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__label__cc	0.592063	0.407937	Orleans Cardinals (23-20-1 – 3rd in East) ORLEANS, Mass. – The Orleans Cardinals finished the 2007 Cape Cod Baseball League season on a high note with a 9-5 victory over arch-rival Chatham. This victory ended Orleans’ season with 23 wins, 20 losses and one tie and gave the franchise its sixth straight winning season. With 47 points, the Cardinals fell six short of the total needed to secure a spot in the playoffs as they wound up third in the East Division behind Chatham and eventual league champion Yarmouth-Dennis. Orleans’ pitching staff compiled the CCBL’s best staff earned run average, 2.79, despite failing to place a single hurler among the league’s top 10. Dennis Raben (Miami) was the only Cardinal named to the 2007 All-League Team after driving in 35 runs to tie for the league lead. He was fourth in the league in slugging percentage at .510 and fifth in runs scored with 28. Raben finished with a .298 batting average and 6 home runs. Raben was also ranked No. 7 on Baseball America’s 2007 list of the Cape Cod League’s top 30 professional prospects. Cardinals first baseman Nate Freiman (Duke) received the prestigious Manny Robello10th Player Award for his outstanding leadership throughout the season. Freiman’s 28 RBI put him fifth in the league and his .286 batting average was second among Cardinal hitters. Outfielder Ollie Linton (California-Irvine) ended the season with 15 stolen bases, the second highest total in the league, and his .271 batting average was third best on the team. Gabriella Remington, CCBL Intern ([email protected])	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line313
__label__cc	0.587588	0.412412	Ex-Deputy of Tatyana Larina was arrested for possession of a controlled substance Participant of “Battle of psychics” threatens three years of imprisonment. Julia Mitkevich-Dalecki suspect in a serious crime. Examination has already confirmed that the package seized from a participant of the popular project, was a narcotic drug. The man is now in a state of divorce, psychic Tatiana Larina, which has repeatedly raised hand. Member of the fifteenth season of the popular project of channel TNT “Battle of psychics” and the former is the chosen psychic of Tatyana Larina Julius Mitkevich-dalecki detained in St. Petersburg on suspicion of a serious crime. Reportedly, 26-year-old young man in the evening of 1 December, the police stopped. During the inspection of Julia Mitkevich-Dalecki found some substance in a small package. The content was immediately sent for examination in Ekspertno-the criminalistic center of the Department of the interior Ministry, where it was established that the participant of “Battle of psychics” was seized prohibited drugs. Julius Mitkevich-dalecki is suspected of committing a crime for which he faces up to three years of imprisonment. However, it is not clear whether instituted a criminal case against him. That young man leads a dissolute life, “StarHit” in a recent interview told Tatyana Larina, who was two years wife Julia Mitkevich-Dalecki, and is now in a state of divorce from him. The woman admitted that Julius raised a hand to her, and she suspected that he can take illegal drugs. And in April of this year, the psychic caught wife, merry in the company of strangers, in your own home. Tatyana Larina was outraged to the core by such behavior on the part of the husband. This was the last straw in their relationship. Her husband beat psychic Tatyana Larina in front of the son. PHOTO “When bludgeoned me, I was in a strange state, as if drugged. The next day I woke up a different person and acted as if nothing had happened. And I had to cover the bruises. One day, Yegor, my eight year old son from his first marriage, witnessed the showdown. Now, he says, “Mom, you have to stay married. Your uncle will beat,” said Tatyana Larina “StarHit”. Then the psychic was determined not to let the beating Julius Mitkevich-Dalecki. She wanted to punish him for his violence against her and prepared a statement to the police. Now the party of “Battle of psychics” will have to answer for their actions to the fullest extent of the law. Now the young man is under the watchful eye of law enforcement. According to Life, with Julia Mitkevich-Dalecki taken recognizance not to leave. Philip is ready to open the children the truth about their appearance Relatives of Irina Ponarovskaya told where the missing singer Canelino.com Celebrity News	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line314
__label__wiki	0.823544	0.823544	Conspiracy Theories and Election Disinformation are Running Rampant And Fox News and social media are only fanning the flames. Image: Element5 Digital/Unsplash Despite an overwhelming lack of evidence of voter fraud, President Donald Trump and his supporters have engaged in a disinformation campaign in an attempt to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election. From false claims that more people voted this year than were registered to vote to the baseless conspiracy theory that Republican poll watchers across the country were not allowed to do their jobs, Trump and his surrogates have utilized social media and Fox News to spread disinformation and rile up their base. And it’s working. Prior to Biden’s victory on Saturday, Trump supporters participated in “Stop the Count” protests, urging election officials to stop counting votes, even though Trump was behind at the time. Some supporters even created a Facebook group called “Stop the Steal,” which quickly became the epicenter of election-related conspiracy theories, the most prominent one being that ballots were being manipulated so that Trump would lose. While Facebook shut down the group just 24 hours later for inciting violence, it was too late. Lies and conspiracy theories had already flooded the internet, causing an alarming number of people to believe that the election was stolen or rigged. And it’s not just fringe internet groups that are responsible for peddling these falsehoods. Fox News is engaged in a disinformation campaign of its own. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich appeared on the network twice over the past week to sow fear and distrust around the electoral process. In an interview with Sean Hannity on Thursday, Gingrich falsely claimed that Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Detroit were trying to steal the election and called for the arrest of poll workers. He also peddled the conspiracy theory that GOP poll workers weren’t allowed to watch votes being counted, arguing that votes in precincts where this occurred should be stripped away. Trump also doubled down on this conspiracy on Friday, tweeting, “The OBSERVERS were not allowed, in any way, shape, or form, to do their job and therefore, votes accepted during this period must be determined to be ILLEGAL.” Again, this claim is false. Poll watchers from both parties were allowed to observe votes being counted. There is no evidence to the contrary. In the aftermath of Saturday’s election results, Gingrich appeared on “Fox & Friends” on Sunday, calling the election “corrupt” and “stolen” and falsely claiming that Biden’s win was a “left-wing power grab financed by people like George Soros.” While political commentator Jedediah Bila tried to push back against this claim, asking for evidence, Gingrich failed to provide any. Instead, he disparaged poll workers and blamed Trump’s loss on the “deep state.” Gingrich wasn’t the only politician to use Fox News to spread disinformation and election denialism, however. Appearing on the network on Sunday, Sen. Lindsey Graham alleged that dead people had voted by mail in Pennsylvania and urged Trump not to concede until every last vote is counted. “If Republicans don’t challenge and change the U.S. election system,” Graham said, “there will never be another Republican president elected again.” Being upset that your party or candidate lost is one thing, but engaging in election denialism and spreading conspiracy theories to cast doubt on the electoral process is another entirely. It’s not just irresponsible, it’s dangerous, and lives are being threatened in the process. Republican Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt told “60 Minutes” on Sunday that he is receiving death threats from disgruntled Trump supporters for simply counting votes. “In the birthplace of our Republic, counting votes is not a bad thing. Counting votes cast on or before Election Day by eligible voters is not corruption. It is not cheating. It is democracy,” Schmidt said. Many of these baseless claims of election fraud stem from the fact that Trump appeared to have been winning Pennsylvania early on because only in-person ballots were being counted on Tuesday. Mail-in ballots could not be counted until the day after. Pennsylvania also extended the deadline for mail-in ballots to be received and counted up to 3 days after Election Day, which received major pushback from the Pennsylvania GOP. As a result, Pennsylvania has been one of the main targets of election-related conspiracy theories and the consequences have been nothing short of dangerous. On Friday, police arrested two armed men from Virginia for planning to storm the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia where votes were being counted. That same day, police responded to two bomb threats in Philadelphia’s Fashion District, which is located near the convention center and the offices of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “At the end of the day, we are counting eligible votes cast by voters. The controversy surrounding it is something I don’t understand. It’s people making accusations that we wouldn’t count those votes or people are adding fraudulent votes or just, coming up with, just, all sorts of crazy stuff,” Schmidt said. Schmidt also noted that he has gotten calls to his office from people reminding him that “this is what the Second Amendment is for.” “The real damage is not who wins and who loses or who gets elected or not,” he said. “The real damage, I think, is how we all react to this process.” Stop Blaming Kirsten Gillibrand for Your Misogyny Zaccary Bradt Level-headed Leadership Heidi Creighton This Is Not Up For Debate A Woman Can Become President, but Repeating the Question Makes it Harder Alex Thornton The Lessons of Kamala Harris Eric Medlin in The National Discussion The Fight Over Mail-In Ballots Has Shifted to Drop Boxes No Space for Utilitarianism in 2020 Race Katherine Emily I Know Joe Biden: Valerie Biden-Owens	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line316
__label__wiki	0.630199	0.630199	You must have a subscription to continue. Please log in to subscribe. Purchase a Day Pass or Monthly Pass to continue reading. Finish this article for as low as $1 when you purchase a day pass. Just click the sign up button to purchase. If you are already a subscriber, just click log in to continue reading. Donald Whitworth Booking photo/Christian County Sheriff's Office Nixa man serving 20 years for sex crimes A Nixa man started serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex crimes against a child in 2020. Donald Whitworth, 69, made an Alford plea to a charge of statutory sodomy with a person less than 12 years of age, and two charges of first-degree child molestation. An Alford plea occurs when a defendant in a criminal court case declines to admit guilt, but admits that prosecuting attorneys have enough evidence mounted against him/her to result in a conviction if the case were to go through a trial. Christian County Presiding Judge Laura Johnson sentenced Whitworth to 10 years in prison on the sodomy plea and 10 years in prison on each of the child molestation pleas. The judge ordered that the sentence for molestation run consecutive to the sentence for sodomy, meaning that Whitworth is sentenced to a total of 20 years in a state prison. Whitworth was arrested Jan. 2, 2020. In a probable cause statement, a Nixa police officer wrote that Whitworth was charged after a boy came forward to his mother. The boy was then interviewed at Child Advocacy Center in Springfield. The Nixa detective recounts multiple instances in which the boy described Whitworth touching him inappropriately above and under his clothes, including instances of sex acts. Incidents allegedly occurred at Whitworth’s home in Nixa and once at an amusement park in Stone County. “(Whitworth) attempted to conceal the acts conducted with (the boy) by telling him to not tell anyone because it was a secret,” the probable cause statement reads. Under Missouri law, statutory sodomy on a person less than 12 years of age is considered an aggravated offense because of the victim’s age. The authorized term for a conviction of an aggravated unclassified felony in Missouri is life imprisonment, or a minimum of at least 10 years in prison. Whitworth is being held at the Fulton Reception and Diagnostic Center in Fulton. Editor’s note: In the Headliner News’ coverage of court cases involving minors, especially with allegations of sex crimes or molestation, some details found in court documents are intentionally omitted. This is done in effort to adhere to the Headliner News’ policies for news coverage and to protect the identities of minors and/or the victims of sexual offenses. Mother sentenced to probation in infant death case A woman accused of child abuse that resulted in the death of an infant is serving five years… Billings man sentenced to 330 years in prison for sex crimes A Billings man will spend the rest of his life in prison after a Christian County judge sent… Spokane husband and wife guilty of child endangerment, sentencing in December A Christian County husband and wife were each found guilty of endangering the welfare of a c… Charge dismissed against man arrested at ‘suspicious death’ scene A Christian County judge dismissed one of the most severe criminal charges filed against an … Man who dropped baby sentenced to probation after plea deal A man from Clever who admitted to dropping a baby, causing the child to hit its head, will s… Ozark man convicted of statutory rape An Ozark man was convicted of statutory rape and could spend the rest of his life in prison.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line317
__label__wiki	0.569419	0.569419	Unique Challenges for Enterprise Local SEO with Krystal Taing Raney C. Hudson Krystal Taing is works with Solutions & Strategic Partnerships for Uberall and before that was with the agency Rio SEO, which is known for its work with enterprise-level local SEO. She’s also a Gold Google Product Expert. She’s worked with verticals like retail, hospitality, healthcare, finance, and more. Today she joins us on the Agency Ahead podcast to talk about the challenges of enterprise local SEO, as well as some of the solutions she’s discovered and developed while working with chains. The highlights: (0:52) How Krystal got her start. (3:19) How enterprises are thinking about local SEO. (5:22) Getting started with enterprise-level clients. (6:27) Working with branches. (8:28) The challenges of navigating Google’s attitude towards enterprise-level players in local SEO. (10:48) Why Google might not want to focus on enterprise-level organizations the same way they focus on SMBs. (12:06) Thoughts on the potential monetization of GMB. (14:07) LSAs: what they are, who they’re for, and whether they’re valuable. (16:13) Why businesses should stay on-task vis a vis reviews. (21:52) Krystal’s causes. The insights: How Krystal got her start in enterprise Local SEO Garrett asked Krystal to share her background with our listeners. “I started in eCommerce, merchandising websites. This was in 2010 to 2012. I think my first intro to SEO was a very large project because we had gotten a penalty by Google for all these spam websites that were linking to us. So doing this backlink project where I was trying to disavow these websites that got us a lot of visibility in the early 2000s that were suddenly against guidelines.” Her role got less creative, more focused on trends. “These are the searches these category pages got. These are the products that converted. These are the terms that didn’t convert, which would mean we’d need to expand this product line or the price point.” She found that far more interesting than some of the work she’d been doing before. All this experience led directly to her role at Rio SEO, “which is all about consumer behavior, local SEO, and how these trends fit into the big picture and how brands can participate from a digital standpoint. I don’t know that anyone has a clear path directly to local SEO, but that’s what worked for me.” How enterprises are thinking about Local SEO “Enterprise brands that have been putting effort into local SEO for the past two years are really seeing a payoff right now because they’re positioned to make a lot of those really quick changes vs. some others that maybe dabbled in it but it wasn’t a huge initiative for their organizations. Even banks and healthcare companies that you might not think of as traditionally savvy when it comes to local SEO are really seeing some great opportunity because they’ve been playing the game for a while.” Of course, if you are working with an enterprise who hasn’t put in that kind of effort yet then it’s never too early to start. Krystal paused here to talk about the biggest challenge of enterprise-level local SEO. “You’re taking what you’re trying to do at a local level and then multiplying it by 100, or 1000, or 10,000, but you still have to make [each listing] unique and make it representative of the community and the organization.” She says that these organizations often don’t understand how local plays into their organization as a whole, and how it can trickle down from corporate to the smaller branches and communities. Garrett pointed out that this is like addressing personalization: you can automate a lot of it, and just put a lot of the same cookie-cutter boiler-plate stuff out there, but that’s not good local SEO. Getting started with enterprise-level clients Garrett asked Krystal to describe who in the organization she’s typically working with. She says they’re typically dealing wither with a CMO or sometimes someone in IT. “Sometimes they do have an in-house local or SEO team, or a partner agency, which can make the conversation easier because you can get the basics out of the way, but it’s typically someone representing the organization.” Then Garrett asked about working with the people at the local, branch level. “Often when you’re dealing with anything that’s not a franchise organization there’s going to be stipulations, there’s going to be marketing plans. Someone at the store manager level doesn’t necessarily need to be involved in the implementation and the day-to-day, but where that comes into play is that someone from the actual location will say: our hours are wrong, or we’ve got this review we want to reply to.” Krystal says often she’ll get an email that’s been forwarded ten or twelve times. “Really what we focus on is education, at that point. How to service those types of things. How to have a proactive conversation, and a relationship with people that are in the communities, whether it’s a district manager, a regional manager, or a store-level manager. How to solve some of those challenges quicker.” “Sometimes,” she adds, “it’s not always built into the organizational structure to invite feedback from the store level, especially from a digital standpoint.” The infrastructure exists for things like getting repairs for a store, but not for digital marketing. Krystal is often involved in helping organizations build that infrastructure. The challenges of navigating Google's attitude toward enterprise-level players in Local SEO Anyone who is in the local SEO sphere knows that Google isn’t always as friendly to enterprises and multi-location businesses as it is to SMBs. For example, for a long time chains weren’t allowed to use the Google Posts feature. Krystal says there have been some improvements. “They’re getting better at being explicit when there’s features or functionality that they’re not going to support for enterprises. I don’t know that they’re getting better at actually supporting enterprises, but at least they’re saying oh, this is really for small and medium-sized businesses. If you’re an enterprise go subscribe to our product inventory ads or something like that.” She appreciates this because it’s a sign Google now understands these are very different conversations. She says she’s also seen some personal successes with sharing feedback that enterprise has some challenges, or there are opportunities that she’d like to see Google support for them. “They may not always respond in the moment, but I have seen some enhancements, or that they’re adding new functionality to the API, or that they’re going to temporarily allow posts for chains [during COVID]. They’ll always hear that from me, and that’s the role I play. Always being in their ear: what about multi-location.“ She encourages people to resist the stereotype that says enterprise-level clients don’t need the help. “There are really three different markets: the Mom and Pop that finds it easier to create this experience from a digital standpoint because they only do it one time, the small-to-medium businesses that need a little bit more and don’t have the budgets, and enterprises.” She’s happy to see Google addressing each of these markets. Theories on why Google doesn't treat enterprises like SMBs Krystal thinks it basically comes right on down to money. “When they look at small and medium businesses there’s a lot more ad revenue they can be getting that they aren’t already getting today, whereas enterprises are typically more forward-thinking. They’ve adapted. They’ve had to. They’ve had websites a lot longer. They’ve had eCommerce. I think they understand they probably have the majority of the enterprise business. They can always upsell them. But that’s nothing compared to what they could potentially make off of the small and medium businesses that aren’t doing ads with Google today.” She says that GMB is basically designed to be like a gateway drug to ads. The status of monetizing the local knowledge panel and GMB Has the conversation about monetizing Google slowed down? Apparently, Google is still experimenting. Krystal mentioned a Tweet from Tom Waddington. Google starting to offer an upgraded Business Profile (Google My Business listing) for $50/month that will add the Google Guaranteed badge to the listing and back services the business provides with the Google Guarantee. pic.twitter.com/x4bHLuVEi2 — Tom Waddington (@tomwaddington8) July 22, 2020 “Tom manages a lot of home service and service-based businesses on GMB, and he does a lot of LSAs. Any question about Local Service Ads, I always point people in Tom’s direction. [This new option from Google] seems aimed at LSAs. It would make sense that it came from LSAs. They’re already getting money. Right now it looks like [people who take this option] get dedicated support and maybe something else.” Here’s the article referenced in Tom Waddington’s tweet. For those who don’t know, LSAs are aimed primarily at contractors. It stands for “local service ads.” If you’ve gone through the verification process, you’ll see a green checkmark that says “Google Guaranteed,” which is similar to Yelp’s verified profile. Krystal thinks these popped up in response to the many times when people would call service providers only to find that whoever showed up didn’t actually know how to do the job. “There have been a lot of questions about these listings on Google, about whether they’re legitimate. I think it’s [Google’s] way of monetizing the service but also weeding out bad agents.” She also says if LSAs are available for your vertical she does recommend them. Why businesses should stay on top of reviews: Even during a pandemic Krystal warns businesses away from veering away from reviews, even though they’re getting fewer customers in-store. “Invite that specific feedback. You want to know how [they feel about] that new service you rolled out, whether it’s curbside pick up or online order pick up.” She tells a story of how a review helped her find a specific restaurant. “There’s a restaurant near me called El Zarape. There’s lots of Mexican food in San Diego, and there are a million El Zarapes. But I knew one had just opened up an outdoor patio.” She wanted to find that one. So she Googled “El Zarape outdoor dining.” There was a review that highlighted the new patio right in the Map Pack: “This place respects social distancing and their outdoor dining is great.” She says if you’re inviting that specific feedback it can help you in ways than you know, especially if you haven’t updated yet. Of course, you should absolutely update your listing if you’re adding something new, especially if it’s in response to COVID. Looking for more insights about this specific issue? You should also check out Mike Blumenthal’s article on GatherUp: Reviews Don’t Mask the Truth: A Look at Covid-19 and Reviews. Krystal also notes that many reviews specifically reference current events, like reviews that mention masks, or reviews that mention businesses that are currently closed because the location has burned down. “I think right now just understanding how your brand participates in the community that it’s in, and knowing what types of comments or elements are important to those users and those customers. You need to pay attention to what they’re saying in your reviews, whether it’s positive or negative, and make sure you have the appropriate response.” Garrett asked about managing review responses. “What we’ll do is we’ll look at the reviews that they’re getting. We’ll say on average how many positive, negative, and neutral reviews they’re getting, noting common sentiments or common words.” They then use this information to adjust the way the business asks for reviews, for example. “If you’re a healthcare organization, and your reviews don’t have a lot of content, ask people to talk about the front desk, or the cleanliness, or their telehealth appointment. Really coaching them to bring these conversations to the fold.” What’s your right now cause? Krystal is really passionate about education and child care during the Covid-19 pandemic. “There are micro classes, there are organizations offering supports to parents, there are schools offering child-care check-in. See where you can donate, see where you can help, even if it’s just distributing meals while these kids are out of school.” Connect with Krystal Taing Want more insights from Krystal? Website: Uberall Garrett Sussman Garrett is the head of content at Traject , a suite of digital marketing tools, and host of the Agency Ahead podcast. When he's not crafting content, he's scouting the perfect ice coffee, devouring the newest graphic novels, and concocting a new recipe in the kitchen. Raney C. Hudson is an independent content consultant with a 10+ year track record in the digital marketing industry. PrevPreviousPython, Passion, and Powering Up SEO’s Reputation with Hamlet Batista NextA Process For Efficient and Humane Link Building Outreach with Gisele NavarroNext	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line322
__label__wiki	0.58676	0.58676	Catherine Bowman Catherine Bowman, the fifth child of six, at 86 years old is a third-generation Georgetowner. Born in 1924 to a mother and grandfather that both lived in Georgetown all of their lives, she has seen many changes occur, particularly in regards to race. She loves correcting anyone that says that Georgetown was once “all-black”. In her words, “Georgetown was never ‘all-black’. They had their section and we had ours.” That section was a tight-knit community at the eastern edge of Georgetown, just before Rock Creek and the bridges to Dupont Circle and the West End/Foggy Bottom. This community centered around five churches and Rose Park. Catherine, who has lived in her P Street house since 1927 when her parents purchased it, provides a glimpse into life in “Black Georgetown” by sharing stories about growing up here, former residents, community amenities and the socioeconomic changes she has witnessed. Ronda Bernstein Ronda Bernstein: OK, it is Friday, February 12th at 11:25 AM, I am at the home of Catherine Bowman, at 2727 P Street Northwest, and we are about to start our interview. So, thank you, Ms. Bowman, I appreciate you letting me come into your home today. Catherine Bowman: Oh, I am delighted. I was so happy to find out where you were, and that you lived in Georgetown. I was really surprised, I was really shocked. But, I have been living here since 1927. This home was bought in 1927 and my family, my mother — it was six of us — we all resided here, and I am the only one living here at the present time. I have a brother. He’s a historian, as we say, of the “Black Georgetown.” Oh, things have changed in Georgetown. It has really, really changed. The school system, my neighborhood, when integration came along everything changed. Mainly people used to, who brought up here, said that black people were trying to live the whole section of Georgetown, but that is not true. Certain sections of Georgetown were black, because we still had schools in here. We had two white schools here and two black schools. But then mainly, let’s say that black school was named Philips, the elementary school, and Wormley Elementary School. And the white schools were Jackson Elementary and Corcoran School. Jackson’s up on R street, they still have Jackson School. That is a, I want to say some kind of gallery, I think now. But mainly on my section of P Street we were mostly black and on the other side of street were black, and on this side of the street were integrated. We had a playground on 27th and P, no 26 and P, there was a playground called Rose Park. That was all black, but now it’s integrated. Mostly white. [laughs] Ronda: Mostly dogs. Catherine: [laughs] Mostly dogs. They have really taken it over. They have actually taken it over. But I am amazed at what’s happening there now. And Dr. Marshall was here. He was very influential here in Georgetown. He was the one that had integrated the tennis courts down there because mostly black people used the tennis courts and then gradually we had the white people tennis courts. And with the churches we still have, [sighs] Let me see — we still had one, two, three, four black churches around. Three, no, was it four? Let me see, three – one, two, three – Baptist churches and one Methodist church and we had the Epiphany, which was a Catholic church. That was all black, but mostly, now that one is a black church, but I understand now, they only have about three families there. Because most of the people move out of town, move out of the section, and they have to come back. Which they say is a hardship coming back and find a parking space. But my theory is, if you want to come some place you can find a place to park. Ronda: Now what were the other three black churches? Catherine: Are they still here? Yes. They’re still here. And they’re still functioning. One is at 26th and P, the other is at 27th and Dumbarton Avenue. And the other one is on N street in the 2700 block of N street. And the Epiphany’s around – that’s a black church – and that’s on the 2700 block of Dumbarton Avenue. We’re all still functioning. But we don’t know how, but we’re still functioning. And in my neighborhood, let me see, on 27th and, let me see, in the 1500 block and 1400 block of 26th street there were nothing but black families. But, mainly why the black people moved, there were a lot of rentals. And they didn’t have the proper jobs to have the money to buy the homes. And when the desegregation came the realtors wanted their places. So, they had to get up and move, which was a hardship for a lot of them. Now, some of them could afford to stay here. But they didn’t, because they didn’t think Georgetown was an up-and-coming place. They moved further, in different neighborhoods. Now, a lot of them would like to come back but can’t afford it. [laughs] And we had a good time. I had my friends. As I said, most of them have moved out. I don’t see too many of them now. But in the back — we have an alley back there. We used to have all our neighbors over here, we used to have a club called the Jolly Juniors. And every summer we would have a little carnival in the back yard. Ronda: Now, is this when you were growing up? Catherine: Yeah, that’s when we were growing up. Because I come from a family of six of us. And my neighbors, we would all come around, we’d put our little presents and you know, just have a good time. And I didn’t say children don’t play. We used to go around and play with each other. We’d play hopscotch. And then, around on 29th Street where black people lived. I’ll tell you, we lived from here up to this block, 28th and P. And then, before or after that, it became white all the way up to 32nd Street. And then, black people lived all up on 32nd Street. And then we went further up, and they went to something called Herring Hills, I think. Holy Hills, up there by Trinity, by Georgetown University, black people lived up there. And the streets – Dumbarton Avenue, they called that Dumbarton Street. That was Dumbarton Avenue when we grew up. It was always “Avenue.” And there was Prospect Street. They called that Prospect Street. That was Prospect Avenue. And the little street back here, it was nothing but an alley. [laughs] They call that Poplar Street now. And as I said, black people lived all back there. Black, this was a whole area of black. Ronda: So, from basically 28th Street to Rose Park. Catherine: All over that area was black. Yes. Because, further up here on Q Street, that was always white. And all up there, in that block was white, because I never remember white people living all back there. But we got along with them. I did, because — I guess we played together, you know, as kids do play together. And we had a doctor over there, Dr. C. Herbert Marshall. His father was a doctor. And he was like the mayor of Georgetown for the black people. If we had any problems, we would go to him. Ronda: What was his name again? Catherine: Dr. C. Herbert Marshall. His grandson still is over here. As I said originally, right now there’s only five old-Georgetowners who still live here. Let me see. That would be the Jacksons, the Waterses, the Bowmans, the Marshalls, the Hughes, and the Peoples. And the little girl around the corner, the 1400 block of 28th Street. Her name? Mildred Burnett. Now, those are the only five that I remember that still live here. As I said, there might be some more, but I haven’t met them. And we wondered, how can we get in touch with — like you. [laughs] Now, how long have you been here? Ronda: A year and a half. June, 2008 that we bought our house. Catherine: Oh, and you’ve been living up here since then? Ronda: I walk by here all the time. Catherine: Do you? Ronda: I do. Catherine: And you’ve never seen me, out front? Ronda: No. I never see anybody. Catherine: Is that right? Well, I am happy. And let me see what else I can tell you … Ronda: Well, let me ask you. You said your mom bought this house. Catherine: My mom and dad bought this house, in 1927. Ronda: Where did they live before? Catherine: Here, right in Georgetown. My mother was born here in Georgetown. In fact, she got married across the street as I understand. Yes, she lived here all the time. My father lived right up in Bethesda, Maryland. He was from Maryland. Ronda: Do you know what year your mom was born? Catherine: Oh, in there, where was my mom, eighteen, eighteen — I can go upstairs and get it real fast for you. 1895? No 1895, how old would that have been? 1895 how old would that make her? Ronda: That would make her 22 when she bought the house, when they bought, no a little bit older than that. Catherine: All I know is she bought the house in 1927. We moved here in January — was it January 1927? They bought the house in 1927 and my younger sister was born in July of 1927. Ronda: So where were you all living before then? Catherine: Oh all of them were born over here in Georgetown. I was the only one who was born across the bridge. I lived on 24th Street and the rest of them, I think we just lived over there for about two or three years but all the rest of us was born right here in this vicinity. Ronda: OK, so what year were you born? Catherine: 1924. Ronda: OK, so not long before you all moved here. Catherine: No, no. Ronda: So you’re the oldest of six? Catherine: No, no. There they all are lined up there. [points to photos on the mantle] I’m not the oldest, no, I am next to the youngest. Ronda: OK. Catherine: And my younger sister is seven or eight years — I’m next to the youngest. It was a big family. Let me see what else. And we all went to church here. When we were growing up, we would participate. The children would all go together in the neighborhoods. We weren’t really scattered, we were all one happy family over here. In our block, we were one happy family. We would go around every Christmas time, we would go visiting each other, like they used to do but they don’t do that anymore. And we would go to church and have numerous things, but it was just a happy neighborhood. And Georgetown, the black people lived up off of Wisconsin Avenue, over there in Georgetown there were all these little shacks and things up on, let’s see Georgetown, up on South Street. You know where South Street is? Ronda: Mm-hmm. Catherine: Black people used to live all up in there. Bells Court, a place called it Bell’s Court. Black people used to live up there but their houses were nothing. Just outside, just little shacks. And then as I said, they rented them. But what happened, they had to get out when times changed. And people used to say, “People in Georgetown do nothing,” you know, nobody put anything into other people, black people didn’t think anything of Georgetown, “Oh, you’re from Georgetown.” And to the day, they will tell you Georgetown was all black. But that was never true. And I was at the precinct recently and I told a girl that. She said, “Oh really, Georgetown. You’re still there? It was all black.” I said, “No, you all have the wrong perception. It was partlyblack. We had a certain section. It was like anything else. We were part of a section and they had their little section.” Ronda: So which of the churches did you go to when you were growing up? Catherine: Mt. Zion, all my life, Mt. Zion United Methodist Church. We used to have all kinds of activities for the children. We had all kinds of activities. We had a bible school in the summertime. And well, let’s say, the churches around here, we were always, all the black churches, the Catholic churches, we were all interwoven. We would go from one church to the other. They would have bible class down there [points south] and we would go there. If they [points east] had something in the evening, we would just all join together. One happy family. Ronda: Was the church a big part of the community? Catherine: Yeah. Our church was a big part of the community because we had Mt. Zion, and my brother will speak about it. We had a little house around the corner. We called it a Community House, around from the church, and it’s the oldest cottage in Washington, DC. We cannot tear it down. And my brother works out of there. We have records and things in there. He will discuss that with you when you see him about it. And we have a cemetery up here. You’ve heard of the Mt. Zion cemetery. That’s where the slaves were, some of the Underground slaves. And our place was where the Underground slaves stayed. Ronda: Which place? Catherine: Our church. Ronda: The church was…? Catherine: The church was a place where they came. And then, they have a vault up in the cemetery. Ronda: Oh okay, interesting. Catherine: There’s a vault up there. We had the streetcars, used to roll up and down here. We used to have streetcar tracks up here. And we used to sit out there and wait for the streetcars to come by. And we used to skate in the street and we used to play ball. It was just a lovely neighborhood. And I say, as time changed you could see the white neighborhood coming in, taking over. Over in that section, those houses down there was nothing but black people. All on that side was black. Now, mostly white on that side now, they are. Let me see: one, two, three? Yeah, on the other side. Ronda: On the south side of P? Catherine: Um-hmm. And all down the 2400 block of P was black. 27th Street – all of the street, practically black. Ronda: When would you say the transformation started to happen? Catherine: I guess … was it 1955 when integration really started? Well, I think it really started when the Kennedys came in. That was really the transformation. That’s when the Kennedys came in. Ronda: Because he lived here as a Senator. Catherine: Yes, he lived here as a Senator. And that’s when the Democrats came in. That’s when the big change came, and you could just see the neighborhood changing. Ronda: OK. So, what about things like services? Stores and things like that. What was that like when you were growing up? Catherine: Oh, good. On the corner down there, we had a black drugstore. On the corner, it’s down there with… Ronda: Down there? What’s that, 26th? Catherine: 27th and P Street. We had druggist. Her name was Mrs. Smith, named, Dr. Carlotta Smith. She had a drugstore. And she had a (soda) fountain down there. We would go into the fountain, and sit down and see a regular pharmacist. So we a had druggist. And we had black shoemakers in Georgetown. And on M Street, we had a fellow named Cy — Cy the tailor. He made beautiful clothes. And he used to make clothes for the guys at Georgetown University. Plenty beauticians. We had lots of beauticians in Georgetown. And we had another fellow. He was an older man named Mr. Martin. He had a gasoline station at 24th and M. He had a great big Gulf gasoline station. Let me see. And I think at 26th, a shoemaker. And at 26th and P Street, we had a bakery. A fellow used to have a bakery there. A Mr. Merritt, he had a barbershop on M Street. Let me see, that’s above Wisconsin Avenue. That must have been the 3300 block of M Street. He was a black barber. And we had a black movie theater. Ronda: Oh, which theater was that? Catherine: [laughs] Once, it was called the Blue Mouse Theatre. Then we changed it to the Mott Theatre. That was over here on 26th and M Street. Right across from where the bridge — you know, where the M Street Bridge — right on that little street, there was a theater. That’s what we used to do on Saturdays, go to the movies. [laughs] Ronda: Is that where the embassy is now? Catherine: Yes. What embassy? I don’t know what embassy that… Ronda: I don’t know the name of it. Catherine: In that block, there was a lady named Miss Mattie. She had a little delicatessen there. But, black people had lots of… Now, I’m trying to think of what was around on 28th Street. Now, the shoe shop was around here. We had the shoe shop around here, and what else around here? Maybe somebody else can think. But I know that much, we had Cy the tailor, barbershops. We had two barber shops. One was down at 28th and Penn. And then the other one was up at 33rd and M Street. And Cy the Tailor, yes. And down here we had a tailor shop down in the next block. His name was Burt the Tailor. We had Mr. Clarence Warren. He had a moving company. He had a hauling company. We had quite a few black people that were here that did lots of things. Ronda: And then you said that the Marshalls were the doctor? Catherine: Yeah, Dr. C Herbert Marshall. Ronda: And I know, that building is also in the 2600 block, the house where he is, where his son is. Catherine: No. That’s it right across the street. His son’s right there. Right there. That gray…, yeah. Ronda: Oh, Oh. Right there at the corner? Oh. Catherine: Yeah, right there. That gray house right there. With the front on it right. Yeah, that’s where his son, his grandson lives there now. Yeah. Ronda: Oh, OK. Oh, OK. I was thinking it was down. Catherine: No, no, no, no. Well the playground was our main place of business. Because, ok, we has this couple called the Peter sisters. They were well known in the tennis field. They won all kinds of medals. But it wasn’t like it was years …, you know? The last one died about last year, the Peter sisters. And they lived around in the 2700 block. 2700 block O Street. Yeah they went to Tuskegee. They were twins. They were sisters. They came back here and taught school. They had another fellow named Jabbo Kenner. He used to box. Yeah, yeah, we had quite a few. Lots and lots of teachers that lived over here. Ronda: Now the Park which starts at P Street now and goes all the way down to M, has it always been that big? Catherine: No, no. They never put in a Rose Park. We never went that far. They have increased the Rose Park playground. No. We had before then, no. It was smaller than that. And we had a little house. And first we had a little house. And then a little lady that used to handle it, name of Mrs. McKinney. She used to be the director of it. But in the last 10 or 15 years, they had expanded it. Ronda: OK. Where did it used to stop? Catherine: Right by the tennis courts. Right there. It was stopped, right by the tennis courts. It was a house right next to the tennis court. When you’d come up those steps, it would stop there. And then they had expanded it to go all the way down to M street. Ronda: Well what in the area where they expanded it what used to be there? Was it trees? Or where there houses? Catherine: It was just open territory. Just open land. Was the church there beside it but, right back of it, there was nothing but open land. We went to Rose Park playground and we just stopped there. And you could hear. It wasn’t nothing like that. And you could hear, the guys would play basketball and things down there. But see now they have a, beautiful basketball court and everything else. Oh, and then we had a Francis pool. That’s a costly pool. That was a black pool too. Ronda: Oh. Catherine: Francis Pool was nothing but black people at times. It belonged to Francis Junior High School. But that came under the recreation. We had Charlie Drew. He used to work at the pool when he was growing up. He lived in Virginia, but he came here and worked at the pool. Rose Park didn’t extend that far. And the lady, the last lady that worked at Rose Park, she died this year too. She was amazed when she came. She said, “It never used to stop right there, Catherine.” I said, “I know it didn’t.” Then they started having like a daycare center. And she would be in charge of the daycare center. And then she knew a lot of the white kids around here because their parents would come down there. And then we’d have a knitting club, and lots and lots of activities. Ronda: Now when was this? With the day care and the knitting club? When did all that start? Catherine: 20 years ago? Let me — how old is…? I’m trying to see how old — let me see. I’m trying to figure. I have to think about the kids now. [mumbles under breath] Let me see. How old is my niece? I have to think how old my niece is. [mumbles] She’s 44. That must have been about 40 years ago. Yeah. Ronda: So 40? Catherine: 40 years, because, yeah, because. Yeah, it would have to be that, because… Yeah, but let’s say it just stopped about 10 or 15 years ago. It just stopped because the house closed and I think they couldn’t get anybody else to… I think the Recreation Department — I don’t know how it runs now — the Recreation Department, because they have a house there that’s not open any more, but they used to have someone come over. The ladies used to come over, and the parents used to go down there and knit and everything. When did it stop? I don’t know. It must have stopped about 20 years ago. I don’t know. Ronda: Now my understanding is that the playground at Rose Park was always integrated; that the park wasn’t segregated. No? Catherine: [chuckles] OK. When I was coming up, wasn’t nothing but black people at the playground. [laughs] And then, the tennis court was the first thing that got integrated and Dr. Marshall was — saw that that. We had Gene Kelly, the movie star, he used to come there and play on the playground, play tennis down there. [laughs] But no, no, [chuckles] no, it has not always been integrated. No. In the later years, no way. When I was coming up, Rose Park was a black playground. Ronda: OK, and the rest? Even like the park grounds, basically it was all segregated? Catherine: Yes. Yes Indeed. Yes. [laughs] I’d like to see that. No, no, black people — no white people came down, no. Until they started having the playschool down there and I guess that was about 40 years ago. I guess it must have been about 40 years ago when they started that. I’m trying to think how old, because a girl used to always ask me about Simon, the fellow down on the corner, he’s married now. Ronda: Jacobson. Simon Jacobson. Catherine: You know Simon Jacobson? Ronda: I used to tutor him. In architecture school, yeah. Catherine: Did you? Is that right? Ronda: Small world. Catherine: OK, they used to live in this first house here. This first house like these up here. This first house. That’s where his father started his business. Ronda: Oh, OK. Catherine: OK. His father started his business right there, and he had this fellow — this black fellow — that worked for him. Do you know the guy that used to work for him? Ronda: No. So Hugh Jacobsen’s house, the one right at the corner, across from Griffin Market? Catherine: No. It’s a house that’s made just like this. Like at the first house. That’s 27… Ronda: Oh, the first row house. Catherine: The first row house – 273… Ronda: 36? Catherine: 35. Ronda: 35. OK. Catherine: That’s where Hugh Jacobsen started. Yes, I knew it. See, that’s what I said. I’d see him [laughs and imitates dignified accent] “Is that so?” Ronda: Because he lives on O Street now. Catherine: No. He lives on P — on 28th Street. Ronda: Oh 28th, right. Catherine: Yeah, right down on P. His father lives on one side of the house and he lives on the other side of the street. His office is down in the 2600 block. His office is down there. I knew all of them. I knew all of them when they were young. Catherine: Yeah, because Mr. Jacobsen, because he’d always stop and I’d ask him how his wife is doing and he’d say, “She’s not well. No.” Because the house he lives in, Mr. Hugh Jacobsen, he had built — he had fixed and remodeled that house for somebody else. Black people used to live in that house a long time ago. Black people used to live all down there. That was all black. All black. Ronda: So, now the places –so basically, north of Q Street there weren’t black people. Catherine: Not until you hit 32nd Street. Ronda: Right. Catherine: That’s right. Basically Q street was those big houses where white people — black people worked for those people. Ronda: Right, except for the school. Jackson School was up there by Montrose Park. Catherine: That was white at one time. That was a white school. Ronda: Oh, that was a white school. Catherine: And my niece went to that school because, when she went there, let me see, I tell you when she went there — she went there for the third through the sixth grade, I think. Ronda: So they were all elementary schools. Catherine: That was elementary school, and yes she went. And they didn’t have many children at that school then because, OK, they had the white schools over here. But most of these people – white people – send their children to private schools, and that’s why the white schools closed before the black schools – because the white people always send their children to private school. [laughs] That’s why there were no blacks over here, no whites over here, but they all went to private school. Because as my sister, my older sister – she would have been 90 I guess – she used to babysit and she said the kids she used to babysit for, their parents used to send them to white schools. Ronda: So, when things — you weren’t actually here – you weren’t born yet. And I was trying to figure out when Montrose Park was… Catherine: Oh, well see, that’s where the white people went to – Montrose Park – and we went to Rose Park. See, there it is, Montrose Park, that’s where the white people went to, Montrose Park. Ronda: OK. Was there a playground there as well? Catherine: Yeah, they had a playground there. But we never went up there. No, we didn’t go there. No. It was like segregation. We went to Rose Park. Ronda: So it was just sort of an understanding? Catherine: An understanding. You grow up that way, you know, so you understand it — this is ours and that’s theirs. You know. Ronda: Right. So, what about doing things like, when you would ride the trolley to other parts of the city? What was the city like when you were… Catherine: We didn’t have any trouble riding the trolley. Unless, one time when we went over to Virginia you had to change, get on the back, and OK, we had a park up called Glen Echo. We could not go to Glen Echo because that was in Maryland. That was segregated. Catherine: Glen Echo was segregated. We had an open air streetcar that would go to Glen Echo, but we couldn’t go in. We couldn’t go to Glen Echo. Ronda: You could ride on the trolley, but you couldn’t…, but then you’d have to come back home. Catherine: That’s right. We had something for the black people. We had something called Suburban Gardens. That was way out in Northeast. They had a park out there, but it was nothing like Glen Echo. Now, I know some people right now say they will not go to Glen Echo. Who just recently told me that? I think it’s my niece. I have a niece that, she says no way she goes Glen Echo. No way. I think it was her said she didn’t go. I don’t know. Ronda: That’s interesting. Catherine: That’s what I’m trying to say, it was all black down there, because down there across from Rose Park playground they were all-black apartment buildings. That’s apartments down there, and they were all black. That whole section was black. So why would they say that was black playground. 1500 block of 26th Street, all down there was black, so why would Rose Park be integrated? [laughs] Catherine: And because my aunt lived in one of those apartment building down there, and her husband kind of used to look after Rose Park – had the keys to the tennis courts and everything. No, it was… Ronda: What was her name? Catherine: Maude. But she died. I just got finished talking to her granddaughter. Was that her granddaughter? Yeah. Her aunt and her yeah, Maude, Her name was Aunt Margaret. I used to call Margaret. But no, no that was, no. I don’t know where they got that from. People come up with a lot of things, but I don’t know where they get it from. [laughs] Probably try to make themselves look good because, for me, the CAG has changed quite a bit since I used to go there. To me, they have. Ronda: When — I don’t know when they started — when did you start going to the meetings or become involved? Catherine: Let me see. When did I start becoming involved? I guess it was along to about six or seven, maybe longer than that. 10 years. I belonged to the CAG a long time ago, because the blacks used to have their own. [laughs] Catherine: We used to have a — we used to call it Rock Creek Civic Association. And my mother — was my mother secretary? I think my mother was the secretary or the treasurer and Dr. C. Herbert Marshall was president. In fact, Oh Lord, I could show — Oh, did I give it to my brother? I think I gave my brother — I had a book that my mother used to keep the minutes or the dues in. Rock Creek Civic Association. And right now, right downstairs I think I have the seal right downstairs. The Civic Association. It was called Rock Creek Civic Association. I think I have the seal downstairs. Do I have it downstairs? I think I have that seal. Ronda: OK, well we’ll look for that. So the doctor, who you said was the “unofficial black mayor”, so he was the head of the Civic Association? Catherine: Yeah, he was president of it. Ronda: And what types of things did the Civic Association take care of? What types of things did they do? Catherine: Took care of any problems that came up in Georgetown. [laughs] There was fights, I guess. They would just talk about what the black people needed to do and I guess if they had any problems they would come and discuss it and everything. Ronda: I was just curious. What types of things happened back then, compared to the types of things that they discuss now in the Civic Association? [laughs] Catherine: Well, they probably discussed about the housing and everything that was happening around here. I think they would discuss anything that would happen in DC among the black race, yes. You know, anything that was happening among the black race. Ronda: So, now Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, has that always been here as you remember? Catherine: Going down to the park? Ronda: The Parkway. Catherine: The Parkway? No. OK, let me tell you. When you say Rock Creek — the playground. You know where the playground is now? Houses used to be all on that side, down in that block. Houses used to be all over there. Black people used to live all down in that area. [chuckles] Yeah. I knew people that lived in along that area, right across from Mr. Jacobson’s office, that was the first part of that. Then you had a small park — that was Rose Park. Ronda: So on the south side of P Street, in that block, from the church to the Parkway entrance, that all, up to the bridge, basically — that all used to have houses? Catherine: Yeah, just until you get down to the driveway — the Parkway, the first Parkway. Houses used to be, not all the way down, but four or five houses used to be down there. Ronda: And then the park was behind that so you couldn’t see the park from P Street? Catherine: No. They built the park. No — the creek — they had to change the creek. There used to be a wooden bridge and a car barn; Down there used to be a car barn down there where the train — where the tracks used to come. Trolleys used to run up and down there. It was a car barn down there where the apartment building was. And there was an apartment building. An old wooden bridge. Ronda: So let’s see. The P Street Bridge was a wooden bridge across the creek. But there wasn’t really a Parkway down below. Catherine: I guess it was likely a Parkway down there. Oh, it was different. Ronda: It wasn’t as big as it… Catherine: It wasn’t as big as it… No, and I guess it might have been a Parkway and because, and I guess it wasn’t as big because when I was small, we used to go and sleigh ride down the hill. Right there was where we’d start. We used to go sleigh ride down there. [laughs] Catherine: We did. But you know, they cut us out when traffic got in. Ronda: Right, so, you are coming from DuPont Circle, you cross the wooden bridge and right when you get there, there was the trolley car barn on the north side of the street and then houses on the south side of the street. And then the park behind. Catherine: And, in fact, they can tell you, neighbors used to send billy goats and everything else used to be down there. These people up the street cause she could remember her father and I think they had papers like that. Ronda: Wow. Catherine: It was really, really, really quaint. Really quaint. Outdoors, right there on the 28th and O, they used to have a pump. They used to pump water. One of those pumps used to work for the horse troughs. And a guy with the mare, when I was young, used to come and light the lights up and down P street, the lamp lights and everything. Ronda: Oh wow. Catherine: So I’d been here. Ronda: Alright, and then they changed out the, they took all the gas lights down. Catherine: That’s right. Yeah. But I was just telling him, I think I can name everybody, the whites and blacks that used to live on this block when I was growing up. I can name them all. Oh, the Magruders, living where Jacobsons lives. I think the Magruders lived there. And there was a lawyer that lived in the next house. And Ms. O’Connor lived in the third house where Cynthia live at. And then the Watersons and the Turners. And the Fishers, the Clarks, the Watersons. I could go all the way down the neighborhood. Ronda: Oh, wow. Catherine: But we had a good time. But as I said, you could see the blacks and whites come in. And real estate was terrible when they were changing over. They would nag us to death to sell. I still get calls. They’d still-not as much as I used to, but I get cards. Now who sends me a card all the time isTaylor. You know who…? Ronda: Nancy? Catherine: You know Nancy? Ronda: I’ve never met her. She works right down the street. Catherine: Yeah, yeah, Nancy. Well, why I know Nancy, at our church we had a playschool. And that place, I guess, we had a playschool there for 30 years. And her children used to go to the playschool. And that was supposed to be integrated. But, well, the black people said they couldn’t afford it. And then, you know, it just goes until 12:00 in the day. And the rest of them had money where they could afford it and could have nurses and nannies to take care of the children. But there, I think, we used to have, when I was a secretary of the church, I think, we had three or four. But I don’t think in the last seven or eight years, they don’t have any black kids. But one girl’s mother was a doctor. Another one, she was a lawyer. So I guess the rest of them said, “We can’t afford it.” So I don’t know. Things have changed. Georgetown has changed. I have seen it come two-fold. I saw it when it was all black and then I saw it when there was a better class of white people. Now, I think the white people are nice. They’re classy, as they used to be. For those that think they are so much. As far as I’m concerned. Is that on there? So you can take some of that off. Ronda: You said your mom was born across the street. Catherine: No, she got married across the street. Ronda: Got married across the street. Now what type of work did they do? Catherine: My dad worked in the government. And my dad always worked two jobs. He was an orphan at 13, and he’s always worked two jobs. And he worked at the Cathedral one time. But he worked in the government. And my mom, she was a home momma and she did domestic work at times, you know. They raised six of us. Three went to college, and three didn’t. Ronda: Now, when your brothers and sisters moved out, did any of them stay in Georgetown, at least at first? Or did they all move away? Catherine: They all got married and moved away. My brothers, all of them got married and moved away. None of them stayed here, but they all call this home. They all call this home. My nieces, they all have to come back at Thanksgiving. We’ve got to come back to Grandmother’s house. Ronda: In order, what are the names of your brothers and sisters? Catherine: My oldest sister’s name is Marjorie. They are all up there. That’s Marjorie, the oldest one, there’s Evelyn, there’s Doris, Carter, me, and Connie. Six of us. Ronda: And what was your mother’s name? Catherine: Eudora. E-U-Dora. Her name was Eudora McDaniel. Evelyn, the second oldest, and I’m next to the youngest. We never married. So, Evelyn stayed here, until she passed. Evelyn died in 1983. 83, that’s a long time, isn’t it. That’s 30 years ago. Ronda: What was your father’s name? Catherine: Carter. Carter Bowman. His son is named after him. My grandfather was born here in Georgetown. I have a picture up here. My grandfather was born here in Georgetown. Ronda: So, what’s his name? Catherine: Cleon McDaniel. Ronda: So, he would have been born a slave, or during the slavery period. If your mom was born in 1895… Catherine: 1895. Yes, it might have been. It might have been. Carter can tell you. Ronda: It might have been right after, I guess. It was probably right after the Civil War that your grandfather was born. Catherine: My brother has all that dates. Ronda: Oh, really? Catherine: Oh, yes. He loves to do this type of work. Ronda: Do you know where your grandfather lived when he was in Georgetown? Catherine: He lived on P Street. He lived with Ma on 27th Street, no, it was 26th Street when he died. He lived on 26th Street with Ma in an apartment there. One time they lived right there, and my grandfather and grandmother lived right there, on 27th. I never get the address right. 2719 P Street, right down the street from me when I was young. My grandfather lived longer, because I know my grandmother died when I was five years old. My grandfather lived for many years. Ronda: So, when you all were living here, he was at 2719 P Street. Catherine: Yeah. 2719. Ronda: And what type of work did he do? Catherine: I don’t remember what my granddaddy did. I really can’t remember what he did. My father, he worked at the Cathedral in the kitchen for a while when he was young. Then he got into the government. He worked for the GPO. Ronda: For the Government Printing Office? Catherine: He was a laborer. It’s nothing. He wasn’t no printer or anything, because you couldn’t make Printer at that time. It was very, very hard to be a printer. My father died in ’66. Does that make it ’66? Or is it ’65. My father died in ’66. Ronda: And when did your mother die? Catherine: ’83. Evelyn died in ’83. My mother must have died in ’73. Ronda: So, she lived in Georgetown all her life? Catherine: She lived in Georgetown all her life. She was nothing but Georgetown. We are old Georgetown. Ronda: I was going to say, so if your grandfather… so you’re third generation Georgetown. Catherine: We are. Ronda: Wow, that’s exciting, so you really have seen… Catherine: Yeah, yeah, well I went to Phillips school, then I went to Francis, then I went to Cardozo, then I got sick and had to stay out of school a year, but then I went on back to school. Then I went to work in the government. I retired as administrative assistant in the government. All my sisters and brothers too. Three of them went to college. Ronda: OK, good. Catherine: Yeah, Connie, where did Connie go to school? Connie went to DC Teachers and Doris went to DC Teachers and my brother graduated from Tuskegee Institute. Ronda: OK, wow, so is there any other major change about Georgetown that…. Catherine: Yeah, M Street used to be, on Saturday nights, there used to be five and tens, five and ten stores all up and down Wisconsin Avenue. Those stores, Saturday night, that’s where we would go. [laughs] On Saturday evening, we would go, we would go and walk up and down Georgetown. Not like Georgetown used to be. Oh we had a store called Stollman’s with a delicious ice cream parlor. And they have their things down to the museum now. They did not sell their name so they took all their materials down there. And we had a Foster’s store, Foster’s ice cream place at Wisconsin and N. We had a bakery. We had Connecticut Pie Company, all that was there. And on 26th and P, 26th and M, Chester’s Farm Dairy, we had a dairy over there. And a milk cart. The milkman would come around and bring milk to the house when we were young. And we’d get the milk at the house. Ronda: In the bottles, with the horses. Catherine: In the bottle. And the horses, that’s right [laughs]. Yes, indeed. We used to have carnivals, and churches used to have bazaars, and everybody would go from one house, one church to the other. And everybody knew everybody, I guess. Well like I said, as some people say, you better than other people, but you know how that was. [laughs] Ronda: Yeah. Catherine: But as I say, I’ve been here, I know lots of people, I did know lots them. Do you know Miss Burling. You know Miss Burling? Ronda: Yes. I met her at Christ, at Grace Episcopal Church actually, a long time ago. Catherine: Oh, do you go to Grace? Ronda: Well, I used to work across the street from there. Catherine: Oh you did. Ronda: In one of the office buildings, so I met her at a service. Catherine: OK. OK. Because, yeah, I know Miss Burling because she’s cross from church. I’ve been knowing her for years. Ronda: That’s another long-time Georgetowner. Catherine: Another Georgetowner. Yeah, she participates in everything, she does. She’s very good about it. And she’s right across from my church so she knows just about everybody at the church. Ronda: Well, it’s really been interesting hearing all of these changes that have taken place and the beginning. Catherine: Yes, it’s changes. I’ve got to ask Daisy People, she’s around on 27th Street, she’s the only one around there, she’s the only Black one around there. And I know Mildred, I think she would be very well to get yourself in, but she has some mental problems, so I rather not get her involved because she’d probably say, “What you mean telling that lady to come and visit me,” even if you called her. So I’m going to call Daisy and ask her if she’d like to be interviewed. Because you need more black people, don’t you? People that used to live in Georgetown. Because one thing I found out about the “Georgetown Remembered,” book, they did it, but it seems that quite a few people were upset because they went further in to Georgetown, they went to the Bottom. And the Bottom, that wasn’t part of Georgetown. And the man was talking about how they used to sell liquor and all that, and that didn’t need to be in the book. Ronda: Oh, OK. So, it was all very distinct neighborhoods, kind of like it is now, but when you cross the Creek, you weren’t in Georgetown anymore. Catherine: You weren’t in Georgetown, that’s right. That’s what people said. When we were growing up people would say, “Oh, they’re 22nd Street, they live in Georgetown”, but they didn’t. You had to cross the bridge before you get in Georgetown. And people said, “We live in Georgetown, ” I said, “You don’t live in no Georgetown.” Because I knew if you just said you lived on 37th Street or 36th Street, anyway, but I might not know it but when they gave me their address if they live somewhere. I’d say, “That’s not Georgetown.” But you know, they say they’ve been here for a long time. If they say Georgetown, if they tell you — I wish people not say Georgetown is all black, because it has never been all black. That’s when I get upset, they say, “Georgetown was all black.” I say, “It was never all black, where do you get that?” Ronda: Well, that’s what’s useful about these historic accounts from people who lived here, is that it gives a chance to sort of straighten out all these misconceptions about Georgetown and life in Georgetown. And you know people don’t, people think it’s always been like this, and we’re trying to make sure that people know it hasn’t always been. Catherine: No, and they always think that Georgetown people didn’t have anything, but if you listed the teachers… Where was I? I saw it the other day. Somebody said, “Georgetown had all these black teachers that lived in Georgetown and went to… ” Well if they had some, that’s what you could do, teach school and that’s what they did and they went to become principals and everything else. I’m going to go upstairs and see if I can show you my “Georgetown Remembered” book. Ronda: OK and we’ll also look for the… Catherine: I think I have it downstairs. I asked for my brother. I told him – my brother asked me about it one day and then just recently I gave him something, I said, “Here Carter, take this thing”. It was a book. He likes to keep a lot of stuff too. Ronda: And he’s the historian for… Catherine: Mt. Zion. Ronda: Mt. Zion. Catherine: A historian and he does tours. He does tours of Georgetown. Just recently he had a tour, when was it, this Christmas? He must’ve, I think last week he said something, some people were here and he said somehow people don’t know the real, real Georgetown that’s really on the map. He has people come from all over to tour the church. And just recently between six or seven years ago, some kids came over and they went to the cemetery and they had to do something up in Georgetown, and they remembered him trying and teaching them a lot of things. He taught them a lot of things and they honored him on Martin Luther King’s birthday. They gave him a plaque and they put his name on the website. Ronda: OK, well I’ll have to be sure to ask him about that when I talk to him. Thank you so much for doing this. Catherine: I’m going to give you Cynthia Jackson. “Cynthia Jackson, come on”, I said, “Please give her my name,” [laughs] When I call Monica today she’s going to be really surprised. I got to get your name and address. They’re going to really be surprised by this. Ronda: OK. Well, we’ll take whoever else we can get. Catherine: Yeah. I need you to come around and come to my church one Sunday. Ronda: Well, whoever we can do. Catherine: Come visit church on Sunday. Catherine: What are you, Methodist, Baptist, nothing? Ronda: Episcopalian. Catherine: You’re Episcopalian. You go to Christ? You go up to Christ? Catherine: Oh you go to Christ, OK. I guess you might have seen them at Christ Church. OK, Episcopalian. This lady I’m trying to tell you, Daisy, you might like to meet Daisy. There’s a small Episcopalian church around on 23rd Street. Have you heard of that one? What’s the name of Daisy’s church? It’s very small. And she’s been a member there, down by George Washington University. Ronda: Oh, St. Mary’s or St. Margaret’s. Catherine: St. Mary’s. St. Mary’s. You’ve been there? Ronda: I’ve seen it. But I know where it is. Catherine: If you’ve seen it, you know it’s very small. And she’s a trustee or deacon around there. Catherine: OK? Ronda: Well, definitely, you know, if you can give me her information, I’d love to meet her as well. Catherine: OK, I’ll do that. Daisy, she’s around — see we’re all senior citizens. She’s around in a house by herself in a little house around on 27th Street. Well, good. Ronda: Well, thank you. Catherine: OK. No problem…	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line323
__label__wiki	0.56	0.56	zabelin/iStock/GettyImages The Benefits of the Army vs. Marines Sam Grover Machinists and Tool ... $43,140/year 2012-2016 -1.8% Medical and ... $50,240/year /> 2012-2016 +2.3% More Job Descriptions The U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps both have their advantages and disadvantages. Both organizations require very rigorous training and a career in both can see you deployed to a war zone. Both organizations also offer opportunities to serve your country. The U.S. Army may present some distinct advantages over the Marine Corps, particularly its physical fitness criteria, organizational size and the quality of life of its soldiers. Physical Fitness Criteria The Marine Corps does not have a push-up test but it does have a pull-up test. Both the Army and the Marines will require you to complete 100 situps. The Marine Corps requires a certain time on a three-mile run; the Army requires a two-mile run. While the time-per-mile differences are negligible, you may find it easier to run 2 miles than 1.5 miles if you have more endurance than speed. Organizational Size The Army is the largest branch of the U.S. military. This means it has more soldiers, more cooks, more helicopter pilots, more doctors, more lawyers and more of every other occupation than the other branches. The Marine Corps, on the other hand, is the smallest branch of the military, and is closely associated with the Navy, upon whom it depends on for doctors and lawyers. What this means is that the Army has more career opportunities than the Marine Corps; more people means more jobs, which means it is easier to advance your career. On the other hand, for some the smaller size of the Marines and its reputation as an "elite" force is a point of pride. Finally, some would argue the Army offers a better quality of life. The Marines are generally among the first on the ground when the U.S. deploys forces overseas, though this certainly is not always the case. Because of their association with the Navy and traditional role as amphibious forces, Marines sometimes spend months and months at sea during peacetime as they often deploy on Navy ships. Operations NCO Duties→ What Are the Duties of a Soldier in the Army?→ Pros & Cons of the Coast Guard→ How Much Do Captains in the Navy Get Paid?→ NCOIC Duties→ The Army Ranks That Require Master's Degrees→ APFT: 2010 Army PFT Standards Military.com: USMC Physical Fitness Standards Today's Military: Service Branches Global Security: The Navy-Marine Corps Team: Myth or Reality? Sam Grover began writing in 2005, also having worked as a behavior therapist and teacher. His work has appeared in New Zealand publications "Critic" and "Logic," where he covered political and educational issues. Grover graduated from the University of Otago with a Bachelor of Arts in history.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line324
__label__wiki	0.763408	0.763408	US 4th Cir. UNITED STATES DRAKEFORD v. << United States Court of Appeals,Fourth Circuit. UNITED STATES of America ex rel. Michael K. DRAKEFORD, M.D., Plaintiff–Appellee, v. TUOMEY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, INCORPORATED, Defendant–Appellant, v. Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge and Rice Law Firm; Wesmark Ambulatory Surgery Center, LLC; James Arthur Goodson, III, M.D.; Kim Saccone, Movants. American Hospital Association, Amicus Supporting Appellant. Decided: March 30, 2012 Before DUNCAN, WYNN, and DIAZ, Circuit Judges. ARGUED:William Walter Wilkins, Nexsen Pruet, LLC, Greenville, South Carolina; Arthur Camden Lewis, Lewis, Babcock & Griffin, LLP, Columbia, South Carolina, for Appellant. Tracy Lyle Hilmer, United States Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., for Appellee. ON BRIEF:Kirsten E. Small, Nexsen Pruet, LLC, Greenville, South Carolina; Mary G. Lewis, W. Jonathan Harling, Lewis & Babcock, LLP, Columbia, South Carolina; Daniel M. Mulholland, III, Horty, Springer & Mattern, PC, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for Appellant. Tony West, Assistant Attorney General, Michael D. Granston, Michael S. Raab, Niall M. O'Donnell, United States Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.; G. Norman Acker, III, Assistant United States Attorney, Office of the United States Attorney, Raleigh, North Carolina, for the United States. Sandra L.W. Miller, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC, Greenville, South Carolina; Kevin Mitchell Barth, Ballenger, Barth & Hoefer, LLP, Florence, South Carolina, for Michael K. Drakeford, M.D. Melinda R. Hatton, Maureen D. Mudron, American Hospital Association, Washington, D.C.; Jonathan L. Diesenhaus, Jessica L. Ellsworth, Hogan Lovells U.S. LLP, Washington, D.C., for Amicus Supporting Appellant. This appeal arises from the district court's order granting final judgment to the United States upon equitable1 claims of payment by mistake of fact and unjust enrichment against appellant Tuomey Healthcare System, Inc. (“Tuomey”) arising out of alleged violations of the Social Security Act, and awarding damages in the amount of $44,888,651.00, plus pre-and post-judgment interest. In the underlying action, the United States alleged that Tuomey entered into compensation arrangements with certain physicians that violated section 1877 of the Social Security Act, commonly known as the Stark Law, 42 U.S.C. § 1395nn. Because the Stark Law does not create its own right of action, the United States sought relief under the False Claims Act (“FCA”), 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729–33.2 The United States further asserted equitable claims premised on the alleged Stark Law violation, including payment under mistake of fact and unjust enrichment. A jury returned a verdict finding that Tuomey did not violate the FCA, but responded affirmatively to a special interrogatory regarding whether it had violated the Stark Law. The district court set aside the jury verdict and ordered a new trial on the FCA claim. It further ordered that, based on the jury verdict, the United States was entitled to judgment on its equitable claims. Because we conclude that the district court's judgment in the United States' favor violated Tuomey's Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial, we vacate the judgment and remand for further proceedings. Because we are remanding this case, we also address other issues raised on appeal that are likely to recur upon retrial. We begin by setting out the statutory framework that forms the basis for the United States' allegations in the underlying proceeding. We first set forth the provisions of the FCA, as relevant to this appeal. We then discuss the pertinent provisions of the Stark Law. The FCA is a statutory scheme designed to discourage fraud against the federal government. 31 U.S.C. § 3729(a)(i) provides, in relevant part, that “any person who ․ knowingly presents, or causes to be presented, a false or fraudulent claim for payment or approval ․ is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of not less than $5,000 and not more than $10,000 ․ plus 3 times the amount of damages which the Government sustains because of the act of that person.” Section 3729(b)(1) defines the term “knowingly” to “mean that a person, with respect to information ․ has actual knowledge of the information; (ii) acts in deliberate ignorance of the truth or falsity of the information; or (iii) acts in reckless disregard of the truth or falsity of the information,” with the additional provision that “no proof of specific intent to defraud” is required. Section 3729(b)(2) further defines, in relevant part, the term “claim” as “any request or demand, whether under a contract or otherwise, for money or property ․ that ․ is presented to an officer, employee, or agent of the United States.” The Stark Law was enacted to address overutilization of services by physicians who stood to profit from referring patients to facilities or entities in which they had a financial interest. The Stark Law, and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto (“Stark Regulations”)3 prohibit a physician who has a “financial relationship” with an entity—such as a hospital—from making a “referral” to that hospital for the furnishing of certain “designated health services”4 for which payment otherwise may be made by the United States under the Medicare program. 42 U.S.C. § 1395nn(a)(1); 42 C.F.R. § 411.353(a).5 A hospital may not submit for payment a Medicare claim for services rendered pursuant to a prohibited referral. 42 U.S.C. § 1395nn(a)(1)(B); 42 C.F.R. § 411.353(b). The United States may not make payments pursuant to such a claim, and hospitals must reimburse any payments that are mistakenly made by the United States. 42 U.S.C. § 1395nn(g)(1); 42 C .F.R. § 411.353(c), (d). However, when a physician initiates a service and personally performs it, that action does not constitute a referral under the Stark Law. 42 U.S.C. § 1395nn(h)(5); 42 C.F.R. § 411.351. The Stark Law and Stark Regulations define a “financial relationship” to include “a compensation arrangement” in which “remuneration” is paid by a hospital to a referring physician “directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind.” 42 U.S.C. §§ 1395nn(a)(2), (h)(1); 42 C.F.R. § 411.354. An indirect financial relationship exists if, inter alia, there is an indirect compensation arrangement between the referring physician and an entity that furnishes services. An indirect compensation arrangement exists if, inter alia, the referring physician receives aggregate compensation that “varies with, or takes into account, the volume or value of referrals or other business generated by the referring physician for the entity furnishing” services. 42 C.F.R. § 411.354(c)(2)(ii) (emphasis added).6 The Stark Regulations provide that certain enumerated compensation arrangements do not constitute a “financial relationship.” 42 C.F.R. § 411.357. Significantly for our purposes, a subset of indirect compensation arrangements do not constitute a financial relationship if the compensation received by the referring physician is (1) equal to the “fair market value for services and items actually provided”;7 (2) “not determined in any manner that takes into account the volume or value of referrals or other business generated by the referring physician” for the hospital; and (3) “commercially reasonable.”8 42 C.F.R. § 411.357(p). Subsection 411.357(p) is known as the “indirect compensation arrangements exception.” See, e.g., 72 Fed.Reg. at 51,014. We now turn to the contracts that gave rise to this litigation. Tuomey is a private, nonprofit corporation incorporated in the State of South Carolina. It owns and operates Tuomey Hospital, located in Sumter County, South Carolina. Tuomey Hospital provides inpatient and outpatient health care services. Most of the physicians who provide medical services at Tuomey Hospital are not employed by Tuomey but rather practice medicine through specialty physician groups organized as professional corporations. In early 2003, the members of Sumter County's gastroenterology specialty group informed Tuomey that they were considering whether to perform outpatient surgical procedures in-office, rather than at Tuomey Hospital. Other specialty physician groups that performed outpatient procedures at Tuomey Hospital were also considering whether to relocate such procedures. The loss of these outpatient surgical procedures posed a serious financial concern for Tuomey. To dissuade the specialist physicians from performing their outpatient procedures elsewhere, Tuomey sought to enter into agreements with specialist physicians to perform outpatient procedures solely at Tuomey Hospital. Specifically, during 2004 and 2005, Tuomey negotiated with all of the specialist physicians on its medical staff. One of those physicians was appellee Dr. Michael Drakeford, an orthopedic surgeon, with whom negotiations unsuccessfully ended in 2005. Between January 1, 2005, and November 15, 2006, Tuomey entered into compensation contracts with 19 specialist physicians. All of the contracts included essentially the same terms. Each contract specified that the physician was required to provide outpatient procedures at Tuomey Hospital or at facilities owned or operated by it. Under each contract, Tuomey was solely responsible for billing and collections from patient and third-party payors for outpatient procedures, and the physician expressly reassigned to Tuomey all benefits payable to the physician by third party payors, including Medicare and Medicaid. Tuomey agreed to pay each physician an annual base salary that fluctuated based on Tuomey's net cash collections for the outpatient procedures. Tuomey further agreed to pay each physician a “productivity bonus” equal to 80 percent of the net collections. Moreover, each physician was eligible for an incentive bonus that could total up to 7 percent of the productivity bonus. Each contract had a ten-year term and provided that the physicians would not compete with Tuomey during the term of the contract and for two years thereafter. Pursuant to the contracts, the physicians performed outpatient procedures at Tuomey facilities. The outpatient procedures generated two billings: a professional fee for the physician for his or her services, also known as the “professional component”; and a facility fee for Tuomey for providing the space, the nurses, the equipment, etc., also known as the “facility component” or “technical component.”9 Subsequent to the performance of the procedures, Tuomey submitted claims requesting reimbursement for both the professional fee and the facility fee to third-party payors, including Medicare and Medicaid. As relevant here, Tuomey presented, or caused to be presented, to Medicare and Medicaid claims for payment of the facility fees generated as a result of outpatient procedures performed pursuant to the contracts.10 In October 2005, Drakeford filed an action in the District Court for the District of South Carolina under the qui tam provisions of the FCA, 31 U.S.C. § 3730(b). In September 2007, the United States intervened in Drakeford's qui tam action as to the issue of whether Tuomey submitted false claims as a result of the contracts with the physicians.11 The government subsequently filed its own complaint.12 Pertinent to this appeal, the government asserted three causes of action: Count I (False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729(a)(1) Presenting Claims to Medicare and Medicaid for Designated Health Services Rendered as a Result of Violations of the Stark Statute); Count IV (payment under mistake of fact); and Count V (unjust enrichment).13 Specifically, Count I alleged that Tuomey knowingly presented, or caused to be presented, false and fraudulent claims for payment or approval to the United States, including those claims for reimbursement for services rendered to patients who were referred by physicians with whom Tuomey had entered into financial relationships—i.e., the contracts—in violation of the Stark Law. Count I further sought the amount of the United States' damages, trebled as required by law, and such civil penalties as are required by law. Count IV alleged that the United States had compensated Tuomey as a result of mistaken understandings of fact. Specifically, it alleged that Tuomey was not entitled to receive payment from the United States for services rendered by any physician who was in a financial relationship prohibited by the Stark Law, and that the United States paid Tuomey for such prohibited claims under the mistaken belief that Tuomey was entitled to receive payment for these claims. Accordingly, the United States claimed that Tuomey was liable to it for the amount of the payments made in error to Tuomey by the United States. Count V alleged that by obtaining government funds to which it was not entitled, Tuomey was unjustly enriched. The United States claimed that Tuomey was liable to it for such amounts, or the proceeds therefrom, to be determined at trial. The government's claims under the FCA were tried to a jury in March 2010. At the conclusion of the evidence, the district court instructed the jury that the United States had brought the case asserting that the defendant has committed fraud under the Medicare program․ The United States alleges that beginning on or about January 1, 2005, and continuing until the present, Tuomey presented false claims to the United States by submitting claims in violation of the Stark Law when Tuomey knew that the defendant was not entitled to receive payment for the claims. J.A. 976–77. The district court further instructed the jury regarding the elements of a Stark Law violation, as well as the elements of an FCA violation. With regard to the Stark Law, the district court instructed the jury to conduct a two-step inquiry to determine whether Tuomey violated the statute. At step one of the inquiry, the jury was to determine whether the contracts are indirect compensation arrangements as defined by the Stark Law and Stark Regulations. For the jury to find in favor of the government, it was required to prove that the physicians received aggregate compensation from Tuomey, and that such compensation varied with or otherwise took into account the volume or value of the physicians' referrals to Tuomey. If the jury answered step one in the affirmative, at step two of the inquiry, it was to determine whether Tuomey had proven by a preponderance of the evidence that the contracts fell within the indirect compensation arrangement exception. The district court further instructed the jury to determine the number and value of the claims for services that the physicians referred pursuant to the contracts, and for which Tuomey received payment from Medicare. With regard to the FCA claim, the district court instructed the jury: [T]he United States must establish by a preponderance of the evidence the following: One, that Tuomey presented or caused to be presented to Medicare; two, false or fraudulent claims for payment; and three, that Tuomey knew that the claims for payment were false or fraudulent. If you find that the United States has established these elements by a preponderance of the evidence then, of course, you may find a verdict for the United States. J.A. 989. With respect to the second element of an FCA violation, i.e., whether the claims were false or fraudulent, the district court instructed the jury: What is false? In this case, the United States alleges that certain of the defendant's claims were false because Tuomey was in violation of the Stark Law. For purposes of this case, a claim is false if it was submitted to Medicare in violation of the Stark Law. J.A. 990. With respect to the third element of an FCA violation, i.e., whether Tuomey knew the claims for payment were false or fraudulent, the district court instructed the jury: [F]or purposes of the [FCA], a person knows that a claim is false if a person, one, has actual knowledge of the information, or two, acts in deliberate ignorance of the truth or falsity of the information, or, three, acts in reckless disregard of the truth or falsity of the information. It is not necessary that the United States prove that the defendant intended to submit false claims․ In order to find that Tuomey took action knowingly, you ․ would need to find that at least one individual employee or agent of Tuomey knew that Tuomey was submitting claims to Medicare and knew that the claims were false. J.A. 990–91. The district court further instructed the jury with respect to damages under the FCA: If you find that the defendant has violated the [FCA], you must then determine the damages sustained by the United States because of the violations. The measure of the United States' damages under the [FCA] is the amount of money that the United States paid out by reason of the false claims. Defendant's compliance with the Stark Law was a condition of the government's payment decision. If the defendant violated the Stark Law, defendant was not allowed to submit claims for payment to Medicare for services that were referred by the physician whose compensation arrangement violated the Stark Law. And if defendant violated the Stark Law, Medicare was not allowed to pay for any services furnished that were referred by the physicians whose compensation arrangements violated the Stark Law. Therefore, your calculation of damages should be based on what the Medicare program paid to the defendant in violation of the Stark Law․ If you find the hospital, Tuomey, liable under the [FCA], then you must determine the number of false claims that the defendant submitted to the United States. The district court provided the jury with a verdict form, with respect to which it instructed the jury: [S]ubsection A, regards the Stark Law. It says, we the jury, find that Tuomey, and there are two choices here, violated the Stark Law or did not violate the Stark Law․ [S]ubsection B regard[s] the [FCA]. One, we the jury find that Tuomey, again, I've given you two choices, violated the [FCA] or did not violate the [FCA]․ Two, if Tuomey violated the [FCA], the total damages under the [FCA], if any, and then you will record on a line that I provided for your use the amount of money you award as damages․ Three, if Tuomey violated the [FCA], how many false claims were submitted by Tuomey, if any? On March 29, 2010, the jury reached a verdict. In subsection A of the verdict form, the jury indicated that it found that Tuomey violated the Stark Law. In subsection B of the verdict form, the jury indicated that it found that Tuomey did not violate the FCA. Because the jury found no FCA violation, it indicated no response to either the second or third interrogatories in subsection B, i.e., the amount of damages, if any, and the number of false claims, if any. Subsequent to the jury's verdict, the parties made several post-verdict motions. Tuomey moved for judgment in its favor on the government's equitable claims, including payment under mistake of fact and unjust enrichment. The United States, in response, moved for judgment in its favor on those claims. The United States further moved for judgment as a matter of law under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 50 on the FCA claim, or alternatively for a new trial under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 59 on that claim, based on its assertion that the district court erroneously excluded certain evidence regarding Tuomey's knowledge. On June 3, 2010, the district court conducted a hearing with respect to those post-verdict motions. The district court stated that it would deny the government's Rule 50 motion, but grant the government's Rule 59 motion. Although the government sought a new trial only on the issue of knowledge under the FCA, the district court declined to grant a new trial solely “on the limited question of knowledge,” but instead granted a new trial “on the whole issue of the [FCA].” J.A. 1119–20. The district court nevertheless indicated that it would grant a judgment in the United States' favor on the equitable claims based on the jury's finding that Tuomey had violated the Stark Law. On July 13, 2010, the district court issued two orders. In the first, the district court granted the government's motion for a new trial and ordered that it be held “on the whole issue of the United States' cause of action for violation of the [FCA], consistent with the separate order being issued by this Court concerning the [equitable] claims.” J.A. 135. In the second order, the district court addressed the United States' motion for judgment in its favor on its equitable claims. It made the following findings of fact: (1) “Pursuant to the jury verdict, Tuomey violated the Stark Law”; (2) Tuomey submitted claims in violation of the Stark Law, and the United States paid those claims in the amount of $44,888,651.00. J.A. 136. It further made the following conclusions of law: (1) “Under the Stark Law, claims submitted in violation of that Statute and payments made by the government in response to such claims must be repaid to the government”; and (2) “The Supreme Court of the United States has recognized that where the government pays out moneys under a circumstance that is unlawful or is improper that the government has a right to be reimbursed.” J.A. 137. Based on these conclusions of law, the district court held in favor of the United States with regard to Counts IV and V. It noted that the FCA allegations remained before the court for retrial. That same day, the district court entered a judgment indicating that the United States should recover from Tuomey on Counts IV and V of its complaint in the amount of $44,888,651.00, plus pre- and post-judgment interest. The judgment further indicated that “[t]his action was tried by a jury, with the [district judge] presiding, and the jury has rendered a verdict by answering special interrogatories.”14 Id. 139. On July 16, 2010, Tuomey noticed appeal from the district court's order granting final judgment to the United States upon Counts IV and V and damages. On appeal, Tuomey makes several arguments. Most significantly, Tuomey contends that the district court violated its Seventh Amendment rights by basing its judgment with respect to the equitable15 claims on the jury's interrogatory answer regarding the Stark Law, even though the district court had already set aside the jury's verdict in its entirety.16 For the reasons set forth below, we agree. We now turn to consideration of Tuomey's Seventh Amendment argument, an issue we review de novo. See Pandazides v. Va. Bd. of Educ., 13 F.3d 823, 827 (4th Cir.1994). If a denial of the right occurred, we must decide whether the denial constituted harmless error. Id. We address each question in turn. The Seventh Amendment states that: “In Suits at common law ․ the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.” U.S. Const. amend. VII; see also Fed.R.Civ.P. 38(a) (“The right of trial by jury as declared by the Seventh Amendment to the Constitution ․ is preserved to the parties inviolate.”). We have held that the Seventh Amendment right extends “to all suits, whether at equitable or arising under federal legislation, where legal rights are involved.” Pandazides, 13 F.3d at 828. The Seventh Amendment demands that facts common to legal and equitable claims be adjudicated by a jury. Beacon Theatres, Inc. v. Westover, 359 U.S. 500, 510–11, 79 S.Ct. 948, 3 L.Ed.2d 988 (1959)17 ; Lytle v. Household Mfg., 494 U.S. 545, 550, 110 S.Ct. 1331, 108 L.Ed.2d 504 (1990) (“When legal and equitable claims are joined in the same action, the right to jury trial on the legal claim, including all issues common to both claims, remains intact.”) (quotation marks omitted). When equitable claims rest on facts necessary to determination of legal claims, “the legal claims involved in the action must be determined prior to any final court determination of [the] equitable claims.” Dairy Queen, Inc. v. Wood, 369 U.S. 469, 479, 82 S.Ct. 894, 8 L.Ed.2d 44 (1962). In short, Beacon Theatres and Dairy Queen teach that “a district court may not deprive a litigant of his right to a jury trial by resolving an equitable claim before a jury hears a legal claim raising common issues.” Lytle, 494 U.S. at 551; see also Ritter v. Mount St. Mary's Coll., 814 F.2d 986, 990 (4th Cir.1987) (holding that Beacon Theatres and Dairy Queen “stand for the proposition that, where legal and equitable claims are contained in the same set of facts, the right to jury trial, which the legal claims permit, should predominate, precluding the prior determination of the factual issues by a court sitting in equity”). We now apply the foregoing principles to this case. As already noted, whether there was a financial relationship between Tuomey and the physicians that violated the Stark Law is a factual predicate to liability on the equitable claims. The FCA claim, too, is premised on the existence of such an illegal relationship. As such, the factual issue of whether a financial relationship prohibited by the Stark Law existed is common to the equitable claims and the FCA claim. It follows that the district court was required to submit that issue to the jury before it could resolve the United States' equitable claims. Here, the district court failed to do precisely that. Although it tried the FCA claim to a jury, and the jury returned a verdict on that claim that indicated that Tuomey had violated the Stark Law but had not violated the FCA, the district court set that verdict aside when it granted the government's motion for a new trial under Rule 59, specifically ordering that the new trial would encompass the whole FCA claim, including whether Tuomey had violated the Stark Law .18 As a result, the jury's interrogatory answer regarding the Stark Law is now a legal nullity. In other words, following the order granting the Rule 59 motion, a jury had yet to determine the common issue necessary to resolution of both the FCA claim and the equitable claims, i.e., whether Tuomey violated the Stark Law. In granting judgment to the United States on the equitable claims, the district court impermissibly resolved that common issue before a jury had adjudicated it. It thereby deprived Tuomey of its right to a jury trial. Having concluded that the district court denied Tuomey's Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial, we must decide whether the denial constituted harmless error. Error is harmless only if the district court would have granted judgment as a matter of law to the prevailing party, i.e., if “the evidence is such, without weighing the credibility of the witnesses, that there is only one conclusion that reasonable jurors could have reached.” Pandazides, 13 F.3d at 827 (quoting Keller v. Prince George's Cnty., 827 F.2d 952, 955 (4th Cir.1987)). Error is not harmless where both sides introduce sufficient conflicting evidence on the relevant questions such that the district court could not have granted a motion for judgment as a matter of law. Id. at 833. Here, both sides introduced conflicting evidence regarding whether Tuomey's contracts with the physicians violated the Stark Law. We find that the record before us is insufficient to assess whether the district court could have granted judgment as a matter of law. Notably, as we discuss below in Part III, the jury must determine on remand whether the contracts took into account the volume or value of referrals. If it so finds, the jury must further determine whether Tuomey could bear its burden of proof with respect to the indirect compensation arrangement exception. Finally, if the jury finds that the contracts created a financial relationship—as defined by the Stark Law—between Tuomey and the physicians, it must determine the number and value of claims Tuomey presented to Medicare for payment of facility fees resulting from the facility component referrals made by the physicians, and for which it received payment. Because we are remanding this case, we will briefly address other issues raised on appeal that are likely to recur. With respect to our colleague's objection to this course as expressed in his separate opinion, see infra at 27–31, we note that our precedent is clear that we may address issues that are likely to recur on remand. See Levy v. Lexington County, S. C., 589 F.3d 708, 716 (4th Cir.2009) (“Because we are remanding this case, we will address other issues raised on appeal that are likely to recur.”); see also Elm Grove Coal Co. v. Dir. O.W.C.P., 480 F.3d 278, 299 n. 20 (4th Cir.2007) (addressing issue because it was likely to arise on remand); Gordon v. Schweiker, 725 F.2d 231, 236 (4th Cir.1994) (“Since the case must be reconsidered ․ we do provide some guidance as to a matter very likely to arise at the hearing which will occur.”).19 Specifically, we address two threshold issues relating to liability under the Stark Law that are purely legal in nature and that the district court will be called upon to address upon retrial. It bears emphasis that the parties presented these issues to us as pure questions of law. First, we address whether the facility component of the services performed by the physicians pursuant to the contracts, for which Tuomey billed a facility fee to Medicare, constituted a “referral” within the meaning of the Stark Law and Stark Regulations. Second, we examine whether, assuming that Tuomey considered the volume or value of anticipated facility component referrals in computing the physicians' compensation, the contracts implicate the “volume or value” standard under the Stark Law. As already noted, the Stark Law and Stark Regulations define a “referral,” in relevant part, as the request by a physician for a service for which payment may be made under Medicare, but not including any services performed or provided by the referring physician. 42 U.S.C. § 1395nn(h)(5); 42 C.F.R. § 411.351. Neither the statute nor the regulation addresses whether a facility component that results from a personally performed service constitutes a referral. In promulgating the final rule on referrals, however, HCFA commented that the personal services exception does not extend to a facility fee a hospital bills for a facility component resulting from a personally performed service: We have concluded that when a physician initiates a designated health service and personally performs it him or herself, that action would not constitute a referral of the service to an entity ․ However, in the context of inpatient and outpatient hospital services, there would still be a referral of any hospital service, technical component, or facility fee billed by the hospital in connection with the personally performed service. Thus, for example, in the case of an inpatient surgery, there would be a referral of the technical component of the surgical service, even though the referring physician personally performs the service. 66 Fed.Reg. at 941.20 Applying the Stark Law and Stark Regulations, as interpreted by the agency,21 we conclude that there was a referral here, consisting of the facility component of the physicians' personally performed services, and the resulting facility fee billed by Tuomey based upon that component. Thus, the claims for facility fees based on patient referrals were prohibited under the Stark Law if there was a financial relationship within the meaning of the law between the physicians and Tuomey. As such, Tuomey's argument that the physicians were not making referrals—as that term is defined in the Stark Law—pursuant to the contracts fails. Having concluded that the physicians were making referrals to Tuomey, we now turn to the question of whether the contracts implicate the Stark Law's “volume or value” standard. As already noted, the regulatory definition of “indirect compensation arrangement” requires that the aggregate compensation received by the physician “var[y] with, or take[ ] into account, the volume or value of referrals or other business generated by the referring physician.” 42 C.F.R. § 411.354(c)(2)(ii) (emphasis added). Notably, the government contends that Tuomey's conduct fits within this definition because it included a portion of the value of the anticipated facility component referrals in the physicians' fixed compensation.22 Tuomey argues that the inquiry is whether the physicians' compensation takes into account the volume or value of referrals, not whether the parties considered referrals when deciding whether to enter the contracts in the first place. Thus, the parties disagree about whether anticipated referrals constitute a proper basis for a finding that a physician's compensation takes into account the volume or value of referrals. In determining whether contracts that are found to have taken into account anticipated referrals implicate the “volume or value” standard, we look to the Stark Law, Stark Regulations, and the official agency commentary.23 Our analysis of these sources, set forth below, yields the conclusion that compensation arrangements that take into account anticipated referrals do implicate the volume or value standard. We begin by observing that the official agency commentary explains that “[a]rrangements under which a referring physician receives compensation tied to the volume or value of his or her referrals ․ are the very arrangements at which [the Stark Law] is targeted.” 66 Fed.Reg. at 868. We further note that the Stark Regulations and the agency commentary specifically address circumstances in which compensation that takes into account anticipated referrals implicates the “volume or value” standard. The Stark Regulations, for instance, define “fair market value,” in pertinent part, as compensation that “has not been determined in any manner that takes into account the volume or value of anticipated or actual referrals.” 42 C.F.R. § 411.351 (emphasis added). The official agency commentary to the Phase I rules notes that the Stark Law “establishes a straightforward test that compensation arrangements should be at fair market value for the work or service performed,” and should not be “inflated to compensate for the physician's ability to generate other revenues.” 66 Fed.Reg. at 877. It further notes that “[i]n order to establish a ‘bright line’ rule, we are applying this interpretation of the volume or value standard uniformly to all provisions under [the Stark Law and Stark Regulations] where the language appears (for example, ․ indirect compensation arrangements).” Id. The commentary further specifies that compensation arrangements that take into account the volume or value of anticipated referrals implicate the volume or value standard: Consistent with this interpretation, we have determined that we will not consider the volume or value standard implicated by otherwise acceptable compensation arrangements for physician services solely because the arrangement requires the physician to refer to a particular provider as a condition for payment. So long as the payment is fixed in advance for the term of the agreement, is consistent with fair market value for the services performed (that is, the payment does not take into account the volume or value of the anticipated or required referrals), and otherwise complies with the requirements of the applicable exception, the fact that an employer or a managed care contract requires the referrals to certain providers will not vitiate the exception. Id. (emphasis added). We conclude from the regulatory definition of fair market value and the applicable agency commentary that compensation based on the volume or value of anticipated referrals implicates the volume or value standard.24 At bottom, the Stark Law and Stark Regulations seek to ensure that hospitals and other health care providers compensate physicians only for the work or services they actually perform, not for their ability to generate other revenues for the provider through referrals. It stands to reason that if a hospital provides fixed compensation to a physician that is not based solely on the value of the services the physician is expected to perform, but also takes into account additional revenue the hospital anticipates will result from the physician's referrals, that such compensation by necessity takes into account the volume or value of such referrals. The agency commentary specifically contemplates arrangements such as the contracts that are before us, where a physician is required to refer patients to a particular provider as a condition of compensation. Such arrangements, the commentary indicates, do not violate the Stark Law, provided that certain conditions are met, one of which is that the physician's compensation must not take into account the volume or value of anticipated referrals.25 Accordingly, the question, which should properly be put to a jury, is whether the contracts, on their face, took into account the value or volume of anticipated referrals. As the Stark Regulations and the agency commentary indicate, compensation arrangements that take into account anticipated referrals do not meet the fair market value standard. Thus, it is for the jury to determine whether the contracts violated the fair market value standard by taking into account anticipated referrals in computing the physicians' compensation.26 For the foregoing reasons, we vacate the district court's July 13, 2010 judgment, and remand for further proceedings. VACATED AND REMANDED Because I agree that the proper disposition of this case is to vacate the district court's judgment against Defendant Tuomey Healthcare System, Inc. and remand for further proceedings, I concur in the result reached by the majority opinion. I write separately because I come to that conclusion on different grounds, and because I am also unable to join in Part III of the majority opinion, which I find to be advisory in nature. At the outset, I emphasize my substantial agreement with the reasoning so ably articulated by my colleagues in the majority, particularly their observation that “the jury's interrogatory answer regarding the Stark Law is now a legal nullity.” Ante at 19. Given that the district court set aside the jury's verdict in its entirety, it must follow that the jury's answer to an interrogatory, which was a necessary condition to the jury's verdict, must itself also be a nullity. Notwithstanding that ruling, however, in its order entering judgment against Defendant, the district court found as fact that “[p]ursuant to the jury verdict, Tuomey violated the Stark Law.” J.A. 136.1 Indeed, the sole basis for the district court's judgment against Defendant on the equitable claims was the jury's finding of a Stark Law violation.2 As such, irrespective of the Seventh Amendment, the judgment, which was predicated entirely on what is now a “legal nullity,” simply cannot stand. Given this unremarkable proposition—that a judgment must be vacated if premised on a jury finding that has been set aside and is no longer valid—I see no reason to resort to constitutional analysis to support our holding. See, e.g., Norfolk So. Ry. Co. v. City of Alexandria, 608 F.3d 150, 156–57 (4th Cir.2010) (“[T]he principle of constitutional avoidance ․ requires the federal courts to strive to avoid rendering constitutional rulings unless absolutely necessary.”); Ashwander v. Tenn. Valley Auth., 297 U.S. 288, 347, 56 S.Ct. 466, 80 L.Ed. 688 (1936) (Brandeis, J., concurring) (“It is not the habit of the court to decide questions of a constitutional nature unless absolutely necessary to a decision of the case.” (internal quotation marks and citation omitted)). In addition, I cannot join Part III of the majority opinion, which, in my view, amounts to an advisory opinion on the issues of “whether the facility component of the services performed by the physicians pursuant to the contracts ․ constituted a ‘referral’ within the meaning of the Stark Law and Stark Regulations,” as well as “whether ․ the contracts implicate the ‘volume or value’ standard under the Stark Law.” Ante at 21; see United States v. Blair, 661 F.3d 755, 773 (4th Cir.2011) (“[R]endering advisory opinions on cases not before us is not the office of this court.”). Under the district court's order for a new trial on the entire Government's False Claims Act (FCA) claim against Defendant and the majority's holding here, no legal issues remain for us to resolve prior to further proceedings. We have fully disposed of the matters before this Court, and the conclusions set forth in Part III are thus unnecessary either to the disposition or to the retrial of this case. Accordingly, there is no need to delve into these questions now and potentially usurp the proper role and province of the jury and district court. To be sure, the three cases cited in the majority opinion for the proposition that an appellate court may properly “address other issues raised on appeal that are likely to recur,” ante at 20–21, are distinguishable in two critical ways from the situation presented here: (1) each identified and rectified actual, specific errors of law committed by the district court or lower authority; and (2) each involved bench trials, not juries. See Levy v. Lexington Cnty., S.C., 589 F.3d 708, 716 (4th Cir.2009); Elm Grove Coal Co. v. Dir. O. W.C.P., 480 F.3d 278, 299 n. 20 (4th Cir.2007); Gordon v. Schweiker, 725 F.2d 231, 236 (4th Cir.1994). By contrast, here, Part III does not identify any specific errors committed by the district court during the first trial; instead, it decides issues before they have been squarely presented to this Court, particularly given that the analysis takes place in the context of what the majority has recognized as a “legal nullity.” Not only does the majority fail to point to any actual error in the analysis of the original trial judge in this case (who is now deceased), but we also have no indication that the new trial judge requires this Court's cold record guidance on these issues. Cf. Levy, 589 F.3d at 716 (finding that trial judge had applied the wrong analysis and, since the matter was remanded to that same judge for retrial, determining that the issues were likely to recur); Elm Grove, 480 F.3d at 299 (finding that two Administrative Law Judges (“ALJs”) and the Benefits Review Board (“BRB”) had made or upheld an erroneous discovery ruling and, since the relevant decision was vacated and the matter was remanded to the BRB and ALJs for proceedings to begin anew, determining that the same discovery issue was likely to arise again on remand); Gordon, 725 F.2d at 236–37 (remanding for reconsideration by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, not retrial in the district court, because the Secretary's arguments on appeal gave this Court a basis to believe that the issues would likely recur upon the Secretary's reconsideration). Moreover, the majority opinion's own analysis strongly suggests that the issue of whether referrals took place is actually a mixed question of law and fact, which is properly left to the province of the jury. Further, the conclusion that “compensation based on the volume or value of anticipated referrals implicates the volume or value standard,” ante at 25, does not provide additional guidance to the district court on remand. Rather, it interprets the relevant statute and regulations in a vacuum, without the defining parameters of an actual case or controversy—the hallmarks of an advisory opinion. The majority opinion asserts that Part III “is not advisory in nature” because the issues decided are “ ‘based on a concrete set of facts in the context of a live controversy between the parties.’ “ Ante at 20 n. 19 (quoting Rux v. Republic of Sudan, 461 F.3d 461, 476 (4th Cir.2006) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted)). Of course, such a statement is generally true of all of the issues in any case before an appellate court—yet prudence and judicial restraint require that we address only those questions necessary to the disposition of an appeal, lest we overstep our role. See Rux, 461 F.3d at 476 (quoting United States v. Fruehauf, 365 U.S. 146, 157, 81 S.Ct. 547, 5 L.Ed.2d 476 (1961), to support the proposition that an opinion is advisory if it passes “judgment upon issues” not “necessary for decision”). Here, Part III of the majority opinion purports to resolve issues not yet passed upon by a jury or a trial judge and thus not yet focused for this Court's consideration.3 Because I would vacate the district court's judgment against Defendant based on the “legal nullity” identified by the majority, rather than on Seventh Amendment grounds, and I see no need to pass upon legal issues no longer before this Court as a result of that same legal nullity, I respectfully concur in the result only. Vacated and remanded by published opinion. Judge DUNCAN wrote the opinion, in which Judge DIAZ joined. Judge WYNN wrote a separate opinion concurring in the result.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line325
__label__cc	0.671559	0.328441	Coffee For A Year Get The Club 93.7 App School & Business Closings TODAY'S HOTTEST JAMZ Get the Club App Club Insiders Flint's Hottest JamzFlint's Hottest Jamz Michigan’s Adventure Is Opening The Water Park But Not The Amusement Park GoogleStreetView Michigan's Adventure surprised everyone today by announcing that the water park half of the park would be opening for business. Obviously this won't look the same as the last time you visited Michigan's Adventure, but it's a step in the right direction. The park announced today that they would begin taking reservations for their grand opening on July 17th. The amusement park side of Michigan's Adventure will remain closed for now according to their press release. With the heatwave that most of Michigan has been going through recently, I know this is great news for most of us. If you or your family has been riding out the heat wave inside in the air conditioning, this will be an opportunity to get out and enjoy the weather instead of sitting and sweating. Like I said earlier though, there are going to be plenty of changes to keep visitors safe during the rest of summer. Park officials have laid out a list of new safety measures they are taking for visitors. The video above details pretty much everything you need to know before planning your visit to Michigan's Adventure this summer. If you have more questions, you can most likely find the answers on their website here. The main thing is to remember that you need to make a reservation, and that capacity will be limited. This means that you will have to plan ahead to get in, because I have a feeling that the initial rush to get into the park is going to be massive. If you are lucky enough to get in, please remember to follow the new rules, and be kind to the people working there. They are putting themselves at risk just as much as anyone, and they don't even get to go down the water slide! CHECK THESE OUT: Inflatable Kiddie Pools For Adults Filed Under: Michigan's Adventure Liam Neeson Is Ready to Play Qui-Gon in the ‘Obi-Wan’ Series 2021 Club 93.7, Townsquare Media, Inc. All rights reserved.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line327
__label__wiki	0.502221	0.502221	Made with Atavist. Make your own. {{_author.profile_name}} Published in {{publication.profile_name}} {{_labelForMenuItem(item.menu_item)}} {{_labelForMenuItem(submenu_item)}} The belief that women are less corrupt than men is widespread, even among development specialists. Variations in risk aversion and reciprocal behaviour may partially explain gender differences in corrupt behaviour and provide some guidance for policy choice. However, nurture seems to trump nature, and contextual factors appear to be the main causes of the observed differences in corrupt behaviour. Ultimately, even if there is no evidence that women are intrinsically less corrupt than men, increasing women’s participation is still a desirable policy choice. Even if it were not to reduce corruption directly, it would contribute to gender equality. U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre Brief 2015:6 (pdf) Photo: Olli Pitkänen on flickr.com Incorruptible? We find a negative correlation between corruption control and gender inequality Chatting about corruption among traffic officers with a taxi driver in Cusco, Peru, you may well hear something like “it used to be easy to ‘convince’ a policeman to turn a blind eye on a traffic violation or some problem with the license, but now that most traffic officers are women, forget about it: they have no mercy!” Interviews with taxi drivers – arguably the experts on the issue – found similar reactions in Colombia (Fink and Boehm 2011). These reactions reflect a widespread idea: that women are less corrupt than men. The most common explanations for this difference include: women are less selfish; are more charitable and altruistic; or, being mothers, have stronger values. These explanations seem no stronger than simply saying that women are less prone to corruption. However, the idea that women are less corrupt than men is probably not without grounds. Gender inequality and corruption Beyond anecdotal evidence, is there a systematic relationship between gender inequality and corruption? A first step to answer this question consists in simply comparing country data on corruption with data on gender inequality. There are different measures available for both variables. When comparing data from the Gender Inequality Index included in the United Nations’ Human Development Report with the Control of Corruption Indicator of the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators (both for 2013), we find a negative correlation between corruption control and gender inequality. However, correlations can be both attractive and potentially misleading. The correlation only shows that higher gender inequality is observed together with higher levels of corruption. It does not control for other potential explanatory variables and says nothing about causality. Two pioneering studies by Dollar et al. (2001) – first published as a World Bank working paper in 1999 – and Swamy et al. (2001) explored the correlation more thoroughly. The first study included controls for civil liberties, income and education, and found that lower levels of corruption were indeed associated with a higher proportion of women in parliaments. Swamy et al. (2001) reached the same conclusion, while also showing that lower levels of corruption come along with more women in senior positions in public administration and higher shares of women in the labour force. The resulting policy recommendation by the World Bank in 2001 affirmed that increasing women participation in the public domain would reduce corruption. Perhaps corrupt institutions corrupt the people working in them, regardless of gender Sung (2003) noticed early on that both gender equality and lower corruption might be jointly caused by other unaccounted variables, such as the rule of law, freedom of the press, and level of democracy. Including these control variables, the author found no significant relationship between gender and corruption. Using more recent data to look at initial levels of women in government and changes in women participation to track their impact on corruption levels, Sung (2012) still could not find any impact of increased women participation on corruption levels. However, even including controls and looking at change in the variables, the type of data and methodology used in these studies do not allow any firm conclusion concerning a causal relationship between gender and corruption. Granting there was a causal relationship, it still would be necessary to determine its direction. Does less gender inequality – or more women in positions of authority – result in less corruption because women are more honest than men? Or does less corruption improve gender equality, since lower levels of corruption may suppose better access to legal remedies against discrimination, and therefore facilitate women’s access to positions of authority? Clarifying these issues requires asking the prior question of whether women are actually less corrupt than men. We need to understand possible gender differences in corrupt behaviour and in attitudes towards corruption. Gender differences in corrupt behaviour Before looking at specific differences in corrupt behaviour between women and men, it is useful to review the existing evidence on gender differences in general. Experimental research reviewed in Croson and Gneezy (2009) has established some quite robust findings across contexts: compared to men, women are more risk averse (with the exception of female managers), more sensitive to social cues, less competitive, more altruistic and more inclined to cooperate, but they also are generally less trusting and show more flexible ethical standards. About the contentious question of nature versus nurture, research finds evidence for both explanations: some differences are innate; others are a product of the environment. In the available research, the question of whether there are gender differences with respect to corruption is unpacked into three specific issues: Gender differences in attitudes towards corruption Gender differences in accepting bribes Gender differences in offering bribes Concerning attitudes, survey responses suggest that women show lower tolerance towards corruption. For instance, Swamy et al. (2001), using data from a micro-survey of business firms in Georgia, showed that a firm is significantly less likely to report requests for unofficial payments by public officials when the owner is a woman. Are public officials in Georgia reluctant to ask women in the private sector for bribes, knowing that they condemn corruption and are less likely to pay? The authors do not speculate about this question. Their research, however, also showed that data from the World Values Survey indicates that women are less tolerant towards behaviours that could be described as corrupt. Esarey and Chirillo (2013), using data from the World Values Survey, found that context matters. In autocracies and where corruption is endemic, women condone corruption as much as men do. In democracies, where corruption tends to be stigmatised to a higher degree, women disapprove of corruption more than men, and are less likely to engage in corrupt practices. This evidence seems to confirm that women are more sensitive to social cues. However, surveys can be problematic. As Chaudhuri (2012) observes, survey responses may not reflect real life behaviour. Case studies and experimental research can help overcome the limitations of surveys and cross-country comparisons. Experimental designs in particular offer the advantage of observing changes in the variable of interest while holding everything else constant. While experiments can thus help establish causality, the external validity of their results might be questioned: to what extent do the results hold outside the lab? Fortunately, field experiments where participants ignore that they are part of an experimental setting have shown that at least some of these findings are confirmed in the “real” world.1 Is there evidence that gender differences exist when it comes to taking bribes? Experimental research suggests that the social context seems to be more important than the gender of the participants. Alatas et al. (2009) carried out a cross-national experiment in Australia, India, Indonesia and Singapore. The study showed that in Australia women accepted significantly fewer bribes than men, while in Singapore the opposite was observed. In India and Indonesia no difference was detected. This is in line with the findings of Esarey and Chirillo (2013). The social context seems to be more important than the gender However, in a field experiment in Burkina Faso, where subjects did not know they were participating in an experiment, Armantier and Boly (2011) found that women were actually more likely to accept a bribe, but only when they did not fear being detected. Consistent with the finding that women are more risk averse than men, controls seem to work better on women. This result had already been observed by Schulze and Frank (2003). In their experiment, men and women were equally likely to accept a bribe when no controls were in place; with controls, women showed a significantly lower probability of accepting bribes. When someone pays a bribe, he or she is expecting a corresponding favour in return. Since corrupt deals are not enforceable by law, opportunism is an inherent threat to corrupt transactions. Indeed, many corrupt deals fail due to conflicts between the parties. Then, who are more reliable corrupt partners, men or women? In an experiment, Lambsdorff and Frank (2011) observed that women public servants are less inclined to reciprocate, and are thus less reliable corrupt partners. The authors show that this result is supported by international household survey data from the Transparency International Global Corruption Barometer 2009: men are more conﬁdent that bribes will be reciprocated. The pattern is also confirmed by Rivas (2013). While she could not find any clear differences between women and men with respect to their inclination to accept bribes, women in her experiment were significantly more likely to behave opportunistically; that is, to accept the bribe without providing the corresponding favour. Finally, with respect to gender differences in offering bribes, it seems to be better to be bribed by a man than by a woman. Rivas (2013) found that men are more likely to offer bribes and that their value tends to be higher. Actually, it seems better to be a man in either side of the transaction, as the author also finds that both men and women tend to offer higher bribes to male public officials. This result too may reflect the importance of cultural context and of the role that women are expected to play in society. Implications for policy and programming At least partially, research findings seem to align with the anecdotic evidence. Some studies found men to be more corrupt, many studies found no differences, but there is hardly any evidence that women are more corrupt than men, as long as sanctions can be expected. Also, research suggests at least two important behavioural factors that may explain why we actually observe gender differences in corrupt behaviour. Both factors are relevant from a policy perspective: Risk sensitivity. As women are more risk averse, the standard anti-corruption approach of “control and sanctions” may work better on women. However, this may hold true only for low-level positions. The fact that female managers are no more risk averse than men qualifies this conclusion. Reciprocity. Since men tend to reciprocate more than women, women may be a particularly good choice for positions like inspectors or auditors, where there is no pre-existing relationship between the auditor and the auditee. In turn, men may require particularly stringent internal gift policies, as they are more prone to reciprocate favours (Lambsdorff, 2013). Ultimately, differences in corrupt behaviour, such as the incorruptible nature of police women, may be more related to nurture and culture than to nature. Goetz (2007) argued early on that corruption is genderless: perhaps corrupt institutions corrupt the people working in them, regardless of gender. Women may simply lack opportunities to engage in corruption due to gender inequality in access to senior positions in the private and public sector. They could behave the same as men if they had access to these positions. Also, corruption often happens within insider networks; maybe women are simply too new in the game and have not yet gained access to these networks. Even if we observe a drop in corruption after increasing the share of women in positions of power, this effect may be due mainly to the fact of having introduced outsiders into insider networks – undermining the trust required for corrupt transactions. Thus, it may just be a question of time until corruption rises again as women become insiders, are integrated into corrupt networks, and “learn” how to abuse their positions. Therefore, future research should try to understand if and how women adapt to corrupt environments. Do women learn to be as corrupt as men? Case studies over longer time horizons and repeated field experiments may be a first step towards answering this question. Also, there is a need to replicate the experiments above in different contexts in order to control for cultural and other differences. More field experiments could help counter criticism about the external validity of experimental research. Another avenue for future research could consist in differentiating between corrupt practices. Most experiments focus on bribery, but there is little evidence regarding favouritism, fraud or embezzlement. Development cooperation can also contribute to increase our understanding of the gender-corruption nexus. On the one hand, donors could invest in the analysis of possible gender differences in corrupt behaviour, and promote research in countries they are working in. On the other hand, including gender indicators in the design of anti-corruption interventions may facilitate a gender-sensitive impact evaluation and may uncover interesting results confirming or rejecting some of the findings presented here. Even though the evidence seems to show that women are not inherently less corrupt than men, from a development policy perspective we are faced with a win-win situation. As Chaudhuri (2012) puts it: “at the very least, [increasing the extent of female participation at all levels of government and bureaucracy] will promote gender equity without making matters any worse.” (In a subsequent U4 brief we explore who suffers more from corruption, men or women). Alatas, V., L. Cameron, A. Chaudhuri, N. Erkal, and L. Gangadharan. 2009. “Gender, Culture, and Corruption: Insights from an Experimental Analysis.” Southern Economic Journal 75 (3): 663-680. Armantier, O., and A. Boly. 2011. “A controlled ﬁeld experiment on corruption.” European Economic Review 55 (8): 1072-1082. Chaudhuri, A. 2012. “Gender and Corruption: A Survey of the Experimental Evidence.” In New Advances in Experimental Research on Corruption, ed. by D. Serra and L. Wantchekon, 13-49. London: Emerald Books. Croson, R., and U. Gneezy. 2009. “Gender Differences in Preferences.” Journal of Economic Literature 47(2): 448-474. Dollar, D., R. Fisman, and R. Gatti. 2001. “Are women really the 'fairer' sex? Corruption and women in government.” Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 46 (4): 423-429. Esarey, J., and G. Chirillo. 2013. “‘Fairer Sex’ or Purity Myth? Corruption, Gender, and Institutional Context.” Politics & Gender 9: 361-389. Fink, H., and F. Boehm. 2011. “Corrupción en la policía de tránsito. Una primera aproximación a través de entrevistas con taxistas colombianos.” Revista Relaciones 32 (126): 67-85. Frank, B., J. G. Lambsdorff, and F. Boehm. 2011. “Gender and Corruption. Lessons from Laboratory Corruption Experiments.” European Journal of Development Research 23 (1): 59-71. Goetz, A. M. 2007. “Political Cleaners: Women as the New Anti-Corruption Force?” Development and Change 38 (1): 87-105. Lambsdorff, J. G., and B. Frank. 2011. “Corrupt Reciprocity – Experimental Evidence on a Men’s Game.” International Review of Law and Economics 31 (2): 116-125. Lambsdorff, J. G. 2013. “Behavioral and experimental economics as a guidance to anticorruption.” In New Advances in Experimental Research on Corruption, ed. by D. Serra and L. Wantchekon. London: Emerald Books. Rivas, M. F. 2013. “An experiment on corruption and gender.” Bulletin of Economic Research 65 (1): 10-42. Schulze, G. G., and B. Frank. 2003. "Deterrence versus intrinsic motivation: Experimental evidence on the determinants of corruptibility.” Economics of Governance 4 (2): 143-60. Sung, H. E. 2003. “Fairer Sex or Fairer System? Gender and Corruption Revisited.” Social Forces 82 (2): 703-723. Sung, H.E. 2012. “Women in government, public corruption, and liberal democracy. A panel analysis.” Crime, Law and Social Change 58 (3): 195-219. Swamy, A., S. Knack, Y. Lee, and O. Azfar. 2001. “Gender and Corruption.” Journal of Development Economics 64 (1): 25–55. World Bank. 2001. Engendering development through gender equality in rights, resources, and voice. New York: World Bank-Oxford University Press. Are men and women equally corrupt?	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line328
__label__wiki	0.814942	0.814942	NEWS, CRIME Small boys stripped, beaten & paraded in public for alleged theft; parents refuse to drop charges despite pleas from suspect By Coconuts Jakarta Apr 17, 2018 \| 10:53am Jakarta time Vigilante justice in the form of humiliating public shaming parades are disturbingly common in Indonesia. It’s also common for the vigilantes behind these criminal acts to go unpunished, since many such incidents aren’t reported to the authorities – either because the victim is financially compensated (colloquially referred to as damai, meaning “peace”) or they are threatened further by the culprits, who usually have strong backing in their respective neighborhoods. But following one especially disturbing case that took place in the Jakarta satellite city of Bekasi involving two very young boys, the parents of the victims are refusing to accept damai from the culprits. Hopefully it is a sign that parades of shame are becoming less acceptable in Indonesia (especially in the wake of the 5-year sentence a neighborhood chief received recently involving a highly publicized public shaming case). On April 8, a 12-year-old boy identified by his initials AJ, along with his friend H, were accused of stealing a jacket belonging to a 40-year-old man identified as Nur. With the help of several other locals, Nur caught the boys, stripped them, paraded them in the neighborhood while beating them. Sudirman, AJ’s father, eventually reported the incident to the police on April 12. The Bekasi Metro Police arrested Nur soon after and he was charged with assault. He could now face up to five years’ imprisonment. The police are still searching for at least two others involved in the case. After the arrest, Sudirman said Nur’s parents and respected figures in the neighborhood went to see him on Nur’s behalf to apologize and ask that the charges against him be dropped. “I gave them five days [from the incident to apologize]. So from there we can see there was no good intention on their part to come to me,” Sudirman said, as quoted by Kompas yesterday. Shortly after the parade of shame, Sudirman said AJ showed signs of mental trauma as he locked himself in his room for days and even asked to move schools since his friends heard about the incident. Meanwhile, H and his parents moved to the nearby town of Cikarang. Parades of shame are especially common for adulterers or anyone found getting intimate outside of wedlock, especially in rural areas, and the abusers often escape any criminal charges. In August last year, a couple who had allegedly committed adultery were paraded through the streets of a village in East Java, only for the police to charge the man for adultery but not the neighborhood busybodies who abused the couple. CITY: JAKARTACATEGORY: NEWSSUB-CATEGORIES: CRIME	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line329
__label__cc	0.596145	0.403855	Musical Mondays: Rose of Washington Square (1939) Posted on June 3, 2013 by Jnpickens In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 500. To celebrate and share this musical love, I’m starting a weekly feature about musicals. “Rose of Washington Square” (1939)- Musical #462 Alice Faye, Tyrone Power, Al Jolson, William Frawley, Joyce Compton Gregory Ratoff Set in the 1920s, Rose (Faye) and Ted (Jolson) dream of becoming singing stars. While Ted’s career takes off, Rose works her way up while singing in speakeasies. Then Rose meets and falls in love with gambling, con-artist Bart (Power). Bart has trouble with the law but somehow keeps his troubles away from her. When Rose is discovered by Ziegfeld and makes it big on Broadway, she and Bart marry but he disappears because of trouble with the law. The plot of this film strongly resembled Fanny Brice’s relationship with Jules W. Arndt Stein. Faye even sings Brice’s signature song “My Man.” Alice Faye as Rose falls in love with gambler Tyrone Power who plays Bart. Brice sued 20th Century Fox for $750,000 and the studio settled with Brice for an undisclosed amount, according to the Biography documentary on Alice Faye. The publicity made “Rose of Washington Square the biggest musical hit of 1939. -Al Jolson sings his signature songs “My Mammy,” “Toot, Toot, Tootsie” and “California, Here I Come” -Alice Faye sings Fanny Brice’s signature ballad “My Man” -Louis Prima has an appearance playing the trumpet as Alice Faye sings. Not only is it always great to have a Prima appearance in a film, but Faye later married Phil Harris who performed with Prima in Disney’s “The Jungle Book.” -When Alice Faye sings “Rose of Washington Square” specialty dancers Igor and Tanya perform a dizzying dance. Also dancers sing and dance as they smoke a cigarette, toss the cigarette and another appears in their hand. “Rose of Washington Square” cigarette dancing Alice Faye once said, “My voice was deeper than the plot” of many of her movies and this applies to “Rose of Washington Square.” I love Alice Faye and will watch her in anything, but my favorite part was getting to see her perform with Louis Prima. Though Jolson was in black face, it was interesting to see him perform several of the songs that made him famous. The movie was released during Hollywood’s best year, has a stellar cast and well-known songs, but it lacks something. Aside from the Brice vs. 20th Century Fox publicity, it is a run of the mill singer-trying-to-make-it-big musical. This entry was posted in Musical Monday and tagged 1939, Al Jolson, Alice Faye, Fanny Brice, Musical Monday, Rose of Washington Square, Tyrone Power by Jnpickens. Bookmark the permalink. 6 thoughts on “Musical Mondays: Rose of Washington Square (1939)” Grand Old Movies on June 3, 2013 at 6:59 PM said: i had heard that this movie was based on fannie brice, but i didn’t know a law suit was involved – it seems to have done the film no harm at the box office, though. josée on June 3, 2013 at 11:28 PM said: A reblogué ceci sur Chantons sous la pluie and commented: Alice Faye, Tyrone Power et Al Jolson. Patti on June 4, 2013 at 11:16 AM said: What a great series this is going to be! Wow, over 500 musicals!? Who even knew there were that many? I look forward to discovering more about this genre through your new series. Vienna on June 7, 2013 at 11:06 AM said: Glad to hear you are doing weekly musical reviews. I love the title song from Rose of Washington Square. Maybe you’ll do Tin Pan Alley – it has some great songs too. Vienna’s Classic Hollywood Jnpickens on June 8, 2013 at 5:56 PM said: I’m glad you are looking forward to the musicals! I’ve seen Tin Pan Alley, so that is a possibility in the upcoming weeks! 🙂 Danny on June 26, 2013 at 12:44 AM said: I noticed for the DVD cover the ditched a portion of the poster art– namely Al Jolson reprising his famous blackface. Can’t imagine why.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line332
__label__cc	0.557638	0.442362	Tag: Capitol riots I’ve heard a lot of words and historical analogies applied to the Capitol riots. Was it a coup, an insurrection, a putsch? Was it like Hitler’s failed Beer Hall Putsch in 1923? Or was it much more American, an exercise in White supremacy, more like a lynch mob, perhaps? M. Davout asks us to think more deeply about the past, as the Founders did, and turn to the Roman Republic and its own issues with mobs. Read on! W.J. Astore M. Davout In the days since the Capitol riot on January 6, pundits, politicians, and journalists have been underlining the shocking nature of the events of that day by comparing them to the sacking and burning of the Capitol by British troops during the War of 1812. Perhaps it is too big a stretch to compare the outcome of a military raid by a hostile foreign power to an attempt by a mob of US citizens to overturn a presidential election. A different historical precedent was suggested by Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado (D) in the hours after the Senate reconvened to finish its work of certifying the 2020 Electoral College vote. (The entirety of his remarks can be found between time signatures 27:49 and 33:15 here.) A visibly shaken Bennet, who at one point in his remarks notes that, “there is a tendency around this place …to always believe that we’re the first people to confront something,” starts off by suggesting that when the Founders wrote the Constitution they were thinking about “what happened to the Roman Republic when armed gangs, doing the work of politicians, prevented [Roman citizens] from casting their ballots for consuls, for praetors, for senators. These were the offices in Rome and those armed gangs ran through the streets of Rome keeping elections from being started, keeping elections from even being called, and in the end because of that the Roman Republic fell and a dictator took its place. And that was the end of the Roman Republic or any republic until this beautiful Constitution was written in the United States of America.” Putting aside some historical inaccuracies (e.g., Roman senators were not popularly elected), Bennet’s point about the importance of Roman precedent for the drafters of the Constitution and their concern about the destabilizing effects of popular mobs is largely right. However, the lesson that Roman mobs would teach us in our contemporary moment is more complicated than warning of the threat mobs can pose to a constitutional order. In the late Roman Republic, mobs were indeed politically mobilized against the constitutional order but oftentimes in pursuit of opening that constitutional order to the interests of the common people. Noted ancient historian Moses Finley wrote that, “it would not be far from the truth to say that the Roman populus exercised influence not through participation in the formal machinery of government, through its voting power, but by taking to the streets, by agitation, demonstrations and riots…” It is no small irony that the most (in)famous example of mob action in the Roman Republic was arguably in defense of the constitutional order when the populist tribunes Tiberius Gracchus and then his brother, Gaius, were defeated and killed by mob violence carried out at the instigation of Roman senators who felt their economic interests threatened. Gaius Gracchus died at the hands of the Senate and mob violence When the histories of this time are written, will the attack on the Capitol be considered completely sui generis, unique and incomparable to other recent episodes of populist uprising? To be sure, the rioters in the Capitol were motivated by an unhinged demagogue telling a lie, unlike the BLM protesters against an unjust criminal justice system of last summer, or even the 2011-2012 Occupy Wall Street protestors against accelerating levels of politically dangerous social inequality. However wrong and pernicious the rightwing paranoia about the presidential election results was and is, it may become clear from an historical distance that the current instability of our constitutional system has as much, if not more, to do with the corruption of our political representatives by economic elites content to pile up obscene levels of wealth at the expense of the well-being of the rest of us. Under the continuation of such a corrupted constitutional order, we can expect more popular uprisings, whether rationally motivated and aimed at reforming that order, or cynically incited and aimed at its overthrow. Only time will tell whether such protests, uprisings, and mobs will be in service of the Republic or of elites whose interests are contrary to those of the people. M. Davout, an at-large contributor to Bracing Views, teaches political science in the Deep South. Posted on January 15, 2021 by wjastorePosted in Society, US PoliticsTagged Capitol riots, mobs, Roman Republic, Rome, Senator Bennet. 43 Comments It wasn’t exactly the storming of the Bastille or the sack of Rome, but yesterday’s scenes from the Capitol were disturbing enough to the self-avowed “most exceptional nation.” If only the mob of protesters had shouted “We want affordable health care for all!” or “Racial equality!” or “Peace now!” or “Money for the poor!” instead of “USA! USA!” and “Trump! Trump!” as they marched through the Capitol on Wednesday. But I suppose protesters who shout for health care, racial equity, and peace get clubbed and gassed, whereas Trump supporters by comparison get handled with kid gloves. Trump, the law and order man, has always been unlawful, a man of disorder. As I wrote early in 2016, Trump disqualified himself from the presidency with his empty and dictatorial boasting. That he would incite a mob to gather at the Capitol to contest the election result was hardly surprising. What is surprising is how the Trump mob so easily breached the Capitol’s defenses, such as they were. In at least one case, it appears the police removed a barricade and let the pro-Trumpers in. Someone should be fired for this national humiliation. It’s a small miracle that only one person was killed, an Air Force veteran who was reportedly shot in the neck as she tried to break into an inner chamber room. An avid Trump supporter who’d traveled from California, she’d be alive today if not for Trump’s selfish and reckless call for a protest at the Capitol. Of course, predictable calls for Trump’s impeachment are coming from Squad members like AOC and Rashida Tlaib. Really. In two weeks, Trump leaves office. And you want to squander energy and time in yet another unsuccessful attempt to impeach him. At the same time, you won’t even fight for a vote on Medicare for all. Once again, America will likely take the wrong lessons from these riots. The Capitol police will likely call for more money, more resources, more officers, more guns, more security cameras, more barricades, etc. There are already calls for more Internet censorship. Homeland Security funding will surely get a boost. And certain people will dismiss too easily the alienation and indignation of Trump supporters. What I mean is this: Americans are upset. Angry. Alienated. Confused. And rightly so. And until our government serves the people instead of corporate, financial, and similar lobbyists and special interests, the potential for future mobs will remain. Donald Trump is a total buffoon, a shell of a man, a narcissist with ambitions centered always on himself and his self-image. But imagine a more skilled manipulator, one less narrowly focused on himself, one with a stronger work ethic, one with boundless ambition for power. Such a person could truly lead an insurrection or coup, and yesterday’s scenes suggest such a takeover would be easier than we think. The answer is not more guns, more security, more police, nor is it impeachment. The answer is a government accountable to the people and for the people. If we don’t want our government to perish from this earth, it needs to be of the people, by the people, for the people. But it’s not, and until it is, a repeat of yesterday’s scenes, but on a much larger and more violent scale, will remain a possibility. Who wouldn’t want a “Speaker of the House” podium? Posted on January 7, 2021 by wjastorePosted in Uncategorized, US PoliticsTagged 2020 election, Capitol, Capitol riots, Trump, Trump impeachment. 160 Comments	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line334
__label__wiki	0.774319	0.774319	Democracy’s Crony Capitalism Is Falling Behind Autocracies In Per Capita Income Growth And Wealth Creation For Citizens. March 8, 2019 /in News /by Hunter Hastings As the 20th century drew to a close, democracy was on the march. The Soviet Union was gone, Nazism was a distant nightmare and every continent showed signs of moving toward free elections and the rule of law. All of humanity was finally coming to recognize the transcendent principles of democratic liberty and equality—or so many observers concluded. Looking back, the reasons for democracy’s appeal in those heady days appear more complicated. A big part of it had to do not with noble ideals but with economic success. The world’s richest countries were democracies, and the rest of the world wanted to be rich too. Today, global wealth is shifting to more authoritarian parts of the world—and it isn’t clear how well democracy, without every material advantage on its side, will fare in the competition. Since the 1890s, countries like the U.S., Great Britain and a small band of other democracies have dominated the global economy. As recently as 1995, 96% of all people who lived in a country with a per capita income over $20,000 (in today’s terms) were citizens of a liberal democracy. With the exception of a few oligarchs perched atop stagnant and repressive societies, only democrats got to enjoy real affluence. Today’s reality is very different. Our analysis of International Monetary Fund projections shows that sometime in the next five years, the total GDP of countries rated “not free” by Freedom House will surpass that of Western democracies. The combined economies of democratic countries like the U.S., Germany, France and Japan will be smaller than those of autocracies like China, Russia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. If the West is to navigate this new world successfully, it will need to understand how the scales tipped so rapidly from democratic dominance to authoritarian resurgence. One part of the explanation is democratic reversals in large economies, thanks to the efforts of strongmen such as Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan. If democracies like Brazil, India and South Africa experience similar erosion in the years ahead, the relative power of autocratic rulers will keep growing. The Growing Economic Power Of Autocracies The Growing Economic Power of AutocraciesPercentage of global gross domestic product, at purchasing-power paritySources: Statistics on World Population, GDP and Per Capita GDP, 1-2008 AD (1946–1989); International Monetary Fund(1990–2023); Polity (autocratic/democratic status, 1946–1971); Freedom House (1972–2018). Note: 2018–23 are projections But an even more important factor has been the rise of authoritarian capitalism. Before the 21st century, autocratic regimes that reached a relatively high level of per capita income tended either to stop growing, like the Soviet Union, or to become democratic, like military regimes in Asia, Latin America and southern Europe. Countries such as Singapore, which kept growing without becoming a true democracy, were explained away as small exceptions that proved the rule. This limitation still applies to autocratic regimes like North Korea and Venezuela, which have clung to strict state control of the economy. But a growing number of countries have learned to combine autocratic rule with market-friendly institutions, and they have continued growing economically well beyond the point at which democratic transitions used to occur. At the famous “Kitchen Debate” in Moscow in 1959, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon debated their countries’ economic systems. PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS Today, 376 million people live in deeply unfree countries—including Russia, Kazakhstan and the Gulf states—that have per capita incomes above $20,000 in terms of purchasing-power parity. In China’s coastal region, average incomes have already risen above this level, and the major cities have surpassed $35,000. When China as a whole crosses above $20,000 in per capita income, which the IMF estimates will happen next year, 1.8 billion people around the world will live in upper-income authoritarian regimes. This development carries enormous implications for the future of democracy. The last time the democratic world faced a serious challenge to its economic and technological primacy was after the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite, in 1957. Buoyed by postwar reconstruction and the addition of seven new vassal states in Eastern Europe, the Soviet bloc had seen its GDP increase from one-fifth of the U.S. level in 1945 to over half that level by 1958. A few years later, Paul Samuelson, the Nobel Prize-winning economist, predicted in his widely used introductory textbook that the GDP of the Soviet Union would surpass that of the U.S. by 1984. Hopes for the U.S. to grow its way out of the current predicament are no more than fantasies. It never happened, of course. By 1969, an American flag was fluttering on the moon and economic growth in the U.S. once again outpaced that of the Soviet bloc. Living standards under communism never reached those of the West. Subsequent editions of Samuelson’s textbook kept pushing the point at which he projected the Soviet economy would overtake that of the U.S. into the ever more distant future. Today, however, there is less reason for confidence in the eventual economic triumph of democracy. In 1957, the U.S. and its democratic allies in Europe and Japan accounted for almost two-thirds of the global economy—three times more than the Eastern bloc plus China. Sputnik may have made Americans nervous, but the West was still economically dominant. The real question was whether it had the political resolve to translate its material power into geopolitical hegemony. In 2019, by contrast, no amount of political resolve will reverse the fact that Western democracies account for little more than a third of the world economy. Given the radical shift in world-wide population and productivity that we have witnessed in the recent decades, it would be naive to expect North America and Western Europe to reign supreme again anytime soon. Hopes for the U.S. to grow its way out of the current predicament are no more than fantasies. Whether democracy or autocracy rules the world in the 21st century is thus likely to depend on a number of pivotal countries that could end up as part of either camp. If countries such as India, Nigeria and Indonesia manage to build stable and affluent democracies, the principles of liberty and equality have a chance to maintain and extend their influence in the coming decades. But if these crucial “swing states” turn autocratic while becoming rich, democrats will have a harder time making their case. As the history of the 20th century shows, freedom tastes much sweeter when it seems to be the gateway to prosperity. Mr. Foa is a lecturer in political science at the University of Melbourne. Mr. Mounk is an associate professor of political science at Johns Hopkins and the author of “The People Versus Democracy: Why Our Freedom Is in Danger and How to Save It.” PHOTO: GILLES SABRIE/BLOOMBERG NEWS	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line336
__label__cc	0.706435	0.293565	chacebook ABOUT CHACEBOOK Chacebook Rating System SOFTCORE FILMS Cyborg Hookers (aka Bikini Model Mayhem) By Chace Thibodeaux on March 24, 2016 • ( 5 Comments ) Filmed back in January, and originally released under the title Bikini Model Mayhem (which it is still listed as on IMDB), this would appear to be the first film from new writer/director Sal V. Miers, whose 2nd film Bad Girls Behind Bars I have already reviewed. Although women typically get top billing in these films, this is a rare film in which I’d say the rightful “star” is Andy Espinoza Long, who has a more significant role, and seems to have more screen time (although it’s not like I timed it), than anyone else. Long stars as Senator G.W. Bushwacker, a corrupt man who is currently running for Governor. The premise is that he has enlisted a mad scientist (played by Ted Newsom), to create life-like androids in the form of beautiful women, whom he sets out to seduce his political rivals and ruin their careers. Katie Morgan plays one of the androids, named Augustina. But when she malfunctions after having sex with one man, Bushwacker and his scientist figure out how to fix her. Cindy Starfall plays Briana, a 2nd Cyborg whom Bushwacker sends to seduce his other rival while Augustina is being repaired. Meanwhile, Jacqui Holland plays Megan, a woman who works for Bushwacker’s campaign, unaware of the Senator’s true evil nature. She lives with her boyfriend Michael, played by Robby Echo, who also works for the campaign, although he doesn’t seem to be quite as enthusiastic about it. Eventually Bushwacker sets his sights on Megan, and plots to break up her and Michael (by sending both Briana and a now-repaired Augustina to simultaneously seduce him), so that Bushwacker can then seduce Megan. Will Bushwacker’s plan succeed? Will he win the election? NO SPOILERS! There are 7 sex scenes in this film, 4 of which are B/G. We get the opening scene between Katie Morgan and Eric Masterson, who plays one of the candidates running against Bushwacker. They have sex in a hotel room on a bed. As both a longtime hardcore and softcore film veteran, you can always count on Masterson to give his all in making his scenes look realistic, and he and Katie do a good job together her. Ryan Driller, likewise a very a good actor himself, plays the 3rd candidate in the race, and he has a pretty good scene with Cindy Starfall in his office, first in his chair and then on his desk. Jacqui Holland has two B/G scenes, one with her and Robby Echo on a couch, and then one with Long on a desk (spoiler alert: that scene with Long turns out to be a dream sequence, as Bushwacker imagines having sex with Megan, which makes him start plotting to do it for real). Then there’s a lesbian scene between Morgan and Cindy, after the Doctor fixed Augustina and wanted to test out of she was working properly again. And then there’s the aforementioned threesome with both of those ladies and Robby Echo, which takes place in a public bathroom. And then the final scene is a 4-way, but I don’t want to say whom the participants were, as that might spoil some of the outcome of the story. You’ll just have to watch it yourself, but let me say it’s a good scene. In my previous film review, I criticized some of Miers’ choices in regards to how he filmed the sex scenes, but I don’t have any of those complaints here. This is a good batch of scenes, and since this is what we all watch these films for (right?), then that’s all that really matters in the end. Actually, only main complaint would be that the seductive Sarah Hunter appears in this film, but she has no sex scene in it! She just has a minor speaking role, as Driller’s character’s secretary. Talk about a waste! Anyway, as the star, Andy Espinoza Long does a very good job playing the smarmy Senator. I’ve noticed since his Softcore debut (in College Coeds Vs. Zombie Housewives) he seems to have gained a rabid female fanbase, and I have no doubt that they will be happy with his performance here. But I do think the plot of this film had a greater potential than it was shown. And, cast-wise, the weak link is Starfall. She’s fine when having sex, but in her dialog scenes she’s not much of an actress. Holland continues to grow as a performer in each film I see her in. But overall this is a good effort, worth watching. Chacebook rating: 4 and a half STARS Note: The DVD doesn’t contain any real extras, just includes the trailers for this film and for the Bad Girls Behind Bars. Categories: SOFTCORE FILMS Tagged as: Andrew Espinoza Long, Andy Espinoza Long, Bikini Model Mayhem, Cindy Starfall, Cyborg Hookers, Eric Masterson, Jacqui Holland, Katie Morgan, Robby Echo, Ryan Driller, Sal V. Miers, Sarah Hunter, Ted Newsom Gigolos: Season 6 (Premier) PASSION’S DESIRE (aka Animal Attraction II) Kia says: This was a great review! I am new to the genre but I saw this on Cinemax late one night and been googling it and other films like it. I would like to see more flicks similar to this one. Is Andy Long in a lot of them? He was great, I wish he had more nude scenes tho. Thx! Chace Thibodeaux says: Hey, Kia, thanks for reading! As for Andy, this is the 4th film that I’ve reviewed that he’s been in. that are available on DVD (or for legal digital download). At lot of softcore films don’t always get official releases theses days You can click on the link in his name when I first mention him earlier in the review and it will take you to all the posts on Chacebook that he’s tagged in. Love this review! I actually enjoyed this film quite a bit. I love the final scene, I wish they had even more scenes with Andy but it was a step in the right direction. You always write such fun reviews! I told my girlfriends about this movie, they have been watching it on Cinemax lol. I will tell them about your blog =) Hey Jen! I was wondering if you were still around, your Twitter has been active in almost year. Thanks for reading the review, glad you liked it. And, yes, I remember early on that you were quite a fan of Andy, so I’m not surprised that you’re happy with his performance in this film. Pingback: Model For Murder: The Centerfold Killer – chacebook Chace Thibodeaux Blogger. SciFi/Erotica/Romance novelist. Comic-book reader. Social Justice Warrior. 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__label__cc	0.736588	0.263412	Skin and bone: the face in the archaeological imagination Name: Beatty PhD E-Thes ... Description: Full Text E-Thesis Beatty, Katherine E. Copyright: © 2015, Katherine E. Beatty. Copyright information: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ Full text restriction information: No embargo required Citation: Beatty, K. E. 2015. Skin and bone: the face in the archaeological imagination. PhD Thesis, University College Cork. Supervisor(s): Ó Donnabháin, Barra Thirteen unique archaeological countenances from Ireland were produced through the Manchester method of facial reconstruction. Their gaze prompts a space for a broad discourse regarding the face found within human and artefactual remains of Ireland. These faces are reminders of the human element which is at the core of the discipline of archaeology. These re-constructions create a voyeuristic relationship with the past. At once sating a curiosity about the past, facial reconstructions also provide a catharsis to our presently situated selves. As powerful visual documents, archaeological facial reconstructions illustrate re-presentations of the past as well as how the present can be connected to the past. Through engagment with Emmanuel Levinas’s (1906- 1995) main philosophical themes, the presence of the face is examined in a diachronic structure. The ‘starting point’ is the Neolithic period which has been associated with the notion of visuality with a reconstruction from the early Neolithic site of Annagh, Co. Limerick. The following layer of analysis appears with attention to intersubjectivity in the early medieval period with facial reconstructions from Dooey, Co. Donegal and Owenbristy, Co. Galway. Building upon the past concepts, the late medieval period is associated with the notion of alterity and paired with faces from Ballinderry, Co. Kildare and a sample of males from Gallen Priory, Co. Offaly. The final layer of examination culminates with the application of response and respons-ibility to the post-medieval Irish landscape with facial reconstructions from the prison on Spike Island, Co. Cork. These layers of investigation are similar to the stratigraphical composition of both the archaeological landscape and the skeletal/soft tissue landscape of the face. The separation of the neglected phenomenon of the face from the overwhelming embrace of the field of craniometrics is necessary. Through this detachment a new manner in which to discuss the face and its place within the (bio)archaeological record is possible. Encountering the faces seen in mortuary contexts, material culture, and archaeological facial reconstructions, inform and shape the archaeological imagination. College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences - Doctoral Theses [426] Archaeology - Doctoral Theses [20] Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as © 2015, Katherine E. Beatty.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line341
__label__wiki	0.824865	0.824865	Our Reporters Wendy Potter Brent Chittenden Elena Nicosia John Whitefoot Tina Giordanella Amrutha Srivatsa Caroline John Naveen Rao Ashmeet Bagga Home » Crime Shows Joe Kenda: 11 Essential Facts about TV’s “Homicide Hunter” By: John Whitefoot Jul 13, 2018 at 9:00 amSuggest Correction Joe Kenda Credits: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images Lt. Joe Kenda is one of TV’s most unlikely standouts. He has gray hair parted at the side, a sheepish grin, and hound-like eyes; he’s also modest and humble. But that’s exactly why the 23-year veteran of the Colorado Springs Police Department’s homicide unit, and the face behind Investigation Discovery’s Homicide Hunter, is a bona fide star. In each episode, more than two million enthralled viewers watch as he re-opens his “murder books” and narrates re-enactments of the crimes he covered while working in Colorado Springs. Below are 11 facts every fan of Homicide Hunter should know. #1 – Joe Kenda Grew up in a Coal-Mining Town But It Wasn’t for Him Joe Kenda was born on August 28, 1946 in Herminie, Pennsylvania, a small coal-mining town about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh. Not surprisingly, coal mining is in his family’s blood; his father, uncle, and grandfather were all coal miners. Tragically, his grandfather died in a mining incident 13 years before Kenda was even born. Seeing the daily grind the local coal miners had to endure left a lasting impression on Kenda. “My grandfather was killed in a coal mine in 1933,” he said. “I decided as a young man that was not for me.” #2 – Kenda Became Fascinated with Crime after Seeing the Most Dangerous Animal on Earth Joe Kenda has always been fascinated with crime. “I thought that murder must be the worst crime,” he said. “Because the worst thing can happen to you if you do it.” But seeing the most dangerous animal on earth solidified Kenda’s interest in crime and punishment. When Kenda was nine, his parents took him to the Pittsburgh Zoo. When they approached the primate house, he saw a sign that said, “Around this corner is the most dangerous animal on earth.” “And I think, this I need to see. So I walked around the corner, and there was a mirror. A big mirror—floor to ceiling—reflecting the image [of] all the people walking around the zoo. I stood and looked at that mirror for a long, long time. I stood there for so long, my mother started yelling that we needed to leave,” he recounted. It was then that Kenda questioned if this was in fact true. Could humans be that dangerous? “Animals kill because they have to survive,” he said. “Humans kill because they want to. Once you’ve killed then it is just numbers. It is a dangerous thing to do and that was what was intriguing to me.” #3 – Kenda Started Out Life in Trucking Despite the strange encounter with the most dangerous animal on earth and all its implications, Kenda did not become a police officer right away. After graduating from Greensburg Central Catholic High School in 1964, Kenda went to the University of Pittsburgh. After graduating with a degree in political science, Kenda went to Ohio State University where he graduated in 1970 with a master’s degree in international relations. He married his high school sweetheart Martha Kathleen “Kathy” Mohler in 1967. By the time Kenda graduated, the couple had two kids, a girl and a boy. So Kenda took a job working for his father’s trucking business. After struggling financially, a frustrated Kathy gave her husband an ultimatum. “I couldn’t make ends meet, and I’m really good at making ends meet,” said Kathy, a nurse. “If he wasn’t working, he was with the boys, golfing and stuff, and I was stuck with the two kids. So he came home, and I was drunk one night, and I said: ‘This has got to change. I never see you. You never see the kids.’ “He said, ‘OK, I’ve always wanted to be a policeman.’” Kenda applied and became a police officer. #4 – Kenda Solved His First Homicide During His First Year on the Force In 1973, Joe Kenda, Kathy, and their two children moved to Colorado Springs where he joined the the Colorado Springs Police Department. A Young Joe Kenda; Photo: https://www.facebook.com/LtJoeKenda/ Why Colorado Springs? Kenda’s mother was originally from Colorado Springs and he used to spend his summers there visiting his grandmother. “I always said to myself, ‘If you ever get old enough and smart enough, you’ll live here.’” That same year, Kenda solved his first homicide. Sam Melena, an 83-year-old grocer, and his 78-year-old wife Rose were generous people who would help out anyone. They took in a struggling couple, Lawrence Eugene Todd and Vicki Lynn Locklin, both 19 years of age. The younger couple, wanting to go to California to see their son, needed money. Their solution was to rob the kind, elderly couple. They went to the Melenas’ grocery store at 720 S. Conejos St. to get the money. A struggle ensued. Sam was stabbed and killed. His wife was also stabbed, but she survived. “Here are people that no one cares about and somebody kills them and steals their $32.00? No. You are not going to get away with this,” Kenda said. “I’ll never forget, their son putting his arms around me, and saying, ‘Please find who did this.’ I told him I would. And I did. “(We locked up) Lawrence Eugene Todd and Vicki Lynn Locklin. They are both still in the can.” #5 – Kenda Had a 92% Solve Rate Kenda worked his way up the ranks to detective and then became the commander of the homicide department. He spent 23 years with the police department, 19 working in homicide. “I loved the work,” he said. “My wife—not so much.” During Kenda’s time on the force, his team solved 356 of his 387 homicide cases. This translates into a solve rate of 92%, one of the highest in the country. Despite this amazing solve rate, Kenda remains modest. “I was involved in 387 homicide investigations. I solved 92% of them. So, you can say I’m the guy who did a good job on those 92%, or the idiot who couldn’t figure out the eight percent. Joe Kenda; Image: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUvwtbd0EQE #6 – Kenda Says You Can Tell Who’s Guilty by their Eyes When asked about what visual clues he notices during an interview, Kenda pointed to the eyes. “The eyes are the window of the soul,” Kenda philosophized. In interviews, Kenda played the part of both good cop and bad cop. He’d start by looking into someone’s eyes and asking friendly questions. “’Tell me about yourself. Do you have a wife, do you have a dog?’” I let him tell me about himself to make him comfortable. And, once he’s comfortable, then hit him with something that hurts and look right into his eyes and see how he reacts,” he said. “If you hit him with something that hurts, he will react—the pupils will become little pinpoints. As far as his reaction, it is not about what he says, it’s about what his eyes say. Ultimately it’s the eyes. This might take a while, but the eyes will always tell the truth.” #7 – Kenda Believes the Most Effective Liar Is a Psychopath Out of all the murderous eyes Joe Kenda has peered into, the most deceptive ones belonged to a psychopath. The problem, or one of the many, is that a psychopath does not have empathy, sympathy, compassion, or remorse. The only emotion a psychopath is good at showing is rage. Here’s your reminder that there’s no use in lying to a trained investigator. And your reminder to catch up on last night’s #HomicideHunter on ID GO ➡️ https://t.co/p8rccWY8Pb pic.twitter.com/TdLJogPtA3 — Joe Kenda (@LtJoeKenda) January 4, 2018 Kenda said he has only met one truly psychopathic murderer during his storied career: Ronald Lee White. “He is a monster. Handsome guy; he looked like a movie star. Women would drop their groceries to follow him down the street. He sold tanning beds for a living,” Kenda recalled. White was found guilty of three murders, but told the court he had committed 15 more, which may or may not be true. The story of White was actually featured in season one, episode five of Homicide Hunter. At the end of the episode, there is footage of White inside the courtroom. There is no audio. White can be seen sneering and yelling, telling the judge and jury he was going to kill them, too. #8 – Kathy Was Convinced Kenda Was Going to Be Killed on the Job As Kenda’s career was winding down, his wife Kathy was certain he was going to be killed on the job. He came home late one night to find all the lights on and Kathy waiting up for him. “I walk in the door, and she is on the sofa and she is in tears,” he said. “And I said, ‘What is the matter?’ And when she is really angry she calls me by my last name, and she said, ‘Kenda, I cannot wait for you anymore.’” In 1993, Kenda and Kathy moved to Falcon, Colorado. Three years later, Kenda retired. #9 – Joe Kenda Drove a Special-Needs Bus When He Retired Joe Kenda did not go quietly into retirement. “I went through two years of withdrawal,” he said. “And I had to lose the ‘venom.’ And I had a lot of that.” After mellowing out a little, Kenda got a job driving a special-needs bus until 2008. #10 – Kenda Is Surprised by the Success of Homicide Hunter Kenda was approached to pitch a TV show on his career as a successful homicide detective in 2009. It didn’t take long for that show, Homicide Hunter, to take off. And it caught Joe Kenda off guard. “I’m surprised at how this has been received,” he said. “I’m very surprised that it is as successful as it is. I would have never believed it. I still don’t believe it, but it is true.” Part of that success is due to the fact that Investigation Discovery took a chance on Kenda, who had no prior TV experience. Kenda called Investigation Discovery “one of the most successful media businesses on the planet,” with operations in 220 countries and territories, 1.8 billion customers, and broadcasts in 400 languages. “They are enormous,” Kenda said. “And I’m part of that.” #11 – Kenda and Kathy Like to Travel in Their Spare Time In their spare time, Joe and Kathy Kenda like to travel. Kenda recounted how he once spent two weeks in Ireland: “It was wonderful. I drank about 30 gallons of Guinness and 10 gallons of Jameson. “We have been able to go all over the world. We just love to travel.” But just because the Kendas like to travel to far-off places, that doesn’t mean they can avoid the fame and recognition that comes with Homicide Hunter. Kenda was once recognized on a train traveling from New York to Virginia. He was approached to sign one autograph, which he was happy to do. Before he knew it, word had spread through the coaches that he was on board and he ended up signing 49 more autographs. Homicide Hunter airs in France, so not surprisingly, Joe Kenda was also recognized while eating at a Paris restaurant. How does it feel to be famous? “Odd” is how Kenda described it. “I’m always nice to people because I would be offended if somebody wasn’t nice to me. I pose for pictures, give autographs, pet the dog, do whatever we have to do. I don’t see myself as famous,” he mused. “I’m a policeman, I’m not an actor. I’m just like anybody else. At the moment I just have a different job. It doesn’t make me famous; it makes me recognizable, I suppose, but I don’t equate that with fame.” Colorado Springs Police Department Geography of Colorado Herminie Herminie, Pennsylvania Homicide Hunter Joe Kenda Ma Anand Sheela Wiki: 28 Fascinating Facts about the Controversial Figure in the Rajneesh Cult Adam Strong Wiki: Could There Be a Serial Killer in Oshawa, Canada? https://crimeola.com/11-facts-joe-kenda-homicide-hunter/ Joe Kenda: 11 Essential Facts about TV's “Homicide Hunter” John Whitefoot CrimeOla 2018-07-13T09:00:57Z 2018-07-12 05:34:48 Lt. Joe Kenda is a 23-year veteran of Colorado Springs Police Department's homicide unit, with one of the country’s highest case solve rates. He is the unlikely star of his own wildly popular TV show, Investigation Discovery’s "Homicide Hunter." This piece reveals 11 facts about Kenda that every fan should know. Crime History,Crime Shows,News,Profile https://crimeola.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Joe-Kenda-150x150.jpg Recommended from the web © 2021 Crimeola. All Rights Reserved.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line353
__label__cc	0.744332	0.255668	Crommunist Ian Cromwell Music Abuse of power; power of abuse by Crommunist · blog · Canada · conservativism · crapitalism · crime · law · news · police · politics One of the weird facets of having male, able-bodied, and a great deal of middle-class privilege (that really does border on white privilege at times, my skin colour notwithstanding) is that there are a number of evidently-common phenomena that I have simply never witnessed. I have never known someone to be raped, I have never seen harassment more obnoxious than cat-calls or a honked horn, and as near as I can tell I have never been on the receiving end of serious discrimination either at the hands of an employer or the police. Left with only my own personal experience as a yardstick for reality, it would be trivially easy for me to fall into the seductive trap of assuming that the world is a fair place and the concerns of anti-abuse groups are very occasional and dramatic exceptions to a general trend of figurative rainbows and puppies. But because I have made the decision to not only listen to those who have experienced those things, but to engage with their ideas and compare them to the few occasions where I have had to deal with being subjected to discrimination, I have learned to let the weight of my skepticism rest more heavily on those who say there’s no problem than those who say there is one. One recent example of a major transition I have made is my attitude toward police. I have seen too many stories of egregious and unpunished crimes committed by police all over the world to believe that these are isolated incidents that are not reflective of a larger and more disturbing trend. Despite my universally positive personal interactions with Vancouver Police (I have repeatedly noted the positive way they handled both the Occupy Vancouver presence and the post-hockey riots), in the absence of robust and meaningful civilian oversight I am obligated to view all officers with suspicion. I have also learned enough about the phenomenon of abuse (particularly sexual abuse at the hands of professional superiors) to realize that many cases go unreported not because they aren’t serious, but because they won’t be believed. Short of having a video camera and voice recorder on your person at all times, there will never be sufficient evidence for ‘skeptics’ of harassment claims, let alone enough to convince a court of law. As a result, justice against abusers is often elusive. A response of “just report it” is the product of a particularly lazy, unengaged, and clearly unempathetic mind. Such a mind is our Prime Minister: Prime Minister Stephen Harper is calling on the group Human Rights Watch to share information with police about allegations of abuse by RCMP officers against aboriginal women in British Columbia. Harper also announced that the government has asked the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP to look into the allegations raised in the report released Wednesday by the respected New York-based rights watchdog. “If Human Rights Watch, the Liberal party or anyone else is aware of serious allegations involving criminal activity, they should give that information to the appropriate police so that they can investigate it,” Harper told the House of Commons in response to a question by interim Liberal leader Bob Rae. “Just get on and do it.” “Just get on and do it”, says Mr. Harper in response to the repeated violations of not only the trust but the human rights of the Canadian people that his office is supposed to serve. Violations occurring at the hands of the very authorities that Mr. Harper belligerently suggests the victims contact. This in response not to allegations that specific, provable crimes had been committed, but that the oversight of the RCMP has failed to detect or address the issue of abuse in the first place, and that focussed inquiry was needed to prevent such cases in the future (one would not be out of turn to note the similarities to the Roman Catholic Church). I suppose that one could, if one were feeling particularly charitable, argue that perhaps Mr. Harper had just failed to apprehend the full scope of the issue – that he simply didn’t know that the RCMP needed better oversight. If that’s the case, then Harper ceases to be a hideous amoral monster (at least in this regard) and simply becomes appallingly ignorant and incompetent: The head of the RCMP admitted that Canada’s national police force neglected to keep tabs on hundreds of cases of serious misconduct committed by Mounties across the country for years. Commissioner Bob Paulson acknowledged that an access to information request by CBC News inadvertently revealed that not even senior leaders in the RCMP could say with confidence whether incidents of misconduct that include assaults, impaired driving and fraud were a problem in the force. “You’re right,” said Paulson, who has been on the job just over a year. “The RCMP hadn’t been tracking until I got here and now we are. We’re tracking them all.” CBC News submitted the request in November 2008. It was delivered four years later in November 2012. An officer who handled the file offered an embarrassed apology, and explained the delay was due to the list having to be created from scratch. It is hardly a secret that the RCMP has been judged and found wanting when it comes to both the conduct of its own officers and its ability to react to that conduct. There is perhaps no place where the truth of this is more widely known than in my own province of British Columbia. Officers are not only not being taken to task for their breaches of their duty (indeed, in many cases it appears that more people are punished for speaking up than for abusing even their fellow officers), but the force as a whole does not show much interest in even treating seriously those cases that do achieve widespread attention. To glibly suggest that the correct action to take against abusive police officers is to report them to the police is to demonstrate either contempt for the very victims of crime whose interests this government claims to represent, or a lack of awareness of the relevant details of the issue so deep that it borders on criminal itself. Or both, I suppose, if one was inclined to be charitable in the other direction. Like this article? Follow me on Twitter! It is in fact much more accurate to say that I know several people who have been raped, but very few of them have talked to me about it. Dunc February 19, 2013 · Reply lirael_abhorsen February 19, 2013 · Reply There are so many people who think the answer to everything is “just report it”. Well-meaning friends and family say this to people who have been sexually assaulted all the time. When it comes to police misconduct, like you said, the mind boggles. It’s like people can’t imagine why someone might reasonably not trust an agency that abused them and has more power than they do to respond well to an allegation that it did something bad. That said, is there any organization that is willing to take and pursue police abuse complaints for little or no cost? I’m thinking here of the role that the wonderful National Lawyers Guild (NLG) sometimes plays for protests in the US, except going on all the time, for a city, or for a province’s First Nations population, or something like that. This is not a substitute for proper civilian review. I’m just thinking of what a useful resource the NLG is in the context in which it operates – I have reported police misconduct to them that I would have been afraid to report to the police themselves. “…in the absence of robust and meaningful civilian oversight I am obligated to view all officers with suspicion.” Semi-tangentially, your mention of your positive experiences with the Vancouver PD, plus the fact that this post is about police abuse, prompted me to go back and read this post (trigger warning for police misconduct and sexual assault for anyone clicking that link), which I remembered from when you first wrote it. And, thank you. I’ve been a street medic in NYC (infrequently, as I live in Boston), and will do so again, and I’ve met Jose, the street medic mentioned in the first pullquote. The NYPD often target street medics; everyone who medics in NYC knows it (I was assaulted by them my first time in the city, fortunately without injury). I know one medic there (woman of color) who wears a motorcycle helmet when she’s medicking. Even though you wrote that post some nine months ago, rereading it gave me a tremendous feeling of relief – “Someone takes this stuff seriously!” maudell February 19, 2013 · Reply One thing you notice when you are victim of abuse from the police is that the vast majority of people (friends included) believe that you must have done something to provoke the abuse. I used to live in the DTES of Vancouver and a friend and I got pepper sprayed by the police directly in my eyes for walking out of a restaurant while the police was arresting someone (that I did not know) on the other side of the door. I know better than to confront the police, so I grabbed my friend (I was helped by my contact lenses, he wasn’t so lucky) and we went to the washroom to try to remove some of the mace (water is a bad idea!). While they sprayed us, the guy they were arresting fled (very productive intervention). When we got better, I calmly and respectfully asked what was the reason for the spraying. Their answer: “There’s a paddywagon on the way. If you keep talking we’re taking you in.” So I shut up and left. My friend lost the job he had gotten the week before because his eye and ear got seriously damaged. We called the police complaint office. Our mistake was obviously being in a “bad” neighbourhood. After he found out, the officer on the phone said: “I’ve been in the police force for 25 years, and these sorts of things just don’t happen.” And he did not take our complaint. And we just gave up. I told the story to a few friends, and they usually think I did something. They still don’t think it’s deserved, but I must have provoked the intervention somehow. I’m guilty of thinking the same when people tell me their story too, sometimes. I think we all have this inclination to believe there is some sort of fairness to the world to stay mildly sane. Regardless, from my personal experience, it seems like I was a lucky one. I have been a witness of blatant police abuse (yes, usually done to aboriginal people) in the DTES. The police is safe. When you beat on people who are already down, they usually don’t have the strength or resources to do anything about it. [note: it only takes a small percentage of abusive police officers to create a lot of abuse. I think the majority of them strive to be just (which doesn’t prevent certain biases)] freemage February 19, 2013 · Reply As a Chicagoan, this post has serious resonance for me–in particular the bit about how ‘it never happens to me’ meaning I have to actively listen to reports when it happens elsewhere (in addition to your noted privileges, I’m also white, and on top of that, have an ID in my pocket that says I work for one of the media outlets in town [more impressive than it sounds, just an office clerk–but they don’t know that]–no cop in his right mind would be anything BUT courteous to me, even if he was one of the ones who has no problem dropping a dime-bag in the pocket of a suspect so he can “find” it again during a frisk). And unless you’ve got your head up your kiester, it’s impossible to be unaware of the fact that Chicago PD has serious issues in this regard. We KNOW (as in, “established in a court of law”) that within my adult lifetime, there was an actual torture operation going on in part of the city to obtain wrongful convictions. We know the cops have forged evidence, obtained confessions with tactics that would’ve been at-home in Abu Grahib, abandoned their duty to care for citizens in distress, and generally been all-around asshats, often with fatal consequences. And yet, the Union fights every attempt at installing accountability measures. (Honestly, this is one of the few places where I utterly despise a union’s position.) And the worst part is that several studies have shown that one effect of, say, recording interrogations and arrests is that false allegations drop precipitously, because the perps know they can be actively disproven. So the GOOD cops would benefit as well as getting rid of the bad ones. sambarge February 19, 2013 · Reply A few years ago, OPP officers in Sioux Lookout Ontario tasered a 14 yr old girl who was being held in a cell at the OPP detachment there. The girl suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome and was intoxicated herself. She was placed in a cell where she laid down on the cot and committed the inexcusable crime of picking paint chips off the wall. An Ontario Child Advocate, who viewed the video of the tasering said: “When I saw the tape, we had a young person who was peeling paint off the wall of a police holding cell with her fingernail and she was quiet and on a cot,” he said. “And our estimation, the use of a Taser was not proportional to the need to protect, I guess, the paint on the wall.” Not surprisingly, the OPP determined that the officers responded with appropriate force. Because, apparently, next to lethal force is an acceptable response to peeling paint chips off a wall in a cell. I would never tell a First Nations woman to ‘go to the police’ for help after being victimized and feel my job was done. Harper is a f*cking turd. @maudell You had some highly unusual contact lenses. Normally having contact lenses dramatically increases how much pepper spray sucks (as the spray gets trapped behind them). And water should be fine for pepper spray if you’re using a proper flush (if you don’t, you can in fact end up burning your face, getting pepper spray in your nose and ears, etc, which is true for anything else you might flush with too). For future reference, in case anybody needs it, here’s how to do a proper flush. Completely agreed about people thinking you must have done something to provoke the abuse. Even if you have photos or video people will be saying “Well, we don’t know what happened before that photo was taken” or “Well, we don’t know what happened before the start of that video,” or “There was a second where somebody was in the way of the camera, and maybe during that time the person did something horribly provocative.” Getting back to the OP – combine that mind-set with the amount of victim-blaming that sexual assault victims get anyway, and racism, and it’s a recipe for victims not being taken seriously. wondering February 20, 2013 · Reply I’ve never lived in Vancouver, but I’ve visited many times. I still remember hanging out on Granville street and seeing a group of cops take down a drunk who was jumping on cars and beating the shit out of him with clubs. Then they started clearing the streets of everyone who had been a witness. I refused to go, saying that I was “waiting for the bus”, as I was next to a bus stop. Others said the same and they jammed us into the bus shelter in retaliation. We were lucky – it could have been worse. This was in the early 90s before cell phones – these days those cops would have been confiscating them.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line354
__label__wiki	0.813891	0.813891	Home » Science » “It’s Never Aliens, Until It Is” –Astronomers Deciphering Strange Signal from Our Nearest Star System “It’s Never Aliens, Until It Is” –Astronomers Deciphering Strange Signal from Our Nearest Star System Posted on Dec 19, 2020 in Artificial Intelligence, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Extraterrestrial Life, Science Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb says that advanced extraterrestrial life is less speculative than dark matter or extra dimensions, or, as Scientific American observes, it’s never aliens, until someday, it is. The Guardian leaked the news that a “tantalizing” radio signal, BLC-1, appears to have come from Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the sun at just 4.2 light-years. The signal was detected in archival data gathered last year by the Breakthrough Listen team using the Parkes radio telescope observatory, located 20 kilometers north of the town of Parkes, New South Wales, Australia in its searching for signals of radio-transmitting extraterrestrial civilizations in our Galactic neighborhood that are too narrow and well-defined to result from natural processes. A Technosignature? The signal cannot yet be dismissed as Earth-based interference, raising the remote possibility that is a transmission –a technosignature–from some form of advanced extraterrestrial intelligence. “We are scanning our galaxy in unprecedented detail,’ said Danny Price, Parkes Project scientist with the Breakthrough Listen project at UC Berkeley. “By trawling through these huge datasets for signatures of technological civilizations, we hope to uncover evidence that our planet, among the hundreds of billions in our galaxy, is not the only where intelligent life has arisen.” “Alien Technosignatures” –Buried in the Radio Pipeline Data? The technosignature that scientists have been actively seeking for decades is communication signals. “We have a pragmatic definition for technology, which is the ability to deliberately modify an environment in ways that can be sensed over interstellar or interplanetary distances, including the unintended consequences of that modification,” observes SETI pioneer, Jill Tarter. “Life does this, but it doesn’t do it deliberately.” Something Weird “Only human technology seems to produce signals like that,” says Sofia Sheikh, a graduate student at Pennsylvania State University and the Breakthrough team member leading the signal analysis.. “Our WiFi, our cell towers, our GPS, our satellite radio—all of this looks exactly like the signals that we’re searching for, which makes it very hard to tell if something is from space or from human-generated technology.” “Signs of Alien Technology” –Search for Extraterrestrial Life Shifts to Technosignatures “It’s pretty expected that every now and then you’ll see something weird, but this is interesting because it’s something that’s weird that we’re having to think about the next steps,” says Sheikh. British astrophysicist Lord Martin Rees suggests that aliens could exist in forms we can’t conceive. “They could be staring us in the face and we just don’t recognize them. The problem is that we’re looking for something very much like us, assuming that they at least have something like the same mathematics and technology.” “It has some particular properties that caused it to pass many of our checks, and we cannot yet explain it,” says astrophysicist Andrew Siemion at the University of California, Berkeley and director of the Berkeley SETI Research Center, in an interview with Scientific American. A Very Narrow Band of the Radio Spectrum The faint signal is question occupies a very narrow band of the radio spectrum: 982 megahertz, specifically, which is a region typically void of transmissions from human-made satellites and spacecraft. “We don’t know of any natural way to compress electromagnetic energy into a single bin in frequency” Siemion says. He suggests that perhaps “some as-yet-unknown exotic quirk of plasma physics could be a natural explanation for the tantalizingly concentrated radio waves. For the moment, the only source that we know of is technological.” Between April and May, 2019, he Breakthrough Listen team aimed the Parkes telescope at Proxima Centauri to study the colossal flares emitted by small red dwarf Proxima. While processing the data from those observations, Shane Smith, an undergraduate from Hillsdale College in Michigan working with Breakthrough, spotted BLC-1 that was narrow in bandwidth, appeared to drift in frequency, and vanished when the telescope was shifted to a different object. In the following days, four similar signals appeared, although some have been ruled out as radio interference. “All of our SETI experiments are conducted in an absolute sea of interference. There are tons of signals,” Siemion says. ”It comes down to being able to tell the difference between a very distant technosignature and our own technology.” Using artificial intelligence for future SETI searches, AI could identify something our mind cannot understand or accept. Could it in the future also go beyond our level of consciousness and open doors to reality for which we are not prepared? The Daily Galaxy, Jake Burba, via Breakthrough Initiatives, The Guardian, Scientific American, and National Geographic Image credit: A, Cherney, CSIRO	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line356
__label__wiki	0.859254	0.859254	NPR shares ‘We Insist’ playlist detailing ‘a century of black music against state violence’ by: Harry Levin Jul 9, 2020 2020 will be remembered as the year when hundreds of thousands of people all over the world took to the streets despite a global pandemic to fight for racial justice. George Floyd’s murder in police custody ostensibly restarted a conversation that should have never stopped to begin with. Because for black people, this problem is constant, ubiquitous, and unending. This fight stretches back to 1619 when the first slaves were brought to America, and ever since black people have had a musical platform, they have used that platform to fight for the freedom of their people. NPR Music recently compiled a playlist of music recorded in support of that fight stretching back nearly 100 years entitled, “We Insist: Black Music Against State Violence.” NPR‘s playlist curators offered an introduction to explain the intentions and history of the music included, the last paragraph of which can be found below. “The 50 songs discussed in this list often describe specific acts of police violence but they are not limited to that subject. Together they construct a kind of timeline of an ongoing movement within American music, stretching back more than a century. It is meant to be revelatory but not complete. The songs here take on some of the ugliest stories with which America—and, since it goes international, the world—has to reckon. They mourn the dead and fight for the living. Some are easy to identify as protest songs; others feel like a party. Many address police violence directly decades before that subject became a lodestone in hip hop. Some of these songs have been misinterpreted even when their messages are perfectly clear. All contribute to the history of black people showing what America’s official histories would hide in plain sight: the destructiveness of white supremacy and the uprisings against it that are not only organized and political, but personal. Like music itself, this spirit of resistance takes many shapes, but has never been silenced. As Baraka said of Coltrane, all you have to do is really listen.” The 50 songs are split into four sections, listed chronologically in the playlist. They are as follows: “1927–1963: Witness & Resistance” The Roaring 20’s was the period where shout songs and other traditional cultural styles of music birthed through the struggles of the black community first began to coalesce with the instrumentation brought over from Europe forming styles like ragtime, crooning, and early jazz. It was in this time when the black community first demonstrated their virtuosity and mastery of the stage, and they were quick to denounce the horrendous systemic treatment they had experienced for over three centuries prior. This section of the playlist represents the initial call to action. The black community laying their claim to this country, spreading their message of resistance through music long up until and following the civil rights movement. Hence why such figures vital to music history like Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday (her song “Strange Fruit” would later be sampled by Kanye West for “Blood On The Leaves”), and John Coltrane are found here, further making the case that all popular music to ever emanate from the US was in some way the byproduct of black culture. 1967–1985: Black Power The 1960’s through the 80’s in America are regarded as one of the most plenteous times in musical evolution. In the span of two decades, there was an explosion of new styles—rock ‘n roll, funk, disco, soul, hip-hop and even house and techno at the tail end, black culture being the common denominator between all of those genres. Following the civil rights movement, public figures like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, James Baldwin, W.E.B. Dubois, and others further empowered the black community to stand up for their rights. It was this fire that fueled unhindered artistic exploration and resulted in some of the most celebrated music in history. Marvin Gaye‘s “What’s Going On,” Stevie Wonder’s “Living For The City,” Rick James’s “Mr. Policeman,” are more than just classic belters, they’re sonic representations of collective unity in the fight for justice. 1985–2012: Policing & Protest While the civil rights movement and its martyrs made significant progress for racial equality, the fight was (and is) no where close to being done. In fact, it was truly just beginning, and that’s what the music of this era denotes. With rap now a major player in the musical zeitgeist, eventually growing into the most major player by the end of this era, the systemic struggles of the black community were now being delivered with far less room for interpretation. Rap brought “Fuck Tha Police,” (N.W.A.) “Cop Killer,” (Body Count) and “Sound of da Police” (KRS-One), to name only a few. But the emergence of rap wasn’t the only propulsion of this unfiltered social rhetoric. As the music industry grew into an international economic powerhouse, black artists of all different expressions would grow alongside it. This section of the playlist extends until 2012, including songs from artists like Gregory Porter and Esperanza Spalding no doubt inspired by Michael Jackson, Prince, and other monoliths of the time. But what leads into the fourth and final section of the playlist is something very important for the advancement of this movement: the acceleration of technology. 2014–2020: Black Lives Matter Before this era, the privileged peoples of the world could live their whole lives without encountering systemic racism. Then, seemingly overnight, everyone got their own personal pocket-sized video camera and suddenly horror after horror came popping up as notifications on a touch screen. It was impossible to ignore—or culturally sugarcoat—any longer, and the Black Lives Matter movement was born. Songs like “The Blacker The Berry” by Kendrick Lamar are the anthems of this movement, and new songs are being written every day in support as depicted by the three songs released in 2020 that close out the playlist: “Pig Feet” by Terrace Martin, “Sweeter” by Leon Bridges, and “The Bigger Picture” by Lil Baby. Each of these final three adopt a particular viewpoint of the movement, but paramount to note is that not all are grounded in cynicism. In fact, “Sweeter” is grounded hope. Hope born from the worldwide response that has confirmed this recent wave of protests as the largest display of civil rights activism in history. With that kind of unity fueled by the music like that found in this playlist, real change is coming. Via: NPR Make no mistake—dance music is born from black culture. Without black creators, innovators, selectors, and communities, the electronic dance music we hold so dear would simply not exist. In short, dance music is deeply indebted to the global black community and we need to be doing more. Black artists and artists of color have played a profound role in shaping the sound and culture of dance music and now more than ever, it is necessary for everyone in the music community to stand up for the people that have given us so much. Dancing Astronaut pledges to make every effort to be a better ally, a stronger resource, and a more accountable member of the global dance music community. Black Lives Matter—get involved here: My Block My Hood My City National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Program Black Visions Collective Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Legal Defense Initiative The Bail Project The Next Level Boys Academy Color of Change Tags: Billie Holiday, black culture, black lives matter, funk, hip-hop, jazz, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Baby, Louis Armstrong, Marvin Gaye, NPR Music, playlist, rap, soul, techno What So Not breaks radio silence with knocking remix of Run The Jewels’ ‘JU$T’ Oliver Heldens sets first HI-LO release loose from 2021 vault, ‘Athena’ Richie Hawtin shares 1996’s ‘CONCEPT 1’ album 25 years after original release	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line357
__label__wiki	0.633352	0.633352	Census Place 0.239% 1-year decline US Senator Thom Tillis Poverty Rate 16.1% 1-year growth Median Property Value 0.148% 1-year growth 11% 1-year growth Housing & Living In 2018, Elkin, NC had a population of 4.18k people with a median age of 37.6 and a median household income of $50,156. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of Elkin, NC declined from 4,189 to 4,179, a -0.239% decrease and its median household income grew from $43,211 to $50,156, a 16.1% increase. The 5 largest ethnic groups in Elkin, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (79.3%), White (Hispanic) (6.82%), Other (Hispanic) (5.93%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (4.62%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (1.08%). NaNk% of the people in Elkin, NC speak a non-English language, and 93.6% are U.S. citizens. The median property value in Elkin, NC is $135,300, and the homeownership rate is 61.2%. Most people in Elkin, NC commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 21.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Elkin, NC is 2 cars per household. United StatesNorth CarolinaSurry County, NCWilkes County, NCMount Airy, NCNorth Wilkesboro, NCSurry, Wilkes & Alleghany Counties PUMA, NC Daily New Cases by Date Showing data at the state level for North Carolina. Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported. Daily New CasesConfirmed CasesConfirmed Cases per CapitaDeathsDeaths per CapitaTestsHospitalizations This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in North Carolina, as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases. View Full Dashboard Impact on Employment Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina. This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact. The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks. Community Mobility This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of North Carolina across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential. In the 2016 presidential election, the popular vote in Surry County, NC went to Donald J. Trump with 73.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Hillary Rodham Clinton (23.3%), followed by Other (3.22%). The most partisan county was Graham County, NC with 78.8% of the vote going to Donald J. Trump running for the Republican Party. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis are the senators currently representing the state of North Carolina. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered. North Carolina is currently represented by 13 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms. Presidential Popular Vote Over Time Voting results are not available for Elkin, NC. Showing the available data for Surry County, NC. Donald J. Trump (73.5%) Hillary Rodham Clinton (23.3%) Other (3.22%) Other Party In the 2016 presidential election, the popular vote in North Carolina went to Donald J. Trump with 73.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Hillary Rodham Clinton (23.3%), followed by Other (3.22%). The following chart shows the popular vote results in North Carolina for each registered party from 1976 to 2016. Presidential Popular Vote by County Presidential voting results are only available at the county level. Showing data for the counties inside of North Carolina. Popular Vote for Surry County, NC 73.5% for the Republican Party Most Partisan Counties in North Carolina Graham County, NC 78.8% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party) Yadkin County, NC Durham County, NC 77.7% for Hillary Rodham Clinton (Democratic Party) In the 2016 presidential election, the most partisan county in North Carolina was Graham County, NC with 78.8% of the vote going to Donald J. Trump running for the Republican Party. The following map shows the counties in North Carolina colored by their party leaning. US Senators from North Carolina Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for North Carolina. Senator from North Carolina3 Assumed office on January 3, 2005 Richard Burr and Thom Tillis are the senators currently representing North Carolina. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered. The following chart shows elected senators in North Carolina over time, colored by their political party. US Representatives from North Carolina North Carolina is currently represented by 13 members in the U.S. house. Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for North Carolina have changed over time starting in 2008. Elkin, NC is home to a population of 4.18k people, from which 93.6% are citizens. As of 2018, 8.11% of Elkin, NC residents were born outside of the country (339 people). In 2018, there were 11.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (3.31k people) in Elkin, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 285 White (Hispanic) and 248 Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups. The 3 largest ethnic groups in Elkin, NC 3.31k ± 337 White (Hispanic) 285 ± 262 Other (Hispanic) Hispanic Population 13.3% of the people in Elkin, NC are hispanic (554 people). The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Elkin, NC as a share of the total population. Foreign-Born Population 2018 Foreign-Born Population As of 2018, 8.11% of Elkin, NC residents (339 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2017, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Elkin, NC was 9.74%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing. The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Elkin, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies. Age by Nativity Median Native-Born Age Median Foreign-Born Age ± 20.3 In 2018, the median age of all people in Elkin, NC was 37.6. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 39, were generally older than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 35. But people in Elkin, NC are getting getting older. In 2017, the average age of all Elkin, NC residents was 37. Global Diversity The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for North Carolina. Most Common Origin 242,756 ± 11,950 people 60,392 ± 6,015 people In 2017, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 242,756 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 60,392 and Honduras with 34,513. 2018 Citizenship As of 2018, 93.6% of Elkin, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2017, the percentage of US citizens in Elkin, NC was 92.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing. The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Elkin, NC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies. Most Common Service Period Gulf War (2001-) 40 ± 43 Elkin, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.03 times greater than any other conflict. Median household income in Elkin, NC is $50,156. In 2018, the place with the highest Median Household Income in Elkin, NC was Census Tract 9309.02 with a value of $53,024, followed by Census Tract 9309.01 and Census Tract 9601, with respective values of $48,900 and $45,205. Males in North Carolina have an average income that is 1.34 times higher than the average income of females, which is $44,729. The income inequality in North Carolina (measured using the Gini index) is 0.473, which is lower than than the national average. The economy of Elkin, NC employs 2.01k people. The largest industries in Elkin, NC are Manufacturing (334 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (316 people), and Retail Trade (276 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($68,523), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($54,250), and Finance & Insurance ($54,250). ± $8,864 ± 17.4% Households in Elkin, NC have a median annual income of $50,156, which is less than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $43,211 in 2017, which represents a 16.1% annual growth. The following chart shows how the median household income in Elkin, NC compares to that of its neighboring and parent geographies. Wage by Gender in Common Jobs Average Male Salary in North Carolina Average Female Salary in North Carolina ± $812 In 2017, full-time male employees in North Carolina made 1.34 times more than female employees. This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in North Carolina by number of full-time employees. Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity in North Carolina $59,267 ± $4,472 $49,962 ± $811 In 2017 the highest paid race/ethnicity of North Carolina workers was Asian. These workers were paid 1.19 times more than White workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity in North Carolina. This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in North Carolina by number of full-time employees. Wage Distribution The closest comparable wage GINI for Elkin, NC is from North Carolina. 2017 Wage GINI in North Carolina In 2017, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.473 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.39% growth from 2016 to 2017, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.479. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average. This chart shows the number of workers in North Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average. Income by Location Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity. TotalWhiteBlackOtherWhite Non-Hispanic Highest Median Household Income (Total) Census Tract 9601 In 2018, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Elkin, NC was Census Tract 9309.02 with a value of $53,024, followed by Census Tract 9309.01 and Census Tract 9601, with respective values of $48,900 and $45,205. The following map shows all of the places in Elkin, NC colored by their Median Household Income (Total). Poverty by Age and Gender Males 35 - 44 Largest Demographic Living in Poverty 17.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Elkin, NC (692 out of 4.05k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 13.1%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 35 - 44, followed by Males < 5 and then Females 25 - 34. The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty. Poverty by Race and Ethnicity Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Elkin, NC is White, followed by Hispanic and Other. Employment by Occupations ± 284 From 2017 to 2018, employment in Elkin, NC grew at a rate of 11%, from 1.81k employees to 2.01k employees. The most common job groups, by number of people living in Elkin, NC, are Production Occupations (307 people), Sales & Related Occupations (279 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (236 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Elkin, NC. The most common jobs held by residents of Elkin, NC, by number of employees, are Production Occupations (307 people), Sales & Related Occupations (279 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (236 people). Most Specialized Compared to other places, Elkin, NC has an unusually high number of residents working as Production Occupations (2.66 times higher than expected), Farming, Fishing, & Forestry Occupations (2.29 times), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (2.02 times). The highest paid jobs held by residents of Elkin, NC, by median earnings, are Computer & Mathematical Occupations ($85,167), Health Diagnosing & Treating Practitioners & Other Technical Occupations ($54,250), and Computer, Engineering, & Science Occupations ($54,185). Employment by Industries The most common employment sectors for those who live in Elkin, NC, are Manufacturing (334 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (316 people), and Retail Trade (276 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Elkin, NC, though some of these residents may live in Elkin, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address. The most common industries in Elkin, NC, by number of employees, are Manufacturing (334 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (316 people), and Retail Trade (276 people). Compared to other places, Elkin, NC has an unusually high number of Management of Companies & Enterprises (7.95 times higher than expected), Wholesale Trade (1.91 times), and Manufacturing (1.65 times) industries. The highest paying industries in Elkin, NC, by median earnings, are Utilities ($68,523), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($54,250), and Finance & Insurance ($54,250). Domestic Trade Domestic Production & Consumption Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from North Carolina to other states, or from other states to North Carolina. Domestic Production in DollarsDomestic Production in TonnageDomestic Consumption in DollarsDomestic Consumption in Tonnage Top Domestic Production in Dollars Mixed freight In 2015, the top outbound North Carolina product (by dollars) was Mixed freight with $50.4B, followed by Pharmaceuticals ($35.3B) and Machinery ($34.5B). The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound North Carolina products. Domestic Trade Growth Showing data for North Carolina. $407B 2015 Value in North Carolina Projected 2045 Value in North Carolina 55.4% growth In 2015, total outbound North Carolina trade was $407B. This is expected to increase 55.4% to $632B by 2045. The following chart shows how the domestic outbound North Carolina trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states. Interstate Trade Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from North Carolina to other states, or from other states to North Carolina. Most Common Trade Partners In 2015, the top outbound North Carolina domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was South Carolina with $25.6B, followed by Georgia with $25.4B and Virginia and $25.2B. The following map shows the amount of trade that North Carolina shares with each state (excluding itself). The median property value in Elkin, NC was $135,300 in 2018, which is 0.589 times smaller than the national average of $229,700. Between 2017 and 2018 the median property value increased from $135,100 to $135,300, a 0.148% increase. The homeownership rate in Elkin, NC is 61.2%, which is lower than the national average of 63.9%. People in Elkin, NC have an average commute time of 21.6 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Elkin, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household. 2018 Median ± $16,747 In 2018, the median property value in Elkin, NC grew to to $135,300 from the previous year's value of $135,100. The following charts display, first, the property values in Elkin, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Elkin, NC the largest share of households have a property value in the N/A range. Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data. Number of Households In 2018, the median household income of the 1.52k households in Elkin, NC grew to $50,156 from the previous year's value of $43,211. The following chart displays the households in Elkin, NC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $60k - $75k range. Average Range This chart shows the households in Elkin, NC distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Elkin, NC the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range. Rent vs Own 2018 Homeownership In 2018, 61.2% of the housing units in Elkin, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 63.3%. This percentage of owner-occupation is lower than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Elkin, NC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies. 21.6 minutes Average Travel Time Using averages, employees in Elkin, NC have a shorter commute time (21.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.3 minutes). Additionally, 1.38% of the workforce in Elkin, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes. The chart below shows how the median household income in Elkin, NC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies. Commuter Transportation Most Common Method of Travel Drove Alone Carpooled In 2018, the most common method of travel for workers in Elkin, NC was Drove Alone (83.9%), followed by those who Carpooled (9.48%) and those who Other (3.31%). The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting. Car Ownership Average Number The following chart displays the households in Elkin, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Elkin, NC have 2 cars, followed by 1 car. 86.7% of the population of Elkin, NC has health coverage, with 44% on employee plans, 14.7% on Medicaid, 12.6% on Medicare, 14.5% on non-group plans, and 0.936% on military or VA plans. Per capita personal health care spending in North Carolina was $7,264 in 2014. This is a 3.37% increase from the previous year ($7,027). Primary care physicians in Surry County, NC see 1774 patients per year on average, which represents a 9.37% increase from the previous year (1622 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2404 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 949 patients per year. Comparing across all counties in the state, Edgecombe County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (16.2%). Additionally, Hertford County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (40.5%) Patient to Clinician Ratios Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Surry County, NC. Patient to Primary Care Physician RatioPatient to Dentist RatioPatient to Mental Health Provider RatioOther Primary Care Providers 1,774 to 1 Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Surry County, NC Primary care physicians in Surry County, NC see an average of 1,774 patients per year. This represents a 9.37% increase from the previous year (1,622 patients). The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Surry County, NC in comparison to its neighboring geographies. Behavioral Health Conditions Data only available at the state level. Adults With Major Depressive EpisodeAdults With Serious Mental IllnessOpioid Overdose Death RateSubstance Use Disorder Among Adolescents and Adults (Age 12+)Drug Overdose Death RateExcessive Drinking State with the Highest Prevalence 8.26% of the population affected In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%). The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years. Social Needs Estimated Number of Chronically Homeless IndividualsPercent of Residents with Access To Exercise OpportunitiesPrevalence of Food InsecurityPercent of Occupied Households Lacking Complete Plumbing FacilitiesPercent of Occupied Households Lacking Complete Kitchen FacilitiesPercent of Households Lacking Internet Access Most prevalent states 35,798 individuals 5,087 individuals In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915). The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years. Access and Quality Data only available at state level. Adults Who Haven't Seen a Doctor in the Past 12 Months Due to CostMental Health Service Use Among Adults With Mental Illness30-Day Hospital Readmission Rate Among Medicare PatientsAdult Hospice Patients Who Received Care Consistent With Their End-Of-Life Wishes 19.2% of adults In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%). The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years. Health Care Spending Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care in North Carolina Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in North Carolina (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 3.37%, from $7,027 to $7,264. The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee. Employer Coverage Non-Group Military or VA Between 2017 and 2018, the percent of uninsured citizens in Elkin, NC declined by 4.32% from 13.9% to 13.3%. The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Elkin, NC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance. Data available at the county level. DiabetesAdult ObesityHIV DiagnosesSexually Transmitted InfectionsAdult SmokingAlcohol-Impaired Driving DeathsMotor Vehicle Crash DeathsHomicidesViolent Crimes Most at risk counties 16.2% prevalence 16% prevalence Edgecombe County has the highest prevalence of diabetes in North Carolina, at 16.2%. The following map shows the prevalence of diabetes in North Carolina by county over multiple years. Surry County, NC Wilkes County, NC Mount Airy, NC	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line360
__label__cc	0.650075	0.349925	Addressing the Syndemic of HIV, Hepatitis C, Overdose, and COVID-19 Among People Who Use Drugs: The Potential Roles for Decriminalization and Safe Supply J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2020 Sep;81(5):556-560. Matthew Bonn 1, Adam Palayew 2, Sofia Bartlett 3, Thomas D Brothers 4, Natasha Touesnard 1, Mark Tyndall 5 1Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. 2Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 3Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 4Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. 5School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. People who use drugs (PWUD) face concurrent public health emergencies from overdoses, HIV, hepatitis C, and COVID-19, leading to an unprecedented syndemic. Responses to PWUD that go beyond treatment--such as decriminalization and providing a safe supply of pharmaceutical-grade drugs--could reduce impacts of this syndemic. Solutions already implemented for COVID-19, such as emergency safe-supply prescribing and providing housing to people experiencing homelessness, must be sustained once COVID-19 is contained. This pandemic is not only a public health crisis but also a chance to develop and maintain equitable and sustainable solutions to the harms associated with the criminalization of drug use.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line365
__label__cc	0.558628	0.441372	Remember Barbara (Section 3 of 5) for Barbara Struncova On the night of December 4, 2010, Barbara and Jim went out with the Czech friends for dinner and drinks. Jim was tired. He’d surfed all day with the Czechs, and while they could sleep in if they wanted, he would have to get up and open the shop in the morning. When the party decided to move from the restaurant to a bar down the street, he told Barbara he was going home. Barbara wanted to stay. They were telling funny stories, and it was only 9:00 o’clock. So Jim said goodnight and rode his bike home, while Barbara stayed behind with the group. At 1:00 o’clock they left the bar, but the Czechs weren’t letting Barbara ride her bike home alone at that hour. They put the bike in their rented van, and dropped her off at her front door. They watched her open it and go inside. She waved and smiled and said good night. See you tomorrow. The house was quiet. Everyone was asleep. No one heard anything unusual during the night. The next morning Jim was up first, as always, but he wasn’t his good-naturedly grumpy self. He was agitated. He sneered. As his housemates woke up and wandered to the kitchen for coffee, he cursed and paced. “Barbara left me,” he said. “Crazy bitch,” and a bitter laugh. “Last night. She just fuckin’ left, that bitch. She said some damn shit about goin’ to the Caribbean side. I don’t know. She has some ex-boyfriend. Some guy named Martin or somethin’. She put some shit in a backpack and left. Got on the bus to San Jose.” They stared in disbelief. Barbara? Left Jim? Left them all? At three in the morning? Without saying goodbye? What? What ex-boyfriend? Are you kidding? None of it made any sense. “Crazy bitch,” Jim spat. “Jim started acting really weird,” Rebecca told me, “but we figured he was in shock. We were all in shock. That was so not like her. We didn’t want to ask him a lot of questions because we felt so terrible for him.” Who wouldn’t? What an awful thing to do. The break-up we all half expected, hadn’t looked anything like that in our imaginations. It more likely involved Jim riding off into the sunset on his longboard, while Barbara cried him an ocean of tears. On December 6, the day after Jim said Barbara left him, he went to the surf shop and asked for a board bag. He told the cashier on duty that one of the Czechs needed it, just to add it to their bill. No one asked any questions until weeks later, when the Czechs were settling their accounts and discovered the charge for a board bag big enough to hold three 9 ½ foot surf boards. None of them had asked for it. None of them had seen it. No surfer in his right mind would travel from Europe to the Americas with longboards—the longboarders rented from the shop. But Jim was nowhere to be found, by that time. And he had not taken his longboard. That same afternoon, Jim called Randy, a fellow Texan who worked next door to the surf shop, asking to borrow his car. Randy said he was sorry, but its tags had expired and he didn’t want it on the road illegally. Jim became agitated, he said, insisting—demanding, even—but refusing to say why he needed it, or where he would go. Randy finally gave in, frightened by Jim’s desperation and the rage boiling in his voice. The next morning, the car was back just like Jim had promised, and Randy forgot about it until Jim disappeared and questions started circulating. Everyone was frantically worried about Barbara, only Jim laughed it off with a bitter chuckle, saying he didn’t care where she was. On one hand his anger wasn’t surprising. On the other hand, after five years together, his disregard for her complete silence, compared with everyone else’s worry, was eerie. Jim cursed and spat, saying she was crazy and messed up. That was all. Finally Marco and Jake couldn’t stand it anymore, and they reported Barbara missing at the town’s little rural police office, where, if you want something written down, it’s a good idea to bring a pen. He started keeping his room locked, which wasn’t like him. None of the others locked their door while they were home, and neither had he and Barbara. Now, he locked it behind him every time he came into the common area, which was suddenly almost never. He spent hours enclosed in there. When the cleaning lady came, he said it was clean, and left with the key. He was sullen, skittish and mean. He didn’t go surfing. One afternoon, Jake was scouring the house for surf wax. Having no luck anywhere else, he tried Jim’s closed door and to his surprise, it opened. He found several rolls of saran wrap and some duct tape lying on the bare mattress, stripped of sheets. No surf wax lying around anywhere, though, so he left the room empty handed. He brought a few bars of wax home from the surf shop that night and tossed one to Jim, saying, “Dude, you’re out of wax. I brought you some.” “I looked everywhere.” “What? How’d you get in there?!” Jim flashed in fury. “Oh, so now you go in my room when I’m not home?!” He slammed down the beer he was drinking and stormed into his room in a sudden rage, banging the door behind him. Before Jim himself vanished, he took a trip for a few days. Out of nowhere, he announced that he needed to go look for Barbara—as though for some reason, he suddenly cared, and had an idea where to look. He packed a backpack and took a sleeping bag, as if he supposed that Barbara might have decided to go someplace where he would not be able to find a bed. He told Marco he was going to look for her in Jacó. He told Jake he was going to Limón. To Barbara’s best friend at the little hotel down the street, he said that he was going to look for her in Puerto Viejo, only to email a few days later, stating that he was in surfing in Dominical, and that Barbara had gone to Panama. Where ever he went, he did not return with Barbara or any news of her. He appeared at home again on December 21st and, in spite of his failed mission, seemed to somehow feel better, as if some troublesome load had lifted from his shoulders. He walked into the house and smiled a little when he said hello. Carrying the backpack, the sleeping bag and a plastic grocery bag of cleaning supplies. The next day, Jim told Rebecca that he had an interview for a chef job at a restaurant down the road. He patted the dog on the head and walked out of the house, with a little bag slung over his shoulder. Marco, biking home from a surf lesson just then, saw Jim sitting outside a hotel, and stopped to ask what was up. Jim shook his head and said he was stuck there waiting for some damn guy to wake his lazy ass up and pay him for a surf trip. And he hoped he wouldn’t have to wait all day. Shortly after, in front of that hotel, a passenger looking remarkably like Jim, but who identified himself as “Steve York,” boarded the 3 PM shuttle bus to the capital city. Two days later, on Christmas Eve, Jim arrived in The United States of America using a passport that belonged to his brother. “We think he did something to her,” Rebecca repeated and disbelief would not let it into my head. “Did what?” “We think she’s dead.” Every day I waited for an email from Barbara, telling me that something awful had happened between her and Jim, which caused her to run away. I donated money to a search fund. But no one had seen her. She wasn’t in the Caribbean. No bus company had sold her a ticket. Immigration verified that her passport hadn’t left the country. Her bank account was empty, and the evidence it showed wasn’t of traveling. Two thousand dollars was transferred, in mid-December, from Barbara’s bank account into the surf shop account that Jim had access to. And then withdrawn. The receipts lay right there screaming in his drawer. He couldn’t have killed her for $2,000. Then Ivan, a Czech friend of Barbara’s who lives elsewhere in Costa Rica, came and took all of her things. He was a friend from Barbara’s childhood, who visited often and joined us at some of our group dinners. Ivan held no interest for me at all, and I paid so little attention to him that I would have forgotten him altogether, if he hadn’t stepped right into the middle of the story. He came to the house scowling and scolding Barbara’s four stupefied friends for publicizing her absence. He demanded that they be quiet. Barbara’s disappearance now peppered the Czech newspapers, and this, for reasons that I have not come to understand, was against the family’s wishes. At least that’s what Ivan said. The devastated the family, he insisted, called him, explaining that they were too distraught by Barbara’s disappearance to make the trip from Europe. He said they asked him to collect her things for them—everything. So he did. While her helpless housemates looked on, he collected each and every single one of Barbara’s possessions, presumably at her family’s request, and left with them for Czech Republic. The police got nothing. The OIJ, the Costa Rican equivalent of the FBI, came to the house to do a different type investigation after Jim vanished and there was still no sign of Barbara. They came to the house at night this time with a special spray. The spray, they said, glows in the dark if or where there is even a trace of blood. No matter what happens, the police told them, they must absolutely not tell anyone. No whispers, no rumors. Jim may not be far away and Barbara may still be alive somewhere. We can’t assume anything. Secrecy is important for the investigation. “So do not tell anyone,” were my instructions. And I promised. But I am not keeping secrets anymore. Read the next section of the story Barbara Struncova disappeared on December 5, 2010 and is still one of Costa Rica’s cold case missing persons. This is her story according to me, as close to the truth as I am able to tell it. I call it fiction in a fading hope that it is. Make no mistake: I will never stop hoping that everything I have supposed is wrong. Everyone in this story is a friend I have lost. This entry was posted in Posts about Barbara's disappearance, Stories and tagged Guanacaste stories, Posts about Barbara's disappearance, short stories. Bookmark the permalink. ← Remember Barbara (Section 2 of 5) Remember Barbara (Section 4 of 5) → 8 thoughts on “Remember Barbara (Section 3 of 5)” Aubry MacMillan \| December 15, 2014 at 9:23 am Excellent Diana! It is tough reading it because of the want to trust all the friends involved. It is also tough because I feel the need for resolve. Good writing. Looking forward to next week’s read. annanolan2014 \| December 15, 2014 at 11:42 am What a story, Diana; reading it has sent shivers down my spine. As I’ve said before, your writing is superb, but what a tragic subject; I feel so desperately sorry for Barbara. dianarenee \| December 15, 2014 at 11:48 am Me too. This story had to sit with me for years until I found the words to tell it. But it absolutely must not disappear in silence. Dasha \| December 20, 2014 at 4:55 pm Hi Diane. Just wanted to say thank you for writing this. I was one of Bara’s friends, lived with her at the beach in US. I was supposed to go down to Costa after my braces beeing removed from my teeth and be a part of a “surf dream” (as well as my boyfriend, who left to Costa with Bara and so called Jim) i had one more year, so I stayed in US. It didn’t work out perfectly in Tamarindo, “Jim” just ripped my boyfriend for about 6K USD. There are some more things that are not said in the stories. I also found out about some things I didn’t know… Wow… If you would like me to write you more, contact me, please. dianarenee \| December 21, 2014 at 8:08 am Dasha, yes I would love to exchange some emails with you. Maybe, since you knew “Jim” and Barbara before I did, you can help me understand some more things. Please write me at tamadiana@gmail.com. Thank you! dianarenee \| December 15, 2014 at 4:16 pm It gives me shivers every single time I read it–which, in the process of writing it, is a lot. Helena \| December 15, 2014 at 12:17 pm Very happy you’re writing this. Thank you robin \| December 18, 2014 at 4:24 pm Thank you so much for posting this. I’ve thought about Barbara over the past years and get sad and angry. She was so sweet and wonderful. When she disappeared my friends in Tamarindo told me about Jim and the surf bag and I could never get over the fact that he got away with this. It is somewhat comforting that this is still on people’s mind. Thanks again	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line366
__label__cc	0.630363	0.369637	Political Doom Spirals January 8, 2021 by Nathaniel Yesterday I retweeted Ross Douthat: The key thing is that people really need to see the iterative, both-sides element in a political doom spiral without lapsing into a whataboutism that just constantly excuses their own side. (Good luck.) — Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) January 7, 2021 This morning I read a piece from Damon Linker that I felt could use a little boost from Douthat’s perspective. In the bloody power of symbolic gestures, Damon lays blame for breaching the capitol on the extreme right-wing media and the politicians who have tried to cash in on it. The Republican Party and its media allies have created this monster for the sake of personal advantage and without the slightest shred of regard for its consequences on the country’s capacity for self-government. The monster is a faction of Republican voters who are increasingly incapable of participating in democratic politics and who long for a form of tyrannical rule. Damon is not wrong. Just yesterday, Rush Limbaugh said: There’s a lot of people calling for the end of violence. There’s a lot of conservatives, social media, who say that any violence or aggression at all is unacceptable, regardless of the circumstances. I’m glad Sam Adams, Thomas Paine, the actual Tea Party guys, the men at Lexington and Concord didn’t feel that way. Or did he? I used to listen to Rush Limbaugh pretty consistently from 2006ish to 2008ish. It was a deliberate choice to expose myself to different viewpoints. One of the things I quickly learned is that a lot of the mainstream media attacks on Limbaugh (e.g. NPR) were dishonest. A common approach was to take something he said in an obviously joking way and report it as serious. At the time, I was listening to most of his 3-hour show (at work), so when the latest brouhaha erupted, it would be about a segment I’d heard first hand. I don’t trust establishment media to be honest about conservatives. On the other hand, plenty of what Rush said disgusted me on its own merits. I remember during the fractious 2016 Republican primary season (I listened again during that period to see what conservative radio was up to), he adroitly refused to back any candidate while giving the impression of being on everyone’s side. It struck me as profoundly cowardly. Rush claimed to care so much about conservative principles and to be so influential, but clearly he was afraid to back a losing horse. Someone really committed to the county and their ideals uses their influence as wisely as they can, they don’t pose as influential while just waiting to see who the winner is so that they can ride their coattails. Damon Linker is right, but his viewpoint is incomplete, as I said on Twitter: It is not mere whataboutism to note that @DamonLinker's analysis is incomplete. The Left's domination of cultural institutions & hostility towards the right also drives this dysfunction. Without a genuinely bipartisan public square, this was inevitable.https://t.co/1GPFrxXGkx pic.twitter.com/kIZgrE0YOM — Nathaniel (@NathanielGivens) January 8, 2021 The important thing to keep in mind about the left-right conflict in the public square is that it’s dramatically asymmetrical. The left owns all the high ground: the universities, the publishing houses, Hollywood, all the major journalist outputs. They have the entrenched power, which gives them more to lose and also more options to choose from, and the result is a careful, low-grade, but brutally relentless prosecution. The right is at the margin. They have very little to lose and much less traditional power to call on, and so their tactics are far more radical and risky. To an outside observer, this makes the right much easier to depict as the bad guy, but really the dynamic has nothing to do with ideology and everything to do with the asymmetric nature of the conflict. Just look at any asymmetric military conflict, like Vietnam or Afghanistan or Iraq. The American military is overwhelmingly superior and so engages in (relatively) careful operations that emphasize numbers and technical superiority. Because they have lots to lose and lots to work with. The insurgents adopt much more extreme tactics, from suicide bombing to blue-on-green assassinations, because they have little to lose and little to work with. Another stark example is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where–again–Israel is the cautious incumbent and the Palestinians are the reckless insurgents. My point isn’t to excuse either side in any way. It’s merely to highlight that the nature of asymmetrical conflict brings about characteristically divergent tactics and approaches. The traditionally powerful side tends to behave conservatively, whether it’s the New York Times or Israel. The traditionally weaker side tends to behave more radically, whether it’s Rush Limbaugh or Hamas. Some readers might be outraged that I’m excusing Hamas’s tactics or downplaying Israel’s atrocities, but that’s exactly what I want to highlight. I’m not taking a position on these issues. That’s not the topic for today. But I want people to realize that when they like the dominant power (e.g. the New York Times) they interpret their conservatism as mature, respectable, etc. But when they don’t like the dominant power (e.g. someone who opposes Israel) they will emphasize that even relatively moderate tactics (bulldozing houses vs. suicide bombers) are horrific in their aggregate output and will thereby interpret the same conservative tendency as oppression and exploitation. We have the same double-standard for the weaker side, either lauding the audacity, bravery, and sacrifice of radicalism or condemning the brutality, savagery, and dishonorable nature of the same tendency. Once you realize that the strong side is conservative and the weak side is radical and also realize that there are ways to interpret each of those positively and negatives–and only once you have these two realizations–you can be read to start thinking about the split between mainstream media (leftwing) and alternative media (rightwing) in America. As long as the American left dominates our cultural institutions and as long as the American right is willing to burn those institutions down rather than lose them, there is no point assigning blame because the doom spiral will destroy us all. The only way out is to re-establish norms of tolerance and diversity in the public sphere. I’m not calling for some kind of affirmative action for conservatives. There’s no such thing as objectivity, and so that is impossible to really implement and easy to game and manipulate. For the foreseeable future, the left will be the incumbent, dominant power in all the former institutions. But they need to be more willing to tolerate differences and refrain from exiling conservatives from their public sphere. They need to exercise restraint. The right has the same obligation: exercising restraint in order to avoid the temptation to act like irresponsible radical and burn our institutions down. Three final thoughts. First, there is no policy that will solve our problems. We can’t fix this with laws or procedures. This is a change in how Americans relate to each other across perceived political differences. Second, it might actually be more effective to depoliticize instead of diversify. In other words, making space for left and right viewpoints is important, but also very hard. It can be easier to just not see everything as political. Third, I am addressing our cultural institutions. In terms of political institutions, the situation is somewhat reversed. Generally speaking, the conservatives have been the dominant players in recent years, especially when you consider state-level governments as well as the Presidency, and it’s Democrats who have been frustrated by their lack of access to formal power. I’m acknowledging this, but not addressing it for the simple reason that I feel more competent to weigh in on public culture than on formal politics. Why Trump Isn’t Getting Impeached This Time 4 thoughts on “Political Doom Spirals” Chris Andersen It’s hard for me to accept your characterization of the Right being extremists and using radical and risky tactics. I do agree that the Left has the high ground with media, higher education, and the entertainment industry, not to mention big tech, but I hardly see conservative tactics being anywhere as “radical” as the progressives. Riots all summer, trying to control language with the pronoun garbage and attacks on the family structure with gender redefinition. What “radical” tactics are you referring to? This one instance of a riot at the Capital? Seems like a gross mischaracterization. Pingback: Junior Ganymede » Last Days of the Republic, Capitol Edition Tom Eastmond Yeah, it seems like the Left is having its “conservative,” formal-institution power, and wanting to eat plenty of radical direct-action cake too. Kelsey Rinella Missing from this account of what counts as culture are numerous domains with massive reach and conservative lean. The article alludes to talk radio, but local news (via Sinclair, especially), sports, video games, certain musical genres (notably country), churches, and families all trend conservative. Surely our view isn’t that universities and Hollywood matter more than churches and families? And I’d distinguish between “owns” and “operates”–sure, the left is overrepresented among newsroom employees, but owners? Not so much. Moreover, it doesn’t seem to matter much: https://www.nber.org/digest/jul07/what-drives-political-slant-daily-newspapers. Identity isn’t destiny, which is why a Hollywood famous for having lots of loud liberals consistently produces and markets the heck out of second amendment fantasies and stories in which privileged white guys exercise extraordinary power unchecked by any process of accountability (but it’s fine because they’re decent fellows). Virtually every book or movie I’ve ever encountered which depicts a divide between rural farmers and city folk presents the farmers more sympathetically. Similarly, having faith is presented as almost universally positive except when cults are involved. So it seems to me that a lot of the commitments of conservatism are present even in media created by liberals. If the content is there, that seems like it ought to go at least much of the way toward defusing the concerns about its creators. Finally, the whole framing of conflict seems ill-suited to non-zero-sum context. A person who doesn’t like Disney movies because they don’t comport with that person’s views can avoid them without losing anything. The tendency of country music to be extremely conservative doesn’t make me want to hear or make radically liberal country music, it makes me want to listen to other music (mostly–I do enjoy exposure to such views). Other groups which are underrepresented in media don’t typically behave like conservatives. Telemundo isn’t arguing for replacing English with Spanish as the primary language in the US by violently overthrowing the government, nor is BET arguing for abandoning democracy to install a black autocrat, right? What seems unique is that (especially white) conservatives typically feel entitled to be the default, and feel attacked when they aren’t depicted that way.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line367
__label__wiki	0.585028	0.585028	By Michelle Caffrey – Reporter, Philadelphia Business Journal Jan 3, 2018, 2:59pm EST A Philadelphia startup announced a major partnership with the state on Tuesday that it says will help prepare more than 1,500 city students with cognitive disabilities to enter the workplace. At an event held with district educators Tuesday, Northern Liberties-based Digitability celebrated the integration of its pre-employment and work-ready programming model into 17 high schools as part of the partnership with the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. “When we implement the program in the school district of Philadelphia, with such a large number of students, we’re creating a pipeline of qualified candidates into organizations,” said Michele McKeone, Digitability's founder and CEO. Aimed at students between 14 and 21 with diverse neurological needs, the program takes a holistic approach to preparing students for jobs through a combination of technology training and behavior modification using streamlined evidence-based practices. Through the state partnership, it comes at no cost to the district. Digitability’s work addresses a pervasive issue of unemployment among adults with cognitive disabilities. According to federal data, about 32 percent of working-age adults with disabilities are employed and McKeone said if they do have jobs, they’re often pigeonholed into the three Fs — food, flowers and filth. She wants to help change that by arming students with social, emotional and technical skills to work in a much wider range of professional positions, from data entry to web design. Learning the hard skills is important, she said, but often the biggest hurdle can be teaching students with cognitive disabilities how to interact and communicate in an office. Addressing both needs at once can change the numbers, she said, as about 70 percent of Digitabilities graduates in its first cohort are employed. “In the workplace, you’re also responsible for managing your time, your tasks. You also have to learn about problem-solving, flexibility, all of those other skills beyond what the job role is,” said McKeone, who developed the program after working as a high school special education teacher in the city's school district for seven years. When her work building tech skills into the classroom resulted in her students winning third place in the Philadelphia Regional Computer Fair Competition in 2010, she knew she had to expand her reach. “It’s a clear demonstration of leveling the playing field, having people with neurodiverse needs compete with neurotypical peers,” she said. After presenting her business plans in competitions in 2011 and 2013, she eventually left teaching in 2015 to start running Digitability full-time. In 2016, McKeone raised a $500,000 seed round, with half coming from Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania. “Leaving the classroom was very hard. I loved teaching, but the impact I really wanted to have was larger than my classroom. I knew there were other teachers who needed these resources," she said. A notable factor of Digitability’s program is its scale. While smaller nonprofits and organizations tackle workforce development among young adults with cognitive disabilities, they’re not often at the scale Digitability is reaching through its most recent partnerships and those in the works for the future. Since the partnership is statewide, they’re looking to launch in Pittsburgh next, she said. It already operates in five states. The Philadelphia launch is so far the company’s largest. “We’re able to have a very scalable impact across the city, the state and the country,” McKeone said. To develop both sides of the equation, Digitability is also focused on preparing businesses for bringing on employees with neurodiverse needs through helping them form a strategy and then working with them to set up specific tracks, simulations and certifications within the program that match employers’ needs. “We’re working to create an ecosystem with partnerships with the state and employees who want to learn about neurodiversity and learning more about neurodiversity strategies at workplaces. There is a distinct and growing gap between the demand for workers in and around the tech industry and available, prepared employees. A study released by the Economy League last May stressed the importance of the tech sector when it comes to overall growth but outlined that thousands of jobs in the field remain unfilled. That growth isn’t just demand for high-level coders and engineers. Another report, this time from the Brookings Institution and also released last May, estimated that as much as 57 percent of 104,000 well-paying, middle-skill jobs positions in the city’s “innovation district” of West Market in Center City and University City are in adjacent support positions that don’t require a four-year degree. Here's a link to the original story on the Philadelphia Business Journal: https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2018/01/03/digitability-cognitive-disability-tech-job-trainin.html	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line369
__label__cc	0.626659	0.373341	Astronomy: Exploring Time and Space 4.8 (2,619 Bewertungen) \| 160.000 Teilnehmer angemeldet This course is designed for anyone who is interested in learning more about modern astronomy. We will help you get up to date on the most recent astronomical discoveries while also providing support at an introductory level for those who have no background in science. Kompetenzen, die Sie erwerben Solar Systems, Chemistry, Theory Of Relativity, Astrobiology I was delighted to take this excellent course, the level of detail was perfect, the content very complete, Chris Impey was brilliant in the way he presented and commented on all the aspects covered. Amazing introductory course and covers wide variety of topics ranging from history, to astronomy to astrobiology. Really great of amateur astronomers and for anyone who is remotely interested in it. The architecture of the Milky Way galaxy is that of a disk, a bulge, and a halo, with the entire assemblage bound by enigmatic dark matter. Every galaxy contains a supermassive black hole, and entire population of galaxies is sculpted by gravity into subtle structures on large scales. Milky Way5:45 Mass and Motions7:44 Dark Matter9:08 Evidence for Dark Matter7:35 The Galactic Center9:08 Properties of Galaxies8:15 When Galaxies Collide13:23 Galaxy Distances11:40 Large Scale Structure7:29 Structure Formation14:56 Active Galaxies8:43 Quasars9:20 Cosmic Expansion7:49 Dark Energy10:56 Chris Impey Sprache wählenArabischer RaumChinesisch (vereinfacht)DeutschEnglischFranzösischItalienischKoreanischPortugiesisch (europäisch)RussischSpanischTürkischVietnamesisch So we have fairly impressive evidence that some form of matter that interacts very weakly with electromagnetic radiation and exceeds the visible mass in the stars and all the galaxies exists. But what is it? So far, astronomers have only been able to play the game of elimination, ruling things out. We can think of a detective mystery where in the final scene, all the possible killers in the stately home are gathered together and one by one their alibis are inspected, and they're ruled out of deliberation and we find out who the final culprit was. Well, the game doesn't work that neatly in science. We may not be able to think of all the possibilities, but the number that have been ruled out is actually quite impressive. Let's start at the high end. What about black holes? Black holes of course by definition are black if they're truly isolated in space. Perhaps, the universe and galaxies are riddled with black holes, and that's the dark matter. That's actually very easy to rule out. Imagine that there was a party in your house, teenagers left alone over the weekend. You may not have been there for the party, but you'll sure see the damage they left behind. Well, anytime a black hole forms, there was a party beforehand in the form of a supernova, a violent explosion, ejecting gas causing high-energy emission, emitting X-rays in a supernova remnant for millennia afterwards. So it's impossible to form black holes without seeing evidence of the violence that preceded them a massive star dies. To have enough black holes in the universe to account for dark matter, you'd have to have vast numbers of massive stars dying at some point through history. We see no evidence of that. So stellar mass black holes are actually the easiest things to rule out for dark matter. The next possibility is interesting. Recall that as you go down the mass spectrum of collapsing gas clouds, there's a mass of corresponding to eight percent of the mass of the sun, below which a star does not form. The gas cloud simply becomes hot, but never hot enough for fusion to occur. Nature will probably collapse gas clouds that are less than that number. They may be five percent the mass of the sun, one percent, 0.1 Percent. So in theory, there's a set of collapsed objects out there that are warm, but not radiating by fusion. If they're small, they might actually be quite dark and not visible in light. These have been called massive compact halo objects. If the halo of our galaxy was filled with them, they could account for the dark matter. We already have an indication that there are many more low mass stars than high mass stars. So it's reasonable to hypothesize an extremely large number of sub stellar objects ranging down to Jupiters and even below existing in free space. Think of them as free-floating planets if you like. This is harder to rule out, but lensing the effect where mass bends light has actually done so. Experiments in the mid to late 1980's look for gravitational lensing taking place throughout the halo of our galaxy, in terms of the momentary amplification of the light of a background star from a foreground star. That same amplification could occur if the foreground object was a massive compact halo object, a sub stellar object or a Jupiter for example. The statistics of that search were very impressive, and they easily ruled out the halo being composed primarily of such objects. MACHOs, as they're called, may exist but they don't form the majority of the dark matter. With normal stars such as red dwarfs and the remnants of massive stars ruled out, and also sub stellar objects, the last possibility as even smaller physical objects, say, asteroid size ranging down to house size or even down to dust grain size. In the interstellar medium and in the space between planets, there are of course a lot of rocks. Those rocks only emit infrared radiation. Perhaps, space is filled with such dust or particles. It turns out this was ruled out 20 or 25 years ago by the IRS satellite of NASA, which looked across the sky at far infrared wavelengths. Even if you hypothesize that space is filled with tiny particles, or boulders, or house sized objects, or asteroids, those objects do not exist in isolation from radiation. They're radiated by the light from nearby stars or galaxies and they reach an equilibrium temperature sufficient to pump out infrared radiation. IRS was a sensitive mission. They would've seen the diffuse dim glow of far-infrared radiation from such hypothetical objects. They simply don't exist. Also, that large and amount of dust in interstellar space would dim and red in the light of distant galaxies in a way that we simply don't observe. If we summarize this, astronomers have essentially ruled out dark objects ranging from black holes down to dust grains, one micron in size. All that's left is the only current viable explanation for dark matter, a subatomic particle. So we're left with one viable explanation in physics or astrophysics for dark matter, a subatomic and fundamental particle. Remember the constraints, this particle has to dominate the number of normal particles, protons, neutrons, and electrons by a factor of several. So it's a ubiquitous particle. It has to interact very weakly with electromagnetic radiation, which puts a strong constraint on the type of particle it might be. In general, these particles are called weakly interacting massive particles, WIMPs, the acronym. We think that that's what the dark matter is, but no such particle has yet been detected, although searches are underway. What kind of particle might this be even in principle? Physicists are aware that the standard model of particle physics is incomplete. One of the favorite extensions of the Standard Model of Particle Physics is called supersymmetry. Where the fermions, particles with half integer spin, and bosons, particles with integer spin, which have quite different properties in the laboratory are actually unified in a sense by range of shadow particles for each of them. This of course doubles the number of particles because each fermion has a supersymmetric twin and each boson has a supersymmetric twin. For these to be unobservable, currently, these would have to be high-mass particles only available at very high energies, perhaps beyond our current accelerators. So this is speculative theorizing that unifies physics in an interesting way, but produces effects that are difficult to observe in the laboratory. It turns out that high-energy physicists such as at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN are actively looking for the lightest supersymmetric particles. The lightest of them or at least massive of them could indeed have the properties such as to be dark matter. This is an exciting convergence between a desire of physics to explain physics beyond the standard model, and astronomers to explain one of their biggest enigmas. Unfortunately, supersymmetry is not one theory. It's the suite of theories, and with very little experimental guidance, it's been hard to discriminate between these theories. The slightly disappointing news from CERN in the last year or so is that hints of supersymmetry have not been seen in the LHC running at its highest energies. This is already ruled out some of the simplest and most attractive supersymmetry theories. So although supersymmetry is desired by physicists and would provide a neat potential explanation of dark matter for astronomers, there's no verification of this theory at present. Dark matter remains an enigma. High-energy physics is trying to find supersymmetric particles by a high-energy collisions, but there are other ways to find dark matter. So there's another set of lab experiments designed specifically to detect a weakly interacting massive particle or when. Most of these are situated deep down mine shafts because the major contaminating noise for any search for dark matter particles is interactions of cosmic ray with the detector. The detectors in these cases are usually large ultra-pure lumps of solid state materials such as silicon or germanium. A series of these experiments is underway where the shielded detector, shielded from cosmic rays and other interfering particles is simply observed carefully for a long period of time for the very occasional interaction of the detector particles with a passing dark matter particle. The weak interaction strength of the dark matter particle means that a large mass of detector, ultra-pure has to be observed essentially for years to find sufficient interactions. Current experiments are in a regime where in three to five years, they should detect dark matter particles if they are indeed weakly interacting massive particles, the kind predicted by supersymmetry. At the moment, it's tantalizing. No detections have been made. Within a couple of years, if the detectors still find nothing, then we'll be back to square one. Most of the supersymmetric theories or plausible explanations of dark matter from particle physics will have been ruled out. As for what dark matter is, so far, we've eliminated everything from black holes down to small dust grains in space. The only remaining viable option is a subatomic fundamental particle as yet unobserved in the physics lab or with accelerators and representing an extension to the standard model of particle physics. The answer may be in within a couple of years based on lab and accelerator experiments as to whether this dark matter particle actually exists.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line371
__label__wiki	0.873715	0.873715	Daniel Day-Lewis On Retiring: “I Didn’t Know I Was Going To Stop Acting” In Paul Thomas Anderson’s upcoming film Phantom Thread, Daniel Day-Lewis plays Reynolds Woodcock, a couturier whose life becomes disrupted by love. It’s no question that the celebrated actor will receive some awards season love because, well, he is the Daniel Day-Lewis. Enjoy it while it lasts because this is expected to be Day-Lewis’ final on-screen performance — and he doesn’t exactly know why. The Academy Award-winning actor announced his retirement from acting last year. Some people might think that this is one of those situations where an actor says he’s going to retire, but ends up coming back for a handful of encores. But in a recent interview with W Magazine, Day-Lewis talked as if this retirement is set in stone. What 'Succession's Rebel Son Jeremy Strong Learned From Working With Daniel Day-Lewis, And How Kendall Roy Finally Became A Killer “Before making the film, I didn’t know I was going to stop acting,” Day-Lewis said in the interview, referring to his forthcoming drama, Phantom Thread. “I do know that Paul [Thomas Anderson] and I laughed a lot before we made the movie. And then we stopped laughing because we were both overwhelmed by a sense of sadness. That took us by surprise: We didn’t realize what we had given birth to. It was hard to live with. And still is.” Like his previous roles, Day-Lewis immerses himself in the role of the couturier. He learned to sew, studied vintage fashion shows from the ’40s and ’50s and consulted with some of the most esteemed names in the business when it comes to costuming and fashion history. He even went as far to re-create a Balenciaga dress. Even so, he’s not going to sit in the theater to experience the fruits of his labor. “Not wanting to see the film is connected to the decision I’ve made to stop working as an actor,” he said. “But it’s not why the sadness came to stay. That happened during the telling of the story, and I don’t really know why.” He went on to talk about how it was “uncharacteristic to put out a statement” about his retirement last year. “But I did want to draw a line,” he adds. “I didn’t want to get sucked back into another project. All my life, I’ve mouthed off about how I should stop acting, and I don’t know why it was different this time, but the impulse to quit took root in me, and that became a compulsion. It was something I had to do.” As much as we want to see the magic that is Daniel Day-Lewis after The Phantom Thread, it sounds like the Oscar-winning actor made his decision and is sticking to it.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line372
__label__wiki	0.939743	0.939743	S. Korean Navy Ship Sinking in Disputed Waters http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/03/26-7 Published on Friday, March 26, 2010 by The New York Times S. Korean Navy Ship Sinking in Disputed Waters; N. Korean Torpedo? by Choe Sang-Hun SEOUL - A South Korean navy patrol ship was sinking near the disputed western sea border with North Korea on Friday after suffering damage to its hull, the South Korean military said. This undated picture shows South Korea's Cheonan naval ship in South Korea, Friday, March 26, 2010. South Korea's military scrambled Cheonan naval vessels to the western waters near the disputed maritime border with North Korea late Friday after an explosion ripped a hole in the bottom of a military ship, officials and news reports said. (AP Photo/ Yonhap) The South Korean authorities were investigating the possibility that the 1,200-ton ship had been attacked by a torpedo fired by the North Korean navy, the South Korean news agency Yonhap reported, citing an unnamed military source. The agency reported that another South Korean patrol ship had fired at an unidentified vessel shortly after the first ship was damaged. Those reports could not be independently confirmed. "Many of the 104 sailors on the ship jumped into the sea, and there is a fear that there may be some human causalities," Yonhap reported. President Lee Myung-bak ordered an emergency meeting of security-related cabinet ministers at an underground bunker at his office, the Blue House in Seoul, South Korean news reports said. "All we can say for now is that one of our patrol ships is sinking after it suffered a rupture in its bottom created by an unidentified cause," said a spokesman at the South Korean Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff. He spoke on condition of anonymity until South Korea made a formal announcement. The ship was sinking in Yellow Sea near Byeongryeong, a South Korean island about eight miles from the north Korean coast and 120 miles from the mainland South. The waters along the disputed western sea border between the two Koreas make up the most volatile section of the border between North and South Korea, and were the site of bloody naval skirmishes in 1999 and 2002. North Korea rejects a sea border unilaterally drawn by the United Nations at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War and defended by the South Koreans. It has repeatedly warned of naval clashes there. In November, naval patrol boats from the North and South exchanged fire after a North Korean boat crossed that sea border, called the northern-limit line. The North Korean patrol boat was damaged in the skirmish and retreated after the skirmish. Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company Ed Jewett I also posted some of the same breaking news info under the thread "Jeju Island" ... [mods may combine and re-title as far as I am concerned] ... and I don't know if this is related, but...: Mar 26, 3:58 AM (ET) By KWANG-TAE KIM (AP) In this photo taken on Jan. 12, 2010, American Aijalon Mahli Gomes, right, whose identification was... Full Imagep {margin:12px 0px 0px 0px;} SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea's military threatened South Korea and the United States on Friday with "unprecedented nuclear strikes" as it expressed anger over a report the two countries plan to prepare for possible instability in the totalitarian country, a scenario it dismissed as a "pipe dream." The North routinely issues such warnings. Diplomats in South Korea and the U.S. have repeatedly called on Pyongyang to return to international negotiations aimed at ending its nuclear programs. "Those who seek to bring down the system in the (North), whether they play a main role or a passive role, will fall victim to the unprecedented nuclear strikes of the invincible army," North Korea's military said in comments carried by the official Korean Central News Agency. The North, believed have enough weaponized plutonium for at least half a dozen atomic bombs, conducted its second atomic test last year, drawing tighter U.N. sanctions. Experts from South Korea, the U.S. and China will meet in China next month to share information on North Korea, assess possible contingencies in the country, and consider ways to cooperate in case of an emergency situation, South Korea's Dong-a Ilbo newspaper reported earlier this month, citing unidentified sources in Seoul and Beijing. The experts will also hold follow-up meetings in Seoul in June and in Honolulu in July, it said. The North Korean statement Friday specifically referred to the March 19 newspaper report. A spokeswoman said the South Korean Defense Ministry had no information. Gen. Walter Sharp, the top U.S. commander in South Korea, says the possibility of turmoil in the North is of real concern, citing the country's economic weakness, malnourishment in both the military and general population, and its nuclear weapons. "The possibility of a sudden leadership change in the North could be destabilizing and unpredictable," he said in testimony before the House Appropriations Committee hearing earlier this week. South Korean media have reported that Seoul has drawn up a military operations plan with the United States to cope with possible emergencies in the North. The North says the U.S. is plotting to topple its regime, a claim Washington has consistently denied. Last month, the North also threatened a "powerful - even nuclear - attack," if the U.S. and South Korea went ahead with annual military drills. There was no military provocation from North Korea during the exercises. China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the U.S. have been trying to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons in six party talks. The North quit the negotiations last year. The fate of the North's nuclear weapons has taken on added urgency since late 2008 as concerns over the health of leader Kim Jong Il have intensified. Kim, who suffered an apparent stroke in 2008, may die within three years, South Korean media have reported. His death is thought to have the potential to trigger instability and a power struggle in the North. http://apnews.excite.com/article/2010032...7EBG0.html "Where is the intersection between the world's deep hunger and your deep gladness?" http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62P30E20100327 Residue of German Torpedo Found In Cheonan Forensic Investigation [South Korea has nine German submarines; perhaps the S. Koreans sunk their own vessel. It is possible that it was fired from a German submarine. The three primary buyers of German arms are: Turkey, Greece and South Africa.Of this group, it is thought that only Turkey is active in the S. Asian power play. On the other hand, Israel owns five German submarines. Once again, mysterious submarines, appearing to be Israeli, are involved in sabotaging international relations. (SEE: Cutting Cables, Lighting Fuses) Contrary to conspiratorial and anti-Semitic voices, Israel may influence American foreign policy to a great degree, but in the long run, America pulls Israel's military strings. If an Israeli sub sank a S. Korean warship, it could only be described as an American false flag event.] The last submarine Reich? [URL="http://www.centrasia.ru/news.php?st=1273546560"]The experts found that the South Korean corvette Cheonan, drowned from Germany torpedo Named the cause of death corvette South Korea caused the flooding of South Korean corvette “Cheonan” international commission called the explosion of a torpedo that struck the submerged part of the ship. Found that this torpedo weapons were manufactured in Germany. Recall, the ship crashed in late March near the maritime boundary between the two Koreas. North Korea denied speculation that a South Korean ship was subjected to a torpedo attack. “After the rise of the ship they found in his compartment traces of explosives, which are equipped with torpedoes. From its defeat sank, Cheonan, as a result killed 46 sailors,” – said on May 7 agency Yonhap on the conclusions reached by the experts of Korea and several foreign countries, to investigate the cause of this tragic incident. According to the Commission, the chemical analysis of explosives indicates that the torpedo weapon was “Made in Germany”. Recall the culprit of this incident, which Seoul informally called neighboring North Korea. However, the Naval Forces of this country are outdated weapons systems of the Soviet and Chinese manufacture, and traces of their use against the South Korean navy ship was found. Pyongyang is adamant about his innocence in the death of “Cheonan. However, as noted by the South Korean media, the incident with the corvette impede the normalization of relations between the two Korean states and may become an obstacle to the resumption of six-party talks on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Recall the collapse of the South Korean navy corvette “Cheonan, occurred March 26 in the Yellow Sea. The causes of the shipwreck were not called, but the Western media reported that an explosion occurred aboard the ship, and at the bottom of the hole formed. Then, were rescued about 60 sailors of the ship, more than 40 died. The news of the wreck caused panic among the residents of South Korea, arguing that North Korea has threatened on the eve of the U.S. and its allies by a series of large-scale attacks, began to act. Kommersant-Online, 07.05.2010 Source - Businessman Permanent Address Article - http://www.centrasia.ru/newsA.php?st=1273546560 Residue of German Torpedo Found In Cheonan Forensic Investigation–Part II. 11 05 2010 [SEE:Residue of German Torpedo Found In Cheonan Forensic Investigation] Torpedo explosive detected in sunken ship: official SEOUL, May 7 (Yonhap) — An explosive substance, traces of which were found in the wreckage of a sunken South Korean naval ship, has been identified as a powerful bomb ingredient used in making torpedoes, a government official said Friday. The latest finding is expected to further back suspicions that a torpedo attack caused the explosion of the 1,200-ton patrol ship Cheonan near the tense Yellow Sea border with North Korea on March 26. The Cheonan broke in two and sank, killing 46 sailors. Data picture “Explosive traces found in the Cheonan’s chimney and the seabed on which the stern’s broken-off side had been lying were all confirmed as those of the high explosive RDX, which is more powerful than TNT,” the official said on condition of anonymity. “This explosive is used in torpedoes, not sea mines.” RDX, which stands for research department explosive, is a white crystalline solid and is considered the most powerful high explosive and a main ingredient in plastic explosives. Four metal fragments have also been found in the wreckage, which was salvaged last month, and an analysis has showed that they were an alloy of aluminum and magnesium used in torpedo casings, the official said. Investigators are also looking into the possibility that a German-made torpedo might have been used, potentially a move by North Korea to disguise the attack, as South Korea uses German torpedoes. Foreign specialists from the United States, Sweden, Australia and Britain have joined South Korea’s investigation into the sinking, as Seoul has sought to ensure the probe is transparent and objective. After the investigation is complete, South Korea could invite experts from China and Russia, countries close to North Korea, to provide them with a first-hand look at the ship’s wreckage, Defense Ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae said. Won said the outcome is expected to come before the end of this month. Earlier this week, President Lee Myung-bak told a conference of top military generals that the sinking was not a “simple accident,” while Defense Minister Kim Tae-young said a “surprise attack” sank the vessel, although neither directly mentioned the communist neighbor. North Korea has denied any responsibility. Suspicions of North Korea’s involvement have been strong, as the site of the sinking lies near where the navies of the two Koreas fought deadly skirmishes in 1999, 2002 and most recently in November last year. On Friday, South Korean and U.S. officials were to hold additional talks on the sinking. The meeting between Kim Hong-kyun, director of the foreign ministry’s bureau of the peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, and Joseph Donovan, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, comes one day after the countries held their Security Policy Initiative, a regular dialogue aimed at coordinating the allies’ security policies. The two sides agreed at Thursday’s meeting to work out unspecified “necessary security measures” in accordance with the outcome of the investigation. South Korea’s Navy, meanwhile, is considering responding more aggressively to North Korean violations of the western maritime border, spending less time on radio warnings before moving on to fire warning shots and then aimed shots, a military source said. “Up until now, we have taken some time in giving radio warnings when North Korean ships have violated” the sea border, the source said on condition of anonymity. “After the Cheonan incident, we’re considering operating the rules of engagement in a speedier way.” jschang@yna.co.kr A German torpedo, eh? Smells like a false flag, Gleiwitz-style, manufactured incident that - for unknown reasons - was not turned into a casus belli against North Korea. If war had been declared on North Korea, I suspect the national origin of the torpedo would still be classified. I'm inclined to agree. In Operation Black Dog the US used a dumb bomb - devoid of ay markings - containing a potent mixture of chemical and biological elements on one of Saddam's facilities in Gulf war 1. However, the fuse to ignite the munition could be traced and was of German manufacture. North Korea role in warship sinking 'obvious' The Cheonan sinking has increased tensions between the two Koreas South Korea's foreign minister says it is "obvious" that North Korea sank a South Korean naval ship in March. Yu Myung-hwan said there was enough evidence to take the issue to the United Nations. The Cheonan warship went down on 26 March near the disputed inter-Korean maritime border, with the loss of 46 sailors. Mr Yu's remarks came as a multinational team prepares to announce the results of its investigation into the incident. It is the clearest indication to date from South Korea that it blames Pyongyang for the sinking. North Korea has denied responsibility for the incident, which has increased tensions between the two nations. 'Torpedo attack' The findings of an investigation led by international experts are to be released Thursday, with South Korea expected to blame the North. An anonymous US official in Washington told the Associated Press that the investigating team would lay out evidence that the sinking of the Cheonan was the result of a North Korean torpedo attack. Part of a torpedo propeller is said to have been discovered on the seabed and traces of explosive found on the wreck are said to match that used in a North Korean torpedo recovered a few years ago. While the United States appears to be preparing to support the conclusions, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton due to visit Seoul next week, China is taking a more cautious line, reports the BBC's John Sudworth from Seoul. Its ambassador to South Korea has been quoted as saying that he does not believe that clear evidence has been discovered that proves North Korea's involvement. Some experts have suggested that the ship could have been sunk as the result of an accidental collision with an unexploded sea mine left over from the Korean war. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pa...124939.stm A North Korean submarine's torpedo sank a South Korean navy ship on 26 March causing the deaths of 46 sailors, an international report has found. Investigators said they had discovered part of the torpedo on the sea floor and it carried lettering that matched a North Korean design. Pyongyang rejected the claim as a "fabrication" and threatened war if sanctions were imposed, say reports. China has urged both countries to show restraint. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak pledged to take "stern action" against the North. The White House described the sinking of the ship as an "act of aggression" by North Korea that challenged peace. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the report was "deeply troubling". :flute: The attack demonstrates a total indifference to human life and a blatant disregard of international obligations William Hague, UK Foreign Secretary Pyongyang said it would send its own inspection team to the South to "verify material evidence" behind the accusation. A North Korean defence spokesman said the country would "respond to reckless countermeasure with an all-out war of justice", the state KCNA news agency reported. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said Beijing had "noted" the report and would make its own assessment, but called on both sides to exercise restraint. The Cheonan went down near the disputed inter-Korean maritime border, raising tension between the two nations, which technically remain at war. The shattered wreck of the 1,200-tonne gunboat was later winched to the surface, in two pieces, for examination. 'Perfect match' The investigation was led by experts from the US, Australia, Britain and Sweden. The team examined eyewitness accounts, damage to the vessel, evidence collected from the seabed and the injuries sustained by survivors and those who died. Lettering on the torpedo that is said to prove its North Korean origin It said: "The evidence points overwhelmingly to the conclusion that the torpedo was fired by a North Korean submarine. "There is no other plausible explanation." Monitoring of seismic activity in the region, damage to the ship and the "fractures and lacerations" sustained by the dead crew were all consistent with "damage resulting from a shockwave and bubble effect" caused by an explosion directly beneath the vessel, it said. The report said the torpedo parts found "perfectly match" a torpedo type that the North manufactures. Lettering found on one section matched that on a North Korean torpedo found by the South seven years ago. There had earlier been a number of explanations suggested for the sinking, including an accidental collision with an unexploded sea mine left over from the Korean War. Mr Lee's presidential office said he had told Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd: "We will be taking firm, responsive measures against the North - and through international co-operation, we have to make the North admit its wrongdoing and come back as a responsible member of the international community." Continue reading the main story Adam Brookes BBC News, Washington Absent from the White House statement is any call for retribution or military response. The US does not want fighting to break out on the Korean peninsula. The White House, said one expert, will be looking for a response that deters, but does not provoke North Korea. Sources here say the Obama administration is considering putting North Korea back on the list of countries which sponsor terrorism. That could mean sanctions. North Korea was removed from the list in 2008. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is due to travel to Japan, South Korea and China in the coming days. Managing this smouldering crisis between the two Koreas will no doubt occupy much of her time. However, the BBC's John Sudworth in Seoul says agreeing an international response will be difficult as the diplomatic options will be limited. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai said on Thursday the sinking of the vessel was "unfortunate" but he would not comment on the international report. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said US President Barack Obama had expressed his "deep sympathy" to Mr Lee and the Korean people and that the US "strongly condemned" the action. "This act of aggression is one more instance of North Korea's unacceptable behaviour and defiance of international law," said Mr Gibbs, adding that it "only deepens North Korea's isolation". He called the alleged attack "a challenge to international peace and security" and a violation of the armistice agreement which ended the Korean war. But he said it had reinforced the resolve of North Korea's neighbours "to intensify their co-operation to safeguard peace and stability in the region against all provocations". Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said in a statement that North Korea's action was "unforgivable". The country's chief cabinet secretary, Hirofumi Hirano, said the situation was "extremely regrettable" and would "evidently" be brought before the UN. The British embassy in Seoul quoted Foreign Secretary William Hague as saying: "[North Korea's] actions will deepen the international community's mistrust. The attack demonstrates a total indifference to human life and a blatant disregard of international obligations." New Brit Foreign Secretary, William Hague, was summonsed to Washington to genuflect before Hillary immediately after the UK coalition govt was announced. I suspect he was forcefed the official script for this Korean false flag casus belli. I can only laugh contemptuously at the ruling elites. Is the massacre of the ordinary people of an incredibly poor, dinosaur, state really the best They can come up with to distract us from the collapse of their Ponzi schemes and arbitraged labour scams? :bird: An MSM TV "defence correspondent" may have just let the cat out of the bag, as follows: Statement 1) "Dealing" with Iran is the number one priority; Statement 2) China needs to brought "onside" for military action against Iran to take place; Statement 3) If China "plays ball" on Iran, then its North Korean ally need not necessarily face military "retaliation" from the West. So, if this is correct, the North Korean false flag incident is leverage to persuade China to allow a military attack on Iran in exchange for no military action against North Korea. South Korean warship shot at a North Korean navy ship Magda Hassan 0 2,117 Less than 1 minute ago False flag in progress on Korean peninsular Magda Hassan 0 4,383 Less than 1 minute ago BREAKING NEWS: Israel Attacks Humanitarian Ship to Gaza in International Waters. Again. Magda Hassan 0 2,298 Less than 1 minute ago	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line373
__label__cc	0.708708	0.291292	History of The Silent Darien, Panama. Stretching from Alaska to the pencil tip of Argentina, the 48,000km-long Pan-American Highway holds the record for the world’s longest motorable road. But there is a gap – an expanse of wild tropical forest – that has defeated travellers for centuries. Explorers have always been drawn to the Darien Gap, but the results have mostly been disastrous. The Spanish made their first settlement in the mainland Americas right here in 1510, only to have it torched by indigenous tribes 14 years later – and in many ways the area remains as wild today as it was during the days of the conquest. “If history had followed its usual course, the Darien should be today one of the most populated regions in the Americas, but it isn’t,” says Rick Morales, a Panamian and owner of Jungle Treks, one of a few adventure tour companies operating in the region. “That’s remarkable if you consider that we live in the 21st Century, in a country that embraces technology and is notorious for connecting oceans, cultures, and world commerce.” The gap stretches from the north to the south coast of Panama – from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It’s between 100km and 160km (60-100 miles) long, and there is no way round, except by sea. Read more via BBC News – Silent Darien: The gap in the world’s longest road. Tags: The Americas ← The ‘Billy’ in Australian Culture Havana’s Oldest Printmaking Studio. →	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line376
__label__cc	0.742374	0.257626	The EC inventory published below is a copy as received from the JRC in 2008 on the founding of ECHA. It is comprised of the following lists: EINECS (European INventory of Existing Commercial chemical Substances) as published in O.J. C 146A, 15.6.1990. EINECS is an inventory of substances that were deemed to be on the European Community market between 1 January 1971 and 18 September 1981. EINECS was drawn up by the European Commission in the application of Article 13 of Directive 67/548/EEC, as amended by Directive 79/831/EEC, and in accordance with the detailed provisions of Commission Decision 81/437/EEC. Substances listed in EINECS are considered phase-in substances under the REACH Regulation. ELINCS (European LIst of Notified Chemical Substances) in support of Directive 92/32/EEC, the 7th amendment to Directive 67/548/EEC. ELINCS lists those substances which were notified under Directive 67/548/EEC, the Dangerous Substances Directive Notification of New Substances (NONS) that became commercially available after 18 September 1981. NLP (No-Longer Polymers). The definition of polymers was changed in April 1992 by Council Directive 92/32/EEC amending Directive 67/548/EEC, with the result that substances previously considered to be polymers were no longer excluded from regulation. Thus the No-longer Polymers (NLP) list was drawn up, consisting of such substances that were commercially available between 18 September 1981 and 31 October 1993. The complete list of EC-inventory is too large to be displayed on this page. You can download the list as comma-separated file (CSV format), XML (encoded with UTF-8) or in XLSX file format and read it with other software like the common spreadsheet or word processing softwares. Options for downloading Please note: The files provided below are text files formatted according to IT standards. Please check that the applications you intend to use are able to process and display it in full. Please accept Terms and Conditions which apply on using this service. Download the list in CSV format (encoded in UTF-8): The CSV is a delimited data format that has fields/columns separated by the semicolon character and records/rows separated by newlines. Fields that may contain a special character (semicolon, newline, or double quote), are enclosed in double quotes EC Inventory in CSV, (24MB) Download the list in XML format (encoded in UTF-8): XML is a markup language for documents containing structured information. This format can de used by common database engines. The XML file provides the full list of Pre-registered substances. It contains for each substance its EC number, CAS number (when available), name, synonyms (when available), related substances and registration date. Please note: the download of the complete list can be very slow, depending on your internet connection. EC Inventory in XML (67MB) Download the list in XLSX format): XLSX is file type used by Microsoft Excel. EC Inventory in XLSX (8,5MB) Pethidine hydrochloride EC no.: 200-013-3 CAS no.: 50-13-5 C15H21NO2.ClH	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line382
__label__wiki	0.532123	0.532123	Labor Day Parade In Buffalo, New York. (file photo) On the first Monday of September every year, America pauses to honor its workers and the contributions they make to our nation’s strength and prosperity. On the first Monday of September every year, America pauses to honor its workers and the contributions they make to our nation’s strength and prosperity. The notion that work is valued, and even noble, dates to the ancients. "Seest thou a man diligent in his labor?" the Book of Proverbs asks. "He shall stand before Kings." In the United States, the belief goes back well over a century. As a holiday, the Labor Day celebration began in the 1880s in New York City with an effort by labor unions to demonstrate the numbers, strength and spirit of working men and women. They organized parades and rallies, and used the demonstrations to press for new laws to benefit workers, such as standardizing the eight-hour workday. The movement spread to other cities, and in 1894 Congress made it a national holiday honoring all American workers. The association with trade and labor unions has declined over the years. Today, for most people the holiday represents the last long weekend of summer, a time to relax and spend time with family and friends. There are still parades and rallies, particularly in election years, and also sporting events and picnics. For many, Labor Day means a "no labor" day, before the change of seasons and start of a new school year. Over time, work in the U.S. itself has changed. More Americans now are occupied in offices and services than who toil on the factory floor. The connection between the holiday and the nation's workers remains real, though, as recognition of the source of so much of America's economic and social achievements. /dalet/Editorial_VO_207_016655_090511_Labor_Day.Mp3 The Legacy Of Martin Luther King, Jr. Labor Rights As Human Rights	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line383
__label__wiki	0.55007	0.55007	Elkin Pres Weekly Sermons from Rev. Stuart Taylor at Elkin Presbyterian Church in Elkin, NC The Wounding & Healing of Desire Sep 16th, 2018 by elkinpres Sermon given by Rev Stuart Taylor 17th Sunday after Pentecost Song of Songs 5:2-6:3 Part 5 of Series: In the Garden of Delight: Falling in Love with God An Exploration of the Song of Songs Aug. 19: Kiss Me with the Kisses of Your Mouth (1:1-17) Aug. 26: The Voice of My Beloved (2:1-17) Sept. 2: Where Has My Beloved Gone? (3:1-11), Sept. 9: Behold You are Beautiful My Love! (4:1-5:1) Sept. 16: The Wounding and Healing of Desire (5:2-6:3) Sept. 23: The Living Flame of Love (7:1-8:7) Rev. Stuart Taylor Stuart was called to serve as the Pastor/Head of Staff for Elkin Presbyterian Church in January of 2013. He was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina where his parents were charter members of John Knox Presbyterian Church. Stuart graduated from Wake Forest University and Princeton Theological Seminary and was ordained in 1980. He has two daughters. Rachel just graduated from college and is doing a gap year of mission service. She plans to go to nursing school. Lilly has been traveling around the world since she graduated from college and is an aspiring artist, a free thinker, and a gifted writer like her mother. Stuart enjoys a daily exercise in the gym, hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains, camping, reading, movies, dinner conversation, and researching his family history. Stuart is founder of Watershed Now, a 501 c3 here in Elkin dedicated to preserving our creeks and rivers, and he currently chairs the Peace and Justice task force for Salem Presbytery. Copyright 2013-Current Elkin Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line387
__label__wiki	0.654496	0.654496	Press Releases / Announcements \| February 3, 2020 \| Early Edge California, Advancement Project CA Dual Language Learners Must Be Central to the Governor’s Master Plan to Build an Equitable Early Learning and Care System Joanna Cole jcole@earlyedgecalifornia.org As the state strengthens and expands its Early Learning system, policymakers must center the strengths and needs of dual language learners and children of color. Without this intentionality, the state will design a system that does not serve the majority of its youngest learners. SACRAMENTO – Today, Advancement Project California and Early Edge California released The Dual Language Learner Policy Platform: Informing California’s Early Learning and Care Policies and Investments in 2020–21 and Beyond, a new policy platform aimed at creating greater equity in Early Learning and Care (ELC) across California for young children who are dual language learners (DLLs). As the state develops its new Master Plan for ELC, the platform will provide critical recommendations necessary to provide the resources and access to high-quality early education all children need to thrive. “Every kid deserves a bright start that creates a path to lifelong success. Yet, for California’s dual language learners, we have a system that is failing to support their home language and culture, which speaks to a fundamental issue of equity that must be addressed,” said Patricia Lozano, Executive Director, Early Edge California. “Our policy platform provides the guidance needed to create a truly equitable system that extends the benefits of Early Learning by intentionally building on the strengths of dual language learners and addressing their unique cultural, linguistic and developmental needs.” California is the fifth-largest economy in the world, whose commercial competitiveness depends on its ability to capitalize on the strengths of its diverse population, including the ability to speak two or more languages. Given that dual language learners comprise 60 percent of children under age six in California, it is critical that policies reflect the fact that language and culture are intimately intertwined and fundamental to academic success. Yet, it is estimated that 30-50 percent of dual language learners entering kindergarten in the current system will not acquire the necessary English skills needed for academic participation after six years or more of instruction. With Governor Newsom elevating the importance of children’s early years and developing the Master Plan for ELC and cradle to career data system, he has made clear his commitment to close the opportunity gaps earlier on. The state must build on this work and invest in quality ELC programs that comprehensively acknowledge the strengths and needs of dual language learners. “Not attending to the early education needs of dual language learners, who largely come from communities of color, creates significant developmental and academic achievement barriers that only worsen as children grow older,” said Karla Pleitéz Howell, Managing Director of Policy and Programs, Advancement Project California. “It is imperative we act now to create a system with equity at its core that embeds the additional resources and supports that our dual language learners need to succeed. Doing so sends a clear message that we value all of our children, not just some and that we see their future success as inextricably linked to the success of us all.” Research shows the importance of building on DLL children’s home language for preventing language loss, promoting positive identity development and facilitating English language development. California now has the opportunity to design a system that affirms the role of language and culture in all Early Learning environments, program requirements, workforce support and quality improvement efforts to ensure all children are set up for success. Key recommendations from the platform include: Align the Early Learning and care system with the asset-based principles of the California English Learner Roadmap State Policy, by expanding dual language programs in communities with large populations of children of color, DLLs, and low-income students; Promote high-quality programs for DLLs starting from birth, by meaningfully identifying and including DLLs in Early Learning quality improvement systems; and Support the Early Learning workforce to build on the strengths of DLLs and meet their needs, by including explicit competencies for serving DLLs and providing funding for sustained professional development. “We have a constitutional mandate to provide quality education to every child. Yet, for far too long, our education systems have been one size fits all, and our early education system is no exception,” said Marlene Zepeda, Professor Emeritus, California State University, Los Angeles. “As our state changes, our systems become less equipped to provide our children with the education they need. To fully recognize the benefits of early education we must align our system with the asset-based principles of the California English Learner Roadmap and promote high-quality programs that offer a distinct pedagogical approach that meets dual language learners where they are and leads them to success.” Read the full platform. Advancement Project California is a next-generation, multiracial civil rights organization. In California, the organization champions the struggle for greater equity and opportunity for all, fostering upward mobility in communities most impacted by economic and racial injustice. Advancement Project California builds alliances and trust, uses data-driven policy solutions, creates innovative tools, and works alongside communities to ignite social transformation. Early Edge California is a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to improving access to high-quality Early Learning experiences for all California children so they can have a strong foundation for future success. Dual-Language Learners	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line392
__label__wiki	0.542027	0.542027	BJJ, BJJ, BJJ Coach, Brown Belt, Denver, Kids, Littleton Professor Peter Straub is from a small town on the western slope called Paonia. He attended college in Boulder, where he first met Professor Eliot Marshall while working at the Foundry. He invited Peter to come in and train. After graduating with degrees in political science and economics, Peter got a job at a law firm and moved to Denver. In 2011, he quit his job to pursue his MMA career and train and coach full-time. Peter got his start in MMA when he met a personal trainer at 24 Hour Fitness who fought MMA. Peter started training with him, and after a few months, he took his first MMA fight in Casper, WY. Although he won, the fight helped him realize how much he still had to learn. At the time, Eliot had just returned from The Ultimate Fighter. When Peter told him about the fight, Eliot invited him to come to Easton. Peter has always felt that he had natural leadership ability, and he enjoys being able to help people, so teaching was a great fit for him. He tries to emulate his instructors with his teaching style. Professor Amal Easton taught many of his fundamentals Jiu Jitsu classes, Professor Chaun Sims taught most of his intermediate, and Professor Eliot Marshall taught him most of his advanced classes. As an instructor, Peter tries to use their approaches and methods, as well as mixing in a little of his own style and flavor. Peter’s ultimate goal as an instructor is to see one of his white belts students eventually earn a black belt.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line393
__label__wiki	0.55291	0.55291	You are here: Home / Publications / Peer-reviewed papers / lmd_Boucher2002_abstracts.html lmd_Boucher2002_abstracts.html (5 publications) E. Cosme, C. Genthon, P. Martinerie, O. Boucher, and M. Pham. The sulfur cycle at high-southern latitudes in the LMD-ZT General Circulation Model. Journal of Geophysical Research (Atmospheres), 107:4690, December 2002. [ bib \| DOI \| ADS link ] This modeling study was motivated by the recent publication of year-round records of dimethylsulfide (DMS) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) in Antarctica, completing the available series of sulfate and methanesulfonic acid (MSA). Sulfur chemistry has been incorporated in the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique-Zoom Tracers (LMD-ZT) Atmospheric General Circulation Model (AGCM), with high-resolution and improved physics at high-southern latitudes. The model predicts the concentration of six major sulfur species through emissions, transport, wet and dry deposition, and chemistry in both gas and aqueous phases. Model results are broadly realistic when compared with measurements in air and snow or ice, as well as to results of other modeling studies, at high- and middle-southern latitudes. Atmospheric MSA concentrations are underestimated and DMSO concentrations are overestimated in summer, reflecting the lack of a DMSO heterogeneous sink leading to MSA. Experiments with various recently published estimates of the rate of this sink are reported. Although not corrected in this work, other defects are identified and discussed: DMS concentrations are underestimated in winter, MSA and non-sea-salt (nss) sulfate concentrations may be underestimated at the South Pole, the deposition scheme used in the model may not be adapted to polar regions, and the model does not adequately reproduces interannual variability. Oceanic DMS sources have a major contribution to the variability of sulfur in these regions. The model results suggest that in a large part of central Antarctica ground-level atmospheric DMS concentrations are larger in winter than in summer. At high-southern latitudes, high loads of DMS and DMSO are found and the main chemical sink of sulfur dioxide (SO2) is aqueous oxidation by ozone (O3), whereas oxidation by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) dominates at the global scale. A comprehensive modeled sulfur budget of Antarctica is provided. P. Formenti, O. Boucher, T. Reiner, D. Sprung, M. O. Andreae, M. Wendisch, H. Wex, D. Kindred, M. Tzortziou, A. Vasaras, and C. Zerefos. STAAARTE-MED 1998 summer airborne measurements over the Aegean Sea 2. Aerosol scattering and absorption, and radiative calculations. Journal of Geophysical Research (Atmospheres), 107:4551, November 2002. [ bib \| DOI \| ADS link ] Chemical, physical, and optical measurements of aerosol particle properties within an aged biomass-burning plume were performed on board a research aircraft during a profile descent over a ground-based site in northeastern Greece (40deg24'N, 23deg57'E 170 m asl) where continuous measurements of the spectral downwelling solar irradiance (global, direct, and diffuse) are being made. The aerosol optical depth measured at the ground during the time of overflight was significantly enhanced (0.39 at a wavelength of 500 nm) due to a haze layer between 1 and 3.5 km altitude. The dry particle scattering coefficient within the layer was around 80 Mm-1, and the particle absorption coefficient was around 15 Mm-1, giving a single scattering albedo of 0.89 at 500 nm (dry state). The black carbon fraction is estimated to account for 6-9% of the total accumulation mode particle mass (1 μm diameter). The increase of the particle scattering coefficient with increasing relative humidity at 500 nm is of the order of 40% for a change in relative humidity from 30 to 80%. The dry, altitude-dependent, particle number size distribution is used as input parameter for radiative transfer calculations of the spectral short-wave, downwelling irradiance at the surface. The agreement between the calculated irradiances and the experimental results from the ground-based radiometer is within 10%, both for the direct and the diffuse components (at 415, 501, and 615 nm). Calculations of the net radiative forcing at the surface and at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) show that due to particle absorption the effect of aerosols is much stronger at the surface than at the TOA. Over sea the net short-wave radiative forcing (daytime average) between 280 nm and 4 μm is up to -64 W m-2 at the surface and up to -22 W m-2 at the TOA. Chemical, physical, and optical measurements of aerosol particle properties within an aged biomass-burning plume were performed on board a research aircraft during a profile descent over a ground-based site in northeastern Greece (40deg24'N, 23deg57'E; 170 m asl) where continuous measurements of the spectral downwelling solar irradiance (global, direct, and diffuse) are being made. The aerosol optical depth measured at the ground during the time of overflight was significantly enhanced (0.39 at a wavelength of 500 nm) due to a haze layer between 1 and 3.5 km altitude. The dry particle scattering coefficient within the layer was around 80 Mm-1, and the particle absorption coefficient was around 15 Mm-1, giving a single scattering albedo of 0.89 at 500 nm (dry state). The black carbon fraction is estimated to account for 6-9% of the total accumulation mode particle mass (1 μm diameter). The increase of the particle scattering coefficient with increasing relative humidity at 500 nm is of the order of 40% for a change in relative humidity from 30 to 80%. The dry, altitude-dependent, particle number size distribution is used as input parameter for radiative transfer calculations of the spectral short-wave, downwelling irradiance at the surface. The agreement between the calculated irradiances and the experimental results from the ground-based radiometer is within 10%, both for the direct and the diffuse components (at 415, 501, and 615 nm). Calculations of the net radiative forcing at the surface and at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) show that due to particle absorption the effect of aerosols is much stronger at the surface than at the TOA. Over sea the net short-wave radiative forcing (daytime average) between 280 nm and 4 μm is up to -64 W m-2 at the surface and up to -22 W m-2 at the TOA. Y. J. Kaufman, D. Tanré, and O. Boucher. A satellite view of aerosols in the climate system. Nature, 419:215-223, September 2002. [ bib \| ADS link ] Anthropogenic aerosols are intricately linked to the climate system and to the hydrologic cycle. The net effect of aerosols is to cool the climate system by reflecting sunlight. Depending on their composition, aerosols can also absorb sunlight in the atmosphere, further cooling the surface but warming the atmosphere in the process. These effects of aerosols on the temperature profile, along with the role of aerosols as cloud condensation nuclei, impact the hydrologic cycle, through changes in cloud cover, cloud properties and precipitation. Unravelling these feedbacks is particularly difficult because aerosols take a multitude of shapes and forms, ranging from desert dust to urban pollution, and because aerosol concentrations vary strongly over time and space. To accurately study aerosol distribution and composition therefore requires continuous observations from satellites, networks of ground-based instruments and dedicated field experiments. Increases in aerosol concentration and changes in their composition, driven by industrialization and an expanding population, may adversely affect the Earth's climate and water supply. O. Boucher and M. Pham. History of sulfate aerosol radiative forcings. Geophysical Research Letters, 29:1308, May 2002. [ bib \| DOI \| ADS link ] The history of the global sulfur cycle has been simulated using an emission inventory of SO2 for 1990 and previously published historical trends in emission on a per country basis. The global- annual-mean radiative forcings due to sulfate aerosols increase (in absolute values) from near-zero and -0.17 Wm-2 up to -0.4 and -1 Wm-2 between 1850 and 1990, for the direct and indirect effects, respectively. The forcing efficiency (defined as the ratio of the radiative forcing to the anthropogenic sulfate burden) is fairly constant for the direct effect at -150 W(g sulfate)-1 but decreases significantly for the indirect effect with increasing sulfate burden. The model results are compared with long-term observations for the period 1980 to 1998 in the U.S. and Europe. « Previous: lmd_EMC32002_abstracts.html Next: lmd_LEGACY1996_bib.html »	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line395
__label__wiki	0.944316	0.944316	Frosted Ambassador Frosted Ambassador was an enigmatic release on Kindercore Records in 1999. While press releases claimed a long career in bands named Chronicle Ape and the New Sound and a failed solo career before "moving to Belgium to study toast," evidence suggests that the project was actually the brainchild of The Olivia Tremor Control's drummer Eric Harris, as the two bands shared a song on the album and a compilation, and William Cullen Hart created the artwork for the album. Also, The Olivia Tremor Control had a song on their album "Dusk at Cubist Castle" named "Frosted Ambassador" "The Frosted Ambassador" (Kindercore Records; LP; 1999) The first track, originally named "Silverbug," was credited to the Olivia Tremor Control on Kindercore's compilation "Treble Revolution Volume 2," and the third track contains parts of the Olivia Tremor Control's introductory song on their "Black Foliage" album. [http://www.elephant6.com/bands/frosted.html Elephant6.com] on Frosted Ambassador. * [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:cu5f8qtmbtx4 Frosted Ambassador's] Allmusic entry. Mark Patinkin Fort Howard (Wisconsin)	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line397
__label__wiki	0.908145	0.908145	Miles of Aisles 1974 live album by Joni Mitchell Live album by March 2 and 4, 1974; August 14–17, 1974 The Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles Music Center and Berkeley Community Center Joni Mitchell chronology Court and Spark (1974) Miles of Aisles (1974) The Hissing of Summer Lawns Professional ratings Christgau's Record Guide B–[3] MusicHound [4] Rolling Stone (not rated)[2] The Rolling Stone Album Guide [5] Miles of Aisles is the first live album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released in 1974 on Asylum Records. It is a double album documenting her concerts in support of the Court and Spark album with her backing band for the tour, the L.A. Express. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and became one of her biggest-selling records, certified a gold record by the RIAA.[6] Content[edit] This was Mitchell's first tour with backing musicians; prior to this she had generally performed solo, and had never organized a tour with a band.[7] She hired an already existing group, the jazz fusion band L.A. Express, members of which had appeared on her previous studio album, Court and Spark, the biggest commercial success of her career. A track from this live album, "Big Yellow Taxi", was released as a single. Four years after the studio version had stalled at No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 as a single, this live version reached No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, becoming Mitchell's fourth Top 40 hit single and third in a row. The album contains many of her best-known songs up to that time, but only one track derived from her recent album and neither of its two hit singles, "Help Me" and "Free Man in Paris". It also includes two brand new songs "Love Or Money" and "Jericho" – the latter of which she would record a studio version of for her 1977 album Don Juan's Reckless Daughter. All tracks except two were recorded at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, August 14 to 17, 1974. "Cactus Tree" was recorded at the Los Angeles Music Center on March 4, and "Real Good for Free" at the Berkeley Community Theater on March 2. The cover photo was taken at the Pine Knob Music Theater in Clarkston, Michigan.[8] All tracks are written by Joni Mitchell. "You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio" – 4:09 "Big Yellow Taxi" – 3:09 "Rainy Night House" – 4:04 "Woodstock" – 4:29 "Cactus Tree" – 5:01 "Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire" – 5:23 "Woman of Heart and Mind" – 3:40 "A Case of You" – 4:42 "Blue" – 2:49 Side three "The Circle Game" – 6:29 "People's Parties" – 2:42 "All I Want" – 3:21 "Real Good for Free" – 4:27 "Both Sides Now" – 4:14 Side four "Carey" – 3:30 "The Last Time I Saw Richard" – 3:35 "Jericho" – 3:26 "Love or Money" – 4:50 Joni Mitchell — vocals, guitar, piano, dulcimer, cover photograph and graphics The L.A. Express Tom Scott — woodwind instruments, harmonica Robben Ford — electric guitar Larry Nash – piano Max Bennett — bass John Guerin — drums, percussion Henry Lewy – sound engineer, mixing Ken Caillat – assistant engineer Anthony Hudson – art direction Mobile Recording: Wally Heider Recording with Jack Crymes, Biff Dawes ^ Ruhlmann, William (2011). "Miles of Aisles – Joni Mitchell \| AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved July 19, 2011. ^ Davis, Stephen (2011). "Joni Mitchell: Miles Of Aisles : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". web.archive.org. Archived from the original on January 24, 2009. Retrieved July 19, 2011. CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 8, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com. ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds) (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 769. ISBN 1-57859-061-2. CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link) ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). "Joni Mitchell". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. London: Fireside. pp. 547–548. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved September 8, 2009. Portions posted at "Joni Mitchell > Album Guide". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on July 31, 2011. Retrieved June 2, 2015. ^ RIAA database retrieved 13 August 2014 ^ Joni Mitchell website Chronology retrieved 13 August 2014 Archived April 19, 2014, at the Wayback Machine ^ Blackburn, Dave (September 12, 2011). "A Conversation with Max Bennett". jonimitchell.com. Retrieved September 3, 2014. Album liner notes Song to a Seagull (1968) Ladies of the Canyon (1970) For the Roses (1972) Court and Spark (1974) The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975) Hejira (1976) Don Juan's Reckless Daughter (1977) Mingus (1979) Wild Things Run Fast (1982) Dog Eat Dog (1985) Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm (1988) Night Ride Home (1991) Turbulent Indigo (1994) Taming the Tiger (1998) Both Sides Now (2000) Travelogue (2002) Shine (2007) Shadows and Light Amchitka, The 1970 Concert That Launched Greenpeace The Beginning of Survival Songs of a Prairie Girl Joni Mitchell Archives – Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963–1967) Early Joni – 1963 Archives series Volume I: The Early Years (1963–1967) Auxiliary releases Early Joni - 1963 Live at Canterbury House - 1967 Singles and key songs "Both Sides, Now" "Chelsea Morning" "Big Yellow Taxi" "Woodstock" "Little Green" "Carey" "California" "This Flight Tonight" "The Last Time I Saw Richard" "You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio" "Raised on Robbery" "Help Me" "Free Man in Paris" "Down to You" "Coyote" "You've Got a Friend" "You Can Close Your Eyes" "Long Ago and Far Away" The Wall – Live in Berlin "Got 'til It's Gone" River: The Joni Letters A Tribute to Joni Mitchell Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Miles_of_Aisles&oldid=991665245" Joni Mitchell live albums 1974 live albums Asylum Records live albums CS1 maint: unfit URL Use mdy dates from May 2020 Album articles lacking alt text for covers	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line404
__label__cc	0.710626	0.289374	From Wikiquote Elias appointed Commander in the Order of Orange-Nassau (1987) The plaque for Norbert Elias in Wrocław Norbert Elias (June 22, 1897 – August 1, 1990) was a German sociologist of Jewish descent, who later became a British citizen. Quotes[edit] I wish you all the pleasurable excitement one can have without hurting others and one's own dignity. Closing statement on a Dutch TV interview. Lessen van Elias, Norbert Elias, portret van een socioloog, VPRO, april 23 1975/ 2005 The Civilizing Process (1939)[edit] Über den Prozeß der Zivilisation (1939) The Civilizing Process. Sociogenetic and Psychogenetic Investigations The psychogenesis of the adult make-up in civilized society cannot, therefore be understood if considered independently of the sociogenesis of our "civilization." ... Individuals, in their short history, pass once more through some of the processes that their society has traversed in its long history. p. xi If the present study has any significance at all, this results not least from its opposition to this mingling of what is and what ought to be, of scientific analysis with ideals. One of the peculiarities of the traditional human self-image is that people often speak and think of individuals and societies as if these were two phenomena existing separately—of which, moreover, one is often considered "real" and the other "unreal"—instead of two different aspects of the same human being. A heightened control of the affects, developed in society and learned by the individual, and above all a heightened degree of autonomous affect control, was needed in order for the world-picture centred on the earth and the people living on it to be overcome by one which, like the heliocentric world-picture, agreed better with the observable facts but was at first far less satisfying emotionally; for it removed human beings from their position at the centre of the universe and placed them on one of many planets circling about the centre. But at that particular stage in the development of these more object-related than self-related conceptual instruments for exploring extra-human nature, it was apparently not possible to include in the investigation, and to reflect upon, this civilizational shift itself, the move towards stronger and more "internalised" self-control that was taking place within people themselves. What was happening to human beings as they increased their understanding of nature remained at first inaccessible to scientific insight. It is not a little characteristic of this stage of self-consciousness that the classical theories of knowledge representing it are concerned far more with the problems of the object of knowledge than with the subject of knowledge, with object-perception than with self-perception. The development of the idea that the earth circles round the sun in a purely mechanical way in accordance with natural laws—that is, in a way not in the least determined by any purpose relating to mankind, and therefore no longer possessing any great emotional significance for people—presupposed and demanded at the same time a development in human beings themselves towards increased emotional control, a greater restraint of their spontaneous feeling that everything they experience and everything that concerns them takes its stamp from them, is the expression of an intention, a destiny, a purpose relating to themselves. Now, in the age that we call "modern", people have reached a stage of self-detachment that enables them to conceive of natural processes as an autonomous sphere operating in a purely mechanical or causal way without intention or purpose or destiny, and having a meaning or purpose for themselves only if they are in a position, through objective knowledge, to control it and thereby to give it a meaning and a purpose. Retrieved from "https://en.wikiquote.org/w/index.php?title=Norbert_Elias&oldid=2768018" Sociologists from Germany Academics from Germany Academics from the United Kingdom German Jews Non-fiction authors from Germany Contact Wikiquote Wikiquote links About Wikiquote	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line405
__label__cc	0.503133	0.496867	Apicorp to provide $125m Shariah-compliant facility to Acwa Power Apicorp has signed a $125m Shariah-compliant facility for Saudi utilities developer Acwa Power to assist with the developer’s growing project portfolio. The $135m five-year corporate facility has been earmarked for funding Acwa Power’s investments in renewable energy projects. Apicorp has signed a $125m Shariah-compliant facility for Saudi utilities developer Acwa Power to assist with the developer’s growing project portfolio. The $135m five-year corporate facility has been earmarked for funding Acwa Power’s investments in renewable energy projects. Acwa Power is the largest developer, investor and operator of power generation and desalination plants in the Middle East. The group 58 assets in operation, construction or advanced development across 12 countries. By the end of 2019, the value of the group’s portfolio was valued at $47.9bn, which included stakes in power generation projects with a capacity of 30.9GW and desalination projects which can produce a total of 5.3 million cubic metres a day. Approximately 74 per cent of Acwa Power’s power generation holdings are in clean-energy projects. In November, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund Public Investment Fund (PIF) increased its ownership stake in Acwa Power from 33.6 per cent to 50 per cent. The investment is part of PIF’s plans to diversify its holdings into renewable energy. While Acwa Power has emerged as a dominant force in the Middle East’s private developer market over the past decade, it is also beginning to target new markets with growth potential outside the region. In late December, Acwa Power signed the power purchase agreement (PPA) and investment agreements for a 240MW wind power project in Azerbaijan. The $300m wind energy project will be located in the Absheron and Khizi regions of Azerbaijan. Energy Finance News Power News Stay up-to-date with the latest news and analysis of a changing energy industry Stay up-to-date with the latest news and analysis in the energy industry	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line406
__label__cc	0.631757	0.368243	Top Mistakes in 'The Brady Bunch' June 03, 2020 \| by Filipa Veiga The TV series experienced a lot of success. Even after it was canceled, it went into syndication for years and a lot of follow-up films were made so that fans could see how the family was doing after the show came to an end. However, there were a lot of mistakes when doing the show. We are going to spill the tea! Credit Images: Getty Images The House With Two Floors When you see the house from the outside, you can clearly see that you could not possibly have two stories. It could perhaps have a split-level. However, you constantly see the family going up and down the stairs to the other floor, which from the outside of the house could not exist. Furthermore, the main picture of the family, meaning the most famous one, is the one with the whole family on the stairs. How could that have happened if there was no second floor? In addition, if there was a split-floor it would have to be on the left, and the stairs, when they walk in, are on the right side of the house. Wrong Name, Buddy When spending so much time together as a crew of actors, it is only natural that sometimes the wrong name slips out of under their tongue. However, according to MeTV, this happened not once, but three times. There is one episode where Peter is jumping up and down on the trampoline and his mother and brother had a hard time staying in character. Although they are saying the right lines - we think -, they are not saying the right names. First Carol calls Peter, portrayed by Christopher Knight, Chris: “Go get ‘em, Chris!”. Afterward, it is his brother who is talking to Jan, portrayed by Eve Plumb, and calls her Eve. Marcia was the second one to call Peter by Chris in another episode! The House of Cards It is completely normal that the crew uses some props to create some scenes. However, they should have been more careful with the props they were using and double-check if they were working properly before actually using them, right? Wrong. As stated per MeTV, there is one scene in particular where we can see that they did not do a check on the prop. We are talking about the famous house of cards. When this stunning house of cards comes tumbling down, there are some cards that remain standing up glued together. Shhh, it’s called magic! What A Salary! Mike Brady is an architect, we all know that. At some point in the series, we are even lead to believe that he might also be a partner at the firm, although that is never confirmed. Furthermore, we also know that Carol is a stay-at-home mom, meaning that she does not work. Therefore, Mike is the only source of income in the house. Now, what he would earn by the 1970s salary standard would clearly not be enough to have a live-in maid such as Alice. Let us not forget that he also has six children to feed, to dress, and to send to school. Children are not a cheap venture. Credit Images: Wikimedia Commons Bigger Home Maybe? In addition, if he was in fact making enough money to support a family of nine, including Alice, why did he not purchase a bigger home for the entire family? The reality is that he could have just kept his initial home from his previous marriage, but after getting together with Carol, a bigger home should have been considered. Throughout the series, we come to know the house better and better, and, later in the series, Greg moves into the attic to have his own room. This leaves us wondering why this was not done at the beginning when the huge family all moved in together. If he was getting big bonuses, perhaps, they should have gotten another home to accommodate the not-so-little family. Oh, The “Grass”! The Bradys had a beautiful garden, didn’t they? Well, although we are made to believe that there is grass in the backyard, it can clearly be seen that it is astroturf. According to MeTV, there is even a scene when the boys are just playing football and poor Greg rips up a panel of it. The secret is out. The White Piece Of Thread Peter is a hero when he saves the little girl from getting hit by what seems to be a very heavy piece of furniture in the episode ‘The Hero’. However, if you watch closely, you can see a white piece of thread pushing the shelving unit down and causing it to fall. Not so great. What About The Shadow? This was truly a revealing mistake. Whenever it is day and the house is being filmed, we see the shadow cast by the roof in the lower right corner, which is totally normal. However, when they show the house in the evening, that same shadow is still there, which means that they simply darkened the original footage. Where Is The Glass? This happens in more than a few episodes, as stated per MeTV. The sliding doors are nothing but a frame. How can you notice that? Because whenever there is wind, you can see the curtains flowing through the glass. Unless this is magic glass, there was absolutely no glass in the doors, to begin with. The Ceiling Is Coming Out, Guys Oh, the classic episode of the broken vase, we all remember it. As stated per MeTV, there is one part of the episode where Alice is asking the family if anyone has some coins for the fountain. In that particular scene, the camera is so angled down, that you can actually see part of the studio. Where Is Alice’s Bathroom? They let us know that there is a bathroom in the parents’ room, they show us that there is a bathroom for the children, but they never come clean about the live-in maid’s bathroom. It is unlikely that she would get ready to go to bed in the upstairs bathroom, it would be even weirder for her to use Mike and Carol’s bathroom. We have already cleared out that it was already strange that the family of nine was leaving in such a small house, but to have Alice using their bathroom and not provide her with her out private bathroom would just be outright insane. Do you believe that there was a bathroom, or would she just use one of theirs? Aren’t You Supposed To Be An Architect? We have already established that there should have been a bigger home, that Mike must have been making good money - that we never found out where it came from - to support all those people. As an architect with a small house, the least we ask for is that is it immaculate. Nonetheless, as stated per MeTV, if you pay close attention, you can see that there is a clear chipped off part in the brick in the entryway. Did the boys ruin it and Mike did not have time to fix it or was he actually not making enough money to make the repair? If so, how was he supporting all those people? That Is A Lot Of Different Clothes Now, we all know that the same episode can be shot on different days, but there has to be some sort of continuity to it, and, by that, we mean that they should have kept more in mind the clothes that the characters were wearing. As stated per MeTV, there is one episode wherein one scene, Greg is wearing black boots, and in the next one, he has got his Adidas sneakers on. There is also another episode where Jan’s clothes are all over the place and it is noticeable, a lot, in fact. Jan Changes Her Clothes A Lot At first, she comes in and she is wearing a white floral shirt and a red ribbon on her head, on the next shot, she has a striped blouse and a light green ribbon. Afterward, she has changed her clothes, once more, and is wearing a green t-shirt and a dark green ribbon. Then she returns and is already with the striped blouse once more. TV Shows Dec 03, 2020 The Boys Cast: Now We Know Who Is Single, Married, And Deeply In Love This happens in a lot of episodes and it is a matter of continuity. Unless they were to show us that something happened to the clothes and the character just had to change it, it made absolutely no sense that running from one door to another, their clothes magically change. Is she Cinderella? Not Even The Car? There are a lot of issues when it comes to continuity in the show, even regarding something huge such as the car. As stated per MeTV, there is one episode when the couple takes along Bobby to go for ice cream and they go off in a blue convertible. However, they end up returning in a brown station wagon. Now, there are two questions here that need to be posed. The first one is: they could very well have two cars - one for Mike, and another for Carol -, but they cannot possibly come in a vehicle and return in another. The second question comes along the same lines, did they just go out for ice cream and returned with a new car? It’s A Kind Of Magic! Let us remind you that the series was shot a long time ago, so it is only natural that there were mistakes made that would nowadays, hopefully, not happen - at least as often. Nonetheless, the mistakes in the show made it seem like it was a ‘Harry Potter’ house with all the magic going on. Did you notice any other mistake? Tell us about it! Sources: MeTV Parents Return Home After Leaving Four Daughters Home Alone	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line407
__label__cc	0.627742	0.372258	Multi-scale modeling of gene-behavior associations in an artificial neural network model of cognitive development Thomas, Michael S.C. and Forrester, N.A. and Ronald, Angelica (2016) Multi-scale modeling of gene-behavior associations in an artificial neural network model of cognitive development. Cognitive Science 40 (1), pp. 51-99. ISSN 1551-6709. Thomas_Forrester_Ronald_CogSci_finalBIRON.pdf - Author's Accepted Manuscript Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cogs.12230 In the multi-disciplinary field of developmental cognitive neuroscience, statistical associations between levels of description play an increasingly important role. One example of such associations is the observation of correlations between relatively common gene variants and individual differences in behavior. It is perhaps surprising that such associations can be detected despite the remoteness of these levels of description, and the fact that behavior is the outcome of an extended developmental process involving interaction with a variable environment. Given that they have been detected, how do such associations inform cognitive-level theories? To investigate this question, we employed a multi-scale computational model of development, using a sample domain drawn from the field of language acquisition. The model comprised an artificial neural network model of past-tense acquisition trained using the backpropagation learning algorithm, extended to incorporate population modeling and genetic algorithms. It included five levels of description, four internal: genetic, network, neurocomputation, behavior; and one external: environment. Since the mechanistic assumptions of the model were known and its operation was relatively transparent, we could evaluate whether cross-level associations gave an accurate picture of causal processes. We established that associations could be detected between artificial genes and behavioral variation, even under polygenic assumptions of a many-to-one relationship between genes and neurocomputational parameters, and when an experience-dependent developmental process interceded between the action of genes and the emergence of behavior. We evaluated these associations with respect to their specificity (to different behaviors, to function versus structure), to their developmental stability, and to their replicability, as well as considering issues of missing heritability and gene-environment interactions. We argue that gene-behavior associations can inform cognitive theory with respect to effect size, specificity, and timing. The model demonstrates a means by which researchers can undertake modeling multi-scale modeling with respect to cognition, and develop highly specific and complex hypotheses across multiple levels of description. This is the peer reviewed version of the article, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cogs.12230. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving. Multi-scale models, artificial neural networks, population modeling, gene- behavior associations, gene-environment interactions, missing heritability, socio- economic status, development, individual differences Educational Neuroscience, Centre for, Birkbeck Knowledge Lab, Brain and Cognitive Development, Centre for (CBCD)	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line410
__label__wiki	0.829613	0.829613	The Renaissance: A History of Civilization in Italy IV. THE HUMANISTS It was under the Medici, or in their day, that the humanists captivated the mind of Italy, turned it from religion to philosophy, from heaven to earth, and revealed to an astonished generation the riches of pagan thought and art. These men mad about scholarship received, as early as Ariosto,22 the name of umanisti because they called the study of classic culture umanità— the “humanities”—or literae humaniores—not “more humane” but more human letters. The proper study of mankind was now to be man, in all the potential strength and beauty of his body, in all the joy and pain of his senses and feelings, in all the frail majesty of his reason; and in these as most abundantly and perfectly revealed in the literature and art of ancient Greece and Rome. This was humanism. Nearly all the Latin, and many of the Greek classics now extant were known to medieval scholars here and there; and the thirteenth century was acquainted with the major pagan philosophers. But that century had almost ignored Greek poetry; and many ancient worthies now honored by us lay neglected in monastic or cathedral libraries. It was mostly in such forgotten corners that Petrarch and his successors found the “lost” classics, “gentle prisoners,” he called them, “held in captivity by barbarous jailers.” Boccaccio, visiting Monte Cassino, was shocked to find precious manuscripts rotting in dust, or mutilated to make psalters or amulets. Poggio, visiting the Swiss monastery of St. Gall while attending the Council of Constance, found the Institutiones of Quintilian in a foul dark dungeon, and felt, as he reclaimed the rolls, that the old pedagogue was stretching out his hands, begging to be saved from the “barbarians”; for by that name the culture-conscious Italians, like the ancient Greeks and Romans, called their virile conquerors beyond the Alps. Poggio alone, undeterred by winter’s cold or snow, exhumed from such tombs the texts of Lucretius, Columella, Frontinus, Vitruvius, Valerius Flaccus, Tertullian, Plautus, Petronius, Ammianus Marcellinus, and several major speeches of Cicero. Coluccio Salutati unearthed Cicero’s letters ad familiares at Vercelli (1389); Gherardo Landriani found Cicero’s treatises on rhetoric in an old chest at Lodi (1422); Ambrogio Traversari rescued Cornelius Nepos from oblivion in Padua (1434); theAgricola, Germania, andDialogi of Tacitus were discovered in Germany (1455); the first six books of Tacitus’ Annales, and a full manuscript of the younger Pliny’s letters were recovered from the monastery of Corvey (1508), and became a prize possession of Leo X. In the half century before the Turks took Constantinople a dozen humanists studied or traveled in Greece; one of them, Giovanni Aurispa, brought back to Italy 238 manuscripts, including the plays of Aeschylus and Sophocles; another, Francesco Filelfo, salvaged from Constantinople (1427) texts of Herodotus, Thucydides, Polybius, Demosthenes, Aeschines, and Aristotle, and seven dramas of Euripides. When such literary explorers returned to Italy with their finds they were welcomed like victorious generals, and princes and prelates paid well for a share of the spoils. The fall of Constantinople resulted in the loss of many classics previously mentioned by Byzantine writers as in the libraries of that city; nevertheless thousands of volumes were saved, and most of them came to Italy; to this day the best manuscripts of Greek classics are in Italy. For three centuries, from Petrarch to Tasso, men collected manuscripts with philatelic passion. Niccolò de’ Niccoli spent more than he had in this pursuit; Andreolo de Ochis was ready to sacrifice his home, his wife, his life to add to his library; Poggio suffered when he saw money being spent on anything else than books. An editorial revolution ensued. The texts so recovered were studied, compared, corrected, and explained in a campaign of scholarship that ranged from Lorenzo Valla in Naples to Sir Thomas More in London. Since these labors in many cases required a knowledge of Greek, Italy—and later France, England, and Germany—sent out a call for teachers of Greek. Aurispa and Filelfo learned the language in Greece itself. After Manuel Chrysoloras came to Italy (1397) as Byzantine envoy, the University of Florence persuaded him to join its faculty as professor of Greek language and literature. Among his pupils there were Poggio, Palla Strozzi, Marsuppini, and Manetti. Leonardo Bruni, studying law, abandoned it, under the spell of Chrysoloras, for the study of Greek; “I gave myself to his teaching with such ardor,” he tells us, “that my dreams at night were filled with what I had learned from him during the day.”23 Who now could imagine that Greek grammar was once an adventure and a romance? In 1439 Greeks met Italians at the Council of Florence, and the lessons they exchanged in language had far more result than their laborious negotiations in theology. There Gemistus Pletho gave the famous lectures that ended the reign of Aristotle in European philosophy and enthroned Plato as almost a god. When the Council dispersed, Joannes Bessarion, who had come to it as Bishop of Nicaea, remained in Italy and gave part of his time to teaching Greek. Other cities contracted the fever; Bessarion brought it to Rome; Theodorus Gaza taught Greek at Mantua, Ferrara (1444), and Rome (1451); Demetrius Chalcondyles taught at Perugia (1450), Padua, Florence, and Milan (c. 1492–1511); Joannes Argyropoulos at Padua (1441), Florence (1456–71), and Rome (1471–86). All these men came to Italy before the fall of Constantinople (1453), so that that event played a minor role in the transit of Greek from Byzantium to Italy; but the gradual encirclement of Constantinople by the Turks after 1356 shared in persuading Greek scholars to go west. One of those who fled at the collapse of the Eastern capital was Constantine Lascaris, who came to teach Greek at Milan (1460–5), Naples, and Messina (1466–1501). The first Greek book printed in Renaissance Italy was his Greek grammar. With all these scholars and their pupils enthusiastically active in Italy, it was but a short time when the classics of Greek literature and philosophy were rendered into Latin with more thoroughness, accuracy, and finish than in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Guarino translated parts of Strabo and Plutarch; Traversari, Diogenes Laertius; Valla, Herodotus, Thucydides, and the Iliad; Perotti, Polybius; Ficino, Plato and Plotinus. Plato, above all, amazed and delighted the humanists. They gloried in the fluid grace of his style; they found in the Dialogues a drama more vivid and contemporary than anything in Aeschylus, Sophocles, or Euripides; they envied and marveled at the freedom with which the Greeks of Socrates’ time discussed the most crucial problems of religion and politics; and they thought they had found in Plato—clouded with Plotinus—a mystical philosophy that would enable them to retain a Christianity that they had ceased to believe in, but never ceased to love. Moved by the eloquence of Gemistus Pletho and the enthusiasm of his pupils at Florence, Cosimo established there (1445) a Platonic Academy for the study of Plato, and provided handsomely for Marsilio Ficino to give half a lifetime to the translation and exposition of Plato’s works. Now, after a reign of four hundred years, Scholasticism lost its domination in the philosophy of the West; the dialogue and essay replaced the scholastica disputatio as the form of philosophical exposition, and the exhilarating spirit of Plato entered like an energizing yeast into the rising body of European thought. But as Italy recovered more and more of its own classic heritage, the admiration of the humanists for Greece was surpassed by their pride in the literature and art of ancient Rome. They revived Latin as a medium of living literature; they Latinized their names, and Romanized the terms of Christian worship and life: God became Iuppiter, Providence fatum, the saints divi, nuns vestales, the pope pontifex maximus. They fashioned their prose style on Cicero, their poetry on Virgil and Horace; and some, like Filelfo, Valla, and Politian, achieved an almost classic elegance. So, in its course, the Renaissance moved back from Greek to Latin, from Athens to Rome; fifteen centuries appeared to fall away, and the age of Cicero and Horace, of Ovid and Seneca, seemed reborn. Style became more important than substance, form triumphed over matter; and the oratory of majestic periods rang again in the halls of princes and pedagogues. Perhaps it would have been better if the humanists had used Italian; but they looked down upon the speech of theCommedia and the Canzoniere as a corrupt and degenerate Latin (which almost it was), and deplored Dante’s choice of the vernacular tongue. As a penalty the humanists lost touch with the living sources of literature; and the people, leaving their works to the aristocracy, preferred the jolly tales—novelle— of Sacchetti and Bandello, or the exciting mixture of war and love in the romances that were being translated or adapted into Italian from the French. Nevertheless this passing infatuation with a dying language and an “immortal” literature helped Italian authors to recapture the architecture, sculpture, and music of style, and to formulate the canons of taste and utterance that lifted the vernaculars to literary form, and set a goal and a standard for art. In the field of history it was the humanists who ended the succession of medieval chronicles—chaotic and uncritical—by scrutinizing and harmonizing sources, marshaling the matter into order and clarity, vitalizing and humanizing the past by mingling biography with history, and raising their narratives to some level of philosophy by discerning causes, currents, and effects, and studying the regularities and lessons of history. The humanist movement spread throughout Italy, but until the accession of a Florentine Medici to the papacy its leaders were almost all citizens or graduates of Florence. Coluccio Salutati, who became executive secretary or chancellor (cancellarius) to the Signory in 1375, was a bridge from Petrarch and Boccaccio to Cosimo, knowing and loving all three. The public documents drawn up by him were models of classical Latinity, and set an example that officials in Venice, Milan, Naples, and Rome bestirred themselves to follow; Giangaleazzo Visconti of Milan said that Salutati had done him more harm by excellence of style than could have come from an army of mercenaries.24 The fame of Niccolò de’ Niccoli as a Latin stylist rivaled his renown as a collector of manuscripts; Bruni called him the “censor of the Latin tongue,” and, like other authors, submitted his own writings to Niccoli for correction before publishing them. Niccoli filled his house with ancient classics, statuary, inscriptions, vases, coins, and gems. He avoided marriage lest it distract him from his books, but found time for a concubine stolen from his brother’s bed.25 He opened his library to all who cared to study there, and urged young Florentines to abandon luxury for literature. Seeing a wealthy youth idling the day away, Niccoli asked him, “What is your object in life?” “To have a good time,” was the frank reply. “But when your youth is over, of what consequence will you be?”26 The youth saw the point, and put himself under Niccoli’s tutelage. Leonardo Bruni, secretary to four popes and then (1427–44) to the Florentine Signory, translated several dialogues of Plato into a Latin whose excellence for the first time fully revealed the splendor of Plato’s style to Italy; he composed a Latin History of Florence for which the Republic exempted him and his children from taxation; and his speeches were compared with those of Pericles. When he died the priors decreed him a public funeral after the manner of the ancients; he was buried in the church of Santa Croce, with his History on his breast; and Bernardo Rossellino designed for his resting place a noble and sumptuous tomb. Born like Bruni in Arezzo, and succeeding him as secretary to the Signory, Carlo Marsuppini awed his time by carrying half the classics of Greece and Rome in his head; he left hardly one ancient author unquoted in his inaugural address as professor of literature in the University of Florence. His admiration for pagan antiquity was such that he felt called upon to reject Christianity;27 nevertheless he became for a time apostolic secretary to the Roman See; and though he was said to have died without bothering to receive the sacraments,28 he too was buried in Santa Croce under gorgeous oratory by Giannozzo Manetti and an ornate tomb by Desiderio da Settignano (1453). Manetti, who pronounced this eulogy over an atheist, was a man whose piety rivaled his learning. For nine years he hardly stirred from his house and garden, steeping himself in classical literature, and learning Hebrew as well as Latin and Greek. Sent as ambassador to Rome, Naples, Venice, Genoa, he charmed all, and won friendships precious to his government by his culture, his liberality, and his integrity. All these men except Salutati were members of the circle that gathered in the city house or country villa of Cosimo, and led the movement of scholarship during his ascendancy. Another friend of Cosimo almost equaled him as a host to learning. Ambrogio Traversari, general of the Camaldulite order, lived in a cell in the monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli near Florence. He mastered Greek, and suffered qualms of conscience in his affection for the classics; he refrained from quoting them in his writings, but revealed their influence in a Latin style whose idiomatic purity would have shocked all the famous Gregories. Cosimo, who knew how to reconcile the classics, as well as high finance, with Christianity, loved to visit him. Niccoli, Marsuppini, Bruni, and others made his cell a literary rendezvous. The most active and troublesome of the Italian humanists was Poggio Bracciolini. Born poor near Arezzo (1380), he was educated at Florence, studied Greek under Manuel Chrysoloras, supported himself by copying manuscripts, was befriended by Salutati, and secured appointment, at twenty-four, as a secretary in the papal chancery at Rome. For the next half century he served the Curia, never taking even minor orders, but wearing ecclesiastical dress. Valuing his energy and his learning, the Curia sent him on a dozen missions. From these he digressed, time and again, to search for classic manuscripts; his credentials as a papal secretary won him access to the most jealously guarded, or most carelessly neglected, treasures in the monastic libraries at St. Gall, Langres, Weingarten, and Reichenau; and his spoils were so rich that Bruni and other humanists hailed them as epochal. Back in Rome he wrote for Martin V vigorous defenses of Church dogmas, and then, in private gatherings, joined with other employees of the Curia in laughing at the Christian creed.29 He composed dialogues and letters in rough but breezy Latin, satirizing the vices of the clergy even while practising them to the extent of his means. When Cardinal Sant’ Angelo reproved him for having children, which hardly befitted a man in ecclesiastical dress, and for maintaining a mistress, which seemed unbecoming in a layman, Poggio replied with his usual insolence: “I have children, which is becoming to a layman, and I have a mistress, which is an old custom of the clergy.”30 At fifty-five he abandoned the mistress who had given him fourteen children, and married a girl of eighteen. Meanwhile he almost founded modern archeology by collecting ancient coins, inscriptions, and statuary, and by describing with scholarly precision the surviving monuments of classic Rome. He accompanied Pope Eugenius IV to the Council of Florence, quarreled with Francesco Filelfo, and exchanged with him enthusiastic invectives of the coarsest indecency, peppered with accusations of theft, atheism, and sodomy. Again in Rome, he worked with especial pleasure for the humanist Pope Nicholas V. At seventy he composed his famous Liber facetiarum, a collection of stories, satires, and obscenities. When Lorenzo Valla joined the papal secretariat Poggio attacked him in a new series of Invectivae, charging him with larceny, forgery, treachery, heresy, drunkenness, and immorality. Valla replied by laughing at Poggio’s Latin, quoting his sins against grammar and idiom, and setting him aside as a fool in his dotage.31 No one but the immediate victim took such literary assaults seriously; they were competitive essays in Latin composition; indeed Poggio proclaimed, in one of them, that he would show how well classic Latin could express the most modern ideas and the most private concerns. He was so adept in the art of erudite scurrility that “the whole world,” said Vespasiano, “was afraid of him.”32 His pen, like that of a later Aretine, became an instrument of blackmail. When Alfonso of Naples delayed in acknowledging Poggio’s gift of Xenophon’s Cyropaediatranslated into Latin, the irate humanist hinted that a good pen could stab any king, and Alfonso hastily sent him 500 ducats to hold his tongue. After enjoying every instinct and impulse for seventy years, Poggio composed a treatise De miseriis humanae conditionis,in which he reckoned that the ills of life outweigh the joys, and concluded, like Solon, that the luckiest people are those who escape being born.33 At seventy-two he returned to Florence, was soon made secretary to the Signory, and finally was elected to the Signory itself. He expressed his appreciation by writing a history of Florence in the style of the ancients—politics, war, and imaginary speeches. Other humanists breathed relief when at last, aged seventy-nine, he died (1459). He too was buried in Santa Croce; his statue by Donatello was erected on the façade of the duomo; and in 1560, in the confusion of some alterations, it was set up inside the cathedral as one of the twelve Apostles.34 It is clear that Christianity, in both its theology and its ethics, had lost its hold on perhaps a majority of the Italian humanists. Several, like Traversari, Bruni, and Manetti in Florence, Vittorino da Feltre in Mantua, Guarino da Verona in Ferrara, and Flavio Biondo in Rome, remained loyal to the faith. But to many others the revelation of a Greek culture lasting a thousand years, and reaching the heights of literature, philosophy, and art in complete independence of Judaism and Christianity, was a mortal blow to their belief in the Pauline theology, or in the doctrine of nulla salus extra ecclesiam—”no salvation outside the Church.” Socrates and Plato became for them uncanonized saints; the dynasty of the Greek philosophers seemed to them superior to the Greek and Latin Fathers, the prose of Plato and Cicero made even a cardinal ashamed of the Greek of the New Testament and the Latin of Jerome’s translation; the grandeur of Imperial Rome seemed nobler than the timid retreat of convinced Christians into monastic cells; the free thought and conduct of Periclean Greeks or Augustan Romans filled many humanists with an envy that shattered in their hearts the Christian code of humility, otherworldliness, continence; and they wondered why they should subject body, mind, and soul to the rule of ecclesiastics who themselves were now joyously converted to the world. For these humanists the ten centuries between Constantine and Dante were a tragic error, a Dantesque losing of the right road; the lovely legends of the Virgin and the saints faded from their memory to make room for Ovid’s Metamorphoses and Horace’s ambisexual odes; the great cathedrals now seemed barbarous, and their gaunt statuary lost all charm for eyes that had seen, fingers that had touched, the Apollo Belvedere. So the humanists, by and large, acted as if Christianity were a myth conformable to the needs of popular imagination and morality, but not to be taken seriously by emancipated minds. They supported it in their public pronouncements, professed a saving orthodoxy, and struggled to harmonize Christian doctrine with Greek philosophy. The very effort betrayed them; implicitly they accepted reason as the supreme court, and honoured Plato’s Dialogues equally with the New Testament. Like the Sophists of pre-Socratic Greece, they directly or indirectly, willfully or unwittingly undermined their hearers’ religious faith. Their lives reflected their actual creed; many of them accepted and practised the ethics of paganism in the sensual rather than in the Stoic sense. The only immortality they recognized was that which came through the recording of great deeds; they with their pens, not God, would confer it, would destine men to everlasting glory or shame. A generation after Cosimo they would agree to share this magic power with the artists who carved or painted the effigies of patrons, or built noble edifices that preserved a donor’s name. The desire of patrons to achieve such mundane immortality was one of the strongest generative forces in the art and literature of the Renaissance. The influence of the humanists was for a century the dominant factor in the intellectual life of Western Europe. They taught writers a sharper sense of structure and form; they taught them also the artifices of rhetoric, the frills of language, the abracadabra of mythology, the fetishism of classical quotation, the sacrifice of significance to correctness of speech and beauty of style. Their infatuation with Latin postponed for a century (1400–1500) the development of Italian poetry and prose. They emancipated science from theology, but impeded it by worshiping the past, and by stressing erudition rather than objective observation and original thought. Strange to say, they were least influential in the universities. These were already old in Italy; and at Bologna, Padua, Pisa, Piacenza, Pavia, Naples, Siena, Arezzo, Lucca, the faculties of law, medicine, theology, and “arts”—i.e., language, literature, rhetoric, and philosophy—were too mortised in medieval custom to allow a new emphasis on ancient cultures; at most they yielded, here and there, a chair of rhetoric to a humanist. The influence of the “revival of letters” operated chiefly through academies founded by patron princes in Florence, Naples, Venice, Ferrara, Mantua, Milan, and Rome. There the humanists dictated in Greek or Latin the classic text they proposed to discuss; at each step they commented in Latin on the grammatical, rhetorical, geographical, biographical, and literary aspects of the text; their students took down the dictated text, and, in the margins, much of the commentary; in this way copies of the classics, and of commentaries as well, were multiplied and were scattered into the world. The age of Cosimo was therefore a period of devoted scholarship, rather than of creative literature. Grammar, lexicography, archeology, rhetoric, and the critical revision of classical texts were the literary glories of the time. The form, machinery, and substance of modern erudition were established; a bridge was built by which the legacy of Greece and Rome passed into the modern mind. Not since the days of the Sophists had scholars risen to so high a place in society and politics. The humanists became secretaries and advisers to senates, signories, dukes, and popes, repaying their favors with classic eulogies, and their snubs with poisoned epigrams. They transformed the ideal of a gentleman from a man with ready sword and clanking spurs into that of the fully developed individual attaining to wisdom and worth by absorbing the cultural heritage of the race. The prestige of their learning and the fascination of their eloquence conquered transalpine Europe at the very time when the arms of France, Germany, and Spain were preparing to conquer Italy. Country after country was inoculated with the new culture, and passed from medievalism to modernity. The same century that saw the discovery of America saw the rediscovery of Greece and Rome; and the literary and philosophical transformation had far profounder results for the human spirit than the circumnavigation and exploration of the globe. For it was the humanists, not the navigators, who liberated man from dogma, taught him to love life rather than brood about death, and made the European mind free. Humanism influenced art last because it appealed rather to intellect than to sense. The chief patron of art was still the Church, and the chief purpose of art was still to convey the Christian story to the letterless, and to adorn the house of God. The Virgin and her Child, the suffering and crucified Christ, the prophets, Apostles, Fathers, and saints remained the necessary subjects of sculpture and painting, even of the minor arts. Gradually, however, the humanists taught the Italians a more sensual sense of beauty; a frank admiration for the healthy human body—male or female, preferably nude—permeated the educated classes; the reaffirmation of life in Renaissance literature, as against the medieval contemplation of another world, gave art a secret secular leaning; and by finding Italian Aphrodites to pose as Virgins, and Italian Apollos to serve as Sebastians, the painters of Lorenzo’s age, and later, introduced pagan motives into Christian art. In the sixteenth century—when secular princes rivaled ecclesiastics in financing artists—Venus and Ariadne, Daphne and Diana, the Muses and the Graces challenged the rule of the Virgin; but Mary the modest mother continued her wholesome dominance to the end of Renaissance art.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line411
__label__wiki	0.71064	0.71064	Florida Teenager Arrested Over ‘Science Experiment’ A 16 year old student in Bartow, Florida was arrested under felony charges earlier this week after a science experiment caused smoke and a loud noise on school property. Kiera Wilmot* mixed toilet bowl cleaner and aluminum foil in an 8oz plastic bottle for a science experiment after hearing it would produce non-toxic smoke from a friend. The reaction caused the top to pop off and smoke to come out of the bottle. No one was injured and no property was damaged. When questioned by the principal and teacher, Wilmot responded that it was a science experiment, but after it was determined that the teacher had not known of her experiment, the police were called. Wilmot was charged with felony possession/discharge of a firearm and discharging a destructive device. She will be charged as an adult. Wilmot was also expelled from school and will have to complete her high school degree through an expulsion program. Principal Ron Pritchard told reporters that he believed she was simply doing an experiment. “She made a bad choice. Honestly, I don’t think she meant to ever hurt anyone. She wanted to see what would happen and was shocked by what it did. Her mother is shocked, too… She is a good kid. She has never been in trouble before. Ever… She told us everything and was very honest,” he continued. “She didn’t run or try to hide the truth. We had a long conversation with her.” A statement released by the Polk County School district said “Anytime a student makes a bad choice it is disappointing to us. Unfortunately, the incident that occurred at Bartow High School yesterday was a serious breach of conduct. In order to maintain a safe and orderly learning environment, we simply must uphold our code of conduct rules.” Kathleen Nolan, Princeton lecturer and author of Police in the Hallways: Discipline in an Urban High School told reporters “This young woman faces expulsion, felony charges and a criminal record because of what appears to be misguided curiosity. These zero-tolerance laws have put into place a mindlessness where individuals no longer think through these kind of situations and use their discretion.” *Though the student in question is only 16, her name was used since she will be tried as an adult. MSNBC 5/2/2013; USA Today 5/2/2013; WTSP 5/1/2013; Miami New Times 4/26/2013	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line421
__label__wiki	0.569156	0.569156	francismead ← murderous traffic, Lyme Disease and following the blind – it’s Moscow West Bank thoughts → Sing or sign? At the UN I was asked ‘could I film the deaf Finnish rapper for two days and do a longer piece on him?’ I’d missed him when he’d passed through the UN in New York. The assignment was to go out to the University of Minnesota to catch the last two days of his US tour. I was keen. Not only could I (in my fevered imagination) become an MTV-style videographer for a couple of days – hanging out “back-stage” and all that (aargh – shades of This is Spinal Tap and setting the volume to 11 and all that, but still irresistible) – I also wanted to try out my new Canon 5D rig for the first time.. The rapper, called Signmark, talking to a deaf audience about his life and career – he’s the first deaf rapper to be signed by a major record label. He has a following around the world. Signmark performs “bilingually” on stage. This means he uses sign-language for the hearing audience, while his collaborator, Brandon, an American-Finnish rapper, sings for the hearing audience. So it’s just a case of rearranging the “g’s” – signing and singing. The bilingualism is an important theme for Signmark. His argument is that being deaf is not a disability, but like being part of a linguistic minority. After all, he pointed out to me, if I knew sign-language he wouldn’t need an interpreter to communicate with me. Here’s an extract from the 12 minute film I shot: I was impressed by the strong support given to the deaf community at the University – a lot of interpreters are assigned to work with deaf and hard-of-hearing students. I wished I knew some sign-language myself. I think I half knew this, but I heard that most countries have their own sign-language – ie British, American, Chinese and so on – mostly completely different from each other. There is an official universal sign-language but it’s mainly used in Europe, and American Sign Language is often used as a lingua franca. Signmark himself knows five sign-languages, and can speak and lip-read in Finnish. While signing in American Sign Language he forms quite a few of the words in a whisper – so he’s a fluent linguist. He told me he studied for a Master’s in Education and described a dialogue with an anthropologist when he was a student – the anthropologist had defined an ethnic group as having a culture, a language and so on – and Signmark, real name Marko Vuoriheimo, felt that most of the categories applied to deaf people. Signmark’s current album (“Breaking the Rules”) is full of references to the people who wrongly thought he couldn’t make it in music -the tone is confident, sometimes mischievous. But his first album (“Signmark”) was darker. While making it he discovered that deaf couples in his home country had been legally barred from marrying between 1929 and 1969 – and that quite a few deaf women (no one knows how many) were sterilised – in the name of eugenics policies that held that the Finnish race would degenerate if deaf people were allowed to procreate. Members of a club for the deaf in Finland in the 1930s. I filmed a concert at the university, all the time getting into the music itself. The UN angle is that Signmark is on the working group on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability. (Yes, a mouthful, and hard to get out in the narration.) I was also moved by what I learned about deaf people and the commitment of many hearing people to work with them. Overall, I had a ball – and had a lot of fun filming and cutting the piece. Here’s the full-length film – with subtitles for the deaf audience. Exploring the world with a camera Survivors of terrorism in Norway My Dreams are Huge: Disability in South Africa New Life, New Ambition: Germany’s Refugees and Migrants Road Safety – Global Killer Namibia’s Black Rhino: their last wild retreat Detroit: Water not flowing Defying Death in South Sudan The deaf Finnish rapper Saul Bellow and the great American novel? Reply to Jeremy Corbyn on his Brexit proposal Concussion – what are the alternatives? The great bike helmet debate Are you or have you ever been a Mysterian? francismead · francismead's videos and blogs	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line423
__label__wiki	0.681541	0.681541	Posted by: Fr Chris \| February 26, 2016 Petition to Kerry: Denounce ISIS Persecution of Christians as Genocide. Our Government STILL won’t acknowledge what is being done to Middle East Christians! Petition Urges Secretary of State to Name Middle East Christians as Genocide Victims Kerry has until March 16 to make designation John Burger Musadeq Sadeq/U.S. State Department CC As news broke Monday of a plan for a ceasefire in Syria, observers are still fearful that the US State Department will ignore Christians in an expected designation of genocide in the Middle East. Now, a new effort will try to push Secretary of State John F. Kerry to not leave Christians out. A petition launched by In Defense of Christians and the Knights of Columbus is urging Kerry not to exclude Christians from a declaration of genocide at the hands ISIS. The petition can be signed at www.StopTheChristianGenocide.org. “Christians in Iraq and Syria have suffered injustice after injustice by being kidnapped, killed, having their homes and churches confiscated or destroyed, and being forced to flee for their lives. Because of jihadist hit squads, they fear to enter UN refugee camps and, as a result, are then often excluded from immigration to the West,” said Carl Anderson, CEO of the Knights of Columbus, who testified on the matter before a congressional subcommittee in December. “After all of this, these people deserve to have the U.S. State Department call what has happened to them by its rightful name: genocide — just as the European Parliament, Pope Francis, USCIRF and so many other prominent individuals and institutions have already done.” The State Department is required by law to make a designation one way or the other on the matter by mid-March. Noting the “extensive and irrefutable evidence” that the so-called Islamic State’s actions toward Iraqi and Syrian Christians, as well as Yazidis and other vulnerable minorities, meet the criteria outlined by the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the petition explains that the evidence includes: • assassinations of Church leaders • mass murders and deportations • torture • kidnapping for ransom • sexual enslavement and systematic rape of girls and women • forcible conversions to Islam • destruction of Christian churches, monasteries, cemeteries, and artifacts The petition also notes that ISIS’ own public statements take “credit” for the murder of Christians precisely because they are Christian and express its intent to wholly eradicate Christian and other minority communities from its “Islamic State.” In a common declaration signed in Havana Feb. 12, Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church stated that in Iraq and Syria “whole families, villages and cities of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being completely exterminated.” The week before, the European Parliament passed a resolution declaring that ISIS “is committing genocide against Christians and Yazidis” and “other religious and ethnic minorities.” In a recent op-ed for National Review, international religious freedom activist Nina Shea explained that in October the State Department leaked information that it would be issuing a designation of genocide, but recognize only Yazidis as victims. “This prompted Congress to mandate that Secretary John Kerry make a determination by March 16 on the precise question of whether “persecution . . . of Christians and people of other religions in the Middle East by violent Islamic extremists . . . constitutes genocide,” wrote Shea, director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom. “Whether the official U.S. list of genocide victims includes or excludes Christians will affect the persecuted Christians enormously: in raising humanitarian aid, receiving asylum, overcoming de facto discrimination in U.N. resettlement programs, receiving restitution and reparation for seized land, and securing a place at the peace-negotiations table. It would also give these two-millennia-old Christian communities a sense of justice – something that still matters greatly to the families of Holocaust victims and that eludes the Armenian community.” – See more at: http://aleteia.org/2016/02/23/petition-urges-secretary-of-state-to-name-middle-east-christians-as-genocide-victims/#sthash.KO030gRS.dpuf « Ukrainian Greek Catholics on the Pope-Patriarch Declaration FINALLY! Our government does the right thing re: the Christians »	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line424
__label__cc	0.582985	0.417015	The History of the Game of Risk Togel online is basically a game for all those enthusiasts who are familiar with playing online flash games. In this game you will have to defend the island of Makolo from attack by the Deed and his army of undead soldiers. It is the duty of the young boy in this game to make use of different weapons and battle the enemy using his knowledge on using weapons in different situations. The game has a very strong story line with respect to the game’s hero, so it may not be suitable for the children. In the game to gel online ini di situs togel online ini, the hero has to find the way to save his family and also find out the reason behind his father’s death. There are some very interesting and strong points about this game that make it a very interesting game to play. The main character in the game to gel online ini di situs hotel online has an interesting back story that makes the game so exciting to play. In the game to gel online ini di situs togel online, the game is set in Egypt during the days of rule by the god of gods. In the game to gel online ini di situs togel online, you have to choose one of three different characters to start the game. There are two versions of the game, male and female. The female starts as Egyptian nobleman, but you will find that she lacks the skills and experience to be a formidable ruler. The male starts as an illiterate commoner, but he is able to rise up through the ranks of society. This game is for you to see how a character would act and deal in real life situations. You might think that this sounds unrealistic, but when you play the game, it all becomes very clear. In the game togel online ini dinasiktor is also where you can learn the art of diplomacy. This is where your knowledge of the language plays an important role. This means that you won’t be playing as a simple ruler or a king. Rather, you’ll be playing as a powerful leader or a president. Playing as this character is not only fun, but it will also be a great teaching tool in how to effectively deal with people and leaders in real life situations.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line432
__label__wiki	0.561368	0.561368	Ry Marcattilio-McCracken, PhD In Search of Method Other Writing + Media Energy and Power: The History of Hydroelectricity in the American Northwest June 18, 2014 RMM Book Review, Environmental History, History of Technology, United States History Tags: books, hydroelectricity, landscapes, reading, regional history, United States history Leave a comment Paul W. Hirt. The Wired Northwest: The History of Electric Power, 1870s-1970s. (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2012. Illustrations, notes, bibliography, index. ix, 462 pp. $49.95) David W. Wilma, Walt Crowley, and the HistoryLink Staff. Power for the People: A History of Seattle City Light. (Seattle: HistoryLink in Association with University of Washington Press, 2010. Illustrations, notes, index. 131 pp. $29.95. It is a rare opportunity to review two texts which complement one another so well with regards to theme and scope. Paul W. Hirt in The Wired Northwest presents to us an ambitious, comprehensive, and integrated history of the development of regional power in Washington, Utah, Oregon, and British Columbia from 1870-1970. David Wilma, Walt Crowley, and the HistoryLink staff, on the other hand, attempt to render in detail a microcosm of Hirt’s larger narrative—that of the history of Seattle City Light, a municipal electric utility that in numerous ways lies at the heart of Hirt’s story—during almost the same period. Together, they offer a compelling account of reification, rationalization, ideology, and regional identity. Harnessing the region’s rivers and watersheds remains, from the beginning, central to both stories, as environmental historians of the Northwest have shown for decades. Wilma, et. al. traces the stuttering emergence of this new technology that promised to liberate the masses from the darkness in the quickly growing city of Seattle in 1886, with two dynamos generating enough electricity for just three hundred sixteen-candlepower lamps from a single hydroelectric power source. Though, as Hirt points out, initially uneven in adoption and use, questions about who would control production, transmission, and consumption of the nascent resource would immediately engender debate between public utilities charged with providing low-cost energy to as many as possible and private companies who claimed to be the inheritors of the American capitalist spirit. Hirt’s wonderfully rich narrative of the northwest emphasizes the region’s early adoption of the electrical revolution, pioneered by industry magnates who both lighted private residences and began the process of illuminating those job sites where artificial light promised to increase productivity and profits, like mines and shipping yards, as well as re-organize factories on both sides of the border. Subjects include the amalgamation of small utilities into ever larger ones, the enthusiastic optimism in the possibilities offered by this new technology (some of which were quickly tempered by unequal service and prices for residential and commercial customers), apprehension of growing monopolies, conflict between competing industries attempting to rationalize the river (hydroelectric versus fishing), and the distinctive nature of energy history in the Northwest, uniquely marked by geography as hydroelectric boosters, entrepreneurs, cooperatives, and regulators followed the twisting rivers, gorges, and watersheds of the region. Hirt tends to favor the machinations of the private utility and the needs of industry, yet given his charge to synthesize a hundred years of energy history this is not entirely his fault. Municipal utilities, as shown by Wilma, et. al., were, especially in the early years, mercurial and small in number. Indeed, Wilma, et. al. provides a balance to Hirt’s narrative of the ideological struggle which quickly developed between proponents of private and public power by reminding us of the development of a powerful electric sensibility by the masses of people that could only be sated by more reliable, lower-priced, and increasing amounts of electricity. Together Hirt and Wilma, et. al. demonstrate the fear of “foreigners” held by West Coast citizens, as they saw bankers, financiers, and capitalists from Chicago, Boston and New York attempt to enter the electric utility market via direct and indirect avenues of influence. They both also agree that the 1915 victory of the National Electric Light Association, effectively prohibiting municipal electric utilities from selling power beyond city limits, was a serious blow to anti-corporate interests in the public-private war. This conflict would, over time, come to dominate the electric industry no just in the Northwest, but across the United States. At the same time, they each bring independent subjects to bear. Hirt highlights the particularities of electric power in the United States and Canada, like the fact that for Canadians growth remained generally slower, government regulation less transformative (especially during the world wars), and the worldwide depression of the 1930s more inhibiting to rural electrification, technical progress, and large hydroelectric projects because of already-strained economies and cautious financiers. He also spends considerable time with the Bonneville Power Administration and the long-reaching effects of federally funded hydroelectric projects would have on shaping the industry. Wilma, et. al., on the other hand, traces in meticulous detail the Seattle City Light’s sometimes rocky growth into the largest publicly owned utility in the region. Particularly welcome are moments like Seattle City Light’s implementation of public tours from 1929-1940, designed to keep the utility in the public eye during economic hardship. Picturesque train rides, guided tours of the monumental engineering project at Skagit River, an overnight stay, and imported plant and animal life made the destination successful to the tune of twenty-two thousand visitors per year by the start of World War Two. Especially useful to the reader is Wilma, et. al.’s rendering of life as a City Light employee with respect not only to daily activities for linemen, sales people, and troubleshooters, but the extent to which they all formed a complex association of families who lived, learned, worked, voted, commiserated and celebrated together. The two texts are not without their disagreements. For instance, Wilma, et. al argues that in the early years of Seattle City Light residential customers were charged eight cents per kilowatt hour, with reduced rates as usage increased, while for commercial customers, rates were “generally higher” (28). This is in contrast to the trend unearthed by Hirt, which without fail notices commercial customers who use far more electricity than the average residential customer enjoying significantly reduced rates. Such trends provided continuous ammunition for the multifarious interests publicly debating the merits of various degrees of public and private ownership. Both Hirt and Wilma end their parallel narratives with the onset of the 1970s and how the philosophy of pushing unending consumption (on the basis that production would meet future needs) suffered a relatively quick, if not easy, death. Economic realities along with local and global politics changed the landscape of public and private power. New imperatives transformed what it meant to be a corporate or public electric power entity in the late twentieth century, as the advent of the environmental impact study and new definitions of conservation among bureaucrats together redefined the manner by which the public accepted the harnessing of nature’s energy for their own and future generations. This review will be published in the upcoming issue of the Pacific Northwest Quarterly. U.S.S. Nautilus (SSN-571)- A Photo Tour June 3, 2014 RMM History of Technology, United States History Tags: Cold War, photo-blog, submarines, U.S.S. Nautilus 2 Comments A couple of weeks ago I visited the U.S.S. Nautilus (designation SSN-571) in Groton, CT. The Nautilus bears the distinction of being the first nuclear-powered submarine put in operation by the United States Navy. It was operational from 1954-1980, during which time, notably, it completed a “submerged transit” of the North Pole (1958) and participated in the blockade of Cuba (October 1962). The Nautilus broke a number of submarine records, largely rendered the anti-sub countermeasures of WWII obsolete, and represented a critical stage in the development of warfare during the Cold War. Feel free to read more about it here, here, and here. On to the pictures! See the full 157-picture tour via google drive here. A3 oxygen breathing apparatus battery banks diagnostic equipment officer bunk pinups everywhere radio room 2 reactor room pressure gauge (probably pretty important) opposite torpedo room Follow galtonsbox via email Follow Ry Marcattilio-McCracken, PhD on WordPress.com Some news, some changes Why don’t we see any headhunters in higher ed? Cacogenic Cartographies: Space and Place in the Eugenic Family Study My Love-Hate Relationship With TurnItIn The Stubborn Little Eugenics Pamphlet That Wouldn’t Die 42STABW Posthumanism The State of the Humanities 42STABW anthropocentrism anti-humanism Artificial Intelligences bad arguments bioethics biopolitics book review books Breakthrough Institute chimeras Cold War David Brin Derrida environment epistemology eugenics Evolution existentialism family studies Foucault game theory genocide higher ed history of genetics human geography humanism IEET just for fun Kansas misanthropy morality nathaniel comfort Nick Land Nietzsche object oriented ontology open-access other-than-human animals Paul Kingsnorth photo-blog politics post-apocalypse professional development reading sterilization the signal and the noise Timothy Morton TurnItIn U.S.S. Nautilus United States history Verena on The Unbearable Lightness of Bee-ing. daedalcipher on My Love-Hate Relationship With TurnItIn	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line434
__label__wiki	0.970219	0.970219	Home » News » Tilting Point will invest $40 million to market Joycity’s Gunship Battle: Total Warfare Tilting Point will invest $40 million to market Joycity’s Gunship Battle: Total Warfare Tilting Point, a free-to-play game publisher and provider of marketing services, has agreed to invest $40 million over the next year to fund user acquisition for South Korean game publisher and developer Joycity’s popular military strategy mobile game Gunship Battle: Total Warfare. New York-based Tilting Point has been providing such services for more than 30 mobile games, helping promising titles reach larger audiences through user-acquisition spending. But this deal is a bigger one because of the amount of money involved and the fact that Joycity is a public company in South Korea with 700 employees and a market value of $300 million. Under this strategic East to West publishing partnership, Tilting Point will leverage its expertise in the West to grow Gunship Battle: Total Warfare’s international and U.S. audience, as the game celebrates its second anniversary on the Google and iOS app stores. Gunship Battle: Total Warfare is based on the popular Gunship Battle franchise, which has been downloaded over 100 million times. Featuring a realistic war experience, the game lets players lead their troops into military action as an admiral to control the battlefield with modern war tactics, such as air strikes, tactical bombings, rallying, and scouting. Joycity targeted gamers with high-quality 3D combat that feels more realistic than past mobile titles. Asi Burak, senior vice president of business development at Tilting Point said in an interview with GamesBeat that the companies hope to this is just a step in a larger partnership. “In this case, funding their user acquisition worldwide is the goal,” Burak said. “We start with a limited partnership, and then we hope we can expand with them if it’s successful. This deal is unique because a lot of our partners are independent developers. But this one is a more strategic partnership with a larger company.” Above: Gunship Battle: Total Warfare Tilting Point has established itself with its live publishing model, a $132 million annual investment user acquisition fund, and its own fully-owned game development studios. Burak said that the company has had a lot of success working with other South Korean game developers, including ANGames for AstroKings, Clegames for Reign of Empires, and CookApps for Toy Party. Tilting Point has more than 150 employees, and its big games include Star Trek Timelines, Warhammer: Chaos & Conquest, and SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off. The latter game has acquired more than 30 million players since May. “This is not speculation,” Burak said. “It’s data-driven, and we’re evaluating how to make things more predictable. We did our due diligence and we see the data is very impressive. They are very ambitious about what they want to achieve in the West. They want to get into the top 10 games worldwide.”	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line435
__label__wiki	0.823413	0.823413	Tag Archive: new super mario bros 2 New Super Mario Bros. 2 players get free Coin Rush DLC for collecting 300 Billion Gold Coins Nintendo today has announced that New Super Mario Bros. 2 3DS players have hoarded over 300 billion gold coins worldwide, and to celebrate, the company is offering more free Coin Rush DLC for everyone. Tags: 3ds, mario, new super mario bros 2, nintendo The Coin Rush continues with New Super Mario Bros. 2 3DS DLC available this week Nintendo today detailed the upcoming New Super Mario Bros. 2 3DS content that will start trickling out later this week. Tags: 3ds, dlc, new super mario bros 2, nintendo New Super Mario Bros. 2 review for 3DS 3DS, Reviews by Dustin Chadwell New Super Mario Bros. 2 doesn’t excite quite as much as its predecessors, but still eeks out a fun, new platforming experience on the 3DS handheld. Tags: 3ds, new super mario bros 2, nintendo New, New Super Mario Bros. 2 screens and art 3DS, News, Previews, Screenshots Nintendo this morning sent over a nice new batch of screens and art for the anticipated upcoming portable Mario sequel, New Super Mario Bros. 2 for the Nintendo 3DS. There’s a little bit of everything in these screenshots as you can see within. Nintendo kicks off the “Month of Mario” with discounts on classic 3DS eShop Mario games Nintendo has officially declared the next month as the “Month of Mario” to celebrate the upcoming release of the newest Super Mario Bros. title, New Super Mario Bros. 2 for the Nintendo 3DS, on August 19th. Nintendo reveals New Super Mario Bros. 2 for Nintendo 3DS, Kirby Compilation for Wii and more by Jim Cordeira Nintendo today dropped a bit of a bomb with the announcement of a brand new Super Mario Bros. game scheduled to be released on the Nintendo 3DS later this summer. They also announced a Kirby compilation for the Wii, and a 3DS System Update that will provide new functionality and more. Tags: 3ds, kirby, new super mario bros 2, nintendo, super mario bros	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line436
__label__wiki	0.592265	0.592265	Forza Horizon To Be Removed From Sale on October 20th Base game and DLC can’t be bought in the future. Posted By Ravi Sinha \| On 26th, Sep. 2016 Under News Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 3 is already critically acclaimed en route to its commercial release on September 27th but the original Forza Horizon will be meeting its end soon. Microsoft has confirmed that Forza Horizon will be discontinued for sale from October 20th. Forza Horizon will essentially reach “end of life” status, which means the game and its DLC can’t be purchased going forward. That being said, if you own the game on Xbox 360 along with the DLC, then you’ll still be able to play it. If you’re interested in experiencing all of the Horizon games, you might want to act now before it’s gone forever. Forza Horizon 3 is already playable for those who pre-ordered the $100 Ultimate Edition and it brings lots of new features including HDR support on the Xbox One S, a brand new setting, co-op campaign and much more. It will also release for PC on September 27th with players from both platforms capable of playing with each other. Tagged With: Forza Horizon, Microsoft, Playground Games, xbox 360	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line437
__label__cc	0.645324	0.354676	Gold Coast to Toowoomba via The Scenic Rim Way, Queensland October 17, 2019 / Garrulous Gwendoline After our five nights on the Gold Coast of Queensland we headed inland to Toowoomba. We could have taken the motorways and been there within two and half hours, however we opted for The Scenic Rim Way. This is an area of densely forested ranges which form part of the Great Dividing Range, which stretches more than 3,500 kilometres (about 2200 miles) from the northeastern tip of Queensland, down the entire length of the eastern coastline through New South Wales, then into Victoria, where it turns west and finally peters out into the central plain at the Grampians in western Victoria. Generally, the range area we travelled on this day is known as the Gold Coast hinterland: the “green” behind the “gold” of the coastal beaches. You can spend a day, a week, or more, in these “mountains” (the highest is Springbrook Mountain at 900 metres / 3,000 ft). You can camp, bushwalk, hang glide, hot air balloon, go to a glow worm cave, visit wineries, art galleries, craft shops, and so on. For us, it was a scenic long day drive. As you drive up into the area you can stop and look back down on to the coastal strip that is the Gold Coast, and pretty quickly you are into the rainforests of the various national parks. On the route we took, there are numerous settlements with the word “Tamborine” in them, as we had reached the Tamborine Mountain plateau, which has a current population of around 7,000 tucked away. Our first stop was for refreshments and brochures, but there is plenty to do. If interested, you can find more here. Our first little bushwalk was easy! The return Curtis Falls track, in Tamborine National Park, starts practically in the middle of town, and follows Cedar Creek. A walk through eucalypt forest with towering gums overhead takes one into rainforest until you reach the falls. On the way, you might see turtles on logs, and fish and eels in the rock pool. Access to the rock pool is not permitted, as it is glow-worm and platypus habitat. So what did we discover when we got there? A bunch of (English speaking) European backpackers who had ignored all the signs and were swimming in the rock pool. Luckily for my sense of outrage a ranger was quickly on the scene and sent them packing. They were lucky, he was empowered to fine them on the spot. But monetary recompense is hardly the point. Not a huge amount of water at the moment, as the east coast is exceedingly dry. Nevertheless a tranquil, fairy glen. On this walk you will also see plenty of strangler vines. Somewhere further along on the drive, we stopped for another bushwalk (click to access the individual photos). By which time, we were way overdue for lunch. This bushwalk was in an isolated area, at the end of a road, and as we drove back down, we came across a rather upmarket restaurant, set in open ground, that is also a reception function centre. I can’t remember the name, but it was in a Queenslander style timber home, so like this picture that it may almost (probably) be the same place. As it was still breathtakingly hot, and we were both a little dehydrated, it was very pleasant to sit on the outside balcony and eat a light lunch. Our route took us on to the tiny rural township of Canungra, which is in the foothills of the Lamington National Park. Canungra “owes its existence to the early cedar getters and sawmillers in the early part of the 20th century,” which is curious, as right this moment I am reading The Cedar Cutter, by Tea Cooper. (Don’t get me started on the heartbreak of so many beautiful trees having been cut down by those early European settlers). This area is synonymous with the O’Reilly family, who have owned guesthouse/s in this area for a long time. In 1937 an Airlines of Australia Stinson plane, in heavy rain, disappeared on a flight from Brisbane to Sydney, with two pilots and five passengers on board. People in this area had heard some aircraft noise. On hearing about the disappearance later, Bernard O’Reilly of the Lamington Guest House theorised about the plane’s path and height, and hiked into the mountains nine days after the disappeance. After an overnight camp, he found two survivors. There had been a third, who met with an accident while going in search of help. Apparently the survivors’ first thought was to know the cricket score. Quite a legend. And so on we drove, really only scooping up the north-east corner of these various ranges, until we popped back up to the highway outside of Ipswich – the home of one of the school friends I had just met at the reunion (but we didn’t visit). Had we gone directly from the Gold Coast, we would have been there in ninety minutes, but by now it was late afternoon. Heading west, reaching a place called Gatton, not so far from Toowoomba, we turned off to the industrial area for old time’s sake. There is a large transport company, Nolans Transport, who cart import and export cargo a 1000klm (620 mi) to Sydney; and with whom Bill did business for many years in his role as a head clerk on the waterfront. So to top off our day in the rainforest, we took a look at a trucking yard and their various-sized fleet of trucks . . . ‘cos that’s the kind of people we are. We can’t get logistics out of our blood 🙂 Into Toowoomba just before the tourist office closed; and a plan set for the next day. Then off to a place called The Spotted Cow for upmarket pub grub, and finally, a well-earned motel sleep. FOOTNOTE: In early September of this year (2019) various bushfires broke out in the Gold Coast hinterland, including in the Lamington National Park. An ominous warning for this year’s season, given that rainforests tend towards being fire retardant. You can read more here about the extent of the fire damage. While Canungra was a major marshalling point, one of the losses was Binna Burra Lodge, set high in the ranges similar to O’Reilly’s. You can read more about that here. The Scenic Rim tourist authority, however, is at pains to broadcast that the area is open for business. Many of the locals rely on tourism for their livelihood. Australian Tourism & Travel, Musings on Retirement, Queensland canungra, Gold Coast hinterland, Great Dividing Range, Lamington National Park, Mount Tamborine, The Curtis Falls Track, The Scenic Rim Way ← The Gold Coast, Queensland Rulers of the wild sky. → 30 thoughts on “Gold Coast to Toowoomba via The Scenic Rim Way, Queensland” Pingback: Toowoomba on Tour \| The Reluctant Retiree DougInNC Reading this single phrase, “a tranquil, fairy glen,” was a reward for having pursued a pleasant walk through this post. Your words took me to the place you visited and shared. Thank you Doug. More to come when I set aside the time. There is just too much to see. Thursday Island to Tasmania is more than I can handle and I’ll never get to WA. I love the texture in the tree trunks. I’ve been to a bit of WA. Big, big state. But maybe I’ll never see Thursday Island Great to see you back Gwen! You describe it all so well that we feel as tho’ we’ve done it with you! Not that we would – can’t see Rob doing any bush walking -unless there was a pub at the end!! There was a pub eventually, just not as soon as Rob would have liked 🙂 There is some stunning scenery in that part of the world and so much of interest for naturalist types, but trust the idiots to ignore the prohibition signs. Honestly, why do people behave like that. I’m turning into a cranky old lady, and it’s just as well the ranger turned up, because I was not a happy chappy. I took on a bunch of young schoolboy louts on the train last week. Threatened to hit them with my handbag 🙂 Wow Gwen do take care. A handbag is not much of a shield if an idiot youngster pulls out a knife. There’s a serious problem of school children carrying knives in parts of UK at moment. I know. And it is not as if I haven’t seen a knife or two in my time. Way back in the sixties, at a so-called “christian youth dance” I saw a guy cut from sternum to belly button. But I get SO wild with these twerps. Why should I let them intimidate me? In a group they are brave. Individually, each one of them, that night, would have cowered under their blankets wondering if they’d done the right thing that day. However, I’m not entirely stupid, for stupid’s sake. That particular carriage, designated “quiet”, was full of 30+ strong young men, in their safety yellow jackets, who’d been up since 4am; and all they wanted, after a long day on the manual tools, was a quiet trip home where they could catch up on sleep. At least once of them got up after my encounter, and threatened to throw these idiots off the train. Since I was getting off at that stop, I didn’t get to see how that turned out. But I sense those testosterone-overloaded young teens pulled their head in. Wow, witnessing somebody being slashed, pretty grim. I suppose in historical terms knives, or some kind of sharp implement, have always been carried around since humans worked out how to chip stone. There’s definitely a general undertone of aggression around at the moment with the risk of violent outbursts – an excess of unchecked testosterone is never pleasant to witness. We saw a lot growing up in the western suburbs of Sydney. A lot of poor people living on the edge; and that was before the drug crisis. One our neighbours was the “backpacker murderer”, Ivan Milat, who died this morning. But there was a lot of respect and support for your fellow sufferer. I’m not sure whether that exists in the same way anymore. It’s easy to judge not, but I can’t know for sure, as I live a comfortable life now, far removed from those early years. Boys in a pack here have always been a problem, going back to early colonial days. Add in drugs and alcohol and the whole lot is a toxic mix. I saw the news reporting the death of Ivan Milat and thought that rogue males are always with us one way or another. Boys in packs are always with us too, Mother Nature writ large. It would only be surprising if there was a headline ‘Gangs of Septuagenarian guys run riot!’ Another enjoyable read, thank you for making your travels come to life! Thank you Marion. Toowoomba should be interesting. Cobb & Co coaches! A touch of the wild west days. Such a scenic tour. I love that sign of stop, look, listen, enjoy!! It is very sad the fires have ruined so much. Hopefully this year will be different? That particular fire was only last month. There are many raging in northern NSW also. In fact, I will add a ps to most post on Casino. It’s no surprise, the whole east coast is tinder dry. This will be a horrendous summer. I wish you the best this summer. Everyone hears about the fires in California, but Florida burns quite a bit as well. We lucked out this summer in south Florida because we had such a wet summer (and ‘sigh’ it is STILL raining !!) We definitely hear more about your hurricanes than fires. We only wish for rain here. It rarely comes. Jeez, wish I could send you some of what we got this year (and we didn’t even have a hurricane – at least – not yet!) I just found out that Sarah is planning a photo post for her dad, Beari. That will be lovely! It looks beautiful. What an adventure, and how sad that the area is yet another under threat. Hope the wildfires don’t burn too fiercely this year. It’s already proving to be a horrendous season for bushfires; all the east coast is so dry. Eileen, I just stumbled across the comment I made to you last October about what a horrendous bushfire season was transpiring. And how true that is! Yet it took our politicians by surprise. grrrr. Gosh, yes I remember that comment. WE haven’t heard anything more about the fires over here – the Media is too busy trumpeting about Brexit and how great it’s going to be (not that I watch them). So are the fires still as bad as a few weeks ago? Things pop up on FB about knitting coats for wombats, which is great if that’s what’s needed, but there’s no real news. And how can the politicians still be surprised? It beggars belief 😦 We’ve moved into the good new stories because the rest is so horrific. Some communities which were burnt-out on New Year’s Eve are making tentative steps to recovery. Others are facing fresh fires. Our capital, Canberra, is currently threatened, at least on the outskirts. That blaze was actually started by the night-landing lights on a helicopter involved in fire assistance. My cousin’s home and his B&B cabin are still standing, but he is getting fatigued. The fire goes, it comes back. Burnt-out stumps smoulder and water can’t put that out. A bit like a low-burning coal fire in a fireside grate if you can picture that. Three fire-fighters from America were killed when their C-130 Hercules water bomber crashed in remote bushland in heavy smoke. In the midst of so much death and devastation, we are gutted that these people who came to our aid met such a fate. Oddly enough, while we have news of Brexit, it’s not headlining as it should. Nor Trump’s impeachment. My days of working in international trade date back to the early 70s. I clearly remember the loss of exports, for Australia and New Zealand, when Britain entered the EU. Please come back to us. We’re offering a special on barbecued lamb at the moment. (Uh-oh, too soon for such a joke, perhaps?) Thank goodness your cousin is safe, but I can understand how tiring it is for everyone concerned. And dark humour has always been a way of dealing with things far beyond our control (and I do like lamb 😉 ) Hoping there’s an end to it soon for you all.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line440
__label__wiki	0.627836	0.627836	Greater Lafayette Area Special Services (G.L.A.S.S.) Special Education Cooperative serving the Lafayette Area Assistive Technology & UDL Accessibility Pledge Updated: December 2017 The G.L.A.S.S. strives to ensure that its services are accessible to people with disabilities. The G.L.A.S.S. has invested a significant amount of resources to help ensure that its website is made easier to use and more accessible for people with disabilities, with the strong belief that every person has the right to live with dignity, equality, comfort and independence. The G.L.A.S.S. makes available the Browesaloud plugin and/or the UserWay Website Accessibility Widget. These solutions allow the G.L.A.S.S. to improve its compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) and to improve website usability by all users. The G.L.A.S.S. accessibility menu can be enabled by clicking the round button with headphones icon and the letter ‘b’ that appears on the corner of the page. After triggering the accessibility menu, please wait a moment for the accessibility menu to load in its entirety. The G.L.A.S.S. continues its efforts to maintain and improve the accessibility of its site and services in the belief that it is our collective moral obligation to allow seamless, accessible and unhindered use also for those of us with disabilities. Despite our efforts to make all pages and content on the G.L.A.S.S. website fully accessible, some content may not have yet been fully adapted to the strictest accessibility standards. This may be a result of not having found or identified the most appropriate technological solution. If you are experiencing difficulty with any content on the G.L.A.S.S. website or require assistance with any part of our site, please contact us during normal business hours as detailed below and we will be happy to assist. If you wish to report an accessibility issue, have any questions or need assistance, please contact G.L.A.S.S.: Phone: 765-771-6006 Corporation Calendars and Cooperative School Districts Requesting Special Education Records G.L.A.S.S. Transportation G.L.A.S.S. Governing Board (previously called Advisory Board) Improved Communication Initiative Laws, Rules, and Regulations Indiana DOE – Office of Special Education Follow G.L.A.S.S. on Facebook and Twitter G.L.A.S.S. at Hiatt 2300 Cason Street Lafayette, IN 47904 Voice – 765-771-6006 G.L.A.S.S. at Durgan 1840 South 18th Street Lafayette, IN 47904 G.L.A.S.S. at Linnwood 1415 Ball Street Lafayette, IN 47904 © 2021 Greater Lafayette Area Special Services (G.L.A.S.S.) Powered by WordPress Theme: Gillian	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line442
__label__wiki	0.591152	0.591152	Giant in the Playground Forums > Gaming > Roleplaying Games > Play by Post Backgrounds View Full Version : Play by Post Backgrounds thewamp Play by Post roleplaying creates a unique opportunity, because the written medium allows so much more depth in roleplaying. And now sure, that's not everyone's cup of tea, but even for those who do strive to create interesting roleplaying, there's quite a lot of boring going on. So this is going to be my thoughts on what a PbP background should accomplish. This isn't meant to be comprehensive and it's pretty off the cuff, but it's a little bit like a rant, so that's okay. My main motivation for this is based on the campaign I started recently - in the application phase I received many backgrounds and what I quickly realized is that some of them were both very long and very worthless. This post aims at letting applicants understand how to make their backgrounds not suck. Making them awesome is, of course, up to the skill and imagination of the writer. EDIT: to be clear, I'm going to misappropriate the word "background" to mean "everything you write about your character". Backstory will be the character's story up to this point. Get it? Got it? Good. So what does a character background entail? Well first, I want to clarify that "background" is an umbrella term and encompasses everything you're telling the DM about your character that isn't represented on the stat sheet. So as much as physical appearance isn't really encompassed in the word "background", for our purposes it is. Backgrounds usually contain three main elements: the backstory - what the character's life has been like up to the point of the story, the physical appearance of the character and the personality of the character. More on whether all three are really useful later. So that's great! Slap those three together and you've got a character? Well, yes, you've got a character, but not necessarily a good one. Because the problem is that it's very possible to put a lot of words onto the page in all three of these areas and really not tell the most crucial part of information. What's that? Yes, What does a background try to do? So we know that a background is a backstory, a personality and an appearance, but these aren't the purpose of the background. It may sound odd, but here's my opinion: the purpose of the background is to inform the reader about what sort of person your character is. You're trying to flesh out, as quickly as possible, a three dimensional character that is interesting and real-feeling. And that's the key, the main point to this whole post. Make a compelling character. Having an epic, soaring backstory is fine, but if it doesn't say anything about who your character is, it's useless. Compare your character to real people - not in their story, but in their psychology and decide if your character is anywhere near as complex. You obviously can't be as complicated as a real person, but the comparison is still useful. If the first purpose of the background is to give you a unique voice, a person to roleplay when roleplaying, then the second purpose is to give something back to the DM, namely, NPCs. Part of this is personal preference, and it certainly isn't as crucial as determining what sort of person your character is, but you should feel free to interact with other (nonplayer) characters as you create your character. You can have detailed NPCs or ones that are just a name and their relation to your character, because the DM can always choose not to use something if it isn't useful. But basically, if you can give something back to the DM, that'll just make for a more interesting, character-oriented campaign - assuming the DM bothers to incorporate the NPCs. But that's not really your problem. Characters to Avoid This section is about what not to do. If you write a lengthy-enough background, you'll probably get accepted into campaigns with these characters, but really are very boring or very unrealistic and you should stay away from them. 1. The Classic Do-Gooder: the guy with the troubled past who has some really complicated backstory and has arrived at the location of the adventure with the intention of... upholding justice. And punishing bad people. There are such an incredibly large number of these with slight variations because they hide so well - their long backstories might make you assume there is more to the character, but if all that backstory says nothing about the character, then it's pretty useless. This isn't to say your character can't be a do-gooder, but a good rule of thumb is this: if you met the character, could you be around them for more than 10 minutes assuming they don't talk about their past without being so bored you wanted to stab your eyes out? Often, the answer for the Classic Do-Gooder is decidedly not. 2. The Really Really Powerful Character: you see these more in higher level campaigns when people have munchkin'd out their characters (or not) and the player just wants to get across to the other players how badass his character is. You'll often see extended pissing matches, ridiculous actions and nonchalantness as players try to prove how badass they are. Seriously, it gets old. 3. The Character Whose Motivations Make No Sense: He saw a star as a kid and developed a passion for light, so he became a mage. He saw shadows as a kid and was really interested in shadows, so he became a rogue. You see these characters quite a lot. The problem with them is that their character motivations are ludicrous. No one devotes their life to an interest in shadows - at least without developing some seriously interesting social disabilities that you could play up. Seriously, it's akin to someone who became a doctor because they were obsessed with the color red - conceivable, but you'd better realize that there's way more going on there than just an obsession with the color red. A good rule of thumb Here's one good rule of thumb to keep in mind. If you take away your character's past, their job, everything on their statsheet and even the physical description, can you still describe someone interesting? Not clear? Okay, here's the difference (stolen from a rather excellent video review): Think about Han Solo. Aside from his job and all that stuff, who is he? He's a rogue, a charmer, but he's got a conscience. He likes to appear tougher than he is, but shows up when his friends need him. And so on. Now think about Obi-Wan Kenobi from the new trilogy. Who is he? He likes his master? He's a jedi (but wait, that description's not allowed). Who is Queen Amidala? She's... normal? But what else? This is the problem with both the new trilogy and many characters people create: despite working them very thoroughly into a plot, they are totally insubstantial and boring characters. And you might try to answer this by just reading down your "personality" description, so let me make this one step harder and make your background one step better - describe your character in the same way, but only use information you can pull from your backstory. This leads us to our last section. A Personality Section - Good or Bad Idea? At first, it looks like I'm suggesting not bothering to give your character a personality. To be clear, I'm not. What I'm suggesting is that people often use the personality section as a crutch so that they don't have to bother working the personality into the backstory. A well written backstory, like the saga of star wars, should have enough character development that a personality section is redundant. The backstory really should imply most of your personality. When people take actions, it's usually because of what type of person they are. You shouldn't need a personality section. So should you skip the personality section? Personally, though you don't need them, I'd say yes, write them anyway. That's just because backstories are often significantly longer than the personality section, so the personality section is a nice succinct description of your character's personality. Just try to make sure that whatever you say about your character's personality could be inferred from their backstory. /rant Saintheart I think also a character background, or indeed a character sheet, should include some ideas about what the character's got in mind for the rest of his life. In fiction we tend to cheer for characters who aren't passive about their lives, but rather pursue their goals -- characters who are proactive about their destiny, who want to achieve some sort of goal. Ideally, such a goal should have some specifics. "I want to be rich" isn't really a goal for an interesting character. "I want to have X amount of gold because that's the amount I need to return to Moldydavia and buy the slave girl I've always loved since I was a kid" is a bit more interesting. If your character has a goal in life (or hell, a goal of any kind) then he has motivations. And motivations are what make characters really interesting. It's easy enough to make up a past, but I think good writers know how to make that past push into your present. A bio isn't a dead document, it's your character's life up to that point. And the past determines not just who you are, but what you are. As the OP said, personality is suggested by your past. I find personally that making characters whose goals extend out of the past into their potential futures means they seem more like characters moving through life than just out of cold storage for the purposes of the game. I think you have to recognise, of course, that a detailed set of goals might not fit in with the premise of the game you apply for - a character who signs on for the Tomb of Horrors probably isn't worth creating in terms of a character who wants to go home and free all the slaves in his region, most likely because he won't ever get there. On the other hand, if it helps you play your character better to have a set of goals, I'd say have them. In terms of character templates: I recommend 45 Master Characters from Victoria Lynn Schmidt. Yes, people can bridle that characters are unique and can't be broken down into stereotypes, but this book is addressing archetypes -- both male and female -- and is excellent reading because it provides a set of skeletons for you to base your character on rather than having to reinvent the wheel. I'd argue that personality is far more important than background. Background is established gradually through a narrative, not given all at once, and while that holds true for personality as well, evidence of personality comes far sooner. The background paradigm is fundamentally useless, and while you can have a good character made through one, it certainly doesn't help. So where is the meat of the character? Beliefs and Desires. What they think, and what they want, particularly where they conflict. Lets look at Han Solo again. Belief: Principle of Beneficence, Loyalty to Friends Desire: Appearance of Personal Stability and Power, Appearance of Independance. Conflicts between these four elements are possible, if not inevitable, and that makes this character interesting. Moreover, this character would be just as interesting if you stripped away the trappings of him being a rogue and a charmer, and substituted others. Well, Knaight, two things which will sort of touch on the last thing I said - you shouldn't need more than a backstory if you do it right. First, you might have missed it, but I'll edit something in read to make it even clearer. I'm using 'background' to mean 'everything written about a character'. 'Backstory' is my word for what you're referring to. But second, I think I fundamentally disagree. Backstory is the best way to inform about a character's personality, but most people are just awful at it. Here's the thing - what you wrote there about Han Solo, that was great, a wonderful summery and a trite way of summing up what he's about. But it's so much less complex than the full character (which is sort of a restriction of the medium). We can do better. You know how we can do better? Telling the story of Star Wars. Because I can learn so much more about who Han Solo is by watching star wars, than by reading anything you can write about it. So that's where my backstory opinion comes in - it's the best way to tell about a character's personality (which sort of encompasses beliefs and desires), as long as you're good at it. The key being, you have to make sure that it's a character-driven story, at least as much as it's a plot-driven story. Also, you have to be creative. And yeah, Saintheart, I entirely agree with you, future goals are a fantastic thing to include, because like NPCs, they give you and the DM more to work with. But I think these goals are really character elements that should be developed in the backstory, not just a quick seperate section that says "Jason wants to free all the slaves in the land of Quagmire." I mean, why does he want to do that? Tengu_temp I'd argue that personality is far more important than background. I agree with this. Personality is what fleshes out your character and makes it interesting. Background is mostly a collection of plot hooks. Physical description is good too, because it helps everyone imagine your character better. See, I think the problem with your statement is that if your backstory is just a collection of plot hooks, you're doing it wrong. That's the very definition of a mediocre at best backstory. You should be able to tell everything about a character's personality just by knowing their backstory - if the writer knows how to write. Starbuck_II It is like you barely watched the new trilogy... We know about Oni-wan Kenobi: trained by his master in the force, but failed to protect his master when it mattered most. He thus shows the new kid Anakin more leeway than he should as an attempt to placate his feelings of failure. His motivation is making up for his failure. We know this. Or those who paid attention to the movie should. Heck if you think about it it further cements his failure motivation in New Hope (why he agreed to train Luke) and died for him. He is smart, wise, follows the rules when he can, and is a decent swordsman. We know about Queen Amidala: she isn't all about following the rules. Heck, she prefered to pretend to be the bodyguard to get more freedom (and likely some protection as most people target the Queen not the bodyguard). She later befriends and romances a forbidden love (Anakin) furthering her ignore the rules when it suits her style. She is kind, generous, and wants to be a force of goods for her kingdom; thuough she is inexperienced. This is all from the new Trilogy: if people aren't paying attention, that seems their issue. The movies had interesting characters. Oh, of course I can and often do write long, detailed backstories that establish why my character is the way it is. But most of the time, all that writing is pointless - things that are not plothooks will most likely never come up in the actual game. And more often than not, if your background is too long, no other players will even read it and the DM will just skim over it - you're writing it only for yourself. Star Wars isn't the backstory. Star Wars is the story. All we actually know about Han's backstory is that he has a debt to Jabba, knows Lando, has criminal connections, and a few other details. Each of the details of the backstory was woven into the narrative, rather than being given upon introduction. The equivalent with a game character would be one developed through play, rather than one made at the beginning in a complete form. Only the basics are really needed to start, and Han Solo is a perfect example of that. I think it's quite possible to have a well-written high impact story that says a lot about your character without making it super long. I also think that's probably really difficult and time consuming, so like I said at the end, it definitely makes sense to do a personality section most of the time. But it shouldn't be necessary, in principle. You're trying to find too close of a parallel. My argument was "this is possible with narrative" not "if Han were a character in a campaign, here are the parallels". Star Wars or any other work of literature shows what is possible in terms of characterization with a backstory. It's high school English all over again - show don't tell and all that. That's an awfully long post just for saying "I'm annoyed because I can't find players who write interesting backgrounds." To sum up the entirety of my misgivings about your post: it lacks objectivity. Xefas I agree with this. Writing a background is just a way to "play before you play". To have your character do a whole bunch of cool stuff no one cares about before they actually have to be challenged. It's definitely more prevalent in play-by-post, simply because the games go so slowly that the only way to get anything satisfying to happen is to write about it independently of the game itself. Still, I do meet people in real life with the 4-10 page backstory. It's a bit silly, if you ask me. There are alternatives, of course. The best thing to do is to play a game that incorporates a 'backstory' like mechanic into the actual system, which makes the stuff that happens in the backstory genuinely matter. Burning Wheel's lifepaths generate a basic backstory from birth to present day as you fill in your skills. The Dresden Files has you write a sentence or two about several phases of your life, and then you derive an Aspect from it to use in play. Mouse Guard has you fill in important details about your character's life, and each detail raises or lowers numbers on their sheet accordingly. And so on. The game is the primary narrative. The story is the primary narrative. This isn't too close of a parallel, this is the most reasonably interpretation. Everything necessary is possible with a narrative, yes, but the information needed about characters at the beginning of a narrative isn't very much. For that matter, narratives containing copious back stories are usually poor to begin with, because, again, show don't tell. There's an obvious analog for that as well: You show through play who a character is, instead of telling the GM at the beginning with a back story. All you need beforehand are notes on how to do that properly, rather like the notes authors tend to have. Roethke Well, arguably the backstory should be part of the game. In fiction, backstories often are interesting enough to warrant their own books -- "The Hobbit" is probably the canonical example, but George RR Martin, Robert Jordan, all delve quite deeply into backstories of their characters. One of my favorite authors, it can be argued, pretty much makes his books uncovering of backstories. In RPGs, though, particularly play-by-posts, you have to balance the desire for a fully-fleshed out world against practical matters like time in the spotlight (since backstories are usually not interactive between players), and simple burden on the PC's. If I've got a ~30% of getting into a game, it'd be a bit difficult to muster a the will to write a long, involved background that's very specific to the game world. I've found that a pretty happy compromise is to tell a short anecdote from the character's life in the 1st or 2nd person, present tense. That way you're not coming up with a character chronology from 3 generations back (or glossing over it with a "Mysterious Orphan/Stranger" cliche), but you can get a good feel for what you want your character to be. This is how it goes in most literature, too. The bible's the only book that comes to mind where each character starts with "And Hem begat Shem ... &c." Though I'm a comparatively mild fan of the Star Wars universe, to take an example from there, The Cantina scene where Han is introduced could serve as both Personality and Backstory introductions. It's a short scene, but you know he's a worldly smuggler, a cool customer, and there's a reason the "Han shot first" debates inspire so much passion-- the scene is essential to his characterization. That being said, you don't learn anything much about his chronology. Which is I guess a long way of saying that I think thewamp's point stands that breaking out Personality and Backstory into separate categories is actively harmful to interesting character development (with the usual one-size-fits all disclaimer that everyone's got their own style), and that you don't necessarily need to work too hard to flesh out a character, probably no more effort than 1-3 solid in game posts. After all, if you can't think of how your character would act in a situation involving a couple of in game posts, then you may want to rethink the concept. That being said, this whole discussion is predicated on a RP-Heavy PbP game. If you're looking for a 10-minute backstory or a way to flesh out a dungeon crawl/tactical/hack-and-slash type game enough to make it a bit more interesting, then that's a different question. ~R full disclosure, I'm a PC in one of thewamp's games, but that has no bearing on this post drakir_nosslin I often find it easier to write a short sentence of who my character is, for example: old, seasoned hunter. Now, that tells me a lot of the characters background. Then I write out a few things that drives him. The most basic things he stands for. After that personality and background comes naturally. I've also found that writing a long and complicated background and personality for a character might be counter-productive, often when I play I find that the character behaves in ways that I didn't foresee, because I didn't know what situations and what party members I'd interact with. I like the bare-bones approach and letting the character develop through play instead. At least for me that brings out the best stories and the most believable personalities. That's probably because PbP excels on the field of RP-heavy games, but is awful for tactical or hack'n'slash ones. A ten minute backstory is enough to allow development of an interesting character. All you need is a starting point, as you can retroactively add details to the backstory as the story goes on, which is exactly what one sees in basically every book. And if you need to integrate character backstory into the main narrative, which you often might (I've written a novella that basically was the revelation of backstory and interaction between characters as they hear each others stories, which leads to new understanding of their own history), both invention and revelation can be done simultaneously. Play by post is particularly good at this, as you have time to revise the history a few times before revealing it. I agree with most of what was said here, but I think you might get your point across better if you include a few examples. I would gladly read a backstory or two with commentary about what it does well and where it's lacking. Also, I'd like to add that backstory length is something that should be determined by your relationship with your GM. I've been gaming with my best friend for 15 years. We give each other 15 page backstories because we know that the other person will read and use that backstory. For a GM I've never played with, I'd probably give them something between a paragraph and a page, because I wouldn't presume that they'd want to read my crappy attempt at fiction.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line443
__label__wiki	0.922964	0.922964	WHITE BOY SCREAM: REMAINS Cassette White Boy Scream: Remains cassette (Crystalline Morphologies) Catalog #: CMS04 White Boy Scream is sound artist Micaela Tobin, based in Los Angeles, CA who specializes in contemporary opera and experimental voice. Within this project Micaela dissects her operatic singing style and extended vocal techniques through the use of electronics, in an attempt to undermine patriarchal constructs in classical music and reclaim the “diva.” She has performed extensively throughout the western United States, most notably as a guest with hip-hop experimentalists and Sub Pop signees clipping. during their tour in support of The Flaming Lips. Micaela’s work, which thus far includes a full length release along with two more set for summer 2018, has been compared to Diamanda Galas. Micaela is currently a voice teacher on faculty at the California Institute for the Arts. She premiered and earned a five-star review for her first original experimental opera, entitled Unseal Unseam, at the world’s largest art festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, in summer 2016; the work was described as “hypnotic” and “paralyzingly beautiful,” by New Classic LA after its U.S. debut in October 2017. Her latest release “Remains” on Crystalline Morphologies is an accumulation of pieces composed between 2015-2017 that bear witness to her unique process of deconstructing operatic melodies through electronic fx pedals. The album itself serves as a tender and abstracted dedication to the poetry of a late friend.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line448
__label__wiki	0.616486	0.616486	How Nicholas Kristof Uses His Pulpit To Engage People With Empathy Active journalism, Community journalism, Digital Age, Discussion on Journalism, Ethics, Future of Journalism, Investigative Journalism, journalism career, journalism definition, Journalism for solution, media, new age journalism, Nicholas Kristof, Reporting, Syria, the Times, types of journalism, Values By :Rachael Chong, Source :.fastcoexist.com The Times reporter helps direct our attention to some of the most dire situations in the world, and hopefully makes us all more willing to do something ourselves to help change it. A typical Facebook post from Nicholas Kristof: I’m crossing into Syria now… Any suggestions for topics I should focus on in Syria? What do you want me to ask Syrians for you? Access isn’t a problem for Kristof; he’s as often found interviewing a suspected warlord as he is lounging on a mat in the Congo with George Clooney. Since joining The New York Times in 1984, Kristof has forced his audience to look at hard questions, with his focus on global poverty, health, and gender. As Bill Clinton said, “I am personally in his debt, as are we all.” In Daniel Metzgar’s documentary, Reporter, we see a little of the process of making difficult decisions in choosing who to profile in the Times. Does your presence on social media channels allow you to spotlight stories you couldn’t through traditional means and do you foresee a day when the impact of social media equals or surpasses? One advantage of social media is brevity. The other night, gunmen tried to assassinate one of my heroes, a Congolese doctor and anti-rape campaigner named Denis Mukwege. If I had tried to write a column about the attack, most readers would have immediately tuned out. But they let me inflict tweets on them even if they’re not hugely interested in the topic, because I can’t entirely put them to sleep in 140 characters. So Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ enable me to toss out little updates and tidbits that don’t merit a column—or would bore people if they did—but that are part of the mosaic of modern life. For some purposes, social media already triumphs. When I live-tweeted a brothel raid in Cambodia, or my arrest in Bahrain, a column couldn’t compete. But I’m also a believer in the column format, and in magazine articles, and books, and videos. Think of the way we eat. Sometimes we eat fancy four-course meals (books and magazine articles). Sometimes a regular meal (column), and often just a snack (a tweet or Facebook post). Variety is the spice of life, whether in food or in media consumption. You often ask thoughtful questions on Facebook about current events—about a presidential speech or the progress of Malala Yousafzai (the young Pakistani girl shot for her education advocacy). Has direct, immediate engagement with your readers through social media changed your writing? Even what you write about? I always want to avoid pandering to my readers. So I don’t want to find out that readers care about topless shoplifting celebrities and then go into that kind of reporting. But I do want to respond to reader concerns and interests where I do have some expertise, and most of all I think we need to move toward a multilateral conversation. The future of column writing, for example, won’t be 780-word column every Sundays and Thursdays. It’ll be a much more varied and iterative process: a buzz of conversation around and with a pundit. How can activist writers best combat “compassion fatigue” in their writing? My concern with this issue led me to the research in social psychology and neurology about how we can connect with our readers. A scholar named Paul Slovic has in particular done fascinating research in this field. To me, the lessons of this research are two-fold. First, tell an engaging individual story to suck people in. Second, show that it’s not hopeless, but that progress is possible. That was our strategy in Half the Sky. Why is giving time different than giving money? I think giving time is often more satisfying than writing a check. When you donate time, you see the fruits of your efforts and you’re fully engaged in the work. You’re on the front lines, and that can be very, very fulfilling. Was there a moment that you realized your life would be dedicated to giving back, to giving more than you received? What was that moment? There was no moment of epiphany, but in any case let me push back at the implication of your question. I haven’t been giving more than I receive. On the contrary, I’ve been incredibly fortunate and keep receiving extraordinary satisfaction from all I do. The other day, I received a lovely email from a girl in Cambodia who had been trafficked who escaped and now dreams of being a journalist. That made my day. One of the paradoxes of the modern world is that it’s really hard to be completely altruistic, because altruism brings with it such selfish pleasures. So altruism isn’t a sacrifice, but a selfish pleasure. What does it mean to be generous? I think generosity is about empathy, about putting yourself in other people’s shoes. Once you do that, you want to help them—with time, money, or some other kind of assistance—and you derive satisfaction from the help you can give. Tell us the names and stories of three individuals who inspire you most with their generosity. My parents, Ladis and Jane Kristof, certainly set a tremendous example of empathy and compassion. They never really urged me to be generous, but that was the behavior they modeled. My dad was always picking up and befriending hitch-hikers, and then sometimes bringing them home to sleep on the couch if they needed a place to stay. And my parents always made clear that we live in a global community, in which our neighbors may live across the street or in Darfur, and we should try to help all of them. That might be with a cup of flour, or perhaps with an anti-genocide petition. The James Cameron family in Portland, Oregon, met my father when he was a World War II refugee in Paris, cleaning hotel rooms. They arranged to sponsor him to come to the United States and settle in Oregon, and they helped him go to Reed College. From their generosity, I saw first-hand that even when philanthropy doesn’t solve a global problem (like refugees) it can still be transformative for individuals who are helped and their families. Meaning me. A lot of my fellow liberals are very skeptical or critical of humanitarian work by religious folks, while I’m much more admiring, because of some of the people I’ve met in dangerous and remote places. Eastern Congo, for example, is the scene of the most lethal conflict since World War II, and it’s also the rape capital of the world. In my reporting there, I’ve met people like Denis Mukwege, a Congolese doctor whose Panzi Hospital has treated 30,000 people, many of them victims of sexual violence. Mukwege has been one of the bravest advocates for rape victims in Congo, and perhaps as a result he was attacked by gunmen a few days ago; he is safe, but his bodyguard was shot dead. And Mukwege makes clear that he is inspired by his Christian faith. Likewise, in covering the Congo war, I remember visiting a little town that had been abandoned by most aid workers, where just about the only outsider left was a little Polish nun who was single-handedly feeding orphans, running a school, and trying to keep the warlord at bay. I was in awe of her: I have many quarrels with the Vatican, but she would have made a great pope. Original Link to this article : http://www.fastcoexist.com/1680966/how-nicholas-kristof-uses-his-pulpit-to-engage-people-with-empathy Additional Reading : Increasing empathy: can journalism help people relate to distant problems?	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line450
__label__wiki	0.840781	0.840781	Poland’s ‘king of shoes’ plans 100 GCC stores CCC is one of the largest footwear retailers in Europe by Robert Anderson Polish footwear retailer CCC Shoes & Bags is planning to open 100 stores across the Gulf Cooperation Council over the next 10 years, its billionaire chairman and president has said. Dariusz Milek, who is sometimes dubbed Poland’s ‘king of shoes’ for his leadership of the country’s largest retail company, told Gulf Business the firm was planning to fill a regional gap for mass-market footwear. To achieve this it has signed a 10-year franchise deal with UAE-based conglomerate Apparel Group for an initial 60 stores with a total area of 40,000 square metres. However, Poland’s fourth richest man, who Forbes says has a net worth of $1.61bn following a rally in the company’s share price last year, believes the region’s population has the potential to sustain 200-400 of the firm’s outlets in the longer term. The first openings are expected to take place in the Spring of 2019 and CCC ideally wants to launch in all six GCC markets – Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain – simultaneously, he explained. The company’s price point means it will not necessarily target the region’s most luxurious malls and outlets are expected in many mid-market locations. CCC will also sell products online through Apparel’s e-commerce business. To coincide with these first openings, the company will unveil a spring collection with some region-specific items based on demographic sensitivities in the Middle East. Milek who describes CCC’s approach to the market as “more H&M than Zara” said the firm grew 30 per cent in terms of stores last year and is expecting even more significant growth in 2018. CCC now has close to 1,000 stores across its Central and Eastern Europe footprint, the significant majority of which the company owns itself. It has also expanded into Romania, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia via franchises. Robert Anderson January 18, 2018	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line458
__label__wiki	0.898502	0.898502	Roamer App Says It Has Bypassed Block Of VoIP Providers In UAE The app allows users to make low-cost calls when roaming aboard through an internet or GSM connection. The developers of Roamer, an app that allows users to make low-cost calls when roaming, confirmed that people in UAE can make free VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) calls despite blocks by telecom regulators. The company said it had received “several hundred” complaints from Roamer’s users in UAE about the unavailability of free and Wi-Fi calls. While Roamer initially provided regular low-cost international calls via a GSM-connection, after two days of development and tests a “new solution” was found, a statement said. The app is now again able to provide UAE users VoIP free calls and internet calls to phone numbers abroad. “We would not like to give the details of the solution due to obvious reasons, but it’s a smart and transparent technology,” said CEO Nick Ustinov. External VoIP service providers such as Skype and Viber are currently not licensed to operate in the UAE. In September last year, the country’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority clarified that only the UAE’s two telecoms providers, Etisalat and du, are licensed to provide all telecommunications services in the country. Earlier this year, calling services introduced by popular messaging app, WhatsApp, were also found to be blocked in the country. The Roamer app is available on iPhone and Android smartphones and tablets, and works with any SIM card. It is also available in 10 languages including Arabic and English. Aarti Nagraj March 30, 2015	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line459
__label__wiki	0.727058	0.727058	One in 10 girls worldwide face serious sexual violence World Oceania UN children’s agency finds 120m young females endure rape and forced sexual acts Published: September 05, 2014 16:01 By Peter Walker, Guardian News & Media Ltd United Nations: About one in 10 girls around the world experiences serious sexual violence, the UN children’s agency has said in a major report detailing the “staggering extent” of sexual, physical and emotional abuse faced by young people. The Unicef report found that 120 million girls and female adolescents under 20 had endured rape or other forced sexual acts, with such experiences especially common in some developing countries around 70 per cent of girls suffer sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea, and around 50 per cent in Uganda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, Unicef said. The report also pointed to problems in richer countries, with many girls reporting “sexual victimisation”, for example, by harassment or exposure to pornography. Many young victims did not report abuse, the authors found, with data showing that nearly half of all girls aged 15-19 who said they had faced physical and/or sexual violence had never told anyone about it. The report also highlighted the high numbers of young people murdered every year, totalling around 95,000 deaths in 2012. In some countries, for example Panama, Venezuela, Brazil and Colombia, murder is the leading cause of death for males aged 10-20. Nigeria alone had 13,000 child and adolescent homicides in 2012, with around 11,000 in Brazil. More widely, the researchers found the widespread use of violent forms of discipline against even very young children; a significant problem of violent bullying by peers; and very divergent views on physical and sexual abuse. Violence against children occurred “every day, everywhere”, said Anthony Lake, Unicef’s executive director. “And while it harms individual children the most, it also tears at the fabric of society, undermining stability and progress. But violence against children is not inevitable. It is preventable, if we refuse to let violence remain in the shadows.” Of the findings in the report, Lake said: “These are uncomfortable facts no government or parent will want to see them. But unless we confront the reality each infuriating statistic represents the life of a child whose right to a safe, protected childhood has been violated we will never change the mindset that violence against children is normal and permissible. It is neither.” The report, Hidden in Plain Sight, takes in data from 190 countries. On sexual violence, it identifies a particular problem with countries in sub-Saharan Africa: more than 10 per cent of all girls in 13 of the 18 nations for which there is data report being forced to have sex. Sexual violence against girls takes place mostly in adolescence, but in many of these countries at least one in five girls reports suffering sexual abuse between 10 and 14. The research uncovered some troubling attitudes towards child sex abuse. It notes as an example a large-scale survey in six eastern Caribbean states which found that a majority of people did not think male attitudes towards women was a cause of such abuse, while three-quarters thought the way a girl dressed could draw sexual attention. Elsewhere, a Norwegian study pointed to apparent public uncertainty about whether sexual contact with children was damaging. Conversely, the authors found little support for the physical punishment of children given the sometimes endemic use of violence as a means of discipline. In only one country, Swaziland, was the proportion of adults who believed in the physical punishment of children higher than the actual percentage of children subjected to it. In contrast, the report concludes that about a billion children aged two to 14 six in ten of the total are regularly subjected to physical punishment. For the most part this is a mixture of what the authors described as lesser physical violence and “psychological aggression”, but in 23 countries, it notes, severe punishment, such as striking a child on the head, ears or face, or hitting them hard and repeatedly, is faced by more than 20 per cent of children. As children get older they often face violent bullying from their peers, especially boys, the research finds, with more than one in three 13- to 15-year-olds worldwide reporting regular bullying. Among 106 countries with comparable data, adolescent bullying rates ranged from 7 per cent in Tajikistan to 74 per cent in Samoa. On a parallel note, almost a third of teenagers in Europe and North America admitted bullying others. The authors stress that attitudes towards violence and sexual abuse play a key role in discovering why they are so prevalent: “The evidence in this report suggests that close to half of all girls aged 15 to 19 worldwide (about 126 million) think a husband or partner is sometimes justified in hitting or beating his wife (or partner). In sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa, this proportion rises to more than half.” It adds that “supportive attitudes towards wife-beating” are also widespread in adolescent boys, with around half in eastern and southern Africa and South Asia believing a husband is justified in hitting his wife under certain circumstances. They conclude: “While often regarded as an individual problem, violence against children is, in fact, a societal problem, driven by economic and social inequities and poor education standards. It is fuelled by social norms that condone violence as an acceptable way to resolve conflicts, sanction adult domination over children and encourage discrimination.” Racing pigeon survives 9,000-mile trip across Pacific Australia to kill pigeon that crossed Pacific from US Australia scientists concerned over vaccine efficacy COVID-19: Australia on high alert	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line460
__label__wiki	0.564202	0.564202	A delightful rest at the Lunenburg Inn after a very compressed and hectic day along the Lighthouse Trail yesterday got me ready for another day of adventures. At about 7:30 I made my downstairs in anticipation of a filling breakfast. Sure enough, a freshly baked morning glory muffin was served to quench my immediate hunger. I had two breakfasts to choose from: a hot breakfast featuring poached eggs with bacon or turkey bacon, or a cold breakfast featuring a choice of two items of either cereal with fruit / fat-free yoghurt / fresh toast with jam or stewed rhubarb. I opted for the cereal with fresh fruit and the stewed rhubarb which was delicious. The breakfast at the Lunenburg Inn was so generous I wasn’t even able to finish my entire portion. Appropriately strengthened I was now ready for a full day of discoveries. At about 8:30 I made my way on foot into the town of Lunenburg, an extremely charming and scenic settlement that is home to about 2500 full-time residents and many thousands more during tourist season. Lunenburg is one of Nova Scotia’s favourite travel destinations, and for good reason. In 1995, Lunenburg was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its unique architecture and civic design as it represents one of the best preserved examples of a planned British colonial settlement in North America. The town was founded in 1753 and earlier inhabitants included the Mi’kmaq Natives as well as Acadian settlers. Lunenburg was named in honour of the Duke of Braunschweig-Lunenburg who had become the King of England in 1727. The settlers brought in by the British Crown were known as the foreign protestants, mostly farmers who had been recruited from areas in the southern and central parts of Germany, Switzerland and France. They were deliberately chosen for their potential loyalty to the British Crown. Over the years this farming community turned into a successful seaport and shipbuilding centre, and even today High Liner Foods still has a fish processing plan in town. I strolled down to the waterfront on Bluenose Drive on a brilliant early fall morning, with not a cloud in the sky. Several restaurants and inns line the street on the north side, and the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic which houses the popular Old Fish Factory restaurant is located on the south side of the street. The little town stretches up from the water on a fairly steep hill with long streets running east west, and shorter streets connecting straight up to the crest of the hill. This was a quiet Friday morning, and the locals and tourists alike were still lying low. As I strolled up the hill I started to see shop-owners who were opening their doors and putting out their merchandise for sale. Lunenburg has a myriad of antique stores, small galleries and craft stores, and most of the houses are in excellent repair and colourfully painted. The town presents a very unified image of clapboard covered homes, and the historic local architecture includes a charming range of styles including the Cape Cod Style, Neo-Classical or Georgian homes, a Scottish style which includes five-sided Scottish dormers, Gothic Revival, Second Empire and Queen Ann Revival styles. A typical feature of Lunenburg architecture is the “Lunenburg Bump” which features a projecting Scottish dormer, also referred to as the bump. Lunenburg is an extremely charming town. The centre of the town is located near St. John’s Anglican Church, the most well known ecclesiastical structure in town. This church was built in 1754 and gothicized in 1870 to 1875. Just recently, on Halloween night in 2001, the church was gutted by a spectacular blaze under mysterious circumstances. The community was dismayed, but they raised the money and the church was rebuilt in its entirety. Further up the hill is Lunenburg’s most prominent landmark: the Lunenburg Academy, an elementary school for grades one to five, is located at the top of Gallows Hill, overlooking the town. It was built from 1894 to 1895 and each floor has six entrances, six classrooms and six staircases connecting up to the next level. From the top of the hill I walked back into the town’s centre and came across a monumental red brick building, the town’s courthouse and city hall. A beautiful park located on an upslope is adjacent to city hall and just outside the building is a memorial commemorating Norwegian soldiers that were trained here as gunners in Lunenburg during World War II. Norway had the third-largest ocean going merchant fleet in 1940 with 1100 ships, and when the Nazis invaded Norway, the King and government ordered these ships to proceed to allied ports. From 1940 to 1941 Norwegian whaling and sealing vessels ended up in the port of Lunenburg when Norway was occupied by the Germans. More than 1000 Norwegians were trained here for military service at Camp Lunenburg, and many of their vessels were converted into naval vessels and armed freighters. Strolling further down the hill I arrived back at the waterfront where I decided to pay a quick visit to the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. Lunenburg historically was a proud shipbuilding centre, and the world famous schooner Bluenose as well as her daughter, the Bluenose II, were built here. The Bluenose was a fishing schooner as well as a racing ship and was launched in Lunenburg in 1921. Fishing schooners had become obsolete after WWII and despite efforts to keep the Bluenose in Nova Scotia, it was sold as a freighter in the West Indies. In 1946 finally it ran aground on a Haitian reef. The Bluenose II was launched at Lunenburg in 1963 and built to original plans by many of the same workers who had worked on the original Bluenose. The costs of $300,000 were financed by a local family as a marketing tool for their brewery operations in Halifax and Saint John. As a result of her popularity, the Nova Scotia government bought the vessel, and it has become a goodwill ambassador and symbol of the province. The Canadian ten cent coin features the Bluenose and the Nova Scotia license plates also feature this famous vessel. I entered the Fisheries Museum and was lucky to just catch the 10 am lobster presentation in the aquarium. A resident expert was demonstrating the various body parts of a lobster and talking about the lifecycle of these crusty creatures. Fortunately this specimen had its pincers tied since it did not seem to be too happy about being included in this presentation. The presenter went on to educate us about lobster fishing, demonstrating the different types of lobster traps in use. Following this educational presentation I went outside and set foot on two different vessels that are permanently moored in front of the Fisheries Museum. The Theresa E. Connor is a schooner that was built in Lunenburg in 1938 and fishing the banks for 26 years until technology changed from hook and line fishing to fishing with big trawler nets. The Cape Sable, built in 1962 in Leiden, Holland, is anchored right next to the Theresa O’Connor. It is a steel-hulled side trawler, the generation of boats that replaced the old-style schooners. The Cape Sable retired from service in 1982 and now teaches visitors about the lifestyle of fishermen. I then went inside the museum which features a myriad of displays about the fishing industry on three different levels. The second floor holds a Fishermen’s Memorial room, paying tribute to all the fishermen who lost their lives at sea. Fishing is one of the most dangerous occupations and many fishermen have made the ultimate sacrifice. The first floor features the Aquarium, the Gift Shop as well as a Fish Demonstration Room, the Hall of Inshore fisheries, a Marine Engine Display, an exhibit about Whaling and Whales as well as a Boatbuilding Shop. The Second Floor holds the Bank Fishery Age of Sail Exhibit as well as a Vessel Gallery and the afore-mentioned Fishermen’s Memorial Room. The Third Floor has an exhibit on Rum Runners, individuals who daringly smuggled alcoholic beverages during the prohibition years from 1920 to 1933. Other exhibits on businesses related to the fishing industry and life in fishing communities round out the informative displays. The Ice House Theatre has a capacity of 85 people and offers a variety of films related to the fishing industry. Every day the Fisheries Museum presents an extensive program that includes a lobster presentation, fishermen’s stories on the Theresa E. Conner and the Bluenose Saga. Practical skills such as net mending, trawl rigging and rope work, rope splicing and knots are demonstrated. Presentations such as “A Whale of a Tale” and “The Scoop on Scallops” are also held on a daily basis. This was an extremely interesting experience, but if I wanted to make my way back to Halifax in time, I would have to leave the museum and make my way back to the Lunenburg Inn where I would have a chance to sit down and chat with the owners prior to continuing my drive along the Lighthouse Trail towards Peggy’s Cove and Halifax.. Previous PostPrevious How To Really Make Money From Home Next PostNext The Concepts And History Of Timeshare	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line463
__label__cc	0.701058	0.298942	Dear Visitor Our goal is to provide as much information as possible about Lymphoma treatments. We spend a lot of time and make great efforts to provide news as quickly as possible for the people they need most. We only send notifications regarding important Lymphoma news. If you want to be notified in time, then click "Ok" here and click "Allow" on the next popup box Signup for our weekly newsletter to get the latest news, updates and amazing offers for ICOS is widely expressed in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, and its targeting promotes potent killing of malignant cells Blood Adv. 2020 Oct 27;4(20):5203-5214. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2020002395. The treatment of advanced-stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) remains an unmet medical need. Mogamulizumab, anti-KIR3DL2, and brentuximab vedotin (BV), an anti-CD30 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) coupled with monomethyl-auristatin-E (MMAE), provided encouraging results, but new targeted therapies are needed. Inducible T-cell costimulator (ICOS), a T-cell costimulatory receptor, is a promising therapeutic target, not only because it is expressed by malignant T cells in CTCL but also because of its connection with the suppressive activity of regulatory T (Treg) cells. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that ICOS was widely expressed by malignant cells in skin biopsy specimens from 52 patients with mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome (SS), as well as in involved node biopsy specimens from patients with SS. Furthermore, flow cytometry demonstrated its strong expression by circulating tumor cells in all our patients with SS. Percentages of ICOS+ Treg cells were significantly higher in patients with SS than in healthy donors. We then investigated the preclinical efficacy of anti-ICOS ADCs generated by coupling murine anti-ICOS monoclonal antibodies with MMAE and pyrrolobenzodiazepine. In 3 CTCL cell lines (Myla, MJ, and HUT78), we observed a significant dose-dependent decrease in cell viability in the presence of anti-ICOS ADCs. In addition, anti-ICOS-MMAE ADCs had an in vitro and in vivo efficacy superior to BV in a mouse xenograft model (MyLa). Finally, we assessed the efficacy of anti-ICOS ADCs in ICOS+ patient-derived xenografts from patients with SS and angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma. Collectively, our findings provide the preliminary basis for a therapeutic trial. Get Latest Health News	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line464
__label__wiki	0.964087	0.964087	Home Statistics Filmstars Bobby Deol Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics Bobby Deol Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics Bobby Deol Quick Info Height 6 ft Spouse Tanya Deol Bobby Deol is an Indian film actor and he has also worked as a DJ in many Hindi films. He is the son of the famous Bollywood actor Dharmendra and younger brother of famous actor Sunny Deol. He is best known for playing Badal in the Hindi romantic film Barsaat (1995), portraying the character of Vicky in the Indian action thriller film Soldier (1998), playing the character of Jeeva in the Indian action thriller Bichhoo (2000), portraying Raj Malhotra in the Hindi suspense thriller film Ajnabee (2000), playing raj Singhania in Hindi romantic thriller Humraaz (2002), and many more. Vijay Singh Deol Bobby Deol as seen at the special screening of the film Poster Boys in September 2017 (Bollywood Hungama / bollywoodhungama.com / CC BY 3.0) Bobby attended The Lawrence School, Sanawar. He later joined the Mayo College. Father – Dharmendra Singh Deol (Actor, Producer, Politician) Mother – Parkash Kaur Siblings – Sunny Deol (Actor, Politician) (Older Brother), Vijeeta Deol (Sister), Ajeeta Deol (Sister) Others – Hema Malini (Actress, Politician) (Step-mother), Esha Deol (Actress) (Half-Sister), Ahana Deol (Step-Sister), Abhay Deol (Actor) (Cousin) 6 ft or 183 cm Bobby has dated – Neelam Kothari – Bobby was briefly engaged to actress Neelam Kothari in the past. Pooja Bhatt – The actor was dating Indian film director and actress Pooja Bhatt for a short time. Anjala Zaveri – Bobby was romantically involved with actress Anjala Zaveri during the shooting of Himalay Putra. Their relationship was not approved by actor Vinod Khanna who discovered Anjala and wanted her to concentrate on her work. Ajanamjot Grewal (1994) – In 1994, Bobby’s father selected a girl named Ajanamjot Grewal for Bobby. He later declined this arrangement when he got to know that Ajanamjot had been involved in various illegal activities such as shoplifting, drugs, and gang-related activities. Mamta Kulkarni (1994) – In 1994, Bobby proposed to actress Mamta Kulkarni. They, however, parted ways later. Rakshanda Khan (1995) – In 1995, Bobby was shortly in a romantic relationship with former supermodel and TV actress Rakshanda Khan. Sunaina Sikand – He was briefly involved with superstar Pran’s granddaughter, Sunaina Sikand. Tanya Deol (1996-Present) – On May 30, 1996, Bobby got married to the daughter of well known Indian banker Dev Ahuja, Tanya Deol. The couple is proud parents to 2 sons named Aryaman Deol (b. June 2001) and Dharm Deol (b. November 2004). Bobby Deol as seen at the Audio release of the film Chamku in 2008 (Bollywood Hungama / bollywoodhungama.com / CC BY 3.0) Asian (Indian) Fair Complexion Bobby has done endorsement work for the fashion brand Pantaloons. Bobby Deol as seen with his father and actor Dharmendra (Bollywood Hungama / bollywoodhungama.com / CC BY 3.0) Being the son of famous Indian film actor Dharmendra and younger brother of famous Bollywood actor Sunny Deol Portraying important roles in numerous movies such as Badal in the Hindi romantic film Barsaat (1995), Vicky in the action film Soldier (1998), Jeeva in the action-thriller Bichhoo (2000), Raj Malhotra in the suspense film Ajnabee (2000), Raj Singhania in the romantic-thriller Humraaz (2002), Karan Singh Choudhary in the sports-drama Apne (2007), Abhimanyu Singh in the romantic-comedy Dostana (2008), and Gajodhar Singh/Karamveer Singh Dhillon in the action-comedy Yamla Pagla Deewana (2011) Bobby made his theatrical film debut in the Bollywood folk film, Dharam Veer, as young Dharam in 1977. Bobby made his first TV show appearance as ‘Himself’ on Koffee with Karan in 2005. As per an interview with Mid-Day in July 2018, Bobby was training under the guidance of trainer Rakesh Udiyar. According to him, he was not much of a gym person but now he is obsessed with working out. His workout routine consisted of heavy weight training. His diet included protein rich nonvegetarian food in order to build muscles. Bobby Deol as seen at the Femina Miss India Grand Finale in June 2018 (Bollywood Hungama / bollywoodhungama.com / CC BY 3.0) Bobby Deol Facts He was born while his father Dharmendra was shooting for the film Sharafat and was 11 lbs at the time of his birth. In 1983, Dharmendra met a child actor and was so impressed that he wanted to make a film starring Bobby but later changed his mind as he did not want Bobby to become a child actor. His first film was produced by his father Dharmendra and he won the Filmfare award for the “Best Debut” but he could not come to the function since he was hospitalized at the time. According to him, he would have had the best physique in Bollywood, had he started working out in his 20s. He was signed for the films Ek Vivah Aisa Bhi and Jab We Met opposite actress Vidya Balan and Ayesha Takia but later opted out of both the films. He was good friends with director Farah Ali Khan in his school time at the age of 16. When he was in college, he starred in a video film directed by actor Ajay Devgan and Vikram Bhatt. Director Subhash Ghai desired to give Bobby his first break in the film industry with the film Saudagar but his father refused as he wanted Bobby’s first film to be their own home production film. Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali wanted to direct the film Train To Pakistan with Bobby but due to some unknown reasons, the film was directed by a different director and had a different star cast. According to him, the reason behind his gradual disappearance from the films was due to him being too old fashioned and he could not keep up with the quickly changing time. He has named his 2nd son based on the name of his father Dharmendra as a tribute to him. Apart from acting, he is also an occasional DJ and in fact trained in mixing tracks professionally. Follow Bobby Deol on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Featured Image by Bollywood Hungama / bollywoodhungama.com / CC BY 3.0 Pranav Mohanlal Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics Jack White Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics Kevin Kline Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics Ann Ward Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line466
__label__wiki	0.527544	0.527544	Tag: virgin 1 The Life & Times of Richard Branson. No Comments on The Life & Times of Richard Branson. (2mb progressive) The amusingly dirty HBO animated sitcom The Life & Times of Tim makes its UK debut this month on Virgin 1. To promote the show, a very animated Richard Branson is featured in a series of promos with Tim, demonstrating a very creative way to market an imported programme while adding a local feel. Tags hbo, richard branson, virgin 1 It’s Always Sunny on Virgin 1. 10 Comments on It’s Always Sunny on Virgin 1. (10.9mb progressive) Virgin 1 launched last night in the UK, it’s the new flagship channel of the Virgin Media group. Available on terrestrial, satellite and cable services, its set to compete directly with Sky One. The best of whats available on Virgin 1 currently seems to be Seinfeld and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (watch if you haven’t!). The networks slogan is “proper telly”, and I’ll be interested to see how they follow up that claim. The build up to the launch didn’t exactly blow me away, and the magnetism theme of the first ident kind of reminded me of this, that said, its all early days still. For another launch of a television station that I thought was pretty impressive, check out the first five minutes of Five US. Tags its always sunny in philadelphia, sky, virgin 1	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line469
__label__wiki	0.82167	0.82167	On his first album in four years, L.A.'s Aloe Blacc travels further from his hip-hop roots. Years ago, he was a rapper in the indie group Emanon and a sometime vocalist; on Good Things, he's working over arrangements from retro-soul combo Truth & Soul with heartfelt emotion. Unlike most rappers-turned-singers, Aloe Blacc has a great voice, which he uses to striking effect on "Take Me Back" and "Mama Hold My Hand." The excellent Good Things teems with highlights, particularly the viral hit "I Need a Dollar," where he impersonates a homeless drunk to offer commentary on the great recession. Mosi Reeves About this album Life So Hard Loving You Is Killing Me If I Mama Hold My Hand Politician (Reprise) Latest albums by Aloe Blacc Lift Your Spirit	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line470
__label__wiki	0.780792	0.780792	Bem-vindo(a) à base de dados sobre o DIH Consuetudinário, Base de dados do DIH DIH Consuetudinário Bases de dados do DIH Base de dados do DIH 2. Prática(current) Prática relativa a 2. Prática\Ordenar ou ameaçar não dar quartel 2. Prática Norma 46 (current) Uso de armas proibidas Proibição de Certos Tipos de Minas Terrestres Compartilhar no Twitter 'Compartilhar no Facebook Compartilhar no Instagram Compartilhar no LinkedIn Practice Relating to Rule 46. Orders or Threats That No Quarter Will Be Given Australia’s Commanders’ Guide (1994) states: “It is expressly forbidden to announce or implement a plan under which no prisoners are taken.” Australia, Law of Armed Conflict, Commanders’ Guide, Australian Defence Force Publication, Operations Series, ADFP 37 Supplement 1 – Interim Edition, 7 March 1994, § 416. The Guide further states: It is prohibited to order that no prisoners will be taken, threaten an enemy that such an order will be given or conduct hostilities on the basis that no prisoners will be taken. Ambiguous orders, such as, “take that objective at any cost” should be avoided. Australia’s Defence Force Manual (1994) provides: Australia, Manual on Law of Armed Conflict, Australian Defence Force Publication, Operations Series, ADFP 37 – Interim Edition, 1994, § 706 (land warfare); see also § 835 (air warfare). Australia’s LOAC Manual (2006) states: 7.7 It is prohibited to order that no prisoners will be taken, threaten an enemy that such an order will be given or conduct hostilities on the basis that no prisoners will be taken. Ambiguous orders, such as, “take that objective at any cost”, should be avoided. 13.29 Provisions of the Hague Regulations 1907 are now recognised as part of customary law. Those regulations provide that the following acts are “especially forbidden”: • to declare that no quarter will be given. Australia, The Manual of the Law of Armed Conflict, Australian Defence Doctrine Publication 06.4, Australian Defence Headquarters, 11 May 2006, §§ 7.7 and 13.29; see also § 8.39. The LOAC Manual (2006) replaces both the Defence Force Manual (1994) and the Commanders’ Guide (1994). Australia’s War Crimes Act (1945) considers “any war crime within the meaning of the instrument of appointment of the Board of Inquiry [set up to investigate war crimes committed by enemy subjects]” as a war crime, including directions to give no quarter. Australia, War Crimes Act, 1945, Section 3. Australia’s Criminal Code Act (1995), as amended to 2007, states with regard to serious war crimes that are committed in the course of an international armed conflict: 268.50 War crime – denying quarter A person (the perpetrator) commits an offence if: (a) the perpetrator declares or orders that there are to be no survivors; and (b) the declaration or order is given with the intention of threatening an adversary or conducting hostilities on the basis that there are to be no survivors; and (c) the perpetrator is in a position of effective command or control over the subordinate forces to which the declaration or order is directed; and (d) the perpetrator’s conduct takes place in the context of, and is associated with, an international armed conflict. Penalty: Imprisonment for life. Australia, Criminal Code Act, 1995, as amended to 2007, Chapter 8, § 268.50, p. 334. The Criminal Code Act also states with regard to war crimes that are violations of the laws and customs of war applicable in a non-international armed conflict: (d) the perpetrator’s conduct takes place in the context of, and is associated with, an armed conflict that is not an international armed conflict. Australia’s ICC (Consequential Amendments) Act (2002) incorporates in the Criminal Code the war crimes defined in the 1998 ICC Statute, including declaring or ordering that there are to be no survivors with the intention of threatening an adversary or conducting hostilities on this basis, both in international and non-international armed conflicts. Australia, ICC (Consequential Amendments) Act, 2002, Schedule 1, §§ 268.50 and 268.91. In its oral pleadings before the ICJ in the Nuclear Weapons case in 1995, Australia stated that the “right to self-defence is not unlimited … Self-defence is not a justification … for ordering that there shall be no enemy survivors in combat.” Australia, Oral pleadings before the ICJ, Nuclear Weapons case, 30 October 1995, Verbatim Record CR 95/22, p. 52. Copyright e termos de uso © Comitê Internacional da Cruz Vermelha Enviar esta página a um amigo Envie-nos o seu comentário	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line471
__label__wiki	0.936599	0.936599	Future work plan The UK’s approach to tackling modern slavery through the aid programme The UK’s work to tackle modern slavery in developing countries has had limited long-term impact, did not build on existing international efforts and experience, and failed to adequately involve survivors – though the government played a prominent role in raising the profile of the issue globally. Lead commissioner Sir Hugh Bayley Cross-government, Modern slavery Approach paper Relevant Sustainable Development Goals Modern slavery is a global problem that leads to appalling human rights violations and suffering. It encompasses a range of related but distinct problems, including bonded and forced labour, human trafficking (including for sexual exploitation) and some of the worst forms of child labour. It is a vast and global problem, whose hidden nature makes it very difficult to measure. Ending modern slavery, both at home and internationally, has become a significant priority for the UK government, who committed in 2018 to spend £200 million in UK aid on promoting global action. This is a “new and complex” challenge for UK aid. The government has conducted a sustained international campaign to raise awareness, including persuading many governments to sign an international Call to Action. The Home Office and the former Department for International Development (DFID) and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have all been involved in delivering international programmes to combat modern slavery. This review assesses how well the UK government has done in learning ‘what works’ and developing a credible portfolio of programmes to tackle this complex global challenge. It covers the period since November 2014, when the UK’s modern slavery strategy was adopted, and includes in-depth consideration of a sample of programmes, the UK’s work in two countries (Bangladesh and Nigeria) and the UK’s influencing efforts with international partners and with the private sector. Learning: How well has the UK government built and applied the evidence base in support of its modern slavery work? The responsible departments have recognised significant data and evidence gaps, but do not have a modern slavery research strategy. However, the UK has promoted research and learning within individual programmes. The government has shared learning internally, but its systems are at an early stage and external dissemination has been hampered by confidentiality requirements. The UK has not drawn adequately on international experience and established approaches in its modern slavery work. Relevance: How well has the UK government gone about building a relevant, strategic, coordinated and credible portfolio of modern slavery programmes and influencing activities? The UK has yet to publish a statement on its objectives and approach for using aid to tackle modern slavery. Programmes have generally not been selected on the basis of a systematic review of modern slavery in a given country or the priorities of partner governments. The programme has neglected some dimensions of modern slavery, as well as transit and destination countries. The UK has worked with a wide range of implementing partners as channels for delivery on a project basis, but not as strategic partners. Modern slavery initiatives have not been scaled up or mainstreamed across UK aid or linked with broader sectoral programmes. Survivor voices have been largely absent at policy level, but there has been some involvement of survivors in programme implementation. Government programmes have been weak on gender and other cross-cutting analysis. The UK’s sustained international campaign on modern slavery has helped to raise the profile of the issue – but we have seen little evidence of impact on the ground from the Call to Action. The government’s emphasis on tackling modern slavery in global supply chains is important, but its approach to working with the private sector has been limited. The UK government remains committed to ending modern slavery but needs to communicate this more clearly. Effectiveness: How well is the modern slavery portfolio delivering results and value for money? Most programmes have delivered their activities as planned and have produced a range of potentially useful outputs. The portfolio has often been innovative but has generated little usable outcome data. Much of the programming has been short-term and often rushed. The approach to ensuring value for money is still nascent. Regular coordination across departments in London was highly rated by government staff. The UK government has had good relationships with other donors and multilaterals, but could have promoted deeper collaboration. Responsible departments should develop a more systematic approach to filling knowledge and evidence gaps, including sex-disaggregated and sector-specific data, gender analysis and more comprehensive evaluations, to guide the choice of interventions. Responsible departments should do more to draw on survivor voices, in ethical ways, with a particular focus on inputs to policy and programme design, and to deepening understanding of lifetime experiences and gender dimensions of modern slavery. The UK government should publish a clear statement of its overall objectives and approach to using UK aid to tackle modern slavery internationally. Responsible departments should increase the future impact of programming by examining the scope for more interventions in neglected areas of modern slavery, and mainstreaming modern slavery into other development programmes, including in the COVID-19 response. Responsible departments should strengthen partnerships on modern slavery, including deepening engagement with the private sector and working with partner governments to develop locally owned action plans covering origin, transit and destination countries. The government’s response to our modern slavery review is available to read online. International Development Committee We expect there to be an International Development Committee hearing into this review in due course.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line475
__label__cc	0.511064	0.488936	Bobby Dunbar icantbelieveitsnonfiction Blog Posts June 28, 2017 September 13, 2018 5 Minutes It’s 1999 and you’ve just lost your older brother, Robert Clarence Dunbar III. Your father hands you a binder full of news clippings about your grandfather. As you’re flipping through, you see an editorial cartoon dated 1913. It is the image of a small boy and his grandfather. The boy is labeled “Bobby III.” They are talking about your brother… in 1913? In the cartoon, the little boys says, “Grandpa, do you ever think we’ll know for certain what our right name is?” What does that mean? What if your grandfather isn’t who he says he is? Does that mean you aren’t who you think you are… And one day… you will find out that you aren’t… This is the story told in the forward of the book A Case for Solomon: Bobby Dunbar and the Kidnapping that Haunted a Nation by Tal McThenia and Margaret Dunbar Cutright. (The book can be purchased here) Let’s go back to August 23, 1912, Swayze Lake in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana… Map of Swayze Lake, where Bobby Dunbar went missing Percy and Lessie Dunbar and their two sons, Bobby and Alonzo, are on a fishing trip from Opelousas, Louisiana where the family is well-known and prosperous. The family leaves the lake to have lunch and Bobby wanders off. The police are notified and a search is commenced. Photo of Lessie Dunbar and her son, Bobby, before his disappearance According to a Los Angeles Time article [1], “Hundreds of volunteers slogged through the murky waters around Swayze Lake looking for some trace of the barefoot, blue-eyed, 4-year-old. Searchers sliced open the bellies of alligators and dynamited the lake, thinking that the blasts might dislodge the child’s corpse.” Nothing. Footprints were found, leading to a railroad track, and people reported an unknown man in the area. Had Bobby died or been kidnapped? His description went out: 4 year old, Caucasian male, blond, blue eyes with a mole on his neck and a burn scar on his big toe. His nicknames are Bobby and Robbie. He was wearing a straw hat, blue rompers and no shoes. [2] For eight long months, the story was headline news and the search continued. A $1,000 reward (the equivalent of $25,000 now [3]) was offered for the boy’s return. Then, in April of 1913, they found a boy matching Bobby’s description in Mississippi with a man named William Cantwell Walters. Walters, a piano repairman, adamantly denied that the boy with him was Bobby and said that the child was his nephew, Charles Bruce Anderson (called Bruce). He tells police that Bruce’s mother worked for his family (as a caretaker for his parents) and that she had given him permission to take the child. Walters was arrested. William Walters, the man accused of taking Bobby Dunbar The Dunbars were contacted and came to Mississippi to identify the boy. What happened next depends on which paper you were reading. Some said that the boy called Lessie “Mother,” while others said that he did not know her and wouldn’t answer to Bobby. The same goes for the child’s interactions with Bobby’s brother, Alonzo. Some stories read that Alonzo recognized the boy as Bobby immediately and others recounted that it was only after his mother recognized a mole on the child’s neck when giving him a bath that Alonzo accepted this boy to be Bobby. The Dunbars took the child home to Opelousas where the city threw a parade for the return of young Bobby. At the same time, Julia Anderson, the woman that Walters claimed was the child’s true mother, arrived from Barnesville, North Carolina to claim the child as hers. Walters had requested that she be sent for and the arrangements were made with the help of a New Orleans newspaper [4]. She said that she had given Walter’s custody of the boy for a two-day trip, but hadn’t seen him in the thirteen months that he had actually been gone. In Mississippi, she was shown five boys from which to choose her son. She did point out the boy that the Dunbars claimed as their own, but he didn’t seem to recognize her. (There is speculation that this was a ploy by the child to stay with his new, more well-to-do family). Anderson hesitated to say that the boy in Mississippi was Bruce at first, but eventually stated that he was, in fact, her son. She had no pictures of her child, but did have a lock of his hair. Anderson was a mother of three children; one given up for adoption, one whose death, in infancy, was blamed on her, and Bruce. She was currently working as a field hand, although some papers reported that she was a prostitute. She had mothered all of her children out of wedlock and had not reported Bruce missing. Her claims to the child were dismissed. The boy was declared Bobby Dunbar and remanded to the custody of Percy and Lessie. Anderson returned to North Carolina. A side by side comparison of known photos of Bobby Dunbar and Bruce Anderson Walters was tried for kidnapping. He had traveled the country with Bruce, staying with people they met along the way in exchange for doing small chores and tuning their piano or the church organ. Many of the people they had met along the way came to his defense, stating that they had seen him with the boy before Bobby went missing. Anderson testified in his defense, as well. Despite this, Walters was found guilty. He was incarcerated for two years before his attorney could obtain an appeal. A retrial was ordered by the state supreme court, but the case was dropped because it was deemed too expensive. A photo of “Bobby” shortly after his “return” to the Dunbar family In the meantime, Anderson had settled in Poplarville, Mississippi (having eight other children, each of whom she told regularly that Bruce had been stolen from her. She also founded a church and became a nurse). The child was living as Bobby with the Dunbar family. They refused to allow him to be interviewed and would not allow any new pictures of him to be published. In 1920, the Dunbars divorced. Percy was left to raise both boys on his own when Lessie left him and moved to New Orleans. Their divorce papers stated that Percy was adulterous and had stabbed a man in Florida. Bobby would grow up, marry and have four children. Some sources stated that he questioned whether he was really a Dunbar for the rest of his life, despite an interview he gave as an adult saying that he remembered the kidnapping [2]. In the same interview, he told the story of another boy that was with him and Walters that fell from a wagon and was killed. One of Anderson’s sons claimed that Bobby came to visit him at work in 1944 and one of Anderson’s daughters reported a visit from someone she believed to be Bobby, as well. One of these stories seems to be corroborated by Bobby’s children. In 1999, Bobby’s granddaughter, Margaret, began researching the case. In 2004, DNA test results proved that the child returned to the Dunbars was, in fact, not Bobby. Bobby Dunbar is again considered a missing person, but the case is not being actively investigated due to its age. If this case or the research into it interests you, I highly recommend listening to Margaret Dunbar Cutright, Tal McThenia and the Dunbar and Anderson families on This American Life. A link to that recording can be found here. A link to a video summary of this story can be found here unsolved mystery Published June 28, 2017 September 13, 2018 Next Post Joan Risch 2 thoughts on “Bobby Dunbar” graham64 says: “His description went out: 4 year old, Caucasian male, blond, blue eyes with a mole on his neck and a burn scar on his big toe.” You would think that looking immediately at the big toe of the “Bobby” in Mississippi would have determined if he was the “real” Bobby. There were mentions of other markings that they said the boy did have, but I agree. If he doesn’t have ALL of them, that’s not him. I’m almost sure they knew very quickly that they had the wrong kid, but they kept him. I wonder why.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line476
__label__cc	0.673687	0.326313	Gaudí tour in Barcelona Blog Gaudí tour in Barcelona Have you ever thought about living in Barcelona or spending your holidays in there? No wonder why. In the capital of Catalonia you can do anything you want, from visiting the city to going to the beach, which is very close to the city centre. You can also go to the port. As you can imagine, it's the perfect place to spend your summer. That's why it is one of the cities with the most amount of tourist per year. Every corner of this city is special, and there is always a plan to do so you will never run out of ideas. Barcelona has a rich culture, they have their own language, the Catalan language, as well as their own flag. When we think about Barcelona, the first thing that comes to our mind are the buildings and the monuments. They are all breathtaking. But how were they built? And who designed them? Here's a fact: most famous attractions in Barcelona were designed by the same person. His name is Antoni Gaudí and he is well known not only in this city, but all over the world. Want to know more about Gaudí? Then keep on reading! Who is the famous architect in Barcelona? Who was he? Born in Reus, Catalonia in 1852, he showed an early interest in architecture. He later moved to Barcelona to study Architecture. Once he finished his studies, he immediately started to work in his own studio. He started to plan new projects, and luckily (not only for him, for us too) most of them became true. Nowadays, his architectural legacy is considered World Heritage. He has a characteristic style which consists mainly in the freedom of form, voluptuous colours and organic unity. The Sagrada Familia is his most famous work, but we will talk about it later. Knowing who Gaudí was, now you are ready to learn about one of the best tours to do in Barcelona: the Gaudi tour. A must do when visiting or living in Barcelona. The best sights in Barcelona: the Gaudí tour There's a lot of Gaudí tours in Barcelona, you can either book one in advance or do it by yourself. The second option is much better. That way you can take your time to visit the inside of the buildings (something you can't do if you book the tour online). That's why we want to recommend you some of the best buildings this famous architect designed that you can't miss. Prepare yourself because you are about to discover one of the most amazing tours you will ever do. You will learn about Gaudí's life and techniques while enjoying his stunning architecture. The Sagrada Familia This is the most important monument in Barcelona. This cathedral will impress you because of its massive size. The original project consisted in designing a Gothic style cathedral, but Gaudí complete change the plan. Gaudi wanted the Sagrada Familia to become a worldwide masterpiece and he continued working on it (focusing mostly on the facade) until the day of his death. That's why the construction of this monument is not finished, but it still continues today. It is an expiatory temple. That means it is used as a place to commemorate the reparation of sins against God and the Church. The outside of the monument is amazing, but the interior is interesting too. Gaudi was inspired by nature to decorate it, but always using his personal style. This is a mandatory stop, and if you want to enter the inside you must pay the ticket. You can go up to the towers where you will enjoy the skyline. It is more than a public park, it's a symbol of the city of Barcelona. Its natural environment mixes with the architectonic elements, and makes it unique. In 1984 the UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site. In here you will see a lot of families strolling around and having a good time, and people walking their dogs. A nice atmosphere for a nice visit. Passeig de Gracia It's the most important avenue in Barcelona. The best place to do some shopping, but there's something more important to do. You can't stop here without admiring the Catalan Modernism of the monuments, all designed by Gaudi. These are the ones you need to visit: Casa Batlló: with a polychromatic facade decorated with ceramic and glass. You will find his wavy roof very surprising. It's open to the public and it has one million visitors per year. Casa Milà (or La Pedrera): where does the name of this monument come from? Gaudí designed this building as an assignment for Pere Milà, so the building preserves his name. Today it works as a museum, where you can see all the projects Gaudí worked on. Casa Calvet It's one of the earliest works of Gaudí, so people consider it has a lot of conservative elements, except for the facade, which has modern elements on it. He designed this building in a moment where things were changing. Architects started to use their own style with more freedom, without being conditioned by other styles. They opened a Chinese restaurant in here, called China Crown. By following this guide you will discover the city of Barcelona in detail. You will see impressive buildings in different locations that will make your stay in the city unforgettable. Be ready to wake up early in the morning, Barcelona streets are always full of tourists. Now that you have all the information to do the Gaudí tour, you don't need to wait any longer, pack your things and get on track! helphousing team Born in Madrid, I'm passionate about languages and traveling. Always willing to discover new places, I never say no to new adventures.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line479
__label__cc	0.63448	0.36552	Home /Blog/THIS IS YOUR LIFE! Thoughts + HomilyMay 7, 2017 THIS IS YOUR LIFE! Hi everyone, here’s my homily for the FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER – MAY 7, 2017. The readings for today can be found at: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/050717.cfm. Thanks for stopping by to read this blog, for sharing it on Facebook, Twitter and Reddit – and for your comments and feedback. I’m grateful for your support! God Bless – Fr Jim I wonder how many people remember the television program This is your life. I can remember watching re-runs when I was growing up and was home sick from school or on a snow day…but it was a show that was from way before my time originally airing in the 1950’s. For those who aren’t familiar with it, the show was something like a documentary/reality TV/ game show. A person would be brought to the TV studios under some false pretense, surprised to learn that they would be the focus of an hour-long retrospective on their lives. People from their past – many of whom they hadn’t seen or heard from in years – would be there to surprise them. That’s probably why it wouldn’t work any more. With social media, it’s hard to imagine anyone completely losing track with people from their past – which was kind of essential because part of the drama of the program was to see the honoree hearing a voice of a friend or someone influential in their lives who they hadn’t seen or heard from in decades; you watched the expressions, the excitement, the flood of memories that would overwhelm the guests of honor as they recognized those voices. The idea for the show started when Ralph Edwards it’s creator and host, was approached by some people from the United States Army and asked if he could “do something” for soldiers who were suffering in a hospital from traumatic injuries and were dealing with major depression as a result. Edwards went and visited them and found one soldier who was particularly despondent. He was pretty much confined to a bed and had this isolation, this distance about him. That’s when Edwards thought of the idea of presenting the man’s life on air. Rather than focusing solely on where the soldier was at that point, he wanted to integrate happier times from his past. So he brought in the soldier’s former track coach, people from his childhood, military officials he knew, and so on, for the first episode of the program, which was an overwhelmingly beautiful experience for the soldier. Hearing these voices, and re-engaging with people from his past, helped him to remember who he was. Not simply a man injured in the horrors of war. Two years later to the day that this first episode aired, the soldier, now rehabilitated, came to Edward’s studio in a wheelchair accompanied by his wife who he had recently married for one of the most emotional scenes on a show that had many high emotions. As the soldier was wheeled in, Edwards said “I told him, ‘Here’s a year’s rent, and here’s your key to your new home. Come and get it.’ And the young soldier who just two years earlier was imprisoned by the wreckage he viewed his life as, got up and walked to the microphone. Edwards said “It was the greatest thrill I ever had. The crowd stood up and cheered..” Edwards recognized that what was essential to helping the soldier move out of his depression and begin his rehab and start a new life was to bring back memories through the voices of those who knew him; who could remind him of a happier past, to help the young man see that there was still hope for a happier future. Throughout this Easter season, we’ve heard Gospel narratives, where even though Jesus’ friends keep learning news of and empty tomb, angelic visitors announcing Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead – that news doesn’t seem to be enough to relieve the fear, the terror, the sadness that the first followers were experiencing from Good Friday. Which makes sense. That day for those closest to Jesus was horrific for many reasons – but not the least of which was because they had rejected, betrayed and abandoned him at Jesus’ most trying moment. Those images from Good Friday of His torturous, brutal, gruesome death had left them devastated. Last week we heard in the Gospel how the two disciples were heading out of town towards Emmaus even though they had been told the “good news”of Jesus’ resurrection… Thomas, misses the first encounter and doesn’t believe his fellow apostles testimony… When Mary Magdalene first saw the empty tomb, she feared that there had been another insult to Jesus, someone stealing His body – and when she first sees Jesus she thinks he’s a gardener and asks him did he steal the body and where did he put it… What is able to transform the “good news” of Jesus’ victory over death from something they’ve heard about to something they experience: Hearing the voice of Jesus… In hearing that voice – they were reminded of all that Jesus had taught them…. all that he spoke of how God had never and would never abandon his people… and how that had been definitively, eternally demonstrated in His being risen from the dead, never to die again. With that, their hope for a happier future would resurrect as well. Which leads us to today’s Gospel. Jesus refers to himself as “the Good Shepherd” and the “gate for the sheep” which is a popular image, but needs a bit of an explanation to those of us who don’t have a lot of experience with sheep. Sheep have a connection with the shepherd unlike that of other farmers with their animals. The Shepherd knows every one of his sheep: the one with the strange looking ear; that one with the cute face; the one who’s bigger and fuller than the rest- A Shepherd knows all of them. He knows when one out of 100 of them are missing. At night, during Jesus’ time, there would be three or four shepherds who’d put all of their sheep together in a pen while one of the shepherds would watch though the night protecting them from thieves, or wild animals; and in the morning, the shepherds would call, and the flocks would split and follow their respective shepherd. They knew which voice to follow in order to find direction in life. They recognized the voice of their shepherd. As our Good Shepherd, Jesus tells us in this Gospel that if we listen to His voice and follow Him, He will lead us to an abundant life. That we will be saved. That death will have no power over us. But simply having knowledge of this “good news” as something that we as Catholic-Christians believe isn’t enough… In fact, we may find ourselves like the disciples on the road to Emmaus on the way out of town, unable to truly believe it; like Thomas, thinking it can’t be true; or like Mary Magdalene, unable to recognize Jesus Christ standing right in front of her. We might even belike that soldier who was paralyzed literally and figuratively in the hospital thinking that his future was a limited one of despair and pain. What will lift us　out of those thoughts of despair is by hearing Jesus voice and remembering who we are. Pope Francis gave three ways we can be sure we’re listening to the voice of Jesus. He said First “you will find the voice of Jesus in the Beatitudes. Second: you… know it when that voice speaks of the works of mercy. For example, in chapter 25 of St. Matthew: if someone tells you what Jesus says there, that is the voice of Jesus. Third: you may know it is the voice of Jesus when it teaches you to say ‘Father’, that is, when it teaches you to pray the Our Father.” It is good for us as Jesus’ beloved sheep to be here. We too need to hear the voice of the shepherd to remember who　we are and who we belong to. Listening to the voice of the Shepherd, we hear him reminding us of God’s promises, how He has fulfilled those promises and has never, and will never abandon His People. Listening to the voice of the Shepherd, we hear Him inviting us to follow Him, even as we walk through our own dark nights with things that terrorize us. Listening to the voice of the Shepherd, we too can have our hopes for a happier future restored. If we are able to listen and hear that voice, follow that voice, then we can be confident that despite the unpleasant chapters we have to endure, the ending to our own hypothetical episode of this is your life has a real promise of an eternal, abundant conclusion. Thank you for this…timely! Joe Hassell says: Great homily!	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line485
__label__cc	0.666713	0.333287	The Moon at apogee Wed, 11 Feb 2065 at 13:58 EST (18:58 UTC) 16097 days away The Moon will reach the furthest point along its orbit to the Earth and will appear slightly smaller than at other times. The Moon's distance from the Earth varies because its orbit is not perfectly circular – it is instead slightly oval-shaped, tracing out a path called an ellipse. As the Moon traverses this elliptical path around the Earth each month, its distance varies by around 10%, between 363,000 km and 405,000 km. Its angular size also varies by the same factor, and its brightness also changes, though this is hard to detect in practice, given the Moon's phases are changing at the same time. The exact period of the Moon's cycle between perigee (closest approach), apogee (furthest recess) and back again is 27.555 days – a period of time called an anomalistic month. This is very close to the Moon's orbital period (27.322 days), but slightly longer. For more information on why these periods don't exactly match, see In-The-Sky.org's glossary article for the term month. As the apogee of 11 February 2065 will occur when the moon is around first quarter phase, it will appear in the evening sky. On this occasion the Moon will recede to a distance of 404,000 km from the Earth and appear with an angular diameter of 29.51 arcmin. This may be compared to its average size of 31.07 arcmin. The position of the Moon at the moment of apogee will be: The Moon 02h02m00s +18°00' Aries 29'30" The Moon illusion The Moon's cycle between perigee and apogee is a genuine variation in the Moon's angular size. This should not be confused with the Moon illusion – an optical illusion that makes the Moon appear much larger than it really is when it is close to the horizon. The reason why we experience this optical illusion is still hotly debated. 13 Feb 2065 – Moon at First Quarter 20 Feb 2065 – Full Moon 22 Feb 2065 – The Moon at aphelion	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line492
__label__wiki	0.878446	0.878446	A Look Back at The Danforth Music Hall A brief history of the venue we've come to know and love as The Danforth Music Hall By heather gilroy Music News, News & Lifestyle, Your Toronto 22.09.2014 It’s 1989 and two young women are using The Danforth Music Hall to record their very first EP as a band. Suzanne Little and Michele Gould call themselves Lava Hey, their thing is Folk and they met at NOW Magazine. A Toronto story if there ever was one. In 1989 The Danforth Music Hall is imperfect for live concerts; the paint is peeling and the almost century-old building had been constructed for shows without amplification, so the sound echoes like crazy, but it’s got a charisma. Despite the imperfections, James Brown, the Clash, The Police and the Ramones have all played there. And so Lava Hey sets to work recording. (Allen’s Danforth Theatre, 1919) The old building they’re in had opened with grand ambitions and upscale intentions. Things were never supposed to get so dire. In 1919, the movie theatre boasted marble stairs, red tile on the lobby floor, and gold trimmed velour curtains. It was a jewel in the Allen Theatre chain. Constructed just after the Bloor Viaduct had been completed, it was a time when buildings optimistically shot up all the way down Danforth. But the venue’s bad luck started not even five years after opening: it was bought by Famous Players, then it was a Greek language theatre. It was not until the ‘70s that ‘The Hall’ started booking live acts and things started to look up again. The building had gotten old enough to morph from fancy to edgy, like mansions along the Annex that become rooming houses, and eventually edgy, artsy rentals. (The Century Theatre, 1939) As for Lava Hey’s 1989 recording – surprisingly it goes on to become a big success. The EP was only really meant for their friends’ enjoyment, but within a short time it’s picked up by Nettwerk, which by the 90s is fast becoming one of the largest and most influential record labels in the world. The tracks get re-recorded and band enjoys a couple years of fame. The Musical Hall, however, doesn’t get a Lava Hey style make-over for a while, and the first attempts are disastrous. Let’s blame Jersey Boys for one of them. (The Danforth Music Hall, 2013 via Facebook) In 2004, the Hall closes and remains vacant until re-opening with new owners in 2005 who turn it back into a live music venue. It is even named the Performing Arts Centre of the year (under 1500 capacity) at the 2008 Canadian Music Industry Awards. At this point the owners made an agreement with DanCap Productions Inc., an American company still dizzy from the success of their Jersey Boys production and looking to bring their new comedy stage show Toxic Avengers to the Danforth Music Hall for its Canadian debut. In exchange for the honour of hosting such a money maker, the production company demands new seats, interior renovations, and upgrades to the washrooms and dressing rooms. The bill is split between the Hall’s owners and DanCap. The show is a huge flop and closes early. A year later, in 2010, the property is seized and closed due to non-payment of rent. (seating, present day, via thedanforth.com) But The Music Hall is not a business that stays closed for long. In 2012, it reopens under Impressario Inc. Sixty acoustic panels help with the echoes, removable seats allow the floor to be cleared in under four hours. There are two bars and the entire property is licensed, meaning people can drink in their seats (and the Hall can haul in more money.) The place still has structural charm: 1000 person capacity, a slanted floor (even short people can see the stage) and a location right on the subway line. General Manager Michael Sherman has a goal: 100 -150 shows a year, around 2000 people visiting a week, and booking “proper talent”, people who can make money, from Rihanna to Hanson to Neil Gaiman, to Two Door Cinema Club, Mogwai, Chromeo, Bombay Bicycle Club, and The Black Lips. The odds of some kids, like the ones in Lava Hey, walking off the street to record an EP on any given Tuesday are slim to none. All the same, one would be tempted to hope that things are on the up and up, even for this perennially unlucky Music Hall. We’ll check in 5 years from now. (Owen Pallett @ The Danforth Music Hall, 2014) Tags: Danforth Music Hall, Live Music, nightlife, Toronto Music, Venues	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line493
__label__wiki	0.993428	0.993428	Bono says working with Trump would be his biggest challenge, 'by far' \| iNFOnews \| Thompson-Okanagan's News Source Bono says working with Trump would be his biggest challenge, 'by far' Andy Blatchford FILE PHOTO - President Bush and political activist and entertainer Bono, right, shake hands after Bono spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2006, in Washington. The U2 lead singer and activist says working with a Trump administration in the fight against extreme poverty and preventable diseases would be his biggest challenge - by far. Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Ron Edmonds OTTAWA - U2 lead singer and activist Bono says working with a Trump administration to fight extreme poverty would be his biggest challenge — "by far." Bono has developed close partnerships with Republicans in the past, including George W. Bush, but he told The Canadian Press he's still trying to figure out how he would deal with the party's current nominee, Donald Trump. The Irish rocker, who has lobbied lawmakers of different stripes in Washington for years, is co-founder of ONE Campaign. It's an international organization dedicated to ending extreme poverty and preventable diseases, especially in Africa. "The whole point of ONE is it's bi-partisan and this would be the biggest challenge for me, by far," Bono said when asked about Trump in an interview ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday in Montreal. "But it's not going to change my respect for the Republican party or anything, it's really his hijacking of it." Bono said he has lots of sympathy for Trump supporters, whose concerns include America's shrinking middle class, cannot be ignored. "But this jingoism and this hate-filled speech is just not helpful," he said. "I'm just figuring out live what I think about him, so I can't give you a definitive answer." Bono, who has praised Bush's work to help fight AIDS in Africa, added that Trump represents a "special category." "I'm not sure he's a Republican," Bono said in a phone interview from Los Angeles. "I have huge respect for the GOP and the party of Abraham Lincoln. Some of my best friends in development are Republicans in the United States." On Saturday, Bono will appear at a Montreal event alongside Trudeau, Microsoft's Bill Gates, actress Danai Gurira and others to discuss how poverty disproportionately affects women and girls. The meeting will follow a conference, hosted by Trudeau, for the replenishment of the Global Fund, which is an international partnership focused on eradicating AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Follow @AndyBlatchford on Twitter COVID-19 case count rising in smaller Southern Interior cities Smaller Southern Interior cities are dealing with higher proportions of COVID-19, according to the Jan. 3 to Jan. 9	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line495
__label__wiki	0.98604	0.98604	Harper enters French debate without political allies but Bloc backing on niqab \| iNFOnews \| Thompson-Okanagan's News Source Harper enters French debate without political allies but Bloc backing on niqab A technician cleans the set in preparation for Thursday night's French language leaders debate Wednesday, September 23, 2015 in Montreal. Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson OTTAWA - Stephen Harper doesn't have a reputation as a gambler, but his 2015 federal election call is shaping up as an all-or-nothing bet on another Conservative majority. The prime minister heads into tonight's nationally televised, French-language leaders' debate with only Gilles Duceppe of the Bloc Quebecois as a potential supportive dance partner after the votes are counted on Oct. 19. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair and Green party Leader Elizabeth May both slammed the door this week on any prospect of propping up a Conservative minority government, joining Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau in their flat out disdain for keeping Harper in office if his party can't command majority support in the House of Commons. "There isn't a snowball's chance in hell," Mulcair said Wednesday on the campaign trail. "We would not ever collaborate or support Stephen Harper," May told The Canadian Press in an editorial board the same day. "It's critical that he be gone before the Paris negotiations (this December on climate change) for the health of those negotiations." "There are no circumstances in which I would support Stephen Harper to continue being prime minister of this country," Trudeau averred a day earlier. Harper won a majority government — his first — in the 2011 general election on the strength of a pitch that explicitly called for a majority mandate. He's avoided such talk during eight long weeks of campaigning this time around as most polls have had the three major parties deadlocked in a three-way tie. Asked about the absence of his majority pitch earlier this month during a campaign stop in Whitehorse, Harper warned voters of "some kind of unworkable coalition that ends up with an agenda nobody actually voted for." "So I don't know whether that's a choice, but I know the only choice to keep us moving forward is a strong, stable, national majority Conservative government and that's what's I continue to advocate," he said at the time. There were early signs Thursday that the logjam could be starting to break, with three different pollsters suggesting New Democrat support may be beginning to soften, to the benefit of both Conservatives and Liberals. "Overall, it's fragile," pollster Jean-Marc Leger said of NDP support. "It's really fragile in Quebec." That makes tonight's French debate in Montreal a critical milestone for Mulcair. It also makes him a target. When Parliament was dissolved for the election, the NDP held 54 of Quebec's 75 seats, with no other party in double digits. The Liberals held seven seats, five ridings were represented by Independents and five by Conservatives with a splintered Bloc Quebecois and Forces et Democratie splitting the remainder. Under new riding redistributions this election, the House of Commons increases to 338 seats from 308, including three new electoral districts in Quebec which will give the province 78 MPs. The debate is the third leaders' debate of the campaign but the first to be nationally televised by the major networks. It is also the first to include five party leaders, adding May of the Greens and the Bloc's Duceppe to the mix. It also marks the beginning of an intense nine-day period that will see three leaders' debates in all, two in French and one predominantly in English. The wild card tonight is the emotionally charged issue of religious face coverings and citizenship ceremonies. Harper and Duceppe will find themselves on one side of the issue, facing off against Mulcair, Trudeau and May. Both the Conservatives and the Bloc have put out campaign ads exploiting the divisive niqab debate, although the issue only touches a miniscule fraction of Canada's one million Muslims, who in total comprise just 3.2 per cent of the population according to the 2011 census. May had harsh words for both Harper and Duceppe this week when asked about the niqab debate. "Excuse me, this is not an issue," she said. "This is a cynical manipulation." The leaders kept a low profile in the hours before the debate, though Trudeau held a photo-op with his wife and their three children playing in a park. The Conservatives, meanwhile, announced they would buy the Neustadt, Ont., house where former Tory prime minister John Diefenbaker was born and establish it as a National Historic Site. News from © The Canadian Press , 2015	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line496
__label__cc	0.532919	0.467081	Remembering Sister Therese Kelly Sister Therese Kelly of the Grafton Congregation died on October 11 at the age of 88. Her funeral Mass was celebrated in Grafton on October 15. Friends came from all over the diocese to farewell Therese, whose missionary spirit was evident on the home field as much as in Papua New Guinea. Therese was one of the first group of sisters who went to Torembi in the East Sepik Province of PNG in 1958. Mercy Matters is pleased to publish the eulogy delivered by Sister Mary Quinn (Grafton). Eulogy for Sister Therese Kelly RSM Delivered by Sister Mary Quinn RSM on October 15, 2007 Therese Kelly also known as Sister Mary Vincent was known to so many of you here in the church today. She was not a person who once met, was easily forgotten. I think of her as a person who lived her life in the open. She was not known for being seen and not heard but could often be heard and not seen. I remember once listening to Sister Mary Celestine rousing about the noisiness of the young sisters in a room close by. I knew she was referring to Therese and being young myself I wanted to protect our good name. I went off to ascertain Therese’s age. Next time, I was able to say to Celestine, “well, it couldn’t be Therese, she’s fifty-six”. Many of you would have far more memories than it is possible to touch on in these few words. When we gather after the funeral there will be much to share of our experiences with this young at heart, ever active, loved and admired sister. My first memories of Therese belong to being in the community together in Bowraville in 1954. I remember her as comfortable to be with even if not always predictable. Therese Mary Kelly was born in Lismore on July 23, 1919, the youngest of the ten children of George Kelly and Margaret Daley. Three members of the family became religious. The eldest, Alice, became a Mercy – Sister Louis at Monte Sant’ Angelo – and was a well-known presence at the Mater Hospital in North Sydney. Her sister Marie became a Josephite, Sister Mary Carthage, who worked in the diocese and spent many years in Mullumbimby. She often spoke of her family members and the far flung offspring of their large family, the fun she enjoyed with her siblings as a child and the new additions as they were announced. Therese enjoyed country life and began her schooling at Rous Public School. When she was ready for secondary education, her parents brought her to Grafton to St Mary’s College. Sister Mary Eymard was also a boarder at the time and has some tales to tell of the young, lively Therese. Therese recently had a day in the limelight at the celebrations of the 75th birthday of the Grafton Bridge. One of her memories of her time in Grafton is getting paint on her white uniform at the opening of the Grafton Bridge. The speeches kept going on and on. From the back where she was they couldn’t see much and being weary they leant on the bridge for support. Unfortunately, the paint was very new and had not had time to dry! That story seems to capture something of Therese’s untrammelled spirit. For her, life was to be lived to the full and not even one’s best uniform should get in the way of a practical solution. Therese was very gifted in all things musical and dramatic. And one could add feisty. She was gifted with a beautiful singing voice which she used to entertain, teach and praise God. Her rendition of ‘Phil the Fluter’s Ball’ was breathtaking and her love of Mary shone out in her singing of hymns at church liturgies. Like all music teachers she was the producer of entertaining performances by children. As we look through the record of Therese’s religious life, we see her adaptability and willingness to do whatever was asked of her. She was spurred on by the example and support that she found in our foundress, Catherine McAuley and was ever ready to bring Mercy to new and difficult ministries. She entered the Mercy congregation in Grafton in 1936 and after her profession in 1939 began teaching in the schools. She taught in the infants department and the primary and taught speech and music. Her work with children who had speech defects and learning problems is noteworthy. In 1956 she volunteered for the PNG mission. She went to work with a Brisbane Mercy foundation in the Sepik region. She took the children for music and singing and taught catechism. She loved telling stories and the letters she wrote home from Papua New Guinea are a rich fund of anecdotes seasoned with her deep faith, realism and sense of humour. Nothing seemed to daunt Therese, possibly due to earlier training in dealing with nine older siblings as the wee one. She confronted the challenges and difficulties of missionary life with enthusiasm and formed friendships with the sisters from the four other Mercy congregations who made up the little group in Torembi. However, she did miss the sisters at home in Grafton community. They were part of who she was and she longed for a Grafton community to be a base for her missionary work. On her return from PNG, she was appointed to teaching the infants classes in Bowraville. She related very well to the Aboriginal children and the women. On the mission at that time there were seven houses and 96 members of the families who lived there – with one cold shower outside. In winter she cooked a huge boiler of porridge, which was the custom for the sisters and kept hot water in the bathtub with the chip heater on. The children came up for breakfast and the littlies would have a warm bath in an old washing tub before school. Therese worked in child care at Cowper, taught religious education in State Schools, drove for miles on the Motor Mission in the Mallanganee Parish, lived alone in Bonalbo to be able to reach more families, offered hospitality at Mercy House Stanmore, provided Pastoral Care for the Aged, worked in Maclean Parish and on a Retreat Renewal Team with Sister Nea MacDonald in Casino. In her mid-seventies she became involved in the VISE programme which was established to provide assistance on a short time basis for students in isolated parts of the country. Retired teachers were the voluntary tutors. Therese provided this assistance on Pentland, Wivenhoe, Nelia and Ballabay Stations. Her base was with the Josephite Sisters in Julia Creek. Therese made friends easily and was loyal to them through the years. Recently she returned to the old Mallanganee parish for a reunion and had a great time. She told me she was glad she went as she had a great time but didn’t think she could go again. Therese not only knew how to work but she knew how to play. Swimming in Yamba was one of her great loves. In 1966 she set out with Sister Gemma who was provided with a new Holden car by her sister Mary to visit their brother Greg who was the Police Inspector in Alice Springs. Part of the negotiations was a requirement that they check in at every police station they passed on the way. There was a time around the fifties when generous parishioners treated sisters in the southern houses to bus trips and picnics. Singing on such occasions was the practice and Therese is remembered by many for her contributions. Finally she went into active retirement. Only in February this year did Therese decide it was time to move to St Catherine’s. There she took an active interest in all the residents and continued to live out her religious commitment to the works of Mercy. She had a great love of the Blessed Sacrament and of Mary. The names of twin loves, Jesus and Mary, were inscribed on her profession ring and throughout her life they were her constant companions, her source of strength and hope. At Easter she was responsible for organising the Stations of the Cross for the residents. Therese went to no end of trouble to ensure the chapel was cared for with reverence and love and was engaged in this ministry when she was called to her final act here on earth. Her last words were ‘thank you very much’ to the nurse who had just attended her. No doubt she is already seeing what her eye had not seen previously nor her ear heard here on earth – enjoying to the full what even she had not imagined. Thank you very much Therese. From: Sister Colleen Rhodes (Local Communications Facilitator, Grafton)	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line498
__label__wiki	0.566384	0.566384	From Israel: An Unmitigated Mess!! Arlene Kushner 02/07/2020 Comments Off on From Israel: An Unmitigated Mess!! 560 Views Today is the day on which Israel was to begin application of sovereignty. That is not going to happen today, and I will get to that below. But I have been tracking more than one unmitigated mess, and I want to first circle back briefly to that other enormous mess: in the US. credit: Fox News I provide for you here a link to an interview of Leo Terrell, a civil rights attorney of sterling reputation, forthrightly telling it like it is. He is grievously disappointed with the Democratic Party, and frustrated about the refusal of Democrats to call out the violence of rioters and Black Lives Matter. He addresses the rule of law and the patronizing attitude of the Democrats. He says “systemic discrimination does not exist.” http://video.foxnews.com/v/6167896997001/ What he says is SO important. Because it comes from him – an attorney with 30 years of experience in the field and until recently a supporter of the Democrats – it carries weight. Please watch it and then share the link very broadly. Maybe some eyes will be opened. Now with regard to that application of sovereignty, which is still floating in the air. Presumably something will ultimately happen, although there is no certainty. July 1 was the date written into the unity agreement between Netanyahu and Gantz as the earliest date on which Netanyahu could bring the application of sovereignty to the Cabinet, and then to the Knesset. There is a window of three months going forward for this to happen credit: Israel Hayom While he can do this without Gantz’s approval according to the agreement, the Trump administration has indicated a desire to have Gantz on board. But our Minister of Defense/Alternate Prime Minister Gantz has hedged and equivocated – most recently declaring that this issue should be delayed because of national preoccupation with coronavirus and boosting the economy. Netanyahu responded sharply to this, and in private declared that Gantz has no say in the matter; he insists that we will be moving ahead, and this led to some public friction between the two. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/gantz-hints-at-annexation-postponement-633193 But this tension represents just one of the stumbling blocks, as the process moves forward – and in the end it is one of the smaller problems. The prime minister says that “We are in talks with an American team here in Israel.” And this, I think is at the heart of the matter. The map apparently is not yet finalized, although I have read that there have been some changes that address concerns from our side: enlarging of area around settlements to allow for growth, etc. Whether it sufficiently addresses all concerns I cannot say. But the bottom line is that Netanyahu is doing this in concert with the Americans. Secretary of State Pompeo said recently it is Israel’s decision whether to apply sovereignty or not. OK. But it is not Israel’s decision as to where to apply it. Not if we want US approval, that is. And Netanyahu has made it clear he’s working according to the map. credit: LA Times When the US moved its embassy to Jerusalem, and recognized the Golan Heights as Israeli territory, this was a boost for Israel. The current situation is different. The goal of the “Deal of the Century” is not to do something for Israel, but to “solve” the Israeli-Palestinian Arab conflict. We need to remember this. Trump fell into the same trap as his predecessors: he imagined he could do the impossible. He prides himself on being the ultimate dealmaker. But just as his predecessors learned, so must Trump and his team learn, it IS impossible, simply because the PLO leaders do not wish to make peace: they wish to destroy us. The team has not acknowledged anything of the sort, however. They are still working on “peace.” And they are counting on a complex plan to bring it about. Jared Kushner, devoid of genuine understanding of radical Muslim ideology, imagined that a huge financial package would bring the Palestinian Arabs around. Part of the plan involves a division of Judaea and Samaria, with a conceptual map of how this would work presented in January. It allocated roughly 30% of Judaea and Samaria to Israel, with the remainder held for the Palestinian Arabs. Israel’s sovereignty in that 30% would be recognized by the US immediately, and Palestinian Arab sovereignty (some sort of state) would be recognized only after a host of criteria were met. There was enormous excitement here in Israel because this plan was the first recognition by a US administration – by any administration – that Israel had rights in Judaea and Samaria. This was big, but it was qualified in certain very significant ways: First, even though there is acknowledgement in the plan that this land is Israeli, it is expected that Israel will only apply sovereignty on 30%. (That is all the US will recognize.) And then, it is expected that Israel will agree to negotiate with the PLO in accordance with the plan. Trump said immediately after the plan was released that Netanyahu had agreed to this and he later said so himself. I am vastly uncomfortable with this, as are many others in Israel. The argument is made that the PLO is never going to agree, so it doesn’t matter. But it does, because it opens that Pandora’s box all over again, putting Israel on record as being amenable to a Palestinian state within Judaea and Samaria. The Sovereignty Movement (co-founder Nadia Matar below), certain settler groups, and others to the right urged, “Yes to Sovereignty, No to Palestine.” See the argument here: But that is not what Prime Minister Netanyahu has signed on for!! Avi Dichter, Likud MK and former head of the Shin Bet, has now urged Netanyahu not to wait for a deal with the US, but to apply sovereignty immediately because it’s the right thing for Israel. But that is not Netanyahu’s approach!! Many, of course, argue that the principle of establishing some sovereignty in Judaea and Samaria is so huge that it’s worth the risks. They believe over time it will work out. There are, however, a couple of things that have me particularly unsettled at this point: First, is the question of what happens in four years according to the plan. (I recognize this is only relevant if Trump is still in the White House, let us hope.) The plan – at least as outlined by Ambassador David Friedman in a talk at the JCPA – gave the PLO four years to get their act together. They would not be penalized for taking this much time, said Friedman. But after four years, when the PLO has not come through, is it solidly understood by the US that Israel would then extend sovereignty further – at least to all of Area C? I do not know. Then there seems to be a push by the US to make it all come together sooner. This might be because a diplomatic success here might play well in the US election, or because there is a desire to achieve the final goal, or as close to final as possible, before the election in case it is lost. In line with this, we see the following (emphasis added): “The US administration is pressing Israel to make a significant gesture towards the Palestinian Authority in exchange for Israel applying sovereignty over Judaea and Samaria, Channel 12 News reported on Tuesday. “According to the report, US officials have proposed that Israel give land in exchange for land, in a manner that would allow Palestinian Arabs to build without restrictions or change the status of Area C (where Israel maintains security and civilian control) to that of Area B. “A government official said on Tuesday that ‘if the right knew what the Americans wanted in exchange for annexation, they would be less enthusiastic.’” If this is true, it is very bad news and rings all sorts of bells. This is the same sort of expectation other US administrations voiced – we are supposed to give while the Palestinian Arabs are intransigent. The news as I write this is that we may see some resolution by next week. And apparently President Trump will be making a statement. While we wait, I urge you to see law professor Eugene Kontorovich in a brilliant discourse on Israel’s rights, international law, the meaning of “occupation,” and more. This material is produced by independent journalist Arlene Kushner. . Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution. arlene@arlenefromisrael.info Arlene from Israel website. https://www.arlenefromisrael.info/ Tags Black Lives Matter Netanyahu and Gantz Palestinian Arabs are intransigent sovereignty over Judaea and Samaria Previous How blindness to antisemitism threatens parties and movements. Next MYTH: In “deadly exchanges” Israel trains U.S. police to mistreat minorities..	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line501
__label__cc	0.614842	0.385158	Atlanta Church Makes Contribution to Hurricane Recovery Effort A cheque in the amount of US$10,000 was presented to Jamaica’s Honorary Consul in Atlanta, Vin Martin by Reverend Dr. Aaron Parker, pastor of the Zion Hill Baptist Church in Georgia, to assist in the Hurricane Ivan Relief Drive. The presentation was made at a handing over ceremony at the church on Thursday, October 15. In presenting the cheque, Rev. Parker said his congregation was concerned about the damage that Jamaica suffered as a result of the hurricane and decided to contribute to the recovery effort. He said that while the majority of the congregation consisted of African Americans, there were also a small percentage of Jamaicans who are members and it was therefore “important that we come to the aid of our Caribbean brothers and sisters.” In accepting the cheque, Mr. Martin expressed thanks to the church on behalf of the Government and the people of Jamaica, noting that this was the largest single contribution that had been made to the fund so far. He pointed out that there was no doubt that the money would go a far way in helping Jamaica through its recovery process. This is the second contribution that the fund has received thus far from a church, as the Providence Missionary Church recently donated US$2,800. The Atlanta fund now stands at just over US$20,000.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line503
__label__wiki	0.904707	0.904707	home » JIS News » Technology Government Committed to Infusing ICT At All Levels Written by: Chris Patterson Photo: JIS Photographer Chief Executive Officer, Innovative Corporate Solutions Limited, Neil Abrahams (right) presents winner of the tablets in schools mascot design competition, Jevaughn Graham with his prize during the awards ceremony at the PCJ auditorium in New Kingston recently. Sheena McLean of Northern Caribbean University and Anika Makeda Duffus of Immaculate Conception High were placed second and third respectively. The winners were presented with among other things, tablets, certificates, and trophies. Jevaughn’s mascot will be the animated figure that will become the face of the tablets in schools project. The one-year pilot will be administered in 13 primary schools; six all age and junior high schools; 11 high schools; six infant departments; one teachers’ college; and one special education institution. Gov’t Partners with Middle Eastern Company for ‘Start-Up Jamaica’ PM Meets with JPSCO on Service Interruption Issue State Minister Robinson Invites Public Recommendations on Electricity Theft State Minister Robinson has reiterated the Government’s commitment to infusing greater levels of ICT into schools and communities. This forms part of efforts to ensure that students have access to technology from the earliest age possible. The Tablets in Schools project, which the State Minister said will “revolutionise learning in Jamaica” will initially be rolled out in select schools in September. Minister of State in the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, Hon. Julian Robinson has reiterated the Government’s commitment to infusing greater levels of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) into schools and communities. This forms part of efforts to ensure that students have access to technology from the earliest age possible. He said this is evident through various initiatives, such as the Tablet in Schools project and the establishment of hundreds of community access point computer resource centres across the island. Mr. Robinson was speaking at the awards ceremony for the Tablets in Schools mascot design competition at the PCJ auditorium in Kingston on Friday, May 16. The one-year pilot will be administered in 13 primary schools; six all age and junior high schools; 11 high schools; six infant departments; one teachers’ college; and one special education institution. “The idea is to ensure that every child in the country has access to technology and the internet, regardless of their status or location,” he said. Mr. Robinson said the government is creating an enabling environment to ensure that the future generation moves away from being mere consumers of technology, and become producers as well. Citing the multi-billion dollar animation industry as one of the areas that offer great prospects in the ICT sector, Mr. Robinson urged the students to use their intellectual capacity to tap into that industry. He noted that their success and the success of other students will boost the country’s economic prospects. “This is an area where many of you, and we are not shying away from the traditional professions, but the reality of how the world has changed is that there are many opportunities (that) exist online,” he said. Mr. Robinson congratulated the participants and encouraged them to take their skills and talents to the highest level. “Do well (in your other subjects) and the work that you have to do at school, commit yourself to excellence but look at this as something that can be a career opportunity for you,” he said. Animation Consultant/Web Developer, Greg Harrison in presenting the judges report, said the quality of work from the participants was impressive. He added that the raw talent from the students was superb and urged them to continue harnessing their skills, as the possibilities are endless. Seventeen-year-old student of Central High School, Jevaughn Graham’s entry emerged victorious from the 57 entrants. He informed that his design, which incorporates the national colours, was completed over four days. “When I was looking on the other designs, I was feeling like I didn’t have a chance but I was still confident,” he told JIS News. Sheena McLean of NorthernCaribbeanUniversity and Anika Makeda Duffus of Immaculate Conception High were placed second and third respectively. The winners were presented with among other things, tablets, certificates, and trophies.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line505
__label__cc	0.598057	0.401943	ORC Revenues Surpasses Expectations Revenues collected by the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) for the 2004/2005 fiscal year amounted to $158 million, exceeding the company’s budget expectations. This was disclosed in Ministry Paper 46, which was tabled by Commerce, Science and Technology Minister, Phillip Paulwell in the House of Representatives, on Wednesday (June 1). The document discussed the performance of the company for 2004/05 and its focus for the 2005/06 fiscal year. The document noted that the company’s revenue for the year was 48 per cent above the budget, while expenditure for the same period was $119.4 million, which was 5.2 per cent above projections. Meanwhile the document outlined achievements for the company in several areas, including registration services, implementation of the Document Processing Management Information System (DPMIS) software, public education, staff training, a successful amnesty period, and a website. Despite focus on the implementation of the new Companies Act and the DPMIS, the ORC did not revise any of its registration turnaround times for guaranteed services during the 2004/05 financial year and was able to maintain all turnaround times. In respect to the DPMIS it was noted that all modules of the software had been implemented except for the Business Registration Module. At the end of the second quarter however, although the module had been completed, the presence of glitches in the system prevented full testing. No further work was undertaken on the software except for the completion of several back end screens and the creation of a Name Reservation Screen to facilitate this new service under the Act. In the area of public education, the ORC convened a public education and communications team to operationalise the public education aspect of the implementation plan for the Companies Act. The agency was able to retain media support by engaging the services of the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) to assist in its public education effort. Brochures, posters and pamphlets on various aspects of the new Act were prepared and distributed. The Agency made several presentations on the new provisions of the Act at seminars hosted by professional groups such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica, the Association of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Jamaica and the Jamaican Bar Association, as well as to interest groups such as the Rotary Club. In addition the ORC convened meetings with its larger and more regular customers to discuss the new forms and regulations to be devised in accordance with the new Act. On the matter of staff training, the ORC developed a training plan as part of its general implementation plan. Training on broad aspects of the Companies Act was provided to over 70 officers by the agency’s legal staff along with external presenters. In November 2004, the ORC Amnesty was announced and during the period companies with outstanding annual returns were allowed to file them at a reduced cost and there was a waiver of the late fees on those documents. The Ministry Paper noted that public response to the amnesty was overwhelming and subsequently in late December 2004, an extension through January 31, 2005 was announced. For the period November 18, 2004 to January 31, 2005, companies filed 27,277 annual returns and the agency earned approximately $43 million in revenues. The use of the ORC website grew beyond projections with the volume of subscribers to the site numbering 485 at the end of the period. This was 94 per cent above target. Some of the Agency’s programmes for the 2005/2006 fiscal year include: maintenance of guaranteed registration and search services to customers; implementation of the re-engineered Image Management System – the Document Processing Management Information System (DPMIS); facilitation of amendments to the Companies Act 2004; staff training on the new provisions of the Act; and public education to build awareness of the Companies Act 2004 and the services provided by the agency. The ORC will also seek to, improve the management of its original records; improve financial performance through the implementation of strict cost containment measures and new value added services; and facilitate the amendment of the Registration of Business Names Act.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line507
__label__wiki	0.936194	0.936194	UK Announces New Immigration Regulations The United Kingdom (UK) Government yesterday (February 7), announced new immigration and asylum regulations, some of which could impact directly on Jamaicans living, studying or planning to move to that country. The new regulations, over time, will also include fingerprinting all who apply for a visa. Home Secretary in the UK, Charles Clarke who outlined the Government’s five-year strategy for asylum and immigration, said it sets out a wide-ranging plan to ensure that only those who were eligible could work or study there, and that it would crack down on abuse and illegal immigration. The main ingredients of the new immigration strategy include: A new points system for people applying to work or study in the UK. The scheme will consist of four new tiers – highly skilled, skilled, low skilled and student/specialist (such as football players). Points will be adjusted to respond to changes in Britain’s labour market. Financial bonds where necessary for specific categories where there has been evidence of abuse. This will be refundable only on return to country of origin. Ending chain migration by limiting family migration. There will be an end to the practice whereby those who have settled in the UK can bring in dependents, who can then bring in further family members in their own right. Ending appeals. The Government has already reduced the number of times an asylum seeker can appeal against a decision, and will now extend this to migration routes by abolishing appeals for those seeking to enter the UK to work or study. Mr. Clarke said while the UK needed migration, as tourists, students and migrant workers make a vital contribution to the UK economy, the Government needed to ensure that “we let in migrants with the skills and talents to benefit Britain, while stopping those trying to abuse our hospitality and place a burden on our society”. “We will introduce a simpler, clearer, more effective scheme for those wishing to come and work here, focusing on the highly skilled migrants that can help us build our economy. Over the next five years we will use new technology to transform our immigration control, including the rollout of e-borders and fingerprinting everyone who applies for a visa. We have global communications, global economies and global movement of people. We have to adapt to these developments, not by putting up the shutters, but by managing, controlling and selecting,” he added. Under the new regime, there will be no automatic right to stay in the UK for lower skilled workers and students. They will have to leave when their visas expire. Only skilled workers who support themselves financially can apply to stay permanently after five years, an increase on the current four, and they will be required to speak and write English. Mr. Clarke said that as part of the continued drive against illegal workers, the Government would introduce a	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line508
__label__cc	0.605548	0.394452	We Remain Open And Committed To Providing Critical Addiction Treatment. Read More Here: COVID-19 Update What To Expect At Rehab Free Insurance Review Drugs, Alcohol, and Sexual Violence Just Believe Recovery Center Sexual violence is something no person, male or female, should ever have to experience. It is a life-changing event. The trauma after an experience like this can last for a long time, especially if it is never discussed. Sex-related crimes are one of the most unreported crimes around the world. Sexual violence includes sexual assault, rape, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. These crimes are being reported more than ever before. We are taking steps to listen to and protect victims. In 2018, the self-reported incidence of rape or sexual assault more than doubled from 1.4 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older in 2017 to 2.7. This does not mean there were fewer sex crimes before 2018, this means victims are speaking out. Nearly 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men in the United States have been raped at some time in their lives. These statistics are staggering. One problem with the statistics out there is they are difficult to compile. A major problem with sexual offenses is the laws vary greatly from state to state. A crime committed in one state may not even be a crime in another. State laws differ on whether rape must involve physical force or threats of physical force, and so on. Even when using national standards, such as the categories reported by the 17,000 police departments submitting Uniform Crime Report data to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), it is impossible for each officer in each department to use the same exact criteria to decide how to classify a crime. We need to work on defining sexual violence crimes. The differences in laws from state to state leave some victims with no rights and no justice. Substances and Sexual Violence There are no conclusive estimates as to the number of drug-facilitated sexual assaults that occur each year. However, nationwide law enforcement reporting indicates that the number of assaults appears to be increasing. Many drug-facilitated sexual assaults are not reported. Victims often are reluctant to report incidents because they may feel embarrassed, guilty, or sometimes feel responsible. Making it even more difficult, most of the drugs typically used in the sexual assaults are rapidly absorbed and metabolized by the body. That means those drugs become undetectable in routine urine and blood drug screenings. Sexual assaults have long been linked to the abuse of substances, primarily alcohol, that may decrease inhibitions and render the victim incapacitated. Besides alcohol, the drugs most often used by the perpetrator during a drug-facilitated sexual assault are GHB, Rohypnol (a benzodiazepine), ketamine, and Somas, and other benzodiazepines, like Xanax or Klonopin. These drugs often render victims unconscious—an effect that is quickened and intensified when the drugs are taken with alcohol. Drinking with these substances is dangerous because the mixture can cause a blackout. Heavy drinking can cause blackouts, but when benzodiazepines are put into the mix it can cause a blackout much quicker with less alcohol. That means a potential victim can consume two drinks and still become extremely inebriated or unconscious. A person can also become a victim after taking such a drug willingly. Because of the sedative properties of these drugs, victims often have no memory of an assault, only awareness or sense that they were violated. It does not matter if you are a drug addict or alcoholic or not. These crimes are serious and it is never the victim’s fault. Addiction does not make any crime against you less than. Turning to drugs or alcohol after an assault does not help the healing process. Studies have shown victims of sexual assault are more likely to turn to substances. Victims are 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol and a staggering 26 times more likely to turn to drugs. The Trauma The trauma of being violated in a sexual way can be consuming. It can leave a victim feeling ashamed, guilty, even alone. These experiences can lead to flashbacks, nightmares, and horrible memories. The trauma can feel so heavy it can change your view on the world. Victims are left with feelings of a lack of safety or trust. Some victims do not tell anyone about the abuse or attack for years or at all. This trauma is not one to be carried alone. If these crimes go unreported, the perpetrators are free to walk around and possibly hurt others. The #MeToo movement has helped make massive strides in helping to change the ideas around sex crimes and harassment. One of the biggest effects of the #MeToo movement has been to show Americans and people around the world how widespread sexual harassment, assault, and other misconduct really are. As more and more survivors spoke out, they learned they were not alone. And people who had never had cause to think about sexual harassment before suddenly saw how much it had affected their coworkers, children, parents, and friends. Knowing you are not alone can help begin the healing process. Therapy is highly recommended for victims of sexual assault. There is never any justification for these types of crimes. The trauma does not have to be your to carry alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling- reach out. It truly can help. ⟹ READ THIS NEXT: First Steps to Recovery Just Believe Recovery is a fully licensed, Joint Commission accredited, comprehensive drug and alcohol treatment center located in Carbondale, Pennsylvania 🔒 Your information is safe & secure Sidebar Contact PA How to Detach With Love According to statistics, an estimated 10 percent of U.S. persons experience a substance disorder at some point in their lives. Addiction tends to be an Just Believe Recovery Center January 15, 2021 Abused Substances Identifying Opioid Use Disorder Due to the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States, identifying and diagnosing opioid use disorder (OUD) in affected persons has become more critical than K2 and Spice Drug Effects and Dangers Spice and K2 are synthetic intoxicating drugs that typically consist of various chemicals sprayed onto plant material that can be used for smoking. 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__label__cc	0.593885	0.406115	Except when otherwise noted, articles posted in The Kahimyang Project are licensed under a Creative Commons 3.0 License, you are free to copy, distribute, display, and make derivative work for non-commercial purposes. This website uses cookies. By using this website and agreeing to this policy, you consent to Kahimyang Projects's use of cookies in accordance with the terms of this policy. Cookies are files sent by web servers to web browsers, and stored by the web browsers. The information is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server. This enables a web server to identify and track web browsers. There are two main kinds of cookies: session cookies and persistent cookies. Session cookies are deleted from your computer when you close your browser, whereas persistent cookies remain stored on your computer until deleted, or until they reach their expiry date. The Kahimyang Project uses Google Analytics to analyse the use of the website. Google Analytics generates statistical and other information about website use by means of cookies, which are stored on users' computers. The information generated relating to our website is used to create reports about the use of the website. Google will store and use this information. Google' privacy policy is available at: http://www.google.com/privacypolicy.html The Kahimyang Project publishes Google Adsense interest-based advertisements on its pages. These are tailored by Google to reflect your interests. To determine your interests, Google will track your behaviour across the web using cookies. You can view, delete or add interest categories associated with your browser using Google's Ads Preference Manager, available at: http://www.google.com/ads/preferences/ You can opt-out of the Adsense partner network cookie at: http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html However, this opt-out mechanism uses a cookie, and if you clear the cookies from your browser your opt-out will not be maintained. To ensure that an opt-out is maintained in respect of a particular browser, you should use the Google browser plug-in available at: http://www.google.com/ads/preferences/plugin. Most browsers allow you to refuse to accept cookies. In Chrome, select the Chrome menu (bars icon) at upper right corner, select "Settings", "Show advanced settings". In the "Privacy" section, select "Content settings". Under "Cookies", check "Block sites from setting any data", "Done". In Internet Explorer, you can refuse all cookies by clicking "Tools", "Internet Options", "Privacy", and selecting "Block all cookies" using the sliding selector. In Firefox, you can adjust your cookies settings by clicking "Tools", "Options" and "Privacy". Updated April 28, 2016 6:36:00pm EST The Kahimyang © 2020 Primo Esteria	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line517
__label__wiki	0.971366	0.971366	2015 Will Go Down As the Best Year for Indian Ace Sania Mirza’s Decade-Long Tennis Career by R K Gupta on December 11, 2015 Just before 2015 tennis season, India’s Sania Mirza was in a fix. Her women’s doubles partner Cara Black had decided to curtail her appearances and Sania wasn’t quite sure about who she would pair with. For the year-opening Brisbane International, Sania Mirza and Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei lost in the semifinal and as Sania headed to Sydney for Apia International, she had another partner in USA’s Bethanie Mattek-Sands. Even after Sania/Mattek-Sands won the Sydney title, Sania wouldn’t have had any inkling of the shape of things to come in the rest of the 2015 season. But in a dream-like run, thereafter, Sania ended the year with a meteoric rise winning two Grand Slam Titles at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows and adding eight more WTA titles against her name. All but one of Sania’s 2015 victories came with Switzerland’s Martina Hingis and the Indian jumped to the no.1 spot in individual doubles rankings. Sania Mirza Indian tennis player. Sania Mirza’s tennis career began as an 18-year old singles player in 2005. She reached the third-round of 2005 Australian Open before losing to eventual champion Serena Williams. Sania caused a shocking second-round upset at Dubai International by defeating Russia’s 4th seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova. The Russian, however, extracted her revenge by defeating Sania in second round of 2005 Wimbledon. Earlier in February 2005, Sania became the first ever Indian woman to win a WTA title, when she defeated Ukraine’s Alona Bondarenko in the final of AP Tourism Classic at Hyderabad. Later that year, Sania reached her second WTA final at 2005 Forest Hills Classic but lost to Czech-woman Lucie Safarova in final. In 2005 US Open, Sania reached the fourth round before losing to Maria Sharapova. The Indian had a great 2005 WTA season that also saw her semifinal entry in Japan Open. She was named as the WTA Newcomer of the Year 2005. Though Sania was seeded no.32 in 2006 Australian Open, she lost in the first round. Overall, 2006 was not as good for Sania as 2005 had been; although she reached the semifinals of Sunfeast Open before losing to Martina Hingis. In contrast, 2007 proved to be a better year as Sania reached semifinal at Hobart, second-round at Australian Open, semifinals in Pattaya and quarterfinals at Bangalore Open. In 2007, Sania broke into world’s top 30 singles players and also improved as a doubles player by reaching US Open quarterfinals of mixed and women’s doubles with Mahesh Bhupathi and Bethanie Mattek-Sands. In all, Sania won four doubles titles in 2007. In 2008 Australian Open, 31st seeded Sania lost to Venus Williams in singles third-round but reached mixed doubles final with Mahesh Bhupathi. A wrist injury curtailed Sania’s appearances for most part of 2008. In 2009, while Sania kept playing singles on WTA circuit, she emerged as a prominent doubles player. With Bhupathi, Sania won 2009 Australian Open mixed doubles crown, when the Indians defeated Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy and Israel’s Andy Ram. Later, Sania also reached singles final of 2009 Pattaya Women’s Open before losing to Russia’s Vera Zvonareva. Fighting injuries throughout 2010, Sania’s singles’ performance took nose-dive but she won doubles title with Edina Gallovits at Guangzhou and finished runner-up in Taipei with Hsieh Su-Wei. As 2011 season began, Sania slipped to no.141 in singles ranking and needed to win qualification matches in many tournaments. Her performance in doubles, however, showed improvement. With Elena Vesnina, Sania reached quarterfinals of Dubai Tennis Championships and Qatar Ladies Open. Sania/Vesnina won titles in Indian Wells and Family Circles Cup at Charleston. But Sania/Vesnina had their biggest moment in 2011 by finishing runners-up at French Open. They also reached Wimbledon doubles semifinals. As 2012 beckoned, Sania/Vesnina reached semifinals of Auckland’s ASB Classic but lost to Julia Gorges/Flavia Pennetta next. Sania/Vesnina reached 2012 Australian Open semifinals but Kuznetsova/Zvonareva denied them entry to the final. Sania also reached the mixed doubles semifinals with Bhupathi but couldn’t progress further. At Pattaya Open, Sania won her 13th WTA title with Australian Anastasia Rodinova but lost in the first-round of 2012 French Open with Mattek-Sands. However, Sania won a Grand Slam title, when she and Bhupathi won the mixed doubles final at Roland Garros. At 2012 Wimbledon, Sania/Mattek-Sands lost to Williams sisters in the third round. Sania began well in 2013 by winning Brisbane Open with Mattek-Sands but the pair lost in the first-round of the Australian Open. However, Sania, reached mixed doubles quarterfinals with USA’s Bob Bryan before losing at the next hurdle. Sania/Mattek-Sands won another women’s doubles title, when they won 2013 Dubai Duty-Free Championships but lost early in 2013 French Open and Wimbledon. With China’s Zheng Jie, Sania won her next WTA title at New Haven and entered the semifinal of US Open before losing to Australians Casey Dellacqua/Ashleigh Barty. For the rest of the 2013, Sania combined with Zimbabwe’s Cara Black and won doubles titles at Japan and China Open. Playing with different partners, Sania won 5 WTA titles in 2013. Sania/Black had a bad start in 2014 as they lost in first round of Sydney’s Apia International but reached 2014 Australian Open quarterfinals before losing to top seeds and eventual champions Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci. Sania also entered mixed doubles final with Romania’s Horia Tecau but lost to Kristina Mladenovic/Daniel Nestor next. Sania/Black continued for most of 2014 but the pair could only win the Portugal Open. They, however, reached the finals of BNP Paribas Open and Porsche Grand Prix, semifinals of Sony Open and quarterfinals of Mutua Madrid, Rome Masters and French Open. Sania/Black also reached 2014 US Open semifinals before losing to Martina Hingis/Flavia Pennetta. The pair recorded their biggest success in 2014 WTA finals, when they beat Hsieh Su-Wei/Peng Shuai 6-0, 6-1 in the most one-sided final ever seen in the end-of-season doubles final. This was the last time Sania played with Black in doubles. Earlier, Sania clinched her third Grand Slam by winning 2014 US Open mixed doubles with Brazil’s Bruno Soares. Sania began 2015 season as 6th ranked doubles player and had world no.5 Hsieh Su-Wei as her partner. They reached Brisbane Open semifinals but lost to Caroline Garcia/Katarina Srebotnik. Black’s departure created some uncertainty for Sania but she still won Sydney’s Apia International with Bethanie Mattek-Sands. However, Sania/Mattek-Sands lost in second round of 2015 Australian Open. With Hsieh coming back for Qatar Ladies Open, Sania reached the finals but lost to USA’s Raquel Kops-Jones/Abigail Spears. By now, Sania’s doubles world ranking had gone up to no.5 but she was unaware of what lay in store for her in the rest of the 2015 season. In March 2015, Sania Mirza found a new partner in Swiss legend Martina Hingis. They immediately struck a common cord by winning at Indian Wells and Miami Masters. In both finals, Sania/Hingis defeated Russians Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina. Sania jumped two more places in WTA rankings and by April she was firmly entrenched as world’s top-ranked women’s doubles player, when She and Hingis won their third title together at Charleston’s Family Circle Cup. After three successive title wins, Sania/Hingis lost in the first-round at Porsche Tennis Grand Prix but reached the final of Italian Open, where they were beaten by Timea Babos/Kristina Mladenovic. The pair also lost in French Open quarterfinals and the Aegon International semifinals. Thereafter, however, Sania/Hingis began a golden period together. They won at Wimbledon by beating Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina and reached the finals of Rogers Cup and Cincinnati Masters. After title-game losses in Rogers Cup and Cincinnati, Sania/Hingis added another Grand Slam feather in their caps by winning 2015 US Open. Their undefeated streak continued with victories at Guangzhou Open, Wuhan Open and the China Open. The top-seeded duo went to WTA finals at strong favorites and won all their matches without dropping a set. In the final, they had an easy 6-0, 6-3 victory against Spain’s Garbine Muguruza/Carla Suarez Navarro and it capped a fantastic year for the Indo-Swiss combination. For Sania, it was the second straight win in WTA finals and she ended the year with 10 WTA titles including 2 Grand Slams. Sania/Hingis were also awarded the WTA Doubles Team-of-the-Year.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line518
__label__wiki	0.604068	0.604068	India digital taxes: India’s equalisation levy: Will it ignite a new trade war? January 9, 2021 January 8, 2021 by kjmhost.com MUMBAI: Digital services taxes (DSTs) adopted by India, Italy and Turkey discriminate against US companies, are inconsistent with the currently prevailing principles of international tax and burden or restrict US companies. These are the findings of the office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) that were recently made public, pursuant to an investigation carried out under section 301 of The Trade Act, 1974. In particular, USTR’s report points out that: “India’s DST is an outlier. It taxes numerous categories of digital services that are not leviable under other DSTs adopted around the world. This brings more US companies within the scope of the DST, and makes the measure significantly more burdensome.” USTR has also undertaken similar investigations with respect to the DSTs adopted or under consideration by Austria, Brazil, the Czech Republic, the European Union, Indonesia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The reports relating to these countries are awaited. USTR, in its statement, adds that it is not taking any specific actions in connection with the findings at this time but will continue to evaluate all available options. Let us take a step back in time. On July 10, last year, US announced imposition of an additional 25% import tariff on imports of a wide range of luxury products from France. This was pursuant to a similar investigation undertaken by the USTR. The trade value of these imports of cosmetics, soaps, handbags et all, was estimated at $ 1.3 billion. The tariff imposition was kept in abeyance for a 180 period (ie: up to January 5, 2021) to enable negotiations between the two countries. Pending ongoing investigation of DSTs adopted or under consideration in other countries, USTR has suspended the tariff action to promote a coordinated response in all its Section 301 investigations. While the path that India will adopt is not immediately known, it is unlikely that India will budge on its stand that its Equalisation Levy (EL) aka digital services tax is unequitable. In this backdrop, the Indian government will need to gear up for some hard negotiations. While, imposition of additional tariffs by the US on imports from India and other countries that have introduced DSTs cannot be ruled out sometime in the future, India will not be alone in this war. India the first mover: International tax laws were designed for the traditional economy which required a physical presence (permanent establishment as it is defined in tax treaties) in the country where the goods and services were sold. In a unilateral move, owing to lack of consensus at an international level, India introduced an EL from June 1, 2016. Under it, an Indian payer is required to deduct 6% on payments (if in excess of Rs 1 lakh a year) to a non-resident for online advertisements. While this is ostensibly a levy on the non-resident entity (say Google, or Facebook), the actual burden of such levy shifted to the B2B customer by way of higher charges. In financial year 2017-18, which followed its introduction, the collections under equalisation levy exceeded Rs 550 crore. Recent news reports cite that Google has paid around Rs 604 crore, as equalisation levy during the fiscal 2019-20. However, the scope of the section 301 investigation was focussed on the 2% EL introduced by the Finance Act, 2000, with effect from April 1. It covers non-resident e-commerce operators who have to pay this levy on the consideration received for online sale of goods or services. It covers both B2B and B2C transactions but does not apply where the sales, turnover or gross receipts of the non-resident entity is less than Rs 2 crore in a fiscal year. While the collection from this 2% EL will be known only after the current fiscal ends, USTR estimates that the aggregate tax bill for US companies could exceed $30 million per year. Apart from pointing out the broad scope of the 2% EL, USTR in its report also pointed out that the overwhelming majority of companies subject to this levy are US companies. Of the 119 companies that USTR was able to identify who were likely to bear this levy 86 companies (or 72%) were US companies, followed by China and UK (7 companies), France (6 companies) and Japan (5 companies). US companies bear the greatest burden of India’s discriminatory approach, it concluded. USTR pointed out that India had not set a global revenue threshold for the purpose of the levy. The domestic threshold of Rs 2 crore ($267,000 approximately) was also perceived as low, by USTR. It emphasised that both these aspects would bring within the ambit of EL, several companies which do very little business with India. EL levels the playing field, says India: The US investigation on the 2% EL included whether the EL discriminated against the US companies, whether it was applied retrospectively, and lastly whether it diverged from US or international tax norms due to its applicability on entities not resident in India. A statement from the ministry of commerce & industry in response to the USTR findings states: In this regard, the US requested for consultations and India submitted its comments to the USTR on July 15, 2020. It also participated in the bilateral consultation held on November 5, 2020, where it emphasised that the EL is not discriminatory. It was explained that on the contrary EL seeks to ensure a level-playing field with respect to e-commerce activities undertaken by entities resident in India who are already subject to taxes in India on the revenue generated from the Indian market, and those that are not resident in India, or do not have a permanent establishment in India. The EL levied at 2% is applicable on all non-resident e-commerce operators irrespective of their country of residence, who do not have a permanent establishment in India. The threshold for this levy is Rs 2 crore, which is very moderate. It was also clarified that the EL was applied only prospectively, and has no extra-territorial application, since it is based on sales occurring in the territory of India through digital means. In addition, it was pointed out that EL was one of the methods suggested by the OECD/G20 Report on Action 1 of BEPS Project (2015), which was aimed at tackling the taxation challenges arising out of digitisation of the economy. EL is a recognition of the principle that in a digital world, a seller can engage in business transactions without any physical presence, and governments have a legitimate right to tax such transactions, added the ministry’s statement. Given that a global consensus at the OECD or even the UN level may take several more months, countries including India, are likely to continue with their unilateral DSTs. At this juncture, when economies are reeling under the ill-effects of the pandemic, no country would want to give up its share of revenue and wait for a global consensus to emerge. That said, India can address certain issues that non-resident taxpayers are facing in complying with the EL. Ease of compliance and payment will go a long way in showcasing that it is not only easy to do business in India but with India. Cognizant makes organisational changes, president DK Sinha to retire in July India, Australia will gain from expanded trade of lithium resources, says Aus High Commissioner Barry O’Farrell	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line522
__label__wiki	0.811404	0.811404	The Alternative Summer Movie Season: What to Watch At Home Instead of All the Delayed Films Disney/Focus Some movie theaters owners are hopeful that we will be back at the multiplex in late July. Even if that best-case estimate is correct, that still means that we’re in for at least three more months without blockbusters — right at the start of summer movie season, which typically kicks off in late April and winds down in early August. Even if theaters do open later this summer, most of the biggest movies expected in theaters from now until then have already been pushed back to the fall, the Christmas season, or even next year. If you’re already going through summer movie season withdrawals, you’re not alone (he typed, wistfully, while quietly sobbing into his novelty Avengers: Infinity War dish towel). There’s nothing quite like a big movie on a giant screen with huge sound and dozens of excited moviegoers cheering along — certainly nothing at home. How are we going to fill that void? Here’s my suggestion: Create an “Alternative Summer Movie Season” at home, with a targeted movie recommendation to watch instead of each of the films that has been pushed back to later in 2020 or 2021. Below, I’ve assembled a list of 15 postponed blockbusters from April through July, and paired each of them with a movie that is currently available for streaming at home on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, the Criterion Channel, or elsewhere. These alternatives were selected to trigger at least some of the same endorphins as the movies we’ve temporarily lost. It’s obviously not as good as a true summer movie season, but it’s better than nothing. Gallery — The 15 Things We Miss Most About Movie Theaters: Source: The Alternative Summer Movie Season: What to Watch At Home Instead of All the Delayed Films Filed Under: A Quiet Place 2, Black Widow, Bond 25, Candyman, commerce, Coronavirus, Fast and Furious 9, Free Guy, Ghostbusters 3, In the Heights, Jungle Cruise, Mulan, Scoob!, The New Mutants, Top Gun 2, Wonder Woman 1984	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line523
__label__cc	0.523784	0.476216	← The Lives of Others 9/11 + 19: Lessons → “No More”? Like the Last Four Years? Whitehouse Ave., Whitehouse Station, New Jersey Posted on September 9, 2020 by Irfan Khawaja under Election 2020 \| 8 Comments 8 thoughts on ““No More”? Like the Last Four Years?” Roderick T. Long Could this be contrition on Trump’s part? I doubt he even knows what “contrition” is. I took that picture at the beginning of a 15 mile bike ride through my ruralish Hunterdon County neighborhood, where Trump signs outnumber Biden signs by maybe 5:1, usually accompanied by Blue Line flags, or “Back the Blue” paraphernalia. It gets wearing after a few miles (less). All this Trump advertising sits on gigantic, government-subsidized plots of “preserved farmland” surrounding mansion-sized houses and farms: a 21st century manorial countryside genuflecting before its Stuart monarch. I guess this kind of talk makes me a Jacobin among the Jacobites. Incidentally, the first short story I ever wrote had a protagonist named Robert Peters, an alienated but ferociously resentful suburban youth wishing to right the wrongs of an unjust world. He failed in the end, I forget how. Got in trouble with the law or something. Suleman Khawaja I was recently dining at an outdoor restaurant and a pair of bikers (the Harley kind, not the Schwinn kind) cruised by, horns blaring, with the same banner trailing behind one of the motorcycles. It’s our natural habit to see an ostensible act of political expression to try to interpret and evaluate the political message. But in this case, my advice is for anyone reading this to put away your Froot Loops Decoder Ring, move on with whatever semblance of a life you can still salvage after 4 years of genocide by executive malpractice, and take whatever action is within your power to get the Trump administration out of office (not just voted out, but actually out out). Do you remember that Japanese heavy metal band from the mid-80s, Loudness? They were a one-hit wonder, with the one hit being a song called “Crazy Nights,” which combined a ferocious three-chord riff with lyrics that demonstrated a shaky beginner’s attempt at using the English language (e.g. “Come on get on your seat!”). The chorus of the song features a crowd repeatedly chanting “M. Z. A.!” What is M.Z.A.? What does it stand for? Is it something too subversive or prurient to spell out? The band later said in interviews that when they were recording the song, they knew they wanted to have a part where they chant something, and in a demo session, the singer chanted “M.Z.A.” – three totally random letters, with hopes of their coming up with something cool to take its place by the time of the final recording. But the band had neither the ability nor the occasion to come up with anything, so in the final version of the song, they figured they might as well go with M.Z.A. That’s what “Trump 2020: No More Bullshit” is. You can analyze “Trump 2020: No More Bullshit” as rigorously as you want, and I’m certain you’ll never make even glancing contact with any real meaning. It’s a mental fart written into a slogan. Much as the Kardashians are famous for being famous, Trump supporters are Trump supporters because they are Trump supporters, at least in the realm of discourse. They regard it as their “kampf” that people in the outside world seek grounds, logic, or justification from them with askance. They have no idea what they’re talking about, but they know they want to say it right in your face, in the most provocative way possible. M.Z.A.!!! [Doo-doo-doot Doo-DOO-Doo-Doo] M.Z.A.!!! I had, indeed, forgotten “Loudness.” But I returned to them, with gratitude for your suggestion. They look like Motley Crue, but sound like the Scorpions. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a drum track quite as complicated as this one. What time signature is this guy in, anyway? Girl in a kimono chanting “MZA” is a nice touch. Forges a connection with ancient Japanese tradition. Ending with a Rising Sun flag is a little dubious, but maybe more a tribute to The Animals than Emperor Hirohito. The “MZA” thing works. I don’t care what it means, or that it means nothing. What’s important that I am the hero tonight. I’ve always wanted to be a hero, and now I am. Took all of four minutes. It’s too bad I live in an HOA where it’s against the rules to put a political sign on my lawn, but if I could, I’d put up “MZA” in gigantic letters. By the way, I don’t think a metal riff is accurately represented with “doot doots,” but that’s a minor point. I do find the insistent ostentatiousness of these Trump supporters one of their most irritating qualities. How many people need constant reminders of what country they live in? Does anyone think that there’s a dearth of American flags cluttering up the skies? I’ve never wanted to burn the flag until these assholes came along. Yeah, we get it, you’re true blue (or true red, or true red-white-and-blue) Americans, and we’re not. Now could you shut the fuck up about it, already? Point made. Yes, we’re all America-hating antifa communists. You needn’t repeat yourselves ad nauseam. Instead of burning the flag, I sometimes feel like making a flag that has the COVID-19 death count on it. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to sew, and the death count isn’t stable enough to put on a flag. Yes. I think the point here is, there is a time and place for insistently shouting utter nonsense in other people’s faces, and that time and place is 1985, at a Japanese hair metal band concert. Not 2020, amid an overabundance of complicated, deadly national and global problems that need solving. My COVID-19 Death Flag would feature a giant coronavirus on top of the “Don’t Tread On Me” snake, and in the place of “Don’t Tread On Me” it would say “U.S.A. – Get Sick And Die.” This generation’s AIDS quilt. My personal favorite WTF lawn sign these days is the one with the blue line that says “I Support This Line.” I can’t tell what the hell this means. The blue line symbol historically has signified a cop dying in the line of duty. So what exactly is the line that’s being supported? The line separating cops from the civilians they serve? Is the person saying that when cops get killed in the line of duty, that they’re kind of into it? To make matters even more confusing, these signs are invariably posted right at the property line of the person’s yard. Is that the line they support? Is it that they support the idea of cops keeping the unwashed black and brown masses away from their property? Can’t tell. The subtext is clear enough, though. They’re meant as a retort to BLM signs. Which is a lot like responding to a famine by proclaiming your support for the sun. And, finally, enough with the fucking POW-MIA flags. In all my years and all of the thousands of these flags, signs, and bumper stickers I’ve seen, I’ve never – not even once – witnessed any of the bearers of the symbol doing one thing that could be construed as helpful engagement with the cause of reducing or alleviating the burdens of POW’s or MIA’s anywhere in the entire world. For all the flak leftists get over the issue of “virtue signaling,” there is no more hollow and disingenuous act of virtue signaling than flying the POW-MIA flag. In my experience it’s most often a thin front for the white nationalist jingoism of the Bikers for Trump crowd, people whose North Star boils down to a Rambo revenge fantasy. I hadn’t even thought of the POW-MIA flag as virtue signaling, but that’s exactly what it is, and it’s far (far) more ubiquitous than any left-wing sort of virtue-signaling (and to my mind, more offensive). But I don’t think it’s merely a front for white nationalist jingoism. It’s become normalized as a supposedly conventional form of patriotism, as conventional as flying the American flag itself. It means, “We support the troops–no matter what they’re doing, where they are, or why.” It flies in front of the shopping center where I get my groceries, and in front of the car wash nearby–neither white nationalist establishments to my knowledge. (Well, on second thought, the owners of the shopping center do play a constant loop of country music on the PA, so who knows.The employees at the car wash are almost all Hispanic, but I don’t know about the owner. Welcome to Hunterdon County, where “you never know.”) The function of flying the flag in those places is appeasement. It’s no different from the signs that business owners put up during a riot, proclaiming solidarity with the rioters. Except with a slight twist: “Yes, we believe in the same bullshit as you! Now come on in, and buy something!”	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line530
__label__wiki	0.913312	0.913312	CEO of Islamic Relief USA appointed to U.S. State Department working group Washington, D.C., Nov. 21, 2011– CEO of Islamic Relief USA, has been appointed to the U.S. State Department’s Religion and Foreign Policy Working Group to help inform U.S. policy. Along with the other members, Ayoub will take part in dialogue and provide input on relevant topics including the challenges and opportunities for partnership. The group also will identify model action programs or projects for collaboration between the U.S. government and NGOs. “We feel honored to be in this group, working with diverse leaders,” Ayoub said. “As a humanitarian organization, we can bring a lot to the table. Unfortunately, most of the disasters in the world are in the Muslim world, and we’re hoping that we can maximize the benefits going to the beneficiaries by being in this group.” The Religion and Foreign Policy Working Group is divided into sub-groups. Ayoub will serve on the Sub-Group on Faith-Based Groups and Development and Humanitarian Assistance, which examines faith-based organizations’ challenges, opportunities and resources in addressing societal needs for such assistance. This forum also will work to ensure NGOs’ freedom to operate and deliver humanitarian aid. Other members of the Development and Humanitarian Assistance sub-group include Richard Stearns, President/CEO of World Vision; Carolyn Woo, CEO of Catholic Relief Services; David Beckmann, President of Bread for the World; and Ruth Messinger, President of American Jewish World Service. The group held its first meeting in October. Ayoub said the Development and Humanitarian Assistance sub-group discussed the role of humanitarian organizations and heard issues facing the State Department, particularly the drought and famine in East Africa. “The State Department wants to engage faith-based organizations,” Ayoub said. “Hopefully Islamic Relief can participate in solving world issues and ease the suffering of the people.” The group will continue to meet through November 2012. Islamic Relief USA, based in Alexandria, Va., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization with eight consecutive 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator. Its mission is to alleviate suffering, hunger, illiteracy and disease regardless of color, race, gender or creed, and to provide aid in a compassionate and dignified manner. Islamic Relief USA aims to provide rapid relief in the event of human and natural disasters and to establish sustainable local development projects, allowing communities to better help themselves. In 2010, Islamic Relief USA programs benefited more than 4.3 million people in 34 countries, including the United States. In addition to its 4-star rating on Charity Navigator, Islamic Relief USA meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, a national charity monitoring group affiliated with the Better Business Bureau system. Islamic Relief USA is on the U.S. government’s Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charity list, and it is also a signatory to the code of conduct of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line532
__label__cc	0.621617	0.378383	Saturday 2 Jumada al-akhirah 1442 - 16 January 2021 Get to know Islam Books Articles Тоҷикӣ tg Knowledge & Propagation The problem of forgetting Qur’aan Publication : 22-05-2000 When I was a youngster I was sent to a Boarding School and did hifz for a while. I left the hifz classes after completing four paras (juz). This was due to the fact that I could not manage school & hifz at the same time. I was 12-13 years old at the time and not baaligh yet. Is it a sin that I have now, almost 20 years later, forgotten the 4 paras (juz)? People have said it is a very great sin and that I should learn and memorize it again? I am confused. Please help! Praise be to Allah. Undoubtedly forgetfulness is something that is natural in man, and man is only called insaan because of his forgetfulness (nasiy). Usually this varies from one person to another, according to the differences in the strength of the memory that Allaah has created in His slaves. The Qur’aan “escapes” from the heart if the Muslim does not constantly and regularly review what he has memorized of it. The reason for this may be that it is a test of people’s hearts, to show the difference between the one whose heart is attached to the Qur’aan and regularly recites it, and the one whose heart is attached to it only whilst memorizing it, then he loses interest and forgets it. The reason may also be to give the Muslim a stronger motive to recite the Qur’aan more frequently so as to attain the immense reward for every letter that he recites. If it were the case that he could learn it and never forget it, he would not need to read it frequently and then he would miss out on the reward for reciting and reviewing it regularly. Fear of forgetting it will make you keen to recite it so as to gain more reward with your Lord. For every letter you recite you will have one hasanah, and the reward for one hasanah is ten like it. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) urged us to read Qur’aan regularly lest we forget it. He warned us against being negligent in this regard, as was stated in numerous ahaadeeth, including the following: 1-The hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The likeness of the one who memorizes the Qur’aan is that of the owner of a hobbled camel. If he tends to it regularly, he will keep it, but if he lets it go, he will lose it.” (al-Bukhaari, 5031). It is well known that if a camel escapes and runs away, it cannot be recaptured except with a lot of stress and difficulty. Similarly, if the person who memorizes Qur’aan does not regularly review what he has memorized, he will lose it and will require a great deal of effort to get it back. * Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said in al-Fath (9/79), in his commentary on this hadeeth: so long as one constantly reviews it, what one has memorized will remain, as is the case with a camel, if it remains hobbled, you will keep it. The camel was singled out here because it is the most likely of domesticated animals to run away, and if it does run away, recapturing it is very difficult. 2 – Muslim narrated in his Saheeh (no. 790 and 791) from Abu Moosa (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Read this Qur’aan regularly for, by the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, it is more likely to escape than a hobbled camel.” 3 – Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah said: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It is not right for any one of you to say, ‘I have forgotten such and such.’ On the contrary, he has been made to forget. Try to review the Qur’aan, for it is more likely to escape from men’s hearts than camels.” (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 5032). Al-Haafiz said in al-Fath (9/81): Ibn Battaal said, This hadeeth is in accordance with the two aayahs (interpretation of the meanings): ‘Verily, We shall send down to you a weighty Word’ [al-Muzzammil 73:5] ‘And We have indeed made the Qur’ân easy to understand and remember’ [al-Najm 54:17] So whoever strives to memorize it and recite it regularly, it will be made easy for him, and whoever turns away from it, will lose it. This is what encourages us to constantly review what we have memorized and to keep on reciting it, lest we forget it. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave this example because it is the best way to explain what he meant. He also confirmed it with his oath ‘by the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad’, to affirm the importance of constantly reciting the Qur’aan and reviewing what one has learned. 3 – With regard to the report that Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The sins of my ummah were shown to me and there is no sin greater than that of a man who was given orwas helped to memorize a soorah or an aayah of the Qur’aan and then he forgot it.” This is a weak (da’eef) hadeeth which was classed as such by al-Bukhaari and al-Tirmidhi. See Takhreej Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh by al-Albaani, no. 720. Imaam Ibn al-Munaadi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Mutashaabih al-Qur’aan (p. 52): The Salaf were always afraid of forgetting Qur’aan after they had memorized it, because this was a shortcoming. Al-Suyooti said in al-Itqaan (1/106): Forgetting it is a major sin, as was stated by al-Nawawi in al-Rawdah and others, because of the hadeeth “I was shown the sins of my ummah…” One of the best ways to help oneself to remember what one has memorized and to make it firmly-entrenched is to recite it in one’s salaah, especially in Qiyaam al-Layl. The Salaf used to recite it during the day and when praying Qiyaam al-Layl. If you strive heard to review the Qur’aan regularly, there will be no sin on you even if you do forget some of it. The blame is on those who neglect it and fail to review it and read it regularly. We ask Allaah to forgive us. O Allaah, make the Qur’aan the life of my heart, the light of my breast, a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety. O Allaah, teach us from it that which we do not know and remind us from it of that which we have forgotten, for You are the All-Hearing, All-Knowing. Source: Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid Type of commentComment on academic contentComment on spellingRequest translation of the answerRequest clarification of the answer Questions cannot be asked through this form You can ask your question on the website via this link: https://islamqa.info/en/ask Password should contain small, capital letter and at least 8 characters long Can't log in to your account? If you do not have an account, you can click the button below to create one If you have an account, log in Reset Username or Password Type of feedbackSuggestionsTechnical comment E-mail subscription service Join our e-mail list for regular site news and updates All Rights Reserved for Islam Q&A© 1997-2021	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line533
__label__wiki	0.974656	0.974656	Adrian Grant’s Thriller career An Australian tour of Thriller Live begins in Perth tonight. Adrian Grant talks about meeting Michael Jackson and how the show came about. Adrian Grant. Photo: supplied In 1988, at age 19, Adrian Grant began publishing a Michael Jackson fanzine called Off the Wall from his bedroom in the UK town of Reading. Little did he know that it would lead to him becoming a long-time associate of Jackson’s, writing three books about the King of Pop, and co-producing a stage show celebrating his music. Thriller Live has been running in London’s West End for six years now. It has toured to 28 countries and been seen by over three million people. An Australian production opens in Perth tonight then tours to Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. “It’s really down to the popularity of Michael’s music,” says Grant of the show’s success. “Those songs will live on forever. We’re just happy to be a small part of his legacy and keep that magic going.” It all began for Grant when he first saw Jackson moonwalk. “I went out and got the Thriller album and I fell in love with it,” he says. “Prince had a fan magazine in the UK called Controversy. I used to get it every quarter. I’d just left college, where I was doing business studies, and I wanted to get into the media and I thought, ‘well if Prince is selling 3000 magazines, why hasn’t Michael Jackson got a magazine?’” After getting permission from Sony, Grant got a grant, bought himself a computer and began publishing a magazine he named Off the Wall after Jackson’s fifth studio album. “The first one, I printed 200 copies and I sold them by mail order and they all sold out. It was just black and white and there were lots of mistakes,” says Grant. But he learned quickly. Within a couple of years, he was selling 25,000 copies per issue around the world. He also started sending copies to Jackson’s company in Los Angeles and in 1990 received an invitation to meet Jackson while he was recording his Dangerous album in Los Angeles. “I went to the studio. I remember that day very clearly. He was wearing a black fedora and a black shirt and I could hear him singing as he came around the corner into the studio,” says Grant. “I had this painting commissioned by this artist called Vincent McKoy, which was a montage of Michael over the last 20 years, and he was very grateful.” Not only did Jackson invite Grant to spend the whole day at the studio, he then asked him to have lunch at his house in Neverland at the weekend. “Again I remember it like yesterday,” says Grant. “I remember driving through the big gates and the security guy escorting me down to the main house. As I was walking down I was just blown away by the scene. There was classical music coming out of the flowerbeds. I could see two little chimpanzees rolling around in the grass – their names were Max and Alex. “Beyond that there was a giraffe and lamas and a funfair. I said to the guy, ‘this isn’t reality’ and he said, ‘this is reality for Michael Jackson. This is what he wakes up to everyday.’ It kind of made me realise what Michael’s world was. He had the opportunity to have pretty much whatever he wanted. “At the time much of the media had (mocked) Michael Jackson for the zoo, for the lamas, for the chimpanzees, but I thought, ‘these are the things that he loves.’ They weren’t there just for his personal amusement. They were there for other people to enjoy as well, such as underprivileged and disabled kids who used to go on visits to the ranch. And that was Michael Jackson down to a tee. He was always giving to other people. And he gave me a lot of his time because he knew what I was doing was not just for myself but for his fan base and he appreciated the love and support they were giving him.” Adrian Grant with Michael Jackson. Photo: supplied As for the controversial headlines, that wasn’t the man that Grant knew or saw. “He was very open, he was very chatty, he laughed a lot. He was a big kid at heart,” says Grant. “A couple of his musicians who were working on the album were there (at Neverland) and they were discussing the songs they were working on. He wanted me to feel very comfortable there. We went and played in the arcade room and we watched a movie in his movie theatre. He was just really down to earth. I found him to be like that the whole time I knew him.” Jackson continued to give Grant access over the years. “I think I must have gone to Neverland at least twice a year every year and I toured with him on his HIStory tour. I saw him recording in the studio a couple more times in New York when he was recording the HIStory album,” says Grant. “At the time I didn’t think much of it. I was just doing my job and Michael was very open and very giving. But it was good to watch him work. He was a complete genius in the studio. I don’t think people realise what a great musician he was because he often employed the best people and had a very talented team with him. He was such a perfectionist and that’s something I’ve tried to carry through to the show.” Thriller Live has its roots in a Michael Jackson tribute concert that Grant began staging annually in London in 1991 for readers of the fanzine. “I think about 1000 people came to the first one. The first show was on a par with the first magazine!” admits Grant with a laugh. “But the audience had a great time. They used dress up like Michael and we invited people to sing his songs and dance in a competition. Again, it got bigger and better every year and the acts got more professional and by the end of it they were giving proper concert performances. Michael used to send over prizes – signed fedoras and the prize for one competition was to go to his home – and he sent over a video crew to film it. “For the 10th concert in 2001 we went to a bigger venue: the Hammersmith Apollo, which held 3000 fans, and Michael actually attended in person for that one. We built a little tent on the side of the stage so he could watch the whole show without being disturbed. He came on stage afterwards and he said he loved it and that it was incredible and beautiful. That kind of gave me the inspiration to do something bigger not just for Michael Jackson’s fans but for the public at large. “In 2005, I really started to put it into development. We did a one-off show in August 2006 to see how the public would respond and they loved it. After that I teamed up with Flying Music who were producers with 25 years experience and we put together the first UK tour in 2007 and then in January 2009 we moved into the West End where it’s still running.” MiG Ayesa in the London production of Thriller Live. Photo: supplied The show features two hours of non-stop hits by Jackson and the Jackson 5 performed by five lead singers (including MiG Ayesa and Prinnie Stevens in Australia), 16 dancers and a nine-piece band. “It’s definitely all about the music,” says Grant. “When I first conceived the show I wanted to bring people back to Michael Jackson’s music, which had been a bit forgotten at the time. There was a lot of media controversy surrounding Michael Jackson and people were just talking about the headlines and not about the artist so I wanted to create a show, which just focused on Michael’s music and artistry on stage. There’s a brief narrative that runs through the show which outlines his achievements and his accolades but it’s there just as timeline to his career.” Right from the outset, Grant decided to have a number of singers performing Jackson’s songs rather than just one. “First, I didn’t want it to be perceived as a look-alike tribute shot. Secondly, I didn’t think there was anybody who could play Michael Jackson so I wanted to have different performers representing different (aspects) of his personality on stage. It also makes it more interesting for the audience rather than just listening to one voice.” Grant was at home in London when he heard about Jackson’s death, and could hardly believe it. “Obviously my first thoughts were with his family, with his young children and his mother (Katherine). I flew out to Los Angeles. I went to the memorial and paid my respects and then I went to Katherine’s home and I met with Paris, Michael’s daughter. I gave her one of my books and she gave me the biggest hug.” “The night after he passed I didn’t personally want the show to go on,” says Grant. “I wanted to cancel it out of respect to Michael but along with the other producers we made a decision that there was a demand for the show. The cast were in tears and very emotional and they all gave an electric performance. There was thunderous applause from the audience. “In the end it was the right decision to go on because the venue itself became like a shrine for Michael’s fans.” Five years since Jackson’s death, Thriller Live continues to moonwalk around the world. “Really it’s not like a job doing this,” says Grant. “It’s a love for me and a passion.” Thriller Live plays at the Crown Theatre, Perth until December 21; Festival Theatre, Adelaide, December 30 –January 11; QPAC, Brisbane, January 14 – 25; Arts Centre Melbourne, January 28 – February 8; Lyric Theatre, Sydney, February 26 – March 15 A version of this story ran in the Sunday Telegraph on November 30 This entry was posted in Musical Theatre and tagged Adrian Grant, Michael Jackson, MiG Ayesa, Prinnie Stevens by jolitson. Bookmark the permalink.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line534
__label__wiki	0.949135	0.949135	Ford Disagreed with Bush on Iraq Republican Senator Puts GOP on Notice on Iraq Congress Must Stop Bush from Using Nukes in Iran Clinton Allies Call on Congress To Limit Troops in Iraq Probe of 'Christian' Videotape Made at Pentagon DoJ Seeks To Use Secret Israeli Witnesses in U.S. Courts Kerry, Dodd Report on Visit to Syria From Volume 6, Issue Number 1 of EIR Online, Published Jan. 2, 2007 The Washington Post Dec. 28 released tapes of an interview with former President Gerald Ford, the day after his death at 93, in a front-page article by Bob Woodward. Woodward relates remarks by the late President Ford regarding President George W. Bush's Iraq War, which were recorded in July 2004, and in a subsequent lengthy conversation in 2005, which had been embargoed until after Ford's death. "I don't think, if I had been President, on the basis of the facts as I saw them publicly," Woodward quotes Ford, "I don't think I would have ordered the Iraq war. I would have maximized our effort through sanctions, through restrictions, whatever, to find another answer." Ford also remarked regarding Dick Cheney, that he had been an excellent chief of staff (in the Ford Administration), but he thought Cheney had become more "pugnacious" as Vice President, agreeing with Colin Powell's assessment that Cheney developed a fever about the threat of terrorism and Iraq. President Ford is also quoted from a 2006 interview in the Daily News as saying that he didn't like Bush's domestic surveillance program: "It may be a necessary evil. I don't think it's a terrible transgression, but I would never do it. I was dumbfounded when I heard they were doing it." The break by Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore) with the White House has caused reverberations throughout the Republican Party, reported the Dec. 28 New York Times, referring to Smith's Dec. 7 speech on the Senate floor, in which he said that "a policy that has our soldiers patrolling the same streets in the same way, being blown up by the same bombs day after day ... is absurd. It may even be criminal." After the speech, Smith says, he got a cold shoulder or two, "But many of my colleagues said, 'Boy, you spoke for me.'" Smith voted to authorize the war in 2002, but he says his attitude changed after he visited Iraq last year. And, he added, a book on World War I he had been reading, by British military historian John Keegan, was beginning to haunt him. Smith said that his use of the word "criminal" in his Senate speech came out of his reading of Keegan's book, which described "the practice of British generals, sending a whole generation of British men running into machine guns, despite memos back to London saying, in effect, machine guns work." Much like the British in World War I, Smith added, "I have concluded that we are employing strategies that are needlessly getting kids killed." When he came back from Iraq, he says he listened with growing dismay to optimistic briefings given to Senators by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other Administration officials. The answers always seemed to be, "It's tough, but we have to stay the course." "And so I started thinking about the British generals," he stated. In a Dec. 26 column published by Information Clearing House, entitled, "Why did Russia and China vote to sanction Iran?" Prof. Jorge Hirsch of the University of California at San Diego points out that Iran's nuclear program is legal under international law, and that everyone knows that sanctions would have the effect opposite to their stated intention. Hirsch says that Russia's and China's votes are understandable only under the assumption that they were told that Bush would use military force against Iran if they didn't agree to a UN Resolution supporting sanctions, and that Bush then gave them private assurances that he would not take military action against Iran without their consent. Hirsch argues that Bush is determined to attack Iran, and that such an attack would involve nuclear weapons. (If Bush really wanted a negotiated settlement, Hirsch points out, he had plenty of opportunities to pursue such an agreement.) But Bush is determined to attack Iran, and his private assurances are meaningless. Military action could start either with a Gulf of Tonkin-type incident, or an Israeli attack, or some incident used as a pretext. And it is bound to lead to the use of nuclear weapons. The only way to stop this, Hirsch contends, is for Congress to bring this to public attention, hold hearings, and take the nuclear option off the table, such as by barring the U.S. use of nuclear weapons against a non-nuclear-weapon state. Former Clinton White House Chief of Staff John Podesta and former Reagan-era Pentagon official Lawrence Korb, both now with the Center for American Progress, have coauthored a memo to the leaders of the incoming Congress calling on them to take measures to prevent President Bush from moving forward with the American Enterprise Institute "surge" option into Iraq, in order to "avert further escalation of a failed policy...." During a telephone conference call with reporters, on Dec. 27, Podesta said that the Congress should go ahead and pass the expected $100 billion supplemental appropriation that the White House will be sending up to Capital Hill in a month or so, but impose a limitation of 150,000 troops in Iraq as a condition for passing it, unless Bush can return to the Congress with a "real plan for success." Korb panned the AEI plan (which was promoted by its two coauthors Fred Kagan and retired Gen. Jack Keane in a Washington Post op-ed, the same morning) as being able to accomplish nothing but "reinforce the occupation mentality," and argued that without some sort of reconciliation process, adding more troops won't make a difference. Acting Department of Defense Inspector General Thomas F. Gimble is investigating a videotape made by a group called the Christian Embassy, as violating the constitutional prohibition against government promotion of a specific religion. The complaint was filed on Dec. 11 by Mikey Weinstein, President and Founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Former Ambassador Joe Wilson and his wife Valerie Plame are on the Advisory Board of the MRFF. The film, originally taped inside the Pentagon in February 2004, includes interviews with seven high-ranking military officers dressed in uniform, five Congressmen, two foreign ambassadors, and four ranking Federal officials. It was pulled from the website of the Christian Embassy in early December by Dr. Robert Varney, Executive Director of the Christian Embassy. The only named participant is Judy Guenther, a Pentagon senior executive. The unidentified narrator of the video states, "The Christian Embassy comes alongside presidential appointees serving in the White House and Federal agencies to help direct their focus on Jesus Christ." Weinstein, a former "JAG," or military attorney, is a graduate of the Air Force Academy, one of six members of his family to graduate from that institution. Federal prosecutors are seeking to use Israeli government witnesses, whose identities are withheld from defendants and their lawyers, in trials in U.S. courtrooms—in violation of the Sixth Amendment's guarantee that an accused has the right to confront the witnesses against him, according to a report in the Dec. 26 Los Angeles Times. Two Israeli witnesses were already allowed to testify anonymously in a recent Chicago trial of two men accused of aiding Hamas. In Miami, a Federal judge has rejected a request that six Israeli officers be allowed to testify in disguise and without revealing their identities, in a trial of a man accused of trafficking in the drug Ecstasy. And in Dallas, a Federal judge is considering whether to allow Israeli security officials to testify anonymously in a trial of officials of the Holy Land Foundation, accused of sending money to aid charities supported by Hamas. "It's a scary development," a lawyer in the Chicago case told the Times. "It really gets us close to secret trials and secret evidence in this country." A University of Michigan law professor said that Israel's concerns about the security of its agents shouldn't be allowed to trump the U.S. Constitution: "Israel doesn't conduct our criminal procedures, and there is no reason why a defendant's rights in court should be determined by Israeli criminal procedure." Writing in the Dec. 24 Washington Post, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass) reported that when he and Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn) met with President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus the previous week, "we found potential for cooperation with Syria in avoiding disaster in Iraq—potential that should be put to the test. Washington can't remain on the sidelines, stubbornly clinging to a belief that talking to our enemies rewards hostile regimes." Appearing on ABC News' "This Week" the same day, Dodd was asked about White House spokesman Tony Snow's statement that their trip was "a P.R. victory for the Syrians." Dodd responding, "hardly," noting that he is a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and that we cannot expect to resolve any of these situations like Iraq or Lebanon by ignoring a major power in the region such as Syria. Dodd noted that Syria and Iraq have exchanged ambassadors, and that they have a common interest in seeing an Arab nation, a mixed and pluralistic society, emerging in Iraq, and he said that we should look for common ground with Syria.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line536
__label__wiki	0.664456	0.664456	Snyder v. Louisiana PETITIONER:Allen Snyder RESPONDENT:State of Louisiana LOCATION:Earthquake Park DOCKET NO.: 06-10119 DECIDED BY: Roberts Court (2006-2009) LOWER COURT: Louisiana Supreme Court GRANTED: Jun 25, 2007 ARGUED: Dec 04, 2007 Stephen B. Bright – on behalf of the Petitioner Terry M. Boudreaux – on behalf of the Respondent Media for Snyder v. Louisiana Audio Transcription for Opinion Announcement – March 19, 2008 in Snyder v. Louisiana In capital murder trial of Allen Snyder, an African-American, the prosecution used peremptory (automatic) challenges to dismiss five African-American prospective jurors. This resulted in Snyder being tried by an all-white jury, which found him guilty and approved the death penalty. The defense argued that the prosecution’s striking of the black jurors was racial discrimination in violation of the Equal Protection Clause, according to the standard set forth by the Supreme Court inBatson v. Kentucky. As part of its case for the prosecution’s alleged discriminatory intent, the defense cited two of the prosecutor’s statements comparing the case to the O.J. Simpson murder trial. After having indirectly referred to the Simpson trial before jury selection, the prosecutor had invoked the case again during the sentencing phase, comparing aspects of Snyder’s case to Simpson’s and noting that the latter defendant “got away with it.” The trial court applied theBatson framework and denied the defense’s challenges. On appeal, the Louisiana Supreme Court upheld the trial court, ruling that the trial judge had not acted unreasonably when he accepted the prosecution’s race-neutral justifications for the dismissals of the black jurors. The court ruled that the O.J. Simpson references were harmless comparisons made in the course of a rebuttal, and it noted that the prosecution had not mentioned Simpson’s or Snyder’s race. When the Supreme Court instructed the state court to reconsider the case in light ofMiller-El v. Dretke, which requires that courts consider the totality of the circumstances when evaluating discriminatory intent, the court affirmed the trial court a second time. Did the state’s dismissal by peremptory challenge of all of the black potential jurors, combined with the prosecution’s comparisons of the case to the O.J. Simpson trial, amount to a violation of the Equal Protection Clause? Opinion Announcement – March 19, 2008 Oral Argument – December 04, 2007 Audio Transcription for Oral Argument – December 04, 2007 in Snyder v. Louisiana Samuel A. Alito, Jr.: And this case comes to us on writ of certiorari to the Louisiana Supreme Court. Petitioner Allen Snyder was convicted of first-degree murder in a Louisiana court and sentenced to death. The Louisiana Supreme Court rejected petitioner’s claim that the prosecution exercised some of its peremptory strikes based on race in violation of Batson versus Kentucky because we find that the trial court committed clear error in overruling a Batson objection to the strike of juror Jeffrey Brooks, we reverse. Batson provides a three-step process for trial court to use in deciding a claim regarding a peremptory challenge that is alleged to have been based on race. This case concerns the third step of that process at which the trial court must determine whether the objecting party had shown intentional discrimination because the third step often involves credibility, determinations and firsthand observations that are peculiarly within the trial court’s province, the trial court’s ruling should be disturbed only when there is clear error. The prosecution gave two reasons for striking Mr. Brooks, a college senior. First, that Mr. Brooks looked nervous during voir dire. And second, that Mr. Brooks expressed the concern that service on the jury would conflict with his student teaching obligations. The trial court did not explain the basis for overruling the Batson objection and we therefore cannot presume that the trial judge made a finding on Mr. Brooks’ demeanor. Indeed, the prosecution struck Mr. Brooks a day after he was questioned during voir dire. The judge may not have even remembered Mr. Brooks’ demeanor at that point or may have found it unnecessary to consider his demeanor basing his ruling on the second proffered justification alone. The second justification fails even the deferential standard of review applicable here. When Mr. Brooks came forward to express concern that jury service would conflict with his student teaching obligations, the Court called the dean at Mr. Brooks’ college. The dean said that there would not be a problem if Mr. Brooks missed one week of student teaching. During voir dire, the prosecutor stated that he did not think that the trial would last through the weekend, and it did not. If Mr. Brooks had served on the jury, he would have missed only two additional days of student teaching. The implausibility of this explanation is reinforced by the prosecutor’s acceptance of white jurors who disclosed conflicting obligations that appeared to have been at least as serious as Mr. Brooks’. The pretextual explanation of the strike of Mr. Brooks naturally gives rise to an inference of discriminatory intent. In other context, we have held that once it is shown that a discriminatory intent was a substantial or motivating factor in an action taken by a state actor, the burden shifts to the State to show that the factor was not determinative. Assuming that the standard applies in the Batson context, we conclude that the record does not show that the prosecution would have challenged Mr. Brooks based on his alleged nervousness alone. We therefore reverse the judgment of the Louisiana Supreme Court. Justice Thomas has filed a dissenting opinion in which Justice Scalia has joined. City of Edmonds v. Oxford House, Inc. – Oral Argument – March 01, 1995 United States v. Martinez-Salazar – Oral Argument – November 29, 1999 Michel v. Louisiana – Oral Argument, Part 2: Michel v. Louisiana (32) – November 09, 1955 United States v. Louisiana – Oral Argument – October 13, 1959 (Part 2)	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line537
__label__wiki	0.670097	0.670097	LA Times Crossword Answers 16 Nov 2017, Thursday Constructed by: Jason Chapnick & C.C. Burnikel Today’s Theme: Beer Chaser Each of today’s themed answers ends with a hidden word, a type of BEER: 60A. Half a boilermaker … and what’s aptly hidden in 18-, 24-, 40- and 51-Across : BEER CHASER 18A. News provider in front of a camera : TV REPORTER (hiding “porter”) 24A. 1993-2002 Ford-Nissan minivan : MERCURY VILLAGER (hiding “lager”) 40A. Banish : CAST OUT (hiding “stout”) 51A. Many a Poe work : HAIR-RAISING TALE (hiding “ale”) 1. El Misti’s land : PERU El Misti is a volcano that is also known as “Guagua-Putina”. It is located in Southern Peru near the city of Arequipa. 13. Shock jock Don : IMUS Don Imus’s syndicated radio show “Imus in the Morning” used to broadcast from New York City. Imus has been described as a “shock jock”, a disc jockey who deliberately uses provocative language and humor that many would find offensive . I’m not a big fan of shock jocks … 14. Invoice stamp : PAID An invoice is an itemized bill. The term comes from the Middle French “envois” meaning “dispatch (of goods)”. The root verb is “envoyer”, which translates as “to send”. 16. Schumer’s “Trainwreck” co-star : HADER Bill Hader is an actor and comedian best known as a member of the cast of “Saturday Night Live”. Hader was introduced to Lorne Michaels (producer of “Saturday Night Live”) by Megan Mullally, co-star of the sitcom “Will & Grace”. Amy Schumer is a stand-up comedian, and an alumna of the reality TV show “Last Comic Standing”, in which she placed fourth. Schumer now has her own comedy series “Inside Amy Schumer”, which airs on Comedy Central. Amy is a first cousin once removed of Chuck Schumer, the senior US Senator from New York. “Trainwreck” is a romantic comedy released in 2015 that brings together the talents of Judd Apatow as director and Amy Schumer as writer. Schumer also stars. 18. News provider in front of a camera : TV REPORTER (hiding “porter”) Porter is a dark beer that originated in London in the 1700s and is named for the street and river porters with whom it was very popular. Porter is a well-hopped beer made using brown malt, which gives it the dark color. 20. Takes too much, briefly : ODS Overdose (OD) 22. Field mouse : VOLE Vole populations can really increase rapidly. Mama vole is pregnant for just three weeks before giving birth to litters of 5-10 baby voles. Then the young voles become sexually mature in just one month! If you have one pregnant vole in your yard, within a year you could have over a hundred of the little critters. 23. Head light : HALO The Greek word “halos” is the name given to the ring of light around the sun or moon, which gives us our word “halo” that is used for a radiant light depicted above the head of a saintly person. 24. 1993-2002 Ford-Nissan minivan : MERCURY VILLAGER (hiding “lager”) In the early nineties, Ford and Nissan worked together to design and produce a minivan that was marketed as the Mercury Villager and the Nissan Quest. The use of the model name “Villager” dates back to 1958, when Ford introduced the Edsel Villager. Lager is so called because of the tradition of cold-storing the beer during fermentation. “Lager” is the German word for “storage”. 28. Status symbol suit : ARMANI Giorgio Armani is an Italian fashion designer and founder of the company that has borne his name since 1975. Although Armani is famous for his menswear, the company makes everything from jewelry to perfume. 39. Subj. for many an au pair : ESL English as a Second Language (ESL) is sometimes referred to as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL). An au pair is a domestic assistant from a foreign country working and living as part of a host family. The term “au pair” is French, and means “on a par”, indicating that an au pair is treated as an equal in the host family. 40. Banish : CAST OUT (hiding “stout”) The term “stout” was first used for a type of beer in the 1600s when was used to describe a “strong, stout” brew, and not necessarily a dark beer as it is today. 42. __-wop : DOO 43. Best Picture Oscar nominee directed by Ava DuVernay : SELMA “Selma” is a 2014 film about the Selma to Montgomery marches of 1965. Directed by Ava DuVernay, the movie stars David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Tom Wilkinson as President Lyndon B. Johnson. Ava DuVernay is a filmmaker who became the first African-American woman to win the Best Director Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, a feat she achieved in 2012 for her feature film “Middle of Nowhere”. “Middle of Nowhere” tells the story of a woman who drops out of medical school to focus on husband when he is sentenced to 8 years in prison. DuVernay also directed the 2014 film “Selma” about the 1965 voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. 46. Big name in banking : CITI During the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, the US government rescued Citibank by providing loan guarantees and two payments of $25 billion each. It turns out that the government made a tidy profit on that deal, as Citibank has since repaid the loans in full, along with interest. 47. __ de Triomphe : ARC L’Arc de Triomphe de l’Etoile in Paris was built to honor those who fought for France, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. It is the second largest triumphal arch in the world, after the Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang, North Korea. If you are visiting Paris, don’t just take a picture of the arch, be sure to go inside and see the marvelous chambers and carvings, and wander around on top of the arch so that you can enjoy the magnificent view. 49. Musical works : OPUSES The Latin for “work” is “opus”, with the plural being “opera”. We sometimes use the plural “opuses” in English. 51. Many a Poe work : HAIR-RAISING TALE (hiding “ale”) Edgar Allan Poe lived a life of many firsts. Poe is considered to be the inventor of the detective-fiction genre. He was also the first notable American author to make his living through his writing, something that didn’t really go too well for him as he was always financially strapped. In 1849 he was found on the streets of Baltimore, delirious and in dire need of medical help. Poe died a few days later in hospital at 39 years of age. 57. MLB playoff event : ALCS American League Championship Series (ALCS) 59. Bailed-out insurance co. : AIG AIG is the American International Group, a giant insurance corporation. After repeated bailouts by American taxpayers starting in 2008, the company made some serious PR blunders by spending large amounts of money on executive entertainment and middle management rewards. These included a $444,000 California retreat, an $86,000 hunting trip in England, and a $343,000 getaway to a luxury resort in Phoenix. Poor judgment, I’d say … 60. Half a boilermaker … and what’s aptly hidden in 18-, 24-, 40- and 51-Across : BEER CHASER A boilermaker is a beer cocktail, a serving of beer mixed with a shot of whiskey, or sometimes a shot of tequila or vodka. If the whiskey is still in a shot glass when it’s dropped into the beer, then it’s known as a depth charge. 63. Avian crop : CRAW “Craw” is another name for the “crop”, a portion of the alimentary tract of some animals, including birds. The crop is used for the storage of food prior to digestion. It allows the animal to eat large amounts and then digest that food with efficiency over an extended period. The expression “to stick in one’s craw” is used one when one cannot accept something, cannot “swallow” it. 66. Like Wrigley Field’s walls : IVIED The famous ballpark that is home to the Chicago Cubs was built in 1914. Back then it was known as Weeghman Park, before becoming Cubs Park when the Cubs arrived in 1920. It was given the name Wrigley Field in 1926, after the owner William Wrigley, Jr. of chewing gum fame. Wrigley Field is noted as the only professional ballpark that has ivy covering the outfield walls. The ivy is a combination of Boston Ivy and Japanese Bittersweet, both of which can survive the harsh winters in Chicago. 68. Luke’s sister : LEIA The full name of the character played by Carrie Fisher in the “Star Wars” series of films is Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, and later Leia Organa Solo. Leia is the twin sister of Luke Skywalker, and the daughter of Anakin Skywalker (aka “Darth Vader”) and Padmé Amidala. Leia is raised by her adoptive parents Bail and Breha Organa. She eventually marries Han Solo. 1. Many a JPEG file : PIC The JPEG file format was created by the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), hence the name. 2. Expressive rock genre : EMO The emo musical genre originated in Washington D.C. in the 80s, and takes its name from “emotional hardcore”. “Emo” is also the name given to the associated subculture. Not my cup of tea … 6. Shrewdly informed : SAVVY The term “savvy”, meaning “understanding”, comes from the French “savez-vous?”. The French phrase translates as “do you know?” 7. Former name of the Mariinsky Ballet : KIROV The Mariinsky Ballet is a company based in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was founded in the mid-1700s as the Imperial Russian Ballet, but was renamed to the Kirov Ballet during the Soviet era, in honor of the Bolshevik revolutionary Sergey Kirov. The Kirov was renamed again at the end of communist rule, taking the name of the Mariinsky Theatre where the company was headquartered. The theatre was named for Empress Maria Alexandrovna, who was the wife of Tsar Alexander II. 8. “Shameless” network, briefly : SHO “Shameless” is a comedy drama TV series about a dysfunctional Chicago family consisting of a six children and single father who spends his days drunk. The US show is a remake of the original British “Shameless” that is based on a similar family who live in Manchester in the North of England. 9. Bellicose sort : WAR HAWK The dove is a symbol of peace, and the hawk is a symbol of war. Someone described as bellicose is inclined to favor strife or war. The term comes from “bellum”, the Latin word for “war”. 11. Comedy duo Key & __ : PEELE The Comedy Central sketch show “Key & Peele” stars comics Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. The duo also wrote an action comedy film called “Keanu” that was released in 2016. The title character is a cat belonging to the boss of a drug cartel. Haven’t seen it … 15. Sub station : DELI The word “delicatessen” (or “deli” for short) came into English from the German “Delikatessen”. The Germans borrowed the word from French, in which language “délicatesse” means “delicious things (to eat)”. The term’s ultimate root is “delicatus”, the Latin for “giving pleasure, delightful”. 19. Hide : PELT A pelt is the skin of a furry animal. 26. Actress Wilson of “Sleepless in Seattle” : RITA Actress Rita Wilson is also a producer. She produced the 2002 movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, which was destined to become the highest-grossing independent movie of all time. Wilson married fellow actor Tom Hanks in 1988. “Sleepless in Seattle” is a lovely romantic comedy directed and co-written by Nora Ephron, released in 1993. The film’s storyline is based on the excellent 1957 movie “An Affair to Remember”, and there are numerous direct references to the Cary Grant/Deborah Kerr classic throughout the “remake”. The lead roles in “Sleepless …” are played by Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. 32. Clairvoyance letters : ESP Extrasensory perception (ESP) We’ve been using the term “clairvoyant” to describe a psychic since the nineteenth century. Prior to that, a clairvoyant was a clear-sighted person. The term comes from French, with “clair” meaning “clear” and “voyant” meaning “seeing”. 34. Stooge with bangs : MOE Moe Howard was the stage name of Moses Harry Horwitz. Howard was one of the Three Stooges. In 1925, he married Helen Schonberger, who was a cousin of Harry Houdini. 37. Econo Lodge, e.g. : MOTEL Econo Lodge is a low-cost hotel chain in the Choice Hotels portfolio of brands. The chain started in 1969 as Econo-Travel, and demonstrated pretty quickly that budget-hotels were a good idea. The first hotel was built in Norfolk, Virginia and it started making money three weeks after welcoming its first guests. 40. Oakland Raiders’ quarterback Derek : CARR Quarterback Derek Carr was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 2014. Derek is the younger brother of former NFL quarterback David Carr. 44. Color that isn’t an Earth tone? : MARS RED The surface of the planet Mars has a very high iron oxide content, so Mars is red because it is rusty! 48. Twenties, say : CASH The twenty-dollar bill is called a “Jackson” as it bears the portrait of President Andrew Jackson on the front side of the bill. Jackson’s image replaced that of President Grover Cleveland in 1928, and there doesn’t seem to be any record documenting just why that change was made. Over one-fifth of all notes printed today are 20-dollar bills, and the average life of a “Jackson” is a little over 2 years, after which it is replaced due to wear. 50. Vardon Trophy org. : PGA The Vardon Trophy is awarded annually to the player who has the lowest scoring average on the PGA Tour. The trophy is named for professional golfer Harry Vardon, winner of six Open Championships (from 1896 to 1914), a record that stands to this day. 51. Order clothes : HABIT That would be a religious order. 52. Advil alternative : ALEVE Aleve is a brand name used for the anti-inflammatory drug Naproxen sodium. Advil is Wyeth’s brand of ibuprofen, an anti-inflammatory drug. 54. Apple tablet : IPAD The groundbreaking iPad was introduced by Apple in 2010. The iOS-based iPads dominated the market for tablet computers until 2013, when Android-based tablets (manufactured by several companies) took over the number-one spot. 55. Girl in “Calvin and Hobbes” : SUSIE In the “Calvin and Hobbes” cartoon strip, Calvin has a love/hate relationship with his classmate Susie Derkins. Susie is a strong female character. She often plays imaginary games in which she is a lawyer or politician, and Calvin is her househusband. The strip’s creator Bill Watterson has confessed that Susie’s character represents the type of woman that he himself found attractive, and indeed married. 56. Like argon and krypton : INERT The noble gases (also “rare gases”) are those elements over on the extreme right of the Periodic Table. Because of their “full” complement of electrons, noble gases are very unreactive. The six noble gases that occur naturally are helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon and radon. 62. TiVo button : REC TiVo was introduced in 1999 and was the world’s first commercially successful Digital Video Recorder (DVR). 5. Want as a price : ASK 8. Debit card action : SWIPE 17. Attend : COME 29. Pull : TOW 30. Lion’s home : LAIR 31. Squad : TEAM 35. Cut corners : SKIMP 45. Little chirp : PEEP 58. Like webs : SPUN 67. Fraught with danger : DIRE 69. Works behind, as a bar : TENDS 70. List-ending letters : ETC 71. Reef dwellers : EELS 3. Means of spreading dirt? : RUMOR MILL 4. Wheels with a history : USED CAR 5. On the mark : APT 10. Pet pendant : ID TAG 12. Computer warning : ERROR 21. One rising at dawn : SUN 24. Guys : MALES 25. Clear data from : ERASE 27. Without a clue : LOST 33. Put away the dishes? : ATE 36. Contrarian’s reply : I DISAGREE 38. Composure : POISE 41. Informed about : UP ON 46. Manicure concern : CUTICLE 53. Strand at a chalet, maybe : ICE IN 61. Burnable media : CDS 64. Feel sick : AIL 65. “That __ close!” : WAS Posted on November 16, 2017 November 16, 2017 Categories C.C. Burnikel, Jason ChapnickTags 1993-2002 Ford-Nissan minivan crossword clue, El Misti's land crossword clue, Former name of the Mariinsky Ballet crossword clue, Half a boilermaker crossword clue, Schumer's "Trainwreck" co-star crossword clue18 Comments on LA Times Crossword Answers 16 Nov 2017, Thursday	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line538
__label__wiki	0.539255	0.539255	Core Portfolios Portfolio Library Classic Portfolios Portfolio Optimizer LLTC Linear Technology (LLTC) Linear Technology Corporation (Linear Technology) is designing, manufacturing and marketing a range of analog integrated circuits for companies globally. The Company's products provide a bridge between its analog world and the digital electronics in communications, networking, industrial, automotive, computer, medical, instrumentation, consumer, and military and aerospace systems. Linear Technology produces power management, data conversion, signal conditioning, radio frequency (RF) and interface integrated circuits (ICs), Module subsystems, and wireless sensor network products. - Show Less+ Read More Statistics (YTD) More Metrics What do these metrics mean? [Read More] [Hide] TotalReturn: 'The total return on a portfolio of investments takes into account not only the capital appreciation on the portfolio, but also the income received on the portfolio. The income typically consists of interest, dividends, and securities lending fees. This contrasts with the price return, which takes into account only the capital gain on an investment.' Applying this definition to our asset in some examples: Looking at the total return, or performance of 96% in the last 5 years of Linear Technology, we see it is relatively lower, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (115.6%) Compared with SPY (43%) in the period of the last 3 years, the total return, or increase in value of 35% is lower, thus worse. CAGR: 'The compound annual growth rate isn't a true return rate, but rather a representational figure. It is essentially a number that describes the rate at which an investment would have grown if it had grown the same rate every year and the profits were reinvested at the end of each year. In reality, this sort of performance is unlikely. However, CAGR can be used to smooth returns so that they may be more easily understood when compared to alternative investments.' Looking at the compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.4% in the last 5 years of Linear Technology, we see it is relatively smaller, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (16.6%) Looking at annual return (CAGR) in of 10.5% in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively lower, thus worse in comparison to SPY (12.6%). 'Volatility is a rate at which the price of a security increases or decreases for a given set of returns. Volatility is measured by calculating the standard deviation of the annualized returns over a given period of time. It shows the range to which the price of a security may increase or decrease. Volatility measures the risk of a security. It is used in option pricing formula to gauge the fluctuations in the returns of the underlying assets. Volatility indicates the pricing behavior of the security and helps estimate the fluctuations that may happen in a short period of time.' Looking at the volatility of 23.9% in the last 5 years of Linear Technology, we see it is relatively larger, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (18.8%) Looking at historical 30 days volatility in of 26.8% in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively greater, thus worse in comparison to SPY (22.8%). DownVol: 'Risk measures typically quantify the downside risk, whereas the standard deviation (an example of a deviation risk measure) measures both the upside and downside risk. Specifically, downside risk in our definition is the semi-deviation, that is the standard deviation of all negative returns.' Which means for our asset as example: The downside deviation over 5 years of Linear Technology is 13.9%, which is larger, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (13.6%) in the same period. During the last 3 years, the downside volatility is 14.9%, which is lower, thus better than the value of 16.7% from the benchmark. Sharpe: 'The Sharpe ratio (also known as the Sharpe index, the Sharpe measure, and the reward-to-variability ratio) is a way to examine the performance of an investment by adjusting for its risk. The ratio measures the excess return (or risk premium) per unit of deviation in an investment asset or a trading strategy, typically referred to as risk, named after William F. Sharpe.' The ratio of return and volatility (Sharpe) over 5 years of Linear Technology is 0.5, which is lower, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (0.75) in the same period. During the last 3 years, the Sharpe Ratio is 0.3, which is lower, thus worse than the value of 0.44 from the benchmark. Sortino: 'The Sortino ratio, a variation of the Sharpe ratio only factors in the downside, or negative volatility, rather than the total volatility used in calculating the Sharpe ratio. The theory behind the Sortino variation is that upside volatility is a plus for the investment, and it, therefore, should not be included in the risk calculation. Therefore, the Sortino ratio takes upside volatility out of the equation and uses only the downside standard deviation in its calculation instead of the total standard deviation that is used in calculating the Sharpe ratio.' Using this definition on our asset we see for example: The downside risk / excess return profile over 5 years of Linear Technology is 0.86, which is smaller, thus worse compared to the benchmark SPY (1.04) in the same period. Looking at excess return divided by the downside deviation in of 0.53 in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively lower, thus worse in comparison to SPY (0.61). Ulcer: 'The ulcer index is a stock market risk measure or technical analysis indicator devised by Peter Martin in 1987, and published by him and Byron McCann in their 1989 book The Investors Guide to Fidelity Funds. It's designed as a measure of volatility, but only volatility in the downward direction, i.e. the amount of drawdown or retracement occurring over a period. Other volatility measures like standard deviation treat up and down movement equally, but a trader doesn't mind upward movement, it's the downside that causes stress and stomach ulcers that the index's name suggests.' Compared with the benchmark SPY (5.59 ) in the period of the last 5 years, the Ulcer Ratio of 9.19 of Linear Technology is greater, thus worse. Looking at Downside risk index in of 11 in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively higher, thus worse in comparison to SPY (7.14 ). MaxDD: 'Maximum drawdown measures the loss in any losing period during a fund’s investment record. It is defined as the percent retrenchment from a fund’s peak value to the fund’s valley value. The drawdown is in effect from the time the fund’s retrenchment begins until a new fund high is reached. The maximum drawdown encompasses both the period from the fund’s peak to the fund’s valley (length), and the time from the fund’s valley to a new fund high (recovery). It measures the largest percentage drawdown that has occurred in any fund’s data record.' The maximum DrawDown over 5 years of Linear Technology is -25.8 days, which is higher, thus better compared to the benchmark SPY (-33.7 days) in the same period. During the last 3 years, the maximum drop from peak to valley is -25.8 days, which is larger, thus better than the value of -33.7 days from the benchmark. MaxDuration: 'The Drawdown Duration is the length of any peak to peak period, or the time between new equity highs. The Max Drawdown Duration is the worst (the maximum/longest) amount of time an investment has seen between peaks (equity highs). Many assume Max DD Duration is the length of time between new highs during which the Max DD (magnitude) occurred. But that isn’t always the case. The Max DD duration is the longest time between peaks, period. So it could be the time when the program also had its biggest peak to valley loss (and usually is, because the program needs a long time to recover from the largest loss), but it doesn’t have to be' Compared with the benchmark SPY (139 days) in the period of the last 5 years, the maximum days below previous high of 583 days of Linear Technology is larger, thus worse. Looking at maximum days under water in of 583 days in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively greater, thus worse in comparison to SPY (139 days). AveDuration: 'The Drawdown Duration is the length of any peak to peak period, or the time between new equity highs. The Avg Drawdown Duration is the average amount of time an investment has seen between peaks (equity highs), or in other terms the average of time under water of all drawdowns. So in contrast to the Maximum duration it does not measure only one drawdown event but calculates the average of all.' Compared with the benchmark SPY (33 days) in the period of the last 5 years, the average days under water of 168 days of Linear Technology is larger, thus worse. During the last 3 years, the average days under water is 236 days, which is larger, thus worse than the value of 45 days from the benchmark. Performance (YTD) Yearly Returns Chart Allocations Historical returns have been extended using synthetic data. [Show Details] [Hide Details] By Stock/ETF By Strategy Investment Amount: Returns (%) Note that yearly returns do not equal the sum of monthly returns due to compounding. Performance results of Linear Technology are hypothetical, do not account for slippage, fees or taxes, and are based on backtesting, which has many inherent limitations, some of which are described in our Terms of Use. Watchlist: Create Portfolio Add To Benchmarks Copyright © 2018-2021 Logical Invest. All Rights Reserved. See Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. (0.004) 4:39pm EST Build, save and track your own ETF portfolio Get monthly portfolio updates and market commentary Access to current trading signals for our free strategies 1 month FREE access to all portfolios and strategies Check out our subscription plans here Install the Logical Invest App You can now install the Logical Invest app on your device or desktop for enhanced speed and easier access. Try it out! My Benchmarks Select the benchmarks to compare with strategies and portfolios. Your benchmarks have been saved. Once you save, your previous portfolio will be overwritten. Portfolio name (optional) Portfolio description (optional) Benchmarks (optional) SPY - SPDR S&P 500 QQQ - Invesco QQQ Trust / Nasdaq TLT - iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond AGG - iShares Core US Aggregate Bond GLD - SPDR Gold Shares Your portfolio has been saved, now displaying details. Adjust Weights Select Assets 5 year Performance: Preview Performance Max Drawdown	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line540
__label__wiki	0.681919	0.681919	THE ANNALS OF MONT BLANC: A Monograph. First edition, first printing. Signed and inscribed by the author in black ink to the front endpaper: "To my dear and honoured teacher John Ruskin, from C. E. Mathews." Publisher's original black cloth with a view of Mont Blanc in gilt to the upper board and titles in gilt to the spine. Top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Illustrated with 37 black and white plates and a folding colour map at the rear. A very good copy, the binding square and firm with cracking to the paper covering the inner hinges and a little rubbing to the extremities. The contents with a previous owner's bookplate to the front pastedown, tanning to the endpapers and occasional minor spotting to the text-block edge are otherwise in good order and clean throughout. The folding map remains free from tears or damage. Charles Edward Mathews (1834-1905), a leading pioneer of Alpine exploration, was the largest contributor to "Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers" (1859 & 1862) and one of the original members of the Alpine Club, serving as its president between 1869 and 1871. "The Annals of Mont Blanc" was his most important contribution to Alpine literature, providing a critical analysis of the original narratives of the early ascents of the mountain (which he himself had climbed at least twelve times), as well as a history and description of all the later routes by which its summit had been reached. John Ruskin (1819-1900), the leading art critic of the Victorian era, prominent social thinker, and influential author in a range of fields, had developed a great love of the Alps following family travels there during his youth. Returning multiple times later in life, he most notably visited to gather material for the third and fourth volumes of "Modern Painters". Here, he presented the geology of the Alps in terms of landscape painting, as well as their moral and spiritual influence on those living nearby. For Ruskin, this effect was obvious, as he declared: "My most intense happinesses have of course been among mountains" (Cook, ed., Complete Works of John Ruskin, vol.35, p.157). During his visits, Ruskin came to know the Alps well, observing their development as the Mecca of mountaineering, writing on geology and Alpine flora, and producing several paintings. He became a member of the Alpine Club in 1869, fulfilling the criterion of promoting a "better knowledge of the mountains through literature, science and art", and it was here that he came to know Mathews, who was serving as its president at the time of his admission. A scarce and evocative association copy. Do you have a book like this to sell? Read the Sell Books to Lucius page for more information on how to sell to us. MATHEWS, Charles Edward [RUSKIN, John] London: T. Fisher Unwin. Sell your books to us Log in / Register	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line551
__label__cc	0.681064	0.318936	1 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about. 2 And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. 3 And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land. 4 And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king’s garden: (now the Chaldees were against the city round about:) and the king went the way toward the plain. 5 And the army of the Chaldees pursued after the king, and overtook him in the plains of Jericho: and all his army were scattered from him. 6 So they took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. 7 And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass, and carried him to Babylon. 8 And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem: 9 And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man’s house burnt he with fire. 10 And all the army of the Chaldees, that were with the captain of the guard, brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about. 11 Now the rest of the people that were left in the city, and the fugitives that fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away. 12 But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen. 13 And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that was in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon. 14 And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. 15 And the firepans, and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, in gold, and of silver, in silver, the captain of the guard took away. 16 The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels was without weight. 17 The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it was brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work. 18 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door: 19 And out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that were in the king’s presence, which were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host, which mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land that were found in the city: 20 And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took these, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah: 21 And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land. 22 And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler. 23 And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men. 24 And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you. 25 But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah. 26 And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees. 27 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison; 28 And he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon; 29 And changed his prison garments: and he did eat bread continually before him all the days of his life. 30 And his allowance was a continual allowance given him of the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line552
__label__wiki	0.55256	0.55256	North Omaha Summer Arts Presents: Freelance Writing Academy Seminars with Leo Adam Biga July 2, 2013 leoadambiga 2 comments North Omaha Summer Arts presents- Freelance Writing Academy Seminars by author-journalist-blogger Leo Adam Biga Ideal for emerging and aspiring writers. Tips on where to get your work published and how to write for a living from the award-winning Omaha writer. Biga’s well-reviewed new book “Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film” is now available. He recently won Best Feature Story and Best in Show at the Omaha Press Club Excellence in Journalism Competition for his article on an Iraq War veteran’s battle with PTSD. Two sessions: Tuesday, July 9 & Tuesday, July 23 6:30-8:30 p.m. Church of the Resurrection, 3004 Belvedere Blvd. Session I will discuss the ins and outs of being a writer and what opportunities there are to get your work seen or published. Explore building your own blog or website as a vehicle for showcasing your work. Learn what publications and sites accept submissions and take the challenge of submitting your work. Session II will examine your submission experience and offer advice on how to pitch yourself and your ideas and get your work noticed. Review the dos and don’ts of dealing with editors and publishers. Explore being your own publisher. The seminars are free. For reservations, call 402-455-7015 during normal business hours. Or click the events tab on my Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/leo.a.biga ‎ – and sign up there. Tapestries to celebrate Omaha neighborhoods; Theater by any other name (leoadambiga.wordpress.com) My Omaha Magazine Story on Iraq War Veteran Jacob Hausman Wins Best Feature Story and Best of Show at Omaha Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards Competition (leoadambiga.wordpress.com) David Brown’s Omaha: Chamber Leader Focused on Making the City Shine (leoadambiga.wordpress.com) Categories: Authors/Literature, Journalism, Leo Adam Biga, North Omaha, North Omaha Summer Arts, Writing Tags: Freelance Writing Academy Seminars, Leo Adam Biga, North Omaha Summer Arts, Writing Seminars Lessons in Transforming Lives – Omaha Home for Boys’ Bike Rebuild July 2, 2013 leoadambiga 1 comment Non-profits are always looking for innovative ways to raise funds and thanks to a Mitchell, S.D. program that gets at-risk kids to work collectively to restore or repair motorcycles under the supervision of adults, the Omaha Home for Boys found a model for its 2013 fundraiser. My story for Omaha Magazine talks about the inherent lessons that participating residents at the Home and its sister campus, Jacob’s Place, were exposed to in their bike rebuild experience this past spring. Lessons in Transforming Lives Omaha Home for Boys’ Bike Rebuild © by Leo Adam Biga Photography by Ken Merchant Originally appeared in Omaha Magazine When a group of Omaha Home for Boys and Jacob’s Place residents helped put the finishing touches on a customized 1999 Harley Davidson motorcycle this May, they accomplished something bigger than themselves. As participants in OHB’s Horsepower Bike Rebuild Program, the youth worked four months under the supervision of adults to outfit a bare-bones bike with all custom features. That bike, dubbed Mish Mash, is being raffled off this fall and will be awarded to a winner at Omaha Home for Boys’ September 26 fundraiser, Restoring Hearts with Bike Parts. Fittingly, the motivational speaker for the 6 p.m. Hilton Omaha event is actor-producer-director-author Henry Winkler, who earned fame playing the motorcycle-riding character The Fonz on the 1970s TV mega-hit, Happy Days. Leading up to the event, the bike is being showcased at parades and shows to help boost raffle sales and raise awareness about Omaha Home for Boys’ and Jacob’s Place’s mission, serving youth. Founded in 1920, OHB is a residential program that provides at-risk boys and young men ages 10-18 with family structure, positive reinforcement, and educational support to help them become successful, independent adults. It’s sister program, Jacob’s Place, has a similar mission serving both young men and women ages 17-21. OHB events manager Trish Haniszewski says the bike rebuild program, which originates out of Mitchell, S.D., is intended to empower youth through structured, hands-on work rebuilding old or damaged bikes. She says the work the Omaha youth put into salvaging their bike “is symbolic of ‘refurbish a youth, refurbish a life.’” The person she recruited to be the program’s bike mechanic facilitator, Jeremy Colchin of Black Rose Machine Shop, found the experience more meaningful than he expected. “I learned it’s not so much about getting this bike done…The time with the kids and teaching them something and working as a team and the pride in this they feel as a group is what’s important.” – Jeremy Colchin, Black Rose Machine Shop “The joy I had after the first night of working with the kids was like nothing I ever experienced before,” says Colchin. “I didn’t expect to get attached to these kids.” His father, Black Rose owner Mike Colchin, also mentored the youth. Jeremy says the connection with some youth was immediate and with others, gradual. “You gotta pull them in…We seemed to pull them in in a good way, and that’s what matters. They were having fun when they were here,” says Colchin, who met with the youth Tuesday nights from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Howe Garage on campus. “Every single one of them has been extremely polite and fun to be around and easy to work with. It’s promising. “I learned it’s not so much about getting this bike done; it’s about using [the process] as a tool for kids. In the big scheme of things, the bike’s the side note. The time with the kids and teaching them something and working as a team and the pride in this they feel as a group is what’s important.” Colchin says the experience reminded him of when he began working under his father at age 16. Getting the bike tricked out offered many teachable moments. “I thought it was a real interesting way to use what I know to work with these kids and teach them not just about motorcycles, but about how life works,” Colchin says. “That not everything is straightforward. You have to learn to work around problems, work with other people, and have fun doing it. If I can help someone [teaching them] that, that’s a great thing.” The initial plan was to rebuild a beat-up bike. But when a junker couldn’t be found, the new emphasis became customizing a used one. Learning opportunities still presented themselves. “When you customize a bike, you run into issues and problems you need to work through and take care of, and we’ve really done a good job accomplishing that,” says Colchin. Ten to 12 youth participated each week in the bike build, including several girls. Besides taking ratchets, wrenches, and soldering irons to the bike, they came up with a new paint design. Flames on the gas tank include personalized names and sayings from the youth. Program participant Tony, a Jacob’s Place transitional living resident, says, “It’s been a lot of fun. This was the first time I’ve actually worked on a motorcycle. I’ve always loved taking stuff apart and putting it together just for the heck of it—figuring out what makes stuff work. It’s been a very cool experience.” Tony, 18 and soon to enter the U.S. Marine Corps, says he and his teammates take pride in the work they did. Of the lucky person who will win the bike in the raffle, Colchin says, “They’re going to be in possession of a Harley that’s customized in a way most guys wish they could afford to do.” Raffle tickets for the motorcycle will be sold June 28-Sept. 26 and are available by calling Trish Haniszewski at 402-457-7000 or online at omahahomeforboys.org. Tickets to the Restoring Hearts fundraiser can also be purchased on the organizations’s website. Categories: Bike Rebuild, Education, Omaha, Omaha Home for Boys, Writing, Youth Tags: Bike Rebuild, Education, Omaha Home for Boys, Youth David Brown’s Omaha: Chamber Leader Focused on Making the City Shine Chamber of Commerce professionals are paid to say positive things about the communities they promote and that’s not to say they don’t believe the gilded words they profess but in the case of Omaha Chamber of Commerce president David Brown you really do get the sense he means what he says, lock, stock, and barrell. My story about him for B2B Omaha Magazine is repurposed here. Originally appeared in B2B Omaha Magazine David Brown did his fair share of moving around before settling here in 2003 to become president of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. Before assuming that post the Detroit native worked in his home state of Michigan, then in Indiana, before spending a solid decade in South Carolina. Brown’s always stayed longer than the norm for chamber professionals because he also does economic development and that means putting down serious roots. “Economic development is really my first love. The part I’ve grown to love the most is what do you do to improve the community so that it’s more attractive to companies and individuals to stay here or to come here. When you do chamber work, which traditionally does not include economic development, you don’t put down as many roots as you do if you’re doing economic development, where you’re selling dirt and really learning about the community. Clients have to see you’re knowledgeable and committed.” After 10 years down South he and wife Maggie looked to get the youngest of their two sons settled in school. Moving to the middle of the country held great appeal. “We wanted to get into a more positive public education environment for Elijah, who was getting ready to go into middle school. We wanted to get back to the Midwest where our roots were,” says Brown. “Fortunately the Omaha position was open and I threw my hat in the ring and I was fortunate to get the job. “This is my 10th year. We’ve been here about as long as we’ve been anywhere. This is home.” His devotion to Omaha is such that he’s influenced extended family members to make this their home. He enjoys working with people who share his passion for enhancing Omaha.. “There has been a collection of leadership here that seems to have in the back of their mind, How do we improve this place?You’ve got this intentional effort to try and improve the place married with the unbelievable generosity of the philanthropists here and the corporate support for making this a better place. You see remarkable amenities created not to bring tourists to Omaha but to enhance the quality of life for the people who already live here. The fact they’ve had a tourist appeal as well is just chocolate on the Sunday.” Add it all up, he says, “and that gives us a competitive advantage over other places where that kind of development and quality discussion doesn’t happen as consistently. We’ve got people who have been able to sit down and say what is it we need to be a better place and then they’ve gone about the process of getting it done. It’s fascinating to see how quickly some of this stuff has occurred, like the riverfront redevelopment. There was a frenetic pace almost that took place in the ’90s that continued into the 2000s.” For Brown, there’s nothing better than seeing projects like the CenturyLink Center or Midtown Crossing take shape. “I guess what really trips my trigger is that I can point to things I’ve been involved in that have made it a better place and given people jobs. I like making a difference, that’s really what it comes down to. It’s very rewarding at the end of the year to sit back and say, ‘What did we do this year?’ and know we made a measurable, demonstrable difference in the community we live in. Not just me, but the team we function with from our volunteers to our members to our staff.” Omaha business and civic leaders value Brown’s efforts. Mutual of Omaha CEO Dan Neary says, “Dave has worked diligently to shape the business environment from tax policy, incentives and employment training to create an attractive place for businesses to locate. He has promoted the Grow Omaha (GO!) campaign to promote the values of Omaha on a national level.” “He’s always focused on the end result. He’s a good mediator when he needs to be but he’s also a good salesman for what we need to do. He interacts easily with all kinds of people and groups,” says HDR senior vice president of corporate relations Rex Fisher. “He’s very passionate about what he does and he’s a very consistent person.” MECA president/CEO Roger Dixon says, “He’s got s professional approach to things, he’s very level-headed, he’s a consensus-builder. I’ve never been in a community where the Chamber is as influential as ours is here and it takes a dynamic individual to lead that. He understands the moving parts in our community and works around them.” Brown will be guiding the new Prosper Omaha campaign that seeks to brand the city as never before. Omaha’s aspirational spirit resonates with him and the work of the Chamber. “Omaha’s always been a business town and the business community here plays a big role in making things happen. We’ve been fortunate as an organization that the business community has looked to the Chamber to accomplish some pretty significant things and so over time we pick up some additional responsibilities. So we find ourselves in things a lot of chambers don’t find themselves involved in.” The Young Professionals Association is an example. “We have this dynamic young professionals organization that’s involved in virtually every major community activity you can think of. The management and leadership of that process has been a whole new learning experience for us. There’s 5,000 young professionals who at some point or another have plugged into this process of making Omaha a better place. “We’re mentoring and engaging young professionals so they can be leaders in the future. It’s become part of our leadership agenda.” In terms of projects, he says, the Chamber is “getting deeper and deeper into things the community needs. When (then-Chamber board chair) Dick Bell said in 2004 the Chamber’s going to be involved making sure every Omahan has an opportunity to succeed and every area in Omaha has an opportunity to grow that got us in the community development business. We’re going to help Midtown grow, were going to help NoDo grow, we’re going to help North Omaha grow, we’re going to help South Omaha grow. That changed the way we think about economic development and the activities we’re engaged in in doing community development.” He says he likes that the Chamber not only “provides services to our members to grow their businesses but we’re also a catalytic organization.” He adds, “That means we’re sometimes change agents. Sometimes we lead. Virtually always we’re conveners. We convene a wide diversity of people that can help solve problems. Advocacy is always a part of the agenda.” A graduate of Dartmouth, where he played football and baseball, Brown is a natural people person and team player. “I really like people,” he says. He says lessons he learned playing team sports “are all things I use every day with our team here at the Chamber and with the teams we build within the community,” adding, “The Chamber rarely does things ourselves, we always partner with people and collaborate with others to get things accomplished, and that’s a different kind of team but a team nonetheless.” He also likes getting things done. “I like change, it’s something I really embrace. If i don’t see change happening I’m wondering if I’m doing my job. I like to come up with new ideas and trust my team to tell me which ones are good and which ones are bad and then see ideas come to fruition. In the end it doesn’t matter to me who gets the credit for stuff as long as we get stuff done. That’s the way the Chamber operates and in large measure it’s the way Omaha operates and I think that’s one of the things that makes us unique.” Away from the office he enjoys golf, hunting, landscaping and reading. His wife is often by his side. “She’s my best friend and we do everything together. She’s been my partner in this whole career process. She’s a great saleswoman. She’s done the trade show and conference thing with me. She knows the spiel. She can pitch just like I can. She’s great with volunteers and board members.” Keep up to date with Brown and the Chamber at http://www.omahachamber.org. Once Upon a Time an Urban Dead End Became Omaha’s Lively Old Market (leoadambiga.wordpress.com) Jean Stothert backs $6 million for UNO arena (omaha.com) Fort Crook Road now bike-friendly (omaha.com) Categories: Business, David Brown, Entrepreneurial, Omaha, Omaha Chamber of Commerce, Uncategorized, Writing Tags: David Brown, Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, Omaha Business Omaha’s Vinton Street Creativity Festival celebrates a diagonal cultural scene Street festivals are as emblematic of America as anything and my hometown of Omaha has it’s share of them. A newer one, the Vinton Street Creativity Festival, is an urban pastiche that’s part carnival, part fair, part block party that takes its name and cue from the funky diagonal street where an eclectic assemblage of venues comprise Vinton’s historical business district. This story appeared in advance of the recently held 2013 fest. The resurgence of both the Vinton Street Commercial Historical District and the greater Deer Park Neighborhood it resides in is impetus for the second annual Vinton Street Creativity Festival. The 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 18 event is a free celebration of youth and community organized by the Deer Park Neighborhood Association, Habitat for Humanity and the City of Omaha. Vinton Street merchants are helping sponsor it. The festival, whose hub is 18th and Vinton, will include live music, a street art throwdown, extreme skateboarding, breakdance performances, children’s activities, arts and crafts displays, walking tours and a Victory Boxing Club demonstration. Food can be purchased from the district’s many eateries. The Hector Anchondo Blues Band will headline the on-stage band lineup, which also includes Pancho & the Contraband and Midwest Dilemma. Mariachi Zapata and Ballet Folklorico Xiotal will perform traditional music and dance, respectively. The Omaha Creative Institute will present Elmo Diaz in a blacksmithing demo, Tom Kerr drawing caricatures and a watercolor station for kids to paint. Linda Garcia will teach the Mexican paper cutting craft, appeal picado banderas, in creating miniature decorative flags. Among a few dozen commercial historical districts in the nation, the Vinton strip is singular for its diagonal layout. The narrow, meandering road, with low-slung, century-old buildings set close to the street, follows a ridge line that may have been a trail or country road before the area’s late 19th century development. Noted photographer Larry Ferguson, who’s long maintained a studio and living space in the Daniel J. Jourdan Building at 1701 Vinton, says as a result of the street’s serpentine shape “you have a lot of different vistas as you move along and through those curves – it’s like a piece of sculpture that way.” Festivalgoers will come upon a commercially thriving district whose 14 historically significant buildings have been largely untampered with and house a diverse mix of service-based businesses. Many small business owners there are Hispanic. Their enterprises include bakeries, restaurants, a meat market and clothing stores. The area is far livelier then when Ferguson moved there in 1987. “It was a derelict part of town. It was really bad,” he recalls. “Nothing but vacant storefronts and six bars. Very little street and pedestrian traffic.” He says as the South 24th business district filled “it was a natural progression for the Latino community to move up into this area to rebuild. That led to a big influx of property changes and people changes. To the point now we have constant traffic on the street during the day. A lot of new businesses have come on board that are making Vinton happen. The new businesses are just hopping.” One of the biggest changes is the influx of families with young children. Deer Park Neighborhood Association president Oscar Duran says, “There are hundreds of young kids in our neighborhood.” In his work as a Neighborhood Revitalization Specialist with Habitat for Humanity Duran’s enlisted youth as volunteers and as participants in urban art competitions and mural projects. “I saw we had a local asset of urban artists within the neighborhood, That started us asking ourselves what other ways could we outreach to our youth in the South Omaha area. How can we bring together a mash of different counter cultures and communities that celebrate youth being active, involved and a part of something? “So we invited some of the urban artists and break-dancers we’re familiar with as well as the nonprofits that do outreach-mentorship to cross pollinate with each other and celebrate what each of them is good at.” Duran says the resulting youth and community-centered event is an attempt “to separate us from other neighborhood festivals because Deer Park itself is a very unique neighborhood. It’s a collection of smaller neighborhoods. It’s a melting pot. You go down Vinton Street and you have an internationally known photographer (Ferguson) who’s been there since the ’80s right next to a carniceria (meat market) who’s been there for ten and right across the street you have a pasterleria (bakery). Then there’s all the restaurants, the boutiques, the Capitol Bindery, Gallery 72. “I think it’s really cool. It’s something that’s very organic to our area.” New additions to the melting pot are The Apollon, a multi-genre arts event-dining space having its grand opening during the fest, and The Pearly Owl curio shop. Apollon co-founder Ryan Tewell says the district is becoming known as a “friendly up-and-coming arts and dining destination without all the traffic and congestion and higher prices that come with it.” Grants are assisting some owners with sprucing up the facades of their buildings. Duran says improvements to the surrounding area include the recent razing of condemned homes, the rehab of others and the construction of new residences. “That revitalization brings new people, higher property values,” Ferguson says. “I’ve got 26 years here of watching this neighborhood transform, which has always been my dream. I’ve been trying to champion this street for a long time. It’s very exciting to see it happen.” Ferguson and Duran view the festival as a showcase for what the area offers. “There’s a really good core of people here,” Duran says. “A very strong sense of work ethic and community was already here and it’s not going to go away. There’s really an environment fostered here that people want to help each other.” “Vinton’s becoming more unified,” says Ferguson. “It’s a real celebration of it. We’re totally jazzed and excited.” Categories: Art, Entertainment, Larry Ferguson, Latino/Hispanic, Music, South Omaha, Writing, Youth Tags: South Omaha, Street Festival, Vinton Street Creativity Festival	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line554
__label__wiki	0.985598	0.985598	Games / apple osx / M Genres: Sports Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, XBox 360, Wii, Apple OSX, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, GameCube, XBox, PSP Publishers: EA Sports Madden NFL 08 is a 2007 American football video game based on the NFL that was published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It is the 19th installment in the Madden NFL video game franchise. It features the former Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young on the cover; San Diego Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo was the cover athlete for the Spanish-language version. This was the first Madden game made for 11 different platforms, it was released on August 14, 2007 for Xbox 360, Wii, Pla… Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Genres: Action, Hack'n'slash Platforms: Microsoft Windows, XBox 360, Apple OSX, PlayStation 3 Publishers: Konami Digital Entertainment Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is an action hack and slash video game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Konami Digital Entertainment. Released for the PlayStation 3 (PS3), Xbox 360 and Windows, it is a spin-off in the Metal Gear series, and is set four years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. In the game, players control Raiden, a cyborg who confronts the private military company Desperado Enforcement, with the gameplay focusing on fighting enemies using a sw… Genres: Beat'em-up Platforms: PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, Linux, Apple OSX Publishers: Devolver Digital Mother Russia Bleeds is a beat 'em up video game developed by France-based indie development studio Le Cartel Studio and published by Devolver Digital. The game was released worldwide for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux on 5 September 2016, PlayStation 4 on 3 December 2016 and for Nintendo Switch on 15 November 2018. Genres: Action, Adventure Platforms: Microsoft Windows, XBox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, Apple OSX, PlayStation 3 Publishers: Eidos Interactive, Feral Interactive Mini Ninjas is a 2009 action-adventure game developed by IO Interactive and published by Eidos Interactive for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360. A Mac OS X version of the game was released on July 8, 2010, by Feral Interactive. In December 2011, it was announced that the game will be also made available as a browser game for Google Chrome.A Kinect/Xbox Live Arcade spin-off game Mini Ninjas Adventures followed in 2012. Another Mini Ninjas spin-off game, an endless … Genres: Adventure, Music Platforms: PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, Linux, Apple OSX, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, XBox One, Android Publishers: SlashGear Machinarium is a puzzle point-and-click adventure game developed by Amanita Design. It was released on 16 October 2009 for Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, on 8 September 2011 for iPad 2 on the App Store, on 21 November 2011 for BlackBerry PlayBook, on 10 May 2012 for Android, on 6 September 2012 on PlayStation 3's PlayStation Network in Europe, on 9 October 2012 in North America and on 18 October 2012 in Asia, and was also released for PlayStation Vita on 26 March 2013 in North America, on 1 May… Meister Cody Genres: Educational Publishers: Kaasa healthhttp://kaasahealth.com/en/ Kaasa health. Retrieved 2016-02-18 Meister Cody is an online training game with an integrated diagnostic screening test for children with dyscalculia and math weakness, the CODY Assessment. It was developed as a part of the CODY Project, a collaboration with psychologists and neuroscientists at the University of Münster, and technology experts at Kaasa health (an mHealth tech company based in Düsseldorf). The educational video game is used by parents, teachers and therapists as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool. The scientific re… Genres: Action, Multiplayer, Online, Role-playing Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Apple OSX, XBox One Marvel Heroes, also known as Marvel Heroes 2015, Marvel Heroes 2016 and Marvel Heroes Omega, was a free-to-play massively multiplayer online action role-playing video game developed by Gazillion Entertainment and Secret Identity Studios. Characters such as Iron Man, Captain America, Deadpool and Wolverine were playable characters that could be unlocked in the game. Players who pre-purchased a game pack received early access to the game on May 29, 2013. The game was officially launched on June 4,… Maia (video game) Genres: Management, Strategy, Simulation Maia is a sci-fi strategy simulation video game developed by Simon Roth. The game has been described as "Dungeon Keeper meets Dwarf Fortress on a primordial alien world". Roth also cites Theme Hospital, The Sims, Black & White and Space Station 13 amongst its influences. March of the Eagles Genres: Strategy Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Apple OSX Publishers: Paradox Interactive March of the Eagles is a grand strategy video game developed by Paradox Interactive and released on 19 February 2013. The game centres on the time period of 1805-1820. It started life as a sequel to AGEOD's Napoleon's Campaigns, and was originally titled Napoleon's Campaigns II. As AGEOD was bought by Paradox, they developed and retitled the game. Virtual Programming released a Mac OS X version of the game on May 9, 2013. Might & Magic X: Legacy Genres: Role-playing Publishers: Ubisoft Might & Magic X: Legacy is the latest installment of the Might and Magic role-playing video game series, announced on March 21, 2013, developed by Limbic Entertainment and published by Ubisoft. Instead of being a sequel to Might and Magic IX the game follows the events of Might & Magic Heroes VI and is set in the world of Ashan. It was released on January 23, 2014 as a downloadable title for Microsoft Windows. An OS X version was released on April 16, 2014.The game focuses on events occurring in… Master of Orion: Conquer the Stars Publishers: Wargaming Master of Orion: Conquer the Stars (also called simply Master of Orion) is a science fiction turn-based strategy 4X game. It is the fourth game in the Master of Orion series and a reboot of the series, developed by Argentina-based NGD Studios and published by Wargaming. The game was released on Steam Early Access on February 26, 2016, with a full release planned on Microsoft Windows, OS X and Linux later in 2016.In Master of Orion: Conquer the Stars, the player leads one of 10 playable races to … Mark of the Ninja Genres: Action Platforms: PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, Linux, XBox 360, Apple OSX, XBox One Publishers: Microsoft Studios Mark of the Ninja is a side-scrolling action stealth video game developed by Klei Entertainment and published by Microsoft Studios. It was announced on February 28, 2012 and later released for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade on September 7, 2012. A Microsoft Windows version was released on October 16, 2012, later released for Linux and OS X on September 11, 2013. A remaster was released on October 9, 2018 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, macOS and Linux.It follo… Genres: Platform, Puzzle Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Apple OSX, Apple IOS Publishers: Daedalic Entertainment Munin is an independent video game which was published by Daedalic Entertainment on June 10, 2014. The game was developed by Portuguese indie game company Gojira. The game is a puzzle-platformer, with references to Norse gods and monsters. The iOS version of the game was released on July 7, 2014. Platforms: PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Apple OSX Magicka 2 is an action-adventure video game, the sequel to Magicka, for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and PlayStation 4. It was released on May 26, 2015 and was announced at Sony's E3 2014 media briefing with a trailer. Instead of being developed by Arrowhead Game Studios, the title was developed by Pieces Interactive alongside the publisher Paradox Interactive. Miner Wars Arena Miner Wars Arena is an action video game developed by Keen Software House. It is a spin-off to Miner Wars 2081. The game is inspired by Tunnelers. The game is set in 2090 when the Solar System underwent a political breakdown and humanity is fighting for resources on asteroids. Genres: Simulation Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Linux, Apple OSX, Android, Apple IOS Publishers: Double Fine Productions Mountain is a simulation video game developed by David OReilly and published by Double Fine Productions. It was released for Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, iOS and Android in July 2014. The game is an idle game in which the only influence the player can have on the game is at the start of the game where the player is tasked to draw objects. The game is designed to be played in the background while the player uses other applications. Genres: Adventure, Platform Publishers: Crescent Moon Games Mimpi is a video game developed by Czech company Silicon Jelly. It is a mix of an adventure puzzle and a platform game. The sequel Mimpi Dreams was released in 2015. Moebius: Empire Rising Publishers: Phoenix Online Publishing Moebius: Empire Rising is a graphic adventure video game developed by Pinkerton Road Studio and published by Phoenix Online Publishing for Microsoft Windows, OS X and Linux. Genres: Adventure, Platform, Puzzle Publishers: Silicon Jelly Mimpi Dreams is a 2015 video game developed by Czech company Silicon Jelly. It is a mix of an adventure puzzle and a platform game. It is a sequel to Mimpi. Manual Samuel Genres: Adventure Platforms: PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Apple OSX, XBox One Publishers: Curve Digital Manual Samuel is an adventure video game by Perfectly Paranormal. It was released on PlayStation 4 on October 11, 2016 and on Xbox One and Microsoft Windows on October 14, 2016. The Nintendo Switch version was released on August 16, 2018.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line555
__label__cc	0.541432	0.458568	An Act protecting Massachusetts drivers By Mr. Naughton of Clinton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3052) of Harold P. Naughton, Jr., for legislation to expand the “move over law”, so-called, to include vehicles operated by civilians. Transportation. Harold P. Naughton, Jr. Referred to Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security 1/20/2015 House Referred to the committee on Transportation 2/4/2016 Joint Hearing scheduled for 02/10/2016 from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM in A-2 3/14/2016 House Discharged to the committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security 1/3/2017 House No further action taken SD.72 192nd (Current) An Act to improve road safety An Act relative to the move over law	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line564
__label__cc	0.563846	0.436154	UK Parents Refuse to Reveal the Sex of Their Baby to Friends and Family in Order to Raise Child as Truly ‘Gender Neutral’ September 29, 2019 September 25, 2019 / News / By Sara Gramling A couple of new parents are facing backlash after deciding to not reveal their baby’s biological sex and raise their child gender neutral. Hobbit Humphrey and Jake England-Johns told The Daily Mail that they made the choice in the hopes that their child will not be treated with any gender bias. The couple, who live in England and are both circus performers, recently appeared on BBC’s Inside Out, and shared that their child Anoush (who they call “Charlie” on the show because of privacy concerns) dresses in both boys and girls clothes and that they use both sex pronouns when referring to their child. YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Gender-Nonconforming Clothes for Your Kids Are Here, They’re Beautiful, and They’re Changing the Way We Think About Our Children Grandmother Camille revealed that she didn’t even know the sex of the baby until she changed a diaper when the child was 11 months old. “It was a struggle,” she told BBC. “But as with any learning, over time it became embedded and they became ‘they.’” CREDIT: BBC “‘Gender neutral’ refers to us trying to behave neutrally towards the child, rather than trying to make them neutral,” dad England-Johns explained. “We’re not trying to make them be anything. We just want them to be themselves.” The couple shared that when the child is older they will get to decide their preferred gender. “So much of gender bias is unconscious,” Humphrey said. “When I got pregnant we then were having a discussion about how we were going to mitigate the unconscious bias. And we figured that the only way we could do that was just not to tell people.” YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Mom Who ‘Invented’ Gender Reveal Parties Reveals She Now Regrets Starting the Trend The response to the couple’s choice has been mixed, with some feeling that it’s extreme. However, as time goes on, they shared that it’s becoming easier to manage. “We are quite good now at holding space for people’s discomfort in us saying, ‘Actually, we don’t tell anyone, we’re not telling anyone for now,'” their dad told BBC. “We’re just letting Anoush be a baby.” Sara Gramling When I’m not hanging out with my three-year-old and husband in Brooklyn, I’m busy writing stories for Mamas Uncut and managing PR + Marketing for Magnolia Bakery, based in New York City. On weekends, you can usually find me at a local park or playground pushing my daughter on the swings, “researching” the best almond croissants in Park Slope or launching into impromptu family dance parties at home, the sidewalk or, every once in awhile, a restaurant bathroom. I’m still trying to master the whole parenting thing, but I have learned that copious amounts of coffee, humor and humility are involved on a daily basis.	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line566
__label__wiki	0.697248	0.697248	400 F. 2d 968 - Johnson v. Chicago Milwaukee St Paul & Pacific Railroad Co 400 F2d 968 Johnson v. Chicago Milwaukee St Paul & Pacific Railroad Co V. L. JOHNSON, d/b/a V. L. Johnson Lumber Co., Appellant, CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE, ST. PAUL & PACIFIC RAILROAD CO., Appellee. United States Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit. Jerrold C. Park (argued) of McFadden & Park, St. Maries, Idaho, for appellant. James E. Nelson (argued), B. E. Lutterman, Warren H. Ploeger, Seattle, Wash., Sidney E. Smith, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, for appellee. Before JOHNSEN,* BROWNING and CARTER, Circuit Judges. JAMES M. CARTER, Circuit Judge: This diversity action for damages, removed from the state court, was commenced by V. L. Johnson, d/b/a V. L. Johnson Lumber Co., hereafter "Shipper," against the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co., hereafter the "Railroad." At the close of the Shipper's case to a jury, the court on motion of the railroad, entered a dismissal with prejudice on the grounds of insufficiency of the evidence.1 The sole questions presented for decision are: (1) the sufficiency of the evidence as to liability; (2) the sufficiency of the evidence as to damages. The Shipper, in his complaint, set forth three causes of action: (1) that the Railroad, a common carrier, discontinued freight services theretofore provided to the Shipper and refused to ship lumber, in violation of its common law and statutory duty as a carrier; (2) that a tunnel cave-in on the Railroad's line, which resulted in the suspension and termination of rail service to the Shipper, was the direct result of the Railroad's negligence and failure to reasonably maintain its line; (3) that following the cave-in and suspension of the service, the Railroad negligently and in violation of its statutory duty failed to make reasonable efforts to repair the tunnel and restore service. The Railroad denied the allegations of plaintiff's complaint and as an affirmative defense alleged that the cave-in, resulting in the suspension of service, "was not caused by any act, omission or negligence of the defendant, but was proximately caused by an Act of God." The Shipper, from 1963 through 1966, was the owner and operator of a sawmill at Elk River, Idaho. During this period he shipped substantial quantities of lumber over the Railroad's line, approximately 90 percent of which was transported interstate outside of Idaho. Elk River is located 20 miles from the nearest paved road and 50 miles from the nearest major highways. The Railroad is the only rail carrier so serving Elk River and the only common carrier hauling lumber from Elk River. The Railroad's branch line runs from Elk River to St. Maries, Idaho, where it connects with the Railroad's main line. On this branch line existed the Neva Tunnel. In April 1966, a partial cave-in or blockage of this tunnel caused temporary suspension of rail service in and out of Elk River. The blockage was cleared within a few days and service restored, but on May 12, 1966, after inspection of the tunnel by agents of the Railroad, service was discontinued without any prior notice to Shipper. Service was restored about October 17, 1966, subsequent to the filing of this action but prior to the trial thereof in April, 1967. The restoration of the service was brought about by "daylighting" or substituting an open cut for the tunnel. This work was done at the joint expense of the Railroad and the State of Idaho. ISSUE AS TO LIABILITY It is Hornbook law that the plaintiff Shipper is entitled to the benefits of all reasonable inferences that can be drawn by the jury from the evidence, and that the credibility of the witnesses and the weight their testimony deserves are questions for the jury. The Shipper's first cause of action is based on the obligation of the Railroad, a carrier, to receive, carry and deliver all goods offered to the carrier for transportation. The obligation rests on common law principles, Wabash Railroad Company v. Pearce, 192 U.S. 179, 187, 24 S.Ct. 231, 48 L.Ed. 397 (1904), as well as on statute. 49 U.S.C. Sec. 1 (4) and (11). In fact the federal statute, supra, is declaratory of common law. Illinois Central R. Co. v. River, etc., Coal, etc., Co., 150 Ky. 489, 150 S.W. 641, 44 L.R.A.,N.S., 643 (1912). This obligation of the carrier at common law is independent of the contract of carriage. Hannibal Railroad Co. v. Swift, 12 Wall. (79 U.S.) 262 at 270, 20 L.Ed. 423 (1870). This common law duty and obligation of the carrier has not been abridged by the Interstate Commerce Act. Section 22 of the Act, 49 U.S.C.A. § 22 reads in part: "* * * nothing in this chapter [act] contained shall in any way abridge or alter the remedies now existing at common law or by statute, but the provisions of this chapter are in addition to such remedies; * * ." Pennsylvania R. R. Co. v. Puritan Coal Mining Co., 237 U.S. 121, 129, 35 S.Ct. 484, 59 L.Ed. 867 (1915), and Pennsylvania R. R. Co. v. Sonman Shaft Coal Company, 242 U.S. 120, 124, 37 S.Ct. 46, 61 L.Ed. 188 (1916), to the same effect. Idaho law whose pertinency we do not decide, also provides that the common law duties of carriers are not supplanted or limited by Idaho law. Idaho Code § 62-402 and 62-403. Thus, the primary burden is on the carrier, once its neglect or refusal to transport goods is shown, to present a defense or excuse for its non-performance. In an early case in this circuit, Swayne & Hoyt v. Everett, 255 F. 71 (9th Cir. 1919) this court said: "It does not admit of doubt that a common carrier, with certain well-established exceptions, is under legal obligation to carry the goods of any member of the public who may tender them for carriage. That such a carrier, subject to such legal obligation, may show that it was prevented from performing it by act of God or a public enemy, or by some other cause over which it had no control, is readily conceded, but in all such cases the defense is an affirmative one, and the burden is upon the carrier to both plead and prove it." 255 F. at p. 74. [Emphasis supplied] Later decisions have expanded these exceptions only slightly, holding that the carrier is liable without proof of negligence unless it affirmatively shows that (1) the loss resulted from acts of the Shipper; (2) acts of God; (3) public enemy; (4) public authority, or (5) the inherent vice or nature of the commodity. Secretary of Agriculture v. United States, 350 U.S. 162, 165 note 9, 76 S.Ct. 244, 100 L.Ed. 173 (1956); Missouri Pacific Railroad Co. v. Elmore & Stahl, 377 U.S. 134, 137, 84 S.Ct. 1142, 12 L.Ed.2d 194 (1964). The Railroad alleged an act of God as an affirmative defense. The burden was on the Railroad to affirmatively prove this defense. Secretary of Agriculture v. United States, supra; Missouri Pacific Railroad Co. v. Elmore & Stahl, supra. As stated by Judge Fee while on the district court, in Montgomery Ward & Co. v. Northern Pacific Terminal Co., 128 F.Supp. 475, 511 (1953), "Even where prevented by an act of God or the public enemy, there must be an affirmative showing that it (the carrier) did everything in its power to carry out its absolute obligation." The carrier is not excused if the interference with its service could have been avoided by forethought. Applying this principle, the Supreme Court imposed liability upon an Express Company for gold lost to a band of armed robbers, even though the receipt for the gold issued by the Express Company exempted it from losses due to "mobs, riots, insurrection or pirates." The Company had a choice of two routes, one a safe route and the other running through dangerous and unsettled country. By failing to choose the safer route, the carrier was negligent and subjected itself to liability. United States Express Co. v. Kountze Bros., 8 Wall. (75 U.S.) 342, 19 L.Ed. 457 (1869). A carrier must anticipate problems and provide against them. Baker v. St. Louis etc. Railroad Co., 145 Mo.App. 189, 197, 129 S.W. 436, 438 (1910); Chicago, B. & Q. R. Company v. Manning, 23 Neb. 552, 37 N.W. 462, 464-465 (1888). Lehigh Valley Railroad Co. v. Allied Machinery Company of America, 271 F. 900, 903 (2 Cir. 1921), cert. denied 256 U.S. 704, 41 S.Ct. 625, 65 L.Ed. 1180. The Shipper's second cause of action was based on negligence. A carrier is required to use diligence and care in the performance of its duties, United States Express Co. v. Kountze Bros., supra; New York Central Railroad Company v. Lockwood, 17 Wall. (84 U.S.) 357, 383, 21 L.Ed. 627 (1873); Bank of Kentucky v. Adams Express Co., 93 U.S. 174, 23 L.Ed. 872 (1876). See Chicago & E. I. Railroad Co. v. Collins Produce Company, 249 U.S. 186, 39 S.Ct. 189, 63 L.Ed. 552 (1919). As to the excepted causes, such as an act of God, which will ordinarily relieve the carrier from liability, the carrier may nevertheless be liable because of its own negligence or that of its agents, servants or employees. Robinson v. Bush, 199 Mo.App. 184, 200 S.W. 757, 760 (1918); Fean v. Alabama Great Southern Railroad Co., 26 Ohio App. 96, 159 N.E. 487, 489 (1927); L. E. Whitlock Trucking Service, Inc. v. Regal Drilling Co., 333 F.2d 488, 491 (10 Cir. 1964). Even where the loss is caused by an act of God or other excepted cause, if the carrier's negligence mingles with the excepted cause as an active or cooperating cause, there is liability on the carrier. Chesapeake & O. Ry. Co. v. J. Wix and Sons Ltd., 87 F.2d 257, 259 (4 Cir. 1937); Farr Co. v. Union Pac. R. Co., 106 F.2d 437, 439 (10 Cir. 1939). See; Newmark v. Pacific Freight Lines, 67 Cal.App.2d 548, 155 P.2d 68 (1945); Chicago & E. I. R. R. Co. v. Collins Produce Co., 235 F. 857, aff'd 249 U.S. 186, 39 S.Ct. 189, 63 L.Ed. 552. Since we hereafter hold that there was sufficient evidence to go to the jury on both the Shipper's first and second causes of action, we do not comment on Shipper's third cause of action that the Railroad failed to make reasonable efforts to repair the tunnel and restore service; and the Shipper's other contention that the Railroad should have used alternate methods of shipping. Nor do we pass any opinion as to the validity of these theories or causes of action or intimate that they are valid, or invalid. The evidence, viewed in a light most favorable to the appellant Shipper, showed that there had been a collapse or cave-in of the tunnel some three to four weeks prior to its closing, but the obstruction had been cleared away. On or about May 12th, the tunnel was ordered closed by the Railroad's Division engineer. His action was caused by his belief that the tunnel was unsafe, following his inspection on or about May 12th. His reasons stated were that the tunnel was showing signs of new and rapid deterioration, evidenced by many cracks in the timbers, with some supports broken completely. As far back as 1955 and 1956, the Railroad negotiated with Idaho in an effort to persuade the Highway Department of the state to bear the major part of the cost of daylighting the tunnel. As early as 1956, one of the Railroad's employees, after an inspection, called attention to the condition of the tunnel, the tunnel lining and the crushed and split condition of many of the supports. He said further " * * the rotten original lining could not form a solid backing for them (helper vents). We are spending a lot of money and still losing ground." Later in December 1956, after negotiations with the State for the joint daylighting project seemed to have bogged down, he reported "* * * we should definitely plan on the concrete lining not later than 1958." In December 1965, Idaho proposed further negotiations but the Railroad did not respond until after the cave-in of April 1966. However, the Railroad between the shut down of the tunnel on May 12, 1966, and the solicitation of bids for day-lighting on July 22, 1966, finally got down to studying the problem and reached an ultimate agreement with Idaho. The contract for the day-lighting was dated August 17, 1966, work commenced August 29, 1966, and was completed October 14, 1966, and service restored October 17, 1966. A little over a month elapsed between the solicitation of bids and the commencement of work, and the work itself took approximately six weeks. The evidence also showed that the tunnel, built in 1910, had been maintained since 1954 on a temporary "stop-gap" basis. Inspections of the tunnel in 1964 showed it to be in bad condition and deteriorating. The Railroad section foreman, after checking the tunnel, reported in 1964, "* * * one of the top timbers and one on the side have came [sic] out right at the joint where the top decking comes together and it appears * * * that other timbers are cracking." Also in 1964 Pajari, the division engineer and his superintendent reported, "We have considerable work to be done on the Neva tunnel this year and the portion of the tunnel where the two pieces fell out is included in '64 work." Despite this report there was testimony that no maintenance or repair work was done in 1964 or 1965. In support of its contention that the closure of the tunnel and suspension of service was caused by an act of God, the Railroad relied on testimony which referred to "a massive movement of rock and earth above the tunnel." The testimony concerning a massive movement of earth must be considered with other evidence. Pajari, the division engineer for the Railroad testified that the May 1966 situation differed from previous trouble in that "the natural failure of timbers because of age, moisture and so forth, but this was actually a separation of the fibres of the timbers." Reference was made to the pressure of the rock and earth above, and the witness stated the pressure "would be horizontal as well as vertical in places and there had been displacement of the timbers of the tunnel at the Bovill end." As to the cause of the purported earth movement, the witness over objection, stated "all structures of nature, all grades, disintegrate, leveling out. There is an action of the elements of water and so forth, on portions of the Neva tunnel and this was an accumulation of earth formation and stresses that caused the failure." Smith, the regional engineer for the Railroad, reported new cracks or additional openings in the old cracks in 90% of the post or segment members and that 20% of the defective supports showed cracks in the vertical plane indicating longitudinal movement of the timber tunnel lining; that the remainder of the cracks were in the horizontal plane of the members "indicating a vertical load undoubtedly unevenly distributed causing the failure." The foregoing evidence must be read against the 1955 memorandum, in which a Railroad employee stated "* * * even if the tunnel was never day-lighted these helper bents are only temporary, as they will be placed on a backing of old, rotten timber, which formed the original lining of the tunnel." In another Exhibit, dated in 1956, a Railroad employee reports "As near as I can determine the cause of this condition (separation and dropping out of crown timbers) is [sic] due to old original lining being left in place and repair lining set inside. Present lining is now shoving back on the sides permitting crown timbers to loosen and drop out." In his memorandum of April 25, 1966, following the cave-in, Pajari, the division engineer reported "It is not quite certain whether the failure of the frames precipitated slide material into the bore or whether the reverse was true * * * Please note particularly that the past repairs have been made by inserting new frames inside the old untreated frames which account [sic] decay show distortion [sic] which in turn permits distortion of the newer frames." At the trial Pajari testified that the reason for taking the tunnel out of service was "actually it was the movement of the frames supporting the rock and earth above the tunnel." He further testified that the alleged "massive movement of earth" which the Railroad relied on as an act of God, was a common natural occurrence, and one which could be anticipated although the exact location of any such occurrence would not be predictable with any certainty. At the time the Shipper rested his case and the court took it from the jury, the case bristled with factual issues as to liability. Was there a massive earth movement or merely further deterioration of the tunnel? If there was a massive earth movement, was it an act of God? Could the happening have been foreseen and guarded against.? Had the Railroad been negligent in the maintenance of the tunnel? Did the negligence contribute to the closing of the tunnel? Could proper repair and maintenance have avoided the closing of the tunnel in May 1966? These and others, were issues of fact as to liability which should have gone to the jury. The Damage Issue In this diversity case Idaho law controls on the damage issue. In Gorton v. Doty, 57 Idaho 792, 811, 69 P.2d 136, 145 (1937) the court said: "Damages are susceptible to proof only with an approximation of certainty, and it is solely for the jury to estimate them as best they can by reasonable probabilities, based upon their sound judgment as to what would be just and proper under all the circumstances, * * ". The same holding from Gorton, supra, was quoted in Shrum v. Wakimoto, 70 Idaho 252, 256, 215 P.2d 991 at 993 (1950). In Williams v. Bone, 74 Idaho 185, 188, 259 P.2d 810, 812 (1953), the court held: "Where a regular and established business is injured, interrupted or destroyed by the wrongful acts of another, the measure of damages * * is the net loss and not diminution in gross income. * * * [T]he measure of damages would be the loss of profits, if any, resulting from the wrongful act." The case is particularly persuasive because plaintiffs, for their proof, produced their records showing profits for previous years and loss of profits, decrease of business, deficits and a net loss for the years in which damage was claimed. Boise Street Car Co. v. Van Avery, 61 Idaho 502, 512, 103 P.2d 1107, 1111 (1940) holds that damages for injury to an established business need only be established with reasonable certainty. In Conley v. Amalgamated Sugar Co., 74 Idaho 416, 423, 263 P.2d 705, 709 (1953) the court held that "the mere fact that it is difficult to arrive at the exact amount of damages where it is shown damages resulted, does not mean that damages may not be awarded and it is for the trier of fact to fix the amount". The evidence showed the results of the Shipper's operation in the prior year, 1965, and his income tax return for 1965 showing $5,346.80 in net profit. Profit by carload could be computed since the evidence showed 44 carloads were shipped in 1965. The Shipper's 1966 income tax return showed a loss of $30,586.86. However, testimony developed a fire loss which was deducted. The net loss from the operation of the sawmill alone was $21,210.46. The testimony further showed that the only reason for the loss was inability to ship lumber; that the Shipper had better facilities and more inventory starting the year than in 1965; that the market in 1966 was better than in 1965 and one time in the summer was at a record high. Inventories from December 1964 to January 1967 were in evidence. When the Shipper suspended logging in July 1966, he had "probably 300,000" logs on hand. Finally, the evidence showed that in addition to the one carload handled by the Railroad by truck, the Shipper sent small amounts out by truck; that the Railroad restored service on the line about October 17, 1966, but by November 1, 1966, the wet weather had set in, the roads were bad and the season for the shipping of lumber had ended. In view of the Idaho cases, supra, and the standard set forth as to loss of profits, it is clear that there was sufficient proof to go to the jury on the issue of damages. Since there were issues of fact as to liability and damages presented by the evidence, it was error to take the case from the jury and grant a "Motion for Involuntary Dismissal." The judgment is reversed. Harvey M. Johnsen, Senior United States Circuit Judge, Eighth Circuit, Omaha, Nebraska, sitting by designation The Railroad, at the close of the Shipper's case, moved for an "involuntary dismissal" apparently under Rule 41(b) F.R. Civ.P. This was permissible in jury cases until 1963 when the rule was amended to make it clear that the dismissal motion at the close of plaintiff's case applied in only non-jury cases. However, the court may treat the motion for dismissal as a motion for a directed verdict under Rule 50(a) F.R.C.P., Wolf v. Reynolds Electrical & Engineering Co., 304 F.2d 646 (9 Cir. 1962), decided before the amendment of 1963. But see Woods v. National Life & Acc. Ins. Co., 347 F.2d 760 (3 Cir. 1965)	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line574
__label__wiki	0.653015	0.653015	Tag Archives: first match “Netflix Movie of the Week” is an occasional feature that highlights a worthy original film that has premiered on the streaming site. Netflix plans to release a whopping 80 movies in 2018, and a lot of them don’t get much of a promotional push and/or are hard to find on the site. “Movie of the Week” hopes to help rectify that. A movie critic recently suggested that, aside from Oscar contenders like “Mudbound,” most Netflix original movies are intended to be merely okay, content to be playing in the background while we’re playing HQ Trivia or doing something else. That won’t be possible with “First Match.” Writer-director Olivia Newman’s powerful coming-of-age drama had me in a tight hold within the first few minutes and refused to let go, thanks to Newman’s sensitive and authentic screenplay, some thrilling sequences, and a breakout star performance by Elvire Emanuelle as Monique, a Brooklyn teenager. The film, which premiered Friday, March 30, opens with a lyrical shot of girls’ clothes, pink and white, fluttering in the air as if they were flying. But the film quickly comes crashing down to the earth – the clothes are being thrown out the window by Monique’s caretaker, who accuses her of sleeping with her boyfriend. (As it happens, she’s right.) The caretaker is the latest in a series of foster homes and crash pads that have made up Monique’s life over the last few years. On the street, she dresses confidently and beats down anyone who dares to cross her. But, thanks to Emanuelle’s layered and empathetic performance, we can see that this is a role she’s learning how to play, not her authentic self. Monique hits rock bottom when she sees a man on the street and realizes it’s her ex-con father Darrell (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who has been out of prison for a while and didn’t bother to try and find her. She idolized her father, a former high school wrestling star who taught her how to wrestle when she was a girl, and still keeps his old notebook full of dreams among her possessions, like a talisman. In attempt to win her way back into Darrell’s good graces, Monique tries out for her high school’s all-boy wrestling team, and is good enough to make the cut. There’s some resistance among the boys, but the coach (the terrific Colman Domingo) is nurturing and sympathetic, the sort of role model who can say something like “There’s no such thing as losing. There’s only winning and learning” and mean it. Monique does a lot of winning and a lot of learning in “First Match.” The wrestling scenes shot by Ashley Connor are exciting and intimate, the camera pulled in so tight on the two combatants that some cameraman must have been accidentally taken to the mat at some point during production. But Newman backgrounds the sports movie element of the film in favor of a character study of Monique and a search for some kind of home, be it with her father or with a team. The choice is not easy – we see Monique’s happiness as Darrell starts coming to her matches and coaching her again. But Darrell may not be invested in Monique so much as seeing the reflection of his own faded glory in the ring, which can lead them both into trouble. Emanuelle is so good at Monique – tough, broken and surprisingly funny at times (when an opponent sees he’s going to fight a girl, and asks “Is this even allowed?”, Monique snaps back “Are you even allowed?”) “First Match” doesn’t seem to be getting the promotional push from Netflix that some of its bigger movies are getting, but it’s well worth seeking out. Posted in Netflix Movie of the Week Tagged elvire emanuelle, first match, netflix, olivia newman	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line575
__label__wiki	0.827352	0.827352	Monarchists in the German Military of World War II After the victorious German blitzkrieg of 1940, Adolf Hitler was angered by the exiled German Kaiser, Wilhelm II, referring to the victorious troops as his own. This is usually understood as being a reference on the part of the ex-Kaiser to the fact that the German military leadership of World War II had been the officer-cadets and junior officers of World War I; they had learned their trade in the Kaiser’s Germany. However, there was more literal truth to the Kaiser’s statement than many people realized. The military of Nazi Germany was not filled with hardcore Nazis, though some certainly leaned in that direction. Many were apolitical men who considered matters of government to be none of their business and not the sort of thing for professional military men to concern themselves with. However, there were also those who were monarchists and who were very conscious of the distinction that they were fighting for their German Fatherland and not Adolf Hitler or the Nazi Party. There may have been more monarchists than can ever be known for sure since so many did see expressing political opinions as unseemly and due to the fact that, after the Nazis came to power, voicing any support for any other form of government would have meant ruination for themselves and their families. Korvettenkapitan Hermann Ehrhardt Even before the Nazis came to power, being too openly monarchist could be disastrous for a German military officer even under the Weimar Republic. Army commander Colonel General Hans von Seeckt brought about the end of his military career when he invited Prince Wilhelm, the Kaiser’s grandson, to the army’s 1926 autumn maneuvers. There had also been a backlash after an earlier coup attempt against the republic in which many monarchists participated. Imperial Naval Captain Hermann Ehrhardt, leader of one of the best Freikorps units in the post-Great War chaotic period in Germany had to flee the country after taking part in the Kapp Putsch but later returned and opposed the Nazis first bid to seize power in Bavaria. Targeted for assassination during the “Night of the Long Knives” he managed to escape to Austria and eluded the Nazi regime throughout World War II. General Field Marshal Erwin von Witzleben, who came from the untitled Prussian nobility, was assumed by most to be of monarchist sympathies and though he clashed with the Nazis, was called out of retirement to serve in World War II but was later executed for his part in the failed plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Major General Ferdinand von Bredow, a monarchist and head of military intelligence, did not escape and was murdered in the “Night of the Long Knives”. GFM Gerd von Rundstedt The most senior German officer known to be a monarchist was General Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt. He came from a Prussian aristocratic family with a history of military service stretching back to the army of the revered Frederick the Great. He was a staff officer in World War I and was later made colonel-in-chief of the Eighteenth Regiment. He stands out in photographs for his preference to wear the collar lace of his regiment rather than the usual collar rank insignia for general officers. Called out of retirement for the Polish campaign, he was known for being a brilliant commander when it came to broad planning, a master of the “big picture” while leaving the details to others. When SS units, working behind the lines, began massacring Jews he had them banned from his area of operations. He was commander of Army Group A in the blitzkrieg in Western Europe and commander of Army Group South in the invasion of the Soviet Union, leading the conquest of the Ukraine. During these years, he was contacted by members of the anti-Nazi resistance who tried to enlist him in their cause but, while he sympathized, he refused to take part, fearing the chaos that would follow the violent overthrow of the regime. Dismissed for clashing with Hitler, he was later reinstated and made commander of the western front, where he disagreed with his subordinate, Field Marshal Rommel, over how best to repel the expected Allied invasion that came in June of 1944 in Normandy. When he remarked that, after the defeat at Normandy, Germany should make peace he was dismissed again but was again recalled later and presided over the defeat of the Allied invasion of The Netherlands known as Operation Market Garden. He was still commander of the western front when the Ardennes offensive was launched (resulting in the Battle of the Bulge) and in the aftermath oversaw the establishment of a new defensive line along the Rhine. However, Hitler was as erratic as ever and von Rundstedt was dismissed again, for the last time, in March of 1945, replaced by Luftwaffe Field Marshal Albert Kesselring. GFM Fedor von Bock Another senior military figure known to be a monarchist, and another Prussian from a long-standing military family, was General Field Marshal Fedor von Bock. A product of German and Russian aristocratic stock, he was born in what is now Poland and was the nephew of Colonel General Erich von Falkenhayn, mastermind of the Verdun offensive in World War I. He served as a junior officer in that conflict in the army group of Bavarian Crown Prince Rupprecht, with whom he became close friends, and so distinguished himself that he earned the coveted Pour le Merite (aka the Blue Max), Imperial Germany’s equivalent of the Victoria Cross. He was a staunch opponent of the Allied restrictions placed on the German military by the Treaty of Versailles and as such approved of some Nazi policies in regard to rearmament and reasserting German independence, however, he had no love for the Nazi regime itself. He was a staunch monarchist and continued to make regular visits to the exiled Kaiser Wilhelm II in The Netherlands. Hitler would have liked to do away with him but he was simply too valuable as a military leader. He led German forces into Vienna after the union with Austria and into Czechoslovakia after that country was dismembered and occupied. During World War II, von Bock commanded Army Group North in the conquest of Poland and Army Group B in the invasion of France and the Low Countries. When the invasion of the Soviet Union came in 1941 he was part of a bloc of German monarchist commanders on the eastern front. He commanded Army Group Center while on his flanks were Army Group North commanded by monarchist Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb and Army Group South commanded by monarchist Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt. He disagreed with Hitler’s meddling in the campaign and favored pressing on to Moscow as rapidly as possible with his panzer divisions, leaving Russian armies to be mopped up by the slower infantry rather than taking the time to encircle and wipe out each enemy force. The constant order to divert his armored forces to the north or south on such errands were, he warned, wasting their resources and slowing down the campaign. When his forces were given the key role in the drive on Moscow (Operation Typhoon) von Bock was shown to have been correct all along. The delays had allowed the Russians to reinforce their positions and the High Command ordered him to dispatch his armored forces under the famous panzer General Heinz Guderian toward Bryansk to encircle more Red Army forces rather than pressing ahead. A combination of stiff Russian resistance, these diversions of resources and increasingly bad weather finally brought the offensive to a halt just short of Moscow. Field Marshal von Bock was later dismissed by Hitler after continued disagreements over the Fuhrer’s handling of the Russian campaign. Von Bock was also frustrated by the treatment of Russian civilians and Hitler’s opposition to enlisting anti-communist Russians in the Axis cause (the Russian Liberation Army of General Andrei Vlasov). As a known monarchist who opposed the Nazi regime, he was naturally approached by members of the resistance who were plotting Hitler’s assassination. Like von Rundstedt, von Bock sympathized but refused to get involved. He was convinced that the SS were too powerful and that SS Chief Himmler would prevent any coup from being successful even if they did manage to kill Hitler. He remained in retirement until 1945 when Admiral Karl Doenitz took over leadership of the Reich after Hitler’s suicide. Von Bock set out to meet with the new Fuhrer, presumably to take up a military post again but his car was attacked by British aircraft on his way to Kiel. Fedor von Bock thus became the only German Field Marshal of World War II to die by hostile fire. GFM Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb The aforementioned Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb was another monarchist to rise to prominence in the German military in World War II. He was a Bavarian with a long record of service to his country, serving in China during the Boxer Rebellion as an artillery officer and then seeing extensive service, both in the field and as a staff officer in World War I, predominately on the eastern front. In 1915 he earned the Knights Cross of the Military Order of Max Joseph, a very prestigious Bavarian decoration, and was elevated to the rank of knight and minor nobility, Wilhelm Leeb becoming Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb. Staying in the army, it was Ritter von Leeb who commanded the troops that suppressed the first Nazi attempt to take power in the Munich “Beer Hall Putsch” of 1923. Needless to say, Hitler despised the Bavarian royalist and after coming to power promptly promoted him to Colonel General and retired him. Talented officers of such experience as Ritter von Leeb were rare though and Hitler had to tolerate him when necessary. In the occupation of Czechoslovakia he was briefly recalled and given command of an army but then quickly retired again when the Allies did not respond. When World War II broke out, Ritter von Leeb was recalled to duty again for the blitzkrieg in the west, given command of Army Group C. However, he annoyed Hitler again by objecting to the violations of Dutch and Belgian neutrality which Germany had promised to respect. He was a man of honor and integrity but, of course, such values were not always appreciated by the new leadership in Berlin. Nonetheless, he gave his usual service, displaying his expert leadership and for his contribution to the victory over the Allies in the west was awarded the Knights Iron Cross and promoted to Field Marshal. For the invasion of the Soviet Union, Hitler decided he could not do without him and gave Ritter von Leeb command of Army Group North. His forces performed magnificently, smashing through Soviet resistance and quickly moving to surround the key, historic city of Leningrad. It might have been taken but at that crucial time, he was ordered to divert forces from his command to the south. Leningrad would never be taken but would be the scene of the longest siege in modern military history. When Ritter von Leeb advised staying on the defensive so that Army Group Center could be reinforced and push toward Moscow, Hitler accused him of timidity and blamed his Catholicism, saying that von Leeb would rather pray than fight. Ritter von Leeb was just as disgusted with Hitler’s micromanaging of the war and asked to be relieved of command. Hitler promptly granted his request and he never saw active service again. Kapitan zur See Hans Langsdorff There were, presumably, quite a few monarchists serving in the German military of World War II but the political situation as well as the prevailing sensibilities and traditions of the officer corps prevented most from ever making their monarchist sentiments explicitly known. However, some managed to send signals that would seem to most to be a clear message as to their true political opinions. So, lastly, we will look at the case of a famous German naval officer in World War II. Prior to the conflict, partly because of treaty restrictions and partly because of an intentional naval strategy, Germany built a number of vessels known as “pocket battleships”. These were designed to be lighter and faster than most any other warships while still packing the powerful punch of the full-size battlewagons. Of these, probably the most famous was the Admiral Graf Spee commanded by Captain Hans Langsdorff. Captain Langsdorff had served in the High Seas Fleet in World War I, earning the Iron Cross for his actions at the Battle of Jutland and he continued to advance his career in the inter-war years. In 1938 he was given command of the Admiral Graf Spee and the following year, with the outbreak of war, set out with orders to do as much damage as possible to British shipping lanes in the South Atlantic. As such, merchant ships were to be his primary targets while he was to outrun any warships he encountered, especially those he could not outgun. Captain Langsdorff did his duty brilliantly, sinking nine British ships for a total of 50,000 tons of lost shipping. The British Admiralty was thrown into a panic as resources were diverted from far and wide to hunt down and sink the Graf Spee. However, Captain Langsdorff was no pirate but truly an officer and a gentlemen. He followed all the appropriate rules for war at sea and no one from any of the ships he sunk were killed. The pocket battleship was soon packed full of British prisoners and they were unanimous in attesting to how well treated they were by the German captain. However, the brief, brilliant career of the Graf Spee was soon to come to an end as more British warships moved into the area. Eventually, the pocket battleship was cornered in Montevideo, Uruguay by the Royal Navy. After a brief battle off the Rio de la Plata, Captain Langsdorff was ordered to scuttle his ship rather than see it interned by the Uruguayan authorities. He did so and after seeing to the well being of his crew, Captain Hans Langsdorff dressed in his best uniform, wrapped himself in a German naval ensign and shot himself in the head. It was a tragic, noble end to a promising naval officer. In his death, he also sent a message that strongly suggests that Captain Langsdorff was of monarchist sympathies for the flag he wrapped himself in before taking his own life was not the swastika flag of Nazi Germany, but the ensign of the old Imperial German Navy under which, in service to the King of Prussia and German Kaiser, he had begun his career. In death, he had shown the world what his true loyalties were. Labels: Germany, military, Monarchist, World War II Prussian Princes in World War II During the years of the Nazi dictatorship in Germany, some royals embraced the new regime while others opposed it. Those who joined the Nazis were mostly from minor families who felt they had nothing to lose by doing so and would have gained little if the old monarchy system had been restored. However, it was the Prussian royals who were the focus of the most attention as they had previously been not only the Royal Family of Prussia but the Imperial Family of the whole of Germany. Of those, it is important to note that only one son of the former Kaiser, Prince August Wilhelm and his family, took up the Nazi cause. His father, Kaiser Wilhelm II, practically disowned him for doing so as he refused to have anything to do with any government in Germany that was not the old monarchy. Some thought that Prince August Wilhelm harbored ambitions of gaining the imperial throne for himself or perhaps his son but, of course, that is something the Nazis would never have done. In the end, Hitler would turn on him as he turned on all the German royals when they could no longer be of use to him. Hitler & Prince Charles Edward of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Numerous Prussian princes, while shunning the Nazi Party, did join the Wehrmacht (German armed forces) and fight in the war, at least early on. It is important to understand who these men were and why they served considering that the Nazis and everything connected with them have been vilified to the point of appearing as almost fictional caricatures of pure evil so that the actual facts of the situation are often ignored. Not every German was a Nazi and not even every Nazi chose to be so because they wanted to be on the most evil “team” on the world stage. Many men fought for Germany in World War II who were not members of the Nazi Party and, on the other hand, there were examples like the famous case of Oscar Schindler who was a card-carrying member of the Nazi Party who is honored to this day for all of the Jewish lives he saved during the Holocaust. The problem that plagued the German royals was the same as has been faced by many royals around the world whose countries have abolished their monarchies; whether to place themselves in opposition to their country because of its government or to defend their homeland regardless of the political situation. In the absence of the Kaiser, exiled in The Netherlands, the highest ranking royal in Germany was Prussian Crown Prince Wilhelm. Of his sons, all who were able to, served in the German military during World War II in some capacity, at least for a time. The only one who did not was his youngest son, Prince Friedrich of Prussia, who was studying in England when the war broke out. He was arrested by British authorities as an “enemy alien” and placed in an internment camp in England and later moved to Canada. In both camps, his fellow inmates elected him their leader and he became a British citizen after the war in 1947. The first and third sons served in the German army while the second served in the Luftwaffe. Crown Prince Wilhelm himself is sometimes portrayed as a Nazi Party member or supporter. Neither is true. A veteran of the First World War and army group commander on the western front, the Crown Prince was as opposed to the Versailles Treaty as any patriotic German was, opposed the Weimar Republic and supported Germany reasserting itself as a proud member of the world community. However, he was never a member or supporter of the Nazi Party. Crown Prince Wilhelm Assumptions to the contrary mostly arise from the fact that numerous photos of the Crown Prince wearing what appears to be the standard Nazi Brownshirt uniform can be found. Despite appearances, the Crown Prince was not a Brownshirt but rather did belong to the National Socialist Motor Corps (NSKK) which was a subsidiary organization for automobile and motorcycle enthusiasts. It was a fact of life in Germany that, under the Nazi regime, virtually all such organizations had to adopt Nazi-style uniforms including the ubiquitous brown shirts and swastika armbands. However, there was nothing sinister about the NSKK itself. It trained drivers, held rallies and helped motorists, similar to organizations such as AAA in America or the British Automobile Association. Crown Prince Wilhelm was never a member of the Nazi Party and never endorsed Adolf Hitler or his movement. The Nazi leadership certainly never saw the Crown Prince as an ally but rather the opposite and their feelings on that score would become very clear during the course of World War II. While, early on, they tried to recruit royals as window-dressing to add legitimacy to Nazi gatherings, the Nazis were paranoid about any sympathy for the old monarchy and took action against the royals even if they were serving in uniform with the German armed forces. Prince Wilhelm in East Prussia Prince Wilhelm, the eldest son of Crown Prince Wilhelm, was born with every expectation of becoming German Kaiser one day. That all changed with the German Revolution in 1918 of course. However, as he reached adulthood, romance barred the way for his expected leadership of the House of Hohenzollern. In 1933, against the wishes of his grandfather, Prince Wilhelm married Dorothea von Salviati who he had met while in school in Bonn. Due to dynastic rules he had to renounce his claim to the throne and the rights of succession for any future children in order to marry the woman who had his heart. Upon doing so, the future of the House of Hohenzollern became the responsibility of his younger brother Prince Louis Ferdinand. He had been far away from Germany for a long time, having settled in the United States and taken a job in Detroit, Michigan where he was taken in by Henry Ford. President Roosevelt was also fond of the young man. When the actions of his brother called him back to Germany in 1934 he seemed the odd man out with some whispers that he was too taken with America and American ideas about democracy to be a potential Prussian monarch. Prince Louis Ferdinand was not pleased with the marriage of his brother and how it thrust him into the position of future leader of the family but it would be his line who would carry on the Hohenzollern legacy to the present day. Prince Hubertus of Prussia Prince Louis Ferdinand took a job in the aviation industry in Germany and later joined the Luftwaffe as a training officer. His older and younger brothers, Prince Wilhelm and Prince Hubertus both joined the army. Prince Wilhelm became an officer in the First Regiment of the First Division, rising to command the 11th Company in 1938. Prince Hubertus was to see service in the Eighth Regiment, Third Infantry Division (he later transferred to the Luftwaffe). When war broke out, Prince Wilhelm and Prince Hubertus both saw action in the German invasion of Poland. Another Prussian royal at the front was Prince Oskar Wilhelm who was a reserve officer. He was killed in action at Widawka, Poland on September 5, 1939. This Nazis noticed this but took no immediate action. Later, however, Prince Wilhelm was fighting at the front in the invasion of France and was mortally wounded at Valenciennes and died a few days later in Nivelles on May 26, 1940. Two Prussian princes being killed at the front disturbed the Nazi leadership who did not want the royals to have any share of the glory. However, they were more disturbed by what happened later. Prince Alexander Ferdinand When news of the deaths of Prince Oskar and Prince Wilhelm reached Germany there was an outpouring of sympathy toward the Prussian Royal Family. When the funeral for Prince Wilhelm was held at the Church of Peace more than 50,000 Germans turned out to show their support for the House of Hohenzollern. The sheer number of mourners caused the Nazi leadership to panic and they immediately enacted the so-called “Prince’s Decree” which banned all Prussian royals from military service. Prince Hubertus was pulled out of the line and basically forced to end his military career while Prince Louis Ferdinand in the Luftwaffe was prevented from ever seeing action. The only Prussian prince who was allowed to remain at his post was Prince Alexander Ferdinand, the son of Prince August Wilhelm and, like his father, a member of the Nazi Party and originally a member of the SA Brownshirts. When the decree was issued, it coincided with a Nazi crackdown on royals and monarchists in general. Any pretense of being in any way sympathetic to the old monarchy was dropped and even the few really pro-Nazi royals in Germany were pushed to the side and became subject to state scrutiny. Prince Alexander Ferdinand, who had once harbored hopes of becoming Hitler’s successor, was sidelined and his pro-Nazi politics also caused him to be shunned by his family. When he married in 1938 none of his Hohenzollern relations attended the wedding. Prince Wilhelm Karl & Prince Oskar Most of the Prussian Royal Family had much closer ties to the anti-Nazi underground than they did to the ruling party. Crown Prince Wilhelm, who some people regarded as too friendly with the Nazis, showed his true colors in subtle ways so as not to endanger his family such as the regular gift of cigars he sent to anti-Nazi monarchist Reinhold Wulle who was sent to a concentration camp for organizing a monarchist opposition party. Today, most tend to think that the Crown Prince had virtually nothing to do with the anti-Nazi movement but the Nazis themselves certainly did not think so and kept the Crown Prince under close surveillance throughout the war and after the assassination attempt on Hitler made in 1944 the Gestapo were ordered to shadow him at all times. The German resistance group which orchestrated that assassination attempt had numerous ties to the Prussian Royal Family. The man who would have been chancellor of Germany had the bomb plot and coup succeeded, Carl Friedrich Goerdeler, was a monarchist and most of the attention was on Prince Louis Ferdinand as a potential German Kaiser going forward. Many of the plotters were also members of the German branch of the Knights of St John which was presided over by Prince Oskar of Prussia and whose son (and successor in that position) later wrote a history of the German resistance movement. Prince Louis Ferdinand Although he was not personally involved in the assassination plot, the connections between the resistance and Prince Louis Ferdinand were sufficiently known for the Prince to be arrested, interrogated by the Gestapo and then imprisoned at the Dachau concentration camp. Adolf Hitler himself stated that, “the Crown Prince is the actual instigator” of the attempt on his life. Propaganda Minister Goebbels said of the German royals and aristocrats, “…We must exterminate this filth,” and SS chief Heinrich Himmler said, “There will be no more princes. Hitler gave me the order to finish off all the German princes and to do so immediately.” That, thankfully, did not happen but Prince Louis Ferdinand was sent to a concentration camp and the anti-royal crackdown was so widespread that even the pro-Nazi Prince Philip of Hesse and his wife Princess Mafalda of Italy were arrested and put in (separate) concentration camps. Princess Mafalda died there from injuries sustained when the Allies bombed an ammunition factory in the camp where she was being held. Estimates are that five to six thousand royals and aristocrats were murdered in the purges following the bomb plot. Himmler wanted all German princes to be paraded through Berlin to be spit on before they were killed and their property seized and redistributed to loyal Nazis. Prince Wilhelm It seems strange that some modern historians will go out of their way, grasping at straws, in a desperate effort to link the royals with the Nazis (in an effort to discredit them of course) when the Nazis themselves were absolutely certain that the royals were the heart and center of their most dangerous internal opposition. Those Prussian and other royal princes who fought in the German armed forces, almost without exception, did so purely out of their devotion to Germany and the German people and not because of any sympathy at all with the Nazi regime. Those princes and aristocrats who were truly devoted to the Nazi cause were very few and found themselves betrayed by the party they served and shunned by the rest of their class and often by their own families. The handful that the party did not turn against, such as Prince Josias zu Waldeck und Pyrmont, a notorious general in the SS, faced retribution at the hands of the Allies when the war was over. For the House of Hohenzollern, the Crown Prince was held under house arrest as some considered prosecuting him for “war crimes” during the First World War, which was plainly absurd but his death in 1951 saw leadership of the family pass to the capable hands of Prince Louis Ferdinand, a man with friendly ties to the Allies and a staunch opponent of the Nazi regime throughout his life. Labels: Germany, nazi, Prussia, prussian royals, World War II Battlefield Royal: Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein During World War II, one of the most successful fighter pilots in the German Luftwaffe was Prince Heinrich zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. His accomplishments were all the more remarkable in that he was a night fighter pilot and an ace who won most of his victories against the British. Whereas most of the highest-scoring German aces achieved most of their "kills" against the Russians on the Eastern Front, victories won over the RAF were more difficult and thus much more prestigious. This was the category that Prince Heinrich fit into. In his time, he was the most successful night fighter pilot in Germany and most of his victories were won against the much more formidable Royal Air Force of Great Britain. He was also no great fan of the Nazi regime and even contemplated assassinating Adolf Hitler personally. Read his story here. (Left to Right) Luftwaffe ace Hartmann Grasser, Prince Heinrich shaking hands with Hitler, dive bomber ace Gunther Rall and Austrian ace Walter Nowotny at Fuhrer Headquarters in Rastenburg Labels: Germany, World War II Monarch Profile: Prince Jacques I of Monaco One of the more controversial men to hold the title of Prince of Monaco was Jacques Francois Leonor Goyon de Matignon. It will be noticed that his name was not Grimaldi and that would be a hurtful point to many. On October 20, 1715 he married Hereditary Princess Louise-Hippolyte of Monaco, daughter and successor of Sovereign Prince Antoine I after a long and contentious search for a suitable husband. Part of the appeal of Jacques was that he was not so well born as to be reluctant to change his name. Unfortunately this would also mean that he would be tainted from the start with the image of a social-climber. Still, his own family was fairly prestigious as well, coming from one of the oldest families of Brittany. One of his ancestors was the famous Marshal Jacques de Matignon who refused to participate in the notorious Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. Many other members of the larger Grimaldi clan were adamantly opposed to the marriage of Louise-Hippolyte and Jacques de Matignon. They argued, not unreasonably, that according to previous accords the Monegasque throne should only pass to a Grimaldi and that by the marriage Jacques would become the effective ruler of the principality and the founder of a new dynasty in all but name. They tried to pursue the matter through legal means but to no avail and thereafter many took to referring to the Monegasque Princely Family as the House of Matignon rather than Grimaldi. Nor was the Princess of Monaco herself happy with her husband whom she viewed, because of all the intrigue surrounding the marriage, with great suspicion, suspecting that he was only using her to advance his own position. Her fears were not unreasonable as Jacques was attracted to the marriage because he would be gaining a principality rather than any real devotion to the Princess and the match was pushed by King Louis XIV of France who wanted to secure French influence over Monaco and he knew that Jacques would be “his man” as it were. In 1731, with the death of Antoine I, Prince Jacques became “Sovereign Consort” of Monaco and thought of himself as the real ruler of the place and this was another example of what Princess Louise-Hippolyte regarded as her husband assuming more power than was his right and attempting to usurp her legitimate place as Sovereign Princess of Monaco. Nonetheless, throughout their marriage the line of Prince Jacques I was secured by the birth of eight children from 1717 to 1728. When the couple came to the throne the people of Monaco welcomed their Princess but scorned their new Prince who they saw as acting arrogantly and really caring nothing for the people but only about what he could gain from the Principality. Even before assuming the throne he avoided Monaco and preferred to stay with the French court at Versailles enjoying a succession of mistresses. The marriage of Grimaldi and Matignon was not a happy one. Prince Jacques I was the effective ruler of Monaco, especially after Princess Louise-Hippolyte died of smallpox only eleven months into her reign. With no more opposition Jacques I was able to assume total control of Monaco and was recognized as the Sovereign Prince by the King of France. However, his reign would not be a peaceful one even after the passing of his wife. Her fight was taken up by her sister Princess Margaret d’Isenghien who conspired against Jacques on the grounds that the Monegasque had always been ruled by a Grimaldi and would accept nothing else. To deal with this Prince Jacques appointed the Chevalier de Grimaldi (an illegitimate son of Antoine I) to be Governor of Monaco. Fortunately the Chevalier proved to be a wise administrator and ruled Monaco with great ability for the next 50 years. It was certainly an improvement over Prince Jacques who never showed much interest in Monegasque affairs and was generally unpopular. He preferred the high life of the French court to the business of governing his little Principality. Finally, with public opposition to his rule showing no signs of letting up he left Monaco in May of 1732 and the following year abdicated in favor of his son Prince Honore III. The new Sovereign Prince was barely 14 but with the Chevalier running things the country seemed to be in capable hands with good prospects for the future. Prince Jacques returned to his favored lifestyle in Versailles and Paris where he spent the rest of his life before his death on April 23, 1751. His former residence in Paris, named the Hotel Matignon is today the official residence of the French prime minister. Labels: consort, Grimaldi, Monaco, monarch The House of Hapsburg in World War II The First World War saw the venerable Hapsburg dynasty deposed and exiled, their empire, Austria-Hungary, broken up. The Second World War saw the end of the last realistic hope for a Hapsburg restoration to date. When it comes to monarchies, history has tended to take an “out of sight, out of mind” attitude; if they do not have a throne, they are not worth remembering. However, the Hapsburgs came closer than almost anyone realizes to being restored to the Austrian throne just prior to World War II. It is also technically true that they retained, in name though not in fact, the throne of the Kingdom of Hungary until late in the war. Unlike the other Central Powers of the First World War, Austria-Hungary had ceased to exist entirely, yet, there were many factors in the inter-war period that encouraged hopes of a restoration in both Austria and Hungary. What had replaced the old “Dual Monarchy” did not seem to be working out so well. Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia were not nation-states but multi-cultural contrivances that faced serious ethnic tensions and other powers, such as Hungary and Austria found themselves isolated and wishing to be relevant again. Altogether, the absence of Austria-Hungary helped pave the way to power for Adolf Hitler, a man who despised everything about the “Dual Monarchy”. There was the monarchy, the aristocracy, the multi-cultural nature of it as well as what he viewed as the pandering to the Jewish and Slavic populations by the Hapsburgs. There was nothing about it he liked and the international tensions created by the new borders drawn after World War I all worked together to create a situation the Nazis were only too willing to exploit. Yet, the former Hapsburg lands also posed the greatest threat to the Nazi movement ever gaining the domination in Europe they longed for even after coming to power in Germany. Czechoslovakia stood in the way and had an industrial center that Nazi Germany very much needed. To unite all Germans into a single nation-state also meant that the first “prize” on the Nazi wish-list was Austria and yet Austria was also their first obstacle as Italy supported Austrian independence as a buffer state between Italy and Germany and this also barred the way to the Italo-German alliance which Hitler considered paramount to his plans. A Hapsburg restoration, even if only over Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia, would have created a power bloc that would have been a major obstacle to Nazi plans for German expansion considering how militarily weak Germany was at the time, even right up to the outbreak of war. Archduke Joseph Of the countries involved, probably none presented a greater cause for monarchist frustration than the Kingdom of Hungary. The full restoration of the monarchy there was tantalizingly close on several occasions and the fact that it ultimately failed can be attributed to two sources: the paranoia of the Allies (primarily France, though only God in His wisdom knows why) and the ambition of Admiral Miklos Horthy. At the end of the First World War, power in Hungary had fallen to the Hapsburg Archduke Joseph August of Austria, who was quite popular in Hungary and was given the place of regent. He put down one attempted revolution, survived another (communist) revolution and was restored to power again as Hungarian regent. However, in their blind and short-sighted opposition to a Hapsburg holding power in any part of the former Austria-Hungary, the Allies forced Archduke Joseph to step down in 1919. He then became a member of the House of Lords where he remained a respected figure until the German occupation in 1944 forced him to flee to the United States. Nonetheless, in 1920 the Hungarian government voted to restore the monarchy though they lacked a monarch and so Admiral Miklos Horthy was appointed regent. He was of service in preventing a communist takeover of the country, reestablishing stability and a general sense of normalcy but he proved to be ultimately treasonous by not handing power back to the last King of Hungary, Emperor Charles I (Kaiser Karl), when he tried to reclaim his throne twice in 1921 only to be forced out of the country on each occasion. Horthy protested that the time was not right, the Allies opposed it and though some of his arguments might have had merit, as regent it was not his decision to make. As regent, he was only to hold power until the King returned and as soon as Emperor Charles set foot on Hungarian soil, Horthy should have deferred to his legitimate monarch. According to some accounts, the idea that Britain and France would have taken action against any Hapsburg restoration in Hungary seems likely to have been exaggerated. If power had been handed over and the restored monarchy solidified, it seems rather unlikely that Britain and France would have risked a conflagration to keep the Hapsburgs from their Hungarian inheritance. Horthy and Hitler So, Hungary would go on through most of World War II as a nominal kingdom; a monarchy without a monarch. Without the monarchy, Hungary drifted ever closer to Nazi Germany, first by increased economic ties, later by taking part in the division of territory in Czechoslovakia and finally militarily by joining the Axis and participating in the invasion of the Soviet Union. Hungary regained some of the territory lost to Romania thanks to Hitler, regained more in the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia and took a slice for itself when Czechoslovakia was dismembered. Slovakia had been part of the Kingdom of Hungary prior to World War I and the Slovaks were persuaded to become a German protectorate when Hitler threatened to allow Hungary to swallow them whole if they tried to make any trouble about it. The Hungarians went on as less-than-enthusiastic members of the Axis but the Hungarian military was decimated at the Battle of Stalingrad and as the Soviet Red Army drew closer, Horthy began trying to get Hungary out of the Axis and surrender. When Hitler learned of this, not surprisingly, German forces occupied Hungary in 1944, Horthy was arrested and the Hungarian pro-Nazi “Arrow Cross” party took power as the willing instruments of the German occupation. Crown Prince Otto All of these events were watched very closely by the man who should have been King of Hungary, Archduke Otto of Austria. He succeeded as head of the House of Hapsburg on the death of his father Emperor Charles in 1922. It was at that time that he became the nominal King of Hungary but when he reached legal adulthood and was expected to actually take up the Hungarian throne, Admiral Horthy advised him not to try it. The Archduke knew well enough from the experience of his father that it would be useless to try so long as Horthy opposed him, given the current situation. With Horthy being replaced by the Nazis and they in quick succession by the communists, the opportunity to take up the Hungarian throne would never materialize for Archduke Otto. However, he did have reason to be hopeful about a restoration in Austria and if the Austrian situation had worked out, there is reason to believe that the situation in Hungary, and perhaps beyond, would have altered considerably and in favor of the Hapsburgs. Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss Very few people realize just how close Archduke Otto came to being restored to the Austrian throne. By his own accounts, it was a done deal, it was going to happen, the long-sought after goal of seeing the House of Hapsburg in Vienna again was no longer a question of “if” nor even of “when”. It was all planned out. The root cause for why it did not ultimately happen came from the last place anyone would have expected: Ethiopia. First, however, a little background information is probably in order. After the First World War, Austria was left as a small “rump state”, powerless and isolated in Europe. It is not surprising that Austrians initially favored a union with Germany but the Allies refused to permit this, fearing that it would strengthen the Germans. Austria went through turmoil, civil strife, the all too common threat of a communist takeover before order was finally restored by a short, fervent man named Engelbert Dollfuss, leader of the Fatherland Front. First coming to office as chancellor in 1932, Dollfuss solidified his hold on Austria after defeating the socialists in 1934 but would not survive the end of the year. He had courted the monarchists but never took them home from the dance. Banning opposition parties, Dollfuss established a Catholic, corporatist state which has since been termed “Austrofascism”. He did manage to restore a proper patriotic pride to Austria, ended the threat of a leftist revolution and had very close and friendly ties with Benito Mussolini in Rome. He kept monarchists dangling on promises but did see eye-to-eye with Archduke Otto in their mutual loathing of the Nazis. Most importantly, this attitude was shared by Il Duce in Italy. Given the subsequent formation of the Axis, the “Pact of Steel” and so on, it can easily be forgotten that while Hitler hero-worshipped Mussolini since the Blackshirts march on Rome, that sentiment was not returned. Mussolini initially disliked Hitler and even after Hitler came to power and the two met face to face, Mussolini found something unsavory about him. This was important as the Nazis wanted Austria more than anything, it being the largest part of the German population outside Germany itself, and Italy was the one major obstacle to the Nazis being able to take Austria by force. In 1934, when Dollfuss was assassinated by the Nazis in an attempted coup, Mussolini was outraged and rushed Italian troops to the border, forcing Hitler to back down and denounce the Austrian Nazis who had done the deed. Schuschnigg and Mussolini At the time, Germany was still militarily weak but Mussolini was rather put off by the fact that, in that hour of crisis in 1934, he had been forced to act alone; neither Britain nor France had backed him up. In Austria itself, Kurt von Schuschnigg succeeded Dollfuss as chancellor and he knew that something more would have to be done to preserve Austrian independence and keep the country out of Hitler’s grasp. Restoring the monarchy was something Schuschnigg determined he could do. As Hitler and the Nazis in Germany grew in power and prestige there were not a few Austrians who longed to be part of the “Greater Germany” Hitler pledged to build. It was necessary then to give Austrians a greater sense of themselves as a distinct people, to recall the glory days of the past and there could be no better way to accomplish this than by restoring the Hapsburgs. There would be those in the European community who would oppose it but ultimately only two men mattered; Archduke Otto himself and the guarantor of Austrian independence Benito Mussolini. Archduke Otto Needless to say, Archduke Otto was more than willing to take the throne. Horrified by the thought of a Nazi takeover in Vienna and Austria becoming a state in Germany, the imperial heir offered to return at any time if he could be of help in saving the situation. The laws banning the Hapsburgs from Austrian soil were repealed and properties of the Hapsburgs were restored to them. The monarchists were jubilant, the Nazis were outraged and Schuschnigg finally put the issue to Mussolini. Would Italy support or oppose a restoration of the Hapsburg monarchy in Austria? By this time, Mussolini had come close to falling out with the Allies but still had no love for Hitler nor did he want to see the Germans on his border by annexing Austria. Surprisingly, given his background, Mussolini informed Schuschnigg that he would not oppose a restoration of the monarchy. He even went a step further and suggested that Italo-Austrian ties could be cemented by a Hapsburg marriage to a member of the Italian House of Savoy (something for which there was plenty of historical precedent). Schuschnigg arranged a secret meeting with Archduke Otto to inform him that the path had been cleared for the restoration of the monarchy. It was all agreed to and Schuschnigg stated that everything should be set for the restoration to happen the following year. Fuhrer & Duce Unfortunately, problems arose that prevented the speedy restoration that Schuschnigg and Archduke Otto planned. After an Ethiopian attack on an Italian outpost along the disputed border between Ethiopia and Eritrea, Mussolini launched his invasion of Ethiopia. Liberal world opinion came down hard on Italy with Britain and France denouncing Italy in the League of Nations. Sanctions were imposed on Italy that succeeded in infuriating the public but not in deterring the Duce from his war. Germany, of course, did not join in the sanctions against Italy but continued to offer an outstretched hand of friendship. Ethiopia was conquered by Italian forces within seven months and Mussolini was turned against the Allies firmly and irretrievably. Since the Allies had offended him, the Duce turned to Hitler. From that point on, Austria could no longer count on Italian protection from a Nazi takeover and Hitler immediately began planning for the annexation of Austria and to do it before Archduke Otto could be restored to the throne. Fittingly enough, the Nazi plan for the invasion of Austria was given the codename of “Operation Otto”. Patriotic rally of the Fatherland Front Today, few people realize how close Austria came to restoring the monarchy, were it not for the British and French sanctions on Italy over Ethiopia, it almost certainly would have happened. More than that though, few people realize just how seriously the Nazis took the possibility. They were positively panicked by the idea and their fears were not entirely unjustified. Stories circulated in Nazi Germany that Archduke Otto would be restored to the Austrian throne but also that Hungary and Czechoslovakia were planning to join together under the House of Hapsburg and attack Nazi Germany. Of course, the idea that Archduke Otto or any government he presided over would have launched an unprovoked attack on Germany is absurd, yet there was some elements of truth to the stories. Schuschnigg had worked to forge better relations with Hungary and Archduke Otto was already nominally the King of Hungary anyway, so it is not that far-fetched to foresee a restoration in Austria leading to a full restoration in Hungary as well. The idea of Czechoslovakia rejoining Austria and Hungary also seems far-fetched but considering that they were under threat from Nazi Germany themselves, if Italy, Austria and Hungary had become an all-monarchy, anti-Nazi power bloc, it is not impossible to imagine the Czech government joining in as a matter of practical necessity. The anschluss is accomplished But, as we know, it didn’t happen. Schuschnigg called for a referendum on Austrian independence and Hitler determined to take action before it could be carried out. The only one who could have stopped him was Mussolini and he was no longer prepared to stand in the way. When this news reached Hitler, the Nazi dictator was ecstatic, knowing that Austria was as good as his. To sweeten the deal, Hitler also renounced forever any claim to the Southern Tyrol (a German populated area ceded to Italy after World War I). Prince Philip of Hesse telephoned the Fuhrer from Rome to inform him that Mussolini would keep his troops at home this time. Hitler excitedly shouted into the phone, “Please tell Mussolini that I shall never forget this…Never, never, never! Come what may! …And listen -sign any agreement he would like…You can tell him again. I thank him most heartily. I will never forget him!…Whenever he should be in need or in danger, he can be sure that I will stick with him, rain or shine -come what may- even if the whole world would rise against him -I will, I shall-” No child on Christmas morning was ever so excited and, though it was said in an obviously exuberant moment, Hitler would be as good as his word, at least as far as Mussolini was concerned. On March 12, 1938 German army units drove into Austria and in quick order the annexation was accomplished. Austrian aristocrats and monarchists were immediately arrested by the Nazis, many of them being killed, along with any others who had opposed the union. The laws against the Hapsburgs in Austria were put back into effect, their property was again confiscated and Archduke Otto himself was declared a criminal, a wanted man and he had to take extra precautions for his own security. He moved to France and helped a great many Jews escape from Austria prior to the outbreak of World War II. He also remained adamant that the Austrians were not partners with Germany, but their first victims. Without the unity that the Hapsburg monarchy had provided, Hitler had a relatively easy time taking the German populated areas of the former Austria-Hungary for himself. First was the Sudetenland and then all of Czechoslovakia was partitioned with Poland and Hungary joining in the feast. Anyone who would dismiss the impact on the world of the loss of the “Dual Monarchy” should consider the fact that all of Hitler’s pre-war territorial gains were a nibbling away at the former lands of Austria-Hungary. It also warrants pointing out that the Allies took no action against Germany in these days and that should serve as an illustration of how unwarranted the fears were of Allied opposition to the restoration of the Hapsburgs. It would all seem to indicate that, despite the protestations of those who did not want to give up power, that the French and British would not have taken any action to oppose a return of the Hapsburgs if a country like Hungary had just gone ahead and done it. Ultimately, the only one who made a commitment to restore the Hapsburgs regardless of Allied opinion was Schuschnigg and he was abandoned. The Archduke in Florida, 1942 When World War II broke out in Europe and the Germans finally got around to launching their invasion of France, Archduke Otto was again forced to flee, this time to the United States of America via Portugal. With the Nazi laws enacted against them, the Austrian Imperial Family in America were people without a country but Archduke Otto never relented in his anti-Nazi campaign. He settled in Washington DC but traveled across America extensively. He met with President Roosevelt several times and urged him and the American people (which at the time wanted no part of Europe’s war) to intervene and take up the cause of defeating the Axis. He also raised money for refugees from the former Austria-Hungary and charitable causes to benefit them as well as doing his best to make it clear to all that his people were not the enemies of America but victims of the Nazis just as much as the Czechs or the Poles. At the end of 1941, when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and Hitler and Mussolini declared war on the United States in solidarity with their Japanese ally, America committed itself to the world war. Always a man of peace who greatly emphasized the role played by his father in trying to negotiate a peaceful end to the First World War, Archduke Otto nonetheless volunteered to fight for the Allied cause. While in America he tried to raise funds and gain support for an army battalion of Austrian exiles but was unable to bring it to fruition. When the war progressed in favor of the Allies, ending ultimately in the total destruction of Germany and its division among the Allies, Archduke Otto was on the scene and was briefly able to visit his Austrian homeland in 1945. His immediate concern was lobbying Allied leaders to keep Austria out of the hands of the Soviets. He put forward his own proposal for post-war Central Europe, calling for the creation of a “Danube Federation” that would encompass much of the former territory of the Empire of Austria-Hungary. British Prime Minister Churchill seemed supportive of the idea but, not surprisingly, it was thwarted by the opposition of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. As nearly all of the territory of the proposed federation was within the agreed-to Soviet sphere of influence, Stalin was able to veto the plan. Although it was not stated outright that the “Danube Federation” would be another Hapsburg empire, for the Archduke was certainly not an ambitious man, it stood to reason that he would have been the only logical candidate to assume a position of leadership in such a state. As it was, he busied himself with arguing for the rights of the German-speaking peoples outside of Germany, trying to gain recognition of Austria as a victim of Nazi aggression rather than an accessory and to form an Austrian government-in-exile. The last goal proved unreachable and he also railed against the handing over of Eastern Europe to Stalin and the Soviets which was the primary impediment to most of his plans. Unfortunately, that concerned agreements already made and involved territory that the Red Army already occupied so that, even if the British and Americans had regrets, there was little to nothing they could do about it. With the situation as it was at the end of the war, hopes for a Hapsburg restoration vanished quickly. However, it is still a mark of how much the power-mad politicians who seized control of Austria in the aftermath of the war were about the possibility of Archduke Otto gaining the throne that, while Austria was purged of all the laws and policies enacted during the union with Nazi Germany, the post-war republican government retained those that were anti-Hapsburg. The Archduke remained banned from Austrian soil for decades until he was obliged to renounce his claim to the throne simply to have the basic freedom enjoyed by any other citizen. It was an obscene injustice for a man who had opposed the Nazi movement from the very beginning, a man who had been singled out by the Nazi regime as an “enemy of the state” and who had devoted his entire life during the war to resisting the Nazis and rescuing Austria and the other Hapsburg realms from their grip. Labels: Austria, Hapsburg, Hungary, World War II Today in Mexican Monarchist History It was on this day in 1867 that HM Emperor Maximilian of Mexico was executed, by firing squad, on orders from President Benito Juarez, and in violation of the republican constitution Juarez himself wrote which forbid the death penalty. He was executed alongside his top generals Miguel Miramon and Tomas Mejia (others were executed elsewhere). From the past Monarch Profile of Maximilian: Between March and May of 1867 Emperor Maximilian and his army were besieged at Queretaro by a massive republican force. The Emperor displayed his generosity and courage on this occasion, many times exposing himself to danger and often sleeping wrapped in a blanket alongside the frontline soldiers. Finally, he was betrayed by Colonel Miguel Lopez who allowed a republican column to enter the city and the imperial defenses fell apart. Maximilian was given the opportunity to escape but would not abandon his faithful generals who would be killed because of their loyalty to him. After a short military show trial he was sentenced to death with his generals Tomas Mejia and Miguel Miramon. The three men were taken to the ‘Hill of Bells’ and executed by firing squad on June 19, 1867. Maximilian, who was only 34 years old, died shouting “Viva Mexico!” while his generals died shouting, “Viva el Emperador!” Posted by MadMonarchist at 10:04 AM 1 comment: Labels: History, Maximilian, Mexico Monarch Profile: Emperor Otto the Great After the fall of the (western) Roman Empire, Europe descended into what is known as “the Dark Ages” when civilization, as everyone then knew it, broke down. Yet, for all of the Germanic tribal wars and Viking raids, progress was constantly being made to rebuild civilization and so the Dark Ages could also be called “the Recovery”. Latin civilization had been crushed by German invaders but those Germans who had once been dismissed as barbarians were increasingly looked to as a source of strength and thus of order. A great deal of order was restored to the chaos by the conquering armies of Charlemagne who established an empire stretching across modern day west-central Europe. He was a key figure in the recovery but after his death the empire he had forged began to fall apart, the largest parts dividing into what has since become France and Germany. After Charlemagne, the next great German monarch who would take up the cause of recovery was Kaiser Otto I, later known as Otto the Great, a towering figure in German history. That is significant for, if the French and Germans still argue today about which of them Charlemagne belonged to, there was no doubt about Emperor Otto. He was German and could be seen as something of a “founding father” for the German nation. Otto was born on November 23, 912 to Duke Henry the Fowler of Saxony by his second wife Matilda of Westphalia. He grew up in the rough and tumble world of the small states ruled by the German nobility, fighting for power in the collapsing former empire of Charlemagne while also still fighting foreign powers on their frontiers. Whereas the Romans had once fought German barbarians, the Germans were now fighting new invaders they deemed barbarians such as the Slavs and Magyars to the east. In due course, Saxony became the most powerful of the German states and Prince Otto gained experience fighting the Slavs as well as an illegitimate son born of a Slavic noblewoman his knights had captured (this son would one day become the Archbishop of Mainz). As his father was making good progress in uniting the Germans under his rule, he sought an alliance with the distant cousins of his people in Saxon England and so married Otto to Princess Eadgyth, half-sister of King Aethelstan of England, in 930. Henry put all his hopes for the future on Otto, breaking with German tradition by naming him sole heir to his throne and, as it turned out, those hopes were not misplaced. He would prove a formidable monarch. In 936, Henry the Fowler died and the Saxon nobles elected Otto, then 24, King of Germany. He was, of course, also Duke of Saxony by inheritance and, thanks to the efforts of his father, ruled in fact or at least in name over all the German people. Otto was also a great admirer of Charlemagne and demonstrated this from the very beginning. With the last heirs of the Frankish emperor having died out some years before, the new King of Germany sought to present himself as the successor of Charlemagne, the most successful and powerful figure in western history since the fall of Rome. Otto had many admirable qualities and all would be needed as he faced hostile Slavs to the northeast, Magyars to the east and rebellious nobles within his own domain. He immediately set to work with policies to centralize power in Germany. He forced the nobles to swear a personal oath of loyalty to him as king, placed churchmen in important positions to lessen the influence of the nobility and took other actions to ensure that he would be master and not only the first among equals as had previously been the case. He was mostly successful and his reign would set the pattern for subsequent German history in domestic as well as foreign policy for while he was reducing the power of the barons in the Kingdom of Germany, a call for help came from a damsel in distress in Italy. The lovely, young Queen Adelaide of Burgundy or St Adelaide of Italy as she is known today, had been left a widow at only 19 and was being pressured to marry Berengar of Ivrea (King Berengar II of Italy), an ambitious man who wanted her lands for himself. She was taken captive for a time but escaped, managed to find refuge and sent a plea to King Otto of Germany for help in 951. It must have reminded the German monarch of the call for help from Pope Leo to Charlemagne but, in any event, it was an opportunity Otto would not pass up. He readied his army and was soon marching at the head of a column of German knights into northern Italy. Faced with such a fearsome sight, Berengar decided young Adelaide was not worth it after all and fled the scene without fighting a single battle. Like the storybook white knight riding to the rescue, Otto saved the lovely Adelaide and married her himself (his Anglo-Saxon bride had died about five years earlier). It could not have worked out any better as Otto had enhanced his reputation, extended his power and obtained a very pious and devoted wife with whom he would have a very happy marriage. Domestic bliss could not deter Otto from his duty though and there were still plenty of challenges for him to deal with, one of the most pressing being the Magyars. These are the people of what is now Hungary but in those days they had yet to find religion and were pagan plunderers of lands as far west as Spain. It was on August 8, 955 that the Magyars attacked Augsberg. Bishop Ulrich organized the local populace to defend the city walls and they fought desperately, holding off the fierce Magyars until nightfall but exhausting themselves in the process. No one expected the city to hold out another day. Bishop Ulrich prayed that the Blessed Virgin would deliver them and his prayers were answered. When word reached the Magyar camp that King Otto and his German knights were marching to relieve Augsberg they hastily packed up and rode away. However, the Magyars were no cowards and a fight was still to be had. It came two days later at the Battle of Lechfeld when, after morning mass, King Otto led his troops into battle beneath a banner bearing the image of St Michael the Archangel. However, the fight did not go well. His troops began to break as the hard-hitting Magyar warriors attacked and counter-attacked. When another group of Magyars managed to outflank the Germans and circle around, coming in from behind, all seemed lost. To the surprise of his men, Otto ordered his son Conrad to lead the charge against these forces. It was surprising because Conrad, Otto’s son by his first wife, had previously led a rebellion against his father but, nonetheless, Otto trusted him. It proved to be the right move as Conrad led his men in a desperate charge that smashed the Magyars back, turned the tide and won the battle for the Germans. In the wake of this victory, being King of Germany seemed insufficient to Otto’s bloodied but triumphant knights and they began hailing him as “Kaiser”. There was certainly no other single monarch in western Christendom to match him and later in 962 the Pope crowned Otto emperor of a restored Holy Roman Empire, which is to say what became known as the “Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation” or First German Reich. Otto’s dream of emulating Charlemagne had come to full fruition with that coronation; he finally held the highest (secular) throne in Christendom. The Franks had had their hour of glory, now it was the turn of the Germans. Otto I was the sole master of the German people, had a firm hold on all his lands as well as the added prestige of the imperial title; he seemed to have reached his zenith. In those troubled times though, the work of any monarch was never done and soon Kaiser Otto had to lead his men to war again when his domains came under attack by the Slavs. He gathered his forces and marched off to meet them, the two sides coming together in Mecklenburg. Having fought so many enemies over the years, Otto was not eager for blood and sent the Slavic leader a proposal for peace and friendship but this was rejected. There would have to be a fight. Emperor Otto decided on a bold move. The Slavs were confident that they would surely win the next day’s battle but Otto would not give them the chance. During the night, he took his knights across the Recknitz River that separated the two armies and as the morning dawned, launched a surprise attack that totally crushed the Slavic forces. Germany was saved, another pagan enemy had been defeated and another victory was added to the laurels of Emperor Otto. When not making war, Otto also continued his work consolidating his power over the German lands, encouraging art and learning as well as sending out missionaries to the surrounding pagan nations. After a reign of much success in domestic affairs and many victories on the battlefield Emperor Otto died on May 7, 973. Power passed without opposition into the hands of his 17-year old son Otto II. His dynasty would continue to hold power as kings of Germany and Holy Roman Emperors until 1024. Throughout the long history of the First Reich, a similar pattern would be followed. There would be decentralization of power, a growth in the power of local rulers and then a particularly strong-willed emperor would appear on the stage, unite the states under his leadership, centralize power, make war against the French in the west, Saracens in the south or the Slavs in the east, fight to subdue Italy and then, with his passing, the pattern would repeat. Emperor Otto the Great fully deserves his lofty position in the history of the German-speaking people. He was one of the “great” emperors of the Saxon line, no others matching him until his descendent St Henry II before the next great emperor emerged in the person of Frederick Barbarossa of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. Yet, western civilization as a whole owes him a debt as well for he had an impact beyond the boundaries of Germany. The law and order he established provided the peace and stability necessary for the building of strong, central core for the forces of Christendom and those whom he met as enemies would later become allies. After their defeat at his hands, the Magyars retreated east and settled in what is now Hungary, establishing that kingdom and becoming Christian with the rise of their great patron saint King Stephen (who married a German princess). The Slavs, likewise, over a longer period of time, would also embrace Christianity in their turn. As the darkness of the Dark Ages receded and was replaced by the growing light and civilization of the Middle Ages, a key figure in making it all possible was Kaiser Otto. Everyone remembers Charlemagne, and rightly so, as the man who brought order out of chaos, the monarch who presided over the return to the ideal of “empire” in the west and, as such, one of the key figures in the establishment of Christendom. All of that is true but it is just as true that it did not long survive him. It was Kaiser Otto the Great who ensured that, under new leadership and largely focused on a new people, the legacy of Charlemagne would carry on into the future. Labels: Germany, Holy Roman Empire, monarch, saxony Hitler and Royal Bavaria At the end of World War I, the last Bavarian monarch, King Ludwig III, had relinquished power, though without abdicating, in the face of the German Revolution. He went into exile, later returned to Bavaria but had to leave again due to fear of assassination. He died in Hungary in 1921. However, the experience of radical revolutionary rule seemed to shock many Bavarians back to their senses and his funeral was a mass demonstration of support for the old monarchy. His son and heir, Crown Prince Rupprecht, refused, however, to use the occasion of his father’s funeral to seize power even though many thought such a coup could be successful. He was a celebrated war hero, a former army group commander on the western front, and after the death of his father was referred to by many as “Your Majesty”, even by some in the local government. The Crown Prince was adamant that he wanted the monarchy restored but only by legal means. He refused to recognize the Weimar Republic and was as upset about the state of affairs that prevailed in his country as every proud German was. Brownshirts leader Ernst Roehm Crown Prince Rupprecht refrained from entering the political fray himself but made it clear that he supported the creation of a “…constitutional, social monarchy with universal suffrage.” This seemed to be a very real possibility as monarchist support in Bavaria seemed increasingly widespread. However, Bavaria was also the birthplace of the Nazi Party and the aspiring dictator, Adolf Hitler, would find an implacable enemy in the person of the Bavarian crown prince. Hitler had served in a Bavarian regiment in World War I and started his political career in Bavaria (he belatedly had to renounce his Austrian citizenship to enter politics). However, traditional, Catholic conservatism ran strong in Bavaria and Hitler would actually find less support there than in other areas. In 1923 Hitler had tried to enlist the Crown Prince in his “Beer Hall Putsch” but the royal would have no part of it. He had earlier sent his supporter Ernst Roehm (who he would ultimately have killed) to try to enlist the support of the Crown Prince, but the Bavarian heir would have no part of it. Hitler tried to tempt the Crown Prince by hinting at supporting a restoration but never outright promising it due to the support among many Bavarian monarchists for seceding from Germany, which Hitler would not allow. To his credit, Crown Prince Rupprecht was never taken in by the vague promises of the Nazis. It was all a deception of course as, privately, Hitler admitted, “that he couldn’t stand Rupprecht von Bayern” and never had any intention of restoring him to his throne. Fortunately, there were considerable numbers of loyal Bavarian monarchists who did support the heir-to-the-throne and as the Nazi Party grew in power, others in Bavaria increasingly looked to Crown Prince Rupprecht for their political salvation. The royal war hero commanded sufficiently widespread support in Bavaria to be seen as a potential savior from the Nazis, pushing some that were probably not monarchists at all to get behind the idea of a royal restoration. Despite being born in Bavaria, the Nazi Party actually had less support there than most would think. Finally, as the Nazis grew in power throughout Germany, Bavarian politicians began to look to Crown Prince Rupprecht as their savior. The Crown Prince himself certainly thought something needed to be done to spare Bavaria from Nazi rule and offered to step in and take charge of the government himself if no one else had the spine to stand up to Hitler. Kronprinz Rupprecht Finally, a plan began to take shape for Crown Prince Rupprecht to step in as a sort of Bavarian dictator with the title of “Staatskommissar” so that he could do things that the existing political establishment lacked the will or courage (or both) to do. Many Bavarian monarchists naturally supported this plan as a prelude to the restoration of the monarchy but so did many Social Democrats, so frightened were they by the sudden and rapid rise of the Nazi Party. Everything seemed favorable as every day brought more supporters as the Nazis gained more power. However, the plan was thwarted when the elderly (and increasingly senile) President Paul von Hindenburg was induced to appoint Hitler Chancellor of Germany. After that, the Nazi dictatorship was swiftly established and numerous Bavarian monarchists were thrown into prison by the new regime. Crown Prince Rupprecht refused to be reconciled with this new state of affairs. He refused to fly the Nazi flag at any of his residences and when Hitler requested the use of one of the royal castles to entertain state guests, the Crown Prince refused. When he hoped to gain monarchist support, Hitler tried to give the impression that he would restore the monarchy in Bavaria (as in other parts of Germany depending on who he was talking to) and enlisted prominent Bavarians to try to convince the Crown Prince to endorse the Nazis. Ernst Roehm was one such figure as was his former Freikorps commander Franz Ritter von Epp, a former friend of the Crown Prince and a former monarchist but one who had abandoned that to embrace the Nazi cause. None of them succeeded. While on a visit to King George V of Great Britain, Crown Prince Rupprecht stated that he supported a “reasonable” German rearmament but felt certain that Hitler was completely insane. He still held out hope that the monarchy would be restored but, unlike some, he had the wherewithal to realize that it would not be because of the Nazis, despite their many implied or overt promises. Nor was the Crown Prince alone as there were many devout, traditional, Catholic Bavarian monarchists who were determined to resist the Nazis. One of the most prominent was Baron Adolf von Harnier but he was found out by the Gestapo and arrested in 1939. Adolf Freiherr von Harnier With the arrest of Baron von Harnier and the discovery of his hopes of restoring the House of Wittelsbach to the Bavarian throne, the Nazi state came down on the old Bavarian Royal Family. Properties were confiscated and, at the end of the year, Crown Prince Rupprecht and his family were forced to flee to the Kingdom of Italy where they were given sanctuary by King Victor Emmanuel III. Despite the close alliance between Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, Victor Emmanuel III was still the King of Italy, above Mussolini and there was nothing anyone could do to harm the Bavarian royals as long as the Savoy monarchy protected them. Furiously, Hitler banned the Crown Prince from returning to Germany and the royals settled in Florence. Likewise, Crown Prince Rupprecht never relented in his staunch opposition to the Nazi regime. Of course, there was little the Crown Prince could do under the circumstances, even his life in Italy was not totally free from worry, but he never gave up hope that the monarchy would be restored and as the war went on, it seemed more and more likely the Nazi regime would fall. He had very definite ideas about what should replace it. One of the problems that the Nazis had with the Bavarian royal house (and some other German monarchists did as well) was their openness toward secession and the break-up of Germany. In 1942 a British diplomat who met with the Crown Prince reported that he envisioned a South German monarchy that would include Bavaria and the Austrian-Tyrol while the Rhineland and Hanover would form another state and Schleswig, Mecklenburg, Brandenburg, Saxony and Posen combining to form another that would separate western Europe from the Soviets. At least that was one idea. In 1943 the Crown Prince sent a memorandum to the British government volunteering to take charge of things in Germany when the Nazi regime collapsed, seemingly implying his willingness to assume the role of German Kaiser. However, more common was the proposal of joining Austria to Bavaria in a new South German monarchy. Unfortunately, after 1943, things became much more dangerous for the Bavarian Royal Family. The King of Italy dismissed Mussolini and began trying to extricate Italy from the Axis and the war. The Germans promptly began moving in to take control of as much of the Italian peninsula as possible. The Crown Prince & Princess in Italy The Crown Prince left his residence and was hidden by an Italian colonel, allowing him to evade the German occupation forces. However, his family was not so fortunate. They were in Hungary at the time and when the Nazis occupied Hungary in 1944 Crown Princess Antonia (of Luxembourg) and the children were taken prisoner on direct orders from Hitler himself. They were sent to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp and were later moved to Dachau. Within the month they were liberated by American troops but the trauma of the ordeal had weakened Crown Princess Antonia and she never fully recovered, dying nine years later in Switzerland. The Crown Prince’s son, Duke Albrecht (future head of the family), was moved from place to place as well before being liberated by the French in Austria. When the war ended in 1945, U.S. General Dwight Eisenhower sent a special plane to fly Crown Prince Rupprecht back to Germany but while they were very polite and friendly, no one was prepared to take his ideas for post-war Germany under serious consideration. The Allies had already made their own agreements concerning the occupation and division of Germany and none of them included a restoration of any of the German monarchies, even one that had been so staunchly anti-Nazi from the beginning as the Royal House of Bavaria. Crown Prince Rupprecht returned home as a more beloved figure than ever before due to his staunch opposition to the Nazis from the very beginning. Looking at the situation in post-war Bavaria, one would think that a restoration of the monarchy would have been easy. However, four foreign countries were then involved in Germany and a restoration of the monarchy was considered out of the question by both the Allies and the West German government which (and this is at least understandable) feared that this would coincide with calls for Bavarian independence, breaking up the federal union and weakening West Germany at a time when they were most concerned by the looming threat of a third world war with East Germany and the rest of the Soviet bloc. So, Crown Prince Rupprecht remained honored, beloved and respected but also without a throne. One German historian stated that many Bavarian people considered him their monarch anyway, regardless of what the law said, referring to Rupprecht as, “uncrowned, and yet a king”. When he died in 1955 tens of thousands of people visited his remains and he was given a full state funeral by the Bavarian government as if he had been a former monarch. In his person, he represented an older, nobler Bavaria and an example of a national figure who was untainted by the Nazi regime, who also represented all those Bavarians, not just the loyal Catholic royalists, who had opposed the Nazis from start to finish. He was a figure everyone in post-war Bavaria could, and in large part did, admire. Labels: adolf hitler, Bavaria, Germany, nazi, Wittelsbach, World War II Battlefield Royal: Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgens... Story of Monarchy: The Kingdom of Württemberg Mad Rant: Whoring Your Culture A Case for Italian Unification The Kaiser and the Führer Monarch Profile: Emperor Otho	cc/2021-04/en_head_0044.json.gz/line576

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