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NASA Mission To Detect Earth-Plant Water Use From ISS: Thermal Imaging Of Earth
dericiousknitty June 19, 2018 Eyes to See
Doctors learn a lot about their patients’ health by taking their temperature. An elevated temperature, or fever, can be a sign of illness. The same goes for plants, but their temperatures on a global scale are harder to measure than the temperatures of individual people.
That’s about to change, thanks to a new NASA instrument that soon will be installed on the International Space Station called ECOSTRESS, or ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station. ECOSTRESS will measure the temperature of plants from space. This will enable researchers to determine plant water use and to study how drought conditions affect plant health.
Plants draw in water from the soil, and as they are heated by the Sun, the water is released through pores on the plants’ leaves through a process called transpiration. This cools the plant down, much as sweating does in humans. However, if there is not enough water available to the plants, they close their pores to conserve water, causing their temperatures to rise.
Plants use those same pores to take up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for photosynthesis – the process they use to turn carbon dioxide and water into the sugar they use as food. If they continue to experience insufficient water availability, or “water stress,” they eventually starve or overheat, and die.
ECOSTRESS data will show these changes in plants’ temperatures, providing insight into their health and water use while there is still time for water managers to correct agricultural water imbalances.
“When a plant is so stressed that it turns brown, it’s often too late for it to recover,” said Simon Hook, ECOSTRESS principal investigator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. “But measuring the temperature of the plant lets you see that a plant is stressed before it reaches that point.”
These temperature measurements are also considered an early indicator of potential droughts. When plants in a given area start showing signs of water stress through elevated temperature, an agricultural drought is likely underway. Having these data in advance gives the agricultural community a chance to prepare and/or respond accordingly.
“ECOSTRESS will allow us to monitor rapid changes in crop stress at the field level, enabling earlier and more accurate estimates of how yields will be impacted,” said Martha Anderson, an ECOSTRESS science team member with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, Maryland. “Even short-term moisture stress, if it occurs during a critical stage of crop growth, can significantly impact productivity.”
ECOSTRESS will hitch a ride to the space station on a NASA-contracted, SpaceX cargo resupply mission scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on June 29. Once it arrives, it will be robotically installed on the exterior of the station’s Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility Unit.
Over the next year, ECOSTRESS will use the space station’s unique low Earth orbit to collect data over multiple areas of land at different times of day. The instrument will produce detailed images of areas as small as 43 by 76 yards (40 by 70 meters) — about the size of a small farm — every three to five days.
Other instruments in space can make measurements with the same level of detail or at different times of day — but not both. ECOSTRESS’ dual capability makes it especially important for scientists trying to better understand our natural ecosystems and others working toward improved food security and water resource management.
“As water resources become more critical for our growing population, we need to track precisely how much water our crops need,” said ECOSTRESS science lead Josh Fisher of JPL. “We need to know when plants are becoming susceptible to droughts, and we need to know which parts of the ecosystem are more vulnerable because of water stress.”
Although not part of its primary mission, ECOSTRESS temperature data will also be valuable for other studies that require temperature information, such as detecting and characterizing volcanoes, wildfires and heat waves.
JPL built and manages the ECOSTRESS mission for NASA’s Earth Science Division in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. ECOSTRESS is sponsored by NASA’s Earth System Science Pathfinder program, managed by NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.
For more information on ECOSTRESS, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/ecostress
Original Article:https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7163
Read More:NASA’s SOPHIA Airborne Observatory To Monitor Yellowstone Volcano
Read More:NASA Launches 4 Satellites To Study Magnetic Mystery
Watch More:Electromagnetic Radiation Intensifies As Nibiru Affects Earth’s Core
Watch More:NASA’s Narrative Of Nibiru
Watch More:The Earth Reels: Earth Wobble Confirmed By NASA As Nibiru Approaches
Watch More: JPL’s Amy Mainzer Dances Around Questions About Nibiru, But Speaks Openly Of Sun’s Binary Companion
changes in plant temperature, detect plant water usage, earth's core heating up, ECOSTRESS, indicator of potential droughts, international space station, ISS, JPL, langley research center, NASA mission, NASA's earth system sciene pathfinder program, SpaceX cargo, thermal imaging, thermal imaging of earth, thermal radiometer, thermal radiometer experiment, water stress
Previous JPL’s Amy Mainzer Dances Around Questions About Nibiru, But Speaks Openly Of Sun’s Binary Companion
Next Stunning Map Shows Half Of America Hit By ‘Disease X’ Pandemic – H7N9 Bird Flu
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Joaquin Phoenix to receive award at Palm Springs Film Festival
Joaquin Phoenix will receive the Chairman’s Award at the 2020 Palm Springs International Film Festival for his performance in “Joker.”
Festival Chairman Harold Matzner called the actor’s portrayal of the film’s title role “another in his arsenal of unforgettable characters.” Phoenix will receive the award at the film festival’s annual Film Awards Gala, taking place at the Palm Springs Convention Center on Jan. 2, 2020.
“Joaquin Phoenix mesmerizes audiences in ‘Joker’ with a performance that elicits empathy and reminds society on the whole that we can be better,” Matzner said in a prepared statement.
The Film Awards Gala kicks off the 12-day festival of events and film screenings happening Jan. 2-13, 2020 in the Coachella Valley.
Read more at desertsun.com
Awards Festival News
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Go-See Interview
Images and Video by Jan-Willem Dikkers
“I felt like I could do it better than some of the actors I was watching.
It was just a confidence thing so I took the leap of faith.”
— McCaul Lombardi
McCaul Lombardi is an LA-based actor from Baltimore, Maryland. He has appeared in the 2017 films American Honey and Patti Cake$ and currently stars in Matthew Porterfield’s drama Sollers Point (2018).
American Honey is a 2016 British-American road film written and directed by Andrea Arnold, starring Sasha Lane, Shia LaBeouf and Riley Keough. The film follows a teenage girl from a troubled home who runs away with a traveling sales crew selling magazine subscriptions door to door. The film won the Jury Prize at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
Sollers Point
Sollers Point is a 2017 American-French drama film, written and directed by Matthew Porterfield and starring McCaul Lombardi, Jim Belushi and Zazie Beetz. It tells the story of a small town drug dealer re-entering a community scarred by unemployment, neglect, and segregation.
Patti Cake$
Patti Cake$ is a 2017 American drama directed by Geremy Jaspar and starring Danielle Macdonald, Bridget Everett, and Cathy Moriarty. The film centers on aspiring white female rapper Patricia Dombrowski as she faces obstacles on the journey to fame and fortune.
McCaul Lombardi made his first big splash in the film industry last year, with roles in two notable films: Andrea Arnold’s prize winning American Honey and Geremy Jasper’s evocative Patti Cake$. Having quickly proven his versatility on screen in what he would call “mean guy” roles, Lombardi plays a more sympathetic character in his first starring role, in independent filmmaker Matthew Porterfield’s Sollers Point, in theaters now. He portrays a young drug dealer fresh out of prison and under house arrest in Baltimore who seeks a new place in his low-income, segregated community. Lombardi, who really is from Baltimore, discusses how he felt compelled to act, his work ethic, and how he hopes today’s interconnectedness will lead to a more honest society.
I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland.
High school.
Ambitions:
Make incredible, impactful movies for a long time.
I love barbeque but I rarely eat it. I like animals.
Last book read:
The Work of an Actor by Michael Woolson.
Your idea of heaven:
A farm with land, near mountains or the ocean, making two amazing films a year.
Good energy, happy smiles.
Ego, entitlement.
Your influences:
My biggest influence is my mom, obviously. But also actors like Daniel Day-Lewis, Tom Hardy and Leonardo DiCaprio.
When did you get your first break?
My first break would technically be American Honey with Andrea Arnold, about three years ago.
What have you been in?
I started with American Honey, then I moved on to a film called Sollers Point. But before that I did a film called Patti Cake$ that Fox Searchlight picked up, and it did the festival circuit starting at Sundance. Now I’m on to a few other projects.
How do you feel about this career?
It’s an interesting one. Nobody can really prepare you for acting and the acting industry, especially living in Los Angeles, but it’s cool. It’s all a blessing, to say the absolute least. It’s definitely a trippy industry to be in.
“Everybody can be lucky if they handle themselves and everything around them in the proper way.”
How did you decide to become an actor?
A few ways. Growing up, I didn’t do any theater in school, but that was more so because of where I grew up and the stereotype around guys acting in high school. I didn’t even really give it a shot until the age of 18, when I decided to move to California, join a little acting studio, and learn to put my walls down. I knew that I had it in me to portray other people in a way that wasn’t myself. And watching films and seeing and feeling like I could do that—quite frankly, I felt like I could do it better than some of the actors I was watching. It was just a confidence thing so I took the leap of faith.
How would you describe your specialty or type?
In my first three films I was typed as the “the mean guy”—the guy that’s been through a lot who’s always trying to fight. People are used to me either fighting somebody or getting into a fight in a gas station. But I’m switching that up with some softer characters that people haven’t seen yet. I have some cool characters coming out that are more on the softer side, and I’m excited people will see some more of a range from me.
Who is your favorite actor you look up to?
I love my Daniel Day-Lewis. I strive to be a man like that, who can completely indulge himself into a character and escape from everybody and remain that in-depth throughout the whole process of filming a project. I love my Tom Hardy films. He’s incredible. I’d love to have that career as well.
I’ve recently fallen in love with Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He’s very underrated, but he’s very versatile. I like to watch a film and not really realize it’s that person. Those are my favorite actors, the ones who you can never tell who they are from project to project.
What would your ideal job be?
I want to keep switching up my projects like I’m doing, especially with the one that I’m filming this summer. I’m not staying in the box that I feel a lot of actors get comfortable being in. I like to push my limits and go outside of my comfort zone.
Goals: I want to do like a period piece war film, but that’s just one of many things. I’m open to a good project with a good character with a challenging, in-depth personality to portray.
“I’m interested to see how the world is going to operate when everybody’s calling each other out, hopefully for the good.”
Do you consider yourself to be lucky?
Luck is an interesting word because without hard work and dedication, luck ain’t going to do you nothing. You could be a lucky person your whole life, but if you’re not ready for that moment when luck comes around, it’s just a missed opportunity. So I am lucky, but I’ve also worked myself to death to be in the position to be lucky. Everybody can be lucky if they handle themselves and everything around them in the proper way.
What advantages do you have?
I have a killer manager. I have a really good team of people that really care for and love me, who are looking out for my best interests.
Would you rather have a car or a diploma?
I’d rather have the diploma! I have a high school diploma, but a college diploma would be pretty cool. Maybe going back to school is an option… I say that, but I like my car a lot. Get the diploma, then get yourself a car.
What do you think about the need for instant gratification?
The need for instant gratification is detrimental because it’s becoming a thing, especially with Instagram, where everybody is looking to post something of interest and get that instant “you’re doing something good.” There’s bigger stuff to worry about right now than being cool. I think being different is going to start being the new cool.
How do you feel about how interconnected the world is becoming?
There’s positives and negatives to the way people are so integrated. I can post a photo of a landscape, and I have people commenting on it from New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Thailand and England, in a matter of seconds. It’s insanely awesome that you can get your ideas across so quickly. I also like it because now people can’t hide anything. You can’t lie anymore, and it’s becoming more of a real, in-your-face world.
What does the future look like to you?
What does the future look like for me? Successful. Happy.
I feel like a lot of people are getting a lot of shit for everything going on, but I feel like the things going on right now in the world are going to bring us together. I’m excited for the next 40 years of my life, or however long I live, to see how the world will change with social media because, again, this generation is so connected. We’ll call your bluff. I’m interested to see how the world is going to operate when everybody’s calling each other out, hopefully for the good.
“I like to watch a film and not really realize it’s that person. Those are my favorite actors, the ones who you can never tell who they are from project to project.”
How do you feel about having children?
I want them badly! I’m 26 and everybody’s like, “Just wait!” I guess I need to find a wife first. I feel like I’d be a great dad. I just don’t know how having kids would be with being an actor and being on the road.
What challenges do you feel the world is facing today?
Accepting ourselves for who we are, in an age of Instagram models and Kardashians. We have young women that feel like they have to change their appearance to be accepted or wanted by men, when that’s the furthest thing from what it should be.
True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor is an instructional book on acting by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, film director, screenwriter and author David Mamet. In it, Mamet outlines his thoughts on the life and habits of the successful actor and gives advice for those practicing the craft.
Mudbound
Mudbound is a 2017 American period drama film directed by Dee Rees and written by Rees and Virgil Williams, based on the novel of the same name by Hillary Jordan. It stars Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell, and Mary J. Blige and depicts two World War II veterans – one white, one black – who return to rural Mississippi to address racism and PTSD. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actress and Best Cinematography.
I think we’re facing an Instagram addiction period. You can’t go anywhere without people on their phones posting or live-streaming. [Those companies] are collecting millions and we’re just being sucked into our phones, not gaining anything but tips on beauty and how to be “cooler.”
What are you most grateful for?
It’s so generic, but I’m so grateful for my family. I’m really grateful for my manager. He’s put me into a lot of really good positions and let me grow as an actor. I’m just grateful. I’m thankful for health, for a good mind. It’s all perspective.
What’s your favorite way to communicate?
Definitely through texts. I like to think about responses before I respond.
What’s your favorite book, film and music right now?
Book: David Mamet’s True and False is a book I keep with me at all times. Favorite film right now? I’ll say Mudbound just because it didn’t get Oscar love. I went for the world premiere of that at the AFI Fest, because my film Stollers Point premiered there too. I didn’t even know anything about Mudbound, and it blew me away. Music: I’ve been really into the SZA album and the Black Panther album with Kendrick and SZA and Khalid.
Go-See & Interview
Genevieve Buechner
Tiffany Boone
Alex Høgh Andersen
Britt Baron
Anastasia Shevtsova
Ella Anderson
Fund Drive
Donation .99¢
Donation $3
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James can act on its own. He says
Apr 6, 2019 adminGovernment
James Madison also wrotethis paper. This federalist paper is about the separation of the differentbranches of government to lessen its power. This is so one branch of governmentdoesn’t have complete power over another. It separates the government into threeparts, the executive, legislative, and judiciary. It says that each branch thatis separate and can act on its own.
He says that separating the branches ofgovernment is how we can keep our freedoms. He says that the people have to letthe government do their job. President gets to choose the judges for thesupreme court. Although he has to for approval from senators when choosing a new person for the role. Branches ofgovernment don’t get to decide how much other branches get paid.
Theconstitution prevents any one branch or specific person from having too muchpower over another. He mentions that it’s human nature, to want more power, andthere is nothing we can do to change that. This system prevents them fromgaining too much power. With checks and balances, the different branches ofgovernment can check and balance each other. The legislative branch is the mostpowerful, which is why it is split into the Senateand the house of representatives.
The members of the Senate are elected differently than the house of representatives.The executive branch has less power than the legislative branch, but it canveto legislation. This gives some powerto the executive branch and at the same time takes some power away from thelegislative branch. This is an example of those checks and balances. Hementions that we also must manage the power of political groups, as mentionedin Federalist Paper number 10. By breaking the government down into differentbranches, makes it a lot more difficult for majority political groups to form.
Hesays if a society always lets the majority win over the minority, it won’t workout. Therefore, the government is separated into different branches. It keepscitizens safe.
The granted shall be vested in a Congress
Guidance Notes on Prevention of Money Laundering
Intern Report on Bank Asia Ltd
Short Summaries of the Books
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One Dead, Another Hospitalized After Overnight House Fire In Cahokia
Home - Local, Home Slider FeatureBy News February 14, 2018 Leave a comment
Cahokia, IL (KTRS) A man is dead and a woman is hospitalized after being rescued from an overnight house fire in Cahokia. The fire broke out around 2 a.m. Wednesday at a home on Westwood Drive. Firefighters pulled an elderly man and his daughter from the burning home and had to perform CPR. The man…
Endangered Person Advisory Issued For Missing Child
Webster Groves, MO (KTRS) An Endangered Person Advisory is in effect for a missing child. Police say 11-year-old Terrauna Childs ran away from the Great Circle Children’s Home in Webster Groves around 5:20 p.m. Tuesday. Terrauna is described as a black, female, 5-feet tall, weighing 90 pounds, with black hair worn in an afro style, and…
Missouri Supreme Court Rules For Campaign Violation Fees
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court is siding with the state Ethics Commission after it charged a former state lawmaker nearly $230,000 in fees for campaign finance violations. Judges on Tuesday unanimously ruled that fees against former St. Louis Democratic Sen. Robin Wright-Jones were constitutional and within legal limits. Wright-Jones had argued…
Guns ‘N Hoses Raises $700,000 for Backstoppers
ST. LOUIS (KTRS) The Guns ‘N Hoses Boxing Association announced a record donation of $700,000 to The BackStoppers, a nonprofit organization that assists families of first responders who die or suffer a catastrophic injury in the line of duty. The donation was made possible thanks to proceeds generated from the 31st annual Budweiser Guns ‘N Hoses…
Major Case Squad Investigating Two Separate Metro-East Murders
St. Clair County, IL (KTRS) The Major Case Squad is investigating a murder in St. Clair County. Police say 19-year-old Cole Weirciszewski was shot late Monday afternoon at a home on Paulette Drive, just outside of Belleville. He died shortly after being taken to the hospital. If you have any information, you are asked to call…
Endangered Person Advisory Issued For Missing North County Man
St. Louis County, MO (KTRS) An Endangered Person Advisory is in effect for a missing Spanish Lake man. Police say 59-year-old Edward Kinder went missing at just before 7 p.m. Monday. Kinder made suicidal comments before he left, according to investigators. Kinder, is described as a a white male, 5’9″ in height, weighing 200 lbs, with…
Pursuit Ends In Crash Involving Six Vehicles; Three People Hurt
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Three people are injured, one critically, after a police pursuit ended in a crash involving six vehicles in St. Louis. The chase began when officers from the North County Police Cooperative spotted a carjacking suspect around 1:45 p.m. Monday in Wellston. The pursuit went into St. Louis’ Central West End, ending…
Update: Jeffco Child Dies After Being Shot By His Mother
UPDATE: Fox 2 reports the child died Monday morning. Barnhart, MO (KTRS) Investigators are searching for answers into why a Jefferson County mother killed herself after shooting her son. Police say 49-year-old Tara Kelleher shot her 11-year-old son at the family’s Barnhart home in the 7200 block of Valley Drive early Saturday morning before turning the…
Missouri Bill To Allow Faculty To Carry Guns
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow universities designate full-time faculty as “campus protection officers” who can carry concealed weapons. Republican Rep. Dean Dohrman introduced the bill to the House Higher Education Committee Wednesday with hopes of college campus safety in an age of increasingly frequent mass shootings,…
Slick Roads Cause Multi-Vehicle Crash On I-44
Home - Local, Home Slider, Home Slider FeatureBy News February 11, 2018 Leave a comment
Sullivan, MO (KTRS) Slick roads are to blame for a multi-vehicle accident in Franklin County that resulted in Interstate 44 to be shut down for several hours. The Missouri Highway Patrol reports the accident involved four tractor trailers along eastbound 44 near the 224 mile marker. It happened at just after 9 p.m. Saturday. One…
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2019-20 Statistics (.PDF)
Coach Jamie Bermel
Record Book (PDF)
Jayhawk Golf Partners
Full Info (PDF)
Jayhawks Finish 4th at Colonial; Hillier Takes 2nd
FORT WORTH, Texas – Led by Harry Hillier’s second-place finish, the Kansas Jayhawks men’s golf team finished tied for fourth at the Colonial Collegiate Invitational to open the 2020-21 season.
Kansas finished the 54-hole event at +23 and tied with Baylor and TCU for fourth. Oklahoma won the team title at -5.
Hillier, who finished the 2019-20 season with back-to-back top-ten finishes, had a brilliant start to the season for Kansas. He fired rounds of 69-70-70 to finish at -1. He tied with Pierceson Coody from Texas and Quade Cummins. Oklahoma’s Logan McAllister won the individual title at -3.
Hillier birdied the par-four 18th to post an even-par 70 for his final round and get into a tie for second place.
“I’m extremely proud of Harry,” Coach Jamie Bermel said. “He made a lifestyle change this semester, and the dedication is already paying off. Also, I think he is starting to believe in himself, and his play is showing that confidence.”
Hillier wasn’t the only Jayhawk to have a strong debut and finish in the top 10. Ben Sigel finished tied for sixth at +1 for the tournament with rounds of 71-69-71. Sigel played the final five holes at one-under to stick at one-over for the tournament and get in the top six. He had four birdies in his final round.
Also for the Jayhawks, William Duquette and Luke Kluver finished at +13 and tied for 34th place. Zach Sokolosky finished 52nd at +21 and Sion Audrain was 55th at +27.
The Jayhawks will now turn their attention to the Big 12 Match Play Championship, which begins Friday at Houston Oaks Golf Club in Hockley, Texas.
“It was a tough day for the Jayhawks,” Bermel said. “We couldn’t get a good fourth score today, and that really hurt our team score…We’re really glad to be playing golf, and hopefully the guys learned something this week and will be better in match play this upcoming weekend.”
Big 12 Conference Colonial Collegiate Invitational at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas on September 28, 2020. (Photo by/ Sharon Ellman)
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Tag: Leonardo Cimino
Reader Bonus: The Monster Squad
This movie is magical. I have loved it from the first time I saw it probably 20 or so years ago. In a lot of ways, this movie encapsulates one of my most basic philosophies of media: A movie can do anything, as long as it is consistent in the amount of disbelief it asks the audience to suspend. While the monsters in this movie are clearly just people wearing cheap costumes, that’s as a tribute to the old horror movies that the kids in the film are obsessed with. The movie asks you to just go with it because it’s fun, and dammit, that’s enough of a reason to go with it.
So, the Monster Squad is the story of a group of kids who are big fans of old-school monster films, mostly the Universal Monster films from the 1930s-50s and the Hammer films of the 50s-70s. The kids are the Monster Squad, not the actual monsters, despite the monsters also being in a squad. Or perhaps the monsters are the squad, but then the kids also take the name at the end of the movie…. There are many mysteries contained within this film.
So, the movie begins with Abraham Van Helsing (Jack Gwillim) fighting Dracula (Duncan Regehr) and attempting to cast him into Limbo. However, Van Helsing fails and is trapped within the other world himself.
100 years later, Van Helsing’s diary ends up in the hands of newly teenaged Monster-phile Sean Crenshaw (Andre Gower). In what is one of the most unbelievably excellent moments in film history, and one that films regularly skip over, Sean finds out that he can’t read the diary, not because it’s encoded, but because it’s in German (Actually Dutch, but why would Sean know the difference?). You know, the language that Van Helsing would naturally write in, because he’s Dutch in the book. Out of basically every Dracula adaptation, this is one of the only ones that actually bother to point this out when reading his diary.
Sean and the rest of his friends, Patrick, Horace, Rudy, Eugene, and occasionally Sean’s 5-year-old sister Phoebe (Robby Kiger, Brent Chalem, Ryan Lambert, Michael Faustino, and Ashley Bank) go to see the local Scary German Man (Leonardo Cimino), who, as it turns out, is a kind old man who is happy to translate it from Dutch. Also, he was a former concentration camp prisoner. See, the scary figure actually was kind and himself a victim of cruelty. I wonder if this theme will come back in the film?
A Victim. Not a monster.
The Diary describes an amulet that is composed of concentrated good energy. It helps keep the balance of good and evil in the world. However, one day out of every 100 years, it becomes vulnerable to destruction, which would unbalance the world and allow evil to run rampant. However, on that same day, the amulet can be used to balance all supernatural evil from the world, by casting it into limbo. And, darned if that day isn’t pretty soon. How surprising.
The Amulet was hidden in the US by the apprentices of Van Helsing so that Dracula couldn’t find it, but now, Dracula is coming. He summons his most vicious monstrous assistants: The Mummy (Michael MacKay), The Creature who may or may not be from the Black Lagoon (Tom Woodruff Jr.), The Wolf Man (Carl Thibault), and three school girls (Mary Albee, Joan-Carrol Baron, and Julie Merrill) who are made into his vampire brides. Dracula also breaks into a military plane carrying the remains of Frankenstein’s Monster (Tom Noonan), who he assumes will join his army. However, the Monster, being part human, doesn’t like Dracula that much. The monster wanders off into the forest where he encounters Phoebe, who befriends him. The rest of the Monster Squad meets Frankenstein and determines that he is not evil, but kind, misunderstood, and a victim of cruelty. … I feel like I wrote that before.
… Yes, this is really from the movie.
Meanwhile, the Wolf Man, when he’s human, is also not a fan of Dracula, and he keeps calling the police, who, of course, ignore him for talking about monsters. However, Sean’s father Del (Stephen Macht), is assigned to investigate all of the weirdness happening around town. He doesn’t believe any of it to be supernatural, of course.
Dracula and the monsters actually are occupying the building where the amulet is found, but the room it’s contained in is so littered with wards that no evil being can enter. The kids break in and steal it, and manage to avoid getting caught by Dracula. However, Dracula responds by following them back to their treehouse and… BLOWING IT UP WITH DYNAMITE.
I say Boom Boom Boom.
No, really, in what is one of my favorite movie moments, Dracula doesn’t do the traditional “sneak into your home and attack you personally” thing, he just starts chucking explosives. He’s immune to being blown up, why the hell wouldn’t he do this all the time? It’s brilliant. However, it does draw the attention of Sean’s dad, who finally sees Dracula and believes in the supernatural explanation for recent events.
The team have to find a female virgin to read the incantation to banish evil, and it must be on holy ground, so they drive to a cathedral with their older sister Lisa (Lisa Fuller). However, because it’s a cathedral, not a 7/11, it’s closed at midnight. However, they decide to read it on the stoop, as a work-around, since the entryway is technically holy ground. Lisa begins reading, but the spell fails, because Lisa had figured that the stuff she did with one of her exes “didn’t count.” Apparently the universe draws a different line than she does.
So, naturally, they realize that the 5-year-old Phoebe is a virgin, and the German man helps her read the spell. Meanwhile, Dracula and his monsters have come, so the kids face off against the monsters. What follows is a simultaneous invocation of monster lore (like pointing out that they need a silver bullet to kill a werewolf/no one knows the Creature from the Black Lagoon’s Weakness) with a mockery/common sense takedown of them (alternate solution: hit him in the groin really hard and blow him up with dynamite. Doesn’t kill him, but slows him down a lot/ Bullets work really well on fish). Eventually, they manage to kill all of the monsters except for Dracula, who arrives late.
Bullets! One of my only weaknesses! Also knives, cars, and heat lamps.
Dracula, unfortunately for the kids, doesn’t really screw around, and just starts killing a ton of the police with ease. He finally reaches Phoebe, and threatens her, however, Frankenstein’s monster shows up and spears Dracula with a wrought-iron fencepost as the portal to Limbo opens. Dracula grabs Sean, who manages to stake Dracula through the heart. However, this doesn’t actually kill him, but at the last moment, Abraham Van Helsing emerges from the portal and pulls Dracula in with him.
Frankenstein then goes into the portal willingly, knowing that he doesn’t belong in the world of humans, and the portal won’t close without the monsters being on the other side. Phoebe gives him a stuffed animal to remember her.
Soon, the Army shows up, ready to fight the monsters, but Sean informs them that evil has already been slain, presenting the General with a business card referring to them as “The Monster Squad.” Roll. F*cking. Credits.
What’s crazy is that I love this movie mostly for the reasons that other critics seem to hate it. First, it has a ludicrously high body count for a movie starring kids. Dracula is not the traditional portrayal; here he is decidedly more vicious and ruthlessly efficient. He’s not out to seduce lonely housewives or whatever, he’s here to take over the world, and to get rid of the people in his way. He has super-strength, invulnerability, and is immortal. He just dynamites his enemies, because that’s simpler than having to find a way to be invited in. This is one of my favorite Dracula performances of all time.
Why turn into a bat when I have Dynamite??
Second, all of the monsters look like guys in costumes. Well, no sh*t. That’s what they are. The movie is a tribute to the costumes of the old horror movies. But they’re damned good costumes. Until The Shape of Water came out, this was my favorite-looking Fish-man (Abe Sapien is his own category).
Third, the plot’s generic. Well, yeah, but they use the generic plot to explore within it. And they play around with it enough to make it fun. Plus, the details are actually kind of nice. Van Helsing’s Diary isn’t in English. Cathedrals aren’t open at Midnight during the week. “Virgin” isn’t exactly clearly defined, because they don’t say whose standard it is. Nothing in mythology about the Creature from the Black Lagoon says you can’t just shoot him. These are great things that the movie points out, it’s like they intentionally were trying to avert some of the more common tropes of these horror movies.
Ultimately, I think this movie is underrated. I really do. I like the fact that it’s ALL of the Universal horror monsters together. I like the fact that Frankenstein is portrayed sympathetically. I like the fact that Dracula is just an unstoppable killing machine when he wants to be. I like the fact that the US Government knows enough about monsters to send in a huge number of soldiers and tanks to deal with them. Is it the best movie? No, but it’s damned fun and it delivers exactly what it promises. Honestly, this is one of the best homages to classic horror, and I hope it keeps getting seen.
Posted on March 24, 2018 June 19, 2020 Categories ReviewsTags Andre Gower, Ashley Bank, Brent Chalem, Carl Thibault, Creature From the Black Lagoon, Dracula, Duncan Regehr, Dynamit, Dynamite, Film, Frankenstein, Jack Gwillim, Joan-Carrol Baron, Julie Merrill, Leonardo Cimino, Lisa Fuller, Mary Albee, Michael Faustino, Michael MacKay, Reader Bonus, Robby Kiger, Ryan Lambert, Stephen Macht, The Monster Squad, Tom Noonan, Tom Woodruff, Tom Woodruff Jr., Wolfman, Wolman1 Comment on Reader Bonus: The Monster Squad
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Ancient Affinities within the LDS Book of Enoch Part One
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw and David J. Larsen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 4 (2013): 1-27
[Page 1]Abstract: In this article, we will examine affinities between ancient extracanonical sources and a collection of modern revelations that Joseph Smith termed “extracts from the Prophecy of Enoch.” We build on the work of previous scholars, revisiting their findings with the benefit of subsequent scholarship. Following a perspective on the LDS canon and an introduction to the LDS Enoch revelations, we will focus on relevant passages in pseudepigrapha and LDS scripture within three episodes in the Mormon Enoch narrative: Enoch’s prophetic commission, Enoch’s encounters with the “gibborim,” and the weeping and exaltation of Enoch and his people.
There are few other branches of Christianity that revere Holy Scripture as do the Latter-day Saints. Paradoxically, no other Christian faith has felt such liberty—or rather such necessity—to add to and even revise it continually. This is because Latter-day Saints are not fundamentally a “People of the Book” ((Muslims refer to Jews and Christians (along with themselves) as ahl al-kitab, meaning roughly “The People of the Book,” thus recognizing these groups as having faith rooted in genuine revelation from God. See Richard C. Martin, ed. Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World. 2 vols. (New York, City: Macmillan Reference USA, Gale Group, Thomson Learning, 2004), 1:27–29. The “Book” in question is not the Qur’an or any single work of scripture but rather the complete and perfect heavenly archetype from which all authentically revealed texts that have been sent down “gradually” since the time of Adam, were originally derived, see at-Tabataba’i Allamah as-Sayyid Muhammad Husayn, Al-Mizan: An Exegesis of the Qur’an, trans. Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi. 3rd ed. (Teheran: World Organization for Islamic Services, 1983), 5:8–9, 79–80; cf. Qur’an 25:32; John Wansbrough, Qur’anic Studies: Sources and Methods of Scriptural Interpretation (Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2004), 83, 170; Brannon M. Wheeler, ed., Prophets in the Quran: An Introduction to the Quran and Muslim Exegesis. Comparative Islam Studies (London: Continuum, 2002), 3–4; Qur’an 3:315–136, 85:21–22. Though Muslims believe that Jews and Christians have since embraced many errors because of subsequent corruption of their respective books of scripture (at-Tabataba’i, Al-Mizan, 3:79–80, 5:10–11, 6:184–219; Tarif Khalidi, ed. and trans. The Muslim Jesus: Sayings and Stories in Islamic Literature. Convergences: Inventories of the Present [Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2001], 20), their faiths are held in higher esteem than the faiths of those who do not accept Abraham, Moses, or Jesus. See Qur’an 2:105; Zachary Karabell, Peace Be upon You: The Story of Muslim, Christian, and Jewish Coexistence (New York City: Knopf, 2007), 19–20; Daniel C. Peterson, “Muhammad,” in The Rivers of Paradise: Moses, Buddha, Confucius, Jesus, and Muhammad as Religious Founders, ed. David Noel Freedman and Michael J. McClymond (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001), 590–91).)) but instead [Page 2]a “People of Continuing Revelation.” ((Dallin H. Oaks, “Scripture Reading and Revelation.” Ensign, January 1995, 7.)) In other words, not only do they subscribe to the idea of an enlarged canon through official acceptance of three additional books of scripture besides the Bible, but they also accept the concept of an open and growing canon, ((2 Nephi 29:3–14; Alexander B. Morrison, “The Latter-day Saint Concept of Canon,” in Historicity and the Latter-day Saint Scriptures, ed. Paul Y. Hoskisson Provo, UT: BYU Religious Studies Center, 2001), 3–4. By way of contrast to the common Christian belief in a closed canon, Peterson laments that: “The creation of a canon commences when revelation is thought to have come to a halt, and in turn the concept of a canon reinforces the notion that revelation has ceased,” Peterson, “Muhammad,” 597.)) regarding efforts to “harden on the all-sufficiency or only-sufficiency of any part of scripture” as tantamount “to prais[ing] the cup and reject[ing] the fountain.” ((Madsen, “Introductory Essay,” xv. Madsen further explains: “Mormons seem to be biblicistic and literalistic. But it is the recognition that the Bible is in central parts clear narrative, an account of genuine persons involved in genuine events, that is characteristic … Creation was an event; the Resurrection occurred. The religious experiences chronicled in the book of Acts are acts in a book. The Bible, the point is, becomes thus a temporal document just as much as it is spiritual. And the same can be said for other Mormon scriptural writings. They too are “time-bound”; they cannot be understood in a non-historical way. They arise from and, it is hoped, return to the concrete realities of the human predicament” (p. xv). For more about LDS perspectives on the historicity of scripture, see Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, “Excursus 13: Some Perspectives on Historicity,” Ancient and Modern Perspectives on the Book of Moses: In God’s Image and Likeness 1 (Salt Lake City: Eborn Publishing, 2010), 552–53.)) Thus, members [Page 3]of the Church hold that sacred texts are not only susceptible to a “plainer translation” (D&C 128:18), but also open to the possibility of significant expansion and elaboration through the living spirit of prophecy. ((Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1986), 36–37.)) To Latter-day Saints, a closed and immutable canon is inconsistent with the idea of God’s continuing revelation as expressed in our ninth Article of Faith: “We believe in all that God has revealed, all that he does now reveal, and we believe that he will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” ((Thus, Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s comment: “Today we carry convenient quadruple combinations of the scriptures. But one day, since more scriptures are coming, we may need to pull little red wagons brim with books,” Neal A. Maxwell, A Wonderful Flood of Light (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1990), 18. He added, “Of course, computers may replace wagons,” Neal A. Maxwell, The Neal A. Maxwell Quote Book (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1997), 298.))
In a paper written in 1985, George Nickelsburg explored a similar stance in primitive Christianity. This is the idea that “the early Christians, and some Jews before them, based their exclusivistic stance on the claim they had received divine revelation.” ((George W. E. Nickelsburg,“Revealed Wisdom as a Criterion for Inclusion and Exclusion: From Jewish Sectarianism to Early Christianity,” in “To See Ourselves as Others See Us”: Christians, Jews, “Others” in Late Antiquity, ed. Jacob Neusner and Ernest S. Frerichs (Chico, CA: Scholars, 1985), 73, emphasis added.)) Prominent among the sectarian Jews who accepted this claim were those who accepted purported revelations found within the collection of books we now call 1 Enoch as well as the people of Qumran who preserved the Dead Sea Scrolls. [Page 4]Likewise, Nickelsburg asserts that early Jewish Christians, while more open to Gentile outsiders, appear “to have adopted the sectarian Jewish approach that asserted the validity of its position by claiming divine revelation. Salvation was tied exclusively to the person and activity of Jesus of Nazareth.” ((Nickelsburg, “Revealed Wisdom,”89.)) Nickelsburg’s description of the twofold irony of the Christian position will not be lost on those who realize its resemblance to the relationship between Mormonism and mainstream Christianity: “A young, upstart group . . . was asserting that it was more authentic than its parent group. And this attitude of superiority and exclusivism was derived, in part, from ideas and attitudes already present in the parent body.” ((Nickelsburg, “Revealed Wisdom,” 73.))
Of course, in saying this, it must be recognized that Latter-day Saints share a core of essential, biblically based beliefs in common with other Christians. Paramount among these beliefs is that salvation comes only “in and through the grace of God” (2 Nephi 10:24. Cf. Ephesians 2:8) and “the name of Christ” (Mosiah 3:17. Cf. Acts 4:12). We also agree with Nickelsburg’s commendable charge to all Christian scholars to “build wisely, responsibly, and with love both for those within the immediate community of faith and for those within the broader community.” ((Nickelsburg, “Revealed Wisdom,” 91.)) However, it must be recognized that the bold claim of continuing revelation is not a mere footnote to LDS teachings but the very heart of the faith. Mormons realize that denying this claim would be, to use the apt metaphor of Nickelsburg, more than “simply pulling a little theological splinter that has been the source of great irritation” in the interest of promoting “a new, wiser, and more loving and ecumenical age,” but rather tantamount to performing “radical surgery on a vital organ of [Page 5]the faith.” ((Nickelsburg, “Revealed Wisdom,” 91.)) In submitting to such surgery, the patient would not be risking his life, but rather ending it.
That the enthusiastic stance of welcome in the LDS faith for additional discoveries of the word of God includes parts of the Apocrypha—and also perhaps, certain more problematic pseudepigraphal writings of complex and uncertain provenance—is affirmed in a revelation that Joseph Smith received in 1833:
Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you concerning the Apocrypha—There are many things contained therein that are true, and it is mostly translated correctly; There are many things contained therein that are not true, which are interpolations by the hands of men. . . . Therefore, whoso readeth it, let him understand, for the Spirit manifesteth truth; And whoso is enlightened by the Spirit shall obtain benefit therefrom. (D&C 91:1–5)
Although Mormons do not count any of the pseudepigraphal works of Enoch among the books of their canon, the prophetic word that “whoso is enlightened by the Spirit shall obtain benefit” (D&C 91:5) from the Apocrypha leads us to consider seriously what light extracanonical writings can shed on our scripture, doctrine, and teachings—and vice versa. In such matters, seership and scholarship can go comfortably hand in hand. As Terryl S. Givens astutely observed: “Our contemporary condescension in this regard was clearly foreign to a prophet who showed the world he could translate gold plates written in Reformed Egyptian, then[, a few years later,] hired a Jewish schoolmaster to teach him Hebrew.” ((Terryl L. Givens, “Dialectic and Reciprocity in ‘Faithful Scholarship’: Preexistence as a Case Study,” paper presented at the Annual Conference of Mormon Scholars in the Humanities, Provo, UT, March 22, 2007.))
[Page 6]Givens notes that this paradoxical “two-pronged approach” to the search for religious truth is characteristic of Mormonism. It is “a group embrace of a rhetoric of absolute self-assurance about spiritual truths” revealed directly from God—“coexisting with a conception of education as the endless and eternal acquisition of the knowledge that leads to godhood.” The seriousness with which Joseph Smith took both aspects of this two-pronged approach
is to be fathomed from its timing and growing direction in the context of his own prophetic career: after the youthful leader had established his credentials as Prophet and translator, after he had personally manifested his power to reveal the fulness of saving truth directly from heaven, and after he claimed receipt of authority to perform all saving ordinances in the new church. At that moment when he had powerfully demonstrated to his followers the irrelevance of priestly training, clerical degrees, and scholarly credentials . . . ((Terryl L. Givens, People of Paradox: A History of Mormon Culture (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007), 74.))
he opened a school where he along with his followers could acquire a classroom education. ((See, e.g., D&C 88:79.)) In a revelation given at the subsequent dedication of the first Mormon temple, the charge to the Saints to embrace a two-pronged vision of learning was made explicit: “[S]eek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” ((D&C 109:7, 14. See also D&C 88:118.))
Carrying that vision of learning forward to our day, an enthusiastic cadre of Latter-day Saint scholars has essayed to discover and understand affinities between LDS expansions of biblical narratives and ancient sources from outside the Bible. [Page 7]With these efforts in mind, Truman G. Madsen wisely provided both caution and encouragement to such scholars:
Surface resemblance may conceal profound difference. It requires competence, much goodwill and bold caution properly to distinguish what is remotely parallel, what is like, what is very like, and what is identical. It is harder still to trace these threads to original influences and beginnings. But on the whole the Mormon expects to find, not just in the Judeo-Christian background but in all religious traditions, elements of commonality which, if they do not outweigh elements of contrast, do reflect that all-inclusive diffusion of primal religious concern and contact with God—the light “which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9). If the outcome of hard archeological, historical, and comparative discoveries in the past century is an embarrassment to exclusivistic readings of religion, that, to the Mormon, is a kind of confirmation and vindication. His faith assures him not only that Jesus anticipated his great predecessors (who were really successors) but that hardly a teaching or a practice is utterly distinct or peculiar or original in his earthly ministry. Jesus was not a plagiarist, unless that is the proper name for one who repeats himself. He was the original author. The gospel of Jesus Christ came with Christ in the meridian of time only because the gospel of Jesus Christ came from Christ in prior dispensations. He did not teach merely a new twist on a syncretic-Mediterranean tradition. His earthly ministry enacted what had [Page 8]been planned and anticipated “from before the foundations of the world,” ((See, e.g., John 17:24; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20; Alma 22:13; D&C 130:20; Moses 5:57; Abraham 1:3.)) and from Adam down. ((Truman G. Madsen, “Introductory Essay,” in Reflections on Mormonism: Judeo-Christian Parallels, Papers Delivered at the Religious Studies Center Symposium, Brigham Young University, March 10-11, 1978, ed. Truman G. Madsen (Provo, UT: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1978), xvii. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: “Some say that the kingdom of God was not set up on the earth until the day of Pentecost … but, I say in the name of the Lord, that the kingdom of God was set up on the earth from the days of Adam to the present time. Whenever there has been a righteous man on earth unto whom God revealed His word and gave power and authority to administer in His name, and where there is a priest of God—a minister who has power and authority from God to administer in the ordinances of the gospel and officiate in the priesthood of God, there is the kingdom of God. . . . Where there is a prophet, a priest, or a righteous man unto whom God gives His oracles, there is the kingdom of God; and where the oracles of God are not, there the kingdom of God is not,” Joseph Smith, Jr., Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1969), 22 January 1843, pp. 21–22).))
In this article, we will examine affinities between ancient extracanonical sources and a collection of modern revelations that Joseph Smith termed “extracts from the Prophecy of Enoch.” ((Joseph Smith, Jr., History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Documentary History), 7 vols. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1978), December 1830, 1:133.)) This article builds on the work of scholars intrigued by LDS accounts of Enoch, in particular the pioneering insights of Hugh W. Nibley. Regrettably, after he completed his initial studies of the relationship between ancient documents and Joseph Smith’s Enoch revelations in 1978, ((Nibley’s chief works on Enoch have been conveniently collected in Hugh W. Nibley, Enoch the Prophet (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book), 1986.)) Nibley turned his attention to other subjects and never again took up a sustained study of Enoch. Now, more than thirty years later, it is time to revisit his findings with the benefit of subsequent scholarship. Following an introduction to the LDS Enoch revelations, we will focus on relevant passages in pseudepigrapha [Page 9]and LDS scripture within three episodes in the Mormon Enoch narrative:
Enoch’s prophetic commission
Enoch’s encounters with the gibborim
The weeping and exaltation of Enoch and his people
Introduction to the LDS Enoch Revelations
Both in the expansive nature of its content and the eloquence of its expression, Terryl and Fiona Givens consider the LDS account of Enoch as perhaps the “most remarkable religious document published in the nineteenth century.” ((Terryl L. Givens and Fiona Givens, The God Who Weeps: How Mormonism Makes Sense of Life (Salt Lake City: Ensign Peak, 2012), 24.)) It was produced early in Joseph Smith’s ministry—in fact in the same year as the publication of the Book of Mormon—as part of a divine commission to “retranslate” the Bible. ((Bradshaw, God’s Image 1, 1–9. Joseph Smith’s “translation” did not involve the study of original manuscripts in ancient languages but was the result of his prophetic gifts.)) Writing the account of Enoch occupied a part of the Prophet’s attention for a month from 30 November to 31 December 1830. Later, the first eight chapters of the Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis, which included two chapters on Enoch, were separately canonized as the Book of Moses. ((Bradshaw, God’s Image 1, 8–9.))
Joseph Smith’s “Book of Enoch” provides “eighteen times as many column inches about Enoch . . . than we have in the few verses on him in the Bible. Those scriptures not only contain greater quantity [than the Bible] but also . . . contain . . . [abundant] new material about Enoch on which the Bible is silent.” ((Maxwell, Flood, 31. For the quantitative comparison, Elder Maxwell cites a letter to him dated August 12, 1988, from Robert J. Matthews, late LDS scholar of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. Richard L. Bushman computes a roughly similar ratio: “In Genesis, Enoch is summed up in 5 verses; in Joseph Smith’s revision, Enoch’s story extends to 110 verses,” Richard L. Bushman, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, A Cultural Biography of Mormonism’s Founder (New York City: Knopf, 2005), 138.)) [Page 10]This material was not derived from deep study of the scriptures ((The proportion of Joseph Smith’s book of Enoch that could have been derived straightforwardly from the five relevant verses in the Bible is very small. Moreover, Joseph Smith’s mother wrote that as a boy he “had never read the Bible through in his life: he seemed much less inclined to the perusal of books than any of the rest of our children, but far more given to meditation and deep study,” Lucy M. Smith, Lucy’s Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith’s Family Memoir (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2001); Martha Coray/ Orson Pratt 1853 version, p. 344. Contra Michael Quinn’s claim cited in Lucy’s Book, 344 n. 47, Philip Barlow sees “no reason to doubt such memories,” though he does note the “potent biblicism” of his environs, recollections by a neighbor of Bible study in the Smith home, and how young Joseph “searched the scriptures” as he experienced the “revivalistic fires of the surrounding ‘burnt-over district,’” Philip L. Barlow, Mormons and the Bible: The Place of the Latter-day Saints in American Religion (New York: Oxford University Press, 1991), 13. It is hard to imagine, however, that the story of Enoch would have been a focus of attention for any early encounters that Joseph Smith had with the book of Genesis in his home or community. Observe also that the “restrained, assured, and polished” nature of Joseph Smith’s prose from his later years (Barlow, Mormons and the Bible, 15) was not evident in his early personal writings to the degree found in his very first translations and revelations. Indeed, Joseph Smith’s wife Emma testified that during the time he was fully engaged in translation, her husband “could neither write nor dictate a coherent and well-worded letter; let alone dictating a book like the Book of Mormon. And, though I was an active participant in the scenes that transpired, and was present during the translation of the plates, and had cognizance of things as they transpired, it is marvelous to me, ‘a marvel and a wonder,’ as much so as to anyone else,” Joseph Smith, III, “Last Testimony of Sister Emma.” Saints’ Herald 26 (1879), 290.)) or from exposure to the extracanonical Enoch literature, ((In his master’s thesis, Salvatore Cirillo cites and amplifies the arguments of D. Michael Quinn, Early Mormonism and the Magic World View rev. and enl. ed. (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1998), 193 that the available evidence that Joseph Smith had access to published works related to 1 Enoch has moved “beyond probability—to fact.” He sees no other explanation than this for the substantial similarities that he finds between the Book of Moses and the pseudepigraphal Enoch literature (Salvatore Cirillo, “Joseph Smith, Mormonism and Enochic Tradition,” MA thesis, Durham University, 2009, 126, at http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/236/1/Thesis_Final_1_PDF.pdf). However, reflecting on the “coincidence” of the appearance of the first English translation of 1 Enoch in 1821, just a few years before Joseph Smith received his Enoch revelations, see Richard Laurence, ed. The Book of Enoch, the Prophet: Translated from an Ethiopic Manuscript in the Bodleian Library, the Text Now Corrected from His Latest Notes with an Introduction by the [Anonymous] Author of ‘The Evolution of Christianity,’ (Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1883) at http://archive.org/details/bookofenochproph00laur, Richard L. Bushman nonetheless concludes: “It is scarcely conceivable that Joseph Smith knew of Laurence’s Enoch translation,” Bushman, Rough Stone Rolling, 138. Perhaps even more significant, is the fact that the principal themes of “Laurence’s 105 translated chapters do not resemble Joseph Smith’s Enoch in any obvious way,” Bushman, Rough Stone Rolling, 138. Cf. Jed L. Woodworth, “Extra-biblical Enoch Texts in Early American Culture,” in Archive of Restoration Culture: Summer Fellows’ Papers 1997-1999, ed. Richard L. Bushman, (Provo, UT: Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History, 2000), 190–92. Indeed, apart from the shared prominence of the Son of Man motif in BP and the Book of Moses and some common themes in Enoch’s visions of Noah (see more on these resemblances below), the most striking resemblances to the Prophet’s revelations are found not in 1 Enoch, but in related pseudepigrapha such as 2 Enoch (first published at the end of the 19th century) and the Qumran Book of the Giants (discovered in 1948). Woodworth concludes: “While I do not share the confidence the parallelist feels for the inaccessibility of Laurence to Joseph Smith, I do not find sharp enough similarities to support the derivatist position. The tone and weight and direction of [1 Enoch and the Book of Moses] are worlds apart. . . . The problem with the derivatist position is [that] … Laurence as source material for Joseph Smith does not make much sense if the two texts cannot agree on important issues. The texts may indeed have some similarities, but the central figures do not have the same face, do not share the same voice, and are not, therefore, the same people. In this sense, the Enoch in the Book of Moses is as different from the Enoch of Laurence as he is from the Enoch in the other extra-Biblical Enochs in early American culture. Same name, different voice,” p. 192. Note also that since Joseph Smith was aware of the quotation from 1 Enoch in Jude 1:14–15 (Smith, Documentary History, December 1830, 1:132), the most obvious thing he could have done to bolster the case for the antiquity of the Book of Moses account if he were a conscious deceiver would have been to include that citation somewhere within his revelations on Enoch. But this he did not do.)) [Page 11]nor was it absorbed from Masonic or hermetical influences. ((For example, John L. Brooke seeks to make the case that Sidney Rigdon, among others, was a “conduit of Masonic lore during Joseph’s early years” and then goes on to make a set of weakly substantiated claims connecting Mormonism and Masonry; John L. Brooke, The Refiner’s Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644-1844 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994). These claims, including connections with the story of Enoch’s pillars in Royal Arch Masonry, are refuted in William J. Hamblin, Daniel C. Peterson, and George L. Mitton, “Mormon in the Fiery Furnace or Loftes Tryk Goes to Cambridge.” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 6/2 (1994): 52–58; cf. William J. Hamblin, Daniel C. Peterson, and George L. Mitton, “Review of John L. Brooke: The Refiner’s Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644-1844,” BYU Studies 34/4 (1994): 178–79. Non-Mormon scholar Stephen Webb agrees with Hamblin, et al., concluding that “actual evidence for any direct link between [Joseph Smith’s] theology and the hermetic tradition is tenuous at best, and given that scholars vigorously debate whether hermeticism even constitutes a coherent and organized tradition, Brooke’s book should be read with a fair amount of skepticism,” Stephen H. Webb, Jesus Christ, Eternal God: Heavenly Flesh and the Metaphysics of Matter (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012), 260) See also Barlow, Decoding; Bushman, Mysteries; Jan Shipps, Sojourner in the Promised Land: Forty Years among the Mormons (Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2000), 204–17. For a debunking of the idea that LDS temple ordinances are a simple derivation from Freemasonry, see Matthew B. Brown, Exploring the Connection Between Mormons and Masons (American Fork, UT: Covenant Communications, 2009). Brown’s more in-depth manuscript dealing with this topic still awaits publication.)) [Page 12]Rather, according to the eminent Yale professor and Jewish literary scholar Harold Bloom, Joseph Smith’s ability to produce writings on Enoch so “strikingly akin to ancient suggestions” stemmed from his “charismatic accuracy, his sure sense of relevance that governed biblical and Mormon parallels.” Having studied the life and revelations of the Prophet, Bloom concludes: “I hardly think that written sources were necessary.” While expressing “no judgment, one way or the other, upon the authenticity” of LDS scripture, he found “enormous validity” in these writings and could “only attribute to [the Prophet’s] genius or daemon” his ability to “recapture . . . crucial elements in the archaic Jewish religion . . . . that had ceased to be available either to normative Judaism or to Christianity, and that survived only in esoteric traditions unlikely to have touched [Joseph] Smith directly.” ((Harold Bloom, The American Religion: The Emergence of the Post-Christian Nation (New York City: Simon and Schuster, 1992), 98, 99, 100, 101.))
Before proceeding further with our examination of extracanonical affinities with the Enoch chapters in the Book of Moses, some cautionary words relating to the Prophet’s translation process are in order. Though some revelatory passages in the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible seem to have [Page 13]remarkable congruencies with ancient texts, we think it is fruitless to rely on JST Genesis as a means for uncovering an Enoch Urtext. Mormons understand that the primary intent of modern revelation is for divine guidance to latter-day readers, not to provide precise matches to texts from other times. Because this is so, in fact we would expect to find deliberate deviations from the content and wording of ancient manuscripts in Joseph Smith’s translations in the interest of clarity and relevance to modern readers. As one LDS apostle expressed it, “the Holy Spirit does not quote the Scriptures, but gives Scripture.” ((Hyrum M. Smith and Janne M. Sjodahl, Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, rev. ed. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1979), 350.)) If we keep this perspective in mind, we will be less surprised with the appearance of New Testament terms such as “Jesus Christ” in Joseph Smith’s revelations when the title “the Son of Man” would be more in line with ancient Enoch texts. ((Although the primary referent for the term Son of Man in LDS teachings and revelation is Jesus Christ, we will discuss below how it is applied more generally to others who have acquired that title in likeness of Enoch; e.g., Margaret Barker, The Older Testament: The Survival of Themes from the Ancient Royal Cult in Sectarian Judaism and Early Christianity (London: SPCK, 1987), 38–44; George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam, eds. 1 Enoch 2: A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch, Chapters 37–82 (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press), 2012, 60:10, p. 233, 71:14, p. 321, pp. 327–28 n. 13–14; James A. Waddell, A Comparative Study of the Enochic Son of Man and the Pauline Kyrios (London: Clark, 2011), 51–60.))
The LDS accounts of Enoch combine both ancient elements and the results of subsequent prophetic shaping to enhance intelligibility and relevance for our day. This should not be a foreign concept to readers of the Book of Mormon familiar with the history of how its editors wove separate, overlapping records from earlier times into the finished scriptural narrative. ((The authors and editors of the Book of Mormon knew that the account was not preserved primarily for the people of their own times but rather for later generations (e.g., 2 Nephi 25:31; Jacob 1:3; Enos 1:15–16; Jarom 1:2; Mormon 7:1, 8:34–35). More specifically, LDS Church President Ezra Taft Benson taught: “It was meant for us. Mormon wrote near the end of the Nephite civilization. Under the inspiration of God, who sees all things from the beginning, he abridged centuries of records, choosing the stories, speeches, and events that would be most helpful to us,” Ezra Taft Benson, “The Book of Mormon—Keystone of our Religion,” Ensign 16, November 1986. Of course, not all tradents of scripture worked under equal influence of the spirit of inspiration. Joseph Smith recognized that in the transmission of Bible texts over the centuries: “Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors,” Smith, Teachings, 15 October 1843, 327.)) Indeed, the Book of Mormon prophet Nephi explicitly [Page 14]admitted such prophetic shaping when he wrote: “I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning” (1 Nephi 19:23). ((Nephi left us with significant examples in which he deliberately shaped his explanation of Bible stories and teachings in order to help his readers understand how they applied to their own situations (e.g., 1 Nephi 4:2, 17:23–44).))
As evidence for this perspective, we note Philip Barlow’s conclusions that during the process of Bible translation, Joseph Smith made several types of changes. These changes ranged from “long revealed additions that have little or no biblical parallel, such as the visions of Moses and Enoch, and the passage on Melchizedek” to “common-sense” changes and interpretive additions, to “grammatical improvements, technical clarifications, and modernization of terms”—the latter the most common type of change. ((Barlow, Bible, 51–53.)) Of course, even in the case of passages that seem to be explicitly revelatory, it remained to the Prophet to exercise considerable personal effort in rendering these experiences into words (cf. D&C 9:7–9). As Kathleen Flake puts it, Joseph Smith did not see himself as “God’s stenographer. Rather, he was an interpreting reader, and God the confirming authority.” ((Kathleen Flake, “Translating time: The Nature and Function of Joseph Smith’s Narrative Canon,” Journal of Religion 87/4 (October 2007): 507–8; cf. Grant Underwood, “Revelation, Text, and Revision: Insight from the Book of Commandments and Revelations,” BYU Studies 48/3 (2009): 76–81, 83–84. With respect to the English translation of the Book of Mormon, Royal Skousen argues that the choice of words was given under “tight control,” Royal Skousen, “Joseph Smith’s Translation of the Book of Mormon: Evidence from the Original Manuscript,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 7/1 (1998): 22–31. By way of contrast, however, Skousen questions whether one should assume that every change made in the JST constitutes revealed text. Besides arguments that can be made on the basis of the modifications themselves, questions exist regarding the reliability and degree of supervision given to the scribes involved in transcribing, copying, and preparing the text for publication. Differences are also apparent in the nature of the translation process at different stages of the work. For example, while a significant proportion of the Genesis passages canonized as the Book of Moses look like “a word-for-word revealed text,” evidence from a study of two sections in the New Testament that were translated twice indicates that the later “New Testament JST is not being revealed word-for-word, but largely depends upon Joseph Smith’s varying responses to the same difficulties in the text,” Royal Skousen, “The Earliest Textual Sources for Joseph Smith’s ‘New Translation’ of the King James Bible,” FARMS Review 17/2 (2005): 456–70. For the original study, see Kent P. Jackson and Peter M. Jasinski, “The Process of Inspired Translation: Two Passages Translated Twice in the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible,” BYU Studies 42/2 (2003): 35–64.))
[Page 15]Though Joseph Smith was careful in his efforts to render a faithful translation of the Bible, he was no naïve advocate of the inerrancy or finality of scriptural language. ((Gerrit Dirkmaat gives examples of Joseph Smith’s efforts to revise and update his Doctrine and Covenants revelations as they were prepared for publication, Gerrit Dirkmaat, “Great and Marvelous are the Revelations of God.” Ensign 43, January 2013, 56–57.)) His criterion for the acceptability of a given translation was pragmatic rather than absolute. For example, after quoting a verse from Malachi in a letter to the Saints, he admitted that he “might have rendered a plainer translation.” However, he said that it was satisfactory in this case because the words were “sufficiently plain to suit [the] purpose as it stands,” (D&C 128:18). This pragmatic approach is also evident both in the scriptural passages cited to him by heavenly messengers and in his preaching and translations. In these the wording of Bible verses was often varied to suit the occasion. ((Perhaps the most striking example is found in citations of Malachi 4:5–6, a key prophecy relating to the restoration of the priesthood: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (KJV Malachi 4:5–6). Cf. Luke 1:17; 3 Nephi 25:6; D&C 27:9; 110:15; 128:17. See also Smith, Teachings, 2 July 1839, 160; 20 January 1844, 330; 10 March 1844, 337; 7 April 1844, 356. Joseph Smith—History 1:38–39: “Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. . . . And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming,” 1838; Joseph Smith, Jr., Karen Lynn Davidson, David J. Whittaker, Mark Ashurst-McGee, and Richard L. Jensen. Joseph Smith Histories, 1832–1844. The Joseph Smith Papers, Histories 1, ed. Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman, (Salt Lake City: The Church Historian’s Press, 2012), 1832–1844, History Drafts 2 and 3, pp. 224–225; Smith, Documentary History, 1:12. Smith, Teachings, 27 August 1843, 323: “Elijah shall reveal the covenants to seal the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers”; 20 January 1844, 330: “Now, the word ‘turn’ here should be translated ‘bind,’ or ‘seal’”; 10 March 1844, 337: “He should send Elijah to seal the children to the fathers, and the fathers to the children.” For a discussion of the idea of “sealing” children and fathers and the power of Elijah, see Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, Temple Themes in the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood (Salt Lake City: Eborn Publishing, 2012), 45–51.))
[Page 16]For this reason, we should not presume that the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible is currently in any sort of “final” form—if indeed such perfection in expression could ever be attained within the confines of what Joseph Smith called our “little, narrow prison, almost as it were, total darkness of paper, pen and ink; and a crooked, broken, scattered and imperfect language.” ((Smith, Documentary History, 27 November 1832, 1:299.)) As Robert J. Matthews, a pioneer of modern scholarship on the JST, aptly put it: “[A]ny part of the translation might have been further touched upon and improved by additional revelation and emendation by the Prophet.” ((Robert J. Matthews, “A Plainer Translation”: Joseph Smith’s Translation of the Bible—A History and Commentary (Provo, UT: BYU Press, 1975), 215.))
There is an additional reason we should not think of the JST as transmitted to us in its “final” form. Our study of the translations, teachings, and revelations of Joseph Smith has convinced us that he sometimes knew much more about certain sacred matters than he taught publicly. For example, in some cases, we know that the Prophet deliberately delayed the publication of early temple-related revelations connected with his work on the [Page 17]JST until several years after he initially received them. ((For example, Danel Bachman has argued convincingly that nearly all of D&C 132 was revealed to the Prophet as he worked on the first half of JST Genesis, see Danel W. Bachman, “New Light on an Old Hypothesis: The Ohio Origins of the Revelation on Eternal Marriage,” Journal of Mormon History 5 (1978): 19–32. This was more than a decade before 1843, when the revelation was shared with Joseph Smith’s close associates.)) Even after Joseph Smith was well along in the Bible translation process, he seems to have believed that God did not intend for him to publish the JST. Writing to W.W. Phelps in 1832, he said: “I would inform you that [the Bible translation] will not go from under my hand during my natural life for correction, [revision], or printing and the will of [the] Lord be done.” ((Smith, Writings, 31 July 1832, 273. This is consistent with George Q. Cannon’s statement about the Prophet’s intentions to “seal up” the work for “a later day” after he completed the main work of Bible translation on 2 February 1833: “No endeavor was made at that time to print the work. It was sealed up with the expectation that it would be brought forth at a later day with other of the scriptures. . . . [See D&C 42:56–58.] [T]he labor was its own reward, bringing in the performance a special blessing of broadened comprehension to the Prophet and a general blessing of enlightenment to the people through his subsequent teachings,” George Q. Cannon, The Life of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, 2nd ed. (Salt Lake City: The Deseret News, 1907), 129. Bradshaw has elsewhere argued the likelihood that the focus of the divine tutorial that took place during Joseph Smith’s Bible translation effort was on temple and priesthood matters—hence the restriction on general dissemination of these teachings during the Prophet’s early ministry, see Bradshaw, God’s Image 1, 3–6; Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, Temple Themes in the Book of Moses (Salt Lake City: Eborn Publishing, 2010), 13–16.)) Although in later years Joseph Smith reversed his position and apparently made serious efforts to prepare the manuscript of the JST for publication, his own statement makes it clear that initially he did not feel authorized to share publicly all that he had produced—and learned—during the translation process. Indeed, a prohibition against indiscriminate sharing of some of the most sacred revelations, which parallels similar cautions found in pseudepigrapha, ((For example, 4 Ezra records that the Lord commanded Moses to reveal openly only part of his visions on Mt. Sinai; the rest was to be kept secret. Similarly, Ezra is reported to have been told that certain books were to be read by the “worthy and unworthy” whereas others were to be given only “to the wise,” Bruce M. Metzger, “The Fourth Book of Ezra,” in The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, ed. James H. Charlesworth. 2 vols. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1983), Ezra 14:6, 45–47, pp. 553, 555. Rabbinical arguments to this effect are summarized in Abraham J. Heschel, Heavenly Torah as Refracted Through the Generations, trans. Gordon Tucker (New York: Continuum, 2007), 656–57. See also Hugh W. Nibley, Teachings of the Pearl of Great Price (Provo, UT: FARMS, 2004), 223–24. For examples of other scriptural passages that speak of restrictions on making revelations known, see 2 Corinthians 12:4; 3 Nephi 17:16–17; 28:13–16; Ether 3:21–4:7.)) is made explicit in the Book of Moses when [Page 18]it says of sacred portions of the account: “Show them not unto any except them that believe.” ((Moses 1:43. See also Moses 4:32: “See thou show them unto no man, until I command you, except to them that believe.”)) Such statements are consistent with a remembrance of a statement by Joseph Smith that he intended to go back and rework some portions of the Bible translation to add in truths he was previously “restrained . . . from giving in plainness and fulness.” ((The quoted words are from Mormon Apostle George Q. Cannon’s remembrance: “We have heard President Brigham Young state that the Prophet before his death had spoken to him about going through the translation of the scriptures again and perfecting it upon points of doctrine which the Lord had restrained him from giving in plainness and fulness at the time of which we write,” Cannon, Life of Joseph Smith, 129 n.))
Taken together, these reasons suggest that in our exploration of ancient affinities with modern revelation, we should be wary of claims that the JST or the book of Enoch in particular constitutes a restoration of the “original” text of the Bible or of any extracanonical text. With this limitation in mind, any resemblances between the JST and ancient texts become all the more significant.
We will begin our study with an examination of the prophetic commission of Enoch.
Joseph Smith’s account of Enoch’s prophetic commission begins as follows: “And it came to pass that Enoch journeyed [Page 19]in the land, among the people; and as he journeyed, the Spirit of God descended out of heaven, and abode upon him. And he heard a voice from heaven, saying: Enoch, my son, prophesy unto this people” (Moses 6:26–27).
Curiously, the closest biblical parallel to the wording of these opening verses is not to be found in the call of any Old Testament prophet but rather in John the Evangelist’s description of events following Jesus’s baptism where, like Enoch, he saw “the Spirit descending from heaven” and that it “abode on him” (i.e, Jesus; John 1:34). ((Cf. Matthew 3:16. See Richard D. Draper, S. Kent Brown, and Michael D. Rhodes. The Pearl of Great Price: A Verse-by-Verse Commentary (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2005), 92.)) Two additional parallels with Jesus’s baptism follow: first in the specific mention of a “voice from heaven” (Matthew 3:27), then in the proclamation of divine sonship by the Father (Mark 1:11). ((Cf. Mark 9:7. Compare Moses 1:4, 6. See also Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32; D&C 93:15; Margaret Barker, The Risen Lord: The Jesus of History as the Christ of Faith (Valley Forge, PA: Trinity, 1996), 46–49.)) The connection between Enoch’s divine encounter and the baptism of Jesus becomes intelligible when one regards the latter event, as do Margaret Barker and Gaetano Lettieri, as an “ascent experience” ((Barker, Risen Lord, 46–49; Margaret Barker, The Hidden Tradition of the Kingdom of God (London: SPCK, 2007), 91–94; Gaetano Lettieri, “The Ambiguity of Eden and the Enigma of Adam,” in The Earthly Paradise: The Garden of Eden from Antiquity to Modernity, ed. F. Regina Psaki and Charles Hindley (Binghamton, NY: State University of New York at Binghamton, 2002), 26–29.)) consistent with the idea of baptism as a figurative death and resurrection (Romans 6:4–6). From this perspective, Enoch’s prophetic commission may be seen as given him in the context of a heavenly ascent.
In his masterful commentary on the book of Ezekiel, Walther Zimmerli “distinguishes between two types of prophetic call in the Bible—the ‘narrative’ type, which includes a dialogue with God or other divine interlocutor; and the ‘throne [Page 20]theophany’ type, which introduces the prophetic commission with a vision of the heavenly throne of God.” ((Walther Zimmerli, Ezekiel 1: A Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel Chapters 1-24, trans. Ronald E. Clements (Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press, 1979), 97–100.)) Following Norman Habel, Stephen Ricks distinguishes six characteristic features of the narrative call pattern:
the divine confrontation
the introductory word
the objection
the sign ((Stephen D. Ricks, “The Narrative Call Pattern in the Prophetic Commission of Enoch.” BYU Studies 26/4 (1986): 97. For an interpretation of Ezekiel 1 as a heavenly ascent, see Silviu N. Bunta, “In Heaven or on Earth: A Misplaced Temple Question about Ezekiel’s Visions,” in With Letters of Light: Studies in the Dead Sea Scrolls, Early Jewish Apocalypticism, Magic, and Mysticism in Honor of Rachel Elior, ed. Daphna V. Arbel and Andrei A. Orlov (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2011).))
Drawing on Ricks’s discussion in which he shows how the six features apply in the account of the commissioning of Enoch, we will highlight selected details of this pattern. Following the “divine confrontation” (Moses 6:26), and the “introductory word” (Moses 6:27–30). Enoch’s “objection” reads as follows “And when Enoch had heard these words, he bowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying: Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant?” (Moses 6:31).
Obvious similarities with the calls of Moses and Jeremiah present themselves in this verse. Moses responds to his call as follows: “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). Later Moses objects more specifically in saying that he [Page 21]was “slow of speech, and of a slow tongue” (Exodus 4:10). Jeremiah complains by saying: “Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child”( Jeremiah 1:6). Enoch combines the objections of Moses and Jeremiah, adding that “all the people hate me” (Moses 6:31).
LDS readers have often puzzled over Enoch’s self-description as a “lad”—though he was sixty-five at the time. This is the only instance of the term lad in the teachings and revelations of Joseph Smith. The use of this term by Joseph Smith is of special interest considering the prominence of “lad” as a title for Enoch in the pseudepigraphal books of 2 Enoch and 3 Enoch. ((See Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: F. I. Andersen, “2 (Slavonic Apocalypse of) Enoch,” 2 Enoch 10:4 (shorter recension), 119; P. Alexander, “3 (Hebrew Apocalypse of) Enoch,” 3 Enoch 2:2, p. 357; 3:2, p. 257; 4:1, p. 258; and 4:10, p. 259. Charles Mopsik, ed., Le Libre hébreu d’Hénoch ou Livre des Palais: Les Dix Paroles, ed. (Lagrasse: Éditions Verdier, 1989), 48D 1, 156. For discussions of these and other ancient references to Enoch as a “lad,” see, e.g., Gary A. Anderson, “The Exaltation of Adam,” in Literature on Adam and Eve: Collected Essays, ed. Gary A. Anderson, Michael E. Stone, and Johannes Tromp (Leiden: Brill, 2000), 107–108; Mopsik, Hénoch, 188–90; Nibley, Enoch, 208–209; Andrei A. Orlov, The Enoch-Metatron Tradition (Tübingen: Mohr, 2005), 133–36. Psalm 89:19 provides an intriguing possibility of parallel with the title of lad/youth given to Enoch in vision. Citing a vision “of old” (see Lane T. Dennis, Wayne Grudem, J. I. Packer, C. John Collins, Thomas R. Schreiner, and Justin Taylor, English Standard Version (ESV) Study Bible [Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008], 89:19, p. 1050; John H. Eaton, The Psalms: A Historical and Spiritual Commentary with an Introduction and New Translation [London: Clark, 2003], 89:19, p. 317) that was given to His “holy one” (KJV), the Lord is quoted as saying that He has exalted a baḥur from among the people. Baḥur is an interesting word—it is usually translated as “chosen,” but perhaps in the context of this verse may be more accurately rendered “youth” or “young man,” see Francis Brown, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2005), 104c, d; Ludwig Koehler, Walter Baumgartner, Johann Jakob Stamm, M. E. J. Richardson, G. J. Jongeling-Vos, and L. J. de Regt, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: Brill, 1994), 1:118. Cf. Eaton’s translation: “I have set a youth [emending ‘ezer to naar] above the warrior; I have raised [exalted] a young man [baḥur] over the people,” Eaton, Psalms Commentary, 89:19, p. 317; “I have exalted a young man from among the people,” NIV Study Bible, Psalm 89:19, p. 889. One might, in fact, conjecture a play on words between baḥir in v. 3 and baḥur in v. 19. The youth who is set above the warrior (Hebrew gibbor) recalls Enoch’s victory over the gibborim in the Book of the Giants and in the Book of Moses (as well as David’s youthful triumph over the giant Goliath). Of course the motif of the exaltation of the anointed one is relevant to the stories of Enoch’s heavenly ascent in the Book of Moses and in the pseudepigrapha. For a summary of other ancient traditions relating to resentment of the exaltation of the younger rival over the older one, see Bradshaw, God’s Image 1, 225, 540–41, 582–83.)) [Page 22]Gary A. Anderson of Notre Dame writes the following about the references in 2 Enoch:
The acclamation of Enoch as “lad” ((Or the equivalent term youth in other translations.)) is curious. It certainly recalls the question that began the story: “Why are you called ‘lad’ by [those] in the heights of heaven?” It is worth noting that of all the names given Enoch, the title “lad” is singled out as being particularly apt and fitting by the heavenly host. Evidently the seventy names were of a more general order of knowledge than the specific title “lad.” . . . In any event, the reason our text supplies for this title is deceptively simple and straightforward: “And because I was the youngest among them and a ‘lad’ amongst them with respect to days, months, and years, therefore they called me ‘lad.’ ” ((Anderson, “Exaltation,” 107.))
Although Anderson reports that “[m]ost scholars have not been satisfied with the simple and somewhat naïve answer the text supplies” ((Anderson, “Exaltation,” 107.)) and have instead formulated a variety of more elaborate hypotheses for the name, Enoch’s explanation for his title of “lad” in the Joseph Smith account fits the “simple and straightforward” explanation given in 2 Enoch.
God’s “reassurance” to Enoch in light of his “objection” reads as follows: “And the Lord said unto Enoch: Go forth and do as I have commanded thee, and no man shall pierce thee. [Page 23]Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance” (Moses 6:32).
God’s promise that “no man shall pierce thee” recalls a corresponding event in a Mandaean account of Enoch’s call. Note that his description as “little Enoch,” corresponding to Enoch’s title of “lad” here appears in the context of his prophetic call while on the course of a journey, ((“When I saw myself thus surrounded by enemies, I did flee. . . . And after that, with my eyes on the road, I looked to see . . . if the angel of Life would come to my aid. . . . Suddenly I saw the gates of heaven open,” Jacques P. Migne, “Livre d’Adam,” in Dictionnaire des Apocryphes (Paris: Migne, 1856), 21, p. 167.)) just as it does in Joseph Smith’s Enoch account: “Little Enoch, fear not. You dread the dangers of this world; I am come to you to deliver you from them. Fear not the wicked, and be not afraid that the floods will rise up on your head; for their efforts will be vain: it shall not be given them to do any harm to thee.” ((Migne, “Livre d’Adam,” 21, p. 167. See also Nibley, Enoch, 210.)) Later in the same Mandaean account Enoch’s cosmic enemies confirm the fulfillment of the divine promise of protection for Enoch when they admit their utter failure to thwart the prophet and his fellows: “In vain have we attempted murder and fire against them; nothing has been able to overcome them. And now [i.e., after he and his people have ascended to heaven] they are sheltered from our blows.” ((Migne, “Livre d’Adam,” 21, p. 170.))
When Enoch is told: “Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled,” the obvious parallel is with Moses, who was also told that the Lord would “be with” his mouth and teach him what to say (Exodus 4:12). However, an equally good parallel is found again in the Enoch literature. In 2 Enoch 39:5, Enoch avers: “it is not from my own lips that I am reporting to you today, but from the lips of the Lord I have been sent to you. For you hear my words, out of my lips, a human being created exactly equal to yourselves; but I have heard from the fiery lips of the Lord.” ((Andersen, “2 Enoch, 39:5 (longer recension),” 162.))
[Page 24]Joseph Smith’s Enoch will manifest God’s power not only through his words but also through his actions: “The mountains shall flee before you, and the rivers shall turn from their course” (Moses 6:34). Later in the Book of Moses we read the fulfillment of this promise: “So great was the faith of Enoch that . . . the rivers of water were turned out of their course”(Moses 7:13). Compare the striking similarity of Enoch’s experience in the Book of Moses to the Mandaean account: “The [Supreme] Life replied, Arise, take thy way to the source of the waters, turn it from its course. . . At this command Tavril [the angel speaking to Enoch] indeed turned the pure water from its course.” ((Migne, “Livre d’Adam,” 21, 169. See also Nibley, Enoch, 210.))
We find no account of a river’s course turned by anyone anywhere in the Bible; the only two places it appears are in this pseudepigraphal account and in its counterpart in Joseph Smith’s revelations—in both instances within the story of Enoch.
Next, Enoch’s eyes are washed and “opened”: “And the Lord spake unto Enoch, and said unto him: Anoint thine eyes with clay, and wash them, and thou shalt see [Cf. John 9:6–7]. And he did so. And he beheld the spirits that God had created; and he beheld also things which were not visible to the natural eye; and from thenceforth came the saying abroad in the land: A seer hath the Lord raised up unto his people” (Moses 6:35–36).
As a sign of their prophetic calling, the lips of Isaiah (see Isaiah 6:5–7) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:9) were touched to prepare them for their roles as divine spokesmen. However, in the case of both Joseph Smith’s revelations and the pseudepigrapha Enoch’s eyes “were opened by God” ((George W. E. Nickelsburg, 1 Enoch 1: A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch, Chapters 1-36 (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2001), 1:2, p. 137.)) to enable “the vision of the Holy One and of heaven.” ((Nickelsburg, 1 Enoch 1, p. 137.)) The words of a divinely given [Page 25]song recorded in Joseph Smith’s Revelation Book 2 ((Manuscript Revelation Books, Facsimile Edition. The Joseph Smith Papers, Revelations and Translations, ed. Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City, UT: The Church Historian’s Press, 2009), Revelation Book 2, 48 [verso], 27 February 1833, pp. 508–509; spelling and punctuation modernized. Cf. Abraham 3:11–12. The preface to the entry in the revelation book says that it was “sung by the gift of tongues and translated.” An expanded and versified version of this song that omits the weeping of Enoch was published in Evening and Morning Star, 1:12, May 1833. Frederick G. Williams argued that both the original and versified version of this song should be attributed to his ancestor of the same name, see Frederick G. Williams, “Singing the Word of God: Five Hymns by President Frederick G. Williams.” BYU Studies 48/1 (2009): 57–88. On the other hand, the editors of the relevant volume of the Joseph Smith Papers note: “An undated broadside of the hymn states that it was ‘sung in tongues’ by David W. Patten and ‘interpreted’ by Sidney Rigdon [“Mysteries of God.” Church History Library]. This item was never canonized,” Manuscript Revelation Books, p. 377 n. 65.)) are in remarkable agreement with 1 Enoch: “[God] touched [Enoch’s] eyes and he saw heaven.” ((Manuscript Revelation Books, Revelation Book 2, 48 [verso], 27 February 1833, pp. 508–509, spelling and punctuation modernized.)) This divine action would have had special meaning to Joseph Smith, who alluded elsewhere to instances in which God touched his own eyes before he received a heavenly vision. ((Joseph Smith’s eyes were apparently touched at the beginning of the First Vision, and perhaps also prior to receiving D&C 76. Regarding D&C 76, see D&C 76:19–20 and J. Smith, Jr. (or W. W. Phelps), A Vision, 1 February 1843, stanzas 15–16, p. 82, reprinted in Larry E. Dahl, “The Vision of the Glories,” in The Doctrine and Covenants, ed. Robert L. Millet and Kent P. Jackson (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1989), 297. Thanks to Bryce Haymond for pointing out the latter reference. With respect to the First Vision, Charles Lowell Walker recorded the following: “Br. John Alger said while speaking of the Prophet Joseph, that when he, John, was a small boy he heard the Prophet Joseph relate his vision of seeing the Father and the Son. [He said t]hat God touched his eyes with his finger and said ‘Joseph, this is my beloved Son hear him.’ As soon as the Lord had touched his eyes with his finger, he immediately saw the Savior .… [Br. Alger said] that Joseph while speaking of it put his finger to his right eye, suiting the action with the words so as to illustrate and at the same time impress the occurrence on the minds of those unto whom he was speaking,” Charles L. Walker, Diary of Charles Lowell Walker, 2 vols, ed. A. Karl Larson and Katharine Miles Larson (Logan, UT: Utah State University Press, 1980), 2 February 1893, 2:755–756; punctuation and capitalization modernized.))
[Page 26]The description of the anointing of the eyes with clay in the Book of Moses recalls the healing by Jesus of the man born blind (John 9:6–7). ((See Draper et al., Pearl of Great Price, 95.)) Craig Keener observes that “by making clay of the spittle and applying it to eyes blind from birth, Jesus may be recalling the creative act of Genesis 2:7” ((Craig S. Keener, The Gospel of John: A Commentary. 2 vols. (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003), 1:780.)) (cf. John 20:22), a fitting analog to the spiritual rebirth of Enoch in Joseph Smith’s revelation.
Having examined ancient affinities in the prophetic commission of Enoch, we will turn our attention in part 2 of this article to the events of his subsequent teaching mission and to the exaltation of Enoch and his people.
(An expanded and revised version of material contained in this article will appear as part of Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, et al., Enoch, Noah, and the Tower of Babel. In God’s Image and Likeness 2 (forthcoming). Translations of non-English sources are by the first author unless otherwise noted.)
Posted in Article and tagged Enoch on March 1, 2013 . Bookmark the permalink.
About Jeffrey M. Bradshaw
Jeffrey M. Bradshaw (PhD, Cognitive Science, University of Washington) is a Senior Research Scientist at the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) in Pensacola, Florida (www.ihmc.us/groups/jbradshaw; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_M._Bradshaw). His professional writings have explored a wide range of topics in human and machine intelligence (www.jeffreymbradshaw.net). Jeff has been the recipient of several awards and patents and has been an adviser for initiatives in science, defense, space, industry, and academia worldwide. Jeff has written detailed commentaries on the Book of Moses and Genesis 1–11 and on temple themes in the scriptures. For Church-related publications, see www.TempleThemes.net. Jeff was a missionary in France and Belgium from 1975–1977, and his family has returned twice to live in France. He has served twice as a bishop and twice as a counselor in the stake presidency of the Pensacola Florida Stake. Jeff is currently a temple worker at the Meridian Idaho Temple and has been assigned to work on the history of the Church in Africa as a service missionary for the Church History Department. Jeff and his wife, Kathleen, are the parents of four children and fourteen grandchildren. From July 2016-September 2019, Jeff and Kathleen served missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo Kinshasa Mission office and the DR Congo Kinshasa Temple. They currently live in Nampa, Idaho.
View all papers by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw →
About David J. Larsen
David J. Larsen received his PhD from the University of St Andrews in Scotland with the dissertation, “The Royal Psalms in the Dead Sea Scrolls.” He also holds an MA degree in Biblical Theology from Marquette University and a BA in Near East Studies from Brigham Young University. His research interests include Jewish and Christian apocalyptic and mysticism, pseudepigrapha and apocryphal literature, royal/messianic themes in the Bible and in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and “ascent to heaven” traditions. He is the author of the blog heavenlyascents.com, where he explores topics in early Jewish and Christian mysticism, LDS theology, and other topics in religious studies. He currently lives in Charles Town, West Virginia, with his wife, Marluce, and their five children
View all papers by David J. Larsen →
Go here to see the 11 thoughts on “Ancient Affinities within the LDS Book of Enoch Part One”.
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Joyce Hollyday
‘Don’t Be a Bystander’: A Tribute to Hedy Epstein
Posted on August 9, 2016 by joycehollyday
Last Sunday at the memorial service for Hedy Epstein, an old cardboard suitcase lay open on a table in her favorite park in the heart of St. Louis. Inside it, arrayed on her mother’s bright white monogrammed tablecloth, were a few pieces of silverware, the tea set she played with as a little girl, her mother’s elegant beaded purse, her school records and baby pictures. These were the cherished items that Hedy carried out of Germany in May 1939 when she was 14.
The Nazi official who oversaw her packing and wired her suitcase shut forbade her from bringing the stamp collection she couldn’t bear to leave behind. Late that night, huddled under the covers of her bed with a flashlight, Hedy took every stamp out of her albums, snuck upstairs, and slipped them one by one through a sliver of an opening into the suitcase.
It was an act of bravery, given what she had witnessed of Nazi power. Her math teacher, one of Adolf Hitler’s paramilitary SS men, had pointed his revolver at her when he asked her questions in class, and stormtroopers had ransacked her home, breaking windows, furniture, and dishes. She had seen Jewish men whipped and marched through the streets, including her father Hugo, who returned from a four-week ordeal in Dachau with his head shaved and his body so swollen from beatings that her mother Ella had to cut his filthy clothes off of him with scissors.
Hedy was one of thousands of German Jewish children sent off to England in the massive humanitarian effort known as Kindertransport. Sad, angry, and confused, teenage Hedy lashed out at her parents in her last moments with them, accusing them of not loving her and wanting to get rid of her. Minutes later she watched through the train window as they ran alongside her for the entire length of the platform with tears streaming down their faces. She immediately wrote them a letter of apology, which she handed to a stranger to mail at the first train stop.
In England young Hedy visited agencies and contacted relatives, desperately trying to get her parents out of Germany. When she learned that they were in a French concentration camp and she could send them money, she sold her stamp collection—but didn’t reveal to them the source of the funds. The last letter she received from them, written by her mother in September 1941, encouraged her to “be good, and honest, and courageous—and to hold your head high and never give up hope.”
Four years later, in July 1945, Hedy returned to Germany to work with refugees and then as a researcher for the Nuremberg trials of Nazis for crimes against humanity. Not until 1956 did she receive a letter informing her that her parents, along with several aunts and uncles, had been murdered in Auschwitz. For six decades, until the end of her life on May 26, 2016, every Friday night that Hedy was home for the start of Shabbat, she lit two candles in honor of Hugo and Ella.
At her memorial service, on a table near the family mementos, was a form on American Red Cross stationery. It revealed that as late as 1996, Hedy was still trying to get information about exactly what had happened to her parents. That same year, this then-71-year-old woman who had been forced to do factory work in England at the age of 16 received an honorary high school diploma from St. Joseph’s Academy in St. Louis, the city that had been her home since 1969. Her green jacket emblazoned with the school seal sat proudly next to the Red Cross Tracking Inquiry.
I don’t know why Hedy Epstein didn’t spend her life in bitterness and despair wrapped in hatred. Instead, she committed herself to human rights and social justice, motivated by her determination that no one should ever have to suffer what she suffered. That included Palestinians—a conviction that earned her much criticism. In July 2011, she was part of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, on board a boat attempting to break the Israeli blockade and carry humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Three days after her 90th birthday, in August 2014, she was arrested closer to home, at a Black Lives Matter protest over the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
Hedy understood how unimaginably horrific things can turn when hate speech becomes part of common conversation and political policy. “Don’t be a bystander” was her constant refrain. “Nobody can do everything,” she reflected (though I believe she tried). “But if each and every one of us does his or her share, then maybe someday we’ll have peace in this world. I’d like to live that long.”
Hedy didn’t live quite long enough to see that peace. My partner, Bill, who organized and protested alongside her for 32 years, was like a son to her. In her final days, she rallied through weakness and pain for his visit to St. Louis. In his last moments with her, Hedy stretched out on her couch. Bill sat on the floor next to her and began serenading her with “Brahams’ Lullaby.” She smiled and whispered, “Wait…I know it in German. My mother used to sing it to me.” And then she sang along in her still-remembered native tongue.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Hedy Epstein, Holocaust survivors, Kindertransport, Nazi resistance, Palestinian solidarity, St. Louis by joycehollyday. Bookmark the permalink.
6 thoughts on “‘Don’t Be a Bystander’: A Tribute to Hedy Epstein”
Nancy Sehestd on August 10, 2016 at 2:22 pm said:
What a truly remarkable woman! She is an inspiration to us still. Thank you for giving us a poetic portrait of her life. The image of her parents running alongside the train as it pulled away is heart-wrenching. How Hedy found a way to stay human and humane is a miracle. That she gave herself so valiantly to creating a better world is a legacy of courage that calls us forth.
Jo Hauser on August 10, 2016 at 6:37 pm said:
Hedy’s story and the amazing gift she was for Bill all those years, both wonderfully inspiring to read. Thanks again for telling this story so completely, sensitively, and prosaically perfect.
Kathy on August 11, 2016 at 9:40 pm said:
What a beautiful tribute and story of healing and hope. Thank you, Joyce. And thank you, Heddy.
Filar, Kay on August 15, 2016 at 7:29 pm said:
Just now getting around to reading your latest blog installment—a lovely tribute to an amazing woman! Thanks so much for sharing. Love, Kay
Kay Hollyday Filar
Chemistry Department Assistant
Box 7120 (mailing) / 209 Ridge Road (shipping) / Wall 254 (physical)
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sstyves on August 16, 2016 at 5:12 am said:
What a spectacular glimpse at a remarkable woman! Thank you so much for sharing this, Joyce. Peace to you and Bill.
Debra Link on September 10, 2016 at 8:00 pm said:
Very thankful that Hedy graced this land and that she accomplished so much in her lifetime. Glad Bill could visit with her before she died and you could attend her memorial service.
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Impact of Screen Time and Social Media
Emily Paladino, Editor|December 21, 2020
According to The Washington Post, the average adult spends about three hours and thirty minutes on his/her cell phone each day, and with the increased amount of down-time during months of quarantine, screen time is only going up. The impact of this excessive screen time and social media usage has become even more prominent and these platforms, such as Instagram, Snapchat, Tik Tok, Twitter, and Facebook have changed the way information is shared and the way people communicate.
It has become increasingly easy to get lost in the endless feed of photos, videos, and comments, and the terrifying threat of social media addiction has become a reality for many. But why is it so addictive? A study conducted by Harvard University showed that when a person gets a notification on his phone, a dopamine response is triggered that can be compared to that of a drug. Neuroscientists have also concluded that receiving a “like” on a post is like getting a shot of dopamine directly into the body.
Social media is an inaccurate representation of a person’s real life. Junior Michael O’Connor agrees that social media sets impossible standards; he stated, “I see many pictures of celebrities who have clearly edited their photos to make themselves look more appealing.” When a person posts on his account, he is only presenting the best, most-posted version of himself. This oftentimes includes filters, retouching, and a million takes to get the perfect photo.
Junior Lexi Capitali said, “I use social media for the purpose of reading news, seeing what friends are up to, and keeping up with celebrity current events.” It is rare that “influencers” on these popular Internet platforms would post content that shows their flaws. The overwhelmingly falsified world created by social media set unrealistic expectations for other users. Project Know, a nonprofit organization with the goal to aid people coping with addiction, researched how social media can glorify eating disorders. With a constant stream of thin, and seemingly “perfect” bodies, it is easy for people, typically teenage girls, to get swept up in the idea of an unobtainable body. About 25% of young people said that celebrities on social media caused them to think negatively about their bodies, according to the United Kingdom Mental Health Foundation.
Social media usually becomes addictive when it is not monitored by the parents of young children, or if it is introduced at a young age. Junior Ronan Mansfield said, “I did not have social media accounts until my junior year of high school. I am not an avid user of social media because I personally do not find it interesting to use.” Mansfield also said that he primarily uses his phone to keep up with his friends over text messaging or phone calls, rather than through other apps.
Although some individuals abuse social media, others use it to connect with their friends and family. Having private accounts where only close family members and friends are followed is an effective way to connect over long distances. Applications like Zoom and other video chatting programs have grown in popularity with the Covid-19 pandemic because they enable people to socialize without leaving their homes.
While social media platforms have proved beneficial for those communicating from a distance, its increased use can have severe negative effects. Poor body image, anxiety, depression, and even poor eyesight can result from overuse. Everyone who uses social media should be aware of these risks, while still taking advantage of its benefits.
Emily Paladino, Editor
I am the opinions editor for Horizon. I am a member of the Class of 2022. I swim, play the saxophone and piano, and I love to write!
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Live PD Trooper James Casey Reveals Heartbreaking Impact Shooting Had on His Life
Alberto LuperonDec 19th, 2019, 6:16 pm
Jurors in the trial of defendant Ramon Bueno determined that they agreed with the aggravating factors presented by the prosecution. The state called on now-retired Arizona State Trooper James Casey to support its argument, and Casey testified that the horrific incident ended his lifelong dream of being a police officer.
#LivePDTrooper – Jury came back and unanimously agreed to the aggravating factors. The actual sentence is now in the judge’s hand. Status conference set for Jan. 9th. pic.twitter.com/XBTv8HVhxt
— Law & Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) December 19, 2019
Jurors convicted Bueno of most charges on Thursday, except for the most serious one. They were deadlocked on the matter of attempted murder in the first-degree. The jury returned guilty verdicts for charges of drive-by shooting, threatening/intimidation, and aggravated assault.
Prosecutors said Casey pulled over a vehicle in a traffic stop. Someone shot him when he was trying to determine the identity of the men in the backseat, he said in testimony. Authorities say that someone was Bueno, the passenger sitting in the backseat behind the driver.
Despite being shot in the head, Casey managed to return to law enforcement work. He later appeared on the A&E show Live PD. (Law&Crime founder Dan Abrams is a host on Live PD. A&E partially owns Law&Crime.)
Casey, who retired in 2018, said he had to finally leave law enforcement work due to the incident. During the aggravation phase on Thursday, Casey detailed the effects of the shooting on his life, and said it took a toll on his family.
“I’ve suffered PTSD,” he said. “When I first got out of the hospital, I would go weeks sleeping for an hour or two–I just could not sleep.”
As he previously mentioned in testimony, he said he could not have an MRI because of bullet fragments remaining in his head. His challenges included difficulty breathing, scars on his face, and prosthetic teeth. He has to be careful with eating sharper foods, like chips, because of the possibility these might puncture a hole–a fistula–in his mouth. He also can’t even chew gum anymore, he said.
“I think the biggest thing for me was, anybody who has known me growing up, I always wanted to be police from the time I was little. And this is not the way I wanted to end my career. I didn’t want to end it at his hands, especially” he said, pointing at Bueno. “I’m glad this is done with.”
[Screengrab via Law&Crime Network]
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U.S. Seeks to Recover Approximately $96 Million Traceable to Funds Allegedly Misappropriated from Malaysian Sovereign Wealth Fund
By William Byrnes
The Justice Department announced the filing of civil forfeiture complaints seeking the forfeiture and recovery of approximately $96 million in assets allegedly associated with an international conspiracy to launder funds misappropriated from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund. Combined with earlier civil forfeiture complaints filed beginning in July 2016, the United States has sought the forfeiture of more than $1.8 billion in assets traceable to funds embezzled from 1MDB. To date, as a result of these actions, the United States has recovered or assisted Malaysia in recovering nearly $1.1 billion in assets associated with the 1MDB international money laundering and bribery scheme. This case represents the largest action brought under the department’s Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative as well as the largest civil forfeiture action in the Justice Department’s history.
The complaints filed today in the Central District of California identify additional assets traceable to the 2012 and 2013 bond offerings. These assets include luxury real estate in Paris, artwork by Claude Monet and Andy Warhol, and accounts maintained at financial institutions in Luxembourg and Switzerland.
According to the complaints, from 2009 through 2015, more than $4.5 billion in funds belonging to 1MDB were allegedly misappropriated by high-level officials of 1MDB and their associates. 1MDB was created by the government of Malaysia to promote economic development in Malaysia through global partnerships and foreign direct investment, and its funds were intended to be used for improving the well-being of the Malaysian people.
“The complaint filed today seeks to forfeit a range of luxury items — including real estate in Paris, artwork by Monet, Warhol, and Basquiat, and international bank accounts — all of which were allegedly acquired with funds stolen from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s action is just the latest demonstration of the Criminal Division’s longstanding commitment to tracing, seizing, and forfeiting assets acquired through grand corruption and, wherever possible, returning those assets to the people from whom they were stolen.”
“The FBI will relentlessly pursue international corruption investigations,” said FBI Assistant Director Calvin Shivers of the Criminal Investigative Division. “As efforts in this case have shown, our dedicated investigators will pursue corruption, uncover proceeds of illicit activity, and return ill-gotten gains to the rightful owners. In this case, to the people of Malaysia.”
“These seemingly endless civil forfeiture complaints associated with the 1MDB scandal are representative of the seemingly endless schemes used to hide and launder money as part of the sophisticated efforts to steal from the Malaysian people,” said Don Fort, Chief, IRS Criminal Investigation. “This latest civil forfeiture complaint would return an extraordinary sum of money to the people of Malaysia where it belongs and where it can finally be used for its original intended purpose - to improve the lives of everyday Malaysians.”
As alleged in the complaints, the members of the conspiracy – which included officials at 1MDB, their relatives and other associates – diverted more than $4.5 billion in 1MDB funds. Using fraudulent documents and representations, the co-conspirators allegedly laundered the funds through a series of complex transactions and shell companies with bank accounts located in the United States and abroad. These transactions allegedly served to conceal the origin, source and ownership of the funds, and ultimately passed through U.S. financial institutions to then be used to acquire and invest in assets located in the United States and overseas.
As alleged in the earlier complaints, in 2009, 1MDB officials and their associates embezzled approximately $1 billion that was supposed to be invested to exploit energy concessions purportedly owned by a foreign partner. Instead, the funds were allegedly transferred through shell companies and were used to acquire a number of assets, as set forth in the complaints. The complaints also allege that the co-conspirators misappropriated close to $1.4 billion in funds raised through bond offerings in 2012, and more than $1.2 billion following another bond offering in 2013. The complaints also allege that in 2014, the co-conspirators misappropriated approximately $850 million in 1MDB funds under the guise of repurchasing certain options that had been given in connection with a guarantee of the 2012 bonds.
The FBI’s International Corruption Squads in New York City and Los Angeles and the IRS-CI are investigating the case. Deputy Chief Woo S. Lee and Trial Attorneys Barbara Levy and Joshua L. Sohn of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Kucera and Michael Sew-Hoy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California provided substantial assistance. The trial team also expresses its gratitude and appreciation to the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs for their continued assistance in this matter.
The department also expresses its deep appreciation for the significant assistance provided by the Office of the Attorney General and the Federal Office of Justice of Switzerland, the judicial investigating authority of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Criminal Investigation Department of the Grand-Ducal Police of Luxembourg, the Attorney General’s Chambers of Singapore, the Singapore Police Force-Commercial Affairs Division, and the Attorney General’s Chambers of Malaysia, the Royal Malaysian Police, and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/intfinlaw/2020/07/us-seeks-to-recover-approximately-96-million-traceable-to-funds-allegedly-misappropriated-from-malaysian-sovereign-wealth.html
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Free ConsultationDUI & DWI, Bankruptcy, Criminal Defense and Traffic Tickets
I'm attorney Elton Jenkins. Since 1999, I have practiced criminal law in Oklahoma. Growing up on the southwest side of Oklahoma City, I saw people close to me face criminal charges. I quickly learned why people accused of a crime need a lawyer on their side.
Throughout my career, I have kept those experiences in mind. While I go to trial more often than many lawyers, I also know that sometimes a reasonable solution involves negotiation. By preparing carefully and presenting my client's case, I am often able to achieve alternative resolutions such as treatment and rehabilitation instead of jail time.
I...
Shawnee, OK DUI & DWI Lawyer with 22 years of experience
Free ConsultationDUI & DWI, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury and Traffic Tickets
Jeremy Zackary Carter
Newcastle, OK DUI & DWI Attorney
(405) 392-3300 4717 SW 179th
Newcastle, OK 73065
Free ConsultationDUI & DWI, Insurance Claims, Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury
Jeremy Z. Carter. Born in Shawnee, Oklahoma and raised in Seminole, he is a lifelong Oklahoman whose success has been the result of grace and very hard work. He attended Seminole State College, Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma College of Law. After becoming an attorney, he was trained by the best in the business at a couple of very reputable and successful law firms. He represented insurance companies and multi-national corporations in complex litigation. But after starting a family, he decided it was time to start serving those people close to him and on his own terms. ...
James Wesley Todd
(405) 231-2112 217 N. Harvey Avenue, Suite 507
Free ConsultationDUI & DWI, Appeals and Criminal Defense
Providing clients with dedicated defense of DUI, DWI, APC, Drug charges and general criminal defense.
Robert L. Wyatt IV
(405) 234-5500 501 N. Walker Ave., Ste. 110
DUI & DWI, Criminal Defense and White Collar Crime
WHEN CHARGED WITH A SERIOUS CRIME (drugs, white collar, sex, or violence), you need someone with experience, who will listen, who will tell your story. You need someone who is not afraid to go to trial, someone who takes your case personally, and treats you individually. We may have tried dozens of similar cases, but every case is different. We focus on finding unique defenses and solutions to your problems. We are hired to get results, and that is our intention. Our reputations are built on integrity, trust, and just plain hard work.
WE DEFEND CRIMINAL CHARGES in all...
Scott A McArdle
Edmond, OK DUI & DWI Attorney with 29 years of experience
(405) 340-1150 3500 S. Boulevard
Suite 18C
Helping Oklahomans for 25 years. Put a fighter in your corner! I deliver results.
Clint James
Oklahoma City, OK DUI & DWI Lawyer with 8 years of experience
(405) 234-5500 501 N. Walker Ave.
Free ConsultationDUI & DWI
Clint James is part of the Wyatt Law Office. He started his career in Tulsa with a criminal defense and civil rights law firm and later became a partner in a full-service law firm in Tulsa. While in law school at the Tulsa University, he worked as a legal intern/law clerk for a number of prominent lawyers including Tom Seymour (Tulsa), Stephen Jones (Jones, Otjen & Davis in Enid), The Zurawik Firm (Tulsa) and Bob Wyatt (Oklahoma City). He also worked as a runner and staffer while in high school and college for the Law Office Szlichta & Ramsey...
Mr. Adam R. Banner
(405) 778-4800 1900 NW Expressway
Free ConsultationDUI & DWI, Appeals, Criminal Defense and White Collar Crime
Adam is an experienced Oklahoma criminal defense attorney. He is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the Oklahoma County Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Oklahoma Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. He is licensed to practice in the Supreme Court of Oklahoma and all inferior Oklahoma State courts, the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, the United States Court of Appeals...
Scott D Harris
Oklahoma City, OK DUI & DWI Lawyer with 11 years of experience
(405) 301-8504 1715 N. Broadway Avenue
Free ConsultationDUI & DWI, Bankruptcy, Criminal Defense and Personal Injury
Matt Stacy
Oklahoma City, OK DUI & DWI Lawyer
(405) 735-3800 9905 S. Penn Ave
Matt is a hardworking attorney that will treat you with dignity and respect while working to complete your case. He is experienced in many areas and can provide you advice or most issues. Matt has developed a large network of experts and can handle your case with efficiency and timeliness. Free consultations!
Julia Mills Mettry
Norman, OK DUI & DWI Lawyer with 9 years of experience
DUI & DWI, Criminal Defense, Family and Traffic Tickets
Julia Mills Mettry is an experienced trial lawyer in all areas involving families. From aggressively representing prospective adoptive parents in finalizing a contested adoption to helping family members obtain guardianship over their elderly loved ones, Julia brings a broad and expansive perspective to Allen & Mills. Julia has also placed her primary focus on representation of clients in all aspects of divorce, custody, paternity, and child support cases as well as providing them with estate planning and probate practice. Julia takes the defense of the rights of children seriously and puts their best interests in the forefront which...
Kellie S. Howell
Del City, OK DUI & DWI Attorney with 8 years of experience
(405) 455-1032 Arvest Bank Tower, Suite 500
4600 SE 29th St.
Del City, OK 73115
Free ConsultationDUI & DWI, Criminal Defense, Divorce and Family
Kellie Howell practices in all areas of family law and criminal defense. Ms. Howell was selected to the 2018, 2019, and 2020 Super Lawyers Oklahoma Rising Stars list. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected to receive this honor.
Prior to joining Sansone Howell, Ms. Howell was the founding attorney at Howell Law Office, PLLC. In addition, Kellie has previously worked with the Hunsucker DUI Defense Firm, Oklahoma Juvenile Justice Center, and Oklahoma City University School of Law. Kellie is admitted to practice in all Oklahoma state courts and the United...
Patrick T Crawley
(405) 455-1411 14205 Broadway Extension Hwy, Office located inside Kalidy Kia bldg. 2nd floor
University of Oklahoma, Oxford University, Queens College; United Kingdom and University of Central Oklahoma
Retired Career State Prosecutor: Formerly worked for Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, Oklahoma County Assistant District Attorney and long time Assistant Attorney General: Now specializing in select criminal defense cases; drugs; robbery; burglary; sex offenses; all other felony and misdemeanor offenses. Free referral to the best attorneys for all other legal needs including traffic accidents with serious or catastrophic injury
Sammy Duncan
(918) 640-4332 1400 NW 16th St
Free ConsultationDUI & DWI, Criminal Defense, Domestic Violence and Juvenile
Sammy Duncan’s practice focuses on all things criminal law. Sammy most enjoys being in trial, presenting her case in front of a jury. She takes great joy in meeting new clients and getting to know their stories. Sammy worked for over two years at the Oklahoma County Public Defender’s Office, handling every type of case, including trials for Murder in the First Degree, Drug Trafficking, Armed Robbery, and Human Trafficking.
She knows that every case is different and treats each client with the individual attention they deserve. Sammy received her law degree from the University of Oklahoma School of Law and...
Samuel Talley
(405) 364-8300 219 E Main Street
Temple University Beasley School of Law and University of Oklahoma College of Law
I have built my career and reputation from my father’s example – we were made to serve others, to never ever quit trying to succeed and most importantly we will never give in to our fear in trying to accomplish these things. We have fear – but we are programmed not to give into it…ever. With this core belief system, my family and now our firm has had the privilege and honor of helping thousands of Oklahomans find good legal results and also, we hope they found the best of themselves in their journeys in the Oklahoma legal system with...
J. P. Hill
J.P. is an experienced trial lawyer who has represented clients in federal, state, and municipal courts throughout Oklahoma. He honed his skills trying and negotiating cases as a public defender and has worked alongside some of the best criminal defense lawyers in the state. Last year alone, he received four acquittals, including one for first-degree murder. The only thing that overshadows J.P.’s passion for the law is his desire to help those who are in need.
After moving to Oklahoma to study theology at Southern Nazarene University, he quickly realized that his calling was to stand up for others and help...
Collin A. Duel
Guthrie, OK DUI & DWI Attorney
(405) 466-7529 213 E. Oklahoma Ave.
Guthrie, OK 73044
DUI & DWI, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury and Products Liability
Collin Duel is a practicing attorney throughout the state of Oklahoma. He lives in Guthrie, Oklahoma where he was born and raised. Collin served his country as a U.S. Army Ranger for four years before attending Law School at the University of Oklahoma College of Law. He uses the leadership skills and experience gained during his military service to continue to serve his local community and the state of Oklahoma.
Collin has handled a wide variety of cases ranging from car accidents to medical malpractice; from misdemeanor to significant felony charges. He is able to handle these cases by giving individualized...
Nick W. Porter
(405) 858-8899 630 N.E. 63rd St.
Free ConsultationDUI & DWI, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury and Products Liability
Nick is an attorney at White & Weddle, P.C. in Oklahoma City and is honored to bring his talents to a respected and highly experienced civil litigation firm.
Nick has the experience necessary to be a zealous advocate for his clients and is passionate about continuously sharpening his skills as a lawyer. He loves solving problems and enjoys helping his clients achieve their desired outcomes in any situation they may face.
Before hiring a lawyer, you should be comfortable with the person and satisfied that he or she has the skills and determination to get the job done. Nick is...
Ryan E. Gillett
(405) 607-4800 430 NW 5th St
Michael A. Risley
(405) 265-9273 3700 Classen Blvd, suite 150
Free ConsultationDUI & DWI, Criminal Defense, Divorce and Domestic Violence
Michael Risley received his B.A. from the University of Oklahoma in 2005, where he was a Member of the Dean of Arts and Sciences Student Advisory Board and a strong extracurricular supporter of the Anthropology Department. In 2008, at the University of Tulsa College of Law, Mr. Risley was awarded the American Bar Association's Curtin Fellowship for his work in alternative sentencing for homeless defendants. Unable to refuse the call of home, Mr. Risley returned to O.U. in 2009, and received his J.D in 2010. Mr. Risley was born in Singapore to his Norwegian mother and American father, and split his...
Douglas J. Smith
(405) 360-2660 104 E. Eufaula St.
Free ConsultationDUI & DWI, Criminal Defense, Domestic Violence and Personal Injury
Douglas J. Smith is an experienced and affordable Norman Oklahoma Lawyer focusing on Auto Accidents, Criminal Defense, DUI/ DWI, Expungements, and Family Law for the Cleveland County District in Norman, McClain County District in Purcell and Oklahoma County District in Oklahoma City, located in the central part of Oklahoma.
The Smith Law Office building is conveniently located across the street, southwest of the Cleveland County Courthouse in the downtown Norman, Oklahoma area. Mr. Smith is an experienced, local Attorney who has represented thousands of individuals in central Oklahoma over the past thirty (30) years in the cities of Moore,...
Mack Kelly Martin
(405) 236-8888 125 Park Avenue
Free ConsultationDUI & DWI, Criminal Defense, Securities and White Collar Crime
Mack K. Martin's entire career has specialized in criminal defense. He's represented clients and tried cases throughout the State of Oklahoma. Mr. Martin has likewise represented clients throughout the United States, including: California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Texas and Washington, D. C. in State and Federal Courts.
His recognitions and awards include: (1) Oklahoma Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Association Lord Erskine Lifetime Achievement Award in Criminal Defense, 2000; (2) Outstanding Law Review Alumni Award, Oklahoma City University School of Law,...
Debbie L Smith
(405) 845-5067 15712 N. Pennsylvania Avenue
Free ConsultationDUI & DWI, Criminal Defense and Juvenile
Any criminal charges in Oklahoma - whether for felony or misdemeanor offenses - can be very harsh. With her wide range of legal knowledge and ability, Debbie L. Smith can provide you with an efficient and effective defense when you are in need. Your case could greatly benefit from the help and experience of a defense attorney who will work tirelessly on your behalf in order to help enhance your chances of a positive outcome in your case. Debbie Smith's experience as the Noble County Assistant District Attorney gave her great insight to become an effective criminal defense attorney. Ms....
Laura Sams Neal
(405) 429-3023 1332 SW 89th Street
Free ConsultationDUI & DWI, Civil Rights, Criminal Defense and Personal Injury
Brian Maurice Dell
(405) 235-1115 501 NW 13th St
DUI & DWI, Civil Rights, Criminal Defense and Personal Injury
Emphasis on civil rights, criminal defense and consumer rights. Admitted to practice in Oklahoma (1977) and Texas (2004). Have had about 100 jury trials
Hayley Victoria Potts
(405) 236-2221 500 N. Walker, Ste B
Oklahoma City University and Manchester Metropolitan University, School of Law
Hayley Potts was born in Yeovil, a small town in southwest England. Before moving to the United States, Hayley graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University Law School with honors in 2010, and became a licensed barrister in the U.K. While in England, Hayley worked with both barristers who worked in the criminal sector and with solicitors in drafting commercial leases, wills and land registration. In September, 2010, Hayley moved to Oklahoma City as part of a pro bono exchange program called Amicus, where English law graduates assist in American capital defense teams. Hayley was placed in the Oklahoma County Public...
Drew Nichols
(405) 257-3740 114 E Main St
Joseph A Dobry
Chandler, OK DUI & DWI Lawyer with 27 years of experience
(405) 258-2475 111 West 9 Street
Chandler, OK 74834
DUI & DWI, Bankruptcy, Criminal Defense and Personal Injury
Practice of law for nearly 25 years in areas of bankruptcy, probate, estate administration, civil litigation, criminal defense, divorce, family law, adoption, guardianship, estate planning, wills, trusts. Call now for a consultation regarding your case. Joe, his wife and children reside in Chandler, Oklahoma. I would be honored to assist you with your legal matters. Thanks.
David Chandler Hamel
(405) 254-2141 1621 N. Classen Blvd.
Free ConsultationDUI & DWI, Criminal Defense, Domestic Violence and Municipal
David C. Hamel is a Trial Attorney in Oklahoma City, OK. His primary area of practice is criminal defense, but represents clients in many areas of litigation. Mr. Hamel is a graduate of the Trial Lawyers College. Mr. Hamel firmly believes in a comprehensive approach to representing his clients both in and out of the court room.
DUI & DWI Attorneys in Nearby Cities
DUI & DWI Attorneys in Nearby Counties
Garvin County
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US Arrests Former UN Official
Former President of the General Assembly John Ashe.
A former United Nations General Assembly president was arrested in the United States this week.
John Ashe is accused of accepting over $1 million and cheating on taxes to help support the interests of a Chinese businessman. A U.S. government official told reporters that Mr. Ashe sold himself and the international agency he led.
He was Antigua and Barbuda’s ambassador to the UN from 2004 until 2013. At that time, he was elected as the president of the 68th session of the General Assembly.
John Ashe, who is 61 years old, was arrested on Tuesday at his home, just outside New York City. The U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara, described the charges against Mr. Ashe. They include accepting at least $1.3 million dollars in bribes in 2013 and 2014. The attorney also says Mr. Ashe did not pay U.S. taxes on the money and gifts he received. The gifts were said to include Rolex watches and a private basketball court.
Chinese billionaire
John Ashe is accused of taking the money from a Chinese businessman named Ng Lap Seng, also known as David Ng. Mr. Ng is a billionaire from Macau. He was arrested last month on separate charges.
U.S. government lawyers say Mr. Ng wanted Mr. Ashe to persuade UN officials to build a conference center in Macau. Mr. Ashe reportedly wrote and prepared an official UN document supporting Mr. Ng’s proposal.
U.S. officials have charged Mr. Ashe and five others in the complaint. The five include Francis Lorenzo, who is the current deputy ambassador of the Dominic Republic to the UN. The four others are Chinese business associates of Mr. Ng.
UN shocked
A UN spokesperson told reporters that the US government did not tell the secretariat about the investigation. He added that the secretary-general was “shocked and deeply troubled” by the charges.
The tax charges against Mr. Ashe carry a punishment of up to six years in prison. However, government lawyers say the final charges against him could be more severe.
I’m Jim Tedder.
VOA’s Margaret Basheer reported on this story. Kelly Jean Kelly adapted it into Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
bribes – n. illegal or unlawful payments
complaint – n. a formal charge saying that someone has done something wrong
associates – n. aides; people who you work with or spend time with
What Is Next for China's Anti-Corruption Campaign?
Activist: London Property Market Tied to 'Dirty Money'
FIFA Suspends Blatter
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Embassy comment on the state of the investigation into the death of Nikolay Glushkov
Nine months have passed since former Deputy General Director of Aeroflot Nikolay Glushkov, a national of the Russian Federation, mysteriously died in London.
One would argue that the investigators have had plenty of time to present their lines of inquiry. However, the crime continues to be passed over in silence by politicians and the media.
We are deeply concerned about the fact that the British authorities have deliberately ignored our numerous queries, including the request of the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation for legal assistance in Russia’s criminal case into the death of Nikolay Glushkov, which was forwarded to the Home Office as early as in April. The Embassy’s proposals to arrange a meeting between the Russian Ambassador and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner or bilateral expert consultations between law enforcement agencies have been left without answer.
Such attitude suggests that the British authorities have something to hide from the public.
It is absolutely unacceptable that the causes of a Russian citizen’s death on the British soil should be purposefully concealed. We insist that the British authorities provide the Russian side with a full official update on the investigation into the case of Nikolay Glushkov.
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Work With Marilet
About The Textile Collection
About Marilet
JOIN THE NEWSLETTER. Receive a digital gift.
A strong believer in the power of shapes and symbols, Marilet works as an artist, designer, and seer.
Combining years of formal education and technical experience in the areas of design, fine art, and the accessing of unseen realms via her meditation practice, Marilet works where these disciplines overlap.
Marilet holds a BFA in Graphic Design from the Art Institute of Boston and an AA Professional Designation Degree from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Product Design, San Francisco. Her studies also include 2 years of Industrial Design studies at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, and 1.5 years of Interior Design at the Boston Architectural Center. She has had years of training as a fine art printmaker and is a juried member of the California Society of Printmakers.
She has completed over 10 years of esoteric studies with Francine Marie Ferine (Founder, Director of The Seers Way).
Originally from South Africa, Marilet has lived in Argentina and Mexico, and currently lives and works in California.
© Copyright 2021 Marilet Pretorius
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Love to the Max
I love my kids unconditionally. It's not hard.
It’s Not Pie: Equal rights for others doesn’t mean fewer rights for you.
September 13, 2018 September 14, 2018 amberbriggle
The 14th Amendment of the Constitution guarantees equal rights to all Americans.
Or at least that’s the theory.
Our country has a less-than-perfect record when it comes to equality. I suppose that’s to be expected when many of our founders were also slaveholders. But throughout history, America has attempted to right the wrongs of our past. Take for example, the 19th Amendment, which gave (white) women the right to vote.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination in housing, employment and services for women, people of color and religious minorities. Twenty-six years later, the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed to provide the same protections for people with disabilities. Brown v. Board of Education integrated our schools because despite all these “equal rights,” it was clear that separate is not, in fact, equal — and never will be.
Say what you will about the sexism, misogyny, ableism and racism that many still experience today — at least we the people have tried, through the courts or through Congress, to address these issues.
One group clearly forgotten, though? The LGBTQ community.
Marriage equality has been the law of the land since 2015. Yet many people are surprised when they find out that a same-sex couple can get married, go on their honeymoon and return home only to find out that they’ve been fired from their jobs and evicted from their apartment — simply for being gay.
Unfortunately, and not entirely surprisingly, this type of treatment is 100 percent legal in 19 states (including Texas).
If LGBTQ people already have equal rights, as the 14th Amendment states, then why is the president attempting to ban transgender people from military service? Why is Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick campaigning to prevent my transgender son from using the bathroom at school? Why do I have to fight so damn hard every day to make sure my son, Max, won’t be left behind?
Throughout history, opponents have argued that giving women, disabled persons and minorities “equal” rights was code for “special” rights. It’s an argument we hear often today, in the march toward equality for the LGBTQ community.
But I ask you, fellow white people: Has the equal treatment of people of color taken away any of your rights? To my fellow cisgender, straight Americans: Will the equal treatment of queer-identified people somehow take away your right to marry who you love, eat what you like or live where you want?
It’s not pie, y’all. Equal rights for others doesn’t mean fewer rights for you.
For those of you who know my family, you may wonder why my husband and I feel so strongly that Denton needs a nondiscrimination ordinance, when our transgender son has been so well loved and supported by our community. But you may not understand the challenges we face almost daily in advocating for him.
When we needed a new pediatrician, we searched high and low to find someone who wouldn’t misgender him or give him second-rate care. When he needed his first “boy” haircut, I held my breath and hoped that the same people who trimmed his pigtails back when he still used female pronouns would give him the new look that he wanted. When he signed up for summer camp, I called ahead and had a “best practices” conversation with the camp counselors to make sure Max wouldn’t be treated any differently than any of the other children under their care.
I’ve never had to do any of this for my cisgender daughter, but this is a common necessity for my transgender son. And, quite frankly, I don’t want to worry about him all the time. I want my son to live in a world that will give him the same opportunities and treatment as anyone else. And until we have the laws in place to guarantee this, I’ll keep worrying, and keep fighting.
Great change starts with small acts. Denton might be just one small town in a nation that spans half a continent, but passing a nondiscrimination ordinance to protect LGBTQ people like my son would send a powerful message about who and what we value as a community. Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio and even Plano have all passed similar regulations, and now it’s our turn.
It’s time for Denton — and indeed our nation — to stand up for the rights of everyone, including the LGBTQ community and trans kids like my son, Max. We’ve done it before for other minority groups, and we can do it again. Anything less, quite frankly, is un-American.
This essay was originally published as an op-ed in the Denton Record-Chronicle
Tagged denton, featured, HRC, nondiscrimination ordinance, politics
Published by amberbriggle
View all posts by amberbriggle
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Douglas Hicks 1966 Today
About Douglas: In 1969, Doug married Judi Bauer, a girl he met in Sunday school and fell in love with when they were both four years old, and the two have lived happily ever after. Along the way they've had five children and, as of 2012, are up to four grandchildren. He continued to play senior-level baseball and hockey until the early 1980s when the need to care for ailing parents and a disabled brother squeezed the time for those pursuits out of his schedule.
After receiving his BBA from the University of Michigan - Dearborn in 1970, he spent two years in public accounting with Ernst & Ernst (where he earned his CPA) followed by 13 years as a financial executive at two auto industry suppliers. By 1985, he had tired of the corporate world and decided to "hang out his shingle" as an independent cost measurement and management consultant. Since then he has flown over a million miles, consulted with 200+ organizations, spoken at 300+ professional events, written dozens of articles for professional and trade publications and authored three books on 21st Century costing practices that have sold over 15,000 copies worldwide. He also discovered the truth in Henry McKay's adage, "Find something you love to do and you'll never work a day in your life." Retirement is not in the plans. His consulting practice's website is www.dthicksco.com.
Doug and Judi have lived in Canton, Michigan since 1975 - a home that remains a center of activity for their children and grandchildren - except for the garage where the smoke from Doug's cigars keeps everyone away.
This page was last updated on Saturday, August 29, 2020.
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Strange & Fascinating Stories Behind Your Favorite Christmas Songs
By CBSMiami.com Team December 25, 2020 at 10:01 am
Filed Under:Christmas, Christmas Songs, Holidays
MIAMI (CBSMiami/CNN) — The Christmas season isn’t complete without singing a few Christmas carols but do you know the history behind any of the songs you may be belting out to neighbors?
Here’s a closer look at the stories behind some of your favorite holiday tunes.
‘Santa Claus Is Coming To Town’
Inspiration can strike you anywhere, even on a subway. While traveling to a music publisher’s office in 1933, the tune’s songwriters John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie sat in a subway car and penned the song on the back of an envelope.
‘All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth’
It started off with Donald Gardner asking a group of second-graders to complete the sentence, “All I want for Christmas is … ” No, no one really said they wanted their two front teeth for Christmas. But when Gardner listened to their wishes, some of the students’ lisps gave him the inspiration for his 1948 hit. He went home that night and wrote the song in 30 minutes.
‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’
When songwriters Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine originally wrote the holiday classic for the 1944 movie, “Meet Me in St. Louis,” Judy Garland didn’t like it. The actress said it was so sad it would make her co-star Margaret O’Brien cry and leave herself looking like a monster. After some debate, the songwriters changed the song to the version that is in the movie.
‘Do You Hear What I Hear?’
A plea for peace, maybe? Songwriters and then-married couple Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne Baker wrote the song during the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962. The song later went on to sell more than a quarter-million copies during that Christmas season.
‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas’
Walter Kent and James Gannon’s song captured the mood of homesick Americans in 1943, especially the soldiers who were in the depths of World War II. It was the most requested song at Christmas U.S.O. shows in Europe as well as the Pacific.
‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’
It’s actually an 18th-century memory game intended to help young Catholics learn the tenants of their faith. Over the centuries, some said the song’s gifts have hidden meanings, including the “true love” symbolizing God and “the partridge in a pear tree” as Jesus Christ.
‘Let It Snow!’
That’s probably what composer Jule Styne and lyricist Sammy Cahn desperately wanted in July of 1945. That’s when they wrote this song, in the middle of heat wave in Hollywood.
(©2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company, contributed to this report.)
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Pretty Willie aka P Dub
R&B married to hip hop!
GOOD THANG
#rap#music#rb#stLouis#chingy#nelly#pdub#prettyWillie#myspace#4Walls#layYourBodyDown#muzicDoctorsWilflocom#wholelotta#touchingIt#myspacecompdub
Lay ya Body Down
P-Dub gives "THURRO-P" "THURRO-P" Willie Moore Jr., known to his friends and fans as Pretty Willie or P-Dub anticipates the release of his new album, "THURRO-P" in the summer of 2007. His new album to be released on his label WILFLO features a long list of guest appearances such as, Cedric the Entertainer, Potzee (Derrty ENT. Quor), and Hoo Bangin artist Rukka Puff. Drawing on his roots as an artist, on-air radio personality and psychology major, Willie created "THURRO-P" as a way to bring his music to life and integrate it into the lives of his fans. The CD portrays Willie playing the role as an on-air psychologist who accepts various calls from his fans, offers his advice and follows up with a song relative to their situation. Willie learned at a young age that his calling in life was in music. He displayed his passion and dedication through his participation in talent shows, the church youth choir and time spent with his father in local juke joints. At the age of twelve, Willie started his own group called the Baby Gangstaz. This group landed him a deal with a local record company, French Jamz. Through this opportunity, they were able to gain local fame and release their first album titled, "E-Z Goin' Gangsta". In 1997 he became the Missouri State Champion in the 100 meter dash. This accomplishment earned him a full track scholarship to the University of Mississippi where he earned a degree in psychology, pledged the historically black fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, and helped him to grow into a very prominent college student athlete. Being a college track star with Olympic dreams as well as a reputation as a popular artist, Willie made a life altering decision. He decided to pursue his music career full-time. Shortly thereafter, Willie was signed by Universal Records for his single, "Roll Wit Me," which led to the creation of his debut album, "Enter the Life of Suella", a mix of Hip Hop and R&B. Willie attributes a portion of the success of this album to the local radio station KATZ 100.3, The Beat. That album yielded several other successes such as the single "Na Na" featured on the soundtracks of the hit movies Guru and Bad Company, starring Chris Rock and Anthony Hopkins; a Celebrity figure for Rap Snacks Potato Chips; and finally serving as the opening act for several mainstream performers such as Sean "P Diddy" Combs, New Edition, Mario, R. Kelly and Trillville (to name a few). Willie became a well-known radio personality in the mid-west region on KATZ 100.3- The Beat. His show, "Pretty Radio" became the #1 radio show on the weekends. This radio show provided a bevy of opportunities for Willie to grow in knowledge and progress his music career. He was able to learn industry lingo and test his new music on the listeners. From this process of testing, Willie emerged with two bona fide hits, "Wooo", a hip hop hit, and "Lay Your Body Down". Lay Your Body Down later became an unofficial love anthem for all generations. This success propelled Willie's career onto new levels. It enabled him to launch his own company "WILFLO Records" (2004), which is a tribute to his parents Willie Sr. and Flora. Without their unconditional love and support, the magnitude of his success would be non-existent. With a new label and a renewed sense of confidence, Willie released an independent album "Pretty Willie vs. P-Dub." This album was reflective of his multi-talents in both Rap and R&B. It included the hit songs "Four Walls" and "Lay Your Body Down," which featured in the movie, "Johnson Family Vacation", starring Cedric the Entertainer and Vanessa Williams. The album further solidified his position as a hit maker. Willie states, "I did this album independently so I could be myself and build my own fan base, my way!" With two successful albums under his belt, Willie and his partner Rod Odom gained airplay on P1, P2, and P3 radio stations across the mid-west and southern regions. The continuous airplay resulted in an increased awareness of his music and they where able to set out on multiple college tours selling out stadiums in major cities and markets. This union led to the production of his latest album "Therapy" Co-Produced by the Muzic Doctorz (Big Lou, 88, Theo, and Willie J). Willie has coined this album as, "a culmination of everything he has been through and the prominence gained in the Mid-west and South. A good blend - one that will be a fruitful return to his roots." "There's a lot of me on it. I come from Berkeley, a hood that isn't known for a lot of positive things and I'm definitely showing the hood how to stay positive and follow your dreams even through the midst of adversity. I believe some people get success by chance, but I'm destined for success through this struggle so I will appreciate it a lot more than a person who got it by chance. Dreams Do Come True!"
I play live all over the country, any time anywhere!
Im a big fan of Hip Hop and R&B, so I like everything from Al Green to Jodeci and R Kelly, to the Game and Dr Dre to Mos Def and Kanye West and that G.O.O.D. Music
God's instrument- my voice
www.wilflo.com Come holla at me!
Georgia - Late Night Piano
Tony William
Gods Speak To Me (with hook)
VanildaMusic.com
break it down low
"Dancing with you" - Rihanna x Drake Type Beat
Jangir Beats
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Tim Mollette-Parks
Tim brings extensive experience delivering landscape projects of high-design quality in complex urban conditions. Tim’s resume of urban design and built landscape work is characterized by thoughtful design strategies that are highly conceptual, yet clear and flexible enough to endure a project’s changing demands. These design strategies emanate from a careful understanding of the local cultural, ecological and programmatic context. The resulting spaces are functional, delightful and firmly rooted in a sense of place. Working in a wide range of scales and budgets, Tim has been project manager and designer on high-profile landscapes, including work at previous firms such as the Broad Museum Plaza and Streetscape in Los Angeles, the Seaside Way Pedestrian Bridge in Long Beach, the new gardens of the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City as well as connectivity and urban design strategies for Los Angeles Metro’s Crenshaw-to-LAX light rail line.
University of California, Berkeley — Master of Landscape Architecture
Eastern Kentucky University — Bachelor of Arts Journalism
Olmsted Scholar Steering Committee, Landscape Architecture Foundation, 2017-2019
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Masahiro Tanaka throws his first bullpen session of the spring
By D.J. ShortFeb 19, 2015, 7:45 PM EST
All eyes were on Masahiro Tanaka at Yankees camp today as he threw his first bullpen session of the spring. Fortunately, his elbow made it through unscathed.
Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports that Tanaka threw about 21 pitches — all of them fastballs — during a session which last lasted around seven minutes. He declined to speak with reporters after the session, but is expected to address the media on Friday.
Tanaka was diagnosed with a partially-torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow last July, but he decided to rehab the injury rather than have Tommy John surgery. He made it back for two starts in September and had a normal offseason, so the Yankees are banking on him to be a big part of their starting rotation this season. Still, you can’t help but feel like that’s a risky proposition.
Tanaka, 26, posted a 2.77 ERA and 141/21 K/BB ratio in 136 1/3 innings across 20 starts as a rookie last season.
Follow @djshort
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Steam plant renovation plans printed for public review
Bei Hu
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is accepting public feedback on a proposed permit to allow the University to renovate one of its steam plants, which it uses for heating and cooling buildings.
A draft of the permit prepared by the agency was published in the June 15 issue of the Star Tribune for public review.
“We cannot issue the permit until we have given the public the opportunity to read and comment on any part of the permit,” said Dave Beil, a staff engineer at the agency.
University Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations Roger Paschke said the renovation of the University’s outdated southeast steam plant, located on the Mississippi near the Interstate 35W bridge, would probably begin once the agency issues the permit.
“If the permit is granted for the existing plant location … we will immediately proceed with the plans and preparation for renovation on the river,” Beil said.
The University is holding discussions about the renovation with the Minneapolis City Council, in which there is considerable opposition to the project. Members of the council may vote Friday on a zoning code amendment that would prohibit construction of any coal-fired power plants within a “critical area” on the Mississippi River. Two steam plants serve the Minneapolis campus and both fall within this area.
Opposition to the steam plant renovation rises out of concerns about the environmental impact of coal-burning plants near the Mississippi. Renovation of the plant also conflicts with community groups’ plans to make property near the river available for public recreation.
Beil said public notice is required by state and federal environmental regulations for any permit that allows more than a certain amount of air pollution. In the case of the University steam plant renovations, the public notice process that started June 15 will take 30 days.
The citizens’ board of the pollution control agency will decide whether to grant or amend a permit for the renovation at its August meeting. The board consists of nine members appointed by the governor.
Paschke expressed optimism about the University’s chance of getting the permit.
“We have no reason to think the permits won’t be granted,” he said. “But until the MPCA actually hears the application and acts on it, we really can’t proceed on anything.”
The draft of the permit requires the University to shut down all six boilers in its main steam plant. The plant is located next to the University’s East Bank campus.
The draft also proposes the installation of three new boilers in the southeast steam plant on the Mississippi. Two of the new boilers would burn natural gas and sulfur fuel oil; the other one may burn either coal or natural gas. The two existing boilers in the plant, which are powered by coal, would serve as backup equipment.
Beil said the permit only deals with air pollution, though the agency’s citizens’ board might put some conditions on it.
Paschke said the University has not completely ruled out the possibility of moving the steam plants to an off-river site. But he emphasized that constructing a new plant off-river could be costly.
“The University does not have the ability to fund all of the incremental costs associated with building off-river,” he said.
He also said the search for such a new site has to proceed within the University’s time frame, and that renovation or construction will be completed within 2 « years.
“This whole issue … has been there for years. The University is at a critical point now where we really cannot continue to delay construction of some heating facilities, whether it’s renovation of existing facilities or construction of new facilities.”
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Patrons bid farewell to local bar
Jessica Steeno
It was the last trip down the dark and musty cave.
Patrons of Lower Landing Grill & Tap, the last non-sports bar in campus neighborhoods, descended the stairs to the dimly lit, cramped bar Thursday night for the last time.
It was the final night of operation for the Lower Landing, which was located at 412 1/2 14th Ave. S.E. The basement bar was recently sold to BW-3, a sports bar located directly above it.
Rick Price, a former co-owner of the Landing, said he didn’t want to sell the bar, but it was losing money. He said business was sporadic because his customers were primarily University students.
“You lose money during summer, you lose money if it’s too cold and you always lose money during Christmas break, which starts at Thanksgiving and goes until the new year,” Price said.
For many Landing customers, the bar was a refuge in a sea of self-proclaimed sports bars with televisions tuned to various games.
“If I don’t cry before I leave I’ll be really surprised,” said Damian Anderson, a longtime patron of the Landing. “There’s really no place as neutral as this. Everyplace else is really cliquey in one direction or the other.”
In the 1970s the Lower Landing started out as a bar and restaurant called Valley Pizza. Various musicians, Bob Dylan among them, performed at the pizza joint during its 20-year existence.
In 1990 the bar changed ownership and was renamed The Underground. Three years later it was christened the Lower Landing.
The Landing has traditionally been a hangout for people who admit they do not fit into other bar scenes.
“You have two types of people in this world — you have the sportos and then you have the others,” said Jason McIntire, a University graduate. “This bar is for the others.”
Dean Morstad, a senior at the University, said he and his friends met at the Landing every Thursday night. “It was seen by a lot of people as kind of like a coffee shop — with liquor,” he said.
Lower Landing employees first learned Thursday morning that the bar’s owners had sold the bar to BW-3. That night, Landing waitresses wore pieces of paper pinned to their shirts that read, “Tip me, it’s my last night.”
Candace Randle, a Lower Landing waitress, said only about one-third of the patrons there ever tipped. “Randy (the Landing’s manager) said I could be mean to whoever I want to tonight,” she said.
“It’s like everybody who came in there was one big family and they’re not going to be around anymore. I’ll miss the customers,” said Randy Brumm, the Landing’s manager for three years. He said he will probably look for another job.
Jeff Pohl, general manager of the Dinkytown BW-3, said his bar has tried to buy the Landing for several years because of overcrowding problems at BW-3. He said he plans to promote a sports bar atmosphere in the former Lower Landing space.
Existing walls, which are blanketed with colorful graffiti, will be painted and new carpet will be installed. Booths currently surrounding the bar will be torn out and stools erected in their places. Pohl said more dart boards and NTN, a video trivia game, will also be added.
“We want to promote the college-bar atmosphere where students can have a cheap meal and a beer,” he said.
In the remodeled bar, BW-3 will offer its current menu, consisting primarily of hamburgers and chicken wings.
Many patrons who attended the Landing’s farewell party Thursday night said they probably won’t patronize the BW-3-managed bar.
“I’ve been a regular here for over a year,” said Dan Degner, a former Dinkytown resident. “I’m leaving tomorrow to go out of state for a while, and I know when I come back there’s not going to be anyplace cool to go that’s relaxed with this type of atmosphere. We’re like family. It’s sad to see it go.”
Many Landing patrons listed the bar’s music selection as its biggest selling point. Price said the CD jukebox contained “90 great CD’s, and 10 that just make money.” During a typical night at the Landing, customers could hear songs by artists ranging from Stevie Wonder to War.
For Airik Anderson, a Minneapolis resident, a quote scrawled on the Landing’s bathroom wall remains as his fondest memory. It reads “Believe in magic, if only for a little while.”
“The unfortunate thing about the attempt to develop this type of atmosphere is you’re almost destined to fail because you’re trying to attract people who don’t have a lot of money,” Price said. “It’s really tough to walk away. It’s like losing that last glimmer of hope that you might pull it off.”
When the kitchen closed Thursday at around 11 p.m., Randle said over the loudspeaker, “The kitchen is now closed. You will never eat here again.”
Near the end of the night, the entire bar rose to toast Brumm and the Landing.
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Slowdive to play at the Fine Line
The band reunited after 20 years for a worldwide tour and will play at the Fine Line Music Café with Low.
Jackie Renzetti
After nearly 20 years of inactivity, British shoegaze band Slowdive has hit the road again for a new destination in their career.
Slowdive, comprised of Rachel Goswell, Neil Halstead, Christian Savill, Nick Chaplin and Simon Scott, first formed in the United Kingdom in 1989 and released three albums before breaking up in 1995.
When the group was offered a spot at Barcelona’s 2014 Primavera Sound Festival, the members decided not only to take it, but also to reunite for a multi-continent tour following the festival. Minnesota band Low will open for Slowdive for most of their nearly sold-out North American tour, including a stop at the Fine Line Music Café on Friday.
“I think [reuniting] was something we were thinking about, but [Primavera] focused our attention. That kinda gave us a goal,” guitarist Christian Savill said.
The members found themselves starting from scratch on a project that began nearly 25 years ago.
“We hardly had any equipment,” guitarist Christian Savill said, noting that bassist Nick Chapman no longer owned a bass guitar. “It was like totally starting again, really.”
After acquiring the instruments, Slowdive’s next step was to get back in shape. Their rehearsal process preceding the tour spanned five months, partly because the members now live in different parts of Britain.
“Some of the songs we could remember, but a lot of them we were like, ‘Oh god, I can’t remember how to play that, you know what guitar change was that?’ But that was part of the fun,” Savill said. “And it was brilliant because we’d play and we’d go out. Those are some of my happiest memories, just the five of us together.”
Almost all of their North American tour dates are sold out, and Savill says they’ve received enthusiastic responses from countries they previously never had the chance to tour.
Upon arriving in Taiwan, the band realized their gear hadn’t arrived yet because of a typhoon. They used social media to spread word, and audience members happily lent them their instruments.
“It was like a party,” Savill said. “It’s just been crazy, really.”
The widespread positive feedback contrasted sharply with their experiences at the end of their initial career. In 1995, the public didn’t take the shoegaze genre seriously. After the release of their third album, “Pygmalion,” the band received numerous negative reviews and their record label dropped them.
“When we finished the band, [shoegaze] was kind of just like nothing, it was almost derided. But now … it seems to be a pretty big scene, relatively speaking,” Savill said.
Savill said he believes their fan base comes from listeners who enjoy bands that cite Slowdive among their influences. As a result, their audiences have consisted of primarily young people as opposed to the band’s expectation of mostly original listeners who are now middle-aged.
Instead of adapting to keep up with newer shoegaze bands, Savill said, “We just coast along doing our own thing.”
As opposed to their earlier career, they can now instantly receive feedback and feel support from their listeners through social media.
Low joined the tour largely because of a Twitter interaction. When the two bands happened to both play at a show in Iceland, Slowdive members noticed that Low retweeted an audience member’s tweet saying that Low should open for Slowdive. Savill said this was a push to see if they were interested.
“We’re all big fans of Low. … We’d never consider asking Low to open for us because in our minds, they’re like this amazing band who kind of wouldn’t open for us,” Savill said.
Alan Sparhawk of Low also cited Twitter as an influence, but said he had no idea their retweet propelled the collaboration.
“I remember seeing one of them tweeting about being excited to see us, and I thought, … ‘Wow, I didn’t even know they knew who we were,’” Sparhawk said.
The early years of Low collided with the end of Slowdive’s initial run. Sparhawk said that he recalled listening to their records while driving on tour.
“Even though we definitely sound different, they were one of the bands we were listening to that was sort of reassuring,” Sparhawk said, referencing the bands’ shared use of female and male vocals and loose structure. “It’s not so much an influence as much as it was a camaraderie.”
Both Sparhawk and Savill said their respective bands had been musing about doing something special in light of Halloween for their Minneapolis show, but they had no concrete plans yet.
Savill said that “the fact that people are coming is amazing,” explaining that his band was hesitant to book larger venues for fear of poor attendance. The band especially has looked forward to their North American tour and plans to create a new album when their time frees up afterward.
“Even when everything was really pretty horrible back home in the U.K. … the people were really responsive, and some of our best gigs were in America,” Savill said. “But we just didn’t anticipate the kind of response we’ve had, really.”
What: Slowdive with Low
Where: Fine Line Music Café, 318 N. First Ave., Minneapolis
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Cost: $25-45 [SOLD OUT]
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Breaking NewsClub NewsFirst TeamPlayer News
Waller is a Lilywhite!
We’re delighted to announce our latest addition for the forthcoming season, Matty Waller.
Matty boasts an impressive footballing CV that includes being part of the youth academies at Leeds United and Bradford City.
The 24 year-old winger also won the FA People’s Cup in 2016 and was a runner-up in the Neymar fives World Finals in Brazil in 2017.
Matty was most recently at North West Counties League club Shelley FC, ending the season as their top goalscorer. He picked up 10 man of the match awards after scoring 20 goals in 23 appearances and was also named the League’s player of the month for November.
On signing for the Lilywhites, Matty said “I’m so happy to have signed for Mossley, and I really can’t wait to get going.”
Welcome to Seel Park, Matty!
Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on WhatsApp Share on Linkedin
Lilywhites and Hope & Glory in exciting new partnership!
Czubik back at Seel Park!
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Articles containing Spanish-language text, Articles with Spanish-language external links, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia,
People from Reinosa
Cantabrian military personnel
Cantabrian politicians
Viceroys of New Spain
Governors of Cuba
Counts of Revilla Gigedo
Spanish generals
Juan Francisco de Güemes, 1st Count of Revillagigedo
Juan Francisco de Güemes
Count of Revillagigedo
Viceroy of New Spain
9 July 1746 – 9 November 1755
Philip V
The Count of Fuenclara
Agustín de Ahumada
Reinosa, Cantabria
Juan Vicente de Güemes
Juan Francisco de Güemes y Horcasitas (Spanish language: Juan Francisco de Güemes y Horcasitas, primer conde de Revillagigedo ) (1681, Reinosa, Cantabria – 1766, Spain) was a Spanish general, governor of Havana, captain general of Cuba, and viceroy of New Spain (from 9 July 1746 to 9 November 1755).
1 Early career
2 As viceroy of New Spain
3 Reforms
4 Foreign affairs
5 Return to Spain
Early career[edit | edit source]
Juan Francisco de Güemes y Horcasitas was the first count of Revillagigedo (sometimes spelled Revilla Gigedo) and a lieutenant general in the army. He participated in the siege of Gibraltar and the conquest of Oran. In 1734 he was named captain general of Havana, where he repulsed the attacks of the English, organized the cavalry, and improved the fortifications. While serving in this position, he was named viceroy of New Spain.
As viceroy of New Spain[edit | edit source]
In New Spain, he presided at the funeral honors of the old king, Philip V, and proclaimed the new king, Ferdinand VI. He encouraged the colonization of Nuevo Santander (now Tamaulipas). Under his authority Colonel José de Escandón established eleven towns of Spanish and Indians and four missions, naming them variously for the surnames of the viceroy, the viceroy's wife, María Josefa Llera, and himself. Escandón was rewarded by the Crown for these services with the title of Conde de Sierra Gorda.
On 8 July 1750 the ruins of Palenque were discovered. On 8 May 1753 Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was born in Guanajuato.
In 1750 famine struck Guanajuato and Zacatecas, followed by an epidemic. The following year a rebellion broke out among the Pimas in Sonora, and in order to suppress the rebellion, presidios were established at Altar and Tubac. On 13 May 1752 a near-total eclipse of the sun was observed in New Spain. This caused consternation among the population, because it was viewed as a portent of disaster.
Reforms[edit | edit source]
Juan Francisco de Güemes, 1st Count of Revillagigedo, Viceroy of New Spain
He reformed the administration of the treasury of the colony in 1746. Because a large portion of the circulating coinage had been sent to Spain, he ordered the minting of 150,000 pesos for circulation in Florida (1746). He reauthorized playing cards, banned by his predecessor, in order to increase revenue from their taxation.
Because smuggling was still rampant, he ordered close inspection of all ships arriving in port. This measure was ineffective, however. The smugglers used small boats and made landings on deserted beaches, transferring their illegal goods to confederates in the colony. Because of complaints from Spanish merchants, chiefly in America, Spain broke relations with the Hanseatic League. The viceroy prohibited Hanseatic ships from anchoring in Veracruz. When this legal source of a large quantity of merchandise was blocked, smuggling rose. It was said that even the vicereine dressed in contraband cloth from England or from Flanders.
Güemes y Horcasitas earned a reputation for governing efficiently and honorably. He took steps to ensure that government employees met the obligations of their offices. He increased the revenues of the government, even though revenue from the mines decreased due to the scarcity of mercury (for extracting silver). He increased the size of the fleet protecting shipping between Veracruz and Havana.
With the expansion of commerce and the decrease in piracy after the end of the war with England, mercury from Spanish mines began flowing into New Spain in sufficient quantities to raise the production of silver back to pre-shortage levels.
He reorganized the management of official documents and required that civil and religious affairs be handled independently. These reforms are considered the foundation of what became the General Archives of Mexico.
He was accused of having accumulated an enormous personal fortune while in office, but when he left, he left a large surplus in the treasury, and a wealth of stores and provisions.
Foreign affairs[edit | edit source]
Spain was at war with England again (the War of the Austrian Succession), and news was received in Mexico City that a fleet of 17 ships of the line and transports had been assembled at Portsmouth under Admiral Richard Lestock, for an invasion of Spanish possessions in America. The information did not include where the English intended to make a landing, so the viceroy worked to prepare all the provinces under his jurisdiction to repulse an attack.
A preliminary peace was signed on 30 April 1748. Spain was required to pay its debts to England, and England to return the Spanish possessions it had captured. New Spain's military expenses suddenly decreased, and the bonus was used for such projects as the colonization of Nuevo Santander.
While maintaining good relations with France, he vigilantly prevented French encroachments on the territory of New Spain. The garrisons in Texas were strengthened. In 1755 he founded a presidio at Horcasitas (Sonora) for the purpose of controlling the Apaches.
Return to Spain[edit | edit source]
After turning over the government to his successor, Agustín de Ahumada, Güemes returned to Spain, where he was made captain general of the army. He was proposed as viceroy of New Granada and of Navarre, and was president of the council of Castile and president of the council of war.
(Spanish) "Güemes y Horcasitas, Juan Francisco de," Enciclopedia de México, v. 6. Mexico City, 1988.
(Spanish) García Puron, Manuel, México y sus gobernantes, v. 1. Mexico City: Joaquín Porrua, 1984.
(Spanish) Orozco L., Fernando, Fechas Históricas de México. Mexico City: Panorama Editorial, 1988, ISBN 968-38-0046-7.
(Spanish) Orozco Linares, Fernando, Gobernantes de México. Mexico City: Panorama Editorial, 1985, ISBN 968-38-0260-5.
The Count of Fuenclara Viceroy of New Spain
Spanish nobility
New title Count of Revillagigedo
Juan Vicente
de Güemes
Retrieved from "https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Juan_Francisco_de_Güemes,_1st_Count_of_Revillagigedo?oldid=4209746"
Articles containing Spanish-language text
Articles with Spanish-language external links
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Music New to You from the Past and Present
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New Tracks from Van Morrison and Sting – and a String of Firsts
A bit more to clean up from late 2016: Sting and Van Morrison delivering new music and sounding as good as ever.
Sting released his 12th solo album “57th and 9th” in early November, and it features more rock and roll than we’ve heard from the legend in a long time. The album title reportedly refers to an intersection he crossed daily on the way to the recording studio. The first track released from the album was “I Can’t Stop Thinking About You”. To recall his early rocking, listen to the first track from the first Police album.
Van Morrison released “Keep Me Singing” in September, 50 years after the release of his first album “Blowin’ Your Mind”. That blows my mind. Sir George Ivan Morrison has released a total of 36 studio albums in that span. That also blows my mind. The first track released from the new album is “Every Time I See A River”.
And here is fun extra. Before going solo Van Morrison fronted the band Them. Perhaps their most memorable song was Van’s composition “Gloria”. Check out their live performance of that song, and then Patti Smith’s cover which was the first track on her first album. The poetic lead in was Smith’s poem “Oath” and the lyrics owe a lot to the earlier cover by the Doors.
Posted on January 9, 2017 by HarryDJ. This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.
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One thought on “New Tracks from Van Morrison and Sting – and a String of Firsts”
Paula Ann Manion says:
Great post Harry, Sting and Van Morrison just keep on giving!
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Editors' Notes By the end of 1964, The Beatles were exhausted. In June, they took their first world tour, travelling from Denmark to the Netherlands, then to Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand, often playing two shows a day to make good on the trip. Between mid-August and late September, they played 30 shows in 23 US cities, getting an introduction to pot from Bob Dylan in New York and, a couple of weeks later, drunkenly confessing their mutual love for each other while waiting out a hurricane in Key West—a night later recalled by Paul McCartney on 1982’s John Lennon remembrance “Here Today”. Their fame was inarguable, their pace unsupportable.
So while attributing any real cynicism to the title Beatles for Sale is probably a stretch, it’s not out of the ballpark—they were, on some level, a commodity, and finally feeling the squeeze of being trafficked like one. Here’s the first time you get to hear The Beatles really yell, not once (the snarling middle section of Lennon’s “No Reply”) but twice (the background vocals on “What You’re Doing”). Lennon’s songs in particular—“I’m a Loser”, “I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party” (“I’ve had a drink or two and I don’t care”), the bleakly jealous “No Reply”—showed a writer giving himself over to his least marketable moods.
Unable to balance the demands of writing with touring and general fame, they fell back on covers: Chuck Berry’s “Rock and Roll Music”, Buddy Holly’s “Words of Love”, “Mr. Moonlight”. It was rock and R&B that stood in sharper contrast to their originals than on previous albums, but which—along with the LP’s country inflections—helped extend the band’s dialogue with distinctly American music. And they managed to brighten up enough to work in “Eight Days a Week”.
Beatles For Sale (Documentary)
RELEASED DECEMBER 4, 1964
℗ 2009 CALDERSTONE PRODUCTIONS LIMITED (A DIVISION OF UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP)
More by The Beatles
1 (2015 Version)
The Beatles 1967-1970 (The Blue Album)
The Beatles 1962-1966 (The Red Album)
The Beatles Essentials
Apple Music Rock
The Beatles: Love Songs
Paul McCartney: Love Songs
The Beatles: Deep Cuts
Country Rock Essentials
Apple Music Country
The Beatles: Best R&B Songs
Chuck Berry: Songbook
Apple Music Oldies
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← Christmas with the Captains
Choi named ABL player of the week →
Vargas drives in four in Puerto Rican Winter League game
Posted on December 30, 2012 by Craig Wieczorkiewicz
Minnesota Twins prospects Kennys Vargas (left) and Miguel Sano were teammates on the 2012 Beloit Snappers.
Minnesota Twins prospect Kennys Vargas had a big game Saturday for the Indios de Mayaguez of the Puerto Rican Winter League.
In an abbreviated, 7-inning game, the first baseman went 3-for-4 with a home run and 4 RBI. He fell a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.
Vargas hit .318 with 11 HR and 36 RBI in 41 games with the 2012 Beloit Snappers.
Christenson named Snappers manager
Former big-league outfielder Ryan Christenson will manage the Beloit Snappers in 2013. The first-time manager played parts of six seasons in the major leagues, mostly with the Oakland A’s (Beloit’s new major-league affiliate).
Christenson is no stranger to the Midwest League, having played in 33 games with the West Michigan Whitecaps in 1996. He hit .311 with 2 HR and 18 RBI.
John Wasdin will be the pitching coach for the Snappers after serving in that capacity for the Burlington Bees when they were affiliated with the A’s. The righty posted a 39-39 record with a 5.28 ERA during his 12-year MLB career. He briefly pitched in the Midwest League, going 2-3 with a 1.86 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 48.1 IP for the 1993 Madison Muskies.
Casey Myers will be Beloit’s hitting coach. He played eight minor-league seasons in the A’s organization (none in the Midwest League).
Outfield reconstruction project
The outfield of Beloit’s Pohlman Field was reconstructed this offseason. It was stripped, graded and re-sodded. You can see photos of the reconstruction work here on the Snappers’ Facebook page.
Outfield reconstruction work was done at Pohlman Field in late October and early November.
This entry was posted in Beloit Snappers, Burlington Bees, Madison Muskies, Midwest League, West Michigan Whitecaps. Bookmark the permalink.
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Pixar’s Soul Tackles Life’s Biggest Questions on Disney+ This Christmas
Despite technically making cartoon movies for children, Pixar has developed a reputation for creating stories with deep themes and mature worldviews. With Soul, the studio has taken on possibly their most complex idea yet. What exactly is the “soul” that defines a human being? According to the film’s director Pete Docter, the desire to make Soul came from his pondering one of life’s greatest mysteries.
“[The idea for the movie] kind of came from just thinking about, ‘Okay, where were we before we are born?.’ It’s impossible for me to conceive of that, of me not being here, of course. But when you have kids, it’s especially bizarre because you’re like, ‘I am now home with this blob that didn’t exist before. What?’ And as they get older, you’re like, ‘They already had a personality, what, from the moment they were born. Where did that come from?’ And so, just diving in and looking for some mention of that in other religions or traditions and really not finding very much.”
RELATED: Pixar’s Soul Will Debut on Disney+ for Free Starting Christmas Day
The official synopsis for Soul describes the story as centering around the character of Joe Gardner, voiced by Jamie Foxx. Gardner is a middle-school band teacher who is granted his dream of playing at the best jazz club in town. But before he can fulfill his dream, Gardner meets with an accident that takes him to The Great Before, a mystical space where new souls get to decide their personalities, interests, and all the other things that turn them into a full person on Earth.
Gardner teams up with a precocious soul simply named 22, voiced by Tina Fey, to make a bid at coming back to Earth, while trying to convince a skeptical 22 of the value of living a human life. While Docter dove into religion and social philosophies to imagine the path to the creation of a soul, he did not find a lot of concrete information. According to the filmmaker, that actually freed him up to put his own spin on the idea of the process behind the creation of the soul.
“That just meant we got to make it up, let our imaginations run. And one thing led to another and the fun for me of the illusion of these movies at the end, you feel like, ‘Oh, it just kind of came out somehow fully formed.’ It’s actually thousands of small decisions that some, if done well, come together to create this illusion of a single thing, but it’s actually thousands of smaller choices and corrections and people. It’s a pretty weird process.”
While other animated movies try to avoid such difficult topics as death and loss, Pixar has already dived headfirst into the subject matter with 2017’s Coco, about a boy coming to terms with the passing of his ancestors. Hopefully, Soul will be another critically acclaimed entry into Pixar’s filmography alongside Coco.
Directed by Pete Docter, Soul features a star cast of Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Questlove, Phylicia Rashad, Daveed Diggs, and Angela Bassett. The film will debut on Disney+ starting Dec. 25. This news arrives from ComicBook.com.
Topics: Soul, Disney Plus, Streaming
Neeraj Chand
Writer with a keen interest in technology and pop culture.
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https://lonzowire.usatoday.com/2018/10/14/jba-usa-team-final-score-recap-lamelo-ball-highlights/
JBA USA come back from 22-point deficit behind LaMelo Ball triple-double
Christian Rivas
The JBA USA team came back from a 22-point deficit against the Zenit St. Petersburg “B” team and beat the Russian basketball club 121-114 behind a triple-double from LaMelo Ball. The JBA USA team have now extended their winning streak to three games.
Despite being just 17 years old, Ball continues to stand out among the grown men he’s played against so far during the JBA international tour. Following a 31-point outing against CSKA Moscow’s “B” Team, Ball put up 44 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds against Zenit St. Petersburg on Sunday.
It’s unclear what effect playing in the still-developing JBA has on Ball’s draft stock, but he still looks like the five-star recruit he was in high school. LaMelo won’t be eligible for the NBA Draft until 2020, but he can declare for the G League draft as soon as next year. If he wants to make it to the NBA, that’s his best best.
Meanwhile, LiAngelo Ball had a quiet night for the JBA USA team, scoring 18 points on 23 shot attempts. However, he did get the job done on the defensive glass, grabbing 8 defensive rebounds and 13 total rebounds. He earned a double-double for his effort.
LiAngelo is eligible for the upcoming G League draft on Saturday, August 20, but seeing as he didn’t participate in the G League tryout process to go in this international tour, the chances of him getting draft are slim-to-none. He’ll have another opportunity to declare next year when both he and LaMelo are eligible.
The JBA USA team are scheduled to play the London Lions of the British Basketball League on Nov. 3. Expect there to be a few games in-between then.
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He was Butch But I Was No Sundance (1969-70)
I was not the only clever kid at our school. Our whole form was force fed facts so that we could pass our exams a year earlier than others our age. It was some bullshit exercise in school pride but if it reduced the time spent under the archaic, cruel (the cane was still used by the headmaster) & unusual (an English teacher made transgressors write out chapters of Genesis) punitive system then we would go along with it. This meant that I entered the sixth form when I was 15 going on 16. The 17 year old girls in my classes were a lot further on down life’s road & 68/69 was Peak Mini Skirt as I remember. I was amazed that they would even acknowledge my presence, it was months before I was able to say anything that made any sense back to them. The guys were already drinking at the weekend (only a year underage so…y’know) & that seemed better than the Youth Club. On their 17th birthdays some of them got cars. That was certainly an upgrade on taking the bus !
Butch had a Morris 1000, a classic car now, cheap & cheerful in 1969. His name was Keith but his Dad had a butcher’s shop on the High St so…His girlfriend, Natalie, worked in the local record shop Rushton’s, a place that sold instruments & sheet music before awkwardly adjusting to the demand for small discs of vinyl. After college Butch & I would drive into town to keep her company for the last hour of her working day. To keep us out of further mischief she gave us free range in one of the soundproof booths to listen to any of the latest records that took our fancy. They didn’t always hit the spot. That second Blood Sweat & Tears album, David Clayton Thomas singing, no Al Kooper, may have sold by the lorry load but it was no “Child is the Father to the Man”. One non-album single with a red Atlantic label, “Comin’ Home” by Delaney & Bonnie & Friends featuring Eric Clapton, had us opening up the booth for the other customers to hear & irritating our favourite shop assistant.
Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett had done musical time before they were married, D as a member of the house band of the “Shindig” TV show, B as a fake-tanned Ikette. Their first LP was recorded at the Stax studios in Memphis with Booker T & the MGs. By the time of the follow up they had assembled a smoking band, people who would go on to make a pile of good music. Their brand of Southern Soul, Gospel & Rock attracted an influential friend in Eric Clapton, happy to play the sideman after all the attention attracted by Cream & Blind Faith. Eric brought along the newly ex-Beatle George & his stinging, ringing contribution to “Coming Home” made it more than notable. Delaney’s mate Leon Russell needed to assemble some Mad Dogs to back Joe Cocker on a hastily arranged tour & he borrowed the whole band except keyboard player Bobby Whitlock who left for England to write with Clapton. When these two needed a rhythm section for “Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs” they were joined by Carl Radle (bass) & Jim Gordon (drums) to form Derek & the Dominoes. Now that is a good record !
Butch lived above the shop, just a walk away from mine & I would go round in midweek to listen to his records. At night the front was closed up & you entered the house through the back of the shop past simmering pots of pig’s heads. Brawn is some kind of peasant jellied terrine (my Mum loved it). It’s apparently called “potted heid” in Scotland & in France “pate de tete” & that sounds no better. Now I’m a Big Meat Eater (yes I am…now there’s a movie you have to see) but I don’t always choose to get that close to its production. I would hurry through that steamy, funky room. Butch had some good records. I particularly remember 3 double LPs, Cream’s “Wheels of Fire”, Jimi’s “Electric Ladyland” & “Streetnoise” by Julie Driscoll, all good long listens as the music got & was taken more seriously. We had a couple of bottles of cider & a coloured light bulb for atmosphere…that’s all. We didn’t know where to buy any hash back then. Our town had not yet done with Modernism. The cool kids were robbing chemists of their good stuff, waking up in the park with blood leaking from their ears. That sounded like not much fun at all.
There were no women like Julie Driscoll in our town either. Julie, with organist Brian Auger, Long John Baldry & Rod Stewart had been part of Steampacket, a Mod Soul-Blues revue who, despite their popular live act, never recorded. In 1968 her & Auger’s take on Dylan’s “This Wheels on Fire”, an urgent psychedelic classic, shifted the ground for British female singers. Her expressive, distinctive vocals put Cilla, Lulu, Sandie, even Dusty in the shade. She became a beautiful, instant icon of cool, replacing Emma Peel as the object of my affections. “Streetnoise” reflects the times, musical boundaries were to be ignored. There are old songs, new songs, Jazz & Blues songs, all given the individual stamp of Driscoll & Auger that still sounds fresh today. “Indian Rope Man”, one of the band’s best, written by Richie Havens, is promoted here on German TV but was only released as a b-side in the UK. Julie married jazz pianist Keith Tippett & stepped away from Rock & Roll to make more experimental music. Whatever she chose to do was just fine by me.
Ah Family…Leicester’s finest. Butch had their 3rd LP “A Song For Me”, released in January 1970 & a Top 5 record. At the end of 1969 the single “No Mule’s Fool”, a gentle daydream of a song had totally hit my spot but only grazed the Top 30. Their debut “Music in a Doll’s House” (1968) was a more than interesting slice of post-Sgt Pepper’s British psychedelia & “Family Entertainment” (1969) consolidated a reputation as a band on the rise. The loss of 2 founding members, multi-instrumentalist Jim King & bassist Rick Grech (he joined the aforementioned Blind Faith) was a setback just as they were ready for prime time. The idiosyncratic, forceful presence of vocalist Roger Chapman made Family’s live show memorable.They were one of the first big concerts I attended & Hull City Hall rocked that night. The new-ish group were possibly less textured, a little more full tilt, than previously. There were 3 Top 20 UK singles, an LP a year until 1973 before diminishing returns & a failure to make an impression in the US called a halt. Family don’t really get the credit they deserve. If you have an interest in psych-prog they merit further investigation.
We hung out a lot over the next year. The 4 of us (rather surprisingly I had a girlfriend too) tore around in the Morris looking for pubs, parties & places of interest. We both studied Geography & a week’s “field study” in North Yorkshire became an alcohol-fuelled exercise in besmirching our college’s good name. Butch was a good guy to have around, a dry sense of fun & humour, a little more grown-up than the other happy idiots I called friends back then. He was the perfect companion for an adventure to the Bath Festival of Blues & Progressive Music in June 1970. Over 2 days we joined 200,000 others to see a musical line-up that can only be described as awesome. We saw a lot of things that you didn’t see in our small town that weekend. The Hell’s Angels were cool & the casualties of the purple acid were not. It was a great time, we could see the attractions of this Hippie thing but we were Northern lads, this stuff wouldn’t really fly back at home. I’ll repeat myself, he was the right guy to share the experience with. He drove me there, he got me home & we had approached things correctly.
Butch left college that year. I had to hang around to make up for that year I had jumped. The next year I left town & only returned for flying visits to see my family. Keith is actually on Facebook & we live in the same town though we would probably pass each other in the street these days. I’ll send him this & hope that he has the same good memories about the short time that our paths intertwined all those years ago.
tagged as comin' home, delaney and bonnie, drowned in wine, family, indian rope man, julie driscoll
Staying Stoned and Singing Homemade Songs (Bobby Charles)
“See you later alligator…in a while crocodile” was the first song lyric to make an impression on my young self. The reptilian rhyme was smart, snappy & became quite a catchphrase. Bill Haley & the Comets were a Rock & Roll sensation in the mid-1950s. They may not have been the originators, they weren’t, but they were popularisers of this new, rebellious music. In the UK the inclusion of their #1 hit “Rock Around the Clock” in the 1955 film “The Blackboard Jungle” & a subsequent tour in 1957 caused a moral panic when the Teddy Boys made the nation’s front pages, wrecking & rolling cinemas & concert halls. Haley was 30 years old, a great pro but hardly hip to the teenage trip. This swinging sayonara, a hip hasta la vista, was written by a much younger hepcat, someone whose music continues to hit the spot.
Bobby Charles (Robert Charles Guidry) was just 17, you know what I mean, when he recorded “Later Alligator”. The song caught the attention of Chess Records who were surprised when a young white boy answered their invitation to Chicago. Bobby was from Abbeville Louisiana, 150 miles west of New Orleans, & it was Fats Domino, that city’s biggest star, who had inspired him to take up with the Rock & Roll. In 1960 his hero recorded “Walking to New Orleans”, a song written for him by Charles, & had his biggest hit for a couple of years. In the following year “(I Don’t Know Why I Love You) But I Do” put Clarence “Frogman” Henry in the Top 10. Bobby continued to record with Imperial Records in N.O. & then with Jewel up in Shreveport but it was as a songwriter that he made his money (never what he was fully due) & earned his reputation. “I Hope”, 2 minutes short & so sweet, is one of the tracks cut for Jewel in 1964.
In the late sixties Bobby had to leave Nashville when he was caught growing the marahoochie. He turned up in Woodstock NY, famous for a festival that was actually held 60 miles away, home to a community centred around Bob Dylan & his manager Albert Grossman’s Bearsville Records. Bobby was laying low but, back then, if you knocked on a door in Woodstock it was likely that a musician would answer it. With his stories of sessions with Fats, Willie Dixon & Little Walter, his bag full of new songs, he soon had new friends, a recording contract & was back in the studio.
“Bobby Charles” (1972) is known as the album Charles made with the Band, Dylan’s backing musicians for his concerts & responsible for great music in their own right. Sure, bassist Rick Danko co-produced & was joined in the studio by Levon Helm & Garth Hudson (I believe Richard Manuel is in there somewhere, the credits are a little informal) but there’s much more to the record than famous friends. From the slinky Funk of “Street People” to the closing languid Country waltz “Tennessee Blues” there’s a greasy musical warmth matched with Bobby’s smoky rasp that makes the whole record a lovely, leisurely treat. Session guitarist Amos Garrett inserts a handsome elegance whenever he steps forward. Bobby’s roots are still there, you can take the boy out of Louisiana but…his lyrics, mature & magnanimous are, on the best songs, quite perfect. It’s tough to pick just one track but “Small Town Talk”, just Bobby, Levon on drums & the organ playing of Dr John, always does it for me.
Recording was underway for a follow-up LP in Bearsville when Grossman, who had helped Charles out with his legal problems, wanted to negotiate a new contract. Bobby had been wheeled & dealed before & now had a sharp eye for sharp practice. He walked away from Woodstock with the parting shot, “I can’t say that it was good doing business with you, so I’ll just say adios m—-f—-r !”. In November 1976 he showed out at the Winterland in San Francisco for the Band’s farewell concert. He performed “Down South in New Orleans” but didn’t make the final cut for the movie “The Last Waltz”, possibly because he had refused to go along with director Martin Scorsese’s suggestion that he should play “See You Later Alligator”. Bobby had had it with the business of music, went back to Louisiana. There would be no more new music for over a decade.
Bobby still wrote songs, it was what he did. Joe Cocker picked up a couple for a 1976 LP. He had a co-credit with Neil Young on “Saddle Up the Palomino” & there was a song with Willie Nelson. Some of the tunes from the eponymous LP, “Small Town Talk”, “Tennessee Blues”, were covered by other artists. Fellow member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame Tommy McLain recorded “I Hope” & “Before I Grow Too Old”. Charles became known as a pioneer of Swamp Pop, somewhere musically & geographically between Zydeco & New Orleans. His subsequent LPs, some involving more of his regarded friends, included selections from his extensive catalogue. It was the extended version of the 1972 record, followed by a box set of the complete Bearsville sessions which confirmed the quality of the music he was making at that time. “You Came Along”, not previously released, is a simple, sumptuous, delightful declaration of love with outstanding support on piano from Spooner Oldham off of Muscle Shoals AL.
Charles chose to live a quiet life in Abbeville, his major concern the pollution caused by the refineries along the banks of the Mississippi. When his house burned down, leaving him with his car & little else he moved to Holly Beach on the Gulf of Mexico. A hurricane found him there & he returned to his hometown where unfortunately, in 2010 he collapsed & died aged 71.
His talent was that he merged his many musical influences with his own empathic personality to produce an attractive, individual take on American music. His lyrical facility, direct, honest, almost conversational, has meant that successive generations have found an affinity to his songs. In the UK Ian Dury, no slouch when it comes to vernacular lyrics, selected “Small Town Talk” as a Desert Island Disc. Lily Allen opted for McLain’s version of “Before I Grow Too Old”. That same song, as “Silver & Gold”, was recorded by the great Joe Strummer, appearing as the final track on his final LP with the Mescaleros. Everyone has a favourite Bobby Charles song, maybe it’s just that you haven’t heard yours yet. That great album can be found in full on the Y-tube so get to it. I’ll see you later…
tagged as bobby charles, i hope, small town talk, you came along
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Albeau sets new world windsurfing record at Luderitz Speed Challenge
By C.C. Weiss
Albeau sets new world windsurf...
Antoine Albeau set a new world record of 53.27 knots at this year's Lüderitz Speed Challenge
The Lüderitz Speed Challenge is all kinds of fun for attendees
Antoine Albeau on the "fast channel" outside Lüderitz, Namibia
In 2012, we watched the sailing speed record world shaken, with a raft of world records coming out of that year's Lüderitz Speed Challenge and surrounding Namibian waters. After starting off quietly on the world record front, this year's event saw one of those big 2012 records fall. French windsurfer Antoine Albeau beat his own mark to lift the 500-meter (1,640-ft) record up over 53 knots.
The Chris Benz Lüderitz Speed Challenge is not your average event, even in the above-average world of world speed-record chasing. Inland from the breezy coastlines where you'd expect to find people windsurfing and kiteboarding, the event takes place on an artificial 1-km-long (0.62-mile-long) strip of water in the middle of the Namib Desert. And it runs for weeks on end.
Sometimes called the Lüderitz Speed Channel, the "fast channel" used for the annual gathering of sailing speed hounds was purpose-designed for speed record-level windsurfing and kitesurfing by French kitesurfer Sébastien Cattelan. Cattelan became the first to break 50 knots (92.6 km/h, 57.5 mph) when he piloted his kite rig to 50.26 knots (93.08 km/h, 57.8 mph) on the Lüderitz channel in October 2008, the second year of the Speed Challenge. Many others have set world and national records on the channel over the years.
This year's Challenge kicked off on October 5 and experienced a few fairly quiet weeks before the wind really opened up on November 2. Albeau had flirted with his 52.05-knot (96.4-km/h, 59.9 mph) 2012 world record just two days earlier, hitting 51.66 knots (95.7 km/h, 59.5 mph). With wind speeds whipping up to 50+ knots and angles lined up well for record runs, Albeau knew it was game on.
Albeau seized the opportunity and dropped his 2012 record at around 1:30 p.m., averaging 52.41 knots (97.1 km/h, 60.3 mph) over 500 meters. The wind was still picking up, so he didn't stop there, going on to break the record multiple times, exceeding 53 knots and finally notching the new record at 53.27 knots (98.7 km/h, 61.3 mph).
By the end of the day, Albeau had taken 32 total runs, with 13 runs over 52 knots (96.3 km/h, 59.8 mph) and 4 runs over 53 knots (98.2 km/h). That's a truly awesome day on the water, especially considering that 50 knots was only reached a few years ago.
The World Sailing Speed Record Council has recognized Albeau's record, and the 2015 Lüderitz Speed Challenge isn't quite over yet. It runs through this Sunday, November 15, so there's still more time for world records to come crashing (sailing?) down.
Watch Albeau surf the wind to a new world record and talk about the experience in the three-minute video below.
Source: Lüderitz Challenge
Antoine Albeau-FRA: New World Record with 53.27 kts
SportsWorld RecordsWorld Speed Sailing RecordWindsurfer
C.C. Weiss
Chris joined the New Atlas team in 2011 and now serves as the automotive and campers editor, traveling extensively to gather the latest news on cars, outdoor sports gear and other innovations designed to help people experience and enjoy the greater world around them.
Bob Stuart November 10, 2015 11:49 AM
I'll be interested to see the jump in speed when someone tries out streamlined clothing. It is very easy to halve the drag on a round strut, and 10% is possible. I'd try carving a foam rubber set for each direction of sailing, and covering it with nylon to get a garment I could still walk in.
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Mind & body, Research, Science & environment
America’s health insurance gaps could speed spread of coronavirus
By Kara Manke| March 10, 2020 March 13, 2020
March 10, 2020 March 13, 2020 Kara Manke
More than 27 million Americans live without health insurance and may opt to delay testing or treatment for coronavirus over concerns about cost, potentially worsening the extent of outbreaks. (AP photo by John Minchillo)
While public health officials and policymakers race to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in the United States, they must also grapple with a daunting reality: Approximately 27 million Americans, or about 9% of the population, live without any form of health insurance. In the state of California, those without insurance number about 3 million and about 7.5% of the population.
As of Monday, March 9, more than 580 cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 have been confirmed in the United States, with 230 of those added just over the weekend. As testing ramps up around the country and these numbers continue to rise, it is inevitable that some of the affected will be without health insurance.
Berkeley News spoke with health policy and management expert Stephen Shortell about how America’s mix of public and private health insurance and the vast number of uninsured may impact the spread of the virus, and about what the solutions may be moving forward. Shortell is Distinguished Professor of Health Policy and Management Emeritus and dean emeritus at Berkeley’s School of Public health and also serves as co-director of the Center for Healthcare Organizational Innovation Research (CHOIR) and the Center for Lean Engagement and Research in Healthcare (CLEAR).
Stephen Shortell is Distinguished Professor of Health Policy and Management Emeritus and dean emeritus at Berkeley’s School of Public health.
Berkeley News: How does our health care insurance system compare with other countries facing coronavirus outbreaks right now, such as Italy and South Korea? Do you think our patchwork system could make outbreaks worse?
Stephen Shortell: Financial access to care is simply not a problem in most other developed countries, like Italy and South Korea, and many others affected or that will be affected by the outbreak.
The degree of financial coverage for health care is not an issue with regard to the initial outbreak of infectious diseases. But it can accelerate the spread to the extent that the initial people affected delay getting tested and getting their symptoms diagnosed because they lack insurance coverage or have no regular source of care. This is the added complication and challenge we have in the U.S.
How is our current health insurance system equipped to handle costs related to emerging diseases, like coronavirus?
For those without health insurance coverage who may need care, it will be provided by doctors and hospitals as “free care” without reimbursement. The extent to which those with health insurance coverage will have their coverage pay for the cost of their care will depend on the nature of their policy. In recent years, more care is paid out of pocket by consumers in the form of high deductibles, given the rising cost of care for which many employers are asking consumers to pay more. Those people with current chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and asthma, are more likely to experience more severe symptoms from the coronavirus, and this may result in exacerbations of their underlying conditions and add up to greater costs to treat.
Is there any evidence that people who are uninsured are more or less likely to get the virus?
Those without insurance tend to be lower income, have less than high school education, work in low wage jobs, live in areas that have more pollution and fewer health resources, and generally are in poorer health. Thus, they may be particularly susceptible/vulnerable/at risk for the coronavirus.
To my knowledge, none of the statistics so far have broken out those affected by insurance status or any other socio-demographic characteristics of the people involved. On the one hand, those without coverage who are unemployed may be more likely to stay at home and not be carriers of the virus or be exposed to it. They are certainly less likely to travel. But, on the other hand, those who are employed are more likely to go to work even when they are ill and should stay at home, because the low wage jobs typically do not have good sick leave policies, and people need the income.
President Trump has proposed using national disaster funding to pay for coronavirus treatment for people who are uninsured. Do you think this is a viable option for making up gaps in insurance coverage?
Yes, we may need to activate the national disaster funding to deal with the problem. It may be the price the current administration and Congress will need to pay for supporting policies that have eroded the Affordable Care Act, resulting in an increase in the number of uninsured.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered that insurance companies waive the fee for coronavirus testing and screening in the state. Do people who are uninsured or with high-deductible plans have any other recourse for covering unexpected medical bills related to coronavirus?
Currently, there is no recourse for people receiving surprise medical bills related to the coronavirus, but there are some bills designed to eliminate surprise medical billing, and not just for coronavirus, (that are) germinating in Congress and various states.
Based on your research, what is the best solution for protecting Americans in the face of the potentially high costs of emerging diseases, like the coronavirus?
Universal health insurance coverage is needed. It doesn’t have to be single payer; there are a lot of ways of getting there. And in California, we’re working on that. Of course, at the federal level, a lot depends on the election. The number of uninsured has increased as a result of the current administration’s elimination of key features of the Affordable Care Act. We do not know how many of those with the coronavirus are uninsured, but having universal health insurance coverage would eliminate financial barriers to testing and treatment.
Topics: coronavirus, global, health
Student’s nonprofit helps close digital divide during...
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Orbital ATK's Board of Directors Declares $0.26 Per Share Quarterly Dividend and Expands Share Repurchase Program
Innovation Systems • Orbital ATK Archive
Company s Board Also Authorizes an Additional $150 Million for Share Repurchases Through 2016
DULLES, Va.Nov. 2, 2015-- Orbital ATK, Inc. (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies, today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.26 per share. The dividend will be payable December 10, 2015 to stockholders of record as of November 18, 2015.
Orbital ATK s Board also authorized an expansion of the company s stock repurchase program, increasing the aggregate amount of common stock that may be purchased under the program from the lesser of $100 million or 1.4 million shares to the lesser of $250 million or 3.25 million shares through calendar year 2016. As previously announced, shares of common stock may be purchased from time to time in the open market, subject to compliance with applicable laws and regulations and the company s debt covenants and other agreements, depending upon market conditions and other factors.
We are very pleased to announce that the Board has approved an expansion of our capital allocation program through the end of 2016, with its authorization for an additional $150 million in share buybacks, said David W. Thompson, Orbital ATK s President and Chief Executive Officer. The Board continues to be strongly supportive of a balanced approach to capital allocation that includes dividends, share repurchases and required debt repayment, along with investments in research and development and capital equipment to provide avenues for organic growth.
About Orbital ATK
Orbital ATK is a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies. The company designs, builds and delivers space, defense and aviation systems for customers around the world, both as a prime contractor and merchant supplier. Its main products include launch vehicles and related propulsion systems; missile products, subsystems and defense electronics; precision weapons, armament systems and ammunition; satellites and associated space components and services; and advanced aerospace structures. Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Orbital ATK employs approximately 12,000 people in 18 states across the U.S. and in several international locations. For more information, visit www.orbitalatk.com.
Certain information discussed in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including expectations for share repurchases, dividends and debt repayment. Forward-looking information is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Among those factors are decisions related to capital deployment which may be impacted by the company s performance and the market price for the company s common stock among other factors; the potential inability to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies; the potential inability to maintain and grow customer relationships; reductions or changes in U.S. Government military or NASA spending; timing of payments and budgetary policies; changes in cost and revenue estimates and/or timing of programs; the potential termination of U.S. Government contracts and the potential inability to recover termination costs; costs of servicing debt, including cash requirements and interest rate fluctuations; potential customer loss and business disruption; potential difficulties in retaining key employees; and the costs and ultimate outcome of litigation matters and other legal proceedings. Orbital ATK undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. For further information on factors that could impact Orbital ATK, and statements contained herein, please refer to the company s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Source: Orbital ATK, Inc.
Investor and Media Contact:
Barron Beneski, 703-406-5528
barron.beneski@orbitalatk.com
Tim Paynter
Vice President, Strategic Communications
timothy.paynter@ngc.com
Northrop Grumman Technologies Lift NASA’s Parker Solar Probe on Mission to the Sun
Past, Present and Future: Northrop Grumman’s Solid Rocket Motors
Northrop Grumman Statement on Pegasus/ICON Launch
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Panthers, Cardinals home betting favorites for NFC Divisional Round
By Keenan SlusherJan 14, 2016, 12:26 PM EST
The Carolina Panthers will be looking to end a three-game straight-up losing streak in NFC Divisional Playoff action when they play host to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday as 2.5-point betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
The 15-1 Panthers capped their regular season schedule with a convincing 38-10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as 10-point home chalk.
However, they have failed to progress past the Divisional Playoff round since 2006, taking a 1-4 SU overall record in their past five playoff games into Sunday afternoon’s Seahawks vs. Panthers betting matchup at Bank of America Stadium.
Carolina has dominated in the standings, but struggled at the sportsbooks down the stretch, going 2-3 against the spread in their final five regular-season contests. However, they remain a solid bet at home, covering in five of their past six games according to the OddsShark NFL Database.
The Seahawks continued their strong defensive play in last weekend’s 10-9 Wild Card victory over Minnesota. Seattle has won seven of eight SU, allowing more than 13 points on just two occasions while holding opponents to just two total major scores over their past five wins.
The Seahawks have also been one of the NFL’s most successful playoff performers over the past two years, going 6-1 SU in their past seven postseason games, including a 43-8 victory over Denver in Super Bowl XLVIII.
In Saturday’s NFC Divisional Playoff matchup, the Arizona Cardinals hope to avoid losing back-to-back contests for the first time in over a year when they host the Green Bay Packers as 7.5-point betting favorites. The Cardinals suffered a 36-6 loss to the Seahawks in their final regular-season outing as 6-point chalk.
That loss further diminished the attraction of Arizona as a heavy favorite, dropping them to 2-5 ATS in their past seven when favored by six or more points. However, the club has held opponents to just 12.2 points per game over their past five wins, forcing the point total UNDER in five of their past six, including three home contests.
The Packers travel to the desert riding high following a 35-18 win over the NFC East champion Washington Redskins in last weekend’s Wild Card matchup, picking up the outright win as 2-point underdogs.
The win ended a two-game SU and ATS slide and marked their highest offensive output on the road since a 38-17 win in Chicago early in the 2014 campaign.
The Packers are a mediocre 4-3 SU and ATS in their last seven road games, 2-2 SU and ATS in their last four games as underdogs, and winless in their past two visits to University of Phoenix Stadium.
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Bonding With Consumers Key To Nintendo’s Success
December 26, 1989 December 28, 2019 Craig Majaski 0 Comments
Key factors to a successful business is often being at the right place at the right time. Nintendo single handedly resurrected the video game industry back in the fall of 1985 and has continued its meteoric rise ever since. They’ve gone from obscurity to a household name in the U.S. in just four years.
While it’s undeniably the power of the NES and the quality of the games it runs that are core to Nintendo’s popularity, consumer outreach and clever marketing has been just as important. Since the launch of the NES the company has spent millions of dollars advertising on TV, in stores, and directly to consumers. For several years those that sent in a warranty card for their NES were rewarded with a free subscription to Nintendo Fun Club News. This later morphed into Nintendo Power in July of 1988 – a bi-monthly 100 page magazine devoted to the world of Nintendo. It has since garnered almost 2 million subscribers – people Nintendo can directly market to six times a year.
It’s not all about marketing, though. If you take the time to write a letter to Nintendo, they will reply back. No question is too silly for them to respond to and they receive a lot of mail from loyal fans – over 15,000 letters a week! They also have a slew of Game Play Counselors on staff that kids (and adults!) can call to learn tips and tricks for the entire library of NES games.
From sending in pictures of high scores to writing in their own secrets they’ve discovered, Nintendo encourages gamers of all ages to reach out and interact with them. In an age where many companies dread letters from the public and often don’t reply directly to their consumers, Nintendo has taken the opposite approach and it seems to have paid off big time!
Staying In The Game – Nintendo Effort Aims At The Loyalty Of U.S. Consumers
Sun-Sentinel
On a conference room wall at Nintendo of America Inc.’s headquarters hangs a 20-foot-long picture frame, crammed with hundreds of snapshots and school photographs of children.
They are photographs children sent on their own, said Nintendo spokesman Bill White, usually with a note about how they did on a Nintendo video game.
For a company that gets thousands of photos, tens of thousands of letters and millions of phone calls from customers, 1990 may pose a problem: How to keep that loyalty.
With a Nintendo Entertainment System in one out of nearly four U.S. households, toy industry watchers wonder whether the market is getting saturated.
“I look at Nintendo as a fad that is moving into its fourth year,” said Paul Valentine, an analyst at Standard & Poor’s Corp. in New York.
If for no other reason, he said, that makes Nintendo vulnerable to a slump.
“We’ve certainly seen the predictions of the doomsayers that we’ve reached saturation,” White said. “That certainly hasn’t been the case.”
Nevertheless, game players and marketeers at Nintendo are hustling to keep their top-selling toy fresh among customers. Beyond scouting new and more detailed games, ideas range from “store within a store” retail displays to marketing tie-ins with Pepsi to a feature-length movie.
This Christmas, Nintendo introduced its hand-held game Game Boy, which the company hopes will sell 1 million units. Nintendo forecasts selling 9 million of the entertainment system consoles this year.
By late 1990, Nintendo plans to have its “NES Network” running, which will allow the machines to be used to trade securities and mutual funds through Fidelity Investments and for game players to compete in nationwide tournaments.
At Nintendo’s U.S. headquarters in Redmond, a suburb of Seattle, the bustling hallways, jingling phones and jammed shipping docks during the Christmas selling season testified to the prosperity of a company that has had the nation’s No.1 toy the past three years.
The subsidiary of Nintendo Co. Ltd. of Japan projects more than $2.7 billion in retail sales for 1989, $1 billion more than last year and nearly nine times as much as in 1986.
This year, NEC Home Electronics (U.S.A.) Inc. and Sega of America Inc., also subsidiaries of Japanese companies, brought out competing machines offering more computing power than Nintendo’s. Atari Corp. also has introduced a competitor to Game Boy, called Lynx.
Still, Nintendo claims a 79 percent share of a video game market the company estimates at $3.4 billion. Nintendo’s Japanese parent may introduce a more high-powered system in Japan next summer, White said.
Nintendo expects to have sold 20 million video game systems by the end of this year, with the devices in 22 percent of all U.S. households.
But Valentine said he thinks sales will drop sharply in 1990. He thinks toy crazes just don’t last more than three or four years.
“I think when the fad goes we’ll see a sharp contraction of sales, anywhere from 40 to 70 percent over two years,” he said.
Still, he said, that would leave video games as the largest category within the toy industry.
Many toy makers are hoping Nintendo crashes, said Larry Carlat, editor of Toy and Hobby World magazine.
“It probably will be down, but a lot of it is wishful thinking,” he said.
“No company has been really able to hold onto a smash and be able to manage it in the past. It’s always been a boom and bust cycle,” Carlat said. “It doesn’t look like that is going to happen with Nintendo. People in the toy business use the term ‘soft landing.”‘
White said there are encouraging signs of market longevity in the United States. Two years ago, he said, 75 percent to 80 percent of the primary users of Nintendo games were boys 6 to 14.
The interest has broadened, he said, so that segment only represents 46 percent of the main users now.
Men 18 or older now make up 30 percent of the primary users, while women and girls comprise a 24 percent share, White said.
“The biggest change has been the widespread adoption of the Nintendo Entertainment System as a true entertainment option” to television, video cassettes or stereos, he said.
Nintendo does its best to cultivate fan loyalty, White said. It has 400 game counselors at its U.S. headquarters, who handle 140,000 calls a week from stumped players.
The company’s magazine, Nintendo Power, has 1.8 million subscribers. The company gets 15,000 letters a week, and a roomful of writers responds to each letter personally.
“You’ve got to bond with them,” White said.
So far, Nintendo has lent its name to 200 licensed products, from sweatshirts to dolls, bedsheets to breakfast cereal. It’s also set up about 5,000 World of Nintendo store displays to sell the merchandise.
In addition, there are two television series. Earlier this month a Nintendo-themed movie, The Wizard, opened nationally.
Although the licensing earns money, it also is a powerful marketing tool for Nintendo, White said. Likewise, a Christmas-time promotion with Pepsi broadened Nintendo’s advertising.
White, however, said the tie-ins and licensing deals still are secondary to the core of the industry, the games.
Nintendo has sold 101 million individual games, and hopes for a new hit when it brings out Super Mario Bros. 3 next year, a far more intricate version of this year’s best-selling game, he said.
[Source: Sun Sentinel]
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A Man and A Woman: After half a century
Interview: Татьяна Розенштайн
She acted as Jacques Demy’s Lola, as Federico Fellini’s corrupted aristocrat, but the audience most remembered her as Anna Gauthier from Claude Lelouch's movie “A Man and A Woman”. And now Anouk Aimee – icon of French cinema − at the age of 87, she returns to the screen with the film “Best years of life” in 2019, in which the same Claude Lelouch showed what happened to the heroes of “A Man and A Woman” 53 years later.
Why is Anna Gauthier so attractive that you decided to return to her image?
After the film “A Man and A Woman” received the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival, filming its continuation 53 years later was perhaps the biggest adventure in my life. I still did not understand what happened to me, but it was undoubtedly something beautiful. Although there were quite a lot of adventures, beautiful meetings, charismatic men in my life… When Claude invited me to star in his new film, I did not ask about anything, but simply said: “Yes!”. For me he is a family, for his sake I am ready even for the most insignificant roles. In addition, I was in love with Anna Gauthier, and if you love your heroes, you always want to know what happened to them later ... I still remember our 1966 premiere, followed by numerous award ceremonies. “Golden Globe”, “Oscar” – these were magical, unforgettable moments... I remember when our film was declared the winner at the Oscars, the audience exploded with applause. And I saw Claude's happy face... Such a touching picture – a young guy, smiling embarrassedly, is standing in front of a roaring crowd. It seems to me that I never heard such a roar again, except at the awarding ceremony of the Spielberg “Alien”! But when I remember the shooting itself, I involuntarily want to laugh at the absurdity of fate. Claude invested his own money in this little film and swore that if he failed, he would leave the movie and look for another profession. Therefore, he worked on his picture, as if for the last time. And when you do something for the last time, you give your best – there is nothing more to lose! He himself wrote the script, became the director, producer, cameraman and editor of his picture. Jean-Louis was already a well-known actor, especially after working with Roger Vadim. I was known from the films of Federico Fellini, but every day when I came for shootings, I had to do my own makeup. We had one stylist for the whole crew, who not only picked up costumes for everyone, but also straightened actors’ hair.
In "A Man and A Woman" I am always struck by the scene where he rushes racing with the train to see her. I always wanted to meet such a man. Do they exist in the world?
The plot of “A Man and A Woman” came to Claude after one day in the early morning in Normandy, on Deauville Beach, when he met a woman with a dog. Her image did not go out of his head for a long time, and he hastened to Paris to put his impressions on paper. Claude always wrote scripts, drawing inspiration from real life. And the man who risked his life to meet a woman was Claude himself. Only that woman was not me or that stranger from Normandy, but a completely different woman. I know this for sure, although Claude did not like to share his personal stories.
How do you think such love arises?
Such love requires courage. Anna sent a telegram to Jean-Louis with three words: “I love you”. In those days, this step was itself an act of courage, which later turns their lives on. The most difficult thing is to take this step, but if it is done, life instantly begins to make sense. However, besides courage, people still have to possess emotional intelligence. Meetings that leave a mark can only happen to those who live outside of stereotypes and who have developed sensitivity. I liked how Claude shamelessly exposed his feelings of a true man. After receiving a telegram, when Jean-Louis was driving, he leads a very frank imaginary dialogue with his lover. Men rarely share such thoughts aloud, so I thank Claude for showing them to us. The movie has an extraordinary ability: when we watch films, other people's memories become our own, it begins to seem to us that what we saw happened to us. The love of Anna and Jean-Louis has become the property of everyone who understands what love really means, and is ready to survive all that goes with it.
The scene of the reunion of Anna and Jean-Louis in the new film is very touching. What have you experienced so many years later after seeing your filming partner?
When I act in films, I never analyze anything - I just live in the present moment, live it like a real life. Jean-Louis and I plunged together at that moment and allowed events to occur spontaneously. There was something magical about it... The former Jean-Louis was an extraordinary character: talented, full of poetry, crazy, beautiful and hypersensitive. I always liked this kind of men. We were never too close in reality, but Jean-Louis has always been an important part of my life. I think he experienced the same thing for me, and "A Man and A Woman" bound us forever. In the new film, he tells me: “We are about the same age, but for some reason it seems to me that you are twenty years younger than me,” and I reply, “I like this touching freshness and naivety in people, especially when they are already young. This meeting was shot in one take. It is difficult to talk about life for those who are still young. But if you live enough, then conversations about life arise by themselves. In the new film, Jean-Louis loses his memory, from all his meetings he remembers the only one – with the woman he once loved. Claude was familiar with this case: when people lose their memory, especially at an age when memories are considered the most important side of life. He had a woman, a friend. She is no longer alive, but something similar happened to her before her death...
The current picture is called "The Best Years of Life." And what time would you call the best in your life?
Today now! I was always very lucky, and life still continues to please me. Just think, at age 87 I arrived at the Cannes Film Festival, at the premiere of my film! I have no choice but to feel happy and grateful. Of course, in my life there were other important happy moments, like everyone else... This film continues the story that happened in 1966 and left its mark. It is about meetings that sometimes happen and remain in the heart for life. Claude shot a new picture very quickly, it took him only 13 days. The script was, as usual, short, the director preferred to explain the main idea to the actors and simply provide us with the opportunity to improvise. Like fifty years ago, we had no rehearsals: we met and filming began immediately. By the way, in the first scene there are our children – the children of Anna and Jean-Louis, the same ones who in the first film, the viewer has seen very little ones.
You really look twenty years younger than your movie partner. What is the secret of your youth?
Makeup and a good operator. I think this is the secret of all the pretty actresses on the screen. Or maybe someone up there loves and protects me. I was never either ambitious or conceited, I did not try to build a career, I rather allowed myself to get carried away with the idea, the course of events. Previously, cinema seemed to be something mystical, with numerous secrets around movie stars. Today there are no more stars – all have supplanted technology. Although I never felt like a star, I was rather just a woman who was lucky and who lives her life the way she likes. And it’s real luxury to do what you like! I always tried to choose films myself. Even today it turned out that I was the only actress who was destined to return to her previous role 53 years later. All my life I just enjoyed what I was doing.
Is there something you regret today?
If you look at the number of films in which I participated, at the people with whom I worked, I have nothing to regret... Perhaps I did not always make the right choice. For example, I didn’t want to star in Robert Altman’s film “High Fashion”, it was just that money was needed. That's what I'm sorry about... There were other projects where I had to say yes, but I didn’t. For example, I refused to star in the film "Thomas Crown Scam", and Faye Dunaway played my role, and this role was written specifically for me. But then I was offered many roles, I was like hot cakes. The producers came to Paris several times in order to persuade me to play in this FILM. And the main character in it was played by Steve McQueen – and he was also the second choice, the producers predicted Sean Connery for this role. Incidentally, he later also admitted that he was very sorry for his refusal.
You started filming quite early, but they started talking about you only twenty years later...
True, real success came to me in the late 1950s, after the painting "Lovers from Montparnasse." Gerard Philip played the artist Modigliani in it, and I – his young lover. Then Federico Fellini noticed me and took me into his films “Dolce Vita” and “Eight and a Half”. When the “Dolce Vita” was released, the cars still had “tail fins”, and women appreciated the their curves, and men, by the way, noisily and openly expressed their enthusiasm about this. Today, both feelings and forms have become, to put it mildly, slender... Fellini was a great director, he created author films and spent on them such huge funds for which blockbusters were shot at that time. This was necessary for him to create his own special world, a microcosm full of the craziest and most exciting ideas. In Italy he was idolized, therefore his quirks were treated with understanding. In the end, he glorified Italian cinema!
At age 14, you played your first role. How did you end up on the set?
This happened in 1946, and is quite prosaic. I walked along Coliseum street in the eighth arrondissement of Paris when a man approached me and invited me to act in films. Later, I found out that the man’s name is Henri Calef, he was the director of “House on the Sea”, in which my heroine was called Anouk. Then I had no plans to act in films, I always wanted to be a dancer. My mother was with me then, we were going to the cinema, to Billy Wilder’s “Double Insurance” film with Fred McMurray and Barbara Stanwick. I remember my mother said that stage experience is also important for the dancer. So I made my film debut. I repeat, I have always been very lucky to have good people. Just imagine: a young, unknown girl – and immediately gets to the popular director. Pure luck! By the way, I owe my last name to Aimee to Jacques Prevert, who wrote the script for the film by Marcel Carne “At the height of years”, which, unfortunately, was not finished. At first, after the first film, everyone called me just Anuk. But Prevert said: “You cannot always be called Anouk. Imagine you are forty and you are still Anuk! You need a middle name. ” The idea that I would ever be forty was at that time completely abstract for me, in addition, the actress Arletti, who was forty years old, played in that film, and yet everyone called her by name. However, I did not argue, I rarely argued with directors. All the adults around me called affectionately aimée – so I turned from Nicole Dreyfus to Anouk Aime.
A beautiful name, but didn’t it bother you that it sounded intimate?
Never. I always liked when people loved me, when people liked me and was in the spotlight. And it was always so easy to seduce me...
White bedspread in flowers
1440 Minutes with Teymour Rajabov
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Share this Story: Rift between lacrosse players and Canadian association puts national team at risk for world championship
Rift between lacrosse players and Canadian association puts national team at risk for world championship
A players' association seeks answers to a list of concerns and aims withhold players from the quadrennial world tournament in July
Dan Barnes
Canada won the world field lacrosse championship gold-medal game in 2006 in London, Ont. Canada lost to the U.S. in the final in 2010 and defeated the U.S. for the title in 2014. Photo by Claus Anderson /Postmedia Network files
A labour dispute between the Canadian Lacrosse Association and national team players threatens the country’s participation in a prestigious world championship.
The Canadian men’s field lacrosse squad should already be preparing to defend its 2014 world title at the upcoming tournament, which will take place in Israel in July.
Instead, every member of the 34-man pool of players has refused to sign on for the tournament, and the CLA is attempting to recruit replacements, which has rankled the newly formed National Lacrosse Team Players Association leadership and members.
“I am disappointed that the CLA has decided to go in this direction,” pool member Brodie Merrill said. “In my opinion, trying to solicit replacement players is a waste of time. There is a deep connection that Canadian lacrosse players share, at all levels, male and female. It is what I love and appreciate about Canadian lacrosse. The CLA not recognizing this surprises me and further delays a resolution. We are willing and anxious to work alongside the CLA to come up with a fair and equitable agreement we can all be proud of. Until then, Canadian lacrosse players across the country will stand united.”
The national team players want the CLA to formally recognize the NLTPA. They also have monetary and insurance concerns, and are looking to increase their influence with proposed changes to the CLA board and its organizational structure.
The CLA lost its status as a charitable organization in 2010 because of participation in a tax-shelter donation program. The loss of status affects fund-raising efforts, which in turn hits the players’ pocketbooks, so the NLTPA is pressing the CLA to regain status.
The CLA, which did not immediately provide a spokesperson or answers to Postmedia’s emailed questions on Monday, said on its website that it has addressed some of the players’ monetary and insurance issues, and has begun the process of reapplying for charitable status, but has concerns with other NLTPA proposals.
“The CLA has informed the NLTPA that it needs more time to properly consider some of the additional proposals put forward including recognizing the NLTPA and implementing changes to the operating structure of the organization. Many of these changes need to be brought forward by the members at the Meeting of the Members in November.”
NLTPA lawyer Richard Furlong believes there is a more immediate solution, provided the CLA is willing to negotiate a four-year deal.
“We prefer (formal recognition) be done now. But I think by simply entering into a contract with us that included the proper funding for the teams, in essence they’d be recognizing us as somebody who speaks for the players.
“The recognition is very important. I really don’t want to downplay that. But as long as we have an enforceable agreement that covers the next four years and covers all five (national) teams, we’re good to go. And the best players in the world get on that plane to defend that title in July.
“But we can’t get a deal done if they ignore our requests to meet.”
The CLA has broken off talks with Furlong, saying it will speak directly to players interested in going to the worlds, and resume negotiations with the NLTPA once the team is formed.
“My best guess based on their statements and their attitudes over the past literally three years is that they are not going to deal with the players or their representative,” Furlong said.
“They’re going to try to assemble a replacement team. They’ll either fail to assemble a replacement team, in which case no team goes and it’s an unmitigated disaster.
“Or they will get together a ragtag replacement team that goes and gets their heads handed to them in the tournament, which is also an unmitigated disaster. So either way, the CLA is driving hard toward an unmitigated disaster.”
In a Sunday media release, the NLTPA said the CLA’s efforts to find replacement players has fallen flat. The release also provided this quote from player Kyle Rubisch.
“I was asked by the CLA to go to Israel and play in place of those guys who have taken a principled stand. The CLA cannot expect me or other players to overthrow what these players have been working toward.”
So the clock ticks and Canada’s reputation as a world power in lacrosse hangs in the balance.
“There are several risks that could negatively impact the future of lacrosse in Canada should we fail to send a team” to the 2018 world championship, the CLA states on its website.
“We are working very hard to mitigate these risks for the short and longer term viability of the organization. We remain committed to fielding a team that will safeguard the future of the national team program, and continue to serve our 60,000 athletes, coaches and officials across the country.”
• Email: dbarnes@postmedia.com | Twitter: @sportsdanbarnes
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The person who had the idea to erect a monument to Neil Gunn was Kerr Yule, Chemistry teacher at Dingwall Academy. Kerr and his wife, Ann, were both enthusiastic readers of Neil Gunn’s books. One Saturday morning the couple were sitting on the banks of the Skiach River, a few hundred yards to the north and west of where the Monument is now situated on Heights of Brae. Ann had just been reading The Shadow by Neil Gunn. There is a scene in The Shadow where two men are quarrelling and fighting: Kerr and Ann were wondering if the scene they were looking towards could possibly have been the exact spot where the fight had taken place.
It was then that Kerr suddenly said “Why don’t we erect a Monument to Neil Gunn” – and so the project was born.
The first thing needed was to find other local people as keen to take part in such a project as Kerr and Ann were.
The first person that Kerr approached was Allan Haldane, who taught Art at Dingwall Academy. Kerr thought that Allan’s artistic skills would be very helpful in launching the idea.
Next Kerr decided to approach Douglas Murray, a local architect, who Kerr had met very recently and been impressed by him.
Then Bob Davidson approached Kerr in the library in Dingwall, having read the article in the Ross-shire Journal indicating the proposal of a Monument being erected on Heights of Brae above Dingwall. Bob was keen to be involved in such a project – our one volunteer.
Alison Wilkie, who worked for the BBC and, at one time, had her own programme, was the next person to be approached, as Kerr reckoned that we would need a lot of publicity to interest others in what we intended to undertake.
Finlay Macrae, forester and piper, was the last person to join the team of seven local people, each with a different talent.
The first meeting of the Neil Gunn Trust was held in April, 1983. Kerr was appointed as Chairmen, Allan as Treasurer and Bob as Secretary, with Ann, Alison, Douglas and Finlay as Trustees.
Over the years the seven trustees worked well together as a team, with the result that the Neil Gunn Monument was unveiled in 1987 by Sorley Maclean, renowned Gaelic poet, and Jessie Kesson, author, on the last day of October.
Since that time the Trust has been involved in many projects, including a photographic competition, donating a plaque to the Strathpeffer Games for a running race, organising a Neil Gunn Writing Competition in partnership with Ross & Cromarty District Council, whose suggestion this was, every second year and organising a Neil Gunn Lecture in the intervening year.
Pictured above are some of the Trustees. From left to right: Douglas Murray (Trustee), Ann Yule (Trustee/Convener), Michel Faber (Author & Judge), Janet MacInnes (Judge), Charlotte MacArthur (Trustee) and in the front row Rhoda Michael (Judge and Supporter of the Trust)
Over the years there has been change in the Trustees. Ann Yule is the present Convenor of the Neil Gunn Trust, Douglas Murray is now the Vice-Convenor and Charlotte MacArthur is the Administrator of the Neil Gunn Writing Competition and the Trust’s Treasurer. Marilyn Sneddon was the Trust’s Treasurer for many years; she continues as a Trustee and Minutes Secretary. The Trust’s most recently acquired Trustee is Alisdair Stewart, a forester, who also looks after groups of Community Payback offenders; this has proved to be very helpful regarding the maintaining of the Neil Gunn Viewpoint area.
Bob Davidson, Author and owner of Sandstone Press
St Clements Church, Dingwall. A work by the late Alan Haldane.
A number of the Trustees seated with Scottish writer, broadcaster and cleric, Richard Holloway
Bob Davidson is now the Managing Director of the publishing firm, Sandstone Press, but still assists the Trust by sponsoring the biennial Neil Gunn Lecture.
Colin Ferguson was a Trustee for several years, with a particular interest in the Neil Gunn Writing Competition. He became involved with a project in Africa and stood down as an active Trustee at that time. His involvement in that project has now greatly decreased and Colin is now back helping to judge the Secondary Schools section of the Neil Gunn Writing Competition.
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Civil rights lawyer that defended MLK to speak at commencement
The alumnus also fought for those exploited in the Tuskegee Syphilis Study
The selection of the commencement speaker is based on their contribution to their respective fields and connection to CWRU. As a lawyer, Fred Grey has fought for Rose Park and Martin Luther King Jr. Last year, Grey also received the CWRU Distinguished Alumni Award.
Christopher Nguyen, Staff Reporter
Fred Gray, a lawyer, civil rights activist and alumnus of what is now the Case Western Reserve University School of Law, was chosen to be the commencement speaker for the class of 2017 in early March.
After earning his law degree from Western Reserve University, Gray became a central figure of the Civil Rights Movement, with the goal of abolishing segregation and championing civil rights for African-Americans. He represented Rosa Parks when she was charged with disorderly conduct for refusing to sit at the back of the bus in Alabama, successfully defended Martin Luther King, Jr. in front of an all-white jury in 1960, and sued the government on behalf of the African-American men that were taken advantage of in the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. Gray still practices law today at the age of 86.
The annual commencement ceremony recognizes the achievements of graduates with the awarding of degrees. The start of commencement will begin with university convocation, which includes the convocation speaker’s commencement speech.
According to Eric Dicken, the senior executive director of Donor Relations, University Events and Presidential Protocol, the university chooses convocation speakers based on their achievements in their respective fields on the national to international stage. In addition to this, the university looks for speakers that have strong existing connections to CWRU, whether they are an acting trustee, a past student or an active alumnus.
Gray’s contributions to the advancement of civil rights are monumental achievements, allowing him to share some valuable experiences; however, it is his status as an active alumnus that cements his position as this year’s convocation speaker.
“Highlighting an alumnus for this speech shines a light on the incredible work our graduates accomplish in their chosen fields after completing their degrees at Case Western Reserve University,” said Dicken.
Gray had also recently received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the CWRU Alumni Association during the last homecoming. The award is the highest honor that the Alumni Association can provide, recognizing “professional accomplishments, service and overall achievement.” According to Dicken, Gray’s remarks at the awards ceremony were “incredibly moving,” which played a role in his selection as the commencement speaker.
“Inviting him to speak at commencement would provide an opportunity for his story to be heard by a broader audience, including our most recent alumni and their families,” said Dicken.
The speaker for the class of 2016 during last year’s commencement was alumnus Mark Weinberger, the CEO of Ernst & Young, a multinational financial services firm. The commencement speaker for the class of 2015 was retired Warner Bros. CEO and alumnus Barry Meyer.
The commencement ceremony this year will take place on May 21.
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Franklin and the French
Published on July 3, 2017 by D. G. Hart
When Ben Franklin made Philadelphia great:
In 1776 Franklin was the most potent weapon the United States possessed in its struggle with the greatest power on earth. Lord Rockingham observed at the time that the British ministers would publicly play down Franklin’s mission to France, but “inwardly they will tremble at it.” The British government had good reason to tremble. Franklin was eventually able not only to bring the French monarchy into the war against Britain on behalf of the new republic of the United States but also to sustain the alliance for almost a half-dozen years. Without his presence in Paris throughout that tumultuous time, the French would never have been as supportive of the American Revolution as they were. And without that French support, the War for Independence might never have been won. (Gordon Wood, The Americanization of Ben Franklin, 171)
Categories Novus Ordo Seclorum•Tags American Independence, Ben Franklin, France, Gordon Wood
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“Go Your Own Way” — Fleetwood Mac
Mar 3, 2018·5 min read
There have been plenty of hit records about falling in love. And plenty about wishing you could be with someone who isn’t there any more. But hit records recorded in real time as your intimate relationship with another band member hits the rocks are a little rarer.
It’s said that every cloud has a sliver lining. If that’s true, the path “Go Your Own Way” took to the top of the charts around the world is as good an example of the phenomenon as you’ll find.
As the lead single from Fleetwood Mac’s album “Rumours”, “Go Your Own Way” also re-launched the band after a few fallow years.
“Rumours” would go on to achieve multi-platinum status around the world and sell over 40 million copies, making it one of the top selling albums of all time.
That probably wasn’t on Lindsey Buckingham’s mind when he was writing it, though. “Go Your Own Way” was a song that was as much about coming to terms with his split from Stevie Nicks as it was about putting words and notes down on a piece of paper to fulfil a recording contract.
Lindsey Buckingham wouldn’t be the first to use the songwriting process as part of their own therapy following a major life event but, alongside Adele and a small number of other luminaries, he’s been one of the few to write an international smash hit as a result of his experiences.
Given that it’s much easier to write a morose breakup song, as you’re probably feeling pretty morose while you’re writing it, one of the reasons “Go Your Own Way” was so successful is its defiant tone. That spirit of “get lost…I’ll be just fine without you”.
Yet, the tone isn’t too aggressive either, which would be as much of a turn-off as an overly-morose song would be. It actually starts in quite a reflective place…
Isn’t the right thing to do
How can I ever
Change things that I feel
If I could
Maybe I’d give you my world
How can I
When you won’t take it from me
In the interests of journalistic integrity, I should probably point out that this isn’t quite how Stevie Nicks saw things at the time.
As luck would have it…I’m sure that’s how they both came to see it many years later after the dust settled…Stevie Nicks had also written a song for “Rumours” with her take on their break-up which would itself go on to become a worldwide hit record. That song was called “Dreams”…
Now here you go again, you say
You want your freedom
Well who am I to keep you down
It’s only right that you should
Play the way you feel it
But listen carefully to the sound
Of your loneliness
Like a heartbeat drives you mad
In the stillness of remembering what you had
And what you lost, and what you had, and what you lost
I don’t know who called this one right. Perhaps, as is often the case, the truth lies somewhere between the two.
Whether Lindsey Buckingham really was doing everything he could to give Stevie Nicks “the world”, or whether it was his own behaviour that led to the split, doesn’t matter for our purposes. Somehow, in amongst the angst, the tantrums and the allegedly epic levels of narcotic consumption, two wonderful songs were written which would propel Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” to the top of the album charts.
As well as being one of only a handful of albums to sell over 40 million copies…right up there with “Dark Side Of The Moon”, “Saturday Night Fever” and “Bat Out Of Hell”… “Rumours” garnered plenty of critical acclaim.
As the lead single, “Go Your Own Way” blazed the trail.
In the years since its release in late 1976, “Go Your Own Way” has made it into Rolling Stone Magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All-Time list and was voted as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs That Shaped Rock And Roll.
“Go Your Own Way” brought the band back into the limelight again after the turmoil of Peter Green’s descent into a drug-dependency in the early 1970s forced them in a different direction.
Part of the impact of “Go Your Own Way” was Mick Fleetwood’s strangely off-beat drumming…owing something to Ringo Starr’s iconic drums on “Ticket To Ride” perhaps…one of those things that in theory shouldn’t work at all, but in practice turned out to be one of the most enduring elements of the song in people’s memories.
Beyond his songwriting, Lindsey Buckingham also brought a great guitar solo to “Go Your Own Way”. Back in the Peter Green days, guitar solos were a big part of the Fleetwood Mac sound on songs like “Oh Well” (here if you need a reminder… https://youtu.be/O8RhZDGLEXM ).
I don’t think Lindsey Buckingham would claim to be one of those “legendary axe-men” like Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, or even Peter Green. But he was a great songwriter and undoubtedly excellent guitarist.
It’s a personal view, but I think the guitar solo on “Go Your Own Way” is enhanced by Lindsey Buckingham’s unusual playing style. Unlike most rock guitarists he doesn’t use a plectrum. Instead he picks the strings with his fingers like a bass player or folk guitarist would do.
To my ear, that gives a slightly softer tone, but it also means when he plays his solo on “Go Your Own Way”, Lindsey Buckingham is literally shredding his fingers on the strings and bringing some of the pain and frustration he must have felt about his split with Stevie Nicks to the song.
He’s got skin in the game…no pun intended…just watch his right hand furiously pluck and strum the guitar strings in the video below. For Lindsey Buckingham this isn’t just another song…this one’s personal.
In the end, he produced a true sliver lining from the cloud of his break-up with Stevie Nicks. He’d worked things out in his mind. He realised it was time for her to go…
Given all that, it’s perhaps ironic that the final image on the video is a flourish from Stevie Nicks on the tambourine.
She’s on record as disagreeing strongly with how “Go Your Own Way” portrayed her relationship with Lindsey Buckingham, writing “Dreams” to set the record straight from her perspective.
Maybe…even on his own song…Stevie Nicks had the last word after all…
Here’s Fleetwood Mac with the song that launched them into rock music superstardom… it’s “Go Your Own Way” …
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading about another of my favourite songs. I’m grateful that you’ve taken the time to spend a few moments in the company of a song that I love.
The video is below, but if you prefer to listen to your music on Spotify, you can find this track here… https://open.spotify.com/track/07GvNcU1WdyZJq3XxP0kZa
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Home / News / Government Federal / Ex-CIA officer convicted of leaking secrets to reporter
Ex-CIA officer convicted of leaking secrets to reporter
By: The Associated Press January 26, 2015 0
New York Times reporter James Risen, center, leaves federal court in Alexandria, Va., on Monday, where he was expected to testify to see what evidence he may offer in the case of a former CIA officer accused of leaking classified information. Federal prosecutors have said that Risen is a critical witness in their case against ex-CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling. AP Images
UPDATE: For years, ex-CIA case officer Jeffrey Sterling was the one under indictment but prosecutors’ primary focus of pursuit was journalist Jeffrey Risen.
Prosecutors believed Sterling leaked details to Risen about one of the government’s most closely held secrets: a secret CIA mission to derail Iran’s nuclear ambitions by giving them deliberately flawed blueprints.
Risen, though, wouldn’t divulge his sources. Prosecutors sought court orders forcing Risen to testify, saying their job would be immeasurably more difficult without his testimony.
Ultimately, though, prosecutors won their case without Risen. On Monday, Sterling was convicted in federal court on all nine charges he faced after a two-week trial in which Risen never made an appearance.
Experts said the trial shows the government can pursue leak investigations without relying on recalcitrant reporters.
At issue in the two-week trial: Who told Risen about the mission, one that former national security adviser Condoleezza Rice testified was one of America’s best chances to derail Iran’s nuclear-weapons ambitions?
The case was delayed for years as prosecutors fought to force Risen to divulge his sources. Risen eventually lost his legal battle to quash a government subpoena. But prosecutors ultimately decided not to call him to testify after the Justice Department, bowing to pressure from free-press advocates, promised it would not ask Risen sensitive questions about his sources.
Lacking Risen’s testimony, prosecutors acknowledged a lack of direct evidence against Sterling, 47, of O’Fallon, Missouri, but said the circumstantial evidence against him was overwhelming.
Defense lawyers had said the evidence showed that Capitol Hill staffers who had been briefed on the classified operation were more likely the source of the leak.
Following the verdict, defense lawyer Edward MacMahon said he was disappointed, but “we still believe in Jeffrey’s innocence.” Sterling will have the option to appeal his case after he is sentenced in April. Motions to dismiss the case on various legal grounds are also still pending in front of the trial judge, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema.
Lucy Dalglish, dean of the University of Maryland’s journalism school and former director of the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press, said she was not surprised by the verdict, which followed days of testimony from CIA officials who testified without revealing their last names and from behind a gray screen that shielded their faces from the public. She called it groundbreaking in the sense that it showed how prosecutors are willing to pursue such cases without reporters’ cooperation.
“They’re going to use this case to terrify federal employees. They’re going to use this case to teach the intelligence community a lesson” about the consequences of leaks, she said.
The Obama administration has brought more leak cases than all of his predecessors combined. U.S. Army Pvt. Chelsea Manning, who leaked more than 700,000 secret military and diplomatic documents to the WikiLeaks website, was convicted at a military trial and sentenced to military prison.
Other cases were resolved before trial. Former CIA officer John Kiriakou pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 months in prison for disclosing to a reporter the name of an undercover agency officer. Thomas Drake, who worked for the National Security Agency, disclosed government waste and fraud to a reporter. He pleaded guilty to a minor charge and did not receive prison time.
A former NSA contractor, Edward Snowden, was charged with leaking to journalists but received asylum in Russia.
Going back earlier, Pentagon analyst Lawrence Franklin received a 12-year sentence after a guilty plea for leaking classified information to a reporter and two pro-Israel Lobbyists, though his sentence was later reduced significantly.
The classified operation at the heart of the Sterling trial involved using a CIA asset nicknamed Merlin, who had been a Russian nuclear engineer, to foist deliberately flawed nuclear-weapons blueprints on the Iranians, hoping they would spend years trying to develop parts that had no hope of ever working.
Risen’s 2006 book, “State of War,” describes the mission as hopelessly botched. Throughout the trial, though, numerous CIA officers testified they had deemed the program a success, even though the Iranians never followed up with Merlin to get additional blueprints he had offered to them as part of the ruse.
Prosecutors argued to the jury that the relevant chapter of Risen’s book seemed to be clearly written from Sterling’s perspective as Merlin’s case handler. The book describes the handler’s misgivings about the operation while others at the CIA pushed the plan through despite its risks.
Furthermore, Sterling believed he had been mistreated and was angry that the agency refused to settle his racial-discrimination complaint, prosecutors said.
And jurors were given phone and email records showing dozens of interactions between Sterling and Risen.
But defense lawyers said the government had no evidence that Risen and Sterling talked about anything classified in those phone calls and emails. The government failed to obtain Risen’s records to see who else he may have contacted.
Defense attorney Barry Pollack said Risen first got wind of the operation in early 2003, within weeks of Sterling reporting his misgivings to staffers at a Senate intelligence committee — a channel Sterling was legally allowed to pursue. Pollack said it makes more sense that a Capitol Hill staffer leaked to Risen.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Dana Boente, in a written statement, described Sterling as “a disgruntled former CIA employee” and said the leak “was illegal and went against Mr. Sterling’s professional commitments to the CIA.”
“Mr. Sterling’s vindictive and careless choices ultimately led us here today and to this unanimous verdict.”
Risen did not return a call and email seeking comment.
jury verdict 5:55 pm Mon, January 26, 2015 NY Daily Record
Tagged with: jury verdict
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150 Items (Page 1 of 19)
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (January 16, 2021) — A Mississippi owner of pharmacies and pharmacy distributors has been sentenced to 18 years in prison and ordered to repay the government nearly $287.7 million for his part in what prosecutors described as a $510 million health care fraud involving high-priced pain cream.
GUATEMALA CITY (January 16, 2021) — Guatemalan soldiers blocked part of a caravan of as many as 9,000 Honduran migrants Saturday at a point not far from where they entered the country seeking to reach the U.S. border.
WASHINGTON (January 16, 2021) — By the busload and planeload, National Guard troops were pouring into the nation’s capital on Saturday, as governors answered the urgent pleas of U.S. defense officials for more troops to help safeguard Washington even as they keep anxious eyes on possible violent protests in their own states.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (January 16, 2021) — The United States called Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates “major security partners” early Saturday, a previously unheard of designation for the two countries home to major American military operations.
TEHRAN, Iran (January 16, 2021) — Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard conducted a drill Saturday launching anti-warship ballistic missiles at a simulated target in the Indian Ocean, state television reported, amid heightened tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program and a U.S. pressure campaign against the Islamic Republic.
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Pence calls Kamala Harris to offer congratulations
WASHINGTON (January 15, 2021) — Vice President Mike Pence has called his soon-to-be successor Kamala Harris to offer his congratulations, according to two people familiar with the conversation.
HONOLULU (January 15, 2021) — Ralph Lauren Corp. said Friday it is ending its sponsorship with Justin Thomas after he was heard muttering a homophobic slur to himself after missing a putt last week in Hawaii.
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Another Republican Attorney General Not Named Brad Schimel Goes to Court to Hold Opioid Manufacturer Accountable
Alabama AG Seeks to ‘Hold the Parties Responsible for This Epidemic Legally Liable’ While Wisconsin’s Top Cop Refuses to Act
MADISON, Wis. — The Republican Attorney General of Alabama has filed suit in federal court seeking damages from opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharmaceuticals to “… hold the parties responsible for this epidemic legally liable …” Meanwhile in Wisconsin, where over two-thirds of the state’s 72 counties have brought their own suits, the office of Attorney General Brad Schimel continues to refuse to act.
“Republican and Democratic Attorneys General and municipalities across the state and across the nation understand that the people producing and profiting from the use of these highly addictive drugs need to be held accountable as we fight the opioid crisis,” commented One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross. “But our top cop is still refusing to be part of the solution.”
According to a news report:
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall alleged in a lawsuit filed in a federal court that Purdue misrepresented the risks and benefits of opioids, enabling the widespread prescribing of the drugs for chronic pain conditions.
The lawsuit said that as Purdue reaped significant profits, Alabama suffered significant costs as a result of a public health crisis that had led to hundreds of deaths in the state each year due to opioid overdoses.
“It will take years to undo the damage but an important first step we must take is to hold the parties responsible for this epidemic legally liable for the destruction they have unleashed upon our citizens,” Marshall said in a statement.
Despite proclaiming that combating opioid addiction would be a top priority if elected during his 2014 campaign, in office Schimel has taken no legal action during his term in office to crack down on the tactics of the producers of prescription opioids.
Schimel has attempted to use a multi-state investigation into the practices of opioid manufacturers as an excuse for his failure to seek legal redress as part of the fight against the crisis. But Ross noted Alabama is also participating in the investigation.
He concluded, “There is no defense for Brad Schimel’s continued inaction. He is refusing to hold the big corporations that manufacture and market opioids accountable, instead leaving Wisconsin families to suffer the tragic consequences of an epidemic rooted in corporate greed and malfeasance.”
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Rutgers Oral History Archives
The # 15 Oral History Website in the World
ROHA Home
Home Interviewees Text HTML Amutah, Ndidi
Amutah, Ndidi
William Buie: This begins an interview with William Buie and Ndidi Amutah in Montclair, New Jersey, on February 9, 2016. Thank you for having me. To begin, why don't you tell me when and where you were born?
Ndidi Amutah: I was born in Trenton, New Jersey, Mercer Hospital, in 1981 to Nigerian parents. I'm the oldest of four and the only girl.
WB: What are your parents' names?
NA: My mother's name is Abigail. My father's name is Solomon.
WB: Your siblings?
NA: I have three brothers, Azunah, Chimaobi, and David.
WB: What did your parents do for a living?
NA: My mother works for the State of New Jersey. She's a project manager who overseas federal grants related to land use and water quality. She has a Master of Science in Environmental Science and Policy from NJIT [New Jersey Institute of Technology]. My father has an MBA with a focus on Accounting and Finance from New York Institute of Technology and he's a retired high school teacher.
WB: Tell me what it was like growing up in Trenton.
NA: Growing up in Trenton was amazing. I don't think I really understood the implications of being from an urban community or being from a community that others would characterize as underserved, vulnerable, or at risk. To me, I had everything that I needed. I had a great social circle. I had a great family. We went to the Boys and Girls Club. We went to the pool. It wasn't until I got to college that I really started to understand differences in education, quality, access, and attainment in underperforming urban schools, and I think that was really the beginning of the realization that everyone in Trenton was not like my family, that we were really an anomaly in the City of Trenton in that I came from highly educated parents and all of me and my siblings have advanced degrees. That was the anomaly for Trenton, but in my worldview the world was like Trenton, so, I really didn't understand until I started to travel outside that other schools have better educational systems, more resources, higher trained faculty and students, and just more opportunities than we were afforded in Trenton public schools, but growing up it was beautiful. I had a great childhood there.
WB: Where did you go to elementary school?
NA: So, elementary school, it's interesting. I grew up in the southern ward of Trenton, South Trenton, but I was bussed to East Trenton because I was in gifted and talented. So, I went to Patton Joseph Hill, PJ Hill Elementary School on East Eighth Street, and all of my classes, K through 6, I was in gifted and talented. It was like a magnet school for gifted and talented people, so, I was bussed in.
WB: What was that like?
NA: It was great. I mean being a gifted and talented student we very quickly realized that we were treated differently than other students. We just got special perks for being smart which was great and our teachers were great, very dedicated, good principal, nice class size, and it was a great experience. I really enjoyed my elementary education.
WB: You were aware that you were being treated differently at the time.
NA: Yes. I mean it was like the resources that we had access to, the types of field trips we would do, the educational opportunities that were afforded us were different than my friends who were in regular classes and it felt like hierarchy, if you will.
WB: What kind of activities would you do?
NA: Debate, I was always on the debate team. We would have Black History Month plays and we would have guest speakers, and we would do educational field trips, and I think there were opportunities afforded to other students as well, but it just felt like we were treated more specially because we were gifted and talented. The curriculum, the most outstanding thing that I noticed was the difference in the rigor of the curriculum that we went through being gifted and talented. It was a more rigorous, more academically challenging curriculum.
WB: Did you always do well?
NA: Yes. [laughter] I mean being the oldest of four children, being Nigerian American, it was implicit that you're going to excel. You have no choice but to be great, and it was just something that was constantly reaffirmed, constantly supported. In the summertime, we'd read books; we'd be at the library; we'd have competitions on geography and math. Education was celebrated in my household. It was something to strive for. There was a friendly, competitive nature between me and my siblings and education was something that we really quickly understood was a catalyst to success in this country and it's something that could level the playing field and provide you with opportunities, and once we understood that, even as a child, it just changed and shaped the way that I carried myself.
WB: How so?
NA: Well, I just always took education very seriously. I always understood the value of a quality education. I pushed myself educationally, had some college classes when I was in high school. I always strove to be greater and to learn more, huge, I'm an avid reader, and have always had a quest for knowledge, and I understood that education is the gateway to success in this country.
WB: What year did you enter high school?
NA: I started high school in 1995.
WB: Where was that?
NA: Trenton Central High School, at the time we only had one high school which has now been fragmented into learning communities, but at the time my incoming class was about four thousand students. My graduating class was about 1,100 students. So, we started to see some shifts and we lost some students to moving and crime and juvenile detention, and a myriad of other things that were happening at Trenton at the time, but 1995 was when I started.
WB: What was high school like for you?
NA: High school was great. I've always been a very social person. So, I'm what you would call like a very social nerd. So, I've always been very smart, very book smart, loved learning, but also had like just a very cool personality, and so high school was great. I did nerdy things and I did fun things. I was captain of the debate team, but I was also on the basketball team. Yes, high school was great. I had a good circle of friends who I'm still friends with today, some of them, and I was also in AP classes, and always pushing myself to do more. I was the president of the Yearbook Club. I enjoyed high school. It was great.
WB: Did you have any trouble balancing all of the different activities you were involved in?
NA: I think when you're a teenager in general you kind of want to do the fitting-in thing, but I've always been laser focused on the next level. So, even in high school I was already immensely preparing myself for college, and so I really didn't give myself the luxury of letting things slack. Everything had to get done. You're going to play basketball. Then, you're going to go home and do your homework, and you're going to study for this debate, and you're just managing your time really well, which helped me when I got to college.
WB: Is that something that your parents had to stay on you at all?
NA: Yes, my mother's persistence and consistent nature. My mother's like an octopus. There were four of us, but she just had her hands in so many different things. She was always abreast of what was going on, came to all our PTA meetings and our basketball games. She was always there. Yes, she definitely affirmed and supported us educationally, and always pushed us and always held us accountable. I think that's the word I would use, is that there's an accountability, there's an understanding that you're investing in your future. "This was not a future for me." She would say: "I've already done my high school. This is your future and if you do what you're supposed to do you're going to set your career and trajectory on a good path." So, there was always a level of accountability there.
WB: So, was there any question about whether you were going to college or not?
NA: No. By sophomore year of high school I was already on college tours. I got early acceptance to university by my junior year. College was something like you were definitely going; you're going to be successful; you're going to graduate in four years. It was very formulaic for me and I've always known that I wanted to be a doctor. I've always had that. I mean, not all of the nuances worked out, but roughly I've known my career path from a very young age, and so it was just chipping away at that incrementally to get to that point.
WB: That is a fifty-fifty. Some people know very early on what they want to do and some do not figure it out until very late.
NA: Exactly.
WB: When did you first know that you wanted to be a doctor? Can you recall?
NA: Yes, I can. I was nine years old and I told my mother I wanted to be neonatologist, because I wanted to work with babies and help infants, and that was around the time I was reading Dr. Ben Carson's book Gifted Hands, and he talks about how he was the first--and he's an African American neurosurgeon who's currently running for President, but at the time he was an African American neurosurgeon from John Hopkins University who was the first neurosurgeon to successfully separate Siamese twins--and I just thought that was so amazing that this African American man at this prestigious university has done something that is historical, broken ground. So, I said, "Mom, I'm going to be a neonatologist." The funny thing is I didn't do medical school, but my PhD is in Maternal Child Health, and my dissertation research was on pregnancy and infant mortality, and so I still stayed in that kind of vein of mothers and children, but I was nine when I knew I wanted to be a doctor.
WB: Can you talk to me about some of your other influences?
NA: Yes. Other influences, just successful black women like the Oprahs of the world, like Mary McLeod Bethune, Sojourner Truth, Septima Clark, Coretta Scott King, Michelle Obama. I'm just drawn and influenced by successful black women who have persevered and stayed the course. So, these are the people I was learning about in high school and in college. The other influence is my family back home in Nigeria, just understanding at a very young age that I was afforded certain opportunities and experiences and luxuries that my cousins, who are my same age, same background, would not be afforded and so I did not want to squander that opportunity that I had been afforded. So, that was also a major influence of keeping me on track and for me to understand that I'm in a position of great privilege, and that you should understand that and hold that with a sense of gratitude.
WB: Did you ever visit?
NA: Yes. We'd go back and forth. We lived in Nigeria for about eight years and as I got older we'd go back and visit, back and forth, and so we go to Nigeria pretty frequently, probably like once a year or so, but it's nice because my cousins and I are in the same space of life. We're about the same age and to be able to celebrate life together and just appreciate each other's shared understanding at the family level, but different social, cultural influences has been really cool and keeps me grounded and humble and thankful, yes.
WB: In what year did you graduate high school?
NA: I graduated high school in 1999.
WB: And?
NA: And it was the end of a great era. It was the last of the decade and it was a significant time, and went straight into college in fall. I was eighteen. I just got my license. Life was great. Life was amazing at the time.
WB: You went to college. We're talking about Livingston.
NA: I went to Livingston.
WB: How did the decision to go to Livingston come about?
NA: You know, the funny thing about Livingston is that--so, I did early admission and acceptance for another university, and I was so pumped to go there. I mean I was so excited. I had all of my paraphernalia. I just knew what dorm I was going to live in, and they didn't give me any financial aid because I was out of state. So, my little crushed and devastated self--my mother said, "Well, there is Rutgers University." I'm like, "Oh." Because I don't think I understood what a world-class institution Rutgers University was being from New Jersey, born and raised in New Jersey. I don't think I really understood the magnitude that is Rutgers University, and the global reputation that Rutgers has. I don't think I understood that at like seventeen, eighteen. So, long story short, my mother made me apply and I was accepted, and we had to pick between one of three campuses, and I chose Livingston because of the political, racial, cultural implications that Livingston was founded from. It was birthed out of the Civil Rights Movement. I was like, oh, that's where I'm going. So, that's how I ended up at Livingston.
WB: So, did you do research on Livingston? Was that something that you knew before applying?
NA: Yes, I did research. [laughter] Because I knew I didn't want to go to Douglass which was the all-women's campus and I felt like Rutgers College was the main campus. I wanted something that was a small school within a larger university and Livingston had a great reputation of being very inclusive, celebrating diversity, smaller class size, that's what I was looking for, to be in a smaller community within a larger university.
WB: Talk to me about your first year at Livingston.
NA: First year at Livingston, it was amazing. My roommate was my best friend from high school, from middle school, Jenna Kettenburg. We're still best friends today, twenty-plus years later. She was my roommate. I lived in House 34 in the Quads and it was great. The freedom and the autonomy that college affords you is second to none. I think everybody should live on campus because you just mature so much. You learn so much about yourself. The social portion of Livingston was great. The programs that they offered for us and it just opened my mind so much to different cultures, different ethnicities, different backgrounds. It was great. I really, really had a great first year at Rutgers, Livingston.
WB: What classes were you taking? Do you remember?
NA: I remember I took "Expository Writing" which was like English 101 for freshman. I remember I took my first Africana studies class which I actually ended up double majoring, in public health and Africana studies. I took "Intro to Afro Studies" and my mind was blown about. I took that with Professor [Edward] Ramsamy and it was one of those life-altering classes, because it was like an overview of the African American experience in the United States, and it just changed my whole life. It just opened my mind up in so many different areas about what the African American experience has been like in the United States. I think it was even called something like "The African American Experience in the United States." It was a great class.
WB: Did you do any extracurricular activities your freshman year?
NA: Did I do any extracurricular activities my freshman year? No, I was pretty much being a freshman and hanging out and being very social. I don't think I really got involved in extracurricular activities until junior year; maybe like the end of sophomore year. When I did, I was a welcome ambassador for freshmen that were coming in. So, I don't think I did anything my freshman year. It was just like building up my circle of friends and I had a lot of eight o'clock classes. So, I don't think I did anything freshman year, but the end of sophomore year I was a welcome ambassador for new students, and then, from then I went on to do many different activities. I was on Livingston Program Board. I was on Livingston College Governing Association. I was in Rutgers Public Health Association. I was on Senior Class. Once I started activities I did a lot of them, but I don't think I did anything initially.
WB: Social life-wise, was that spent mostly on campus or were you venturing out into New Brunswick, Piscataway, Edison?
NA: Everywhere. We were everywhere. I was everywhere. I think the beauty of the field of Public Health is that it relies a lot on the applied experience at the community level. I did a lot of great internships like New Jersey Women and AIDS Network which was in New Brunswick, Central New Jersey Maternal-Child Health Consortium which was in Piscataway, Planned Parenthood which was in Plainfield. I ventured out a lot. Of course, socially we were hanging out in New York City on the weekends. I really got to know my area very well in the time that I was there.
WB: Talk to me a little bit about your sophomore year. This is when you start to branch out a little more.
NA: Yes, sophomore year I kind of solidified my circle of friends. Sophomore year I was still a biology major. I was still a bio, premed major. I didn't declare public health until the summer after sophomore year. So, I think I was still trying to find my major. I knew I wanted to be a doctor, but I don't think I was very sure on if I wanted to do biology or psychology. The nuances of me being a doctor I wasn't clear on, but then, over the summer, I took an "Introduction to Public Health" class, which is, ironically, a class I teach now, and I was like this is my life. It was like "aha," flashing lights, lightbulb moment, and that's when I said, "This is what I'm going to do, public health."
WB: It was that class that started it.
NA: Yes. It was the professor. He was amazing. I wish I could remember his name. It was at the Bloustein School in downtown New Brunswick and the professor was amazing. He just had such a zest for the field of public health. He just made you fall in love with it, he knew his material, and that solidified my whole career, that one class.
WB: What was your circle of friends like?
NA: The same circle I have now. I think back on my circle and I'm like, "Wow." We immediately jelled. My best friend, Mighty, he's also in public health. My other best friend, Christian, she's in urban planning, regional planning. My other best friend, Jenna, the one I grew up with, she's in criminal justice. I had a really diverse group of friends: African American, African, Caribbean, Caucasian, Asian. I had a nice, diverse group of friends and we just loved each other. We just embraced each other. We supported each other and it was a really cool group of friends. I don't think we really appreciated it at the time. You're like nineteen, twenty, but, yes, it was a nice, cool group of people.
WB: Were they all similarly active as you were?
NA: There was a continuum of activity. I think I was at the very high end, and then, you had like various degrees of active. Mighty and Christian, they were also very active in Livingston Program Board. Mighty and I were both in leadership in the Public Health Association. Some of my other friends from college founded an organization called Sharing Our Light, SOL, which is for women of color to talk in a positive space, in a confidential space. So, yes, there was a continuum of activity.
WB: That was one of the things I wanted to ask you about. Can you tell me a little bit more about SOL?
NA: Yes, SOL was an amazing organization. It was really founded out of a paucity of experiences or a paucity of organizations for women of color on a PWI [Predominately White Institution] campus. Not a sorority, not a club, but where is a social space that women can come together and dialogue and debate and really support each other, and it was beautiful. It was a beautiful energy. It's still going on now. I mean we founded SOL 2002, 2001. So, it's at least fourteen, fifteen years old, and it filled a nice and necessary void for safe and confidential space for women of color.
WB: What were some of the other organizations that you were involved in? Talk to me about some of the activities that you did.
NA: So, I was on the Livingston College, LCGA, Livingston College Governing Association, where I represented my class and we voted on funding. We voted on student programming. I was also on Livingston Program Board. We put on educational events. We put on fashion shows, parties, trips, comedy shows. I was an RA. I was an RA, which I loved. Shout out to retired Dean Haynes who hand selected me to be an RA and I managed a floor of about forty residents. I was a senior class officer which is how we planned our senior class trip, our senior activities. I was an officer in a public health association. We did health fairs and HIV testing events on campus. Yes, those were the ones that I probably was most active in.
WB: You were a member of the Minority Mentor Program?
NA: Yes. That program was essentially focused on pairing minorities with other students and faculty of color to kind of get to graduation. It was a program for recruitment and retention of minority students.
WB: For how many years were you involved with that?
NA: I think I was in that for about three years, probably like sophomore through senior.
WB: You mentioned the orientation.
NA: Yes, orientation leader, yes.
WB: That is basically working with incoming freshman?
NA: Incoming freshman, make them comfortable, answer any questions, be their point of contact, welcome them to the university, help them figure out. Rutgers is a huge organization. It's a huge school. So, where do you get your parking? How do you get an email address? Where's the dining hall? Like those type of things that are really anxiety producing as a freshman. Just kind of taking the anxiety out of that, welcoming them, being a big sister, shoulder to cry on, you're leaving home for the first time. So, it was great. I had a great experience with that.
WB: So, let's walk forward to your junior year.
NA: Yes. To me, junior year was the hardest of the four years, because that's when I realized that I wanted to go directly into grad school for public health. That's also when I made the decision to double major in BA in African studies and BS in public health. So, I was taking a course load of like eighteen to twenty credits, studying for the GREs, starting to put together my grad school list. Junior year was probably my most serious, academically rigorous year, because you don't have the luxury of being a new student, and senior year you're kind of just coasting on your way out. So, for me junior year was like the most serious year for me. Yes, junior year was tough. I took the hardest classes. I took healthcare economics with Dr. Wolfe. That's the hardest class I have ever taken in my life, junior year. Yes, it was a very serious year.
WB: You maintained your clubs and different activities?
NA: Yes, it was stressful. [laughter]
WB: I mean how did you do that?
NA: I mean time management, working. So, I had a schedule. I was also--how could I forget this. I was a student safety officer which was like a student version of keeping the campus safe. We would like sign people into the dorms. We worked on the weekends. So, I had such a tight schedule where I'd work student safety, I'd go to RA meetings, and I had a huge calendar that was color coded of where I was supposed to be, and, yes, it was stressful, but it also prepared me for life, because that's the same way I manage my life now, and that's how I'm able to differentiate the things that are important, things that I can put off, and I learned that definitely junior year.
WB: So, senior year?
NA: Yes, senior year was bittersweet, because now the rubber meets the road, and people are graduating, people are going to grad school. Fall semester of my senior year was when I took the GREs for the first time for real, and started to really craft my personal statement, start to go look at the schools I was applying to. Senior year was very mechanical in that I knew I wanted to transition immediately to grad school. So, it was knocking down the things on my to do list in a way that was systematic, that was going to ensure my success, and by February of my senior year, I already knew I was going to grad school, I had already solidified my housing contract. I'm still an undergrad and I already know my next steps. So, senior, it was a lot of work, but it was also great. That was our senior class trip. We went to Jamaica. Ten of us went to Jamaica for a week. It was wonderful. We had a senior week, just a week of festivities celebrating the end of college. I mean, senior year was great. I had a great collegiate experience.
WB: Did you live on campus all four years?
NA: Yes, I lived on campus all four years. So, I was in the Quads. I think Quad 34 and I was in Quad 3 House 34, and Quad 3 House 32 freshman and sophomore year. Then, junior year I moved to South Tower, and then, senior year I was an RA in North Tower, yes.
WB: Would you go home often? How often would you go home?
NA: Honestly, not that much. So, Trenton and New Brunswick are like thirty minutes apart from each other, so I would go home for like major holidays, wash my clothes, but I loved being on campus. I loved my crew. I loved the collegiate lifestyle. I loved the flexibility. So, I didn't go home that much.
WB: Would your parents come and visit you?
NA: Yes, thank you for that. So, my mother, my parents, and my siblings would come for--we used have this thing called family night in Tillett Dining Hall, and they would come and it was like lobster night, and the parents would come, they would eat dinner with us, so they always came for that. They would come for little things I would do on campus. I was a Paul Robeson Scholar and they came to my thesis defense. Yes, they were very familiar with the campus. They would definitely come up there and support me.
WB: How did they feel about the campus? Did they like it? Did they not like it?
NA: Oh, they loved it. They loved it. What is there not to love? You are on a huge campus. Livingston is small college within a larger university, so you have all the benefits of both worlds. You have that small intimacy where you know everybody on Livingston, but if you want to be within the larger Rutgers system you can go to Douglass and Busch and College Ave and Cook. It was great. I really liked that model of having both options.
WB: One of the things that people talk about with regard to Livingston is because of what you just described you may have a personal relationship with your teachers. Is that something that you felt?
NA: Yes, I had great faculty in Africana studies. So, Africana studies was housed in Beck Hall and I was a work study student in the department, so I got to know my professors really well like Professor Leonard Bethel who was actually my fraternity brother and was the chair of the department at the time. World renowned scholar Ivan Van Sertima, who wrote the book about Columbus. [Editor's Note: Ivan Van Sertima taught Africana Studies at Rutgers Livingston and was author of They Came Before Columbus, for which he won the Clarence L. Holte Prize.] We just had so many prolific scholars in Africana studies and I just loved listening to their conversations and sitting in on the faculty meetings. It was just amazing. Then, for public health my classes met at the Bloustein School and we had some really good professors that helped me to kind of understand how public health affects all of us on a daily basis at the population level. So, yes, I had great professors in both majors. I really enjoyed it.
WB: Were you politically active at all either locally or state or nationally?
NA: Yes. I've always been an activist. The thing that was big at the time that I was in college was Amadou Diallo, the unarmed African immigrant that was shot in New York forty-one times for no justification. They thought he was reaching for a gun; he was reaching for his wallet to show it was his house. So, we took to the streets for that, very politically active with that, protested for that. The other thing that was big during my time was there was like a campus-wide newspaper, a satire type of newspaper, but it was very racially charged. I can't remember the name of it now. Not The Daily Targum. It was like a spinoff of The Daily Targum.
WB: The Medium?
NA: The Medium. It was a very racially charged newspaper and we used to be up in arms about that. So, we'd go to our BSU, Black Student Union meetings, and we banded with our Latina brothers and sisters and we protested. So, those were just some things I was involved in that had political implications.
WB: Not to take anything for granted, do you remember what conversations you had around Diallo at the time?
NA: Same conversations we're having in 2016. Just about how police and the police system needs to be held accountable for their actions, and how the first course of action should not be deadly force, and how there's very little accountability or retribution for murderers who are clothed as police officers.
WB: When it came to The Medium, you said it was racially charged. Can you give me some examples?
NA: Yes, they would just have these offensive cartoons, offensive jokes, and it was all under the guise of satire and comedy, but it was very offensive, just making assumptions and just saying negative and derogatory things about African Americans, about the hair and the facial features and intelligence, and just all these derogatory comments. I'm like, that's not satire. That's offensive, and so we were protesting.
WB: Do you know whether there were any people of color working at The Medium?
NA: Oh, that's a good question. I want to say there was like one or two. I do remember that we got the editor-in-chief fired as a result of our protest, but there were very few African Americans or people of color on staff at The Medium at that time, yes.
WB: Do you remember faculty commenting on that at all?
NA: I don't remember if faculty really got involved. I don't know. I'm not sure.
WB: Do you remember other big events on campus whether you were directly involved with them or just observing?
NA: Oh, yes, we used to have Rutgers Fest which was like a big concert. We used to have March Madness, which is when the deans and the faculty would come make breakfast for us. Rutgers was a huge sporting school so the football games and the basketball games. Yes, it was great. It was a good time.
WB: Nationally, I guess September 11th happens, that would be your sophomore year?
NA: Sophomore year, fall of my sophomore year.
WB: What were your memories of that?
NA: Pure horror. I remember looking out of my dorm room and seeing the smoke from New York and just feeling sick to my stomach and it was terrible, it was horrible. I remember my best friend called me and she said, "The Twin Towers got bombed." It was like eight o'clock in the morning, because I think the first plane hit at like eight, and I was like, "What?" I'm like half asleep, and she called me and I turned on the TV and it was just pure horror. People were crying. It was terrible. I will never forget that feeling, I will never forget that day, I will never forget looking out my window seeing the smoke billowing from New York. It was terrible.
WB: Do you remember when classes started to get rolling after that?
NA: It took a little while. I mean, nobody expected it. It was like nobody thinks about New York City or the United States being under attack. So, I think we, as a campus community, just had to support each other. People had family members that worked there and a lot of people were from New York, and I just remember there being a lot of tears, a lot of love, and it took a while for things to kind of get back to a sense of normalcy, if they ever would have been normal again.
WB: So, a couple of things. One, I guess in 2003 there is some talk of cutting state funds and possibly raising tuition which would involve Livingston. Do you remember that?
NA: I don't. I graduated in May and I think by that time I was probably already checked out to be honest with you, but I'm not surprised. I do remember that there was always talks of needing more resources, needing more faculty, needing more money for EOF [Educational Opportunity Fund], needing more money for student activities. So, I think being at a state university you're kind of beholden to the money you receive from the federal government, from the state, and so, yes, there are always going to be restrictions and complications when it comes to the allocation of resources. So, I'm not surprised to hear that.
WB: Not too long after you graduate obviously Livingston is officially consolidated under Rutgers. Were you aware that that was a possibility when you were going there?
NA: Yes, but I think we were all in denial. [laughter] Nobody wanted to address it. We just wanted to remember Livingston as we knew it, as a standalone campus within a larger community, but we didn't really want to acknowledge it, but we had heard about it. We knew it was coming.
WB: Did you just talk about it amongst yourselves? Did you talk about it with faculty?
NA: Just me and my friends would say how we didn't want that to happen. I think we kind of knew we didn't have any control over it happening, but, yes, we didn't want it to happen. We just loved Livingston being the distinct, unique entity that it was and we just wanted to hold on to that and maintain that memory, so yes.
WB: How do you feel about it now?
NA: Mixed reactions. I mean I understand the need for it from a higher education perspective and consolidation of resources and reallocation of resources. I understand it cognitively, but emotionally it makes me sad, because Livingston was such a beautiful, unique campus. It attracted such a diverse and beautiful student body and I think the type of person that goes to Livingston is somewhat different than the type of person that goes to Rutgers University. Livingston just attracted a different kind of person and I think that special sauce for Livingston will be lost now that it's kind of been folded into the larger Rutgers University. So, that makes me sad.
WB: Well, a different kind of person. Can you explain that a little bit?
NA: Yes. Livingston was founded out of a need for more diversity, racially and culturally, within the larger Rutgers University system. So, to me, I don't know the exact numbers, but it just felt like Livingston was extremely diverse in terms of racial, socioeconomic status, cultural, sexual orientation. It just seemed very diverse and welcoming and I don't know if that was the case in other spaces across campus.
WB: Do you have a sense of, for the people in your circle, that you knew, whether their reasons for choosing Livingston similar or dissimilar from yours?
NA: I think they were similar. I think we were all attracted to the fact that Livingston was born out of a system of resistance to what was happening within the United States at the time. It was founded during the '60s as a result of the Civil Rights Movement, of a need for more diversity, and I think that was attractive to all of us. We all had a little bit of activism in us, and so you want to go to a place where that's going to be celebrated and embraced and nurtured, and I think that was a thread through my circle of friends. That's why we chose Livingston.
WB: Did Livingston change at all during your four years there?
NA: Not much. You still had Tillett, you still had the dorms. Nothing major changed. Nothing happened.
WB: Okay. So, what year do you graduate?
NA: 2003.
WB: And what's next?
NA: What's next is going to graduate school--Graduating in May, moving to Washington, D.C., to start my master's in Public Health at George Washington University.
WB: How did you come to choose George Washington?
NA: I knew I wanted to be in a different place. I was either going to stay at Rutgers and do like a BS/MPH. I wanted a different experience, or I was going to another school which also had a master's in maternal child health, but the trifecta for me for why I chose GW is because it was located in was nation's capital, chocolate city, it is a world renowned institution, with a concentration in maternal child health. There's very few schools of public health that have a concentration of maternal child health. I knew that D.C. was close so I could get home if I needed to. I really liked that it was a young person city, overwhelmingly African American at the time. I was like, "Yes, I could do D.C." So, that's why I chose GW.
WB: How did your mom feel about you being a little further away from home?
NA: Devastated. [laughter] She was devastated. She didn't want me to move. She didn't want me to go, but she knows her daughter is in a league of her own, so she supported me. They moved me in. I was crying, they were crying. I mean, I'd never been outside of New Jersey. I'm a Jersey girl, but it was great. It's the best thing I could have done for myself. I tell all of my students now. If you can go somewhere else for your Master's get out, go away. It forces you to mature and be independent and just focus on yourself. Just go, do it. It was great. Initially she was devastated, but now she'll tell people, "My daughter went to GW." She's proud now, but at the time she was sad. [laughter]
WB: After GW?
NA: So, after I did my MPH at GW I did a two year fellowship with the federal government, Department of Health and Human Services. Then, I started my PhD in 2007 at University of Maryland, College Park.
WB: It might be hard to capture the whole PhD experience, but just tell me a little about what that was like.
NA: So, my PhD is in maternal child health and again looking for a very specific type of program or research area. University of Maryland was a new school of public health at the time. I was in the first cohort for their PhD program in maternal child health, great experience, small class size, good faculty. I mean a PhD is a terminal research degree. It was the most stressful and rewarding thing I've ever done in my life. It was great, but it was also stressful. It forces you, it trains you how to think in a research critical thinking, analytical way and for that I appreciated the degree. Yes, it was hard. It was a lot of work.
WB: Can I just back up a little bit. One of the things I am curious about is how did you maintain your friendships with your folks from Livingston through the moving, the course work, the research?
NA: Yes, I think just being very intentional and making time for each other, and it didn't hurt that my two best friends also ended up in the D.C. area. So, my best friend Christian, after Rutgers, went to grad school in Baltimore at Morgan State and our other best friend went to Yale for grad school and then moved to DC afterwards. So, I had my larger circle of friends and I had like my immediate best friends. So, my immediate best friends, all three of us went to grad school at the same time. So, Mighty went to Yale School of Public Health. I went to GW School of Public Health. Christian went to Morgan State School of Planning and Policy. So, we would just visit each other at different schools... He'd come down to D.C., and then, after we all graduated together in '05, Christian lived in Prince Georges County. I lived in D.C. Mighty moved from Yale to D.C. So, we were all within twenty minutes of each other. So, we never really left each other, except now I moved back to Jersey, they're still in D.C, but I think just being very intentional and keeping the friendship a priority.
WB: Once you received your doctorate?
NA: Yes, once I received my doctorate that was 2010. So, it took me three years to do my PhD. Once I received my doctorate in 2010, I immediately started a postdoctoral fellowship which I did for two years--The Kellogg Community of Health Scholars, which was funded by the Kellogg Foundation, aimed at increasing the number of scholars of color entering academic positions. So, it was a two year fellowship, completely and generously funded by Kellogg Foundation to further train researchers of color in community based research, health disparities, advanced statistical training, it was great. I was one of eight fellows in my cohort. Highly competitive, highly selective program, and so I did that for two years. I was a Kellogg postdoc for two years.
WB: Then, after that?
NA: Then, after that I started here at Montclair State University, where I'm in my fourth year as an assistant professor. So, I finished Kellogg in June 2012. I started at Montclair August 2012. So, one more semester before I put in my materials for my tenure binder, and then, at that point I will begin the process of becoming a tenured associate professor, yes. [Editor's Note: As of July 1, 2017, Dr. Amutah is now a professor at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, MA.]
WB: Let's back up one more time. You mentioned a list of internships that you had done starting at Rutgers. Can you walk me through those one more time?
NA: Sure. So, I had the privilege of working at the New Jersey Woman and AIDS Network which is now folded into another organization. They're now merged with Hyacinth Foundation.
WB: What years were you working there?
NA: I worked at NJWON maybe like 2001, 2002. I also worked at the Central New Jersey Maternal Child Health Consortium part of 2002, 2003. I worked at Planned Parenthood of Plainfield about that same time, 2002. Then, in my master's program, I worked at the Women's Collective in Washington D.C., which is the only service provider for women of color infected or affected by HIV in the entire D.C. area. I worked there. Then, I did my fellowship with the federal government. I worked in the Baltimore City Health Department as an epidemiology intern. I worked in the Office of Women's Health at the federal level. A lot of really great public health experience.
WB: Those internships, did you find them on your own? Did the schools help out?
NA: Both. I've always been very aggressive and ambitious, and sometimes it's as simple as a phone call. "Hi, I'm a student. I would love to work with your organization. I don't need to get paid. Can you hire me?" So, I think it was a little bit of both--a lot of being proactive, knowing where I wanted to work. So, all my experiences, all my internships were under the umbrella of maternal child health, because that's my passion, that's my field. So, I was very strategic and selective about where I wanted to work, the types of projects I wanted to work. I mean sometimes you don't have that luxury, you're an intern, but yes, for the most part I was able to shape those experiences.
WB: Do you think that if you hadn't decided what you wanted to do so early that your educational experience would have been adversely affected?
NA: I think it would've been adversely affected because the beauty of having a plan and sticking to it for the most part is you're able to quickly discern what is in alignment with your plan. So, if you know where you want to go, you know you want to do a PhD in maternal child health, you know you want these very specific types of public health experiences then your radar is laser focused, right. So, I was able to just kind of be more selective and strategic about what I wanted to do. Now the other side of that argument is that you can still end up in that space anyway, but allowing yourself a little bit more freedom and innovation and creativity. Both schools of thought are fine, but for me and the way that I wanted to be, I knew that by thirty I wanted to have accomplished X, Y, Z, and so I'm just working backwards from that timeline. Everybody is not as disciplined and not as strategic and not as linear, and I think that's okay. I think there's beauty in the experience as well, but for me, yes, I think it definitely helped me out that I was so focused, because I knew, "Okay, this was going to help me further my underlying mission, and this is going to be maybe a distraction to that mission."
WB: You can correct me if I am wrong, but I have thought that I saw you have done a lot of research with HIV?
NA: Yes.
WB: How did that become such a big focus?
NA: You know, I fell in love with the field of HIV through my internship at the New Jersey's Women and AIDS Network, because HIV is one of the leading causes of death for African American women and once I found out that statistic it was so jarring to me, because I wanted to know why. Why is this particular demographic being disproportionately affected? Why are we seeing this as leading cause of death mostly for African American women? HIV has a lot of moral implications and sexual implications, the ways that it's transmitted, but the reality of it is it is devastating urban communities across this country, and as a citizen of the world, as a human, you want to try to, and as a public health professional, my goal is to try to reduce mortality, reduce morbidity, educate people, promote health. So, HIV has and will continue to be at the top of my list, because HIV in the communities I work with which are primarily African American women, teenagers, women from underserved communities, at risk, vulnerable populations, their voices are not often heard in conversations about their health and I am all about empowering women, having women's voices be recognized, being an advocate for women, teaching women to advocate for themselves, whether it's in the delivery of healthcare services, whether it's through their partner negotiations, sexual negotiations for condom usage, but just really understanding the role of the woman and how I can be a resource to her in this prevention conversation. So, HIV is one of those things that I've always been curious and passionate about, because the rates do not have to be what they are. They don't have to be that high.
WB: Are there any differences that you notice in your field between men and women researchers?
NA: You know, I think that a lot of the men, my male colleagues who focus on HIV, the other group that is disproportionately affected is young African American men who have sex with men. They are the highest rates of HIV infection. So, a lot of my male colleagues focus on that demographic and lesser so on women. So, that will probably be the only difference that I see, is that the group that they're focusing on is different, but the underlying sentiment is the same in the prevention and getting people into care, and treatment, medication adherence, that's the same.
WB: Your students here, are they interested in working with people of color, people with HIV? Is that a research focus that you see continuing to percolate?
NA: Absolutely. I have a research team. So, I had a grant. About two years ago I did a visiting professorship at Yale School of Public Health and through that fellowship--it was called the REIDS program, Research Education Institute for Diverse Scholars--and so they gave me some pilot funding to conduct a study around HIV of my choosing. So, I collected data from mothers and daughters in Essex County. So, I looked at Newark, Irvington, East Orange, those were my three big cities. The title of the project is called Project DASH, Divas Against the Spread of HIV/AIDS. So, within that Project DASH research I had a team of students, undergrad, master's, PhD students working to help me collect the data. Over the course of about three to four months we interviewed about fifty mothers with HIV and about twenty-five of their daughters who were HIV negative, to look at the mother-daughter relationship around communication, around HIV prevention. Do the daughter's know their mother's status? Do they know how the mother manages her medication? Really tried to disentangle what are the elements of this mother-daughter relationship that can aid in the prevention of HIV in the daughter. So, the mother's positive, the daughters are negative, my entire sample is African American, and it was just really interesting to look at the context of that relationship, and how can we train these mother's to be ambassadors in their daughter's health, and also give them empowerment, because there's a lot of stigma around HIV and the shame and the guilt and the embarrassment, which is so crazy that we as a society still stigmatize people for something that is now a chronic disease. So, it was a great study. I had a team of about ten research students. I had a research team of ten students and we collected the data. We presented the data at the HIV prevention conference, at the American Public Health Association Conference, and at Yale, I went back and did a talk there. The data is actually under review now for a federal grant to do this on a larger scale, because this conversation happened in Essex County, but could easily have been Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Atlanta, any other urban community. So, how do we replicate this? How do we use best practices from this study to train and empower other mothers who are positive in the prevention of HIV in their daughters? So, this is like a pilot study, it's a small sample, but hoping to replicate it on a larger scale, and also, of course, publishing in scientific journals. So, yes, I do have a lot of students that are interested in working with me and currently now I have a team of about five students.
WB: Well, is there anything you would like to share about your Livingston experience or post Livingston experience that I have not asked you about?
NA: Livingston was such a catalyst for me in my development and now that I'm an adult and I look back on my collegiate time, Livingston was extremely instrumental in solidifying the woman I am today. I think it was like a perfect storm of being in a space of growth as a young woman, having a great circle of friends, having great advisors, great professors, and being in just like a safe and supportive environment. Tillett Dining Hall was like a meeting place, a counseling session, all in one. We did everything in the dining hall. We'd sit up there for hours and we talked and we'd fellowship and we'd bond and we'd hang out. You know, it was a great time in my development and I'm so thankful that I had that space and it does make me a little sad that there's no "Livingston" again. There was just a beauty and uniqueness about Livingston that was so germane to that campus that I really appreciated it. It was a great time and I appreciated my time there. I think my collegiate career was extremely influential in me choosing to go into higher education as a career, me choosing to be a professor now, because of the experiences I had at the undergraduate level. I also want to thank the Livingston Alumni Association for giving me a distinguished alumni award two years ago. I think that was probably one of the best awards I've ever received, because it was like you guys are giving me an award for being a distinguished alumni, like I would do this for free. I loved Livingston. I loved college, you know. So that was very meaningful and touching and I thank the Livingston Alumni Association for that award. I brought my family. They put together a really nice video montage and it was great. It was like the culmination of this beautiful Livingston journey from freshman to distinguished alumni. It was beautiful. So yes, it was great.
WB: That is a really good way to end.
NA: Thank you.
WB: Thank you, Ndidi, for letting me visit with you.
----------------------------------------------End of Interview--------------------------------------------------
Transcribed by Mohammad Athar 4/13/16
Reviewed by William Buie 9/8/16
Reviewed by Dr. Ndidi Amutah 12/17
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CHINA China opposes foreign intervention in Venezuela’s domestic affairs
China opposes foreign intervention in Venezuela’s domestic affairs
Riot police clash with anti-government demonstrators in Los Mecedores, Caracas, on Monday. (Photo: AFP)
China said on Thursday it opposed foreign intervention in Venezuela's situation and urged the US and Venezuela to deal with each other based on mutual respect and a principle of non-interference as Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced ties with the US had been cut.
Maduro on Wednesday announced he was severing "diplomatic and political" ties after the US recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the nation's interim president, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday.
"I have decided to break diplomatic and political relations with the imperialist US government," Maduro said in a speech to supporters gathered outside the presidential headquarters in Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela.
"Out they go from Venezuela, enough of interventionism," said Maduro, who was accompanied by his cabinet.
China supports the Venezuelan government making efforts to safeguard the country's sovereignty and stability, and opposes foreign interference in Venezuela's domestic affairs, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a routine press conference on Thursday.
China is paying high attention to the situation and urges relevant parties in Venezuela to keep calm and rational and seek a political solution through peaceful dialogue to the problem based on the Constitution of Venezuela, Hua said.
If the US and other countries launch military intervention, not only would China's interests be harmed but the security of neighboring countries in the region might also be affected, Guo Cunhai, an expert on Latin American studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times on Thursday.
Many Latin American countries followed the US in recognizing the opposition leader, but the military and police are still under the control of Maduro, Guo said.
"Therefore, the opposition leader Guaido is unlikely to bring a major impact. But if the US launches a military intervention to help Guaido, then the civil war will spill over and no Latin American countries in the region would like to see this happen," Guo said.
Maduro ordered all US diplomatic and consular personnel to leave his country in 72 hours, accusing Washington of orchestrating "an operation to impose, through a coup d'etat, a puppet regime in Venezuela."
Hua said on Thursday that China always opposes interference in other countries' domestic affairs, and hopes the international community can create positive conditions for Venezuela's domestic situation.
Hua also said that the US and Venezuela are two important countries in the Western hemisphere, and the traditional relationship between these two countries was close. China hoped that Venezuela and the US could deal with each other based on equality, mutual respect and a principle of non-interference, Hua said.
China hoped that Venezuela and the US could deal with each other based on equality, mutual respect and a principle of non-interference, Hua said.
"This will not only serve the interests of the two countries and the two peoples, but will also be good for the peace and stability of the region," Hua noted.
Hua said all relevant parties opposed military intervention, and the Chinese side "wants to stress that sanctions and interventions will make the situation more complicated."
Earlier in the month, the National Assembly of Venezuela adopted a resolution to invoke the Venezuelan Constitution's Article 233 to form a "transition government" and hold transparent and free elections.
The resolution also called on China and other countries to freeze the accounts and assets of the Venezuelan government.
Hua said on January 17 that "China consistently upholds the principle of non-interference in others' internal affairs and supports the Venezuelan people in independently seeking out a path that suits its national conditions.
"As for who should lead them in this process, all parties shall respect the choice already made by the Venezuelan people."
Apart from analyzing the political situation, China also needs to understand the main reason why Venezuela is suffering from such instability, said Mei Xinyu, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing.
The unreasonable high-welfare economic system is the main reason for the current situation in Venezuela rather than foreign interference.
"The high-welfare policy means, for instance, the pillar of the country's economy - the state-owned petro enterprise PDVSA - cannot use its profits to boost sustainable development, and the people's motivation for contributing to economic growth has been damaged."
China opposes outside intervention to Venezuela's internal affairs: MFA
China opposes outside intervention to Venezuela’s internal affairs, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said during a regular press conference on Monday.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang (Photos: VCG)“China advocates that all countries should adhere to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, and opposes one country’s intervention to another country’s internal affairs,” said Geng Shuang, Chinese Foreign Ministry
China opposes outside intervention in Venezuela: FM
China is highly concerned about the situation in Venezuela and called on all parties to remain rational and calm while seeking a political solution, an official said at a routine press conference on Thursday.Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro (R), flanked by his wife Cilia Flores (C), holds a Venezuelan flag while speaking from a balcony at Miraflores Presidential Palace to a
Russia opposes US intervention in Venezuelan affairs
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. (File Photo: CGTN)MOSCOW, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry criticized the United States on Thursday for interfering in Venezuelan internal affairs by recognizing the opposition leader as the "interim president."The immediate recognition of opposition leader Juan Guaido by the United States and some regional countries is aimed at aggravating the split in the Venezuelan
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WORLD Anthony Weiner reports to prison for sexting conviction
Anthony Weiner reports to prison for sexting conviction
AP staff | AP
Former Rep. Anthony Weiner reported to prison Monday to begin a 21-month sentence for sexting with a 15-year-old girl.
Weiner is being held at the Federal Medical Center Devens in Massachusetts, a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson said.
The facility in Ayer, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Boston, has over 1,000 inmates at the medical center and over 100 more at an adjacent minimum security satellite camp. It’s the same prison that once housed Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
Weiner was sentenced in September by a judge who said the crime resulted from a “very strong compulsion.” At the time, a tearful Weiner said he was undergoing therapy and had been “a very sick man for a very long time.”
Amid a sexting controversy involving women, the New York Democrat resigned his U.S. House seat in 2011 only to have new allegations doom his 2013 run for mayor.
Last year, a criminal probe into his sexting with a high school student intruded into Democrat Hillary Clinton’s bid for the White House. Then-FBI Director James Comey announced in late October 2016 that he was reopening the probe of Clinton’s use of a private computer server after emails between Clinton and Weiner’s wife, Huma Abedin — formerly Clinton’s closest aide — were found on Weiner’s computer.
Two days before Election Day, the FBI declared there was nothing new in the emails. But in a recent interview, Clinton called Comey’s intervention “the determining factor” in her defeat.
Abedin and Weiner are in divorce proceedings.
At sentencing in Manhattan federal court, Weiner attorney Arlo Devlin-Brown said his client likely exchanged thousands of messages with hundreds of women over the years and was communicating with up to 19 women when he encountered the teenager.
Ex-ArthoCare CEO sentenced to 20 years in US prison for fraud
The former chief executive of medical device company ArthroCare Corp was sentenced on Friday to 20 years in prison after being convicted of having orchestrated what federal prosecutors called a $750 million securities fraud.Michael Baker, 58, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks in Austin, Texas after a federal jury in August found him guilty of securities fraud, wire
Texas church gunman escaped mental facility in 2012: police report
Photo: XinhuaThe man who carried out one of the deadliest U.S. mass shootings escaped from a mental health facility in 2012, the same year he was convicted by a U.S. Air Force court-martial of domestic abuse, according to a police report.Devin Kelley, who massacred 26 people at a church in rural southeastern Texas on Sunday, was convicted of assaulting his
US Air Force: Texas shooter's history should have been reported
Photo: APThe US Air Force’s top civilian official on Thursday publicly acknowledged for the first time that the domestic abuse charges for which the Texas church shooter was court martialed in 2012 should have been reported to the FBI.The Air Force had previously said that Devin P. Kelley’s conviction was not submitted to the FBI for entry into its National
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WORLD Israeli PM to drop ministerial roles: lawyers
Israeli PM to drop ministerial roles: lawyers
22:10, December 12, 2019
File photo: CGTN
JERUSALEM, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will resign from all his ministerial positions by Jan. 1, 2020, except the premiership, his lawyers said on Thursday.
The announcement came after the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, an anti-corruption watchdog, petitioned the Supreme Court to order Netanyahu to step down following the corruption indictments against him.
The petition cited that the prime minister is too preoccupied by a series of criminal indictments against him to properly carry out his duties.
Besides being prime minister, Netanyahu is currently the health minister, diaspora minister, and acting agriculture minister. In August, he was also appointed minister of welfare, replacing former Welfare Minister Haim Katz who was forced to resign after being indicted with corruption.
Earlier this year, Netanyahu stepped down as the ministers of defense and foreign affairs in order to appoint two of his coalition partners.
Netanyahu has officially been indicted with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three separate corruption scandals. He has denied any wrongdoing, saying that these charges are only part of "a witch-hunt."
The embattled Israeli leader is currently struggling for his political survival after failing to form coalition governments after the last two national elections in Israel.
However, he is likely to stay in office at least until March 2, 2020, when the next election will be held.
Guangzhou holds Global Lawyers Forum
Global Lawyers Forum kicked off Monday in Guangzhou, capital city of Guangdong province, aiming to deepen exchanges and cooperation among lawyers around the world.(Photo: dgsfj.dg.gov.cn)The two-day forum has attracted about 800 lawyers, judicial officials and legal experts across the world and will cover topics including legal services related to the Belt and Road Initiative, science and technology, international trade and dispute resolution.Fu Zhenghua, Chinas Minister of justice, said in his opening remarks that the forum is the first world lawyers event hosted by China. It is a practical action for Chinese lawyers to facilitate a communication and cooperation platform and promote a bigger role for lawyers in the global governance system.Fu said this year also marks the 40th anniversary of the restoration of Chinas lawyer system which has made great progress along with the development of Chinas rule of law. Over the past 40 years, the number of law firms in China has grown from 70 to more than 30,000 and practicing lawyers have increased from about 200 to more than 460,000 who have become an important force for the countrys comprehensive governance by law.According to Fu, Chinese lawyers handle each year more than 5 million lawsuits, more than 1 million non-litigation legal affairs, more than 500,000 legal aid cases and provide more than 2.3 million public welfare legal services.They are also active participants in the international legal service market to help serve the development of international economy and trade, he added.Lawyers from 36 countries and regions on Sunday also formed the Belt and Road International Lawyers Association, which Fu said marked "a new stage in the exchange and cooperation of lawyers in countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative".He suggested lawyers and bar associations around the world keep expanding cooperation and promote the signing of bilateral and multilateral agreements by government...
Global Lawyers Forum kicks off in south China
Lawyers.China's.legal.
Israeli, U.S. researchers develop technology to unblock airways
File photoJERUSALEM, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Israeli and U.S. researchers have developed a new technology to unblock and remove secretions from the respiratory tract, Ben Gurion University (BGU) in southern Israel said on Sunday.Researchers said the solution will allow children and infants suffering from respiratory tract diseases, such as bronchiolitis, asthma, cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), to breathe freely.Statistics show that COPD affects over 5 percent of the population of Israel and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates.The new technology, developed by researchers from the BGU, Soroka Medical Center, CBGUincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati in the United States, also prevents complications and shortens hospitalization periods.The technology introduces air pressure and acoustic pulses into the airways and lungs over a low-pressure airstream.The approach simultaneously applies a combination of low-frequency flow oscillations and high-frequency acoustic waves to detach mucus from the airway wall and remove it in smaller chunks.
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Tag: menagerie
Animals History March 23, 2015 April 14, 2020 by Perry
The Tower of London Was Home to a Polar Bear
The first record of wild animals at the Tower of London was in 1210 during the reign of King John. The monarch would receive the animals as gifts from other powerful rulers at the time, often to impress others or to show the wealth and strength of the ruler. The exotic animals were sent to London from all over the world and kept in the Tower of London as a symbol of power as well as for the curiosity and entertainment of the court.
King Henry III was particularly credited with establishing the Royal Menagerie at the Tower of London. In 1235 he was given 3 lions as a wedding gift by the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick III, he was also presented with a polar bear from King Haakon of Norway in 1251, the bear was given a particularly long leash to enable him to swim and catch fish in the Thames river. One of the more unusual animals was a large male African Elephant which was presented to King Henry III from King Louis IX of France in 1255, being the first of its kind to reach the shores of Britain, this large and unusual creature was said to cause quite a stir and the people of London flocked to catch a glimpse of the giant grey beast.
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Home Altered Images This is an HDR panorama taken under the dome of the Capital building in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is a composite of two panoramas. One was remapped into a "Little Planet" view and one into a "Tunnel" v
9th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Altered Images
This is an HDR panorama taken under the dome of the Capital building in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is a composite of two panoramas. One was remapped into a "Little Planet" view and one into a "Tunnel" v
This is an HDR panorama taken under the dome of the Capital building in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is a composite of two panoramas. One was remapped into a "Little Planet" view and one into a "Tunnel" view the tunnel was but inside the planet.
Photo Location:
Copyright: © Christopher Blake
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Pitt’s Rushel Shell Considers Transferring
Filed Under:93.7 The Fan, Chris Peak, College Football, Hopewell High School, Paul Chryst, Pitt Panthers, Rushel Shell, Todd Graham, transfer, University Of Pittsburgh
Rushel Shell #4 of the Pittsburgh Panthers carries the ball against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the game on November 24, 2012 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.(Photo Credit: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH (93-7 THE FAN) — Pitt sophomore running back Rushel Shell is still considering leaving the Pitt program and head coach Paul Chryst is giving him time to think about it.
The university released a statement today. “Like many college freshmen, Rushel is working through some challenges right now. As it is for all members of our team, my most important concern is his personal well-being. Rushel and his family have our full support. We are giving him time away from football to work through this situation but he very much remains a part of our family on a daily basis. We want to be sensitive and respectful of Rushel, and I would ask others to do the same.”
Shell is expected to be the center of their offense this year after rushing for 641 yards and 4 touchdowns as a true freshman in 2012.
“We know he’s considering it and we know he’s pretty much set on it,” PantherLair.com’s Chris Peak told Starkey, Miller and Mueller on 93-7 The Fan. “It’s that next step of putting in the papers.”
Shell missed Tuesday’s workouts as Pitt head coach Paul Chryst told reporters it was “an excused absence.”
Chryst added Shell had a couple of things to work through.
“I think there are some issues possibly with teammates,” Peak said. “I think there are some issues with coaches and some issues with Rushel Shell himself. I don’t know to this point in his college career if his work ethic is what it needs to be, maybe you can draw some conclusions after that.”
Chris Peak
The all-time leading rusher in Pennsylvania history with 9,078 yards and a WPIAL record 110 touchdowns while at Hopewell High School, Shell committed to Pitt over Alabama in 2011 when Todd Graham was still head coach.
Shell was suspended for the team’s opening game in 2012 for violating team rules.
“I don’t know if he felt fully comfortable with what he was being asked to do,” Peak added. “Not in terms of the offense, but in terms with obligations with what student athletes have. I think it’s a big confluence of things which lead to him not wanting to be here.”
Shell is expected to be the center of the Panthers offense in 2013 and if he leaves, junior Isaac Bennett would be the starting tailback with sophomore Malcolm Crockett as the back-up.
“These two guys don’t have the high-end talent that Shell has,” Peak said. “Taking that kind of talent out of the offense is a blow.
More Pitt News
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'Chopped Him Up in 2 Kiddie Pools and Threw a Leg in the Oven...'
By Stephen Green Dec 13, 2014 10:00 AM ET
Florida woman really did it this time:
Angela Stoldt, 42, was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole Friday for the murder of 36-year-old James Sheaffer.
Stoldt and Sheaffer argued over money before Stoldt stabbed her neighbor in the eye with an ice pick and strangled him in a cemetery April 3, 2013.
She wrapped Sheaffer’s head in plastic to prevent blood leaking in her car and transported the corpse to her house, prosecutors said.
Stoldt chopped him up in two kiddie pools and threw a leg in the oven and other limbs on the stove in an attempt to cremate the body, police said.
Good lord.
Some stories are beyond even my ability to make light. I could easily have left aside my qualms with the death penalty in this case.
cross-posted from Vodkapundit
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Home/Thailand –Thailand
Report says human trafficking, mostly for prostitution, still rife in Thailand
HUMAN TRAFFICKING remains a serious issue in Thailand – with most cases involving prostitution – despite years of efforts to tackle the menace by the military government, a report released yesterday by rights groups reveals.
The report by Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF) and Anti-Labour Trafficking Project (ALT), focusing on the situation in 2016 to 2017, said cases of labour trafficking were lower because they might not have been discovered or reported yet.
According to the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, Thailand prosecuted 333 human trafficking cases in 2016 and 302 cases in 2017. Of those, 244 and 246 respectively related to prostitution, involving persons being lured or forced into the sex trade. The rest involved other types of labour, including those in the industry and fishery sectors.
The report said that work in sectors such as agriculture, fisheries and industry are mostly remote and obscure and it is therefore difficult for authorities to track down labour trafficking.
The report also suggested that the low number of cases was more due to poor record-keeping and lack of cooperation among involved agencies and authorities, and not reflective of the actual situation.
Following the presentation of the report yesterday, agents working in the field shared the challenges they faced in dealing with the issue. This is seen as the reason for the country’s failure to be taken off the Watch List of the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report in 2016-17. However, Thailand’s status was upgraded to Tier 2 this year. The country was in the lowest Tier 3 in 2014 and 2015.
Prawit Roikaew, a prosecutor specialising in human trafficking cases, said the country had passed legislation and legal amendments as the TIP report was in the spotlight. But problems lay in how authorities implemented the laws, he said.
“We see this effect where authorities are torn between pressing many charges or none at all,” he said. “Some people think that because we have all these laws, we should have more cases. Others resort to hiding the truth for fear of being transferred. None of these truly comply with the law.”
Somchai Homlaor, a lawyer and HRDF president, pointed out a similar issue of authorities rushing to prosecute cases and taking them to court. Despite the superficial enthusiasm, in reality a rushed job meant the investigation was not thorough, he said.
Ultimately, the traffickers ended up being acquitted due to insufficient evidence, he said.
“Rather than focusing on quantity, we should look at the end result of the cases,” the lawyer said.
Pol Lt-Colonel Suphat Thamthanarak, director of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI)’s division handling human trafficking cases, said that although the division was set up last year to deal with the issue, it did not have authority to take action in cases of flagrant violations.
Mostly, the division had to rely on NGOs to bring in victims to start a “special investigation”, as the name of the unit suggested, he said.
“The division now has 40 personnel and we plan to do 20 cases this year,” he said. “Now, we have 10.”
Suphat said that he thought it was a good idea to set up a special task force to tackle human trafficking, like the Narcotics Control Board for drugs.
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Katherine Duncan-Jones
Faculty Profile Page
College Profile Page
Faculty of English Language and Literature
Professor Katherine Duncan-Jones specialises in Elizabethan literature, history and biography, especially with reference to original texts and sources in manuscript and early editions. She is currently working on research into Shakespeare's reputation from 1592-1623. Professor Duncan-Jones edited the 1997 Arden edition of Shakespeare's Sonnets and, with H.R.Woudhuysen, his Poems (Arden Shakespeare 2007).
Series featuring Katherine Duncan-Jones
1 Venus and Adonis Professor Katherine Duncan Jones, Senior Research Fellow, Somerville College, gives a talk on Shakespeare's poem, Venus and Adonis. Katherine Duncan-Jones 20 May 2016
2 Shakespeare's Fools Professor of English, Katherine Duncan-Jones, discusses the real life characters and contemporaries of Shakespeare that inspired, shaped, and on occasion performed the various roles of the 'fool' in much of his work. Katherine Duncan-Jones 11 Dec 2012
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Policy document 4
objectType:"Policy document"
Vision for e-Prescribing: a joint statement by the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Pharmacists Association
Policy document
Vision for e-Prescribing: a joint statement by the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Pharmacists Association By 2015, e-prescribing will be the means by which prescriptions are generated for Canadians. Definition e-Prescribing is the secure electronic creation and transmission of a prescription between an authorized prescriber and a patient's pharmacy of choice, using clinical Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and pharmacy management software. Background Health Information Technology (HIT) is an enabler to support clinicians in the delivery of health care services to patients. The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) each have identified e-prescribing as a key tool to deliver better value to patients. The integration of HIT into clinics and health care facilities where physicians and pharmacists provide care is a priority for both associations1. As part of its Health Care Transformation initiative, the CMA highlighted the need to accelerate the introduction of e-prescribing in Canada to make it the main method of prescribing. In its policy on optimal prescribing the CMA noted that one of the key elements was the introduction of electronic prescribing. The CPhA, as part of its Blueprint for Pharmacy Implementation Plan, highlights information and communication technology, which includes e-prescribing, as one of five priority areas. We applaud the ongoing efforts of Canada Health Infoway, provinces and territories to establish Drug Information Systems (DIS) and the supporting infrastructure to enable e-prescribing. We urge governments to maintain e-prescribing as a priority and take additional measures to accelerate their investments in this area. It is our joint position that e-prescribing will improve patient care and safety. e-Prescribing, when integrated with DIS, supports enhanced clinical decision-making, prescribing and medication management, and integrates additional information available at the point of care into the clinical workflow. Principles The following principles should guide our collective efforts to build e-prescribing capability in all jurisdictions: * Patient confidentiality and security must be maintained * Patient choice must be protected * Clinicians must have access to best practice information and drug cost and formulary data * Work processes must be streamlined and e-prescribing systems must be able to integrate with clinical and practice management software and DIS * Guidelines must be in place for data sharing among health professionals and for any other use or disclosure of data * The authenticity and accuracy of the prescription must be verifiable * The process must prevent prescription forgeries and diversion * Pan-Canadian standards must be set for electronic signatures Benefits of e-Prescribing A number of these benefits will be realized when e-prescribing is integrated with jurisdictional Drug Information Systems (DIS). * Patients: o Improves patient safety and overall quality of care o Increases convenience for dispensing of new and refill prescriptions o Supports collaborative, team-based care * Providers: o Supports a safer and more efficient method of prescribing and authorizing refills by replacing outdated phone, fax and paper-based prescriptions o Eliminates re-transcription and decreases risk of errors and liability, as a prescription is written only once at the point-of-care o Supports electronic communications between providers and reduces phone calls and call-backs to/from pharmacies for clarification o Provides Warning and Alert systems at the point of prescribing, supporting clinician response to potential contraindications, drug interactions and allergies o Facilitates informed decision-making by making medication history, drug, therapeutic, formulary and cost information available at the point of prescribing * Health Care System: o Improves efficiency and safety of prescribing, dispensing and monitoring of medication therapy o Supports access to a common, comprehensive medication profile, enhancing clinical decision-making and patient adherence o Increases cost-effective medication use, through improved evidence-based prescribing, formulary adherence, awareness of drug costs and medication management o Improves reporting and drug use evaluation Challenges While evidence of the value of e-prescribing is established in the literature, its existence has not fostered broad implementation and adoption. In Canada, there are a number of common and inter-related challenges to e-prescribing's implementation and adoption. These include: * Improving access to relevant and complete information to support decision-making * Increasing the level of the adoption of technology at the point of care * Focusing on systems-based planning to ensure continuum-wide value * Integrating e-prescribing into work processes to gain support from physicians, pharmacists and other prescribers * Increasing leadership commitment to communicate the need for change, remove barriers and ensure progress * Updating legislation and regulation to support e-prescribing Enabling e-Prescribing in Canada CMA and CPhA believe that we can achieve the vision that is set out in this document and address the aforementioned challenges by working collectively on five fronts: * Health care leadership in all jurisdictions and clinical organizations must commit to make e-prescribing a reality by 2015 * Provinces and territories, with Canada Health Infoway, must complete the building blocks to support e-prescribing by increasing Electronic Medical Record (EMR) adoption at the point of care, finishing the work on the Drug Information Systems (DIS) in all jurisdictions and building the connectivity among the points of care and the DIS systems * Pharmacist and medical organizations in conjunction with provinces, territories and Canada Health Infoway must identify clear benefits for clinicians (enhancing the effectiveness of care delivery and in efficiencies in changing workflows) to adopt e-prescribing and focus their efforts on achieving these benefits in the next three years * Provinces, territories and regulatory organizations must create a policy/regulatory environment that supports e-prescribing which facilitates the role of clinicians in providing health care to their patients * Provinces and territories must harmonize the business rules and e-health standards to simplify implementation and conformance by software vendors and allow more investment in innovation. 1 Health Care Transformation in Canada, Canadian Medical Association, June 2010; Blueprint for Pharmacy Implementation Plan, Canadian Pharmacists Association, September 2009
PD13-02.pdf
Health equity and the social determinants of health: A role for the medical profession
Health equity is created when individuals have the opportunity to achieve their full health potential; equity is undermined when preventable and avoidable systematic conditions constrain life choices.1 These conditions are known as the social determinants of health. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines the social determinants of health as the circumstances in which people are born, develop, live and age.2 In 2002, researchers and policy experts at a York University conference identified the following list: income and income distribution; early life; education; housing; food security; employment and working conditions; unemployment and job security; social safety net; social inclusion/exclusion; and health services. 3 Research suggests that 15% of population health is determined by biology and genetics, 10% by physical environments, 25% by the actions of the health care system, with 50% being determined by our social and economic environment.4 Any actions to improve health and tackle health inequity must address the social determinants and their impact on daily life.5 THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND HEALTH STATUS Social status is one of the strongest predictors of health at the population level. There is a social gradient of health such that those with higher social status experience greater health than those with lower social status. The social gradient is evident not only when comparing the most disadvantaged to the most advantaged; within each strata, even among those holding stable middle-class jobs, those at the lowest end fare less well than those at the higher end. The Whitehall study of civil servants in the United Kingdom found that lower ranking staff have a greater disease burden and shorter life expectancy than higher-ranking staff.6 Differences in medical care did not account for the differences in mortality.7 This gradient has been demonstrated for just about any health condition.8 Hundreds of research papers have confirmed that people in the lowest socio-economic groups carry the greatest burden of illness.9 In 2001, people in the neighbourhoods with the highest 20% income lived about three years longer than those in the poorest 20% neighbourhoods (four years for men; two years for women).10 Dietary deficiencies, common in food insecure households, can lead to an increased chance of chronic disease and greater difficulty in disease management. It is estimated that about 1.1 million households in Canada experience food insecurity, with the risk increasing in single-parent households and in families on social assistance.11 Studies suggest that adverse socio-economic conditions in childhood can be a greater predictor of cardiovascular disease and diabetes in adults than later life circumstances and behavioural choices.12 Effective early childhood development offers the best opportunity to reduce the social gradient and improve the social determinants of health,13 and offers the greatest return on investment.14 Low income contributes not only to material deprivation but social isolation as well. Without financial resources, it is more difficult for individuals to participate in cultural, educational and recreational activities or to benefit from tax incentives. Suicide rates in the lowest income neighbourhoods are almost twice as high as in the wealthiest neighbourhoods.15 This social isolation and its effects are most striking in Canada's homeless population. Being homeless is correlated with higher rates of physical and mental illness. In Canada, premature death is eight to 10 times higher among the homeless.16 The gradient in other social determinants can have an adverse impact as well. A study conducted in the Netherlands estimated that average morbidity and mortality in the overall population could be reduced 25-50% if men with lower levels of education had the same mortality and morbidity levels as those men with a university education.17 Employment status also follows this gradient, such that having a job is better than being unemployed. 18 Unemployment is correlated with increased blood pressure, self-reported ill health, drug abuse, and reductions in normal activity due to illness or injury.19 Unemployment is associated with increases in domestic violence, family breakups and crime. Finally, job security is relevant.20 Mortality rates are higher among temporary rather than permanent workers.21 Canada's Aboriginal people face the greatest health consequences as a result of the social determinants of health. Poverty, inadequate or substandard housing, unemployment, lack of access to health services, and low levels of education characterize a disproportionately large number of Aboriginal peoples.22 The crude mortality rate for First Nations is higher and life expectancy lower than the Canadian average.23 Aboriginal peoples experience higher rates of chronic disease, addictions, mental illness and childhood abuse.24 Aboriginal peoples have higher rates of suicide, with suicide being the leading cause of potential years of life lost in both the First Nations and Inuit populations.25 THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND CANADA'S HEALTH SYSTEM These differences in health outcomes have an impact on the health care system. Most major diseases including heart disease and mental illness follow a social gradient with those in lowest socio-economic groups having the greatest burden of illness.26 Those within the lowest socio-economic status are 1.4 times more likely to have a chronic disease, and 1.9 times more likely to be hospitalized for care of that disease.27 Chronic diseases such as diabetes account for 67% of direct health care costs and 60% indirect costs.28 Research has shown that Canadians with low incomes are higher users of general practitioner, mental health, and hospital services.29 People in the lowest income group were almost twice as likely as those in the highest income group to visit the emergency department for treatment. 30 Part of this may be caused by differences in access to care. Low-income Canadians are more likely to report that they have not received needed health care in the past 12 months.31 Those in the lowest income groups are 50% less likely than those in the highest income group to see a specialist or get care in the evenings or on weekends, and 40% more likely to wait more than five days for a doctor's appointment.32 Barriers to health care access are not the only issue. Research in the U.K.33 and U.S.34 has found that compliance with medical treatment tends to be lower in disadvantaged groups, leading to pain, missed appointments, increased use of family practice services and increased emergency department visits, and corresponding increases in cost. In the U.S., non-adherence has been attributed to 100,000 deaths annually.35 Researchers have reported that those in the lowest income groups are three times less likely to fill prescriptions, and 60% less able to get needed tests because of cost.36 These differences have financial costs. In Manitoba for example, research conducted in 1994 showed that those in the lowest income decile used services totaling $216 million (12.2%). In the same year, those in the highest income decile consumed $97 million (5.5%) of expenditures. If expenditures for the bottom half of the population by income had been the same as the median, Manitoba would have saved $319 million or 23.1% of their health care budget. 37 According to a 2011 report, low-income residents in Saskatoon consume an additional $179 million in health care costs than middle income earners.38 To reduce the burden of illness and therefore system costs, Canada needs to improve the underlying social and economic determinants of health of Canadians. However, until these changes have time to improve the health status of the population, there will still be a large burden of illness correlated to these underlying deficiencies. As a result, the health system will need to be adequately resourced to address the consequences of the social determinants of health. AREAS FOR ACTION The WHO Commission on the Social Determinants of Health identified four categories through which actions on social determinants can be taken. These include: * reducing social stratification by reducing inequalities in power, prestige, and income linked to socio-economic position; * decreasing the exposure of individuals and populations to the health-damaging factors they may face; * reducing the vulnerability of people to the health damaging conditions they face; and * intervening through health care to reduce the consequences of ill health caused by the underlying determinants.39 All of these areas offer possibilities for action by the physician community. The following section provides suggestions for action by the medical profession through: CMA and national level initiatives; medical education; leadership and research; and clinical practice. CMA and national level initiatives Despite the strong relationship between the social determinants of health and health, little in the way of effective action has resulted. CMA and its partners can and should, advocate for research and push for informed healthy public policy, including health impact assessments for government policies. Additionally, targeted population health programs aimed at addressing the underlying determinants should be supported. All Canadians need a better understanding of the health trends and the impacts of various social and economic indicators. Information about the differences in specific health indicators, collected over time,40 is essential to the task of describing underlying health trends and the impacts of social and economic interventions. Data within primary care practices could be assembled into (anonymous) community-wide health information databases, to address this need. CMA recommends that: 1. The federal government recognize the relationship of the social determinants of health on the demands of the health care system and that it implement a requirement for all cabinet decision-making to include a Health Impact Assessment. 2. Options be examined for minimizing financial barriers to necessary medical care including pharmaceuticals and medical devices necessary for health. 3. Federal and provincial/territorial governments examine ways to improve the social and economic circumstances of all Canadians. 4. Efforts be made to educate the public about the effect of social determinants on individual and population health. 5. Appropriate data be collected and reported on annually. This data should be locally usable, nationally comparable and based on milestones across the life course. Medical education Medical education is an effective means to provide physicians with the information and tools they require to understand the impact of social determinants on the health of their patients and deal with them accordingly.41 In 2001, Health Canada published a report in which they stated that the primary goal of medical education should be the preparation of graduates who know how to reduce the burden of illness and improve the health of the communities in which they practice.42 Among the report's recommendations was a call for greater integration of the social determinants in medical curricula.43 Although the CanMEDS framework has been a part of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada's accreditation process since 2005, challenges to the integration of these competencies remain.44 The report called for a greater emphasis on providing medical students with firsthand experiences in the community and with distinct populations (service learning),45 which addresses the difficulties in teaching the social aspects of medicine within a traditional classroom or hospital setting.46 Many such programs exist across the country.47 However, these programs are still limited and there is a need to increase the availability of longitudinal programs which allow students to build on the skills they develop throughout medical school. Increasingly residency programs which focus on the social determinants of health are being offered.48 These programs are a means of providing physicians with the proper tools to communicate with patients from diverse backgrounds49 and reduce behaviours that marginalized patients have identified as barriers to health services.50 It also provides residents with physician role models who are active in the community. However, medical residents note a lack of opportunities to participate in advocacy during residency.51 Further, while experiential programs are effective in helping to reduce barriers between physicians and patients from disadvantaged backgrounds, greater recruitment of medical students from these marginalized populations should also be explored and encouraged. Finally, physicians in practice need to be kept up to date on new literature and interventions regarding the social determinants. Innovations which help address health equity in practice should be shared with interested physicians. In particular, there is a need for accredited continuing medical education (CME) and a means to encourage uptake.52 CMA recommends that: 6. Greater integration of information on the social determinants and health inequity be provided in medical school to support the CanMEDS health advocate role 7. All medical schools and residency programs offer service learning programs, to provide students with an opportunity to work with diverse populations in inner city, rural and remote settings, and to improve their skills in managing the impact of the social determinants on their patients. 8. CME on the social determinants of health and the physician role in health equity be offered and incentivized for practising physicians. Leadership and research Within many communities in Canada, there are physicians who are working to address social determinants and health equity within the patient populations they serve. This is done in many cases through collaboration with partners within and outside of the health care system. Providing these local physician leaders with the tools they need to build these partnerships, and influence the policies and programs that affect their communities is a strategy that needs to be explored. Evidence-based research about health equity, the clinical setting and the role of physicians is underdeveloped. Interested physicians may wish to participate in research about practice level innovations, as a means of contributing to the evidence base for 'health equity' interventions or simply to share best practices with interested colleagues. Further, physicians can provide the medical support to encourage the adoption of early childhood development practices for example, which support later adult health. In time, research will contribute to training, continuing medical education and potentially to clinical practice guidelines. Physicians can provide leadership in health impact assessments and equity audits within the health care system as well. Data is essential to identify health equity challenges within a program, to propose and test measures that address the issues underlying the disparities. Formal audits and good measurement are essential to develop evidence-based policy improvements.53 Innovative programs such as those within the Saskatoon Health Region and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto are examples of using these tools to improve access and reduce inequities. CMA recommends that: 9. Physicians who undertake leadership and advocacy roles should be protected from repercussions in the workplace, e.g., the loss of hospital privileges. 10. Physician leaders explore opportunities to strengthen the primary care public health interface within their communities by working with existing agencies and community resources. 11. Physician leaders work with their local health organizations and systems to conduct health equity impact assessments in order to identify challenges and find solutions to improve access and quality of care. 12. Physicians be encouraged to participate in or support research on best practices for the social determinants of health and health equity. Once identified, information sharing should be established in Canada and internationally. Clinical practice In consultation with identified health equity physician champions, a number of clinical interventions have been identified which are being undertaken by physicians across the country. These interventions could be undertaken in many practice settings given the right supports, and could be carried out by various members of the collaborative care team.1 First, a comprehensive social history is essential to understand how to provide care for each patient in the context of their life.54 There are a number of tools that can be used for such a consultation and more are in development.55 However, consolidation of the best ideas into a tool that is suitable for the majority of health care settings is needed. There is some concern that asking these questions is outside of the physician role. The CanMEDS health advocate role clearly sees these types of activities as part of the physician role.56 The 'Four Principles of Family Medicine' defined by the College of Family Physicians of Canada, affirms this role for physicians as well.57 Community knowledge was identified as a strategy for helping patients. Physicians who were aware of community programs and services were able to refer patients if/when social issues arose.58 Many communities and some health providers have developed community resource guides.59 For some physicians, developing a network of community resources was the best way to understand the supports available. As a corollary, physicians noted their work in helping their patients become aware of and apply for the various social programs to which they are entitled. The programs vary by community and province/territory, and include disability, nutritional supports and many others. Most if not all of these programs require physicians to complete a form in order for the individual to qualify. Resources are available for some of these programs,60 but more centralized supports for physicians regardless of practice location or province/territory are needed. Physicians advocate on behalf of their patients by writing letters confirming the medical limitations of various health conditions or the medical harm of certain exposures.61 For example, a letter confirming the role of mold in triggering asthma may lead to improvements in the community housing of an asthmatic. Additionally, letters might help patients get the health care services and referrals that they require. As identified leaders within the community, support from a physician may be a 'game-changer' for patients. Finally, the design of the clinic, such as hours of operation or location, will influence the ability of people to reach care.62 CMA recommends that: 13. Tools be provided for physicians to assess their patients for social and economic causes of ill health and to determine the impact of these factors on treatment design. 14. Local databases of community services and programs (health and social) be developed and provided to physicians. Where possible, targeted guides should be developed for the health sector. 15. Collaborative team-based practice be supported and encouraged. 16. Resources or services be made available to physicians so that they can help their patients identify the provincial/territorial and federal programs for which they may qualify. 17. Physicians be cognizant of equity considerations when considering their practice design and patient resources. 18. All patients be treated equitably and have reasonable access to appropriate care, regardless of the funding model of their physician. CONCLUSION Socio-economic factors play a larger role in creating (or damaging) health than either biological factors or the health care system. Health equity is increasingly recognized as a necessary means by which we will make gains in the health status of all Canadians and retain a sustainable publicly funded health care system. Addressing inequalities in health is a pillar of CMA's Health Care Transformation initiative. Physicians as clinicians, learners, teachers, leaders and as a profession can take steps to address the problems on behalf of their patients. REFERENCES 1 A full review of the consultations is provided in the companion paper The Physician and Health Equity: Opportunities in Practice. 1 Khalema, N. Ernest (2005) Who's Healthy? Who's Not? A Social Justice Perspective on Health Inequities. Available at: http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/chps/crosslinks_march05.cfm 2 World Health Organization (2008) Closing the gap in a generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health: Executive Summary. Available at: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2008/WHO_IER_CSDH_08.1_eng.pdf 3 Public Health Agency of Canada (N.D.) The Social Determinants of Health: An Overview of the Implications for Policy and the Role of the Health Sector. Available at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ph-sp/oi-ar/pdf/01_overview_e.pdf 4 Keon, Wilbert J. & Lucie Pépin (2008) Population Health Policy: Issues and Options. Available at: http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/SEN/Committee/392/soci/rep/rep10apr08-e.pdf 5 Friel, Sharon (2009) Health equity in Australia: A policy framework based on action on the social determinants of obesity, alcohol and tobacco. The National Preventative Health Taskforce. Available at: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/preventativehealth/publishing.nsf/Content/0FBE203C1C547A82CA257529000231BF/$File/commpaper-hlth-equity-friel.pdf 6 Wilkinson, Richard & Michael Marmot eds. (2003) Social Determinants of Health: The Solid Facts: Second Edition. World Health Organization. Available at: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/98438/e81384.pdf 7 Khalema, N. Ernest (2005) Who's Healthy?... 8 Dunn, James R. (2002) The Health Determinants Partnership Making Connections Project: Are Widening Income Inequalities Making Canada Less Healthy? Available at: http://www.opha.on.ca/our_voice/collaborations/makeconnxn/HDP-proj-full.pdf 9 Ibid 10 Wilkins, Russ; Berthelot, Jean-Marie; and Ng E. [2002]. Trends in Mortality by Neighbourhood Income in Urban Canada from 1971 to 1996. Health Reports 13 [Supplement]: pp. 45-71 11 Mikkonen, Juha & Dennis Raphael (2010) Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian Facts. Available at: http://www.thecanadianfacts.org/The_Canadian_Facts.pdf 12 Raphael, Dennis (2003) "Addressing The Social Determinants of Health In Canada: Bridging The Gap Between Research Findings and Public Policy." Policy Options. March 2003 pp.35-40. 13 World Health Organization (2008) Closing the gap in a generation... 14 Hay, David I. (2006) Economic Arguments for Action on the Social Determinants of Health. Canadian Policy Research Networks. Available at: http://www.cprn.org/documents/46128_en.pdf 15 Mikkonen, Juha & Dennis Raphael (2010) Social Determinants of Health... 16 Ibid. 17 Whitehead, Margaret & Goran Dahlgren (2006) Concepts and principles for tackling social inequities in health: Levelling up Part 1. World Health Organization Europe. Available at: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/74737/E89383.pdf 18 Wilkinson, Richard & Michael Marmot eds. (2003) "Social Determinants of Health... 19 Ferrie, Jane E. (1999) "Health consequences of job insecurity." In Labour Market Changes and Job Security: A Challenge for Social Welfare and Health Promotion. World Health Organization. Available at: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/98411/E66205.pdf 20 Marmot, Michael (2010) Fair Society Healthy Lives: The Marmot Review: Executive Summary. Available at: http://www.marmotreview.org/AssetLibrary/pdfs/Reports/FairSocietyHealthyLivesExecSummary.pdf 21 World Health Organization (2008) Closing the gap in a generation... 22 Aboriginal Healing Foundation, Frequently Asked Questions (Ottawa: Canadian Government Publishing Directorate, 2009) Available at: http://www.ahf.ca/faq 23Health Council of Canada, "The Health Status Of Canada's First Nations, Métis And Inuit Peoples", 2005, Available at:http://healthcouncilcanada.ca.c9.previewyoursite.com/docs/papers/2005/BkgrdHealthyCdnsENG.pdf 24 Mikkonen, Juha & Dennis Raphael (2010) Social Determinants of Health... 25Health Council of Canada, (2005)"The Health Status Of Canada's First Nations, Métis And Inuit Peoples... 26 Dunn, James R. (2002) The Health Determinants Partnership... 27 CIHI/CPHI (2012) Disparities in Primary Health Care Experiences Among Canadians with Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions. http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/products/PHC_Experiences_AiB2012_E.pdf 28 Munro, Daniel (2008) "Healthy People, Healthy Performance, Healthy Profits: The Case for Business Action on the Socio-Economic Determinants of Health." The Conference Board of Canada. Available at: http://www.conferenceboard.ca/Libraries/NETWORK_PUBLIC/dec2008_report_healthypeople.sflb 29 Williamson, Deanna L. et.al. (2006) "Low-income Canadians' experiences with health-related services: Implications for health care reform." Health Policy. 76(2006) pp. 106-121. 30 CIHI/CPHI (2012) Disparities in Primary Health Care Experiences Among Canadians... 31 Williamson, Deanna L. et.al. (2006) "Low-income Canadians'... 32 Mikkonen, Juha & Dennis Raphael (2010) Social Determinants of Health... 33 Neal, Richard D. et.al. (2001) "Missed appointments in general practice: retrospective data analysis from four practices." British Journal of General Practice. 51 pp.830-832. 34 Kennedy, Jae & Christopher Erb (2002) "Prescription Noncompliance due to Cost Among Adults with Disabilities in the United States." American Journal of Public Health. Vol.92 No.7 pp. 1120-1124. 35 Bibbins-Domingo, Kirsten & M. Robin DiMatteo. Chapter 8: Assessing and Promoting Medication Adherence. pp. 81-90 in King, Talmadge E, Jr. & Margaret B. Wheeler ed. (2007) Medical Management of Vulnerable and Underserved Patients... 36 Mikkonen, Juha & Dennis Raphael (2010) Social Determinants of Health... 37 Dunn, James R. (2002) The Health Determinants Partnership... 38 Saskatoon Poverty Reduction Partnership (2011) from poverty to possibility...and prosperity: A Preview to the Saskatoon Community Action Plan to Reduce Poverty. Available at: http://www.saskatoonpoverty2possibility.ca/pdf/SPRP%20Possibilities%20Doc_Nov%202011.pdf 39 World Health Organization (2005) Action On The Social Determinants Of Health: Learning From Previous Experiences. Available at: http://www.who.int/social_determinants/resources/action_sd.pdf 40 Braveman, Paula (2003) "Monitoring Equity in Health and Healthcare: A Conceptual Framework."Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition. Sep;21(3):181-192. 41 Royal College of Physicians (2010) How doctors can close the gap: Tackling the social determinants of health through culture change, advocacy and education. Available at: http://www.marmotreview.org/AssetLibrary/resources/new%20external%20reports/RCP-report-how-doctors-can-close-the-gap.pdf 42 Health Canada (2001) Social Accountability: A Vision for Canadian Medical Schools. Available at: http://www.medicine.usask.ca/leadership/social-accountability/pdfs%20and%20powerpoint/SA%20-%20A%20vision%20for%20Canadian%20Medical%20Schools%20-%20Health%20Canada.pdf 43 Ibid. 44 Dharamsi, Shafik; Ho, Anita; Spadafora, Salvatore; and Robert Woollard (2011) "The Physician as Health Advocate: Translating the Quest for Social Responsibility into Medical Education and Practice." Academic Medicine. Vol.86 No.9 pp.1108-1113. 45 Health Canada (2001) Social Accountability: A Vision for Canadian Medical Schools... 46 Meili, Ryan; Fuller, Daniel; & Jessica Lydiate. (2011) "Teaching social accountability by making the links: Qualitative evaluation of student experiences in a service-learning project." Medical Teacher. 33; 659-666. 47 Ford-Jones, Lee; Levin, Leo; Schneider, Rayfel; & Denis Daneman (2012) "A New Social Pediatrics Elective-A Tool for Moving to Life Course Developmental Health." The Journal of Pediatrics. V.160 Iss. 3 pp.357-358; Meili, Ryan; Ganem-Cuenca, Alejandra; Wing-sea Leung, Jannie; & Donna Zaleschuk (2011) "The CARE Model of Social Accountability: Promoting Cultural Change." Academic Medicine. Vol.86 No.9 pp.1114-1119. 48 Cuthbertson, Lana "U of A helps doctors understand way of life in the inner city." Edmonton Journal Dec 22, 2010. Available at: http://www2.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/cityplus/story.html?id=943d7dc3-927b-4429-878b-09b6e00595e1 49 Willems, S.; Maesschalck De, S.; Deveugele, M.; Derese, A. & J. De Maeseneer (2005) "Socio-economic status of the patient and doctor-patient communication: does it make a difference?" Patient Education and Counseling. 56 pp. 139-146. 50 Bloch, Gary; Rozmovits, Linda & Broden Giambone (2011) "Barriers to primary care responsiveness to poverty as a risk factor for health." BioMed Central Family Practice. Available at: http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2296-12-62.pdf; Schillinger, Dean; Villela, Theresa J. & George William Saba. Chapter 6: Creating a Context for Effective Intervention in the Clinical Care of Vulnerable Patients. pp.59-67. In King, Talmadge E, Jr. & Margaret B. Wheeler ed. (2007) Medical Management of Vulnerable and Underserved Patients. 51 Dharamsi, Shafik; Ho, Anita; Spadafora, Salvatore; and Robert Woollard (2011) "The Physician as Health Advocate... 52 UCL Institute of Health Equity (2012) The Role of the Health Workforce in Tackling Health Inequalities... 53 Meili, Ryan (2012) A Healthy Society: How A Focus On Health Can Revive Canadian Democracy. Saskatoon: Canada. Purich Publishing Limited. pp.36 54 UCL Institute of Health Equity (2012) The Role of the Health Workforce in Tackling Health Inequalities... 55 Bloch, Gary (2011) "Poverty: A clinical tool for primary care "Family & Community Medicine, University of Toronto. Available at: http://www.healthprovidersagainstpoverty.ca/system/files/Poverty%20A%20Clinical%20Tool%20for%20Primary%20Care%20%28version%20with%20References%29_0.pdf ; Bricic, Vanessa; Eberdt, Caroline & Janusz Kaczorowski (2011) "Development of a Tool to Identify Poverty in a Family Practice Setting: A Pilot Study." International Journal of Family Medicine. Available at: http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijfm/2011/812182/ ; Based on form developed by: Drs. V. Dubey, R.Mathew & K. Iglar; Revised by Health Providers Against Poverty (2008) " Preventative Care Checklist Form: For average-risk, routine, female health assessments." Available at: http://www.healthprovidersagainstpoverty.ca/Resourcesforhealthcareproviders ; Based on form developed by: Drs. V. Dubey, R.Mathew & K. Iglar; Revised by Health Providers Against Poverty (2008) " Preventative Care Checklist Form: For average-risk, routine, male health assessments." Available at: http://www.healthprovidersagainstpoverty.ca/Resourcesforhealthcareproviders 56 Frank, Dr. Jason R. ed. (2005) "The CanMEDS 2005 Physician Competency Framework: Better standards. Better physicians. Better Care." Office of Education: The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Available at: http://rcpsc.medical.org/canmeds/CanMEDS2005/CanMEDS2005_e.pdf 57 Tannenbaum, David et.al. (2011) "Triple C Competency-based Curriculum: Report of the Working Group on Postgraduate Curriculum Review-Part 1 58 UCL Institute of Health Equity (2012) The Role of the Health Workforce in Tackling Health Inequalities... 59 Doyle-Trace L, Labuda S. Community Resources in Cote-des-Neiges. Montreal: St Mary's Hospital Family Medicine Centre, 2011. (This guide was developed by medical residents Lara Doyle-Trace and Suzan Labuda at McGill University.); Mobile Outreach Street Health (N.D.) Pocket MOSH: a little MOSH for your pocket: A Practitioners Guide to MOSH and the Community We Serve. Available at: http://www.cdha.nshealth.ca/mobile-outreach-street-health 60 Health Providers Against Poverty (N.D.) Tools and Resources. Available at: http://www.healthprovidersagainstpoverty.ca/Resourcesforhealthcareproviders 61 Meili, Ryan (2012) A Healthy Society: How A Focus...pp.61; UCL Institute of Health Equity (2012) The Role of the Health Workforce in Tackling Health Inequalities... 62 Rachlis, Michael (2008) Operationalizing Health Equity: How Ontario's Health Services Can Contribute to Reducing Health Disparities. Wellesley Institute. Available at: http://wellesleyinstitute.com/files/OperationalizingHealthEquity.pdf
Restricting marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children and youth in Canada: A Canadian health care and scientific organization policy consensus statement
Restricting Marketing of Unhealthy Foods and Beverages to Children and Youth in Canada: A Canadian Health Care and Scientific Organization Policy Consensus Statement POLICY GOAL Federal government to immediately begin a legislative process to restrict all marketing targeted to children under the age of 13 of foods and beverages high in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars or sodium and that in the interim the food industry immediately ceases marketing of such food to children. PURPOSE OF STATEMENT This policy consensus statement was developed to reflect the growing body of evidence linking the promotion and consumption of diets high in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars or sodium1 to cardiovascular and chronic disease (hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, obesity, cancer, and heart disease and stroke)— leading preventable risk factors and causes of death and disability within Canada and worldwide. (1-3) (1) For the remainder of the document, reference to foods high in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars or sodium will be framed as foods high in fats, sugars or sodium. The current generation of Canadian children is expected to live shorter, less healthy lives as a result of unhealthy eating. (4) Canadians’ overconsumption of fat, sodium and sugar, rising rates of childhood obesity, growing numbers of people with cancer, heart disease and stroke, and the combined strain they exert on the health care system and quality of life for Canadians necessitates immediate action for Canadian governments and policy-makers. Restricting the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages directed at children is gaining increasing international attention as a cost-effective, population-based intervention to reduce the prevalence and the burden of chronic and cardiovascular diseases through reducing children’s exposure to, and consumption of, disease-causing foods. (2,5,6) In May 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO released a set of recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children (5) and called on governments worldwide to reduce the exposure of children to advertising messages that promote foods high in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars or sodium and to reduce the use of powerful marketing techniques. In June 2012, the follow-up document, A Framework for Implementing the Set of Recommendations on the Marketing of Foods and Non-Alcoholic Beverages to Children, (7) was released. The policy aim should be to reduce the impact on children of marketing of foods high in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars, or sodium. WHO (2010): Recommendation 1 What this policy consensus statement offers is the perspective of many major national health care professional and scientific organizations to guide Canadian governments and non-government organizations on actions that need to be taken to protect the health of our future generations, in part by restricting the adverse influence of marketing of foods high in fat, sugar or sodium to Canadian children and youth. SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE AND RATIONALE -Young children lack the cognitive ability to understand the persuasive intent of marketing or assess commercial claims critically. (8) in 1989 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that “advertisers should not be able to capitalize upon children’s credulity” and “advertising directed at young children is per se manipulative”.(5) -The marketing and advertising of information or products known to be injurious to children’s health and wellbeing is unethical and infringes on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which stipulates that, “In all actions concerning children … the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration.” (9) - Unhealthy food advertising during children’s television programs in Canada is higher than in many countries, with children being exposed to advertisements for unhealthy foods and beverages up to 6 times per hour. (10) - Unhealthy food and beverage advertising influences children’s food preferences, purchase requests and consumption patterns and has been shown to be a probable cause of childhood overweight and obesity by the WHO. (1,8,11) - The vast majority of Canadians (82%) want government intervention to place limits on advertising unhealthy foods and beverages to children. (12) - The regulation of food marketing to children is an effective and cost-saving population-based intervention to improve health and prevent disease. (13,14) - Several bills have been introduced into the House of Commons to amend the Competition Act and the Food and Drug Act to restrict commercial advertising, including food, to children under 13 years of age. None have yet been passed. (15) - Canada’s current approach to restricting advertising to children is not effective and is not in line with the 2010 WHO recommendations on the marketing of foods and beverages to children, nor is it keeping pace with the direction of policies being adopted internationally, which ban or restrict unhealthy food and beverage marketing targeted to children. (16,17) LEGISLATIVE RULING The Supreme Court of Canada concluded that “advertising directed at young children is per se manipulative” Irwin Toy Ltd. v. Québec (AG), 1989 FOOD MARKETING TO CHILDREN: A TIMELY OPPORTUNITY FOR CANADA Childhood obesity and chronic disease prevention are collective priorities for action of federal, provincial and territorial (F/P/T) governments. (3,5,18,19) Strategy 2.3b of the 2011 Federal, Provincial and Territorial Framework for Action to Promote Healthy Weights stipulates “looking at ways to decrease the marketing of foods and beverages high in fat, sugar and/or sodium to children. “(5, p. 31) The 2010 Sodium Reduction Strategy for Canada has also identified the need to “continue to explore options to reduce the exposure of children to marketing for foods that are high in sodium" as a key activity for F/P/T governments to consider. (19, p. 31) In their 2010 set of recommendations, the WHO stipulated that governments are best positioned to lead and ensure effective policy development, implementation and evaluation. (6) To date, there has been no substantive movement by the federal government to develop coordinated national-level policies that change the way unhealthy foods and beverages are produced, marketed and sold. Current federal, provincial and industry-led self-regulatory codes are inconsistent in their scope and remain ineffective in their ability to sufficiently reduce children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing, nor have they been adequately updated to address the influx of new marketing mediums to which children and youth in Canada are increasingly subjected. Quebec implemented regulations in 1980 restricting all commercial advertising. (20) Although the ban has received international recognition and is viewed as world leading, several limitations remain, in part due exposure of Quebec children to marketing from outside Quebec, weak enforcement of the regulations and narrow application of its provisions. Accordingly, the undersigned are calling on the federal government to provide strong leadership and establish a legislative process for the development of regulations that restrict all commercial marketing of foods and beverages high in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars or sodium to children. Strong federal government action and commitment are required to change the trajectory of chronic diseases in Canada and institute lasting changes in public health. Specifically: Efforts must be made to ensure that children…are protected against the impact of marketing [of foods with a high content of fat, sugar and sodium] and given the opportunity to grow and develop in an enabling food environment — one that fosters and encourages healthy dietary choices and promotes the maintenance of healthy weight. (7, p. 6) Such efforts to protect the health of children must go beyond the realm of federal responsibility and involve engagement, dialogue, leadership and advocacy by all relevant stakeholders, including all elected officials, the food and marketing sector, public health, health care professional and scientific organizations, and most importantly civil society. The undersigned support the development of policies that are regulatory in nature to create national and/or regional uniformity in implementation and compliance by industry. “Realizing the responsibility of governments both to protect the health of children and to set definitions in policy according to public health goals and challenges — as well as to ensure policy is legally enforced — statutory regulation has the greatest potential to achieve the intended or desired policy impact.” WHO (2012), p. 33 POLICY/LEGISLATIVE SPECIFICATIONS The following outline key definitions and components of an effective and comprehensive policy on unhealthy food and beverage marketing to children and should be used to guide national policy scope and impact. - Age of Child: In the context of broadcast regulations, the definition of “age of child” typically ranges from under 13 years to under 16 years. In Canada, Quebec’s Consumer Protection Act (20) applies to children under 13 years of age. Consistent with existing legislation, this report recommends that policies restricting marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages be directed to children less than 13 years of age at a minimum. While the science on the impact of marketing on children over 13 is less extensive, emerging research reveals that older children still require protection and may be more vulnerable to newer forms of marketing (i.e., digital media ), in which food and beverage companies are playing an increasingly prominent role. (21-23) Strong consideration should be given to extending the age of restricting the marketing of unhealthy food and beverage to age 16. - Unhealthy Food and Beverages: In the absence of a national standardized definition for “healthy” or “unhealthy” foods, this document defines unhealthy foods broadly as foods with a high content of saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars or sodium, as per the WHO recommendations. (5) It is recommended that a robust and comprehensive definition be developed by an interdisciplinary stakeholder working group. - Focus on Marketing: Marketing is more than advertising and involves: …any form of commercial communication or message that is designed to, or has the effect of, increasing the recognition, appeal and/ or consumption of particular products and services. It comprises anything that acts to advertise or otherwise promote a product or service. (6, p. 9) This definition goes beyond the current legal definition of advertisement outlined in the Food and Drug Act as “any representation by any means whatever for the purpose of promoting directly or indirectly the sale or disposal of any food, drug, cosmetic or device.” (24) - Marketing Techniques, Communication Channels and Locations: Legislation restricting unhealthy food marketing needs to be sufficiently comprehensive to address the broad scope of marketing and advertising techniques that have a particularly powerful effect on children and youth. This includes, but is not limited to, the following: . Television . Internet . Radio . Magazines . Direct electronic marketing (email, SMS) . Mobile phones . Video and adver-games . Characters, brand mascots and/or celebrities, including those that are advertiser-generated . Product placement . Cross-promotions . Point-of-purchase displays . Cinemas and theatres . Competitions and premiums (free toys) . Children’s institutions, services, events and activities (schools, event sponsorship) . “Viral and buzz marketing” (25,26) . Directed to Children: The criteria used by the Quebec Consumer Protection Act (20) to determine whether an advertisement is “directed at children” offers a starting point in developing national legislation regarding child-directed media. The loopholes in the Quebec Consumer Protection Act criteria, namely allowing advertising of unhealthy foods and beverages directed at adults during children’s programming, will necessitate the development of an alternative approach or set of criteria that reflects the range of media to which children are exposed and when they are exposed, in addition to the proportion of the audience that is made up of children. Quebec Consumer Protection Act Article 249 To determine whether or not an advertisement is directed at persons under thirteen years of age, account must be taken of the context of its presentation, and in particular of: a)the nature and intended purpose of the goods advertised; b)the manner of presenting such advertisement; c)the time and place it is shown. ACTION RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Federal Government Leadership 1.1 Immediately and publicly operationalize the WHO set of recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children. In working toward the implementation of the WHO recommendations, the federal government is strongly urged to accelerate implementation of the WHO Framework for Implementing the Set of Recommendations on the Marketing of Foods and Beverages to Children. To this end, the Government of Canada is urged to: 1.2 Convene a Federal, Provincial and Territorial Working Group on Food Marketing to Children to develop, implement and monitor policies to restrict unhealthy food and beverage marketing to children. As stipulated within the WHO Implementation Framework: The government-led working group should ultimately reach consensus on the priorities for intervention, identify the available policy measures and decide how they best can be implemented. (7, p.13) 1.3 In developing policies, it is recommended that the working group: - Develop standardized criteria and an operational definition to distinguish and classify “unhealthy” foods. Definitions should be developed using objective, evidence-based methods and should be developed and approved independent of commercial interests. - Develop a set of definitions/specifications that will guide policy scope and implementation. Consistent with the WHO recommendations, the working group is encouraged to apply the policy specifications identified above. - Set measurable outcomes, targets and timelines for achievement of targets for industry and broadcasters to restrict unhealthy food marketing to children in all forms and settings. It is recommended that policies be implemented as soon as possible and within a 3-year time frame. - Establish mechanisms for close monitoring and enforcement through defined rewards and/or penalties by an independent regulatory agency that has the power and infrastructure to evaluate questionable advertisements and enforce penalties for non-compliance.(2) (2) Such an infrastructure could be supported though the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), similar to the authority of the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency or the Food and Drug Act via the development of an advertising investigation arm. The nature and extent of penalties imposed should be sufficiently stringent to deter violations. Enforcement mechanisms should be explicit, and infringing companies should be exposed publicly. - Develop evaluation mechanisms to assess process, impact and outcomes of food marketing restriction policies. Components should include scheduled reviews (5 years or as agreed upon) to update policies and/or strategies. To showcase accountability, evaluation findings should be publicly disseminated. 1.4 Provide adequate funding to support the successful implementation and monitoring of the food marketing restriction policies. 1.5 Collaborate with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and other granting councils to fund research to generate baseline data and address gaps related to the impact of marketing in all media on children and how to most effectively restrict advertising unhealthy foods to children. (27) 1.6 Fund and commission a Canadian economic modeling study to assess the cost-effectiveness and the relative strength of the effect of marketing in comparison to other influences on children’s diets and diet-related health outcomes. Similar studies have been undertaken elsewhere and highlight cost– benefit savings from restricting unhealthy food marketing. (13,14) 1.7 Call on industry to immediately stop marketing foods to children that are high in fats, sugar or sodium. 2. Provincial, Territorial and Municipal Governments 2.1 Wherever possible, incorporate strategies to reduce the impact of unhealthy food and beverage marketing to children into provincial and local (public) health or related strategic action plans, and consider all settings that are frequented by children. 2.2 Pass and/or amend policies and legislation restricting unhealthy food and beverage marketing to children that go beyond limitations stipulated in federal legislation and regulations and industry voluntary codes. 2.3 Until federal legislation is in place, strike a P/T Steering Committee on Unhealthy Food Marketing to Children to establish interprovincial consistency related to key definitions and criteria and mechanisms for enforcement, as proposed above. 2.4 Collaborate with local health authorities, non- governmental organizations and other stakeholders to develop and implement education and awareness programs on the harmful impacts of marketing, including but not limited to unhealthy food and beverage advertising. 2.5 Call on industry to immediately stop marketing foods to children that are high in fats, sugar or sodium. 3. Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), Health Care Organizations, Health Care Professionals 3.1 Publicly endorse this position statement and advocate to all Canadian governments to restrict marketing of unhealthy foods to children and youth in Canada. 3.2 Collaborate with governments at all levels to facilitate implementation and enforcement of federal/provincial/municipal regulations or policies. 3.3 Wherever possible, incorporate and address the need for restrictions on unhealthy food and beverage marketing to children into position papers, strategic plans, conferences, programs and other communication mediums. 3.4 Support, fund and/or commission research to address identified research gaps, including the changing contexts and modes of marketing and their implications on the nutritional status, health and well-being of children and youth 3.5 Call on industry to immediately stop the marketing of foods high in fat, sugar or sodium. 4. Marketing and Commercial Industry 4.1 Immediately cease marketing foods high in fats, sugar or sodium. 4.2 Amend the Canadian Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CAI) nutrition criteria used to re-define “better-for-you products” to be consistent with currently available international standards that are healthier and with Canadian nutrient profiling standards, once developed. BACKGROUND AND EVIDENCE BASE Non-communicable diseases (diabetes, stroke, heart attack, cancer, chronic respiratory disease) are a leading cause of death worldwide and are linked by several common risk factors including high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, obesity, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity. (1,2,3 28) The WHO has predicted that premature death from chronic disease will increase by 17% over the next decade if the roots of the problem are not addressed. (2) Diet-related chronic disease risk stems from long- term dietary patterns which start in childhood (8,28). Canadian statistics reveal children, consume too much fat, sodium and sugars (foods that cause chronic disease) and eat too little fiber, fruits and vegetables (foods that prevent chronic disease). (3) There is evidence that (television) advertising of foods high in fat, sugar or sodium is associated with childhood overweight and obesity. (6,11) Children and youth in Canada are exposed to a barrage of marketing and promotion of unhealthy foods and beverages through a variety of channels and techniques – tactics which undermine and contradict government, health care professional and scientific recommendations for healthy eating. (10,26) Available research indicates that food marketing to children influences their food preferences, beliefs, purchase requests and food consumption patterns. (8,29) A US study showed that children who were exposed to food and beverage advertisements consumed 45% more snacks than their unexposed counterparts. (30) Similarly, preschoolers who were exposed to commercials for vegetables (broccoli and carrots) had a significantly higher preference for these vegetables after multiple exposures (n=4) compared to the control group. (31) Economic modeling studies have shown that restricting children’s exposure to food and beverage advertising is a cost effective population based approach to childhood obesity prevention, with the largest overall gain in disability adjusted life years. (13,14). Canada has yet to conduct a comparable analysis. Marketing and Ethics Foods and beverages high in fats, sugars or sodium is one of many health compromising products marketed to children. It has been argued that policy approaches ought to extend beyond marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to one that restricts marketing of all products to children, as practiced in Quebec (7,26,32). Article 36 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Canada is a signatory, states that, “children should be protected from any activity that takes advantage of them or could harm their welfare and development.” (9) Restricting marketing of all products has been argued to be the most comprehensive policy option in that it aims to protect children from any commercial interest and is grounded in the argument that children have the right to a commercial-free childhood (7, 25,26,32). The focus on restricting unhealthy food and beverage marketing was based in consultations with national health organizations whose mandates, at the time of writing, were more aligned with a focus on unhealthy foods and beverages. This policy statement is not opposed to, and does not preclude further policy enhancements to protect children from all commercial marketing, and therefore encourages further advocacy in this area. In order to inform the debate and help underpin future policy direction, further research is needed. Canada’s Food and Beverage Marketing Environment Television remains a primary medium for children’s exposure to advertising, with Canadian children aged 2–11 watching an average of 18 hours of television per week. (26) In the past two decades, the food marketing and promotion environment has expanded to include Internet marketing, product placement in television programs, films and DVDs, computer and video games, peer-to-peer or viral marketing, supermarket sales promotions, cross- promotions between films and television programs, use of licensed characters and spokes-characters, celebrity endorsements, advertising in children’s magazines, outdoor advertising, print marketing, sponsorship of school and sporting activities, advertising on mobile phones, and branding on toys and clothing. (25,26) A systematic review of 41 international studies looking at the content analysis of children’s food commercials found that the majority advertised unhealthy foods, namely pre-sugared cereals, soft drinks, confectionary and savoury snacks and fast food restaurants. (33) In an analysis of food advertising on children’s television channels across 11 countries, Canada (Alberta sample) had the second-highest rate of food and beverage advertising (7 advertisements per hour), 80% of which were for unhealthy foods and beverages defined as “high in undesirable nutrients and/or energy.” (10) Illustrating the influence of food packaging in supermarkets, two Canadian studies found that for six food product categories 75% of the products were directed solely at children through use of colour, cartoon mascots, pointed appeals to parents and/or cross-merchandising claims, games or activities. Of the 63% of products with nutrition claims, 89% were classified as being “of poor nutritional quality” due to high levels of sugar, fat, or sodium when judged against US-based nutrition criteria. Less than 1% of food messages specifically targeted to children were for fruits and vegetables. (34,35) Food is also unhealthily marketed in schools. A recent study of 4,936 Canadian students from grades 7 to 10 found that 62% reported the presence of snack-vending machines in their schools, and that this presence was associated with students’ frequency of consuming vended goods. (36) In another Canadian analysis, 28% of elementary schools reported the presence of some form of advertising in the school and 19% had an exclusive marketing arrangement with Coke or Pepsi. (37) Given children’s vulnerability, a key tenant of the WHO recommendations on marketing to children is that “settings where children gather should be free from all forms of marketing of foods high in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, and free sugars or sodium.” (6, p.9) and need to be included in development of food marketing policies directed at children. The Canadian public wants government oversight in restricting unhealthy food marketing to children. A nation-wide survey of over 1200 Canadian adults found 82% want limits placed on unhealthy food and beverage advertising to children; 53% support restricting all marketing of high-fat, high-sugar or high-sodium foods aimed directly at children and youth. (12) Canada’s Commercial Advertising Environment Internationally, 26 countries have made explicit statements on food marketing to children and 20 have, or are in the process of, developing policies in the form of statutory measures, official guidelines or approved forms of self-regulation. (38) The differences in the nature and degree of these restrictions is considerable, with significant variation regarding definition of child, products covered, communication and marketing strategies permitted and expectations regarding implementation, monitoring and evaluation. (38,39) With the exception of Quebec, Canada’s advertising policy environment is restricted to self-regulated rather than legislative measures with little monitoring and oversight in terms of measuring the impact of regulations on the intensity and frequency of advertising unhealthy foods and beverages to children. (39) Federal Restrictions Nationally, the Food and Drug Act and the Competition Act provide overarching rules on commercial advertising and (loosely) prohibit selling or advertising in a manner that is considered false, misleading or deceptive to consumers. These laws, however, contain no provisions dealing specifically with unhealthy food advertising or marketing to children and youth. (26) The Consumer Package and Labeling Act outlines federal requirements concerning the packaging, labeling, sale, importation and advertising of prepackaged non- food consumer products. Packaging and labels, however, are not included under the scope of advertising and therefore not subject to the administration and enforcement of the Act and regulations. (26) Such loopholes have prompted the introduction of three private member's bills into the House of Commons to amend both the Competition Act and the Food and Drugs Act. Tabled in 2007, 2009 and 2012, respectively, none of the bills have, to date, advanced past the First Reading. (15) Industry Restrictions The Canadian Code of Advertising Standards (Code) and the Broadcast Code for Advertising to Children (BCAC) together cover Canadian broadcast and non- broadcast advertising. (23) While both have explicit provisions/clauses to cover advertising directed to children (12 years and younger), neither address or explicitly cover unhealthy food and beverage advertising. Further excluded are other heavily used and persuasive forms of marketing directed to children, including in-store promotions, packaging, logos, and advertising in schools or at events, as well as foreign media. (40) Formed in 2008, the Canadian Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CAI) defines marketing standards and criteria to identify the products that are appropriate or not to advertise to children under 12 years old. Under this initiative, participating food companies (N=19) are encouraged to direct 100% of their advertising to children under 12 to “better-for-you” products. (41) In 2010, the scope of CAI was expanded to include other media forms, namely video games, child- directed DVDs and mobile media. Despite reportedly high compliance by CAI participants, (41) several fundamental loopholes undermine its level of protection and effectiveness, namely: - Participation is voluntary, exempting non- participators such as President’s Choice, Wendy’s and A&W, from committing to CAI core principles. - Companies are allowed to create their own nutrient criteria for defining “better-for-you” or “healthier dietary choice” products. (32) A 2010 analysis revealed that up to 62% of these products would not be acceptable to promote to children by other countries’ advertising nutrition standards. (16) - Companies are able to adopt their own definition of what constitutes “directed at children” under 12 years. (32) Participants' definitions of child audience composition percentage range from 25% to 50%, significantly more lenient than current Quebec legislation and other international regulatory systems. (7,42,43) - The initiative excludes a number of marketing and advertising techniques primarily directed at children, namely advertiser-generated characters (e.g., Tony the Tiger), product packaging, displays of food and beverage products, fundraising, public service messaging and educational programs. (26,27) Provincial Restrictions The Quebec Consumer Protection Act states that “no person may make use of commercial advertising directed at persons under thirteen years of age.” (26) Despite its merits, the effectiveness of the Quebec ban has been compromised. In its current form, the ban does not protect children from cross-border leakage of child-directed advertisements from other provinces. (40) One study found that while the ban reduced fast food consumption by US$88 million per year and decreased purchase propensity by 13% per week, the outcomes primarily affected French-speaking households with children, not their English-speaking counterparts. (44) A more recent study looking at the ban’s impact on television advertising arrived at similar conclusions and found that Quebec French subjects were exposed to significantly fewer candy and snack promotions (25.4%, p<0.001) compared to the Ontario English (33.7%) and Quebec English (39.8%) groups. (40) The ban has further been criticized for having a weak definition of “advertisement”, which allows adult-targeted advertisements for unhealthy foods during children’s programming (37) and having weak regulatory and monitoring structures. (37,40) In assessing the effectiveness of Quebec’s legislation in reducing children’s exposure to unhealthy food advertising, it is important to note that the ban was not developed to target or reduce the marketing of foods and beverages specifically, but rather to reduce the commercialization of childhood. (27) Public Policy: The Way Forward Several legislative approaches have been undertaken internationally to restrict unhealthy food and beverage marketing. (7,43,45) While more research is needed with regards to the impact of restricting unhealthy food and beverage marketing on child health outcomes (i.e., obesity), a US study estimated that between 14-33% of instances of childhood obesity could be prevented by eliminating television advertising for unhealthy food. (46) An Australian study found that a restriction on non-core-food advertisement between 7am and 8:30pm could reduce children’s exposure to unhealthy food advertising by almost 80%. (47) An evaluation of the UK regulations which restricts television advertising of all foods high in fat, sugar and sodium found that since its introduction there has been a 37% reduction in unhealthy food advertisement seen by children. (25) Restrictions on food marketing are being increasingly advocated internationally. A 2011 International Policy Consensus Conference identified regulating marketing to children as a key policy strategy to prevent childhood obesity. (48) A similar recommendation was made at the September 2011 United Nations high-level meeting on the prevention and control of non- communicable diseases. Restrictions on television advertising for less healthful foods has also been identified as an effective (Class I; Grade B) population-based strategy to improve dietary behaviors in children by the American Heart Association. (49) Within Canada, non-governmental and other health organizations are assuming an equally active role. Among others, the Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada, the Dietitians of Canada, the Alberta Policy Coalition for Chronic Disease Prevention, the Simcoe Board of Health, the Thunder Bay and District Board of Health and the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Board of Health have issued position papers or statements urging the federal government to implement more stringent regulations on food and beverage marketing to children. (26,42,48) Conclusions The current voluntary, industry self-regulated and ineffective system of restricting the marketing and advertising of foods and beverages fails to protect Canadian Children and thereby contributes to the rising rates of childhood obesity and the likelihood of premature death and disability in our children’s and future generations. Strong federal government leadership and nationwide action from other levels of government and other key stakeholders are needed. Regulation restricting unhealthy food advertising is internationally supported, with a growing evidence base for expanding such regulation to all forms of food marketing. This policy statement offer an integrated, pragmatic and timely response to the national stated priorities of childhood obesity and chronic disease prevention in Canada and supports the F/P/T vision of making Canada, “…a country that creates and maintains the conditions for healthy weights so that children can have the healthiest possible lives.” (4) This policy statement was funded by The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC) and the Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (CIHR) Chair in Hypertension Prevention and Control, prepared with the assistance of an ad hoc Expert Scientific Working Group, reviewed and approved by the Hypertension Advisory Committee and endorsed by the undersigned national health organizations. HYPERTENSION ADVISORY COMMITTEE Manuel Arango, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Norm Campbell, Canadian Society of Internal Medicine Judi Farrell, Hypertension Canada Mark Gelfer, College of Family Physicians of Canada Dorothy Morris, Canadian Council of Cardiovascular Nurses Rosana Pellizzari, Public Health Physicians of Canada Andrew Pipe, Canadian Cardiovascular Society Maura Rickets, Canadian Medical Association Ross Tsuyuki, Canadian Pharmacists Association Kevin Willis, Canadian Stroke Network STAFF Norm Campbell, HSFC/CIHR Chair in Hypertension Prevention and Control, Chair Tara Duhaney, Policy Director, Hypertension Advisory Committee REFERENCES 1. World Health Organization. Diet, Nutrition, and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases. WHO Technical Report Series No. 916. Geneva, WHO; 2003. Available at: http://www.who.int/hpr/NPH/docs/who_fao_expert_report.pdf. Accessed December 2011 2. World Health Organization. 2008-2013 Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases. Geneva: WHO; 2008. Available at: http://www.who.int/nmh/Actionplan-PC-NCD- 2008.pdf. Accessed December 2011 3. Public Health Agency of Canada. Tracking Heart Disease and Stroke in Canada. Ottawa, 2009. Available at: http://www.phac- aspc.gc.ca/publicat/2009/cvd-avc/pdf/cvd-avs-2009- eng.pdf. Accessed January 2012 4. Olshansky SJ, Passaro DJ, Hershow RC et al. A potential decline in life expectancy in the United States in the 21st century. N Engl J Med. 2005; 352:1138-45 5. Public Health Agency of Canada. Curbing Childhood Obesity: A Federal, Provincial and Territorial Framework for Action to Promote Healthy Weights. Ottawa, PHAC; 2011 Available at: http://www.phac- aspc.gc.ca/hp-ps/hl-mvs/framework- cadre/2011/assets/pdf/co-os-2011-eng.pdf. Accessed January 2012 6. World Health Organization. Set of recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children. Geneva: WHO; 2010. Available at http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/recsmarketing/en/index.html. Accessed December 2011 7. World Health Organization. A Framework for Implementing the Set of Recommendations on the Marketing of Foods and Non-Alcoholic Beverages to Children. Geveva: WHO; 2012. Available at: http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/MarketingFramework2012.pdf. Accessed June 2012 8. Kunkel D, Wilcox B, Cantor J, Palmer E, Linn S, Dowrick P. Report of the APA Taskforce on Advertising and Children. Washington: American Psychological Association; 2004. Available at: http://www.apa.org/pi/families/resources/advertising-children.pdf. Accessed January 2012 9. United Nations. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Geneva: United Nations, 2009 Available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm. Accessed February, 2012 10. Kelly B, Halford JCG, Boyland E, Chapman K, Bautista- Castaño I, Berg C, et al. Television food advertising to children: A global perspective. Am J Public Health. 2010;100:1730-5. Available at: http://www.studenttutor.ca/resources/Television%20Food%20Advertising- %20a%20Global%20Perspective.pdf 11. McGinnis JM, Gootman JA, Kraak VI (Eds.) Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity? Committee on Food Marketing and the Diets of Children and Youth. Washington, DC: IOM; 2006. 12. Ipsos Reid. Canadians’ Perceptions of, and Support for, Potential Measures to Prevent and Reduce Childhood Obesity. Prepared for the Public Health Agency of Canada. Ottawa, November 2011. Available at: http://www.sportmatters.ca/files/Reports/Ipsos%20Obesity%202011.pdf. Accessed February 2012 13. Cecchini M, Sassi F, Lauer JA, Lee YY, Guajardo- Barron V, Chisholm D. Tackling of Unhealthy Diets, physical inactivity, and obesity: Health effects and cost-effectiveness. Lancet 2010; 376 (9754): 1775- 84 Available at: http://www.who.int/choice/publications/Obesity_Lancet.pdf 14. Magnus A, Habby MM, Carter R, Swinburn B. The cost-effectiveness of removing television advertising of high fat and/or high sugar food and beverages to Australian children. Int J Obes.2009; 33: 1094-1102. Available at: http://eurobesitas.ch/articles/pdf/Magnus_ijo2009156a.pdf 15. Parliament of Canada. Private Member’s Bills. Available at: http://www.parl.gc.ca/LegisInfo/BillDetails.aspx?billId=4328259&Mode=1&View=3&Language=E. Accessed April 2012 16. Conrad S. Innovations in Policy Evaluation: Examining the food and beverages included in the Canadian Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative. Ottawa: Public Health Agency of Canada; 2010 17. Alberta Policy Coalition for Cancer Prevention. Using Public Policy to Promote Healthy Weights for Canadian Children. Submission to the “Our Health, Our Future – National Dialogue on Healthy Weights” consultation, 2011. 18. Public Health Agency of Canada. The integrated pan- Canadian healthy living strategy. 2005. Available at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hl-vs- strat/pdf/hls_e.pdf. Accessed January 2012 19. Health Canada. Sodium Reduction Strategy for Canada: Recommendations of the Sodium Working Group. Ottawa, Ontario, July 2010. Available at: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2010/sc-hc/H164-121-2010-eng.pdf. Accessed December 2011 20. Quebec Consumer Protection Office. The Consumer Protection Act: Application Guide for Sections 248 and 249. Quebec, 1980 21. Montgomery K, Chester J. Interactive Food and Beverage Marketing: Targeting Adolescents in the Digital Age. J Adolesc Health. 2009: S18-S29. Available at: http://digitalads.org/documents/PIIS1054139X09001499.pdf 22. Harris JL, Brownell KD, Bargh JA. The Food Marketing Defense Model: Integrating Psychological Research to Protect Youth and Inform Public Policy. Soc Issues Policy Rev. 2009; 3(1): 211-271. Available at: http://www.yale.edu/acmelab/articles/Harris%20Brownell%20Bargh%20SIPR.pdf 23. Pechman C, Levine L, Loughlin S, Leslie F. Impulsive and Self-Conscious: Adolescents' Vulnerability to Advertising and Promotion. Journal of Public Policy and Marketing. 2005; 24 (2): 202-221. Available at: http://www.marketingpower.com/ResourceLibrary/ Publications/JournalofPublicPolicyandMarketing/2005/24/2/jppm.24.2.202.pdf 24. Health Canada. Food and Drugs Act . R.S., c. F-27. Ottawa: Health Canada; 1985. Available at: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/F-27/. Accessed February 2012 25. Mackay S, Antonopoulos N, Martin J, Swinburn B. A comprehensive approach to protecting children from unhealthy food advertising. Melbourne, Australia: Obesity Policy Coalition; 2011. Available at: http://www.ada.org.au/app_cmslib/media/lib/1105/ m308363_v1_protecting-children- email1%20final%2013.04.11.pdf. Accessed January 2012 26. Cook B. Policy Options to Improve the Children’s Advertising Environment in Canada. Report for the Public Health Agency of Canada Health Portfolio Task Group on Obesity and Marketing. Toronto; 2009. 27. Toronto Board of Health. Food and Beverage Marketing to Children. Staff Report to the Board of Health. Toronto: Board of Health; 2008. Available at: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/hl/bgrd/backgroundfile-11151.pdf. Accessed January 2012 28. The Conference Board of Canada. Improving Health Outcomes: The Role of Food in Addressing Chronic Diseases. Conference Board of Canada, 2010. Available at: http://www.conferenceboard.ca/temp/be083acf- 4c96-4eda-ae80-ee44d264758a/12- 177_FoodandChronicDisease.pdf. Accessed June 2012 29. Cairns G, Angus K, Hastings G, Caraher M. Systematic reviews of the evidence on the nature, extent and effects of food marketing to children. A retrospective summary. Appetite. 2012 (in press). Available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666312001511 30. Harris JL, Bargh JA, Brownell KD. Priming Effects of Television Food Advertising on Eating Behavior. Health Psychol. 2009; 28(4):404-13. Available at: http://www.yale.edu/acmelab/articles/Harris_Bargh_Brownell_Health_Psych.pdf 31. Nicklas TA, Goh ET, Goodell LS et al. Impact of commercials on food preferences of low-income, minority preschoolers. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2011; 43(1):35-41. 32. Elliott C. Marketing Foods to Children: Are We Asking the Right Questions. Child Obes. 2012; 8(3): 191-194 33. Hastings G, Stead M, McDermott L, Forsyth A, Mackintosh AM, Rayner M, Godfrey C, Caraher M, Angus K. Review of research on the effects of food promotion to children. Final Report to the UK Food Standards Agency. Glasgow, Scotland: University of Strathclyde Centre for Social Marketing; 2003. Available at: http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/promofoodchildrenexec.pdf. Accessed February 2012 34. Elliott C. Marketing fun foods: A profile and analysis of supermarket food messages targeted at children. Can Public Policy. 2008; 34:259-73 35. Elliott C. Assessing fun foods: Nutritional content and analysis of supermarket foods targeted at children. Obes Rev. 2008; 9: 368-377. Available at: http://www.cbc.ca/thenational/includes/pdf/elliott2.pdf 36. Minaker LM, Storey KE, Raine KD, Spence JC, Forbes LE, Plotnikoff RC, McCargar LJ. Associations between the perceived presence of vending machines and food and beverage logos in schools and adolescents' diet and weight status. Public Health Nutr. 2011; 14(8):1350-6 37. Cook B. Marketing to Children in Canada: Summary of Key Issues. Report for the Public Health Agency of Canada. 2007. Available at: http://www.cdpac.ca/media.php?mid=426. Accessed January 2012 38. Hawkes C, Lobstein T. Regulating the commercial promotion of food to children: a survey of actions worldwide. Int J Pediatr Obes. 2011; 6(2):83-94. 39. Hawkes C, Harris J. An analysis of the content of food industry pledges on marketing to children. Public Health Nutr. 2011; 14:1403-1414. Available at: http://ruddcenter.yale.edu/resources/upload/docs/ what/advertising/MarketingPledgesAnalysis_PHN_5.11.pdf 40. Potvin-Kent M, Dubois, L, Wanless A. Food marketing on children's television in two different policy environments. Int J of Pediatr Obes. 2011; 6(2): e433-e441. Available at: http://info.babymilkaction.org/sites/info.babymilkaction.org/files/PotvinKent%20IJPO%202011.pdf 41. Advertising Standards Canada. Canadian children’s food and beverage advertising initiative: 2010 compliance report. Available at: http://www.adstandards.com/en/childrensinitiative/ 2010ComplianceReport.pdf. Accessed March 2012 42. Dietitians of Canada. Advertising of Food and Beverage to Children. Position of Dietitians of Canada. 2010. Available at: http://www.dietitians.ca/Downloadable- Content/Public/Advertising-to-Children-position- paper.aspx. Accessed January 2012 43. Hawkes C. Marketing food to children: a global regulatory environment. World Health Organization. 2004(b). Available at: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2004/9241591579.pdf. Accessed February 2012 44. Dhar T, Baylis K. Fast-food Consumption and the Ban on Advertising Targeting Children: The Quebec Experience. Journal of Marketing Research. 2011; 48 (5): 799-813. Available at: http://www.marketingpower.com/aboutama/documents/jmr_forthcoming/fast_food_consumption.pdf 45. World Health Organization. Marketing of Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages of Children. Report of a WHO Forum and Technical Meeting. Geneva: WHO; 2006. Available at: http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/Oslo%20meeting%20layout%2027%20NOVEMBER. pdf. Accessed January 2012 46. Veerman JL, Van Beeck, Barendregt JJ, Mackenbach JP. By how much would limiting TV food advertising reduce childhood obesity? Eur J Public Health. 2009; 19(4): 365-9. Available at: http://eurpub.oxfordjournals.org/content/19/4/365. full.pdf+html 47. Kelly B, King L, Mauman A, Smith BJ, Flood V. The effects of different regulation systems on television food advertising to children. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2007; 31(4): 340-343. 48. Alberta Policy Coalition for Chronic Disease Prevention. Canadian Obesity Network - International Consensus: Take Action to Prevent Childhood Obesity (Press Release). 2011. Available at: http://www.abpolicycoalitionforprevention.ca/ 49. Mozaffarian D, Afshin A, Benowitz NL et al. Population Approaches to Improve Diet, Physical Activity, and Smoking Habits: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2012;126(12):1514-1563
Adult health is pre-determined in many ways in early childhood and even by events occurring before birth. The years between conception and the start of school are the time when crucial developments in physical, social, cognitive, emotional and language domains take place. Disruptions during this period can lead to weakened physiological responses, influence brain architecture, and influence how the neuroendocrine, cardiovascular and other systems are developed.1,2 Experiences in early life can even 'get under the skin', changing the ways that certain genes are expressed.3,4 Negative experiences such as poverty or family or parental violence can have significant impacts on this important period of development. Even for those children who don't encounter these types of barriers, there can be problems in the early years. Evidence suggests that adult diseases should be viewed as developmental disorders that begin in early life.5 Just as children are susceptible to negative influences in early life, the period of rapid development means that effective interventions can minimize or eliminate these outcomes. Intervening in the early years has been shown to have the potential to impact developmental trajectories and protect children from risk factors that are present in their daily environments.6 At the government and national level there are four main areas of action: Early childhood learning and care; Support for parents; Poverty reduction; and Data collection for early childhood development. The CMA Recommends that: 1. The federal government, in collaboration with the provinces and territories, implement a national early learning and care program that ensures all children have equal access to high quality child care and early learning. 2. The federal government commit to increasing funding for early childhood development to 1% of GDP to bring Canada in line with other OECD countries. 3. Programs such as early childhood home visiting be made available to all vulnerable families in Canada. 4. Governments support the expansion of community resources for parents which provide parenting programs and family supports. 5. A national strategy to decrease family violence and the maltreatment of children, including appropriate community resources, be developed and implemented in all provinces and territories. 6. The federal government work with provinces and territories to adopt a national strategy to eradicate child poverty in Canada with clear accountability and measurable targets. 7. Provinces and territories implement comprehensive poverty reduction strategies with clear accountability and measurable targets. 8. The federal government work with the provinces and territories to create a robust and unified reporting system on early childhood to ensure that proper monitoring of trends and interventions can take place. 9. The federal government work with the provinces and territories to continue to implement the early development index in all jurisdictions. In addition, work should be supported on similar tools for 18 months and middle childhood. 10. The federal government support the development of a pan-Canadian platform that can share evidence and best practice, and focus research questions around the early years. While most of what is necessary for early childhood development will be done by governments and stakeholders outside of the health care system, there are opportunities for physicians to influence this important social determinant both through medical education, and clinical practice. The CMA Recommends that: 11. Curriculum on early brain, biological development and early learning be incorporated into all Canadian medical schools. 12. Continuing CME on early brain, biological development and early learning be available to all primary-care providers who are responsible for the health care of children. 13. All provinces and territories implement an enhanced 18 month well-baby visit with appropriate compensation and community supports. 14. Physicians and other primary care providers integrate the enhanced 18 month visit into their regular clinical practice. 15. Comprehensive resources be developed for primary-care providers to identify community supports and services to facilitate referral for parents and children. 16. Efforts be made to ensure timely access to resources and programs for children who have identified developmental needs. 17. Physicians serve as advocates on issues related to early childhood development. They should use their knowledge, expertise and influence to speak out on the need and importance of healthy development in the early years. 18. Physicians continue to include literacy promotion in routine clinical encounters with children of all ages. 19. National Medical Associations work with governments and the non-profit sector to explore the development of a clinically based child literacy program for Canada. Background Adult health is pre-determined in many ways in early childhood and even by events occurring before birth. The years between conception and the start of school are the time when crucial developments in physical, social, cognitive, emotional and language domains take place. The early childhood period is the most important development period in life.7 Disruptions during this period can lead to weakened physiological responses, influence brain architecture, and influence how the neuroendocrine, cardiovascular and other systems are developed.8,9 Experiences in early life can even 'get under the skin', changing the ways that certain genes are expressed.10,11 According to research done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the adverse childhood event (ACE)a study, child maltreatment, neglect, and exposure to violence can significantly impact childhood development. The study involved a retrospective look at the early childhood experiences of 17,000 US adults and the impact of these events on later life and behaviour issues. An increased number of ACEs was linked to increases in risky behaviour in childhood and adolescence12 and to a number of adult health conditions including alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, obesity, heart disease, and some forms of cancer.13,14 The greater the number of adverse experiences in childhood the greater the likelihood of health problems in adulthood.15 A high level of ACEs was linked to language, cognitive and emotional impairment; factors which impact on school success and adult functioning.16 Finally, the study found a correlation between experiencing ACEs, suicide, and being the victim of or perpetrating intimate partner violence.17 Poverty is a significant barrier to healthy child development. Children who grow up in poor families or disadvantaged communities are especially susceptible to the physiological and biological changes associated with disease risk.18 Poverty is associated with a number of risk factors for healthy development including: unsupportive parenting, inadequate nutrition and education, high levels of traumatic and stressful events19, including higher rates of traumatic injuries20, poorer housing, lack of services, and limited access to physical activity.21 Children from low-income families score lower than children from high-income families on various measures of school readiness, cognitive development and school achievement22,23, and this gap increases over time with children of low-income families being less likely to attend post-secondary education and gain meaningful employment.24 Children who grow up in poverty are more likely to be poor as adults25,26 and to pass this disadvantage on to their own children.27,28 Children living in poverty have more problem behaviours such as drug abuse, early pregnancy, and increased criminal behaviour.29 Finally, economic hardship in childhood has been linked to premature mortality and chronic disease in adulthood.30 Early adverse events and poverty are serious impediments to healthy development, however, it is not just disadvantaged children that need attention. The early years are critical for all children regardless of socio-economic status. Evidence suggests that adult diseases should be viewed as developmental disorders that begin in early life.31 By 2030, 90% of morbidity in high income countries will be related to chronic diseases.32 These diseases are due in large part to risk factors such as smoking, poor nutrition, alcohol and drug abuse, and inadequate physical activity.33 These risk factors can be heavily influenced by the environment in which people live and can be increased by poor early childhood experiences.34,35 Health promotion and disease/injury prevention programs targeted at adults would be more effective if investments were made early in life on the origins of those diseases and conditions.36,37 Areas for Action While there is reason for concern regarding early childhood development, there is positive news as well. Just as children are susceptible to negative influences in early life, the period of rapid development also means that effective interventions can minimize or eliminate these outcomes. Intervening in the early years has been shown to have the potential to impact developmental trajectories and protect children from risk factors that are present in their daily environments.38 Government and National: Early Childhood Learning and Care Research suggests that 90% of a child's brain capacity is developed by age five, before many children have any access to formal education.39 More than one quarter of Canadian children start kindergarten vulnerable in at least one area of development.40 Approximately two thirds of these deficiencies can be considered preventable. Evidence suggests that each 1% of excess vulnerability in school readiness leads to a reduction in GDP of 1% over the course of that child's life.41 Children who aren't ready for kindergarten are half as likely to read by the third grade, a factor that increases the risk of high school drop-out significantly. 42 While it is possible to intervene later to address these learning deficiencies, these interventions are less effective and much more costly.43 High quality early childhood programs including programs to nurture and stimulate children and educate parents are highly correlated with the amelioration of the effects of disadvantage on cognitive, emotional and physical development among children.44,45 A recent analysis of 84 preschool programs in the United States concluded that children participating in effective pre-school programs can acquire about a third of a year of additional learning in math, language and reading skills.46 Since the implementation of the universal childcare program in Quebec, students in that province have moved from below the national average on standardized tests to above the average.47 In addition, effective early childhood learning programs offer a significant return on investment. Research done on US preschool programs found a return on investment of between four and seventeen dollars for every dollar spent on the program. Evidence from the Quebec universal child care program indicates that the program costs are more than covered by the increased tax revenues generated as a result of increased employment among Quebec mothers. For every dollar spent on the Quebec program, $1.05 is received by the provincial government with the federal government receiving $0.44.48 In terms of early childhood learning and care, Canada is lagging far behind - tied for last place among 25 countries in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) early childhood development indicators.b,49 Canada spends the least amount of money on early childhood learning and care of all countries in the OECD (0.25% of GDP)50, or one quarter of the recommended benchmark. Of this money, fully 65% is attributable to Quebec's universal daycare program.51 Canadian families face great pressures in finding affordable and accessible quality early childhood learning and care spots across the country. In Quebec 69% of children 2-4 regularly attend early childhood learning programs; outside of Quebec the number falls to 38.6%. The challenges for low-income families are even more pronounced with almost 65% of poor children 0-5 receiving no out-of home care.52 The federal government and the provinces and territories must work to bring Canada in line with other OECD countries on early childhood learning and care. The CMA Recommends that: 1. The federal government, in collaboration with the provinces and territories, implement a national early learning and care program that ensures all children have equal access to high quality child care and early learning. 2. The federal government commit to increasing funding for early childhood development to 1% of GDP to bring Canada in line with other OECD countries. Support for Parents A supportive nurturing caregiver is associated with better physical and mental health, fewer behavioural problems, higher educational achievement, more productive employment, and less involvement with the justice system and social services.53 Studies have demonstrated that improved parental-child relationships can minimize the effects of strong, prolonged and frequent stress, referred to as toxic stress54,55, and that the effects of poverty can be minimized with appropriate nurturing and supportive parenting.56 Parental support programs can act as a buffer for children at the same time as strengthening the ability of parents to meet their children's developmental needs.57 Caregivers who struggle with problems such as depression or poverty may be unable to provide adequate attention to their children undermining the attachment relationships that develop in early life. The relatively limited attention that is focused on addressing the deficiencies in time and resources of parents across all socio-economic groups can undermine healthy childhood development.58 One approach that has been shown to improve parental functioning and decrease neglect and child abuse is early childhood home visiting programs, sometimes referred to as Nurse Family partnerships. These programs provide nursing visits to vulnerable young mothers from conception until the children are between two and six depending on the program. The home visits provide prenatal support, educate parents about early childhood development, promote positive parenting, connect parents with resources, and monitor for signs of child-abuse and neglect.59 Results from several randomized controlled trials of these programs in the United States have shown that the program reduces abuse and injury, and improves cognitive and social and emotional outcomes in children. A 15 year follow-up study found lower levels of crime and antisocial behaviour in both the mothers and the children that participated in these programs.60 In Canada Nurse Family Partnerships were first piloted in Hamilton, Ontario. They are now undergoing a broader implementation and review in the Province of British Columbia. These programs should continue to be supported and expanded to all families who would benefit from this proven early childhood intervention. Many Canadian provinces have established community resources for parents. Alberta has recently announced plans to establish parent link centres across the province. These will deliver parenting programs, and be home to community resources and programs.61 Similar programs exist in other provinces such as the early years centres in Ontario62, and family resource centres in Manitoba.63 Early Childhood Development Centres in Atlantic Canada are combining child care, kindergarten and family supports into early childhood centres that are aligned with schools.64 While these programs can go a long way in reducing abuse and neglect, there is still a need for an overarching strategy to reduce neglect and child abuse across the country. As the ACE study in the United States clearly demonstrated, exposure to early adverse events such as family violence or neglect have troubling implications for adult health and behaviours.65 Action must be taken to ensure that avoidable adverse events are eliminated. The CMA Recommends that: 3. Programs such as early childhood home visiting be made available to all vulnerable families in Canada. 4. Governments support the expansion of community resources for parents which provide parenting programs and family supports. 5. A national strategy to decrease family violence and the maltreatment of children, including appropriate community resources, be developed and implemented in all provinces and territories. Poverty reduction In 1989 the Canadian government made a commitment to end child poverty by 2000. As of 2011, more Canadian children and their families lived in poverty than when the original declaration was made.66 Canada ranks 15th out of 17 peer countries with more than one in seven children living in poverty (15.1%).67 Canada is one of the only wealthy nations with a child poverty rate that is actually higher than the overall poverty rate.68 Child poverty is a provincial and territorial responsibility as well. As of 2012, only four provinces had child poverty strategies that met the guidelines put forward by the Canadian Paediatric Society.c,69 Poor children grow up in the context of poor families which means that solutions for child poverty must necessarily minimize the poverty of their parents.70 Efforts to increase the income as well as employment opportunities for parents, in particular single parents, must be part of any poverty reduction strategy.71 Programs, such as affordable child care, that allows parents to be active participants in the work force represent one approach72,73 Quebec's program of early childhood care has increased female workforce participation by 70,000 and reduced the child poverty rate by 50%.74 Addressing poverty could minimize problem areas in child development. According to a 2009 report by the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, of 27 factors seen as having an impact on child development, 80% of these showed improvement as family income increased.75 Increasing income has the greatest impact on cognitive outcomes for children the earlier in life the reduction in poverty takes place.76 The federal government and the provinces and territories must work to ensure that poverty does not continue to be a barrier to the healthy development of Canadian children. The CMA Recommends that: 6. The federal government work with provinces and territories to adopt a national strategy to eradicate child poverty in Canada with clear accountability and measurable targets. 7. Provinces and territories implement comprehensive poverty reduction strategies with clear accountability and measurable targets. Data Collection for Early Childhood Development The evidence shows the importance of early childhood development for later success and health. In order to properly design effective interventions to mitigate developmental concerns, there is a need for appropriate data on early childhood health indicators and interventions. Given the variation in outcomes of children among different communities and demographic groups, there is a need for individual level data which is linked to the community level. This will allow providers and governments to develop appropriate interventions. Such an approach is being used by the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, the Human Early Learning Partnership in British Columbia, and Health Data Nova Scotia. Researchers at these centres are creating a longitudinal data set by linking administrative data from a range of sources.77 Such data sets should be supported in all provinces and territories. Another tool being used to measure the progress of Canadian children is the Early Development Instrument (EDI). This tool is a 104 item checklist completed by teachers for every child around the middle of the first year of schooling. The checklist measures five core areas of early child development that are known to be good predictors of adult health, education and social outcomes. These include: physical health and well-being; language and cognitive development; social competence; emotional maturity; and communication skills and general knowledge.78,79 This tool has been used at least once in most of the provinces and territories with a commitment from most jurisdictions to continue this monitoring.80 While this is a good start, it gives only a snapshot of development. Ideally a monitoring system plots several points of time in development to identify trajectories of children. Ontario has introduced an enhanced well baby visit at 18 months. This clinical intervention could allow for the capture of development data at an earlier time. There is a need for more comprehensive information at the 18-month and middle childhood phases.81 The CMA Recommends that: 8. The federal government work with the provinces and territories to create a robust and unified reporting system on early childhood to ensure that proper monitoring of trends and interventions can take place. 9. The federal government work with the provinces and territories to continue to implement the early development index in all jurisdictions. In addition, work should be supported on similar tools for 18 months and middle childhood. 10. The federal government support the development of a pan-Canadian platform that can share evidence and best practice, and focus research questions around the early years. Medical Education: Given the importance of early childhood experiences on adult health there is a need for a greater understanding of the biological basis of adult diseases. The medical community needs to focus more attention on the roots of adult diseases and disabilities and focus prevention efforts on disrupting or minimizing these early links to later poor health outcomes.82 The science of early brain development and biology is rapidly evolving. There is a need to ensure that future and current physicians are up to date on this information and its implications for clinical practice.83 The Association of Faculties of Medicine and the Norlien foundation have partnered to provide funding and support for a series of e-learning tools on early brain and biological development.84 Continuing medical education does exist for some components of early childhood development and more work is underway. The Ontario College of Family Physicians has developed a CME that explores early childhood development for practitioners.85 These initiatives must be supported and expanded to all physicians who provide primary care to children and their families. The CMA Recommends that: 11. Curriculum on early brain, biological development and early learning be incorporated into all Canadian medical schools. 12. Continuing CME on early brain, biological development and early learning be available to all primary-care providers who are responsible for the health care of children. Clinical Practice: While many of the threats to early childhood development lie outside of the hospital or medical clinic, there are a number of ways that physicians can help to address this important determinant of health within their practices. Primary care practitioners are uniquely qualified to address this fundamental population health issue,86 and can provide one important component in a multi-sectoral approach to healthy early childhood development.87 Screening and support for parents The health care system is the primary contact for many child-bearing mothers, and for many families, health-care providers are the only professionals with whom they have regular contact during the early years.88,89 According to data from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, 97% of Ontario children aged zero to two are seen by a family physician.90 Within a patient-centred medical home, health-care providers can give support and information to parents about issues such as parenting, safety, and nutrition, and can link them to early childhood resourcesd, and other supports such as housing and food security programs. 91,92 Primary-care providers can help patients connect with public health departments who have many healthy baby and healthy child programs.93 Primary-care providers can ensure that screening takes place to identify risk factors to appropriate development.94 This screening should take place as early as the prenatal stage and continue throughout childhood. Screening should include regular assessments of physical milestones such as height, weight and vision and hearing etc. In addition, providers can identify risk factors such as maternal depression, substance abuse, and potential neglect or abuse.95 Given the negative consequences of early violence and neglect on childhood development96, this is a key role for primary-care providers. Screening for social issues such as poverty, poor housing and food insecurity should also be completed.97 A significant time for screening occurs at 18 months. This is the time for the last set of immunizations and in many cases the last time a child will have a regularly scheduled physician visit before the start of school.98 The 18 month well baby visit provides an opportunity to screen for not only medical concerns but child development as well. The enhanced 18 month well baby visite developed in Ontario combines parental observations and clinical judgment to screen for any risks a child might have.99 In Ontario, parental observation is captured through the Nipissing District Developmental Screen (NDDS). The parents complete this standardized tool and report the results to their physicians or other primary-care providers. The NDDS checklist is not meant to be a diagnostic tool but instead helps to highlight any potential areas of concern while also providing information to parents about childhood development. The 'activities for your child' section which accompanies the tool can also help reinforce the importance of development.100 As part of the visit primary-care providers fill out a standardized tool known as the Rourke Baby Record. This tool is an evidence based guide which helps professionals deliver the enhanced visit. This combined with the parental report through the NDDS, allows for a complete picture of the physical as well as the development health of the child at 18 months. Primary-care providers can use the results to discuss parenting and development and link children to specialized services, as necessary, and other community supports and resources. In Ontario early child development and parenting resource system pathways have been developed in many communities to help ensure that primary care providers can be aware of the resources and supports available for their patients.101 As was already noted, almost two thirds of vulnerabilities in readiness for school can be prevented.102 Appropriate identification through screening is a first step in correcting these issues. While the expansion of this approach is currently being reviewed in Nova Scotia, it should be implemented in all provinces and territories with appropriate compensation mechanisms and community based supports. Additionally, consideration should be made to developing screening tools for physicians outside of primary care, ie. emergency departments, who see children who might not have regular primary care physicians. The CMA Recommends that: 13. All provinces and territories implement an enhanced 18 month well-baby visit with appropriate compensation and community supports. 14. Physicians and other primary care providers integrate the enhanced 18 month visit into their regular clinical practice. 15. Comprehensive resources be developed for primary-care providers to identify community supports and services to facilitate referral for parents and children. 16. Efforts be made to ensure timely access to resources and programs for children who have identified developmental needs. 17. Physicians serve as advocates on issues related to early childhood development. They should use their knowledge, expertise and influence to speak out on the need and importance of healthy development in the early years. Literacy By 18 months disparities in language acquisition begin to develop.103 According to US research, by age four, children of families on welfare will hear 30 million less words than children from families with professional parents.104 This can lead to ongoing disparities in childhood learning as evidence suggests that exposure to reading and language from parents is fundamental for success in reading by children.105 Physicians and other primary-care providers can play a role in helping to reduce these disparities. They can encourage reading, speaking, singing and telling stories as part of a daily routine.f Studies have demonstrated that when physicians discuss literacy with parents and provide them with appropriate resources, such as developmentally appropriate children's books, increases in reading frequency and preschool language scores have been found.106 One program which has integrated reading and literacy into clinical practice is the 'Reach out and Read' program in the United States. This program partners with physicians, paediatricians, and nurse practitioners to provide new developmentally appropriate books to children ages 6 months through 5 years, as well as guidance for parents about the importance of reading.107,108 The success of this program has been significant with parents in the program being four to ten times more likely to read frequently with their children, and children scoring much higher on receptive and expressive language scores on standardized tests.109 Given the success of this program for American children, a similar program should be explored in the Canadian context. The CMA Recommends that: 18. Physicians continue to include literacy promotion in routine clinical encounters with children of all ages. 19. National Medical Associations work with governments and the non-profit sector to explore the development of a clinically based child literacy program for Canada. Conclusion The early years represent the most important time of development. The first five years can 'get under the skin' and influence outcomes throughout the life course. Negative experiences such as poverty, violence, poor nutrition, and inadequate parenting can determine behaviours as well as adult health outcomes. Effective early interventions can help to minimize or capitalize on these experiences. Government actions and supports to reduce poverty, child abuse, violence and to enable parents to care for their children are necessary. In addition, appropriate high quality early childhood learning and care programs are required for all Canadians regardless of socio-economic status. Finally, health care providers can play a role in identifying children at risk, supporting their parents to encourage healthy childhood development, and advocating for communities that ensure all Canadian children have the opportunity to grow up happy and healthy. References a The adverse childhood events are: emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect, mother treated violently, household substance abuse, household mental illness, parental separation or divorce, incarcerated household member. http://www.cdc.gov/ace/prevalence.htm#ACED b The indicators used for the comparison include: Parental leave of one year with 50% of salary; a national plan with priority for disadvantaged children; subsidized and regulated child care services for 25% of children under 3; subsidized and accredited early education services for 80% of 4 year-olds; 80% of all child care staff trained; 50% of staff in accredited early education services tertiary educated with relevant qualification (this is the only indicator that Canada met); minimum staff-to-children ratio of 1:15 in pre-school education; 1.0% of GDP spent on early childhood services; child poverty rate less than 10%; near-universal outreach of essential child health services. UNICEF (2008) The child care transition: A league table of early childhood education and care in economically advanced countries. Available at: http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/rc8_eng.pdf c To meet the CPS guidelines a province/territory requires anti-poverty legislation promoting long-term action and government accountability for at least three years, and has a poverty reduction strategy with specific targets. d For a list of some of the resources available for early childhood development across the country please see the Canadian Paediatric Society Resource Page: http://www.cps.ca/en/first-debut/map/community-resources e For more detailed information on the enhanced 18 month well baby visit please see the Canadian Paediatric Society Position statement- Williams R & J Clinton. Getting it right at 18 months: In support of an enhanced well-baby visit. Canadian Paediatric Society. Ottawa, ON; 2011. Available: http://www.cps.ca/documents/position/enhanced-well-baby-visit (Accessed 2014 Jan 24). For resources available to Ontario primary-care providers please visit: http://machealth.ca/programs/18-month/default.aspx f For information and resources on early literacy please see the Canadian Paediatric Society at: http://www.cps.ca/issues-questions/literacy 1 Williams R et.al. The promise of the early years: How long should children wait? Paediatr Child Health Vol 17 No 10 December 2012. Available: http://www.cps.ca/issues/2012-early-years-commentary.pdf (accessed 2014 Feb 21) 2 Shonkoff JP et al. The Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood. Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University. Cambridge (MA); 2010. Available: http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/reports_and_working_papers/foundations-of-lifelong-health/ (accessed 2013 Dec 13). 3 Norrie McCain H.M, Mustard JF, McCuaig, K. Early Years Study 3: Making decisions Taking Action. Margaret and Wallace McCain Foundation. Toronto(ON); 2011. Available: http://earlyyearsstudy.ca/media/uploads/report-pdfs-en/i_115_eys3_en_2nd_072412.pdf (accessed 2014 Feb 11). 4 Braveman P, Egerter S. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America: Overcoming Obstacles to Health in 2013 and Beyond. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Princeton (NJ);2013. Available: http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/reports/2013/rwjf406474 (accessed 2014 Jan 10). 5 Shonkoff JP & Garner AS. The Lifelong Effects of Early Childhood Adversity and Toxic Stress. Pediatrics. December 26, 2011. Available: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/12/21/peds.2011-2663.full.pdf+html (accessed 2013 Oct 28). 6 Hutchison P Chair. Inquiry into improving child health outcomes and preventing child abuse, with a focus on pre-conception until three years of age. New Zealand House of Representatives. Wellington (NZ); 2013. Available: http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/document/pdf/201347/Full-report-text1.pdf (accessed 2014 Mar 3). 7 World Health Organization. Closing the Health Equity Gap: Policy options and opportunities for action. Geneva, Switzerland; 2013. Available: http://www.paho.org/equity/index2.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=103&Itemid (accessed 2013 Dec 20) 8 Williams R et al. The promise of the early years: How long should children wait? Paediatr Child Health Vol 17 No 10 December 2012. Available: http://www.cps.ca/issues/2012-early-years-commentary.pdf (accessed 2014 Feb 21) 9 Shonkoff JP et al. The Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood. Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University. Cambridge (MA); 2010. Available: http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/reports_and_working_papers/foundations-of-lifelong-health/ (accessed 2013 Dec 13). 10 Norrie McCain H.M, Mustard JF, McCuaig, K. Early Years Study 3: Making decisions Taking Action. Margaret and Wallace McCain Foundation. Toronto(ON); 2011. Available: http://earlyyearsstudy.ca/media/uploads/report-pdfs-en/i_115_eys3_en_2nd_072412.pdf (accessed 2014 Feb 11). 11 Braveman P, Egerter S. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America: Overcoming Obstacles to Health in 2013 and Beyond. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Princeton (NJ);2013. Available: http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/reports/2013/rwjf406474 (accessed 2014 Jan 10). 12 Middlebrooks JS, Audage NC. The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health Across the Lifespan. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Atlanta (GA); 2008. Available: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/pdf/childhood_stress.pdf (accessed 2014 Feb 24). 13 Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University. Five Numbers to Remember About Early Childhood Development. Cambridge(MA); N.D. 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Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America: Overcoming Obstacles to Health in 2013 and Beyond. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Princeton (NJ);2013. Available: http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/reports/2013/rwjf406474 (accessed 2014 Jan 10). 31 Shonkoff JP & Garner AS. The Lifelong Effects of Early Childhood Adversity and Toxic Stress. Pediatrics. December 26, 2011. Available: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/12/21/peds.2011-2663.full.pdf+html (accessed 2013 Oct 28). 32 Bygbjerg IC. Double Burden of Noncommunicable and Infectious Diseases in Developing Countries. Science Vol.337 21 September 2012 pp.1499-1501. Available: http://health-equity.pitt.edu/3994/1/Double_Burden_of_Noncommunicable_and_Infectious_Diseases.pdf (accessed 2014 Mar 11). 33 World Health Organization. Global Status Report on Non-Communicable diseases 2010. Chapter 1: Burden: mortality, morbidity and risk factors. Geneva, Switzerland; 2010. Available: http://www.who.int/nmh/publications/ncd_report_chapter1.pdf (accessed 2014 Mar 11). 34 Middlebrooks JS, Audage NC. The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health Across the Lifespan. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Atlanta (GA); 2008. Available: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/pdf/childhood_stress.pdf (accessed 2014 Feb 24). 35 Dreyer BP. To Create a Better World for Children and Families: The Case for Ending Childhood Poverty. Acad. Pediat. Vol 13 No 2. Mar-Apr 2013. Available: http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/1876-2859/PIIS1876285913000065.pdf (accessed 2013 Dec 10). 36 Shonkoff JP & Garner AS. The Lifelong Effects of Early Childhood Adversity and Toxic Stress. Pediatrics. December 26, 2011. Available: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/12/21/peds.2011-2663.full.pdf+html (accessed 2013 Oct 28). 37 Shonkoff JP et al. The Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood. Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University. Cambridge (MA); 2010. Available: http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/reports_and_working_papers/foundations-of-lifelong-health/ (accessed 2013 Dec 13). 38 Hutchison P Chair. Inquiry into improving child health outcomes and preventing child abuse, with a focus on pre-conception until three years of age. New Zealand House of Representatives. Wellington (NZ); 2013. Available: http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/document/pdf/201347/Full-report-text1.pdf (accessed 2014 Mar 3). 39 Arkin E, Braveman P, Egerter S & Williams D. Time to Act: Investing in the Health of Our Children and Communities: Recommendations From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Princeton (NJ); 2014. Available: http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/reports/2014/rwjf409002 (accessed 2014 Feb 6). 40 Little L. Early Childhood Education and Care: Issues and Initiatives. Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Ottawa(ON); 2012. 41 Williams R & Clinton J. Getting it right at 18 months: In support of an enhanced well-baby visit. Canadian Paediatric Society. Ottawa(ON); 2011. Available: http://www.cps.ca/documents/position/enhanced-well-baby-visit (accessed 2012 Feb 20). 42 Arkin E, Braveman P, Egerter S & Williams D. Time to Act: Investing in the Health of Our Children and Communities: Recommendations From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Princeton (NJ); 2014. Available: http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/reports/2014/rwjf409002 (accessed 2014 Feb 6). 43 Heckman JJ. The Case for Investing in Disadvantaged Young Children. Available: http://heckmanequation.org/content/resource/case-investing-disadvantaged-young-children (accessed 2014 Feb 6). 44 Braveman P, Egerter D & Williams DR. The Social Determinants of Health: Coming of Age. Annu Rev Publ Health. 32:3.1-3.18. 2011. 45 European Union. Commission Recommendation of 20.2.2013: Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage. Brussels (Belgium); 2013. Available: http://ec.europa.eu/justice/fundamental-rights/files/c_2013_778_en.pdf (accessed 2013 Jan 24). 46 Yoshikawa H et al. Investing in Our Future: The Evidence Base on Preschool Education. Society for Research in Child Development & Foundation for Child Development. New York (NY); 2013. Available: http://fcd-us.org/sites/default/files/Evidence%20Base%20on%20Preschool%20Education%20FINAL.pdf (accessed 2014 Feb 6). 47 Piano M. Canada 2020 Analytical Commentary No. 6: Are we ready for universal childcare in Canada? Recommendations for equality of opportunity through childcare in Canada. Canada 2020, Ottawa (ON); 2014. 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Available: http://www.campaign2000.ca/reportCards/national/2013C2000NATIONALREPORTCARDNOV26.pdf (accessed 2014 Mar 5). 52 Norrie McCain H.M, Mustard JF, McCuaig, K. Early Years Study 3: Making decisions Taking Action. Margaret and Wallace McCain Foundation. Toronto(ON); 2011. Available: http://earlyyearsstudy.ca/media/uploads/report-pdfs-en/i_115_eys3_en_2nd_072412.pdf (accessed 2014 Feb 11). 53 Shonkoff JP et.al. The Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood. Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University. Cambridge (MA); 2010. Available: http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/reports_and_working_papers/foundations-of-lifelong-health/ (accessed 2013 Dec 13). 54 Arkin E, Braveman P, Egerter S & Williams D. Time to Act: Investing in the Health of Our Children and Communities: Recommendations From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Princeton (NJ); 2014. Available: http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/reports/2014/rwjf409002 (accessed 2014 Feb 6). 55 Shonkoff JP & Garner AS. The Lifelong Effects of Early Childhood Adversity and Toxic Stress. Pediatrics. December 26, 2011. Available: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/12/21/peds.2011-2663.full.pdf+html (accessed 2013 Oct 28). 56 Luby J et al. The Effects of Poverty on Childhood Brain Development: The Mediating Effect of Caregiving and Stressful Life Events. JAMA Pediatr. Published online October 28, 2013. 57 Arkin E, Braveman P, Egerter S & Williams D. Time to Act: Investing in the Health of Our Children and Communities: Recommendations From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Princeton (NJ); 2014. Available: http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/reports/2014/rwjf409002 (accessed 2014 Feb 6). 58 Shonkoff JP et al. The Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood. 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Available: http://www.campaign2000.ca/reportCards/national/2013C2000NATIONALREPORTCARDNOV26.pdf (accessed 2014 Mar 5). 67 Conference Board of Canada. Child Poverty. Ottawa (ON); 2013. Available: http://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/details/society/child-poverty.aspx (accessed 2013 Jun 20). 68 Canadian Paediatric Society. Are We Doing Enough? A status report on Canadian public policy and child and youth health. 2012 edition. Ottawa (ON); 2012. Available: http://www.cps.ca/advocacy/StatusReport2012.pdf (accessed 2014 Feb 14). 69 Ibid. 70 APA Task Force on Childhood Poverty. A Strategic Road-Map: Committed to Bringing the Voice of Pediatricians to the Most Important Problem Facing Children in the US Today. The American Academy of Pediatrics. Elk Grove Village (IL); 2013. Available: http://www.academicpeds.org/public_policy/pdf/APA_Task_Force_Strategic_Road_Mapver3.pdf (accessed 2013 Dec 9). 71 Campaign 2000. Canada's Real Economic Action Plan Begins with Poverty Eradication: 2013 Report Card on Child and Family Poverty in Canada. Family Service Toronto. Toronto (ON); 2013. Available: http://www.campaign2000.ca/reportCards/national/2013C2000NATIONALREPORTCARDNOV26.pdf (accessed 2014 Mar 5). 72 HM Treasury. Ending child poverty: mapping the route to 2020. London(UK); 2010. Available: http://www.endchildpoverty.org.uk/images/ecp/budget2010_childpoverty.pdf (accessed 2014 Jan 17). 73 Fauth B, Renton Z & Solomon E. Tackling child poverty and promoting children's well-being: lessons from abroad. National Children's Bureau. London (UK); 2013. Available: http://www.ncb.org.uk/media/892335/tackling_child_poverty_1302013_final.pdf (accessed 2014 Jan 10). 74 Norrie McCain H.M, Mustard JF, McCuaig, K. Early Years Study 3: Making decisions Taking Action. Margaret and Wallace McCain Foundation. Toronto(ON); 2011. Available: http://earlyyearsstudy.ca/media/uploads/report-pdfs-en/i_115_eys3_en_2nd_072412.pdf (accessed 2014 Feb 11). 75 Little L. Early Childhood Education and Care: Issues and Initiatives. Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Ottawa(ON); 2012. 76 Cooper K & Stewart K. Does Money Affect Children's Outcomes? Joseph Rowntree Foundation. London(UK); 2013. Available: http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/money-children-outcomes-full.pdf (accessed 2014 Feb 20). 77 Hertzman C, Clinton J, Lynk A. Measuring in support of early childhood development. Canadian Paediatric Society, Ottawa (ON); 2011. Available: http://www.cps.ca/documents/position/early-childhood-development (accessed 2014 Feb 25). 78 Human Early Learning Partnership. Early Development Instrument. N.D. Available: http://earlylearning.ubc.ca/edi/ (accessed 2014 Oct 8). 79 Adamson P. Child well-being in rich countries: A comparative overview: Innocenti Report Card 11. UNICEF, Florrence, Italy; 2013. Available: http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/rc11_eng.pdf (accessed 2014 Jan 10). 80 Norrie McCain H.M, Mustard JF, McCuaig, K. Early Years Study 3: Making decisions Taking Action. Margaret and Wallace McCain Foundation. Toronto(ON); 2011. Available: http://firstwords.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Early-Years-Study-3.pdf (accessed 2014 Feb 11). 81 Hertzman C, Clinton J, Lynk A. Measuring in support of early childhood development. Canadian Paediatric Society, Ottawa (ON); 2011. Available: http://www.cps.ca/documents/position/early-childhood-development (accessed 2014 Feb 25). 82 Shonkoff JP & Garner AS. The Lifelong Effects of Early Childhood Adversity and Toxic Stress. Pediatrics. December 26, 2011. Available: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/12/21/peds.2011-2663.full.pdf+html (accessed 2013 Oct 28). 83 Garner AS et al. Early Childhood Adversity, Toxic Stress, and the Role of the Pediatrician: Translating Developmental Science Into Lifelong Health. Pediatrics 2012;129;e224. Available: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/12/21/peds.2011-2662.full.pdf+html (accessed 2014 Feb 11). 84 Little L. Early Childhood Education and Care: Issues and Initiatives. Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Ottawa(ON); 2012. 85 Comley L, Mousmanis P. Improving the Odds: Healthy Child Development: Toolkit: Interdisciplinary MAINPRO CME for Family Physicians and other Primary Healthcare Providers, 6th Edition. Toronto (ON);2010. Available: http://ocfp.on.ca/docs/research-projects/improving-the-odds-healthy-child-development-manual-2010-6th-edition.pdf (accessed 2013 Dec 2). 86 Williams RC, Clinton J, Price DJ, Novak NE. Ontario's Enhanced 18-Month Well-Baby Visit: program overview, implications for physicians. OMR February 2010. Available: http://omr.dgtlpub.com/2010/2010-02-28/home.php (accessed 2012 Feb 20). 87 Shonkoff JP et al. The Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood. Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University. Cambridge (MA); 2010. Available: http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/reports_and_working_papers/foundations-of-lifelong-health/ (accessed 2013 Dec 13). 88 Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. Closing the gap in a generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health: Executive Summary. Geneva (CH) World Health Organization; 2008. Available: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2008/WHO_IER_CSDH_08.1_eng.pdf (accessed 2011 Jan 7). 89 Williams RC, Clinton J, Price DJ, Novak NE. Ontario's Enhanced 18-Month Well-Baby Visit: program overview, implications for physicians. OMR February 2010. Available: http://omr.dgtlpub.com/2010/2010-02-28/home.php (accessed 2012 Feb 20). 90 The Minister of Children and Youth announces that every child will receive and enhanced 18-month visit: Family Physicians Play Key Roles in Healthy Child Development. Toronto(ON). Available: http://ocfp.on.ca/docs/cme/enhanced-18-month-well-baby-visit-key-messages-for-family-physicians.pdf?sfvrsn=1 (accessed 2012 Feb 20). 91 Comley L, Mousmanis P. Improving the Odds: Healthy Child Development: Toolkit: Interdisciplinary MAINPRO CME for Family Physicians and other Primary Healthcare Providers, 6th Edition. Toronto (ON);2010. Available: http://ocfp.on.ca/docs/research-projects/improving-the-odds-healthy-child-development-manual-2010-6th-edition.pdf (accessed 2013 Dec 2). 92 Garg A, Jack B, Zuckerman B. Addressing the Social Determinants of Health Within the Patient-Centred Medical Home. JAMA. May 15, 2013 Vol. 309 No.19. 93 Comley L, Mousmanis P. Improving the Odds: Healthy Child Development: Toolkit: Interdisciplinary MAINPRO CME for Family Physicians and other Primary Healthcare Providers, 6th Edition. Toronto (ON);2010. Available: http://ocfp.on.ca/docs/research-projects/improving-the-odds-healthy-child-development-manual-2010-6th-edition.pdf (accessed 2013 Dec 2). 94 Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. Closing the gap in a generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health: Executive Summary. Geneva (CH) World Health Organization; 2008. Available: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2008/WHO_IER_CSDH_08.1_eng.pdf (accessed 2011 Jan 7). 95 Williams R et al. The promise of the early years: How long should children wait? Paediatr Child Health Vol 17 No 10 December 2012. Available: http://www.cps.ca/issues/2012-early-years-commentary.pdf (accessed 2014 Feb 21). 96 Middlebrooks JS, Audage NC. The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health Across the Lifespan. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Atlanta (GA); 2008. Available: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/pdf/childhood_stress.pdf (accessed 2014 Feb 24). 97 Garg A, Jack B, Zuckerman B. Addressing the Social Determinants of Health Within the Patient-Centred Medical Home. JAMA. May 15, 2013 Vol. 309 No.19. 98 Williams R & Clinton J. Getting it right at 18 months: In support of an enhanced well-baby visit. Canadian Paediatric Society. Ottawa(ON); 2011. Available: http://www.cps.ca/documents/position/enhanced-well-baby-visit (accessed 2012 Feb 20). 99 Canadian Paediatric Society. Are We Doing Enough? A status report on Canadian public policy and child and youth health. 2012 edition. Ottawa (ON); 2012. Available: http://www.cps.ca/advocacy/StatusReport2012.pdf (accessed 2014 Feb 14). 100 Williams RC, Clinton J, Price DJ, Novak NE. Ontario's Enhanced 18-Month Well-Baby Visit: program overview, implications for physicians. OMR February 2010. Available: http://omr.dgtlpub.com/2010/2010-02-28/home.php (accessed 2012 Feb 20). 101 Williams R & Clinton J. Getting it right at 18 months: In support of an enhanced well-baby visit. Canadian Paediatric Society. Ottawa(ON); 2011. Available: http://www.cps.ca/documents/position/enhanced-well-baby-visit (accessed 2012 Feb 20). 102 Williams R & Clinton J. Getting it right at 18 months: In support of an enhanced well-baby visit. Canadian Paediatric Society. Ottawa(ON); 2011. Available: http://www.cps.ca/documents/position/enhanced-well-baby-visit (accessed 2012 Feb 20). 103 Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University. Five Numbers to Remember About Early Childhood Development. Cambridge(MA); N.D. Available: http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/multimedia/interactive_features/five-numbers/ (accessed 2014 Feb 10). 104 Denburg A, Daneman D. The Link between Social Inequality and Child Health Outcomes. Healthcare Quarterly Vol. 14 Oct 2010. 105 Shaw A. Read, speak, sing: Promoting literacy in the physician's office. Canadian Paediatric Society, Ottawa (ON); 2006. Available: http://www.cps.ca/documents/position/read-speak-sing-promoting-literacy (accessed 2014 Feb 10). 106 Ibid. 107 Reach out and Read. Reach Out And Read: The Evidence. Boston (MA); 2013. Available: https://www.reachoutandread.org/FileRepository/Research_Summary.pdf (accessed 2014 Mar 5). 108 Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. Closing the gap in a generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health: Executive Summary. Geneva (CH) World Health Organization; 2008. Available: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2008/WHO_IER_CSDH_08.1_eng.pdf (accessed 2011 Jan 7). 109 Shaw A. Read, speak, sing: Promoting literacy in the physician's office. Canadian Paediatric Society, Ottawa (ON); 2006. Available: http://www.cps.ca/documents/position/read-speak-sing-promoting-literacy (accessed 2014 Feb 10).
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Health care and patient safety
Policy resolution 1
Response to consultation 1
topic:"Population health/ health equity/ public health"
Physician practice/ compensation/ forms
Health Canada’s consultation on new health-related labelling for tobacco products
Response to consultation
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is pleased to provide this submission in response to Health Canada’s Consultation on “New Health-Related Labelling for Tobacco Products - Document for Consultation, October 2018”. Canada's physicians have been working for decades toward the goal of a smoke-free Canada. The CMA issued its first public warning concerning the hazards of tobacco in 1954 and has continued to advocate for the strongest possible measures to control its use and for the past 30 years we have reiterated our long-standing support for the concept of tobacco products being sold in standardized packages in several briefs and policy statements. Our response will follow the questions posed in the consultation document. Labelling on Individual Cigarettes Displaying a warning on individual cigarettes provides another means of conveying important health warnings about the hazards of smoking. The warnings should be like those that will be displayed on the leaflets included in the cigarette packages as well as the packages themselves. They should be of sufficient size, font and colour that will draw the attention of the smoker to the message. They should also be placed as close to the filter end of the cigarette as possible to remain visible for as long as possible. Health Information Messages The CMA has always supported educational and public health initiatives aimed at countering tobacco manufacturers messages that would render smoking attractive and glamorous to their customers. The health information messages and any leaflets included in the package must be of sufficient size, colour and font to prevent manufacturers from using the leaflet as any sort of a promotional platform to minimize, for example, the impact of health warnings on the package exterior. The CMA supports strongly the concept of tobacco products being sold in standardized packages and we have recommended that only the “slide-and-shell” style of package be authorized and that the “flip-top” package be removed. This would allow for the largest possible surface area to be used to convey health warnings and other health-related information. The CMA has recommended that the measurements for the regular and king size cigarette packages be amended to allow for more surface area for warnings and to standardize packaging regulations across all Canadian jurisdictions. Toxic Statements (Includes Toxic Emissions Statements and Toxic Constituents Statements) The size, colour and design of new Toxic Statements proposed in the consultation document should be sufficient to be read and easily understood. The Statements should be rotated periodically to include new and updated information related to emissions and toxic constituents. Connecting Labelling Elements/ Quitline Information Tobacco manufacturers make frequent use of subtle marketing messages to render smoking attractive and glamorous, especially to young people. The CMA supports packages displaying prominent, simple and powerful health warnings, such as the graphic pictorial warnings, as well as quit tips and information on product content and health risks.2 Connecting the themes should help to reinforce the messages being conveyed with these labels. The size, colour, and placement of the proposed quitline and website information should be sufficient to maximize the noticeability of the information on various types of tobacco product packaging. Percentage of Coverage/Minimum Size of Health Warnings on Tobacco Products Other than Cigarettes and Little Cigars The amount of space given to the warnings should be sufficient to convey the maximum amount of information while remaining clear, visible, and legible. The warnings should be in proportion to the packaging available, like that of a regular cigarette package. Labelling for All Tobacco Products that Do Not Currently Require Labels The CMA supports mandatory health warnings being applied equally to all tobacco products. If package size allows, Health Warnings, Health Information Messages, and Toxic Statements should all be included. The messages should be relevant to the types of tobacco products they are covering. Labelling Rotation The rotation timeframe suggested in the consultation document of 12 to 18 months is a reasonable period. Government of Canada. New Health-Related Labelling for Tobacco Products. Document for Consultation Ottawa: Health Canada; 2018. Available: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/programs/consultation-tobacco-labelling.html (accessed 2018 Oct 29). Canadian Medical Association (CMA) Tobacco Control (Update 2008). Ottawa: The Association; 2008. Available: http:// policybase.cma.ca /dbtw-wpd/Policypdf/PD08-08.pdf (accessed 2018 Dec 5). Canadian Medical Association (CMA). Letter in response to Health Canada’s Consultation on “Plain and Standardized Packaging” for Tobacco Products. Potential Measures for Regulating the Appearance, Shape and Size of Tobacco Packages and of Tobacco Products. Document for Consultation. Ottawa: The Association; 2016. Available: http://policybase.cma.ca/dbtw-wpd/Briefpdf/BR2016-09.pdf (accessed 2018 Nov 19). Canadian Medical Association (CMA). Health Canada Consultation on Tobacco Products Regulations (Plain and Standardized Appearance). Ottawa: The Association; 2018. Available: http://policybase.cma.ca/dbtw-wpd/Briefpdf/BR2019-01.pdf (accessed 2018 Nov 19). Canadian Medical Association (CMA). Policy Resolution BD88-03-64 - Smokeless tobacco. Ottawa: The Association; 1987. Available: https://tinyurl.com/y7eynl5q (accessed 2018 Dec 5).
Response to Health Canada’s Discussion Papers on “Proposed New Labelling Requirements for Tobacco Products” and “Options for Tobacco Promotion Regulations”
I. Introduction This document presents the position of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA)on the discussion papers “Proposed New Labelling Requirements for Tobacco Products” and “Options for Tobacco Promotion Regulations”, which were released by Health Canada on January 18, 1999. The document assesses the proposals outlined in the two papers and places them in the context of CMA’s comprehensive policy on tobacco control. The CMA is the national voice of Canadian physicians. Our mission is to provide leadership for physicians and to promote the highest standard of health and health care for Canadians. On behalf of its 45,000 members and the Canadian public, CMA performs a wide variety of functions, including advocating health promotion and disease and injury prevention policies and strategies. It is in this capacity that we present this brief, the most recent of many statements on tobacco which CMA has made since it issued its first public warning on tobacco’s hazards in 1954. We have spoken out strongly and consistently for more than forty years because physicians have first-hand experience of the havoc that tobacco plays with the lives of Canadians. Tobacco kills 45,000 people a year in this country1 - more than traffic accidents, murders, suicides, drug abuse and AIDS combined. Because many people with tobacco-related diseases do not die of them, this number greatly underestimates the actual burden of suffering caused by tobacco in Canada. This burden of disease comes with a high price tag. Health Canada estimates that tobacco costs the Canadian health care system $3.5 billion a year in direct health care expenses. This does not include the cost of the disability, lost productivity and human pain and suffering caused by tobacco, which has been estimated at between $8 and 11 billion annually.2 It is for these reasons that the CMA has consistently recommended tough legislative and regulatory measures to control tobacco use. Since the Supreme Court of Canada struck down portions of the Tobacco Products Control Act in 1995, we have advocated strong replacement legislation. We supported Bill C-71, the Tobacco Act, and welcomed its enactment in 1997; since then we have repeatedly expressed our opposition to suggested amendments that would weaken the Act. CMA now commends Health Canada on its proposal to augment the Tobacco Act with regulations to mandate strong health warnings on packages of tobacco products, and on initiating discussion on regulations to control tobacco advertising and promotion. The following discusses in detail Health Canada’s specific suggestions. II. “Option for Tobacco Promotion Regulations” Before discussing specific options it should be said that the CMA advocates the prohibition of all forms of tobacco promotion in Canada. This includes advertisements in broadcast and print media, the sale of accessories and tobacco products displaying brand names, logos or colours, and advertising at point of sale. Accordingly we view the options described in the paper as compromises rather than ideal solutions, and our recommendations should be considered from this viewpoint. a) Tobacco Products, (Sections 3.1 (a) to 3.1 (f)) The CMA recommends a total ban on advertising and promotion of tobacco products at point of sale. The eye-catching “power walls” of cigarettes that one sees in corner stores could be considered a form of advertising. CMA therefore recommends the most restrictive option proposed in the paper, i.e. that tobacco products not be displayed above counter-tops. There should be no exemption from this restriction for any store. b) Accessories and Nontobacco Products (Section 3.1 (g) to 3.1 (k)) CMA’s recommended ban on tobacco advertising extends to a ban on the sale of accessories and nontobacco products carrying tobacco brand elements. We are aware that the Tobacco Act permits the use of tobacco brand elements on nontobacco products; however, we recommend that regulations restrict their use to the greatest extent possible. c) Service (Section 3.1 (l)) We assume that this provision is intended to control in-store advertising for events sponsored by tobacco companies. CMA has publicly opposed all advertising related to such events. We note that this advertising will be removed from stores altogether by 2003, under the provisions of Bill C-42. d) Availability Signs (Sections 3.1(m) - 3.1(p)) The CMA questions the need for availability signs; however, if they are permitted, Health Canada’s regulations must ensure that they not be used as advertising. For example, the number of signs that a location can display should be limited; the text on signs should be in plain black and white font; and the content should be restricted as described in Section 3.1(p). e) Advertising (Section 3.2) Again, CMA reminds Health Canada that it opposes tobacco advertising in all forms and would prefer a total ban to the options proposed in this section. However, since the Tobacco Act permits a limited amount of advertising, we recommend that Health Canada act on its stated intent to restrict this advertising’s attractiveness to young people and its potential to reach them. Accordingly we recommend the following: * that all advertisements for tobacco products, accessories or nontobacco products displaying tobacco product brand elements carry prominent health warning messages as proposed; * that advertisements be “text-only” without illustrations or decorative fonts; * that if it is impossible to keep brand elements off advertisements, they occupy as small a space as possible; * that advertisements be print-only and restricted to adult-circulation publications, as mandated in the Tobacco Act; * that the size of advertising signs be restricted; and * that the above recommendations also apply to advertising signs in places where young persons are not permitted. The Tobacco Act allows advertising in such places with the proviso that it not be “lifestyle” related. However, the concept of "lifestyle" advertising is vague and open to broad interpretation; as such, it is difficult to police and could be easily ignored or circumvented. Therefore CMA believes that a comprehensive ban on advertising is preferable to a partial one. f) Tobacco Product Packaging (Section 3.3) Packaging is an important part of the marketing of any product, and tobacco is no exception. Cigarette packages should not serve as an advertising tool and inducement to purchase. Plain packaging would reduce the attractiveness of cigarette boxes to consumers; accordingly CMA recommends that tobacco products be sold in plain packages. We are pleased to see standardized plain packaging presented as an option in this section, and we recommend that this option be adopted. III. “Proposed New Labelling Requirements for Tobacco Products” As Health Canada’s own research indicates, package labelling is a health education tool that can reach a large number of people for minimal cost; we believe that health warning labels have contributed to raising public awareness of the dangers of smoking and the toxic content of tobacco. Accordingly, CMA supports in principle the proposals in this paper. In addition to our support for plain packaging, CMA recommends that packages of tobacco products: * Contain health warnings prominently displayed; * Display messages that are as simple and direct as possible; this applies not only to health warnings but to all proposed messages, e.g. those reminding of the ban on sales to minors; * Use messages that are supported by scientific data and focus on the health effects of tobacco rather than social norms or emotional appeals. In particular, CMA recommends eliminating the message, “Smoking is a weakness, not a strength.” We believe that this message unfairly blames the victim for an activity that is in fact an addiction, not a weakness; * Display a list of toxic ingredients and additives; and * Provide information on treatment for tobacco addiction, for example, information on nicotine replacement, advice to smokers to consult their physicians if they are ready to stop smoking, and information about available cessation programs. Packages might also include inserts containing additional information on product content and health risks. This information should also be based on scientific evidence focusing on the medical consequences of tobacco use. However, the use of inserts should be carefully evaluated in light of its possible impact on the environment. The labelling requirements proposed in this paper are consistent with the spirit of CMA’s policy. We commend Health Canada for taking these steps, and for mandating health warnings not only on cigarettes but on all tobacco products. IV. The Larger Context It is important to emphasize that CMA does not consider the proposed regulations, or any other single initiative, a “miracle cure” for Canada’s tobacco problem. Just as there are a variety of reasons why children take up the smoking habit, so it will take a variety of initiatives, working in combination, to effectively fight tobacco. We urge the government of Canada to augment its proposed regulations on labelling and promotion by: * Providing support for smoking cessation services for those who are addicted to tobacco. CMA has been involved with three of its provincial divisions in the “Mobilizing Physicians for Clinical Tobacco Intervention (MP-CTI)” project, whose purpose is to help physicians counsel their patients on how to stop smoking. Evidence shows that even brief counseling by a health professional increases the quit rate, particularly when combined with the “patch” or other nicotine replacement therapies.3 MP-CTI has provided physicians and other health professionals with motivation to make smoking cessation counseling a part of their routine and with tools to enhance their counseling practices. The CMA believes that the government should support MP-CTI and other programs that encourage evidence-based practices in health care. * Continuing to increase consumer and manufacturer tobacco taxes, raising them as high as is compatible with discouraging smuggling. In our 1998 pre-budget brief to the Standing Committee on Finance we recommended that the government gradually increase tobacco taxes, and we supported the tobacco tax increase implemented in February 1998.4 * Providing funding to ensure that Canada maintains strong, sustained and effective programs to discourage children from smoking. In 1997 the Liberal Party promised to commit $100 million over five years for tobacco control programs, including $50 million for public education5. We would like to see this amount committed as a minimum, and preferably increased. The CMA also continues to support the concept of a levy on tobacco products to fund programs to discourage tobacco use, and we urge the government to take action soon in this regard. Tobacco is the number one cause of preventable disease and death in Canada. The CMA urges the Government of Canada to deal with it as strongly as the burden it imposes on this country warrants. V. References 1. Ellison LF, Mao Y, Gibbons L Projected smoking-attributable mortality in Canada, 1991 2000. Chron Dis Can 1995; 16: 84 - 89. 2. Health Canada. Economic Costs due to Smoking (Information Sheet). Health Canada, November 1996. 3. Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. Smoking Cessation (Clinical Practice Guideline Number 18). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1996. 4. Canadian Medical Association. Canadians’ Access to Quality Health Care: a System in Crisis. Brief submitted to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance, August 1998. 5. Liberal party. Securing our Future. Liberal Party of Canada, 1997.
Proposed Amendments to the Criminal Code of Canada (Impaired Driving) : Response to Issue Paper of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights
The CMA believes that comprehensive long-term efforts that incorporate both deterrent legislation and public awareness and education constitute the most effective policy in attempting to reduce the number of lives lost and injuries suffered in crashes involving impaired drivers. The CMA supports a multidimensional approach to the issue. The CMA therefore recommends the following: * developing awareness campaigns and education programs, particularly at the high school level where the pattern of alcohol misuse is often established; * retaining the curative treatment provision found in Section 255(5) of the Criminal Code; * providing comprehensive treatment suited to the needs of the individual person. Those repeatedly convicted of impaired driving should be considered for mandatory assessment; * seizing or impounding the driver’s vehicle for the length of the license suspension if an individual is charged with impaired driving while his or her licence is suspended because of a previous impaired driving conviction; * lowering the legal BAC limit to 50 mg%; and * creating probationary licence systems for new drivers that would make it an offence to drive a motor vehicle during this probationary period with any measurable alcohol in the body. I. Introduction The Canadian Medical Association is the national voice of Canadian physicians. Our mission is to provide leadership for physicians and to promote the highest standard of health and health care for Canadians. The CMA is a voluntary professional organization representing the majority of Canada's physicians and comprising 12 provincial and territorial divisions and 43 affiliated medical organizations. On behalf of its 45,000 members and the Canadian public, CMA performs a wide variety of functions, including advocating health promotion and disease and accident prevention policies and strategies. It is in this capacity that we present our position on proposed amendments to the Criminal Code sections on impaired driving. The CMA welcomes this opportunity to comment on the issue of drinking and driving and the safety of our public roadways. The injuries and deaths resulting from impaired driving present a major public health concern. Physicians see the consequences of impaired driving in their practices. In 1996, 3,420 persons were killed in motor vehicle crashes. Alcohol was involved in 39.7% of those fatalitiesi. In CMA policy documents and publications like the Physicians’ Guide to Driver Examination, the CMA has advocated for measures to reduce injury and death resulting from drinking and driving. The CMA has previously endorsed legislation aimed at reducing the incidence of drinking and driving, including the use of the breathalyser test, more severe penalties for those convicted and the taking of a mandatory blood sample if the individual is unable to provide a breath sampleii. Several of CMA’s provincial and territorial divisions have also issued policy statements on impaired driving (Appendix 1). II. Multidimensional Approach From 1987 to 96, there was a general decline in the percentage of fatally injured drivers who had been drinkingiii. In 1996, of tested drivers fatally injured in motor vehicle crashes, 41.6% had been drinking (with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) over 1 mg%>) while 34.9% were legally impaired (BAC >80 mg%)iv. CMA believes that to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries even further, a comprehensive, multidimensional approach encompassing the expertise, resources and experience of health professionals and all levels of government is required. This approach encompasses: (1) public education, (2) medical assessment and treatment interventions and (3) legislation. 1. Public Education Drinking and driving must be viewed as socially unacceptable behaviour and until this change in attitude occurs, the judicial system cannot be completely effective in controlling the drinking and driving patterns of individuals. Education and information programs which increase society’s awareness of the consequences of using alcohol in combination with driving are integral parts of any attempt to reduce injuries and fatalities. The CMA supports and recommends the development of awareness campaigns and education programs, particularly at the high school level where the pattern of alcohol misuse is often established. 2. Medical Assessment and Treatment Interventions CMA shares the belief of specialists in the field of addiction medicine that punishment in the form of incarceration will not solve the problem of impaired drivingv. Rather, in addition to public education campaigns and criminal law sanctions, government must create and fund appropriate assessment and treatment interventions. Impaired drivers may be occasional users of alcohol. They may also suffer from the disease of Substance Dependence. In the case of alcohol, this disease is commonly known as alcoholism. There are several assessment tools and screening tests to diagnose chronic alcoholismvi. The term “Hard Core” drinking driver has also been coined to describe impaired drivers who repeatedly drive after drinking, often with a high BAC of 150 mg% or more. They are also resistant to change despite previous actions, treatment or education effortsvii. Although roadside surveys have revealed a general decrease in the overall level of drinking-driving in Canada, drivers with very high levels of BAC (over 150 mg%) seemed immune to this trendviii. “Hard Core” drinking drivers are most likely suffering from substance dependence or alcoholism, a condition requiring significant treatment interventionix. Physicians, in their educational capacity, can assist in establishing programs in the community aimed at the recognition of the early signs of alcohol abuse or dependency. These programs should recognize the chronic, relapsing nature of alcohol addiction as a disease. There is also good evidence that physician interactions like the Alcohol Risk Assessment and Intervention program developed by the College of Family Physicians of Canada can have a positive impact on the behaviours of moderate drinkersx. Another tool to aid physicians in the assessment of patients who drive impaired is the CMA publication, The Physicians’ Guide to Driver Examination. The Physicians’ Guide to Driver Examination is a collection of guidelines and expert opinions designed to help physicians assess their patients’ medical fitness to drive. The Physicians’ Guide discusses the impact of a variety of medical conditions on driving, including alcohol use, abuse and dependency. The Physicians’ Guide underlines the fact that alcohol-induced impairment is the single greatest contributor to fatal motor vehicle accidents in Canadaxi. The Physicians Guide to Driver Examination takes a strong stance on the status of drivers with chronic alcohol problems. It recommends that a chronic alcohol abuser should not be allowed to drive any type of motor vehicle until the patient has been assessed and received treatment. The Physicians' Guide to Driver Examination is currently under revision with an anticipated distribution date in the fall of 1999 for the sixth edition. (a) Discharge for Curative Treatment The Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights has asked whether it is appropriate under Section 255(5) of the Criminal Code to allow the courts to discharge an impaired driver who is in need of “curative treatment” by placing that person on probation with a condition that he or she attends such treatment. Section 255(5) of the Criminal Code reads: Notwithstanding subsection 736(1), a court may, instead of convicting a person of an offence committed under section 253, after hearing medical or other evidence, if it considers that the person is in need of curative treatment in relation to his consumption of alcohol or drugs and that it would not be contrary to the public interest, by order direct that the person be discharged under section 730 on the conditions prescribed in a probation order, including a condition respecting the person’s attendance for curative treatment in relation to his consumption of alcohol or drugs. The CMA believes that Section 255(5) should remain within the Criminal Code. Section 255(5) is an important recognition within the punitive framework of the Criminal Code of the necessary medical and rehabilitative elements at stake in the issue of impaired driving. CMA believes that there are sufficient safeguards within the wording of Section 255(5) to conclude that it does not invite misuse. There are several hurdles to meet in Section 255(5) before the court may award curative treatment. First, the court hears “medical or other evidence”. In essence, the granting of the curative treatment order is not merely dependent on the pleas of the impaired driver. Second, the court must be satisfied that the discharge is not contrary to the public interest. In determining what is in the public interest, the courts look to the accused’s motivation and good faith, whether he or she was already subject to a driving prohibition, the risk of recidivism, previous convictions for impaired driving, prior curative discharges and the circumstances of the offence, including consideration of whether the accused was involved in an accident which caused death, bodily harm or significant property damagexii. Finally, it is highly unlikely that the “curative treatment” at issue in Section 255(5) would be involuntary or enforced against the wishes of the accused because his or her motivation or good will in pursuing treatment as an alternative to conviction is a key factor in the court’s decisionxiii. The CMA recommends retaining the curative treatment provision found in Section 255(5) of the Criminal Code. (b) Assessment and Rehabilitation Rehabilitation can occur through education and treatment programs designed for impaired drivers. The CMA believes it is important to provide comprehensive treatment suited to the needs of the individual person. The CMA recognizes that as an exception to the general rule that medical interventions should be voluntary, individuals repeatedly convicted of the offence of impaired driving should be considered for mandatory assessment. This mandatory assessment, followed by medical recommendations for appropriate treatment, would not only benefit those with a chronic alcohol problem but could also help to reduce the incidence of drunk driving incidents attributable to repeat offenders. Physicians have the training, knowledge and expertise to assist in developing alcohol assessment, treatment and rehabilitation programs. Currently, nine jurisdictions have some form of mandatory assessment and rehabilitation programsxiv. The CMA recommends providing comprehensive treatment suited to the needs of the individual person. Those repeatedly convicted of impaired driving should be considered for mandatory assessment. 3. Legislation (a) Impoundment On the issue of whether the current penalties provide sufficient deterrence, the CMA is in general agreement with the impoundment measures currently found in eight provincial and territorial jurisdictionsxv. CMA would encourage jurisdictions that do not have these impoundment programs to consider enacting them. Since 1989, the CMA has recommended that if an individual is charged with impaired driving while his or her licence is suspended because of a previous impaired driving conviction, the suspended driver’s vehicle should be seized or impounded for the length of the license suspension. (b) Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) In response to the question of whether the legal BAC limit should be lowered from 80 mg%, since 1988 the CMA has supported 50 mg% as the general legal limit. Studies suggest that a BAC limit of 50 mg% could translate into a 6% to 18% reduction in total motor vehicle fatalities or 185 to 555 fewer fatalities per year in Canadaxvi. A lower limit would recognize the significant detrimental effects on driving-related skills that occur below the current legal BACxvii. Finally, the CMA notes that many jurisdictions have 50 mg% as the limit for impairmentxviii. The CMA recommends lowering the legal BAC limit to 50 mg%. The CMA has also supported the 1987 recommendation of the former Standing Committee of National Health and Welfare on Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Canada that the provinces establish a probationary or graduated licence system for new drivers that would make it an offence to drive a motor vehicle during this probationary period with any measurable alcohol in the body. Several studies have remarked on the significant reduction in casualty collisions when there is a 0 BAC limit for novice drivers xix. The CMA notes that several provinces have instituted such a graduated licensing systemxx. The CMA supports probationary licence systems for new drivers that would make it an offence to drive a motor vehicle during this probationary period with any measurable alcohol in the body. (c) Police Powers On the issue of police powers to demand breath, blood or saliva samples for alcohol and/or blood testing, the CMA reiterates its earlier support for mandatory blood alcohol testing as outlined in the Criminal Code. At the request of CMA, physicians and other health care workers who take blood samples under this law are specifically protected from criminal and/or civil litigation, but it is not an offense for these health care workers to refuse to take a blood samplexxi. III. Conclusion The CMA believes that comprehensive long-term efforts that incorporate both deterrent legislation and public awareness and education campaigns constitute the most effective policy in attempting to reduce the number of lives lost and injuries suffered in crashes involving impaired drivers. It is prefererable to use countermeasures that prevent the occurrence of motor vehicle crashes involving impaired drivers rather than those that deal with the offender after the fact. The multifaceted nature of the issue of impaired driving requires multidimensional countermeasures as part of a comprehensive policy involving all levels of government, private organizations, communities and individuals. The CMA urges all Canadians to support such efforts to reduce the prevalence of drinking and driving. IV. Appendix 1 A List of Some Policy Statements and Resolutions on Impaired Driving from CMA Provincial and Territorial Divisions: * Alberta Medical Association, 1983: That the AMA recommend to the Government of Alberta that it take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that there are adequate penalties for impaired driving and that such penalties are well enforced. * New Brunswick Medical Society: February, 1988.“Statement on Driving Impairment” October, 1992. “NBMS Position Statement on Alcohol” * Northwest Territories Medical Association: Endorsed June, 1998. “Strategy to Reduce Impaired Driving in the Northwest Territories: Interagency Working Group on Impaired Driving. June, 1996.” * Ontario Medical Association: November, 1994. “An OMA Position Paper on Drinking and Driving”. V. Endnotes i.Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) (1998).Strategy to Reduce Impaired Driving 2001: STRID 2001 Monitoring Report: Progress in 1996 and 1997. Ottawa: Traffic Injury Research Foundation at 25, 28. ii.Canadian Medical Association (1989). Substance Abuse and Driving: A CMA Review. Ottawa: Canadian Medical Association at 3. 3. Mayhew, D.R., S.W. Brown and H.M. Simpson. (1998) Alcohol Use Among Drivers and Pedestrians Fatally Injured in Motor Vehicle Accidents: Canada, 1996. Ottawa: Traffic Injury Research Foundation at 19. iv.Ibid at 13-14. v. Hajela, Raju CD, MD, MPH, CCFP, CASAM, FASAM, President of the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine. Letter to CMA dated January 13, 1999. vi.American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-IV. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Press. vii. Beirness, D.J., H.M. Simpson, and D.R. Mayhew (1998). Programs and policies for reducing alcohol-related motor vehicle deaths and injuries. Contemporary Drug Problems 25/Fall 1998. See also the Century Council (1998) National Hardcore Drunk Driver Project. http://www.dwidata.org. viii. Beirness, D.J., Mayhew, D.R., Simpson, H.M. and Stewart, D.E. (1995) Roadside surveys in Canada: 1974-1993. In Kloeden, C.N. and McLean, A.J. (eds). Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety-T’95.Adelaide, Australia:NHMRC Road Accident Research Unit, University of Adelaide, pp. 179-184 as cited in Mann, Robert E., Scott Macdonald, Gina Stoduto, Abdul Shaikh and Susan Bondy (1998) Assessing the Potential Impact of Lowering the Blood Alcohol Limit to 50 MG % in Canada. Ottawa: Transport Canada, TP 13321 E at 14-15. ix. Hajela, note 5 at 2. x. Brison, Robert J., MD (1997). The Accidental Patient. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 157 (12) 1661-1662. xi. Canadian Medical Association (1991).Physicians' Guide to Driver Examination. Ottawa: Canadian Medical Association at 51. xii. R v. Storr (1995), 14 M.V.R. (3d) 34 (Alta. C.A.). xiii. Ibid. xiv.Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF), note 1 at 12. xv.Ibid. xvi. Mann et al., note 8 at 54. xvii. Moskowitz, H. and Robinson, C.D. (1988). Effects of Low Doses of Alcohol on Driving Skills: A Review of the Evidence. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT-HS-800-599 as cited in Mann, et al., note 8 at page 12-13. xviii.Mann et al., note 8 at 24. xix.Hingson, R., Heeren, T. and Winter, M. (1994) Lower legal blood alcohol limits for young drivers. Public Health Reports, 109, 738-744 as cited in Mann et al., note 8 at 36. xx.Mann et al., note 8 at 29. xxi.Canadian Medical Association, note 2 at 3.
https://policybase.cma.ca/en/permalink/policy719
GC89-46
That the Canadian Medical Association recommend: a) that the federal departments of transport and consumer and corporate affairs enact legislation for the purpose of setting national safety standards for all-terrain vehicles, b) that provincial governments be urged to review and strengthen regulations related to the use of all-terrain vehicles, c) that provincial governments be urged to introduce a specific driver's licence category for all-terrain vehicle drivers; such licence would require demonstrating competence in handling the vehicle.
Policy resolution
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TV Shows Good Trouble Season 3 Release Date And Who Is In Cast?
Good Trouble Season 3 Release Date And Who Is In Cast?
Good Trouble is an American drama series. It is the spin-off of the famous show ‘The Fosters’. The first two seasons of this series were super exciting and the series became a super hit. Just like The Fosters, this is also a Freeform series. The 3rd season is now on the way. The fans are all eagerly waiting for a new season. We have some information about season 3.
Good Trouble has amassed a huge fan following in the course of the previous two seasons and has become the topic of discussion in many online forums which mainly discuss when the show is going to release and what we can see in the future seasons.
Here’s everything we know about Good Trouble Season 3.
When will season 3 premiere?
In January 2020, Good Trouble was renewed for season 3. This is very exciting news to the fans. The point is that the official release date is not out yet. With the schedules in which the previous seasons have landed, it is not easy to predict the release date. We do not know if this will be divided into two parts and release with a small gap between them or of all the episodes will be out in one go.
We have to wait and watch for the production team to give us more information. There might be a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who are the cast members reprising their roles?
Almost all the main cast members will be coming back for their roles this season. This includes Maia Mitchell as Callie Adams Foster, Cierra Ramirez as Mariana Adams Foster, Beau Mirchoff as Jamie Hunter, Josh Pence as Dennis Cooper, Zuri Adele as Malika Williams, Emma Hunton as Davia Boheme, Sherry Cola as Alice Kwan, Roger Bart as Judge Curtis Wilson, Tommy Matinez as Gael Martinez and so on. We might be able to see some new faces too.
What can we expect?
The speculation is that this season will follow Callie and Mariana. They will be learning to balance between professional and personal lives. Also, we will see Malika facing legal consequences. The season is expected to be very interesting. Let us wait for a trailer to come out so we will know more about what we can expect from the show itself and whether its third season has something new in it or it is just the same old things just put differently.
Good Trouble Season 3
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Migration of Spanish nurses 2009–2014. Underemployment and surplus production of Spanish nurses and mobility among Spanish registered nurses: A case study
Paola Galbany-Estragués, Sioban Nelson
© 2016 The Authors Background After the financial crisis of 2008, increasing numbers of nurses from Spain are going abroad to work. Objectives To examine the health and workforce policy trends in Spain between 2009 and 2014 and to analyze their correlation with the migration of nurses. Design Single embedded case study. Data sources We examined data published by: Health Statistics, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (1996 to 2013); Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (2006 to 2013); Ministry of Employment and Social Security (2009 to 2014); Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality (1997 to 2014); and National Institute of Statistics (1976 to 2014). In addition to reviewing the scholarly literature on the topic in Spanish and English, we also examined Spanish mobility laws and European directives. Population We used the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development definition of “professionally active nurses” which defines practising nurses and other nurses as those for whom their education is a prerequisite for employment as a nurse. Moreover, we used the term “nursing graduate” as defined by Spanish Ministry of Education to describe those who have obtained a recognized qualification in nursing in a given year, the term “registered nurses” is defined by Spanish law as nurses registered in the Nurses Associations and “unemployed nurses” are those without work and registered as seeking employment. Results A transformation of the Spanish health system has reduced the number of employed nurses per capita since 2010. Moreover, reductions in public spending, labour market reforms and widespread unemployment have affected nurses in two ways: first by increasing the number of applicants per vacancy between 2009 and 2013, and second, by an increase in casual positions. However, despite the poor job market and decreasing job security, the number of registered nurses and nursing graduates in Spain per year has continued to grow, increasing the pressure on the labour market. Conclusions Spain is transforming from a stable nursing labour market, to one that is increasingly producing nurses for foreign markets, principally in Europe. With its low birth rate, increased life expectancy and increasing rates of chronic disease, it is critical for Spain to have sufficient nurses now and into the future. It is important that there be continued study of this phenomenon by Spanish policy makers, health service providers and educators in order for Spain to develop health human resources policies that address the health care needs of the Spanish population.
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Migration of Spanish nurses 2009–2014. Underemployment and surplus production of Spanish nurses and mobility among Spanish registered nurses: A case study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Nurses Medicine & Life Sciences
Spain Medicine & Life Sciences
Nursing Medicine & Life Sciences
Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development Medicine & Life Sciences
Education Medicine & Life Sciences
Health Services Medicine & Life Sciences
International Nurses Medicine & Life Sciences
Statistics Medicine & Life Sciences
Galbany-Estragués, P., & Nelson, S. (2016). Migration of Spanish nurses 2009–2014. Underemployment and surplus production of Spanish nurses and mobility among Spanish registered nurses: A case study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 63, 112-123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2016.08.013
Galbany-Estragués, Paola ; Nelson, Sioban. / Migration of Spanish nurses 2009–2014. Underemployment and surplus production of Spanish nurses and mobility among Spanish registered nurses: A case study. In: International Journal of Nursing Studies. 2016 ; Vol. 63. pp. 112-123.
@article{9ca393c689db4e9bb8c128ad76da06a1,
title = "Migration of Spanish nurses 2009–2014. Underemployment and surplus production of Spanish nurses and mobility among Spanish registered nurses: A case study",
abstract = "{\textcopyright} 2016 The Authors Background After the financial crisis of 2008, increasing numbers of nurses from Spain are going abroad to work. Objectives To examine the health and workforce policy trends in Spain between 2009 and 2014 and to analyze their correlation with the migration of nurses. Design Single embedded case study. Data sources We examined data published by: Health Statistics, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (1996 to 2013); Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (2006 to 2013); Ministry of Employment and Social Security (2009 to 2014); Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality (1997 to 2014); and National Institute of Statistics (1976 to 2014). In addition to reviewing the scholarly literature on the topic in Spanish and English, we also examined Spanish mobility laws and European directives. Population We used the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development definition of “professionally active nurses” which defines practising nurses and other nurses as those for whom their education is a prerequisite for employment as a nurse. Moreover, we used the term “nursing graduate” as defined by Spanish Ministry of Education to describe those who have obtained a recognized qualification in nursing in a given year, the term “registered nurses” is defined by Spanish law as nurses registered in the Nurses Associations and “unemployed nurses” are those without work and registered as seeking employment. Results A transformation of the Spanish health system has reduced the number of employed nurses per capita since 2010. Moreover, reductions in public spending, labour market reforms and widespread unemployment have affected nurses in two ways: first by increasing the number of applicants per vacancy between 2009 and 2013, and second, by an increase in casual positions. However, despite the poor job market and decreasing job security, the number of registered nurses and nursing graduates in Spain per year has continued to grow, increasing the pressure on the labour market. Conclusions Spain is transforming from a stable nursing labour market, to one that is increasingly producing nurses for foreign markets, principally in Europe. With its low birth rate, increased life expectancy and increasing rates of chronic disease, it is critical for Spain to have sufficient nurses now and into the future. It is important that there be continued study of this phenomenon by Spanish policy makers, health service providers and educators in order for Spain to develop health human resources policies that address the health care needs of the Spanish population.",
keywords = "Emigration and immigration, Health human resources, Manpower, Mobility, Motivation, Nurses, Spain, Work conditions",
author = "Paola Galbany-Estragu{\'e}s and Sioban Nelson",
Galbany-Estragués, P & Nelson, S 2016, 'Migration of Spanish nurses 2009–2014. Underemployment and surplus production of Spanish nurses and mobility among Spanish registered nurses: A case study', International Journal of Nursing Studies, vol. 63, pp. 112-123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2016.08.013
Migration of Spanish nurses 2009–2014. Underemployment and surplus production of Spanish nurses and mobility among Spanish registered nurses: A case study. / Galbany-Estragués, Paola; Nelson, Sioban.
In: International Journal of Nursing Studies, Vol. 63, 01.11.2016, p. 112-123.
T1 - Migration of Spanish nurses 2009–2014. Underemployment and surplus production of Spanish nurses and mobility among Spanish registered nurses: A case study
AU - Galbany-Estragués, Paola
AU - Nelson, Sioban
N2 - © 2016 The Authors Background After the financial crisis of 2008, increasing numbers of nurses from Spain are going abroad to work. Objectives To examine the health and workforce policy trends in Spain between 2009 and 2014 and to analyze their correlation with the migration of nurses. Design Single embedded case study. Data sources We examined data published by: Health Statistics, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (1996 to 2013); Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (2006 to 2013); Ministry of Employment and Social Security (2009 to 2014); Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality (1997 to 2014); and National Institute of Statistics (1976 to 2014). In addition to reviewing the scholarly literature on the topic in Spanish and English, we also examined Spanish mobility laws and European directives. Population We used the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development definition of “professionally active nurses” which defines practising nurses and other nurses as those for whom their education is a prerequisite for employment as a nurse. Moreover, we used the term “nursing graduate” as defined by Spanish Ministry of Education to describe those who have obtained a recognized qualification in nursing in a given year, the term “registered nurses” is defined by Spanish law as nurses registered in the Nurses Associations and “unemployed nurses” are those without work and registered as seeking employment. Results A transformation of the Spanish health system has reduced the number of employed nurses per capita since 2010. Moreover, reductions in public spending, labour market reforms and widespread unemployment have affected nurses in two ways: first by increasing the number of applicants per vacancy between 2009 and 2013, and second, by an increase in casual positions. However, despite the poor job market and decreasing job security, the number of registered nurses and nursing graduates in Spain per year has continued to grow, increasing the pressure on the labour market. Conclusions Spain is transforming from a stable nursing labour market, to one that is increasingly producing nurses for foreign markets, principally in Europe. With its low birth rate, increased life expectancy and increasing rates of chronic disease, it is critical for Spain to have sufficient nurses now and into the future. It is important that there be continued study of this phenomenon by Spanish policy makers, health service providers and educators in order for Spain to develop health human resources policies that address the health care needs of the Spanish population.
AB - © 2016 The Authors Background After the financial crisis of 2008, increasing numbers of nurses from Spain are going abroad to work. Objectives To examine the health and workforce policy trends in Spain between 2009 and 2014 and to analyze their correlation with the migration of nurses. Design Single embedded case study. Data sources We examined data published by: Health Statistics, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (1996 to 2013); Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (2006 to 2013); Ministry of Employment and Social Security (2009 to 2014); Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality (1997 to 2014); and National Institute of Statistics (1976 to 2014). In addition to reviewing the scholarly literature on the topic in Spanish and English, we also examined Spanish mobility laws and European directives. Population We used the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development definition of “professionally active nurses” which defines practising nurses and other nurses as those for whom their education is a prerequisite for employment as a nurse. Moreover, we used the term “nursing graduate” as defined by Spanish Ministry of Education to describe those who have obtained a recognized qualification in nursing in a given year, the term “registered nurses” is defined by Spanish law as nurses registered in the Nurses Associations and “unemployed nurses” are those without work and registered as seeking employment. Results A transformation of the Spanish health system has reduced the number of employed nurses per capita since 2010. Moreover, reductions in public spending, labour market reforms and widespread unemployment have affected nurses in two ways: first by increasing the number of applicants per vacancy between 2009 and 2013, and second, by an increase in casual positions. However, despite the poor job market and decreasing job security, the number of registered nurses and nursing graduates in Spain per year has continued to grow, increasing the pressure on the labour market. Conclusions Spain is transforming from a stable nursing labour market, to one that is increasingly producing nurses for foreign markets, principally in Europe. With its low birth rate, increased life expectancy and increasing rates of chronic disease, it is critical for Spain to have sufficient nurses now and into the future. It is important that there be continued study of this phenomenon by Spanish policy makers, health service providers and educators in order for Spain to develop health human resources policies that address the health care needs of the Spanish population.
KW - Emigration and immigration
KW - Health human resources
KW - Manpower
KW - Motivation
KW - Nurses
KW - Spain
KW - Work conditions
Galbany-Estragués P, Nelson S. Migration of Spanish nurses 2009–2014. Underemployment and surplus production of Spanish nurses and mobility among Spanish registered nurses: A case study. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 2016 Nov 1;63:112-123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2016.08.013
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Persistent organochlorine contaminants in eggs of northern goshawk and Eurasian buzzard from northeastern Spain: Temporal trends related to changes in the diet
Santi Mañosa, Rafael Mateo, Cristina Freixa, Raimon Guitart
Persistent organochlorine compounds (pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls) were determined in 24 northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) and eight Eurasian buzzard (Buteo buteo) samples of eggs collected between 1988 and 1999 in La Segarra (northeast Spain), in order to evaluate the changes in exposure and detrimental effects during this period. In the study area, both species exhibited similar levels of contamination, which may be related to their similar diet, mainly based on European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in terms of biomass. The buzzard showed contamination levels similar to those found in other Spanish areas, but the levels found in the goshawk were much lower. The shell index in goshawk eggs was inversely correlated to concentration of p,p′-DDE. In late eighties, the concentrations of p,p′-DDE and heptachlor-epoxide in goshawk eggs were positively correlated to the biomass percentage of passeriforms in the diet. In goshawk samples, a decline in HCB concentration in the 1990s as compared to the 1980s was detected. Surprisingly, p,p′-DDE concentrations did not decline, as could be expected from the ban on DDT use. On the contrary, the highest p,p′-DDE concentrations were detected in some samples from the nineties, which also showed the lowest shell indices. This may be related to a severe reduction of rabbit population after 1989 that produced an increase in the consumption of passeriformes, which are known to accumulate higher levels of organochlorine compounds. Our study suggests that monitoring programs aiming to detect temporal trends in chemical contamination should take into account changes in diet composition before any conclusion can be drawn. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Buteo buteo
Organochlorine pesticides
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Persistent organochlorine contaminants in eggs of northern goshawk and Eurasian buzzard from northeastern Spain: Temporal trends related to changes in the diet'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Accipiter gentilis Agriculture & Biology
DDE (pesticide) Agriculture & Biology
Spain Agriculture & Biology
organochlorine compounds Agriculture & Biology
eggs Agriculture & Biology
diet Agriculture & Biology
heptachlor epoxide Agriculture & Biology
Buteo buteo Agriculture & Biology
Mañosa, S., Mateo, R., Freixa, C., & Guitart, R. (2003). Persistent organochlorine contaminants in eggs of northern goshawk and Eurasian buzzard from northeastern Spain: Temporal trends related to changes in the diet. Environmental Pollution, 122, 351-359. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0269-7491(02)00334-2
Mañosa, Santi ; Mateo, Rafael ; Freixa, Cristina ; Guitart, Raimon. / Persistent organochlorine contaminants in eggs of northern goshawk and Eurasian buzzard from northeastern Spain: Temporal trends related to changes in the diet. In: Environmental Pollution. 2003 ; Vol. 122. pp. 351-359.
@article{487bdda13b5d49a0abc7486e800a9d00,
title = "Persistent organochlorine contaminants in eggs of northern goshawk and Eurasian buzzard from northeastern Spain: Temporal trends related to changes in the diet",
abstract = "Persistent organochlorine compounds (pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls) were determined in 24 northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) and eight Eurasian buzzard (Buteo buteo) samples of eggs collected between 1988 and 1999 in La Segarra (northeast Spain), in order to evaluate the changes in exposure and detrimental effects during this period. In the study area, both species exhibited similar levels of contamination, which may be related to their similar diet, mainly based on European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in terms of biomass. The buzzard showed contamination levels similar to those found in other Spanish areas, but the levels found in the goshawk were much lower. The shell index in goshawk eggs was inversely correlated to concentration of p,p′-DDE. In late eighties, the concentrations of p,p′-DDE and heptachlor-epoxide in goshawk eggs were positively correlated to the biomass percentage of passeriforms in the diet. In goshawk samples, a decline in HCB concentration in the 1990s as compared to the 1980s was detected. Surprisingly, p,p′-DDE concentrations did not decline, as could be expected from the ban on DDT use. On the contrary, the highest p,p′-DDE concentrations were detected in some samples from the nineties, which also showed the lowest shell indices. This may be related to a severe reduction of rabbit population after 1989 that produced an increase in the consumption of passeriformes, which are known to accumulate higher levels of organochlorine compounds. Our study suggests that monitoring programs aiming to detect temporal trends in chemical contamination should take into account changes in diet composition before any conclusion can be drawn. {\textcopyright} 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.",
keywords = "Accipiter gentilis, Accipitridae, Aves, Buteo buteo, Monitoring, Organochlorine pesticides, Polychlorinated biphenyls",
author = "Santi Ma{\~n}osa and Rafael Mateo and Cristina Freixa and Raimon Guitart",
doi = "https://doi.org/10.1016/S0269-7491(02)00334-2",
Mañosa, S, Mateo, R, Freixa, C & Guitart, R 2003, 'Persistent organochlorine contaminants in eggs of northern goshawk and Eurasian buzzard from northeastern Spain: Temporal trends related to changes in the diet', Environmental Pollution, vol. 122, pp. 351-359. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0269-7491(02)00334-2
Persistent organochlorine contaminants in eggs of northern goshawk and Eurasian buzzard from northeastern Spain: Temporal trends related to changes in the diet. / Mañosa, Santi; Mateo, Rafael; Freixa, Cristina; Guitart, Raimon.
In: Environmental Pollution, Vol. 122, 01.01.2003, p. 351-359.
T1 - Persistent organochlorine contaminants in eggs of northern goshawk and Eurasian buzzard from northeastern Spain: Temporal trends related to changes in the diet
AU - Mañosa, Santi
AU - Mateo, Rafael
AU - Freixa, Cristina
AU - Guitart, Raimon
N2 - Persistent organochlorine compounds (pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls) were determined in 24 northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) and eight Eurasian buzzard (Buteo buteo) samples of eggs collected between 1988 and 1999 in La Segarra (northeast Spain), in order to evaluate the changes in exposure and detrimental effects during this period. In the study area, both species exhibited similar levels of contamination, which may be related to their similar diet, mainly based on European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in terms of biomass. The buzzard showed contamination levels similar to those found in other Spanish areas, but the levels found in the goshawk were much lower. The shell index in goshawk eggs was inversely correlated to concentration of p,p′-DDE. In late eighties, the concentrations of p,p′-DDE and heptachlor-epoxide in goshawk eggs were positively correlated to the biomass percentage of passeriforms in the diet. In goshawk samples, a decline in HCB concentration in the 1990s as compared to the 1980s was detected. Surprisingly, p,p′-DDE concentrations did not decline, as could be expected from the ban on DDT use. On the contrary, the highest p,p′-DDE concentrations were detected in some samples from the nineties, which also showed the lowest shell indices. This may be related to a severe reduction of rabbit population after 1989 that produced an increase in the consumption of passeriformes, which are known to accumulate higher levels of organochlorine compounds. Our study suggests that monitoring programs aiming to detect temporal trends in chemical contamination should take into account changes in diet composition before any conclusion can be drawn. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
AB - Persistent organochlorine compounds (pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls) were determined in 24 northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) and eight Eurasian buzzard (Buteo buteo) samples of eggs collected between 1988 and 1999 in La Segarra (northeast Spain), in order to evaluate the changes in exposure and detrimental effects during this period. In the study area, both species exhibited similar levels of contamination, which may be related to their similar diet, mainly based on European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in terms of biomass. The buzzard showed contamination levels similar to those found in other Spanish areas, but the levels found in the goshawk were much lower. The shell index in goshawk eggs was inversely correlated to concentration of p,p′-DDE. In late eighties, the concentrations of p,p′-DDE and heptachlor-epoxide in goshawk eggs were positively correlated to the biomass percentage of passeriforms in the diet. In goshawk samples, a decline in HCB concentration in the 1990s as compared to the 1980s was detected. Surprisingly, p,p′-DDE concentrations did not decline, as could be expected from the ban on DDT use. On the contrary, the highest p,p′-DDE concentrations were detected in some samples from the nineties, which also showed the lowest shell indices. This may be related to a severe reduction of rabbit population after 1989 that produced an increase in the consumption of passeriformes, which are known to accumulate higher levels of organochlorine compounds. Our study suggests that monitoring programs aiming to detect temporal trends in chemical contamination should take into account changes in diet composition before any conclusion can be drawn. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
KW - Accipiter gentilis
KW - Accipitridae
KW - Aves
KW - Buteo buteo
KW - Organochlorine pesticides
KW - Polychlorinated biphenyls
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/S0269-7491(02)00334-2
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/S0269-7491(02)00334-2
Mañosa S, Mateo R, Freixa C, Guitart R. Persistent organochlorine contaminants in eggs of northern goshawk and Eurasian buzzard from northeastern Spain: Temporal trends related to changes in the diet. Environmental Pollution. 2003 Jan 1;122:351-359. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0269-7491(02)00334-2
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Partnerships Between Non-Profit Hospitals and Local Health Departments as a Cost-Effective Strategy for Reducing Cost of Care Associated with the Uninsured Population in Oklahoma County
by Meadows, Alicia Elizabeth, D.P.H. The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. 2018: 96 pages; 10793182.
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Where in the World is the Internet? Locating Political Power in Internet Infrastructure
by Mathew, Ashwin Jacob, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley. 2014: 274 pages; 3685949.
Essays on communication in signaling games
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by Scannell, Garth, Ph.D. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. 2016: 168 pages; 10158591.
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by Gosline, Renee Ann Richardson, D.B.A. Harvard University. 2009: 120 pages; 3371273.
Evaluating the Impact of Volunteers Serving Public Lands
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What is the process of relational work of the nurse?
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Emergency management information systems: Application of an intranet portal for disaster training and response. An examination of emerging technologies in a local Emergency Operations Center
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Applications on Multi-Dimensional Sphere Packings: Derivative-Free Optimization
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by Larsen, William D., D.N.P. State University of New York at Binghamton. 2017: 148 pages; 10282680.
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Wangaratta Shire
Wangaratta Shire, an area of 8189 sq miles (1960) surrounded the town of Bowen on three sides. It was created as a local government division in 1879, 18 years after Bowen was established and 16 years after Bowen was made a municipality. The origin of the name was probably a minor waterway, the Wangaratta Creek, north east of Ayr. The shire had at least four natural advantages: good cattle-grazing land, fertile river flats (particularly the Don River valley), coal fields and a good harbour at Bowen. Circumstances conspired to deny their full exploitation. The marketing of cattle needed an inland railway, as did the coal field, but government policy came down on the side of a coastal railway, and then spasmodically.
A northern line from Bowen to Bobawaba (previously the village of Wangaratta) was opened in 1891 and was extended to Home Hill and Ayr in 1913. The line passed through Merinda, a few kilometres west of Bowen, where a meat-works was opened in 1897. A southern line did not open until 1910, after Wangaratta Shire and Bowen Town Council had united to petition for it.
The fertile river flats were hampered by dry spells, stopping a sugar industry. The tapping of aquifers later brought them into fuller production.
In 1922 a railway line running south west of Bowen to Collinsville was opened for the State coal mine, making a significant departure from the predominantly cattle-grazing economy. Wangaratta Shire, with a population of about 4800 people, was described in 1946 in the Australian Blue Book:
Wangaratta Shire was united with Bowen in 1960 to form Bowen Shire. Its census populations were:
Bowen, Collinsville and Merinda entries
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Principles of Belief
The Companions of the Prophet (PBUH)
Male Companions
Abu Sufyan bin Harb (r.a.)
Abu Sufyan Sahr b. Harb b. Umayya (d. 31 H/651-52 AD)
He was one of the leaders of the tribe of Quraysh; a Companion.
He was born in Makkah fifty-seven years before the Migration (565 AD). He is called Abu Hanzala due to his son Hanzala, who was killed in the Battle of Badr. His mother was Safiyya bint Hazn al-Hilaliyya, who was the maternal aunt of Maymuna, one of the wives of the Prophet. His father was Harb b. Umayya, one of the notables of Quraysh. He spent his childhood in Makkah in comfort. Abbas, The paternal uncle of the Prophet, was his most sincere childhood friend.
Abu Sufyan was engaged in trade like his father. He was one of the few Makkans who could read and write. In a short time, he became a person who was consulted and relied on; he became a notable of Quraysh who ruled the commercial affairs of his tribe. After the Messenger of Allah declared his prophethood, he sided against Islam like the other notables of Quraysh. The competition and enmity between the Umayyad family and Sons of Hashim, to which the Prophet belonged, played an important role in this attitude of Abu Sufyan’s.
Abu Sufyan was among the polytheists who were in the delegations sent to Abu Talib to dissuade his nephew from his cause and who decided to kill Muhammad (pbuh) by gathering in Darun-Nadwa when Islam spread rapidly in Makkah and Hamza and Umar became Muslims, which caused great worry in the tribe of Quraysh. However, he was not among those who persecuted the Prophet and the Muslims physically. The political influence that Abu Sufyan had in Makkah during the youth of Muhammad (pbuh) was not due to having an effective position or office but because of Umayyad's wealth and influence along with his personal talents.
Two years after the Migration, the Muslims wanted to grab a trading caravan coming from Syria under the command of Abu Sufyan upon the order of the Prophet. When Abu Sufyan was informed about it, he changed the route of the caravan, escaped from the Muslims and reached Makkah. However, this incident led to the Battle of Badr with the provocation of Abu Jahl, the leader of Quraysh. When Abu Jahl was killed in this battle, Abu Sufyan became the leader of the Makkan polytheists. Quraysh gave him the duty of taking the revenge of Badr defeat as soon as possible and they allocated the goods in the Syrian caravan, which caused this war, to the expenditures of the war against the Muslims.
Abu Sufyan, who vowed that he would not take a bath unless he took the revenge of Badr, took part in the Battle of Uhud, which took place in the middle of the month of Shawwal in the third year of the Migration (March, 625 AD) as the leader of the army of the polytheists. His wife, Hind bint Utba, played the tambourine with the other Qurayshi women in order to encourage the army to fight. The polytheists could not have a decisive victory in this battle but they took their revenge to a certain extent when Hamza, the paternal uncle of the Prophet, was martyred by Wahshi. Hind extracted the liver of Hz. Hamza and chewed it with the same feeling of revenge. Abu Sufyan was also the commander of Quraysh during the Battle of Khandaq. It is seen that this duty of leadership of Abu Sufyan’s continued until the Conquest of Makkah and that he played an important role in all of the actions against the Muslims.
When the Prophet sent Dihya b. Khalifa al-Kalbi to Syria to invite Heraclius, the Byzantine Emperor, to Islam (Muharram 7 H/May 628 AD), Abu Sufyan was in Syria with a trade caravan of thirty people. When Heraclius was in Jerusalem/Quds (according to some narrations, in Homs) and when he received the letter of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), he said he wanted to speak to someone belonging to his tribe. Abu Sufyan and his friends in the caravan, who were in Gaza then, were taken to Quds upon the request of the Emperor. Heraclius preferred to speak to Abu Sufyan since he belonged to a family that was close to that of the Messenger of Allah. He asked Abu Sufyan about the lineage and ethics of the Prophet, the social status of those who became Muslims, whether their number increase or not, whether any people exited from Islam after becoming Muslims, what he ordered, who won the battles that he joined, etc. It is narrated that Abu Sufyan wanted to give him wrong information but he had to tell the truth since he feared that it would be heard by others if he told lies.
When Makkans violated the treaty they made with the Muslims by helping Sons of Bakr, the Prophet promised to help the tribe of Khuzaa, his ally. This panicked the Qurayshis. They sent Abu Sufyan, their leader, to Madinah to renew the treaty. However, nobody was interested in Abu Sufyan in Madinah including his daughter Umm Habiba, who was one of the wives of the Prophet. This shook his prestige in the eye of the Qurayshis. When the Islamic army, which set off in order to conquer Makkah, established its headquarters in Juhfa, near Makkah, Abu Sufyan entered into the presence of the Prophet upon the insistence of Abbas b. Abdulmuttalib, his childhood friend, and had to become a Muslim. The Prophet rewarded him on the day when Makkah was conquered by declaring that those who took refuge in Abu Sufyan’s house would be forgiven. When Abu Sufyan himself informed Makkans about it, his wife showed a reaction against him before everybody else did.
That Abu Sufyan felt happy when the vanguards of the Muslims were beaten in the first phase of the Battle of Hunayn, in which he took part, (Ibn Hisham, II, 443) showed that he had not yet accepted Islam heartily. When the Prophet distributed the booty obtained in this battle to the mujahids, he gave Abu Sufyan, who was among muallafa al-qulub, 100 camels and forty uqiyyas of silver. His sons Yazid and Muawiyah were also regarded to have been in the same group and were given 100 camels each. This favor done to Abu Sufyan, who was once the leader of a city and then became an ordinary citizen, and his sons pleased them a lot.
Abu Sufyan took part in the Siege of Taif and lost one of his eyes there. Abu Sufyan, who was among the witnesses of the treaty made with the people of Najran in 9 H (630 AD), was appointed as the governor of Jurash city, which surrendered unconditionally according to Balazuri. (Futuh, p. 84). He was the governor of Najran during the caliphate of Hz. Abu Bakr. (ibid, p. 150). When the Prophet died, Abu Sufyan was in Makkah. According to Ibn Ishaq, the Messenger of Allah gave him the duty of demolishing the idol Manat, which was in Qudayd. Abu Sufyan opposed to Hz. Abu Bakr’s being the caliph but paid allegiance to him afterwards. When he was seventy years old, he joined the army that was sent to conquer Syria. He made great efforts in the Battle of Yarmuk to encourage the soldiers under the command of Yazid, his son. Tabari states that he lost his eye in this battle. (Tarikh, I, 2101) According to Dhahabi, he lost one of his eyes in the Siege of Taif and the other in Yarmuk. (Alamun-Nubala, II, 106)
Abu Sufyan died in Madinah in 31 H (651-52 AD). They also say he died in 30 H (650-51 AD), 32 H (652-53 AD) or 34 H (654-55).
Abu Sufyan, who is reported to have been among the scribes of the Prophet (M. Mustafa al-A‘zami, p. 39), narrated some hadiths from the Messenger of Allah (see Wensinck, al-Mu’jam, VIII, 105). It is known that Muawiyah, his son, and Qays b. Abu Hazim narrated hadiths from him along with Ibn Abbas, who narrated his talk with Heraclius.
Sunni resources state that Abu Sufyan became a sincere Muslim after accepting Islam but Shiite writers claim the opposite. There are also some writers who claim that he was a munafiq (hypocrite) and an atheist, that he did not believe in the Prophet and that he adopted the madhhab of laadriyya (agnosticism) (Ali Sami an-Nashshar, I, 198). Suleman Essop Dangor states that some historians who give information about Abu Sufyan show hostility toward him and that they do not give objective information (al-Ilm, p. 60). That Abu Sufyan took part in the conquests in Syria despite his old age and that he tried to encourage the Muslim soldiers in Yarmuk are enough to show that the claims against him are deliberate. Besides, it does not seem possible for Sunni resources to write that a person who does not adopt Islam heartily is a sincere Muslim.
Wensinck, al-Mu’jam, VIII, 105; Bukhari, “Bad’ul-Wahy”, 6; Waqidi, al-Maghazi, see Index; Ibn Hisham, as-Sira, I, 147, 264, 295, 417; II, 50, 60, 67, 75-77, 93-94, 214, 215, 395-397, 400, 402-403, 443, 492-493, see also Index; Ibn Sa‘d, at-Tabaqat, WIII, 44, 99, 236; Zubayri, Nasabu Quraysh, p. 121-122; Jahiz, al-Uthmaniyya (published by Abdussalam M. Harun), Cairo 1374/1955, p. 60, 71, 72, see also Index; Ibn Qutayba, al-Ma’arif (Ukkasha), p. 342, 575, 586; Balazuri, Ansab, IW/I, p. 1 ff.; the same writer, Futuh (Fayda), p. 84, 150, see also Index; Tabari, Tarikh (de Goeje), I, 1345 ff., 1364, 1418, 1437 ff., 1458, 1533, 1633, 1827, 2101; Ibn Hazm, Jamhara, p. 274; Ibn Abdulbar, al-Isti’ab, II, 183-184; Ibnul-Athir, Usdul-Ghaba, III, 12-13; Ibn Hudayda, al-Misbahul-Mudiy (published by M. Azimuddin), Beirut 1405/1985, I, 108-109; Dhahabi, A’lamun-Nubala’, II, 105-107; the same writer, Tarikhul-Islam: ‘Ahdul-Khulafa’ir-Rashidin, p. 368-370; Ibn Hajar, al-Isaba, II, 178-180; the same writer, Tahdhibut-Tahdhib, IW, 411-412; L. Caetani, Islam Tarihi (translated by Hüseyin Jahid), Istanbul 1924-27, WII, 43, 103; Yahya Muhammad al-Harithi, Abu Sufyan b. Harb fil-Jahiliyya wal-Islam, Jizan 1973; Ali Sami an-Nashshar, Nash’atul-Fikril-Falsafi fil-Islam, Cairo 1977, I, 198; II, 31; Muhammad Khidr Husayn, Nakdu Kitab fish-shi’ril-Jahili (published by Ali Rıza at-Tunusi), [np] 1977 (Daru Hassan), p. 151-153; Badran, Tahdhibu Tarikhi Dimashq, Beirut 1379/1979, WI, 390-409; M. Mustafa al-A‘zami, Kuttabun-Nabi, Riyad 1401/1981, p. 39; Mustafa Fayda, İslâmiyet’in Güney Arabistan’a Yayılışı, Ankara 1982, p. 30, 64; Abbas al-Qummi, al-Kuna wal-Alqab, Beirut 1403/1983, I, 88-93; Muhammad Jasim al-Mashhadani, Mawaridul-Balazuri, Makkah 1986, I, 197-198; Suleman Essop Dangor, “Abu Sufyan: Study of the Sources”, al-’Ilm, IX, Westville 1409/1989, p. 54-60; W. Montgomery Watt, “Abu Sufyan b. Harb”, EI² (Ing.), I, 155-156.
Quoted from ‘Diyanet İslam Ansiklopedisi, Abu Sufyan B. Harb Item’
Author: İrfan Aycan
Encyclopedia of the Companions
Read 13 times
Abu Sufyan Bin Harith (r.a.)
Hanzala Ibn Abi Amir (r.a.)
Will you give detailed information about the life and personality of Hz. Abu Bakr (ra)?
Is it true that Hz. Ali did not pay allegiance to Hz. Abu Bakr?
Zaynab (r.anha)
The Battle of Badr
Abu Rafi (r.a.)
Who is the companion whose dead body was washed by angels?
What are the purposes of wars that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) fought?
Sixth Sign: It includes the miracles of Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) about the future and an answer to a question about the Shi‘a’s love for Hz. Ali.
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Gibbeting, A Grotesque Slow Death
Posted on June 18, 2018 by reginajeffers
The reconstructed gallows-style gibbet at Caxton Gibbet, in Cambridgeshire, England https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibbeting#/media/File:Gallows_at_Caxton_Gibbet.jpg
A gibbet is an instrument used as part of a public execution. Gibbeting refers to the gallows-type structure used in the execution. A dead or dying body would be hung on public display to deter other potential criminals from committing similar crimes. A gibbet could also be used as the means of execution, essentially leaving the condemned person in a small cage, with no means of escape, to die from exposure to the elements or from thirst and starvation.
The Pirates Own Book, by Charles Ellms, Hanging of William Kidd ~ Public Domain ~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibbeting#/media/File:Hanging_of_William_Kidd.jpg
The Murder Act of 1752 permitted a judge’s prerogative to sentence the guilty to a gibbet in the case of murder, but it was also used for traitors, pirates, highwaymen, and sheep stealers. The Act required bodies of convicted murderers to be either publicly dissected or gibbeted. The gibbet was placed at crossroads of highways and waterways as a warning to others who meant to break the law. Also called hanging in chains, gibbeting was formally abolished in England in 1834. Surprisingly, the need of medical schools for bodies upon which to perform anatomy lessons curbed the use of gibbets. A rotting body held no worth in those cases. Women criminals were not gibbetted because the medical schools were interested in the workings of the female body, and so those women who were condemned were not sentenced to gibbeting. The medical schools were permitted 50 bodies per year through these measures. As they required 200+, they became “creative” cultivators of “fresh” bodies. Grave robbers and restorationists made a living in bodies. At the time, a person could drive through a village with a dead and naked body in the wagon, without breaking a law. If, however, they left the body clothed, they could be arrested for stealing the dead man’s clothes. It was all quite convoluted.
Prior to that, it was a rare, notorious, horrifying punishment, which gathered quite the crowd to witness the spectacle of a gibbet being erected. According to Rebel Circus, a blacksmith designed and constructed the gibbet to fit the size of the person. The gibbet cages were designed so the rotting body stayed together, holding the shape of the person. “The person’s chin and nose were usually strapped in place, and their arms and legs were left to dangle in the air. If a person had dared to attempt to help a person in a gibbet, their efforts would be futile. The gibbets were held up on poles that were, at a minimum, 30′ high. The gibbets were covered in sharp studs to keep people from attempting to touch them.
“Gibbets were not removed once the condemned finally became reduced to a skeleton. They were left up for years at a time. They became landmarks, and a few even had streets named after them. There were many different designs and variations of the gibbet. Some kept the condemned in place by impaling the back of his head on a spike, but that was later stopped because it allowed for the condemned to die too quickly.”
There are 16 gibbets remaining in England, the majority of which can be viewed in museums. The practice peaked in the 1740s. 134 men were placed in a gibbet between 1752 and 1832. According to Atlas Obscura, beyond the obvious stench of the rotting bodies, “…unfortunately for its neighbors, the gibbet was not a fleeting visitor. They remained in place for decades sometimes, as the corpses inside were eaten by bugs and birds and turned into skeletons. Steps were taken to prevent people from removing them; the posts were often 30 feet or higher. One was studded with 12,000 nails to keep it from being torn down. They became landscape features; gibbeted criminals lent their names to roads (like Parr) and became boundary markers.
“Because gibbeting was so rare, blacksmiths had little to go on when called upon to make a gibbet. Some were heavy, some were very loose, some were adjustable. One had a notch where a nose would go. In some cases, the gibbet held only the torso, allowing the arms and legs to dangle outside its confines. After a gibbet was removed (or fell down from wear) the gibbet and its components were sometimes turned into souvenirs, such as a post that was carved up into tobacco bowls.”
Artist Thomas Rowlandson’s Crowd by a Gibbet, c. late 18th century. (Photo: Yale Center for British Art/Public Domain)
Harnessing the Power of the Criminal Corpse provides us information on building the gibbet, the cost of the project, the locations chosen for the gibbet, the gibbets that have lasted the longest (as landmarks), ant the end of the practice for those of you seeking more facts.
Spooky Isles gives us the story of the last person to be gibbetted. This punishment took place in Baslow, near historic Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. Learn what happened when the Duke of Devonshire was awakened by the condemned person’s scream by checking out the story on this link or the one below.
Criminal Corpses
Rebel Circus
Spooky Isles
About reginajeffers
Regina Jeffers is the award-winning author of Austenesque, Regency and historical romantic suspense.
View all posts by reginajeffers →
This entry was posted in British history, buildings and structures, England, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, spooky tales and tagged British history, criminals, gibbeting, hanging in chains, punishment, torture. Bookmark the permalink.
3 Responses to Gibbeting, A Grotesque Slow Death
Jennifer Redlarczyk says:
Yikes! This one could give me nightmares, Regina. How could/can folks be so cruel? We have a place north of Chicago called Medieval Times and they have a room with the instruments of torture. It gave me the shivers. Jen
reginajeffers says:
I have been to Medieval Times at Myrtle Beach in SC many times. With our obsession with Chatsworth, I thought you might find the story of the last victim of gibbeting interesting.
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The Latest: Iowa AD looking at different football scenarios
By The Associated Press - May. 28, 2020 06:48 PM EDT
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam speaks during the COVID-19 press briefing inside the Patrick Henry Building in Richmond, Va., Tuesday, May 26, 2020. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)
Iowa athletic director Gary Barta is not ruling out having a full stadium for home football games.
Barta told reporters the school is planning for several different scenarios, and one of them is opening 69,250-seat Kinnick Stadium to “as many fans as want to join us.”
Barta said the number of fans allowed into the stadium will be determined by directives of state and local health officials.
On Tuesday, Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard wrote in a letter to fans that he anticipated Jack Trice Stadium would host games at 50% capacity, or about 30,000 fans.
Even if there are no attendance limits at Iowa, Barta said there could be modifications, such as limiting the number of stadium entrances and open concession stands. He said fans might be required to wear masks.
Western Kentucky has proposed a staggered restart plan that would allow the return of 65 football players for voluntary workouts on June 8.
The university has released its proposed restart plan for public feedback, with fall classes beginning on Aug. 24 and in-person instruction concluding on Nov. 20. A final approved plan from four committees, including athletics, will be released next week.
Volleyball, soccer and the remaining 40 football players will return July 6 and be followed days later by the men’s and women’s basketball teams. Other programs will return later in August.
While some athletes have struggled to cope with the isolation of the coronavirus lockdown, Atlanta Falcons center Alex Mack has no complaints.
He has picked up a new hobby — making bread — and learned that he doesn’t mind spending most of his time at home.
“I can be a homebody pretty well,” Mack said during a video conference call with Atlanta media. “The things I like to do, apparently you don’t need to leave the house that much.”
The six-time Pro Bowler has been documenting his new hobby on social media. So far, he has churned out French bread, a standard loaf, pizza, brioche bread and English muffins for a homemade breakfast sandwich.
The 34-year-old Mack is heading into his 12th season in the NFL. At this point, he’s taking in year by year.
“The goal when I showed up in the league was 10 years,” he said. “That seemed like a good career. From here on out, I want to do the best I can to play at the highest level. I’m going to play one year at a time. I think I’ve got a lot of juice left in the tank. I’m ready to go this year.”
MotoGP organizers and the Spanish government say they are working to bring the racing series back in the summer.
MotoGP promoter Dorna says it is “working hard to try” to resume racing in July, likely with consecutive events at the Spanish circuit of Jerez de la Frontera.
Spain was set to host four races before the season was put in jeopardy because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Georgia Tech will begin the first phase of a plan to reopen its athletic facilities on June 15.
The plan is based on guidance from the school administration, the University System of Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp’s office and public health officials.
Under the initial reopening phase, athletes who live in the Atlanta area will be able to use campus weight rooms and athletic training facilities on a voluntary basis.
In order to take part, students and staff must make an appointment to work out, complete a daily health check questionnaire, undergo temperature checks when they arrive at the facility, and limit groups to no more than 10 athletes and two staff members inside a facility at one time in order to maintain social distancing guidelines. Also, no locker rooms can be used and all workouts groups must remain the same throughout the first phase of the reopening.
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam says racing will be allowed to resume in the state without spectators.
The governor says NASCAR will race at Martinsville Speedway on June 10, and that other forms of auto racing and horse racing also are cleared to resume.
“These events will not be open to the public and no spectators will be allowed, among other restrictions,” he says.
NASCAR was originally scheduled to make its first of two stops at Martinsville in early May, but the event was postponed because of the coronavirus. It also will visit Richmond Raceway on Sept. 12 and conclude the season with a return to Martinsville on Nov. 1.
Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki says the recent pass-and-catch video he posted that went viral was inspired by boredom during the coronavirus lockdown.
The video shows Gesicki lobbing a football over a multi-story beach house, running through the garage and making the catch on the other side on the run as he heads into the street.
“I was honestly just super bored, and I was at my girlfriend’s beach house, pretty close to where I live, and we were just kind of hanging out,” Gesicki says . “We saw something similar to that on the internet and we were like, ‘Hey, I might try that,’ and ended up taking a couple tries. It was fun.”
Gesicki had a breakout 2019 in his second NFL season. He capped it by making the winning touchdown catch in the finale at New England.
Live horse racing is slated to resume in Maryland this weekend with a three-day session at Laurel Park, which will remain closed to the general public.
The Maryland Jockey Club says it has received approval from the Maryland Racing Commission to launch its Summer 2020 meet with live racing on Saturday, but fans are forbidden from entering the track until clearance is received from the state.
All races on Saturday, Sunday and Monday will be streamed live on the Laurel Park website.
Italy’s top soccer league will resume on June 20.
Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora gave Serie A the green light to resume after a meeting with Italian soccer authorities on Thursday.
A medical protocol for matches was approved by a technical scientific committee earlier.
Spadafora says Serie A will restart on June 20 but the Italian Cup semifinals and the final could be played on June 13 and 17.
Serie A has been suspended since March 9, when the government ordered a nationwide lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic.
There are 12 rounds remaining in Serie A, plus four matches that were postponed from the 25th round.
Texas will soon allow outdoor pro sports events to have spectators, but their numbers will be strictly limited.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has revised a decision to let pro sports leagues host events without fans starting in June as part of the states’ move to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Abbott’s new order allows outdoor stadiums to host fans up to 25% of their normal capacity. Leagues will have to apply to state health officials to be allowed to have fans. Indoor events will still be without spectators.
The PGA Tour plans to restart its season at Colonial in Texas on June 11-14 but has said it would not include fans.
The state has set up several guidelines for leagues to follow, including a recommendation that spectators and employees keep at least 6 feet apart from anyone not from their household. If that is not feasible, other measures such as face coverings and sanitation protocols should be followed.
Athletes will not be required to wear masks but the guidelines encourage them to be worn on the sidelines.
The order does not address college sports events.
Major League Soccer teams can begin voluntary outdoor small group training sessions.
Holding the small group sessions must not conflict with local public health or government restrictions, but is the next step in the league’s hopes of returning to action. A maximum of six players may be assigned to a single group.
Teams must submit club-specific plans for the small group sessions to the league. The league said teams may split full fields into two equal halves and teams may define up to six zones per half field, spaced at least 10 feet apart. Only one player may be in each zone at any time to maintain physical distancing. Players may switch zones but two players cannot occupy the same zone.
Players may pass and shoot on goal, but all training exercises must allow for 10 feet of distance.
The league says all health and safety measures required when teams began individual training must be maintained. Players will be screened, including temperature checks, before being allowed on training fields. All equipment must be cleaned after use.
The league-wide moratorium on full team training remains in effect through June 1.
Darlington Raceway is switching gears for its next event.
Two weeks after hosting NASCAR’s return to racing, the track will hold graduation ceremonies for the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics. There will be 120 graduating seniors at Saturday’s event from the school in Hartsville, a few miles from NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway.
Darlington Raceway President Kerry Tharp said the track was honored to help the high school seniors be recognized in a proper way.
Traditional high school graduation ceremonies have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The ceremony will take place at a parking lot on track property. Afterward, the graduates and their parents will have the chance to drive their vehicles for a lap around the 1.366-mile track and get their pictures taken on the start-finish line.
Malcolm Jenkins, who this offseason left the Eagles to sign with the New Orleans Saints as a free agent, will be the keynote speaker at Philadelphia’s virtual graduation on June 9.
Jenkins starred for the Eagles for the last six seasons and the safety won an NFL championship in 2017. He also has been a leader of several off-field initiatives, and his foundation has a mission to promote positive change in the lives of underserved youth in New Jersey, where he grew up; Ohio, where he went to college at Ohio State; Pennsylvania and Louisiana, homes of his pro teams.
“Malcolm was selected not for his greatness on the field and his two Super Bowl rings, but because of his compassion and advocacy around social justice,” said Donna Frisby-Greenwood, CEO of the Fund for the School District of Philadelphia and co-chair of the commencement planning committee. “Malcolm’s foundation focuses on youth leadership development and skill building, and we think that that makes him a perfect speaker for us.”
The hour-long graduation will be streamed on several platforms, including the school district’s website. Frisby-Greenwood said that several companies and organizations are involved with planning and serving as sponsors. The Philadelphia Orchestra has recorded “Pomp and Circumstance” for the ceremony. And the city’s Free Library will host the live stream of the event on its platform.
Individual high schools will be distributing caps and gowns to the students to wear during the festivities.
The Premier League’s official broadcasters say the competition will restart on June 17.
The BBC and Sky Sports say there will be a doubleheader on that day with Manchester City playing Arsenal and Aston Villa hosting Sheffield United.
Playing those make-up games on a Wednesday will ensure the 30th round can be contested the following weekend.
The last match was played on March 9 before the competition was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Squads were only allowed to restart practice sessions in small groups last week but contact and tackling is now allowed between players.
The European Tour plans to resume its season in July starting with a six-week stretch of golf tournaments in Britain and running through to the World Tour Championship in Dubai in December.
The tour says its events initially will be held without spectators and will be subject to strict testing protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The season has been suspended since March 8. It will resume with the British Masters in northern England from July 22-25 before five further events in the “UK Swing” across England and Wales.
Four Rolex Series events have been rescheduled for October to December. They are the Scottish Open, the BMW PGA Championship, the Nedbank Golf Challenge and then the season-ending World Tour Championship from Dec. 10-13.
The tour says details of other tournaments from September to November will be announced later.
European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley says the Ryder Cup is still on schedule for Sept. 25-27 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin pending more discussions with the PGA Tour.
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By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer
FILE - This Aug. 24, 2020 file photo shows Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin at the White House in Washington. The U.S. government’s deficit in the first three months of the budget year was a record-breaking $572.9 billion. The Treasury Department reported Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021 that with three months gone in the budget year, the deficit was $216.3 billion higher than the same October-December period a year ago.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government's deficit in the first three months of the budget year was a record-breaking $572.9 billion, 60.7% higher than the same period a year ago, as spending to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic surged while revenue declined.
The Treasury Department reported Wednesday that three months into the budget year, the deficit was $216.3 billion higher than the same October-December period a year ago.
The deficit reflects an 18.3% jump in outlays to $1.38 trillion, a record for the period, while revenues fell 0.4% to $803.37 billion. The red ink results from the difference between revenue collections and outlays.
For just the month of December, the deficit totaled a record $143.6 billion.
The shortfall for the 2020 budget year, which ended Sept. 30, climbed to an all-time high of $3.1 trillion. Beginning in the spring, Congress passed trillion-dollar-plus spending measures to combat the harm being done to the economy from a pandemic-induced downturn.
The recession, which has seen millions of Americans lose their jobs, has also meant a drop in tax revenues at a time when the demand on government support programs such as unemployment benefits and food stamps has risen.
The report showed that outlays in December were a record $489.7 billion, while receipts were $346.1 billion.
The spending figure did not include the $900 billion relief package Congress finally passed after months of wrangling because it was not signed into law until the end of the month. President Donald Trump delayed signing the bill, which he called a “disgrace,” because it included only $600 in direct payments to individuals.
President-elect Joe Biden has endorsed boosting the direct payments by another $1,400. He has said that higher amount will be included in another round of relief payments he will ask Congress to approve once he takes office on Jan. 20.
In addition to direct payments, the December relief bill extended two special unemployment benefit programs aimed at cushioning the pandemic’s blow. The unemployment benefits have totaled $80 billion from October through December, up from $5 billion during the same period in the last budget year.
The Congressional Budget Office has forecast that this year's deficit will total $1.8 trillion and the deficit will remain above $1 trillion each year though 2030. The CBO forecast for this year was made before the December relief package was passed and also does not take into account any extra spending that Congress may pass after Biden takes office.
Nancy Vanden Houten, senior economist at Oxford Economics, forecast that this year's deficit will hit at least $2.6 trillion, an estimate that assumes the stimulus checks will be boosted to a total of $2,000.
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AP sources: Vice President Mike Pence calls Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to congratulate her, offer assistance
WASHINGTON (AP) — AP sources: Vice President Mike Pence calls Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to congratulate her, offer assistance.
Woman arrested in Capitol attack: 'I listen to my president'
DALLAS (AP) — A Dallas-area real estate agent who is facing charges for allegedly being part of the pro-President Donald Trump mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol last week said she's a “normal person" who listened to her president.
Pelosi in letter to colleagues says House will proceed with legislation to impeach President Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pelosi in letter to colleagues says House will proceed with legislation to impeach President Trump.
AP source: Trump to leave Washington, D.C. Wednesday morning, before Biden's inauguration
WASHINGTON (AP) — AP source: Trump to leave Washington, D.C. Wednesday morning, before Biden's inauguration.
Arnold Schwarzenegger compares US Capitol mob to Nazis
Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger compared the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol to the Nazis and called President Donald Trump a failed leader who “will go down in history as the worst president ever.”
CNN’s Tapper won’t take back criticism of congressional vet
NEW YORK (AP) — CNN’s Jake Tapper, under fire for a comment questioning a Republican congressman and combat veteran’s commitment to democracy, said Thursday the criticism is an attempt to change the subject from the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Doctor who backed Trump's health boasts dies at age 73
NEW YORK (AP) — Dr. Harold N. Bornstein, the physician who once declared that Donald Trump would be “the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency," died Jan. 8. He was 73.
Tennessee police officer charged in kidnap-slaying
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee police officer was charged with kidnapping a man in a squad car while on duty and fatally shooting him, authorities said.
Harris team says it was blindsided by VP-elect's Vogue cover
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has landed on the cover of the February issue of Vogue magazine, but her team says there's a problem: the shot of the country's soon-to-be No. 2 leader isn't what both sides had agreed upon, her team says.
Army investigating officer who led group to Washington rally
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Army is investigating a psychological operations officer who led a group of people from North Carolina to the rally in Washington that led up to the deadly riot in the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump.
Today in history: Jan. 16
Celebrity Birthdays: Jan. 16
Today in Sports History: January 16th
New Day Dairy
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Magid: Apple’s new iOS will make iPhone easier to use
ByKelley Wheeler
June 26, 2020 —
If you have an iPhone version 6s or newer, you’ll be getting a free upgrade this fall. No, Apple won’t send you a new phone, but a new operating system for any device can be a big deal because it can
Larry Magid
add new features, streamline how you use it and – in some cases – improve performance.
I’ll start with my favorite new feature – a redesigned home screen which now includes the “App Library” which organizes your apps by category or lets you view them alphabetically. This may not seem like a big deal, but the absence of this feature on previous versions of iOS is one of the main reasons I use an Android phone instead of an iPhone. I might rethink that when the new iOS 14 comes out this fall.
Both iPhone and Android allow you to put your apps anywhere you want on the screen, which is great for frequently used apps. But I have a lot of apps, including some that I only use on occasion, and finding them on an iPhone’s home screens (both iPhone and Android allow for multiple screens) is like that proverbial “needle in a haystack.” Sure, you can use Apple’s search function to find an app, but that assumes you know its name. I sometimes don’t remember the name of an app until I see it on the screen. Not all apps have memorable names.
With Android, you have long been able to swipe up from the bottom to see all your apps in alphabetical order, which can make it a lot easier to find an infrequently used app. Apple will now offer that and more, including organizing apps based on their function, such as news, entertainment, travel, etc. You can do that now manually, but the App Library will do it automatically.
Another of my favorite features is what Apple is calling App Clips. These can be described as “mini-apps,” which can be quickly downloaded and opened, often without having to go through the App store. Imagine you’re traveling and want to use an app to pay for parking. You may never pass through that town again and you don’t want to take the time to find the necessary app, download it, sign up for an account and configure it just to park long enough to grab a quick meal. But if there’s a NFC (near-field communications) signal or a bar code on the meter which points you to the App Clip, you could almost immediately pay for your parking. You can even use Apple Pay so you don’t have to bother typing in a credit card. The app clip will remain in your library allowing you to re-use it, delete it or download the full app.
This feature partially addresses a major pet peeve I have with both Android and iOS. I hate that you need to download an app for something that you don’t need to do often. On a PC or a Mac, you can access any web page without having to download anything, but, on smartphones, you need an app for just about anything you want to do. I have apps, for example, for most of the news sources I use, but on my PC, I don’t have any apps for those sources — I just go to their web page.
Improved mapping app
Apple has also made some important improvements to its mapping app. Apple Maps, which got off to a bad start when it was introduced in 2012, has gotten better over time and is now competitive with Google Maps. The upcoming version will be even better with cycling routes and directions to electric vehicle chargers.
Cycling directions will include bike lanes, paths and roads and give you information about elevation, busy streets and ways to avoid steep hills, including showing when you can avoid a hill by carrying your bike up a stair case (which works for those with lightweight bikes and/or strong arms). In addition to working on iPhones, it will also work on the new WatchOS7 for those with an Apple watch. The Apple Watch will also have a handwashing timer to make sure we get rid of any potential COVID-19 germs by washing for at least 20 seconds.
As an owner of a Tesla Model 3, I already have a tool that navigates directly to Tesla charging stations, but Apple is now offering that feature to drivers of any electric vehicle. iOS 14’s new Maps app will be able to track your vehicle’s charge “and factor in things like elevation to automatically add charging stops along the way,” according to Apple. The app will know what type of car you drive to make sure you’re directed to a compatible charging station.
The ability to easily find a charger is one of the big competitive advantages for Tesla, but if this Apple Maps feature works as advertised, it will make things a lot easier for those who drive other electric vehicles. Knowing where you can find a charger within range is a very big deal for EV drivers, and anything Apple can do to encourage people to ditch their gasoline cars for an electric one is a good thing. It’s also good to encourage people to ride bikes, especially during COVID-19, when many people are reluctant to take public transportation.
These are just a few of the features of iOS 14. You can find the rest by going to Apple.com and scrolling down to where you’ll find the iOS 14 preview.
Larry Magid is a tech journalist and internet safety activist.
By Kelley Wheeler
Kelley Wheeler is a Metro reporter covering political issues and general assignments. A second-generation journalist, worked with all major news outlet, she holds a vast expeirience. Kelley is a graduate of USC with degrees in journalism and English literature. She is a recipient of Yale’s Poynter Fellowship in Journalism.
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Charles H. Bartlett Jr.
Charles H. Bartlett Jr. of Riverhead, known as “Snooks,” died May 7. He was 85.
He was born in Riverhead June 3, 1927, to Charles and Mattie Bartlett and attended Riverhead schools.
He was employed at Long Island Produce, Riverhead Duck Processing Company and local farms, and his family described him as “very hard-working.” Later, he also worked for Hills Warehouse, Hazeltine Corporation and Grumman, from which he retired in 1990.
He married Rosa in 1948 and together they worshiped at First Baptist Church in Riverhead and, later, Friendship Baptist Church, where Mr. Bartlett helped clear the grounds to build the church.
Family members said he had a passion for cars, and they recalled his first car, a 1939 Plymouth. He was also a baseball fan, they said, and rooted for the New York Yankees.
Predeceased by his wife, Mr. Bartlett is survived by his children, Deborah A. Winfield and Dwayne, both of Riverhead, Daniel, of Clinton, Md., and Darin, of Newport News, Va.; eight grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives. A brother, Harold, and two sisters, Lucy Stewart and Elizabeth Mason, also predeceased him.
Services were held May 13 at Friendship Baptist Church in Riverhead, the Rev. A. Charles McElroy Sr. officiating. Interment followed at Riverhead Cemetery.
Arrangements were handled by Seay Memorial Chapel in Riverhead.
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Chicago Open Air to take hiatus in 2018
Sad news for rock and metal music fans in the Chicago, IL, area today as Chicago Open Air 2018 will not be happening. The hard rock and heavy metal music festival announced via their official Facebook this morning that they will being taking a hiatus for 2018.
The message posted was short and sweet: “Chicago Open Air will be taking a hiatus this year.” However, they went on to add a ray of sunshine, stating, “See you in 2019.”
Chicago Open Air made its debut in 2016 and typically takes place in mid-July. The first two years featured performances by more than 60 rock music artists, including Rammstein, Slipknot, Kiss and Ozzy Osbourne. The festival also hosts an outdoor Gourmet Man Food and craft beer village and other entertainment.
We anxiously await the festival’s return in 2019, but at least now fans know not to keep holding their breath for a Chicago Open Air 2018 lineup announcement.
More music news you might like!
Chicago Open Air
Lizzy Rainbow haired rock & metal music photographer.
© Copyright Rock: Front/Center 2018
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Insider Info
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Cities With The Best 4th Of July Fireworks Shows
Happy 241st birthday United States! Today, we celebrate the nation’s independence with food, friends, and most importantly fireworks. Cities big and small will have fireworks displays come sundown. However, some display are better than others. If you are looking for a truly spectacular fireworks show, visit one of these cities.
New York City, NY (Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks)
The fireworks display in New York City is the biggest display in the country. The designers of the show use over 50,000 pyrotechnic effects to create a dazzling 25-minute show. The display is televised, however, it’s even better in person. Don’t want to deal with downtown traffic? No problem. Head anywhere in the area that has views of the East river. The display is so massive it is easily seen from far distances.
Washington D.C. (National Mall Independence Day Celebration)
If you are feeling extra patriotic, head to the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. The celebration begins early in the day with events happening around the city. Fireworks are displayed over the National Mall. As the attendance in the city is expected to be hundreds of thousands, we suggest you get to the mall early and grab a spot on the grass. Bring food and drinks to have a picnic. The earlier you arrive the better. It will be worth the wait as watching 17-minute explosions of color over the reflecting pool is unlike any other.
Philadelphia, PA (Wawa Welcome America!)
The City of Brotherly Love pulls out all the stops for its weeklong 4th of July celebration. As it is where the nation was actually born, Philly shows its pride with free events all week that culminate into live music performances and a 15-minute firework display. This year attendees can see superstars Mary J. Blige and Boys II Men. Fireworks are set off behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Therefore, prime viewing spots are on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Nashville, TN (Music City July 4th: Let Freedom Sing!)
Music City, U.S.A., celebrates Independence day with, what else, but music. There are many free live performances throughout the day, such as Chris Young, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Jonny P. The day ends with an over-the-top fireworks display set to the sounds of the Nashville Symphony. For the best views, snag a spot on Broadway or in the Riverfront Park.
The Best Resorts In The U.S. For Those Who Love The Outdoors
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Airports That Offer Free City Tours During Your Long Layover
Steven Eidelberg is named Cruise Brothers Director of Marketing & Partnerships
The Beauty of Las Vegas and Dubai in the face of Classic hotels
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Poet Laureate Mark Strand dead: reflecting on something he said
By winterSmith on November 30, 2014 • ( 3 Comments )
Former US Poet Laureate Mark Strand is dead at 80.
In a 1998 interview with the Paris Review, poet Strand said something I find fascinating:
Well, I think what happens at certain points in my poems is that language takes over, and I follow it. It just sounds right. And I trust the implication of what I’m saying, even though I’m not absolutely sure what it is that I’m saying. I’m just willing to let it be. Because if I were absolutely sure of whatever it was that I said in my poems, if I were sure, and could verify it and check it out and feel, yes, I’ve said what I intended, I don’t think the poem would be smarter than I am. I think the poem would be, finally, a reducible item. It’s this “beyondness,” that depth that you reach in a poem, that keeps you returning to it. And you wonder, The poem seemed so natural at the beginning, how did you get where you ended up? What happened? I mean, I like that, I like it in other people’s poems when it happens. I like to be mystified. Because it’s really that place which is unreachable, or mysterious, at which the poem becomes ours, finally, becomes the possession of the reader. I mean, in the act of figuring it out, of pursuing meaning, the reader is absorbing the poem, even though there’s an absence in the poem. But he just has to live with that. And eventually, it becomes essential that it exists in the poem, so that something beyond his understanding, or beyond his experience, or something that doesn’t quite match up with his experience, becomes more and more his. He comes into possession of a mystery, you know—which is something that we don’t allow ourselves in our lives.
A thought-provoking perspective, and it’s comforting to know I’m not the only one who has wrestled with this dynamic.
I have always detested the threads of Structuralism, Post-Structuralism and Postmodernism that sought to destroy subjectivity, to argue that ultimately there is no artist, no author, that the creator is spoken by the collective condition. I have been known to suggest that this view is most dearly held by those who have nothing creative to offer and who benefit professionally and politically from diminishing the work of genuine artistic geniuses.
I have been similarly hard on artists who abdicate authority over their work, demurring when asked to assert something about its meaning. Well, once I’m through it belongs to the audience, doesn’t it?
Horseshit, I have argued. Authorial intent matters, and it matters a great deal, but that’s the sort of conviction that has been well out of fashion for the past century or so – it’s a belief that belongs to what Susan Sontag has called the “pre-theoretical” age. Well, so be it. I cut my teeth on the masters of that age and there’s no point apologizing for it.
Still, it’s isn’t really one or the other, and the point Strand made is a compelling one that resonates with my own writing process. I suspect much of my poetry strikes readers (hypothetical readers, anyway – it isn’t like I have a huge audience) as murky, perhaps even obscure. I aggressively strip the narrative from my poems and the result is work that operates in an even more nonlinear fashion that most verse does. Like Strand, I follow the language in my head (and in my case, I also find myself chasing images, dark abstractions and raw emotions – intimations, if you will, and impressions), and I follow it all blindly into country that may be alien to me.
I often found myself, back before I gave it all up, staring at the page wondering what the hell I had just written.
But … I always feel a responsibility to at least try and understand what my work is saying. And here is where the road forks. At times, it’s as though my subconscious is trying to communicate with me and art is the conduit. This has happened a number of times – I have written things that I didn’t really understand until much later. Sometimes I figured it out eventually, and there have been moments where readers have expressed insights into my work, revealing things about it that I never suspected were there.
So at one level I’m trying to write for an audience, but at another level I am the audience. It’s these moments where my convictions about authorial intent are most problematic. Some part of me is speaking – there is certainly a subjectivity – but the conscious self doesn’t immediately grok the meaning.
All of which is to say that Strand is certainly onto something here, and the complexity about the relationship between art, artist and audience requires some more thought on my part.
RIP, Mark.
“The Dreadful Has Already Happened”
Thanks to Dan Ryan for pointing me to the Paris Review passage.
Categories: Arts/Literature
Tagged as: mark strand, poetry
Breakers: Ballard Locks, Seattle
Your Daily Devotional for December 1, 2014
robert okaji says:
Strand hit the nail on the head – let the language take over, and follow it, trust it. A simple suggestion, but one that likely takes years to truly follow.
Dan Ryan says:
Good shit, Maynard.
otherwise says:
intriguing discussion.
once had a conversation with lee child, best selling author of thrillers and a good guy. he and i were chatting and a fan walked up and asked him about why he’d done so and so. he gave a cogent and thoughtful answer, then when the guy walked away, whispered, “they hate it if you say it just sounded right at the time.”
Mad Street Cred
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Quotable Education Quotes: 8/19/2013
by Carol A. Josel | Aug 19, 2013 | Quotable Quotes
** “The U.S. Department of Education has a specific role within the federal government, fostering the education and growth of our nation’s students. The coordination of federal education programs, management of education activities, and supplementing states’ efforts to provide our students with the highest quality education is a massive responsibility–one that requires both financial and workforce resources. So it was disconcerting when it was revealed that the Department of Education will be assisting with the implementation and dissemination of information of Obamacare.” Senator John Thune, South Dakota
** “Testing did spur some progress in student performance. But it has become clear to us that testing was being overemphasized–and misused–in schools that were substituting test preparation for instruction. Even though test-driven reforms were helpful in the beginning, it is now clear that they will never bring this country’s schools up to par with those of the high-performing nations that have left us far behind in math, science, and even literacy instruction. . . . The government went further in the testing direction through its competitive grant program, known as Race to the Top, and a waiver program related to No Child Left Behind, both of which pushed the states to create teacher evaluation systems that take student test data into account. Test scores should figure in evaluations, but the measures have to be fair, properly calibrated and statistically valid–all of which means that these evaluation systems cannot be rushed into service before they are ready.” ~ The New York Times editorial board
** “Now, under the more rigorous Common Core standards, it will be harder for states to hide their failing schools. But what has Common Core watchers nervous is not that states will cheat but that the first round of student scores in 2015 will be honest and bad–so bad they shock parents and strike fear into politicians.” ~ Cory Turner, NPR
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64.180. Building commission — appointment — term — code of regulations — enforcement (first and second class counties). — 1. The county commission of any county which shall exercise the authority granted under the provisions of sections 64.170 to 64.200 shall appoint a building commission consisting of five members, residents and taxpayers of the county, one of whom shall be a member of the county commission, to be selected by the county commission. The members of the commission shall serve without compensation for a term of two years. The term of the county commission member shall not extend beyond the tenure of his office.
2. Said commission shall prepare a building and electrical code of regulations under the powers granted herein, which shall be submitted to the county commission for adoption. Such code of regulations shall be in accord with standards prescribed by recognized inspection and testing laboratories and agencies consistent with section 64.196.
3. Before the adoption of such code of regulations, the county commission shall hold at least three public hearings thereon, fifteen days' notice of the time and place of which shall be published in at least two newspapers having general circulation within the county and notice of such hearings shall also be posted at least fifteen days in advance thereof in four conspicuous places in the county. The regulations adopted shall be applicable to the unincorporated territory of the county, except as otherwise provided herein, and may from time to time be amended by the county commission after hearings are held and notice given, as prescribed herein. The county commission is authorized to employ and pay the personnel necessary to enforce the regulations adopted.
(RSMo 1939 § 14943, A.L. 1945 p. 616, A.L. 2001 S.B. 86)
Prior revisions: 1929 § 13750; 1919 § 10392; 1909 § 1295
(1972) Supreme court had exclusive jurisdiction over appeal from quo warranto proceeding to oust appellants from office of building commission of Jefferson County since office was one to which officer was elected or appointed under authority of law and the authority and duties thereof were prescribed by law. State ex rel. Donald v. Leonard (A.), 480 S.W.2d 71.
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Richland County History
July 5, 2019 July 5, 2019 timothy brian mckee
A Pioneer Bear Hunt in Richland County: 1818
This story came to me from the most unlikely source. Maybe that’s why I never forgot it, and why I feel compelled, all these years later, to pass it on down the line to generations who will doubtless find it even more amazing than I did as a young man.
I was talking one day with three old women, whose combined age was 240 years. The youngest of them had lived more than five times my life span on the day when we sat down in the parlor to chat.
The oldest was Mrs. Stewart—I’m not sure I ever heard her first name, as even the other women in the room deferred to her as Missus. She was 97 when I met her in the 1960s, and she had witnessed the entire 20th century and nearly a third of the 19th century.
Moreover, she had accumulated an entire library of stories in her memory from her Mother (b. 1850s), her Grandfather (b. 1820s), and her Great-Grandfather (b. 1790s.) Mrs. Stewart spoke quite familiarly of her uncles who had fought in the Civil War. One of them had shaken hands with Lincoln.
It was astonishing to me to have a portal into the far reaches of American history that was not a book or a yellowed piece of paper, but a living connection. Mrs. Stewart had clear eyes that could see to the very first moments of Richland County, even though she looked like one of those dried-apple-face dolls.
Believe me, I say this only in the most endearing way, and in no way to diminish her dignity, because I came to respect and admire her tremendously. I only want to give you an image by which to gauge the incongruity of this tale: as you read this hard, manly story, picture it coming from the serious face of this soft old lady.
Her Great-Grandfather had come to the Forks of the Mohican from Ireland, at the time when people were still talking about the War of 1812 like it was a bad storm they were cleaning up after. He actually chopped down the trees they used to build the first church along the Cedar Fork.
Mrs. Stewart could recite these facts like she was remembering the bake sale last month, so it cast local history into a familiarity and immediacy I had never experienced before. When she spoke about the bear hunt, I was suddenly transported beyond the stuffy minutia of history to truly touch the beating heart of the distant past.
The Lady’s Great-Grandfather
This story took place right before Christmas, and that is how they always told the story in her family: Grampa Fergus and his Christmas bear: because, at the time it happened, all he could think about was what a huge holiday feast they were going to have.
Fergus was tending to his chores one morning, and he was so completely absorbed in his task, it startled him when a stick suddenly snapped behind him. He spun around just as the bear spun towards him, and they both jumped back at the same instant, only yards apart.
The bear was just as surprised as Fergus and, with only a second to gasp in shock, they each took off in opposite directions.
By the time he was back to his cabin however, Fergus had gotten over his sudden fear and begun to imagine the possibilities of a nice roast bear for Christmas dinner.
There was no snow on the ground, so tracking the bear was not an easy prospect; but Fergus knew which way it was headed, so with that tiny bit of crazy hope, he primed his rifle and struck out in his hunting boots.
Fergus was no tracker, and hardly a woodsman at all. He was a man on a mission however, and figured if the Wyandots could do it, he could too. He hiked and climbed and skidded down hillsides; he stood stock still and listened into the trees; he sniffed the air and studied the river bed, the way he imagined a Deerslayer would.
Many hours later, the forest was going dim and the hunter knew that once darkness fell, he was likely to become prey; so Fergus gave up and turned toward home. That’s when a movement caught his eye, as the bear crossed a distant clearing of fallen trees.
There was a river between Fergus and the bear; he stood on one steep hillside and the bear on another, at least a half-mile away. There was no way he could get any closer, but the bear seemed to be staying in one place, eating something and pawing around preoccupied.
Fergus knew he would get only one shot, so he took his time and carefully sighted for several minutes, resting his rifle in the crook of a small tree.
When he pulled the trigger, the bear dropped, and he was very much aware that it was a one-in-a-million shot.
It seems like this should be the happy ending to the story, but it is only the beginning.
Weighing In at 350 Pounds
As I said, Fergus was not a woodsman. A more experienced huntsman would have a better idea of what to do next: how to get the load of meat home past the wolves, when it was still wearing its fur, and weighed far more than the one with the rifle.
At this point in the story, with night falling rapidly, Fergus had wandered probably ten miles from home. There was only one way across the Cedar Fork, and that was through it; so by the time he reached the bear he was already soaking wet.
He studied the furry pile for a while, and the method he devised for solving his dilemma was actually quite ingenious, considering it was totally improvisational.
Fergus muscled the bruin up onto a log like it was sitting upright in a chair, and then he sat down on the bear’s lap. Pulling its huge arms over his shoulders, he stood up hunched over, wearing the bear like a 350-pound backpack.
Logistical nightmares aside—like crossing the Cedar Fork again all bent over, and traversing steep hills with tangled snares of fallen trees—Fergus found that the fiercest impediment to getting home was not wolves or Wyandots, but simply the force of gravity: staying on his two feet. After an hour or two, he determined that the heaviest part of the bear was its head, so he took that off to lighten the load.
It took Fergus 6 hours to find the bear; it took him 10 hours to get it home. During those long hours, his dreams of Christmas feast completely vanished.
You see, after having taken the bear’s head from its shoulders, and then carrying its body on his back, it didn’t take long before he was completely saturated with the bear’s blood. By the time he got home, it had permeated clear to his soul. From that day on he could never again think of eating bear meat, or even stand to have people around him talk about bears.
Fergus gave the bear to a Frenchman who lived in the next valley, and when Christmas came he was still fasting.
When this conversation took place with Mrs. Stewart, I was about 12, it was the 1960s, and the Richland County landscape had only recently been modified by the construction of I-71. She was thrilled to see the vista the highway opened up, and told me that the events of this bear hunt took place within the sightlines visible from the top of the bridge where Bellville-Johnsville Road crosses over I-71.
Bellville-Johnsville Road
Cedar Fork
Published by timothy brian mckee
View all posts by timothy brian mckee
Previous Hemlock Falls: History and Mystery Part 2
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ESPN updates FPI Top 25 after Week 10
Kevin Cunningham | 1 year ago
Week 10 may not have had the best matchups for college football fans to watch. As always, there are good games to see.
But in the Big Ten, for example, there were only four games. The only ranked team in action from the B1G was Michigan, ranked No. 14.
At the conclusion of each week, the ESPN’s FPI updates, giving teams an overall number that shows how good they are. Here is the FPI following Week 10:
Ohio State remains at No. 1 according to the FPI, while Penn State is second from the B1G at No. 5. Five other B1G teams crack the top 25, making the overall number seven. The SEC has the second-most amount of teams with six.
The entire FPI can be seen here.
Kevin Cunningham
Kevin covers Big Ten football for Saturday Tradition.
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Michigan State falls in latest AP poll
Connor O'Gara | 5 years ago
Tough call or not, the result remained the same.
The Spartans suffered their first loss of the season, and as a result, they took a hit in the latest Associated Press poll. Michigan State came in at No. 14, which marked the team’s worst ranking of the year.
Michigan State now finds itself third among six B1G teams in the top 25. Ohio State dropped its No. 1 ranking and came in at No. 2 while Iowa leapfrogged MSU and took the No. 8 spot. Michigan came in at No. 15 after it rolled Rutgers while Northwestern and Wisconsin both cracked the AP poll for the first time since falling to Iowa.
Despite the loss on Saturday night, Michigan State does still have a chance to win the B1G East if it wins out. The Spartans, of course, would have to beat unbeaten Ohio State in two weeks.
Before they do that, they’ll have to take care of Maryland in East Lansing.
Connor O'Gara
Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Tradition. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.
Longtime Michigan State assistant for Mark Dantonio lands new gig as OC
Report: Members of Michigan State's swimming and diving team file lawsuit against university for cutting sport
Colorado RB, member of 2019 recruiting class out of Detroit, enters transfer portal
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From Special Collections Research Center Wiki
Revision as of 19:27, 23 January 2008 by Acschi (talk | contribs)
The College of William and Mary in Virginia is the second-oldest college in the United States (after Harvard), and the first university. The College of William and Mary was founded in 1693 by virtue of a Royal Charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II of England. Named in their honor, William and Mary is a public, liberal-arts university located in Williamsburg, Virginia.
2 Chronological History of the College
3 Presidents
4 Board of Visitors
5 Campus Buildings and Landmarks
5.1 Historic Campus
5.3 Landmarks
6 Awards and Honors
6.1 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award
6.2 Alumni Medallion
6.3 Charles Joseph Duke, Jr., and Virginia Welton Duke Award
6.4 Honorary Degrees
6.5 James Frederic Carr Memorial Cup
6.6 James Monroe Prize in Civic Leadership
6.7 Lord Botetourt Award
6.8 Lord Botetourt Medal
6.9 Thatcher Prize
6.10 Thomas Ashley Graves, Jr., Award
6.11 Thomas Jefferson Award
6.12 Thomas Jefferson Prize in Natural Philosophy
6.13 Thomas Jefferson Teaching Award
Although it has long been a university, William and Mary proudly retains the word "college" in its name because the original Royal Charter under which it was founded specified that it always and forever be named "the College of William and Mary in Virginia." Perhaps as a gesture to this requirement, the university level school (defined as one with post-graduate programs) is often called simply "The College" by those close to it.
Well before university-level education was the norm, the College educated many of America's founding leaders, including such notables as Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, John Tyler, and John Marshall. In the Colonial period, Williamsburg served as the capital and the College's facilities were frequently used by the lawmakers. On the College's main campus, which is adjacent to the restored area of Colonial Williamsburg, the historic Wren Building is the oldest academic building in continuous use in the United States.
Today, the highly-ranked College enrolls 5700 undergraduate and 2000 graduate students on an historic and picturesque campus. The College is considered a "Public Ivy" and is known for the high quality of its undergraduate programs in the sciences, government, religion, philosophy and international relations, among others, and for its Law School and graduate program in U.S. colonial history. Due to a lack of grade inflation, graduates of the College's undergraduate programs traditionally experience a high rate of acceptance to other professional and graduate schools, both in the U.S. and abroad. As a publicly-funded university, William & Mary (and rival University of Virginia, plus Virginia Tech) grappled with restrictive state funding and requirements to follow the same regulations and procedures as other agencies of the state government. These laws and rules tended to limit the authority of the Boards of Visitors of Virginia's top schools of higher education, as well as their ability to perform well in the 21st century. In 2005, however, the Virginia General Assembly approved a restructuring with Virginia's top universities allowing for greater freedoms. In turn, William and Mary recently made great strides in private fund raising and increased its endowment.
Chronological History of the College
A chronology of the College based on the Vital Facts booklet first produced by librarian Earl Gregg Swem in 1921 is available from the College's website. The most recent paper edition was published in 2004 and the online version continues to be updated by the College.
A list of Presidents is available. The Rev. James Blair was the first president of the College.
On March 5, 1906, by act of the General Assembly, all College property was transferred to the Commonwealth of Virginia. This transfer was sponsored by the College with a view toward increasing its resources. On March 8, the faculty accepted the provisions of the act, and on the following day it was approved by the Board of Visitors. A new board was appointed by the governor and "vested with all rights and powers conferred by the provisions of this act and by the Ancient Royal Charter of the College."
The roster of the presentBoard of Visitors is available from the College's website. Bylaws and minutes of the Board of Visitors are also available online.
Campus Buildings and Landmarks
On March 5, 1906, by act of the General Assembly, all College property was transferred to the Commonwealth of Virginia. This transfer was sponsored by the College with a view toward increasing its resources. On March 8, the faculty accepted the provisions of the act, and on the following day it was approved by the Board of Visitors.
Historic Campus
The College's Historic Campus, or colonial campus as it is also known, includes the Wren Building, the Brafferton, and the President's House.
Brafferton Built 1723 for Indian School. Used as dormitory, offices, classroom, guest rooms, president's office, and alumni offices. Restored 1931-32.
President's House Built 1732. Restored 1931. Home of the College's presidents.
Wren Building Foundation began in 1695, burned and reconstructed in 1705, 1859, and 1862. Restored 1928-1931. Named for Sir Christopher Wren of England.
Adair Gymnasium Built 1962-63. Women’s physical education. Named for Cornelia Storrs Adair.
Alumni House (Bright House) Built 1850’s. Housing for professors early 1920’s. Kappa Alpha fraternity house 1925-1943. Purchased by College in 1946, converted to faculty apartments. Became the Alumni House in 1972
Andrews Hall (Robert Andrews Hall of Fine Arts) Built 1966 behind Phi Beta Kappa Hall, facing Swem Library.
Barrett Hall (Kate Waller Barrett Hall) Built 1926-27. Women’s dormitory.
James Blair Hall Built 1934-35 as Marshall-Wythe Hall, housed administrative offices and Marshall-Wythe School of Government and Citizenship. President’s office until 1962. Renamed James Blair Hall in 1968.
Blow Gymnasium (George Preston Blow Gymnasium) Built 1924 as men’s gymnasium
Bookstore Built 1965 on site of Morris House on Jamestown Rd. Bookstore relocated to Merchants Sq. in 2001.
Botetourt Complex Built 1971, originally intended for sorority complex. Used as language house. Units named for royal governors.
Brafferton Built 1723 for Indian School. Used as dormitory, offices, classroom, guest rooms, president’s office, and alumni offices. Restored 1931-32.
Brown Hall Built 1930 by Women’s Missionary Society of the Virginia Methodist Conference to replace older frame building which was moved to 524 Prince George Street behind Sorority Court. Built with funds left by Mrs. Edward Brown of Lynchburg. Purchased by College in 1939.
Bryan Complex Built 1953, 2 wings added in 1959. Housed Marshall-Wythe School of Law from 1959-1967.
Campus Center Built 1959-1960.
Cary Field Field built in 1909, stadium built in 1935.
Chancellors Hall Built 1926-27 as Rogers Hall, for physics and chemistry. Rededicated in 1982 as Chancellors Hall, new home of Business School. Renamed in 1988 to Tyler Hall
Chandler Hall Built 1931, named for President Julian A.C. Chandler, women’s dormitory
College Apartments 112 North Boundary Street. Built 1941-42 for faculty apartments.
Commons Built 1965-66. College dining hall.
Deanery (also known as Old Steward’s House, Rear Dormitory) Formerly located east of Trinkle Hall (approx. between Trinkle and Hunt). Small brick building stuccoed on the outside and painted yellow, with castellated parapet, used as women’s dormitory in 1920’s. Was torn down in 1930.
Dillard Complex Former student residences. Also known as James Blair Terrace.
Dining Hall Built 1914. Now incorporated in Campus Center (Market Place serving area and atrium)
Dupont Hall Built 1964. Named for Jessie Ball Dupont.
Ewell Hall Dormitory Formerly located on south side of Jamestown Road across from Brafferton on site of Campus Center. Purchased by College in 1859 as dormitory, named College Hotel, 17 room Brick house. Renamed Ewell Hall in 1894 on death of the College President Benjamin S. Ewell. Served as dining hall 1905 until 1914. Torn down in 1927.
Ewell Hall Built 1925-1926 as Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall. Had reproduction Apollo Room from Raleigh Tavern (northeast wing at front). An auditorium in the south end which burned in 1953. Music building since 1955. South wing reconstructed 1957-58. Renamed Ewell Hall in 1957. Admissions office since 1962.
Gymnasium Formerly located 100 feet southwest of Wren Building, in line with west end of Chapel, east of Ewell Hall. Built 1900, converted to classroom building in 1922, renamed Citizenship Building, original home of Marshall-Wythe School of Government and Citizenship, (established in 1922). Torn down in 1931.
Hunt Hall Built 1930 as College infirmary to replace old frame building on Jamestown Road built 1894 on site of Taliaferro. Named David King Infirmary in 1934. Converted to dormitory in 1973. Renamed Althea Hunt Residence in 1974.
Jamestown Residences Co-ed dormitories completed in 2006. Located on Martha Barksdale Field.
Jefferson Hall Built 1920-21 as women’s dormitory. Basement originally had a gymnasium and a swimming pool, served as College gymnasium from 1922-25. Burned 1983 and was reconstructed.
Jones Hall Built 1968-69, named for Hugh Jones, Prof. of Natural Philosophy and Mathematics 1917-21. Originally housed computer center, mathematics, philosophy, government, and business administration.
Kaplan Arena
David J. King Student Health Center Built 1973, addition 1980.
Landrum Hall Built 1957-58 as women’s dormitory.
Laundry and Warehouse Built 1929. College laundry service until 1974.
Law School Built 1978-80.
Jimmye Laycock Football Center Completed 2007.
Lodges House-like undergraduate residences on campus.
Millington Hall Built 1966-68. John Millington Hall of Life Sciences. Biology and Psychology departments.
Monroe Hall Built 1923-24 as men’s dormitory, same plan as Jefferson Hall but without gymnasium.
Morris House 10 room frame house on site of old College Bookstore on Jamestown Road. Purchased by College in 1928, used for student housing. Torn down in 1964.
Morton Hall Built 1972. History, Sociology, Government, Economics departments. Named for Prof. Richard Lee Morton.
Muscarelle Museum Built 1982-83. Named for Joseph and Margaret Muscarelle, principle donors. Addition 1986.
Old Dominion Hall Built 1927 as men’s dormitory. Served as dormitory for Navy Chaplain’s school 1943-45. Post office in basement since 1972.
Parking Garage Completed 2006.
Phi Beta Kappa Hall Built 1956-57. Auditorium Theatre and Spech departments.
Power Plant Built 1911. Now used as ceramics studio. Present power plant built in 1953.
President's House Built 1732. Restored 1931. Home of all the College’s presidents.
Randolph Residences Built 1979-80. Six buildings named for Virginia Governors.
Recreation Center Built in 1989. Also known as the Recreational Sports Center.
Rogers Hall Built 1974-75. Chemistry and Religion departments.
Science Hall Built 1905, torn down 1932. Formerly located about 100 feet northwest of Wren Building, in line with west end of Great Hall wing, east of Tucker.
Small Hall Built 1963. Named for William Small, Prof. of Natural Philosophy. Physics and Geology observatory.
Swem Library Built 1964-65. Named for Earl Gregg Swem, College Librarian 1920-44. Addition 1987-88. Renovated 1999-2005.
Taliaferro Building Built 1893-94, torn down 1967. Formerly located north of Campus Center across from Brafferton on south side of Jamestown Road. Named for Confederate General William Booth Taliaferro. Dormitory until 1932. Renovated in 1932 for administrative offices and in 1936-37 for Fine Arts building.
Taliaferro Hall Built 1934-35 as dormitory.
Trinkle Hall Built 1925 as addition to old dining hall of 1914. Named for Governor Elbert Lee Trinkle. Closed in 1972 as cafeteria.
Tucker Hall Front portion built as College Library in 1908, additions built in 1923 and 1929. Served as library until 1966. Served as Law School building 1967-80. Renamed St. George Tucker Hall 1980, and now houses the English Department.
Tyler Hall Built 1916 as dormitory. Named for Lyon G. Tyler and his family. Became first women’s dormitory in 1918. North wing built as Miriana Robinson Conservatory in 1926, formerly had greenhouse attached. South wing built in 1927, used as sorority and later fraternity house. Tyler closed as dormitory in 1981. Reconstruction began in 1987 for Reves Center of International Studies.
Washington Hall Built 1928 for Biology on ground floor, other departments on 2nd and 3rd floors. Presently used for anthropology and modern languages and literatures departments.
William and Mary Hall Built 1970. Gymnasium and concert hall.
Wren Building Foundation began in 1695, burned and reconstructed in 1705, 1859, and 1862. Restored 1928-31. Named for Sir Christopher Wren of England.
Yates Hall Built 1961-62. Named for William Yates, fifth President of William and Mary.
Zable Stadium
College Cemetery
College Woods
Crim Dell
Lake Matoaka
Sunken Garden Built 1935, design by Charles F. Gillette, landscape architect.
The College of William and Mary grants various awards to students, faculty and staff, alumni/ae, and members of the community.
Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award
The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, given in the form of a medal, is awarded based on characteristics of “heart, mind and helpfulness to others.” The award is presented to a man and woman from the student body and a person who has a close working relationship with the College.
Alumni Medallion
Charles Joseph Duke, Jr., and Virginia Welton Duke Award
The Charles Joseph Duke, Jr., and Virginia Welton Duke Award is awared annually to an outstanding employee of the Colege or one contracted to provide auxiliary services to the College. It has been endowed by Charles Bruan Duke and Ann Evans Duke in memory of Charles and Virginia Duke for their years of distinguished adn loving service to the College.
Honorary degrees are typically awarded by the College at Charter Day and Commencement as well as other special events to distinguished individuals. There are usually multiple honorary degree recipients at each event.
James Frederic Carr Memorial Cup
The James Frederic Carr Memorial Cup is given to the graduating senior who best combines the qualities of character, scholarship and leadership. It was established as a memorial to James Frederic Carr, a former student of the College who lost his life in World War I.
James Monroe Prize in Civic Leadership
The James Monroe Prize in Civic Leadership is awarded on Charter Day.
Lord Botetourt Award
The Lord Botetourt Award, begun in 1997, is presented to individuals or institutions that embody the spirit of Norborne Botetourt, Baron de Berkeley, a colonial governor of Virginia as well as rector and a friend of William and Mary. It is given to non-alumni who have contributed to the college’s advancement and prosperity. See University Archives Subject File: Awards and Scholarships—Lord Botetourt Award for further information.
Lord Botetourt Medal
The Botetourt Medal was the second academic prize medal awarded in the colonies and the first to be stamped from dies created at the Royal mint in 1771. Lord Botetourt’s intention to give the two gold medals as prizes to the two best students at the College of William and Mary, one student in Classics and one in Physical or Metaphysical Science, was announced in 1770. The medals were originally presented on August 15th, Commemoration Day of the transfer of the charter to the President and Masters of the College. Today a single senior with the greatest distinction in scholarship is awarded a medal on Commencement day in May.
Thatcher Prize
The Thatcher Prize for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Study is presented to recognize an outstanding student completing an advanced degree in Arts and Sciences, Education, Marine Science, Business Administration, or Law, and is awarded on the basis of scholarship, character, leadership, and service. Initiated in 2000 by the College, the award honors Margaret, The Lady Thatcher, 21st Chancellor of the College, in recognitio of her severn-year term of service.
Thomas Ashley Graves, Jr., Award
The Thomas Ashley Graves, Jr. Award was established to recognize sustained excellence in teaching. To honor Thomas A. Graves, Jr., former president of the College of William and Mary, the award has been endowed by alumni and friends of the former president.
Thomas Jefferson Award
The Thomas Jefferson Award is awarded on Charter Day.
Thomas Jefferson Prize in Natural Philosophy
The Thomas Jefferson Prize in Natural Philosophy is awarded on Charter Day.
Thomas Jefferson Teaching Award
The Thomas Jefferson Teaching Award is awarded on Charter Day.
The University Archives attempts to obtain at least one copy of each publication (printed and duplicated materials) issued by a campus office or organization. While this is not, of course, completely possible, the Archives contains an extensive collection of twentieth-century materials, and has a number of publications going back into the early 1800s. The historically important college catalogs run from 1829 to the present, with gaps, and the earliest commencement program is dated 1831.
Other important published sources of information about the college include: campus directories, student handbooks, student and faculty speeches, Charter Day programs, departmental newsletters, annual reports, publicity brochures, materials for prospective students, affirmative action reports, fliers announcing up-coming fraternity parties, news releases, athletic programs, cultural events calendars, play programs, and student newspapers. There are some scattered publications from the various branch and extension colleges which have been affiliated with William and Mary.
College Observer (1970-1971): The College Observer was a supplement published by the Virginia Gazette specifically covering College news. Many of the writers and production people were students. The paper appeared weekly durig the school year form September 1970 through December 1971.
Colonial Echo (1899- ): The Colonial Echo, the student yearbook, began publication in 1899. There were no volumes produced in 1900 or 1904. In addition to photographs of individual students, it includes information and photographs of student groups and activities, scenes of campus and the surrounding area, and occasionally administrators and faculty.
Eighteenth-Century Life
The Flat Hat (1911- ): The student newspaper, The Flat Hat, is a rich source of information, announcing events taking place on campus as well as reflecting student opinion. It began publication in October 1911 and, except during the fall of 1918, has been continuously published ever since.
William and Mary Law Review
William and Mary Quarterly
Information gathered by students in LCST 201 "Constructing the News" about some College publications is available at the course Wiki. The publications used by students in the Spring 2007 class include The Flat Hat, The Dog Street Journal, The Virginia Informer, The Progressive, The Pillory, The Gallery (formerly The Gallery of Writing), Winged Nation, and Jump!
Retrieved from "https://scdbwiki.swem.wm.edu/wiki/index.php?title=William_%26_Mary&oldid=1661"
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Pixabay | CC BY-SA 2.0
Verma: COVID-19 Data Will Appear on Nursing Home Compare, First Public Report by End of May
By Alex Spanko | May 14, 2020 May 14, 2020
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator Seema Verma on Thursday confirmed that newly required COVID-19 data will eventually appear on Nursing Home Compare, with the first public information expected to be released by the end of this month.
“Ultimately, it will go on Nursing Home Compare, so that people can look up the specific nursing home and have the report on what happened,” Verma said on a Thursday morning call with reporters.
In addition to building-by-building information on the consumer-facing website, the COVID-19 data will also be presented in a separate trend analysis from CMS, the administrator indicated.
“Obviously, we want to make sure it’s scrubbed and it’s cleaned,” Verma said. “We have to get the data from CDC. We want to do our own analysis, as well, to sort of put out some broad parameters of what we’re seeing, so that that’s easy and digestible.”
CMS issued an interim final rule at the start of May, requiring operators to submit weekly information about COVID-19 infections and deaths to the agency and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). The goal, according to CMS and the CDC, is to help officials track coronavirus hotspots while also providing full transparency to the public.
The first round of information is due this coming Sunday, though fines for non-compliance do not kick in until June 7.
Evan Shulman, director of CMS’s nursing home division, on Wednesday indicated that while thousands of facilities had reported data, thousands more still needed to sign up for an account with CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) portal and begin sending in information.
A lack of specific public data around coronavirus infections and deaths in nursing homes has been a major source of frustration for lawmakers, resident advocates, and families. Earlier this week, Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania grilled CDC director Robert Redfield about the delay in federal reporting, which Redfield described as an “operational” issue.
“I need to hear from you today: Why has there been a delay — a three-month delay — in basic information that families and people within a community need about the outbreaks in nursing homes, the number of cases, what is happening in nursing homes?” Casey said during a Senate hearing on the nation’s coronavirus response. “Tell us when we’re going to see that information.”
Verma insisted that nursing homes were always required to provide information about disease and deaths to local health departments, and praised the industry’s work to keep residents and families informed.
“I want to be very clear with you that families have that information today, and they’ve had it for weeks,” Verma said. “We’ve heard from family members across the country that have said: ‘It’s great. I’m getting these phone calls. My mom’s okay, but I know that there’s coronavirus in the nursing home.'”
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After Trump, Should Twitter Also Ban All the Dictators?
By Joshua Keating
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Getty Images
This article is part of the Free Speech Project, a collaboration between Future Tense and the Tech, Law, & Security Program at American University Washington College of Law that examines the ways technology is influencing how we think about speech.
If Twitter is going to start banning leaders and government officials for repeatedly justifying atrocities, the company is going to have its work cut out for it. The day before President Donald Trump was permanently banned from the platform for violating the site’s “glorification of violence” policy, the Chinese embassy in the United States tweeted that Uighur women in the country’s Xinjiang region had been “liberated” by the Chinese government’s policies, and were no longer “baby-making machines”—a disturbing spin on a draconian campaign of population control that has involved the forced use of IUDs, sterilization, and abortion. Twitter deleted the tweet over the weekend, without specifying what rule it had violated, though another one from the same day claiming that young people in Xinjiang benefit from the government’s policies remains.
On Friday, the same day Trump’s account was deleted, the site removed a tweet from the account of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that described coronavirus vaccines developed in Britain and the United States as “untrustworthy.” @khamenei_ir is an odd case: an unverified account that frequently shares the supreme leader’s statements and is generally considered to be associated with him. As of Monday, it’s still tweeting.
If Trump’s behavior on Twitter was grounds for a permanent ban, why are officials from autocratic governments allowed to continue using the site to spread propaganda, justify repressive violence, and promote conspiracy theories? Surely, justifying genocide is as egregious an offense as justifying an insurrection. Trump’s ban has led some Iranian activists to call for the Khamenei account to be banned as well. Outgoing Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai got in on the action, asking why Khamenei tweets calling for the destruction of the “Zionist regime” don’t also constitute “glorifying violence.”
Twitter has suspended state-linked accounts in a number of countries in the past, often without much explanation, and has gotten more aggressive about taking down individual tweets that violate rules. It also recently began labeling the accounts of government officials of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, a practice the company says it plans to extend to more governments. But the Trump ban is a major escalation and raises the question of whether a new precedent is being set.
It’s tempting to say that Twitter should just have a “no dictator” policy. However, it’s hard enough for governments and NGOs to define what constitutes a democratic or autocratic government, and it’s probably not a job we want to delegate to @jack. And given that Twitter and other social media companies are already often portrayed in many parts of the world as an agent of U.S. influence, the company is going to have a hard time portraying itself as a neutral arbiter. It’s not only Trump supporters who are concerned about the precedent set by the Trump ban. Steffen Seibert, spokesman for German chancellor and Trump Twitter abuse target Angela Merkel, said that it was “problematic” for political speech to be subjected to the decisions of the “management of social media platforms.” (Merkel doesn’t tweet.) Russian dissident Alexei Navalny called it an “unacceptable act of censorship” that would be exploited by “enemies of freedom of speech” around the world.* At the very least, it makes sense for Twitter to be wary about doing this too often.
And at a time of escalating geopolitical tensions, we should also be wary about removing modes of communication for governments—even the most repressive ones. For all its flaws, Twitter messaging can still serve as a useful diplomatic tool. The world saw this a year ago when, following an Iranian missile strike on U.S. bases in Iraq in retaliation for the U.S. killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, both Trump and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif put out dueling statements about the event on Twitter. Both statements were misleading spin, but they also helped both governments save face enough to prevent a further escalation toward war.
There’s also the awkward fact that Twitter often complies with government takedown requests, including from autocratic governments like Russia and Turkey. It’s hard to see how Twitter could simply ban authoritarian governments until it stops cooperating with them.
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In general, a blanket no-autocrat policy makes less sense than flagging and removing individual problematic tweets, except for the most egregious repeat offenders.
However, there is one simple standard that Twitter can and should enforce: If a government blocks its citizens from using Twitter, its officials should not be allowed to use the site either.
China has blocked Twitter since 2009, and its leaders, ministries, and embassies should not be allowed to use the site to propagandize to foreign audiences. Same goes for Iran and North Korea. Russian officials would get to keep their accounts—for now at least. Turkey has temporarily blocked Twitter in the past. Leaders that do this should lose access to their own accounts until access is restored to their citizens.
This month marks the 10th anniversary of the Arab Spring uprisings, probably the last time social media companies like Twitter were genuinely viewed as an emancipatory force and an agent of democratization. It’s probably not possible to go back to those times, but at the very least, authoritarian rulers shouldn’t be allowed to keep Twitter all to themselves.
Correction, Jan. 11, 2021: This piece originally misspelled Alexei Navalny’s surname.
Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
China Donald Trump Free Speech Iran Twitter Democracy Free Speech Project
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Home “After Coal” Film Screening
“After Coal” Film Screening
Jun 6, 2016 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Kentucky Theater E Main St, Lexington, Kentucky 40507
After Coal film director Tom Hansell will present his recently released documentary and Welsh musicians Chris King and Nigel Jones will perform music from the coalfields after the screening. Admission is free and open to the public, but donations will be accepted. The suggested donation is $5
The After Coal documentary profiles inspiring individuals who are building a new future in the coalfields of eastern Kentucky and South Wales. Shot on location in Harlan County, Kentucky, and the Dulais Valley of South Wales, After Coal introduces viewers to ex-miners using theater to rebuild community infrastructure, women transforming a former coal board office into an education hub, and young people striving to stay in their home communities. Music plays a major role in this documentary essay, linking the two regions and demonstrating how cultural traditions can help create a brighter future.
Location Kentucky Theater E Main St, Lexington, Kentucky 40507
Date & Time Jun 6, 2016 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Film Tadoo
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New program puts people back to work delivering fresh produce
COLUMBIA, S.C. – It’s getting hard to get the things we need. Workers are being laid off as the demand for produce has dropped. Farmers’ crops are spoiling in the fields because some of their largest customers have shut down. The COVID-19 crisis tears at the fundamentals of how our society works.
What if there was a way to get the supply chain operating again, put low-wage workers back to work, and get boxes filled with high-quality, fresh produce to homes?
Now there is. It’s called Farmers2Neighbors. It’s a partnership of FoodShare South Carolina and Senn Brothers produce company. They’ve teamed up to help nourish the Midlands, restore jobs lost at the South Carolina State Farmers Market, and heal some of the breaks in our food distribution system.
The Community Produce Box is more than "just a box of food." It’s a way of knitting our society back together when coronavirus is driving us apart.
Residents purchase produce boxes. Senn Brothers purchases produce from local farmers as well as from regional producers. The market is able to rehire employees laid off because of the coronavirus. Those workers will box up the fresh produce and deliver it to the neighborhoods that have placed orders for boxes.
The program is reaching out to neighborhood associations in the greater Columbia area to sign up for and help distribute the food boxes. Residents can purchase boxes online. But any group of neighbors, or a church or other organization in the area, can appoint a captain who can coordinate and see that the boxes are picked up from the distribution point in their neighborhood, and then delivered to individual homes.
This is produce that would otherwise go to waste for lack of a market. It is all high-quality. No seconds.
Suitable precautions will be taken to ensure safety. Workers at the Farmers Market will use gloves and employ EPA-registered sanitizer products in their cleaning and sanitizing practices. Volunteers will practice social distancing in picking up and delivering boxes. Boxes will be placed in volunteers’ trunks at distribution points, and there will be no hand-to-hand contact.
Each box will cost $21. That’s a dollar more than FoodShare’s usual programs because the ordering will be done online by credit or debit card. SNAP participants can buy a box for only $10, and neighborhood captains will be instructed in how to handle those orders.
To enroll your neighborhood or organization in the program, or to sign up individually to receive a box at your home, go to https://foodsharesc.org/farmers2neighbors/.
About FoodShare South Carolina
The mission of FoodShare South Carolina is to ensure access to fresh produce for all in our communities. The Columbia nonprofit revolves around three tenets: community empowerment and engagement, increased financial opportunity, and physical revitalization. These tenets are expressed through FoodShare’s core programs: the Fresh Food Box and Culinary Medicine cooking classes. Learn more at https://foodsharesc.org/.
About Senn Brothers
Founded at the South Carolina State Farmers Market in 1944, Senn Brothers Produce Inc. offers a full line of fresh fruits and vegetables, peanuts, fresh herbs and spices, exotic vegetables, eggs, pickles, and juice. The company serves more than 800 restaurants, school districts, military bases, and prisons. The delivery of full-line fresh produce remains the primary service of Senn Brothers, although it has expanded to offer dairy products such as milk, buttermilk, and sour cream, and other specialty products. Learn more at: https://sennbrothers.com/.
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Cubs name new manager
Annalise Avila, Editor-in-Chief
Former catcher for the Cubs, David Ross is putting his jersey back on for an exciting reason. 3 years after his retirement at the end of the 2016 season, it was announced that Ross will be filling the role as manager beginning in the 2020 season. After his retirement, he remained with the Cubs as a special assistant to baseball operations, and he was also an analyst on ESPN broadcasts. He is very excited to be back with the Cubs full time. “I’ve had an eye on this my entire career,” he said to the Daily Herald.
The Cubs had two formal interviews with Ross and decided that he is a better fit than the five other candidates. “We believe David has truly special gifts as a leader and that he’ll become a great manager,” Cubs President Theo Epstein explained. Despite his lack of experience as a manager, Ross has a heart for the Cubs and his goal has always been for the team to succeed. “David has always been very aware of the ingredients, all the little things that are necessary to create a winning environment,” Epstein said.
David Ross’s career as a player ended on a high note after their World Series win in 2016, but he is not dwelling on the past. “It’s not about 2016, it’s about the expectation of winning,” he said about his goal to win again. “I want to win a championship. I want to win multiple championships. I want to bring a championship back to Chicago, and we’ve done that before.”
He signed a three-year contract with the Cubs and he is very excited to work with the team and learn more about managing. A majority of the coaching staff will stay the same, but Ross is looking to hire more coaches that will hopefully make the team even better. Fans are excited to see Ross back with the Cubs and looking forward to the 2020 season.
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Author Interview: James Ponti, author of the City Spies books, speaks with blogger Thee
Editor's Note: Recently, Stone Soup blogger Thee Sim Ling reached out to us to ask if she could arrange an interview with one of her favorite authors, James Ponti. Luckily, the bestselling author of the City Spies series generously agreed! Below is their conversation, where they discuss writing about different cultures, literary influences, favorite characters, and more.
Thee Sim Ling: I read that a vacation in Europe first inspired you to write this series on juvenile secret agents. How did that tiny idea develop into City Spies?
James Ponti: My wife and I went to visit our son who was studying in England for the year. We went to London and Paris and had the best time. Everything about the cities was exciting and it made me want to write an international story with kids from around the world. I also wanted to set it in great cities on different continents. The first part I came up with was give the spies code names based on the cities they were from and it just grew from that. The first thing I figure out when I write them is what cities will be in this story.
TSL: What authors or books have had the greatest influence on your writing, especially for this book?
JP: When I was growing up, my favorite book was From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg. That book as well as her others has always influenced my writing. I also loved Donald J. Sobol’s Encyclopedia Brown books. Currently there are many great spy and mystery writers who influence me. A good friend of mine is Stuart Gibbs, whose Spy School books are hugely popular. Stuart’s been very inspirational for me.
TSL: In every single one of your books, you are able to create dynamic characters with distinct personalities, making them so real that they almost seem to leap off the page. Not only that, but you also are able to have them interact with each other in an authentic way. This is really crucial for your stories, which often require characters to work together as a team. What’s your secret?
JP: First of all, that is so incredibly nice of you to say. Even though the plots of my books are on the unbelievable side (zombie hunters, a 12-year old consultant for the FBI, and a team of teen and tween MI6 agents), it is my main goal for the characters to be totally believable and for their relationships to feel like the relationships of the readers. I think without that the stories don’t work. I also try to give them a mixture of strengths and weaknesses, insecurities and confidences.
TSL: You always seem to choose the best names for your stories. (Omega, T.O.A.S.T., Mother etc.) How do you come up with them?
JP: I really wish there was an answer for this. Sometimes names come easy – both Omega and T.O.A.S.T. are examples of things that came instantly. With T.O.A.S.T. that was crucial. If Florian and Margaret did everything they do in the books exactly the same way, but didn’t have a name for the skill they developed, I think the books would be only half as popular. Having something to lock onto is important. Unfortunately, many times titles and names take forever and there’s no set pattern to developing them. You just have to keep trying until something sounds right.
TSL: Of the five city spies, who is your personal favorite: Sara (Brooklyn), Solomon (Paris), João (Rio), Amita (Kat), or Olivia (Sydney)? Why?
JP: I do not have a favorite. I think if I did, they would suffer on the page because I’d give better stuff to my favorite. As it is now, I find myself saying things like, “Rio didn’t get enough, let’s come up with something good for him.” I will say that it started with Brooklyn, because that’s where the story started and I had a vision of her first, but the others quickly developed. Instead a favorite character, I have favorite character traits to write. For example, I love to write the moments where Kat displays her incredible reasoning or the parts that really showcase Sydney’s sense of humor.
TSL: How similar or different was writing City Spies, set all across the world, compared to writing Dead City, set in New York City, and Framed!, set in Washington D.C.?
JP: I do a ton of research with regard to setting for all of my books. I think it’s such an important part to make the story come to life. For Dead City and Framed! this was easy because I’ve been to New York and Washington so many times that I could give you a tour and you’d think I had lived there are one time or another. For City Spies this is much more a challenge. I’ve been to all the places in the first two books except for one (there are a couple chapters in book 2 set in Oxford and I’ve not been there yet, so I had to talk to people who went to college there), but as I start writing book 3 I am going to have to branch out and that’s coming to make it harder, but also more fun in a way. The really upsetting part is that Covid has made travel so difficult I can’t go do in person research.
TSL: I have noticed that as you were born in Italy, you often feature your Italian culture in your books. The narrators in your first two trilogies both have Italian heritage. Why is your Italian heritage very important to you in your books?
JP: I don’t think it’s important for them to have Italian heritage, although I like that. I do, however, think it’s essential for them to have heritage of some type. It’s easy for me to write Italian because that’s my experience and also because Italian food is so well known. There’s nobody Italian in City Spies so I’m getting to learn about different cultures more. That’s really fun, but it’s also tricky. I want to make sure that I celebrate cultures properly and respectfully.
TSL: You often write about people from different countries and cultures around the world, such as Rwanda, Brazil and China. How do you ensure that you give a fair portrayal of each character in your books? (Including bad guys and zombies.)
JP: This is so important. I want to celebrate and represent these cultures, but I also want to be respectful of them and make sure that I don’t tell stories that aren’t mine to tell. I do lots of research and interview people whenever I can. For example, I got in a cab in Baltimore and the driver was from Nepal. I told him about Kat and we spent the whole trip talking about Nepal and what he missed about it while he was living far away from it.
TSL: What was your writing process for this book like?
JP: Even though I’ve written eight novels and am working on my ninth, I don’t have a set process. That’s always changing. Usually, I will work out the basic idea and discuss that with my editor so that we can talk about strengths and weaknesses. I outline some but not completely and jump in and start writing. I usually end up writing and re-writing the first part about a dozen times trying to find the voice and rhythm. Then, when I think I have that down, I’ll send the first fifty or so pages to my editor to make sure she agrees. After that I just work my way through it. I usually write in order and can’t move on to one chapter until I’ve fully completed the last. After about six months, I have a draft and I send that in and we rework it until we’re happy.
TSL: City Spies has many different types of scenes, some action-packed, others touching. Which type of scene do you like to write the most?
JP: I do not have a favorite, I really love doing them all. I care so much about the characters that I worry about them when they’re in danger and they break my heart in the touching scenes. But in each book there are hopefully seven or eight “moments.” These are big a-has when they figure something out or when the plot makes a sudden and surprising turn. Those are by far my favorite scenes to write. Last week someone told me that when they reached the end of Dead City they gasped and it made my day.
TSL: Finally, what advice do you have for aspiring young writers like me?
JP: You are already off to such an amazing start. These questions are better than any questions I’ve ever been asked. I mean it. I say that because they are so well thought out and look not just at the plot of the books, but at the meanings and causes. That means you are reading with attention to detail and being a great reader is a great start to being a great writing. I was a TERRIBLE READER. I was so slow (and still kind of am) and resented it so much that I hardly read growing up. That is my one regret and I think a weakness in my writing. So, reading a lot of varied material is a great start.
When you actually start to write, there are some things you should remember. First of all, only write stories that matter to you. That doesn’t mean they have to be important, there are many funny, silly stories that still matter to me. But your care and concern will show through on the page. Next, develop real characters with good traits and bad. Characters who you can relate to. And have these characters make decisions that have consequences. That can be joining a spy team, deciding to investigate a stolen painting, or rescuing their friend from a zombie. But it can also be so many other things.
Finally, and maybe most importantly, write in a voice that’s similar to how you talk. So many people try to use big fancy words and it breaks the magic of the story. Imagine that you and I are sitting at a table eating a pizza (or something you like better than pizza). And as we eat, you’re telling me this amazing story full of twists and turns. Just tell it to me on the page. And if it helps, eat pizza while you’re writing it.
Thank you to James Ponti for agreeing to the interview, and to Thee for thinking of such insightful questions!
Filed Under: Young Adult Author Interviews, Young Bloggers Tagged With: author interview, City Spies, James Ponti
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Internet To Undergo Global Makeover
With the advent of so many forms of communication technology, the average Canadian can take for granted how easy it is to attain information. A simple jump on to the internet can get a person just about any info necessary on just about any topic. And many of them check out this blog on a daily basis! Good for you.
North Americans, in fact, use the internet so frequently that words like “tweeting” and tasks like “updating your status” are commonplace in today's vocabulary and activities. Numerous pop culture references have poked fun at our new society's obsession with the internet. “The Simpsons”, for example, once had the hairbrained Homer Simpson exclaim that he heard that they “have Internet on computers now!” D'oh.
What we take for granted though, some parts of the world do not yet have access to. Earlier today, groundbreaking news was made with the announcement that the internet is set to undergo changes that will see international domain names and e-mail addresses begin to accept non-Latin script.
As Kelly Olsen of The Associated Press reports today, this week a meeting was held in Seoul, South Korea by The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN ) to discuss this issue. There is now a likely possibility of the Internet finally allowing after a surprisingly quick four decades the ability for web addresses to be written “in characters as diverse as Arabic, Korean, Japanese, Greek, Hindi and Cyrillic – in which Russion is written.”
Peter Dengate Thrush, chairman of the ICANN board, believes that approval for this development with be granted as early as this Friday. “This is the biggest change technically to the Internet since it was invented 40 years ago,” he said, “(It is a) fantastically complicated technical feature.”
For those of you who are scratching their heads at the thought of the internet being forty years old already, its roots actually date back to experiments that were conducted at a United States university in 1969. However, as Olsen explains, it wasn't until the early 1990's that the web was used outside of acedemic and research institutions and became available as an information source to the general public.
Perhaps, however, it should come as an even greater surprise that after all this time, the internet only featured Latin characters, disallowing many Asian nations the ability to surf the web using their native dialects.
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Home/Seniors Care — Elizabeth Matthews
Seniors Care — Elizabeth Matthews
Alumna Story — Elizabeth Matthews
Reflecting back on her experience of the MHLP, Elizabeth Matthews says that the specialized knowledge she gained in seniors care – combined with the introduction to foundational business and leadership concepts – has helped her advance within her career.
Six months after graduating with a professional master’s degree from UBC, Elizabeth Matthews was hired as a Transition Services Coordinator at Vancouver Coastal Health. Since then, she’s continued to advance into positions of increasing responsibility, and in August 2020 was appointed Team Lead for a department at St. Paul’s Hospital, where she will oversee transition services.
Elizabeth came to the Master of Health Leadership and Policy (MHLP) program with eight years of experience as a registered nurse, originally as a bedside nurse and then in operating rooms after she completed specialized training. She evaluated many master’s options before choosing the MHLP, and ultimately chose the degree for its unique hybrid curriculum compared to traditional graduate programs. The one-year length and concentration of courses over two days a week were also selling points, enabling Elizabeth to work part-time while going to school.
“The MHLP expanded my clinical knowledge to include issues faced by our aging population as well as the dynamics of community care,” she says. “And it also introduced me to concepts of leadership, project management and other business issues. The Transition Services Coordinator position enabled me to integrate my past clinical experience with the new knowledge I developed in both the clinical and business classes.”
In her role as Transition Services Coordinator, Elizabeth did discharge planning and worked with community teams to make sure appropriate plans were in place for clients leaving the hospital. That involved collaborating with occupational therapists, physiotherapists, dieticians, the nursing team and physicians to conduct assessments for what supports clients needed to have in place to safely return home or an alternative setting.
Just over a year later she accepted a Clinical Resource Nurse position, where her responsibilities evolved to include supporting colleagues in an educator role. More recently, Elizabeth was appointed Team Lead.
“I’m now more involved in strategic planning and looking at how to decrease admission stays when people are medically stable. As I work out of St. Paul’s, much of that involves collaborating with the housing team to support clients with what they want and need.”
Looking back two-and-a-half years after graduating, Elizabeth says the master’s degree put her on a path to achieving her career goals.
“The MHLP provided direction for me to move forward and I think expedited my career progression,” she says. “The unique hybrid nature of the degree has been very helpful. It really solidified and built on the knowledge I had from nursing and introduced me to important concepts in project management, leadership and communication that I use in my work. It was helpful to move beyond a focus on technical skills to see the big picture – to learn how to prioritize the goals you are trying to achieve within a project or program and then how to work within your context to reach those goals.”
Understand the admission criteria.
Spotlight: Program Series with Alison Phinney - Seniors Care
Move your career forward as a health-care specialist dedicated to improving patient outcomes and fostering the well-being of seniors.
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Sandhill cranes are relying on us to provide their wintering habitat
Jessica Driver — jmdriver@ucdavis.edu
PETER & MICHELLE S [(CC BY 2.0)] / FLICKR
Migrating cranes turn to farmlands and preserves to make up for wetland loss in the Central Valley
The Sandhill cranes start out as black strands on the horizon — just silhouettes against a hazy pink sky. They drift down into the flooded fields at sunset with their feet below them, like parachutists.
They stand in the water the same as they did thousands, even millions, of years ago. Only the vineyards weren’t there, or the houses, the road, the freeway, the cyclists or dairy farms. The water was full of life in their untouched habitat. The sky was clear all the way to Mount Diablo.
Several years ago, I came across a National Geographic social media post, which featured a photo of cranes in an open meadow at twilight. I was surprised to realize that the photo was taken in my hometown of Lodi, Calif.
I followed National Geographic to ogle over places like Holland and landmarks like the Iguaza Falls. Here, I was looking at cutesy “Livable, Loveable Lodi,” a small town known for its wine and unofficially titled “the Zinfandel Capital of the World.”
I grew up seeing the Sandhill cranes represented in regional art and poetry. I would watch them flying over the freeway at dusk on my long commute home from school. But it wasn’t until this year that I finally made it out to see the cranes at the Isenberg Crane Reserve.
They foraged and called out to each other between the reserve and an adjacent field. A lone heron wandered between families of two and three birds. The cranes mate for life and usually travel with their young until they are 10 months old.
“The family unit is very important to Sandhill cranes,” said Jane Adams, a volunteer docent with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “They take parenting very seriously. The chicks are born in May or June, and they have to be ready to fly in September. […] Migration isn’t something instinctual. They have to be taught.”
“They’ve been on the earth for a long time, so I treat them kind of like a spiritual totem,” says Colleen Moss, a docent with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife who has lead crane tours for over 20 years.
According to the International Crane Foundation, a crane fossil found in Nebraska dated 2.6 million years old and could “be structurally identical to the modern Sandhill crane, making it one of the oldest known bird species still surviving.”
The Sandhill cranes vary in size, depending on their subspecies, says the International Crane Foundation. Lesser Sandhill cranes weigh 6 to 7 pounds and stand 3 to 3.5 feet tall. Greater Sandhill cranes weigh 10 to 14 pounds and stand 4 to 4.5 feet tall.
They are known for their unique song-and-dance routine, which attracts birdwatchers in droves to the Central Valley. They have a distinct call — kar-r-r-o-o-o — which has been compared to a bugle or a trumpet. Together, their voices form a chorus of prehistoric sounds. Mating pairs of Sandhill cranes sing together in coordinated duets.
“The Sandhill crane’s call is a loud, rolling, trumpeting sound whose unique tone is a product of anatomy,” said All About Birds, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology site. “Sandhill cranes have long tracheas […] that coil into the sternum and help the sound develop a lower pitch and harmonics that add richness.”
“That’s what gives [the call] its trilling sound,” Adams said.
They also perform elaborate dances — running, leaping, bowing and flapping their wings.
“They jump straight up in the air,” Adams said. “They dance a lot. […] They also will throw sticks up in the air.”
“They are large, vocal, spectacular birds with unique breeding displays and have become symbols of international cooperation for bird conservation,” said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service site.
Greater Sandhill cranes migrate exclusively to the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta area, according to Moss.
“In 1940, there was five nesting pairs left — that’s the Greater Sandhill cranes,” Moss said. “By putting the land back in conservation, we’ve put the numbers back to 5,000.”
The Isenberg Crane Reserve land formerly belonged to the El Dorado Duck Club, until the property gained protection as an ecological reserve by the Fish and Game Commission in the 1980s, according to Moss.
“The Sandhill crane population declined sharply in California in Gold Rush days, when the birds were sold like turkeys in San Francisco butcher shops,” said Denis Cuff in the Contra Costa Times. “But in the past two decades, its population here has stabilized, with the help of new, crane-friendly farm practices that have helped preserve its habitat.”
They are threatened by other factors now.
“The once threatened Sandhill crane has made an inspiring comeback throughout much of its range,” said the International Crane Foundation. “However, despite this success, the species continues to be threatened by power line collisions and wetland loss.”
“California has lost approximately 90 percent of its natural wetlands areas,” said Kayla Webster in an article posted to the Natural Resources Conservation Service California site in July 2016. According to Peter Tira, the public information officer for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, it’s 95 percent.
Areas once composed of wetlands have been converted to orchards and vineyards that disrupt the Sandhill cranes’ ability to land and forage for food.
“The Greater Sandhill cranes have a wingspan over five feet, and they can’t land in the grapes,” Moss said. “If they got scared or spooked, they couldn’t take off from there.”
Due to wetland destruction, “The Greater Sandhill crane population has diminished in California to a point where they were listed as a threatened species in 1983,” said the Woodbridge Ecological Reserve (Isenberg Crane Reserve).
In some ways, agriculture in the Central Valley has helped crane populations by providing residue crops of corn, grain and wheat.
“The farming really hasn’t been bad for them. They will eat the leftover grain,” Moss said. “The birds kind of help out because they are adding fertilizer to the fields and they’re eating pests. They aerate the soil with their beaks.”
In California, The Nature Conservancy works with wildlife preserves, like Cosumnes River Preserve, to provide habitats for wintering birds.
“The Cosumnes River Preserve consists of over 50,000 acres of wildlife habitat and agricultural lands owned by seven land-owning Partners,” said the Cosumnes River Preserve. “The habitat supports wildlife, including birds that migrate throughout the Pacific Flyway.”
“The Nature Conservancy partners with farmers, government and nonprofit groups to manage crops, grasslands and water to provide food and shelter for cranes and other birds on the Pacific Flyway migratory path,” Cuff said.
“They own Staten Island,” Adams said. “They practice farming that continues to provide habitat and water for cranes — as well as other birds.” Staten Island is an island on the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and provides the wintering habitat for 15 percent of the cranes who migrate to the Central Valley.
“For decades, farmers burned their fields after harvest, a cheap way to destroy crop residue and control disease and pests,” said Liza Gross, a science contributor for KQED. “But the practice, which generated hazardous air pollutants such as hydrocarbons and sulfur dioxide, was banned in 1991. Farmers turned to post-harvest flooding to decompose husks and stubble in their fields with the happy albeit unintentional consequence of creating high-quality habitat for water birds like the crane — a result that may explain why millions of water-adapted birds still use the region each year despite the catastrophic loss of wetland habitat.”
“Generally, row and field crops as well as pasture land is good surrogate foraging habitat for cranes,” said Mark Ackerman, a biologist at the Bureau of Land Management Wildlife at the Cosumnes River Preserve.
The cranes typically arrive at Cosumnes River Preserve in early September and return to their breeding grounds in March.
“In general, the Preserve including the conservation easements provide all the necessary sheltering and foraging habitat needs for the cranes,” Ackerman said.
“[The Cosumnes River Preserve is] crucial for cranes. They come to the Central Valley to winter,” Tira said. “They need a place to rest and fuel up for migration. […] We’re lucky in the Central Valley to be able to experience the cranes in fall and winter […] We’re the epicenter of the Pacific Flyway.”
Tira said that most farmers enjoy seeing wildlife on their property. “It’s a win-win if we can all work together.”
Farmers may even be paid incentives for flooding their crops for migrating birds, according to Ker Than, a science journalist.
At the Isenberg Crane Reserve, less than 10 miles from Cosumnes, busloads of tourists visit the cranes annually during Lodi’s Sandhill Crane Festival.
“We’ve seen 3,000 birds come in at sunset,” Moss said.
“Open marsh, flooded pasture and grassland at site support Greater Sandhill cranes,” says Isenberg’s site. “Between late afternoon and early evening the ‘Crane Fly-in’ can often be seen as cranes fly into the surrounding flooded fields to roost for the night. The haunting sounds of the approaching cranes can be heard from miles off.”
“It was the most awe-inspiring animal spectacle of my life,” Adams said in reference to the first time she saw the crane fly-in.
“The Sandhill cranes are just amazing to go and watch,” said Lisa Sears, a Lodi resident who enjoys watching the crane fly-in with its amazing sunsets and views of Mount Diablo. “I look out and see all the birds, the cranes, ducks and egrets. All the birds share this space together without conflict. It’s very peaceful, and it’s a nice way to end the day.”
While farming in California has reduced wetlands and the cranes’ wintering habitat, in the Central Valley, smart farming can reduce the loss of resources by providing suitable surrogate habitat and food sources.
“Cranes and farms can co-exist,” Gross said. “But loss of habitat remains a concern, as the past decade has seen more vineyards and orchards move into grain fields historically used by cranes. With most wintering cranes concentrating on private lands in the valley, the future of this Pleistocene throwback will depend on the willingness of landowners to work with biologists to manage the land with wildlife in mind.”
Conservationists and biologists agree that supplying the Sandhill cranes’ wintering needs will be a cooperative effort.
Since agriculture has vastly changed California’s landscape, it’s important that farmers, scientists and the state government work together to provide for wildlife.
“I see it as beneficial to have the wetlands back,” Moss said. “I think the importance of having a natural space to go to, it benefits both the cranes and people. It’s like taking care of your soul.”
“We have to realize these birds have literally been coming to the Central Valley for thousands of years,” Adams said. “Conservation is so important for this bird species.”
Growing up in the Lodi area, I saw images of Sandhill cranes on local writers’ book jackets and posters for community events. But I never really saw the cranes until this year. They were only a vague concept, one I took for granted.
These ancient birds travel half the world to winter in my hometown, and I hadn’t yet made the 10-minute drive to meet them.
People often look to the distance for wonder and beauty. They scan social media feeds and subscribe to magazines to get away from the banality of everyday life. In the process, they forget to appreciate the value of the nature and history in their own backyards.
At least now I know. Long before “Livable, Lovable Lodi” became “the Zinfandel Capital of the World,” the Sandhill cranes migrated here. It was their home before it was mine.
Written by: Jessica Driver — jmdriver@ucdavis.edu
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie.
Cows’ perspective on face masks
Drawn by: Rushi Tawade –– rntawade@ucdavis.edu (This cartoon is h
The Editorial Board sees multiple misuses of money by UC Davis during this
Students, faculty and staff deserve more information about UC plans Though
The Park Service’s proposed management plan of the Point Reyes Seashore p
And much more… Weeks ago, I found a dead squirrel. You may be sitting
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Home Current News Spurs’ Hammon breaks barrier, becomes first woman to coach NBA game
Spurs’ Hammon breaks barrier, becomes first woman to coach NBA game
Chris Bullock
SAN ANTONIO – While it may not have been the most spectacular of circumstances, San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon finally got her chance to lead the team in a regular season game, filling in for head coach Gregg Popovich after he was ejected in the first half of a 120-107 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
Hammon, 43, became the first female in NBA history to act as head coach during a regular season game. This isn’t her first time making history as a coach, however, as she is also the first full-time female assistant coach in any of four major American sports leagues and and served as the Spurs’ Summer League head coach in 2015, leading them to the championship. She has been a part of the Spurs organization since 2014, when she was hired on as an assistant after attending team meetings during the season while rehabbing an ACL injury suffered as a member of the San Antonio Stars (now the Las Vegas Aces).
Wednesday’s accomplishment, while it didn’t end in a win, was not lost on Hammon.
“Obviously, it’s a big deal, it’s a substantial moment,” Hammon said after the game. “I’ve been a part of this organization. I got traded here in 2007, so I’ve been in San Antonio and part of the Spurs and sports organization with the Stars and everything for 13 years. So, I have a lot of time invested, and they have a lot of time invested in me in building me and getting me better.”
Hammon was called up to lead the team after Popovich received a technical foul with 5:36 left in the second quarter of Wednesday’s game, which led to him arguing with a ref over a no-call that ultimately got him ejected from the game.
becky hammon
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Before joining The Ball Out, Chris Bullock was part of SB Nation's Swish Appeal for nearly three years, covering everything women's basketball. Chris has had the honor of doing live coverage of the WNBA Finals, the NCAA Tournament, and also was given his own column, "The Triple Double". A self-described "foodaholic", Chris lives in the San Diego area with his wife and two daughters, and also hosts his own podcast, "Conscious Cravings", where he speaks about his experience as a mental health advocate.
Wins for Warnock, Ossoff give Democrats control of Senate
Former staffer expresses ‘frightening’, ‘unprecedented’ madness at Capitol Hill
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Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy team up for own SiriusXM comedy channel
Posted by Sean L. McCarthy | Mar 13, 2015 | Audio | 0 |
Two of the “Blue Collar” comedy guys are going to be heard loud and clear no matter whether their stand-up tours take them to a city near you in 2015.
Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy will team up for their own brand-new round-the-clock comedy channel on SiriusXM satellite radio, titled “Jeff and Larry’s Comedy Roundup.”
When it debuts later this year, “Jeff and Larry’s Comedy Roundup” will include exclusive new jokes and routines from both comedians, who also serve as executive producers and will regularly appear in special programming for the channel as well as SiriusXM.
“Looking forward to working with the good folks at SiriusXM and with my buddy Jeff to help produce and program the comedy you’ve come to know and love in our comedy roundup,” said Larry the Cable Guy. “This’ll be funny, I don’t care who ya are!”
“Not only have I been a comedian for 30 years but I am a lifelong fan of comedy. I am so excited to work with SiriusXM to bring exclusive comedy content, showcases and interviews found nowhere else,” said Jeff Foxworthy. “This is going to be a whole lot of fun!”
“We are excited to work directly with Jeff and Larry to create their own SiriusXM channel that will embody the everyman humor that has made them so popular across the country and with our subscribers. Having great comedic minds like theirs producing and contributing to their own 24/7 channel is exactly the kind of unique, original, only-on-SiriusXM content that makes subscribers love turning on their radios every day,” said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, SiriusXM.
FOX viewers also will be deemed worthy enough to see Foxworthy again this summer when the network brings back the game show he’s hosted, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?
The new “Jeff and Larry’s Comedy Roundup” channel joins an existing SiriusXM comedy lineup that already features Comedy Central Radio, Jamie Foxx’s The Foxxhole channel, Carlin’s Corner, Laugh USA, and Raw Dog Comedy Hits.
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Sean L. McCarthy
Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.
Earthquake joins SiriusXM with daily talk show on Kevin Hart’s radio station
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The PIT to launch an annual New York City podcast festival
Kathleen Madigan hosting Holiday Happy Hours on SiriusXM
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The "I'm Tired" Project
The “I’m Tired” Project utilizes photography, the human body and written words as a tools highlight the lasting impact of everyday micro-aggressions, assumptions & stereotypes and pull back the layers of discrimination to reveal thoughts and feelings that aren’t usually voiced through fear of backlash and lack of being relatable.
Co-creators Paula Akpan and Harriet Evans use Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram to share photos of what participants are most tired of, which is displayed across their bare backs creating a positive space for people to share their personal stories. Participants remain anonymous providing a safe and honest platform to be both vulnerable and empowered.
Since its inception in July 2015, the UK-based project has effectively initiated a social debate around daily prejudices faced by people from all walks of life. It has succeeded in reaching over 2 million people, spanning 45 over countries, with each photo reaching an average 23,000 people. In February 2016, Paula and Harriet received the prestigious “Points of Light” Award from the UK Prime Minister for their work on the project. “The Points of Light award recognizes outstanding individual volunteers – people who are making a change in their community.” The award was presented by the British Deputy Consul General in New York.
The project has been featured in publications such as the New York Times, the Huffington Post, AFROPUNK, TeenVogue and Buzzfeed. The pair have also exhibited their work in New York and Nottingham.
We want to remind people that we are more than what you might ascertain at first glance. So look again.
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Home News Featured News Why Sun TV did what it did
Why Sun TV did what it did
Home NewsFeatured News
By Gaurav Sharma
In a rare move, Sun TV, a popular Tamil news channel, has apologised and corrected an earlier report on the riot in Little India which said the Tamils in Singapore were hiding in their homes because of a hit-back from the Chinese.
But such reporting is no surprise to those familiar with Tamil Nadu politics and the nexus of media and politicians there. It all comes down to politics. The media is owned by different political parties and TV, radio and newspapers are used to push their own agenda and derail that of others.
When the opportunity arises, countries with significant Tamil populations get dragged in.
Their coverage of Sri Lanka has always been about the atrocities committed against the Tamils there. Just last month, the Tamil media in India went hammer and tongs on the issue of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s scheduled visit to Sri Lanka for the Commonwealth summit. Media somehow connected the visit to “Tamil pride” and how the PM’s visit will mean India’s tactical approval of Sri Lankan government’s alleged war crimes against Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009. The Indian PM had to ultimately bow down to the pressure and cancelled his visit citing “internal political reasons”.
This was irrespective of what the Sri Lankan Tamils were thinking. There were numerous reports indicating the exact opposite of what the Tamil media in India was saying. Observers, at that time, had pointed out how the Tamil media in India is not concerned about reporting the facts [that Sri Lankan Tamils actually want Indian PM to visit Sri Lanka]. Rather, it is playing to the domestic gallery at the behest of its political masters.
The riot in Little India got the same treatment.
A long-standing joke in Tamil Nadu is that it probably has the most balanced media in the entire country. But, to achieve that balance, you have to watch two different news channels. Watch Jaya TV to know how bad the opposition is, and watch Sun TV to know what ails the ruling party.
To add to the spice, Jaya TV is owned by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, a former film star, and Sun TV by M Karunanidhi, the leader of the Opposition. And they are bitter rivals.
Things were not so bad in the 1970s and 80s. But as television became commonplace in India in the 90s, politicians were quick to realise and exploit its reach and power of influencing public opinion. More so in South India, where almost every major political party owns a news channel whose sole aim is to advance the owner’s interests.
About Sun TV in particular, it is owned by a conglomerate which also owns other TV channels, publishes newspapers and a magazine, owns a film company and operates several radio channels.
Political biases and the TRP business
While the role of media – that of an unbiased informer – is vital to any healthy democracy; in India this has come into intense scrutiny in recent times. This is the case in Tamil Nadu too, where, as indicated above, media is owned and manipulated by political bigwigs for their vested interests.
The problem becomes all the more precarious when elections are round the corner and correct reporting based on facts is pushed into the background. Sensationalism and rumour-mongering take centre-stage instead. Notably, India is going to vote for its central government in a few months, with this election being touted as the most polarising one in decades.
Apart from political biases, another consideration is the television rating points (TRP) system, which is a tool to measure the popularity of a channel and its various programmes.
For calculation purposes, a device called People’s Metre is attached to TV sets in few thousand homes, which records the time and the programme a viewer watches. This data is then complied for a period of one-month to determine the viewership status and popularity of particular channels.
Simply put, more TRP means more eye-balls, and thus more advertisement revenues. And the “best” way to attract viewers [and thus the advertisers] is to sensationalise every news story. At least, this is what some news organisations seem to think, with Sun TV proving to be the leader of the pack in this recent case.
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My Brother’s Keeper
Sermon on Genesis 4:1-15, for the 11th Sunday after Trinity, (1 Year Lectionary), about Cain and Abel. Why did he kill his brother? What were some of the "firsts" (good and bad) in Genesis? What "new impulse" did Adam and Eve gain (in Genesis 3)? What is true and false about the idea of being "my brother's keeper"? What were Adam and Eve hoping for when their son Cain was born? How did Jesus fulfill the role that Cain never did? What is unusual about 4:1?
He Himself is Our Peace
Sermon on Luke 19:41-48, for the 10th Sunday after Trinity, about Jesus' lament over Jerusalem after entering on Palm Sunday. What does Jesus mean about them rejecting the "things that make for peace" and not knowing "the time of their visitation?" What is the peace of Jesus? What kind of "visitation" is still to come? How do we show that we don't know the things that make for peace, and what brings peace even today?
Merciful, Blameless, and Pure
Sermon on 2 Samuel 22:26-34 (Psalm 18:25-33), for the 9th Sunday after Trinity, about how God is merciful, blameless, and pure, and wants us to reflect these qualities in our life, and why God appears "torturous" to the crooked. How does this fit into David's own life? How did he make his way "crooked" and find God to be "torturous"? How does God rescue us from crooked paths and crooked hearts? Who is, and where can you find a "blameless man" or "upright hero?"
True Disciples Know the True Christ
Sermon on Matthew 7:15-23, for the 8th Sunday after Trinity, about false prophets and their deceptions. How does this piece of the Sermon on the Mount fit into the bigger picture, as the "exit" of the sermon? What are the dangers and pitfalls that surround discipleship? How does a false prophet reveal himself? How do disciples learn to know the true Christ, so as not to be taken in by frauds and imposters? Who will enter the kingdom of heaven, and how?
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Will Fletcher's Injury Have An Effect On Our Season?
Darren Fletcher has never been a player I have rated too highly. Had he not been billed as “the next David Beckham” then maybe we could have been more accepting from the young Scot. Had his place in the team always depended upon the injuries of others, then I’m sure he would have been welcomed more enthusiastically by our following.
However, no doubt because of his nationality, Sir Alex Ferguson was insistent on making Fletcher a first XI player. Beteen 2004-2006, Fletcher was a regular starter for the club, but was unable to keep a consistently high level of performance. With no threat to his starting place in the team, Fletcher didn’t seem to play with the urgency and commitment and got increasingly worse.
Despite scoring a crucial goal against Chelsea in the first half of the 2005-2006 season, by the close of the season he’d lost his place in the centre of midfield to Ryan Giggs and John O’Shea, who proved surprisingly to be a good pairing.
Michael Carrick joined in the summer following that season, signalling the end of Fletcher’s United career, in the starting XI at least. Carrick slotted in well alongside Paul Scholes reducing Fletcher to mainly substitute appearances. However, this lead to an improvement in Fletcher’s game, him taking the rarer appearances as a chance to prove himself, and this was particularly evident in United’s 7-1 victory over Roma.
Earlier this month, I questioned whether we had been too quick to criticise Fletcher following a string of great performances, with the Scot showing he could be trusted to perform in the big games. The highlight of his season so far was obviously the part he played in our 4-0 victory over Arsenal. Not only for the two goals, but for the solid performance he put in all over the park. He bought hard for every ball, running the length of the pitch, and never pulling out of any battle.
Whilst still competing with Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick, Owen Hargreaves and Anderson for a place in the team, Fletcher has shown himself as a more reliable option. With plenty of big games on their way, Fletcher’s fighting spirit is something that could add that little bit extra to our team.
However, the friendly Fletcher’s featured in midweek for Scotland has likely cost him the rest of his season. There is no time to rehabilitate injured players with one or two games remaining, which would likely be the earliest team Fletcher would be fit enough to play, meaning it is unlikely he will play any further part in United’s season. Sir Alex Ferguson, who has voiced his displeasure over International friendlies on a number of occasions, has again spoken of his frustration.
“Darren should have played only 45 minutes, 60 minutes at most. But instead he was heading for a full game before he got injured,” he said. “He had gone up to Scotland with a bad chest cold, which caused him to miss our last game (the 3-0 victory against Liverpool on Sunday). It is a bad blow losing Darren and again shows the futility of playing friendly games. It is crazy. Supporters will stop going anyway, given the kind of money they are paying and the kind of travelling they have to do. Every manager knows deep down these games are a waste of time.”
United certainly have cover for Fletcher’s position, so that shouldn’t be a worry, but do we have many players with the mentality of Fletcher? Not doubting that we have plenty of people up for the fight, but do we have many players who capable of raising their game in the way Fletcher is? I imagine Arsenal are crying out for a player with the commitment of Fletcher at the moment, as it’s his ability to turn up in the big games, when the pressure is on, that we could really miss.
Will Fletcher’s injury be costly to United?
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Prasac March 29, 2008
Fletcher injury will show we are better team without him...He played well in 10 (or less) from 200 games and he is some kind of superhero now?!
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Home News Seven new cases of infection in the Republic of Srpska; Total 121
Seven new cases of infection in the Republic of Srpska; Total 121
In the Republic of Srpska, seven new cases of coronavirus have been registered, Health and Social Welfare Minister Alen Šeranić said at a news conference.
Thus, the total number of infected in Srpska reached 121.
Seranic said that 75 tests were performed on coronary virus in the past 24 hours, seven of which were positive. It is about four men and three women.
– When it comes to persons found to be positive for the coronavirus, three are from Kozarska Dubica, two from Gradiška, and one each from Banja Luka and Doboj. All persons are isolated or quarantined – he said.
The minister said that in the Republic of Srpska there were 16,443 persons under medical supervision, while 1,041 were out of control.
He stated that tests and persons quarantined in Gradiška and Šamac had been carried out.
Šeranić said that as of yesterday, 20 people had been quarantined in Banja Luka, in the Student Center “Nikola Tesla”.
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Breaking news: Judas not a hero after all
Andy Rau • December 3, 2007
Remember the buzz last year about the third-century Gnostic "Gospel of Judas," which allegedly cast Judas as a hero (rather than villain) of the Gospel story? We noted it here at TC, and it generated a fair amount of controversy and discussion, hitting the public eye just as the hype around the Da Vinci Code book and movie was picking up steam.
Well, according to a piece in the NYT this weekend, the Gospel of Judas was mistranslated and does not, in fact, feature a heroic Judas. Quite the opposite, in fact:
The shocker: Judas didn’t betray Jesus. Instead, Jesus asked Judas, his most trusted and beloved disciple, to hand him over to be killed. Judas’s reward? Ascent to heaven and exaltation above the other disciples.
It was a great story. Unfortunately, after re-translating the society’s transcription of the Coptic text, I have found that the actual meaning is vastly different. While National Geographic’s translation supported the provocative interpretation of Judas as a hero, a more careful reading makes clear that Judas is not only no hero, he is a demon.
This isn't going to shake up anybody's faith (or lack thereof); Christians don't even recognize the Gospel of Judas as canonical, so it doesn't affect mainstream Christian theology in any way no matter what it says about Judas. (Even with Judas cast as the villain, it's not an orthodox Christian work by any means.) But between this embarrassing mistranslation, the Jesus tomb hoax, and the James ossuary forgery, is it too much to hope that future claims of Christianity-shaking archaeological discoveries will be met with skepticism, rather than breathless headlines and much-hyped TV specials?
(And really, the Judas-as-hero heresy isn't even a new idea: it cropped up in Jorge Luis Borges' fictional essay "Three Versions of Judas" several decades ago.)
Topics: Culture At Large, Arts & Leisure, Books, News & Politics, Social Trends, History
Andy Rau is a content manager at BibleGateway.com. He lives in west Michigan with his wife and two children.
More Articles by Andy Rau
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The Holy Spirit and Korn
Steven Koster • March 20, 2009
1998: Korn Rocks
I've never been a big Korn fan, but metal music is a guilty pleasure. Over a decade ago, a high-school student near my hometown was suspended for wearing a T-shirt featuring logos of the metal band Korn. It's a fairly rural, conservative, religious, family-oriented community--the kind of place metal music tries hard to rebel against. Korn, of course, knew an opportunity when they saw one. So they both issued a free-speech legal challenge and parked a bus across the street to hand out t-shirts when school let out. It made headlines, sold records, and spun a little tempest in our backyard teapot.
2005: Head leaves for Christ
So I was surprised, even shocked, when in February 2005, one of the founding Korn band members announced he was leaving the band for the sake of Christianity. The band released a rather respectful statement:
"Korn has parted ways with guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch, who has chosen Jesus Christ as his savior, and will be dedicating his musical pursuits to that end. Korn respects Brian's wishes, and hopes he finds the happiness he's searching for."
Welch's sudden conversion was part of a wider process, starting with his dissatisfaction in his life as he knew it and a desire to be a better father.
His newfound spirituality was just another step on his path of self-discovery....He left because he had become sick of "chasing the almighty buck." So after a weekend of soul-searching, coupled with reading from a Bible his friend had leant him, Welch decided it was time to go.
In the following months, most of the band members kept in touch, though at least one band member saw religion as an excuse to condemn other people. "At the end of the night I see 'em chillin' at t---y bars and cheating on their wives and doing all the things that we all do." He wrote a song called "Hypocrites" to express his view on religion.
Welch, meanwhile, has since released a book and CD, both called "Save Me From Myself," and had several scripture passages tattooed on his body. He describes a bit of his journey, new life, and perspective on Vimeo, a part of the I Am Second campaign.
BRIAN HEAD WELCH - I AM SECOND from BRIAN HEAD WELCH on Vimeo.
2009: Fieldy
And now in March 2009, Fieldy, another Korn member, is releasing a memoir (featured on the Korn site) recounting his journey from hard living to faith in Christ.
It took an unexpected tragedy to straighten him out: the death of his father, a born again Christian, to a mysterious illness. Following his father’s dying wish, Fieldy found God. Filled with the spirit of his new faith, Fieldy quit drugs and drinking cold turkey, and found the best part of himself.
Yet while off drugs and on to Christ, this isn't a simple repeat performance. Fieldy still records with Korn and is not quick to be seen as another Head or to be made into a testimonial.
AP: Your former bandmate, Brian "Head" Welch, faced criticism when he decided to follow God and quit drugs. Do you think you will too?
Fieldy: I didn't go and quit anything. I remained who I am, so I don't know if anybody wants to criticize. I'm still me. I made some changes, I didn't go around telling everybody I was ready to make changes, I just remained me. I may get more criticism today in putting this book out than I have. You know, maybe this is my time, but I'm ready to take the criticism and answer anybody's questions.
I can't say I've read their books, but the stories told in interviews and the press seem like testament to the Holy Spirit to me. Through parents, friends, and scripture, these men were called and changed radically. I wouldn't want to cast their experience as some one-dimensional morality tale--these are real people living into the full depths of the messiness of their lives. Yet they are changed, their lives touched by God. And they now stand in a place where their stories bear witness in ways mine never could or will.
May Christ's light shine!
Topics: Music, Culture At Large, Arts & Leisure, Theology & The Church, Evangelism, News & Politics, Social Trends
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True Blue Democrats:
Can Working from the Inside Change the Democratic Party?
Posted on April 26, 2013 by Dave LIndorff
Occupy Wall Street’s dynamic grass roots movement is quiescent and may or may not return. Its respite or demise is due to a combination of deliberate and apparently nationally directed police violence and federal, state and local government spying, as well as to its own lack of political direction. It remains a political space to focus tremendous energy and passion, and draw to it many millions of the 99%.
Many sympathetic to OWS maintain that it needs a political party. One of them is Patrick Walker, a native of the gritty industrial city of Scranton in northeastern Pennsylvania. Walker participated the OWS movement as part of Occupy Scranton. He has also joined in anti-fracking activism via the Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition and End Gasocracy Now, which put him under the watchful eye of Homeland Security.
Following a move to Georgia, Walker now seeks to gain political traction by focusing his efforts on progressive Democrats within the Democratic Party (D.P.), hoping to bring the party “back” to the 99%. He does not seek D.P. permission as do many other insider party reform efforts.
Walker began his effort—which he calls Start a True Blue Democrat Progressive Revolt—on two websites:
RuckUs and at True Blue Democrats: A Progressive Revolt
“We need to take our political system back from Big Money. I offer this as a promising strategy idea for making that happen,” Walker says.
As he sees it, “The people in Washington and our statehouses — Republicans and Democrats — are already too bought off by (or scared of) Big Money to listen to ‘We the people’.”
Can the passion of the Occupy Movement be turned to taking over the Democratic Party, or is the Democratic Party a lost cause?
In responding to those progressives who see the necessity of backing the “lesser of two evils”, Walker states: “The evil has become too evil to accept.” He hopes that True Blue Democrats could return the Democratic Party to its “New Deal and Great Society principles.” All other Democrats, he says, are DINOs.
DINOs vs. a new platform
By that, Walker means that most Democratic Party leaders, including President Obama and much of the constituency, are “Democrats in Name Only”.
“DINOs stand for much the same as do Republicans: growing poverty, diminishing social safety net, vanished democracy, endless wars, and a devastated environment,” he says.
Walker wants TBD to stand against these Republican and DINO policies, to expose Obama “for what he is”, and “to insist on progressive goals: peace, a livable planet, and prospects of a decent, fulfilling life for everyone.”
Walker is careful about not nailing down a platform and structure, because he believes there must be a democratic process where supporters make such vital decisions, though he personally offers this version of progressivism:
“It is a rejection of the whole ‘war on terror’ concept and the security and surveillance state that goes with it; a scaling back of the U.S. military toward purely defensive uses; a strong defense of the social safety net with no cutbacks to Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid, and extension of unemployment benefits as necessary; a call for a Constitutional Amendment reversing Citizens United, as well as reforming the revolving door lobbying between government and industry; a push for single-payer health care and more affordable education; a focus on Keynesian stimulus and jobs creation rather than the deficit; a more progressive system of taxation, with a tax on speculation and tax incentives to keep jobs in the country; and a hard push for replacing fossil fuel with renewable energy while tightly regulating extreme methods of fossil fuel extraction like offshore drilling and fracking as those fuels are phased out.”
He continues: “Once we get the critical numbers, we’ll start having a very democratic discussion about the platform and a grassroots organizing strategy. But for the moment, I’ve been trying to build support for the basic True Blue Democrats concept.”
Walker takes his cue from Noam Chomsky’s criticism of Ralph Nader “for popping up every four years to run for president without building a political movement in between.”
Chomsky offered a “qualified” support for TBD saying, “I’d be glad to say that I think it’s an interesting idea, worth pursuing…I think it’s a very long shot. The cards are stacked against independent [political party] politics in the US…And buying of elections is now so deeply embedded that it would take mass popular organization, revival of unions, and probably a lot more to overcome it. That seems to me where energy should go. If third party ideas can be used as a means to stimulate large-scale activism, that’d be good. I don’t see how they can go very far in themselves.”
Walker takes Chomsky to heart and yet sees a dilemma in bringing the 99% aboard such a movement. He says, “What happened with Occupy was a failure to seek a political outlet for its justified rage. I was pushing for the Green Party. But while great on principle, it is a weak, long-time unsuccessful brand.”
The TBD founder thinks that the idea could garner media coverage and, most importantly, raise consciousness and activate Democrats who would otherwise not be reached by grassroots activities and leftist groups. He agrees that grassroots movements need to develop and grow, yet also thinks that if the existing political party system is abandoned by progressives, “the people who run it could do some truly awful things–like approve the XL pipeline, destroy the social safety net, and declare another unjust war in Iran–while we on the left sit back and congratulate ourselves on our ideological purity.”
“A grassroots revolt by progressive Democrats is not tied to the status quo. And we’re fully ready to bolt from the party—maybe forming a coalition party of Greens and independent progressives—if phony-progressive, pro-corporate stealth Bush neo-cons like Obama continue to be its stock and trade. If anyone has a better idea for getting progressive voices heard and taken seriously, I’d love to hear it.”
One of the hundred or so website comments on the idea so far comes from an activist in Veterans for Peace, Tarak Kauff: “I have no idea if True Blue Dems will work but from what I’ve read so far, it’s not something that needs to be discouraged.”
Critics: Right
True Blue Democrats have progressive critics inside and outside the D.P., as well as radicals and revolutionaries. The former includes The Progressive Democrats of America, which emerged from the presidential campaigns of Howard Dean and Dennis Kucinich. It was founded in 2004 by former peace and reform activist Tim Carpenter and other reformers. Currently PDA consists of “a large group of progressive grassroots activists from across the country who want to support progressive grassroots activities both locally and nationally.” They claim 80,000 supporters. Leaders or advisors include former radicals such as, Tom Hayden, Medea Benjamin, Jim Hightower, and several union leaders and elected politicians. PDAmerica
PDA calls for a single-payer health care system but also accepts what Obama produced. They want more taxes for the rich, less dependence on fossil fuels, and legalization of marijuana. They say they support justice and peace. They oppose the Iraq war, but are mostly silent about the wars against Afghanistan and Libya; some even consider these wars as “humanitarian operations”. They also back, through their silence, Obama’s drone missile wars in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, and current economic and military encroachments into Africa, including Somalia, Uganda and Kenya, as well as in Syria.
PDA believes that any effort to pull away from the Democratic Party would only aid the Republicans, the greater evil of evils.
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) is “an organization powered by our members that builds long-term progressive power. We elect bold candidates to Congress and mobilize around progressive policy priorities. Our recent work includes leading the Draft Elizabeth Warren for Senate movement, working to win two recall elections against Wisconsin Republicans, supporting the 99% movement and Wall Street accountability, and pushing Congress to tax the rich while protecting programs like Social Security and Medicare.”
PCCC or Bold Progressives claim 950,000 online members. It was started in 2009 by former MoveOn organizers. Move On itself was started in 1998 by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and now claims eight million online members. They are the least progressive of progressives and work in concert with the leadership of the Democratic Party.
Unlike Walker’s True Blue Democrats, these major progressive groups basically support the Democratic Party, and especially the presidency of Obama, regardless of his and the party’s war crimes against humanity. Their view; Obama’s victory is a victory against racism (granted), and he is better than what otherwise could exist (not granted).
The reality is, however, that corporate profits have never been higher than under Obama, who has been Wall Street’s champion in over seven wars. President Bush the younger was in charge over two wars. Together, Bush and Obama have given trillions of dollars in tax moneys to bail finance capital out of catastrophe.
Data compiled by Bloomberg show that “U.S. corporations’ after-tax profits have grown by 171% under Obama, more than under any president since World War II, and are now at their highest level relative to the size of the economy since the government began keeping records in 1947.” “Profits are more than twice as high as their peak during President Ronald Reagan’s administration and more than 50 percent greater than during the late-1990s Internet boom, measured by the size of the economy.”
Critics: Left
The major progressive organizations are part of what activist-writer John Stauber calls the progressive movement for rich democrats. He writes:
“The self-labeled Progressive Movement that has arisen over the past decade is primarily one big propaganda campaign serving the political interests of the Democratic Party’s richest one-percent who created it. The founders and owners of the Progressive Movement get richer and richer off Wall Street and the corporate system. But they happen to be Democrats, cultural and social liberals who can’t stomach Republican policies, and so after bruising electoral defeats a decade ago they decided to buy a movement, one just like the Republicans, a copy.” “There is no grassroots organized progressive movement with power in the United States, and none is being built. Indeed, if anything threatens to emerge, the cry ‘Remember Nader!’ arises and the budding insurgency is marginalized or co-opted, as in the case of the Occupy Wall Street events. Meanwhile, the rich elite who fund the Progressive Movement, and their candidates such as Barack Obama, are completely wedded to maintaining the existing status quo on Wall Street and in the corporate boardroom. Their well-kept Progressive Movement is adept at PR, propaganda, marketing and fundraising necessary in the service of the Democratic Party and the corporate elite who rule it.”
Two organizers of the OWS movement, Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers responded to separate mail correspondence concerning TBD which were sent by Walker and myself. Kevin wrote:
“People who say that Dems should be what the Democratic Party is supposed to stand for don’t know their history very well. The Democratic Party was founded by plantation slave owners and it stayed a segregationist party until the 1960s civil rights revolt — led by people like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X who did not support the Democratic Party because it was a segregationist party. The Dems have now successfully destroyed the Civil Rights movement so that African Americans have made virtually no progress, except getting false leaders elected — Obama is the best example of this; of course, he stands for Wall Street and US Empire, not civil rights, and African Americans have made no gains under his leadership.”
“FDR’s greatest success was saving capitalism. So, when you say Democrats should be what the Dem Party stands for, history tells me, that is not what I want.”
Margaret Flowers wrote:
“I see the corporate parties as really one entity with two sides but the same master, Wall Street and large industries. They have all of the power and unlimited resources. They are going to put as much resources as necessary into preventing a truly progressive democrat from being elected or to control a progressive Dem that does get elected.
“I think that working within the Democratic Party maintains the illusion that the party is progressive…This tactic has already been tried by the Progressive Democrats of America, and it failed miserably. Even when they do manage to win an election, their candidates are quickly subsumed [becoming] completely ineffective. Leadership knows exactly how to control them. This is something that supports the goals of the Democrats. “The Democrats want to create the appearance of a divide between themselves and the Republicans because that gives the voters something to fight about and keeps voters distracted. In fact, the two corporate parties work very well together to create illusions that distract the masses and allow the parties to continue to move their corporate agenda forward within the parameters of their limited differences. I do not want to maintain that illusion. That is why I support the Green Party and a new project that will be launched this month.”
Kevin and Flowers co-direct Its Our Economy, and were among a core group of about 100 who planned the long-running Occupation of Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC. They co-host: Clearing the FOG (Forces of Greed)
In the 2012 elections, the duopoly candidates took 98.3% of the 129 million voters — but those voters represented just 58.9% of those eligible to vote. That left about 93 million eligible, voting-age people who did not vote. Left-oriented third party candidates—Greens, Peace & Freedom Party, Party for Socialism and Liberation, plus several socialist oriented write in candidates—received a dismal 600,000 votes, representing under 0.5 per cent of the votes.
So the questions for progressives of all types are these:
Since the managed democratic electoral system only provides decision-making influence to the majority winner, how can our energies put into building third parties pay off;
How can we assure that when we create radical or revolutionary political movements and political parties that they remain such?
How do we assure that our leaders will remain loyal to the cause and not succumb to their own power egos and material comforts?
RON RIDENOUR, an occasional contributor to ThisCantBeHappening!, is US journalist who lives as an expatriate in Denmark. He can be reached at: ronrorama@gmail.com He wrote this article exclusively for ThisCantBeHappening!.
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LOS THREE AMIGOS
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Tag Archives: Auto Windscreens Trophy
Resting senior squad players – was Cook right?
Posted by JJ (Tony) in Reflections and tagged with Accrington Stanley, Auto Windscreens Trophy, Checkatrade Trophy, EFL Trophy, Freight Rover Trophy, Paul Cook, Terell Thomas November 9, 2017
In November 2016 five clubs were fined a total of £60,000 by the EFL for contravening “full strength” rules in the Checkatrade Trophy. Luton Town and Portsmouth broke the rules in three games, each being docked £15,000. The third and final matches in the group stages had seen attendances in most of games plummet below four figures with Portsmouth having their lowest attendance since WW2 for a competitive match at Fratton Park.
Luton and Portsmouth had not complied with full strength rules that involved them putting five first team players in their starting line-up. The “first team players” could have been from those who played in the last league game, or the next league match, or the highest appearance makers in the season so far. Bradford City had found a way to circumvent the rules by substituting their “first team” goalkeeper after just three minutes in a game against Bury. Their assistant manager joked “I thought he had a poor 45 seconds”. Since then other clubs have followed suit. Accrington Stanley did it on Tuesday night at Wigan by taking off Billy Kee after four minutes.
Wigan Athletic will surely face a fine of at least £5,000 for the line-up put out by Paul Cook three days ago. The only member of the senior squad who played was Tyrell Thomas, who is 21 years old, his three league appearances this season having been as a substitute. Ten of the starting line-up were under 20 years of age, with the 15-year-old Jenson Weir coming on as a substitute after 69 minutes.
The 4-0 scoreline in favour of the visitors was no surprise, given the inexperience in the Wigan team. The game could be roughly described as one between Accrington’s second choice side and Latics’ third choice. It proved to be a mismatch which few of the 1,473 spectators present would have truly enjoyed. So why did Cook put out such a line-up? Did he give due warning to the fans that it would be the case?
Cook had given some indication of his line-up before the game by saying “I enjoy the youngsters coming in and showing what they can do. We took 700 fans to Blackpool in the first game, and it’s great for the kids to be playing in front of those numbers. I’m sure there’ll be more kids in the team for this one, and that’s great for Gregor (Rioch) and the Academy.”
But the team that started at Blackpool was largely composed of members of the senior squad, including the likes Donervon Daniels, Alex Gilbey, Jamie Jones, David Perkins and Max Power who had years of EFL experience under their belts. Was the manager being fair to the youngsters who played, or on the fans who turned up on Tuesday? Why did he not include senior squad members in need of match practice?
Cook had alluded to resting players in his pre-match comments: “We felt this week, with all the games we’ve played recently, it was a bit of a ‘lower’ week in terms of giving some lads a break. I just feel that with 16 league games, the Checkatrade Trophy, the Carabao Cup, and now the FA Cup, lads are just starting to show the first signs of fatigue.”
However, what he did not explain is why players who had been side-lined or spent most of their time on the bench were not played. Was it because he wanted to maintain harmony in the senior squad by giving them all (barring Terell Thomas) a rest, not just those who have played a lot of games up to this point? Or was it because he holds scant regard for the Checkatrade Trophy?
The EFL Trophy, currently sponsored by Checkatrade, started in the 1983-84 season as the Associate Members’ Cup. It was a competition involving clubs from the bottom two tiers of the Football League. Wigan Athletic were winners in its second season in 1984-85 was, beating Brentford 3-1 in front of 39,897 spectators at Wembley. At the time it was sponsored by Freight Rover.
In 1992 the third and fourth tier clubs received full voting rights after the First Division had broken away from the Football League to form the Premier League. Its name was duly changed to the Football League Trophy. Latics went on to win the competition again in April 1999 when they beat Millwall 1-0 at Wembley in front of a crowd of 55,349. It was then sponsored by Auto Windscreens.
Since those heady days the competition has had its ups and downs. In the year 2000 eight clubs from the Football Conference were invited to compete, but in 2006 this stopped. In 2016-17 it was renamed the EFL Trophy and Premier League and Championship clubs with Category 1 academies were included. The inclusion of those teams was voted in by EFL clubs but has been unpopular with most supporters of clubs in Leagues 1 and 2, to such an extent that some fans have boycotted the tournament as a form of protest.
However, despite the sparse attendances that typify the earlier stages of the competition it still maintains some status. Last season saw Coventry City win it by beating Oxford United 2-1 in front of a crowd of 74,434.
However, with 46 league games and the League Cup and FA Cup to compete in, were Wigan Athletic really interested in winning the EFL Trophy this season? The clear priority for Latics is promotion back to the Championship division, so how does the club view the Checkatrade Trophy?
Jonathan Jackson provided some perspective on the matter prior to the Accrington match. He stated that it was a much-maligned competition, but added that: “Within football, it’s seen as a great way of getting young players out there on to the pitch. Other than this competition, it’s very difficult to get young players into a competitive environment”. Jackson also revealed that there is a financial benefit for competing EFL clubs, through the prize money.
According to an article in the Coventry Telegraph in February 2017, the prize money for winning a group stage match was £10,000, with £5,000 for a draw. With the prize money increasing in later rounds Coventry City would have received around £400,000 in their winning the trophy.
Looking at Paul Cook’s decision from a pragmatic angle it appears that Latics will have made a small profit from their participation in the Checkatrade Trophy this season, even allowing for a fine in the region of £5,000. Although the Accrington game proved far from ideal for the development of young players, the previous games provided opportunities for youth, backed up by the presence of senior squad players.
Cook’s decision to field such a young and inexperienced team on Tuesday night was certainly controversial. Moreover, the postponement of Saturday’s fixture at Rochdale did not go down well with so many fans. However, the absence of the current second and third choice goalkeepers on international duty this weekend would surely have been an issue.
Only time will tell whether Cook giving his senior squad players a break of a fortnight between games will produce the result he seeks.
It is indeed a long season ahead.
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