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Top 10 high school offensive linemen to watch in West Texas in 2020
Here's a look at our top 10 offensive linemen to keep an eye on during the upcoming 2020 high school football season in West Texas:
1. Tate Williams, Wall
6-4, 260, Senior
The Baylor University commit anchored the Hawks' O-line last season as Wall finished 12-1 and advanced to the third round of the 3A Division I playoffs. He graded out at 94 percent and had 65 pancake blocks. The preseason all-state pick had offers from Rutgers, UNLV, Abilene Christian, Texas State and UT-San Antonio. The Hawks are ranked No. 5 in the state by Texas Football magazine.
2. Adam Winn, Ballinger
An all-state selection on both sides of the line last year, Winn helped the Bearcats to an 8-3 record and a spot in the 3A DII playoffs. Winn graded out at 95 percent and had 36 pancakes and 60 knockdowns while allowing just two sacks. He also does the kicking, connecting on 20 PATs and two field goals last year for Ballinger, which is ranked No. 13 in the state.
3. Chris Muns, San Angelo Central
The all-district performer for the Bobcats is a three-year letterman for coach Brent Davis and will be looked on to lead a line that saw two All-West Texas selections graduate. The Cats are moving back in District 2-6A alongside some of their traditional “Little Southwest Conference” rivals.
Top 10 QBs to Watch in West Texas in 2020
Top 10 RBs to Watch in West Texas in 2020
Top 10 Receivers/Tight Ends to Watch in West Texas in 2020
4. Cody High, San Angelo Lake View
The second-team all-district pick for the 4A DI Chiefs is a three-year letterman for coach Hector Guevara. He is the top returning lineman for Lake View, which lost Seminole as a district opponent at the last UIL realignment and gained Fort Stockton, a playoff team in 4A DII.
5. Ashton Smith, Stanton
5-11, 235, Senior
An all-state performer last year for the 3A DII Buffaloes, Smith graded out at 96 percent with 45 pancake blocks. He played 100 percent of Stanton’s offensive snaps, which accounted for more than 2,500 total yards. He has gained 15 pounds since his junior season.
6. Bladen Calley, San Saba
The center was a 96-percent blocker who had 28 pancake blocks for the Armadillos, who were 13-1 regional finalists in 2019. San Saba is ranked No. 10 in 2A DI.
7. Daniel Hernandez, Brady
Hernandez was a first-team all-district selection for the 3A DII Bulldogs, who advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. In their third season under head coach Shay Easterwood, the Bulldogs won five games -- more than doubling their win total for the first two years.
8. Michael Longoria, Mason
Longoria was a first-team all-district selection for the 2A DI Punchers, who were 10-3 last year and advanced to the regional semifinals. One of only four offensive returners for Mason, which is ranked No. 5 in the state.
9. Brendon Wilcox, Christoval
6-0, 210, Junior
Wilcox is an anchor on both sides of the line as well as being important in special teams. At center, he had 18 pancakes and helped the 10-2 Cougars amass more than 4,500 total yards and advance to the second round of the 2A DII playoffs. Also kicks (27-of-30 PATs), kicks off and punts for the Cougars, who are ranked No. 13 in the state.
10. Jaydon Taylor, Irion County
Behind Taylor at center, the Hornets rushed for 2,757 yards and 47 TDs while competing in six-man football for the first time since 1975. He also caught 13 passes for 204 yards and two TDs. Irion County was aligned into a 1A DI district for 2020 after advancing to the finals of the Independent Six-Man Bowl Series with a 7-3 record last year.
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Started by two dear friends, Harold Graham and Henry Brown in 1946, with very little between them except foresight and friendship. With the severe shortage of paper following the War, Henry and Harold cleverly procured a large supply of surplus metallic paper, an eight-colour surface printer and a new embossing machine, with which the two men began a wallpaper revolution. The public, desperate for things to help brighten up their homes following the hard years of war, snapped it up so fast Graham & Brown could barely meet demand. The company grew quickly and prospered until the energy crisis of the Korean War in the early 1950s and the tragic early death of Harold Graham at 39. Henry Brown, determined to keep their dream alive and the business growing, appointed Harold’s brother Herbert as Director and the business moved on.
At the heart of Graham & Brown lies a solid respect for its employees, customers and environment, which owes much to Henry Brown’s personal approach to business. With little fuss or fanfare, he ensured his workers were well looked after in times of trouble or illness, and as a result generations of the same families became part of the Graham & Brown family too.
Even today, “you don’t have to have a ‘Graham’ or a ‘Brown’ in your name to be part of this family,” says David Brown, Joint Chairman.
With the 1960s came the involvement of Henry and Harold’s sons – David Brown and Roger Graham, and a modern management approach. With Henry still at the helm they expanded facilities with the addition of further factories, and the purchase of potential rival companies. The 1970s saw Graham & Brown producing millions of rolls of wallpaper a year, establishing the company as one of the largest independent wallpaper manufacturers in Britain and a growing force in Europe. New ideas in wallpaper were introduced like washable vinyl wallcoverings.
Through continued innovation and creative thought, Graham & Brown launched its now famous Superfresco brand, which was then, as now, easy to hang (and take down), could be painted or washed, and was the first range the company advertised on TV. Its iconic ‘what goes up must come down…’ TV advert was so memorable that it was used again in the late 1990s.
During this time, Graham & Brown were producing wallpaper as quickly as it was flying off the shelves. By 1984 the company had more than quadrupled its market share and tripled turnover, and Superfresco went on to become the best selling wallpaper brand in the world, available in over 50 countries. With a third generation of Graham & Brown family members now on board, the company’s ambitions took a step further in the late 1980s with continued investment in machinery to allow them to make new pre-pasted products and a fresh TV campaign.
The 1990s brought further innovations and by 1992 Graham & Brown produced the world’s first ‘batchless’ wallcoverings and by the turn of the century the company were promoting another innovation, ‘paste the wall’ technology to a contemporary audience via a new TV campaign. New associations were forged with designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen who was quickly followed by Linda Barker , hemingwaydesign , Jans des Bouvrie, Marcel Wanders and most recently Kelly Hoppen.
International expansion that had begun with the United States has grown in the last decade to see divisions established in France, Holland, Russia, Canada, and China, with the latest addition to the fold being Graham & Brown, Germany. Innovation of thought and action has seen the company drive the industry from the doldrums into growth.
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HomeArticlesHumans threaten 1 million species with extinction
Humans threaten 1 million species with extinction
On land, in the seas, in the sky, the devastating impact of humans on nature is laid bare in a compelling UN report.
One million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction.
3 years in the making, this global assessment of nature draws on 15,000 reference materials, and has been compiled by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). It runs to 1,800 pages.
The brief, 40-page "summary for policymakers", published today at a meeting in Paris, is perhaps the most powerful indictment of how humans have treated their only home.
The world's population has doubled since 1970, the global economy has grown four-fold, while international trade has increased 10 times over.
To feed, clothe and give energy to this burgeoning world, forests have been cleared at astonishing rates, especially in tropical areas.
Between 1980 and 2000, 100 million hectares of tropical forest were lost, mainly from cattle ranching in South America and palm oil plantations in South East Asia.
Faring worse than forests are wetlands, with only 13% of those present in 1700 still in existence in the year 2000.
Our cities have expanded rapidly, with urban areas doubling since 1992.
What's behind this crisis?
The report's authors say there are a number of direct drivers of which land use change is the primary one.
This essentially means the replacement of grassland with intensive crops, or replacing ancient woodland with a plantation forest, or the clearing of forests to grow crops. This is happening in many parts of the world, especially in the tropics.
Since 1980, more than half of the increase in agriculture has been at the expense of intact forests.
It's a similar story at sea.
Read more Important article from BBC : https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48169783
Articles Civils
Humans threaten 1 million species with extinction ~ helpBIOTECH
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Past Times: A history of Elmesthorpe
The sixth in a series written by popular historian Arthur Tomlin more than 25 years ago for The Hinckley Times
Arthur Tomlin
A history of Elmesthorpe
Elmesthorpe is a small, pleasant village set in 1,300 acres of land.
The original village was called “Aylmersthorpe” and was situated south of the church which is the only building remaining to remind us of the lost village.
It is believed that the village was of Saxon origin as the word “Aylmer” was the name of a Saxon Baron.
At that time there was a strong Danish influence throughout the country and it was probably through this that the Danish word “Thorpe” originated.
In 1229, Roger de Quincey, Earl of Winton, held knight’s fees in the village (one knight’s fee is 120 acres).
The village was held in 1296 in fee of the Honours of Winton together with the advowson of the church.
From 1343 onwards, successive members of the Ferrers family who resided at Groby held lands in Elmesthorpe.
The records show that in 1376 Edward Prince of Wales held land in the village and also the advowson of the church.
In 1485, for three nights prior to the Battle of Bosworth, Richard III’s officers and men slept in the ruins of Elmesthorpe Church, while Richard himself stayed at an inn on the outskirts of Leicester.
The death of Richard III brought to an end the House of York dynasty and was the beginning of the House of Tudor.
During the Tudor period, the village had become derelict, not a house remained and the church was in ruins with the exception of the tower, which was intact. The depopulation of the village had not been helped by the devastating effect of the plague.
In 1540, the manor of Elmesthorpe, which was then held by Edward Trussell, passed to the Earl of Oxford who had married his daughter. It later passed to Sir John Harrington, who in 1619 sold it to Sir William Cockaine, whose descendant later became Lord Cullen.
Lord Cullen lived in a magnificent mansion called Elmesthorpe Hall which was situated north of the church. This ancient hall stood on an eminence and was large with extensive building.
The hall had extensive gardens and pleasure grounds. A tremendous oak tree was a notable feature on the estate. There were also large pools covering six or seven acres each.
The largest fish pond was called “the old Pool” which had 26 islands in it with trees growing on them.
A brass seal was found in the garden bearing the words “Charnell Arms” which was of great antiquity.
The Hall was demolished but in 1750, when the remains of the Porter’s lodge were taken down, and old coat of arms was found which dated back to 1610.
In 1710, an act was passed which enabled Lord Cullen to sell the manor and advowson of the church of Elmesthorpe for payment of his debts which had been run up by the extravagance of his wife Catherine.
The Cockaine family were sadly in a state of decline and left the village after living there for three generations.
Elmesthope was one of the earliest enclosures in the kingdom, being firstly enclosed by a ring fence and later being divided into three divisions and watered by a brook which runs towards Potters Marston.
In 1710, a house was built for a Mr Storer and was kept for a number of years as a public house. In later years it was known as Church Farm and was owned by historian Richard Fowke.
Mr Fowke possessed a museum and his collection of coins was regarded as the best in Leicestershire. He issued the only farmer’s wage token ever known. This “halfpenny” token was struck in 1800 and on one side was a wheat sheaf and a plough and the other side was embossed with the ruins of Elmesthorpe Church.
Although only 18 of these tokens were struck, one was found in the 1980s and was sold for £520.
In 1720, the village passed into the hands of Lady Mary Noel of Kirkby Mallory and, by regular succession, the Lordship eventually came into possession of Lord Viscount Wentworth.
The church is dedicated to St Mary. It is believed that a church existed on a present site shortly after the departure of the Romans and may have been a wooden structure.
The church which stands in Elmesthorpe today is built of a hard stone, common to the neighbourhood and consists of a small tower, nave and chancel.
At the time of the Battle of Bosworth (1485) the village was almost non-existent, the church was completely in ruins with the exception of the tower and the land was sadly in need of drainage.
It was in consequence of this that the village became a haven for botanists. More than 90 different species of plants were discovered in this “botanical garden” which was unrivalled by any other part of the country.
The church remained in this terrible state of decay for almost 300 years.
In 1650, only half the lead remained on the roof and the nave was overgrown with nettles.
Part of the inside of the church was made into a garden and the nave was used as a cattle pen, while the outside of the north wall was covered by ivy.
Tradition says that there were two bells in the 17th Century tower in 1710, although only one remains today and the faithful few still worshipped in the ruins once a month.
In 1763, the church was nearly demolished and the stone would have been used to repair the highways.
At the time, the Dean of Salisbury had visited the church and had considered it obligatory on his behalf that it should be restored back to its former glory as a place of worship.
He instituted himself as a Rector although he took no active part in the functioning of the church and it was through his initiative that it was saved.
In 1854, Earl Shilton became a separate parish instead of a chapelry of Kirkby Mallory and the Rev F. E. Tower the curate at Earl Shilton was also made Rector of Elmesthorpe.
In 1868, the present church was built on the foundations of the old ruins at a cost of £600, although the nave has never been restored.
On the right of the sanctuary are the piscine and cedilla which were probably part of the original building.
The 12th Century font consists of a medieval mortar and was discovered in a garden in Red Hall, Barwell.
It was given back to be installed into its rightful place at the time of the restoration.
The organ, which was installed in 1931 at a cost of £200, was built by Nicholson and Ford of Walsall. The organ was obtained mainly due to the untiring efforts of the Lodge, Earl Shilton.
It was dedicated by the Bishop of Leicester in 1960 and the Rector’s stall was purchased in 1971. The heating system was installed in 1962 by the proceeds of a legacy of £100 left to the church by Mr Coley James Abell.
The churchyard was newly consecrated in 1941 on land conveyed by Deed of Gift by the Land Settlement Association.
In 1860, Royal Assent was given for the extension to Leicester of the existing railway which ran from Hinckley to Nuneaton.
This completely revolutionised the village of Elmesthorpe as the line was to pass through the village.
A station was built in 1863 and families from Barwell and Earl Shilton flocked to the station to board trains to shop in Leicester.
Lairage pens of livestock and a weighbridge were erected. Coal by horse and cart of every commodity imaginable was conveyed to and from the station. Elmesthorpe had taken on a new lease of life.
It was at this time that Lady Noel Byron (Baroness Wentworth) had improved the land by drainage and also improved the roads.
The Lovelace family commissioned the well-known Mr CJA Voysey to design the “Wentworth Arms Inn”. A Yorkshire man by birth, he was regarded as the leading architect in the country.
The Inn which was built in 1895 had a big hipped roof and spectacular chimneys. It was built in red brick and the front had a recessed porch.
The most notable landlord was George Payne who was one of the finest pig breeders in the country and once sold a large white boar to Russia for £500.
Mr Voysey also designed the Wortley Cottages in 1896, which are characteristic of his style.
In 1914, the cottages were severely damaged by fire and were not rebuilt until 1916, when Swithland slate was used on the roof instead of thatch.
In 1935, Church Farm was purchased form Mr JA Bonsir by the Land Settlement Association (under Government supervision) to provide holdings of about seven acres, together with a house for families in the north of England who were suffering due to the depression.
Forty three holdings were created and Elmesthorpe became well-known for its produce.
The association closed it down in the 1960 and a number of holdings were sold to the tenants while the remainder were sought after by townspeople who wished to keep horses.
The Church Farm House later became a private school which accommodates children up to the age of 16. It was owned by Mr Slinn and Mrs Bloomfield.
In 1917, an unusual incident occurred when a plane piloted by Mr George Bliss landed on Bridge Farm later owned and farmed by Mr David Hebblethwaite and his wife.
It was a nail-biting experience for onlookers as the plane only just missed the hedge on take-off.
In 1937, the Women’s Institute was founded which today is a very enterprising organisation.
Elmesthorpe possesses a magnificent community centre around which the life of the village revolves.
Although there are no shops in Elmesthorpe and its railway station was closed in 1963, it is still an attractive rural and very friendly village
Elmesthorpe
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales
Kirkby Mallory
Hinckley and Bosworth Borough CouncilGolf club to pay £150,000 after manager's deathA court ordered the club to pay after being found guilty of health and safety breaches
Leicestershire chief constable Simon Cole to stay another five years
Leicestershire PoliceSimon Cole is described as an "inspirational" chief
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Hong Kong’s stricter ESG disclosure rules may lure Western investors
Source: 2020-03-27 267
The Hong Kong stock exchange’s stricter reporting rules for socially responsible investments is expected to attract more Western investors to the city and may have spillover effects on other Asian markets, according to fund managers and industry experts.
The rules, which will become effective on July 1, include making boards of directors responsible for environmental, social and governance (ESG), instead of leaving it to a small team led by mid-level executives as is currently the case.
Companies are also required to disclose how climate change will affect their business. They must also have policies on identification and mitigation of significant climate-related issues that may impact their business.
The Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd (HKEX) unveiled the new rules in December.
Chaoni Huang
“This is another major step forward in terms of robustness and transparency, which reflect many leading ESG investors’ approaches…I believe we’ve now entered ESG investing phase 2.0 in Hong Kong,” Chaoni Huang, vice president of the Hong Kong Green Finance Association, tells Asia Asset Management.
According to Ms. Huang, who is also executive director and head of sustainable capital markets for Asia Pacific at BNP Paribas, foreign investors will have “better confidence and conviction” about the Hong Kong and Asian capital markets.
“ESG concern has been one of the main barriers for many leading institutional investors from the West” who are keen to invest in Hong Kong and the broader Asian region, she says.
“Until now, we have heard a lot about the ‘chicken and egg’ scenario, under which investors complained about the lack of ESG disclosure, while companies complained that investors’ interest was insufficient to warrant the disclosure,” she says.
Ms. Huang says the market shouldn’t view the new rules in isolation but as part of a consolidated effort by the financial sector to adopt ESG.
She says the rules work in parallel with Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission’s ongoing efforts to encourage investors to integrate ESG into their investments.
According to Kate Ahern, head of ESG and managing director of US-based hedge fund Cartica Management, investors are always searching for high quality information about companies, especially on ESG.
“The revised reporting rules, which require new disclosures, will hopefully provide us with more information on how companies identify material ESG issues, evaluate climate-related risks, and track data,” she says. “The additional information required by HKEX could help to give more investors confidence to invest in the region, especially because it is directly reported by the companies.”
While regulators are doing their part, there are still some challenges for investors, such as the growing number of ESG data and ratings providers.
Ms. Ahern says the real challenge is to analyse a company beyond its score.
Ratings are “a great starting point for more research” but it’s important for investors “to develop a perspective on what they believe to be the material ESG risks and opportunities that could impact the value of a company, and to track relevant metrics over their ownership period”, she says.
Helena Fung
There is also the question of how investors can integrate sustainability into their portfolios. There are many approaches available now so it can be challenging for investors to understand which one aligns best with their investment objectives, asset allocation and risk profile, according to Helena Fung, head of sustainable investment for Asia Pacific at FTSE Russell.
“Investors also face challenges around identifying what sustainability means within different organisations. Adequate resourcing and availability of expertise can also be an issue,” she says.
“There is now a growing awareness of sustainability issues and risks, but challenges remain for investors needing to quantify these risks and integrate them into investment models.”
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HarbourVest
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Martha DiMatteo Vorlicek
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Martha Vorlicek was a managing director of the Firm who also served as HarbourVest’s Chief Operating Officer through late 2014. In November 2014, she became a Senior Advisor. Martha remains engaged with HarbourVest and serves on the Firm’s Audit committee.
She joined the Firm in 1992 from Ernst & Young, where she specialized in the entrepreneurial and emerging businesses practice, and was responsible for the audit of Hancock Venture Partners (the predecessor to HarbourVest Partners, LLC) for nine years. Martha was involved in all aspects of HarbourVest’s business, including fund formation, initial investments, portfolio and fund accounting, investment monitoring, liquidations, and strategic planning. She also oversaw the Firm’s finance, administration, and data systems operations.
Martha received a BS in Business Administration (with highest distinction) from Babson College in 1981. Martha was a founding board member of the Private Equity CFO Association and serves on the Board of Trustees of Babson College.
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HarbourVest Partners, LLC is a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The information on this site is intended solely for the benefit of firms and companies seeking private equity investment capital by providing general information on our services and philosophy. The material on this site is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer or solicitation to purchase any investment solutions or a recommendation to buy or sell a security nor is it to be construed as legal, tax or investment advice. Unless otherwise indicated, any information available through this site is as of the date indicated therein and may not be updated or otherwise revised to reflect information that subsequently becomes available. HarbourVest is under no obligation to update the information contained on this site. Additionally, the material on this site does not constitute a representation that the solutions described therein are suitable or appropriate for any person and HarbourVest does not accept any liability with respect to the information. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use.
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Russian city to demolish derided ‘Robot’ building
By Associated Press | Thursday, November 26, 2020, 12:05 a.m.
The never-occupied building is seen in Kaliningrad, Russia, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. The hulking never-occupied building sardonically likened to a robot’s head that has loomed over the city of Kaliningrad for decades is to be demolished next year, the region’s governor says. The 21-story House of Soviets was left unfinished when funding ran out in 1985 amid the Soviet Union’s economic struggles and later was assessed to be structurally unsound. (AP Photo/James Heintz)
MOSCOW — A hulking, never-occupied building sardonically likened to a robot’s head that has loomed over the Russian city of Kaliningrad for decades is to be demolished next year, the region’s governor says.
The 21-story House of Soviets was left unfinished when funding ran out in 1985 amid the Soviet Union’s economic struggles. The building, which later was assessed to be structurally unsound, and became one of the city’s most widely known emblems, particularly when the fan zone for the 2018 World Cup matches in Kaliningrad was set up in a vast square next to it.
The Brutalist building’s protruding covered balconies resembling two eyes and a mouth led to it being nicknamed “The Buried Robot.”
Regional governor Anton Alikhanov said demolition is expected to begin early next year and that officials are discussing the possibility of making fragments of it available as souvenirs, the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper reported Wednesday.
Kaliningrad is the administrative center of the Russian exclave of the same name, which is located between Poland, Lithuania and the Baltic Sea.
Keep the mask: A vaccine won’t end the US crisis right away
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Trump pardons Flynn despite guilty plea in Russia probe
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Elchingtum History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Elchingtum was brought to England by the Normans when they conquered the country in 1066. The ancestors of the Elchingtum family lived in Lincolnshire, at the Manor of Elkington, near Louth.
Early Origins of the Elchingtum family
The surname Elchingtum was first found in Lincolnshire at either North Elkington or South Elkington, parishes in the union of Louth, Wold division of the hundred of Louth-Eske. Both parishes were originally one and were recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Alchinton. [1] Hence the name is conjecturally descended from William de Percy who held his lands from Ivo Tailbois, a tenant in chief. At that time the village of Elkington (Alchinton) consisted of one church, one chapel, a mill and a mill site. Elkington is also a deserted medieval village and civil parish in the Daventry district of the county of Northamptonshire. Listed in 1377 as having 30 households, by 1412 there was none.
Early History of the Elchingtum family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Elchingtum research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 160 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Elchingtum History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Elchingtum Spelling Variations
It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Elchingtum are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Elchingtum include Elkinton, Alkington, Elchington and others.
Early Notables of the Elchingtum family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Elchingtum Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Elchingtum family
Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Elchingtum, or a variant listed above: William Elkinton, who settled in Virginia in 1637; Thomas Elkington, a bonded passenger who arrived in America in 1736; George Elkington, who was on record in New Jersey in 1738.
Elchingtum (English)
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lasenby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the lasenby surname lived in Lazonby, in Cumberland, or in Lazenby, in Yorkshire. The place-name Lazenby and Lazonby have the same etymology. They are derived from the Old Scandinavian words leysingi, which meant "freed men," and by, which meant farm or enclosure. The place-name as a whole means "farm of the freed men." It is possible that the name is derived from the old Scandinavian personal name Leysingr. The Scandinavians have had a lasting impact on the north of England, thanks to the waves of pillage, invasion and colonization which started in the eighth and 9th centuries and ended in the 10th. There are many place-names in the north of England which have Norse and Scandinavian elements.
Early Origins of the lasenby family
The surname lasenby was first found in Yorkshire at Lazenby (Lazonby), which dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Lesingebi [1] and was in "the land of the King in Yorkshire." Lazonby is a parish, in the union of Penrith in Cumberland on the west bank of the river Eden. A Roman road passes from north to south, and another intersects the parish in a direction towards Salkeld Gate. At Castle Rigg are the ruins of a moated building. There are also several cairns in the area. [2]
Early History of the lasenby family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our lasenby research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1632 and 1701 are included under the topic Early lasenby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
lasenby Spelling Variations
It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like lasenby are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name lasenby include: Lazenby, Lazinby, Lasynbi, Laysynby, Lasinby and many more.
Early Notables of the lasenby family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early lasenby Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
lasenby migration to New Zealand +
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:
lasenby Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
Mr. Lasenby, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Hydaspes" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 30th September 1869 [3]
^ New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
lasenby (English)
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Pegh History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Early Origins of the Pegh family
The surname Pegh was first found in Derbyshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, [1] indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Ashbourne held by the King's steward who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.
Early History of the Pegh family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pegh research. Another 161 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1165, 1510, 1600, 1799, 1704, 1796, 1733, 1800, 1635, 1664, 1739 and 1788 are included under the topic Early Pegh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Pegh Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Pegg, Pegge, Peg, Pegh and others.
Early Notables of the Pegh family (pre 1700)
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Samuel Pegge the elder (1704-1796), an antiquary, born at Chesterfield in Derbyshire. One of his sons, Samuel Pegge - the younger (1733-1800) was an antiquarian, poet, musical composer and lexigrapher. Catherine Pegge, born about 1635, was a long term mistress of...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pegh Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Pegh family
Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Dan Peggin, who arrived in Virginia in 1652; Ann Pege, who came to Virginia sometime between 1671 and 1672; Stephen Pegg, who settled in Maryland in 1672.
Pegh (English)
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Winning Team Cutting-edge Technology Integrity Focus on Growth Social Impact Dynamic
Our Journey Life at IDFC FIRST Bank
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IDFC FIRST Bank
IDFC FIRST Bank was formed by the merger of erstwhile Capital First and erstwhile IDFC Bank on December 18, 2018.
Erstwhile Capital First
Capital First was founded by Mr Vaidyanathan, a veteran banker and entrepreneur, in 2012, by concluding India’s largest Management Buyout of a listed loss-making NBFC and infusing fresh equity into it with the stated intent of converting it to a commercial bank that would finance small businesses.
Mr V. Vaidyanathan built ICICI Bank’s Retail Banking business from 2000 to 2009 and was also the MD & CEO of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company in 2009-10.
Capital First grew to be a strong retail franchise in consumer financing, using new-age technology. It grew at 29% per annum with a 5-year profit CAGR of 55% and pristine asset quality. Between March 31, 2010, to March 31, 2018, its Retail Assets under Management increased from ₹94 crore ($14m) to
₹29,625 crore ($4 b, Sep 2018). In just 7 years, the company had financed 7 million customers, and increased market cap 10X.
As part of its stated strategy, Capital First was on the lookout for a commercial banking license in order to access retail deposits.
Erstwhile IDFC Bank
IDFC Bank was created by the demerger of the infrastructure lending business of IDFC Ltd., a leading infrastructure financing company primarily on project finance and mobilisation of capital for private sector infrastructure development.
IDFC Ltd. was granted an in-principle approval by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to set up a new bank in 2014.
IDFC Bank thus started operations in October 2015, and started building its corporate banking while also launching retail for assets and liability products. Over the next three years, it built strong IT capabilities and designed an efficient treasury management system. Recognizing the emerging risk in infrastructure financing, IDFC Bank put together a strategy to retailise its loan book so as to diversify and increase margins.
As part of its strategy to diversify its loan book away from infrastructure, the Bank was looking for a merger with a retail finance institution with adequate scale, profitability and specialised skills.
In January 2018, erstwhile IDFC Bank and erstwhile Capital First announced a merger. Shareholders of erstwhile Capital First were issued 13.9 shares of the merged entity for every 1 share of erstwhile Capital First.
IDFC FIRST Bank was founded as a new entity by the merger of the two institutions on December 18, 2018. In January 2019, the combined entity listed its new shares on the NSE and BSE (IDFCFIRSTB: NSE, 539437: BSE). IDFC FIRST Bank made a new beginning with a new Board of Directors, new management, a renewed focus and drive, a new brand logo and positioning.
The Bank’s strategy is to implant the erstwhile Capital First’s tried and tested model of financing small entrepreneurs and consumers on a bank platform and build on IDFC Bank’s network, excellent technology stack, quality digital banking and strong rural presence. It also used cutting-edge solutions to meet the needs of larger entrepreneurs and corporates.
The Bank is committed to building a customer-first culture, which guides its product and service design, and responsiveness to customer needs.
We aspire to create the world’s best bank, right here in India, for aspiring Consumers and Entrepreneurs.
We want to touch the lives of millions of Indians in a positive way by providing high-quality banking services to them, using contemporary technologies.
Our founding theme is ‘Always you first’ where ‘You’ refers to our customer. This theme binds the entire organisation, keeping it customer-centric at all times.
Culture Tenets
Our Banking Solutions
Our founding philosophy
Customer-first
The founding years, which are the next five years, are particularly important, as the DNA we establish now will be hard to correct later.
We will make every effort to sell the right products to customers, avoid mis-selling, avoid selling such third-party products that make wonderful fees for us but at the cost of expensive products for the customer. If we make a mistake, we will apologise and correct it. After all, we do not want to take this Bank to great heights in profits and profitability while having earned any penny that truly does not belong to us.
We will always be straightforward and truthful with our investors and all stakeholders. Our stakeholders can always be rest assured that everything that will be represented by our Bank will be truthful and accurate.
Nation-first
We are confident of not only participating in the growth of Indian GDP, but also contributing to the growth of our beloved nation and her people. We aspire to create millions of employment opportunities, and finance the growth of business and consumption. This will lead to greater domestic production, greater consumption, and we want to contribute in further fueling the virtuous cycle of growth for our great nation.
Growth, you will agree, is not an issue in India. Mid-teens ROE can be built for sure, most good banks have achieved it. Our incremental margins are strong. Our business is highly scalable. We have a very high level of corporate governance. We focus on the customer. I believe it is inevitable that value will be created in this approach.
Excerpts from MD & CEO, Mr V. Vaidyanathan's letters to shareholders in Annual Reports 2018-19 & 2019-20
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Open picks: Who will lift the Claret Jug?
By David Newbery on July 16, 2015 Comments Off on Open picks: Who will lift the Claret Jug? british open, open championship
TIGER Woods has been in and out of love a lot in recent years, but his love and respect for the Old Course at St Andrews, host of this month’s Open Championship, has never waned. Why would it? Tiger has won the Claret Jug at St Andrews twice – in 2000 and 2005. “I love […]
Royal Portrush to host The Open Championship
By Inside Golf on June 17, 2014 No Comment british open, golf majors, open championship, portrush
The Open Championship is set to return to Northern Ireland for the first time in over 60 years and only the second time in its more than 150-year history. Royal Portrush has been invited to stage The Open by The R&A and the County Antrim club’s members will now be asked to ratify the proposal […]
No Silver Lining: when your best isn’t good enough
By Richard Fellner on October 6, 2012 1 Comment Adam Scott, british open, olympics
What is it with the media these days? Following Adam Scott’s unfortunate performance at The Open Championship, words like “Choke” and “Collapse” rushed to the fore throughout the media, with overdramatic journalists dredging up stories about Greg Norman’s 1996 Masters, or Jean Van de Veld’s 1999 Open Championship, or the other “greatest chokes in history” […]
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North Island MLA and Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Claire Trevena announced she would not be seeking re-election in B.C.’s next provincial election.
B.C. transportation minister will not seek re-election
Claire Trevena has held the position since 2017
Marissa Tiel
Sep. 20, 2020 3:52 p.m.
The North Island will have a new representative in the B.C. legislature following the next provincial election.
Claire Trevena, North Island MLA, announced today that she would not be seeking re-election.
“It is time to move on and take on new challenges,” she said in a press release. “It has been a great privilege to be the representative of the North Island for 15 years and to have the trust of people across the constituency.”
Trevena was first elected in 2005. She is the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.
READ ALSO: Quadra and Cortes Islanders asked about future of ferries
“As minister, I have had an incredible team dedicated to making B.C. better. We’ve put the public interest at the heart of the ferry system, we’ve invested in a solid public transit system, we’ve development an active transportation strategy to get people out of their cars, and we’ve introduced the safest system for ride hailing on the continent,” she said.
“I am so proud of the work of John Horgan’s government, of which I am a part. CleanBC has the most stringent environmental standards in the country, we have been delivering on housing, on healthcare and on education. We’ve changed government’s approach to our foundational industry, forestry, we’ve brought together Indigenous communities and aquaculture companies to chart a way forward for the fish farm industry.”
Trevena has been the North Island’s MLA for four terms.
“Together, we have achieved much. Among our successes, we fought and won the battle to keep the new hospital in Campbell River, we successfully argued for expansions to provincial parks, we brought much needed childcare into communities, and we have much needed new public housing.”
READ ALSO: B.C.’s forest minister announces he won’t be seeking re-election
In her statement, Trevena thanked her husband, Mike for his support over the years as well as the team she’s worked with in the constituency for the last 15 years.
Trevena joins six NDP ministers who have already announced they would not seek re-election including Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Judy Darcy, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness Michelle Mungall, Forests Minister Doug Donaldson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction Shane Simpson, Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Minister Scott Fraser and Finance Minister Carole James.
@marissatiel
marissa.tiel@campbellrivermirror.com
Young B.C. cancer survivor rides 105-km with Terry Fox’s brother
As Democrats balk, Trump to make high court pick by Saturday
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Home Small Business Intel Snags Infineon Wireless Unit in $1.4B Deal
Intel Snags Infineon Wireless Unit in $1.4B Deal
By Kenneth Corbin | August 30, 2010
Intel has made its interest in the wireless sector known for some time, but cast away any lingering doubts about its commitment Monday morning with the announcement that it's acquiring Infineon Technologies' Wireless Solutions group in a $1.4 billion all-cash transaction.
Through the purchase, Intel is looking to diversify its wireless offerings as it looks to seed its hardware across a host of smartphones, tablets, netbooks and other devices. Then, too, Intel is moving closer to the 4G LTE technology despite its long history as a WiMAX backer. Hardware Central takes a look at Intel's Infineon buy and its big-tent wireless strategy.
Intel Corp. has reached an agreement to acquire Infineon Technologies' Wireless Solutions (WLS) division for $1.4 billion in cash, sending an unmistakable signal about the chip giant's aspirations for the mobile sector.
"The global demand for wireless solutions continues to grow at an extraordinary rate," Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) President and CEO Paul Otellini said in a statement.
Read the full story at Hardware Central:
Intel To Acquire Infineon Wireless Unit for $1.4B
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Home Small Business LetsBuyIt.com Claims Millionth Member
LetsBuyIt.com Claims Millionth Member
By John Lewell | November 17, 2000
[London, ENGLAND] European co-buying business LetsBuyIt.com announced Friday its one-millionth member, a figure that comes just after the first anniversary of its U.K. site.
Originating in Sweden, LetsBuyIt.com has since moved the headquarters of its operation to London, where a team led by ex-Nike manager Martin Coles looks after 14 European markets.
LetsBuyIt.com enables shoppers to reap the benefit of co-operative buying -- a natural application of the Internet in the view of many experts. It groups shoppers together so that they can secure the best prices on brand name goods and services, including home electronics, IT and computers, domestic appliances, travel, sporting goods and fashion.
"Considering that at this time last year there was a only handful of people in the U.K. office, it's gratifying to find ourselves in such a strong position," said Chief Executive Martin Coles.
Coles said the million-member landmark had caused terrific excitement in the office. It was, he said, a true endorsement of the business and the power of personal, word-of-mouth recommendation.
Word of mouth? Perhaps, but the massive advertising campaign must surely have contributed to LetsBuyIt.com's increase in membership. People across Europe have been bombarded with LetsBuyIt.com's message on TV, radio, buses and taxis.
Michael Faust, international director of marketing for LetsBuyIt.com, commented that the base of a million members would give the company greater leverage with suppliers, improving its negotiating power and delivering even greater value to users.
The up-beat mood of LetsBuyIt.com is in stark contrast to the misery at TheStreet.co.uk - closed this week despite attracting substantial revenues. Where some dotcoms are prospering in terms of membership and revenue, others are finding their costs unsustainable. Worst of all, it is possible to fall into both categories at once.
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'Doctor Who' Brought an Exiled Alien to Earth 53 Years Ago
memorabletv.com
Caitlin Busch
In 1963, English schoolteachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright tracked down one of their brilliant students only to find her living in a mysterious blue police box in a junkyard with her crotchety grandfather, the Doctor. The Doctor’s granddaughter, Susan Foreman, was a student at Coal Hill School in the first episode of Doctor Who, which premiered on BBC1 on November 23, 1963 — 53 years ago today.
When Doctor Who premiered at “tea time” in 1963 England — 5:15 p.m. GMT, to be exact — the audience had no knowledge of the Doctor’s mysterious origins. Here they were, presented with an old man living in a dump with his granddaughter in a time-traveling box that was bigger on the inside. His face was that of famed film star William Hartnell. He kidnapped his granddaughter’s teachers and took them to the Stone Age.
Over the next few weeks, Ian and Barbara were almost killed by Stone Age people with clubs and ended up helping settle in-fighting between several tribes. Ian made fire, subsequently saving everyone.
In a way, it was a perfect introduction to the Doctor. Despite the kidnapping and his general cantankerous attitude, the Doctor helped Ian and Barbara discover a bravery they never knew was inside them until those moments. And giving the Doctor a granddaughter made this fantastical character at least somewhat relatable.
Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright hide as the Doctor unlocks the TARDIS. tardis.wikia
With the way classic Who episodes worked, behaving as serials that would tell one storyline over several weeks, all but the last few minutes of that first episode on November 23 took place in England. The Doctor was English, as was his granddaughter. The time-traveling police box, the TARDIS, was stuck in that familiar form due to a technical malfunction. The convenience of it all — by today’s standards — was overwhelming.
But introducing a time-traveling alien to audiences in 1963 required that level of convenience. Imagine if the Doctor had actually looked like an alien. Imagine him having blue skin or scales or antennae, or maybe even all three. The writers of Who were already stretching their audience’s imaginations enough with a time-and-space traveler from another planet. The convenience was necessary.
But that convenience soon stretched into an enormous mythology that carried on for decades, and which is still going on to this day 53 years later. Barbara and Ian were just the first lucky humans the Doctor decided to include in his adventures.
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The Taste with Vir: Elizabeth Kerkar’s contributions to Taj Hotels created new school of Indian interior design – opinion
September 28, 2020 [email protected]_84 contributions, created, design, Elizabeth, hotels, Indian, interior, Kerkars, Opinion, school, Taj, taste, Vir
In the 1950S and the 1960s, the big American hotel companies looked as though they would take over the world. Such chains as Hilton (owned by the eponymous family and then by TWA), Intercontinental (owned by Pan Am) and a little later, Sheraton (owned by the multinational conglomerate ITT), opened in many of the world’s capitals.
Some of these hotels were not bad looking structures (though it later became fashionable to dismiss them as ugly skyscrapers) but it is fair to say that they had no sense of place about them. There may have been a few token nods to the city they were located in, but most days, if you suddenly woke up in a Hilton or an Intercontinental, it was hard to tell which city you were in.
That began to change a little from the 1970s onwards but it continues to be a problem for many global chains even today. They use the same service model, the same systems and often, the same architects and designers no matter where they build their hotels. So there is very little to distinguish one property from another. Nor is there much sense of art or aesthetics.
Indian hotels have always been different much to the bemusement of foreign chains. I have heard it said that when the Tatas did not know what to do with the Taj Mahal Hotel in the 1950s, they asked Hilton if the chain would run it. Hilton said it would. But the existing building was too awkward and had to be pulled down. A huge new skyscraper would be constructed in its place.
The Tatas said goodbye to Hilton and decided to run the Taj themselves. They were up against the Oberois, India’s leading hotel chain who had collaborated with Intercontinental in Delhi and were about to collaborate with Sheraton at a brand new hotel in Mumbai. It should have been a no-contest. But against the odds, largely thanks to the genius of JRD Tata and the team he entrusted the Indian Hotels company (which owned the Taj) to, the Taj brand grew from one Mumbai hotel to rival the Oberois as a national chain.
Though the Oberois worked with the great American chains, they retained an Indian sensibility. Such great Indian artists as Krishan Khanna and Satish Gujral created works of art specially for Oberoi hotels and Rai Bahadur MS Oberoi, who built the chain, was keen to imbue it with an air of Indian-ness.
At the Taj, JRD Tata and Ajit Kerkar, the man who turned the Taj into an all-India chain, worked to a similar brief. Their combined efforts helped create the Indian hotel industry: one reason why India is probably the only non-Western country where the top hotels in each city are still run by Indian companies and not by foreign chains.
At the Taj, at least, a key element of the planning of each hotel was the design. Kerkar had worked in London before he was headhunted by the Tatas
House Democrats to investigate accusations DeJoy reimbursed former employees for GOP contributions
September 8, 2020 [email protected]_84 accusations, contributions, DeJoy, Democrats, employees, GOP, house, investigate, reimbursed
House Democrats have launched a probe into allegations Postmaster General Louis DeJoy pressured employees of his former company to make campaign contributions he later reimbursed.
© Roll Call/Pool
Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) said in a statement the panel will investigate whether DeJoy lied under oath. She also called on the U.S. Postal Service’s Board of Governors to suspend DeJoy, saying “they never should have hired [him] in the first place.”
The Washington Post reported Sunday that as CEO of North Carolina-based New Breed Logistics, DeJoy and aides pressured employees to contribute to GOP candidates and compensated them in the form of bonuses. Such an arrangement would be illegal under federal and state law, it added, noting that the federal law has a five-year statute of limitations but there is no statute of limitations at the state level.
If the allegations are true, Maloney said, DeJoy would face “criminal exposure,” both for the payments and “for lying to our committee.”
DeJoy denied reimbursing employees for contributions to Trump’s campaign in testimony before the committee last month.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has also called for an investigation by the North Carolina attorney general.
“These are very serious allegations that must be investigated immediately, independent of Donald Trump’s Justice Department,” Schumer said in a statement on Sunday.
The Post, which first reported the House Oversight investigation, analyzed federal and state campaign finance records and found 124 employees donated over $1 million to GOP candidates between 2000 and 2014.
“Mr. DeJoy was never notified by the New Breed employees referenced by the Washington Post of any pressure they might have felt to make a political contribution, and he regrets if any employee felt uncomfortable for any reason,” Monty Hagler, a spokesman for DeJoy, told the newspaper .
President Trump said on Monday that he was not familiar with the allegations against DeJoy but said he should lose his job “if something can be proven that he did something wrong.”
–This report was updated at 8:58 a.m.
House Oversight panel to investigate postmaster general over campaign contributions allegations
September 8, 2020 [email protected]_84 allegations, campaign, contributions, General, house, investigate, Oversight, panel, Postmaster
Washington — The House Oversight and Reform Committee is launching an investigation into embattled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy following a report alleging he pushed employees at the logistics company he led to make campaign contributions to Republican candidates and reimbursed them for the donations.
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat from New York who chairs the Oversight panel, said in a statement DeJoy “could face criminal exposure” for the scheme reported by The Washington Post, as well as for lying to her panel under oath, if the accusation are true.
“We will be investigating this issue, but I believe the Board of Governors must take emergency action to immediately suspend Mr. DeJoy, who they never should have selected in the first place,” she said.
According to the Post, employees of New Breed Logistics, the North Carolina-based company where DeJoy served as CEO, were urged by him or his aides to make campaign donations or attend fundraisers for GOP candidates at his home. DeJoy, the Post reported, would then reimburse his workers for the contributions through bonuses.
During testimony before the Oversight Committee last month, Congressman Jim Cooper, a Democrat from Tennessee, asked DeJoy whether he repaid his employees for donations they made to Republican politicians.
DeJoy called the claim “outrageous,” and said no.
“I’m fully aware of legal campaign contributions and I resent the assertion, sir,” he told Cooper during the hearing. “What are you accusing me of?”
Since taking over as postmaster general in June, DeJoy has come under scrutiny for changes to the Postal Service’s operations, which caused mail delays. Democrats have accused him of seeking to hamper the mail agency in the run-up to the election because of President Trump’s ardent opposition to voting by mail, which many states are expanding because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In the face of public opposition and pushback, DeJoy halted a series of changes imposed not long after he took the helm of the Postal Service until after the November election. But he has continued to face calls for his resignation from congressional Democrats.
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This Is the Future of Retail, According to 1 Silicon Valley Engineer
If retailers are going to survive, they need a new business model, says the co-founder and CEO of b8ta. He's testing one right now.
By Lindsay Blakely@lindsayblakely
B8ta's flagship store in Palo Alto opened in 2015.
Courtesy of company
The retail shop might be beleaguered in this era of convenient online shopping and free returns, but it's not dead yet. Far from it: just look at the storefronts operated by formerly online-only brands such as Bonobos, Warby Parker, and Rent the Runway.
But e-commerce has definitively changed the way people shop--and according to one Silicon Valley engineer, retailers are failing to adapt.
Most bricks-and-mortar shops are never going to be able to beat the Amazons of the world at supply chain efficiencies, says Vibhu Norby, formerly a lead engineer at the smart thermostat company Nest. So, he concludes, "the future of retail has to do with discovery and customer relations."
If you're wondering what exactly that means, then step right into b8ta, Norby's Palo Alto-based shop that sells Internet-of-Things gadgets. B8ta is designed to be one big showroom where customers can play with high-tech gadgets and ask questions about how they work to employees that don't work on commission. Instead of trying to eke out a profit from thin product margins, the company instead makes money by selling manufacturers monthly "subscriptions" to display spots.
"Retailers operate on super thin margins. Selling space to manufacturers has to be done--space and staffing are expensive," he says.
And what if shoppers just want to try something out but don't want to buy it in the store?
"Showrooming is a good thing for us--that's why manufacturers pay subscriber fees," Norby says. Shoppers can buy the products in stores, but iPad displays, which can be updated remotely by product companies, offer price comparisons from other retailers such as Amazon.
The big value proposition for these companies, besides the fact that they keep 100 percent of sales made, is the data b8ta collects from consumers' interactions with the products. "We're basically like an Internet-of-Things store," Norby says. One hundred and fifty cameras capture how long shoppers stop in front of each product and their path through the store, while the iPads track the colors and styles that shoppers click on.
"Physical stores have always been somewhat of a black box, in comparison to all the data e-commerce sites can collect on individual visitors," says Zoe Leavitt, a tech analyst at CB Insights. "Now, with new tools like foot traffic sensors, machine vision, wi-fi tracking, and artificial intelligence for analytics, manufacturers can start to make sense of how customers are interacting with their products on the shelves in the physical world."
Doug Bieter, head of sales for eero, maker of a home wi-fi system, says renting b8ta space has yielded merchandising insights the company might not have learned otherwise. For instance, because the company can track exactly how long someone stands in front of an eero display, they now know that a four-minute explainer video is too long.
If b8ta is really going to prove that this alternate retail business model works, it's going to have to expand quickly enough--without burning through too much cash--to become a meaningful retail presence for manufacturers outside of a tech enclave.
B8ta's second location was slated to open in early December in the high-end Santa Monica Place shopping center in the Los Angeles area?. Just a few weeks before the biggest gift-giving bonanza of the year, the launch hit a snag: with one week left before the opening, the massive sliding glass doors for the entrance still hadn't been delivered. The b8ta team scrambled to secure a temporary space just several storefronts away in the same mall. Problem solved, and only a week behind schedule.
Faced with a similar delay, most retailers still would have been a nervous wreck. That's precious lost time for driving the all-important holidays sales that can make or break a store's year. But Norby uses the situation to point out what he thinks is the beauty of his retail model.
"Seasonality doesn't matter that much for b8ta's business model," he says, though he acknowledges that "for vendors this is the most interesting time of year."
The weekend b8ta opened in Santa Monica, about 1,000 people came into the store. (A slow day at b8ta might bring in a couple hundred visitors.) Not everyone buys something but shoppers typically interact with more than half of the products. That's valuable, Norby argues, and perhaps the best way forward for retailers. B8ta won't disclose how much manufacturers pay for placement but did say it varies based on each store's location (the Santa Monia store is higher based on traffic patterns).
The ever-changing roster of products fall into four categories: home, sense (wearables and virtual reality/augmented reality), play (robots and tech toys), and move (transportation-related items). The Santa Monica store is heavier on the last two categories, a reflection of the kind of consumers who frequent the area. Pepper the robot was manning the entrance of the store on a recent Monday and other items like a smart oven and an electric bike were on display.
B8ta, which has raised $19.5 million in venture capital to date, opened a third store in Seattle in December and operates mini stores focused on smart home products inside three California Lowe's stores. It's a pretty small sample size so far, but Norby seems unconcerned. He won't get into expansion specifics but says b8ta will be in "most cities" within a couple years and that the new locations won't be all electronics. "People will be surprised what categories we get into," he says.
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Laurie Sullivan
PeopleSoft Founder Duffield Takes The Wraps Off His New Company, Workday
Building off the Salesforce.com model, Workday aims to provide business software as a service.
People have been hearing tidbits about PeopleSoft founder Dave Duffield's next company for months. Now he's made it official. Duffield announced his new company, Workday, with a goal of replacing traditional ERP platforms with software-as-a-service tools.
Workday will take on the ERP market with hosted applications using a subscription-based licensing model. It will offer human-capital management applications initially, with finance management tools due next year and resource management and supply-chain apps to follow. It's a business model that Salesforce.com turned into a fast-growth strategy in CRM, and that major software vendors such as Microsoft, Oracle, and SAP have only selectively employed. But the complexity of ERP will likely make this area a tougher sell than sales force management and customer information apps.
"Not many people in this conservative technology environment dream of starting the next big ERP company," says Bruce Richardson, chief research officer at AMR Research.
Duffield, who describes the hosted applications suite as a "modern-day ERP system" isn't your typical startup CEO. The 66-year-old already made his fortune with PeopleSoft, which Oracle bought for $10.3 billion, so he was able to invest in the new company alongside $15 million in venture capital when he founded it with Aneel Bhusri. For talent, Duffield tapped some PeopleSoft refugees, basing his 65-employee company in Walnut Creek, Calif. The basic technology to build and run Workday's object-oriented business services was acquired from former PeopleSoft chief architect John Malatesta, who left the software company in 2000 to build the platform.
But the technology couldn't have been more complicated, Duffield says. That's where Ken Morris comes in. Morris joined Workday as VP and chief technology strategist in March 2005, and product development began that November. "I knew the technology because [Duffield] had started a similar project at PeopleSoft known as PeopleTools," Morris says. Though Duffield champions the software-as-a-service vision, he says bringing together people like Morris and Bhusri has been his main contribution. "I believe in people, and I'm willing to take risks," Duffield says. "Ken is the technology visionary, and Aneel the true market and business visionary."
The object-oriented software, which will be hosted in a third-party data center Workday manages, incorporates entities such as "employee" and business services such as "hire," which are managed by an object management server. That gives the apps flexibility and allows companies to customize them--something that's been difficult to do with many software-as-a-service applications. Companies will also be able to integrate Workday apps with other IT systems using XML and Web services, and they'll have built-in data encryption for data privacy and security. An Ajax-based user interface will be more interactive than other on-demand apps, Duffield promises.
Workday will also look to key partners for support. It will launch with integration to Automated Data Processing's payroll service. And next year, customers can expect Workday applications to integrate into Microsoft Office 2007 for Outlook and SharePoint portal.
Workday will build and market the Microsoft integration feature using Visual Studio to connect processes and information with SharePoint server, enabling various human-resource scenarios such as performance reviews, says Chris Caren, Microsoft general manager for office business applications. "These scenarios might involve Excel or Word, where you might want to manage and collaborate in SharePoint, and eventually write something back to Workday such as pay-raise information," he says. "You can also integrate via Exchange Server with Outlook so you can send tasks and alerts to individuals that Workday initiates." Workday expects to have the integration complete sometime next year.
Workday faces big challenges. This isn't a brand-new market like it was when Duffield helped to pioneer the rise of human-resource applications with PeopleSoft. It's mostly a replacement market--companies giving up packaged apps or programs developed in-house.
Workday won't have a problem securing the first 100 customers because some will want to become part of the new technology, says AMR's Richardson. But will Workday be a $500 million a year company in five years? "It seems like a stretch," he says. "Yet at the same time, look at what Salesforce has done with a much simpler application, CRM, and it now has 500,000 users."
It's too early to tell how the vision of Duffield and Bhusri will resonate with companies. So far, Workday has two customers: Biosite, a 1,500-employee company that develops diagnostic equipment for laboratories; and Kana Software, which provides managed services.
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Sun And Texas Instruments Ink Licensing Deal
Texas Instruments will integrate Sun's Java technology into its chipsets for mobile phones.
Texas Instruments Inc. says it will integrate Sun Microsystems' Java technology into its chipsets for cellular phones, hoping to make it easier for developers to build software for the platform.
Under the deal announced Thursday, TI has licensed Sun's Connected Limited Device Configuration HotSpot Implementation for integration into the company's TCS chipsets and wireless OMAP processors. Sun's CLDC HI, part of the Java 2 Micro Edition set of standards and technologies, is a Java virtual machine and set of class libraries for running applications.
In addition, Sun and TI will collaborate on optimizing Sun's Mobile Information Device Profile 2.0 on the TI platform. MIDP is the application environment for which developers write their applications.
MIDP includes a variety of programming interfaces that developers can tap for a variety of services, including network security, storage and downloading, installing and running applications from a server. The technology built for the TI platform will be tested and validated against Sun's Content Delivery Server, a carrier-grade product for uploading Java applications to handsets.
Sun acquired CDS when it bought privately held Pixo Inc. in July.
The Sun-TI deal is expected to ease the difficulty of building Java applications for cellular phones, an area where the platform has gained some market strength. The Sun technology is particularly geared toward applications that will run on evolving high-speed networks, called 2.5G and 3G.
"One of the things that Sun acknowledges about Java is they haven't done as good a job of simplifying development (on the platform), making it as easy as they could have," said Gordon Haff, an analyst at Illuminata. "When comparing Java with Windows, Windows is usually easier, and the technology is better integrated. This is an indication that Sun is putting some effort into simplifying Java development."
Market researcher Yankee Group says Java and Qualcomm Inc.'s Brew are the leading wireless-application development platforms for cellular phones and handheld devices. The market, however, is far too young to have a clear winner.
To date, most Internet-based applications available for handsets are for games and other lightweight uses such as changing the ring tone on a cellular phone to play Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
However, Brew does enable more useful applications, such as location-based services for finding an address. Java applications delivering weather forecasts and other advanced services are also available.
A major threat to both platforms is Microsoft, which made a big push in the market this year with its .Net Compact Framework. The toolset, included in Visual Studio .Net 2003, is designed to simplify development on Microsoft's Pocket PC operating system.
While early tools were clumsy, Microsoft's latest technology is considerably better, Yankee Group analyst John Jackson said. In addition, it has several million loyal developers that will start tapping code as soon as they see an opportunity to make money.
What's unclear for Sun is whether it can offset its dramatic drop in hardware sales with revenue from its software portfolio, in general. High-end computer systems continue to make up a large portion of Sun's sales.
"With Sun's software efforts, in general, and Java in particular, they really haven't demonstrated to date that they can make significant amounts of money off of a pure software play," Haff said.
For the fiscal first quarter ended Sept. 28, Sun reported a net loss of $286 million, compared with a net loss of $111 million for the same period a year ago. Revenue for the period dropped 7.7% to $2.54 billion from $2.75 billion a year ago. It was the 10th consecutive quarter in which Sun reported lower year-over-year revenue.
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Rutgers University Renames Institute to Honor Clement Alexander Price
Filed in Honors & Awards on March 13, 2015
Rutgers University President Robert L. Barchi announced recently that the university’s Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience will be renamed to honor the late Clement Alexander Price. Dr. Price, who died last November at the age of 69, was the Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor and the founding director of the Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience on the university’s Newark campus.
Professor Price had served on the Rutgers University faculty since 1975. He was the author and editor of many scholarly works including Freedom Not Far Distant: A Documentary History of Afro-Americans in New Jersey (New Jersey Historical Society, 1980) and his most recent effort, the three-volume Slave Culture: A Documentary Collection of the Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers’ Project (Greenwood Publishing, 2004), where he was a co-editor.
Professor Price held bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. He held a Ph.D. in history from Rutgers University.
Related: Rutgers University
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long haul truck driver
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Long Haul Truck Driver Job Description
Long-haul truck drivers transport materials and goods throughout the country, often driving thousands of miles to complete their routes. This role requires the ability to safely operate a large, heavy vehicle over a delivery period that can span several days. Long-haul truck drivers have to possess a commercial driver’s license, along with the stamina to manage a life on the road.
While some long-haul truck drivers work directly for manufacturers and retailers, most work for trucking companies or operate as independent contractors. Because of this, many long-haul truck drivers have a great deal of flexibility in choosing which jobs to take and how to structure their time.
Long-haul Truck Driver Duties and Responsibilities
Based on postings that we analyzed, most long-haul truck drivers share several essential responsibilities:
Transport Goods and Materials
The central duty of long-haul truck drivers is operating a tractor-trailer to deliver goods and materials around the country. This requires both the ability to successfully and safely operate and maneuver a large vehicle and a high level of physical and mental stamina due to the long hours of the work. Long-haul truck drivers typically make deliveries and pickups that can involve cross-country driving, usually on a strict schedule.
Plan Routes and Schedules
Long-haul truck drivers plan routes and driving schedules, using GPS technology to outline routes and determine the number of miles they can cover in a day. As part of this process, long-haul truck drivers also have to consider factors such as weight limits, hazardous materials regulations, weather, and traffic. Long-haul truck drivers also have to be familiar with roadways near their route so they can make adjustments while driving.
Maintain Driving Records
Another important aspect of this job is maintaining detailed records of both materials picked up and delivered, along with tolls paid and other expenses while on the road. Additionally, long-haul truck drivers maintain records of stops, keeping detailed records of miles driven, especially if the driver is paid on a per-mile basis. Additionally, long-haul truck drivers may have to provide proof of delivery and enter information in computer systems.
Inspect and Maintain Vehicles
Long-haul truck drivers inspect and maintain their vehicles before driving, while on the road, and after making deliveries. This includes ensuring that all materials are securely loaded and packed, as well as conducting regular maintenance, inspections, and emergency repairs. Drivers also report any accidents or delays to their supervisors and keep detailed records of vehicle maintenance, inspections, and repairs to ensure that their trucks remain safe and legal to drive.
Coordinate Activities with Dispatchers
Finally, long-haul truck drivers work closely with dispatchers and other logistics professionals while planning and driving their routes. This can involve providing updates on delivery timelines, routes, total mileage, and breaks each day. In cases where long-haul truck drivers make a pickup after a delivery, they log this information, updating dispatchers to ensure that delivery schedules and timelines are maintained.
Long-haul Truck Driver Skills and Qualifications
Long-haul truck drivers deliver goods and materials throughout the country, spending long days on the road. Workers in this role have commercial driver’s licenses, along with the following skills:
Driving and vehicle operation – long-haul truck drivers operate tractor trailers carrying heavy loads, so they need clean driving records and the ability to safely drive for hours at a time
Route planning – to determine the most efficient routes and make adjustments based on road conditions or unexpected closures
Reporting skills – to maintain accurate records and documentation of hours worked, miles driven, and expenses while on the road, particularly if they are independent contractors
Time management – to ensure that driving hours worked are within limits set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
Stamina – to manage long days and nights of cross-country driving
Verbal communication – long-haul truck drivers frequently communicate with dispatchers, logistics personnel, and team members at pickup and delivery locations
Long-haul Truck Driver Education and Training
Most long-haul truck drivers have at least a high school diploma or GED. There are also truck driving schools throughout the country that prepare drivers to safely operate tractor-trailers, although attending one of these schools is not a requirement for this position. Long-haul truck drivers also need to pass a written examination and driving test to obtain their Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).
Long-haul Truck Driver Salary and Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found that, as of May 2017, heavy- and tractor-trailer truck drivers earned a median yearly wage of $42,480. The highest-paid 10 percent of workers in this role earned more than $64,000, while the lowest-paid made less than $27,510 per year. It is also worth noting that many long-haul truck drivers are paid per mile, and many also work as independent contractors instead of full-time employees.
The BLS expects employment of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers to grow 6 percent between 2016 and 2026.
We searched the web and found many resources if you’re interested in starting a career as a long-haul truck driver:
Trucker’s Training: Truck Driving Schools in the U.S. – Truck driving schools prepare students for successful careers as long-haul truck drivers by teaching essential skills and safe operation of tractor trailers.
CDL – Commercial Driver’s License Exam (CDL Test Preparation) – Read this book with clear diagrams, examples, and practice questions by Matt Mosher to prepare for the commercial driver’s license exam.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) – The FMCSA plays a central role in setting rules and regulations for long-haul truck drivers by establishing guidelines for miles per day and required breaks to ensure highway safety.
Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver Training – This book by Alice Adams contains valuable information for new long-haul truck drivers, along with advice on training and maintaining vehicle safety.
Long-haul Truck Driver Resume Help
Explore these related job titles from our database of hundreds of thousands of expert-approved resume samples:
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Reports ›
The impact of poverty on young children's experience of school
Goretti Horgan
An examination of how poverty impacts on younger children’s experience of school, focusing on life in primary schools in Northern Ireland.
Improving educational attainment is vital if the goal of eradicating child poverty in a generation is to be met, but children growing up in poverty are rarely asked how poverty impacts on their school life. This study focuses on:
what children themselves think about school;
how important education is to them;
what children know about the hidden costs of education; and
how they experience school.
The researcher interviewed 220 children aged four to eleven in advantaged and disadvantaged schools in Northern Ireland, as well as parents and teachers. It looks at what conversations reveal about the impact of poverty on their school lives, as well as describing the different experiences of those living in poorer and better-off circumstances.
The UK Government is trying to break the link between child poverty and educational disadvantage. This study examines the extent to which poverty impacts on younger children's experience of school and looks at life in primary schools in Northern Ireland from a child-centred perspective.
How most children experience school is determined by the level of disadvantage they face. Poorer children in the study accepted that they were not going to get the same quality of schooling, or the same outcomes, as better-off children.
Children and parents identified the main costs of school as uniform (including shoes), lunches and school trips. Children in disadvantaged schools were very aware of all the costs and of the difficulties parents faced in finding as little as 50 pence or a pound for school events.
The experiences of school for children from poorer families were narrower and less rich. For example, children in disadvantaged schools had limited access to music, art and out-of-school activities that children in advantaged schools generally took for granted.
All of the children agreed that education was important, but for different reasons. In advantaged schools, children saw education as a way of ensuring a good life as an adult. Children in disadvantaged schools were more likely to view education as a way of avoiding problems in the future.
All children worried a lot about testing but those in the advantaged schools felt under parental pressure to do well and worried most.
Boys as young as nine in disadvantaged schools were disenchanted with school and starting to disengage. They are being particularly failed by the education system due to the interaction of:
educational disadvantage faced by children growing up in poverty;
the difficulties faced by teachers in disadvantaged schools; and
differences in the ways that boys and girls are socialised.
The role of education in providing a route out of poverty is at the centre of many policies to end child poverty. Improving educational attainment is important for the individual child, but it is also vital if the goal of eradicating child poverty in a generation is to be met. The Government has also committed itself to involving children and young people in decision-making, particularly in relation to education.
The cost of school
Despite government policy aimed at keeping the cost of primary school uniforms as low as possible, all the parents interviewed reported spending about £50 on each child's uniform, not including the cost of shoes. Some of the older children were keenly aware of the cost to their parents of school uniforms. Some schools, even in highly disadvantaged areas, displayed an inflexible attitude to uniforms.
School trips also proved expensive and few parents realised that schools are not allowed to charge for trips during school hours. Most saw the 'donation' that was asked for as a fixed charge. Residential trips, particularly those outside the region, were seen as too expensive by all the parents interviewed, even those who were relatively well-off.
Children and parents generally welcomed healthy eating policies in schools but felt that school dinners had not gone far enough towards providing tasty healthy options. The poor quality of meals in some school canteens meant that children who might rely on their school dinner as the main meal of the day refused to eat what was on offer. For families who were not entitled to free school meals but had several children at school, the cost of school dinners made them prohibitive.
Reasons for going to school
Younger children (four- to six-year-olds) all saw school as a place to learn for learning's sake, or as many of them put it "to get smarter". They said that making friends, meeting friends, playing and "having fun" were the best things about school.
Older children's understanding of why they went to school had developed. So seven- to nine-year-olds still saw school as about learning and having fun, but started to say they went to school to learn so they could get a job when they were older. For ten- and eleven-year-olds, school was all about getting a good education in order to get a good job.
While all agreed that school was important for their future, the older children in the more advantaged schools tended to say they enjoy attending school. They had positive reasons for saying that school was important, to ensure a good life as an adult. Children in the disadvantaged schools, however, were less likely to say they enjoyed school and more likely to cite negative reasons for why school was important, such as to avoid problems in their adult lives.
These comments illustrate the difference:
"School is important. On a scale of one to ten, school is about eight and a half … It's important because we have to get a good education and if you want to go to university you have to get good GCSE and good A-level marks."
(Ten-year-old girl, advantaged school)
"Well, if you didn't go to school you wouldn't be able to learn. You wouldn't be able to know anything when you grow up. Every time you go to speak to somebody, you'd be, like, d'oh!"
(Eleven-year-old girl, disadvantaged school)
Different experiences of school
Older children in disadvantaged schools complained about being shouted at by teachers. While both boys and girls complained about being shouted at, the boys were more likely to say that it was "unfair". The girls tended to make excuses for the teachers and blame themselves to some degree for being shouted at. Children in more advantaged schools did not complain about teachers shouting at them.
As well as the attitudes of teachers, children in the disadvantaged schools complained about a range of issues:
the compulsory nature of school;
the length of the school day;
the quality of the food; and
rubbish in the playground.
Boys across the range of schools, but particularly those in the disadvantaged schools, complained about the length of the school day and about how brief they found break times. Girls complained about not having enough time to eat lunch and play but not about the length of the school day generally.
Tests were the single most cited reason for worrying about school. All the children worried about tests, but children in the advantaged schools were far more worried and under greater pressure to do well in all their tests. The children who planned to do the Eleven Plus (which remains in place in Northern Ireland until November 2008) said they found it "stressful", that they worried about their parents' expectations and feared they would "let them down" by not doing well enough.
All the children, whether or not they were doing the Eleven Plus, were aware of the distorting effect of the test on teaching in the year before it. In particular, those preparing for the test complained their curriculum had narrowed considerably and they were no longer included in some school trips and missed out on music, art and PE lessons. Those who were not doing the test complained that they were often set work to do by themselves while the teacher concentrated on those taking it.
"I think they just need to pay attention to everyone … because when we're doing the tests, other people are doing easier stuff and we're working hard but they aren't working as hard as we are. I mean they should still be learning, they're just doing stuff that they've already done and it's not as if they're learning any more."
(Ten-year-old girl, socially mixed school)
Table 1: Boys already disengaging from school
Advantaged Schools
Disadvantaged schools
"I don't think there is very many bad things about school."
(Ten-year-old boy)
"I don't like school, 'cos you have to work. I think it's too long."
"I think you need to go to school and I really like school but I think we need more sports."
"No one likes it in our class, none of the boys like it, don't they not?"
"See if you want to have a good job, you have to have a degree in Maths and English and science and everything."
"All the boys in our school, all the boys in the school don't like school. I wish school wasn't invented!"
"You get a good education and all so you can get a good job when you're older."
(Nine-year-old boy)
"I hate school, doing work and teachers shouting at me."
"It can be good to learn if they make things fun to learn."
"If you don't go to school, your Dad will go to jail."
(Eleven-year-old boy)
Source: The impact of poverty on young children's experience of school (Horgan 2007).
Activities outside school
Children in the more disadvantaged schools were considerably less likely to participate in after-school activities. Some disadvantaged schools did offer some free after-school activities, but children were unable to take up these activities if they did not live within walking distance of the school. By contrast, in the better-off schools, parents, relatives or other carers picked the children up in cars from after-school activities. In the more advantaged schools, some children were able to recite a list of out-of-school activities for each day of the school week.
"I go to netball on Monday, and dance class on Tuesday, piano on Wednesday and then on Thursday go to choir."
(Nine-year-old girl)
Several ten- and eleven-year-old children in the more advantaged schools, in response to being asked about out-of-school activities, said that they "couldn't be bothered". These children, most though not all of whom were entitled to free school meals, were also among those who said that they "couldn't be bothered" to go on school trips. These children seemed to be experiencing what Tess Ridge terms "exclusion from within" (Ridge, 2002).
Headteachers in the more disadvantaged schools, including the rural ones, were concerned to ensure that activities that could enrich a child's life, such as art, sports and music, were available to all. Schools went to great lengths to make sure that children who had some musical ability would get music lessons without having to pay for them. By contrast, headteachers in more advantaged schools expressed concern that so much that used to be free was now subject to a charge. Some were fatalistic about the effect of these charges.
"The music tuition that we have … [is] not really accessible, practically not accessible, to children from lower income backgrounds."
(Headteacher, advantaged school)
Early disengagement from school
A significant number of boys in the most disadvantaged schools were already starting to disengage from school at the age of nine or ten. Some of the differences in how boys from different backgrounds experienced school can be seen in Table 1. Older boys in the disadvantaged schools were the only children who talked in a positive manner about truanting. Older girls in disadvantaged schools spoke disapprovingly of boys who "tell their Mummies they're going to school but they don't really, they just stay off". There was no discussion of truanting in the advantaged schools.
Boys in the advantaged schools complained more than girls about the amount of work, particularly homework, they had to do. In all schools, boys seemed more concerned than girls about being able to get outside to play, both during and after school hours. Girls in the disadvantaged schools were as likely as boys to complain about being shouted at, but only boys concluded that this led them to hate school. And it was only in the disadvantaged schools that the length of the school day, the amount of work and teachers shouting at them led to boys saying they hated or really did not like school.
Two hundred and twenty children aged four to eleven took part in group interviews, in both disadvantaged and advantaged primary schools across Northern Ireland. Parents and teachers were also interviewed. Focusing on disadvantaged schools rather than pupils avoided stigmatising children living in poverty. The schools in the most disadvantaged areas had between 50 and 75 per cent of their pupils eligible for Free School Meals (FSM), while schools in the most advantaged areas had between three and 14 per cent of their pupils eligible for FSM.
Studies looking at out-of-school activities (Wikeley et al. 2007) and at efforts to help disaffected children to re-engage with learning (Frankham 2007 and Thomson and Russell 2007) also emphasised the importance of building the right kinds of relationships. For example, a key feature of successful projects working with excluded children (a small minority of those facing social disadvantage) was to build close relationships, not just with young people but with their families, addressing the family circumstances as well as the child's learning needs, and making education a shared enterprise between family, educator and child. This work relies on highly skilled and dedicated workers, often without professional qualifications but able to put the required level of commitment into building productive relationships with families living in tough circumstances (Frankham 2007).
The children talked about:
what they thought of school and its costs;
how important education was to them;
how they thought schools worked; and
how they experienced school.
Afterwards, what the children said was analysed to see what it showed about the impact of poverty on their school lives, as well as about the different experiences of those living in poorer and better-off circumstances.
Ridge, T. (2002) Childhood Poverty and Social Exclusion: the child's perspective, Policy Press: Bristol.
FindingsThe impact of poverty on young children's experience of school (93.52 KB)
Full ReportThe impact of poverty on young children's experience of school (394.92 KB)
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Home News & Events Leveraging core competencies for social good
Selim Bassoul ’81, and the portable cookstove his company’s engineers designed for use in refugee camps.
Leveraging core competencies for social good
Global foodservice equipment leader cooks up idea to help Syrian refugees
4/7/2017 - Sometimes a passion for making a social impact can be so powerful it literally ignites.
Driving to the Evanston campus for a student presentation in 2015, Selim Bassoul ’81, founder of the Bassoul Dignity Foundation, nearly started a fire in his car. In the backseat was a portable cookstove his company’s engineers had designed specifically for use in refugee camps. A sunny day in Chicagoland had kicked the innovation’s solar component into high gear.
“He and his assistant needed to pull over because they smelled the carpet burning,” said Eric Anderson, Hartmarx Professor of Marketing and Director of the Center for Global Marketing Practice at the Kellogg School of Management. “This was my first introduction to Selim. His eagerness to share his invention and goal to make life easier for Syrian refugees in his native Lebanon was truly inspiring.”
Since the 2011 outbreak of civil war in Syria, more than one million displaced persons have sought safe haven in neighboring Lebanon. Many live in makeshift refugee camps, which offer little in the way of even the most rudimentary of kitchens. Preparing meals over open fire can take hours for women and children who must search for wood and other fuel sources. This daily burden prevents the adults from finding gainful employment, while their kids are unable attend school. Struck by this hardship, Bassoul hit upon a simple idea to help the refugees: do what you do best. Drawing from his expertise in commercial and residential cookstoves, he embarked upon a collaboration with Entrepreneurs Without Borders on a multi-national project addressing the global refugee crisis.
Strength in serendipity
By the time Bassoul crossed paths with Anderson, he was already deep into the development of the cookstove. However, he saw an opportunity to heighten the project’s impact by partnering with Kellogg and faculty affiliated with the Kellogg Public-Private Interface (KPPI) to address the viability and sustainability of his philanthropic effort. “At Kellogg, we talk a lot about integrating private and public goals to solve serious social issues,” says Anderson. “Collaborating with Selim offered a unique opportunity for the Kellogg community to engage in meaningful dialogue and truly be a part of the [social impact] conversation.”
For his part, Bassoul was seeking a long-term impact that empowers people by providing a fishing rod – not just a fish – and “working with Kellogg helped me to consider the project from the mindset of an economist, enabling me to use evidence-based decision-making to create effective altruism by having a measurable impact,” said Bassoul.
At Kellogg, Anderson put out a call for participants to help advance this worthy project. Full-Time MBA student Michael Gonzalez ’17 happened to be sitting in Anderson’s retail analytics class, when he looked at his email. “There was a message about working on an initiative to deliver low-cost cooking equipment to Syrian refugees,” said Gonzalez. “While the details were vague, I definitely wanted in.” Prior to entering Kellogg’s Full-Time MBA Program, Gonzalez spent 10 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, most recently as a humanitarian assistance planner for Syria. His task? To help those fleeing the violence. “Given the suffering I had seen there, I was passionate about reengaging in the region,” he said. “Then this project serendipitously fell into my lap.”
At the same time, Kellogg faculty member Kara Palamountain came onboard to recruit and assemble the student team. Her global initiatives experience in developing countries made her the perfect project advisor. “We thought a competitive assessment and a measurement of impact report would be helpful first steps,” said Professor Palamountain.
To that end, last spring a team of a half dozen students got to work to better understand the cookstove market. They looked at potential issues with Bassoul’s product such as high fuel costs or health and environmental concerns arising from the smoke of open fire cooking. Interestingly, one of the key student architects of the competitive assessment was a cookstove expert. Duda Cardoso ’16 had spent a summer working for Acumen as a portfolio associate where she focused on, coincidentally, the off-grid energy space.
“The cookstove market is a huge sector,” said Cardoso, now manager for Cacao de Colombia as an Acumen global fellow. “However, most cookstoves are meant to be permanent fixtures. We found that only a few focused on the refugee camp market.”
Inspiring positive disruption
In June 2016, the market research efforts of the Kellogg team appeared on a global stage. Gonzalez accompanied Bassoul to an Ernst & Young-sponsored entrepreneurship conference in Monaco. Serving as the Kellogg consultant on impact measurement, he provided the data to support Bassoul’s call to action: for all companies to look for ways to leverage their core competencies for social impact.
Gonzalez also led a workshop for college students attending the event. He engaged them to think broadly about how they, like Bassoul, might use their skills and resources someday to make the world a better place. For Gonzalez, inspiring these budding entrepreneurs only reaffirmed his passion for using the power of business to do good. “A better world through business is an unwritten core value of the Kellogg community” said Gonzalez, “but I didn’t expect that theme to resonate as well as it did in Monte Carlo.” The group of young entrepreneurs was inspired by the work that Bassoul was doing with his experience with commercial and residential cookstoves. From Germany to Nigeria, students have stayed in touch with Gonzalez, sharing their own new ideas for positive change in business.
This idea is baked into the school’s overarching perspective on social impact. “Selim has successfully leveraged his own skills, network and company competencies to address a pressing human need from a market-based approach. This fits precisely into our Kellogg view that marketplace leaders at every level hold the potential to forge real change for people and communities,” said Professor Megan Kashner, Director of Social Impact.
“I’m proud of the work that we do through Bassoul Dignity Foundation, which extends beyond the cookstove project to provide resources and skills to young adults, services to displaced people worldwide, safe houses for women in need, and scholarships to students all over the world,” said Bassoul.
And the foundation’s work has not gone unnoticed – in 2016, Bassoul was honored by Ernst & Young for his ongoing philanthropic endeavors, and in 2017, he was named a Kellogg Youn Impact Scholar. “I’ve never tackled a problem of this scale. This issue affects millions of people. Working with Kellogg has helped me work towards making my efforts sustainable and impactful,” said Bassoul.
Interested in social entrepreneurship? Kellogg offers courses in social impact.
Kellogg Alumni leverage their management education to drive social impact across industries.
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Apple’s $100 Million Racial Diversity Fund Reveals Spending Plan
Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers the keynote address during the 2019 Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) at the San Jose Convention Center on June 03, 2019 in San Jose, California. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Last June, Apple launched a $100 million program called Racial Equity and Justice Initiative (REJI) in the wake of the sweeping Black Lives Matter movement that shook American society. Seven months later, the tech giant has decided how to spend that money.
On Wednesday, Apple announced a series of projects under the initiative, from building a new campus in Atlanta for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), opening a coding school in Detroit, and investing in venture capital funds supporting Black and Brown entrepreneurs.
“We are all accountable to the urgent work of building a more just, more equitable world — and these new projects send a clear signal of Apple’s enduring commitment,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. “We’re launching REJI’s latest initiatives with partners across a broad range of industries and backgrounds…working together to empower communities that have borne the brunt of racism and discrimination for far too long.”
Last summer, one week after Apple launched REJI, the company’s head of diversity and inclusion, Christie Smith, resigned for personal reasons. Her role has since been temporarily filled by her supervisor, Apple’s retail chief and head of people Deirdre O’Brien.
The iPhone maker’s vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson, who heads REJI, hinted that Apple could hire Smith’s replacement soon, saying the new initiative could be “a source of fresh talent for the company,” per Fast Company.
See Also: Apple Is Planning an Electric Self-Driving Car Featuring Game-Changing Battery
Apple is doubling down on diversity and inclusion programs in a time when it increasingly struggles to keep its reputation in line with industry standards.
In 2020, Apple ranked among the last among Big Tech companies on Glassdoor’s annual ranking of the “best places to work,” released on Tuesday. On the job-hunting site Apple has an average employee rating of 4.2 out of 5, putting it at No.31 on this year’s Glassdoor list. Facebook, Google, Microsoft and LinkedIn, which all made it into top 20, have an average rating of 4.5.
For the better part of 2020, Apple was also mired in controversy around the high commissions (up to 30 percent) it charges third-party developers for selling apps in Apple’s App Store. CEO Cook argued at a Congressional hearing that Apple’s fees were actually a lot lower than its competitors. Nevertheless, in November Apple revised its rules to cut commission rates by half for some developers to “help small business owners write the next chapter of creativity and prosperity on the App Store,” Cook said at the time.
Yet, large developers, including the maker of the popular video game Fortnite, dismissed Apple’s rule change as a PR move to quell critics while still plowing in high commissions from top-selling apps.
Below are the details of Apple’s new projects under REJI:
1) Building a $25 million Propel Center in Atlanta, which includes a physical campus and virtual platform for HBCU students and faculty.
2) Launching an Apple Developer Academy in collaboration with Michigan State University in Detroit. The curriculum includes a 30-day introductory program followed by a months-long boot camp for aspiring developers.
3) Apple is giving $10 million to Harlem Capital, a New York-based venture capital firm aiming to invest in 1,000 minority founders over the next 20 years.
4) Apple is giving $25 million to the Clear Vision Impact Fund, launched by investment bank Siebert Williams Shank last year, to back minority-owned small and midsize businesses.
Netflix vs Disney vs HBO: Inside 2020’s Streaming Viewership
Governors Ball Sets 2021 Festival Dates
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Landmarks in Life
Folk Knowledge
Festivals- Ceremonies- Celebrations
Theatrical Presentations
Games - Sports
Folk Dances
Folk Cultures
Turkish Music Culture and Examples
Costume, Traditional Arts and Crafts, Folk Paintings
Architecture, Heating, Illumination
The Turkish World
Romany Folk Culture
Anthology of Children and Youth Stories of the Period of Republic
Preserved Areas
Visions of Turkey
Promotional Films of Turkey
Culture Routes
Colours from Turkey
2003 and Others
Sümela Monastry
Where I am :
Wonders of Turkey
Sumela Monastry
The ruins of a monastery can be seen on the slopes of the Zigana Mountains to the south of Trabzon and at the foot of the mountain at the bottom of a wooded valley flows one of the tributaries of Değirmen Creek, which terminates at Trabzon. This place is known as “Meryem Ana”, or “the Virgin Mary” by the local people. Its old name is “Sumela Monastery”. Many people consider its origins to be extremely old, and this opinion is widely held among the Byzantine Greek community of the Black Sea coast. According to legends about the foundation of the monastery in books about Trabzon printed in Greek, the monastery was originally founded in the reign of Theodosius and rebuilt in the sixth century in the reign of Justinian by Belisarios, one of his commanders. However, foreign experts who have conducted on-site investigations consider that there is nothing to substantiate this hypothesis. The Monastery's main source of income is an icon of the Virgin Mary, which is reputed to be of great age and believed by many to possess miraculous properties. According to the legend, the icon is the work of Saint Luke, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ and it was sent to Athens after the death of Luke. However, in the reign of Theodosius (4th century) the icon declared its desire to leave Athens and was borne to this hollow in the mountains around Trabzon by angels and placed upon a stone. It was at that time that two hermits by the name of Barnabus and Sophronius, who were then travelling from Athens to Trabzon, happened to find the icon in this deserted spot. Thus, buildings which are the subject of such legends are automatically regarded as being exceptionally old. Sumela is not the only example of this type, it is only one of a number.
It is said that “Sumela” (the Greek name of this monastery, founded in the name the Virgin Mary), comes from the word “melas”, which means “dark” or “black”. Many consider that this stems from the dark hues of the mountain valley in which the Monastery is situated. However, in the opinion of the author the word “sumela” could be an adjective used to refer to the icon of the Virgin Mary. The colour of the icon, which is so dark that it could be described as black, was one of the things that struck the eminent historian J.P Fallmerayer (1790-1861) when he visited the Monastery in 1840 and could well be the origin of the name. It is known that l2th century Georgian art produced a number of icons of the Virgin Mary known as Black Madonnas, and these icons found their way into a number of monasteries. Black was used in order to emphasise the mysterious expression on the Virgin's face. It is also considered that the origins of this Georgian style could be traced to ancient Indian art. If the close proximity of the Sumela Monastery to the Caucasus is considered, then it would be reasonable to assume that this icon is a Black Madonna from which the Sumela Monastery gained its name. Thus, the mountain also became known as Oros Mela (Kara Dağ) because of the Monastery.
It has not been possible to conduct much research into the age and nature of this Black Madonna. It is clear from a good photograph of the icon taken a number of years ago that it has a cracked black wooden surface with a split down the middle on which no lines or paint, in short, anything resembling a picture can be seen. The silver frame surrounding the icon, judging by the motifs and inscriptions adorning it, dates from circa 1700 and its workmanship is commonplace. According to the information we gain from the photograph it is questionable whether the icon of the Virgin Mary in the Sumela Monastery is a true Black Madonna.
Black Madonnas are more common in Eastern Europe. They are always kept in places of worship high up in forested mountains, especially those that are a place of pilgrimage for Christians. There are usually healing springs in these locations as well. It is believed in France that such icons arrived there by miraculous means. It is interesting to note that religious beliefs as far as this phenomenon is concerned are very similar in a number of widely scattered locations.
To put it in a nutshell, the Sumela Monastery at Trabzon was first referred to by this name in the Komnenos period. Sumela was founded in what must be the most beautiful spot in the magnificent scenery of this area, in which there are a number of monasteries, places of worship and other buildings of a religious nature. Sumela expanded over the centuries of Ottoman rule and became a complex of considerable size. The centre of the complex is a cave, or rather a hollow almost 1200 m above sea level and about 300 m above the river at the bottom of the valley, in the middle of a slope so steep it could be said to be almost vertical. The narrow head of rock jutting out in front of the cave, access to which is tiring and difficult in the extreme, formed the foundation of the Monastery, which grew in size and accumulated wealth over the centuries. Sumela is the most famous of the old monasteries in and around Trabzon.
It is known that mountains, high ground and caves have been invested with religious significance ever since ancient times. It is possible that there was once an altar in the cave and that as Christianity began to spread a group of monks set up a retreat. Of course, this hypothesis is based on information gained about similar cases. Only a detailed study and excavations carried out in and around the cave itself could cast light on its accuracy. However, no exact information can be gained at present. Although it is obvious that the legend about the Monastery having been founded by Barnabas and Sophronios in the reign of Theodosius (4th-5th century) and repaired by Belisarios, one of Justinian's commanders, does not rest on concrete fact, like many legends it survives. If the foundation legend is ignored, then the existing monastery buildings point to its having been built some time after the thirteenth century. At that time the Principality of Trabzon, under the Komnenos Dynasty, was developing as an entirely separate state within the Byzantine Empire and its capital, Trabzon, dominated the area. The title held by the princes, who saw themselves as the true heirs of the Byzantine Empire and described themselves as emperors was not accepted by the true Byzantine Empire when, in 1261, it regained control of Istanbul and revitalised the old Byzantine state. It was Alexios Komnenos III (1349-1390) who maintained an intricate system of contacts with the neighbouring Turkish beyliks (the equivalent of principalities) who should be considered as the true founder of this monastery. Historical sources and documents point to the fact that Alexios III, whose two sisters and four daughters were married to Turkish beys (rulers of beyliks), took a special interest in the Sumela Monastery. It also emerges that Alexios's great grandfather, grandfather and father had made donations to the monks, which would indicate that Sumela had been a religious centre since the reign of Ioannes II (1280-1285), great grandfather of Alexios. According to another legend Alexios III, who was saved from certain death in a storm by the intervention of the Virgin Mary, had the monastery rebuilt and endowed it with rich foundations, the conditions of which were set out in a Krysobullos, or decree. A verse consisting of five lines inscribed on a tablet dated 1360, which was over the monastery gates until 1650 states that “Alexios III, founder (ktetor) of this place, is emperor of East and West (Iberia)”. In 1361 Alexios witnessed an eclipse of the sun here at Sumela and the sun depicted on coins minted by Alexios is considered to refer to this event. In the Deed of Foundation, dated 1365, apart from references to the administration, land and income of the monastery there is also a warning about the “danger of a Turkish invasion of Trabzon” and the monks are urged to be “always on the alert”. Manuel III (1390-1417), son of Alexios III, like his father, took an active interest in buildings of a religious nature. In the year of his succession he presented an ornate cross believed to contain a holy relic (stavrotek), in this case a piece of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified, to the Sumela Monastery. The last members of the Trabzon Komnenos dynasty issued decrees endowing the monastery with great wealth or sanctioning its deeds of foundation. After the conquest of Trabzon and the surrounding area by the Ottomans, the sultans issued decrees protecting the ancient rights of the Sumela Monastery, just as they had for the monasteries on Mount Athos and at Sina, in fact they even granted certain privileges to Sumela and presented gifts as well. Thus the two candlesticks once in the Monastery are known to have been presented by Selim I (1512-1520). A decree issued by Mehmet II, conqueror of Trabzon, acknowledging the rights of the monastery exists. Local publications inform us that other, similar decrees were kept in the monastery; these include the decrees of Bayezid II, Selim II, Selim III, Sultan Murad and Ibrahim, Mehmed II, Süleyman the Magnifıcent, Mustafa and Ahmet III. It has been established that the Voivodas of Wallachia took a close interest in Sumela from the second half of the l8th century onwards, constantly despatching letters and aid. Among these rulers was Ghikas (1755), Stephan (1764), and Hypsilantes (1775). Naturally, all the correspondence between the Patriarchate in Istanbul and the monastery throughout the Ottoman period was kept in the archives of the monastery. Sumela both expanded and grew richer under the aegis of the Voivodas in the l8th century and many parts of it were rebuilt. Archbishop Ignatios had the surfaces of all the walls adorned with frescos in 1749. The golden age of this monastery was unquestionably the l9th century, when rebuilding and magnificent decorations were carried out with gifts sent in a wave of enthusiasm by Greek Orthodox communities all over Anatolia.
According to what Fallmerayer wrote in 1840, the monks of Sumela travelled the whole of Anatolia, the Caucasus, the Balkans and even Russia to collect money by selling rather poor copies of the icon referred to above. This money would then be taken back to the monastery. One of these monks , who was carrying the sum of forty thousand kuruş, a fortune in those days, was robbed and murdered in Kayseri. The Ottoman state had the murderers arrested and executed and the stolen money was returned to the monastery. The interior of the monastery was sumptuously appointed and around 1860 new structures were added, forming a large complex of buildings. A number of foreign travellers visited the monastery in the l9th century and wrote about it.
One of the most detailed descriptions of the Sumela Monastery is that of G.Palgrave (1826-1888). In an article published in February, 1871 he provides a great deal of interesting information, among which is a statement to the effect that the popular legend about an army led by Sultan Murat firing cannon at its walls is entirely lacking in foundation because Murat's army could not have been anywhere near the monastery. When Palgrave made his visit a large, barrack-like structure referred to as “the new building” had been completed three years previously. According to what Palgrave saw, the structure consisted of seven storeys including the arches in the abyss itself; the actual living quarters had four rows of windows and there was a set-back storey on top. There were single rows of eight rooms on each floor and the structure was an extremely sound one. Palgrave, too, refers to the gifts made by Murat and Selim I and states that he saw a miniature of the decree issued by Alexios III. According to a decree issued by Selim II, which Palgrave saw in the monastery, it is stated openly that the sultan was displeased by unfavourable remarks made about himself by the monks.
The Russian invasion of Trabzon, which lasted from 18 April 1916 until 24 February 1918 aroused hopes that a Christian Pontus state would be reborn in Trabzon. The doors were finally slammed on this hope in 1923 after the War of National Liberation, when all Byzantine Greeks in Turkey were sent to Greece and the Sumela Monastery was closed down. Those who migrated founded a new monastery at Verria (formerly Kara Ferye) in Macedonia. Their reluctance to part with their old memories and desire to keep traditions alive were signified by a modern icon of the Virgin Mary placed in the monastery.
The deserted monastery swiftly deteriorated and a fire which broke out in 1930 destroyed all the wooden parts of the buildings. A great deal of needless destruction was inflicted by persons supposedly searching for treasure, this time the stone part of the structure being destroyed. The first thing to attract one's attention here is the ruined state of the walls, together with the fact that all the frescos have been expertly removed and obviously taken away. This task could not have been carried out successfully by the local population. It is obvious that it was done by foreign souvenir-hunters with some knowledge of the subject.
The Sumela Monastery is reached by means of a steep path through the forest. Its entrance was evidently designed with security in mind and final access to the building was via a long, narrow flight of steps. A large aqueduct abutting the mountainside at the side of the steps brought water to the monastery. Old photographs reveal a structure with ten wide arches which is in extremely good condition, but it is now in ruins. As you pass through the main entrance, where there is accomodation for the doorkeeper and other rooms you descend a flight of steps into an inner courtyard. In the centre on the left is a church built on to the cave containing the sacred spring, opposite which are a number of monastery buildings laid out in a random fashion. On the left side of the courtyard is a comparatively new fountain where the waters of the sacred spring oozing from the mountainside collect. It is now half ruined and full of rubble. On the left, inside the cave, is the church-which is the oldest part of the monastery. The church juts out at right angles into the courtyard. And its walls are covered with frescos, both inside and out. However, a close examination of the frescos reveals that they are of comparatively recent origin and that beneath them are layers of much older and more valuable murals. The existence of the latter is also recorded in various sources. On the right side of the courtyard are a number of rooms for the accommodation of guests known to have been built circa 1860, together with a library and there are a number of small chapels around the courtyard. In old photographs taken before the monastery reached its present stage of dilapidation we see that the walls of all the buildings facing the courtyard have wooden balconies and verandahs. Rice describes the fine wood-carving on some of the above. In one of the now extremely dilapidated chapels are murals considered to date from the fourteenth or fifteenth centuries. At the far end of the courtyard a narrow corridor extends above a narrow, jutting rock and from this point an impressive building contiguous with the cliff face extends in the other direction. This part of the complex, which is most striking when viewed from a distance, is the main monastery building where the monks once lived. Apart from the three main floors there are several rows of cellars below and a set-back storey at the top. The rows of arches and galleries under the eaves endow the building with a stately air. This barrack-like building, which is visible as a whiteness on the darker background of the cliff when viewed from afar was built in 1860 in the course of the major repairs and renewal referred to above. However, apart from its size and location the building does not possess any really noteworthy artistic or architectural features. There was once a wooden roof with wide overhanging eaves but this, together with the timber structure of the building has collapsed, leaving only four walls, in the middle of which is the vast, empty well of the building. When one looks downwards from the tower that juts from the front wall the dizzying height of its location becomes clear.
In spite of the fact that the architectural and artistic value of this structure is disputable it has been regarded in recent years as the most important part of Sumela. However, it is the church in one corner of the inner courtyard that is the most important. The church was formed by hewing away the rock of the cave interior to create a smoother surface and closing the mouth of the cave with a straight wall. Abutting the latter is a small chapel which juts out from the wall. The inside and outside walls of the chapel were adorned with layer upon layer of frescos from the l8th century onwards and in some places three layers can be clearly discerned. The bottom layer is superior to the others in terms of colour and quality. The change in subject-matter discernable in each layer is interesting and inscriptions stating that these works were executed in 1710 and 1732 have been discovered. On the other hand, on the courtyard-facing wall of the rockface church frescos dating from the reign of Alexios III were once found. There, on either side of Alexios III stood his sons, Manuel III and Andronikos. Unfortunately, however, no trace of these portraits remains today. Outside, parts of a huge Apocalypse scene, of which only the upper bands remain, can be seen on the rock-face and underneath its flaking plaster other scenes are visible. On the wall of the small chapel a dragon and two mounted figures, St George and St Demetrios, are discernable and we discovered the existence of a further two layers of paintings beneath this top layer. Thus, on top of the bottom layer, where the figure of an emperor wearing a diadem is depicted is yet another figure of the same kind also wearing a diadem-and on top of this, a Transfiguration scene. On the other hand, in the older parts of the monastery, there are correspondingly valuable paintings in places where the plaster has not flaked off completely, in the lower layers, but this would be the subject of a separate study.
Works of Turkish art, too, are in evidence in some of the buildings around the courtyard. For example, details such as the cupboards, nooks and fireplaces in the rooms gave the interior a positively Turkish air. The pointed arches of the fountain where the water of the sacred spring accumulates are also Turkish in character. However, possibly the most striking features are the painted designs in dark red on some of the walls, these being an imitation of the brick pointing designs encountered in l8th century Turkish buildings. There is also said to be a rockface chapel where there are a number of frescos hewn into the mountain side about one hundred metres to the north of the monastery.
Sixty six of the mainly l7th and l8th century manuscripts from the monastery library, which had been previously catalogued, are now in Ankara Museum. A further one thousand tetraevangeliums (the Four Gospels), adorned with minia- tures and dating from Byzantine times, are kept in the Ayasofya (Haghia Sophia) Museum in Istanbul. There are also 150 printed books. Of the plate and other valuables from the treasury of the church is a silver cross (stavrotek) presented by Manuel III, Prince of Trabzon, a handwritten manuscript and a large number of documents, which are now in the Museum of Byzantine Works in Athens. The icon of this monastery, known as “Our Lady of the Roses”, is now in the National
Gallery in Dublin. The silver candlesticks presented by Sultan Selim were stolen in 1877. Another icon belonging to the monastery is in a private , collection in Oxford. In the Benaki Museum, Athens, is a silver medallion on which the Holy Trinity is depicted and another ornate medallion dated 1438, together with an altar cloth (epitaphios) dated 1438.
A report concerning the restoration of Sumela Monastery was recently prepared and relief plans of the eight map sections covered by the monastery drawn up.
THE HEALING WATERS OF THE SUMELA MERYEM ANA MONASTERY (The Monastery of the Virgin Mary)
This short note has been taken from an article by Sabahattin Eyuboğlu entitled “Anadolu'da Halk Hekimliği” (Folk Medicine in Anatolia), published in Tıpta Yenilikler, No:6, February, 1961, pps 76-77.
We visited the Sumela (Meryem Ana) Monastery and its environs. This monastery resembles an eagle's nest which has been half hewn into the steep cliff face above a pine forest at the foot of the Zigana Mountains. Apart from its narrow entrance there is no other possible access to this place. Its known history stretches back as far as the l6th century and most of the frescos on its crumbling walls date from the l7th and l8th centuries. It looks as if a number of repairs and additions have been made to its bold architecture. Into a sacred pool in the centre of the Monastery large drops of water drip at irregular intervals from thirty or forty metres above. It is these drops of water which have offered hope to sufferers of incurable ailments over the centuries and made the Monastery rich. In the old days both Christians and Muslims came here from far and wide to take the cure, first offering impressive gifts and sacrifices. Twenty or so sick persons arrived within the half hour or so that we were inside the Monastery, among them a father who had brought his crippled son from Izmit. The sick people undressed and stood waiting for the healing drops to fall on them. Due to the fact that the drops did not fall in the same places, a cure consisting of seven, eleven or twenty drops of water could last quite a long time, thus, drops of water falling frequently and regularly were regarded as auspicious. A drop suddenly falling on a sick person after a long wait must have been an exciting experience. The colourful and impressive scenery visible on the climb up to the Monastery and on the descent, the sound of countless waterfalls in the valley and the fragrance of the forest enhanced the awe-inspiring atmosphere of the Monastery. It is worth dwelling on the fact that in many parts of Anatolia the Virgin Mary is regarded as a source of health by Muslims, too. Perhaps the Virgin Mary filled the place once occupied by the pagan deities of ancient times.
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Using AI and emerging tech to battle disinformation & protect digital identities
Aileen Schultz September 17, 2020
Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Corporate Legal, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Financial Crime, Fraud, Government, Government Fraud, Risk Management
Digital communications have put a spotlight on the prevalence of disinformation, including deep fakes, and the possibility for political upheaval that they carry. Industries turning to virtual means of conducting activities have opened a whole new era of cybersecurity considerations and uncharted territory for corporations, and of course, their legal departments.
With this specter of disinformation and fake news so prevalent — especially during this time of pandemic, economic crisis, and political and societal unrest when misinformation and rumors are more easily spread — these issues are rightly leading many to fear the potential for bad actors and even bad governments using these tactics amid the promise of technological progress. And although these concerns are certainly valid, there are ways in which new technologies actually could impede the abilities of governments or other bad actors to promote disinformation and foment corruption. For example, technology advancements in detecting disinformation or building more secure identity infrastructures are becoming more prevalent.
Detection of disinformation
It seems to be increasingly common to hear of disinformation scandals; and disinformation has been used in political campaigns to sway voter decisions and to manipulate news reports. Indeed, there has been a 150% rise from 2017-2019 in the number of countries that have experienced disinformation campaigns using social media, according to a 2019 study conducted by Oxford Universities’ Internet Institute. Further, the complexities and interest in deep fakes — machine-generated or manipulated media — are rising, with 150 academic papers published on the topic in 2019, compared to just three in 2017.
Join national security expert Clint Watts and Gina Jurva of Thomson Reuters for an exclusive panel discussion, Social Media Manipulators & the Future of Influence and Trust, available on-demand now.
Fortunately, artificial intelligence (AI) engineers and researchers are working toward solutions to combat these issues. For example, significant headway has been made in algorithmic detection of disinformation across social media. One of the most common sources of disinformation are fake profiles on social accounts, and social media giants use machine learning (ML) to combat this issue. For example, Facebook removed more than 1 billion accounts in 2019 that were determined to be fake. It did this through the use of an ML model called Deep Entity Classification (DEC), which learned to detect fake accounts by assessing the patterns in how these profiles built connections through Facebook. Reportedly, Facebook has been able to keep fake accounts usage to less than 10% of active users per month. The team at Thomson Reuters also is working on the continued improvement of its abilities to detect disinformation, particularly when it comes to deep fakes in video content.
Another excellent example is how Twitter is incorporating misinformation guidance into its user experience design. In May, Twitter announced feature enhancements that would help to combat this issue in response to the mass misinformation that was circulating about the pandemic. The interface additions would help users identify when content doesn’t align with trusted sources, or how to obtain more information on the topic. While these improvements are specific to misinformation about the pandemic, these changes highlight some of the ways Twitter and other social media platforms can continue to support the fight against misinformation.
Blockchain & digital identity systems
Protecting an individual’s digital identity is another area of heightened awareness when it comes to thwarting bad actors and rogue governments — and it’s another area where technology is helping. Interestingly, though not surprisingly, developing nations are leading the way in terms of digital identity adoption and infrastructure. As of 2016, most developing nations had digital identity systems in place, according to the World Bank. This is not surprising when we consider the reasons digital identities are favored over traditional identity systems — with benefits like heightened security, decreased identity fraud, service accessibility, and of course overall operational efficiencies, and cost effectiveness. However, these systems are not without their problems. For example, often there are data privacy concerns, a lack of trust in governments, and a lack of interoperability among frameworks. However, new technologies, like blockchain, are offering promising solutions to these problems.
Indeed, decentralized ledger technologies (DLTs), including blockchains, can do a lot more than enable the crypto-economy. In fact, some of the most promising impacts these technologies could have is to enable better government infrastructure, for example, by increasing security and interoperability. One of the best-known use cases of intergovernmental adoption of blockchain is within the infrastructure of supply-chain management to ensure privacy, immutability, and auditability of the data being processed through these vastly complex networks.
Some governments are considering the use of blockchain as a basis of their digital identity frameworks; and at least one country, Estonia, is completely blockchain-enabled. In fact, Estonia has been leading the way in digital government transformation for some time now; and last year Catalonia, Spain, reportedly substantiated plans to create decentralized identity infrastructure, seemingly to facilitate separatist movements. While the politics of this particular case may be fraught with complexities on both sides, this example does help illustrate the promise of these technologies to transform government systems.
Still, even as there is much progress to be made in these domains, there have been promising developments. Most governments, for example, have adopted or are planning to adopt similar data protection frameworks to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and many governments have created task forces that are dedicated to the research, development, and adoption of new technologies such as AI and DLTs.
While regulation and well-informed strategies are nascent, if this progress continues as it looks like it will, this could suggest that we are approaching a future in which new technological innovations could help sideline bad actors and rogue governments, greatly transforming information and identity protection for the better.
| Risk & Compliance | Technology
By: Aileen Schultz
Senior Manager, Labs Programs – Global, Thomson Reuters Labs
Aileen is a Toronto based award winning business strategist with a global footprint, and a passion for creating better systems for exponential change. She has a background in research, marketing, and internet strategy, having worked with SME's and enterprise business units across several sectors; including, ecommerce, social networks, non-profit, gaming, health and wellness, high tech, and a specialized focus in working with companies and organizations across the legal sector.
She is keenly focused on developing an approach to digital-meets-offline strategies that incorporates principles of network science, particularly with regard to the functioning of human systems and affecting change. This approach encourages resource light methods for targeted goal fulfillment. It starts with simple patterns that are templated and executed at mass, with multi stakeholder and cross functional engagement. The Global Legal Hackathon (#GLH2018) serves as a primary use case for the application of this approach, having grown to 40 cities across 22 countries in under three months, and engaging 100's of top tiered organizations.
On a more granular level she has skills in: social media, content (video, written, audio), community and engagement, web presence and SEO, UX/UI project management, data and analytics, CMS management, partnership and stakeholder management, business planning, events, and more. She has built and managed growth and digital teams, having held several senior management positions. She has built substantial market presence for companies, including the development of a market lead for custom development in the Canadian legal industry which lead to the acquisition of the company. She gives talks internationally on topics of growth, innovation, and legal transformation, and is always open to having a discussion about system change and progressing organizations.
Optimizing legal project management: Can you do the Kanban? January 14, 2021
Webinar: New PPP loan legislation carries tax & compensation considerations January 14, 2021
Ebb Tide: Tax & Compensation Implications Around PPP Loans January 13, 2021
How allyship paves the way for overcoming women’s self-censorship January 13, 2021
Which path for my law firm: Data warehouse or data lake? January 12, 2021
August 18 - 20
The 28th Annual Marketing Partner Forum
Open Range: New Frontiers, New Opportunities
In August 2021, Marketing Partner Forum returns to The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, CA for three days of rigorous education and professional networking at one of the nation’s most luxurious properties. Conveniently situated near John Wayne/Orange County Airport (SNA), Long Beach Airport (LGB), and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Laguna Niguel is the… Read more »
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Government and Public Interest Opportunities
The term "Public Interest Law" is difficult to define precisely. Kimm Alayne Walton in her book America's Greatest Places to Work With A Law Degree (Harcourt Brace, 1999) provides that: "As a general matter you could call public interest the area that provides legal representation to people, groups, or interests that are historically underrepresented in our legal system." This broad definition necessarily includes not only nonprofit organizations and public interest law firms, but also government positions (the government is typically included in the area of public interest because of its public service mission).
Students interested in public interest careers need to explore and begin to define their specific areas of public interest early on in their law school careers. Participating in externships, Law School clinics and practicums and working with public interest organizations will allow you to explore your interests and demonstrate a commitment to public interest work. It may be difficult, but not insurmountable, to handle law school debt while working in a public interest position. Depending upon the employer and area(s) of interest students may have opportunities for loan forgiveness/assistance programs, fellowships, scholarships and other programs to deal with their debts. It is essential to begin your search early because there is often high competition for these positions. The Professional Development Office is here to help you in your search.
Students also have the opportunity to spend a semester in D.C. working for a non-profit or government agency for law school credit. If you would like to work in D.C. or in any public policy-related position after graduation, this program offers the opportunity to make contacts and gain intensive, hands-on experience in your field of interest. To learn more please see the Semester in D.C. Externship Program.
Equal Justice Works has posted a new College Cost Reduction and Access Act resource on its website: The Loan Forgiveness for Public Service Employment Checklist can help graduates evaluate their student loans and determine if they can benefit from the new federal student loan forgiveness program.
The following sites provide additional information on careers in public interest law. Many of these sites provide links to other opportunities with public interest organizations.
The Alliance for Justice (http://www.afj.org/)
The Alliance for Justice is a national association of environmental, civil rights, mental health, women's, children's and consumer advocacy organizations. The site posts employment and internship opportunities.
Amnesty International (https://www.amnesty.org/en/)
This site provides links to worldwide human rights websites arranged by practice area.
Capital Defense Internship/Job Resource ( http://www.law.berkeley.edu/capitaldefense.htm) List internships and job opportunities in capital defense offices.
Chronicle of Philanthropy (http://philanthropy.com/jobs/)
Lists job opportunities in the nonprofit world, plus information that will help you with your career.
Domestic, Elder and Family Violence (http://www.vaonline.org/dv.html) A non-profit information, research and networking resource for victim assistance specialists, professionals in related disciplines and all interested in the field of victimology. Includes international, national and state resources.
Environmental Career Opportunities (http://www.ecojobs.com/login_subs.php). This is a password protected job site and the login and password information are located on the CSO section of the Extranet.
Equal Justice Works (http://www.equaljusticeworks.org)
Equal Justice Works organizes, trains and supports public service-minded law students and is the national leader in creating summer and postgraduate public interest jobs. This site provides a great deal of information on public interest careers, upcoming events (including the annual Conference and Career Fair in October), jobs and opportunities, grants, and Equal Justice Works' Fellowships Program. The site also has valuable links to other public interest sites.
Good Works (http://www.goodworksfirst.org)
GOOD WORKS is a national directory of social change organizations which lists the aims and projects of over 1000 organizations and provides background information on contacts, starting salaries and benefits, types of staff openings, available internships, annual budget and funding sources, and the application process. It also profiles individuals who are building public interest careers.
National Center for Law and Economic Justice (http://www.nclej.org/)
The Center advances the cause of economic justice for low-income families, individuals, and communities across the country. Includes information, links and job opportunities.
National Center for Youth Law (http://www.youthlaw.org/)
This private, non-profit law office site provides information on laws and activities impacting children and includes employment, fellowship and internship opportunities.
National Consumer Law Center (http://www.consumerlaw.org/)
The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) helps consumers, their advocates, and public policy makers use powerful and complex consumer laws on behalf of low-income and elderly Americans seeking economic justice. The site contains employment and internship information.
National Fair Housing Advocate (http://www.fairhousing.com/)
This site contains nationwide listings for fair housing job opportunities.
National Health Law Program (http://www.healthlaw.org)
The National Health Law Program is a national public interest law firm that seeks to improve health care for America's working and unemployed poor, minorities, the elderly and people with disabilities. The site posts employment opportunities and links to other resources.
National Legal Aid and Defender Association (http://www.nlada.org)
The National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) champions effective legal assistance for the poor and serves as a collective voice for both civil legal services and indigent defense services throughout the nation. The site allows students to search for public defender and legal services offices opportunities by state.
National Senior Citizens Law Center (http://www.nsclc.org/)
National Senior Citizens Law Center staff works with legal services offices and senior organizations throughout the U.S. to provide quality advice and service. The site provides information and links to many national organizations that assist the elderly.
The Nonprofit Career Center (http://www.idealist.org/career.html)
Provides information on obtaining positions with non-profit organizations and allows students to search for jobs.
Philadelphia Directory of Public Interest Legal Organizations (http://www.philadelphiabar.org/page/DirectoryOfPublicInterestAgencies?appNum=2&wosid=k8TVSWRM5m3fPKtPbyrct0)
A list of the more than 30 public interest law agencies that serve Philadelphia's neediest citizens.
Public Service JobNet (http://cgi2.www.law.umich.edu/_JobNet/)
This site is provided courtesy of The University of Michigan Law School and allows lawyers and law students to search listings of permanent public interest positions, fellowships, summer employment and government legal jobs.
The Public Service Law Network (www.pslawnet.org)
PSLawNet is a global network of member law schools and nearly 10,000 law-related world-wide public service organizations. Pitt Law is a member school. Students can register to search for opportunities ranging from volunteer positions during school to full-time summer internships, to post-graduate jobs and fellowships. This site also includes government positions and information about alternate funding sources. Students can also search to get a list of national and international public interest organizations by location and field of interest.
Trial Lawyers for Public Justice (http://www.publicjustice.net/)
This is the homepage for Trial Lawyers for Public Justice (TLPJ), a national public interest law firm. The site contains information and links to public interest organizations.
United Nations (http://www.unsystem.org)
This site provides an alphabetical index of links to the United Nations System of Organizations and links to other sites including vacancies at the UN.
U.S. Department of State (http://www.state.gov/)
This is the homepage for the U.S. Department of State. The site includes information on employment with the civil service, foreign service, international organizations and more.
The U.S. Government Job Openings (http://www.usajobs.gov)
The U.S. Government's official site for jobs and employment information provided by the United States Office of Personnel Management.
Women's Groups (http://www.distel.ca/womlist/womlist.html)
This site contains a world directory of women's organizations divided by country and states.
Women's Rights (http://www.sigi.org)
This is the homepage for the Sisterhood is Global Institute (SIGI). It contains a comprehensive list of international and national human rights organizations working for women's rights.
The White House Website (www.whitehouse.gov)
The White House site provides links to all federal agencies and commissions along with the offices and agencies that make up the Executive Office of the President.
For students interested in public service opportunities with government agencies and departments also see the "Government Positions" site.
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Main frontage of Kesteven Mental Hospital, 1950 (Ref: MLL 8322)
On 31 January 1894 an agreement was entered into between Kesteven County Council and the Borough of Grantham to apply to the Secretary of State to be united for the purposes of the Lunacy Act, 1890, and to set up their own asylum. A Visiting Committee was established in May 1894. Ownership of the existing asylum at Bracebridge Heath was settled by arbitration in 1896. The old workhouse at Grantham was leased from the Great Northern Railway Company for conversion as a temporary Kesteven and Grantham District Asylum, and a site at Quarrington was purchased on which to build permanent premises. Grantham withdrew from the union in December 1896. The temporary Kesteven County Asylum was opened in January 1897, and the permanent premises were opened in June 1902. From 1924 the institution was known as the Kesteven Mental Hospital. In April 1933 the Visiting Committee united with the Visiting Committees of the Borough of Grantham and the Soke of Peterborough County Council to form a Joint Visiting Committee to administer the hospital, renamed the Rauceby Mental Hospital. Peterborough withdrew from the joint arrangement at the end of March 1937.
The hospital was occupied by the RAF in June 1940 as a military hospital and the patients were transferred to the Bracebridge Heath Hospital, the Leicester City Mental Hospital, the Aston Hall Mental Deficiency Institution, the Nottingham City Mental Hospital, the Derby Borough Mental Hospital, the Derby County Mental Hospital, and the Leavesden Hospital, Hertfordshire. The RAF withdrew in July 1947 and the premises were renovated, but it was 1956 before all the transferred patients had returned.
In 1948 the hospital passed to the National Health Service and was initially administered by the No. 3 Hospital Management Committee of the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board. The name of the hospital was later changed to Rauceby Hospital. It was closed as a mental hospital c1997.
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Early BC Logging
Logging has long been a major BC industry, but it looks very different now than it did when it began in the 1880s. While today loggers have trucks and modern machinery to make the job easier, early fallers had to use tools that would likely confound modern workers. According to the Campbell River Museum, the coastal area known as the “Jungles,” a region on the northern shore of the Queen Charlotte Sound, was partly responsible for shaping the idea of the “independent logger.”
In early days, logging teams in the “Jungles” worked in groups of three, bringing down massive trees in staggeringly large sweeps of land––and they did it with axes, saws, a couple of springboards, some wedges, and a bottle of oil. This work was not only difficult––and for reasons that should be obvious––but it was also quite dangerous. Fallers needed to be experts in determining the direction in which the tree would fall as they wielded their fairly rudimentary equipment.
Reports from people who actually witnessed these men work relate how the fallers were a sight to be seen. Their movements were reputedly almost mechanical, and their brawn was worth some acclaim. In addition to their array of what now seem to be rather basic tools––and their ability to use them with efficiency and speed––these early loggers were accompanied by a herd of oxen, yoked together in as many as 14 at a time. These animals––quite brawny themselves––hauled the logs (up to 4 or 5 at once) after the men had felled them.
While this might sound like a charming team of Herculean creatures working together to make a daunting task more manageable, the oxen were a challenge all in themselves. Not withstanding the obvious advantage the oxen afforded the fallers (because, despite their own burliness, the men certainly couldn’t move all those logs alone), the oxen posed problems because of their leaden-footed pace and their notorious stubbornness. Sometimes, just getting them to reach the water, where the logs would then be transported by sea, was a struggle.
Eventually, oxen were replaced by horses, which were in turn replaced by the steam engine. By the 1920s, there were steam engines involved in logging operations all over coastal BC, and in the same decade logging trucks came into use. While modern technology is, perhaps, more efficient, it is certainly worthwhile to reflect on both the difficulty of earlier operations, and on the skill of those who carried them out.
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Cooperation with Shenzhen focused on Portuguese-language markets – Gov’t
Macau’s government argued that cooperation between the former territory administered by Portugal and the Chinese city of Shenzhen should focus on exploiting Portuguese-language markets, particularly the development of China’s traditional medicine industry.
“In Shenzhen, there should be many companies looking to internationalise, and it should be possible to use Macau’s role as a platform to exploit the markets of Portuguese-language countries,” according to a statement issued on Monday evening on the last day of the visit by the head of the government, Ho Iat Seng, to the cities of the Greater Bay.
The Greater Bay is a Beijing project to create a world metropolis comprising Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities in Guangdong province, with some 70 million inhabitants and a GDP of around €1.2 billion, similar to the GDP of Australia, Indonesia and Mexico, countries that make up the G20.
Ho Iat Seng said in Shenzhen that Macau is committed to developing the traditional Chinese medicine industry and that in the future medicines can be registered in Macau and sold to the Greater Bay and gradually to other regions.
One of the stakes the Macau government has reiterated is the diversification of the economy, which is very dependent on the gambling market.
This is why the head of the government stressed the willingness to strengthen bilateral cooperation with Shenzhen in boosting the development of cultural tourism and creative industries.
During his visit to Guangdong province, which began on Friday, Ho Iat Seng had already advocated strengthening cooperation with cities in the Greater Bay to accelerate the growth of the financial, technological and health industries.
At a time when in addition to work to prevent the pandemic, the recovery of tourism is still being proactively promoted, Macau needs to accelerate the growth of the health industries, the modern financial sector, and technology, said a note from the authorities quoting the chief executive.
In addition to Ho Iat Seng, the Macau delegation included senior executive posts, such as the secretary for Economy and Finance, Lei Wai Nong, the head of the government leader’s office, Hoi Lai Fong, and the director of the Tourism Office, Helena de Senna Fernandes.
Germany says answered Russia call for aid in Navalny probe
OPINION-China’s National Security Concerns
The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) has given the green light to the trading of...
China's investment in water conservancy facilities hit a record high of 770 billion yuan (about...
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Apple Reportedly Commissions 'Dark Matter' Series for Apple TV+ Based on Bestselling Novel
Apple has commissioned a series based on bestselling novel "Dark Matter," which author Blake Crouch will adapt himself, according to Collider.
The series is reportedly set to be produced by Matt Tolmach, who has previously worked on the films "Venom," "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," and "Spider-Man: Homecoming." Tolmach previously developed Dark Matter as a feature film for Sony, which paid 1.25 million dollars for the rights in 2014, but the latest incarnation of the project seems to be a series.
Sony Television will serve as the studio for the project, but the series is expected to ultimately premiere on Apple TV+ exclusively.
The Dark Matter novel is a high-concept sci-fi thriller, and the story is said to explore the paths taken by different choices and how far individuals will go to achieve their dreams. The book was an instant New York Times bestseller, and went on to be published in 35 languages around the world.
Tags: Apple TV Shows, Apple TV Plus Guide
EugW
Damn, for a minute I thought they were going to take over the reigns of this show.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/dark_matter
Maclver
I got excited for two seconds when reading the article. I wish someone would revive this.
AlliFlowers
Same. Really got my hopes up for a minute, because that show was phenomenal.
Why must you open up old wounds?
They'll find a way to make it terrible. They really need to stick with iPhones...
On what basis? Everything else they've done has been top notch in every aspect. You have to look at a company's track record when you make judgment calls.
Everything else they've done has been top notch in every aspect.
Did you see See? Lol
Not nearly as good as I had hoped in my opinion. The Morning show was surprisingly good though.
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JOBS Act and Further SEC Guidance
By Eric Resnick, Manager, Assurance Services
It is now over three months since the President signed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (“JOBS”) Act (the “Act”) into law.The intent of the Act was intended to give private companies some of the benefits of a public company without the reporting requirements and oversight of a public company, thus creating economic growth and jobs.The legislation met much scrutiny as it is a reversal to the trend set forth by the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation that investor activists had demanded ten years ago.
Highlights of the Act for private companies included:
Increasing the number of shareholders a company may have before being required to register its stock with the SEC
Extending the time to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley auditing requirements
Relaxing SEC registration requirements from the securities offerings exemption amount from the twenty year-old rule of $5 million to the revised level of $50 million
Allowing companies to raise up to $1 million annually from small-dollar investments from qualified investors via web-based platforms monitored by the SEC
A new category of issuer was also created with the passing of the Act. Emerging Growth Companies (“EGC”), as defined by the SEC, are exempt from certain reporting disclosures that would normally be required for public companies. Among other things, they are only required to present two years of audited financial statements for registration for an Initial Public Offering (“IPO”) of common equity shares, they may not be required to make some financial statement disclosures that public companies do, but private companies do not, and they are not required to report on internal control over financial reporting. The designation as an EGC lasts until the year end of the fifth anniversary of the year EGC status had begun. EGCs will be able to make confidential submissions for non-public registrations on a searchable PDF or by paper.
EGC’s are defined, in part, by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act as an issuer with “total annual gross revenues” of less than $1 billion under U.S. GAAP or IFRS if that is the reporting basis of a foreign private issuer, during its most recently completed fiscal year, subsequent to December 8, 2011.A company is not considered to be an EGC if the first sale of common equity securities of such issuer pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 occurred on or before December 8, 2011.
But as is many times the case, there are exceptions and gray areas; a list of questions was answered in the SEC’s “Generally Applicable Questions” discussion (http://www.sec.gov/divisions/corpfin/guidance/cfjjobsactfaq-title-i-general.htm).The main points focus on what qualifies for EGC status and what can disqualify it.
All non-convertible debt securities issued over the prior three-year rolling period, whether outstanding or not, are required to be counted against the $1 billion debt limit, but A/B exchanges of do not count towards the $1 billion limit. If they did, this would result in a doubling-up effect which would disqualify some companies.
Asset-backed securities and investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act do not qualify as EGCs due to the sensitive nature of the business, regulatory and separate disclosure requirements, however, business development companies may qualify if they are required to register under the Investment Company Act of 1940 but are regulated under that Act.
In an instance when an issuer completes a transaction whereby the issuer becomes the successor, the issuer is not eligible to be an EGC had it not qualified as an EGC in the first place.
If any of the revenue, debt issuance or other requirements to qualify as an EGC are no longer met during the maximum five-year life as an EGC, the company loses its EGC status.
A foreign issuer may be eligible for the confidential submission process and would follow the same rules as domestic companies.
Only time will tell if the benefits of this Act that permit a company to grow with less government oversight will outweigh the corporate fraud opportunity that could occur from relaxed regulation.
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Hickory Hills Portfolio
8424 W 87th St, Hickory Hills, IL 60457
Marcus & Millichap is pleased to present this Hickory Hills Portfolio, a 41-unit investment opportunity, located at 8424 West 87th Street, 8635 84th Court, 8650 84th Court, and 8656 84th Court in Hickory Hills, Illinois. Hickory Hills is a suburb of Chicago, located approximately 14 miles southwest of the downtown Chicago Loop, which has convenient access to Routes 20, 45, and Interstate 294. The area is locally served by PACE for transportation by bus, with stops conveniently positioned along 88th Avenue, just one-half mile west of the buildings. For domestic and international travel purposes, Midway International Airport is approximately eight miles northeast of the asset.
The property is comprised of 41 units, all of which are two-bedroom / one-bathroom. The building located at 8424 West 87th Street consists of eight units, each unit measuring approximately 950 square feet. 8635 84th Court consists of nine units, each unit measuring approximately 950 square feet. Both 8650 84th Court and 8656 84th Court feature 12 units, each unit measuring approximately 950 square feet. The buildings feature storage spaces for tenant use, on-site laundry facilities, and ample off-street parking.
The asset is positioned one and one-half miles from Harlem Avenue, a major thoroughfare with convenient access to numerous shopping, dining, and entertainment options. Chicago Ridge Mall is within four miles of the property. The area is also surrounded by numerous schools and recreational parks. This investment offers an investor the opportunity to acquire a well-maintained asset in a great Hickory Hills location.
Walking Distance from PACE Bus Stops
Close Proximity to Retail, Dining, and Entertainment Options on Harlem Avenue
All Two-Bedroom Units
On-Site Storage and Laundry Facilities
Ample Off-Street Parking
Easy Access to Route 20, Route 45, and Interstate 294
Ryan D. Engle
Senior Managing Director Investments
Email Ryan
Chicago Oak Brook
Andrean Angelov
Email Andrean
Zack Mahoney
Email Zack
More Listings from Andrean Angelov
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MFVD| MIAMI HERALD
Luxe designer Marie France Van Damme stays neutral with her palette
*Fans of the line include Heidi Klum
* Originally from Canada, now lives in Hong Kong
*Tried out bright colors but found they weren’t for her
BY CATERINA BALZANO
Attention, resortwear lovers and jetsetters, start your shopping engines: Celebrity fave designer Marie France Van Damme just launched her Spring/Summer 16 Resort Collection at Neiman Marcus Coral Gables.
“The line is full of chiffons and silks as usual, with embroidery and colors such as blacks, whites, grays — and this season, there are a bit of blues,” said Van Damme, who now has five stores worldwide.
After 35 years of working in the fashion industry — manufacturing clothes for a private label in Asia — the Hong Kong resident decided she wanted to start her own label in 2012.
The recurring theme: a neutral palette.
“It’s just a question of, ‘How do you dress?’ Most women dress in black and white,” said Van Damme, who is originally from Canada. “I’ve always been a very black or white person. I’m not attracted to designers that do a collection using color. I remember [one time] I presented some pink and people didn’t want it. They said, ‘We come to you for the black and white, not for the pink.’ ”
Van Damme usually uses light, airy fabrics for her kaftans, dresses, pants and swimwear.
The target client is a stylish, uncomplicated woman who loves to travel.
“I see her in different places, and I started to recognize her, and she’s a jetsetter,” she said of fans such as Heidi Klum, Cameron Diaz and Charlize Theron. “She would be here today; she’s in Miami for Art Basel. These ladies are confident, independent and they usually have the means. They’re educated. They love art. They go on holidays, and this is their lifestyle.”
Holding trunk shows at stores like Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbour and Bergdorf Goodman has been a good way for Van Damme to get to know her posh clients.
“[I do them] to be close to the customer,” said the designer, who also wrote a book on home entertaining called RSVP (Thames & Hudson). “It’s quite rewarding when I see people. It’s so much hard work to do what I do, and that is the reward: to see them enjoying it and loving it.”
Read more here: Miami Herald
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Home>Baker-Polito Administration Announces Solar Milestone for Massachusetts
Baker-Polito Administration Announces Solar Milestone for Massachusetts
May 7, 2015 –
Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Matthew Beaton today announced that Massachusetts has installed more than 841 megawatts of solar electricity, bringing the Commonwealth more than halfway to the Baker-Polito Administration’s goal of 1,600 megawatts by 2020. Secretary Beaton made the announcement during a solar event hosted by the Worcester Business Journal.
“Today’s announcement further supports the Baker-Polito Administration’s commitment to a vibrant clean energy sector that creates jobs and economic prosperity for the Commonwealth,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton. “Continuing to diversify Massachusetts’ energy portfolio through the development of solar generation will work to strengthen the state’s growing clean energy economy while supporting new innovative technologies.”
The 841 megawatts of installed solar electricity is enough to power more than 128,000 average Massachusetts homes, and is responsible for reducing greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking over 73,000 cars off the road.
“Under the Baker-Polito Administration, Massachusetts will continue to harness solar power to protect the environment, save on energy costs, and create jobs,” said Department of Energy Resources (DOER) Commissioner Judith Judson. “This is an exciting milestone toward the year when we meet our solar goal of 1,600 megawatts and generate 3 to 4 percent of today’s electric demands with local, available solar power.”
According to the Solar Foundation, Massachusetts ranks No. 2 in the U.S. for solar jobs, while every dollar invested in solar in the Commonwealth creates $1.20 in economic benefits to the local economy, according to the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University. Last year, solar electricity capacity installed was the fourth highest in the country.
“Solar energy is an economic driver here in Massachusetts, employing more than 12,000 workers in high-quality clean energy jobs,” said Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Alicia Barton. “Working together across government and in partnership with industry and communities, we’re well on our way to meeting our goal.”
There are solar installations in 350 of Massachusetts 351 cities and towns, with at least 175 local communities hosting projects that directly benefit the municipality. There are more than 25 megawatts of solar at over 180 schools across Massachusetts, 30 megawatts on farms and eight megawatts on state buildings and lands.
Massachusetts offers incentives through the Solar Carve-Out Program II (SREC II), which is designed to support at least an additional 950 megawatts to help the Commonwealth achieve its goal of reaching 1,600 megawatts by 2020, as well a menu of solar programs for residents, businesses and public facilities including: Solarize Mass, Mass Solar Connect, and the upcoming Mass Solar Loan.
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Mater Research
Mater / Research / About / Our governance
Email Peter
Aubigny Place
Mater Hill
Dr Peter Steer
Peter was appointed Mater Chief Executive Officer in January 2019 and has a wealth of healthcare administration experience and clinical expertise.
In September 2019 Peter was appointed as CEO of Mater’s services across Queensland where he will manage the development of a shared strategy to sustain the Mission of Mater’s ministries in health, education and research.
Previously, Peter was the Chief Executive of Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH) in London from January 2015.
He commenced his medical career at Mater Brisbane in 1982 after graduating from The University of Queensland, and worked at Mater in Adults and Children’s Hospitals until 1987.
After a few years in New Zealand and Canada with further training in Neonatology, Peter returned to Mater Mothers’ and Children’s Hospitals in 1991 and continued until 2001.
Peter then spent further time at McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences in Canada as President and Chief of Paediatrics at McMaster Children's Hospital and Professor and Chair, Department of Paediatrics before coming back to Brisbane where he was involved in the merger of Royal Children’s and Mater Children’s Hospitals as CEO of Children’s Health Queensland.
We are very fortunate to have such an experienced and passionate healthcare professional lead Mater Group into a new era, to ensure our vision of maintaining the health and wellbeing of our community is met.
Back to governance
Other governances
Mater governance
Mater Health governance
Mater Education Executive Board
Mater Foundation Board
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Varadkar comments on United Ireland are legally wrong & politically dangerous
Sinn Féin MEP Matt Carthy has criticised recent comments by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar which sought to cast doubt on the as to whether a 50%-plus-one vote in the north in favour of Unity would be sufficient to secure a United Ireland.
Carthy was speaking after An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told a recent BBC Spotlight programme that he wouldn’t like to see constitutional change ‘on a 50% plus one basis’.
Matt Carthy, who chairs Sinn Féin’s United Ireland project team, said:
“Leo Varadkar is legally wrong to seek to cast doubt as to whether a 50%-plus-one vote would be sufficient to secure a United Ireland. His comments are also politically dangerous as they pertain to the central basis on which the Good Friday Agreement was endorsed.
“This mischievous and irresponsible position was previously taken up by one of Mr. Varadkar’s predecessors, John Bruton.
“Let’s be clear here. The Good Friday Agreement is specific and unambiguous on this point that both governments will:
“recognise the legitimacy of whatever choice is freely exercised by a majority of the people of Northern Ireland with regard to its status, whether they prefer to continue to support the Union with Great Britain or a sovereign united Ireland”
“The Taoiseach cannot cherry pick the Good Friday Agreement which is legal, and internationally binding.
“Mr Varadkar’s comments have been greeted with disdain by many, many people across this island as he does not seek to apply the same criteria to maintain Partition.
“He is saying that the rights of nationalists are are less than those of those favouring the Union.
“It is clear that a 50%-plus-one vote will secure unity.
“But, let’s not have things so close. Sinn Féin certainly doesn’t want to have it that close.
“All of us who favour a united Ireland, should work together with the common objective of convincing the greatest possible number of people across Ireland that it is in their best interest.
“And let us convince those who think otherwise that they have nevertheless nothing to fear from the outcome of a referendum.
“That is what Sinn Féin is seeking to do.”
Rachel 23rd October 2017 23rd October 2017 Latest News No Comments
← Carthy condemns assassination of Panama Papers journalist in Malta
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313th Station Hospital
313th Station Hospital Unit History
Book (series “Images of America”) related to Camp Rucker during World War II. Written by James L. Noles, Jr., Arcadia Publishing, 2002 (the cover illustrates mail call). The 313th Station Hospital was officially activated at Camp Rucker, Ozark, Alabama on 29 March 1943.
Introduction & Activation:
The 313th Station Hospital was originally activated as the 10th Hospital Center, 25 June 1942, at Camp Rucker, Ozark, Alabama (Division Camp. Overall acreage 58,999; troop capacity 3,280 Officers and 39,461 Enlisted Men –ed) with a cadre of 1 Medical Administrative Corps Officer and 22 Enlisted from Lawson General Hospital (named after Surgeon General Thomas E. Lawson, 1793-1861, designated General Hospital by Letter AG 322.3 General Hospital 1-9-41 M, Ret M-C, 11 Feb 41, wood cantonment, open 22 Jul 41, 2514-bed capacity, specialties neurology, amputations, neuro-surgery, deep x-ray therapy, closed 25 Jun 46 –ed), Atlanta, Georgia. As of 31 March 1943, the unit’s strength consisted of 17 Officers, 1 Nurse, 3 Warrant Officers, and 227 EM.
Effective 1 April 1943, and in compliance with instructions contained in War Department Letter AG 320.2 (3-11-43) OB-I-SPOPU-M, Subject; “Redesignation and Reorganization of Certain Hospital Centers and Bands”, dated 15 March 1943; Letter Headquarters, Fourth Service Command, Atlanta, Georgia, File AG 320.2 Medical, Subject as above, dated 24 March 1943; and Paragraph 1, General Orders No. 7, Headquarters, Camp Rucker, Alabama, dated 29 March 1943, the 10th Hospital Center, less band, was reorganized in accordance with Tables of Organization 8-560 (column 17), as a 750-bed Station Hospital, and redesignated the 313th Station Hospital.
Aerial view of Lawson General Hospital (picture dated 12 Dec 45), Atlanta, Georgia, which furnished the initial cadre to help organize the 313th Station Hospital.
Lt. Colonel I. H. Sonne, assumed command of the 313th Station Hospital as of 20 April 1943 at Camp Rucker, Alabama. Under his direction the unit was given a rigid period of training and preparation for overseas service, as outlined in MTP 8-1 (Mobilization Training Program, dated 23 Feb 42) and MTP 8-10, supplemented by applicatory training of personnel in the Camp Rucker Station Hospital, Alabama.
For medical units activated on or after 25 September 1943, a new Mobilization Training Program, MTP 8-101 (dated 1 Sep 43) was to be used.
The purpose of the Training program was intended to furnish a general guide for a balanced Basic Training of Medical Department units so that they could be prepared to receive further training in the Technical – Tactical – and Logistical functions of the hospital unit and the duties of personnel assigned to the unit. In addition, it was recommended to consult the most recent editions of FM 21-6 “List of Publications for Training, Including Training Films and Film Strips”, and FM 21-7 “List of Training Films, Film Strips, and Film Bulletins”. Normally, Field and Technical Manuals, Army Regulations, Training Circulars, Training Films and Film Strips contained sufficient instructional material for training purposes. In general, the Training program was conducted in accordance with the doctrines prescribed in FM 21-5 “Military Training”, TM 21-250 “Army Instruction”, and TF 7-295 “Military Training”..
The general Master Program consisted of a total of 572 hours; covering Basic Training, Technical Training, and Field Training. The MTP 8-1, which was mainly applied, covered a 13-week training program based on a 44-hour week.
Picture illustrating one of the many Post Exchanges at Camp Kilmer, Stelton, New Jersey. The 313th Station Hospital transited via Camp Kilmer, one of the Staging Areas for the New York Port of Embarkation.
Officers Roster (8 January > 30 June 1944)
Lt. Colonel Irvin H. Sonne, MC, O-119609, Commanding Officer
Major Ervin A. Hinds, MC, O-223589, Executive Officer, Surveying Officer (30 Jun 44), Summary Court Officer (30 Jun 44), Hospital Inspector (30 Jun 44)
Captain Lawrence D. Graves, ChC, O-449633, Protestant Chaplain
1st Lieutenant Edmund A. O’Connor, ChC, O-528005, Catholic Chaplain
1st Lieutenant Lonnie K. Blue, MAC, O-1533739, Adjutant, Censorship Officer (31 Mar 44), Intelligence Officer (31 Mar 44) > replaced by Captain Lonnie K. Blue, MAC, O-1533739, consolidated functions and duties, 30 Jun 44)
1st Lieutenant Douglas V. Lord, MAC, O-1533844, Personnel Officer, Personnel Adjutant (31 Mar 44), War Bond Officer (31 Mar 44), Class “A” Agent Finance Officer (31 Mar 44), Exchange Council Officer (31 Mar 44), Special Court Officer (31 Mar 44), Insurance Officer (31 Mar 44)
1st Lieutenant Donald H. Smith, MAC, O-1544030, Medical Supply Officer, Purchasing and Contracting Officer (30 Jun 44), Salvage Officer (30 Jun 44)
1st Lieutenant Ruel C. Irwin, MAC, O-1543125, Unassigned Officer (8 Jan 44), Unit Supply Officer (21 Mar 44), Detachment Commanding Officer (31 Mar 44), Post Exchange Officer (31 Mar 44), Commander of the Guard (31 Mar 44) > replaced by Captain Ruel C. Irwin, MAC, O-1543125, Fuel Economy Officer (30 Jun 44), Motor Transport Officer (30 Jun 44)
2d Lieutenant Vernon R. Feller, MAC, O-1546973, Assistant Detachment Commanding Officer (31 Mar 44), Morale Officer (31 Mar 44), Assistant Plans and Training Officer (31 Mar 44), Special Service Officer (31 Mar 44), Ordnance Officer (31 Mar 44), Detachment Commanding Officer (30 Jun 44), Unit Supply Officer (30 Jun 44), Commander of the Guard (30 Jun 44), Acting Quartermaster Officer (30 Jun 44), Officer in Charge Barber and Tailor Shop (30 Jun 44)
2d Lieutenant Robert B. Lundholm, MAC, O-1545934, Assistant Medical Supply Officer, Transportation Officer (31 Mar 44), Utilities and Fuel Economy Officer (31 Mar 44), Assistant Detachment Commanding Officer (30 Jun 44), Plans and Training Officer (30 Jun 44), Morale Officer (30 Jun 44), Special Service Officer (30 Jun 44), Education Officer (30 Jun 44), Ordnance Officer (30 Jun 44)
2d Lieutenant David S. Miller, MAC, O-1546159, Assistant Mess Officer, Fire Marshall (31 Mar 44), Chemical Warfare and Bomb Reconnaissance Officer (31 Mar 44), Assistant Defense Council Officer (31 Mar 44)
2d Lieutenant John F. Scarlett, MAC, O-1547140, Registrar, Detachment of Patients Commanding Officer (31 Mar 44), Postal Officer (31 Mar 44), Assistant Censorship Officer (31 Mar 44), Officer in Charge Message Center (30 Jun 44), Assistant Trial Judge Advocate (30 Jun 44)
2d Lieutenant John L. Tice, MAC, O-1546438, Mess Officer, Custodian of Hospital Fund (31 Mar 44) > replaced by 1st Lieutenant John L. Tice, MAC, O-1546438, Agriculture Officer (30 Jun 44)
Warrant Officer, Junior Grade Victor C. Calhoun, USA, W-2105352, Assistant Registrar, Historical Officer (30 Jun 44)
Surgical Service
Major William H. Duncan, MC, O-395592, Chief of Surgical Service (30 Jun 44)
Major Aloysius P. Harney, MC, O-480666, Chief of Septic Surgery Section, Claims Officer, Chief of General Surgical Section
Major Ornie P. Myers, MC, O-337888, Chief of Genito-Urinary Section, Ward Officer (30 Jun 44), Chief of Septic Surgery Section (30 Jun 44)
Major Maxwell S. Udelf, MC, O-304293, Chief of Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Section
Captain Leslie M. Jones, MC, O-522365, Chief of Anesthesia Section
Captain William G. Love, Jr., MC, O-367333, Assistant Chief of Chest Surgery and Endoscopy Section, Chief of Physio-Therapy Section (30 Jun 44), Chief of Orthopedic Section (30 Jun 44)
Captain Lawrence J. Pace, MC, O-1697093, Assistant Chief of Clean Surgery Section, Ward Officer (30 Jun 44), Assistant Chief of Surgical Service (30 Jun 44), Officer in Charge of Operating Room (30 Jun 44)
Captain Lee C. Schlesinger, MC, O-492708, Chief of Orthopedic Section, Defense Council Officer (31 Mar 44)
Captain Eldred B. Teague, MC, O-463201, Chief of X-Ray Section
1st Lieutenant Otto Gambacorta, MC, O-521114, Assistant Chief of Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Section, Assistant Trial Judge Advocate (31 Mar 44)
Major William F. Hunting, MC, O-1693290, Chief of Medical Service
Major Clarence W. Sears, MC, O-295896, Medical Service Officer
Captain Arnold Davidson, MC, O-405078, Recreation and Education Officer, Chief of Outpatient Service (30 Jun 44)
Captain John J. DiGioia, MC, O-512551, Ward Officer, General Medical Section, Assistant Chief of Orthopedic Section (30 Jun 44)
Captain William F. Fitzhugh, MC, O-248751, Chief of Neuro-Psychiatric and Detention Section, Officer in Charge Convalescence and Rehabilitation (30 Jun 44), Trial Judge Advocate (30 Jun 44)
Captain William G. Gardine, MC, O-332738, Chief of Officers and Women’s Section, Ward Officer Medical Service
Captain Cecil H. Gilliam, MC, O-499819, Chief of Contagious Diseases Section
Captain Peter H. Marvel, Jr., MC, O-331965, Ward Officer, Respiratory Diseases Section, Chief of Officers and Women’s Section (30 Jun 44)
Captain Samuel Sherman, MC, O-498892, Chief of General Medicine and Respiratory Diseases Section
Captain William Stein, MC, Chief of Medical Service (30 Jun 44)
Captain John R. Whiteman, MC, O-463601, Ward Officer, Neuro-Psychiatric and Detention Section, Assistant Censorship Officer (31 Mar 44), Chief of Contagious Diseases Section (30 Jun 44), Louse Control Officer (30 Jun 44)
1st Lieutenant Roland W. Banks, MC, O-283746, Chief of Gastro-Intestinal Disease Section, Ward Officer, General Medicine Section, Assistant Post Exchange Officer (30 Jun 44) > replaced by Captain Roland W. Banks, MC, O-283746, Assistant Chief of Medical Service (30 Jun 44), Post Exchange Officer (30 Jun 44)
1st Lieutenant Arthur Clateman, MC, O-447105, Ward Officer, General Medicine Section, Pharmacy Officer (31 Mar 44), Chief of Venereal Disease Section (30 Jun 44)
Major Abraham M. Flaschner, DC, Chief of Dental Service (30 Jun 44), Summary Court Officer (30 Jun 44)
Major Barney B. Bishop, DC, O-309412, Chief of Dental Service
Major Alfred F. Frey, DC, O-411095, Assistant Chief of Medical Service
Captain Arnold B. Becker, DC, Dental Surgeon (30 Jun 44)
Captain Harry Peyser, DC, O-1689974, Dental Service Officer, Dental Surgeon (30 Jun 44), Dental Service Property Officer (30 Jun 44)
Captain Alfred Shepard, DC, O-416547, Dental Service Officer, Dental Surgeon(30 Jun 44), Camouflage Officer (30 Jun 44)
Laboratory Service
Captain David L. Rhea, SnC, O-294679, Laboratory Officer, Chief of Laboratory Service (30 Jun 44)
Late war picture of USAT (United States Army Transport) “Brazil” which carried the 313th Station Hospital overseas to the United Kingdom.
Pursuant to authority contained in Letter War Department, Adjutant General Office, 20 November 1943, File WD 370.5 (19 Nov 43) OB-S-E-M; Letter Army Service Forces, New York Port of Embarkation, 8 December 1943, File SPTAA-P (CB) 370.5 (# 2907); and Paragraph 3, Special Orders No. 306, Headquarters, Camp Rucker, Alabama, dated 16 December 1943; with Lieutenant Colonel Irvin H. Sonne, MC, O-119609, Commanding, the 313th Station Hospital arrived in the United Kingdom 8 January 1944, debarking from the US Army Transport (USAT) “Brazil” at Greenock, Scotland, 1600 hours, and proceeded by rail to Fremington, near Barnstaple, North Devon, England, arriving there at 1725 hours, 9 January 1944.
The 750-bed Station Hospital was established at Fremington, Devonshire, England.
The organization arrived in England with full strength, as provided by T/O & E 8-560, dated 22 July 1942, consisting of 40 Officers – 75 Nurses – 2 Dietitians – 1 Physio-Therapy Aid – 3 American Red Cross Workers – 1 Warrant Officer – and 392 Enlisted Men. The vehicles authorized by the T/O & E included 6 Ambulances – 1 Passenger Car – and 6 Trucks. The unit had been divided into the various professional services and administrative offices during the training period conducted in the Zone of Interior, therefore only minor changes in principal and additional duties were necessary in staff and personnel for efficient operation of the Hospital.
Picture illustrating some of the Field Manuals used during Training by the 313th Station Hospital.
Post Facilities (Quarters, Messing)
The Post was situated within marching distance (less than 1 mile) from the railway station at the Quay and approximately 3 miles west of Barnstaple, Devonshire, England, APO # 553.
A three-story brickhouse, approximately 200 years old, known as “Fremington House”, was used as ANC Officers’ quarters and an Officers Mess. Unfortunately the third floor (upper) of the building could not be utilized for quarters as it lacked a fire escape or emergency exit. The second floor accommodated 52 Nurses in 4 large rooms and 6 smaller rooms (formerly the billiard room). The first floor constituted the Officers Mess, which included a large kitchen, a dining room, a lounge, a lobby, a library, as well as several small rooms. Four small plasterboard buildings were temporarily used to quarter the balance of the Nurses and women attached to the organization.
Officers and Enlisted Men were housed in Nissen hutments, accommodating between 5 to 16 men each. These constructions, bricked up at each end, and containing 2 windows and a door at either end, formed a half-barrel building. A coke fire stove was installed in the center and furnished adequate heating facilities. Ablution buildings were conveniently located a short distance away from the Nissen huts.
Three separate Messes were operated: Officers Mess – Patients Mess – and Detachment Mess. Food was prepared on coal-fired ranges and then placed on serving tables, where soldiers could help themselves. Special attention was given to the conservation of food and orders put in effect that whatever food was taken on the plates, was to be eaten. Due to a shortage of lumber, some difficulty was experienced in the beginning with providing storage bins; nearby Engineer and US Navy units, were contacted, and packing cases were thus obtained and transformed into bins.
All rations were obtained from Woolacombe, North Devon.
Functions (General)
Functions of the 313th Station Hospital during 1944 consisted in providing hospital services to units training in the locality, and more specifically the “Assault Training Center”, located at Woolacombe, Devonshire (the ATC was set up by Colonel Paul Thompson, CE , starting in June 1943 –ed) where numerous US units were training for the Invasion of the Continent.
Partial view of “Fremington House” (3 miles west of Barnstaple), Fremington, Devonshire. The 3-story brick construction was used for quarters and messing by the ANC Officers assigned to the 313th Station Hospital.
Operations (Period 8 January 1944 – 31 March 1944)
Hospital Plant # 4121 located at Fremington, Devon, was being operated by the 110th Station Hospital, a 250-bed unit, when the first command personnel arrived. Lt. Colonel I. H. Sonne, MC, assumed command of the 313th Station Hospital, effective 2359 hours, 14 January 1944. At that particular time 7 wards were in operation, with 167 patients receiving treatment.
Work was immediately begun to increase the bed capacity from that of a 250-bed to a 750-bed unit. As of 31 March 1944, a total of 24 wards were in operation, or ready for operation, with 263 patients in the Hospital, and the necessary equipment on hand whereby all available wards could be placed in operation should the occasion arise. Extra plans were formulated and sites selected for additional expansion under tentage and in existing temporary buildings in the event of an emergency.
One of the first problems undertaken was the elimination of mud. Only some concrete roads and walkways had been installed. Adequate draining was lacking, resulting in muddy water flooding the roads and walkways. As a consequence of this, mud was often brought inside the wards and various administrative buildings. Considerable time was spent in installation of drainage ditches and piping, and leveling the area generally, in addition to construction of additional roads and walkways.
Subsequent Army Post Office Numbers – 313th Station Hospital
APO # 553 (period 8 January > 31 March 1944)
APO # 872 (period 1 April > 30 June 1944)
APO # 649 (period 1 July > 30 September 1944)
An acute shortage of manpower was experienced, primarily due to the fact that the organization was operated as an independent Post. Consequently, it was necessary to organize and install a guard detail for the proper protection of Government property, supply personnel for the operation of a Post Exchange, a tailor shop, a barber shop, a telephone switchboard, etc., in addition to extra details required for policing the grounds, opening new wards, and other routine duties. Tables of Organization made NO provisions at all for personnel to operate the first four services named above. A further study was started on this subject and every effort exerted to utilize the available manpower where maximum efficiency could be obtained.
Copy of vintage document indicating Roster of Officers showing their individual functions as of 8 January 1944. Only part of the Administrative, Surgical, and Medical Services are provided.
One (1) Medical Officer was lost by the unit due to illness. Several Medical / Surgical Officers and Army Nurse Corps Officers were sent to attend special Schools in the United Kingdom, and upon their return they instructed other members of the command regarding current procedures used in the ETO. As a whole it can be stated that morale was excellent. Hospital members realized the seriousness of the job at hand, and therefore the long working hours required in getting the Hospital up to the required standards left little time for recreation.
All forms of athletics were encouraged as it benefitted physical effectiveness. There was an excellent basket ball team, which won 9 games out of 11 (between 8 January and 31 March 1944). Two (2) volleyball courts were built and more planned. Permission was requested for the use of an adjacent field to construct a base ball diamond. A temporary building was reserved for boxing classes. The organization contained sufficient musical talent to furnish a dance orchestra but was without instruments. Contacts with Special Service Division were made but no instruments were obtained in the period described. Arrangements were made for a weekly showing of motion pictures, successfully handled by 1st Platoon, 30th Special Service Company, quartered on the Post. “Liberty” passes were obtained and truck transportation made available for bringing personnel of the command to Barnstaple, three nights weekly.
On 24 March 1944, a Cooks School was established at the 313th Sta Hosp, with 45 EM attending from five different organizations (including 20 men from the 313th Sta Hosp –ed); the School included lecture classes with practical training in the 3 Messes available on the Post. The following subjects were treated:
Mess Management
Operation of the M-1942 Field Range
Inspection and Storage of Food
Nutrition and Menu Planning
Conservation of Food
Mess Sanitation
Use of Mess Equipment
School lectures were concluded on 23 April 1944, at which time a final examination was given to determine the students’ proficiency. A majority of the EM were able to qualify as cooks.
A meeting of the CO with Enlisted Men was held on a weekly basis, at which time pertinent information was disseminated and common problems discussed. Also, a suggestion box was placed in the Post Office where EM could register whatever queries and complaints they had or get their “gripes” off their chest. A Committee of 3 Officers and 2 Nurses was appointed to foster better Anglo-American relations, and numerous contacts were made by this Committee with British civilian and military organizations. Meanwhile, Enlisted personnel were encouraged to accept hospitality of British homes. Shortly after assuming command of the newly-set up Hospital, inspections took place by higher Headquarters with a rating of “unsatisfactory”. Effective measures were henceforth introduced and subsequent inspections soon brought reports as “excellent”, with certain Departments receiving superior ratings. Even though the 313th spent one and one-half years of training while still in the Zone of Interior, additional training was carried on after arrival in the UK. Plans were worked out and test runs executed on the Disposition and / or Receiving of large numbers of patients. Regular reviews were held on first-aid, treatment of gas casualties, protection against chemical warfare, aircraft recognition, fire fighting, etc.
Preparing for D-Day; landing exercises conducted in Devonshire prior to Operation “Overlord” (6 June 1944); 2 1/2-ton cargo trucks move in reverse onto waiting landing craft, at berth near the training beaches, North Devonshire.
Operations (Period 1 April 1944 – 30 June 1944)
No geographical changes were made during this additional period, with the 313th Station Hospital still located at Fremington, Devonshire, England, where it operated Hospital Plant # 4105.
The Hospital was now better organized and operating in an efficient manner. Personnel of the command had become duly oriented in the procedures of the European Theater of Operations and patients were being admitted to the Hospital, treated for their disabilities and / or injuries, and returned to duty as quickly as possible. There were 263 patients in the wards as of 1 April 1944. For the three-month period there were 1676 admissions, with an average daily census of 265 patients. During April 1944, a Demonstration Team visited the Hospital (and others) and exhibited the best methods of litter handling, ambulance loading and unloading, proper handling of patients, etc. These demonstrations proved extremely beneficial to the personnel in that they were able to observe correct procedures as performed by experts. On 14 April 1944, an Examining Team delegated by Southern Base Section Headquarters interviewed and examined a number of Enlisted Men for proficiency. They found some men to be lacking gas mask drill and procedure, emergency medical care, and VD control. As a result of these findings, a series of lectures was begun on 18 April 1944 for all personnel. The following subjects were presented in eight groups:
Fractures and Splints
Medical Problems (Louse Control, Malaria Control, Medical Emergencies, Neuro-Psychiatric Emergencies)
Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Emergencies
Chemical Warfare Prevention and Treatment
Venereal Disease Prevention and Control
Emergency Surgical Treatment
Ambulance Loading and Evacuation of Patients
Lectures’ duration represented 1-hour each and consisted both of demonstrations as well as discussions of the different subjects. Although all personnel had received repeated training in these subjects, a review was indicated. All classes were completed by 11 May 1944.
For sports and recreation, the 313th Sta Hosp had its own programs. Base ball and soft ball teams were very active, playing a game each week, and organizing exhibition games during the “Salute the Soldier” weeks in nearby English towns. On 23 April 1944, for recreation and out of friendship to the local population, the organization presented a variety show consisting of songs, music, and magic at the Strand Theater, Bideford, North Devon, England (an institution open to all soldiers in the vicinity –ed). The same show, presented by the 313th, was later given to patients and Enlisted personnel of the Hospital.
Through special arrangements with the American Red Cross at Bideford, several musical instruments were finally obtained, which would serve as a nucleus of a complete dance orchestra that developed into a seven-piece combination. The unit’s musicians were now able to furnish music for the weekly ARC dances at Bideford as well as dances organized within the Hospital buildings. Two dances per month were held on the Post for the EM, to which many a British WAAF and other servicewomen were invited.
Pictures illustrating pre-Invasion Exercises in Devonshire. Left: Unloading a 2 1/2-ton cargo truck at a concrete LCT (due to a shortage of landing crafts, rough concrete models were built, enabling vehicle drivers to train properly for loading and unloading). Right: M-4 Sherman reversing onto a waiting LST. Of special interest is the armored vehicle’s deep wading gear.
During May, previously-made plans for the pitching of ward tents was executed. Concrete slabs were obtained and prepared from British sources and laid as flooring. Thirty-two (32) with a capacity for 480 patients, were so placed between the permanent structures that personnel assigned to these structures would be able to care for the extra patients placed under tentage should the necessity arise. Stoves and beds were also prepared in the tents and made ready for instant use in the event of an emergency.
On 6 May 1944 approximately 100 Officers, Nurses, and Enlisted Men, participated in a parade at Bideford in connection with “Salute the Soldier” week. The ANC Officers, on their own, paraded once more in Barnstaple, on 8 May 1944 in relation to that town’s “Salute the Soldier” week. Those in charge of arrangements for these social affairs were very complimentary with regard to appearance of the command personnel in these parades and it was believed that such activities greatly enhanced Anglo-American relations and friendships. The local population was especially impressed by the participation of the ANC Officers.
On 25 May 1944, word was received from the Chief Surgeon’s Office that a Hospital Train would deliver approximately 285 patients to this Hospital, coming from the 314th Station Hospital (Hospital Plant #4100 –ed). SOP on the admission and reception of patients had been worked out previously, therefore there was little confusion in making the necessary preparations for this operation (it was the unit’s first Hospital Train –ed). Sufficient motor transportation was made available within the organization and all the patients were successfully evacuated from the Hospital Train in one and one-half hours. In total, 248 patients were received. On 6 June 1944, 200 patients were received by Hospital Train from the 115th Station Hospital (Hospital Plant # 4101 –ed), and evacuated in only forty minutes, indicating that errors made in the initial evacuation had been corrected.
A Central Supply System was put into operation at the 313th. Originally there were only 2 autoclaves used for this service. A small sterilizer, an instrument sterilizer, bath tubs, a washing machine, etc., were gradually installed in a building adjacent to the boiler room, which was centrally located to both Surgical and Medical Services. A storage room was organized for the safekeeping of sterile IV sets, blood donor sets, aspiration sets, surgical sets, dressings, gauze, applicators, tongue depressors, and other instruments. All instruments and drapes used by the OR staff were made up and sterilized by this Section. Decontaminators were also installed for the proper treatment of mattresses and blankets. Reserve oxygen tanks were equally stored in this building. The new service was inaugurated for the purpose of simplifying the distribution of surgical supplies and dressings throughout the entire Hospital.
The Rehabilitation and Convalescent Training Program was greatly improved during the period April – June 1944, primarily due to increase in the length of time units of this size were permitted to retain patients in the Hospital. Six (6) unused temporary buildings were allocated to this special service and convalescent patients were effectively encouraged and utilized to dress these buildings up, landscape the surrounding grounds and install walkways. This outdoor exercise and work had a definite advantageous effect that it conditioned the men (read patients) sufficiently to prevent recurrence of their infections upon return to full field duty. The convalescent patients were also given calisthenics, organized athletics, and hikes, in addition to lecture classes on current military events, and discussions on “Army Talks”, and other material.
All available unused ground in the Hospital area was used for the expansion of the British Agriculture Program. The area proper was farmed by 2 British servicemen under supervision of the Devon Branch of the British Agriculture Program and the unit’s Mess Officer. The 313th Sta Hosp used as much of the produce from this area as possible. The cultivated grounds consisted of ten acres, five of which were planted with potatoes, four acres which contained assorted vegetables, and one acre of fallow ground.
Picture illustrating some of the 313th Station Hospital personnel attending Cooks’ School in England.
Health of the organization was excellent, with no serious outbreaks of contagious diseases. Four new cases of VD were nevertheless reported during the quarter; two of which were treated on duty status. Steps taken to reduce the rate of Venereal Disease were:
Weekly Lectures to all Enlisted personnel, divided into small groups, with questions and discussions encouraged
Venereal Disease Control literature and posters, placed in conspicuous locations
New Prophylactic Station opened in Barnstaple, with 24-hour service maintained
Weekly Training Programs continued throughout the quarter. Open discussions were held on various subjects covered in “Army Talks”; all phases of handling gas casualties, gas decontamination, neutralization of gassed areas, were given careful consideration, and a gas alert took place weekly. Physical and field training were allotted 8 hours on a weekly basis. Medical and Surgical Technicians received 2-hours weekly on oxygen therapy, use of Plaster of Paris, and Wangenstein suction. Additional training was provided by sending medical personnel to other places. During the period April – June 1944, 4 Medical Officers were detailed on DS with other units in the region. Also 1 each from the Dental Corps and the Medical Administrative Corps. Three (3) more Medical Corps and 1 Dental Corps Officers were evacuated and lost due to illness; and 2 Medical Corps and 1 Dental Corps Officers transferred elsewhere. Finally, 3 new Medical Corps and 2 Dental Corps Officers were assigned to the unit.
Operations (Period 1 July 1944 – 30 September 1944)
1 July 1944 found the 313th Sta Hosp still established at “Fremington House”, 3 miles west of Barnstaple, Devonshire, England.
During the early part of July, Captain J. A. Sterling, MC, a representative from the Office of the Chief Surgeon, ETO, inspected the Post, and explained the new Program of Rehabilitation as conducted by the 77th Station and 307th Station Hospitals. He informed the command that approximately 500 patients would be transferred from the 307th Station Hospital to the installation within the next few days and advised certain important changes in the Hospital and its personnel to accommodate these patients. On 16 July 1944, 4 Medical Corps Officers were sent on DS to the 307th Sta Hosp for the purpose of study, orientation, and observation of Rehabilitation as conducted at that particular installation. On the same day, 2 MC Officers, 2 Infantry Officers, 10 PT Instructors, and 300 patients arrived at the 313th Sta Hosp, Fremington, Devonshire, from the 307th. A special program was immediately instituted, modeled on operating procedures and plans followed by the other Hospital. A patient / trainee Battalion of 4 Companies was subsequently formed, certain buildings evacuated, double-decker beds obtained or constructed. Fortunately, certain units in the area were moving at that time and these double beds, or materials for their construction, were hauled to the Post via motor transport.
Copy of vintage document dated 1 September 1944 indicating the conversion of the 313th Station Hospital to a “Rehabilitation Center”.
The aim of the Rehabilitation Center was to prepare convalescent personnel for further military service or for discharge (depending on the nature of the soldier’s disability). The patient was accepted from the Hospital where he was being treated as soon as possible after he had reached the convalescent stage. He was then subjected to a specific physical therapy or remedial exercises as well as general reconditioning and hardening, which reduced the convalescence period to a minimum and prepared the soldier to return to duty as soon as possible in a strong and able physical condition. His physical ability and mental attitude were important factors to complete his rehabilitation (average stay for a convalescent patient in a special Convalescent Center represented approximately 18½ days). The Rehabilitation Center tried hard to avoid any mental or physical deterioration of the patient that could occur while he was in the Hospital. The theory was that the longer he was hospitalized, the more permanent his deterioration became.
The overall plan and program for the care, treatment, and general Rehabilitation of the patients always remained the same and its purpose was to return as many men as possible to fighting fitness in the shortest possible time.
The Center’s professional services assumed complete responsibility for the medical diagnosis, treatment, physical rehabilitation, and review of basic military training for the patient / trainee. After the latter had been admitted, he was given a thorough medical examination at which time his admission diagnosis was either confirmed or revised and any necessary laboratory procedures or X-rays ordered. The patient was then placed in one of the 5 grades; the more physically fit were placed in corresponding grades “D” – “C” – B” – and “A” respectively, while the least physically fit were placed in “E” grade, which were then formed into grade Companies. In each grade the patient / trainee was required to perform a specified amount of physical activity and remedial exercises to improve his condition, which would allow him to move on to an improved and higher grade.
The month of August would bring an important period of changes for the 313th Station Hospital as it was planned for the unit to open for admission of convalescent patients starting at 0001 hours, 10 August 1944. The Hospital had meanwhile been partly reorganized as a convalescent facility, now redesignated and opening as Rehabilitation Center No. 3 (however still based at Fremington, Devonshire, APO # 872 –ed).
On 14 August 1944, 4 MAC Officers visited the 307th for observation of administrative procedures related to the Rehabilitation of convalescent patients.
On 17 August 1944, a temporary T/O & E (intended for 1000-bed and 3000-bed Convalescent Centers, was approved 23 Jun 44 –ed) was drafted for the Hospital (and others being converted to the Rehabilitation Program in the United Kingdom –ed). The Hospital bed space was reduced to 8 active wards (numbering approximately 300 beds), which seemed necessary to keep in active operation in view of the patient census at that time and the current admission rate. It must not be forgotten that the 313th was still servicing local troops as an active Station Hospital, and an active Medical and Nursing staff was required to do so. A Professional Service Chief was appointed to coordinate all Medical and Surgical Services, Outpatient Clinics, Rehabilitation Section, and all other professional services used by the command.
In order to support the Rehabilitation Program, the original patient / trainee Battalion was expanded to a complete Regiment, 2 Battalions of 4 Companies each organized, with a third Battalion in the making (operational during September), as of 31 August 1944. The administration and the training program for the new Rehabilitation Center was conducted according to military administration of an Infantry Regiment.
Convalescing US troops tow a Jeep using heavy-duty rope as part of a Rehabilitation Program in the United Kingdom.
No awards or citations took place for members of the command during the described period. Award of Purple Heart medals was made to 18 patients / trainees in this Hospital on 26 August 1944 who had not previously been awarded same.
By the end of August 1944, a total of 1846 patients / trainees had been received over a period of forty-five days. The rapid expansion of the Hospital’s Rehabilitation Section and the contraction and consolidation of the actual Hospital Section necessitated extreme efforts of all personnel concerned to bring about this conversion and continue to maintain the necessary standards of medical, nursing, training and administrative care. It was now definitely determined that the 313th Station Hospital would be officially redesignated Rehabilitation Center No. 3 with a capacity of 3000 beds.
Major Problem Areas
During reconversion to a Rehabilitation Center there was a marked shortage of transportation, the organization had on hand only 2 cargo trucks, 3 weapon carriers, and 6 ambulances. A fifteen-mile trip was involved for obtaining mess supplies; requiring the use of 1 truck and 1 weapon carrier. Before the end of September, the distance was increased to fifty miles. The necessary material for the construction of double decker beds, the gymnasium, the obstacle course, and many other necessities used for the Rehabilitation Program were obtained as far afield as hundred miles; often calling for the use of all available motor transport or vehicles on loan from nearby units.
General Orders # 134 were published on 1 September 1944 by Headquarters, Southern Base Section, Communications Zone, European Theater of Operations, APO # 519. They confirmed the provisional reorganization and conversion of the 750-bed 313th Station Hospital (source unit) into the 3000-bed Rehabilitation Center No. 3. These official orders permitted the requisitioning of additional transport, with final receipt of 3 additional cargo trucks, 2 weapon carriers, and 3 (British-built) buses which helped overcome the transportation problem.
There remained an acute shortage of clerks and typist for the administration, because of the increased medical, personnel, finance, admission, registration, disposition records, and Regimental, Battalion, and Companies commands. Permanent personnel of the command was therefore augmented by utilizing the services of patients / trainees, on a voluntary basis, in order to maintain medical records and other administrative activities on a current basis. By anticipating the turnover of patients / trainees it was believed that sufficient trained clerical personnel could be maintained, without detriment to the individuals involved.
Two adequate buildings were designated for remedial gymnastics. Requisitions were submitted for equipment and furnishings but a very limited and meager supply was received. Through ingenuity, begging, and aggressiveness of the Physical Training Instructors and Officers concerned, the gymnasium was partially fitted with improvised equipment. The 10 PT Instructors who had arrived with the group of patients on 20 July were too few for the demand, consequently a training class for Instructors was conducted during the month of August 1944 and additional PT Instructors obtained.
An investigation by Engineers and Hospital Architects was made with regard to sewage disposal and water supply for the Post. It was concluded that housing, water and sewage disposal now supplied were adequate for 2500 overall personnel. This was only made possible by the establishment of a controlled conservation plan of water consumption and regulation of sewage disposal (this would prove difficult to implement –ed).
The Physio-Therapy Section was considerably expanded to expedite the function of this important department in Rehabilitation work. It originally only consisted of 1 Officer supplemented by 3 EM. Due to the program, 1 additional Physio-Therapy Officer, 2 Nurses, and 2 Enlisted Men were assigned which was quite an improvement.
The month of September 1944 witnessed the complete transition from Station Hospital to “Rehabilitation Center”. Definite progress was made with respect to organization and function, with Admission and Disposition rates and statistics favorably comparing with those of other similar institutions. As of 30 September 1944, a total of 3147 patients / trainees had been received, with 1163 dispositions; 764 of which returned to general duty; 143 to limited duty; 57 returned to General Hospitals for additional treatment and disposition; and 199 transferred to the 314th Station Hospital to form a nucleus of Rehabilitation personnel at that installation (this Hospital was eventually converted to Rehabilitation Center No. 4 –ed).
Following the increased flow of patients from continental operations, the site where the Rehabilitation Center No. 3 currently operated proved unsuitable and Fremington was therefore only used on a temporary basis. A more suitable installation site was finally obtained at Warminster Barracks, Warminster, Wiltshire, which opened after some adaptation works on 21 December 1944.
By end of December 1944, five (5) Station Hospitals had been disbanded and converted to Rehabilitation Centers.
Conversion, Redesignation, Reactivation of Station Hospitals
3700-bed Rehabilitation Center No. 1 (ex-307th station Hospital)
400-bed Rehabilitation Center No. 2 (ex-123d Station Hospital)
Operations (1945)
On 3 February 1945 the 834-bed 348th Station Hospital relieved the 313th Station Hospital at Fremington, Devonshire (this new Hospital officially closed as of 2400 hours on 9 March 1945 –ed).
The recently constituted Rehabilitation Centers were eventually all redesignated as follows:
826th Convalescent Center (ex-Rehabilitation Center No. 1)
833d Convalescent Camp (ex-Rehabilitation Center No. 2)
While researching suitable sites for installation of Convalescent Centers in France and Belgium (a total of 6 were contemplated –ed), there were plans to move the 828th Convalescent Center and several selected General and Station Hospitals from the United Kingdom to France. It must be noted that since 1 April 1945 patients were transferred to the Zone of interior when they required more than sixty days of hospitalization, with the burden for the convalescent program placed on the individual Station Hospital. During the latter part of April, meetings took place with regard to the redeployment of Convalescent Centers and personnel to the United States (the Rehabilitation Division had meanwhile moved from the UK to Paris, France –ed). Following V-E Day, immediate plans were made to transfer some of the Convalescent Centers to the ZI. But with the end of the war in Europe in sight, the following different action was taken:
Closing of Convalescent Centers in the United Kingdom – effective 2400 hours, 18 May 1945
825th Convalescent Center
833d Convalescent Camp
Copy of vintage Stars and Stripes, Paris Edition, dated Tuesday, 8 May 1945, announcing V-E Day.
The End:
Between December 1944 and June 1945, the Rehabilitation Division, United Kingdom Base, had trained 138 extra Officers and 585 Enlisted Men. By 6 June 1945, all Convalescent Centers operating in the United Kingdom had discontinued operations and disposed all their patients / trainees. They were now reorganized to serve as staging area for redeployment to the ZI, with personnel being selected and prepared to maintain a convalescent capacity for the United States Occupation Forces in Germany.
The MRC Staff were unable to find additional reports detailing late war operations of the 313th Sta Hosp and its eventual closing and return (in part) to the United States. Apparently a certain number of personnel (including transfers from other units) were retained for Occupation duties in Germany …
The MRC Staff are still looking for additional data relating to the 313th Station Hospital’s final operations in the European Theater of Operations, and the unit’s inactivation and / or transfer to Germany for Occupation duties. All inputs appreciated.
Read more: https://www.med-dept.com/unit-histories/313th-station-hospital/
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Nearly 3 Million U.S. Citizens and Legal Immigrants Initially Excluded under the CARES Act Are Covered under the December 2020 COVID-19 Stimulus
Margaret W. Nea for Bread for the World
The pandemic-recovery stimulus package that passed Congress in December rectified what many had viewed as a significant oversight in the earlier CARES Act: Its exclusion of U.S. citizens and legal immigrants in mixed-status families. MPI researchers estimate nearly 3 million U.S. citizens and legal immigrants excluded from the earlier legislation can receive the later relief, as well as qualify retroactively for the CARES Act payment, as this commentary explores.
Anticipated “Chilling Effects” of the Public-Charge Rule Are Real: Census Data Reflect Steep Decline in Benefits Use by Immigrant Families
Researchers, service providers, and others have long predicted that sweeping revisions by the Trump administration to the definition of who constitutes a public charge would deter large numbers of immigrant-led households from using federal means-tested public benefits for which they are eligible. Recently released Census Bureau data show they were right: During the administration's first three years, program participation declined twice as fast among noncitizens as citizens.
Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States: Stable Numbers, Changing Origins
After decades of growth, the number of unauthorized immigrants in the United States has remained largely stable since the 2008–09 recession. The group's demographics are changing, though, with a shrinking number of Mexicans and rising Asian and Central American arrivals. This fact sheet presents a profile of these 11 million individuals, including top origin countries; U.S. destinations; and age, education, job, income, home ownership, English proficiency, and other characteristics.
The Role of Immigrant Health-Care Professionals in the United States during the Pandemic
Todd Jordan/Centers for Disease Control
With the U.S. health-care system buckling under the resurgent COVID-19 outbreak, policymakers could undertake efforts to enable skilled, underemployed international health-care professionals to practice. This would both make the health system more resilient and flexible, as well as introduce critical language and cultural skills important during the contact-tracing and vaccine rollout phases of the pandemic response, as this commentary explores.
An Early Readout on the Economic Effects of the COVID-19 Crisis: Immigrant Women Have the Highest Unemployment
LanaStock/iStock
Working-age immigrant women in the United States entered the COVID-19-induced recession with unemployment rates similar to those of other groups. Yet they have been among the most affected by pandemic-related job losses. This fact sheet seeks to explain why they have been hit so hard by the coronavirus-induced recession.
Rethinking U.S. Immigration Policy Initiative
The Rethinking U.S. Immigration Policy Initiative is generating a big-picture, evidence-driven vision of the role immigration can and should play in America’s future. In a range of reports and other analyses, the Rethinking Initiative is examining the state of the U.S. asylum system, border enforcement, the legal immigration system, immigration detention, and the immigration courts, and is advancing pragmatic policy solutions to fix the long dysfunctional immigration system.
The “Trump Effect” on Legal Immigration Levels: More Perception than Reality?
Despite a widespread perception that the Trump administration has drastically slashed legal immigration to the United States, a review of the data shows that temporary and permanent admissions during the period mostly followed previous trends—at least until the COVID-19 pandemic hit. This article examines trends in temporary, permanent, and humanitarian admissions during the administration, and the related policies that could take a more significant bite ahead if left unchanged.
Eligible to Work? Experiments in Verifying Work Authorization
By Kevin Jernegan
U.S. Border Enforcement: From Horseback to High-Tech
By Deborah W. Meyers
Immigration Enforcement at the Worksite: Making it Work
By Marc R. Rosenblum
Legal Immigration to United States Up from Last Year
By Julia Gelatt and Deborah W. Meyers
Immigration Enforcement Spending Since IRCA
By David Dixon and Julia Gelatt
Reflections on Restoring Integrity to the United States Immigration System: A Personal Vision
Secure Borders, Open Doors: Visa Procedures in the Post-September 11 Era
By Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Betsy Cooper and Stephen Yale-Loehr
Lessons From The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
By Betsy Cooper and Kevin O'Neil
This report explores the successes and failures of various attempts to create an employment verification system that reliably establishes an employee’s eligibility to work since the passage of the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986. Through this analysis, the author evaluates the effectiveness and potential contributions of the current system and seeks to inform proposals for future initiatives.
An Idea Whose Time Has Finally Come? The Case for Employment Verification
This brief provides a historical overview of various attempts at implementing workplace enforcement in the United States before arguing in favor of a process not unlike credit-card verification that allows employers to swipe a card at the point of hire and receive a response in real time from the Social Security Administration informing them whether an employee is authorized to work in the United States.
Documentation Provisions of the Real ID Act
This report examines the sweeping changes in the way identity documents are issued and used under the REAL ID Act, an effort to enhance the security of identity documents in post-9/11 America. It takes a detailed look at how this legislation will affect document issuing agencies, state budgets, and the employment verification system, in addition to immigrants and citizens.
This report closely examines the rapid growth of government appropriations directly targeted to immigration enforcement activities since the passage of the Immigration Control and Reform Act of 1986 (IRCA). Focusing primarily on data between 1985 and 2002, authors highlight trends in the overall immigration enforcement spending as well as in specific activities.
This fact sheet is an overview of U.S. immigration based on Fiscal Year 2004 data released by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Immigration Statistics in 2005.
This policy brief examines and reflects upon lessons learned from the last major attempt to resolve the problem of illegal immigration under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Arguing that stable reform will require three “E”’s— enforcing immigration laws effectively, expanding visas, and earning legal status —it also offers recommendations for immigration policymaking and management.
This report offers a comprehensive analysis of post-September 11 reforms to the United States’ visa system, examines what these policy changes in policy and procedures entail, and discusses how well they advance the stated goals of the U.S. visa program.
The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) was the first legislative attempt to comprehensively address the issue of unauthorized immigration. The bill included sanctions against employers for the hiring of undocumented migrants, more robust border enforcement, and an expansive legalization program that was unprecedented.
The U.S. Immigration Policy Program analyzes U.S. policies and their impacts, as well as the complex demographic, economic, political, foreign policy, and other forces that shape immigration to the United States. The program also offers influential thought leadership and policy recommendations regarding ways to improve the U.S. immigration system.
Data and Analysis Related to Trump Administration Actions on Immigrant and Refugee Policy
These MPI research and data resources offer context related to policy changes achieved and proposed by the Trump administration as well as the populations they will affect.
The U.S. Policy Beat in MPI's Online Journal
Each month, MPI authors review major legislative, judicial, and executive action on U.S. immigration at the local, state, and federal levels. Stay up to date with the latest developments.
Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States
This feature presents the latest, most sought-after data on immigrants in the United States—by origin, residence, legal status, deportations, languages spoken, and more—in one easy-to-use resource.
State Immigration Data Profiles
Want the latest facts and data on immigrants in the United States? Search U.S. Census data on U.S. immigrants and the native born nationally and by state based on demographic, language and education, workforce, and income indicators.
U.S. Immigrant Population Spotlights
Want to learn more about immigrants to the United States from Mexico, India, Canada, or many other countries? Spotlights from MPI's online journal, the Migration Information Source, use the latest data to provide information on size, geographic distribution, and socioeconomic characteristics of particular immigrant groups, including English proficiency, educational and professional attainment, income and poverty, health coverage, and remittances.
U.S. Immigration Data from MPI Data Hub
Immigrants in the U.S. Workforce
Independent Task Force on Immigration and America's Future
In 2006, the Task Force articulated a vision that promotes U.S. global competitiveness in the context of post-9/11 security imperatives, while tackling many of the technical details that have made immigration such an intractable public policy topic.
Doris Meissner, former Commissioner of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, directs MPI's U.S. immigration policy work. Full Bio >
Andrew Selee is President of the Migration Policy Institute. Full Bio >
Michael Fix
Randy Capps
Sarah Pierce
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The Migration Information Source’s twice-monthly free newsletter provides fresh thought, authoritative data, and global analysis of international migration and refugee trends.
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Rock, Riviera & beyond
Editor's choice • Lifestyle
Luxury hotels on the French Riviera: Château de La Chèvre d’Or, number one resort hotel in France
Claire Guillou - 18 September 2020
© Hôtel la Chèvre d’Or
For the second year in a row, the leading travel magazine Travel+Leisure has named Le Château de la Chèvre d’Or the Number One Resort Hotel in France. To inaugurate our series on the historic hotels of the Riviera, we would like to introduce you to this establishment that is truly a feast for the eyes.
Perhaps it is the jaw-dropping view on the Mediterranean that earned the Château de la Chèvre d’Or such recognition. For two years in a row, readers of leading tourism magazine Travel+Leisure have awarded the establishment the title of Number One Resort Hotel in France. Thierry Naidu, hotel manager at the Château de la Chèvre d’Or is humbled by such news. “We are very happy for all our teams because this award is also a recognition of the quality of the service we offer our clients,” he says.
Lost in the winding streets of Èze
Location, location, location, as the saying goes. Perched high up in the village of Èze, the Château stands at 429 meters above sea level. All merit – believe it or not – of Walt Disney. “At the beginning, La Chèvre d’Or was a restaurant,” explains Thierry Naidu. “It was only later that little by little it became a hotel. It was actually Walt Disney who suggested to the owner at the time that he should buy the village houses next to the restaurant and turn the establishment into a hotel. In the 50s there were four rooms. The number was up to 12 in the 90s and now we have 45 rooms and suites, all while trying to preserve the feeling of being in a village. So, when you walk around the village, you are in a way walking around the hotel,” he says. The setting brings of course authenticity, but it is the promise of privacy that is most prized by the hotel’s guests. “In a traditional hotel you need go through a reception. Here, however, it is easy to get some peace and quiet. You’re staying in a village house. Guests can have their own garden. It is a much more private stay,” explains the hotel manager.
Restaurants, gardens, and more
The hotel’s guests can enjoy a garden with 400 citrus plants, a sauna, a swimming pool, a jacuzzi, a gym, as well as several restaurants. There is of course La Chèvre d’Or, a two Michelin star gourmet restaurant. Its guest book is a step into history: Bono, Beyonce, Shakira, Bill Clinton, Javier Bardem, Jack Nicholson have all tasted the Mediterranean cuisine of chefs Arnaud Faye and Julien Dugourd. “The Chèvre d’Or restaurant is like haute couture,” explains Thierry Naidu “But we also have two other bistro-type restaurants. Even if we’ve always promoted out gourmet offer and we’ve been awarded two Michelin stars, we’ve always wanted to remain accessible, because everybody should be able to discover La Chèvre d’Or,” he says.
It is no surprised that 2020 has been a challenge for the Château de la Chèvre d’Or. In any normal year, 85% of the hotel’s clients are foreigners. In 2020, the challenge was to charm French tourists, a feat which was more or less successful. “July was alright, and August was good,” says the hotel manager. However, even with the Riviera’s Indian summer, apprehension remains about September and October revenues, now that several important congresses have been cancelled in Monaco.
For further information: www.chevredor.fr +33 (0)4 92 10 66 66
Annual closure from 18 October 2020. The hotel will reopen in Spring 2021.
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Italian Gp | Kimi Raikkonen - "We need to get the points we really deserve"
The Finn, the last one to win a Championship with Ferrari, back in 2007, after yesterday's celebrations in Milan, is ready to face the Italian Grand Prix and give everything on track.
Fuente imagen: Marco Santini
After yesterday party in Piazza Duomo in Milan, Kimi Raikkonen is back in his Alfa Romeo clothes and is already thinking about the upcoming race.
“It’s the home race for us also, hopefully we can have a speed similar to the last race and at least we can be in the fight. We’ll see how the weather plays out.” Said the Finn to the media in the Italian Paddock.
“I think in Spa we were similar comparing to previous races. I would say Hungary and Spa are two completely different tracks. Hungary is a downforce track. It’s nice to see that the cars seems to be strong enough on both different levels and layouts.”
Despite being competitive on paper, Alfa Romeo is only 8th in the constructors championship.
“Some days are better than others, it’s always hard to get everything completely right. We always hope for more. I think where we are, in terms of points, it’s not really showing what we are capable of this year. I think we have all the capabilities to be in P5. We have to maximize our speed and get the points we really deserve. Obviously there are some races left, we really need to get the points.”
Both Kimi and Antonio Giovinazzi need to maximize their efforts, in order for Alfa to overtake Racing Point, Renault and Toro Rosso in the standings.
Last week in Spa Raikkonen was in doubt, because of an injury he got himself during the summer break.
“My leg is not 100%, but it was okay to travel. It’s the brake leg, so it’s doesn’t matter, it’s better if I don’t brake. It was okay in Spa already, so now it is better.
“I would’ve never been in the race or the weekend if I didn’t think it’s okay. Also, thehe car wasn’t in the best shape."
Raikkonen was also asked about the penalties, as the FIA, the F1 organization and the teams have been talking about ways of streamlining the grid penalty system for 2020.
The result of the talks are unlikely to become reality, and Kimi answered in the most Kimi way.
“I don’t wanna even get involved.” He started.
“It’s a normal thing in go kart,” to have yellow cards which give the drivers warnings instead of straight penalties. “It has never been really used in Formula 1 for some odd reasons. We have the flag. I think it’s good, at least because for a lot of things it’s crazy to give a penalty straight away. You’ve been warned once and if you keep doing it then you get a penalty. The flag it’s been there for.. how many years? So… use it!”
As said earlier, Raikkonen showed up yesterday to Ferrari’s celebrations in Milan for the 90 anniversary of the Scuderia.
“It was Ferrari’s thing, not F1. We wrote history, me and Ferrari, they asked me to go and I said fine. It was nice with the tifosi and other drivers. Ferrari’s history is great and so was the celebrations. I don’t really look so much to the past, I was many years there, I won a championship. Great to be part of the history. But I like where I’m now.”
Ferrari is now living a hard time, having scored its first win only in Spa last Sunday. Leo Turrini, famous Italian journalist, joked about the fact the Scuderia will win again with Robin (Raikkonen), who just started his “career” with go- karts, following his father footsteps.
ACEMAN BEGINS.
Un post condiviso da Kimi Räikkönen (@kimimatiasraikkonen) in data: 15 Ago 2019 alle ore 2:03 PDT
“I don’t know. Robin tried go. kart, he was asking it, I don’t know what he is going to be.” Kimi said about his son. “Who knows, I try to support him, it’s way too early.”
“It’s up to him, I don’t care. If he finds something then he enjoys, then I’m happy.” Said like the melted Ice Man, talking about his son.
F1| Vasseur admitted that the cost freeze was fundamental for Alfa Romeo to survive 2020
F1 | Kimi Raikkonen vs Antonio Giovinazzi; performance comparison in qualifying and race
Marika Laselva
Alfa-Romeo Kimi-Raikkonen Monza-GP Monza Italian-GP
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जवाहर नवोदय विद्यालय
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Shimla
National Cadet Cores
The National Cadets Corps (NCC) came into existence under the National Cadet Corps Act XXXI of 1948 (passed in April, 1948; came into existence on 16th July, 1948). NCC is a youth development movement. It has enormous potential for nation building. The NCC provides opportunities to the youth of the country for their all-round development with a sense of Duty, Commitment, Dedication, Discipline and Moral Values so that they become able leaders and useful citizens. The NCC provides exposure to the cadets in a wide range of activities, with a distinct emphasis on Social Services, Discipline and Adventure Training. The NCC is open to all regular students of schools and colleges on a voluntary basis. The students have no liability for active military service.
Aims of NCC
The Aims of the NCC is to develop discipline, character, brotherhood, the spirit of adventure and ideals of selfless service amongst young citizens. Not only these, it also aims to enlighten leadership qualities among the youth who will serve the Nation regardless of which career they choose. It also motivates the young to choose a career in armed forces.
NCC Motto
The Motto of NCC is “Unity and Discipline”
NCC Flag
In 1954 the existing tricolor flag was introduced. The three colours in the flag depict the three services in the Corps, red for Army, deep blue for Navy and light blue for the Air Force. The letters NCC and the NCC crest in gold in the middle of the flag encircled by a wreath of lotus, give the flag a colourful look and a distinct identity. Each lotus represents one NCC Directorate.
NCC Pledge
“We the cadets of the national cadet corps, do solemnly pledge that we shall always uphold the unity of India. We resolve to be disciplined and responsible citizens of our nation. We shall undertake positive community service in the spirit of selflessness and concern for our fellow beings”.
Address: Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, AT PO:Sadhi District:Vadodara (Gujrat) INDIA PIN - 391445
Phone Number: +91-02662- 296200, 296201
E-mail: jnvvadodara1@gmail.com
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Top Official Says Iran Ready for Higher Uranium Enrichment
Mysterious oil tanker attacks near the Strait of Hormuz, attacks by Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen on Saudi Arabia and Iran shooting down a U.S. military drone have raised fears of a wider conflict engulfing the region
By Jon Gambrell • Published July 6, 2019 • Updated on July 6, 2019 at 5:09 pm
A top aide to Iran's supreme leader says the Islamic Republic is ready to enrich uranium beyond the level set by Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal, just ahead of a deadline it set Sunday for Europe to offer new terms to the accord.
A video message by Ali Akbar Velayati included him saying that "Americans directly and Europeans indirectly violated the deal," part of Tehran's hardening tone with Europe. European parties to the deal have yet to offer a way for Iran to avoid the sweeping economic sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump since he pulled the U.S. out of the accord a year ago, especially those targeting its crucial oil sales.
All this comes as America has rushed thousands of troops, an aircraft carrier, nuclear-capable B-52 bombers and advanced fighter jets to the Mideast. Mysterious oil tanker attacks near the Strait of Hormuz, attacks by Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen on Saudi Arabia and Iran shooting down a U.S. military drone have raised fears of a wider conflict engulfing the region.
In the video, available Saturday on a website for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Velayati said that increasing enrichment closers to weapons-grade levels was "unanimously agreed upon by every component of the establishment."
"We will show reaction exponentially as much as they violate it. We reduce our commitments as much as they reduce it," said Velayati, Khamenei's adviser on international affairs. "If they go back to fulfilling their commitments, we will do so as well."
Europe is struggling to salvage the 2015 accord against the odds.
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke for more than an hour Saturday with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, and said they are trying to find a way by July 15 to resume international dialogue with Iran.
Under the atomic accord, Iran agreed to enrich uranium to no more than 3.67%, which is enough for peaceful pursuits but is far below weapons-grade levels of 90%. Iran denies it seeks nuclear weapons, but the nuclear deal sought to prevent that as a possibility by limiting enrichment and Iran's stockpile of uranium to 300 kilograms (661 pounds).
On Monday, Iran and United Nations inspectors acknowledged it had broken the stockpile limit. Combining that with increasing its enrichment levels narrows the one-year window experts believe Iran would need to have enough material to build a nuclear weapon, if it chose to do so.
"This would be a very worrisome step that could substantially shorten the time Iran would need to produce the material needed for nuclear weapons," said Miles Pomper, a senior fellow at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies' James Marin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. "Both Iran and the Trump administration should be looking for ways to de-escalate the crisis, rather than exacerbate it."
It remains unclear to what level Iran will choose to up its uranium enrichment. However, Velayati in his remarks made reference to 5% enrichment.
"For Bushehr nuclear reactor we need 5% of enrichment and it is a completely peaceful goal," he said. Bushehr, Iran's only nuclear power plant, is now running on imported fuel from Russia that's closely monitored by the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency.
Iran stopped producing uranium enriched above 5% in January 2014 amid negotiations for the nuclear deal.
Outside of Bushehr, higher-enriched uranium could be used for naval ships and submarines, something Iran has said it would want to pursue. Iran's nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi said in 2016 that nuclear power plants for naval vessels need uranium enriched to at least 5%.
The U.S. said its ambassador to international organizations in Vienna, Jackie Wolcott, had requested a special meeting of the IAEA to discuss its "latest, concerning report on the Iran regime's nuclear program." That meeting is planned for Wednesday.
Iran's diplomatic mission to Vienna, where the IAEA is based, called the U.S. move "a sad irony" as America had unilaterally withdrawn from the deal a year ago.
Meanwhile Saturday, the hard-line Kayhan newspaper demanded revenge over the seizure of an Iranian oil tanker off Gibraltar that had been heading to Syria.
Authorities in Gibraltar said they seized the Grace 1, believed to be carrying over 2 million barrels of oil, over European Union sanctions on Syria — though Spain said the seizure came at the request of the U.S.
"Seizure of U.K. oil tanker is the only way to confront pirates of the Queen," Kayhan blared in a front-page headline, echoing a suggestion Friday by a former Revolutionary Guard chief.
Associated Press writer Nasser Karimi, producer Mohammad Nasiri and Angela Charlton contributed to this report.
Donald TrumpAssociated PressEuropeadviserproducer
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From Comcast SportsNet
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP)Oklahoma State University womens basketball coach Kurt Budke and assistant coach Miranda Serna were killed when the single-engine plane they were riding in during a recruiting trip crashed in steep terrain in central Arkansas, the university confirmed Friday morning.
The university said the pair died in the crash around 7 p.m. Thursday night in the Winona Wildlife Management Area near Perryville, about 45 miles west of Little Rock. The planes pilot and another passenger also died in the crash, but their names were not immediately released. OSU said they were not affiliated with the university.
There were no survivors, the university statement said.
The crash is the second major tragedy for the sports program in about a decade. In January 2001, 10 men affiliated with the universitys mens basketball team died in a Colorado plane crash, prompting the university to require that planes used by the schools sports team undergo safety checks before travel. It wasnt immediately clear if the same policy applied to travel by coaches or administrators.
Oklahoma State canceled its womens college basketball home games set for Saturday and Sunday. The schools second-ranked college football team plays Friday night at Iowa State.
University president Burns Hargis credited Budke with elevating the team in a tough program. Serna, he said, set a good example for the players.
Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of Kurt Budke, Miranda Serna and the other victims. Kurt was an exemplary leader and a man of character who had a profound impact on his student-athletes, Hargis said. Miranda was an up-and-coming coach and an outstanding role model for our young ladies.
OSU hired Budke from Louisiana Tech seven years ago and the coach compiled a 112-83 record at the school. This years team was 1-0 after defeating Rice on Sunday.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending investigators, and that it could take nine months to determine the cause of the crash.
FAA records showed that the plane was built in 1964 and registered to Olin Branstetter of Ponca City, Okla. A telephone message left on an answering machine at a number for Branstetter wasnt immediately returned Friday morning.
The plane that crashed in 2001, a Beechcraft King Air 200, had been donated by a school booster.
On Jan. 27, 2001, one of three planes carrying players and others connected to the OSU mens basketball team crashed in a field 40 miles east of Denver as the Cowboys returned from a game at Colorado. The crash occurred about 35 minutes after the plane took off in light snow.
An NTSB report cited a power loss aboard the plane and said the pilot suffered disorientation while flying the plane manually with still-available instruments.
After that crash, the university began requiring a firm to check out the condition of any plane used by a school sports team. It wasnt immediately known if that policy also applied to planes that carry only coaches or other school employees, or if the plane the womens coaches were traveling in had undergone an independent check.
Thursday night, the weather near the crash site was clear with temperatures in the upper 30s to mid-40s.
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Naperville Rocks Out
Naperville high schoolers had a chance to channel their inner rock stars during a recent competition.
Nine bands took to the stage at Central Park for the “Battle of the Bands”.
The Naperville Park District Youth Ambassadors hosted the ninth annual competition. The organization consists of high-school aged students.
“So many things are geared around athletics in our community, and we serve those kids very well,” said event organizer Fred Gusel. Gusel is also the Superintendent of Recreation for the Naperville Park District. “But there is also that creative, artistic side. I think this helps fulfill that need as well and gives them an opportunity to come out and play.”
Food and Fire, a band from Neuqua Valley, was the winner of this year’s competition. With the win, they will earn a spot to play at Ribfest this summer.
“I’m ecstatic man! It is just the craziest thing,” said Food and Fire’s drummer Aidan Manke. “Peter (the singer) worked hard because he made us play the songs over and over and over again. But it was worth it as you can see.”
The second and third place finishers will play at Naperville Park District’s “Rollin’ on the River” series on July 8th.
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Edison man dies following Amboy Avenue crash
Suzanne Russell
Courier News and Home News Tribune
EDISON - A 68-year-old township man died Sunday after being struck while in the middle of Amboy Avenue in the Clara Barton section.
According to police the man, a resident of nearby Liddle Avenue, was in the middle of Amboy Avenue near 4th Street and not in the crosswalk when he was struck around 7:50 p.m. Sunday.
Police said it's unclear why the man was in the street.
The man was struck by a 2006 Honda Accord driven by a 35-year-old woman from the Fords section of Woodbridge.
READ:Edison man accused of stealing $1M lottery ticket
The man was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where he died hours later. The man's name has not been released pending notification of his family.
Police said no charges have been filed against the driver, who immediately stopped and remained at the scene.
The incident remains under investigation, police said.
Staff Writer Suzanne Russell: 732-565-7335; srussell@mycentraljersey.com
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UN chief issues 7-point ‘call to action’ on human rights
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses his statement, during the opening of the High-Level Segment of the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)
GENEVA (AP) — The head of the United Nations issued a “call to action” on Monday to countries, businesses and all people to help renew and revive human rights across the globe, laying out a seven-point plan amid concerns about climate change, conflict and repression.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made the appeal at the start of the latest Human Rights Council session in Geneva, known as the council’s “high-level segment” because it hosts a parade of dignitaries — including Libya’s prime minister and foreign ministers from countries like Germany, Saudi Arabia and South Korea at the start of the four-week session.
“I have come to the Human Rights Council — the fulcrum for international dialogue and cooperation to advance all human rights — to launch a Call to Action,” Guterres said, speaking in broad terms and avoiding any reference to individual countries’ rights records.
The U.N. chief said he wanted to speak out now because “human rights are under assault.”
His seven-point plan involves linking human rights to issues like sustainable development, crisis prevention, gender equality, the development of the digital age, and freedom of expression and civil society, among other things.
“Success must be measured by the yardstick of meaningful change in people’s lives,” he said. “As a United Nations family, a culture of human rights must permeate all we do.”
In a veiled allusion to China’s Communist government, which has made economic and social development a key pillar of its approach to human rights, Guterres said: “It would be a mistake to diminish economic, social and cultural rights.
“But it would be equally misguided to think that those rights are sufficient to answer people’s yearning for freedom,” he sid.
Guterres also spoke out against rising racism, white supremacy and extremism, and lamented violence against women and girls “as the world’s most pervasive human rights abuse.”
In an allusion to what are popularly known as “killer robots,” he reiterated his stance that machines should never be given “lethal capacity outside human judgment or control.”
“People across the world want to know we are on their side,” Guterres said. “Whether robbed of their dignity by war, repression or poverty, or simply dreaming of a better future, they rely on their irreducible rights – and they look to us to help uphold them.”
“Human rights — civil, cultural, economic, political and social — are both the goal and the path,” he said.
Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, welcomed Guterres’ message but urged him to be more direct in his statements.
“By providing a strong voice advocating for victims and condemning abusers, the Secretary-General can stand tall against governments committing serious rights violations – whether it’s the mass arbitrary detention of Uyghurs in China, atrocities committed against Myanmar’s Rohingyas, indiscriminate Russian-Syrian bombing of civilians in Idlib, or the forced separation of children from their parents at the U.S. border,” Roth said. “But this initiative will succeed only if the Secretary-General provides robust and regular public commentary, and does not shy away from naming abusers.”
BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right party chose Armin Laschet, the pragmatic governor of Germany’s most populous state, as its new leader Saturday. The choice sent a signal of continuity months before an election in which voters will decide who becomes the new chancellor.
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Sign budget versus road budget
Taylor Ablett, staff Tuesday, May. 19th, 2015
There have been a lot of questions about why money is going into welcome and street signs, and not the roads. Just under $200, 000 is being ear-marked for the new signs, but the city is only paying a portion of that. Mayor Steve Black says he understands the frustration about the roads, and says whenever money is spent elsewhere, the questions always come back to fixing the major streets.
“I think the residents of Timmins expect a lot more in a city than just repaving roads,” says Black. “At the end of the day we have to wait for the asphalt plants to come online, and they don’t come online until the weather gets warmer.”
The funding for the new signs in Timmins is being split up between FedNor, the Chamber, and tax dollars. $88, 000 went into the first phase of the re-branding project, of which FedNor paid for half, and the city paid for the other half.
“The second phase included the implementation, all the signs, and all the other various marketing materials for the branding project. It was about $380, 000 and the city kicked in just over $150, 000 for that. $100K is used for the welcome signs, the service group signs, and all the downtown street signs.”
“There’s quite a few people that are very upset with the roads, and rightfully so” says Black.
“But in reality, we have a $7 million roads budget this year, and we’re just waiting for the asphalt plant to come online before we get some of the major repairs done.”
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OHCHR > English > News and Events > Bridging the digital divide for escapee children from the DPRK
Bridging the digital divide for escapee children from the DPRK
Meet Insoo and Yeonbi from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Insoo crossed rivers, ran through mountains and travelled across several countries to make his escape to freedom in the Republic of Korea. Yeonbi crossed the DPRK border alone at the age of 14 and spent a year hiding in China, in the hope of reuniting with her mother who had escaped the DPRK a few years earlier.
Since 2004, the Yeomyung School in Seoul, Republic of Korea, has been a place of refuge to thousands of escapee children from the DPRK like Insoo and Yeonbi. Among them are children who have risked their lives fleeing to the Republic of Korea so they could enjoy their basic human rights. Some of them are the children of female escapees who were trafficked into forced marriages in China.
These escapee children usually arrive in the Republic of Korea with harrowing physical and emotional trauma. For them, education is a lifeline and a pathway to a new future. However, the pandemic has threatened to take their hope away.
When COVID-19 hit the Republic of Korea in March 2020, Yeomyung School was forced to shut down. The canteen, where the students had been able to eat three free meals a day, closed down and so did the dormitory. Some of the children lost their parents during their escape from the DPRK and now lived alone in a 320-square-foot apartment without access to education. Moreover, none of the students owned laptops or tablets to continue schooling online from home.
“I was agonized to an unspeakable degree that I could not continue my studies. I did not have a laptop and could not even join online classes,” said Yeonbi, a senior at Yeomyong,
“The pandemic has revealed disparities in our society. Our students could not attend the online classes simply because they did not own digital devices,” said Myungsook Cho, vice principal at Yeomyung School.
Unwilling to leave behind the students who were isolated and could not study, Cho sent out a heartfelt plea in a letter to a community of individual donors and churches describing their situation. In just three days, brand-new laptops started flowing in and every student at Yeomyung School was able to receive one and attend online classes.
“I cannot even express how jubilant the kids were. They were literally jumping with joy and said they felt they were valued and appreciated by society,” said Cho.
“The right to education, the right to learn is almost everything to these children. When that fundamental right is violated because of external factors, disadvantaged children have nearly no way to make the future that they dream of a reality,” she added.
However comforting the donations were to the students, other challenges remain for Yeomyung School. The lease to the building that has welcomed so many children will expire in a year, and the school has not been able to secure a new place to continue teaching the children because of strong opposition from the residents of the neighborhood the school had hoped to move to. The school is also experiencing severe financial hardships posed by the pandemic.
“For some students, school is safer than home. Some children around the world cannot eat when they are hungry or go see a doctor when they are sick at home,” said Cho. “For those students, school is a place of education, healing and protection. We will do our utmost to protect our school for those children.”
Note: The names of the students have been changed for this story.
This story is part of a series to celebrate Human Rights Day 2020, under the theme Recover Better: Stand up for human rights. To recover from the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, we must also address the inequality pandemic. For that, we need to promote and protect economic, social, and cultural rights, including the right to education. We need a new social contract for a new era.
Human Rights Day 2020
Special Rapporteur on the right to education
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Home / How To Advice / Preservation Guidelines /
Part 2: The 10 Commandments
The Standards for Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings, published by the Secretary of the Interior, comprise 10 rules. At left is an example of remodeling which diminishes the historical value of this storefront, and violates Rule # 6: The new feature shall match the old in design. The new arched window clearly does not match the style of the building it is in, or the surrounding buildings on the street.
The picture at right, on the other hand, shows a sensitive rehabilitation of a storefront. Note that the windows are in keeping with the original style of the building, and that the brick has not been defaced by sandblasting.
The Standards for Rehabilitation (Department of Interior regulations, 36 CFR 67) pertain to historic buildings of all materials, construction types, sizes, and occupancy and encompass the exterior and the interior, related landscape features and the building's site and environment as well as attached, adjacent, or related new construction.
The standards are to be applied to specific rehabilitation projects in a reasonable manner, taking into consideration economic and technical feasibility.
The following are standards in a nutshell:
1. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment.
2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided.
3. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken.
4. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.
5. Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved.
6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence.
7. Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.
8. Significant archeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken.
9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.
10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.
Next: Guidelines for applying the Standards.
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Free Access to Scientific Journals
Make the best use of Researched information from 700+ peer reviewed, Open Access Journals operated by 50,000+ Editorial Board Members and esteemed reviewers and 1000+ Scientific associations in Medical, Clinical, Pharmaceutical, Engineering, Technology and Management Fields.
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Open Access Initiative is committed to make genuine and reliable contributions to the scientific community without restricting the access of published content. This publisher hosts over 700+ leading-edge peer reviewed Open Access Journals and organizes over 3000 International Conferences all over the world. Obtained enormous global visibility and tremendous response from the authors and readers from all over the world inspired the publisher to maintain reputed Open Access Journals in various scientific disciplines. The journals have over 15 million readers and the reputation and success earned can be attributed to the strong Editorial Board which contains over 50,000 eminent personalities that ensure a rapid, qualitative and quick review process. More than 1000 International Societies are supporting in making scientific information Open Access. International Conferences are rendering perfect platform for global networking for the renowned speakers and scientists across the globe through a most exciting and memorable scientific event filled with much enlightening interactive sessions, world class exhibitions and poster presentations.
Open Access journals are the major source of knowledge for young and aspiring generations who are keen in pursuing a career in sciences. This system provides easy access to networks of scientific journals. Authors that contribute their scholarly works to Open Access journals gain remarkable reputation as the research scholarly explore these works extensively. This process assures considerable impact factor for the journal and reputation to the authors that add value to their Academic Performance Index (API) Score. Because of the free access open access journals impact factors are improving.
Open access journal articles are essentially peer-reviewed and available for access through the directory of Open Access journals. The open access movement gained popularity after the Budapest meeting of the Open Society Institute in 2001. Under this provision, pre-prints that are yet to be reviewed can be posted online. This enables the fellow researchers of the latest updates and findings. This is provision also meant to transmit and link to the subsequent publications in the same domain.
The digital peer reviewed journals cover the novel and current scientific studies taking place across universities and research centers in various parts of the world. This leads to limitless and hassle-free dissemination of knowledge, as per the provisions of Bethesda Statement, which implies that, the transmission of digital content should be circulated among subscribers and readers without copyright restrictions. Each open access journal delivers the latest updates in the respected research area in various formats so that subscribers can access the same through various options.
With the growing number of scientific enthusiasts and readers by a large margin, the efficacy of open access publishing has witnessed an assertive impact. The importance of Peer-reviewed open access journals has also grown in modern learning environment as most of the students need a swift and instant access to published research work free of cost. Most of the open access journal articles can be cited with proper reference, which boosts the prospects of research. A quality tracking system handles the articles submitted by various authors based on quality-checking for originality and consistency for subsequent approval.
As there is a very vast scope for the research in the field of pure and Medical Sciences, various free publications are categorized into open access medical journals and open access clinical journals.
In current scenario, involving scientific research in diversified disciplines, it is necessary to publish several forms of case reports and scholarly papers. As a result, the importance of open access journals is growing significantly.
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R-26 2-Car Subway Add-On Non Powered Set
R-26/28 2-Car Subway Add-On Non Powered Set - MTA (Blue & Silver)
Car #'s 7776, 7777
Metropolitan Transportation Authority - World's Fair
EB 2014 Volume 2
Delivered Jul. 2015
On June 1, 1940, the City of New York acquired the two subway systems it didn't already own - the IRT (Interborough Rapid Transit Co.) and the BMT (Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corp.) - and consolidated them with the city-owned IND (Independent Subway System). It was readily apparent that the city's fleet of aging subway cars was desperately in need of replacement, and immediately after World War II, management began to develop a new car that would be standard throughout the system and incorporate the latest advances in subway design. This effort was complicated by the fact that portions of the IRT had tighter clearances than the IND and BMT, so all future designs would incorporate a shorter, narrower IRT version.
Beginning with contract R-10, and IRT-sized contract R-12 delivered in 1948, the new cars featured welded steel bodies, flourescent lighting that made them considerably brighter than prewar cars, and seating made of velon, a new plastic material that replaced the rattan seating of older cars. A major improvement was a new type of brake system known as Straight Air Motor Car Electric-Pneumatic Emergency (SMEE), which combined ordinary air brakes with dynamic braking, in which a car's electric motors, by having their polarities reversed, were converted to generators in order to slow the car. This significantly reduced brake shoe wear and maintenance costs. Beginning with the R-12, the postwar IRT cars were known as the SMEE fleet.
By the mid-1950s, however, the car designs that had seemed modern after the war were showing their age, and tension had developed in the New York City Transit Authority between those who wanted to keep building the postwar designs and those, including Chairman Charles ("Choo-Choo Charlie") Patterson, who were pushing to incorporate new technologies already in widespread use elsewhere. The 110 new cars delivered by American Car and Foundry (ACF) in 1959-60 under contract R-26 were a stopgap measure, built to the outmoded postwar standards but still a great improvement on the prewar cars they replaced.
Nonetheless, the R-26 cars did introduce some firsts. They were the first cars with hard fiberglass seats to cut down on vandalism (how times had changed since the rattan seat era!). And they were the first New York cars that did not have an operating cab at both ends. The R-26s ran as "semi-permanent pairs," with operator controls at the No. 1 end only and conductor controls at the No. 2 end. To save both cost and weight, the even-numbered car in the pair carried much of the electrical equipment while the odd-numbered car held the air brake compressor. Delivered in a plain olive drab paint scheme, the R-26s were compatible other SMEE cars, and by the mid-1960s were often intermixed with R-12, R-17, and R-21 cars, which have also been offered as M.T.H. models. In the early 1970s, the R-26 cars along with other SMEE cars were repainted in the MTA's new blue and silver paint scheme. Air conditioning was installed in the early 1980s, along with a short-lived beige and orange color scheme, followed in 1982-83 by a less-than-successful white scheme that was intended to discourage taggers.
The aging R-26 cars got a new lease on life 1985-86. Shipped to Morrison-Knudsen in Hornell, New York under the General Overhaul (GOH) program, they returned to the City as completely rebuilt cars in the new Redbird paint scheme, the oldest-built cars in the Redbird fleet. They continued to serve New York's commuters for more than a decade, until the final R-26 cars were retired in 2002. Like most of the Redbird fleet, the R-26s were not scrapped, but "reefed." Up and down the east coast, their stripped bodies were dumped offshore to create artificial reefs to provide homes for marine life.
Durable ABS Intricately Detailed Bodies
Overhead Interior Lighting
Authentic Paint Scheme
Detailed Car Interiors
Stamped Metal Floors
Detailed Car Undercarriage
Unit Measures:27" x 2 1/2" x 3 3/8"
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Earlham opens regional vs NCAC foe
jjimenez@richmond.gannett.com
The Earlham College baseball team will open NCAA tournament play against the College of Wooster in the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional, hosted by Washington & Jefferson College at Ross Memorial Park at Washington, Pa.
Competition in the double-elimination round starts Thursday and runs through Sunday.
The No. 9-ranked Fighting Scots are 35-8 and won the North Coast Athletic Conference for the 17th time, most among NCAC teams. Earlham was formerly a member of the NCAC.
Wooster will be the No. 1 seed while the Quakers are the No. 8 seed. No. 4-ranked State University of New York at Cortland (33-7), the No. 2 seed, will face No. 7 seed DePauw University (31-11). No. 12-ranked LaRoche College (34-8), the No. 3 seed, will play No. 6 Keystone College (31-13) and host No. 18 Washington & Jefferson, the No. 4 seed, will take on No. 5 seed Misericordia.
Fans can purchase an all-tournament pass for $20 or single-day tickets for $6 per day for adults or $3 for students and children. Children 6 and younger can enter free.
RHS Grad embodies Quakers' motto
Devils reunited as Quakers
Earlham star born deaf, but blessed
Quakers come together as family
Earlham wins HCAC tournament
The Scots are led by Michael Wielansky’s .430 batting average and 74 hits, while he is tied with Jamie Lackner with eight home runs. Lackner is batting .418 with a team-best 58 RBIs, followed by 51 from Wielansky.
Jake Fling (.393), Nick Strausbaugh (.379), Jake Stuursma (.354), Drew Tornow (.312), Garrett Crum (.305) and Chandler Dippman (.304) are all batting over .300, with Ryan Ostendorf at .296.
Tornow has seven home runs, followed by six from Crum, five from Fling and four from Stuursma.
Nanak Saran has a 322 ERA, best among starters, and is 7-0, while Tyler Schuch (3.38) is 6-0 and Michael Houdek (3.77) is 8-2. Saran and Houdek each have 58 strikeouts, and Schuch has 22.
Nate Lynch leads Earlham with a .411 batting average, followed by Eric Elkus (.341), Danny Dopp (.333), Isaiah Shake (.326), Brennan Laird (.325), Matt Barger (.320), Cody Krumlauf (.316) and Richmond graduate Kendal Baker (.298), who was named the HCAC tournament’s most outstanding player.
Elkus has eight home runs, while Barger, Krumlauf, Laird and Addison Robertson each have three.
Elkus has a team-best 54 RBIs, Laird has 44, Dopp and Lynch each have 32 and Krumlauf 31.
Howie Smith, Earlham’s all-time winningest pitcher, is 8-3 with a 2.47 ERA and 68 strikeouts, Kyle Gorman is 7-1 with a 3.01 ERA and 44 strikeouts, and Colin Greve is 4-1 with a 5.4 ERA and 35 strikeouts. Smith has five complete games and Gorman two, while Spencer Owen has three saves, Matt Mathies two and Walter Talcott – who set a record for most wins in a single season as a freshman – earned the save in Saturday’s championship game.
The Quakers are 29-12, tying their program record for most wins, and qualified for the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time ever by winning the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament. They also won the HCAC regular season championship with a 21-6 mark.
Cortland has made three straight appearances in the NCAA Division III College World Series, while Keystone was the 2016 runner up.
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Pam King Sams
University of Cambridge Scientists' Virtual Biopsies could replace tissue biopsies in future.
A new advanced computing technique using routine medical scans to enable doctors to take fewer, more accurate tumour biopsies, has been developed by cancer researchers at the University of Cambridge. This is an important step towards precision tissue sampling for cancer patients to help select the best treatment. In future the technique could even replace clinical biopsies with ‘virtual biopsies’, sparing patients invasive procedures.
The research published in European Radiology shows that combining computed tomography (CT) scans with ultrasound images creates a visual guide for doctors to ensure they sample the full complexity of a tumour with fewer targeted biopsies.
Capturing the patchwork of different types of cancer cell within a tumour – known as tumour heterogeneity – is critical for selecting the best treatment because genetically-different cells may respond differently to treatment.
Most cancer patients undergo one or several biopsies to confirm diagnosis and plan their treatment. But because this is an invasive clinical procedure, there is an urgent need to reduce the number of biopsies taken and to make sure biopsies accurately sample the genetically-different cells in the tumour, particularly for ovarian cancer patients.
High grade serous ovarian (HGSO) cancer, the most common type of ovarian cancer, is referred to as a ‘silent killer’ because early symptoms can be difficult to pick up. By the time the cancer is diagnosed, it is often at an advanced stage, and survival rates have not changed much over the last 20 years.
But late diagnosis isn’t the only problem. HGSO tumours tend to have a high level of tumour heterogeneity and patients with more genetically-different patches of cancer cells tend to have a poorer response to treatment.
Professor Evis Sala from the Department of Radiology, co-lead CRUK Cambridge Centre Advanced Cancer Imaging Programme, leads a multi-disciplinary team of radiologists, physicists, oncologists and computational scientists using innovative computing techniques to reveal tumour heterogeneity from standard medical images. This new study, led by Professor Sala, involved a small group of patients with advanced ovarian cancer who were due to have ultrasound-guided biopsies prior to starting chemotherapy.
For the study, the patients first had a standard-of-care CT scan. A CT scanner uses x-rays and computing to create a 3D image of the tumour from multiple image ‘slices’ through the body.
The researchers then used a process called radiomics – using high-powered computing methods to analyse and extract additional information from the data-rich images created by the CT scanner – to identify and map distinct areas and features of the tumour. The tumour map was then superimposed on the ultrasound image of the tumour and the combined image used to guide the biopsy procedure.
By taking targeted biopsies using this method, the research team reported that the diversity of cancer cells within the tumour was successfully captured.
Co-first author Dr Lucian Beer, from the Department of Radiology and CRUK Cambridge Centre Ovarian Cancer Programme, said of the results: “Our study is a step forward to non-invasively unravel tumour heterogeneity by using standard-of-care CT-based radiomic tumour habitats for ultrasound-guided targeted biopsies.”
Co-first author Paula Martin-Gonzalez, from the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute and CRUK Cambridge Centre Ovarian Cancer Programme, added: “We will now be applying this method in a larger clinical study.”
Professor Sala said: “This study provides an important milestone towards precision tissue sampling. We are truly pushing the boundaries in translating cutting edge research to routine clinical care.”
Fiona Barve (56) is a science teacher who lives near Cambridge. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2017 after visiting her doctor with abdominal pain. She was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer and immediately underwent surgery and a course of chemotherapy. Since March 2019 she has been cancer free and is now back to teaching three days a week.
“I was diagnosed at a late stage and I was fortunate my surgery, which I received within four weeks of being diagnosed, and chemotherapy worked for me. I feel lucky to be around,” said Barve.
“When you are first undergoing the diagnosis of cancer, you feel as if you are on a conveyor belt, every part of the journey being extremely stressful. This new enhanced technique will reduce the need for several procedures and allow patients more time to adjust to their circumstances. It will enable more accurate diagnosis with less invasion of the body and mind. This can only be seen as positive progress.”
This feasibility study, involving researchers from the Department of Radiology, CRUK Cambridge Institute, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and collaborators at Cannon, was facilitated through the CRUK Cambridge Centre Integrated Cancer Medicine programme.
The goal of Integrated Cancer Medicine is to revolutionise cancer treatment using complex data integration. Combining and integrating patient data from multiple sources – blood tests, biopsies, medical imaging, and genetic tests – can inform and predict the best treatment decisions for each individual patient.
The study was funded by Cancer Research UK and The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research.
Dr. César de la Fuente's work to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria featured in ACS NANO.
Memorial Hermann Hospital among first to Administer COVID Vaccine to Frontline Healthcare Workers.
TIRR Memorial Hermann Opens Pediatric Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit.
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Written by Zulfick Farzan 18 Jun, 2020 | 3:54 pm
Colombo (News 1st); Former Sri Lankan Cricket Captain Kumar Sangakkara in response to claims made by the former Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said as the allegations are very serious, the Ex-Minister must present any evidence available to prove his claim to the ICC.
Sangakkara said the Ex-Minister should also produce said evidence to the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit and request for a proper and complete investigation into his claims.
“Then no one needs to speculate and can get to the bottom of this. That should be the most prudent course of action.”, said the former Sri Lankan cricket skipper to News 1st.
On Thursday Former Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage in an interview with News 1st’s Suranga Senanayake. said the 2011 Cricket World Cup Final between India & Sri Lanka was fixed.
The Former Minister said he made the claim with absolute responsibility and does not wish to expose further details for the sake of the country.
“I would not involve the cricketers in this. However, certain groups were definitely involved in fixing the game”, said Mahindananda Aluthgamage.
Kumar Sangakkara led the Sri Lankan Cricket team in the 2011 Cricket World Cup and resigned from the job three days after his team lost to India in the World Cup final.
Sangakkara posted the following on Facebook on Thursday evening.
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You are here: Home / Business / Corruption rears its head once again
Corruption rears its head once again
Norway is generally viewed as a non-corrupt country, but over the past few years, nearly every large Norwegian company has had to grapple with the problem. The biggest cases have involved Yara International, Telenor and Statoil, with the latter currently embroiled in more questions about its dealings in Angola. Now corruption seems to be spreading in Norway as well, involving local bosses at internationally successful paint producer Jotun and even civil servants for the city of Drammen.
Jotun has long been one of Norway’s most international companies, as evidenced by this large Jotun billboard that greets arrivals in Labuan, East Malaysia. Now a former exeutive at the company’s headquarters in Sandefjord is charged with corruption at home in Norway. PHOTO: newsinenglish.no
The trial of a former Jotun executive at the company’s headquarters in Sandefjord began in January, on charges that he misused his position and wrongfully gained on deals Jotun had with four local companies. A total of six men (the former Jotun boss plus five others from Jotun suppliers who stand accused of effectively paying bribes to him) are on trial in the so-called “Jotun case,” due to run through February and into March.
Newspaper Aftenposten and other media have reported that the 58-year-old former maintenance chief at Jotun allegedly accepted goods and services valued at NOK 2.1 million from companies that had secured contracts from Jotun. The benefits to him included outdoor decorative stone-laying at his personal residence, gardening services and electricity installations at two homes in Sandefjord and a holiday cabin in Tinn.
Another firm that won Jotun contracts provided the food for the Jotun maintenance chief’s own wedding and 50th birthday party, while he also accepted a drill for his brother, snow removal equipment and a new lawn mower and gas grill, and even iPads for his son, daughter and wife, all paid for by the companies doing business with Jotun.
‘More common than we think’
“Receipt of goods and services in exchange for work contracts is more common than we think,” Professor Emeritus Heidi Høivik of the Norwegian Business School BI told newspaper Dagsavisen. She said such corruption often begins on a small scale, when a boss thinks it’s okay to accept favours from officials of companies that have received work contracts from his or her own employer. Høivik specializes in ethics in management and has been a board member of Transparency International Norge.
The public sector in Norway is not immune to similar corruption. Last month a woman working for Drammen township was arrested and charged with corruption after allegedly accepting money from various people applying for building permits. Drammen officials say the amounts she allegedly received varied from NOK 5,000 to NOK 120,000, in return for giving permit applicants various advantages.
Professor Tina Søreide at business school Norges Handelshøyskole told Dagsavisen that it’s time more local governments wake up to the prospects for corruption carried out by public sector employees.“Corruption or suspicion of corruption harms a community,” Søreide said. “People lose confidence that applications will be handled as they should be.” She thinks all building applications and similar transactions should be handled by two public officials, so more sets of eyes are involved in them.
More questions over Statoil’s Angola operations
On a commercial basis, the huge ongoing corruption case involving Telenor’s mobile phone investments in Kazakhstan via its corruption-charged VimpelCom subsidiary has once again raised questions about Norwegian companies doing business in countries known for being corrupt. Oil Minister Tord Lien, for example, was recently challenged by Parliament to account for state-controlled Statoil’s operations in Angola, which has emerged as Statoil’s most important country outside of Norway because its operations there produce around 200,000 barrels of oil a day. Angola is also known, however, for being one of the most corrupt countries in the world, and its vast oil wealth has not been widely distributed among its population at large.
Statoil is involved in the Kizomba A oil field outside Angola, among other projects in the country that regularly tops lists as being among the world’s most corrupt. Questions continue to fly in Norway over what’s become of NOK 420 million Statoil has paid over the past four years to build a research center for Angola’s state-owned oil company Sonangol, since it still exists only on paper. PHOTO: Statoil/Harald Pettersen
Lien’s response to Parliament included confirmation from Statoil that it had indeed committed itself to pay large sums in 2011 (around NOK 12 billion) to Angola’s state-owned oil company Sonangol. The money was paid to secure five oil licenses off Angola’s coast. NOK 4.6 billion (USD 530 million at current exchange rates) of it was deemed a “signature bonus,” a form of up-front tax in Angola.
While it’s common to bid for and pay oil field licensing fees, Statoil also agreed to pay around NOK 715 million (more than USD 100 million at the time) for “social contributions” to Angola. The payment was part of the bidding criteria to win license to operate the Angolan oil fields, and NOK 420 million of it was earmarked to fund construction of what was supposed to be a research and technology center for Angolan state oil company Sonangol. More than four years later, the research center still exists only on paper, and questions have been flying in Norway over what has happened to the NOK 420 million.
Newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (DN) reported this week that Statoil, badly burned in a corruption case in Iran more than a decade ago, recently halted its payments to the account earmarked for the research center project that doesn’t exist. Statoil instead sent NOK 94 million to the Sonangol account for the signature bonus, based on concerns over the lack of progress with the research center.
“Sonangol is legally obligated to forward payments to the signature bonus account to the state treasury,” Statoil’s information director Bård Glad Pedersen told DN. Pedersen, a former top politician and state secretary for the Conservative Party in the foreign ministry, claimed Statoil “follows up all payments,” and since the payments were part of its licensing agreement in Angola, he claimed they don’t violate “relevant anti-corruption laws.” He also claims Sonangol is contractually obligated to go through with the research center project.
Oil Minister Lien also reported to Parliament that Statoil doesn’t believe its payments to Sonangol amount to bribes, stressing that Statoil has asked the Angolan company for a status report on the research center project. Statoil classifies the payments as standard contract obligations, but DN reported last weekend that it failed to pose any control questions as it sent a the total of NOK 420 million to Sonangol. The parliament’s disciplinary committee was due to take up Lien’s response at a meeting later this week.
Corruption ‘common’
As the cloud of corruption settles over more companies in Norway, newspaper Aftenposten reported, meanwhile, that the defendant in the Jotun case admitted to doing some “dumb things” and making some bad choices. He denied the corruption charges against him, however, even though they also involved manipulated invoices to Jotun that involved work at his private residences.
It was Jotun itself that noticed suspicious invoices and reported their concerns to police, while the chief of a local catering company that served the Jotun defendants’ wedding and birthday guests blew the whistle and found himself charged as well. He and the other Jotun suppliers charged in the case are accused of paying bribes to secure their work for Jotun, but he testified he felt pressured into paying for the Jotun executive’s party food.
Perhaps the most chilling response from the Norwegian defendant came when he testified that it was “common” for Jotun employees in Sandefjord to take advantage of rebates offered to Jotun itself, just as many experts warn that corruption also is common in countries like Angola. “There was a culture within Jotun that employees also got rebates (from company suppliers),” he claimed. That’s why it was “common,” he suggested, for the company’s gardening firms, electricians or painters, for example, to take on jobs at Jotun employees’ homes as well.
Filed Under: Business, News Tagged With: corruption, crime
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You are here: Home / PEOPLE / Princess to stop exploiting royal title
Princess to stop exploiting royal title
The daughter of Norway’s King Harald V has been criticized for years for using her “princess” title in connection with her various business ventures. Now she’s finally admitted that she made “a mistake,” and she’ll only use “Martha Louise” in a commercial context.
Princess Martha Louise has finally had to wave goodbye to her title in her commercial, income-generating ventures. The princess will only be able to use it when representing the Norwegian royal family or in private. PHOTO: Det Norske Kongehuset/NTB Scanpix/Terje Bendiksby
The criticism began nearly 20 years ago, when Martha Louise (spelled “Märtha” in Norwegian) began publishing books and launched what became known as her “angel school,” which was aimed at helping people get in touch with their own angels. She has also taken part in programs about how to communicate with the dead, but the criticism reached fever pitch earlier this year when the recently divorced princess set off on a promotional tour entitled “The Princess and the Shaman,” with her new romantic partner, an American known as “Shaman” Durek Verrett.
“There’s been a lot of discussion over my use of (my) title in a commercial context recently,” Martha Louise wrote on social media Wednesday. She has earlier dismissed most of the criticism against her, refused to give up her title and even claimed she feels persecuted. She has often blamed the media for much of the criticism against her.
On Wednesday, however, she wrote that she was “very sorry” for using her title on the speaking tour with Durek Verrett. “It was a mistake and I understand that it provoked (people) when the princess-title was used in that manner,” Martha Louise wrote.
She claimed she had taken the “discussions” seriously, and her parents and brother, Crown Prince Haakon, clearly did as well. The crown prince told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) in May that he was following the public debate, “what’s been said and written,” not least after the local newspaper in his wife’s hometown of Kristiansand called for Martha Louise to give up her title.
‘Dialogue’ ended the commercial exploitation
“What we want is to have a dialogue with my sister, especially about titles and business activities,” the crown prince told NRK. He also seemed to dismiss Martha Louise’s own criticism of the media in June: “The Royal Family has good cooperation with the media,” Haakon said. “The press does an important job in the Norwegian society.”
Prime Minister Erna Solberg got caught in the debate as well, but deferred to the monarch. “I think the king himself has to evaluate these questions,” Solberg told NRK, “and they have said that they’re following developments and how she uses the princess name.”
On Wednesday, Solberg called the title decision “wise,” and in line with “what the Norwegian people think on this issue.” Solberg added that it was “good that she (Martha Louise) listened” to the criticism.
This is the photo from 2011 that the Royal Palace in Oslo still uses for Princess Martha Louise, who’ll turn 48 next month. No new photos have been added to her online photo album on the palace’s official website since 2016. PHOTO: Det Kongelige Slott
Jonas Gahr Støre, the opposition Labour Party’s candidate for prime minister, was among the critics. He called for tolerance for some of Martha Louise’s unconventional business activities, but said he was “skeptical and critical” towards “using a princess title, which is inherited, for commerial purposes where you can earn money on the title.”
Eivind Smith, a law professor at the University of Oslo, pointed out in June that royal titles are the responsibility of Martha Louise’s father King Harald. Guri Varpe, communications chief at the Royal Palace, confirmed to NRK that the royals and their staff were “following the debate … and will be in dialogue with the princess regarding the marketing of her business operations.”
The “dialogue” clearly has had an effect. “In cooperation with my family we have decided that it’s best that we make some changes,” Martha Louise wrote. “We have therefore reached agreement that I will use the princess title when I represent the Royal Family, perform officials duties in and out of Norway and in private.
“That means that in all commercial situations, I will only use Martha Louise.”
‘Good solution’
She called it “a good solution” that will “clearly separate” her commercial ventures from her role as a representative of the Royal Family. She wrote that it can also offer her “more freedom” in her business operations.
The editor of the newspaper Fædrelandsvennen in Kristiansand who had called on her to give up her title was relieved. “If the princess now stops using her title in a commerical context, this is good news,” said editor Vidar Udjus. “No one should earn money on having a royal title. The Royal Family shall serve the people, not earn money on them.” He thinks the “noise” around Martha Louise has weakend the entire royal family.
The Royal Palace posted a short statement on its official website confirming that Martha Louise will no longer use her princess title in her businesses, only her name (Märtha/Martha Louise) in “income-generating” operations, with no further elaboration. Martha Louise’s manager, Carina Scheele Carlsen, issued a statement that “Princess Martha Louise doesn’t want to comment further on the issue.”
NRK noted that Martha Louise also set up a new Instagram account, calling it “my new page for my work related projects where I use my name without my title. I am simply Märtha Louise. Let’s explore life and go on adventures together.”
Filed Under: PEOPLE Tagged With: Royals
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College Football TV Schedule 2019: Where to Watch Maryland vs. Ohio State, TV Channel, Live Stream and Odds
By Dan Cancian On 11/9/19 at 6:00 AM EST
Sports College Football College Football Playoff Ncaa NCAA Football
Less than a week after being ranked as the best team in the country, Ohio State looks to strengthen its grip on a college football playoff place when it hosts Maryland on Saturday.
The Buckeyes debuted at No.1 in the first CFP ranking of the year on Tuesday, marking the first time they have held top spot since the playoffs were introduced five years ago.
LSU and Alabama Confirmed as Top Two Teams in Latest AP Poll
Ranked third in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches' polls, Ohio State has looked utterly dominant throughout the season, outscoring opponents by 323 points so far—the only Power 5 team with a differential of over 300—en route to an 8-0 record.
The Buckeyes have defeated Wisconsin and Cincinnati—who rank 13th and 20th in the CFP poll respectively—so far this season, and in Justin Fields, Chase Young and J.K. Dobbins they have three legitimate Heisman Trophy candidates.
"When you watch Ohio State, they have performed at a very consistent level," Rob Mullens, the athletics director at the University of Oregon and CFP Selection Committee chair, said on Tuesday after the ranking was released.
Since the CFP was introduced in 2014, 11 of the 20 semifinalists were included in the top four in the first weekly ranking.
Over the last two seasons, six of the eight semifinalists made the top four in the committee's first release.
Before the ranking was released, however, Ohio State coach Ryan Day suggested neither he nor his players would pay too much attention to it.
"It's for the fans," the 40-year-old said in his press conference on Tuesday, as per The Columbus Dispatch.
"I don't think it means anything to us. If we lose this week, we're not going to be in the top four. It [the ranking] doesn't really matter if we don't continue to win."
Continuing to win is something Ohio State shouldn't have too many problem doing against Maryland, who is on a four-game losing streak.
After winning their first two games of the season, the Terrapins have fallen to 3-6 and are 1-5 against Big Ten opponents.
The Buckeyes, on the other hand, have allowed only 38 points in their five wins against Big Ten teams this season and arrive into the game as 42.5-point favorite.
Day, however, insisted Maryland shouldn't be underestimated, particularly after it came within a two-point conversion in overtime of beating Ohio State a year ago.
The Buckeyes eventually escaped with a 52-51 win and Day warned the Terrapins' rushing game remained a threat.
″[We] know how dangerous their running game is," he said. "It was only a year ago that they ran for 300 yards."
All the same, the chances of Maryland upsetting the No.1 program in the nation appear very slim.
The Terrapins have allowed 413.8 total yards and 30 points per game, ominous figures ahead of their matchup against a team that ranks sixth in total offense and third in points scored per game.
Here's all you need to know ahead of Saturday.
Justin Fields #1 of the Ohio State Buckeyes calls signals against the Wisconsin Badgers at Ohio Stadium on October 26 in Columbus, Ohio. Jamie Sabau/Getty
When and where is the game?
The Ohio State Buckeyes host the Maryland Terrapins at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, November 9.
Kick-off is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET.
The game will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
A live stream will be available via FOX's digital platforms and via the FOX Sports GO app as well as via fuboTV.
Series record
Saturday is only the sixth meeting between the two programs, with Ohio successful in all five previous encounters.
Last year, the Buckeyes defeated the Terrapins on the road by a point, winning 52-51 in College Park, Maryland.
According to BetOnline, Ohio State is a 42.5-point favorite and is 22/25 to cover the spread, while the over/under line in terms of total points scored is set at 63.5.
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Richard Sherman Is the Perfect Man to Defend His 49ers Contract—He Negotiated It
By Dan Cancian On 3/21/18 at 6:04 AM EDT
Richard Sherman believes he will be back on the field in May or June after rupturing his Achilles last year while playing for the Seattle Seahawks. Getty Images
Sports NFL San Francisco 49ers Seattle seahawks
Richard Sherman is something of a novelty in U.S. sports. In a world where players get routinely criticized for allowing agents to command eye-watering amounts of money from their franchises, he was accused of signing a deal that was too team friendly.
The four-time Pro Bowl cornerback signed a three-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on March 10, just a day after the Seahawks opted to bring his six-year stay in Seattle to an end and cut him.
Sherman's deal with the 49ers was immediately earmarked as controversial as while it is worth up to $39 million, only $3 million of it is guaranteed.
Sherman's impact on the 49ers will largely depend on whether he can return to full fitness. The former Seahawk underwent surgery after tearing his Achilles in 2017 and has recently gone under the knife to address an issue in his other Achilles.
Sherman's injury issues were the factor behind the Seahawks' decision to part ways with him, but he believes his recovery is ahead of schedule.
Writing for The Players' Tribune on Tuesday, Sherman explained that he believes he will be back on the field in May or June and will be ready in time for training camp. Should he stick to the timetable, he would be able to secure the $2 million roster bonus which is contingent to him passing a fitness test before November 11.
For that reason, the former Stanford student is banking on a total of $5 million guaranteed—he received a $3 million signing bonus—while the final year of his deal with Seattle guaranteed him a grand total of zero dollars.
"The biggest misconception is that it's a bad deal," he told reporters during a media briefing on Tuesday, as reported by NFL.com.
"If you're comparing it to my last deal in Seattle, I had no money guaranteed, so if I'm basing it off just going off my last year in Seattle, and you compare it to it, I got no money guaranteed. I'm going into Seattle coming off a ruptured Achilles, what security do I have there?
"With this deal, I get $5 million guaranteed, which is half my other contract. I get the ability to make more than I could've done whether I played at an All-Pro level or not in Seattle. And that's really all that I wanted."
Sherman has also been criticized for signing a deal which includes unlikely incentive targets and gives the 49ers the chance to pull out of it, if he doesn't perform to the standards outlined in the deal. The fact the 29-year-old negotiated the contract himself without the help of an agent did not help his cause either, but the California native appears to be perfectly comfortable with his decision.
"I think that a lot of times in our league there are players that have the ability to do that and have the ability to structure their own deals and really take advantage of just being in control of their own destiny," he was quoted as saying by ESPN.
"There are great agents in our game that take care of our players, make sure our players are ready for life after football, their finances, whatever the case may be. And then there are some agents who negotiate a deal in 2006 and don't talk to their client again until 2010, and that's the thing we're trying to avoid and I'm trying to avoid. I didn't feel like I needed an agent."
Sherman said he did not take the decision lightly and before sitting down with the 49ers he read through copies of past contracts in the NFLPA database and sought help from the union to study the language and structure of contracts.
San Francisco's new cornerback expects a number of players to follow his example, after revealing he heard from "a lot" of his NFL colleagues who are intent on negotiating their own deals.
"I think it goes back to just educating our players in general on their own finances and being in control of your own life," he added. "I think more of our players are."
NFL Free Agency: Full List of Who's Going Where So Far
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Football in the Community badge - Link to home
NHS mural unveiled
A tribute to key workers at Meadow Lane
A mural dedicated to the NHS and other key workers who have been at the forefront of the coronavirus pandemic has been unveiled at Meadow Lane.
Located on County Road, the joint project between the club and its charitable arm, Notts County Football in the Community, will be a long-lasting symbol of appreciation to all members of the NHS and key workers who have gallantly put themselves in harm’s way to save lives throughout the Covid-19 crisis.
Sam Crawford, Head of Income Development at Notts County Football in the Community, said: “It's fantastic to have this opportunity to work alongside the football club to put on record our sincere thanks to all of the amazing NHS staff and all key personnel who have worked tirelessly to save lives.
“The intention behind this project was always to create a long-lasting message of thanks that will pay tribute to the incredible dedication of key workers during this challenging time and we are very thankful indeed to the artist, Elliott Caine, for helping to make this a reality.”
Prior to the commencement of the artwork, local Notts supporter and director of Henderson Interiors, Gary Henderson, spent several days carrying out repairs and renovations to the wall – transforming it into a blank canvas to allow Elliot to get to work.
Jason Turner, Notts County’s CEO, said: “We’ve really enjoyed working with Elliott, Henderson Interiors and FITC to deliver this very poignant project.
“The wall looks superb and is a fitting tribute to our amazing health workers who have done so much to keep society safe.
“We’re really looking forward to the first match when crowds can return to Meadow Lane, when we’ll be offering all NHS staff free entry and honouring their selfless actions.”
Sam added: “As the club’s charity, Notts County Football in the Community is proud to serve such a dedicated and diverse community and this project is just one way in which we can put on record our thanks, along with the football club, for the key workers who help to make our community what it is.”
For more information about Notts County Football in the Community and their ongoing projects, click here.
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Holiday Driving May Cost 860 Americans their Lives
NSC urges extra caution and sober driving because the goal is zero deaths.
Itasca, IL – The National Safety Council urges drivers to be extra vigilant as they travel to celebrate the holidays with family and friends. NSC estimates 422 people may be killed and 48,100 may be seriously injured in car crashes during the upcoming Christmas holiday period. As many as 438 fatalities and 49,900 injuries may occur during the New Year’s holiday weekend. The Christmas holiday period begins at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, and ends at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 25. The New Year’s holiday period begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 28, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019.
“Celebrations are a huge focal point for family and friends this time of year, but making sure all holiday travelers arrive at their destinations safely should be at the top of our to-do lists,” said Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. “For those on the road, that means buckling up, slowing down, avoiding distractions and driving sober. Prioritizing safety is the best way to welcome the new year.”
With preventable deaths at an all-time high, the Council has called for states to take actions to reduce their residents’ risks – particularly when it comes to safety on the roads. The NSC State of Safety report encourages states to implement proven countermeasures to help reduce risk, including instituting sobriety checkpoints, requiring ignition interlocks for first-time and repeat DUI offenders, banning open containers, or automatically revoking licenses for more than 90 days for drivers with blood-alcohol levels above .08 or those who refuse to test. The Council also applauded Utah’s decision to move to a .05 legal limit, which takes effect Dec. 30.
Additional tips for safe travel include:
Designate a sober driver or arrange alternate transportation; impairment begins with the first drink
Understand how opioid pain relievers may affect your ability to drive safely. Visit StopEverydayKillers.org to learn more.
Buckle up on every trip and in every seating position. Seat belts could likely save 335 lives over the two upcoming holiday periods.
Make sure children are properly restrained in safety seats appropriate for their height and weight
Avoid distracted driving, even hands-free
Get plenty of sleep and take regular breaks to avoid fatigue
Sign a New Driver Deal with teen drivers at DriveitHOME.org
Learn about your vehicle’s safety systems and how to use them at MyCarDoesWhat.org
Check your vehicle for recalls at ChecktoProtect.org
Supplemental traffic fatality and injury information for the Christmas and New Year’s holiday periods can be found here.
About the National Safety Council
The National Safety Council (nsc.org) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to eliminate preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can make the most impact.
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Biological Sciences (BIO) Home
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Renowned scientist/conservationist Patricia Wright campaigns to save severely endangered lemurs
Patricia Wright describes her passion for lemurs in a video interview
Patricia Wright--shouldering a lemur--rang the New York Stock Exchange Closing Bell on May 15, 2014.
A serendipitous encounter between Patricia Wright, then a social worker, and an owl monkey in a New York City pet store in 1968 ultimately inspired Wright to reinvent herself--eventually becoming an award-winning Ph.D. scientist and conservationist devoted to saving lemurs, which comprise a group of primates. Lemurs are only found naturally in Madagascar, which is the world's fourth largest island, located about 250 miles off the coast of southern Africa.
One of the world's most endangered primates
In 2012, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature described ninety one percent of the 103 known species and subspecies of lemurs as threatened with extinction; this is one of the highest levels of threat ever recorded for a group of mammals.
Because of Madagascar's island isolation, most of its plant and animal species are found nowhere else in the world. Nevertheless, 79 percent of Madagascar's original rain forest habitat has already been cleared by humans.
Multifaceted approaches
A professor at Stony Brook University, Wright's approaches to saving Madagascar's lemurs and their forest habitat involves combining science and conservation. "You can't save what you don't understand," she says.
Wright's many scientific/conservation achievements include working with the Madagascar government to create Ranomafana National Park in Madagascar in 1991. The Park protects 43,500 hectares of forest, including rain forest habitats and 12 lemur species. In addition, Wright is the founder of the Centre ValBio Research Station, which is located on the edge of the Park. Centre ValBio, which is partially funded by the National Science Foundation, is a pivotal hub for researching rain forest biodiversity and conservation and for conducting outreach to the community and policy makers.
In addition, Wright partners with Malagasy villagers to develop conservation strategies that are scientifically sound and give villagers a stake in the sustainability of Madagascar's rain forests. With more than 75 percent of Madagascar's population surviving on or below $1.25 per day, these solutions include promoting ecotourism.
An award-winning career
Throughout Wright's career, she has been honored by many awards, including the MacArthur "Genius Award"in 1989. And on May 12, 2014, Wright was named the 2014 winner of the Indianapolis Prize, the world's leading award for animal conservation. Then, three days later, Wright--accompanied by several lemurs--rang the New York Stock Exchange's Closing Bell.
In addition, Wright--along with gaggles of jumping and leaping lemurs--is featured in the new IMAX film, Island of Lemurs: Madagascar, which is currently playing throughout the U.S. Also, Wright recently described her earlier research on owl monkeys and adventures in South American rain forests in High Moon Over the Amazon: My Quest to Understand the Monkeys of the Night (Latern Books: 2013). Her next book "For the Love of Lemurs: My Life in the Wilds of Madagascar" will be released in fall 2014 by Lantern Books.
-- Lily Whiteman, (703) 292-8070 lwhitema@nsf.gov
Patricia Wright explains why and how she is working to save lemurs.
Patricia Wright
Related Institutions/Organizations
SUNY at Stony Brook
Related Awards
#1227143 FSML: Laboratory Equipment Upgrade for Centre ValBio Rainforest Field Madagascar, Madagascar
#1232535 Doctoral Dissertation Improvement: The effects of light level and color vision on the foraging behavior of cathemeral red-bellied lemurs (Eulemur rubriventer)
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Chester Kim
Chester is the CEO and founder of SU&Partners, Oaklins’ member firm in South Korea. He also serves as adjunct professor at Hanyang University and Dongguk University Business School. Chester has over 20 years of experience in advising on many M&A transactions, including cross-border deals, pre-IPOs, and investment and fundraising projects.
Previously, Chester was a managing director at Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting and worked at LG Group’s chairman's office. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has an MBA from Waseda University. Chester completed his PhD in Business Administration at Hanyang University.
cjkim@sunp.co.kr
HB Healthcare has been acquired by ResMed
Donuts Co., Ltd. has acquired a 50% stake in Polaris Entertainment
Consumer & Retail | Private Equity
Maruman Korea & Maruman Co., Ltd have been acquired by Orchestra Private Equity
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Coronavirus: Missouri becomes first state to sue China over 'an appalling campaign of deceit'
Savannah Behrmann / USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – Missouri became the first state to sue the Chinese government, citing "an appalling campaign of deceit" related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The civil lawsuit was filed Tuesday in federal court by GOP state Attorney General Eric Schmitt, claiming Chinese officials are “responsible for the enormous death, suffering, and economic losses they inflicted on the world, including Missourians.”
“The Chinese government lied to the world about the danger and contagious nature of COVID-19, silenced whistleblowers, and did little to stop the spread of the disease,” said Schmitt who is seeking damages.“They must be held accountable for their actions.”
Schmitt said Chinese officials and others, including laboratories and China's Communist Party, were all "engaged in misrepresentations, concealment, and retaliation to conceal the gravity and seriousness of the COVID-19 outbreak from the rest of the world."
The number of Missouri deaths statewide rose Tuesday to 215, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of cases rose to 5,963.
“In Missouri, the impact of the virus is very real – thousands have been infected and many have died, families have been separated from dying loved ones, small businesses are shuttering their doors, and those living paycheck to paycheck are struggling to put food on their table,” Schmitt said.
The lawsuit additionally accuses the Chinese government of making the COVID-19 pandemic worse by “hoarding” personal protective equipment, like masks.
Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law professor at George Washington University who was the sole witness called by Republicans before the Judiciary Committee in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, explained that "Such lawsuits are exceptionally difficult," as China is protected by sovereign immunity.
"The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976 extends blanket immunity to countries from most lawsuits in the United States," he wrote. "The exceptions are rather narrow and rarely accepted by American courts, which read this statute as clearly conveying the intent to discourage such lawsuits."
'More important things than living': GOP Texas Lt. Gov. pushes for reopening state
Besides seeking damages, the lawsuit seeks to hold the Chinese government officially accountable for "An appalling campaign of deceit, concealment, misfeasance, and inaction by Chinese authorities unleashed this pandemic."
“During the critical weeks of the initial outbreak, Chinese authorities deceived the public, suppressed crucial information, arrested whistleblowers, denied human-to-human transmission in the face of mounting evidence, destroyed critical medical research, permitted millions of people to be exposed to the virus, and even hoarded personal protective equipment – thus causing a global pandemic that was unnecessary and preventable," the suit said.
Missouri's motion comes after nearly two dozen GOP lawmakers asked the Trump administration to move against China in the International Court of Justice on Monday. They say China violated the 2005 International Health Regulations by suppressing critical information about the outbreak, and disease.
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During World War I, the German Empire was one of the Central Powers that lost the war. It began participation in the conflict after the declaration of war against Serbia by its ally, Austria-Hungary. German forces fought the Allies on both the eastern and western fronts, although German territory itself remained relatively safe from widespread invasion for most of the war, except for a brief period in 1914 when East Prussia was invaded. A tight blockade imposed by the Royal Navy caused severe food shortages in the cities, especially in the winter of 1916–17, known as the Turnip Winter. At the end of the war, Germany's defeat and widespread popular discontent triggered the German Revolution of 1918–19 which overthrew the monarchy and established the Weimar Republic.
The German population responded to the outbreak of war in 1914 with a complex mix of emotions, in a similar way to the populations in other countries of Europe; notions of overt enthusiasm known as the Spirit of 1914 have been challenged by more recent scholarship. The German government, dominated by the Junkers, thought of the war as a way to end Germany's disputes with rivals France, Russia and Britain. The beginning of war was presented in Germany as the chance for the nation to secure "our place under the sun," as the Foreign Minister Bernhard von Bülow had put it, which was readily supported by prevalent nationalism among the public. The Kaiser and the German establishment hoped the war would unite the public behind the monarchy, and lessen the threat posed by the dramatic growth of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, which had been the most vocal critic of the Kaiser in the Reichstag before the war. Despite its membership in the Second International, the Social Democratic Party of Germany ended its differences with the Imperial government and abandoned its principles of internationalism to support the war effort.
It soon became apparent that Germany was not prepared for a war lasting more than a few months. At first, little was done to regulate the economy for a wartime footing, and the German war economy would remain badly organized throughout the war. Germany depended on imports of food and raw materials, which were stopped by the British blockade of Germany. Food prices were first limited, then rationing was introduced. In 1915 five million pigs were massacred in the so-called Schweinemord to both make food and preserve grain. The winter of 1916/17 was called "turnip winter" because the potato harvest was poor and people ate animal feed including vile-tasting turnips. During the war from August 1914 to mid-1919, the excess deaths over peacetime caused by malnutrition and high rates of exhaustion and disease and despair came to about 474,000 civilians.
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.)
German Empire (Deutsches Reich) Military Propaganda Postcard
SKU: 0551-WW1-Deutsches-Reich-German-Empire
CHF 9.99Price
All postcards purchased by the same buyer on the same day (within 24 hours) are combined and shipped in one parcel via registered air mail unless otherwise stated.
Returns are not accepted. Please feel free to ask any questions regarding the postcard prior to purchasing.
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Greg Hildebrandt Signed 1981 "Clash of the Titans" 21x22.5 Custom Matted Original Sketch (PA LOA)
Lot number 1638343
Total bids 0
High bid $1,000.00
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Custom matted original sketch measures 21" x 22.5" in size. Hand-signe dby original artist Greg Hildebrandt. This original sketch was used as promotional art for the 1981 film "Clash of the Titans".
Greg Hildebrandt and his twin brother Tim were born on January 23, 1939, in Detroit, Michigan. They worked collaboratively as fantasy and science fiction artists; in the illustration world they became better known as "The Brothers Hildebrandt." The brothers began their professional careers in 1959, during which they produced illustrations for comic books, movie posters, children's books, posters, novels, calendars, advertisements, and trading cards. Some of their most notable works, and what won them international recognition, are the original 'Star Wars' movie posters and 1976, 1977, and 1978 J.R.R. Tolkien 'Lord of the Rings' calendars.
The work of Greg and Tim Hildebrandt has received widespread fan recognition over the last 42 years in the genres of fantasy, science fiction, comic art, pinup art, western art, religious art, comic strip art, and sequential art. During this time they worked for many varied companies including Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Franklin Mint, Batfilms, Lucas Films, and a plethora of book publishing companies. Some of their other projects include illustrations for Collectable Card Games (CCG) for 'Magic the Gathering' and 'Harry Potter' published by Wizards of the Coast, as well as several personal projects including the 'American Beauties' series of 1940's - 50's style Pinup Art. The Brothers also created a series of tribute paintings celebrating the heroes of September 11, the proceeds of which were donated to the NY Firefighters' 9/11 Disaster Relief Fund.
Unfortunately, the brotherly duo was split up in June of 2006 when Tim Hildebrandt passed away at the age of 67.
In 2010, Greg Hildebrandt received the Chelsey Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. Today, Greg remains active in the art world, continuing work on his 'American Beauties' Pinup series.
The lot / autograph(s) includes a LOA and lifetime authenticity guarantee from Pristine Auction.
Authentication: Pristine Auction LOA
Due to the uniqueness of each item, please refer to the photos provided in this auction. We offer high resolution images of each item rather than a written description of condition.
This item is being shipped from the Pristine Auction warehouse.
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Charlie Fink
Singer/songwriter Charlie Fink rose through the U.K.'s indie folk heyday to become a versatile solo musician in his own right. Fink grew up in a folk-centric household in Sheffield; his mother was a passionate folk musician, even teaching her own folk class on the side. Fink first entered the limelight when he formed Noah and the Whale, and the band released four full-length albums, becoming a staple of the U.K.'s young folk scene. Noah and the Whale split up in 2015 after six years together and multiple tours of both the U.K. and America. Fink began writing solo material soon after the split, uploading his debut solo single, "My Heartbeat Lost Its Rhythm," to SoundCloud within months. Around the same time, he was contacted by The Old Vic Theatre in London to write the music for their upcoming adaptation of Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, which he gladly did. The following year, Fink provided music for the feature film A Street Cat Named Bob. He released his debut album, Cover My Tracks, in 2017, along with a play of the same name. The play centered around a missing musician who'd left a series of clues in his music to explain why he had disappeared; Fink worked alongside playwright David Grieg and director Max Webster, both of whom he'd met while working on The Lorax -- to bring it to the stage, which began with a short run at The Old Vic before the production went on a tour of the U.K. festival circuit.
© Liam Martin /TiVo
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Grégoire Maret
Since 1997, Swiss-born Grammy-winning harmonica player and composer Grégoire Maret has been living and working in New York City. In addition to recording as a leader, Maret has been a first-call sideman to some of the most prominent names in modern music. Though jazz is his first love and primary pursuit, Maret's emotionally open, expressive chromatic style has led to studio and stage work with Prince, Pat Metheny, Meshell Ndegeocello, Terri Lynne Carrington, Cassandra Wilson, Elton John, and Sting. Maret's earliest recorded appearances Stateside began with two tunes on pianist Jack Terrasson's celebrated What It Is in 1999. In 2007, Maret and pianist Andy Milne released the co-billed outing Scenarios. Five years later, a self-titled debut was greeted by jazz critics with enthusiasm. 2016's Wanted showcased standards, but the album's highlights were Maret's originals. In 2019, Maret and harpist Edmar Castaneda issued the duo offering Harp vs. Harp. Maret was born in Switzerland in 1975 to a Swiss father and an American mother from Harlem, New York. Though he received proper musical training in school, he didn’t begin playing harmonica until he was 17 years old; he proved a prodigy. After graduating from high school, he attended the Superior Conservatory of Music in Geneva and worked with jazz and pop musicians. Between 1995 and 1999, he played in the Grégoire Maret-Leo Tardin Quartet in Europe and live with visiting jazzmen including Reggie Workman, Charles Tolliver, Max Roach, and Tito Puente, to name a few. That taste of the jazz life was the impetus for Maret emigrating to New York and the New School where he continued his studies of the harmonica and jazz composition in the jazz department. Though he sat in with a variety of players when he first arrived in New York, he got his first break as a session man for Jimmy Scott on 1998's Holding Back the Years. He remained with the singer's group for the next five years. In 1999, Jacky Terrasson hired him for What It Is, as did David Sanborn for Inside. After leaving Scott's group in 2001, Maret worked with Terrasson, drummer Leon Parker and Steve Coleman & the Five Elements. Though Maret worked with Jeff "Tain" Watts on the latter's Bar Talk in 2002, it was his appearance on Meshell Ndegeocello's Grammy-nominated Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape that brought his playing to the attention of pop musicians. Over the next five years, Maret's life became a whirlwind of recording and touring activities. He had become, almost overnight, one of the most sought-after instrumentalists on the scene. A few of the records he played on over the next half-decade -- all before making his own leader debut -- included Charlie Hunter's Right Now Move, George Benson's Irreplaceable, Metheny's The Way Up, Ndegeocello's debut jazz outing The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel, Marcus Miller's Silver Rain, Wilson's Thunderbird, Lionel Loueke's Virgin Forest, Mike Stern's Who Let the Cats Out, and Kurt Elling's Nightmoves. In 2007, he and pianist Andy Milne issued 2007's co-billed Scenarios for ObliqSound, which included the single "Moon River," featuring Gretchen Parlato on vocals. The album signaled to others outside his orbit that Maret was a possible successor to the chair Toots Thielemans held for the instrument for so many decades. Maret joined Ellis' Double Wide and Carrington's studio and road bands, and continued to work with Terrasson and Marcus Miller. Never in a hurry, but always busy, Maret toured the world, played gigs in Switzerland, and in 2012 signed to eOne to release his self-titled leader debut with guest spots by Thielemans, Parlato, Mino Cinelu, and others. It showcased Maret's interpretive abilities on tracks such as the standard "The Man I Love" and Stevie Wonder's "The Secret Life of Plants," but also showcased two original three-part suites. Though it didn’t sell particularly well, the set did garner more than its share of critical acclaim and further endeared the harmonicist to musicians. Maret got work with Dianne Reeves, Luciana Souza, Jonathan Blake, and many more over the next few years. In 2016, Maret worked on records by Reeves, Joanna Pascale, and Keiko Matsui. He also signed a one-off deal with Sunnyside Communication to release his next leader date, Wanted. Co-produced with Carrington, the set's players included her, Chris Potter, Jon Cowherd, James Genus, and vocalists Mark Kibble, Reeves, Souza, and Jimmy Scott. The following year, Maret and Randy Brecker were co-billed on Chuck Owen & the Jazz Surge's Whispers on the Wind as featured soloists. At the beginning of 2019, Maret signed a multi-album deal with Germany's ACT label. His first outing was Harp vs. Harp, a co-led date with flashy Colombian harpist Edmar Castaneda that included a guest spot by Bela Fleck. The harmonicist worked on the road with Metheny's quartet and played on the guitarist's acclaimed From This Place at the dawn of 2020. That same year, Maret played in a trio with pianist Romain Collin and guitarist Bill Frisell to release Americana on ACT. In addition to readings of Justin Vernon's "Re: Stacks," Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman," and Mark Knopfler's ("Brothers in Arms"), the set also included originals by all three men.
2 albums sorted by Date: from oldest to newest and filtered by eOne Music and $5.00 to $10.00
eOne Music
CD$7.99
Gregoire Maret
Jazz - Released March 13, 2012 | eOne Music
Gregoire Maret (Deluxe Edition)
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The catalyst for his hissy fit was never fully explained. Maybe, with the Flyers heading to a humiliating five-game loss, he wanted to be pulled. Maybe he was angry at the lack of offensive support; the Flyers scored just two goals in the entire series. Whatever the case, he was ducking rubber the following day, thanks to his teed-off teammates _ the incident just a prelude to a full-fledged locker-room mutiny that led to the firing of head coach Bill Barber.
Compared with Cechmanek and the multi-barreled embarrassment of '02, the prospect of the Flyers' missing out on a chance to win a Cup this year because of a pandemic seems only so strange.
When the coronavirus outbreak stopped the NHL season cold on March 12, the Flyers were in a position that was at once brand new and familiar to them. They were good, genuinely so _ not a group of overachievers, not a club that had to sweat blood to win every night, but a strong and complete team that could beat any opponent. They hadn't been such a team since 2012, and it had taken a lot of re's _ rethinking, restarting, rebuilding over several years _ to become one again.
They were the kind of team they used to be all the time, really. Hovering near the top of the Eastern Conference through four-fifths of a regular season would have been nothing out of the ordinary for the Flyers for, say, the 35 years after they last won the Stanley Cup, in 1975. Ed Snider prided himself on making sure that the Flyers were contenders every year, and if they weren't, it wasn't for his and his franchise's lack of trading and signing and trying.
One might have thought that, over all those years, the Flyers would have won a Cup just because the odds suggested that they would, that they couldn't keep throwing themselves against that locked door without the hinges giving way at some point. Except the door stayed shut. They peaked as a franchise on Jan. 11, 1976, when they beat the Soviet Red Army at the Spectrum, establishing themselves as the world's best hockey team. Four months later, their dynasty was ending, and another was beginning: The Canadiens swept them in the Final, the first of four straight Stanley Cups for Montreal.
Similar scenarios kept playing out. The Flyers kept running into dynasties. After going 35 games without a loss in 1979-80, they fell in the Final again, this time in six games to Bob Nystrom, the New York Islanders, and Leon Stickle. Then came Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and the Edmonton Oilers of the mid-1980s, and had Pelle Lindbergh not gotten behind the wheel of his cherry-red Porsche on the night of Nov. 11, 1985, the Flyers might have overcome Edmonton's greatness. As it was, with Ron Hextall in net, they took the '86-87 Oilers to Game 7, only to score first for the only time in that memorable series, only to lose anyway.
To that point, the Flyers could reasonably argue that bad luck and unfavorable circumstances had prevented them from winning another championship. They could even lump their 1995 conference-finals loss in that category, as it came against another club that was just beginning a lengthy stretch of excellence: the New Jersey Devils. But over time, they became their own worst enemy.
The following year, they lost a second-round series to a lesser team, the Florida Panthers. The year after that, they reached the Final, where an infamous "choking situation" developed against the Detroit Red Wings. The year after that, they hired Wayne Cashman as their head coach. For years after that, they couldn't find the right goaltender, couldn't make the right trade, couldn't sign the right free agent: Chris Gratton, Peter Forsberg, Vinny Lecavalier, one space cadet in Cechmanek, another, more expensive one in Ilya Bryzgalov.
In 2000, they squandered a three-games-to-one lead over the Devils in the conference finals, when Eric Lindros' return to the lineup _ and his subsequent bug-like squashing at the elbow and shoulder of Scott Stevens _ drained the Flyers' mojo. In 2004, they ran out of gas (and defensemen) against the Tampa Bay Lightning. In 2008, they reached the conference finals again, and Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins wiped them out. In 2010, they made that remarkable charge to the Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks, then had Michael Leighton remember that he was Michael Leighton. They tried three goalies in the 2011 playoffs, and that didn't work, either.
They had chased a championship for so long and with such intensity and desperation that they could no longer tell the difference between the Stanley Cup and their tail.
That's a hard and heavy and sometimes-bonkers history. And if the NHL manages to hold its 24-team playoff tournament this summer and if the Flyers _ with their best team in a decade _ bow out of it early, the high hopes and low result would be a fitting continuation of that history. But now, consider the opposite. Consider the notion that Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux and Kevin Hayes and Carter Hart and the rest of the team come back from their sabbaticals and perform just as well as they did back in February and March. After all that failure and bad fortune and utter craziness, wouldn't it be, in some cosmic sense, fair and just for the Flyers to win a Stanley Cup this year, of all years?
www.inquirer.com
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Rugby Union: Director of rugby Steve Hill has strongest Richmond squad at his disposal
By Stuart Amos
Happy days: Richmond and director of rugby Steve Hill have plenty to smile about this season
It may have taken six seasons, but director of rugby Steve Hill believes he now has the strongest squad he has seen at Richmond.
The Athletic Ground outfit went five points clear at the top of the National Division One table with a 31-17 win at Loughborough Students.
Tries from Chris Davies (two), Seb Adeniran-Olule, Tom Sargeant and Charlie Broughton made it eight wins in succession since a 41-34 defeat at Esher.
Richmond host second-placed Hartpury College on Saturday and head to fifth-placed Rosslyn Park in their final game before the Christmas.
And Hill, who has had to cope with his fair share of injuries during his spell in charge, believes he has the strength in depth that can secure a targeted top four finish this season - and possibly more.
"At times this season there have been three or four players in the second team, who would not let us down," he said.
"Will Brown, who has played virtually every first team game I've been involved with prior to this season, is playing very well in the second team and is desperate for an opportunity to get back in.
"Our strength and conditioning coach has worked really hard with the players and we are beginning to see the benefit of that. We are in better shape.
"It is the strongest squad I have had in the six seasons I have been here.
"We've always said we want to finish in the top four this season and that remains the target if we can keep this form going."
Hill, who spent 14 years as director of rugby at Oxford University, signed an extension to his contract earlier this year and has no plans of leaving any time soon.
"I'm thoroughly enjoying it here and it is a fantastic club to be director of rugby," he added.
"I have players like this to work with and when you have upto 82 people turning up to train every week you can coach them and improve them."
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One more COVID-related death reported
Erich Murphy
emurphy@pontiacdailyleader.com
Livingston County was placed on the state's warning list at the end of last week because of an influx of coronavirus cases. Matters did not imporove over the weekend as 18 new cases were announced by the Livingston County Health Department.
Also reported was COVID-related death of a man in his 60s. He becomes the eighth county resident with COVID-19 to pass away since March.
The county's coronavirus count shot from 439 after Thursday to 457 through Monday's LCHD report. Three of the new cases are at Pontiac Correctional Center.
The new cases — spanning from Friday to Monday afternoon — include a male and female in their teens, a male in his 20s who was asymptomatic at the time of testing, two men in their 30s, to women in their 30s, three females in their 40s, a male and female in their 50s, two females in the 70s, including one that is hospitalized, and a male in his 80s.
The three at PCC are each male inmates with one in his 20s and two in their 30s.
As of Monday afternoon, the county reported that it is nearing 13,000 tests taken. There are currently 12,947 tests reported with 12,490 coming back negative since testing began. Of the 457 positive cases reported since March, 419 have been removed from isolation, thus leaving 30 active cases and eight deaths. There have also been 43 cases that were asymptomatic at the time of testing.
Pontiac's numbers continued to rise as it sits with 163 cases having been reported since March, according to the IDPH COVID website, which seems to be behind by a day in updating its statistics. Fairbury bumped up to 43 reported cases and Dwight is up one to 39. Odell, which made the list at the end of last week, added two more and is at 8 reported cases. Flanagan (25), Forrest (24), Long Point (15), Cornell (14) and Cullom (6) remained the same.
Each of the area communities outside the county that has been tracked by The Leader had also increases from the weekend. Streator is up to 402 while El Paso grew to 58 and Chenoa went to 27 cases. Minonk moved to 25, Lexington grew to 20 and Gridley bumped up to 15.
It takes six reported cases overall for a community to make the IDPH list.
Statewide, IDPH reported Monday that 1,853 new cases were discovered. Also, there were 14 deaths. Again, this seems to be delayed because the Livingston County death was in the totals IDPH provided.
IDPH did report that the preliminary seven-day positivity percent for the state, ending Sunday, was at 3.4 percent.
Drive-thru COVID-19 testing has begun and will be available at OSF Saint James weekdays from 8 a.m. to noon in the parking lot. There are no requirements and all testing is at no charge to the client. Insurance will be billed, if available.
Scheduling appointments is strongly recommended due to the limit of daily testing capacity. Contact the LCHD at (815) 844-7174, ext. 210, for appointments and questions.
The LCHD reminds residents that symptoms are not always obvious apparent but that people can be carriers of COVID-19. Everyone is is encouraged to continue to adhere to all required precautions including wearing a face covering and maintaining a social distance of at least six feet whenever possible. Frequent hand-washing and sanitizing is still strongly urged.
Individuals who travel to hot spots in the country are encouraged to get tested for COVID-19 five to seven days after returning home, or sooner if experiencing symptoms.
For Livingston County residents age 60 or older, homebound with no assistance and in need of essential care items, such as food, medical supplies, or personal hygiene products, please the LCHD at 815-844-7174, x230. The LCHD will continue to work diligently to meet the everyday needs of county residents while aggressively addressing the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. Up-to-date information for Livingston County may be found at www.lchd.us.
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Sahar Al-Faifi
Saudi Arabia's feud with Canada shows the true colours of its regime
The Crown Prince is counting on Trump's support, western silence and world governments turning a blind eye – and when that doesn’t work he tries to bully countries into submission
When Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) came to power in 2015 he promised to modernise the Saudi kingdom with his “Vision 2030”. He opened cinemas, and allowed women to drive and attend sports events. Seeing this, several western media figures became his cheerleaders, believing him to be the long-awaited liberal reformer who would transform the country for the better.
They didn’t count on him jailing every women’s rights activist he could lay his hands on.
He may have implemented some changes, but he has also silenced the very people who advocated for women’s rights for years. In fact, MBS has not modernised the country but transformed the Saudi regime into a more centralised and autocratic, absolute monarchy than ever before, marginalising and jailing anyone who tries to have their say about their society. He may have allowed women to drive, but he has refused their calls to end the male guardianship system, hold free elections, release prisoners of conscience and allow civil society to operate.
As soon as MBS came to power he arrested thousands of political, social and human rights activists, Islamic scholars and even poets and singers. Salman Al-Odah, a popular and moderate Islamic scholar, was arrested for remaining silent rather than taking a public pro-Riyadh stance against Qatar. Safar al-Hawali, a traditionally-trained Salafi scholar, was arrested for publishing a book criticising MBS’s visit to the US this year and calling for wider public representation.
But worst of all is the detention of so many Saudi women activists.
MBS has arrested the very activists who campaigned for an end to the ban on women driving, for which he himself insists on taking personal credit. Aziza al-Yousef, a retired lecturer and a leading campaigner for women’s right to drive, was arrested in May, harassed and interrogated. Loujain Alhathloul, who famously attempted in 2014 to drive into Saudi Arabia across the border from the UAE, was also arrested in May, along with several others. They have yet to face trial; bringing detainees promptly to trial is another “reform” MBS has so far resisted.
The latest in his crackdown on women is the detention of human rights defenders Nassima al-Sadah, Amal al-Harbi and Samar Badawi. Nassima al-Sadah is a human rights instructor who has campaigned for women to vote and stand as candidates in municipal elections. Amal al-Harbi is the wife of Fowzan Al-Harbi, one of the founders of the iconic Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association. Samar Badawi received a US State Department International Women of Courage award in 2012 and the international Hrant Dink award in 2015 for being a leading voice for advocating for women’s rights and raising awareness about human rights violations in her country; she was subsequently barred from travelling abroad and has now been arrested again – the third time in recent years.
Samar Badawi’s arrest on 30 July led the Canadian foreign ministry to express concern at what was happening and call for her release. The response of the Saudi authorities was unexpected – they expelled the Canadian ambassador in Riyadh, froze all new trade and investment with Canada and announced that they were recalling 16,000 Saudi students from Canada in the midst of their studies. Why such an over the top reaction?
For decades, Saudi Arabia has been one of the world’s largest purchasers of arms, maintaining a flow of tens of billions of dollars to western countries including the UK, US, Canada and Germany. They expect this money to buy silence: we’ll pay for arms we don’t need, and in exchange you’ll keep your mouths shut about our human rights violations. Whether it’s bombing Yemen or jailing women’s rights campaigners, MBS is counting on Trump’s support, Western silence and world governments turning a blind eye.
And when that doesn’t work, he tries to bully countries into submission. That’s what he did to Sweden in 2015 and Germany earlier this year – and now it’s Canada’s turn to feel his wrath, merely for voicing a legitimate concern.
Sadly, the only place where the diversity of Saudi society is fairly represented is in its prisons. Any serious reform programme must include setting up an elected consultative body, releasing all political activists and prisoners of conscience, allowing civic society groups as well as unions to be established, providing mechanisms of accountability and separation of powers, and protecting freedoms of assembly, movement and expression.
For their part, western countries must end their selective outrage and stop supporting the Saudi dictatorship. The Saudi people and their liberties are more precious than oil or the weapons trade.
Sahar Al-Faifi is a civil rights activist and anti-Islamophobia campaigner
I Styled A Niqab Wearing Woman To Have Tea With The Queen At Buckingham Palace
Sajid Javid is no saviour for British Muslims and people of colour
Meet the hero of Saudi Arabia’s silent majority
©2019 by Sahar Al-Faifi. Proudly created by SaffireDesigns
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Guarding The Desert Kingdom
Anthony H Cordesman
Published February 7, 1997 by Routledge
Published September 13, 2019 by Routledge
Saudi Arabia: Guarding The Desert Kingdom
Since the Gulf War, Saudi Arabia's tenuous security situation has been altered by an ongoing U.S. presence. This volume provides detailed analysis of the state of the Saudi economy and military forces, its growing internal security problems and the stability of its regime, and its reliability as an energy exporter.
List of Tables and Illustrations, Preface, Acknowledgments, Introduction, Historical Origins,Strategic Background, Territory, Strategic Depth, and Vulnerabilities, Strategic Concerns, External Security Issues, Iran and Iraq: The Primary Threats, Border Disputes and Tensions, Relations with Yemen, Relations with Oman, Relations with Qatar, Relations with Kuwait, Relations with Bahrain and the UAE, Relations with Israel and Policy, Toward the Arab-Israeli Conflict, Relations with Israel, Relations with Egypt, Relations with Syria, Relations with Jordan, The Greater Arab World, Internal Change and Internal Security, The Monarchy, the Majlis al-Shura, and the Royal Family, Rumors and a History of Stability, The Rise of King Fahd, Current Prospects for the Succession, The Need for Change in the Next Generation, The Creation of the Majlis al-Shura, Changes in the Saudi Cabinet, Demographics and Population Pressures, Islam and Secularism, Trying to Co-opt Islamic Extremism, Mixing Co-option with Repression, Islamic Extremists Tum to Violence, Ethnic, Sectarian, and Regional Frictions, Reform in Saudi Politics, Economic and Social Issues, Over-Dependence on Oil Wealth, Growing Pressure on the Saudi Budget, The Problem of Debt, Water, Economics, and Vulnerability, Subsidies, Foreign Labor, and Structural Economic Problems, The Threat of Subsidies, The Threat of Foreign Labor, Redefining the Saudi Social Contract, Oil and Petroleum Related Issues, Recent Oil Production, Expanding Oil Field Production, Export Facilities and Distribution, Refining, Petrochemicals, Natural Gas, Prognosis, Saudi Military Forces, Saudi Military Manpower, Saudi Military Expenditures, Saudi Estimates of Saudi Military Expenditures, US and IISS Estimates of Saudi Military Expenditures, “Guns” Versus “Butter” and Saudi Defense Expenditures as a Percent of Total Government Expenditures, Saudi Arms Imports, The Volume of Saudi Arms Imports, Sources of Saudi Arms Imports, The Changing Nature of Saudi Arms Imports, Military Imports from the US, The Financing of Saudi Military Imports, Commissions and Special Fees, The Saudi Army, Saudi Army Organization and Deployment, Saudi Tanks, Saudi Other Armored Vehicles, Saudi Anti-Tank Weapons, Saudi Artillery, Saudi Army Air Defense, Saudi Army Aviation, Saudi Army Readiness and Warfighting Capabilities, The Saudi National Guard, The Organization of the National Guard, The Equipment of the National Guard, The Readiness and Effectiveness of the National Guard, The Saudi Navy, Current Saudi Naval Forces, Saudi Naval Development, Saudi Naval Infrastructure and C4I Capabilities, Saudi Navy Force Expansion Plans, Saudi Naval Readiness and Warfighting Capabilities, The Saudi Air Force, The Current Size of the Saudi Air Force, Growing Saudi Air Force Proficiency, The Saudi Tornado Buy and AI-Yamamah Agreement, Saudi Modernization After the Gulf War: The F-15S, Saudi Modernization After the Gulf War: More Tornadoes, The Saudi Air Force in the Late 1990s, The Readiness and Warfighting Capabilities of the Saudi Air Force, The Saudi Air Defense Force, The Current Strength of Saudi Land-Based, Air Defense Forces, Integrating Saudi and Southern Gulf Air Defense, The Effectiveness of the Saudi Air Defense Force and Options for GCC and Southern Gulf Cooperation, Saudi Paramilitary and Internal Security Forces, Saudi Missile Capabilities, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf, and the West, Reform and the Saudi Government, The Saudi “Social Contract,” Saudi Military Development, Saudi Cooperation with Other Southern Gulf States, Saudi Arabia and Western Power Projection, Problems in Saudi Security Cooperation with the West, The Need for a Stable Saudi and Western Strategic Partnership, Sources and Methods, Notes, About the Book and Author
Anthony H. Cordesman has served in senior positions in the office for the secretary of defense, NATO, and the U.S. Senate. He is currently a senior fellow and Co-Director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, an adjunct professor of national security studies at Georgetown University, and a special consultant on military affairs for ABC News. He lives in Washington, D.C.
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Fatal shooting victim Desiree Weir 'was the backbone of this family'
Chris Green Rockford Register Star @chrisfgreen
May 17, 2018 at 1:18 PM May 18, 2018 at 8:13 AM
ROCKFORD — Doctors at Mercyhealth were unable to save the life of shooting victim Desiree Weir, but that doesn't mean their efforts went unnoticed.
"They brought her back six times," said Weir's mother, Stephnie Higar. "She kept fighting and fighting, but she must have got too tired."
Weir, a 30-year-old single mother of three, was shot in the head about 4:15 p.m. Wednesday outside her home in the 200 block of Royal Avenue. She was pronounced dead two hours later at Mercyhealth Hospital's Rockton Avenue campus.
Police do not know if she was the intended target. A man seen running from the scene was located by police, questioned and is no longer considered a suspect, Lt. Kurt Whisenand said. A man who was handcuffed on the ground at the scene was thought to be possibly armed. No weapons were found on him and he, too, was released, Whisenand said. No arrests have been made.
"She was the backbone of this family," Higar said. "She kept everybody together. ... If you needed something and you knew her, all you had to do was ask. She would do what ever she could to get you what you needed."
Higar said her daughter enjoyed spending time with her children, Nevaeh, 9; and twins Destinee and David, 7; and her numerous nieces and nephews.
Higar and Weir last saw each other on Tuesday. They spent the day together and made steak tacos for dinner. They capped off their night with drinks at the Two Wheel Inn, 4433 Auburn St.
"She didn't drink," Higar said. "She had two kiddie cocktails and a Pepsi, and I had two Bud Lights down at the Two Wheel."
Higar said she also talked to her daughter on the phone about 3 p.m. Wednesday. "She said, 'I'll see you tomorrow mom. I love you.' And then I get a phone call at 4:30.
"She was my best friend. We were so close. I have three boys, but she was my only daughter and my oldest child."
Higar said her daughter had "a heart of gold," but also acknowledged her past, which includes a second-degree murder conviction and a six-year prison sentence in connection with a February 2008 home invasion that turned deadly.
Weir, who was 20 at the time, was with two other women when they forced their way into a Rockford apartment on Charles Street.
A scuffle occurred in the apartment involving the three women and a female resident of the apartment. One of Weir's accomplices, 18-year-old Gabrielle Aranda, was killed when a male occupant of the apartment struck her in the head with a baseball bat. Because Aranda died during the act of a felony offense, her accomplices, Weir and Tina J. Jones, were both charged and sentenced.
Higar said her daughter was four months pregnant with Neveah at the time of the incident.
"My daughter thought she was actually going over there to help them (Aranda and Jones) get their belongings. My daughter is the one who called 911. My daughter tried to get Gabby into the back of that Jeep and that man pulled her out and hit her with the baseball bat and chased my daughter around and around the car while she was four months pregnant.
"She regrets everything. ... She would cry every day, every year for Gabby."
Higar said her daughter grew up living with family in Rockford and Belvidere.
Weir's grandmother, Carolyn Edmison of Belvidere, said her granddaughter spent her high school years living with her.
She said the last time she spoke to her granddaughter was last week regarding her efforts to find her a place to live in Belvidere.
"She wanted to get out of Rockford," Edmison said. "Every time I saw a house for rent, I would call her and then I would call her back, 'Well it's only a two bedroom.' She needed at least a three bedroom."
In addition to spending time with her family, Higar said her daughter liked to go to the park and to the beach.
"She had a private little beach. She was going to show me it this summer, and she told me not to tell nobody where it was. So I don't know where it is."
If you have information about the crime, call the Rockford Police Department at 799-500-6551 or Crime Stoppers at 815-963-7867.
Chris Green: 815-987-1241; cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreen
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‘Kremlin List’ portrays those featured as ‘enemies of US,’ signals ‘breakdown of ties’
Moscow has reacted to the US Treasury ‘Kremlin List’ by saying it is tantamount to a breakdown of ties, de facto calling those featured “enemies” of Washington. The list includes the whole Russian government.
“You can see that de facto everybody [included on the list] is called an enemy of the US,” Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian president, stated on Tuesday.
Russian PM Medvedev, FM Lavrov & other top figures included in US Treasury’s ‘Kremlin List’
He added that the text and the headline of the document are written in accordance with the US Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, signed into law by US President Donald Trump in 2017.
The spokesman said that the list has created an “unprecedented situation” and will be further analyzed in Moscow.
Earlier, top Russian senator Vladimir Dzhabarov said that the move amounts to almost a complete breakdown of ties between Moscow and Washington.
“Formally our countries have relations, but including in the sanctions list almost all our country’s leadership means that those relations automatically break down,” Dzhabarov, who is First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs noted.
He also called it “gross interference” in Russia’s internal affairs.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said earlier on Tuesday that the US Treasury’s ‘Kremlin List’ resembles a Who’s Who of Russian politics.
Dvorkovich said he was not surprised to find his name on the list.
“As a member of the government, I was obliged to be on this list, the entire government is there, so there is nothing surprising. It is a list of individuals who are obviously the leading ones in Russian politics and business. This is not a sanctions list; it’s a list which is used for further decisions and assessments. We will continue to monitor the situation. There are no grounds for any action yet,” he told journalists in Novosibirsk.
US Treasury’s list resembles 'Kremlin telephone book' rewritten by US special services - Russian Senator https://t.co/cgb109X6Dhpic.twitter.com/5mhN1OmZft
— RT (@RT_com) January 30, 2018
The US Treasury’s ‘Kremlin List’ infringes on the principles of relations between the countries, making cooperation with Russia in different spheres practically impossible, Frants Klintsevich, the deputy head of a Russian upper house committee, said.
“I do not know what will follow this report, but its very appearance is unprecedented,” he noted.
Twitter mocks ‘Kremlin List’ for copy-pasting Forbes list of Russia’s richest
The US Treasury’s list resembles a “Kremlin telephone book,” rewritten by the US special services, Senator Konstantin Kosachev said. It simply points to the fact that US intelligence “is desperate to find some provable compromising material on Russian politicians,” Kosachev wrote on Facebook.
Business Ombudsman Boris Titov, who is also the leader of Russia’s Party of Growth, said he was “taken aback” when he found his name on the list.
Noting that the US list also featured Mikhail Fedotov, chairman of the Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, and Anna Kuznetsova, the children's rights commissioner for the Russian president, Titov likened the measure to a kidney punch. "They [the US] hit the ‘pianists’ playing for everyone, not for those in power. They have hit those who decent people usually do not shoot," Titov told Interfax on Tuesday. "Our job is to protect people from those in power… apparently, it is advantageous for the [US] to reduce the effectiveness of civil institutions [in Russia]."
The list came under fire from Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, who is also named.
“Such lists could not be thought of even in the worst periods of history. Measures like these do not split, they unite [people],” he wrote on VKontakte (VK).
The US Treasury’s list features a total of 114 Russian political figures, including Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, head of Russian Security Service (FSB) Aleksandr Bortnikov, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, and First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, as well as all Russian ministers, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu among them.
The ‘Kremlin List’ also names as many as 96 Russian businessmen – from the heads of the biggest banks to heads of major transport companies. It also includes top Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Roman Abramovich.
'Putin behaved like only adult in the room’ as outgoing Obama ratchets up US-Russia tensions
US sanctions Russia: Who, why & how we got here
Diplomatic war: From Obama’s expulsion of Russian embassy staff to Trump’s closure of SF consulate
US adds 21 individuals, 9 companies to anti-Russian sanctions list over Ukraine crisis
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Soyuz set for space odyssey
Excitement is building ahead of Russia’s latest mission to space. The Soyuz rocket is positioned for lift-off in Kazakhstan, technical tests are over and the three cosmonauts are getting final instructions. The 17th mission to the ISS will blast off at 3.
The cosmonauts – Flight Commander Sergey Volkov, Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko, and South Korea’s first person in space, Yi So-yeon – have now been suited and booted. Then they went out to see state officials to confirm their complete readiness for the flight.
The Soyuz rocket has been fuelled and undergone last-minute checks.
The crew will be taking with them mementoes from home, such as photos, letters and mascots. But they say they won’t open them before reaching the International Space Station.
The cosmonauts will have to perform more than 45 experiments in the 198 days on the ISS. They will also have to conduct maintenance work at the station.
Watch the launch LIVE on RT’s 24-hour news channel. Coverage starts at 3pm
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RAND Researchers Study Racial Disparities in Substance Abuse Treatment Programs
Author(s): Geisz MB
Field of Work: Racial disparities in substance abuse treatment.
Problem Synopsis: In November 2000, California voters approved Proposition 36, a diversion program aimed at nonviolent drug-possession offenders. Proposition 36 specifies that an offender convicted of a nonviolent drug-possession offense will generally be sentenced to probation instead of state prison, county jail or probation without drug treatment. As a condition of probation, the offender must complete a drug treatment program. What was not known was whether there were racial disparities in access to substance abuse treatment.
Synopsis of the Work: Researchers at the RAND Corporation examined whether there were racial disparities in access to health care, satisfaction with services and perceived quality of life among people participating in substance abuse treatment programs. When they were not able to obtain data as part of a RAND study of California's Proposition 36 drug possession offender program, researchers analyzed data from a National Institute on Drug Abuse-funded study.
The project was part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) national program Substance Abuse Policy Research Program (SAPRP).
African-American and Hispanic substance abusers in methadone treatment reported higher perceived quality of life than did white substance abusers. Higher levels of perceived quality of life were associated with fair or better health, employment, having private health insurance and not sensing barriers to securing health care.
Higher levels of perceived quality of life were associated with:
Viewing general health as fair, good or excellent, rather than poor.
Being employed full-time or part-time rather than unemployed.
Having private health insurance rather than public (e.g., VA or Medicaid) insurance.
Viewing the treatment program as a quality program was not significantly associated with perceived quality of life.
Substance Abuse Policy Research Program (SAPRP) (Web)
Substance Abuse Policy Research Program
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#China #Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia on Thursday defended signing a letter along with 36 other countries in support of China’s policies in its western region of Xinjiang, where the United Nations says at least 1 million ethnic Uyghurs and other Muslims have been detained, Reuters reports.
China has been widely condemned for setting up detention complexes in remote Xinjiang.
It describes them as “education training centres” helping to stamp out extremism and give people new skills.
Last week nearly two dozen nations at the UN Human Rights Council wrote a letter calling on China to halt it mass detention.
In response, Saudi Arabia, Russia and 35 other states wrote a letter commending what they called China’s remarkable achievements in the field of human rights.
When asked about Saudi’s support for the letter, Saudi UN Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi told reporters in New York that the “letter talks about China’s developmental work, that’s all it talks about, it does not address anything else.”
“Nobody can be more concerned about the status of Muslims anywhere in the world than Saudi Arabia,” he said. “What we have said in that letter is that we support the developmental policies of China that have lifted people out of poverty.”
A copy of the letter, seen by Reuters, said security had returned to Xinjiang and the fundamental human rights of people of all ethnic groups there had been safeguarded.
“Faced with the grave challenge of terrorism and extremism, China has undertaken a series of counter-terrorism and deradicalisation measures in Xinjiang, including setting up vocational education and training centres,” the letter read.
Human Rights Watch UN Director Louis Charbonneau said Al-Mouallimi’s characterisation of the letter was “a slap in the face of Muslims being persecuted in China, inaccurate to the point of absurdity.”
Earlier this month the United States and Germany slammed China during a closed-door UN Security Council meeting over the detention centers. In response, China told diplomats them they had no right to raise the issue in the Security Council as it was an internal matter for his country.
In June the United States, Britain and other western countries objected to a visit by the UN counterterrorism chief to Xinjiang, concerned the visit would validate China’s argument that it was tackling terrorism.
US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan spoke with UN Secretary-General António Guterres ahead of the trip to convey Washington’s concerns because “Beijing continues to paint its repressive campaign against Uyghurs and other Muslims as legitimate counterterrorism efforts when it is not.”
Keywords: China Saudi Arabia
Category Government | 2019/07/25 latest update at 8:00 AM
Source : MEMO | Photocredit : Google
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The French Lick Springs Hotel
The existing original wing of the French Lick Springs Hotel was built in 1901. The area's mineral springs and subsequent spas, two championship golf courses, and a railroad spur that brought Chicago trains to the front entrance of the hotel once drew an elite, sophisticated, and wealthy crowd to the quiet hills of southern Indiana. But when the Depression hit, the hotel suffered. The French Lick Springs Hotel kept its doors open through the 20th century, although the condition of those doors and everything behind them continued to deteriorate. This was in spite of (or perhaps because of) periodic changes in ownership and sporadic renovation. Then the hotel was purchased and restored by members of the same partnership that restored the West Baden Springs Hotel.
Silver Creek Engineering provided all structural engineering for the restoration of the French Lick Springs Hotel and other buildings on the grounds. In 2006, 443 guest rooms and suites were opened, along with a fully restored spa, complete with Pluto mineral baths, new and restored restaurants and shops, and a pool complex that includes indoor and outdoor pools.
In addition to the restoration, a Vegas-style casino and a 105,000 square foot Event Center were added. Some years later, the Event Center was expanded to add over 58,000 square feet, including a 22,000 square foot ballroom with three sections to allow multiple configurations that can accommodate conventions, meetings, car shows and trade shows. Silver Creek Engineering provided all structural design services for the expansion.
Hover Over the Photos Below to Learn More
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Superintendent Voices
Report: The State of Cyber Schools
There's trouble in one of the fastest-growing trends in education.
Trouble in one of the fastest-growing trends in education.
“Can you see me?” asks a little girl with braids in her hair, sitting outside on her picnic blanket. It’s a sunny day. Uplifting music plays in the background. The clip cuts to a boy flipping through books in a library. “What do you see when you look at me?” he asks.
As the music builds, kids of all ages play outside, model clay sculptures, or laugh with friends. All of them ask variations on the same questions: “Do you see what makes me unique? Do you see what makes me brilliant?”
In this commercial, K12 Inc., the country’s largest cyber education company, paints a compelling picture. Asking the audience to consider what makes each child “uniquely brilliant,” they offer up their tuition-free, online public schools as a space for that brilliance to thrive. With its abundance of sunshine and smiles, the ad makes virtual education look like an experience worth buying into.
Ads like this one seem to be working. In the 2016-2017 school year, full-time online learning programs enrolled around 300,000 students nationwide.
Virtual School Growth 2011-2016
Almost half of those students are enrolled in schools powered by two for-profit companies: Connections Academy (owned by Pearson Education) and K12 Inc. Obtaining charters from the state, these education management organizations, or EMOs, operate their online schools, hiring principals and making calls on curriculum.
Virtual Schools' Enrollment Share by Provider for 2016
But the true picture of cyber schools may not be as sunny as their advertising suggests. While the most recent academic reports show improvement in their ratings, cyber schools have proven ineffective for the vast majority of enrolled students.
A 2015 report published by three independent research institutions, including Stanford’s Center for Research on Educational Outcomes (CREDO), indicated that some online students were essentially losing “72 days of learning in reading and 180 days of learning in math, based on a 180-day school year.” In other words, these students were performing as though they hadn’t attended math classes for an entire year. Virtual students spent the same amount of time with a teacher in a week as traditional public school students did in a day.
K12 Inc. issued a statement contesting CREDO’s methods, but the research on full-time cyber schools is damning. In their annual report on the national landscape of cyber schools, the National Education Policy Center (NEPC) consistently records poor academic results. According to the NEPC, only around 37% of full-time cyber schools received acceptable performance ratings in 2017.
Dr. Gene Glass, a research professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, summed up the issue in an interview with SchoolCEO. “The impersonal laptop on the kitchen table is just not delivering an adequate education,” he said.
The Promise of Online Schools
For some students, online learning is essential to their education. Lexxus, a girl who developed an aggressive bone disease in elementary school, attends a virtual charter in Oklahoma. Without the opportunity to take classes online, she would have struggled to graduate; her parents needed the extra support provided by the charter program. Isaac, a student with autism, had trouble navigating class changes. The online format allowed him to continue his education without interference.
And over the years, more successful models of online education have emerged. The blended learning model, in which students split their days between online work and time in a physical classroom, earns moderately higher academic results than cyber schools alone.
For example, Dr. Michael Barbour, Associate Professor of Instructional Design at Touro University California, mentioned a blended learning facility in Michigan that is successfully serving a previously overlooked group of students: those who have been incarcerated. Teens in the Virtual Learning Academy have a few key advantages over traditional cyber students. Before enrollment, prospective students get certified in online learning skills, which also allows faculty to determine the type of online learner they are—and if online learning is indeed for them. Since the program’s base of students often requires extra academic support, teachers are available on campus throughout the week to answer questions and offer help. The school assigns only two courses at a time instead of the traditional six in order to reduce cognitive strain, which better addresses the needs of their population of students.
As a result, dozens of students who might otherwise have fallen back into the criminal justice system are receiving their diplomas. All it took was focus on students’ needs. Some of the best blended learning programs can match—or in some cases, even surpass—results from brick-and-mortar schools.
Some superintendents are opening district-run virtual programs as another developing alternative to full-time cyber charter schools. Chalkbeat reported on a small school district in Indiana that was close to shutting their doors—until they added a cyber school option. Within a year, they tripled enrollment, saving the district.
Alternatives to cyber charters' full-time online learning model are gaining traction across the educational community. Anya Kamenetz, the head blogger for NPR Education, mentioned that schools might evolve to accommodate “work from home days,” implementing a more blended model. Many teachers are already “flipping the classroom,” says Barbour. Students watch a video of their professor's lecture at home and work on activities in class.
That being said, both district-run and blended learning programs are still often operated by larger companies like K12 Inc. and Connections Academy. And while blended and district-run virtual options show promise, the most common online school option is still full-time cyber schooling, which accrues the worst academic ratings.
Problems and Profits
So what keeps cyber schools from providing a quality education to the majority of their students? The first issue may be the nature of full-time online learning in general; few students are actually well-suited to be virtual learners. Dr. Gary Miron, Professor of Educational Leadership, Research, and Technology at Western Michigan University, explained that successful virtual students share several key characteristics: they are self-motivated, have a supportive adult in the household, and work in a structured learning environment. However, many cyber students don’t share these skills and advantages.
Breakdown of Cyber Schools' Enrollment, 2016-2017
But it would seem that cyber schools could adjust to accommodate different learners—by lowering student-teacher ratios, for example, or providing more personalized instruction—but most for-profit programs have gone in the exact opposite direction. As a result, schools operated by for-profit management companies are consistently racking up the worst academic scores.
Is there a link between the problems and the profit model? As we’ll see, some of cyber schooling’s largest weaknesses, like high student-teacher ratios and false claims of personalization, seem to be directly related to the push toward greater profits.
High Student-Teacher Ratios
According to the NEPC’s research, the average student-to-teacher ratio in nonprofit cyber schools in 2017 was around 34-to-1. Compare that to the average ratio for traditional public schools, which is 16-to-1, skewed slightly by low student-teacher ratios in remedial classes. The average ratio in for-profit cyber schools? 44-to-1.
“Their so-called teacher actually does the monitoring, and they will intervene if the child hasn’t done any work in two to three weeks. They’ll try to send a personal email,” Miron told SchoolCEO. "It’s just no personal contact.”
With the cost savings the online model provides, cyber schools could have some of the lowest student-teacher ratios in the country. Instead, they move in the opposite direction. “So not only are they saving money on facilities, transportation, lunch programs, student support services— they also save money on teachers, which is the biggest budget item right now,” Miron concluded.
The Myth of Personalization
Most online schools market personalization—it’s on the front page of K12 Inc.’s website. A look into online programs’ structure, however, reveals a fairly standardized instructional model.
Barbour took us through the organization of a typical lesson in a cyber charter program. Students start with a multiple-choice test on the material for the day. The instruction they’ll receive in the lesson depends on which questions they miss on this test. For example, a student who misses two questions about reptiles in a biology lesson will then receive material about reptiles. Another student who misses questions about both reptiles and mammals will spend their lesson on not just reptiles, but also mammals.
The material doesn’t change per student; students just get more or fewer questions depending on what they get right and wrong. The differentiation only takes into account students' prior knowledge—not their unique needs or learning styles.
“For all of the talk of the personalization or the individualization or the customization, these programs are fairly standard,” concluded Barbour. “You, as a student, are just a widget on this instructional assembly line.”
Like their high teacher-student ratios, cyber schools’ lack of genuine personalization goes back to a push towards cost-efficiency, and by extension, higher profits. Accommodating student needs in an individualized, meaningful way would demand more staff and differentiated curriculum tracks—both of which come at a cost.
How are cyber schools continuing to grow when their students are historically unsuccessful? The success of virtual schools comes down to three factors: their high student turnover, their accountability structures (or lack thereof), and their marketing strategies.
Virtual School Performance by EMO Type, 2011-2016
High Student Turnover
It's difficult to track enrollment demographics for cyber schools—partially because students who drop out are often quickly replaced by new ones.
According to Dr. Luis Huerta, Professor of Education and Public Policy at Columbia University, some schools have churn rates of up to 50%. But in K12 Inc. call centers, Personal Admission Liaisons (PALs) usher new students through the door. “They're able to replenish these kids very, very fast,” Huerta said. “The churn rates of kids coming in and dropping out is astonishing.”
While cyber schools manage to keep their enrollments up, this high churn rate weighs down the traditional public schools who deal with the aftermath. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that 40% of students enrolled in virtual schools in Wisconsin eventually withdrew, got kicked out, or dropped out during the 2016-2017 school year. Many students were reabsorbed into brick-and-mortar schools, putting strain on their zoned districts. We see this same story repeated across the country.
This high turnover rate once again indicates that profit is taking priority over student success. These companies don’t seem to care whether they’re filling minds as long as they’re filling spots.
Lack of Accountability
ECOT’s story, while extreme, highlights many of the central problems with the cyber school sector, including its lack of meaningful accountability. Because the sector is relatively new, legislators haven't developed accountability systems to correspond with cyber charters’ unique structure, an issue which played into the scandal. Since Ohio's legislation concerning online student attendance was muddled, ECOT was able to claim not to have attendance records when the state eventually demanded them.
These gaps in accountability are particularly glaring when you consider the amount of funding cyber schools receive. In 2011, the Virtual Public Schools Act became law in Tennessee. Written by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a prominent conservative policy organization, the Act ensures that cyber schools are "provided equitable treatment and resources as any other public school." This means that cyber schools receive the same funding as brick-and-mortar schools—without having to pay for the proverbial bricks or mortar.
So how are they spending that money? K12 Inc., for one, paid their executive team a total of more than $18 million in 2018, according to its annual proxy statement to the SEC. They're also spending money buying out shareholders. In May 2018, K12 Inc.'s board of directors authorized a buyback of 1.83 million shares, at a purchase price of $27.5 million. They funded the buyback with cash on hand.
As Miron put it, “it’s hard to serve the interests of taxpayers when, at the same time, you’re serving the interests of stockholders.” With few accountability structures in place to keep cyber schools in line, it's easy for them to focus more on their business interests than their students.
Experts like Huerta point out that the huge differences between brick-and-mortar and cyber schools—from their teacher-student interactions to curriculum—should demand that they answer to different policies. “These distinct mechanisms require the development of new accountability systems if policymakers are going to continue promoting virtual schooling,” Huerta said.
At least publicly, K12 Inc. and Connections Academy appear to agree. They have each called for more specific accountability structures for virtual programs. Some of the researchers we spoke with, however, weren't convinced of their sincerity. Glass, who’s been covering virtual charters since their creation, was incredulous. “These companies are just running a scam,” he said. “They don't care about whatever the kids want; they just want to collect money from the state.”
Looking into financial reports and investigations on for-profit cyber schools, his point is difficult to contradict. In 2011, the Washington Post reported that K12 Inc. consistently sets up headquarters in a state’s poorest regions. This allows them to collect the highest possible funding amount per student, even if the students themselves are zoned to higher-income areas. On a quarterly earnings call in 2018, K12 Inc.’s Chief Financial Officer told shareholders that for each student enrolled, the EMO earns an average of $7,183 in revenue. Again, these are tax dollars.
Lucky Charms Marketing
In our interview with Miron, he asked us a puzzling question: Why do Lucky Charms keep flying off the shelves? If you’ve ever tasted one of those rainbow marshmallows, you know the brand’s popularity has nothing to do with its nutritional value. In Miron’s view, Lucky Charms’ success comes from its marketing strategy.
“You don’t market Lucky Charms to parents, you market to children,” he said. “And that’s the same with these for-profit companies.”
When a student goes through a breakup, gets in a fight with a friend, or embarrasses themselves in class, the opportunity to finish school at home becomes more and more attractive. K12 Inc. and Connections Academy, ready with hefty budgets and experienced marketing teams, pounce on those insecurities.
According to a 2012 study by USA Today, some for-profit cyber companies leverage millions of dollars in advertising budgets—and they spend that money targeting students. The study noted commercials on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, as well as ads on social networking sites for teens.
Today, advertisements for cyber education run on the radio, on Facebook, in the margins of websites, even on tour buses. And they work. “The marketing instruments of these organizations have been extremely successful in enticing a lot of applicants to enroll in virtual schools,” said Huerta.
The “Lucky Charms” approach is powerful, but it’s not the only marketing tool at cyber schools’ disposal. To give public school leaders an idea of who they're up against (and which ideas they can use themselves), we've analyzed the largest cyber charters' marketing strategies in "How to Out-market Cyber Schools.”
The Takeaway for School Leaders
Unfortunately, cyber charters aren’t just failing to provide their students with a quality education; they’re detracting from the experience of traditional students as well. Cyber schools play into an issue facing public schools nationwide: increasing competition due to school choice policies.
School Choice in the United States
When students transfer to the next district over—or a cyber school—they can pull as much as $20,000 in funding with them. Of course, it costs just as much to keep 350 students in an air-conditioned building as it does 400, but a lower enrollment means less money to pay for that air conditioning.
Keith Richards, a former superintendent from Newark, Ohio, lost an average of $350,000 each year to students enrolling in ECOT. “We actually broke that down,” he told Mother Jones. “And we’re talking about four teachers [for each of those years]. We’re talking about whether we have aides for special-needs kids.” The district ended up canceling high school busing and implementing pay-to-participate activities.
We consulted experts in cyber education on how they would advise school leaders to respond. Their answers varied from debunking the myths about cyber charters to exploring alternative online learning opportunities. The most prevalent advice, however, was to market the community aspect of brick-and-mortar education.
The Public School Advantage
Traditional public education is rooted in community. From the first public schools—one-room schoolhouses built and run by community members—to our current districts, a great school is the centerpiece of the neighborhood, even the town.
“Your strongest weapon is always going to be your community and your relationships,” said Kamenetz. “In rural communities, the schools are really important hubs.”
In a brick-and-mortar school, children sit side-by-side with next-door neighbors or friends from church. They meet kids from different backgrounds than themselves, broadening their horizons. They learn to socialize. They become invested members of their local community.
“We do a lot of things in public schools,” said Miron. “Our goal is not just to educate [students] in terms of math and reading, but to socialize them. It’s also to prepare them for productivity; it’s also to prepare them as citizens.”
Cyber schools, as they currently stand, not only fail to provide quality education—they offer fewer opportunities to connect. Without these opportunities, these kids aren't learning the crucial interpersonal skills they'll need in their adult lives. Of course, as we've mentioned, some children genuinely need an online option, whether because of chronic illness or other factors.
Perhaps over time, cyber schools will adapt to provide more civic and social engagement. As we've seen, blended learning programs might offer both the online option some circumstances demand and the social engagement that students need.
K12 Inc. and Connections Academy offer after-school activities and clubs online, but participating in a "virtual puppy club" like the one marketed by K12 Inc. won't offer the same growth and learning opportunities as the teamwork of an after-school sports program or a quiz bowl club.
At its best, cyber schools’ marketing put students at the forefront of their campaigns. By focusing on the experiences afforded by public schools—the community, the relationships—school leaders can offer the unique competitive advantage of public education.
SchoolCEO is free for K-12 school leaders. Subscribe below to have a digital copy of the most recent edition of SchoolCEO sent to your inbox.
Crash Course Q&As: Dr. Henry Jenkins
Dr. Henry Jenkins shares unique perspectives on how schools and communities can look toward the future.
Crash Course Q&As: Dr. Jen Golbeck
Dr. Jen Golbeck's best tips for bringing your district together—online.
Crash Course Q&As: Dr. Martin Schedlbauer
Dr. Martin Schedlbauer shares insights and surefire methods for effective online instruction.
© SchoolCEO . All rights reserved
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Travel: Indulge in Saratoga Springs
Lisa Elia More Content Now
Sep 12, 2019 at 12:51 PM Sep 13, 2019 at 9:30 PM
Saratoga Springs, New York, has long been a popular summer resort for the city swells who love thoroughbred racing, but you don’t have to be a gambler or wealthy to enjoy this getaway at the foot of the Adirondack Mountains.
About 200 miles north of New York City, this spa town has museums to explore, fun places to shop and eat (the potato chip and club sandwich were discovered here), and some eye-catching architecture to admire.
Enjoy the springs
The waters of Saratoga have been a draw since the Iroquois discovered their healing powers in the 1600s. As word spread about the springs, everyone from George Washington to Edgar Allan Poe to the Vanderbilts and Whitneys has enjoyed the naturally carbonated water.
Congress Park, in the heart of downtown, is one of many places where you can sample the waters that made Saratoga famous.
“They all have a different taste,” said Heather McElhiney, director of the Saratoga Springs Visitors Center. “Some have a higher sulfur or iron content. Some are very mild, and some you can smell before you get there.”
The park also features picnic spots, a 109-year-old working wooden carousel and the onetime Canfield Casino, an 1870s building that is home to the Saratoga Springs History Museum.
If you want to do more than drink the waters, visit the 1930s-era Roosevelt Baths & Spa at Saratoga Springs Spa Park. You can book a session at the town’s last remaining bathhouse in one of 42 private rooms. Guests can sink into an antique tub brimming with bubbly water (tap water is added to bring it to room temperature).
Museums and more
A walk down most of Saratoga’s streets will yield an array of dazzling architecture. The town’s east side features the grandest homes of the Gilded Age, with styles ranging from Victorian to Queen Anne to Italianate.
The downtown business district is a diverse collection of locally owned shops (with only a few chain stores), restaurants and bars.
If you love music, check out Caffe Lena. It is the country’s oldest continuously operating folk music venue, started in 1960. Legends such as Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie and Emmylou Harris got their starts here.
The museum scene is just as vibrant as the rest of the town.
The National Museum of Dance, at the Saratoga Springs Spa Park, features costumes and objects from dance productions, including 20 pairs of Tommy Tune’s shoes.
If speed is more your style, the Saratoga Automobile Museum, housed in a former bottling plant, has a 1960-era car exhibit. Its 1967 gold metallic Toyota GT supercar was owned by the model Twiggy. Another display features classic cars such as Charles Lindbergh’s 1928 Franklin Airman.
Those who love off-the-beaten path places can visit the Yaddo Gardens. Modeled after classic Italian gardens, the artists colony retreat features fountains, marble statues and about 1,500 roses in bloom through mid-October.
For more information, visit discoversaratoga.org.
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Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advanced Automation System (AAS)
(Redirected from FAA Advanced Automation System (AAS))
Lead Authors: Tom Hilburn, Alice Squires, Heidi Davidz, Contributing Authors: Richard Turner
This example was created as a SE example directly for the SEBoK. It describes the Advanced Automation System (AAS), part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advanced Automation Program. It describes some of the problems which can occur in a complex, software intensive system program if SE is not applied.
3.1 Works Cited
3.2 Primary References
3.3 Additional References
In 1981, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the Advanced Automation Program, which was established to modernize air traffic control (ATC) computer systems. A centerpiece of the project was the Advanced Automation System (AAS). AAS was the largest project in FAA’s history to modernize the nation’s ATC system. AAS would replace computer hardware and software as well as controller workstations at tower, terminal, and en-route facilities and allow the ATC system to accommodate forecasted large increases in traffic through the use of modern equipment and advanced software functions. (GAO 1992)
The FAA originally proposed AAS in 1982 as a project that would cost $2.5 billion and be completed in 1996. However, substantial cost increases and schedule delays beset the AAS project over its history, caused by numerous problems in AAS development:
The project began with a designdesign competition between Hughes and IBM. The competition involved numerous extensions and took four years to complete. Analysis by the FAA and others pointed to inadequate consideration of user expectations and improper assessment of the technology risksrisks. (Barlas 1996)
The FAA pushed for 99.99999% reliability, which was considered by some “more stringent than on any system that has ever been implemented” and extremely costly. (DOT 1998)
The program created unworkable software testing schedules - “Testing milestones were skipped or shortcutted and new software was developed assuming that the previously developed software had been tested and performed.” (Barlas 1996)
There were an extraordinary number of requirementsrequirements changes. For example, for the Initial Sector Suite System (ISSS), a key component of AAS, there were over 500 requirements changes in 1990. Because of these changes, 150,000 lines of software code had to be rewritten at a cost of $242 million. (Boppana et al. 2006)
IBM’s cost estimation and development process tracking used inappropriate data, were performed inconsistently, and were routinely ignored by project managers. The FAA conservatively expected to pay about $500 per line of computer code - five times the industry average. The FAA ended up paying $700 to $900 per line for the AAS software. (Gibbs 1994)
In 1988, FAA estimated that the AAS program - both contract and supporting efforts - would cost $4.8 billion. By late 1993, the FAA estimated that it would cost $5.9 billion. Before the program was dramatically restructured in 1994, estimates had risen to as much as $7 billion, with key segments expected to be behind schedule by as much 8 years. In 1994, with significant cost and schedule overruns, as well as concerns about adequate qualityquality, usability, and reliabilityreliability, the AAS program ceased to exist as originally conceived, leaving its various elements terminated, restructured, or as parts of smaller programs. (DOT 1998)
The AAS problems could be associated with the non-use or misuse of a number of systems engineeringsystems engineering (SE) concepts and practices: system requirements, system architecture complexity, project planning, risk management, change management, system analysis and design, system reliability, system integration, system verification and system validation/testing, and management oversight.
The AAS program was the centerpiece of an ambitious effort begun in the 1980s to replace the computer hardware and software throughout the ATC system - including controller workstations, and en-route, terminal, and tower air traffic control facilities. AAS was intended to provide new automated capabilities to accommodate increases in air traffic. After sustaining serious cost and schedule problems, the FAA dramatically restructured the program into more manageable pieces. This action included terminating major segments of the contract. (DOT 1998.)
Barlas, S. “Anatomy of a Runaway: What Grounded the AAS.” IEEE Software. vol. 13, no. 1, Jan., pp. 104-106, 1996.
Boppana, K., S. Chow, O.L. de Weck, C. LaFon, S.D. Lekkakos, J. Lyneis, M. Rinaldi, Z. Wang, P. Wheeler, M. Zborovskiy. "Can models capture the complexity of the systems engineering process?" In Proceedings of the International Conference on Complex Systems (ICC2006), 11-15 June 2006, Istanbul, Turkey.
DOT. Audit Report: Advance Automation System, Federal Aviation Administration. Washington, DC, USA: Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2005.
GAO. Advanced Automation System Still Vulnerable to Cost and Schedule Problems. Washington, DC, USA: United States General Accounting Office (GAO). GAO/RCED-92-264. 1992.
Gibbs, W.W. “Software’s Chronic Crisis.” Scientific American. September 1994.
Britcher, R. The Limits of Software: People, Projects, and Perspectives. Boston: Addison Wesley, 1999.
< Previous Article | Parent Article | Next Article > SEBoK v. 2.3, released 30 October 2020
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US DoD invites a restricted number of hackers to Hack the Pentagon
Hack the Pentagon – DoD would invite outside hackers to test the cybersecurity of some public US Defense Department resources as part of a pilot initiative.
Which is the best way to discover security vulnerabilities affecting a computer system? Ask a group of hackers to test it. This is the concept behind a bounty program, an organization can hire hackers to test the system and ethically disclose the flaw, receiving a reward. Bug bounties are very popular initiatives among the communities of white hats, principal companies, including Facebook, Google and Microsoft. Facebook, for example, has already paid more than $3 million since 2011, when its bug bounty program was launched.
And what about if I tell you that the organization in question is the pentagon? Yes, it is true, ‘Hack the Pentagon’ is the initiative launched by the US Government, the first ever program of its kind, that aims to test the resilience to cyber attacks of the US defenses.
If the Pentagon will financial reward the hacker, it would be the first government-funded bug bounty initiative in the world.
“The Pentagon said on Wednesday it would invite vetted outside hackers to test the cybersecurity of some public U.S. Defense Department websites as part of a pilot project next month, in the first-ever such program offered by the federal government.”
“Hack the Pentagon” is modeled after similar competitions known as “bug bounties” that are conducted by big U.S. companies, including United Continental Holdings Inc to discover gaps in the security of their networks.”states the Reuters.
At time I was writing the bounty program has not been announced, until today, the Pentagon already uses its own internal security experts (so-called “red teams”) to test its networks, but openness to external hackers could give a major impetus in finding vulnerabilities in government systems, allowing to find new security holes.
The Hack the Pentagon initiative is welcome within the US government, in this way the expert at the Pentagon will be able to identify security issues before hackers can exploit them, with a significant improvement in term of cyber security.
“I am confident that this innovative initiative will strengthen our digital defenses and ultimately enhance our national security,” commented the Defense Secretary Ash Carter.
According to the Reuters, the participants will have to be US citizens and submit to background checks before being accepted to the Hack the Pentagon program, this is the principal difference with a common bug bounty initiative.
The program is being led by the DoD Defense Digital Service, which is a small team of engineers and experts, set up in November 2015, meant to “improve the Department’s technological agility and solve its most complex IT problems.”
In October 2015, Current and former members of the department’s cyber wing of the US Army, Captain Michael Weigand and Captain Rock Stevens, published a paper urging a joint project between the Army Cyber Institute and the US Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command. The project aimed to establish a central program for disclosing software vulnerabilities on military systems.
The military experts highlighted how essential aspects of the software lifecycle, like patch management and penetration testing are very difficult to carry on these environments. The systems used in the US Army are exposed by an absence of centralized patch management and penetration testing are not allowed due to the nature of the systems.
They call for a radical change, including the introduction of bug bounties, today internal experts who discovered vulnerabilities have no incentive to report the flaw are no obliged to disclose it, the post refers this bad habit as a “do nothing” culture.
In the paper published on the Cyber Defense Review website, the duo proposed the creation of an Army Vulnerability Response Program (AVRP), a bug bounty program run by the US military.
The Army Vulnerability Response Program (AVRP) platforms proposed by the military expert have to enable service people to report bugs free of risk of retribution, and say penetration tests should be promoted as vulnerability scans are inadequate.
“The AVRP will serve as the central reporting mechanism for vulnerabilities in Army networks and will receive reports on poor configurations or gaps in security that could allow attackers to degrade Army systems. These systems include Army digital training management systems, Army Battle Command Systems, logistics procurement systems, and combat platforms deployed in hostile environments. Researchers can report vulnerabilities through a phone hotline or an online submission portal. The AVRP will track all submissions, facilitate the flow of communication with affected entities, and play an integral role in resolving the vulnerability throughout US government networks,” the paper reads.
The creation of a bug bounty program is an urgency for the US Government, it comes after the numerous successfully attacks suffered by US entities, including OPM, the White House, and The State Department.
Source:https://securityaffairs.co/
Tagged: U.S. Defense Department
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Bristol County prosecutors spent $462,000 on Aaron Hernandez prosecution
FALL RIVER (AP) — The investigation and murder trial of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez cost prosecutors nearly half a million dollars, a spokesman said Friday.
Hernandez was convicted in April of first-degree murder for shooting Odin Lloyd in 2013. Lloyd was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee, and the motive for the killing remains unclear. At the time of the murder, the star tight end had a $40 million contract with the Patriots.
The Bristol County district attorney's office spent $360,462.30 on overtime for state police and $101,834.64 for expenses such as experts and travel, for a total of just over $462,000, spokesman Gregg Miliote said.
The tally does not include what the office spent for salaried employees who worked on the prosecution. The trial lasted more than three months, including jury selection and deliberations, and three prosecutors and several other staffers were in court for the duration.
"It would be impossible to quantify man hours of prosecutors and staff," Miliote wrote in an email.
The amount also does not account for the work of local police departments or the county sheriff's office, he said.
It's unclear how much money Hernandez has spent on his defense. He had a legal team of three lawyers, James Sultan, Charles Rankin and Michael Fee. They did not immediately return emails seeking comment.
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Libertarians Can Kiss My Patootie, But Let's Get Rid of Compulsory Voting
Compulsory voting. We're one of only ten countries in the world to have it, and you either love it or you hate it. Traditionally, the left has triumphed compulsory voting as ensuring franchise for all, whilst libertarians decry compulsory voting as a contradictory attack on their freedoms. Now, I'm yet to meet a libertarian I wouldn't happily give a kilo of sand and a hammer to pound it in with, but if we're to address the decline in our democracy, compulsory voting has to go.
The biggest argument in favour of compulsory voting is that it allows everyone to have a say. But it doesn't really. Most elections come down to a few thousand undecided voters in a handful of marginal seats. Undecided voters, who tend to be less educated and less engaged in the political process, are now calling the shots. Politicians ignore the major issues to chase after the concerns of those who care the least. No wonder our electoral coverage is dire, no wonder political discourse is dumbed down. Compulsory voting is why we can't have nice things. Can we end this now please?
Compulsory voting makes politicians complacent in safe seats and pander to desperate populism in marginal seats. Why is it so important to involve people in elections who just don't want to get involved? Instead of fighting for the votes of people who don't care, let politicians work for the votes of the people who do care. There's the inevitable argument that the end of compulsory voting would leave the system open to abuse - particularly people being kicked off the electoral rolls. But the system is open to abuse now. On election day, I witnessed several young people arriving at the polling booths confessing that they didn't know how to vote, only to be handed a how to vote card by a particular party's volunteers and told "here, it's easy, just follow this".
Or worse. We all saw the frenzy of hysteria the Murdoch press whipped itself into in the lead up to the recent election (and doesn't that editorial seem a bit ridiculous now). Would they have bothered if they knew a lot of their target audience wouldn't bother showing up? More to the point, would their lies have had such effect? I've never seen anything like the number of voters lamenting that they voted Liberal, given Abbott's abysmal performance less than a month in to the job. "All the signs were there, how could you not know?" we ask. They shrug sheepishly. They believed the Murdoch press. These are people who trusted the word of a man who taps dead children's phones. Wouldn't it have been better if they never voted at all? Yes, countries without compulsory voting have vile partisan media as well - but they're preaching to the converted, not convincing the confused.
We should all be grateful for the right to vote in safety and freedom. But we should also be grateful for the right to live in safety in freedom, and some people are so ungrateful their attitude to those who drown trying to reach this freedom is "serves you right". We can't force people to care. It's a lot easier to make someone scared and angry than enlightened and compassionate, and these voters are ripe for manipulation. So let them go. Put democracy back in the hands of those of us who care, and it will save us a lot of time convincing people not to draw dicks on their ballot papers.
3 comments 2013 Election, Media, Politics
karLcx 8 October 2013 at 12:53
i'm at pains to agree with this, but you really can't argue with the logic and stark realities. you're right - it has to go :/
Sikamikanico 8 October 2013 at 15:10
Yeah I can't believe things have come to this either.
Jason Kent 3 January 2015 at 09:52
We should all have the same free and equal right to vote, free from government coercion. Our decision to vote should be democratic. If our politicians needed to inspired us to vote rather than being the least worst option and letting compulsory voting do the rest, we might get a higher voter turnout. Currently we have around 10% who are not registered to vote, around 6% who submit invalid votes and many more who don't vote, or donkey vote. This leaves our voter turnouts at around 80% which is lower than many nations where voting is voluntary including Sweden, Denmark and Iceland.
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The Family Affair (Jack of Harts Short Story 5)
Series: Jack of Harts
By Medron Pryde
Captain Jack Hart of the Republic of Texas Marine Corps has returned from a mission that left him bruised, broken, and nearly beaten. His new mission is to sit back, relax, and heal up so he can go back to kicking alien asses back to the other side of the galaxy. But what’s left of his family is on Alpha Centauri. No harm can come from a little family reunion. Right? More
In 2205, we learned the answer to one of the oldest questions of all time. Are we alone? They brought medicines with them that nearly wiped out diseases, and extended the human lifespan into the centuries. They helped us study advanced technologies, and expand our colonies hundreds of lightyears from Earth. It was a golden age that many thought would never end.
Jack grew up in that world at peace, his only interests, partying and girls. But then a sneak attack killed millions of Americans, and his family. He signed up with the Marines to get some payback against the alien scum who’d started it all.
Now Captain Jack Hart of the Republic of Texas Marine Corps has returned to Alpha Centauri after a long and painful mission that left him bruised, broken, and nearly beaten. His new mission is to sit back, relax, and spend a few days healing up so he can go back to kicking alien asses back to the other side of the galaxy.
Jack is happy with the healing and relaxing parts, but he cannot simply sit back. What’s left of his family is on Alpha Centauri, and he has to get back together with them. No harm can come from a little family reunion. Right?
Available ebook formats: epub mobi pdf lrf pdb txt html
Category: Fiction » Science fiction » General
Category: Fiction » Christian » Futuristic
Tags: scifi science fiction marine corps marine sciencefiction fiction scifi jackofharts
About Medron Pryde
Hello, my name is Medron Pryde, and I am the creator of Jack of Harts.
Jack of Harts is a place I hope you like. It’s a place where we did things right, where we built a world we would be happy for our children to grow up in. It’s not perfect. There is conflict. But by and large, we made the hard decisions, and we did what needed doing. We made a good world. I know today that stories tend to go much more dark than that, dystopian futures where we have destroyed our world or enslaved our populations. Places where even the Good Guys are more dirty and hairy than they are clean-shaven and happy. Jack of Harts is not like that. It’s not a world where somebody takes a step forward to fix something and gets knocked two steps back. I don’t like those worlds. I don’t want to spend a lot of time imagining them.
Jack of Harts is based in many ways on what I grew up wanting. I was raised in a Christian home, told to do onto others as you’d have them do onto you. I watched Bonanza, where the Cartwrights helped anybody who came along needing it. On Superman, I watched the Big Blue Boy Scout (even if he was in black and white) fighting the Bad Guys each week for Truth, Justice, and the American Way. On Quantum Leap, a man lost in time always found a way to make the world he dropped into each week a little bit better. On Star Trek, a bunch of people I liked traveled through the stars to go places that no man had been to before…because it was there. In Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, and Star Wars, the plucky outnumbered heroes came back swinging with a smile, a joke, and a hearty laugh, and they never gave up hope that they could find or build a better world to live in. These are the stories I grew up with. These are what I enjoy, and these live on in my optimism.
In Jack of Harts, I try to capture that. The characters of Jack, Charles, and Aneerin, just to name a few, are all people who lived in a world before The War came. When that happened, they aren’t the people who crossed the border to hide from the draft, the people who gave up hope and found a bottle or a needle to hide behind. These are the people who stood up, walked into a recruiting office, and volunteered to defend their ways of life. They may cover it up by saying they’re just in it for the money, or because that person over there just needed taking care of. But don’t let that fool you. They are the best of us, a reflection of the true Big Damn Heroes who grab a rifle, a pistol, and a bulletproof vest (or maybe a fireproof suit) to protect our freedoms and our lives everyday.
Jack of Harts is a place where I like to think these people would like what they see. It’s a place I enjoy going to when I write, with people I’d like to share a beer with. I’ll keep it that way. I hope it’s a place you’ll enjoy reading, and I hope you come back each day or maybe each week to read some more.
So have a good one, and I hope to see you again.
Medron Pryde
Learn more about Medron Pryde
About the Series: Jack of Harts
Jack grew up in a world at peace, his only interests, partying and girls. But when a sneak attack killed millions of Americans, and wiped out almost everything and everybody Jack knew, he volunteered to serve and get some payback. But the Marines want more than people looking for revenge, and cybernetic partners demand a higher commitment. If Jack wanted to earn his commission as a Marine Corps fighter pilot, he had to let himself be forged into something stronger than he’d ever felt the need to be. A man willing to live up to the name of his squadron. A Cowboy.
Also in Series: Jack of Harts
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SUBSCRIBE RENEW / MANAGE ACCOUNT Newsletter
Home Stories Homesteaders, Hicks, and Hippies
Homesteaders, Hicks, and Hippies
A Review of Shelter From the Machine
by Jeff Minick
On the tiny road below my son’s home in Asheville lives a family who raises chickens and goats, plants a sizable garden in the spring, and owns an older house on which they do many of the repairs. If I stand outside in the early morning, I can hear their two roosters sounding reveille. Behind the house sits an abandoned school bus occupied by a friend.
These folks are what Jason Strange would call “bohemian homesteaders.”
In Shelter From The Machine: Homesteaders in the Age of Capitalism, Strange takes us to the hills of Eastern Kentucky and introduces us to two very different groups of back-to-the-landers, the “hicks” and the “hippies,” as some call them. Strange prefers “bohemian homesteaders” and “country homesteaders.” The former are often, but not always, new arrivals in a rural community eager to learn the skills of farming and independent living, while the latter are people who grew up in those communities and either prefer to live as did their parents and grandparents, or who lack the resources to follow a different path.
Strange, a professor at Berea College, enters into the lives of several of these families and individuals, recounting their conversations, listening closely to their stories, switching from pig roasts and visiting over beer and vodka with the country homesteaders, and attending parties and helping with various projects with the bohemians.
Here we meet Nathan Hamilton, a country homesteader who has never “set foot in a schoolhouse” or seen a doctor. He has neither a driver’s license nor a social security card. “He is thirty-nine years old, strong and energetic but no longer lean, a handsome man with dark hair and a big, dark beard and a ready laugh.” Strange also describes him as “one of the sharpest people I have ever known.” His cabin has no electricity and no running water; he use kerosene lamps for light and a foot-driven pump under the kitchen sink for washing dishes.
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Virginia Webb is the bohemian homesteader counterpart of Nathan. Strange first invites readers to shake hands with this potter, beekeeper, and gardener when he joins some of Virginia’s friends who have gathered to help her work on her straw bale house. Here he talks with Cody, another bohemian homesteader, who says of the modern world, “We’ve already been taken over by artificial intelligence. They’re called corporations.”
Though Strange returns again and again to these people and others like them, Shelter From The Machine is a far-ranging examination of topics other than homesteading: corporations, the role of class in American life, reading skills, education, the meaning of work, life expectancy, anarchism.
One gift I took from Shelter From The Machine, and other readers may experience the same sensation, is that even where I disagreed with Jason Strange’s political views—and I did, several times—he writes with such clarity and a generosity of argumentation that his words and voice invite discussion, unlike some writers who, when addressing political and cultural topics, beat their readers like a hammer to make their points. I could easily imagine Mr. Strange and I sitting at a table in the coffee shop where I am writing these words, sharing thoughts, pausing for reflection, disagreeing, and agreeing to disagree.
Because of my interest in literature and education, “Ain’t Nuthin’ in Them Books” was for me the most fascinating chapter of Shelter From the Machine. Here Strange writes of the public schools near Berea, shares his experiences as a teacher at the prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy, examines the differences between literacy and literate intellectuality. He points out that the fortunate kids in terms of literature and books are those who attend such schools as Phillips Exeter, or those who find in their homes and public libraries sanctuaries in which books are loved and reading is encouraged.
Periodically throughout the book, Strange argues that “class divisions are less about the unfair distribution of money and more about the unfair distribution of education.” According to Strange, their different educations and their experience with books are what cut the canyon of difference not just between a Nathan Hamilton and a Virginia Webb, but also between the rich and the middle class, and the poor.
To an extent, I agree with Strange’s thesis. Human beings tend to be herd creatures, and we hang out with those who are most like us. Suppose the kid we grew up with in a trailer park, Billy, somehow managed to become a New York broker. Odds are that when he came back to our small town we could still have a beer and shoot the breeze. We might envy him his good fortune, but because of our common background we might also remain friends.
Yet I see another reason for the breakdown of communication between ordinary folk and those who regard themselves as their betters. We have a good number of Americans who rarely rub elbows with a mechanic or a plumber. We see this classism in the term “fly-over country,” and in the remarks of certain politicians regarding some voters.
Books and education may indeed draw us together, but what might make a better glue would be the realization that every person we encounter—our banker, the grocery store clerk, the guy with dirt under his fingernails—is a human being worthy of respect and dignity until proven otherwise.
In Boonville, North Carolina, where I grew up, the population then was around 600, and my father was the town physician. My siblings and I daily played with the sons and daughters of plumbers, repairmen, policemen, and farmers. My parents played bridge, attended Lions Club and church, with these same people. There was no sense of division, because we knew each other and because we respected the humanity of other people. Because of that education, to this day I often find myself more at ease conversing with a tow truck driver or a barista than with some academics I know.
Despite quarrels such as this one, Shelter From The Machine made me pause and think about what I believe, and why I believe as I do, more than any other book I have read in several years.
Do yourself a favor and read Shelter From The Machine.
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Klobuchar proposes plan to prevent, address global outbreaks
by: SARA BURNETT, Associated Press
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., addresses a gathering at Barley’s Taproom in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
CHICAGO (AP) — Democratic presidential hopeful Amy Klobuchar released a plan Thursday to prevent and respond to global outbreaks like the new virus that has sickened people in China and spread to more than a dozen countries, including the U.S.
The World Health Organization has declared a global emergency, saying the number of cases spiked more than tenfold in a week. China, which first informed WHO of cases of the new virus in December, has reported more than 7,800 cases including 170 deaths. Eighteen other countries have reported cases.
Klobuchar said she would invest in early-warning systems to help stop outbreaks before they become pandemics, increase stockpiles of existing vaccines and invest in the development of new vaccines. The Minnesota senator also would recommit the U.S. to the Global Health Security Agenda, an Obama administration initiative to respond to the threat of infectious diseases; work with organizations like WHO to help at-risk countries and regions improve local health services; and fully fund departments and agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren offered her own plan Tuesday, criticizing cuts to the CDC’s budget under President Donald Trump, including to emergency funds and programs formed after the 2014 Ebola crisis in West Africa.
In an email, Klobuchar’s campaign said the new virus is a “a stark reminder of the persistent threats posed by infectious diseases” and touted the senator’s work to secure funding to fight Ebola and address the spread of the Zika virus, which was mainly spread by tropical mosquitoes.
Klobuchar is working to break into the top tier of the Democratic primary with just days before Monday’s Iowa caucuses, when voters will have the first say in who should be the party’s nominee. She has been trailing Warren, former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
Klobuchar’s campaign has seen larger crowds and increased enthusiasm in recent weeks, and she has qualified for next week’s debate in New Hampshire. But she is also hampered by Senate impeachment hearings, which have kept Klobuchar and other senators in Washington during the crucial final days of campaigning in Iowa.
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Women look to grab Tour spotlight
Feb. 16, 2008 12:00 a.m.
While her family slumbered, 8-year-old Taitt Sato would sneak out of the house and onto her bike — pedaling the darkened streets of Los Altos Hills with the pace of an outlaw and the fervor of a true believer.
The nightly ritual marked the beginning of her lifelong love affair with cycling.
“I loved the feeling of the night air and the open sky. For me, a bicycle meant freedom. You feel like you’re flying,” said Sato, now a 35-year-old Oakland resident.
Sato, a member of Team ValueAct Capitol, will be among the 125 female cyclists competing in the inaugural Amgen Tour of California women’s criterium, presented by the Redwood Regional Breast Center.
The historic event will take place Monday, with the 17 female teams competing in downtown Santa Rosa in the hours before the men’s finish.
Despite her ever-present passion for the sport, life as a full-time competitive cyclist is somewhat new for Sato. Until two years ago, she worked as a corporate attorney with San Francisco firm Latham and Watkins.
“I used racing and riding as a way to balance work and life. Being a lawyer was so easily all-consuming I wanted to find balance to the intensity of the law,” she said. “As I grew more experienced in racing, I wanted to put more time and focus into it.”
Sato, who trains other cyclists through Wenzel Coaching, said she hopes the women’s criterium will be a launching point for more women’s events being included in U.S. professional men’s road races.
“This is a very exciting opportunity for the women to showcase our skills in front of all the spectators gathered for the event,” she said. “Once the spectators see how exciting women’s racing can be, we’ll be given more opportunities down the road.”
Retired competitive cyclist Laura Charameda, race director of the women’s criterium, said she expects that the Tour of California’s 2009 schedule will feature even more women’s events.
“I think this race has the media attention and the potential for making it a top women’s international race, much like it’s done for the men,” she said.
The women will compete for more than $10,000 in prizes. Among the other participants in this race is 2007 National Racing Calender overall individual winner Laura Van Guilder of the Cheerwine Women’s Professional Cycling Team.
For Sato, however, prize money isn’t the primary motivation.
“I just love the thrills of fast riding and the camaraderie and support that we share as a team,” she said.
tbarak@examiner.com
Other Sportssports
Dickey: York's plan for Niners doesn't add up
Cancellara wins prologue
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SHARK PARTY MEDIA
km@sharkpartymedia.com
Jena Friedman, "American Cunt" Album Release, January 20th, 2017
Jena Friedman’s album version of her hour-long special will be available JANUARY 20th, Inauguration Day, on iTunes. The album takes from the material in Jena Friedman's first standup special, American Cunt which was recorded at The Slipper Room NYC and delivers a probing examination of feminism and the U.S. body politic. Taped in August, before the Fall of America, Friedman's special immortalizes the insanity of the 2016 election as well as being female in America... while women still had hope.
Though the election is over, the sentiments are evergreen and useful and will remain so throughout "Trump's America."
Jena Friedman is a stand up comedian, actor, writer and filmmaker. She is currently a correspondent for National Geographic Explorer and has worked as a field producer at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and has written for Late Show with David Letterman. Her critically acclaimed stand up special, American Cunt, is now available on Seeso and Amazon, and will be available as an album on JANUARY 20, 2017, on iTunes.
Dec 4th - Jen Kirkman is back with her 9th Annual Jen Kirkman Dysfunctional Xmas Show!
Web-series 'COUP!' screening at Austin Film Festival
BRIAN PARISE 'Last Wishes' - a new comedy album out Nov 3 on 800 POUND GORILLA
INFO@SHARKPARTYMEDIA.COM
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East English overcomes 19-point deficit to defeat Henry Ford, 72-65, in OT
By: Jeff Dullack, February 11, 2015, 11:00 pm
Detroit – Midway through the third quarter against East English Village Prep, it looked as if Detroit Henry Ford would be the team moving on to Detroit Public School League semifinals.
Instead, the Bulldogs chewed their way through a 19-point deficit, to win 72-65 in overtime in a PSL quarterfinal at Detroit Renaissance on Wednesday.
The teams played seven days ago and East English won by nine. To beat a league rival twice in one week isn’t easy.
East English (13-3) will play Renaissance (10-7) in a PSL semifinal Friday at Detroit Cass Tech at 7 p.m.
"Henry Ford and coach (Ken) Flowers did a good job of getting ready for us," East English coach Juan Rickman said. "We beat them last week and it’s hard to beat a team twice. They knew a lot of our offense and my guys ran it like robots. We stopped playing together for a minute in the third."
Henry Ford (12-5) came out storming in the second half. The Trojans went on a 16-0 run to take a 44-25 lead with 5:04 left. East English never wavered and went on a run of its own to cut the lead to nine after three.
East English scored 106 points in one game this season so it seemed only a matter of time before its offense would get into gear.
"We always say, if we score 75 points, we are going to win," Rickman said. "We didn’t make them earn points at first, but we started to make them earn them, and the game started to get dictated by our style with them playing fast."
The fastest player on the floor may have been East English junior Chris Rollins. He scored 21 points and was vital during the comeback as he scored nine in the fourth. He made a 3-pointer to cut Henry Ford’s lead to two and Lamar Neely’s basket tied the game at 54-54 with 5:33 remaining.
"We came out the half lazy, but we’re a team, and we stay together," Rollins said. "I knew we were going to come back and win it. I know my team and I just had to make shots in the fourth quarter. I’m just trying to win this championship, and we have the talent to do so."
East English took a 66-61 lead to start the overtime period and Ford never recovered. Jaylin McFadden chipped in 17 points for the Bulldogs and James Towns led Henry Ford with 16.
"We only beat them by two earlier this season," Rollins said. "Coming out slow has been our downfall this year, so we have to do better in our preparation for these games."
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Parents need help for Kids in Crisis, experts say
Liz Welter
STEVENS POINT – Mental health care for children and teenagers in Wisconsin will not improve until a system is developed that makes it easier for parents to get help, experts said during a Kids in Crisis town hall.
The mental health system across the state is a daunting bureaucracy and parents often feel overwhelmed and alone when seeking care for their children, said Hugh Davis, father of four children with mental health needs and director of Wisconsin Family Ties, a nonprofit organization providing support for families of children with emotional, behavior an mental disorders.
Davis was among a panel of experts on juvenile mental health care who spoke during a crowded Wednesday forum in Stevens Point.
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and Bellin Health co-sponsored the city's town hall at Mid-State Technical College to discuss ways to help families quickly before a child's mental health issue develops into a crisis, or a tragedy.
For more than six months, 25 journalists from the news network have worked collectively on Kids in Crisis, a series of stories examining juvenile mental health issues in the state.
"I'd like to see (Wisconsin) have an actual children's mental health system," Davis said. "Today we have a collection of disparate services and many of the children's mental health programs we have in the state have limited enrollment. ... I want to see a system that is more responsive to the families' needs."
The Wisconsin Office of Children's Mental Health was created in 2013 to evaluate services provided across the many different state agencies, said Joann Stephens, a family relations coordinator in the office. Stephens said she has lived with mental illness since childhood and has children who are dealing with mental illness.
"Navigating this system is difficult," Stephens said.
The state's mental health system should be integrated to include medical, school, community and health services, which will make it easier for parents to help their children, she said.
The Stevens Point Area Public Schools have started programs to teach staff members and students and raise awareness about mental health, but it's still not enough, said Greg Nyen, director of student services.
"We still have students languishing in need who are unsupported and don't have the resources they need to be successful in our schools, let alone in our communities," Nyen said.
Schools are hampered by decreasing revenue from the state, he said.
"Year after year, as resources are cut ... we are left as educators to do the best with what we have," Nyen said.
The town hall at Mid-State Technical College was packed to capacity, about 75 people, with folks standing in the back of the room.
"It's gratifying to see a full house," said Robert Mentzer, an editor for Stevens Point Journal Media, part of USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. "You get a feeling that people want to pull together and make a difference on this issue."
Wednesday night's meeting was one in a series of 10 forums the news network has organized throughout northeastern and central Wisconsin as part of its Kids in Crisis project.
The ideas and experiences of residents and support agencies gathered at the town halls will help shape a call to action USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin will host May 5 at the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison. Members of the public are invited to participate in the Madison event.
Reporter Liz Welter can be reached at 715-898-7008, or by email at liz.welter@gannettwisconsin.com. Find her on Twitter as @welter_liz.
Additional town hall scheduled in Wausau
March 8 at 6 p.m., University of Wisconsin Marathon County Auditorium, 518 S. Seventh Ave.
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Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Cheats for PS4
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Cheats and Tips for Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
Home PlayStation 4 Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
Last Updated: Jan 12th 2021 by Dennis
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is an open world action-adventure game based on the legendarium created by J. R. R. Tolkien. The game takes place between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings film trilogies. The player controls Talion, a Ranger who bonds with the wraith of the Elf Lord Celebrimbor, as the two set out to avenge the deaths of their loved ones by ultimately confronting the evil of Sauron. Middle-Earth Shadow of Mordor is available on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Mac, and PC. Take a look at our tips to get help in the game.
Middle-Earth Shadow of Mordor Trailer
More Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Cheats and Tips
We have 4 cheats and tips on PS4. If you have any cheats or tips for Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor please send them in here. We also have cheats for this game on : Xbox One
You can also ask your question on our Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Questions & Answers page.
How to get Mirian Fast
Mirian are coins that were originally forged by Elves using Mithril mined by Dwarves and is a currency used in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. In quickest and easiest way in which to earn Mirian is ..
Gather Intel
Make sure you don't neglect to gather intel as you progress in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor as it allows you to identify specific strengths and weaknesses of the enemies you meet, this information..
Buy Super-Moves
Each of your three weapons in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor has an exclusive power and although they are expensive you should save up and buy at least one of them. You will not be able to afford al..
Play the Story
When you begin playing Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor you should avoid the temptation of being distracted by collectibles and side missions and focus your attention to the story.
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Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Achievements
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Forums > Survival - Preparedness - SHTF > Survival Medicine >
Flu Bird Flu: "This thing just continues to march" - I
Discussion in 'Survival Medicine' started by 155gunner, Apr 2, 2006.
155gunner Monkey+++ Founding Member
Good interview with Dr. Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. Link here
· · Vol 27 · Issue 1320 · PUBLISHED 3/22/2006
HOME: www.citypages.com
Bird Flu: "This thing just continues to march"
The CP interview: Dr. Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy talks about the flu bug that could bring the world to its knees
by Steve Perry
Scare headlines about the possibility of a deadly flu pandemic have been with us for a few years now, ever since the H5N1 bird-flu virus that first appeared in Hong Kong in 1997 resurfaced in the region in 2003. But in the past month the drumbeat of such stories has grown faster and louder: Avian Flu Arrives in Poland. Turkey. Azerbajian. Germany. Denmark. And, just last Friday, Israel. The good news, according to Dr. Michael Osterholm, the director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, is that the arrival of infected birds in North America—sometime this year, in the estimation of most experts—is not likely to result in large numbers of human infections with the virus, because most domestic poultry in this part of the world is raised in factory-farm isolation units that prevent contact with wild birds.
The bad news is that that's pretty much the only good news. What matters in judging the prospects for a human pandemic version of H5N1 (the name is shorthand for the chemical structure of two of the virus's key components, hemagglutinin and neuraminidase) is not so much the global reach of the bird version, but the question of if or when the virus mutates to a form that's easily passed from human to human. If that happens anywhere in the world, says Osterholm, the virus would likely start hitching rides with travelers and seed itself around the globe in a matter of days or weeks.
Of the hundred-plus human cases of H5N1 flu recorded so far, the vast majority have involved bird-to-human transmission, mostly among open-air poultry handlers in Asia. In addition, there are confirmed clusters in which it has passed from person to person, though none of those has yet resulted in a breakout of the virus. One thing is clear, however: In its present form, H5N1 has killed over half of the people it's infected. The great flu pandemic of 1918-19, by contrast, killed about 5 percent of its victims.
Will it cross over? If it does, can it possibly remain as deadly? Though Osterholm notes that viruses usually do lose strength as they spread—it's not really in their own evolutionary interest to kill the majority of their hosts—he believes the only responsible answer on both counts is we don't know. But it's not just the characteristics of the virus that worry him.
One of the things that sets the former Minnesota state epidemiologist apart from other public health officials is his attention to the fate of the medical and social infrastructure in any serious contagious outbreak. With respect to bird flu, his outlook recapitulates in many ways what he had to say in his 2001 book about bioterrorism preparedness, Living Terrors—much of the human toll in death, hysteria, and anarchy would be exacted not by infection but by the wide-scale breakdown of global supply chains and just-in-time delivery systems for vital goods and services. "I think [Health and Human Services] Secretary [Mike] Leavitt has been brutally honest in telling American communities, you're going to be on your own," says Osterholm. "And I think he's right."
City Pages: Let me start with the question of the likelihood of a global flu pandemic. Yesterday alone, I saw two wire service headlines with radically different-seeming implications, one indicating that the H5N1 avian flu is likely to go global within six months, and another speculating that the threat of human transmission may be passing as we speak. Is it possible to say, based on the epidemiological evidence, how likely a human flu pandemic is in the next six months, the next year, the next two years?
Michael Osterholm: First of all, let me take a step back and say that's a typical question we hear from the public. But it's almost like asking, how many apples can you harvest from the ocean? Because flu pandemics are like earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis—they occur. There's going to be another one. There have been 10 in the last 300 years. What you're really asking, I think, is will it be H5N1? It's important to understand that when you're preparing for pandemic influenza, you're preparing for something that will happen. To say anything to the contrary would be like saying, now that Katrina's happened, we'll never have another hurricane like it.
Will H5N1 be the pandemic strain, and will it occur in the next six to twelve months? The answer is, we don't know. What is troubling about this virus is that this thing has continued to mutate from its earliest days, in Hong Kong in 1997. And what is very, very troubling to us is that it's mutating in very similar fashion to the way the 1918 virus did. We went back with the 1918 virus and found all eight genes of that virus in tissue samples—five from soldiers' pathology slides that had been stored away, three from the recovered corpse in Alaska. They didn't have any live virus, but they've been able to make the virus from those eight genes. And by studying that, they could determine how it actually mutated and jumped directly to humans from birds. It didn't go through other species as the 1957 and 1968 viruses did, where a bird and a human virus got together, most likely in a pig lot, because pigs happen to be the universal recipients for both [birds and humans].
They combined to make a third, dumbed-down virus that caused mild pandemics.
The 1918 virus jumped right from birds to people. There was no combining with other viruses. One of the problems we've had is, if you look at the 1918 virus and this one, they're in essence kissing cousins. Genetically, these things look very similar. Frank Obenauer and colleagues just published a paper the last week of January in Science, and they actually have gone back and looked at the full genetic codes for 169 avian virus genomes, dating way back. They looked at 2,169 distinct avian virus genes. There were two viruses that showed a protein tag at the end of one of the nonstructural genes that actually looks to help cause the cytokine storm that makes this a unique illness.* And guess which two viruses they were: 1918 H1N1, and the current H5N1.
Then, when you look at the Turkey virus—that thing mutated. This is the case of the young girl in Turkey who died from her infection, and so did her uncle. We definitely have clusters where it's not just bird contact [spreading the virus]. The uncle's only exposure to this virus was riding in the ambulance with her from hospital one to hospital two. He became ill three days later and died. Her virus has now been fully sequenced, and there were three mutations that occurred in that virus, between the bird version and hers. One was the substitution of a glutamic acid with lysine at the 223-hemagglutinin position. That is what changes it from a bird-receptor virus to a human-receptor virus. The second thing was two other substitutions that served to make it look more and more like a human virus.
So this thing just continues to march. Changes are occurring in it all the time. [Human-to-human transmission] could happen tonight. Or it may never happen. But I don't know what will keep it from happening, because when you have this kind of worldwide bird population as we do now—China's a good example. In 1969, during the last pandemic, China only had about 12 million chickens. Now it's got over 15 billion.
CP: Do you think the rise of poultry farms of vast scale has contributed to the viral soup that influenza viruses grow in?
Osterholm: Not really, and I'll tell you why. When you look at the rise of the really big bird operations, they are actually raised in these bio-security barns, which people have all kinds of problems with for entirely different reasons—humaneness and that kind of thing. They actually are very safe, generally speaking, because they keep the wild birds and the domestic birds separate. It's in Asia where you have all these small 20-, 40-, 50-chicken operations where the birds are living in open space with you—that's where the vast majority of the chicken population is at in the developing world. A good example is Turkey, where we're seeing the first cases outside of Asia now. This is taking the virus out of a tropical area and putting it in a temperate area that gets cold. Every night, those people bring their chickens into the house. It's just a very different mindset.
And for as much as this is going to come here someday, [bird-to-human transmission] is not going to be a big risk factor to humans on this continent, because other than free-ranging organic birds that are out there, domestic birds aren't going to be at big risk.
CP: Can you explain in lay terms what makes a strain like H5N1 novel, and so potentially deadly?
Osterholm: Well, there are three things that make a strain of influenza virus potentially capable of causing a pandemic. First of all, you have to have a situation where you've got a novel or a new strain, meaning you don't have any antibody protection against it. Then you have to have one that is able to go from human to human. That's what we don't have yet. The third thing is, it has some virulence characteristics that make it cause severe illness.
This virus is quite different from what we see with the standard annual flu, and what we saw in 1957 and 1968, because of the cytokine storm it causes. In 1918, the vast majority of the people who died were healthy young people, 20 to 40 years of age. And that was in large part because they had the strongest immune systems.
CP: You're saying that the symptoms that cause fatalities, aside from secondary bacterial infections, are actually a function of the immune system working overtime.
Osterholm: That's it. And that's what we're trying to understand at this point, in terms of how to best prevent this [immune reaction]. And right now it doesn't look like there's much you can do. I mentioned this "kissing cousins" phenomenon. If you put 1918 H1N1 into animal models at very, very low doses, it basically kills all of them in 24 hours. The lab science people had never seen that. At 16 to 24 hours, that virus was different from anything they'd ever seen in killing these animals. The only virus that was similar was H5N1, and it was fatal at much lower doses. H5N1 is the most powerful influenza virus we've seen in modern human history.
What makes them so similar is that they both cause this cytokine storm phenomenon.
CP: Which essentially results in a person's drowning in his or her own blood as it fills the lungs, right?
Osterholm: It's even worse than that. You get that kind of leakage, yes, but it also goes in and begins to shut down all your vital organs. It's a domino effect. Your kidneys go down, then your liver goes down, you have all this destruction through necrosis of your lungs and your internal organs. Everything goes.
CP: In the limited human sample we've seen so far, this influenza has exacted a much higher mortality rate than the 1918 flu. Are there mechanisms that tend to dilute the virulence of a strain as it spreads?
Osterholm: That's a really critical question. We can only anticipate that this will attenuate. Meaning that once it starts spreading in humans, it will lose some of its punch in order to better adapt to humans. That's traditional with virtually all agents you see like this. The thing that is very difficult to talk about is, we don't know how much. If this were to go human-to-human—we talk about a worst-case scenario in terms of what happened in 1918, when roughly 2.5 percent of the world's population died. Of those who contracted it, roughly 5 to 6 percent of populations died, varying by age.
The mortality rate so far for this virus is around 55 percent, so this virus would have to attenuate a lot to get down to that level. And we do have good data. There are not a lot of mild, asymptomatic infections out there [with H5N1]. We're now aware of six studies involving over 5,000 close contacts of H5N1-infected people, in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Hong Kong, in which less than one person per thousand contacts had evidence of an H5N1 infection that was missed—that is, a mild infection.
This [virus] is not causing a lot of asymptomatic infections right now. Some people are saying there's a lot of mild [H5N1-related] illness all over out there, but it's just not true. That means we're not artificially inflating the mortality rate by missing a lot of infections. I'm actually pretty confident that the real mortality is almost that high.
So for that number to drop all the way down to a couple percent is a pretty big drop. Which says to me that when people talk about 1918 as a worst-case scenario, well, maybe that isn't the worst-case scenario. That's hard for people to hear, because then they think you're really trying to scare the hell out of people. But you know what? It's just the data.
If this virus were to ultimately go human-to-human, none of us know what the human mortality would be.
CP: Does the fact that it seems to be gaining more currency in other mammal species augur one way or the other for its becoming transmissible from person to person?
Osterholm: None of us know. In 1918, for instance, we don't know whether it infected cats and dogs. We've been trying to find that out. Nobody's got that data. There just weren't good reports. It surely can't be good that it's adapting to more species. It says that the lung receptors of chickens aren't the only ones that will take this virus. And we know humans surely will take it, on the off chance that they're exposed [to infected birds].
The bird-to-cat thing is not new. Some people have made a lot out of the German situation. That's not new. The Bengal tigers at the Bangkok Zoo died two years ago. They got fed H5N1-infected chickens, and 50 of the Bengal tigers died. They also transmitted to each other—there were cats there that did not eat the chickens. Even Albert Osterhaus's work of the past couple of weeks, which has been really important to confirm it, was not a surprise.
CP: I wanted to ask you about a scenario you described in your New England Journal of Medicine article from last year, "Preparing for the Next Pandemic." If a flu strain transmitted from human to human did break through in some part of the world, how would you expect events to unfold over the first weeks?
Osterholm: Well, look at what's already happening with the bird situation. You've got countries like South Korea saying, don't go to Egypt. You've got a lot of bird embargoes already taking place. If you saw this morning's Wall Street Journal, the travel industry in Europe is tanking. And this is a non-threat to a vast majority of humans. What we're concerned about is that if this takes off in a given area, it's going to move around the world quickly, just like SARS. Last year 750 million people crossed a national border somewhere in the world, either by plane, automobile, or on foot.
These things move fast. With SARS, we had one physician from China who came to Hong Kong, stayed in the Metropole Hotel on one floor where there were nine other individuals he infected just through breathing the air. They then took it to four different continents in the next two days. That gives you kind of a model, though influenza is much, much more infectious.
I was very critical of those models that came out last fall that suggested you could put a blanket over this with Tamiflu. My whole criticism was practical—that you would never find this quick enough and confirm it. Despite the fact we now know Turkey was going on for weeks before we understood what was happening over there, it was only last week that the uncle's isolates were confirmed, almost eight weeks after the fact.
CP: There's been a lot of covering up by some governments, hasn't there? It's been repeatedly alleged of the Chinese.
Osterholm: Exactly. So my whole point is that before anyone will have even figured out that this is going on with any certainty, it'll be gone—the cow will be out the barn door. With influenza, that's just...it's something you can't pull back in.
CP: Periodically we see stories about the race to derive vaccines, but that's not conceivable, is it, until we know which viral subtype will break through?
Osterholm: Well, even that's a misconception, I think. The concern we have is that people all want to know if some new vaccine is "the answer." The problem is, we do need a new vaccine. We're dealing with a 1950s-technology vaccine with only one update. Right now, given the amount of virus needed to make vaccines for H5N1—it needs a lot more antigen [than typical flu strains]—our total worldwide capacity right now, in one year's time, is only enough vaccine to protect 100-200 million people worldwide. That's in one year after a pandemic starts. And that's it. You can't make any more, given the limited capacity we have.
So you know what? It doesn't matter if we invent vaccines if we can't manufacture them. This is a point I've tried to make over and over again. We also are approaching this from a very American-centric point of view, which in the end will be the death of us. What's going to happen is, even if we could produce vaccines for our country in a timely manner, this global just-in-time economy we live in today is going to see the rest of the world shut down. Eighty percent of all the drugs we use in this country—all the childhood vaccines, everything—come from offshore. Your cardio drugs, your cancer drugs, your diabetes drugs, 80 percent of the raw ingredients come from offshore. I could go through a whole laundry list of other critical and essential products and services that come from offshore. If the rest of the world experiences a pandemic, we're still screwed. That's what people don't understand. Somehow they have this attitude that we can wall ourselves off in the Eighth District of Minneapolis and be okay.
The bottom line is, it will be years, even at the accelerated rate we're going now, before we even get the right candidate-vaccines. Then they still have to be approved. No company's going to embark on building manufacturing capacity without the certainty of a market. And second of all, they have to know exactly what vaccine will be used and how they need to develop their plant. All this means that an influenza plant, from start to finish, would probably take three to five years to build.
CP: Why don't we have the capacity to produce more in the way of basic vaccines here in the U.S.?
Osterholm: Because it's all about the market. Today, many of the anti-infective antibiotics and vaccines are not considered blockbuster products for any pharmaceutical company. We have a number of our childhood vaccines that are down to a single manufacturer now. If you go to the Society for Health Care Pharmacists' website, you'll see a list of 42 drugs today that are in short supply because of the just-in-time supply chain. Now, you put on top of that products that are marginal in their [profit] return, and it becomes a loss leader for these companies [to make vaccines]. They want out of it.
This is not true just for vaccines, but also for antibiotics. There, we tell people to hardly use them, and only for specific purposes and limited periods. It's not like the lifestyle drugs, where you're taking your statins for the rest of your life. So they just don't see the profitability [in antibiotics]. We're in real trouble. And it's not just with respect to the flu.
CP: The one easy-to-use drug that's been shown to arrest H5N1 in humans is Tamiflu—
Osterholm: Well, that's not really true. There's no evidence that it makes a difference in H5N1 infection. I have a slide here showing that the case mortality rate in Vietnam was identical for those who got Tamiflu and those who didn't. I actually believe Tamiflu could work, but the problem is, we're applying it in the H3N2 [average seasonal flu] model. Seasonal flu grows up much slower in a human, so that if you get the drug into somebody two days after their onset, you can still have a pretty measurable impact on the severity of their illness and the likelihood they'll have complications. With the H5N1 virus, the virus storm that precedes the cytokine storm is so remarkable in those first 24 hours that if you don't have the drug onboard in those first 24 hours, it may only have limited impact.
The second thing is, we're using the same dosage levels we use for H3N2 [seasonal flu]. This is a very different virus. We may have to double the dosage for twice the length of time. We have anecdotal data on people who got the drug early and appeared to do better, but then, after the typical five-day course was stopped, they died on day ten.
The problem we have is not whether Tamiflu is available and will work, but can you get it soon enough and in high enough amounts? How do you get the drug to somebody in the first 12 hours of their illness? The second thing is, when people talk about having 20 million or 40 million protective doses, what does that mean? If we're going to have to use twice the dose for twice as long, that means maybe you've got one-fourth as much of the drug you think you have.
That's the story on H5N1 and Tamiflu. I think it can work, but it won't work the way we're approaching it.
In the next five years, with [Tamiflu manufacturer] Roche outsourcing all of the production they can, our best guesstimate is that—using the old, low dosage standards—we could probably produce enough Tamiflu to treat about 7 percent of the world's population in the next five years, because of the precursor chemicals needed and the complicated nature of making this stuff. That's the sum total of production capacity. It's no panacea.
CP: How would you rate the public health infrastructure in the U.S. for its ability to deal with massive numbers of very ill people? You wrote in the NEJM last year that our system lacks "surge capacity" to deal with a lot of sick people at once—why is that?
Osterholm: It's much deeper and bigger than the public health system. It's really the total care system. For example, I talked [in that article] about the 105,000 mechanical ventilators? On any given day, 70,000-80,000 of them are in use, and in a normal flu season we butt up against the 100,000 mark. We have no excess capacity there whatsoever. Just right here in our own Twin Cities, we've reduced intensive care beds by 20 percent in the last four years, as a matter of cost containment.
We'll run out of masks and respirators overnight, because it's a global just-in-time supply chain. There are two manufacturers who have the largest share of the market there, but with virtually no surge capacity. We'll run out of IV needles. We'll run out of IV bags. We'll run out of drugs very quickly. Remember I talked about the 80 percent offshore figure? Go to the Society for Health Care Pharmacists' website and you'll see what I'm talking about.
So the whole medical system will collapse, at a time when we still need drugs for heart attacks, cancer, and everything else. We'll be in freefall. That may sound scary, but it's a reality. And unlike Katrina, where the hurricane did some of the destruction and separated people from health care through evacuation or otherwise, the same thing's going to happen here in every city, town, and village in this country as well. We're all going to need things at the same time, and there won't be any products.
At this Business Continuity Summit we just had, we actually had a major discussion in which a lot of voices expressed concern about the internet—that it doesn't have the backbone and elasticity that everyone thinks it has, and just a limited surge could bring down the internet.
Right after Katrina, when FEMA was trying to rescue itself, they put out a call for anyone who had a refrigerated truck unit to come and sit in one of several parking lots in the Gulf states down there, in case they had 10,000 bodies, etc. A contingent of them went. Not all of them, by any stretch of the imagination. Within 72 hours, major food manufacturers throughout the United States reported that they couldn't ship their goods. They had no trucks. We have a razor-thin capacity in this country right now on virtually everything. They had to get FEMA to release the trucks.
Cities like Seattle have already come to the conclusion they won't be able to have refrigerated trucks, because of that issue. For their work with corpse management, for example, they've already mapped out where every one of the ice arenas in Seattle is. Because you won't be able to bury people, either. In 1969, during the last pandemic, the average time from when a casket was made until it was in the ground was about six months. Today it's a little over a month, and in some areas of the country it's less than that. There's no surge capacity in casket manufacturing. Today, crematorium space in this country is a just-in-time situation too. This means we would quickly run out of the ability to handle bodies in a timely, respectful way. That's in a moderate pandemic, not at all like 1918. Everything now is done on the basis of just-in-time delivery systems.
Now, think about Katrina. As horrible as it was seeing the Superdome, seeing shots of bodies rotting would kind of take you over the top. What really offends the sensibilities of most Americans is when you see the dead handled in a disrespectful manner. I worry that one of the tipping points in a panic/fear situation over pandemic flu would come when we can't, in a timely way, handle the bodies or get them into cold storage. Those are issues we haven't dealt with at all.
CP: Your answer to this is partly implicit in all you've said, but let me ask you to sum up how you'd rate the U.S.'s and Minnesota's state of preparedness for a pandemic.
Osterholm: I think the U.S. right now is leading the way in terms of the overall issue of pandemic influenza preparedness. The problem is that, for much of the developing world, they don't have a lot to prepare for. They don't have sophisticated supply-chain issues. In some ways I think they're better off than we are, because they already live a very simple, hand-to-mouth existence. For us, with our complicated supply networks, we have a long, long way to go. And I think that's as much a private-sector issue as a government issue. I think Secretary Leavitt has been brutally honest in telling American communities, you're going to be on your own. And I think he's right. You know how you creep, then you walk, then you run? We're still on our knees.
CP: What kind of measures might we in the Twin Cities expect to see undertaken in the short term if an outbreak did reach the U.S.?
Osterholm: I can't say. I don't know. I know that the governor today, in his State of the State address, said that he's just committed $10 million to influenza preparedness. What that means, I can't say. We don't have the details yet.
When the virus gets to this continent as a bird virus, it's important that we not overreact and misinterpret it to mean that now the pandemic's here. This will be an important issue for poultry, but as I pointed out, I think most of the poultry in this country—aside from the free-range organic poultry—is going to be pretty well-protected.
It's about the birds and it's not about the birds. It's about the birds now, but when real pandemic influenza occurs, the birds become inconsequential. It's human-to-human transmission that matters then. That's where we're not any better prepared here than anyone else in the world.
CP: How would you rate the media's performance in covering this story—too salacious, too understated, just right?
Osterholm: It's like talking about the weather, I guess—depends on which day, and where. There have been some outstanding reporters on this issue. Helen Branswell, from Canadian Press, covered SARS and has become the primary person on this. She's done it as well as anybody. On the whole, it has been poorly covered in the sense of distinguishing H5N1 in the bird population from pandemic influenza. That part has not been covered in depth. The issue about covering preparedness—no one has really gone into depth and explored the supply-chain issues to say, okay, what does this all mean? Let's take a community and say, what would happen here? We're so fixated on the news cycle that it's too often about, "what new country has just been infected with bird virus?" and not really get into the issues. Ted Koppel at Nightline did an excellent series of stories and asked good, hard questions. But now he's gone and Nightline hasn't picked it up since he left.
*Cytokines are a class of proteins produced by white blood cells whenever the body finds itself responding to an infection. They vary in function—some cytokines attack invading microbes directly, others relay chemical messages from cell to cell, still others bind with cells in the hypothalamus region of the brain to produce fevers. Cytokines are toxic not only to infectious agents in the body but to the body itself: Much of the pain and discomfort that accompany illnesses like the common flu, for example, are in effect hangover symptoms from the toxic effects of the body's own immune response. The term "cytokine storm" refers to the immune response that occurs when the body is confronted with an infectious agent that reproduces at great speed and in huge volume. This "viral storm" generates an equally huge immune response—the cytokine storm—that can take such a toll on lung tissue (the main battleground where the virus and the immune system face off) that it deprives vital organs of enough oxygen to function, and sets off cascading organ failure.
City Pages is the Online News and Arts Weekly of the Twin Cities
"Leave the Artillerymen alone, they are an obstinate lot. . ." Napoleon
155gunner, Apr 2, 2006
Outstanding read.
E.L., Apr 3, 2006
Bear Monkey+++ Founding Member Iron Monkey
Behold! I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work... Isaiah 54:16
Bear, Apr 4, 2006
melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member
Flu is for birds.....
40-something and in the best shape of my life: Gone Primal
Survivalmonkey PGP/GPG Public Key
melbo, Apr 5, 2006
Quigley_Sharps The Badministrator Administrator Founding Member
Good read thanks man,
"The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin."
Quigley_Sharps, Apr 12, 2006
excellent article, 155gunner.
This should be pretty much a mandatory read as far as I'm concerned.
poacher, May 14, 2006
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Next:MURPHY'S LAW: Blood Emeralds
Forces: The Afghan Army And The Missing Sergeants
July 9, 2009: Coalition forces continue to face massive challenges in creating a modern, dependable, loyal Afghan army. It's also becoming evident, and frustrating, that the magnitude of the task is greater than it was in Iraq. That's because Afghanistan and Iraq have different military traditions and histories that have made it easier to build stable security forces in Iraq. While the Iraqis are beginning to consistently operate on their own and even to master some of the more complicated tasks of warfare, like air assault operations, coalition forces are still grappling to introduce some basic modern concepts to the Afghan National Army (ANA), after seven years of effort.
The Iraqi Army and security forces under Saddam Hussein, although corrupt and abusive, were far more stable and loyal to the government than any Afghan military force ever. Saddam's continued existence relied on it. Despite their dismal performance during Desert Storm, the Iraqi Army had previously fought an eight-year war with Iran in the 1980s, purchased high-tech gear from the Soviet Union, and had still managed to retain some semblance of an effective standing army, even after their disastrous ejection from Kuwait in 1991. The Iraqi Army had a well-defined, albeit Soviet-style, structure, and clearly defined branches of service. All of this has made it possible, despite major problems, for the U.S. to build up the new security forces in Iraq.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, has had nothing even remotely resembling a capable, structured, loyal army, and the legacy of corruption and inefficiency in the army is far worse than in Iraq. During the 1980s, when the Soviets occupied Afghanistan, there was a standing Afghan government army, but it was rampant with corruption, incompetence, desertions, and thousands of conscripts and officers who were either sympathetic to, or active members of, the anti-Communist guerrillas. The Soviets, justifiably so, generally regarded the Afghan forces as worthless in combat, forcing Russians to do almost all of the heavy fighting themselves. In the 1990s, civil war prevented the formation of anything like a national army, since there was no national government. All of this has been going on continuously for almost 30 years. Throw in the ever-present drug smuggling, and you have a major challenge creating a professional ground force, to say nothing of a national police force.
To a certain degree, none of these problems, like corruption and incompetence, are new to the Middle East or Central Asia. The difference between places like Egypt and Afghanistan is that, despite corruption and favoritism, sometimes rampant, the military is able to defend the country and operate as a respectable, capable force that can fight. Men obey their orders and, most of the time, know how to do their jobs. Unfortunately, in places like Afghanistan and Azerbaijan, these problems are so pervasive that in the past they have traditionally paralyzed the ability of the military to fight and win any kind of battle.
One of the major obstacles NATO is trying to overcome is helping the Afghans institute a new rank structure. The British are the primary brains behind this mentoring and structuring process, since the British Army is famous for its encouragement of junior leaders and rigid rank structures. The British are providing a six-week Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) course to ANA soldiers in order to better outline what their responsibilities and powers are within their given ranks. The ANA soldiers receive the usual curriculum of weapons training and small-unit tactics, but the main emphasis in the course is on leadership skills and battlefield decision-making. The idea is to train the Afghan sergeants to take over their units if their officers are killed or otherwise taken out in combat. The problem that the Brits are running into, and trying desperately to fix, is that the Afghan Army has little to no rank structure after the level of private. There is no separation of junior and senior sergeants and thus a confusing or absent chain of command.
The British advisors are hurriedly trying to fix the situation and emphasize the importance of the NCO. Some 79,000 troops have been recruited so far for the ANA with the end goal being a standing strength of 122,000. Unfortunately, if a well-defined rank structured cannot be implemented, those thousands of troops will be without the essential ingredient of effective leadership.
LEADERSHIP: Speed And Flexibility As Weapons
MURPHY'S LAW: Blood Emeralds
Forces: Current 2020 2019 2018 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999
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Judie Shape, right, who has tested positive for the new coronavirus, but isn’t showing symptoms, smiles as she visits through the window and on the phone with her daughter Lori Spencer, left, Tuesday, March 17, 2020, at the Life Care Center in Kirkland, Wash., near Seattle. In-person visits are not allowed at the nursing home, which is at the center of the outbreak of the new coronavirus in the United States. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Lessons from a pandemic: How to design a nursing home that’s safe and love-filled
A look at how one care home is battling the pandemic with the social needs of the elderly in their care
Local Journalism Initiative
Oct. 1, 2020 9:30 a.m.
By Martha Perkins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, North Shore News
The images were heartbreaking — a senior citizen, alone in their nursing home bedroom while, on the other side of the window, a family member stands outside and tries to establish some kind of connection to ease the sense of isolation and foreboding.
Surely, people said, there has to be a better way to keep residents of care facilities safe while also allowing them to be with their families.
Baptist Housing is working on it. The coronavirus pandemic has unexpectedly provided new insights into how nursing homes should be designed to help control the spread of any type of illness. The timing is especially beneficial as Baptist Housing works on its plans for the first phase of the Inglewood Care Centre redevelopment.
This past February, BC Housing financed the sale of the aging facility and three adjacent lots to Baptist Housing, which owns and operates 21 care homes in British Columbia. With a large financial commitment from the province, as well as Vancouver Coastal Health, Baptist Housing came up with plan to subsidize the construction of a replacement care home by creating a community of housing on the site. The total of 699 proposed units also includes private-pay units, life leases and rental apartments for staff.
In mid-September, the District of West Vancouver allowed the project to move to the public consultation stage.
In advance of the first public open house on Oct. 6, the North Shore News talked with Howard Johnson, Baptist Housing CEO and president, and Marc Kinna, executive vice-president operations and chief operating officer. They walked through some of the ways they’re adapting traditional nursing home designs to ensure residents and staff can enjoy a better quality of life and work during a pandemic.
“COVID-19 has taught us about the risk of bringing a virus from the outside world into the residences of these seniors,” Kinna says. “We have to remember that they don’t life where we work we work in their home. This has really transformed our thinking around that.”
As well, the changes will keep residents healthier, pandemic or not. “Every single design element that will make the building better, and the experience better for residents, also applies to other forms of illness,” he says. “We’re hoping that the incidence of other communicable illnesses such as influenza, the Norwalk virus and the common cold will be lesser as well.”
Because many of these design changes can be incorporated into the original plans, they are optimistic they won’t add much to the overall cost of the construction.
Room, sweet room
The COVID-19 dilemma: in some facilities, many residents share a room. (In Ontario, it is not uncommon to have up to four residents in a room in B.C. it is more commonly two.) This made residents much more susceptible to transmission of the virus. As well, it was challenging to isolate residents who were ill.
The Inglewood solution: every resident will have their own room plus an ensuite bathroom with shower. This gives them privacy, dignity and, when needed, the opportunity to reduce transmission risk.
Let there be visitors
The COVID-19 dilemma: Family members were not allowed to visit. There was no physical contact with the outside world, leaving many residents feeling lonely and confused.
The Inglewood solution: there will be two elevators — one for visitors, one for staff. When you get off the visitor elevator, there will immediately be a multi-purpose room. In normal times, it will be a place where residents can gather amongst themselves or with visitors. In times of a pandemic or influenza outbreak, it will accommodate one-on-one family visits. Safety protocols can easily put in place — perhaps it will be a plexiglass shield or some other sort of barrier — and visitors will not have to go near residents’ rooms or staff areas.
“It would just seem seamless,” Kinna says.
Creating communities
The COVID-19 dilemma: it was hard to isolate residents and staff from each other, especially when there could be up to 60 people living on one floor.
The Inglewood solution: the seniors home will be designed as households, with 23 residents living in that community. This creates distance and separation between households, which is particularly important when it comes to food services and living spaces.
As part of these households, staff will have their own lunch rooms and team spaces. “They will be able to take their breaks withing their own area of work and not have to congregate in larger spaces,” says Johnson. As well, Kinna adds, “it allows team members to be closer to the residents and not have to leave the floor they’re working on.
Embrace technology
The COVID-19 dilemma: unable to have in-person visits, residents relied on phones or tablets to stay in touch with family. Often they needed staff to assist them.
The Inglewood solution: “We’re going to expand our use of technology quite a bit more in terms of how we ensure there’s enough resources and flexibility to support residents,” Johnson says. “Our building will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology to allow for that, whether it’s Wi-fi or the wiring necessary to provide technology within the suite.”
Keep that air moving
The COVID-19 dilemma: at first it was believed that the virus spread primarily through physical contact. Now, much of the research indicates that it is also an airborne disease.
The Inglewood solution: “We need to keep the air moving in such a way that it’s not recirculating within the communities and potentially spreading anything that’s airborne,” Kinna says. Johnson adds, “Think about how often the air is exchanged. When you look at how we design buildings for seniors to live it, it’s similar in that you’re making sure the air in the building is new every six minutes or so.”
Each household of 23 suites will have its own air system, which will also help prevent the spread of airborne diseases from one floor to another.
CoronavirusHealthSeniors
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Home Calendar Holidays France Armistice Day
Armistice Day in France
When Is Armistice Day 2021?
11Nov2021FranceThu, Nov 11, 2021 Add to calendar
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France holidays 2021
Armistice Day (Armistice de la Première Guerre mondiale) in France remembers those who died or were injured in World War I and other wars. It is generally a solemn occasion.
Is Armistice Day a Public Holiday?
Armistice Day is a public holiday. It is a day off for the general population, and schools and most businesses are closed.
The body of an unidentified soldier was buried in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the base of the Arc de Triomphe in 1920.
©iStockphoto.com/FRANCO DI MEO
What Do People Do?
Special church services are held to remember those who died in World War I and subsequent wars. Military parades to war memorials and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Paris are also organized. Public figures, including France's president, lay wreaths and flowers at war memorials. Many people wear black or dark clothes. Armistice Day generally has a solemn mood.
Armistice Day is a public holiday in France so post offices, banks, stores and many businesses are closed. Restaurants and cafes outside tourist areas may also be closed. However, bakeries and some stores in Paris, as well as at airports and railway stations and along major highways, are open.
Public transport service schedules vary depending on where one lives and intends to travel. Roads may be closed for parades. This is particularly likely in the center of towns, cities and near war memorials.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated by a Bosnian-Serb nationalist on June 28, 1914. This sparked the activation of a series of alliances. Major European powers were at war within weeks. Many European countries had global empires so the hostilities spread throughout the world and became known as World War I. More than 15 million people died as a result of the World War I hostilities.
Marshal Ferdinand Foch (Allies) and Matthias Erzberger (Germany) met in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest, near the town of Compiègne in the Picardy region of France, in November 1918. The representatives signed an armistice treaty in the early hours of November 11, 1918, to end the World War I hostilities on the Western Front. World War I officially ended at 11 minutes past the 11th hour on November 11, 1918, because of the treaty. A law was approved on October 24, 1922, to make November 11 a public holiday in France.
The French national flag, or tricolor, plays an important role in Armistice Day observances. It is one-and-a-half times as wide as it is tall and consists of three equal vertical bands colored blue, white and red. It is often displayed at half mast or on flag poles held diagonally by military service men and women.
The body of an unidentified solider from the citadel of Verdun was buried in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on November 11, 1920. This soldier serves as a symbol of all those who died in World War I. An eternal flame was lit on this tomb three years later and still burns today.
Armistice Day Observances
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Fri Nov 11 Armistice Day National holiday
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Other Names and Languages
L'Armistice
Våpenhviledagen
Other Holidays in November 2021 in France
Nov 1, All Saints' Day
Fun Holiday on November 11, 2021
Origami Day
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AM and PM Explained
How does the 12-hour clock system work? Is midnight 12 am or 12 pm?
Daylight Saving Time (DST)
Why do many countries set the clocks back and forth an hour twice a year?
12 Months of the Year
The 12 months of the year are linked to the Moon's orbit around Earth. Why are there 12 months? What do the month names mean?
UTC – Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the basis for civil time today. This 24-hour time standard is kept using highly precise atomic clocks combined with the Earth's rotation.
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HomeThe HypeTelevisionCan a Netflix series do justice for Assassin’s Creed ?
Can a Netflix series do justice for Assassin’s Creed ?
Jack Halligan
November 25, 2020 Television, The Hype
It has been a busy few months for Assassin’s Creed, the historical adventure series that has been beloved by fans since its debut in 2007. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, the latest entry in the long-running series, released to positive reviews in early November. However, it was back in October that a slightly more unexpected story broke.
Netflix, in collaboration with developer Ubisoft, is in the midst of planning a live-action portrayal of the brotherhood. The production is still in the earliest stages of development and has not yet found a showrunner, but this raises some interesting questions.
Will the series be an original story or will it adapt one of the many arcs found in the games? Is this going to be a faithful reproduction of the beloved series or an evolution of what made it so popular in the first place?
It is interesting to note that this news comes only four years after the series’ ill-fated cinematic appearance. The 2016 film, starring Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Irons, was universally panned by fans and critics alike for its dull action and characters and needlessly complicated plot.
For all intents and purposes, the film seemed to ignore what made the series great, foregoing the smart conspiracy theme in a vibrant historical setting for a drab and frankly confusing story set mostly in the modern day.
Assassin’s Creed is not alone, of course. There has never been a wholly successful video game adaptation on the big screen. Most have been poorly received, with a select few obtaining legendary status for their failures.
All one has to do is look at clips from Super Mario Bros., Max Payne and Doom to understand why this medium has found it difficult to claim a home in cinemas.
It has almost become a universally accepted truth at this point that video games and movies are generally incompatible, despite the fact that there remain many video game stories currently in the works, such as Uncharted and Monster Hunter.
Interestingly, certain producers seem to be slowly realising that perhaps cinema is not the right fit for video game adaptations. Maybe the small screen is where these stories should live. While not directly adapting the video game series of the same name, The Witcher found a huge audience on Netflix and was one of the highlights of the streaming world in 2019.
The Last of Us, one of the best and most cinematic games of the last decade, has also been confirmed for HBO. On closer inspection, it makes sense that TV is a more natural place for games. A ten-hour game would be considered short these days, and there is often no way to squeeze every ounce of the experience into a two-hour movie.
On TV however, there is the potential for unlimited development and truly faithful adaptation. Riding on the coat tails of The Witcher, there is reason to be excited for the Assassin’s Creed TV show, and perhaps it is an omen of things to come in the world of video game adaptations.
Jack Halligan.
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