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__label__cc	0.523947	0.476053	€3.6m raised at O'Donnellan & Joyce auction Posted by James Rogers in Property News with No Comments on €3.6m raised at O'Donnellan & Joyce auction A section of the crowd at Friday's auction in the Harbour Hotel An estimated 600 people attended a bumper auction in Galway City, at which more than €3.6 million worth of property was sold. The O’Donnellan & Joyce auction last Friday saw a packed auction room in the Harbour Hotel, will potential bidders and onlookers flowing out into the corridor outside. A total of 28 properties in the city, county and in Longford, Westmeath and Roscommon, went under the hammer – 26 sold, and the other two are under “an advanced stage of negotiations”. Colm O’Donnellan said it was his most successful auction in the company’s 30 years in business, adding that more than 3,000 people viewed the live stream of the auction on their website. He said he hopes to double the size of the catalogue for their next auction in July. “We are hoping to double the amount of properties placed for sale for our next public auction and are looking for properties throughout all the West of Ireland,” said Mr O’Donnellan. The biggest city result of the afternoon was a large five-bed semi-detached family home in Newcastle, which sold for twice its guide price. No. 13 Carbry Road had an Advised Minimum Value of €160,000, and was chased by 10 different bidders, before the hammer dropped at €320,000. There were two properties in Castlelawn Heights on the Headford Road sold. Both had AMVs of €130,000 – No. 200 is a 3/4-bed semi sold for €154,000, while No. 150, a 3-bed semi sold for €150,000. In Salthill, 51 Whitestrand Park, a detached house currently divided into four flats, was pursued by five people, and sold for €230,000. The AMV was €190,000. Bidding on No. 20 Dalysfort Road, a six-bedroom terraced home, started at €130,000 and two bidders brought the selling price to €370,000, just under its AMV of €375,000. Two neighbouring semi-derelict homes in Devon Park which had AMVs of €100,000 were also sold – No. 6 Devon Park for €110,000 and Lenaboy House for €125,000. In Knockanacarra, No. 4 White Oaks on the Clybaun Road – a four-bed semi in need of refurbishment – sold for €146,000. Its AMV was €120,000. No. 26 An Logán, a three-bed apartment just off the Western Distributor Road which failed to sell at a previous auction, sold for €127,000 – one-third higher than its AMV of €95,000. It attracted strong interest from first-time buyers. Tags: Galway	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line290
__label__cc	0.558766	0.441234	Ruth Lieberman The Holy City of… Lod Pesachim 62 A side story on today’s daf seems to have a negative view of the city of Lod. The Gemara reports a conversation between Rabbi Simlai and Rabbi Yochanan where Rabbi Simlai asks Rabbi Yochanan to teach him Sefer Yochsin (Divrei HaYamim). Rabbi Yochanan wants to know where Rabbi Simlai is from and upon hearing that he is from Lod and lives in Nehardea, refuses to teach him. Rabbi Yochanan claims that we do not teach people from Lod and from Nehardea and you are from both those places! Why does Rabbi Yochanan look down on Lod (Nehardea is not in Eretz Yisrael so someone else will have to deal with that question!)? Lod is an ancient city, located in central Israel: We already hear about it in Tanakh, it is in the tribe of Benjamin and is resettled in the time of Ezra and Nehemia. It is centrally located, about a day’s walk from Jerusalem, and on the border between the coast and the Shfelah (lowlands). Lod was known as a wealthy city and its merchants were well known. Some products were even named after the city: “Lodian” barrels, a special “Lodian” cake made from wheat. Most significantly for our purposes, Lod was a city of scholars. Among the important rabbis who resided in Lod were Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus and Rabbi Tarfon (both wealthy men as well). We hear about other scholars who pass through Lod or reside there for a time: Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yosi haGelili are notable ones. In fact, Rabbi Akiva examined forty pairs of new moon witnesses in Lod (Mishnah Rosh haShana 1:6). Lod is also well known for the rabbinical meetings held there. Certain homes seem to have hosted the rabbis and their pronouncements became associated with these places. The most famous of such meetings was held in Nitza’s attic (עליית בית נתזה) where the rabbis determined the list of sins that one must be killed for, rather than transgress (Sanhedrin 74). So if Lod was so wealthy and prominent why does Rabbi Yochanan hold such a low opinion of Loddites? Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that all the rabbis mentioned above are Tannaim, who lived from the early-mid second century CE. Rabbi Yochanan and Rabbi Simlai are Amoraim, from the mid third century CE. By that point, after the Bar-Kokhba revolt, the areas near Jerusalem had lost much of their Jewish population and the center of intellectual life moved north, to the Galilee. Rabbi Yochanan himself is based in Tiberias. Maybe he cannot imagine that a strong Jewish life can be rekindled in the south and therefore is reluctant to entrust secret knowledge to someone from Lod. An interesting postscript to the story is a discovery made in Lod in 1996, many centuries after our story takes place. In the course of road construction, an amazing mosaic floor was discovered: It is filled with images of animals, but not of people, and it does not contain any religious symbols. It dates to the late 3rd century but its artist and owner did not leave us any clues as to their ethnicity or religion. Could it have belonged to one of the Jews still left in Lod at that time? Thanks to the writer: fabulous tour guide and teacher, Shulie Mishkin, and the book ארץ הצבי ואתריה במקורותינו by Rav Shraga Weiss. We welcome comments and ideas from daf yomi learners and others! Ruth Lieberman is an Israeli-based political consultant and licensed tour guide, combining her love of Israel with political acumen to better Israel's standing both at home and in the eyes of the world. She has consulted for political leaders in Jerusalem and in Washington, from work on election campaigns to public advocacy and events. Her tours in Israel connect Biblical history to modern realities, to highlight Israel's achievements and promote its policies.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line293
__label__cc	0.667107	0.332893	Sarah Zenk Blossom Before I tell you about the road trip with the albino alligator, there are a few things you should know about me, and there are a few things you should know about Carl. Carl and I have been friends ever since he knocked out my left lateral incisor with his right elbow in fifth grade. I'm a dentist now, and Carl sells pot to high school kids. The things Carl and I have in common are guns, of which we both own several (though I prefer to conceal and carry while Carl prefers to store malfunctioning vestiges of the Civil War in the glass cases that flank his formal dining room), drugs, which Carl loves to take and I like to prescribe in moderation, and the Everglades Bar, which has a speckled linoleum floor and a popcorn machine. You need to know that Carl is at the Everglades and that his girlfriend has thrown a gin and tonic on him and stolen his truck. You need to know that I am driving my BMW to the veterinarian because my wife's disheveled cat, Mr. Whiskers, has left slimy chunks of cat food in her shoes six times in the last three weeks. I hear retching sounds in the back seat. “Don't you dare!” I yell at the cat. “Not in the Beemer!” There are liquid sounds, then solid sounds, then liquid sounds again. There is a stench. In the rearview mirror, I see a string of goo slide off the cat's chin. I roll down my window and his too, hoping he’ll leap into oncoming traffic. I’m nearing the Everglades and decide to pull in to look for a towel. “I’ll be right back. Keep your goo inside yourself,” I say to the hellcat. He looks at me and burps. “Hi, Marco,” I say to the bartender. “I need to borrow a towel. That disgusting cat of Jen’s vomited all over my car.” He shakes his head and hands me a couple of rags. “You getting rid of that thing soon?” Everybody at Everglades knows about Mr. Whiskers. I’ve been bitching about him for weeks. “I hope so.” There is a toy monkey with a bobbling head sitting on the bar in front of Marco, and normally I would ask about it, but on this particular day, I am too upset by the goo all over the backseat of the car to get involved in anything else. Its eyes are slits, and it wears a mustard-colored hat. Its prehensile feet stand nonchalantly. I find it menacing. “Carl’s here,” Marco tells me. He moves the monkey aside to wipe the surface of the bar, then moves it back to its original spot. “He’s out back having a smoke.” Carl is always smoking. “Thanks, Marco. I’ll find him.” I take the towels and head toward the parking lot. Carl makes his way over to the Beemer, unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth. He’s wearing torn jeans and a stained work shirt; his shaggy blond hair is sticking out in multiple directions. He's carrying a large navy blue duffel bag. “Hey,” he says. He sets the duffel bag on the pavement, removes a lighter from the pocket of his shirt, and lights his cigarette. “Nice mess,” he adds, gesturing at the cat puke. “Yeah.” I sop up the vomit. As I finish blotting, the cat looks up at me. He belches and spews greenish liquid all over the clean half of the back seat. He coughs, coughs harder, makes a hairball-hacking sound, and falls over. “Cat?” I say. “Cat?” He is unresponsive. “Mr. Whiskers?” “Is he dead?” Carl asks me. The cat simultaneously pisses and shits. “Mr. Whiskers,” I say to the cat. Suddenly, I am sad, and if Carl were not standing there with that cigarette in his mouth and that duffel bag beside him, tears would fall from my eyes, and I would be surprised by them. But they do not. Instead, I put more towels down on the piss and shit spots, and throw the cat on top of the towels. “Yes,” I say to Carl. “I’m pretty sure he’s dead.” “Can I have a ride?” Carl says. You need to know that Carl has had acid flashbacks in my car. Carl has thrown his clown shoes from the window of my car after a bad birthday party gig. Carl once borrowed my car and returned it filled with packing peanuts. Their tenacious static cling has become legendary. I'm still finding them. I do not want to say yes. “Yes,” I say, “but I need to take the carcass to the vet. Jen will want it cremated.” “Sure, man, I don’t mind,” he says, loading his duffel bag into the trunk. “Can we stop and get some smokes first?” I pull off the freeway at the next gas station and park alongside the building. I blot more vomit out of the seats while Carl goes inside. While I’m blotting, I decide to return patient calls. As I'm asking Rachel Stevens whether her molar is sensitive to hot or to cold, a car alarm goes off at one of the pumps. “What did you say?” I ask Rachel. I walk to the rear of the building, which muffles the sound enough so that I can pretend that the noise is some kind of high-tech endodontic alarm in the office. Rachel seems unfazed. She tells me that the tooth throbs when she drinks cold water and tingles when she drinks hot tea. She hasn't eaten in days. It's an emergency. Carl appears at the corner of the building. He sidles over to me, tugging on my sleeve. “Um, dude,” he says. I point to the phone, shushing him. “Dude,” he says, more urgently. I shush him again. “Business,” I say. “Just a minute.” “Dude,” Carl says. “This is important. There's an alligator in your car.” I look at Carl. His eyes are wide. “An alligator,” he repeats. “In your car.” I say to Rachel, “I’ll have to call you back. There’s an alligator in my car.” Before I end the call, I think I hear Rachel say, “I had to take twelve hundred milligrams of ibuprofen after the peanut butter sandwich,” or maybe it was, “But I don't have time for an alligator to be in your car,” or maybe even, “You're right, it feels just like being on ten thousand Ferris wheels with a gun to your head,” but I can't be sure. I understand that she is confused, but I assume that she will assume that she has misheard me. She will, I hope, picture a small child who is gushing blood from the socket of his lateral incisor and realize that I have not said alligator and car, but rather emergency and office. It’s massive, and it’s albino. It must be eight feet long. It must have a hundred teeth. All hundred are massive and pointed, and some have fur stuck between them. “Dude,” Carl says again. “That albino alligator just ate Mr. Whiskers.” “Holy shit,” I say. “How do I get it out?” I stare at the alligator. Carl stares at the alligator. I stare at the alligator. I look for a circus truck at the pumps. I look for an open sewer grate. I look at Carl. You need to know that the nearest zoo is forty-five miles away. There is a pond on the other side of the building, but it is mostly filled with candy wrappers and soda bottles. “Where did it come from?” Carl shrugs. “Is this a joke? It's not funny.” Carl shakes his head. It is not a joke. An albino alligator is not like packing peanuts. “Go buy some beef jerky,” I tell Carl. “We’ll put it on the ground and maybe that’ll lure it out.” “No!” Carl slams the car door, trapping the albino alligator inside my BMW. I swear it makes a squeaking sound as the car door forces its tail to double over. Carl is obviously in shock. I move to open the door. He closes it again. “Dude,” he says, “This thing is worth a lot of money.” “So?” I say. “It’s in my car. I have work to do today. On a molar.” “It’s albino,” he says, “and it’s huge. These things sell for ten grand when they’re babies. This one is probably worth, like, half a million dollars.” “Where do you expect me to find a buyer?” I ask him. “I have several thousand dollars waiting for me at my office, and those teeth are human.” “I know a guy,” he says. “Yeah, right,” I say. “No, really,” he says, lighting one of his cigarettes. “I know a guy in Vegas. He sells exotic pets. He’s got a guy in Dubai that collects albino reptiles.” “Bullshit,” I say. “What the fuck am I gonna do with an alligator in my car, even if it’s albino and priceless and you know a guy all the way across the country who knows some other guy in Dubai? I have work to do. Real work. I'm not a crocodile dentist.” Carl hands me the cigarette. “Smoke this,” he says. I throw his cigarette on the ground and grind it out. I don’t smoke. Not even when there's an alligator in my car. Carl gives me a dirty look as he dials his phone. “Amir,” Carl says, “If I brought you an albino alligator, how much would my cut be? Uh-huh… Eight feet. Seriously… no, I haven’t been drinking… no, I’m not exaggerating… okay, so a couple of beers… but it really is eight feet. I don’t know, it’s in my friend’s car. On its own... it just crawled in there. Seriously. No, I'm not. No, I don’t know if a zoo is missing one… No, I don’t know if a zoo is missing one. Uh-huh… that much? Really? Yeah, I know it’s big… not in the wild, you say?... So if we bring it to you, it’s worth how much to us? Okay, call your guy… we’ll wait.” Carl hangs up the phone and looks at me. “He says albino reptiles can’t live in the wild. He says they die from sunburn. It’s a freak of nature.” I say, “I’m not driving across the country to sell an alligator that belongs to a zoo,” but I know that if this job requires two people, I will be one of those people, because I cannot say no to Carl. I will tell my receptionist that I have contracted salmonella from a tainted jar of peanut butter. Carl lights another cigarette, and we wait. “Grab the snout,” Carl says. He plugs his non-phone ear, trying to block out the freeway noise. “What? Zip ties? Oh, a rope first? What kind of knot? How do I tie that? Never mind, my buddy will know. Okay, not too tight. Yeah, I know, we’ll try not to. Listen, Amir, we’ll be careful. Pheno-what? Phenobarbital? Where do we get that? Uh-huh… Eight feet, I’d say… I don’t know, I’m not a reptile expert… Is that a lot? What kind of needle? The biggest we can find? In the abdomen? What’s that? Oh, the stomach. Yes, Amir, we’ll make sure it’s in the muscle. Okay. We’ll be careful. Amir, I know it’s valuable. We’ll be careful. Yes, fresh meat, I got it, Amir. Yes, it’s air-conditioned, it’s a fucking BMW. I got it, we’ll be careful, man. Don’t stress so much. We’ll get Whitey to you…Whitey…it’s albino. Never mind. I got it, man.” Carl hangs up the phone. “We have to go pick up 20-gram liquid doses of phenobarb,” he tells me. “Amir will have his vet phone in a prescription to a vet around here.” I look at him like he’s crazy, which he is. “It’s cold-blooded,” he explains. “It metabolizes slowly.” “Whitey?” I repeat. “Yes,” Carl says. “It fits him.” We have managed to secure a rope around the gator's snout and limbs, due mostly to the fact that the gator now has its tail jammed with what seems to be an unnatural curvature into the right rear footwell. Carl has audaciously placed a string of zip ties around its snout and pulled them snug, but not too snug, as Amir has instructed. Now, we must jab a needle into its abdomen. Carl insists that dental school has prepared me to administer the injection of phenobarbital, but I am certain that Carl knows very little about dental school. “Hold it down,” I tell Carl. “I can’t find the muscle when it’s squirming.” “I’m trying,” he says. “Just get the needle – fuck!” The gator flails violently; Carl’s arm starts dripping blood as I stab him. “Sorry, Carl,” I say. “Just hold the fucker and then we’ll take care of it.” I manage to jab the needle into the gator before Carl gets woozy. “Isn’t Whitey cute?” Carl asks me as he and the gator fall asleep in unison. “Can’t we call him something else?” I plead. Carl doesn’t hear me. We’re off to Las Vegas so we can get rid of the reptile. I feel a little sick. The sun’s gone down, and Carl’s still drooling on himself. “I wanna stop for flapjacks,” he says. “They’re called pancakes, Carl.” “With syrup,” he says. “Lots of syrup.” Carl is lying in a nest of candy wrappers, and now he wants more sugar. You need to know that I have covered sixteen of Carl's twenty-eight teeth in porcelain crowns, and of those sixteen, three are filled with gutta percha, eugenol, and zinc oxide instead of nerve tissue. All of this, free of charge, and now he wants syrup. “Syrup. Sure. We should probably feed the gator soon.” I realize that now is the time to get a straight answer from Carl. “What's in the duffel bag?” “Coke,” Carl says. “Lots of beautiful, white coke. And money. Can we stop for flapjacks?” Alabama. I set the Piggly-Wiggly bags next to the car, and the gator thrashes as it smells the meat inside them. Its tail slides back and forth against Carl's seat, leaving muddy streaks. “Are there flapjacks in there?” Carl asks me. He slurps up the river of spittle that is collecting at the corner of his mouth. His eyes get wide. “No, Carl, but I did bring you some English muffins.” “Mmm, flapjacks,” he says, tearing open the cellophane. I let him stuff a few bites into his mouth. Then I grab him and yell, “IT’S TIME TO FEED THE GATOR, CARL.” “Man,” he says, “You don’t have to be so rough about it.” I reckon that, despite the sedative, Carl's adrenaline is pumping sufficiently to allow him to function. “Untie his mouth while I get the steaks ready,” I say. Louisiana. We successfully feed the gator two bags of sirloin and place a third in a cooler in the trunk. The car now contains cat goo, rotting blood, cigarette smoke, candy wrappers, gator piss and shit, and English muffin crumbs. We roll down our windows. I find a couple of packing peanuts stuck to mine. Texas panhandle. We re-sedate the gator. I do not re-sedate Carl. All three of us sleep, the gator with its spooky white-pink eyes open, Carl waking every few hours to gator-thrashing against the back of his seat, and me with my hand on my .45, in case I need to put down a rebellion initiated by either of them. “Carl, do you know why Marco had that monkey?” “What monkey?” Before I can tell him about its prehensile feet, he is snoring again. New Mexico. You need to know that before Carl had the acid flashback in the car, there were trips to the beach on mushrooms, trips to the mall on marijuana, and trips to the convenience store after bar close, and on many of these occasions, I had to blot Carl's vomit out of the seats. I return from a piss break at the rest area to find Carl standing next to the car, gazing lovingly at the gator. He tells me, wild-eyed, how fantastic this road trip is turning out to be. Of course Carl got into the coke. He can’t help himself. “Isn’t Whitey great? Man, this alligator shit is the best. Hey, you know how you were saying we should name him something else? I just realized why. That’s like… it’s a… what did you call it?” “A slur,” I say, “a derogatory slur.” “Right,” Carl says, lighting a cigarette. “Thanks for getting me English muffins, man. Those were awesome. Almost as good as flapjacks. Hey, are you ready to go yet? Look at the gator! He’s so fucking great!” “Carl,” I grab him by his shirt and slam him up against the car. The cigarette falls from his hand. The gator thrashes, protesting the impact Carl’s body makes against the car. “There is an alligator in the back of my car. This is not the time for fucking around. Don't fucking touch the coke anymore.” “It's my coke,” Carl says. I do not release my hold. I stare at him. I do not blink. My eyes are slits like the monkey's. “I’ve known you forever, man,” he finally whimpers. “I don’t fucking care. Don’t touch the coke. And stop calling the gator Whitey. It’s embarrassing.” “Okay, man, okay,” Carl promises. “Let’s just go.” Las Vegas. The gator isn’t sedated anymore and is starting to fidget in the back seat. “Thank God we’re here,” Carl says. “Now we can relax.” “No, Carl,” I correct him. “We can’t relax until Amir hands us the cash. We’ve got to watch the gator.” “Yeah, yeah,” Carl says. “I want clean clothes and a real meal.” You need to know that Carl dropped out of high school, then community college, then trade school, then college. Carl cannot make it through an entire episode of South Park. Carl has no business transporting exotic reptiles with billions of teeth. That, apparently, is why I am here. Isn't it? Because of all the teeth? We pull into Amir’s long driveway. His guards wave us through as they see the albino alligator trussed up in the backseat. They are expecting us. We park the car in the garage. I say, “I’m going out to pick up fresh clothes for both of us. I’ll be back in an hour. You wait here with the gator, and don’t touch the bag in the trunk.” “Why not? It's my bag.” I roll my eyes. “Don’t pull that shit with me. Just don’t touch it. And watch the gator. I’ll be back soon with your change of clothes. Then we can give him a little more phenobarb, get the rest of the steaks out of the trunk, and feed him.” “We should probably just feed him now. He seems hungry.” “He’ll be fine,” I say. “They go for days in the wild without food. I have to make some business calls. I'm supposed to have salmonella, remember? Just wait here, and we’ll take care of it when I get back.” After running errands, I grab the shopping bags containing our new clothes and go outside to hail a cab. “Summerlin,” I say to the driver. Amir’s jet should be landing right about now. We’ve got an hour or two until we can transfer the gator. I hope Carl hasn’t gotten into the coke again. The cabbie stops in front of Amir’s estate. The gardener is mowing; the pool boy is skimming; Carl should be in the garage, tending the car. I go around back to let myself in. “Carl?” I rest my hand on my .45. “Carl?” I say again, entering the garage. I flip the light switch. I peer into the rear window of the car. There are claw marks all the way through the back seat. There is a mountain of fluffy stuffing and white powder covering what’s visible of the tail. The tail is still: too still. Deadly still. Now, all I’ve got left is an albino alligator corpse full of cat guts, certified Angus beef, half-digested cocaine, and bile-soaked hundred-dollar bills. What’s more, I'm pretty sure it’s festering in the trunk of my BMW. I open the trunk to verify my hypothesis. The gator's spooky eyes are open, and its mouth is filled with white powder. The powder is variegated with bloody streaks, and a few crumpled bills litter the scene. There is already a stench, of course, but now it will get worse. I slam the trunk closed and sit on it, resting my shoes on the bumper. I rest my head in my hands. I am sure that, by now, Rachel Stevens either has seen another dentist or has resorted to drinking Anbesol with her morning coffee. There are packing peanuts stuck to my shoes. “Whitey!” Carl’s voice rings through the silent garage. “Time for dinner!” “You’re too late, Carl,” I say, lifting my head. I stand to face him. “Whitey’s already eaten.” He stops. He has no idea about the backseat and the dead alligator and the bag in the trunk. His eyes are wide as he stares at me. Slowly, he lowers his gaze to the car. He understands. He does not speak. I think about Rachel's tooth. I think about the ashes I am going to find so that I can pretend that they used to be Mr. Whiskers. I think about the packing peanuts. I think about the salmonella I have contracted. “Carl,” I say. I think about the .45. I think about Carl's blood spurting from his blown-open chest wall and aortic arch, the chambers of his heart pumping as they attempt to fill his emptying body. I think about the lifeless tail. I think about the clown shoes. I think about the monkey with its slit-eyes. I am still frightened of it. Finally, I say, “Let's go to the Everglades. But first, I need to find some ashes. Do you mind?” “Nah, man, I don't mind,” Carl says. “Can we stop and get some smokes first?”	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line294
__label__wiki	0.74116	0.74116	Strong and innovative technology partners for the new BMW M4 GT3. Munich. The development of the new BMW M4 GT3 is in full swing – and BMW M Motorsport can count on the support of a number of proven, strong technology partners. They are contributing components for various areas of the new GT3 flagship. The collaboration with these technology partners is set to run for several years. “We can all hardly wait to see our teams in action with the BMW M4 GT3 at racetracks around the world from 2022,” said Markus Flasch, CEO of BMW M GmbH. “We want to provide our racing customers with a car with which they can seamlessly follow on from the success they have enjoyed with the BMW M6 GT3. We also want to impress more customers with the BMW M4 GT3 and win them as teams. The new car offers state-of-the-art technology, thanks in no small part to our technology partners. They are among the best in their respective fields, and we are delighted that they are supporting us in the development of the BMW M4 GT3 with their specific expertise and components. This is the perfect basis for a successful new race car.” Shell and Akrapovič are among the long-term technology partners of BMW M Motorsport, and are also involved in the BMW M4 GT3. As ‘Premium Technology Partner’ of BMW M Motorsport, Shell Lubricants contributes state-of-the-art lubricants and transmission oils, and also provides the fuel for tests. Slovenian company Akrapovič is the leading manufacturer of premium exhaust systems and has its roots in motor racing. Akrapovič has been an established name in international motorsport for almost three decades and, with its innovative exhaust systems, has been instrumental in countless titles and race wins for its motorsport partners. Endless Advance Co. Ltd. is ‘Official Partner’ in the field of brake technology. The Japanese company, its European subsidiary Endless Brake Technology Europe AB, and BMW Motorsport have already worked together for several years. Endless plays its part in the BMW M4 GT3 project with the development of sophisticated racing brakes and also provides technical support. Another innovation in the BMW M4 GT3 is the new hydrostatic modular clutch actuator from Schaeffler. This technology, which heralds the next generation of clutch automation, has recently been introduced in production vehicles and has impressed from the word go. The Schaeffler clutch actuator is now finding its way to the racetrack in the BMW M4 GT3 and, with its innovative technology, will allow far more dynamic starts. When it comes to the chassis, BMW M Motorsport is also extending its collaboration with two proven technology partners to include the BMW M4 GT3. Special springs from H&R and racing dampers from chassis manufacturer KW automotive will ensure that the new race car holds the road perfectly in any conditions.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line295
__label__wiki	0.719051	0.719051	Nella Larsen (Author) FORMAT <div class="flex flex-wrap space-x-1"><span>Paperback</span><b>$14.00</b><span>(English)</span></div> <div class="flex flex-wrap space-x-1"><span>Paperback</span><b>$5.94</b><span>(English)</span></div> Facsimile of 1929 Edition. Clare Kendry leads a dangerous life. Fair, elegant, and ambitious, she is married to a white man unaware of her African American heritage, and has severed all ties to her past. Clare's childhood friend, Irene Redfield, just as light-skinned, has chosen to remain within the African American community, but refuses to acknowledge the racism that continues to constrict her family's happiness. A chance encounter forces both women to confront the lies they have told others--and the secret fears they have buried within themselves. Critics have argued that through its attention to the way "passing" unhinges ideas of race, class, and gender, the novel opens spaces for the creation of new, self-generated identities. Since the late 20th century, Passing has received renewed attention from scholars because of its close examination of racial and sexual ambiguities and liminal spaces. It has achieved canonical status in many American universities. Albatross Publishers 5.98 X 9.02 X 0.24 inches \| 0.35 pounds African American - Urban Nella Larsen was born Nellie Walker in 1891 in Chicago. Her mother was a Danish immigrant and her father an immigrant from the Danish West Indies. Larsen attended school in all white environments in Chicago until she moved to Nashville to attend high school. Larsen later practiced nursing, and from 1922 to 1926, served as a librarian at the New York Public Library. After resigning from this position, Larsen began her literary career by writing her first novel, Quicksand (1928), which won her the Harmon Foundation's bronze medal. After the publication of her second novel, Passing (1929), Larsen was awarded the first Guggenheim Fellowship given to an African American woman, establishing her as a premier novelist of the Harlem Renaissance. Nella Larsen died in New York in 1964. HBCU Proud: Books Written by HBCU Alumni & Former Students VIEW LIST (42 BOOKS)	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line298
__label__wiki	0.561107	0.561107	Burnaway BA Daily Charlie Lucas Is In Transition at MINT Sorry, looks like no contributors are set Installation view of the Charlie Lucas exhibition “In Transition,” at MINT Gallery through March 22. As I entered Charlie Lucas’s exhibition “In Transition,” on view at MINT through March 22, I was drawn by the work titled Hot Chili Pepper, a rusted green vase topped with a hodgepodge of intertwined scrap metal and plastic chili peppers. It’s playful and endearing. Most of the works in this exhibition are light-hearted, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be taken seriously. There is an innocence and impulsiveness in Lucas’s works, not because the artist is self-taught but because it seems as if he creates without encumbrances, reservations, or hesitation. He is free of judgment. His wire dinosaur Longtail, 14 inches tall and perched as if ready to dance rather than attack, seems like a feeling acted upon rather than a premeditated, meaning-laden work. And that’s okay. I feel a little bit closer to the artist after I meet this reptilian anachronism, because it’s full of character and life. I can’t help but imagine it as an embodiment of the artist’s personality. Charlie Lucas, (l to r) Hot Chili Pepper, Sunflowers, and found studio materials. Awareness of time and place is an important aspect of Lucas’s work, which is even evident in the title of the show. “In Transition,” in part, references the creative process. The exhibition includes material from a prior installation, completed works, and materials from the artist’s studio—the beginning, middle, and end. Although the parts to make a great story are present, I am not quite convinced. The presentation of Lucas’s in-process work is lackluster and missing the charm and allure of the presentation of his finished work. Because his materials are such an integral and meaningful part of his creations and are full of so much heart and narrative, I thought being able to observe his process would provide even more depth to my understanding of his work. But a sign reading “Charlie Lucas, Selma, Al,” stacked on top of a wooden crate and partially covered by ceiling fan blades, sits lifeless against a wall like the last few items left in an apartment on moving day. The beige and orange fabrics taken from Lucas’s slavery-related installation “In the Belly of the Ship” have little context besides the short description next to it, and it’s draping, overwhelming, and allusive material feels misplaced and forced. Charlie Lucas, Lookin’ at Me (left wall) and found studio materials. Unlike the process materials, Lucas’s finished work succeeds because it is true to itself. Do You Hear Me Moaning, a set of six wall-hung faces made of wood, old quilts, and table legs, is expressive in its use of material and construction. Three of the faces are clustered in a corner, as if in conversation. After all, from the tattered old bed covers, to the captivating faces, to the story of the six-legged table that donated its parts to this work, it feels as if they are in conversation—with each other, with me, and with history. Charlie Lucas, Takin’ It Aloose, welded metal and found objects, 19 by 19 by 12 inches. TV Snacks, a series of drawings on little rectangles of cardboard, is a favorite. Depictions of abstracted moments that Lucas may have experienced, they’re short, sweet, and mundane, like TV dinners. Similarly, a tiny sculpture of a woman with a washboard and basin, Washing the Clothes, captures a small slice of ordinary life. Then there’s Getting a Grip on Life, a wonky hunk of metal and bicycle wheel that isn’t quite composed or stable but also isn’t afraid to admit it. Lucas is telling us to pay attention, to preserve, and to let go. This is the transition that is apparent to me in his work. He seems to respect and cherish time. His artwork is sincere and non-apologetic. When “In Transition” emphasizes this, it becomes less about one man and his artistic process and more about learning to recognize and treasure one’s own life process. Yves Jeffcoat is an Atlanta-based writer and a participant in the BURNAWAY Emerging Art Writers Mentorship Program. Burnaway is an Atlanta-based digital magazine of contemporary art and criticism from the American South. 928 Ponce de Leon Ave NE DESIGNED BY KATE RINKER & VIVIAN YANG DEVELOPED BY JAMES WHITE © 2021 Burnaway, Inc., Atlanta GA	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line302
__label__wiki	0.915915	0.915915	Martin J. Stone Elements of Law Law and Literature See Martin J. Stone's papers on ssrn See Martin J. Stone's scholarship on selected works mstone@yu.edu Professor Stone joined the Cardozo faculty after 10 years at Duke University, where he held a joint appointment in the law school and the philosophy department and was an adjunct professor in the literature program. He has taught at Cornell University, Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Michigan, The Committee on Social Thought at University of Chicago, and is currently an adjunct professor of philosophy at the New School University Graduate Faculty. Among his many honors, he graduated from Brandeis summa cum laude with highest departmental honors, was a Marshall Scholar at Balliol College, was a fellow at the National Humanities Center, and won the George Plimpton Adams Prize for his doctoral dissertation. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. One of the nation's leading scholars of the philosophy of law, Professor Stone has written widely on torts, Kant, Wittgenstein, formalism, and interpretation. In addition to his scholarly pursuits, Professor Stone is an accomplished pianist, having studied at the California Institute of the Arts and the Tanglewood Music Festival. B.A., Brandeis University J.D., Yale University B. Phil, Oxford University Ph.D., Harvard University	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line303
__label__cc	0.558067	0.441933	Leading the Revival of Individualism & Self Reliance What Is Individualism? Collectivism vs Individualism Individualism and Entrepreneurship The Individualist Jeff Bezos Makes Us 49 Times Richer Than We Make Him. January 10, 2021 /in Articles /by Hunter Hastings This article, summarizing a National Bureau Of Economic Research working paper, is a bit technical but we present it to make a point. Many decry the excessive wealth of founder-innovators and CEO’s of today’s leading tech companies. But those executives and shareholders capture very little of the total value they create for customers. They are making us richer more than they are making themselves richer. With the sharp rise in productivity growth over the last decade, economists have been curious about the extent to which the fruits of higher productivity are captured by innovating firms. Is the rapid technological change in the New Economy – with double-digit rates of productivity growth in computers and a phenomenal increase in new products and services via the Internet – leading to a similar rapid rise in the profits of New Economy firms? In Schumpeterian Profits in the American Economy: Theory and Measurement (NBER Working Paper No. 10433), author William Nordhaus studies the impact of new technology on profits, emphasizing three important implications: first, understanding the role of innovational profits in total profits; second, identifying the impact of innovation in stock market returns; and third, gaining greater understanding of technology’s wealth effect on aggregate demand, as defined by Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan (an effect he labels the “Greenspan effect.”) Nordhaus begins by considering the impact of technological change on prices and profits. Do technological improvements primarily result in lower prices for consumers or in higher profits for producers? If producers are able to capture (or appropriate) most of the social returns to innovation, then profits will rise and prices will fall relatively little. How much of the profits from a new technology are captured by innovators will vary greatly across industries. For sectors where knowledge is in the public domain, such as weather forecasting, the new knowledge cannot be appropriated and productivity improvements are passed on in lower prices. In other industries with well-defined products and strong patents, such as pharmaceuticals, producers may be successful in capturing a large fraction of social gains in “Schumpeterian profits.” Nordhaus begins by developing a model for explaining the size of Schumpeterian profits. In this context, Schumpeterian profits are profits above those that are associated with the normal return to investment and risk-taking. The Schumpeterian profit margin, defined as the ratio of Schumpeterian profits to total revenues, is determined by three parameters: the rate of innovation-driven total factor productivity; the instantaneous appropriability ratio; and the depreciation rate on Schumpeterian profits. The only novel parameter is the instantaneous appropriability ratio, which measures the fraction of the social surplus that is captured by the innovator in the first year. Depreciation is particularly important for Schumpeterian profits because they are often eroded by such factors as the expiration or non-enforcement of patents, the ability of competitors to imitate or to innovate around original innovations, and the introduction of superior goods and services. Nordhaus presents a numerical example of the outcome of the model. If the rate of innovation-driven total factor productivity is 2 percent per year, the instantaneous appropriability ratio is 50 percent, and the depreciation rate on Schumpeterian profits is 10 percent per year, then Schumpeterian profits would be 2 percent of total sales. If the rate of profit on capital is 10 percent per year and the capital-output ratio is 2, then in this simple example, Schumpeterian profits would be half of the return to capital. Another application of the model would be to the New Economy (computers, software, telecommunications, and similar industries). To what extent, he asks, did the phenomenal rise in the stock prices of New Economy firms in the late 1990s reflect rapid innovation and high appropriability in that sector. He suggests the following example: The new economy amounts to 5 percent of nominal output. Assume that, after 1995, costless productivity growth in this sector shot up from 5 percent per year to 15 percent per year. The new economy would then be adding about $75 billion in social surplus in the initial years. If the new entrepreneurs could capture 90 percent of the new economy surplus in Schumpeterian profits, then with other plausible parameters, the increase in value of new economy firms would be $6 trillion. This in fact is close to the increase in value of new economy firms from 1995-2000. But is this parable plausible? For the entire postwar period and for the nonfarm business sector, Nordhaus estimates that innovators are able to capture about 2.2 percent of the total surplus from innovation. This figure results from an instantaneous appropriability estimated at 7 percent and a rate of depreciation of Schumpeterian profits of 20 percent per year. This number implies that Schumpeterian profits were 0.19 percent per year of the replacement cost of capital over the period 1948-2001. Using these estimates for the New Economy suggests that entrepreneurs could capture only $400 billion, not $6 trillion. Nordhaus speculates that part of the New Economy bubble might have arisen because investors overestimated the appropriability of innovations in that sector. Indeed, there is some evidence that appropriability in New Economy sectors is even lower than in Old Economy sectors. The new economy’s industries are marked by easy entrance and exit: bright ideas were readily funded, but imitators are just as quick to follow. Additionally, information is expensive to produce but inexpensive to reproduce, a factor that will erode the value of intellectual property rights and reduce the durability of Schumpeterian profits in that sector. Nordhaus next considers the role of Schumpeterian profits through the Greenspan effect, which Nordhaus defines as the impact of rising productivity on aggregate demand through the wealth effect on consumption. Nordhaus’s calculations suggest that the Greenspan effect on aggregate demand through consumption is about one-quarter of the effect on potential output. In other words, the impact of productivity growth on potential output is about three times the effect on aggregate demand. These estimates of Schumpeterian profits may seem implausibly low, Nordhaus says, given the inventiveness of the American economy. But they do fit into one of the major puzzles of corporate America: Why is the rate of profit on corporate capital so low? The rate of profit after tax on non-financial corporations over the past 40 years has averaged 5.9 percent annually, which was very close to the cost of capital. How could the rate of profit be so low, considering that profits include so much (such as monopoly and Schumpeterian profits) and the denominator omits several important assets (such as land and intangible investments)? At least part of the answer lies in Nordhaus’s finding that only 20 basis points of the rate of return to capital were attributable to Schumpeterian profits. Let’s Hear It For The Middleman: A Critical Player In Economic Growth And Prosperity. September 7, 2019 /in Articles /by Hunter Hastings I heard on the radio an ad for Mervis Diamond Importers. Ronnie Mervis, the owner, boasted that “by importing directly, Mervis eliminates the middleman” — and, thus, sells diamond jewelry at unusually low prices. This stratagem of claiming to “eliminate the middleman” is common in advertising done by retailers. The great frequency of the use of this stratagem testifies to its believability, for the claim that money is saved by eliminating the middleman does indeed seem sensible. After all, wholesalers and other middlemen don’t work for free; they must be paid. So if a retailer eliminates the middleman, that retailer apparently has “savings” that it “passes on to you!” But if middlemen raise retailers’ costs, why would any retailer ever use such parasites? Simply to ask this question about middlemen is to cast doubt on the widespread myth that middlemen raise the retail costs of goods. It’s true that middlemen (and, of course, middlewomen) must be paid for their services. But these services are paid for only because they are valuable. And these services are valuable only because, and only insofar as, they reduce the prices that consumers pay at retail. Middlemen who don’t enable retailers to lower their prices go bankrupt. These middlemen are indeed “eliminated” — by the market. In contrast, successful middlemen reduce the costs that consumers pay at retail. A Role of Retailers To see the economic value of middlemen, it’s helpful to realize that retailers themselves are middlemen. A man wishing to acquire an engagement ring could “eliminate the middleman” by steering clear of all retail jewelers and himself personally go mining for diamonds and gold. But doing so would obviously be a much more costly means of presenting an impressive ring to his sweetheart than buying the ring from a jeweler, despite the fact that the jeweler must be paid for his services. Or recognize that, say, the furniture retailer that brags of “eliminating the middleman” by “buying direct from the factory” doesn’t itself manufacture sofas, beds, and dining room tables. That retailer instead specializes in purchasing inventories of furniture and then assembling these in locations that consumers find convenient to visit. And understand that you yourself could buy furniture for your home directly from furniture manufacturers and at prices lower than you pay at retail furniture stores. But you almost never do so. You typically buy furniture from retailers. The reason you don’t “eliminate the middleman” — the retailer — when you buy furniture is that this middleman saves you money. To “eliminate the middleman” here would require that you buy or rent a large truck and drive it (depending on where you live) hundreds of miles to the nearest furniture factory. Although the factory owner will charge for the likes of chairs and bookcases prices lower than you’d pay at retail, these price discounts are seldom worthwhile. The cost of “eliminating the middleman” in this manner is not only that you must spend time and money driving to and from the factory. There’s also this inconvenience: once at the factory, you can’t directly compare that factory’s offerings with those of competing furniture producers. To make such comparisons, you have to climb back into your truck and drive to many other furniture factories. By the time you do all this driving around, the price reductions that you get on furniture by “eliminating the middleman” won’t be worthwhile. You’ll bankrupt yourself by avoiding the middleman markup! A Role of Wholesalers Wholesalers supply services to retailers similar to the services that retailers supply to final consumers. No supermarket grows its own lettuce, churns its own butter, or cans its own soups. It buys these and each of the other tens of thousands of different items on its shelves from wholesalers. And just as retailers lower your cost of buying goods for you and your family, wholesalers lower retailers’ costs of acquiring inventories. Wholesalers specialize in transporting goods from around the country, or even the world, and assembling these in accessible, central locations at which retailers’ delivery trucks can be loaded. Also like retailers, wholesalers also generally vouch to their customers for the quality of the goods they supply. Nothing said here implies that retailers (or wholesalers) never innovate in ways that indeed enable them to profitably “eliminate” some middlemen and genuinely pass some of these savings on to consumers. If a retailer discovers a way to itself produce some retail item at a cost lower than the price it must pay to a wholesaler, that retailer will eliminate the middleman wholesaler and produce that item itself. And this retailer will turn this cost saving into a competitive advantage by passing along to consumers at least some of these lower costs in the form of lower retail prices. Our Economy Is a Vast Complex of Middlemen But it’s important to remember that eliminating a supplier from a supply chain merely because that supplier charges for its services is foolish. If those services are valuable — if those services reduce retailers’ costs of acquiring some good for resale — then for retailers to refuse to purchase that supplier’s services causes retailers’ costs not to fall, but to rise. Any retailer who “eliminates” middlemen in this foolish way will itself soon be eliminated by its more competent competitors. Because in our modern economy every one of us purchases from others nearly everything we use, our economy is a vast complex of middlemen. Its supply chains span the globe. And because these supply chains have been crafted by decades of relentless, innovation-driven competition, they are mind-bogglingly efficient. (If you doubt this last claim, ask yourself what makes possible the inexpensive blueberries that Minnesotans and New Yorkers routinely purchase from supermarkets in January.) And so let’s applaud middlemen, for without them we would all — or, rather, the few of us who would somehow manage to survive — be mired in unimaginable poverty. Donald J. Boudreaux is a senior fellow with American Institute for Economic Research and with the F.A. Hayek Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Join The CFI Study Group Embark on an intellectual journey with fellow CFI readers – to explore and discuss the moral principles of Americanism, and the character and circumstances of the courageous political philosophers who defined and defended it for us. Buy The BookJoin Our Study Group Voting Is No Longer Viable. Focus On What You Can Control In Your Life, Which Is Primarily Yourself. Economics For Individuals:Does Twitter Have “Unimaginable Power”? Of Course Not. Only Its Users Do. “The Market” Can Deliver Pho and Spring Rolls. It Can Deliver Vaccines. Science Recognizes Self-Organization As The Best Strategy To Deal With Complexity. Top-Down Government Is The Worst Strategy. Centralized Government Controls Imperil The Communities In Which Our Lives Have Meaning. Ads From Our Sponsors Fill out the form below to get the CFI Newsletter delivered to your inbox. Leave us your contact information below to recieve a free copy of CFI's 10-Point Manifesto for Individualism Join the CFI Mailing List using the form below to recieve a free Sample Chapter of Hunter Hastings' The Interconnected Individualism Leave us your contact information below to recieve a free copy of Reliving We The Living The Center for Individualism is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization with a mission to promote Individualism in America. All work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except for material where copyright is reserved by a party other than CFI. Learn More… Write for CFI	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line306
__label__wiki	0.952696	0.952696	Mark Hunt scoffs at ‘Fight Island’: ‘Who gives a fck?’ 01 Jan Mark Hunt scoffs at ‘Fight Island’: ‘Who gives a fck?’ Former UFC heavyweight Mark Hunt takes a dim view of his former promoter’s plans to restart its schedule in May and lodge fighters on “Fight Island.” The only octagon action Hunt is keeping tabs on these days is an appeal of the federal lawsuit against the promoter that he said “wasn’t done properly.” And short of a complete 180-degree turn in the way the industry leader does business, his assessment of the UFC is “a garbage company.” “All [fans are] doing is paying for them to get richer and richer, and all these fighters are getting screwed,” Hunt told MMA Fighting. “So I don’t support them at all. I don’t care what they’re doing. … Promoting some fights on an island, who gives a fck? They allow these cheaters to get by, and it’s just business. “[UFC fighters aren’t] even employees. They’re contractors. They share four percent of the revenue, so why would you support that? The fighters aren’t getting the benefits. I think it’s a joke.” Hunt’s lawsuit was dismissed this past November after the majority of its claims were struck down. He brought on additional counsel and recently filed a brief for an appellate court to review his case, which centers around his ill-fated meeting with Brock Lesnar at UFC 200. He alleges the promotion conspired to cheat him out of a fair fight when Lesnar was given an exemption from drug testing and later came up positive for a banned substance. He also alleges he lost out on future opportunities as a result of a decision loss to the WWE star and ex-UFC champ. UFC parent Zuffa requested Hunt pay back $388,000 in legal fees after its win in court. This past December, it asked for a default ruling in its favor after Hunt failed to contest the motion. Earlier this month, Hunt told Duello Channel that he planned another lawsuit against the promoter. He declined comment on the suit; his attorney Brian W. Boschee, who joined Hunt’s original attorney Christina Denning on the appeal, told MMA Fighting they discussed the possibility of suing the UFC for allegedly trying to force him to fight Alistair Overeem at UFC 209. Hunt said he’s joined on to the ongoing antitrust litigation against the UFC and is waiting for the judge to decide whether the fighters will receive the class certification they need to move forward on anticompetitive claims against the promotion. In the meantime, Hunt said he’s spending more time with his family and helping out where he can with teammates, who like him have been forced to pause their normal schedules during the coronavirus pandemic. Asked about the UFC’s scheduled fights during the public health crisis, the 46-year-old New Zealander said it was no surprise that the promotion is moving forward despite the potential risks. “Look why they’re there,” he said. “They let juiced-up cheaters fight against guys who don’t cheat, and they don’t give a sht if they die or not. “Look how they treat the fighters. You think the UFC actually cares about the fighters or the people who watch? Look what they did with Jon Jones. They moved his show in one week from Las Vegas to California. They took all the fans that paid to go there to go fck themselves on Christmas. And all the fighters who fought on the card lost 10 percent of their purse? You think the UFC cares about people? They don’t give a shit. People need to actually see what they’re really doing.” Although Hunt previously mentioned a return to competition in the boxing ring, he said his tenure with the UFC “took away my love for fighting,” and he’s in no rush to return to combat sports. “The time right now is quite strange for everybody, but I’m actually quite happy I can speak freely about everything, instead of trying to hold my tongue about it,” he said. Hunt said he would consider his appeal a victory if he was able to get the UFC to follow its own anti-doping rules. He said he never “premeditated” a long legal slog against the industry leader, which initially brought him on for a single fight when it acquired PRIDE in 2007. “I just tried to do my job, and I’m tired of getting screwed by the company,” he said. “People say, ‘Well, maybe you should have won more fights.’ Well, maybe they shouldn’t have allowed these cheaters to get away with it all the time and gotten no punishment. The punishment they’re getting for cheating is nothing. I don’t even think that dckhead Lesnar has paid his fine yet.”	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line308
__label__cc	0.613789	0.386211	Canopus Research Inc. We Make Technology Work For You! wfz – CV You are here: Home / William F. Zachmann – CV William F. Zachmann – CV 1988 – Present: Canopus Research Inc., Duxbury, MA – Founder, CEO, and President Canopus Research Inc. provides market, industry and technology research, consulting, and analysis covering the information industry, the Internet, social media marketing, software, and software development tools for industry vendors, users, and the financial community. Typical projects include critical review of business and product plans, competitive analyses, strategic planning and IT project consulting. Mr. Zachmann is a frequent public speaker at client seminars, IT industry trade shows, and related events. He is a well-known analyst covering the IT industry. He was one of the four lead columnists for PC Magazine and columnist and contributing editor for PC Week from 1988 to 1992 numerous other industry publications. 2000 – 2002: META Group, Stamford, CT – Vice President, Server Infrastructure Strategies (SIS) META Group (since acquired by Gartner Group) offered IT research and consulting services to large enterprises, IT vendors, and the financial community. Mr. Zachmann’s primary coverage areas for Meta included middleware, application servers, J2EE, Microsoft .NET, XML, SOAP, WSDL, UDDI, UML, infrastructure strategies, and Web services but also a wide range of IT technology, strategy, and management topics as well as key industry vendors including IBM, Microsoft, Sun, Oracle, Intel, Dell, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Unisys, BEA, Borland, Sybase, and numerous others. 1979 – 1988: International Data Corporation, Framingham, MA – Senior Vice President, Corporate Research IDC is one of the leading computer industry market research firms and is part of the International Data Group, which includes numerous IT industry publications. Mr. Zachmann started with IDC as Director of Research for the user programs, became Vice President, Research, responsible for all IDC research programs in 1982 and then Senior Vice President, Corporate Research in 1986. Mr. Zachmann personally wrote numerous IDC research reports and headed the IDC Office of Technology Assessment from 1984 to 1988. Mr. Zachmann was the lead speaker for IDC’s Computer Industry Briefing Sessions, held annually in the United States, major countries in Europe, and the Pacific Rim. He typically began IDC’s Briefing Sessions with a Technology Update talk and closed them with his 13 Predictions for the year ahead. He was consistently the highest rated speaker by attendees for every year he was on the program (1981-1988). Mr. Zachmann was also a regular columnist and contributing editor for numerous IDG publications during this period, including Computerworld, InfoWorld, and PC World . 1977 – 1979: CallData Systems, Waltham, MA – Manager of Technical Support, Northeastern Region Mr. Zachmann managed CallData Systems (a subsidiary of Grumman Corporation) Northeast Region technical support group. CallData was a major service bureau providing programming and computing services to corporate customers on IBM 370 mainframe, CDC Cyber, DEC PDP-10 and GE-635 timesharing systems. In addition to managing technical support for time sharing and service bureau clients, Mr. Zachmann ran development projects including a warranty, maintenance, and inventory parts tracking system for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). Mr. Zachmann’s development team specialized in rapid development of software systems for clients using data base management system (DBMS) software. 1976 – 1977: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA – Coordinator of Personnel Information Mr. Zachmann managed and analyzed the Harvard University personnel database. Projects during this period included a major statistical analysis to assess the equity of compensation for minorities and women employees of the University. 1974 – 1976: The Forum Corporation, Boston, MA – Director of Research The Forum Corporation provides management development consulting and management and sales training. Mr. Zachmann developed and delivered management and sales training programs for industry. Projects included the development and delivery of a management practices based training program for Prudential Insurance and a planning, budgeting, and performance review program for the Washington Star Station Group. 1969 – 1974: First National Bank of Boston, Boston, MA – Systems Research Officer First National Bank of Boston was then the 16th largest bank in the USA. Mr. Zachmann was responsible for Electronic Data Processing (EDP) Planning, Computer System Simulation, and Computer System Performance Evaluation for the bank’s data center, including hardware and software monitoring of the bank’s systems, demand forecasting, and computer simulation of projects in development. Mr. Zachmann was the primary contact for all computer hardware and software vendors. 1967 – 1969: Cambridge Computer Associates, Cambridge, MA – Programmer/Analyst Mr. Zachmann worked on a variety of complex computer system development projects. These included a business budget and expense distribution reporting system written in COBOL for a local manufacturer, a business simulation game for the Harvard Business School written in FORTRAN, and portions of a CCA program product called Crosstabs written in 360 Assembly Language. 1956-1960: Collinwood High School, Cleveland Ohio: Graduated June, 1960 1960 – 1966: Harvard College ‘64 Cambridge, MA: Bachelor of Arts, Social Relations 1966 – 1969: Harvard Divinity School Listed in Marquis Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World Elected Member and Vice Chairman of the Duxbury, MA, Planning Board, 1995-2000 Member, Harvard Faculty Club A lead columnist for PC Magazine and PC Week (now eWeek) from 1989-1992; Windows World (Japan) 1992-98; Computerworld 1986-88, Infoworld 1987-88, OS/2 Professional 1992-94, MacUser 1988-89, Software News 1984-86, On Communications 1984-86, PC World Magazine 1987-88, CompuServe (online) 1994-99, CIO Magazine (1999-2001), and numerous other publications. “A GPSS Model of a Complex On-Line Computer System, Symposium on the Simulation of Computer Systems” (ACM/SIGSIM), National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersberg, MD, 19-20 June 1973. “Operating and Applications System Design Opportunities for Carrier Sense Multiple Access Bus Based Local Area Networks”, Local Network and Distributed Systems Conference, Online Conferences Ltd., London, 1981. “Keys to Application Development Productivity”, American Management Association, 1981. Numerous IDC Research Reports and Bulletins (1979-1988) and META Group Research Deltas (2000-2002). William F. Zachmann, President & CEO William F. Zachmann President and CEO, Canopus Research Inc. Duxbury Computers Duxbury Bookkeeping Semeiotic Jean O'Konski Zachmann - The Story of an American Woman, In Her Own Write Copyright © 2021 · Canopus Research Inc. · Log in	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line310
__label__wiki	0.565742	0.565742	You are here: Home / Soup Du Jour / UNF and MOCA Jacksonville Present ‘Lost Springs’ Project UNF and MOCA Jacksonville Present ‘Lost Springs’ Project The University of North Florida Lufrano Intercultural Gallery and Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, a cultural institute of UNF, will present the “Lost Springs” project in a series of exhibitions and events, beginning Thursday, Sept. 14, and running through Sunday, Dec. 31. The “Lost Springs” chronicles the tragic demise of the iconic springs of the Ocklawaha River in North Central Florida. The UNF Lufrano Intercultural Gallery, located in the Student Union, Building 58E, on the second floor, will present the exhibition “Lost Springs of the Ocklawaha,” a collaboration between Gainesville painter/activist Margaret Ross Tolbert and St. Augustine-based environmental filmmaker Matt Keene. “I’ve known Margaret Tolbert for many years and am thrilled to be mounting these exhibitions,” said UNF Gallery of Art Coordinator Jim Draper, who is curating the “Lost Springs” exhibition at UNF and MOCA. “This is a great example of an artist using their work to engage an audience in conversation about specific issues.” This multimedia exhibition features images, sculpture and film of Cannon Springs and Tobacco Patch Springs created by various artists, including Tolbert, Keene, Karen Chadwick, Mark Long and others. The opening reception will be 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, in the Gallery and the exhibit will run through Tuesday, Oct. 24. Tolbert is a tireless crusader who uses a brush as a weapon to fight for the rights of springs. In 1971, the ill-conceived Army Corps of Engineers project, the Cross Florida Barge Canal, was suspended by executive order, leaving the beautiful Ocklawaha River strangled by the Kirkpatrick Dam in Putnam County. Every four years, the gates of the dam are opened for a few months, and the Ocklawaha is allowed to run free. During the low water, Tolbert paddles into these mysterious hidden places with her canvases and paints. “Lost Springs” memorialize the temporary emergence of Ocklawaha’s hidden springs. There will also be an exhibition in the UNF Gallery at MOCA. “Margaret Ross Tolbert: Lost Springs” kicks off Saturday, Sept. 23, and runs through Sunday, Dec. 31. “Tolbert’s investigation of the ‘Lost Springs’ promises to provide transformational opportunities, such as dialogues and accompanying programs, around this thought-provoking topic,” said MOCA Director Caitlín Doherty. A reception will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24, in the UNF Gallery at MOCA, and a special premiere of an accompanying film by Tolbert and Keene will take place at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. in MOCA’s Theater. A screening of the film will also take place at 7 p.m. both Thursday, Sept. 28, and Tuesday, Oct. 3, and again at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, all in the Student Union Auditorium, Student Union, Building 58W, Room 2704, on the UNF campus. In the documentary “Lost Springs,” Keene follows Tolbert as she experiences springs normally inaccessible due to the Kirkpatrick Dam in Putnam County. The film explores themes of loss, wonder and experience in nature as it follows the course of a drawdown of the dam’s pool, which happens every three or more years, exposing a submerged world normally hidden below the high waters of the dam. Additionally, there will be a panel discussion featuring Tolbert and Keene, in conjunction with the UNF Environmental Center, about the springs from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2, at the MOCA Theater. All events are free and open to the public. Images and cutlines of Tolbert’s work on display at MOCA and at UNF are available here. Draper and Tolbert are both available for interviews. MOCA Jacksonville serves the community and its visitors through its mission to promote the discovery, knowledge, and advancement of the art, artists, and ideas of our time. For more information, including hours of operation, admission prices, and upcoming exhibitions and programs, visit mocajacksonville.unf.edu or call (904) 366-6911. UNF, a nationally ranked university located on an environmentally beautiful campus, offers students who are dedicated to enriching the lives of others the opportunity to build their own futures through a well-rounded education. Filed Under: Soup Du Jour Tagged With: Lost Springs Project, Lufrano Intercultural Gallery, MOCA Jacksonville, Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, university of north florida	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line311
__label__cc	0.618945	0.381055	Peter Fuhr Electrical & Electronics Systems Division, ORNL Dr. Peter Fuhr has been involved in industrial wireless, sensors, and secure systems for more years than he cares to state as a NASA space optical physicist, university professor, serial entrepreneur, and researcher at a U.S. National laboratory. Peter serves as the Director of the International Society for Automation (ISA) Test and Measurement Division (1500+ members), is the co-founder and past Chairman of the Wireless Industrial Networking Alliance, and co-chairs the Secure Infrastructure Controls Society. Dr. Fuhr has authored and delivered hundreds of technical journal and conference publications/presentations. His pioneering work in networked sensor systems for structures earned him the Presidential Award for Excellence in Research. Segments of his research activities are featured in the SPIE Milestone Series on Fiber Optics. Dr. Fuhr is a Distinguished Scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory serving in the capacity as the Technology Director for the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Research Laboratory and Director of Grid Security. Dr. Fuhr is a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Tennessee with an affiliated appointment within the Bredesen Center. Specialties: sensors, wireless technologies, UAS/drones, designing cybersecure integrated network architectures for petrochem/pharma/military needs, sensors&mobile platforms. Johns Hopkins University, Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, 1986 Johns Hopkins University, M.S.E., Electrical Engineering, 1983 Beloit College, B.S Physics, B.A. Mathematics, 1979 E-mail: fuhrpl@ornl.gov	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line314
__label__wiki	0.852992	0.852992	Welcome Lifeline From Culture Recovery Fund For Bristol Old Vic Welcome funding lifeline for Bristol Old Vic. Now the work can begin, says Tom Morris. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport today announced Bristol Old Vic will receive a vital £610,466 package of financial support as part of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund. This amount will support the historic theatre’s survival for the immediate future, after losing 75% of its income overnight in March 2020. Crucially, it will enable the organisation to plan its recovery and begin to make work once again in collaboration with the creative sector’s workforce, who have been acutely affected by the pandemic. The news is part of today’s announcement of the first tranche of the Culture Recovery Fund - £257m of funding for 1385 theatres, arts venues, museums and cultural organisations across the country. Speaking today, Bristol Old Vic's Artistic Director, Tom Morris said: “This is fantastic news for many arts organisations all over the country. For Bristol Old Vic it is transformative. Immediately, it keeps us open and prevents another devastating round of redundancies. Beyond that, it gives us a solid platform from which we can contribute to the economic and social recovery which must follow the pandemic over the next two years." Bristol Old Vic's Executive Director, Charlotte Geeves said; "Arts businesses all over the country can now work with Government, Arts Council, local authorities and our own donors and supporters to raise funds so that we can invest in the creative workforce for which Britain is internationally renowned. In doing so we can support the recovery of our city and town centres with dazzling new work, and collaborate with communities all over the country in transformative creative projects." Tom Morris continued; "The country needs its artists more than ever as we confront the bewildering force of the ongoing pandemic. The Government’s investment of £1.57bn shows a clear understanding of how much our creative industries can contribute in these uniquely challenging times. It also sets an inspiring precedent for new investment in transformative art works which can engage every community in the country and lift the hearts of all of us.” The fund will also allow the theatre to reach a wider audience by further developing its digital offer, as a way of sharing live performance, whether from the comfort of the home or in the theatre itself. The online Bristol Old Vic At Home digital offer launched in April 2020 as an experiment in how the theatre could stay connected to its communities and provide creative opportunities while in isolation from each other. A series of streamed productions of some of the theatre’s best-loved work sat alongside interactive content across Bristol Old Vic’s website, available to young people, teachers, audiences and artists at the moment it was most needed. Bristol Old Vic’s artist development strand Ferment also commissioned artists through an experimental programme of live performance in the theatre’s front of house area, on its newly created Courtyard Stage, to explore what live performance could be in a socially distanced world. A blended offer of live performance mixed with streamed theatre content has meant Bristol Old Vic has been able to provide theatre in a variety of ways depending on current COVID regulations and the circumstances of each individual. Bristol Old Vic's Chair, Dame Liz Forgan said: "Creative people can be inventive, agile, enterprising and brave but they can’t cope with zero income and dark theatres. This tremendous support from government gives us the time to do what we know we must: reinvent ourselves and our business for a world where nothing will be the same but where art and the work of the imagination will be more important than ever." The Culture Recovery Fund provides a total of £1.57 billion to make sure our most loved performing arts, heritage sites, independent cinemas, music venues and museums can weather the impact of coronavirus and come back even stronger.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line316
__label__wiki	0.896184	0.896184	Legislators push treatment over punishment for people with drug addictions by Elise Takahama Massachusetts State House. March 20, 2018. BOSTON – Jared Owen was in graduate school at MIT when his addiction spiraled out of control. He was drinking every day, taking opioid painkillers and getting hooked on heroin and methamphetamine. In late July 2013, he was sent to jail for 18 months on armed robbery charges. “I remember having to detox in the basement of the Cambridge police station,” Owen said. “That kind of pain I wouldn’t wish anyone on Earth.” Nearly six years later, Owen is a spokesman for an addiction recovery organization with a master’s degree from MIT and a healthy 2-year-old son. Individuals struggling with mental illnesses, including substance misuse, have long been forgotten, Massachusetts lawmakers say. But they are now a focus for legislators who have been working to restructure the state’s criminal justice system over the last few years.ADVERTISING Last spring, Gov. Charlie Baker signed off on a criminal justice reform package that made sweeping changes, including rethinking high bail amounts, increasing use of diversion programs for veterans and people with mental illnesses, restricting solitary confinement and more. Now, legislators are continuing to push new ideas forward – especially ones related to greater protections for those struggling with mental and behavioral health. “(The bill) recognizes that relapse is a part of the illness, and while some people go into treatment and never relapse, that’s not the common experience,” Friedman said. “This acknowledges that this is not an usual course of action and that people shouldn’t be criminalized for relapsing when they’re in treatment trying to address the illness.” Friedman’s bill would also prevent courts from ordering drug or alcohol testing more than four times per month, which she said was “very disruptive” to people’s lives. “They can’t have a life, it takes a long time, the hours are inconvenient,” Friedman said. “We’re putting all this burden on people who have an illness and we’re not putting their care first and foremost.” While people seeking treatment would be able to recover in a system more tolerant of slip-ups, individuals who commit crimes on probation would still be charged, she said. Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, who’s the co-chair of the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Reform Caucus, said one of his constituents was sent back to prison a few months ago after relapsing. It was incredibly disappointing, Eldridge said, and as a result, he’s grateful for Friedman’s bill. Many politicians agree that the state needs to move away from punishing addictions and toward treatment, Eldridge said, but the Massachusetts judicial system continues to incarcerate those who “fall prey” to substance misuse. “While our county jails and some state prisons are making progress on drug treatment, the reality is that drug treatment in our prisons is inadequate,” he said. “Those individuals should be placed in residential facilities, not a prison.” The criminal justice reform caucus has been “really focused,” Eldridge said. Its current goals are to look at the impacts of last spring’s reform package and to advocate for more funding in next year’s budget. Rep. Jennifer Benson, D-Lunenburg, who’s also a member of the caucus, signed on to support the bill as well. “Addiction should be treated first as the mental health problem that it is,” Benson’s spokesman Sean Rourke said in a statement. “Incarceration often disrupts treatment programs, further endangering those with addictions and the public. This bill bring compassion to the process, and seeks to end the cycle of relapse among people with addictions caught up in the court system.” Rep. Tami Gouveia, D-Acton, who serves on the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery, said she thinks the bill is a step in the right direction. “This has real life and death implications for people,” Gouveia said. “I’m pleased (Sen. Friedman) has taken this very seriously and seen relapse as part of the recovery process. It embraces relapse as part of the disorder.” Massachusetts lawyer and prison reform advocate Lisa Newman-Polk, who helped work with Friedman’s office on the initial idea for the bill, argued in a recent case against incarcerating those with drug addictions when they relapse. “If the bill passes, it will prohibit courts from responding punitively to relapse, which is the primary symptom of addiction,” Newman-Polk said. “In general, we have this dichotomy where political leaders and policymakers say that addiction is a health problem and we need to treat it as such, and yet our laws dictate otherwise. “To recover from any kind of mental health problem, including addiction, people need to experience safety and compassion. It is very difficult to get well in jail where stress and deprivation pervade the environment,” she added. Owen – who’s now the communications director for the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery – said legislation like Friedman’s helps move their cause forward. Boston-based MOAR is very active in pushing for new policies, especially those that end mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses, lower probation fees and provide better education and re-entry programs, Owen said. One of the organization’s top priority for fiscal year 2019 is to seek more funding for new recovery and diversion centers, he said. “With this bill, we’re ultimately trying to move addiction from being a criminal justice issue to a public health issue,” he said. “This bill would basically tell the courts that if someone is engaged in treatment, they should not be incarcerated for a positive drug screening.” Owen said that while some prisons and jails are attempting to bring mental health treatment into correctional facilities, it’s still not enough to provide inmates with adequate support. “When I came from incarceration, I seemed like a very broken person,” Owen said. “I couldn’t make eye contact, I couldn’t carry on conversations … Incarceration has this effect of dehumanizing people and making them perceive themselves as worthless or as bad for society.” This article was previously published in the Sentinel and Enterprise. Attleboro area authorities back request for $72M state housing budget PODCAST: What is it like to be the managing editor? – S1E9 Between The Bylines While doctors prepare to handle rise in opioid cases... Man sentenced to seven years in prison for string of... Former Michelle Wu aide sentenced for drug charges Mayor Walsh speaks at first annual Opioid Screening...	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line318
__label__wiki	0.897547	0.897547	Book Hamish McRae Principle Commentator For The Independent & The Independent On Sunday & Author Of 'The World In 2020' The godfather of futurist trends in business, economics and society, Hamish McRae is a household name within the after dinner speaking circuit and finance world. The Associate Editor of The Independent Newspaper in London and Principal Economic Commentator for The Independent and The Independent on Sunday and a columnist for the London Evening Standard, McRae has an immensely impressive resume as well as being held in the highest regard. A globally acclaimed and revered writer and broadcaster who has been inundated with awards and accolades throughout his distinguished career, Hamish McRae has won the coveted title of Business and Finance Journalist of the Year at the British Press Awards, a huge honour that showcases his prowess and expertise in the field. An instantly recognisable figure within the worlds of finance and futurism, the imperious Hamish McRae is available to hire as an after dinner speaker through Champions Speakers where he is certain to engage, educate and entertain guests to make for a truly unforgettable event. The author of the acclaimed work on the future, The World in 2020: Power, Culture and Prosperity , Hamish McRae has also been crowned the David Watt Prize for Outstanding Political Journalism winner once again showcasing his tremendous knowledge and expertise that make him one of the most sought after and demanded finance speakers in the world. An Adjunct Professor at Trinity College, Dublin, McRae has also acted as a visiting Professor at the School of Management at Lancaster University in addition to his roles as a council member of the Royal Economic Society. A Governor of the National Institute for Economic and Social Research, Hamish has worked extensively across the UK and Europe allowing him to draw upon a vast array of experiences at events that allow him to resonate and adapt accordingly to the requirements of his audience. Certain to initiate thought-provoking conversation that will facilitate fascinating debates, the Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences work focuses on excellence in the world economy, the shift of economic power to Asia and how technology interacts with human capital to shift competitive advantage. Effectively clarifying complex economic issues, and is a leading world expert on emerging markets, McRae understanding of global economics is second to none as is his flawless delivery that has gained plaudits worldwide. An expert in the global economy and acclaimed journalist, McRae’s areas of expertise include the rise of Asian economies and future trends. An authoritative figure in his field, Hamish McRae is available to hire through Champions Speakers and will be the ideal addition to all manner of business events and conferences. How to hire Hamish McRae Contact the Champions Speakers agency to provisionally enquire about Hamish McRae for your event today. Simply call a booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at agent@championsukplc.com for more information. Similar speakers to Hamish McRae The Sunday Times' Economic Editor Who Has Held The Position For Over 30 Years Political Editor Of The Sunday Times Zanny Minton Beddoes The Economist's First Female Editor Andrew Neil Former Sunday Times Editor & Politics Live Presenter	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line319
__label__wiki	0.689797	0.689797	Category: McAlister Award 2018 McAlister Award The winner of the 2018 McAlister award is Mike Smith. When Mike joined CWA in the early 2000s, he became an active contributor to the club and activities. He has continued this level of involvement throughout his membership. Mike served 2 terms as CWA president, where he guided the club into being operated as a business, with regular board meetings and official activities. Under Mike’s guidance and encouragement, CWA became Incorporated as a tax-exempt non-profit, and achieved 501(c)(3) status. Mike has performed in major club activities, doing demonstrations and talking with the public. His presence at Matthews Alive and Festival In The Park makes CWA’s displays and demos come to life. Mike makes himself available at short-notice to put on programs at regular club meetings. His demonstrations and talks are always informative and enjoyed by everyone. Mike, with his personal efforts to liquidate shops, has helped new members obtain tools and machines members may not have been able to have or afford. Mike has hosted many CWA members in his own home shop, teaching and coaching on their projects. Mike is the one who answers all the inquiries about the club that come via our website and Facebook page. He does a great job promoting the club and is always a fine example of the people involved in the club. He also does a great job at the club Christmas party which involves a lot of time making the items he gives out. With Mike’s involvement, CWA has become a better organization, and many members have become better woodworkers. Mike is a giver, in the truest sense, and is highly deserving of the McAlister Award. Featured Post by WebmasterPosted in McAlister Award, Member Awards, PresentationTagged McAlister Award	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line321
__label__wiki	0.969856	0.969856	- Any -AlbumEPSingle The Best of the Gospel Sessions Greatest Gospel Hits Select ratingGive Greatest Gospel Hits 1/5Give Greatest Gospel Hits 2/5Give Greatest Gospel Hits 3/5Give Greatest Gospel Hits 4/5Give Greatest Gospel Hits 5/5 From My Soul Select ratingGive From My Soul 1/5Give From My Soul 2/5Give From My Soul 3/5Give From My Soul 4/5Give From My Soul 5/5 Glory to His Name Select ratingGive Glory to His Name 1/5Give Glory to His Name 2/5Give Glory to His Name 3/5Give Glory to His Name 4/5Give Glory to His Name 5/5 Gospel Soul Select ratingGive Gospel Soul 1/5Give Gospel Soul 2/5Give Gospel Soul 3/5Give Gospel Soul 4/5Give Gospel Soul 5/5 Love Is Reality Select ratingGive Love Is Reality 1/5Give Love Is Reality 2/5Give Love Is Reality 3/5Give Love Is Reality 4/5Give Love Is Reality 5/5 Select ratingGive One in a Million 1/5Give One in a Million 2/5Give One in a Million 3/5Give One in a Million 4/5Give One in a Million 5/5 I Get Joy Select ratingGive I Get Joy 1/5Give I Get Joy 2/5Give I Get Joy 3/5Give I Get Joy 4/5Give I Get Joy 5/5 Select ratingGive Soul Survivor 1/5Give Soul Survivor 2/5Give Soul Survivor 3/5Give Soul Survivor 4/5Give Soul Survivor 5/5 He Is the Light Select ratingGive He Is the Light 1/5Give He Is the Light 2/5Give He Is the Light 3/5Give He Is the Light 4/5Give He Is the Light 5/5 Select ratingGive Trust in God 1/5Give Trust in God 2/5Give Trust in God 3/5Give Trust in God 4/5Give Trust in God 5/5 I'll Rise Again Select ratingGive I'll Rise Again 1/5Give I'll Rise Again 2/5Give I'll Rise Again 3/5Give I'll Rise Again 4/5Give I'll Rise Again 5/5 Select ratingGive White Christmas 1/5Give White Christmas 2/5Give White Christmas 3/5Give White Christmas 4/5Give White Christmas 5/5 Select ratingGive Precious Lord 1/5Give Precious Lord 2/5Give Precious Lord 3/5Give Precious Lord 4/5Give Precious Lord 5/5 Higher Plane Select ratingGive Higher Plane 1/5Give Higher Plane 2/5Give Higher Plane 3/5Give Higher Plane 4/5Give Higher Plane 5/5 Select ratingGive The Lord Will Make a Way 1/5Give The Lord Will Make a Way 2/5Give The Lord Will Make a Way 3/5Give The Lord Will Make a Way 4/5Give The Lord Will Make a Way 5/5 Al Green is listed in the credits for the following albums: 1981 Al Green Higher Plane Producer, Arrangements, Vocals 1997 E.T.W. Ain't Nobody Dyin' But Us Songwriter 2001 Fred Hammond Christmas... Just Remember Songwriter 2011 Al Green The Best of the Gospel Sessions Producer, Songwriter, Arrangements, Engineer, Guitar, Percussion, Vocals Gospel, R&B / Urban Albert Greene, better known as Al Green or Reverend Al Green, is an American singer, best known for recording a series of soul hit singles in the early 1970s, including "Tired of Being Alone", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness" and his signature song, "Let's Stay Together". Inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, Green was referred to on the museum's site as being "one of the most gifted purveyors of soul music". He has also been referred to as "The Last of the Great Soul Singers". Green was included in the Rolling Stone list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, ranking at No. 66. Albert Greene was born in Forrest City, Arkansas on April 13, 1946. The sixth of ten children born to Cora Lee and Robert G. Greene, Jr., a sharecropper, Al began performing with his brothers in a group called the Greene Brothers around the age of ten. The Greene family relocated to Grand Rapids, Michigan in the late 1950s. Raised in a religiously devout family, Al was kicked out of the family home in his teens after his father caught him listening to Jackie Wilson. In high school, Al formed a vocal group called Al Greene & The Creations. Two of the group's members, Curtis Rodgers and Palmer James, formed an independent label called Hot Line Music Journal. In 1968, having changed their name to Al Greene & The Soul Mates, they recorded the song "Back Up Train", releasing it on Hot Line Music. The song became a chart hit on the R&B charts. However, the group's subsequent follow-ups failed to chart, as did their debut album, Back Up Train. While performing with the Soul Mates, Al came into contact with Memphis record producer Willie Mitchell in 1969 when Mitchell hired him to be a vocalist for a Texas show with Mitchell's band. Following the performance, Mitchell asked Al to sign for his Hi Records label. Early success Having noted that Al had been trying to sing like Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Wilson Pickett and James Brown, Mitchell became his vocal mentor, coaching him into finding his own voice. Before releasing his first album with Hi, Green removed the final "e" from his name. Subsequently, Green released Green Is Blues, which became a moderate success. Green's follow-up album, Al Green Gets Next to You, featured Green's hit R&B cover of The Temptations' "I Can't Get Next to You", recorded in a slow blues-oriented version. The album also featured his first significant hit, "Tired of Being Alone", which sold half a million copies and was certified gold, becoming the first of seven consecutive gold singles Green would record in the next couple of years. Green's next album, Let's Stay Together, solidified Green's place in soul music with the title track becoming his biggest hit to date, reaching number one on both theBillboard Hot 100 and R&B charts. The album became his first to be certified gold. His follow-up, I'm Still in Love with You went platinum with the help of the singles, "Look What You Done for Me" and the title track, both of which went top ten on the Hot 100. His next album, 1973's Call Me spawned three top ten singles including "You Ought to Be with Me", "Call Me (Come Back Home)" and "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)". Green's album, Livin' for You, released at the tail-end of 1973, became his last album to be certified gold. In addition to these hit singles, Green also had radio hits with songs such as "Love and Happiness", his cover of the Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart", "Simply Beautiful", "What a Wonderful Thing Love Is" and "Take Me to the River", later covered successfully by new wave band Talking Heads and blues artist Syl Johnson. Green continued to record successful R&B hits in the next several years including "Livin' for You", "Let's Get Married", "Sha-La-La (Makes Me Happy)", "L-O-V-E (Love)" and "Full of Fire". By the time Green released the album, The Belle Album in 1977, however, Green's record sales had plummeted, partially due to Green's own personal issues during this time and his desire to become a minister. His last Hi Records album, Truth n' Time, was released in 1978 and failed to become a success. Two years later, he left Hi for Myrrh Records and recorded only gospel music for the next decade and a half. Gospel recordings and return to secular music Green's first gospel album, The Lord Will Make a Way, was released in 1980. The title song from the album would later win Green his first of eight Grammy Awardsin the Best Soul Gospel Performance category. In 1982, Green co-starred with Patti LaBelle on the Broadway play, "Your Arms Too Short to Box with God". His 1985 gospel album, He Is the Light reunited Green with Willie Mitchell while his 1987 follow-up, Soul Survivor, featured the minor hit, "Everything's Gonna Be Alright", which reached number 22 on the R&B chart, his first top 40 R&B hit since "I Feel Good" in 1978. Green returned to secular music in 1988 recording "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" with Annie Lennox. Featured on the soundtrack to the movie, Scrooged, the song became Green's first top 10 pop hit since 1974. Green had a hit in 1989 with "The Message is Love" with producer Arthur Baker. Two years later, he recorded the theme song to the short-lived show Good Sports. In 1993, he signed with RCA and with Baker again as producer, released the album, Don't Look Back. Green received his ninth Grammy award for his collaboration with Lyle Lovett for their duet of "Funny How Time Slips Away". Green's 1995 album, Your Heart's In Good Hands, was released around the same period when Green was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The one single released from the album, "Keep On Pushing Love (song)\|Keep On Pushing Love" was described as "invoking the original, sparse sound of his [Green's] early classics." In 2000, Green released his autobiography, Take Me to the River. Two years later, he earned the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and recorded a hit R&B duet with Ann Nesby on the song, "Put It On Paper". In 2003, Green again reunited with Willie Mitchell on the album, I Can't Stop. A year later, Green re-recorded his previous song, "Simply Beautiful", with Queen Latifah on the latter's album, The Dana Owens Album. In 2005, Green and Mitchell collaborated on Everything's OK. His 2008 album, Lay It Down was produced by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and James Poyser. It became his first album to reach the top ten since the early 1970s. The album featured a minor R&B hit with the ballad, "Stay with Me (By the Sea)" featuring John Legend and also featured duets with Anthony Hamilton andCorinne Bailey Rae. During an interview for promotion of the album, Green admitted that he would have liked to duet with Marvin Gaye: "In those days, people didn't sing together like they do now," he said. In 2009, Green recorded "People Get Ready" with Heather Headley on the album, Oh Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration. In 2010, Green performed "Let's Stay Together" on Later... with Jools Holland. On October 18, 1974, sometime after Al Green Explores Your Mind was released, Mary Woodson White, a girlfriend of Green's, assaulted him before committing suicide at his Memphis home. Although she was already married, White reportedly became upset when Green refused to marry her. At some point during the evening, White doused Green with a pan of boiling grits while he was showering, causing severe burns on Green's back, stomach and arms. She then found his .38 and killed herself. The police found in her purse a note declaring her intentions and her reasons. "The more I trust you," she'd written, "the more you let me down." Turn to the ministry Green cited the incident as a wake-up call to change his life. He became an ordained pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Memphis in 1976 and continues to serve in this capacity, delivering services down the street from Graceland. Continuing to record R&B, Green saw his sales start to slip and drew mixed reviews from critics. In 1979 Green injured himself falling off the stage while performing in Cincinnati and interpreted this as a message from God. He then concentrated his energies towards pastoring his church and gospel singing. According to Glide Magazine, "by the late 70s, he had begun concentrating almost exclusively on gospel music." His first gospel album was The Lord Will Make a Way. From 1981 to 1989 Green recorded a series of gospel recordings, garnering eight "soul gospel performance" Grammys in that period. In 1985, he reunited with Willie Mitchell along with Angelo Earl for He Is the Light, his first album for A&M Records. In 1984, director Robert Mugge released a documentary film, Gospel According to Al Green, including interviews about his life and footage from his church. Marriage to Shirley Green In June 1977, Green married Shirley Kyles. They had three daughters together, Alva, Rubi and Kora. The marriage lasted until January 1983. Shirley Green accused her ex-husband of domestic violence throughout it. Al Green. (2014, May 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13:21, May 20, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Al_Green&oldid=607954248 Facebook: AlGreen External links are provided for reference purposes. Christian Music Archive is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. Created by: siremidor on 26-July-2010 - Last Edited by siremidor on 14-October-2019	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line323
__label__cc	0.626945	0.373055	« And Justice for all? Bob Doyles ‘Brigadista!’ Interview » Pub Crawl, January 2010 (Pubs 16-20) January 11, 2010 by Sam (Once a month the three writers behind ComeHereToMe, joined by a small group of friends, visit five Dublin pubs and then write about their experiences. A different person each month picks the five pubs and they make sure not to give away any details. What fun.) January was my month and I had picked the pubs carefully: • Hartigan’s (For its links to UCD.) • The Baggott Inn (For its links to Irish rock music history.) • The Horse show bar in The Shelbourne Hotel (For its sheer beauty and history.) • The International (For its importance in the history of Irish comedy.) • Neary’s (For family links. This was the only pub in Dublin my grandmother ever entered ‘because of their sandwiches’.) Out of the original five, on the day itself, three were closed. For future reference, don’t pick the Sunday after New Year’s Eve for a pub crawl in Dublin City. Things aren’t back to normal yet. I chose the Royal College of Surgeons at 1 Saint Stephens Green as the meeting point, hoping to throw people off as to where we were going. The location meant that we just as easily could have made our way down to Camden Street or Dawson. The RSCI is also a building of great historical significance, namely the role it played in the 1916 Easter Rising, as well as the fact that it was built on a old Quaker burial ground. At 4:32pm approximately, the five us began our January Pub Crawl cautiously making our way across the icy pavements towards Leeson Street, stopping at 68 St. Stephen’s Green, – ‘Newman House’. I announced to the group that this would be our only stop of a historical nature during the day before telling them the story of the Whaley family who built the house, their son Thomas ‘Buck’ Whaley and a dare devil bet involving a horse, a carriage and a first floor window that occurred sometime in the 1780s. As we turned the corner, I was taken by surprise to see that Hartigan’s was closed. Undaunted by this initial set back, we crossed the road to Hourican’s, the pub that sits directly opposite. This is one of those forgotten pubs, one that thousands of people pass on their bus everyday, but very few venture into. The pub itself was quite pleasant. If I remember correctly, it had a lovely wooden interior decorated with a few more ‘Irish street signs’ and old advertisements than was necessary. The barman was extremely friendly, offering to bring us down our drinks. We had a lovely pint, a chat and then were on our way. Hourican's. (Flickr user ihourahane) As I said, I had hoped to bring the gang down to The Baggott Inn next. Though I’ve heard it’s lost all its charm, no one can deny its important connection to the development of Irish punk and new wave in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was not to be. The doors were firmly locked. So instead we had to skip ahead to The Shelbourne. One of my favourite buildings in Dublin, I don’t think I need to argue its historical significance. The Shelbourne has stood over the Green since 1824 and played an important role in the 1916 Rising and the drafting of the Irish Constitution in 1922, which occurred in Room 112. The Shelbourne (Kevin O’Sullivan - Pues Occurences) My favourite historical anecdote about the hotel dates from a little earlier. In 1911, Adolf Hitler’s half brother, Alois Hitler Jr., worked as a waiter in the hotel. During his time in the city, he met a Clondalkin woman called Bridget Dowling. They eloped to London, later having a child called William Patrick “Paddy” Hitler who only passed away in 1987. William Patrick Hitler's father Alois Hitler was a waiter in The Shelbourne I had wanted to visit the Horse Shoe bar (rumoured to have been where The Chieftains formed) but unfortunately it was closed. Instead we had to visit the Shelbourne’s new ‘No. 27’ bar. Though by now a clichéd term, it was fitting to mutter “recession, what recession?” while walking through the crowd. With eyes definitely on the five young males who were looking very out of place, we didn’t savor our pretty average pints and were soon making our way out of the revolving doors. Knowing that I had now one pub extra to add to our tour, I took my uncle’s advice and chose The Bailey. I’ll say more about its history than our visit there. Once a pub of literary renown, it has been in business since 1837. Charles Parnell was once a regular patron, as was James Joyce, Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw. Later Arthur Griffith was the centre of a group that met there including Oliver St. Gogarty, Seamus O’Sullivan (poet and editor of The Dublin Magazine), Padraic Colum (poet and dramatist) and James Stephens (novelist). The Bailey, 1971. (c) The Irish Times In the 1950s, it became the regular haunt of Brendan Behan, Liam O’Flaherty and Brian O’Nolan (Flann O’Brien). At the time, the owner of The Bailey, John Ryan, was an editor and publisher. He was the founding editor of Envoy (1949-51), a “short lived but important” literary magazine. During the first half of the 1970s, he edited the Dublin Magazine and was secretary of the James Joyce Society of Ireland. “It was also the site of the door of 7 Eccles Street, the home of James Joyce’s protagonist from Ulysses, Leopold Bloom. The door was presented to the pub and publicly unveiled on June 16, 1967, by poet Patrick Kavanagh who had saved it from a renovator’s axe” – Brian Thomsen In the 1980s, it became the haunt of a whole new generation of poets and writers – Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy, Bono and U2, Bob Geldof and The Boomtown Rats, Philip Chevron and The Radiators from Space and Sinead O’Connor. Sinead O'Connor with punk outside The Bailey. Photo - Wally. It has since lost all of its charm. In 1995, the pub was gutted and sold to the Thomas Read Co. while all of its fittings and fixtures “with approximately 140 prints and paintings” were put up for auction. It is now just another upmarket, ‘trendy’ bar. We moved on to The International at the corner of Wicklow and South William Street. A beautiful pub, it was no surprise to see that there were no seats in the main bar but we more than happy to take our drinks to the cozy basement. The bartender was happy to turn down the blaring music and we chatted away about the weather, the economy and other important matters. The International Bar © The Chicago Bar Project Pressing on, we slipped down Coppinger Row across Clarendon Street, onto the lovely Chatham Street and past the two brass hand held glowing lamps into the welcoming door of Neary’s. As I might have guessed by this stage, the superior upstairs part of the pub (The Chatham Lounge) was closed but we were able to find two tables downstairs in a quiet corner at the back of the bar. Nearys. Photo - Frank (http://photographydublin.wordpress.com) Due its close proximity to the Gaiety, it is frequented by figures from the world of theatre. A back door beside the toilets leads to a lane which in turn leads to the back door of the Gaiety itself. The actor Alan Devlin famously used this as a escape route in 1987: “Perhaps (Devlin’s) finest hour came while he was playing Sir Joseph Porter in the Gaiety Theatre’s 1987 production of HMS Pinafore. As stage legend has it, Gilbert and Sullivan’s much-loved operetta was wandering to its predictable conclusion when Devlin turned to the audience, said: “F**k this for a game of soldiers, I’m going home,” and clambered through the orchestra pit, shouting: “Finish it yourself!” and vanished. Still dressed in the flamboyant costume of an admiral, Devlin (scuttled) into Neary’s bar, where he approached the counter, drew his sword and demanded a pint. And thanks to radio mike technology, the cast and audience in the theatre next door were still able to hear the thespian, ordering a round of drinks and fearlessly critiquing the production he had recently departed.” – Joe O’Shea By this stage, our conversation was beginning to really flow, as the one pint one pub rule was set aside and a number of friends joined us at this late stage of proceedings. Albeit with a few hiccups, the ComeHereToMe January Pub Crawl was a success and I look forward to my turn again so I can visit some the pubs that were closed that day. Onwards to February… January’s five pubs were: 1. Hourican’s, 7 Lower Leeson Street. 2. The Shelbourne, 21 St. Stephen’s Green 3. The Bailey, 2 Duke Street. 4. The International, 23 Wicklow Street. 5. Neary’s, 1 Chatham Street. Posted in Pub Crawls \| Tagged Alois hitler, dublin, Houricans, Neary's, pub crawl dublin, sinead o'connor, The Baiely, The International, The Shelbourne \| 10 Comments on January 12, 2010 at 12:58 pm \| Reply John Fisher Great idea and an excellent review. Makes me want to go on a decent pub crawl now…. on January 13, 2010 at 8:06 pm \| Reply John Fisher BTW, can you add a list of ALL the pubs that you have visited during your pub crawls so far? on January 13, 2010 at 8:11 pm \| Reply jaycarax Good idea John. September’s five pubs were: 1. The Long Hall, Georges Street, Dublin 2. 2. John Kehoe’s, 9 South Anne’s Street, Dublin 2. 3. The Dawson Lounge, 25 Dawson Street, Dublin 2. 4. Toner’s, 139 Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2. 5. Mulligan’s, 8 Poolbeg Street, Dublin 2. November’s five pubs were: 1. Davy Byrnes, 21 Duke Street, Dublin 2. 2. Dame Tavern, Dame Court, Dublin 2. 3. MacTurcaills, 15 Townsend Street, Dublin 2. 4. Doheny and Nesbitt, 5 Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2. 5. The Bankers, Trinity Street, Dublin 2. December’s five pubs were: 1. Peter’s Pub, South William Street. 2. The Lord Edward, Christchurch Place. 3. The Brazen Head, Lower Bridge Street. 4. Frank Ryan and Sons, Queen Street. 5. The Cobblestone, King Street North. on May 3, 2010 at 4:44 pm \| Reply Pub Crawl, March 2010 (Pubs 35-40) « Come here to me! […] in all, I thought it was a success. Certainly compared to my last effort, which saw three of my five pubs […] on July 12, 2010 at 8:47 pm \| Reply V.E.G. William Patrick Hitler became William Patrick Stuart-Houston. All of his three living children (as of 2010) possibly swear an oath not to have children so the bloodline dies with them. The McDonald’s gunman’s children should follow the example of Stuart-Houston. They should be called Cassandra and Zelia Keaton-Markland or Bigum-Markland. on October 3, 2010 at 11:13 am \| Reply Pub Crawl, September 2010 (Pubs 60-65) « Come here to me! […] but not least was Hartigan’s. I had originally had picked it out for my first pub crawl but like a lot of pubs that day, it was closed. The wooden paneling and general decor was quite […] on May 16, 2011 at 8:21 pm \| Reply Alan Devlin passes away « Come here to me! […] included a famous anecdote about Devlin in an article back in January 2010, my first ever pub crawl review. Due its close proximity to the Gaiety, (Neary’s) is frequented by figures from the world of […] on February 1, 2012 at 12:51 am \| Reply Pub Crawl, January 2012 (95 – 100) « Come here to me! […] pubs have been visited as well as the outlying South Dublin neighborhoods (Beggars Bush, Baggot St, Leeson St, Portobello, Ranelagh, Rathmines and Harolds Cross), it was with great pleasure that I was able to […] on February 2, 2012 at 1:39 pm \| Reply CHTM! Pub Crawl review (Sep 2009 – Present) « Come here to me! […] January 2010 (Pubs 16-20) [JayCarax, City […] on February 9, 2016 at 10:06 am \| Reply Niall Hourican’s, 7 Lower Leeson Street is closed from begining of 2016 and awaits the wreaking ball of developers. I was there a few times over the last 12 months…not a bad place, older crowd. I guess the developers promised too much to resist. Soon we’ll be left with the tourist spots and the uber-trendy Dawson + William street places. I’ll be off to the formica of Hartigans so..!! Sheehans of Chatham St was a great formica place in the 80s til changed to the soul-less, tourist + rugger spot that it became.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line328
__label__wiki	0.897835	0.897835	Cryptids, Carnivore, Australia/Oceania, Queensland Tiger The Queensland tiger is a cryptid reported to live in the Queensland area in eastern Australia that is similar the thylacine. 3 Explanations Also known by its native name, the yarri, it is described as being a dog-sized feline with stripes and a long tail, prominent front teeth and a savage temperament. It has been hypothesized to be a survivor or descendant of the large predatory marsupial Thylacoleo, officially considered to be extinct, or possibly a large feral cat variant (given possible discrepancies with thylacoleo dentition). In 1926 A. S. le Souef described it as being a ‘Striped marsupial cat’ in The Wild Animals of Australasia, this information later also included in Furred Mammals of Australia, by Ellis Troughton, longtime curator of mammals in the Australian Museum. Among cryptids it has arguably come closest to official recognition. The earliest documented witness reports of the Queensland marsupial tiger date from 1871, with indigenous traditions of the yarri preceding these. Reports indicate that it is fast and agile (Welfare & Fairley, 1981). Reports have come consistently from the Northeast of Queensland. Though these have diminished in number since the 1950s, they continue to occur (the Beast of Buderim being one recent example of the phenomenon). Thylacoleo carnifex or the Marsupial Lion, is an animal of similar size and predatory habits, did live in Australia as recently as the late Pleistocene period, perhaps coexisting with the very first humans that arrived at Australia who were the ancestors of modern Australian Aborigines. However, scientists estimate that Thylacoleo went extinct 30,000 years ago. Modern sightings of an animal described as remarkably like Thylacoleo have led some researchers to speculate that a small relict population has somehow survived in remote areas. Cryptozoologists who promote the theory of survival of the Tasmanian Tiger or Thylacine Thylacinus cynocephalus, a Thylacinid, and also currently accepted as extinct, favour proposed survival of The Queensland Tiger. The fundamental difference between the two cases, however, is that the last Tasmanian Tiger in captivity died in 1936, and the species was not officially declared as extinct until 1986. This makes the prospect of species survival of the Thylacine more likely than that of Thylacoleo. However, most cryptozoologists regard a thylacine identity for the Queensland tiger as very unlikely, as the Queensland tiger and the thylacine do not resemble one another in appearance or behaviour. The Queensland Tiger based on eyewitness accounts Could it have been a thylacoleo carnifex? Retrieved from "https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Queensland_Tiger?oldid=112617"	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line331
__label__wiki	0.587301	0.587301	Billy Beane could leave the A's to focus on soccer. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Billy Beane’s Reported Move Feels Like Prediction of Theo Epstein’s Future Evan AltmanOctober 12, 2020 Longtime Oakland A’s executive Billy Beane is pretty much the poor man’s Theo Epstein, just more in the literal sense than in the way the phrase is typically used. Lionized by author Michael Lewis in his best-selling Moneyball and later immortalized by Brad Pitt in the movie of the same title, Beane has found frequent success as the analytically-minded head of baseball operations for an organization that operates with a small-market budget. You could say Epstein is cut from the same cloth, but that would be like saying similar patterns wear identically whether they’re dyed in flannel or chinchilla. Or that a Chevy drives like a Maserati. That isn’t to say Beane is less valuable, far from it, only that Epstein has made ample use of the much larger pools of financial means at his disposal in both Boston and Chicago. To wit, the former boy wonder’s overslot draft spending in Boston was once viewed as the haute couture of Moneyball, a way to exploit loopholes by flexing financial muscle. After that led to a hard cap on draft bonus pools, Epstein and the Cubs were believed to have found a new market inefficiency in 2013 when they swung a series of deals aimed largely at increasing their international free agency slot money. You may remember one of those trades as the fateful swap that brought Pedro Strop and Jake Arrieta back from Baltimore. Despite the differences in their respective approaches and the lopsided World Series results, Beane and Epstein are among the most respected practitioners of their craft. They also seem destined for something bigger, or at least different, following the conclusion of their baseball careers. So while it may not be a direct precursor, it’s hard not to think about what’s next for Epstein in the wake of the report that Beane will finally leave the A’s to join Red Sox owner John Henry’s global sports conglomerate. It’s not as a baseball exec, though, as the Wall Street Journal laid out Monday. If Henry’s Fenway Sports Group completes its merger with RedBall Acquisition Corp. , a special-purpose acquisition company that Beane co-chairs, Beane is set to step aside from working in a baseball front office, people familiar with the matter said. He won’t take a role running the Red Sox, these people said. Instead, Beane would turn his attention to other sports business ventures, particularly European soccer, an area he has demonstrated a passion for in recent years. That fits with Fenway Sports Group’s future if the deal, reported by The Wall Street Journal late Friday, is realized. RedBall would purchase less than 25% of Fenway Sports Group, valuing it at $8 billion. As a public company, Fenway could look to buy up more soccer clubs in Europe in an effort to establish itself as an unprecedented global sports conglomerate. Don’t let the article undersell it, Beane is more than just passionate about soccer. He holds minority stakes in Barnsley FC of England’s EFL Championship and AZ Alkmaar of the Eredivisie in the Netherlands. Seems like a transition to taking an even more active role in those and/or other clubs in Europe would be a natural transition for him. While it’s doubtful Epstein will develop a hankering to helm an English Premier League organization when his time in Chicago is up, a move to another venue has long seemed inevitable. Whether it’s politics or social work or philanthropy — forget about being named MLB commissioner, he’s done enough caping for owners at this point — getting away from baseball might be more attractive than, say, running the Mets. It’ll be another year or so before we know for sure, but I’d actually be more surprised to find out that Epstein is interested in another baseball gig than hearing he’s leaving the sport behind. Cubs News, Rumors & Analysis Cubs Avoid Arbitration with Javy Báez, Settle for $11.65 Million Cristian Hernandez Leads Big IFA Class, Continues Cubs’ Youth Movement	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line334
__label__cc	0.70233	0.29767	New federal guidelines are one more important step towards national pharmacare CUPE says new federal guidelines to regulate the cost of prescription drugs are an important step towards a national pharmacare program. The Patented Medicines Prices Review Board (PMPRB) released new guidelines on Friday, October 23, 2020, governing the cost of patented medicines in Canada. CUPE is pleased to see the updated guidelines will reduce prices on patented drugs and strengthen protection for patients. For years, the existing framework has failed to adequately protect Canadians from inflated prices. As a result, Canadians have been paying some of the highest costs for prescription drugs in the world. “Today’s announcement will help modernize the system and address sky-high prices that Canadians pay for prescription drugs,” said National President Mark Hancock. “These changes are a necessary first step towards the implementation of a national pharmacare program.” A poll conducted by Nanos earlier this month showed 83 per cent of Canadians support a national pharmacare program. “The growing consensus is undeniable: Canadians need better access to important, often life-saving medications,” said National Secretary-Treasurer Charles Fleury. “Carrying out the legwork to lower the cost of patented drugs is a critical step on the road to achieving national pharmacare.” CUPE will be keeping a close eye on the House of Commons Health Committee as it begins its study of these new guidelines, and encourages the public to contact the committee to let them know they support better access to prescription drugs for all Canadians.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line335
__label__cc	0.627662	0.372338	coredanceomaha@gmail.com Welcome Welcome to CORE Dance Company! We are excited that you have chosen to make CORE Dance Company your home for your child’s dance education. We pride ourselves on providing a high quality dance education in a fun, family-centered atmosphere. Please read through the following information to learn more about our program. Call (402) 980-9219 or Email us for more info: coredanceomaha@gmail.com August 18th Open House – 2:00-4:30pm September 3rd Fall Classes Start October 12-13th Skinny Bones Performance For information regarding competition pricing contact: info@coredanceomaha.com Leaps and Turns Level 3 Wiggles & Giggles (2-3) Preschool Ballet & Tap (3.5-5) Boys Hip HOP CORE Kick Start (5-9) Hip Hop 2-3 Tap Level 2-3 Hip Hop Level 1-2 Tumbling level 1-2 Jazz & Hip Hop (6-10) Stretch & Strength Intermediate/Advanced Pointe (Invite Only) Company Rehearsal (8) Fall/Spring 2019-2020 Schedule Ballet & Tap Ages (5-8) Jazz & Hip Hop (5-8) 4.45-5:45 Hip Hop Level 1 Tumbling level 2 Mini Company Beginning Pointe 7:00-7.45 Lyrical 2-3 Jazz & Hip Hop (3.5-5) Lyrical Level 4-5 Musical Theater Level 2-3 Tab Level 1 Tab Level 4-5 Core Dance Company 14220 Fort Street • Suite 106 & 107 Beth Gilbert Sarah Ryland Sarah Keating Ryland grew up dancing in Lincoln, NE. She began her teaching career at Hart Dance Academy, and was a member of the Lincoln Midwest Ballet Company, dancing in their annual production of the Nutcracker, as well as other ballets such as Sleeping Beauty and Copellia. She graduated from the University of Nebraska Lincoln, where she danced on scholarship with the Scarlets for 4 years. She was a head instructor for Universal Dance Association, as seen in ESPN, and had traveled across the US and Europe teaching and choreographing. In 1999 she moved to Omaha, where she has continued to teach for the past 20 years, both as a studio owner and as a company teacher. Her passion is for ballet and perfect technique in all genres of dance! Sarah is married to Bill Ryland and mother to Clara, Trey, Katlyn, Faith, William, Hope, and John Paul. Elizabeth DuPont Sienna Scott Sienna was born and raised in Omaha, NE and began her dance career at the age of two. She competed on a studio team and was on the Skutt High School Dance Team for four years. Sienna was also a member of the University of Nebraska Omaha Dance Team and is currently pursuing a degree in sociology. Sienna wants to continue her education and obtain a Masters in Occupational Therapy upon graduation from UNO. Sienna joined CORE Dance Company in late Spring of 2017 and is excited to be on the summer and fall 2017 schedule. Sienna will teach both recreational and competitive classes. Jadyn Bechtold Jadyn was born in Omaha, NE and began dancing at the age of five. Her passion for dance is evident when she tells people she “eats, sleeps and breathes dance.” She danced competitively in the Omaha area and became a member of the Millard West Dance Team her freshman year of high school. At the age of sixteen Jadyn began her teaching career. She graduated from Millard West in 2015 and currently attends The University of Nebraska at Omaha. Jadyn was a member of the UNO Dance Team and is pursuing a degree in marketing with a minor in dance. Her most recent choreography at CORE has won multiple overall awards, special judges awards, and choreography awards. Jadyn joined CORE Dance Company in the fall of 2016 and teaches both recreational and competitive classes. Samantha Delts Sam was born and raised in Omaha, NE and began her dance career at the age of three. Sam has attended multiple studios and dance competitively since the age of five. She attended Millard North High School, where she was a part of their dance team for four years. Sam has a Bachelors degree in education. She most recently has joined CORE full and is excited to be a part of the administrative side of the studio. She has choreographed competitively for the past four years and has won numerous overall, top 10, choreography awards and special judges awards. Sam is the assistant director of CORE Dance Company and shared the same dream as Liz of opening a studio. Sam is going on her fourth year of teaching for CORE and is excited for the best year yet!. Liz Walls Owner/Director Liz was born and raised in Omaha, NE where she began her dance career. Liz began dancing at the age of two, and competing at the age of four. At the age of sixteen she underwent knee surgery, putting an end to her competitive dancing. She began assisting classes and followed by teaching. Liz graduated in 2014 from Creighton University with a Bachelors degree in Nursing, in which she practices full time. She has taught both competition and recreational students at studios throughout the Omaha area. Liz has choreographed competitively for the past five years and enjoys the competition atmosphere. Opening a studio has been a lifelong dream for Liz, and she feels blessed to be surrounded by so many amazing dancers and families. Liz primarily teaches our youngest dancers as well as the competition dancers.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line336
__label__cc	0.718724	0.281276	ArcelorMittal announces today a re-opening of its share buy-back program for up to 6% of its share capital, within the scope of the authorisation given by the annual general meeting of shareholders held on 11 May 2010. The program will be used to partially or totally hedge ArcelorMittal's current and future obligations under securities giving access to its share capital and share-based employee incentive plans. This program enables ArcelorMittal to acquire or sell its own shares in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, including by selling treasury shares it currently holds, entering into off-market, over-the-counter transactions and through call options and other derivative financial instruments. To initiate and execute this program, ArcelorMittal will, among other things, enter into financial agreements with one or more credit institutions. We draw attention to the fact that the annual general meeting of shareholders held on 11 May 2010 has authorized share buy-backs below the following maximum price: the purchase price per share shall not represent more than 125% of the price on the New York Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam by NYSE Euronext, Euronext Brussels by NYSE Euronext, Euronext Paris by NYSE Euronext, the Luxembourg Stock Exchange or the stock exchanges of Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Valencia, depending on the market on which the transactions are made, and no less than the par value of the share at the time of repurchase. For off market transactions, the maximum purchase price is 125% of the price on Euronext Paris by NYSE Euronext. The execution of this share buy-back is expected to start on November 29, 2010 at the soonest and will end on December 1, 2011 at the latest. About ArcelorMittal ArcelorMittal is the world's leading steel and mining company, with a presence in 60 countries and primary steelmaking facilities in 18 countries. In 2019, ArcelorMittal had revenues of $70.6 billion and crude steel production of 89.8 million metric tonnes, while iron ore production reached 57.1 million metric tonnes. Our goal is to help build a better world with smarter steels. Steels made using innovative processes which use less energy, emit significantly less carbon and reduce costs. Steels that are cleaner, stronger and reusable. Steels for electric vehicles and renewable energy infrastructure that will support societies as they transform through this century. With steel at our core, our inventive people and an entrepreneurial culture at heart, we will support the world in making that change. This is what we believe it takes to be the steel company of the future. ArcelorMittal is listed on the stock exchanges of New York (MT), Amsterdam (MT), Paris (MT), Luxembourg (MT) and on the Spanish stock exchanges of Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Valencia (MTS). For more information about ArcelorMittal please visit: http://corporate.arcelormittal.com/ http://corporate.arcelormittal.com/	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line337
__label__cc	0.534036	0.465964	What the 2018 climate assessments say about the Gulf Stream System slowdown in Climate Change — by Stefan Rahmstorf — January 29, 2019 Last year, twenty thousand peer reviewed studies on ‘climate change’ were published. No single person can keep track of all those – you’d have to read 55 papers every single day. (And, by the way, that huge mass of publications is why climate deniers will always find something to cherry-pick that suits their agenda.) That is why climate assessments are so important, where a lot of scientists pool their expertise and discuss and assess and summarize the state of the art. So let us have a quick look what last year’s climate assessments say about the much-discussed topic of whether the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC, a.k.a. Gulf Stream System) has already slowed down, as predicted by climate models in response to global warming. First, there is the IPCC 1.5 °C report (SR15) prepared for the Paris Climate Agreement and published in September 2018. It doesn’t say all that much about the AMOC, given that it is not a full IPCC assessment, but it does say this: It is more likely than not that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) has been weakening in recent decades, given the detection of the cooling of surface waters in the north Atlantic and evidence that the Gulf Stream has slowed by 30% since the late 1950s (Srokosz and Bryden, 2015; Caesar et al., 2018). There is only limited evidence linking the current anomalously weak state of AMOC to anthropogenic warming (Caesar et al., 2018). It is very likely that the AMOC will weaken over the 21 st century. […] Weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is projected to be highly disruptive to natural and human systems as the delivery of heat to higher latitudes via this current system is reduced. [Note: those “30% since the late 1950s” are probably in error; they are not supported by either of the two references provided.] Then, in November, the 4th US National Climate Assessment was published that had been two years in the making. It says: The primary concern related to ocean circulation is the potential slowing of the Atlantic Ocean Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). An AMOC slowdown would affect poleward heat transport, regional climate, sea level rise along the East Coast of the United States, and the overall response of the Earth’s climate system to human-induced change. […] As the atmosphere warms, surface waters entering the North Atlantic may release less heat and become diluted by increased freshwater melt from Greenland and Northern Hemisphere glaciers. Both of these factors would slow the rate of sinking and weaken the entire AMOC. Though observational data have been insufficient to determine if a long-term slowdown in the AMOC began during the 20th century, one recent study quantifies a 15% weakening since the mid-20th century and another, a weakening over the last 150 years. Over the next few decades, however, it is very likely that the AMOC will weaken. Finally, Future Earth (a global Earth science research programme) and the Earth League (a grouping of leading institutions and individuals in the Earth sciences) have issued a climate science update for the Katowice climate summit in early December, called 10 New Insights in Climate Science 2018. It says: A weakening of the Atlantic overturning circulation, often referred to as the Gulf Stream system, has been expected from model simulations. Recent studies confirm that it has slowed down by 15% since the middle of the 20th century and is at its weakest in over a thousand years. This is already having observed effects, such as extreme weather in Europe, and further weakening is expected to strongly affect European weather as well as exacerbating sea-level rise at the east coast of North America. In December also a new study – too late to be included in the assessments – was published by Thibodeau et al in Geophysical Research Letters, which further supports an unprecedented AMOC weakening during the past decades. The authors write: In this study, we used geochemical evidence to highlight a slowdown in the North Atlantic Ocean circulation over the last century. This change appears to be unique over the last 1,500 years and could be related to global warming and freshwater input from ice sheet melt. Our regular readers know that one of my topics of interest is the stability of the Gulf Stream System – I’ve worked on this on and off for over 25 years, ever since finishing my PhD in physical oceanography. So let me add my own comments on the findings cited above. First of all, while we don’t have regular direct measurements of the AMOC going back throughout the 20th Century, indirect evidence for an AMOC slowdown is not new. Dima and Lohmannalready concluded in 2010 that “the conveyor has been slowing down over the last seven decades” (where ‘conveyor’ refers to the AMOC). Strangely, this finding was not discussed at all in the fifth IPCC report published in 2013. Therefore, the IPCC now finding that an ongoing slowdown is “more likely than not” is progress, yet still a very cautious statement. Likewise the statement about the “limited evidence” for the slowdown being human-caused is also very cautious. Why do I find this overly cautious? The main points there are that an AMOC slowdown leads to a particular fingerprint pattern in sea surface temperature change – which is basically what Dima and Lohmann already identified, and this pattern is predicted by high-resolution climate models in response to rising greenhouse gases, and it is also found in the observations. There is no known alternative explanation for what might cause this fingerprint. That fingerprint is not subtle: it is so strong that the subpolar Atlantic is the world’s only region which has resisted global warming over the past hundred years and even has cooled down, reaching record low temperatures in 2015 when the globe as a whole was record-hot. Although the AMOC slowdown fingerprint is most clearly seen in long-term sea surface temperature trends, it is also apparent in the 2018 temperature anomaly, despite a single year including a lot of short-term variability noise. No place on Earth had a larger cold anomaly than the subpolar Atlantic. Image: Berkeley Earth project. In fact, the strength of this pattern and the conclusion that it corresponds to a 15% AMOC slowdown just matches the median slowdown found in the historic climate runs of the CMIP5 climate models – in other words, it is exactly what the models predict as a response to human-caused climate change. The physical mechanism is understood – how warming and ice melt weakens the AMOC (and that these factors are human-caused), and how an AMOC weakening causes the observed surface temperature fingerprint. In addition, there are several independent data sets that show this slowdown to be unprecedented for at least a millennium. In IPCC jargon, personally I would therefore give the statement that the AMOC has slowed down since the early-mid 20th , and that this is at least partly human-caused, a “very likely” rating. If you doubt that the AMOC has weakened, read this Stronger evidence for a weaker Atlantic overturning circulation The underestimated danger of a breakdown of the Gulf Stream System AMOC slowdown: Connecting the dots What’s going on in the North Atlantic? Stefan Rahmstorf is a physicist and oceanographer by training, Stefan Rahmstorf has moved from early work in general relativity theory to working on climate issues. He has done research at the New Zealand Oceanographic Institute, at the Institute of Marine Science in Kiel and since 1996 at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany (in Potsdam near Berlin). His work focuses on the role of ocean currents in climate change, past and present. In 1999 Rahmstorf was awarded the $ 1 million Centennial Fellowship Award of the US-based James S. McDonnell foundation. Since 2000 he teaches physics of the oceans as a professor at Potsdam University. Rahmstorf is a member of the Academia Europaea and served from 2004-2013 in the GermanAdvisory Council on Global Change (WBGU). He was also one of the lead authors of the 4th Assessment Report of the IPCC. In 2007 he became an Honorary Fellow of the University of Walesand in 2010 a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union. More information about his research and publication record can be found here. First published in Real Climate Author: Stefan Rahmstorf	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line338
__label__wiki	0.806876	0.806876	Indonesia detains West Papua independence protesters April 6, 2008 CounterVortex Protesters arrested in West Papua On March 13, Indonesian police arrested twelve people in Manokwari, West Papua, during a demonstration against a 2007 law banning the display of separatist symbols, including the Morning Star Flag. The demonstrations also called for a referendum regarding the political status of West Papua and expressed opposition to the 2001 Special Autonomy Law that they claim has failed to bring improvement to the lives of Papuan people. As Human Right Watch has reported, one of the twelve arrested in Manokwari is reported to be a 16-year-old boy. As of March 25 there were reports that he had been released from custody but he may still face charges. On March 19, Indonesian security officials in Jayapura arrested four more Papuans in a similarly peaceful demonstration that opposed the same 2007 law. On March 25, security authorities arrested Eli Kaiway in connection with the peaceful demonstrations of March 13 and 19. The 17 individuals appear likely to face trial for breaching Regulation 77/2007 and may also be charged with makar, which translates into English as “rebellion.” In the past, Papuan activists openly supporting separatism have been sentenced to a 20-year prison term for the peaceful expression of their political views. Indonesia’s arrest and detention of peaceful activists violates the internationally recognized rights to freedom of expression and assembly as set forth in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Indonesia ratified in February 2006. From East Timor and Indonesia Action Network, March 25 See our last posts on Indonesia and West Papua. West Papua independence protesters arrested Sri Lanka: insurgent terror makes headlines; state terror forgotten	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line339
__label__wiki	0.844169	0.844169	During the 1960s, the MPLA established its headquarters at Kinshasa, Zaire, and then at Lusaka, Zambia, and Brazzaville, Congo. The MPLA's scattered bases and diverse constituent groups contributed to disunity and disorganization, problems that were exacerbated by personal and ideological differences among party leaders. The first serious split occurred in 1973, when Daniel Chipenda led a rebellion, sometimes termed the Eastern Revolt, in protest against the party's mestiço-dominated leadership and Soviet interference in Angolan affairs. Chipenda and his followers were expelled from the MPLA, and many joined the northern-based FNLA in 1975. Then in 1974, about seventy left-wing MPLA supporters based in Brazzaville broke with Agostinho Neto. This opposition movement became known as the Active Revolt. Shortly after independence, a third split occurred within the party, culminating in the 1977 coup attempt by Nito Alves. Later in 1977, the MPLA transformed itself into a Marxist-Leninist vanguard party and launched a lengthy rectification campaign to unify its membership, impose party discipline, and streamline decision-making processes. In 1980 Angola was governed by a new head of state under a newly revised Constitution. The nation's first legislature, the People's Assembly, served as a symbol of people's power, but state organs were clearly subordinate to those of the party. Within the MPLA-PT, channels for political participation were being narrowed. Both government and party leaders established a hierarchy of organizations through which they hoped to mobilize rural populations and broaden political support. At the same time, MPLAPT leaders launched programs to impose party discipline on the party's cadres and indoctrinate all segments of society in their proper role in political development. Overall goals were relatively easy to agree upon, but poverty and insecurity exacerbated disagreements over specific strategies for attaining these objectives. By the mid-1980s, the party had three major goals--incorporating the population into the political process, imposing party discipline on its cadres, and reconciling the diverse factions that arose to dispute these efforts. Some MPLA-PT officials sought to control political participation by regulating party membership and strengthening discipline, while others believed the MPLA-PT had wasted valuable resources in the self-perpetuating cycle of government repression and popular dissent. President dos Santos sought to resolve disputes that did not seem to threaten his office. However, much of the MPLA-PT's political agenda, already impeded by civil war and regional instability, was further obstructed by these intraparty disputes. Figure 12. Structure of the MPLA-PT, 1988 Source: Based on information from Keith Somerville, Angola Boulder, 1986, 88-89; and Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola-Workers' Party, Angola: Trabalho e luta, Paris, 1985, 68.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line340
__label__cc	0.526428	0.473572	Trust Fund Baby ~ 25 A Satire Ray Calabrese July 11, 2018 July 10, 2018 fiction, writing There, I let it out. I poured my guts out to complete strangers. I don’t want to know any of them with the exception of Amber and that will only be for an occasional night with no commitment. Jill’s a possibility, but that would only occur if Amber wasn’t available. What am I doing letting these thoughts run around in my mind when the woman I love with all my heart is ten feet away sitting next to The Sage with a bemused smile. Amber raised her hand and glanced toward J, “I have no clue who you are talking about. I think she’s frigid. I’m not frigid. You are the hottest, sexiest doctor I’ve ever wanted to have.” J’s spoke in a tone a feral cat might make before it attacks a rat, “She is not frigid.” I had to partially agree with Amber. The opposite sex almost uniformly consider me a sex object. “How do you know this?” my conscience interrupted. “Intuition,” I said. “Leave me alone. I like the direction the group is taking.” “Doctor Sanderstuff? Doctor Sanderstuff?” “Yes, The?” I acknowledged the Sage by his first name. I wanted to show the group my sensitive side. The Sage pulled his lanky, six feet three inch frame erect. I said, “Before you say anything, you look like hell. Are you on a starvation diet? I’ve seen better looking specimens standing on street corners holding signs that say, I’m honest. I need money for booze. Please help me.” “I resent that, Doctor Sanderstuff. I am a vegan. I have the healthiest diet on the planet. You would look as good as me if you ate like me.” The group started laughing and so did I. I don’t think a psychologist is supposed to laugh at patients. I think that kind of thinking is why psychologists get bad press. I said, “I think it’s pronounced vay gan.” “It is not. It is pronounced the way I said it, vee gan. I’m tired of this argument. I have it all the time. I think I can help you win over your woman.” “Don’t go there,” said Amber with an edge to her voice. J patted The Sage on the back, “Go there. This will be interesting.” “Is she part of our group? Is she on work release from the state prison?” asked Amber. “Who are you referring to?” I asked Amber knowing who she was referring to, but I wanted to hear J’s voice. It is like the angels singing. Her voice is the song in my heart. It is the melody in my mind. “Her,” said Amber pointing at J. “I hope that finger is not pointing at me, because if it is, I might get up and walk over to you and break it,” said J. I needed to break the tension between the two women who are fighting over me. It’s a terrible burden to carry, being loved by two women and not being able to let go of either one. I said, “I’m getting bored The. What’s your advice?” The Sage gave Amber a smirk, then turned toward me and said, “Have you considered asking this beautiful woman to meet you at a coffee shop and asking her to tell you her story? Personally, I like to ask a woman on a first date to go to a farmer’s market with me.” Tito and Prince started laughing and giving each other high fives. Then Jill said, “I think The is still a virgin. Tell me if I’m wrong, The.” “I’m waiting for the right woman,” said The. “Good luck with that one,” said Prince who fell off his chair and rolled onto the floor, the laughter spilling out of him like a river overflowing a dam after a torrential rains. “You’re losing control of the group. I warned you this was a bad idea,” said my conscience. “Get lost,” I said. Then I spoke to the group, “I am a Sanderstuff. I am a filthy rich, white man who has never worked a day in his life until this week. I will always be rich and I can buy everything but the woman I love.” “I’m available,” said Amber. “Most men know that,” chimed in J. “Meow,” said Tito trying to sound like cat fight. “Man, what’s else could this woman want?” asked Tito trying his best to sound like a Latino but not coming close. “I don’t know. I’m confused. I’ve never been in love before. All the women I’ve known wanted to be with me because I’m filthy rich.” “What’s wrong with that?” asked Amber giving me her sexiest pout. I’m wondering if I should ask her for cell phone number. I also wondered if the half way prison house allowed conjugal sex. “Don’t go there,” said my conscience. “I thought I told you to get lost,” I said. “Me?” asked The. “I was thinking out loud,” I said. Then I added, “I’m having a breakthrough. I should have recorded this session to send to the American Psychological Association. Maybe I can get Mother to write a paper about it, with my name as author and I can present it at their next annual meeting.” The group broke into applause. Prince stood and said, “Bravo.” The rest of the group joined in the bravo chorus. J spoke with a staccato beat, “What’s the breakthrough?” “Glad you asked,” I said. “I’ve slept with lots of woman, but I’ve never been in love. I don’t know how to love. I think I’m in love and it’s driving me crazy. I don’t know how to do it.” J stood up, “Group’s over.” She wore a look that a Marine drill sergeant would envy. My sweet and sassy ebony angel could tell I was emotionally exhausted and the only thing to save me was her love. Tito was the last member out and he closed the door behind him. I smiled at J and said, “How did I do?” “We’ve got to talk. I’ll have lunch with you, but I choose the place.” “Can I hug you. You made me the happiest man in the world. I’ll buy the wine. We’ll make an afternoon out of it and I’ll introduce you to Mother and Father tonight. We’ll soak in my tub. I’ll have Nicole bring us wine and light scented candles to set the mood for our first night.” “No. No. No. Keep your hands off me. We are not going to have wine. We are not going to hang out together after lunch. I do not want to meet your Mother and Father. We are not going to soak together. We are going to talk, that’s all. Go to the bathroom and freshen up. You look a mess,” said J. I caught a hint of a smile on her face as she turned and walked toward the door. fiction, humor, satire, sitcom, story Previous Today’s Quote on The Meaning of Life Next The Harp ~ A Poem of Love	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line344
__label__wiki	0.568791	0.568791	Facebook To Purchase Whatsapp for $16 Billion By CJujitsu February 19, 2014 Facebook is purchasing Whatsapp, the mobile messaging company for $4 billion in cash and $12 billion in stock. Predictably, Facebook stock fell 5 percent to $64.70 after hours, from a previous close of $68.06. Under the deal, Whatsapp’s Chief Executive Jan Koum will join Facebook’s board. In addition, Facebook agreed to keep the Whatsapp brand and service. Should the deal fall through, Facebook would have to give $1 billion dollars in cash to the start-up company. According to the official Whatsapp website, it’s “a cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS.” Facebook is hoping this will be appeal to younger users who seem to be losing interest in Facebook. This $16 billion deal for a startup company, clearly demonstrates the seriousness with which Facebook is addressing this issue. Wall Street should take notice as this deal is speculation at it’s finest or more accurately at it’s most desperate. While it’s simple to understand what Facebook is attempting, there’s no guarantee the effort will be successful. As important however, its attempt to hold on to users, still doesn’t address how this company will help improve Facebook’s revenue position. If Facebook is to ever thrive, it will have to do more than simply attempt to hold on to users. It will have to figure out how to make money other than through advertising. I simply can’t see how laying out $16 billion will help generate revenue in the short or long-term.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line345
__label__cc	0.537198	0.462802	BackBack To Results You are in: Online-Only \| 50 - 59 Magic Tree House® Super Edition #1: World at War, 1944 by Mary Pope Osborne illustrated by Sal Murdocca Ages: 7 - 9 AR: 4.1 \| GRL: P \| DRA: 40 - 50 \| LEX: 530L Series: Magic Tree House® Super Edition Format: Paperback Book As one of the most decisive battles of World War II approaches, Jack and Annie undertake a dangerous mission—as spies! https://clubs.scholastic.com/magic-tree-house-super-edition-%231%3A-world-at-war%2C-1944/9781338226881-rco-us.html For exclusive book club value price & free shipping Books are offered at exclusively low prices and shipped to the classroom for free. Plus each order gives back to the class in FREE Books and resources. Parent: To place an order, you must be connected to a teacher via the Class Code, or search for the teacher to get connected. If you already have an account, just SIGN IN. Share your Class Code with friends and extended family for ordering online. Connect to teacher When the magic tree house takes Jack and Annie back to World War II, Europe is in trouble! It is June 1944, and the brother-and-sister team must go behind enemy lines and crack a code that could save a lot of lives. But this is war, and Jack and Annie might just be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Can they save everyone before the great battle of D-Day begins? They don't know, but they have to try! This Magic Tree House Super Edition, previously published in hardcover as Magic Tree House Super Edition #1: Danger in the Darkest Hour, features a longer story with additional facts and photographs. Mary Pope Osborne's bestselling adventure series follows the exploits of a perfectly normal brother and sister, Jack and Annie Smith, who discover that the books in their tree house are anything but ordinary. Every book opens the doorway into another place and time, and soon the siblings find themselves confronting dinosaurs, mummies, ninjas, knights, and more unexpected adversaries. The Magic Tree House series consists of two subseries. In the first, King Arthur's sister—the sorceress Morgan le Fay—sends Jack and Annie Smith from their home in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, on a series of magical missions, each with a specific objective. In the second, beginning with Christmas in Camelot (formerly Book #29, now Book #1 of the Merlin Missions series), Arthur's court magician Merlin sends the kids on a series of difficult, often dangerous, learning quests. The Merlin Missions are longer than the books in the original series, and some take place in fantasy realms like Camelot rather than in historical times. In a companion series called the Magic Tree House Fact Trackers, Mary Pope Osborne joins forces with her husband, Will Osborne, or her sister, Natalie Pope Boyce, to explore the real-life science and history behind each novel. Also Read . . . Popular For This Age Group Subject & Themes: WWII, Time Travel, Reluctant Reader Appeal, World History Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction ISBN 13: 978-1-338-22688-1 Author of the beloved chapter book series about the exploits of a pair of time-traveling siblings, Mary Pope Osborne says she was "born into adventure." Because her dad was in the army, every year or two her family would move to a different state or even a different country. By the time she was 15, Mary had lived in 13 different houses and gone to 8 different schools! Writing the Magic Tree House books was a perfect career because she could travel all over the world—and still be home in time for dinner. Mary Pope Osborne has written almost 100 books, including biographies, mysteries, picture books, novels, and retellings of fairy tales and world mythology. With Jack and Annie, she has traveled through time, from the prehistoric land of dinosaurs to the imaginary world of Camelot. But her greatest adventure is the creative journey she takes with her legions of loyal readers—meeting them in person in schools and bookstores and reading the wonderful stories and letters they send. "This is true magic," she says. Osborne served twice as president of the Authors Guild, the country's oldest and most established organization for published authors. Since then, she has traveled extensively in the United States and throughout the world, visiting schools and speaking on issues related to children's literacy and books. About the Illustrator Salvatore (Sal) Murdocca grew up in Brooklyn, New York, back in the days when, as long as he showed up at school and the dinner table, a kid was free to follow his own inclinations and explore his own imagination. For Sal, that meant wandering around with his friends and drawing and painting what he saw. He worked hard at his art, treating every drawing like the most important project in the world. As an adult, Sal Murdocca is best known for his illustrations of the ever-popular Magic Tree House series. Drawing the ever-changing subjects, locations, time periods, and action of each book has been a constant challenge—and a learning experience too. Murdocca takes particular pride in the fact that he gets to show the world what each new Magic Tree House story will look like! Murdocca lives in a magical area of southern France where he often bikes with his wife, carrying a sketchbook to draw beautiful things he sees along the way—some of which end up in the Magic Tree House series!	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line348
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Marcelino Serna - The Most Decorated US WWI Veteran from Texas On April 26, 1896, in Chihuahua, Mexico, Marcelino Serna was born into a very poor family. He left... US Supreme Court Rules for LGBTQ Workers' Civil Rights The Supreme Court ruled Monday that a landmark civil rights law protects gay, lesbian and tr... Curated in collaboration with Lady Gaga, the star-packed event featured Alanis Morissette, Andrea Bocelli, Billie Eilish, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Burna Boy, Chris Martin, David Beckham, Eddie Vedder, Elton John, FINNEAS, Idris and Sabrina Elba, J Balvin, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Kerry Washington, Lang Lang, Lizzo, Maluma, Paul McCartney, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Shah Rukh Khan and Stevie Wonder. Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, alongside the cast of Sesame Street, hosted the special. DI-GUY Simulation Project: Boston Dynamics builds advanced robots with remarkable behavior: mobility, agility, dexterity and speed. We use sensor-based controls and computation to unlock the capabilities of complex mechanisms. Our world-class development teams take projects from initial concept to proof-of-principle prototyping to build-test-build engineering, to field testing and low-rate production. Organizations worldwide, from DARPA, the US Army, Navy and Marine Corps to Sony Corporation turn to Boston Dynamics for advice and for help creating the most advanced robots on Earth. Pfizer and Moderna are likely to be the first companies to see their respective vaccines authorized in the United States, possibly before the end of 2020. Though their journeys to a COVID-19 vaccine have been eerily similar, the companies themselves could not be more different. Pfizer is a multinational pharmaceutical giant, while Moderna is a small biotechnology company that has never brought a drug to the market. Yet when the COVID-19 pandemic began, both companies bet big on a brand-new vaccine technology called mRNA. Moderna had been working on the technology for years, while Pfizer partnered with a smaller German biotechnology company BioNTech for its mRNA research. The world is a very different place right now. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, many countries around the world have restricted travel and implemented quarantine measures; others have entered into complete lockdown. Restaurants, bars, and tourist attractions have closed their doors. People are working from home instead of driving to the office. As a result, cities that usually teem with people have turned empty and quiet. (Remember those early scenes of deserted London in 28 Days Later? Things are eerily similar to that right now.) To give you a glimpse of what a world practicing social distancing looks like, we've rounded up photos of streets, highways, and bridges around the world—sites that usually include bumper-to-bumper traffic and tourists crammed together like sardines—sitting empty. RIVER DANCE ... HAUSER - Lib... Drones Displ... Boston Dynam... Do You Love ... New Year's 2... Happy New Ye... Pierre Cardi... World Music:... Armando Manz...	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line352
__label__wiki	0.805578	0.805578	A Night to Remember: When the Steamboat Took on the Railroad—and Lost March 29, 2015 • Disaster, Everyday Life, Middletown, Transportation Steamer City of Hartford. Lithograph by Endicott & Co., 1867. The City of Hartford is celebrated in this lithograph published in New York City - Connecticut Historical Society By Richard C. Malley for Your Public Media Steam power captivated the popular imagination in the 19th century. Regular steam navigation on the Connecticut River dates back to the early 1820s. Hartford and New York were linked by steamers whenever the river was ice free, typically from March through November of each year. Advances in both construction and propulsion enabled the building of ever larger, more powerful and luxurious coastal and passenger steamers. In 1852 the splendid new City of Hartford entered service and for three decades reigned as one of the undisputed queens of the river. At 273 feet in length, the vessel was celebrated both for her external appearance and internal passenger accommodations. Aftermath of the Collision between the City of Hartford and the Middletown Railroad Bridge. Photograph, 1876. Morning revealed the damage to both vessel and bridge, with its open draw span positioned to the right – Connecticut Historical Society Aftermath of the Collision between the City of Hartford and the Middletown RR Bridge. Photograph by Thomas S. Oldershaw, 1876. Aground in shallow water outside the channel, City of Hartford awaits salvage – Connecticut Historical Society, Gift of the Estate of Morgan B. Brainard City of Hartford following Collision with the Middletown Railroad Bridge. Photograph by H. Kirk, 1876. Damage to the forward part of the ship is evident in this view from the Middletown shore – Connecticut Historical Society The other mode of steam transportation was the railroad, and as east-west rail lines were built across the state, bridges were built across major rivers like the Thames and the Connecticut. In the early 1870s a swing drawbridge was built connecting Middletown and Portland on the Boston & New York Air Line Railroad, which ran between New Haven and Boston. Maritime interests had long opposed bridging the river, citing the potential dangers to navigation, but had lost the legal fight. Their fears were realized in spectacular fashion on the night of March 29, 1876. The spring freshet was in full force when the City of Hartford approached Middletown en route to New York. As the fast current drove the vessel rapidly toward the drawbridge the river pilot, who navigated the vessel from Hartford to Saybrook, mistook lights on the Middletown shore for those marking the open passage through the bridge. Too late, he realized his error, and as the vessel plowed out of the channel toward one of the fixed bridge spans the captain, pilot, and helmsman fled the pilothouse. Almost immediately a tremendous crash was heard in Middletown and Portland. Morning brought an amazing sight as the badly damaged City of Hartford sat motionless in shallow water pinned down by the weight of the crumpled railroad bridge span draped over its superstructure. After four days of work, the vessel was extricated from the tangle of iron and wood and towed away for repairs. The Air Line Railroad was understandably furious at having its route severed and rushed repairs to the bridge. Before long both steamer and bridge were back in service, and a rule was instituted requiring drawbridges to mark their open passage with distinctive red, not white, lights. In 1883 the City of Hartford was rebuilt and renamed Capitol City. She continued linking Hartford and New York until late March 1886, almost 10 years to the day of the bridge collision, when she was wrecked in bad weather off Rye, New York. The repaired railroad bridge served for years until replaced by the steel structure now used by the Providence & Worcester Railroad. Richard Malley is Head of Collections at the Connecticut Historical Society. © Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network and Connecticut Historical Society. All rights reserved. This article originally appeared on Your Public Media. Connecticut History Day 2021: Communication in History Branford Gets On the Trolley The Hurricane of 1938 Rocks Connecticut Laboring in the Shade Middletown’s Reservoirs Drive Growth Throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries Frozen Reservoir Destroys Danbury – Today in History: January 31 Raise a Glass to Winemaking in Connecticut Site Lines: Connecticut’s Freedom Trail G. Fox & Co. Destroyed by Fire – Today in History: January 29 I-95 Reaches New London	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line354
__label__cc	0.724969	0.275031	Athlete and Coach Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Sickle Cell Trait and National Collegiate Athletic Association Mandated Testing: Recommendations for Intervention Raymona Holloway Lawrence, Georgia Southern UniversityFollow Doctor of Public Health (Dr.P.H.) Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health Mondi Mason Cassandra Arroyo Alison Scott Individuals with Sickle Cell Trait have died suddenly after extreme exertion during military training, athletic practice or games (Kerle & Nishimura, 1996; Harrelson, Fincher & Robinson, 1995; Howe & Bowden, 2007). One of those deaths, Dale Lloyd, a football player at Rice University, prompted a change in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Sports Medicine Handbook Guideline 3c: The Student Athlete with Sickle Cell Trait. Effective August 2010, the NCAA Division I Proposal No. 2009-75-B mandated sickle cell trait testing in all Division I athletes unless documented results of a prior test are provided to the institution or the student-athlete declines the test and signs a written release. It is well-documented that in the United States, Sickle Cell Disease/Sickle Cell Trait primarily affects African Americans more than any other race or ethnicity (NIH, 2008). Sickle cell screening programs have been scrutinized since the 1970s (Pemberton & Wailoo, 2006) because of insensitivity to race. The recent change in NCAA Guideline 3c has been scrutinized partially for the same reason. The purpose of this mixed methods study was threefold. It was necessary to 1) determine perceptions of SCT and NCAA mandated SCT testing from college coaches and athletes' points of view; 2) determine the necessary components of the Sickle Cell Orientation and Education (S.C.OR.E) intervention that will be developed to educate intercollegiate athletes, as well as their coaches, about sickle cell trait from pre-participation screening to sickle cell trait diagnosis, and 3) to highlight the potential implications of an NCAA policy that mandates SCT testing. The PRECEDE-PROCEED (PRE-PRO) model of program planning was utilized to determine the necessary components of the intervention (Green & Kreuter, 1999). Constructs of the Health Belief Model (HBM) and Critical Race Theory (CRT) were utilized as the theoretical framework for this study. It was found that knowledge, perceived importance of an athlete knowing his/her SCT status, perception of NCAA 3c resulting in unfair treatment of athletes, perception of receiving less playing time, and perception of risk of having SCT were all associated with athletes' outlooks on SCT and NCAA SCT testing. Overall, athletes and coaches did not perceive that athletes with SCT would be discriminated against. Individual, organizational, and policy recommendations were made to address this issue. Lawrence, Raymona Holloway, "Athlete and Coach Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Sickle Cell Trait and National Collegiate Athletic Association Mandated Testing: Recommendations for Intervention" (2010). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 636. Community Health Commons, Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Public Health Education and Promotion Commons	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line355
__label__wiki	0.933749	0.933749	Dropkick Murphys Shipping Into Pol'and'Rock Established in 1996 in Boston's southern suburbs by bassist Ken Casey, the outfit combines hardcore punk with Celtic folk music. Dropkick Murphys merge hardcore, which is faster-paced, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock with Irish folk tunes. Traditional Celtic folk instruments such as bodhran, tin whistle, and bagpipes join electric guitars and percussion in their high-energy, high-power live performances. Dropkick Murphys take the traditional sea shanties to the next level, turning them into fighting anthems for generations of music fans worldwide. One of their best-known songs, the fast-paced 'I'm Shipping Up To Boston' was featured in Oscar-winning Scorsese film, The Departed. The band released nine studio albums, with four most recent LPs released through their own independent label. The band released two singles just in time for the holidays - one is a cover of a well-loved standard 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)' and original single, alongside a lyric video for ' I Wish You Were Here'. Since their gigs at local pubs, the band has played over 5 000 shows, performing at major European festivals such as Download, Hellfest Open Air, and Rock am Ring. Even though their high-voltage performances are in demand across the world, Dropkick Murphys always make sure to appear during shows celebrating the St Patrick's day in Boston. The band's lasting success can be attributed to their authenticity and integrity. Their 1998 debut LP Do or Die set the band's intentions loud and clear. Dropkick Murphys never strayed from their course - they are proud of their community, proud of their Irish heritage and committed to supporting causes they believe in. Rooted in the tradition of working-class Bostonian ethos, the band champions labour union causes. Musicians never shy away from making a political statement, and they put their money where their mouths are. Dropkick Murphys support different worthy causes. The band has teamed up with children's cancer research charity, holds benefit concerts for war veterans, and donated all money from the sales of their charity EP, which featured Bruce Springsteen vocals on a re-recorded single Rose Tattoo, to the victims of Boston Marathon bombing. The Claddagh Fund established by Casey aims to support the community-based non-profits focusing on children's welfare, veteran organizations, and alcohol and drug rehabilitation programmes. In 2016 the band received the Robert F. Kennedy's Children's Action Corps award for their long-time commitment to charity work. A band built on authenticity and committed to social involvement is a suiting first act to be confirmed by Pol'and'Rock Festival 2021, a non-commercial event. Festival bands 26. Pol'and'Rock ONLINE A band which is built on authenticity and committed to social involvement is now confirmed to play at Pol'and'Rock Festival 2021, which is a non-commercial event. When we announced the band nearly a year ago to the day, the response from fans was incredible and we are pleased to confirm that Dropkick Murphys will perform at the upcoming edition of our festival. Tagada Jones Confirmed for Pol'and'Rock 2021 We are delighted to confirm that legends of European punk rock scene, Tagada Jones, confirmed that they will be playing at Pol'and'Rock 2021. It’s been already more than 25 years that Tagada Jones cross-national and international stages with its French punk-hardcore	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line356
__label__wiki	0.948561	0.948561	Double Toronto TOLDJA! Lionsgate Confirms 'Friends With Kids' Deal Deadline revealed during the festival that Lionsgate was bearing down on a deal to release the Jennifer Westfeldt-directed comedy Friends With Kids, in partnership with Roadside Attractions in a deal made by Cinetic and Red Granite. Lionsgate has just issued the press release: SANTA MONICA, CA (September 21, 2011) – LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company today announced the acquisition of Red Granite Pictures’ FRIENDS WITH KIDS, directed by Jennifer Westfeldt, following its debut screenings at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. The announcement was made jointly by Steve Beeks, Lionsgate’s President and co-COO, Joe Drake, co-COO and Motion Picture Group President, and Jason Constantine, President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions. The release will be handled jointly by Lionsgate and partner company Roadside Attractions, similarly to past collaborations such as EVERYTHING MUST GO, and the upcoming MARGIN CALL, with Roadside Attractions spearheading domestic theatrical distribution and Lionsgate handling all other U.S. rights including home entertainment and television. Riza Aziz and Joey McFarland’s Red Granite Pictures produced the film with Jennifer Westfeldt and Jon Hamm’s Points West Pictures, producer Jake Kasdan, and Locomotive, led by Joshua Astrachan and Lucy Barzun Donnelly. Red Granite is also handling international sales. The film is Westfeldt’s directorial debut, following the two critically acclaimed independent films that she previously wrote and starred in, KISSING JESSICA STEIN and IRA & ABBY. FRIENDS WITH KIDS boasts an ensemble cast of beloved actors with palpable chemistry, many of whom have appeared onscreen together in previous collaborations: Adam Scott, Jennifer Westfeldt, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd, Megan Fox and Edward Burns. The film was widely considered one to watch heading into the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival, and was warmly received by critics and audiences alike upon screening there. “I feel incredibly fortunate to be working with the great teams at Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions on the release of FRIENDS WITH KIDS,” said Westfeldt. “Their passion for the project and the subject matter, along with their commitment to finding a broad audience for our film, make them the dream partners for us.” Jason Constantine, Lionsgate’s President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions, mirrored Westfeldt’s sentiments: “We are long time admirers of Jennifer, and this is an excellent directorial debut. She’s made a high concept comedy that thoroughly entertains as it explores one of this generation’s central quandaries, and everyone on the Lionsgate and Roadside teams who saw the film related to it not just as executives, but as parents or partners. This movie has comedy, heart and truth in equal measures, and it will be a delight to bring to audiences.” Red Granite’s Riza Aziz and Joey McFarland stated, “The teams at Lionsgate and Roadside really understand this film and we couldn’t be more excited to be in business with them. They are completely committed to the unique vision Jennifer Westfeldt has for FRIENDS WITH KIDS. We believed in Jennifer and this vision from the inception, and are very proud of the end product and happy to have worked alongside such a great team on our debut film.” Constantine negotiated the deal on behalf of Lionsgate with Eda Kowan, SVP of Acquisitions and Co-Productions, and Wendy Jaffe, the Acquisitions and Co-Production team’s EVP of Business & Legal Affairs. Cinetic’s John Sloss and Jackie Eckhouse of Sloss Eckhouse LawCo negotiated the sale on behalf of the filmmakers. Jennifer Westfeldt is represented by Christian Donatelli and Courtney Kivowitz at The Schiff Company, Innovative and Lawrence Rose at Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown. Friends With Kids Jennifer Westfeldt	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line357
__label__wiki	0.928282	0.928282	India to Deliver 4 gunship helicopters to Afghanistan in July India is expected to supply four gunship helicopters to Afghanistan by July, with the deliveries falling almost a year behind schedule, people familiar with developments said on Monday. As first reported by Hindustan Times in March 2018, Afghanistan, Belarus and India had inked a trilateral pact to supply the refurbished Mi-24 helicopters. Belarus was to upgrade the helicopters, which were to be paid for by India, the then Afghan envoy, Shaida Abdali, had said. “It is now expected that two helicopters will be delivered to Afghanistan in April. The other two are expected to be handed over in June or July,” a person familiar with discussions on the matter said. This is only the second instance of India supplying lethal military equipment to Afghanistan. India had provided four Mi-24s to the Afghan armed forces during 2015-16, marking a significant shift from its earlier position of supplying only non-lethal equipment. However, some of the helicopters provided earlier had been grounded because of a lack of spares and India was also working on plans to help repair and refurbish the Mi-24s and other Russian-origin helicopters and transport aircraft of the Afghan Air Force, officials had said earlier. The issue of the four additional helicopters and other military assistance had figured in Afghanistan’s National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib’s discussions with Indian officials during his visit to New Delhi in January. India has committed $3 billion in aid to Afghanistan since 2001, when the Taliban were removed from power. It has also trained personnel from the Afghan National Security Forces and Afghan National Police. The four additional helicopters are expected to play a role in fighting between the Afghan forces and the Taliban, who have continued their attacks despite engaging the US in peace talks. SOURCE- HT Aiming for Defence Recruitment 2019? Click Here to Fill This Form to get Free Updates & Study Material India to Deliver 4 gunship helicopters to Afghanistan in July Reviewed by Anonymous on March 26, 2019 Rating: 5	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line359
__label__wiki	0.843888	0.843888	Justia Dockets & Filings Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit Clinton Powers v. Secretary, Florida Department, et al Filing 1109564019 Clinton Powers v. Secretary, Florida Department, et al Opinion issued by court as to Appellant Clinton Lee Powers. Decision: Affirmed. Opinion type: Non-Published. Opinion method: Per Curiam. The opinion is also available through the Court's Opinions page at this link http://www.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions. Case: 16-14889 Date Filed: 05/31/2017 Page: 1 of 5 [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT ________________________ No. 16-14889 Non-Argument Calendar ________________________ D.C. Docket No. 3:16-cv-00635-TJC-JRK CLINTON LEE POWERS, Plaintiff - Appellant, versus SECRETARY, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, ALEX TAYLOR, Individual and Official Capacity, JOHN PALMER, Individual and Official Capacity, JAMES EDWARDS, Individual and Official Capacity, C. WYNN, Individual and Official Capacity, Defendants - Appellees. ________________________ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida ________________________ (May 31, 2017) Case: 16-14889 Date Filed: 05/31/2017 Page: 2 of 5 Before TJOFLAT, WILLIAM PRYOR, and JORDAN, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM: Clinton Lee Powers, a Florida prisoner proceeding pro se, filed this interlocutory appeal from the district court’s order denying his second motion for a preliminary injunction. Mr. Powers, a Messianic Jew, alleged that his right to freely exercise his religion was substantially burdened, in violation of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2000cc, by the refusal of prison officials to provide him with pre-prepared meals to eat on Shabbat. Mr. Powers alleged that it is a violation of his religious beliefs to prepare food or eat food that had been prepared by others on Shabbat, and requested a preliminary injunction directing prison officials to provide his Shabbat meals in advance. We review the denial of a preliminary injunction for an abuse of discretion. See Mitsubishi Int’l Corp. v. Cardinal Textile Sales, Inc., 14 F.3d 1507, 1517 (11th Cir. 1994). Our “review of such a decision is justifiably limited because the grant or denial of a preliminary injunction is almost always based on an abbreviated set of facts, requiring a delicate balancing of the probabilities of ultimate success with the consequences of immediate irreparable injury which could possibly flow from the denial of preliminary relief.” Id. (internal quotation marks and alternations omitted). We therefore “may reverse the district court’s order only if there was a 2 Case: 16-14889 Date Filed: 05/31/2017 Page: 3 of 5 clear abuse of discretion.” Siegel v. LePore, 234 F.3d 1163, 1175 (11th Cir. 2000) (en banc) (emphasis in original). In determining whether to grant or deny a preliminary injunction, the district court must consider whether the moving party has demonstrated (1) a substantial likelihood of success on the merits; (2) that the order is necessary to prevent irreparable injury; (3) that the threatened injury outweighs the harm that the order would cause to the non-movant; and (4) that the order would not be adverse to the public interest. See Four Seasons Hotels And Resorts, B.V. v. Consorcio Barr, S.A., 320 F.3d 1205, 1210 (11th Cir. 2003). A preliminary injunction is the “exception rather than the rule” and is “an extraordinary and drastic remedy not to be granted unless the movant clearly establishes the burden of persuasion as to each of the four prerequisites.” Id. (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). “The chief function of a preliminary injunction is to preserve the status quo until the merits of the controversy can be fully and fairly adjudicated.” Ne. Florida Chapter of Ass’n of Gen. Contractors of Am. v. City of Jacksonville, Fla., 896 F.2d 1283, 1284 (11th Cir. 1990). “Mandatory preliminary relief, which goes well beyond simply maintaining the status quo[,] is particularly disfavored, and should not be issued unless the facts and law clearly favor the moving party.” Martinez v. Mathews, 544 F.2d 1233, 1243 (5th Cir. 1976). 3 Case: 16-14889 Date Filed: 05/31/2017 Page: 4 of 5 The district court denied Mr. Powers’ second motion for preliminary injunction, concluding that Mr. Powers had not met his burden of persuasion as to the four prerequisites for injunctive relief. Mr. Powers subsequently moved for clarification of that order. The district court granted the motion in part to provide clarification, explaining that Mr. Powers had been incarcerated since at least 1995 and—citing a prior civil case filed by Mr. Powers in 2012—that he had been a “practicing Messianic Jewish Inmate” since at least 2012, but did not seek intervention regarding his Saturday meals until December of 2015. The district court concluded that the claim of irreparable injury was undermined by Mr. Powers’ delay in seeking relief. Mr. Powers argues on appeal that, although he has identified himself as a Messianic Jewish inmate since approximately 2012, his knowledge of the tenets of his belief system are evolving, and that the district court should not have dissected his religious beliefs. He failed, however, to assert such a statement as to his evolving religious understanding and beliefs in either of the verified complaints or motions for preliminary injunction that he filed with the district court. We certainly agree that it is not a court’s role to question the viability of a litigant’s religious beliefs or his adherence to the dictates of his faith. See Watts v. Florida Int’l Univ., 495 F.3d 1289, 1294–96 (11th Cir. 2007). Given our limited review and the heavy burden placed upon Mr. Powers to demonstrate irreparable 4 Case: 16-14889 Date Filed: 05/31/2017 Page: 5 of 5 harm, however, we cannot conclude that the district court clearly abused its discretion in denying the extraordinary remedy of mandatory injunctive relief. Specifically, the district court did not clearly abuse its discretion in determining that Mr. Powers’ apparent (i.e., unexplained) delay in seeking relief undercut the claim of imminent irreparable injury. Mr. Powers could have explained why he faced harm in 2015, but not before, yet he did not. See Wreal, LLC v. Amazon.com, Inc., 840 F.3d 1244, 1248 (11th Cir. 2016) (“A delay in seeking a preliminary injunction of even only a few months—though not necessarily fatal—militates against a finding of irreparable harm.”). AFFIRMED. 5	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line365
__label__wiki	0.648221	0.648221	Justia Dockets & Filings Ninth Circuit California Eastern District Houston v. Rio Cosumnes Correctional Facility, et al. Filing 76 Houston v. Rio Cosumnes Correctional Facility, et al. ORDER and FINDINGS and RECOMMENDATIONS signed by Magistrate Judge Kendall J. Newman on 7/11/2017 DENYING 58 Motion to Reopen Discovery and RECOMMENDING that 59 Motion to Amend be granted with respect to the claims against defendant Sacrament o County consistent with those addressed in the pending Motion for Summary Judgment and denied in all other respects and 52 Motion for Summary Judgment be granted. Referred to Judge William B. Shubb. Objections due with 14 days after being served with these findings and recommendations. (Henshaw, R) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 JOHN LLOYD HOUSTON, 12 Plaintiff, 13 14 15 v. ORDER AND FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS RIO CONSUMNES CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, et al., Defendants. 16 17 No. 2: 15-cv-2055 WBS KJN P I. Introduction Plaintiff is a state prisoner, proceeding without counsel, with a civil rights action pursuant 18 19 to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Pending before the court are plaintiff’s motion to re-open discovery (ECF 20 No. 58), plaintiff’s motion to amend (ECF No. 59), and defendant Sacramento County’s motion 21 for summary judgment (ECF No. 52.) Defendant moves for summary judgment on the grounds 22 that plaintiff failed to exhaust administrative remedies and on the merits of plaintiff’s claims. For the reasons stated herein, plaintiff’s motion to re-open discovery is denied. The 23 24 undersigned recommends that plaintiff’s motion to amend be granted in part and denied in part, 25 and that defendant’s motion for summary judgment be granted. 26 //// 27 //// 28 //// 1 1 II. Motion to Amend and Motion to Re-Open Discovery 2 A. Motion to Re-Open Discovery 3 This action proceeds on the amended complaint filed October 26, 2015, as to defendant 4 Sacramento County. (ECF No 7.) Plaintiff alleges that while he was housed at the Sacramento 5 County Jail, he did not receive prescription drug treatment for hepatitis C pursuant to an official 6 county policy not to test, treat or cure hepatitis C. In the pending summary judgment motion, 7 defendant states that at his deposition, plaintiff clarified that he is claiming that defendant had an 8 official policy to treat hepatitis C, but did not follow it. (ECF No. 52-2 at 2.) In his opposition to 9 defendant’s summary judgment motion, plaintiff agrees that he is suing defendant on this theory. 10 (ECF No. 65 at 12.) The parties agree that defendant’s official policy for treating inmates with 11 hepatitis C is called “Policy 1741.” 12 In the pending motion to re-open discovery, plaintiff argues that defendant misled plaintiff 13 concerning the official policy for hepatitis C treatment for over one year. (ECF No. 58 at 1.) 14 Plaintiff argues that he was always told “by defendant that it was their policy not to treat hepatitis 15 C…plaintiff only found out through internal affairs the truth that they have a policy to treat 16 [hepatitis C] in early October 2016.” (Id.) Plaintiff seeks additional time to conduct discovery 17 regarding this policy. 18 Modification of a scheduling order requires a showing of good cause, Fed. R. Civ. P. 19 16(b), and good case requires a showing of due diligence. Johnson v. Mammoth Recreations, 20 Inc., 975 F.2d 604, 609 (9th Cir. 1992). To establish good cause, the party seeking the 21 modification of a scheduling order must generally show that even with the exercise of due 22 diligence, they cannot meet the requirement of the order. Id. 23 Pursuant to the June 1, 2016 discovery and scheduling order, the discovery deadline was 24 October 7, 2016. (ECF No. 31.) Plaintiff filed the pending motion to re-open discovery on 25 December 28, 2016. Plaintiff seeks to reopen discovery based on information he learned in early 26 October 2016. Plaintiff does not explain why he waited almost three months, after learning about 27 defendant’s policy to treat hepatitis C, to request additional time to conduct discovery. For this 28 reason, the undersigned finds that plaintiff has not shown due diligence. 2 1 Moreover, to succeed on either theory, i.e. that defendant had an official policy to treat 2 hepatitis C but failed to follow it, or defendant had an official policy not treat to treat hepatitis C, 3 plaintiff must demonstrate that he qualified for the prescription drug treatment. As discussed 4 herein, plaintiff has not met this burden. For this additional reason, plaintiff has not demonstrated 5 good cause to re-open discovery. 6 For the reasons discussed above, plaintiff’s motion to re-open discovery is denied. 7 B. Motion to Amend 8 On December 28, 2016, plaintiff filed a motion for leave to file a second amended 9 10 11 complaint and proposed second amended complaint. (ECF Nos. 55, 59.) On January 11, 2017, defendant filed an opposition to the motion to amend. (ECF No. 64.) Motions to amend are governed by Rule 15(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. 12 Rule 15(a) provides that the Court “should freely give leave [to amend] when justice so requires.” 13 Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a)(2). In the Ninth Circuit, Rule 15(a) is applied with “extreme liberality.” 14 Eminence Capital, LLC v. Aspeon, Inc., 316 F.3d 1048, 1051 (9th Cir. 2003). 15 Nevertheless, the court retains discretion to grant or deny a motion for leave to amend. 16 Leadsinger, Inc. v. BMG Music Pub., 512 F.3d 522, 532 (9th Cir. 2008). The court considers five 17 factors when assessing the propriety of a motion for leave to amend: (1) bad faith, (2) undue 18 delay, (3) prejudice to the opposing party, (4) futility of amendment, and (5) whether the plaintiff 19 has previously amended his complaint. Allen v. City of Beverly Hills, 911 F.2d 367, 373 (9th 20 Cir. 1990). The court “need not apply all five factors” when two factors sufficiently persuade the 21 court to deny the motion. Id. 22 The proposed second amended complaint names as defendants Sacramento County and 23 County Health Services (“CHS”). (ECF No. 55 at 1.) Plaintiff alleges that a nurse and Dr. 24 Padilla told him that it was CHS policy not to treat hepatitis C. Plaintiff alleges that Dr. Padilla 25 told him that it was cheaper to let him die. (Id. at 2.) Plaintiff alleges that his hepatitis C required 26 medical treatment. (Id. at 3-4.) Plaintiff alleges that defendants, “against administrative policy 27 have accepted and adopted a common practice” to deny plaintiff prescription drug treatment for 28 hepatitis C. (Id. at 4.) 3 1 At the outset, the undersigned agrees with defendant that CHS is not a proper defendant. 2 According to defendant, CHS is a non-independent subsidiary of Sacramento County. Under 3 § 1983, a “person” may be sued for the deprivation of federal rights, and municipalities or other 4 governmental bodies may be sued as a “person.” Monell v. Dept. of Soc. Servs., 436 U.S. 658, 5 690 (1978). An agency or department of a municipal entity is not a proper defendant under 6 Section 1983. Vance v. County of Santa Clara, 928 F.Supp. 993, 996 (N.D. Cal. 1996). Rather, 7 the county itself is the proper defendant. Accordingly, CHS is not a proper defendant. 8 9 With respect to defendant Sacramento County, plaintiff’s proposed amendment appears consistent with the legal theory addressed in defendant’s summary judgment motion, as clarified 10 by plaintiff’s deposition testimony, i.e., defendant had a policy to provide prescription drug 11 treatment for inmates with hepatitis C, but failed to follow it. In the opposition to the pending 12 motion, defendant states that “plaintiff’s claims concerning the treatment he was provided for his 13 hepatitis C have been fully addressed in the summary judgment motion and plaintiff’s motion to 14 amend should be denied as futile because no new claims are raised.” (ECF No. 64 at 6.) 15 The undersigned agrees that a motion for leave to amend is futile if it can be defeated on a 16 motion for summary judgment. Gabrielson v. Montgomery Ward & Co., 785 F.2d 762, 766 (9th 17 Cir. 1986). However, plaintiff is attempting to amend his complaint to include the legal theory 18 addressed in defendant’s summary judgment motion. Allowing plaintiff to amend his complaint 19 to conform to the theory addressed in the summary judgment motion is not futile. 20 Defendant also argues that it would be prejudiced were the court to grant the motion to 21 amend because it would require defendant to conduct additional discovery, although defendant 22 does not specifically identify this discovery. Because defendant’s summary judgment motion is 23 based on the theory raised in the proposed second amended complaint, it is difficult to determine 24 what additional discovery would be required. 25 Balancing all of the factors set forth above, the undersigned finds that plaintiff should be 26 allowed to file a proposed second amended complaint as to his claims against defendant 27 Sacramento County that are consistent with the claims addressed in the pending summary 28 judgment motion. Plaintiff’s motion to amend to name CHS as a defendant should be denied as 4 1 well as any claims inconsistent with those addressed in the summary judgment motion. Accordingly, for the reasons discussed above, the undersigned recommends that plaintiff’s 2 3 motion to amend be granted in part and denied in part. 4 III. Motion for Summary Judgment 5 A. Legal Standard for Summary Judgment 6 Summary judgment is appropriate when it is demonstrated that the standard set forth in 7 Federal Rule of Civil procedure 56 is met. “The court shall grant summary judgment if the 8 movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to 9 judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). 10 Under summary judgment practice, the moving party always bears the initial responsibility of informing the district court of the basis for its motion, and identifying those portions of “the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any,” which it believes demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. 11 12 13 14 Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323 (1986) (quoting then-numbered Fed. R. Civ. P. 15 56(c)). “Where the nonmoving party bears the burden of proof at trial, the moving party need 16 17 only prove that there is an absence of evidence to support the non-moving party’s case.” Nursing 18 Home Pension Fund, Local 144 v. Oracle Corp. (In re Oracle Corp. Sec. Litig.), 627 F.3d 376, 19 387 (9th Cir. 2010) (citing Celotex Corp., 477 U.S. at 325); see also Fed. R. Civ. P. 56 advisory 20 committee’s notes to 2010 amendments (recognizing that “a party who does not have the trial 21 burden of production may rely on a showing that a party who does have the trial burden cannot 22 produce admissible evidence to carry its burden as to the fact”). Indeed, summary judgment 23 should be entered, after adequate time for discovery and upon motion, against a party who fails to 24 make a showing sufficient to establish the existence of an element essential to that party’s case, 25 and on which that party will bear the burden of proof at trial. Celotex Corp., 477 U.S. at 322. 26 “[A] complete failure of proof concerning an essential element of the nonmoving party’s case 27 necessarily renders all other facts immaterial.” Id. at 323. 28 //// 5 1 Consequently, if the moving party meets its initial responsibility, the burden then shifts to 2 the opposing party to establish that a genuine issue as to any material fact actually exists. See 3 Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586 (1986). In attempting to 4 establish the existence of such a factual dispute, the opposing party may not rely upon the 5 allegations or denials of its pleadings, but is required to tender evidence of specific facts in the 6 form of affidavits, and/or admissible discovery material in support of its contention that such a 7 dispute exists. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c); Matsushita, 475 U.S. at 586 n.11. The opposing party 8 must demonstrate that the fact in contention is material, i.e., a fact that might affect the outcome 9 of the suit under the governing law, see Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248 10 (1986); T.W. Elec. Serv., Inc. v. Pacific Elec. Contractors Ass’n, 809 F.2d 626, 630 (9th Cir. 11 1987), and that the dispute is genuine, i.e., the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return 12 a verdict for the nonmoving party, see Wool v. Tandem Computers, Inc., 818 F.2d 1433, 1436 13 (9th Cir. 1987), overruled in part on other grounds, Hollinger v. Titan Capital Corp., 914 F.2d 14 1564, 1575 (9th Cir. 1990). 15 In the endeavor to establish the existence of a factual dispute, the opposing party need not 16 establish a material issue of fact conclusively in its favor. It is sufficient that “the claimed factual 17 dispute be shown to require a jury or judge to resolve the parties’ differing versions of the truth at 18 trial.” T.W. Elec. Serv., 809 F.2d at 630. Thus, the “purpose of summary judgment is to ‘pierce 19 the pleadings and to assess the proof in order to see whether there is a genuine need for trial.’” 20 Matsushita, 475 U.S. at 587 (quoting Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(e) advisory committee’s note on 1963 21 amendments). 22 In resolving a summary judgment motion, the court examines the pleadings, depositions, 23 answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any. Fed. R. 24 Civ. P. 56(c). The evidence of the opposing party is to be believed. See Anderson, 477 U.S. at 25 255. All reasonable inferences that may be drawn from the facts placed before the court must be 26 drawn in favor of the opposing party. See Matsushita, 475 U.S. at 587. Nevertheless, inferences 27 are not drawn out of the air, and it is the opposing party’s obligation to produce a factual 28 predicate from which the inference may be drawn. See Richards v. Nielsen Freight Lines, 602 F. 6 1 Supp. 1224, 1244-45 (E.D. Cal. 1985), aff’d, 810 F.2d 898, 902 (9th Cir. 1987). Finally, to 2 demonstrate a genuine issue, the opposing party “must do more than simply show that there is 3 some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts. . . . Where the record taken as a whole could 4 not lead a rational trier of fact to find for the nonmoving party, there is no ‘genuine issue for 5 trial.’” Matsushita, 475 U.S. at 586 (citation omitted). 6 By contemporaneous notice provided on August 16, 2013(ECF No. 22), plaintiff was 7 advised of the requirements for opposing a motion brought pursuant to Rule 56 of the Federal 8 Rules of Civil Procedure. See Rand v. Rowland, 154 F.3d 952, 957 (9th Cir. 1998) (en banc); 9 Klingele v. Eikenberry, 849 F.2d 409 (9th Cir. 1988). 10 B. Discussion re: Merits 11 1. Legal Standard 12 “A prison official’s ‘deliberate indifference’ to a substantial risk of serious harm to an 13 inmate violates the Eighth Amendment.” Farmer v. Brennan, 511 U.S. 825, 828 (1994). 14 “Although the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause, rather than the Eighth 15 Amendment’s protection against cruel and unusual punishment, applies to pretrial detainees...we 16 apply the same standards in both cases.” Simmons v. Navajo County, Ariz., 609 F.3d 1011, 1017 17 (9th Cir. 2010) (citation omitted). 18 19 20 21 22 23 In the Ninth Circuit, the test for deliberate indifference consists of two parts. First, the plaintiff must show a ‘serious medical need’ by demonstrating that ‘failure to treat a prisoner's condition could result in further significant injury or the unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain.’ Second, the plaintiff must show the defendant's response to the need was deliberately indifferent. Jett v. Penner, 439 F.3d 1091, 1096 (9th Cir. 2006) (citations omitted). The legal standard for liability for defendant Sacramento County follows herein. 24 “In Monell v. Department of Social Services, 436 U.S. 658 (1978), the Supreme Court held that a 25 municipality may not be held liable for a § 1983 violation under a theory of respondeat superior 26 for the actions of its subordinates.” Castro v. County of Los Angeles, 833 F.3d 1060, 1073 (9th 27 Cir. 2016). In this regard, “[a] government entity may not be held liable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, 28 unless a policy, practice, or custom of the entity can be shown to be a moving force behind a 7 1 violation of constitutional rights.” Dougherty v. City of Covina, 654 F.3d 892, 900 (9th Cir. 2 2011) (citing Monell, 436 U.S. at 694). 3 2. Dispute Regarding Policy 1741 4 As discussed above, defendant’s policy for treating inmates with hepatitis C is Policy 5 1741. Plaintiff submitted a request for a copy of this policy directly to the Sacramento Sheriff’s 6 Department, which plaintiff refers to as “internal affairs.” (See ECF No. 47.) In response to this 7 request, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, i.e., “internal affairs,” provided plaintiff 8 with an older version of Policy 1741. (See ECF Nos. 60, 62.) The policy plaintiff received from 9 “internal affairs” was in effect from approximately 2007 until September 2015. (ECF No. 62-1 at 10 2.) 11 Plaintiff was housed at the Sacramento County Jail from June 2015 to June 2016. As 12 discussed herein, the newer version of Policy 1741 was in effect at the time plaintiff sought 13 treatment for hepatitis C. In the opposition to the pending motion, plaintiff argues that he 14 qualified for prescription drug treatment under the older version of Policy 1741. 15 Under either version of Policy 1741, plaintiff must show that his failure to receive 16 prescription drug treatment violated the Fourteenth Amendment. As discussed herein, plaintiff 17 has not met this burden. In determining the standard of care for prescription drug treatment, the 18 undersigned herein discusses the differences between the older and newer versions of Policy 19 1741. The other differences between the two policies are not relevant to plaintiff’s claim. 20 However, in footnotes, the undersigned addresses some of the differences raised by plaintiff in his 21 opposition to the pending motion. 22 3. Undisputed Facts 23 Undisputed Facts Regarding Policy 1741 24 County of Sacramento Correctional Health Services (“CHS”) has in place an express 25 policy that provides for medically appropriate evaluation and treatment of inmate-patients with 26 hepatitis C.1 (ECF No. 52-2 at 2.) County of Sacramento CHS treatment protocol for hepatitis C 27 28 1 As discussed above, plaintiff does not dispute that this policy exists. (ECF No. 65 at 13.) Instead, plaintiff disputes that he was provided treatment pursuant to this policy. (Id.) 8 1 is titled Administrative Policy Number 1741 (“Policy 1741”). (Id.) Policy 1741 defines 2 treatment protocols for patients with hepatitis C in County of Sacramento detention facilities. 3 (Id.) 4 Policy 1741 provides that inmate-patients requesting treatment for their hepatitis C will be 5 evaluated and an appropriate plan of care developed for them on a case by case basis. (ECF No. 6 52-2 at 2; ECF No. 65 at 13-14.) If an inmate-patient was already receiving hepatitis C treatment 7 prior to incarceration from a private provider or other government facility, their treatment will be 8 confirmed and then resumed by County of Sacramento CHS. (ECF No. 52-2 at 2; ECF No. 65 at 9 14.) 10 Pursuant to Policy 1741, inmate-patients that have been diagnosed with hepatitis C will be 11 assessed using the defined screening tools after six months of incarceration. (ECF No. 52-2 at 2; 12 ECF No. 65 at 14.) The purpose of the six month in-custody waiting period is that CHS medical 13 professionals need to acquire an accurate baseline of an inmate’s liver function in the absence of 14 recent use of drugs or alcohol in order to properly assess the progress of the patient’s hepatitis C 15 disease. (ECF No. 52-2 at 2-3; ECF No. 65 at 14.) 16 Policy 1741 provides that an inmate-patient must meet the following criteria prior to 17 initiating diagnostic testing to evaluate whether they are a candidate for treatment: 1) Be alcohol 18 and drug free for a minimum of 6 months, and be willing to participate in regular drug testing; 2) 19 Have at least 12 months of incarceration time remaining at the time of initial screening to allow 20 for secondary screening, review by a specialist, treatment plan development, and completion of 21 treatment;2 3) Must be compliant with testing and treatment. A past history of medications or lab 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 2 Plaintiff disputes that Policy 1741 states that an inmate-patient must have at least 12 months of incarceration remaining at the time of initial screening to allow for completion of treatment. (ECF No. 65 at 15.) Plaintiff claims that the policy provides for partial treatment under certain circumstances, i.e, the ability to complete treatment while housed at the jail is not required for treatment. (Id.) The older version of Policy 1741 plaintiff received in response to his “Internal Affairs” request does state that patients may receive partial treatment under certain circumstances. (ECF No. 47 at 13.) The later policy, in effect at the time of plaintiff’s incarceration at the Sacramento County Jail, does not provide for partial treatment. (ECF No. 52-5.) Instead, the new policy states that to receive hepatitis treatment, patient-inmates must have at least 12 months of incarceration remaining to allow for completion of treatment. (Id. at 14.) 9 1 refusals may bar the patient inmate from participating in treatment. Refusing medications or labs 2 during treatment will result in review and possible termination of treatment; 4) Must be willing to 3 submit to a liver biopsy. The best predictor of the rate of disease progression is a liver biopsy; 5) 4 Must not have a history of previously completed or failed hepatitis C treatments; and 6) Females 5 must not be pregnant and be willing and able to practice birth control. (ECF No. 52-5 at 3; ECF 6 No. 65 at 15.) 7 After it is determined that the patient-inmate meets the requirements, various assessments 8 will be completed to evaluate the baseline status of the inmate-patient’s hepatitis C. (ECF No. 9 52-2 at 3; ECF No. 65 at 16.) The assessments used to determine whether an individual is a 10 candidate for hepatitis C treatment includes: review of their medical history; a full physical 11 exam; complete set of vitals; lab tests including blood serum chemistry, virology panel, and 12 urinalysis. (ECF No. 52-3 at 3; ECF No. 65 at 16.) The assessments are completed every six 13 months to follow the progression of the disease and to determine if treatment is needed.3 (ECF 14 No. 52-3 at 3.) 15 Under Policy 1741, once the assessments are completed, the results are reviewed by 16 County of Sacramento CHS medical staff and a medical determination is made for that particular 17 inmate’s case to determine whether the inmate-patient is a candidate for treatment based on the 18 progression of their disease.4 (ECF No. 52-2 at 3-4.) Based on the opinion of the reviewing 19 3 24 Plaintiff disputes that the assessments occur every six months. (ECF No. 65 at 16.) Plaintiff argues that the policy provides that patients who are not eligible for treatment will be followed regularly every three to six months and informed of their current status. (Id.) The older policy, provided to plaintiff in response to his “internal affairs” request, provided that patients who are not eligible for interferon treatment would be followed regularly every three to six months and informed of their current status. (ECF No. 47 at 13.) The newer policy, in effect at the time of plaintiff’s incarceration in the Sacramento County jail, provides that inmates will be assessed every six months to follow the progression of the disease and to determine if treatment is needed. (ECF No. 52-5 at 15.) 25 4 20 21 22 23 26 27 28 Plaintiff disputes that medical staff evaluate the results of the assessments in order to determine whether treatment is warranted. (ECF No. 65 at 17.) Plaintiff argues that Policy 1741 provides that medical staff are to evaluate the patient’s health factors and lab results in accordance with the criteria established by the National Institute of Health (“NIH”). (Id.) Plaintiff argues that the policy does not state that eligibility for treatment is based on the opinion of reviewing medical staff. (Id.) As discussed in more detail herein, the older policy, provided to plaintiff in response 10 1 medical staff it is then determined whether the inmate-patient should only be monitored, whether 2 the inmate-patient’s assessment is to proceed to the next evaluative step in staging the disease and 3 undergo a liver biopsy to determine the appropriate treatment, or whether treatment should be 4 initiated immediately. (Id. at 3.) 5 Undisputed Facts Regarding Plaintiff’s Care at the Sacramento County Jail 6 Records from plaintiff’s previous incarcerations indicate that he was diagnosed with 7 8 9 hepatitis C in December of 2011. (ECF No. 52-2 at 4; ECF No. 65 at 18.) Plaintiff entered the custody of defendant Sacramento County on June 25, 2015, as a pretrial detainee. (ECF No. 52-2 at 2; ECF No. 65 at 12.) Plaintiff was transferred to North Kern 10 State Prison (“NKSP”) on June 26, 2016. (ECF No. 52-2 at 2; ECF No. 65 at 12.) Plaintiff had 11 not been receiving treatment for hepatitis C prior to entering the custody of defendant Sacramento 12 County. (ECF No. 52-2 at 2; ECF No. 65 at 12.) Plaintiff engaged in intravenous drug use of 13 methamphetamine prior to entering the custody of defendant Sacramento County. (ECF No. 52-2 14 at 2; ECF No. 65 at 13.) 15 On September 29, 2016, plaintiff’s blood and urine were collected and tested for hepatitis 16 C. (ECF No. 52-5 at 4; ECF No. 65 at 57 (plaintiff’s medical records).) On January 5, 2016, in 17 accordance with Policy 1741, plaintiff had his blood drawn by lab technicians for the assessments 18 to be performed. (ECF No. 52-2 at 6; ECF No. 65 at 22.) 19 Plaintiff’s lab results were received on January 12, 2016, and demonstrated, in part, the 20 following relevant values with respect to Hepatitis C: GGT 32 (normal), AST 38 (normal), ALT 21 55 (slightly elevated), platelet count 251, HCV RNA quantitative 13848631 (indicates presence 22 of hepatitis C). (ECF No. 52-2 at 6; ECF No. 65 at 22-23.) On or around January 21, 2016, Dr. 23 Nugent, the CHS Medical Director, decided that plaintiff did not qualify for prescription drug 24 25 26 27 28 to his “internal affairs” request, provided that inmate patients would be treated with interferon and ribavirin according to the eligibility criteria established by the NIH and under the consultative care of a gastroenterologist. (ECF No. 47 at 13.) The newer policy, in effect at the time of plaintiff’s incarceration at the Sacramento County jail, does not mention the NIH guidelines. (ECF No. 52-5 at 14-16.) The newer policy sets forth the criteria for evaluating an inmate patient’s eligibility for treatment. (Id.) According to the CHS Medical Director, Dr. Nugent, this evaluation is made by CHS medical staff. (ECF No. 52-5.) 11 1 treatment for his hepatitis C.5 (ECF No. 52-2 at 6.) As discussed herein, plaintiff disputes 2 whether Dr. Nugent correctly found that he did not qualify for prescription drug treatment. 3 In accordance with Policy 1741, plaintiff had follow-up lab assessments approximately six 4 months later on June 6, 2016. (ECF No. 52-2 at 6; ECF No. 65 at 26.) Dr. Nugent decided that 5 plaintiff did not qualify for prescription drug treatment. (ECF No. 52-5 at 6; ECF No. 65 at 26.) 6 As discussed herein, plaintiff disputes whether Dr. Nugent correctly found that he did not qualify 7 for prescription drug treatment. 8 9 On June 24, 2016, plaintiff transferred to the custody of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. (ECF No. 52-2 at 7; ECF No. 65 at 26-27.) 10 4. Analysis—Deliberate Indifference 11 Defendant Sacramento County moves for summary judgment on the grounds that 12 plaintiff’s failure to receive prescription drug treatment did not constitute deliberate indifference. 13 Standard for Determining Eligibility for Prescription Drug Treatment 14 At the outset, the undersigned clarifies the standard for determining eligibility for 15 prescription drug treatment. 16 Policy 1741 states, in relevant part, 17 Hepatitis C (HCV) is a chronic disease. It usually takes several decades to progress to a life threatening state. Many persons who are infected have no symptoms and do not progress to end stage liver disease or liver cancer. The patient continues to test positive for HCV while having stable liver function. 18 19 20 Not every patient with HCV needs to be treated. Only 10-20% of patients with HCV progress to severe disease and only 1% to 5% will die from complications of liver disease. The need to treat is based on a number of factors including, the patient’s use of alcohol and drugs, their willingness to be compliant with treatment, their current health, and the progression of the disease. 21 22 23 24 5 25 26 27 28 Plaintiff argues that when Dr. Nugent reviewed his record, FNP Jim Holt had already reviewed the records on January 12, 2016, and decided that plaintiff did not require treatment. The medical records indicate that FNP Holt reviewed the results of plaintiff’s blood tests on January 12, 2016, and wrote: “PLAN: no action taken.” (ECF No. 52-5 at 30.) The records reflect that plaintiff sought administrative review of FNP Holt’s decision to take no action. (Id. at 29.) It appears that Dr. Nugent’s review of plaintiff’s lab results was part of the administrative review of FNP Holt’s decision to take no action. (Id.) 12 1 (ECF No. 52-5 at 13.) 2 Policy 1741 lists three factors to consider when evaluating an inmate-patient’s eligibility 3 for prescription drug treatment: drug and alcohol use, current health, and the progression of the 4 disease. In January 2016 and June 2016, Dr. Nugent found that plaintiff did not qualify for 5 prescription drug treatment based on consideration of these three factors. (ECF No. 52-2 at 6.) 6 As discussed herein, Dr. Austria considered the same factors in evaluating plaintiff’s eligibility 7 for prescription drug treatment following his transfer to CDCR custody in June 2016. (ECF No. 8 52-6 at 7-8.) 9 The undersigned observes that while defendant does not directly address whether the three 10 factors for evaluating eligibility for prescription drug treatment contained in Policy 1741 meet 11 constitutional standards, in his declaration Dr. Nugent states that, in his opinion, plaintiff’s 12 treatment for hepatitis C was within the acceptable medical standards of care and skill in the 13 community. (ECF No. 52-5 at 9-10.) 14 In his opposition, plaintiff argues that the older version of Policy 1741 sets a different 15 standard for determining eligibility for prescription drug treatment. Plaintiff argues that the older 16 version of Policy 1741 provides that inmate-patients receive prescription drug treatment 17 according to eligibility criteria established by the National Institute for Health (“NIH”) and under 18 the consultative care of a gastroenterologist. (See ECF No. 65 at 47.) Plaintiff appears to argue 19 that he was entitled to prescription drug treatment based on the NIH standards. However, 20 plaintiff does not describe the NIH standards or offer any evidence demonstrating that these 21 standards are different from those considered by Dr. Nugent and Dr. Austria. Plaintiff offers no 22 expert evidence that the factors considered by Dr. Nugent were not within the standard of care. 23 Based on the declarations of experts Dr. Nugent and Dr. Austria, the undersigned finds 24 that Dr. Nugent’s consideration of plaintiff’s prior drug use, current health and progression of the 25 disease in determining his eligibility for prescription drug treatment was within the standard of 26 care. Accordingly, application of these three factors to determine plaintiff’s eligibility was proper 27 and did not violate plaintiff’s Fourteenth Amendment rights. See Acinelli v. Torres, 2015 WL 28 4380772 at 4 (C.D. Cal. 2015) (“The Eighth Amendment does not require optimal medical care 13 1 or even medical care that comports with the community standard of care.”). The issue is whether 2 Dr. Nugent correctly considered these factors in finding that plaintiff did not qualify for 3 prescription drug treatment. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Declarations of Dr. Nugent and Dr. Austria Regarding Plaintiff’s Eligibility for Prescription Drug Treatment In his declaration, Dr. Nugent discusses his decisions finding plaintiff ineligible for prescription drug treatment in January 2016 and June 2016: 7. Hepatitis C is a chronic disease where in a majority of cases it takes several decades before it poses tangible harm to the patient’s liver. Most individuals who are infected with the hepatitis C virus exhibit no symptoms of liver disease or liver cancer and maintain stable liver function. The need to treat an inmate-patient’s hepatitis C is based on a number of factors, including the patient’s use of alcohol and drugs, their willingness to be compliance with treatment, their current health, and the progression of the disease. *** 25. Mr. Houston’s lab results were received on January 12, 2016 and demonstrated the following relevant values with respect to his hepatitis C: GGT 32 (normal), AST 38 (normal), ALT (slightly elevated), platelet count 251, HCV RNA quantitative 13848631 (indicates presence of hepatitis C virus)… 26. Mr. Houston’s medical file was forwarded to me on January 21, 2016 for review and an individualized medical assessment to be made concerning the appropriate course of treatment for Mr. Houston’s hepatitis C… 27. At that time I personally reviewed Mr. Houston’s medical history and available records, physical examinations in file, and laboratory assessments with respect to his hepatitis C. In my medical opinion, Mr. Houston’s hepatitis C did not medically indicate a need for prescription drug treatment because his physical exams showed him to be asymptomatic, his history indicates he is inclined to use intravenous drugs, and importantly, his lab results were not demonstrable of any liver failure and that he had no impairment in liver function. Pursuant to Policy 1741, an individualized determination was made by me based on my professional medical opinion that the best course of treatment concerning Mr. Houston’s hepatitis C would be regular monitoring and assessment at 6 month intervals. 28. In accordance with Policy 1741, Mr. Houston had follow up lab assessment approximately 6 months later, on June 6, 2016. I personally reviewed the lab values, which in my professional opinion did not indicate that Mr. Houston was experiencing abnormal liver function. Therefore, pursuant to Policy 1741, I 14 1 determined that the proper course of treatment for Mr. Houston was that his hepatitis C continue to be monitored… 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 29. Mr. Houston was shortly thereafter discharged from the care of County of Sacramento CHS and transferred to the custody of the California Department of Corrections June 24, 2016. Thus concluding our care for Mr. Houston… 30. Mr. Houston was provided medically appropriate care and treatment with respect to his hepatitis C pursuant to Policy 1741. He was admitted to the County of Sacramento in June 2015, and per Policy 1741, underwent physical examinations and laboratory assessments after six months of incarceration to ensure he was drug and alcohol free given his history of IV drug use. Mr. Houston’s hepatitis C assessment labs were performed in accordance to Policy 1741 provisions, being done after 6 months of incarceration. His medical history, available medical records, and laboratory assessments were then personally evaluated by me, the Medical Director of CHS, and an individualized determination was made with respect to the best course of care and treatment for Mr. Houston based on the progression of his disease. Mr. Houston was asymptomatic and his laboratory assessments indicated unimpaired liver function, therefore in my professional medical opinion and in accordance with Policy 1741 it was determined that the best course of treatment for Mr. Houston’s hepatitis C was that it be monitored at regular six month intervals. Prior to Mr. Houston being transferred to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, he underwent his six month interval assessment on June 6, 2016 …, and the results continued to demonstrate he had normal liver function. In light of Mr. Houston being asymptomatic and having unimpaired liver function, it is not medically advisable to subject him to the harmful adverse side effects of prescription drug treatment for hepatitis C which include but are not limited to fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, muscle pain and weakness, hair loss, diarrhea and depression. If my profession medical opinion, monitoring was the most appropriate medically acceptable course of treatment for Mr. Houston’s hepatitis C. (ECF No. 52-5 at 3-9.) Defendant also argues that plaintiff’s failure to receive prescription drug treatment for 22 hepatitis C after his transfer to CDCR custody in June 2016 supports the finding that plaintiff did 23 not qualify for hepatitis drug treatment while housed at the Sacramento County Jail. In support of 24 this argument, defendant submitted the declaration of Dr. Austria, a doctor working at North Kern 25 State Prison (“NKSP”). (ECF No. 52-6.) 26 Dr. Austria states that on June 30, 2016, plaintiff underwent lab studies so that Dr. Austria 27 could evaluate and determine the level of care for his hepatitis C. (Id. at 5.) The lab studies 28 included a hepatitis panel, complete blood count and comprehensive metabolic panels. (Id.) 15 1 Using the results of the June 30, 2016 lab results, Dr. Austria assessed the severity of plaintiff’s 2 hepatitis C to determine the appropriate level of care for him based on CDCR’s Hepatitis 3 Treatment Policy. (Id.) 4 To assess plaintiff’s hepatitis C, Dr. Austria calculated plaintiff’s Fibrosis-4 (“FIB-4”) 5 score. (Id. at 5-6.) FIB-4 is a clinically proven non-invasive measure based on several laboratory 6 test indicators to estimate the amount of fibrosis (scarring in the liver) caused by hepatitis C. (Id. 7 at 6.) Use of the FIB-4 calculations to assess the level of fibrosis in a patient’s liver is a widely 8 used and medically acceptable measure to gauge liver damage in the first instance, prior to a liver 9 biopsy, given the potential for sampling errors and morbidity in conducting an invasive biopsy 10 11 procedure. (Id.) Plaintiff’s June 30, 2016 lab results showed that he had an AST level of 31, Platelet Count 12 of 257, ALT level of 56, and he was 37 years old. (Id.) Using plaintiff’s values, his FIB-4 score 13 was calculated as 0.60. (Id.) Using CDCR’s Hepatitis Treatment Policy, plaintiff’s FIB-4 score 14 was demonstrative of low-stage fibrosis, and the appropriate recommendation for treatment for 15 plaintiff’s hepatitis C was to defer treatment, and to clinically reassess him annually. (Id. at 7.) 16 For plaintiff to be considered for the next step in evaluating whether he is a candidate for 17 prescription drug treatment for his hepatitis C, his FIB-4 score must be equal to or greater than 18 1.45. (Id. at 7.) 19 Dr. Austria also states that in his professional medical opinion, based on plaintiff’s 20 physical examination, lab studies and medical history including admitted IV drug use as recent as 21 May 2015, plaintiff is not a candidate for prescription drug treatment for his hepatitis C. (Id.) 22 Use of illicit drugs is an absolute contraindication to prescription drug hepatitis C treatment, and 23 is one of the primary exclusion criteria. (Id.) More importantly, plaintiff’s lab studies and 24 physical examinations did not indicate the presence of any symptoms of hepatitis C or liver 25 failure, and is often the case with many individuals with hepatitis C, a majority of them do not 26 require any prescription drug treatment because it can be decades for the hepatitis C virus to pose 27 tangible harm to the patient’s liver. (Id. at 7-8.) The side effects of the prescription drug 28 treatment protocols for hepatitis C are severe and can include, but not be limited to fever, chills, 16 1 nausea, vomiting, fatigue, muscle pain and weakness, hair loss, diarrhea and depression. (Id. at 2 8.) In plaintiff’s case, it is medically appropriate that his condition be monitored annually in 3 accordance with CDCR’s hepatitis C treatment policy, and not that he be subjected to the severe 4 adverse side effects of prescription drug treatment when he is not experiencing any symptoms of 5 hepatitis C or liver failure. (Id.) 6 Lab Results 7 Citing Dr. Nugent’s declaration, quoted above, defendant argues that plaintiff’s lab work 8 in January 2016 and June 2016 demonstrated that he did not qualify for prescription drug 9 treatment for his hepatitis C. Defendant argues that Dr. Austria’s finding that plaintiff did not 10 qualify for prescription drug treatment based on his lab work following his transfer to CDCR 11 custody in June 2016 supports this finding. 12 13 In his opposition, plaintiff argues that his January 2016 and June 2016 lab work demonstrated that he qualified for prescription drug treatment. 14 In particular, plaintiff argues that the results of his January 2016 lab work for Albumin, 15 Bilirubin, Platelets, Hemoglobin, Nuetrophils and Creatine Levels demonstrated that he qualified 16 for prescription drug treatment. (See ECF No. 65 at 53-54.) Plaintiff cites the older version of 17 Policy 1741 which provided that prescription drug treatment was accepted for patients with 18 abnormal ALT values, Albumin > 3.5 g/d, Bilrubin < 1.5 g/d (men), and Creatnine >I 5 mg.d. 19 (ECF No. 65.) The undersigned observes that the newer version of Policy 1741 also lists these 20 factors, i.e. Creatinine, Albumin, Bilirubin, Hemoglobin and Neutraphils, as relevant in 21 determining whether inmate-patients qualify for prescription drug treatment. (ECF No. 52-5 at 22 15.) 23 24 25 Plaintiff also argues that the results of his June 2016 blood work, reviewed by Dr. Nugent, demonstrate that he qualified for prescription drug treatment. While Dr. Nugent did not specifically mention all of the test results listed in the January 26 2016 report, the undersigned does not read Dr. Nugent’s declaration as stating that only the 27 results of the January 2016 tests he specifically mentioned, i.e., GGT, AST, ALT, platelet count 28 and HCV RNA, demonstrated that plaintiff did not qualify for prescription drug treatment. In his 17 1 declaration, Dr. Nugent goes on to state that he reviewed the “laboratory assessments,” which the 2 undersigned reasonably infers to mean that Dr. Nugent reviewed the entire results of plaintiff’s 3 January 2016 lab work. In other words, it is not reasonable to infer that Dr. Nugent’s failure to 4 specifically discuss the result of every test meant that those tests not discussed in his declaration 5 indicated that plaintiff qualified for prescription drug treatment. The undersigned further finds that Dr. Nugent’s statement that he reviewed the “lab 6 7 values” for plaintiff’s June 2016 blood work means that he reviewed all of the relevant lab work. 8 The undersigned also finds that plaintiff’s interpretation of the results of his January 2016 9 and June 2016 lab results is not admissible. As a layperson, plaintiff is not qualified to offer an 10 interpretation of his medical records. See Fed. Rule of Evidence 701. An expert witness is 11 required to interpret these medical records. See Fed. Rule of Evid. 702.6 For these reasons, the 12 undersigned finds that plaintiff’s layperson opinion regarding the results of his January and June 13 2016 blood work is not admissible evidence regarding the results of these tests. In his opposition, plaintiff also disputes defendant’s evidence that Dr. Austria found 14 15 plaintiff ineligible for prescription drug treatment following his transfer to CDCR in June 2016. 16 Plaintiff argues that Dr. Austria was not qualified to render an opinion regarding his need for 17 prescription drug treatment because at the time of this evaluation, plaintiff was housed at a CDCR 18 reception center. Plaintiff cites the CDCR Hepatitis Treatment Policy which states that hepatitis 19 C “evaluation and treatment is generally not initiated in reception centers.” (ECF No. 52-6 at 30.) 20 6 21 22 23 24 25 26 In the reply, defendant argues that the lab results plaintiff cites in his opposition are normal: In fact, the lab values show that Plaintiff’s ALT was only slightly elevated (55, reference range 9-46), Albumin was normal (44, reference range 36-51), Bilirubin was normal (4, reference range 2-1.2), Platelet Count normal (251, reference range 140-400), Hemoglobin normal (143, reference range 132-171), Neutrophils normal, and Creatnine normal (106, reference 60-135). Dr. Nugent assessed these lab results as well as the rest of plaintiff’s medical records and determined that plaintiff’s findings were not demonstrable of any liver failure and that he had no impairment of liver function. (ECF No. 66-1 at 4.) 27 28 Although defendant provides no expert evidence to support this argument, it appears that defendant’s characterization of the results discussed above is correct. (See ECF No. 65 at 53-54.) 18 1 As noted by defendant in the reply, the CDCR Hepatitis C Policy does not state that a 2 physician in a reception center cannot provide evaluations and treatment for hepatitis C. In 3 addition, as noted by defendant, Dr. Austria’s expert declaration demonstrates that plaintiff was 4 not a candidate for prescription drug treatment based, in part, on his lab studies. The undersigned 5 agrees that Dr. Austria’s declaration is evidence that plaintiff’s hepatitis C lab results continued to 6 demonstrate that he did not qualify for prescription drug treatment following his transfer to 7 CDCR in June 2016. 8 9 10 Defendant’s expert evidence demonstrates that plaintiff’s lab work showed that he did not qualify for prescription drug treatment. For the reasons discussed above, the undersigned finds that plaintiff has not met his burden of opposing defendant’s expert evidence regarding this issue. 11 Intravenous Drug Use 12 As discussed above, Dr. Nugent properly considered plaintiff’s drug use in evaluating 13 plaintiff’s eligibility for prescription drug treatment. Plaintiff does not dispute that he used 14 intravenous drugs, even as recently as April 2015. Accordingly, the undersigned finds that it is 15 undisputed that Dr. Nugent properly found that plaintiff’s history of intravenous drug use was a 16 factor demonstrating that he did not qualify for prescription drug treatment. 17 Physical Exams 18 As discussed above, Dr. Nugent found that plaintiff did not qualify for prescription drug 19 treatment because he was asymptomatic. As discussed herein, plaintiff somewhat disputes 20 defendant’s evidence regarding his alleged symptoms. 21 The undersigned first observes that Dr. Nugent does not directly describe the symptoms of 22 hepatitis C. However, in his declaration, Dr. Austria describes them as including abdominal pain, 23 fatigue, nausea and vomiting. (ECF No. 52-6 at 4.) Plaintiff does not dispute that these are 24 symptoms of hepatitis C. 25 Plaintiff does not dispute that on September 28, 2015, he was seen by CHS medical staff 26 and requested to be tested for hepatitis C. (ECF No. 52-2 at 4; ECF No. 52-5 at 39; ECF No. 52- 27 65 at 18.) Plaintiff does not dispute that he denied any symptoms of hepatitis C. (ECF No. 52-2 28 at 4; ECF No. 52-5; ECF No. 65 at 18.) Plaintiff does not dispute that the medical records from 19 1 this appointment reflect that his vital signs were stable, his respiration even, his lungs were clear, 2 his temperature was normal (98.2) and his blood pressure was 110/73. (ECF No. 52-2 at 4; ECF 3 No. 52-5 at 39; ECF No. 18 at 104.) 4 It is undisputed that plaintiff was seen by medical staff on October 20, 2015, for 5 complaints of a skin rash and on October 24, 2015, concerning clogged ears. (ECF No. 52-2 at 5; 6 ECF No. 52-5 at 37; ECF No. 65 at 19.) 7 It is undisputed that on October 25, 2015, plaintiff was seen by medical staff due to 8 complaints of weakness, headache, fever, upset stomach, sore joints, no interest in food, yellow 9 skin, dark urine, and pain in his right side. (ECF No. 52-2 at 5; ECF No. 52-5 at 37; ECF No. 65 10 at 19-20.) The medical records from that date indicate that plaintiff was seen on “priority flex 11 sick call.” (ECF No. 52-5 at 37.) The records state that plaintiff told the nurse, “I have hep c, I 12 heard there is a new treatment that is curing it, I am requesting for the treatment at this time…The 13 symptoms are what you get if you have hep C.” (ECF No. 52-5 at 37.) Plaintiff does not deny 14 making these statements. (ECF No. 65 at 20.) 15 The medical records from that date state that plaintiff sought medical treatment that day so 16 that the prescription drug treatment would be approved. (ECF No. 52-5 at 37.) The nurse who 17 saw plaintiff wrote that he had no acute symptoms and she advised him to sign up for sick call 18 and that he was scheduled to see the doctor for the same reason. (Id.) Plaintiff claims that the 19 nurse did not examine him for the symptoms he alleges to have suffered from. (ECF No. 65 at 20 20.) 21 In his opposition, plaintiff claims that on February 17, 2016, and March 20, 2016, he 22 requested medical care for symptoms associated with hepatitis C but was denied adequate 23 medical care. (ECF No. 65 at 29-30.) The medical records from February 17, 2016, attached to 24 plaintiff’s opposition, state that plaintiff had a stuffy nose with chills and sore joints. (Id. at 82.) 25 Plaintiff’s temperature was 96.6. (Id.) The nurse who saw plaintiff that day diagnosed plaintiff 26 with “possible common cold,” prescribed Claritin and Tylenol, and directed him to drink more 27 fluids. (Id.) 28 //// 20 1 The medical records from March 20, 2016, attached to plaintiff’s opposition, state that 2 plaintiff complained of dizziness, nausea/vomiting, stomach pain and shaking in both hands. (Id.) 3 Plaintiff’s temperature on that date was 101. (Id.) The records state that plaintiff was “sent to 4 mhu for observation, but mhu nurse said that back wall was full. And he was sent to RBF single 5 cell for observation. PT encouraged to drink water.” (Id.) 6 The records above do not demonstrate that plaintiff suffered from symptoms caused by 7 hepatitis C. The records demonstrate that plaintiff’s complaints of symptoms related to hepatitis 8 C could either not be verified or else were caused by other illnesses. Plaintiff has not presented 9 sufficient evidence to refute Dr. Nugent’s opinion that, with respect to hepatitis C, he was 10 11 asymptomatic. The undersigned also observes that plaintiff has not demonstrated that he suffered from 12 symptoms related to hepatitis C following his transfer to CDCR in June 2016. Plaintiff does not 13 dispute that on June 28, 2016, at 9:15 a.m., he was evaluated by Nurse Practitioner Meda. (ECF 14 No. 52-5 at 8; ECF No. 65 at 32-33.) Plaintiff does not dispute that during this examination, he 15 had no abdominal pain, fatigue, nausea or vomiting. (ECF No. 52-2 at 8; ECF No. 64 at 32-33.) 16 Plaintiff does not dispute that he had no symptoms of hepatitis C or liver failure during this 17 examination. (ECF No. 52-2 at 8-9; ECF No. 64 at 32-33.) 18 It is undisputed that on June 28, 2016, at approximately 9:30 p.m., plaintiff told medical 19 staff that he had diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, with no chest pain or shortness of breath. (ECF 20 No. 52-2 at 9; ECF No. 65 at 34, 87.) The medical record states that plaintiff complained of 21 abdominal pain. (ECF No. 65 at 87.) The medical records also state that plaintiff’s abdomen was 22 “soft, tender to palpation.” (Id.) Plaintiff has a temperature of 102.7. (Id.) The records state that 23 plaintiff was given IV fluids, acetaphinomen and Pepto Bismol. (Id.) At approximately 11:20 24 p.m., plaintiff asked to leave. (Id.) Plaintiff reported that he felt hunger pains. (Id.) Plaintiff was 25 told he had to stay a bit longer. (Id.) Plaintiff was released at around midnight and encouraged to 26 drink fluids. (Id.) Plaintiff was advised to notify staff if his condition worsened. (Id.) 27 28 Plaintiff has provided no evidence that the symptoms that he suffered on June 28, 2016, did not improve. The undersigned does not find that plaintiff has shown that the symptoms he 21 1 suffered on the night of June 28, 2016, were related to hepatitis C. Plaintiff has also provided no 2 evidence that he suffered from symptoms that could be related to hepatitis C after June 28, 2016. 3 For the reasons discussed above, the undersigned finds that plaintiff has not presented 4 sufficient evidence to create a dispute regarding whether his hepatitis C was symptomatic. 5 Accordingly, based on the undisputed evidence presented by defendant, the undersigned finds 6 that plaintiff’s hepatitis C was asymptomatic while he was housed at the Sacramento County Jail. 7 Conclusion 8 Defendant has presented undisputed evidence that plaintiff did not qualify for prescription 9 drug treatment for his hepatitis C while housed at the Sacramento County Jail because of his 10 history of intravenous drug use, he was asymptomatic and, most importantly, because his lab 11 results were not demonstrable of liver failure or impairment of any liver function. Because 12 plaintiff did not face a substantial risk of serious harm if he did not receive prescription drug 13 treatment for hepatitis C while housed at the Sacramento County Jail, he has not demonstrated 14 that his failure to receive this treatment constituted deliberate indifference. See Toguchi v. 15 Chung, 391 F.3d 1051, 1057 (9th Cir. 2004). In support of this finding, the undersigned observes 16 that plaintiff has presented no evidence that he received prescription drug treatment for hepatitis 17 C following his release from the Sacramento County Jail in June 2016. 18 Finally, in his opposition, plaintiff alleges that on October 29, 2015, Dr. Padilla, employed 19 at the Sacramento County Jail, told plaintiff that the county’s policy was not to treat him because 20 it costs too much and that it was cheaper to let him die. (ECF No. 65 at 21.) Plaintiff argues that 21 the alleged statements by Dr. Padilla show that defendant Sacramento County had a policy to 22 treat hepatitis C but failed to follow it. 23 Even if Dr. Padilla made these statements to plaintiff, the evidence demonstrates that 24 plaintiff did not receive prescription drug treatment because it was not medically warranted. 25 Because plaintiff’s failure to receive prescription drug treatment did not violate his constitutional 26 right to adequate medical care, Dr. Padilla’s alleged statements are not material. 27 28 For the reasons discussed above, the undersigned finds that plaintiff’s failure to receive prescription drug treatment while housed at the Sacramento County Jail from June 2015 to June 22 1 2016 did not violate plaintiff’s Fourteenth Amendment right to adequate medical care. Defendant 2 Sacramento County should be granted summary judgment on this ground. 3 5. Analysis: Constitutionality of Policy 1741 4 Defendant moves for summary judgment on grounds that Policy 1741 did not cause 5 plaintiff to receive inadequate medical care. As discussed above, plaintiff does not challenge the 6 constitutionality of Policy 1741. Instead, plaintiff argues that defendant has a policy or practice 7 of failing to follow Policy1741. To succeed on this claim, plaintiff must demonstrate that his 8 failure to receive prescription drug treatment violated his constitutional rights. Because, for the 9 reasons discussed above, plaintiff’s failure to receive prescription drug treatment was not 10 unconstitutional, the undersigned need not further discuss whether defendant had a policy or 11 practice of failing to follow Policy 1741. 12 C. Failure to Exhaust Administrative Remedies 13 1. Legal Standard 14 The Prison Litigation Reform Act (“PLRA”) provides that “[n]o action shall be 15 brought with respect to prison conditions under section 1983 . . . , or any other Federal law, by a 16 prisoner confined in any jail, prison, or other correctional facility until such administrative 17 remedies as are available are exhausted.” 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a). “[T]he PLRA’s exhaustion 18 requirement applies to all inmate suits about prison life, whether they involve general 19 circumstances or particular episodes, and whether they allege excessive force or some other 20 wrong.” Porter v. Nussle, 534 U.S. 516, 532 (2002). 21 Prisoners are required to exhaust the available administrative remedies prior to filing suit. 22 Jones v. Bock, 549 U.S. 199, 211 (2007); McKinney v. Carey, 311 F.3d 1198, 1199-1201 (9th 23 Cir. 2002). 24 Proper exhaustion of available remedies is mandatory, Booth v. Churner, 532 U.S. 731, 25 741 (2001), and “[p]roper exhaustion demands compliance with an agency’s deadlines and other 26 critical procedural rules[.]” Woodford v. Ngo, 548 U.S. 81, 90 (2006). The Supreme Court has 27 also cautioned against reading futility or other exceptions into the statutory exhaustion 28 requirement. See Booth, 532 U.S. at 741 n.6. Moreover, because proper exhaustion is necessary, 23 1 a prisoner cannot satisfy the PLRA exhaustion requirement by filing an untimely or otherwise 2 procedurally defective administrative grievance or appeal. See Woodford, 548 U.S. at 90-93. 3 “[T]o properly exhaust administrative remedies prisoners ‘must complete the administrative 4 review process in accordance with the applicable procedural rules,’ [] - rules that are defined not 5 by the PLRA, but by the prison grievance process itself.” Jones v. Bock, 549 U.S. 199, 218 6 (2007) (quoting Woodford, 548 U.S. at 88). Failure to exhaust is “an affirmative defense the defendant must plead and prove.” Bock, 7 8 549 U.S. at 204, 216. In Albino, the Ninth Circuit agreed with the underlying panel’s decision7 9 “that the burdens outlined in Hilao v. Estate of Marcos, 103 F.3d 767, 778 n.5 (9th Cir. 1996), 10 should provide the template for the burdens here.” Albino v. Baca, 747 F.3d 1162, 1172 (9th Cir. 11 2014) (en banc). A defendant need only show “that there was an available administrative remedy, 12 and that the prisoner did not exhaust that available remedy.” Albino, 747 F.3d at 1172. Once the 13 defense meets its burden, the burden shifts to the plaintiff to show that the administrative 14 remedies were unavailable. See Albino, 697 F.3d at 1030-31. 15 2. Analysis 16 Defendant argues that plaintiff failed to exhaust administrative remedies because he did 17 not file a grievance until after he filed this action, i.e., he failed to exhaust administrative 18 remedies prior to filing this action. The background to this argument follows herein. Plaintiff’s original complaint is court file stamped September 30, 2015. (ECF No. 1). 19 20 This complaint does not contain a proof of service in order for the court to determine when it was 21 filed pursuant to the mailbox rule, although it was signed by plaintiff on September 26, 2015. (Id. 22 at 4.) In the original complaint, plaintiff alleged that he suffered from hepatitis C and 23 schizophrenia. (Id. at 3.) In relevant part, plaintiff alleged that he was informed that he would 24 not receive treatment for hepatitis C because the policy was not to treat this disease. (Id. at 3.) 25 //// 26 7 27 28 See Albino v. Baca, 697 F.3d 1023, 1031 (9th Cir. 2012). The three judge panel noted that “[a] defendant’s burden of establishing an inmate’s failure to exhaust is very low.” Id. at 1031. Relevant evidence includes statutes, regulations, and other official directives that explain the scope of the administrative review process. Id. at 1032. 24 1 On October 16, 2015, the undersigned dismissed the original complaint with leave to 2 amend because plaintiff had not named a proper defendant. (ECF No. 5.) Plaintiff’s amended 3 complaint is court file stamped October 26, 2015. (ECF No. 7.) Like the original complaint, the 4 amended complaint does not contain a proof of service for the court to determine when it was 5 filed pursuant to the mailbox rule. The amended complaint named Sacramento County as a 6 defendant. (Id.) Plaintiff alleged that he did not receive treatment for hepatitis C while housed at 7 the Sacramento County Jail. (Id.) On October 30, 2015, the undersigned ordered service of the 8 amended complaint on defendant Sacramento County. (ECF No. 8.) 9 Defendant argues, and plaintiff does not dispute, that he submitted his first administrative 10 grievance regarding hepatitis C on September 30, 2015. (ECF No. 52-2 at 8; ECF No. 65 at 31; 11 ECF No. 52-7 at 4.) According to defendant, this grievance was received by healthcare staff for 12 review on October 1, 2015. (ECF No. 52-7 at 4.) On October 5, 2015, the healthcare coordinator 13 issued a written response to the grievance. (Id.) Defendant argues that plaintiff did not submit a 14 written appeal of the October 5, 2015 response to the facility commander, as the October 5, 2015 15 response advised. (Id.) Instead, defendant argues, plaintiff submitted another grievance 16 regarding hepatitis C on October 24, 2015. (Id.) 17 In his opposition, plaintiff argues that he exhausted his administrative remedies before 18 filing his amended complaint on October 26, 2015. (ECF No. 65 at 3.) Plaintiff alleges that after 19 receiving the October 5, 2015 response from the healthcare coordinator, he submitted an appeal to 20 the watch commander. (Id.) Plaintiff argues that he received no response to this appeal. (Id.) 21 As discussed above, prisoners are required to exhaust the available administrative 22 remedies prior to filing suit. Jones v. Bock, 549 U.S. 199, 211 (2007); McKinney v. Carey, 311 23 F.3d 1198, 1199-1201 (9th Cir. 2002). Plaintiff filed his first administrative grievance regarding 24 hepatitis C on the day his original complaint was filed in the court. For that reason, plaintiff 25 failed to exhaust his administrative remedies prior to filing this action.8 26 8 27 28 Because plaintiff filed this action before even receiving the response to his first level grievance from the health care coordinator, the undersigned need not consider whether the watch commander’s alleged failure to respond to plaintiff’s administrative appeal exhausted plaintiff’s administrative remedies. See Ross v. Blake, 136 S. Ct. 1850, 1856 (2016) (administrative 25 1 While plaintiff argues that he exhausted administrative remedies after he filed an amended 2 complaint, a complaint may be amended to add new claims so long as the administrative remedies 3 for the new claims are exhausted prior to amendment. Cano v. Taylor, 739 F.3d 1214, 1220–21 4 (9th Cir. 2014) (new claims added to a lawsuit via amendment that are exhausted prior to the 5 amendment comply with the exhaustion requirement); Rhodes v. Robinson, 621 F.3d 1002, 1007 6 (9th Cir. 2010) (new claims asserted in an amended complaint are to be considered by the court 7 so long as administrative remedies with respect to those new claims are exhausted before the 8 amended complaint is tendered to the court for filing). Plaintiff’s amended complaint did not 9 raise new claims. In both the original and amended complaints, plaintiff alleged that he was 10 denied treatment for hepatitis C. Therefore, plaintiff’s administrative remedies had to be 11 exhausted before he filed the original complaint. 12 13 14 15 For the reasons discussed above, defendant’s motion for summary judgment on the grounds that plaintiff failed to exhaust administrative remedies should be granted. Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that plaintiff’s motion to reopen discovery (ECF No. 58) is denied; 16 IT IS HEREBY RECOMMENDED that: 17 1. Plaintiff’s motion to amend (ECF No. 59) be granted with respect to the claims against 18 defendant Sacramento County that are consistent with those addressed in the pending summary 19 judgment motion; plaintiff’s motion to amend should be denied in all other respects; 20 2. Defendant’s motion for summary judgment (ECF No. 52) be granted. 21 These findings and recommendations are submitted to the United States District Judge 22 assigned to the case, pursuant to the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(l). Within fourteen days 23 after being served with these findings and recommendations, any party may file written 24 objections with the court and serve a copy on all parties. Such a document should be captioned 25 “Objections to Magistrate Judge’s Findings and Recommendations.” Any response to the 26 objections shall be filed and served within fourteen days after service of the objections. The 27 28 exhaustion may not be required when “prison administrators thwart inmates from taking advantage of a grievance process…). 26 1 parties are advised that failure to file objections within the specified time may waive the right to 2 appeal the District Court’s order. Martinez v. Ylst, 951 F.2d 1153 (9th Cir. 1991). 3 Dated: July 11, 2017 4 5 6 Hou2055.sj 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 27	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line367
__label__cc	0.506857	0.493143	Justia Dockets & Filings Third Circuit Pennsylvania Eastern District CARIOLA v. SCI CHESTER et al Filing 5 CARIOLA v. SCI CHESTER et al MEMORANDUM. AN APPROPRIATE ORDER FOLLOWS.. SIGNED BY HONORABLE C. DARNELL JONES, II ON 9/28/17. 9/28/17 ENTERED AND COPIES MAILED TO PRO SE PLFF. (pr, ) IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DI1=YLEODPENNSYLvANIA MICHAEL CARIOLA '.SEP l 8 I.Ult CIVIL ACTION KATE BARKMAN Clerk BY. ' oSp. Clerk v. NO. 17-3851 SCI CHESTER, et al. MEMORANDUM SEPTEMBERl8 ':12017 JONES,J. Plaintiff Michael Cariola, a prisoner at the Chester County Prison, brings this action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, based on events that took place while he was incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution at Chester. He seeks to proceed informapauperis. For the following reasons, the Court will grant plaintiff leave to proceed in forma pauperis and dismiss his complaint without prejudice for failure to state a claim, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii). I. FACTS Plaintiff filed this civil action against the following defendants: (1) SCI Chester; (2) Superintendent Lamas; (3) Capt. Eason; (4) Agent Bradly; and (5) PA DOC. He describes the basis for his lawsuit as follows: I was charged for possession at SCI Chester and people who help Capt. Eason [and] Agent Bradley don't get charged. If any crime is committed on their property it should be prosecuted not choose who they want. I believe it is discriminatory basic indifference [and] discrimination. Capt Eason [and] Agent Bradley pulled me into his office and told me if I help them they will not press charges. If you help they will sweep it under the rug. I chose not to [and] got charged. If they don't prosecute someone being stab[b]ed which is a violent crime. Something is wrong. 1 (Compl. at 3, ~ D.) Based on those allegations, plaintiff asks the Court to direct dismissal of the charges against him and award him damages. II. STANDARD OF REVIEW The Court grants plaintiff leave to proceed informa pauperis. Accordingly, 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii) applies, which requires the Court to dismiss the complaint ifit fails to state a claim. Whether a complaint fails to state a claim under § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii) is governed by the same standard applicable to motions to dismiss under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), see Tourscher v. McCullough, 184 F.3d 236, 240 (3d Cir. 1999), which requires the Court to determine whether the complaint contains "sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face." Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (quotations omitted). Vague and conclusory statements do not suffice to state a claim. Id. As plaintiff is proceedingpra se, the Court construes his allegations liberally. Higgs v. Atty Gen., 655 F.3d 333, 339 (3d Cir. 2011). III. DISCUSSION "To state a claim under § 1983, a plaintiff must allege the violation of a right secured by the Constitution and laws of the United States, and must show that the alleged deprivation was committed by a person acting under color of state law." West v. Atkins, 487 U.S. 42, 48 (1988). Initially, plaintiff cannot state a § 1983 claim against SCI Chester and the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections because those entities are essentially arms of the Commonwealth that share in the Commonwealth's immunity and are not considered "persons" for purposes of§ 1983. See Will v. Mich. Dep't a/State Police, 491 U.S. 58, 65-66 (1989); Lavia v. Pa. Dep't of Corr., 224 F.3d 190, 195 (3d Cir. 2000). 2 In any event, it is not clear what constitutional violation plaintiff believes occurred here because plaintiff provides very little factual information to gi"ve the Court an understanding of what happened to him. However, if plaintiff was caught with contraband while incarcerated and charged accordingly-whether in a disciplinary or criminal proceeding-those actions do not, without more, violate plaintiffs constitutional rights. Additionally, if plaintiff was charged in a criminal proceeding, this Court may not intervene in that proceeding. See Younger v. Harris, 401 U.S. 37, 43-44 (1971). Plaintiff generally alleges that he was discriminated against but he does not elaborate on that allegation. Reading between the lines, it appears that plaintiff is upset that inmates who cooperate with authorities are given leniency when caught with contraband in comparison with those who do not cooperate, such as himself. If so, that reality does not plausibly support a conclusion that plaintiffs constitutional rights were violated. Plaintiff cannot claim that he was not treated equally as compared to individuals who cooperated with authorities because he is not similarly situated to those individuals. Phillips v. Cty. ofAllegheny, 515 F .3d 224, 243 (3d Cir. 2008) ("[T]o state a claim for "class of one" equal protection, a plaintiff must at a minimum allege that he was intentionally treated differently from others similarly situated by the defendant and that there was no rational basis for such treatment."). Furthermore, prosecutors regularly cooperate with defendants and grant leniency for that cooperation. Finally, if plaintiff is bringing claims based on allegations that prison authorities failed to prosecute other crimes that occurred at the prison, his claims fail because "a private citizen lacks a judicially cognizable interest in the prosecution or nonprosecution of another." See Linda R.S. v. Richard D., 410 U.S. 614, 619 (1973); see also Godfrey v. Pennsylvania, 525 F. App'x 78, 80 n.l (3d Cir. 2013) (per curiam) ("[T]here is no federal right to require the government to initiate 3 criminal proceedings."). While a failure to prosecute another's crime might seem unfair or frustrating to plaintiff, that failure does not provide plaintiff with a legal basis for a constitutional claim. IV. CONCLUSION For the foregoing reasons, the Court will dismiss the complaint for failure to state a claim, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B)(ii). The dismissal is without prejudice to plaintiff filing an amended complaint in the event he can state a plausible claim. An appropriate order follows. 4	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line368
__label__cc	0.591601	0.408399	Speed Kills: Why we Need to Hit the Brakes on “Killer Robots” 2016-04-08 / Charli Carpenter / 3 Comments This is a guest post by Juergen Altmann and Frank Sauer. Juergen Altmann is a Researcher and Lecturer at Technische Universität Dortmund, a specialist in military technology and preventive arms control and among the first scholars to study the military uses of nanotechnology. Frank Sauer is a Senior Research Fellow and Lecturer, Bundeswehr University Munich, a specialist in international security, and is the author of Atomic Anxiety: Deterrence, Taboo and the Non-Use of U.S. Nuclear Weapons. Autonomous weapon systems: rarely has an issue gained the attention of the international arms control community as quickly as these so-called killer robots. “Once activated, they can select and engage targets without further intervention by a human operator“, according to the Pentagon. They are, judging from the skepticism prevalent in epistemic communities and public opinion alike, a controversial development. Come next Monday, the United Nations in Geneva will begin its third informal experts meeting on this emerging arms technology. For the third year in a row, various technical, legal and ethical questions surrounding autonomous weapons will be discussed at the UN’s Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW): Where does autonomy begin, where does meaningful human control end? Can these systems function in compliance with international humanitarian law? Who is accountable if things go awry? Can “outsourcing” kill-decisions to machines be morally acceptable in the first place? Depending on how CCW States Parties answer these questions, the still nascent social taboo that forbids the use of machines autonomously making kill-decisions might spawn a human security regime and be codified in a CCW protocol. In short, a ban might be in the cards for killer robots. And in fact, there is an additional set of compelling reasons for preventive arms control that received comparably less attention so far (with notable exceptions, of course): the impact of killer robots on peace and stability. Stability: not a Cold War relic Stability became a key notion in Cold War international thought for two reasons. First, the arms race. Arms competition instability exists if the classic dynamic of one side deploying systems which lead adversaries to respond in kind and vice versa goes unchecked, with horizontal and vertical proliferation in tow. Crises were the second reason. Crisis instability exists if there are significant incentives to initiate an attack quickly. These can also arise when (conventional) war is already underway; hastening the escalation to higher levels of conflict, potentially even across the nuclear threshold due to a “use them or lose them”-situation. The vicious cycle of an uncurbed arms race as well as the dangers of overboiling crises and deterrence failure – backed up by the accidental nuclear war scares caused by early-warning slipups and human error – provided cautionary tales and fueled the strive for stability via arms control during the Cold War, not only in the nuclear but also in the conventional realm with the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty. IR and arms control literature documents these lessons. They carry over to the dawning age of autonomous weapons. Proliferation and arms race instability Strictly speaking, autonomous weapons do not exist yet. They are not to be confused with automatic defense systems capable of “firing without a human in the loop”. These are stationary or fixed on ships or trailers and mostly fire at inanimate targets such as incoming munitions. More importantly, they just repeatedly perform pre-programmed actions and operate in a comparably structured and controlled environment. Autonomous weapon systems, in contrast, would have their own means of propulsion and be able to operate without human control or supervision in dynamic, unstructured, open environments over an extended period of time, potentially learning and adapting their behavior on the go. The military advantages – compared to today’s remotely piloted systems – are obvious. Think future autonomous combat drone sent off to seek, identify, track and attack targets on its own, and you’re spot on. They are called killer robots for a reason. The drone sector gives an indication of what to expect. Between 2001 and 2015, the number of countries with armed drones has increased from two to ten (add Hamas and Hezbollah to that), and at least 11 countries are currently developing them. Meanwhile, everything points toward weapon autonomy as the next logical step. The US, with its newly stated third offset strategy explicitly embraces autonomy to achieve military-technological superiority and is consequently leading the way in the air, on the ground, on the sea and below it. And while the US is the only country to have introduced a doctrine for the deployment and use of autonomous weapon systems, claiming restraint, Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work just recently stated that the delegation of lethal authority will inexorably happen. Absent an international ban, one would expect others to follow that lead. After all, who would allow a “killer robot gap”? Especially considering that implementing autonomy in already existing systems in a vibrant ecosystem of unmanned vehicles in various shapes and sizes is not the equivalent of starting a nuclear program from scratch – it’s a technical challenge, yes, but doable, particularly with significant portions of the hard- and software being dual-use. And we are not even considering technology export yet. In short, an unchecked robotics arms race is in the making – with weapons potentially proliferating to everyone, including oppressive regimes and non-state actors. Crisis escalation and instability Autonomous weapons are commonly projected as systems of systems operating in swarms. With that in mind, imagine a severe crisis, the swarms of adversaries operating in close proximity of each other. A coordinated attack of one could wipe out the other within missile flight time – that is seconds. The control software would have to react fast in order to use its weapons before they are lost. Sun glint in visual data misinterpreted as a rocket flame, sudden, unforeseen moves of the enemy swarm, a simple software bug could trigger an erroneous “counter”-attack. And while this could happen on a small scale at first, the sequence of events developing from two autonomous systems of systems interacting at rapid speed could never be trained nor tested nor, really, foreseen. The stock market provides cautionary tales of such unforeseeable algorithm interactions. Introducing algorithms in conflict bears an enormous risk of uncontrolled escalation from crisis to war. In addition, swarms of autonomous weapons would generate new possibilities for disarming surprise attacks. Small, stealthy or extremely low-flying systems are difficult to detect, the absence of a remote-control radio link makes detection even harder. Russia already was not very amused when the idea of using stealthy drones for missile defense was floated in the US. It’s easy to see why. When nuclear weapons or strategic command-and-control systems are, or are perceived to be, put at risk by undetectable swarms that are hard to defend against, autonomous conventional capabilities end up causing instability at the strategic level. Hitting the brakes The case of autonomous weapon systems is not one of “we need them because they have them”. After all, no one has them – yet. We would be well-advised to keep it this way. Preventive arms control is prudent. Not only would it curb the looming arms race, a ban would prevent the excessive acceleration of battle that threatens to escape human understanding and the possibility of staying in control during crises. Sometimes humans make mistakes, and humans are slower than machines. But when things threaten to get out of hand, slow is good. That is why we need to hit the brakes now. Friday Nerd Blogging: Does Cosplay at Conference Panels Render Pop-Culture Research Less Serious? Either DA-RT Works, or It Does Not	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line369
__label__wiki	0.64211	0.64211	Duke University A CaPPella Council Meet Our Groups! Deja Blue The Pitchforks Rhythm & Blue Something Borrowed Something Blue Speak of the Devil The name Lady Blue is drawn from the title of Billie Holiday's song and biography, Lady Sings the Blues. Billie Holiday was a true music revolutionary, forging her own genre and overcoming immense obstacles. We are proud to honor her with our name and music. Lady Blue was founded by a group of talented female singers in 1991. Since our inception we have performed at notable campus events such as President Broadhead's inauguration and the opening of the Emily Krzyzewski Center for Family Life. Our passion for singing has taken us up and down the Eastern seaboard, from New Hampshire to southern Florida. Some of our favorite performance spots are Central Park, cruise ships in the Caribbean, Cameron Indoor Stadium, and of course, all around Duke's campus. When we're at home at Duke, we love dorm concerts, hosting a cappella groups from all over the United States, and playing broomball together. Lady Blue enjoys a good road trip too - for the past two years, we've headed down to the South Carolina coast for our traditional Fall Break tour. Our most recent album Off the Record was released in the fall of 2008. That same year, the album was nominated for Best Female Collegiate Album by the Contemporary A Cappella Society, along with a nomination for Best Arrangement of "How to Save a Life." Lady Blue's rendition of Ciara's "Like A Boy" was also selected for the 2009 Voices Only compilation. Later that year, Lady Blue was awarded Best Staging at the 2009 SoJam A Cappella Festival, an annual a cappella competition held in the South. We owe tremendous thanks to our amazing alumni, wonderfully generous and supportive parents, fabulous friends and roommates, and dedicated fans! Find out more about Lady Blue at http://www.dukeladyblue.com/	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line370
__label__wiki	0.872956	0.872956	Aadhaar Pay to be launched shortly, to debut with SBI and 4 others , ET Bureau Last Updated: Feb 23, 2017, 10:04 AM IST Aadhaar Pay will revolutionise the payment ecosystem in India. The government is ready to go live with the solution in the next couple of days. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on December 30 that biometric based payment system Aadhaar Pay will be launched shortly and will revolutionise the payment ecosystem in the country, the government is ready to go live with the solution in the next couple of days. According to a senior government official, Aadhaar Pay will be introduced in the country first with five banks that includes the country’s largest public sector bank the State Bank of India (SBI). The other banks are Syndicate Bank, IndusInd Bank, and IDFC Bank. Bank of Baroda and Punjab National Bank are also in the process of launching it at the earliest, the official added. “The Prime Minister during the launch function of BHIM said that Aadhaar Pay -- whereby Aadhaar enabled payments will happen – will be launched shortly. Now five banks are ready to launch it,” said the official. The person said that to enable the new payment system, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), has also come up with detailed specifications on what kind of registered devices will be allowed. “Some people had highlighted some security concerns with it. If we want Aadhaar to proliferate, we need detailed guidelines on the kind of the devices that can be deployed,” said the official. The government has also set up a timeline of March 31st for all banks to launch on the platform. Aadhaar-enabled payment system, or Aadhaar Pay, will be an app for merchants which will enable them to receive payments through biometric authentication of the customer, provided their bank accounts are linked to their Aadhaar number. The biggest advantage through this method of payment is that the customer will not need a credit or debit card, or even a smartphone. A pilot was conducted in fair price shops in Andhra Pradesh where shopkeepers are accepting payments from PDS beneficiaries to test the systems. The idea takes off from the existing Aadhaar-enabled payment system (AEPS) used by bank business correspondents (BCs) in rural areas to disburse and accept cash, using micro ATMs. The official said that one of the reasons behind the delay in the launch is that detailed specifications on the point of sale machines were not available. “Now that guidelines are there and other security concerns have been taken care of, we expect more banks to join the system,” the official added. Almost 112 crore people in the country have Aadhaar and around 40 crore bank accounts have been linked to the unique identity number so far. GovernmentUIDAIDigital PaymentsBhimAadhaar Pay Amazon launches Amazon Academy for JEE, competitive exams preparation	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line374
__label__wiki	0.522865	0.522865	Taking a Closer Look at COVID-19’s Effects on the Brain Posted on January 14th, 2021 by Dr. Francis Collins Caption: Magnetic resonance microscopy showing lower part of a COVID-19 patient’s brain stem postmortem. Arrows point to light and dark spots indicative of blood vessel damage with no signs of infection by the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Credit: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH While primarily a respiratory disease, COVID-19 can also lead to neurological problems. The first of these symptoms might be the loss of smell and taste, while some people also may later battle headaches, debilitating fatigue, and trouble thinking clearly, sometimes referred to as “brain fog.” All of these symptoms have researchers wondering how exactly the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, affects the human brain. In search of clues, researchers at NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) have now conducted the first in-depth examinations of human brain tissue samples from people who died after contracting COVID-19. Their findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggest that COVID-19’s many neurological symptoms are likely explained by the body’s widespread inflammatory response to infection and associated blood vessel injury—not by infection of the brain tissue itself [1]. The NIH team, led by Avindra Nath, used a high-powered magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner (up to 10 times as sensitive as a typical MRI) to examine postmortem brain tissue from 19 patients. They ranged in age from 5 to 73, and some had preexisting conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. The team focused on the brain’s olfactory bulb that controls our ability to smell and the brainstem, which regulates breathing and heart rate. Based on earlier evidence, both areas are thought to be highly susceptible to COVID-19. Indeed, the MRI images revealed in both regions an unusual number of bright spots, a sign of inflammation. They also showed dark spots, which indicate bleeding. A closer look at the bright spots showed that tiny blood vessels in those areas were thinner than normal and, in some cases, leaked blood proteins into the brain. This leakage appeared to trigger an immune reaction that included T cells from the blood and the brain’s scavenging microglia. The dark spots showed a different pattern, with leaky vessels and clots but no evidence of an immune reaction. While those findings are certainly interesting, perhaps equally noteworthy is what Nath and colleagues didn’t see in those samples. They could find no evidence in the brain tissue samples that SARS-CoV-2 had invaded the brain tissue. In fact, several methods to detect genetic material or proteins from the virus all turned up empty. The findings are especially intriguing because there has been some suggestion based on studies in mice that SARS-CoV-2 might cross the blood-brain barrier and invade the brain. Indeed, a recent report by NIH-funded researchers in Nature Neuroscience showed that the viral spike protein, when injected into mice, readily entered the brain along with many other organs [2]. Another recent report in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, which used mouse and human brain tissue, suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may indeed directly infect the central nervous system, including the brain [3]. In autopsies of three people who died from complications of COVID-19, the NIH-supported researchers detected signs of SARS-CoV-2 in neurons in the brain’s cerebral cortex. This work was done using the microscopy-based technique of immunohistochemistry, which uses antibodies to bind to a target, in this case, the virus’s spike protein. Also last month, in a study published in the journal Neurobiology of Disease, another NIH-supported team demonstrated in a series of experiments in cell culture that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein could cross a 3D model of the blood-brain barrier and infect the endothelial cells that line blood vessels in the brain [4]. Clearly, more research is needed, and Nath and colleagues continue to explore how COVID-19 affects the brain and triggers the neurological symptoms often seen in people with COVID-19. As we learn more about the many ways COVID-19 wreaks havoc on the body, understanding the neurological symptoms will be critical in helping people, including the so-called Long Haulers bounce back from this terrible viral infection. [1] Microvascular Injury in the Brains of Patients with Covid-19. Lee MH, Perl DP, Nair G, Li W, Maric D, Murray H, Dodd SJ, Koretsky AP, Watts JA, Cheung V, Masliah E, Horkayne-Szakaly I, Jones R, Stram MN, Moncur J, Hefti M, Folkerth RD, Nath A. N Engl J Med. 2020 Dec 30. [2] The S1 protein of SARS-CoV-2 crosses the blood-brain barrier in mice. Rhea EM, Logsdon AF, Hansen KM, Williams LM, Reed MJ, Baumann KK, Holden SJ, Raber J, Banks WA, Erickson MA. Nat Neurosci. 2020 Dec 16. [3] Neuroinvasion of SARS-CoV-2 in human and mouse brain. Song E, Zhang C, Israelow B, et al. J Exp Med (2021) 218 (3): e20202135. [4] The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein alters barrier function in 2D static and 3D microfluidic in-vitro models of the human blood-brain barrier. Buzhdygan TP, DeOre BJ, Baldwin-Leclair A, Bullock TA, McGary HM, Khan JA, Razmpour R, Hale JF, Galie PA, Potula R, Andrews AM, Ramirez SH. Neurobiol Dis. 2020 Dec;146:105131. COVID-19 Research (NIH) Avindra Nath (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke/NIH) NIH Support: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; National Institute on Aging; National Institute of General Medical Sciences; National Cancer Institute; National Institute of Mental Health Tags: blood vessels, blood-brain barrier, brain, brain fog, brainstem, coronavirus, COVID-19, COVID-19 infections, COVID-19-inflammation, long COVID, long-haulers, microglia, neurology, novel coronavirus, olfactory bulb, pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, spike protein, T cells What A Year It Was for Science Advances! At the close of every year, editors and writers at the journal Science review the progress that’s been made in all fields of science—from anthropology to zoology—to select the biggest advance of the past 12 months. In most cases, this Breakthrough of the Year is as tough to predict as the Oscar for Best Picture. Not in 2020. In a year filled with a multitude of challenges posed by the emergence of the deadly coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019), the breakthrough was the development of the first vaccines to protect against this pandemic that’s already claimed the lives of more than 360,000 Americans. In keeping with its annual tradition, Science also selected nine runner-up breakthroughs. This impressive list includes at least three areas that involved efforts supported by NIH: therapeutic applications of gene editing, basic research understanding HIV, and scientists speaking up for diversity. Here’s a quick rundown of all the pioneering advances in biomedical research, both NIH and non-NIH funded: Shots of Hope. A lot of things happened in 2020 that were unprecedented. At the top of the list was the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines. Public and private researchers accomplished in 10 months what normally takes about 8 years to produce two vaccines for public use, with more on the way in 2021. In my more than 25 years at NIH, I’ve never encountered such a willingness among researchers to set aside their other concerns and gather around the same table to get the job done fast, safely, and efficiently for the world. It’s also pretty amazing that the first two conditionally approved vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna were found to be more than 90 percent effective at protecting people from infection with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Both are innovative messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, a new approach to vaccination. For this type of vaccine, the centerpiece is a small, non-infectious snippet of mRNA that encodes the instructions to make the spike protein that crowns the outer surface of SARS-CoV-2. When the mRNA is injected into a shoulder muscle, cells there will follow the encoded instructions and temporarily make copies of this signature viral protein. As the immune system detects these copies, it spurs the production of antibodies and helps the body remember how to fend off SARS-CoV-2 should the real thing be encountered. It also can’t be understated that both mRNA vaccines—one developed by Pfizer and the other by Moderna in conjunction with NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases—were rigorously evaluated in clinical trials. Detailed data were posted online and discussed in all-day meetings of an FDA Advisory Committee, open to the public. In fact, given the high stakes, the level of review probably was more scientifically rigorous than ever. First CRISPR Cures: One of the most promising areas of research now underway involves gene editing. These tools, still relatively new, hold the potential to fix gene misspellings—and potentially cure—a wide range of genetic diseases that were once to be out of reach. Much of the research focus has centered on CRISPR/Cas9. This highly precise gene-editing system relies on guide RNA molecules to direct a scissor-like Cas9 enzyme to just the right spot in the genome to cut out or correct a disease-causing misspelling. In late 2020, a team of researchers in the United States and Europe succeeded for the first time in using CRISPR to treat 10 people with sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. As published in the New England Journal of Medicine, several months after this non-heritable treatment, all patients no longer needed frequent blood transfusions and are living pain free [1]. The researchers tested a one-time treatment in which they removed bone marrow from each patient, modified the blood-forming hematopoietic stem cells outside the body using CRISPR, and then reinfused them into the body. To prepare for receiving the corrected cells, patients were given toxic bone marrow ablation therapy, in order to make room for the corrected cells. The result: the modified stem cells were reprogrammed to switch back to making ample amounts of a healthy form of hemoglobin that their bodies produced in the womb. While the treatment is still risky, complex, and prohibitively expensive, this work is an impressive start for more breakthroughs to come using gene editing technologies. NIH, including its Somatic Cell Genome Editing program, continues to push the technology to accelerate progress and make gene editing cures for many disorders simpler and less toxic. Scientists Speak Up for Diversity: The year 2020 will be remembered not only for COVID-19, but also for the very public and inescapable evidence of the persistence of racial discrimination in the United States. Triggered by the killing of George Floyd and other similar events, Americans were forced to come to grips with the fact that our society does not provide equal opportunity and justice for all. And that applies to the scientific community as well. Science thrives in safe, diverse, and inclusive research environments. It suffers when racism and bigotry find a home to stifle diversity—and community for all—in the sciences. For the nation’s leading science institutions, there is a place and a calling to encourage diversity in the scientific workplace and provide the resources to let it flourish to everyone’s benefit. For those of us at NIH, last year’s peaceful protests and hashtags were noticed and taken to heart. That’s one of the many reasons why we will continue to strengthen our commitment to building a culturally diverse, inclusive workplace. For example, we have established the NIH Equity Committee. It allows for the systematic tracking and evaluation of diversity and inclusion metrics for the intramural research program for each NIH institute and center. There is also the recently founded Distinguished Scholars Program, which aims to increase the diversity of tenure track investigators at NIH. Recently, NIH also announced that it will provide support to institutions to recruit diverse groups or “cohorts” of early-stage research faculty and prepare them to thrive as NIH-funded researchers. AI Disentangles Protein Folding: Proteins, which are the workhorses of the cell, are made up of long, interconnected strings of amino acids that fold into a wide variety of 3D shapes. Understanding the precise shape of a protein facilitates efforts to figure out its function, its potential role in a disease, and even how to target it with therapies. To gain such understanding, researchers often try to predict a protein’s precise 3D chemical structure using basic principles of physics—including quantum mechanics. But while nature does this in real time zillions of times a day, computational approaches have not been able to do this—until now. Of the roughly 170,000 proteins mapped so far, most have had their structures deciphered using powerful imaging techniques such as x-ray crystallography and cryo–electron microscopy (cryo-EM). But researchers estimate that there are at least 200 million proteins in nature, and, as amazing as these imaging techniques are, they are laborious, and it can take many months or years to solve 3D structure of a single protein. So, a breakthrough certainly was needed! In 2020, researchers with the company Deep Mind, London, developed an artificial intelligence (AI) program that rapidly predicts most protein structures as accurately as x-ray crystallography and cryo-EM can map them [2]. The AI program, called AlphaFold, predicts a protein’s structure by computationally modeling the amino acid interactions that govern its 3D shape. Getting there wasn’t easy. While a complete de novo calculation of protein structure still seemed out of reach, investigators reasoned that they could kick start the modeling if known structures were provided as a training set to the AI program. Utilizing a computer network built around 128 machine learning processors, the AlphaFold system was created by first focusing on the 170,000 proteins with known structures in a reiterative process called deep learning. The process, which is inspired by the way neural networks in the human brain process information, enables computers to look for patterns in large collections of data. In this case, AlphaFold learned to predict the underlying physical structure of a protein within a matter of days. This breakthrough has the potential to accelerate the fields of structural biology and protein research, fueling progress throughout the sciences. How Elite Controllers Keep HIV at Bay: The term “elite controller” might make some people think of video game whizzes. But here, it refers to the less than 1 percent of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who’ve somehow stayed healthy for years without taking antiretroviral drugs. In 2020, a team of NIH-supported researchers figured out why this is so. In a study of 64 elite controllers, published in the journal Nature, the team discovered a link between their good health and where the virus has inserted itself in their genomes [3]. When a cell transcribes a gene where HIV has settled, this so-called “provirus,” can produce more virus to infect other cells. But if it settles in a part of a chromosome that rarely gets transcribed, sometimes called a gene desert, the provirus is stuck with no way to replicate. Although this discovery won’t cure HIV/AIDS, it points to a new direction for developing better treatment strategies. In closing, 2020 presented more than its share of personal and social challenges. Among those challenges was a flood of misinformation about COVID-19 that confused and divided many communities and even families. That’s why the editors and writers at Science singled out “a second pandemic of misinformation” as its Breakdown of the Year. This divisiveness should concern all of us greatly, as COVID-19 cases continue to soar around the country and our healthcare gets stretched to the breaking point. I hope and pray that we will all find a way to come together, both in science and in society, as we move forward in 2021. [1] CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing for sickle cell disease and β-thalassemia. Frangoul H et al. N Engl J Med. 2020 Dec 5. [2] ‘The game has changed.’ AI triumphs at protein folding. Service RF. Science. 04 Dec 2020. [3] Distinct viral reservoirs in individuals with spontaneous control of HIV-1. Jiang C et al. Nature. 2020 Sep;585(7824):261-267. 2020 Science Breakthrough of the Year (American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, D.C) Tags: AlphaFold, artificial intelligence, beta thalassemia, coronavirus, COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccine, CRISPR, CRISPR/Cas9, cryo-electron microscopy, cryo-EM, deep learning, Deep Mind, diversity, elite controllers, gene editing, George Floyd, HIV, imaging, misinformation, Moderna, mRNA vaccine, NIH Distinguished Scholars Program, NIH Equity Committee, novel coronavirus, pandemic, Pfizer, protein folding, SARS-CoV-2, Science Breakthroughs of the Year 2020, Science's Breakthroughs of the Year, Science's Top 10 Science Advances, sickle cell disease, Somatic Cell Genome Editing, spike protein, structural biology, transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia, x-ray crystallography The People’s Picks for Best Posts It’s 2021—Happy New Year! Time sure flies in the blogosphere. It seems like just yesterday that I started the NIH Director’s Blog to highlight recent advances in biology and medicine, many supported by NIH. Yet it turns out that more than eight years have passed since this blog got rolling and we are fast approaching my 1,000th post! I’m pleased that millions of you have clicked on these posts to check out some very cool science and learn more about NIH and its mission. Thanks to the wonders of social media software, we’ve been able to tally up those views to determine each year’s most-popular post. So, I thought it would be fun to ring in the New Year by looking back at a few of your favorites, sort of a geeky version of a top 10 countdown or the People’s Choice Awards. It was interesting to see what topics generated the greatest interest. Spoiler alert: diet and exercise seemed to matter a lot! So, without further ado, I present the winners: 2013: Fighting Obesity: New Hopes from Brown Fat. Brown fat, one of several types of fat made by our bodies, was long thought to produce body heat rather than store energy. But Shingo Kajimura and his team at the University of California, San Francisco, showed in a study published in the journal Nature, that brown fat does more than that. They discovered a gene that acts as a molecular switch to produce brown fat, then linked mutations in this gene to obesity in humans. What was also nice about this blog post is that it appeared just after Kajimura had started his own lab. In fact, this was one of the lab’s first publications. One of my goals when starting the blog was to feature young researchers, and this work certainly deserved the attention it got from blog readers. Since highlighting this work, research on brown fat has continued to progress, with new evidence in humans suggesting that brown fat is an effective target to improve glucose homeostasis. 2014: In Memory of Sam Berns. I wrote this blog post as a tribute to someone who will always be very near and dear to me. Sam Berns was born with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, one of the rarest of rare diseases. After receiving the sad news that this brave young man had passed away, I wrote: “Sam may have only lived 17 years, but in his short life he taught the rest of us a lot about how to live.” Affecting approximately 400 people worldwide, progeria causes premature aging. Without treatment, children with progeria, who have completely normal intellectual development, die of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, on average in their early teens. From interactions with Sam and his parents in the early 2000s, I started to study progeria in my NIH lab, eventually identifying the gene responsible for the disorder. My group and others have learned a lot since then. So, it was heartening last November when the Food and Drug Administration approved the first treatment for progeria. It’s an oral medication called Zokinvy (lonafarnib) that helps prevent the buildup of defective protein that has deadly consequences. In clinical trials, the drug increased the average survival time of those with progeria by more than two years. It’s a good beginning, but we have much more work to do in the memory of Sam and to help others with progeria. Watch for more about new developments in applying gene editing to progeria in the next few days. 2015: Cytotoxic T Cells on Patrol. Readers absolutely loved this post. When the American Society of Cell Biology held its first annual video competition, called CellDance, my blog featured some of the winners. Among them was this captivating video from Alex Ritter, then working with cell biologist Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz of NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The video stars a roving, specialized component of our immune system called cytotoxic T cells. Their job is to seek out and destroy any foreign or detrimental cells. Here, these T cells literally convince a problem cell to commit suicide, a process that takes about 10 minutes from detection to death. These cytotoxic T cells are critical players in cancer immunotherapy, in which a patient’s own immune system is enlisted to control and, in some cases, even cure the cancer. Cancer immunotherapy remains a promising area of research that continues to progress, with a lot of attention now being focused on developing immunotherapies for common, solid tumors like breast cancer. Ritter is currently completing a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Ira Mellman, Genentech, South San Francisco. His focus has shifted to how cancer cells protect themselves from T cells. And video buffs—get this—Ritter says he’s now created even cooler videos that than the one in this post. 2016: Exercise Releases Brain-Healthy Protein. The research literature is pretty clear: exercise is good for the brain. In this very popular post, researchers led by Hyo Youl Moon and Henriette van Praag of NIH’s National Institute on Aging identified a protein secreted by skeletal muscle cells to help explore the muscle-brain connection. In a study in Cell Metabolism, Moon and his team showed that this protein called cathepsin B makes its way into the brain and after a good workout influences the development of new neural connections. This post is also memorable to me for the photo collage that accompanied the original post. Why? If you look closely at the bottom right, you’ll see me exercising—part of my regular morning routine! 2017: Muscle Enzyme Explains Weight Gain in Middle Age. The struggle to maintain a healthy weight is a lifelong challenge for many of us. While several risk factors for weight gain, such as counting calories, are within our control, there’s a major one that isn’t: age. Jay Chung, a researcher with NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and his team discovered that the normal aging process causes levels of an enzyme called DNA-PK to rise in animals as they approach middle age. While the enzyme is known for its role in DNA repair, their studies showed it also slows down metabolism, making it more difficult to burn fat. Since publishing this paper in Cell Metabolism, Chung has been busy trying to understand how aging increases the activity of DNA-PK and its ability to suppress renewal of the cell’s energy-producing mitochondria. Without renewal of damaged mitochondria, excess oxidants accumulate in cells that then activate DNA-PK, which contributed to the damage in the first place. Chung calls it a “vicious cycle” of aging and one that we’ll be learning more about in the future. 2018: Has an Alternative to Table Sugar Contributed to the C. Diff. Epidemic? This impressive bit of microbial detective work had blog readers clicking and commenting for several weeks. So, it’s no surprise that it was the runaway People’s Choice of 2018. Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is a common bacterium that lives harmlessly in the gut of most people. But taking antibiotics can upset the normal balance of healthy gut microbes, allowing C. diff. to multiply and produce toxins that cause inflammation and diarrhea. In the 2000s, C. diff. infections became far more serious and common in American hospitals, and Robert Britton, a researcher at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, wanted to know why. He and his team discovered that two subtypes of C. diff have adapted to feed on the sugar trehalose, which was approved as a food additive in the United States during the early 2000s. The team’s findings, published in the journal Nature, suggested that hospitals and nursing homes battling C. diff. outbreaks may want to take a closer look at the effect of trehalose in the diet of their patients. 2019: Study Finds No Benefit for Dietary Supplements. This post that was another one that sparked a firestorm of comments from readers. A team of NIH-supported researchers, led by Fang Fang Zhang, Tufts University, Boston, found that people who reported taking dietary supplements had about the same risk of dying as those who got their nutrients through food. What’s more, the mortality benefits associated with adequate intake of vitamin A, vitamin K, magnesium, zinc, and copper were limited to amounts that are available from food consumption. The researchers based their conclusion on an analysis of the well-known National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999-2000 and 2009-2010 survey data. The team, which reported its data in the Annals of Internal Medicine, also uncovered some evidence suggesting that certain supplements might even be harmful to health when taken in excess. 2020: Genes, Blood Type Tied to Risk of Severe COVID-19. Typically, my blog focuses on research involving many different diseases. That changed in 2020 due to the emergence of a formidable public health challenge: the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Since last March, the blog has featured 85 posts on COVID-19, covering all aspects of the research response and attracting more visitors than ever. And which post got the most views? It was one that highlighted a study, published last June in the New England Journal of Medicine, that suggested the clues to people’s variable responses to COVID-19 may be found in our genes and our blood types. The researchers found that gene variants in two regions of the human genome are associated with severe COVID-19 and correspondingly carry a greater risk of COVID-19-related death. The two stretches of DNA implicated as harboring risks for severe COVID-19 are known to carry some intriguing genes, including one that determines blood type and others that play various roles in the immune system. In fact, the findings suggest that people with blood type A face a 50 percent greater risk of needing oxygen support or a ventilator should they become infected with the novel coronavirus. In contrast, people with blood type O appear to have about a 50 percent reduced risk of severe COVID-19. That’s it for the blog’s year-by-year Top Hits. But wait! I’d also like to give shout outs to the People’s Choice winners in two other important categories—history and cool science images. Top History Post: HeLa Cells: A New Chapter in An Enduring Story. Published in August 2013, this post remains one of the blog’s greatest hits with readers. The post highlights science’s use of cancer cells taken in the 1950s from a young Black woman named Henrietta Lacks. These “HeLa” cells had an amazing property not seen before: they could be grown continuously in laboratory conditions. The “new chapter” featured in this post is an agreement with the Lacks family that gives researchers access to the HeLa genome data, while still protecting the family’s privacy and recognizing their enormous contribution to medical research. And the acknowledgments rightfully keep coming from those who know this remarkable story, which has been chronicled in both book and film. Recently, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passed the Henrietta Lacks Enhancing Cancer Research Act to honor her extraordinary life and examine access to government-funded cancer clinical trials for traditionally underrepresented groups. Top Snapshots of Life: A Close-up of COVID-19 in Lung Cells. My blog posts come in several categories. One that you may have noticed is “Snapshots of Life,” which provides a showcase for cool images that appear in scientific journals and often dominate Science as Art contests. My blog has published dozens of these eye-catching images, representing a broad spectrum of the biomedical sciences. But the blog People’s Choice goes to a very recent addition that reveals exactly what happens to cells in the human airway when they are infected with the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19. This vivid image, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, comes from the lab of pediatric pulmonologist Camille Ehre, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This image squeezed in just ahead of another highly popular post from Steve Ramirez, Boston University, in 2019 that showed “What a Memory Looks Like.” As we look ahead to 2021, I want to thank each of my blog’s readers for your views and comments over the last eight years. I love to hear from you, so keep on clicking! I’m confident that 2021 will generate a lot more amazing and bloggable science, including even more progress toward ending the COVID-19 pandemic that made our past year so very challenging. Posted In: Generic Tags: aging, blood type, brown fat, C. diff, cancer, cancer immunotherapy, cathepsin, cathepsin B, Clostridium difficile, coronavirus, COVID-19, cytotoxic T cells, diet, dietary supplements, DNA-PK, exercise, FDA, genes, HeLa cells, Henrietta Lacks, Henrietta Lacks Enhancing Cancer Research Act, Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, Ira Mellman, Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, lonafarnib, lung cells, memory, mitochondria, muscle, obesity, progeria, sam berns, T cells, trehalose, weight gain, Zokinvy Accepting the COVID-19 Vaccine Posted on December 22nd, 2020 by Dr. Francis Collins I was thrilled to roll up my sleeve and get the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine today at the NIH Clinical Center. As NIH Director, I’ve followed closely the development of these first vaccines, and I know they have been rigorously tested and found to be safe and effective. I encourage everyone to accept the vaccines when offered to you. It’s our best chance to turn the tide on the pandemic. Also receiving the vaccine today were Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Anthony Fauci, Director of NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Colleen McGowan, Director of NIH’s Office of Research Services; and six frontline healthcare workers at the NIH Clinical Center. Credit: NIH Posted In: Director's Album - Photos Tags: Alex Azar, Colleen McGowan, COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccine, Moderna, NIH Clinical Center, pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, Tony Fauci Celebrating the Gift of COVID-19 Vaccines Credit: NIH The winter holidays are traditionally a time of gift-giving. As fatiguing as 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic have been, science has stepped up this year to provide humankind with a pair of truly hopeful gifts: the first two COVID-19 vaccines. Two weeks ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to a COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech, enabling distribution to begin to certain high-risk groups just three days later. More recently, the FDA granted an EUA to a COVID-19 vaccine from the biotechnology company Moderna, Cambridge, MA. This messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine, which is part of a new approach to vaccination, was co-developed by NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The EUA is based on data showing the vaccine is safe and 94.5 percent effective at protecting people from infection with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Those data on the Moderna vaccine come from a clinical trial of 30,000 individuals, who generously participated to help others. We can’t thank those trial participants enough for this gift. The distribution of millions of Moderna vaccine doses is expected to begin this week. It’s hard to put into words just how remarkable these accomplishments are in the history of science. A vaccine development process that used to take many years, often decades, has been condensed to about 11 months. Just last January, researchers started out with a previously unknown virus and we now have not just one, but two, vaccines that will be administered to millions of Americans before year’s end. And the accomplishments don’t end there—several other types of COVID-19 vaccines are also on the way. It’s important to recognize that this couldn’t have happened without the efforts of many scientists working tirelessly behind the scenes for many years prior to the pandemic. Among those who deserve tremendous credit are Kizzmekia Corbett, Barney Graham, John Mascola, and other members of the amazing team at the Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center at NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). When word of SARS-CoV-2 emerged, Corbett, Graham, and other NIAID researchers had already been studying other coronaviruses for years, including those responsible for earlier outbreaks of respiratory disease. So, when word came that this was a new coronavirus outbreak, they were ready to take action. It helped that they had paid special attention to the spike proteins on the surface of coronaviruses, which have turned out to be the main focus the COVID-19 vaccines now under development. The two vaccines currently authorized for administration in the United States work in a unique way. Their centerpiece is a small, non-infectious snippet of mRNA. Our cells constantly produce thousands of mRNAs, which provide the instructions needed to make proteins. When someone receives an mRNA vaccine for COVID-19, it tells the person’s own cells to make the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The person’s immune system then recognizes the viral spike protein as foreign and produces antibodies to eliminate it. This vaccine-spurred encounter trains the human immune system to remember the spike protein. So, if an actual SARS-CoV-2 virus tries to infect a vaccinated person weeks or months later, his or her immune system will be ready to fend it off. To produce the most vigorous and durable immunity against the virus, people will need to get two shots of mRNA vaccine, which are spaced several weeks to a month apart, depending on the vaccine. Some have raised concerns on social media that mRNA vaccines might alter the DNA genome of someone being vaccinated. But that’s not possible, since this mRNA doesn’t enter the nucleus of the cell where DNA is located. Instead, the vaccine mRNAs stay in the outer part of the cell (the cytoplasm). What’s more, after being transcribed into protein just one time, the mRNA quickly degrades. Others have expressed concerns about whether the vaccine could cause COVID-19. That is not a risk because there’s no whole virus involved, just the coding instructions for the non-infectious spike protein. An important advantage of mRNA is that it’s easy for researchers to synthesize once they know the nucleic acid sequence of a target viral protein. So, the gift of mRNA vaccines is one that will surely keep on giving. This new technology can now be used to speed the development of future vaccines. After the emergence of the disease-causing SARS, MERS, and now SARS-CoV-2 viruses, it would not be surprising if there are other coronavirus health threats in our future. Corbett and her colleagues are hoping to design a universal vaccine that can battle all of them. In addition, mRNA vaccines may prove effective for fighting future pandemics caused by other infectious agents and for preventing many other conditions, such as cancer and HIV. Though vaccines are unquestionably our best hope for getting past the COVID-19 pandemic, public surveys indicate that some people are uneasy about accepting this disease-preventing gift. Some have even indicated they will refuse to take the vaccine. Healthy skepticism is a good thing, but decisions like this ought to be based on weighing the evidence of benefit versus risk. The results of the Pfizer and Moderna trials, all released for complete public scrutiny, indicate the potential benefits are high and the risks, low. Despite the impressive speed at which the new COVID-19 vaccines were developed, they have undergone and continue to undergo a rigorous process to generate all the data needed by the FDA to determine their long-term safety and effectiveness. Unfortunately, the gift of COVID-19 vaccines comes too late for the more than 313,000 Americans who have died from complications of COVID-19, and many others who’ve had their lives disrupted and may have to contend with long-term health consequences related to COVID-19. The vaccines did arrive in record time, but all of us wish they could somehow have arrived even sooner to avert such widespread suffering and heartbreak. It will be many months before all Americans who are willing to get a vaccine can be immunized. We need 75-80 percent of Americans to receive vaccines in order to attain the so-called “herd immunity” needed to drive SARS-CoV-2 away and allow us all to get back to a semblance of normal life. Meanwhile, we all have a responsibility to do everything possible to block the ongoing transmission of this dangerous virus. Each of us needs to follow the three W’s: Wear a mask, Watch your distance, Wash your hands often. When your chance for immunization comes, please roll up your sleeve and accept the potentially life-saving gift of a COVID-19 vaccine. In fact, I just got my first shot of the Moderna vaccine today along with NIAID Director Anthony Fauci, HHS Secretary Alex Azar, and some front-line healthcare workers at the NIH Clinical Center. Accepting this gift is our best chance to put this pandemic behind us, as we look forward to a better new year. Coronavirus (COVID-19) (NIH) Combat COVID (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C.) Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/NIH) Moderna (Cambridge, MA) Pfizer (New York, NY) BioNTech (Mainz, Germany) Tags: Barney Graham, BioNTech, cancer, clinical trials, coronavirus, COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccine, FDA, herd immunity, HIV vaccine, immunization, John Mascola, Kizzmekia Corbett, MERS, Moderna, mRNA, mRNA vaccine, NIH Clinical Center, novel coronavirus, pandemic, Pfizer, SARS, SARS-CoV-2, spike protein, Tony Fauci, vaccines	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line376
__label__cc	0.622993	0.377007	Home » Blog » Philippine Divorce Law Changes Americans marrying Filipinos and Filipinos marrying Americans have long shared a common problem when it comes to divorce; the nation of the Philippines has never had any provisions for divorce at all. Persons wanting to remarry were often just plain out of luck if they wanted a divorce in that country. Under Philippine law there was no divorce procedure, only annulment was on the books and an annulment in the Philippines is an extremely difficult status to obtain. Even those Filipinos who obtained a divorce outside of the Philippines still had to obtain an annulment in the Philippines in order to remarry in that country. Ever since 1987 when the current laws were passed, the Philippine government has officially prohibited married couples from splitting up via a legal and binding divorce. Further complicating the issue is the fact that the dominant religion in the Philippines’ is Roman-Catholic, a religion that also frowns on divorce. Many Filipinos have had to remain in crumbling relationships due to pressure of the Filipino laws and pressure from the general public as well. Some Philippine politicians have said religion and government need more interaction to ensure the survival of families and that if divorce laws are adopted in the country, it will encourage families to split up. Others have said it is more destructive to force people to be together and that freedom of choice is the freedom for happiness. Now, two Philippine Congresswomen from the Gabriela Women’s Party have proposed introducing divorce in the country to allow their nation to join the rest of the world with modern divorce laws. Congresswomen Luzviminda Ilagan and Emerenciana De Jesus introduced House Bill No. 1799, “An Act Introducing Divorce in the Philippines,” on July 27 this year. Ilagan and De Jesus stated that “This bill is being introduced based on indications that Philippine society is ready for the legalization of divorce. The sanctity of marriage is not based on the number of marriages existing but on the quality of marital relationships.” The introduction of House Bill No. 1799 has caused some debate and some are suggest the issue of divorce needs more debate considering there are just as many people who favor the measure as those who don’t. Critics say the bill advocates American-style no-fault divorce, making it too easy to get a divorce. The claim that no-fault divorce is not acceptable or well-suited to Philippine culture and society will be put to the test later this year if the bill becomes law. 4 Ways Your Spouse Can Hide Assets in a Divorce Does it Matter Where You Live? – State Residency Requirements for Divorce Government, Marriage and Divorce Larry King Retires His Divorce Do You Live in a Community Property State? Gay Activists Call for Immediate Response Following Decision on Prop 8 Iranian Divorce Rate May Hit 100% 43 Million Is Not Enough	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line378
__label__cc	0.659201	0.340799	Tag Archives: forgiveness March 12, 2015 · 11:34 am FREEBIES AT THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY Some years ago while reading about early explorers into Tibet, I came upon a biography about Helena Blavatsky. Madame Blavatsky was involved in early investigations of spiritualism and eventually went on to found the Theosophical Society with others in 1875. The original organization splintered, and Theosophy does not have the following it once enjoyed, but it continues to foster spiritual growth. The Theosophical Society in America’s website (www.theosophical.org) outlines their vision, mission, and ethic. The Theosophical Society in America: “Has a Vision of wholeness that inspires a fellowship united in study, meditation, and service. Its Mission is to encourage open-minded inquiry into world religions, philosophy, science, and the arts in order to understand the wisdom of the ages, respect the unity of all life, and help people explore spiritual self-transformation. Its Ethic holds that our every action, feeling, and thought affects all other beings and that each of us is capable of and responsible for contributing to the benefit of the whole.” THE FREEBIES: The Theosophical Society in America offers a vast array of programs online and at the headquarters (Chicago area). For the past few years I have benefited from the Thursday Night presentations which are offered free of charge via webcast. Here is a sampling of upcoming programs listed on the site (https://theosophical.org/programs/lectures). Each lecture is about an hour with a question and answer period. Web viewers may send questions live via the internet connection. All posted times are CT(Chicago). I hope you will give one or two a try. No knowledge of Theosophy is required and most programs are intended for the general audience. The society maintains a library of past Thursday Night lectures so should you miss one or want to do research on a previously covered topic, they are available through the website. Photo: Yoko Nekonomania The Buddha and Jesus: Spiritual Masters March 12, 7:00 p.m. CT The Buddha and Jesus have been described as enlightened persons who realized their spiritual visions. They gave rise to two of the world’s major religious traditions, and became virtually deified by their followers. But who were they, and what were their spiritual visions? Explore the historical identities of these two spiritual teachers, the nature of their paths to ultimate truth, and consider the similarities and differences of their views of the human condition and subsequent teachings. (George Bond is professor emeritus of Religious Studies and McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence at Northwestern University) Discovering the Meaning and Wisdom of Life Passages Using the astrological teachings of Dane Rudyar (Rhythm of Wholeness) and Alexander Ruperti (Cycles of Becoming) as resources for understanding psychological spiritual growth, we find they reveal the timing coordination for patterns of growth as we age. Elements of developmental psychology will be explored and sequenced with their astrological triggers. Investigate your own life purpose with regard to these perspectives to find greater clarity of life’s path. (Frank Morales, M.S.Ed. CRADC, MISA II) Photo: Simsala111 Seeing Clearly: The Buddhist Practice of Mindfulness Our thoughts, conceptions, theories, and beliefs often drift into “thickets of views” that can lead to confusion and rigidity. One way to ground ourselves amidst the modern conceptual bombardment is to cultivate mindful inquiry of basic experiential realities: the sense doors, sensory experience, and how they feel. Wisdom can arise when we see these things clearly, and we understand the limitations of all those concepts, theories, and beliefs. (Santikaro is the founder of Liberation Park, a Buddhist retreat center in Wisconsin.) Why Forgive? April 2, 7:00 p.m. CT Forgiveness is praised more than it’s practiced. Why should we forgive? When? Are there times when it’s not right to forgive? How can you tell forgiving from condoning? Richard Smoley, editor of Quest magazine, offers some insights from his new book The Deal: A Guide to Radical and Complete Forgiveness. (Richard Smoley is a distinguished authority on the mystical and esoteric teachings of Western civilization. Editor of Quest Books.) Photo: Juni of Kyoto, Japan The Imperishable Flame of Life Fire is one of the most sacred symbols used by sages, alchemists and initiates of ancient times. This primordial element of Life still plays a central role in many religious ceremonies and meditations for seekers of Truth throughout the world. We will probe into some of the esoteric meanings attributed to this universal symbol such as reincarnation, spiritual transmutation and Eternity. (Danelys Valcarcel is a Cuban artist and student of Theosophy.) Freedom from Anxiety and Worry April 16, 7:00 p.m. CT It has been said that worrying is like running around in a circle—getting us nowhere. Why do so many of us spend so much time worrying about so many things? Is it possible to live responsible and caring lives without falling victim to anxiety and worry? That a human being can be free of such negative emotions is central to the Buddha’s teaching. However, it is necessary to understanding the nature of the human condition and come to terms with reality in order to free ourselves. (John Cianciosi, ordained Buddhist monk and spiritual director of monasteries in Thailand and Australia.) Taoist Approach to Transform, Transmit, and Transcend Emotions Cultivating the Inner Advantage April 30, 7.00 p.m. CT The Mystic Journey of Inner Light, Healing, and Love May 7, 7:00 p.m. CT Theosophy in India blog post: http://aviott.org/2014/02/19/banyans-cuckoos-cannonballs-and-theosophy/ Filed under Spiritual/Mysticism Tagged as anxiety, Buddha, Buddhism, Ellis Nelson, esoteric, fire element, forgiveness, freebies, Helena Blavatsky, inner light, Jesus, lectures, life passages, Madame Blavatsky, mindfulness, mysticism, paranormal, paranormal research, spiritual, spiritual masters, spiritual path, spiritual practice, Spiritualism, Taoism, Theosophical Society in America, theosophy, wisdom, wisdom of the ages	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line381
__label__wiki	0.852384	0.852384	Horton Hears a Who! (film) Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! Theatrical release poster Jimmy Hayward Steve Martino Bruce Anderson Chris Wedge Keenan Donahue Mike Reiss [uncredited] Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Seuss Narrated by Editing by Tim Nordquist March 14, 2008 (2008-03-14) Horton Hears a Who!, also known as Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!, is a 2008 American CGI-animated comedy feature film based on the Dr. Seuss book of the same name. It is the fourth feature film from Blue Sky Studios, and the third and most successful Dr. Seuss-based feature film, following How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Cat in the Hat. It is also the first Dr. Seuss adaptation fully animated using CGI technology. 2 Voice cast 3 Soundtrack 4.1 Critical reception 4.2 Box office 4.3 Interpretations 5 Home media release In the Jungle of Nool, a tiny dust speck is pushed off a flower. Meanwhile, a caring, imaginative elephant named Horton (Jim Carrey), the jungle's nature teacher, takes a dip in the pool. The dust speck floats past him in the air, and he hears a tiny yelp coming from it. Believing that an entire family of microscopic creatures are living on that speck, he places it atop a clover. Horton finds out the speck harbors the city of Whoville and its inhabitants, led by Mayor Ned McDodd (Steve Carell). He has a wife, Sally (Amy Poehler), 96 daughters, and one teenage son named JoJo (Jesse McCartney), who rarely ever speaks. Despite being next in line for the mayoral position, JoJo refuses to become mayor of the city. The Mayor finds out from Dr. LaRue (Isla Fisher) that Whoville will be destroyed if Horton does not find a "safer, more stable home." Horton resolves to place the speck atop Mt. Nool, the safest place in the jungle. The Sour Kangaroo (Carol Burnett) tries to get Horton to give up the speck, but Horton refuses. Also taking force toward Horton are the Wickersham brothers, a group of bullying monkeys who love making misery. The Kangaroo eventually enlists a vulture named Vlad Vladikoff (Will Arnett) to get rid of the speck by force. After a failed attempt by Vlad, the Kangaroo finds out that Horton still has the speck, and decides to rally the jungle community into confronting Horton. The Kangaroo offers Horton to give up the speck. Unable to convince Horton, she orders the animals to rope and cage him and issue Whoville's destruction via a pot of boiling beezelnut oil. The Mayor enlists all of his people to make noise by shouting "We are here", as well as playing a variety of instruments, so the animals may hear them. The Kangaroo takes the clover and drops it into the boiling oil. At the last minute, JoJo grabs the horn used to project Horton's voice, runs up the highest tower and yells "YOPP!", breaking through the sound barrier, just before the speck hits the oil. The Kangaroo's son Rudy (Josh Flitter) grabs the clover and returns it to Horton, refusing his mother's orders to return to her pouch. While being praised for his integrity by his neighbors, Horton forgives the Kangaroo and she accepts his friendship, finally believing that there are people on the speck. Here, the people of Whoville and the animals of Nool gather in song and recite the chorus from "Can't Fight This Feeling". The film ends with the narrator revealing that the Jungle of Nool is just one speck, among numerous others, floating in the universe. Voice cast Jim Carrey as Horton the Elephant- the titular character. He is faithful to protecting the Whos and he is friends with his students and a mouse named Morton. He is also kind hearted and stalwart. In the end, he and the jungle animals along with the Kangaroos help him get the Whos to Mt. Nool. Steve Carell as Mayor Ned McDodd- the mayor of Whoville. He and Horton usually communicate with each other through a horn connected to a pipe. He has 97 kids (96 girls and 1 boy named Jojo) and a wife (Sally). Carol Burnett as the Sour Kangaroo- the main antagonist. She thinks Horton is crazy and is worried it might rub off on the kids, including her son, Rudy. Will Arnett as Vlad Vladikoff- an eagle who is hired by Sour Kangaroo to get rid of the clover. Seth Rogen as Morton the Mouse- Horton's friend in the Jungle of Nool. Dan Fogler as the Councilman and Yummo Wickersham Isla Fisher as Doctor Mary Lou LaRue- a teacher at Who University. Jonah Hill as Tommy Amy Poehler as Sally O'Malley-Ned's wife and mother to Jojo and 96 daughters. She has doubts about her husband's actions about Whoville and Horton but believes him later on. Jaime Pressly as Mrs. Quilligan Charles Osgood as the Narrator Josh Flitter as Rudy Kangaroo Niecy Nash as Miss Yelp Jesse McCartney as JoJo McDodd Selena Gomez as Helga Additional voices in the film include Shelby Adamowsky (as Hedy and Hooly McDodd), Jack Angel (as an Old Time Who), Caitlin Rose Anderson (as Helen McDodd), Emily Anderson (as Heather), Jan Rabson (as the Town Cryer), John Cygan (as a Who), Jess Harnell (as another Who), Debi Derryberry (as a Who mother), Samantha Droke (as Hildy and Holly McDodd), Karen Disher (as a Who child), Marshall Efron (as a Wickersham guard), Bill Farmer (as Willie Bear), Jason Fricchione (as Joe the Construction Worker), Heather Goldenhersh (as a Who girl), Selena Gomez (as Helga McDodd), Jimmy Hayward (as an obnoxious Who), Joey King (as Katie), Christina Martino (as Heidi and Haley McDodd), Ellie Martino (as Hanna McDodd), Laraine Newman (as a Glummox mother), Tim Nordquist (as a Wickersham guard), Colleen O'Shaughnessey (as Angela), Laura Ortiz (as Jessica Quilligan), Joe Pasquale (as the Dentist) and Connor Anderson (as a Who child). Main article: Horton Hears a Who! (soundtrack) The original score for the film's soundtrack album was composed by John Powell. Near the end of the picture, the cast comes together and sings the song, "Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon. This version of the song was not featured on the soundtrack. The song used in the theatrical advertisements was the theme to Beetlejuice. The film received generally positive reviews from film critics. As of May 8, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 79% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 131 reviews, and an even better 84% rating from the top critics on the site based on 31 reviews, both classifying the film as "Certified Fresh", and making it by far the most favorably reviewed Dr. Seuss film adaptation on the site.[1] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 71 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews", based on 31 reviews, also the most favorably reviewed Dr. Seuss film on the site.[2] In contrast, Brian Eggert of Deep Focus gave it one and a half stars out of four, criticizing its numerous pop-culture references, calling it a "mish-mash of incoherent babble" and claiming it ends up "reducing Seuss' otherwise admirable message to ordinary storytelling, when Seuss' work is anything but." In its opening weekend, the film grossed $45,012,998 in 3,954 theaters, averaging $11,384 per theater in the United States and Canada, and ranking #1 at the box office.[3] The film previously had the 4th largest opening weekend in March, behind Ice Age, Ice Age: The Meltdown and 300. It is now the 7th largest opening weekend in March behind Monsters vs. Aliens and Alice in Wonderland.[4] In the United States and Canada, Horton Hears a Who was also the #1 film its second weekend of release, grossing $24,590,596 over the Easter frame, in 3,961 theaters and averaging $6,208 per venue. It dropped to #2 in its third weekend grossing $17,740,106 in 3,826 theaters and averaging $4,637 per venue. Its fourth weekend ranked at #4 grossing $9,115,987 in 3,571 theaters and averaging $2,553 per venue. Its fifth weekend ranked at #6, grossing $5,920,566 in 3,209 theaters and averaging $1,845 per venue. As of July 20, 2008, it has grossed a total of $295,133,433 worldwide; $154,245,889 in the United States and Canada and $140,887,544 in other territories.[5] "Horton Hears a Who!", like other Dr. Seuss creations, contains layered subtexts and messages. The movie characters, like most mainstream animated features, display traditional gender roles. According to NPR host and father of three daughters Peter Sagal, "In a new subplot added by the filmmakers, the mayor of Whoville has 96 daughters. He has one son. Guess who gets all his attention? Guess who saves the day?"[6]. Also,it features the quote, "A person's a person, no matter how small," commonly used by pro-life activists. However,several literary critics as well as Dr.Seuss's widow has pointed out that line is first used in an entirely different context. Interpretaions of the movie also deals with issues like social control, conformism and organized religion. Home media release Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 9, 2008. Three versions of the DVD are available: a single disc edition, a two-disc special edition, and a gift set packaged with a Horton plush. Seussical - A Dr. Seuss musical that the plot takes a part in. List of films based on Dr. Seuss books ^ "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/horton-hears-a-who2008/. Retrieved 2008-04-14. ^ "Horton Hears a Who! (2008): Reviews". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/movie/horton-hears-a-who!. Retrieved 2008-03-14. ^ "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (2008) - Weekend Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=hortonhearsawho.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-16. ^ "Top March Opening Weekends at the Box Office". Box Office Mojo. http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/weekends/month/?mo=03&p=.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-16. ^ "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (2008)". Box Office Mojo. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=hortonhearsawho.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-24. ^ "NPR Host on Gender Roles in "Horton Hears a Who!"". http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89318829. Retrieved 2011-11-02. Horton Hears a Who! at the Big Cartoon DataBase Horton Hears a Who! at the Internet Movie Database Horton Hears a Who! at AllRovi Horton Hears a Who! at Box Office Mojo Horton Hears a Who! at Rotten Tomatoes Horton Hears a Who! at Metacritic v · d · eTheodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins The King's Stilts The Seven Lady Godivas McElligot's Pool Bartholomew and the Oobleck Scrambled Eggs Super! On Beyond Zebra! If I Ran the Circus The Cat in the Hat Comes Back Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish The Sneetches and Other Stories Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book Hop on Pop I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew Come over to My House'' 1 The Foot Book Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! You're Only Old Once! Oh, the Places You'll Go! I Wish That I Had Duck Feet 1 Daisy-Head Mayzie 2 My Many Colored Days 2 Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! 2 The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories 2 The Gerald McBoing-Boing Show (1956–57) How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) Horton Hears a Who! (1970) The Cat in the Hat (1971) Dr. Seuss on the Loose (1973) The Hoober-Bloob Highway (1975) Halloween Is Grinch Night (1977) Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You? (1980) The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (1982) The Butter Battle Book (1989) In Search of Dr. Seuss (1994) Daisy-Head Mayzie (1995) The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss (1996–97) Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo (2001) Gerald McBoing-Boing (2005–07) The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! (2010–) Gerald McBoing-Boing (short film) Welcome (short film) Seussical (musical) Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (musical) The Grinch (video game) Dr. Seuss: How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (video game) Private Snafu The Pocket Book of Boners Your Job in Germany Our Job in Japan Design for Death The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T Hejji Society of Red Tape Cutters Seuss Landing Beginner Books Dr. Seuss Goes to War Geisel Library Dr. Seuss National Memorial "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" Helen Palmer Geisel A Fish Out of Water 1 as "Theo. LeSieg". 2 Posthumous. v · d · eBlue Sky Studios Ice Age (2002) Robots (2005) Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) Rio (2011) Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) Leaf Men (2013) Gone Nutty (2002) Aunt Fanny's Tour of Booty (2005) No Time for Nuts (2006) Surviving Sid (2008) Scrat's Continental Crack-up (2010) Scrat's Continental Crack-up - Part 2 (2011) Ice Age (2002–present) in other films Joe's Apartment (1996) A Simple Wish (1997) Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) Jesus' Son (1999) English-language films 20th Century Fox films American animated films Animated features released by 20th Century Fox Computer-animated films Directorial debut films Dr. Seuss films Films based on poems Films featuring anthropomorphic characters P-series fuels 2002 LSU Tigers football team Horton Hears a Who! (TV special) — Horton Hears a Who! is a 1970 television half hour long special based on the Dr. Seuss book of the same name, Horton Hears a Who!. It was produced and directed by Chuck Jones , who previously produced the Seuss special How the Grinch Stole… … Wikipedia Dr. Seuss' Horton hears a Who! — Título Horton y el mundo de los Quién en Latinoamerica y Horton en España. Ficha técnica Dirección [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy Hayward … Wikipedia Español Horton the Elephant — is a fictional character from the books Horton Hatches the Egg and Horton Hears a Who , both by Dr. Seuss. Horton is a kind, sweet natured elephant who cares about other animals or people. Though he goes through many hardships, whether trying to… … Wikipedia Maggie Horton — Suzanne Rogers as Maggie Horton Days of our Lives Portrayed by Suzanne Rogers Duration 1 … Wikipedia Seussical — Infobox Musical name= Seussical caption=Logo music=Stephen Flaherty lyrics=Lynn Ahrens book=Lynn Ahrens Stephen Flaherty basis=The stories of Dr. Seuss productions= 2000 Broadway 2002 First National US Tour 2003 US Tour awards= Seussical is a… … Wikipedia Хортон (мультфильм) — У этого термина существуют и другие значения, см. Хортон. Хортон англ. Horton Hears a Who! … Википедия Dr. Seuss — Theodor Seuss Geisel rodeado por ejemplares de sus obras. En sus manos tiene la más famosa de ellas, The Cat in the Hat. Nombre completo Theodor Seu … Wikipedia Español Love Blactually — Эпизод «Гриффинов» «Love Blactually» … Википедия Selena Gomez — en Good Morning America interpretando Love You Like a Lov … Wikipedia Español Love Blactually — Infobox Television episode Title = Love Blactually Series = Family Guy Caption = Brian catches his girlfriend with Cleveland. Season = 7 Episode = 1 Airdate = September 28, 2008 Production = 6ACX03 Writer = Mike Henry Director = Cyndi Tang Guests … Wikipedia Cultural depictions of elephants — See also Elephant The founder of the Indo Greek Kingdom in Bactria, Demetrius I (205 171 BC), wearing the scalp of an elephant, symbol of his conquest of India[citation needed] … Wikipedia	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line385
__label__cc	0.67293	0.32707	TAP consortium committed to expand pipeline The consortium for construction of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) is committed to expand the pipeline by building compressors, said TAP CEO Walter Peeraer. “We are committed to expand the pipeline by building compressors. This will be an open process, subject to the joint approval of the three countries’ energy regulators. An open season will be organized every two years,” he told the Natural Gas World. Regarding the project’s financing, Peeraer noted that TAP consortium is in talks with a range of banks and credit export agencies to cover the project financing, with different term sheets and so on in each case. Further, TAP CEO pointed out that this pipeline will displace a lot of coal and help Europe to decarbonize. “Gas is cheap relative to other fuels, and it is easier to build gas grids than to build power grids. Gas will improve the competitiveness of European Union industry and it will be part of the energy mix for the future,” he explained. TAP, worth 4.5 billion euros, is a part of the Southern Gas Corridor, which is one of the priority energy projects for the European Union. The project envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz Stage 2 to the EU countries. The pipeline will connect to the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, run through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Italy’s south. TAP will be 878 kilometers in length (Greece 550 kilometers, Albania 215 kilometers, Adriatic Sea 105 kilometers, and Italy 8 kilometers). TAP’s shareholding is comprised of BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Snam S.p.A. (20 percent), Fluxys (19 percent), Enagás (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent). “Egyptian Mysterious Tales” published in Azerbaijani First pilot freight train sent off from Azerbaijan’s Astara to Iran	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line386
__label__wiki	0.689075	0.689075	Henry R. Towne American engineer Henry Robinson Towne (August 24, 1844 in Philadelphia – October 15, 1924) was an American mechanical engineer and businessman, known as early systematizer of management. Henry R. Towne, 1900 1.1 "The Engineer as an Economist," 1886 1.2 Industrial Engineering, 1905 2 Quotes about Henry R. Towne Webster defines profit as excess of value over cost, and gain as that which is obtained as an advantage. I have availed of this well-expressed though delicate distinction between the two terms, to coin a name for the system herein described, whereby to differentiate it from profit-sharing as ordinarily understood and practised. The right solution of this problem will manifestly consist in allotting to each member of the organization an interest in that portion of the profit fund which is or may be affected by his individual efforts or skill, and in protecting this interest against diminution resulting from the errors of others or other extraneous causes not under his control. Such a solution, while not simple, is attainable under many circumstances, and attainable by methods which experience has shown to be both practical and successful. Henry R. Towne. "Gain Sharing," Paper presented at the May, 1889, meeting of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers; Quoted in: Hugo Diemer, Factory organization and administration. 1921, p. 375-6 Executives must have a practical knowledge of how to observe, record, analyze and compare essential facts in relation to... all... that enters into or affects the economy of production, the costs of the product. Attributed to Henry R. Towne in: William Kent (1914) Investigating an Industry: A Scientific Diagnosis of the Diseases of Management, p. 3 Comment: William Kent mentions the "The Engineer as an Economist," (1886) as the source. We conceive the prominent element in present-day industrial management to be: the mental attitude that consciously applies the transference of skill to all the activities of industry. Here emphasis is placed upon the word all, for the restricted application of this principle to machines and tools has been highly developed for a long period. But its conscious application in a broad way to the production departments, and particularly to the workmen, we believe has been made during the last quarter of a century. Attributed to Henry R. Towne in: William Kent (1914) Investigating an Industry, p. 3-4 Among the names of those who have led the great advance of the industrial arts during the past thirty years, that of Frederick Winslow Taylor will hold an increasingly high place. Others have led in electrical development, in the steel industry, in industrial chemistry, in railroad equipment, in the textile arts, and in many other fields, but he has been the creator of a new science, which underlies and will benefit all of these others by greatly increasing their efficiency and augmenting their productivity. In addition, he has literally forged a new tool for the metal trades, which has doubled, or even trebled, the productive capacity of nearly all metal-cutting machines. Either achievement would entitle him to high rank among the notable men of his day; — the two combined give him an assured place among the world's leaders in the industrial arts. Others without number have been organizers of industry and commerce, each working out, with greater or less success, the solution of his own problems, but none perceiving that many of these problems involved common factors and thus implied the opportunity and the need of an organized science. Mr. Taylor was the first to grasp this fact and to perceive that in this field, as in the physical sciences, the Baconian system could be applied, that a practical science could be created by following the three principles of that system, viz.: the correct and complete observation oi facts, the intelligent and unbiased analysis of such facts, and the formulating of laws by deduction from the results so reached. Not only did he comprehend this fundamental conception and apply it; he also grasped the significance and possibilities of the problem so fully that his codification of the fundamental principles of the system he founded is practically complete and will be a lasting monument to its founder. Henry R. Towne, in: Frank Barkley Copley, Frederick W. Taylor, father of scientific management, 1923. p. xii. "The Engineer as an Economist," 1886Edit Henry R. Towne, "The Engineer as an Economist," In: Proceedings of the Chicago Meeting (25-28 May 1886) Transactions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (1886), 7, 428-432 The monogram of our national initials, which is the symbol for our monetary unit, the dollar, is almost as frequently conjoined to the figures of an engineer's calculations as are the symbols indicating feet, minutes, pounds, or gallons. The final issue of his work, in probably a majority of cases, resolves itself into a question of dollars and cents, of relative or absolute values. This statement, while true in regard to the work of all engineers, applies particularly to that of the mechanical engineer, for the reason that his functions, more frequently than in the case of others, include the executive duties of organizing and superintending the operations of industrial establishments, and of directing the labor of the artisans whose organized efforts yield the fruition of his work. p. 428; Lead paragraph Self cited in: Henry R. Towne in Foreword to the 1911 editions of: F.W. Taylor Shop management; a paper read before the American society of mechanical engineers New York. 1903/1911. To insure the best results, the organization of productive labor must be directed and controlled by persons having not only good executive ability, and possessing the practical familiarity of a mechanic or engineer with the goods produced and the processes employed, but having also, and equally, a practical knowledge of how to observe, record, analyze and compare essential facts in relation to wages, supplies, expense accounts, and all else that enters into or affects the economy of production and the cost of the product. There are many good mechanical engineers; — there are also many good " businessmen ;"— but the two are rarely combined in one person. But this combination of qualities, together with at least some skill as an accountant, either in one person or more, is essential to the successful management of industrial works, and has its highest effectiveness if united in one person, who is thus qualified to supervise, either personally or through assistants, the operations of all departments of a business, and to subordinate each to the harmonious development of the whole. p. 428; Second paragraph Engineering has long been conceded a place as one of the modern arts, and has become a well-defined science, with a large and growing literature of its own, and of late years has subdivided itself into numerous and distinct divisions, one of which is that of mechanical engineering. It will probably not be disputed that the matter of shop management is of equal importance with that of engineering, as affecting the successful conduct of most, if not all, of our great industrial establishments, and that the management of works has become a matter of such great and far-reaching importance as perhaps to justify its classification also as one of the modern arts. p. 428-9 Industrial Engineering, 1905Edit Henry R. Towne. Industrial Engineering : An Address Delivered by Henry R. Towne, M.E. At the Purdue University Friday, February 24th, 1905. Reprinted by The Yale & Towne Mfg. Company of New York and Stamford, Conn. As an engineer by training and practice, and as a manufacturer having upwards of thirty-five years of practical experience in industrial management in many phases, I avail myself with pleasure of this opportunity of meeting this large body of students who are preparing themselves for active work in the world, and of submitting for your consideration some suggestions concerning your future work, especially in the field with which I am most familiar and in which some of you, I feel sure, will find your best opportunities, and which will form the topic of my argument, namely, Industrial Engineering Lead paragraph The dollar is the final term in almost every equation which arises in the practice of engineering in any or all of its branches, except qualifiedly as to military and naval engineering, where in some cases cost may be ignored. In other words, the true function of the engineer is, or should be, not only to determine how physical problems may be solved, but also how they may be solved most economically. For example, a railroad may have to be carried over a gorge or arroyo. Obviously it does not need an engineer to point out that this may be done by filling the chasm with earth, but only a bridge engineer is competent to determine whether it is cheaper to do this or to bridge it, and to design the bridge which will safely and most cheaply serve, the cost of which should be compared with that of an earth fill. Therefore the engineer is, by the nature of his vocation an economist. His function is not only to design, but also so to design as to ensure the best economical result. He who designs an unsafe structure or an inoperative machine is a bad engineer; he who designs them so that they are safe and operative, but needlessly expensive, is a poor engineer, and, it may be remarked, usually earns poor pay; he who designs good work, which can be executed at a fair cost, is a sound and usually a successful engineer; he who does the best work at the lowest cost sooner or later stands at the top of his profession, and usually has the reward which this implies. The Engineer is one who, in the world of physics and applied sciences, begets new things, or adapts old things to new and better uses; above all, one who, in that field, attains new results in the best way and at lowest cost. Quotes about Henry R. TowneEdit Afternoon Session, Wednesday, May 26th. The session was called to order at 2.30 p.m. The first paper was by Charles W. Barnaby, of Salem, entitled a " The Steam Engine Indicator." This was discussed by Messrs. Porter and Walker. Following this the set of three papers on the topic of shop management and shop account were presented and discussed together. These papers were " The Engineer as an Economist," by H. R. Towne of Stamford ; " The Shop Order System of Accounts," by Henry Metcalfe of Troy, and "Inventory Valuation of Machinery Plant," by Oberlin Smith, of Bridgeton. These were discussed by Messrs. Partridge, Fitch, Anderson, Hand, Taylor, Durfee, Oberlin Smith, Metcalfe, Hawkins. At the close of the debate, in view of the general interest of the topics of this group, it was moved that the preparation and reading of papers on these and cognate subjects be encouraged for discussion in the general sessions of the Society. Transactions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers 7 (1886), p. 416-7 Comment: Program of ASME meeting, where H.R. Towne gave his presentation, shows that Henry Metcalfe and Frederick Winslow Taylor were present. Henry R. Towne is unquestionably the pioneer of management science. He began, as early as 1870, the systematic application at the Yale & Towne works, of what are now recognized as efficient management methods. In 1886, his paper "The Engineer as Economist," delivered before the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, probably inspired Frederick W. Taylor, then a young man of twenty, to devote his energies to the labor that formed his life work. John Robertson Dunlap ed. (eds.) Factory and Industrial Management, Vol. 61 (7), 1921, p. 231; Cited in Bruce E. Kaufman (2008) Managing the Human Factor, p. 67. Improvements in the prevailing methods of work and organization during this era were principally initiated by men actively engaged in industrial enterprises. The person most often referred to as the first to propose a rational and systematic science of management (and hence organization) was Henry R. Towne (1844-1924), president of the Yale and Towne Manufacturing Company, who in 1886 presented a paper titled "The Engineer as Economist." His comments, delivered at a meeting of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), stressed the importance of management as a field of independent study, equal to that of engineering. Noting the almost complete lack of management literature, the virtual absence of a medium for the exchange of administrative ideas and experience, and the total absence of management associations, Towne urged that ASME serve as a center for the development and study of industrial management. Such a suggestion was considered nothing less than revolutionary. Arthur G. Bedeian (1980). Organizations: Theory and Analysis : Text and Cases. p. 56. Retrieved from "https://en.wikiquote.org/w/index.php?title=Henry_R._Towne&oldid=2593577"	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line389
__label__wiki	0.567218	0.567218	Home Writing Professor Tolkien and the Faries Professor Tolkien and the Faries J.R.R. Tolkien believed in fairies. At least, he as though they were real in his essay “On Fairy-Stories,” first given as the Andrew Lang lecture at the University of St. Andrews in 1939, then published in 1947, after the horrors of World War II. You may not have heard of Andrew Lang, the Scottish writer, literary critic, and collector of fairy tales, but you’ve probably read his fairy-tale books of various colors, starting with The Blue Fairy Book, then going on to Red, Green, Yellow, and so on. Tolkien, not one to back away from an intellectual fight, took issue with Lang’s books, which included stories he did not consider fairy tales and which he thought continued an English tradition of diminishing the fair folk. For fairies, Tolkien insists right at the beginning of his essay, are not small, or not unless they want to appear so. Neither are they the benevolent nature spirits imagined by Victorian literature— he had no patience for dainty flower fairies. Imagine instead the Queen of Elfland meeting True Thomas by the Eildon Tree and binding him to her service for seven years—that was Tolkien’s idea of a fairy. Indeed, he did not particularly like the word “fairy,” which was too modern and probably too French; he preferred the good old English “elf.” At the time Tolkien gave his lecture, The Hobbit was already a success, and he was starting to work on what would become The Lord of the Rings. In this essay and in “Smith of Wootton Major,” published in 1967, he explored the nature of fairies and Faërie, “the realm in which fairies have their being.” Although many Tolkien fans have not read these shorter, quieter works, they show us what Tolkien believed about fairies and how real they were to him. They reveal the theories that shaped the glorious elves of Middle-earth. “Smith of Wootton Major,” the last of Tolkien’s stories published during his lifetime, is the closest he came to writing a fairy tale. It’s about a village named Wootton Major, so-called “because it was larger than Wootton Minor, a few miles away deep in the trees.” This village has a Master Cook named Nokes, and Nokes has an apprentice named Alf, whom everyone simply calls Prentice. Every twenty-four years, the Master Cook bakes an enormous cake for the Festival of Good Children. One festival, Nokes puts a small metal star on the cake, laughing when Prentice warns him that it’s a fay-star, from Faery itself. The fay-star is swallowed by one of the children, who grows up to become the smith of the village. Like his father before him, he is called Smith. For a long time, he lives an ordinary life, although he has particularly beautiful eyes (the light of the fay-star shines out of them), and the things he makes have a grace and lightness not usually seen in smithwork. But eventually he finds his way into Faery, telling only his wife and children about his journeys. Tolkien writes that Smith “had business of its own kind in Faery, and he was welcome there; for the star shone on his brow, and he was as safe as a mortal can be in that perilous country.” Faery itself is described as unimaginably, almost indescribably beautiful. On one journey, Smith comes to a “Sea of Windless Storms where the blue waves like snow-clad hills roll silently out of Unlight to the long strand, bearing the white ships that return from battles on the Dark Marches of which men know nothing.” On another, he sees “a great hill of shadow, and out of that shadow, which was its root, he saw the King’s Tree springing up, tower upon tower, into the sky, and its light was like the sun at noon; and it bore at once leaves and flowers and fruit uncounted.” One day he is brought before the Queen of Faery herself: “She stood there in her majesty and her glory, and all about her was a great host shimmering and glittering like the stars above; but she was taller than the points of their great spears, and upon her head there burned a white flame.” She greets Smith, addressing him as Starbrow, and sends him back to Wootton Major with a message: He must tell the King that it’s time to choose another child to bear the fay-star. On his way home, Smith meets Alf and realizes that the humble Prentice has been the King of Faery all along. Smith lives out the rest of his ordinary life; Nokes has one more uncomfortable confrontation with his former Prentice; and the fairy gift moves on to another, giving him greater insight than is usually given to mortal men. What does this fairy tale have to do with “On Fairy-Stories”? By the time Tolkien gave his lecture, fairy tales had been consigned to the nursery. They were considered children’s stories that boys and girls would eventually grow out of as they took on the responsibilities of adulthood. They were certainly not the sort of literature that linguistics professors at Oxford were supposed to read—or write. But this state of affairs did not satisfy our particular linguistics professor. In his essay, Tolkien takes on all the Nokeses of the world, who cannot see the importance of either Faery or fairy-stories. He begins by contradicting the venerable Oxford English Dictionary, which tells us that fairy tales are “stories about fairies.” Tolkien says they are not about fairies but rather about Faërie itself, “which contains many things besides elves and fays, and besides dwarves, witches, trolls, giants, or dragons: it holds the seas, the sun, the moon, the sky; and the earth, and all things that are in it: tree and bird, water and stone, wine and bread, and ourselves, mortal men, when we are enchanted.” Most fairy tales are concerned with the adventures of mortal men and women in Faërie—or, of course, their misadventures, because as Smith realized, Faërie is a perilous realm. There you may find yourself marrying a bear, or climbing a glass hill in iron shoes, or sailing to the ends of the earth to fetch a golden apple from a tree guarded by dragons. You may have to clean Baba Yaga’s hut or answer riddles posed by a ferryman named Death. It’s a long way from “once upon a time” to “happily ever after.” Who, then, are fairy tales for? According to Tolkien, like Faërie itself, they are not necessarily for children. After all, Smith could only truly experience the fairy realm and meet its Queen once he was an adult. Tolkien specifies that he himself was not particularly drawn to fairy tales as a child. He liked them about as well as he liked stories concerning foreign lands and strange languages and adventures of all sorts. But he preferred Arthur and the knights of the Round Table or tales of the Norse gods. Only as an adult did he come to appreciate the gifts fairy tales can give us. Tolkien calls these gifts “Fantasy, Recovery, Escape, Consolation, all things of which children have, as a rule, less need than older people.” It is adults who can truly benefit from these fairy gifts and the glimpse of Faërie they provide. The easiest of these to understand is Escape: Which of us has not escaped from the problems of ordinary life into the pages of a book, where we can run away from home dressed in catskins or speak with dragons on an island of Earthsea? Tolkien defends fantasy specifically against the charge of escapism, arguing that we have a right to escape, particularly if our modern lives have grown ugly or dull: “Why should a man be scorned if, finding himself in prison, he tries to get out and go home?” This language must have particularly resonated in 1947, when it would have conjured up images of wartime prison camps. An escapee, Tolkien asserts, is not a deserter—escape is our right and may even be our obligation. For Tolkien, there is a sense in which Faërie is our true home, or a version of it. We belong there as much as we belong in the Woottons, Major or Minor. Once we have escaped into the world of a book, we can return to our ordinary lives refreshed, restored: That is Recovery. Getting away for a while to the fantastical can teach us to see the ordinary in a new light. Meeting Pegasus can help us see the nobility of the horse; encountering Ents can teach us something important about trees. Recovery is a regaining of clear sight. And it can be more: It can lead us to create beautiful things, like Smith’s fairy-influenced smithwork, or even to change whatever it is we find dull or ugly about our lives. It can lead us to rebel against or attempt to reform the societies we live in. Recovery can lead to revolution. Illustration by Brian Froud Consolation is the possibility of a happy ending, and it is so important to Tolkien that he creates a new word for it: eucatastrophe, the fortunate turn. This is when everything that has gone wrong suddenly begins to go right. The lassie who has followed her bear husband to the ends of the earth finds him, and he recognizes her, and they escape from the troll princess who would have been his bride. The trolls are so angry that they explode, like fireworks. Fairy tales console us for all the happy endings we did not have and promise that “happily ever after” is out there, if we’re brave enough to find it. We may just have to climb a couple of glass hills first. What, then, is Fantasy? It’s what creates and sustains the story itself, the art that makes Faërie accessible to us mortals. Through a kind of fairy craft, the storyteller weaves a spell, creating a world for us to live in, a journey for us to go on—perhaps with a reluctant hobbit and a company of quarrelsome dwarves. According to Tolkien, creating a fantastical world that feels real is even more difficult than describing the real one we live in. Fantasy, to him, is a higher and more difficult art than realism. Indeed, he likens it to the art of the elves—to enchantment. Of course, we have the proof of his theories in his own work. Tolkien has enchanted millions of readers with a world so real that we can map it, learn its languages, care deeply about its inhabitants and their destinies. We can dread what Frodo must do and gaze in wonder at Galadriel in the forest of Lothlórien. In “Smith of Wootton Major,” only Smith gets a fay-star, but in “On Fairy-Stories,” Tolkien implies that we can all have one. We just have to accept the fairy gift. We can’t be like Nokes, who refuses to believe in magic even when the King of Faery stands before him, a more fearsome and splendid version of Alf Prentice. We have to pick up the book, enter its spell, believe in the magical landscape that spreads before us, with its perilous seas, and mountains that reach the sky, and trees that flower and fruit on the same branches. We have to join the elven maidens in their intricate dance. All those things can be ours, as long as we’re willing to be enchanted. Tolkien himself is our King of Faery, with the fay-star in his hand, saying, Come, eat a slice of cake, let the light shine from your eyes. Come see your true home. Previous articleSingapore Mermaid School Next articleThe Lost Gardens of Heligan Author of several anthologies of poetry and short fiction as well as The Thorn and the Blossom, a novella in two-sided accordion format. She teaches classes on reading and writing fairy tales. “I love fairy tales,” she says, “because they are so realistic: we all face wolves and want to go to the ball. Their realism is on another level, a symbolic level. But they are fundamentally about what we fear and desire. That is why they have lasted so long and are continually rewritten. They are about the deepest, most fundamental parts of ourselves.” The poems here will be collected in Songs for Ophelia, forthcoming from Papaveria Press. Visit Theodoragoss.com.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line392
__label__cc	0.599116	0.400884	Could Certain Chemicals Trigger Celiac Disease? FRIDAY, May 15, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Toxic chemicals in a wide range of products are associated with an increased risk of celiac disease in children and young adults, researchers say. People with celiac disease -- an immune disorder -- can't tolerate foods that contain gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. New York University researchers analyzed the blood of 30 children and young adults newly diagnosed with celiac disease and compared results with those from 60 other young people. The investigators found that elevated levels of toxic chemicals found in pesticides, nonstick cookware and fire retardants were linked to a higher risk of having celiac disease. "Our study establishes the first measurable tie-in between environmental exposure to toxic chemicals and celiac disease," said senior study investigator and pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Jeremiah Levine. "These results also raise the question of whether there are potential links between these chemicals and other autoimmune bowel diseases, which all warrant close monitoring and further study," Levine added in a university news release. In the study, children and young adults with high blood levels of pesticide-related chemicals called dichlorodiphenyldichlorethylenes (DDEs) were twice as likely to be newly diagnosed with celiac disease as those without such levels. Gender was an important factor in the link between toxic chemicals and risk of celiac disease. Females -- who account for the majority of celiac patients -- with higher-than-normal pesticide exposure were at least eight times more likely to have celiac disease. Females with elevated levels of nonstick chemicals called perfluoroalkyls (PFAs), which are found in products like Teflon, were five to nine times more likely to have celiac disease. Males were twice as likely to have celiac disease if they had elevated blood levels of fire-retardant chemicals called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), according to the study. The findings were published online May 12 in the journal Environmental Research. Further research is needed to determine if these toxic chemicals are a direct cause of celiac disease since this study only showed an association, said study co-investigator and health epidemiologist Dr. Leonardo Trasande. He noted that all the chemicals are known to disrupt animal and human hormone levels, which are crucial in sexual development and immune system function. The American Academy of Family Physicians has more on celiac disease. SOURCE: New York University, news release, May 12, 2020 Dietary Changes for Celiac Disease Antitissue Transglutaminase Antibody Deamidated Gliadin Antibody Celiac Disease Can Harm Digestion Crafting With Dry Pasta, Play-Doh Safe for Kids With Gluten Sensitivity: Study Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin B5 tablets Celiac Disease Quiz	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line393
__label__wiki	0.641316	0.641316	MGIMO UNIVERSITY Seven Reasons to Join MGIMO history MGIMO rectors Alumni worldwide Executive education and MBA Russian Language Study Programs Vernadsky Home » News » Slovak Foreign Minister Becomes Honorary Doctor of MGIMO Slovak Foreign Minister Becomes Honorary Doctor of MGIMO October 9th, the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia also a graduate of MGIMO University (1987) Miroslav Lajcak was awarded the title of Honorary Doctor of the University. The guest was warmly welcomed back to his alma mater by the University’s Rector Anatoly Torkunov who noted that Mr. Lajcak is not only Head of the Slovak Republic’s Foreign Ministry but has also just finished his term as President of the UN General Assembly. To the sounds of MGIMO’s official anthem, Anatoly Torkunov announced the decision of the University’s Academic Council to award Miroslav Lajcak the title of Honorary Doctor of MGIMO. The Foreign Minister expressed his pleasure at receiving this title and his gratitude to the University for the knowledge and experience he gained during his studies at MGIMO 31 years ago. During his doctoral lecture, Miroslav Lajcak gave some valuable advice to the audience based on his personal experience. He mentioned his first diplomatic trip was to Moscow, and that in 1991 he left Czechoslovakia to go to the Soviet Union, and in 1993 he returned from Russia to Slovakia. These major changes in the political landscape taught him not to perceive things as a given, to be aware of the complexity of the world. The speaker also stressed the importance of our responsibility towards our planet and future generations as well as the need for multilateralism in order to maintain global peace. Last of all, Miroslav Lajcak underlined how education is the key to mutual understanding and that MGIMO students should respect their alma mater, their professors and fellow students, as some may become ministers, he noted with humor. — See the MGIMO web-site for more photos and russian version international@inno.mgimo.ru 76, Prospect Vernadskogo Moscow, Russia, 119454	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line395
__label__wiki	0.824168	0.824168	Wade House (US) In 1844, Sylvanus Wade moved his family to the Greenbush area, where he purchased several hundred acres of land with the intent of building a town. A three-story wooden Greek Revival house was built between 1848 and 1851. Today it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is part of the Wade House Historic Site, a historical museum operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society. Live historic interpreters, wearing period-style clothing, populate the park during summer operations. The Wesley W. Jung Carriage Museum was constructed and opened to the public in 1968. At the historic site one can also visit several reconstructed houses. Blacksmith shops (or smithies) kept carriages running and horses well-shoed. Reconstructed when the site opened in 1953, the Dockstader Blacksmith Shop is an accurate depiction of a trade vital to the times. The hot forge demands the blacksmith's constant attention. See a blacksmith hard at work, vigorously pounding hot iron into tools, horseshoes and other implements common in the 1860s. The blacksmith is happy to explain the tools and processes of his trade. The Herrling Sawmill was operated by Theodore Herrling and soon became the source of lumber for the local settlement's needs. Following archaeological, documentary and image research, the mill was rebuilt in 2001 on its original site. Heavy draft horses and a sturdy wagon are needed to haul logs to the sawmill. On special occasions, visitors can enjoy an up-close view of the mill's belt-driven power train, seen within its lower level. Costumed mill workers demonstrate the up-and-down muley saw in action. The most distinctive feature is the water-powered muley saw, which was state of the art in the 1850s. Augers, drawknives, axes and hatchets were among the many tools of the sawyer's trade. The mill was, and still is, powered by the Mullet River. A millpond, created by a stone and earthen dam, provides a significant source of ready waterpower. Text source: wisconsinhistory.org & wikipedia Photo: the Sylvanus Wade House, by Royalbroil - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28162950 Newest Era 43.779167, -88.0925 Wade House W7824 Center Street Greenbush, WI 53026 http://wadehouse.wiscons…	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line403
__label__wiki	0.903808	0.903808	- Success Stories - Firm Resolve It took years, and more than one medical scare, for LaDawn Riggs to move beyond good intentions and yo-yo dieting. But once she did, the results were life changing. By Jamie Kuenster \| January/February 2006 LaDawn Riggs is no stranger to New Year’s resolutions. Like many people, she made one every year, vowing to lose weight or pay off her bills. Countless times, her pledges of self-improvement fell to the wayside. But for 2004, the outgoing and upbeat Riggs resolved to change her life for good. And now, for two years in a row, she has made good on her New Year’s resolutions. The bigger payoff? She’s traded in years of self-doubt and peer pressure for a can-do commitment to pursuing lifelong health and fitness — and has even helped raise money for a worthy cause. Riggs, 28, struggled with her weight from ages 8 through 26. At 16, she lost 55 pounds, only to gain it all back after leaving home for college. Through the years, she tried every quick fix available, but nothing seemed to work. What’s worse, she was eventually diagnosed with serious stress- and weight-related health problems, including high blood pressure. Shortly after Christmas in 2003, at age 26, she reached her heaviest weight — 181 pounds — for the second time. Riggs, who stands 5-feet, 4-inches tall, decided that if she wanted to live a full, healthy life, she needed to not only lose weight, but change her lifestyle for good. Extreme Measures Growing up in Chandler, Ariz., Riggs was an active kid. She took singing and dancing lessons, spent summers at the lake and snow skied with her parents and six siblings in the winter. But of five sisters, Riggs was the only one with weight issues at an early age. “My diet was the main culprit,” she says, recalling frequent after-school trips with her dad to the local convenience mart for his daily Dr. Pepper and her choice of soda, candy or an apple turnover. Riggs was heavier than many kids in elementary school, but during junior high her weight gain became pronounced. Although uncomfortable with her own reflection even then, it wasn’t until ninth grade that Riggs felt the social pressure to lose weight and “fit in.” Quiet, shy and insecure, Riggs struggled to be accepted, often feeling left out because of her weight. “LaDawn didn’t have the kind of friends she needed at that time in her life,” says Ralynne Riggs, 20, LaDawn’s youngest sister and the person LaDawn often turned to for comfort. In the spring of her sophomore year, 16 years old and 181 pounds, Riggs says she “practically stopped eating altogether” and simultaneously started exercising intensely in a desperate effort to get in shape. “I worked out for two to three hours a day to Jane Fonda Step Aerobics,” she remembers. She ate fruit and occasionally cereal, and when her family went out to eat, she’d pick at a salad with no dressing. Within a month, she’d dropped 25 pounds, but she felt terrible. “I felt shaky all the time, and I had no energy,” Riggs says. “But, back then, I was going to do anything to be skinny like everyone else.” By the time Riggs returned to classes the fall of her junior year, she had lost 55 pounds. Her new appearance stunned classmates. “It was amazing how differently people treated me because I was thin,” she says. “They would make eye contact, and it seemed like they were actually listening to me.” Riggs knew she’d lost that weight in an unhealthy way, but she was determined to maintain her results, so she joined a gym and started eating better. She kept her weight stable through high school, but the stresses of college put her back in the mode of unhealthy habits — and reignited the familiar yearning for acceptance. Throughout her college years, Riggs repeated her old, externally motivated cycle: spotty workouts, poor diet, lots of takeout, trying to get skinny to impress family and friends. But with classes and a job, she barely had time to get to the gym. Fueling her way through late nights with pizza and soda, she gradually regained all the weight she’d lost. So she resorted to more weight-loss gimmicks — Xenadrin, Dexatrim, even a cabbage-soup diet — but nothing worked. Frustrated as Riggs was with her weight, being truly healthy was low on her list of priorities, even after high blood pressure nearly landed her in the hospital in October 2002. A different medical scare occurred in spring 2003: Her sister Ralynne, then 17, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. “I was very scared for her, and it also made me realize that my own health was at risk — not because of a disease, but because of the way I was living,” Riggs says. “I tried again to change my habits, but had no success.” Still trying to draw motivation from outside forces, Riggs couldn’t yet break her cycle of poor health choices. But she was getting closer. In September 2003, she took a job in the childcare center at the Life Time Fitness (LTF) in Gilbert, Ariz. Three months later, Riggs hit bottom, in the form of her top weight, for the last time: It was December 2003, and the scale again registered 181. “I couldn’t believe I was there again,” she says. “I finally realized that if I wanted to change, it had to be permanent. I had to make a lifelong commitment to a healthy lifestyle.” She made it her 2004 New Year’s resolution. Riggs knew full well that a resolution has only as much power as its maker has commitment. “This time,” Riggs says, “I wanted to do it the right way.” She started by hiring a personal trainer to show her how. “When LaDawn first came to me, she was really out of shape,” recalls LTF personal trainer Heather Ashbaugh. “She’d been in my General Bootcamp class but was always in and out because she was sick a lot. When we started personal training, getting her on a consistent program was key.” With Ashbaugh’s help, Riggs stuck to regular sessions of cardio and weightlifting three to five times a week. “Heather was always positive,” Riggs says. “She told me I could achieve my goals.” Riggs tracked everything she ate in a food journal. She ate five to six small meals a day, breakfast being the most important. She eliminated processed sugar from her diet and replaced her five cans of Dr. Pepper per day, which she’d been drinking since she started college, with a gallon of water. By mid-2004, Riggs had lost 40 pounds. In June 2004, Riggs resolved to kick off 2005 in a big way: by running a marathon just after the New Year. She knew if she hoped to be ready in time for the race, she’d have to start training right away. She reinforced her personal goal to get in shape with one that would benefit her sister Ralynne: The race would raise money to research a cure for juvenile diabetes. When Riggs crossed the finish line of the Walt Disney World Marathon on Jan. 9, 2005, she had several reasons to celebrate: She’d achieved her resolution to get and stay fit in a healthy way. Her body fat had dropped from 38 percent to 11.7 percent. And her sister was there at the finish line, waiting to congratulate and thank her. “As soon as LaDawn saw me after crossing the finish line, she gave me a big hug and we both started to cry,” Ralynne remembers. Up for a Challenge As exciting and fulfilling as that race day was, Riggs knew it was, in many ways, a beginning. “I decided my new resolution was to stick with the healthy choices I’d made,” Riggs says. Two years after resolving to get healthy, Riggs has adopted habits that are keeping her healthier than she’s ever been. She continues to work with Ashbaugh three days a week, and she makes nutrition a priority. Portion control, she says, has been a major key to her success. In July 2005, she competed in her first triathlon, beating her goal by nearly 25 minutes, and in November she raced in the ING New York City Marathon. Riggs is doing all sorts of things she once thought she’d never be able to do, like learning to play tennis. As Ashbaugh observes: “LaDawn has the spirit and energy to go out and do virtually anything she wants.” To kick off 2006, Riggs will compete in Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., where she’ll run a half-marathon one day and a full one the next. “My goals have changed,” says Riggs. They’re no longer just about keeping fit and motivated, they’re also about challenging myself and maintaining my health so I can help support finding a cure for diabetes.” After struggling with her weight and her body image for nearly 20 years, Riggs is now authentically enjoying the choices that support her commitment to fitness. She’s motivated to succeed from the inside out, she says, and that makes all the difference: “My life is so happy now,“ she says. “I love who I am and what I’ve become.” Success Summary Meet: LaDawn Riggs, 28, child center department head. Big achievements: Meeting her fitness New Year’s resolutions for two years in a row; running three marathons and successfully completing a triathlon. Big inspiration: Racing for a diabetes cure on behalf of her youngest sister. What worked: Setting realistic, health- and love-motivated goals; getting involved in athletic events with special meaning; developing portion-control awareness; food journaling. What didn’t: External pressures, self-criticism, nearly 20 years of yo-yo dieting, weight-loss drugs and gimmicks. Words of Wisdom: “I used to give up when I didn’t see results immediately. This time, however, I judged my success on how much better I felt, and I finally accomplished what I set out to accomplish: living a healthier, happier life!” Jamie Kuenster Jamie Kuenster is an associate editor at Experience Life. One comment on “Firm Resolve” Anonymous on May 23rd, 2011 - 12:00am big like! – thanks .	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line404
__label__wiki	0.971668	0.971668	2000 Cars, Ferrari Cars Constructor Ferrari Designer(s) Rory Byrne Ross Brawn Predecessor F399 Successor F2001 Formula One World Championship Years Active 2000 Constructors Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Drivers 3. Michael Schumacher 4. Rubens Barrichello Debut 2000 Australian Grand Prix Races 17 Wins 10 Poles 10 Fastest Laps 5 Constructors' Championships 1 (2000) Drivers' Championships 1 (Michael Schumacher) The Ferrari F1-2000 was a Formula One racing car designed by Rory Byrne for the 2000 Formula One season. The car was a direct development of the F300 and F399 from the previous two seasons, using the same basic gearbox and a new engine with a wider V-angle. It also featured improved aerodynamics, which put it on par with that year's McLaren MP4/15. Michael Schumacher drove the F1-2000 to his third World Drivers' Title and Ferrari's first for 21 years. It also defended Ferrari's constructors' crown, and signified the start of the team's dominance throughout the first half of the decade. 2 Technical specifications 3 Racing History 4 Complete Formula One results Design[edit \| edit source] Led by chief designer Rory Byrne, Ferrari’s technical team started from scratch with a mandate for improved aerodynamics, a pursuit that was facilitated by the company’s new wind tunnel in Maranello. The resulting F1-2000 model was the first Ferrari to be conceived entirely in the wind tunnel, a milestone in race car development. Fundamentally revising the weight distribution of the primary components, Byrne and his team significantly lowered the centre of gravity from the prior car, improving aerodynamic efficiency and tyre wear. The suspension was modified with an improved design and new materials, and for the first time, it featured a comprehensive use of carbon composites. An all-new seven-speed paddle-actuated sequential transmission was mated to a new engine block, a 3-litre V-10 capable of developing 820 PS. Technical specifications[edit \| edit source] Chassis Carbon-fibre and composite honeycomb monocoque Front suspension Double wishbones, push-rod activated torsion arms Rear suspension Double wishbones, push-rod activated torsion arms Tyres B Bridgestone Brakes Carbon-fibre ventilated discs, all-round Wheelbase / Track (fr/r) 3,090 mm (121.66 in) / 1,490 mm (58.7 in) / 1,405 mm (55.3 in) Weight 600 kg (1,323 lb) Engine Ferrari Tipo 049, 2,997 cc (182.9 cu in), 90-degree V10, normall aspirated, mid-engine, longitudinally mounted Gearbox Ferrari seven-speed longitudinal semi-automatic sequential Fuel Shell Racing History[edit \| edit source] The conclusion of the 1999 Formula One season saw Ferrari take home the Constructor’s Championship, a feat the manufacturer had not achieved since 1983. Never content with anything but total success, the Scuderia began off-season work on a new car that could further challenge the day’s formidable McLarens and potentially return prodigy driver Michael Schumacher to the Driver’s Championships, which he had enjoyed several years earlier with the Benetton team. The F1-2000 débuted with a commanding 1-2 finish at the season opening Australian Grand Prix, driven by Schumacher and teammate Rubens Barrichello. By the end of the 2000 season, the F1-2000 had taken the checkered flag 10 times, and in the process, earning Schumacher his 3rd Driver’s Championship and Ferrari a repeat of the Constructor’s Championship. The victories marked the first time in 21 years that Ferrari earned both crowns and paved the way for four more dual championships over the next half a decade. Barrichello celebrates winning the 2000 German Grand Prix Complete Formula One results[edit \| edit source] (key) (Results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap) 2000 Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Ferrari 049 V10 B AUS BRA SMR GBR ESP EUR MON CAN FRA AUT GER HUN BEL ITA USA JPN MAL 170 1st Michael Schumacher 1 1 1 3 5 1 Ret 1 Ret Ret Ret 2 2 1 1 1 1 Rubens Barrichello 2 Ret 4 Ret 3 4 2 2 3 3 1 4 Ret Ret 2 4 3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_F1-2000 http://www.f1technical.net/f1db/cars/832/ferrari-f1-2000 http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/197/Ferrari-F1-2000.html http://www.statsf1.com/en/ferrari-f1-2000.aspx Retrieved from "https://f1history.fandom.com/wiki/Ferrari_F1-2000?oldid=12380"	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line408
__label__wiki	0.773326	0.773326	This black-owned company is treating COVID-19 patients remotely Theodora Aidoo Apr 15, 2020 at 04:00pm April 15, 2020 at 04:00 pm \| Tech & Innovation, Women Pic Credit: shoppeblack.us A black-owned healthcare technology company in Chicago has developed an app to care for COVID-19 patients at home. The telehealth startup known as “4D Healthware” has launched a new COVID-19 monitoring platform, which allows for remote monitoring, physician and lab supported diagnosis and at-home treatment. Considering the increasing spread of the COVID-19 virus across the country and the need to have the general public self-quarantine, remote monitoring and treatment could go a long way to help ease the work of the frontline workers whilst curbing the spread as well. “We developed the COVID-19 monitoring platform to greatly minimize the demands on in-person primary care, urgent care and emergency departments across the country; it can also reduce unnecessary risks to patients and care teams from further exposure to this highly infectious virus,” founder and CEO of 4D, Star Cunningham, said. Twitter CEO donates $1m to help black communities fight COVID-19 Ornette Coleman: the saxophonist who invented free jazz ‘It’s unimaginable’ – Woman loses entire family to COVID-19 as husband, son die within three days This mobile app allows you to acquire electronic marriage certificate within 24hrs According to Cunningham, “Healthcare is now recognizing the value of virtually caring for patients. You don’t want [COVID-19 patients] to come out. What you want to do is eliminate a certain amount of foot traffic that’s coming into the healthcare system right now.” The company can collect biometrics, like temperature, oxygenation levels and other critical stats by equipping patients with pulse oximeters, which measures the oxygen levels in blood using Wi-Fi-enabled digital tablets programmed with 4D Healthware’s software. According to the 4D Healthware, it can service up to 500,000 coronavirus patients across the U.S. Many patients are currently using the coronavirus platform, according to Cunningham, who also said the number is increasing “exponentially each day.” The 4D Healthware’s new COVID-19 platform is based on its original software, which uses health data from wearable devices, such as Fitbits or Apple Watches, to help people with chronic conditions monitor their health more effectively. Since most consumer wearables cannot monitor the illness, patients with COVID-19 need 4D’s hardware to monitor the illness. “We call 4D Healthware enhanced telehealth because it’s more than that,” Cunningham said. “The beauty of 4D is that long after the pandemic ends, we are a viable long-term solution for managing patients at home.” The company said their Enhanced Telehealth platform is a simple technology application and can be integrated with any EHR system quickly, efficiently and with minimal disruption. It can also reduce ER visits by 25% and delivers a 95% retention rate among engaged patients. The platform allows secure HIPAA compliant 2-way 24-hour communications. Reportedly, the startup has raised more than $4 million since launching in 2012. Their singular mission is to give physicians the power to improve the health and save the lives of millions of patients with chronic illnesses. It primarily targets Medicare patients, however, they also accept patients with private insurance. 4D Healthware was borne out of the founder and CEO, Star Cunningham’s frustration with the healthcare system’s inability to appropriately diagnose, treat and coordinate her care. She dealt with multiple chronic illnesses since she was a child. Cunningham launched 4D Healthware in 2012 after years at IBM. She is one of only a handful of African American female entrepreneurs in Chicago and one of the few African American female entrepreneur in the healthcare space and in the technology space. At 14, Zhanyia McCullough has created her own hair products to empower girls to embrace their natural hair A Black woman finally holds the title of Wisconsin Poet Laureate, here’s how she made it	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line409
__label__wiki	0.94677	0.94677	A side-by-side comparison of Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune’ trailer to the David Lynch effort Credit: Warner Bros. Lee Thomas-Mason· September 18, 2020 After 26 years, an epic science-fiction story is being retold. Denis Villeneuve, with an all-star cast alongside him, is attempting to breath new life into Dune with an adaptation of the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. In 1984, with the world at his feet, the great David Lynch turned down the opportunity to direct Star Wars film Return of the Jedi and it began a series of questionable career decisions. The now-iconic 1983 space opera, which was eventually directed by Richard Marquand with the screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas himself, arrived as the third instalment in the original Star Wars trilogy and was met by astonishing commercial success alongside positive reviews. “I had zero interest,” Lynch once said. “But I always admired George. George is a guy who does what he loves. And I do what I love.” However, after witnessing the success of the Star Wars project, Lynch was left with an itch he just couldn’t scratch. Shortly after, the filmmaker, who at the time had just been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for The Elephant Man, was approached by Dino de Laurentiis who asked him to create a film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel Dune—which again threw Lynch outside of his comfort zone with the extraordinarily large budget. Perhaps spurred on by his decision to turn down Lucas, Lynch accepted the Dune job. Although De Laurentiis hoped it would be as successful as Star Wars, Lynch’s Dune turned out to be a major commercial and critical flop and would later see the Twin Peaks director dissociate himself from its existence. While the original Dune was panned by critics, leaving Lynch with something of a stain on his glittering CV, the film has actually gone on to gain a cult following in the years that came after its release. Now, picking up the mantle, Denis Villeneuve’s hotly anticipated remake of the epic sci-fi film is due for release with lead actor Timothee Chalamet topping the bill. The first trailer for Denis Villeneuve’s version of the film landed with aplomb and already whipped fans of sci-fi up into an extremely excitable frenzy at what is to come. The trailer offers up the first real glimpse of Villeneuve’s vision of the story and will show young Paul Atreides (played by Chalamet), the scion of the noble House of Atreides who has been tasked with ruling the desert planet Arrakis, also known as Dune. The film may well be steeped in sub-plot and clever writing but Villeneuve’s version of the film will be a blockbuster. Huge battle scenes coupled with giant monsters and stunning landscapes means this film will be a treat for all, sci-fi fan or not. As well as being very clear on the destination of the film, we were also treated to a snippet of the soundtrack. With Hans Zimmer on board, there is no doubt that it will be impressive but his reimagining of Pink Floyd’s classic ‘Eclipse’ for this clip is sensational. The cast has grown exponentially since the first announcement with the likes of Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa and Javier Bardem all being involved. Despite Lynch denouncing his Dune project, Lynch was recently drawn into a conversation about his thoughts on the latest remake effort: “I have zero interest in Dune,” Lynch said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter without any consideration. He added: “It was a heartache for me. It was a failure and I didn’t have final cut. I’ve told this story a billion times. It’s not the film I wanted to make. I like certain parts of it very much — but it was a total failure for me.” For now though, see a side-by-side comparison to explore how the old and new match up:	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line411
__label__wiki	0.856982	0.856982	Steve Irwin’s Daughter Bindi and Husband Honor Her Parents With Maternity Pic Home » World News » Help wanted: Would you work in Victoria’s quarantine hotels for $85k? Help wanted: Would you work in Victoria’s quarantine hotels for $85k? The Victorian government is advertising roles paying up to $85,000 a year for people to work in its retooled hotel quarantine scheme, just weeks out from the return of international travellers. Duties for the 12-month fixed-term roles would include escorting returned travellers to their hotels, conducting temperature screening and checking passenger identification, according to the position description posted by the Department of Justice and Community Safety. Private security firms were contracted to guard returned travellers at Melbourne’s Stamford Plaza hotel. Credit: Getty Images Applications for the "residential support officers" close at midnight on December 8, with the role drawing a maximum salary of $84,895. International flights into Melbourne – and the quarantining of overseas travellers in hotels – will restart on December 7. Victoria's second wave of coronavirus cases, which caused the city to be locked down for months, shutting down schools, businesses and workplaces, was sparked by infections among casual security guards subcontracted to work in the government's hotel quarantine program. However, under the new program, COVID-19 testing would be conducted throughout employment in hotel quarantine. The job advertisement states: "To ensure the safety of our staff and their family and friends, all new staff commencing will be COVID tested prior to commencement." Professor Tony Blakely, epidemiologist at the University of Melbourne, said mandatory testing for hotel quarantine workers, where they are rapid-tested daily and given a PCR test each week, should be conducted and would be a "top-notch" regime worldwide. "You can't do any better than that. Testing of hotel quarantine workers and sometimes their families is an astute, wise thing to do," he said. "You've got all the measures inside quarantine, such as infection control … and then on the other side of the fence is what happens out in the community, like if we pick something up via sewerage testing. "There's kind of like a no-man's land or a fence between them, which is where I see the role of testing once a week of all staff. It's not perfect by any stretch, but it may well lower the risk by another 50 or 80 per cent." Victoria's chief testing commander Jeroen Weimar last week said all hotel quarantine staff, including front-line workers and cleaners, would be subjected to daily saliva testing for COVID-19 and nasal swabs each week. "The testing is there to support [front-line workers]," he said. "If it escapes from hotel quarantine, it will go the front-line workers first, and they're the ones we need to protect and detect at a very early point. It will be mission critical to get it right." Resident support officers will be assigned to a single Melbourne CBD or airport hotel and "deployed flexibly" accross different shifts to meet operational needs, according to the position description. A DJCS spokeswoman said the government had "strengthened infection prevention and control, oversight and professional standards across the COVID-19 accommodation program" and would have more announcements around the reset of the program soon. International arrivals in Melbourne will initially be capped at 1120 people a week, lifting Australia's weekly cap to almost 8000 people. Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio said she was "absolutely confident" the state's hotel quarantine system would be able to handle having up to 160 people arrive in the state a day. "There's been a lot of work that has been put in to get the system right and to get it so we can be absolutely confident … that it is absolutely able to meet all of the requirements so we can all stay safe," she told reporters on Sunday. Victoria recorded its 30th straight day without a confirmed COVID-19 case on Sunday, but Ms D'Ambrosio said the state's testing numbers had dropped. There were 5905 COVID tests processed on Saturday, which she said was "about 4000 down on the day before". The chair of the hotel quarantine inquiry, Jennifer Coate, is set to hand down her final report into the failed first scheme on December 21. There have been 20,345 cases of COVID-19 in Victoria since January, and 819 people have died — 655 of whom were residents in aged care. Offices in Melbourne's CBD will return to up to 25 per cent capacity for staff from Monday, subject to density limits, as part of the government's easing of coronavirus restrictions. Businesses with fewer than 40 employees will be able to have up to 10 people on-site. Face masks still remain madatory indoors, except for those with exemptions. "I think it's really important for us to reflect on the fact we've got another day of 'triple zeros' – zero new cases, zero active cases and zero lives lost. I do want to make one observation that the testing numbers are a little bit on the low side," Ms D'Ambrosio said. "Yesterday was a fantastic day to get out with family and friends … so I can imagine a number of people that had mild symptoms may have put off the testing. "But it's so important. The numbers are the only way to really know where the virus is and for us to be able to stay safe and stay open." South Australia recorded zero new cases on Sunday, but Flinders University's Sturt campus has had to close after a positive cases attended the Intensive English Language Institute between November 13 and November 28. All students and staff who visited the university across those two weeks have been urged to get a COVID test, even if they do not have symptoms.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line412
__label__cc	0.715506	0.284494	MONDAY DEADLINE NOTICE: The Schall Law Firm Announces the Filing of a Class Action Lawsuit Against Cheetah Mobile Inc. and Encourages Investors with Losses in Excess of $100,000 to Contact the Firm Newsfile Corp. August 20, 2020, 9:42 AM ·2 min read Los Angeles, California--(Newsfile Corp. - August 20, 2020) - The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit against Cheetah Mobile Inc. ("Cheetah" or "the Company") (NYSE: CMCM) for violations of §§10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors who purchased the Company's securities between March 25, 2019 and February 20, 2020, inclusive (the ''Class Period''), are encouraged to contact the firm before August 24, 2020. We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 1880 Century Park East, Suite 404, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com, or by email at brian@schallfirm.com. The class, in this case, has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. According to the Complaint, the Company made false and misleading statements to the market. Cheetah's apps failed to maintain compliance with agreements with Google. Based on this compliance failure, it was reasonably likely that Google would terminate advertising contracts with the Company. This would in turn lead to a decline in revenue. Based on the facts, the Company's public statements were false and materially misleading throughout the class period. When the market learned the truth about Cheetah, investors suffered damages. Join the case to recover your losses. The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics. The Schall Law Firm Brian Schall, Esq., www.schallfirm.com info@schallfirm.com On CNBC's "Mad Money Lightning Round," Jim Cramer said Ballard Power Systems Inc (NASDAQ: BLDP) is good, but Plug Power Inc (NASDAQ: PLUG) is his favorite.Cramer likes Romeo Power Inc (NYSE: RMO). The stock has come down a lot and he thinks it's kind of attractive.Occidental Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: OXY) is going higher in the short term, thinks Cramer. He advised a viewer not to sell it because it will probably go to his entry price of $33. Eventually, he would have to sell because the new administration thinks fossil fuels are bad for the environment.Cramer almost pulled the trigger and bought salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE: CRM). He is holding off right now, but he might start buying it next week.See more from Benzinga * Click here for options trades from Benzinga * 'Trading Nation' Analysts Weigh In On Semiconductors * Mike Khouw Sees Unusual Options Activity In EEM(C) 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line413
__label__wiki	0.702791	0.702791	City Council evaluates strengths, weaknesses of city departments By wsmith@mihomepaper.com \| on November 26, 2020 FLUSHING — Flushing City Council recently held a roundtable discussion to evaluate city departments and address Flushing’s most pressing concerns. On Nov. 10, council members held a special meeting with city department heads to review a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis compiled by Interim City Manager Clarence Goodlein and his office. Altogether, the analysis provided an overview of city administration, the Flushing City Police Department, the Flushing Fire Department, the Department of Public Works (DPW), the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and the city’s Water Department. In his report, Goodlein stated that each city department is reinforced with strong and effective leadership, productive employees and collaborative work practices. He also said that businesses and residents have shown general satisfaction with the city’s services and its responsiveness to complaints and problems, according a survey and review of social media that was conducted for the SWOT analysis. Other strengths displayed by the city include its low crime rate, which has been 12 to 23 percent below the national average over the past five years; a homestead tax rate (42 mils) that coincides with the average tax rate of other communities across the state; and fees that are comparable or considerably lower than most surrounding communities. In terms of weaknesses, Goodlein said that Flushing’s stagnant tax base, unfunded pension liabilities and widespread staffing shortages in each department are among the biggest concerns facing the city. Goodlein said that the city’s lack of a defined benefit packages/salary structure for employees has also made it difficult for Flushing to retain and attract employees in various departments—particularly the DPW, WWTP and the police department. “When you don’t have a defined benefits package, there’s not much incentive for people to stay,” he said. “They move on to other communities, where they can make $5,000 to $10,000 more. Attrition then becomes a problem.” DPW Director Tony Nowiski and WWTP Director Doug Parkinson described how aging equipment is impacting their departments. Nowiski said that the DPW will soon have to replace its street sweeper and sewer truck within the next few years, while Parkinson said that the treatment plant and its six lift stations are in dire need of upgrades. Department heads and council members also proposed ideas to help with staff recruitment and salary increases, and city council directed administration to conduct wage study increases for the DPW, the WWTP, the police department and city hall employees. Other topics included impending retirements and staffing shortages in the police department; plans to upgrade the city’s water meter system from manual read to a radio read system; and proposals for fixing a leaking roof and other serious structural issues with the Flushing Fire Department building. Council members also discussed ideas for a new DPW building to replace the department’s current structure, which was built in the 1930s and is no longer adequate for storing DPW equipment and vehicles. To see the city’s complete SWOT analysis, visit flushingcity.com and click on the “public notice for meetings” tab at the bottom of the homepage. From there, click on Flushing City Council’s Nov. 10 special meeting tab to view an agenda and the entire SWOT report.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line418
__label__cc	0.583796	0.416204	Kiev “snoozed” during China’s offensive on Ukrainian economy ChinaNewsUkraine By Frederick Assar Last updated Feb 19, 2018 June 21st, 2017 – Fort Russ News – – Sputnik Italia – – translated by Frederick Assar – China is the largest investor in a number of sectors of the Ukrainian economy, writes Ukraina.ru. While authorities in Kiev are fighting against an imaginary “Russian aggression,” the Ukrainian resource leader has become China with a clear purpose and strategy. Chinese loans and investments have surpassed those of the IMF, along with the three billion dollars, obtained by Russia. The risks are minimal and loans are securities of the product itself. Thus, alternative energy has proven attractive to Chinese investors. By the end of 2016, the Chinese CNBM was granted ownership rights in 10 of the largest solar power stations in Ukraine, with a total capacity of 267 Mw, with a total investment of about one billion dollars. Financing came in the form of commercial credits: the high tech equipment is the key. After the Ukrainian company could not pay for it, it became the property of Chinese society. “The acquisition of asset control was carried out in exchange for a non-recoverable repayment and unsecured debt for the sum of equipment supplies,” said CNBM General Manager, Junshi Chen. The same scheme was used with Ukrtelecom, which in 2015 signed a contract with China Development Bank, China Development Bank and Huawei for the modernization of telecommunications and Internet networks. According to the agreement, Chinese investors would hand over to Urtelecom equipment at a cost of $ 45 million. Ukrtelecom received a $ 50 million loan by the China Development Bank, to be repaid by 2023. At the end of 2016, debt for the loan had already reached nearly $ 13 million. Meanwhile, the total amount of Urtelecom’s guarantees now amounts to 11.8 billion hryvnia, more than 450 million dollars. The entire property of the company is estimated at about 4 billion hryvnia, 154 million dollars. The Chinese interest lays also in the energy sector. At the end of 2012, Naftogaz reached an agreement with the China Development Bank for a $ 3.6 billion credit for the natural gas substitute program. The company has not used this line of credit. However, four investment offers were presented at the Ministry of Economic Development in 2015, some including the purchase of gas production equipment. At the end of August 2016, China Development Bank extended the credit availability period for Naftogaz until December 25, 2017. The possibility that Naftogaz will be sold in exchange for equipment can’t be ruled out. In case of non-payment, the Chinese counterpart will have control of the company’s activities. In addition to this, China’s plans include the set-up of high-tech companies in Ukraine. This is advantageous, firstly, because of the low wages and also because Kiev acts in the free trade zone with the EU, which in turns would allow Chinese products to enter the European market. Chinese capital can also reach the property market. Thus, the growth of Chinese influence in Ukraine seems inevitable. EnergyNaftogaz Frederick Assar 83 posts 0 comments 10th annual Astana Economic Forum focuses on renewable energy. From East to the South, the Terrorists in Syria are Losing Putin’s Vision for an Anti-Fascist/Open System Future and You Ivanov: Ukraine Will Soon Return to the Russian Sphere Bolton Losing Ground on Venezuela, Iran – But Far From Down and Out Ukraine remains optimistic about supplies as Russia moves to complete Nord Stream II	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line422
__label__wiki	0.9233	0.9233	Beanie Feldstein to Make Broadway Debut in Hello, Dolly! Beanie Feldstein will complete the principal casting for the eagerly anticipated revival of Hello, Dolly!, starring Bette Midler and David Hyde Pierce. Helmed by four-time Tony winner Jerry Zaks and choreographed by Tony winner Warren Carlyle, performances will begin at the Shubert Theatre on March 15, 2017 with an opening night scheduled for April 20. Feldstein is set to take on the role of Minnie Fay and recently starred in the film Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising alongside Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne and Chloe Moretz; upcoming projects include The Female Brain alongside Sofía Vergara, and also Lady Bird alongside Saoirse Ronan. This is her Broadway debut. The previously announced cast will also include Gavin Creel, Kate Baldwin, Taylor Trensch, Will Burton, Melanie Moore and Jennifer Simard. Featuring music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, Hello, Dolly! tells the story of an outspoken matchmaker and her attempts to marry "half-a-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder. The tuner took home the 1964 Tony Award for Best Musical following its Great White Way premiere at the St. James Theatre. This production will mark the first mounting of Hello, Dolly! on Broadway since 1995, which was headlined by original star and Tony winner Carol Channing. A 1969 film adaptation starred Barbra Streisand in the titular role. Matilda, the current occupant of the Shubert, is scheduled to close on January 1, 2017.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line427
__label__wiki	0.879458	0.879458	Platform Ownership Crypto Trading Bots Popup Newsrooms and Limited-Edition News Products The platforms that shaped the last decade came out of Silicon Valley; that won’t necessarily be true in the future. Key Insight The platforms that shaped the last decade came out of Silicon Valley; that won’t necessarily be true in the future. Popular apps are now emerging from countries like China and Russia, where censorship is commonplace. As a result, we must grapple with the values and features that define social networking. A leaked version of TikTok’s moderation policy suggests the platform takes steps to reduce the reach of political posts, even if the original video isn’t deleted outright. How will we respond to platforms with a very different understanding of free speech than our own? A makeup tutorial went viral on TikTok in November 2019—not noteworthy on its own, except that the video was actually a plea for viewers to inform themselves about China’s treatment of Uighurs. The video was designed to entice the creator’s audience to keep watching past the first few seconds while also evading notice by TikTok’s moderators, who could have removed or curtailed the reach of the video. The creator claims she was suspended from the platform for a month, but TikTok said the video was accidentally removed and the suspension was due to a video posted to a different account. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a government entity that reviews transactions involving foreign companies, launched an investigation into TikTok and its parent company ByteDance after it acquired the app Musical.ly for $1 billion. That review will draw additional scrutiny of TikTok, specifically around how it treats American user data and whether the app is being used to further Chinese political interests. Earlier in the year, selfies from FaceApp were all over social media. The Russian-based app uses neural networks to make users look older or younger. To use the photo filters, however, users had to agree to the privacy policy, which gave FaceApp permission to upload the images to its cloud servers—and potentially to transfer to the data to any location where the company operates. The company’s founder said no data was transferred to Russia, and the firm added an option to let users delete their data. But the uproar that preceded those announcements foreshadowed a fear that a seemingly silly game could become a tool for capturing data to be used as fodder in a geopolitical conflict. App designers encode their values and political attitudes into every choice they make. As a result, we will increasingly grapple with technology that challenges deeply held assumptions about the world. Should we download apps that transfer data into regions with different privacy laws? Should we post to platforms that actively censor controversial ideas? When should we act on suspicion about a tech company’s practices—only when we can prove wrongdoing completely? Or do we do it preemptively? The growth of TikTok offers an opportunity to consider the implications of platforms built without American notions of free speech at their core. ByteDance, Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, FaceApp, People’s Republic of China, TikTok, social media tools and apps everywhere. More trends This trend is part of our section on Social Media Platforms. Click here to see more trends in this section. Accountants, Advertising and Public Relations, Aerospace, Agriculture, Airlines, Alternative Energy Production & Services, Architectural Services, Auto Manufacturers, Banking, Bars & Restaurants, Beer, Wine and Liquor, Book Publishers, Broadcasters, Radio and TV, Builders/General Contractors, Cable & Satellite TV Production & Distribution, Casinos/Gambling, Chemical & Related Manufacturing, Civil Servants/Public Officials, Clergy & Religious Organizations, Clothing Manufacturing, Commercial TV & Radio Stations, Construction, Covid-19/ coronavirus, CPG, Cruise Ships & Lines, Defense, Doctors & Other Health Professionals, Drug Manufacturers, Education Colleges & Universities, Education K-12, Education Online, Education Trades, Electric Utilities, Entertainment Industry, Environment, Foreign & Defense Policy, Gas & Oil, Government - International, Government - National, Government - State and Local, Health Professionals, Heavy Industry, Hedge Funds, Hospitality, Hotels/Motels/Tourism, Information Technology, Insurance, Law Enforcement, Lawyers/Law Firms/Legal Industry, Lobbyists, Luxury Retail, Magazines, Manufacturing, National Security, News Media, Non-profits/Foundations/Philanthropists, Online Media, Pharmaceuticals/Health Products, Private Equity, Professional Sports, Radio/TV Stations, Real Estate, Retail, Technology Company, Telecommunications, Trade Associations, Transportation, Travel Industry, TV Production, TV/Movies/Music, Utilities, Venture Capital, Waste Management	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line431
__label__wiki	0.673887	0.673887	Limited 180gm aqua colored vinyl LP pressing. With sales in excess of 100 million and recognition as the first American band to chart Top 40 albums in six decades, whether it's personnel, popularity or productivity, everything about Chicago is big! 1995's Night & Day served as the eighteenth chapter in a long line of gold and platinum albums for the long-running outfit which got it's start in the late-60s. A stunning tribute to the big band sound, Chicago reinvents such standards as Duke Ellington's "Caravan" and Glenn Miller's "Moonlight Serenade" in their own image courtesy of arrangements by trombonist James Pankow. The Gipsy Kings lend a hand on the delightful "Sing Sing Sing" while Aerosmith's Joe Perry brings his guitar to a fiery performance of the classic "Blues In The Night." Label: FRIDAY MUSIC Night And Day (Aqu) (Audp) [Colored Vinyl] [Limited Edition] [180 Gram] Artist: Chicago Vinyl - Colored Vinyl] [Limited Edition] [180 Gram Vinyl - Limited Edition] [180 Gram	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line434
__label__cc	0.542546	0.457454	Take Advantage Of Training Opportunities by Joy-Ann Gill \| Sep 21, 2018 \| Top Stories Workers are being encouraged to seize the training opportunities which Government will soon roll out. The request came on Thursday from Minister of Labour and Social Partnership Relations, Colin Jordan, as he addressed the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Association of Barbados’ (CTUSAB) 12th Biennial Delegates’ Conference at the Three W’s Oval, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill. Acknowledging that changes had to occur to make the country more productive and competitive, he said this would require greater emphasis on human resource development within the public sector. While he stressed Government would ensure adequate training and retraining opportunities were made available to all public sector workers, Minister Jordan said: “I think you already know that the focus on training is not one that is unique to Barbados. It is, and will be critical, for all countries to seek to create public services that are responsive to the changing demands and requirements of the publics and customers that they serve.” Stating that this concept had been viewed as one of the more significant changes in the world of work by the International Labour Organisation, he explained that work of the future would require continued training and development to keep pace with the changes resulting from globalisation, the effects of climate change and the new and emerging technologies and sectors – the green, blue and orange economies. He added that, at the same time, it would require support from all partners in the tripartite construct, and the commitment to effective dialogue. “I, therefore, encourage all workers to capitalise on the training opportunities which will become available, and to be willing to share the new knowledge and skills attained within your respective workplaces to enhance organisational development and performance,” the Labour Minister said. joy-ann.gill@barbados.gov.bb Tags: Colin Jordan, Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados, CTUSAB, Minister of Labour and Social Partnership Relations, training	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line440
__label__cc	0.71757	0.28243	Biden Entertains Court Packing After Election: ‘Depends on How Much They Rush This’ Josh Christenson - October 15, 2020 10:50 PM Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden entertained the idea of packing the Supreme Court on Thursday during an ABC town hall. In a lengthy exchange with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, Biden said his opinion on whether or not to pack the court "depends" on how the confirmation process of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is "handled." "It depends on how much they rush this," Biden said. When pressed, he added that voters do have "a right to know where I stand before they vote." But when asked if he would reveal his position before Election Day, Biden only answered, "Yes. Depends on how they handle this." Biden has dodged the issue in recent weeks, telling voters that an answer would shift the focus away from more important questions. In the past, he called the practice a "bonehead idea" and a "terrible, terrible mistake." Last year, Biden said if Democrats moved to pack the Supreme Court, they would "live to rue that day." This entry was posted in 2020 Election and tagged Court-Packing, Joe Biden, Supreme Court. Bookmark the permalink. Christian Photographer Challenges Northam’s ‘Wedding Cake’ Law Oversight Group Presses Justices to Remove Cruz, Hawley from Supreme Court Bar Josh Christenson is a media analyst for the Washington Free Beacon. He graduated from Wheaton College in 2016. Before joining the Free Beacon, he was a high school teacher and a legislative intern in the U.S. House of Representatives. He can be reached at christenson@freebeacon.com.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line444
__label__wiki	0.787967	0.787967	Home /Diane Francis: Jihadi Jack and those like him have no place in Canada Business NewsSeptember 3, 2019 Diane Francis: Jihadi Jack and those like him have no place in Canada In August, Britain stripped Jack “Jihadi Jack” Letts of his citizenship because of his terrorist activities with ISIL. He’s rotting in a jail on soil that used to be controlled by Syria but is now controllled by Western-backed Kurdish militias. Now he wants Canada to accept him, if he ever gets out of jail, even though he’s never lived here — on the basis that his father was a Canadian, entitling him to Canadian citizenship. Ottawa dithered, then reacted foolishly saying that the revocation of his British citizenship makes him Canada’s problem. Wrong. If Britain dumped the guy, then Canada can, too. He’s a pariah, a security risk, and a danger to any society. Frankly, this is another blunder by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who rescinded the Conservatives’ Bill C-24, which revoked Canadian citizenship from a dual citizen if the person was convicted of terrorism or treason or fraud. Not only should that rule be reinstated and upheld, but arguments that Letts would be “stateless” are irrelevant and are Britain’s fault. Worse, Letts’ father is threatening to move to Canada to agitate to have his son live here. In a perfect world, both parents would be banned from entering the country because they were convicted this month in a British court of supporting terrorism by sending him money while he was abroad with ISIL. The parents argued in a British court that they were just being caring parents by giving their son money, but the court rejected this. “By March 2015, counter-terrorism detectives were investigating Jack Letts and they advised his parents not to send him any cash,” reported the BBC. They ignored this advice which led to their conviction under the Terrorism Act 2000 in Britain which states that is it a crime to enter into a funding arrangement if someone either knows or has “reasonable cause to suspect” that money could end up in the hands of terrorists. This is another blunder by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Not one of them is welcome here nor are dozens of other “Canadian” terrorists who have reportedly returned. A Dec. 2018 report by the federal Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness says it is “’conceivable’ all of the 60 known returnees could commit ‘low-sophistication’ terrorism attacks, including knife and vehicle attacks,” CBC reported. John Letts and Sally Lane arrive at the Old Bailey charged with making money available for suspected terrorist activities on Sept. 10, 2018, in London, England. Jack Taylor/Getty Images files Ottawa hasn’t charged and imprisoned those that have come back even though the Criminal Code stipulated that the act of leaving Canada to become a terrorist is an offence. In February, the Tories pushed a motion to force the federal government to come up with a legal strategy, to no avail. “It’s their job to keep Canadians safe … When will this government get serious?” said the Tory immigration critic Michelle Rempel. Clearly, Canada should do what Britain or France have done. In May, France said it won’t repatriate ISIL fighters or their families from Syria due to a public backlash concerning public safety. The United States has jailed some of its citizens who engaged in terrorism, and is exploring options to strip others of their American citizenship. But it is pressuring allies to take back jihadists who are being held in Syria because their incarceration is at American expense. The best solution is for Canada and others to help defray their portion of costs in order to keep them there. “‘Jihadi Jack’ is in prison now and that is where he should stay. A Conservative government under my leadership will not lift a finger to bring him back to Canada,” Conservative leader Andrew Scheer said in a statement to Reuters. Canadians don’t want him or any of them, even if born here, and Canadians deserve a government that looks after them first.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line445
__label__wiki	0.636974	0.636974	Home /Heres the full list of everything covered by Trumps phase-one trade deal with China Business NewsDecember 17, 2019 Heres the full list of everything covered by Trumps phase-one trade deal with China Kevin Lamarque/Reuters President Donald Trump unveiled an interim trade agreement with China last week, marking a major de-escalation in trade tensions in the global economy. The 86-page text of the agreement is expected to be signed in January following routine legal checks and a translation process. Here’s what is included so far in the so-called phase-one deal, which has not yet been made public. The 86-page text of the agreement is expected to be signed in January following routine legal checks and a translation process. But it did not resolve all of the issues in a more than yearlong trade dispute between the two sides. “Anyone who thinks you’re going to take their system and our system that have- that have worked in a very unbalanced way for the United States and in- in one stroke of the pen change all of that is foolish,” US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Sunday on CBS. “The president is not foolish. He’s very smart. The question was, how big was the first phase going to be?” Tariff reductions David McNew/Getty Images As part of the phase-one agreement, US negotiators agreed to lowered tariffs on $120 billion worth of Chinese products to 7.5% from 15%. A 25% tariff remains on roughly $250 billion worth of imports. The US also canceled plans to target all additional imports including electronics and toys. China suspended a pledge to retaliate in-kind. Increased US product purchases Jim Young/Reuters The Trump administration said China agreed to buy more from the US agricultural, manufacturing, energy and services sectors. That would lead to $200 billion worth of additional American exports within the next two years, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative. A farm purchase quota touted by administration officials has not been confirmed by China yet. Economists and industry groups have questioned the $50 billion figure, which would be more than double the $24 billion in agricultural products that China bought in 2017. Dispute settlement mechanism Reuters/Jonathan Ernst The trade agreement includes a mechanism to enforce its rules, which would include regular bilateral consultations and the possibility of tariff snapbacks. Concessions could be suspended if either side decides the other has violated a provision of the agreement, according to a senior administration official. “We can take action,” the official said. “It could be potentially in the form of tariffs, but we have the ability to take that action if they are not.” Technology transfers AFP PHOTO via Getty Images/Bryan R. Smith The USTR said the trade agreement would also ease pressure on foreign companies to hand over technology in order to access the Chinese market. But that pledge was seen as the result of new foreign investment legislation, which has been criticized for potential loopholes. “It’s not clear how much we moved the Chinese on tech transfer, as the new Foreign Investment Law already made it illegal to force transfer,” said Mary Lovely, a trade scholar at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. “Overall, I view this as a ceasefire with significant purchases attached.” Eugene Hoshiko/Getty Images; Reuters The trade agreement includes chapters on some of the core issues the Trump administration cited in its Section 301 investigation, which ignited the trade dispute in early 2018. It calls on China to enhance intellectual property protections for companies who have long complained about infringement of copyrights and trade secrets. Currency rules REUTERS/Hyungwon Kang Trump has long been frustrated over the relative exchange rate of the yuan and the dollar, arguing that weakness put US companies at a disadvantage and offset the effects of punitive tariffs. Over the summer, the Treasury Department labeled China a currency manipulator for the first time in decades. The USTR said the trade agreement addressed that issue through “high-standard commitments to refrain from competitive devaluations and targeting of exchange rates, while promoting transparency and providing mechanisms for accountability and enforcement.”	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line446
__label__wiki	0.942859	0.942859	Home /Trump administration changed foreign-leader call-storage methods after leaks Real NewsSeptember 28, 2019 Trump administration changed foreign-leader call-storage methods after leaks When the transcripts of two phone calls President Donald Trump had with foreign leaders leaked in the early days of his presidency, the procedure to store those logs changed, multiple sources familiar with the process told ABC News. One former career intelligence official added that the administration “changed the dynamics of how these transcripts had been secured.” The two calls in early 2017, with leaders from Australia and from Mexico, leaked early in Trump’s administration, and sources said the procedure to store them quickly changed — many calls between the president and world leaders instead were stored in a secure server to avoid leaks. The sources who talked to ABC News did caution that it’s unclear if the calls being stored were done so for national security or for political concerns. One source said it became “basically standard operating procedure” for many of the conversations Trump has had during his time in office. The sources would not specify if any countries were treated differently than others. Decisions on which calls were put into the server, according to sources, were handled by members of the NSC, State Department and White House Counsel’s office. The former career official said the measures taken seemed to solve the leak problem. President Donald Trump arrives to board Air Force One at John F. Kennedy Airport after attending the United Nations General Assembly, Sept. 26, 2019, in New York. This comes as the first of several joint depositions is set to take place on Capitol Hill next week involving various investigative committees that have begun an impeachment inquiry. ABC News has learned, in a release from the house oversight committee, Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, who up until May 2019 served as the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, is slated to sit for a deposition on Oct. 2. On Friday, Trump spent the day in back-to-back meetings at the White House with his top aides, including his communications team, members of the White House Counsel’s team and his personal counsel, sources told ABC News. Despite that, Trump’s lead personal counsel, Jay Sekulow, told ABC News that, at this time, “No war room is being set up — we will respond appropriately.” Ting Shen/Xinhua via Getty Images, FILE President Donald Trump signs a presidential memorandum at the White House in Washington D.C., on May 8, 2018, He said that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, a landmark agreement signed in 2015. Some top aides believe the faster this moves the better it will be for Trump’s reelection. Privately, sources described a mixed bag, with a president who has been at times upbeat yet intent on ensuring no more leaks from the White House. As part of Trump’s day of meetings, he met with NRA Chief Wayne La Pierre. According to sources familiar with the conversation, the meeting focused on gun control but also about how the NRA could support Trump as he faces impeachment. “The NRA is not inclined to discuss private conversations with the president,” said Andrew Arulanandam, managing director of NRA Public Affairs. “The NRA categorically denies any discussion occurred about special arrangements pertaining to the NRA’s support of the president and vice versa.” ABC News’ Benjamin Siegel and Pete Madden contributed to this report.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line447
__label__wiki	0.663911	0.663911	London anti-fascists in callout to block opportunist EDL and Britain First rally News, Mar 24th A ‘Block The Fascists’ counter-demo has been announced for April 1st following the decision by EDL and Britain first to hold rallies to capitalise on the recent Westminster attack. In a statement, organisers said: London Anti-fascists are calling a demonstration to support calls to oppose both Britain First and the English Defense League (EDL) who have called demos in London in light of the recent attack in Westminster. The far right will use the attack to fuel their anti-Muslim and anti-migrant racist propaganda. We must stand together and not let them divide us! We encourage all our supporters to take up the slogan “They shall not pass!” and crush the fascists’ attempt to cynically grow off the death of ordinary Londoners. We stand with any and all anti-fascists who want to see fascism defeated by any means necessary. Block the streets, they will not pass. Full details of the counter-demo are planned to be released nearer the time. Britain First is aiming to gather at Charing Cross Station at 1pm, while at the same time the EDL has called its own demo at Trafalgar Square — though at the time of writing the EDL demo looks likely to be sparsely populated with only a few dozen people saying they’ll attend. In a further statement on their website, London Anti-Fascists said: The truth of the matter is this. These so called patriots are delighted that this has happened. This one fanatic has given them the opportunity they desired to try and start a conflict in society drawn down racial lines. They would seek to rebuild their failing movements off the blood and tears shed by ordinary people, they would use this attack to justify their own brand of jackbooted terror against the Muslim population of this country. But we will not let them. Our group and the national network know the reactionary ideology at the heart of the attack in the capital. Today the howls from the right are directed at us, to claim that we caused this attack through our tolerance of ‘Islamic extremism’ or our work to support the rights of refugees. These claims are built on the assumption that there is a clash of civilisations in this country. That ‘English culture’ and ‘Muslim culture’ cannot co-exist and a war is inevitable. These are lies. Our comrades from the Anti-Fascist movement and even from our own group are currently fighting on the front lines near Raqqa, the capital of ISIS. They are their fighting with an international brigade formed of all nationalities, religions and genders. They fight alongside their Muslim comrades in the YPG in the spirit of working class internationalism, and it is that spirit we need today. Their struggle is a struggle against the same forces of reaction that would seek to divide our communities down ethnic lines, it’s a struggle against those who would eradicate the Yazidi minority in Iraq just as much as it’s a struggle against those who would burn down our neighbour’s mosque because they are Muslim. Right now the Fascists will present ordinary people an outstretched hand of welcome, raised straight up and palm open. It’s an outstretched hand that casts a shadow over modern history and grows out of the gas chambers of Auschwitz. We must reject this offering with the utmost ferocity and anger and in its place we must cement the ideals of working class internationalism. Without facing down the fascists on the streets and offering the working class an alternative to race war we will lose and the shadows of the past will consume our streets. Anti-fascismBritain FirstEDLLondon	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line449
__label__cc	0.641189	0.358811	Russia: Alexi Navalny is no “honest guardian” against Kremlin oppression, anarchists warn Analysis, Mar 26th As liberal “centrist” protests against corruption in Russia kick off nationwide today, led by lawyer and political figure Alexi Navalny, Russian anarcho-syndicalist group KRAS-AIT argues that for the country’s poor, his “responsible” free-market vision offers no respite: Opposition politician Navalny (pictured above), posing as an honest guardian of the people’s interests, has called on the population of Russia to take to the streets in protest against corruption and embezzlement by top State officials. This pretender to power, who has accused our current rulers of carving up a cake baked with the sweat and blood of ordinary workers, asserts that “because of the corruption around us we see poverty and ruin.” Yes, we have every reason to be dissatisfied with the socio-economic policies being pursued by the current regime of oligarchs, the plutocrats. The gap between the richest and the poorest in Russia breaks all world records. At a time when 40% of the population barely has enough money for food and about 70% of the population earns less than the so-called average wage, the rich are bathed in the most unimaginable luxury. Last year alone, despite the so-called “crisis” — or rather, because of it — the number of Russian dollar millionaires grew by 10%. Authorities complain about a lack of money in the budget and on this pretext plan to further reduce spending on health, education and social benefits, while raising taxes on consumers and hiking the retirement age. In this case, any proposals aimed at encouraging the rich to share a little bit of their loot from the common people is immediately and irrevocably met with hostility. All this is true. But those who call on us to protest against the “corruption” say not a word about how they intend to change the socio-economic policies of the current regime. Even a meager reduction of the yawning gap that separates rich and poor in Russia is not included in their plans and intentions. They did not raise the question of a change in ownership structure, which for most of them, as well as for any other adherents of capitalism, is “sacred and inviolable.” The current political opposition are as ardent a set of supporters of the “free market” as the powers that be. Low wages, cuts in social spending, the arbitrariness of employers, brutal exploitation and lack of rights for employees — all these principles are equally dear to the heart of the opposition as they are to today’s rulers. Our poverty does not stem from the “corruption” which Navalny and co criticise. This opposition is outraged that officials, in their opinion, rake too much from the Treasury, patronise related businesses and encourage the owners of enterprises, firms and banks to pay them bribes and kickbacks. But what do we, doctors and workers, teachers and the unemployed, students and pensioners, care how those who force us to work our whole lives for their benefit divide the spoils of what they’ve stolen from us? It is we, not they, entrepreneurs and bankers who create all the wealth while receiving from them these pitiful pennies, often enough only to die of hunger. Our troubles are not generated by the fact that someone with political and economic power shares it or does not with other masters. Our anguish is the result of the existing social system. The point is not to merely replace one bad person with other rulers. It is necessary to radically change the whole current policy. In other words, to change the system. Navalny and his supporters are the least suitable for this purpose. An entrepreneur, exploiting the labour of employees; a political adventurer who was expelled from his own nationalist Liberal Party; who in 2006 held the neo-fascist Russian March, a preacher of rabid chauvinism; an unconditional supporter of capitalism. The man himself belongs to the camp of the gentlemen, even if it is their currently “offended” faction. He is no better than our current rulers, and does not offer anything in return for his tyranny. Police break up the Russian March in St Petersburg on November 4th, 2006 Our requirements today must not become empty and meaningless phrases about “anti-corruption” in the hope some other “honest” bureaucrats will be able to carry out the mythical and impossible task to create a “clean and fair” capitalism. It does not matter what clique will form the government — we want to live better. There must be new demands We demand real freedom, of association, for rallies, strikes and trade union activity! We demand an end to anti-social policies: of low wages and systematic reduction of real incomes for the general population, the destruction of social security, the commercialisation of education and health care, privatisation, and permanent increases in prices! We demand an end to “economic reforms” which more and more help entrepreneurs, bankers and bureaucrats get richer while ordinary people poorer. All these measures must be discontinued immediately! We demand cancellation of the infamous law against “extremism” to stop the arbitrariness of overt and covert police. People need rights, not repression and extortion! Our towns and villages must be for residents, not officials! We don’t need “fair elections” in which different brands of politician are merely fighting over who will skin us next. We need a decent life! An increase of pay rates to average European levels Automatic wage increases in line with rising prices A six-hour day and five-day working week, without cutting wages Paid leave for a period of not less than one month and paid sick days for all workers Reduce and freeze the prices of basic goods and services A prohibition on dismissals without the consent of the staff Free medical care, education, urban transport and housing services We do not believe that representative democracy and its elections, presidents, governments and Dumas will be able to solve our problems. They do not have the right to decide and speak for us. Only when the system of general government comes direct from where we live, work and study, can we all become masters of their own destiny. A group of activists of the Russian section of the IWA The above is an edited machine translation of this article from aitrus.info. Any problems/errors let us know! Alexi NavalnyAnti-capitalistcorruptionKRAS-AITliberalismRussia	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line450
__label__cc	0.576181	0.423819	Free Ukraine Now Stopping US-NATO takeover of Ukraine and Russia ← Council on Foreign Relations’ grand strategy: China must be defeated, the TPP is essential to undermine China US-NATO launch new proxy war front in Crimea: Neo-Nazis bomb electrical grid causing national blackouts → Robert Legvold vs. Valdai Club – goals in conflict Russians cannot afford to be naïve about Americans. The Americans who control power and policy in the United States have goals in conflict with most of the world, including Russia. The organizations that formulate and maintain the current iterations of the “America pre-eminent” philosophy, such as the Council on Foreign Relations, exist in a reality-less vacuum. They live to further their agenda and nothing else. There is no compromise, no room for discussion with opposing views. They have no mirrors for self-reflection and humility. These individuals are not just misguided; they are very, very dangerous to the rest of the world. There are other Americans who make excellent choices to speak or moderate at international symposiums for peace due to their commitment to building peace and harmonious world community, respecting national sovereignty, multi-polarity, and speaking truth. They view other people as neighbors, not threats or competitors. They are humble, honest, reality-based, and well aware of America’s faults. They are not bound by prejudice or narrow interest. It is possible to collaborate with them to move our world towards peace and understanding. Robert Legvold is not one of them. Robert Legvold’s background is with the Council on Foreign Relations and the Harriman Institute. He and his compatriots have absolutely nothing to do with the goals of Valdai. CFR’s recent report on China is one example of their supremacist philosophy. Legvold was given the powerful and important role of moderating the final session at the Valdai Club with President Vladimir Putin in October. Why? Below is the transcript of his long 11-minute speech, followed by the responses of President Putin and Jack Matlock. Legvold refused to deal with the facts about American imperialism and foreign intervention. He wrote off American history as a distortion in other people’s perspective. That shows Legvold is a liar and a fool. Any school child can find reams of evidence and testimony from official government reports and think tank documents on American objectives, including from the CFR itself. Legvold’s stance also indicates pathology. Unfortunately, he is not alone. Here is Legvold out of context: “…it is not just misguided policy, but it is malevolent policy. The US foreign policy today is designed, in the case of Russia, to do genuine harm to Russia’s foreign policy interests, to contain Russia, to roll Russia back, to reduce its influence and to damage its strategic interests and stakes, both more broadly and within the immediate neighborhood. But even beyond that, that it is now a case of a US policy committed to regime change within Russia itself…” If he had said this, he would have spoken the truth. Instead, he lied to the audience, and he did it with clever words. In addition, he rudely and inappropriately excluded Mr. Larijani and Mr. Klaus in his remarks, choosing to focus on the United States-Russia relationship which he called the most important. The “me, me, me” focus was immature and embarrassing. And it was such a waste of time for those two men. Why was he chosen to moderate? Was this an attempt at bridge-building by Valdai members? Instead of facilitating a productive back-and-forth discussion between panel members and the audience, Legvold hijacked the meeting. That’s inexcusable. Russians and others must understand that these Americans smile, they have impressive titles and CVs, they know exactly what words to say to appeal to people or confuse them (“if you will forgive me and if you will indulge me”), but they will walk right over or through anyone. To understand these people, look at American history. Their friends are coup d’etat agents and financiers. They have an inflexible agenda, and they’re very self-focused. There is no conceivable reason for having someone like Robert Legvold speak at Valdai. To do so interrupts Valdai’s important work. Here are links to the video http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/50548/videos The other speakers on the panel were: Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation Ali Larijani, Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Council (parliament) of the Islamic Republic of Iran Vaclav Klaus, former President of the Czech Republic Jack Matlock, last US Ambassador to the USSR, Professor of Princeton University Andrey Bystritsky, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club Complete transcript of President Putin’s remarks with some of Jack Matlock and Robert Legvold’s remarks https://freeukrainenow.org/2015/11/17/valdai-club-october-22-2015-president-putins-full-remarks/ Transcript at 1:24:06 Robert Legvold: Thank you, Ambassador Matlock. Thank you for reminding us of what was necessary and what worked in ending the Cold War and in many respects, what’s missing in our own day at this point. Now, what is expected to happen, in a moment I will turn to our speakers and allow them to exchange ideas, raise some questions among themselves, then I will turn to you for your questions. But before that, if you will forgive me and if you will indulge me, let me begin the conversation with a general point that leads to a question. And what I, what I say in the next moments will be frank. And I defend myself in doing so by quoting you, President Putin, when you spoke to the Munich Security Conference in 2007 when you said, “This conference’s structure allows me to avoid excessive politeness and the need to speak in a roundabout, pleasant but empty diplomatic terms.” If that’s the way I defend myself, that’s the way I urge you to ask your questions for this to be a genuinely productive exchange. This meeting has been about a troubled world. The challenges that this troubled world is delivering for us, many of them intensely, some are well summarized in the comments by our speakers up to this point. And Valdai is about developing ideas, the struggle in order to begin addressing those challenges. I would argue — and here forgive my focus on my own country, the United States — that of the troubled relationships in the world, in the context of this troubled world, the one that is the most important, not merely to my country and to Russia, is the US-Russia relationship — the one that’s the most important of the troubled relationships to the outside world. In thinking about this, yesterday one of the particularly successful panels I thought was the one on the role of diplomacy in dealing with the challenges that we face now. Ambassador Richard Burt introduced the notion that it’s more than diplomacy. It’s even more broadly the question of statecraft. And diplomacy and statecraft – he wasn’t talking only about ambassadors or even foreign ministers. He was also talking about national leaders. He of the five qualities finished, after identifying prudence and courage and creativity, finished with empathy. That if you’re going to succeed in statecraft, it has to, it has to be manifest in a capacity to empathize with the other side. That doesn’t mean agree with the other side, as he made plain. It is a question or a challenge of putting yourself in the other side’s shoes if you’re going to be effective in dealing with the other side. And he finished by saying the problem today is a deficit of empathy. And I think he was speaking particularly about the deficit or the lack of empathy in the US-Russia relationship at this point. I would add to that, and this is the thrust of my point – there is something that is a prerequisite even for exercising empathy effectively, and that is that you understand the other side accurately. And I think that’s what is missing at this point. Instead we have narratives that each of us is operating with in Washington and more broadly, in our media, and in Moscow, and more broadly, in your media — a national leadership with, from my point of view, fundamentally warped narratives of what’s guiding the way in which we’re dealing with one another. The result of this is the fundamental feature of the US relationship right now, if it has a resemblance, it is to the early years of the original Cold War, not even the later years of the original Cold War. And that is, each side is assigning, if not exclusive blame for the deterioration in the relationship, the disrepair of the relationship, then by far, the majority of the responsibility. The blame is attached to the other side, and the interest in the interaction, the dance that we’ve done together that brought us to this point, is missing from the relationship right now. This is one of the frank portions of what I have to say. On the Russian side, the understanding that I think many have on the outside is at this point the Russian interpretation of US foreign policy is not merely that over these years, it has been misguided and created the problems that you, Mr. President, have summarized in sharp terms on many occasions, going back to that 2007 speech in Munich, but that more recently, it is not just misguided policy, but it is malevolent policy. And the US foreign policy today is designed, in the case of Russia, to do genuine harm to Russia’s foreign policy interests, to contain Russia, to roll Russia back, to reduce its influence and to damage its strategic interests and stakes, both more broadly and within the immediate neighborhood. But even beyond that, that it is now a case of a US policy committed to regime change within Russia itself, having followed a policy of regime change in US strategic interests from, from the color revolutions to Iraq, to Libya, and then would be in Syria and now Ukraine in this context. This is not something that I pull out of thin air. This was essentially the theme of Nikolai Patrushev’s [Secretary of Security Council of the Russian Federation] interview in Rossiyskaya Gazeta a year ago [October 2014].[i] It is directly the notion of regime change as a part of US foreign policy that was in foreign minister Lavrov’s address to the Council on Foreign Defense Policy a month later in November. Uh, that’s on the Russian side. My own view, and others from various positions, US and otherwise, can agree or disagree with it, is this is a misreading of what is the fundamental impulse behind US policy toward Russia. You can criticize many aspects about the Obama policy, but I wouldn’t do it in those terms. On the US side, there is an equal distortion in terms of the narratives that I’m referring to. Within the administration itself, I think that most, not all, certainly not the Secretary of State and most of the time, I think, not the President himself, are persuaded that what I’ve just summarized as the Russian view of US policy indeed exists. The Obama administration believes that’s the attitude within Russia at this point and of your government. Their view, however, is that they do not sense any responsibility for having produced it, and they’re having difficulty explaining why it exists. But they come to the conclusion that, as a result, there’s very little they can do to change it, and therefore, there’s very little that they’re going to be able to do by way of cooperation or moving in the directions that several of you, including you, President Putin, exhorted should happen between the two sides. There is a larger part of the public, and, I think, the US Congress and the media that has a starker view and narrative which I think is fundamentally distorted. And that is, the problem is not out of the interaction between the United States and Russia or how we got here over however many years you want to look at, but there is essentially, first of all, the result of Russian behaviour, especially within the context of the Ukrainian crisis. And that is a product — not of, as I said, international relations, Russia’s reaction to the outside world, the interaction –it is a function of the nature of the Russian political system and regime. And Russian behavior is determined not by that interaction with the outside world, but by what they would argue are the requirements of the Russian leadership and government as it is currently structured: a need for external enemies, a need to prevent democracy from creeping toward Russian borders, even an alternative source of legitimacy if there are economic difficulties in the country. Now from my point of view, this is fundamentally wrong. But it is probably more widespread than even the first interpretation that I offered. Now I make these points because I believe that before you’re going to be able to make any progress toward achieving common ground and a common approach on the issues that we’re talking about, the hard issues, because surely we ought to have a common goal at this point, and acting together in dealing with ISIS, and surely we should be beginning to make progress in what Jack Matlock referred to at the end, and I did earlier and you did, President Putin, in your comments, beginning to bring some order to this nuclear world. It leads to, and I apologize for having been this windy at the outset, it leads to two questions. First of all, the sheer practical question, and this is to President Putin, is this a mischaracterization in the way in which you, if you as you say in Russian “—“ see the challenge posed by the US administration? But beyond that, if there is validity to what I’m describing, that is, that the narratives that we’re working with fundamentally get in the way of achieving the kind of cooperation that you want to see and that I think our leadership wants to see and other governments want to see, how do we begin moving in another direction? Or to put it in a phrase, how do we begin changing the trajectory at this very basic level? (Ends 1:35:04) Vladimir Putin: First of all, let me thank everyone who spoke. I think this was all very substantive and interesting, and I am very pleased to see that our discussion has spice and substance to it rather than being all dry talk. Let’s not dig around now in the distant past. When it comes to who is to blame for the Soviet Union’s collapse, I think that internal reasons were the primary cause, of course, and in this sense, Mr Ambassador was right. The inefficiency of the former Soviet Union’s political and economic systems was the main cause of the state’s collapse. But who gave this process a helping hand is another matter. I don’t think that our geopolitical adversaries were standing around idle, but internal reasons were nonetheless the primary cause. Mr Ambassador, as I understand it, was debating with me from afar, and now here, face to face, when he said that, unlike me, he does not consider the collapse of the Soviet Union one of the twentieth century’s great tragedies. For my part, I continue to insist that this was a tragedy, above all a humanitarian tragedy. This is what I was saying. The Soviet collapse left 25 million Russians abroad. This just happened overnight and no one ever asked them. I repeat my argument that the Russian people became the world’s biggest divided nation, and this was unquestionably a tragedy. That is not to mention the socioeconomic dimension. The Soviet collapse brought down the social system and economy with it. Yes, the old economy was not very effective, but its collapse threw millions of people into poverty, and this was also a tragedy for individual people and families. Now, on the question of continuing strategic offensive arms limitation talks, you are right to say that we do need to continue this dialogue. But at the same time, I cannot say that Russia and the United States have done nothing here. We did conclude a new treaty on limiting strategic offensive arms and set goals for limiting this type of weapons. However, the USA’s unilateral withdrawal from the ABM Treaty, which was the cornerstone for preserving the balance of power and international security, has left this whole system in a serious and complicated state. In this respect, since this is a discussion club, I would like to ask Mr Ambassador what he thinks of the USA’s unilateral withdrawal from the ABM Treaty. Jack Matlock: I was personally opposed to that withdrawal and I take your point. I would say that I don’t think that any subsequent plans for the sort of deployments were or could be a threat to Russian systems. But in general, I am not a supporter of ABM systems. I would point out that I think the main source of that is not to threaten Russia but to secure employment in the United States. A lot comes from the military-industrial complex and the number of people it employs. Vladimir Putin: Mr Ambassador, I find your arguments unconvincing. I have the greatest respect for your experience and diplomatic skills, of which you have given us a flawless demonstration, avoiding a direct answer. Well, you did answer my question, but not without some embellishments. One should not create jobs when the result of this activity threatens all of humanity. And if developing new missile defence systems is about creating jobs, why create them in this particular area? Why not create jobs in biology, pharmaceuticals, or in high-tech sectors not related to arms production? On the question of whether this poses a threat to Russia or not, I can assure you that US security and strategic arms specialists are fully aware that this does threaten Russia’s nuclear capability, and that the whole purpose of this system is to reduce the nuclear capabilities of all countries but the USA itself to zero. We’ve been hearing arguments this whole time about the Iranian nuclear threat, but as I said in my remarks before, our position was always that there was no such threat, and now not only we but the entire international community share this view. The United States initiated the signing of an agreement with Iran on settling the Iranian nuclear issue. We actively followed and supported our US and Iranian partners on the road to a common decision and this agreement has now come into force and Iran has agreed to send its enriched uranium out of the country. So if there is no Iranian nuclear problem, why develop a missile defence system? You could stop the project, but not only has the project not stopped, on the contrary, new tests and exercises are taking place. These systems will be in place in Romania by the end of the year and in Poland by 2018 or 2020. As I can tell you, and the specialists know, the missile defence deployment sites can be used effectively for stationing cruise missile attack systems. Does this not create a threat for us? Of course it does, and it changes the very philosophy of international security. If one country thinks that it has created a missile defence shield that will protect it from any strikes or counter-strikes, it has its hands free to use whatever types of weapons it likes, and it is this that upsets the strategic balance. You have worked on arms agreements in the past and have achieved some amazing results. I can but take off my hat to you and congratulate you on this. You and your Russian partners have had some great successes, but what is happening now cannot fail to worry us. I am sure that you would agree with this in your heart. Essentially, you admitted as much when you said that you did not support the USA’s unilateral withdrawal from the treaty. Now, on the subject of Ukraine, and on the idea that this creates dangers for us, yes, of course it creates dangers, but was it we who created this situation? Remember the year when Mr Yanukovych lost the election and Mr Yushchenko came to power? Look at how he came to power. It was through a third round of voting, which is not even in the Ukrainian Constitution’s provisions. The Western countries actively supported this. This was a complete violation of the Constitution. What kind of democracy is this? This is simply chaos. They did it once, and then did it again in even more flagrant form with the change of regime and coup d’état that took place in Ukraine not so long ago. Russia’s position is not that we oppose the Ukrainian people’s choice. We are ready to accept any choice. Ukraine genuinely is a brotherly country in our eyes, a brotherly people. I don’t make any distinction between Russians and Ukrainians. But we oppose this method of changing the government. It is not a good method anywhere in the world, but it is completely unacceptable in the post-Soviet region, where, to be frank, many former Soviet republics do not yet have traditions of statehood and have not yet developed stable political systems. In this context, we need to take great care of what we do have and help it to develop. We were ready to work even with the people who came to power as a result of that unconstitutional third round back then. We worked with Mr Yushchenko and Ms Timoshenko, though they were considered to be completely pro-Western politicians – I think this is not an accurate label in general, but this was the way they were viewed. We met with them, travelled to Kiev, received them here in Russia. Yes, we sometimes had fierce debates on economic matters, but we did work together. But what are we supposed to do when faced with a coup d’état? Do you want to organise an Iraq or Libya here? The US authorities have not hidden the fact that they are spending billions there. The authorities have said directly in public that they have spent $5 billion on supporting the opposition. Is this the right choice? Another of our colleagues said that it is wrong to interpret things as suggesting that the United States seeks to change the political system and government in Russia. It is hard for me to agree with that argument. The United States has a law that concerns Ukraine, but it directly mentions Russia, and this law states that the goal is democratisation of the Russian Federation. Just imagine if we were to write into Russian law that our goal is to democratise the United States, though in principle we could do this, and let me tell you why. There are grounds for this. Everyone knows that there were two occasions in US history when a president came to power with the votes of the majority of the electoral college members but the minority of voters. Is this democratic? No, democracy is the people’s power, the will of the majority. How can you have someone elected to the country’s highest office by only a minority of voters? This is a problem in your constitution, but we do not demand that you change your constitution. We can debate all of this forever, but if you have a country writing such things into its domestic laws and financing the domestic opposition [of another country]… Having an opposition is a normal thing, but it must survive on its own resources, and if you have a country openly spending billions on supporting it, is this normal political practice? Will this help to build a spirit of trust at the interstate level? I don’t think so. Now, on the subject of democracy moving closer to our borders. (Laughter). You seem to be an experienced person. Do you imagine we could be opposed to having democracy on our borders? What is it you call democracy here? Are you referring to NATO’s move towards our borders? Is that what you mean by democracy? NATO is a military alliance. We are worried not about democracy on our borders, but about military infrastructure coming ever closer to our borders. How do you expect us to respond in such a case? What are we to think? This is the issue that worries us. You know what is at the heart of today’s problems? I will share it with you, and we will certainly make public the document I want to refer to now. It is a record of the discussions between German politicians and top Soviet officials just before Germany’s reunification. It makes for very interesting reading, just like reading a detective story. One prominent German political figure of the time, a leader in the Social Democratic Party, said during the talks with the senior Russian officials – I can’t quote him word for word, but I remember the original closely enough – he said, “If we don’t reach agreement now on the principles for Germany’s reunification and Europe’s future, crises will continue and even grow after Germany’s reunification and we will not end them but only face them again in new forms.” Later, when the Soviet officials got into discussion with him, he was surprised and said, “You’d think I am defending the Soviet Union’s interests – reproaching them for their short-sighted views it seems – but I’m thinking about Europe’s future.” And he turned out to be absolutely right. Mr Ambassador, your colleagues did not reach agreements then on the basic principles of what would follow Germany’s reunification: the question of prospective NATO membership for Germany, the future of military infrastructure, its forms and development, and the coordination of security issues in Europe. Oral agreements were reached back then, but nothing was put on paper, nothing fixed, and so it went from there. But as you all recall from my speech in Munich, when I made this point, back then, the NATO Secretary General gave the oral assurance that the Soviet Union could be sure that NATO – I quote – would not expand beyond the eastern borders of today’s GDR. And yet the reality was completely different. There were two waves of NATO expansion eastwards, and now we have missile defence systems right on our borders too. I think that all of this raises legitimate concerns in our eyes, and this is something we certainly need to work on. Despite all the difficulties, we are willing to work together. On the serious issue of missile defence, we have already made past proposals and I say again that we could work together as a threesome – the USA, Russia, and Europe. What would this kind of cooperation entail? It would mean that all three parties agree together on the direction missile threats are coming from, and have equal part in the system’s command and in other secondary matters. But our proposals met with a refusal. It was not we who did not seek cooperation, but others who refused us. Now we face the serious issue of what is happening in Syria, and I am sure this will be the subject of further discussion. We hear criticism that we are supposedly striking the wrong targets. I said recently, speaking in Moscow, “Tell us what are the right targets to hit if you know them,” but no, they don’t tell us. So we ask them to tell us which targets to avoid, but they still don’t answer us. We have this excellent movie, Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Profession. The Russian audience knows it well. One of the movie’s characters says to the other, “How am I supposed to understand what you’re saying if you don’t say anything?” Fortunately, at the military level at least, as I said before, we are starting to say something to each other and come to some agreements. The circumstances oblige us to do so. The military people are the most responsible it seems, and I hope that if they can reach agreements, we will be able to reach agreements at the political level too. [i] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/24/sp-ukraine-russia-cold-war http://www.rg.ru/2014/10/15/patrushev.html Tagged Jack Matlock, malevolence, Robert Legvold, US foreign policy, Valdai, Vladimir Putin Follow Free Ukraine Now on WordPress.com The Ribbon of St. George, worn on Victory Day in Russia, Ukraine, and other countries in commemoration of the victory over Nazi Germany How to help Julian Assange by writing to him in prison Five years ago, U.S. installed a neo-Nazi government in Ukraine — a ‘flowering of democracy’? Max Blumenthal: The U.S. is arming and assisting neo-Nazis in Ukraine, while Congress debates prohibition Intensifying attacks on Donbass, Poroshenko requested help compiling evidence of Russian aggression for Munich speech No War on Venezuela — Global Day of Action, February 23, 2019 The making of Juan Guaidó: How the US regime change laboratory created Venezuela’s coup leader Honduras: Fleeing citizens; U.S. supports and arms Pres. 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__label__cc	0.546359	0.453641	Don’t get fooled again! Unmasking two decades of lies about Golden Rice by GRAIN, MASIPAG and Stop Golden Rice! Network \| 21 Nov 2018 Seeds Download PDF version (8.49 MB) In a now iconic Time magazine cover back in 2000, Golden Rice was hailed as the “rice that could save millions.” The optimistic prediction of commercialising the genetically-modified (GM) rice in the early 2000s turned out to be a dud: two decades hence and the Golden Rice has yet to fulfill its messianic promise of solving Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) among kids in poor countries. Proponents, including the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and its cohorts are quick to lay the blame among the farmers and organisations that oppose the GM rice. They accuse the farmers, consumers, environmentalists and many others opposed to the GM rice as having blood on their hands, as their “wicked” opposition has allowed the blindness and death of millions of children who could have benefitted from this noble and humanitarian product. But, is it really the case? Golden Rice research and development has gone on for almost two decades now. True, the civil society has been successful in launching campaigns against the GM rice and other genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) that managed to halt field trials and mass propagations. But even as the Golden Rice machinery continues to churn, Golden Rice still fails to reach the market because of its inherent flaws and failures. And because Golden Rice is doomed to fail, the peoples’ resistance becomes all the more true and necessary against this false gold and saviour. What is Golden Rice? Rice is a very important crop for many communities in Asia. Not only is it the main staple food for majority of people, rice is also an important part of the Asian culture and society. Rice production is mostly still in the hand of small, subsistence farmers. The livelihood of the majority of the farm labour in rural areas is related to rice production in one degree or another. Rice also has a wide range of varieties, from dry land rice to varieties that can grow in coastal areas. Over 40,000 rice varieties can easily be found from India to Indonesia, from China to the Philippines and more than 90% of rice worldwide is produced and consumed in Asia. Despite being seen as a nutritious meal, rice does lack micronutrients like Vitamin A or its precursor, beta-carotene. That is why it is normally eaten with a side dish, such as vegetables or meat-based proteins to complement the lack of micronutrients in rice-rich diets. In 1999, a group of European scientists led by Dr. Ingo Potrykus tried to change this by developing genetically-engineered rice that contains beta-carotene, by inserting bacteria and daffodil and maize genes into it. This is the Golden Rice, called hence because of the golden colour of its grains. They argued that Golden Rice could solve the problem of Vitamin A and other nutrient deficiencies, since rice is consumed as staple food mostly in poor and developing countries that could not afford a balanced diet. Syngenta then developed a new version of Golden Rice, GR2, and donated it to its Golden Rice Humanitarian Board to ensure the GR2’s introduction and deployment. Syngenta claimed that mass consumption of Golden Rice would address prevalence of VAD, which leads to blindness among an estimated hundred thousand of children annually in countries such as the Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia and India. Then, in 2011, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated around US$10.3 million dollars to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for the development of Golden Rice. Since the first announcement of this genetically-engineered rice in the late 1990s, Golden Rice has been going through several stages of development and has been faced with both excitement and criticism in every corner of the world. The fight over Golden Rice has been fiery. Its proponents hail it as a symbol of all the goodness biotechnology has to offer, promoting it as the panacea for VAD and accusing those who oppose it as responsible for blindness among children. Golden Rice has opened the door to other biofortified genetically-modified crops and has played a critical role in arguments around GM crops. To name a few of these biofortified GM crops in the pipeline: - GM biofortified zinc and iron rice. Developed by the same team at IRRI that works on Golden Rice, based on a report issued in 2015.[1] - Super or golden banana, a beta-carotene-enhanced genetically-engineered banana, developed by researchers from Queensland University of Technology with £5.9 million funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.[2] - Golden potato, genetically-engineered strain of yellow-orange potato that contains vitamin A and vitamin E. Developed by a group of scientists at Ohio State University and the Italian National Agency for New Technologies[3] - Purple rice, genetically-engineered rice that contains the colourful antioxidant compounds normally found in blueberries, developed by a team at the South China Agricultural University in Guangzhou. It is said to help ward off cancer.[4] What are the target countries for the development of Golden Rice and what’s the status now? In February 2017, the Philippines Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) submitted two applications for field testing and biosafety permit for direct use in food, feed, or for processing, of GR2E Golden Rice to the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry. These applications were filed after confined field trials were conducted by PhilRice between 2015 and 2016, where PhilRice concluded that Golden Rice has the same nutritional components with ordinary rice except for its beta-carotene content and did not impact key agronomic properties of the rice, including yield. PhilRice and IRRI discreetly carried out with the confined field test and kept mum on the status of Golden Rice in Philippines after August 2013, when more than 400 farmers and basic sectors trooped to the office of the Department of Agriculture’s Regional Office in Pili, Camarines Sur and uprooted the Golden Rice field trials there.[5] According to the farmers, the direct action was to prevent contamination of their precious traditional and farmer-bred varieties. The two institutions blamed the uprooting for causing setbacks to the planned commercialisation of Golden Rice for another two to three years, despite the fact that IRRI also confessed that the yields of the Golden Rice variety grown in the field trials proved to be a failure, with average yields lower than those of local varieties.[6] The new field trial applications are set in just two sites – the PhilRice stations in Muñoz (Nueva Ecija province) and San Mateo (Isabela province), considered as among the top rice growing areas in Luzon, the Philippine’s largest island. According to PhilRice, the field trials will only run for one cropping season, after that the application for commercial propagation will be filed. Aside from the field trials, the Golden Rice proponents likewise filed an application for direct use for food, feed and processing. It is still quite unclear what exactly the direct use application constitutes, but most likely it has been filed to facilitate feed tests among target consumers and eventually get to release Golden Rice commercially. Bangladesh completed the confined field testing of Golden Rice at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), campus in Gazipur, in early 2017. It is now in the stage of submitting an application to the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Agriculture for a multi-location field test in farmers’ fields. Further, an application for an environmental and food safety assessment on GR2E BRRI dhan29 Golden Rice was submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture in November 2017 and to the Ministry of the Environment and Forests on the following month.[7] However, concerns over trade contamination of Golden Rice have also arisen in Bangladesh. Bangladesh itself already stumbles upon the problem of exporting their agricultural products since they allowed commercial production of Bt eggplant in 2013, with India putting a moratorium for eggplant from Bangladesh.[8] Now being a new rice-exporting country, Bangladesh is very cautious of having any contamination of GM rice in their rice export, worried that it may affect their agricultural export market. It shows that, despite years of public relations work to convince the public that there is no harm in consuming genetically-modified food, public trust to GM crops remains low in general, especially for staple food products like Golden Rice. India has been involved in the development of Golden Rice since the very beginning. Dr. Potrykus himself acknowledged the support he received from Indo-Swiss Collaboration in Biotechnology (ETH Zurich), an institution jointly financed by the Indian Department of Biotechnology in New Delhi, India and the Swiss Development Corporation in Bern, Switzerland. Golden Rice was introduced into India through the established organisational framework of the Indo-Swiss Collaboration in Biotechnology, and initially foreseen to take a leading role and to serve as a model for other countries. During the 54th convocation of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in February 2016, the then President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee highlighted in his speech that IARI has developed genetically-modified Golden Rice enriched with pro-vitamin A along with high-protein maize, and iron- and zinc-rich wheat, pearl millet and lentil varieties through molecular breeding. A project called “Development of Golden Rice for various agro-ecological zones of Bihar” was underway at the Rajendra Agricultural University, in Bihar state, utilising a funding support of almost US$ 95,000 (Rs 6,8 million) under the national agriculture development programme (Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana). Despite being the first to develop Golden Rice in the country, in 2017, a group of Indian researchers reported that the genes needed to produce Golden Rice have unintended effects. When they inserted the engineered DNA in the high-yielding and agronomically superior Indian rice variety, Swarma, it became pale and stunted. The yields were so reduced that it was unsuitable for cultivation.[9] And there hasn’t been much progress since for development of golden rice in India. The rejection of Golden Rice in India unfolds as part of a broader rejection against other GM rices and other GM crops. In October 2015, members of the Bharat Kisan Union – North India’s farmers union - stormed into a GM rice plot in Haryana state managed by Monsanto’s Indian subsidiary, Mahyco, and burned the crop. The field trials in Haryana state violated several regulations. Firstly, the permission letter for the cultivation of GM rice from the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, India's regulator for field trials and commercial release of transgenic crops, was issued ten days after the sowing of the crops. Secondly, Mahyco had failed to inform state and district agricultural authorities about the trials, as required by the regulations. Public information about Golden Rice development in Indonesia is very limited. Golden Rice itself has been tested in Indonesia since 2012 at the Rice Research Centre (BB Padi) in Bogor, West Java. In March 2014, one of IRRI’s researchers went to BB Padi to see the follow up of Golden Rice research in Indonesia. In the meeting with the head of the rice research centre and other researchers, IRRI confirmed that Golden Rice IR64 GR2-R showed low quality of agronomical results in Indonesia, compared to conventional IR64. For that reason, since 2014, plans to conduct confined tests in Indonesia have been postponed. [10] Despite the development failures and the postponement of confined test in Indonesia, IRRI’s application to the Food Safety Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) in 2016 stated that IRRI is undertaking a pre-market biotechnology consultation together with its National Agricultural Research and Extension System (NARES) partners and planning regulatory submissions, including in Indonesia. IRRI claims that the application to FSANZ are based on GR2E type, a much-improved version of Golden Rice. However, no appropriate public disclosure has been made regarding the development of GR2E type of Golden Rice in Indonesia. Patents on Golden Rice: Who owns Golden Rice? The technology behind the original Golden Rice (GR1, made with a daffodil gene) was developed and patented in 2000 by the public scientists Ingo Potrykus and Peter Beyer. They assigned their rights over the technology to Syngenta. Syngenta in turn negotiated other licenses from other sources, including Monsanto, to make the technology workable and then licensed it back to the inventors for "humanitarian" use, under specific terms, in developing countries. Syngenta retains full commercial rights over Golden Rice, including over improvements of the technology. They also directly own the patent on GR2, a revised Golden Rice made with a maize gene. But the company has declared that it no longer has interest in marketing the rice itself in developed countries. After regulatory approvals, the Chinese state-owned corporation ChemChina bought the vast majority of shares of Syngenta in June 2017 for US$43 billion. ChemChina bought the remaining shares shortly after and Syngenta was de-listed. Syngenta is now a private company owned by one shareholder, ChemChina. ChemChina says it intends to re-list a minority stake in the company in the future. Despite its new Chinese ownership, Syngenta is still a Swiss company. According to its chairman, Ren Jianxin, the company aims to double in size over the next 5-10 years and grow its seed sales significantly, including through mergers and acquisitions. Syngenta's website states that "The majority of our global IP is owned by Swiss affiliates of Syngenta. A transfer of these IP rights to Chinese entities is not foreseen." In the case of Golden Rice, the affiliate is Syngenta Seeds AG, assignee and owner of the two main patents respectively. In 2018, China's larger chemical conglomerate SinoChem plans to merge and consolidate with ChemChina in what may be a US$120 billion takeover. The new entity would surpass Dow-DuPont as the world’s largest chemical company. In sum, ChemChina owns Syngenta which retains the rights to Golden Rice. A transfer of these rights to other interests is not planned at the moment, but this could change in the future. Golden Rice – Outperformed by natural beta-carotene sources For the past two decades, creators and proponents of golden rice have continuously highlighted the project as critical to alleviate widespread VAD, a problem in many developing countries. It is true that Vitamin A deficiency remains one of the common forms of malnutrition in many poor and developed countries, especially in Africa and South-East Asia. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), an estimated 250 million preschool children are vitamin-A deficient. Poverty and lack of purchasing power are identified as major causes of malnutrition, including VAD. These underlying issues will never be addressed by Golden Rice. Also, there is a very loose categorisation of Golden Rice and it is seldom clear whether it is classified as drug or food, as it claims to be a solution for Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD). Dr. Gene Nisperos, from the Philippines Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) and UP Manila College of Medicine, pointed out that the claim of the proponents that Golden Rice is safe is not backed by in vivo or outside laboratory experiments and cannot pass the rigors of science. Some of the studies being presented were based only on literature of individual protein characters. The direct use and commercialisation of Golden Rice is hence quite alarming. In February 2009, news broke that the Golden Rice project had carried out tests at a school in Hunan province, China, involving 68 pupils aged from six to eight. Twenty-three of the children received the genetically-engineered rice with their school food, although it had never been tested in any feeding studies on adverse effects on health. This triggered a public debate; the issue was about whether it was ethically and medically responsible to conduct such tests on humans without previous animal feeding trials.[11] The debate ended in 2015, after the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition retracted a scientific paper that claimed to show that genetically-engineered rice serves as an effective vitamin A supplement. This happened after the Massachusetts Superior Court denied the first author's motion for an injunction against the publisher. The study was said to have ethical breaches, with no proof of consent by parents of the children taking part in the trials and faking ethics approval documents.[12] Despite the controversy around direct feeding trials to children, IRRI and PhilRice pushed through and further submitted an application for direct feeding trials to the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry, in February 2017. Meanwhile, according to a source at BRRI, feeding trials to children are also planned to take place between 2018 and 2019 in Bangladesh, with the help of the Hellen Keller institute, a partner organisation of the Golden Rice Humanitarian Board, once the open field trials are concluded. Golden rice food safety application status, a rubber stamp Food safety applications for Golden Rice have been submitted by IRRI and PhilRice to the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), and to Health Canada. The submission is stated as a way to prevent any trade issues if small amounts of the rice inadvertently contaminate shipments of other milled rice imported. In December 2017, FSANZ accepted IRRI's safety data and approved Golden Rice for entry into the Australian food supply.[13] Despite the fact that Golden Rice is not approved for cultivation in Australia and the Office of Gene Technology Regulator has not received an application. An industry campaign was initiated to support the application according to Test Biotech[14], a Swiss-based independent institute for impact assessments of biotechnology. Amongst the submissions sent to FSANZ were several letters from companies such as Bayer, Dow and Syngenta. Further analysis from Test Biotech also shows that the plants grown in field trials produce a much smaller amount of carotenoids (3,5µg/g – 10.9 µg/g) compared to the original GR2 event, which is supposed to produce a maximum of more than 30 µg/g. Meanwhile, previous publications identified beta-carotene as having a percentage of around 80% of the total carotenoids, the rice in the field trials only reached 59%. Thus, in regard to the nutritional quality, IRRI’s application gives the impression that potential benefits of rice claimed in the submissions from industry are greatly overestimated and cannot be realised under practical conditions. In March 2018, following the FSANZ approval, Health Canada also issued approval so that the Golden Rice variety could be sold in Canada as food.[15] The last approval came from the US FDA in June 2018. Despite having approved the food safety application of Golden Rice, US FDA’s comments actually support the assessment of Test Biotech. US FDA concluded that the level of beta-carotene in Golden Rice is too low to warrant a nutrient content claim, and this reflects the failure and futility of the GM Golden Rice to address malnutrition and VAD.[16] But do we really need Golden Rice to curb VAD? Target countries like the Philippines have managed to slash their VAD levels among vulnerable sectors with conventional nutrition programmes. According to data by the Philippines National Nutrition Council, there was a significant decrease in VAD cases between 2003 and 2008, where incidence of VAD on children aged 6 months to 5 years-old were dropped from 40.1% in 2003 to 15.2% in 2008. In the case of pregnant women, the incidence dropped from 17.5% to 9.5% and for lactating mothers from 20.1% to 6.4%. In Bangladesh, according to the National Nutrition Survey by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in the mid-1990s, 44% of the entire population had met their Vitamin A requirements through diet. Further, between 1995 and 2005 the prevalence of VAD in Bangladesh has been lowered to 22% among children and 23% among pregnant women.[17] The Bangladesh Ministry of Health and Welfare Service pointed out that supplementation with Vitamin A-rich capsules has been the most cost effective short-term measure to tackle VAD, combined with dietary improvements through dietary diversification and nutrition education.[18] A similar situation can be found in Indonesia, where Vitamin A capsules are given twice a year to children aged 6 to 59 months. The latest VAD census, conducted in 2011, showed that VAD level were already below the level considered as a public nutrition issue, meaning it was no longer a national health issue.[19] Based on IRRI’s documents, Golden Rice contains less than 10% of an equivalent amount of beta-carotene in carrots. As mentioned above, even the US FDA took notice of the Golden Rice’s low beta-carotene content. Citing the IRRI report, the average beta-carotene of Golden Rice is a measly 1.26 µg/g, which is even lower than the 1.6 µg/g beta-carotene expression of the very first Golden Rice generation back in the 2000s. The already meager beta-carotene content in GR2E can also degrade over time, as shown by a study in 2017.[20] Only 60% of the beta-carotene content is retained in Golden Rice after three weeks in storage, and just 13% after 10 weeks. In Australia, the network Mothers are Demystifying Genetic Engineering (MADGE) points out that, at this rate of degradation, “75 days after harvest a person would need to eat 31 kg to get the same amount as in a handful of fresh parsley, as Vitamin A degrades in storage.” They further state that “one carrot has the same amount of vitamin A found in nearly 4kg of cooked GM golden rice.”[21] Perhaps this is the reason why, from being the solution to VAD that saves millions of lives in the 2000s, the proponents are now stating that Golden Rice is “just one among many solutions” to VAD. And it brought back the key question - do we really need Golden Rice to fight Vitamin A Deficiency? Golden Rice, a false saviour The delay of the commercialization of Golden Rice, and the ‘lackluster acceptance’ of the public is due to the inherent flaws and failures of both the technology and the product itself. Golden Rice is going to be useless and unlikely to achieve its objective of helping to solve VAD if its beta-carotene is consistently low, and even prone to degradation. Yields have been consistently low, indicating that farmers might suffer economically if they choose to plant Golden Rice. Meanwhile, Golden Rice will allow corporations to set their foot at the door of our agriculture and introduce more genetically-modified food crops. Pro-Golden Rice groups have always been accusing Golden Rice detractors, blaming them as responsible for the death of millions of children suffering from VAD. But, who is really committing the crime? While these pro-GR groups keep tagging the Golden Rice detractors as ‘vandals’, they also continue to take for granted the realities of hunger that these farmers and the Asian peoples are experiencing on a daily basis. Our countries are blessed with bountiful resources to feed our population, but poverty and social inequalities stop people from procuring safe and nutritious food. Golden Rice will never solve VAD and will only strengthen the status quo, benefiting only those interested in controlling our nations’ agricultural sector. The real crime against humanity is committed by the pro-Golden Rice camp by peddling a GM product that is not tested nor proven to be safe. In fact, this can turn into a situation where the ‘medicine’ is worse than the illness it intends to cure. Golden Rice is a techno-fix to malnutrition and a corporate ploy to control our agriculture. It is not needed by Asian people nor the world. Indeed, the solution to hunger and malnutrition lies in comprehensive approaches that ensure people have access to diverse sources of nutrition. Securing small farmers’ control over resources such as seed, appropriate technologies, water and land is the real key to improving food production and eradicating hunger and malnutrition. [1] Kurniawan R. Trijatmiko et.al, 2016. Biofortified indica rice attains iron and zinc nutrition dietary targets in the field. https://www.nature.com/articles/srep19792 [2] Jean-Yves Paul, et.al. 2016. Golden bananas in the field: elevated fruit pro‐vitamin A from the expression of a single banana transgene. Plant Biotechnology Journal. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/pbi.12650 [3] Ruth Kava. 2017. Golden Potatoes: Vitamin-A fortified GMO variety could help tackle childhood blindness in Africa. American Council on Science and Health. https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2017/11/22/golden-potatoes-vitamin-fortified-gmo-variety-help-tackle-childhood-blindness-africa/ [4] Zhu et al. 2017. Development of “Purple Endosperm Rice” by Engineering Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in the Endosperm with a High-Efficiency Transgene Stacking System. https://www.asianscientist.com/2017/07/in-the-lab/purple-rice-antioxidants-cancer/ [5] Masipag, Sikwal GMO, KMB. 2014. Bicolano farmers continue fight against Golden Rice field tests and commercialization! Call for a GMO free Bicol. https://www.grain.org/e/4991 [6] IRRI. 2016. There have been reports that Golden Rice field trials resulted in stunted plants and reduced grain yield. Is this true? http://irri.org/golden-rice/faqs/there-have-been-reports-that-golden-rice-field-trials-resulted-in-stunted-plants-and-reduced-grain-yield-is-this-true [7] IRRI. 2018. What is the status of the Golden Rice project? http://irri.org/golden-rice/faqs/what-is-the-status-of-the-golden-rice-project [8] Dr. Eva Sirinathsinghji. July 2014. Bangladeshi BT brinjal pilot scheme failedhttp://www.twn.my/twnf/2014/4122.htm [9] Allison Wilson. 2017. Goodbye to Golden Rice? GM Trait Leads to Drastic Yield Loss and “Metabolic Meltdown”. https://www.independentsciencenews.org/health/goodbye-golden-rice-gm-trait-leads-to-drastic-yield-loss/ [10] Direct communication with Indonesia Rice Research Centre [11] Xinhua. 2012. China continues to probe alleged GM rice testing. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-09/06/content_15736980.htm [12] The Ecologist. 2015. Golden rice GMO paper retracted after judge rules for journal. https://theecologist.org/2015/jul/31/golden-rice-gmo-paper-retracted-after-judge-rules-journal [13] Food Standard Australia and New Zealand. 20 December 2017. Approval report – A1138. Food derived from Pro-Vitamin A Rice Line GR2E. http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/code/applications/Documents/A1138%20Approval%20report.pdf [14] Test Biotech. Data on 'Golden Rice' not sufficient to show health safety and indicate low benefits. February 2018. https://www.testbiotech.org/en/node/2151 [15] Health Canada. 2017. Provitamin A Biofortified Rice Event GR2E (Golden Rice). https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/genetically-modified-foods-other-novel-foods/approved-products/golden-rice-gr2e.html [16] USFDA letter to Dr. Donald McKenzie Regulatory Affairs and Stewardship Leader International Rice Research Institute Re: Biotechnology Notification File No. BNF 000158 https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GEPlants/Submissions/ucm608797.pdf [17] Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser. 2017. Micronutrient Deficiency. https://ourworldindata.org/micronutrient-deficiency#vitamin-a-deficiency [18] Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Bangladesh. 2008. National Guidelines for Vitamin A program in Bangladesh. https://www.nutritionintl.org/content/user_files/2014/08/FINAL-VERSION-National-Guidelines-VAS3.pdf [19] Depkes. 19 November 2012. Menkes: Ada tiga kelompok permasalahan gizi di Indonesia. http://www.depkes.go.id/article/print/2136/menkes-ada-tiga-kelompok-permasalahan-gizi-di-indonesia.html [20] Schaub et al 2017. Nonenzymatic β-Carotene Degradation in Provitamin A-Biofortified Crop Plants. J. Agric. Food Chem., 2017, 65 (31), pp 6588–6598. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b01693 [21] MADGE. February 2018. An Open Letter on GM golden rice in Australia. http://www.madge.org.au/open-letter-gm-golden-rice-australia Español \| Français \| 普通话 \| Bahasa indonesia	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line457
__label__cc	0.655293	0.344707	Study shows hearing aid use increases cognitive function in elderly A study conducted by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) found that older adults who used a hearing aid performed significantly better on cognitive tests than those who did not use a hearing aid, despite having poorer hearing. The study was published online in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. The researchers also found that cognitive function was directly Researchers seek to understand tinnitus 04/21/2016 \| Hearing Loss About one in five people experience tinnitus, the perception of a sound--often described as ringing--that isn't really there. Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on April 23 have taken advantage of a rare opportunity to record directly from the brain of a person with tinnitus in order to find the brain networks responsible. The observations reveal Are you making your allergies worse? 04/18/2016 \| ENT Sneezes, coughs and sniffles may have started sooner than ever before this year, thanks to an early spring allergy season that may wreak havoc on the health of millions of allergy sufferers. That yellow blanket of pollen outside came quicker and thicker this year because of warmer temps, windier conditions that lifted the pollen from trees, and El Nino that Study works to find impact of supplements on genetic hearing loss An enhanced diet helped reduce hearing loss in mice with the genetic mutation most commonly responsible for childhood deafness, new research suggests. The study found that an antioxidant regimen of beta carotene (precursor to vitamin A), vitamins C and E and magnesium helped slow progression of hereditary deafness in the mice with a connexin 26 gene deletion. Mutations in this Study shows adults with hearing loss have higher healthcare costs In a study published online by JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Annie N. Simpson, Ph.D., of the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, and colleagues compared the costs of healthcare for a matched group of privately insured individuals with and without a diagnosis of hearing loss. Age-related hearing loss affects more than 60 percent of U.S. adults older than 70 Zika Virus tied to infant hearing loss In February, the World Health Organization declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern about the recent outbreak of the Zika Virus Disease. Within one week of the WHO’s declaration, the Center for Disease Control issued its highest response (Level 1) activation, due to the growing number of Zika cases recently reported. The reported cases consist of individuals who contracted Study shows newborn hearing screenings lacking across globe A RUB study demonstrates: in many countries, hearing screenings of newborn infants are inadequate or are not performed at all. Whereas an early diagnose is crucial in order to treat the disorder successfully. Tests immediately after birth Prof Dr Katrin Neumann's study demonstrates that developing countries in particular are lagging behind in the diagnosis and treatment of hearing impairments. As New program aims to improve hearing aid use in older adults Hearing loss is the third most common chronic illness for older adults. It can impact everyday life and can significantly affect a person's health and safety if gone untreated. Hearing aids are the most common treatment for hearing loss. However, in 2005 more than 325,000 hearing aids, less than four years old were unused according to a previous study in Protecting workers from occupational hearing loss According to The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), occupational hearing loss is one of the most common work-related illnesses in the United States. Approximately 22 million U.S. workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work, and an additional 9 million are exposed to chemicals that can damage hearing or balance functions of the ear. An estimated New study shows infant ear infections are declining A new study published Monday in Pediatrics has found that ear infections aren’t as universal a rite of passage for newborns as they once were, thanks largely to vaccinations and breastfeeding. The researchers, hailing from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, recruited the help of 367 families with newly born infants from October 2008 to March 2014.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line461
__label__cc	0.631903	0.368097	McConnell and Rogers Announce $2.2 Million for Somerset Students WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) announced today Somerset Community College (SCC) received a total of $2,236,481 over five years from the U.S. Department of Education’s Strengthening Institutions Program. Senator McConnell and Congressman Rogers contacted U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos in support of SCC’s competitive federal grant application for its “Raising Appalachia: Innovative Student Engagement (RAISE)” initiative. SCC plans to use the federal funding to create a learning commons for increased campus-wide engagement, to establish learning centers for faculty professional development and peer mentoring, and to implement a college navigator program for student success coaching. “Somerset Community College has a strong record of educational development and student success. With my friend Congressman Rogers, I am proud to support its transformative work for Kentucky students,” said Senator McConnell. “As the only one of the four congressional leaders not from New York or California, it’s my job to look out for Middle America and my favorite state, Kentucky. I’m constantly looking for opportunities to draw national attention to Kentucky and to deliver for families and workers. It was a privilege to support Dr. Castle and the SCC team as they help students fulfill their potential.” “The vast majority of our students in rural Kentucky no longer have to leave their beloved hometowns to get a college degree and pursue their dream jobs, thanks to the incredible progress taking place at educational institutions, like Somerset Community College,” said Congressman Rogers. “I was proud to work with my friend Senator McConnell to help secure this monumental grant for SCC, which will help prepare students in our rural Appalachian region for greater educational and career opportunities. The Somerset campus is now home to the University Center of Southern Kentucky, providing a seamless transition for students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing, education, criminal justice, political science, business administration, accounting, information technology, and much more. This grant effectively gives our best and brightest students the tools they need to use their talents right here at home, making southern and eastern Kentucky a better place to live for future generations.” “Words cannot express the importance of this grant,” said Dr. Carey W. Castle, President/CEO of Somerset Community College. “It will change the lives of our students, faculty, and staff and I am grateful to Senator McConnell and Congressman Rogers for helping make this happen. At Somerset Community College, we are serious about making sure all our students have the opportunity and the support they need to reach their academic and career goals. This grant will be a catalyst to helping achieve student success.”	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line462
__label__wiki	0.575739	0.575739	SNCF Has Designs On Expansion Of Freight Facilities Rail Group Plans To Get It Right This Time FRANCE – After last weeks announcement that SNCF, the state owned rail carrier, was to receive up to €12 billion in aid to modernise its services, the company have revealed their latest scheme to make the inefficient freight service work more effectively. As we stated previously the company has designs on the construction of “rail highways” which will intersect across the country to pair with the already efficient, high speed passenger lines. The problem is however that SNCF have form when it comes to turning plans into results. This is not the first time Government money has been earmarked to turn around the ailing cargo carrying sector but SNCF has been often criticised for its lack of foresight in integrating passenger and multi modal freight terminals with the national rail system. Msieu Guillaume Pepy, CEO of SNCF has sworn to allocate €1 billion over the next five years to increase the number of freight services and shuttle sizes to enable faster throughput of cargoes. As reported previously the company may well need to privatize certain parts of their freight carrying operation to avoid the recent losses from that sector, reported as around €400 million just last year. Whilst promising better results at home the company has also come up with a bold plan by submitting proposals to the US Federal Railroad Administration to build and run a 220-mph rail system throughout the Midwest, as well as similar projects in California, Texas and Florida. The budget for the Midwest alone is circa $70 billion and the Americans are reported to be astonished at the French company’s scheme which involves the use of 220 mph super trains which provide a service twice as fast as those envisaged in competing tenders from US companies. http://www.sncf.com/en_EN/html/	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line463
__label__wiki	0.564112	0.564112	HappyPorch Excess Materials Exchange: Taking Inspiration From Nature To Give “Waste” New Life Behind the scenes at businesses large and small, a paradigm shift is quietly taking place. The very concept of waste is being redefined, with materials of all kinds being given new life, in turn saving carbon emissions, preserving natural resources and boosting companies’ bottom lines. It’s all thanks to circular economy pioneers like Maayke Damen, cofounder of the Excess Materials Exchange (EME), who we chatted to for our latest podcast episode. “I’ve always been surprised by how we classify things as worthless because we can't use them anymore,” Maayke says. “If you start looking at what we're doing from a systems perspective, all of a sudden it becomes logical that things are still valuable for other players. We see this happening in nature: If a tree dies, its resources are not wasted. All sorts of bacteria and animals and the whole surrounding environment use those resources. How come we, in human society, aren't doing that? Building upon that over my life, I've been looking at how we can replicate that and implement it in our own economic systems.” Active across four main sectors – construction, packaging, organics and textiles – EME is a digital platform that matches secondary materials and products with their highest value reuse destination. “For a restaurant, coffee leftovers are simply waste,” explains Maayke. “But you can also use them to extract pigments for ink, grow mushrooms, or make bioplastic, fibers or water filters. And this is a lot higher value than just paying to get rid of them.” EME worked closely with the Dutch Railway Company to add value to its old tracks, which are made of high-quality steel. Rather than selling them for scrap metal (as was standard practice previously), the company now sells them as load-bearing beams to the domestic construction industry at a much higher price. And because the metal stays in the Netherlands and doesn’t require remelting, the environmental costs are significantly reduced. After this initial success, EME then set up an internal marketplace for the company to match supply and demand of materials throughout its nationwide operations. At scale, such changes can make a huge impact. EME recently gathered ten large corporations, among them the Dutch Railway Company, Schiphol Airport, Philips and Sodexo, to try to find a higher value destination for their waste streams. The results were astounding. Analysing and adjusting just 17 waste streams led to an increase of €64 million in financial value for the companies. What’s more, it saved enough energy to light the streets of Paris for five years and enough water to fill 860 Olympic swimming pools. The technology behind EME comprises four main tools. The first is a resources passport, a standardised data format, created by Maayke, that provides a detailed digital overview of materials or products throughout their lifecycle. Going back to the railway track example, the resources passport of a piece of track would tell you whether it’s straight or curved, and the duration and intensity of its use so far. Next, the track and trace part comes in, so stakeholders know where the material is located and how to access it. Then, EME’s valuation model calculates the material’s end-of-life value, taking into account both the financial aspect and the environmental impact. “We look at how much energy was used to produce the material and the effects on the environment, and use that information to look for the highest value match,” explains Maayke. Finally, these pieces all come together in the marketplace, where companies can source and sell materials. The resources passport is also instrumental in prompting companies to reconsider how they actually make products, from the materials used to the way items are put together – screwing rather than glueing components, for example, makes them much easier to take apart and recycle. “When people actually get an insight into how these processes affect the end-of-life value or environmental impact, they have an incentive to actually start looking at the design – and we do see that happening,” says Maayke. As with all the circular economy players we’ve spoken to this series, it’s clear that for EME, technology is only one piece of the puzzle. One of the key challenges of the work, and a major reward, is the positive change that it engenders. Reflecting on this, Maayke returns to nature for inspiration: “We started the company because I believe that we can do things differently and that it is possible, but making a flower bloom for the very first time is really hard. You have to pave the way for everything because it is a paradigm shift.” Circular Wonderings Mailing address: Endzone.io Ltd, Unit 5395, PO Box 26965, Glasgow, G1 9BW VAT ID 203 2339 56 Registered in Scotland at 272 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4JR	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line464
__label__wiki	0.506165	0.506165	HelloCare Editorial Charter Complaints Handling Process Health & Ageing Shop (Consumer) Shop (Business) https://hellocaremail.com.au/ New ‘Smart Diaper’ Detects Wetness And Monitors Health Of Elderly By HelloCare - Journalist Team. Jan 13, 2020 Incontinence is not an inevitable part of ageing, but incidences of urinary and faecal incontinence are very high in aged care facilities. Failing to change a continence pad can result in a number of health issues including UTI’s which can have devastating consequences, but there is also an emotional element that rarely garners attention. Failing to change a continence pad comes at the expense of an elderly person’s dignity, which goes against the kind of values that most aged care staff pride themselves on. There have been a number of tech-innovations within aged care in recent years, but the new ‘Smart Diaper’ is completely changing the perception of what a continence pad could, and should, be able to do. Developed in Miami by a company called Smardii, the Smart Diaper can alert staff to the presence of urine and stool and can be used to help keep both infants and seniors clean and dry – among other things. A small white disk called the ‘puck’ operates as the brain of the Smart Diaper, and this sensor has the ability to monitor body temperature, perform a real-time urinalysis, analyze sleep, and track how long it has been since the wearer has moved. This small disk can be attached to any disposable diapers and then communicates it’s reading to an app which can be viewed on a device. The app gives carers the ability to track the continence pad status of up to 12 people simultaneously, alerting them to any pad soiling and tracking the times between pad changes. The Smart Diaper is currently slated for trials in three French healthcare facilities and is planning to expand into other countries including Italy and the United States. Much like baby’s nappies, continence pads are designed to hold a certain volume of urine. Individual aged care residents are assessed and allocated pads based on the voiding patterns to ensure they have the right pads in place. The app stores a patient’s data for long periods allowing caregivers to track and detect any shifts in long-term body function. Having solid real-time data on hand regarding an individual’s pad usage will help to ensure that changes are quickly detected, while instant notification of pad soling will ensure that a resident’s dignity is being upheld at all times. Read Next Story The Haven Provides a Haven to Locals Impacted by Bushfires HelloCare - Journalist Team Email contributor HelloCare is Australia’s premier source of aged care content and daily news crafted specifically for the Australian senior audience. We produce fresh content on a daily basis across all forms of media, covering a wide variety of topics that resonate with our audience, shining a light on elderly issues with expert opinions from those within the industry. Here at HelloCare we believe that self-worth is derived from the value that others place on you and your issues, and we are committed to ensuring that elderly Australians and those within the aged care industry have a reliable and trustworthy hub for online news, education and entertainment. We believe the elderly are undervalued, and we are doing everything we can to change that perception. Sarah ashton on February 20, 2020 at 4:15 am I am sorry and call me “old fashion” but I DO wish that they wouldn’t call it a ‘diaper’ when the garment is to be used for the elderly.Diapers are for infants, babies and generally toddlers. The language of “diapers” should not be used with regard for the elderly. It, by the intent of purpose for use, feels demeaning. I don’t care how bloody ‘smart’ the garment is. It could or should be ‘smart continence apparel’ or a ‘ smart continence garment’ but not a ‘smart diaper’ when designed for the use of an adult!’ By Rianna Manuel Jan 13, 2020 The artificial intelligence tool designed to diagnose dementia in minutes According to the Japanese health ministry, as of 2012, around 4.62 million Japanese people were living with dementia. By 2025, that number is expected to rise to more than 7 million. But working out of Tokyo, data analysis company, Fronteo, is aiming to begin clinical trials of a new artificial intelligence program that could drastically cut down dementia diagnosis time. As soon as early next year, the diagnostic tool will be used to analyse five - ten minutes... By Alayna Hansen Jan 13, 2020 “What would happen if I was unconscious or can’t talk?”: meet the smartwatch that calls for help after a fall This article is sponsored content With her furry friend Pebbles by her side, Emmy feels safe and independent in her own home, thanks to a new addition, an innovative smartwatch that detects when she has a fall. Emmy has an active lifestyle and generously donates her time and skills to others. Often out and about in her local community, she wanted a wearable personal alarm that she could rely on at all times and especially when she has a... By HelloCare Mail Jan 13, 2020 Is My Aged Care worthy of its Good Design Award? The Australian government’s gateway to the aged care system has been awarded a gold Good Design Award, despite the website having several problems that have been recognised by the royal commission. My Aged Care was entered in the ‘web design and development’ category of the Good Design Awards, and was judged on the basis of its design, usability, creativity and innovation, content and quality, and commerciality. A ‘gold’ award is granted to those that ‘exceed the criteria for good... HelloCare Mail Jan 13, 2020 Dementia patient and her carer sing Sinatra classic and hit number 7 on the charts When 31-year-old carer Jamie Lee Morley first heard aged care resident Margaret Mackie sing, he automatically assumed that the beautiful voice he heard was coming from a nearby radio. While it is certainly not uncommon for aged care staff and residents to develop strong bonds, nobody at the Northcare Suites Care Home in Glasgow, Scotland, could have imagined what would happen next. The pair were recently thrust into the public spotlight as heartwarming footage of the young carer and the... Emma Hall Oct 5, 2020 When dying at home isn’t an option, two doctors from Myanmar design for end-of-life Two childhood friends from Myanmar, now husband and wife in Melbourne, are working together to create a better solution for palliative care in Australian hospitals. In a system under strain and often unable to accommodate the personal needs of patients, industrial designer and inventor Dr Nyein Aung has teamed up with his wife, geriatrician and endocrinologist Dr Thinn Thinn Khine, to design a simple and cost-effective way to deliver a more patient-centred end-of-life experience. Five nights on the floor Growing... French language students connect with lonely older people in France Learning a new language is always going to be easier when you have someone to practice with. Thanks to a new initiative, this is now possible. Share Ami is connecting French learners with isolated French older people to chat via a video call each week to practice their conversational skills. Share Ami, which translates to Friend Share, aims to "create intergenerational links by connecting students learning French and elderly living in France over video chat," according to their... CarePage. All Rights Reserved. Terms & Conditions Site Map	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line467
__label__cc	0.628678	0.371322	Emma Walkerley Toronto, ON M9B 5Z6 ewalkerley@rogers.com Guiding people on a path of self-discovery, through the wisdom of the horse For as long as she can remember, Emma has loved horses. Even before she had ever met one, Emma was drawing picture after picture of horses frolicking and playing. She comes by it honestly, as her mother had been the same as a girl, and in turn was responsible for introducing Emma to riding and the world of horses. To no surprise, Emma was enthralled with the experience, and has had horses in her life in one way or another since she was 6 years old. Of course, horses haven’t been the only focus in her life. Emma graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Guelph in 2004, which further developed her love and understanding of the natural world. In 2005, she attended Recording Arts Canada to study audio engineering, which has introduced her to the world of commercial voice over acting. Emma has also been self employed as a professional landscaper since 2005, which has fed into her love of working and being in the outdoors. Emma is also the caregiver to Polo, an elder retired lesson/race horse, and 2 exuberant young dogs. Emma first learned of FEEL when her mother decided to enrol in the FEEL certification program for mental health professionals. Through her mother’s studies, Emma was introduced to a whole new way of being with and listening to horses. It transformed her relationship with her horse Polo, and the other horses in her life where Emma rides in Kitchener. She was excited by FEEL’s healing possibilities, and made the decision to enrol herself in the FEEL certification program, and would go on to graduate in 2016. With the help of the horses, Emma looks forward to helping heal and restore wellbeing in people, particularly those with horses in their lives, and those in the acting and voice over community.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line471
__label__wiki	0.636013	0.636013	Home » Celebrities » Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Good Kid, M.A.A.D City’ Returns To Billboard’s Top Album Sales Chart Top 10 Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Good Kid, M.A.A.D City’ Returns To Billboard’s Top Album Sales Chart Top 10 Kendrick Lamar‘s Good Kid, M.A.A.D City has returned to top 10 on Billboard‘s Top Album Sales chart after eight years. The album, which dropped in 2012, jumped from 23rd spot to 9th on the chart dated January 9, driven by strong vinyl album sales. The album sold 8,000 copies in the U.S. in the week ending December 31, 2020, down 32%, according to MRC Data. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City had debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Top Album Sales chart dated November 10, 2012. The set was last in the top 10 on the chart dated November 24, 2012, when it ranked at No. 9. Bruce Williamson dead: Temptations singer ‘dies of coronavirus aged 49’ From Happy to Heartbroken, Watch Julianne Moore Critique 1 Reporter's Questionable Acting Skills ‘The Masked Singer’ Recap: Two Major Celebrities Are Revealed As The Lion & Rabbit Scooter Braun Weighs In on The Weeknd’s Grammys Snub Controversy This was Joe Biden’s first tweet as president-elect « 'Little House on the Prairie': Why Melissa Gilbert Said Michael Landon's Affair 'Felt Like a Death' To Her You’ve Been Using Eyelid Tape Wrong This Entire Time » Brit fuming as Nando's Peri-Peri sauce is confiscated at Gib-Spain border under new Brexit rules	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line474
__label__cc	0.731598	0.268402	Classic Ghosts – April 2014 Apr14 by sheilajtheatre Directed by Michael Lunney Middle Ground Theatre Company Venue: Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Date: Monday 14th April 2014 This was a double bill. The first play was an adaptation by Margaret May Hobbs of M R James’ short story Oh, Whistle, And I’ll Come To You, My Lad, accompanied by The Signalman, adapted by Francis Evelyn from the story by Charles Dickens. We’ve enjoyed M R James’ work before – A Pleasing Terror and A Warning To The Curious were both good, chilling fun – and we were keen to see how this tale would work adapted into a play; the earlier performances were both narrations of the stories. Before the start, all we could see of the set was a small corner in front of the curtain on the left of the stage; covered in sand and with one or two stones and tufts of sea-grasses, we were already at the beach even without the additional sounds of waves breaking and seagulls calling. When the curtain rose, the set was revealed, and it was a masterpiece of design. To the right was a bedroom with cutaway walls. It had two single beds, a bay window and other suitable items of furniture, plus a cupboard on the far right wall. On the left of this room was the reception area of the hotel, with the desk partially hidden behind two bucket seats and a table; there were also French windows with lace curtains beside the reception desk. At the back was a very large screen which showed a picture of a shingle beach throughout the play; sometimes a daytime setting, sometimes at night. This and the lighting helped to change the locations and times for the various scenes and was very effective. Set in autumn 1907, the story concerned Professor Parkins who was visiting the coastal resort out of season to play some golf with his friend Colonel Wilson as well as seeing some of the local historical sites. He had been asked by another friend to check out one site in particular, a place connected with the Knights Templar which was now a ruin. In fact, it was so far gone the friend wasn’t sure if it was worth coming to excavate it or not, and Prof Parkins had agreed to have a look and report back. This turned out to be the sandy area at the front of the stage, and after rummaging about in it for a short while, the professor left, but not before seeing a figure which appeared on the screen, down on the beach. It was cloaked and hooded, and after walking a short way along the beach it simply vanished – spooky! This eerie apparition didn’t deter the professor from checking out his only find from his short exploration – an old wooden or bone whistle. There was a Latin inscription on it which he eventually managed to decipher, something along the lines of “When I whistle, who comes?” Being a fervent rationalist – he had quite a rant about the importance of overcoming superstition to the Colonel – he naturally blew the whistle, and after one attempt which didn’t make much sound, his second go produced a good loud blast, and instantly the wind rose, the lights went out and the French windows were thrown open by the gale. Even with these warnings, Parkins was determined not to be scared, and went to bed laughing at the absurdity of it all. During the night, he had a nightmare, and the pictures on the screen showed us the contents of his dream. He was running along the beach, tripping and falling occasionally, and clearly terrified judging by the screaming we could hear. After his figure left the beach on the right, the hooded figure appeared on the left and walked along the beach after him, but again it disappeared before going very far. At this point, there was a clamour in the cupboard, as someone (or something) knocked loudly and rattled the door. Parkins got up, rather nervously, and opened the door – it was the cat! As he gathered the recalcitrant pussy in his arms and took it outside, the door to the cupboard and the door to the room both shut, and we could see the covers of the second bed slide back as if somebody was getting in. The next day there was another round of golf and this time the Colonel was doing much better. (The first round had gone Parkins’ way through an amazing accumulation of flukes – this was the way the Colonel told it anyhow.) On returning late to the hotel, the warning signs began to mount up rapidly. The second bed still looked slept in, although the maid, Rose, had previously made it up. She had also seen the Professor (or so she thought) wave to her from his window earlier in the day when he was out playing golf with his friend. Despite this, the Professor was still happy to spend the night in that room but again his sleep was disturbed by a knocking from the cupboard, only this time there was no cat. Nothing at all in fact, so he picked up a book and began to read by the light of the oil lamp. Suddenly the lights went out, and as he tried to relight it, a figure appeared over his shoulder and blew the match out. I had been expecting something – I was already holding on to Steve by this time – but the timing and the nearness of the ghost were startling all the same. The whole audience gasped, and then laughed with relief a few moments later. Meantime, Parkins had lit another match and got the lamp going again. As he looked around, the form appeared again in some wispy smoke, and as he confronted it we saw the ghost’s face looming large on the screen at the back. As Parkins screamed, the Colonel rushed in and rescued him, and the figure vanished into air. The story ended with the Colonel taking the recuperating Parkins out in his wheelchair along the beach for some fresh air. Having been convinced that the whistle had something to do with all these strange happenings, the Colonel very sensibly decided to throw it into the sea, but as he did so, there was a booming sound and the screen at the back rippled as if space itself was being distorted by this act. With the two men’s startled looks, the play ended. This was a nicely creepy start to the double bill. I liked the staging very much; it allowed for quick changes of location and the effects were very well done. This adaptation also brought out more of the humour in the story. I’ve found the narrated versions to be good fun, with some lovely touches of dry wit in Robert Lloyd Parry’s delivery, but this time we could enjoy the humour in the performances as well and there was more of that than I expected. The porter wasn’t impressed by the Professor’s tips and let us know it, Fitch, the hotel manager, was equally unimpressed by the Professor’s idea of “roughing it” in his hotel, but was quick to replace the Professor’s untouched brandy back in the decanter when clearing up for the night, as well as tucking the unused portion of the Colonel’s brandy in himself. The “bath rota” also caused a few laughs, and overall it was a deft production, bringing out both the humour and the chilling aspects of the story. There were lots of noises coming from behind the curtain after Oh, Whistle, And I’ll Come To You, My Lad finished. Initially, the safety curtain stopped a short way above the stage, and a pair of disembodied hands (how appropriate) threw a cover over the sand trap at the front. Then the curtain came all the way down and the set change could really get underway. Just in case we felt lonely (or perhaps in case we regained our courage) the accompanying noises included the raucous cawing of crows and the wind whistling across some bleak landscape, as well as various odd thumping sounds – very atmospheric. It was worth it though. The set for the second part of this double bill was very good, with the signalman’s hut on the right, the tunnel entrance centre back and a pair of tracks coming straight towards me! The usual red warning light was hung on the left of the tunnel, and there was the suggestion of trees and undergrowth about the place. I hadn’t re-read my notes from 2009 before we saw this version of the story, but I was still pretty confident from an early stage that this retelling was very different from the one we’d seen before. The visitor was an older man for one thing, while in the earlier production he’d been much younger. This was a shorter play as well, so we missed a lot of the signalman’s story about people drowning because he’d been too drunk to keep a light going. Even so, the tension built nicely with the occasional ringing of the signalman’s bell and the changing of the lights and points, and when the visitor had left, promising to return the next night, we also saw the apparition – a light image projected against the side of the tunnel entrance. We didn’t see so many trains this time round, just one or two, and again this was done by having a few lights shine across the signalman’s face as the train went past. There were also some eerie musical sounds accompanied by smoke coming through the tunnel, which tied up with those occasions when the signalman looked outside to see if the vision was present. The only change to the set was when a table and chair were brought on for the traveller to write a letter to his doctor friend regarding the signalman. I don’t know why they went to the trouble to include that bit, because by the time the traveller had returned to the signal box, his new friend was dead. The apparition had appeared again, and the signalman had been so shaken by the sight that he failed to get out of the way of an oncoming train and was killed immediately. The body was lying on a stretcher when the traveller arrived, and an Inspector was in the process of finding out what had happened. As the train driver told his tale, it turned out that the vision had been showing the driver’s actions before the collision. To top it all off, it turned out that the signalman had been involved in an earlier crash where he’d been meant to show a light to stop any oncoming train, but due to a lack of correct planning, he’d been unable to prevent the disaster. The traveller’s mind was reeling with all this information, and the play ended with his amazed and shocked reaction to the Inspector’s final revelation about the signalman’s past. Not as much humour in this one perhaps, but we’d still enjoyed ourselves, and the audience was very appreciative. This entry was posted in 7/10, Adaptations, Horror, Theatre and tagged Charles Dickens, Francis Evelyn, M R James, Margaret May Hobbs, Michael Lunney, MIddle Ground, Yvonne Arnaud. ← Versailles – March 2014 Black Coffee – April 2014 → 2 comments on “Classic Ghosts – April 2014” argumentativeoldgit says: Oh, I wish I had seen these now! I love creepy ghoststories! My favourite it of “O Whistle and I’ll Come to You” is in teh morning afterthe first disturbed night, when teh chambermaid asks Parkins if he’d like both the beds to be made – as they’ve both been slept in. I remember the the shiver that had given me when I first read the story – and, indeed, the shiver it gives me thinking back on it! I do hope they had that bit in the adaptation. I have an audio recording of David Suchet reading this story – and very good he is too, sheilajtheatre says: You’d certainly have enjoyed these Himadri. The chambermaid’s question was slightly adapted as I recall by her asking which of the beds the Professor intended to sleep in, and then the fact that both had been slept in the night before came to light. It was an important moment, because it marked the point at which the Professor had to start acknowledging that these events weren’t just imagination or a bad dream. Wonderfully spooky. If you get the chance, you might want to check out the Robert Lloyd Parry versions of M R James’ stories as well; there is a CD available, but the performances are well worth catching.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line484
__label__wiki	0.959866	0.959866	Home » World News » ‘Womb raider’ Lisa Montgomery is first woman executed in US since 1953 ‘Womb raider’ Lisa Montgomery is first woman executed in US since 1953 Supreme Court authorizes first execution of female inmate in 67 years Fate of death row ‘womb raider’ hangs in balance as legal fight continues Judge delays Trump’s federal executions after inmates get COVID-19 Only 5 women have been federally executed — and Lisa Montgomery could be next TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — A Kansas woman was executed Tuesday for strangling an expectant mother in Missouri and cutting the baby from her womb, the first time in nearly seven decades that the U.S. government has put to death a female inmate. Lisa Montgomery, 52, was pronounced dead at 1:31 a.m. Wednesday after receiving a lethal injection at the federal prison complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. She was the 11th prisoner to receive a lethal injection there since July when President Donald Trump, an ardent supporter of capital punishment, resumed federal executions following 17 years without one. “The craven bloodlust of a failed administration was on full display tonight,” Montgomery’s attorney, Kelley Henry said in a statement. “Everyone who participated in the execution of Lisa Montgomery should feel shame.” “The government stopped at nothing in its zeal to kill this damaged and delusional woman,” Henry said. “Lisa Montgomery’s execution was far from justice.” It came after hours of legal wrangling before the Supreme Court cleared the way for the execution to move forward. Montgomery was the first of the final three federal inmates scheduled to die before next week’s inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, who is expected to discontinue federal executions. But a federal judge for the District of Columbia halted the scheduled executions later this week of Corey Johnson and Dustin Higgs in a ruling Tuesday. Johnson, convicted of killing seven people related to his drug trafficking in Virginia, and Higgs, convicted of ordering the murders of three women in Maryland, both tested positive for COVID-19 last month. Montgomery killed 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett in the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore in 2004. She used a rope to strangle Stinnett, who was eight months pregnant, and then cut the baby girl from the womb with a kitchen knife. Montgomery took the child with her and attempted to pass the girl off as her own. An appeals court granted Montgomery a stay of execution Tuesday, shortly after another appeals court lifted an Indiana judge’s ruling that found she was likely mentally ill and couldn’t comprehend she would be put to death. But both appeals were lifted, allowing the execution of the only female on federal death row to go forward. One of Montgomery’s lawyers, Kelley Henry, told The Associated Press Tuesday morning that her client arrived at the Terre Haute facility late Monday night from a Texas prison and that, because there are no facilities for female inmates, she was being kept in a cell in the execution-chamber building itself. “I don’t believe she has any rational comprehension of what’s going on at all,” Henry said. Montgomery has done needle-point in prison, making gloves, hats and other knitted items as gifts for her lawyers and others, Henry said. She hasn’t been able to continue that hobby or read since her glasses were taken away from her out of concern she could commit suicide. “All of her coping mechanisms were taken away from her when they locked her down” in October when she was informed she had an execution date, Henry said. Montgomery’s legal team says she suffered “sexual torture,” including gang rapes, as a child, permanently scarring her emotionally and exacerbating mental-health issues that ran in her family. At trial, prosecutors accused Montgomery of faking mental illness, noting that her killing of Stinnett was premeditated and included meticulous planning, including online research on how to perform a C-section. Henry balked at that idea, citing extensive testing and brain scans that supported the diagnosis of mental illness. “You can’t fake brain scans that show the brain damage,” she said. Henry said the issue at the core of the legal arguments are not whether she knew the killing was wrong in 2004 but whether she fully grasps why she is slated to be executed now. In his ruling on a stay, U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon in Terre Haute cited defense experts who alleged Montgomery suffered from depression, borderline personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Montgomery, the judge wrote, also suffered around the time of the killing from an extremely rare condition called pseudocyesis in which a woman’s false belief she is pregnant triggers hormonal and physical changes as if she were actually pregnant. Montgomery also experiences delusions and hallucinations, believing God spoke with her through connect-the-dot puzzles, the judge said, citing defense experts. “The record before the Court contains ample evidence that Ms. Montgomery’s current mental state is so divorced from reality that she cannot rationally understand the government’s rationale for her execution,” the judge’ said. The government has acknowledged Montgomery’s mental issues but disputes that she can’t comprehend that she is scheduled for execution for killing another person because of them. Details of the crime at times left jurors in tears during her trial. Prosecutors told the jury Montgomery drove about 170 miles (274 kilometers) from her Melvern, Kansas, farmhouse to the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore under the guise of adopting a rat terrier puppy from Stinnett. She strangled Stinnett performing a crude cesarean and fleeing with the baby. Prosecutors said Stinnett regained consciousness and tried to defend herself as Montgomery cut the baby girl from her womb. Later that day, Montgomery called her husband to pick her up in the parking lot of a Long John Silver’s in Topeka, Kansas, telling him she had delivered the baby earlier in the day at a nearby birthing center. Montgomery was arrested the next day after showing off the premature infant, Victoria Jo, who is now 16 years old and hasn’t spoken publicly about the tragedy. Prosecutors said the motive was that Montgomery’s ex-husband knew she had undergone a tubal ligation that made her sterile and planned to reveal she was lying about being pregnant in an effort to get custody of two of their four children. Needing a baby before a fast-approaching court date, Montgomery turned her focus on Stinnett, whom she had met at dog shows. Anti-death penalty groups said Trump was pushing for executions prior to the November election in a cynical bid to burnish a reputation as a law-and-order leader. The last woman executed by the federal government was Bonnie Brown Heady on Dec. 18, 1953, for the kidnapping and murder of a 6-year-old boy in Missouri. The last woman executed by a state was Kelly Gissendaner, 47, on Sept. 30, 2015, in Georgia. She was convicted of murder in the 1997 slaying of her husband after she conspired with her lover, who stabbed Douglas Gissendaner to death. Elvis Presley son: Did Elvis have a son? How many children did he have? Arsenal 'still hopeful' teen Folarin Balogun will stay despite transfer interest from RB Leipzig and two other clubs	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line485
__label__wiki	0.592738	0.592738	SUBJECT TREE SUGGEST E-RESOURCES INFLIBNET E-RESOURCES Union Database e-Consortium INTUTE SEARCH INFOPORT INFLIBNET Subject Gateway for Indian Electronic-Resources Home > E-Resources By Subject > (540) Chemistry & allied sciences Resources of (540) Chemistry & allied sciences 1 To 20 Records of 27 Records Bose Institute Catalysis Database Der Pharma Chemica Dspace@NITR E-Journal of Chemistry Eprint@NML Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science Indian Institute of Toxicology Research Indian Journal of Chemistry : Section A International Journal of Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry International Journal of Chemical Research International Journal of Chemical Sciences International Journal of Chemistry Research International Journal of Green Chemistry and Bioprocess International Journal of Inorganic and Bioinorganic Chemistry International Journal of Nanomaterials and Biostructures International Journal of Natural Products Research International Journal of Research in Biochemistry and Biophysics Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research Journal of Advances in Drug Research Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health Open Access Repository of IISc Research Publications Rasayan Journal of Chemistry Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP) Toxicology International The institute has evolved over the years into a multi-disciplinary research organization with stress on fundamental research in its pursuit of advancement of knowledge in Science and technology and at the same time developing highly competent and able scientific manpower for the country. 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__label__cc	0.669007	0.330993	Home / Stock Picks / Stocks to Buy / 7 Dental Stocks to Buy That Will Make You Smile 7 Dental Stocks to Buy That Will Make You Smile The dental space has surprisingly become loaded with stocks to buy By Will Ashworth, InvestorPlace Contributor Apr 15, 2019, 3:15 pm EST April 15, 2019 A few years ago I was sitting in the dentist chair for my six-month examination and teeth cleaning. As I stared at the ceiling, I couldn’t help notice the name Belmont on the arm of the bright light burning a hole in my retina. I couldn’t help myself, asking the dentist if she’d ever invested in a dental-related company? She said she hadn’t. “Not even Henry Schein (NASDAQ:HSIC)?”, I asked. Nope. That was the end of the investment discussion. Recently, I saw an article that said dental startups such as Candid and Smile Direct Club, which provides systems for mild-to-moderate teeth straightening — saving you a bundle in the process — have investors lining up to invest in the private companies. Of course, that brought me back to that day in the dentist’s chair, when I wondered about stocks to buy that will make you smile. Here are seven names I’ve identified that will put money in your pockets. Henry Schein (HSIC) If you’re a dentist, you’ve likely got Henry Schein on speed dial. It distributes more than 120,000 branded products and another 180,000 private label products to dentists and medical practitioners. It is the No. 1 global dental distributor and the No. 2 physician and alternate care distributor in the U.S. In fact, 90% of U.S. dental practices are active Schein customers. So, the next time you go to the dentist, be sure to ask how much stuff they buy from the company. It’s probably a lot. Things seem to be going smoothly for the Melville, New York, company, yet HSIC is currently trading within 13% of its 52-week low and up less than 5% year-to-date through April 10, one-third the performance of the S&P 500. On three occasions over the past five years, it traded below $55. Within five dollars of doing so a fourth time, HSIC is entering value territory. In 2018, Henry Schein’s revenues grew by 5.9% year-over-year to $13.2 billion, while its non-GAAP earnings rose 11.4% to $635.3 million, its highest level of sales and profits in its history. Now, exclusively a company dealing with humans after spinning off its animal health business, Henry Schein is ready to take dental to the next level. 3D Systems (DDD) Source: Image via 3D Systems 3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) is a 3D printer. Over the past five years as the demand for 3D printing has slowed, so too has the company’s revenue and earnings growth. As a result, DDD shares have lost 80% of their value. In 2019, DDD is up more than 7% year-to-date through April 10. However, it lost a great deal of its momentum in March, giving back 23% of its gains on the year. The company’s dental segment continues to take a bite out of the competition. It produces dentures, crowns and surgical guides. “There are billions of opportunities here, since virtually anybody could benefit from 3-D printed dental solutions,” said CEO Vyomesh Joshi recently. On a non-GAAP basis, 3D Systems went from a $1.7 million loss in 2017 to a $16.5 million gain in 2018 on the strength of a 6% increase in revenue to $688 million. Trading at 1.8 times revenue, less than half its five-year average price-to-sales ratio, DDD provides investors with an excellent value proposition. Align Technology (ALGN) As dentists go, mine wasn’t too pushy about trying the latest and greatest dental product or service, but she sure liked to talk up Invisalign, the $8,000 clear aligner that straightens your teeth. Made by Align Technology (NASDAQ:ALGN), I never took the bait. Now, having moved from Toronto to Halifax over a year ago, and still without a new dentist, I suspect I’ll soon be getting the Invisalign sales pitch a second time. Perhaps, startups like Candid are taking a bite out of Align’s market share. Given the $4,000 price over 24 months for its teeth alignment product, a good $3,000-$4,000 cheaper than the competition, it’s easy to see why. However, I don’t think investors should give up on ALGN just yet. As I look at the company’s results for 2018, I see a lot of positives. On the top line, revenues grew 34% to $2 billion, a company record, on a 32% increase in Invisalign volume. On the bottom line, net profits were $400.2 million in 2018, 73% higher than a year ago. Forget for a moment that Invisalign didn’t exist. Its iTero scanners experienced 68% growth in 2018; iTero’s revenues now account for 14% of Align’s overall revenue, up 290 basis points from 2017. Trading well off its all-time high of $398.88, investors buying in today, should have significant upside in the months ahead. Dentsply Sirona (XRAY) I first became familiar with Dentsply Sirona (NASDAQ:XRAY) way back in March 2013, more than two years before Dentsply would pay $5.5 billion for Sirona Dental Systems, a company I liked because of its diversified revenue streams. “Sirona’s revenue diversification is what makes it such a good company. It generates business from four operating segments: Dental CAD/CAM Systems, Imaging Systems, Treatment Centers, and Instruments,” I wrote March 20, 2013. “Its CAD/CAM and Imaging Systems accounted for 70% of its overall revenue in the first quarter ended December 2012.” If you took my advice and bought 100 shares of Sirona at the Q2 2013 high of $73.98, today you’d have $9,158, a 24% return. But over three years, it’s seen a mediocre 5% return. So, do I still think XRAY is worth holding for the long haul? I do. Here’s why. Like most acquisitions, the tie-up didn’t go nearly as smoothly as hoped. As a result, the company was forced to implement a turnaround plan that will simplify its business. Where have I heard that before? Anyway, when you bring together two reasonably large businesses, you often lose focus on parts of it and those units suffer. So, it’s exiting these businesses and cutting staffing by as much as 8%. By fiscal 2020, analysts expect it to earn $2.64 a share, its best earnings performance since 2016. It has had a good run in 2019, up 36% year-to-date. I’d be patient and try to buy on weakness in the mid-$40s. Patterson Companies (PDCO) A little over two years ago, Globe and Mail business reporter Scott Barlow highlighted 12 healthcare stocks that had stable cash flow. He argued that businesses such as Patterson Companies (NASDAQ:PDCO), a distributor of dental and animal health products, would make you rich over the long haul because of this critical attribute. Since the article, PDCO stock has lost approximately half its value. Ouch. However, in the nine months ended Jan. 27, 2019, Patterson’s operating cash flow increased 91% to $76.3 million. After subtracting $33.9 million in capital expenditures, it generated free cash flow of $42.4 million or 77% of its net income. On the top line, revenues in the first three quarters of fiscal 2019 barely budged, up 1.8% to $4.14 billion. On the bottom line GAAP basis, its net income fell 69% to $55.2 million. On an adjusted basis, earnings fell 25% to $95.9 million. While this article is about dental businesses, Patterson’s animal health business (58% of revenue) continues to provide PDCO with diversified revenue streams that will protect it when the economy turns south because a lot of pet owners won’t scrimp on their companion animal’s wellbeing. Yielding 4.8% at the moment, it has plenty of free cash flow to keep paying its juicy dividend. If you’re an income investor, PDCO is an excellent stock to own before the company’s restructuring takes hold. Get paid to wait. Procter & Gamble (PG) My old dentist’s dental technician recommended that I buy an Oral-B electric toothbrush because it does a better job of brushing your teeth without overdoing it, thus hurting your gums. She was right. Originally invented in 1950 by California periodontist Dr. Robert Hutson, he sold the company to Cooper Laboratories, who in turn sold it to Gillette in 1984 for $188.5 million. The rest, as they say, is history. On April 9, Oral-B’s owner, Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG), raised its quarterly dividend by 4% to 74.59 cents a share, an annualized rate of $2.98, yielding 2.8% despite a 37% gain over the past 52 weeks. This is P&G’s 63rd consecutive year increasing its dividend. Oral-B and the rest of its oral care brands generated 9% of P&Gs revenue in the second quarter. Part of the healthcare segment, sales and earnings were both up slightly in the first quarter, delivering solid if not spectacular results. Consider Oral-B the company’s slow-growth business. Overall, however, Procter & Gamble is doing just fine. Church & Dwight (CHD) Church & Dwight (NYSE:CHD) is a smaller version of P&G. But make no mistake, it competes with the best of them. As far as dental care goes, it has Arm & Hammer, AIM, Close-Up and Pepsodent toothpaste. Other brands include Orajel and Waterpik. The company has become adept at making smaller acquisitions and then growing those businesses over time. Most recently, it announced it had acquired two hair removal brands, Flawless and Finishing Touch, for $475 million and a further $425 million in potential earnouts. The two brands add $180 million in annual revenue and $55 million in EBITDA. The owners of Flawless would have been wise to ask for stock instead of cash because over the past decade, CHD stock has delivered an annualized total return of 19.4%, almost double P&G. As stocks go, CHD is a perfect 10. I urge you to check it out. At the time of this writing, Will Ashworth did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2019/04/dental-stocks-to-buy-that-will-make-you-smile/.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line492
__label__wiki	0.725709	0.725709	The Kennedy Institute of Ethics at 40: History Forty years ago, bioethics was only just beginning to shape up as a field: a 1971 Time magazine article brought the newly coined expression, ‘bioethics’, to the attention of popular audiences who were already beginning to wonder about how advances in medicine and technology would impact their lives — and potentially change what it means to be human. What sorts of moral reflection would be required in the face of life-extending technologies, environmental challenges, new reproductive technologies, and resource scarcity? It is precisely at this moment — October 1971, in fact — when the Joseph and Rose Kennedy Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction and Bioethics (now, the Kennedy Institute of Ethics) was created. The Institute was founded as a product of collaboration between Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Sargent Shriver, André Hellegers (the founding director), Edward M. Kennedy (in his role as president of the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation), and Robert Henle (president of Georgetown University). Their goal was to create a think tank that was, in Henle’s words, “truly ecumenical and catholic” (i.e., “catholic” in the sense of “universal”).1 In 1973, the Institute expanded its operations to include a library dedicated to bioethics; today the Bioethics Research Library has grown to over 300,000 books, journal articles, and other archival materials, and it is a destination library with special collections of Jewish, Christian, Islamic, and Secular bioethics texts that draws scholars from around the world. The subsequent years have seen the Institute shape critical conversations within bioethics and policy. The Institute has lived up to the aspirations of its founders, addressing the key issues of the day in an open and civil fashion, no matter how contentious the issue; using the products of that conversation to help forge public policy; and sharing their wisdom with students of many sorts from around the globe. The Institute’s scholars have earned lifetime achievement awards from the Hastings Center, American Society for Bioethics and Humanities, and Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research. They have served as members of the President’s Council of Bioethics, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences, Privacy Working Group of the Clinton Health Care Task Force, Ethics Committee of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), International Bioethics Committee and Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technolgy (COMEST) of UNESCO. They have taught two generations of leaders in bioethics, Georgetown undergraduates and graduate students, and practitioners from around the world. For a fuller discussion of the founding of the Institute, see Reich, Warren Thomas. “Revisiting the Launching of the Kennedy Institute: Re-visioning the Origins of Bioethics.” Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal, v6 n4 (1996), pp 323-27.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line493
__label__cc	0.659226	0.340774	Serban V.C. Enache, New From Romania Apr 18, 2020·29 min read The Indian Ocean from admiral Zheng He to hub and spoke container maritime commerce by Jacques Coulardeau and Ivan Eve Review by Șerban V.C. Enache This book tackles the New Silk Road from a number of different perspectives, historical, social, economic, and from the standpoint of geopolitics. The reader is given a background regarding the Old Silk Road — its human cost and the socio-economic implications in the present, typified by what is called Post-Traumatic Slavery Disorder and Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome. We learn about the 13 centuries of slave trading done by the Muslim powers, and of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, which lasted 300 years, but produced approximately the same number of casualties. We learn about slavery in India and about the slave-trade in the Indian Ocean. That it had existed since probably the emergence of agriculture, something like 12,000 years ago. Slavery existed in America before the arrival of Europeans. And the book concludes that slavery was and still is a global or universal phenomenon. Religious motivations for slavery are also highlighted, alongside the changes in thought and values, from Judaism to Islam, and of course, Christianity. It’s always a pleasure to read an objective take, no matter how brief, on slavery. Because there are myths flowing around out there, which claim that slavery and the slave trade are purely an invention of “the white man”. And these two evils are not only an invention of secular institutions and practices, but they are also enshrined in mythology, dogma, religion. To sum it up in a humorous expression, treat thy neighbor as thyself if he’s not a foreigner or a heathen. But if he is, then kill the bastard or take him in thralldom. I wholeheartedly agree on how the authors tackle the issues of Post-Traumatic Slavery Disorder and Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome. They insist on a process of proper information and open dialog. And they emphasize the requirement of meritocracy. If we are to have true equality and meritocracy, then the rise and fall of individuals within the hierarchical system of any civilized society must occur based on their own merits, not based on favor or prejudice. Any system or policy that’s designed to ignore a merit-based argument in favor of a non-merit-based argument can only be of a discriminatory nature. One cannot be granted favor without someone else receiving an injury as a consequence. One is either an egalitarian, or one’s not. One either believes people should be judged based on their own merits, or one believes that they should be judged based on favor or prejudice. Like the authors, I count myself among the former. There is also a worrisome phenomenon occurring, particularly in the USA, in which unpopular speech is being censored, not only by right wing reactionaries, but by left wing progressives as well. The latter are called mockingly as “regressive leftists” or “the regressive left”. I will quote the Thomas Jefferson Center on this issue.[1] « An epidemic of anti-speech activity swept across the campuses of American colleges and universities in 2015 and shows little sign of abating in 2016. Not long ago, these same institutions were at the vanguard of First Amendment issues; students demanded — then made powerful use of — expanded speech rights on campus, and administrators held academic freedom sacrosanct. These positions reflected a shared understanding that intellectual inquiry requires an environment in which debate is uninhibited, robust, and wide-open, even if it occasionally results in unpleasant or offensive exchanges. Today, however, the focus seems to be on limiting rather than promoting the open exchange of ideas. Students who once protested to have their voices heard now seek to silence those they disagree with or find threatening. Meanwhile, university administrators appear locked in a competition to determine which school will take the toughest stand against offensive, unpopular, and hurtful speech. First Amendment principles have given way to identity politics, trigger warnings, and so-called “safe spaces,” and the Free Speech Movement has, at many colleges, become the Anti-Speech Movement. Since 1992, the Thomas Jefferson Center has awarded Jefferson Muzzles to those individuals and institutions responsible for the more egregious or ridiculous affronts to free speech during the preceding year. Our usual practice has been to select eight to twelve recipients each year, reflecting the unfortunate reality that threats to free expression regularly occur at all levels of government. This year, however, we were compelled to take a different approach. Never in our 25 years of awarding the Jefferson Muzzles have we observed such an alarming concentration of anti-speech activity as we saw last year on college campuses across the country. We are therefore awarding Jefferson Muzzles to the 50 colleges and universities discussed […] both as an admonishment for the acts already done and a reminder that it is not too late to change course. » Afterwards, the book presents the Old Silk Road proper, the ancient network of trade routes that were central to economic and cultural interactions among different regions of Asia, connecting the West and East from China to the Mediterranean Sea. The religious implications associated with the various countries and trade interests are also approached (Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam). We learn from that ancient epoch and we’re moved to the 15th century, to admiral Zheng He, his great fleet of merchant ships — and the reader learns of his visits to foreign lands. Most notably, his repeated journeys into India, Africa, and Arabia. Past that point, the book moves the reader into the present and reveals great information regarding planned investments in new port infrastructure and upgrades, new trade routes, cross-judicial and economic cooperation between countries for safety and development. Figures regarding freight capacity and throughput are given for some key trade nodes in China, Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, and South Korea. The authors make important observations, especially regarding China. This nation isn’t placing its eggs in the same basket. The Chinese are preparing different scenarios. China is open to the Indian Ocean. In maritime trade, it’s investing in the port of Colombo and in Hambantota. It is developing the hub-and-spoke model; but China is also developing alternatives to it. To reach America, the railroad option via the Behring Strait. To reach Europe, via the Arctic approach and westward along its ancient route — by linking virtually the whole of Europe through railways, down to Spain. I’d like to add that there are many ideas on the table, ready to be carried out with Chinese help. For instance, a second Panama Canal in Nicaragua, to connect the Pacific and the Caribbean (albeit voices of skepticism and dissent haunt this proposal).[2][3] The Brazil-Peru transcontinental railroad — a massive undertaking meant to link via rail the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast, and thus open Brazilian exports to Asian markets.[4] There are also plans for China to create an alternative transcontinental route from Brazil, through Bolivia and Peru.[5] Deals between India and China are also underway. Collaboration on atomic science, especially regarding the thorium-based nuclear reactor and the Chinese pebble-bed solid fuel 100Mw demonstration reactor.[6] It’s also important to note that atomic power still remains an important outlet of investment and energy generation with near zero CO2 emissions, particularly when looking at 2 billion souls seeking to attain western living standards. India holds around 25% of the world’s major thorium reserves, and it is actively developing the thorium fuel cycle.[7][8] Colardeau and Eve take special note of India and Sri Lanka, and do not dismiss them from the greater scheme in the wake of such big projects like the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal — which, for political reasons that the authors identify, are left outside by the main geopolitical power. We’re referring of course to the USA. Globalization is a multi-door street, but some doors are bigger and wider than others. Such free trade agreements can only push for lower sovereignty at the regional and national level, enforce strict intellectual property laws, and diminish the collective bargaining power of labor. Supposedly, consumers and firms are the ones who profit from such deals — but history shows that’s not really the case everywhere all the time. Otherwise protectionism would not have resurged in the West. And Britain would not have practiced protectionism to grow its own industries first, before projecting the comparative advantage doctrine (whilst ignoring absolute advantage) upon others through threat of violence and outright war.[9] I am, of course, referring to the British Empire’s bloody tally in imperialism and colonialism. The exploitation of India’s people and the artificially-induced famines, and the Opium-wars with China leap to mind. Zheng He’s Ships as compared to Christopher Columbus’s The so-called race to the bottom is a true phenomenon. It manifests itself when governments of signatory countries (pacts of free trade or ‘fiscal responsibility’) implement policies meant to keep domestic purchasing power lower & living standards low, in the hope of gaining market share for their export-oriented enterprises. These countries are thus deliberately keeping their domestic levels of Aggregate Demand low, and they rely on imports of Aggregate Demand from abroad in order to keep their economies working (albeit with considerable unused capacity to spare).[10] Aggregate Demand means income plus the change in private debt.[11] Private debt inflation adds to Aggregate Demand — it translates into more spending, more sales, more income. While private debt deflation (what much of the world is experiencing after the Great Financial Crisis of 2008) decreases Aggregate Demand — it translates into less spending, fewer sales, less income. Accounting-wise, every net exporter of goods and services is a net importer of Aggregate Demand and vice-versa. Spending is income. Debt is equity. All government debt in the world represents world-wide private sector financial savings (equity).[12][13] Issues of flags of convenience are explored in the book, alongside those of safety. Ships and harbors require protection. Merchandise requires tracking. Elements of corruption, bureaucracy, and the relationship between capital and labor must not endanger the flow of goods and services, or add undesired and unnecessary costs to it. The authors state that what’s required for true security is the existence of an international agency, with satellite monitoring capabilities, and with the legal mandate and military means to combat terrorism, human trafficking, drug smuggling, and illegal weapons trade. Whether one is personally in favor of globalization or not, the soundness of the above proposition is indisputable. Galle Trilingual Stella I believe the many countries involved in the New Silk Road must follow the two principles behind the Peace of Westphalia of 1648, which ended successfully 150 years of religious war and established the notion of co-existing sovereign states; peace between them being reached through diplomatic congress.[14] The first tenet said that for the sake of peace, the crimes of all sides must be forgotten. While the second tenet maintained that foreign policy must be carried out with the “interest of the other” in mind. What relevance do these Westphalian principles have on our present imperfectly globalized world? It is geopolitics that makes or breaks progress. That makes or breaks nations. That promotes war and strife, or peace and development. And it is precisely this lack of Westphalian sovereignty among nation states today, as well as the desire to severely outsource national and local sovereignty to super-state bureaucracies, that endangers the peaceful process of globalization — and turns it into a deliberate phenomenon of exploitation carried out by financial interests for the interest of financial elites, rather than for the shared benefit of countries as a whole. John Maynard Keynes said that the unregulated movement of international capital endangers that self-governing experiment we call democracy.[15] How prophetic his words were, especially if we look at the wealthiest and strongest nation on earth — at the extreme income inequality in the US today, which resembles not a capitalist economy, but a feudal economy.[16] In short, if households are doing well, then so are the firms. GDP growth not seen in wage growth appears in profit growth.[17] As an adept of Chartalism[18], I can tell you that macro fiscal policy is more important to public purpose than trade. Whether a country is practicing free trade or protectionism, so long as it has monetary sovereignty (so long as the national government spends and taxes in its own free-floating nonconvertible fiat currency) it can do away with permanent and involuntary unemployment. The currency sovereign faces no solvency risk. He can never miss a payment.[19] The real constraints are of a physical nature; unused physical resources, available labor (people willing and able to work), and know-how. Brazen corruption, political instability, and natural disasters are conducive to high inflation or hyperinflation episodes for countries, alongside fixed exchange rate regimes with strong currencies. Inflation is not always everywhere a monetary phenomenon, like mainstream (orthodox) theory likes to claim.[20] The overproduction of money is always a consequence of a crisis of hyperinflation, never the cause of it. The Weimar Republic had to print (deficit spend) many figures as % of GDP in order to purchase foreign currency with which to make war reparation payments. That money didn’t go to the creation of roads, railways, industries, schools, or hospitals. In Zimbabwe, a favorite example employed by inflation mongers, a number of different factors triggered the hyperinflation episode. First, Mugabe’s failed land reform, which crippled agricultural output. And secondly, persistent political instability and brazen corruption and the need to import more food from abroad contributed to the overproduction of money.[21] And of course, in all aspects of human society, one cannot ignore or reject that great element called geopolitics. When powerful interests converge, either deliberately or through random opportunity/chance, the weaker party incurs the terms of the stronger ones. I would recommend this title to any investor or public servant that is looking to familiarize himself or herself with the historical realities of the Old Silk Road, and with the challenges posed by the New Silk Road in proper context. People seeking to invest in the New Silk Road — either in a specific supply chain, in a particular technology, service, or financial institution — must realize the complexity of this trans-national region and the many competing geopolitical and economic interests within it. Public servants, those placed in key government agencies that hold important positions, must also study carefully this tapestry of interests, challenges, and must weigh all the potential consequences (both positive and negative), if they are to draw up pertinent national policies that take into account not only the interests of wealthy lobbying parties, but also the interests of the common citizens and their natural environment. SERBAN VALENTIN CONSTANTIN ENACHE — AN EMPIRE OF TRAITORS — 2014 Welcome to and into the phenomenal and absolutely perverse and mesmerizing mental world of the deranged universe in some tamed version of which we are living, willy-nilly, more nilly than willy, and enjoying every single minute spent in it. Sharpen your attention and concentrate your vision because there is no way for you to get through these pages, these strange territories, these unwelcoming imperial lands if you miss one single sentence because the network of this writing does not authorize one single loop to give way. That’s what makes this novel difficult to the reader: there is no way we can speed up the reading, skip a page, or even a sentence. The language is both absolutely functional (nothing lost on vain and useless descriptions) and so dense you cannot play around with the punctuation or the adverbs. Every single word is meaningful and none is superfluous decoration. So if you are ready to go into that forest of a corrugated imagination you might be rewarded with some good moments of pleasure if not bliss. I do not intend to tell you the story but to give you some tools to guide you — or rather pull you — through the brambles around the castle and maybe enable you to reach the bed of the Sleeping Beauty who is, in fact, no princess at all but maybe the true heart of humanity. The first thing you must understand is that this territory that does not have a map is composed of various contradictory if not antagonistic pieces. You have the Empire itself composed of five territories: The Northlands, the Westlands, the Southlands, the Eastlands, and the Streamlands, hence the quincunx so famous in Maya culture and mythology: the four cardinal points plus the center that is, in fact, an axis with a celestial zenith and an underworld nadir. Each section is itself complex because they are feudal territories, which means they are more or less controlled by one noble house but they are composed of a network of smaller feudal houses and families all connected by some fealty oath to be pronounced on one’s knees in front of the superior lord. But these oaths do not seem to be based on much honor and have much strength since they are systematically betrayed and broken by practically everyone. This world is dominated by a few houses or families represented by some banners or emblems. The Northlands are controlled by The Sodomis house in Weiyenor, represented by a ram with fiery hooves. The Westlands are controlled by the Blackways house, the black Knights of Rogfort and are represented by a warhorse. The Southlands do not seem to be really controlled by anyone because they are various houses all pulling and pushing in different directions, traitors by definition. The Eastlands are controlled but the Verwick House in Findar’s Keep and are represented by a dolphin. The Streamlands are represented by the Mandon house at Rivermark for nearly the whole novel but this family loses this privilege at the end. They are represented by a hawk. Some other families are crucial, especially either by their cruelty or by their treacherous nature. Tobias Findley represented by a dog-headed serpent at Stoneweed is an epitome of violence and barbarity. The House Bellworth is represented by a grey griffin. The House of Reed is represented by a blazing star grass. The House of Wolfgar is represented by a sanguineous sword. The House of Merrick is represented by three stars and a Crescent Moon. Those seem to be the main houses, apart from the Imperial house, the Mero family. If I have made mistakes do not hesitate to tell me and even vindicate my incompetence. You will discover all by yourself the Tychos family, Lords of Ironmoat. The novel, or saga, starts some five years or so after the civil war and the death of the tyrant Zygar Ferus Mero. The elder son, Amarius Seronius Mero, was made emperor for a short while but he was accused by his younger brother, Hagyian Rovines Mero, of embezzling, excessive power, etc., and was arrested declared guilty and banished into exile. When the action starts the elder brother is living in Harpool, an outside territory that is built on the existence and trade of slaves. The younger brother is the acting emperor, but he has lost contact with his people and is completely out of touch, ready to fall like some over-ripe if not rotten fruit. We have to add that the civil war was against the tyrant we have mentioned, father of the emperor and his exiled brother, but with what is called the Inquisition on their side. After the victory, Amarius Seronius Mero got rid of the Inquisition but kept the two clerical orders, the Patriarchy and the Matriarchy. The last element to know at the beginning is the existence of a distant territory beyond a vast sand desert occupied by some free savages that seem to be living like some Northern American Indians before the arrival of Christopher Columbus. The desert is the territory occupied by some “wyverns” that are enormous worms or snakes living underground in the sand, voracious and attacking anything alive. The allusion to Dune’s sandworms is not even hidden. It is obvious and the savages who are red-skinned and called Aharo are very close to Dune’s Fremen. The term “wyvern” could be understood as the Celtic wyver but that would be a mistake/. The wyver that might be connected to the root of “viper” is not per se a serpent in Celtic culture. It is represented in much Romanesque art of the 10th-12th centuries under Celtic influence as a man’s head with an invasive mustache pushing long extensions down on both sides and meeting with two flows of water descending out from the mouth. This wyver represents underground water circulation and magnetism on which the Celtic occupation of a certain territory was founded. This territorial vision was recuperated by and integrated into Christianity in early feudalism in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. This would already be complex enough if this world were not divided along clear-cut religious lines. The Empire is against slavery and abides by the religion of the Three, the triune religion or faith-based on three divine bodies, the Father Sun and the Twin Moon Mothers. This explains the two clerical orders and their basic hostility if not open rivalry. The second religion was that of the Tyrant emperor of the old days: the religion of the Gods of Blood which was based on human and animal sacrifices, probably some cannibalism and definitely some vampirism, drinking the blood of the sacrificed animals or humans. The third religion is that of Harpool that states a social vision implying a small dominant elite governs the world and the vast majority of slaves who (or maybe which) have only one mission, function and end: to obey and do whatever hard tasks they are ordered to perform. It is clear that some of these tasks are prostitution clearly stated for girls bought very young and sold later to the matrons of some shady houses as soon as they have experienced their first bloody blossoming. You may consider some linguistic formulations as hinting at the same fate for boys, but it is more discreet, less obvious. Then you have the people who have no territories and are what is called sellswords, that is to say, mercenaries who sell themselves, and their swords, for temporary military service to the various factions of the empire. They believe in one god, the Sky itself, and that life is nothing but suffering, their god being a god of fire that advocates struggle, courage, battle and honor till death comes since death will be the end of suffering. No reincarnation, no rebirth. Just death. You have to consider the religion of the Aharos which is different because it merges together myths, legends, history into some mythological whole that respects the freedom of people, nature, sustainability and has a great knowledge of plants and other natural means to heal and improve life. Add to this cocktail the intrigue and plotting of the clerical orders in the empire to create some fear of witchcraft, the belief that a few negative hostile spirits, demonic of course, can take possession of people in order to conquer and control the human world. Superstition and rumors are their tools and weapons in a time when there is no real daily mass communication. So, enter this world and enjoy it. But do not skip one line if you really want to follow and take notes if possible. Kindle is good for that. I enjoyed the trip, recognized many influences or models, acknowledged the distortions of these models into some new logic or essence, but this volume will leave quite a few unfinished and incomplete businesses behind: so be sure you can get into the second volume. Maybe not straight away but soon. The author is very young. So prepare yourself to see his name over the next few or many years. He sure has plenty of potential monstrous characters and maybe ethical perspectives here and there among the drastic frightening and even sickening chasms he opens under every single one of our steps in this strange land of his. If you survive you might have a good chance of being a happy psychotic PTSS beneficiary. SERBAN VC ENACHE — TALKING CROWS — 2014 A FLOCK OF BLACK CROWS OVER THE PLAIN Morning crow, sorrow! UN VOL DE CORBEAUX NOIRS SUR LA PLAINE Corbeau du matin, chagrin ! A small short story that tells one day in the life of three black brother crows or maybe ravens or maybe blackbird, who knows, crows they are called but they have other names that are funny in a way? Magnus, Korvern, and Septimius. And what’s more, for us they go Cra! Cra! Cra! But in fact, they seem to be able to communicate and to speak and think and have ideas about everything in the world, about humans and about dogs, and some other things of the sort. Strangely enough, they have their own theory about the world and how it does not go, even about its economy as if they had been fervent students in some university. Definitely these three black crow remind me of Shakespeare and his three weird sisters, though here we have three weird brothers. And then their hatred for the local stray cat brings to my mind an old film, Fritz the Cat, a long-tailed cat who had great problems with black crows in another city that may have been New York. So they become like some plotters trainspotting in the air, some underground homeless and forlorn scavengers in our society living on rejects, trash and garbage? At times they find a juicy dead body they can eat as if it were Christmas or Thanksgiving delicatessen or Easter Passover goodies or Ramadan evening nourishment. I suppose they satisfy their visionary hunger with the two globes of the eyes of the corpse, and yet they do not go further to some other parts that are juicy and rich in a body, alive or not, like the liver, the pancreas, if they can get to them, though they will never be able to break the shell of the egg of the brain, the cranium, the skull. It is true they don’t need to eat human brain to be clever because they are naturally, and more than humans, because they know they have to respect nature, to clean it up of its garbage, though they could be thousands and they would not be able to come to the end of human trash, both the trash they drop everywhere or the trash they pull around them in the shape of dogs or cats, and even a third type which is humans themselves who are the governing trashy kings of this planet they don’t even deserve. It is somewhat funny and somewhat strange, bizarre, surprising, and maybe too short since they sleep at night, well, so you say man, because birds always sleep with one eye tight open and the other wide shut since cats are nocturnal animals too, not to speak of bats and other nighttime predators. But birds have a very great sense of hierarchy; I was watching just this afternoon and yesterday the birds who come to my yard to take advantage of the bird-feeders Lucretia garnishes with all kinds of goodies. There is a band of blackbirds, males and females, five or six, maybe more and among them one macho male. When the blackbirds are there all the other little birds of half a dozen types have to literally fight to get to the food. The blackbirds are a perfect band of SS officers keeping their spoils of war. And this afternoon only the macho male was there and no one else could get close to the grains, seeds, peanuts, or whatever. He was pacing the yard and the snow with the authority of a Trump signing executive orders banning everyone from his own little White House lawn and rose garden. Who said nature was just, peaceful, equalitarian, gentle, sweet? Ah! Ah! It is some kind of an inferno and humans are nearly just slightly more civilized than that, well maybe, perhaps, for sure but not quite sure. So be careful the Men In Black are coming and you better be ready to be extra-terrestrialized if you don’t like the color. I know one President and one Prime Minister who have to be extra-terrestrialized as an urgent emergency and sent to intensive care in some NHS hospital (though that one could come to France and as a European citizen she could get some free treatment in some luxurious Paris hospital, like La Salpetriere built by Louis XIV), or some community hospital for the homeless in New York (for the other member of the pair that should be married urgently too before being moved to these medical reclusive retreats). But I will not tell names. I am not a rat, a cat maybe, a crow why not, but Serban made me smile with his birdlike human realism, and there sure are a lot of human beings in the street or in the bureaucratic offices we have forgotten to bury last time the hearse went by down in the street. SERBAN V.C. ENACHE — JUDICATOR, LEVIATHAN & JUDICATOR, TEMPLUM DIABOLUS — 2019 Servan Enache is entering with these two autonomous, maybe not completely, chapters of a new series, a field that crosses cosmic science-fiction, and action science-fiction video games. He deals with his literature as if it were such a game, or as if, on his computer keyboard, he were at the console commanding the game. You will find it difficult at times to follow the logic of the story because you have not read the small print, no one has actually read it, and so you are not informed about what is essential in that genre: situations and characters are absolutely and constantly changeable, interchangeable, transformable too because the small print says that the console controller has a chest of special and unrevealed tools to change everything if so he fancies. This is a secret, of course, and remember if you can keep a secret I can too, so I have not told you anything about it and what I have just said is the purest and most honest lie. That’s what is good about video games, you can give the lie to any logic or reasonable architecture. You know the famous “(1) All humans are mortal; (2) Socrates is human; (3) Socrates is mortal.” And it can become “All humans are mortal, Socrates is mortal, hence Socrates is human.” Or “All humans are mortal, all cows are mortal, hence all cows are human.” Or the one about “Everything rare is expensive. A cheap horse is rare. Hence a cheap horse is expensive.” But the more erratic the story is, the more significant and signifying it is too. But then you may wonder what Serban Enache’s story may mean, imply or simply suggest. You may, but you shouldn’t doubt it: it is full of meaning. But what meaning? First of all and above all these stories clearly state that humanity is the supreme Empire in the cosmos, that the earth is something like a vague recollection in one little corner of a tiny drawer of the minuscule chest of drawer in the vestry of the Church of I do not know what God the stories refer too. They are working against invading lizards or whatever other aliens that try to invade the Empire and eat the dainty delicatessen human beings are, and I must say I have tried it many times and the aliens are right. But why should humanity ban cannibalism and enjoying human flesh, blood, and marrow? That would certainly cure or heal our overpopulation and it would also solve the problem of starvation, famines, even malnutrition. We should decide that one type of humans should be eventually served as food as soon as their ancillary function is accomplished. And I am not inventing anything here. Since the author imagines servants are lobotomized humans, I guess lobotomized at a very early age, we can really accept that these are supposed to work up to a certain age, either early teenage so that the flesh is tender and soft. Or till early adulthood so that the flesh is mature enough to have the taste of puberty, satisfied puberty, that is to say after they have been used for some procreation two or three times. The second idea is that the author creates characters who have absolutely no humane dimension. First of all, the main character, Hera, short for Heranar, is surrounded by all sorts of subservient beings like entirely artificial human-looking machines who only know how to obey orders. Then there are some Technomancers who are partly human and partly mechanical, in fact, they have a human body onto which a mechanical organism has been grafted. These are extremely evolved as for technical knowledge and they have the right to suggest solutions to problems provided they remain mechanical. And the mind of this Heranar, maybe short for Her-anarchical because she is egocentric selfishness, hence anarchism by definition, there is no respect for human beings, or any living beings, and absolute hatred for aliens. In the first episode she accepts the destruction of an “archaic” Grecian tribe of human beings along with the sterilization of the planet they are living on, without any explanation how these ancient Grecian people have arrived here, just for one single reason: to prevent the taking over of it by some aliens lizard-like invaders. She hardly feels any emotion at such a sacrifice, and we must speak of sacrifice, the sacrifice of a whole human tribe just to sterilize what could become one entry point for these aliens. In the second episode, she herself decides the destruction of a whole planet inhabited by human beings but infested by the heretical belief in some dark gods from an underground inferno or chasm. To destroy this heresy in this population and on this planet, she orders the destruction of the planet, after killing herself the main witchdoctor or prophet of this heretical sect. No pangs of conscience because I am afraid this Heranar has no conscience. After all, she is an Inquisitor, an agent of the Inquisition that is supposed to keep humanity and the Empire absolutely clean and safe, meaning with no heresy and no alien parasitic intruders. And the rule is definitely “Kill them all, and all by-stander at the same time.” Bystanders are always designated collateral victims: good riddance because they should have reported the invaders or intruders if not acted on their own to neutralize them. But this Empire is the worst possible hierarchical society you can imagine, or rather you can have nightmares about. It is explicitly expressed at the end of the first episode: “Knowledge meant power. Power meant liberty to operate, influence and change. The price of freedom was destruction, chaos. The Empire … had endured a hundred decades in ignorance, without liberty — through the power of allegiance, not doubt or consensus. Knowledge has to be rationed with great care among the capable few.” This is the worst possible feudal or even slave society built on power being kept within as few hands as possible. All others have to be mechanical, lobotomized, enslaved servants, soldiers or simple humanoid tools, technical and scientific ones particularly. This vision of society requires a deep regression to a very distant reference. “Using the ancient Westphalian approach to foreign affairs, relying on State-dirigism and Georgist tax-principles… had fostered unity and peace, had ensured maximum output at minimum overhead… Labor, enterprise, sales, and buildings were exempt from taxation… Land values were annually assessed and taxed in full. Other wealth-extractive avenues like usury and patents were outlawed… There was no room for idle property, for waste, or rent-seeking.” This vision is the society that emerged after the Ice Age when agriculture was developed because then the survival of the community was no longer dependent on the resources in the territory of this community they could pick and hunt, but on the crops that they could produce by their work of the land. This determined another change: the women who were the providers of communal survival with their pregnancies and child-deliveries where pushed aside from all spiritual functions to be replaced by the few men who controlled the land and the tilling of this land, knowing that herding was mostly in the hands of male teenagers, like the young David, the future King of Israel, and probably domesticated dogs. You must ask the simple question: What can such a land-based world become if you add modern science, modern technology, and what is essentially missing in this science fiction, modern universal (all places and everyone) virtual communication? What it becomes is clear in the second episode of the series. On top, an elite who is supposed to be the only people controlling knowledge, science, technology, and also the only people who control political and religious power, and at the bottom heretical clandestine magical sects that only target controlling people and the Empire by taking over the minds of everyone with a mixture of self and reciprocally nurturing concepts: fear, faith, fealty. To be afraid is basic from the top, from the bottom, and from the demoniac chasm. The top must inspire fear if people do not obey their commands. At the bottom, the mass of people who must obey must do so out of the fear of being sacrificed by the top elite, and for the top elite to keep their power. The demoniac chasm has to be the supreme source of fear, not fear for right now, except if the elite decides to sacrifice you by throwing you into the chasm, but the supreme source pf fear of what may happen to you after death. To have faith in the power of the gods from the chasm, of the priests that talk in the name of these gods, and in the rituals imposed by them. Fealty is essential to bring all the believers to some type of dependence, subservience, and submission to the inevitable death that may mean some kind of regeneration or rejuvenation in some virtual world beyond the chasm through which everyone is supposed to go one day. But it may also mean rejuvenation for the society for which you may be sacrificed in a way or another, on a cross or an altar, in a circus or in a dungeon, on a wheel or an impaling stake This vision is an absolute reproduction of the Maya society based in the same way on the three values I have just described. But we could find the same situation in all agricultural societies after the Ice Age and on all continents. There was no exception, just at times here and there special cases. All these societies were built on absolute dependence and absolute submission to the absolute power of the top elite in the absolute fear of the Death Lords that live deep in the chasm of Xibalba. Enjoy your next meal, it might be the last one. And that is exactly what the second episode shows us: the almightiness of the educated elite that does not share their knowledge but imposes it to everyone as the rules coming from the Divine world, the cosmic world, the universal powers of stars, suns, and planets, or of desires, impulses and instincts. The moon might be the real Goddess behind it all, as a recollection, a remembrance, an evanescent imprint from a previous social state, but it can be either feminine and associated to death (Selene, Hecate and Athena/Diana), or masculine and associated to self-sacrifice or blood-shedding, your blood or the blood of others, who cares since blood is blood, though it is less vital if it is the blood of others (then the Maize God of the Mayas can be this Moon). But this Moon might be the real ritualistic Goddess or sacrificial God, but only might be and She/He might pull the strings of all these male or male-looking subservient tools in the hands of these elite people. Heranar is thus an exception in her femininity if she is in any way feminine beyond her official name and gender specification. It requires a little bit more than a grammatical gender to be a male or a female, and so far Heranar has nothing else, has only a grammatical gender. And we will have to wait for later and further chapters to know what she really is in this male-dominated and male-controlled world. John Pilger, Interviewed by RT The War on China & Other Issues By Serban V.C. Enache Hereticus Economicus https://youtu.be/3OXTfShPMHg Robert Epstein on Google’s Manipulation By Serban V C Enache Jul 22, 2019–12:13:42 AM https://theduran.com/robert-epstein-on-googles-manipulation/ Serban V.C. Enache ?? [1] http://jeffersonmuzzles.org/complete-list/ [2] Michael D. McDonald, Bloomberg, 2015 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-19/china-s-building-a-huge-canal-in-nicaragua-but-we-couldn-t-it [3] Lily Kuo, Quartz, 2015 http://qz.com/430090/why-is-a-chinese-tycoon-building-a-50-billion-canal-in-nicaragua-that-no-one-wants/ [4] Brianna Lee, International Business Times, 2015 http://www.ibtimes.com/china-brazil-peru-eye-transcontinental-railway-megaproject-1930003 [5] China Daily, 2015 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2015-06/17/content_21031116.htm [6] Fiona MacDonald, Science Alert, 2016 http://www.sciencealert.com/china-says-it-ll-have-a-meltdown-proof-nuclear-reactor-ready-by-next-year [7] Stratfor, 2016 https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/gauging-indias-nuclear-power-potential [8] BBC News, 2006 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6219998.stm [9] John M. Legge, 2016 http://www.johnmlegge.com/blog/comparative-versus-competitive-advantage/ [10] Warren Mosler, 2011 http://moslereconomics.com/2011/11/03/the-euro-zone-race-to-the-bottom/ [11] Steve Keen, 2012 http://www.debtdeflation.com/blogs/2012/01/28/economics-in-the-age-of-deleveraging/ [12] Steve Keen, Private Debt Project, 2016 http://www.privatedebtproject.org/view-articles.php?Are-We-Facing-a-Global-Lost-Decade-14 [13] Bill Mitchell, 2015 http://bilbo.economicoutlook.net/blog/?p=32396 [14] New World Encyclopedia, 2015 http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Peace_of_Westphalia [15] Noam Chomsky, Hegemony or Survival, page 138 [16] Laura Tyson, The Huffington Post, 2015 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-tyson/us-income-inequality-costs_b_6249904.html [17] Anna Louie Sussman, The Wall Street Journal, 2015 http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2015/09/08/inside-the-fight-over-productivity-and-wages/ [18] Bill Mitchell, 2009 http://bilbo.economicoutlook.net/blog/?p=5402 [19] Brett W. Fawley, Luciana Juvenal, St Louis Fed, 2011 https://www.stlouisfed.org/Publications/Regional-Economist/October-2011/Why-Health-Care-Matters-and-the-Current-Debt-Does-Not [20] Antonella Tutino, Carlos E. Zarazaga, Fed In Print, 2014 https://www.fedinprint.org/items/feddel/00008.html [21] Edward Harrison, Naked Capitalism, 2010 http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2010/05/mmt-fear-of-hyperinflation.html The Inevitable Tragedy of American Christianity Joe Forrest in Interfaith Now Feudal Doodle Dandy: The English Peasant’s Revolt Kathy Copeland Padden in Curious Data Personhood Weber Wong in The Startup	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line496
__label__wiki	0.601222	0.601222	A few thoughts on the Virtual Console (Pt. 1) The Virtual Console, Nintendo’s Online shop for downloadable content, has been around since the launch of the Wii in 2006. Perhaps most notably though, the Virtual Console has been used as a platform to launch older games to a modern audience. I’m just not entirely sure Nintendo is doing it correctly. The Game Collection Since its release in 2006, the Virtual Console has been home to Nintendo’s re-release of NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Nintendo 64 games. Additionally, they’ve even hosted titles originally featured on the Master System, Mega Drive/Genesis, the TurboGrafx-16, and the Neo Geo. While these releases have of course been made in an effort to continue to profit on older games, as there is a demand for them, they’ve also been released in an effort to combat piracy. For example, anyone with a connection to the internet can easily access a torrent containing a complete connection of games. For instance, the complete US Library of SNES games is available in a torrent weighing in at only 624.36MB. The ability access to this, and many other game console collections, is incredibly easy. This of course makes Nintendo’s approach to combating piracy all the more challenging. How do you, in a sense, compete with “free.” These torrented game collections are after-all free, if you ignore the legal implications. Competing with Free Piracy has of course existed since the widespread adoption of the internet. Napster, P2P Networks, Direct Connect, Torrents, etc. are all methods people have used to share content over the internet. And perhaps more troubling for companies, they’re all incredibly easy to use. However, the easiest solution to combat this, shockingly, is to just provide a better service than the pirates. The best example of this thinking can be found in an article posted over on TechDirt. There, they interview Valve’s Gabe Newell on the issue of piracy, in which he said the following: “Newell: The easiest way to stop piracy is not by putting antipiracy technology to work. It’s by giving those people a service that’s better than what they’re receiving from the pirates. For example, Russia. You say, oh, we’re going to enter Russia, people say, you’re doomed, they’ll pirate everything in Russia. Russia now outside of Germany is our largest continental European market. Ed Fries: That’s incredible. That’s in dollars? Newell: That’s in dollars, yes. Whenever I talk about how much money we make it’s always dollar-denominated. All of our products are sold in local currency. But the point was, the people who are telling you that Russians pirate everything are the people who wait six months to localize their product into Russia. … So that, as far as we’re concerned, is asked and answered. It doesn’t take much in terms of providing a better service to make pirates a non-issue.” While what Newell says is somewhat shocking, it also seems a very obvious solution. If you are better than the pirates at providing content, people will buy from you. But let’s focus in on what he says, and concentrate on where he states that “the people who are telling you that Russian’s pirate everything are the people who wait six months to localize their product into Russia” I.e. If you don’t provide a good to people who want it, they will seek other means of getting it. In an article featured over at Wii U Daily, they discuss the recent phenomenon of Virtual Console releases varying between 50Hz and 60Hz versions. You see, back in teh day manufacturers in Europe and Australia produced televisions that displayed their content at 50 frames per second, unlike the US and Japanese TV’s which ran at 60 frames per second. This means that the video game cartridges released in Europe and Australia were modified before release to run slower (to compensate for the decreased frames per second, or sped up to fit the slower speed. Now though, television manufacturers release products capable of processing at 60Hz. The obvious thing to do now then would be for Nintendo to release all their Virtual Console games as the original 60Hz variants. Well…that’s wishful thinking apparently. Apparently the original Wii’s Virtual Console was completely made up of 50hz variants in Europe. While some ran perfectly well, others (like Mario Kart 64) were altered by Nintendo to make sure they would work properly. However, with the Wii U’s release, this doesn’t seem to be happening at all. Games like Balloon Fight, and Kriby’s Adventure are running at a very broken 50Hz. Other games, like F-Zero and Pac-Man, run at 60Hz though. To properly illustrate the difference, take a look at the video below: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kqEls6Wk3Ps[/youtube] Now let me assume for a moment that you’re a customer in Europe who desperately wants to play Balloon Fight. Are you going to play the official, yet broken, version of the game? Or would it be easier for you to pirate a version that works correctly? Unless Nintendo can do a better job than the pirates of releasing their own content, piracy will continue. Next week we’ll take a look at the selection on the Virtual Console. Written by admin · Categorized: 1MoreCastle, Writing · Tagged: Balloon Fight, Ed Fries, Gabe Newell, n64, nes, nintendo, snes, valve, Virtual Console, Wii, wii u	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line498
__label__cc	0.739007	0.260993	Baker v Willoughby – Case Summary Baker v Willoughby Citations: [1970] AC 467; [1970] 2 WLR 50; [1969] 3 All ER 1528; (1970) 114 SJ 15; [1970] CLY 1862. The claimant was about to cross the road. He had a clear view, and could see one car when he looked right. When he crossed the road, he was struck by the defendant’s car. The defendant had overtaken the only car the claimant had seen and had not taken action to evade the claimant. The claimant suffered serious injuries to his leg as a result. Before trial, the claimant was mugged and shot in the same leg. The leg had to be amputated. The claimant sued the defendant in negligence. Could the claimant recover damages after the point at which he would have lost the use of his leg in any event? The House of Lords held in favour of the claimant. The later cause was ‘concurrent’ with the original cause. As such, the defendant should be taken to have caused the claimant’s losses even after the date of the later cause. The claimant’s damages should not be reduced, as a result. If a later injury is ‘concurrent’ with the injury the defendant inflicted, damages should not be reduced to reflect the fact that the claimant would have suffered the loss in any event. What exactly this case decides is unclear. In particular, it is unclear when an injury will be deemed ‘concurrent’. This is because the decision in Baker seemingly conflicts with the House of Lords decision in Jobling v Associated Dairies [1982] AC 794. In Jobling, the House of Lords distinguished and criticised Baker, but did not overrule it. There are two ways of interpreting this case: A subsequent tortious cause will not break the chain of causation between the defendant’s tort and the ongoing injury; A subsequent non-natural cause will not break the chain of causation between the defendant’s tort and the ongoing injury. IPSA LOQUITUR > Tort Law Revision > Tort Law Case Summaries > Baker v Willoughby – Case Summary	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line504
__label__cc	0.746521	0.253479	← The Untarget Was Collateralized (Updated) Our Friend, the State → Hursthouse on the Repentant Racist: Error, Evil, and Moral Luck Posted on May 4, 2016 by Irfan Khawaja under Uncategorized Some of you may have seen this material before, but I don’t think I’ve ever posted it at PoT, so I’m exhuming it in the interest of getting some comments on it, as I’d like to work on the paper a bit this summer, and am hoping to trundle it about at conferences this fall. (Apologies if I’m breaking blind with that claim, but this is the age of the Internet.) I’m particularly interested in getting comments and/or bibliographical suggestions on some of the empirical issues implicitly raised by the paper. David Potts recently cited Martin Seligman’s claims in Authentic Happiness to the effect that childhood experiences count for little as regards adult experience. I haven’t fully digested Seligman’s claims (and references), but I don’t think that he had childhood upbringing in mind when he wrote Authentic Happiness. At any rate, I’m interested in empirical answers to questions like the following: What are the longitudinal effects of a racist upbringing? How powerful are they? How amenable to control or reversal? And in what form? Naturally, the longitudinal effects of racist upbringing are a function of the effects of upbringing, so I’m interested in the more general phenomenon, as well. What is the role of trauma in the production of racial identity in racists? Does trauma explain the production of racial identity? If so, what is the mechanism? What does racism (or “racism”) look like in small children? I’ve put “racism” in scare quotes because arguably children with racist upbringings may lack the cognitive sophistication to do anything but act as though they believed in the truth of racism. But behavioral racism without cognitive understanding does not strike me as genuine racism. A child who imitates racists is not herself a racist (at least not necessarily). I haven’t done an extensive search in the psychological literature, but the first 750 abstracts I looked at were rather unpromising. The bulk of the literature I browsed through discusses racial personality formation in minorities, or trauma as a response to racism. Much of it also blithely seems to assume that racial personality formation in minorities excludes racist personality formation in minorities, with exceptions made for racist personality formation in Asians. There’s also a great deal of theoretical literature “modeling” etiologies of racial personality formation–ranging from game theoretic treatments to the sort of thing Sartre did in Anti-Semite and Jew. And then there’s a popular, testimonial literature on “recovering racists.” But none of that is particularly helpful for my project; what I need are empirical studies of racial personality formation in racists (or studies of the power of childhood upbringing as such), and empirical studies of racialized trauma as a catalyst for further racism (or studies of the personality-forming power of trauma as such). So if you have bibliographical tips, leave them in the combox. (Unfortunately, the site is not yet equipped to accept monetary tips, though it should be.) Obviously, if you have just plain old philosophical comments to make, those are fair game, too. A “repentant racist” (on my definition) is someone who, having been brought up in childhood as a racist, later comes wholeheartedly to reject racism and then tries his best, within the limits of the nomologically possible, to reform his beliefs and character accordingly. In On Virtue Ethics (2001), Rosalind Hursthouse argues that given the power of childhood upbringing, a person brought up as a racist will involuntarily have racist thoughts (feelings, emotions, etc.) well into adulthood. Since (she argues) the mere having of such thoughts (etc.)—regardless of their etiology—is a sufficient condition of racism, and racism is (regardless of its etiology) morally vicious, the mere having of such thoughts indicates a defect of moral character. It follows that virtually all repentant racists are “imperfect in virtue” due to causes beyond their control. Hursthouse takes her analysis to establish the existence of moral luck, to show the plausibility of a (broadly) Aristotelian account of the emotions, and to uncover (what she takes to be) the subtle racism in certain Kant-inspired accounts of repentant racism (notably Lawrence Blum’s in Friendship, Altruism, and Morality). In this paper, I argue that Hursthouse’s argument is misconceived, both in its overarching form and in its details. An initial problem concerns a three-fold ambiguity in her account of the repentant racist: Parts of the text suggest that repentant racists suffer racist thoughts into their adulthoods from deterministic causes beyond their control. Other parts of the text suggest that these same thoughts are within the agent’s control. And yet other parts of the text are neutral on the question of doxastic control, suggesting that it ought not to matter whether the etiology of a given thought is in the agent’s control or out of it. Since (1), (2) and (3) each have very different moral implications, the preceding ambiguity adversely affects some crucial moves in the discussion. Let’s suppose, ex hypothesi, that Hursthouse really means to assert (1) above: in other words, repentant racists, having been inculcated into racism at an early age, cannot help having (some) stray racist thoughts in adulthood no matter what they do by way of moral reform. In that case, the objections to Hursthouse’s argument fall into two categories—those that grant the assumption that an agent (in this case, a child) can blamelessly be inculcated into racism, and those that contest that assumption. Granting the assumption. Suppose that a child can blamelessly be inculcated into racism. In that case, Hursthouse’s claim implies that a repentant racist, having been blamelessly inculcated into racism in childhood, can still (as an adult) be convicted of vice for any lingering racist thoughts he still has, even if those thoughts are caused by factors beyond his control. Given Hursthouse’s claim, we need to ask how the etiology in question produces a defect of moral character. The answer to that question depends in turn on answers to questions like the following: Is the repentant racist’s character rendered vicious by the involuntary coming-to-be of the thought, or is it caused by how he reacts to those thoughts? Are both of these factors beyond his control, or just one? Can a person’s moral character be rendered vicious by an involuntary racist thought that simply passes unbidden through his consciousness, or must some form of endorsement of the thought be involved as a necessary condition of the moral defect? Must the racist thought recur, or is one occurrence (of an unendorsed racist thought involuntarily caused by one’s upbringing) sufficient to render the person’s moral character vicious? Hursthouse fails either to address these questions, or to address the concern that motivates them. The concern in question arises from a commitment to what Dana Nelkin calls “the Control Principle” (CP): “we are morally assessable only to the extent that what we are assessed for depends on factors under our control.” It follows from CP that since racist thoughts involuntarily inherited from childhood are ex hypothesi not in the agent’s control, the person having those thoughts is not morally assessable for having them. By my definition, a repentant racist is someone who does the best he can to free himself of his racist upbringing, given his (conscientious) knowledge of the possibilities open to him. Since doing one’s best is all that moral virtue can ask of a person, it makes no sense to claim that a repentant racist is morally imperfect because he is the victim of forces beyond his control. It may be true that such an agent starts life with an inherited debility that prevents him from exercising virtue in its humanly best form, but pace Hursthouse, an inherited debility is not a moral defect. (Put another way, there is an ambiguity throughout Hursthouse’s discussion between S’s having a morally vicious character and S’s having a defect of personality.) A close reading of Hursthouse suggests that she has no adequate response to the preceding objection. Her presumptive response to it relies on a question-begging rejection of CP: she rejects CP at the outset of the inquiry by presupposing the existence of moral luck, but then uses the inquiry to confirm the existence of moral luck, thereby rejecting CP. She also fails to see that her prescriptions for the repentant racist require self-deception (or repression) on his part: on a plausible reading of the text, Hursthouse can be read as demanding that the repentant racist act as though his racist thoughts were in his control when (by her own lights) they are not. Arguably, the pervasive self-deception she demands of the repentant racist is a greater threat to moral life than the stray (deterministic) racist thoughts she intends by her prescriptions to eradicate. Challenging the assumption. Though she treats the claim as uncontroversial, a critic might well wish to challenge Hursthouse’s assertion that a child can be inculcated into racism by means that are entirely beyond his control. The insistence on non-blameworthy inculcation of racist beliefs motivates Hursthouse’s discussion from the start, but is never argued for, and is not (in my view) prima facie obvious. It’s unclear whether anyone can be inculcated into racism unless he voluntarily internalizes its claims. Arguably a child old enough to understand a racist claim is old enough to have the doxastic obligation of rejecting it, whereas a child too young to understand such a claim is too young to be counted as believing it. (I leave open the possibility that there are intermediate or hybrid cases here, involving degrees of understanding and approximations to belief.) Unfortunately, Hursthouse’s discussion of this issue is vitiated by some tendentious misrepresentations of Blum’s views, by a mistranslation of a crucial passage from Aristotle’s Ethics, and by the absence of any sustained discussion of real-world examples of the alleged phenomenon. This entry was tagged David Potts, epistemology, ethics, ethics of belief, Martin Seligman, race and racism, rosalind hursthouse, virtue ethics. Bookmark the permalink. 5 thoughts on “Hursthouse on the Repentant Racist: Error, Evil, and Moral Luck” mlyoung57 Immediate reaction: (a) lots of folks, including myself, reject CP, so you’ll need to address this issue in some way; you might make a conditional claim (‘if CP is true…’) but that will be of less interest to lots of folks, (b) you – and perhaps Hursthouse, though from what I know of her work I would think not – take racism to be, at root, a doxastic phenomenon; is this a standard view?; I gravitate toward the idea that the most basic phenomenon of racism concerns non-belief-attitudes and states – in particular, unjustified attitudes and emotions of superiority or condescension (and, paradigmatically but not necessarily, contempt, disgust, hatred). I’m not sure this helps at all – just my immediate reaction. Irfan Khawaja Thanks for the comments. I’m going to blather on about them a bit–a reflection of how helpful they were. Re (a): I can’t argue for CP in this paper, but it would be illegitimate simply to accept its truth as uncontroversial. What I want to say is that I’m criticizing a thesis that Hursthouse is asserting. Since she’s asserting it, she bears the burden of proof for her thesis. Her thesis is not primarily one about racism or moral luck, but about virtue and the emotions. Call this the primary thesis. The claims about racism and moral luck might be called the secondary thesis. My claim is that the primary thesis requires a defense that is logically independent of the secondary thesis. The secondary thesis is doubly defective on logical grounds. It blithely presupposes CP so as the defend the primary thesis, and is then used to underwrite CP itself. That’s a kind of uber-circularity–circles within circles. My claim to Hursthouse would be: if you are going to rely on ~CP, you have to confront CP directly, without begging questions. If you don’t, you haven’t met your burden of proof for either the primary or the secondary thesis. So I am in the end conditionalizing my claim about CP, but since the paper is a critique, I think I’m entitled to do that. That said, I think one aspect of CP has to be clarified, whether in Hursthouse’s hands or mine. I think it’s nearly self-evident that if we are talking about praise, blame, reward, and/or punishment (=”ascriptions of moral credit”), CP applies. Some sense of control is essential to a finding of moral responsibility with respect to S’s phi-ing, and all ascriptions of moral credit presuppose a finding of individualized moral responsibility for S’s phi-ing. Someone might deny that, of course, but if so, I’d find the denial pretty puzzling. The real action concerns CP’s relation to virtue. Someone might insist that ascriptions of virtue are not reducible to ascriptions of moral credit, and that anyone who attempts or presupposes such a reduction has too narrow an understanding of virtue (or is arbitrarily dividing virtue up into virtue and moral virtue). Everything here turns on one word in CP, the italicized one: (CP) We are morally assessable only to the extent that what we are assessed for depends on factors under our control. Obviously, we are all assessable for things beyond our control. If I’m born with a debility, I’m medically assessable for it. Things get more complicated when we venture into the vicinity of personality. I am certainly assessable if I suffer from or have involuntary racist sentiments (or for that matter, have some other psychological malady). These sentiments make my life go worse than it would have gone in their absence–or just go badly, full stop. If I were in control of them, but still had them, I would be blameworthy. If I could get rid of them, and did, I would be praiseworthy. In the case where I can’t control them or get rid of them, I still have sufficient control over myself to take stock of them in some loose sense, to acknowledge their existence or importance to my life, to arrange my life in such a way as to express the realization that I have a personality-related, morally-relevant problem that I can’t simply ignore on the grounds that “it’s not my fault” (it’s not my fault, but I still have it). So my claim is not (1) If trait X can be predicated of S, CP entails that X is only morally relevant to S insofar as X is in control of the etiology of X. Nor is it (2) If S is not blameworthy for having X, S can’t be non-morally assessed in virtue of having X. Contra (1), trait X may be morally relevant to S’s life, and contra (2), S need not be blameworthy for having X in order to be assessed for having X. What I’m insisting on is that even so, none of this counts as a moral assessment of S. Most controversially, I don’t think S’s being or having X should affect whether or not we ascribe moral virtue to S. I take ascriptions of moral virtue to be ascriptions of credit, and would insist that our conception of moral virtue reflect this fact. It’s an adequacy condition on a conception of virtue (I would say) that any agent who qualifies as a functioning human being is fully capable of achieving moral virtue. Sorry, that’s a long way from the topic of the paper per se, but it gives you an idea of where I’m coming from. It’s also relevant to our reading of In Praise of Desire. Re (b): This is a really good question. Had you asked me, say, a year or two ago, I could have given you a crisp, simple answer–that racism is simply a doxastic phenomenon, and that what you’re calling non-belief-attitudes are really just complexes of doxastic and affective states driven entirely by the doxastic side of things. On a cognitive view like this (which I took to be the whole story), an unjustified attitude is merely an unjustified belief plus the affect that arises from such a belief. I still hold a weaker version of the preceding thought, but now acknowledge some complications for it along the lines that Hursthouse herself discusses (On Virtue Ethics, pp. 108-113). My baseline view used to be a rather crude form of cognitivism about the emotions, of the sort defended by Leonard Peikoff in OPAR (pp. 153-58), and also by Martin Seligman in Authentic Happiness (pp. 69-70), and cognitive therapy generally. I don’t accept that any more. Hursthouse attacks cognitivism as a form of Kantianism (On Virtue Ethics, p. 110), but that’s a straw man, and her attack on cognitivism is on the whole crude and unhelpful. Lear’s work on Aristotle and Freud defends an interesting, plausible somewhat-non-cognitivist view of affect–close to Hursthouse’s at times, but subtler. (I’ve already sung the praises of Lear’s Freud, but I’d also recommend chapter 5 of his Aristotle: The Desire to Understand, and his Love and Its Place in Nature.) That said, while Lear’s weakened cognitivism complicates things, it doesn’t fundamentally change my view of racism-as-doxastic. I can now imagine a kind of proto-racism that is not doxastic, but I don’t think that changes what I want to say about Hursthouse. You may already have caught this, but Arpaly-Schroeder discuss virtually the same issue as Hursthouse in In Praise of Desire, pp. 217-218 (citing Hursthouse, but discussing sadism rather than racism). I disagree with them for the reasons I cite in the abstract/original post, and am guessing that I agree with the Rosen paper they argue against (Gideon Rosen, “Skepticism About Moral Responsibility,” Phil Perspectives 18 [2004], 295-313). I haven’t read Rosen, so I don’t know for sure, but it might be interesting to discuss this here at some point. I’m afraid I have nothing to offer concerning the development of the racist personality, if there is such a thing, or its relation, if any, to trauma. But I did read two papers a couple of years ago on implicit racial bias as measured by something called the Implicit Association Test. In the IAT, pairs of items are presented, such as a face and a word, and the participant presses one key for one sort of pairing and another key for another sort. In research on race, typically the faces are either of a black or white person, and the words are either good or bad in meaning (e.g., “love,” “joy,” “friend,” etc., versus “hate,” “vomit,” “bomb,” etc.). There are two conditions, one where participants are looking for either a white face or a bad word or else a black face or a good word, and a second where they look for either a white face or a good word or else a black face or a bad word. The idea is that if a person has bad associations to black people, he’ll perform better in the second condition. The IAT was developed in the late 1990s and is a standard test of implicit association. It isn’t just used in race research. Basically, it is tapping the processes of what I have been calling (in the Freud thread and other places) associative memory. Baron and Banaji (2007) tested 6-year-olds, 10-year-olds, and adults. All three groups showed a significant bias in favor of whites. Not a large difference, mind you, but significant and reliable. (Curiously, all their subjects were white. I guess there are no black people in Cambridge, Mass.) Interestingly, they also tested their participants’ explicit biases by having them choose between pairs of black and white faces. The 6-year-olds strongly preferred white faces, 10-year-olds mildly preferred them, and adults showed no preference. So people’s overt biases decline or disappear with age. But their implicit biases remain. Richeson and Shelton (2007) ran adults through an IAT of just the same sort as Baron and Banaji. They then conducted interviews with the participants by an experimenter who was either white or black. The idea is that, for example, if a white person has negative associations with black people, then an interview with a black person will require the white person to suppress these associations, which will be cognitively stressful and will deplete cognitive resources. Richeson and Shelton tested this idea by giving the participants a Stroop test after their interviews. The Stroop test is where you are presented color words (“green”) in colored ink (for instance, red ink) and are asked to name the color of the ink, ignoring the word itself. It’s hard to do, and if your cognitive resources have been depleted, you’ll perform worse than otherwise. Richeson and Shelton duly found that interracial interviews caused people to do worse on the Stroop test. Moreover, the stronger were people’s implicit racial biases as revealed by the IAT, the worse they did on the Stroop test. (Richeson and Shelton tested both white and black people, and both groups revealed implicit bias against the other group. Irritatingly, they don’t report effect sizes.) This is just two papers, but the implication is that essentially everybody has significant implicit racial bias and is accordingly “imperfect in virtue” by Hursthouse’s standards. Apparently, we all have bad moral luck. Of course, this doesn’t make her wrong, but I wonder if Hursthouse is quite aware of her own bad moral luck. If you saw my last comment to Raymond Raad, you can predict my take on this. I would say there is no reason to suppose that the adults in Baron and Banaji’s study who gave equal preference to black and white faces were merely fibbing or being politically correct. They probably were perfectly sincere. Nevertheless, for a variety of reasons beyond their control, they had some negative associations with black people sufficient to produce the measured effect. And although associations can influence beliefs, as well as judgments, preferences, and feelings, they aren’t themselves beliefs. Belief is a system of representations about the world that is responsive to evidence and argument. Associations are, well, associations. As you persistently hear “doctor” and “nurse” paired in speech, an association forms. Thinking of the one begins to make it easier to think of the other. Ultimately, thinking of the one makes thinking of the other inevitable. You cannot stop or change this process. It does not mean you believe anything in particular about doctors and nurses. It’s hard to see how associations of this kind can constitute defects of moral character (or excellences either, for that matter). So I think you have a strong point here. For more on this, see Gendler’s “Alief in Action,” another article along the same lines as the one I recommended to Raymond. This one spends a lot of time analyzing the case of an “anti-racist” who nevertheless involuntarily reacts differently to persons of different races. On the other hand, I don’t know about the “challenging the assumption” strategy. You say: Arguably a child old enough to understand a racist claim is old enough to have the doxastic obligation of rejecting it, whereas a child too young to understand such a claim is too young to be counted as believing it. The first part of this seems wrong to me. Children are absorbent sponges of knowledge who soak up pretty much whatever their parents and appropriate prestigious others tell them. Eight-year-olds learn that George Washington was the first President, that rain comes from clouds formed from evaporating moisture, that the earth goes around the sun, and that the heart pumps blood through the body when they’re told these things by their teachers. They believe implicitly what the teacher tells them. I think they understand what is being said perfectly well enough to call it “understanding,” although naturally they don’t have the depth of understanding that (some) adults have. Yet they believe them totally on authority. It is true that children, like adults, are watchful for signs concerning the credibility of their authorities. They don’t believe everybody, and there is research evidence that erratic behavior can cause adults to lose credibility in children’s eyes. Nevertheless, children mostly believe what their parents and teachers tell them on authority, and this seems completely appropriate. And when a child’s mother tells him that he and his family are better than the people down the street, because they are of another race, and he believes it, I don’t see how this is much different from the child’s being told and believing that George Washington was the first President. Thanks very much for that comment–enormously helpful. We basically agree on the main issue, but just a few added thoughts. On racism and trauma, the hypothesis I was considering was something like this: Imagine that someone is consistently on the receiving end of trauma by members of a single race. Would the trauma create a propensity, on the part of the victim, to animosity for members of that race? I haven’t found a literature on this yet, but there must be one: it just seems like such an obvious topic for research. In fact, I suspect that you wouldn’t need repeated trauma to get the result; one instance might well do it. Anecdotally it’s said that rape victims have trouble dealing with/trusting men after being raped, so mutatis mutandis, perhaps that phenomenon generalizes to race. Chuckle. Richeson and Shelton aside, I think the implication is that all white people are racists. And Hursthouse has no problem with that conclusion. She seems fixated on the white contribution to black-white racial conflict in Western white-majority democracies. Reading her, you would not get the sense that racism exists anywhere else in the world, or concerns any other groups of people. Of course, as I say this, I wonder whether there is cross-cultural IAT research data. I’d like to think that someone is administering IATs in Jerusalem and Gaza, among other places, and getting interesting findings out of it. I’d have to hunt down the citations, but I myself came to this issue by noticing what seemed to me an oddity in philosophers’ attitudes toward moral responsibility. When it comes to traits like racism, sadism, or lookism (i.e., judging people on their physical appearance), philosophers seem to hold people blameworthy for the sheer presence of the untoward trait regardless of etiological considerations. The sheer fact of “failing” an IAT with respect to racism, sadism, or lookism convicts of you moral impropriety (however we define “failing”). But if you change the subject to sex, the sky seems to be the limit: no one, it seems, can be convicted of moral impropriety on the basis of their sexual fantasy life, regardless of what’s in it. If I say “next door neighbor,” and your immediate, counterfactually stable reaction is “adultery,” no bien pensant “grown up” will gasp in horror and conclude that Potts wants to cheat on his wife. Or if they do conclude that, few would regard it as a moral big deal, either because infidelity is not that big a deal, or because fantasized infidelity isn’t. There are some exceptions to this rule, e.g., feminists who regard rape fantasies as indicative of sexism regardless of etiology, but I think Nagel expresses a consensus view in his papers on privacy (cf. “Personal Rights and Moral Space,” and “Concealment and Exposure“). The consensus seems to hold that when it comes to sexuality, our associational/fantasy life is “unruly,” but that unruliness doesn’t reflect our moral character. Change the subject to racism, however, and all of a sudden the associational unruliness does reflect on our moral character. If fantasized sexual impropriety is not a big deal, I don’t understand why associational (or alief-based) racism, sadism, or lookism is, either. The bottom line is that we need a better account of what counts as a moral big deal, and why. (Generally, as I think you’re suggesting, the alief/belief distinction has to be better integrated into moral philosophy.) I’m going to save most of what I want to say about the “challenging the assumption” strategy, because for now I can only offer a sketch or a promissory note in defense of it, and ultimately, the proof will be in the pudding. But acknowledging everything you say, I still think the strategy works. Let’s grant the “absorbent sponge” thesis about children. In the case of racism, the child absorbs the parents’ racism. Surely (I’d grant), at some level, the child understands the words and sentences that the parent is uttering. She can repeat them, draw inferences from them, and act on them. But I would say that there is another form or level of understanding that is the morally relevant one, and that the child clearly lacks. It seems to me that there are two relevant questions here. First, how counterfactually stable is the child’s racist doxastic-linguistic behavior in the face of input from the world? Does the racism collapse at first contact with reality, or does it remain stable? That leads to a second closely related question: how internalized is the belief? Does it operate at the margins of the child’s doxastic life, or is it relatively central? My view is that if the racist beliefs are passively imbibed, counterfactually unstable, and peripheral to what the child has on reflection come to believe, they are likely to fall short of either culpability or of understanding in the morally relevant sense that goes beyond the superficial rote-repetition just described. The child who mindlessly spouts racist dogmas is going through the motions of being a racist in just the way that the child who prays is going through the motions of prayer–or the child who pretends to pay the mortgage is going through the motions of paying the mortgage. Yes, at some level, the 4 year old who says “Black people are stupid” or “God loves us, and will give us salvation,” or “Shut up, I’m busying paying the mortgage” understands what she’s saying. But in another sense, she doesn’t. She’s parroting something she’s heard, including inferences she’s gotten by osmosis. The content of the propositions mean much less than the approval she gets by imitating belief in them. Consider this video of a three year old repeating anti-Semitic dogmas: http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/924.htm Does she “understand” what she’s saying? Well, she’s linguistically competent in Arabic. She knows what a pig is, what an ape is, and what it is for a “Jew” to be one. But now pause a moment. What does it mean for a Jew to be an ape or a pig? In one sense, it’s clear enough what it means to understand that claim. At another level, the claim is so preposterous it’s not clear what would count as genuine understanding of it. It’s instructive that when she’s asked whether she likes the Jews (a more mundane question), the answer she gives is obviously an imitation of some adult person: she doesn’t actually say “no,” she makes a “tsk” noise of disapproval. I think this indicates that she really has no idea what she’s talking about. She doesn’t really know what “the Jews” are. The subject matter of the conversation is fundamentally unreal to her. (“What do the Jews do?” –They make Pepsi, the sons of bitches.) Now imagine that she’s questioned by a kind, gentle, attractive woman who (gently) asks skeptical questions about the same dogmas. My hunch is that you could probably push the child into complete confusion about those dogmas in about 30 seconds. If so, that finding has to be reconciled with her supposed “understanding” of what she’s saying in the video clip. In other words, if the girl avows that the Jews are apes and pigs, and then, under the right kind of questioning by the right questioner, decides to take it all back, it’s not clear that she understood what she was saying in the first place–at least not in the relevant sense of “understanding” for moral judgment. Suppose now that our questioner schizophrenically (and cruelly) doubled back and said, “Dammit, Basmallah! That was a test! Of course the Jews are apes and pigs, you idiot! We were trying to test your fidelity to Muslim dogma, and you failed it, you half-Jewish whore!” At this point, I suspect a flustered Basmallah would likely go back to the anti-Semitic dogmas and pretend allegiance to them in order to win back the approval she’d just lost. What I would insist on is that the whole game bypasses the content of the propositions she’s avowing. She is reliably repeating dogmas for approval, not avowing propositions on the basis of a grasp of their contents. To the extent that she is doing the former, at this age, she is not culpable (and lacks understanding in the morally relevant sense). But give her a few years, and two things happen: the nature of her understanding changes, and (precisely to that extent) culpability becomes an issue. Maybe we just need another word here to mark out the threshold of the relevant sort of understanding one needs to be culpably ignorant of something. Perhaps in Basmallah’s case, we could say that she while she understands the words involved in the conversation, she doesn’t comprehend–or comprehend the implications of–what she’s saying. She can say the right things and make the right inferences up to a very limited point, but in a colloquial sense, we could legitimately say that she has no idea what she’s talking about. Frankly, my 18-21 year old students are not that different from Basmallah. Do they understand how, say, banks work? Well, of course they do. They have bank accounts, after all. If you then ask them, “So how do banks make money?” they’ll answer, “ATM fees. That’s why ATM fees are so high!” If you say, “No, that’s not how,” they’ll default to saying “Overdraft fees. If you just bounce one check, my bank charges $50!” So do they “understand how banks work”? It depends what one means by the quoted phrase. Or ask them about utilitarianism, and they’ll spit back mantras about “the greatest good for the greatest number.” But then ask why J.S. Mill faced a problem in simultaneously being a utilitarian and in being a liberal, and you’ll get this look that unmistakably says, “Why does he expect us to understand this shit? Why isn’t it sufficient to regurgitate our memorized lesson at him?” The point is, there’s roughly the same equivocality about “understanding” here as in the case of young children. (Arguably, my students differ from Basmallah in at least one respect. Basmallah is three, and they’re at least six times older, so questions of culpability arise for them in ways that don’t yet apply to Basmallah.) I’m getting off topic now. Better get back to grading.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line505
__label__cc	0.722307	0.277693	Isele Magazine The Best of New Literature and Art Arts/Photography Best of Isele Isele Bouquet Isele Bouquet: One Isele Quarterly Isele Quarterly: Issue One Essays, Isele Quarterly The Kindly Ones \| Maya Surya Pillay Date: October 22, 2020Author: Contributor I like to tell my psychiatrist about my bad dreams. I lay out the details for her: corpses in bed next to me, gouts of blood pouring from my vagina, women hanging by their necks from the rafters. I tell her how I wake in the night, shaking and sweating, and often close my eyes only to sink right back into the dream. She listens, as she always does, with a look of gentle concern on her face. When I’m done, she typically does one of three things: increases my dose of vortioxetine, increases my dose of bupropion2, or increases my dose of esperide3. She does not do this because of the content of my dreams. I know this. She manipulates the level of medications in my blood based on other, mundane things, such as how many times a week I shower or how long it takes me to get out of bed in the mornings. But I tell her about my dreams anyway because doing so makes me happy. It makes me feel like I am the latest in a long line of hysterics, stretching back all the way to Ida Bauer. It makes me feel, in other words, that my madness has a pedigree. I am a medical student. Some time next year, I’ll be a doctor. In other words, my proximity to doctor-hood confers upon me a great deal of power. Here, where patient-centered care is taught but never practiced, the doctor is an authority. The doctor heals the sick — their word is their patient’s law. The medical student stumbles, puppy-like, towards the same role. The medical student is groomed, moulded, polished for authority. I am a medical student. I am also mentally ill. I have been for a very long time, and probably will be for the rest of my life. After all, I know my prognosis. These things are not meant to go together. The doctor — oath-swearer, pillar of the community — must be rational in the extreme. The doctor must think clearly and without bias. The doctor cannot dream of corpses in bed next to them. The doctor cannot fail to get out of bed because their legs feel like two heavy concrete pipes. The doctor cannot temporarily lose the ability to parse complex thoughts because their head feels full of a thick, dark liquid. The doctor cannot subsist on yoghurt and crackers because they cannot go grocery shopping because they cannot leave their flat. The doctor cannot flinch as if they have been struck every time a stranger lays eyes on them. The doctor cannot eat until their stomach hurts, then bend over the toilet and stick their finger down their throat. I was working in the female high-care unit of Psychiatric Hospital X, and I was bored. This was a problem, because psychiatry was supposed to be My Thing, the thing I excelled at, the thing I would eventually specialize in and continue to do for the rest of my life. But just then, it seemed very dull. I flipped through folders and scribbled down notes and made phone calls, the endless tedium of healthcare. The patients did not rouse me from my boredom because they were all the same. Well, not really. The women in the high-care unit had any number of pathologies between them. I saw women with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, methamphetamine-induced psychosis, and so on. They presented in all sorts of ways. They told me a number of things. “Yes, I was running down the street with a knife, to kill him. I wanted to kill him.” “No, I don’t have any special powers. I don’t remember saying I had any special powers. But maybe I was confused.” “Yes, tik. When I can get it. But I can’t always get it.” “The voices come from outside, through the windows. There are three voices. Sometimes they say mean things.” “God chose me. He chose me as his prophet. I don’t want to talk to you any more because I know you don’t believe me.” And so on and so forth. The common refrain though was always the same: can I go home now? The women wore their brown and pink uniforms, often too big for them. When can I go home? They were kept separated from the staff by plexiglass, dividing walls, locked metal gates. There’s nothing wrong with me, so can’t I go home? They repeated it over and over, a Greek chorus of antipsychotic-slurred voices, and I was bored to death, and sick of the whole thing. As far as I could tell, just about every patient in the high-care unit was there against their will, committed involuntarily by concerned family and friends. They could only go where the nurses said they could. When they wandered too close to the exits the security guards would glance up from their cellphones and give them warning looks. We were keeping those women locked up against their will, but we were doing it for their own good. This was so obvious that nobody had to say it out loud. Later, back at my flat, I’d lie in bed (I did very little besides lie in bed) and think about psych wards. My psychiatrist had suggested I institutionalize myself, back when things were bad, but I had weaseled out of it. The idea of being woken early in the morning so I could take my meds before attending group therapy sessions with a flock of other miserable women did not appeal to me. Anyway I couldn’t be in a psych ward — I was working in a psych ward. It was like two sides of a coin that I was flipping, over and over. “The chemico-biologization of mental illness,” Mark Fisher wrote, “is of course strictly commensurate with its de-politicization . . . all mental illnesses are neurologically instantiated, but this says nothing about their causation.” After I read that in his book Capitalist Realism, I was so grateful that someone had put this into words for me that I googled Mark Fisher to learn more about him. I discovered that he’d killed himself back in 2017. That made sense to me. Fisher was arguing for a political model of mental illness. He interpreted what he called “the pandemic of mental anguish” as a response to the global madness of late capitalism, whose exhaustive grip on modern human beings is both cruel and unnatural. Instead of thinking about mental illness — depression, for example — as having a biological cause — such as low levels of serotonin — we should consider the structural and social issues that induce those low serotonin levels in the first place. This is not a particularly popular approach. In the latter half of the twentieth century, the era of Prozac and the DSM-III, psychiatrists turned away from the old embarrassing methods of Freud and Jung and reinvented themselves as scientist-clinicians who work with the brain and all its unfortunate fluids. That brain-focused model is popular among laypeople too. I have lost count of how many patients have explained to me, when asked how they interpret their illness, that they have “an imbalance of chemicals in the brain.” It is an easy explanation. By shifting the onus from the psyche to impersonal molecules misbehaving in the synapses, the individual — their personality, their strengths, their weaknesses — ceases to matter. This dissipates some of the self-stigma that many mentally ill people experience: the self-loathing, the “why can’t I just be strong enough to cope”, the memories of relatives wasting away in old asylums. It’s a good way for them to explain what’s going on without being looked at askance. My friend P. once tweeted a meme of Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, cheerfully saying, “If you can’t make your own serotonin, store-bought is fine.” But I sat in that ward at Psychiatric Hospital X and listened to the stories the patients told me. The girl my age who explained to me that her step-brother, who she’d tried to kill in a sudden fit of rage, had previously threatened to rape and murder her if she spoke to him rudely. The intellectually disabled woman whose boyfriend beat her and regularly allowed his friends to gang-rape her, but who continued to go back to him every time she was discharged from hospital because she was convinced he was her soul-mate. The woman who was convinced that her jealous neighbours were casting curses on her to make her skin darker, make her look less beautiful, less like the whites she had strived to emulate all her life. The unwanted pregnancies. The drugs they’d started using in primary school. The dead mothers and the lost jobs and the bare cupboards. The men, the men, the men, the men. I wanted to take them by the shoulders and scream of course you are miserable. Of course you are paranoid. Of course you hear a voice telling you to kill yourself. Of course you want to die. The world has been so cruel to you that no-one could expect you to bear it. If you have gone mad YOU ARE RIGHT TO HAVE GONE MAD. It’s not that simple of course. To be mentally ill is not a revolutionary act. At least, it’s not a useful one. An illness is something that causes pain and suffering; many illnesses lead to death. The motto of Psychiatric Hospital X is sometimes to cure, often to relieve, always to comfort. It is the duty of the doctor — of any health worker — to alleviate suffering where they see it. It certainly doesn’t feel like you’re alleviating suffering when your patients beg you, over and over, to let them go home; when they tell you they hate this place, they hate the people here, the hospital is making them sicker. It feels like you’re a prison warden. I’m expected — I cannot believe that I am expected — to reconcile a person being held down and injected with antipsychotics against their will with comfort. But I have to do it. I can’t do it. I have to do it. In medical school, you learn to be cruel. Well, rather, you forget how to be kind. Whatever gentleness you had is stripped away by years of all-nighters and grueling exams and endless calls, the stink of formalin and shit and placenta, the casual verbal abuse by superiors. You get tired and disillusioned; small talk and smiles and bedside manner become more and more of an effort. Little by little, you stop seeing people and start seeing patients, undisciplined and diseased bodies which must be dragged back to normalcy. Bruce Levine argues that “becoming a psychologist or psychiatrist means jumping through many hoops, all of which require much behavioral and attentional compliance to authorities … the selection and socialization of mental health professionals tends to breed out many anti-authoritarians.” Once you’ve jumped through enough hoops, of course, you become the authority your patients should comply to; “resistance to … diagnosis and treatment create(s) enormous anxiety for authoritarian mental health professionals,” and these disobedient patients are damningly labelled as non-compliant, the term in their files warning other health workers of the patient’s rebellious tendencies. Nobody likes a patient who argues or disagrees or refuses treatment. Just let me do my job, you want to scream, sleep-deprived and hungry, just do your job and let me fix you like you’re supposed to be fixed. I know what’s good for you. I know better. No one, of course, is as non compliant as the psychiatric patient being held against their will. Yes of course we lock them up, we say, if we let them go home they’re going to kill themselves. Yes of course we tie them down to the bed, if we don’t they’re going to hurt themselves. Yes of course we force them to take their medication, even if it makes them sick, makes their speech slur and their hands shake. If we don’t . . . . . . if I don’t take my medication, my death drive kicks into gear. I start to fantasize about how it would feel to put a gun (I have never fired a gun) to my temple and blow my brains out, what a relief, the ultimate trepanation. I spend long hours in bed and in the shower, weeping, tearing at my own skin. Sometimes I can’t read or write, can’t string two words together, I’m weighed down by a sort of cosmic grief. Wouldn’t forcing me to take my medication, then, be a kindness? Wouldn’t taking away my autonomy, caring for me without my consent like I’m a badly-behaved child, be a kindness? Aren’t we being kind? We’re being kind, I think, writing a referral to a social worker so that my patient can get a child support grant, R420 a month, yes, that will certainly alleviate suffering. We are the kindly ones. Of course, it’s impossible to talk about psychiatry in South Africa without talking about Life Esidimeni. I’ll briefly summarise: the Gauteng department of health had a contract with Life Esidimeni, a group of privately run psychiatric facilities which housed close to two thousand mentally ill and intellectually disabled patients requiring chronic care. In late 2015 the department ended this contract in an effort to “deinstitutionalize patients” — a worthy goal, perhaps, even if the real reason was more likely to save money. Either way, countless patients were rapidly transferred from Life Esidimeni: some were returned to their families, some were shifted to new hospitals, and approximately 1700 of them were moved — transported in trucks — to various care homes run by (unregulated and unprepared) NGOs, many of which were unlicensed. The results were swift and predictable. Family members who visited found their loved ones starving, dehydrated, neglected and abused, often in overcrowded, understaffed and unhygienic environments. By 2017, 144 of our country’s most vulnerable patients were dead. Causes of death ranged from pneumonia and uncontrolled seizures to hypothermia and dehydration to the almost comical “natural causes.” When Freddie Collitz died at the Mosego Home in Krugersdorp he had a head wound, blisters on his ankles and a sore on his nose. Deborah Phehla, an intellectually disabled woman who died at Takalani in Soweto, was found on post-mortem to have hard plastic and brown paper in her stomach, which her mother believes she ate because she was not being fed. The scale of the tragedy is overwhelming. As the death toll climbed, it became more and more obvious that the patients were considered dead long before they actually died. The lives of mentally ill and disabled South Africans are disposable, less valuable than those of animals or insects. In 2018, while the scandal raged, I was in my fourth year of medical school. I remember rotating through the emergency unit at Hospital Y, swapping stories during my lunch break with a girl my age who’d tried to kill herself for the second time in three days. She was in the habit of cutting words onto her forearms with a razor; I explained that I’d been in the habit of cutting the underside of my feet instead, with a pair of scissors, and that if she didn’t want to talk to the emergency-room doctors she might as well talk to me. I was the doctor, or something like that; she was the reluctant patient. More importantly, we were both young women with broken brains, who could bond over the desire to shed our blood. Eventually she asked for my number, because she liked me and wanted to meet up for coffee under better circumstances, and I had to explain to her that this wasn’t allowed. In other words I closed the iron gate of professionalism in her face. I was the doctor, she was the patient. There were miles of blood-soaked distance between us. We could not simply be two people talking because just then, I was more of a person than her. “Do you ever see things other people don’t see?” “Do you ever hear things other people don’t hear?” “I used to, like I told you. But no. Not anymore.” “All right. Ma’am, do you ever get a strange feeling that other people can read your mind, or know what you’re thinking?” “Or do you ever feel like you can read their minds, and know what they’re thinking?” That woman smiled at me nervously. She was old enough to be my mother. She was sitting before me with the attitude of a schoolgirl, determined to answer correctly. I’d explained to her that I was just a student, and that I wasn’t the one who’d make the decision to let her go home or not, but I knew she thought making a good impression on me was crucial. Like, maybe if I liked her I’d put a good word in with the doctors, or something. From across the table she tried to read my notes upside-down. “No, no. I’ve never had nothing like that.” I had another dream. In this one, I reported to the general medicine ward at Hospital Y to begin my rotation there. Before I could see my first patient something in my spine cracked, snapping me forward onto all fours on the dingy linoleum. It was more comfortable than being upright. I could move faster and more fluidly like this than I did on two feet. I threw my head back and laughed. I crawled out into the corridor and the patients left their beds to follow me like I was the Pied Piper. I woke unnerved and angry with myself, with the banality of my own subconscious. I did not tell my psychiatrist about this dream. It was probably a waste of time, all this dream stuff — I figured I should stop pretending to be Freud’s Wolf-Man and stick to the facts. Instead, I told her about how I was cooking for myself more often and binging and purging less. She told me I was doing better, and I was pathetically grateful. It was like having a parent without the attendant mess of daughterhood. (This, incidentally, is called transference, the redirection of emotions felt in early childhood onto the substitute figure of the therapist.) So as not to disappoint her I didn’t bring up the fact that I’d been taking more of my antipsychotic than I should — that fuzzy, empty-headed feeling it brings an excellent respite from my constant tearfulness — and sometimes drinking myself to sleep. Instead I said awkwardly, “I suppose I’m having trouble thinking about my career. I’ve spent the last few years putting up with med school so that I can be a psychiatrist some day, so I can help other mentally ill people, but, well … I know my politics are pretty far left, and I don’t expect you to agree with me, but …” I danced around the issue a while longer, suddenly too embarrassed to say words like anti-authoritarian and anarchist, before laying it out: I don’t know if I can allow myself to be part of a system in which people are held against their will for the crime of being mentally ill. I don’t know if the good I can do in that system will ever come close to outweighing the harm I will cause. My psychiatrist looked at me for a long moment. I realised, suddenly, that this probably came off as rude: I’d insulted her career, her life’s work. Then she said, “Look, you know psychiatry is about more than that, right? You’re a medical student; they love throwing you in the deep end. It’s not all as bad as the Hospital X high-care unit. A lot of your patients will come to you voluntarily.” She paused. Then she smiled. “Maybe,” she said, “instead of practicing you could go into mental health research, or policy development. You know, try to change things.” On 15 September 2020, most of the way through writing this piece, I OD’d on my antipsychotics. Surprisingly, this was an accident. I’d been on edge all day, swallowing pills to ward off a panic attack and I lost track of how many I’d taken. In the evening, the muscles in my neck and right arm began to contract painfully, distorting my stance, making it impossible for me to stand still or lie down. This was cervical dystonia, also called spasmodic torticollis. Dystonia (dys, abnormal; tonia, muscle tone) is a relatively common adverse effect of antipsychotic medication: involuntary movements caused by dysfunction of the brain’s basal ganglia. I had observed it in patients many times before. I stood in front of my bathroom mirror and stared, fascinated, at my writhing body, until the pain became agonising. I took an Uber to Hospital Z, where I contorted in a narrow bed and clenched my teeth around screams while the doctor on call phoned the poisons helpline for advice. “I wasn’t trying to kill myself,” I assured her, between spasms, “I really wasn’t trying to die!” It was important to me that she understood that even though I was someone who had to take multiple psychiatric drugs on a daily basis, I wasn’t a psych patient. I was really a normal person who could for the most part perform basic human activities, such as going to the bank or doing laundry, without having to fight the urge to stick my head in an oven or walk into the sea. In fact, I was a medical student, just like she had once been. I was practically an arbiter of rationality. “But if you’re a medical student,” the doctor said dryly, drawing something up in a syringe, “you should know not to mess around with drugs like this.” “I’m just fucking stupid,” I muttered, then shrieked as my neck extended and dragged my back into an arch. “Don’t be too hard on yourself,” she said, and gave me an injection of benztropine, a drug which forces the basal ganglia to behave themselves. This was followed up by intravenous midazolam, a fast-acting benzodiazepine beloved by hysterics everywhere. Afterwards, surrounded by beeping machines, I sank into dreamless sleep. The next morning I was sent off to a certain Psychiatric Emergency Unit for an evaluation, because no matter how many times I explained that I’d overdosed by accident, nobody believed me. A history of depression, it seemed, could only lead to one possible outcome. I saw “acute dystonia, ?psychotic features, paranoia” on my referral letter and was incensed. I sat on a hard plastic chair as a bored medical officer asked me a handful of questions, scribbling down things on a form I couldn’t see. I would later find out that he’d involuntarily admitted me because he believed I was in danger of harming myself. This was frustrating. He hadn’t bothered to ask me whether or not I wanted to be admitted — he’d just assumed I’d refuse and so went straight over my head. The worst part was that he was right. Of course I would have refused. As a medical student, of course, I was treated better than most of the patients in the Psychiatric Emergency Unit. I was given a private room to make sure there was no chance of other students seeing me during their rotations. The nurses were cheerful and kind, even when they took away my phone and laptop and clothes. The psychiatrists joked around and reminisced about their time in medical school. “We’re worried about you,” they said. I was asked over and over if I’d intended to kill myself. Over and over, I said no. I slept fitfully. I ate bland food with a plastic spoon. I cried once, when nobody was around. I watched the other patients from a distance, guessing at diagnoses. I recognized the writhing movements of mild dystonia in some of them. Now, I thought glumly, I knew what that felt like. By this point I really was paranoid. What if I forgot how to act like a normal person in front of the psychiatrists? Worse, what if I wasn’t a normal person and was just too obtuse to figure it out? I watched my every move and every word that came out of my mouth, which probably made me seem even more suspicious. What if I ended up on all fours, crawling? I replayed every conversation I had with the doctors in my head. Had I said anything that suggested I needed a long admission? What would my parents think? I was jumping at shadows. I wanted so badly to get out. Nothing seemed worse to me than the possibility of staying there, in that yellow-walled yellow-floored room where we were all revolving clumsily around each other. On another day I might have strode into the Psychiatric Emergency Unit cheerfully, with my scrubs on and my stethoscope around my neck, but on that day I was wearing a thin blue gown long enough so that I kept almost tripping over, and I was cold and miserable and staring, longingly, through the window at the road that led down to my apartment. I was well aware of the irony. It tasted awfully bitter. When I finally talked my way out of the 72-hour psychiatric hold and into a discharge, I was so grateful I wanted to hug someone. Of course I didn’t, because hugging is unprofessional, and in the psych ward professionalism bulldozes all the delicate vulnerabilities of the human brain. Psychiatry is like bandaging a bullet wound. Maybe it hides the worst of the damage, makes it look pretty, soaks up a bit of blood and distracts from the pain. But there’s still a bullet in there, and you’re not really going to be alright until the damn thing comes out. And the bullet is the 30 percent unemployment rate. The bullet is how one percent of South Africa’s population owns 67 percent of its wealth. The bullet is the three South African women (on average) who die every day at the hands of their intimate partners. Yes, the bullet is the 144 mentally ill and intellectually disabled people who died of neglect before anyone noticed that something was wrong. You know what I mean, don’t you?I say I need a psychiatrist, but what I mean is I need a revolution. That’s how it is. Maya Surya Pillay was born in Durban, South Africa. She is currently a medical student at the University of Cape Town. Her writing has appeared in Ja. Magazine, Type/Cast, New Coin and the Johannesburg Review of Books, among other places. She can be found on Twitter as @canefires. Feature image by Steve Johnson on Unsplash EssaysIsele QuarterlyMaya Surya Pillay Previous Previous post: Sing, Let the Wind Listen \| Hajaarh Muhammad Bashar Next Next post: On The Feminine & The Oracular \| Itiola Jones Isele’s Highlights Six Poems \| Francine Simon Two Poems \| Chiwenite Onyekwelu The Baker \| Ellis Shuman Off and On Carter Adebowale Street \| Lola Opatayo The Boy \| Peace Mbengei Behind the Screens of Education Planning \| Frances Cannon Adjuncts in the Age of the Coronavirus \| Frances Cannon 5 Questions for Chika Unigwe Sense of Touch \| Nora Nneka Poet Wrestling with Stone Star Horse \| Rosebud Ben-Oni Here’s What We Have done Here’s What We Have done Select Month December 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 Our Posts In Your Own Language © 2021 Isele Magazine	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line506
__label__wiki	0.792651	0.792651	Last edited by Aragul 6 edition of The anatomy of South African misery. found in the catalog. C. W. De Kiewiet by C. W. De Kiewiet Published 1956 by Oxford University Press in London, New York . Indigenous peoples -- South Africa. Series The Whidden lectures,, 1956 LC Classifications DT763 .D4 Pagination viii, 88 p. “The Anatomy of a South African Genocide provides a succinct and accessible summary of a large body of scholarship on San colonial history. This makes it useful to both academic and lay readers. The book is a high-quality contribution to public education about the colonial history of the San.” Mathias Guenther, Wilfrid Laurier University. In the New History of South Africa, 31 of South Africa s foremost share fresh insights and new approaches to the story of this country. Up-to-date international research is woven into a readable narrative history that Since the last illustrated history of South Africa was published, far-reaching changes have affected not only the country, but /5. “The Anatomy of a South African Genocide provides a succinct and accessible summary of a large body of scholarship on San colonial history. This makes it useful to both academic and lay readers. The book is a high-quality contribution to public education about the colonial history of the San.”—Mathias Guenther, Wilfrid Laurier University. Politics in South Africa is alive and vibrantly so, although the media often fail to reflect this. This book's main aim is to bring that political world to life. It presents a vivid, up-to-date picture of how power works in the new South Africa and who really makes the decisions around here/5(11). An New & Notable Book In David Kruiper, the leader of the &#;Khomani San who today live in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa, lamented, &#;We have been made into nothing.&#; His comment applies equally to the fate of all the hunter-gatherer. South Africa. South Africa's status as an independent country was dominated by the white minority meant that it shared a number of characteristics with Europe whilst also having an institutionalised form of racism in the apartheid system.. Nazism found an audience in the country, with pro-Nazi elements organised by Louis Weichardt in under the name South African Gentile National Socialist. Internal displacement and the threats to human security workshop Mexico before the world. Its a two-foot-six-inches-above-the-ground world The Nostradamus Traitor In search of April Raintree U.S.A. in new dimensions Trailing cables. pulse of danger. Compensation and working conditions. On the English Constitution. Carabanchel Ten. PIALA 95 Authorship and sources of Gentleness and nobility Corporate and industry strategies for Europe growing summer The anatomy of South African misery by C. W. De Kiewiet Download PDF EPUB FB2 The anatomy of South African misery (The Whidden lectures) Hardcover – January 1, by C. W De Kiewiet (Author) out of 5 stars 1 rating See all 3 5/5(1). Additional Physical Format: Online version: De Kiewiet, C.W. (Cornelius William), Anatomy of South African misery. London, New York, Oxford University Press, Additional Physical Format: Online version: De Kiewiet, C.W. (Cornelius William), Anatomy of South African misery. London, Oxford University Press [, ©]. ISBN: OCLC Number: Notes: Reprint. Originally published: London: Oxford University Press, (The Whidden lectures ; ). : The Anatomy of South African Misery. (Annotated Bibliographies of Serials. a Subject Approach) (): De Kiewi, Cornelius W.: BooksAuthor: Cornelius W. De Kiewi. Additional Physical Format: Online version: Olivier, Sydney Haldane Olivier, Baron, Anatomy of African misery. New York, Negro Universities Press []. Genre/Form: Electronic books: Additional Physical Format: Print version: Olivier, Sydney Haldane Olivier, Baron, Anatomy of African misery. The Anatomy of South African Misery. The Anatomy of South African Misery. By C. De Kiewiet. 88 pp, Oxford University Press, Purchase. Born in the Netherlands, raised in South Africa, educated there and in British and Continental universities, a teacher and writer of history in American universities who has specialized in the study of the British Empire, Dr. De Kiewiet, now President of. Anatomy of south afric My Searches (0) My Cart Added To Cart Check Out. Menu. Subjects. Architecture and Design; Books; Textbooks; Journals/Yearbooks; Databases; Multi-Volume Works; Book Series; Anatomy of south african misery. Users without a. The business of sport, normally robust against most forces, faces major turmoil in the coming months because of the impact of Covid While South African. The Anatomy of South African Misery by C W De Kiewiet A copy that has been read, but remains in excellent condition. Pages are intact and are not marred by notes or highlighting, but may contain a neat previous owner name. The spine remains undamaged. At Seller Rating: % positive. referencing Anatomy Of A South African Village, LP, Album, RE, Gat, 28 U Fabulous live performance with worst audience I have ever listen. Just couple of people noticed there is someone on stage with poor ovation/5(31). The Anatomy of African Misery [Oliver] on FREE shipping on qualifying : Oliver. In Anatomy of a South African Genocide, Mohamed Adhikari examines the history of the San and persuasively presents the annihilation of Cape San society as genocide. The Anatomy of a South Author: Mohamed Adhikari. Examples of searches you can conduct: Author, Book Title, ISBN eg.Keyword. Suggestions Pages Accounting made easy. All products. Department. Format Anatomy of a South African Genocide, The (ePub) ISBN R - H-Genocide "Anatomy of a South African Genocide provides a succinct and accessible summary of a large body of scholarship on San colonial history. This makes it useful to both academic and lay readers. The book is a high-quality contribution to public education about the colonial history of the San."/5(7). The Whidden Lectures are a lecture series at McMaster University, founded in by E. Carey Fox. They commemorate Howard P. Whidden, who was Chancellor of the university from to They were first given in Many of the lectures have been published in book form, by Oxford University Press. de Kiewiet: The Anatomy of South African Misery. A telling indictment of the recent racial labor legislation of the various South African states. The Anatomy of African Misery. Reviewed by William L. Langer. MORE BY William L. Langer. July Get the latest book reviews delivered to your inbox. In The Anatomy of a South African Genocide, Mohamed Adhikari examines the history of the San and persuasively presents the annihilation of Cape San society as Paperback, pages Published September 16th by Ohio University Press /5. The Anatomy of a South African Genocide by South African historian Mohamed Adhikari is a short book (less than 98 pages in actual content) yet very well written and a much needed document about the history of the now extinct San Bushmen tribes of the Cape region of western South Africa and their conflicts with and extermination at the hands of land hungry Dutch and Boer commando militias Cited by:. Best South African Books Great books written by South Africans. All Votes Add Books To This List. 1: Disgrace by. J.M. Coetzee. avg rating — 81, ratings. score:and 8 people voted Want to Read saving Want to Read; Currently Reading.He is the author of several books on coloured identity, most recently Burdened by Race (UCT Press, ), and teaches a course on Genocide Studies. Book details. The Anatomy of a South African Genocide: The extermination of the Cape San peoples by Mohamed Adhikari Book homepage EAN: Find this book with BOOK Finder!South Africa is one of peculiar difficulty. The difficulty is in- a book which is far more likely to irritate than to instruct just ] OLIVIER: ANATOMY OF AFRICAN MISERY the people are steadily becoming more intelligently aware of the real causes of the malaise, much as . rafaelrvalcarcel.com - The anatomy of South African misery. book © 2020	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line508
__label__wiki	0.885887	0.885887	Marty Raybon’s Respect for Superstar Shenandoah Collaborators Runs Deep Foundry Records Shenandoah's new Every Road album is a collaborations album of a different kind. While the nine bonafide hitmakers (Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, etc. ...) were genuine fans of the Marty Raybon-led band long before moving to Nashville, this wasn't just an opportunity for a generation to line up and kiss the ring of the guy who sings "The Church on Cumberland Road." Each brought their lunch pail and signed up for a true partnership. Lady A wrote their own addition ("Every Time I Look at You") to the recently released album. Paisley's guitar and sense of humor punctuate "Life Would Be Perfect," a song structured like so many on his own studio albums. Of "Then a Girl Walks In," Raybon says: "Blake (Shelton) could have cut that by himself. He didn't need us on that record, but we sure are proud that he came along with us on the record." Every Real Country Fan Should Know These Songs By Heart! Indeed, several of the songs were found after the collaborators were chosen — an approach that works to truly bring in fans of contemporary artists like Carly Pearce ("I'll Be Your Everything") and the Zac Brown Band ("I'd Take Another One of Those"). An exception, Raybon points out, is the title track, but when he heard "Every Road" he immediately thought of the "Gone" singer's Up on the Ridge album (2010). The sweeping, mountain air chorus feels like just about everything on Bentley's The Mountain (2018), so even if lyrics came first, the finished song leaned in to the younger singer's influences and vision. The same is true for "If Only," a nostalgic ballad that begs for gratitude and kindness in a year when both seem to be in short supply. The vocals are vintage Ashley McBryde, and Raybon lit up talking about her to the point that it was easy to imagine him coming out of his chair during the phone conversation. "Ashley McBryde is probably one of the most frank, straight-up, genuine people that I’ve ever met in my life," he says. "I love her, I do. She’s candid, there's no hidden agendas ... If you ask her an opinion, she believes that you actually want her opinion, so she'll give it. I actually enjoy relationships like that, I really do." The 60-year-old heaps similar accolades on Cody Johnson, who joins him for a rowdy, tongue-in-cheek rocker called "High Class Hillbillies." Raybon feels that song to his core, he says. But more so, he appreciates the respectful and to-the-point message. If you're coming to him with what he calls "verbal chatter," you may find his attention in short supply. "It's really nice when you go through the process of getting to know someone and you realize where they are on that scale," he says, speaking specifically of Johnson, but perhaps about everyone he and his Shenandoah bandmates partnered with on this album. Aside from an all-star guestlist, what's remarkable about Every Road is its consistent tone across 10 dynamic songs ("Boots on Broadway" is performed without assistance). After spending time with the gladsome Raybon, it's easy to assume he purposefully and artfully crafted an album to take a little air out of the world around us. That's overthinking things a good bit. "We didn't try to make science out of anything," he tells Taste of Country before saying goodbye. "We’ve never been an act that ever sang about drinking and carrying on and cheating and running around and stuff," he reminds us. "My faith and my trust in the Lord, I just choose to sing about other things other than that. There’s just so many other good things to sing about." Every Road is a reminder that while nice guys may not always finish first, they usually finish with more friends willing to buy in on an important project. See 50 Essential '90s Country Songs Source: Marty Raybon’s Respect for Superstar Shenandoah Collaborators Runs Deep Filed Under: Shenandoah	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line509
__label__wiki	0.995703	0.995703	Remember When Miranda Lambert Earned Her First Gold Album? Scott Gries, Getty Images It's pretty rare for any artist to have a huge success right out of the gate, but Miranda Lambert is one of the few. The country superstar earned a Gold album certification from the RIAA for her debut album, Kerosene, in 2005. Lambert first came to national attention when she competed on Nashville Star in 2003, ultimately placing third on the country-themed reality TV singing competition behind Buddy Jewell and John Arthur Martinez. She signed with Epic Records on Sept. 15, 2003, and worked with producers Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke on Kerosene, which she released on March 15, 2005. She wrote or co-wrote 11 of the 12 tracks on the album, which sonically represented a major departure from the slick radio fare most common in Nashville at that time, with Lambert insisting on a more organic approach. Lambert got a slow start at country radio with "Me and Charlie Talking" and "Bring Me Down," the album's first two singles, neither of which cracked the Top 20. But the title song and third single, "Kerosene," reached No. 15, giving Lambert her first real hit. Kerosene peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, earning Lambert her first Gold album on Dec. 8, 2005, according to the RIAA's website. The title song, "Kerosene," also earned Lambert her first Gold single on March 6, 2006, and she got to give a star-making performance of the song during the 2005 CMA Awards, where she was also nominated for the Horizon Award. Lambert's follow-up album, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, won an ACM Award for Album for the Year in 2008, setting Lambert on a path as one of country music's best-selling and most-awarded female artists of all time. Miranda Lambert's Most Unforgettable Moments See Inside Miranda Lambert's Rural Tennessee Estate Source: Remember When Miranda Lambert Earned Her First Gold Album? Filed Under: miranda lambert	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line510
__label__wiki	0.913717	0.913717	Coronavirus: not just China, travellers also avoiding Singapore and Japan People are calling off work and holiday plans over coronavirus fears, and hassles over travel bans and quarantine requirements. Some have taken to social media to plead with hotels and airlines to cancel trips to Singapore and Japan, which have the highest number of cases outside China British banker Jamie Wong, 34, was planning to spend some time in his company’s Singapore office next week, as he was heading to the city state to attend his brother-in-law’s wedding. But he was told he would have to work from home since his last port of call was Hong Kong. He also had to cancel a trip to Taiwan because the government there would have quarantined him for 14 days. While Japan has no such orders for travellers from Hong Kong, Wong called off a trip to Tokyo scheduled for early March because of the rising cases of coronavirus infections there. “I don’t really want to get infected,” said Wong, although he added he would be heading to Malaysia on a trip in April as planned. “Hopefully, the outbreak will die down by then.” Wong is among an increasing number of travellers putting a halt to their holiday and work trips to Singapore and a few other Asian countries, due to the coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan and has since spread to more than 20 locations. On Friday, Singapore raised its alert level from yellow to orange because community transmission was occurring. The city state found four cases of people diagnosed with the virus who had no links to other patients and who had not recently travelled to China. Wong said he would have skipped the wedding in Singapore if it were not a family event. Since the infections were announced on December 31, 2019, the coronavirus has infected more than 34,000 people worldwide and killed over 700. While at least 1,500 patients have recovered, cases are increasing globally, with Japan, Singapore and Thailand registering the highest number of cases outside China. More than 50 airlines have cancelled or suspended flights to mainland China, with some also giving Hong Kong a miss. On Twitter, some users have asked airlines and hotels if they could cancel flights to Singapore. Indian chemical engineer Ankita Sarkar posted on Friday to ask travel booking site Goibibo if she could have a refund for her Rest Bugis Hotel booking in March. Aydin Ilhan, who runs a consulting firm in Singapore, said he was hiring a Brazilian man and had already processed his visa documents, but the worker was now staying put in South America because his wife was afraid of catching the virus in the city state. Aydin, too, may put off a business trip in April to Hong Kong, where at least 26 cases have been reported. A top microbiologist believes there is already a community spread of the coronavirus in Hong Kong. Mainland Chinese have also been entering the city and been quarantined in hotels or public facilities. “My wife doesn’t want me to go. So we need to see how this outbreak develops or evolves,” Aydin said. “I haven’t decided yet if I’m going or not but it’s important for me to be there.” Britain on Friday expanded a list of countries from which returning travellers experiencing coronavirus symptoms should self-isolate. Singapore and seven other Asian territories were on the new list, when previously its warning was only for those returning from mainland China, where the majority of infections are occurring. The change came after Britain’s third patient, a middle-aged man, was found to have caught the virus after returning from a business meeting in Singapore held at the luxury Grand Hyatt hotel. The conference was attended by more than 90 foreign participants, including visitors from Hubei province, the epicentre of contagion. In recent days, several participants in South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore have tested positive for the virus. Tourists are also avoiding Japan, where at least 64 infections have been reported on board a cruise ship quarantined off Yokohama. The patients include about 21 Japanese citizens, 10 Americans, as well as nationals from Canada, Australia, Argentina, China and Britain. They were taken to hospitals for treatment. Japan has separately seen at least 25 cases of the coronavirus. Some Twitter users are also pressuring businesses from Lufthansa Airlines to Cruise Norwegian to refund their flights and cruises to Japan. One disgruntled user wrote to Cruise Norwegian, in the spotlight for refusing a family a refund: “Did you catch [the] news story about people with #coronavirus quarantined on a cruise in Asia-Pacific? Do you still think you’re better off denying refunds or rescheduling to customers who may become sick?” While countries such as Singapore and Japan have a reputation for being clean and efficient, the spread of the virus appears to be putting a dent in the countries’ attractiveness. DBS economist Irvin Seah said this was because “these two cities are also very densely populated and two-ways traveller flows with China are exceptionally high too”. Seah expected to see global travel “reduce drastically” because of the various travel bans imposed, as well as cautious travellers holding off on their plans. Tour agencies have also been feeling the impact of cancelled plans. Alicia Seah, director of marketing communications at Dynasty Travel, said she had seen a sharp drop in travel enquiries and bookings for both inbound and outbound markets. She estimated the damage to be about 40 to 50 per cent for the first half of this year. Dynasty Travel handles both individual and corporate travel, and Seah said the corporate clients were more sensitive to the outbreak. “They are taking zero risks and are avoiding coming into Singapore at this juncture for February and March,” she said. Those who had already booked trips to destinations such as Europe or America were going ahead, but those who had not were holding off, she added. Economist Seah said he expected a decline of about 1 million tourists or about S$1 billion (US$719 million) of lost tourism receipts in Singapore for every three months of travel ban. He added that the estimation excluded “the indirect effect of global travellers cancelling or deferring their travel plans to the region, including Singapore, due to the virus outbreak, as well as the risk of further spread of the virus outside China resulting in even tighter travel restrictions”. Meanwhile, Singapore’s Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said on Thursday that his ministry was working “very feverishly” with the Ministry of Finance to develop a package to help those in the aviation sector. Khaw also suggested Changi Airport might speed up part of the construction of its Terminal 5, given reduced activity at the airport. Local media have reported that businesses at Jewel Changi Airport were noticing thinner crowds in the mall.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line511
__label__cc	0.565433	0.434567	English, English as a Second Language, Spanish Non-tenure track The Pacific University Department of World Languages and Literatures invites applications for a full-time, extended-term position in our undergraduate Spanish program, to begin in the fall of 2021. Appointment is anticipated at the Assistant Professor level. The Department of World Languages and Literatures and Pacific University are committed to a vibrant and diverse campus community. Candidates from under-represented groups are encouraged to apply. Description: The full-time, extended-term Assistant Professor would primarily teach 100 and 200 level Spanish courses, as well as take a leadership role in the lower-division Spanish language program. Leadership would include a variety of tasks, such as (but not limited to): organizing placement and proficiency tests, and coordinating and evaluating the lower division Spanish program. Candidates should possess a record of innovative teaching practices and incorporating technology in active learning environments. A spirit of initiative and collaboration are especially desired for this position. The successful candidate will be committed to inclusive teaching, advising students, professional activity, and service in an undergraduate, liberal arts setting. Teaching load of 24 credits per academic year. Pacific University is a private liberal arts university of approximately 1800 undergraduates and 2100 graduate students. Pacific is located in beautiful Forest Grove, OR, which is 25 miles from Portland, an exciting, progressive and culturally diverse urban area. Campus is a short drive from the Oregon Coast, and the surrounding area offers rich opportunities for outdoor recreation. Proof of success in having taught a variety of Spanish language courses Demonstrated potential for leadership in language teaching Vision for innovation in language teaching (technology, new pedagogies, etc.) M.A. or Ph.D. in Spanish by the start date (or in a closely related field, such as: Second Language Acquisition, Heritage Language Pedagogy, Translation Studies, Bilingualism and/or Applied Linguistics) Native or near-native fluency in Spanish Fluency in English for administrative purposes Applicants should submit a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, teaching statement, and three letters of reference. We encourage applicants to submit evidence of recent professional activity as well. Please send your materials to Spanish Program Search Committee (humanities@pacificu.edu). We accept only electronic submissions, PDF preferred. Review of applications will begin Monday, February 8, 2021, and the position will remain open until it is filled. Inquiries may be directed to Marcus Welsh, Chair of Search Committee, Associate Professor of Spanish, Dept. of World Languages and Literatures: humanities@pacificu.edu. Similar searches: Full-time, 4-year college or university, English, English as a Second Language, Professor, Assistant, Spanish, Oregon	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line514
__label__wiki	0.781036	0.781036	Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” Sounds Amazing In 42 Different Styles Hear how Johnny Cash or Ozzy Osbourne would have handled this classic Express Newspapers / Stringer Just in time for the release of Bohemian Rhapsody, Anthony Vincent and Ten Second Songs has done it again. The YouTube star is flexing his skills to show what “Bohemian Rhapsody” would sound like, if it were sung by some of our other favorite artists. From Ozzy Osbourne and Frank Sinatra, to Kendrick Lamar and Bobby McFerrin, over forty styles are explored by Vincent and it’s too good not to watch. There’s a lot to love here, but our favorite version remains the original from Queen. The biopic on the band opens Friday and tells the story of the band’s beginnings up to their legendary performance at Live Aid. Related: What Did 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Star Rami Malek Do With His Freddie Mercury Teeth? Bohemian Rhapsody is in theaters on November 2nd, and the soundtrack featuring never-before-heard live performances and some classic Queen cuts is available everywhere now. Ten Second Songs	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line518
__label__cc	0.667662	0.332338	The Kreutzer Sonata On May 24th, 1803, one of Ludwig van Beethoven’s most renowned and revered works, the Kreutzer Sonata, Opus 47, for Violin and Piano, was performed for the first time. The Sonata’s three movements run the gamut from ardent lyricism to high-wire virtuosity. During that first performance, George Bridgetower, the brilliant Afro-European violinist for whom it was written, spontaneously mimicked an elaborate piano arpeggio in the score. Beethoven looked up from the piano in astonishment, ran across the stage, embraced Bridgetower, and then continued playing. The performance was a triumph. Subsequently, the composer wrote on the manuscript’s title page in jest: Sonata per un mullattico Lunatico. Soon however, Beethoven and Bridgetower had a falling out over the violinist’s thoughtless off-color remark about a woman of Beethoven’s acquaintance. The composer then rededicated the Sonata to another famous violinist of the day, Rudolf Kreutzer. Kreutzer declared the sonata unplayable and apparently never performed it. Challenging as the work undoubtedly is, its playability is born out by the succeeding generations of violinists who have performed it successfully. If not for poor Bridgetower’s insensitive remark, the Kreutzer Sonata would have forever more been called the Bridgetower Sonata. Despite its colorful beginnings, the sonata seemed destined to simply join the ranks of Beethoven’s many other masterpieces, but in 1888, the Russian author, Leo Tolstoy, heard the Kreutzer Sonata performed. He was so affected that he arranged for it to be played again, setting in motion the writing of his 1889 novella, The Kreutzer Sonata, in which a husband goads his wife into performing Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata with a violinist of great allure. Music, sexual attraction, jealousy, and murder are the Novella’s subjects. Tolstoy, known as much for his role as a social critic and moralist as an author, was always in trouble with the Russian authorities. True to form, he caused an instant scandal with the book’s publication. While the Russian censors only threatened to ban it, the United States postal service actually did, by banning the mailing of a serialized newspaper version. In the same year, Theodore Roosevelt called Tolstoy a sexual moral pervert. Although the tale came from a true story that was in the newspapers and widely discussed at the time, it reflected Tolstoy’s own struggle as he evolved from debauched youth to troubled husband challenging the very concept of love and marriage, and eventually to non-violent and spiritual anarchist. The Kreutzer Sonata had unexpectedly been uprooted from its revered place in music to become the vehicle for a strange morality tale. What would Beethoven, forever critical of others’ morals, have thought of it, or for that matter George Bridgetower- tall, good-looking, and with an eye for the ladies? But Beethoven’s masterpiece was destined to jump tracks yet again. Another Leo, the Czech composer, Leoš Janáček, composed a string quartet in 1923 entitled “Kreutzer Sonata” based on Tolstoy’s Novella. The Quartet’s first movement suggests the couple’s unhappy marriage and contrasting themes of love, jealousy, and bickering. The second movement introduces the violinist, depicted sinisterly by an unpleasant and nasal musical figure. The third movement presents the musicale that the jealous husband has provoked in which the “Kreutzer” is played. Janáček actually quotes a well-known passage from Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata interspersed with wildly unpleasant sounds suggesting the husband’s agitated state. Little imagination is needed to hear the act of murder being carried out in the fourth movement. The strings slash and pick at their instruments in a way that eerily and graphically demonstrates the stabbing itself. As the wife lies dying, the longing music from the first movement returns, bringing the husband a brief moment of remorse. At rehearsals for the first performance, Janacek challenged the members of the Bohemian String Quartet: “Let’s play that ending twice as fast—We must fight against the subjugation of women!” As reflected in his most important operas, Janacek had great sympathy for the plight of women in his time. In a letter to his friend, Kamila Stösslova, he wrote “…I had in mind a poor woman, tormented, beaten, battered to death…”. Ironically, Janáček showed far less concern for his own wife who suffered greatly from his utter infatuation with Kamila Stösslova, a woman half his age when he met her in his sixties. She was in large part responsible for a remarkable outpouring of creative energy during the last twelve years of his life. Although never consummated, (she was also married), their relationship is well documented in the over seven hundred letters they exchanged. The three Kreutzer Sonatas by three towering artists unquestionably stand on their own as great works of art. But in a period of one-hundred-and-twenty years, Beethoven’s music unexpectedly becomes a vehicle for woman’s rights. Who would have thought that a violinist’s tasteless remark would eventually evolve into a cry against the subjugation of women? Have we come to the end of this curious Kreutzer Sonata tale? With pressing women’s issues of abuse, discrimination, and inequality front and center these days, perhaps a new Kreutzer Sonata as dance, painting, film, theatre, or something as yet totally unimaginable is being created at this very moment. Kreutzer Sonata, allow me to introduce you to the #MeToo Movement. Kreutzer Sonata, painting by René François Xavier Prinet (1901), based on Leo Tolstoy’s 1889 novella, The Kreutzer Sonata From Jerry Zeidenberg on May 1, 2020 What a wonderful and insightful commentary! Lots to think about as I listen to Beethoven’s exciting sonata. Now I want to read Tolstoy’s novella and listen to Leoš Janá?ek. From toby harris watson on May 1, 2020 It is always with great anticipation when I see another installment of your delightful articles in my email. As a former student of yours from 50 years ago (Harpur) it is a privilege to continue learning from you. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, humor and grace, especially during these trying times. From HARVEY ZIROFSKY on May 1, 2020 Listening to it now. Lovely. From Warren Liebesman on May 1, 2020 Love the story! Elegantly told, as usual, by you. Most appreciated. From Hava Beller on May 2, 2020 I would never imagine your two protagonists – Beethoven and Tolstoy – to be mentioned in the same breath, let alone leave side by side for eternity in the legend of The Kreutzer Sonata, as told by you here on your excellent “In the Key of Strawberry”. Amazing. Incredible. Sizzling Love, Hava From Marianne Wurlitzer on May 6, 2020 Fascinating! Having been listening to the Kreutzer Sonata for decades but needless to say, never knew any of that, especially the Bridgetower connection. Hope you are staying safe and well. All best, Marianne From Noel Benkman on May 6, 2020 Dear Maestro Steinhardt, your stories are soooooo interesting! Thank you. I’ll never play/hear the Kreutzer Sonata quite the same :-) From David Greely on May 22, 2020 Dear Mr. Steinhardt, Forgive me for sending a comment unrelated to your blog post. You always do something to the dusty area of your strings between movements and pieces. I wonder if it’s a technique of silently cleaning the string, which I would love to learn. Thank you, sir, for your blog and your music. Sign up to receive new stories straight to your inbox! Erica Morini Today, January 5th, is the birthday of violinist Erica Morini. Born in Vienna in 1904, she first studied the violin with her father, Oscar Morini, and later at the Vienna Conservatory with Otakar Ševčík. Morini made her debut at age eleven with the Leipzig Gewandhaus and Berlin Phiharmonic orchestras under Arthur Nikisch. She was immediately [...] Music in the Time of Biden and Harris On January 20, 2021, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., and Kamala Harris will assume the offices of president and vice president of the United States. There will be new faces, new ideas, new policies, and undoubtedly a different personal style of governing. And there will inevitably be different music at the White House. I have not the [...] The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out. The worms play pinochle on your snout. Your stomach turns to an icy green and pus shoots out like white whipped cream. You wipe it up with a slice of bread, and that’s what you eat when you are dead. So, folks, have I gotten you into [...] Dear Readers, Following up on my last post, Music in the Time of Trump: With the election 5 days away, this feels like an all-hands-on-deck moment. So I’ve just signed up to help get out the vote by working a phone bank. I’ll be doing this through Swing Left starting tomorrow. Can I invite, inspire, coax, cajole, [...] Music in the Time of Trump The night that Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, I couldn’t sleep. That Republicans nominated him as a candidate was shocking enough, but the fact that so many Americans had voted for a man deeply unfit for the presidency was incomprehensible. Since then, no matter how incompetent, ignorant, racist, unethical, mean spirited, [...] Practice? MMMaybe Not If I don’t practice for one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it; three days, the public knows it. —Jascha Heifetz; But Mr. Heifetz, what about four days, or four weeks, or, gasp, even longer? During a busy performing schedule, I would sometimes take a day off here and there; and in [...] Practice, Practice, and (ugh), More Practice I hated practicing the violin as a kid. Not that I didn’t love the sound of the instrument or the music I played. It’s just that at that early age, I preferred to be out with my neighborhood friends playing ball or cops and robbers in the fields nearby. When my parents threatened to cut [...] At a very early age, my grandson, Julian began to ask me questions. “Nunu”, he asked (my grandkids call me Nunu), “how old are you”? That was soon followed by, “Nunu, how old will you be when you die”? As Julian got older, he often asked other types of questions I could not answer and [...] All kinds of things have serial numbers. I imagine that dozens of objects in my own home have them- my toaster must have one, and my TV set, washing machine, microwave, electric tooth brush, telephone, and on and on. Thinking about it, however, I have to ask the obvious: what are serial numbers good for? [...] On May 24th, 1803, one of Ludwig van Beethoven’s most renowned and revered works, the Kreutzer Sonata, Opus 47, for Violin and Piano, was performed for the first time. The Sonata’s three movements run the gamut from ardent lyricism to high-wire virtuosity. During that first performance, George Bridgetower, the brilliant Afro-European violinist for whom it [...] Zen and the Art of String Quartet Maintenance String quartets- good, bad, or worse- a hearty welcome to our twelve step program from me, Swami Arnie. Without a doubt, you will want to participate in this remarkable, one of a kind workshop that takes place today, and only today. Objective: To make each of you better instrumentalists, better musicians, better string quartet players, [...] Amir, a salesman from a local blind and shade store, came up to our house some time ago in order to advise my wife, Dorothea, and me about some kind of window covering. Well into our discussion, Amir somehow learned that I was a violinist. With that, all talk about blinds and shades abruptly came [...] Ludwig van Beethoven: Space Traveler, Human Heart Explorer Dear “In the Key of Strawberry” readers, After having written a monthly blog about music for some ten years, I’ve taken the last year and a half off in order to do other things- namely, to move from New York City to Santa Fe, New Mexico, from sea level to high desert at 7,200 feet [...] In all the forty-five years that our Guarneri String Quartet performed in public, and during the nine years since we retired, I don’t believe I’ve dreamt of the quartet more than a handful of times. This might seem odd to string quartet aficionados who know how much must go into a performance: practice and more [...] Symphonies, Guns, and Beer? I often feel anxious for young musicians, even the most gifted of them, as their graduation from music school approaches. In the months before, so many still don’t know what their future holds. Will a top prize in a competition garner the beginnings of a solo career? Or might a successful audition lead to a [...] An Arthurian Tale As a teenager growing up in Los Angeles, some fifteen years before our Guarneri String Quartet would perform and record with the pianist Arthur Rubinstein, I had a brief preview of Rubinstein’s personality. My violin teacher, Peter Meremblum, had founded and led a very well-known young people’s orchestra in which I played. The Southern California [...] Arthur and Sergei Today, April 1st, is the pianist and composer Sergei Rachmaninoff’s birthday. Which reminds me of a story. “Which reminds me of a story,” said the pianist Arthur Rubinstein, turning to us, the Guarneri String Quartet, while remaining seated at the piano. We four happily put down our instruments, having just been bathed in Rubinstein’s ravishing [...] How well can you really know a musician as a person based solely on his or her performance? You might walk away from such an occasion with some sense of the musician’s intelligence, emotional depth, taste and style. But could you honestly say, despite the innermost thoughts and feelings communicated during the concert, that you [...] My mother, who attended one of our Guarneri String Quartet concerts some time ago, told me afterwards of a conversation she overheard in the ladies room during intermission. “Are any of the Guarneri members Jewish?” one woman asked another. “No,” responded her friend. “Arnold Steinhardt is of German origin, John Dalley, English, Michael Tree, Scottish, [...] Christmas seems to come earlier and earlier. Already before Thanksgiving had arrived this year, the holiday lights were strung and the usual Yuletide songs had invaded every conceivable public space. Perhaps because I’m a musician, a shudder runs through me when I once again have to hear after a blissful year’s absence, the inane Winter [...] A fellow goes up to the airline counter and asks to be booked to Buenos Aires, Caracas, Singapore, and then Honolulu. “I’m sorry, sir,” the agent says, “We don’t fly to any of those places.” “Funny,” responds the traveler, “you sent my luggage to all those places the last time I flew with you.” For [...] Hello People. Dr. Arnie here, once again. Today is Halloween, and a perfect time for me to spread the word about my latest, favorite subject—Cryogenics. You all know what I’m talking about: the study of things at very low temperatures. Actually, it’s not exactly things that I had in mind. Recently, I read about the [...] How do you get to Carnegie Hall? I know. I know. Practice. Or take the subway. Or hail a cab. Or if the year is 1891, take the trolley from 14th Street, the center of town, to the end of the line and walk two blocks north to 57th Street and 7th Avenue. You’ll find [...] My dear friend Jules Eskin passed away last November at the age of eighty-five. I first met Jules when he became principal cellist of the Cleveland Orchestra in 1961. I had already been in the orchestra as assistant concertmaster for two years. At twenty-two years old, I was the youngest member of the orchestra, and [...] Today, August 8th, is Cécile Chaminade’s birthday. What? You’ve never heard of Cécile Chaminade? But how is that possible? Chaminade was one of the most successful pianists and composers of the turn of the nineteenth/twentieth century. Born in Paris, France, in 1857, Chaminade composed more than 350 works, including two piano trios, a choral symphony, [...] The Bartók Project When I was still a teenager, a friend coaxed me into a record store with the sole purpose of having me listen to something he considered of utmost importance. In those days, every record on sale had a sample that one could hear in a private booth. My friend refused to divulge anything as he [...] Over the past few years, I’ve begun to depend more and more on my smart phone. At first it was just for telephoning, emails, and for taking photos. But more recently, I’ve begun using it for all kinds of useful things: weather reports, the news, messages, driving directions, as a metronome, playing scrabble, and even [...] Ultimate Goals Violin auditions were once again held this winter at the Curtis Institute of Music. Over a period of three days, the faculty listened to violinists from all over the world play the required music by Bach, Mozart, Paganini, and a concerto of their choice. Many of these young musicians performed with great sensitivity and technical [...] A message from Dr. Arnie about string quartets: Dear Friends, I know, I know. String quartets are a troublesome business. Take Franz Schubert’s Death and the Maiden Quartet in which a poor young girl has to die despite desperately pleading for her life. Just terrible if you ask me, and by the way, my condolences [...] Speak, Piano Many years ago, my wife, Dorothea, and I visited her friend, Gottliebe von Lehndorff, in Peterskirchen, a town not far from Munich, Germany. A single, shattering event had originally brought the two women’s lives together. Both Dorothea’s father, Hans Bernd von Haeften, and Gottliebe’s husband, Heinrich von Lehndorff, had been involved in the failed July [...] Several months ago, Soovin Kim, the artistic director of the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival, asked me to participate in the Beethoven Project, a series of concerts each featuring a late Beethoven string quartet and preceded by a talk about the work. Soovin had invited the Parker String Quartet to perform one of those five [...] I recently learned some unexpected things about Santa Claus. First of all, he played the violin. That shouldn’t have been a surprise. Lots of famous people have played the violin. Albert Einstein, Casanova, Paul Klee, Thomas Jefferson, and Benito Mussolini all played the violin, so why not Santa Claus. I also learned that Santa didn’t [...] Little Pete’s They say that nothing lasts forever. But some things do last longer than others. And once in a while, something manages to last a very long time. I’m thinking of Little Pete’s diner on the corner of 17th and Chancellor Streets in downtown Philadelphia. I first discovered the place in the fall of 1954 when, [...] Music From Marlboro, the Fiftieth Anniversary If anyone were to ask me what the single most significant musical influence of my life was, the answer would be unequivocal: The Marlboro Music School. In the many summers I spent there as a young adult, I was able to study, perform, and listen to the great chamber music repertoire shoulder to shoulder with [...] Just a few years ago, at two different schools, I coached students who had banded together in the hope of becoming professional string quartets. Each quartet consisted of strong players and gifted musicians, and they not only played well together but, most importantly, each quartet had something personal and meaningful to express in their music-making [...] A Visitor As in so many years past, I was once again a participant at Marlboro Music this summer. Marlboro has achieved a reputation of such stellar quality that music lovers from the earth’s four corners flock to this festival nestled in the hills of Southern Vermont. Even luminaries known the world over occasionally appear at Marlboro [...] Where are the Dancers? A friend, who was a professional ballet dancer for many years, was taken as a child by his mother to a symphony orchestra concert. Up to then, his musical experience had been largely limited to the piano accompaniment provided during his dance classes and the ballet performances he occasionally attended. He sat patiently for a [...] The Chocolate Cake (A Second Helping) I very much enjoy writing my monthly blogs, which are more or less on the subject of music. And I’m always gratified and encouraged to continue by the many reader comments. An unexpected and delightful surprise—a fringe benefit, you might say—are the stories that come back to me in response. For example, when I wrote [...] The Chocolate Cake My wife, Dorothea: So, how was the concert tour?” Her husband, Arnold: “Great. After the concert in Rome, I had a plate of gnocchi with Gorgonzola sauce that was to die from. And in Vienna, you wouldn’t believe how sensational the Salzburger Nockerl was.” Dorothea: “I’m glad. But what about the concerts? How did they [...] Kirk Browning, an American television director and producer with hundreds of productions to his credit had decided to move into smaller quarters. Our mutual friend, Virginia, was there to assist as Kirk regretfully disposed of many of the awards, trophies, and memorabilia that he had amassed over a lifetime of professional work. At one point, [...] Dr. Arnie Returns By overwhelming popular demand, the distinguished musicologist Dr. Arnie has once again agreed to answer your most pressing questions about music, musicians, and maybe even the meaning of life: Dear Dr. Arnie, Do you have to speak French to play the French horn well? Dear Concerned, Of course not. How do these preposterous rumors [...] Our dog, Tessa, died in the middle of a blizzard in New York City this January. Almost twelve years old and certainly slowing down with age, Tessa no longer frolicked joyfully in the park as she once had, and lately climbing steps of any kind had become painfully difficult for her. Still, her death was [...] No one ever dies in chamber music. The thought occurred to me while I was on the way to the opera. People die right and left in opera. Madame Butterfly, Tosca, Carmen, Romeo and Juliet—they all die. I’ve played in a professional string quartet most of my life, but nobody dies there. Yes, there are [...] A Heavenly Length Franz Schubert’s sublime Two Cello Quintet in C major is probably on every chamber music lover’s short list of most beloved works. Certainly, it is on mine. Recently, I had the memorable experience of hearing the Quintet performed glowingly not once but twice within hardly more than a week. The first performance, by the Dover [...] String Quartet Fever Here’s a riddle that made the rounds a few years ago: What is one Russian? An anarchist. What are two Russians? A chess game. What are three Russians? A revolution. What are four Russians? The Budapest String Quartet. If the first three parts of this playful riddle attributed to the violinist Jascha Heifetz are open [...] More Than a Music Festival Late last summer, I traveled to Poland for a chamber music festival that took place in a small town called Krzizowa, or Kreisau as it was known as part of Germany until the Second World War ended. Knowing beforehand something of its background and the people involved, I eagerly looked forward to the festival. It [...] Mozart’s Baby There is an often repeated and certainly justified belief that only a truly experienced professional string quartet can do justice to the masterpieces of the quartet repertoire. After all, its four members would have had the time to know each other’s musical personality intimately; to learn how to work well together; to spend the many [...] Last March, the Curtis Institute of Music violin faculty, of which I am a member, listened to over one hundred violinists from all over the world audition to become students at the school. There were only two or three openings for the next school year and many of the young violinists played remarkably well, which [...] Will Hagen, an impressively gifted young violinist, has just won third prize in the 2015 Queen Elisabeth Competition for classical violinists. Named after Queen Elisabeth of Belgium and established in memory of her good friend concert violinist Eugene Ysaÿe, the Queen Elisabeth Competition is considered one of the most challenging and prestigious in the world. [...] Speak, Living Room A few months ago, just after finishing a recording project, Lorraine Feather, jazz singer, and lyricist, and Dave Grusin, pianist and composer, went out to dinner with Dave’s wife, Nan Newton. Nan, who had never met Lorraine before, soon learned that the singer had spent the earliest years of her childhood on Manhattan’s Upper West [...] The World of the String Quartet Last year, the Curtis Institute of Music, where I was once a student and where I now teach, asked me to participate in an internet course about the string quartet. Curtis, partnering with the online educational platform Coursera, has already had impressive success with two previous online courses: a survey of classical music co-hosted by [...] Bob Simon Bob Simon and I unknowingly walked off with each other’s nearly identical coats several months ago. Once the error was discovered, we met days later in my apartment for the great coat exchange and had a good laugh about the situation. That done, Bob and I sat down at my dining room table and talked [...] Arnie’s Fables Aesop’s Fables are known throughout the world. Aesop is said to have been a Phrygian slave who lived in ancient Greece and whose fables have endured because of the great wisdom embedded in them. Legend has it that Aesop’s life ended when he either jumped or was thrown from a cliff. Sadly, another set of [...] John Cage and His String Quartet in Four Parts John Cage once said, “I have nothing to say, and I’m saying it.” I burst out laughing when I first read this. Just imagine Ludwig van Beethoven announcing to the world, “I have nothing to say,” in which case he might have put down his pen and paper and taken a walk in the woods, [...] I have never studied or performed Bach’s Sonata in C Minor for Violin and Keyboard, but I thought it would make a lovely opening number for a planned recital this spring. So in the next few days, I began by reading the first movement through, making some preliminary phrasing decisions and then figuring out possible [...] A Tale of Two Coats It’s January. It’s cold out there. It’s time for a coat story. Friends of ours recently invited my wife, Dorothea, and me to dinner at their New York City apartment. We hung our coats along with many others on one of several racks in the lobby, and after a lovely evening of fine food and [...] Fifteen Seconds of Fame The American poet, Galway Kinnell, died last October. I had the pleasure of knowing him and seeing him occasionally during the years he lived in New York City. One evening, Galway and his wife to be, Barbara, invited me and several other friends to dinner. Introductions were made all around and a superb meal along [...] November is hunting season in upstate New York where my wife, Dorothea, and I have a home. And if it’s hunting season, then it’s time for our hunters to show up. Several decades ago, three men—let’s call them Andrew, Bob, and Charlie—knocked on our door and politely introduced themselves. They told us that they worked [...] The Silent Note Do you remember the phrase in that old Coca Cola commercial, “The pause that refreshes?” It did nothing for me at the time because I don’t even like the drink. Still, the commercial initiated something quite unintended. Rather than coaxing me to go around the corner and buy a bottle of Coke, the single word [...] Ninety-seven young violinists showed up at the Curtis Institute of Music’s annual violin auditions last spring with the hopes of becoming students at the school next fall. Thirteen made the semifinal round and of those, five were chosen by us, the violin faculty. Some who auditioned were still diamonds in the rough. Others already played [...] Violin-less It’s that time of year again. I’ve worked hard for it, I deserve it, and nothing’s going to stop me from it. Yes, I’m packing up my violin and bow, putting them in the closet, and then I’m not going to practice for a while. Just for a few days. Well, maybe a week. Mmm, [...] Kissing Cousins? Story #1 My old Ford Mustang convertible needed a paint job several years ago so I took it to the local body shop in upstate New York where I live. Once all the details had been discussed with the shop owner (let’s call him Norm), I remembered something that had always bothered me. The first [...] In the Ear of the Beholder “Here’s a challenge for you,” a friend posed over dinner some time ago. “Name the four great child prodigy classical music composers.” He leaned back, smiling smugly in the knowledge that I probably wouldn’t be able to guess them all. Two were obvious: “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, of course, and Felix Mendelssohn,” I blurted out. My [...] In The Key of Strawberry is pleased to post “Dear Dr. Arnie,” the syndicated musician’s advice column hosted by the legendary Dr. Arnie. Examples of his advice, featured below, will undoubtedly be of invaluable help to musicians of every persuasion. Dear Dr. Arnie, I have an orchestra audition coming up next month and worrying about [...] Last summer I was once again a participant in the Marlboro Music Festival. As always, the school generously provided my wife, Dorothea, and me with a house off campus. This time we were given the former home of David Soyer, the cellist of our Guarneri String Quartet for thirty-seven of its forty-five-year existence. Dave passed [...] Violin Collection I own three violins. I have a Lorenzo Storioni made in Cremona, Italy around 1785. This violin’s sound is dark and husky. Its varnish is lustrous, and the swirling patterns of its wood grain are remarkably beautiful. I also have a violin made for me in 2006 by Samuel Zygmuntowicz, a distinguished American string instrument [...] Me and my Violin Marc Lifschey, one of the greatest oboists of his era, once told me that after retiring as a performer and teacher, he had sold his oboe. On the face of it, giving up an instrument you no longer use seems perfectly reasonable, but nevertheless I was taken aback. Marc was not merely an excellent oboist; he [...] But the Melody Lingers On About to walk across New York City’s Central Park on a sunny winter day, I suddenly heard the strains of Santa Claus is Coming to Town wafting out of a nearby workman’s truck radio. What a silly melody, I thought to myself absentmindedly. Twenty minutes later, I had crossed the park but to my consternation, [...] And What Then? I have a hard time getting my brain around abstractions. So when I read with alarm about the latest debt limit crisis in the United States Congress and the possibility that Uncle Sam might actually close our government’s doors, I tried to imagine the situation in terms of my own profession—music—and, even more specifically, in [...] Calling Planet Earth Dear Key of Strawberry, Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Brzjk and I live on planet Ulfz located many light years from you. We have been aware for some time that life exists on your planet—I believe you call it Earth. Nevertheless, we Ulfzians have been reluctant to make contact with you. Quite [...] One year into a 23-month mission, NASA‘s Mars rover Curiosity has assured its place in the history of planetary exploration as the most ambitious and one of the most successful attempts to date to explore the surface of another planet. Curiosity’s data allowed the mission’s science team to establish that Mars once had an environment [...] I met Tom Heimberg during junior high school recess when we were both twelve years old. The popular sport during recess was something we unofficially called Chinese handball—a game played with a rubber ball against an upright surface. Tom and I became quite professional at discussing topspin, slices, drop shots, and fake outs, but as [...] Drunk as a Skunk I know of no one among all my musician friends and colleagues who will drink anything alcoholic before performing. Even those who enjoy an occasional glass of wine, beer, or an enticing margarita are very, very careful to imbibe only after rather than before a concert. Simply put, it’s hard enough to play well while [...] We were enjoying an after-concert snack at the hotel restaurant when David Soyer, our cellist in the Guarneri String Quartet, took a sip of his beer, leaned back expansively, and announced in a mock Eastern European accent, “I rub stick against rope. Make many zlotys.” No, we weren’t somewhere in Poland where people deal in [...] Little Suzy was in the midst of working on a piece with her piano teacher when she suddenly stopped playing, crossed out Johann Sebastian Bach’s name at the top of the page, and wrote her own name above it. “Why did you do that, Suzy?” her surprised teacher asked. “He’s not playing the piece. I [...] A Bible Story I once stole a bible. It was wrong, I shouldn’t have done it, and part of me would like to forget that it ever happened. But this day, April Fools’ Day, seems as good a time as any to tell the story of my shameful deed. The theft took place when I was a young [...] Gibbsy Rudolf Kolisch’s name came up while I was at the Marlboro Music Festival this summer. The distinguished violinist had been a Marlboro participant late in life. Along with his other remarkable accomplishments, Kolisch was the rare violinist who played the instrument “left-handed.” Because of a childhood injury to the middle finger of his left hand, [...] “Did you ever get to perform the Fritz Kreisler String Quartet?” I’ve been asked this question again and again over the years, undoubtedly in response to a scene in “High Fidelity,” the 1987 documentary about our Guarneri String Quartet. In that scene, I bring the Kreisler String Quartet in A Minor, a work I dearly [...] Giving interviews is something musicians have to do surprisingly often—we usually do them to stir up a little interest and sell a few tickets to our concerts. On one occasion last summer my radio interviewer had done his homework well. He knew a great deal about me, and the music I was going to perform [...] An Open Letter to Sammy Rhodes You think quitting smoking is hard? Try quitting a string quartet. My four-step program might help violist Samuel Rhodes, who just announced his retirement from the Juilliard String Quartet at the end of the season. The following is my letter to him. Dear Sammy, I read the news of your retirement from the Juilliard String [...] Have you ever heard a performance that you will never forget no matter how long you live? I have. And have you ever gone out on a blind date with someone who is known to thousands, perhaps even millions of people—just about everyone except you? I have. Not only that, but both events happened on [...] Colburn School Commencement Address By Arnold Steinhardt Good morning. I’m honored to be speaking to you at this 2012 Colburn School commencement and equally honored to teach at the school. I was born and raised in Los Angeles and it pleases me immensely to know that Colburn, with its faculty of distinguished musicians, is now the pride of the [...] The Steinhardt String Quartet Hartz-4-Artz your internet culture source April 1, 2012 From the Music Desk: Arnold Steinhardt To Form New String Quartet Arnold Steinhardt, first violinist of the Guarneri String Quartet that retired in 2009, has announced plans to form a new string quartet. Mr. Steinhardt recently told Hartz-4-Artz reporter N. Nam Trebor that he deeply misses the [...] What makes a good teacher? For that matter, what makes a bad one? Some teachers merely pass on information. Others excite a student’s interest through their own love for the subject. Some teachers employ fear and intimidation. A very few manage to teach you how to become your own teacher. The craft (or is it [...] Jascha Mr. Jascha Heifetz (born 1901, died 1987) Violin Virtuoso Section Heaven February 2, 2012 Dear Mr. Heifetz, Today, February 2nd, is your birthday. Happy birthday, sir, and my deepest thanks for the miracle of your artistry. I have listened to you play the violin throughout my entire life—actually my entire life plus nine months to [...] My daughter, Natasha, once came home from her weekly piano lesson and asked to use my metronome—a request from her teacher. I told Natasha that I didn’t own a metronome. At the next lesson, her teacher insisted I go out and buy one. The clerk at my local music store looked at me oddly as [...] I began to study the violin with a series of teachers who taught music and the instrument, but who as time went by also saw fit to teach me the elusive craft of performance. Toscha Seidel, an early teacher, challenged me to break out of my shell and show the music’s emotional character. My next [...] I had just settled down with my ice cream cone in front of Ralph’s Pretty Good Café when a garbage truck rumbled to a stop directly in front of me. To my consternation, the driver got out with the motor still running and noisily began to empty garbage cans into the truck. No, I said [...] Opus 130 Not long before I graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in 1959, John Dalley, a fellow violin student, asked me whether I’d like to work on Beethoven’s late String Quartet in B Flat, Opus 130. The Paganini String Quartet had recently performed at the school, ending their program with another late Beethoven Quartet, Opus [...] My Violin Case What’s a violin case for? Well, a violin for one. And bows to go along with it, of course. What else? Extra strings, rosin, and a mute. Also, a tuning fork and chin rest fastener. Oh, I almost forgot—music stored in the case cover pouch. That’s about it, right? Wrong. At least, forgive the pun, [...] Marlboro at Sixty The following article appeared in a booklet, “60th Anniversary Reflections on Marlboro Music”, that celebrated the event with a weekend gathering at Marlboro on July 9 and 10 of hundreds of participants past and present from all corners of the globe. In August, 1957, Jaime Laredo and I, two young violinists hoping for a career [...] Stage F-F-Fright I must have been only seven or eight years old when I first performed in public. My teacher, Mr. Moldrem, had me play two melodies, one from the Beethoven Violin Concerto and the other from Brahms First Symphony. Moldrem, well known for his ability to teach youngsters, presented his students regularly in concerts. Before the [...] Sam, a widower in the autumn of his life, lost thirty pounds, had a face lift, dyed his hair, took elocution lessons, bought a smart new wardrobe, withdrew all the money from his bank, and flew to Miami for a brand new life. Soon after, Sam met a lovely woman at his hotel’s casino and [...] Practice, Practice After the Second World War, my parents were able to rent out a room attached to the back of our garage due to a severe housing shortage. The rumpus room, as they called it, was sparsely furnished, but that was enough for a succession of people to perch there for the time they needed to [...] After forty-five years making music together, the Guarneri String Quartet played its very last concert on October 27, 2009. People often ask me whether I miss playing quartets. Of course I do. I miss not only the concerts, but also the camaraderie, the rehearsals, the traveling, the exotic food, and the interesting people along the [...] A Meditation on the Meditation In the ancient Egyptian city of Alexandria, the courtesan, Thaïs, reflects on her past life of worldly pleasure. Looking into the mirror, she worries that her beauty will soon fade. The monk, AthanaÃ«l, arrives at her palace, admonishing Thaïs that there is one kind of love she does not yet know. He exhorts her to [...] Forty Year Story In the spring of 1970, Judith Serkin, a cello student at the Curtis Institute of Music, told me that she and four other students at school, cellist Peter Wiley, violist Geraldine Lamboley, and violinists Lucy Chapman and Jill Levy, hoped to study Schubert’s Two Cello Quintet during the next semester. Judith asked whether I would [...] Perfect What? My daughter, Natasha, told me recently about a gifted young boy she knows who has learned to read at an early age and already plays the piano with astonishing originality. As if to offer a final and irrefutable proof of the boy’s extraordinary musical talent, Natasha added one more thing. “You know, he’s got perfect [...] David Soyer, cellist and founding member of the Guarneri String Quartet, passed away on February 24, 2010—one day after his 86th birthday. Michael Tree, violist, and John Dalley and I, violinists, the other founding members, played in the quartet with Dave for almost forty years and we knew him for close to fifty. Peter Wiley, [...] Paganini’s Birthday Today, October 27th, is Niccolo Paganini’s birthday. Below is a reprint of an article I wrote on this occasion which appeared in the October issue of The Strad magazine. Next, as an attachment, is Caprice #24.25, my arrangement of Paganini’s 24th Caprice. Finally, I include a letter that to my great astonishment Paganini just wrote [...] I saw Opus a while ago, a play by Michael Hollinger that deals with the inner workings of a string quartet. Since I have been a violinist in the Guarneri String Quartet for many decades, you can imagine that I awaited the opening curtain with some anticipation. The subject of my profession is not exactly [...] Psssst I hear a lot of griping from my friends these days about travel. Trains are much more luxurious and dependable in Europe. Japanese taxi drivers wear white gloves and decorate their cars with curtains while in New York City, taxis are, well, let’s not even talk about it. And the deluxe plane travel of years [...] I recently heard an all-Stravinsky concert performed by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. A few days later, a review of the evening by Anthony Tommasini appeared in the April 23, 2010 edition of the New York Times. A comment he made about the orchestra’s rendition of The Firebird Suite caught my eye: “The Firebird’s Lullaby, [...] Dinner Music Uncharacteristically early for an appointment, I slowed my pace up Manhattan’s Lexington Avenue. Better early than late, I thought, but what on earth was I to do with myself for the next 30 minutes. As I approached 86th St., the answer appeared almost by magic in the form of Papaya King, a hot dog stand [...] Something New, Something Old I happened to be performing in Los Angeles just as the city’s new and glittering Disney Hall opened several years ago. A week earlier, I called my mother who was living in Southern California to tell her of my arrival. “Oh, wonderful,” she said. “You can take me to Disney Hall.” That was fine with [...] Joe Vita I left the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University last year after having taught a graduate violin class there for over two decades. Among other things, I miss the lively conversations I often had with colleagues at student recitals, oral exams, juries, or over a pizza at the local Italian restaurant. Topic [...] Twelve Note Story Take a deep breath and try to settle down. I know, I know. The task is daunting, but you’ve worked hard. Just be relaxed. Be focused. And now get practical. For starters, think of a good tempo. Not so easy based on the first two or three notes that are slow and deeply personal. Better [...] The United States Bureau of Weights and Measures has just announced at a national news conference that chamber music may cause global warming. The issue first came to the bureau’s attention when directors of several distinguished music conservatories notified it of alarming and unexplained rises in temperature at odd times of the school day. Government [...] Sophisticated Traveler I planned to take the 2 PM Eastern Airlines shuttle from New York City. That would have gotten me into Boston by three with plenty of time to grab a bite, take a taxi to Jordan Hall, change, practice some, and relax a bit before the Guarneri String Quartet concert at 8 PM. But an [...] The Guarneri String Quartet was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Chamber Music Performance this year for our Hungarian Album on RCA Red Seal. The CD consists of Ern? Dohnányi’s Quartets Nos. 2 and 3, and Zoltán Kodály’s Quartet No. 2, three works of striking beauty. The Grammy Awards (originally called [...] Many years ago, I had occasion to play a Bach Partita for the pianist and scholar, Arthur Loesser. When I finished, Loesser asked me whether I knew how to dance the partita’s five movements. I vaguely knew that the movements were based on old dance forms, but I had assumed that the dance steps themselves [...] The Guarneri String Quartet retired, yet Arnold Steinhardt continues to perform in public. Photo by Dorothea von Haeften. Violinist in Recently Retired String Quartet Looking for Work * Skills Proficient in chamber music. Works best with people willing to overlook occasional lapses in intonation, phrasing, and tone. Performs virtuoso solo works, but no higher than [...] Mozart’s String Quartet, K. 421 in D Minor, occupies a special place in the hearts of the Guarneri String Quartet. It was the very first music we read through after deciding to form as a group. Why that work? Hard to remember after all these years, but I would guess that its emotion charged and [...] For the Very Last Time On June 12, 2007, the Guarneri String Quartet sent out the following announcement: Dear Friends, We, the Guarneri String Quartet, have decided to retire at the end of the 2008-9 season, our forty-fifth year before the public. This has not only been a long journey, but a deeply satisfying one as well. What could be [...] Gray’s Papaya “We’ll drive you home,” said Frank Salomon, an old friend and long-time presenter of the Peoples’ Symphony Concerts at Washington Irving High School. The Guarneri String Quartet had just finished a performance there, the last ever on the series before our retirement. Moments later, Frank behind the wheel, his wife Martha, my wife Dorothea, and [...] Second Concert The following is a slightly extended version of Second Concert, that appeared in the June publication of the new magazine Listen: Life with Classical Music. Our string quartet played a concert at Emory University in March of this year. Whenever I’m in Atlanta, I stay with my friends, Murphy Davis and Ed Loring, ministers who [...] A member of the audience, somebody I’d seen backstage more than once before, came up to me recently after a concert I had just played. He smiled broadly, shook my hand enthusiastically, and said, “Great concertâ€¦ really.” In the midst of thanking him, that last word, “really,” finally registered. Really? Excuse me sir, but what [...] Life, Death, Music Last summer, Emily Hsiao, a teenager whom I’d never met, e-mailed me. She asked whether the Guarneri Quartet would have time to listen to music students in her high school when we played in Ann Arbor, Michigan that winter. Only hours after my visit to the school, a brutal attack on one of those students [...] Almost on the Riviera Did you always believe what your parents told you when you were young? I certainly did. I may not have always had the good sense to obey them or heed their advice but their wisdom was unquestionable. Take education, for example. My parents believed mightily in the importance of formal knowledge and therefore the need [...] The Abode Alter Bock, a dedicated amateur string quartet player, has just announced plans for the creation of a home for retired chamber musicians. “I’m concerned that these wonderful musicians I’ve heard and admired most of my life have a nice place to spend their golden years.” He spoke to me from the music room in his [...] I ran into the violinist, Jennifer Koh, not long ago. Jenny is a highly gifted young musician who happens to have a keen interest in string players of old. At some point, our conversation turned to Yehudi Menuhin, one of the great violinists of the twentieth century. We talked about Menuhin’s instantly recognizable style, the [...] The Brush With Fame Ah, Los Angeles! So-called city of angels, a place where the sun shines almost always, where palm trees flourish, a place that knows no winter-in short the city where I was born and raised. But in my adolescence, Los Angeles was much more than a hedonist’s playground. Thanks to the movie industry, the balmy weather, [...] New Year’s Thoughts A drawing in the New Yorker magazine several years ago depicted a tawdry back alley with a few empty cans and bottles strewn about. The caption above read: Life without Mozart. Its message apparently affected many of us. I saw the drawing on peoples’ desks, walls, and refrigerator doors for years afterward. As a member [...] When I was eleven years old, my violin teacher assigned me The Swan by Camille Saint-Saëns. I had no idea that The Swan was a famous cello solo or that it was part of a much larger work, The Carnival of the Animals. I had never even heard of its composer, Saint-Saëns, or seen his [...] Mr. Oliver I enrolled in a music appreciation class when I was a high school student. Near the beginning of the semester, the teacher of the class took ill and a substitute, Mr. Oliver, replaced him. Mr. Oliver knew his subject well. He played us everything on the school record player from Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony to Peruvian [...] I was having my teeth cleaned by the dental hygienist the other day when she offhandedly asked whether my children were also in the music industry. Fortunately, with my mouth wide open and filled with dental gear, I was only capable of answering with a few rather inarticulate and muffled noises. Otherwise, I might have [...] What Good is Music? [Originally written and published in September 2002]. I lost no loved ones on 11 September 2001, nor was my home destroyed or my work affected in any palpable way by the tragic attack on our nation; and yet, the events of that morning have prodded me to look inward and take personal inventory. As a [...] A Tale of Three Violinists I stood in the artist’s dressing room, warming up nervously before my sole rehearsal with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. For a twenty-two-year-old violinist just starting a career, performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with this distinguished group of musicians was an important engagement. My palms were sweating, my heart beat rapidly, and I began to pace back [...] Last Words to a Son Andrea, the head nurse at the assisted living home where my mother has lived for many years, called last month to tell me that mother had stopped eating, that she was drifting in and out of consciousness, and that she was failing rapidly. The next day, my son Alexej and I flew to Southern California [...] I’m a wonderful teacher. I know, you don’t have to tell me. It’s not nice to brag. But truth above all, I always say. Here. Let me show you why I’m so good. We have a dog named Tessa. As far as I can tell, Tessa doesn’t have much feeling for music one way or [...] Remembering Izzy Photo by Allen Cohen Every one of us has to die. We know that. We also know that sooner or later all of us will be forgotten. Even Einstein. Even Beethoven. Nevertheless, we humans doggedly strive for meaning in our lives and harbor the secret (or not so secret) wish to accomplish something of sufficient [...] A Noteworthy Day I heard a great deal of music yesterday. Let me rephrase that. Yesterday, I heard a multitude of sounds—some longer, some shorter, higher or lower, louder or softer—as I made my way through my waking hours. The sounds appeared sometimes as individual tones and sometimes in groups of two and three. They often repeated themselves [...] Solo Bow The Guarneri String Quartet played a concert in Wisconsin several years ago. Why do I remember that this particular concert was in Wisconsin? Probably because Wisconsin is a cheese-making state and a delicious selection of cheese was set out at the after-concert party. It’s funny what details remain vibrant in one’s mind, especially in light [...] In the Key of Strawberry An unexpected thought interrupted the sentence I was reading in the morning newspaper, followed by several other thoughts in quick succession. I had just remembered last night’s dream: My wife, Dorothea, and I were riding on a bus in a foreign country. Through the window we espied an open-air flea market with an array of [...] Cousin Sam “How much time you giving me today, maestro?” This was more or less the way Sam began most of our phone conversations. Sam Schloss was my cousin, more specifically: my mother’s mother’s sister’s son. I would usually call him during a break in one of the open rehearsals the Guarneri String Quartet held during its [...] When I first posted stories about music on my web site, I assumed that there would be just a handful of things to write about. Now, more than four years later, I'm still writing. This has everything to do with the nature of being a musician. When musicians get together, we inevitably have stories to tell about music, musicians, concerts, audiences, instruments, travel, food, and ever so much more. We talk about the great moments, the disasters, what was memorable, forgettable, hilarious, and unexpected. The stories seem never ending and never less than engaging. I plan to keep writing. I hope you will keep reading. Please visit www.arnoldsteinhardt.com for information about my books, recordings, and The Guarneri String Quartet. Site design by Roundhex. Photography by Dorothea von Haeften. Copyright Arnold Steinhardt. 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__label__wiki	0.708912	0.708912	Pop Culture \| August 30, 2011 Top 10 Women of the 20th Century Ben Gazur I think Listverse is at its best when it teaches you things you did not know, and when it provokes debate. Any list of the most important, influential and best women of the 20th century is certainly bound to be provocative. So, if you think any of these do not deserve to be here, or there is someone I have neglected unfairly, drop in a comment below. Social reformer Born into wealth, the niece of Teddy Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt might have lived the quiet life of many upper-class women of her day. She married her cousin, Franklin Roosevelt, in 1905, and soon became involved in his political life. This union would shape American politics for a generation. Eleanor was an instrumental part of her husband’s campaigning, especially after his attack of polio. This activity was widely mocked in the press when she continued to speak out on social matters as first lady, a position previously involving only being hostess at the White House. It is tempting to think she learned the concept of being ‘a bully pulpit’ from her uncle Teddy. Eleanor followed her own political agenda as well as supporting her husband. She was a strong and outspoken supporter of African-American rights. She objected to the interring of Japanese-Americans once the US entered World War 2. After FDR’s death, Eleanor served on the UN Commission for Human Rights. She continued to serve the causes she believed in, until her death in 1962. While she held no elected office, she was a wide reaching social reformer who is still quoted often. Author/Philosopher There is no better way to start a quarrel on the internet these days than to mention Ayn Rand. Or, as her detractors call her, ‘Ein reich, win volk, Ayn Rand’, which is at least a good guide to how to pronounce her name, if not reflective of her politics. Why is she here if she is so controversial? No one will deny her influence. Born in Russia and witness to the Soviet revolution she developed a hatred for communism, or any form of government which denied an individual their rights. In the United States she turned her hand to writing, and her novels The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged and Anthem developed, in fiction, her philosophy of Objectivism. Objectivism is based on a scientific world view of objective reality, the use of reason in all things, and the absolute right of an individual to govern himself. None of these things seems inherently controversial, but, somehow, the Objectivist philosophy, and Rand herself, are praised and hated with no seeming middle-ground. Her work has influenced economists, business and politicians, and so Ayn Rand is one of the women of the century. Dorothy Hodgkin Dorothy Hodgkin is not a well-known name outside the world of science. While her name may not be familiar, her work has revolutionized biology. X-ray crystallography allows the structures of molecules to be resolved by the diffraction of X-rays. When first given a crystal of pure insulin, X-ray crystallography was still too primitive to allow for the structure to be solved. Through decades of work on other biological molecules the technique was refined until proteins, huge molecules, could have their structures probed. For her work on resolving the structures of biological molecules, Professor Hodgkin was awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry, in 1964. Today there are over 75,000 published protein structures and they are used in the aiding of drug design. Protein biochemistry is unthinkable today without the insights of X-ray crystallography. I was tempted to give this place to Virginia Woolf but I have, instead, opted for Simone de Beauvoir. I believe her philosophical writings merit the place she has earned in academic circles. Beauvoir was once known as little more than a lover of Sartre – now she is considered an influential existential philosopher whose writings are far more readable than those of her idol. Beauvoir used existential ethical arguments to call for a liberation of women. Beauvoir argues against the notion that without a god to judge us that everything is permitted; instead, she says, without a god to blame for our actions, we are entirely responsible for all our acts. This should lead to a more ethical treatment of our fellow humans. The essay ‘Pyrrhus et Cinéas’ asks questions we each must answer about how we live our lives. “What a pity she wasn’t born a lad.” These were words Emmaline overheard her father say when she was young. From a young age, Emmeline was politically aware and understood that she was treated differently from her brothers. She married Richard Pankhurst, a lawyer who advocated freedom of speech, education reform and women’s suffrage. Their home became a center for radical politics and Emmeline founded the Women’s Franchise League. The WFL disbanded after a year, and Emmeline focused on supporting her husband’s political ambitions. After Richard’s death, in 1897, Emmeline founded the Women’s Social and Political Union. The WSPU focused on direct action to advance the cause of votes for women. As well as speeches and letter writing – tactics which had previously failed – the WSPU took part in demonstrations, graffiti writing, window smashing and members chained themselves to railings. Many members were arrested, including Pankhurst and her daughters, leading many to decry the conditions in prisons. At the breakout of WW1, the WSPU halted all activities to support the war effort. This clever tactic gave them widespread support. In 1918, votes for women over 30 were granted, and Emmeline Pankhurst survived to see the age of suffrage equalized for men and women. Rachel Carson is credited with advancing the cause of environmentalism with her books, particularly ‘Silent Spring’. That book documented her studies on the effects of uncontrolled pesticide use. The food web being what it is, pesticides will tend to concentrate up the food chain to possibly dangerous levels in apex predators. ‘Silent Spring’ is usually cited as instrumental in the banning of DDT, a common insecticide. DDT was used in the clearing of mosquitoes from swamps in an attempt to eradicate malaria. Recent attacks on Carson’s legacy have focused on accusing her of causing needless death from malaria because of the DDT ban. She is also credited with saving several predatory birds from extinction. The evidence seems to be on Carson’s side, but it is indicative of the environmental debates we must decide. Her chief achievement was in bringing environmental issues to the fore of public debate through her books and speeches. One night, in December, 1955, in Alabama, a black seamstress was trying to get home after a long day of work. When white people boarded the bus she was instructed to vacate her seat and move to the back of the bus. When she refused, the police were called and she was arrested. Later, she would always deny that she refused to give up her seat because she was physically tired. “The only tired I was,” she said, “was tired of giving in.” Rosa Parks’ arrest was not the first such one, but it was used as a rallying cry for civil rights activists. A one-day boycott was called of the bus system in Montgomery on the day of her trial. The boycott would eventually last over a year, and would only end when segregation on the buses did. While never one of the great leaders of the civil rights movement, she did become an icon and continued to speak for the end of segregation. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in 1996. Politicians will always be contentious, however no list of women of the 20th century is complete without Indira Gandhi. She ruled over the world’s most populous democracy for fifteen years. Born the daughter to Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, Indira became a Gandhi by marriage to Feroze Gandhi. After serving in the government as Minister for Information, Indira Gandhi was chosen by the congress party to replace the then Prime Minister after his sudden death. This made her the world’s second female Prime Minister; Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka beat her to the first spot. The first major crisis she faced was the Indo-Pakistan war which created millions of refugees. India beat Pakistan, forcing a surrender of East Pakistan, which led to the formation of Bangladesh. She also led a charge to modernize India, particularly in agriculture as famine was a constant threat. No political career is entirely a triumph, and Indira Gandhi was removed from office by charges of corruption. She was returned to office in 1979, and ruled until assassinated by her own bodyguard. Birth control activist Sanger may seem an odd choice, but her efforts to popularize birth control have probably materially changed more women’s lives than almost anyone else on this list. Sanger sought to give women control of reproduction for the first time. As a nurse, Sanger saw the effects of self-performed abortions and common deaths during childbirth. She started writing a column; “What every girl should know.” Later, she began to publish the Birth Control Review. This was seen as obscene, and charges were brought against her. Fleeing to Europe, she met and inspired Mary Stopes to start her own contraceptive campaign. The campaigns on both sides of the Atlantic grew and the laws banning the dissemination of information on birth control were overturned. Sanger founded family planning clinics and in old age was a firm proponent of the birth control pill. She remains a controversial figure partly because of her stance on birth control, but also because she was a supporter of eugenics. Marie Curie’s biography is inspiring. Discoverer – with her husband Pierre – of Radium and Polonium, first woman to win a Nobel Prize, only person to win Nobel Prizes in two science fields, first female Professor at the Sorbonne, and refiner of X-ray imaging. What have you done with your day? All of this is the more remarkable when you consider the prejudice that a woman in science would then face. After graduating from the Sorbonne, Curie was unable to find work in her native Poland. In 1895, she married Pierre, and one of the most successful scientific collaborations was formed. Together, they toiled on research in the new field of radioactivity (a word they coined). When Pierre died, run over by a carriage, she continued their work and took over his teaching post. After the awarding of her Nobel Prizes she became a famous face of science, and used her influence to get funding for research into radioactivity. When the First World War came she purified the radium needed for X-ray machines and drove the trucks to the front lines herself. Unfortunately, her long years of work with radioactive elements, before the dangers of ionizing radiation were discovered, weakened her health and caused her death, in 1934. Her daughter, Irène, continued to work on radioactivity, and was, herself, awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry (alongside her own husband), in 1935. 10 Odd Medical Practices Of The 20th Century 10 Reasons To Think Conflicts Of The 20th Century… 10 Women Who Stole Other Women's Babies Top 10 Bizarre Smells From 18th Century England Top 10 Women Who Managed To Escape Prison Top 10 Ways Modern Society Makes Women Miserable Top 10 Women (Not Called Mary) Who Had A Virgin Birth Top 10 Celebrities Who Survived a Coma 10 Iconic Mascots And Their Surprising Backstories 10 Interesting Places to Visit with Google Earth Top 10 Reasons 2020 Wasn’t A Total Dumpster Fire Of A Year Top 10 Remarkable Achievements Of 4chan 10 Gangnam Style Parodies You Have to See	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line525
__label__wiki	0.699118	0.699118	2012 Joint New Year Editorial: “The entire army should place absolute trust in Kim Jong Un and defend him unto death” by Philip Gowman posted 5 Jan 2012 2 Jan 2015 updated 2 Jan 2015 in Seasonal posts \| North Korea. 21 minute read The customary New Year joint editorial published by the major North Korean newspapers serves to reinforce the position of Kim Jong Un, who is mentioned 15 times in this 5,700-word exhortatory message. “The whole Party, the entire army and all the people” is encouraged to “become human bulwarks and human shields in defending Kim Jong Un unto death.” A worker holding aloft the Flame of Hamnam (South Hamgyong Province) urges people to carry out the tasks laid down in the joint editorial Following the injunction last year’s editorial that everyone should turn his or her native place and workplace into a socialist fairyland, Ryongnim County in Jagang Province on the Chinese border (site of a dam visited by Kim Jong il in August 2011), Taehung (possibly referring to a county in the north-east corner of South Pyongan Province) and Hoeryong in North Hamyong Province, said to be the birthplace of Kim Jong-il’s mother Kim Jong-suk, are singled out for their success. As last year, the editorial presses for the implementation of the October 4 Declaration, and the June 15 Joint Declaration, though it notes that the situation in 2011 was “tense and complicated“. Food is recognised as a problem, a “burning issue in building a thriving country“, as is shortages of raw and other materials in the light industry sector. Domestic solutions are proposed as an answer, including “large-size fruit and fish farms”. (One of Kim Jong-il’s on-the-spot guidance trips in October 2011 was to a terrapin farm on the Taedong River.) The full text of the editorial from the KCNA website is reproduced below. Pyongyang, January 1 (KCNA) — Rodong Sinmun, Joson Inmingun and Chongnyon Jonwi, leading newspapers of the DPRK, on Sunday published a joint editorial “Glorify this year 2012 as a year of proud victory, a year when an era of prosperity is unfolding, true to the instructions of the great General Kim Jong Il”. The full text of the editorial is as follows: Having seen out the year 2011 in bitter tears of blood, the service personnel and people of Korea are now seeing in the New Year Juche 101 (2012). It was a long-standing tradition of our people to extend best wishes for good health to the great leader Kim Jong Il on every New Year’s Day and set out on the advance of that year. His august name and benevolent image were a banner of victory that instilled in our people confidence in sure victory and will to achieve it and a source of their mental strength. Now our service personnel and people, turning the great sorrow into one-thousand-fold strength and courage, are embarking on a grand march towards the goal of achieving prosperity in the new century of the Juche era, following the leadership of their supreme leader Kim Jong Un. That we parted too suddenly and unexpectedly with the great leader Kim Jong Il last year was the greatest loss our nation had suffered in its 5 000-year-long history and the bitterest grief our Party and people had experienced. The great Kim Jong Il was an outstanding ideologist and theoretician, peerless veteran statesman and brilliant Songun commander who led the revolutionary cause of Juche along the road of victory by dint of his profound ideas and theories and unexcelled leadership, and a great patriot and the benevolent father of the people, who dedicated his revolutionary life entirely to his country and his people. Thanks to his leadership our nation has greeted a golden age of its prosperity unprecedented in its 5 000-year-long history; the Juche idea and the Songun idea, the immortal ideas authored by President Kim Il Sung, have become the ideas guiding the era of independence, the revolutionary traditions of Paektu have been resolutely defended, and the might of our Party, army and country has attained the highest level. When our revolution was undergoing worst trials and hardships, he steadfastly safeguarded the gains of socialism, valuable heritage the President had bequeathed, and consolidated the political, military and economic foundations for achieving prosperity for all the generations to come; this is shining as the greatest of his achievements in the revolutionary cause of Juche. Having keenly felt how great the leader, whom they had upheld as the sun of the nation and their father in making the revolution, was, our service personnel and people are now filled with a firm determination to carry through his lifetime intentions and cause. Last year was a year of victory, featured by radical changes and leap forward taken place in the building of a prosperous and powerful nation under the energetic leadership of Kim Jong Il. It was an ennobling intention of Kim Jong Il to celebrate the centenary of the birth of President Kim Il Sung as the most auspicious and significant event, which would solemnly declare the victory in the Songun-based great upsurge. In order to bring about a proud victory in 2012, he displayed super-human energy in leading the all-people advance. He continued his on-site guidance tours, up until the last moments of his revolutionary life, to major fronts of the building of a thriving nation, the army posts at the front line and various other parts of the country, thus bringing the 100-year history of the Juche era resplendent with great victories and changes to a close. Last year significant achievements were made in the great upsurge for improving the people’s standard of living, and solid foundations laid for building the country into an economic giant in the 21st century. Under the great General’s tireless leadership, the torch of the industrial revolution in the new century was kindled and our national economy has entered the stage of building a powerful country with the knowledge-based economy. The Huichon Power Station and other monumental edifices to be dedicated to the grand festival in 2012 are being set up in many parts of the country, and the flames of Hamnam, the banner of a fresh grand march, are flaring up fiercely. Amidst the great upsurge for improving the people’s standard of living, many light-industry factories were renovated and modern livestock and fish-farming bases and large-size fruit-farming bases, prototypes of their kinds in the new century, were built in various parts of the country; these are great products born of our Party’s strategy for achieving prosperity. Today we are confident in saying that we, with a great pride in being a victor, are at the epochal point of opening the gates of a thriving country. The overall appearance of the country has been transformed to be appropriate for a thriving country. True to the far-reaching plan of Kim Jong Il, building up Pyongyang into a world-class city has been undertaken full steam, and Ryongnim, Taehung, Hoeryong and many other parts have been turned into socialist fairylands. Monumental works of performing arts, like the drama “We Will Recollect Today”, which represents the art and literature in the Songun era, have been created one after another, and a new golden age of the mass-based arts has been ushered in. Last year witnessed the demonstration on an ennobling high of the traits of our people who are ready to take the road of the revolution to the end following the great Party. The situation was tense and complicated, yet the sentiments of our people who were keeping in step with their leader in onward advance remained unstained and invariable. The period of mourning over the death of the great Kim Jong Il proved that the ties between him and his people sealed in aspiration and emotion are eternal and unbreakable. The tears our service personnel and people shed with greatest sorrow were tears of the unity, unaffected and crystal-clear, and tears of their firm determination to follow the Party to the end of the earth. The ideological and mental virtue of our people, who are possessed of the most ennobling sense of moral obligation, makes the enemy tremble with terror and strikes the rest of the world with admiration. As long as there are the Party, army and state, which Kim Jong Il developed to be invincible, as long as Kim Jong Un, successor to the revolutionary cause of Juche, leads us sagaciously and as long as there is an excellent people who support their leaders faithfully through generations, the cause of building a thriving country is sure to emerge victorious–-this is an iron truth inscribed in our hearts as we set out on a fresh march. This year, Juche 101 (2012), is the year when Kim Jong Il’s plan for achieving prosperity will bear a brilliant fruit, and the year of a grand march, when a new century of Kim Il Sung’s Korea begins. The march in the new century of the Juche era is the continuation of the revolutionary march that started up on Mt. Paektu. Steadfast is the will of our service personnel and people to adorn our revolution, pioneered by Kim Il Sung and whose victory after victory they won followingKim Jong Il, with eternal victory following the leadership of Kim Jong Un. The guide of hope in the march in the new century is the great revolutionary ideas of the great persons of Mt. Paektu, and the treasured swords for sure victory are the courageous mettle of the brilliant commanders of Paektu and their way of offensive. We must follow to the end the road of independence, the road of Songun and the road to socialism pioneered by Kim Il Sung, so as to ensure that the history of revolutionary activities of Kim Il Sung and the history of Songun-based revolutionary leadership of Kim Jong Il continue without interruption. The centenary of the birth of Kim Il Sung is a major, important occasion for displaying the might of Korea, which is advancing bravely towards the world standards, and a grand revolutionary festival, which will demonstrate the steadfast continuity of the revolution in Korea, which stoutly carries forward one ideology and one bloodline. We must glorify this year as a year of grand general march for inheriting the history of great upsurge generation after generation under the leadership of the great guide, the Workers’ Party of Korea. Today we are faced with the important task of scaling without fail the historical-stage targets of 2012 true to the lifetime instructions of General Kim Jong Il. By registering a brilliant success in this year’s struggle for opening the gates of a thriving country, we must enter a new, high stage of building a thriving socialist country in an all-round way. “Glorify this year 2012 as a year of proud victory, a year when an era of prosperity is unfolding, true to the instructions of the great General Kim Jong Il!”–-this is the militant slogan the whole Party, the entire army and all the people should uphold this year. We must increase our political and ideological might, the might of our unity, to the maximum. The first and foremost national power of Kim Il Sung’s Korea was, is and will be the might of ideology and unity. The year 2012 is a year of single-minded unity, a year of burning loyalty, when our political and ideological might which has been consolidated generation after generation following the great leaders and the great Party, will be given full play. Our people are all the descendants of Kim Il Sung who inherited his ideas and cause, and the soldiers and followers of Kim Jong Il. We must demonstrate to the whole world the noble outlook on morality we have cherished as we have the peerlessly great men as our eternal fathers and teachers. We should fully display our loyalty in greeting the centenary of the birth of PresidentKim Il Sung with high political and ideological enthusiasm and brilliant feats of labor. The revolutionary achievements and behests of the great Kim Jong Il are the lifeline we should hold fast to forever and the eternal precious assets of the revolution. We should staunchly defend the revolutionary heritage bequeathed by Kim Jong Il, whatever the storm and stress. It is the steadfast determination of our Party that it will make no slightest vacillation and concession in implementing the instructions and policies he had laid out in his lifetime and that it will allow no change in this process. We should maintain a thoroughgoing view that the road to socialism whichKim Il Sung had pioneered and Kim Jong Il had led along is the most correct choice and the principled stand that we will defend the people-centred socialism of our own style however others may say what. We must develop our single-minded unity without interruption into the solidest one which is carried forward generation after generation. Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader of our Party and our people, is the banner of victory and glory of Songun Korea and the eternal centre of its unity. The dear respected Kim Jong Un is precisely the great Kim Jong Il. The whole Party, the entire army and all the people should possess a firm conviction that they will become human bulwarks and human shields in defending Kim Jong Un unto death, and follow the great Party for ever. We must become true persons who keep pace with their leader and his true comrades who work untiringly to creditably realize his intentions however hard the times are. We must vigorously launch an all-out drive to implement our Party’s grand strategy for achieving prosperity. Last year Kim Jong Il earnestly said that the whole Party, the entire nation and all the people should bring about great innovations and leap forward on all fronts of the revolution and construction following the banner of the industrial revolution in the new century and the flames of Hamnam. This instruction constitutes the most scientific and revolutionary policy he put forth on the basis of his incisive insight into the present undertaking to build a thriving nation and the inexhaustible potentials of the country. True to the pledge we took before the bier of GeneralKim Jong Il, we should devote all our energy, wisdom and enthusiasm to the struggle for translating into reality his plan of achieving prosperity. The flames of Hamnam represent the banner of the general offensive for the great victory in 2012, a banner of fresh change. The flames embody the spirit of valiant offensive of accomplishing the tasks entrusted by the Party in the shortest possible period and on the highest possible level, the strong national self-respect of rising beyond the global standards by drawing on one’s own strength, and the traits of a pioneer of opening before anybody else the gates of prosperity in one’s own home town and at one’s own workplace. The flames of Hamnam for great innovation should flare up more fiercely in the sectors of light industry and agriculture, the leading sectors for the building of a thriving country. The sector of light industry should direct utmost concern to making the modern production bases, which are associated with our Party’s great care, pay off. It should produce in larger amounts quality goods which cater to people’s tastes and are welcomed by them. The problem of raw and other materials necessary for this sector should be solved by relying on domestic resources, and the relentless drive be continued to develop the local industry. At present, the food problem is a burning issue in building a thriving country. Today Party organizations’ militant efficiency and officials’ loyalty to the revolution will be verified in solving this problem. They should implement to the letter the Party’s policy of agricultural revolution so as to radically increase the per-unit area yield of grain both in lowlands and highlands. It is important to achieve cyclic production between farming and stockbreeding, introduce the organic farming method of our style in a proactive manner and take timely measures to satisfy the demand for farming materials and machinery needed to hit the target for agricultural production. They should ensure that the modern bases for stockbreeding and poultry farming and large-size fruit and fish farms, all having an important share in the improvement of people’s living standards, run at full capacity. The vanguard sectors of the national economy, the sectors of basic industries, are charged with making breakthroughs in the grand onward march for the next 100 years following the flames of Hamnam. We should solve the problem of power shortage at all costs and on a priority basis. The sector of electric-power industry should continue to press on with the building of large-size hydropower stations and improve the operation of equipment and technical management at the existing power stations, so as to keep the generation of electricity going on a high level. The sector of coal-mining industry should direct its efforts to meeting the demands for coal from thermal-power stations and chemical and metallurgical factories, and actively develop new coal fields. The officials and working people in the sector of metallurgical industry should increase the capacity of the Juche iron production system, introduce the techniques of high-temperature air combustion which rely on domestic fuel, and accelerate the modernization of the rolled steel production lines. The sector of rail transport should give precedence to upgrading the railways of the country, increase rail transport capacity and consolidate its material and technical foundations. The sector of chemical industry should, while building up the Juche fertilizer production system, effect a radical increase in its capacity and normalize the production of vinalon and other chemical fibres and synthetic resins on a high level. The industrial revolution in the new century, which is the grand strategic line of socialist construction advanced by our Party, is a sacred struggle for building ours into a powerful country with the knowledge-based economy of our style through the drive to break through the cutting edge. We should raise the overall level of the technical equipment onto a new high with the pioneering spirit and creative spirit displayed by the developers at the Ryonha Machine in making a rapid progress in producing the latest CNC machine tools. All sectors and units of the national economy should drastically increase the capacity for developing new technologies and products of their own, and push forward in a far-sighted way the work of turning the national economy into a technology-intensive one. Scientific research institutes should make greater efforts to develop the fields of core, basic technologies, including information and nano technologies and bioengineering, and promote technical engineering in major fields and produce more research findings that would beat the world. In developing science and technology, they should firmly establish the Juche-orientation, thoroughly apply collectivism, and bring science and technology close to production. Talents in the field of science and technology, precious assets of the country, should be given prominence and the conditions for their scientific research should be provided at the highest standard. We should glorify our country as a highly civilized, socialist one. It was a patriotic will of the great General and is a unanimous aspiration of our people to surpass the standards of the world civilization in all spheres of social life. The sector of education should ensure a high level of its contents and form, conditions and environment, as required by the era of knowledge-based economy. The sector of literature and the arts should thoroughly implement the Party’s policy of conducting creation, editing and representation in our own way, and produce a larger number of masterpieces that are perfect in all respects. Activities of mass-based art lifelike, easy to understand and based on the reality of a great upsurge should be conducted briskly, and the conditions for the youth and other people to lead an affluent cultured and emotional life be better provided. The heated enthusiasm for sports should be encouraged further by enhancing social interest in physical culture and sports and making them part of people’s every day life and habit. The work of bringing into full bloom the most excellent culture and ethics of our nation and our way of life should be further intensified. We should wage an intense struggle to frustrate the manoeuvres of the imperialists’ ideological and cultural infiltration and root up alien elements in the way of life, so that a revolutionary and sound atmosphere would pervade the whole society. To improve the appearance of Pyongyang is an important project to greet in grand style the centenary of the birth of President Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il’s earnest behest. We should step up the construction in the Mansudae area and other major projects under construction on the highest level and effect a radical turn in urban management and landscaping, thus ushering in a new heyday of Pyongyang in the Songun era. Every province, city and county should sustain its local peculiarities in its designing and construction, and drastically improve the appearance of its urban and rural communities. We should consolidate the national defence capabilities in every way under the unfurled banner of Songun. The Korean People’s Army is the pillar and main force of the Songun revolution and the vanguard in the building of a thriving nation. This year marks the centenary of the birth of Kim Il Sung and the 80th founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army; in this meaningful year, the KPA should bring about a radical turn in all aspects of military and political work by pressing ahead with the movement for winning the title of O Jung Hup-led 7th Regiment, and thus demonstrate its heroic mettle and invincible combat efficiency as the army of the leader and the Party. The officers and men of the KPA should cherish an unshakable faith that the great ComradeKim Jong Il will always be with them and a noble moral obligation to him, and firmly defend his achievements for army-building and add eternal glory to them by force of arms. The entire army should place absolute trust in and follow Kim Jong Un and become human rifles and bombs to defend him unto death, holding high the slogan “Let us defend with our very lives the Party Central Committee headed by the dear respected Comrade Kim Jong Un!” At this juncture, when the Juche-oriented cause of army building has entered a new historic phase, the KPA should intensify the Party political work aimed at thoroughly establishing the unified command system of Kim Jong Un, Supreme Commander of our revolutionary armed forces. True to the lifetime intentions of Kim Jong Il, it should take the lead in supporting faithfully the Songun-based revolutionary leadership of Kim Jong Un, the brilliant commander born of Mt. Paektu, and establish throughout it the revolutionary climate of carrying out his orders and instructions to the letter, without reservation and even unto death. The security of our country and people, heritage bequeathed by Kim Jong Il, and victory in the building of a thriving nation, rest on the arms of Songun. Under the slogan “Training is also a battle!” the KPA should conduct training in an atmosphere of actual battle as befits the revolutionary army of Mt. Paektu, so as to prepare all the officers and men to be a-match-for-a-hundred combatants who could implement independently and actively the operational combat tasks assigned to them, a death-defying corps for national reunification. They should be fully ready to deal prompt and merciless blows at the enemy and achieve national reunification, if they dare infringe upon our dignity and sovereignty. By pushing ahead with the work of strengthening the command and management of units and creating military ethos, it should thoroughly establish across it steel-strong military discipline, and possess looks required of a regular army and noble moral traits. It should direct constant efforts to the strengthening of companies, thus making them all competent combat ranks and dear homes for rank-and-file soldiers. True to the intention of our Party, which set this year for the KPA as a year for the people, it should make devoted efforts to bring their happiness into full bloom, thus implementing with creditKim Jong Il’s idea of army-people unity. The service personnel should achieve brilliant feats of labor that would be remembered for all ages by fully demonstrating their mettle of “At a go” on major fronts of the building of a thriving nation and with the charging speed, a-match-for-a-hundred speed, of the heroic KPA, which has no word impossible in its vocabulary. The enormous potentialities of the defence industry Kim Il Sung created and Kim Jong Il consolidated through his tireless Songun-based revolutionary leadership should be given fullest play. To strengthen the Party and enhance its leadership role to the maximum is the decisive guarantee for unfolding a new era of prosperity true to the behests of Kim Jong Il. At present our Party and revolution are in an important, responsible period, when the revolutionary cause of Juche is being carried forward. The present reality demands that the Paektu spirit of march, the spirit of uninterrupted revolution, to carry out the revolution firmly rallied behind Kim Jong Un run through the building and activities of the Party. The key point in our Party work at present and in the future, too, is to thoroughly establish the monolithic leadership system of the Party. We should strengthen and develop the whole Party into an integrated whole of organizational and ideological unity, which is run through with the unanimous will to follow the leader’s intentions unconditionally. Party organizations should fully get acquainted with the public sentiments as required by the Party’s mass line, and effect a fresh turn in the work with the masses. They should respect the opinions of the masses and intensify Party work accordingly, so as to make the greatness of our Party’s benevolent politics, all-embracing politics, demonstrated to the full this year that marks the centenary of the birth of President Kim Il Sung. The most powerful is a Party organization which translates into reality the lifetime wish ofKim Jong Il. Party organizations at all levels should concentrate their efforts on the struggle to make the flames of Hamnam flare up fiercely and push ahead with the industrial revolution in the new century. They should launch in a fresh and ambitious way the information and publicity work to inspire the people to live and work in the spirit and at the speed of forced march displayed byKim Jong Il. It is important to radically improve the way of work of officials and their leading abilities as required by the era of great upsurge. What is important today for our officials is to actively learn from the militant temperament of the commanding officers of the KPA, who carry out the intentions of Kim Jong Un in a most swift and thoroughgoing way. Officials who buckle down audaciously and without any delay to what the Party is determined to do, who carry out any challenging task at lightning speed in a three-dimensional way and who finish any thing to be impeccable even in the distant future as a thing of lasting value–-the current age of great upsurge demand such officials. “Let us do many more things for the benefit of the people!”–-this must be the slogan of action and conscience for our officials in supporting the intentions of the great Party. Officials should be deeply aware that they exist for the sake of the people, have the steadfast standpoint of launching all undertakings in keeping with the will and interests of the people, and acquire an open-minded attitude of verifying their loyalty to the Party in front of the people. They should thoroughly effect the intentions of our Party of considering people’s conveniences to be absolute and the highest priority and making devoted services for them. It is an important key to emerging victorious in the general offensive of this year to give fullest play to the mental strength of the masses of the people. The mental strength of the masses decides everything. It is necessary to emulate the mental strength and executive abilities displayed by the people in South Hamgyong Province who have proudly manufactured state-of-the-art machinery by their own efforts with a firm faith that Korea does what it is determined to do. Mass movement and socialist emulation drive should be launched vigorously in all parts of the country to enlist the mental strength of the masses. As Kim Jong Il said, when the working people’s organizations are afire with enthusiasm, the whole country will be enveloped with the same atmosphere. The youth league organizations should train all their members to be genuine young vanguard of Songun that will creditably carry forward the traditions of performing miracles and innovations and the traditions of revolutionary optimism displayed in every period of the Korean revolution. Young people should perform feats of labor at all sites of the building of a thriving country, and build many more monumental structures in the Songun era to be named after youth, singing aloud “March of the Korean Youth”. The women’s union organizations should actively conduct various forms of do-good-thing movement, including the women’s union shock-brigade campaign, and render tangible contributions to making a revolutionary and sound way of life prevail throughout the country. All the working people’s organizations should fully discharge their mission and duty as organizations for ideological education so as to encourage all their members to highly display their honor of being participants and victors in the drive to build a great, prosperous and powerful country. We must thoroughly carry out the instructions of President Kim Il Sung, eternal sun of the nation, and the respected leader Kim Jong Il on national reunification. The reunification of the country was the lifelong desire of the great persons of Mt. Paektu and the greatest national task assigned to our generation. General Kim Jong Il opened up a broad avenue for accomplishing Kim Il Sung’s cause of national reunification by devoting his whole life. Today, the dear respected Kim Jong Un, another peerless patriot, stands in the van of the effort to carry out the cause of national reunification under the banners of the immortal three charters for national reunification and the north-south joint declarations. As solid foundations have been laid for national reunification and the whole of 70 million Korean people are burning with patriotic zeal, the long-cherished desire of the nation will be materialized without fail before long. Last year, proceeding from a patriotic intention to open a new phase for reunification and prosperity, we proposed wide-ranging talks and negotiations to the south Korean authorities, and made consistent efforts to realize them. However, running against the trend of the times and the public sentiments, the conservative ruling forces in south Korea responded by further intensifying worship of other countries, including the United States, confrontation with the fellow countrymen in the north and war manoeuvres against the north. The acts contrary to morality and against the nation committed by the group of traitors in south Korea–neglecting the greatest national sorrow and hindering in every possible way the offering of condolence–triggered soaring indignation and denunciation on the part of all compatriots. The ruling forces have become an object of people’s stern trial. The developments of last year reaffirmed the truth of history that our nation’s will for independent reunification, peace and prosperity can be broken by no force and the anti-reunification forces will surely be defeated. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the publication of the October 4 Declaration, the action programme of the June 15 Joint Declaration. In this meaningful year we must bring about a decisive turn in accomplishing the cause of national reunification as we hold high the slogan “Let all the compatriots open the gates of national reunification full of fresh confidence!” The stand of national independence and putting the nation above anything else should be maintained in a thoroughgoing way. Solving the problems of inter-Korean relations by rejecting aggressive foreign forces and pooling the efforts of our nation itself is the demand of the June 15 reunification era. All the fellow countrymen in the north, south and abroad should open a broad vista for national reunification with the conviction that our nation should be of the first and foremost consideration and that they will have nothing they cannot do if they maintain the thoroughgoing stand of national independence. Marking the fifth anniversary of the publication of the October 4 Declaration, the atmosphere of supporting the north-south declarations and the will to implement them should prevail across the whole of the national territory. The south Korean people should wage a fierce mass struggle aimed at resolutely frustrating the schemes to sell the interests of the nation in collaboration with the foreign forces. National reconciliation and unity is the precondition and guarantee for national reunification. The common interests of the nation should be given top priority, and everything should be subordinated to them. Confrontation between fellow countrymen that is driving the inter-Korean relations towards catastrophe should be strongly opposed and rejected. Acts against reunification, acts that disgrace the dignity of the north and foster distrust and antagonism between the north and the south, cannot be tolerated in the slightest. All the fellow countrymen should wage a nationwide struggle to frustrate the anti-reunification policy hostile to compatriots pursued by the group of traitors, hindering national reconciliation and unity and escalating confrontation. The prevailing situation urgently demands that the war moves of the bellicose forces at home and abroad be checked and frustrated. The entire nation, under the unfurled banner of anti-war and peace, should smash every move of reckless military provocation, arms buildup and war exercises against the north. Constant vigilance against the danger of military collaboration of the bellicose forces within the country and without should be maintained, and the US aggressor forces, the main obstacle to peace in the Korean peninsula, should be pulled out from south Korea. Today’s struggle to implement the instructions of Kim Jong Il on national reunification is a patriotic one related with the destiny of the nation in the new century of the Juche era. All the Korean people in the north, south and abroad should unite closely under the banners of the June 15 Joint Declaration and the October 4 Declaration and give further spurs to the reunification movement. By doing so, this year they should make a breakthrough for independent reunification. The international environment was quite complicated last year, but the Korean revolution advanced invariably along the road of victory indicated by Kim Jong Il. Kim Jong Il was a defender of justice; for long, he conducted energetic external activities under the unfurled banner of anti-imperialist independence, remarkably enhancing the position and authority of Songun Korea in the international arena and rendering immortal services to promoting the cause of independence of mankind. The historic visits he made last year to China and Russia served as important occasions for achieving peace in the world and security in Northeast Asia and developing the traditional relations of friendship. Whatever a sudden turn the international situation may take and however frantically the imperialists may behave, nothing can arrest our advance towards socialism. We will, in the future, too, hold fast to our Party’s principles of independence, friendship and peace, and strive to develop relations of friendship with countries that respect our country’s sovereignty. As they have entered the new century of the Juche era, having overcome the pain of the greatest loss, our service personnel and people are filled with a grim determination and confidence in sure victory. Inscribed in the hearts of our service personnel and people, who have turned out in the new onward march, are lifetime appearances of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. As Kim Jong Un, a peerlessly brilliant commander, is leading our revolution in the van and the powerful revolutionary army and people united single-heartedly support faithfully their guide, the Workers’ Party of Korea, the revolutionary cause of Juche is sure to emerge victorious. The advance of our revolution that started on Mt. Paektu will continue without interruption as a vigorous march towards the victorious Songun revolution, towards prosperity. Let us all glorify the new century of Kim Il Sung’s Korea as an era of prosperity and proud victory under the leadership of Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader of our Party, our state and our army. Filed in: 2011 year-end posts \| Voice of DPRK General post tags: DPRK New Year message President Lee's New Year Message: Beyond Crisis Toward Hope Darcy's top 10 of 2011	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line532
__label__wiki	0.92012	0.92012	Several Aftershocks Follow Magnitude 4.4 Quake Near La Verne Filed Under:Earthquake, La Verne LA VERNE (CBSLA) – There were several aftershocks following Tuesday night’s magnitude 4.4 earthquake that struck north of La Verne. The earthquake hit at 7:33 p.m. Tuesday about 2.5 miles north of La Verne, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It struck at a depth of 3.7 miles. Security video shows items swaying in a convenience store in Pomona. “Kaboom and it just kind of shook,” La Verne resident Rosalinda Shepherd told CBS2. “And then it just another shook.” It was felt across the Southland, including at police headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, Glendale and Lakewood, and in Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Kern and San Diego counties. Seismologist Lucy Jones said the quake was not on the Sierra Madre fault, one of the largest in the region, but on an ancillary structure. The earthquake was felt during a game between the Colorado Rockies and the Anaheim Angels in Angel Stadium in Anaheim. “We just had a little rolling earthquake here,” the TV announcer said on air. Security cameras captured shaking at a convenience store in Pomona. Edwards Theater in La Verne evacuated its customers and asked them to remain outside for about one hour. There were no reports of damage or injury anywhere in the Southland. The USGS reported that a second magnitude 3.4 earthquake hit near the same area about a minute after the first. A magnitude 2.1 aftershock struck at 1:56 a.m. in the same area. That was followed by a magnitude 1.9 quake in Loma Linda at 2:35 a.m. There were more than a dozen such aftershocks. The earthquake was the largest in Southern California since Dec. 29, 2015, when a magnitude-4.3 quake struck near Devore, in San Bernardino County, Jones said. A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck in La Habra on March 28, 2014. “This is a very ordinary earthquake for California, the size that we have several times a year somewhere in the state,” Jones said. Meanwhile, the Caltech Seismological Laboratory in Pasadena reported that its early warning system in its lab worked, issuing a warning seconds before the earthquake struck. This comes as a new QuakeAlert app created by Santa Monica-based Early Warning Labs, in collaboration with the USGS, is using the same technology as Caltech’s that would provide the public a warning within 60 seconds of such an earthquake. The app is in the testing phase and has not yet been released to the public. “The mobile application right now is in a beta test with a select group of users,” said Joshua Bashioum with Early Warning Labs. “We’re hoping to get the approvals that we need to be able to roll out to some hundred-thousand people that are on the wait list, to get them on board, do some sort of capacity testing that we need to do, as far as with push notifications, and ultimately release it out to users throughout California and L.A.” For more information on the app, click here.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line535
__label__wiki	0.504585	0.504585	In Defense of Luddites Posted on September 20, 2016 October 12, 2016 by lowtechinstitute “Luddite” is a cudgel to batter technology skeptics. It might be applied to a friend without a smartphone, a grandparent who refuses to use a computer, or a neighbor who hangs their laundry on a line. The protest of eighteenth-century weavers has been misunderstood as a stand against new technology. Their smashing of mechanical looms was thought to be the raging against the industrial revolution, when it was in fact a comment on how that technology was being used to alter society. Technology is inanimate and cannot be judged to be good or evil per se, but how people choose to use technology carries consequences just like any other decision. The Historical Luddites In 1799 Combination Laws made unions illegal in England. In 1812 highly skilled laborers known as croppers, who trimmed the nap off of the surface of handwoven textiles, were put out of work by machines. A single machine, run by a low-skilled laborer, could produce five times more fabric than a cropper. The production of woolen fabric had been a mainstay of the English economy for centuries and its high quality made it the country’s top export. Croppers were at the top of the pay scale and highly respected. Mechanical innovations, such as the flying shuttle, coincided with the adoption of water and steam power. At the same time, new metallurgical know-how enabled the production of new machines. In short order, a cropping machine had been built and adopted throughout the factories of England. Croppers were put out of work and former pillars of the community were reduced to waiting on line for poor relief at a time when the parish-by-parish welfare system was already taxed to its limits by a continental war and poor harvests. The low-skilled workers who ran the machines felt alienated from their product, unlike the croppers who had felt a sense of pride in their handicraft. The croppers had lost their dignity. The factory workers felt that they were servants of the machine and slaves to the clock. The croppers believed they were betrayed by the factory owners: the latter had become rich by exporting the former’s high-quality fabrics and used their wealth to build machines to replace the croppers. Because of the law against combination (forming a union), the individual croppers’ demands for redress were weakened. Croppers attempted to persuade the mill owners to see their point of view but had to revert to force when the mill owners ignored them. Small bands of croppers, calling themselves Luddites after a probably fictitious machine-breaker named Ned Ludd, broke into factories and destroyed the new cropping machines. The mill owners employed their own security forces but asked for government assistance when Luddites continued to wreak havoc on their factories. Government soldiers guarded the factories and sent spies to infiltrate Luddite groups. Ringleaders were identified, arrested, and exiled to Australia or hung. The Meaning of the Term “Luddite” The wealthy owners had the ear of the government and newspapers. They portrayed the Luddites as standing in the way of progress. This one-sided simplification of the Luddites has persisted to today. Luddites were painted as simpletons, fearful of progress, and opposed to new technology. An important part of industrialization is novophilia, or the love of the new. Industrialization produced more goods than could be comfortably used by the more self-sufficient cottagers of the preindustrial world. By encouraging novophilia among the public, factory owners ensured a market for the glut of products they were able to produce. This sentiment has persisted to today, seen in the rapid cycling of fashion, smartphones, cars, and other products deemed to be out of date before their usefulness has ended. Surely – the factory owners would argue – anyone who stands in the way of such material wealth is a social deviant. Raging Against the Industrial Machine The Luddites were not against industrial technology. Many of them were not even opposed to cropping machines. They were upset about losing their livelihood to the blind adoption of new technology. Indeed, croppers requested assistance in finding other work but were ignored. The wholesale adoption of revolutionary technology has far-reaching effects on society. Today’s free market encourages the production of a panoply of new products, some of which revolutionize how we live. Recently we have seen the proliferation of smartphones, and our society has yet to come to grips with the benefits and drawbacks of the widespread adoption of this technology. The sharing economy has given rise to Uber, Task Rabbit, Air BnB, and other businesses; some view these as platforms for utilizing otherwise-dormant resources while others see them as the further weakening of predictable employment. The adoption of industrial technology fundamentally changed the lives of the croppers (and the rest of those living in the countryside) during the Industrial Revolution. While life improved for a few, it got distinctly harder for many. Questioning the unthinking adoption of new technology is not a vice or an impediment to progress; it is simply healthy skepticism. More: Paul Josephson’s TEDx Talk on Neo-Luddites, Michal Rozworski’s article on Uber and Luddites Posted in EssayTagged History, Luddites, Technology Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 5 — Summary Introducing the Bee Report — Fall 2016 3 thoughts on “In Defense of Luddites” Pingback: Hi Tech for Low Tech Central Library \| St. Louis Public Library Pingback: Happy Birthday LTI! – Low Technology Institute Pingback: Basic Stances — Energy: Electricity – Low Technology Institute	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line536
__label__cc	0.56003	0.43997	Province partnering with drive-thru restaurants as 20 million masks to be distributed to Albertans By Lethbridge Herald on May 29, 2020. Government of Alberta press release: As part of the relaunch strategy which includes providing free non-medical masks to Albertans who need them, the government of Alberta is partnering with A&W, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Ltd. and Tim Hortons to distribute non-medical masks at no cost through their drive-thru locations across the province, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Distribution will start in early June. Government is also working with municipalities, First Nations communities, Metis Settlements and local agencies to distribute the non-medical masks to those who need them, such as people who depend on public transit. “I want to thank A&W, McDonald’s Canada, Tim Hortons, and all of the other organizations and municipalities that have come together to help us distribute millions of masks. The collective response from leaders in government, public, and private sectors has been overwhelming and I am incredibly grateful to everyone involved, ” says Minister of Health Tyler Shandro. This initiative is part of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy to safely begin removing public health restrictions and reopen our economy. For more information, visit alberta.ca/RelaunchStrategy. • Masks are provided in packages of four. • Masks will be available at almost 600 restaurant partner locations across Alberta. • Masks will be available only at drive-thrus, and only while supplies last. No purchase is necessary. • About 95 per cent of Albertans are located within 10 kilometres of these drive-thrus. • Mask use is not mandatory; they are an option for situations where maintaining a physical distance of two metres is not possible. • The mask distribution program is intended to supplement an individual’s efforts to acquire non-medical masks. Albertans who wish to use non-medical masks are encouraged to purchase their own supply from local retailers in addition to using those provided by government. • Instructions for proper care and use of non-medical masks is available on alberta.ca/masks.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0042.json.gz/line538

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