies considerably between summer and winter. On the summer solstice, the sun rises at 04:26 and sets at 21:58, providing 17 hours 32 minutes of daylight. On the winter solstice, it rises at 08:37 and sets at 15:39 with 7 hours and 1 minute of daylight. The difference in the length of days and nights between the summer and winter solstices is 10 hours and 31 minutes.[73]
[show]Climate data for East Jutland (1961–1990)
(27.1) −2.8
(27) −0.9
Average precipitation mm (inches)
(2.68) 722
Avg. rainy days (≥ 1mm)
11 8 10 9 9 9 10 10 11 11 13 12 123
Mean monthly sunshine hours
41 68 112 164 208 212 194 190 130 86 59 43 1,506
Source: Danmarks Meteorologiske Institut
Politics and administration[edit]
Aarhus City Hall
Aarhus is the seat of Aarhus Municipality. Until the 2007 Danish Municipal Reform, which replaced the Danish counties with five regions, it was also the seat of Aarhus County, which has now been disbanded in favour of Central Denmark Region (Region Midtjylland) seated in Viborg.[74]
The city council consists of 31 members elected for four-year terms. Anybody eligible to vote and residing in Aarhus municipality can run for a seat on the city council. After elections, the council elects a mayor, two deputy mayors and five aldermen.[75] The city is divided into six minor administrative bodies which together constitute the magistrate led by the mayor and the five aldermen as political and administrative directors. It is the only Danish city with a magistrate structure.[76] The six departments of the city are the "Mayor's Department", "Social Affairs and Employment", "Technical Services and Environment", "Health and Care", "Culture and Citizens Services" and "Children and Young People" and handle all the day-to-day operations of the city.[77]
The first publicly elected mayor was appointed in 1919. Since then all the city's mayors have been members of the Social Democrats, except for Louise Gade elected in 2002 who was also the first female mayor. The gender composition of the council has been steadily rising in favour of women through the years and currently 14 of 31 members are women.[78]
The Mayor of Aarhus until 2015 is Jacob Bundsgaard of the Social Democrats.[79]
Party political make-up of Aarhus Council[80]
Current Council (2013–17)
A Social Democrats 15 13 11 13 14 13
V Venstre 6 7 11 11 5 6
Ø Red–Green Alliance 1 1 1 1 1 3
B Socialist People's Party 4 4 3 2 5 2
C Conservative People's Party 3 3 2 1 3 2
B Danish Social Liberal Party 1 1 2 2 1 2
O Danish People's Party 2 1 1 2 2
I Liberal Alliance 1
Districts and boroughs[edit]
Aarhus municipality
Aarhus has four electoral districts and is divided into four deaneries, under the much larger diocese of Aarhus.[81]
The city is divided into many districts on different levels with several distinct neighbourhoods. The major districts entirely or partially inside the second city beltway Ring 2 include Indre By, Christiansbjerg, Hasle, and Åbyhøj. Districts further out are Højbjerg, Viby. Brabrand, Risskov and Skejby. Larger administrative districts are Aarhus C, Aarhus N and Aarhus V which each encompass many of the smaller districts. Smaller neighbourhoods are Indre By, Trøjborg, Frederiksbjerg, Vesterbro and Aarhus Ø within the district of Midtbyen. Midtbyen is a part of Aarhus C together with Marselisborg, Langenæs and the university campus. Katrinebjerg resides within the district of Christiansbjerg and Møllevangen within Hasle.
Suburbs in the municipality include Åby, Egå, Gellerup, Hasselager, Holme, Kolt, Rosenhøj, Skåde, Skæring, Skejby, Slet, Stavtrup, Tilst, Tranbjerg and Vejlby.[60]
Environmental planning[edit]
Main article: Energy in Denmark
Aarhus has increasingly been investing in environmental planning. The city council has identified a number of environmental targets for the coming years within energy efficiency and aquatic environment. The targets are designed to provide the guidelines for green growth in the city.[82][83] In accordance with national policy, Aarhus aims to be CO2 neutral and independent of fossil fuels for heating by 2030.[84] These goals have materialized in a plan to increase multiple-source heat production and the waste and district heating service AffaldVarme Aarhus is building a combined heat and power plant running on biofuels.[85]
Aarhus has been heavily involved with several large-scale water treatment projects on many levels in the last two decades and more will follow in the future.[86][87][88] The initiatives are part of a larger and broader action plan for Aarhus Municipality, that aims for a coherent and holistic administration of the water cycle. This should protect against or clean up previous pollution and encourage green growth and self-sufficiency. One of the main tasks is to deal with the large quantities of excessive nutrients in and around Aarhus, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus. A second task is to tackle the increasing levels of precipitation brought about by current and future climate change, and a third important task is to secure fresh, clean and safe drinking water for the future.[89]
Recent afforestation in True Skov
Aarhus Municipality and the city council have attacked the challenges from different angles in a constructive collaboration with private partners. Many new underground rainwater basins have been built across the city in recent years. The two lakes of Årslev Engsø and Egå Engsø were created in 2003 and 2006 respectively. Large expanses of forest have been planted in vulnerable land areas in order to secure drinking water and avoid groundwater pollution from pesticides and other sources.[90] Since 1988, the New Forests of Aarhus have been developed to assist in binding CO2, securing drinking water, protecting groundwater from pollution, dealing with excessive nutrients, increasing biodiversity, creating an attractive countryside, providing easy access to nature and offering outdoor activities to the public. The afforestation plans were realized as a local project in collaboration with private land owners, under a larger national agenda, and there are new afforestation objectives to double the forest cover in Aarhus Municipality, before the year 2030.[91]
Population of Aarhus 1672–2014[92]
Aarhus has a population of 259.754 on 91 km2 (35 sq mi) with a density of 2,854/km2 (7,390/sq mi).[93] Aarhus municipality has a population of 323,893 om 468 km2 with a density of 681/km2 (1,760/sq mi). With some 500,000 people in the neighbouring municipalities comprising the region of East Jutland, the larger urban zone of Aarhus has 845,971 inhabitants.[94] Less than a fifth of the municipal population resides beyond city limits and almost all live in an urban area.[95]
Aarhusians relaxing by the river
The population of Aarhus is both younger and better-educated than the national average which can be attributed to the high concentration of educational institutions.[96] More than 40% of the population have an academic degree while only some 14% have no secondary education or trade.[97] The largest age group consists of 20-29 year-olds and the average age is 37.5, making it the youngest city in the country and one of its youngest municipalities.[98][99] Since early 2014 the inner city has also experienced an influx of middle-aged residents, mainly attracted by the cultural institutions, shopping and the many cafés.[100] Women have slightly outnumbered men for many years.[98]
Reported religious affiliation in Aarhus[101]
% of Pop.
Church of Denmark 233,603 72.12%
No affiliation 74,190 22.91%
Other Christian 7,400 2.28%
Islamic denominations 6,000 1.85%
Hinduism 1,400 0.43%
Other religion 700 0.22%
Buddhism 600 0.19%
The job market in Aarhus is knowledge and service based and the largest employment sectors are healthcare and social services, trade, education, consulting, research, industry and telecommunications.[102] The municipality has more high and middle income jobs, and fewer low income jobs, than the national average.[102]
The city is home to 75 different religious groups and denominations most of which are Christian or Muslim with a smaller number of Buddhist and Hindu communities. Since the 1990s there has been a marked growth in diverse new spiritual groups although the total number of followers remains small.[101] The majority of the population are members of the Protestant state church, Church of Denmark, which is by far the largest religious institution both in the city and the country as a whole. Some 20% of the population are not officially affiliated with any religion, a percentage that has been slowly rising for many years.[103][104]
International communities[edit]
Main immigrant groups, 2014[105]
Lebanon 4,845
Somalia 4,307
Turkey 4,341
Iraq 3,584
Vietnam 2,551
Iran 2,403
Poland 2,183
Afghanistan 1,832
Romania 1,661
Being a comparatively large Danish city, Aarhus has received a fair share of immigrants from various cultures. Some 14.8% of the population have immigrated from other countries, making it the region with the highest percentage of immigrants in Denmark, outside the Copenhagen area.[106] During the 1990s there was significant immigration from Turkey in particular and in recent years, there has been high growth in the overall immigrant community, from 27,783 people in 1999 to 40,431 in 2008.[107] The majority of immigrants have roots outside Europe and the developed world, comprising some 25,000 people from 130 different nationalities with the largest groups coming from the Middle East and north Africa. Some 15,000 have come from within Europe, with Poland, Germany, Romania and Norway being the largest contributors.[108]
Many immigrants have established themselves in Brabrand, Hasle and Viby, where the percentage of inhabitants with foreign origins has risen by 66% since the year 2000. This has resulted in several 'especially vulnerable residential areas' (a.k.a. ghettos), with Gellerup as the most notable neighbourhood. In Brabrand and Gellerup, two thirds of the population now have a non-Danish ethnic background.[109] The international cultures present in the community are an obvious and visible part of the city's daily life and contribute many cultural flavours hitherto uncommon for the Nordic countries, including Bazar Vest, a market with shopkeepers predominantly of foreign descent.[110]
Economy[edit]
Aarhus city centre in 2013
The economy of Aarhus is predominantly knowledge and service based, strongly influenced by the University of Aarhus and the large healthcare industry. The service sector dominates the economy and is growing as the city is transitioning away from manufacturing. Trade and transportation remain important sectors benefitting from the large port and central position on the rail network. Manufacturing has been in slow but steady decline since the 1960s while agriculture long has been a marginal employer within the municipality.[111] The municipality is home to 175,000 jobs with some 100,000 in the private sector and the rest split between state, region and municipality.[102]
Composition of the labor market - 2002
Silos from 1927 known as the "Five Sisters"
The region is a major agricultural producer, with many large farms in the outlying districts.[112] Trade and grain exports were an early driver of growth from the 15th century, and later in the 18th century, large industries emerged around the industrial production and refinement of agricultural products, especially oil and butter. Otto Mønsted created the Danish Preserved Butter Company in 1874, focussing on butter export to England, China and Africa and later founded the Aarhus Butterine Company in 1883, the first Danish margarine factory.[113] The industry became an important employer, with factory employees increasing from 100 in 1896 to 1,000 in 1931, effectively transforming the city from a regional trade hub into an industrial centre.[114]
Today the majority of the largest companies in the municipality are in the sectors of trade, transport and media.[115] The wind power industry has strong roots in Aarhus, and the larger region of Midtjylland, and nationally most of the revenue in the industry is generated by companies in the greater Aarhus area. The wind industry employs about a 1,000 people within the municipality making it a central component in the local economy.[116] The biotech industry is well established in the city with many small and medium-sized companies mainly focused on research and development.[117]
The city has become a leading centre for retail in the Nordic and Baltic countries with expansive shopping centres and a dense urban core with many shops.[118] Many commute to Aarhus from as far away as Randers, Silkeborg and Skanderborg and almost a third of those employed within Aarhus municipality commute from neighbouring communities.[119][120][121]
Several major companies have their headquarters in Aarhus such as Arla Foods, one of the largest dairy groups in Europe, Dansk Supermarked, Denmark's largest retailer, Jysk, a world-wide retailer specializing in household goods, bedding, furniture and interior design, Vestas, one of the major wind turbine producers worldwide, and several leading retail companies.[7][122] In total four of the 10 largest companies in the country are based in the municipality. Since the early 2000s the city has experienced an influx of larger companies moving from other parts of the Jutland peninsula.[123][124] Other large employers of note include Krifa (a trades union organisation) and 5R, a telemarketing company, while metallurgy and electronics remain important sectors.[7][125]
Port of Aarhus[edit]
Eleonora Maersk in the Port of Aarhus
The Port of Aarhus is one of the largest industrial ports in Northern Europe with the largest container terminal in Denmark, processing more than 50% of Denmark's container traffic and accommodating the largest container vessels in the world.[126][127] It is a municipal self-governing port with independent finances. The facilities handle some 9.5 million tonnes of cargo a year (2012). Grain is the principal export, while feedstuffs, stone, cement and coal are among the chief imports.[128] Since 2012 the port has faced increasing competition from Port of Hamburg and freight volumes has decreased some from the peak in 2008.[127]
The ferry terminal presents the only alternative to the Great Belt Link for passenger transport between Jutland and Zealand. It has served different ferry companies since the first steamship route to Copenhagen opened in 1830. Currently Mols-Linien operates the route and annually transports some 2 million passengers and a million vehicles. Additional roll-on/roll-off cargo ferries serve Finland and Kalundborg on a weekly basis and smaller outlying Danish ports on irregular intervals. Since the early 2000s the port has increasingly become a destination for cruise lines operating in the Baltic Sea.[129]
Tourism[edit]
The ARoS Art Museum, the Old Town Museum and Tivoli Friheden are among Denmark's top tourist attractions.[130] With a combined total of almost 1.4 million visitors they represent the driving force behind tourism but other venues such as Moesgård Museum and Kvindemuseet are also popular. The city's extensive shopping facilities are also said to be a major attraction for tourists, as are festivals, especially NorthSide and SPOT.[131][132] Many visitors arrive on cruise ships: in 2012, 18 vessels visited the port with over 38,000 passengers.[133]
The Costa Pacifica in the harbor.
In the 2010s there has been a significant expansion of tourist facilities, culminating in the opening of the 240-room Comwell Hotel in July 2014, which increased the number of hotel rooms in the city by 25%. Some estimates put the number of visitors spending at least one night as high as 750,000 a year, most of them Danes from other regions, the remainder coming mainly from Norway, Sweden, northern Germany and the United Kingdom. Overall, they spend about DKK 3 billion ($540 million) in the city each year.[134] The primary motivation for tourists choosing Aarhus as a destination is experiencing the city and culture, family and couples vacation or as a part of a roundtrip in Denmark. The average stay is little more than three days on average.[134]
There are more than 30 tourist information spots across the city, some of them staffed, while others are on-line, publicly accessible touch screens. The official tourist information service in Aarhus is organized under VisitAaarhus, a corporate foundation initiated in 1994 by Aarhus Municipality and local commercial interest organizations.[135][136][137]
Research parks[edit]
IT City Katrinebjerg.
Over the past ten years, Aarhus has been one of Denmark's most rapidly developing centres of research in information technology, energy, media, life sciences, food, architecture and design.[138][139] Enterprises in the Information and communications technology (ICT) sphere work in collaboration with the city's research institutes. In 2007 the three largest research parks of Forskerpark Aarhus (Science Park Aarhus), Forskerpark Skejby (Science Park - Skejby) and IT-Huset Katrinebjerg, merged to form INCUBA Science Park. Forskerpark Skejby, which works in the field of biomedical research, and the Katrinebjerg department - focussing on ICT - has since been expanded and in 2014 the new department of INCUBA Navitas opened on the Aarhus Docklands.[140]
One of the major research companies is Systematic A/S, working in the public sector, healthcare and defence.[141] The IT City Katrinebjerg, fosters collaboration between research, education and industry through the university branches of Department of Computer Science, Department of Aesthetics and Communication and Alexandra Institutet.[142] In the clean energy sector, Aarhus is home to leading participants including Vestas, AVK, Amplex and Kamstrup.[143] The new Navitas Park at the docklands, is a new information and innovation park bringing together players in the energy, environment and building sectors.[138][144] The centre is sponsored by Aarhus University School of Engineering, Aarhus School of Marine and Technical Engineering (AAMS) and INCUBA.[145][146]
Cityscape[edit]
Panoramic view of the Aarhus skyline seen from the top of ARoS.
Aarhus has developed in stages, from the Viking age to modern times, all visible in the city today. Many architectural styles are represented in different parts of the city such as Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, National Romantic, Nordic classicism, Neoclassical, Empire and Functionalism.[147] The city has grown up around the main transport hubs, the harbour and later the railway station. As a result, the oldest parts of the city are also the most central and busiest today.
Marselisborg Palace
The streets Volden (lit Rampart) and Graven (lit. Moat) testify to the defences of the initial Viking settlement and Allégaderingen in Midtbyen roughly follows the boundaries of that settlement. The street network in the inner city formed during the Middle Ages with narrow, curved streets and low, dense housing by the river and coast. Vesterport (lit. Western Gate) still bears the name of a medieval city gate and the narrow alleyways Posthussmøgen and Telefonsmøgen are remnants of toll stations from that time.[148] The inner city has the oldest preserved houses, especially the Latin Quarter, with buildings dating back to the early 17th century in Mejlgade and Skolegade.[25] Medieval merchants' mansions with courtyards can be seen in Klostergade, Studsgade and Skolegade.
Landmarks[edit]
The cathedral school was founded in 1195 and ranks as the 44th oldest school in the world.[149] Aarhus Cathedral (Århus Domkirke) is the longest cathedral in Denmark at 93 m (305 ft), originally built as a Romanesque basilica in the 13th century and rebuilt and enlarged as a Gothic cathedral in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.[150] The Church of our Lady (Vor Frue Kirke) from the 13th century in Romanesque and Gothic style was the first cathedral in Aarhus and includes the oldest stone church in Scandinavia from 1060.[151][152][153][154] Langelandsgade Kaserne from 1889 is the oldest complete military barracks left in the country. The military vacated the buildings in 1989 with the end of the Cold War to be replaced by the university Department of Aesthetics and Communication. [155] [156] [157] Marselisborg Palace (Marselisborg Slot), designed by Hack Kampmann in Neoclassical and Art Nouveau styles, was donated by the city to Prince Christian and Princess Alexandrine as a wedding present in 1898.[158][159] The Aarhus Custom House (Toldkammeret) from 1898, is said to be Hack Kampmann's finest work.[160]
Bispetorv in the historic centre
Tivoli Friheden (lit. Tivoli Freedom) opened in 1903 and has since been the amusement park of the city. Aarhus Theatre from 1916 in the Art Nouveau style is the largest provincial theatre in Denmark.[161][162] The early buildings of Aarhus University, especially the main building completed in 1932, designed by Kay Fisker, Povl Stegmann and by C.F. Møller have gained an international reputation for their contribution to functionalist architecture.[163] The City Hall (Aarhus Rådhus) from 1941 with an iconic 60 m (200 ft) tower clad in marble, was designed by Arne Jacobsen and Erik Møller in a modern Functionalist style.
Culture[edit]
Selected as European Capital of Culture in 2017, Aarhus prides itself on offering a combination of innovation, media and communication together with architecture and design, and has a wide variety of cultural institutions.[164] The city has the youngest population in the country, hosts many annual cultural events and festivals, museums and theatres and presents some of the largest attractions in Denmark. There is a long tradition in music, with many popular bands having had their beginnings in Aarhus. The city is a member of the ICORN organization (International Cities of Refugee Network) in an effort to provide a safe haven to authors and writers persecuted in their countries of origin.[165][166] The State and University Library (Statsbiblioteket) has the status of a national library.[167]
Museums[edit]
The Old Town Museum
Aarhus has many museums and two of the largest in the country measured by the number of visitors, Den Gamle By and ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum. Den Gamle By (The Old Town), officially Danmarks Købstadmuseum (Denmark's Market Town Museum), presents life in market towns from the 16th century to the present with individual areas focused on different periods from the 16th century to the 20th century. Some 75 historic buildings from different periods and parts of Denmark have been brought here to form a small town in its own right.[168][169]
ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum
ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, the city's main art museum is one of the largest art museums in Scandinavia with a collection covering Danish art from the 18th century to the present day as well as paintings and sculptures by international artists. The iconic glass structure on the roof, Your Rainbow Panorama, was designed by Olafur Eliasson and features a promenade offering a colourful panorama of the city.[170][171]
The Moesgård Museum specializes in archaeology and ethnography in collaboration with Aarhus University with exhibits on Denmark's prehistory, including weapon sacrifices from Illerup Ådal and the Grauballe Man.[172] Kvindemuseet, the Women's Museum, from 1984 contains collections of the lives and works of women in Danish cultural history.[173] the Besættelsesmuseum (Occupation Museum) presents exhibits illustrating the German occupation of the city during the Second World War;[174] the University Park on the campus of Aarhus University includes the Naturhistorisk Museum (Natural History Museum) with over 5,000 species of animals, many in their natural surroundings;[175] and the Steno Museum is a museum of the history of science and medicine with a planetarium.[176] Kunsthal Aarhus (Aarhus Art Hall) hosts exhibitions of contemporary art including painting, sculpture, photography, performance art, film and video.[177]
Performing arts[edit]
Aarhus Theatre
The concert halls of Musikhuset
The city enjoys strong musical traditions, both classical and modern, with educational and performance institutions such as the concert halls of Musikhuset, the opera of Den Jyske Opera, Aarhus Symfoniorkester (Aarhus Symphony Orchestra) and Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium (Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg). Musikhuset is the largest concert hall in Scandinavia, with seating for 3,000 people. Other major music venues include VoxHall, rebuilt in 1999, the recently opened Atlas, and Godsbanen, a former railway station.[178][179]
Since the 1970s, the city has seen major developments on the rock scene, with the arrival of many acclaimed bands such as Kliché, Under Byen, Gnags, TV-2, Michael Learns to Rock, Nephew, Carpark North, Spleen United, VETO, Hatesphere and Illdisposed in addition to popular individual performers like Thomas Helmig, Anne Linnet and Medina. Since 2010 the music production centre of PROMUS (Produktionscentret for Rytmisk Musik) has supported the rock scene in the city along with the publicly funded ROSA (Dansk Rock Samråd), which promotes Danish rock music in general.[180]
The acting scene in Aarhus is diverse, with many groups and venues including Aarhus Teater, Svalegangen, EntréScenen, Katapult, Gruppe 38, Godsbanen, Helsingør Teater, Det Andet Teater[181] and Teater Refleksion as well as several dance venues like Bora Bora and Granhøj Dans.[182][183] The city hosts a biannual international theatre festival, International Living Theatre, the next event being scheduled for May 2015.[184] The former goods station of Aarhus Godsbanegård has recently been thoroughly renovated and expanded with a new building. Now known as Godsbanen, it functions as a cultural centre, and offers numerous workshops for the artist community and local citizens.[178]
Events and festivals[edit]
The city hosts many annual or recurring festivals, concerts and other events. NorthSide Festival founded in 2010 has grown from a one-day event to a three-day festival in three years and had 25,000 visitors in 2014.[185][186] The eight-day Aarhus International Jazz Festival founded in 1988 features jazz in venues across the city.[187] The wide-ranging Aarhus Festuge, the largest multicultural festival in Scandinavia always based on a special theme, takes place every year from late August to early September.[188][189] The Spot festival is an annual music festival that aims to showcase up-and-coming Danish and Scandinavian talent. The Grøn Koncert music festival is an annual festival, run by a support organisation for muscular dystrophy sufferers, that takes place every year in many Danish cities. Danmarks grimmeste festival (lit. Denmark's ugliest Festival) is a small music festival held each summer in Skjoldhøjkilen, Brabrand. Sculpture by the Sea is an annual outdoor month-long art exhibition on the beaches of Aarhus.
The city actively promotes its visible gay and lesbian community and holds the annual Aarhus Pride gay pride festival.[190] The Aarhus Festuge festival usually includes several exhibits, concerts or events specifically designed for these communities. There are several clubs, discos and cafés aimed at gays and lesbians, including Danish D-lite (sports), G bar (disco) or Gaia Vandreklub (hiking club).
Recreation and parks[edit]
Cherry trees in Mindeparken
Aarhus has an unusually high number of parks, 134 of them, covering a total area of around 550 ha (1,400 acres).[191] The beech forests of Riis Skov and Marselisborg occupy the nearby hills to the north and south and beaches dot the coastline from the central Den Permanente to the boundaries of the municipality.[192] The mild, temperate marine climate allows outdoor recreation most of the year, including walking, cycling, hiking, kayaking, mountainbiking, rock climbing, motor boating, sailing and team sports. People walk or cycle along recreational paths stretching from the city center to and around Brabrand Lake and walk along the coast to the forests and along the bluffs and beaches. Also popular are hiking and mountainbiking on marked routes in the forests and kayaking and sailing in the bay.[193][194]
The Botanical Gardens (Botanisk Have) from 1873 is the largest and oldest park. Originally used to cultivate fruit trees and other useful plants for the local inhabitants it has a significant collection of trees and bushes including a section devoted to Danish plants from different habitats and regions.[195] Its recently renovated tropical and subtropical greenhouses exhibit exotic plants from throughout the world.[196] The Memorial Park (Mindeparken) on the coast offers a panoramic view across the bay and is popular with locals for outings or picnics.[197][198] Marselisborg Deer Park (Marselisborg Dyrehave) extends over 22 ha (54 acres) of woodland pastures with free-roaming sika and roe deer.[199] Marienlyst Park (Marienlystparken) is one of the largest in the city with both wooded areas and open grasslands.[200] Other notable parks include City Hall Park (Rådhusparken) and the undulating University Park.[201][202]
Cuisine[edit]
Aarhus has a large variety of restaurants and eateries offering food from traditional Danish to international foods especially Middle Eastern and Asian.[203] Among the oldest are Rådhuscafeen (lit. City Hall Café), opened in 1924, serving a menu of traditional Danish courses and Peter Gift from 1906, a tavern with an international beer selection and a menu of smørrebrød and other Danish dishes.[204][205]
Appraised high-end gourmet restaurants serving international cuisine include Fredrikshøj, Restaurant Varna, Miró, Nordisk Spisehus, Det Glade Vanvid, La Pyramide, Restaurant ET or Dauphine, all considered among the best in Denmark.[206][207] Well established speciality places include the relaxed Ris Ras Filliongongong offering waterpipes and an award winning beer selection, the wine and book café of Løve's in Nørregade, Sherlock Holmes, a British-style pub with live music, the brew pub of Sct. Clemens with A Hereford Beefstouw restaurant and Thorups Kælder, a tavern located in rooms built by Cistercian monks in the 1300s.[208][209][210][211]
Vendors of street food are numerous throughout the centre often using small trailers on permanent locations formally known as Pølsevogne (lit. Sausage Wagons). Traditionally serving a Danish variety of hot dogs, sausages and other fast food there are increasingly more outlets inspired by international flavours such as sushi, kebab and currywurst. [212][213] The city centre is packed with cafés especially along the river and the Latin quarters. Well-known and typical establishments include Café Casablanca, Café Carlton, Café Cross and Gyngen.[214]
Sports[edit]
Sailsports in the Aarhus Bay, 2014
Venue (capacity)
Aarhus Gymnastik Forening Soccer 1st Division NRGi Park (20,032) 1880 5 23,990[215]
Aarhus GF Håndbold Handball Danish Handball League NRGi Arena (4,700) 2001 9[216] 4,700[217]
Bakken Bears Basketball Danish Basketball League Vejlby-Risskov Hallen (1,800) 1962 14 2,500[218]
Aarhus has three major men's professional sports teams: the 1st Division's Aarhus Gymnastik Forening (AGF), Danish Handball League's Aarhus GF Håndbold, and Danish Basketball League's Bakken Bears. Notable or historic clubs include Aarhus 1900, Idrætsklubben Skovbakken and Aarhus Sejlklub. NRGi Park has hosted matches in the premiere Danish soccer league since it was formed in 1920 and matches for the national men's soccer team in 2006 and 2007.[219] The five sailing clubs routinely win national and international titles in a range of disciplines. The future national watersports stadium will be located on the waterfront in the city centre.[220][221] The Bakken Bears have most recently won the Danish basketball championships in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
The municipality actively supports sports organizations in and around the city, providing public organizations that aim to attract major sporting events and strengthen professional sports.[222] The National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark counts some 380 sports organizations within the municipality and about one third of the population are members of one.[223] Soccer is by far the most popular sport followed by Gymnastics, Handball and Badminton.[223]
The Aarhus stadium, NRGI Arena
In recent decades, many free and public sports facilities have sprung up across the city, such as street football, basketball, climbing walls, skateboarding and beach volley. Several natural sites also offer green exercise, with exercise equipment installed along the paths and tracks reserved for mountainbiking. The newly reconstructed area of Skjoldhøjkilen is a prime example.[224]
Aarhus has hosted many sporting events including the 2010 European Women's Handball Championship, the 2014 European Men's Handball Championship, the 2013 Men`s European Volleyball Championships, the 2005 European Table Tennis Championships, the Denmark Open in badminton, the UCI Women's Road Cycling World Cup, the 2006 World Orienteering Championships, the 2006 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and the GF World Cup (women's handball).[225] Aarhus is host to one or two international sailing competitions every year and has recently hosted the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships in 2008. In 2018 the city will host the ISAF Sailing World Championships, the world championship for the 12 olympic sailing disciplines and an important qualifier for the 2020 Olympics.[226]
Aarhus is the principal centre for education in the Jutland region. It draws students from a large area, especially from the western and southern parts of the peninsula. The relatively large influx of young people and students creates a natural base for cultural activities.[227] Aarhus has the greatest concentration of students in Denmark, fully 12% of those living there attending short, medium or long courses of study. In addition to around 25 institutions of higher education, several research forums have evolved to assist in the transfer of expertise from education to business.[228]
On 1 January 2012 Aarhus University (AU) was the largest university in Denmark by number of students enlisted.[229] It is ranked among the top 100 universities in the world by several of the most influential and respected rankings. The university has approximately 41,500 Bachelor and Master students enlisted as well as about 1,500 Ph.D. students.[229] It is possible to engage in higher academic studies in many areas, from the traditional spheres of natural science, language and theology to more vocational academic areas like engineering and dentistry.[230] Aarhus Technical College is one of the largest business academies in Denmark, teaching undergraduate study programmes in English, including vocational education and training (VET), continuing vocational training (CVT), and human resource development.[231] The Danish School of Media and Journalism (DMJX) is the oldest and largest of the colleges, offering journalism courses since 1946. In 2014 it had approximately 1,700 students. In 1974 it became an independent institution conducting research and teaching at undergraduate level. In 2004, the school collaborated with Aarhus University to establish the Centre for University studies in Journalism, offering master’s courses in journalism, and granting degrees through the university.[232]
Institute for Sports, established in 2008 under Aarhus University.[233]
The Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus (Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium) is a conservatoire which was established under the auspices of the Danish Ministry of Culture in 1927. In 2010 it merged with the Royal Academy of Music in Aalborg, which was founded in 1930.[234] Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Frederik, it offers graduate level studies in areas such as music teaching, and solo and professional musicianship. VIA University College, established in January 2008, is one of eight new regional organizations offering bachelor courses of all kinds throughout the Central Denmark Region. It offers over 50 higher education in Danish or sometimes in English, with vocational education and participating in various research and development projects.[235] Aarhus School of Architecture (Arkitektskolen Aarhus) was founded in 1965. Along with the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts of Copenhagen, it is responsible for the education of architects in Denmark. With an enrolment of approximately 900 students, it teaches in five main departments: architecture and aesthetics, urban and landscape, architectonic heritage, design and architectural design.[236] Also of note is KaosPilots and several other higher education centres.
Infrastructure[edit]
Transport[edit]
Aarhus Central Station
Aarhus Airport, with only a few scheduled flights each day, is located 40 km (25 mi) north-east of Aarhus in Tirstrup.[237] The much larger Billund Airport is situated 95 km (59 mi) south-west of Aarhus.[238] There has been much discussion about constructing a better airport for Aarhus, but so far, the plans have not been realized.[239] In August 2014, the city council officially initiated a process to assert the viability of a new international airport.[240]
The main railway station in Aarhus is Aarhus Central Station located in the city centre. DSB has connections to destinations throughout Denmark and beyond. Two local railways provide commuter services to Lemvig and Odder.[241] The Aarhus Letbane is a planned tram-train project which will link two railway lines with a new light rail route through the city.[242] Most city bus lines go through the inner city and pass through either Park Alle or Banegårdspladsen (lit. English: "Central Station Square") or both.[243] County and Inter-city buses terminate at Aarhus Bus Terminal which is located 900 meters north-west of Banegårdspladsen, and in front of the Radisson SAS Scandinavia hotel at Margrethepladsen.[244] The long-distance busses of linie888 connect Aarhus to other cities in Jutland and Zealand.[245]
HSC KatExpress 2 in Aarhus harbor
The Danish ferry company Mols-Linien connects Aarhus with Copenhagen, on the island of Zealand, with rapid ferry connections to Sjællands Odde.[246] Ferries operating between Aarhus and Sjællands Odden include HSC KatExpress 1 and HSC KatExpress 2, the world's largest diesel powered catamarans,[247] and HSC Max Mols all of which cater to foot passengers, private vehicles and trucks.
Aarhus has a free bike sharing system, Aarhus Bycykler (Aarhus City Bikes). The bicycles are available from 1 April to 30 October at 57 stands throughout the city and can be obtained by placing a DKK 20 coin in the release slot, like caddies in a supermarket. The coin can be retrieved when the bike is returned. Bicycles can also be hired from many shops.[248]
Healthcare[edit]
Risskov Psychiatric Hospital
Aarhus University Hospital is one of the country's most specialized hospitals with sophisticated equipment and highly qualified staff. For each of the past three years, it has been ranked as Denmark's best hospital.[249] The new hospital founded in 2011 has some 1,150 beds and a staff of about 10,000. It is the result of a merger between the former Århus Universitetshospital, Århus Sygehus and Skejby Sygehus. In the spring of 1999 the university hospital in conjunction with the Aarhus county authorities founded the Research Clinic for Functional Disorders and Psychosomatics.[250] The hospital collaborates with the Psychiatric Hospital in Risskov, which also conducts psychiatric research.[251] In October 2009, work started on the construction of a large new hospital and headquarters in Skejby, on what has become the largest construction site in Denmark.[252][253] Scheduled to be completed in 2019, the New University Hospital (DNU) will be the largest hospital in the country and will serve patients from all over Central Denmark Region.[254]
Ciconia Aarhus Private Hospital is a leading Danish fertility clinic with a significant sperm bank. Originally founded in 1984, it opened as the first clinic of its kind in Denmark. Ciconia has provided for the birth of 6,000 children by artificial insemination and continually conducts research into the field of fertility.[255] Aagaard Klinik, established in April 2004, is another private clinic in the city which specializes in fertility and gynaecology. In 2013 it treated 2,920 patients and by 2013 was responsible for the birth of 1,900 children through fertility treatment.[256] Aarhus Municipality also offers a number of specialized services in the areas of nutrition, exercise, sex, smoking and drinking, activities for the elderly, health courses and life style.[257]
Media[edit]
The Aarhus Søsterhøj TV tower, height 261 m (856 ft)
Established in 1871, the daily newspaper Jyllandsposten (today known as Jyllands-Posten) takes a generally right-wing editorial approach. With a reputation as a serious news publication, the paper has always included news from Jutland, somewhat less so since its promotion as a national newspaper (Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten) in the 1960s. Today it is one of the three leading serious newspapers in Denmark, the others being Berlingske and Politiken.[258] The first daily newspaper in Aarhus was Århus Stiftstidende, once one of Denmark's largest,[259] established in 1794 as Aarhuus Stifts Adresse-Contoirs Tidender. With a moderately conservative approach, for a time it was a leading provincial newspaper, but after the Second World War it increasingly faced competition from Demokraten (1884-1974) and Jyllands-Posten, both published in Aarhus. In 1998, it merged with Randers Amtsavis and is now run by Midtjyske Medier, part of Berlingske Media.[260]
Danmarks Radio has a large department in Aarhus with over 200 employees. It runs the DR Østjylland radio programme, provides local contributions to DR P4, and produces local regional television programmes.[261] In 1990, TV 2 established its Jutlandic headquarters in Randers but moved to Skejby in northern Aarhus in 1999. The station broadcasts regional news and current affairs television and radio programmes. Since 2012, it has run its own TV channel, TV 2 Østjylland.[262] Aarhus has its own local TV channel TVAarhus, transmitting since 1984.[263][264] After an agreement on 1 July 2014, TVAarhus can be watched by 130.000 households in Aarhus, making it the largest cable transmitted local TV channel in Denmark.[265]
With over 1,700 students, The Danish School of Media and Journalism (Danmarks Medie- og Journalisthøjskole) is the country's largest and oldest school of journalism. The school works closely with Aarhus University where the first journalism course was established in 1946. In 2004, the two institutions established the Centre for University Studies in Journalism, which offers master's courses.[266]
Twin towns—Sister cities[edit]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Denmark
Aarhus is twinned with seven foreign cities. Originally, the cities mostly co-operated within the spheres of public schools, culture and welfare, but now the co-operation is extended to also cover commercial interests.[267]
Bergen, Norway (since 1946)
Gothenburg, Sweden (since 1946)
Turku, Finland (since 1946)
Kujalleq, Greenland (since 1962)
Harbin, China (since 1984)
St. Petersburg, Russia (since 1989)
Rostock, Germany (since 2006)
Notable people[edit]
Svend Unmack Larsen (1893-1965), minister of justice (1939–1940), mayor of Aarhus (1945–1958)[268]
Hans Hedtoft (1903–1955), prime minister[269]
H. C. Hansen (1906–1960), prime minister[270]
Svend Auken (1943–2009), minister of labour, minister of the environment & energy[271]
Uffe Elbæk (born 1954), politician and founder of the world's first KaosPilot school founded in 1991 in Aarhus[272]
Nicolai Wammen (born 1971), current minister of defense, mayor of Aarhus (2006–2011)[273]
Otto Mønsted (1838-1916), business man, member of the city council.[274]
Anders Holch Povlsen (born 1972), owner of fashion chain Bestseller, resident and landowner in Aarhus
Ole Worm (1588-1655), physician, scholar and antiquarian [275]
Ole Rømer (1644-1710), astronomer[276]
William Hovgaard (1857-1957), professor of naval design and construction[277]
Jens Christian Skou (born 1918), physiologist, nobel laureate in chemistry 1997
Ole Barndorff-Nielsen (born 1935), statistician[278]
Bjarne Stroustrup (born 1950), computer scientist[279]
Lene Hau (born 1959), physicist[280]
Lars Bak, computer scientist[281]
Ivan Damgård cryptographer
Martin Jørgensen, footballer[282]
Stig Tøfting, footballer[283]
Martin Kampmann, UFC Fighter[284]
Morten Børup (1446–1526), educator, cathedral cantor, writer[285]
Steffen Brandt, singer and composer[286]
Ida Corr (born 1977), singer[287]
Tina Dico (born 1977), pop singer[288]
Henrik Ernst Grosmann, cantor, composer (1732–1811)[289]
Thomas Helmig, singer[290]
Gitte Hænning (born 1946), singer and film actress[291]
Anne Linnet (born 1953), singer and composer[292]
Kaare Norge (born 1963), classical guitarist[293]
Nils Malmros (born 1944), film director, screenwriter[294]
Medina (born 1982), pop singer[295]
Renee Simonsen (born 1965), supermodel and author[296]
Wayne Siegel (born 1953), composer, electronic music educator[297]
Lis Sørensen (born 1955), singer, guitarist[298]
Thorkild Bjørnvig (1918-2004), writer[299]
Elsebeth Egholm, crime fiction writer[300]
Bent Faurby (born 1937), children's writer[301]
Svend Åge Madsen[302]
Lene Kaaberbøl[303]
Jørgen Leth, poet, director, author and journalist[304]
Peter Laugesen, poet and playwright[305]
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Jump up ^ "Om os" (in Danish). Systematic. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
Jump up ^ IT-byen Katrinebjerg Official homepage (Danish)
Jump up ^ "Energi, klima og miljø" (in Danish). Business Aarhus. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Navitas Park" (in Danish). Aarhus Kommune. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "About Navitas". Navitas Park. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Navitas Park". Navitaspark.dk. Retrieved 2014-08-18.
Jump up ^ "Arkitektur og byggeskik i byen" (in Danish). Aarhus Kommune. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
Jump up ^ "Kulturhistorisk redegørelse 2013" (in Danish). Aarhus Kommune. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
Jump up ^ "Historien" (in Danish). Aarhus Katedralskole. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Kirkebygningen" (in Danish). Aarhus Domkirke. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Kryptkirken" (in Danish). Vor Frue Krirke i Aarhus. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Romansk 1050-1250" (in Danish). Aarhus Kommune. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Vor Frue Kirke og Kloster" (in Danish). Aarhus Universitet. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Vor Frue Kirle" (in Danish). AarhusWiki. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Langelandsgades Kaserne (Artillerikasernen), Århus" (in Danish). ArkArk. Retrieved 20 December 2014. . Architectural and historical information with images.
Jump up ^ "Kasernen". Department of Arts (in Danish). Aarhus University. 18 December 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
Jump up ^ P. E. Niemann (1981): Feltartilleriet i Aarhus 1881-1969 Zac, ISBN 87-7348-047-9 (Danish)
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Jump up ^ Kenn Tarbensen. "Marselisborg Slot" (in Danish). historie-online.dk. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
Jump up ^ Kasper Egeberg. "Toldkammeret (the Custom House)". DAC. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
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Jump up ^ "Aarhus Universitet" (in Danish). Den Store Danske. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Aarhus’ styrkepositioner" (in Danish). Aarhus 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Cities" (in Danish). ICORN. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
Jump up ^ "AarhusForfattere" (in Danish). litteraturen.nu. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
Jump up ^ "Mission, vision and strategy". Statsbiblioteket. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Den Gamle By" (in Danish). Den Store Danske. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Nye tider 1927" (in Danish). Den Gamle By. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum" (in Danish). Den Store Danske. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "About ARoS". ARoS. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Moesgård Museum" (in Danish). Den Store Danske. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Facts about the Women's Museum". Kvindemuseet. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "The Occupation Museum Aarhus 1940-45". Visit Aarhus. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "National History Museum" (in Danish). Visit Aarhus. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "Steno Museum". Visit Aarhus. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
Jump up ^ "The Kunsthal Aarhus". Visit Aarhus. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
^ Jump up to: a b "About Godsbanens". Godsbanen. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
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Jump up ^ "Om teatret" (in Danish). Det Andet Teater. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
Jump up ^ Theatres in Aarhus VisitAarhus (Danish)
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Category Archives: Romance
I really should have asked this question a long time ago
An old friend messaged me out of the blue on facebook the other day:
I have a question for you, it has been bothering me for a long time, but recently revived by watching new TV series.
Why does the classic structure of a romance novel and indeed of many many powerful stories & TV series (irresistible feelings for eachother, but misunderstanding, each thinks the other doesn’t want them, ultimately resolved in a great sense of relief and euphoria) appeal so much more to one gender than to the other?
OK maybe it only *seems* to appeal more to women than to men. And lots of men like Jane Austen and As You Like It. BUT. The relationship between Mal and Inara in firefly is in my head ALL DAY and keeps me all suspenseful and heart in my mouth each episode… doesn’t seem to have the same kind of itch or hold over Ben.
Would love your thoughts on this!!
My first reaction was: Wow. I really should have thought more about this before now. And my second reaction was to make up a bunch of science:
Not something I’ve thought a lot about, oddly enough, but my gut reaction is something like:
Women are powerfully interested in human relationships, and specifically in romantic relationships (and obviously this is massively simplifying/reductive). I assume this is part conditioning – we’re socialised to care about relationships, and until very recent history to judge our worth by our relationships – and part biology. There must be some biological urge to create safe, lasting environments for raising children, which means finding a partner with certain qualities. I.e. alone is bad, with man is good.
Men are stereotypically more drawn to action/adventure, which also has a classic story structure (similar to romance, but with a different end goal, more external rather than internal obstacles, etc.). So it’s really just what holds the interest of each gender.
Obviously personal relationships and love are super important to lots of men in real life.
My personal theory is that love/kissing/romance is private and personal it’s something you DO in real life, not something you externalise and obsess over. Action/adventure is completely fantastical and therefore an escapist form of entertainment you can get lost in. Whereas female fantasy is much more wrapped up in romance for the very non-scientific reasons I said above.
Hope that gives you some new thoughts to shed light on the matter!
So, seriously, why DOES romance grab women so much harder than it does men?
This entry was posted in Feminism, Romance, TV by Anna Cowan.
death is my independence
The dissolute rake falling for the pure virgin is a classic romance trope. In Romancelandia it means watching a man beyond redemption become redeemed through love. In the original rake/virgin novel…not so much.
Clarissa, written in 1748, is the story of a virtuous woman pursued by an irredeemable man, Robert Lovelace (aka Best Rake Name Ever). Modern romance readers are allergic to “bad” heroes, which means that all rakes must be Tragically Misunderstood for Tragic Reasons (see sympathy coupons). Not so Lovelace. He is a genuinely Bad Man. Also a Very Beautiful Man. (Here’s where I admit I haven’t read the book, only watched the BBC adaptation. Sean Bean in makeup and lace is a Very Beautiful Man, at any rate.)
He works outside of the morals of society, so he’s a powerful agent for change. He alone can help Clarissa escape her restrictive family. But the same qualities that make him powerful also make him unable to love her in the right way. For the first time he feels love, and it unsettles him as it should unsettle any rake. He reacts the only way he knows how, and tries to force Clarissa into marriage. Instead, he drives her to starve herself to death in obscurity.
The priest who’s caring for her tells her that the bible absolves her of any shame, and that she must choose to live. She says to him, “Death is my independence.”
This is apparently the longest novel in the English language, but I reckon that single line makes every other word in it worthwhile.
Historical settings are romantic to us romance writers because the social restrictions a woman has to overcome to choose a selfish, personal kind of love are much more obvious. Her journey to personal autonomy and sexual expression is clearer, because she exists in a context that doesn’t allow her these things.
But aside from the occasional fluke, I’d say Clarissa’s a much more realistic picture of what a woman’s emotional journey would have been if a more experienced man became infatuated with her.
It’s a kind of independence that’s mirrored almost a hundred years later in Jane Eyre when she withholds from Rochester the only thing that’s still hers to withhold. Her body is wholly in Rochester’s power – there’s no one to interfere on her behalf. But Rochester, despairing, says, “But whatever I do with this cage, I cannot get at you, and it is your soul that I want.”
Even if a woman found love with her husband, it would take a pretty extraordinary woman not to have been somewhat subsumed inside her husband’s desires and society’s expectations of her as a married woman.
Let me say here that I don’t want romance heroines to die for the sake of their purity. Er, no. Having a woman overcome the obstacles imposed by her gender is a wonderful allegory for modern women, whose obstacles are far more ambiguous. But I wonder whether the historical context could also be used for a story about personal independence.
There’s a romance trope that goes something like this: The wallflower, who’s fast approaching her late twenties *gasp!* with no sign of marriage on the horizon, decides to remake herself. She starts to follow her own desires. She becomes unreasonable, and powerful. And then she gets the man.
I get it. It’s a statement about the autonomy that’s necessary, even in marriage. It’s a clear declaration of the fact that you’re always at your most charismatic when you’re being purely yourself. But there’s also something in there that goes: Independence is one more trait you need to acquire in order to get a man.
The next romance series I plan to write will be five books long. It’s the story of an enigmatic man and his adopted children who drive Britain’s industry in the mid-1800s. The series begins when a genteel woman, Hadrienne, is engaged to the eldest son, Primus. Primus ends up marrying her companion instead, and Hadi gets engaged to the next son in order to stay with the family who have become her family.
My initial idea was that Hadi’s romance with the father would be the series-arc romance. The father has turned his back on his aristocratic beginnings, and Hadi is everything he thinks he’s disowned. She subscribes to very classic “female” behaviour, and as she comes into her own the father can no longer discount her.
Then the other day something happened. I realised that one of the kids’ biological mother is, contrary to popular belief, still alive. And that she’s the love of the father’s life. This felt absolutely right…but it left Hadi hanging.
Her engagement starts the whole series. Her story gives the series its arc. I couldn’t leave her romantically unresolved, could I, in a romance series?
My first reaction was a categorical No. And then I thought, Yes.
The more I think about it, the more right it feels. Her journey was always one to personal independence. It’s not easy for her, but she has to face the women’s movement and decide for herself what she thinks. She takes up photography and documents the lives of women. She becomes someone who would once have seemed disgusting to her.
And it’s right that her actions aren’t rewarded with a man, but with herself.
I recently came across photographer Clayton Cubitt’s portraiture project Hysterical Literature. He films women reading aloud and being brought to orgasm. They’re fully clothed, and they appear to be sitting alone at a table. Cubitt’s interested in catching genuine glimpses of people in an age that’s obsessed with self-documentation. He’s referencing the idea that female hysteria was once treated with medical orgasm, and the sensual relationship women have to the written word. He’s also interested in exploring concepts of high art and low art. The project obviously edges onto the space occupied by pornography – but is also wildly different.
He never explicitly draws the parallel, but to me the idea of high literature and low literature was so present in the videos – especially the uneasiness around what women read and the arousal that’s often part of what they read.
The videos are…not explicit in the pornographic sense. You see nothing. But you do watch a woman come to arousal and come. So don’t watch them if that kind of thing disturbs you.
I found them extraordinary. They depict a female sexuality that has nothing to do with a partner. It’s intensely personal. It’s something I’ve never seen so explicitly depicted before. It’s the kind of romance that I want Hadi to embody, so that her story is not to do with a man but is deeply, powerfully romantic anyway.
This entry was posted in Feminism, Romance, Sex, Tropes and tagged Clarissa, Clayton Cubitt, Hysterical Literature, Samuel Richardson by Anna Cowan.
4 more things to adore about Miss Marple
Special k and I watch a lot of who-dunnits. Sherlock (Holmes), Poirot, Whitechapel, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. But my very favourite is Miss Marple.
The show, for one thing, is ridiculously well made. Sharp scripts, beautiful sets, well-shot and chock-full of Britain’s best actors. There’s something about Miss Marple, too, that sets her apart from other detectives. She’s unassuming (she doesn’t, like Poirot, introduce herself as The Best Detective Alive) but never submissive. I love watching the people around her underestimate her and then gradually change their minds – though her behaviour remains constant. I love the melancholy wrapped up in this woman people assume is doddering or numb, because she’s old.
The latest episode to air on the ABC was ‘At Bertram’s Hotel’. Here are four things I adored about it:
1) Miss Marple’s assistant for the episode is one of the hotel’s maids, a woman called Jane. The first time she talks alone to the war-stricken detective she says to him, “Just because I’m in a pinny, don’t make me stupid.” “Well,” he says. “That’s me told.” Her sister worked in munitions during the war, and told her that women’s equality had arrived. Then the war ended and Jane found herself in service. Like nothing had changed at all.
Working with Miss Marple to solve the murder she proves herself to be quick and clever – catching on about ten times faster than the detective to everything that’s going on. At the end of the episode she quits her job at the hotel, because she figures the police force will be recruiting women soon. “What do you think?” she asks Miss Marple. “I think,” Miss Marple replies, “it sounds exactly the sort of thing I’d never have done at your age. And always wish I had.”
Oh, and this conversation begins with Jane telling Miss Marple that Detective Bird has asked her to go away with him – not to get married though, no, just to live together for a while and see they get on. Her idea.
2) Which brings me to the romance. Detective Bird is a disillusioned soldier who seems to have been exhausted by the war. His declaration of love is the very best kind.
“Miss Cooper. Jane. Um. I wondered if I could. If you would be so good as to, er. If you would maybe like to consider.” *long, nervous pause* “You’re the most wonderful, intelligent, beautiful woman I’ve ever met. When I first saw you, you took my breath away. And it hasn’t come back yet. When I’m near you I feel drunk. Or dizzy. Or drunk and dizzy. And like I’m walking on air.”
“Inspector Bird–”
“And if whatever you may think of me is a fraction of what I feel for you–”
“Inspector Bird!”
“If there’s any hope you could in your heart–”
My favourite thing about this gorgeous declaration is that when he says “And like I’m walking on air” he’s uneasy, unsettled, like walking on air is terrifying.
3) ***SPOILERS FOR THE MYSTERY***
This is just one example of Agatha Christie’s mastery of her genre.
A set of identical twins are staying at the hotel, and early on Miss Marple notes that she can tell them apart because one of them is left-handed, one right-handed. The twin she’s talking to thinks she observed his left-handedness because he held his paper under his left arm. It feels like a fairly obvious set-up for a case of mistaken identity.
Indeed, during a critical scene one of the twins appears looking for the other, with a book tucked very definitely under one arm. The other twin arrives soon after, with a hat in his other hand. It felt a little deflating, because it was so obviously the same twin.
During the “all-is-revealed” scene Miss Marple calls them out on it – but absolves them of the murder. They were off stealing jewellery.
The actual murder is much more complex, and involves two girls passing themselves off as one girl, so as to be in two places at once. And what gave them away? One shoots with her left hand, the other with her right.
***END SPOILERS***
4) Miss Marple’s first name is also Jane. Jane-the-maid is quite clearly a girl after her own heart – one who will take after her in a new era. Sharing a name signifies all the other qualities they share. It also allows for a subtle, heart-breaking moment at the end.
The two Janes are talking, and then a man calls out, “Jane!” in a passionate, joyful way. The camera is on Miss Marple as she looks up, a kind of wonder in her face. Then pain. The man is Detective Bird, and he’s calling the younger Jane who goes blithely to him, to embrace him, to walk into the future with him. Jane the elder, whose love was killed in the First World War, remembers that she is an old woman, and her time for young love has passed.
For any Aussies who want to watch it, it’s up on iView at the moment.
This entry was posted in Characterisation, Craft, dialogue, Love, Recommendations, review, Romance, TV by Anna Cowan.
Total Recall. Except I totally don’t recall that I love you.
I watched the Arnie version on TV the other night, and I watched the Colin Farrell version at the cinema tonight, and I’m convinced: Total Recall missed a trick in the romance department. And it makes Douglas Quade look like a douche.
Here’s a bit of a run-down with some spoilers: Douglas Quade goes to Rekall have a false memory implanted into his brain. He requests a Secret-Agent Adventure. He then proceeds to have an adventure in which he is truly a secret agent called Houser who’s had his memory altered so that he thinks he’s Douglas Quade, Everyman. (I’ll give you a second.) It’s never entirely clear whether the adventure is real or the requested implant.
At the end of the story Quade has to chose between retrieving the memories of Houser and becoming “himself” again, or remaining the implanted self, Quade. He chooses Quade.
My problem is this: Quade has a wife called Lori. They were childhood sweethearts and have been married for seven years. She’s beautiful. In the Arnie version she’s also compliant, a good listener and a sexpot. In the Farrell version she’s smart, tough and sexy.
When the adventure ensues, it turns out she’s one of the bad guys. She claims she’s only known Quade for six weeks, when she was assigned to him. The entirety of their history is an implanted memory. She tries to kill him. She’s pretty good at it.
In the Arnie version, he puts a bullet through her head and his new girlfriend says, “What a bitch.” Or something. She definitely calls her a bitch. And Arnie just gives this knowing sneer like, Haha, your observations about my erstwhile wife are hilarious, because she is a woman who had the bad manners to be kind of a badass.
In the Farrell version she at least gets to be the baddie, not just the baddie’s girlfriend. Farrell makes some show of feeling conflicted when the new (old) love interest shows up, because his memories tell him he was married for seven years. Not so much conflicted about his feelings for his “wife”, however, as conflicted about what’s true and what’s not.
The whole premise of this story relies on the idea that a false memory is just as “real” as a true memory. The fact that they missed an opportunity to explore that idea to its furthest end boggles me.
Quade believes, utterly, that he’s been married to this woman for seven years. Both films use the fact that she tries to kill him as an easy-out. Like – psychopathic behaviour cancels out seven years of marital love and trust.
It would make a much more interesting point to say: He’s only known this woman six weeks in real time. He feels he’s loved her for seven years. What would it take to disassociate himself from those feelings – to be faced with the painful fact of her utter lack of feeling or loyalty to him?
Lovers to enemies can be just as interesting as the other way around.
Let me say here: I get that this is action-adventure, and not some complex love story. But the movie’s internal logic is what frustrates me. When Quade is faced with the choice between Quade and Houser, he chooses Quade. Because his emotional attachment to Quade is strong enough to overcome an external sense of his “true” self. The life that’s been implanted in his brain feels authentic to him.
But only when it comes to himself, apparently. If that life has such a strong emotional pull on him, why is it so easy for him to distance himself from his wife, or the emotions surrounding her?
In the Arnie version it makes him come across like a bit of a sociopath. Farrell almost pulls it off because he’s so damn good at the coy, uncertain looks that make him feel human. But I came away feeling that if he couldn’t feel the loss of love, he surely couldn’t feel much at all.
It’s a fascinating and terrifying question, whether love is pure chemical delusion, or something more. Total Recall asked the same question about reality, but only as it touched on the reality of one man’s ego. Ho hum.
This entry was posted in Love, Movie, Romance by Anna Cowan.
I met my husband like this:
I’m a massive fan of birthdays. I believe in broadcasting it to everyone for a good two weeks beforehand, and spoiling myself silly on the day. That doesn’t mean spending lots of money – it means on this one day I do whatever the hell I feel like. Mostly I feel like pancakes.
When I turned twenty-three I had a nuclear group of friends who were like family to me. They also liked drinking beer at the park in the afternoon. Twas a golden era.
The boy I’d been breaking up with for about nine months threw me a birthday party – and by party I mean small, intimate dinner with my ten closest friends. There were homemade pizzas. I didn’t find out until I was there, that one of my friends was bringing her boyfriend’s friend who’d come over from Glasgow, Scotland. (I’ll give you a second to get that one straight.)
This did not make me happy.
I remember very particularly thinking: At least if he’s big and ginger with a thick Scottish accent there’ll be some novelty value.
Special k looks like this:
(Heh. He’s so cute.)
And like this:
And also this:
Big and ginger, he is not. Also, his accent could pass for American. Or Irish. Or maybe Danish, on a bad day.
I think all I said to him the whole night was “Hello”, and I don’t think I said it in a nice, welcoming sort of way.
The next time we met the first thing I saw were his boxing boots, which were just like mine. Then I heard him beatbox. And then I tackled him to the ground in a game of footy and cut him open with my fingernail.
The first time he hugged me, I felt this shock of surprise, like, “Huh. He’s so human.”
I was reading a review on Dear Author the other day that got me thinking about the way love interests tend to “hate” each other when they first meet. The first two thirds-or-so of a romance is taken up with bickering and insults and arguments. And kissing, of course.
In the context of a whole life together, my period of conflict with special k is pretty tiny. But it goes to show there’s something to the idea that dislike can be the earliest incarnation of really-like.
It’s the way we express attraction as kids, isn’t it? Hair-pulling. Seaweed throwing. I once called a very pretty boy a dickhead, for not logical reason. Why do we express attraction through insult? WHY???
(That’s a serious question, by the way. I’m stumped.)
The review made me think of it, because the bickering of the hero and heroine just sounded pretty odious. The hero won’t leave the heroine’s restaurant until she agrees to hook up with him, even though she’s asked him to leave many times. He spouts clunky innuendo at her while she’s serving cake to some old women. Ugh.
A couple in a romance have to challenge each other. They have to expect unreasonable things, and unsettle and push each other. Romance and love couldn’t happen without it.
But I can’t help feeling we get so used to reading “bickering” as “attraction” that we lose track of what’s beneath it – what it actually means. What drives a person to be awful when they most want to be lovely?
(Again – no answers here.)
I was cold to special k because I was immature, and I thought I knew all there was to know about him sixty seconds after I met him. Falling in love was a bit like following lanterns down a dark path. Piece by piece he surprised and delighted me as my expectations were overturned.
I watched him eat ice cream. (There’s an ice cream cone engraved on the inside of my wedding ring.) I watched the sun rise with him from the roof of the Pascoe Vale swimming pool, and he looked at me from under the brim of his blue Glasgow cap. He hid from me at Heathrow until I was forlorn then hugged me for twenty whole minutes without letting go.
Maybe people are just better, when you have misunderstood them entirely.
This entry was posted in Characterisation, Love, on writing, Romance by Anna Cowan.
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The Carnival Inn
37 St Mary Street
TA6 3LY
7.4 miles The Reeds Arms, Burnham-on-Sea >
8.7 miles The Coal Orchard, Taunton >
8.8 miles The Perkin Warbeck, Taunton >
11.4 miles The Lantokay, Street >
14.1 miles The Iron Duke, Wellington >
The pub takes its name from Bridgwater’s famous carnival. First held in 1882, the carnival takes place on the nearest Thursday to Guy Fawkes’s Night and has its origins in the gunpowder plot of 1605. The carnival claims to be the largest and most spectacular night-time event of its kind held anywhere in the world.
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Click to copyhttps://apnews.com/764d64651c004962bdc08322f9f5884d
Ranch’s clients learn resilience through therapy with horses
By KARLENE PONTIDecember 3, 2017
WALLA WALLA, Wash. (AP) — Animals give us unconditional love and that’s good therapy. Longmire Ranch in Touchet, operated by Tracy and Shane Longmire, offers equine-assisted resilience-building.
The couple loves their animals — a dog, some chickens and their horses. The horses provide love and companionship, as well as good therapy for those who make an appointment to come out to experience the ranch. Much of what is being dealt with is the pain from adverse experiences, many from a person’s childhood.
“We moved here to the ranch in 2009,” Tracy said. “My husband is from here. In 1994 we moved back to the area. He never dreamed he would end up living in Touchet on a farm. Years ago if you would have said that, he would have laughed. He was headed to the big cities.”
Shane now works as a mental health counselor, while she heads up the equine activities.
The ranch is a multilayered operation. The 501(c)(3) operation’s volunteers and staff help guests build resilience through activities with the horses. That can include more than riding; it could just looking at a horse’s kind, gentle eyes and spending some quiet time out on the ranch.
Visitors to the ranch go through a series of steps.
“First is getting to know the horses,” Tracy said. “We have 13 on the property — three miniatures. The horses tell me a lot. The person gets to pick the horse they want to interact with.
“First we walk among them and I pay attention to which ones come up and which go away, and how they go away. Once we’ve met everybody, I ask which one they want to work with, and why. Then we catch them, bring them over and groom them.”
Often because of the driving distance involved, a family will just wait on the farm rather than leave and then return to pick up the client. Time out in the quiet can benefit the whole family.
“A lot of times the parents are doing for the child what they wish had been done for them,” she said. “It’s holistic.”
Getting the project going has been a long and complex journey.
“We’ve been working on it almost 12 years. We started with a group based out of the College Place Presbyterian Church for one year. Then I worked with another gal in the training process, with a series of learning experiences along the way. I kept feeling there was still more to do,” Tracy said.
A series of seemingly miraculous events led them to the property and being able to purchase it.
“All these doors just opened,” she said.
But the difficulties didn’t stop. In 2014 she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer; but they kept moving forward.
“After a year of treatment and a year of recovery with people telling me, ‘If you can survive cancer, you can do this.’ Life is short, you don’t know when it’ll end. I want it to end doing what I love,” she said.
After the diagnosis, Tracy went back to teaching, putting in long hours and dealing with exhaustion.
“I’d come home and I had nothing left. I let go of my job and had some down time,” she said.
This got her back on track with the ranch and its mission. But they still had difficulties. The cancer and the ranch seemed way more than they felt they could afford; then, within six months, Shane lost his job. But they kept their sense of purpose, faith and belief, and circumstances fell back into place for them.
In a session, “I get kids to lift themselves up onto the horse and look at the mountains. If they’re afraid of falling, I tell them, ‘Well you might, but right now you can look up and see the mountains and the sky,’” Tracy said.
It’s about a client’s perspective, grounding and being right here, right now, fully awake and aware.
“What do you hear? Birds? ... Parents also get a chance to breathe and experience it. The ultimate healing comes when you connect to nature,” she said.
“It’s a one-on-one session with a participant. They get all of my attention. Our brains really can’t multitask, we just think it can.”
Tracy sees about 23 clients a month, ranging in age from about 4 years old to grandparents. Another part of the ranch is a 4-H club that some guests join, but all have the opportunity to learn about it. Longmire Ranch is working on developing partnerships with other community organizations that provide help.
This summer they put out a challenge to get the arena fenced.
“We met half the goal, through private donations and matching donations to get solid fencing,” she said.
Volunteers are essential for the operation of the ranch.
“Each session is its own energy,” she said. “There’s no set program, no curriculum. We take each child and work with what they’ve got and we get where we’re going.”
Sessions are 45-90 minutes, depending on when they reaches a natural conclusion, although Tracy works with the parents’ time concerns
“Every horse has a handler and undivided attention,” she said. “For safety we keep two eyes on every horse.”
“There are other ranches doing similar things,” she said. “But they want everything to be perfect. I’ve heard people say, ‘Don’t let people see manure.’ Well, life has manure in it. If we’re only going to be OK when things are perfect, then we’re never going to be OK.”
Tracy focuses on natural joy in relationships, parents and kids, kids and animals.
“In that, we find the peace and healing. That’s why they come back, not because things are perfect,” she said.
Information from: Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, http://www.union-bulletin.com
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(Courtesy of BYkids)
When 16-year-old Ndèye Fatou Fall is not in school, she enjoys playing soccer and basketball, or practising for her village’s next theatre performance. If she had been born a decade earlier, however, she would not be able to enjoy these freedoms.
Twenty years ago, child marriage and female genital cutting (FGC) — a harmful practice that can cause bleeding, infections and even death in young women — were widespread in Ndèye Fatou’s community of Keur Simbara, located in western Senegal. Demba Diawara, a village leader and Ndèye Fatou’s grandfather, educated hundreds of communities — including Keur Simbara — on the benefits of ending these practices. Thanks to his work and others in the community, Ndèye Fatou is able to go to school, pursue her passions and even direct her own film.
With the organisation BYkids, Ndèye Fatou created the documentary, “Walk on My Own,” which looks at the history of FGC and child marriage in Keur Simbara. Ndèye Fatou interviews mothers and community elders, and shows viewers how the community has changed since they took this important step for women and girls. Keur Simbara is now more peaceful and its female villagers have the freedom to complete their education and hold careers of their choosing.
Child marriage and FGC impact millions of girls and women around the world. As of 2017, over 100 million women and girls have experienced some form of FGC. Every year, about 15 million girls around the world get married before their 18th birthdays, increasing their risk of dropping out of school and experiencing domestic violence. Senegal has led the charge against FGC by banning it in 1999. However, FGC and child marriage are still practiced in some parts of Senegal and other parts of the world.
I spoke with Ndèye Fatou to discuss her film, “Walk on My Own,” the strides that have been made in her own village of Keur Simbara and her vision for Senegal’s future.
Omolara Uthman (OU): Tell me about making “Walk on My Own.” What part of the process of making the documentary did you enjoy the most and what was the hardest part?
Ndèye Fatou Fall (NFF): What I loved the most about making the film “Walk on My Own” was the interview I did with my grandfather, Demba Diawara, who is our village leader. He explained things to me that happened in our village before I was born. Baay Demba opened his heart to me and told me so many things — especially about the tradition [female genital cutting] and child marriage that were practiced here in Keur Simbara. You know I would never have dared to question him as I did because in our culture, a young girl doesn’t ask such questions to an elder. In fact, I had never before asked questions like this to other elders in the community — you just didn’t do it. I learned so much from Baay Demba who opened doors to new learning for me. I realized how important it is to understand the past and I was proud of the role he played in ending these harmful practices in so many communities.
As for the hardest thing for me in the film, it was to go to a religious and traditional leader in the neighboring village to ask him questions. It was so difficult for me and I couldn’t believe I had the courage to go interview him — but actually, I did the interview and he was kind and open and he answered all my questions.
OU: How does it make you feel that people around the world are watching your film?
NFF: When others around the world watch this film, my heart will be full of joy and I’ll feel so proud because I was chosen among many girls around the world to make this film. I first watched the final version with my community and with neighboring villagers and I was amazed and even had goosebumps!
And now when other villagers and others who practice the tradition and child marriage watch this film, I believe they will realize how much girls and women have suffered. They will be inspired to discuss after they see the film and then they will hopefully decide to end these harmful practices which violate girls’ human rights.
OU: How would you describe Keur Simbara to someone who has never been there before?
NFF: I would tell them that Keur Simbara is a small, typical rural Senegalese village where people live together in peace and harmony. Everyone supports one another! But now Keur Simbara is famous because of our Imam and Village Chief, Demba Diawara. He was one of the first African traditional and religious leaders who, more than 20 years ago, dared to openly advocate for the abandonment of female genital cutting and child marriage. He traveled to hundreds of villages to discuss ending these practices with people from our same ethnic group. He was so courageous, so intelligent and so thoughtful and wise in the way in which he approached these issues that people were open to abandonment for the first time!
OU: Why did you choose to focus your film on how Keur Simbara has changed since abandoning traditions of child marriage and FGC?
NFF: Many communities in Africa still practice the tradition and child marriage. It has been so important to all of the girls like me that Keur Simbara abandoned these practices. Child marriage is not good for a child’s physical and mental health. And FGC is a dangerous practice because it can lead to problems like hemorrhage, tetanus, sterility — and girls can even die from undergoing FGC. And yet a girl was obliged to undergo this practice because she had to obey her parents. If she wasn’t cut, she wouldn’t be respected, she wouldn’t be considered pure — and if she cooked a meal, no one would eat her food! She wouldn’t even be able to do the laundry for others because it would be considered dirty. People would insult her so much that the girl could even decide to have it done to herself if she wasn’t cut.
So, I wanted to share with other Africans who practice FGC and child marriage why Keur Simbara abandoned this practice and what it has meant to us, the girls and young women of my generation, what it has meant for our well-being and for our future. I am hoping that others will follow the example of our community.
I also wanted people from other countries where FGC and child marriage are not practiced to see that Africans themselves are leading the movement for abandonment of harmful practices in Senegal.
OU: How do you think that your life would have been different if your village hadn’t stopped FGC and child marriage practices?
NFF: I think I would have had many problems in my life. I would have undergone FGC and I would now be married to someone I might not love at all. I would not now be in school for sure! Before, it was the parents who chose a husband for their daughters. It was what we call “forced marriage.” I could have gotten pregnant when my body was not yet fully developed. So, I thank God and am grateful to my community because they — together with all of our other relatives living in other communities — made this important decision to abandon these practices before I was born.
OU: Since FGC and child marriage are no longer an issue, are there other issues you want to change in Keur Simbara?
NFF: Yes! There are other areas where we need improvement in Keur Simbara. For example, we really need a good middle school in our village because children now have to walk far — five kilometers to attend classes in another village. I myself did this for three years. It is dangerous for children because there is more insecurity these days and we hear that children — especially girls — could be kidnapped or assaulted, especially if you have to attend school later in the afternoon.
I also would like to have a health post closer to our community as we now have to travel to the city to get most of our medical treatment. We do have a small health center but there is no nurse or doctor. If we had a health post, then children could study and come back to Keur Simbara as doctors or nurses to help our community. Eventually, we would like to have electricity also as there are certain machines that cannot run on solar. So, we could eventually provide more jobs for the young people of our community so they would not have to leave the village to go look for work.
OU: What is your favourite subject to study in school? Why do you like it?
NFF: I love learning English. I have always wanted to learn English as I see that it opens up other worlds and possibilities for people. During the filming, I realized how useful speaking English is and I wish with all my heart that I had not needed a translator and that I could have directly expressed myself with Elizabeth, my mentor, who taught me how to use the camera. Also, I hope to read in English and to travel to other countries one day. I know many people in the world speak English so I want to be able to exchange ideas with them. Even to do this interview, we had to go through translators!
But I also was able to attend classes at Tostan’s non-formal school in national languages where I learned about human rights. That was my favorite subject because we learned about so many human rights that are important to know and understand. It really changes your life and gives you self-confidence and I know it was what led people in Keur Simbara to end child marriage and FGC in 1998. The right to be free from all forms of violence, to be free from all forms of discrimination, the human right to voice one’s opinion and to marry the person of your choice — these are so important to know about.
OU: Do all the girls in Keur Simbara go to formal school? If they don’t, why don’t they?
NFF: No, unfortunately not all girls in Keur Simbara go to school. The reason is that the public school is far away and often they don’t have the funds needed to continue their education after primary school.
Even for me, going to school was a problem. My mother and father went through a divorce, which was not easy for me. I lived with my grandmother in the village and I had to walk the long distance to school and at the same time, help my grandmother with housework. So, last year, I didn’t do as well in school. But also, my father had only paid half of the school fees needed. I was asked to pay the rest or I would be kicked out of school. Each day, the school director asked me: “Where is the rest of the money you owe?” and each day I would say that I know my father will come to pay the rest soon. The director finally called my father to confirm he was coming to pay. Again, my father said he would come — but then he never did come and so the director told me I would have to leave. It was the middle of the school year. I had to leave school and I was heartbroken.
— Ndèye Fatou Fall
After some time, my mother who had married another man in the city of Thiès, brought me to live with her to try to find a public school where you don’t have to pay. I went from school to school but they all turned me away and told me it was too late to enroll, that all the schools were full. So, then my mother told me I would have to go live in Dakar with my aunt and her husband and children. I was asked to stay home and do the cooking, cleaning, and laundry for the whole family. I was home alone each day with my aunt while all of the other children — my cousins — were going to school. I was so discouraged because I too wanted to be going to school.
Then in January of this year, before the film was to be released in the United States, I was invited to come back to Keur Simbara to view the finished film with the rest of the community and other neighboring villages.
In the film, I was reminded of the joy and hope I had for the future, and realized how many of my dreams had been dashed by not being able to attend school. Then, the family who helped to fund this film for BYkids, Mark, Lisa and Izzy Wheeler, asked me why I looked sad while watching the film — and asked how I was doing in school. I was ashamed to tell them I was no longer in school. When they heard what had happened, they decided to help me get me back in school, through Tostan’s support, to find a school nearby that would accept me so late in the year and I am now living with a family five minutes away from a very wonderful school. I am trying so hard to catch up with what I missed for many months. I feel very grateful to everyone and I’m so happy to be back in school!
But other children in Keur Simbara and many other villages, don’t have the same opportunities that I have had in my life. That is not right and it is something that has to change.
OU: What do you like to do for fun?
NFF: I like to play sports — soccer and basketball. I also like to study and I have a tutor who is helping me to catch up with my studies in English — that is fun for me! I also like to participate in the religious ceremonies where we sing verses from the Koran in a group of young girls. I also perform in theaters that we do in the village to promote health and human rights. Many local African NGO leaders have visited our community and I hope that this theater will be used to influence others to promote well-being throughout the continent.
This interview was conducted in Wolof and translated by Dame Guèye and Molly Melching of Tostan, an organisation working with rural communities leading their own development.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
This piece is also available in French.
Subscribe to Assembly to get girl-powered posts delivered to your inbox twice a month.
Omolara Uthman is a Malala Fund editorial intern and student at Johns Hopkins University. She loves reading, writing and food photography.
Sauyin da ake bukata a tsarin ilimin Najeriya
ProfileAramide Akintimehin 3 July 2019 Nigeria, girls' education, teaching, Hausa
Profile, InterviewOmolara Uthman 3 July 2019 Senegal, filmmaker, Female genital cutting, FGC, FGM, ByKids, French, french
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Interview: Bringing Shure and Yamaha Technology Together
The seamless integration of Yamaha’s CL/QL Series consoles with Shure’s ULX-D digital wireless systems provided the users with significantly enhanced operability. This interview explores the intimate collaboration between two companies through the eyes of each project leader in product development.
How did the collaboration between Shure and Yamaha come about?
Kei:
We were already working with Shure on sound technology related to the Dante audio network protocol back in 2013, but really wanted to collaborate on providing remote monitoring and control of wireless microphone receivers directly from our mixing consoles. Both companies agreed that the capability would be convenient for users, but a number of hurdles remained. Repeated technical discussion eventually cleared the way, and we believe that it was the depth of those discussions that led to the success of our eventual collaboration.
At Shure we are always looking for ways to enhance the workflow of our customers and we felt the integration of wireless microphones into the interface of the console would offer compelling benefits for users. The networking capabilities of the Yamaha mixers and great support from Yamaha made this a perfect fit.
What is Shure’s opinion of the Yamaha CL/QL series consoles?
The Yamaha CL/QL series consoles are technically sophisticated, yet extremely easy and intuitive to use. They provide many ways to accomplish a task, and therefore adapt to an individual users personal preference for workflow.
What is Yamaha’s opinion of the Shure ULX-D wireless system?
The ULX-D devices are compact and refined. In addition to microphone and wireless technology accumulated over years of development, the ULX-D system incorporates Dante audio networking as a standard feature. Not only that, but the user interface and remote application (Wireless Workbench) are extremely easy to use. I was very impressed from an engineering perspective, and learned a great deal from Shure’s explanation of the ULX-D features and LED implementation.
Tell us about the relationship between wireless microphones and mixing consoles in a live sound system.
Mixing consoles can only function with appropriate input. Because wireless microphones have become a primary input source in live sound applications, we felt that collaboration between Shure and Yamaha would be meaningful for the entire industry. The ability to keep an eye on wireless microphone signal strength, remaining battery, mute status, and potential problems directly from the console rather than having to use a separate computer is a huge advantage for mixing engineers. Both of our companies are determined to deliver quality and reliability that ensure consistent, uninterrupted sound, and that enhanced reliability is another major benefit for live sound applications.
Agree completely with Kei’s comments. The mix position is where most of the audio control happens in live sound. Wireless microphones are essential to many shows but bring additional factors such as the RF link and battery status which ultimately are part of managing the audio system. This integration between Yamaha’s CL series consoles and Shure’s wireless systems puts the wireless microphone status and control into context with the other channel information that is easily accessed from the mixing console.
Tell us more about the collaboration, and any details you focused on.
It was over a year ago that I was placed in charge of Yamaha’s side of the project and began concrete discussions with Shure. Development hadn’t even started. We didn’t have a protocol for remote control, so we began by sharing protocol ideas. The first six months were dedicated just to settling that issue. By considering proposals from both parties and carefully working out the technical details we were able to come up with a very satisfactory solution. Once the protocol had been decided on, progress was smooth.
In order to achieve the greatest possible reliability and convenience, we aimed to provide network control that would connect easily but would not disconnect easily. For the user interface the emphasis was on comprehensive status monitoring and a system overview that would be easily visible from the mixing position. Our plans were passed on to Shure for review and quality checks at every stage of the development process.
One of the interesting outcomes of this collaboration is the ability to access the gain stage of the wireless hardware from the mixer. In particular, wireless channels connected via Dante can be adjusted remotely, which means that the level of the input signal can be controlled in a familiar way, from the same place that the input stage for wired mics is adjusted.
Were there any problems during the joint development process, or any interesting episodes?
The distance between Yamaha in Japan and Shure in the U.S.A limited the number of times we were actually able to meet face-to-face. There were two meetings in the U.S.A and two in Japan: a total of four. Most communication took place via email, but due to language issues and the fact that some of the subject matter was simply difficult to convey via email, we have to admit that development was slow at times. There were even cases when we proceeded on the basis of a misunderstanding, but by taking full advantage of every opportunity to communicate and working to deliver the new features to our customers as quickly as possible, dedication on both sides eventually achieved the desired results. We are most grateful to the Shure staff who patiently worked with us throughout the project. Thank you! We also have fond memories of how much the Shure team enjoyed a local “Yakitori” restaurant we introduced them to when they visited Japan.
The technical collaboration went extremely well. It was clear from the beginning of the collaboration that Yamaha had very experienced networking engineers assigned to the project. We collaborated on virtually every aspect, from the highly technical networking aspects, to the presentation of the information on the screens, to the testing of the software. There are 2 memories that will stay with me for a long time, one was walking to a restaurant for lunch in the pouring rain (that actually was a lot of fun!), and the other was working through some software issues at a face to face meeting in the US in one of our labs, no one would leave until the software problem was solved - it was a great collaboration.
In closing, what benefits can users expect from this important collaboration, and is there anything you’d like to add?
We are confident that users of the related products from Shure and Yamaha, including new users who are thinking about acquiring the products in the future, will benefit from significantly expanded capabilities and reliability. We hope that customers will understand that purchasing a Yamaha product not only provides Yamaha benefits, but connects the user to a range of other products as well. We are determined to continue collaborating with industry leaders to ensure that trend continues.
We hope that users find this to be an efficient way of working with the audio system as a whole and that the benefits are realized on a system level, perhaps making setup faster or inspiring more confidence during the show. We believe it adds value to each of the products involved but that the real value is in the overall solution and the way users work with it.
Profile: Kei Soma, Yamaha PA Development Group
Kei Soma joined Yamaha in 2009. After gaining experience in powered speaker and analog mixer development he joined the R&D team and began market research in the U.S.A in 2010. After returning to Japan he was placed in charge of developing network communication for digital mixers while simultaneously working as system design leader for the CL and QL series digital mixing consoles. Kei has played a major role in the design and development of the DSR series, MGP series, CL/QL series, R series, and the Tio1608-D I/O rack.
Profile: Rob Fuhlbrugge, Shure Product Development
Rob Fuhlbrugge is the Senior Director of Engineering and Product Development at Shure. Since joining the company in 2001, he has been responsible for researching and identifying technologies that allow Shure to expedite product development at Shure.
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Floods and Disease
Posted on December 17, 2018 December 17, 2018 by AFSadmin
“Water, water everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.”
These lines from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s famous poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” immediately come to mind when you view footage of a flooded New Orleans. Experts have criticized the Mayor for encouraging residents to return to the city, where safe drinking water is in short supply. The Environmental Protection Agency has found high levels of lead, arsenic, fecal matter and bacteria—including E. coli—in flood waters and sediment.
“The spread of disease from contaminated water will be the top health threat for the more than 2 million people impacted by the hurricane,”says Dennis G. Maki, MD, a professor of medicine and specialist in infectious diseases at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “Restoring fresh drinking water and repairing sewer systems is the most urgent health issue. Any delays would be catastrophic.”
But the real risks of contaminated water have been misrepresented by TV’s “talking heads,” according to Alan P. Zelicoff, MD, author of “Microbe: Are We Ready for the Next Plague?” and a senior scientist at ARES Corp., a risk-management consultancy whose clients include NASA and the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense. Experts “wringing their hands” over cholera, typhoid and tetanus have been providing the public with erroneous information, he asserts.
“There is no cholera in New Orleans—and there hasn’t been any for over 100 years—so the chances of it occurring were virtually zero,” says Dr. Zelicoff, inventor of the Syndrome Reporting Information System (SYRIS), a state-of-the-art surveillance system that alerts physicians, veterinarians and public health officials to the first signs of an outbreak of deadly diseases. “Typhoid, if it did occur, would be extremely difficult to spread—except among those foolish enough to drink the sewer water. Anyone with the slightest understanding of environmental [naturally occurring] infectious disease would understand this.And tetanus is caused by a soil organism that can get into cuts and bruises. It is certainly awful for the individual who gets it, but there were no cases.Tetanus has never been reported to transmit from person to person—other than among IV drug users who share infected needles—so it was way down the list of diseases of importance.”
The genuine major disease threats, according to Dr. Zelicoff, include:
Meningococcal meningitis
Hepatitis A (and perhaps hepatitis B, while less likely)
Enterovirus (a virus that infects the gastrointestinal tract, with the ability to spread to other parts of the body)
Each of these diseases, he explains, may occur when individuals are confined to crowded quarters.
“With 20,000 people sleeping on the floor of the Astrodome, which is about 2 acres,this translates into a density of several million people per square mile—a perfect setup for meningococcus,” Dr. Zelicoff says. “There are only two ways to deal with this potential threat: Disperse people as quickly as possible,which is what has happened at most—but not all—refugee centers. The second is vaccination. The vaccine is very safe, but it has two problems: It is expensive, at around $100 per injection, and it only covers about two-thirds of the known types of meningococcus. One type, known as type B, has defied all of our efforts for developing a vaccine.”
Hepatitis A and influenza present the same public health challenges. Influenza is a highly mutable virus that can rapidly become more lethal in crowded conditions, Dr. Zelicoff notes.
“To not vaccinate everyone coming into shelters against influenza is, in my view, the single largest mistake made so far,” he says. “It is too soon to know if we’ll have a lethal influenza outbreak, but so far we’ve gotten by on pure luck alone.”
Dr. Zelicoff fears experts at federal and state levels will ignore the observations and wisdom of local public health officials.
“In the end, public health—like politics—is local, and no one knows the situation on the ground better than local public health officials,” he says.
The end result?
“Resources get wasted, and the outbreaks that need attention are either missed or untreatable because all of the resources are gone when they occur,” Dr.Zelicoff warns.
“Despite the painful lessons that actual outbreaks have taught us, we remain vulnerable to the inadvertent introduction of a serious disease, such as newly evolved strains of avian influenza in humans,” he adds. “Worse, we remain especially vulnerable to an intentionally introduced disease, which is possible as a terrorist act. But it needn’t be so. We need to replace our haphazard patchwork of a public health system, where isolated professionals do their daily work largely in a vacuum, without the slightest idea of what they might have to face in the next days or even hours. We need to improve communication among the nation’s 5,000 or more independent public health offices and with the‘consumers’ of their information: physicians, veterinarians and government officials who must decide if, for example, a case of meningitis warrants a massive,immediate, region-wide vaccination campaign, at great expense to the public treasury, or if the situation can be observed for a period of time.”
Dr. Zelicoff says he has little faith that national and state public health officials will learn any lessons or change the way they approach a disaster like Hurricane Katrina until there is a massive outbreak of disease.
“We have already seen enterovirus, though it isn’t very transmissible if you wash your hands before eating,” he says. “I hope an outbreak doesn’t happen, but it is the only catalyst for change that I can realistically imagine.”
This entry was posted in Emergency Preparedness. Bookmark the permalink.
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VP BIDEN CLAIMS ‘HATRED’ IS FORCE BEHIND VOTER ID LAWS!
by ROBERT WILDE via BREITBART
On Tuesday, Vice President Joe Biden blamed “hatred” as the motivating force behind voter identification laws in states such as North Carolina, Alabama, and Texas. Biden wants new laws to block “former slave holding states in the south” from discrimination against blacks and other minorities.
Biden, speaking at a reception at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., in celebration of African-American History Month, said that, “These guys never go away. Hatred never, never goes away. The zealotry of those who wish to limit the franchise cannot be smothered by reason.”
Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee (I) would take issue with Vice President Biden. Back in 2011, when he signed the state’s new voter ID laws he commented, “Requiring identification at the polling place is a reasonable request to ensure the accuracy and integrity of our elections.” Currently, 34 states have voter ID laws, 20 of which require a photo.
A 2008 University of Missouri study actually demonstrated that those who argue that Voter ID laws would suppress the vote are misguided. The study showed that Voter ID laws had little effect on voter turnout. Moreover, Jeffrey Milyo, professor of economics and public affairs at the University of Missouri and a scholar in the Center for Applied Economics at the University of Kansas, notes that overall voter turnout in Indiana actually increased after the implementation of photo ID.
Milyo found that, “there is no consistent or statistically significant evidence that the photo ID law depressed turnout in counties with greater percentages of minority, poor, or elderly voters.” He continued, “Contrary to conventional wisdom, turnout in Democratic-leaning counties actually increased in the wake of the new photo ID requirements, all else constant.”
Currently, Eric Holder’s Justice Department has sued North Carolina and Texas an order to obstruct state laws that require voters to show photo IDs at the polls. The DOJ is arguing that they discriminate against minorities. Vice President Biden is rooting for the Justice Department to win the lawsuits: “This fight has been too long, this fight has been too hard, to do anything other than win – not on the margins, but flat-out win,” he said.
SEE VIDEO HERE! VIA BREITBART
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Peter Melchett in 2000. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Letter: Lord Melchett obituary
Peter Melchett served from 1981 until 1984 as president of the Ramblers’ Association, in those days a feisty and growing pressure group. He advised its members “to go on the offensive rather than simply trying to defend what we have”.
In 1982 he backed the plan hatched by leftish ramblers to hold an unofficial, alternative launch of the Wolds Way (now a national trail). The Countryside Commission, which had planned the way, had been induced by Lord Middleton, president of the Country Landowners’ Association, to route it away from the deserted medieval village, Wharram Percy, that he owned in the Yorkshire Wolds.
Peter was pivotal in persuading the Ramblers to hold their own opening of the way on the proper route and overshadowing the official launch. He was prominent at the event, revelling in the publicity it generated. Years later, on Desert Island Discs, The Manchester Rambler, the trespassers’ anthem, led his playlist.
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Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2: The Woes of Human Value & Busting into a Basement – Eps. 55 & 56 Thoughts (Spring 2019)
BiblioNyan / 14th Jun 2019
Going into these two episodes I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. The first five episodes of the season were an emotional and violent ride that bitch-slapped me in the face with both shock and admiration for it kicking the game into the next level. After chatting with fellow bloggers, I knew that a desperate decision would have to be made and that the story wouldn’t be able to move forward without the Scouts heading into the fucking basement. Luckily for me, both of these things actually happened in the last two weeks worth of content. One episode had me impressed and moved to tears with, while the other left me shaking my head with disappointment.
This episode revolved around making the hardest decisions possible when it comes to surviving a war, and it made me cry in ways I wasn’t expecting (i.e.: sobbing by the end).
When we left the previous episode there were two deaths that we knew would be the focus this time around, and thus having to decide whom the better candidate is in terms of saving humanity: Erwin and Armin. While many people called out who would ultimately get the shot of titan-potion, the progression towards that was not an easy one. I felt it in my bones and by seeing the expressions of everyone involved. How do you make a decision of that calibre? I certainly don’t envy those who are placed in such a position.
You know I was doing fine until Mikasa lost it. Seeing her display a heavy load of emotions has been extremely rare (if non-existent) since the serial’s start. The only display of consideration she has shown has been situations involving Eren and they usually involve possessiveness and protectiveness that is laced with anger and vengeance. To see her completely fall apart because of Armin broke my strength.
The build-up of tension, regardless of being able to predict the outcome, was outstanding. It was excruciatingly intense and evocative, like being wound up so tightly that it makes you bleed, especially if you have a vested interested in the characters. The dialogue and the arguments that were made for both parties were also exceptionally done. These twenty-some-odd minutes illustrated to us what being human means: placing value on a person that surpasses another. We as human do this shit all the time. This person is better because they are rich or White, or this person is better because they are educated and pretty. However, in times of war and survival that value is concentrated on other aspects, things made go beyond the superficiality of existence, and when you have two men who are super hard-working and devoted to the cause, that value can seem meaningless while still being a wholly necessary source of scrutiny. It was brilliant.
If I had to choose one thing I hated about this segment, it’s Reiner. That motherfucker really needs to die already. He is so passed his goddamn expiration date. Dragging on his existence seems utterly pointless to me, yet I suppose only time shall tell whether I’m being a brat for the sake of being brat, or if my frustrations are warranted.
They finally go the fricking basement. That’s it, that’s the whole episode. Literally them going to the basement, being in the basement for a handful of minutes, and discovering something important in the most anti-climactic way possible.
I don’t know what I was expecting with this episode. I’ve been waiting for it for the past 61 years, and in a way, it felt like a let-down. My assumption is that the reason it felt so unsatisfying is because of how much it had been hyped; the end all and be all of humanity. Combine that with the significantly long waiting-period, it was probably bound to be a bit of downer in one way or another. The most exciting part of that whole endeavour was watching Levi kick the door open.
The discovery made in the basement, at least what’s been shown of it thus far, does create a lot of questions about humanity, their origins, and finally more curiosities involving the titans. Grisha’s past is far more intriguing to me now. My hope is that his past will reveal some level of mindfuckery to bring that unpredictability back into the series that it had during the first season and for the first half of this one. Man, I miss that so much.
One of the better elements of this episode consisted of Eren and Mikasa walking down familiar streets of a familiar city that they haven’t been in since the tragic day of Mrs Jaeger’s death. The influx of memories and grief that came with it was bittersweet—sad yet quite lovely. It complemented the events of the previous episode and all of the emotional turmoil that took place there. Even though these reminisces took up the bulk of the episode (and leaving less time in the basement), I appreciated it. The wonder as to what it would feel like to return to such a haunting place for these kids is another component that I’ve been awaiting eagerly. That part didn’t disappoint.
Three more episodes to go until the season ends and the series changes studios. I know that Grisha’s past is coming up in the next episode, but will it wow us or woe us in the end?
Thank you so much for visiting me today. I appreciate the support! Until next time, keep reading and keep otakuing.
Hello, friends! If you enjoy my content, please consider supporting me with a one-time Ko-Fi ($3) donation, so that I can pay for my medications, and for the maintenance and upkeep of the blog! I would greatly appreciate any ounce of support you could provide. Thank you.
14th Jun 2019 in Anime Episodic. Tags: Attack on Titan, Attack on Titan Season 3, 進撃の巨人, Shingeki no Kyojin
Mid-Season Episodic Mutterings: Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2 (Spring 2019)
Attack on Titan Season 2 (2017) – Anime Review
January & February Anime Watching Wrap-Up! (2019)
← The 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge: Days 06 to 09 – Nature, Books, & Travels
The 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge: Days 10 to 12 – Childhood, Films, & Felines →
2 thoughts on “Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2: The Woes of Human Value & Busting into a Basement – Eps. 55 & 56 Thoughts (Spring 2019)”
hawkenstein says:
Sounds like they have some loose ends that hopefully wrap up by the end of the season. Hopefully they do so well, and the next studio can carry on the quality from this season.
Hopefully they will. I’m nervous about a new studio taking over and possibly creating a huge visual shift, yet I also believe that there’s potential for the series to get more attention to detail that it deserves that it’s not getting from Wit/I.G.
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Proposed gene therapy for a heart arrhythmia, based on models made from patient cells
UTSA launches open source software to secure the cloud for users
‘Intensive’ beekeeping not to blame for common bee diseases
Research program aimed at diversity brings young scientists to MCG through July 30, 2019
Giving a chip about masa
Undocumented Latina immigrants face PTSD at four times the national rate, new study finds
Avian malaria behind drastic decline of London’s iconic sparrow?
Study: Rugby-style tackling may have lower force of impact than football-style tackling
Publisher - Bioengineering
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Small horned dinosaur from China, a Triceratops relative, walked on two feet
By Bioengineer On Jul 12, 2019
With fossils from more than 80 individual dinosaurs, Auroraceratops rugosus, an early horned dinosaur, is one of the best represented dinosaur species ever found.
Credit: Robert Walters
Many dinosaur species are known from scant remains, with some estimates suggesting 75% are known from five or fewer individuals. Auroraceratops rugosus was typical in this regard when it was named in 2005 based upon a single skull from the Gobi Desert in northwestern China. But that is no longer the case.
In the intervening years, scientists have recovered fossils from more than 80 individual Auroraceratops, bringing this small-bodied plant-eater into the ranks of the most completely known dinosaurs. It is now one of the few very early horned dinosaurs known from complete skeletons. In a collection of articles appearing as Memoir 18 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology this week, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Gansu Agricultural University, and other institutions describe the anatomy, age, preservation, and evolution of this large collection of Auroraceratops.
Their analysis places Auroraceratops, which lived roughly 115 million years ago, as an early member of the group Ceratopsia, or horned dinosaurs, the same group to which Triceratops belongs. In contrast to Triceratops, Auroraceratops is small, approximately 49 inches (1.25 meters) in length and 17 inches (44 cm) tall, weighing on average 34 pounds (15.5 kilograms). While Auroraceratops has a short frill and beak that characterize it as a horned dinosaur, it lacks the “true” horns and extensive cranial ornamentation of Triceratops.
“When I first saw this animal back in 2004, I knew instantly it was a new kind that had never been seen before and was very excited about it,” says paleontologist Peter Dodson, senior author on the work and a professor with appointments in Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine and School of Arts and Sciences. “This monograph on Auroraceratops is long-awaited.”
In 2005, Dodson and his former students Hai-Lu You and Matthew Lamanna named Auroraceratops (in Latin, “dawn’s horned face”) in honor of Dodson’s wife, Dawn Dodson. You, along with fellow Chinese scientist Da-Qing Li–both authors on the current work–and collaborators followed up on the discovery, identifying more than 80 additional examples of the species, from near-hatchlings to adults.
Eric Morschhauser, lead author who is now on the faculty at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, completed his Ph.D. under Dodson at Penn, focused on characterizing Auroraceratops using this robust dataset.
Auroraceratops represents the only horned dinosaur in the group Neoceratopsia (the lineage leading to and including the large bodied ceratopsians such as Triceratops) from the Early Cretaceous with a complete skeleton. This exclusiveness is significant, the researchers say, because horned dinosaurs transitioned from being bipedal, like their ancestors, to being the large rhinoceros-like quadrupedal animals most people think of as horned dinosaurs during the later parts of the Cretaceous.
“Before this study,” says Morschhauser, “we had to rely on Psittacosaurus, a more distantly related and unusual ceratopsian, for our picture of what the last bipedal ceratopsian looked like.”
Auroraceratops preserves multiple features of the skeleton, like a curved femur and long, thin claws, that are unambiguously associated with walking bipedally in some dinosaurs.
“It can now provide us with a better picture of the starting point for the changes between bipedal and quadrupedal ceratopsians,” adds Morschhauser.
Peter Dodson is a professor of anatomy in the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Biomedical Sciences and a professor of paleontology in the School of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Earth and Environmental Science.
Eric Morschhauser is an assistant professor of biology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a research associate of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. He earned his doctorate studying with Peter Dodson at the University of Pennsylvania Department of Earth and Environmental Science in 2012.
This research was funded by the National Science Foundation (Grant NSF EAR 1024671), the National Geographic Society (Grant 8930-11), University of Pennsylvania, Jurassic Foundation, 2009 National Science Foundation /Ministry of Science and Technology East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes program (Grant OISE-0913833), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 41072019), Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Gansu Geological Museum.
Katherine Unger Baillie
https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/small-horned-dinosaur-china-triceratops-relative-walked-two-feet-penn-paleontologists-find
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2017.1396995
BiologyEarth ScienceEvolutionPaleontologyZoology/Veterinary Science
Bioengineer 48826 posts 0 comments
Outcomes of non-operatively treated elbow ulnar in professional baseball players
Bioengineer Oct 9, 2018 0
Credit: Microbiology Concepts (http://microbiologyconcepts.blogspot.com/2017/03/bacteria.html) To fight your…
Cancer patients can now use skin creams during radiation therapy
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How to Prevent Colon Cancer
Older Women with MS Age Better Than Their Male Counterparts, Canadian Survey Finds
In the Battle Against Hepatitis C, the VA Takes the Lead
Published by Team BioPlus Health at September 29, 2017
Dietary and lifestyle choices affect colon cancer risk.
More than 130,000 men and women are told they have colon or rectal cancer (known collectively as colorectal cancer) every year, making it the third most commonly diagnosed cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
But a new report from the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) provides new evidence that the right eating and exercise plan can really help lower your risk of developing the disease.
In the report, researchers analyzed 99 studies with data on 29 million people.
“The findings are clear that diet and lifestyle play a major role,” says lead author Edward L. Giovannucci, M.D., Sc.D., professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. “Despite it’s prevalence, colorectal cancer is a highly preventable disease.”
Read full article: How to Prevent Colon Cancer – Consumer Reports
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« CCSP Spotlight: James Simonetti | Main | A Gliimpse into the Future: Giving patients control of their healthcare records? »
White House Appoints 2016 (ISC)² GISLA Winner and Fellow CISSP as New Federal CISO
Earlier this year, (ISC)² honored Brigadier General (retired) and Deputy Assistant Secretary Gregory Touhill, CISSP, CISM, with a Government Information Security Leadership Award (GISLA®) for demonstrating exceptional leadership in securing federal civilian networks, helping the private sector manage cyber risk, coordinating interagency response to cyber incidents of national significance, and engaging with Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) international partners. In that role, DAS Touhill transformed DHS’ processes for working with critical partners across the country and around the world.
Yesterday, the White House validated DAS Touhill’s exceptional leadership skills, experience and distinguished career by naming him the first-ever Federal Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), a much anticipated and necessary call-of-duty. In his new role, DAS Touhill will lead those at OMB who drive policy and implement leading cyber practices across federal agencies.
The (ISC)² organization views this announcement as a significant day in U.S. government history and certainly for those of us in the cybersecurity profession. We are honored that an (ISC)² member and fellow CISSP has been given the opportunity and responsibility to demonstrate the core cybersecurity principles that (ISC)² and its members have been establishing worldwide for over two decades. We are proud that one of our own will now be representing the CISO community among the highest rankings of federal decision makers.
During an uncertain presidential transition, (ISC)² and its members are committed to being a stabilizing force and to bridging the gap between the cyber practitioner and the boardroom. As we watch to see how the new presidential administration prioritizes cybersecurity, we stand committed to nurturing existing and potential talent and to supporting those responsible for building the government’s pipeline of cybersecurity professionals.
From Dan Waddell, CISSP, CAP, PMP, (ISC)² managing director, North America region and director, U.S. Government Affairs:
"I would like to congratulate Brigadier General (retired) Greg Touhill on his new role. I'm fortunate to know Brig. Gen. (ret) Touhill personally as a fellow CISSP and have seen firsthand the great work that his team has accomplished at DHS under his guidance. He will be the first to tell you that he had nothing to do with these accomplishments, which is a testament to both his humility and his tremendous leadership skills. To all those in the federal cybersecurity community, be assured that you are getting someone who has dedicated his life to serving and protecting our country in both the Air Force and at DHS. He understands both the challenges and rewards of coming up through the ranks. The combination of his technical and management expertise is exactly what this position requires. With great respect, and on behalf of his fellow (ISC)² members, I wish Brig. Gen. (ret) Touhill the best of luck in this important endeavor."
Related reading: New Federal CISO: History in the making?
Posted by (ISC)² Management on 09 September 2016 at 09:55 AM in Government | Permalink
Tags: chief information security officer, CISO, CISSP, cybersecurity, federal CISO, federal government, government security, U.S. government
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Cantata Singers reveal another side of Rachmaninoff in “All-Night Vigil”
By David Wright
Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “All-Night Vigil” was performed by the Cantata Singers Saturday night in Wellesley.
On Saturday night, the Cantata Singers gave fans of Sergei Rachmaninoff another reason to love his music.
In All-Night Vigil, a setting of hymns and responses from the Eastern Orthodox liturgy for chorus a capella, the famed exponent of piano pyrotechnics and small-r romantic melodies proved to be also a profound and moving explorer of Russian music’s ecclesiastical roots.
In so doing, he shed light on the traits that are so attractive about his more familiar concert music: the strong, sinuous melodies that move up and down the scale, the glowing triadic harmonies, the emotions that run deep in the Russian soul.
In historic Orthodox practice, the all-night vigil would last till dawn, and the choral music would be interspersed with readings, prayers, and sermons. Saturday’s performance at Wellesley College’s Houghton Chapel–ably led by the group’s music director David Hoose–posed an even greater challenge to the singers than staying up all night: to sing almost continuously and on pitch for over an hour, maintaining focus on a complex vocal texture that might divide into as many as eleven parts.
Each chorus member deserves some of the credit for the group’s sustained navigation of the work’s fifteen movements on Saturday night, accomplished with only a few discreet pitch checks along the way.
But attention must focus on director Hoose, because an a capella chorus depends on its leader not just for tempos and cues, but for an exchange of energy and moral support beyond anything known in orchestral conducting. If the Cantata Singers delivered the goods on Saturday, it was because Hoose did.
What they delivered was anything but what the casual Rachmaninoff enthusiast might expect. If Verdi could be accused of setting the Latin Requiem Mass as an opera libretto, no one would call this All-Night Vigil a piano concerto with words.
Instead, the composer tapped into a Russian sacred choral tradition whose sturdy counterpoint and massed voices sound as ancient as the Volga River itself, but in fact were only a little over a hundred years old when Rachmaninoff took them up.
According to Harlow Robinson’s informative program notes, monodic chant was indeed a feature of Orthodox worship going way back, but those lusty harmonizations began only in the late 18th century, when the chants were first written down in Western notation.
Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil is now itself exactly 100 years old, having been composed during two weeks in January 1915. At 41, the composer was already a celebrated pianist, conductor and author of symphonies, concertos and operas. Not a churchgoer himself, he nevertheless felt the need to contribute, like his idol Tchaikovsky, to his nation’s spiritual life in music.
Before undertaking the All-Night Vigil, Rachmaninoff studied the various streams of traditional chant and consulted authorities on church liturgy and music. The resulting work made a profound impression at its premiere in wartime Moscow in March 1915, and remained in demand until the anti-religious Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 consigned all such music to the desk drawer.
In this score, Rachmaninoff set himself limits of church decorum that precluded extremes of tempo, instrumental-style virtuosity, or pictorial text-setting. What is remarkable is how much variety and imagination he poured into music that nearly always moved with the moderate, free rhythm of speech-like chant. (Eight of the fifteen movements, in fact, have no bar lines in the score, but spin out in a continuous, unmetered stream.)
The chorus cast a crepuscular spell in the work’s first six movements, which together constituted the evening service, or Vespers. (The entire Vigil is sometimes referred to, not quite accurately, as “Rachmaninoff’s Vespers.”) Their sound brightened for the concluding Matins, in which the rising sun is accompanied by news of the risen Christ.
Applying the customary yardsticks of choral performance, one noted that any deviation from true pitch was quickly remedied, and while this reviewer can’t judge the singers’ pronunciation of Church Slavonic, their diction was clear enough to allow a listener to follow along in the program’s transliterated text.
And let’s give a special shout-out (or growl-out) to the bass section’s many descents into the cellar of their range, the resonant Cs and B-flats thought to be the exclusive territory of Russian basses, but not on this night.
Almost exclusively a choral piece, the All-Night Vigil resorted to solos rarely and briefly. Tenor Stephen Williams and bass Shelby Condray gave the invocation in the opening “Come, Let Us Worship,” and alto Kim Leeds was a solid prima inter pares as the celebrant in the following movement, “Bless the Lord, O My Soul.”
Thereafter, Williams soared over his colleagues from time to time, most notably as the fervent, clear-toned soloist in the fifth movement, “Lord, Now Lettest Thou Thy Servant Depart in Peace,” a setting the composer thought highly enough of to ask that it be performed at his funeral. (It wasn’t, unfortunately.)
But the night belonged, to an extent concerts rarely do, to the composer himself and his ever-flowing invention, to which chorus and conductor gave selfless service. As the last melismas swirled to a quiet close, the sun seemed to rise on another revelation, a Rachmaninoff we didn’t know we knew.
The next concert by the Cantata Singers will be works for chorus and orchestra by Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven, 8 p.m. March 20 at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall. cantatasingers.org; 617-868-5885.
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Chinese Traditional Medicine
drives international expansion
The value of the healthcare category increased 3 percent in the BrandZÔ Top 100 Most Valuable Chinese Brands 2017, as each of the three brands represented – Yunnan Baiyao, Tong Ren Tang, and CR Sanjiu – increased modestly.
Retail sales of western and Chinese medicines grew 12.4 percent during the first 10 months of 2016, according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics. Meanwhile, the Chinese healthcare industry took steps to go global.
Tong Ren Tang opened three stores in the US at the end of 2016, one in San Francisco and two in New York. It also plans to open in Vancouver, Canada. These locations have large Chinese communities, but the brand expects to open 200 stores worldwide over the next five years.
Ton Ren Tang also entered a licensing agreement to be the exclusive distributor in China for the vitamins, nutritional supplements, and other healthcare products of the Canadian brand Natural Factors. Established in 1669, during the Qing Dynasty, Tong Ren Tang has over four centuries of experience developing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the brand is well known in China.
Although TCM is growing in popularity in the West, greater mainstream adoption in the US, for example, requires approval from government regulators and acceptance by insurance companies. Tong Ren Tang expects the growing popularity of acupuncture in the US to help facilitate its expansion. In addition, it plans to open a Chinese medicine cultural center with the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, in San Francisco.
Known for creating products fortified with the healing power of herbal ingredients, Yunnan Baiyao was well positioned to meet the rising consumer interest in natural personal care products. It derives a large portion of its revenue in oral care, where it faces significant competition from multinationals. Yunnan Baiyao also explored expanding into fragrances.
CR Sanjiu acquired Kunming Shenghuo Pharmaceutical Group, strengthening the brand’s presence in cardiovascular health. CR Sanjiu is a subsidiary of CR Pharmaceutical, a holding of China Resources, the giant state-owned conglomerate.
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You are here: Home / Mary Brooke Casad
Mary Brooke Oliphint Casad has written a series of books about an armadillo named Bluebonnet, detailing Bluebonnet’s travels around Texas.
A native of Louisiana and graduate of University High School on the LSU campus, Casad received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and also studied at Harlaxton College in Grantham, England. She spent her childhood summers in the Texas Hill Country at Camp Waldemar, where she was first introduced to armadillos! She edited a history of the 75-year-old camp: The Waldemar Story – Camping in the Texas Hill Country . Casad was invited by First Lady Laura Bush to be a featured Texas writer at the Texas Book Festival in Austin in 1997 and 2000. She is a member of the Writers’ League of Texas, the Texas State Historical Association and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. She is also a member of Chapter AB of P.E.O. and Kappa Kappa Gamma.
Casad is the co-author of a discipleship study series, The Basics, published by Abingdon Press, 2016. The series includes three books–Citizens of Hope, The Road to Amazing, Get in the Game–written with her brother, Dr. Clayton Oliphint, pastor of First United Methodist Church, Richardson, Texas.
Mary Brooke is an active United Methodist layperson, having served on the committee that produced The United Methodist Hymnal (1989). She was elected to serve as a delegate to the 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 United Methodist General and Jurisdictional Conferences, and as lay leader of the North Texas delegation to the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Conferences. She previously served as chair of UMR Communications, Inc. Board of Directors. She is the immediate past chair of the Foundation for Evangelism trustees, and served two terms on the Board of Directors of the Texas Methodist Foundation. She is secretary of the Board of Directors for Project Transformation National. Casad was Director of Connectional Ministries for the United Methodist Church in the Dallas area for ten years, the first woman and layperson named to this position. She is the former Executive Secretary of The Connectional Table of The United Methodist Church. Her husband, Dr. Victor E. Casad, is a United Methodist clergyman, serving as district superintendent of the East District, North Texas Conference. They reside in Sulphur Springs, Texas and have two sons, a daughter-in-law and three grandchildren.
Casad is a teaching artist with Young Audiences of Northeast Texas. Schools or organizations interested in booking Casad’s program can call (903) 561-2787 or visit www.yanetexas.org
~~ • • • ~~
from Pelican Publishing Bluebonnet, everyone's favorite Texas armadillo, is about to take a trip that will elevate the reputation of armadillos to … Read More...
from Pelican Publishing Tour the oil rig with our favorite armadillo. The latest in the adventure series finds Bluebonnet exploring the Ocean … Read More...
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The statue on the front lawn was created by Mitch S. Billis.
The Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library has been providing library service to the residents of Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor since 1924.
In 1906, the citizens of Boothbay Harbor voted to establish a free public library, and in 1922, the Library moved to the first floor of the Townsend building on Oak Street. In 1923, the need for more library space, along with a desire for a World War I Memorial, led to the approval of a bond for the purchase of the Chapman Reed property just across the street.
Originally designed as a private home, this beautifully proportioned Greek Revival temple-style structure was built in the 1840s by William Maxwell Reed. In 1923, the town of Boothbay Harbor purchased the property on Oak Street from the heirs of Chapman Reed. The dedication ceremony was held in July of 1923. The Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library was incorporated the next year with a 15 member board of trustees.
The original homestead has been remodeled four times. To create the Library in 1923, the front door was relocated from the ell to the center front of the main room which is today known as the Great Room. A Greek revival front was added and a World War I memorial plaque was placed over the fireplace. In 1966 a reading room was added, and in 1976 the building was extended along Howard Street to add a children’s room.
In 2014 the Library completed Phase 1 of a two phase renovation and expansion project, almost doubling the square footage of the building, and making the first floor ADA accessible. The remodel also added new shelving, a “Tween Room,” and a 2nd floor with a Community Room and offices. Phase 2 will link the Library to the Used Book Store, add a Special Collections Room, more storage, and an elevator, which will make the 2nd floor ADA accessible.
In 1969 the Hyde House next door, which now houses the Friends of the Library Used Bookstore, was willed to the Library. The contents were auctioned and the proceeds added to the Endowment Fund. The Library is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
In keeping with the designation of “Memorial Library,” the plaque over the fireplace honors the local veterans of World War I. The bronze tablet on the Library lawn commemorates the veterans of all wars and conflicts. It was dedicated on July 4, 1991.
In 2001 the Library became part of the Maine InfoNet and joined the Minerva Consortium. The Library currently houses 22,000+ books, audiobooks and videos for adults and youth.
In the Summer, the Hallowell Band performs on the Library lawn every Thursday evening. This musical event is extremely popular and sometimes draws a standing room only crowd. The lawn is also used for craft fairs and other special events
Behind the Library in the Hyde House is the famous Friends Used Bookstore. The bookstore is a great place to browse for lost treasures or some inexpensive beach reading. The porch of the Hyde House features the ever-popular porch books, just 25 cents each.
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Nicholas Yung slumped into the nearest seat in the hotel lobby, drained from the sixteen-hour flight from Singapore, the train… - Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians.
Bidart, Rabe, Wolcott Among 2014 PEN Literary Award Winners – 2014
PEN American Center, the largest branch of the world’s leading literary and human rights organization, announced today the winners of the 2014 PEN Literary Awards. This year’s recipients include, among others, acclaimed poet Frank Bidart for achievement in poetry, Tony Award-winning playwright David Rabe for his contribution to American drama, and journalist and cultural critic James Wolcott for his collection of essays. The awards also honor new literary voices, including Nina McConigley for her debut short story collection and Laura Marks, who will receive the inaugural award honoring an emerging dramatist. The Literary Awards Ceremony will be held on Monday, September 29, 2014, at The New School’s Auditorium at 66 West 12th Street in New York City. The complete list of award recipients can be found below.
For the first time this year, the winner for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction ($25,000), chosen by judges Charles Bock, Jonathan Dee, Fiona Maazel, and Karen Shepard, will be announced live at the Awards Ceremony in September. Finalists for the award include Anthony Marra for A Constellation of Vital Phenomena (Hogarth), Saïd Sayrafiezadeh for Brief Encounters with the Enemy (The Dial Press), Ian Stansel for Everybody’s Irish (FiveChapters Books), Shawn Vestal for Godforsaken Idaho (Little A/New Harvest), and Hanya Yanagihara for The People in the Trees (Doubleday).
“Celebrating the written word is an essential part of defending it,” said PEN President Peter Godwin, “and it is through PEN’s literary awards that we continue to honor some of the most exceptional books and bodies of work that free expression makes possible. We are so grateful to our awards judges, all of whom are writers or literary figures themselves. The care they have taken in the judging process is reflected in their final selections. PEN is proud to recognize the achievements of these diverse literary voices.”
Alice Quinn, Chair of PEN’s Literary Awards, added, “The judges of the distinguished annual PEN awards adapted to a new schedule this year, established to highlight first a longlist of nominees, then a shortlist, and now the announcement of the winners. Each fresh look at the achievements of the candidates involved a greater commitment of time and discerning focus on the part of the 48 judges. Everyone at PEN, particularly the members of the Literary Awards Committee, is hugely grateful for all this hard work. The new process holds many more books aloft throughout the summer months, and the citations, as always, are superb—both a great pleasure to read and a useful guide for readers seeking excellence in all the categories of writing honored.”
PEN will announce the winner of the PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction ($25,000), chosen by judges E.L. Doctorow, Edwidge Danticat, and Zadie Smith, in early September.
For over 50 years, the PEN Literary Awards have honored and introduced some of the most outstanding voices in literature across such diverse genres as fiction, poetry, biography, children’s literature, science writing, translation, and drama.This year, with the help of its partners, supporters, and judges, PEN will confer 18 distinct awards, fellowships, grants, and prizes, awarding nearly $150,000 to writers, editors, and translators.
PEN will be accepting submissions for its 2015 Awards from September 1 through October 31. For a list of all 2015 PEN Awards and information about submission guidelines, please visit www.pen.org/awards.
2014 PEN LITERARY AWARD WINNERS
PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, Founded by Barbara Kingsolver ($25,000): To an author of an unpublished novel that addresses issues of social justice. The prize also includes a publishing contract with Algonquin Books.
JUDGES: Terry McMillan, Nancy Pearl, and Kathy Pories
WINNER: And West is West, Ron Childress
PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay ($10,000): For a book of essays published in 2013 that exemplifies the dignity and esteem the essay form imparts to literature.
JUDGES: Geoff Dyer, Stanley Fish, Ariel Levy, and Cheryl Strayed
WINNER: Critical Mass (Doubleday), James Wolcott
PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award ($10,000): For a book of literary nonfiction on the subject of the physical or biological sciences published in 2013.
JUDGES: Akiko Busch, Rivka Galchen, and Eileen Pollack
WINNER: High Price (Harper), Dr. Carl Hart
PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Awards ($7,500 and $2,500): Three awards which honor a Master American Dramatist, American Playwright in Mid-Career, and Emerging American Playwright. This is the inaugural year of the Award for an Emerging American Playwright.
JUDGES: John Lithgow, Elizabeth Streb, and Maria Tucci
Master American Dramatist
WINNER: David Rabe
American Playwright in Mid-Career ($7,500)
WINNER: Donald Margulies
Emerging American Playwright ($2,500)
WINNER: Laura Marks
PEN Open Book Award ($5,000): For an exceptional book-length work of literature by an author of color published in 2013.
JUDGES: Catherine Chung, Randa Jarrar, and Monica Youn
domina Un/blued (Tupelo Press), Ruth Ellen Kocher
Cowboys and East Indians (FiveChapters Books), Nina McConigley
PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography ($5,000): For a distinguished biography published in 2013.
JUDGES: James Atlas, Lisa Cohen, and Wendy Gimbel
WINNER: Holding On Upside Down: The Life and Work of Marianne Moore (Farrar, Straus & Giroux), Linda Leavell
PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing ($5,000): To honor a nonfiction book on the subject of sports published in 2013.
JUDGES: Joel Drucker, Chad Harbach, and Jackie MacMullan
WINNER: League of Denial (Crown Archetype), Mark Fainaru-Wada & Steve Fainaru
PEN/Steven Kroll Award for Picture Book Writing ($5,000): To a writer for an exceptional story illustrated in a picture book published in 2013.
JUDGES: Mac Barnett, Ted Lewin, and Elizabeth Winthrop
WINNER: The King of Little Things (Peachtree Publishers), Bil Lepp
PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry ($5,000): To a poet whose distinguished and growing body of work to date represents a notable and accomplished presence in American literature.
JUDGES: Peg Boyers, Toi Derricotte, and Rowan Ricardo Phillips
WINNER: Frank Bidart
PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship ($5,000): To an author of children’s or young-adult fiction, who has published at least two books, to complete a book-length work-in-progress.
JUDGES: Kathi Appelt, Johanna Hurwitz, and Padma Venkatraman
WINNER: The Taste of Elephant Tears, Linda Oatman High
PEN/ESPN Lifetime Achievement Award for Literary Sports Writing ($5,000): To a writer whose body of work represents an exceptional contribution to the field.
JUDGES: Kostya Kennedy, David Rosenthal, and John Schulian
WINNER: Dave Anderson
PEN Award for Poetry in Translation ($3,000): For a book-length translation of poetry into English published in 2013.
JUDGE: Kimiko Hahn
WINNER: Diaries of Exile by Yannis Ritsos (Archipelago), Karen Emmerich & Edmund Keeley
PEN Translation Prize ($3,000): For a book-length translation of prose into English published in 2013.
JUDGES: Ann Goldstein, Becka McKay, and Katherine Silver
WINNER: Autobiography of a Corpse by Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky (New York Review Books), Joanne Turnbull & Nikolai Formozov
PEN/Edward and Lily Tuck Award for Paraguayan Literature ($3,000): To a living author of a major work of Paraguayan literature not yet translated into English.
JUDGES: Idra Novey, Yvette Siegert, and Mark Statman
WINNER: En Tacumbú (El Lector), Raúl Silva Alonso
PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants ($2,000-$4,000): To support the translation of book-length works into English.
JUDGES: Esther Allen, Barbara Epler, Sara Khalili, Michael F. Moore*, Lorin Stein, Lauren Wein (*Voting Chair of the PEN/Heim Translation Fund Advisory Council)
WINNERS: To be announced in August
The 2014 PEN Literary Awards are made possible through the generous support of PEN’s many donors: Amazon.com, Kathleen Beckett and Steven Kroll, the family of Robert W. Bingham, Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel and Carl Spielvogel, ESPN, Harrison Ford, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, The Kaplen Foundation, Barbara Kingsolver, Priscilla and Michael Henry Heim, Michael Moritz and Harriet Heyman, Phyllis Naylor, the Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater, the Estate of Rochelle Ratner, Dr. Edward O. Wilson and the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, James and Cathy Stone, Edward and Lily Tuck, Hunce Voelcker, and Jacqueline Bograd Weld and Rodman L. Drake.
Founded in 1922, PEN American Center is the largest of the 145 centers of PEN International, the world’s leading human rights and literary organization. PEN works to advance literature, to defend free expression, and to foster international literary fellowship. Its 2,000 distinguished members carry on the achievements in literature and the advancement of human rights of such past members as Langston Hughes, Arthur Miller, Susan Sontag, and John Steinbeck. www.pen.org
Categorised in: News
Digital Book World at Frankfurt Book Fair
RealClearPolitics Joins Powerhouse Digital Book World 2019 Program
Books International’s David Hetherington on print challenges
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Is Your Brand Ready for the Messaging App Marketing Revolution?
Tuesday, April 19th, 2016 | 10 min read
Snapchat, WeChat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Line, Viber…
The messaging apps just keep on coming—and they’re going to determine the future of your marketing and customer service strategy, regardless of whether your customer is mobile or logged in on their computer.
According to eMarketer, messaging apps were used by over 1.4 billion people worldwide in 2015—a 32% jump from the year before. And that number is expected to hit 2 billion by 2018. In fact, Mary Meeker’s 2015 Internet Trends Report found that six of the 10 most popular apps are centered around messaging.
The messaging mania has already taken over in Asia and Europe. As the Wall Street Journal noted, hundreds of millions of people in China use WeChat to do everything from buy shoes to book doctors’ appointments. Meanwhile, closer to home, Facebook launched its standalone Messenger app just last year to latch onto the fast-growing trend. It already has over 900 million monthly users.
Then, at the recent F8 conference, Facebook announced that Messenger now supports bots. This means marketers can send personalized messages to users through Messenger, such as order confirmations, shipping updates, or news content. It’s easy to imagine the potential for messaging app bots to transform the way brands communicate with customers.
So, the secret’s out; messaging apps are going to be huge in marketing. Are you ready for them?
Here’s what you need to know about the messaging app revolution and how you can use it to boost your marketing strategy.
Get Your Free Messaging Apps Fact Sheet
Who’s Using these Messaging Apps?
According to eMarketer, 58% of messaging app users worldwide live in the Asia-Pacific region, with a significant amount also based in Latin America. To break this down even further, here’s a handy chart from 2015 outlining the top three messaging apps in five major countries throughout the world:
While location differs for each app, two demographics seem to be consistent among them all: Millennials and Gen-Zers.
A recent study from Pew Research found that 49% of smartphone owners aged 18 to 29 use messaging apps. Going even younger, in Gen-Z territory, eMarketer reported that Facebook Messenger is used regularly by 50% of US teens, and Snapchat is used by 47%.
These users are also devoting a lot of time to messaging apps. As the Wall Street Journal reported, “messaging apps are used an average of almost nine times a day, compared with 1.9 for all apps.” For instance, users of the popular messaging app Kik spend 35 minutes per session. And, true to this Millennials theme, 82% of those users are aged 13 to 24.
If people want to communicate with friends, why don’t they just send a text or make a phone call? There are a few key reasons.
Messaging apps provide a cheap (often totally free) alternative to SMS messaging and voice calls. Since you only need WiFi to communicate on messaging apps, you don’t have to risk racking up data charges or minutes on your phone.
Younger users are also ditching more traditional, time-consuming modes of communication like email in favor of messaging apps. In fact, Juniper Research predicts that the amount of instant messages sent will eclipse emails sent by mid-2016.
As Amy Dusto wrote for Internet Retailer: “The new generation is media obsessed, image focused and craving a more dynamic channel for expression than limiting traditional text messages. They want messaging that moves as fast as them, understanding their language by supporting GIFs and complex emoji’s [sic].”
That’s the appeal of messaging apps, and brands are catching onto their benefits.
How Brands Are Using Messaging Apps
Marketing on these apps goes beyond just launching ads or sponsored content. In fact, two of the biggest messaging apps—Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp—don’t even offer ads (at least, not yet). Rather, it’s about setting up a space where you can talk to customers directly and meet them where they’re already comfortable communicating.
New programs like Facebook Messenger’s bots will only make this process easier, especially since developers can build their own bots on the platform, opening doors for innovation in chat, commerce, and customer support.
Here’s how.
Messaging apps have already transformed the customer service industry; brands can start personalized, real-time conversations with customers by inviting them to reach out with any questions and concerns. Messaging apps can even bolster in-store customer service if buyers have questions on the sales floor.
Jeweler Rare Pink says that 10% of its customers communicate with sales reps exclusively through WhatsApp. The privacy of the app is helpful for people who are trying to keep their purchases (like engagement rings) a surprise.
Travel brands, in particular, have pioneered customer service on messaging apps, finding ways to connect with travelers while they’re on the go. For example, Hyatt is reaching Chinese markets through WeChat. In 2015, the hotel chain received more than 50,000 WeChat messages—60% regarding on-site stays and 40% regarding bookings.
Launching Contests or Games
Messaging apps aren’t just for chatting. Brands can have a bit of fun creating contests and games, too.
Israeli chocolate company Klik used WhatsApp to launch its own game called Klik Says, a spin-off of Simon Says. Through promotions on Facebook, users were encouraged to add Klik to their group chats on WhatsApp. From there, they received commands from Klik, and were invited to send back photos to play the game.
[Embed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bcxm753Zjcg]
According to TechCrunch, more than 2,000 teens added Klik on WhatsApp and 91% completed the game. Klik’s Facebook engagement also increased by 51%.
Buying Stickers
Not too long ago, if you heard a musician was promoting their work with stickers, you might picture some tangible decals you could put on your backpack or guitar case. Today, these stickers are digital, and they’re all over messaging apps.
A few apps like Line and WeChat allow businesses to buy branded stickers that users can send to friends in their chats. For example. Paul McCartney teamed up with Line to release his own collection of exclusive stickers; they even come with specially recorded soundbites (but can only be heard on the app).
Promoting Sales
By sending out messages to select groups and demographics, brands can spread the word about new product launches and special offers; they can also use geolocation data to reach people in certain areas, such as near a store.
Using Snapchat for this strategy, Taco Bell has seen 80% of its audience open the snaps and 90% watch the brand’s videos (some of which are up to five minutes long) in their entirety.
The E-Commerce Factor
Beyond just marketing and customer service, messaging apps can be part of the sale, too. As noted above, WeChat has largely pioneered this strategy in China, but other apps are creating their own e-commerce programs as well.
Last year, Facebook partnered with retail brands Everlane and Zulily to test its new capabilities. Using only the chat app, customers can receive order confirmation, track their purchase, and even modify the order and add items—without ever having to go through the retailer’s website. A recent partnership with Uber also allows users to order rides right on the Messenger app.
Over in Thailand, Maybelline ran a limited-time sale on Line Mall—Line’s e-commerce app—and ended up selling 500 lipsticks in five minutes.
Expect The Space To Get More Crowded—and Competitive
As messaging apps grow in popularity—and start to take over in the US like they have in Asia—we should see the space get more crowded. Just last year, Facebook launched Messenger as a standalone app, Twitter took away its 140-character limit for direct messaging, and Tumblr launched a chat feature on its platform. What could 2016 bring?
For one, Facebook is also set to roll out M, a virtual assistant that could give Apple’s Siri a run for her money. Presumably, the social network will be able to use the data collected from customers’ interaction with M and deliver personalized ads.
We might also see Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp start to monetize by launching ads and creating new ways for brands to reach their audiences. As Brian Honigman wrote about the messaging app revolution, “Competition almost always benefits the customer, and in this case the customers are advertisers and brands.”
The time is ripe for brands to start playing their part in the messaging app revolution. The best way to do that is to use the apps like your customers do: Create groups, share content, and interact with brands. Get a feel for why over 1.4 billion people are going crazy for these platforms, and launch your strategy to deliver the best customer experience possible.
By Elizabeth Closmore
Elizabeth Closmore is the Global Head of Product Evangelism at Sprinklr, leading the company's partnerships with social platforms and agencies.
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Community, Editor engagement, Global, Wikipedia
Getting newcomers into Wikipedia with Content Translation
By Amir E. Aharoni
Content Translation is changing the way people access and use Wikipedia and allowing all speakers of African languages to improve online educational content in their languages.
The University of South Africa, seen here, has been the backdrop for several recent and successful Wikipedia editing workshops. Photo by A. Bailey, freely licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Content Translation is starting to change how people are joining Wikipedia. I saw this up close in early June at the University of South Africa (UNISA) in Pretoria, where I went to advance Wikipedia writing in the languages of that country.
It all began when I met Laurette Pretorius, a professor of computer science at UNISA, at the Multilingual Web Workshop in Madrid in May 2014. My team went there to present a preview of Content Translation, which back then was in the very early stages of development. In her presentation, Prof. Pretorius described the work that her team has been doing on improving the encyclopedia’s coverage of the languages of South Africa, such as Zulu, Xhosa, and Afrikaans with modern tools like Natural Language Processing, digital dictionaries, educational materials, machine translation, and linked data. As this sounded very close to some of the things that Wikimedia is trying to achieve with Content Translation and Wikidata projects, we exchanged emails.
Laurette Pretorius is working on ways to better represent South African languages online. Photo by Petterual, freely licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
After several conversations, Laurette decided not only to start using the editions of Wikipedia in the different languages of South Africa more in her team’s work, but also to bring them to attention of other departments in the University. She decided to organize an all-day workshop for students and staff members, and an additional translation workshop.
The first workshop was attended by about fifty people. It opened with introductions from Prof. Lesiba Teffo, director of the Unisa School of Transdisciplinary Research Institutes, who called upon all speakers of African languages to embrace modern technology and improve the online educational content in their languages. He was followed by Prof. Pretorius, who spoke about the importance of having a well-developed Wikipedia community for education in any language and cited works by Neville Alexander and András Kornai. Friedel Wolff, who is well-known in the free software internationalization community as the developer of the Pootle and Virtaal localization tools, and who now works on Prof. Pretorius’s team, presented general advice to translators of Wikipedia articles.
My central presentation was a demonstration of Content Translation in action. Content Translation is now enabled as a beta feature on every language-edition of Wikipedia. After a short general explanation about the tool’s features, I invited Nozibele Nomdebevana—a researcher of the Xhosa language in Laurette’s team, and the most active contributor to the Xhosa Wikipedia in the last year—to translate the article “Distance” straight to the Xhosa Wikipedia using Content Translation. In just a bit more than an hour, including all the explanations and the questions from the audience, the article was ready and published.
The greatest moment for me personally happened when I asked the Xhosa-speaking audience members what they thought about the text of the article that was taking shape on the projected screen in front of them, and a young woman remarked, “it’s perfect.”
The next day, I led another smaller workshop focused on practical hands-on translation of articles. It was attended by nine people, only two of whom had any experience with writing on Wikipedia. In about six hours, fourteen new articles had been added to the Xhosa, Zulu, Tswana, Sotho, Afrikaans, and French—which one of Laurette’s students speaks—Wikipedias. Most of them were fairly complete in their first published versions: between 2 and 6kb long with illustrations and references.
I have led dozens of Wikipedia editing workshops, and this was the most productive in terms of the amount of content created. It felt really effective: usually, I have to spend a lot of time explaining how to do basic things, such as creating articles and adding links, categories and images. With Content Translation, they were already well into writing actual content after just ten minutes.
Among the translated articles are “Phonetics” (in both Zulu and Xhosa), “Apartheid”, “Mikhail Lomonosov” (a Russian scientist and scientific terminology creator), and “Lightning bird” (a mythological creature in the culture of South Africa).
This is a taste of the things to come. With Content Translation, more content can be created in more languages with less effort. It’s easier than ever for new Wikipedia contributors to join in the fun and share their knowledge with the people who speak their languages.
Amir E. Aharoni, Product Manager, Language Engineering team, Wikimedia Foundation
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NJ WOMAN SAYS GOODBYE TO NUMBING PAINKILLERS AFTER CALMARE THERAPY
When Cecilia Carney had her arthritic hand operated on in 2004, she had no idea the long-term pain she would endure after surgery, particularly after she took a bad fall, pushing her thumb back into her wrist. In all, she spent seven years researching and experimenting with a variety of medications and therapies to relieve the post-surgical pain in her hand. “The pain was unending, 24/7–and excruciating,” explains Cecilia. “One day during a break at work, I read about Calmare® Pain Treatment Therapy in the Bergen Record. After thinking about it for a few days, I called Dr. Cooney. At my first appointment, my pain level was at 9/10 on a 10-point scale.”
Cecilia said she felt at ease in the office from the start. “Dr. Cooney explained that not every chronic pain condition can be treated with Calmare, but believed my pain could be greatly alleviated. He even offered me a treatment–right on the spot.” Ten daily treatments later, Cecilia is a changed woman. “I hadn’t slept through the night in years and gave up doing so many things I enjoyed because I just didn’t have the strength with all the pain.”
Calmare Pain Therapy Treatment uses a biophysical (using physical methods to treat biological problems) rather than a biochemical (drugs) approach. The FDA-cleared device relieves pain directly at the pain site by small electrodes, through which a ‘no-pain’ message is transmitted directly to the nerve for a period of 30 – 45 minutes, on average. Regardless of severity, many pain symptoms have been proven to be significantly reduced or alleviated during the treatment series process and there are no side effects.
Today, Cecilia continues to work full-time and sees her life in a new light. “Before Calmare, I was reliant on pain medications like Percocet and Tramadol to fight the constant pain. But now, I’ve said goodbye to those drugs–for good.”
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Domestic violence at work resource centre
Domestic violence (DV) is a pattern of behaviour used by one person to gain power and control over another with whom they have or have had an intimate relationship. It can include physical, emotional, sexual, financial, psychological and/or spiritual abuse as well as stalking or harassment. It exists in same-sex and opposite-sex relationships and may be between people who are married, divorced, common law, separated, or dating.
We partnered with researchers at the University of Western Ontario and conducted the first ever Canadian survey on domestic violence in the workplace. We did this because there is almost no data on this issue in Canada. This video talks about the experience and highlights the findings.
How does domestic violence impact people at work?
One in three workers have experienced domestic violence, and for many, the violence follows them to work. Often abusers will try and prevent victims from getting to work, causing them to be late or to have to miss work. Abusers also may excessively call, email, or text victims while they are at work, come into the workplace, or stalk the victim.
Workplace Survey Report
Initial Findings of a Pan-Canadian Survey on Domestic Violence and the Workplace
Union reps and stewards
What is the union’s role?
Why do workplaces and unions need to be involved in domestic violence awareness? One in three workers have been impacted by domestic violence at work and over 80 percent of…
Who is most at risk for domestic violence? All domestic violence is harmful. Although both men and women can be victims of domestic violence, women are most commonly victims of…
What to do when you’ve identified warning signs that a member may be being abused? The most important next step when you’ve recognized warning signs of domestic violence is understanding…
Information for leaders and negotiators
Model language for collective agreements
These model clauses are suggested language that unions can use to develop proposals on domestic violence for collective bargaining. Using the Principles and language adapted from precedents in Canada and…
Domestic violence is a complex problem with no simple, single solution. Preventing and addressing domestic violence requires effort at many different levels. Collective bargaining can play an important role in…
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Want to chat? Call Me Now
Any New Car Cheaper
What’s in Your Garage Podcast Episode #11 Bob Aldons Speaks to Monte Huebsch About The Top 10 Tips For Selling Your Car
by Bob Aldons | Apr 24, 2018 | Uncategorized | 0 comments
Monte: Hello! This morning I’m talking with Bob Aldons, the owner of Car Business, and we’re going to discuss the best ways to get the most value for your trade in on your used car. G’day Bob, How are you?
Bob Aldons: Good day Monte, mate I’m fantastic, getting close to Christmas so yes…Good time for a break and a great time to get your car ready for Summer.
Monte: Bob we known each other for a while? And I bought a number of cars off of you. What I’m more interested in, I’ve always handed down my previous cars to my son, but for people that want to sell their car and realize the greatest value in that process, can you give us the best do’s and don’ts?
Bob Aldons: Sure mate. It never ceases to amaze me the condition that people present their vehicle in when I want to trade it or sell it privately and you know, there’s just 10 suggestions, tips, ideas that I’ve got that will help someone who’s looking to sell a car, maximize the value, and they’re not difficult things to do. A lot of home handy people could do it by themselves, the others you’re going to have to bring in a contractor to get the work done. But no matter what you spend, you will recover that by way of an increased trade value or an increased value when you’re selling it privately. So, you know, let me get into them, and there’s really obvious ones. And Monte, the first one is one of my favourites. And it’s those gutter rashes that people have on their alloy wheels where they pack too close to the gutter.
Monte: I’m guilty of that
Bob Aldons: And I’m guilty too, you know, I’ve just got to a fairly new BMW M3 and the first day I had it, I parked too close to the gutter and $125 later I had it fixed.
Monte: Right?
Bob Aldons: It’s all about first impressions, Monte. You know, when a valuer of from a car dealership or a private buyer wanders around the vehicle if they see these gutter rashes, where someone’s driven into a curve, the first thing the, the professional value does is say how many wheels need to be repaid? And then I upped the ante. They can get them done for $120 – $125, but they’ll allow $200 a wheel to have those repairs done, and most people have at least the two curb-side wheels that have brushed up against the concrete gutters. So there’s a couple of hundred dollars or $250, that is well invested to have those repaired. Providing you don’t do it again before you go to sell your car.
Monte: OK?
Bob Aldons: And number 2, number 2 is, an interesting one. Marks, scratches and dents. Now when I have a car that I bought or traded, that’s got a car park dent in it. Um, I’ll ring my mate Trevor and Trevor will come out and for about $30 per dent, he’ll remove the dent, so you can’t see it anymore. And he is a magician. I’ve had some cars that I thought, no way, can Trevor do anything on this. And he uses the paintless dent removal technique and prods and squeezes and pries those dents out, so you can’t see them anymore. And again, he’s a magician. You’ve got to get an expert to do that. You can’t do that one yourself, but boy-o-boy does it make a difference to the appearance of the car?
Monte: OK? Got that one.
Bob Aldons: Number 3, bumper bar scratches, and you can pick those up in car parks, in your own garage and from a presentation point of view, they look terrible. Again, I will be bringing in a contractor a, I’ve got a guy called Tony Doyle from Superfinish. He’s a mobile repairer and he’ll come out to my store and he’ll repair and repaint front and rear bars if it needs it, about $200 per bar providing there’s not gouges that he has to fill. But again, that first impression walking around the vehicle, you know, think about it yourself Monte, you see a car with scratches and marks on bumper bars, the first thing you think of, I’m going to have to get those repaired. I don’t like the look of that and in your mind, you’ll think in the panel shop $500, thousand dollars when it can be done for half that price.
Monte: OK. I think we’re now up to about $400 or $500. I’m putting in my car.
Bob Aldons: And number 4 and you’ll see this on mainly older cars. Cars that are five years of age or older is discoloured headlights now for the last 15 years, manufacturers have been using plastic in headlights, not glass. Remember the seventies and older and we all had glass head lights, but in the last 15, maybe 20 years, manufacturers have gone to a polycarbonate lens for the headlight. Why? Cause it’s cheaper to manufacture, it’s light so it reduces the weight of the vehicle that improves fuel consumption or fuel economy a little bit. But those older cars, potentially the, the ones made in Korea where they didn’t use as good quality plastic as they do in Japan or Europe, the lenses get discoloured. So not only is that dangerous and positively, if you’re pulled up for vehicle inspection or the police see it, you can be fined for driving an unroadworthy vehicle, but you don’t have to replace those headlights. you can get them repaired for about $100 where again, a professional takes off the, the discoloured portion of the headlight and applies a clear coat to it so they look almost the same as they did when the car was first sold. Again, not a, not a huge expense, but again, that presentation and leading on from that in between the headlights, there’s the bonnet and normal driving day to day driving. We get chips and marks and bugs and so on. You can get the bugs off, but the chips have got to be handled and I don’t go and get them brush touched Monte, I’ve got a sneaky way to improve the look of that and that is to go to somewhere like Supercheap or autobarn or repco, and buy a bonnet protector. Preferably a dark tinted one because the chips on the bonnet or right on the leading edge where it is almost 45 degrees to the road and that’s where we get our chips. Those people out in the country, they’ll get chips further up the bonnet, which will probably require repair, but for we people in the city, a dark tinted Bonner protector will hide all those little chips and scratches that are on the front of the Bonner.
Monte: OK, that makes sense.
Bob Aldons: It does. And, I suppose the big deal on preparing a car for sale is what condition the car’s in. Look. I’ve seen cars come in here with hamburger wrappers, lolly wrappers, nappies, dirty socks, and someone says, I’d like to trade that vehicle, and I look at them and I can’t help myself. I’m getting a bit old and grumpy, and I said, look, would you take the car away and get it cleaned and let me have another look at it, but the best way to do it is to go and get it professionally detailed. They’ll shampoo, the carpets and the seats, they’ll put some nice vinyl preparation or leather preparation over the seats. They’ll steam cleaned the engine area. They’ll clean your boots out and now make it look as best as it possibly can. And that investment’s, a couple of hundred dollars, about 250. If you go the whole hog a, if it’s a four wheel drive, probably a little bit more up to 300, but it just changes the complexion of the vehicle and look in one of my articles and my wife Susie, I’m sorry, but when our better halves get out of bed in the morning, the first thing they do is put on makeup and do their hair. That’s exactly the same as a car. You’ve got to make it look as good as it possibly can. Think about the celebrities, Kim Kardashian, won’t get out of her room until she’s put her makeup on & done her hair. Well, we want to present our vehicle in the best possible manner. So you’ve got to do the interior and exterior cleaning, preferably a detail by a professional.
Monte: ok, my tally puts me at close to a thousand dollars here, Bob. And you’re only halfway done.
Bob Aldons: Well, I’m nearly done. I’ve only got a only got through a 7, 8, 9 and 10. So I’ve got 4 to go. But, every dollar that you spend on preparing your cars style, you’ll recoupe double when you go to sell it or when the value at the dealership puts a price on it. There’s a couple of really important ones coming up, but I’ll skip the glass. But you know, if you’ve got chips or cracks in your windscreen, you’ve got to have them repaid. One of the most important ones is to make sure that your service history is available to the potential buyer. If your log book hasn’t been filled in by the people who’ve been servicing it, go back to them, get them to put their stamp and the date that they did their work in the service manual that is hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of value. In fact, in some cars the more luxurious imported cars, it’s thousands of dollars. So it’s a really important thing for customers to think of when they are having their cars serviced, that they make sure that the dealer has done the stamp. The other thing that I’d really suggest is a strong one, is to get a safety certificate done. If you’re selling it privately, you must have one done, but even if you’re trading it with the dealership, it costs about eighty dollars to have a safety certificate completed plus any work that’s required, but if you leave the safety certificate on the front seat of your car when you present it for the valuer or to put a price on, he’ll know that his workshop doesn’t have to do it. In the mind of the value. He allows about a thousand dollars for mechanical work that he can see whether it’s a 2 year old car or a 7 year old car or a 10 year old car.
Bob Aldons: If you can prove to the dealership that you’ve had all the work done that’s required for them to be able to put it straight onto their used car yard. Again, that will save you a lot of money. Tyres, we all know the tyres are the major safety aspect in the car. If you’ve got unroadworthy or illegal wear on your tyres, the dealer will allow $250 for each corner. So that’s a thousand dollars. If you got to replace all four, whereas you can go and buy brand new non-branded tires about $100 – $125, or even less if you go for second-hand tires Monte and again, that’s just a great way to reduce the reconditioning costs in the dealer’s mind when you go to trade it. The last one that I’ve got is torn trim. That’s a bit more difficult. If you’ve got a cigarette burn in your seat, you can find an upholstery car trimmer and they’ll unstitch and nip up the bit of the trim that’s got that cigarette burn in, and make it go away. I do that as a, as a dealer. If you’ve got a tear you’ve then got to make a decision whether you get that repair done or whether you leave it alone. Me, I always get a torn trim repaired, cause I always want my cars to look as perfect as I possibly can without going crazy. So Monte, they’re the 10 tips, I’m really happy to for the customers to contact me and I can give them the names of contractors, giving them some advice. I’ll even look at their car and give them some tips on their particular car on how they can maximise the value. But if the valuer, uh, looks at a particular car and says, I’m going to spend about $2,000 on that car. I think it’s worth $10,000 or he looks at a car that’s got $2,000 to spend, he’s going to say five or $6,000 because not only the cost of repairs but the time that it’s going to take before it’s prepaid and back on the used car lot.
Monte: That makes sense. Is there, is there a threshold where the value of the car just doesn’t warrant that sort of work? I mean, if it’s a, if it’s a high, high kilometre car and it’s over a decade old and it’s maybe only worth three grand and you’ve talked about a thousand dollars-worth of stuff easily.
Bob Aldons: Sure. Look, if a car’s older than 10 years and it’s done more than say 200,000 kilometres, I’d probably still get it detailed, but I wouldn’t necessarily do the rest of it. These, these tips are really up to seven years of age, but that’s also the painting on what you’ve got. If someone’s got a V8 manual, Commodore or Falcon that’s appealing in the marketplace, I’d probably get all the work done because I know I’m going to get top dollar for my car, right? The older of the vehicle, the higher the kilometres. It’s debatable, and I suppose the way to think about this is that the dealership that I’m going to, is this a car that they are going to keep and resell on their lot? If it’s not, do the basics, do a washing, vacuum and cleaned the glass yourself make it as presentable as possible. Even get that safety certificate and throw it on the seat because at least they know that there’s not thousands of dollars worth of mechanical repairs to do.
Monte: Perfect Bob. Bob, if somebody does want to take you up on your offer for some of the services you’re offering, what’s the best way to find you or get a hold of you?
Bob Aldons: OK, well they can search the Car Business. I’m on the Internet carbusiness.com.au. They can email me at bob.aldons@carbusiness.com.au. They can find Car Business on Facebook or Twitter cause I’m on there or they can call me on 0418 748 498. Lots of ways to get in touch with The Car Guy, Monte.
Monte: That’s fantastic. Thanks, Bob and I got to look for in the future on another topic.
Bob Aldons: Sounds great! I’d love to do it.
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825 Jackson Street, Oakland, California 94607
Welcome to BCO
Jodo Shinshu Buddhism
Services, Events & Activities
BCO Community
History of BCO
History of the Buddhist Church of Oakland
KANSHA: In Gratitude……our first 100 years
1900 – 1919 Planting the Seeds of the Dharma
The first Japanese immigrants to California came from the Japanese province of Aizu Wakamatsu and settled north of Sacramento in the mid-1860’s. Unfortunately, this colony of Issei pioneers was not able to survive due to harsh conditions. To this day, generations of Japanese Americans annually visit the grave of Okei, a young girl who was a member of this colony, and the first Japanese woman to die in California.
Large-scale immigration to the Bay Area started a little later, and it’s said that by 1900, there were almost 2,000 Japanese Issei in San Francisco. On July 6, 1898, Reverends Eryu Honda and Ejun Miyamoto of the Hongwanji headquarters arrived in San Francisco to study the prospect of establishing a Hongwanji mission (temple) in the Bay Area.
At this time, the San Francisco Young Men’s Buddhist Association was formed, and later, this organization became the Buddhist Church of San Francisco. On September 1, 1899, Rev. Dr. Shuye Sonoda and Rev. Kakuryo Nishijima arrived as the first two resident ministers for the Buddhist Church of San Francisco. The arrival of these two ministers also marked the founding of the Buddhist Churches of America.
As the early Japanese Issei pioneers started to move to other locations throughout California, temples were soon started in Sacramento, Fresno, Seattle, and San Jose.
It was in early 1901, that some young Issei, many of them in their late teens or twenties gathered together in Oakland to hear the teachings of Buddha. The Rev. Tetsuei Mizuki from the Buddhist Church of San Francisco would cross the Bay by boat to conduct monthly services and bring words of comfort and guidance to these early day Oakland pioneers. After Rev. Mizuki, Rev. Kakuryo Nishijima would come to conduct the Oakland gatherings. By the end of this year, it was decided to form the Buddhist Church of Oakland.
The first permanent church facility was secured in September of 1903, when a house on Seventh Street was rented. This same year saw the start of the Oakland Young Men’s Buddhist Association (YMBA), the forerunner of today’s Jr. and Sr. YBA. Early day leaders of the YMBA included Messrs. Tahara, Ryokaku, Murakami, Yamasaki, Okakura and Ikeda. On March 28, 1904, the Fujinkai (Women’s Association) was formed, and later that year, the first Oakland Japanese Language School was established.
Rev. Mokuji Fujii from Yamaguchi Prefecture was assigned as the first resident minister for the Buddhist Church of Oakland in May 1905. With the assignment of Rev. Fujii to Oakland, the Church began to see a growth in membership and activities.
In April 1906, the San Francisco Earthquake would cause many San Francisco Issei to move to the East Bay, and this too, caused a surge in membership. In September, the YMBA would change its name to Oakland Buddhist Church.
With this increase in membership, the church moved in September to 71 Sixth Street, but even this facility did not provide enough space and the church moved again to a larger house at 313 Sixth Street.
In 1911, the State of California officially recognized the group as a church. 1911 also saw the departure of Rev. Fujii back to Japan and the arrival of Rev. Tatsugen Fukushima as the second resident minister for the church. However, Fukushima sensei’s association with the Oakland members would be a short one. Within six months’ time, Fukushima sensei would pass away due to illness.
After the passing of Fukushima-sensei, Rev. Gyodo Haguri was assigned as the third resident minister in November 1911. In 1913, Rev. Doshun Mizutani came to Oakland. Overseeing both the temple and Japanese Language School, Mizutani-sensei is remembered by early day members as a very strict sensei demanding discipline and order. It wasn’t uncommon to be reprimanded by Mizutani-sensei if a student wasn’t standing in line at attention.
In 1916, Rev. Kohan Akita from Chiba Prefecture, Japan was appointed to Oakland for three years. During this time, Akita-sensei started a kindergarten at the church for the now arriving Nisei generation. A Buddhist English school was also started in 1916.
1920 – 1929 Emergence of the Nisei Generation
With an increase in the Nisei generation, Oakland’s fifth minister, the Rev. Ryugyo Fujimoto, organized the Oakland Buddhist Sunday School in June 1920. After a few months, Rev. Fujimoto would leave Oakland and later attend both Stanford and USC before being appointed to teach at Ryukoku University and later at the BCA Study Center (predecessor of the current IBS in Berkeley.)
Oakland’s next minister would be Rev. Tassho Noryo from Kumamoto, but he too, would only serve Oakland a few months before being re-assigned to another temple. Rev. Noryo would also seek higher education in the US from the College of the Pacific and later Harvard University before returning to his temple in Japan.
As the temple, located on the corner of 6th and Alice streets grew with more and more Nisei children, it was decided to purchase a permanent place for the church. In February 1923, a large mansion on the corner of Sixth and Jackson Street was purchased. This building had a full basement, two floors and an attic. The living room was used for the hondo chapel and the adjacent dining room was used as an overflow room for the congregation. Mr. Watanabe was the custodian of this new church facility.
In the spring of 1923, Rev. Mizutani retired and the Rev. Taigan Hata was appointed the next resident minister. During Rev. Hata’s tenure, it was decided to build a larger and new church facility, and under the leadership of Mr. Kikutaro Nakashima, donations and pledges were sought from the membership.
On the way home from one donation solicitation home visitation, Rev. Hata was involved in an auto accident and would wind up spending many weeks in recuperation.
Under Rev. Hata’s guidance, a new young adult group called the “Kosei-kai” was formed. Early members included Nobuzo Endo, Kengo and Kenji Nakahara, Zoichi Fujise and Masao Kubose, who was later ordained as the Rev. Gyomay Kubose, and founded the Buddhist Temple of Chicago.
In 1926, due to some doctrinal differences, Rev. Hata resigned from the Oakland church and started the Kyudosha Mission Church with his followers, located a few blocks away from the Oakland church.
This disagreement would also cause the church’s Japanese Language School to split into two organizations with the church’s Japanese Language school being called the “Showa Gakuen” and the other new school being called “Wanto Gakuen.”
In July of 1926, Rev. Kenshi Iwao would serve as head minister of Oakland for a year before going back to Japan and then Iwao-sensei would later return to California be re-appointed to Oakland from 1929-1931.
With the growing Nisei membership, the church started the Lumbini Club in April 1926, similar to today’s Jr. YBA.
Rev. Shoi Yamada, who had previously served temples in Hawaii, Singapore, Los Angeles and Seattle, was then assigned to Oakland in May 1927.
Through the dedication, determination and support of the Issei membership, a beautiful two-story temple, designed by San Francisco Nisei architect George Shimamoto, was completed at a cost of $37,000.00 on the site at Sixth and Jackson. The former church building was then moved to another site within the church’s property.
Dedicated on October 5, 1927, the celebration included a marching band, and an ochigo procession which included BCA Bishop Hosho Sasaki, other Bay District ministers and Oakland church board members.
After the celebration, the church was saddened by the death of one of its dedicated members, Mr. Keisaburo Oka, who died as a result of blood poisoning from a sliver he picked up during the construction of the temple.
Immediately after the 1927 dedication, Rev. Masao Washioka arrived in Oakland. A distinguished, well groomed man. Rev. Washioka was a graceful dancer and taught the Dharma School students Obon Odori dances. He was also a good athlete and could easily outrun the other Issei at the annual church picnics.
In July of 1928, the Young Women’s Buddhist Association (YWBA) was organized.
In 1929, a fire struck the church complex and destroyed the wooden “old mansion” building. The church board then decided that a new replacement structure called the “YMWBA Building” (Young Mens/Womens Buddhist Association) would be built. This facility included classrooms, a Judo hall, kitchen, meeting room and residence for the minister and his family.
During the Depression years, covering operating costs for the temple was not always easy. Even with a substantial membership, there would be times when the church could not pay utility expenses, and individual members would have to cover the costs for these expenses from their own personal pockets.
1930 – 1939 Pre-war Years
The Junior YMBA was founded in 1930 and the Junior YWBA was started in 1932. During this period, young members participated in activities of the Bay District YBA and California Young Buddhist League as well.
In the 1930’s, with ever-increasing activities and programs, Oakland would see a stream of ministers sharing their skills, talents and teachings with the members. In 1932, Rev. Tokumon Aoki and his family came to Oakland. Aoki-sensei was followed by Rev. Hideo Shimakawa who would serve for six years before returning to Japan.
In the mid-1930’s, a North Oakland Buddhist Society (English-speaking group) was started and led by Rev. Francis Geske. A Central Oakland Buddhist Society was also started by William Reuter and James K. Stewart. During this time, a Dr. Clark, who was an ordained Buddhist minister would come to the church on Sundays and lecture to the young people.
Rev. Tetsuro Kashima and family would arrive in Oakland in 1936 and serve until wartime evacuation. In 1938, a then-young and eager Rev. Eiyu Terao would serve for two years before going to Seattle.
At this time, the world situation was also quickly changing. On the European front, Hitler was emerging. In Asia, the Japanese military was exerting its might. Here at home, these world events also increased tensions for Japanese Americans. For centuries, the swastika with counter-clockwise facing legs (called “Manji” in Japanese) was the symbol for Buddhism. In fact the term “swastika” is actually a Sanskrit word. The symbol was frequently used on temple designs, artwork and crests.
The original Oakland temple building had the Buddhist swastika design incorporated on its roof end tiles and entryway. However with ever-rising tensions, some of the young members of the temple felt these Buddhist “manji” symbols, even though they were the reverse of Hiltler’s swastika design were inappropriate for the temple. Therefore, these young men actually climbed onto the roof and removed the symbols and tiles from the building.
1940 – 1949 The War, Internment & Coming Home
Inevitably, with the coming of World War II, Oakland members immediately found themselves living within the restricted “Red Zone.” All members were rounded up and most initially sent to the Tanforan Assembly Center in San Bruno (present day location of Tanforan Mall). Later, most members along with Rev. Kashima were incarcerated at the Topaz, Utah concentration camp. During the war years, the temple was used to store personal belongings of the members, since there was no indication when members would be able to return to their homes.
During these terrible war years, no one was more important to the church members than Mr. Cos Loustalot, who, despite the feelings of the times, valued and honored his friendship with his Japanese American friends. Friendly neighbors and the Loustalot family all through the war years carefully and safely looked after the church and the stored belongings.
The only major temple loss during the war years was the disappearance of a statue of Ninomiya Kinjiro (a Japanese school boy icon who represents determination and diligence in studies) which had been donated by Mr. and Mrs. Kiyoichi Nobori and was placed in the Japanese Schoolyard.
With the end of World War II, members gradually began to return to the Bay Area. Rev. Gibun Kimura was dispatched to open the church for temporary housing for members and friends returning home from the concentration camps. Kimura-sensei worked tirelessly to rebuild and reorganize the Oakland Sangha. The YBA was the first organization to restart itself in 1946, and this was followed later in the year by the Dharma School and Sunday services.
In 1949, Rev. Kimura was re-assigned to the Fresno Betsuin, and Rev. Gyoyu Hirabayashi replaced him. Young and energetic, Rev. Hirabayashi continued to revitalize the temple and its membership emerging from internment.
1950 – 1959 Nisei Leadership, Moving the Church
In 1950, due to the construction of the Nimitz Freeway (now I-880), the church received a notice of condemnation from the State of California and would have to move from its location at Sixth and Jackson.
The church’s directors, which had now become dominated by the Nisei generation, spent many hours hashing out possible solutions to the temple’s forced relocation.
One idea was to move and build a new temple, the second choice was to form an East Bay church which would include members from the Alameda and Berkeley churches and build at a site on Redwood Road in the East Oakland hills or the third possibility was to move the church building to a nearby location.
The first choice was ruled out due to the fact that many members were still trying to re-establish themselves after internment. On the second option, while Berkeley members was willing to consider this proposal, the mostly Issei board members of the Alameda temple felt comfortable with their current temple.
Thus the only viable option for the Oakland church board was to move the current building to another nearby location. A 125’x125’ lot was available at the corner of Ninth and Jackson, however, the board felt that they might run into opposition from the apartment complex neighbors of the property.
With his foresight and good business sense, then church president, Mr. Mitsuteru Nakashima, asked the owner of the apartment complex if the complex was available for sale, and to his surprise, he received a positive response. Mr. Nakashima, then quickly moved to purchase the apartment complex with his own funds and under his name.
Additionally, through his skillful negotiation talent, Mr. Nakashima was able to get the State of California to pay $105,000 to the Myers Construction Company to move the church to Ninth and Jackson, and an additional $20,000 for the YMWBA building.
In order to finalize the move, a court hearing had to be held. Only one person who lived next to the proposed site, saying that “he did not want an idol worshipping church moving next door to him” filed a single objection. But his opposition was thrown out by the judge who gave the neighbor a good lecture on Buddhism.
With the completion of the court hearing, everyone thought the church’s problems were over, however, the County then informed the church that since they had no building for a place of worship on the proposed location, they would lose their tax exemption status and have to pay taxes on the property until a building was completed. In order to comply with the County ruling, token services were held on the church grounds during this interim period.
The church building then had to be moved three blocks northward to the corner of Jackson and Ninth. In order to do this, the building was cut into two pieces and slowly moved to our present location.
On July 1-2, 1950, the members celebrated the completion of the move to its new location and Mr. Nakashima transferred the title of the apartment building from his name to the church. A great deal of credit and respect must be paid to the late Mr. Nakashima for his dedication and business acumen which enabled the church to make this successful move to our current location.
Ever dedicated to the Buddha-Dharma, Mr. Nakashima said that he would not have been able to accomplish all that he did without the backing and support of the Issei and Nisei committee members. Some years later, Mr. Nakashima would make a substantial donation to the church to establish the Mr. & Mrs. Kikutaro Nakashima Endowment Fund for the purpose of funding special church programs.
This move to Ninth and Jackson Streets gave the church an opportune time for some remodeling as well. The old kitchen became the minister’s office and the YBA Room next to the Women’s restroom was converted into the kitchen. A very dedicated Rev. Hirabayashi spearheaded all of these and the other improvements.
At this time, the Issei pioneers realized that the next generation must take over the responsibilities for running the temple, and from 1951, the church board was comprised entirely of Nisei members, with the Issei members serving as advisors to the Board.
In 1951, the Oakland Buddhist Church Nihongo Gakuen was established and the Junior Fujinkai was started in 1953.
Rev. Kenyu Masuyama was assigned to the Oakland church in 1954 and would later serve for 14 years as head minister. In 1956, Mrs. Chizu Iwanaga started a church Children’s Choir, followed by an adult choir. After 12 years, and Mrs. Iwanaga’s move to Palo Alto, church member Allen Yamamoto took over leading the choir until he left Oakland to further pursue his music education back east.
In 1958, Rev. Hirabayashi would be called to Kyoto to accept a higher ranking position at the Hongwanji denomination headquarters.
1960 – 1969 The Next Generation
During Rev. Masuyama’s tenure, the Issei Memorial/Dharma School building was built and dedicated in 1962 and a building next to our property was purchased for future expansion needs.
Throughout its history, the Oakland church often time served as training ground for newly arriving ministers from Japan. Rev. Keisho Motoyama served the church from 1956-1957 but has since returned to Japan and has a temple in Kumamoto. Rev. Hiroshi Futaba was in Oakland from 1950-1952 and served at various BCA temples, before completing his career serving as Rinban of the Sacramento Betsuin and is now a BCA minister emeritus. After leaving Oakland in 1963, Rev. Sensho Inouye (1960-1963) was assigned to the Los Angeles Betsuin, Rinban at the San Jose Betsuin and is now at the Buddhist Church of Fowler.
In October of 1961, the church celebrated its Sixtieth Anniversary at Goodman Hall in Jack London Square.
With the growth of the Sansei generation, branches Dharma Schools were established in Concord and the Ashland (Hayward, San Leandro and San Lorenzo areas.) Adult Buddhist groups were also started for members residing in the Concord, Walnut Creek, Orinda and Martinez areas.
To provide sports activities for the younger members, the Church Youth Club was founded in 1962, sponsoring basketball, softball and hardball teams.
Rev. Haruo Yamaoka would begin his first assignment to Oakland in 1964 for seven years before being re-assigned to the Stockton Buddhist Church.
In 1968, after fourteen years at Oakland, Rev. Masuyama was reassigned as head minister of the Gardena Buddhist Church in Southern California. In 1969, Rev. Zesei Kawasaki moved from Central California and was assigned to our church as head minister serving for five years before his retirement from the BCA ministry in 1974, and subsequent retirement to Oxnard.
1970 – 1979 Continued Growth of our Sangha
The church’s 70th anniversary was celebrated in 1971, with over 700 members and friends joining in the celebration. This year also brought Rev. Zuikei Taniguchi from the Cleveland Buddhist Church to Oakland, and Taniguchi sensei would later start the church’s Karate Club.
In 1974, the church purchased additional property at Eighth and Alice streets as an investment for future expansion.
With more and more activities and members at the church, a Small Chapel was added on the second floor and the kitchen on the main floor was remodeled. Designed by Taniguchi sensei, the Small Chapel’s altar was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Sadaichi Neishi in commemoration of their Sixtieth wedding anniversary. Rev. Taniguchi’s parents, the Rev. and Mrs. Yushin Taniguchi personally brought the Amida Buddha and adornments over from Japan to insure their safe delivery
In 1976, Rev. Gerald Sakamoto transferred from the Hawaii Kyodan and was assigned to our church for three years before transferring to the White River church in Washington state.
1980 – 1989 Passing the Dharma to the next Generation
After thirteen years at our church, Rev. Taniguchi transferred to the Alameda church in 1983. In honor of their years at our church Rev. and Mrs. Taniguchi presented the church with funds to establish a Dharma Award Fund to recognize deserving Dharma School students going into college.
The first Sansei church president, Mr. Dennis Nakamura was elected to serve in 1983 and Rev. Toshio Murakami, who had been serving at the BCA Headquarters, became our next resident minister in January 1984.
During Rev. Murakami’s tenure, Mrs. Murakami once again started the Oakland church choir. Mrs. Etsuko Steimetz of Berkeley directed a highly successful summer school pilot program for Eastbay children called the Dharshana School at our church, but the program was not able to continue due to Mrs. Steimetz’s passing.
Rev. Murakami’s term at Oakland was only a short two years when he was appointed Bishop of the Canada Kyodan in 1986. Subsequent to serving in Canada, Murakami sensei would go on to open the first Hongwanji Sangha in Australia. At the time of Rev. and Mrs. Murakami’s departure from our church, they presented the church with funds to establish a special fund to assist church youth programs.
Between the time of Rev. Murakami’s departure and the arrival of our next resident minister, Rev. Kenyu Masuyama, who had retired from active BCA ministry and returned to the East Bay with his wife, was appointed as interim minister for our church. Due to his prior long assignment at our church, the members were most grateful for sensei’s dedication to our sangha.
Rev. Kodo Umezu who was serving at the Los Angeles Betsuin was assigned to our church in 1987. In 1988, the Junior and Senior Fujinkai’s organizations combined together to form one Oakland Buddhist Women’s Association.
In 1988, in memory of Mrs. Kinoko Yoshida, the Yoshida Family donated a new shrine for the Nokotsudo – columbarium, located next to the main shrine in the Hondo.
With the election of Clifford Yokomizo as church president in 1989, three generations of Yokomizo’s have served as Oakland church president, starting with Motoemon in 1935, followed by Tony in 1953. Mrs. JoAnne Hayashida became the first woman to serve as President of the Oakland Buddhist Church in 1990.
In October 1989 the Loma Prieta earthquake struck the Bay Area, inflicting major damage on the church’s rental buildings which were then demolished. The church building itself sustained only minor damage, but this earthquake gave incentive to the church to have the church and apartment buildings’ foundations reinforced. The space occupied by the former rental properties was then turned into much needed parking (for weekday use by the public and weekend use by the church members).
1990 – 1999 The Dawn of a New Millenium
After over sixty years since the church building was built, the roof tiles were showing wear and tear and the whole roof was retiled. In the summer of 1990, the church embarked on a $500,000 “Kansha Hiyaku” fund raising campaign to pay for the necessary remodeling and repair work on the church building.
In December of 1993, the Yoshida Endowment Fund was established by church past president and advisor Mr. Eiichi Yoshida as one of his last wishes and ‘dana’ to the temple. Accepted on behalf of the church by Rev. Umezu and church president Dick Sasaki, it was Mr. Yoshida’s wish that the annual proceeds (interest) from the Yoshida Endowment Fund be used by the church to help offset operating costs for programs and special needs. Through this Fund, Mr. Yoshida’s lifelong dedication and support to his beloved temple will continue on into perpetuity.
In 1996, Rev. Umezu was appointed Executive Assistant to the Bishop and would transfer to the BCA Headquarters in San Francisco. Rev. Haruo Yamaoka, who had just finished serving three terms as Bishop of the Buddhist Churches of America, would return to our church to serve as our next and current resident minister.
Through the kindness and dedication to the Nembutsu of Mr. Toshi Nakamura, church member and owner of Serika Restaurant in Orinda, a beautiful, large wooden statue of Shinran Shonin, the founder of Shin Buddhism was placed in the entryway to the Main Hondo on the second floor. Mr. Nakamura even asked that everyone touch the statue so that the oil from our hands would enhance the color of the wood.
As we come to the close of the 20th Century, our church is again growing with new fourth and fifth generation members joining the church and Dharma School and assuming the responsibility for carrying the torch of the Nembutsu. The 21st Century will bring our church into our second century of existence, and continuing growth and sharing the Nembutsu teaching with more and more fellow Americans.
2000 – 2001 A New Millenium of the Nembutsu
On June 5, 2001, members gathered together to welcome His Eminence Monshu Koshin Ohani to our church on his visit to the Buddhist Churches of America. In preparation for this visit and for the Centennial celebration, various improvements and repairs to the temple were made. Tne most noticeable of these improvements was the new shrine enshrining the portrait of Rennyo Shonin was installed on the Onaijin, (Main Altar). From the inscription on the rear of that original shrine, it appears that the shrine housing the Rennyo portrait was at one time the main shrine for the temple from the early 1900’s. The maejoku, the large table in front of the Amida Buddha shrine was completely and beautifully re-furbished. New uwajoku, the smaller altar tables which sit in front of the three shrines were also purchased.
Other areas of upgrades and improvements included new flooring in the temple’s Social Hall and kitchen. New carpeting was installed throughout the rest of the temple. A new curtain was hung on the Social Hall stage. Other improvements and minor repairs performed using the funds contributed for the Centennial Celebration included: re-furnishing of the minister’s office, re-paving of the parking lot, installing a new wrought iron fence around the church, and installation of a new P.A system in the Hondo and Social Hall.
For one hundred years, this temple has been our second home, our spiritual home. With a deep sense of gratitude and thanksgiving, we express our appreciation to our Issei pioneers, to all of the ministers and their wives who have served our church and to countless members whose sacrifices and dedication to the life of Nembutsu have enabled us to come this milestone, the Centennial Celebration of the Buddhist Church of Oakland.
2002 – Present / A New Generation
In 2009, Rev. Harry Gyokyo Bridge was appointed as the resident minister after serving for 2 years at the Buddhist Church of Lodi.
Gassho,
Namo Amida Butsu
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Home Bollywood Actresses who became Stars before the age of 25.
Actresses who became Stars before the age of 25.
By Amandeep
1. Alia Bhatt
She is just 23 and has already set benchmarks for other Bollywood actresses with her stunning performances. She debuted as a main lead in ‘Student of the Year’ when she was just 19 yrs old. Though her performance in SOTY was marked as ‘dumb’, she proved everyone wrong with her acting skills in the critically acclaimed ‘Highway’. But sadly the same could not be said about her intelligence.
2. Kangna Ranaut
One of the successful actresses, she made her debut with Mahesh Bhatt’s ‘Gangster’ when she was just 20 yrs old. She was born in a middle class family settled in Manali, Himachal Pradesh. Today, she is one of the highest paid actresses in Bollywood. Her career graph wasn’t touching heights but with the release of ‘Queen’, she won everyone’s heart. She also has been the recipient of three National Film Awards.
Born in 1982, she was the winner of Miss World pageant of 2000 and after that many films followed her. She won ‘National Film Award for Best Actress’ for ‘Fashion’ and five Filmfare Awards . Today she is an internationally recognized star with her show ‘Quantico’ and her upcoming Hollywood film is ‘Baywatch’.
4. Deepika Padukone
This stunning beauty started her career with modelling. She became popular when she was featured in Himesh Reshammiya’s song “Naam Hai Tera”. She debuted in 2006 with “Aishwarya”, a Kannada film directed by Indrajit Lankesh.Then in 2007, she made her debut with commercially successful and the highest-grosser film of the year “Om Shanti Om”. Today she is a well known actress with hits like ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’, ‘Ram-Leela’ and many more. She is also the talk of the town because of her upcoming Hollywood film ‘XXX3’.
5. Sridevi Kapoor
She landed her first main lead role when she was merely 13 years old in Tamil film ‘Moondru Mudichu’ directed by K. Balachander. She then successfully emerged in Tamil Film Industry and made her debut in Bollywood with ‘Solva Sawan’ in 1979 when she was just 16yrs old. Her performance has been quite impressive and she has won ‘Civilian award’ and has been a recipient of Padma Shri as well.
6. Hema Malini
Bollywood’s dream girl portrayed her first lead role opposite Raj Kapoor in Sapno Ka Saudagar when she was 20 yrs old and began referred to as ‘Dream Girl’. Her another popular role was of ‘Basanti’ in Sholay. She is known for portraying challenging roles, for example as a young widow in Andaz(1971) and a poor woman in Lal Patthar(1971).
7. Bipasha Basu
At the age of 17, she won ‘Ford Models Supermodel of the World’ contest and that marked the beginning of her successful modelling career. At the age of 21, she made her debut in Vijay Galani’s ‘Ajnabee’, which won her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Today, she has numerous hits in her kitty and is one of the Bollywood’s highest-paid actresses.
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Amandeep
Studying Mass Communication and fulfilling my urge for writing being a Content Writer, passionate, loves traveling and trying different cuisines.
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Talking with Flag Bearers of Hindi Cinema: The Directors
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Bill Order » Item 313 #12s
Use of Behavioral Health Trust Fund
Item 313 #12s
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services FY2017 $4,000,000 FY2018 $0 NGF
Page 278, strike lines 34 through 40, and insert:
"C.l. Out of this appropriation, $4,000,000 the first year shall be provided from the Behavioral Health and Developmental Services Trust Fund for one-time expenses to facilitate transition of individuals with intellectual disabilities from state training centers to community-based services and to increase housing options and associated support services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A minimum of 75 percent of the appropriation shall be used in Northern Virginia to increase housing options and supportive services to live in the community. The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services shall report on the use or planned use of the trust fund by November 15, 2016, to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees.
2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds shall be expended from the Behavioral Health and Developmental Services Trust Fund unless included in an appropriation bill passed by the General Assembly."
(This amendment provides $4.0 million the first year from nongeneral funds to facilitate the transition of individuals with intellectual disabilities from state training centers to community-based services and/or to develop housing options. It also requires that 75 percent of the funds be used in Northern Virginia.)
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services
Administrative and Support Services (49900) $79,468,375 $79,458,942
General Management and Direction (49901) FY2017 $13,374,001 FY2018 $13,374,921
Information Technology Services (49902) FY2017 $26,945,594 FY2018 $26,246,863
Architectural and Engineering Services (49904) FY2017 $2,660,847 FY2018 $2,660,847
Collection and Locator Services (49905) FY2017 $2,999,764 FY2018 $2,999,764
Human Resources Services (49914) FY2017 $494,989 FY2018 $494,989
Program Development and Coordination (49933) FY2017 $32,993,180 FY2018 $33,681,558
General FY2017 $46,404,278 FY2018 $46,271,926
Special FY2017 $14,454,916 FY2018 $14,509,445
Authority: Title 16.1, Article 18, and Title 37.2, Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, and Title 2.2, Chapters 26 and 53 Code of Virginia; P.L. 102-119, Federal Code.
A. The Commissioner, Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services shall, at the beginning of each fiscal year, establish the current capacity for each facility within the system. When a facility becomes full, the commissioner or his designee shall give notice of the fact to all sheriffs.
B. The Commissioner, Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services shall work in conjunction with community services boards to develop and implement a graduated plan for the discharge of eligible facility clients to the greatest extent possible, utilizing savings generated from statewide gains in system efficiencies.
C. Notwithstanding § 4-5.09 of this act and paragraph C of § 2.2-1156, Code of Virginia, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services is hereby authorized to deposit the entire proceeds of the sales of surplus land at state-owned behavioral health and intellectual disability facilities into a revolving trust fund. The trust fund may initially be used for expenses associated with restructuring such facilities. Remaining proceeds after such expenses shall be dedicated to continuing services for current patients as facility services are restructured.
D. The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services shall identify and create opportunities for public-private partnerships and develop the incentives necessary to establish and maintain an adequate supply of acute-care psychiatric beds for children and adolescents.
E. The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, in cooperation with the Department of Juvenile Justice, where appropriate, shall identify and create opportunities for public-private partnerships and develop the incentives necessary to establish and maintain an adequate supply of residential beds for the treatment of juveniles with behavioral health treatment needs, including those who are mentally retarded, aggressive, or sex offenders, and those juveniles who need short-term crisis stabilization but not psychiatric hospitalization.
F. Out of this appropriation, $656,538 the first year and $656,538 the second year from the general fund shall be provided for placement and restoration services for juveniles found to be incompetent to stand trial pursuant to Title 16.1, Chapter 11, Article 18, Code of Virginia.
G. Out of this appropriation, $50,000 the first year and $50,000 the second year from the general fund shall be used to pay for legal and medical examinations needed for individuals living in the community and in need of guardianship services.
H. Out of this appropriation, $2,419,930 the first year and $2,419,930 the second year from the general fund shall be provided for services for the civil commitment of sexually violent predators including the following: (i) clinical evaluations and court testimony for sexually violent predators who are being considered for release from state correctional facilities and who will be referred to the Clinical Review Committee for psycho-sexual evaluations prior to the state seeking civil commitment, (ii) conditional release services, including treatment, and (iii) costs associated with contracting with a Global Positioning System service to closely monitor the movements of individuals who are civilly committed to the sexually violent predator program but conditionally released.
I. Out of this appropriation, $146,871 the first year and $146,871 the second year from the general fund shall be used to operate a real-time reporting system for public and private acute psychiatric beds in the Commonwealth.
J. The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services shall submit a report to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees no later than December 1 of each year for the preceding fiscal year that provides information on the operation of Virginia's publicly-funded behavioral health and developmental services system. The report shall include a brief narrative and data on the numbers of individuals receiving state facility services or CSB services, including purchased inpatient psychiatric services, the types and amounts of services received by these individuals, and CSB and state facility service capacities, staffing, revenues, and expenditures. The annual report also shall describe major new initiatives implemented during the past year and shall provide information on the accomplishment of systemic outcome and performance measures during the year.
K. Out of this appropriation, $500,000 the first year and $500,000 the second year from the general fund shall be used for a comprehensive statewide suicide prevention program. The Commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), in collaboration with the Departments of Health, Education, Veterans Services, Aging and Rehabilitative Services, and other partners shall develop and implement a statewide program of public education, evidence-based training, health and behavioral health provider capacity-building, and related suicide prevention activity.
L.1. Beginning October 1, 2013, the Commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services shall provide quarterly reports to the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees on progress in implementing the plan to close state training centers and transition residents to the community. The reports shall provide the following information on each state training center: (i) the number of authorized representatives who have made decisions regarding the long-term type of placement for the resident they represent and the type of placement they have chosen; (ii) the number of authorized representatives who have not yet made such decisions; (iii) barriers to discharge; (iv) the general fund and nongeneral fund cost of the services provided to individuals transitioning from training centers; and (v) the use of increased Medicaid reimbursement for congregate residential services to meet exceptional needs of individuals transitioning from state training centers.
2. At least six months prior to the closure of a state intellectual disabilities training center, the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services shall complete a comprehensive survey of each individual residing in the facility slated for closure to determine the services and supports the individual will need to receive appropriate care in the community. The survey shall also determine the adequacy of the community to provide care and treatment for the individual, including but not limited to, the appropriateness of current provider rates, adequacy of waiver services, and availability of housing. The Commissioner shall report quarterly findings to the Governor and Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees.
3. The department shall convene quarterly meetings with authorized representatives, families, and service providers in Health Planning Regions I, II, III and IV to provide a mechanism to (i) promote routine collaboration between families and authorized representatives, the department, community services boards, and private providers; (ii) ensure the successful transition of training center residents to the community; and (iii) gather input on Medicaid waiver redesign to better serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disability. In its Medicaid waiver redesign, the department shall include as stakeholders and eligible participants, individuals with acquired brain injury regardless of age in which the injury was sustained, who have serious physical, cognitive, and/or behavioral health issues who are at risk for institutionalization or who are institutionalized but could live in the community with adequate supports.
4. In the event that provider capacity cannot meet the needs of individuals transitioning from training centers to the community, the department shall work with community services boards and private providers to explore the feasibility of developing (i) a limited number of small community group homes or intermediate care facilities to meet the needs of residents transitioning to the community, and/or (ii) a regional support center to provide specialty services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities whose medical, dental, rehabilitative or other special needs cannot be met by community providers. The Commissioner shall report on these efforts to the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees as part of the quarterly report, pursuant to paragraph L.1.
M.1. A joint subcommittee of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees, in collaboration with the Secretary of Health and Human Resources and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, shall continue to monitor and review the closure plans for the three remaining training centers scheduled to close by 2020. As part of this review process the joint subcommittee may evaluate options for those individuals in training centers with the most intensive medical and behavioral needs to determine the appropriate types of facility or residential settings necessary to ensure the care and safety of those residents is appropriately factored into the overall plan to transition to a more community-based system. In addition, the joint subcommittee may review the plans for the redesign of the Intellectual Disability, Developmental Disability and Day Support Waivers.
2. To assist the joint subcommittee, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services shall provide a quarterly accounting of the costs to operate and maintain each of the existing training centers at a level of detail as determined by the joint subcommittee. The quarterly reports shall be submitted to the joint subcommittee 20 days after the close of each quarter.
N. The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services in collaboration with the Department of Medical Assistance Services shall provide a detailed report for each fiscal year on the budget, expenditures, and number of recipients for each specific intellectual disability (ID) and developmental disability (DD) service provided through the Medicaid program or other programs in the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. This report shall also include the overall budget and expenditures for the ID, DD and Day Support waivers separately. The Department of Medical Assistance Services shall provide the necessary information to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services 90 days after the end of each fiscal year. This information shall be published on the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services' website within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year.
O. The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services shall report on the number of individuals with acquired brain injury exhibiting behavioral/mental health problems requiring services in state mental health facilities and/or community services boards to the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees by October 1 of each year. The report shall provide, to the extent possible, the following information: (i) the general fund and nongeneral fund cost of the services provided to individuals; and (ii) the types and amounts of services received by these individuals.
P. Effective July 1, 2015, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services shall not charge any fee to Community Services Boards or private providers for use of the knowledge center, an on-line training system.
Q. The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services in collaboration with the Community Services Boards shall compile and report all available information regarding the services and support needs of the individuals on waiting lists for Intellectual and Developmental Disability (I/DD) waiver services, including an estimate of the number of graduates with I/DD who are exiting secondary education each fiscal year. The department shall submit a report to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees by December 1, 2015.
R. 1. Out of this appropriation, $400,000 the first year and $400,000 the second year from the general fund is included to provide compensation to individuals who were involuntarily sterilized pursuant to the Virginia Eugenical Sterilization Act and who were living as of February 1, 2015.
2. A claim may be submitted on behalf of an individual by a person lawfully authorized to act on the individual's behalf. A claim may be submitted by the estate of or personal representative of, an individual who dies on or after February 1, 2015.
3. Reimbursement shall be contingent on the individual or their representative providing appropriate documentation and information to verify the claim under guidelines established by the department.
4. Reimbursement per verified claim shall be $25,000 and shall be contingent on funding being available, with disbursements being prioritized based on the date at which sufficient documentation is provided.
5. Should the funding provided for compensation be exhausted prior to the end of fiscal year 2018, the department shall continue to collect applications. The department shall provide a report to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees on a quarterly basis on the number of additional individuals who have been applied.
S. Out of this appropriation, $600,000 the first year and $600,000 the second year from the general fund shall be used to provide mental health first aid training and certification to recognize and respond to mental or emotional distress. Funding shall be used to cover the cost of personnel dedicated to this activity, training, manuals, and certification for all those receiving the training.
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Bugwoman on Location – At Long Lane Pasture
Dear Readers, on the hottest day of the year so far, my friend A and I ventured forth for a walk around Long Lane Pasture. This nature reserve is just half a mile from my house in East Finchley, but it’s easy to miss, being tucked in beside the North Circular Road and the tube line. Once I was through the unprepossessing gate it was as if I was in some mythical summer from my childhood – although the rumble of the traffic is ever present this is the only reminder that you are in the London Borough of Barnet, not in some meadow in the shires.
Rough Chervil (Chaerophyllum temulum) beside the main path
There are meadow brown and ringlet butterflies, cabbage whites and the occasional cinnabar moth flitting around the long grass. The flower heads of a yellow buddleia hang opposite the berries of a guelder rose. Wild and garden perennials mix cheerfully together. All that is missing is the chirrup of grasshoppers, which puzzles me – with all this long grass I would expect the place to be deafening. I wonder why there aren’t any?
Seedheads of yellow buddleia (Buddleia x weyeriana)
Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus)
There are some seats under a covered area next to the largest pond, and we sit and enjoy the shade and a drink of water. A moorhen and her chick head for cover, but the dragonflies are relentless. One male emperor dragonfly seems to want to own the entire pond, swooping down to see off all rivals, his wings gleaming in the sun. He always returns to the same reed to survey his kingdom. Occasionally he stoops at a butterfly but in a half-hearted way. This time of year is about breeding.
It is chastening to think ow easily this pasture could have been lost to development. In 1912 it was given to the public as a reserve, but half of it was lost in 1920 when the North Circular Road was built. For years the land was grazed by horses, but in 1999 Barnet wanted to build houses on the site, one of the last scraps of unspoilt green left in the Borough. After a public campaign it was designated as open space, and 2009 the Long Lane Pasture Trust was granted a 25 year lease. I suppose this means that we’ll have to gird our loins for another fight in 2034. I shall be marking it in my diary.
Alder bark ( I think! Feel free to correct me….)
We follow the paths, taking the opportunity to sit on the benches placed in the shade of the trees. In one area, an elm has been planted. A sign tells us that this is a Princeton elm, a hybrid developed in the US to resist Dutch Elm disease, which still kills off any elm saplings ambitious enough to grow taller than about six feet. The sign tells me that a white-letter hairstreak (Satyrium w-album) was spotted in the pasture in 2009: this is vanishingly rare in the UK, as the eggs are laid on the twigs of elm trees, and the caterpillars feed on the leaves. When the elms died in the UK, it was pretty much the end for the butterfly as well, so closely was it associated with the tree. The Princeton elm has been planted in the hope that ‘the white-letter hairstreak will make a home here’. I hope so too.
A white-letter hairstreak (Photo One)
White-letter hairstreak caterpillar (Photo Two)
There are many small ponds on the pasture, many dotted with purple loosestrife and bulrushes. My friend A rescues a cinnabar moth caterpillar from one of them. The irises have just gone over, and there are some strange plants in another of the damper patches. I’m hoping that they aren’t skunk cabbage, an invasive species from North America that can out compete practically anything, but my latest advice is that it’s probably elecampane, a yellow member of the daisy family. I saw some in flower earlier, so this makes sense.
But the best is yet to come. My friend A points out some little webs in the long grass. I take a few photos, and once home I talk to some of my friends on the invertebrate identification groups that I belong to. It appears that the webs belong to nursery web spiders! I am cockahoop. These spiders are free-range hunters, tracking flies and other small insects through the long grass and pouncing on them like cheetahs. The female carries her egg-sac around with her in her jaws and then, when they are ready to hatch, she weaves the webs that I saw so that her spiderlings are protected while they grow.
Nursery webs….
Apparently, when the male wants to mate with the female (who, as is the way with spiders, is much, much bigger than he is) he presents her with a gift of food while simultaneously pretending to be dead. When she comes over to investigate he apparently springs to his feet, mates with her (presumably while she is absorbed in her dinner) and then runs away as fast as his eight tiny legs will carry him. The ways of insects are strange, but I have known humans who would pursue the same tactics if only they were speedy enough.
Nursery web spider (Pisaura mirabilis) carrying her egg sac (Photo Three)
Adult female nursery web spider (Pisaura mirabilis) (Photo Four)
And so we come full circle to the entrance again, having only just skimmed the surface of the wonders that Long Lane Pasture has to offer. I haven’t mentioned the fluty notes of the song thrush, nor the pretty yellow flowers of the meadow vetchling, and I could probably go on all day about the moth population of the grassland. But that will have to wait, because once it gets above 80 degrees in London it’s time for even the mad dogs and English women to get out of the mid-afternoon sun, and into somewhere a little more shady. I shall certainly be back.
Meadow vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis)
Photo One by By Ian Kirk from Broadstone, Dorset, UK – White Letter HairstreakUploaded by tm, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30182755
Photo Two by By Ptelea [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
Photo Three by By Lukas Jonaitis from Vilnius, Lithuania (Spider – Pisaura mirabilis) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Four by By Mathias Krumbholz [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
This entry was posted in Bugwoman on Location, London Birds, London Invertebrates, London Plants on June 30, 2018 by Bug Woman.
Wednesday Weed – Viper’s Bugloss
Viper’s Bugloss (Echium vulgare) by the stream in Milborne St Andrew
Dear Readers, nothing delights me more than finding a plant that my guide describes as ‘common’ but which I have never seen before, and so it is with Viper’s Bugloss. What a fantastic plant it is, with its furry flowers and purple stamen and hairy stems. There is something rather Harry Potter-ish about it, and it looks far too exotic to be a UK native, even though it is.
I found this one growing from a crevice in a wall above the stream in Milborne St Andrew, and it does seem to have a liking for chalky soils such as those in parts of Dorset. It is a member of the Borage family, and is much loved by pollinators. The name ‘bugloss’ comes from the Greek for ‘ox-tongued’ and refers to the rough texture of the plant. The ‘viper’ bit comes from the way the stamen resemble a snake’s tongue, from the look of the seed head, and from the belief that the plant could cure snakebite (probably another manifestation of the ‘Doctrine of Signatures’, whereby it was believed that God had designed the appearance of a plant to indicate what it could be used for).
Viper’s Bugloss flower (Photo One)
Viper’s Bugloss is native to Europe and temperate Asia, and has been introduced to North America, where it is sometimes known as ‘blueweed’ and has become invasive in some parts of the continent.
Viper’s Bugloss alongside a road in Montreal (Photo Two)
The plant contains alkaloids, which are poisonous, although there are no known cases of humans suffering from eating it. Because of its long taproot it can be difficult to remove from pasture, and in 2006 a paper suggested that bulls in Spain died as a result of munching on viper’s bugloss and common ragwort. However, while ragwort gets a very bad press, viper’s bugloss is generally tolerated. I sometimes wonder how and why we get these bees in our bonnets about particular plants whilst ignoring others that, it could be argued, are equally ‘dangerous’. Could the popular press have something to do with it, I ask myself (sarcastically)?
In Australia, a closely related plant (purple viper’s bugloss or Echium plantagineum) is known as ‘Patterson’s Curse’, because it is said to have escaped from the garden of a Mrs. Patterson. After a bushfire in Canberra destroyed all the other pasture, 40 horses are said to have eaten the bugloss and suffered liver failure, resulting in them having to be destroyed.
Purple viper’s bugloss (Echium planagineum) in South West Rocks, Australia (Photo Three)
Viper’s bugloss is such a stunner (in my eyes anyhow) that a number of cultivars have been developed, such as ‘Blue Bedder’ which can be bought from the Royal Horticultural Society shop should you be so inclined. As usual, I rather prefer the species plant, and I suspect that it might be more attractive to pollinators in its original state as well. Why would you want to breed out those bright red stamens? I think we should be told…
Incidentally, you can see here how the buds start off pink and turn blue when the plant is ready to be pollinated, like so many members of the borage family.
Viper’s bugloss variety ‘Blue Bedder’ (Photo Four)
In addition to treating snake bite, the plant is said to be useful for ameliorating fevers, headaches and inflammation, with the best parts of the plant being the leaves that grow close to the ground, directly from the root.
A herbalist named Parkinson noted that
‘the water distilled in glasses or the roote itself taken is good against the passions and tremblings of the heart as also against swoonings, sadness and melancholy.’
which sounds like a good thing. As with all plants, and particularly ones that are known to be poisonous, I would suggest a good degree of circumspection however. Remember those horses in Canberra.
I am off to Austria next week, and I note that in the Tyrol, people were warned against consuming viper’s bugloss because it was said to stimulate sexual desire. Presumably all that fresh mountain air and yodelling was aphrodisiac enough, not to mention the lederhosen.
Many species of bees love viper’s bugloss, including the rather splendid red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius)
Red-tailed bumblebee queen (Bombus lapidarius) (Public Domain)
It is also a favourite foodplant of the migratory Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui). These insects come out of their chrysalises in the Atlas Mountains of North Africa before heading north and east to find foodplants for their caterpillars. Fortunately the caterpillars have wide-ranging tastes, from thistles to mallows, but they also love viper’s bugloss. In years when there are not many foodplants close to home, or if a large number of adults have hatched and survived, there may be extraordinary irruptions of the adults in the UK as they arrive en masse: I remember seeing over thirty in one small patch of community garden one morning a few years ago. All the more reason for growing lots of plants for butterflies and bees! The butterflies also have a love for viper’s bugloss as a nectar plant, so it helps both caterpillars and adults.
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) (Public Domain)
And as if that wasn’t reason enough to welcome viper’s bugloss to your garden if you get a chance, looky here….
Hummingbird hawk moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) feeding from viper’s bugloss (Photo Five)
Perhaps the most exciting insect find of all, however, is not particularly spectacular to look at, but is a sign of how our flora and fauna are likely to change with the climate. The viper’s bugloss mason bee (Hoplitis adunca) is a brand new species in the UK and is currently found at only one site, the Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park in London. It strongly prefers species in the Echium genus to any other plants and, while it makes its tiny nest in every thing from empty snail shells to old beetle tunnels, at the park it was found nesting in an artificial ‘bee hotel’. Which just goes to show that if you provide lots of habitat in your garden, you never know what will turn up. It also points up the importance of ‘brownfield’ style sites for insects – many prefer these areas, even though they look uninviting to us, because they mimic the Mediterranean conditions of dry, poor soil and exposed, hot places to warm up that these insects are used to.
Viper’s bugloss mason bee (Hoplitis adunca) (Photo Six)
I am reminded of the amazing book ‘Wildlife of a Garden – A Thirty Year Study’ by Jennifer Owen, who was a hoverfly specialist and who discovered several species that were completely new to science in her Leicestershire back garden. This was before the current (much welcomed) advent of ‘wildlife gardening’ – she had, by her own description, a very ‘ordinary’ garden with a lawn and flower beds and somewhere to dry clothes, and yet, because she paid attention and recorded the visitors that she had, she was able to list 2673 species of plants and animals. I wonder what the counts for our gardens would be? So many creatures, especially the tiny ones, escape our notice altogether, and that’s without all the ones who whistle through when we aren’t looking. We are surrounded by wonders, and I for one only notice a tiny proportion of them.
Photo One by By D. Gordon E. Robertson – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10222992
Photo Two by By Lubiesque [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
Photo Three by By Harry Rose from South West Rocks, Australia (Echium plantagineum plant1) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Four from https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/139228/Echium-vulgare-Blue-Bedder/Details
Photo Five by By spacebirdy(also known as geimfyglið (:> )=| made with Sternenlaus-spirit) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or FAL], from Wikimedia Commons
Photo Six by Thomas Roppenecker at https://www.flickr.com/photos/roppenecker/27613303396
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on June 27, 2018 by Bug Woman.
A Summer Meander in Milborne St Andrew
Red Valerian, Milborne St Andrew’s ‘village plant’
Dear Readers, I felt some trepidation before this visit to see my parents in Milborne St Andrew, Dorset. Dad has never really gotten over the chest infection that he had before Christmas, and he has been on a combination of antibiotics and steroids on and off ever since. He has had a CT scan for his chest and abdomen, because he has also been losing weight. He is due to have an endoscopy soon, but in one of those vicious circles that have become so familiar as Mum and Dad have aged, he needs to be able to breathe sufficiently to go through the ordeal of having a tube stuffed down his throat. In addition, Mum has been in a lot of pain with the arthritis in her knee, and has become increasingly concerned about her failing memory. I was worried about the pair of them, and so it felt even more essential than usual to go for a brief walk in the beautiful Dorset countryside, just to retain a bit of perspective and to recharge my batteries. It seems a little selfish I know, but without this I end up going down a rabbit hole of worry that doesn’t benefit anyone.
Viper’s Bugloss (Echium vulgare) by the stream
My walk this time was full of surprises. I was passed by a man travelling at some speed on a pink skateboard, not something I usually see on the roads of Dorset. He passed me again when I was taking some pictures at the little stream opposite the village hall, and came to an stylish halt, flipping the skateboard onto its end and then up into his hand.
‘See anything interesting? ‘ he asked. ‘ I saw a water vole here a few weeks ago’.
Well, a fellow nature enthusiast. Turns out that Henry did a lot of work surveying and doing conservation work on Dorset and Hampshire rivers. We shot the breeze on the subject of the importance of river water crowfoot, and he told me that he had also seen a little trout in the stream. I was very happy to have an unexpected nature conversation. I sometimes feel like the Only Naturalist in the Village, but this is far from true.
River water crowfoot, now in full bloom
I walked on, up to the most beautiful thatched cottage with roses around the door. I see that I have neglected to take a photo of this rural idyll, but was very interested in the yellow weed growing in the gutter outside. This is fairly typical of me, as you know.
Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)
I cut through a tiny footpath lined with brambles and nettles, and got a hole in my tights for my trouble. But how exquisite the hogweed is! I love every stage of it, from the tightly curled buds to the plate-sized white flowers to the green seedheads. Every hedgerow is full of them, and the hoverflies and bees and beetles are everywhere.
Hogweed buds unfurling
Hogweed in full flower
Hogweed seedhead
There are some very mighty trees around the farm and the church here, horse chestnuts and birches, oaks and limes.
One lime tree had some claw-like galls on the leaves, as if some tiny predator was trying to break through. These are lime nail gall mite, caused by an insect less than .2mm long. During the winter the mite lives in crevices in the bark of the tree, but when the plant comes into leaf the mites move out and start to suck the sap of the fresh growth. The chemicals injected by the insect cause the leaves to produce these strange claw-like outgrowths, within which the parasite grows happy and fat in his or her ‘castle’. When the autumn comes the mites leave en masse, mate, and lay their eggs in the bark, ready to repeat the whole cycle when the spring comes. The galls do not appear to harm the tree, and there is no treatment that will prevent or ‘cure’ them. Better to admire them as the thing of strange beauty that they are.
Lime nail gall (Eriophyes tiliae) on lime leaves
As I stood looking at the galls, I became aware of a luscious sweet smell. I wasn’t sure where it was coming from, but as I walked to the end of the path, I realised that it was coming in wafts from another enormous lime tree, the branches bowed down with the volume of flowers. I love the combination of citrus and almond in the scent of the lime tree, and this was so heady that I could easily have curled up under the roots and slept, further lulled by the sound of all the bees that were visiting the flowers. It gave me a great rush of peace, and I found myself thinking that, in spite of the way that the aphids that live on the leaves emit showers of sticky honeydew, the lime is a strong contender for my favourite tree.
Lime blossom
The lime tree
I headed down the road, past the vicarage, and stopped to admire the impressive crop of house martin nests under the eaves of the building. The little ‘orcas’ were zipping backwards and forwards like the tireless aerial acrobats that they are. We have been sharing our homes with swifts and swallows and martins for as long as there have been houses, I suspect, and what a rush of joy they must have given our ancestors as intimations that summer was finally here. Sure, they’re messy, but so are the starlings that visit me, and I wouldn’t not have them for the world. It warms my heart when people are generous of spirit and happy to share what they have in such abundance with other creatures.
Look at all those nests! How many can you count?
Onwards! I got talking to the lady who owns this beautiful cottage. She is originally from Dundee (and of course I have very fond memories of that town), and she described the cottage as ‘her pride and joy’. You can see this when you look at it. She described how quiet the village is at night, and how dark – I remember this from a period when I was sleeping with some of Mum and Dad’s neighbours because ‘my’ bedroom was taken over while they put in an accessible shower room. There is a kind of peace in the village that I am not yet ready for, dedicated city woman that I am, but I can definitely see the appeal.
And as I turned for home, I took a few shots of the red valerian that really is the ‘village flower’, popping up in scarlet and lipstick pink and white in every corner of Milborne St Andrew. Whenever I see it, I think of this corner of Dorset, and I keep my eyes open for Hummingbird Hawk Moths. I saw one once, and I have been waiting ever since to see another one.
Yesterday, Mum had an injection in her knee which we have high hopes will help with her pain – she has had cortisone injections with little benefit, but this is a replacement for the fluid that lubricates the joint, and doesn’t have any side effects. And today, I went, in the car, to the local shop because Dad wanted to buy a few cans of beer – Spanish of course, as he worked in Spain for many years when he was a gin distiller. On Monday, Mum and Dad go to the dentist, and then have some new reclining chairs delivered. And so, I leave Dorset in a cautiously optimistic mood. It feels so important to recognise that there are good moments, and it’s important to celebrate and make the most of them. We can’t do much about the future, but we can treasure every precious moment that we have with the people that we love.
Wednesday Weed – Rose Campion
Rose Campion (Silene coronaria)
Dear Readers, this plant and I go back a long way, to when I bought my first house back in 1998. I realise that this makes me sound like a property magnate, but if I tell you that it was actually the only house that I ever bought on my own I hope it puts things into perspective. It was in Chadwell Heath, way out in the north-eastern hinterlands of London, sandwiched between the Romford Road on one side and the A13 on the other. My street, however, was leafy and suburban, and I settled into it with a contented sigh. Being a middle-class white woman, I hadn’t paid much attention to the fact that the BNP, the extreme right-wing party of the time, had won councillors in the borough (Barking and Dagenham), but I soon realised that they were symptomatic of a deep-seated problem.
One example was that when a British- Indian doctor and his family moved into the house next door several people on the street cut them dead, turning their backs on them and refusing to respond to their greetings. Because I talked to them, I was cold-shouldered in my turn. Because Mum came to visit and got chatting with the family on the doorstep, she too was subjected to people staring at her and slamming their doors as she passed their houses. I don’t know what additional harrassment the family suffered, as they kept themselves very much to themselves, but I do know that they had moved on within the year. They were replaced by a white family. When I sold the house, the woman opposite bustled over to check that I wasn’t selling it to anyone black. As it happened, I wasn’t, but to say I was gobsmacked would be an understatement – I still regret that I didn’t have the gumption to explore the subject further. There were good people on the street who were welcoming to everyone, but the taste of bigotry and zenophobia poisoned everything. There were too many people who were afraid that things were going to change, and that they were going to be forced to be part of the diverse London that surrounded them. London, like so many cities, was built by immigrants – Irish, Chinese, Huguenot, Indian, Bangladeshi, Jewish, Pakistani, and a hundred other groups of people. Barking and Dagenham was, however, one of the few London boroughs to vote resoundingly for Brexit in the 2016 referendum.. Yes, the reasons for the Brexit vote were complicated, but I strongly suspect that in this case, fear of immigration was the main reason why.
However uncomfortable I felt it was still home, and in one of the two tiny beds in the front garden I planted three rose campion. In a couple of years they had taken over the entire bed, self-seeding themselves with vigour. They were a blast of outrageous colour in a bland, small-minded, fear-filled landscape. I know of no other plant that has quite that hallucinatory cerise hue, set off by the furry grey leaves, and I have had a great affection for them ever since.
Rose campion is a member of the Caryophyllaceae or carnation family, and is native throughout Europe and Asia, although it was introduced to North America by the eighteenth century . It’s also known as ‘Crown Pink’ and ‘Lantern Flower’. Although it is a relatively short-lived perennial it does self-seed everywhere, as I know. It doesn’t mind poor soil (just as well, as my garden beds seemed to be largely composed of bits of brick). In their book ‘Alien Plants’, Stace and Crawley note that rose campion is often found growing ‘wild’ around villages, having either escaped from gardens by self-seeding or having been ‘liberated’ by people who fly-tip their garden rubbish.
If I may digress here briefly, I think that people often don’t realise the potential damage to habitats caused by casual dumping of garden waste. It happens regularly in the tiny remnant of ancient woodland closest to me, Coldfall Wood, where there are thriving communities of daffodils and hybrid bluebells, box honeysuckle and tellima, largely as a result of folk just throwing what they don’t want from their gardens into the wood. Ours is an urban wood, a mosaic of all kinds of plants, and hardly a pristine habitat, so the plants don’t wreak quite as much havoc as they might do in other places. Nonetheless, many well-established woodland species are having a hard enough time of it at the moment without having to compete with a bunch of narcissi.
Back to rose campion. The Latin species name ‘coronaria’ implies that this plant was used in garlands, and very fine they would have been too. In the Roman Catholic church, the plant is associated with John the Baptist, as it blooms around his feast day.
Those grey furry leaves help the plant to survive in drought-prone areas, the colour and the ‘hairs’ helping to reflect sunlight and reduce water loss. Certainly my rose campion were able to do well when other plants were wilting. The leaves give the plant yet another alternative name – ‘Dusty Miller’, and in the Middle Ages were woven together to form a wick for a lamp. According to the ancient Greek physician Dioscorides (40-90 AD) the seeds, if soaked in wine, can be used to treat scorpion stings.
The flowers are attractive to bees and hoverflies, and one US site suggests that hummingbirds will also visit the flowers, so do let me know if this is something you’ve ever witnessed. It also seems to be a favourite for several butterflies, including the brimstone in the UK and several species of swallowtail in North America.
Large skipper butterfly on rose campion (Public Domain)
For our poem this week, I’ve discovered the Detroit poet Philip Levine, who was described as ‘a large, ironic Whitman of the industrial heartland’ by Edward Hirsch. Have a look at this poem, and see if you can’t imagine yourself standing there, gazing at the rumpled seed-packets.
The Absent Gardener
Go back to early April of 1949. Get off the Woodward streetcar at Grand Circus Park, walk a few blocks west, and find behind the Greyhound bus terminal a tiny garden no larger than a Buick Roadmaster. Last week’s snow is gone. It’s just another morning in Michigan, the streets dark with last night’s rain, the air cool and fresh, the pale sky so distant you wonder if this is a different world & not last night’s when the silence, windless and heavy, smelled of rusted iron. Now the perfumes of wet black dirt, the tiny plots marked with sticks, twine, and pebbles to hold down the warped seed packets proclaiming their riches: radish, big boy tomato, ripe red wonder, little sweetie, rhubarb, rose campion.
This entry was posted in London Plants on June 20, 2018 by Bug Woman.
A Bit of a Panic
Dear Readers, when I was wandering through Cherry Tree Wood here in East Finchley a few weeks ago, I was fascinated to see that some of the trees had these ghostly nets in them. The silk is similar to that of spiders, but because it is protective rather than used to catch insects, it’s opaque and surprisingly strong. In the midst of the tent above I could see frass, the black droppings of caterpillars. Some little critters had obviously been having a lovely time eating the new leaves. It didn’t take me long to find the culprits – the caterpillars of the bird-cherry ermine moth (Yponomeuta yvonemella).
Bird cherry with webs of the Bird Cherry Ermine moth (Yponomeuta yvonemella)
These caterpillars will be gone by the end of June, giving the tree plenty of time to recover. After all, compared with some webs, this was a mild one.
A dramatic bird cherry ermine moth web in Essex (Photo One)
There is definitely safety in numbers – when the caterpillars all emerge at the same time it makes it less likely that an individual larva will be eaten. Furthermore, even the most diligent blue tit won’t want to foul her feathers with too much of that sticky stuff.
The caterpillars will pupate briefly, and then this rather elegant moth emerges. You can see how its resemblance to a winter-coated stoat gave it its name – just think of the white, black-spotted fur that lines the ceremonial robes of mayors and royalty. I always think that every black spot was once the tip of the tail of a small predator, and count how many died to make each outfit, but maybe that’s just me.
Bird cherry ermine moth (Photo Two)
There are several other species of ermine moth in the UK, the commonest being the orchard ermine (which feeds mainly on hawthorn and blackthorn) and the spindle ermine that munches through (predictably) spindle. None of them are any threat to the plant, and their populations will naturally fluctuate according to the weather and to the availability of food and the number of predators.
As I was perusing the ermines and getting a few photographs, I was accosted by some young women who were anxious for their children.
‘Are these those dangerous caterpillars that I heard about on the news?’ they asked.
I was able to reassure them. The ‘dangerous caterpillars’ are the young of the oak processionary moth, a European mainland native that has been imported (just like ash dieback) on young trees for landscaping. These insects have been spotted in several places in West London, and they are considered a problem because they are ‘urticareous’ – that is, their hairs are likely to cause dermatitis and even asthma if inhaled. The clue to their behaviour is in the name: the processionary moth caterpillars follow one another around en masse. Their nests tend to be on the branches and trunks of oak trees, never among the leaves as with the ermine moths. You need to be in close contact with the caterpillars for them to cause any harm. The Forestry Commission are treating the outbreaks that they know about (probably with huge doses of biocides) and if you spot any actual Oak Processionary Moth caterpillars you can report it here.
Oak Processionary moth caterpillars having a trot around a tree trunk (Photo Three)
I do wonder, however, how many perfectly harmless caterpillars have been killed as a result of all the quasi-hysterical news reporting of the oak processionary moth. The story has all the ingredients for a media storm: invaders from overseas: a danger to children: an attack on that very bastion of Englishness, the oak tree. Many people have a fear of insects, and most of us have a fear of insects in very large numbers. I suspect that some people might have seen a caterpillar net in their garden and doused it with insecticide without stopping to identify it. Which would be a real shame, because some extremely rare species superficially resemble the oak processionary moth.
One of the most endangered is the Small Eggar (Eriogaster lanestris). This species lives in hawthorn, blackthorn and birch, and the caterpillars create a nest about the size of a small football. The larvae are attuned to one another and it’s believed that they communicate about where the best feeding opportunities are, before leaving to forage en masse. They have been under extreme pressure due to the loss of habitat in the countryside, and so are more likely to come into contact with humans. What a shame it would be to lose this creature because of mistaken identity.
Small Eggar caterpillar (Photo Four)
Small Eggar silk tent (Photo Five)
Adult Small Eggar (Photo Six)
Another possible victim of over-enthusiastic caterpillar killing is the Nationally Scarce lackey moth (Malacosoma neustris), which has some of the most appealing larvae of all lepidoptera, at least to me – I spent a lot of time playing with these creatures as a child, and although they too could set off dermatitis in those who are susceptible, I never had any ill effects. These caterpillars also live in nets and their preferred foodplants include oak. cherry. plum, apple, willow and hornbeam. You can see how these chaps, spotted in an oak tree, could be doomed from the start, although their caterpillars look very different from those of the oak processionary moth, and their behaviour is quite different.
Lackey moth caterpillar (Photo Seven)
The eggs of the lackey moth look as if they’re made of ivory, and are always laid around a twig. I wonder if the mother gets dizzy laying them?
Lackey Moth eggs (Photo Eight)
In fact, to our human eyes, the adult moth is the least beautiful stage of the lackey moth’s life, although it is still a very handsome creature.
Lackey moth adult (Photo Nine)
So it seems to me that the ability to identify an oak tree, and to tell the difference between a lackey moth caterpillar with its cartoon-like blue face and the ultra-furry oak processionary moth caterpillar are what’s required to prevent the accidental extermination of rare moths who are already under extreme pressure. And also, it helps if, having learned these things, we communicate them to our children. No one wants their little ones to be bitten or stung or hurt in any way, but the best way of keeping them safe is to help them to understand what’s safe and what’s not. Children are naturally curious, and when they’re outdoors they will probably fall off of logs, get stung by wasps and come home covered in bruises and dirty. It’s hard, I know, but we cannot protect those that we love from things that hurt them and nor should we. How can we learn resilience without a little adversity? And besides, exploring the outside world and discovering things for ourselves is so much fun that it will bring us joy for a lifetime.
Photo One from http://www.growsonyou.com/photo/slideshow/157704-bird-cherry-tree-ermine-moths-larvae/all
Photo Two by By David Short from Windsor, UK – Bird cherry ermine (rp), CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63856375
Photo Three by By Kleuske – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19940595
Photo Four by By User:MarkusHagenlocher – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2151016
Photo Five by By Hans Gasperl [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
Photo Six by [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
Photo Seven by By H. Krisp – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19806408
Photo Eight by By José Manuel Benito Álvarez [CC BY-SA 2.5 es (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/es/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Nine by By Ben Sale from UK ([1634] The Lackey (Malacosoma neustria)) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
This entry was posted in London Invertebrates on June 16, 2018 by Bug Woman.
Wednesday Weed – California Lilac
California Lilac (Ceanothus sp.)
Dear Readers, there is nothing that sounds more like summer to me than the drowsy buzz of bees feeding from California lilac. It seems to attract everything from bumblebees to honeybees to hoverflies, and although its rather dusty, resinous smell makes my nose tingle I still always stop to see who is visiting. Apparently there is a species of California lilac which smells so strongly that it resembles ‘boiling honey in an enclosed space’. I think I shall give that one a miss.
The masses of tiny flowers soon lose their petals, resulting in a puddle of blue at the base of the plant.The resultant seeds are said to be dependent on forest fires in order to germinate, so it sounds as if self-seeding won’t be a problem unless you’re prone to having bonfires close to the shrub.
California lilac comes in many shades of blue, from what my grandmother used to call ‘Royal Blue’ to the most delicate powdery robin’s egg shade. It is extremely popular in the County Roads here in East Finchley, where it has grown to about eight feet tall. Most varieties are evergreen, and there is even a more recumbent plant that could be used for ground cover.
There are 50-60 species in the Ceanothus genus, which is part of the buckthorn family. The genus is an endemic to North America, with its epicentre in, as the name suggests, California. The name ‘Ceanothus’ means ‘spiny plant’, which is surprising as, as far as I know, this is a most inoffensive plant. Do let me know if it’s attacked you at any point. I suspect that the small trees in my area are examples of the ‘domesticated’ form of Ceanothus arboreus, but there are many hybrids around. I am wondering whether to pop one into my tiny front garden, to fill the gap between the bulbs and the lavender. I shall be engaged in pondering as I write.
Incidentally, Ceanothus has nitrogen-fixing nodules on its roots, which makes it good for the soil.
One species of Ceanothus, Ceanothus americanus, is known as ‘New Jersey tea’ because its leaves were used as a tea substitute during the American Revolution. As the plant is very high in tannin this is not as surprising as we might think.
Ceanothus americanus (Public Domain)
In their native North America, Ceanothus leaves are eaten by mule deer, and the stems and seeds are eaten by quail and porcupine. And so here, for your delectation, is a North American porcupine. You’re welcome.
North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) (Photo One)
In its native North America, Ceanothus has had a variety of uses. Those fluffy blue flowers are saponins, which means that they can be used as a soap substitute if crushed and mixed with water.This ‘soap’ was used by the women of some Native American tribes to perfume their skin before their marriage ceremony.
The roots produce a red dye (one alternative name for some varieties of Ceanothus is ‘red-root’). The flowers produce a green dye. Unsurprisingly, using the whole plant gives you a brown dye.
Medicinally, the roots were dried and used as a decoction to treat sore throats and all manner of bronchial ailments, from asthma to bronchitis. The plant was also used as a wash to treat sores and skin complaints.
One theme that crops up repeatedly when I read about Ceanothus is that it is short-lived. I wonder if the climate in the UK stresses these Californians, what with our heavy downpours, brief periods of hot sunshine and unexpected cold snaps. At any rate, it certainly stresses me. I also wonder if any plant that blossoms so prolifically, year after year, can keep going for a long time. After all, trees such as beech and oak flower and set fruit intermittently rather than constantly generous.
Just as the Ceanothus in bloom reminds me that it’s summer, so do the banners outside the Royal Academy announcing that it’s time for the Summer Exhibition (which opens to the public on 12th June). For those of you who are unfamiliar with this event, it’s an opportunity for artists to have their work hung in the halls of the Royal Academy. The vast majority of the works are also for sale, with prices varying from under a hundred pounds to many thousands. Among the eager newcomers will be the new works of the Academicians, artists who have made it to become Fellows of the Royal Academy. One of the most interesting is Anthony Green, who presents scenes from the most unlikely angles. Conveniently, he has created one of a vase of Ceanothus, and if you have £16,500 hanging about I’d advise you to buy it sharpish. For more of his paintings, which manage to be both familiar and otherworldly, have a look here. I find them most intriguing.
‘A Vase of Ceanothus’ by Anthony Green (2009) (Photo Two)
I am also rather partial to this painting, ‘Ceanothus tree in a London street’ by Melissa Scott-MIller, who says ‘Who am I to edit nature? It looks beautiful enough as it is’. This image just sums up the unexpected pleasures to be had in walking London’s residential streets. The painting was at the Affordable Art Fair, and you can read more about it here. If you’d like to look at some of the artist’s other paintings (and I admit to having fallen in love) her website is here.
‘Ceanothus tree in a London street’ by Melissa Scott-Miller (2016) (Photo Three)
And to finish this post with something unexpected, here is a Ceanothus silk moth (Hyalophora euryalus), whose larvae feed on the leaves of our Wednesday Weed. This huge moth can be found all the way from British Columbia to Baja California, and has a maximum wingspan of 127mm. The adults do not feed, but spend all their short lives looking for a mate and laying eggs. The caterpillar goes through a variety of colour changes, but is never anything short of spectacular. I love the way that the eyespots make it look as if the moth has a couple of snakes for protection.
Ceanothus silk moth (Hyalophora euryalus) (Photo Four)
Photo One by Fyn Kind at https://www.flickr.com/photos/79452129@N02/26920045526/
Photo Two at http://www.anthonygreen.org.uk/paintings.html
Photo Three at https://affordableartfair.com/melissa-scott-miller-ceanothus-tree-in-a-london-street
Photo Four by Linda Tanner (originally posted to Flickr as Ceanothus Moth) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Pertaining to ashes
Ashy Mining Bee (Andrena cineraria)
Dear Readers, when I first moved into my house in East Finchley in 2010, I was at a loss to know what to do with the darkest part of the side return, the gap between the kitchen and the house next door. I wondered if anything would ever be happy there. Fortunately, someone suggested hydrangea petiolaris, the climbing hydrangea, and after 8 years it has reached the roof. This year, it was smothered in its strange, lace-cap flowers, and every time I stepped outside on my way to top up the bird feeders, it made me smile.
I didn’t, however, think that it was a very good plant for wildlife. My highest hopes were that it might provide a thick and leafy haven for birds’ nests at some point. But then, I noticed that, although there were only a tiny number of white flowers with petals on each flowerhead (known as a corymb), there were masses of tiny flowerets, which seemed to be composed entirely of stamen. I learned that the white flowers are sterile, but the unassuming smaller ‘blooms’ are not, and are in fact a rich source of pollen.
And so I started to notice that various pollinators were visiting the hydrangea. Bumblebees and honeybees collected the pollen, and small hoverflies seemed to be patrolling territories above the flowers. However, my happiest realisation was that I had a new visitor, or at least one who was new to me. The black and grey bee in the first photo is an ashy mining bee (Andrena cineraria), and she is busily collecting pollen.
How do I know that this is a female? The shiny black abdomen and grey and black-striped thorax are very distinctive. The males are smaller, and have white tufts of hair sticking out of the side of their thoraxes, rather like muttonchop whiskers (though in the wrong place). These are small bees, about two-thirds of the size of a honeybee. Their Latin name ‘cineraria’ means ‘pertaining to ashes’, a reference to their colour – incidentally the plant cineraria was probably named because of its grey furry stems.
Although ashy mining bees are solitary in the sense that they don’t form colonies like honeybees or bumblebees, they do like to nest together. They build long nesting tunnels, usually on sunny south-facing slopes, and sometimes a favoured site can be peppered with hundreds of individual nests, the bees coming and going with a frequency that reminds me of Heathrow airport. The bees seem to prefer bare soil, but will sometimes nest in lawns, leaving little ‘volcanoes’ of soil. They block the tunnels when they’ve finished foraging, or if it looks like rain. If disturbed they will rush to blockade their nest entrances – these are not aggressive creatures, and I have never heard of anyone being stung by one.
Ashy mining bee nest (https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/ashy-mining-bee/)
As is often the way, I noticed the bees last weekend, and by mid-week the hydrangea had gone over, and the bees had disappeared. Much like the hairy-footed flower bees that are around on warm days in April, ashy mining bees have a short, single flight period, and will all be gone by the end of June. The females spend their time busily gathering nectar and pollen to feed the larvae who have hatched in the brood chambers at the end of those tunnels. Once they have fed enough, the larvae will pupate for the rest of the year, ready to emerge in spring – the males pop out before the females so that they’re ready for them when they come out (much as the male frogs emerge in my pond a few days before the females turn up). The male bees hover around the nest site in a behaviour known as ‘lekking’, a term that I associate more with black grouse than insects.
Ashy mining bees are not at all particular about what plants they use for pollen, and are very important for the pollination of oil-seed rape in some areas of the country (an indication that honeybees are not the only important pollinators). They go about their work largely unnoticed, appearing for a few weeks every year and then disappearing. I shall certainly watch for them next year, and will keep my eyes open for whatever species comes next. There is a dance in the gentle succession of species that emerge, or bloom, or die-back every month, and getting to know these patterns has been one of the most wonderful things about writing this blog. It gives me a sense of belonging and groundedness that is most reassuring when so many other things are in flux.
In her wonderful book ‘The Enchanted Life’, Sharon Blackie refers to the importance of having a ‘Sit Spot’ – somewhere that you sit every day, whatever the weather, and just observe. I know that plonking down on my kitchen step and paying attention to the hydrangea and to the plants has given me a real sense of the turn of the seasons and of how plants and animals and humans interrelate. It has given me peace when serenity was in short supply. It reminds me that life goes on, literally right outside my back door. And it is cool, and green, in the way that a forest is cool and green. It has become a sanctuary, thanks to this plant that doesn’t mind the shade, and flowers with such generosity. It reminds me how lucky I am.
I recommend ‘The Enchanted Life’ for anyone who would like to foster a deeper connection with the area in which they live, and who yearns for a sense of belonging. You can find out more about it (and purchase it directly from the author) here
This entry was posted in London Invertebrates, London Plants on June 9, 2018 by Bug Woman.
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“Light it up” by Nick Petrie #BookReview
“Light it up” is the third book in the Peter Ash Series and it is the first book in the series that I have read. However, it was not difficult for me to understand the main character, the book atmosphere or follow the story.
Peter Ash is a former Marin. He is back in the States now, but he is suffering from PTSD, meaning that he has such a nasty claustrophobia, he cannot stay inside four walls for as much as more than 20 minutes, without freaking out. Therefore he stays in the woods, rebuilding hiking trails in Oregon, along with a newly acquired friend, Henry, a veteran like himself. Henry’s daughter is running a security company which protects cash-rich cannabis entrepreneurs from modern-day highwaymen. So when her husband and his crew are gone missing on an assignment, Henry turns to help her and asks for Peter’s support. While the two friends are on an assignment, they get attacked probably by the same hijackers that attacked the other company vehicle. As gunshots start to fly around, Peter starts to wonder, is it worth it to risk his life for that money? He would however, risk everything for his friend’s life.
After cannabis legalization, a whole new legal business has been set up in the states. It is a way through for those working with it outside the law. Now they can make it legal and still keep growing and selling it. The only catch is that the business is not supported by the banking system, so all exchanges must be made in cash. This raises the need for a safekeeping place for all that cash, as well as guarding and security services. This is were new security businesses come up, however, at the same time there is a new opportunity for those that want to benefit without effort. Grab the cash and walk away.
The story is very well told. Amazing big screen scenes all over the book, while at the same time there is great character building. Peter Ash is a marine, but he is much more than that. He is a thinking person, one that has definitely been through a lot and he has learned to appreciate things and take nothing for granted. He is the honest guy, the one you can trust with your life, the person that would do anything for his mates. To keep them safe. To make sure the return home on their own, not in a box.
Apart from the fascinating story and plot, the action and the military part of the book, there are also other aspects of the hero layed out. He is a troubled person, as one would expect, based on his experiences and PTSD, but he is trying to become normal again and live his life like everyone else. The author gives a glimpse of his mind and as well as his feeling. He has met a woman in the previous book which he likes, so he puts an effort to be able to be with her like everyone else would.
Peter Ash is a character that is going to be around for a while and I would most definitely like to read more of Nick Petrie’s books!
Goodreads / Amazon.com / Amazon.co.uk / Book Depository / IndieBound
Nick Petrie received his MFA in fiction from the University of Washington, won a Hopwood Award for short fiction while an undergraduate at the University of Michigan, and his story “At the Laundromat” won the 2006 Short Story Contest in The Seattle Review, a national literary journal. A husband and father, he has worked as a carpenter, remodeling contractor, and building inspector. He lives in Milwaukee.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter
January 11, 2018 January 11, 2018 chillandreadBook Review, EnglishContemporary, Fiction, First To Read, New Release, Review Copy, Series, USA
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You are at:Home»News»UCLA's Festival Of New Creative Work, June 3-9
UCLA's Festival Of New Creative Work, June 3-9
By Robin Menken on 05/29/2011 News
A week of Film, Video, Animation and Theatre work by students Of UCLA’S School of Theater, Film and Television, presented at UCLA’s James Bridges Theatre, Freud Playhouse and The DGA. Professor Myrl A. Schreibman is the Director of this year’s celebration of Emerging Artist. For more information on the festival, visit www.tft.ucla.edu/festival.
The UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television encompasses a rich history of emerging artists for the stage and the screen.
Beginning in the 1960’s, UCLA students within the Theater Arts Department could specialize in either Theater or Motion Pictures. Walking around campus fifty years ago, you might have seen student director Francis Ford Coppola (“The Godfather”) and Rob Reiner (“A Few Good Men”) pouring over storyboards, or cinematographer Dean Cundey (“Jurassic Park”) setting up a mid-shot, while producers Frank Marshall (“The Bourne Trilogy”) and Mike Medavoy (“Zodiac”) labored to pare down the budgets of their thesis films. You may have walked into the television studio and watched Lou Horvitz (Oscar Telecast, Grammy Awards) sitting in the control booth. You may even have seen the likes of Judy Kaye (“Mama Mia”), John Rubenstein (“Children of a Lesser God”) or Tom Skerrit (“Picket Fences”) rehearsing a monologue in the newly designed sculpture garden. Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison met while students in the department. Teachers included such masters as Jean Renoir, Stanley Kramer, Josef Von Sternberg, Julius Epstein, Norman Corwin and Arthur B. Friedman. There are too many to mention in the ensuing decades.
In the 1970’s and 1980’s the re-named Department of Film and Television came under the purview of the College of Fine Arts. Roaming the halls during this period you might have crossed paths with student writers Shane Black (“Lethal Weapon”), Roy Pool (“Armeggedon”), and Gloria Katz (“Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”), mulling over dialogue and fine-tuning sub-plots. Perhaps you would have passed a classroom full of showrunners in the making, young students who went on to create episodes of “Cheers”, “The Simpsons”, “The X-Files”, “Alias”, “Frasier”, “Everybody Loves Raymond”, “Sex And The City”, “The Office” and “Gossip Girl”. If you’d peered into the open doorway of a post-production suite, you would have seen student editors Craig Kitson (“8 Mile”), and Pietro Scalia (“Black Hawk Down”) hunched over, hard at work. Or if you visited a soundstage you may have seen Tim Robbins (Shawshank Redemption) getting ready to do a scene with Mariska Hargitay (“Law and Order SVU”).
In the early 1990’s the College of Fine Arts was restructured into two schools: the School of the Arts, and the School of Theater, Film and Television. Since then, directors Alexander Payne (“Sideways) and Catherine Hardwicke (“Twilight”) have shot their thesis films here, collaborating with their fellow students, perhaps even working off of material provided by the likes of writers such as Lance Dustin Black (“Milk”) and Laeta Kalogridis (“Shutter Island”).
The School of Theater, Film & Television aims to provide the highest possible standard of professional training while also encouraging an independent spirit of creative innovation, personal vision, and social responsibility to enlighten, engage and inspire a change for a better world. The UCLA Festival of New Creative Work is your first opportunity to see this philosophy in action.
Please join us for our week long festival of showcases and screenings and experience the future potential of our emerging artists.
Opening Night- Friday, June 3, 2011 James Bridges Theater
Alumnus of the Year: Director Allison Anders
Opening Night of the 2011 UCLA Festival of New Creative Work kicks off with some of the top narrative, documentary, and animated films coming out of the School of Theater, Film & Television. It offers up a selection of what will follow during the week, which culminates in the Director’s Spotlight night on June 9. In addition to the opening night screenings, student voted awards will be presented to graduate and undergraduate work in a variety of categories, such as Excellence in Screenwriting, Art Direction and Editing.
Honoree Allison Anders is a Los Angeles-based independent filmmaker. While a student at UCLA in 1983, Anders won the Alan Jacobson Award for best first film for “Nobody Home”. Also in 1983, with a chance to study under her mentor Wim Wenders on the set of his acclaimed film “Paris ,Texas” Anders was granted a President’s Undergraduate Fellowship. She graduated UCLA in 1986, summa cum laude, with the first prize in the Samuel Goldwyn Award for Screenwriting, and the first ever Nicholl Fellowship for Screenwriting from The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. In 1992 Anders was awarded the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best New Director. In 1995 she was the recipient of a MacArthur “genius grant” and in 2002 she won a George Foster Peabody Award for distinguished achievement and meritorious service for her semi-autobiographical film “Things Behind the Sun”.
From the release of her acclaimed first feature, “Border Radio” (1989; co-written and co-directed with Kurt Voss), Anders has established a body of work that is innovative in its visual and sound style and marked by ensemble acting and strong women characters. Her films as writer-director also include “Gas Food Lodging” (1992), “Mi Vida Loca” (1993), “Grace of My Heart” (1996), and “Sugar Town” (1999; co-directed with Kurt Voss). Anders’ films have premiered at the Cannes International Film Festival and at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, and retrospectives of her work have been held in Thessaloniki, Greece; Sheffield, England; Hof International Film Festival, Germany, and at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic. She is also a Distinguished Professor at UCSB where she teaches courses including rock ‘n’ roll films, autobiographic writing, and music supervision one quarter every year. Anders most recently directed an episode of the acclaimed TNT series “Southland” and is currently in production on “Strutter”, a film co-directed with Kurt Voss, which completes their “Border Radio” trilogy. Mother of 3 grown children, Anders lives in Altadena, CA with her partner, writer Terry Graham.
Opening Night Lineup
Spider Fang!- Dir. Justin Perkinson- 2min
Rafi Baby- Dir. Christine Yuan- 9min
Stay Still- Dir. David Kelly- 17 min
The Deep End- Dir. Meredith Koch- 12min
Foot Soldier- Jon Crawford- 20min
Heart- Dir. Erick Oh- 8min
Metered- Dir. Jeff Bourg- 11min
I Love You Like Crazy- Dir. Tess Sweet- 23min
Fran’s Daughter- Dir. Eric Martin- 13min
Saturday, June 4, 2011 James Bridges Theater
Out of the Archive: Recent Work from the MIAS Program
The long-term survival and accessibility of our moving image heritage is dependent upon the work of archival professionals who preserve, restore, document, curate, and exhibit these materials. Out of the Archive will feature creative and preservation work by current students and recent graduates of the UCLA M.A. program in Moving Image Archive Studies (MIAS). Current students will present independent creative work and excerpts from their portfolios, representing their professional interests and achievements in the MIAS program. In a special segment of the program, recent MIAS alumni now working as professional archivists will show elements of their preservation work on the Hearst Metrotone News collection, one of the largest newsreel collections in the world, which is part of the collection of the UCLA Film & Television Archive.
The MIAS M.A. program at UCLA is offered jointly by the Cinema and Media Studies faculty in the School of Theater, Film & Television and the Department of Information Studies in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, in cooperation with the UCLA Film & Television Archive. This highly selective program was the first graduate degree established in the U.S. to educate professionals and academic scholars in this rapidly expanding field. MIAS students deal with the challenges of ever-changing technology, the complex legal and policy environment, and the evolving cultural contexts and expectations surrounding moving image archiving. Students also have the opportunity to put their knowledge into practice in practicum experiences at over 30 industry sites and cultural institutions in the U.S. and worldwide.
Design Showcase West
Saturday, June 4 2 p.m. to 5 p.m, Freud Playhouse, UCLA
The ninth annual Design Showcase West held at UCLA, the only national entertainment design showcase on the West Coast, features the work of students graduating from the nation’s top university design programs, including UCLA; California Institute of the Arts; UC San Diego; NYU; University of Missouri, Kansas City; UC Davis; the University of Texas, Austin; UC Irvine; and the North Carolina School of the Arts. Exhibits range from costume design to set, sound and lighting design.
Design Showcase West is hosted by the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television; the Costume Designers Guild, Local 892; the United Scenic Artists, Local 829; and the Art Directors Guild, Local 800. The Showcase is attended by entertainment producers, directors and A-list designers who are looking for new talent.
Admission is free. Parking is available in Lot 3 on a pay-by-space basis
For more information, please visit www.designshowcasewest.com or call (310) 825-2261
Animation Prom
5:00 PM and 8:30pm
James Bridges Theater, Melnitz Hall
on Saturday, June 4, 2011
Premiere Screening at *5:00 PM * All honors and awards will be presented at this screening only.
Outstanding Contribution to Animation Award: June Foray
Student Awards will be presented: Dan McLaughlin Award (Best in Show), Best Story, Best Animation and Best Art Direction
For almost 60 years, the UCLA Animation Workshop has promoted its “one person, one film” philosophy, allowing animators of all types to realize their concepts independently. The Workshop works in all mediums (be it pencils, clay, or Maya), and offers courses in all aspects of the production of an animated film. The Walter Lantz Digital Animation Studio serves as the analog-and-digital research and production facility for thesis students.
Recent graduates have been nominated for numerous Oscar and Annie awards, the latter conferred by the International Animated Film Society (ASIFA). In 2007, Gil Kenan ’02 was nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar for his directorial debut “Monster House”, and “The Simpsons Movie”, directed by Festival 2009 honoree, David Silverman, collected seven Annie nominations. Students have also been honored: Joaquin Baldwin was nominated for an Annie in 2009 for” Sebastian’s Voodoo”, and Emud Mokhberi was a member of the team that directed the Oscar-nominated romp “Oktapodi”. A landmark event for 2009 was the release of the Oscar-nominated “9”, produced by directors Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov (“Wanted”), an expanded feature adaptation of the Student Oscar-nominated short thesis film created by Shane Acker ’04 in the Animation Workshop. Other recent stars of UCLA’s Animation program include Korean animator Erick Oh. Oh’s exquisite work has been introduced and nominated at Student Academy Awards, Annecy Animation Festival, Hiroshima Animation Festival, Zagreb Animation Festival, SIGGRAPH, Anima Mundi, Ars Electronica, LACMA Director’s Night, and numerous other film festivals. An MFA from UCLA’s film program, Erick is currently at Pixar Animation Studios.
Voice actor, animator Fred Tatasciore (known for voicing the Hulk in the Ultimate Avengers, Next Avengers and Hulk Vs and “8” in the Tim Burton produced Shane Aker feature “9”.) Devin Uzan-Animator and Lead digital compositor at Rhythm and Hues (TFT MFA 1999). Known for “the Incredible Hulk”, Pirates Of the Carribean, 3″, “Night At The Museum”, “I, Robot”, “Spiderman”). The sometimes animation team is best known at UCLA for their wack DUCKY shorts.
Called the First Lady of cartoon voices, honoree June Foray is as legendary as the producers with whom she has worked: Walt Disney, Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, Friz Freleng, Walter Lantz, Hanna and Barbera, and Jay Ward. Working in radio, stage, television, and film, she was put under contract by Capitol Records to record children’s albums with Mel Blanc and Stan Freberg. Heard by Walt Disney, she was hired to be the voice of Lucifer the cat in “Cinderella”, an Indian squaw in “Peter Pan”, Witch Hazel and innumerable shows. Warners appreciating her talents hired her for dozens of shots including Tweety’s Granny and Yosemite Sam’s and Daffy Duck’s wives. (Witch Hazel again!) For Chuck Jones she voiced Cindy Lou Who in “The Grinch”, Jane Kangaroo in “Horton Hears A Who”, Raggedy Ann in ” The Great Santa Claus Caper” and “The Pumpkin Who Couldn’t Smile.” She voiced the mother in “Cricket In Times Square”, Talky Tina in the “Twilight Zone” and played in all three Rudyard Kipling shorts.
Foray then went on to voice Jokey Smurf and Grammi Gumi. Her voices can be heard in other features such as “Looney Tunes Back In Action”, “Thumbalina”, “Treasures Of The Lost Lamp”, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and “Space Jam”. She is the voice of Grandma Fa in Disney’s “Mulan” for which she received a Grammy Nomination for her sing-a-long C.D. She appeared again in “Mulan II.”
But most of all people identify June as Rocky, the flying squirrel. She also voice Natasha and Nell from the “Bullwinkle” series and performed Rocky in the feature film “The Adventures Of Rocky And Bullwinkle” produced by Robert De Niro’s Tribeca Films and Universal.
June has received numerous awards including a Star in the Walk of Fame, July 7, 2000 and has been invited to speak all over the world. She received an International Award for her contribution to the Art of Animation at the 2004 Hiroshima Animation Festival, a PEGBOARD award in Belgium and is proud of the JUNE FORAY award given every year by ASIFA HOLLYWOOD, for her contribution to animation. Also as part of a tribute to Jay Ward, she was honored at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York City.
From 1977 – 2005, June was on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences where she chaired the student Academy Awards and co-chaired the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch. She also served on the International Board of Women in Animation.
June Foray is also a published writer and narrator on “C.D.Tall And Small Tales” A for children and she garnered a Festival Director’s award for writing, producing and narrating an animated short, You Can’t Teach An Old Dog New Tricks. ” Currently she is in on the Advisory Board of Chuck Jones Center for Creativity and the author of two books: “Perverse, Adverse And Pottenverse and Did You Grow Up With Me Too?” And, oh by the way, she is still working!
# UCLA Raw #1
Sunday June 5, 2011 James Bridges Theater
Festival continues with a program of films and videos showcasing the diverse talents of our student filmmakers.
Program A: FAMILY SUNDAY MORNING 10AM- 12:30 PM
1. In a Jam: 2 min
2. Fatboy: 15 min
3. Take Your Child to Work Day: 7 min
4. An American Heart: 10 min
5. Level 33: 9 min
6. Left and Gone: 17 min
7. Right Tree, Wrong Apple: 3 min
8. My Education: 11 min
9. Mushroom Hunt: 16 min
10. El Bolerito: 8 min
11. Mom’s Life in Film School: 32 min
Program B: LOVE/ROMANCE SUNDAY 12:45 PM-2:30 PM
1. Tell Me a Memory: 9 min
2. Sea Sick: 15 min
3. A Healthy Relationship: 10 min 15 secs
4. Love Analysis: 1 min
5. Anger Management: 11 min
6. Lost and Found: 3 min 40 secs
7. The Violet Crumble: 16 min
8. An Ode to Demons- 4 min 40 secs
9. Almost There: 17 min
10. Armor: 3 min
11. The Love Story: 2 min
12. Away From the Ranch: 18 min
UCLA Raw #2 Sunday, June 5, 2011 James Bridges Theater
Program C: FANTASY SUNDAY 7:30-9:15 PM
1. ARAX: 9 min
2. Little Solider: 14 min
3. The Girl in the Flammable Skirt: 25 min
4. Should I eat him?: 4:00 min
5. Nomads: 5 min 48 secs experimental doc
6. Cure: 7 min 40 secs
7. Scape Ore Swamp: 14 min
8. Once Around: 1 min 20 secs
9. Ghost of the Sad Clown: 10 min
10. Demon’s Dilemma: 14 min
Program D: CRIME: SUNDAY 9:30-11:10 PM
1. Bloomkampf: 6 min 47 secs
2. The Perfect Gentleman: 25 min
3. 64 – 4 min
4. Audition- 5 min 7 secs
5. Stay Still: 17 min
6. Babylon the great: 2 min
7. A Night at the Taco Truck: 10 min 28 secs
8. Election Eve: 11 min
9. Thank God For You, Charley: 10 min
10. El Diablo: 5 min
11. The Venus Jungle Jig: 3 min
Screenwriters Showcase Monday, June 6, 2011
Ralph Freud Playhouse
(THIS EVENT WILL START PROMPTLY AT 7:30 P.M.)
Distinguished Achievement in Screenwriting Award: Aaron Sorkin.
Our Host and MC: Mike Werb (“Face/ Off”, “The Mask”, “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider”.)
Academy-Award® winning writer Aaron Sorkin graduated from Syracuse University with a B.F.A. in Theatre in 1983. He made his Broadway playwriting debut at the age of 28 with the military courtroom drama, “A Few Good Men”, for which he received the John Gassner Award as Outstanding New American Playwright. The following year saw his off-Broadway play, “Making Movies” and in 2007 he returned to Broadway with “The Farnsworth Invention” directed by Des McAnuff.
Most recently, Mr. Sorkin’s film, “The Social Network”, earned him an Academy Award® for Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as a Golden Globe, British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), Writers Guild Award and the USC Scripter Award. The film, directed by David Fincher, was named Best Drama at the Golden Globes, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, and appeared on over 350 critics’ lists of the top ten films of 2010.
His film adaptation of “A Few Good Men” was nominated for four Academy Awards®, including Best Picture, and five Golden Globes, including Best Screenplay. He followed this success with the screenplays for “Malice”, starring Alec Baldwin and Nicole Kidman, and “The American President”, starring Michael Douglas and Annette Bening. Mr. Sorkin produced and wrote the television series “Sports Night for ABC” for two years, winning the Humanitas Prize and the Television Critics Association Award. He spent the next four years writing and producing the NBC series “The West Wing”, winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series all four years. For his work on “The West Wing”, Mr. Sorkin also twice received the Peabody Award and the Humanitas Prize, and three Television Critics Association Awards. He also won a Golden Globe, a Writers Guild Award and three Producers Guild Awards.
In 2006, Mr. Sorkin wrote and produced the NBC television series “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip”. He also wrote the 2007 film” Charlie Wilson’s War”, directed by Mike Nichols and starring Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Julia Roberts.
Mr. Sorkin is currently developing a new series with HBO, titled “More As This Story Develops,” set behind the scenes at a cable news show. He has acquired the rights to The Politician, the best-selling book by Andrew Young about the downfall of former Senator John Edwards. He will adapt the book and make his directorial debut with The Politician, which he will also produce.
The UCLA Graduate Screenwriters Association welcomes you to the 16th Annual Screenwriters Showcase. This event celebrates the work of UCLA’s Graduate Screenwriting students past and present. Portions of eight scripts will be previewed in five-minute staged excerpts. These scripts were selected by a panel of over 200 industry judges in a competition that began in March.
2011 SHOWCASE WINNERS
FEATURE WINNERS:
TRAPPED by Nicole Riegel
A drama of two West Virginia coal miners who are trapped underground after a methane explosion. As the drama of the above ground love affairs collide with the peril and secrets below ground, the two men must stick together in order to make it out alive.
THE FAMILY HARVEST by Megan Green
Slacker-girl Darcy is shocked when her long lost father shows up, looking for a kidney. She’s not a donor match, but one of her father’s illegitimate children might be, so Darcy tracks down her siblings to save her playboy father.
WETWORK INC by Spencer Ballou
Two suburban housewives–one desperate for money, the other desperate for excitement–haphazardly become contract killers. As business picks up, family complications arise, and the struggle to maintain their double lives becomes increasingly difficult.
SIMONE’S MASTERPIECE by Diana Densmore
When Simone’s mother falls into a coma, the twelve-year-old, self-proclaimed scientist and her two younger brothers, George and Tito, embark on a quest across Nevada to Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats. Their aim: to retrieve “stardust” from NASA’s comet sample return space capsule. Their hope: if wishing on a shooting star makes your dreams come true, actually having the dust of a comet will be the miracle that saves their mother.
BAD DOGS by Paul Bertino
When the sheriff of a frontier town discovers that a gang of bloodthirsty werewolves was responsible for his brother’s death, he must find a way to bring them to justice before he becomes their next meal.
TV WINNERS:
DEAR CHUCK NORRIS by Scott Sullivan (1/2 hr comedy)
A lovable loser gets his life together with the aid of a Chuck Norris self-help book.
STUNT COCK by Tony Baker (1/2 hr comedy)
An ex-cock fighting rooster named Stunt Cock has been put out to stud on a factory farm in Arizona. Stunt tries to raise his only son, Hatch, while dealing with the sudden arrival of Stunt’s abusive ex fight trainer, an immigrant worker named Domingo.
ASHBURTON PREP by Jeff King (1 hr drama)
An ensemble drama that follows the lives of several teachers and students at the most elite boarding school in the country as they struggle to balance their fragile social lives with the relentless demands of the academy.
FEATURE FINALISTS:
RESULTS MAY VARY by Manny Basanese
An ordinary young woman who lives vicariously through romantic comedy movies, uses a magic skin cream and suddenly finds her ordinary life has been transformed into a rom-com fantasy.
TAVY by Will Thompson
A young scientist working for a major pharmaceutical company rushes against time to rescue potentially life-saving medicinal plants in Madagascar, before they are wiped from the face of the Earth by forest fires ignited in the midst of a coup d’état.
DOWNSTATE by Adam Henkel
When a former small-town football hero sees suspicion surrounding his best friend’s drunk driving death, he launches his own investigation and struggles to uncover a conspiracy behind the tragedy.
THE COLONY by Will Honley
A scientific team arrives at NASA’s first colony on Mars and discovers all the colonists are dead, forcing the team to learn what happened before they suffer the same fate.
HOUDINI AND THE BOOK OF THOTH by Mike Gantman
Harry Houdini must deactivate traps, defeat creatures and outwit Dark Forces, as he and his wife Bess attempt to find a powerful Egyptian artifact and prevent its powers from being used as a weapon of mass destruction.
TV FINALISTS:
UNDONE by Evette Vargas (1hr drama)
When time crosses dimensions, a man suffering memory loss from a maliciously caused accident transcends time to discover the secrets behind it and who tried to kill him.
RINGS by Amy Aniobi (1hr drama)
A dysfunctional family of ex-circus performers living in modern day Brooklyn, NY turns to a life of crime to pay the bills.
ST. PERPETUUA by Jim McDermott (1hr drama)
When an idealistic young Catholic priest discovers that most of his parishioners would rather bicker about the altar wine than take a good look at themselves, he decides to “save” them by any means necessary.
Producers Marketplace Tuesday, June 7, 2011
The Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum
Vision Award Recipient: Lawrence Bender
Our Host and MC: Tom Nunan
This highly anticipated annual event features four graduate students in the distinguished UCLA Producers Program, who will present their feature film projects to a panel of top-tier industry judges. These project presentations were vetted by industry professionals throughout the academic year. During the Producers Marketplace, the finalists take the stage to present their projects in five-minute concept pitches. They then field a battery of questions from the judges about how they plan to get their projects made. The judges will select the most promising proposal and present the winning producer the UCLA Producers Marketplace Award as well as a cash award from Producer/Alum Dan Angel ’90. The audience will also get to select its favorite pitch. The evening also honors a person whose career exemplifies an extraordinary vision as a producer in all aspects of film art and business and who leaves an indelible mark on the industry. The Vision Award is presented by the Producers Guild of America and The UCLA School of Theater Film and Television.
Honoree Lawrence Bender (Producer) boasts an illustrious career spanning more than twenty years in the entertainment industry. His films to date have been honored with 29 Academy Award nominations, including three for Best Picture, and have won 6. His latest collaboration with director Quentin Tarantino, “Inglorious Bustards”, was nominated for a Golden Globe, Academy Award for Best Picture and BFCA Critics’ Choice Awards for Best Picture as well as Best Film honors from critics’ groups all over the country. Bender himself was nominated for the Producers Guild Darryl F. Snuck Producer of the Year Award for the film.
His new documentary, “Countdown To Zero”, which features Tony Blair, Presidents, Mushier, Gorbachev, De Clerk, and Carter among others details the urgent risk posed by proliferation, terrorism, and accidental use of nuclear weapons.
Previous to this Bender produced the profoundly influential “An Inconvenient Truth”, which Davis Guggenheim directed. It was honored in 2007 with the Academy Award® for Best Documentary Feature Film.
Prior to “An Inconvenient Truth”, Bender’s “Innocent Voices,” directed by Luis Mandolin, was Mexico’s official entry for the Academy’s Foreign Language Film competition. It received the 2005 Producers Guild Stanley Kramer Award as well as the National Board of Review’s Freedom of Expression Award.
Bender was previously nominated for a Producers Guild award for Good Will Hunting, which received a total of nine Academy Award® nominations.
“Pulp Fiction,” which scored seven Oscar® nominations, marked Bender’s second film with Quentin Tarantino. It was also nominated for a Producers Guild Award, a BAFTA Award for Best Film, and an Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature and the Palma door at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.
Bender and Tarantino first teamed on “Reservoir Dogs”, which was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award as Best Feature in 1992. In addition to executive producing Tarantino’s and Robert Rodriguez’s “From Dusk Till Dawn”, Bender also produced “Tarantino’s Kill Bill I”, “Kill Bill II” and “Jackie Brown”. He holds the distinction of being the only producer to have two films in simultaneous competition at the Berlin Film Festival: “Good Will Hunting” and “Jackie Brown”.
For television, Bender has developed or produced projects for all of the major broadcast and cable networks. His four-hour miniseries, “The Legend of Earthsea,” based on the books by Ursula K. Le Guin, for the Syfy Channel in association with Hallmark Entertainment, was the network’s most watched show of the year. Bender was also nominated for a GLAAD Award as executive producer of MTV’s “Anatomy of a Hate Crime,” which addressed the murder of Matthew Shepard. Currently, Bender has two major projects in development at HBO: “Manhunt,” a nine-hour miniseries based on James L. Swanson’s N.Y. Times bestseller about the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth, which is being adapted by David Simon (“The Wire,” “Treme”) and Tom Fontana (“Homicide,” “Oz”); and “Year Zero,” an eight-hour miniseries based on the music of Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor (who also scored “The Social Network”), which is being adapted by Dan Knauf (“Carnivale”).
Bender began his career as a production assistant at the American Film Institute in 1985. In addition to his feature film and television work, Bender has enjoyed success in producing commercials and music videos with his production company, A Band Apart.
A passionate social and political activist, Bender co-founded the Detroit Project in 2003, targeting the gas-guzzling SUV. He has traveled to the Middle East with the Israeli Policy Forum (IPF). He is also on the Advisory Board to the Dean at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and serves on the board of The Creative Coalition. He is a member of The Council on Foreign Relations and The Pacific Council. A recent recipient of the Torch of Liberty Award from the ACLU, he spends much of his time organizing fundraising.
FINALISTS:
Ryan Slattery BURDEN OF PROOF
Written by Academy Award © winning writer Bobby Moresco (“Crash”), this project is the gripping story of an innocent man who has spent his life behind bars, only to be released as the monster the system wanted him to be.
Aisha Summers CONFESSIONS OF A MODERN DAY DOG
Titan Brown, a Black Buppie, is a man trying to find himself through relationships with three unique women, only to discover that as he finds out what is important to him, he may loose “the One” he wants in the process.
Michael Acosta THE POKER KID
A luckless Vegas loser and his foul-mouthed companion hit the jackpot when they discover a 9 year-old poker wiz who always wins. But, they run in to problems when their harebrained get-rich-quick scheme backfires and the two are forced to become an unlikely pair of foster fathers.
UCLA Raw #3 Wednesday, June 8, 2011 James Bridges Theater
Program E: COMING OF AGE WEDNESDAY 7:30 PM-9:15 PM
1. Estela: 8:48 min
2. Once around: 1:20 min
3. Recipe: 12 min
4. Lily: 11 min
5. Little Creatures: 9 min
6. Autumn: 2 min
7. Ae-Eh- EE- Oh- OO- Lesson in Vowels: 3 min
8. Self Help: 12 min
9. Old Friends: 10 min
10. Two Monkeys Hugging: 3 min
11. Good Intentions: 19 min
12. Color Me In: 2 min
Program F: HORROR WEDNESDAY 9:30 PM-10:45 PM
1. My lips are sealed: 2 min
2. Fractal: 2 min 55 secs
3. My Apology: 10 min
4. The Song: 11 min
5. Break: 4 min 30 secs
6. Tread Darkly: 14 min
7. The Last Hour: 5 min
8. Viral: 10 min
9. The Last Capitalist: 3 min
10. Bled White: 11 min 11 secs
CLOSING Night DIRECTORS SHOWCASE
On Thursday, June 9, 2011 Directors Guild of America Theatre
Filmmaker of the Year Award: Lisa Cholodenko
Champion Spirit Award: Stacey Snider
The Directors Spotlight night is an evening for selected student filmmakers to present their work. The films you will see this evening have been chosen through a series of individual panels consisting of students and industry professionals after viewing many hours of animated, fiction and documentary work completed this year. Students in the animation and production/directing program both graduate and undergraduate met and viewed over 12 hours of film projects on May 7 and May 8. They recommended over 3 hours of film projects to move to the Blue Ribbon Jury who met the evening of May 13 to view the selected films.
The Directors Spotlight night offers up outstanding talent and since its inception more than a decade ago, Spotlight night has helped launch the careers of talented filmmakers such as Patricia Cardosa (“Real Women Have Curves”), Justin Lin (“Fast and Furious,” “Tokyo Drift”), Alexander Payne (“Sideways”) and Shane Acker (animated feature “9”). The evening will also honor a Filmmaker of the Year voted on by the students and Panavision will present a Cinematography Award to an outstanding Cinematography graduate student whose work will also be screened this evening. The festivities of this evening, which closes the Festival, will also recognize a member of the entertainment industry whose career reflects the courage and integrity to recognize, mentor and nurture new talent into the industry with the prestigious Champion Spirit Award.
Honoree Lisa Cholodenko
Lisa Cholodenko’s “The Kids Are All Right” (2010) was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. The critically acclaimed film won Best Comedy at The Golden Globes and Cholodenko and co-writer Stuart Blumberg also won a Spirit award for Best Original Screenplay and a Best Screenplay nod from The New York Film Critics Circle.
Cholodenko grew up in the San Fernando Valley and began working in the film industry in the early 1990s, as an assistant editor on “Boyz n the Hood “(1991) and “Used People” (1992). She then moved to New York City and earned an MFA in screenwriting and directing at Columbia University School of the Arts. After writing and directing an award-winning short film, “Dinner Party” (1997), she made her feature debut with “High Art” (1998), which won the National Society of Film Critics award for Ally Sheedy’s performance and The Waldo Salt Screenwriting award at the Sundance Film Festival. Both “High Art” and her second feature, “Laurel Canyon “(2002), premiered in the Cannes Film Festival’s Directors Fortnight program.
In addition to feature length film for Showtime, “Cavedweller” 2004), which garnered Spirit nominations for stars Kyra Sedgewick and Aiden Quinn, Cholodenko has directed episodes of such acclaimed series as
“Homicide: Life on the Street”, “Six Feet Under”, “The L Word” and “Hung”. She is currently developing an adaptation of Tom Perrotta’s novel, “The Abstinence Teacher”, for Warner Brothers and a new series for HBO.
Honoree Stacey Snider
Stacey Snider is a partner of DreamWorks Studios, along with Steven Spielberg, as well as its Co-Chairman and CEO where she oversees creative and financial aspects of all film development and production in addition to the company’s business strategy. The studio’s upcoming releases include “I Am Number Four,” directed by DJ Caruso, “Cowboys & Aliens,” a co-production with Universal Studios, directed by Jon Favreau, “The Help,” based on the New York Times best-selling novel, “Fright Night” directed by Craig Gillespie, “Real Steel” directed by Shawn Levy, and the Steven Spielberg directed “War Horse.”
Snider joined DreamWorks in 2006, after which the studio’s releases included several highly acclaimed features including “Flags of Our Fathers,” nominated for two Academy Awards, and “Letters from Iwo Jima”, nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. Both Films were directed by Clint Eastwood. The studio’s other high profile releases included “Dreamgirls,” which garnered eight Academy Award nominations, the adaptation of the international best-selling book “The Kite Runner,” and the musical “Sweeney Todd,” a DreamWorks and Warner Bros. co-production, which was nominated for three Oscars. In 2007, the studio had four consecutive films open #1 at the box office, including “Norbit,” “Blades of Glory,” “Disturbia,” and “Transformers,” which alone has grossed over $700 million worldwide.
Prior to joining DreamWorks, Snider served as Chairman of Universal Pictures where she oversaw all domestic and international business units of Universal Pictures, Focus Features, Universal Home Video, and Universal Pictures Franchise Development, including production, distribution, marketing as well as acquisitions, strategic planning, finance, and business development. During her tenure at Universal, Snider experienced remarkable success with a consistent output of films that were both domestic and international box-office hits, while garnering wide critical praise. Some of the franchises she originated and oversaw include “The Bourne” series, “The Mummy” series, the “American Pie” series, “The Fast and the Furious” series, and “Meet the Parents” and “Meet the Fockers.” “Erin Brockovich,” “A Beautiful Mind,” “Seabiscuit, “Ray,” “Lost in Translation,” and “Brokeback Mountain” were among the films that won critical and Academy Award recognition.
In addition to her many professional achievements, Snider currently serves on the boards of City Year, a national youth service organization, the Special Olympics of Southern California by whom she has been honored, and the American Film Institute. In 2004, the American Jewish Committee honored Snider with the Dorothy and Sherrill C. Corwain Human Relations Award for her professional and civic endeavors that have helped to promote tolerance and understanding.
She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and UCLA Law School.
SPOTLIGHT FILMS 2011
CONTRA EL MAR- Dir. Richard Parkin (Running time 19.0)
Despite his wife’s disapproval, Hector bides his time as a deep-sea diver to provide for his family and to save for his own fishing boat. But after an accident at sea, Hector is forced to confront the deadly nature of his profession and the responsibilities to his family.
Robin Menken
Robin Menken Robin Menken lives in Los Angeles. She was the Artistic Director of the Second City Workshops, taught at UC Berkeley, USC, Barcelona\'s Ateneu and the Esalin Institute. She was Roberto Rossellini\'s assistant, and worked with Yevgeny Vevteshenku, Glauber Rocha and Eugene Ionesco. She sold numerous screenplays and wrote the OBIE winning The FTA SHow (touring with Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland and Ben Vereen.) She was a programming consultant and Special Events co-ordinator for numerous film festivals, including the SF, Rio, Havana and N.Y Film Festivals. Her first news outlet was the historic East Village Other.
CWB Jury & Nominees for 2019 GoE Bridging The Borders Award at ShortFest
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You are at:Home»Conversations»SUNDAY, nominated for Best Animated Shortfilm Oscar
SUNDAY, nominated for Best Animated Shortfilm Oscar
By Bijan Tehrani on 02/04/2012 Conversations
One of the five Oscar nominees for the Best Animated Short film t is Sunday from Canada, directed by Patrick Doyon. Sunday is a National Film Board of Canada production.
Every Sunday, it’s the same old routine! The train clatters through the village and almost shakes the pictures off the wall. In the church, Dad dreams about his toolbox. And of course later Grandma will get a visit and the animals will meet their fate.
Here is our short interview with Patrick Doyon about Sunday.
Bijan Tehrani: How did you come up with the idea of Sunday?
Patrick Doyon: I took inspiration from my memories, my memories of the Sundays and it is not autobiographical but everything in the film is based on something from my childhood. I wanted to make a film about boredom without boring the audience.
BT: Please tell us about Sunday’s animation style.
PD : I’m not considering myself a very good animator, so I wanted to make it into a very simple design and I did some research to find some information about the look of the little boy, then I tried to create the whole world around him. It was important that everything needed to exist in this world matches his personality.
BT: The passing train plays a very important role in this film; did you envision it as a symbol of the fast paced world outside the village, where the little boy lives?
PD: There are two subjects in the story of the film, first on is the story of the little boy on a Sunday in his village and second one is the story of the train that passes by and never stops at the village. A small village filled with aging people and abounded factories.
BT: There are two recognizable layers in your film, tragedy and comedy, how did you blend this two in Sunday?
PD: There is a balance between melancholies in the film and also the sense of humor in it, the subject can be dark but the story is not dark, I guess that is one of the reasons that people like this film.
BT: Did working with the National Film Board of Canada assist you with making this film?
PD: Working with National Film Board was very motivating, and they liked the story. By receiving a salary for making the film and I was able to focus my energy in making a solid film, if it was only me to do most of the job
BT: What do you think are your chances of winning the Oscar for your film and how will winning the Oscar help you?
PD: I guess it will help, I don’t know what kind of offer I can get by winning an Oscar but already today I have gained a lot of visibility by receiving nomination and last week I received an offer to direct another film.
BT: What is your next project?
PD: Right now I am doing an illustration for a children’s book. Next year I will try to put together an animated short.
Sunday and other OSCAR nominated animation and live action shorts will be released in Los Angeles on February 10, 2012 at Landmark’s The Nuart Theatre, West LA and Regency Theatres’ South Coast Plaza, Santa Ana.
In New York screening of OSCAR nominated animation and live action shorts starts on Feb. 10.
Bijan Tehrani
Bijan Tehrani a film director, film critic and writer, works as editor in chief of Cinema Without Borders while teaching Language of Film and Film History at workshops nationwide. Bijan has won several awards in international film festivals and book fairs for his short films and children's books.
Philippe Mora talks about his life and his creative work
Doug Block talks about the 20th anniversary of the HOME PAGE
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May 25, 2015 | Comment
Parenting in a World of Social and Technological Transformation
S. Craig Watkins
Categories: Equity, Research
As educators, policy makers and community activists look to build more equitable futures, a considerable amount of attention remains focused on families, especially parents. Families represent an important node in the learning ecologies of children and teens. When parents are able to connect their children to resources, material and immaterial, they provide substantive support in the pursuit of academic (i.e., higher grades) and non-academic (i.e., character building) outcomes. Moreover, when the home can serve as a rich and vibrant space for learning through inquiry, curiosity and play, the social and educational payoffs can be immeasurable. But, not all homes are equal when it comes to their capacity to secure the kinds of provisions that promote the social and educational development of young people.
Much of the research literature suggest that more affluent families are able to make substantial investments in their children’s lives — especially in terms of the money and time that they spend. Perspectives like these, however, tend to overlook the important ways that parents tied to lower-income occupations and social immobility tend to invest in their children’s lives.
In the research conducted by the Digital Edge team of the Connected Learning Research Network, we spent a considerable amount of time working with students from resource-constrained families. We learned a lot about the lives of students in school, at home and with their peers. We met all kinds of families — college educated, immigrant, lower-income, English dominant and Spanish dominant. Social and economic inequality is growing in the U.S. and the implications for education and social mobility are quite serious. How are parents navigating the rapidly evolving worlds of education, learning, technology, and social change? And, what does it mean for how we think about the role of parents and the family in the development of young people?
Here are three initial takeaways from our preliminary analysis of the data.
1. Lower-income Families Invest in the Educational Development of Their Children
Much of the literature on schools and families focuses on the differences between higher-income families and lower-income families. Often, there is an assumption that the former are more invested in their children’s educational development. This is usually measured in the form of enrichment activities and other supports (i.e., the use of tutors, coaches) that more affluent parents are able to invest in. Some studies suggest that college-educated parents also spend more time with their children, especially mothers who may opt out of the labor force for the expressed purpose of child rearing and educational development. But, in our study we began to cultivate a different perspective, one that we think counters some of the conventional wisdom about families, parenting, class and the academic trajectories of students.
For instance, we found that parents in immigrant and lower-wage employment were just as invested in their children’s educational development as their more affluent counterparts. Many immigrant parents consistently emphasized the importance of education as a path to greater career choices and opportunities. Most of the immigrant parents in our study came to the U.S. as children or young teens and were unable to continue their education because they needed to work to help support their family. These parents work hard to make sure that their children have access to decent schools and educational opportunities. Families in our study moved on multiple occasions and often to secure access to what parents perceived to be richer educational opportunities for their children in the form of better schools, safer environments, and access to technology. In his study examining why the African American population in Austin is decreasing as the overall population enjoys robust growth, University of Texas at Austin Professor Eric Tang suggests that African American families may be moving to neighboring suburbs, in part, to enroll their children in schools that offer better educational opportunities.
2. Lower-income Parents View Access to Technology as a Pathway to Better Futures
Parents from resource-constrained households work hard to provide access to technologies that they believe are critical to their children’s social and educational development. Most of the students in our sample of case studies owned a mobile device and several had some type of home Internet access. Over the years, research has consistently shown that households with children are much more likely than those without children to own computers and have access to the Internet. Many of the families in our study reflect this trend. Parents made sacrifices to purchase mobile phones, computers, and Internet service. In fact, they consistently expressed perspectives that viewed access to technology as a way up in our tech-driven world and knowledge economy.
However, many of the parents from immigrant households had limited educational attainment and were much less likely than their children to adopt new technologies. Inevitably, this lack of experience with technology influences their attitudes about the role that technology plays in the social and educational development of their children. While they believed access to technology was critical to better educational and economic outcomes they, like many parents, were uncertain about how technology use connected to social, educational and economic mobility.
We found a digital participation gap between immigrant parents and their children. As a 2013 report from the Pew Hispanic Center notes, the varied patterns of tech adoption within the Hispanic community is substantial and shaped by factors such as age (younger Hispanics are much more likely to be technology adopters than their older counterparts), levels of educational attainment (college graduates are far more likely to adopt than those with less than a high school diploma), native or foreign born status, or whether a person is English dominant or Spanish dominant. Immigrant parents in the families we met were much less likely than their children, for example, to adopt social media or smartphones. Though parents were aware of Facebook or devices like the iPhone, they rarely used them. Consequently, their capacity to manage or scaffold their children’s use of technology was significantly limited.
3. Economic and Social Capital
Two things differentiate the parents in our study from what we know about more affluent parents. The financial and social capital each is able to accumulate. While the parents in our study had aspirations for boosting their children’s educational progress, they lacked the financial means to reliably command the kinds of resources that more affluent parents can acquire. Affluent parents are investing in things like enrichment activities and the recruitment of tutors and college prep coaches for one primary reason: to gain an added advantage in the hyper-competitive race for admission into select colleges and universities.
And, then, there is the matter of social capital, a reference to the aggregate of benefits and resources, material or immaterial, that is derived from the social relations a person is able to cultivate. The family is a crucial source of social capital. That is, a powerful resource and a bridge to other resources which support young people’s ability to thrive in school and beyond.
It is a mistake to assume that the poor and working classes lack social capital. The families in our study invested in social capital. Generally speaking, lower-income families maintain vital social networks but the architecture of those networks differ from their more affluent counterparts in at least one important way. The social networks among lower-income parents tend to be more kinship based. In contrast, higher-income families tend to benefit from greater network diversity. These networks tend to be made up of professionals and may also include what James Coleman refers to as intergenerational closure or the likelihood that higher-income parents are often forming connections to other parents in their children’s school. When parents are involved in the school through teacher meetings, connections to other parents, and organizations they are able to cultivate productive relationships. These relationships are the stuff of social capital and generally lead to a host of tangible and intangible resources, opportunities, and benefits for young people.
The most critical difference is that affluent parents are better positioned than lower-income parents to convert their social capital into a resource that can be mobilized to realize preferred educational outcomes for their children.
Support Children By Supporting Parents
Any effort to bridge the achievement gaps in our schools and enrichment gaps outside of our schools must address matters related to parents. One certain way to support students from resource-constrained families and communities is to devise ways to support their parents. When parents have a sense of agency regarding their children’s social and educational development they are much better positioned to catalyze their resources in ways that engineer more desired outcomes. A key question moving forward is how do we empower parents like the ones in our study — non-college educated, immigrant, low-occupational status — to be even greater agents of influence in their children’s social, educational, and technological development? Take, for instance, the increasing presence of technology in the lives of children and teens.
Most parents are looking for answers to a variety of tech-related questions. What should my child be doing with technology? How do we help our children manage the fine line between online risk and online opportunity? What kinds of technology-related skills must my child develop for the new economy?
Though most parents are seeking answers to these kinds of questions, those in resource-constrained households are especially challenged due to their own limited experience with social and mobile media. The limited expertise with technology certainly influences the degree to which a parent can effectively monitor, engage, or scaffold their children’s media practices.
So, as researchers and policy makers look to build more sustainable futures, they would be wise to design creative ways to support parents even as they pour more resources into supporting students. We instinctively understand that our public institutions (i.e., schools), policy initiatives, and the spread of media technologies must be a valuable resource for students. But, how can these institutions, policies and technologies become an asset for parents?
Banner image credit: Brian Talbot
Get the latest news, events, and opportunities in connected learning
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June 24, 2019 Study Finds Sizable Impact of Civic Media Literacy Education on Democratic Engagement
June 17, 2019 Everything You Need for Evaluating Connected Learning in Libraries
Critical Perspectives
Educational Practice
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These kids are fans of Clermont County
Catherine and Joshua Warren, Mount Orab, and members of Creative Minds 4H.
By Kathleen Williams
We’ve had such a great time at the 2016 Clermont County Fair this week (July 24-30), making our booth into a quasi-photo booth. A lot of parents have let us take pictures of their kids. Thank you, parents! We appreciate it! You can find most of the photos on our Facebook page.
Landon and Claire Plunkett of Loveland
Erica Moore of Amelia
Abby, Audrey, Olivia, and Grant — looking feisty!
Posted in: BCC, Clermont County Fair Board
Annual Salute to Veterans & Troops to feature Rep. Wenstrup, WW II veteran
BATAVIA, Ohio (July 12, 2016) – The annual Salute to Veterans, Troops and Their Families, one of the kickoff events for the Clermont County Fair, will take place at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, July 24, in the Multipurpose Building at the Fairgrounds.
U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, will perform a ceremonial swearing-in of Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force recruits from Clermont County. The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Charlie Bailey, 94, of Owensville. “Mr. Bailey served in World War II as a combat engineer in the Army,” said Commissioner Bob Proud, who organizes the event. “He received five Bronze Stars for heroic achievements during that war. This is very rare, and we are honored to have Mr. Bailey appear during the Salute.”
The Salute will also feature comments from Sheriff A.J. ‘Tim’ Rodenberg, who served as an officer in the Marines, and will retire from the Sheriff’s Office at the end of 2016. “So many of our law enforcement officials are also veterans,” noted Commissioner Proud. “This gives us the opportunity to thank them for serving the country, and for serving their community.”
Howard Daugherty, Executive Director of the Clermont County Veterans Service Commission and a decorated veteran from the Vietnam War, will also speak.
“Our county residents have always been big supporters of our troops and of our veterans,” Commissioner Proud said. “We invite people to come out that Sunday and show their appreciation, especially for these new recruits as they begin their training, and their families too. It’s not easy to say goodbye to your son or daughter as they enter the military.”
Admission to the fair is free for members of the military with proper ID, and veterans with DD214 ID. The Clermont County Fairgrounds are located on Locust Street in Owensville.
The County Fair website: http://clermontcountyfair.webs.com/
Rodney Atkins to headline County Fair entertainment
Tags: 2016, Bob Proud, Clermont County Fair, Salute, Troops, Veterans, Wenstrup
County Fair opens July 24; Rodney Atkins to headline on July 26
U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup performs a ceremonial swearing-in of recruits during the 2015 Salute to Troops, Families and Veterans at County Fair.
Cloverbud Parade, 2015
BATAVIA, Ohio (July 1, 2016) – Country music star Rodney Atkins will headline the entertainment lineup at this year’s Clermont County Fair, which will be held July 24-30 at the county fairgrounds in Owensville.
Atkins will perform at 8 p.m. on July 26 at the grandstand. He will be preceded by Nashville recording artists Sam Tate and the Dan Varner Band.
“We really wanted to focus on entertainment at the fair this year,” said Fair Board President Dan Hodges. “We wanted to bring in bigger-name acts, and Rodney Atkins, who’s had several No. 1 hits on the country music charts, is just the kind of act we were looking for.”
The fair will kick off Sunday, July 24, with a parade in Owensville at 1 p.m.; Royalty Competition at 5 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Building; and the Veterans Recognition Ceremony at 6:30 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Building. Admission is free on Sunday.
Fair hours are 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission is $10 per person, which includes rides. Wednesday, July 27, is Senior Citizens Day, and admission is $3 for those 60 and older. A complete fair schedule can be found on the fair’s website.
Junior Fair numbers are strong this year, says Kelly Royalty, County Director of the OSU Extension. Almost 900 4-H members are entering more than 2,400 projects for the Fair. Goat projects – at 399 – lead the categories.
Hodges said members of the Fair Board have been working hard in the past year to make improvements to the buildings and grounds. Among the changes are new metal siding and electric at the Junior Fair Office; new siding at the Gibbons Show Arena; upgrades to LED lighting fixtures; new landscaping, and finishing touches to the Lykins Family Pavilion, which opened last year.
“Our Fair Board is not afraid to get together and do the work necessary to continue the heritage of the fair and make sure the future of the fair is strong,” Hodges said. “We have held work weekends, when we worked together on several projects – all done through volunteers! I hope the community sees a difference in the grounds and buildings.
“We are focusing our attention to making the fair bigger each year with something new for fairgoers,” Hodges added. “We’re also working on obtaining grants and partnering with sponsors to get a new livestock arena and replace some of the existing barns.
“Come to the fair and hear the music, see the magic, the lumberjacks, and the petting zoo,” he added. “We truly have attractions for all ages.”
About 50,000 people attended last year’s fair.
For more information, contact Dan Hodges, 513-515-1927; ccas1846@zoomtown.com.
Posted in: BCC, Clermont County Fair Board, OSU Extension
Tags: 2016, 4H, Clermont County, Clermont County Fair Board, fair, Rodney Atkins
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Home » Blog » General » Citizens for Modern Transit and AARP in St. Louis to Host Free, Pop-Up Metro Market © at the North Hanley MetroLink Station on Oct. 11
Citizens for Modern Transit and AARP in St. Louis to Host Free, Pop-Up Metro Market © at the North Hanley MetroLink Station on Oct. 11
Residents will be Encouraged to Provide Feedback on What They Would Like to See at the Site
Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) and AARP in St. Louis have announced plans to host a pop-up Metro Market © on Wednesday, Oct. 11, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the North Hanley MetroLink Station (4398 Hanley Road, 63134). The event will temporarily transform a portion of the expansive parking lot into an active space that connects people to products, services and green spaces; showcasing how areas around transit stations can become focal points for activity. This event is free, and community members of all ages are encouraged to attend.
Last year, CMT, AARP and community stakeholders completed walk audits of three key MetroLink stations, including the one at North Hanley. Short and long-term recommendations for improving the functionality of the stations were identified, as well as means for making them safer and more vibrant destinations. An action plan is currently being executed, and a series of improvements have been completed with others currently underway. The next step is to give stakeholders, riders and the general public a peek at what is possible by way of the pop-up Metro Market © on Oct. 11. A main area of focus for organizers is getting community feedback.”
“This event is designed to give community members a sneak peek at what the area around this MetroLink station could look like,” commented Kim Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit. “But, it doesn’t stop there. We want it to serve as catalyst for obtaining community input. We want to find out what matters to local residents, determine what they want to see come to life. And, we are going to have a number of creative means for allowing them to do so.”
The St. Louis County Department of Planning will be facilitating an activity that allows residents to help create an oversized, three dimensional, Monopoly game board-type model illustrating what they would like to see onsite. There will be a video-taped, Self-Expression Stop that enables those interested to share their vision for the area through poetry, rapping, dancing or a monolog. Chalk and an oversized banner will also be made available for those interested in drawing or writing down their thoughts. For inspiration, several murals, created by Brock Seals, a local artist and student at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, will be on display.
The event will also feature the”2 Girls, 4 Wheels” and “STL Kettle Corn” food trucks, Tai Chi mini-sessions, educational resources on how to build a healthy plate from the St. Louis County Department of Health, live music from WFUN 95.5 FM R&B Old School, a St. Louis County Police Department recruiting station, the opportunity to meet and interact with adoptable animal through the St. Louis County Animal Shelter, a cooking demonstration, free apples, an appearance by MoDOT’s Barrel Bob and information from the Central County Precinct Neighborhood Policing Unit.
The brand new onsite Link Market (LINK) will also be open for business providing access to healthy, affordable food options that can be purchased through any form of payment, including EBT and the EBT DoubleBucks programs. Plus, area residents will be able to learn more about the new community library box being considered for this site. This free, onsite “library,” offered by the St. Louis Promise Zone in partnership with the St. Louis County Library’s Recycled Reads program, gives surplus library materials another life by circulating them throughout the community. No library card is required to borrow the materials, and there are no fines or due dates. Individuals are asked to return the items whenever they’re finished. A total of 10 Promise Zone Community Libraries are set to be installed this year as a means to increase literacy in North St. Louis County.
“We are bringing the concept of space activation to life so people of all ages will be better able to visualize the potential that exists to create safer, more livable communities around transit stations,” added Sheila Holm, community outreach director for AARP St. Louis. “We are also hoping it will prompt those in attendance to share their thoughts on the experience and the types of enhancements they would like to see.”
The pop-up Metro Market is being made possible thanks to funding received through the AARP Community Challenge Grant program, which invested $780,000 in 89 different community projects nationwide to help create change and improve the quality of life for people of all ages. Other event partners include the University of Missouri-St. Louis, the St. Louis County Department of Planning, the St. Louis County Department of Health, the Missouri Department of Transportation, St. Louis County Police, Bi-State Development/Metro Transit, Theis Farm and Greenhouses and the ATU Local 788.
In MO Alone, 146,000 jobs are within a 1/2 mile of MetroLink Alignment
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Capturing methane from landfill
by cngdelivery | Jul 19, 2016 | Landfill Gas Collection
By Erin Voegele | July 18, 2016
Capturing methane from landfill, compressing it and selling to the local CNG station owner or natural gas distribution company may be the best answer for your business.
On July 14, 2016 the U.S. EPA issued final new source performance standards (NSPS) to reduce emissions of methane-rich landfill gas from new, modified and reconstructed municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. In a separate action, the agency also issued revised guidelines for reducing emissions from existing MSW landfills. The new actions update standards and guidelines put in place in 1996.
According to the EPA, methane is the second most prevalent greenhouse gas (GHG) emitted by human activities in the U.S., with nearly 20 percent of those emissions coming from landfills, which are the second largest industrial source of methane emissions in the U.S.
The EPA said the two rules will reduce methane emissions by an estimated 334,000 metric tons, with is the equivalent of reducing 8.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2025. The rules also cut carbon dioxide emissions directly, yielding an estimated 303,000 metric tons of additional carbon dioxide regulations, and reduce more than 2,000 metric tons of emissions from non-methane organic compounds (NMOC).
The updated NSPS applies to landfills constructed, modified or reconstructed after July 17, 2014 and have a design capacity of 2.5 million metric tons and 2.5 million cubic meters of waste, or more. The agency noted this is the same as existing design capacity thresholds. The EPA said it estimates 128 new, modified or reconstructed landfills will be subject to the NSPS. Of that number, 115 will be required to install controls in 2025, based on projected emissions. The remaining 13 will have to report their emissions.
According to the EPA, the updated emission guidelines apply, through EPA-approved state plans or a federal plan, to landfills constructed, modified or reconstructed on or before July 17, 2014. These landfills are subject to the guidelines if they have a design capacity of 2.5 million metric tons and 2.5 million cubic meters of waste or more. The agency noted this is the same as previous requirements. An estimated 1,014 active landfills will be subject to the updated guidelines, which the EPA said is the same number that are subject to the existing NSPS and guidelines combined. In addition, an estimated 731 of those landfills are expected to be controlling landfill gas in 2025, based on projected emissions. The EPA said this is 93 more than under the previous NSPS and emission guidelines. Of the remainder, the EPA said 77 active landfills will have to report emissions, with the other 206 landfills either closed or expected to close within 13 months of when the guidelines are published in the Federal Register and have NMOC emissions below 50 metric tons per year. Information published by the EPA also notes that existing landfills that close more to 13 months after the guidelines are published in the Federal Register will remain subject to the emission threshold of 50 metric tons of NMOC per year and will have to continue to collect and control gas until these emissions fall below 50 metric tons per year.
A fact sheet issued by the EPA indicates both rules consider a well-designed and well-operated landfill gas collection-and-control system as the best system of emission reduction for controlling landfill gas. In addition, both actions require affected landfills to install and operate a gas collection control system within 30 months after landfill gas emission reach 34 metric tons of NMOC or more per year. The previous threshold was 50 metric tons.
The rules state landfill owners and operators may control gas through combustion for energy generation, or by using a treatment system that processes gas for sale or beneficial use. Gas can also be flared. Engaging CNG Delivery to capture methane from landfill, compressing it and selling to the local CNG station owner or natural gas distribution company may be the best answer for your business.
The EPA’s fact sheet notes both the NSPS and emissions guidelines include clarifications on the use of treated landfill gas, noting that the final rule clearly states treated landfill gas may be used not only as a fuel for stationary engines, but also for other beneficial purposes. This includes use as a vehicle fuel, production of pipeline-quality gas, or as a raw material for chemical manufacturing.
The fact sheet and full copies of the NSPS and emission guidelines can be downloaded from the EPA website.
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CNG Delivery By Boat is Coming Soon with 200mscf CNG Carrier
CNG vs LNG as a Transportation Fuel?
Capturing Methane to Fuel Drilling Operations
Regulations Could Douse North Dakota Gas Flares
Flare Gas
Landfill Gas Collection
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Transportation to CNG
Wastewater transportation
Wells gas to CNG
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CPJ condemns two Venezuelan media laws
New York, December 21, 2010--President Hugo Chávez Frías must veto two laws regulating the Internet and telecommunications that could promote further censorship and seriously limit freedom of expression in Venezuela, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Both provisions were passed on Monday by the National Assembly.
"These reforms, passed without any debate, are a clear attempt by the Venezuelan government to further its clampdown on critics and independent media," said Carlos Lauría, CPJ's senior program coordinator for the Americas. "We condemn these laws and believe that if they are not vetoed, Venezuela's democracy and freedom of expression will suffer serious setbacks."
It only took a week for the Venezuelan legislature to approve a reform of the 2004 Law on Social Responsibility in Radio and Television that expanded existing broadcast regulations to the Internet. The new law bans messages that "incite or promote hatred," "foment citizens' anxiety or alter public order," "disrespect authorities," "encourage assassination," or "constitute war propaganda," according to Article 8. It also curbs electronic media content according to the time of the day, with adult content reserved for shows after midnight, including violent or sexual content and soap operas--and news images of violence.
Internet media must now "establish mechanisms to restrict, without delay, the dissemination of messages" that could break the law, according to a review of the law by CPJ. The National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL), the government regulator, can now restrict information and access to websites in violation. Digital media that violate the law can be fined up to 13,000 bolivars (US$3,000), while service providers that fail to respond to government inquiries could be fined up to "10 percent of the previous year's gross income," in addition to "72 hours of continuous suspension of services."
The Social Responsibility law, passed in 2004, has been widely criticized by press freedom advocates for its broad and vaguely worded restrictions on free expression. Article 29, for example, bars television and radio stations from broadcasting messages that "promote, defend, or incite breaches of public order" or "are contrary to the security of the nation." CPJ research shows that Venezuelan broadcasters have cancelled critical news programming to comply with the law.
The legislature, where the official party has an absolute majority, also approved a reform of the telecommunications law that declared television and radio airwaves to be of "public service and interest," a decision that critics said is aimed at expanding government control over the media. The legislation shortens broadcast concessions from 20 to 15 years, according to the reform, which was examined by CPJ. It gives CONATEL authority to pull the license of any broadcaster that violates the law more than once, which could force the only remaining critical private network, Globovisión, off the air. The network is facing a series of politically motivated investigations. Known for its strident antigovernment views, Globovisión has been the only critical private network broadcasting since RCTV went off the air in May 2007.
(A controversial amendment that would have forced owners of all TV and radio stations to re-register with CONATEL in person was stripped from the bill.)
Venezuelan journalists and press freedom advocates have strongly opposed both laws, asserting that the government will use them to further crackdown on media freedom. On Sunday, Chávez defended the social responsibility reform, arguing it was aimed at protecting citizens from cybercrimes.
This week, the National Assembly will also debate a bill for the protection of political freedom and national self-determination that, according to free press advocates, will limit funding and activities by Venezuelan nongovernment organizations, including human rights groups. According to the bill, NGOs that invite to Venezuela a foreigner who criticizes the government could be fined or even banned. The provision could seriously deter the work of press freedom NGOs, advocates said.
Chávez's allies are trying to pass several bills before January 5, when a newly elected legislature takes office, according to local news reports. The ruling party lost its absolute majority in the September legislative elections. On Friday, the National Assembly gave Chávez the power to rule by decree for 18 months. The Venezuelan president said he is seeking these powers to help flood victims, but critics said the move is intended to further his political agenda.
CONATEL
Short URL: https://cpj.org/x/403d
Venezuelan authorities restrict internet, block outlets amid unrest
Miami, May 1, 2019--The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Venezuelan authorities to refrain from restricting access to the internet, social media services, and news outlets in the country during widespread protests and political unrest....
Polish reporter Tomasz Surdel assaulted in Venezuela
Miami, March 15, 2019 -- Venezuelan authorities should conduct an urgent and thorough investigation into the violent assault of reporter Tomasz Surdel, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today....
Venezuelan intelligence agents detain critical journalist
Miami, March 12, 2019 -- Venezuelan authorities should immediately release radio journalist Luis Carlos Díaz, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today....
Venezuelan counterintelligence agents detain U.S. freelancer, Venezuelan fixer
March 6, 2019 5:06 PM ET
Miami, March 6, 2019--Venezuelan authorities should immediately release a U.S. freelance journalist and a Venezuelan fixer who were detained after counterintelligence agents raided their homes this morning in Caracas, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today....
Venezuelan authorities must return equipment to Jorge Ramos, Univision crew
Miami, February 26, 2019--The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the detention yesterday of a Univision news team at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas and its expulsion today, and called on Venezuelan authorities to immediately return confiscated equipment....
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In Azerbaijan, editor jailed on drug possession charges
New York, June 25, 2012--Authorities in Azerbaijan must drop the charges against journalist Hilal Mamedov and immediately release him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Mamedov is the eighth journalist jailed in Azerbaijan, according to CPJ research.
Authorities detained Mamedov, chief editor of the independent newspaper Talyshi Sado, on Thursday after allegedly finding about 5 grams of heroin in his pocket, according to the Azeri-language service of the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The circumstances of the journalist's arrest were not clear. Later that night, police raided the journalist's home and said they found another 30 grams of heroin, news reports said. On Friday, the Nizami District Court in Baku, the capital, ordered Mamedov to be imprisoned for three months in pretrial detention on drug possession charges, the reports said.
Mamedov's family said police had planted the drugs, according to local and international news reports. The journalist's colleagues said he did not even smoke cigarettes and that he had been imprisoned in retaliation for his reporting, the reports said.
Mamedov, also a human rights activist, has written on the Talysh ethnic minority group in Azerbaijan, Emin Huseynov, the director of the Baku-based Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety, told CPJ. His articles have been published in Talyshi Sado and on regional and Russia-based news websites, Huseynov said. Huseynov also told CPJ that Mamedov had investigated the 2009 death in prison of Novruzali Mamedov, Talyshi Sado's former chief editor.
"If we believed the authorities, then journalists in Azerbaijan would appear to be among the most drug-addicted in the world," said CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney. "Any time reporters write something critical, they run the risk of ending up behind bars on trumped-up drug charges. The authorities must stop harassing critical journalists, and they can begin by releasing Hilal Mamedov."
Azerbaijan is the leading jailer of journalists in the region, according to CPJ research. This year, the government has stepped up its retaliation against independent reporting by intimidating and harassing journalists and imprisoning them on fabricated, politicized charges, CPJ research shows. Earlier this month, another journalist, Anar Bayramli, was convicted on trumped-up charges of drug possession and sentenced to two years in prison, CPJ research shows.
Hilal Mamedov
Novruzali Mamedov
Talysh
Talyshi Sado
Short URL: https://cpj.org/x/4e57
Azerbaijani blogger Mehman Huseynov blocked from leaving the country
April 11, 2019 3:00 PM ET
New York, April 11, 2019 -- Azerbaijani authorities should immediately lift travel restrictions on blogger Mehman Huseynov, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today....
Azerbaijani journalist detained, whereabouts unknown
July 10, 2018 5:11 PM ET
New York, July 10, 2018--Azerbaijani authorities should immediately release independent journalist Afgan Sadygov, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police first detained Sadygov, the founder and chief editor of now-defunct independent news website Azel, on July 6, according to his wife Sevinch Sadygova, who spoke to CPJ today....
Journalists on trial in France after calling Azerbaijan a dictatorship
September 7, 2017 3:58 PM ET
New York, September 7, 2017--The French justice ministry should dismiss criminal defamation charges the government of Azerbaijan brought against journalists Elise Lucet and Laurent Richard, and allow the pair to continue their work without obstruction, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today....
Azerbaijani news agency's office raided
New York, August 17, 2017--Azerbaijani authorities should stop harassing Turan, the country's only independent news agency, and should allow it to work without fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today....
Newspaper financial director jailed in Azerbaijan
New York, July 24, 2017--An Azerbaijani court's sentencing of Faiq Amirov, financial director of the independent newspaper Azadliq, is a further serious blow to press freedom in the country, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today....
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Category Archives: catholic church
Liberia Ebola Crisis Worsens, Ukraine Faces New Challenges, Gaza Talks Collaspe into Chaos and Islamic State Militants Up the Pressure
On Wednesday, acting on their president’s orders, riot police and soldiers used scrap wood and barbed wire to quarantine 50,000 people inside their Liberian slum in order to contain the Ebola outbreak that has killed 1,350 people and counting across West Africa, according to Jonathon Paye-Layleh and Wade Williams, Liberia Seals Off Slum To Control Ebola, Angry Residents Clash With Troops. The World Health Organization said the death toll has risen quickly in Liberia accounting for 576 of the fatalities, while 2,473 people have been sickened across West Africa making this outbreak larger than the caseloads of all the previous two dozen combined. The U.N. health agency warned of food shortages, water shortages, and other essential supplies in West Africa’s population centers. In West Point, a densely populated slum surrounded by floating sewage, suffers from government neglect in the best of times and mistrust of authorities with open defecation being a major problem. Drinking water is carried in wheelbarrows and people need the market for their food. Mohamed Fahnbulleh, a resident, said: “Why are you ill-treating people like this? How can we take this kind of government to be peaceful? It is not fair — We are human.” Days earlier, residents ransacked a screening center where people in contact with Ebola victims were being monitored causing dozens of potential carriers to be taken somewhere else in the city. In a national address late Tuesday, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf imposed a nighttime curfew and ordered the quarantine of West Point and Dolo Town adding: “There will be no movements in and out of those areas. We have been unable to control the spread due to continued denials, cultural burying practices, disregard for the advice of health workers and disrespect for the warnings by the government. Fellow citizens, these measures are meant to save lives … May God bless us all and save the State.” Via telephone, Deputy Police Chief Abraham Kromah said, “Please remain law-abiding; throwing stones at police officers and security officers is not the best way out.” While counties and districts have been sealed off in Sierra Leone and Liberia, Guinea has imposed internal travel restrictions. The agency responded to shortages of food, fuel and basic supplies, by saying: “WHO is working with the U.N. World Food Program to ensure adequate food and supplies, but calls on companies to make business decisions based on scientific evidence.” Nigeria’s heath minister, Onyebuchi Chukwu, said Tuesday that a fifth person has died of Ebola, but all reported cases have been people in direct contact with a Liberian American man who arrived already infected. On Monday, Jonathan Paye-Layleh reported, 17 who fled Liberia Ebola clinic still missing, authorities were looking for the dozen or so patients who abandoned the Ebola quarantine center in Liberia’s capital during looting last weekend, even though several were still being tested and under observation. During the raid, 37 patients left possibly to return to their own communities, according to Information Minister Lewis Brown, however, 20 have been brought back to two hospitals. Meanwhile, the experimental drug from California based pharmaceutical company, ZMapp, was given to three Liberian health workers who contracted the virus are showing signs of recovery, officials reported Tuesday, Jonathon Paye-Layleh and John Heilprin report, Liberia: 3 receiving untested Ebola drug improving. In addition, two infected American received the treatment and are improving, while a Spaniard who also received the treatment died.
Turning our attention to a different kind of war, on Thursday, Nataliya Vasilyeva reports, 5 Ukrainian troops killed; fierce battles reported, five troops and two civilians were killed in the past 24 hours in rebel held areas of eastern Ukraine as government forces try to regain territory from pro-Russian separatists. So far, the conflict has claimed 2,000 lives and displaced 340,000 people from their homes. Ukraine celebrates Independence Day on Sunday, while government forces aim to achieve a breakthrough by that date. On Monday Ukraine accused rebels of killing dozens of civilians in an attack ear on a convoy fleeing a besieged rebel held city, according to Vasilyeva, Refugee Convoy In Ukraine Hit By Rocket Fire, Dozens Reportedly Killed. The rebels denied any attack, while the U.S. confirmed the shelling of the convoy but did not know who was responsible. Col. Andriy Lysenko, Ukraine’s National Security Council spokesman, told reports: “Many people were killed, among them women and children” between the towns of Khryashchuvate and Novosvitlivka adding: “We are not able to count the death toll at this point.” Oleksiy Dmytrashkivsky, a Ukrainian government’s military operation spokesman, told the Associated Press 15 bodies had been recovered from the smoldering vehicles and servicemen were collecting the body parts of at least 10 more people. Donetsk rebel chief Alexander Zakharchenko said no attack took place and Andrei Purgin, his deputy, said he had no information either: “If someone was killed, it wasn’t us but the Ukrainian military.” The U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told report in Washington: “We strongly condemn the shelling and rocketing of a convoy that was bearing internally displaced persons in Luhansk and express our condolences to the families of the victims. All sides must take every precaution to protect innocent lives. We are unable to confirm reports of who was responsible for the shelling and rocketing.” Residents of Luhansk have had no running water, electricity or phone connections for 16 days as fighting continues around the city and food is short in supply making it harder to secure food. Tensions have increased as Russia over the past week said it plans to send a massive aid convoy to help rebel held eastern Ukraine. A Red Cross spokeswoman in the region told the Associated Press that they are still waiting for security guarantees as 200 Russian aid trucks.
In the Middle East on Tuesday, Egyptian attempts to make a deal to end the month long conflict between Israel and Hamas has collapsed into heavy fighting Tuesday as Palestinian militants fired dozens of rockets and Israeli responded with airstrikes across Gaza killing two people, Ibrahim Barzak reports, Egyptian cease-fire efforts collapse. The violence erupted hours before the temporary truce ended as Israel withdrew its delegation from Cairo Tuesday afternoon and quickly resumed its airstrikes following rocket fire. The two fatalities were the first since a temporary truce last Wednesday started. An Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said, “The Cairo talks were based on an agreed premise of a total cessation of hostilities. When Hamas breaks the cease-fire, they also break the premise for the Cairo talks. Accordingly, the Israeli team has been called back as a result of today’s rocket fire.” No one knows if the team will return to Cairo or whether Israel will continue to talk as Egyptian security officials are still pressing the two sided to agree to a ceasefire. So far, more than 2,000 Palestinians mostly civilians have been killed, according to Palestinian and U.N. officials, with tens of thousands displaced compared to 64 Israeli solider, two Israeli citizens and a guest workers dying.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, U.S. officials said military planners were weighing the possibility of sending a small number of additional U.S. troops into Baghdad as insurgents threaten to kill a second American captive in retribution for airstrikes that have pounded Islamic state militants, Lolita C. Baldor and Lara Jakes reports, Military Considering Sending Additional Troops To Iraq, Officials Say. The strike came hours after militants released a gruesome video Tuesday showing U.S. journalist James Foley being beheaded and underscored President Barack Obama’s promise Wednesday to continue attacks against the group. According to senior U.S. officials the number would be fewer than 300 additional troops. The militants threatened to kill Steven Sotloff, an American journalist who is being held captive, if the U.S. continues to conduct airstrikes. According to Baldor and Jakes: “Currently there are about 748 U.S. forces in Iraq, in addition to the approximately 100 troops that have routinely been assigned to the Office of Security Cooperation in Baghdad. Under the current war powers resolutions sent to Congress, Obama authorized up to 775 U.S. troops for security assistance, assessment teams, and advisers at two joint operations centers in Baghdad and Irbil.” Foley, a 40 year old journalist from Rochester, New Hampshire, went missing in northern Syria while freelancing for Agence France-Presse and the Boston-based media company GlobalPost. Sotloff was kidnapped near the Syrian-Turkish border in August 2013 and freelanced for Time, the National Interest and MediaLine. Larak Jakes reports, Obama: US won’t stop confronting Islamic State, while the execution of journalist James Foley drew international condemnation as western nations stepped up their efforts to counter the militants, in capitals across the Middle East, Foley’s death was met with silence even in Syria and Iraq. On social media, people condemned Foley’s killing, but stressed the Islamic State has been committing atrocities against Iraqis and Syrians for years. On Wednesday, outside their home in Rochester, New Hampshire, Diane and John Foley addressed reporters: “We are just very proud of Jimmy and we are praying for the strength to love like he did and keep courageous and keep fighting for all the people he was fighting for. We pray for all the remaining Americans.” Obama, from Martha’s Vineyard, said: “Today, the American people will all say a prayer for those who loved Jim,” Obama said. “All of us feel the ache of his absence. All of us mourn his loss.” Since August 8, 84 airstrikes have been carried out in Iraq on Islamic State targets including security checkpoints, vehicles and weapons caches. The New York based Committee to Protect Journalist said more than 80 journalist have been abducted in Syria and estimates 20 are still missing. On Monday, Pope Francis endorsed the use of force to stop Islamic militants from attacking religious minorities in Iraq but said the international community not one country should decide how to intervene, Nicole Winfield reports, Pope Francis Endorses Use Of Force In Iraq To Stop Persecution Of Religious Minorities. Francis responded as follows to whether or not he approved of U.S. airstrikes on Islamic State militants: “In these cases, where there is an unjust aggression, I can only say that it is licit to stop the unjust aggressor. I underscore the verb ‘stop.’ I’m not saying ‘bomb’ or ‘make war,’ just ‘stop.’ And the means that can be used to stop them must be evaluated.” However he said, in history, such excuses to stop an unjust aggressors has been used by world powers to justify a war of conquest in which entire people have been taken over. He added, “One nation alone cannot judge how you stop this, how you stop an unjust aggressor. After World War II, the idea of the United Nations came about: It’s there that you must discuss ‘Is there an unjust aggression? It seems so. How should we stop it?’ Just this. Nothing more.” The Associated Press reported Wednesday, US mission to rescue hostages in Syria failed, that the administration disclosed that President Barack Obama sent special operations troops to Syria this summer on a secret mission to rescue American hostages, including journalist James Foley, held by Islamic State extremists, but they did not find them. Lisa Monaco, Obama’s top counterterrorism advisor, said in a statement: “The U.S. government had what we believed was sufficient intelligence, and when the opportunity presented itself, the president authorized the Department of Defense to move aggressively to recover our citizens. Unfortunately, that mission was ultimately not successful because the hostages were not present.”
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Tagged Barack Obama, Barack Obama Iraq, Barack Obama James Foley, Ebola isolation unit looted Liberia, Ebola Liberia, Ebola Liberia News, ebola outbreak, Ebola Outbreak Liberia, Ebola patient California, Ebola Virus Liberia, Ebola West African countries, Ebola West Point Slum, Gaza, Gaza Cease Fire, Gaza Ceasefire, Gaza Ceasefire Israel, Gaza Rockets Israel, Globalpost, Globalpost James Foley, Iraq Troops, Iraq War, Iraqi insurgents, Iraqi Refugees, Isil, Isis, Isis Barack Obama, Isis Iraq, Isis James Foley Death, Islamic State, Islamic State Iraq, Islamic State James Foley, Islamic State of Iraq and Sham, Islamic State Syria, Israel, Israel Ceasefire, Israel Gaza Cease Fire, Israel Rockets Gaza, James Foley, James Foley Beheading, James Foley Execution, James Foley Globalpost, Kurdish forces, Liberia, Liberia curfew, Liberia Ebola, Liberia Ebola curfew, Liberia Ebola Outbreak, Monrovia Liberia, Monrovia quaratine, Mosul Dam, news, Obama James Foley, Peshmerga, Pope Francis, Pope Francis Iraq, Reuters, Russia, Russia Missiles, Russia Surface to Air Missiles, Russia Test Fires Missiles, Syria, Syria Fighting, Syria News, Syria War, Troops Obama, Ukraine, Ukraine Fighting, Ukraine Refugee Convoy, Ukraine Refugees, Ukraine Rockets, Ukraine Violence, Ukraine War, UN Aid Iraq, Untested Ebola drug, West Point, ZMapp Ebola
Ebola Containment Issues, Israel Hamas Talks Deteriorate, U.S. Continues its Strike on Iraq and Ukrainian Rebels Open to Ceasefire
According to Guinea news, in West Africa, the afflicted nation announced Saturday its closing its borders with Sierra Leone and Liberia in order to halt the influx of infected people in and out of the country, AOL reports, International response to Ebola: Travel bans, funding. Al Jazeera quotes the country’ heat minister as saying: “We have provisionally closed the frontier between Guinea and Sierra Leone because of all the news that we have received from there recently.” The health minister most likely is referring to the World Health Organization’s call for international aid as the Ebola outbreak has become an “extraordinary event:” “The possible consequences of further international spread are particularly serious in view of the virulence of the virus, the intensive community and health facility transmission patterns, and the weak health systems in the currently affected and most at-risk countries.” Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone have all declared a state of emergency following the Ebola outbreak putting limits on civil liberties and closing public institutions like schools. On Saturday, riot police had to break up an demonstration blocking Liberia’s busiest highway as angry crowds protested the government’s delays in removing the Ebola victims bodies, Jonathon Paye-Layleh reports, Liberia Protesters Demand Govt Pick Up Ebola Bodies. The growing unease in Liberia raised the specter of social unrest as almost 300 people have died from the disease in Liberia. Residents say that the government has yet to pick up the bodies of the dead by the roadside along the central town of Weala, 50 miles from Monrovia the capital, which have been sitting there for two day. The government has ordered all victims be cremated amid resistance to neighborhood burials for fear of contamination. Information Minister Lewis Brown warned Saturday on state radio: “Security people are on their way to put things under control. We don’t want people taking the law into their own hands.” So far, 961 people have died, according to figures released Friday by the U.N. Heath agency. The situation in Liberia has been describes as “catastrophic” by the Doctors Without Borders Charity. Lindis Hurum. the group’s emergency coordinator, said: “There are reports of dead bodies lying in streets and houses.” In addition, 40 health care workers in Liberia have contracted Ebola in recent weeks, while most city hospitals are closed, Hurum reports. On Saturday, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf met with health workers at City Hall in Monrovia. “The president wants to express the collective gratitude of the entire nation to our health care workers who have continued to make tremendous sacrifices for this country and people,” Brown said. Liberia has launched “Operation White Shield” where soldiers are deployed in different locations and at checkpoints outside the capital to discourage residents’ movements, part of Sirleaf’s emergency measures to fight the disease.
On Sunday, back in the Middle East, Palestinian negotiators threatened to quit Egypt brokered truce talks unless Israeli negotiators return to Cairo, Mohammed Daraghmeh and Karin Laub report, Palestinians to quit Gaza talks if Israel no-show. Israeli officials said their negotiators will return when Gaza rocket fire stops. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday: “Israel will not negotiate under fire.” As talks have stalled, Israel responded to rocket fire from Gaza with 20 airstrikes killing three Palestinians, according to Gaza officials. Since Friday following the truce expiration, smaller Gaza militant groups hot Hamas have fired rockets and mortar shells at Israel and on Sunday fired two more. Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said: “If Hamas thinks it has worn us down, it is wrong. We will return to the table only after an end to the fire. … We are not intending to compromise.” On Sunday, Palestinian negotiators vented frustrations about a lack of progress and the Israeli team’s absence. Azzam al-Ahmad, the delegation head f and confidant of Abbas, said: “If it is proven to us that the Israeli delegation is setting conditions for its return to Cairo, we will not accept any condition for the continuation of the talks.” Late Saturday, Palestinian negotiation Bassam Salhi representing a small PLO faction said the team met with Egyptian mediators who are in touch with Israeli officials and hope to make progress. However, he Salhi said: “We told the Egyptians that if the Israelis are not coming and if there is no significant development, we are leaving today.” Israel has targeted 5,00 sites so far, according to the army, while Gaza militants have fired 3,000 into Israel. Meanwhile, on Saturday, Israel launched 30 aerial attacks in Gaza killing five Palestinians and militants fired rockets at Israel as the conflict entered its second month and defied international efforts for a peaceful resolution by extending the ceasefire. Nidal al-Mughrabi and Allyn Fisher-Ilan report, Israel-Gaza Violence Resumes, Defying Ceasefire Efforts, the Israeli military said since midnight it has attacked 30 sites in Gaza without specifying targets and Gaza militants, since the 72 hour ceasefire ended Friday, have fired more than 65 rockets at Israel injuring two Israelis by mortar on Friday. Heavy civilian causalities and destruction during Israel’s offensive in packed residential areas of Gaza has garnered international attention over the past month. The White House urged both sides to do what theyt can to preserve civilians after failure to extend the ceasefire with Spokesman John Earnest saying Friday “the United States is very concerned” about the renewed violence. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the parties “not to resort to further military action that can only exacerbate the already appalling humanitarian situation in Gaza”. At a rally in South Africa, Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu accused Israel of behaving like a “barbaric bully” in Gaza.
Meanwhile in Iraq, U.S. officials confirmed on Friday that the Iraqi government provided Peshmerga fighters with a plane load of ammunition, according to Missy Ryan, Iraq Arms Kurds Against ISIS. The officials said Iraqi security forces flew to Abril, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, with small arms ammunition in a move that American officials hope helps the fighters keep militants from the Islamic State at by. Under conditions of anonymity, the officials said: “Developments over the last few days have refocused the issue, and we’ve seen unprecedented cooperation between Baghdad and Arbil in terms of going after (the Islamic State), not only in terms of conversation but in terms of actual support.” As Islamic State fighters advanced earlier this week, Maliki ordered his air force for the first time to back Kurdish forces in their fight against militants marking a significant step in a country where in recent years Peshmerga and Iraqi forces under the command of Baghdad would have fought each other rather than cooperate. The Obama administration working with the Iraqi government, the official said, to ensure additional requests for the Kurdistan Regional Government are met. Vivian Salama and Bram Janssen reports, Iraq Says U.S. Airstrikes Have Been Effective Against Islamic State, President Barack Obama announce on Saturday that the U.S. military return to Iraq is to prevent genocide, protect its diplomats and provide humanitarian aid to refugees trapped by Islamic State militants on a mountain ridge near the Syrian border. In addition, Obama said it was a long term project and cannot succeed unless Iraqis form an inclusive government in Baghdad to keep the country from breaking apart. U.S.plans and drones launched four airstrikes on Islamic State forces Saturday, while they fired n Yazidi civilians taking shelter in the Sinjar mountains, U.S. Central Command reports. It was the third round of strikes against Islamic State forces by the U.S. military since being authorized by Obama Thursday allowing for aid flights to drop food and water to thousands of starving refugees in the Sinjar area. A delayed response from Baghdad left Kurdish forces unable to fight off the Islamic State militants causing many Yazidi refugees to seek shelter in the mountains. UNICEF’s spokesman in Iraq, Karim Elkorany, told the Associated Press Saturday that at least 56 children have died of dehydration in the mountains, while British officials estimate Saturday between 50,000 and 150,000 people are trapped on the mountain. Juan Mohammad, a local government spokesman in the Syrian city of Qamishli, told AP more than 20,000 starving Yazidis are fleeing across the border. Iraq’s embattled Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki waited til Monday to call in aerial reinforcements for Kurdish fighter to help contain the Islamic State militants. Iraqi Foreign Minster Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurd, said: “Air strikes are intended to degrade the terrorists’ capabilities and achieve strategic gains — and have been very effective.” Many of America’s allies support the intervention since the Yazidis plight received so much international attention. Obama said the U.S. will focus on helping refugees, eliminating terrorists, protecting Americans and keeping “key infrastructure” intact so that the Islamic State group can’t permanently cripple Iraq before an inclusive government can form. During his Sunday address, Pope Francis expressed outrage at the violence aimed at the religious minority in Iraq who include fleeing children dying of thirst and said he is sending Cardinal Fernando Filoni, the Vatican’s ambassador in Baghdad during the Iraqi war, to Iraq Monday to show solidarity with Christians, the Associated Press reports, Pope expresses outrage at violence in Iraq.
As the Middle East struggles with containing and resolving their conflicts, Ukrainians rebels are ready to agree to a ceasefire to prevent a “humanitarian catastrophe”, according to the insurgents’ new leader on Saturday as conditions worsen in the rebel stronghold of Donetsk, Yuras Karmanau reports, Ukraine rebel leader: We are open to a cease-fire. Aleksandr Zakharchenko, the so called prime minister of the Donetsk separatists, said in a statement posed on the rebel website: “We are prepared to stop firing to bar the spread of the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe in Donbass (eastern Ukraine).” Russia, who the Kiev governments and Western countries allege is supporting the rebels. has called repeatedly for humanitarian missions into eastern Ukraine, but Kiev and thr West believe it will allow Russian forces into the region as supposedly 20,000 troops are waiting across the border. Late Saturday, in a statement from Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine is prepared to accept humanitarian assistance in eastern Ukraine, but aid must come without military accompaniment, pass through border checkpoints controlled by the Ukrainian government and the mission must be international. Poroshenko spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss German participation in such a mission, while in Washington, the White House said President Barack Obama and Merkel agreed that any Russian intervention in Ukraine was unacceptable and violated international law. Donetsk city council spokesman Maxim Rovinsky told the Associate Press: “The situation is getting worse with every hour.” On Saturday, shelling hit 30 apartment blocks killing one person and wounding 18 adding about 2,000 residential building without power. A 47 year old resident of Donetsk, Dmistry Andronov: “We’re afraid of the Ukrainian army, which is firing on the city, and of the rebels of the Donetsk People’s Republic, who are robbing and killing civilians.” Zakharchenko’s statement came after the rebels’ top commander said Ukrainian forces has seized a key town, Krasnyi Luch, cutting Donetsk and nearby territory off from the rest of the rebel held east. Novorossiya, or “New Russia,” is a term widely used by the rebels for the eastern area that seeks independence from the government in Kiev. Concerns about a possible humanitarian catastrophe in the rebel held second largest city of Luhansk where fighting has been heavy and prolonged. Russians news agencies quote Luhansk authorities on Saturday saying that the city has been without power and water for a week and most stores are closed. Obama ans British Prime Minister David Cameron spoke via phone Saturday about Ukraine and in a statement from Cameron’s office said: “Both expressed grave concern about reports that Russian military vehicles have crossed the border into Ukraine and that Russian armed forces are exercising for a ‘humanitarian intervention’. (Both) are absolutely clear that such a so-called humanitarian mission would be unjustified and illegal.” The International Committee of the Red Cross said it was working to alleviate the crisis in eastern Ukraine, but warned it “will be taken in strict adherence to our fundamental working principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence.” Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told U.S. Vice President Joe Biden via phone about his communications with the Red Cross and efforts to distribute humanitarian aid. In a statement from the White House, Biden and Poroshenko agreed that if “Russia were serious about improving the humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine,” it had to immediately stop shelling Ukrainian troops, release Ukrainian hostages being held inside Russia and cease providing weapons to pro-Russia separatists in Ukraine.
Posted in 2014, al-Qaida, catholic church, conflict, controversial, crime, death, disease, goverment, health, human rights, insurgency, international, Iran, Iraq War, Islamic State, law, militants, military, new pope, news, peace, politics, Pope Francis, religion, Russia, terrorism, tragedy, transportation, travel, United Nations, United States, US, violence, war, water, wellness, white house, women, world, world health
Tagged AP, Barents Sea, Barents Sea Submarine, Ceasefire Gaza War, Ebola Bodies, Ebola Liberia, ebola outbreak, Ebola Outbreak Africa, Ebola Outbreak Liberia, Ebola Travel bans, Ebola Virus Liberia, Gaza Violence, Iraq, Iraq Arms Kurds, Iraq Conflict, Iraq Fighting, Iraq Kurds, Iraq News, Isis Kurds, Islamic State, Islamic State Iraq, Israel Gaza, Israel Gaza Fighting, Israel Gaza Violence, Israel Gaza War, Israel Hamas, Liberia, news, Palestinian Territories, pro-Russia rebels, Reuters, Russia, u.s. Sub Putin, u.s. Submarine Russia, Ukraine Ceasefire, Ukraine Poroshenko, Ukraine President Poroshenko, Ukraine Rebels, Ukraine Russia U.S., Ukrainian forces, Ukrainian War, US Airdrops Iraq, US Airstrikes Iraq, US Iraq, Vladimir Putin Russia
August 1, 2014 by craftymcclever
Republican Border Bill Passes, Court Deals Blow to Unions, Ebola Comes to the U.S. and the U.S. Fails Internationally
Late Friday, House Republicans passed a bill to address the U.S. Mexico border crisis by sending migrant youths back home without hearings meaning that more than half a million immigrants could be deported even though the Obama administration granted temporary work permits, according to Erica Werner, House OKs bill to address border crisis. President Barack Obama condemned the Republican action saying he would act unilaterally as best he could. The new bill, which tea party lawmakers enthusiastically support, provides $694 million and carries a companion measure to shut off a program created by Obama granting work permits to immigrants brought here illegally as kids. The second bill prevents the more than 700,00 people who’ve already gotten work permits under the program from renewing them making them subject to deportation. The sending bill passed Friday 223-189 with four Republicans voting no and one Democrat voting yes. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn. explained, “It’s dealing with the issue that the American people care about more than any other, and that is stopping the invasion of illegal foreign nationals into our country. And we got to yes.” While Obama said no adding, “They’re not even trying to solve the problem. I’m going to have to act alone, because we do not have enough resources.” The move in the House came as the first day of lawmakers’ five week summer recess happened and Senators had already left Washington after killing their own legislation on the crisis. Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., said, “It would be irresponsible and unstatesmanlike to head home for the month without passing a bill to address this serious, present crisis on the border.” According to Werner: “In the end Republicans only lost four of the most conservative members on the vote: Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Paul Broun of Georgia, Stephen Fincher of Tennessee and Walter Jones of North Carolina. The only Democrat to support the bill was moderate Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas.”The GOP plans met with protest from immigration advocates and Democrats with Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., saying, “If you tell people that you think they’re criminals, that you think they’re simply bringing diseases, that they’re bringing drugs, then you treat them as invaders, they kind of think you don’t like them. They’re going to believe you don’t like them, and they’re not going to vote for you.” The bill adds $35 million more for the National Guard as well as increase spending for overwhelmed border agencies, add more immigration judges and detention spaces, and alter a 2008 anti-trafficking law to permit Central American kids to be sent back home without deportation hearings.
Meanwhile in Wisconsin, the state Supreme Court upheld the 2011 law that ended collective bargaining for most public workers, sparked massive protests and led to Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s recall election and rise to national prominence, Scott Walker reports, Wisconsin Supreme Court Upholds Anti-Collective Bargaining Law. Thursday’s 5-2 ruling is a victory for Walker who is considering a 2016 run for president and re-election this year and marks the end of a three year legal fight over union laws prohibiting public worker unions from collectively bargaining for anything beyond base wage increases based on inflation. A federal appeal court twice upheld the law as constitutional and the high court ruled in a lawsuit, filed by Madison teachers union and a union representing Milwaukee public workers, that the law violated workers’ constitutional rights to free assembly and equal protection. Walker introduced the proposal shortly after taking office in 2011 causing teachers, public workers and their supporters to flood the Capitol for weeks in order to block the passage. In addition, Democratic state senators fled the state for two weeks in a failed attempt to block the bill’s passage. The law bars automatic withdrawal from members’ checks, require annual elections to see if members want their unions to represent them and requires public employees to contribute to their health insurance and pension costs, which help local governments and schools save money to deal with cuts to balance the state’s shortfall, according to Walker. Walker faced a recall in 2012, but became the first governor ever in U.S. history to defeat a recall. The union law has been challenged on several fronts since it was introduced, but withstood them all. The state Supreme Court decided to take the case on Thursday after a Dane County judge sided with the unions and ruled in September 2012 that major portion were unconstitutional.
Internationally, on Thursday and Saturday, hospital officials said a U.S. humanitarian aid worker and two American doctors who contracted Ebola in West Africa will be transferred to the United States and treated in a special high security ward at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Reuters reports, US aid worker infected with Ebola to be moved to Atlanta hospital: official. The aid worker will be moved in the next several days to a special isolation unit set up in collaboration with the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which is one of only four in the United States. An American doctor infected with Ebola arrived in Atlanta on Saturday landing in a specially equipped plane at a military base then took to the isolation unit at Emory, Ray Henry reports, US doctor with Ebola arrives in Atlanta for treatment. it marks the first time a patient with Ebola has entered the country for treatment with a second American aid workers expected to arrive at Emory in days. U.S. based Samaritan’s Purse paid for the transport and confirmed to the Associated Press the patient was Dr. Kent Brantly. The ambulance took him to the hospital among a wide open Interstate with no traffic flanked by SUVs and police cars then the patient was taken into the building at Emory by people in white protective clothing. The hospital is down the hill from the CDC. Dr. Jay Varney, an infectious disease specialist at Emory charged with Brantley’s care, said the hospital’s isolation unit is well equipped to handle patients with the disease. He added, “Ebola is only transmitted through blood and bodily fluids. Unlike the flu, like influenza, which we deal with every winter, Ebola cannot be spread through the air.” Ebola has no cure. Dr. Philip Brachman, an Emory University public health specialist who for many years headed the CDC’s disease detectives program, said Friday: “That’s all we can do for such a patient. We can make them feel comfortable” and let the body try to beat back the virus.”
While treatment for the infected begins, the U.S. has issued a travel warning for Americans going to the three West African countries hit by the Ebola outbreak and the World Health Organization deals with the spread in West Africa. On Thursday, U.S. health officials warned Americans not to travel to the area, Mike Stobbe reports, US warns against traveling to Ebola-hit countries. The advisory applies to nonessential travel to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, where the deadly disease has killed more than 700 people this year. Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who announced the warning, said “The bottom line is Ebola is worsening in West Africa” adding that Ebola is “a tragic, dreadful and merciless virus.” The purpose of the warning is to limit U.S. travelers use of overburdened hospitals and clinics for injuries or other illnesses. Stobbe reports that the outbreak has a 60 percent fatality rate so far with no vaccines or specific treatment available. The CDC has 20 staffers at U.S. airports and border crossing to evaluate any traveler showing signs of dangerous infectious diseases, and isolate them when necessary. The agency is prepared to increase that staffing if needed, he said. Back in West Africa, World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan said Friday that the outbreak is out of control but can be stopped, Tom Miles reports, Ebola Out Of Control But Can Be Stopped: WHO Chief. Chan told the presidents of Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast at a meeting in Guinea’s capital Conakry: “This outbreak is moving faster than our efforts to control it. If the situation continues to deteriorate, the consequences can be catastrophic in terms of lost lives but also severe socioeconomic disruption and a high risk of spread to other countries. This meeting must mark a turning point in the outbreak response.” The death toll so far is at 729 including 60 healthcare workers and 1,323 cases overall. Chan added that “Constant mutation and adaptation are the survival mechanisms of viruses and other microbes. We must not give this virus opportunities to deliver more surprises. Moreover, public attitudes can create a security threat to response teams when fear and misunderstanding turn to anger, hostility, or violence.” The reason for the quick spread is due to cultural practices such as traditional burials and deep seated beliefs.
In Washington, while the CDC tackles a potential international debacle, President Barack Obama acknowledged on Friday that the United States conducted torture in the aftermath of 9/11 terror attacks, the AOL article reports, Obama: ‘We Tortured Some Folks’ After 9/11 And We Have To Take Responsibility For It. Obama said, “I was very clear that in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, we did some things that were wrong. We did a whole lot of things that were right, but we tortured some folks. We did some things that were contrary to our values. We crossed the line and that needs to be understood and accepted. And we have to, as a country, take responsibility for that so we don’t do it in the future.” In addition, Obama told reporters at the White House that a Senate investigation into interrogation techniques used by thew CIA would be declassified in August. According to the new CIA Inspector General’s Office report, agency employees in 2009 hacked Senate computers used to compile the investigation leading many lawmakers on the Hill to call for CIA Director John Brennan’s resignations over the matter.
Meanwhile, former President Bill Clinton confessed he could of killed Osama bin Laden, but decided against it due to the number of civilians who also would be killed just hours before the 9/11 attacks, Mollie Reilly reports, Bill Clinton, Hours Before 9/11 Attack, Said He ‘Could Have Killed’ Bin Laden. On Wednesday, Sky News host Paul Murray released a previously unreleased audio recording of Clinton talking to Australian businessmen on September 10, 2001: “Osama bin Laden — he’s a very smart guy, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about him, and I nearly got him once,” Clinton says in the tape, answering a question about terrorism. “I nearly got him. And I could have gotten, I could have killed him, but I would have to destroy a little town called Kandahar in Afghanistan and kill 300 innocent women and children. And then I would have been no better than him. And so I didn’t do it.” The 9/11 Commission Report in 2004 identifies several operations targeting bin Laden in the 90s which prompted critics to accuse Clinton of not doing enough. During a 2006 interview with “Fox News Sunday,” Clinton defended his administration’s efforts saying: “I got closer to killing him than anybody has gotten since. And if I were still president, we’d have more than 20,000 troops [in Afghanistan] trying to kill him.”
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Tagged 9/11, 9/11 Attack, Argentina Debt, Argentina Debt Default, Argentina Default, Argentina Paul Singer, Bill Clinton, Bill Clinton 9/11, Bill Clinton Bin Laden, Bin Laden 9/11, Border Crisis, Border Crisis Daca, Border Crisis Obama, Catholic Church, CDC, Center for Disease Control, Christianity, Congress, ebola outbreak, Ebola travel restrictions, Ebola U.S., Ebola U.S. victims, Ebola West African countries, GOP, House border bill fails, House border bill ok, House GOP Border Crisis, House Republicans, House Resolution 440, House Speaker John Boehner, immigration, Mark Gongloff on Money, Osama Bin Laden, Paul Singer, Paul Singer Elliott Management, Politics News, Pope Francis, Pope Francis Congress, Pope Francis USA Visit, Pope News, Republicans Pope Francis, Roman Catholic Church, Scott Walker, Speaker John Boehner, Speaker of the House John Boehner, The Pope, video, Voter ID, Voter Identification, Voting Rights, Western Africa Ebola, Wisconsin Supreme Court, Wisconsin Voter ID, Wisconsin Voter Id Laws
July 2, 2014 by craftymcclever
The History of Gay Religious Activism in the U.S.
Not unlike the thousands of public parties held this past June during Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month, hundreds of gay San Franciscans gathered on New Year’s Day 1965 for the much anticipated Mardi Gras Ball held at 625 Polk Street in the Tenderloin District. The most interesting aspect of the San Francisco ball was the fact it was held as a fundraiser for pro-gay clergy, according to Jaweed Kaleem’s article Unearthing The Surprising Religious History Of American Gay Rights Activism. Although today Americans for (homophiles or gay right activists) and against gay rights typically use their religious beliefs as the reasons, those who oppose same sex marriage and other rights for LGBT individuals have continued to declare that God is on their side. However, in the mid 1960s, LGBT activists often looked to men of the cloth as allies in the fight for justice and human rights, according to historians. Just months before the event, two dozen Bay Area Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopal and United Church of Christ clergy and gay activists joined together to form the Council on Religion and and Homosexual in order to promote “need for a better understanding of human sexuality” and its “broad variations and manifestations.” Clergy and lawyers had negotiate with the police on behalf of the group to let the dance happen, but according to contemporary new articles, police showed up to take pictures of those attending the ball in order to intimidate them. When cops wanted to come inside, the lawyers blocked them causing six people to end up in jail for interfering with police and disorderly conduct. The clergy fought back with a press conference the next day and mobilized the city’s gay community and the pastors. In addition, the American Civil Liberties Union brought a lawsuit over the arrest making it the first time the ACLU had joined in the fight for gay rights, according to the LGBT Religious Archives Network.
According to Kaleem’s article: “‘That was years before the 1969 Stonewall riots, which is popularly considered the beginning of the gay rights movement,’ said Heather White, a visiting assistant professor of religion at the New College of Florida who has spent years combing through LGBT archives for an upcoming book, tentatively titled Reforming Sodom: Protestants and the Rise of Gay Rights. ‘And that’s just one of the best-known stories. There were Councils on Religion and Homosexuality and similar groups in D.C., Pennsylvania, Ottawa, Hawaii.””
The LGBT Religious Network along with a growing group of scholars such as White have documented hundreds of stories like the San Francisco clergy since it was found 13 years ago at the United Church of Christ-affiliated Chicago Theological Seminary based now in Berkely, California, at the Pacific School of Religion’s Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry. The organization’s website offers a series of profiles of and oral history interviews with Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist and Pagan LGBT clergy and religious activists, living and dead, Kaleem reports.White, part of the network advisory committee, explains that the expectations about how religion would view gay rights changed after the 1960s.
White explains, “What we know of the face of religion and gay rights has been shaped by a shift that occurred in the 1970s with the rise of conservative Christianity. It’s a consolidated political force that wasn’t in place before then. There were certainly conservative people and religious people who were involved in politics, but in the 1950s and 1960s, homophile organizations saw religious leaders as likely allies. That is less of the case today, though things are changing.”
A Pew Research Center survey released last Thursday reported that 62 percent of American believe homosexuality should be accepted rather than frowned upon by society, but there is still a clear division between religious Americans as far as gay rights are concerned especially same sex marriages. Recent polls show that white evangelicals strongly oppose gay marriage, while the nation’s largest churches do not support same sex marriage e.g. the Roman Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, the United Methodist Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, Catholic American individuals tend to support gay marriage with several additional denomintaions allowing clergy to perform same sex marriages or blessings e.g. the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, and both Reform and Conservative Jews. According to Bernard Schlager, executive director of the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry and an associate professor of cultural and historical studies at the Pacific School of Religion, “Some of the biggest gay rights activists and organizations started their work in churches.” Additionally, Schalger believes the inaccurate and widespread perception of religion firmly opposing gay right has changed as well, Kaleem reports. He explains, “It’s come to the point that sometimes people today say it’s more difficult to come out as a person of faith than it is to come out as LGBT in religious circles.” Melissa Wilcox, who also sits on the LGBT Religious Archives Network’s advisory committee and is an associate professor of religion and gender studies at Whitman College, has this to say: “With the increasing visibility of the marriage rights movement, we have started to see LGBT-supportive groups [within religious communities] being able to get their message out more clearly. That’s a battle for them, but many have been there all along.”
After decades of church activism, the Presbyterian Church General Assembly in the Unites States last week voted to allow pastors to officiate gay marriages in states where it is legal. An additional vote will take place to determine if the definition of marriage should be changed to cover two people not just a man and woman. Wilcox sums it up best by saying,”A lot of people are still wary of anything you’d call religion. A lot of people have been burned. But there’s a rich history out there of gay religious activism for us to appreciate and uphold.”
Posted in 2014, activism, catholic church, community, controversial, gay culture, goverment, history, human rights, inspirational, international, law, lawmakers, LBGT, love, marriage, marriage equality, news, people, politics, religion, United States, US, video
Tagged Civil Rights, Gay and Religious, Gay Marriage, Gay Marriage and Religion, Gay Religious History, gay rights, Gay Rights History, Homophile, LGBT History, LGBT Religious Archives Network, Religion and Sexuality, Religion Gay Rights, San Francisco Gay Rights
April 7, 2013 by craftymcclever
Honoring the Past and Embracing the Future
It’s official Pope Francis was formally installed as the Bishop of Rome on Sunday with less of the pomp and pageantry than the usual ritual even taking time to honor those that came before. Francis in another display of his humility toward the post, he arrived at St. John in Latern Basilica to honor a wildly popular past pope by blessing a plaque renaming a corner of the piazza outside the church after Pope John Paul II, who died in 2005. Arriving a half hour early, he gave the blessing after the mayor of Rome unveiled the plaque marked “Giovanni Paul II Square” in one section of the piazza which holds free rock concerts, political and labor rallies. The pope fashion was simple as he wore a plain white cassock and the Italian cardinal wore his red cape. The two hour long installation in the early evening was significant for the church due to the fact a pope is a pontiff because he is elected Bishop of Rome but not visa versa.
The basilica is Rome’s most ancient, with the foundation dating back to the early 4th century, and the ceremony stems from centuries of traditional ritual that modern popes have updated to the times, but Francis is sticking true to his own tradition of simplicity and humility. While most ornately dressed pontiffs in centuries past arrive in horse drawn carriage, Francis came through the side entrance of the basilica complex in an open topped white jeep. Before entering the doors, the vehicle stopped again and again so that the security team could pass babies to him to kiss. When the wind picked up, Francis took off his skull cap exposing his head to the wind and tussling his hair according to the Associated Press. Later Francis wore the peaked bishop’s hat and wearing cream colored vestments sat in the mosaic studded basilica chair known as the “Cathera Romana” which represents the post of Rome’s bishop. He then was handed the pastoral staff, symbolizing a bishop’s care for his flock. During his homily, Francis said, “It is with joy that I am celebrating the Eucharist for the first time in this Lateran Basilica, the Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome. I greet all of you with great affection… those who love are able to understand, to hope, to inspire confidence; they do not give up, they do not burn bridges, they are able to forgive.”
Throughout the ceremony and well after, the pontiff surprised and delighted the crowd with his humility and continued to set news standards for the church. Francis during the ceremony updated the obedience pledge recited by Cardinal Valilini, who is the pope’s prelate, when professing obedience to the pope’s teaching and leadership replacing the pontiff as being “in an elevated position to govern” with the pontiff as “presiding over the Churches in charity.” In honoring John Paul, Francis also paid tribute to a pontiff who embraced his role as bishop of Rome as the late pontiff would visit Rome parishes, hundreds of them and poor neighborhood on the city’s outskirts on Sunday mornings. When Francis mentioned that John Paul “closed his eyes to this world” eight years ago this month, the new pope drew so much applause he could not finish his sentence the Associated Press reports. Francis may be the pope that decided whether or not the Polish Born Pontiff will receive the church’s highest honor, sainthood. The church process to certify the first miracle needed for John Paul’s beatification only took six years from his death until Pope Benedict XVI beatified him in 2001 which is the shortest time in modern history and the last formal step before sainthood according to the Associated Press. The pope in his Vatican apperance on Sunday called for the faithful to “go into the piazzas and announce Christ our savior” to the people and “Bring the Good News with sweetness and respect” referring to the Gospel of course. John Paul, Benedict and Francis have all made shoring up flagging faith a priority of their leaderships. The new pope will be leading the Catholic youth pep rallies this summer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during a pilgrimage to his home continent.
Posted in 2013, catholic church, community, history, new pope, news, peace, people, picture, Pope Francis, religion, Rome, Sunday Blessing, tribute, video, world
Tagged Bishop Of Rome, future, history, Latern Basilica, Mayor of Rome, news, past, pontif, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis, Pope Francis Bishop Of Rome, Pope Francis Reaches Out To Romans, Pope John Paul II, Religion News, St. John, tribute to John Paul II, video
Women as the Foundation of the Roman Catholic Church
Check out the Pope’s full address here.
As the pope blazes a new trail for the modern Roman Catholic Church, Francis continues to emphasize the importance of women and their role in the church despite taking the office only weeks ago as the Bishop of Rome becoming the first Latin American pope and the first non-European pope in 1300 years after Benedict XVI resign the first in 600 years. On Wednesday, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of women in the church as they were the first witnesses of Christ and play a special role in the spreading of faith. As many witnessed on Holy Thursday last week, the pontiff included women in the traditional foot washing ritual drawing criticism from traditionalist who believe the right has always been reserved for men. Many see the custom as a re-enactment of Jesus washing the fee of his apostles who are all men. Women as Francis explains have always played a special role as the “first witnesses” of Christ’s resurrection passing the belief onto their children and grandchildren. Francis told the thousands of faithful in St. Peter’s Square, “In the Church, and in the journey of faith, women have had and still have a special role in opening doors to the Lord.” He even went further to explain that in the bible women were not recorded witnesses as Jewish law prohibited it at the time as they are not reliable witnesses. However, Francis did comments that, “In the Gospels, however, women have a primary, fundamental role … The evangelists simply narrate what happened: the women were the first witnesses. This tells us that God does not choose according to human criteria.” This is the second time the pontiff has talked about the role of women as witnesses to the resurrection of Christ which is the cornerstone of the Catholic faith.
As for the role of women, Pope Francis addressed women in his Easter Vigil on Saturday and urge the faithful to not fear change. Marinella Perroni, a theologian and leading member of the Association of Italian Women Theologians, according to Reuters had this to say:
“This is very encouraging. Pope Francis is taking up, with a stronger emphasis, the teaching of previous popes about the role of women in the foundation of faith and the resurrection of Jesus. The fact that the Pope acknowledges that the progressive removal of female figures from the tradition of the resurrection…is due to human judgments, distant from those of God…introduces a decidedly new element compared to the previous papacy.”
Several liberal reform supporters of the church call for the institution to ordain women as priests giving them a greater voice and more recognition within the church which the Vatican has said publicly that Jesus Christ chose only men for his apostles even though many female priesthood supports have said Jesus was conforming to the customs at the time. The 76 year old pontiff has set a new standard for the papacy as he continues to live as his name sake did St. Francis with humility and simplicity by shunning the ornate items of traditional dress, using informal language in his addresses, and choosing not to live in the regal papal apartments choosing instead to live in a simple residence. Many are hopeful that this new age of the Catholic Church can reform the Curia and many believe Pope Francis may even close the Vatican bank following the scandals at the heart of the Holy See which has damaged the church’s reputation.
Posted in 2013, catholic church, history, new pope, news, peace, people, picture, Pope Francis, religion, Rome, speech, Sunday Blessing, video, wisdom, women, world
Tagged change, Gender and Religion, news, Pope Francis, Pope Francis Women, reform, Religion And Gender, Religion News, Reuters, Role Of Women In Church, video, witness, women, Women And Jesus, Women In Catholic Church, Women In Church, Women In Gospels
Pope Francis: A Vessel of Peace and Humility
Pope Francis has made quite an impression on the international community especially the billion of so faithful during his short time as Pope with his official duties starting with Holy Week. With his most significant break from tradition occurring on Holy Thursday, Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of young women at a juvenile detention center which for most in the Curia is a departure from the strict rules that ritual involves men not women. In fact, no pope has ever washed the feet of women sparking a debate among conservative who feel it a questionable example and liberals who welcome the inclusivity. As Francis explained to the group of 14 to 21 year old at Casal del Marmo in Rome: “This is a symbol, it is a sign. Washing your feet means I am at your service. Help one another. This is what Jesus teaches us. This is what I do. And I do it with my heart. I do this with my heart because it is my duty. As a priest and bishop, I must be at your service.” A video released by the Vatican, demonstrates the 76 year old Francis kneeling on the stone floor pouring water over the feet of the youth then drying and kissing their feet. The group included black, white, male, female, and even tattooed feet.
Previous popes carried out the traditional ceremony in Rome’s St. John Lateran Basilica choosing 12 priests who represent the 12 apostles whose feet Christ washed during the Last Supper, but Francis has never followed the traditions even as cardinal. Before being pope, the pope as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio celebrated in jails, hospitals, or hospices as part of his ministry to the poor and marginalized in society especially women. Vatican spokesman, Rev. Federico Lombardi, didn’t want to enter into a canonical dispute over the matter but did express that the ritual represent only men as Christ washed the feet of his apostles were all male. As the Associated Press reported, Lombardi wrote in an email saying, “Here, the rite was for a small, unique community made up also of women. Excluding the girls would have been inopportune in light of the simple aim of communicating a message of love to all, in a group that certainly didn’t include experts on liturgical rules.” Some believe the message was about Christ’s embracing love and ministering to everyone, while other believe that restricting the rite to men is in line with the church’s restriction on ordaining women since Christ’s apostles were male and that the ritual is more than washing feet. The ultimate message Pope Francis had for his young audience whom he greeted after the mass and gave each an Esster egg was, “Don’t lose hope. Understand? With hope you can always go on.” One young man asked the pontiff why he came to visit them and Francis responded simply that it was to “help me to be humble, as a bishop should be” as the gesture came “from my heart. Things from the heart don’t have an explanation.”
Pope Francis ended Holy week with his first Easter Sunday celebration with a passionate plea for world peace to an enthusiastic crowd of more than 250,000 people who came to see him in St. Peter’s Square. In his Easter message, he spoke of the long standing conflict in the Middle East, on the Korean Peninsula and elsewhere and remembered the world’s neediest people. With physical gestures, he demonstrated his down to earth caring for all God’s children as he cradled a disabled child held out to him and delightedly accepted the gift the Associated Press reports. After the mass, the Pontiff took a ride through St. Peter’s Square in an open topped popemobile through the joyous crowd, kissing children, patting them on the head and overwhelmed with joy. The pope received a gift from one admirer in crowd who gave him a jersey of his favorite Argentine soccer team, Saints of San Lorenzo, as the crowd cheered in approval. In a moving moment to remember, Francis cradled and kissed a disabled boy passed to him waiting patiently for the boy to give his greeting to him.
From the same spot he was introduced as pope on March 13, Francis gave his Easter speech from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica reiterating his concern for the poor and suffering as well as promoting peace and social justice. The Roman Catholic leader aimed the Easter greeting at “every house and every family, especially where the suffering is greatest, in hospitals, in prisons” and prayed that Jesus would inspire people to “change hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, war into peace,” reports the Associated Press. The first pontiff from the Jesuits, an order with concern for the poor, and the first pope to name himself after St. Francis who renounced wealth and preached to the down and out lamented that the world is still divided by greed. The square was covered in a beautiful variety of flowers as Francis thanked florists from the Netherlands for donating them and advised people to let love transform their lives saying, “let those desert places in our hearts bloom.” Francis used the language of the Holy See to give his greetings in Italian as the pope stressed his role as the Bishop of Rome. The pontiff improvised his parting words to the world including those who were present and those linked by modern technology adding that he especially remembers “the weakest and the neediest” and praying that all of humanity be guided along “the paths of justice, love and peace.” Another departure from Easter Tradition, Francis will not be taking a post holiday vacation at the summer palace in Castel Gandolfo where Benedict XVI resides and has declined moving into Benedict’s former apartment in the Apostolic Palace which overlooks St. Peter’s Square instead he still resides in the Vatican hotel where the cardinals stayed during the conclave. Francis has demonstrated so far in his short time as Bishop of Rome that he has little desire to participate in the pomp and pageantry that comes with his position as the leader of the Catholic Church.
Posted in 2013, catholic church, Easter, Holy Week, new pope, news, peace, people, picture, politics, Pope Francis, religion, Rome, Sunday Blessing, video, world
Tagged Casal Del Marmo, Casal Del Marmo Jail, Easter, Easter 2013, Easter Huffington, Easter Mass, Easter Mass Pope, Easter Messages For The World, Easter Sunday, Easter Sunday 2013, Holy Thursday, Holy Thursday Pope Francis, Holy Week 2013, Holy Week Vatican, Maundy Thursday, Maundy Thursday Vatican, Pope Easter, Pope Easter Mass, Pope Easter Sunday, Pope Foot Washing, Pope Francis, Pope Francis Easter Mass, Pope Francis Feet Washing, Pope Francis Foot Washing, Pope Francis Holy Thursday, Pope Francis Holy Thursday Mass, Pope Francis Thursday, Pope Francis Washing Feet, Pope Holy Thursday, Pope Washes Feet, Pope Washes Feet Holy Thursday, Pope Washes Inmates Feet, Pope Washes Muslim Feet, Popes Easter Mass, Religion News, Roman Catholic Church, The Pope, Vatican Easter, Vatican Easter Mass
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Tag Archives: Stand Your Ground
Possibly More Sanctions for Russia, U.S. Wants Coalition to Fight Islamic State, Gaza Struggles to Rebuild and U.N. Condemns U.S. Over Police Brutality
On Friday, Russian backed separatists held control of the coastal city of Novoazovsk on the new front in the Ukraine conflict announcing their intention to keep moving west toward the major port city of Mariupol, according to Peter Leonard and Juergen Baetz, Russian-backed rebels aim to push west along coast. The day before, the Ukrainian government accused Russia of sending tanks, artillery and troops across the border, and NATO estimated at least 1,000 Russian troops were in Ukraine. As tension rose, the European Union foreign ministers called for heavier sanctions against Moscow ahead of Saturday’s summit of EU leaders in Brussels including Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. One rebel commanders identified himself as nom de guerre Frantsuz or the Frenchman said: “We are fighting with the machinery the (Ukrainian forces) abandon. They just dump it and flee.” However, top rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko said Russia was supplying equipment and fighters. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen Friday said: “Despite Moscow’s hollow denials, it is now clear that Russian troops and equipment have illegally crossed the border. This is a blatant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It defies all diplomatic efforts for a peaceful solution.” Speaking at a Kremlin organized youth camp Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin compared the Ukrainian government’s fight with separatists to the Nazi siege of Leningrad in 1941-44 which many Russians see the 872 day siege and 670,000 civilians dead as one of the most heroic chapters in the country’s history. Putin added to stop the bloodshed the Kiev government should open talks with the rebels. Ivan Simonovic, U.N. assistant secretary general for human rights, said the death toll has reached 2,600 as of Wednesday. The U.N. human rights office Friday accused both sides of deliberately targeting civilians. The Associated Press reports: “The separatists have carried out murders, torture and abductions along with other serious human rights abuses, while Ukraine’s military is guilty of such acts as arbitrary detentions, disappearances and torture, the organization said in a report.” The head of the EU’s executive commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, warned Putin further destabilization of Ukraine “will carry high costs.” Putin has called on separatists to release Ukrainian soldiers surrounded by the rebels in eastern Ukraine for a week, but the rebel leader said the Ukrainian troops must lay down arms before they can go “so that this weaponry and ammunition will not be used against us in future.” Col. Andriy Lysenko, Ukraine’s national security council spokesman, rejected the demand: “Ukraine is not ready to surrender arms and kneel in front of the aggressor.” Meanwhile, Ukraine will receive $1.39 billion aid installment as part of a financial support package from the International Monetary Fund bringing the total paid out to $4.51 billion of $16.67 billion due over two years. On Sunday, the European Union leaders decided no to impose new sanctions against Moscow; however, the 28 nation bloc’s head of state and government tasked their executive body to prepare tougher economic sanctions that could be adopted in a week, according to EU summit chairman Herman Van Rompuy, Juergen Baetz and Jim Heintz reports, EU threatens Russia with more sanctions. According to Rompuy, the new sanctions will depend on the evolution of the situation on the ground but “everybody is fully aware that we have to act quickly and EU leaders call on Russia to “immediately withdraw all its military assets and forces from Ukraine.” Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told reporters in English: “Thousands of the foreign troops and hundreds of the foreign tanks are now on the territory of Ukraine. There is a very high risk not only for peace and stability for Ukraine, but for the whole … of Europe.” Meanwhile, Moscow is preparing to send a second convoy of humanitarian aid to eastern Ukraine, according to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday, who said Moscow already received Kiev’s approval and aid would be sent in coordination with the Red Cross. Ukraine’s Lysenko told reporters: “We are surrendering this city. Our task now is to evacuate our military with the least possible losses in order to regroup.” In addition, Lysenko said regular units of military are ordered to retreat from Novosvitlivka and Khryashchuvate, two towns on the main road between the Russian border and Luhansk, the second-largest rebel-held city. Ukraine had claimed control of Novosvitlivka earlier in August.
While the Ukrainian government tries to minimize losses, Islamic State and other al-Qaida offshoots continue to move through Syria posing a threat to neighboring countries as well as displacing millions of Syrians. According to John Heilprin’s reports, Syria Refugees Top 3 Million Mark, UN Says, three million Syrian refugees have registered in neighboring countries as of Friday with many trapped by the advance of Islamic militants or the inability to reach an open border crossing, according to the United Nations. The U.N. refugee agency said Syrians desperate to leave their homeland pay hefty bribes at armed checkpoints along Syria’s borders or to smugglers. In addition, the agency said “almost half of all Syrians have now been forced to abandon their homes and flee for their lives” as 6.5. million have been displaced within Syria and the record figure is one million more than a year ago. Antonio Guterres, U.N. High Commissioner fro Refugees, said in a statement: “The Syrian crisis has become the biggest humanitarian emergency of our era, yet the world is failing to meet the needs of refugees and the countries hosting them.” The UNHCR reports the vast majority of Syrian refugees remain in neighboring countries, with the highest concentrations in Lebanon (1.17 million), Turkey (830,000) and Jordan (613,000). Some 215,000 refugees are in Iraq with the rest in Egypt and other countries, while the host governments estimate hundreds of thousands more have sought sanctuary in their countries without formally registering. The Obama administration announced Thursday that the United States wants to build an international campaign against the Islamic State jihadist fighters in Iraq and Syria including partners for potential military action. According to Reuters, John Kerry: U.S. To Push For Coalition To Fight ‘Cancer’ Of Islamic State, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States will push for a coalition of countries to beat back the incursion in Syria and Iraq by Islamic State militants via the NATO summit next week. On Saturday, Kerry wrote an opinion piece in the New York Times saying “With a united response led by the United States and the broadest possible coalition of nations, the cancer of ISIS will not be allowed to spread to other countries.” Kerry said along with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will meet with their European counterparts to enlist support for their coalitions with the goal to “enlist the broadest possible assistance.” Addressing the current action taken in the Middle East, he wrote: “Already our efforts have brought dozens of nations to this cause. Certainly there are different interests at play. But no decent country can support the horrors perpetrated by ISIS, and no civilized country should shirk its responsibility to help stamp out this disease.” Republican and Democrats in Congress have called for lawmakers to vote on whether the United States should broaden its actions against Islamic State.
On Sunday, Army spokesman Lt. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi said Iraqi security forces and Shiite militiamen broke a six week siege by the Islamic State extremist group on northern Shiite Turkmen town of Amirli as a suicide bombing killed 14 people in Anbar western province, Sameer N. Yacoub reports, Iraqi forces break militant siege of Shiite town. Breaking the siege was a big achievement for all involved including the Iraqi army, elite troops, Kurdish fighters and Shiite militias. Turkish lawmaker Fawzi Akram al-Tarzi said they entered the town from two direction distributing aid to the residents. About 15,000 Shiite Turkmens were stranded in the farming community, 105 miles north of Baghdad, deciding to stay and fortify their town with trenches and armed positions instead of fleeing. On Saturday, the U.S. conducted airstrikes against the Sunni militants and air dropped humanitarian aid to residents. Aircraft from Australia, France and Britain joined the aid drop which came after the Iraq government requested it. The U.S. launched airstrikes near Mosul Dam, the largest in Iraq, that allowed Iraqi and Kurdish forces to retake the facility from Islamic State fighters. The U.S. Central Command said another airstrike on Sunday near Mosul Dam destroyed an Islamic State armed vehicle bring the total number of airstrikes across Iraq since Aug. 8 to 120. German officials said Sunday they would soon be sending enough high end rifles, anti-tank weapons and armored vehicles to equip 4,000 Kurdish Peshmerga fighters battling Islamic extremists in Iraq. On Sunday night, Iraqi police officials said a suicide driver rammed an explosives laden car into a police checkpoint in Ramadi in the Anbar province killing 14 people including nine police and about 27 people were injured.
While it seems one war is far from over, the Associate Press reports, Rebuilding Gaza Will Take 20 Years, Housing Group Says, the assessment by Shelter Cluster, co-chaired by the U.N. refugee agency and the Red Cross, says post conflict reconstruction will take 20 years for Gaza’s battered and neglected housing stock to be rebuilt and some Palestinian officials estimate the cost at $6 billion. The effort to rebuild will be stifled by Egypt and Israel as Israel since 2007 has severely restricted import of concrete and other building material due to fears that militants will use them to build rockets and reinforce cross border tunnels. In its report issued late Friday, Shelter Cluster said 17,000 Gaza housing units were destroyed or severely damaged and 5,000 units still need work after previous military campaigns. Additionally, Gaza has a housing deficit of 75,000 units. Shelter Cluster said its 20 years assessment is based on the capacity of the main Israel Gaza crossing to handle 100 trucks of construction material a day. The death toll of the conflict included 2,100 Palestinians, most civilians, died in the war and Israel lost 71 people with all but six soldiers. To add to the difficulty, Israel announced it was appropriating almost 1,000 acres of land in the West Bank for Israeli settlers, according to AOL News, Israel Seizes 1,000 Acres Of Land In West Bank. Israeli officials declared a 990 acre region as state land confiscating it from Palestinians who live nearby and claim ownership with several established settlements there west of Bethlehem. Peace Now, an Israeli group opposed to further settlements, said the move was the biggest land grab in over 30 years. Sunday’s announcement may be punishment for the Palestinians, according to the New York Times, and was prompted by the murder of three Israeli teenagers back in June. A spokesman for the Palestine Liberation Organization told reporters it would “‘wipe out any Palestinian presence on the land’ and impose a ‘de-facto one-state solution’.” However, a U.S. State Department spokesperson called the move “counterproductive to Israel’s stated goal of a negotiated two-state solution.” The U.S., U.N. and E.U. have repeatedly condemned the settlement expansions, but Israeli officials believe the land will be theirs in any final peace deal. The Wall Street Journal quotes one housing minister calling land appropriations “an appropriate Zionist response to the Palestinian terrorist government.” And a commerce minister told the BBC: “I think that stopping anyone from living in our land is a profound mistake. … Why should I stop building on my land? It’s my own.” Israeli officials say the appropriation is still open to legal review. Any Palestinian landowners in the region now have 45 days to submit their objections to an Israeli court before their lands will be seized.
While the U.N. has weighed in on many of the conflicts brewing internationally, it was only a matter of time before they weighed in on the Ferguson, Missouri issue. Stephanie Nebehay reports, UN Condemns U.S. Police Brutality, Calls For ‘Stand Your Ground’ Review, the U.N. racism watchdog urged the U.S. Friday to halt excessive use of force by police after the murder of unarmed teenager by a white policeman touched off riots in Ferguson, Missouri. After examining the U.S. record, the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination determined minorities, particularly African Americans, are victims of disparities. Noureddine Amir, CERD committee vice chairman and expert from Algeria, told a news briefing: “Racial and ethnic discrimination remains a serious and persistent problem in all areas of life from de facto school segregation, access to health care and housing. The excessive use of force by law enforcement officials against racial and ethnic minorities is an ongoing issue of concern and particularly in light of the shooting of Michael Brown. This is not an isolated event and illustrates a bigger problem in the United States, such as racial bias among law enforcement officials, the lack of proper implementation of rules and regulations governing the use of force, and the inadequacy of training of law enforcement officials.” The panel of 18 independent experts grilled a senior U.S. delegation on Aug. 13 about what they consider a persistent racial discrimination against African Americans and other minorities including within the criminal justice system. U.S. Ambassador Keith Harper told the panel that his nation had made “great strides toward eliminating racial discrimination” but conceded that “we have much left to do”. In its conclusions issued Friday, the U.N. panel said “Stand Your Ground” Laws, a controversial self-defense statute in 22 U.S. states, should be reviewed to “remove far-reaching immunity and ensure strict adherence to principles of necessity and proportionality when deadly force is used for self-defense.” Nebehay reports: “Ron Davis, father of Jordan Davis, a 17-year-old shot dead in a car in Jacksonville, Florida during an argument over loud rap music in November 2012, attended the Geneva session. Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teen killed in Miami, Florida by a neighborhood watch volunteer, testified.” In addition, it urged an investigation saying, “The Committee remains concerned at the practice of racial profiling of racial or ethnic minorities by law enforcement officials, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Transportation Security Administration, border enforcement officials and local police.” The committee also urged the U.S. to address obstacles faced by minorities and indigenous people to exercise their right to vote due to restrictive voter identification laws, district gerrymandering and state-level laws that disenfranchise people convicted of felonies. Jamil Dakwar of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said the U.N. recommendations highlighted “shortcomings on racial equality that we are seeing play out today on our streets, at our borders and in the voting booth.”
Posted in 2014, activism, al-Qaida, bombing, China, civil rights, conflict, congress, controversial, crime, death, goverment, human rights, insurgency, international, Iran, Iraq War, Islamic State, militants, military, news, peace, people, politics, Russia, terrorism, tragedy, United Nations, United States, US, violence, war, wellness, white house, world
Tagged Al Qaeda, Antonio Guterres, EU Russia, Eu Russia Ultimatum, Eu Sanctions, European Union, European Union Eu Sanctions, European Union Russia, European Union Russia Ultimatum, Ferguson, Ferguson Missouri, Gaza Rebuilding, Gaza Shelling, Golan Heights Al Qaida, Iraq Islamic State, Isil, Isis, Isis John Kerr, Isis Syria, Islamic Extremsits, Islamic Militants Syria, Islamic State, Islamic State Golan Heights, Islamic State Israel, Islamic State Syria, Israel, Israel Al Qaeda, Israeli Palestinian Conflict, John Kerry, John Kerry Syria, Michael Brown, Operation Protective Edge, Palestinian Territories, pro-Russian rebels, Rebuilding Gaza, Reuters, Russia, Stand Your Ground, Syria, Syria Extremists, Syria Golan Heights, Syria Israel, Syrian Rebels, Syrian Rebels Israel, Syrian refugees, Trayvon Martin Police Brutality, Ukraine Crisis, Ukraine Russia, Un Ferguson Protests, Un Ferguson Shooting, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Un Police Brutality, Un Stand Your Ground, United Nations Syria, video
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Neglected Tropical Diseases Gender and Equity Research: A PLOS Cross-Journal Call for Papers
– The submission deadline for this Call for Papers has been extended to July 1, 2019 –
– Call for Papers for a PLOS Cross-Journal Collection –
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect some of the poorest and most disenfranchised populations in the world. By their very definition, NTDs are often overlooked in large-scale interventions and public health policy considerations. Yet the combined burden of these infections is considerable.
The global burden of NTDs is largely confined to low- and middle-income countries, where healthcare resources can be limited. Additionally, many other social or geographical factors influence the treatment and prevention of NTDs.
Despite progress in gender equality in recent decades, gender roles and relations continue to shape health experiences at the community level, access to health services and the ways in which health systems function. To fully explore why this is the case, PLOS ONE and PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases have launched a call for papers on NTDs Gender and Equity Research that address the importance of addressing gender and sex in NTDs research, policy, practice and program delivery.
Gender and sex remain prominent factors affecting access to health care, despite much progress in gender equality in recent decades. To fully explore why this is the case, PLOS ONE and PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases have launched a call for papers on NTD Gender and Equity Research that address the importance of gender and sex as considerations in the context of NTDs.
As outlined in the Editorial from PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases we are encouraging submissions that:
Utilize a gender lens to assess the risk of disease exposure and the intersection with social and structural determinants of NTD infection and morbidity. These determinants may include water and sanitation, housing and clustering, environmental factors, migration, disasters and conflicts, sociocultural factors, or poverty, to name a few.
Address sex or gender-associated health or social outcomes of NTDs, including the ways in which gender and other axes of inequity shape individual or household-level indicators of well-being relevant to NTD programs.
Address gender at all levels of the NTD workforce and/or the leadership of NTD-oriented programs and organizations. This may include a focus on community drug distributors, research study staff, NTD program leadership, regional and global agencies, or other relevant workforce participants and the strengths and weaknesses of associated NTD programs.
Address gender and equity in NTD program delivery including mass drug administration coverage, utilization of water and sanitation resources, vector control interventions, and access to disease management services for morbidity, disability, or mental health services.
Address strategies to tailor NTD outreach programs to meet the gender-specific needs and priorities of specific targeted populations.
The deadline for submissions has been extended to July 1, 2019. Submissions will be handled by a specially selected group of Academic Editors. Articles that are accepted for publication and which fall within the scope for this call for papers will be published in a dedicated collection due to launch later this year.
To contribute your research to this Call for Papers, please submit your manuscript to one of the PLOS journals below. Please take note of the submission guidelines for each journal, which may have additional requirements, in addition to the scope above.
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases publishes research devoted to the pathology, epidemiology, prevention, treatment and control of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), as well as public policy relevant to this group of diseases. To be considered for publication in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, any given manuscript must satisfy criteria including: originality; importance and relevance to researchers, practitioners, or policy makers in the field of NTDs; and interest for researchers or practitioners outside the field.
PLOS ONE accepts scientifically rigorous research, regardless of novelty. PLOS ONE’s broad scope provides a platform to publish primary research, including interdisciplinary and replication studies, as well as negative results. The journal’s publication criteria are based on high ethical standards and the rigor of the methodology and conclusions reported.
Papers illustrating the Collection scope
Guerra-Silveira F, Abad-Franch F. Sex Bias in Infectious Disease Epidemiology: Patterns and Processes. PLoS ONE. 2013;8(4).
Bennis I, Belaid L, Brouwere VD, Filali H, Sahibi H, Boelaert M. “The mosquitoes that destroy your face”. Social impact of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in South-eastern Morocco, A qualitative study. Plos One. 2017;12(12).
Tsegay G, Deribe K, Deyessa N, Addissie A, Davey G, Cooper M, et al. I should not feed such a weak woman. Intimate partner violence among women living with podoconiosis: A qualitative study in northern Ethiopia. Plos One. 2018;13(12).
Arianna Means
Guest Editor, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Dr. Arianna Means focuses on generating operational evidence needed to improve the delivery of routine primary healthcare programs in low and middle-income countries, both within health facilities and in communities. She leads implementation science activities for several neglected tropical disease and gut health studies in low-and-middle income countries, with a particular emphasis on using mixed-methods to identify drivers of evidence-based treatment coverage including gender dynamics and other indicators of social equity. A trained epidemiologist and implementation scientist, Arianna teaches a number of implementation science courses at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, USA.
Sally Theobald
Professor Sally Theobald is Chair in Social Science and International Health at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. She has a disciplinary background of geography and development studies and a PhD in Gender, Health and Development. She is a social scientist with over 25 years’ experience of collaborative research projects focusing on gender equity and health systems strengthening systems in different contexts in Africa and Asia. Her research focuses on 1. Gender equity, human resources and health systems; 2. Gender equity, health systems sexual and reproductive health and rights and Neglected Tropical Diseases; 3. Gender equity, ethics, research uptake and capacity building.
Claudia Brodskyn
Dr. Claudia Brodskyn graduated in Biomedicine from Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP). She holds a Master's and Ph.D. degree in Immunology from USP and has postdoctoral studies at CSU-Fort Coliins-Colorado-USA. She is currently Researcher at the Gonçalo Moniz Research Center -FIOCRUZ-BA and Adjunct Professor at UFBA. She has experience in Immunology, with emphasis on Immunoparasitology, working mainly on the following topics: vaccines against leishmaniasis and immunoregulation in human and experimental leishmaniosis. Researcher 1B of CNPq.
Molly Mort
Molly Mort is a Program Officer for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) for BMGF focusing on operations research and the Uniting to Combat NTDs Partnership. Previously, Molly focused on the viral diseases’ Japanese encephalitis, human papillomavirus, and dengue as well as the transitioning disease portfolio. During her career at the foundation, Molly has focused on viral diseases Japanese encephalitis, human papillomavirus, and dengue previously. Prior to joining the Foundation, Molly was a Program Officer in PATH's Children's Vaccine Program and a Foreign Service Officer for USAID as a Population, Health and Nutrition Officer. For USAID, she served in Bangladesh, Ukraine, and Washington D.C. Molly began her career in international health as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Côte d'Ivoire. Molly earned her BS and MS from Cornell University in Community Nutrition.
Roshanak Semnani
Kannan Navaneetham
Guest Editor and Academic Editor, PLOS ONE
Kannan Navaneetham, M.Sc, PhD, is currently a Professor in the Department of Population Studies at the University of Botswana. He has also worked at the Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum, India- a renowned centre of excellence research institute and in the Department of Population Studies at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.
Professor Navaneetham’s research interest includes broad areas of Population, Health, and Human Development. More specifically, on the following diversified areas: Mortality and Health; Age Structural Transition and Demographic Dividend; Socioeconomic Determinants of Health; Health Inequality; Maternal and Child health; Poverty, Nutrition and Human Development; Non-Communicable Diseases, Multivariate Graphics and Applied Statistics. Professor Navaneetham teaches both technical and substantive demography courses in undergraduate and postgraduate level at the University of Botswana.
He holds Bachelor and Master Degrees in Statistics from University of Madras, India and Ph.D. degree in Demography from University of Bombay, India. He did his postdoctoral research at the National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Nancy B. Mock
Nancy Mock is a tenured faculty member of the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, where she has established or led numerous academic programs related to global health, food security and development. She led the Newcomb College Center for Research on Women from 2007-2010 and she co-created the One Health Research Innovation Program in collaboration with Makerere University in 2013. She is a co-founding member of the Tulane Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy, and was the Associate Director of the Center for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (Latin America and Caribbean), a program funded through the Office of Naval Research to provide technical support to the United States Southern Command in epidemic preparedness and disaster preparedness and response. She was a member of the Interagency Technical Working Group on Resilience Measurement and Program Co-Chair of the Rockefeller Foundation-sponsored Community of Practice for Resilience Measurement, Evidence and Learning scientific conference. She has published more than 60 peer reviewed publications. Professor Mock has extensive international experience in more than 30 countries and has served as a senior consultant for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), World Food Program (WFP), the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Asian Development and numerous non-governmental organizations. Nancy received a BS in Biology from Yale University in biology and a doctorate (DrPH) in Public Health from Tulane University.
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C:\ Home » Movies » Iron Man 3 (2013)
Iron Man 3 (2013)
It starts with a quote, and then rhetoric, and then a party, and then: Jensen! Nah, he's irrelevant now. He's just a familiar face, but it's good to see him anyway. A few characters of Tony Stark's dark and forgotten past make a re-appearance here, which is great, though of course they're all there as an excuse to write some sort of origins story, when really: it's all new.
Not that new is a bad thing. It goes back to the start. Forget all that mass-produced army stuff, and forget weaponization - there's just the one Iron Man, and the Iron Patriot, and that's all there is. And instead of being cast into a the dungeon to repair his suit, he finds refuge with a little kid: this time not to build but to repair: both his suit and himself.
There's also this DNA/nanotechnology thing, and DNA junkies, and demons of the past (and hey, there's Jensen! Wait I said that already...) but anyway, it was a good movie. It had convincing villains in style with the first, and a plot that goes full circle, relational drama and action, and plenty of suits, too. It's not an army, but it's something similar.
The eccentric Tony Stark is as witty as ever, and his sidekick Colonel James Rhodes has a few moves up his sleeve too, as does the notorious Pepper Potts. Intrigue's good, script's good, the story's not as overblown as it was in the second, and we don't get too much of the facial-cam either. It's a hot movie. Fiery. Balanced and burning. And if this is a trilogy it's a worthy ending.
posted by Cyber on Thursday, May 19th, 2016 (9:11 PM) in Movies.
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IF THERE EVER WAS A WOMAN you’d think was going to have a hard time making her way here in the field of cybersecurity, it would be Sali Osman. Women have not exactly been welcomed with open arms by men in tech. And there were other prejudices Osman might have expected to confront. She was not born in the United States, and she is a minority several times over. She was born in the northern part of Sudan, and even there she was from a minority group. She is Nubian. She is also Muslim. And she is black.
Yet, she has no complaints. She has held important information security jobs at companies that ranged from GE Capital to Saudi Aramco. Sometimes she had the job title of chief information security officer (CISO), sometimes she didn’t. Sometimes she had the responsibilities without the title. These days she is a governance fellow at NACD , an independent director on several boards, and a cybersecurity adviser to companies and government agencies.
How has she overcome potential obstacles? She is intelligent, confident, skilled and not easily deterred. From an early age, she was trilingual in Arabic, French and English, which has certainly helped in the internet age. And far from looking for slights, she has a tendency to overlook them. Or simply shrug them off. She attributes much of her success to what she learned from her father.
Her father, Abdel-Wahab Osman, headed the engineering department of the Abu Dhabi police. It was in Abu Dhabi that Osman and her three sisters were educated in their early years.
Coding at 12
The intellectual challenges began early as well. “My childhood was a constant journey of proving myself,” Osman recalls. And her father’s opinion was often her proving ground.
“I started coding when I was 12,” she says, adding, “I’ve always been a techie.” Her father encouraged her, but he also pushed her to strive for more. “My father was the type of person who would say, ‘Oh, good job! What else can you do?’ So I was always in the position of having to excel in everything my boy peers did, but I had to do it better.”
It was always about achievement. “My father was very critical. And he would never, ever give any excuses or accept any,” she continues. “And that made me color-blind to discrimination.” Unless someone came up to her and said, “We’re not giving you this position because you’re a woman,” she would assume that discrimination had nothing to do with her failure to secure a job.
She recalls only two experiences that even she has to admit were examples of discrimination. One was in Egypt, where she went to college after she left Abu Dhabi. Osman was able to enter the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in Alexandria two years early, at the age of 16, because she’d earned a Cambridge Certificate (the equivalent of a high school diploma). A lover of boating, she’d planned to pursue a career in the maritime industry—until school officials told her that only boys were allowed to earn a maritime degree. Though she was disappointed at the time, it was that prohibition that led her to pursue a career in information security, which in retrospect she believes was a better choice and led to a better life with her husband and two children.
A Clear Instance of Prejudice
The other example was a job offer she received in the United States a number of years ago. The company asked her to come into their office to fill out some paperwork to make it official. When she arrived and identified herself, the woman across the counter seemed taken aback. “Are you sure you’re Sali Osman?” she asked. “Yes, I’m Sali,” Osman replied. The woman asked for an ID and took it to show a colleague in the back. After several minutes, she finally reappeared. “I’m sorry, that job has been filled,” she said. As she recounted the story, Osman laughed at the transparency of the lie.
But these were aberrations. From the outset, she found it easy to get a job—even when she had to get one quickly. Her first venture into the U.S. job market was in 2000, when she found that she had to secure an internship with a U.S. company as part of her master’s program in computer systems at the City University of Seattle. Shortly after she applied, she received multiple offers—but for full-time, paying jobs, not internships. She explained what she was applying for, and took the first internship offer that came back. It was from GE.
A decade later, she returned to GE, taking a job at GE Capital, where she rose to the position of senior vice president, IT security audit. It was probably the best in-house job she’s ever had, she says, given the prestige of the firm and the authority that accompanied the word “audit.” During the nearly four years she stayed there, she had regular access to the board, she says.
But in a sense, Osman’s career continued to be a “constant journey of proving myself.” And improving herself. In addition to her master’s in computer systems, she earned three advanced credentials: Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). She also completed all work for a Ph.D. in biodefense (except the dissertation) at George Mason University.
And all the while, she was proving herself in the field. She took security officer jobs that were senior manager positions “where they expect you to be involved in the leadership of your technical team. Others would expect you to be more of a board adviser kind of person. What I used to love about it is that, throughout my career, I was leading a great caliber of technical teams and great analysts.” She attributes much of her success to the teams she led. (And her influence as a leader did not stop at work. She has founded and led several community programs in the U.S. and Africa designed to mentor minority students and young professionals interested in cybersecurity.)
But her career was undoubtedly made more challenging by the path she followed. She had no compunction about jumping from one industry to another, despite the steep learning curve each time she did so. She has worked in finance, broadcast TV, oil and gas, transportation and more. She has worked at publicly traded companies, nonprofits and government entities. This has given her an unusually broad perspective on the world of the CISO.
To Whom Should the CISO Report?
Asked about CISOs’ reporting lines, she recalled some who reported to the chief information officer; others to the chief financial officer, the chief executive officer, the chief risk officer and even the head of compliance. Asked which reporting line she advocates, she says, “I know this sounds like an attorney’s answer that you wouldn’t expect from a techie, and it depends on the industry, but generally speaking, the CISO should not be reporting to a person that he or she has to conduct security assessments on.”
The potential problem is this, she says: “If the CISO has to report to the CIO, then who is going to be conducting security compliance and policy compliance on all IT projects? What if he finds a red flag?” The bottom line, she maintains, is that “the CISO should not be reporting to the entity or to the department that he or she will end up auditing. So if she’s going to be auditing finance systems, then she should not be reporting to the CFO.” This kind of conflict of interest, she adds, contributes to the regular turnover of CISOs, who often move from one company to another within three years. In her view, the logical reporting line should be to the CEO.
It’s also important to note who reports to the CISO. Some companies hire directors to assist them. Osman has observed four distinct roles. Some directors are involved in cybersecurity investigations. Others draft and disseminate cybersecurity policies. There are security program managers who work with IT development—digital innovations introduced in the company—making sure that product developers comply with security standards. The fourth director’s role involves security and risk assessments. They make sure that these are completed, and they aggregate the results to present to the board.
What big changes has Osman seen in the CISO role in recent years? Companies now place a premium on CISOs who understand their employers’ businesses and are good communicators—meaning that they are “influential” and “persuasive,” Osman says. And these days, companies are not looking for the kind of broad experience that Osman acquired by exploring multiple industries. Many companies seek candidates with deep experience in their own industry and are reluctant to consider those who come from others. She adds one final observation: CISOs now “have the liability but not the authority.” In many corporate environments, she says, security is an afterthought. It’s not planned in advance, built into the blueprint of IT’s next project. And that’s what makes the CISO’s role so difficult.
Another challenge is one that will sound all too familiar to general counsel. The CISO may be seen as a cost center with no corresponding returns for the company. Osman repeats the questions that CISOs sometimes field from company higher-ups: “You asked for $6 million. We gave you the $6 million. What did you do with it? How did it bring value or revenue to our company?”
Practicing Persuasive Communication
In anticipation of this question, she developed certain strategies over the years. She began to do what some general counsel have also learned to do: She found ways to explain how her cost center contributed to the cause. She kept track of new clients, and tried to learn why they’d chosen her company. Sometimes there were surveys that asked whether the company’s security practices were an important incentive for the new client. She kept track of that data, and when she saw numbers rising, she made sure to praise management, pointing out that their wise investments in security had paid dividends in boosting business.
She was practicing what she preached about the importance of persuasive communication. “Your challenge is to prove that you are just like all the other sales people,” she says. This is the CISO’s new playbook.
Another chapter in that playbook should be devoted to getting on the same page as the law department. Osman says that she’s a big believer in vetting documents with the company’s lawyers. It makes sense to ensure that the contracts you’re using or the policies you’re disseminating pass muster. But she knows others in cybersecurity who view the two domains as distant and distinct. Or at least they did until recently. “I think the GDPR was an eye-opener for a lot of companies,” she says. Some companies suddenly realized that they had to hire a data protection officer because it was mandated for them in the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. The new regulation may present an opportunity for the CISO and GC to forge an alliance.
CISOs would also benefit, Osman says, from communication with their boards of directors. And vice versa. It’s been a revelation to advise directors, she emphasizes. Her impression was that many boards have directors with legal expertise along with experience in risk management. The reality, she found, was “not really.” Or not the kind that could help them confidently navigate the challenges presented by cybersecurity. Some of the issues that boards have found themselves discussing, like the internet of things, are complex and beyond their ability to assess without help. That’s why they needed outside advice. And that’s “a good beginning,” Osman notes. But many would benefit from recruiting directors with experience in the law, risk management and audits, she adds.
While she’s describing her wish list, Osman returns to her big one. “I would like to see the gap between liability and authority get smaller”—meaning the potential liability that CISOs face compared to the power they wield. When there’s a data breach at a company, the person held responsible is usually the CISO, Osman points out—even if an employee was involved in some way, as the victim of a phishing attack. Why? “Because they expect the CISO to protect the data.” And that’s cybersecurity’s bottom line.
An Invitation to our Cybersecurity Working Group
As you may have heard, CyberInsecurity and In The House are teaming up to co-chair a Cybersecurity Working Group on the second Thursday of each month. It’s a free interactive video event that begins with a brief presentation by a special guest designed to kick off a lively conversation. Sali Osman (who is featured above and has been a chief information security officer) will address the following topic: How to bridge the gap between the CISO and the legal department. She encourages you to bring your comments and questions.
Ms. Osman will also repeat her talk before another group at 12:30, so feel free to join us at
either time. Here are the links to join the conversation:
Thursday, September 13: 10:00 a.m / 12:30PM
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Category Archives: Blind Melon
Top 10 #4, Top 10 90’s MTV Videos (The Alternative/Rock Edition) : MYFAVORITES
Posted by d1esel6 in Aerosmith, Alanis Morissette, Blind Melon, Guns N Roses, Korn, MUSIC, MYFAVORITES, Nine Inch Nails, R.E.M., Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, The Verve
Aerosmith, Alanis Morissette, Blind Melon, Guns N Roses, Korn, Nine Inch Nails, R.E.M., Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Soundgarden, The Verve
When I was researching the Top 10 Most Deserving MTV VMA Winner post, It called to mind the heyday of MTV in the 90’s. Maybe I shouldn’t say heyday, but the 90’s were when I became obsessed with the network.
I am an 80’s baby, but our family never had cable on a consistent basis until the 90’s. And I would literally get home from school and just park myself right in front of the TV and soak in all the Alterna-goodness that MTV was serving. Here are 10 of my favorite videos from those Alternative Rockers of the 90’s (I may continue this at another time, because I truly truly did LOVE My MTV!). Enjoy.
10. Guns N Roses “November Rain”
This was kind of the swan song for GNR, and trust me MTV played this video OUT in the early 90’s. The bottom line is that it’s an EPIC 9 minute long melodrama about, well, who really knows. It has gorgeous Supermodels and some amazing imagery, that’s all you need right!?
9. The Verve “Bittersweet Symphony”
Something about me, I LOVE videos where people are walking toward camera. That’s weird right? Anyway I love this song and I always loved this video which is strangely engaging.
8. Korn “Freak on a Leash”
7. Aerosmith “Livin’ on the Edge”
6. Soundgarden “Black Hole Sun”
This is just a strange ass video that I could never look away from when it was on. It’s so creepy, and I remember the CGI was pretty impressive at the time.
5. Alanis Morissette “Ironic”
4. Nine Inch Nails “Closer”
3. Red Hot Chilli Peppers “Give It Away”
This is an Iconic video, enough said.
2. Blind Melon “No Rain”
Every now and than, this song comes on the radio and I bet everybody listening instantly gets the image of the Girl in the Bee costume skipping around town. A very light sunny video for a light and sunny song.
1. R.E.M. “Everybody Hurts”
Okay, so I put this at number one because even at 13 years old I felt so emotionally connected to this video. It’s so sad but moving, it just let’s you know (through the lyrics and the concept of the video) that so many people in the world feel exactly the same when it comes to feeling alone. Bravo!
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Category Archives: TLC
Music that Defined my NY Journey, Part 1 : IMO
Posted by d1esel6 in Britney Spears, Charlie XCX, Eminem, fun., Ikona Pop, IMO, J Cole, James Blake, Jay-Z, Jessie J, Justin Timberlake, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Lorde, MUSIC, R. Kelly, Rihanna, Tamar Braxton, TLC
Britney Spears, charlie xcx, Drake, Eminem, fun., ikona pop, J Cole, James Blake, Jay-Z, Jessie J, Justin Timberlake, K Michelle, Kendrick Lamar, Lady GaGa, lorde, New York City, new york city 2013, new york city fall 2013, NYC, nyc 2013, nyc fall 2013, R. Kelly, rihanna, Tamar Braxton, TLC
I’ll be honest, I’m not in the best mood right now and was almost not going to do this post. But hey, I still have over an hour before my class starts and I already promised I would post it… so, this might be a little condensed and not really what I wanted to share, but I’ll try my best.
Basically, my New York journey lasted for about 5 and a half months. I had lots of fun there, lots of frustration, met really amazing people. Even though I had moments of pure irritation, I truly did feel I fit in there as opposed to my Bay Area home. And I also felt like I was growing into the person I’ve always wanted to be.
But enough about all of that, let’s talk about the Music. I’m a music fiend, so the music I listened to and heard while there shaped my NYC Soundtrack. There are certain songs that now whenever I hear them, it always reminds me of a moment in New York.
So here is a chronicle of some of those songs and albums that now have a permanent New York stamp on them.
Jessie J “Wild”
The line “am i asleep, no i’m alive” was one that stuck with me the first day I was in NYC, walking around in Times Square and in disbelief that I actually made it and was there.
Britney Spears “Work Bitch”
I guess this song was a Billboard flop? Who cares, this song is the shit! And I would have never guessed it was a flop because when I finally did start going OUT this was very popular among DJ’s and drunks alike.
Ikona Pop & Charlie XCX “I Love It”
Speaking of going out, I swear it seemed like every time I entered a bar or club (well, the ones that played Pop music) this song was playing. I can’t stand the song, but whenever I hear it I’ll think of that.
Kendrick Lamar “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe”
I think once I switched from tourist to job-seeker, this song helped out a lot.
Tamar Braxton ‘”Love & War” – Album
And yeah, my very confusing trips on the Subway were almost always accompanied with HER. This album was released only a few weeks before I left for New York so it was still new, but familiar enough so I could zone the fuck out and mime her amazing vocals and great songs. This album was actually the most played my entire trip to NYC … until of course Beyonce came back around, but we’ll get to that later.
Lorde “Royals”
I think Ikona Pop’s song was fading out at the same time this song was blowing up. I have a slight tolerance for this song NOW, but gawd I hated it when it was getting popular and of course all those bars were playing the hell out of this. Actually the night me and my FullBlast buddy went out to Industry I caught a pretty decent drag queen singing (and I mean actually Singing) this song.
Jay-Z & Justin Timberlake “Holy Grail”
Another song I HATE, but this was popular among the cars rolling past. I really cannot get over Timberlake’s screech fest on this song and still hate it, but it will always remind me of New York now.
Drake “Nothing Was the Same” – Album
Drake’s third album was released maybe a week after I arrived to New York. I wasn’t instantly loving it, but apparently NYC was. “Hold On, We’re Going Home” gave the Urban clubs LIFE nearly every time I went. And I would always hear random songs bleeding out of people’s cars (I guess this album replaced Jay-Z’s that year). One fun memory though, One night (had to be sometime in November) me and my girl -friend were out late hella drunk and we went to Boxer’s HK (one of our favorite spots) and it was empty so I guess the bartender or whoever put on the Drake album and me and my friend were acting mad crazy to “Worst Behaviour”. I should also say towards the end of the trip, I was really connecting with “Connect” (ha! see what I did there)
Eminem & Rihanna “Monster”
I remember getting an email that this song was out, and I just immediately went to iTunes and downloaded. I was suffering a real Rihanna drought and had to have it. I remember the night I did, I was in Brooklyn maybe my first week living there (I moved there late October) and I walked up and down the blocks with this song on repeat.
K Michelle “Rebellious Soul” – Album
Okay, so K. Michelle did an interview on The Skorpion Show. I liked K before hand, but I was struck by her comments on Tamar (or Ta-Muppet)’s album. Of course the girls were at odds at the time so she wasn’t going to say anything glowing about it, but it just made me interested in finally checking out her album. I’m glad I did because it definitely became a favorite.
James Blake – ALL
James Blake was my first and only New York City concert. I was really excited because I obviously love his music, and I was interested in checking out the NYC concert crowds. So I was getting ready by listening to him almost obsessively. I remember my night walks in the Bushwick area of Brooklyn vibing to his tunes. If I was going to pull one song, it would have to be “To The Last”.
Justin Timberlake “You Got It On”
Just dope, love this song.
J. Cole & TLC “Crooked Smile”
Remember when that TLC movie happened, well this (as well as the TLC Playlist I had to make) was because of that. I recall several mornings waiting for that 4, 5 or 6 to my Upper East Side job with this song on repeat.
Lady GaGa & R. Kelly “Do What U Want”
This song was surprisingly popular in NYC. The energy you would feel when it was played was high, like everybody was HERE for GaGa and the just released “ARTPOP” album. Another favorite song that accompanied me on my late night Brooklyn walks.
fun. “Some Nights” – Album
I honestly don’t know what spurred on my need to purchase this album, but I swear to you THIS album was such a big help for me throughout the last few months of being in NYC. By November I was getting extremely frustrated by not having a full time job, by my living situation at the time, by lots of things, and this album seemed to speak to me in several different songs. “All Alright” was my fave, “Some Nights”, “Stars” and a bunch of songs had lines in there that I related to and felt like “well hey, I’m not alone in this feeling”. I think “Why Am I The One” was especially funny because I was moving from Brooklyn to Washington Heights (my third time moving in three months) and “why am I the one, always packing up my stuff” perfectly fit my mood at the time. Bottom line, this album was my NYC album bar none.
So, I have an hour left in class and I won’t have time to finish this. As of now, I’m officially making this Part 1 and Part 2 should be up sometime tomorrow. And I’ll add YouTube clips and more pics and all that as well. The only reason I’m posting this now is because I promised it. It’s already Wednesday in New York and only a few hours left in Tuesday here… but, eh, whatever!
My Top 10 Songs of the Week! : MYFAVORITES
24 Friday Feb 2012
Posted by d1esel6 in Amerie, Amy Winehouse, Billy Idol, Chris Brown, Drake, Fleet Foxes, LL Cool J, M83, Mark Ronson, Mashonda, Michael Jackson, MYFAVORITES, Prince, Swizz Beatz, Talking Heads, Tamia, The Police, The Weeknd, Tina Turner, TLC, Top 10 Songs of the Week, Violent Femmes, Whitney Houston
Amerie, Amy Winehouse, Billy Idol, Chris Brown, Drake, Fleet Foxes, LL Cool J, m83, Mark Ronson, Mashonda, Michael Jackson, prince, Swizz Beatz, Talking Heads, Tamia, The Police, The Weeknd, Tina Turner, Top 10 Songs, Top 10 Songs of the Week, Violent Femmes, Whitney Houston
Interesting (quasi-embarrassing) tidbit about me ; when I was in Junior High I started to make my own Top 10 Music Charts. Who really knows why, but I started one day in my 7th grade Math class just ranking my favorite current songs. And from than it took a life of it’s own… and I consistently updated my chart every week until I was 20 when I finally got a bit of a social life and had to let it go.
Now, 12 years later, I’m bringing it back!! Of course things have changed, instead of this being a list of my favorite Current songs… it will just be a ranking of songs that stood out to me during the week. Whether it be new current singles, or songs I loved growing up that I’ve just re-discovered, or older songs that I never knew about. Anything could make this list, and I’m going to try to update it every week with a brand new set of 10 to keep it exciting.
10. Swizz Beatz Feat. LL Cool J & Mashonda “Ghetto Love”
I pulled out a CD I burned in 2002. This song was one I totally forgot about, while it’s not amazing it’s a nice relaxing song that I always dug.
9. The Police “Hole in My Life”
Simply for this line : “Be a happy man, I try the best I can, Or maybe I’m just looking for too much”
8. Whitney Houston “My Name is Not Susan”
Whitney could tackle ballads, house records, pop songs and soulful R&B. But this track, one of my favorites at the time, showed she could also attack the early 90’s New-Jack-Swing stuff and own it.
7. Tina Turner “Whole Lotta Love”
A few months ago I listened to Tina’s second official solo album “Acid Queen” for the first time, it’s pretty amazing and this remake of a Led Zeppelin classic is sexual, soulful and just perfection.
6. Talking Heads “Mind”
I can’t seem to get over early Talking Heads, and this funky laid back track became one of my favorites this week out of nowhere.
5. Michael Jackson “Stranger in Moscow”
Such a beautiful and underrated single from the King of Pop.
4. Fleet Foxes “Blue Ridge Mountains”
I listen to the Foxes whenever I want to chill and zone out, and this song is always the stand out from their debut album.
3. Chris Brown “Turn Up the Music”
With the recent release of two Breezy/RiRi remix collabs being hyped, I ended up downloading the original version of this song that I had never heard. Yeah the lyrics are basic, but it’s fun and the track is pretty insane.
2. Drake Feat. The Weeknd “Crew love
Easily one of my least favorite tracks from Take Care at first, it has really grown on me. It’s mainly the track which is very simple but deep at the same time (make sense?)
1. Prince “Let’s Pretend We’re Married”
Recently re-visited what I consider one of my favorite albums of all time (maybe the #1) “1999”. This track, that I have always loved but wasn’t necessarily a favorite, really grabbed me this week.
(can’t figure out how to embed right now, i’ll come back later and fix it)
let-pretend-we-re-married-1zno5_2ifa7_.html
#Confession…
I started to post this last Friday, but got busy with work and didn’t finish it. so here’s the list from last week…
1. The Police “Invisible Sun”
2. Tamia “Officially Missing You”
3. Billy Idol “Dancing With Myself”
4. Talking Heads “Cities”
5. Amerie “1 Thing”
6. Mark Ronson Feat. Amy Winehouse “Valerie”
7. Whitney Houston “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay”
8. M83 “Raconte-Moi Une Histoire”
9. TLC “Creep”
10. Violent Femmes “Gone Daddy Gone”
(I’m gonna post this, but I think YouTube is acting kind of crazy right now so the videos might not work… I’ll re-edit when they get themselves together!!)
>MySpace Blog Reviews: A Look Back!
Posted by d1esel6 in Adele, Akon, Al Green, Alicia Keys, Anthony Hamilton, Ashanti, Beyoncé, Brandy, Britney Spears, Chris Brown, Christina Aguilera, Ciara, Colbie Caillat, Coldplay, Common, Concert Review, Danity Kane, Day26, En Vogue, Erykah Badu, Estelle, Fall Out Boy, FloRida, Gnarls Barkley, Grammys, J. Holiday, Janet Jackson, Jason Mraz, Jazmine Sullivan, Jill Scott, John Legend, Jordin Sparks, Kanye West, Kardinal Offishall, Kevin Rudolf, Keyshia Cole, Lady Gaga, Leona Lewis, Lil Wayne, M.I.A., Madonna, Mariah Carey, Maxwell, MGMT, Music Video Review, N.E.R.D., Nas, Ne-Yo, New Kids on the Block, Panic at the Disco, Pink, Raphael Saadiq, Ray Lamontagne, Rick Ross, Rihanna, Sara Bareilles, SWV, T-Pain, T.I., The Jonas Brothers, The Killers, The Pussycat Dolls, The Roots, The Ting Tings, TLC, Usher, Vampire Weekend, Weezer
adele, Akon, Akon Freedom Review, Akon Review, Al Green, Album Review, Alicia Keys, Anthony Hamilton, Ashanti, Award Show Review, Beck, beyonce, Beyonce I Am... Sasha Fierce Review, Beyonce Review, Black Keys, Brandy, Brandy Human Review, Brandy Review, Britney Spears, Britney Spears Circus Review, Britney Spears Review, Cee-Lo, Cee-Lo Green, CeeLo Green, Chris Brown, Christina Aguilera, Christina Aguilera Review, ciara, Ciara Review, Colbie Caillat, Coldplay, Coldplay Review, Coldplay Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends Review, Coldplay Viva La Vida Review, Common, Common Review, Common Universal Mind Control Review, Danger Mouse, Danity Kane, Danity Kane Welcome to the Dollhouse Review, day26, DAY26 Review, En Vogue, Erykah Badu, Erykah Badu New Amerykah Part One Review, Erykah Badu Review, Estelle, Fall Out Boy, Fall Out Boy Review, FloRida, Gnarls Barkley, Gnarls Barkley Review, Gnarls Barkley The Odd Couple Review, Grammy Nominations, Grammy Predictions, Grammys, J. Holiday, Janet Jackson, Janet Jackson Discipline Review, Janet Jackson Review, Jason Mraz, Jason Mraz Review, Jason Mraz We Sing We Dance We Steal Things Review, Jazmine Sullivan, Jennifer Hudson, Jill Scott, John Legend, John Legend Evolver Review, John Legend Review, Jordin Sparks, Kanye West, Kanye West 808's & Heartbreak Review, Kanye West 808's and Heartbreak Review, Kanye West Review, Kardinal Offishall, Katy Perry, Kevin Rudolf, Keyshia Cole, Lady GaGa, Leona Lewis, Lil Wayne, Lil Wayne Review, Lil Wayne Tha Carter 3 Review, Lil Wayne Tha Carter III Review, M.I.A., Madonna, Madonna Hard Candy Review, Madonna Review, Mariah Carey, Mariah Carey E=MC2 Review, Mariah Carey Review, Mary J. Blige, Maxwell, MGMT, MTV Making The Band, N*E*R*D, N*E*R*D Review, N*E*R*D Seeing Sounds Review, N.E.R.D., N.E.R.D. Review, N.E.R.D. Seeing Sounds Review, Nas, Nas Untitled Review, Ne-Yo, Ne-Yo Review, Ne-Yo Year of the Gentleman Review, New Kids on the Block, New Kids on the Block Review, New Kids on the Block The Block Review, NeYo, NeYo Review, NeYo Year of the Gentleman Review, NKOTB, NKOTB Review, NKOTB The Block Review, p!nk, P!nk Funhouse Review, P!nk Review, Panic At The Disco, Panic At The Disco PrettyOdd Review, Panic At The Disco Review, Pharrell Williams, pink, Pink Funhouse Review, Pink Review, Pleasure P, Portishead, Pussycat Dolls, Pussycat Dolls Review, Raphael Saadiq, Raphael Saadiq Review, Raphael Saadiq The Way I See It Review, Ray Lamontagne, Ray Lamontagne Gossip In The Grain Review, Ray Lamontagne Review, Rick Ross, rihanna, Robyn, Sara Bareilles, SWV, T-Pain, T-Pain Review, T-Pain Thr33 Ringz Review, T-Pain Three Ringz Review, T.I., T.I. Paper Trail Review, T.I. Review, The Black Keys, The Jonas Brothers, The Killers, The Killers Day and Age Review, The Killers Review, The Pussycat Dolls, The Pussycat Dolls Doll Domination Review, The Pussycat Dolls Review, The Racounters, The Roots, The Roots Review, The Roots Rising Down Review, The Ting Tings, The-Dream, Ting Tings, TLC, TPain, TPain Review, Usher, Usher Here I Stand Review, Usher Review, Vampire Weekend, Vanessa Hudgens, Weezer, Weezer Red Album Review, Weezer Review, Weezy
Here’s just a blast from the past, the couple of months in 2008 I started my MySpace blog!
May 25, 2008 – Sunday
08 Album Reviews
I got Usher “Here I Stand” today and was going to write a little review. And I figured since i have the time (i’m at work, but theres no research work to do and no calls coming in) i’ll go ahead and talk about some of the good cd’s that have been released this year.
Gnarls Barkley, “The Odd Couple” – definitley a cooled down/melancholy-ish version of their first album but it has some great StandOut tracks that rival “Crazy” or “Smiley Faces”. My favorites are “Charity Case”, “Whatever”, “Would be Killer”, “Going on” and the first single “Run”. The tracks, by Danger Mouse, are just hella moody and than Cee-lo brings the perfect lyrical and vocal arrangements to match the tracks. I would imagine it would be hard to write to some of the tracks so i give Mr. Green all the props.
The Divas: Janet, “Discipline“/Madonna, “Hard Candy“/Mariah, “E=MC2”
Mariah Carey definitely wins this race by a mile. Madonna’s “Hard Candy” is very — Different, and i do give her credit for trying something new. i HATE the first single with Timberlake, so my expectations were very Low for this album (because “4 Minutes” and the other leaked track “Candy Shop” sounded like re-treads of Nelly Furtado/Gwen Stefani tracks). I think Pharrell is the real star of this album though, his production on “Incredible” (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Va6eBb2osrs) “Heartbeat” and “Give it 2 Me” are damn-near Amazing. These tracks renew my faith in the Neptunes (who had been slowly dying up until Jay-Z’s “I Know”). It’s a true DANCE album, and at least she sticks to that concept. Janet’s “Discipline” on the other hand starts out really good. Than, it slips into a completley different album and vibe. And than towards the end it sounds like she just tacked on some unreleased stuff from years ago (“What Ur Name” and “The 1” seriously sound like they were recorded and mixed and mastered and shelved in 2004). I think the problem is that it’s too long, she should have shaved some fillers out of the mix. Still “2Nite” “LUV” “Greatest X” and “Rock With U” are still Standouts and worth listening to over and over. And ofcourse the first single “Feedback” still has heat.
But, Mariah. I think “E=MC2” is her best album. It’s an album that has No-Filler. Every song has something about it that makes you want to come back. The album has been out almost 2 months, and it seems like i have a new favorite song every week. “Side Effects” “OOC” “For the Record” “Cruise Control” and “Migrate” ofcourse is undeniable thanks to that undeniably addictive every-Man T-Pain. Mariah took her time and put together a truly Solid Album.
The Roots, “Rising Down”
I’m not a big fan of the Roots. I own two of their albums but don’t really listen to them all that much. So ofcourse i wasn’t expecting to even Care about a new Roots album. I saw the video for “Rising Up” on BET and loved it so i was like, what the hell i’ll download it. This cd is shockingly good to me, i like every song. It’s like every song has this intensity on it that you can’t deny (“Get Busy” “The Show” “I will not apologize” for example) and every song has some pretty important lyrics that are definitley refreshing to hear. They even have some ready made Radio-friendly tracks, however i guess it’s sad because i doubt i’ll hear “Singing Man” or “Rising Up” on the radio over something like “Get Silly”. This is definitley my biggest surprise of 2008.
I take that back. Panic at the Disco, “Pretty.Odd” is oddly good. I mean it has this whole oldie Beatle early 60’s rock type vibe to it and i wasn’t expecting that from the people who sang about a bride being a “Whore” on their last album. So i guess i was surprised to listen to it and find it… Pleasant Lol! I dont know, it’s not one of my Favorite albums of the year at all — but it’s a nice album that i may end up getting into more as the year progresses.
Danity Kane, “Welcome to the Dollhouse“/Day26, “Day26”
I was definitley wrapped up in the Making the Band series when i was into these two albums. Now that the season has worn off, i realize these two albums aren’t really as great as i thought they were at first. Danity Kane’s is alright , standouts being “Sucka for Love” and “Xtasy”. Most of the album though sounds like a Rihanna/Britney/Pussycat Dolls wannabe-electro-pop-r&b/light sound so the songs may not be Terrible, but end up being pretty forgettable. Day26’s sounds more like a Jagged Edge/Jodeci/112 compilation. I like most of the songs, but again… they are pretty forgettable. I gravitate more towards the uptempos “I’m the Reason” “Im my Bed”. and “Co-Star” is a REALLY great song (vocally) which shld be a single. I give them credit for putting together a pretty solid cd for their first time… but neither of those two albums will even really be remembered at the end of the year.
Usher, “Here I Stand”
So — the album i had the highest expectations for. And yeah, okay… Usher pretty much delivers. He MIGHT have the same problem as Janet though with maybe too many songs. However, i just downloaded it today so it still needs time to truly grow on me. That being said, there are already a number of stand-outs that i see myself looking stupid in the car singing along to. “Whats Your Name” (http://youtube.com/watch?v=yuiImpkZ4k8) with Will.i.am is HOT!!! “Trading Places” (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ovm-VWS0VgI) or “Before I met you” should definitley be the third or fourth single. “This aint sex” “His mistakes” and “Apetite” are other instant standouts. The rest is pretty okay, there’s only one song i really dont like. I will say that Vocally, he definitley is miles ahead of the Timberlakes and Chris Browns and NeYo’s. All in all, after only having the cd for a few hours I really like it though. I’ll definitley buy it on the 27th.
I cant remember right now any other cd’s i may have downloaded, but those are definitley the top ones of the year. I’m eagerly anticipating a few of the upcoming releases though. N.E.R.D. (6/10) is probably the Most anticipated right now, Weezer (6/3), Lil Wayne (6/10), Coldplay (6/17), Ne-Yo (8/5), Nas (7/1), Sean Paul, Busta Rhymes are some of the ones dropping in the summer that i can think of.
so signing off — The Drums, The Drums, The Drums, The Drums…
(The Ting Tings “Great DJ”)
EDIT: I forgot about Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu, “New Amerykah, Part One”
The reason i probably forgot to mention this, is because it’s my biggest let-down of the year so far. I Love Love Erykah, but it took me Years to get into her last album “Worldwide Underground” and i feel like this album will have to have the same fate. I do like a few of the songs already, first single “Honey” and “That Hump” definitely speaks to me and cheers me up. Other songs are pretty good (oh yeah “Hip Hop The Healer” is pretty awesome) but i haven’t listened to that full cd in so long i dont even remember a title. I will say that the “Honey” video is probably my favorite music video i’ve seen in Years. It reminds me of being little and looking through my mom’s/aunts/uncles record collections =)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_9jpkF1ehD8
July 1, 2008 – Tuesday
N*e*R*D, Coldplay, Weezer, WeezY & The BET Awards – Reviews
Current mood: optimistic
New reviews.
So June is officially over, about 5 hours ago, and I didn’t post any reviews of the new music i’ve gotten this past month. So let’s just go ahead and do that Now!
First of all, the last blog i said that Usher’s “Here I Stand” may grow on me. Well unfortunately it hasn’t. I barely listen to it anymore. It’s such a run of the mill R&B album and for Usher that’s a No-No. So i’m pretty much over Usher in the 08. And did you see his BET Award performance?? He was so tired, he was lipsynching and we hasn’t Hitting his moves. Really disapointing.
Anyhow onto the June reviews.
N*e*R*D,Seeing Sounds
Nerd’s first album was pretty awesome. It dealt with concepts you didn’t really hear, and the mixing of Rock/Alternative/HipHop was genius at the time and really refreshing. Their second album was a more polished album sonically, however it didn’t have as many solid tracks. Seeing Sounds is completely different from both two albums. I have yet to determine what exactly the albums main message is… what i can assume is a message of “DO YOU!” but i could be wrong. All of that aside, it’s a really good album. The production this time is CRAZY! The group still plays with Rock and Alternative and mixing it with pop, but this album also introduces more of an Electronica vibe and some Drum and Bass thrown in the mix. The concepts of the songs are pretty out there, but some are really relateable. All in all, I’d give this the stamp of approval. “Windows” “Spaz” “You know What” and “Sooner or Later” are my favorites (along with the UK only bonus cut “Lazer Gunz”- which is the first song you hear when you log on to my page).
Coldplay,Viva la Vida or Death and all his Friends
Okay here’s the deal. I thought “XY” was an amazing album. However i read somewhere that the critics didn’t agree with me. Now i’m reading really great reviews of This album and I don’t know if i agree. The album is cool. I really really like the song “Lost!” and a few others. However, it’s not really a memorable album thus far for me. I know that i enjoyed a majority of it because most of the album is still on my iPod. But there is nothing like “Talk” or “Square One” on this album. It’s very mellow. Chris sounds good though, and the band does do some awesome musical arrangements. I just wish i could remember more than 4 song titles.
Weezer,Weezer aka The Red Album
“Heart Songs”. That’s the reason to get this CD. It’s an awesome song just about their musical influences growing up. The first time i heard it, it sounded just like a normal love song, with a great track that i instantly loved. When i listened to the lyrics i fell in love with the song even more. Aside from that song, the first half of this album is good. The second half kind of ventures off into terrain that’s a bit less adventurous, more predictable and unoriginal. “Everybody get Dangerous” “Trouble maker” and “Pork and Beans” are the only other real standouts. Not that great. Not that bad.
Lil Wayne,Tha Carter III
So he’s the greatest rapper alive eh??
Well this album isn’t bad. I must admit though that i can’t listen to it all the way through. It’s like he’ll have some nice cuts like “Mr. Carter” “Dr. Carter” “Shoot me Down”, and than have two or three less than thrilling tracks afterwards. A pretty uneven album, that actually sounds like he had been saving tracks for the past two years and just put them on this album. Making it sound like more of a compilation album than an actual album. BUT, i can’t fault him. That’s the way of Hip Hop these days. I wish’d he would have done something like “Hip hop is dead” or “American Gangster” where all the songs have a vibe about them. Maybe in the future. For right now this is a pretty solid Hip Hop album (which pretty much sticks to the Hip Hop album Norm) with a number of filler tracks. By the way i also like “Got Money” “Let the beat build” ofcourse “Lollipop” and “A Milli” and i actually like the one with Babyface “Comfortable”.
Now let’s talk about the BET Awards.
I THINK?? they gave out some awards?? I’m pretty sure. But we all know that the BET Awards (and any other Music award show for that matter) is about the Performances. I already told you all what i thought of tired ass Usher (I really think this was not the right time for him to come back out/ i think he’s dealing with his own personal issues and is just not invested in the music thing right now… i could be wrong). It was funny thought because I’m sure Chris Brown and Ne-Yo were super nervous thinking they couldn’t top him. But they did. Chris Brown did a Slower set which surprised me. He started with “With you” and than into “Take you down”, where Ciara came out and did some nasty/naughty dance moves with Breezy. The only bad thing about his performance was … it was too short! Since about 2006, me and my friend had said that a Chris Brown/Ciara dance off type thing would be the Dopest thing ever. And yes when they got into their danceOff part they Killed. But it just didn’t last long enough.
Ne-Yo, in my opinion, KILLED IT. He’s not the best dancer (and i noticed that on second viewing) but he knew better than to do some difficult ass choreography because he still had to actually sing Live. When he did hit his moves, he Hit them. And i think the best thing, it seemed like he was trying to pull off this “Year of the Gentleman” persona… and being able to hold onto that character while dancing and singing and hitting your marks and working the stage… to a House song… is most likely pretty difficult and he pulled it off. Standing Ovation! I cant wait to hear what his album is gonna be like.
Alicia Keys seemed like she was the highlight of the night to most people i talked to. She basically did her own “Teenage Love Affair” with three backup dancer/singers. Like a girl group right? Than she broke it down and started singing “Weak” and everybody was like WTF. And than SWV came out and finished the song with her, than EnVogue came and sang “Hold On” with her. And than TLC or TC came out and did “Waterfalls”. It was definitley nice to see all these chicks that used to love back in Jr. High again. Nice performance Ms. Keys.
Another person I was REALLY glad to see again was Maxwell. His performance was My personal favorite of the night. He was the third performer in a Al Green Tribute. Jill Scott did her thing with “Still in love”, Anthony Hamilton sounded so much like Mr. Green on “Tired of being alone” but Maxwell killed it with “Simply Beautiful”. And one thing i do have to say about the BET awards, i LOVE when they do the tributes. Because when the actual Tributee is on stage doing their thing, you see in the audience all the different generations of performers from different styles singing along.
Who else performed? Well TPain did a mix of all his “featured on” hits with Rick Ross and FloRida and all the gaggles of rappers that were on that “Im so Hood” remix. TPain came BACK out during Lil Waynes closing performance. These performances were good and all, but not worth writing about. Nothing else was really worth writing about. But i do have to put Keyshia Cole on blast. She sounded terrible. And, okay maybe i’ll rephrase. Her voice in itself wasn’t bad. But she does not know how to use her voice , Live. She really needs to work on that.
But the 08 BET Awards was pretty okay. Better than last year.
July 21, 2008 – Monday
Nas… ” ” better known as “Nigger”
Current mood: melancholy
THE most anticipated album of 2008 did not disapoint.
Nas’ past few albums have been like Textbooks to me. An album that talks in many ways about one issue. So, much like a textbook, i really need to study the material and than come up with an overall feeling for said Textbook. Therefore my final review for this album is still Pending.
I’ll say now that it IS a great album, it did NOT disapoint. And current standouts are “America” “N.I.G.G.E.R.” “Y’all my Niggas” and “Black President”. Every song is great though. Support this man… maaan!
September 15, 2008 – Monday
Janet Live! and Ne-Yo – Reviews
Current mood: breezy
I finally went to a concert!!!! So i missed the major concert i wanted to see this year and that was the Glow in the Dark tour. I also missed Mary J and JayZ, Coldplay, Musiq Soulchild, and Alicia keys. I missed the Killers last year and just barely was able to see Beyonce. So with work sucking at the maximum capacity for the last two weeks, i just needed to let off some steam and get drunk and get loud. So me and my friend Aleta finally decided to go to the Janet Jackson show. A couple of cool things happened though, we didn’t have to pay for parking AND i only bought $40 tickets… but i think the show just wasn’t selling, so people that worked at the arena were running around Giving people seats in the lower sections… so basically i paid $40 for $120 tickets. AWESOME!!! How often does that happen? Never! At least not for me.
The show… yeah i guess it was cool. Lol! No i had fun. I think just the fact that Janet was onstage for 2.5 Hours singing pretty much ALL of her hits. In fact i think she did ALL of her hit singles, and a few album tracks from the new album and some verry verry old songs… and songs that don’t belong in the Oldies but ‘Good’ies category. It was a fun show for the fact that she kept it moving. I’m not gonna get too negative on her, there are a few things that i have small gripes with. They are very minor though, so it didn’t take away from the whole experience.
So i had fun, and it made me kinda miss concerts!! Hopefully 09 will be a better year for me. Kanye GO ON TOUR AGAIN NEXT YEAR PLEASE!!!!
And now my album review.
Ne-Yo “Year of the Gentleman”
When “Closer” came out around April of this year, Ne-yo’s album shot to the top of my most anticipated albums of the year… and I dont even really like dude. The album was supposed to drop in june originally, than it got pushed back to August, and now it’s being released this Tuesday the 16th. In the months it’s taken to actually be released, I did seriously lose a little interest. And the followup single “Miss Independent” is good, but it wasn’t as hot or different as “Closer”.
Anyway the album leaked, and even though it’s not quite what I expected it’s still easily the best album by an R&B Dude to come out this year (Take that Usher!)
The album is really alot more laidback than I expected. In fact I expected a totally different sound from the interviews he was giving talking about the album, that it would be really different, how he’s tired of R&B, how Patrick Stump of FallOutBoy was supposed to collaborate on a track. And when i listened to the album, the first thing i thought was What Happened. It’s a total R&B album, nothing else… “Closer” is the only thing on the album that seperates itself from Ne-Yo’s sound from his previous two albums.
What I’ll give Ne-Yo credit for is his songwriting and the ability to make some catchy hooks. Easily one of the top songs on the album, “Why Does She Stay” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH8rKj6VYi0 is a good example. It’s just really refreshing to hear lyrics like:
I step outside of myself
To see how much she loves me
And all the things that i should do for her that i just dont…
just dont…
And i realize
She’s so much better than me
Im so unworthy of her
Why does she stay ?
Which is quite a change from the “I cheated on her, now i dont understand why she doesn’t trust me” or the “I’m so much better than your current dude, you need to drop him and get with me” type of songs that come from most R&B Dudes (Take that Usher!)
There’s another really well written song, well there are ALOT actually… but the one i really love is “So you can Cry” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkpLZkUR68M ,
Life is long
There will be pain but life goes on
With everyday a brand new song
But if you rather stay at home
Let me do you a favor
I’ll ask the sun to shine away from you today so you can cry
(if that’s what you want)
I’ll ask the clouds to bring the rain for you today so you can cry .
Nice right!
And than there’s the song that is just WAITING to be used at all the upcoming weddings “Stop this World”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzSrPjBXQ7w
Bottom line, this 12 track album has Several potential hits… and even if he didn’t go outside of his box as much as i expected (and that was probably more due to his label and those politics than him) he still delivered.
September 28, 2008 – Sunday
Saadiq, The Way I See It – Review
Current mood: annoyed
It must really suck to have your very first solo album be a Masterpeice. Where do you go from there?? Usually down. It happened to Lauryn Hill, and unfortunatley it looks like it’s happened to Raphael Saadiq. 2002’s “Instant Vintage” was easily the most refreshingly soulful album released that year, if not the whole decade. And his just released third solo album shows that even though this man is still obviously a genius, he seems to be having a hard time matching the artistic success of his first outing.
Not to say that “The Way I See It” is a bad album. It’s a step above decent. It’s a throwback to the 60’s and 70’s Motown sound. And the inspirations behind a couple of the songs are painfully obvious. The album definitley stays true to that sound, and the songs end up sounding like they literally could be put on a Motown hit album and fit perfectly. And, that might be a bit of the problem with the album. You’ve got Amy Winehouse, Duffy, and even Solange Knowles (i know right) using the 60’s throwback style but the difference is that they also add contemporary elements to make it something new. Saadiq didn’t add any up to date elements to make the songs pop a little more, but maybe he didn’t want to.
Having said that, the song “Oh Girl” is easily the best song on the album. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0qJ_V66n8Q It’s actually a little more “DooWop” than the rest of the album, the fact that the production is so raw and the lyrical and melody are so simple. Much like “Still Ray” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoyaITkdLA0 from “Instant Vintage”, a simple song all around that makes such a powerful memorable classic. Some other high points on “The way i see it” are “Calling”, which is also a simple slow burner, the first single “Love that girl”, and “Never Give You Up” which features the Legend Stevie Wonder.
Outside of that, it’s a decent album to have on but it’s nothing that i’m running to my iPod to listen to. Though, like i say alot, it might grow on me. His second solo cd “Ray Ray” i seriously only listened to it once when it was released in 2004, and just last year I started to listen and it really grew on me. So maybe in 2011 or something I’ll fully appreciate this album. For right now, it’s Aaiiight! =)
October 5, 2008 – Sunday
TI, Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson, PCD, NKOTB, Jason Mraz, Britney, Killers … Week in Music
Current mood: anxious
It’s dead at work, so time to Blog.
So this week was a bit of an exciting week for music, at least for me. There were two highly anticipated album releases this past Tuesday in the form of T.I.’s 6th album “Paper Trail” and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson’s self titled debut album. Some news on Beyonce’s upcoming third solo album, and single releases from Pop Queens Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Ciara and The Killers also released their first singles from their upcoming Fall releases.
So where to start?
Britney vs Christina. The late 90’s Pop Tarts are back, and practically going head to head this Fall. Ofcourse Christina Aguilera’s album coming November 7th is just a Greatest Hits (“Keeps Gettin’ Better — A Decade of Hits”), and Britney’s “Circus” due November 23rd is a full fledged studio album which is supposed to be her “ComeBack” (even though her last album was released a little over a year ago, but whatever!). However their first singles are being released just a few weeks apart from each other, and oddly enough they sound almost exactly the same. Christina’s “Keeps Getting Better” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsnOdf3_8jc) was debuted officially at the recent MTV VMA’s during an lipsynched, Lady Gaga inspired performance. And just like the lackluster performance, the song is very boring. Coming from Christina Aguilera, this single is a true disapointment. For an artist who has always prided herself on going against the grain of the Pop scene and doing her own thing, this song sounds like every other song on Dance/Pop radio these days. It sounds like Britney Spears (specifically Britney’s “Blackout” album cut “Radar” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3wvPts-Z8w) and the mere fact that the song sounds like Anybody other than Christina warrants a pretty low rating. Britney’s new single “Womanizer” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_bu4N5qacU) isn’t much better, it’s a dance/pop/electronic upbeat song that is very similar to pretty much all of Britney’s post-KFed recordings. It’s a fun, upbeat song though. You can definitley dance to it. And even though I personally Hate the hook on the song, it’s damn catchy and something as repetitive as that is only going to help the song gain popularity.
Beyonce. Ms. Destiny’s Child or Mrs. Jay-Z or Miss Sasha is also planning a Fall release (scheduled for November 18th) with an as yet untitled album. Unlike Britney and Xtina, Beyonce has not released hardly ANY info. She is slated to premiere Two new singles on Tuesday October 7th, and it’s pretty surprising in this Digital Day and Age that neither of these singles have leaked online yet. Not even a snippet has leaked. It’s quite impressive that she was able to withold it from leaking, and a smart move as well. However on different blogs and message boards there is information that has been gathered to keep us Stans happy while we wait. An official statement from Beyonce’s camp has the two song titles as “If I Were a Boy” and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)”. The former is being pushed to Pop radio, and is written and produced by Toby Gad who is behind Fergie’s monster hit of last year “Big Girls Dont Cry”. There was a demo of this song released a few weeks ago, it’s sung by the cowriter of the song but it’s allegedly alot different than the final version Beyonce recorded and wrote additional lyrics to. Give it a listen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpWHml42_Rg . The other single is produced by Tricky and written by The-Dream who have basically appeared on every R&B and Pop album released since their massive hit “Umbrella” last year. No other info was given out on this song besides the facts that the song is upbeat, the video is done and the dancing in said video is supposedly “On Point”. Additionally, like i said before there is no album title yet but a few things have been passed around online. The first official report had the album titled “Virtuoso Intellect” which was quickly followed by “Virtuoso Effect”. Than a few weeks ago on one of the boards, someone very trusted that allegedly works really close to Beyonce said the album title would be “sumthin u hear her say all the time”. A few days later, it was reported somewhere that “Empowerment” was the title. All this mystery! I think that’s good, there’s no mystery left with albums these days.
Jennifer Hudson. She stole all the spotlight from Beyonce during the promotions for her Oscar winning role in “Dreamgirls”, but apparently the spotlight might not shine too long on Hudson’s music career. Her self titled debut album came out September 30th to some Very underwhelming reviews from some of her die hard fans. I personally haven’t listened to the album yet so i’m just reporting what i read, which was that the self titled debut is nothing but a hodgepodge of different styles and that it doesn’t work too well. I may just download it this weekend and post another review if i feel it’s worthy. I do know that she needs to release a follow up single, because “Spotlight” the albums first single, died Months ago.
By the way, i did download The Pussycat Dolls second album “Doll Domination” last week. And surprise surprise, it doesn’t totally suck. A Very predictable pop album for sure, but they are a predictable pop group so you can’t expect much else. Only about half of the album is worth listening to. Top songs being “Halo” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jf9moh09so) “Hate this Part” “Elevator” ‘Happily Never After” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqWL1C2Etik) “Magic” and a song that is really stupid but i just can’t get enough of “Bottle Pop”. Everything else is really Average, not terrible but not memorable at all. And while we are on predictable pop groups, New Kids on the Block delivered a reunion album a few weeks (months?) ago, and aided by their recent VH1 Behind the Music special (and my B urging me to listen to it) I checked out some of the songs. I didn’t like many of the songs, they aren’t bad… but those dudes are out of it. I don’t totally remember New Kids from the 90’s, i wasn’t that into them just maybe two or three songs here and there, but it seems like Jordan and Joey are the only ones who can actually sing and the others just kind of phone in their vocals. Still “Click Click Click” is a really good song, and i can’t get “Twisted” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pScuRQjqRoo) out of my head for the life of me.
Keeping in the vibe of Average albums, I have to talk about Jason Mraz. I think “We Sing.We Dance.We Steal Things” is now his third studio album, and with “Im Yours” being such a great single, i felt a little compelled to listen to the whole thing. The problem, Jason Mraz is obviously a talented guy. He has a great talent for coming up with creative melodies and he seems to have some great musical influences, and the problem is that either he or his label don’t know which influence they want to copy from the most. There are some really awful songs on this album, for instance “Butterfly” which is him obviously trying to be Jamiroquai with terrible results. Honestly there are really only two singles you need to hear, the first single “I’m Yours” and his duet with Colbie Caillat “Lucky”. While you get those online, get “The Remedy” from his first album in 2002. This is the song that made me take a first notice at this guy. I think he has potential to be a huge artist, but unfortunatley this album isn’t really going to take him there.
That finally brings us to T.I., whose 6th album “Paper Trail” dropped the same day as Jennifer Hudsons. And it’s evident that T.I. is going to anihalate her on the charts come Thursday, and you know what… he kind of deserves to. This album is still Typical Hip Hop. Pretty much the same concepts, the same producers, the same type of songs. However T.I. is one of the dudes who actually has talent so him alone sets this album apart from Every Other Hip Hop album. Funny that it sounds so much like his other albums though, at certain points during listening to the album I thought “T.I.’s the Jagged Edge of Hip Hop”, meaning those R&B dudes tend to release the exact same album year after year. However i love Jagged Edge, and yeah i love T.I., so it ends up working in his case. Best songs include ofcourse “Swagga Like Us” with Jayz Kanye and Weezy, “Ready for Whatever”, “My Life Your Entertainment” with Usher, “Live your Life” with Rihanna, “I’m Illy”, “Porno Star”. All the rest of it is good though, and ofcourse this will probably end up growing on me in the coming months, there is already enough to get me to want to actually listen to the album more than once.
Oh, last but not least… The Killers have a new single out. It’s called “Human” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvVOoCKjonY) and it’s produced by Stuart Price who i f’ing LOVE. He’s one of those Euro Electronic artists, he has a bunch of electronic groups that he heads and he also produces and remixes under various aliases. He actually contributed a hit remix to “Mr Brightside” under the alias Jacques Lu Cont. Anyway i love that guy, and i love the Killers so i obviously love the song. I really can’t wait for the album “Day and Age” which is supposed to drop November 11th. They also have a show in San Francisco on October 21st. Who Wants to Go With Me???
Additonally, there have been some shake ups with other Fall releases…
Keri Hilson’s “In this world” has been moved from October 7th to November 4th. And TPain’s “Thr33 Ringz” moves from September 30th to November 11th.
October 14, 2008 – Tuesday
Current mood: chipper
Beyonce’s back!! Nobody should be surprised that I’m excited, but i think people will be surprised how awesome her two new videos are. Ofcourse “If I were a boy” as a single and video completely Shit on “Single Ladies”, but they are both good efforts.
If I were a Boy is a cinematic, movie styled music video with a bit of a Power struggle/role reversal plot going on. Its just really well done, and the video fits the song perfectly. The twist ending seals the deal and makes it that much more powerful. And there’s all kinds of Hotness in the video as well.
Single ladies is really simple. Its just her and two girls dancing on a plain set. The lighting and the cinematography on this video Amaze me and are really the stars in the video. The choreography is simple, but has some interesting moves in there and really sexy. And beyonce’s legs… OMY! The song is still kind of boring to me though.
http://www.mtv.com/player/embed/..
So Common released “Unviersal mind control” earlier in the summer, so i’m not sure why he’s just now getting around to releasing a video for the single. Frankly he should have chosen a new single to make a video to. But anyhow, the video is kinda cool… i like the Pharrell robot. but Common is looking a little long in the tooth these days, so it kinda feels like it’s not … hmm… Age Appropriate. This should have been Lupe’s video.
Ciara also premiered a new video this month, and while the video is insanely futurstic and original. The song in my opinion doesn’t match. And i really like the song. But the sound is very urban, very “driving down Mission with the bass bumping” and the video needed something a little more Futuristic, Electronic sounding. Ciara is still the best dancer out there right now, and this video at least proves that.
Last, and pretty much LEAST (lol) is Britney Spears’ “Womanizer”. Okay i have to admit the video is kinda cute. It reminds me ALOT of one of her other classic videos, “Toxic”, it almost follows the concept exactly. Britney looks really good though, i mean not only is her body back on point, but even her face. It’s not all puffy, and she actually has life in her eyes. All in all this video is pretty good I can’t lie. It’s entertaining, never boring, and visually appealing, and it did the job a video is sometimes supposed to do and it makes the song a little more bearable. It’s just a little predictable for Britney, it seems like she does the same stuff over and over. But i think i’ve already made that complaint.
October 20, 2008 – Monday
P!nk, T-Pain, John Legend, Ray Lamontagne, and Fall Out Boy … Week in Music
Current mood: irritated
I love my iPod, i mean i would probably literally bust out in tears if anything bad were ever to happen to it. (That being said, i really need a new one) I’m starting to love my iTunes just as much because it really is one of the only places I check out regularly that keeps me up to date on whats new. I hate the radio, and there are hardly ever any music videos on music video channels, I watch stuff on youtube but that’s really only when i’m specifically searching for an artist or if somebody on a message board links the video. Other than that, I would be a lot more out of the loop if it weren’t for iTunes. For instance, this Tuesday I go on there to check out “What’s New” “What’s Hot” and notice some dude named Ray Lamontagne is sitting at the top of the iTune album chart. I clicked on some of the samples from his album, and the voice made me download it. The album “Gossip In the Grain” is not necessarily the type of album i would normally listen to, it’s very folk/blues/rock and very mellow love songs. However a great voice will make you pay attention to things you normally wouldn’t, and this guy has a really awesome unique voice. It’s perfectly suited for rock with it’s raspiness, but it also has a deep soul to it that is somewhat close to Temptations’ David Ruffin or Sam Cooke. Still, for me there aren’t many stand outs on the album, it’s a nice alternative option for me when i’m bored with Overproduced Pop tracks (and believe it or not, that Does happen from time to time).
I also found two new Fall Out Boy singles. Actually I downloaded “I Dont Care” a few weeks ago, and it’s a cool song, kind of typical Fall Out Boy song. This week they released a follow up in the form of “What a Catch, Donnie” and this song is really … pretty… amazing. And speaking of Voices, I definitley think Patrick Stump has the Best Male Voice out there today, at least in the commercial mainstream Pop world. He just knows How to sing and How to perfectly compliment the song with his voice and vice versa, and he nails this song which is somewhat of a ballad for them. (The best part of the song actually is towards the end, they incorporate some of their older hits into the closing melody… Nice!)
Staying in the Rock for the Pop Charts frame of mind, Pink‘s 5th album “Funhouse” will be released in stores October 28th and although i got it online already, it would actually be worth the purchase. I’ve always loved Pink, and even though her last four albums have all been more Rocked Out Pop than the R&B of her first album, each album always takes a slightly different direction. The 4th album “I’m Not Dead”, for instance, was way more of a Fun Popped up Rock album while the one before that “Try This” (which btw was criminally underrated, check out “Save My Life” and “Waiting for Love”) was alot darker deeper and moodier than anything she released before. Unfortunatley, or maybe Fortunatley for some, “Funhouse” is more of a mash up of both of those albums. There are an awful lot of slower songs, surprising given the albums title. Those slower songs do happen to be the best off the album, the second single “Sober”, the albums closer “Glitter in the Air” and the should-be single “I Dont Believe You”. All of these tracks show off her awesome voice, which apparently has grown quite a bit in the last 2 years. These slower tracks also showcase some great songwriting which is rare in the current Pop scene. I must say that this album was Obviously inspired by her divorce and she talks about it Alot in a huge number of the songs on this album. There are a few upbeats on this album, nothing as fun as “U + Ur Hand” or “Cuz I Can” or even this albums first single “So What”. “It’s your fault” “Ave Mary A” and “Bad Influence” are the best of the more uptempo half of the album. Overall, Pink always delivers even if she didn’t really do anything all that Risky with this album.
Let’s get back to how great iTunes is for a second. I notice they’ve been doing this thing for certain artists where they release a different song every week or so as a “Countdown” to the album release. They did it for T.I. leading up to “Paper Trail”‘s release, and it seems like they are doing it for both T-Pain and John Legend who have albums releasing within the month. Now John Legend’s last album “Once again” was one of my favorites, and the First single he dropped on iTunes, “Green Light”, is one of the best of this year. Featuring Andre 3000, it’s an uptempo club banger booty/bass track which is a departure for Legend’s slowed down R&B style he normally goes for. And the music video fits perfectly. He followed that up with a ballad “If You’re Out There”, and yeah it’s one of those Inspirational anthems and i’m not a big fan of those but the lyrics are on point. I just never feel the need to want to hear it. I downloaded the other two singles he’s dropped “No Other Love” featuring Estelle and “Everybody Knows” — but haven’t gotten around to listening to them.
T-Pain, Teddy Pain, Nappy Booi-o-e!, Teddy Pinned-her-ass-Down, whatever you wanna call him. I know ALOT of people say they are sick of him and his vocoder, but i’ve never gotten tired of him. In fact every single thing he touches i seem to like… if only for his verse or hook on the song. He has a talent for melodies and hooks, and the singles released so far from his upcoming 3rd album “Thr33 Ringz” are all proof of his obvious hit making skills. By now i think everybody’s heard “Can’t Believe it” featuring Lil Wayne, which is some what of a slow jam/love song, took me a minute to get into this song but it’s definitley solid. “Silver and Gold” is actually Not available on iTunes and Won’t make the final cut of the album, but check it out… it’s just a fun Dranking song in the vein of “Bartender” and “Buy U a drank”. I guess there was some “controversy” with Kirk Franklin in regards to this song, apparently Franklin also has a Gospel song titled “Silver and Gold” and he was Upset that T-Pain used the same title to sing about liquor (“Drinkin both kindsa Patron’s/ I done mixed up Silver and Gold” as opposed to “I’d rather have Jesus/ than Silver and Gold”). I’m curious if this is the reason the song isn’t included on the albums tracklist, if so that’s weak, i mean it’s only a TITLE!! Not the first time two artists have shared the same song title and the songs have been drastically different.
Anyhow, he released “Chopped ‘N Skrewed” featuring Ludacris last week and this week “Freeze” featuring Chris Brown. Now I do like both of these songs, but these might be evidence that T-Pain may just be dipping in the hitmaking. They just sound very similar to his other songs… “Chopped ‘N Skrewed” actually sounds like a Chopped and Screwed version of “Silver and Gold” but Ludacris does contribute a nice verse that’s worth checking out. And “Freeze” kind of reminds me of that one song he did with Lil Mama “Shawty get Loose”, it’s a nice dance song and it has a cool hook but i don’t really see it going anywhere.
And lastly, I heard probably the 2nd Worst Song of 2008. Here is actually my rankings for the Worst songs this year…
1. Vanessa Hudgens, Sneakernight — I dont even want to waste much time talking about this CRAP, I’ll just say I’ve learned to Mute the commercials when I’m watching Nickelodeon (this song is played on her EckoRed commercial that they seem to play every 10 seconds on Nick!)
2. Pleasure P, Did you Wrong — Heard this song today and WOW it’s Terrible! Dude can’t sing (AT ALL), the concept is played the Fk out, and the lyrics are just plain stupid and lazy, example:
I ain’t tryna waste your time
And, I ain’t tryna waste my time
There ain’t no need to waste no time
’cause we done put in too much time
I ain’t tryna waste my time
Ain’t no need to waste no time
TERRIBLE!!
3. Ashanti, Good Good — So at least she put out a decent music video behind this Mess. However this is Ashanti stooping to the lowest common denominator… Come up with a stupid repetitive hook and not even worry about anything else and i’ll get a hit. Wrong! I think this song may have finally put that nail in the coffin that is her Career.
Alright, until next week…
November 2, 2008 – Sunday
John Legend “Evolver” – Review
Current mood: energetic
I wish I wasn’t so lazy. I intended to include my review of John Legend‘s new album “Evolver” in my updated Week in Music blog last Monday. I was lazy, so I didn’t. And I’ve been putting off for a few days (I had a test this week so studying kind of took up my time), all the while knowing I was going to write a Glowing review of the album because it is really that good.
Firstly, I’ll just say that I haven’t been a Huge fan of Legend. I didn’t really like his debut album “Get Lifted” all that much, and wasn’t really even excited when his follow up was released in 2006. Eventually (thanks to Starbucks) I bought the second album “Once Again” and it became one of my top plays of 2007. And a pattern I can sense with John Legend that I hope he continues is that he keeps all the songs on one album in the same Vibe and they seem to all be connected. Much like some of the greats have done in the past. “Evolver” isn’t a Legendary or even Amazing album, but because everything flows so well into each other I think this is probably one of the best ALBUMS of the year. And by ALBUM i mean something that was put together to be appreciated on the whole and not just a Compilation type album (Janet, Usher). The Vibe… To me, being that I’m so damn old (LoL) is very early 90’s. Makes sense, the pop charts have been dominated by 80’s inspired music the past 5 years… the natural transition would be to bite off music of the 90’s. Except on “Evolver” there are subtle hints of the 90’s under pretty contemporary production, like the PM Dawn inspired harmony tacked on the end of “Everybody knows”, the SWV sample on “It’s Over”, and even the lyrical content of “Quickly” is very reminiscent of A/C Phil Collins. Again, just subtle hints so the music on the whole does sound really Fresh and original. And there are some classic songs on here, the music industry is so unpredictable these days so i’m not sure if “Everybody Knows” or “This Time” will get the success on Pop radio that it deserves. They are both Classic ballads that rival Richard Marx, Bryan Adams and Michael Jackson in the 90’s, with very relatable lyrics and slick production. The whole album is solid, there’s not one song I hate or would even skip past (okay maybe “If You’re Out There” which is more along the lines of a Gloria Estefan power ballad for the Olympics or in this case a Democratic Campaign — GO OBAMA!!) but some definite stand outs for me are “I Love To, Love” (reminds me of “Show Me” from the last album… but sweeter) “Cross the Line” (Love the production on this) and “It’s Over” (Kanye kinda kills it, again!).
All in all, it’s definitley John Legend’s Best, but on top of that it hopefully showcases what we can expect from him in the future, solid ALBUMS and not just singles.
November 11, 2008 – Tuesday
Beyoncé “I Am…” – Review
Current mood: okay
No matter what anybody says, Beyoncé is definitley the closest thing we’ve seen to a Living Legend in a long time. And it’s not even because she’s the Best vocalist, or the best dancer. It’s not because her songs are groundbreaking or even original or innovative. It’s basically because she’s so well rounded a artist/performer/celebrity. She combines her talents with her image and she’s just one of the best total packages out there.
That being said, in anyone’s music career the Third album is (in my opinion) the MOST important album, Especially for someone as huge as she is. And it shows on “I Am…”, her third album in stores on November 18th, that Beyoncé understood the importance and took her time. The album is split into two discs, and the first “I Am… Beyoncé” is Amazing. It’s obvious she was going for a more mainstream Pop vibe with this side, and even though it’s a pretty calculated move the songs are instant classics. First single “If I were a Boy” is a perfect taste of what you’ll get on the album. That song is almost a bit of a Rock/Pop anthem which fits well into the Top40 Sound of today, but obviously has inspiration from an 80’s Adult Contemporary sound, this song reminds me of the 80’s pop duo Heart, while “Smash into You” and “Satellites” (two amazingly great songs) have a bit of a Genesis/U2 vibe to them while still staying contemporary. The excellent production value and the writing on this half of the album almost overshadow Beyoncé, but only Almost. Like on the second single “Halo“, an excellent peice of lyricism (Thanks to Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic and writer and producer of Leona Lewis‘ “Bleeding Love”) and a great track, but Ms. B’s vocals are so strong she makes you feel the power in the words…
I swore I’d never fall again
but this don’t even feel like falling
gravity can’t begin
to pull me back to the ground again.
And now that brings us to the second disc, one “I Am… Sasha Fierce”. This is supposed to be the upbeat “sassy” side of Beyoncé. It’s really her Stage persona, but if we’re being honest Sasha Fierce peaked on the last album “B’Day” (in the studio that is, Sasha Fierce still KILLS Everybody on stage!!) . The vocals were so strong and the lyrics were so attitude filled, unlike alot of the stuff on this rather disapointing side of this new album. I guess there is some sass on this side, just laid over some pretty boring tracks. “Ego” is supposed to be released as a single and it’s a nice track with a nice hook but the lyrics need some work. (Although i do tolerate most of the song to hear her cuss Finally…
Ego so big
you must admit
I got every reason to feel
like I’m That Bitch.
Yeah B, you are)
However it seems like she got real lazy on this half of the disc. The creative vocal workouts are gone, the interesting lyrics are gone, even the tracks on here are underwhelming. They almost feel like she didn’t really put much thought or effort into alot of these songs. I mean listen to the first Urban single “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)” without seeing the awesome video it’s just “Get Me Bodied” part two. And i won’t even get into “Diva”, her female answer to “A Milli” (i’ma a Diva i’ma i’ma a Diva. Diva is the female version of a hustla) which could have been pretty good but the song definitley lacks something. Alot actually.
There are some really great standouts on this half though. “Hello” is a sweet upbeat love song about Jay. Very addictive hook and just a great total production, vocals included. And “Radio” is a bit of Change for her style, it’s a Europop club track and she brings a real Urban vocal style to it. This album seems to be intended to cross her over into a true International star and this would do huge in other countries. As well as “Sweet Dreams”, which most of us Stans were playing all year when we thought it was titled “Beautiful Nitemare”. Another club offering that will do big on the other side of the pond.
All in all, Beyoncé went to work. At least on reforming her image as a International Pop Star with huge classic anthems. However she took so many steps forward on the first half of this album, and so many steps back on the bottom half. Anyhow, we’ll see you on Tour Ms. Sasha.
On a side note, Jim Jonsin is doing his thing this year. I’m glad he got a chance to show his diversity on this and former DC3er Michelle Williams’ albums. For me Jim Jonsin is THE producer to watch for next year. And one of my favorite producers Mr. Bangladesh who has been floating under the radar for Years (but finally has some major exposure this year because of “A Milli”) also came to work. Although “Diva” does sound almost exactly like “A Milli” (and also Kelis‘ “Aww Shit!!“) his production of “Video Phone” is f’ing awesome
November 30, 2008 – Sunday
Kanye, Killers, TPain & Britney Spears
I am So Late.
Being Unemployed now, I wanted to really start trying to do weekly blogs. Maybe bi-weekly. And I meant to post this Blog about two weeks ago… but have just been really lazy. That being said, I want to get this out for Monday… because Monday is going to be my Official New Blog date.
So now that that’s all cleared up, here we go…
Firstly, the album I’ve been Dying to write about… Yeezy’s new one. Now the song “Amazing” is the best way to describe both Kanye Wests 4th album just released November 25th “808s and Heartbreak“, and Kanye west himself.
I’m a monster
I’m a maven
I know this world is changin’
Never gave in
Never gave up
I’m the only thing I’m afraid of
You’ll never take that from me
My reign is as far as your eyes can see
It’s amazin’
So amazin’
Speaking about the artist first, he’s definitely drives in his own lane and always has. He has always gone slightly left from everybody else in both Hip Hop and just Music in general, especially on his Second album “Late registration”, but still making his stuff mainstream enough for it not to be ignored on the charts. With this album though, he seems to be driving on an entirely different Highway than everybody else. And some of the creative calls he made on this album truly (imo) present him as a genuine Artists, the likes of which we haven’t seen probably in a decade. For instance, the longer than 3 minute instrumental looping at the end of album opener “Say You Will” track, or the minimal lyrics on the also Amazing “Street Lights”. The tracks in themselves also take music to new grounds. He seems to have cultivated a Perfect blend of real late 90’s Electronica, Hip Hop and Mainstream Pop classics, and normally trying to hybrid too many styles ends up a mess and this works seamlessly. Because he’s a genius. One complaint about the album is that he seems to be talking about the same thing on every song. However that complaint also sort of proves what a great artist he is, this album was obviously motivated by his emotions at the time and a way to vent to get over the Heartbreak. And not only lyrically, but vocally (and yes he does sing most of the songs… but not in the way where he’s trying to become the next John Legend. More of just a melodic way to get his lyrics across) you can feel the pain, like when he screams “I won’t EVER Love again… Never again” on the albums BEST track “Coldest Winter” you really really feel it. This is truly my album of the Year. Kanye has Yet to disapoint.
However, Britney disapoints me all the time. She had a trio of live televised performances within the past few days… and let’s just say she’s no longer the Dynamic Live Performer fans Claimed her to be. Which is truly disapointing because before those performances I did get to listen to her new (now 6th album) “Circus” being released Tuesday and I don’t hate it. Her last album “Blackout” released in the midst of her “Crazy Bitch” phase, was Fun but very One-Note and Britney was barely there. Her vocals were totally vocoded and there was just no life behind the lyrics. “Circus” fortunately does bring her voice more to the forefront, and while there are an awful lot of “Blackout”-like Dance cuts, on the whole is alot more diverse and somewhat similar to her Best album 2002’s “In the Zone”. The standout cut on this album is “Unusual You” which may just be the best song she’s ever recorded. It really is a beautiful song, lyrically production wise and her vocals do really set the song off. The next really great track is the Addicting Max Martin production “If U Seek Amy”, which suceeds in being that Guilty Pleasure song that actually eclipses Katy Perry’s trio of addictive singles put out this year. And it’s such a “naughty” little hook that’s so much fun to sing a long to…
All of the girls
and All of the boys
are begging to
If U Seek Amy
(get it? If U Seek Amy… F U C K ME)
… The album actually shows a little progression in Britney’s stifled career and is actually a pretty good (stay clear of “Kill the Lights” and “My Baby” – but Do check out “Out from Under”) listen. She just needs to work round the clock on delivering an Awesome performance one of these days or this album is gonna tank Hard!
I was also surprised that T-Pain‘s third album “Thr33 Ringz” didn’t completely suck. It’s really just a Fun, Funny album. You dont really expect anything of much substance from a dude who could deliver such a hilarious lyric like…
One, two, three, four
Get the hell up out my door
Five, six, seven, eight
I don’t need your sex, I’ll masturbate
… but a line like that is really Fun to sing and he has alot of stuff like that on here. I think what he was trying to accomplish was pulling off a great Album instead of just another vehicle for a few singles to be plucked from. He does try to get diverse on us, with the truly Hardcore Hip Hop (Karaoke with Dj Khaled) and some straight up R&B (Reality Show with Musiq Soulchild and Raheem Devaughn). He even tries (and fails in my opinion) to do a bit of a Message song with Mary J Blige, Diddy and Akon in the form of “Change”. He doesn’t totally fail with this album, none of the songs are Unbearable, but he’s showing that he’s a bit more than just the Auto Tune dude. All that being said, this album basically comes down to 5 great songs. The singles “Cant believe it” with Lil Wayne, “Chopped and Skrewed” with Ludacris and three great album cuts “Blowing up” with Ciara “It aint me” with an amazing verse from T.I. and “Therapy” with Kanye. I think you can get away with just those 5.
And while we were speaking, kind of, about Disapointments I have to say The Killers have (at this moment) disapointed me. Their third proper album “Day and Age” was released the same day as Kanye. And maybe being so blown away by that album set my expectations higher for the Killers. I mean, they are my favourite Rock/Alternative group for the past few years and add that they hooked up with one of my Favourite EuroDance producers Stuart Price I expected to listen to what I assumed would be the Greatest album of the Year. However, when i first listened to it, i felt like i was listening to some weird 80’s compilation. I heard a bit of Paul Simon, Huey Lewis, Hall and Oates and even Madonna in there. I’ve only listened to the album once since than, and it did sound better the second time around so maybe i should just save the Definitive review for a few weeks and see where how much, if at all, it has grown on me. “Neon Tiger” and “Goodnight, Travel Well” are pretty Great songs though as are the two singles “Spaceman” and “Human”.
December 3, 2008 – Wednesday
Grammy Predictions
The Grammy nominations will be announced Tonight. They are making a big Television special out of the nominees, seems pretty lame to me, but the Grammy nominations actually do excite me. This year should be really surprising. I’ve actually been listening to older music this year so I’ve been somewhat out of the loop of today’s music (besides it generally sucks so bad can you blame me). I mean I’ve JUST discovered a couple of acts (keep reading) that had their buzz brewing since the Beginning of the year. So obviously if i made some predictions I’d probably be all wrong, but I do have some Hopes for nominees … artists and songs that i think actually Deserve nominations. So here we go.
I had this feeling in the summer when M.I.A.‘s “Paper Planes” song became so Huge in the US, that they might actually put this up for Record of the Year. And not only because the song is amazing, also because M.I.A. has been getting a Huge critical reception since her 2005 debut album “Arular” and she has yet to be nominated for a Grammy or any other American award for that matter. The Grammy committee loves to Look like they are young, fresh, and worldly and that’s M.I.A. and that’s Paper Planes. On top of that, she actually was set to Retire this year (which she has since retracted thanks to this song). She’s not a new artist but she’s a critical and media favorite who attained that commercial success this year and Grammy’s tend to award that. I wouldn’t be surprised if she got a couple of nominations. They’ll either put her in Urban/Alternative Performace or Dance recording. They might actually put her up for Hip Hop Performance Female which would be Smart because she would have virtually NO competition.
I’m just gonna say Rihanna needs to win Dance recording for “Disturbia“. However, the dance category is probably going to be filled up with MGMT, Lady Gaga, Ting Tings, Madonna, Janet. Plus they generally tend to have a bunch of respected House DJ’s and Electro heads in this category as opposed to pop stars. They’ll probably put her up for R&B Song and R&B Vocal Female for “Take a Bow“.
Jason Mraz should be nominated and Win Pop Vocal, Male for “I’m Yours“. And I’m guessing Sara Bareilles (“Love Song“) and Colbie Callait (“Bubbly“) will be in the running for Pop Vocal Female. However the obvious Winner in that category is going to be Leona Lewis who I predict will be a Grammy favorite this year. I see her getting this award for “Bleeding Love“. And she’ll definitley be in the running for New Artist which i was sure she would win a few months ago but she’s going to have to fend off other Critical favorites Adele, Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Ray Lamontagne and Estelle. By the way, put money on Adele for “Chasing Pavement” in that Pop Vocal Female category.
I really can’t call who I think will be the lead nominees or even the Album of the Year category. Last year, (when the Grammy telecast turned into “The Amy Winehouse Show” – still mad at that.) the nominees almost mirrored the Billboard top Albums and Singles, giving the impression that Grammy voters only voted for stuff that they heard on Top 40 Radio, and this year might just be the same. Having said that, Coldplay would probably get the most nods. Their album “Viva La Vida” got some of the best reviews this year and sold through the roof. Plus the Grammy’s already LOVE Coldplay, this could be the year when they truly become U2. I’d definitley put money on them for Album of the Year and since they are favorites one of their songs (don’t ask me which) should be in Record and Song of the Year as well. Also if we’re looking at chart dominance you might even see Lil Wayne up for Album of the Year for “Tha Carter III”, if not he’s definitley going to sweep practically All of the Hip Hop categories (Rap Album, Rap Song, Rap Solo, Rap Solo Male, Rap Performance Duo or Group, Rap/Sung Collab, ) and I don’t see why he wouldn’t Win all of those awards to be honest.
If we’re looking critically, you might see Vampire Weekend, Portishead, The Black Keys, The Racounters, Ray Lamontagne, Robyn and MGMT in the mix in the big 4 categories. I would also count in Raphael Saadiq, Beck, The-Dream, Ne-Yo, Gnarls Barkley, Panic at the Disco, Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole, and even Katy Perry for a nod or two.
So, let’s see how well I do.
December 9, 2008 – Tuesday
Grammy Noms, Brandy, Common, Akon … Week in Music
Current mood: impatient
Yeah Yeah Yeah, it’s Tuesday. I was supposed to post this yesterday… but whatever, nobody reads my blog. So just one day late isn’t going to kill… Anybody.
Now let’s first talk about how Awesome I am, and how good I was at predicting the Grammy nominations. Lil Wayne actually came out the leader in nominations with 8, and I really can’t say I’m surprised. His album sold through the roof this year, and Grammy’s just couldn’t ignore him. What’s even more awesome, is he was nominated for every single thing I predicted last week:
Also if we’re looking at chart dominance you might even see Lil Wayne
up for Album of the Year for “Tha Carter III”, if not he’s definitley
going to sweep practically All of the Hip Hop categories (Rap Album,
Rap Song, Rap Solo, Rap Solo Male, Rap Performance Duo or Group,
Rap/Sung Collab, ) and I don’t see why he wouldn’t Win all of those
awards to be honest.
7 of his nominations came straight from the Rap categories (Rap Album, Rap Solo for “A Milli”, Rap Performance Duo or Group twice for “Mr. Carter” and “Swagga Like Us”, Rap/Sung Collab for “Got Money” and Rap Song twice for “Lollipop” and “Swagga Like Us”) his eighth nomination came for Album of the Year. So I did pretty good there. Coldplay trailed Weezy with 7 nominations, and as you can see I was pretty spot on with those predictions as well:
Coldplay would probably get the
most nods. Their album “Viva La Vida” got some of the best reviews this
year and sold through the roof. Plus the Grammy’s already LOVE
Coldplay, this could be the year when they truly become U2. I’d
definitley put money on them for Album of the Year and since they are
favorites one of their songs (don’t ask me which) should be in Record
and Song of the Year as well.
They are up for Album of the Year, as well as Record and Song of the Year plus Pop Performance Duo or Groupfor “Viva la Vida”, Rock Song and Rock Performance Duo or Group for “Violet Hill”, and Rock Album.
Outside of the lead nominees I definitley called a few other nominations… “Paper Planes” by M.I.A. for Record of the Year. Adele and Sara Bareilles for Pop Vocal Female (additionally Adele surprised me and got Record of the Year and Song of the Year for her song). Jason Mraz competing in Pop Vocal Male for “I’m Yours” (also nominated for Song of the Year). Rihanna‘s “Disturbia” up for Dance Recording, and Leona Lewis for Pop Vocal Female for “Bleeding Love” (also nominated for Record of the Year).
Which leads us to my biggest surprises or Snubs of the year. The most glaring snub was Leona Lewis in the New Artist category. I mean seriously… The Jonas Brothers and Jazmine Sullivan over her? The-Dream not getting ANY nominations for his superior “Love/Hate” album and singles (while J. Holiday – whose only hit “Bed” was written by The-Dream – is up for Contemporary R&B Album of the Year? Did anybody even listen to that album?). And i’m not entirely surprised by the snubs of Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey, but given this years nominees they should have found themselves in at least two or three categories (especially Janet, who should have been up for Dance Recording with “Rock With You” or “Feedback”). I was really surprised that MGMT or Vampire Weekend weren’t mentioned at all.
And I guess I should talk about the welcome surprises. Ne-Yo , Album of the Year? Again, I felt like The-Dream and even Raphael Saadiq‘s albums were better but I was proud to see Ne-Yo up there. Keyshia Cole stormed through the R&B categories with “Heaven Sent” and I really believe she should win, that was one of the Few TRUE R&B Singles out this year. I was really happy to see Robyn up for Dance/Electronic Album as well as Beck and Gnarls Barkley competing for Alternative Album. Also Very happy to see the producer of both of those albums (as well as the Snubbed Black Keys) Danger Mouse up for Producer of the Year (He should win it).
In a couple of weeks I’ll post my predictions for Winners and see how I do. The awards will be telecast sometime in early February (really close to my Birthday… hint hint)
On to some new releases that might (but probably won’t) be up for Next Years Grammy nominations. Released last Tuesday was Akon‘s now third album “Freedom” and it’s set to debut in the top 5 albums this week. And if you’re a fan of the albums first single “Right Now (Na Na Na)” than you’ll most likely dig this album on the whole. Akon is a pretty talented producer and writer (I mean if you can put a song together that’s good enough to not be totally irritated by his voice than he’s doing Something right) but this album isn’t anything revoultionary. It’s actually a bit dated in certain respects, if this album came out last year I would have liked it alot better. It just relies a little too much on the electro-pop sound that’s been inundating the radio for the past two years, although songs like “Keep You Much Longer” and “Beautiful”, which features Colby O’Donis and Kardinal Offishall, are a little above average and do fit into that sound really well. Akon does try to diversify this album a bit, which makes the album not a total dud. The albums follow up singles “I’m So Paid” and “Holla Holla” are standouts, as are “Against the Grain” (featuring Ray Lavender — Nice Voice) and “Be With You“. The rest, well I have to admit that I kept thinking “when is this song going to be Over” a few times. For Akon though this is his most solid album to date. And it’s alot better than I expected.
Meanwhile, Brandy‘s 5th album “Human” hits stores today, and it’s a little weaker than I expected. I have always given Brandy praise for getting better with each album. However “Human” isn’t better than her previous (damn near Masterpeice) “Afrodisiac”, while that album was alot more mature and real, this album seems to cater to a Younger Poppier crowd with some pretty generic lyrics and concepts. I mean her answer to the World’s problems is to “Warm it Up (With Love)”, she talks about how her man is the “Definition of Love”, and the title track she sings “I’m only Human, Forgive me… I’m only Human, Love me”. None of those songs are awful, but given all that Brandy has been through since the release of the last album, you’d think she’d sing something a little more personal and heartfelt instead of Any-Artist-Pop-Songs. There are some moments of genius on this album though and they mostly come in the form of ballads along the line of her past hits “Have You Ever” and “He Is”. The albums second single “Long Distance” (which also suffers from very generic lyrics “You know right now I can’t be home, but I’m coming home soon”) just sounds like an instant Classic, and even better is “True” which wins on all levels (Lyrics, Production, Vocals) and even that song gets eclipsed by the “Acapella” of “Something’s Missing” which is a very fresh and original arrangement. Vocally, Brandy has always been very underrated and her voice has just grown leaps and bounds with every album. And on top of the growth, she’s a very creative vocalist and that is one of the things that is clearly displayed on this album. I would recommend the album though, even though it’s pretty Generic, there is alot on here that most people will relate to and again Brandy came to work vocally on this album. However, if you go to the store to buy this album and you don’t have “Afrodisiac” or the 3rd album “Full Moon”, do yourself a favor and pick both of them up.
Finally, also being released today, is Common‘s “Universal Mind Control”. The album was initially supposed to be released this summer under the title “Invincible Summer”. Than news came that Common only intended to do an EP for that title and put together a full album due in November. Knowing that, I can understand some of the inconsistency on this album. Even with that one complaint, this really is one of the better albums this year. Firstly, I have to say that I’m loving the fact that Pharrell is back, he really impressed me earlier this year with the stuff he did for Madonna’s album and now on Common’s album (which he produced 7 of the 10 tracks) he gives you a taste of why we loved the Neptunes in the first place (the club banger “Sex 4 Suga”, the laid back old school “Announcement”) and a taste of where he’s headed (the albums best track “What A World” featuring Chester French). A producer by the name of Mr DJ takes the reigns for the remaining 3 tracks and from the sounds of it (“Make My Day” featuring Cee-Lo, and “Everywhere” featuring Martina Topley-Bird which are two of the more superior tracks) he might be here to stay. Aside from the production, Common does bring something to this album (which yeah, it could have been just as good if it was all instrumental). Common commented on the album earlier this year and said that it was supposed to be a bit of a throwback dance Hip Hop album and he does bring very old school 80’s Rap flows very nicely to the very futuristic tracks, which are best displayed on the aforementioned “Make my Day”, which has him telling a Story in the same vein as Slick Rick and “What a World”. I’d definitley recommend this album, it’s not the classic that his last album “Finding Forever” was (which if you don’t have it, Buy it… Excellent Kanye and Will.I.Am productions), but at least it’s different and in this late stage of Common’s career it’s good to see he’s getting a little more Fearless with his music.
December 25, 2008 – Thursday
Current mood: drunk
Merry Christmas to all my adoring fans.
Anyhow I have my lists of best albums and singles of 2008, and I meant to write a blurb about each album/song. However, it’s Christmas and I’m at my Grandma’s house and I guess I should enjoy the Holiday instead of blogging unnecessarily. I just thought I should post something… it’s been about three weeks since my DSL at home was shut off and I’ve missed some entries… so here is the most important entry of the year.
So I’ll just list my favorites now, and maybe one day at the library I’ll fill in my critiques about each ranking.
Top 15 Albums.
1. Modern Guilt, Beck
2. Paper Trail, T.I.
3. Robyn, Robyn
4. 808’s and Heartbreak, Kanye West
5. The Odd Couple, The Odd Couple
6. E=MC2, Mariah Carey
7. Oracular Spectacular, MGMT
8. Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne
9. Evolver, John Legend
10. I Am… Sasha Fierce, Beyonce
11. Year of the Gentleman, Ne-Yo
12. Universal Mind Control, Common
13. Not 4 Sale, Kardinal Offishall
14. Untitled, Nas
15. Shine, Estelle
Top 25 Singles.
1. Disturbia, Rihanna
2. Paper Planes, M.I.A.
3. Gamma Ray, Beck
4. Feedback, Janet Jackson
5. A Milli, Lil Wayne
6. Closer, Ne-Yo
7. I Luv Your Girl, The-Dream
8. With Every Heartbeat, Robyn
9. I’m Yours, Jason Mraz
10. Touch my Body, Mariah Carey
11. Great DJ, The Ting Tings
12. Let It Rock, Kevin Rudolf featuring Lil Wayne
13. American Boy, Estelle featuring Kanye West
14. Heaven Sent, Keyshia Cole
15. Heart Songs, Weezer
16. The Youth, MGMT
17. If I Were a Boy, Beyonce
18. Swagga Like Us, T.I. featuring Jay Z, Kanye West & Lil Wayne
19. No Air, Jordin Sparks with Chris Brown
20. Dangerous, Kardinal Offishall featuring Akon
21. Love Lockdown, Kanye West
22. Don’t Touch Me (Throw Da Water On Em), Busta Rhymes
23. I Don’t Care, Fall Out Boy
24. Everyone Nose (All The Girls Standing In The Line For The Bathroom) [Remix], N.E.R.D. featuring Kanye West, Clipse & Lupe Fiasco
25. We Made It, Busta Rhymes with Linkin Park.
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Subcategories/Product List
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Back to SCCA home }
Immunotherapy at SCCA }
Immunotherapy home
Cellular immunotherapy
Checkpoint inhibitors
President Carter
Hope and relief
David Dunnington
David Dunnington Melanoma patient
He rides with purpose. Along the rural stretches of Snoqualmie Valley, David Dunnington rides for hours and miles in his steadfast determination to make inroads against cancer. “When I'm riding my bike, I’m thinking—I’m back. I think about what it feels like — the wind in my face. I feel how lucky I am to have gotten to this place. I just feel very grateful.”
David’s life took an unexpected turn in 2012 when he was diagnosed with Stage IV acral lentiginous melanoma, the rarest and most aggressive form of melanoma.
It started with a discolored patch of skin, a lesion on the bottom of his right foot and spread quickly. Unrelated to sun exposure, David’s condition is so rare it strikes less than five percent of the population. Surgeries and radiation treatments failed to bring his cancer under control.
With time running out and no effective treatment in sight, David said his hope was diminishing.
Doctors would have to amputate his leg, starting from below the knee because of the radiation damage suffered while treating the melanoma. “I wasn’t doing very well,” he said.
Trial helps President Carter
At the same time, he learned of an investigative immunotherapy drug underway, one that could possibly help him at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA). “Until recently the widespread use of immunotherapy in cancer treatment was unfathomable. But, the dogged persistence of the believers in immunotherapy is now making a huge difference for patients,” said Dr. Shailender Bhatia, a medical oncologist at SCCA. Dr. Bhatia treated David and it was his investigative therapy that saved his life.
This new therapy would revolutionize melanoma treatment and be used to treat former President Jimmy Carter, who was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic melanoma in 2015.
“Because of its success, immuno-oncology is now a standalone medical field and most major pharmaceutical companies are rapidly building up their immunotherapy research efforts. New immunotherapy drugs are being approved rapidly and are being used not just to treat established cancers, but also to prevent recurrences and, amazingly, even the initial development of certain cancers,” Dr. Bhatia said. “And we now know from our experience with immunotherapy and these drugs that it is not at all unrealistic to think President Carter’s amazing response could continue for months or even years. This was almost unthinkable a decade ago.”
Melanoma has a predilection for spreading — to metastasize in medical terms — to challenging locations such as the brain, Dr. Bhatia said. In President Carter’s case, metastatic disease involving the brain used to have an average survival of only a few months. As recently as 2010, treatment options for metastatic melanoma mostly included chemotherapy, which was usually ineffective, and sometimes surgery or radiation to extend the patient’s life or to transiently relieve symptoms.
“Seattle Cancer Care Alliance has been a strong believer of immunotherapy from the very beginning,” said Dr. Bhatia. “It was based on a strong belief that our immune system has the power to eradicate cancer cells completely. What we have seen over the last few years is that indeed, when stimulated the right way, the immune system can work really well.”
New immunotherapies render hope for long-term survival even in the direst circumstances.
David details the hope he has given:
“The clinical trial involved a blood draw and a visit to the infusion center at SCCA. I started with four infusions three weeks apart. Once the drug was mixed and placed into my arm it took 30 minutes to drip into my vein.
“To stay on the trial the target tumor had to have shrunk substantially like about 45 percent. Mine had shrunk by 50 percent and thus I was allowed to stay on the trial. The side effects were rash on my leg and some fatigue but nothing like the side effects from previous treatments.
“It was fantastic to have such great results and not feel sick. After the 12 weeks I had a CT scan and that is when at the appointment to review the first results, Dr. Thompson said ‘Well I have good news; all of your tumors have shrunk by 50 percent.’ He was so happy and needless to say so were we.”
“The experience was a mixture of anticipation, hope, and with the first results complete relief. Like a huge weight of worry was lifted and I could breathe again. Life is very precious and to have it back again is a gift.”
Now, David’s giving back to the people who cared for him and to raise funds for lifesaving treatments that include immunotherapies.
“We’re in a golden age of cancer research,” David said. “They’re getting to the point now where all the years of research that was required is now yielding results.”
His gratitude extends across time and place; to his care team at SCCA, researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, his wife, Janet, sons, Nathan and Spencer, family and friends who have so generously donated to his fund-raising efforts and to fellow cyclists, each devoting their time and muscle in the ride against cancer.
“What is important is keep up the awareness for cancer research and for survivors like me to know we have a lot to be thankful for and our success co,” he said.
David trained for six months to complete the arduous 100-mile trip during the fifth annual Obliteride, Fred Hutch’s fundraising event. He joined more than 2,000, riders and alone raised $7,000.
“I feel proud that I am able to ride my bike and go the long distance to raise money for research that saves lives,” David said. “These are miracles made by scientists who have dedicated their lives to discovering how to treat and maybe even cure some cancers in our lifetime. There is no other profession with a more noble purpose.”
How can I get immunotherapy as part of my treatment?
Immunotherapy is not yet as widely used as surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. However, immunotherapy shows promise for many types of cancer. To learn about immunotherapies that may be used to treat your cancer, ask your provider and care team.
Is immunotherapy right for you? Read our FAQs
Are you a physician?Refer a Patient
SCCA Home
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DSM Suburb - East
Bondurant is an excellent place to live, work, and play away from the bustle of the big city. With a short drive time to other areas of Des Moines, and quiet small-town lifestyle, you can get "on the move" with Bondurant and experience the best of both worlds!
4 Developments in Bondurant
Arbor Ridge
BlueJay Landing
Sankey Summit
Situated in Iowa’s heartland, Bondurant is a community of about 5,500 people located 15 miles northeast of the state capital of Des Moines.
Known for friendly neighbors, quality schools and beautiful parks, the city has quickly become a popular place for young professionals to put down roots; in fact, the average resident age is 30 years old. The population of this suburban town has grown rapidly in recent years, jumping 109% between 2000 and 2010 and on pace to achieve double-digit growth between 2010 and 2020.
Learn more about homes for sale in Bondurant, Iowa and what it’s like to live, work and play in this close-knit community.
Bondurant’s history dates back to the late 1800s when the Chicago Great Western Railway established the Bondurant railway station in the region. Named after one of the area’s first settlers, landowner and farmer Alexander C. Bondurant, the city was officially incorporated on December 23, 1897.
Today, the city’s beginnings as a railroad town can be seen on display at the Bondurant Regional Trailhead, one of the community’s central parks and gathering points. The trailhead sits on the original location of the railroad line, while the park’s 1,400 square foot picnic shelter is a replica of the original Bondurant train station. Plans are in the works to connect the trailhead with the regional Chichaqua Valley Trail, which runs for 26 miles through central Iowa connecting several towns.
Another well-known natural feature in the area is Lake Petocka, a 19-acre lake near U.S. 65 and NE 80th Street. The lake allows non-motorized boating and is a popular spot for fishing bluegill, catfish, bass, trout and perch. The surrounding green space features picnic shelters, a paved multi-use trail for walking and biking, baseball fields and an ADA accessible playground.
Just north of town near NE 94th Ave and NE 56th Street lies Geisler Farms, a prominent agritourism destination. The family-owned farm features a corn maze and pumpkins every fall and Fraser fir trees ahead of Christmas. It’s also a popular wedding, reception and event venue.
Families will enjoy spending time at Adventureland Resort, an amusement complex four miles southwest of town. The park has rides, stage shows and circus acts, as well as on-site lodging. Every summer, Bondurant’s Men’s Club hosts the annual Summerfest, a tradition dating back more than 40 years with a parade, festival, food vendors, music and performances by local cultural groups.
Children in Bondurant attend school in the Bondurant-Farrar Community School District. The district is comprised of two elementary schools, one middle school and one high school, as well as the Bluejay Beginnings Preschool Program for three- and four-year-olds.
The graduation rate for students in the Bondurant-Farrar Community School District is 94%, a tick up from the state average of 91%. The district’s students also demonstrate proficiency levels in math and reading that are above state averages. 94% of Bondurant residents hold a high school diploma.
There are 15 colleges within 50 miles of Bondurant, with the nearest two-year school being Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny and the nearest major university being Iowa State University in Ames.
Residents of Bondurant will find almost every pantry staple at the local Brick Street Market and Cafe. The establishment is not only a full-service grocery store but offers coffee, a bakery, dry cleaning service, movie rentals and more.
For a wide variety of retail options, check out the Outlets of Des Moines in nearby Altoona. The shopping center features more than 40 apparel and accessory stores, with shops like Loft Outlet and Lane Bryant for women, Osh Kosh B’gosh for kids and the Old Navy Outlet for the whole family. Other major shopping destinations in the area include the Merle Hay Mall and Southridge Mall about 18 minutes away in Des Moines.
Barbecue fans won’t want to miss Boxcar BBQ, where you can sample smoked favorites like pulled pork and beef brisket in a dining room fashioned after an old boxcar. For classic comfort food and a couple ice cold beers, hit up Founder’s Irish Pub, where patrons rave about the fried mac and cheese and bloody mary bar on Sundays.
The nearby Prairie Meadows Casino is another popular spot to spend an evening. It offers several onsite restaurants, as well as slots, table games, poker, and thoroughbred and quarter horse racing.
One of Bondurant’s biggest selling points as a place to live is its low crime rate. The overall crime rate here is 35% lower than the national level. In fact, the crime rate is so low that the number of daily crimes per one thousand people is expressed as a small fraction of a percent. Popular crime reporting websites return single-digit numbers for the count of arrests made here.
Most Bondurant residents commute to work, and it’s easy to see why. The town offers the peace and quiet of the suburbs, but the amenities and accessibility of a major city are just a short car ride away. The average commute time for employed people who live in Bondurant is a manageable 22 minutes.
The city’s location makes it a convenient place to live for commuters; U.S. Highway 65 runs directly through town, as does NE 78th Avenue, another major thoroughfare. It’s also in close proximity to I-80 and I-35.
The median household income in Bondurant is $75,400. That’s about 33% higher than the state median household income of $56,570.
Homes for sale in Bondurant, Iowa are both valued and listed at higher price points than Iowa as a whole. The median home value for single-family homes here is $234,000, while the median price of homes listed for sale in Bondurant is $246,450.
The median rent is $961.
The overall cost of living in Bondurant is slightly above the national average, with housing costs being the biggest factor in the cost difference. The average household spending on groceries, transportation and miscellaneous household expenses all come in lower than average spending nationwide.
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DFCM Open / Whats new / An Online First for Canadian Family Medicine
An Online First for Canadian Family Medicine
TORONTO Apr. 26, 2013
Today, the Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM) at the University of Toronto launches a website called DFCM Open. Inspired by open knowledge and collaboration initiatives, such as the open source software movement, DFCM Open will collect and store clinical, educational and research material that is created, peer-reviewed and voluntarily submitted by its faculty members and their collaborators. Presented in a state-of-the-art website, DFCM Open will provide a wide range of Canadian content focused on family medicine and primary care.
DFCM is believed to be the very first academic family medicine department in the world to create and open such a repository to the world, providing resources locally and globally, while fostering, sustaining and expanding scholarship and academic activity at the Departmental level. The work found in DFCM Open will continue to build upon the DFCM’s international reputation for clinical, educational and research excellence.
A community family physician from Barrie, Dr. Robert Gabor, is a DFCM faculty member. “What’s important to me as a family physician is having access to a set of tools and resources that are relevant and in one place – from guidelines, to teaching aids, to care pathways, for example.”
DFCM Open is a resource especially for family physicians and primary care health professionals, no matter where they live or practice. It provides community family physicians with a connection to professional resources; and it is free to use.
DFCM Open has its busy users in mind with functions like the bookmark feature which allows a user to save and revisit items on any device. By adding DFCM Open to an EMR toolbar, users can have quick, in-clinic access to their bookmarks instead of relying on their browser’s favourites. To stay informed of new and updated content added to DFCM Open, users can sign up for email alerts. And in sharp contrast to the complicated interfaces of library catalogues, research databases and online journals, DFCM Open raises the bar for ease-of-use through its simple and user-tested interface.
Users find material in DFCM Open by browsing categories, selecting from ordered topic lists or simply searching with keywords, Google-style. Materials include tools like clinical decision aids, calculators, order sets, mobile apps, and teaching, evaluation or research aids. Resources available also include guidelines, articles, reviews, reports, manuals, one-pagers, care pathways, clinical directives, EMR resources, lectures, seminars, workshops and patient education materials. Tools and resources exist in a variety of formats, such as documents, PDFs, spreadsheets, videos, audio or images. They can also be web links.
“Much more than an online binder or filing cabinet, DFCM Open is a platform from which family medicine can take flight, starting with our faculty members and extending around the world,” says Dr. Lynn Wilson, Chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine.
“We want those in low resource settings to have access to the best of Canada’s family medicine resources; and our hope is that others will visit, learn and be inspired to take their own innovative work to the next level – and then share it,” she says.
Media Contact and DFCM Open Co-lead:
Danielle Wintrip
University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine
danielle.simpson@utoronto.ca
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We Like These Vulnerable Characters for NOT Being Like Trump
Thanks to a bunch of gutless Electoral College electors on Dec. 19, the U.S. will soon have a new President who seems totally sure of himself despite being a vile, incompetent, sad excuse for a human being. So it’s sort of comforting to think of characters in literature who are vulnerable and not so confident despite being nice, smart, and capable.
I’ll name some of those characters and discuss the possible reasons why they’re not Trump-like egomaniacs. Many of the reasons have to do with the knocks they’ve taken in life, not necessarily a genetic tendency toward humility.
As you’ll see, I won’t include many protagonists who are straight white males — a “group” with a seemingly disproportionate percentage of “members” possessing too much conceit and vanity. After all, to be female, a person of color, and/or gay in a sexist/racist/homophobic society can do a number on one’s self-worth.
I thought of this topic last week after finishing the first of Sue Grafton’s “alphabet series” — the absorbing A Is for Alibi. We’re introduced to private investigator Kinsey Millhone — a decent, intelligent woman with an appealing sense of humor. Yet she often beats herself up mentally, even as her “go-getter-ness” and competence rarely falter. Why the self-doubt? Well, her parents died when she was very young, she is twice divorced despite being only in her 30s, and she’s just getting by financially (being tight on money hardly boosts self-esteem in our material world). Also, she’s a not-always-respected woman in a mostly male field — especially so in 1982, when the novel was first published.
Contrast that with Philip Marlowe, a male private investigator of the 1930s who does NOT have confidence issues — as I found when just reading Raymond Chandler’s compelling “hard-boiled” novel The Big Sleep. But the skilled, cynical, slang-slinging Marlowe has much more integrity than The Big Bleep: Donald Trump.
(The many people who recommended I read Sue Grafton and Raymond Chandler are thanked in the comments section.)
Other admirable protagonists lacking Trump’s off-putting boastfulness include Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre — who is average-looking, unloved as a child, and spends years in the awful Lowood school where some of the shivering and underfed students become sick enough to die. The smart/resilient Jane’s confidence is almost never totally shaken, but there are certainly moments of despair before she reaches the dramatic ups and downs of her adulthood.
Adolescence can be tough for even the happiest of characters, but Irie Jones of Zadie Smith’s White Teeth and Molly Bolt of Rita Mae Brown’s Rubyfruit Jungle face sexism and other serious stuff that partly undermines their sense of self-worth. The brainy, biracial Irie struggles with racism, her weight, and unpopularity at school, while the strong-willed Molly has a rocky relationship with her mother and is a discriminated-against lesbian during a more homophobic time (the novel was published in 1973).
A couple of white guys with confidence issues? One is Silas Marner, who is so buffeted by life (a “friend” frames him and takes his fiancee) that he becomes a recluse and a miser. Yet he has a good heart, which becomes especially obvious in the heartwarming second half of George Eliot’s novel. Another is Philip Carey, whose psyche is undermined by being an orphan, getting co-raised by an emotionally cold uncle, and having the disability of a club foot in W. Somerset Maugham’s Of Human Bondage. So it’s not a total surprise when he becomes masochistically enamored with an unlikable woman who treats him badly. Yet, at the same time, the decent Philip works toward entering a helping profession (medicine) — which is certainly more than someone like Trump would ever do.
Your favorite characters who are nice, smart, and capable but vulnerable and not very confident?
(The box for submitting comments is below already-posted comments, but your new comment will appear at the top of the comments area — unless you’re replying to someone else.)
I’ve finished writing a book called Fascinating Facts About Famous Fiction Writers, which will probably be published during the first quarter of 2017. But I’m still selling Comic (and Column) Confessional — my often-funny memoir that recalls 25 years of covering and meeting cartoonists such as Charles Schulz (“Peanuts”) and Bill Watterson (“Calvin and Hobbes”), columnists such as “Dear Abby” and Ann Landers, and other notables such as Coretta Scott King, Walter Cronkite, and various authors. The book also talks about the malpractice death of my first daughter, my remarriage, and life in Montclair, N.J. — where I write the award-winning weekly “Montclairvoyant” humor column for The Montclair Times. You can email me at dastor@earthlink.net to buy a discounted, inscribed copy of the book, which contains a preface by “Hints” columnist Heloise and back-cover blurbs by people such as “The Far Side” cartoonist Gary Larson.
Tagged authors, books, confidence, Donald Trump, egotism, fiction, humility, literature, niceness, novels, self-doubt, vulnerability
A Novel Exploding With Themes (and Some Grenades)
As regular readers of this literature blog know, my “modus operandi” is writing themed pieces rather than, say, book reviews. Almost every time I read a novel, it gives me an idea for a theme, and then I try to remember various other novels that also fit into that theme.
Well, I just read a book that reminded me of MANY themes I’ve written about in the past. So I thought I’d go with that this week.
The novel is Tales of the South Pacific by James Michener, an author (recommended by several people credited in the comments section) I finally tried last month. Michener’s 1947 book checked off so many previously discussed themes that I decided to list ten of them, along with some other novels that fit those themes.
1. Tales is among a relatively small group of debut novels that became VERY popular bestsellers. A notable recent example: J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (originally Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in England).
2. Michener is one of those authors whose first novel was published at a relatively advanced age — in his case, 40. But even that was several decades short of Harriet Doerr’s age (74) when her Stones for Ibarra debut came out.
3. Tales is among the many novels that are semi-autobiographical with a heavy dose of fictionalizing (Michener was a U.S. Navy man in the South Pacific during World War II). There have been countless other semi-autobiographical novels, but I’ll name just one: Saul Bellow’s Herzog, which I also read this month.
4. Michener’s book is one of those “fish out of water”/”culture shock” novels that place characters in unfamiliar settings — in this case, American soldiers based on South Pacific islands. Another of the numerous “fish out of water” novels is Paul Bowles’ The Sheltering Sky (Americans in North Africa).
5. Tales is among the war novels by military veterans who give readers a “you are there” feeling and don’t sugarcoat what warfare is like. Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front is one of the most obvious examples.
6. Michener’s book is among the famous novels that are edgier than many readers expect them to be. Also the case with Herman Melville’s Pierre.
7. Tales is a very multicultural book, surprisingly so for its time. A more recent novel with that welcome element: Zadie Smith’s White Teeth.
8. Tales is basically a collection of short stories that coalesce into a novel — an interesting sub-genre of fiction. Another example: Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge.
9. Michener’s book is among the novels that have won the Pulitzer Prize. So many other excellent ones: Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence, John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch…
10. Tales is among the fictional works that inspired a production more famous than the book itself. In this case, the Broadway musical South Pacific (based on just a couple sections of Tales) and two South Pacific movies (one theatrically released and the other created for TV). Daphne du Maurier’s short story “The Birds,” made into the iconic Hitchcock film, is among the other works somewhat overshadowed by subsequent adaptations.
What are some other novels that fit into the above ten categories? Any thoughts about Michener books you may have read, as well as his authorial abilities in general? As many of you know, Michener went on to write many more books — including long, heavily researched, often geographically specific novels such as Hawaii, The Source, Centennial, Chesapeake, Space, Texas, Alaska, and Mexico.
Tagged authors, books, fiction, James Michener, literature, novels, short stories, South Pacific, Tales of the South Pacific
The Play’s the Thing This Week
My previous blog post got lots of traffic when I strayed from my usual focus on novels to talk about poetry. Now I’m going to diverge again by discussing plays.
NO, I HAVEN’T SEEN HAMILTON — WAHHH! 🙂
As with poetry, I’m not an expert on plays, but have read and seen a number of them. Which is one appealing aspect of plays — you can enjoy them via the written word alone, or watch those words acted out by hopefully great performers collaborating in the social environment of a hopefully full theater.
Actually, at least some plays are taken from the words of novels and other kinds of previously published fiction. For instance, this April I enjoyed an excellent production of Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Millburn, NJ’s Paper Mill Playhouse, a regional theater that’s near-Broadway caliber. And then there’s community theater — I just saw a wonderful version of Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat at The Studio Playhouse in my hometown of Montclair, NJ.
Montclair used to have several playhouses, and one highlight at a now-relocated venue was a 2007 production of Arthur Miller’s iconic Death of a Salesman with an all-black cast. Frankie Faison was riveting as Willy Loman.
I’ve also seen Miller’s A View From the Bridge and read All My Sons, The Crucible, and The Price — intensely compelling, all.
Back in my post-college single days of the late 1970s and early ’80s, I enjoyed a ton of Off- and Off-Off Broadway shows (“The Price” was usually low then). One memorable experience was seeing a play called Rat’s Nest that featured an acting turn by Bobby “Boris” Pickett of “Monster Mash” song fame. (Bobby’s band was Boris Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers, if you need to know. 🙂 ) I also recall a very nice performance of Oscar Wilde’s droll/witty The Importance of Being Earnest.
Once in a while during those years I cobbled together enough money to take in a Broadway play — including Martin Sherman’s Bent (starring Richard Gere), William Hoffman’s As Is, Paul Osborn’s Morning’s at Seven, and August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Much later, a decade or so ago, I also saw a revival of Wilson’s magnificent Two Trains Running as well as the haunting The Light in the Piazza, based on Elizabeth Spencer’s novella, starring Kelli O’Hara and Victoria Clark.
Returning to the early ’80s again, I was in the audience for Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music. What a thrill to attend that one-woman show and see the legendary singer and actress whose career was hindered by blatant racism. I won the tickets as a door prize at some New York City event I can’t even remember.
Other plays I’ve enjoyed on the stage or page include Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, Wendy Wasserstein’s Uncommon Women and Others, Marsha Norman’s ‘night, Mother, Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer, Moliere’s Tartuffe, Aristophanes’ Lysistrata, George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man, Harold Pinter’s Betrayal, Eugene O’Neill’s The Emperor Jones, Christopher Durang’s Beyond Therapy, George S. Kaufman/Moss Hart’s The Man Who Came to Dinner, Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie, etc. And of course Hamlet, Macbeth, and a few other classics by Shakespeare.
Oh, I should mention that Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the aforementioned monster hit Hamilton.
Tragedies, comedies, or fare that’s in-between. Musicals or straight dramas. What are your favorite plays? Your most memorable theater experiences? What do you think of plays as a genre?
I’ve finished writing a book called Fascinating Facts About Famous Fiction Writers, but am still selling Comic (and Column) Confessional — my often-funny memoir that recalls 25 years of covering and meeting cartoonists such as Charles Schulz (“Peanuts”) and Bill Watterson (“Calvin and Hobbes”), columnists such as “Dear Abby” and Ann Landers, and other notables such as Coretta Scott King, Walter Cronkite, and various authors. The book also talks about the malpractice death of my first daughter, my remarriage, and life in Montclair, N.J. — where I write the award-winning weekly “Montclairvoyant” humor column for The Montclair Times. You can email me at dastor@earthlink.net to buy a discounted, inscribed copy of the book, which contains a preface by “Hints” columnist Heloise and back-cover blurbs by people such as “The Far Side” cartoonist Gary Larson.
Tagged Arthur Miller, August Wilson, Broadway, Death of a Salesman, Hamilton, literature, plays, playwrights, Shakespeare, The Cat in the Hat, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, theater
This Poetry Post Is Amateur at Most
I don’t know a lot about poetry and I haven’t read that much of it since college, but I’m about to write a blog post about…poetry. (Instead of my usual focus on novels.)
It was the idea of Kat Lib, one of the regular commenters here, and I decided to go with her suggestion and hope that readers more “versed” in poetry will help me out in the comments section. 🙂
Heck, songwriter Bob Dylan, who some consider a poet, won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature. And various other musical greats — Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon, Phil Ochs, Rush drummer Neil Peart, and Renaissance lyricist (but not band member) Betty Thatcher, to name a few — wrote words that could stand alone, or almost stand alone, from the melodies with which they were coupled. So poetry, if some lyrics in popular music can be called that, is still kind of mainstream in a way.
As an English major in college, I read (or, in some cases, was forced to read!) tons of poetry. I liked Chaucer and Shakespeare; Milton and Alexander Pope not so much. Since then, the little poetry I’ve consumed has often been part of novels — including A.S. Byatt’s Possession, Vladimir Nabokov’s Pale Fire, Lewis Carroll’s Alice sequel Through the Looking-Glass (“Jabberwocky”!), J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and Sir Walter Scott’s novels.
Scott was a renowned poet (“oh what a tangled web we weave/when first we practice to deceive”) before turning to novel writing. Interestingly, one of the reasons Scott wrote his books anonymously was because poetry was considered more prestigious than novels in the early 19th century.
On the flip side, Thomas Hardy was a renowned novelist before turning to poetry during the second half of his writing career. Also, the writing that Herman Melville did after lapsing into obscurity during the last half of his life was mostly poetry (with the posthumously published novella Billy Budd an exception).
To revisit Possession for a minute, the fictional poets Christabel LaMotte and Randolph Henry Ash in Byatt’s book were inspired by real-life poets Christina Rossetti and Robert Browning or Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
Anyway, some of the poets I like most — whether read in college or when I very occasionally perused verse in the years since then — include Walt Whitman (“Song of Myself,” “I Hear America Singing,” “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d,” “O Captain! My Captain,” etc.), Edgar Allan Poe (“The Raven,” “To Helen,” “The Bells,” etc.), Robert Frost (“The Road Not Taken,” “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening,” etc.), Gwendolyn Brooks (“Paul Robeson,” etc.), Allen Ginsberg (“Howl”), Margaret Atwood (though I’m more a reader of her novels), the Brontë sisters (ditto on the novel thing), Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, W.B. Yeats, John Donne, William Blake, Rabindranath Tagore, Alice Walker, Adrienne Rich, Pablo Neruda, Federico García Lorca, Dorothy Parker, Shel Silverstein, and so on.
I realize I named some rather obvious poets and poems there! I just haven’t followed poetry enough to be aware of many lesser-known greats — though I do see some darn good poetry on a number of other WordPress blogs.
Who and what are some of your favorite poets and poems? Anything else to say about the poetry genre?
And for your poetic and musical enjoyment, here’s a vintage clip from the aforementioned band Renaissance.
Tagged authors, books, fiction, literature, novels, poetry, poets
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Lloyd Shaw Foundation
The Lloyd Shaw Foundation was formed in 1964 in memory of square dance pioneer Lloyd Shaw to continue his mission of teaching American folk dance to people of all generations. Dorothy Shaw became a highly significant figure in the square dance world herself, lecturing widely, helping to start the Lloyd Shaw Foundation, and serving as Executive Secretary until 1979. Lloyd and Dorothy’s daughter Doli married Donald Jenkins Obee, who served as President of the Foundation from 1965 until 1979; their daughter, Enid Cocke, has served as President since August of 1979. The Lloyd Shaw Foundation was voted into existence in August of 1964, following the yearly Lloyd Shaw Summer Fellowship held at the home of Dorothy Stott Shaw in Colorado Springs, CO. It was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in Colorado Springs, and the original membership consisted of 46 dance leaders from across the United States and Canada; by 1966 there were over 140 members. The Foundation is still incorporated in the state of Colorado, but its headquarters address moved to Manhattan, Kansas in 1979. The stated purpose of the organization is to, “Recall, restore, and teach the folk rhythms of the American people.” Implicit in the mission is the additional goal of doing so in a manner consistent with the educational and dance philosophies of Lloyd Shaw. The first President of the Foundation was Don Armstrong, who served from 1964-1965; he stepped down under the conviction that a member of Lloyd Shaw’s family should serve as president. Donald Jenkins Obee, Shaw’s son-in-law, served as president from 1965 until 1979, and was followed in this position by his daughter Enid Cocke, 1979 to present. Dorothy Stott Shaw, Lloyd Shaw’s wife, served as Executive Secretary from 1964 until 1979. Although the Foundation originally drew its membership from the Lloyd Shaw Summer Fellowship attendees, and conducted its annual meeting after the close of each Fellowship until 1978, the two were never officially affiliated. The Lloyd Shaw Foundation has had significant relationships with a number of other organizations, including the United Square Dancers of America, Legacy, and CALLERLAB, The Country Dance and Song Society, the New England Square Dance Foundation, and international music distributors. In 1986 the Library of Congress named the Archives Division as a clearing house for square dance materials, and in 1987 the Archives helped form the National Dance Archives Coordinating Committee. The Lloyd Shaw Foundation’s primary functions and activities are educational; although it focuses on square and contra dancing, many other dance traditions are represented in its programs. Under the Foundation’s auspices, college credit-granting workshops were conducted at Colorado State University from 1965 until the mid-1970s, and at other universities and colleges as well; workshops and teacher training courses continue to be held around the country and internationally, and the Foundation and its members have consistently conducted presentations and dances at the request of numerous organizations. The Foundation has actively produced and revised targeted dance education kits to assist teachers in dance education since 1966, including resources designed specifically for grades from kindergarten through high school as well as special education students. Other activities have included sponsoring and running dance camps, particularly the Rocky Mountain Dance Roundup in Colorado, Cumberland Gap in Kentucky, and Terpsichore’s Holiday in West Virginia; providing scholarships for members and groups to attend various dance camps around the country and to travel internationally; and providing research and historical services through the Lloyd Shaw Dance Library and the Archives Division. The Foundation has also acted as a publisher for musical recordings and dance books, and publishes its own journal. Since 1967, members of the Board of Directors have served for a maximum of two consecutive three-year terms, with descendants and relatives of Lloyd Shaw being exempt from the term limits. From 1976 until 2004, the Archives Division existed as an independent entity within the Lloyd Shaw Foundation administrative structure, overseen by its director and the Executive Directors. The Foundation maintained an office for its mailing operations in Lakewood, CO from 1972 until they were moved to Albuquerque, NM in 1988, where they shared facilities with the Archives Division. The Archives Division was disbanded after its materials were donated to the University of Denver in 2003. In 1972 the Lloyd Shaw Foundation Dance Archives was started by Mary D Walsh. At the time, it consisted of a single 8mm film of E.S. “Red“ Henderson calling for his Spokane, Washington-based performance group, the Silver Spurs. In August of 1976 the Foundation’s Board of Directors voted to create an official Archives Division; Dr. Litchman was appointed Director, under the direction of the Executive Committee. By December the Archives was offering photocopies, research services, and a tape recording service; the organizational newsletter, the “Long Shadow,” actively solicited donations of both money and materials. In 1978 the Board of Directors voted to provide an operating budget and funds for acquisitions. Prior to and even after the formation of the Archives researchers had access to the Lloyd Shaw Dance Library, which consisted of Lloyd Shaw’s personal collection, at the home of Dorothy Shaw in Colorado Springs, CO. Some of these resources were later incorporated into the Archives, but many remained in the possession of the family. The Archives was housed at Dr. Litchman’s home in Albuquerque, NM until 1982. In 1982 it was shifted into a renovated chicken coop, and moved again in 1988 to a local dance studio purchased by the Foundation. Dr. Litchman began negotiations to permanently move the Lloyd Shaw Foundation Dance Archives to the University of Denver in 2002, and the transition was completed in 2003.
Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:
Box 20: American Dance Circle Drafts, 1980-1981
File — Box: D096.0020
Identifier: D096.09.0020
Overview This box contains the mock-ups of three (3) American Dance Circle newsletters. This box is arranged by volume number.
Found in: Special Collections and Archives / D096, Lloyd Shaw Foundation Records / Publications and Drafts
Container 32: Nyla Farr Drawing
File — Carton: D096.0032
Overview This container has (1) large drawing of Nyla Farr's dancer design.
Found in: Special Collections and Archives / D096, Lloyd Shaw Foundation Records / LSF Member's Personal Collections
More about 'Lloyd Shaw Foundation'
External Documents
Lloyd Shaw Foundation [NAF record]
Subject: Drafts (Documents) X
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Sleepwalk With Me
In this autobiographical tale based on director Mike Birbiglia's successful one-man show, an up-and-coming stand-up comedian deals with career and relationship issues while trying to ignore his outrageous sleepwalking habit.
Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, Carol Kane, James Rebhorn, Cristin Milioti, Marylouise Burke, Loudon Wainwright III, Aya Cash, David Wain, Marc Maron, Sondra James, Kristen Schaal, Wyatt Cenac
English, Spanish (Neutral)
Parents need to know that Sleepwalk with Me is an independent dramedy co-written by, co-directed by, and starring comedian Mike Birbiglia, based on his one-man show, which is in turn based on events from his life as a chronic sleepwalker. The movie depicts the main character's dreams, which can sometimes be violent -- in one scene, for example, he jumps out a window and cuts his legs on the broken glass (blood is shown). Another dream features a gun. The character kisses two women, his girlfriend in a flashback, and another woman on the road. Sex is implied, but not shown. Language is very light; only one "s--t" is heard coming from a TV set, and "goddamn" is used. There's some social drinking, with characters occasionally getting drunk.
In a flashback, the main character meets his future girlfriend. They kiss and plan for their first sexual experience, though nothing is shown. In the present day, while on the road, a woman flirts with and kisses the main character. He decides to cheat on his girlfriend with this woman. They have sex in his car, though nothing is shown except steamy windows and some movement. The woman is also shown wearing a "Hooters" T-shirt. The main character talks about sex in his act, but nothing very vulgar.
While sleepwalking, the main character jumps out of a window and cuts his legs on the broken glass; viewers see some blood. There are somewhat violent dream sequences in which a character brandishes a gun, though it isn't fired. Characters sometimes argue as well.
One "f--k" and one "s--t"; also "goddamn," "damn," "hell," "boobs," and "oh my God."
The main character spends most of the movie avoiding his problems -- namely, his sleepwalking and his relationship troubles -- though in the end, he reaches a point at which he faces and conquers them. He also learns to improve his comedy by making it personal, rather than simply writing jokes.
The main character works as a bartender and makes drinks for others in several scenes. Characters drink wine at family gatherings. Comedians drink beer together after a show. The main character gets drunk before deciding to have sex and cheat on his girlfriend.
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Resonance (chemistry)
For other uses, see Resonance (disambiguation).
Contributing structures of the carbonate ion
In chemistry, resonance is a way of describing bonding in certain molecules or ions by the combination of several contributing structures (or forms[1], also variously known as resonance structures or canonical structures) into a resonance hybrid (or hybrid structure) in valence bond theory. It has particular value for describing delocalized electrons within certain molecules or polyatomic ions where the bonding cannot be expressed by one single Lewis structure.
Under the framework of valence bond theory, resonance is an extension of the idea that the bonding in a chemical species can be described by a Lewis structure. For many chemical species, a single Lewis structure, consisting of atoms obeying the octet rule, possibly bearing formal charges, and connected by bonds of positive integer order, is sufficient for describing the chemical bonding and rationalizing experimentally determined molecular properties like bond lengths, angles, and dipole moment.[2] However, in some cases, more than one Lewis structure could be drawn, and experimental properties are inconsistent with any one structure. In order to address this type of situation, several contributing structures are considered together as an average, and the molecule is said to be represented by a resonance hybrid in which several Lewis structures are used collectively to describe its true structure.
The experimental geometry of the nitrite anion, NO2–, shown on the right, is best rationalized by describing its structure as a resonance hybrid consisting of two major and equally important contributing forms.
For instance, in NO2–, nitrite anion, the two N–O bond lengths are equal, even though no single Lewis structure has two N–O bonds with the same formal bond order. However, its measured structure is consistent with a description as a resonance hybrid of the two major contributing structures shown above: it has two equal N–O bonds of 125 pm, intermediate in length between a typical N–O single bond (145 pm in hydroxylamine, H2N–OH) and N–O double bond (115 pm in nitronium ion, [O=N=O]+). According to the contributing structures, each N–O bond is an average of a formal single and formal double bond, leading to a true bond order of 1.5. By virtue of this averaging, the Lewis description of the bonding in NO2– is reconciled with the experimental fact that the anion has equivalent N–O bonds.
The resonance hybrid represents the actual molecule as the "average" of the contributing structures, with bond lengths and partial charges taking on intermediate values compared to those expected for the individual Lewis structures of the contributors, were they to exist as "real" chemical entities.[3] The contributing structures differ only in the formal apportionment of electrons to the atoms, and not in the actual physically and chemically significant electron or spin density. While contributing structures may differ in formal bond orders and in formal charge assignments, all contributing structures must have the same number of valence electrons and the same spin multiplicity.[4]
Because electron delocalization lowers the potential energy of a system, any species represented by a resonance hybrid is more stable than any of the (hypothetical) contributing structures.[5] The difference in potential energy between the actual species and the (computed) energy of the contributing structure with the lowest potential energy is called the resonance energy[6] or delocalization energy. The magnitude of the resonance energy depends on assumptions made about the hypothetical "non-stabilized" species and the computational methods used and does not represent a measurable physical quantity, although comparisons of resonance energies computed under similar assumptions and conditions may be chemically meaningful.
Molecules with an extended π system such as linear polyenes and polyaromatic compounds are well described by resonance hybrids as well as by delocalised orbitals in molecular orbital theory.
Resonance vs isomerismEdit
Resonance is to be distinguished from isomerism. Isomers are molecules with the same chemical formula but are distinct chemical species with different arrangements of atomic nuclei in space. Resonance contributors of a molecule, on the other hand, can only differ in the way electrons are formally assigned to atoms in the Lewis structure depictions of the molecule. Specifically, when a molecular structure is said to be represented by a resonance hybrid, it does not mean that electrons of the molecule are "resonating" or shifting back and forth between several sets of positions, each one represented by a Lewis structure. Rather, it means that the set of contributing structures represents an intermediate structure (a weighted average of the contributors), with a single, well-defined geometry and distribution of electrons. It is incorrect to regard resonance hybrids as rapidly interconverting isomers, even though the term "resonance" might evoke such an image.[7] (As described below, the term "resonance" originated as a classical physics analogy for a quantum mechanical phenomenon, so it should not be construed too literally.) Symbolically, the double headed arrow A ⟷ B {\displaystyle {\ce {A<->B}}}
is used to indicate that A and B are contributing forms of a single chemical species (as opposed to an equilibrium arrow, e.g., A ↽ − − ⇀ B {\displaystyle {\ce {A <=> B}}}
; see below for details on usage).
A non-chemical analogy is illustrative: one can describe the characteristics of a real animal, the narwhal, in terms of the characteristics of two mythical creatures: the unicorn, a creature with a single horn on its head, and the leviathan, a large, whale-like creature. The narwhal is not a creature that goes back and forth between being a unicorn and being a leviathan, nor do the unicorn and leviathan have any physical existence outside the collective human imagination. Nevertheless, describing the narwhal in terms of these imaginary creatures provides a reasonably good description of its physical characteristics.
Due to confusion with the physical meaning of the word resonance, as no entities actually physically "resonate", it has been suggested that the term resonance be abandoned in favor of delocalization[8] and resonance energy abandoned in favor of delocalization energy. A resonance structure becomes a contributing structure and the resonance hybrid becomes the hybrid structure. The double headed arrows would be replaced by commas to illustrate a set of structures, as arrows of any type may suggest to beginning students that a chemical change is taking place.
Representation in diagramsEdit
[ S = C = N ⊖ ⟷ ⊖ S − C ≡ N ] {\displaystyle {\ce {[S=C=N^{\ominus }<->\ ^{\ominus }\!S-C{\equiv }N]}}}
Contributing structures of the thiocyanate ion,
enclosed in square brackets.
Hybrid structure of the nitrate ion
Hybrid structure of benzene.
In diagrams, contributing structures are typically separated by double-headed arrows (↔). The arrow should not be confused with the right and left pointing equilibrium arrow (⇌). All structures together may be enclosed in large square brackets, to indicate they picture one single molecule or ion, not different species in a chemical equilibrium.
Alternatively to the use of contributing structures in diagrams, a hybrid structure can be used. In a hybrid structure, pi bonds that are involved in resonance are usually pictured as curves [9] or dashed lines, indicating that these are partial rather than normal complete pi bonds. In benzene and other aromatic rings, the delocalized pi-electrons are sometimes pictured as a solid circle.[10]
The concept first appeared in 1899 in Johannes Thiele's "Partial Valence Hypothesis" to explain the unusual stability of benzene which would not be expected from August Kekulé's structure proposed in 1865 with alternating single and double bonds.[11] Benzene undergoes substitution reactions, rather than addition reactions as typical for alkenes. He proposed that the carbon-carbon bond in benzene is intermediate of a single and double bond.
The resonance proposal also helped explain the number of isomers of benzene derivatives. For example, Kekulé's structure would predict four dibromobenzene isomers, including two ortho isomers with the brominated carbon atoms joined by either a single or a double bond. In reality there are only three dibromobenzene isomers and only one is ortho, in agreement with the idea that there is only type of carbon-carbon bond, intermediate between a single and a double bond.[12]
The mechanism of resonance was introduced into quantum mechanics by Werner Heisenberg in 1926 in a discussion of the quantum states of the helium atom. He compared the structure of the helium atom with the classical system of resonating coupled harmonic oscillators.[3][13] In the classical system, the coupling produces two modes, one of which is lower in frequency than either of the uncoupled vibrations; quantum mechanically, this lower frequency is interpreted as a lower energy. Linus Pauling used this mechanism to explain the partial valence of molecules in 1928, and developed it further in a series of papers in 1931-33.[14][15] The alternative term mesomerism[16] popular in German and French publications with the same meaning was introduced by C. K. Ingold in 1938, but did not catch on in the English literature. The current concept of mesomeric effect has taken on a related but different meaning. The double headed arrow was introduced by the German chemist Fritz Arndt who preferred the German phrase zwischenstufe or intermediate stage.
In the Soviet Union, resonance theory – especially as developed by Pauling – was attacked in the early 1950s as being contrary to the Marxist principles of dialectical materialism, and in June 1951 the Soviet Academy of Sciences under the leadership of Alexander Nesmeyanov convened a conference on the chemical structure of organic compounds, attended by 400 physicists, chemists, and philosophers, where "the pseudo-scientific essence of the theory of resonance was exposed and unmasked".[17]
Major and minor contributorsEdit
One contributing structure may resemble the actual molecule more than another (in the sense of energy and stability). Structures with a low value of potential energy are more stable than those with high values and resemble the actual structure more. The most stable contributing structures are called major contributors. Energetically unfavourable and therefore less favorable structures are minor contributors. With rules listed in rough order of diminishing importance, major contributors are generally structures that
obey as much as possible the octet rule (8 valence electrons around each atom rather than having deficiencies or surplus, or 2 electrons for Period 1 elements);
have a maximum number of covalent bonds;
carry a minimum of formally charged atoms, with the separation for unlike and like charges minimized and maximized, respectively;
place negative charge, if any, on the most electronegative atoms and positive charge, if any, on the most electropositive;
do not deviate substantially from idealized bond lengths and angles (e.g., the relative unimportance of Dewar-type resonance contributors for benzene);
maintain aromatic substructures locally while avoiding anti-aromatic ones (see Clar sextet and biphenylene).
A maximum of eight valence electrons is strict for the Period 2 elements Be, B, C, N, O, and F, as is a maximum of two for H and He and effectively for Li as well.[18] The issue of expansion of the valence shell of third period and heavier main group elements is controversial. A Lewis structure in which a central atom has a valence electron count greater than eight traditionally implies the participation of d orbitals in bonding. However, the consensus opinion is that while they may make a marginal contribution, the participation of d orbitals is unimportant, and the bonding of so-called hypervalent molecules are, for the most part, better explained by charge-separated contributing forms that depict three-center four-electron bonding. Nevertheless, by tradition, expanded octet structures are still commonly drawn for functional groups like sulfoxides, sulfones, and phosphorus ylides, for example. Regarded as a formalism that does not necessarily reflect the true electronic structure, such depictions are preferred by the IUPAC over structures featuring partial bonds, charge separation, or dative bonds.[19]
Equivalent contributors contribute equally to the actual structure, while the importance of nonequivalent contributors is determined by the extent to which they conform to the properties listed above. A larger number of significant contributing structures and a more voluminous space available for delocalized electrons lead to stabilization (lowering of the energy) of the molecule.
ExamplesEdit
Aromatic moleculesEdit
Main article: Aromaticity
In benzene the two cyclohexatriene Kekulé structures, first proposed by Kekulé, are taken together as contributing structures to represent the total structure. In the hybrid structure on the right, the dashed hexagon replaces three double bonds, and represents six electrons in a set of three molecular orbitals of π symmetry, with a nodal plane in the plane of the molecule.
In furan a lone pair of the oxygen atom interacts with the π orbitals of the carbon atoms. The curved arrows depict the permutation of delocalized π electrons, which results in different contributors.
Electron-rich moleculesEdit
The ozone molecule is represented by two contributing structures. In reality the two terminal oxygen atoms are equivalent and the hybrid structure is drawn on the right with a charge of −1⁄2 on both oxygen atoms and partial double bonds with a full and dashed line and bond order 1 1⁄2.[20][21]
For hypervalent molecules, the rationalization described above can be applied to generate contributing structures to explain the bonding in such molecules. Shown below are the contributing structures of a 3c-4e bond in xenon difluoride.
[ F − XeF − ⟷ F − Xe − F ] {\displaystyle {\ce {[{\mathsf {F-XeF^{-}<->F^{-}Xe-F}}]}}}
Electron-deficient moleculesEdit
Main article: Electron deficiency
The allyl cation has two contributing structures with a positive charge on the terminal carbon atoms. In the hybrid structure their charge is +1⁄2. The full positive charge can also be depicted as delocalized among three carbon atoms.
The diborane molecule is described by contributing structures, each with electron-deficiency on different atoms. This reduces the electron-deficiency on each atom and stabilizes the molecule. Below are the contributing structures of an individual 3c-2e bond in diborane.
Reactive intermediatesEdit
Main article: Reactive intermediate
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Often, reactive intermediates such as carbocations and free radicals have more delocalized structure than their parent reactants, giving rise to unexpected products. The classical example is allylic rearrangement. When 1 mole of HCl adds to 1 mole of 1,3-butadiene, in addition to the ordinarily expected product 3-chloro-1-butene, we also find 1-chloro-2-butene. Isotope labelling experiments have shown that what happens here is that the additional double bond shifts from 1,2 position to 2,3 position in some of the product. This and other evidence (such as NMR in superacid solutions) shows that the intermediate carbocation must have a highly delocalized structure, different from its mostly classical (delocalization exists but is small) parent molecule. This cation (an allylic cation) can be represented using resonance, as shown above.
This observation of greater delocalization in less stable molecules is quite general. The excited states of conjugated dienes are stabilised more by conjugation than their ground states, causing them to become organic dyes.
A well-studied example of delocalization that does not involve π electrons (hyperconjugation) can be observed in the non-classical 2-Norbornyl cation. Another example is methanium (CH+
5). These can be viewed as containing three-center two-electron bonds and are represented either by contributing structures involving rearrangement of σ electrons or by a special notation, a Y that has the three nuclei at its three points.
Delocalized electrons are important for several reasons; a major one is that an expected chemical reaction may not occur because the electrons delocalize to a more stable configuration, resulting in a reaction that happens at a different location. An example is the Friedel–Crafts alkylation of benzene with 1-chloro-2-methylpropane; the carbocation rearranges to a tert-butyl group stabilized by hyperconjugation, a particular form of delocalization. Delocalization leads to lengthening of wavelength of electron therefore decreases the energy.
BenzeneEdit
Main article: Benzene
Bond lengthsEdit
Contributing structures of benzene
Comparing the two contributing structures of benzene, all single and double bonds are interchanged. Bond lengths can be measured, for example using X-ray diffraction. The average length of a C–C single bond is 154 pm; that of a C=C double bond is 133 pm. In localized cyclohexatriene, the carbon–carbon bonds should be alternating 154 and 133 pm. Instead, all carbon–carbon bonds in benzene are found to be about 139 pm, a bond length intermediate between single and double bond. This mixed single and double bond (or triple bond) character is typical for all molecules in which bonds have a different bond order in different contributing structures. Bond lengths can be compared using bond orders. For example, in cyclohexane the bond order is 1 while that in benzene is 1 + (3 ÷ 6) = 1 1⁄2. Consequently, benzene has more double bond character and hence has a shorter bond length than cyclohexane.
Resonance energyEdit
Resonance (or delocalization) energy is the amount of energy needed to convert the true delocalized structure into that of the most stable contributing structure. The empirical resonance energy can be estimated by comparing the enthalpy change of hydrogenation of the real substance with that estimated for the contributing structure.
The complete hydrogenation of benzene to cyclohexane via 1,3-cyclohexadiene and cyclohexene is exothermic; 1 mole of benzene delivers 208.4 kJ (49.8 kcal).
Hydrogenation of one mole of double bonds delivers 119.7 kJ (28.6 kcal), as can be deduced from the last step, the hydrogenation of cyclohexene. In benzene, however, 23.4 kJ (5.6 kcal) are needed to hydrogenate one mole of double bonds. The difference, being 143.1 kJ (34.2 kcal), is the empirical resonance energy of benzene. Because 1,3-cyclohexadiene also has a small delocalization energy (7.6 kJ or 1.8 kcal/mol) the net resonance energy, relative to the localized cyclohexatriene, is a bit higher: 151 kJ or 36 kcal/mol. [22]
This measured resonance energy is also the difference between the hydrogenation energy of three 'non-resonance' double bonds and the measured hydrogenation energy:
(3 × 119.7) − 208.4 = 150.7 kJ/mol (36 kcal).[23]
Quantum mechanical description in VB theoryEdit
VB mixing diagram of benzene.[24] The A1g and B2u labels define the symmetries of the two states, as defined by the character table for the D6h symmetry group.
Resonance has a deeper significance in the mathematical formalism of valence bond theory (VB). Quantum mechanics requires that the wavefunction of a molecule obeys its observed symmetry. If a single contributing structure does not achieve this, resonance is invoked.
For example, in benzene, valence bond theory begins with the two Kekulé structures and constructs the actual wave function of the molecule as a linear superposition of the wave functions representing the two structures. As both Kekulé structures have equal energy, they are equal contributors to the overall structure – the superposition is an equally weighted average, or a 1:1 linear combination of the two – but this need not be the case. The symmetric combination gives the ground state while the antisymmetric combination gives the first excited state as shown.
In general, the superposition is written with undetermined coefficients, which are then variationally optimized to find the lowest possible energy for the given set of basis wave functions. When more contributing structures are included, the molecular wave function becomes more accurate and more excited states can be derived from different combinations of the contributing structures.
Comparison with molecular orbital (MO) theoryEdit
π molecular orbitals of benzene
In molecular orbital theory, the main alternative to valence bond theory, the molecular orbitals (MOs) are approximated as sums of all the atomic orbitals (AOs) on all the atoms; there are as many MOs as AOs. Each AOi has a weighting coefficient ci that indicates the AO's contribution to a particular MO. For example, in benzene, the MO model gives us 6 π MOs which are combinations of the 2pz AOs on each of the 6 C atoms. Thus, each π MO is delocalized over the whole benzene molecule and any electron occupying an MO will be delocalized over the whole molecule. This MO interpretation has inspired the picture of the benzene ring as a hexagon with a circle inside. When describing benzene, the VB concept of localized σ bonds and the MO concept of delocalized π orbitals are frequently combined in elementary chemistry courses.
The contributing structures in the VB model are particularly useful in predicting the effect of substituents on π systems such as benzene. They lead to the models of contributing structures for an electron-withdrawing group and electron-releasing group on benzene. The utility of MO theory is that a quantitative indication of the charge from the π system on an atom can be obtained from the squares of the weighting coefficient ci on atom Ci. Charge qi ≈ c2
i. The reason for squaring the coefficient is that if an electron is described by an AO, then the square of the AO gives the electron density. The AOs are adjusted (normalized) so that AO2 = 1, and qi ≈ (ciAOi)2 ≈ c2
i. In benzene, qi = 1 on each C atom. With an electron-withdrawing group qi < 1 on the ortho and para C atoms and qi > 1 for an electron-releasing group.
CoefficientsEdit
Weighting of the contributing structures in terms of their contribution to the overall structure can be calculated in multiple ways, using "Ab initio" methods derived from Valence Bond theory, or else from the Natural Bond Orbitals (NBO) approaches of Weinhold NBO5, or finally from empirical calculations based on the Hückel method. A Hückel method-based software for teaching resonance is available on the HuLiS Web site.
Charge delocalizationEdit
In the case of ions it is common to speak about delocalized charge (charge delocalization). An example of delocalized charge in ions can be found in the carboxylate group, wherein the negative charge is centered equally on the two oxygen atoms. Charge delocalization in anions is an important factor determining their reactivity (generally: the higher the extent of delocalization the lower the reactivity) and, specifically, the acid strength of their conjugate acids. As a general rule, the better delocalized is the charge in an anion the stronger is its conjugate acid. For example, the negative charge in perchlorate anion (ClO−
4) is evenly distributed among the symmetrically oriented oxygen atoms (and a part of it is also kept by the central chlorine atom). This excellent charge delocalization combined with the high number of oxygen atoms (four) and high electronegativity of the central chlorine atom leads to perchloric acid being one of the strongest known acids with a pKa value of −10.[25] The extent of charge delocalization in an anion can be quantitatively expressed via the WAPS (weighted average positive sigma) parameter[26] parameter and an analogous WANS (weighted average negative sigma)[27][28] parameter is used for cations.
WAPS values of anions of common acids and WANS values of cations of common bases
WAPS × 105
WANS × 105
(C2F5SO2)2NH 2.0[29] Triphenylphosphine 2.1[27]
(CF3)3COH 3.6[29] Phenyl tetramethylguanidine 2.5[27]
Picric acid 4.3[26] Tripropylamine 2.6[27]
2,4-Dinitrophenol 4.9[26] MTBD (7-Methyl-triazabicyclodecene) 2.9[28]
Benzoic acid 7.1[26] DBU (1,8-Diazabicycloundec-7-ene) 3.0[28]
Phenol 8.8[29] TBD (Triazabicyclodecene) 3.5[28]
Acetic acid 16.1[26] N,N-Dimethylaniline 4.7[27]
HI 21.9[29] Pyridine 7.2[27]
HBr 29.1[29] Aniline 8.2[27]
HCl 35.9[26] Propylamine 8.9[27]
WAPS and WANS values are given in e/Å4. Larger values indicate more localized charge in the corresponding ion.
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Resonance (chemistry)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mesomerism.
Aromaticity
Conjugated system
Delocalization
Hückel molecular orbital theory
Hyperconjugation
Tautomerism
Avoided crossing
Goudard, N.; Carissan, Y.; Hagebaum-Reignier, D.; Humbel, S. (2008). "HuLiS : Java Applet − Simple Hückel Theory and Mesomery − program logiciel software" (in French). Retrieved 29 October 2010.
^ IUPAC, Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book") (1997). Online corrected version: (2006–) "Resonance". doi:10.1351/goldbook.R05326
^ IUPAC, Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book") (1997). Online corrected version: (2006–) "contributing structure". doi:10.1351/goldbook.C01309
^ a b Pauling, Linus (1960). "The Concept of Resonance". The Nature of the Chemical Bond – An Introduction to Modern Structural Chemistry (3rd ed.). Cornell University Press. pp. 10–13. ISBN 978-0801403330.
^ Practicing chemists familiar with the concepts of resonance and delocalization will often draw just one major contributing structure to implicitly represent a molecule whose structure should be described by invoking a resonance hybrid. For example, a chemist might arbitrarily chose to draw the resonance contributor of NO2– shown on the left, with the understanding that the reader is aware of the other contributor, shown on the right, as well as the implication that the N–O bonds are actually equivalent. This practice is especially prevalent in organic chemistry, where one of the Kekulé structures of benzene is frequently chosen to depict the regular hexagonal structure of the molecule.
^ Morrison, Robert; Boyd, Robert (1989). "Chapter 10". Organic Chemistry (5th ed.). Prentice Hall of India. p. 372. ISBN 978-0-87692-560-7. The resonance hybrid is more stable than any of the contributing structures.
^ IUPAC, Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book") (1997). Online corrected version: (2006–) "resonance energy". doi:10.1351/goldbook.R05333
^ "Resonance Forms". UCDavis Chem Wiki. UCDavis. 2013-10-02. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
^ Kerber, Robert C. (2006). "If It's Resonance, What Is Resonating?". J. Chem. Educ. 83 (2): 223. Bibcode:2006JChEd..83..223K. doi:10.1021/ed083p223.
^ "Graphical representation for chemical structure diagrams" (PDF), IUPAC Recommendations 2008, IUPAC, p. 387 (GR–8)
^ "Graphical representation for chemical structure diagrams" (PDF), IUPAC Recommendations 2008, IUPAC, pp. 379–382 (GR–6)
^ Thiele, Johannes (1899). "Zur Kenntnis der ungesättigten Verbindungen" [[Contribution] to our knowledge of unsaturated compounds]. Justus Liebig's Annalen der Chemie (in German). 306: 87–142. doi:10.1002/jlac.18993060107. On p. 89, Thiele introduced the concept of "partial valence": "Ich nehme nun an, … eine Partialvalens vorhanden ist, eine Annahme, die sich auch thermisch begründen lässt." (Now I assume that in the case of substances to which a double bond is attributed, actually two affinities of each of the participating atoms are used for their bond; however, on account of the capacity for addition of double bonds, the power of affinity is not completely consumed, and in each of the atoms a remnant of affinity or a "partial valence" exists – an assumption that can also be substantiated thermally [i.e., via calorimetry].) On p. 90, Thiele coined the term "conjugated": "Ein solches System benachbarter Doppelbindungen mit ausgeglichenen inneren Partialvalenzen sei als conjugirt bezeichnet." (Such a system of adjacent double bonds with equalized inner partial valences shall be termed "conjugated".) Thiele discussed the conjugated structure of benzene on pp. 125–129: VIII. Die aromatischen Verbindungen. Das Benzol. (VIII. The aromatic compounds. Benzene.)
^ Hornback, Joseph M. (2006). Organic Chemistry (2nd ed.). Thomson Learning. p. 470–1. ISBN 9780534389512.
^ Pauling, Linus, Resonance, p. 1
^ "The Science and Humanism of Linus Pauling". Archived from the original on 2012-03-31. CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link) See last paragraph of section 1.
^ Pauling, L. (1960). The Nature of the Chemical Bond (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 184. In this source, Pauling first mentions related papers by Slater and Hückel in 1931, and then cites his own key papers: Pauling, Linus. (1931). "THE NATURE OF THE CHEMICAL BOND. II. THE ONE-ELECTRON BOND AND THE THREE-ELECTRON BOND". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 53 (1367): 3225. doi:10.1021/ja01360a004. and subsequent papers in 1932–33.
^ IUPAC, Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book") (1997). Online corrected version: (2006–) "Mesomerism". doi:10.1351/goldbook.M03845
^ Moore, Barrington, Jr. (1954). Terror and Progress USSR: Some Sources of Change and Stability in the Soviet Dictatorship. pp. 142–143.
^ Lithium is always found as Li+ (1s2), a duet, in ionic compounds. In compounds like CH3Li with some degree of covalency, bonding is achieved primarily with the 2s orbital, with some contribution from a 2p orbital. (This bonding scheme is used in condensed phase aggregates like (CH3Li)4 as well, leading to a higher coordination number for lithium.) Thus, in principle, up to an octet can be accommodated. Nevertheless, the formal number of valence electrons around Li never exceeds two, unless weak donor-acceptor interactions with neutral ligands (e.g., solvent molecules, often omitted from Lewis structures) are included.
^ Brecher, Jonathan (2008-01-01). "Graphical representation standards for chemical structure diagrams (IUPAC Recommendations 2008)". Pure and Applied Chemistry. 80 (2): 277–410. doi:10.1351/pac200880020277. ISSN 1365-3075.
^ Wade, G. Organic Chemistry (6th ed.). [ISBN missing]
^ Bruice, Paula Y. Organic Chemistry (4th ed.). [ISBN missing]
^ Wiberg; Nakaji; Morgan (1993). "Heat of hydrogenation of a cis imine. An experimental and theoretical study". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 115 (9): 3527–3532. doi:10.1021/ja00062a017.
^ Sherman, J. (February 1939). "The heats of hydrogenation of unsaturated hydrocarbons". J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 16 (2): 28. doi:10.1007/BF02543208. Archived from the original on 2011-07-14.
^ Shaik, Sason S.; Hiberty, Phillipe C. (2008). A Chemist's Guide to Valence Bond Theory. New Jersey: Wiley-Interscience. pp. 200–203. ISBN 978-0-470-03735-5.
^ Sellers, Kathleen; Weeks, Katherine; Alsop, William R.; Clough, Stephen R.; Hoyt, Marilyn; Pugh, Barbara (2006). Perchlorate: Environmental problems and solutions. CRC Press. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-8493-8081-5.
^ a b c d e f Kaupmees, K.; Kaljurand, I.; Leito, I. (2010). "Influence of Water Content on the Acidities in Acetonitrile. Quantifying Charge Delocalization in Anions". J. Phys. Chem. A. 114 (43): 11788–11793. Bibcode:2010JPCA..11411788K. doi:10.1021/jp105670t. PMID 20919704.
^ a b c d e f g h Kaupmees, K.; Kaljurand, I.; Leito, I. (2014). "Influence of Water Content on Basicities in Acetonitrile". J. Solut. Chem. 43 (7): 1270–1281. doi:10.1007/s10953-014-0201-4.
^ a b c d Kaupmees, K.; Trummal, A.; Leito, I. (2014). "Basicities of Strong Bases in Water: A Computational Study". Croat. Chem. Acta. 87 (4): 385–395. doi:10.5562/cca2472.
^ a b c d e Raamat, E.; Kaupmees, K.; Ovsjannikov, G.; Trummal, A.; Kütt, A.; Saame, J.; Koppel, I.; Kaljurand, I.; Lipping, L.; Rodima, T.; Pihl, V.; Koppel, I. A.; Leito, I. (2013). "Acidities of strong neutral Brønsted acids in different media". J. Phys. Org. Chem. 26 (2): 162–170. doi:10.1002/poc.2946.
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29 Sep Tesla, early supporter of electricity choice in Nevada, shifts to neutral on Question 3
Tesla no longer a ‘yes’ on Question 3, the Nevada energy choice ballot measure. Tesla was an early booster of Question 3, the Nevada ballot measure calling for the state to allow consumers to shop for electricity from competing suppliers, but not anymore, the Nevada Independent confirms. “While we believe in open and competitive markets, Question 3 presents a number of uncertain impacts to our energy customers and the renewable energy industry in Nevada,” a Tesla official said in an email to the publication. “As a result, we have decided not to take a position on Question 3.” The setback for proponents of the ballot questions comes as polls show it has only minority support just a month shy of election day, a change from two years ago when the measure passed with more than 70 percent of voter support. To effectively change the state constitution to allow electricity competition, the state’s voters must approve it twice. NV Energy, the state’s dominant utility, sat on the sidelines two years ago, but has committed millions to defeating the measure this year.
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‘He stayed because of love’
As the sands of time sift away, much is forgotten and much is weaved in to the truth to form the colorful tapestry of historical tales.
In Quanzhou, located in the East China's Fujian province, (which is also the starting point of the maritime silk route) we found such a tale, where legends of conspiracy, coup, and throne usurping nephews was overrun by one solid force - love.
Upon visiting Quangzhou last year on the courtesy of the Chinese embassy of China, a group of journalists including myself stumbled into a tale of love, which left its mark even today, in the form of Xushi Yin’e, better known as the Ceylonese Princess.
In mundane life, Mrs. Yin’e runs an antique shop and is married to a historian - Sun Yahong. However, her history links her to the ancient royalty of Sri Lanka, or Ceylon, as the island nation was known during the ancient times.
In the 1990’s her identity came to light when a development project threatened to destroy her family’s burial tombs in Shijia Tomb on Mt. Qingyuan. Hence, the history of the Ceylon Prince in Quanzhou was unveiled. Legends state that a Ceylon prince visiting China was not able to return to his country because of a cousin who had usurped his father’s throne and killed his brothers. So he stayed in China, married and settled down, taking up the name of ’Shi’.
However, according to Mrs. Yin’e, the reason he did not return is not political, but simply love.
Smiling, elegant and unassuming, Mrs. Yin’e told the tale of her ancestor as she guided us through her family’s burial site on Mount Qingyua, in Quanzhou.
Pointing to Mrs. Yin’e showed us the tombs of her family including that of her imperial ancestor. Dragons symbolised the imperial status while stone carvings of lions drew parallel to the heritage across the seas.
The following are excerpts of the chat we had with her with the help of Mr. Cheng Wangron from the Guangzhou Foreign Office and Ms. Flora Kan who kindly stepped in as interpreters.
There are so many tales with regard to your ancestor. Some say he was an envoy who couldn’t go back home after his throne was usurped. Some say he settled down after marrying a local lady. As far as you are concerned, which version of the is true?
He came to study here. When he came to Quanzhou, he found that Quanzhou was a very beautiful city with an abundant culture and history that he grew fond of this place. Then he married an Arabian descendent of nobility named ‘Pu’ and settled down. Because he decided to settle down, his nephew had to take over the throne in his homeland. The other versions were apparently made up by someone to make it more dramatic, so to speak.
What did you feel when you first learnt about your royal lineage? Have you ever suspected of a family secret?
I used to hear stories from other people. But I got to know of it gradually. So there was no surprise.
But why was it kept a secret?
In the early 19th century, things in China were unstable. So the lineage was kept secret to keep the family safe from unwanted trouble.
Do you have any heirlooms from your family?
In the unstable conditions, any heirlooms that were in the family were destroyed for safety reasons. A buddhist statue was mentioned on the subject of heirlooms but it too was destroyed. A book of the family tree is all that remains.
Even you do not know the exact name of your ancestor. Nor do we know who he was. Wouldn’t you like to know?
Yes I do. When I went to Sri Lanka in 2002, I was trying to do this. There I met some people including a famous historian in Sri Lanka. The information I have is as per the historian in Sri Lanka.
You are a princess but living a normal life. how do you feel about?
I am used to it as I am from here and have already adapted to this life. So it’s not a special feeling. But as I meet more Sri Lankans, I feel the relationship with Sri Lanka more.
Are you interested in maintaining a relationship with Sri Lanka?
Yes. I will be keeping in touch with the people of Sri Lanka
(Story & photos : Shanika Jayasekara)
Last modified on Tuesday, 16 January 2018 15:50
More in this category: « We'll soon start playing the Sri Lankan brand of cricket: Hathurusingha Ministry of Crab: Chef Dharshan Munidasa on Mumbai edition of restaurant, using local ingredients »
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2015 September 19 - 20 Entertainment & Music Memorabilia Signature Auction - New York Auction #7149
Elvis Presley "Baby Let's Play House/I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone" 78 Single (Sun 217, 1955)....
Elvis Presley "Baby Let's Play House/I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone" 78 Single (Sun 217, 1955). After his first three historic Sun singles, Elvis finally had a charting single with his fourth release. "Baby Let's Play House" made it all the way to #5 on Billboard's Country & Western Singles chart in 1955, a portent of hits to come on multiple Billboard charts. Beautiful bright label. Condition: VG 5 (has a minor defect on b-side, but plays through fine).
19th-20th Saturday-Sunday
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms | Entertainment & Music Memorabilia Grading Tutorial
Consign to the 2019 December 8 Civil War, Militaria, Arms & Armor Signature Auction - Dallas.
This was all very much appreciated and an ongoing testament of how good Heritage Auctions are.
Vanessa H.,
Brackley, United Kingdom
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(-) Remove <label class='research-domain' title='The Human Mind and Its Complexity'>SH4 (382)</label> filter SH4 (382)
(-) Remove <label class='research-domain' title='The Study of the Human Past'>SH6 (306)</label> filter SH6 (306)
Project acronym 15CBOOKTRADE
Project The 15th-century Book Trade: An Evidence-based Assessment and Visualization of the Distribution, Sale, and Reception of Books in the Renaissance
Researcher (PI) Cristina Dondi
Summary The idea that underpins this project is to use the material evidence from thousands of surviving 15th-c. books, as well as unique documentary evidence — the unpublished ledger of a Venetian bookseller in the 1480s which records the sale of 25,000 printed books with their prices — to address four fundamental questions relating to the introduction of printing in the West which have so far eluded scholarship, partly because of lack of evidence, partly because of the lack of effective tools to deal with existing evidence. The book trade differs from other trades operating in the medieval and early modern periods in that the goods traded survive in considerable numbers. Not only do they survive, but many of them bear stratified evidence of their history in the form of marks of ownership, prices, manuscript annotations, binding and decoration styles. A British Academy pilot project conceived by the PI produced a now internationally-used database which gathers together this kind of evidence for thousands of surviving 15th-c. printed books. For the first time, this makes it possible to track the circulation of books, their trade routes and later collecting, across Europe and the USA, and throughout the centuries. The objectives of this project are to examine (1) the distribution and trade-routes, national and international, of 15th-c. printed books, along with the identity of the buyers and users (private, institutional, religious, lay, female, male, and by profession) and their reading practices; (2) the books' contemporary market value; (3) the transmission and dissemination of the texts they contain, their survival and their loss (rebalancing potentially skewed scholarship); and (4) the circulation and re-use of the illustrations they contain. Finally, the project will experiment with the application of scientific visualization techniques to represent, geographically and chronologically, the movement of 15th-c. printed books and of the texts they contain.
The idea that underpins this project is to use the material evidence from thousands of surviving 15th-c. books, as well as unique documentary evidence — the unpublished ledger of a Venetian bookseller in the 1480s which records the sale of 25,000 printed books with their prices — to address four fundamental questions relating to the introduction of printing in the West which have so far eluded scholarship, partly because of lack of evidence, partly because of the lack of effective tools to deal with existing evidence. The book trade differs from other trades operating in the medieval and early modern periods in that the goods traded survive in considerable numbers. Not only do they survive, but many of them bear stratified evidence of their history in the form of marks of ownership, prices, manuscript annotations, binding and decoration styles. A British Academy pilot project conceived by the PI produced a now internationally-used database which gathers together this kind of evidence for thousands of surviving 15th-c. printed books. For the first time, this makes it possible to track the circulation of books, their trade routes and later collecting, across Europe and the USA, and throughout the centuries. The objectives of this project are to examine (1) the distribution and trade-routes, national and international, of 15th-c. printed books, along with the identity of the buyers and users (private, institutional, religious, lay, female, male, and by profession) and their reading practices; (2) the books' contemporary market value; (3) the transmission and dissemination of the texts they contain, their survival and their loss (rebalancing potentially skewed scholarship); and (4) the circulation and re-use of the illustrations they contain. Finally, the project will experiment with the application of scientific visualization techniques to represent, geographically and chronologically, the movement of 15th-c. printed books and of the texts they contain.
Project acronym 19TH-CENTURY_EUCLID
Project Nineteenth-Century Euclid: Geometry and the Literary Imagination from Wordsworth to Wells
Researcher (PI) Alice Jenkins
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW
Summary This radically interdisciplinary project aims to bring a substantially new field of research – literature and mathematics studies – to prominence as a tool for investigating the culture of nineteenth-century Britain. It will result in three kinds of outcome: a monograph, two interdisciplinary and international colloquia, and a collection of essays. The project focuses on Euclidean geometry as a key element of nineteenth-century literary and scientific culture, showing that it was part of the shared knowledge flowing through elite and popular Romantic and Victorian writing, and figuring notably in the work of very many of the century’s best-known writers. Despite its traditional cultural prestige and educational centrality, geometry has been almost wholly neglected by literary history. This project shows how literature and mathematics studies can draw a new map of nineteenth-century British culture, revitalising our understanding of the Romantic and Victorian imagination through its writing about geometry.
This radically interdisciplinary project aims to bring a substantially new field of research – literature and mathematics studies – to prominence as a tool for investigating the culture of nineteenth-century Britain. It will result in three kinds of outcome: a monograph, two interdisciplinary and international colloquia, and a collection of essays. The project focuses on Euclidean geometry as a key element of nineteenth-century literary and scientific culture, showing that it was part of the shared knowledge flowing through elite and popular Romantic and Victorian writing, and figuring notably in the work of very many of the century’s best-known writers. Despite its traditional cultural prestige and educational centrality, geometry has been almost wholly neglected by literary history. This project shows how literature and mathematics studies can draw a new map of nineteenth-century British culture, revitalising our understanding of the Romantic and Victorian imagination through its writing about geometry.
Project acronym 5COFM
Project Five Centuries of Marriages
Researcher (PI) Anna Cabré
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITAT AUTONOMA DE BARCELONA
Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), SH6, ERC-2010-AdG_20100407
Summary This long-term research project is based on the data-mining of the Llibres d'Esposalles conserved at the Archives of the Barcelona Cathedral, an extraordinary data source comprising 244 books of marriage licenses records. It covers about 550.000 unions from over 250 parishes of the Diocese between 1451 and 1905. Its impeccable conservation is a miracle in a region where parish archives have undergone massive destruction. The books include data on the tax posed on each couple depending on their social class, on an eight-tiered scale. These data allow for research on multiple aspects of demographic research, especially on the very long run, such as: population estimates, marriage dynamics, cycles, and indirect estimations for fertility, migration and survival, as well as socio-economic studies related to social homogamy, social mobility, and transmission of social and occupational position. Being continuous over five centuries, the source constitutes a unique instrument to study the dynamics of population distribution, the expansion of the city of Barcelona and the constitution of its metropolitan area, as well as the chronology and the geography in the constitution of new social classes. To this end, a digital library and a database, the Barcelona Historical Marriages Database (BHiMaD), are to be created and completed. An ERC-AG will help doing so while undertaking the research analysis of the database in parallel. The research team, at the U. Autònoma de Barcelona, involves researchers from the Center for Demo-graphic Studies and the Computer Vision Center experts in historical databases and computer-aided recognition of ancient manuscripts. 5CofM will serve the preservation of the original “Llibres d’Esposalles” and unlock the full potential embedded in the collection.
This long-term research project is based on the data-mining of the Llibres d'Esposalles conserved at the Archives of the Barcelona Cathedral, an extraordinary data source comprising 244 books of marriage licenses records. It covers about 550.000 unions from over 250 parishes of the Diocese between 1451 and 1905. Its impeccable conservation is a miracle in a region where parish archives have undergone massive destruction. The books include data on the tax posed on each couple depending on their social class, on an eight-tiered scale. These data allow for research on multiple aspects of demographic research, especially on the very long run, such as: population estimates, marriage dynamics, cycles, and indirect estimations for fertility, migration and survival, as well as socio-economic studies related to social homogamy, social mobility, and transmission of social and occupational position. Being continuous over five centuries, the source constitutes a unique instrument to study the dynamics of population distribution, the expansion of the city of Barcelona and the constitution of its metropolitan area, as well as the chronology and the geography in the constitution of new social classes. To this end, a digital library and a database, the Barcelona Historical Marriages Database (BHiMaD), are to be created and completed. An ERC-AG will help doing so while undertaking the research analysis of the database in parallel. The research team, at the U. Autònoma de Barcelona, involves researchers from the Center for Demo-graphic Studies and the Computer Vision Center experts in historical databases and computer-aided recognition of ancient manuscripts. 5CofM will serve the preservation of the original “Llibres d’Esposalles” and unlock the full potential embedded in the collection.
Project acronym 5HTCircuits
Project Modulation of cortical circuits and predictive neural coding by serotonin
Summary Serotonin (5-HT) is a central neuromodulator and a major target of therapeutic psychoactive drugs, but relatively little is known about how it modulates information processing in neural circuits. The theory of predictive coding postulates that the brain combines raw bottom-up sensory information with top-down information from internal models to make perceptual inferences about the world. We hypothesize, based on preliminary data and prior literature, that a role of 5-HT in this process is to report prediction errors and promote the suppression and weakening of erroneous internal models. We propose that it does this by inhibiting top-down relative to bottom-up cortical information flow. To test this hypothesis, we propose a set of experiments in mice performing olfactory perceptual tasks. Our specific aims are: (1) We will test whether 5-HT neurons encode sensory prediction errors. (2) We will test their causal role in using predictive cues to guide perceptual decisions. (3) We will characterize how 5-HT influences the encoding of sensory information by neuronal populations in the olfactory cortex and identify the underlying circuitry. (4) Finally, we will map the effects of 5-HT across the whole brain and use this information to target further causal manipulations to specific 5-HT projections. We accomplish these aims using state-of-the-art optogenetic, electrophysiological and imaging techniques (including 9.4T small-animal functional magnetic resonance imaging) as well as psychophysical tasks amenable to quantitative analysis and computational theory. Together, these experiments will tackle multiple facets of an important general computational question, bringing to bear an array of cutting-edge technologies to address with unprecedented mechanistic detail how 5-HT impacts neural coding and perceptual decision-making.
Serotonin (5-HT) is a central neuromodulator and a major target of therapeutic psychoactive drugs, but relatively little is known about how it modulates information processing in neural circuits. The theory of predictive coding postulates that the brain combines raw bottom-up sensory information with top-down information from internal models to make perceptual inferences about the world. We hypothesize, based on preliminary data and prior literature, that a role of 5-HT in this process is to report prediction errors and promote the suppression and weakening of erroneous internal models. We propose that it does this by inhibiting top-down relative to bottom-up cortical information flow. To test this hypothesis, we propose a set of experiments in mice performing olfactory perceptual tasks. Our specific aims are: (1) We will test whether 5-HT neurons encode sensory prediction errors. (2) We will test their causal role in using predictive cues to guide perceptual decisions. (3) We will characterize how 5-HT influences the encoding of sensory information by neuronal populations in the olfactory cortex and identify the underlying circuitry. (4) Finally, we will map the effects of 5-HT across the whole brain and use this information to target further causal manipulations to specific 5-HT projections. We accomplish these aims using state-of-the-art optogenetic, electrophysiological and imaging techniques (including 9.4T small-animal functional magnetic resonance imaging) as well as psychophysical tasks amenable to quantitative analysis and computational theory. Together, these experiments will tackle multiple facets of an important general computational question, bringing to bear an array of cutting-edge technologies to address with unprecedented mechanistic detail how 5-HT impacts neural coding and perceptual decision-making.
Project acronym A-FRO
Project Actively Frozen - contextual modulation of freezing and its neuronal basis
Researcher (PI) Marta de Aragão Pacheco Moita
Summary When faced with a threat, an animal must decide whether to freeze, reducing its chances of being noticed, or to flee to the safety of a refuge. Animals from fish to primates choose between these two alternatives when confronted by an attacking predator, a choice that largely depends on the context in which the threat occurs. Recent work has made strides identifying the pre-motor circuits, and their inputs, which control freezing behavior in rodents, but how contextual information is integrated to guide this choice is still far from understood. We recently found that fruit flies in response to visual looming stimuli, simulating a large object on collision course, make rapid freeze/flee choices that depend on the social and spatial environment, and the fly’s internal state. Further, identification of looming detector neurons was recently reported and we identified the descending command neurons, DNp09, responsible for freezing in the fly. Knowing the sensory input and descending output for looming-evoked freezing, two environmental factors that modulate its expression, and using a genetically tractable system affording the use of large sample sizes, places us in an unique position to understand how a information about a threat is integrated with cues from the environment to guide the choice of whether to freeze (our goal). To assess how social information impinges on the circuit for freezing, we will examine the sensory inputs and neuromodulators that mediate this process, mapping their connections to DNp09 neurons (Aim 1). We ask whether learning is required for the spatial modulation of freezing, which cues flies are using to discriminate different places and which brain circuits mediate this process (Aim 2). Finally, we will study how activity of DNp09 neurons drives freezing (Aim 3). This project will provide a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of freezing and its modulation by the environment, from single neurons to behaviour.
When faced with a threat, an animal must decide whether to freeze, reducing its chances of being noticed, or to flee to the safety of a refuge. Animals from fish to primates choose between these two alternatives when confronted by an attacking predator, a choice that largely depends on the context in which the threat occurs. Recent work has made strides identifying the pre-motor circuits, and their inputs, which control freezing behavior in rodents, but how contextual information is integrated to guide this choice is still far from understood. We recently found that fruit flies in response to visual looming stimuli, simulating a large object on collision course, make rapid freeze/flee choices that depend on the social and spatial environment, and the fly’s internal state. Further, identification of looming detector neurons was recently reported and we identified the descending command neurons, DNp09, responsible for freezing in the fly. Knowing the sensory input and descending output for looming-evoked freezing, two environmental factors that modulate its expression, and using a genetically tractable system affording the use of large sample sizes, places us in an unique position to understand how a information about a threat is integrated with cues from the environment to guide the choice of whether to freeze (our goal). To assess how social information impinges on the circuit for freezing, we will examine the sensory inputs and neuromodulators that mediate this process, mapping their connections to DNp09 neurons (Aim 1). We ask whether learning is required for the spatial modulation of freezing, which cues flies are using to discriminate different places and which brain circuits mediate this process (Aim 2). Finally, we will study how activity of DNp09 neurons drives freezing (Aim 3). This project will provide a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of freezing and its modulation by the environment, from single neurons to behaviour.
Project acronym AAREA
Project The Archaeology of Agricultural Resilience in Eastern Africa
Researcher (PI) Daryl Stump
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITY OF YORK
Summary "The twin concepts of sustainability and conservation that are so pivotal within current debates regarding economic development and biodiversity protection both contain an inherent temporal dimension, since both refer to the need to balance short-term gains with long-term resource maintenance. Proponents of resilience theory and of development based on ‘indigenous knowledge’ have thus argued for the necessity of including archaeological, historical and palaeoenvironmental components within development project design. Indeed, some have argued that archaeology should lead these interdisciplinary projects on the grounds that it provides the necessary time depth and bridges the social and natural sciences. The project proposed here accepts this logic and endorses this renewed contemporary relevance of archaeological research. However, it also needs to be admitted that moving beyond critiques of the misuse of historical data presents significant hurdles. When presenting results outside the discipline, for example, archaeological projects tend to downplay the poor archaeological visibility of certain agricultural practices, and computer models designed to test sustainability struggle to adequately account for local cultural preferences. This field will therefore not progress unless there is a frank appraisal of archaeology’s strengths and weaknesses. This project will provide this assessment by employing a range of established and groundbreaking archaeological and modelling techniques to examine the development of two east Africa agricultural systems: one at the abandoned site of Engaruka in Tanzania, commonly seen as an example of resource mismanagement and ecological collapse; and another at the current agricultural landscape in Konso, Ethiopia, described by the UN FAO as one of a select few African “lessons from the past”. The project thus aims to assess the sustainability of these systems, but will also assess the role archaeology can play in such debates worldwide."
"The twin concepts of sustainability and conservation that are so pivotal within current debates regarding economic development and biodiversity protection both contain an inherent temporal dimension, since both refer to the need to balance short-term gains with long-term resource maintenance. Proponents of resilience theory and of development based on ‘indigenous knowledge’ have thus argued for the necessity of including archaeological, historical and palaeoenvironmental components within development project design. Indeed, some have argued that archaeology should lead these interdisciplinary projects on the grounds that it provides the necessary time depth and bridges the social and natural sciences. The project proposed here accepts this logic and endorses this renewed contemporary relevance of archaeological research. However, it also needs to be admitted that moving beyond critiques of the misuse of historical data presents significant hurdles. When presenting results outside the discipline, for example, archaeological projects tend to downplay the poor archaeological visibility of certain agricultural practices, and computer models designed to test sustainability struggle to adequately account for local cultural preferences. This field will therefore not progress unless there is a frank appraisal of archaeology’s strengths and weaknesses. This project will provide this assessment by employing a range of established and groundbreaking archaeological and modelling techniques to examine the development of two east Africa agricultural systems: one at the abandoned site of Engaruka in Tanzania, commonly seen as an example of resource mismanagement and ecological collapse; and another at the current agricultural landscape in Konso, Ethiopia, described by the UN FAO as one of a select few African “lessons from the past”. The project thus aims to assess the sustainability of these systems, but will also assess the role archaeology can play in such debates worldwide."
Project acronym ABACUS
Project Advancing Behavioral and Cognitive Understanding of Speech
Researcher (PI) Bart De Boer
Host Institution (HI) VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL
Summary I intend to investigate what cognitive mechanisms give us combinatorial speech. Combinatorial speech is the ability to make new words using pre-existing speech sounds. Humans are the only apes that can do this, yet we do not know how our brains do it, nor how exactly we differ from other apes. Using new experimental techniques to study human behavior and new computational techniques to model human cognition, I will find out how we deal with combinatorial speech. The experimental part will study individual and cultural learning. Experimental cultural learning is a new technique that simulates cultural evolution in the laboratory. Two types of cultural learning will be used: iterated learning, which simulates language transfer across generations, and social coordination, which simulates emergence of norms in a language community. Using the two types of cultural learning together with individual learning experiments will help to zero in, from three angles, on how humans deal with combinatorial speech. In addition it will make a methodological contribution by comparing the strengths and weaknesses of the three methods. The computer modeling part will formalize hypotheses about how our brains deal with combinatorial speech. Two models will be built: a high-level model that will establish the basic algorithms with which combinatorial speech is learned and reproduced, and a neural model that will establish in more detail how the algorithms are implemented in the brain. In addition, the models, through increasing understanding of how humans deal with speech, will help bridge the performance gap between human and computer speech recognition. The project will advance science in four ways: it will provide insight into how our unique ability for using combinatorial speech works, it will tell us how this is implemented in the brain, it will extend the novel methodology of experimental cultural learning and it will create new computer models for dealing with human speech.
I intend to investigate what cognitive mechanisms give us combinatorial speech. Combinatorial speech is the ability to make new words using pre-existing speech sounds. Humans are the only apes that can do this, yet we do not know how our brains do it, nor how exactly we differ from other apes. Using new experimental techniques to study human behavior and new computational techniques to model human cognition, I will find out how we deal with combinatorial speech. The experimental part will study individual and cultural learning. Experimental cultural learning is a new technique that simulates cultural evolution in the laboratory. Two types of cultural learning will be used: iterated learning, which simulates language transfer across generations, and social coordination, which simulates emergence of norms in a language community. Using the two types of cultural learning together with individual learning experiments will help to zero in, from three angles, on how humans deal with combinatorial speech. In addition it will make a methodological contribution by comparing the strengths and weaknesses of the three methods. The computer modeling part will formalize hypotheses about how our brains deal with combinatorial speech. Two models will be built: a high-level model that will establish the basic algorithms with which combinatorial speech is learned and reproduced, and a neural model that will establish in more detail how the algorithms are implemented in the brain. In addition, the models, through increasing understanding of how humans deal with speech, will help bridge the performance gap between human and computer speech recognition. The project will advance science in four ways: it will provide insight into how our unique ability for using combinatorial speech works, it will tell us how this is implemented in the brain, it will extend the novel methodology of experimental cultural learning and it will create new computer models for dealing with human speech.
Project acronym ABATSYNAPSE
Project Evolution of Alzheimer’s Disease: From dynamics of single synapses to memory loss
Researcher (PI) Inna Slutsky
Summary A persistent challenge in unravelling mechanisms that regulate memory function is how to bridge the gap between inter-molecular dynamics of single proteins, activity of individual synapses and emerging properties of neuronal circuits. The prototype condition of disintegrating neuronal circuits is Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Since the early time of Alois Alzheimer at the turn of the 20th century, scientists have been searching for a molecular entity that is in the roots of the cognitive deficits. Although diverse lines of evidence suggest that the amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta) plays a central role in synaptic dysfunctions of AD, several key questions remain unresolved. First, endogenous Abeta peptides are secreted by neurons throughout life, but their physiological functions are largely unknown. Second, experience-dependent physiological mechanisms that initiate the changes in Abeta composition in sporadic, the most frequent form of AD, are unidentified. And finally, molecular mechanisms that trigger Abeta-induced synaptic failure and memory decline remain elusive. To target these questions, I propose to develop an integrative approach to correlate structure and function at the level of single synapses in hippocampal circuits. State-of-the-art techniques will enable the simultaneous real-time visualization of inter-molecular dynamics within signalling complexes and functional synaptic modifications. Utilizing FRET spectroscopy, high-resolution optical imaging, electrophysiology, molecular biology and biochemistry we will determine the casual relationship between ongoing neuronal activity, temporo-spatial dynamics and molecular composition of Abeta, structural rearrangements within the Abeta signalling complexes and plasticity of single synapses and whole networks. The proposed research will elucidate fundamental principles of neuronal circuits function and identify critical steps that initiate primary synaptic dysfunctions at the very early stages of sporadic AD.
A persistent challenge in unravelling mechanisms that regulate memory function is how to bridge the gap between inter-molecular dynamics of single proteins, activity of individual synapses and emerging properties of neuronal circuits. The prototype condition of disintegrating neuronal circuits is Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Since the early time of Alois Alzheimer at the turn of the 20th century, scientists have been searching for a molecular entity that is in the roots of the cognitive deficits. Although diverse lines of evidence suggest that the amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta) plays a central role in synaptic dysfunctions of AD, several key questions remain unresolved. First, endogenous Abeta peptides are secreted by neurons throughout life, but their physiological functions are largely unknown. Second, experience-dependent physiological mechanisms that initiate the changes in Abeta composition in sporadic, the most frequent form of AD, are unidentified. And finally, molecular mechanisms that trigger Abeta-induced synaptic failure and memory decline remain elusive. To target these questions, I propose to develop an integrative approach to correlate structure and function at the level of single synapses in hippocampal circuits. State-of-the-art techniques will enable the simultaneous real-time visualization of inter-molecular dynamics within signalling complexes and functional synaptic modifications. Utilizing FRET spectroscopy, high-resolution optical imaging, electrophysiology, molecular biology and biochemistry we will determine the casual relationship between ongoing neuronal activity, temporo-spatial dynamics and molecular composition of Abeta, structural rearrangements within the Abeta signalling complexes and plasticity of single synapses and whole networks. The proposed research will elucidate fundamental principles of neuronal circuits function and identify critical steps that initiate primary synaptic dysfunctions at the very early stages of sporadic AD.
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Pennsylvania155
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Director of the Poor166[remove]
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151. Pennsylvania 1822 Director of the Poor, Lancaster County
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What is today referred to as the Democratic Republican Party did not exist as such under that name.
"The party name which the Jeffersonians used most commonly in self-designation was Republican. Since nearly all Americans professed to be supporters of a republic, Federalists were reluctant to allow their opponents the advantage of this name, preferring to label them as Antifederalists, Jacobins, disorganizers, or, at best, Democrats." (Noble E. Cunningham, Jr., History of U.S. Political Parties Volume I: 1789-1860: From Factions to Parties. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., ed. New York, 1973, Chelsea House Publisher. p. 240.)
"No precise date can be given for the establishment of the Republican party, for it did not spring suddenly into being, and even those leaders most intimately involved in its formation were not fully aware of what they were creating. The beginnings of what in course of time became the Republican party can be found in the Second Congress in the congressional faction that contemporaries referred to as the 'republican interest.' . . . An examination of roll calls during the Second Congress indicates that a voting bloc was forming around Madison in opposition to another bloc that united in support of Hamilton's program. While only about half of the membership of the House could be identified with one or the other of these factions, two such groups had not been observable in the First Congress." (Cunningham, p. 241)
"As members of Congress defended their legislative records and sought reelection, they took to the electorate the issues and the disputes that had divided Congress, and they tended in their campaigns for reelection to impart to the voters something of the partisanship that was developing in Congress. Thus, the party divisions in Congress filtered down to the voters through the electoral process, and voters came to align along the lines that divisions in Congress had marked out. In this process the congressional factions acquired the mass followings in the county necessary to transform them from capital factions into national political parties." (Cunningham, p. 244)
Though Thomas Jefferson was seen as the primary leader of the emerging Republican Party, his retirement in 1793 would force that mantle back upon James Madison. "Contemporaries referred to 'Madison's party,' and, when Jefferson was put forward for the presidency in 1796, he was recognized as the candidate of Madison's party. Adams's supporters warned that 'the measures of Madison and Gallatin will be the measures of the executive' if Jefferson were elected. Under Madison's leadership, the Republican party in Congress moved from a role characterized largely by opposition to administration measures, mostly Hamiltonian inspired, to one of offering policy alternatives and proposing Republican programs." (Cunningham, p. 246)
"As the country became dangerously polarized, the Federalists, in 1798 with the passage of the Alien and Sedition Laws, used the full power of the government in an effort to destroy their opponents, whom they saw as subversive. The Republicans, forced to do battle for their very survival, were compelled to change their strategy radically. Prior to 1798 they had optimistically believed that the people would repudiate leaders who supported antirepublican measures hostile to the general good of society. By 1798, however, the Federalists' electoral successes and their hold on the federal government seemed to belie that belief. Therefore, the Republicans shifted their focus of attention from the national to the state level. And by emphasizing a more overtly, self-consciously sectional, political enclave strategy, they left the clear implication that state secession and the breakup of the union might follow if the federal government refused to modify its policies and actions to make them more acceptable to opponents, especially Southerners." (American Politics in the Early Republic: The New Nation in Crisis. James Roger Sharp. New Haven, 1993, Yale University Press. p. 12)
"On the national level, Republican members of Congress through their informal associations in the national capital formed the basic national party structure. Many of them lodged together in boarding houses or dined together in small groups where there were ample opportunities to plot party tactics. They kept in close touch with political leaders and party organizations in their home states. In 1800, Republican members introduced what was to become the most important element of national party machinery and the most powerful device for the maintenance of congressional influence of the leadership of the party: the congressional nominating caucus." (Cunningham, p. 252)
"The coming to power of the Jeffersonians in 1801 marked the beginning of the Republican era that saw the presidency passed from Jefferson to Madison to Monroe. When the Virginia dynasty came to an end in 1825, the presidential office went to a former Federalist who had become a Republican while Jefferson was president. But, although John Quincy Adams was a Republican, the presidential election of 1824 shattered the Republican party and destroyed the congressional nominating caucus which had given direction to the party's national structure since 1800. Adams's presidency was a period of restructuring of parties - a transitional period from the first party system of the Federalists and the Jeffersonians to the second party system of the age of Jackson." (Cunningham, p. 258-259).
"During the period from its rise in the 1790's to its breakup in the 1820's, the Jeffersonian Republican party made contributions of major significance to the development of the american political system. It demonstrated that a political party could be successfully organized in opposition to an administration in power in the national government, win control over that government, and produce orderly changes through the party process. In challenging the Federalist power, Republicans were innovative in building party machinery, organizing poltical campaigns, employing a party press, and devising campaign techniques to stimulate voter interest in elections and support of republican candidates at the polls. In the process, it became acceptable for candidates to campaign for office and for their partisans to organize campaign committees, distribute campaign literature, see that voters get to the polls, and adopt other practices which, though subsequently familiar features of american political campaigns, previously had been widely regarded with suspicion and distrust. Many of the methods of campaigning and the techniques of party organization, introduced by the Jeffersonian Republicans, while falling into disuse by the end of the Republican era, would be revived by the Jacksonians. In taking office in 1801, the Jeffersonians led the nation through the first transfer of political power in the national government from one party to another; and Jefferson demonstrated that the president could be both the head of his party and the leader of the nation." (Cunningham, p. 271)
History of U.S. Political Parties Volume I: 1789-1860: From Factions to Parties. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., ed. New York, 1973, Chelsea House Publisher.
American Politics in the Early Republic: The New Nation in Crisis. James Roger Sharp. New Haven, 1993, Yale University Press.
Partisanship and the Birth of America's Second Party, 1796-1800: "Stop the Wheels of Government". Matthew Q. Dawson. Westwood, CT, 2000, Greenwood Press.
Party of the People: A History of the Democrats. Jules Witcover. New York, 2003, Random House
Beginning in 1799, many Federalist papers began to refer to the Republican Party as Democrats or the Democratic Party. This continued throughout the first quarter of the 18th Century until what is currently known as the Democratic Party emerged among the followers of Andrew Jackson in the 1828 Presidential Election.
Republicans were also called by a variety of different terms in various newspapers throughout the period:
Anti-Federalist:
Though the Anti-Federalists were not quite the exact same group as the Republicans as they would develop after 1792, there were still some of those who referred to them as such. The term was used by the following newspapers in the following elections:
Porcupine's Gazette (Philadelphia). October 22, 1798. Pennsylvania 1798 Assembly, Chester County.
Virginia Gazette (Richmond). April 30, 1799. Virginia 1799 House of Delegates, New Kent County.
The Virginia Federalist (Richmond). April 26, 1800. Virginia 1800 House of Delegates, Norfolk County.
Virginia Gazette (Richmond). May 12, 1802. Virginia 1802 House of Delegates, Bedford County.
Virginia Gazette (Richmond). May 12, 1802. Virginia 1802 House of Delegates, Pittsylvania County.
The Salem Gazette. May 17, 1805. Massachusetts 1805 House of Representatives, Salem.
Democratic Republican:
Though the term is commonly used today to distinguish the Jeffersonian Republicans from the later Republican Party and because so many of those among the Jeffersonian Republicans eventually became Jacksonian Democrats, this term was extremely rare during the actual period. It was used by the Readinger Adler in the October 27, 1818 edition recording the 1818 county elections in Pennsylvania.
French / War / Warhawk / Jacobin:
Starting in 1798, various Federalist newspapers would refer to Republicans as Jacobins. ("In Newbern district the contest lay between two federalists -- No Jacobin had the effrontery to offer himself." United States Gazette. September 1, 1798.) These references continued through until at least 1810. ("From the Cooperstown Federalist: The election in this County has terminated in favor of the Jacobin Ticket for Assembly. An important revolution has been effected by the most shameful artifices. Never before were the jacobin ranks so completely formed and thoroughly drilled for action. We hope next week to be able to lay before our readers a correct statement of votes, and to exhibit to the world a picture of depravity in the conduct of some of the inspectors of the election which has no parallel." The American (Herkimer). May 3, 1810.)
Beginning in 1810, the Newburyport Herald (MA), began referring to Republicans as the French Party (as opposed to the "American" Party, who were Federalists). This continued in the 1811 elections.
Beginning in 1812 ("In laying before our readers the above Canvass of this county, a few remarks become necessary, to refute the Assertion of the war party, that the Friends of Peace are decreasing in this country." Northern Whig (Hudson). May 11, 1812.) and continuing through 1813 and 1814 a number of newspapers were referring to the Republicans as the War Party (or Warhawk Party, as the Merrimack Intelligencer (Haverhill) of March 19, 1814 used) due to their support of the Madison administration and the War of 1812 (most of these same papers referred to the Federalists as the Peace Party). These newspapers include the Trenton Federalist, the Columbian Centinel (Boston), the Northern Whig (Hudson), the Independent American (Ballston Spa), the Broome County Patriot (Chenango Point), the New York Spectator, the Commercial Advertiser (New York), the New York Evening Post, the Albany Gazette, the Political and Commercial Register (Philadelphia), the Merrimack Intelligencer (Haverhill), The Federal Republican (New Bern), the Freeman's Journal (Philadelphia), Alexandria Gazette, Poulson's, Middlesex Gazette (Middletown), the Raleigh Minerva and The Star (Raleigh).
Jackson / Jacksonian:
With the Presidential election of 1824 split among four candidates who were, ostensibly, members of the same political party, the divisions among the Republican Party began to be apparent.
The phrase "Jackson" or "Jacksonian" candidate was used in nearly every state election in Georgia in 1824 to distinguish between those were were supporters of Andrew Jackson as opposed to the supporters of William H. Crawford. The Maryland Republican (Annapolis) and the Federal Gazette (Baltimore) used the term "Jacksonian" in the Cecil County elections of 1824 (as opposed to "Adamite" or "Crawfordite") and the Allegheny and Butler county election in Pennsylvania in 1824.
Whig:
The New Hampshire Gazette of March 5, 1816 would refer to the Republican ticket as the Whig Ticket and as being in favor of Peace and Commerce.
Director of the Poor: Head position in the poor house. Known in Massachusetts, Ohio and Rhode Island as Overseer of the Poor.
1799 - 1824: Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island
Office Scope: County / Town (Rhode Island)
Role Scope: County / Town (Rhode Island)
American Antiquarian Society Digital Collections and Archives at Tufts University Terms and Conditions
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Province scales back crude-by-rail plan, will lease 4,400 cars
Dustin Cook
The Alberta government will lease 4,400 rail cars to move oil out of the province, resulting in capacity of 120,000 barrels per day by mid-2020, Premier Rachel Notley said Tuesday.
Instead of purchasing rail cars, the government as part of its crude-by-rail strategy will buy rail service from Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway to ship crude oil to international markets, including the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Initial estimates last November called for 7,000 rail cars, but the province decided only 4,400 would be required after talks with the railway companies found more efficient rail routes to move the 120,000 barrels of oil per day, the original goal set by the government.
Along with curtailment measures, Notley said this plan is an interim solution to help curb the oil price differential, reiterating that pipelines to tidewater is the only long-term option.
“The investment … and the elevation of the amount of crude going by rail comes as a result of successive federal governments failing to get the appropriate regulatory regime in place so that we can build new pipelines,” Notley said.
Looking at the Trans Mountain pipeline, Notley said she is still “cautiously optimistic” that construction will resume in the fall. But the province is “not happy” with the silence from the federal government for an interim plan.
“There comes a time when … debating the number of angels on a pin with the federal government is not of value. Moving forward to protect Albertans is,” she said.
The Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission (APMC) is currently negotiating market destinations, off-loading sites and purchase agreements with crude oil producers. The province expects anticipated revenues of around $5.9 billion throughout the three-year program from commercial oil sales and increased royalty revenue. With an expected investment of $3.7 billion into the program, the government is forecasting a profit of $2.2 billion.
Trains carrying oil are expected on the track by next July, transporting about 20,000 barrels a day, and then reach full capacity within a year.
The added rail shipments are projected to narrow the oil price gap by up to US$4 per barrel from the beginning of 2020 to late 2021. Notley said the plan wouldn’t impact agricultural products being moved out of the province and the government was assured there would be enough capacity for both.
Industry response
The national lobby group for Canada’s oil industry called the move Tuesday a “positive decision.”
“We absolutely support any effort to support market access particularly in the short term,” said Ben Brunnen, vice-president, oilsands and fiscal operation with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.
This is one step closer to removing the need for curtailment, which Brunnen said is the ultimate goal.
Calgary-based oil company Cenovus Energy Inc. said in a statement the increased rail capacity is encouraging and on its own has already entered into a three-year agreement with major rail companies to transport about 100,000 barrels per day along the U.S. Gulf Coast.
‘Fiscal train wreck’
United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney called the plan a “fiscal train wreck” and took issue with the $3.7-billion price tag during the election campaign period.
“The government should not be encumbering a prospective future government or taxpayers with multibillion-dollar decisions,” he told reporters. “They had nearly four years to do this before now.”
If elected, Kenney said the UCP would review every contract signed by the current government during the legal campaign period — that came into effect Feb. 1 — to ensure they complied with public interest and value for taxpayers.
“If we believe that we can cancel contracts and save billions of tax dollars we will do so,” he said in response to whether the UCP will look to end the crude-by-rail plan. “It exposes taxpayers to serious risk by a government trying to spend like drunken sailors when they’re probably on their way out the door.”
Notley addressing concerns of shipping oil by rail, said they have ensured the agricultural industry will not be impacted pic.twitter.com/u1npzViQk6
— Dustin Cook (@dustin_cook3) February 19, 2019
duscook@postmedia.com
twitter.com/dustin_cook3
United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney responds to the province’s crude-by-rail announcement during a news conference at the legislature in Edmonton on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019. David Bloom / Postmedia
Keith Gerein: NDP heads onto unsteady tracks with dubious gamble on... Watch: Alberta Premier Rachel Notley unveils crude-by-rail plan
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Accept no imitations
Given that he’s just become a movie star, Alan Turing’s classic paper “Computing Machinery and Intelligence” seems an apt topic for a blog post. It is in this paper that Turing sets out his famous “Imitation Game,” which has since come to be known as the Turing Test. The basic idea is as follows: Suppose a human interrogator converses via a keyboard and monitor with two participants, one a human being and one a machine, each of whom is in a different room. The interrogator’s job is to figure out which is which. Could the machine be programmed in such a way that the interrogator could not determine from the conversation which is the human being and which the machine? Turing proposed this as a useful stand-in for the question “Can machines think?” And in his view, a “Yes” answer to the former question is as good as a “Yes” answer to the latter.
This way of putting things is significant. Turing doesn’t exactly assert flatly in the paper that machines can think, or that conversational behavior of the sort imagined entails intelligence, though he certainly gives the impression that that is what he believes. (As Jack Copeland notes in his recent book on Turing (at p. 209), Turing’s various statements on this subject are not entirely consistent. In some places he explicitly declines to offer any definition of thinking, while at other times he speaks as if studying what machines do can help us to discover what thinking is.) What Turing says in the paper is that the question “Can machines think?” is “too meaningless to deserve discussion,” that to consider instead whether a machine could pass the Turing Test is to entertain a “more accurate form of the question,” and that if machines develop to the point where they can pass the test, then “the use of words and general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted.”
This is very curious. Suppose you asked me whether gold and pyrite are the same, and I responded by saying that the question is “too meaningless to deserve discussion,” that it would be “more accurate” to ask whether we could process pyrite in such a way that someone examining it would be unable to tell it apart from gold, and that if we can so process it, then “the use of words and general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of pyrite as gold without expecting to be contradicted.” Obviously this would be a bizarre response. Whether pyrite might be taken by someone to be gold and whether pyrite is in fact gold are just two different questions, and what I would be doing is simply changing the subject rather than in any way answering the original question. How is Turing’s procedure any different? And how exactly is “Can machines think?” any more “meaningless” than “Is pyrite gold?”
It’s no good, by the way, to object that the cases are not parallel insofar as an expert could distinguish gold and pyrite. The cases are parallel in this respect, as Turing himself implicitly admitted. Copeland points out (p. 211) that Turing elsewhere acknowledged that in a Turing Test situation, someone with expertise about machines might well be able to figure out from subtle clues which is the machine. Turing thus stipulated that the interrogator should be someone who does not have such expertise. He thought that what mattered was whether the ordinary person could figure out which is the machine. So, whether an expert (as opposed to an ordinary observer) could figure out whether or not something is pyrite does not keep my example from being relevantly analogous to Turing’s.
So, why might Turing or anyone else think that his proposed test casts any light on the question about whether machines can think? There are at least three possible answers, and none of them is any good. I’ll call them the Scholastic answer, the verificationist answer, and the scientistic answer. Let’s consider each in turn.
What I call the “Scholastic answer” is definitely not what Turing himself had in mind, though in fact it would be the most promising (if ultimately unsuccessful) way to try to defend Turing’s procedure. The idea is this. Recall that it is a basic principle of Scholastic metaphysics that agere sequitur esse (“action follows being” or “activity follows existence”). That is to say, the way a thing acts or behaves reflects what it is. A defender of the Turing Test could argue that if a machine acts like an intelligent thing, then it must be an intelligent thing. But competent language use is a paradigmatically intelligent activity (especially for a Scholastic, who would define intellect in terms of the grasp of abstract concepts of the sort expressed by general terms). Hence (so the argument might go) the Turing Test is a surefire way to test for intelligence.
But not so fast. For a Scholastic, the principle agere sequitur esse must, of course, be applied in conjunction with other basic metaphysical principles. And one of the other relevant ones is the distinction between substantial form and accidental form, a mark of which is the presence or absence of irreducible causal powers. A plant carries out photosynthesis and a pocket watch displays the time of day, but these causal powers are not in the two objects in the same way. That a plant carries out photosynthesis is an observer-independent fact about the plant, whereas that a watch displays the time of day is not an observer-independent fact about the watch. For the metal bits that make up the watch have no inherent tendency to display the time. That is a function we have imposed on them, from outside as it were. The plant, by contrast, does have an inherent tendency to carry out photosynthesis. That reflects the fact that to be a plant is to have a substantial form and thus to be a true substance, whereas to be a pocket watch is to have a mere accidental form and not to be a true substance. The true substances in that case are the metal bits that make up the watch, and the form of a pocket watch is just an accidental form we have imposed on them. (I have discussed the difference between substantial and accidental form in many places, such as here, here, and here. For the full story, see chapter 3 of Scholastic Metaphysics.)
Now, a computing machine is like a pocket watch rather than like a plant. It runs the programs it does, engages in conversation, etc. in just the same way that the watch displays the time. That is to say, it has no inherent tendency to do these things, but does them only insofar as we impose these functions on the parts that make up the machine. (This is why, as Saul Kripke points out, there is no observer-independent fact of the matter about what program a computer is running, and why, as Karl Popper and John Searle point out, there is no observer-independent fact of the matter about whether something even counts as a computer in the first place.) To be a computer is to have a mere accidental form rather than a substantial form.
In applying the principle agere sequitur esse, then, we need to determine whether the thing we’re applying it to is a true substance or not, or in other words whether it has a substantial form or merely an accidental form. If we’re examining bits of metal and find that they display the time, it would silly to conclude “Well, since agere sequitur esse, it follows that metal bits have the power to tell time!” For the bits are “telling time” only because we have made them do so, and they wouldn’t be doing it otherwise. Similarly, if I throw a stone in the air, it would be ridiculous to conclude “Since agere sequitur esse, it follows that stones can fly!” The stone is “flying” only because and insofar as I throw it. Flying is, you might say, merely an accidental form of the stone. What matters when applying the principle agere sequitur esse is to see what a thing does naturally, on its own, when left to its own devices -- that is to say, to see what properties flow or follow from its substantial form, as opposed to the accidental forms that are imposed upon it.
Now, seen in this light the Turing Test is just a non-starter. To determine whether a machine can think, it simply isn’t relevant to find out whether it passes the Turing Test, if it passes the test only because it has been programmed to do so. Left to themselves, metal bits don’t display time, and stones don’t fly. And left to themselves, machines don’t converse. So, that we can make them converse no more shows that they are intelligent than throwing stones or making watches shows that stones have the power of flight or that bits of metal qua metal can tell time.
So, while the Scholastic answer would (in my view, since I’m a Scholastic) be Turing’s best bet, at the end of the day it doesn’t really work. But of course, Turing was no Scholastic. Did he have in mind instead what I call the “Verificationist answer”? The idea here would be this: The meaning of a statement is, according to verificationism, determined by its method of verification. Now, we can’t peer into anyone else’s mind, in the case of human beings any more than in the case of machines. So (the argument might continue), the only way to verify whether something is intelligent is to determine whether it behaves in an intelligent way, and intelligent conversation is the gold standard of intelligent behavior. Hence the only way the question “Can machines think?” can be given a meaningful construal is to interpret it as asking whether machines can behave in an intelligent way. Since that is precisely what the Turing Test seeks to determine, if a machine passes it, then there is nothing more that could in principle be asked for as evidence that it is genuinely intelligent. Indeed (so the argument would go), there is nothing more for intelligence to be than the capacity to pass the Turing Test.
Now, verificationism was certainly in the air at the time Turing was writing. It underlay the “philosophical behaviorist” view that having a mind is “nothing but” manifesting certain patterns of behavior or dispositions for behavior. But there are serious problems with verificationism, not the least of which is that it is self-defeating. For the principle of verification is not itself verifiable, which entails that it is, by its own standards, strictly meaningless. If it were true, then it wouldn’t even rise to the level of being false. Unsurprisingly, no one defends it any more, at least not in its most straightforward form.
But Turing does not in any case appeal to verificationism in the paper, and I don’t think that’s really what’s going on. What I think he was at least tacitly committed to is what I call the “Scientistic answer” to the question of why anyone should think the Turing Test casts light on the question whether machines can think. Turing’s view, I suspect, was essentially that there is no way to study intelligence scientifically other than by asking what a system would have to be like in order to pass the Turing Test. Hence that is, in his view, the question we should focus on. Notice that this is not (or need not) be the same position as that of the verificationist. His talk about “meaninglessness” notwithstanding, Turing need not say that it is strictly meaningless to ask whether something could pass the Turing Test and yet not truly be thinking. He could say merely that since there is no scientific way to investigate that particular question, there is no point in bothering with it, and we should just focus instead on what the methods of the empirical scientist might shed light on.
If this is what Turing is up to, then he is essentially doing the same thing Lawrence Krauss does when he pretends to answer the famous question why there is anything at all rather than nothing. And what Krauss does, as I have discussed several times (here, here, here, and here), is to pull a bait-and-switch. He pretends at first that he is going to explain why there is something rather than nothing, but then changes the subject and discusses instead the question of how the universe in its current state arose from empty space together with the laws of physics -- which, of course, are very far from being nothing. His justification for this farcical procedure is essentially that physics has something to tell us about the latter question, whereas it has nothing to tell us about why there is anything at all (including the fundamental laws of physics themselves) rather than nothing. What we should focus on, in Krauss’s view, is the question he thinks he can answer rather than the question we originally asked.
Now this is exactly the same fallacy as that of the drunk who insists on looking for his lost car keys under the lamp post, on the grounds that that is the only place where there is enough light by which to see them. The fact that that is where the light is simply doesn’t entail that the keys are there, and neither does it entail that there is any point in continuing to look for the keys under the lamp post after repeated investigation fails to turn them up, or that there is no point in trying to find ways to look for the keys elsewhere, or that we should look for something else under the lamp post rather than the keys. Similarly, the fact that the methods of physics are powerful methods doesn’t entail that those methods can answer the question why there is anything at all rather than nothing, or that we should replace that question with some other question that the methods of physics can handle, or that there is no point in looking for other methods by which to investigate the question. To assume, as Krauss does, that the question simply must be one susceptible of investigation by physics if it is to be rationally investigated at all is to commit what E. A. Burtt identified as the fallacy of “mak[ing] a metaphysics out of [one’s] method” -- that is, of trying to force reality to conform to one’s favored method of studying it rather than conforming one’s method to reality.
Turing seems to be guilty of the same thing. Rather than first determining what thought is and then asking what methods might be suitable for studying something of that nature, he instead starts by asking what sorts of thought-related phenomena might be susceptible of study via the methods of empirical science, and then decides that those are the only phenomena worth studying. The fallaciousness of this procedure should be obvious. Characterizing “thought” as the kind of thing that a machine would exhibit by virtue of passing the Turing Test is like characterizing “keys” as the sort of thing apt to be found under such-and-such a particular lamp post.
In general, there is (as I have argued many times) simply no good reason to accept scientism and decisive reason to reject it. There are at least five problems with it: First, formulations of scientism are typically either self-defeating or only trivially true; second, science cannot in principle offer a complete description even of the physical world; third, science cannot even in principle offer a complete explanation of the phenomena it describes; fourth, the chief argument for scientism -- the argument from the predictive and technological successes of science -- is fallacious; and fifth, the widespread assumption that the only alternative to natural science is a dubious method of doing “conceptual analysis” is false. (See chapter 0 of Scholastic Metaphysics for detailed exposition of each of these points.) So, the “Scientistic answer” also fails.
Needless to say, Turing was a brilliant scientist, and all of us who use and love computers are in his debt. But his foray into philosophy resulted, I think, not in any positive contribution but only in an interesting and instructive mistake.
Be careful, Ed. If you continue in this vein, you'll end up criticizing the analytics - and we all know that the merest criticism of the analytics releases their immense band of flying howler monkeys.
makachini February 13, 2015 at 5:07 PM
buen post
Matt Sigl February 13, 2015 at 8:25 PM
Great post. I'm actually most interested in the cognitive anxiety and confusion created in humans when machines start to seem to "think" and "form concepts" and "communicate" etc. It's BECAUSE we can essentially "know", if we go through the rigors of logic on the matter (as Feser has done here) that a computer (at least insofar as that term relates to any digital architecture we can imagine today) does not and could not "think." Yet the "masquerade" of thinking could be so powerful as to "convince" our instincts such that we could "relate" to computers as thinking entities and maybe even "fall in love" with them, for some. It's a dangerous situation for human consciousness.
I suppose my question would be, is there ANY room in Scholasticism for humans making a computer that could think (or potentially think), in principle using whatever kind of sci-fi computer technology you can imagine. I think a Thomist's answer would be "no" as human cognition requires that God need specifically create each and every instance of a true thinking thing. (I think this also has the implication that not every instance of a active human brain necessarily also be granted the immaterial gift of the immaterial intellect and thus could be, in essence, as devoid of thought as a behaviorally isomorphic Turing Machine. In other words a Thomist should hold that a person could look like a thinking creature but actually not have that property if it is not granted by God. (If I'm wrong about this point, I'd love to be corrected.)
My final view is that if we could generate a super-advanced neuormorphic non-biological system which has the same intrinsic causal powers as a biological neural system (an analysis you can mathematically cash out according to Giulio Tononi's Integrated Information Theory) then God could grant that system the immaterial intellect just like he would human brain as the causal apparatus sustaining it would be up to the task, formally. It bears repeating that none of our current digital computers have anything approaching this kind of material organization or processing structure. (Sometimes I do wonder about the Internet as a whole though, given that it "grew" and was not specifically programmed as a "individual entity" yet emerges as a kind of Unity. Speculations on the topic are not without merit I believe, even for the scholastic, but are usually nonetheless dismissed out-of-hand as impossible.
Scott February 13, 2015 at 8:44 PM
@Matt Sigl:
"My final view is that if we could generate a super-advanced neuormorphic non-biological system which has the same intrinsic causal powers as a biological neural system (an analysis you can mathematically cash out according to Giulio Tononi's Integrated Information Theory) then God could grant that system the immaterial intellect just like he would human brain as the causal apparatus sustaining it would be up to the task, formally."
For whatever it's worth, Mr. Green and I have independently expressed essentially the same view. There doesn't seem (as far as either of us can tell) to be any reason why God couldn't in principle endow an artifact/machine with a rational soul, but of course at that point it would cease to be an artifact/machine and become an intelligent substance.
John Moore February 14, 2015 at 2:03 AM
What is thinking in the first place? Until you define the term, this whole topic is "too meaningless to deserve discussion." In particular, one person can't explain how computers can think if someone else insists on using a different definition of thinking.
Professor Feser's gold-pyrite example is helpful, but it assumes people agree on what the words "gold" and "pyrite" mean. If your definition of both is just "yellowish metallic stuff," then pyrite really is gold. The problem is just that such a definition is not particularly helpful for us.
Word definitions are tools we use, and they must be helpful for us. So again I ask: What is your definition of thinking? And how does that definition help you?
Kiel February 14, 2015 at 2:44 AM
Oft times I've wondered what I'd do if I was asked to prove that a real and existing thing like Commander Data from Star Trek, for example, was not rational but a pseudo-rational thing.
I figure the only way to do so is to try and teach a new concept to the thing and get it to make judgements about the concept. What would you do?
John West February 14, 2015 at 6:43 AM
How does one know whether a machine thinks? Back up a second. How does one know whether a human besides oneself thinks?
I should add: and why cannot a machine fulfill exactly those same criteria we use for other humans?
... and in what way is deciding whether a machine can think different from deciding whether another, humanoid alien can think (an idea people seem much more ready to embrace than strong AI)?
Daniel February 14, 2015 at 7:26 AM
How does one know whether a human besides oneself thinks?
One cannot do so infallibly. But the Analogy of Other Minds is only an inference from X behavior to something's having a mind not a claim about having a mind meaning to have X behavior. There are other considerations one takes into account to. In the case of a machine its being a machine tells against it.
I should add: and why cannot a machine fulfill exactly those same criteria we use for other humans
The Scholastic can give an additional argument here and claim that by definition a machine lacks immanent teleology and thus cannot be the sort of thing that can possibly think. Yes, there could something composed of broadly the same materials as a machine that was capable of thought but in being it would be an organism and thus not a machine.
Edit: what I meant to say in that first paragraph was that to have X behavior isn't even a Necessary Condition to having a mind let alone a Sufficient one as the Behaviorists thought (not that John was claiming such himself).
Simon February 14, 2015 at 7:28 AM
Let's say we did build a machine that mirrors the function of the human brain. If we built it out of parts that we designed, then we could write a program with the same function and run it on a conventional computer. So if it is possible to design a machine that truly thinks (even if that makes it not-a-computer, as Scott suggests) then it would seem to follow that a conventional computer could do the same thing.
Scott February 14, 2015 at 7:31 AM
@Simon:
Your hypothetical scenario seems to assume that human thought is reducible to brain activity.
Irish Thomist February 14, 2015 at 8:15 AM
@Ed
It would be good to beef up the point you were making about the Scholastic argument by also refuting the objection that what is referred to as 'neural networks' in AI programming can in fact learn - of course that capacity itself was imposed from without and is still only relevant in relation to the observer.
Also you might find this an interesting article on AS (rather than AI).
It baffles me that many people truly believe that there is a coming "singularity": a point when machines will have developed the intelligence to think for themselves (then we'll all be at their mercy).
Just how many transistors or logic gates demarcate the limits of a computer which merely does what its programmed to do and one which "thinks for itself"?
The thinking seems to be that consciousness is nothing but complexity. Reductionism strikes again.
Talitha February 21, 2017 at 3:12 PM
The other frustrating thing is the changing definition of the singularity. Originally it meant technology advancing so quickly that human beings could not keep up. By that definition, we've already achieved that. The definition you found, that involves computer "sentience" is the first I've heard of it in that form. It is both amusing and frustrating that these compelling concepts develop a life of their own and develop almost mystical powers of expansion. Makes having a rational argument even more challenging.
Timocrates February 14, 2015 at 9:03 AM
@ Matt Sigl,
"computers as thinking entities and maybe even "fall in love" with them"
Something they could never, of course, reciprocate.
Love is a spiritual activity. In love, both intellect and will unite. AI could only have an externally enforced tendency to seek the good; whereas, man has an innate and natural tendency to do it. Good and evil in a program or machine do not intrinsically draw or repulse machines except insofar as they are being compelled by programming toward or away from them; and it's exactly here where artists fear the worse; that is, where a machine's programming ultimately concludes that human beings are evil, perhaps because we do not in fact always do what is right, good or best and then switches on its, as it were, extermination mode. But this activity is still ultimately all of it derivative of our own thinking and beliefs; that is to say, it is what we judge as good that is programmed into a machine or computer. So really the AI gone Terminator scenario isn't a fault of machines, which are ultimately incapable of being susceptible to judgement in that regard exactly because they are not actually rational beings; it is, however, really the fault of the programmer's design flaw.
Greg February 14, 2015 at 9:44 AM
@ John West
The way I think about it is this: Functionalism levels the multiple realizability argument against mind-brain identity theory. But multiple realizability is not universal realizability; there simply does not seem to be any reason to suppose (certainly not without argument) that everything that is functionally equivalent is psychologically equivalent, even though functional equivalence will yield behavioral equivalence, which is (in large part) that by which we judge that something is intelligent.
For example, Ned Block (I think) noted that it is technically possible to enumerate all hour-long conversations between two people where at least one person is giving intelligent responses. To be sure, this would require a lot of space to store and would be difficult to search. But then there could be a machine that just maps the inputs onto the intelligent responses, so that it passes the Turing test. If someone wants to maintain that that is intelligent, then I suppose they are free to do so, but I won't be joining them.
So what then? I think the artifact/natural substance distinction would have to be made to work. If we know that something was constructed in order to emulate our behavior, the hypothesis that it also realizes our psychological characteristics seems extravagant; they can be realized separately, and the machine in question was contrived specifically in order to realize only one of them, so I would see no reason to believe that it is also intelligent. We recognize it as an artifact; its 'intelligence' is a manifestation of its creator's (even if it is, for instance, performing calculations far beyond our ken). We could, on the other hand, identify an alien life form that exhibits apparently rational behavior as alive, for we can recognize that it (for example) manifests immanent (self-perfective) causation.
Matt Sheean February 14, 2015 at 9:47 AM
"Your hypothetical scenario seems to assume that human thought is reducible to brain activity."
Is his hypothetical scenario committed to this?, He might be suggesting something that would be a problem for any machine that ostensibly thinks. Anything that we built might be represented on some other platform, like a computer, ergo it's not thinking.
I don't know if this is necessarily true of anything we possibly could build. Might "build" be used too broadly? In the case of artificial cells, it doesn't seem to be correct to refer to them as artificial.
Don Jindra February 14, 2015 at 10:06 AM
John Moore,
"Professor Feser's gold-pyrite example is helpful, but it assumes people agree on what the words 'gold' and 'pyrite' mean. If your definition of both is just 'yellowish metallic stuff,' then pyrite really is gold. The problem is just that such a definition is not particularly helpful for us."
Exactly. The gold/pyrite analogy fails because we know how to distinguish between the two. We agree on the differences. We agree on the experts to consult. That cannot be said of thinking. Nobody has a good definition of it. Nobody knows what it is. Since we don't know what thinking is, nobody can legitimately say whether or not it's possible for a computer to do it too. It does no good to talk about "general educated" opinion versus "expert" opinion because there are no true experts. That's why the Touring Test exists -- because we don't have objective definitions for these terms. In our ignorance, behavior seems to be as good a standard as anything else. The issue, today, comes down to whether or not one is an optimist or pessimist about man's ability to solve difficult problems.
Scott February 14, 2015 at 10:21 AM
@Matt Sheean:
"Is his hypothetical scenario committed to this?"
I think so. His argument as I understand it is that if it's possible to design a machine that thinks, then we could simulate that machine with a computer program and the computer on which it ran would think too. I don't think that conclusion would follow unless the thinking were reducible to the simulatable aspects of the machine's operation.
Suppose we built an artificial human and God endowed it with a rational soul. That wouldn't entail that a computer simulation of that body would also have a rational soul. For that matter, a complete computer simulation of a naturally-occurring human body wouldn't (at least necessarily) have a rational soul either.
Greg February 14, 2015 at 10:26 AM
@ Don Jindra
That's why the Touring Test exists -- because we don't have objective definitions for these terms. In our ignorance, behavior seems to be as good a standard as anything else. The issue, today, comes down to whether or not one is an optimist or pessimist about man's ability to solve difficult problems.
Well, it depends on what the "difficult problems" are. It would seem that Turing was a pessimist about solving this particular difficult problem, since he decided to change the terms.
Matt Sheean February 14, 2015 at 11:11 AM
"His argument as I understand it is that if it's possible to design a machine that thinks, then we could simulate that machine with a computer program and the computer on which it ran would think too."
I'd agree that this is a faulty line of reasoning.
I'm getting hung up, myself, on why I should suppose, in the case of the hypothetical artifact that God imbues with a rational substance, that I should suppose that God has done this. It seems to come down to behavior (at least in the sense that the 'body is the best picture of the soul'). Not, that is, just the behavior involved in making judgments and so on, but the behavior of the parts. I see that the parts work together in a way that suggests the kind of "intrinsic causal powers" requisite for thinking. In the case that you and I dispute whether or not the artifact has been brought across the gap into the realm of substance, how would we settle this?
"I'm getting hung up, myself, on why I should suppose, in the case of the hypothetical artifact that God imbues with a rational substance, that I should suppose that God has done this.…In the case that you and I dispute whether or not the artifact has been brought across the gap into the realm of substance, how would we settle this?"
That's a good question, and the short answer is that I don't know. (The slightly longer answer is that I agree with the general trend of your suggestion about behavior but I don't know how it would play out in detail; I'm not even sure we could know until it happened.)
Mr. Green may have more to say on the subject than I do, but the point on which he and I have agreed in the past is just that it seems possible in principle for an artifact to be capable of receiving a rational soul if God elected to give it one. I wouldn't suppose, for example, that an atom-for-atom duplicate of a human being would necessarily even be alive, let alone human, but there seems to be no reason why God couldn't endow such a duplicate with life and reason. In that case, though, the result would not be a "machine" and it wouldn't be something created solely by human artifice.
What is the status of a bioengineered entity like a GMO on the Scholastic view? Is it an artifact or a substance?
Greg February 14, 2015 at 12:56 PM
Closer to a substance. Something bioengineered would be like a dog breed that humans have cultivated, or like a polymer. Ed discusses such cases in Scholastic Metaphysics.
Anon: What is the status of a bioengineered entity like a GMO on the Scholastic view? Is it an artifact or a substance?
If it's an organism, then it's a substance. You might be able to start with one substance and do enough stuff that at some point you end up producing a new kind of organism (just as if you start with the substances of oxygen and hydrogen, you can manipulate them the right way and end up with the substance of water), but an organism is by definition a type of substance (a living one), so you'll either end up with a modified version of the same [kind of] substance, or one of a different kind, but still a substance.
Of course, all artifacts are made up of some arrangement of substances ultimately. If you "bioengineered" a simian-equine hybrid by teaching a monkey to ride a horse, I guess you could consider the whole assemblage as an "artifact", but really you've just got a monkey-substance and a horse-substance put together.
(There are a lot of older posts addressing this — just search the site for "artifact".)
Simon February 14, 2015 at 1:42 PM
@Scott: Your hypothetical scenario seems to assume that human thought is reducible to brain activity.
No more than yours does. Your position seems to be that one could write some specifications for a machine, build it, and a soul would attach - but if one builds a machine that implements the exact same specs in a different way, no soul would attach. Why is the architecture of the machine important in this? It doesn't seem to bother you that your posited truly thinking machine could have a radically different architecture from the human brain.
I am childishly amused at reCAPTCHA insisting that I prove I'm not a robot to be able to be part of this discussion.
Daniel Joachim February 14, 2015 at 2:27 PM
Speaking of. I wonder what people here think of this. 200 famous "intellectuals" answering the question "What do you think about machines that think?"
Edge: What do you think about machines that think
I'm somewhat disappointed of how few people they've invited that are skeptical to this very idea. Seems like Freeman Dyson is somewhat closest to being the voice of reason:
"I do not believe that machines that think exist, or that they are likely to exist in the foreseeable future. If I am wrong, as I often am, any thoughts I might have about the question are irrelevant.
If I am right, then the whole question is irrelevant."
Now, what does this say about our culture?
John West February 14, 2015 at 2:33 PM
Thanks. I may need you to unpack how one would go about recognizing the alien manifests immanent causation, but I also have a follow-up question:
So what then? I think the artifact/natural substance distinction would have to be made to work. If we know that something was constructed in order to emulate our behavior, the hypothesis that it also realizes our psychological characteristics seems extravagant; they can be realized separately, and the machine in question was contrived specifically in order to realize only one of them, so I would see no reason to believe that it is also intelligent. [...] We could, on the other hand, identify an alien life form that exhibits apparently rational behavior as alive, for we can recognize that it (for example) manifests immanent (self-perfective) causation.
What if one didn't know whether something was constructed in order to emulate our behaviour.
Also, for comparison, suppose a further, similar complication in the alien case. Suppose we can't take the alien apart—to see if it's fleshy rather than metallic—and that we're for some reason unable to investigate its home planet. It looks like a living organism (though may be an artefact; we seem to have that technological capability even now, or close to it). How would one go about deciding whether one or the other can think?
Obviously, if one blocks off all information about the machine and alien our ability to learn whether one or the other can think will go down, so I hope my follow-up doesn't qualify the question to death in follow-up.
... whether the machine or alien can think?^
Kiel: Oft times I've wondered what I'd do if I was asked to prove that a real and existing thing like Commander Data from Star Trek, for example, was not rational but a pseudo-rational thing.
Well, given the inconsistencies around things like showing emotion, using contractions, etc., I'd have to say that Data is a rational being who's pretending to be a robot!
(Personally, I don't see any problem with a machine that gives the appearance of thinking... my thermostat "learns" and makes "judgements", after all. Holding a fake conversation is just a difference of degree.)
Matt Sigl: Yet the "masquerade" of thinking could be so powerful as to "convince" our instincts such that we could "relate" to computers as thinking entities and maybe even "fall in love" with them, for some. It's a dangerous situation for human consciousness.
True; though not a novel one. People have fallen in love with non-thinking entities long before there were any computers, and will no doubt continue to do so.
Scott: I wouldn't suppose, for example, that an atom-for-atom duplicate of a human being would necessarily even be alive, let alone human, but there seems to be no reason why God couldn't endow such a duplicate with life and reason. In that case, though, the result would not be a "machine" and it wouldn't be something created solely by human artifice
I'm inclined to think that such a duplicate would in fact be a human being. (Assuming it did move, etc., and wasn't just a duplicated corpse!) Building a human body out of raw atoms with some sort of Star Trek-style replicator would differ more drasticly than present-day "test-tube" babies from the traditional way of making new humans, but if appeared human in all physical respects, I would conclude that it was indeed human — and thus that God had of course caused a human substance to come into being complete with human soul. But I concur that it could happen either way, at least hypothetically speaking.
Daniel Joachim: Now, what does this say about our culture?
That it's discouragingly ignorant of basic philosophy…?
Greg February 14, 2015 at 5:25 PM
I could not say about particulars. But surely there will be some point where, if we lack too much information, we will not be able to make a decision since, for instance, if we just had a one-sentence response, we would have something consistent with intelligence without having enough information. Of course it might be possible that there are other beings we can reasonably believe are intelligent without our being able to do so purely on the basis of their behavior.
Or it might be the case that there are intelligent beings whom we could not discover to be intelligent. We might be conceptually closed to them.
It's not like intelligence must be exactly like human intelligence. If it were, I suspect we could just brute force the question, whether any machine is intelligent in a manner exactly like humans, by exploiting our ability to decide mathematical propositions in different axiom systems and Godel's incompleteness theorem.
"Your position seems to be that one could write some specifications for a machine, build it, and a soul would attach[.]"
No, that's pretty explicitly not my position.
Sanders February 14, 2015 at 8:21 PM
Dr. Feser,
Would you mind offering your thoughts on Chris Cuomo's comment that, "“Our rights do not come from God, your honor, and you know that. They come from man... That’s your faith, that’s my faith, but that’s not our country. Our laws come from collective agreement and compromise.”"
Scott: Suppose we built an artificial human and God endowed it with a rational soul. That wouldn't entail that a computer simulation of that body would also have a rational soul. For that matter, a complete computer simulation of a naturally-occurring human body wouldn't (at least necessarily) have a rational soul either.
As you explicitly pointed out, if the thing that was built is still a machine, then it's not really thinking, and if it starts actually thinking, then it's not a machine any more. (To be accurate, I should say that "it" would not exist at all any more, having been replaced with a substance that looks the same but is a rational being instead.) Now I suppose Simon is thinking something like this: suppose we understand the human brain well enough to build a very accurate "simulated brain", one which functions just like a real human brain, including even apparently being able to talk, etc. Now it may be that once we get far enough to complete this artifact, it actually becomes (i.e. is replaced by) a human substance with a real intellect. [Which actually would be morally equivalent to creating a new person and removing all his limbs, face, etc. which is quite immoral so we'd better not actually do that, or at least create a whole human body... but I digress.]
I think the idea is that we hypothetically could do this by understanding the "workings" of the brain well enough, and once we have that understanding, we could apply that knowledge to building a computer program that is clearly not an ensouled human — and voilà! Artificial intelligence! Of course, what we have tacitly assumed here is that the brain is reducible to an atomic level; or rather, that it is reducible to an algorithmic level — that we can come up with an equation for the human brain, so to speak.
Now, no matter how much the program may be run on a machine of gears and vacuum tubes, if it starts thinking, it too will have been replaced with a substance with an intellectual soul; and if not, it will not really be thinking even if its output is in whatever way "identical" to a human brain's. The catch, of course, is whether there really is any algorithm for the output of a human brain; the rest of the scenario is just window-dressing. My own hunch is that the human brain/body is "virtually reducible" to such a level, but that gives us no clue as to whether it is physically feasible to implement such a program; and anyway, we already know the giant decision-tree method demonstrates that's it's theoretically possible in a sheer logical sense to simulate intelligence [or physically manifested output thereof] as accurately as we like.
Okay, related question. I see Dr. Feser has a photo of a book edited by Isaac Asimov. Now, every sci-fi fan knows, or should know, Asimov's robot stories and three laws of robotics. This gets us to 2 questions:
1) Is it possible even in theory to create robots that act like Asimov's, working under his laws (say, R. Daneel Olivaw or one of the I, Robot robots).
2) Are the robots in Asimov's stories moral agents?
Bonus question: In Phillip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" are the androids human?
Of course computers can't think. There's no actual prime matter, so no Thomist can admit to thinking art. Artificial substances, as artificial, have definite parts and I'm obviously not counting the natural substance which is the ultimate matter of anything artificial. Natural substance on the other hand is only simple in form, but indefinitely complex in its content because, as I said, prime matter does not actually exist.
So, no Thomist or any other true non-materialist ought to admit to anything like 'true AI'.
Mr. Green, your thermostat doesn't "learn" in the relevant sense. It can't learn about a deepldorki if I tried to explain one (I won't tell you what it is to prove my point), apply other relevant concepts and make judgements about them.
I think that if I tried introducing the concept of a deepldorki to Data without borrowing from existing concepts or talking in the abstract, I don't think he'd understand it because he lacks the activity of understanding. I don't think I could teach data new joke about deepldorki things (if it is a thing among many). And so on.
Just some maybe fallacious musings.
@Mr. Green has taken the reasoning chain further than I had. I was merely curious why @Scott would say that God might endow a machine with a soul, yet state flatly that a different machine that does exactly the same thing (not merely input/output, but mirroring every internal state) could not ever have a soul.
Perhaps I misunderstand.
Richard Dawkins and Brian Greene: Do We Live in a Simulated Universe?
Just because it's funny - one of the few times I found Richard more bearable, more human.
"I was merely curious why [Scott] would say that God might endow a machine with a soul, yet state flatly that a different machine that does exactly the same thing (not merely input/output, but mirroring every internal state) could not ever have a soul."
That's not what I said. I said* it wouldn't follow from His endowing the first with a rational soul that He must also endow the second with one. The only way the second would be guaranteed to have an intellect would be for the intellect to be reducible to the mechanics of the physical parts, which is why I said you were assuming that.
Likewise, I said that an atom-for-atom duplicate of a human being wouldn't necessarily be alive, let alone genuinely human, but I didn't say it couldn't be; in fact I expressly said it could.
* Suppose we built an artificial human and God endowed it with a rational soul. That wouldn't entail that a computer simulation of that body would also have a rational soul. For that matter, a complete computer simulation of a naturally-occurring human body wouldn't (at least necessarily) have a rational soul either.
Bob Lince February 15, 2015 at 8:06 AM
"But [Turing's] foray into philosophy...."
Was he philosophizing? Or was Turing a technician/engineer trying to build a contraption to do something.
How will it be known if the contraption is doing what it's wanted to do?
Well, if it passes some test, say, an "imitation game", or "Turing test", then perhaps it's doing what it's wanted to do.
Query: Mr. Turing, if it passes such a test, does that mean the machine is thinking?
Turing: I suppose if what it does is what you call thinking, then it is thinking; if what it does is not what you call thinking, then it is not thinking. For me, however, as a technician trying to build a contraption to pass such a test, the question is meaningless.
Just as, asking a theatrical prop manager, who has used a bar of pyrite to fool an audience into thinking a character has displayed a bar of gold, if that means pyrite is gold. The prop manager would respond by saying he finds the question meaningless and above his pay grade. His job was to make pyrite appear to be gold. Having passed that test, he did his job.
If it can be shown that Turing believed either a) that by passing the so-called Turing test, the contraption transubstantiated into something other than a contraption, or, b) that the passing of the test shows that humans, or human brains at least, are nothing but contraptions themselves, then I think you're on to something.
One supposes that Turing, like all men, mused about these things. But the Turing test itself is simply an engineer's means of calibration, of discovering if a standard has been met.
@John West:
"But if humans were able to crank out these machine-like rational beings so long as they had the materials and skilled labourers, would that imply that human rationality is reducible to material?"
No more, I think, than does the ordinary process of human childbirth.
@ Bob Lince
This is incredible. The prop manager would just say no, it's not gold, he was just picking something that looks like gold. The question is quite sensible, and there is a very obvious answer.
When people defend Turing's test, they tend to adopt this sort of naive picture of language. Mathematicians (like Turing) are usually pretty precise when they are giving stipulative definitions; they generally will select terms that do not have common uses, and if they do select a term that is widely used (like 'think'), they will be clear when they are using it in a technical, stipulative sense. It's not clear to me why Turing didn't do this, given his mathematical prowess, unless he thought the test cast some light on 'thinking' in the conventional sense.
@Bob Lince:
"Was he philosophizing? Or was Turing a technician/engineer trying to build a contraption to do something."
I'd say he was pretty obviously philosophizing. At the very least he was speculating about whether it was possible to build a certain type of machine and answering philosophical objections to that possibility.
"His job was to make pyrite appear to be gold. Having passed that test, he did his job."
If that was his job and he did it, then pyrite isn't gold and he knows it.
Jack Ferrara February 15, 2015 at 10:03 AM
How serendipitous, I was actually thinking about this very subject today while reading Dr. Feser's "Aquinas: A Beginner's Guide."
While reading the argument he puts forth about how Machines are not people (e.g. don't have a soul) because Machines are artifacts (e.g. composite of various substances) a thought occurred to me. Couldn't, technically, a critic argue that humans are themselves "artifacts" in that they are composites of calcium, carbon, and other elements? Or does this miss the point of Feser's argument?
John West February 15, 2015 at 10:13 AM
Jack Ferara,
Couldn't, technically, a critic argue that humans are themselves "artifacts" in that they are composites of calcium, carbon, and other elements? Or does this miss the point of Feser's argument?
For this, it would be good to read the articles Dr. Feser links in the article:
The true substances in that case are the metal bits that make up the watch, and the form of a pocket watch is just an accidental form we have imposed on them. (I have discussed the difference between substantial and accidental form in many places, such as here, here, and here. For the full story, see chapter 3 of Scholastic Metaphysics.)
@ Jack Ferrara
Also, this.
@ Greg and @John West,
Thanks you guys so very much! This actually clears up things quite a bit. I doubt it'll be the last time I ask for help but you guys really helped clarify these issues for me.
Simon February 15, 2015 at 12:56 PM
@Scott said: it wouldn't follow from His endowing the first with a rational soul that He must also endow the second with one. The only way the second would be guaranteed to have an intellect would be for the intellect to be reducible to the mechanics of the physical parts, which is why I said you were assuming that.
I see - I was misunderstanding your position.
However, what happens if we write specifications, build one physical machine and a one computer-based implementation of the same spec, and then one gets endowed with a soul but not the other? As far as I can see there are three options:
(a) The two function identically, even when confronted with a situation requiring true thought to solve (e.g. a situation that neither the machines nor their creators have ever encountered before). In other words, either the machine without the soul is creative, or the not-a-machine-anymore with the soul cannot be creative.
(b) The two do not function identically, at least under some circumstances, since one has an intelligent soul and one does not. But in that case, the unensouled machine functions as predicted by reductionist science, while the other does not. In other words, there are measurable effects from possessing a soul, and you open it to scientific examination.
Is there some other option?
@ Simon
I don't see any problem with (b). Suppose there are observable differences. Sure, we can attempt to study them scientifically, and in a broad enough sense of 'science,' that investigation could be fruitful; that doesn't imply any reductionism or materialism about the soul unless reduction is what the scientific investigation uncovers. An Ed has argued that that is not possible.
Sigh - there are two options...
Joe February 15, 2015 at 1:11 PM
Dr. Feser I would love to see a book length take down of AI. But Im willing to settle for a lengthly review of this book.
http://www.amazon.com/Superintelligence-Dangers-Strategies-Nick-Bostrom/dp/0199678111/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424034636&sr=1-1&keywords=nick+bostrom
Greg has given essentially the same answer that I would have given if I'd replied first. The possession of a soul (substantial form) is open to scientific investigation in the broadest sense of "scientific," and the result of such an investigation needn't be (indeed had better not be) reductionist or materialist.
@Mr. Green:
"Now it may be that once we get far enough to complete this artifact, it actually becomes (i.e. is replaced by) a human substance with a real intellect. [Which actually would be morally equivalent to creating a new person and removing all his limbs, face, etc. which is quite immoral so we'd better not actually do that, or at least create a whole human body... but I digress.]"
Yeah. I suppose there's no reason in principle that God couldn't (where "could" means merely logical possibility) endow even a lump of rock with a rational soul, but on the face of it that would seem to be pretty mean, and for similar reasons: the lump of rock wouldn't provide any physical means for the rational soul to manifest its properties.
Then again, on second thought I'm not so sure. Is it possible for a mere aggregate (as I take a lump of rock to be) to receive a rational soul and thus take on a substantial form? Would such a lump of rick exhibit immanent causation? How?
"A lump of rick." Ay yi yi.
I assume everybody knows what I meant there.
What distinguishes art from nature is that it (art) is purely relative to some natural substance (which is a natural agent) which produces it out of some other natural substance. Art is 'imitation of nature' or, more specifically, a specification of a nature. Human art is a mode of the human essence, however the ideal basis for any artificial substance to be produced is natural and not itself artificial (therefore essences are real and not 'just ideal', but the artificial constructs which proceed from ideas are also limitations upon those ideas). To say the same thing, theoria is superior to praxis.
seanrobsville February 16, 2015 at 3:27 AM
"When the body dies, the 'mechanism' of the body holding the spirit is gone, and the spirit finds a new body sooner or later, perhaps immediately."
– Alan Turing in a letter to Mrs Morcom
Turing wasn't a materialist. He was a Buddhist.
I noticed your comment under an article about Alan Turing. I knew none of that before. Could you direct me to something that would explain the real events in more detail?
Are you saying that (in case a) the machine and machine-like rational being (MRB) would and could perform identically in response to every circumstance, or is "function" being used in some other, technical sense?
Crude February 16, 2015 at 7:13 AM
Irish Thomist,
If you're referring to what I think you are, I'll post over at my blog - focus here is more on Turing's philosophical claims, and I'm trying to be a good guy and not derail. And it's not exactly obscure knowledge anyway.
Alan February 16, 2015 at 1:52 PM
I am reminded of a cartoon that came out back in the ‘70’s when ‘talking to apes’ was all the rage. It depicted to chimps, one reading the paper and turning to his companion: ‘Every year it gets harder and harder to be human!’
The issue alluded to in the cartoon and never satisfactorily answered is ‘what defines a human?’ Similarly never answered in this post is ‘What defines thought? With that omission, this post collapses into the bait and switch attributed to Lawrence Krauss. Consider this self-contradicting anecdote:
In the OP, it says: … ‘If we’re examining bits of metal and find that they display the time, it would [be] silly to conclude “Well, since agere sequitur esse, it follows that metal bits have the power to tell time!” For the bits are “telling time” only because we have made them do so, and they wouldn’t be doing it otherwise. … What matters when applying the principle agere sequitur esse is to see what a thing does naturally, on its own, when left to its own devices -- that is to say, to see what properties flow or follow from its substantial form, as opposed to the accidental forms that are imposed upon it.
Now, seen in this light the Turing Test is just a non-starter.’
If the ‘bits’ are telling time ‘because we have made them do so’, then the bits are telling time! To then claim that humans tell time differently from clocks is a bait and switch. Similarly if a machine is built [successfully] to think, it will think. It is a non sequitur to jump to the conclusion ‘the Turing Test is just a non-starter’ when the only argument presented was: ‘agere sequitur esse does not apply.’
@Scott, @Greg, thanks.
@John West - I was meaning that they would do the same thing in response to the same input. I glossed over things like a machine designed to roll dice as part of its decision-making process (also, deterministic chaos), but I'd classify them here too since they'd have identical probability distributions on their outputs.
I wasn't taking a position on whether a machine and a not-a-machine would fall under my case (a) or case (b) - simply that they must fall under one or other, and was curious to see which way Scott would go, or whether he'd back away from the notion of a machine-with-a-soul. I was expecting him to be a little more cautious about a theory that allows extremely direct access to the soul (in the sense that an ensouled machine must act differently from reductionist predictions, and "oh - that wasn't quite what theory predicted" is the usual method of discovery in science). However, having read the link that Greg provided, I gather that Thomists expect reductionist methods to fail when applied to the soul. So (b) appears to be the obvious answer from a Thomist perspective.
@ Alan
It is a non sequitur to jump to the conclusion ‘the Turing Test is just a non-starter’ when the only argument presented was: ‘agere sequitur esse does not apply.’
But that was not what Ed was doing. He was specifically considering the prospects of turning the Scholastic principle 'agere sequitur esse' toward the defense of strong AI.
If the ‘bits’ are telling time ‘because we have made them do so’, then the bits are telling time! To then claim that humans tell time differently from clocks is a bait and switch. Similarly if a machine is built [successfully] to think, it will think.
I think the point Ed is making is that the watch doesn't tell time; we tell time through the watch. This would be consonant with other examples he has developed in other blog posts. For example, Ed has claimed that calculators don't add, but we add using calculators. He has also used the example of alphabet soup out in the wind; the letters are blown in such a way to form a coherence English sentence. The alphabet soup has not therefore 'said' anything. But if I poked at the letters for a while and arranged them into a sentence of my choice, then there is a sense in which the alphabet soup 'says' something, insofar as I have made it do so. But its saying something is my saying something.
Likewise, the watch's telling time is my telling time. The analogous point is that the computer can be used to facilitate my own mental processes, but on its own it's not doing anything.
The issue alluded to in the cartoon and never satisfactorily answered is ‘what defines a human?’
Hmm, perhaps I'm missing something or the cartoon is underdescribed but you seem to be making an interpretive leap.
Similarly never answered in this post is ‘What defines thought? With that omission, this post collapses into the bait and switch attributed to Lawrence Krauss.
As I mentioned before, defenses of strong AI via the Turing test tend to adopt a very naive view of language. It's quite simply not the case that there is no pretheoretic understanding of thought, difficult as it might be to provide necessary and sufficient conditions for it. (As Wittgenstein pointed out, the same is true of 'game' and many other terms.) We might be able to identify some necessary conditions, however: Thoughts can apparently be entertained without any obvious result for overt behavior. So, I think Ed is right; the defender of strong AI is baiting and switching much like Krauss, for he replaces a concept, thinking, with a widely accepted pretheoretic understanding, and then changes the subject because he has nothing to say about the original, actually interesting concept.
"I gather that Thomists expect reductionist methods to fail when applied to the soul."
Strictly speaking, Thomists expect reductionist methods to fail when applied to anything; the failure is just less conspicuous in accounts of inanimate nature.
I think the point Ed is making is that the watch doesn't tell time; we tell time through the watch.
Likewise, the watch's telling time is my telling time.
To be a bit more explicit, lest these remarks be misread, the point is that watches and people don't tell time in the same sense. A person can tell time; a watch tells time insofar as a human uses it to tell time. So it's consistent to say "the watch does not tell time" and "the watch's telling time is my telling time," since 'telling time' differs in sense in the two cases.
@Alan:
Just adding to Greg's replies here.
"If the ‘bits’ are telling time ‘because we have made them do so’, then the bits are telling time!"
Only because the bits are doing what we've set them to do. They don't have any inherent tendency to tell* the time; they do so only because humans have intentionally used them to perform that task. If all human beings disappeared from the world, the devices we call clocks would no longer show the time, because they'd have no one to show it to.
* Or, more precisely, "show." Clocks don't know what time it is; we use their displays to find out what time it is. That's why Greg says clocks "tell" time in a sense different from the way we do: a clock "tells" the time by displaying it to an intelligent agent, and we "tell" the time from the clock by understanding what its display means. The clock itself doesn't "mean" anything.
Crude February 16, 2015 at 3:12 PM
It may be helpful to drop the language that clocks 'tell time' or 'know what time it is' altogether, as if both humans and clocks know what time it is, but in a different way. Clocks, and computers, have no 'intrinsic meaning' in their parts or operations - their meaning is derived. But you can't have nothing but derived meaning, so where's the intrinsic meaning? In humans.
If someone wants to dig in their heels and insist that maybe (or even actually) clocks have intrinsic meaning too, that's a fun argument, but at that point it's over in the sense of trying to save the materialist, mechanist view.
Thanks for explaining. I asked because I questioned that (a) is really an option.
For example, what if the machine and MRB were each ordered to upload their “personalities” and memories—their “selves”—to new mechanical bodies*? It's plausible the machine could perform this task, because just software, stored data, etc. In contrast, if intellects are the sort of things only God can attach and the MRB's intellect actually plays a role in its apparently identical functioning, the MRB could not perform this task. So, if only God can attach intellects and the MRB's intellect plays a role in its functioning, the machine and MRB could not perform identically in response to at least one input.
Say the machine just has to plug a cable into the other mechanical body and initiate the uploading process. The machine uploading itself to the other body seems no less plausible than being able to transfer all the information from one computer to another.
I'll let you hash out the conjunction in my conditional's antecedent. But I thought the point about only God attaching intellects fairly uncontroversial, and can't see a point in your example if the MRB's intellect plays no role in the MRB's functioning (though, that may have to do with your last point on reductionism and (b) being obvious on Thomism).
*Say the new mechanical bodies are qualitatively identical to each's current body in every way possible without being the current bodies.
Greg: re, the cartoon: There was a general assertion back in the ‘60’s that only humans could use language. Then chimps were taught a simplified sign language, so there was a hurried revision of what ‘only humans’ could do, whereupon some apes were taught to perform that exercise and a new ‘definition’ was presented. For a while ‘tool making’ was presented as uniquely human.
This, I think, mirrors the challenge of thought, though I think thought should be far simpler to achieve than being human. Having many pets through my life, I attribute to them thought for their problem-solving abilities. Neither clocks nor calculators solve problems, some computers can now solve problems that were not explicit in their programming. That, I suggest, is approaching thought.
Et al.: Absent a clear definition, intrinsic is simply assumed to be required for thought. An assumption I am not sharing.
Neither clocks nor calculators solve problems, some computers can now solve problems that were not explicit in their programming. That, I suggest, is approaching thought.
It seems to be 'approaching thought' the way a can of paint is approaching thought when it turns out to work decent as a door jam, despite not being made for that task.
Absent a clear definition, intrinsic is simply assumed to be required for thought. An assumption I am not sharing.
You're not sharing the assumption of the thing you say hasn't been defined and therefore you don't know what it is?
Okay. So is all thought derived then? If it is, I'll ask how you determine what is or isn't deriving - if you refer to yet more derived information, I'll ask how you're determining THAT is deriving, and so on. You'll either end up at the intrinsic, an appeal to magic and mystery, or infinity.
If you're not saying that thought is derived, then you've hit a point of vagueness where it's not even clear what you're affirming or denying.
@John West - I'm just asking questions and learning. I agree (a) seems trivially silly; I was just listing all options.
I'm not sure your counter-argument works, however. If the not-a-machine were to duplicate itself, isn't that a slightly fancier form of reproduction? Another soul could attach. Since the whole option boils down to souls having no physical effects, the two copies would continue to operate identically as long as their inputs were identical.
I'm just asking questions and learning
I know. Seriously, don't worry.
If the not-a-machine were to duplicate itself, isn't that a slightly fancier form of reproduction?
No, because only the mechanical body—the hardware—is being “duplicated” (and I don't think it need be the machine duplicating the mechanical body for my example to work). The software, data, etc., are being transferred from the machine's original mechanical body to another mechanical body, not reproduced or duplicated.
Another soul could attach.
Well, that would be to deny that souls (intellects) are the sort of things only God can attach. But the issue here, on my understanding (see below), is that the soul attached to the machine-like rational being (MRB) would have to deattach (I'd say be deattached) and attach (I'd say be attached) to its new mechanical body. Obviously, the machine has no soul related problems. That's why I said that given the input that “ the machine and MRB were each ordered to upload their 'personalities' and memories—their 'selves'—to new mechanical bodies,” the MRB and machine could not perform the same tasks (and so there would result different outputs for MRB and machine).
Since the whole option boils down to souls having no physical effects, the two copies would continue to operate identically as long as their inputs were identical.
It seems I misunderstood. There is a distinction between having the soul resulting in no inputs yielding different ouputs for the MRB compared to the machine, and the soul producing no physical effects at all in the MRB. I thought the claim was that having a soul would produce no different outputs for any given input to the MRB compared to the machine, not that the soul would have no physical effects and therefore play no role in the MRB's functioning (making the MRB and machine for all practical purposes the same).
Of course, I don't think it's actually possible that a soul God attached to a machine would have no physical effects (fairly sure Scott's a hylemorphic dualist, not Cartesian dualist, so only one substance and no interaction problem). But it was your example.
could not perform the same task (and so there [...])^
"(fairly sure Scott's a hylemorphic dualist, not Cartesian dualist, so only one substance and no interaction problem)"
Jinzang February 16, 2015 at 6:09 PM
"Turing wasn't a materialist. He was a Buddhist."
Believing in reincarnation does not make you a Buddhist. Hindus, Theosophists, and Plato in The Republic also believe in reincarnation.
@ Alan,
”Similarly never answered in this post is ‘What defines thought?”
Not in this, perhaps, but in many others. Regardless, calling that which is not actually thinking something that is thinking is not “bait and switch”. What Professor Feser is pointing out is how easily we can say some things are doing things that they are not, in fact, doing. For example, there is a sense that it can be said an Air Conditioner “senses” the room temperature; however, its sensing is not like our sensing or even an animals. Moreover, there is no intrinsic principle in the air conditioner that resulted in its developing a power to sense the room temperature, anymore than the bronze in a bronze statues had an intrinsic principle to become a statue (bronze is not a thing with a natural power or tendency to become a statue).
But more directly to your objection, thought has an immaterial aspect about it that separates it not only from machines and animals but distinguishes it even from our power of imagination. I can’t imagine any triangle without necessarily including things that are not necessary for something to be a triangle, such as colour or the fact that the triangle will be of a certain kind. My concept of triangle, to be the actual concept, does not include these things, though of course every real triangle will include such determinations (specific dimensions, colour(s) and being of a certain kind). The reason, of course, is that triangles are material and because they are material such determinations will always accompany them in actuality. The same is true with species of animals where all sorts of accidents attach to them.
Another aspect characteristic of thought is its intentionality, that thoughts are always thoughts about something. Once that is appreciated, the liberty or freedom we enjoy in thinking becomes apparent, because we can think about whatsoever we please; whereas, any mechanism is going to be predetermined in its fundamentals, such that should anything go awry we will naturally look to its programming as the cause. In other words, simulated intelligence will be deterministic; or otherwise randomness will be included in the program to give the illusion of choice. But this risks all sorts of problems and absurdities that would vitiate not only its utilitarian appeal but even the appearance of intelligence in the first place.
Now I do not wish to exaggerate our freedom of thought here. By that I do not mean to say that can think of everything in the sense that we know everything or that there is no tendency in us to prefer thinking of some things rather than others. We are, after all, rational and to that extent we are inclined to be thinking about things more or else proper given our circumstances, desires and goals. A quarterback at the Superbowl is presumably going to be thinking almost exclusively about the game for its whole duration, and was undoubtedly preoccupied with it even before hand. However, it is obvious that there is nothing preventing him from thinking about whatever else he may have wanted to even to the detriment of the team or at the cost of winning the game. Not so for programs or AI (except again by including an element of randomness, which of course would have the same dangers or consequences listed earlier).
@ Alan, re: your pets.
The more you know about your pets the better you will be able to understand their behaviour and its limits.
Dogs, for instance, are domesticated and susceptible to it because they are highly social animals by nature or natural instinct. What we are doing is harnessing that instinctual drive.
When a dog fetches a ball and brings it back to you, you are bringing out its social instinct. Because either you are in its "mind" the alpha or because whomever the dog's alpha is how placed you in that rank, when the dog fetches the ball it behaves as it would fetching prey in the wild and bringing it to you, as it were for the pack. The reward the dog receives when you pet, praise or better yet give it a treat mimics what happens to dogs in the wild. They would capture prey and return with it to the alpha in the pack, and it would be the alpha who would decide whether or not they would eat. This is pure instinct, which is exactly why (especially when misunderstood) the dogs behaviour can be surprising and even dangerous. For instance, people smile to show affection normally; however, showing teeth in dogs is normally threatening. Consequently smiling at a dog -especially a stranger's- can trigger snappy or aggressive behaviour.
Again, dogs tend to be aggressive or protective naturally when they are accompanying their masters on, e.g., walks. The reason again is that the animal does not recognize the other dogs or people in its social hierarchy and considers them either threats or ranked beneath them. It takes some time and training to get the dog to accept its place beneath all humans and even to accept other animals - even cats, say - as off limits. Hence a dog will often tolerate being terrorized by toddlers or other pets. This is all extremely derivative, however, of its social instinct - namely its pack instinct and its instinct to please, as it were, the alpha(s).
Again, a K9 unit's dog can attack a man and bring him down but wont proceed to kill him. And the reason is similar to why the dog fetches the ball and brings it back to you: it's awaiting permission from the alpha before presuming to kill or eat. It's that already present social instinct in dogs that makes them so suitable for domestication, and its exactly that it is natural to dogs and deeply instinctual that it is reliable.
Timocrates: Professor Feser is pointing out a lot of things in this blog post which is an informal forum. My nit-picking of particular points is not important. I don’t disagree with most of your specific points, but I think you are missing the point with thought. While humans, alone, are capable of rational thought, that capacity evolved from far simpler thinking. I concur that any mechanism which is predetermined in its functions is not thinking, but that does not hold for animals nor man. No one programs a dog to play – it is part of their nature to enjoy the social activity, so you present a dog with opportunity, and it learns to engage. Because it can think and solve problems. An animals’ (to include mans’) instincts provide motivation, not specific direction. The brain takes over and figures out just how to satisfy that motivation. For any arbitrary animal, pre-determined behavior would not even be viable for the most part. The creature cannot ‘know’ what terrain it will be born into. It must learn to navigate the terrain it has, not the terrain its evolutionary ancestors had. It needs to catch the prey available in its environment, and to escape the local predators – not the ancestral predators. Even for an animal to walk it needs to constantly adjust to the current conditions – all of the specific commands to each muscle must be adjusted to the immediate terrain and to the current size of the animal as it grows from birth. No deterministic brain could keep these animals alive. The dynamics required for an animal to be not a vegetable requires thought. Not rational thought, but constant creative problem solving all the same.
Dynamic, problem solving (navigating in this case) machines:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE3fmFTtP9g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FFkDV2NKEY
"While humans, alone, are capable of rational thought, that capacity evolved from far simpler thinking."
If by "rational thought" you mean the intellect, then no, I don't think it did. The use of abstract concepts is a difference in kind, not merely in degree or complexity, from the sort of perceptual awareness subrational animals enjoy. You might as well say that three-dimensional space "evolved" from two-dimensional space.
Scott: Regardless of how you wish to believe the particular rational feature was introduced, a thinking brain evolved to be its host.
John February 17, 2015 at 3:22 PM
Re: Turing being a materialist-
The Wikipedia article on him cites a Time Magazine article saying he was an atheist and a materialist.
But the quote from Sean Robsville suggests he was not a materialist, or at least he had very eccentric views for a materialist. Anyone know for sure? Is this a matter of evolving views (i.e. when he wrote the letter Sean quotes, he believed in reincarnation but then later decided that materialism was true)? Or is one source inaccurate?
@John West said: No, because only the mechanical body—the hardware—is being “duplicated” (and I don't think it need be the machine duplicating the mechanical body for my example to work). The software, data, etc., are being transferred from the machine's original mechanical body to another mechanical body, not reproduced or duplicated.
You can't really "move" information in any storage medium I'm familiar with, any more than you can move letters from one page to another. You can either move the page from one book to another (swap out a hard drive) or copy-and-delete (which is what your software does when you ask it to move a file between drives). The former doesn't seem to be what you're talking about; the latter would seem to have moral implications in this context.
I don't think you can move the "brain states" without either moving the "brain" or copying them, is what I'm getting at. And if you've made a copy of the brain state, it doesn't seem unreasonable that that copy might be ensouled - it's not that different to creating a child.
I take the rest of your post to be more reasons why it's obvious that option (b) was the Thomist answer. No argument.
"[A] thinking brain evolved to be its host."
Whatever its hosting duties may be, the brain itself doesn't "think"; what thinks is the person, the human being, the rational animal, the intellectual substance. As Timocrates has pointed out, thought (intellect) "has an immaterial aspect about it that separates it not only from machines and animals but distinguishes it even from our power of imagination." The heart of the matter from a Thomist point of view is that to "think" of something is to receive its form into the intellect without actually becoming the object, and in order for that to be possible, the intellect must be immaterial.
You can't really "move" information in any storage medium I'm familiar with, any more than you can move letters from one page to another. You can either move the page from one book to another (swap out a hard drive) or copy-and-delete (which is what your software does when you ask it to move a file between drives).
In any case, I don't consider this point worth quibbling over. Given what I'm saying about intellects (and where they play a role in the MRB's functioning), the MRB couldn't copy itself either.
And if you've made a copy of the brain state, it doesn't seem unreasonable that that copy might be ensouled - it's not that different to creating a child.
Sure it's unreasonable. An intellect (soul) isn't data; it's not even physical.
And again, this reduces to denying my claim that intellects are the sort of things only God can attach.
I should add: not to mention denying that intellects (souls) are the sort of things only God can create.
I'm assuming Alan is just Alan Fox so don't know why I'm really bothering with this but none the less:
To explain what cognition is would take a far longer essay (at the very least!) than one merely elaborating one instance of what it's not: Why not start with:
http://edwardfeser.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/aristotle-and-frege-on-thought.html
Regardless of how you wish to believe the particular rational feature was introduced, a thinking brain evolved to be its host.
Well yes it had to reach a sufficient level of complexity to allow all the sensitive and perceptual modules that are a perquisite to human rationality. I doubt Scott would deny this though.
To expand this comment, you're equivocating with “copy”. Copy can be used in a general sense of copying* anything. But computers copy** data. When we talk about copying in relation to the machine and MRB, we're not talking about copying* in the general sense. We're talking about copying** in the sense of computers copying** data. Souls aren't data. Hence, computers don't copy souls.
@Daniel:
"Well yes it had to reach a sufficient level of complexity to allow all the sensitive and perceptual modules that are a perquisite to human rationality. I doubt Scott would deny this though."
That's right, I wouldn't. I would and do deny, though, that this level of complexity either constitutes intellect/rationality or is by itself a sufficient condition for it.
Firstly, there is in fact no reason to believe humans alone are capable of rational thought. When the intellect is rightly understood the very nature of it speaks rather to its being abundant than scarce.
Now you claim,
”While humans, alone, are capable of rational thought, that capacity evolved from far simpler thinking.”
Which is frankly ridiculous. The capacity is simple in man and always has been. Hence the popularity of the concept of tabula rasa even in our day, because it is quite in keeping with observation and experience. You are confounding what man happens to be thinking of or about with his capacity to think. Indeed, the “simpler thinking” in primitive man was notwithstanding quite rational insofar as he was preoccupied with, say, a stable food supply and more or less adequate shelter from the elements. To be sure, this isn’t rocket science or man attempting artificial flight, but it made perfect sense regardless given his situation.
And I have to disagree with your claim that dogs can problem solve in any meaningful sense. Problem solving is difficult even for man and requires a focus and reflection that dogs simply do not have. I also have to disagree with your attempt to collapse and confound instinctual drive in animals and instinctual drive in man. Man’s instinctual drive is quite impoverished. We have to learn and be taught not only what we are supposed to eat but that we are to eat – the pain of hunger does not come with the reason why we are in pain let alone the solution (proper food).
Glenn February 18, 2015 at 8:23 AM
An animals’ (to include mans’) instincts provide motivation, not specific direction. The brain takes over and figures out just how to satisfy that motivation.
Let's summarize this interesting view of the brain: it plays a useful role as subordinate assistant (to instinct).
Contractors build structures meant to host residents.
If he who resides in such a structure believes the structure to be more important than he himself is, he should also believe the contractor to be more important than either the structure or himself.
There does seem to be some evidence that there are people given to prioritizing things in such a way that they, in effect, express a belief that brains are more important than the intellects they house, and that evolution is more important than either the houses or the intellects.
Whether such people wantonly value the intellect so little, or truly make so little use of it, is not so easy to tell.
Some key points on the minimalistic views of the classical realist for the sake of clarity:
The brain is structurally related to substantial form, but in itself it is just matter; mere substantial potency.
Substantial form is not structure, it is a simple subjectivity. Insofar as a substance is analyzed through its matter, that matter is synthetically related to the simple subjectivity of substantial form. This relation is called structure. Structure is in itself arbitrary insofar as the content of its synthesis may vary in accordance with the intensity of the material analysis. To the extent that some matter is related to substantial form, some intensive structure is given.
Substantial form is characterized by its intelligibility. All perception is potentially intelligible; which is to say that there is no pure phenomena; all phenomena is of some substance. There is no act of sense-perception which does not correspond to the receptivity of the possible intellect. The tripartite psychological division of perception, possibly/passive intellect and active/agent intellect is very important for understanding the classical concept of form.
Classical realism is essentialist and intellectualist. The classical thinker is primarily interested in purifying the intellect and knowing essences. Intellectual capacity is essentially connected to the moral and spiritual condition of the agent. Empirical realism and existentialist realism (sorry M. Gilson) present very different perspectives which may or may not be compatible with the classical perspective. The classical realist, if he is bold, will simply call himself an essentialist. The intellectualism of the classical realist will always be pejoratively compared to 'idealism' by existentialists and other species of realist.
An essence and its concept is not the same thing as a phantasm/mental image. What else could be said in order to minimize needless chatter as much as possible? I suppose it is this; that the doctrine is verifiable through calm contemplation and reflection. Forgive me if I've made some apparent technical errors or if I've been too brief.
Perhaps Prof. Feser would like to write some articles on Thomistic psychology?
Daniel February 18, 2015 at 10:47 AM
Empirical realism and existentialist realism (sorry M. Gilson) present very different perspectives which may or may not be compatible with the classical perspective. The classical realist, if he is bold, will simply call himself an essentialist.
Regulars of this blog will not be surprised to hear that this occasioned a victory lap of the room.
On a serious note thanks to Anon for this summary. Far be it from me to disagree with it but the account they give has a more a more Platonic ring to it than that usually given by Thomists - in fact talk of being 'primarily interested in purifying the intellect and knowing essences' sounds like a good description of Realist Phenomenology.
Glenn February 18, 2015 at 11:00 AM
Given the wiki source (an apparent copy of which may be read here), it would seem to be a matter of, as you say, 'evolving views':
"This loss shattered Turing's religious faith and led him into atheism and the conviction that all phenomena must have materialistic explanations. There was no soul in the machine nor any mind behind a brain."
Further supporting the 'evolving views' view is the following, from A. Hodges 1983 Alan Turing: The Enigma, pp 107-108, (which predates the wiki source above):
"Obviously there was a connection between the Turing machine and his earlier concern with the problem of Laplacian determinism. The relationship was indirect. For one thing, it might be argued that the 'spirit' he had thought about was not the 'mind' that performed intellectual tasks. For another, the description of Turing machines had nothing to do with physics. Nevertheless, the had gone out of his way to set down a thesis of 'finitely many mental states', a thesis implying a material basis to the mind, rather than stick to the safer 'instruction note' argument. And it would appear that by 1936 he had indeed ceased to believe in the ideas that he had described to Mrs Morcom as 'helpful' as late as 1933 -- ideas of spiritual survival and spiritual communication. He would soon emerge as a forceful exponent of the materialist view and identify himself as an atheist."
Hodges also included the following in his much later SEP entry on Alan Turing:
"The upshot of this line of thought [by Turing] is that all mental operations are computable and hence realisable on a universal machine: the computer. Turing advanced this view with increasing confidence in the late 1940s, perfectly aware that it represented what he enjoyed calling 'heresy' to the believers in minds or souls beyond material description."
(I will probably post this again in one of the general/links of interest entries)
Out of interest could anyone point me in the direction of a Thomist account of Propositions/Meanings and their relation to Truth-making entities (Facts/States-of-Affairs)? I know Ed briefly mentions a Thomist understanding of Propositions akin to that of Universals when discussing the PSR in GSM.
Reading Loux on this a while ago left me wondering what it would mean if Propositions and their Truth-makers had the same Universals as constituents and how this would relate to the Intellect's becoming the known entity.
Alan February 18, 2015 at 11:41 AM
Reason or hubris? Among our beastly brethren we find incredibly complex behavior and problem solving to the extent I suggest requires thought. Love, compassion, empathy, sorrow and mourning. Insects navigate, birds and mammals care for young and construct tools. Our beastly companions upon this mortal coil plan for their future, plot and conspire against prey and predator. They collaborate with trusted associates, punish freeloaders, taunt rivals and cast insults.
Whatever God granted reason we are blessed with, the beasts too are endowed with capabilities which mirror our treasured intellect to a significant degree. Behaviors far too complex and inconsistent to dismiss as reactions – they are calculating as well.
@ Scott (from the reply to Daniel) - I have not said, nor intended to say anything that would contradict your statement: ‘I would and do deny, though, that this level of complexity either constitutes intellect/rationality or is by itself a sufficient condition for it.’ The claim you are granting (‘it had to reach a sufficient level of complexity … that are a perquisite to human rationality.’) is the only claim I am making.
@Daniel: Play nice, dude. Enough with the ad hominems. Have you ever read a post from Alan Fox?
A challenge to your intellect is not an attack to your person.
Timocrates: A friend of mine was once given a couple of hatchling ducks. When he threw them food, they ran in fear. He then borrowed an adult duck who led the chicks to the food and all ate. After that he was able to return the adult duck the chicks continued to eat. Not even a duck knows by instinct what to eat. Repeating myself, solving problems differentiates animals from vegetables.
Scott (and everyone): I am happy to grant that: ‘The heart of the matter from a Thomist point of view is that to "think" of something is to receive its form into the intellect without actually becoming the object …’
So here’s the issue: When a wolf goes after a rabbit, it adopts a hunting technique appropriate to catching rabbits. When a pack of wolves attack a caribou, their technique is wholly appropriate to caribou and quite unique from the technique for most other game. How could that be possible without a wolf’s ability to comprehend what a rabbit or caribou is (their form)? Dogs, to use one more example, respond to individual humans differently but also appropriately. Such is only possible because they comprehend the unique and individual forms of the various bodies they encounter.
It's not Fox. Fox wouldn't try to mount an argument, even a sloppy one, outside of a safe haven. He'd just complain and snark. People who make claims and arguments are open to potentially devastating reply.
As we're seeing here.
Alan, please: define "intellect" here. What does the thomist mean by it? What does the thomist argue that animals lacking an intellect can nevertheless do?
And, for the record...
Our beastly companions upon this mortal coil plan for their future, plot and conspire against prey and predator. They collaborate with trusted associates, punish freeloaders, taunt rivals and cast insults.
No. In the main, they don't. And of the ones that are claimed to do so, the case is controversial to say the least.
It's not enough to keep saying 'They do this complex thing... they have to have an intellect as the Thomists define it!' That's not an argument, it's just a claim borne out of incredulity. It's not even flowing from metaphysical presuppositions, or at least if it is, they aren't any that you've outlined here.
Give us more. Give us SOMEthing. Passion for and emotional investment in 'animal brethren' isn't going to do the job here. Not even a scientific study is going to do the job, because this is not a scientific, but a metaphysical and philosophical, dispute.
Give us an argument.
Anon: While I am making a lot of loose assertions, most are well documented, others not so. I have no intention of trying to define intellect, but Scott threw out an example as I noted above, work with that. Read back through my posts – the more specific claims I was making regard: walking, navigating, hunting and differentiating between individuals.
Matt Sheean February 18, 2015 at 3:44 PM
"Not even a duck knows by instinct what to eat."
Eh, this strikes me as a pretty hasty analysis by which this is supposed to be shown. I've got a three month old daughter here that only recently ceased lurching after anything that rubbed against her cheek. I am reluctant to say that she previously "thought" each such sensation was the sign of a nearby nipple.
@John West: I think you're mis-understanding me. I was suggesting a different soul would attach to the copy, just as one presumably does to a baby. Within the confines of a soul not making any difference, that's indistinguishable from a copy of an identically-functioning machine. This is not compatible with Thomist thinking, as you've made clear.
DNW February 18, 2015 at 4:10 PM
"No. In the main, they don't. And of the ones that are claimed to do so, the case is controversial to say the least."
Somebody mention hunting earlier?
And speaking of which.
So, it's pretty obvious right, how a whitetail with a body of 140 lbs and a brain the size of two golf balls, plans and invests and projects and has all the virtues and powers and moral sensibilities of, say, the average politically progressive male in this culture.
I saw this behavior on display a couple of years ago. I may have mentioned it already.
I was sitting on a hilltop, facing south. And there across the valley, no more than a hundred yards or so, I noticed a modest 4 point head on the next crest over, peaking out occasionally from behind a tree.
Glassing, I eventually discovered that there were two deer there; both peacefully bedded down some yards apart, enjoying the warm afternoon sunlight.
Being the sensitive kind of man that I am, I delayed for a while, and considered what I ought to do.
But, as I had at least one still unfilled tag, I rested my rifle on my knee, took careful aim, and put a round through the neck of the buck, just below where it joined the skull.
Now, what was the reaction of its companion?
Obviously it was startled by the rifle report and the flop over of the other deer.
It jumped to its feet, it stepped toward the deer I had just killed, nosed around, stomped its foot, jerked its head, paused, and then slowly wandered off ... browsing winter buds as it went.
I actually felt pretty bad for a bit. I had already filled one tag and didn't need the additional.
But, then I started thinking about all the deer skulls you find on the forest floor in the spring ... before the mice get to them.
You see one there. It's bleached clean, so you kick it over, look down, and realize that eye sockets take up one heck of a lot of internal space, and then peering closely at the underside of the skull you say to yourself: "Where the hell does the brain go?" http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g126/boston33redsox61/Website/Nature/IMG_8265.jpg
http://www.brainmuseum.org/specimens/artiodactyla/deer/sections/1340whtdeercelllg.jpg
Remember: a centimeter is 10 millimeters, and there are 25.39 millimeters to an inch.
Now, it's my understanding that recent discoveries have indicated that the incredible amount of information, or at least discriminatory sensitivity, possessed by only one neuron, has scientists baffled. At least that's the news that showed up in my e-mail box the other day.
But if one rat neuron is capable of all that, then what qualitative difference must there be between a collection of them weighing a gram or two, and 3 lbs of them together?
At least that is the question we should probably consider before shrugging our shoulders, granting person-hood to rodents, and crying out: "None! Fallacy of composition!" Because, a brain as we use the term, is certainly about neurons in networks, if anything ...
Of course intellect only becomes useful for moral sorting or discrimination, if a progressive believes he can lead you to believe that he has more of it. You know, more than some "gap toothed hillbilly"
On the other hand, if that hillbilly turns out to have been brought up on Shakespeare, and was taught Greek and Latin by some maiden aunts before going off to Harvard on a scholarship, then, brain power doesn't count so much in assigning status to humans.
Then it is all about "love" or something.
And thinking, or having thoughts and intentions are an illusion anyway. Unless men have them. In which case so does everything else.
Sort of like how in reverse, abortion is always sacred, unless some jerk wants to pay women to abort homosexual foeti. Then it would be categorically wrong.
Now you will have to excuse me. My CNC chucker is having anxiety attacks as it tries to grab a tool out of an empty carousel.
Poor bastard. May have to put it down as an act of compassion. Or cut the power for a bit.
I think you're mis-understanding me. I was suggesting a different soul would attach to the copy, just as one presumably does to a baby. Within the confines of a soul not making any difference, that's indistinguishable from a copy of an identically-functioning machine. This is not compatible with Thomist thinking, as you've made clear.
Understood. Have a good evening, Mr. Simon.
ccmxnc February 18, 2015 at 5:48 PM
I apologize for the total derail, but I have been having issues mulling over divinde freedom given God's simplicity, as I am sure most of you guys are familiar with. Given the fact that God does not have passive potency, how can it be said that he could act in any other way than He does? Any ideas or recommended treatments? I have Dolezal's work that takes a mysterian treatment that I don't think ultimately addresses his critics. While we are on the topic, I wouldn't balk at any good treatments of the Eastern Orthodox take on Aquinas's simplicity either, but that is secondary to my first question.
Edward Feser, "Davies on Divine Simplicity and Freedom"
God's Pure Act is his Infinite Power. That is to say that there is no distinction between the actual and the possible in God. That is to say that there is no limiting condition of God's absolute power. That is to say that God is the unconditioned condition of all possibilities or as Nicholas of Cusa refers to the Divine, He is 'Posse Est'.
In the end, the Unity of God's Act is another way of stating the Infinity of God's Power. God is Absolute on the one hand and Unconditioned on the other, etc. etc. etc.
The ultimate metaphysical principle is not meant to submit to discursive understanding, but rather to be the Final Term of all such reasoning.
Regular reader February 19, 2015 at 8:53 AM
Professor Feser, I wonder if you could at some time write a post presenting the Thomist position on the subject of this recent book:
http://books.google.com/books?id=BTQeAwAAQBAJ
"Beyond the Control of God? Six Views on The Problem of God and Abstract Objects". Edited by Paul Gould.
@Regular reader,
I too would be interested in such a post. The position Ed and other Classical Theists endorse would be that of Theistic Activism though they perphaps would not care for the terminology some people use to describe it i.e. God necessarily creating Abstract Objects as Divine Ideas. Instead they would prefer to talk about the Ideas/Exemplars as necessarily grounded in the Divine Nature.
Regular reader February 19, 2015 at 11:53 AM
Good to hear that I'm not alone in this. Related to the subject and even more related to Professor Feser's areas of interest, I'm impressed by the usefulness of Benacerraf's objection to mathematical platonism to argue for the immateriality of the soul. Quoting Callard (2007) "The Conceivability of Platonism":
"Benacerraf [1983, p. 403] tells us that it is unintelligible how
we could have mathematical knowledge if the objects of that knowledge were abstract"
Well, it is unintelligible for materialists, but not for theists who hold the immateriality of the human soul.
Regarding this, in philosophy of mathematics I am a "theistic platonist", not an aristotelian. More specifically, I suscribe to "plenitudinous" or "full-blooded" theistic platonism (Balaguer 1998, without the theistic part): God knows all possible consistent formal systems and man progressively discovers them. Some of those formal systems correspond to features of the physical universe, some of them do not.
The subject is also related to voluntarism. Does God arbitrarily decide which formal systems are consistent and which are not? (Clearly not.) But then, how does that not place a limitation to God's omnipotence? (I know it doesn't, but Professor Feser can articulate the "how" much better than I can.)
Alan February 19, 2015 at 12:03 PM
Matt: Yes, that analysis came to me as an insight, full formed, upon hearing the anecdote I noted – following decades of working with a wide range of animals. I find that fairly typical of how thinking works in adults. Your daughter was reacting to instinct until three months of experience allowed her to develop the ‘thought’ that led her to over-ride the instinct.
Up thread a bit, Scott stated: ‘The heart of the matter from a Thomist point of view is that to "think" of something is to receive its form into the intellect without actually becoming the object …’
This appears to be an idea in the mind of an adult with decades of experience that does not acknowledge the work that has gotten them to that point of understanding. This mind is not ‘receiving a form’, but (to switch from Thomist to common-speak): Recalling to conscious attention a mental model of that something that has been created in memory across a lifetime of experiences.
Regular reader February 19, 2015 at 12:05 PM
BTW, both Benacerraf's epistemological objection to mathematical platonism and the "plenitudinous" of "FB" flavor thereof apply both to classical object-platonism (abstract objects + rules) and to "ante rem" structuralism (abstract structures of abstract places + relations).
John West February 19, 2015 at 12:13 PM
Regular reader wrote: Good to hear that I'm not alone in this.
No, you're not alone in this (but I'm going to continue restraining myself from replying, in this thread, to avoid going way off topic).
Glenn February 19, 2015 at 12:28 PM
ccmxnc,
Given the fact that God does not have passive potency, how can it be said that he could act in any other way than He does?
Okay, I'll stick my neck out. (I'll be sticking my neck out twice, so keep that axe in waiting nice and sharp.)
1. The question asked is a general question, so it will receive a general response. And the general response is as follows:
To say that God could act in any other way than He does is to say that God could do 'this' rather than 'that'.
That being so, it is now asked:
What is the view in light of which God doing 'this' rather than 'that' is problematic?
If, as seem to be me to be the case, the only view in light of which God doing 'this' rather than 'that' is problematic is the view that everything God wills is absolutely necessary, then that view must needs stand on it having been established that nothing God wills is anything other than absolutely necessary.
But the contrary was established by St. Thomas in ST 1.19.3, i.e., in ST 1.19.3 St. Thomas established that not all things willed by God are absolutely necessary.
Therefore, there is nothing problematic about God doing 'this' rather than 'that', i.e., it can be said that God could act in some way other than He does simply and precisely because not everything He does must be done (in that way, at the time, or at all).
2. The question asked is a complex question, and thus needs to be divided.
That is, we should first ask whether God could act in any other way than He does before proceeding to the second question of how can it be said that He could (act in any way other than He does).
If the answer to the first question turns out to be 'yes', then the second question is moot.
If, however, the answer to the first question turns out to be 'no', then the second question might be answered by saying that saying that God could act in any other way than He does requires speaking metaphorically rather than literally (in order to avoid speaking falsely).
Glenn February 19, 2015 at 2:02 PM
Given your recent responses to Matt and Scott...
Would it be fair to say that you agree with Aristotle's claim -- made thousands of years ago in his Nicomachean Ethics -- that years of experience are necessary for the development of practical wisdom?
If so, then how might it follow from the fact that years of experiences recorded by the brain constitute a necessary condition for the development of practical wisdom that it simultaneously constitutes a sufficient cause of it?
(s/ b "...that those self-same years of experiences recorded by the brain simultaneously constitute a sufficient cause of it (i.e., of practical wisdom)?")
Glen: I would say necessary, but not sufficient. Take the doe in the hunting anecdote recounted above by DNW: She had the time (years of experience), but not the right experiences to develop appropriate responses to protect herself from an armed predator. Then, particularly for humans due to our hugely greater capacity to remember, our personal engagement, the interest and enthusiasm we bring to any experience, has a dramatic impact on what we actually learn or experience from any encounter. We absolutely have the mental acuity to stay as mind-numbingly stupid as we desire. Free will works both ways.
I might add here that socialism is a powerful contributor to our (humans in general) belief that we can live a just wonderful life without actually doing anything.
Wow, that one was bad. Real bad. So bad, in fact, that the only thing one can do is make humor out of the horror.
Dear DNW,
I'd like to borrow/rent your CNC chucker (which was "having anxiety attacks as it trie[d] to grab a tool out of an empty carousal"). Just for a short while, and only for a small experiment. I'd like to see what happens when it tackles a new task, that of parsing a phrase for which, blush, I am responsible: "...as seem to be me to be the case..." The phrase, and indeed the whole sentence having had the misfortune to include it, was blissfully responded to by Word 2010's grammar with a thumbs up, and I'd like to see if your CNC chucker might respond in a more appropriate manner.
Dear Glenn,
I can think of four good reasons why my immediate, instantaneous knee-jerk answer of "no" is the only sane, rational and correct response to your odd-ball request:
1. you must be kidding
2. the poor thing is still recovering from its earlier anxiety attack
3. it is not insured
4. even if it was insured, I wouldn't want the hassle of having to fill out the paper work after you got done messing with it
You're welcome,
PS Now I'd like to ask you a question, partly to keep this somewhat on topic, and partly out of curiosity. Why did you rely so heavily on an unthinking instantiation of the Universally Thoughtless Turing Machine to check your work? You seem like the sort of person who knows better than that. Just sayin'.
Thanks for the response. Yes, necessary but not sufficient.
We absolutely have the mental acuity to stay as mind-numbingly stupid as we desire.
I think that both mental acuity and an unrelenting industriousness are needed; you mentioned the former, but not the latter. Oh, wait; you did imply the latter in your follow-up comment. ;)
Ladies and gentlemen, I really hate to derail this thread, but I've stumbled upon one of the greatest ironies of all time, featuring Dr. Feser himself.
1. Scott regarding something you wrote:
2. You regarding what Scott wrote:
3. I would guess that there may have been a 'disconnect' between Scott's use of the term 'form' and -- at least as seems indicated by your response to him ("This mind is not 'receiving a form'") -- your understanding of his use of the term.
As best I can tell, the term 'form' was not being used in the sense of, e.g., something that might be seen with the physical eyes, or in the sense of some independent self-subsisting entity existing in a kind of Platonic realm, but in the sense of, let us say, that which is or constitutes the nature of essence of a thing.
It just doesn't seem likely that when we think of an object we either become that object or receive the object itself in our intellect. And it isn't entirely clear that it is unquestionably the case that there is nothing more going on when we think of an object than a blindingly fast retrieval and assembly of retained sense impressions into a cognitive effigy.
o [I]t is quite true that the mode of understanding, in one who understands, is not the same as the mode of a thing in existing: since the thing understood is immaterially in the one who understands, according to the mode of the intellect, and not materially, according to the mode of a material thing. -- ST 1.85.1.1
DNW February 20, 2015 at 7:58 AM
Glenn says,
"Dear DNW,
I would be happy to accommodate your request - if only I could.
The problem with my Chucker is that it can only tell me what I have already told it and therefore know myself. If I didn't pre-prepare - programing I think they call it - it to trigger at certain points of feedback, it won't notice any problem either.
I'll try allowing other people to tell it stuff, and see what it spits out, er, I mean, "thinks".
I just hope that as a result it doesn't futilely rapid traverse it's "tool" into a dead end at 600 inches per minute.
Wait, is this the sex post relating to proper aims; or was that the last? I guess with Turing as the instant case, the remark immediately above might be just as apt in any event.
"PS ...I'd like to ask you a question ... Why did you rely so heavily on an unthinking instantiation of the Universally Thoughtless Turing Machine ..."
Because it is obviously unthinking, though an idiot might think it does, or is alive in some way.
It's a fancier version of Crude's Clockwork; what should be an evolutionary hybrid on AI's own terms, which in fact does actually exist and can be examined.
And, if we can't find the AI thinking soul equivalent there in Crude's clock, and it seems too, uh, Crude and harsh to suggest it might, then maybe we can find a glimmer of the AI thinking soul in something that does a lot more, mimics all kinds of human tool using activities, has feedback loops, and sophisticated math processors.
To quote Feser in part: "Could the machine be programmed in such a way that the interrogator could not determine from the conversation which is the human being and which the machine? Turing proposed this as a useful stand-in for the question “Can machines think?” And in his view, a “Yes” answer to the former question is as good as a “Yes” answer to the latter. "
But why allow Turing to stipulate "language" unless we wish to indulge him as he obscures any intermediate steps?
And so, as hard as I've looked so far, it doesn't appear that these tools - I hope they are not offended by my use of the term - really do think. They just go where you tell them to go, change direction on command or trigger, and run into walls and stop dead when you don't do your set-up job properly.
Which is rather different from the broom pusher who runs into the wall in the alleyway, and having no further instructions doesn't just stand there but goes off to lunch.
Which kind of tells us that real thinking is more complexly nested in a biological-ends package which makes the retaining of the "thought" in a man qualitatively different from whatever electromechanical stimulus response and storage mechanism we develop for our amusement or convenience.
Not to get too Heidegger-like here, but what we mean when we say the word "thought" as applied to a man is obviously different from what an electronic peg board, punch card, perforated tape, or other system entails when it outputs.
Is it just a matter of fooling people who are set up to be fooled?
Now, Turing died before NC machines were common, and before CNC was developed.
But why not try a lesser test in checking for a rudimentary ability to "think"? [or are we insisting that mechanical thinking only emerges full-blown at some as yet undefined point of complexity ?]:
An inspector sits in a room off of the shop floor.
Out on the floor which he cannot see, a machinist turns out an aluminum spool of X dimensions and finish on a conventional lathe.
On another electronically programmable machine, a similar spool is turned out.
The parts are given to the inspector to judge, and he cannot tell by tolerance and finish, which was put out by what.
Now in limiting our little quasi-turing test to this out-put instance only, should we not conclude that as the parts were being produced, the NC lathe was thinking just as the conventional lathe operator was?
If not, on what real world Turing Test grounds, would we have to deny it?
" ... to check your work?"
Because I tend to agree with this remark below myself - depending on just how the notion is conceived or developed:
" ... what thinks is the person, the human being, the rational animal, the intellectual substance."
Though I am probably conceiving of it in a somewhat more materialistic way than you are.
Now however, with my pausing before the unqualified immaterial intellect threshold, while still rejecting the crass games played with artifacts, might I get caught up in some kind of epiphenomenalism as regards human thought and consciousness?
Yeah, maybe. I'm still thinking about that.
Glen, thanks. That is almost exactly what I was hoping you would say – I wanted an excuse to expand on my ideas.
One of my larger issues, across this entire A-T perspective on life is that it is far too open to misinterpretation – particularly as demonstrated on this topic. I was not (as you note) contradicting Scott, but rather pointing out the ambiguities in the statement. Another issue I have is too much reliance on smoke and mirrors. As used on these threads, ‘immaterial aspect’ sounds too much like ‘don’t look behind the curtain’. As humans with the power of reason and intellect, we should be able to identify ‘aspects’ that have significance (material or not) and draw rational lines between man and beast. I don’t agree that you can rely on any ‘immaterial aspect’ that does nothing and claim a rational argument. That said, thought cannot be explained in a purely material way (if at all) but it still does a lot – it has a very comprehensible, explainable impact. Intellect similarly cannot be explained in a purely material way, yet it too does a lot. I also think we should separate the two. While I cannot define to my own satisfaction either thought or intellect, I will suggest a couple lines in the sand: To comprehend form requires thought, to comprehend a triangle requires intellect.
Glen said: ‘It just doesn't seem likely that when we think of an object we either become that object or receive the object itself in our intellect.’
Agreed. To me that comment was dismissing the Homunculus style arguments, which I think we can all agree are best dismissed.
Re: Point 3: There is no 'disconnect' between Scott's use of the term 'form' and -- my understanding of his use of the term. As I see it, the disconnect is what we believe to be the significance of comprehending ‘that which is or constitutes the nature o[r] essence of a thing.’
That was the whole point of my hunting example. If the word comprehension is to mean anything, there must be some technique for identifying does from does not. The wolf cannot use his words to convince us he knows, but he can demonstrate a hunting style unique for and suited to hunting a rabbit. The only thing that makes that possible is the wolf’s comprehension of ‘that which is or constitutes the nature or essence of a rabbit.’ Most wolves know the form of a rabbit better than most humans.
Glen said: ‘… it isn't entirely clear that it is unquestionably the case that there is nothing more going on when we think of an object than a blindingly fast retrieval and assembly of retained sense impressions into a cognitive effigy.’
Well, no, which is why I chose the word ‘model’ and thought I included enough discussion to be clear this was not a plush toy representation. To reiterate: First, the wolf must know himself – his own form. His strengths, weaknesses, speed, endurance and agility to name a few. Then he must know the form of the rabbit and the form of the habitat – the lay of the land, the texture and footing of the ground. The nature and locations of the obstacles. He must plan how he starts the chase, anticipate the moves of the rabbit, correct his course as he goes and update his approach as he closes. This is a very dynamic, multi-dimensional problem for him to solve – and solve quickly or the rabbit gets away. Switching to my second example, the problem gets much worse hunting the caribou: If he anticipates the moves of the prey wrong, the caribou can deliver a fatal injury. Plus, the attack must be coordinated among several wolves who must anticipate the actions of the other wolves as well as the prey. Each wolf is running a dynamic, multidimensional simulation in its mind which is synchronized with all the wolves in the attack. This business of form you like to throw around as a privileged word represents extreme complexity that we (and wolves) spend our lifetimes learning and working with.
Consider this – a dream is a simulation of a situation that may be close to a situation that you may face in real life. A mind that dreams is a mind that runs simulations. Birds and mammals appear to dream. The hunting and fleeing behavior of birds and mammals appear to anticipate a behavior in the foe. I don’t think my caribou scenario is a stretch at all, but stick with the rabbit if you don’t like it. Either case requires comprehension of form.
Apologies for: "an evolutionary hybrid "
Not sure why I used that term other than some preoccupation as I rewrote the sentence.
A 'stepping stone' toward ... would express the idea of an emergent thinking device not quite there but plainly identifiable as such in principle, more accurately.
Have a good weekend.
Thanks for expanding on your ideas.
In doing so, you have:
1. agreed that a human does not become the object it thinks of;
2. agreed that the object itself is not received in the intellect when a human thinks of it;
3. agreed that a human thinking of an object entails more than a retrieval and assembly of prior sense impressions into a cognitive effigy; and,
4. denied that an object's form is received in the intellect when a human thinks of the object. **
What, then, do you think happens when a human thinks of an object?
DNW,
Thanks for the rejoinders.
Here's something I'm wondering (seriously): if thought and consciousness are nothing more than or are reducible to mere epiphenomenalism, would the targets of your delightfully trenchant critiques then get a 'free pass' for being the disordered lot that they are?
(I don't mean to say that I'm wondering about something which is of great concern to me, only that I'm serious in saying that I wonder about that.)
Alan February 21, 2015 at 7:17 AM
Glen: As suggested above, the foundation of thought as I see it are dreams, aka: simulations, action scenarios, rehearsals or mental training. So to ‘think of an object’ would involve incorporating that objects model or form into a dream. You may choose to explore that object by freezing the simulation and running a series of scenarios focused on that object, interacting with it in various ways.
DNW February 21, 2015 at 10:23 AM
Glenn said...
" Here's something I'm wondering (seriously): if thought and consciousness are nothing more than or are reducible to mere epiphenomenalism, would the targets of your delightfully trenchant critiques then get a 'free pass' for being the disordered lot that they are?
February 20, 2015 at 9:57 PM"
Strictly speaking, if I were willing to cross that threshold, yes: insofar as how we think of moral responsibility vis-a-vis properly ordered operations in the usual sense, and as including internal psychological phenomena as central to it all.
That would represent the classic idea of moral action within a framework which presumes and preserves the psychic and other unity of mankind, and does not allow for the emergence of competing moral species.
"Moral", then in the lesser sense wherein "disordered" would lose much of its universal meaning, would imply only the accepted customs of more or less natural allies as they deal with and suffer one another.
But that does not mean that "disordered" as it conditions "moral" would have no application anywhere or at all; just not the universal one.
This second and lesser framework, which "allow(s) for the emergence of competing moral species" would still permit a kind of objective disorder to be conceived, while reducing moral questions to the behaviors of natural subtypes within larger unnatural or conventional aggregates: behaviors, either noxious or beneficial to the well-being of X and its natural or like kind, versus behaviors beneficial or antithetical to the well-being of Y and its natural or like kind.
In this scenario the outright bad guy becomes not so much wrongheaded, as an existential enemy to the core.
And I think that this latter idea, is actually the take most progressives now have adopted for all intents and purposes, save for one aspect that is basically rhetorical.
The aspect which they are for now frantic to rhetorically promote, while simultaneously edging away from the idea in practice, is the unity of the species taken on traditional terms. They do this by expanding the notion of tolerance beyond its carrying capacity concerning skin tone or ethnicity, to an "inclusiveness" which comprehends extreme and de-structive behavioral aberrations within what are supposedly beneficial social arrangements.
In other words they are trying to change predicate horses, before the mass of the population notices them doing it.
For now, under the waning impulse of natural law, we officially have one humankind: X, in which the agent is conceived of as having free will and choice and so forth.
But that is not-so-subtly changing on the political scale.
This becomes clear, as we all have by now noticed, if you take the "we are all God's children and all the same behaviorally under the skin" claim structure advanced for civil rights in the 1950s and 60's, and compare it with the bases for staking claims to the rightness of homosexual unions now.
It's one thing to say that you should treat Johnny well, because it is unjust to assume that he is a catty, treacherous, and untrustworthy sissy boy, just on the basis of his hair color or skin tone.
It is logically quite another to say that in a meaningless universe with no intrinsic rules, you should accommodate Johnny to your own cost, because while he is all of those obnoxious things right down to his double helix, it is just something you have to put up with ... because ... it's the world someone or another envisions, or finds comforting.
So, yes: to "not their fault" on the one hand. And also, assuming the same premises: "so what if it is not their fault ... it buys them nothing anyway", on the other hand.
It's not their fault; yet they don't get a free pass.
Georgy Mancz February 21, 2015 at 4:41 PM
Apologies for commenting off-topic
@ DNW
It would seem that both of your comments under the previous post failed to appear in time, as I only just read them.
I'm not aware of an online text of Krylenko's work, nor of any substantial translation. I'm going to have to ask around the university (incidentally, we still have surviving pockets of 'Socialist legal awareness').
You equate, or at least synonymize, 'form' with 'model' ("to 'think of an object' would involve incorporating that objects model or form into a dream").
This, however, does not lend support to the earlier claim that you understand Scott's usage of the term 'form'.
Form, as Scott used the term, is both a something intrinsic to the object and a something whose existence is neither dependent upon nor a function of the perception of a conscious agent (such as humans or other animals), and also is neither constructed nor generated by that agent.
Form, as you have used the term, is not a something intrinsic to the object but instead an extrinsic representation of the object, the existence of which is both dependent upon and a function of the perception of a conscious agent, and also is either constructed or generated by that agent.
So, not only does there exist a 'disconnect' between Scott's usage of the term and your understanding of his usage of the term, the 'disconnect' which exists between the two is huge.
(It may be true that you do indeed understand his usage of the term, but nonetheless use the term in a way which is obviously different. Upon the removal of a single, unelaborated claim (that you do understand his usage of the term), however, your comments on the whole strongly suggest otherwise.)
It will be recalled that Scott did not merely say that to 'think' of something is to receive its form into the intellect, but that that is so from a Thomist point of view.
Now, you may disagree that to 'think' of something is to receive its form into the intellect, but you cannot credibly disagree that that is so from a Thomist point of view without providing some credible evidence that the Thomist point is otherwise than as was stated.
You have said that the adult mind recalls "to conscious attention a mental model of that something that has been created in memory across a lifetime of experiences", and that "to 'think of an object' would involve incorporating that object[']s model or form into a dream." A mental model is received into conscious attention in the former case, and an object's model or form (in your sense of the term) is received into a dream in the latter case.
From these two cases there may be abstracted a generic pattern, that of: "to 'think' is to receive one thing into another thing".
But that is the same generic pattern which may be abstracted from the Thomist point of view.
That is, although the Thomist point of view may be specifically stated as "to 'think' of something is to receive its form into the intellect", the Thomist point of view also may be generically stated as "to 'think' of something is to receive one thing into another thing".
It now may be said that though you disagree with the Thomist point of view (that to 'think' of something specifically is to receive its form into the intellect), not only are you not antagonistic, hostile, resistant or unwelcoming to the generic pattern which may be abstracted from that point of view, you actually depend on it. That is, not only do not disagree that 'to 'think' of something is to receive one thing into another thing', you have made two statements the value of which would be lost to you were that not the case.
A further instance of both your lack of resistance to the generic pattern and your actual embracing of it may be found in a third statement of yours -- to wit, that a person "may choose to explore that object by freezing the simulation and running a series of scenarios focused on that object, interacting with it in various ways." The running of a series of scenarios on the object, and other various interactions with it, entails the shuttling of ancillary things in and out of conscious attention, the 'dream', working memory, etc.
(cont)
I hope you can see what is going on:
the Thomist point of view as an instance of the generic pattern is more metaphysical and less non-metaphysical, while your arguments as instances of the generic pattern are more non-metaphysical and less metaphysical.
And I hope you also can see that non-metaphysical arguments against a metaphysical position do not, as you have said to Daniel that they do, constitute an intellectual challenge but constitute an intellectual mistake.
Returning to:
So to ‘think of an object’ would involve incorporating that object[']s model or form into a dream. You may choose to explore that object by freezing the simulation and running a series of scenarios focused on that object, interacting with it in various ways.
There is little reason to doubt that one may choose to explore an object in the manner described.
For example, Nikola Tesla, after stating that he "turned seriously to invention" at about the age of seventeen, wrote in My Inventions:
"Then I observed to my delight that I could visualize with the greatest facility. I needed no models, drawings or experiments. I could picture them all as real in my mind. Thus I have been led unconsciously to evolve what I consider a new method of materializing inventive concepts and ideas, which is radically opposite to the purely experimental and is in my opinion ever so much more expeditious and efficient... My method is different. I do not rush into actual work. When I get an idea I start at once building it up in my imagination. I change the construction, make improvements and operate the device in my mind. It is absolutely immaterial to me whether I run my turbine in thought or test it in my shop. I even note if it is out of balance. There is no difference whatever, the results are the same. In this way I am able to rapidly develop and perfect a conception without touching anything. When I have gone so far as to embody in the invention every possible improvement I can think of and see no fault anywhere, I put into concrete form this final product of my brain."
On a Thomist account, each of imagination, reason and intellect is a cognitive power, although the immaterial intellect is above the lower, more organic-based levels of imagination and reason.
What you and Tesla write about -- the visualization, the running of scenarios, the performance of tests, the making of corrections or improvements, etc. -- primarily have to do with the imagination and reason.
Dr Kevin Scharp Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015
Kevin Scharp, Philosophy
"Philosophy and Defective Concepts"
From familiar concepts like tall and table to exotic ones like gravity and genocide, they guide our lives and are the basis for how we represent the world. However, there is good reason to think that many of our most cherished concepts, like truth, freedom, knowledge, and rationality, are defective in the sense that the rules for using them are inconsistent. This defect leads those who possess these concepts into paradoxes and absurdities. Indeed, I argue that many of the central problems of contemporary philosophy should be thought of as having their source in philosophical concepts that are defective in this way. If that is right, then we should take a more active role in crafting and sculpting our conceptual repertoire. We need to explore various ways of replacing these defective concepts with ones that will still do the work we need them to do without leading us into contradictions. RSVP Here
Glenn: Thanks for the response. To your lesser point, I think just a slip of the pen - form as I take it, represents the object, independent of any observer. Model refers to our mental representation, our understanding of the object. I could have been more careful. To your larger point I appear to be blatantly, deliberately (if unwittingly) guilty. I must consider the significance of that.
Glenn: All I am getting from your repeated delineation of cognitive powers is that a Thomist draws somewhat arbitrary lines between grades of thought, imagination being the most trivial. However, that still leaves through neglect that by demonstrating a comprehension of form, the Thomist accepts that birds and beasts possess intellect. A position I am not comfortable with.
Glenn said: Now, you may disagree that to 'think' of something is to receive its form into the intellect, but you cannot credibly disagree that that is so from a Thomist point of view without providing some credible evidence that the Thomist point is otherwise than as was stated.
I was making no challenge as to what the Thomist point of view was, but pointing out the significance of that particular statement: Intellect is not denied to bird nor beast.
I was making my way down a very large hill in Denali National Park one dreary, overcast day, when I heard what sounded like the cry of an animal.
The sound came from about 9 o'clock (assuming I was facing 12 o'clock), and, looking in that direction, I saw a bird appear from behind a large mound. The mound was about 200 yards away, and at a much lower elevation. The bird headed towards what would be my 12 o'clock, then dipped and banked to the right. When the bird got somewhere between 10 and 11 o'clock, I had an eery feeling, and thought, "Holy smokes, it's coming over to check me out."
That thought could have been the product of wishful thinking or maybe a sudden realization that, being in an unfamiliar environment and clueless as to how wildlife might react to the presence of a human, I was justified in being mildly concerned that the bird might attack with claws and beak.
At any rate, I had a camera with me, so quickly plotted what I thought the flight path of the bird would be, were it indeed 'coming over to check me out', picked out a point along that path, pointed the camera at that point, and began clicking the shutter button quickly as I could.
From my point of view, I had not, with one exception, done anything that a non-human animal cannot do.
My attention was drawn to a sound, I saw an object that seemed to be associated with that sound, recognized that it was moving through the air, anticipated its course, and made a judgment (or several judgments) as to how it might be intercepted.
The one exception, of course, was that I could not intercept the moving object by running, flying or leaping high in the air, so had to pretend I could make competent use of the technological device I was carrying.
With a healthy dose of luck the attempted interception turned out to be rather successful, as may be seen here.
Now, I'll say that I'm one of those people to whom that result quite suspiciously looks like the form of a bird.
But I'll also say that I'm also one of those people who would say that that form isn't quite the form that is meant when a Thomist speaks of a form being received into an intellect.
So, if it is to be said that "by demonstrating a comprehension of form, the Thomist accepts that birds and beasts possess intellect", and if by 'demonstrating a comprehension of form' is meant, e.g., that an object is seen (and, perhaps, its movement anticipated or worked out), then I would have to politely disagree, as well as point out that it would be rather silly to think that Thomists suggest that it is something a human has in common with a non-human animal that serves to differentiate the two.
Glenn: Nice shot, but no, and no. The object is seen, and its form understood. Form uniquely differentiates objects, the wolf uniquely differentiates a wide range of objects and demonstrates a significant understanding of many of them. The issue is not differentiating human from non-human in this thread. The issue is differentiating the capabilities. How do you propose to differentiate the capabilities of a wolf from intellect. How do you differentiate the wolf’s ability to understand rabbits from what a Thomist means by a form being received into an intellect.
"However, there is good reason to think that many of our most cherished concepts, like truth, freedom, knowledge, and rationality, are defective in the sense that the rules for using them are inconsistent."
That, with provisos, seems unobjectionable enough.
However, I am not sure why any given concept itself, would necessarily be defective, if the problem lay in sloppy use or lack of discrimination of senses.
I suppose you could misuse the term "tree" if you were ignorant enough, much as children amusingly do, not having a clear idea of what the concept means to adults who use it.
Keeping the political pot stirred here, and adverting to the mention of "freedom" we might take as an example of a misused concept, the left or left-fascist concept of "liberty" as conceived of by our own Chief Executive.
That would of course be "positive liberty": that is to say, an enabling environment which ensures one a smorgasbord of politically constructed social options and choices, guaranteed to ensure the partaker of a maximally satisfying experience of self-actualization.
Now of course, others formerly at liberty, may have to be harnessed against their will to provide this experience. But all they have really lost is their old fashioned negative liberty. That is to say, their supposed right to be left alone to their own devices, while peaceable.
What they subjectively feel they have lost is, however, more than gained back by the exchange - at least when viewed through a properly abstract utilitarian, or even distributive justice, lens.
Some, may of course, try to argue that endlessly pulling at the oars under a government mandate and penalty, is a clear loss of liberty to them.
But those who truly feel the attraction of distributive justice, or the pull of utility, will quickly recognize that the complaint of some that they have been against their will harnessed to others and damned to a shared fate much more intrusive and unreasonable than the mere political, merely represents a failure of their imagination and sympathy. They - these negative liberty lovers - suffer from an inability to appreciate how their bondage, to use Garry Wills loving term, is in fact, their real self-actualization.
According to expert opinion, and so forth and so on ....
The object is seen, and its form understood.
You earlier had 'form' as a something which took a lifetime to learn, and now have it as a something which can be understood simply by seeing an object in which it is.
You also had 'form' as a term signifying 'extreme complexity', so I'd like to ask how a human might understand -- never mind how a wolf might 'understand' -- the extreme complexity of a thing merely by looking at it.
How do you differentiate the wolf’s ability to understand rabbits from what a Thomist means by a form being received into an intellect.
It isn't clear to me that wolves do actually 'understand' rabbits.
(If they did, why don't they 'realize' that it would be more efficacious to capture rabbits and let them breed rather than to constantly hunt them? Wouldn't a steady supply of readily available meals be more conducive to survival than intermittent meals obtainable only via the hardships of a hunt?)
Glenn: ‘The object is seen, and its form understood’ – Seeing triggers the recollection in an instant, the knowledge has been acquired over a lifetime. The process appears to me to be the same for man or beast, as I stated earlier.
I explained earlier how wolves demonstrate their understanding. And perhaps it is wisdom that keeps them from domesticating rabbits - Jared Diamond (of Guns Germs and Steel fame) on the domestication of food by humans: ‘The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race’
http://discovermagazine.com/1987/may/02-the-worst-mistake-in-the-history-of-the-human-race
Through both acquaintances and anecdotes across all history, men seem to find hunting more fulfilling than hardship.
The process appears to me to be the same for man or beast, as I stated earlier.
Nonetheless, you believe that humans alone are capable of rational thought, and are uncomfortable with birds and beasts possessing intellect.
So, perhaps we can wind up this discussion by agreeing to each of three things:
1. At least most of the regulars here would agree that humans alone are capable of rational thought;
2. none of them has suggested that birds and beast possess intellect; and,
3. no orthodox Thomist would suggest that intellect is possessed by either bird or beast.
AlK February 27, 2015 at 7:55 AM
Thanks again for yet another excellent essay on the meaning of intelligence. There is one thing I would like tackled directly, though.
Can the Singularity even happen? I know that computers cannot think from the article, but do they necessarily have to? All they have to do is modify their own source code to improve themselves at modifying their source code...
Wait a second.
Define "improve".*
*And no, I'm not British.
raapustus March 10, 2015 at 11:59 AM
Greetings from Finland. This is a great blog. ;)
Maybe someone (if Ed is busy) could help me fill out a Scholastic hole that was left glaring in the original post -- at least in my thinking:
Left to themselves, metal bits don’t display time, and stones don’t fly. And left to themselves, machines don’t converse. So, that we can make them converse no more shows that they are intelligent than throwing stones or making watches shows that stones have the power of flight or that bits of metal qua metal can tell time.
Well, left to "themselves", atoms don't photosynthesize, either. The supposedly substantial form of chlorophyll's power of photosynthesis comes from information in DNA -- information that orders the atoms into molecules that, when combined properly, will create sugars and oxygen from water and carbon dioxide using light energy.
This organizing information comes originally from an outside source, the Mind that has a teleological purpose in view for these molecules.
I fail to see why a watch lacks the substantial form of telling time or a computer lacks the substantial form of conversing, if an outside mind with a teleological purpose in view has given the information and arranged the metal bits or electronic components in such a configuration that telling time or conversing is possible.
Why, from a Scholastic point of view, is it not an accidental form of atoms to photosynthesize, if, left to themselves (without God's teleology), they would do no such thing?
DVH March 12, 2015 at 7:17 AM
>Whether pyrite might be taken by someone to be gold and whether pyrite is in fact gold are just two different questions
Holy cow! Mr. Feser, you need to read more lesswrong.com
"Gold" is a category of observable properties. "Pyrite" is also a category of observable properties. Some of these overlap, hence the untrained eye can mistake one for the other.
However enough investigation always tells the difference, because if no observable properties whatsoever would differ, "gold" and "pyrite" would be synonymous categories, same ways a "gold" and "aurum" are.
There is no "in fact". This is just the fallacy of thinking things have an essence, the fallacy of thinking things-as-such exist, when things are just categories for properties occuring together.
Really please read this: http://lesswrong.com/lw/no/how_an_algorithm_feels_from_inside/
machinephilosophy April 20, 2015 at 2:23 AM
Recognition, labeling, etc. will be problems once humanoid robots are indistinguishable from human-borns and clinic-borns.
And then there's the problem of increasingly mechanized humans because of injuries or whatever, especially those who have command arrays as well as memory arrays interfaced to their brains. This technology is surely headed for deeper and more comprehensive proxy capabilities in or in place of the brain.
But there's a kind of self-reference problem as well. If a machine behaves in ways that require being described as intelligence, thinking, deliberation, reflection, or even being upset, confused, or in pain, then there's no justification for denying that the machine has consciousness, because that behavior is the only evidence we have for saying that humans have consciousness.
Descartes’ “indivisibility” argument
Braving the web
Augustine and Heraclitus on the present moment
What’s the deal with sex? Part II
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Best friends with the idiot box.
foolish watcher
Now ‘Manifest’ is just testing me.
February 20, 2019 by Therese Odell, posted in hate-blog, manifest
“Cleared for Approach”
Continue reading “Now ‘Manifest’ is just testing me.” →
Tagged cleared for approach, game of thrones, hate-blog, lost, manifest3 Comments
Netflix is about to get a lot more ‘Moxie’ with some help from Amy Poehler
February 20, 2019 February 20, 2019 by Therese Odell, posted in watch this
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Facebook presents its crypto-currency, the Libra: important Points to emphasize
Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) has officially unveiled its project in the highly anticipated crypto-currency, the Libra, on Tuesday. Facebook has also announced the creation of the Libra Association, an independent organization that will manage the currency, and of Calibra, a unit of Facebook, which will create apps related to the new digital currency.
In the context of this announcement, Facebook has launched a test version of its blockchain. It is a free software, which means that developers can experiment with the creation of applications on the platform and submit their comments on the code. The currency itself is expected to be launched in 2020.
“The mission of Libra is to be an infrastructure monetary and financial simple and world, which gives the power to billions of people,” said David Marcus of Facebook, which directs Calibra and directs the project Libra.
One of the objectives of the project is to help the 1.7 billion people in the world who do not have a bank account to gain access to a stable currency and financial services, according to Facebook.
In recent months, the company has implemented the Libra Association, an organization director non-profit that will oversee the Libra. Facebook said that it did not want to be the only one responsible for the crypto-currency because it has the intention that the cryptocurrency is a ” public good “.
The group that composed the Libra Association has 28 founding members, including Facebook, which ensures that it will not have more power than the other members.
The association will be based in Geneva and will officially take up his duties this week to oversee the deployment of the Libra. Facebook hopes to reach 100 members of the association by the launch of 2020.
Among the founding members were the great names of the areas of technology, finance and non-profit organizations, including Mastercard (NYSE:MA) , Uber (NYSE:UBER), Visa (NYSE:V) and Paypal.
These partners constitute a strategic contribution in terms of expertise in terms of international financial regulation, the blockchain and the financial needs of poor communities around the world.
Users will have access to Libra in many ways, not only by Facebook, says today.
The new subsidiary of Facebook, Calibra, will build a “portfolio” so that people can use Libra to send funds to their friends and make purchases on Facebook and Instagram.
A button on Whatsapp and Messenger will allow users to envoyerdu Libra in their son’s messages, in the same way that they send GIF or easily add emoji. Calibra will also function as a stand-alone application.
Other companies will be able to create similar applications. For example, a store could create an app allowing users to take out a loan in Libra, or a retail business may connect to the network so that users can make payments in the digital currency of Facebook.
Also remember that the Libra will be backed by a set of financial assets may include bank deposits and government securities short-term u.s. Treasury, among others. This will help to avoid the volatility that has affected other crypto-currencies such as bitcoin.
Indeed, it is essential that the crypto-currency of Facebook is the least volatile possible to be able to be used in the payment of daily life.
In recent months, Facebook has been the subject of criticism from users and politicians about the issues of privacy and security on its platforms, and the company is under the threat of a procedure in anti-trust in the United States.
In the Face of rumors about the plans of the company, the banking committee of the u.s. Senate, wrote last month in a letter to Mr. Zuckerberg, asking him how the company would protect the financial data of the users.
Facebook said that it had received the letter and that he responded to questions from the senators.
For its part, Facebook has said that the financial data of the users will be processed only by Calibra, and will not be shared with Facebook or compiled the social data of users.
The company has also worked with financial regulators in the United States and elsewhere in the world. It has developed a procedure to verify the identity of persons who will use the Libra on its platforms, in order to comply with the governmental rules of the fight against cyber crime.
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Board index Revisionism WWII Europe / Atlantic Theater Revisionist Forum
Roosevelt's Road To War
All aspects including lead-in to hostilities and results.
flimflam
Contact flimflam
Re: Roosevelt's Road To War
Postby flimflam » 2 years 2 months ago (Thu May 04, 2017 9:45 am)
hermod wrote:
Do Freedom of Information Act Files Prove FDR Had Foreknowledge of Pearl Harbor?
An Interview with Robert B. Stinnett by Douglas Cirignano
Robert B. Stinnett is a Research Fellow at The Independent Institute in Oakland, Calif., and the author of the book, Day of Deceit: The Truth about FDR and Pearl Harbor (Free Press). For further information, see the Pearl Harbor Archive.
http://www.independent.org/issues/article.asp?id=408
This sixteen page article claims to rebut Stinnett's claims, and while I'm no student of the matter, it seems convincing ...
A Deceitful Book: Robert B. Stinnett’s book “Day of Deceit” By Rear Admiral Richard E. Young, USN (Ret)
http://www.artbarninc.org/REY/Stinnett.pdf
Postby hermod » 2 years 1 month ago (Wed May 17, 2017 5:54 am)
flimflam wrote: This sixteen page article claims to rebut Stinnett's claims, and while I'm no student of the matter, it seems convincing ...
It seems convincing only if you want to be convinced by it.
The point that FDR didn't provoke Japan because he didn't reply to the McCollum memo with a memo or telegram stating "OK. Let's do that." is quite laughable. The best evidence for FDR's knowledge and acceptance of the plan in the McCollum memo is that he meticulously implemented it. Actions speak louder than words.
And FDR didn't only provoked Japan. He also provoked Germany. Japan was the first to respond to FDR's provocations, but FDR's aggressive policy was far from being limited to an oil embargo on Japan.
https://postimg.org/image/g3xjrq8wr/
https://postimg.org/image/8cgtt64rf/
Even FDR's state-sponsored excuse for his oil embargo on Japan (academic narrative) is a ludicrous lie. It's claimed:
In 1940 Japan invaded French Indochina [...] This move prompted the United States to embargo all oil exports, leading the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) to estimate it had less than two years of bunker oil remaining [...] Responding to Japanese occupation of key airfields in Indochina (July 24) following an agreement between Japan and Vichy France, the U.S. froze Japanese assets on July 26, 1941, and on August 1 established an embargo on oil and gasoline exports to Japan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Events_le ... arl_Harbor
Indochina was a French colony and Vichy France was if not a military ally at least a friendly country of Germany and Japan. The Japanese so-called invasion of Indochina was not an invasion but an authorized occupation of a friendly country's lands. The United States had no right to authorize or ban an occupation of Indochina. The United States had as much right to authorize or ban an occupation of Indochina as France had the right to authorize or ban an occupation of Dakota.
The orthodox narrative of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor is a grotesque story. The policies of US warmongers are always hidden by academic historians (state-sponsored storytellers) behind alleged blunders of incompetent leaders. It's always: We told Saddam that we didn't care about his disputes with Kuwait (see April Glaspie), and we declared war on Saddam's country as soon as the Iraq-Kuwait war started. But that was not bellicose trick. That was just a diplomatic blunder. Oops, sorry for that. Won't happen again...until next time.
"But, however the world pretends to divide itself, there are ony two divisions in the world to-day - human beings and Germans.” – Rudyard Kipling, The Morning Post (London), June 22, 1915
Postby Mortimer » 2 years 1 month ago (Wed May 17, 2017 6:28 am)
Roosevelt's warmongering should be obvious to any serious researcher on the topic of how the US came to be involved in the conflict. Here are excerpts from the concluding chapter to "America's Second Crusade" by William Henry Chamberlin. It shows that time and time again Roosevelt would say one thing in public and then do the exact opposite in private. Anyone who ignores the duplicitous character of Roosevelt is deluding themselves -
http://codoh.com/library/document/2554/
There are 2 sides to every story - always listen or read both points of view and make up your own mind. Don't let others do your thinking for you.
Postby flimflam » 2 years 1 month ago (Wed Jun 07, 2017 5:12 pm)
The article does not claim that FDR did not goad the Germans and the Japanese, it convincingly argues that Stinnett's claim that FDR new of the Pearl Harbor attack before it happened is bogus.
Postby Breker » 2 years 1 month ago (Thu Jun 08, 2017 8:54 am)
flimflam wrote: The article does not claim that FDR did not goad the Germans and the Japanese, it convincingly argues that Stinnett's claim that FDR new of the Pearl Harbor attack before it happened is bogus.
Really? Please say how exactly.
Revisionists are just the messengers, the impossibility of the "Holocaust" narrative is the message.
Postby flimflam » 2 years 1 month ago (Thu Jun 08, 2017 3:14 pm)
Breker wrote:
LOL. Like asking me to prove, exactly, that the holohoax didn't happen. The burden of proof is on Stinnett, and by proxy, you. You 'prove' FDR knew, quoting Stinnett as necessary, and I'll go to the trouble of trying to demonstrate that your proof is bogus, unless, of course, it is obvious conjecture and nonsense.
Postby Breker » 2 years 1 month ago (Thu Jun 08, 2017 11:02 pm)
flimflam wrote:
False argument. I'm asking you to back up what you claimed about the article.
You are either dodging or you did not read the article that you said you did. Recall that you DID say that:
it convincingly argues that Stinnett's claim that FDR new of the Pearl Harbor attack before it happened is bogus."
So then, please say how exactly, quote the part of the article that you think is 'convincing'.
Postby Mortimer » 1 year 10 months ago (Tue Aug 29, 2017 6:48 pm)
Pearl Harbor : Roosevelt's 9/11 is an article by James Perloff. At the very end he mentions Don Smith who was a director for the Red Cross and who claimed that FDR informed him before the attack that they would be receiving casualties and to be prepared with medical supplies. Also former Justice Department official Daryl Borgquist claimed Roosevelt began writing his "day of infamy" speech on 6 December 1941 as if he already knew what was going to happen -
https://jamesperloff.com/2014/11/06/pea ... velts-911/
Postby Mortimer » 1 year 3 weeks ago (Tue Jun 19, 2018 2:48 am)
Neo Cons in the Trump administration are saying there must be a change of government in North Korea because as a dictatorship it is a bad thing. During WW2 Roosevelt agreed that the northern part of the country should be given to Stalin which is exactly what happened and he promptly proceeded to install a communist dictatorship under Kim Il Sung. So it was Roosevelt (and Truman's) appeasement of Stalin which helped to create this very same dictatorship that the Neo Cons are complaining about.
https://Jamesperloff.com/2014/03/29/the ... ti-agenda/
Postby Mortimer » 9 months 3 weeks ago (Tue Sep 25, 2018 1:31 am)
Roosevelt asked studio head Jack Warner to make a movie which showed Stalin and his USSR in a positive light. The result was Mission to Moscow released in 1943. It was based on the posting of former US ambassador Joseph E Davies and his recollections of the era. It shows the soviet tyrant as a friendly fellow, whitewashes his crimes and recalls the show trials with a positive point of view. The late syndicated columnist Joseph Sobran wrote a review here - https://codoh.com/library/document/2703/
Author and blogger John Wear has a review here in what is rightfully regarded as one of the worst propaganda films of all time -
https://wearswar.wordpress.com/2018/01/ ... -a-comedy/
Postby Lamprecht » 5 months 2 weeks ago (Wed Jan 30, 2019 9:14 pm)
Great article here just released:
Roosevelt Conspired to Start World War II in Europe
We Elected Their Nemesis ... But He Was Ours
John Wear
Establishment historians claim that U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt never wanted war and made every reasonable effort to prevent war. This article will show that contrary to what establishment historians claim, Franklin Roosevelt and his administration wanted war and made every effort to instigate World War II in Europe...
http://inconvenienthistory.com/10/1/6450
"There is a principal which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments, and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance -- that principal is contempt prior to investigation."
-- Herbert Spencer
Postby Mortimer » 4 months 2 weeks ago (Sat Mar 02, 2019 11:43 pm)
Roosevelt won the 1940 election on an anti war platform because the majority of Americans supported genuine neutrality and non intervention. Privately Roosevelt supported the opposite and was a committed warmonger. In doing so he ignored his own country's history. Up until WW2 Britain was the traditional enemy of the United States having been at war twice in 1776 and 1812. And during the latter conflict the British burned the White House - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_of_Washington
So here was Roosevelt singing the praises of the very same people who torched the building where he lived and worked. Unlike FDR the average American did not ignore this which is one of the reasons why there was such strong backing for non intervention on the side of British imperialists like Winston Churchill - viewtopic.php?f=26&t=8241
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College Presidents Discuss What the Purdue-Kaplan Deal Means for Higher Ed
June 27, 2017 Noel K. Gallagher Portland Press Herald for EWA
There’s no question that higher ed is undergoing a sea change. Soaring student costs, unpredictable swings in state funding and an increasing demands from employers for highly skilled graduates are just a few reasons university leaders are scrambling for formulas that work.
Purdue University President Mitch Daniels says he’s had luck with a string of education innovations in recent years. A new income-sharing agreement program, which lets students finance their education with a percentage of future earnings rather than student loans, has lowered student and family costs. A deal with Amazon has lowered textbook costs. Now Daniels is looking to merge two different business models for higher education in a still developing proposal for the public research institution Purdue to buy the for-profit online Kaplan University.
“I don’t tout them. I don’t recommend them to anyone else,” Daniels said earlier this month during a panel discussion on innovation in higher education at the Education Writers Association’s National Seminar in Washington, D.C.
“We’re not trying to suggest anything we’ve done should be generalized. I’m just trying to do right by one institution,” said Daniels, who took the helm at Purdue in 2013, after two terms as Indiana governor.
Daniels and fellow panel member Scott Pulsipher, president of Western Governors University, emphasized that they are focused on being nimble and responsive to market demands. WGU is an online university that currently enrolls almost 80,000 students.
At WGU, they have adopted a competency-based learning model and charge a flat fee of about $3,000 for any six-month period, with students allowed to begin their term on the first day of any month. Those parameters enable WGU to work with any students – particularly working adults who have some college but no degree.
WGU has also broken up the traditional faculty structure, Pulsipher said, with professors assigned to silos of work – some creating classroom plans, some teaching, others evaluating student work, for example – to make it more nimble and efficient.
Daniels was unapologetic about upending long-standing university traditions, chafing particularly at the slow pace of change in higher education.
“For places which are seabeds of innovation in so many ways, (universities) don’t innovate institutionally very often,” he said. Universities are good at sparking innovation in students, he said, but “in terms of how they run their own affairs, too often they are very, very slow to change.”
Daniels said there are still plenty of unknowns on the Kaplan deal, including what the new hybrid university will be called and how much students will pay.
Both men were also sharply focused on the job market and making sure education opportunities were focused on successful job placement for graduates.
WGU works closely with employers and adjusts its coursework to ensure graduates have the latest skills in demand, Pulsipher said.
“There’s no doubt education remains the single biggest catalyst for individuals to change their lives,” Pulsipher said. “But we have to be careful in over-generalizing that education is the path to opportunity …. You have to put the focus on the quality of the credential itself.”
Shout out to EWA member Goldie Blumenstyk of The Chronicle of Higher Education for a comprehensive nuts-and-bolts look at the Kaplan deal.
Higher Education Reform
Presidents & Trustees
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Why University Presidents Refuse Reform
October 28, 2011 The Washington Post
This column argues that “ the governance structure of colleges and universities makes it difficult, if not impossible, for presidents to lead. The most fundamental problem preventing significant reform in higher education is the structural conflict between the administration and the faculty.”
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A Call for Psychological Screenings
Posted by decollins1969 in 1, Academia, culture, eclectic music, Movies, Politics, Pop Culture
Aurora Colorado, College Admissions, Colleges & Universities, Community Engagement, Community Responsibility, Counseling, Gun Control Debate, James Holmes, K-12 Education, K-16 Education, Mass Shootings, Mental Health Screenings, Psychological Profiles, Psychological Testing, Second Amendment, The Dark Knight Rises
Fourth blot of the Rorschach inkblot test, 1921, February 21, 2008. (Bryan Derksen via Wikipedia). In public domain.
Given that it’s the start of a new school year, and in the wake of so many shootings over the summer, it’s time to reformulate how we deal with violence and mass shootings. The saddening eruption of yet another mass shooting by former graduate student James Holmes at the The Dark Knight Rises opening in Aurora, Colorado in July is a case that makes clear my point. It’s time for colleges and universities to do psychological profiles as a requirement for admissions and attendance, and for public schools to be more proactive in providing psychological services.
James Holmes in court in Aurora, July 23, 2012. (Peterson/AP/CBS News).
There’s been much discussion of gun laws, assault weapons bans, and polls that show that a majority of Americans are anti-gun control. But there hasn’t been nearly enough dialogue about how to detect potential domestic threats to our safety to begin with. The majority of domestic threats in the past generation have come from young and mostly White males, either in high school or in higher education. We as a nation are either sympathetic — as in “how could they have turned out so wrong?” — or vengeful toward these perpetrators. We give so much thought to the Second Amendment that we completely neglect the root cause, the one thing the sympathetic and the vengeful do agree on. That someone like James Holmes would have to be psychologically unstable or “crazy” to do what he did.
The list of school and college-related mass murders and shootings goes something like this since 1996. San Diego State University, Pearl, Mississippi, West Paducah, Kentucky, Jonesboro, Arkansas, Littleton, Colorado, University of Arkansas, University of Arizona School of Nursing, Virginia Tech (twice, in 2007 and 2011), Chardon, Ohio and Oikos University. Though Holmes technically didn’t unload his 100 or so bullets on a college, high school or middle school campus, he lived in the Aurora, Colorado community in part because he was a one-time University of Colorado graduate student.
It’s beyond time for schools and especially colleges and universities to remember that they are very much a part of communities, not just gigantic entities unto themselves. Part of the responsibility of being a significant member of a community is to play a significant role in ensuring the safety of the community. Not just on the actual middle school, high school or a higher education institution campus, but in the surrounding community as well.
Part of taking all necessary actions to ensure the safety of students, teachers, professors, administrators and community members is providing services that could identify behavioral or psychological issues among students. We’ve learned in the cases of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold — the Columbine High School shooters — and in the case of Seung-Hui Cho — the Virginia Tech shooter — that consistent psychological services may have prevented these murders and injuries. Had psychological screening been performed and other related steps — including barring these individuals from contact with the campus and reporting potential threats to law enforcement — these students might well have become productive citizens.
Peanuts’ Lucy Van Pelt as psychiatrist, September 12, 2012. (http://digitalcitizen.ca). Qualifies as fair use under US Copyright laws due to blog post’s subject matter.
Of course, there’s no way to know for sure if readily available psychological services at the K-12 level and required screenings at the college level would lead to a reduction in student-related mass shootings. But it would allow for the opportunity for students at an early age to discuss their delusions of grandeur, their feelings of isolation or ostracism, their rage and their need to strike out against fellow students and community members alike. It would give colleges and universities the opportunity to truly get to know potential students beyond their grades and community service opportunities, and to understand how first-year students respond to stresses and pressures of college long before they become a threat.
Most importantly, mental health screening would allow a college or university to identify psychological issues with a students before accepting them into their institutions. While this proscription may make university administrators and school district superintendents squeamish, it is certainly a conversation worth having. After all, it’s not as if the debate about gun control has gotten any of us anywhere in the past 50 years.
1 thought on “A Call for Psychological Screenings”
fantasyfurnace said:
It’s a sorry state of affairs in this country. When is the last time we read about a mass shooting in a school in Chile, or Autrailia, or Wales, or anywhere for that matter? We make it too easy to obtain a weapon here and without any mandatory mental health screenings we cannot even identify a potential nut job BEFORE he strikes like the orange haired monster we now about.
Sad..
A great read!
Leave a Reply to fantasyfurnace Cancel reply
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BBC: UN Panel Believes Julian Assange Was 'Unlawfully Detained'
Filed to: julian assangeFiled to: julian assange
It’s almost four years since Julian Assange took refuge in London’s Ecuadorian embassy. Now, according to the BBC, a UN panel has ruled that he has been “unlawfully detained.”
Assange complained to the UN’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in 2014 that his living in 300 square feet within the Ecuadorian Embassy was unwarranted and had taken a toll on his health. The BBC now reports that the panel will rule in his favor, though an official announcement hasn’t yet been made. A formal decision will be made public tomorrow.
Assange already has a vision for what he’ll do when the official news arrives. Via the WikiLeaks Twitter account, he’s explained that:
Should the UN announce tomorrow that I have lost my case against the United Kingdom and Sweden, I shall exit the embassy at noon on Friday to accept arrest by British police as there is no meaningful prospect of further appeal.
If he wins, as the BBC seems to think?
However, should I prevail and the state parties be found to have acted unlawfully, I expect the immediate return of my passport and the termination of further attempts to arrest me.
Others may beg to differ. The verdict of the panel wouldn’t have any actual influence over what British and Swedish authorities actually do.
London’s police force has already pointed out that a ruling from the UN wouldn’t undermine the European arrest warrant against him, and say he’d still be taken into custody if he were to leave the embassy.
Image by AP
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Al Fayyūm region, Egypt, 1953, Army Map Service (AMS) NH 36-9 (Raster Image)
This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the Army Map Service (AMS) Series P502, North Africa, 1:250,000 AMS Series sheet map entitled: Al Fayyūm. Compilation date: 1953. Printed in: 1958. Covers portions of Al Fayyūm region, Egypt. Map quadrangle number: NH 36-9. Edition statement: Ed. 1 - AMS. Compiled in 1953 from: Egypt Normal Series, 1:25,000, Survey of Egypt, 1936-47; Egypt Normal Series, 1:100,000, Survey of Egypt, 1935-45; Egypt, 1:100,000, Army Map Service, Sheet 76/60, 1942; Agypten, 1:100,000, Generalstab des Heeres, 1940-42; Eastern Desert Series, 1:100,000, Survey of Egypt, Sheets 1, 1942; 3, 1935; Egypt, 1:500,000, Survey of Egypt, Sheet 2, 1942. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to World Geodetic System (1984) coordinates. All map collar information is also available as part of the raster image. Series source sheets are of varying compilation dates (1951-1964) and editions, published by the Army Map Service. AMS Series P502 maps are in English. Each source map in the series is printed in color at a scale of 1:250,000. The source map was selected and downloaded from the University of Texas Libraries Web site by the Harvard University Center for Geographic Analysis (CGA) and georeferenced for the CGA's AfricaMap project by East View Cartographic. Individual AMS sheets covering a small portion of Africa (146 sheets in total) were selected from AMS series of: North Africa (P502), West Africa (G504), and South Africa (Z501). AMS Series maps are typical topographic maps portraying both natural and manmade features. They show and name works of nature, such as mountains, valleys, lakes, rivers, vegetation, etc. They also identify the principal works of humans, such as roads, railroads, boundaries, transmission lines, major buildings, etc. Relief is shown with standard contour intervals of 50 meters, with some sheets having supplemental meter contours, form lines, hachures, shading, and/or spot heights. Depths shown by bathymetric isolines. Please pay close attention to map collar information on projections, spheroid, planimetric revision methods and dates, and keys to grid numbering and other numbers which appear inside the neatline.
Egypt and Al Fayyūm
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Home Analysis China, North Korea and a Useful Coincidence
China, North Korea and a Useful Coincidence
The meetings between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump are underway. Given Trump’s position during the presidential campaign, the expectation was that the sole conversation would be about trade relations. Perhaps some attention would be paid to the South China Sea. But given recent events, the likelihood is that a great deal of time is being spent on North Korea.
As we have discussed, the North Koreans have not quite crossed the red line on possessing nuclear weapons. But they appear to be lurking close to that line, and even flaunting it. The recent launch of four medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) demonstrated that North Korea now has a fairly reliable medium-range missile. Other indicators, including photos, show it might have a sufficiently miniaturized nuclear weapon to marry to a missile.
Until now, the existence of a North Korean nuclear weapon was simply an idea. It was a program, not a reality. Of late, we have moved from an idea to a real possibility. With all of these elements, U.S. intelligence may know the precise state of North Korea’s program. The U.S. president must calculate this question: Is the intelligence estimate he receives – assuming it says the threat is not yet real – correct? And if the estimate is wrong, would North Korea use the weapon? The closer the North Koreans get to a nuclear weapon, the less uncertainty is acceptable, and the more the president must assume the worst. In the ambiguous space between a program and reality, it may be hard to tell when the line is crossed. Once the line is crossed, the North Koreans may act. We don’t know that they will, but we also don’t know that they won’t.
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, sits with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a bilateral meeting at the Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach, Florida, on April 6, 2017. JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images
Given the stakes, the uncertainties will likely force the assumption of the worst. And assuming the worst requires action. I don’t know what the military recommends as pre-emptive action, but my assumption is that the North Koreans have hardened sites that conventional weapons and special operations teams can’t pierce – at least not with high certainty of success. Therefore, if we tilt all the uncertainties to the worst case, then a nuclear strike might be needed to take out the threat.
The United States is the only country in the world to have used atomic bombs. The U.S. is not eager to reintroduce them. Whatever the U.S. claims about North Korea’s capability, it will be dismissed by our adversaries and used as evidence of U.S. recklessness. This is, I suspect, why Trump urged the Japanese to develop nuclear weapons. If the strike has to be launched, the United States does not want to do it alone. And Japan – one of the most technically sophisticated countries with an extensive range of commercial nuclear reactors in place – undoubtedly has developed weapons capability to some extent.
The U.S. does not want to strike North Korea. Therefore, Plan A is to ask the Chinese to intervene with the North Koreans. It is extremely interesting to me that North Korea has chosen this time to put its developing capabilities on display. Obviously, there might be internal reasons, or they are simply proceeding as planned. However, I have noticed an imperfect model in place. On some occasions, when the U.S. is pressing China particularly hard on trade and related issues, North Korea goes out of its way to focus attention on itself, increase concern in the United States about its intent, and force the U.S. to ask the Chinese for help in managing North Korea. If North Korea wants to develop nuclear weapons without an American response, it would be in its best interest to increase, not decrease, American complacency. Yet the opposite happens – it increases U.S. concerns through deliberate, highly visible actions. In doing so, North Korea increases the risk of a U.S. strike taking out its nuclear capabilities.
The North Koreans talk crazy, but act deliberately and cautiously. They survived the collapse of the Soviet Union, their patron, precisely because of this caution. However, their nuclear program, which ought to be as understated as possible, periodically creates a situation where the threat to North Korea increases.
Normally, Beijing’s position is that it has poor relations with North Korea and will find it hard to influence it. Invariably, despite the difficulties, China manages to defuse the situation. At that point, when the U.S. turns to a discussion of trade issues, China has already done an enormous service at great effort and cost. China can then argue that it is continually bailing out the United States, and a reasonable compromise – given its service to the U.S. on a major issue – would be to provide some breathing room on other issues. It’s the least the U.S. could do.
I am bluntly raising the possibility that the Chinese and North Koreans are playing good cop, bad cop. The North Koreans create a crisis frequently built around their nuclear weapons, while China uses that crisis to deflect U.S. pressure on trade issues. There are, of course, arguments against this theory. China may not have the influence on North Korea that I claim. Too many instances have occurred where trade pressures do not generate a North Korean demonstration.
But I am forced to wonder why North Korea would risk forcing a U.S. pre-emptive strike by displaying its growing capabilities as blatantly as possible. Perhaps the North Koreans aren’t close to a weapon, U.S. intelligence knows this, and the North Koreans know the U.S. knows. Perhaps their status actually has no ambiguity, and therefore, no risk.
But I will note that China was about to meet the mother of all trade pressure – Donald Trump. And Xi was apparently confident that he could resist. All things considered, he shouldn’t have been. The buyer is in a stronger position to dictate new terms than the seller. Nevertheless, Xi came, the MRBMs were launched, and the alarm was palpable in the Trump administration. The meetings began with the Americans asking for a favor and the Chinese willing to spend their precious currency in North Korea to help the U.S.
It could be coincidence, but it is a very useful coincidence for China.
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Society Announcements
eG Forums Q&A with Eric Asimov
By Fat Guy, February 7, 2005 in Announcements
The eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters is delighted to welcome renowned New York Times food and wine writer Eric Asimov for a Q&A session the week of February 14, 2005.
Eric Asimov is the chief wine critic of the New York Times, a position he assumed in June 2004 after having covered wine with the Times's tasting panel and in his Tastings column.
He created the “$25 and Under” restaurant reviews in 1992 and wrote them through 2004. He is a co-author of the New York Times Guide to Restaurants 2004, the fifth edition of the guide. He has also reviewed takeout food for the Times in his “To Go” column and has offered radio commentary on food and wine on WQXR New York since 1999. His freelance work has appeared in Food and Wine, Details and Martha Stewart Living.
His previous book, $25 and Under: A Guide to the Best Inexpensive Restaurants in New York, was published annually by HarperCollins from 1995 to 1998. At the Times, he was editor of the “Living” section from 1991 to 1994 and editor of “Styles of the Times” from 1994 to 1995. He is a graduate of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., and did graduate work in American studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He is married to Deborah Hofmann, has two children, Jack and Peter, and lives in Manhattan.
Eric Asimov's writings appear every week in the New York Times “Dining In, Dining Out” section.
Please join us for Eric Asimov's Q&A session the week of February 14, 2005.
Click here to go to the eG Forums Q&A with Eric Asimov.
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Japan Is Antagonizing Everyone
Japan’s war hawks and imperial apologists are alienating the country’s allies and making a confrontation with its rivals more likely.
By Kaja Baum, November 19, 2014 .
Korean former “comfort women” and their supporters rally outside the Japanese embassy in Seoul. (Photo: joonyoung kim / Flickr)
For four brutal years in the mid-20th century, the United States and Japan fought a bloody war in the Pacific—a conflict bracketed by the dueling national traumas of Pearl Harbor in the United States and the atomic bombing of Japan.
Despite this ugly history, the United States and Japan are now staunch allies and trade partners with a shared love of sushi. However, for Japan’s neighbors in China and Korea—the former subjects of an aggressive Japanese empire in the Pacific—deep wounds remain open, and relations are still chilly.
After over a half century, the biggest powers of East Asia still can’t get along. Even as Japan and Korea face a shared challenge from a rising China, their troubled history is precluding meaningful cooperation with each other. And with the United States less likely to assert itself in the region in the years to come, rising nationalism on all sides is increasing the likelihood of new confrontations.
Many of these conflicts are playing out in theaters large and small—including among elderly Korean ladies, shrines to war dead, and Japanese schoolbooks.
A small group of Korean women and their supporters gather every Wednesday in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. They have done so without fail since 1992, even as their numbers have dwindled—their ages average 88 years. These victims of wartime sexual trafficking, often called “comfort women,” are protesting the Japanese government’s failure to sufficiently recognize and atone for the sexual slavery of an estimated 200,000 mostly Korean women during World War II.
The Japanese government denied these charges for many years. But proof from Japan’s own Defense Ministry documenting the government’s management of brothels—or “comfort stations” —for Japanese soldiers forced Japan to acknowledge the mass human trafficking and government-sponsored rape of women by the Imperial Army. Issued in a proclamation called the Kono Statement, this acknowledgment—while historic—offered no concrete path for atonement or reparations.
Earlier this year, the United Nations Human Rights Committee issued a statement calling on Japan to “ensure that all allegations of sexual slavery or other human rights violations perpetrated by Japanese military during wartime against the ‘comfort women’ are effectively, independently, and impartially investigated and that perpetrators are prosecuted and if found guilty, punished.” As Jeff Kingston, director of Asian Studies at Temple University in Tokyo, explains, “Japan needs to keep apologizing, making gestures of contrition, and seeking a fuller understanding of its shared past with Asia.”
Instead, however, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has backpedaled by trying to deny and downplay the issue. He has threatened to revise the Kono Statement, claiming there was no actual proof of forced prostitution—a threat that triggered a wave of outrage and international condemnation. Other Japanese politicians have piled on with even more egregious statements, such as the claim by Osaka mayor Toru Hashimoto that the sexual slavery was a “necessary” wartime measure that “anyone can understand.”
But comfort women are far from the only wartime legacy that Abe has aggravated.
Last December, Abe visited the war cemetery at Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine. The shrine memorializes the 2.5 million Japanese killed in wartime—including, controversially, 14 Class-A war criminals responsible for such atrocities as the Rape of Nanjing and the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Before Abe’s visit, no Japanese Prime Minister had stepped into the political minefield of the shrine for seven years. The visit occurred at a particularly tense moment in Japan’s relations with China—just after Beijing’s announcement of a new Air Defense Identification Zone for the East China Sea. In his visit to Beijing following the announcement, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden declined to criticize China’s declaration—despite having just told Tokyo that “the United States firmly backed Japan’s opposition to China’s actions.” Following Abe’s visit to Yasukuni, Beijing “shut the door to dialogue.”
Finally, as though in a grand provocative finale, Abe’s government is literally rewriting the history of the war for future generations. Textbooks around the country are now being changed to reflect a more “patriotic” view of Japanese history. Education minister Hakubun Shimomura says that the new material will “teach a balance of good as well as the bad parts, so that children can be proud of and have confidence in our country’s history.”
A “balanced” view of wartime history apparently entails adhering to Abe’s insistence that there’s no proof the comfort women were coerced, and downplaying the death toll of the “incident” at Nanjing. These attempts, as the New York Times put it, to “recast wartime history with a less apologetic tone” have resulted in Japan effectively pulling the rug out from under its regional diplomacy, reneging on its past admissions and apologies, and endangering its relationships with its neighbors.
A Fraught Regional Climate
This is where matters get vastly more interconnected and consequential.
Tokyo’s ongoing failure to make, in the eyes of its victims, satisfactory amends for past transgressions has poisoned the narrow seas that divide Japan from its neighbors. As China increasingly asserts its influence in the region, and as the U.S. “pivot to Asia” falls flat on its face, these seemingly isolated squabbles could pose a serious threat.
While U.S.-Japan relations are still strong, Japan now recognizes that the United States can no longer wield the influence it once did in the region. Abe’s response has been to loosen the leash on Japan’s military, to permit its “Self Defense Forces” to defend Japan’s allies and act as a “security counterbalance” to China’s rising military power. Yet under the guise of warding off Chinese antagonism, Japan’s hawkish government is antagonizing everyone.
There are certainly other matters to be attended to within the region, such as territorial disputes in the East and South China Sea. Yet many of these problems stem from, or are fueled by, Japan’s growing insecurities. Abe should be finding ways to rebuild bridges and form stronger relationships with Japan’s neighbors, particularly South Korea.
Yet instead of constructively addressing some relatively minor domestic and regional problems, Abe has unnecessarily increased tensions by enabling Japan’s war hawks and imperial apologists. The result is a snowballing crisis among heavily armed neighbors. The more insecure the region becomes, the more it militarizes—and the more it militarizes, the more insecure it becomes.
Tokyo holds that all war reparations on issues such as comfort women were settled in 1965—when diplomatic ties were established with South Korea—and many Japanese feel that their country has done enough apologizing and guilt tripping for events long past. While it is important to expect that, as Nancy Snow observes, “regional rivals will take every ideological advantage of Japanese missteps, raising hackles about Japanese militarism,” it still behooves Abe to make every gesture he can afford to attempt to clean the slate. Japan has the power to gain a far more positive and favorable image, at a reasonably low cost, by addressing such issues as comfort women, the Yasukuni Shrine, and school books.
History can’t be unmade, but it needn’t determine the future either. As South Korean President Park Geun-hye has said, “The Japanese government must make a right and bold decision for the two countries to overcome a painful past… They should stop denying the past and face the truth of history. Otherwise, they will be isolated.” If the wounds from Nagasaki, Hiroshima, and Pearl Harbor can be mended into what is now a strong alliance, the Japanese government can do some mending here too.
Kaja Baum is a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus.
Issues: War & Peace
Regions: Asia & Pacific, China, Japan, South Korea, United States
Tags: ADIZ, comfort women, East China Sea, Kono Statement, pacific pivot, Peace Constitution, sexual violence, Shinzo Abe, south china sea, textbooks, Yasukuni Shrine
China Donald Trump Iraq War NATO Isis United Nations nuclear weapons Iran North Korea immigration Syria Military Intervention Refugees climate change Libya military spending diplomacy Islamic State Terrorism Gaza
Media hits
What the Class Politics of World War II Mean for Tensions in Asia Today
The Apology Olympics
Seeking Justice—Or at Least the Truth—for “Comfort Women”
Looking Backwards, Pivoting Sideways
A Brewing Storm in the Western Pacific
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Audrey Murdick
Audrey Murdick Biography
Updated On Mar 14, 2019 Published On Mar 13, 2018
Timeline of Audrey Murdick
1980 Born in United States
2005 Began work in TV series
2012 Married with Jeff Dunham
2019 Total net worth
Facts of Audrey Murdick
1980 , August-29
Steve Murdick
Sally Murdick
Jeff Dunham (m. 2012)
James Jeffrey, Jack Stevenson
Incredible Edible America
View moreless Facts of Audrey Murdick
Audrey Murdick is an American personal trainer, a competitive bodybuilder, a certified nutritionist, and an actress. She is best known for her work in films like The Thieves Guild, Minding the Monsters, and Achmed Saves America.
Early Life and Family Of Audrey Murdick
Audrey Murdick was born on August 29, 1980, and is 38 years old as of early 2019. She was born in Norco, California, USA. She is of American nationality and belongs to white ethnicity. The name of her parents is father Steve Murdick, and mother Sally Murdick.
Audrey Murdick's Weight Loss Journey
Audrey Murdick, who used to be a fat, chubby girl as a child, later in her life, realized the importance of being healthy. It was then; she decided to lose her extra weight and started following a healthy lifestyle.
Audrey tried yoga, spin classes, and applied several other methods to lose weight. However, none of her attempts gave a satisfactory result.
Finally, she joined a trainer named David and got into bodybuilding. Her time as a trainee had a huge influence on her career choice as a nutritionist. Over a period of time, she took part in several fitness competitions, finally gaining recognization as a fitness guru and a nutritionist.
As per the reports, from the ages of twenty-six to thirty-one, she participated in a total of seven fitness competitions.
Audrey Murdick's Career in Movies and TV
Apart from being a fitness guru, Audrey Murdick is also widely known for being an actress and for her impressive acting skills in numerous movies.
She has also appeared in some notable movies such as Extra, The Thieves Guard, Incredible Edible America (as a producer), and Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monster.
Audrey Murdick's Net Worth
Audrey Murdick has earned`a huge amount of money from his professional career. As a personal trainer, a competitive bodybuilder, and a certified nutritionist, she has several sources of income. As of 2019, Audrey Murdick' net worth is estimated to be around $45 million.
She and her husband, Jeff has a combined net worth of $60 million.
Audrey Murdick's Personal Life: Married husband Jeff
Talking about Audrey Murdick's personal life and current relationship status, she is a married woman. She is married to husband, Jeff Dunham.
Jeff is an American ventriloquist and comedian who has featured in television shows like Late Show with David Letterman. The couple reportedly met in 2009 and instantly started dating.
Almost after two years of dating, the couple got engaged in December 2011. A year later on October 12, 2012, they tied the knot in Santa Ynez, California at the Sunstone Vineyards and Winery.
On October 11, 2015, the married couple welcomed twin boys; Jack Steven Dunham and James Jeffrey Dunham in Los Angeles.
Their twin child was born with a difference of 2 hours. As of 2019, the kids are four years old.
Apart from her relationship with her husband, there are no reported affairs or extra-marital relationships about her.
Audrey stands a height of 5 feet 4 inches and weighs around 49 kg.
Audrey Murdick facts on timeline
Born in United States
August 29 , 1980
Audrey Murdick was born in Norco, California, USA. She is currently 38 years old. She is an American by nationality and belongs to white ethnicity. She is a daughter of Steve Murdick and Sally Murdick.
Began work in TV series
Audrey Murdick has appeared in some notable movies such as Extra, The Thieves Guard; as Cassandra, Incredible Edible America (as a Producer), Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monster.
Married with Jeff Dunham
October 12 , 2012
Audrey is a married woman. She tied her wedding knot with her boyfriend Jeff Dunham, an American ventriloquist and comedian, on October 12, 2012, in Santa Ynez, California at the Sunstone Vineyards and Winery. The couple shares twin boys, Jack Steven Dunham and James Jeffrey Dunham.
Total net worth
As of 2019, Audrey Murdick net worth is estimated to be around $45 million. Her significant source of earning is her professional fitness and acting career. She also earns a lot as a nutritionist.
The Thieves Guard
American Actress
The Late Show With David Letterman
Minding The Monsters
Achmed Saves America
Jeff Dunham: Minding The Monster
Shemane Deziel
American author Celebrity Spouse
Amal Clooney Celebrity Spouse
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Home Fort Times Fort Times Obituaries MOHL – Reinhard
MOHL – Reinhard
Chris Ashfield
Date of Death: February 2, 2019
On Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019, Reinhard Mohl passed away at the age of 102. Reinhard was born on March 27, 1916 at Edenwold, Sask. to Joseph and Amilia (Koch) Mohl.
He received his education in the little red brick schoolhouse in Edenwold and while in Grade 9 he became ill. When his health improved he was needed to work on the farm.
Reinhard was drafted into the armed forces and was training at the Queen Charlotte Islands in B.C. He was spared actual combat and when he returned home to Edenwold he worked in the general store with his father and brother, Kuno.
As a young boy he played baseball and hockey, in later years he loved to curl. He played an active role on the Edenwold recreation board and the curling club.
Reinhard was in a business partnership with his father and four brothers for almost 50 years.
Besides the general store, there was a dairy, grain farming, implement dealership and cattle.
In 1959 the brothers ventured into the hotel business, first in Punnichy, Sask., then Broadview, Sask., Fort Qu Appelle, Sask. and the Jolly Roger in Regina, Sask.
Reinhard was an avid music lover and truly enjoyed dancing and travelling. He was known for his quick wit, good sense of humour and mischievous nature.
He retired to the family cottage at Fort Qu’Appelle, Sask. where he became re-acquainted with a teenage friend, Mildred (Mae) Schmidt. After a lengthy courtship they married in Arizona. The happy couple resided in Fort Qu’Appelle where they enjoyed gardening, playing cards, spending time with family, travelling and gambling at the casinos.
In his later years he resided at Echo Lodge and had a passion for watching baseball, curling and listening to music.
Reinhard was preceded in death by his father, Joseph; and his mother, Amilia; wife, Mae; sister, Sighilde; brothers and sister-in-laws, Fred and Helen, Helmut and Isobel, Sigfred and Elvira, Kuno and Aida; and nephew, Rollie.
He is survived by numerous nephews and nieces, Del (Louise), Linda (Buryl), Cal, Marilyn (Ron), Carol (Bruce), Wendy and Lindsey, Cynthia (Brian), Regan (Wendy), Doug (Sally), Sheila(Bob) and Merril (Margaret); as well as many great-nephews and nieces.
We, the nephews and nieces, enjoyed reminiscing with Uncle Reinhard, we had great pleasure in telling our friends about our 102-year- old uncle. We truly loved him in our lives.
The Celebration of Life will be on Saturday, May 18, 2019 at 11 a.m. at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Fort Qu’Appelle, Sask. Interment to follow at the Edenwold Cemetery.
Donations may be made to Echo Lodge at Fort Qu’Appelle, Sask. or to the Royal Canadian Legion, Fort Qu’Appelle branch, as gifts of remembrance.
Condolences can be sent to the family at www.baileysfuneralhome.com
Arrangements were entrusted to Bailey’s Funeral and Cremation Care Ituna – Yorkton.
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Getting a Little Help from HELP
You've got issues @el
Hellenic Education and Language Program is a small, independent after-school language program created by first, second and even third-generation Greek American parents in Astoria who were looking for alternatives to the church-run language programs for their children. Continuing our series of articles on the success of private Hellenic schools in the country, we focused on profiling HELP because of its uniqueness and its excellence in providing language and culture as a complement to the traditional English school day.
Operating from the first/basement floor of a newly constructed building off of Broadway and 37th Street in Astoria, HELP features several levels of instruction and makes a point of placing children according to ability and comprehension not on age. While some might see this as awkward socially, most classes fall within two grade levels of difference.
Children discuss their designs for robot class on a typical afternoon at the HELP afternoon school
Quite impressive for writers of this magazine is the fact that each classroom of the school is named after a famous Greek woman from history, including Hypatia, Adriane, and Sappho . In fact, the nickname of the school is the “Ypatia.”
On the afternoon we visited the school, students were engaged in a robotics making session using Legos while following a computer-generated program. Others were reciting poems while others were coming off the ecstatic performance of the Perseus myth they had staged the weekend before.
HELP emphasizes student-centered, hands-on activities where the living language of Greek can come to life. It is not strictly a cut-and-dry language program, but offers a more holistic approach to Greek culture. Its curriculum is rounded out by courses in history, Greek geography and mythology, math in Greek, Greek civics, Greek dance and traditions and even environmental education. It has expanded its offerings to include English for adults, modern and classical Greek literature, the Iliad, theater workshop and “Mommy and Me” classes.
a student in the after-school program of Hellenic Education and Language Program tinkers with Lego blocks to make robots based on computer-aided design
[box type=”shadow” align=”alignleft” ][/box]
[tabs type=”horizontal”][tabs_head][tab_title]A Close-up Look at H.E.L.P. from the Chris Orfanakos, Founder[/tab_title][/tabs_head][tab] [/tab][/tabs]
How is HELP different from the other schools that teach Greek language and culture? We receive many students that come from homes of Hellenes that are dissatisfied for a plethora of reasons. The most common of reasons is that they are disenchanted with the level of education that exists within the established educational part of our community in the United States. Education for us at H.E.L.P. is not only language but the culture and history that helps empower children to understand why it’s important to learn the language. Some parents do not like the idea that there is religious instruction in learning the Greek language. Some parents who had not baptized their children were not even allowed to attend a Christian school in the community. The community that first backed the program was YSEE. This is a movement of Hellenes that believes in the virtues and traditions of our ancient ancestors. We believe that Greek culture and identity is for any Hellene that wants to indulge in it, of any religion background. This was the main reason why we kept H.E.L.P. secular.
The Hellenic education and language program is not trying to reinvent the wheel but we like to think the wheel needs a challenge. Learning Greek through activities and instruction, through art, theater, sports, science, mathematics to be able to learn their language and cultural identity. I never understood why the organization that has the monopoly on education in the USA ironically never truly indulged in the arts with regards to learning Greek when we are the first civilization to explore them in such depth.
How do you structure your program? What offerings exist?
Our program is an evening program weekdays and Saturday mornings comprised of six levels of placement based on level of individual comprehension and knowledge, not age. The idea that a particular age accommodates a specific level is outdated. The idea that a 10-year-old who would be in fifth-grade American school can speak read and write Greek at a fifth grade level Greek school is preposterous. Roughly 25% of the children are from mixed marriages and the other 70% are second and third generation Greek-Americans. Most of these children do not hear Greek at home. Hence the idea of grades one through eight is out the window because you have seven-year-olds that sometimes can speak read and write better than an ten-year-old and so you have to shuffle the children but not to a point where it’s an awkward situation where there is a 12-year-old sitting next to an 8-year old. Our grade levels run from pre-K to 9th grade but we are hoping to create programs that reach high school levels.
What accounts for the school’s success to this point? The school program is successful for no other reason then the passion and conviction to keep it going by the community and the parents of the students. I strongly believe that that is the only way to build a proper Greek school. If we are not ready to bleed and sweat for it then we do not deserve it.
How do you get your financial support?
The program initially was designed to be on a donation basis but eventually we ran into quite a few problems with that. So we have added a tuition. With that said we have never ever turned away a student that could not afford the program. The parents and supporters of the program go out and try to find sponsorships for the students that cannot afford to pay for the education. We do a fundraiser to pay the bills and many times go deeper into our own pockets.
For the upcoming year we have planned an Ellinomathia curriculum for grammar and will also be prepping students for the Greek Regents exam.
Drop off at the HELP afternoon school program which offers classes in more than just Greek language and culture
[tabs type=”horizontal”][tabs_head][tab_title]A Word from Future Director, Eleftheria Oikouta [/tab_title][/tabs_head][tab][/tab][/tabs]
What is your vision for HELP and after-school programs of Greek language and culture?
The way I see it Greek school must forge first and foremost an identity for the Greek community. The imprint of Greek identity is vital to the continuance of our culture or else we will be lost. The first vehicle for identity is the Greek language, which is essentially an instrument of thought. It is the responsibility of the teachers and the parents to continue this identity. The Greek footprint is fading in other parts of the country. We are lucky we are in NYC that has a strong Greek identity with the changing crisis we are experiencing a new influx of Greek immigrants My goal is to create a new generation of Greek children who will learn Greek as a way to become better American citizens.
What plans do you have for next year?
We are planning to expand our Greek program by offering the Greek Proficiency exam called the Certificate of Ellinomathia under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Education. This is a certificate that vouches for the language proficiency in Greek by the Greek state and recognized in the academic and professional world. Registration is currently ongoing from June 7th to June 27th for the upcoming academic year. For more info email info@help.org. [Google][pinterest]
The Athena Film Festival
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Saint Pelagia, Prophetess Hulda, Rava’ad…
ΕΦΙΑΛΤΙΚΕΣ ΝΥΧΤΕΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΡΗΜΟ ΤΗΣ…
Γιατί έφυγα από τις ΗΠΑ…
Ελληνές Γονείς εναντίον Γονείς της…
οι Έλληνες άνδρες κάνουν τους…
“Hello Class my name is…
How is HELP different from the other schools that teach Greek language and culture?
We receive many students that come from homes of Hellenes that are dissatisfied for a plethora of reasons. The most common of reasons is that they are disenchanted with the level of education that exists within the established educational part of our community in the United States. Education for us at H.E.L.P. is not only language but the culture and history that helps empower children to understand why it’s important to learn the language.
Some parents do not like the idea that there is religious instruction in learning the Greek language. Some parents who had not baptized their children were not even allowed to attend a Christian school in the community. The community that first backed the program was YSEE. This is a movement of Hellenes that believes in the virtues and traditions of our ancient ancestors. We believe that Greek culture and identity is for any Hellene that wants to indulge in it, of any religion background. This was the main reason why we kept H.E.L.P. secular.
What accounts for the school’s success to this point?
The school program is successful for no other reason then the passion and conviction to keep it going by the community and the parents of the students. I strongly believe that that is the only way to build a proper Greek school. If we are not ready to bleed and sweat for it then we do not deserve it.
We are planning to expand our Greek program by offering the Greek Proficiency exam called the Certificate of Ellinomathia under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Education. This is a certificate that vouches for the language proficiency in Greek by the Greek state and recognized in the academic and professional world.
Registration is currently ongoing from June 7th to June 27th for the upcoming academic year. For more info email info@helleniceducation.com.
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GREEK LANGUAGE AND CULTURE: GETTING A LITTLE HELP
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