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by fczgl | May 14, 2020 | Podcasts | 0 comments
On this segment of 21, you’ll meet Adam Hall. Adam was a beloved basketball star at both Katy High School (Texas) and the University of Virginia, who has enjoyed a long and celebrated international basketball career.
Adam keeps it real about the twists and turns of his path, and how he pressed forward regardless of his circumstances…all for the love of the game.We are so excited about sharing our conversation. More basketball fans in Texas, Virginia, and throughout the country need to know the name Adam Hall. For some old school fans, this should be an enjoyable reminder.
Connect with Adam on social media. https://www.facebook.com/terrill.hall.378
Enjoy this episode of 21!
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Elkhart Lake Lions Club
Wisconsin - United States
District 27-B1
3rd Monday, 7:00PM
Anchor Lanes - Elkhart Lake
Lions meet the needs of local communities and the world every day because they share a core belief - to serve their community.
Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization. We have 1.35 million members in more than 45,000 clubs in more than 206 countries and geographic areas.
Lions have a dynamic history. Founded in 1917, we are best known for fighting blindness, but we also volunteer for many different kinds of community projects - including caring for the environment, feeding the hungry and aiding seniors and the disabled.
Lions give sight. By conducting vision screenings, equipping hospitals and clinics, distributing medicine and raising awareness of eye disease, Lions work toward their mission of providing vision for all. We have extended our commitment to sight conservation through countless local efforts and through our international SightFirst Program, which works to eradicate blindness.
Lions serve youth. Our community projects often support local children and schools through scholarships, recreation and mentoring. Internationally, we offer many programs, including the Peace Poster Contest, Youth Camps and Exchange and Lions Quest.
Our Leo Program provides the youth of the world with an opportunity for personal development through volunteering. There are approximately 144,000 Leos and 5,700 Leo clubs in more than 140 countries worldwide.
Lions award grants. Since 1968, the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) has awarded more than US$700 million in grants to support Lions humanitarian projects around the world. LCIF was also ranked the number one nongovernmental organization in a 2007 study by The Financial Times.
Lions help during disasters. Together, our Foundation and Lions are helping communities following natural disasters by providing for immediate needs such as food, water, clothing and medical supplies – and aiding in long-term reconstruction.
Lions are active. Our motto is "We Serve." Lions are part of a global service network, doing whatever is necessary to help our local communities.
For more about Lions Clubs, go to www.lionsclubs.org
©2021 This site is the property of Elkhart Lake Lions Club - United States
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Asian Cup: China takes gold, India is silver
5/31/2014 – The final round of the men's competition was a cliffhanger since the medals were not assured, and a slip could end in tragedy. The Chinese men played Iran-A, and barely scraped through a win, thus taking gold, while India had an easy round and took silver. Iran's GM Elshan Moradiabadi sent us a report of the tour of Tabriz, with many fascinating glimpses into the culture of the region.
new: The Exciting Budapest Gambit
The 2014 Asian Nations Cup is underway in Tabriz, Iran, and will run from May 20-30, 2014. It is a team event with men's and women competitions in blitz, rapid, and standard time controls. The first event is the rapid games competitions followed by the standard time controls, and finally on the last day the blitz event will be held.
Standard competition
Open - Final round
The final round of the Asian Nations Cup was a tough exciting one in which the medals were still undecided. China was the favorite with a match point lead over India, while Vietnam and Kazakhstan were tied for third-fourth, separated by a meager tiebreak score.
The only easy match of the leaders was India's, as they faced the vastly lower-rated Sri Lankans and as a consequence could spend time rooting against the Chinese after their unsurprising 4-0 demolition. The Chinese team faced Iran-A, and although they were the clear favorites on paper, the Iranians had been putting on quite a show for the home crowd, and in the rapids had come close to an upset as they lost by a narrow 1.5-2.5. As it were, history repeated itself as the Chinese were given a scare when the top three boards were unable to do better than draw, despite a significant ratings advantage, until fourth board Ma Qun beat Hamayoon Toufighi to secure the minimum 2.5-1.5 victory and gold.
Iran-A did their country proud with fine individual performances
The Chinese had their scare but they never backed down and deservedly won the gold
Despite beating China in their individual matchup, India had to be content with silver
The match between Kazakhstan and Vietnam was even more dramatic as a win by either would mean Bronze or missing out on a medal. The tension showed as both teams exchanged blows with three decisive games out of four, but the Vietnamese had the final word as they took it by 2.5-1.5.
The Vietnamese team came through at the eleventh hour by beating Kazakhstan in a thrilling
match and took bronze
The Chinese women were indomitable in their event
India, led by Harika Dronavalli and Tania Sachdev, took silver
The Iranian women took a much desserved bronze after they drew India in the last round
IRAN A
IRAN B
Visiting Tabriz
By GM Elshan Moradiabadi
On the morning prior to round eight, I chose to take a tour of Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan in Iran. Readers unfamiliar with the history of the region may wonder why a region of Iran is called East Azerbaijan, and whether there is a relation with the republic with the same name. The answer is a big yes. In fact there is also a region called West Azerbaijan, and all three namesakes, the two regions and the republic, share the same culture and language. They once belonged to the Persian Empire, but a portion was ceded to Russia in the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813 as a result of the first full-scale Russo-Persian War. It should be noted that despite sharing fundamental similarities, today they also differ in that the Republic of Azerbaijan is more westernized while the Azerbaijan provinces of Iran remain very religious and traditional.
Maqbaratoshoara is a mausoleum for poets, mystics and famous people
located in the Surkhab district of Tabriz in Iran
As can be seen in the sign, it contains the remnants of no fewer than 410 notable figures. The first
poet buried in this complex is Asadi Tusi (999-1072), one of the greatest Persian poets of all time.
The Bazaar of Tabriz is one of the oldest markets in Iran which is situated in the heart of
the city of Tabriz. It is believed that the complex was one of the most important commercial
centers on the silk road.
The pictures are from Tim-che-eh-Mozaffariyeh which was founded by Mozaffer ad-Din Shah e Qajar.
Tabriz rugs are considered one of the finest of Iranian make. These gigantic works of art once
graced the former government palace of Tabriz
As can easily be read in black letters, this rug was made in 1320, which makes it 73 years
old. This might seem like we are failing some basic math, but you need to understand that
just as the Western calendar sets year zero around Jesus Christ, the Iranian calendar starts
with the prophet and historical figure Muhammad which was exactly 1393 years ago.
This sumptuous weave depicts the former city hall, a magnificent palace that is 107 years old
and is now a museum
Arg-e AliShāh, also known as Arg-e Tabriz and Masjid AliShāh, is a remnant
of a mosque in the center of Tabriz, Iran, built in the Ilkhanate period
In Iran this Arg is considered the sign of the city. It used to have one of the tallest historical
walls in the world. Next to it there was a famous music theater known as the "Lion and Sun"
which was built by Russian architects. Unfortunately it was destroyed in the 1980s.
All men's standard games in PGN
All women's standard games in PGN
The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 12 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.
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Strictly to the west: military monuments in Russia are brought to the complete “combat readiness”
7 May 2020, 16:10Society
Russian "victorious obscurantists" invented the canon of the installation of monuments of military equipment, so that it was always ready to meet the invasion of a potential enemy.
Orthodox churches are deployed to the east by the altar. Muslims during prayer turn to Mecca. And in Russia, military monuments are traditionally deployed to the west.
Novaya Gazeta reports:
“In Rostov-on-Don, the barrel of the memorial tank was turned towards the West during the repair. The barrel of the T-34/76 tank in the historical center of Rostov-on-Don, on Khimikov Square, was deployed “for two hours”, and now the muzzle of the combat vehicle is looking strictly west. According to restorers, the canon of installing military equipment as monuments on the territory of Russia was respected . Interviewed by New experts deny the existence of tradition. ”
Political scientist Sergei Medvedev comments on this blog as funny as ominous information:
“I don’t know what the experts think, but as a motorist who often drives hundreds of kilometers from Moscow and Minsk and Riga, I can confirm that all tanks, Katyushas, guns, soldiers, and bayonets are deployed strictly west. But far to go, here is the sovereign axis of Moscow, Kutuzovsky Prospekt. The soldiers at the stele at the intersection with Dorogomilovskaya street - facing west. The warriors and warriors on Poklonka, on the corner of Minsk Street, also face west. It is necessary to check, but it seems that Zhukov, Minin and Pozharsky are also looking west, towards the Volokolamsk highway. I don’t remember where the Tsar Cannon was directed, if not there, then urgently needs to be deployed.
This, of course, has a religious and mystical meaning, these are sacred signs, charms that protect us from the Western threat. But anyway: while guarding the western frontiers, the infection came from the rear side, from China..."
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Ogden Nash: translation
August 19, 1902(1902-08-19)
May 19, 1971(1971-05-19) (aged 68)
Harvard University ( For 1 Year)
Poet, author, lyric-writer
Frances Leonard
Edmund and Mattie
Frederic Ogden Nash (August 19, 1902 – May 19, 1971) was an American poet well known for his light verse. At the time of his death in 1971, the New York Times said his "droll verse with its unconventional rhymes made him the country's best-known producer of humorous poetry".[1]
2 Writing career
3 Death and subsequent events
4 Poetic style
5 Other poems
6 Ogden Nash stamp
7.1 Individual poems
Nash was born in Rye, New York. His father owned and operated an import-export company, and because of business obligations, the family relocated often.
His family lived briefly in Savannah, GA in a carriage house owned by Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA; he wrote a poem about Mrs. Low's House. After graduating from St. George's School in Middletown, Rhode Island, Nash entered Harvard University in 1920, only to drop out a year later. He returned to St. George's to teach for a year and left to work his way through a series of other jobs, eventually landing a position as an editor at Doubleday publishing house, where he first began to write poetry.
Nash moved to Baltimore, Maryland, three years after marrying Frances Leonard, a Baltimore native. He lived in Baltimore from 1934 and most of his life until his death in 1971. Nash thought of Baltimore as home. After his return from a brief move to New York, he wrote "I could have loved New York had I not loved Balti-more."
His first job in New York was as a writer of the streetcar card ads for a company that previously had employed another Baltimore resident, F. Scott Fitzgerald. Nash loved to rhyme. "I think in terms of rhyme, and have since I was six years old," he stated in a 1958 news interview.[2] He had a fondness for crafting his own words whenever rhyming words did not exist, though admitting that crafting rhymes was not always the easiest task.[2]
In 1931 he published his first collection of poems, Hard Lines, earning him national recognition. Some of his poems reflected an anti-establishment feeling. For example, one verse, entitled Common Sense, asks:
Why did the Lord give us agility,
If not to evade responsibility?
When Nash wasn't writing poems, he made guest appearances on comedy and radio shows and toured the United States and England, giving lectures at colleges and universities.
Nash was regarded respectfully by the literary establishment, and his poems were frequently anthologized even in serious collections such as Selden Rodman's 1946 A New Anthology of Modern Poetry.
Nash was the lyricist for the Broadway musical One Touch of Venus, collaborating with librettist S. J. Perelman and composer Kurt Weill. The show included the notable song "Speak Low". He also wrote the lyrics for the 1952 revue Two's Company.
Nash and his love of the Baltimore Colts were featured in the December 13, 1968 issue of Life,[3] with several poems about the American football team matched to full-page pictures. Entitled "My Colts, verses and reverses," the issue includes his poems and photographs by Arthur Rickerby. "Mr. Nash, the league leading writer of light verse (Averaging better than 6.3 lines per carry), lives in Baltimore and loves the Colts" it declares. The comments further describe Nash as "a fanatic of the Baltimore Colts, and a gentleman." Featured on the magazine cover is defensive player Dennis Gaubatz, number 53, in midair pursuit with this description: "That is he, looming 10 feet tall or taller above the Steelers' signal caller...Since Gaubatz acts like this on Sunday, I'll do my quarterbacking Monday." Memorable Colts Jimmy Orr, Billy Ray Smith, Bubba Smith, Willie Richardson, Dick Szymanski and Lou Michaels contribute to the poetry.
Among his most popular writings were a series of animal verses, many of which featured his off-kilter rhyming devices. Examples include "If called by a panther / Don't anther"; "Who wants my jellyfish? / I'm not sellyfish!". This is his ode to the llama:
The one-L lama,
He's a priest.
The two-L llama,
He's a beast.
And I would bet
A silk pajama
There isn't any
Three-L lllama.
(Nash appended a footnote to this poem: "The author's attention has been called to a type of conflagration known as a three-alarmer. Pooh."[4])
Death and subsequent events
Nash died of Crohn's disease at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore on May 19, 1971.[1] He is interred in North Hampton, New Hampshire's East Side Cemetery. His daughter Isabel was married to noted photographer Fred Eberstadt, and his granddaughter, Fernanda Eberstadt, is an acclaimed author.
A biography, Ogden Nash: the Life and Work of America's Laureate of Light Verse, was written by Douglas M. Parker, published in 2005 and in paperback in 2007. The book was written with the cooperation of the Nash family and quotes extensively from Nash's personal correspondence as well as his poetry.
Poetic style
Nash was best known for surprising, pun-like rhymes, sometimes with words deliberately misspelled for comic effect, as in his retort to Dorothy Parker's humorous dictum, Men seldom make passes/At girls who wear glasses:
A girl who is bespectacled
She may not get her nectacled
But safety pins and bassinets
Await the girl who fassinets.
He often wrote in an exaggerated verse form with pairs of lines that rhyme, but are of dissimilar length and irregular meter:
Once there was a man named Mr. Palliser and he asked his wife, May I be a gourmet?
And she said, You sure may,
But she also said, If my kitchen is going to produce a Cordon Blue,
It won't be me, it will be you,
And he said, You mean Cordon Bleu?
And she said to never mind the pronunciation so long as it was him and not heu.
Nash's poetry was often a playful twist of an old saying or poem. He expressed this playfulness in what is perhaps his most famous rhyme. Nash observed the following in a turn of Joyce Kilmer's words: "I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree."
I think that I shall never see
A billboard lovely as a tree.
Indeed, unless the billboards fall
I'll never see a tree at all.[5]
Similarly, in Reflections on Ice-Breaking he wrote:
He also commented:
I often wonder which is mine:
Tolerance, or a rubber spine?
His one-line observations are often quoted.
People who work sitting down get paid more than people who work standing up.
Progress might have been all right once, but it has gone on too long.
Other poems
Nash was a baseball fan, and he wrote a poem titled "Line-Up for Yesterday", an alphabetical poem listing baseball immortals.[6] Published in Sport magazine in January 1949, the poem pays tribute to the baseball greats and to his own fanaticism, in alphabetical order. Here is a sampling from his A to Z list:[7]
C is for Cobb, Who grew spikes and not corn, And made all the basemen Wish they weren't born.
D is for Dean, The grammatical Diz, When they asked, Who's the tops? Said correctly, I is.
E is for Evers, His jaw in advance; Never afraid To Tinker with Chance.
F is for Fordham And Frankie and Frisch; I wish he were back With the Giants, I wish.
Nash particularly loved Baltimore sports.
Nash wrote humorous poems for each movement of the Camille Saint-Saëns orchestral suite The Carnival of the Animals, which are sometimes recited when the work is performed. The original recording of this version was made by Columbia Records in the 1940's, with Noel Coward reciting the poems and Andre Kostelanetz conducting the orchestra.
Ogden Nash stamp
The US Postal Service released a postage stamp featuring Ogden Nash and six of his poems on the centennial of his birth on 19 August 2002. The six poems are "The Turtle," "The Cow," "Crossing The Border," "The Kitten," "The Camel" and "Limerick One." It was the first stamp in the history of the USPS to include the word "sex," although as a synonym for gender. It can be found under the "O" and is part of "The Turtle". The stamp is the 18th in the Literary Arts section. Four years later, the first issue took place in Baltimore on August 19. The ceremony was held at the home that he and his wife Frances shared with his parents on 4300 Rugby Road, where he did most of his writing.
Candy is Dandy by Ogden Nash, Anthony Burgess, Linell Smith, and Isabel Eberstadt. Carlton Books Ltd, 1994. ISBN 0-233-98892-0
Custard the Dragon and the Wicked Knight by Ogden Nash and Lynn Munsinger. Little, Brown Young Readers, 1999. ISBN 0-316-59905-0
I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Ogden Nash. Buccaneer Books, 1994. ISBN 1-56849-468-8
The Old Dog Barks Backwards by Ogden Nash. Little Brown & Co, 1972. ISBN 0-316-59804-6
Ogden Nash's Zoo by Ogden Nash and Etienne Delessert. Stewart, Tabori, and Chang, 1986. ISBN 0-941434-95-8
Pocket Book of Ogden Nash by Ogden Nash. Pocket, 1990. ISBN 0-671-72789-3
Selected Poetry of Ogden Nash by Ogden Nash. Black Dog & Levanthal Publishing, 1995. ISBN 1884822308
The Tale of Custard the Dragon by Ogden Nash and Lynn Munsinger. Little, Brown Young Readers, 1998. ISBN 0-316-59031-2
Bed Riddance by Ogden Nash. Little Brown & Co, 1969. ASIN B000EGGXD8
"Versus" by Ogden Nash. Little, Brown, & Co, 1949.
Good Intentions by Ogden Nash. Little Brown & Co, 1942. ISBN 978-1125657645
"The Face is Familiar: The Selected Verse of Ogden Nash" by Ogden Nash. Garden City Publishing Company, Inc., 1941.
There's Always Another Windmill by Ogden Nash. Little Brown & Co, 1968. ISBN 0-316-59839-9
Private Dining Room by Ogden Nash. Little Brown & Co, 1952. ASIN B000H1Z8U4
Many Long Years Ago by Ogden Nash. Little Brown & Co, 1945. ISBN B000OELG1O
You Can't Get There From Here by Ogden Nash. Little Brown & Co, 1953.
I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Ogden Nash. Little Brown & Co, 1938
Individual poems
"What I Know About Life" The New Yorker 24/47 (15 January 1949) : 35
"Carnival of Animals" The New Yorker 25/48 (7 January 1950) : 26
^ a b Albin Krebs (1971-05-20). "Ogden Nash, Master of Light Verse, Dies". The New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0613FC3954127B93C2AB178ED85F458785F9. Retrieved 2008-01-24.
^ a b Hal Boyle (1958-12-01). "Ogden Nash Finds Light Verse Doesn't Flow Easy" (Reprint). Prescott Evening Courier. Associated Press. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zu0KAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3U8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6654,1365475. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
^ Nash, Ogden (1968-12-13). "My Colts, verses and reverses" (– Scholar search). Life. http://www.life.com/Life/cover_search/view?coverkeyword=&startMonth=12&startYear=1968&endMonth=12&endYear=1968&pageNumber=1&indexNumber=1. Retrieved 2008-05-29. [dead link][dead link]
^ "[minstrels] The Lama - Ogden Nash"]. http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/1080.html.
^ Nash, Ogden, "Song of the Open Road, The Face Is Familiar (Garden City Publishing, 1941), p. 21.
^ Tim Wiles (1996-03-31). "Who's on Verse?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 17, 2000. http://web.archive.org/web/20001217013500/http://www.nytimes.com/specials/baseball/bbo-baseball-preview-poetry.html. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
^ "Baseball Almanac". http://www.baseball-almanac.com/poetry/po_line.shtml. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
"American Poems: Ogden Nash". http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/nash/. Includes a list of over a hundred Ogden Nash poems. Most or all are under copyright and therefore not available online.
Ogden Nash at Find a Grave
Blogden Nash Catalogs the global reach and influence of Ogden Nash on contemporary life.
Ogden Nash's Collection at the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin
Name Nash, Ogden
Place of birth Rye, New York
Date of death 1971-05-19
Place of death Baltimore, Maryland
People from Westchester County, New York
Harvard University alumni
American humorists
Humorous poets
Deaths from Crohn's disease
Offshore powerboat racing
Ogden Nash — Frederic Ogden Nash (19 août 1902 – 19 mai 1971) est un poète américain. Lors de son décès en 1971, le New York Times écrivit que « ses saynètes poétiques aux rimes inattendues font de lui le faiseur de poésie humoristique le plus connu du… … Wikipédia en Français
Ogden Nash — Frederic Ogden Nash (* 19. August 1902 in Rye, New York; † 19. Mai 1971 in Baltimore, Maryland) war ein US amerikanischer Lyriker, der vor allem durch seine Limericks ein beliebter Dichter in den USA war. Ogden Nash war der Sohn eines… … Deutsch Wikipedia
Ogden Nash — noun United States writer noted for his droll epigrams (1902 1971) • Syn: ↑Nash • Instance Hypernyms: ↑writer, ↑author * * * Ogden Nash [Ogden Nash] … Useful english dictionary
Ogden Nash — ➡ Nash (III) * * * … Universalium
Frederic Ogden Nash — (* 19. August 1902 in Rye, New York; † 19. Mai 1971 in Baltimore, Maryland) war ein US amerikanischer Lyriker, der vor allem durch seine Limericks ein beliebter Dichter in den USA war. Ogden Nash war der Sohn eines Unternehmers, der mit Import… … Deutsch Wikipedia
Ogden Edsl — Origin Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. Genres Parody, comedy Ogden Edsl (shortened from The Ogden Edsl Wahalia Blues Ensemble Mondo Bizzario Band ) was an American band, formed in 1970 in Omaha, Nebraska, by Bill Frenzer, Bill Carey and Otis XII. Their… … Wikipedia
Ogden — may refer to: Contents 1 People 1.1 Surname 1.2 Given name 1.3 … Wikipedia
Nash (surname) — Nash is a surname of Irish, English, or Welsh origin. The surname went from Ash to Nash by colloquialism and was established from an early date in Ireland and Wales. May refer to: Anthony / Tony Nash (disambiguation) Abner Nash (1740–1786), U.S.… … Wikipedia
Nash (Familienname) — Nash ist ein Familienname. Inhaltsverzeichnis A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Bekannte Namensträger … Deutsch Wikipedia
Ogden — Nash (American humorist) … Eponyms, nicknames, and geographical games
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Meet the 'Clue' Cast: Comedy Actors and Actresses From Different Generations
March 18, 2020 | by James Montalvo
The perfect mixture of comedy and mystery, the film “Clue,” based on the popular board game and released in 1985, a brilliant cast of character actors that brought the film to life. With the movie's beloved cult status, news of a remake with Ryan Reynolds hitting our radar, we've taken a look at the lives of the original cast.
COLLEEN CAMP
Then: Camp played Yvette, the provocative maid who was once a call girl for Miss Scarlet. Camp was already considered a devilish femme fatale before joining the cast of the film, for appearing in films like "The Joy of Sex", "The Seduction" and as 'Playmate, Miss May' on "Apocalypse Now."
Youtube / Richard Brooke
Now: Camp has continued to act today, and has appeared in several recent films over the years. She's racked up an acting career with almost 150 acting credits to her name. She has appeared in films like “Wicked Stepmother”, “Wayne’s World”, "Police Academy 2 & 4", “Die Hard: With a Vengeance”, “Always Shine”, and recently Netflix's Spenser Confidential.
LEE VING
Then: The 69-year-old actor played Mr. Boddy, whose death leads the film's plot. His show business career consists of alternating his music career with acting. He is best known as the frontman for the seminal L.A. hardcore punk band Fear.
Now: His best known for appearing in “Black Moon Rising” and "Flashdance", and for the musical tv show "Fame". He has been featured as a performer and songwriter for soundtracks on films, television, and video games too. He's set to return to acting via a 2020 Horror/Western, "Death Rider in the House of Vampires" after taking a break in 2013.
Then: Best known for her Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated supporting role in "Private Benjamin", Eileen Brennan played Mrs. Peacock. Her character was the wife of a US Senator in trouble for taking bribes and fears blackmail. She survived a near-fatal car crash in 1982 that almost ruined her career, but she was able to bounce back.
Youtube / Veronique Laurent
In her first couple of years after her accident alone Brennan went on to star in "Clue", "The Love Boat", "The Fourth Wise Man", "Off the Rack," and "The History of White People in America". This was followed by roles in “Pants on Fire”, “The Last Great Ride”, “Jeepers Creepers”, and “Miss Congeniality 2” in the '90s and 2000s.
Now: Before Brennan passed away in July 2013, the veteran Hollywood actress had appearances in "7th Heaven, " "Will & Grace". Her final film appearance was in "Naked Gun" as Gram Malone. Her publicist told the Hollywood Reporter that she died in California at the age of 80, after suffering from bladder cancer.
Then: The late actress played Mrs. White, a neurotic and shady woman responsible for the memorable “flames” scene that has recently become a meme on the internet. Madeline Khan was a bright light in Hollywood, one who's career went of to a great start.
In only her second film, "What's Up, Doc?", she was nominated for Most Promising Newcomer at the Golden Globes in 1973. The kind of success which was followed up by two more Golden Globe nods and two Oscar nominations for "Blazing Saddles", "Paper Moon," and "Young Frankenstein." In 1984 she was again nominated for a Golden Globe for "Oh Madeline".
Youtube / THE REAPER FILES
Now: Kahn continued her successful career to appear in films like “Betsy’s Wedding”, “Nixon”, and “Judy Berlin.” She was also cast in tv shows like “Mr. President”, “New York News”, and “Cosby”. Sadly, after a rough battle with ovarian cancer, the actress passed away in 1999 at the age of 57.
Wikimeida Commons
Then: A stereotypical femme fatale was a character that could only be played by Lesley Ann Warren. The actress played Miss Scarlet. Before "Clue", Warren already found success on the small screen where she had earned two Golden Globe nominations, winning one, for "Mission Impossible," and "Harold Robbins' 79 Park Avenue".
Her transition to the feature films was met with equal success. In 1983 she received an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination for her supporting role in "Victor Victoria." She has enjoyed steady acting work over the years following "Clue" with recurring roles in "Will and Grace", "Desperate Housewives", and "In Plain Sight", while also appearing in films like "Jobs".
Now: Warren is still acting today, her most recent work includes a guest role on Netflix's "Daredevil", "The Cool Kids" and "American Princess". She was recently on "3 Days with Dad" with J.K. Simmons and is set to be on the film, "Echo Boomers" with Michael Shannon. The film is currently in post-production and doesn't have a release date yet.
Then: Mull played Colonel Mustard, the source of much of the physical comedy in the beloved cult film. Mull began his career as a performer in music. He wrote Jane Morgan's 1970 country single, A Girl Named Johnny Cash and then later started recording his own, satirical style of music.
He broke into on-screen performing as an actor on the satirical soap opera Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and its subsequent spin-offs, Fernwood 2 Night and America 2-Night. He later appeared on "Domestic Life" as Martin crane before making into the cast of "Clue" with his trademark style of physical comedy.
Now: More recently he's best known for his recurring roles in various television films in the last couple of decades. These include roles as the main villain in Nickelodeon's "Danny Phantom", “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch”, a guest comedy act on the “The Ellen Show”, and a recurring character on "American Dad!"
Youtube / Feast Your Ears The Film
He's also appeared in "Two and a Half Men" as the drug-using pharmacist, played Russel on the much loved "Arrested Development - for both original and Netflix runs, earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his guest role in "Veep", and has had a regular role in Netflix's “The Ranch” and a starring role in “The Cool Kids”.
Then: McKean played Mr. Green, an undercover government agent present at the scene of the murder. A year before being cast in the film, the actor joins the prestigious cast of Saturday Night Live. At age 46, was the oldest man to join the cast. Before that, however, McKean had already been acting since 1977 after finding success in stand-up comedy.
He made regular appearances on talk shows like "Jay Leno," "David Letterman," and "Conan O'Brien," as comedy act playing his most recognizable character, "David St. Hubbins." His acting career has lead him to roles in films like “Rock Star”, “Airheads”, "Little Nicky" and “Pure Country 2: The Gift”.
Now: Like many of the cast members of "Clue", who are amazing character actors, McKean has also ventured into voice acting. He's been the voice of 'Les' and 'Hank' on "Dinosaurs" and part of the Behind The Voice Actors Award-nominated ensembles of "Thundercats" and "The Dark Knight Returns" animated films.
His most recent work includes roles on TV series like “Better Call Saul” which earned him his first Primetime Emmy Award-nomination, Neil Gaiman's “Good Omens”, and “Grace and Frankie”. He is by far the busiest of the cast members with 2-3 bodies of work per year, which adds up to over 200 acting credits over the course of his career.
Then: Tim Curry played Wadsworth, Mr. Boddy’s mysterious butler, who serves as host of the entire party in the absence of his master. Before he played the polarizing character of the butler, Curry was already an accomplished theater actor with roots coming from England.
Youtube / Alex Haitz
He received two Tony Award nominations for best actor and won the Royal Variety Club Award as "Stage Actor of the Year". He created of the character of, 'Dr. Frank-N-Furter,' from the iconic cult and campy classic "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." As 'Pennywise the Dancing Clown,' he was the stuff of nightmares on the two-part "IT" tv movie.
He's been in popular films like “The Hunt for Red October”, “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”, “The Three Musketeers”, “Four Dogs Playing Poker” and “Burke & Hare”. In 2012, the actor suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed and ever since then he has limited his work in the industry to voice acting.
Now: For the most part, Tim Curry's voice has been his most sought after feature. He's the narrator for over a dozen audiobooks and has been the voice of some of the most beloved cartoon characters in the last two decades. These include Nigel Thornberry from "The Wild Thornberries", G. Gordon-Godfrey from "Young Justice", and Darth Sidious from "Clone Wars".
Then: The 81-year-old actor played Professor Plum. Christopher Lloyd has achieved a pop-culture icon level thanks to his role as Dr. Emmet Brown in the "Back to the Future" trilogy. But before that, he already had a long career in film and television.
Some of his popular early work include Emmy Award Nominated mini-series, "The Word", and a long run as 'Reverend Jim Ignatowski' on, "Taxi" which earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards. He was also on "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" as Commander Kruge. His other more notable roles are as 'Uncle Fester' in the "Addam's Family" films.
Youtube / Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Now: More recently, Lloyd has also taken up, and quite successfully for that matter, voice acting. He's been in the long-running, and Daytime Emmy Award-winning children's cartoon show, "Cyberchase" and Primetime Emmy Award-winning program, "Over the Garden Wall." In the small screen, Lloyd has been cast in the series “Granite Flats” and "12 Monkeys.
Inside Sara and Melissa Gilberts' Life
He's also made appearances in plenty of films in recent times like "A Million Ways To Die in the West", "Going in Style", and "One by One." He's set to star on his own show "Time, the Fourth Dimension", and on a film called "Nobody" to be released later this 2002.
TALKS OF A REMAKE
In September of 2019, the Collider reported that "The Change-up" co-stars Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman were in talks to star in their very own take of the board game/movie. Bateman was set to direct and both he and the Deadpool actor would be two of the leads.
The re-make of the film would also see the reuniting of the writing team of Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick who gave us Reynold's Deadpool, to pen the updated take on the movie. However, in a plot twist unlike the nature of "Clue" itself, Variety has reported that Jason Bateman is out of the project.
Due to scheduling conflicts with Netflix's Ozark, Reynold's team is looking at "Muppets" director James Bobin. Reynold's Maximum Effort is developing and producing the pic with Allspark Pictures, the film division of Hasbro. The cast has not been set, but the 20th Century is aiming for high-profile talent to join Reynolds.
Are you excited for the remake of "Clue"? Who do you think will be the murderer this time around? Who was the character that you thought did the deed in the first film? Tell us about it in the comment section and stay tuned for more great content about your favorite film, tv show, and celebrities.
Source: Looper, Variety, IMDB, Collider
Amy Carlson's Departure From Blue Bloods: Little-known Details
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Darryl M. Bell, Sinbad and Other 'Different World' Cast Members 27 Years after Fan Famous Sitcom Ended
Originally slated as a spin-off of "The Cosby Show", "A Different World" was a groundbreaking television show that showed the world, well, a different world than they were used to seeing on tv. The premise was about the life and times of college students at a historically black university. The show had an amazing cast of young actors that have become huge icons today.
With 27 years passing since the show has ended, many of the show's cast has gone on to have amazing and interesting careers. Some names, you're probably already familiar with, while others you probably recognize by their faces in their many roles across show business. Here's a look into the cast of "A Different World" today.
Then: Lisa Bonet was the catalyst for the creation of the spin-off. Her character, Denise Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" was finally of age to go to college. The premise of the show was to showcase her life at a historically black college. However, she got pregnant after one season with Lenny Kravit's child and had to leave the show.
Now: After leaving the show, spent a year away to have her child, now-actress Zoe Kravits. She returned to "The Cosby Show" but not its spin-off. Today, Lisa Bonet is the proud mother of three, the two younger ones she shares with her husband, and Aquaman star, Jason Momoa. They met in the mid-2000s and have been together ever since.
GLYNN TURMAN
Then: Glynn Truman is a highly respected actor that has had a career with over 150 credits to his name. On the popular sitcom, he plays math professor and retired Army colonel Bradford Taylor, often the foil of the students. Prior to this, the actor had roles in soap opera "Peyton Place," and in the 1975 coming-of-age film "Cooley High."
Now: Today, Truman has endeavored to have a successful, Emmy Award-winning career. He has been fictional Baltimore mayor Clarence Royce on the award-winning HBO drama series "The Wire." Turman recently appeared in the Netflix film Sextuplets, and also co-stars on the recent season of "Mr. Mercedes" and will join the cast of "Fargo."
LORETTA DEVINE
Then: In only her third outing as an actress, Loretta Devine landed the role of Stevie Rallen on the sitcom. Though billed as a main cast member, she would only stay for one season and ten episodes. Divine is an easily recognizable actress that has been in over 150 roles throughout her career.
Now: The actress has appeared in recurring roles in popular tv shows like "Boston Public", and "The Client List". She was twice nominated for a Primetime Emmy for her role in "Grey's Anatomy", for which she killed-off in 2013. She recently had recurring roles in "Family Reunion" and "The Carmichael Show."
Then: In the late '80s, Sinbad was rising star of the stand-up comedy world. His rise in fame lead him to roles on "The Redd Foxx Show" which eventually lead to his role as Coach Walter Oakes on "A Different World". After the sitcom ended, the comedian turned actor was given his own show "The Sindbad Show" from 1993 to 1994.
Now: Apart from his roles in "Coneheads", "First Kid", "Jingle All the Way" and "Good Burger" that all gave Sinbad a wider reach and more of a household name, the comedian has recently been featured on FOX's "REL". He was a contestant on "Celebrity Apprentice" in 2010 and was also the host of "Pure Flix Comedy All-Stars" in 2017.
Then: From being the bumbling nerd to turning into the ultra-strict teacher, Kadeem Hardison played Dwayne Wayne for all 6 seasons of "A Different World". When Lisa Bonet and Marisa Tomei left the show Hardison was one of two characters to be given more focus to storywise to fill the void the actresses made.
Now: Hardison has been in over 90 films and television shows throughout his career. He's even ventured into writing and directing. He wrote and directed a few episodes of "A Different World" too. He was a regular cast member of "K.C. Undercover", playing the title character's father and is currently on Showtime's "Blackmonday."
LOU MYERS
Then: Mr. Gaines was the grumpy owner and manager of the Hillman College restaurant The Pit. He was played by the late Lou Myers. He was brought into the show during the second season and stayed on until the show ended five seasons later. Afterward, he found work playing small and supporting roles in over 40 films and television shows.
Now: Gaines is arguably Myers' most recognizable role. He also made appearances on "All About the Andersons", "Philly" "ER", "NYPD BLUE" and "My Parents, My Sister & Me". TMZ reports that the actor died on Feb. 19, 2013, at Charleston Medical Center in West Virginia after undergoing a heart-related emergency and falling into a coma.
DAWNN LEWIS
Then: Lewis is an actress, singer, songwriter and stage performer. From August 1, 1985, to July 6, 1986, Dawnn Lewis performed in the National Tour of the Broadway musical "The Tap Dance Kid." She joined was on the show from the first to the fifth season of the show, then went on to star in one season of "Hanging with Mrs. Cooper."
Now: Lewis has also ventured successfully into voice acting, being featured on "Futurama", "The Simpsons" and "The Boondocks". In 2006, starred in the film adaptation of "Dream Girls". She is was recently on Broadway, performing as Zelma Turner, in The Tina Turner Musical. The actress was also on the "Veronica Mars" reboot.
CHARNELE BROWN
Then: After appearing as a guest on "The Cosby Show", Charnele Brown was brought in during the spin-off's second season. She played Kim Reese from season two to season six. After the show, she appeared on an episode of "Martin" and "Living Single". She was also featured in "Drop Squad" after semi-retiring in 1996.
Now: Brown has in ad out of retirement twice. From 2004-2007, the actress was cast in an episode of "Oliver Beene", and "My Wife and Kids". She was also featured in the movie, "City Girls" then disappeared once more. In the mid-2010's she was on "Unsung Hollywood" documentary series and is now back again with a role in "5th Ward".
Then: Before being cast as Whitley Gilbert on "A Different World", Jasmine Guy got her big break as a dancer on "Fame". A year into joining the show, the actress, singer and dancer would appear in the Spike Lee film, "School Daze." She is also known as Kayla Samuels on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and Roxy Harvey on "Dead Like Me."
Now: Guy's versatility as a performer has seen her grace films, television shows, and stage productions. She has even tried her hand as a recording artist, releasing a couple of singles. Her recent television appearances include "Vampire Diaries", "K.C Undercover", and a guest role that has turned into a recurring character on "Grey's Anatomy."
Then: Before Cree summer dawned the character of Winifred "Freddie" Brooks, she had long been dawning various other characters as voice actors. She also joined the show during its second season but had already voiced characters on "Inspector Gadget", "Star Wars: Droids", "Care Bears" and "Ewoks".
Now: Cree Summer is by far the busiest of her all her former cast members, as she has pursued producing, acting, writing, directing and voice acting. As an actress and voice actress she has been featured in 325 (as of writing) roles thus far. Deadline reported that she is set to join the cast of "Queen Sugar" as a guest for their fourth season.
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Then: After impressive outings on episodes of "True Colors" and "Moe's World", Jada Pinkett Smith, was cast as Lena James in the final two seasons of "A Different World." After the show, Jada would go on to pursue a film career. She started with a role in 1993's "Menace II Society", and a year later was on "The Inkwell."
Now: Jada is arguably the best-known actress in the roster of cast members from the sitcom. He has since appeared in blockbuster hits like the last two "Matrix" films and in the "Madagascar" animated films. She married Will Smith in 1997. They share two children who are celebrities themselves, Jaden and Willow.
Jada, Willow and Jada's mother, Adrienne Banfield-Jones, host an online talk show called "The Red Table Talk". On the show she, her co-hosts and celebrity guest stars engage in a no-holds-barred, conversation about faith, sexuality, family, and parenting and have been very successful and have a huge following. Jada is also set to star in "The Matrix 4."
Who was your favorite "A Different World" character? What do you think the show would've been like if Bill Cosby had allowed a pregnant Lisa Bonet to continue on the show? Let us know in the comment section, and make sure to stay tuned for more great content on your favorite celebrities, tv shows, and movies, here on Amomama.
Source: New York Times, Deadline, LA Sentinel, AmoMama
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2017 Undergraduate Tuition
1.48% growth from 2016
2017 Average Net Price
After Financial Aid
2016 Student Loan
Default Rate
2017 Enrolled Students
41% Full-Time
Heartland Community College is a higher education institution located in McLean County, IL. In 2016, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at Heartland Community College were .
In 2017, 1,088 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Heartland Community College. 58.7% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 41.3% awarded men. The majority of degree recipients were white (868 degrees), 10.8 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (80 degrees).
The median undergraduate tuition at Heartland Community College is $4,110, which is $-3,304 less than the national average for Associates Colleges ($7,414).
Associates Colleges: High Transfer-High NontraditionalAssociates Colleges
After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $8,037.
In 2017, 39% of undergraduate students received federal grants, while 18% of undergraduate students received federal loans.
Student Expenses
In 2017, the cost of tuition at Heartland Community College was $4,110. The cost of tuition at Heartland Community College is $-3,304 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Associates Colleges ($7,414).
This chart compares the tuition costs of Heartland Community College (in red) with those of other similar universities.
Add Data to Cart
Average Net Price
2017 Value
1 Year Growth
In 2017 Heartland Community College had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $8,037. Between 2016 and 2017, the average net price of Heartland Community College grew by 34.9%.
This chart compares the average net price of Heartland Community College (in red) with that of other similar universities.
Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.
Other Student Expenses
The average yearly cost of room and board at Heartland Community College was of $8,700 in 2017. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,000. The cost of room and board increased by 17.6% between 2016 and 2017. The cost of books and supplies decreased by 9.09% during the same period.
This chart compares the average student costs at Heartland Community College (in red) with that of similar universities.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Of Undergraduates Receive Grants
Of Undergraduates Receive Federal Loans
39% of undergraduate students at Heartland Community College received grants or loans in 2017. This represents a growth of 0% with respect to 2016, when 39% of undergraduate students received financial aid.
This chart compares the average award discount at Heartland Community College (in red) with that of other similar universities.
The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.
Student Loan Default Rate
Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.
2016 Default Rate
Number of Defaults
In 2016 the default rate for borrower's at Heartland Community College was 14.4%, which represents 82 out of the 569 total borrowers.
A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.
Heartland Community College has a total enrollment of 5,193 students. The full-time enrollment at Heartland Community College is 2,127 students and the part-time enrollment is 3,066. This means that 41% of students enrolled at Heartland Community College are enrolled full-time.
The enrolled student population at Heartland Community College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 69.1% White, 12.2% Black or African American, 7.93% Hispanic or Latino, 4.51% Two or More Races, 2.79% Asian, 0.154% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0578% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.
Students enrolled at Heartland Community College in full-time Undergraduate programs are majority White Male (33.8%), followed by White Female (33.4%) and Black or African American Male (6.54%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are majority N/A, followed by N/A and N/A.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Heartland Community College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 5,193 students. The full-time enrollment at Heartland Community College is 2,127 and the part-time enrollment is 3,066. This means that 41% of students enrolled at Heartland Community College are enrolled full-time compared with 36% at similar Associates Colleges.
This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Heartland Community College (in red) compares to similar universities.
Retention Rate over Time
2017 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Heartland Community College was 65%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Associates Colleges (61%), Heartland Community College had a retention rate higher than its peers.
This chart shows the retention rate over time at Heartland Community College (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Most Common Race or Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino
The enrolled student population at Heartland Community College is 69.1% White, 12.2% Black or African American, 7.93% Hispanic or Latino, 4.51% Two or More Races, 2.79% Asian, 0.154% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0578% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Associates Colleges is 45.9% White, 25.3% Hispanic or Latino, and 12.8% Black or African American.
Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 122 students (2.35%) did not report their race.
In 2017, 190 more women than men received degrees from Heartland Community College. The majority of degree recipients at Heartland Community College are white (868 degrees awarded). There were 10.8 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (80 degrees).
The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Heartland Community College is N/A, followed by N/A and N/A.
The most specialized majors across all degree types at Heartland Community College, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Interdisciplinary Studies (119 degrees awarded), Liberal Arts & Humanities (432 degrees), and Human Sciences (40 degrees).
Common Jobs by Major
Most Common Job
The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Heartland Community College are Registered nurses (1,330,207 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (220,445 people), Medical & health services managers (151,103 people), Physicians (140,841 people), and Other managers (138,074 people).
The most specialized majors at Heartland Community College are Interdisciplinary Studies (119 degrees awarded), Liberal Arts & Humanities (432 degrees), Human Sciences (40 degrees), Precision Production (27 degrees), and Engineering Technologies (35 degrees).
Highest Paying Jobs by Major
Highest Paying Job
The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Heartland Community College are Physicians, Surgeons, Public relations specialists, Podiatrists, and Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents
Common Industries by Major
General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals
Most Common Industry
The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Heartland Community College are General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (1,527,238 people), Elementary & secondary schools (473,894 people), Outpatient care centers (227,617 people), Offices of physicians (216,370 people), and Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (209,812 people).
Majors Awarded
IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Heartland Community College.
< 1 Year Postsecondary Certificate1 to 2 Year Postsecondary CertificateAssociates Degree2 to 4 Year Postsecondary CertificateBachelors DegreePostbaccalaureate CertificateMasters DegreePost-Masters CertificateResearch DoctorateProfessional DoctorateOther Doctorate
N/A degree-majorss awarded
In false, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Heartland Community College was N/A with N/A degree-majorss awarded.
This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Heartland Community College according to their major.
Gender Breakdown for Common Majors
Degrees Awarded to Men
In 2017, 449 degrees were awarded to men at Heartland Community College, which is 0.703 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (639).
This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 majors at Heartland Community College by degrees awarded.
Most Common Male Majors
In false, 184 degrees were awarded to men at Heartland Community College in Liberal Arts & Sciences, which is 0.742 times less than the 248 female recipients with that same degree.
Most Common Female Majors
In false, 248 degrees were awarded to women at Heartland Community College in Liberal Arts & Sciences, which is 1.35 times more than the 184 male recipients with that same degree.
100% Completion Time
In 2017, 6% of students graduating from Heartland Community College completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 24% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 29% within 200%.
The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Associates Colleges Carnegie Classification group.
Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.
Graduation Rate by Race and Gender
Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.
Highest Graduation Rate (66.7%)
The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at Heartland Community College is Female and Asian (66.7% graduation rate). Across all Associates Colleges, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (68.1%).
The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 4.24% of graduates (7 students) did not report their race.
Race & Ethnicity by Share
Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity
868 degrees awarded
80 degrees awarded
The most common race/ethnicity at Heartland Community College is white (868 degrees awarded). There were 10.8 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (80 degrees).
2.11% of degree recipients (23 students) did not report their race.
Race & Ethnicity by Gender
Most Common Gender Demographic
Black or African American Female
The most common race/ethnicity and gender grouping at Heartland Community College is white female (511 degrees awarded). There were 1.43 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (357 degrees).
Heartland Community College has an endowment valued at nearly $6.44M, as of the end of the 2017 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $164k (2.56%), compared to the 2.22% average return ($81.1k on $3.66M) across all Associates Colleges.
In 2017, Heartland Community College had a total salary expenditure of $57.3M. Heartland Community College employs 42 Professors, 19 Associate professors, and 14 Assistant professors. Most academics at Heartland Community College are Female Professors (23), Male Professors(19), and Male Associate professors (11).
The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Heartland Community College are: Management, with 64 employees, Office and Administrative Support, with 38 employees, and Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services with 28 employees.
2017 Endowment
growth from 2016
Heartland Community College has an endowment valued at about $6.44M, as of the end of the 2017 fiscal year. The endowment of Heartland Community College grew 9.23% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $2.78M higher than than the median endowment of Associates Colleges according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.
This line chart shows how the endowment at Heartland Community College (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.
The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Associates Colleges: High Transfer-High Nontraditional Carnegie Classification grouping.
Government Grants and Contracts
$0 - Federal
$0 - State
$0 - Local
As of 2017, Heartland Community College received $0 in grants and contracts from the federal government, $0 from state grants and contracts, and $0 from local grants and contracts.
Salary Expenditure
2017 Salaries
decline from 2016
In 2017, Heartland Community College paid a median of $19.7M in salaries, which represents 34.4% of their overall expenditure ($57.3M) and a 4.69% decline from the previous year. This is compared to a 1.63% decline from 2015 and a 1.54% growth from 2014.
The median for similar Associates Colleges is 14.9M (41.7% of overall expenditures).
Instructional Salaries
In 2017, Heartland Community College paid a total of $5.63M to 85 employees working as instructors, which represents 28.6% of all salaries paid.
This is compared to a median of $4.65M (31.1%) for similar Associates Colleges.
Occupations by Share
Most Common Instructor
Most Common Non-Instructional Employee
In 2017, the most common positions for instructional staff at Heartland Community College were Professor with 42 employees; Associate professor with 19 employees; and Associate professor with 14 employees.
In 2017, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Heartland Community College were Management with 64 employees; Office and Administrative Support with 38 employees; and Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services with 28 employees.
Instructors by Academic Rank and Gender
Most Common Demographic
Female Professor
Male Professor
Male Associate professor
In 2017, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Heartland Community College was Female Professor with 23 employees, Male Professor with 19 employees, and Male Associate professor with 11 employees.
This chart shows the gender split between each academic rank present at Heartland Community College.
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news Pay strategy Pay strategy
Part-time female staff salaries rising faster than full-time males’
By Robert Crawford 5th December 2014 12:23 pm 3rd November 2015 4:53 pm
Salaries for women that work part time haven risen faster over the past 10 years than those of men that work full time, according to research by Timewise.
Its analysis of Office for National Statistics’ salary data found that over 10 years part-time pay for women has risen by 38% over the past decade, compared to a 29% rise in salary levels for full-time working men.
The average median wage for women working part-time is £8.40, with an annual growth rate of 3.3%. In comparison, the average median pay for men working part-time is only £7.95.
In addition, Timewise’s 2014 Part-time power list has identified a number of individuals working in senior high level, executive roles whi have built up successful careers while working part time.
It is mostly made up of women (88%, or 44 of 50), with only seven men on the list, accounting for 12%.
Just under three-quarters (74%) of part-time workers are currently women (6,121,000).
However, the number of men choosing to work part-time in the UK is rising. More than 975,000 are now working part-time because they do not wish to work full time, which is an increase of 8% or 72,000 in 12 months.
This figure is likely to reach one million for the first time next year.
Karen Mattison, co-founder of Timewise, said: “Flexibility used to be considered as a benefit required by the few. Now 8.7 million full-time workers want it.
“This is the way that work is going and the very best employers recognise that. It’s time for mass market change.”
Celia Donne, global operations director at Regus, added: “Attitudes are steadily changing among the nation’s employers, but in order to make further progress they must firstly address outdated management techniques, such as learning to focus on output and productivity rather than hours sat at a desk.
“This is urgently required to help break down the culture of presenteeism, which often holds back many would-be flexible workers. Secondly, on a practical level, part-time staff must be allowed greater choice in where they work.
“Giving them the option of working closer to home rather than commuting would make roles significantly more viable.”
Details of the four pensions bills going through Parliament
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40% undecided on retirement strategies post April 2015
Case studies news Pensions
Heineken’s default funds will need to change after Budget reforms
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Environment & Climate Change (5) Apply Environment & Climate Change filter
West Africa Region and Selected Countries (11) Apply West Africa Region and Selected Countries filter
(-) Remove Sustainable Agriculture & Rural Livelihoods filter Sustainable Agriculture & Rural Livelihoods
Agriculture & the Environment: Yam & Sweet Potato Systems
After cereals, root and tuber crops - including sweetpotato and yam (in addition to cassava and aroids), are the second most cultivated crops in tropical countries. This literature review examines the environmental constraints to, and impacts of, sweetpotato and yam production systems in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia (SA). The review highlights crop-environment interactions at three stages of the sweetpotato/yam value chain: pre-production (e.g., land clearing), production (e.g., soil, water, and input use), and post-production (e.g., waste disposal, crop storage and transport). We find that sweetpotato and yam face similar environmental stressors. In particular, because sweetpotato and yam are vegetatively propagated, the most significant (and avoidable) environmental constraints to crop yields include disease and pest infection transmitted through the use of contaminated planting materials. Published estimates suggest yield gains in the range of 30–60% can be obtained through using healthy planting material. Moreover, reducing pest damage in the field can greatly increase the storage life of root and tuber crops after harvest – currently losses from rot and desiccation can claim up to 100% of stored sweetpotato and yam on smallholder farms.
Agriculture & the Environment: Sorghum & Millet Systems
In this brief we examine the environmental constraints to, and impacts of, smallholder sorghum and millet production systems in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia (SA). Millet in this paper primarily refers to pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), although a number of other millets of significance to smallholder production and food security are also discussed. Sorghum and millets are known for being more tolerant of major environmental stresses including drought and poor soil quality than other major cereals. But water availability is still among the greatest constraints to increased grain production, and soil fertility also significantly limits yields, especially in cases where cultivation occurs on marginal lands and where crop residues are removed for alternative uses. Ultimately sorghum and millets’ relatively higher tolerance to abiotic stresses is expected to promote an increase in global cropping area for sorghum and millets as an adaptation to climate change. Sorghum and millet exhibit relatively few of the environmental impacts commonly associated with more intensively cultivated crops such as fertilizer runoff, pesticide contamination, or water depletion, since both of these crops are overwhelmingly grown by smallholder farmers with few, if any, chemical or irrigation inputs. Nevertheless, the tendency to grow sorghum and millet on marginal and heavily sloped lands does pose some environmental risks – including soil degradation and erosion – that can be mitigated through the adoption of best practices as described in the brief.
Agriculture & the Environment: Maize Systems
Maize has expanded through the 20th and into the 21st century to become the principle staple food crop produced and consumed by smallholder farm households in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and maize production has also expanded in South Asia (SA) farming systems. In this brief we examine the environmental constraints to, and impacts of, smallholder maize production systems in SSA and SA, noting where findings apply to only one of these regions. We highlight crop-environment interactions at three stages of the maize value chain: pre-production (e.g., land clearing), production (e.g., fertilizer, water, and other input use), and post-production (e.g., waste disposal and crop storage). At each stage we emphasize environmental constraints on maize production (such as poor soil quality, water scarcity, or crop pests) and also environmental impacts of maize production (such as soil erosion, water depletion, or chemical contamination). We then highlight best or good practices for overcoming environmental constraints and minimizing environmental impacts in smallholder maize production systems. Evidence on environmental constraints and impacts in smallholder maize production is uneven. Many environmental concerns such as biodiversity loss are commonly demonstrated more broadly for the agroecology or farming systems in which maize is grown, rather than specifically for the maize crop. And more research is available on the environmental impacts of agrochemical-based intensive cereal farming in Asia (where high-input maize is a common component) than on the low-input subsistence-scale maize cultivation more typical of SSA. Decisive constraint and impact estimates are further complicated by the fact that many crop-environment interactions in maize and other crops are a matter of both cause and effect (e.g., poor soils decrease maize yields, while repeated maize harvests degrade soils). Fully understanding maize-environment interactions thus requires recognizing instances where shortterm adaptations to environmental constraints might be exacerbating other medium- or long-term environmental problems. Conclusions on the strength of published findings on crop-environment interactions in maize systems further depend on one’s weighting of economic versus ecological perspectives, physical science versus social science, academic versus grey literature, and quantity versus quality of methods and findings.
Agriculture & the Environment: Rice Systems
Rice is the most important food crop of the developing world and is grown on over 155 million ha worldwide. Food security of the poor, especially in Asia, depends critically on rice availability at an affordable price. In this brief we examine the environmental constraints to, and impacts of, smallholder rice production systems in South Asia (SA) and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), noting where the analysis applies to only one of these regions. We highlight crop-environment interactions at three stages of the rice value chain: pre-production (e.g., land clearing), production (e.g., water and other input use), and post-production (e.g., waste disposal). At each stage we emphasize environmental constraints on production (e.g., poor soil quality, water scarcity, crop pests) and also environmental impacts of crop production (e.g., soil erosion, water depletion, pest resistance). We then highlight best or good practices for minimizing negative environmental impacts in smallholder rice production systems. Evidence on environmental issues in smallholder rice production is uneven. Far more research is available for Asian rice production systems, as compared to African rice systems. And with the possible exception of the evidence on water limits to increasing productivity, conclusions on the strength of published findings on crop-environment interactions in rice depends on one’s weighting of economic versus ecological perspectives, physical science versus social science, academic versus grey literature, and quantity versus quality of methods and findings.
Agriculture & the Environment: Wheat Systems
This literature review examines the environmental constraints to, and impacts of, wheat production systems in South Asia (SA) and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The review highlights crop-environment interactions at three stages of the wheat value chain: pre-production (e.g., land availability), production (e.g., heat, water, and soil), and post-production (e.g. storage, crop residues, and transport). At each stage we emphasize environmental constraints on production (e.g., poor soil quality, water scarcity, crop pests, etc.) and also environmental impacts of crop production (e.g., soil degradation, water depletion and pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, etc.). We then highlight published best practices for overcoming environmental constraints and minimizing environmental impacts in wheat production systems. We find that wheat is a significant crop that will need to increase production to meet increasing demand. Most land suitable for wheat production is already under cultivation. Improved production methods are needed to address the demand and avert environmental impacts of producing wheat. It should not be assumed that improved varieties alone will be able to realistically address growing demands for wheat. Improved variety seeds should be combined with best practices of improved crop management techniques: optimal planting time, zero tillage, fertilizer management, intercropping, crop residue incorporation, and improved storage techniques.
EPAR Technical Report #60
Smallholder Contract Farming in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia
In recent years, product supply chains for agricultural goods have become increasingly globalized. As a result, greater numbers of smallholder farmers in South Asia (SA) and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) participate in global supply chains, many of them through contract farming (CF). CF is an arrangement between a farmer and a processing or marketing firm for the production and supply of agricultural products, often at predetermined prices. This literature review finds empirical evidence that demonstrates that the economic and social benefits of CF for smallholder farmers are mixed. A number of studies suggest that CF may improve farmer productivity, reduce production risk and transaction costs, and increase farmer incomes. However, critics caution that CF may undermine farmers’ relative bargaining power and increase health, environmental, and financial risk through exposure to monopsonistic markets, weak contract environments, and unfamiliar agricultural technologies. There is consensus across the literature that CF has the best outcomes for farmers when farmers have more bargaining power to negotiate the terms of the contract. In reviewing the literature on CF, we find a number of challenges to comparing studies and evaluating outcomes across contracts. This literature review summarizes empirical findings and analyses regarding contract models and best practices to increase farmers’ bargaining power and decrease contract default.
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Dr Ciarán Forde PhD, BSc
Principal Investigator at Clinical Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC), SICS
Associate Professor (Research) in the Dept. of Physiology in the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at NUS
https://www.a-star.edu.sg/sics/About-Us/Our-Investigators/Ciaran-Forde
Ciarán Forde is Principal Investigator at the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (A*STAR) and leads research on sensory and ingestive behaviour at the Clinical Nutrition Research Centre. Ciarán received his PhD in Sensory Science from the Department of Nutrition at University College Cork in Ireland before working in the food industry for over ten years at GSK (UK), CSIRO (Australia) and the Nestlé Research Centre (Switzerland). At SICS, Ciarán holds a joint appointment with the Clinical Nutrition Research Centre and is an Associate Professor (Research) in the Dept. Physiology in the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore. Ciarán’s group focuses on the sensory and cognitive influences on energy intake and the subsequent dietary patterns that inform health. The group aims to understand the factors that influence food choice, eating behaviours and sensory factors that influence energy intake within and across meals and the development of food preferences and dietary behaviour in children, adults and elderly.
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Climate Change is Water Change
December 3rd, 2020 | Lizzie Schoder
This past year will likely break 2015’s mark of being the hottest year on record. Colorado has seen a similar trend, with a 2 degrees Fahrenheit bump statewide in the last 30 years. Colorado, like much of the Southwest, has also seen drought for the past decade, which has been felt most strongly in the western part of the state.
How does this affect our rivers? A warmer atmosphere has a drying effect overall — meaning more precipitation falls as rain rather than snow and peak runoff and snowmelt happen earlier in the year. Although there is no significant change detected (so far) in the amount of precipitation, the change in the form of precipitation is what’s significant. Our snowpack levels, measured in snow water equivalent, act as nature’s time release to recharge our rivers. Less snowpack, or more precipitation that falls instead as rain, means less natural recharge, since rain runs through the watershed at a quicker rate.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports show trends of peak runoff and snowmelt occurring anywhere from one to four weeks earlier in the spring. Rain is an immediate surge to our rivers, but can give way to evaporation during hotter months of the summer. Snow, on the other hand, melts slowly, recharging the rivers at a steadier pace, especially during July and August when we need it most. Though predictions of how this will affect annual runoff vary, the 2011 Bureau of Reclamation report estimates that Colorado River flows will decrease by about 8.7 percent by 2060, or roughly the annual amount diverted by canal to Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. These trends along with increased evaporation due to warmer temperatures does not bode well for a region already dealing with prolonged drought.
Snowpack levels are a pivotal factor in ski communities. But it matters too for agriculture, irrigation, hydropower, river recreation and water quality. Lower water levels lead to shallower and therefore warmer rivers, affecting our plant and fish populations, as well as the aquatic bugs they need for food. Warming temperatures also mean that everything from crops to humans will need more water to compensate. The Colorado River supplies water to 40 million people in seven different southwest states. The rising temperature trend will only put more pressure on an over-allocated system, pushing both the supply and demand of the Colorado River in the wrong direction.
While communities that depend on the Colorado River have gone to extraordinary lengths to buffer the impacts of climate change, we are heading for times where water shortages will be felt more than ever. According to the New York Times, Lake Powell provides water to one in eight Americans and waters one-seventh of the nation’s crops. Like the other dams and reservoirs in the Colorado River system, it’s completely over allocated — the water levels continue to dwindle and more water is being taken out than what flows into it. If Lake Powell isn’t able to supply the 7.5 million acre feet annually to the Lower Colorado Basin as required by the 1922 interstate compact, then a river call requiring Upper Basin communities, such as Eagle County, to use less water could come into effect in coming years.
The national political debate over the legitimacy of climate change will inevitably continue. But with our county’s population projected to nearly double by 2050, we must recognize that water is a nonpartisan issue. It is important that we voice our opinions and demand action at the national level, while also encouraging action at state and local levels where it can likely happen more quickly. From the standpoint of water and river protection however, we do not need to stand around waiting for our leaders to reach consensus on the existence of climate change.
There is no arguing that the level of water in Lake Powell — and its sister, Lake Mead — continue to drop, making it clear that water conservation and efficiency is of critical importance. That can happen through legislative actions, regulatory measures, but also where you can make an impact — in your home and garden. For more information, visit erwc.org.
Lizzie Schoder is the education and outreach coordinator for Eagle River Watershed Council. The Watershed Council has a mission to advocate for the health and conservation of the Upper Colorado and Eagle River basins through research, education and projects. Contact the Watershed Council at 970-827-5406 or visit http://www.erwc.org.
This article ran in the Vail Daily on January 19, 2017.
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Inquire About: Climate Change is Water Change
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Five Cool Sci-Fi and Fantasy Fireworks Displays
Ann Wells
Here in the United States, people are gearing up to celebrate Independence Day on July 4th, and for many (myself included), the holiday isn’t complete until they’ve seen fireworks somewhere. Fireworks aren’t limited to the 4th of July, however. Here are five great fireworks displays from the world of Science Fiction and Fantasy movies for you to “Oooh!” and “Aaah!” over.
1. The Coneheads
Sporting events are a popular place to see fireworks any time of year. In this clip from the 1993 comedy, Beldar Conehead (Dan Aykroyd) attempts to impress the crowd at a high school football game:
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Of course, the starting idea for this article was the fireworks display created by Gandalf for Bilbo’s Eleventy-First birthday party, which turns out to be even more spectacular when a certain pair of nosy young hobbits become involved…
Click to view on YouTube
3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
In the fifth installment in the Harry Potter series, our intrepid heroes must take their Ordinary Wizarding Levels under the watchful eye of the horrid Dolores Umbridge, who has made life hell for the Hogwarts students all year long. She gets her comeuppance when the Weasley twins provide a much-needed break from testing, ending with a dragon that definitely rivals Gandalf’s pyrotechnic version of Smaug:
4. V for Vendetta
Fireworks are a popular way for the English to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day, which commemorates the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1604. Appropriately, in the 2006 film based on Alan Moore’s and David Lloyd’s graphic novel, V, whose signature look is a Guy Fawkes mask, provides two spectacular pyrotechnic displays for the November 5th holiday. The first, at the beginning of the movie, involves London’s Old Bailey (the main court building), while the second, which takes place a year later, quite literally brings down the house(s of Parliament).
5. Return of the Jedi
What better way to celebrate the successful conclusion to a revolt against an oppressive, tyrannical empire than with fireworks? No, I’m not talking about the American Revolution here, I’m talking about the ending of the original Star Wars trilogy. I was afraid that I would have to resort to the awful new ending that shows the celebrations on Coruscant, Naboo, Cloud City, and elsewhere in order to find some fireworks. Happily, my YouTube search brought up a clip from the original 1983 movie that does, in fact, show fireworks over the forest moon of Endor while still allowing you to listen to the cool Ewok song!
Have a happy fourth of July, everyone, whether you are celebrating a holiday or not!
harry potter, Lists, lord of the rings, star wars, v for vendetta, videos
The Mega Franchises of Science Fiction and Fantasy
The Top 10 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Friendships
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Fandomestic: 12 Geeky Eco-Friendly Tote Bags
Fandomestic: 10 Geeky Homemade Hoodies
Ann Wells is an elementary music teacher by day and a nerd all the time. Her fandoms include Star Wars (the original three, thank-you-very-much), Doctor Who (10 is her doctor), and great authors like J.R.R. Tolkien, Isaac Asimov, and Neil Gaiman, among others. She can usually be found with her nose in a book, playing an instrument, singing show tunes, being crafty with yarn, or doing the bidding of her cat.
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Moto X Best Trick: Extreme Summer Sports Zone
By: Patrick Cain
Publisher: Lerner Publications
Review Date: April 2013
Motocross bikes weren’t really meant for trick performances, but in 1993 when “Bob Kohl became the first person to perform a backflip on a motocross bike,” riders were hooked. The bikes grew bigger, the riders more daring, and motocross took off. The tracks that were once designed for motocross races began to be used to perform tricks. It wasn’t long before “ESPN X Games motocross best trick competition” began to attract pro trick riders, who made the stunts more radical and exciting than they’d ever been. Of course safety pays in many ways and rider’s have to wear goggles, knee and elbow guards, boots, a helmet, gloves and a neck brace.
Motocross is not a new sport, but has been around for a long time. It started in “England in 1924 with an off-road event called Scrambles. The bikes were small, the races were only fifty miles, were on dirt and field tracks which weren’t consistent in construction. It was a European sport, but made its way to America in the 1960s and took off when stuntman Evel Knievel pushed the limits with his tricks. Supercross was born as were indoor stadiums that brought consistency to the competition. By 1999 freestyle motocross was in the game.
Riders like Travis Pastrana became superstars and, along with other riders, created “stunts that keep getting better and better.” Bike companies, who sponsored riders, made improvements to the bikes because “the better the bike, the better the trick.” Other companies like Red Bull and Mountain Dew also backed the riders. In this book you’ll learn about star riders, how they train for advanced tricks, what kind of bikes they use, safety measures they take, the moves, how they become champions, and you’ll learn many other interesting things about the extreme sport of motocross best trick riders.
This is a fascinating book about the Xtreme sport of Moto X best trick riding. The vibrant layout of the book brings the sport to life with its high-action photographs as bikers race through the pages. Numerous informative sidebars, some in the form of captions, crisscross the text. For example, the young reader will learn about things such as the equipment, The X Games, and various riders. Safety is obviously stressed, but nicely incorporated into the book, including in a sidebar. This is an excellent choice for young sports-minded readers, especially reluctant ones. In the back of the book is an index, a glossary, and additional recommended book and website resources to explore. There are additional free, complementary educational resources that can be downloaded on the publisher’s website.
Quill says: If you have a youngster who loves street sports, the Extreme Summer Sports Zone series is one to take a look at!
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Citizen K
By Alex Saveliev | November 21, 2019
David vs. Goliath tales are quite typical in documentary features. Filmmaker Alex Gibney seems to envision himself as David. His Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room dealt with the massive self-combustion of the titular corrupt corporation. Gibney scrutinized USA’s interrogation practices during the War in Afghanistan in Taxi to the Dark Side. He revealed the machinations behind scientology in the mesmerizing Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief.
With Citizen K, Gibeny focuses his attention on the ongoing battles between two major Goliaths: Russian President Vladimir Putin and oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky. He traces the rise and fall – and a Phoenix-like reemergence – of Khodorkovsky, once known to be the wealthiest man in Russia, now an “unlikely martyr for the anti-Putin movement.” The result is a supremely entertaining documentary that sheds light on a tumultuous period in one of the world’s Great Empires.
“…focuses his attention on the ongoing battles between two major Goliaths: Russian President Vladimir Putin and oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky…”
That said, Gibney’s film is so crammed with details, it both zips by (no small feat, at over two hours), and feels a bit overloaded with nary a moment to breathe in-between the assault of information. One can only imagine the hours and hours of footage Gibney had to sort through, to assemble a coherent and compelling portrait of a dispute between two major figures, set against the background of a continuously-morphing sociopolitical turmoil.
Growing up in Moscow during the mid-1990’s, I had little-to-no interest in politics. That said, it was impossible to not be aware of the big news. Post-Perestroika, Russia’s “bold attempt to shift from years of communist rule to free-market capitalism” was akin to a blind “jump off a cliff” under the guidance of fearless leader, President Boris Yeltsin. The once-great, now-dismantled country just lay there, open for the taking. Taking advantage of the chaos, oligarchs skyrocketed to the top of the social ladder – mostly by way of illegal activities – leaving the rest scrambling in their dust. One of the names that kept popping up, I vividly remember, was Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s.
Citizen K (2019)
Directed and Written: Alex Gibney
Starring: Alex Gibney (narrator), Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Leonid Nevzlin, Anton Drel, Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Gusinsky, Boris Berezovsky, Boris Yeltsin, etc.
Movie score: 8/10
"…focuses his attention on the ongoing battles between two major Goliaths: Russian President Vladimir Putin and oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky"
Tatra says:
Another great review, an independent and objective analysis of the movie, still leaving it up to the viewers to judge and to create their own opinion of the political events and characters.
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Nat Faxon & Jim Rash’s very funny The Way, Way Back is an undeniably familiar tale. It is a “How I Spent My Summer Vacation” coming-of-age story that...
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By: Katherine Muniz Nov 23, 2016
Judge Blocks Rule Extending Overtime Pay to Millions of Salaried Workers
A federal judge in Texas blocked an Obama administration rule on Tuesday expanding mandatory overtime pay to millions of salaried workers.
The regulation, which was developed with the Department of Labor, would have doubled the salary level under which salaried workers are eligible for earning overtime pay. The rule was scheduled to take effect on Dec. 1st and was protested as overreaching by a wide range of business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and 21 states.
The Judge, Amos L. Mazzant III of the Eastern District of Texas, sided with the claims made by states and business groups in lawsuits filed in September that the Obama administration had exceeded its authority by increasing the salary threshold so drastically.
Lacking authority
In his ruling, Mazzant suggested that the Labor Department lacked the authority even to establish a salary limit, claiming that determining eligibility based on salary levels runs counter to the federal law that governs who is eligible for overtime.
While the injunction is only a temporary measure to stall the regulation until the judge issues a ruling, many believe that Mazzant’s language is an indicator of his decision to strike down the regulation. The judge’s decision is being celebrated by small business owners who argue that the new rules would be costly and result in fewer hours for workers.
Meanwhile, the Department of Labor says it disagrees with the decision and is “considering all of our legal options,” including an appeal in the final days of the Obama administration. What does this mean for you? The regulation is currently suspended, which means that the proposed start date of Dec. 1st will likely not take effect and your salaried workers’ overtime status remains unchanged.
As this news develops, FingerCheck will keep you informed of the ultimate ruling on this matter.
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FUNDING FOR NEW CYPRIOT CENTRE FOR MARINE RESEARCH
Funding for new Cypriot centre for marine research. The European Commission has announced that project “CMMI Maritec-X” has been awarded a 15M€ grant with the project’s main objective is to establish a Centre of Excellence for Marine and Maritime Research in Cyprus (the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute, CMMI) within the next seven years.
In this initiative, the Marine Institute of Ireland and SmartBay Ireland is partnering with Cypriot government bodies (Municipality of Larnaka), private companies and organizations (GeoImaging Ltd., the Maritime Institute of Eastern Mediterranean, SignalGenerix Ltd. and the Limassol Chamber of Commerce), as well as with the University of Southampton, UK.
The new Institute to be formed in Cyprus will focus on research, technology development and innovation in several sectors critical for the Cypriot economy, such as maritime transport, marine ecosystems, offshore energy and other societal needs in that region of the Mediterranean. The project is currently in grant agreement preparation and is expected to kick-off in Q2 2019.
This project complements the ambitions set out for Ireland in Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth relating to the development of the shipping and maritime industry by enabling Ireland to build expertise in these areas. More broadly, the HOOW strategy sets out clear targets in terms of turnover from the marine economy by 2020, and increasing the industry’s contribution to GDP to 2.4% a year by 2030. The Maritec-X project will contribute to these objectives and is also consistent with Ireland’s Marine Research & Innovation Strategy. The Strategy supports the implementation of Innovation 2020, Ireland’s national Research and Innovation Strategy, which identifies Marine as one of eight areas of focus for social progress and the economy.
The Marine Institute’s contribution to the project (with a combined award of €2m) will be managed jointly by the Irish Maritime Development Office and SmartBay Ireland. This project will allow Ireland to build national research and development capacity and to collaborate with institutions and organisations across Europe in an ambitious project that will contribute to expertise in building marine and maritime clusters.
Peter Heffernan, Chief Executive of the Marine Institute said: “We are delighted at news of the Maritec-X award. The award acknowledges the excellence and leadership that both the Marine Institute and SmartBay demonstrate in the European maritime landscape. We look forward to cooperating and collaborating with our Cypriot partners to the benefit of both innovation-led maritime economies.”
Garrett Murray, National Director for Horizon 2020 at Enterprise Ireland said: “We welcome news that another large scale H2020 award has been achieved through an industry-academia partnership. Ireland continues to perform well under the programme and there is significant competitive funding available for Irish researchers and companies under Horizon 2020 40% of the budget remaining. EI and partner agencies are committed to supporting participation in H2020 to realise the Irish Government’s target of winning €1.2bn from the EU’s €70bn Horizon 2020 R&I budget.”
John Breslin, General Manager of SmartBay Ireland commented: “We are delighted to be involved in this project to establish the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute (CMMI) as a European marine and maritime centre of excellence. As part of this project, we will be reaching out to Irish businesses and research organisations who wish to collaborate with CMMI and its stakeholders, to help broker the development of joint projects and funding opportunities.”
NEW RESEARCH ON UPWELLING
PRAISE FOR RETIRING SANDFORD CHAIRMAN
OUTER HEBRIDES LOCAL ENERGY HUB SHORTLISTED
SFF WELCOMES NATIONAL STRATEGY PLAN
EUROPÊCHE DEFENDS SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES SUBSIDIES
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Fraser Pearce
Musician, teacher, blogger
Fraser graduated with a BEd Music (Hons) degree with Merit in Teaching in the summer of 2012. During the four year course, Fraser studied music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Education studies in the Faculty of Education, University of Glasgow. Through this programme he has a strong professional grounding in education theory and practice. Over the 4 years of his study, Fraser taught in 8 diverse schools and gained valuable experience in different settings .
Between 2009 and 2014, Fraser was Trombone Intstructor at the Music Centre of Inverclyde Instrumental Music Service and successfully prepared pupils for ABRSM examinations and entry to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. In the session 2012-13, Fraser taught in Bishopbriggs Academy, East Dunbartonshire. In addition to class teaching, Fraser was responsible for the school Senior choir and delivered individual voice coaching for pupils studying singing for SQA National Qualifications. He also initiated the school Chamber choir, an ABRSM music theory class, ceilidh band and was accompanist for the junior choir. Fraser was also responsible for writing and implementing new Composing Skills courses from the new National 4 and 5 qualifications through to Advanced Higher.
In 2014, Fraser was appointed at Turnbull High School to teach music and Catholic Religious Education. He held the position of School Retreat Co-ordinator, Caritas Award Co-ordinator and ran the school ceilidh band. He has been responsible for writing the new Higher and Advanced Higher Understanding Music courses. In October 2018, Fraser was appointed Acting Principal Teacher of RE with responsibility for the BGE (S1-3) and in the session 2019-20 undertook an Additional Teacher Qualification in Religious Education at the University of Glasgow. In May 2020, Fraser was appointed Principal Teacher of Religious Education.
In addition to his work at Turnbull, Fraser maintains a busy schedule of private pupils. These include vocal, piano, organ and brass students from beginner to further education level.
Website setup by www.BPProject.pwSet up by BPProject.pw
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Agent The Stars
Agent to the Stars
Book by John Scalzi
From New York Times bestseller and Hugo Award-winner, John Scalzi, a gleeful mash-up of science fiction and Hollywood satire The space-faring Yherajk have come to Earth to meet us and to begin humanity's first interstellar friendship. There's just... read more
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Details of Agent to the Stars
From New York Times bestseller and Hugo Award-winner, John Scalzi, a gleeful mash-up of science fiction and Hollywood satire The space-faring Yherajk have come to Earth to meet us and to begin humanity's first interstellar friendship. There's just one problem They're hideously ugly and they smell like rotting fish. So getting humanity's trust is a challenge.
The Yherajk need someone who can help them close the deal. Enter Thomas Stein, who knows something about closing deals. He's one of Hollywood's hottest young agents.
But although Stein may have just concluded the biggest deal of his career, it's quite another thing to negotiate for an entire alien race. To earn his percentage this time, he's going to need all the smarts, skills, and wits he can muster. Other Tor Books The Androids Dream Agent to the Stars Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded Fuzzy Nation Redshirts 1.
Lock In 2. Head On The Interdepency Sequence 1. The Collapsing Empire 2.
The Consuming Fire Old Man's War Series 1. Old Mans War 2. The Ghost Brigades 3.
The Last Colony 4. Zoes Tale 5. The Human Division 6.
The End of All Things At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Scalzi won the 2006 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and his debut novel Old Man's War was a finalist for science fiction's Hugo Award. His other books include The Ghost Brigades, The Android's Dream and The Last Colony.
He has won the Hugo Award, the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for science-fiction, the Seiun, The Kurd Lasswitz and the Geffen awards. His weblog, Whatever, is one of the most widely-read web sites in modern SF. Born and raised in California, Scalzi studied at the University of Chicago.
He lives in southern Ohio with his wife and daughter.
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One of two pou, or pillar facings, which feature prominently in the Entrance Hall. The pou are carved out of totara in the Taranaki style and stand more than two metres tall.
Guests to Government House Wellington enter under a covered porte-cochère on the southern side of the House.
The Taupaepae, or official entrance hall, is where guests arriving to see Their Excellencies are greeted.
The two pou, or pillar facings, in the Taranaki-style, were presented to the House by the late Sir Paul Reeves, New Zealand’s first Governor-General of Māori descent. Sir Paul carved a small portion of the eastern pillar himself.
Around the walls are the carved coats of arms of the Governors and Governors-General who have lived in the House since 1910.
The marquetry table was made in the 19th Century by Anton Seuffert, and the two oak porters’ chairs in the entrance foyer are among the few items of furniture to have been in the House since it was built.
The Gavin Chilcott-designed carpet runner was adapted to fit the spaces of the main hall, forming a wall- to-wall carpet at the north end and a carpet square at the entrance. The runner passes through the space connecting the east and west hallways as well as up the main stair. The carpet takes its colour-way from the flowers of the pohutukawa and rata trees.
More images of the Taupaepae
Book a tour of Government House Wellington
Our Visitor Centre runs free, guided tours for individuals, groups and schools.
Bookings are required.
Find out more about tours
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Minecraft Content Cancelled: NEWS
By GC Staff on August 15, 2019 in Blogs
As part of Microsoft’s E3 showing in 2017, Mojang announced the “Super Duper Graphics Pack” for Minecraft. It would have brought an overhaul to the visuals of the game including realistic lighting, shadows, and 4K resolution support. Unfortunately, it was announced on August 12th, 2019 that the pack is no longer in development.
In an official blog post, Mojang cited technical difficulties with the pack’s performance across multiple devices. “Minecraft is available on a wide range of platforms, and we’re constantly trying to make the most of the technical architecture of each one,” a staff member wrote.
Given how Minecraft has made ease of play on a variety of platforms a priority, it makes sense that something like the graphics pack wouldn’t fit the IP’s current direction. For now, the team is looking for new ways for people to experience Minecraft with a new look without compromising its performance.
— Michael Baginski
Source: Minecraft.net
GC Staff
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Geelong Gastro | About Dr Alexander
Dr Alexander
About Dr Alexander
Dr Alexander graduated from Monash University in 1998. He became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2006 after completing advanced training in gastroenterology at Geelong Hospital and Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne. He subsequently undertook an advanced therapeutic endoscopy fellowship at the leading endoscopy centre in Australia, Westmead Hospital in Sydney.
Dr Alexander has extensive experience in performing gastroscopy, colonoscopy and Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and is accredited to undertake these procedures by the Gastroenterological Society of Australia.
Dr Alexander’s clinical work and research interests include colorectal cancer prevention, Gastro-oesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD), Barrett’s oesophagus, inflammatory bowel disease and the diagnosis and management of pancreatico-biliary diseases.
Dr Alexander has undertaken advanced training in the management of complex pre-malignant and early mucosal malignancies throughout the gastrointestinal tract as well as palliative stenting of advanced gastrointestinal cancers. He is particularly interested in quality outcome measures in endoscopy (adenoma detection, completion and complication rates). He is active in clinical research, is co-investigator of multi-centre national studies and has published in leading national and international journals.
Barwon Health (Geelong Hospital)
St John of God Hospital
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Destination Dallas: Everything’s bigger in Texas
In Columns
There’s a well-known saying in the United States regarding the nation’s second largest state, declaring that “everything is bigger in Texas.” Located in the huge Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the city of Dallas is the most populous city in the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country. It’s fair to say that big is what Dallas does best.
The city’s location in the middle of the United States makes it ideally placed for travel to and from other US cities, coast to coast, as well as offering significant global appeal, with Dallas Fort-Worth being one of only a dozen or so airports in the world offering service to over 200 international locations.
Over the years, the region has hosted the headquarters for a diverse range of firms, with household names such as ExxonMobil, American Airlines, Toyota, and Dr Pepper all calling the region home. The Dallas Fort-Worth area boasts 22 Fortune 500 company headquarters and 42 headquarters from Fortune 1000 companies.
Global business is welcomed in Dallas. Situated in the heart of downtown, the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas is one of the nation’s largest convention centers, with over a million people passing through its doors each year to attend major national and international conventions, meetings, concerts, and much more.
In nearby Fort Worth, north of the downtown core, are the historic Fort Worth Stockyards. These 98-acres of land contain a former livestock market and celebrate the area’s long tradition as part of the cattle industry. The Stockyards are now used primarily for shopping and entertainment, promoting the image of Fort Worth as America’s Cowtown.
Dallas Fort-Worth is one of only a dozen or so airports in the world offering service to over 200 international locations
When visiting Dallas, you won’t miss out on sampling the region’s famous cuisine. The taste for great BBQ permeates the city, with restaurants such as the Lockhart Smokehouse on West Davis Street offering an authentic Texan BBQ experience. Equally sought after are the city’s unique Tex-Mex dishes, which can be sampled at Herrera’s Cafe on Sylvan Ave.
Heading into the Dallas Arts District will quickly quench any thirst for the city’s artistic culture. The Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Garden and the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center are all located here, in an area offering music, performances, exhibits and tours, along with a wide selection of dining and shopping venues.
As far as sports are concerned, Dallas doesn’t disappoint. Home of the world famous Dallas Cowboys, the AT&T stadium in Arlington is the fourth largest in the NFL, offering an exciting match-day experience. If soccer is your thing, then MLS team Dallas FC is located near Frisco, at the Toyota Stadium.
Dallas is most famous for the mystery surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. In downtown Dealey Plaza, the Sixth Floor Museum is extremely popular, hosting special exhibits that explore the impact of this historic event. Whether or not you believe in the conspiracy theories, the museum is a fascinating place to spend an hour or two.
While here you simply must take a closer look at its incredible skyline. The historic Reunion Tower is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, and its 470-foot-high GeO-Deck offers 360-degree panoramic views that will take your breath away. With a selection of dining, cocktails and private parties also on offer, the view is just the start.
Whether you are staying for a day, or a week, or even a month, Dallas promises to provide you with plenty of big experiences.
Our accommodation provider of choice when staying in Dallas is Stay Alfred, offering short or long-term stays right in the downtown core. Find out more at www.stayalfred.com.
Dallas Texas, Stay Alfred
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Welfare and Rights of Animals in India: An Overview
“The greatness of a nation and its progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”
My history teacher told me that dog was the first animal to be domesticated by man. This itself is a good example that since early civilization, animals have been an integral part of man’s life. We have domesticated them for both agricultural purposes and companionship. However, over time our kinship with them has altered into abuse, in which the welfare of animals is compromised. We have developed a mindset where we began to view animals only for their utility. Almost every other day, we hear incidents about animal abuses. In fact, it has now become a common practice to inflict cruelty upon them.
History records that hunting was considered to be a sport for people of royal stature. It was a symbol of valor and pride for the kings and princes back then. Moreover, special poems were written in appreciation of the Kings who killed one thousand elephants in a war[1]. On the other hand, we also had Kings like Ellalan (Manuneedhi Cholan) who executed his own son to provide justice to a cow.
Animal welfare has always been a niche subject. People have a limited thinking that animal welfare is all about dogs and cats. Lately, welfare of cows has also made headlines, but rather than placing emphasis on their welfare it has now become a politically motivated undertaking.
The Role played by the Legislature.
With rapid urbanization and population explosion, and consumerism catching up, animals have become easy prey for human rapacity. They are simple targets for anyone trying to make a quick buck, and prime candidates for exploitation. This resulted in the enactment of certain legislations by the Indian Government to protect the welfare of animals.. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA) enacted in the year 1960, is the first significant step taken by the Parliament to protect animal rights, to curb the increasing cases of cruelty towards animals. The objective behind this Act was “To prevent the infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering on animals”. Furthermore, in the year 1962 the Animal Welfare Board was set up as the regulatory body which acted as a catalyst with regards to framing of policies and welfare measures to protect the welfare of flora and fauna in India. In order to extend the ambit of animal rights, The Wild Life Protection Act was enacted in the year 1972. The primary objective of this Act was to control and prevent the practice of smuggling, poaching and illicit dealing of wildlife, its resources and its derivatives. The constitution of India has recognized the need to ingrain a sense of responsibility and compassion in the minds of its citizens. This implicit recognition of animal sentience is echoed in Article 51A(g) which states that it is the duty of every citizen “to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures”.
India is one of the countries that have the strictest laws when it comes to wildlife protection. Ivory trade has been prohibited in India since 1972. India saw some of the biggest victories for animal welfare in the last decade.
In the year 2013 the Ministry of Environment and Forests imposed a ban on dolphinariums (aquariums for dolphins).
India also imposed a ban on animal testing for cosmetics in 2014, followed by a prohibition on the import of cosmetics tested on animals, placing India on the map for scientifically progressive countries.[2]
India has also prohibited the export of shark fins.[3] (Prior to 2013, India used to be the third largest shark landing nation in the world.)
We are also one of the few countries who prohibit wild animals in circuses. The Government is now planning to remove all animals from circuses[4].
Are you looking for this? Animal Cruelty: Adequacy of Legislations
The Role played by the Judiciary.
Creating an animal-friendly environment in a world of mayhem is not an easy task. Nevertheless, the Indian Judiciary has time and again played a pivotal role for evolution of animal laws in India and also in shaping the present and future animal rights. In the landmark judgment of R. Nair v. Union of India[5], the Supreme Court affirmed that tigers, monkeys, panthers, bears and lions could not be used as performing animals to obtain profits. Such practice leads to the illegitimate smuggling and subsequent mistreatment of these creatures, caging, beating etc. thereby violating Section 22 of the PCA Act, 1960. An important verdict given by the Bombay High Court stated that a No-Objection Certificate must be obtained from the Animal Welfare Board before using or casting any animals in films. This will ensure that no animals are exploited during training or filming on the sets of any film. The judgment that led to the Pro Jallikattu protest, Animal welfare board of India v. A. Nagaraja & others[6] dealt with “the rights of animals under the Constitution of India as well as Indian laws, culture, tradition, religion and ethology”
The lacunae in the path of effective enforcement of Animal welfare measures.
Are you looking for this? Animal Cruelty in Indian Slaughterhouses
It is pertinent to note that all the legislative and judicial measures to curb animal abuses is just a droplet in an ocean. How often does one encounter a stray dog being run down by a vehicle or another being pelted with stones? Just a month back, the whole nation was baffled by the death of a pregnant elephant that died because it accidentally consumed a pineapple filled with fire crackers that was meant for driving away wild boars. We still hear incidents of Cows being raped and puppies being flung from multi storied building. An inspector from the Animal Welfare Board of India said in 2017 that cases of dogs being bludgeoned with iron bars or burnt alive had taken place almost every month[7]. The perpetrators of such ‘non-cognisable’ offences, if booked for the first time, under Section 11(1)(a) of PCA Act, can get away with a fine of just rupees 50 which is less than half the penalty for a no- parking violation in India. Animals used in scientific research are an exception to the provisions of the Prevention of Animal Cruelty Act 1960. Indian legislation also permits religious slaughter to be performed without prior stunning. Besides, the Government of India has extended only a partial support for the proposed Universal Declaration for Animal Welfare (UDAW)[8], since the Animal Welfare Board endorsed UDAW in June 2008. An expression of support for the UDAW demonstrates a Government’s commitment to working with the international community to improve animal welfare. We have penal provisions that prescribe imprisonment between 2 and 5 years for killing and maiming animals. But how often these sections are invoked is still a mystery.
In a country where we decorate our doorstep with kolam that contain rice flour so that it will act as food for insects, we also come across animals being killed mercilessly. We as human beings are entitled to more than just the Right to live. We have the right to live a dignified life. The State ensures that every aspect of a human’s life is secured. When we are deprived of these rights, we revolt, we protest, we shout and we scream. But humans are not the only living beings existing. We are a part of an ecosystem, and our inhabitance is supported by the existence of so many creatures around us. But unlike us, they cannot revolt and protest when they are deprived of their rights. They cannot claim a judicial remedy and are left with no choice other than to suffer. These voiceless beings depend on us to voice out their grievances. Legislations and Judicial decisions do play an important role in curbing animal abuses but they won’t suffice. Every individual must take a conscience decision to be responsible and compassionate towards these creatures. Be it feeding the stray dogs in your locality or abstaining from purchasing leather products, a little effort from our side will have a tremendous impact.
Are you looking for this? Stubble Burning and Pollution in National Capital
[1] Kalingattuparani by Jayamkondar (12th Century ).
[2] Vishwa Mohan, India bans import of cosmetics tested on animals, The Times of India (Oct 14, 2014, 18:51 IST), https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-bans-import-of-cosmetics-tested-on-animals/articleshow/44814398.cms.
[3] India bans shark ‘finning’ to protect species, The Hindu (August 26, 2013, 17:48 IST), https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/india-bans-shark-finning-to-protect-species/article5061493.ece.
[4] N.R.Nair And Ors v. Union Of India And Ors., 2001 (3) SCR 353 (India).
[5] R. Nair v. Union of India, 2001 (3) SCR 35 (India).
[6] Animal welfare board of India v. A. Nagaraja & others, (2014) 7 SCC 547 (India).
[7] Pullanoor, Harish. “Indians can be both unbearably cruel and incredibly kind towards stray dogs”. Quartz India. Retrieved (22 March 2020), https://qz.com/india/657087/indians-can-be-both-unbearably-cruel-and-incredibly-kind-towards-stray-dogs/.
[8] Universal Declaration for Animal Welfare, World Society for the Protection of Animals, https://www.worldanimalprotection.ca/sites/default/files/media/ca_-_en_files/case_for_a_udaw_tcm22-8305.pdf.
Rachel Florence J., Welfare and Rights of Animals in India: An Overview, Ex Gratia Law Journal, (September 11, 2020), https://exgratialawjournal.in/blawg/environmental-law/welfare-and-rights-of-animals-in-india-an-overview-by-rachel-florence-j/.
This BLawG won the Best Paper (Winner) in First Edition of Article Writing Competition, 2020 conducted on August 29, 2020.
Rachel Florence J.
Student - School of Excellence in Law, The Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University.
Climate Refugees- The Refugees Our World Seldom pays Attention to
Posted in Environmental Law
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As the Design Industry Moves More Toward Specialization, Education Follows Suit
Design Census
Online learning, intensive workshops, and a new spate of offerings from design programs are meeting students where they are
Meg Miller
Julian Glander
This story is part of a series that explores the results of the 2019 Design Census. Read the first story, on recession-proofing your design practice.
When Jack Roberts started attending Parsons School of Design in the late 1990s, the expected post-graduation path was pretty straight-and-narrow. The internet was nascent, the term “design thinking” had yet to penetrate the glass doors of the C-suite. Companies hired graphic designers to design identities, marketing campaigns, and book covers. “If you were studying design, you were going into a design studio class and hoping to end up on the factory floor of Pentagram,” says Roberts.
Today, tell someone you’re going into design and they’ll probably ask you to be more specific. Do you mean branding? Digital design? The design of systems, behavior, experiences? Roberts now teaches at Parsons on subjects that likely wouldn’t have registered when he was a student there: strategic design, design thinking, creative management, the “storytelling of design.” He teaches them in summer school classes and weekend workshops offered by the college, to incoming students, practitioners, and a range of professionals, some of whom work in other fields but find design applicable to their work.
As technologies change and design principles seep into other industries, what we think of as “design” has undoubtedly broadened over the past couple of decades. In turn, art schools and traditional four-year design programs are feeling the need to provide more specialized offerings and to reach more people. Adding to the pressure are new unaccredited programs, coding bootcamps, and intensive workshops that can teach a highly specified skill quickly, and for cheaper. While they are far from replacing art colleges or universities, alternate education models are pushing elite design programs in new and interesting directions.
“There’s no reason why there can’t be a pallet of offerings from established schools that look and act more like what you’re seeing in that kind of niche space.”
According to the 2019 Design Census, the majority of designers working today have a Bachelor’s degree (32%). Seventeen percent said they’ve engaged in online learning and 10% have taken workshops or programs, while only 6% have Master’s degrees, and 0.1% have received Doctorate degrees (participants could pick multiple options). Most surprising: More people ticked the boxes for online classes or workshops than for specialized art schools.
In design, online learning and alternate programs come in a range of different forms and levels of intensity, from online tutorials and weekend workshops to year-long certificate programs. The largest examples are well-funded startups like General Assembly and the Flatiron School, where you can take intensive, multi-month coding, UX/UI, and data science courses for around $15,000. There are also more local options, like the Austin Center for Design in Austin, Texas, which offers a one-year intensive program in interaction design focused on how design can “change human behavior and improve the world,” for $18,000. Its graduates have gone on to work for Argo Design, Dell, Frog Design, and IBM.
“College itself shouldn’t be the only way to start doing design.”
Seth Johnson, IBM’s program director of designer practices and community, says the design program has hired graduates of both General Assembly and Austin Center for Design (IBM has a large office in Austin), as well as from community colleges and other nontraditional programs. “We actually seek them out and acknowledge that they are just as primed to start their careers as designers at IBM as students who went to a more traditional four-year program,” he says. IBM doesn’t require job applicants to have a Bachelor’s degree, in part, Johnson says, because the company simply has too many positions to fill (IBM has added more than 2,500 user experience designers in the past several years). Finding the best—and finding enough—design talent requires that the company look beyond traditional pipelines.
Johnson also points to diversity as a key reason they don’t require that employees have a degree. “We want to make sure that our design teams are not all staffed with people who have come from the same socioeconomic background,” he says. This means opening them up to people who might not be able to afford the tuition for a four-year undergraduate degree (in the U.S., public universities cost an average of $20,000 a year and private schools cost an average $45,000 a year). The most important thing, Johnson says, is not the applicant’s educational background, but the work in their portfolio.
This hiring approach is a growing trend in software engineering, where prospective employees are often asked to show their code in Github. But in the design industry, requiring a degree is still common, says Lee-Sean Huang, AIGA’s design education manager and cofounder of creative consultancy Foossa. That’s especially the case when it comes to big agencies and strategy companies like McKinsey, where coming from a prestigious school is part of the culture. For smaller studios that lack the resources of a company like IBM, it’s easier to hire through their own professional and social circles. But Huang says he sees that shifting in tech environments, where the tools and trends cycle out quickly. Hiring managers are becoming more savvy about what prospective employees need to know coming in, and what tools they can learn on the job.
“People used to come to design schools to learn how to use design tools, and that’s not the case any more.”
At this point, comparing online learning and alternate programs to four-year undergraduate programs can feel a bit like comparing apples to oranges. They’re distinct experiences, and many people do both. Programs like Flatiron School and General Assembly are popular with people who want to change careers or learn a new skill for professional development. Some already have degrees, design or otherwise, or plan to get them. But where does that leave design degree programs, if prospective students are able to learn the tools and gain specific skills for the workforce elsewhere? How are they responding to this new crop of hyper-specialized nontraditional education?
One the one hand, this question is just one aspect of a larger challenge around specialization that design degree programs face. Incoming college students today have a higher level of exposure to design than in the past—they grew up with Instagram and the internet, and many already know their way around the Adobe suite. “People used to come to design schools to learn how to use design tools, and that’s not the case any more,” Roberts says. “They’re coming to design schools to learn what to do with those design tools in the world.”
John Caserta, an associate professor at Rhode Island School of Design, echoes that sentiment. “So many of our incoming undergraduate students have been feeding off design for half their lives,” he says. “They come to school already with strong opinions about design and what they want to learn.” At RISD, this sense of early design literacy has led the design program to expand elective options to include more classes in specialized skills like UX design, software development, interaction design, and form-making. They’ve also added to the curriculum four-week-long workshops that meet once a week to learn things like Risograph printing, calligraphy, or digital design.
“[Design is] potentially a very egalitarian discipline.”
It’s also important to the RISD faculty that incoming students take a foundational year and a half, where they’re exposed to different kinds of design and gain a more expansive understanding of the field, before they go straight into a specialized path. “A four-year undergraduate degree is a significant commitment, financially and time-wise, but there’s so much that comes along with that in terms of community and finding yourself,” says Caserta.
Caserta sees the intensive workshops and bootcamps like Flatiron School being used more in a post-baccalaureate way, but colleges also realize that online learning and other alternate modes are flexible, affordable, and thus more accessible to more people—and they’re taking note. Caserta says colleges can be better at harnessing the medium of the internet, taking advantage of video or sophisticated chat technology to offer classes online that are the same caliber as those on campus. CalArts has been doing this with its “Open Learning” initiative, which offers free, no-credit online courses to the broader public, in partnership with Coursera and Kadenze. The courses range from typography to digital arts to game design. “There’s no reason why there can’t be a pallet of offerings from established schools that look and act more like what you’re seeing in that kind of niche space,” says Caserta.
At Parsons, the summer school courses and workshops that Roberts teaches are part of an effort to diversify their offerings and reach people beyond those getting a four-year degree. This includes business students, for example, who see design thinking as a skill that can strengthen their careers, as well as people who want to go into design, but don’t know what kind. It also includes those for whom traditional design education is too steep a price to pay. While Parsons’ summer school classes cost between $7,000 and $10,000, and the workshops between $500 and $2,500—a high barrier to entry for many—Parsons offers full scholarships to these programs to people from low-income and non-traditional backgrounds.
“College shouldn’t be the only way to start doing design, because it’s potentially a very egalitarian discipline,” says Caserta. A clear benefit to more nontraditional design programs entering the educational space is that there are more options, which opens design to more people. Whether they’ll lessen people’s appetite for paying tuition for degree programs is yet to fully be seen. But they’re awakening colleges to expand their offerings and meet students where they are. And as design both broadens and specializes, the more diversity in terms of backgrounds, modes of thought, and skill, the better.
This story is part of a series that explores the results of the 2019 Design Census. Read the first story,…
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100MW PV-plus-storage feasibility study for Mozambique airport project backed with USTDA grant
Just a few months after Mozambique’s first ever large-scale PV project reached financial close and construction work began, the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has awarded a grant to pay for a feasibility study for a new project of up to 100MW capacity.
USTDA announced late last week that a grant has been signed by the US Ambassador to Mozambique, Dean Pittman, with South African solar developer WHN Solar. WHN Solar has in turn contracted US-headquartered engineering, environment and consulting firm HDR International, to conduct the feasibility study.
A ceremony was held in Maputo, the African country’s capital hosting the document’s signing. As well as examining the viability of the 100MW PV project, to be built in 20MW-40MW phases and expected by USTDA to include “an associated energy storage facility”, the overall aims of the study will include looking at wider issues surrounding development of the grid in Mozambique.
The grid in and around the city of Nacala in particular suffers from “a lack of sufficient generation capacity and stability issues,” USTDA said in a statement, adding that the energy storage portion of the project, as yet unspecified in size, design and technology type, can help with stabilising the grid. The 100MW solar-plus-storage facility is expected to be built at Nacala International Airport, northeastern Mozambique.
“We wish to thank USTDA for its contribution to the development of this pioneering project. With USTDA’s support, we hope to improve the quality and security of power supply in the region, with a positive impact on local communities,” WHN Solar CEO and director Ntanzi Carrilho said.
USTDA is pleased to support this important project that will help diversify Mozambique’s energy generation mix. At the same time, the project represents business opportunities for U.S. companies in a key sector in Mozambique,” USTDA acting regional director for Sub-Saharan Africa, Paul Marin said.
In March, PV Tech reported that Scatec Solar, KLP Norfund Investments and Electricidade de Mozambique (EDM) had reached financial close with debt financing for a 40MW solar PV plant in the Mocuba district of Mozambique and that construction work had already begun. A 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) was signed back in 2016 for that project.
Energy-Storage.news has reported on other recent activities by USTDA to support energy storage in developing regions and markets including Africa. In April 2017, for example, USTDA awarded US$1.1 million (Sh113 million) to Nairobi-based Xago Africa for the development of a utility-scale solar-plus-storage facility in Kenya. In September of that year the agency also supported South Africa’s main utility, Eskom, in a trial of flow battery energy storage systems from Primus Power.
August 28, 2018 Energy Storage News 0
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Home > Hidden in Plain Sight: How to Create Extraordinary Products for Tomorrow's Customers
Hidden in Plain Sight: How to Create Extraordinary Products for Tomorrow's Customers
Global innovation consultant Jan Chipchase takes us on a journey around the world to figure out what makes people tick, offering a new perspective on how consumers think and how to develop products and services that impact consumers’ everyday lives.
A global-innovation expert offers a new perspective on how consumers think and how to develop products and services that affect their everyday lives.
Who are your next customers—not just the ones you are serving today but the ones you'll need three, five, or ten years from now? How do you figure out what goods and services will attract them in the future before your competitors do?
According to Jan Chipchase—whom Fast Company has called the "James Bond of design research" and Fortune has called the "Indiana Jones of technology for the developing world"—most of the clues are right in front of us. The key is learning to see the ordinary in a revolutionary new way. As the executive creative director of Global Insights at frog, an award-winning global design and innovation company, Chipchase draws on everyday objects and patterns to show us how to see the world differently, from making a phone call to filling up a gas tank to ascertaining whether it's actually half-and-half you're pouring into your coffee. Chipchase is always looking for opportunities—gaps, anomalies, and contradictions—that will give his clients, some of the world's largest and most successful companies, a distinct competitive advantage, whether they're delivering the most low-tech bar of soap or the most high-tech wireless network.
In Hidden in Plain Sight, Chipchase takes readers on his journeys around the globe and shares his methods for identifying the unmet needs of customers. No matter where he stops—whether Cleveland or Kabul—his goals are the same: to spot and decode the routines of daily life and to help readers use the very same tools that he and his team use to see, and capitalize upon, what is hidden in plain sight today to create businesses tomorrow.
Goodreads reviews for Hidden in Plain Sight: How to Create Extraordinary Products for Tomorrow's Customers
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Seychelles Ocean
Geologically, the Seychelles forms part of the granitic Mascarene Plateau, which separated from the Indian Plate and is home to the planet’s oldest oceanic islands. Spread over a vast area measuring 800 km by 1,000km, the Seychelles archipelago with its 115 islands possesses an exclusive economic zone of 1,374,000 km². A further 397,000 km² of marine space is shared with the Republic of Mauritius as part of the Extended Continental Shelf. Seychelles has total sovereign rights over much of this vast ocean space along with the fishing and all subsea minerals and petroleum resources.
Traditionally, the ocean has always been also a vital source of food for the islanders which included various forms of artisanal fishing, harvesting turtle and dolphin (marswin) meat from the Inner as well as the Outer Islands; mining guano (the faecal deposits of sea birds) from, particularly, the Outer Islands and the collection of crops such as coprah, birds eggs, various types of shells as well as the highly prized mutton bird (fouquet) from the remoter Outer Islands.
In stark contrast to Seychelles’ land, which has over 50% set aside for conservation, less than 1% of Seychelles’ 1.4 million km² of marine waters is currently protected. That figure, however, is targeted to rise to 30% or 400,000 km² via marine spatial planning to ensure species and habitats enjoy long-termprotection, improve resiliency of coastal ecosystems with a changing climate, and ensure sustainable economic opportunities for fisheries, tourism and other activities.
Oil companies have been exploring the ocean for hydrocarbon deposits since the 1960s, an activity that is ongoing, along with a search for minerals found in poly-metallic nodules.The ocean as a source of clean, renewable energy and sustainable power for a small, remote island nation is also being studiedbut the ocean’s most immediate richness lies in its marine life and complex marine ecosystems for which its cleanliness is paramount. Not to be overlooked is the fact that cleanliness of the ocean impacts directly on other species, such as colonies of nesting birdsand migrating marine mammals, in addition to the people residing on and visiting the islands.
Seychelles’ waters contain an impressive wealth of species ranging from a wide selection of demersal and pelagic fish to the coralline algae that cement the reefs found on most islands; 351 species of sponges; 55 species of anthozoa; 5 endemic species of crustacean; 5 species of turtle; 27 species of mammals including endangered sei, blue and fin whales; 8 species of dolphin and a small but important population of 20-25 dugong around the Aldabra Atoll. Unfortunately, corals continue to be under pressure from warming waters and coral bleaching.
Great potential exists in the form of future transition to sustainable artisanal and industrial fishing, and also aquaculture whose modus operandi are currently being brought in line with current best practices. A big advantage here is that the waters of Seychelles are some of the cleanest in the world,scoring highly among sovereign states on the ocean health index.
adventureexpeditionholidaysIndian Oceanisland livingislandsseychelles beautyseychelles islands...another world
Through the worm hole
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Heroines of the Medieval World
Ladies of Magna Carta
Silk and the Sword
History… the interesting bits!
Illustrious Queen
07/02/2016 19/07/2020 Sharon Bennett Connolly
Philippa of Lancaster, Queen of Portugal
Philippa of Lancaster was born at Leicester on 31st March 1360. She was the eldest daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and 4th son of Edward III, and his first wife Blanche of Lancaster, great-great-granddaughter of Henry III. her father was one of the richest men in the country – and one of the most powerful.
Her life as a child would have been one of luxury and privilege, with a glorious dynastic marriage awaiting her in the future. Philippa was raised alongside her younger sister, Elizabeth, who was born in 1363, and her baby brother, Henry of Bolingbroke, born in 1367.
The children shared a household for some of their childhood and were given the best education available. The reformer John Wycliffe, 1st translator of the Bible into English, was among their tutors.
The children lost their mother when Blanche died at Tutbury on 12th September, 1368, more likely from the complications of childbirth than from the plague, as a daughter, Isabella, who did not survive, was born around the same time.
The children’s father was with Blanche when she died but departed on campaign to France soon after; it is doubtful the children’s care was interrupted. The Lancaster household was well-organised and by 1376 the girls had been appointed a new governess; Katherine Swynford, who was by this time also mistress to their father, John of Gaunt.
Wedding of Philippa and King John
As with most high-born women of the time, Philippa’s marriage was in the hands of her father. John of Gaunt planned for her to contract a dynastic match which would benefit and complement his own dynastic ambitions. In 1374, Philippa was betrothed to Gaston, Count of Foix, but nothing came of it. In 1381/2 she was offered in marriage to Jean de Blois, claimant to the duchy of Brittany; and in 1383 her prospective husband was Count William of Ostrevant, the heir to Hainault, Holland and Zeeland.
In 1385 and 25 years old Philippa was still unmarried. However, in the following year her father took her on his military expedition to Spain, hoping to claim the kingdom of Castile in right of his 2nd wife, Constance. Philippa’s marriage to John – or Joao – I of Portugal was agreed as part of an alliance made between the 2 Johns at Ponte do Mouro in November 1386.
Philippa was married to King John at Oporto on 2nd February 1387, before they had even received the required papal dispensation. The British Museum has a beautifully illuminated manuscript (above) which depicts the wedding, with John of Gaunt and his wife, Constance, looking on. Philippa was 26 – about 10 years older than the average age for a princess to marry. John was 3 years her senior and had been king for just short of 2 years.
John I, King of Portugal
Philippa became known as ‘Dona Fillipa’ in Portugal and would be one of the country’s best-loved queens. Her natural disposition to austerity and piety was endearing to the Portuguese people. Philippa reformed the court and encouraged courtly games among her ladies. French poet Eustace Deschamps characterised her as the chief patron of the order of The Flower of England, casting her at the centre of the court and the May Day celebrations.
A patron of literature, Philippa was sent a copy of John Gower’s poem “Confessio amantis“, which was translated into Portuguese by Robert Payn, an English canon of Lisbon Cathedral.
Philippa had been made a Lady of the Garter in 1378 and was instrumental in fostering links between England and Portugal, a practice helped by the mixture of English and Portuguese servants in her household. She was on good terms with both Richard II and his successor – her brother, Henry IV.
In 1399 she wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Arundel, asking him to intervene with Henry on behalf of her friend, Bishop Henry Despenser of Norwich, who had angered the new king by defending Richard II at the time of Henry’s invasion of England and seizure of the throne.
John and Philippa’s daughter Isabella, Duchess of Burgundy
Philippa also had a hand in persuading Henry to arrange the marriage of her stepdaughter, Beatriz (John’s illegitimate daughter) to the earl of Arundel in 1405.
Almost immediately after the wedding John returned to the war. In July 1387 Philippa miscarried their first child while visiting John at Curval, where he lay seriously ill. However, after what appears to have been a bumpy start, the couple seem well-matched. John had had 2 illegitimate children before his marriage, but was demonstrably faithful to Philippa after the wedding.
In fact when court gossip reached the queen that he had been unfaithful, John went to great lengths to convince Philippa of his innocence. He even went so far as to commemorate the event by having a room in the royal apartments at Sintra decorated with chattering magpies – he must have had a great sense of humour, and confidence in his relationship to be so bold.
Philippa and John were to have a large family, which they brought up with great care. Of their 9 children, 5 sons and 1 daughter survived infancy and would later be known in Portugal as ‘the Illustrious Generation’. Their eldest surviving son, Edward, was born in 1391 and would succeed his father as King of Portugal in 1433. Peter, Duke of Coimbra, was born in 1392 and would act as regent for his nephew, Afonso V, following Edward’s death in 1438.
Prince Henry the Navigator
Their most famous son was Prince Henry ‘the Navigator’, Duke of Viseu, who was renowned for financing and researching great explorations – though he never undertook expeditions himself.
Their next youngest son was John, Duke of Beja and Constable of Portugal, who married Isabella, the daughter of Alfonso I, Duke of Braganza.
The baby of the family was Ferdinand, Grand Master of Aviz. He was born in 1402 and was later known as ‘the Saint Prince’ following his death as a prisoner of the Moors. Ferdinand had been held as a hostage for the return of Ceuta following the Disaster of Tangier, a siege led by his brother Henry. Ferdinand was held in increasingly severe confinement when it became apparent no ransom would be forthcoming, until he finally died in 1443.
John and Philippa’s one daughter, Isabella, was born in 1397 and would go on to marry Philip III the Good, Duke of Burgundy; and become the mother of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy.
By 1415 Philippa’s oldest sons were itching to prove their martial prowess. Scorning their father’s offer to hold a magnificent tournament for them, they persuaded him to mount an attack on the port of Ceuta in North Africa. As they were about to set sail Philippa fell ill.
Tomb of John and Philippa
She had contracted plague and died at Odivelas, near Lisbon, on 18/19th July 1415. She was 55. On her deathbed she gave her 3 eldest sons, each, a jewel encrusted sword, in anticipation of their impending knighthoods, and a piece of the true cross. Giving them her blessing for the forthcoming military expedition she exhorted “them to preserve their faith and to fulfil the duties of their rank”¹.
The expedition sailed just 5 days after her death and Ceuta fell after only 1 day of siege, becoming Portugal’s 1st African possession.
Described as pious, charitable, affable and obedient to her husband, Portuguese historian Fernao Lopes, secretary to Philippa’s son, Fernando, held Philippa up as a model queen. Her piety was renowned; in later life she was said to regularly read the Book of Psalms.
Tombs of the Infantes, the 4 younger sons of John and Philippa
Queen Philippa was buried in the Dominican Priory at Batalha Abbey, which had been founded by her husband. King John arranged for a magnificent tomb to be built in the Capela do Fundador. Constructed between 1426 and 1434, it is topped by their effigies, clasping each others’ hands. King John himself was laid beside her after his death in August 1433.
Their sons, Ferdinand, John, Henry and Peter, were laid to rest along the south side of the same chapel.
Footnote: ¹ Edgar Prestage, The Portuguese pioneers.
Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia
Sources: The Plantagenets, the Kings who Made England by Dan Jones; Brewer’s British Royalty by David Williamson; Britain’s Royal Families, the Complete Genealogy by Alison Weir; The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens by Mike Ashley; The Plantagenets, the Kings that made Britain by Derek Wilson; englishmonarchs.co.uk; oxforddnb.com; annvictoriaroberts.co.uk.
Ladies of Magna Carta: Women of Influence in Thirteenth Century England looks into the relationships of the various noble families of the 13th century, and how they were affected by the Barons’ Wars, Magna Carta and its aftermath; the bonds that were formed and those that were broken. It is now available from Pen & Sword, Amazon and from Book Depository worldwide.
Also by Sharon Bennett Connolly:
Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest traces the fortunes of the women who had a significant role to play in the momentous events of 1066. Available now from Amazon, Amberley Publishing, Book Depository.
Heroines of the Medieval World tells the stories of some of the most remarkable women from Medieval history, from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Julian of Norwich. Available now from Amberley Publishing and Amazon and Book Depository.
You can be the first to read new articles by clicking the ‘Follow’ button, liking our Facebook page or joining me on Twitter and Instagram
©2016 Sharon Bennett Connolly
English history, European History, Medieval History, Medieval Women, Plantagenets, Women's HistoryBlanche of Lancaster, Constance of Castile, Edward III, Geoffrey Chaucer, Henry IV, Heroines of the Medieval World, History Heroines, John I, John of Gaunt, Katherine Swynford, Ladies of Magna Carta, Philippa of Lancaster, plague, Portugal, Prince Henry the Navigator, Rivhard II, Sharon Bennett Connolly, Silk and the Sword
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27 thoughts on “Illustrious Queen”
evelynralph 07/02/2016 / 11:01
I llove these posts, and though I may forget most of the informatio, I do enjoy reading buts and bibs that Zi think I have not heard if ir read before. but soethungclways syicks in my brain and at some point, ai might be reaung sonething else historically and a doak will burn and tell me ” dudn’t you read soething about thus oerson or that one, and dies it nit tie in with what I am reading now?” So all this good work does lodge and cone tigether to form part of a whole, gradually. So I thank you for this and other posts aboit hustory, which ties together with English history, though nit neceassily about Englisj kings and nobles etc. Many were intermarried with our English noblee families. Bless.
Sharon Bennett Connolly 07/02/2016 / 11:10
Thank you Evelyn, I really appreciate your comments – so glad you find the blog interesting. Best wishes, Sharon 🙂
myeagermind 07/02/2016 / 11:03
Reblogged this on Lenora's Culture Center and Foray into History.
Thank you, much appreciated. 🙂
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writerchristophfischer 07/02/2016 / 16:57
Thanks for another interesting post 🙂
Thank you Christoph, much appreciated. 🙂
meghanferrara 07/02/2016 / 19:00
Reblogged this on History's Untold Treasures and commented:
H/T History, the Interesting Bits
Thank you Meghan. 🙂
Jim 26/05/2016 / 09:48
Deborah 19/07/2016 / 12:44
I love hearing about a successful, caring royal family for once. Thank you fir the insight.
Thank you Deborah, It’s one of my favourites. It makes you realise that there were some very successful marriages, even in Medieval times. Best wishes, Sharon. 🙂
Pingback: Illustrious Queen | History's Untold Treasures
Thank you Meghan 🙂
Walter Allen 24/07/2016 / 10:18
Thank you Walter, I really appreciate hearing that. 🙂
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History Lady 22/07/2018 / 19:04
What a fascinating Lady. I do believe that one of Henry IV’s two daughters (her nieces) married into the Portuguese royal family, possibly to one of her sons, but did not live very long. I can’t remember which one it was, Blanche or Philippa, perhaps you would know more (apparently. Henry named his daughters after his mother, and his sister!)
Not that i know of. Blanche married the Elector Palatine and Philippa became queen of Denmark.
Oh dear, got that one wrong then.
How fascinating that Wycliffe was one of her childhood tutors! I wonder if he was Tutor to her brother as well. Its sort of ironic that John of Gaunt’s progeny were not nearly as friendly towards Wycliffe’s followers as he had been towards the man himself. Then again though, I think the Lollard movement he founded got corrupted and too politically active.
Wycliffe himself seems to have kept his distance from politics: a wise move really.
Dr. Roger Thomas Joy 31/03/2019 / 11:15
Hi Sharon, This article about Philippa of Portugal is magnificent. Could we have your permission to reprint it in a future edition of the Journal of the Katherine Swynford Sociaty ? I have a copy of your Book about the Heroines of the Medieval World but have not had a chance to read it. I’ll get back to you if we would like your permission to reprint some excerpts from it. Keep up the good work, Regards from Roger Joy
roger.joy34@outlook.com
Thank you Roger, I’m so glad you liked it. And yes, you are more than welcome to include it in the Journal of the Katherine Swynford Society. I would be honoured. Best wishes, Sharon
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Hubert de Burgh Part 2: The Minority of Henry III
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A Thwarted Love Match and the Murder of Becket
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History the Interesting Bits
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Toán Vật lý Sinh học Ngữ văn Tiếng anh Lịch sử Địa lý Tin học Công nghệ Giáo dục công dân Tiếng anh thí điểm
Luyện tập tổng hợp
Unit 1: Greetings
Unit 2: At school
Unit 3: At home
Unit 4: Big and small
Unit 5: Things I do
Unit 6: Places
Unit 7: Your house
Unit 8: Out and about
Unit 9: The body
Unit 10: Staying healthy
Unit 11: What do you eat?
Unit 12: Sports and pastimes
Units 13: Activities and season
Unit 14: Making plan
Unit 15: Countries
Unit 16: Man’s environment
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Naruto Hokage 9 tháng 8 2017 lúc 11:02
Add a correct question tag to each sentence
1. You aren't afraid of snakes…………………?
2. Ann isn't at home……………… ……?
3. You don't know French………………?
4. Tom didn't see her……………………?
5. This isn't yours………………………?
6. Mary wasn't angry……………………?
7. Bill hasn't had breakfast………………?
8. You won't tell anyone…………………?
9. I didn't wake you up……………………?
10. Tom doesn't like oysters………………?
11. You don't want to sell the house………………?
12. It doesn't hurt…………………………?
13. People shouldn't drink and drive…………………?
14. You aren't going alone………………………?
15. They couldn't pay the rent……………………?
16. You don't agree with Bill……………………?
17. There wasn't a lot to do……………………?
18. I needn't say anything………………………?
19. That wasn't Ann on the phone……………………?
20. You didn't do it on purpose…………………………?
21. This won't take long………………………?
22. She doesn't believe you…………………?
23. It didn't matter very much………………?
24. Mary couldn't leave the children alone………………?
25. You aren't doing anything tonight……………?
26. You wouldn't mind helping me with this……………?
27. George hadn't been there before……………?
28. The children weren't surprised…………………?
29. You wouldn't like another drink………………?
30. Tom doesn't have to go to lectures……………?
31. Bill hasn't got a car……………?
32. Bill couldn't have prevented it……………?
33. I needn't wait any longer……………?
34. There weren't any mosquitoes………………?
35. The fire wasn't started deliberately ………………?
36. The children can read French…………………?
37. He's ten years old………………………?
38. Bill came on a bicycle………………?
39. The Smiths have got two cars…………………?
40. Your grandfather was a millionaire………………?
41. Tom should try again……………………?
42. It could be done……………………?
43. Your brother's here…………………………?
44. That's him over there……………………?
45. George can leave his case here………………………?
46. This will fit in your pocket……………………?
47. His wife has headaches quite often…………………?
48. She's got lovely blue eyes…………………?
49. The twins arrived last night…………………?
50. Mary paints portraits……………………?
51. Bill puts the money in the bank……………………?
52. Prices keep going up…………………?
53. I've seen you before……………………?
54. Bill's written a novel………………?
55. His mother's very proud of him…………………?
56. The twins used to play rugby………………………?
57. Tom might be at home now…………………?
58. We must hurry………………………?
59. You'd been there before……………………?
60. You'd like a drink……………………?
61. The boys prefer a cooked breakfast…………………?
62. Mary ought to cook it for them……………………………?
63. That was Ann on the phone………………………?
64. The Smiths need two cars………….……?
65. He used to eat raw fish………….………?
66. You'd better wait for Bill………………?
67. You'd come if I needed help……………?
68. You could come at short notice…………………?
69. You take sugar in tea…………………?
70. But you don't take it in coffee……………………?
71. The lift isn't working today……………………
72. It never works very well………………………?
73. The area was evacuated at once ………………………?
74. There was no panic ……………………?
75. Though everybody realized the danger……..…………?
76. There was a lot of noise……………..……?
77. But nobody complained…………………?
78. Mary hardly ever cooks……………………?
79. She buys convenience foods……………………?
80. She'd save money if she bought fresh food…………………?
81. Mr. Smith usually remembered his wife's birthdays…………………?
82. But he didn't remember this one…………………………?
83. And his wife was very disappointed………………………
84. He ought to have made a note of it……………………?
85. Neither of them offered to help you………………?
86. They don't allow pet dogs in this shop…………………?
87. But guide dogs can come in………………………?
88. He hardly ever leaves the house……………………?
89. That isn't Bill driving……………………?
90. Nothing went wrong………………?
Lions are loose in this reserve………………………?
91. It'd be unpleasant to be attacked by a lion………….……?
92. He is never at home on Sunday, …………………?
93. It is a pity Ann didn't come with us……………………?
94. Lives were lost unnecessarily…………………?
95. There used to be trees here……………………
96. There isn't any point in waiting…………………?
97. He'll hardly come now……………………?
98. You’ ve already done your homework,……………………….?
99. They don’t walk regularly,………………………………?
Làm giúp mình nhé!
Lớp 6 Tiếng anh Unit 1: Greetings
Hà An 9 tháng 8 2017 lúc 11:22
1. You aren't afraid of snakes………ARE YOU…………?
2. Ann isn't at home………IS SHE……… ……?
3. You don't know French……DO YOU…………?
4. Tom didn't see her……………DID HE………?
5. This isn't yours…………IS THIS……………?
6. Mary wasn't angry…………WAS SHE…………?
7. Bill hasn't had breakfast………HAS HE………?
8. You won't tell anyone………WILL YOU…………?
9. I didn't wake you up………DID I……………?
10. Tom doesn't like oysters………DOES HE………?
11. You don't want to sell the house……DO YOU…………?
12. It doesn't hurt…………DOES IT………………?
13. People shouldn't drink and drive…SHOULD THEY…………?
14. You aren't going alone…………ARE YOU……………?
15. They couldn't pay the rent………COULD THEY……………?
16. You don't agree with Bill…………DO YOU…………?
17. There wasn't a lot to do…………WAS THERE…………?
18. I needn't say anything…………NEED I……………?
19. That wasn't Ann on the phone…………WAS IT…………?
20. You didn't do it on purpose………………DID YOU…………?
21. This won't take long…………WILL THIS……………?
22. She doesn't believe you………DOES SHE…………?
23. It didn't matter very much………DID IT………?
24. Mary couldn't leave the children alone………COULD SHE………?
25. You aren't doing anything tonight………ARE YOU……?
26. You wouldn't mind helping me with this………WOULD YOU……?
27. George hadn't been there before……HAD HE………?
28. The children weren't surprised…………WERE THEY………?
29. You wouldn't like another drink……WOULD YOU…………?
30. Tom doesn't have to go to lectures……DOES HE………?
31. Bill hasn't got a car……HAS HE………?
32. Bill couldn't have prevented it……COULD HE………?
33. I needn't wait any longer…NEED I………?
34. There weren't any mosquitoes……WERE THERE…………?
35. The fire wasn't started deliberately ………WAS IT………?
36. The children can read French…………CAN' T THEY………?
37. He's ten years old…………ISN'T HE……………?
38. Bill came on a bicycle………DIDN'T HE………?
39. The Smiths have got two cars………HAVEN'T THEY…………?
40. Your grandfather was a millionaire………WASN'T HE………?
41. Tom should try again…SHOULDN'T HE……………?
42. It could be done…………COULDN'T IT…………?
43. Your brother's here…………ISN'T HE………………?
44. That's him over there…………ISN'T THAT…………?
45. George can leave his case here……………CAN'T HE…………?
46. This will fit in your pocket…………WON'T THIS…………?
47. His wife has headaches quite often………DOESN'T SHE…………?
48. She's got lovely blue eyes………HASN'T SHE…………?
49. The twins arrived last night………DIDN'T THEY…………?
50. Mary paints portraits………DOESN'T SHE……………?
51. Bill puts the money in the bank…………DOESN'T HE…………?
52. Prices keep going up………DON'T THEY…………?
53. I've seen you before…………HAVEN'T I…………?
54. Bill's written a novel………HASN'T HE………?
55. His mother's very proud of him………ISN'T SHE…………?
56. The twins used to play rugby…………DIDN'T THEY……………?
57. Tom might be at home now…………MIGHTN'T HE………?
58. We must hurry………MUSTN'T WE……………?
59. You'd been there before…………WOULDN'T YOU…………?
60. You'd like a drink…………WOULDN'T YOU…………?
61. The boys prefer a cooked breakfast………DON'T THEY…………?
62. Mary ought to cook it for them…………OUGHTN'T SHE…………………?
63. That was Ann on the phone…………WASN'T THAT……………?
64. The Smiths need two cars………DON'T THEY….……?
65. He used to eat raw fish………DIDN'T HE….………?
66. You'd better wait for Bill………WOULDN'T YOU………?
67. You'd come if I needed help……WOULDN'T YOU………?
68. You could come at short notice………COULDN'T YOU…………?
69. You take sugar in tea…………DON'T YOU………?
70. But you don't take it in coffee…………DO YOU…………?
71. The lift isn't working today………IS IT……………
72. It never works very well……………DOES IT…………?
73. The area was evacuated at once ……………WASN'T IT…………?
74. There was no panic …………WAS THERE…………?
75. Though everybody realized the danger……..DIDN'T THEY…………?
76. There was a lot of noise…………WASN'T THERE…..……?
77. But nobody complained…………DO THEY………?
78. Mary hardly ever cooks…………DOES SHE…………?
79. She buys convenience foods…………DOESN'T SHE…………?
80. She'd save money if she bought fresh food………WOULDN'T SHE…………?
81. Mr. Smith usually remembered his wife's birthdays………DIDN'T THEY…………?
82. But he didn't remember this one……………DID HE……………?
83. And his wife was very disappointed……………WASN'T SHE…………
84. He ought to have made a note of it…………OUGHTN'T HE…………?
85. Neither of them offered to help you………DID THEY………?
86. They don't allow pet dogs in this shop…………DO THEY………?
87. But guide dogs can come in…………CAN'T THEY……………?
88. He hardly ever leaves the house…………DOES HE…………?
89. That isn't Bill driving…………IS THAT…………?
90. Nothing went wrong………DID IT………?
Lions are loose in this reserve…………AREN'T THEY……………?
91. It'd be unpleasant to be attacked by a lion………WOULDN'T IT….……?
92. He is never at home on Sunday, ………IS HE…………?
93. It is a pity Ann didn't come with us…………DID SHE…………?
94. Lives were lost unnecessarily…………WERE THEY………?
95. There used to be trees here…………DIDN'T THERE…………
96. There isn't any point in waiting…………IS THERE………?
97. He'll hardly come now………WILL HE……………?
98. You’ ve already done your homework,……………HAVEN'T YOU………….?
99. They don’t walk regularly,……………DO THEY…………………?
Đúng 2
Các câu hỏi tương tự
Nguyễn Trần Hà Trang 17 tháng 11 2018 lúc 15:50
32.that coat isn't warm.i can't stand on that chair
33.that chair isn't strong.he can't wear it in winter
34.are you very tall?can you reach the book on the top shelf?
35.THIS BED ISN'T wide.two people can't sleep on this bed
36.that box is light.i couldn't eat breakfast this morning
37.three people can't sit on this sofa.it isn't wide enough
38.the floor wasn't strong.we couldn't dance on it
39.you aren't very old.you can't understand it
Đề :Combine each pair of sentences,using enough....to.v or enough for...to.v
JIYEON 22 tháng 4 2017 lúc 17:10
2. Choose the best answer .
a) Do you see those birds on the rock ? They don't look nice .
- No they don't. / No , it doesn't. / Yes , very nice.
b) Paul , are you afraid ?
- Yes , you are. / So do I. / Yes , I am.
c) Do you think pirates are coming ?
- I can't see him. / No , there aren't any on this island. / Yes , he was in a boat.
d) Paul , is that your towel on the sand ?
- No , it's not mine. / Yes , it's theirs. / No , these are yours.
e) I'm hungry . Are you ?
- Yesterday. / Sometimes. / Not now.
f) Well , what did you bring for breakfast ?
- It's my pet parrot, Kim. / I thought you brought breakfast! / I had an eggs and a banana for breakfast.
8.you aren't old.you can't have a front-door key
9.he didn't have much money.he couldn't live on it
10.the buffalo isn't big.he can't harm you
i can't give you an answer because i don't have.............
i couldn't run ..................
the ladder wasn't ............... to each thư windown
there aren't ....................to make a club of stamps collectors
do you have........................to buy her a persent
the pants weren't .............to fit my brother
the weather isn't..................for us to go swimming
did you have ........................to answer all the question in the test?
Giúp mình với đang cần rất gấp
Khoá học trên OLM của Đại học Sư phạm HN
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Josh Duhamel Fires Shots at Draymond Green Over Fergie Reaction
By Bryan Brandom
Getty Fergie sings the national anthem prior to the 2018 NBA All-Star Game.
Actor Josh Duhamel called out Golden State Warriors big man Draymond Green for laughing during Fergie’s 2018 All-Star Game performance of the national anthem.
“The thing that made me upset was that she was taking a lot of really cruel comments, people were really trolling,” Duhamel told Kristine Leahy in an interview for “Fair Game” that will air on Thursday night. “I was pissed off at Draymond Green, first of all. I think he owed her an apology. I think he was kind of a prick.”
Leahy asked why.
“Just because he knew the camera was on him and he snickered about it. I just thought that if he would have been a real man he would have at least called her and said ‘Listen, I’m sorry that I caused all this.”
Welcome to #NBATwitter Josh Duhamel. #DraymondGreen On today's @FairGameonFS1 at 5:30pm ET. pic.twitter.com/Zz0P6bsKlh
— Kristine Leahy (@KristineLeahy) October 25, 2018
Green wasn’t alone in his reaction to Fergie’s much-maligned rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
“I needed a cigarette after that,” a snickering Charles Barkley said early in the TNT halftime show during the All-Star Game.
“I’ve always been honored and proud to perform the national anthem and last night I wanted to try something special for the NBA,” the singer said in a statement the next day. “I’m a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn’t strike the intended tone. I love this country and honestly tried my best.”
Duhamel and Fergie were married for eight years before a divorce in 2017. They have a son.
Duhamel Defended Fergie After the All-Star Game
After the singer’s performance blew up on social media, Duhamel brought her flowers.
“I didn’t know what else to do,” the actor said on “The Dan Patrick Show” in March. “I was like, ‘I just want you to know, I got your back, girl. I’m with you, I’m on your side.’ … The girl’s amazingly talented, she really truly is. And by the way, her album is amazing. She’s had a challenging year but she is resilient.”
Days after the All-Star Game, Duhamel defended Fergie on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”
“I think that she would probably admit that it was not her best work,” Duhamel said. “But the girl’s crazy-talented, she really is. And she’s an amazing woman, an amazing human being. It’s hard to see someone you care about get beat up like that. But that’s the business — you’re in this business, and you put yourself out there; sometimes you win, and sometimes you don’t.”
Fergie, Golden State Warriors, NBA
Josh Duhamel thinks Draymond Green didn't act like a "real man" in the wake of Fergie's national anthem performance.
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Publisher, Publishers, Charlton Comics,
Derby, Connecticut
Comic book publishing companies of the United States
Defunct comics and manga publishers
CREATORS TITLES IMAGES IMPRINTS CHARACTERS
Former type
Comic publisher
Founder(s)
John Santangelo, Sr.
Ed Levy
Al Fago
Pat Masulli
George Wildman
Owner(s)
Charlton Publications
Frank Comunale Publications
Children Comics Publishing
Frank Publications
Modern Comics
Charlton Comics was an American comic book publishing company that existed from 1946 to 1985, having begun under a different name (T.W.O. Charles Company) in 1944. It was based in Derby, Connecticut. The comic-book line was a division of Charlton Publications, which published magazines (most notably song-lyric magazines), puzzle books and, briefly, books (under the Monarch and Gold Star imprints). It had its own distribution company (Capital Distribution).
Charlton Comics published a wide variety of genres, including crime, science fiction, Western, horror, war and romance comics, as well as funny animal and superhero titles. The company was known for its low-budget practices, often using unpublished material acquired from defunct companies and paying comics creators among the lowest rates in the industry. Charlton Comics were also the last of the American comics to raise their price from ten cents to 12 cents in mid-1962.
It was unique among comic book companies in that it controlled all areas of publishing—from editorial to printing to distribution—rather than working with outside printers and distributors as did most other publishers. It did so under one roof at its Derby headquarters.[1]
The company was formed by John Santangelo, Sr. and Ed Levy in 1940 as T.W.O. Charles Company, named after the co-founders' two sons, both named Charles, and became Charlton Publications in 1945.
1.1 Early years
1.2 Silver Age
1.3 Bronze Age
1.4 Final years
2 Imprints
3 Indicia/Colophon Publishers
4 Brand Emblems
In 1931, Italian immigrant John Santangelo, Sr., a bricklayer who had started a construction business in White Plains, New York, five years earlier, began what became a highly successfully business publishing song-lyric magazines out of nearby Yonkers, New York. Operating in violation of copyright laws, however, he was sentenced in 1934 to a year and a day at New Haven County Jail in New Haven, Connecticut, near Derby, Connecticut where he and his wife by then lived. In jail, he met Waterbury, Connecticut, attorney Ed Levy, with whom he began legitimate publishing in 1935, acquiring permissions to reproduce lyrics in such magazines as Hit Parade and Song Hits. Santangelo and Levy opened a printing plant in Waterbury the following year, and in 1940 founded the T.W.O. Charles Company, named after each of the co-founders' sons, both named Charles, eventually moving its headquarters to Derby.[2]
The company's first comic book was Yellowjacket, an anthology of superhero and horror stories launched September 1944 under the imprint Frank Comunale Publications, with Ed Levy listed as publisher.[1] Zoo Funnies was published under the imprint Children Comics Publishing; Jack in the Box, under Frank Comunale; and TNT Comics, under Charles Publishing Co.. Another imprint was Frank Publications.
Strange Suspense Stories #75 (June 1965), reprinting the Captain Atom stories from Space Adventures #33, 34 & 36 (1960). Art by Steve Ditko.
Following the adoption of the Charlton Comics name in 1946,[1] the company over the next five years acquired material from freelance editor and comics packager Al Fago (brother of former Timely Comics editor Vincent Fago). Charlton additionally published Merry Comics, Cowboy Western, the Western title Tim McCoy, and Pictorial Love Stories.
In 1951, when Al Fago began as an in-house editor, Charlton hired a staff of artists that included its future managing editor, Dick Giordano. Others, either on staff or freelance, eventually included Vince Alascia, Jon D'Agostino, Sam Glanzman, Rocco "Rocke" Mastroserio, Bill Molno, Charles Nicholas and Sal Trapani. The primary writer was the remarkably prolific Joe Gill.
The company began a wide expansion of its comics line, which would include notoriously gory horror comics (the principal title being Steve Ditko's The Thing!). In 1954-55, it acquired a stable of comic book properties from the defunct Superior Comics, Mainline Publications, St. John Publications, and most significantly, Fawcett Publications,[1] which was shutting down its Fawcett Comics division. Charlton continued publishing two of Fawcett's horror books — This Magazine Is Haunted and Strange Suspense Stories — initially using unpublished material from Fawcett's inventory.[3] Artistic chores were then handed to Ditko, whose moody, individualistic touch came to dominate Charlton's supernatural line. Beset by the circulation slump that swept the industry towards the end of the 1950s, Haunted struggled for another two years, published bi-monthly until May 1958. Strange Suspense Stories ran longer, lasting well into the 1960s before giving up the ghost in 1965.
Charlton published a wide line of romance titles, particularly after it acquired the Fawcett line, which included the romance comics Sweethearts, Romantic Secrets, and Romantic Story. Sweethearts was the comics world's first monthly romance title[4] (debuting in 1948), and Charlton continued publishing it until 1973. Charlton had launched its first original romance title in 1951, True Life Secrets, but that series only lasted until 1956. Charlton also picked up a number of Western titles from the defunct Fawcett Comics line, including Gabby Hayes Western, Lash LaRue Western, Monte Hale Western, Rocky Lane Western. Six-Gun Heroes, Tex Ritter Western, Tom Mix Western, and Western Hero.
Al Fago left in the mid-1950s, and was succeeded by his assistant, Pat Masulli, who remained in the position for ten years. Masulli oversaw a plethora of new romance titles, including the long-running I Love You, Sweetheart Diary, Brides in Love, My Secret Life, and Just Married; and the teen-oriented romance comics Teen-Age Love, Teen Confessions, and Teen-Age Confidential Confessions.
Superheroes were a minor part of the company. At the beginning, Charlton's main characters were Yellowjacket, not to be confused with the later Marvel character, and Diana the Huntress. In the mid-1950s, Charlton briefly published a Blue Beetle title with new and reprinted stories, and in 1956, several short-lived titles written by Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel, such as Mr. Muscles and Nature Boy (the latter with artist Mastroserio), and the Joe Gill-created Zaza the Mystic.
The company's most noteworthy period was during the Silver Age of comic books, which had begun with DC Comics' successful revival of superheroes in 1956.[1] In March 1960, Charlton's science fiction anthology title Space Adventures introduced Captain Atom, by Gill and the soon-to-be-legendary co-creator of Marvel Comics' Spider-Man, Steve Ditko.[5] (After the mid-1980s demise of Charlton, Captain Atom would go on to become a stalwart of the DC stable, as would Blue Beetle, the old Fox Comics superhero revived by Gill and artists Bill Fraccio and Tony Tallarico as a campy, comedic character in Blue Beetle #1 [June 1964].)
Charlton also had middling success with Son of Vulcan, its answer to Marvel's Thor, in Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds #46 (May 1965). Much less successful was another Space Adventures superhero, Mercury Man, star of two stories in 1962.
Fightin' Army #76 (Oct. 1967). Cover art by Rocke Mastroserio
During the Silver Age, Charlton, like Marvel and DC, published war comics — even as the Vietnam War served as the focal point for the burgeoning anti-war movement. Notable titles included the "Fightin'" line of Fightin' Air Force, Fightin' Army, Fightin' Marines, and Fightin' Navy; the "Attack" line of Army Attack and Submarine Attack; Battlefield Action; D-Day, U.S. Air Force Comics, and War Heroes. Though primarily anthologies of stories about 20th-century warfare, they included a small number of recurring characters and features, including "Shotgun Harker and the Chicken", "The Devil's Brigade", "The Iron Corporal" and "The Lonely War of Capt. Willy Schultz".
Charlton also threw itself into the resurgent horror comics genre during this period, with such titles as Ghostly Tales, The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves, and Ghost Manor. It continued its commitment to romance, as well, with new titles like Career Girl Romances, Hollywood Romances (later to change its name to For Lovers Only), and Time for Love.
In 1966, Ditko returned after his celebrated stint at Marvel, having grown disenchanted with that company and his Spider-Man collaborator, writer-editor Stan Lee. Having the hugely popular Ditko back helped prompt Charlton editor Giordano to introduce the company's "Action Hero" superhero line the following year, with characters including Captain Atom; Ditko's The Question; Gill and artist Pat Boyette's The Peacemaker; Gill and company art director Frank McLaughlin's Judomaster; Pete Morisi's Peter Cannon... Thunderbolt; and Ditko's new "Ted Kord" version of the Blue Beetle.[6] The company also developed a reputation as a place for new talent to break into comics; examples include Jim Aparo, Dennis O'Neil and Sam Grainger. As well, Charlton in the late 1960s published some of the first manga in America, in Ghost Manor and other titles (thanks to artist Sanho Kim), and artist Wayne Howard became the industry's first known cover-credited series creator, with the horror-anthology Midnight Tales blurbing "Created by Wayne Howard" on each issue — "a declaration perhaps unique in the industry at the time".[7]
Yet by the end of 1967, Charlton's superhero titles had been cancelled, and licensed properties had become the company's staples, particularly cartoon characters from Hanna-Barbera (The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Top Cat, others) and King Features Syndicate (Flash Gordon), the company luring several such titles away from Gold Key Comics. Charlton also published Bullwinkle and Rocky, based on Jay Ward Productions' Rocky and His Friends/The Bullwinkle Show.
The Six Million Dollar Man magazine #1 (July 1976). Cover art by Neal Adams
Nicola Cuti made creative improvements to Charlton's line in the early 1970s Bronze Age of comic books as assistant editor under George Wildman, who was occupied primarily with administrative duties. Cuti brought Mike Zeck, among others, into Charlton's roster of artists, and his writing enlivened the Ghostly titles, now including Ghostly Haunts. Other Bronze Age Charlton horror titles included Haunted, Midnight Tales, and Scary Tales.
In 1973, Charlton debuted the Gothic romance title Haunted Love, but this same period saw the mass cancellation of almost all of Charlton's vast stable of traditional romance titles, including such long-running series as Sweethearts, Romantic Secrets, Romantic Story, I Love You, Teen-Age Love, Just Married, and Teen Confessions, all of which dated from the 1950s.
Bullseye logo, used from Sept./Oct. 1973
In the mid-1970s, there was a brief resurgence of talent, energized by Cuti, artist Joe Staton and the "CPL Gang" — a group of writer/artist comics fans including John Byrne, Roger Stern, Bob Layton, and Roger Slifer, who had all worked on the fanzine CPL (Contemporary Pictorial Literature). Charlton began publishing such new titles as E-Man, Midnight Tales and Doomsday + 1. The CPL Gang also produced an in-house fanzine called Charlton Bullseye, which published, among other things, such commissioned but previously unpublished material as the company's last Captain Atom story. Also during this period, most of Charlton's titles began sporting painted covers.
Early in 1975, Cuti, already writing freelance for the company in addition to his staff duties, quit to write freelance exclusively for Charlton when its line expanded to include black-and-white magazines in addition to the King Features and Hanna-Barbera franchised titles. He was replaced by Bill Pearson, who became assistant editor after promoting Don Newton as the new Phantom artist and writing scripts for that title.
Charlton's black-and-white comics magazines were based upon current Television series and aimed at older readers. One of these was The Six Million Dollar Man #1-7 (July 1976 - Aug. 1977). Retailing for $1, it featured art by Neal Adams' studio, Continuity Associates, as well as some stories by veteran illustrators Jack Sparling and Win Mortimer. Also published in magazine form were adaptations of The Six Million Dollar Man spinoff The Bionic Woman, Space: 1999, and Emergency!, as well as a comic based on teen heartthrob David Cassidy, then starring in the musical Sitcom The Partridge Family.
E-Man #4 (Aug. 1974). Cover art by Joe Staton.
By 1976, however, most of these titles had been canceled,[8] and most of the company's remaining titles went on hiatus during the period January to August 1977. Much of the new talent took the opportunity to move on to Marvel and DC.
By the 1980s, Charlton was in decline. The comic book industry was in a sales slump, struggling to reinvent a profitable distribution and retail system. Charlton's licensed titles lapsed, its aging presses were deteriorating towards uselessness, and the company did not have the resources to replace them. In 1981, there was yet another attempt at new material, with a comic book version of Charlton Bullseye serving as a new-talent showcase that actively solicited submissions by comic book fans,[9] and an attempt at new Ditko-produced titles. A number of 1970s-era titles were also reprinted under the Modern Comics imprint and sold in bagged sets in department stores (in much the same way Gold Key Comics were published under the Whitman Comics branding around the same time). None of these measures worked however, and in 1984 Charlton Comics suspended publication.[10]
In 1985, a final attempt at a revival was spearheaded by new editor T. C. Ford with a direct-market Charlton Bullseye Special.[11][12] But later that same year, Charlton Comics went out of business;[13] Charlton Publications followed suit in 1991, and its building and press were demolished in 1999.
Editor Robin Snyder oversaw the sale of some properties to their creators, though the bulk of the rights was purchased by Canadian entrepreneur Roger Broughton.[14] He would produce several reprint titles under the company name of Avalon Communications and its imprint America's Comics Group (ACG for short, Broughton having also purchased the rights to the defunct American Comics Group properties), and announced plans to restart Charlton Comics. This did not occur beyond its publishing a number of reprints and changing his company name to Charlton Media Group.[15]
Most of Charlton's superhero characters were acquired in 1983 by DC Comics, where Giordano was then managing editor. These "Action Hero" characters were originally to be used in the landmark Watchmen miniseries written by Alan Moore, but DC then chose to save the characters for other uses. Moore instead developed new characters loosely based on them.[1] The Charlton characters were incorporated into DC's main superhero line, starting in the epic Crisis on Infinite Earths miniseries of 1985. In the years to follow, some of them enjoyed renewed popularity at DC, most notably Blue Beetle, Captain Atom and the Question, of which the latter had languished in obscurity for years before reintroduction. In 1987, Blue Beetle and Captain Atom joined a version of the Justice League of America. The team of Charlton characters first planned for Moore's Watchmen became reality in 1999 with the DC miniseries L.A.W.
In 2000, Charlton Spotlight, a fanzine devoted to Charlton, began publication.
Brand Group Issues Year Began Year Ended
A Capitol Publication 44 1953 1953
A Law and Order Publication 4 1952 1953
A Songhits Comics Publication 2 1952 1952
An Outstanding Comics Publication 4 1952 1953
Blue Bird 87 1959 1964
Charlton Comics' 5582 1947 1984
Indicia/Colophon Publishers
Indicia / Colophon Publisher Issues Year Began Year Ended
Capitol Stories, Inc. 65 1948 1956
Catholic Publications, Inc. 32 1946 1949
Charlton Comics 10 1954 1961
Charlton Comics Group 2926 1954 1968
Charlton Comics Grp. 48 1963 1967
Charlton Comics, Inc. 67 1946 1953
Charlton Press, Inc. 971 1959 1974
Charlton Publications, Inc. 1271 1961 1986
Charlton Royal Comics, Inc. 80 1957 1960
Children's Comics Publishers, Inc. 2 1946 1946
Childrens Comics Publishers, Inc. 4 1945 1950
Humor Magazines, Inc. 9 1955 1959
Law and Order Magazines, Inc. 22 1951 1952
Motor Magazines, Inc. 6 1951 1952
Outstanding Comics, Inc. 2 1952 1952
Romantic Love Stories, Inc. 10 1951 1952
Simon and Kirby Publications, Inc. 1 1955 1955
Song Hits, Inc. 2 1952 1952
The Frank Comunale Publishing Company 4 1944 1945
The Frank Publishing Company 4 1945 1946
Toby Press of Conn., Inc. 4 1954 1955
Brand Emblems
Brand Emblem Name Year Began Year Ended
A Capitol Publication 1953 1953
A Charlton 25¢ Big Book Comic 1958 1958
A Charlton Magazine 1947 1950
A Charlton Publication 1954 1973
A Charlton Publication (corner triangle) 1958 1962
A Law and Order Publication 1952 1953
A Songhits Comics Publication 1952 1952
An Outstanding Comics Publication 1952 1953
Blue Bird 1962 1964
Blue Bird Comics 1959 1964
Charlton Comics 1967 1973
Charlton Comics Group 1974
Charlton Comics Group; Charlton Publication (with wire globe) 1976 1984
Charlton Comics (bullseye) 1973 1976
Charlton Comics; Charlton Publication (with wire globe) 1976 1976
Charlton Press, Inc. 1973 1973
Charlton Publication 1974 1976
Charlton Publication (wire globe within a 'c') 1976 1976
Charlton Publications (wire globe within a 'c') 1976 1980
Charlton (corner box) 1962 1967
Corner Triangle CDC 1954
↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Duncan, Randy and Smith, Matthew J. "The Charlton Comics Story," The Power of Comics: History, Form & Culture (Continuum, 2009).
↑ Archive of "Charlton Comics: A Brief History", The Connecticut Historical Society. Original site. WebCitation archive.
↑ "Charlton Comics at Don Markstein's Toonopedia notes that Charlton's acquisition included unused artwork from a number of Fawcett titles. Archived from the original December 6, 2011.
↑ Nolan, Michelle (2008). Love on the Racks: A History of American Romance Comics. McFarland & Company, Inc.. pp. 30, 210. ISBN 978-0-7864-3519-7.
↑ McAvennie, Michael; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1960s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. "Captain Atom was born in a tale by artist Steve Ditko and writer Joe Gill."
↑ McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 123: "After Ted Kord assumed the scarab as Blue Beetle in a back-up feature of Captain Atom #83, writer/artist Steve Ditko and co-writer 'D.C. Glanzman' (who was actually Ditko) launched the Blue Beetle into his own series."
↑ Cooke, Jon B., "Lest We Forget: Celebrating Four that Got Away": Comic Book Artist #12 (March 2001), p. 112
↑ "Charlton Has Suspended Publication Indefinitely", The Nostalgia Journal #29, October 1976, p. 14.
↑ "Charlton to Publish Aspiring Pro's Work for Free," The Comics Journal #59 (Oct. 1980), p. 14.
↑ "Charlton Comics Suspends Publication," The Comics Journal #94 (Oct. 1984), p. 18.
↑ "From the Ashes: Charlton and Harvey to Resume Publishing This Spring," The Comics Journal #97 (Apr. 1985), pp. 15-16.
↑ "Charlton Back from the Dead," The Comics Journal #101 (Sept. 1985), pp. 22-23.
↑ "Charlton Goes Down for the Count," The Comics Journal #103 (Sept. 1985), pp. 10-11.
↑ "Charlton Rights Sold," The Comics Journal #122 (June 1988), p. 26.
↑ Irving, Christopher. "Charlton Twilight & Afterlife: the Final Days of Charlton Publications and Beyond," Comic Book Artist #12 (Mar. 2001), p104-108.
Independent Publisher
This company is or was an Independent Publisher, and published its own comics. It may have since then become defunct, or been bought by another company. This template will categorize articles that include it into the Publishers category.
List of Charlton Comics publications
Charlton Bullseye (fanzine)
Comic Book Artist #9, August 2000: "The Charlton Comics Story: 1945-1968". Online portions:
Cooke, Jon B., & Christopher Irving. "The Charlton Empire: A Brief History of the Derby, Connecticut Publisher", Comic Book Artist. Access date 2010-04-27. WebCitation archive.
Interview with Jim Aparo. WebCitation archive.
Comic Book Artist #12, March 2001: "The Charlton Comics Story: 1972-1983" Online portions:
Interviews with John Byrne (WebCitation archive); Joe Staton (WebCitation archive); and Roger Stern (WebCitation archive)
Charlton Comics at An International Catalogue of Superheroes. WebCitation archive
Charlton Characters & Features at Charlton Spotlight. WebCitation archive
Mike's Amazing World of Charlton Comics
The American Eagle (Charlton Comics character) at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012.
The Gerry Anderson Complete Comic History: Charlton's Space: 1999 magazines and comic books
Nesteroff, Kliph (April 8, 2007). "In Celebration of Crud: The Charlton Comics Story". Beware of the Blog (column), WFMU (radio station). Archived from the original on May 15, 2011. http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2007/04/in_celebration_.html.
Archive of Keppler, Nick. "Secret Origins! Connecticut-based Charlton Comics' Link to the First Blockbuster of 2009", Fairfield County Weekly, March 5, 2009. Original site. WebCitation archive.
Schenk, Ramon, ed.. "Charlton Personnel". Archived from the original on March 5, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080305204243/www.ramonschenk.nl/charltoncomics/charltonspotlight/charltonpersonnel.htm. Retrieved June 6, 2011. Additional WebCitation archive made June 15, 2010.
The Big DataBase of Comic Books: Charlton
This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Charlton Comics.
The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Hey Kids Comics Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Retrieved from "https://heykidscomics.fandom.com/wiki/Charlton_Comics?oldid=1664032"
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The End Times According To Isaiah, Part 5
By Jack Kelley Wednesday August 28th, 2019 About 8 Minutes to Read
Home » End Times Prophecy » The End Times According To Isaiah, Part 5
This entry is part 5 of 13 in the series End Times According to Isaiah
This installment of the End Times According to Isaiah takes us to Isaiah 17 and the never fulfilled prophecy of the destruction of Damascus.
An Oracle Concerning Damascus:
“See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid. (Isaiah 17:1-2)
Because of the language of these verses, many scholars believe that this prophecy was only partially fulfilled when the Assyrians defeated the Arameans and overran their capital, Damascus, in 732 BC. To this day Damascus is thought to be the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city with a 5000-year history and a population close to 2 million, yet Isaiah 17:1 indicates that it will one day cease to exist.
Some believe the phrase “cities of Aroer” refers to Aramean territory east of the Jordan River around the Arnon River, which flows into the Dead Sea in southern Jordan. However, the Jewish Encyclopedia claims that this phrase in Isaiah 17:2 is probably translated incorrectly because the geographical distance from Damascus is too great. While they say it’s possible that there may have been another Aroer near Damascus, it is more likely that the passage should be rendered “the cities thereof shall be forsaken.” If that’s the correct translation, it would include the Hezbollah stronghold in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, which was part of Aramean territory in Isaiah’s time, and is in a direct line between Beirut and Damascus.
The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites,” declares the LORD Almighty. “In that day the glory of Jacob will fade; the fat of his body will waste away. It will be as when a reaper gathers the standing grain and harvests the grain with his arm- as when a man gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim. (Isaiah 17:3-5)
This segment speaks of the defeat of Damascus in 732BC and the destruction of Samaria 10 years later (722 BC). Damascus continued to exist as part of the Assyrian Empire and is still here today, but the ruins of Samaria are just now being excavated out of the sandy soil of Israel. The systematic relocation of the ruling classes to the far reaches of the Assyrian Empire is also in view. This was standard Assyrian policy to reduce the likelihood of subsequent rebellion among their conquered peoples. Jacob and Ephraim are alternate names for the Northern Kingdom, and Samaria was its capital.
Yet some gleanings will remain, as when an olive tree is beaten, leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches, four or five on the fruitful boughs,” declares the LORD, the God of Israel. (Isaiah 17:6)
Not all the people were dispersed. Farmers were left behind to tend the crops and protect the harvest for their new rulers. They were joined by refugees from other parts of Assyria and their combined descendants were known as the Samaritans in the time of Jesus. (A quick reading of 2 Chronicles 11:16 shows that all the faithful from the 10 northern tribes moved south at the time of the civil war that divided the nation after King Solomon’s death 150 years earlier. From then on, all 12 tribes were represented in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, so the 10 tribes from the North weren’t totally lost. The Lord has always preserved a believing remnant from all the Tribes of Israel.)
In that day men will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made. In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation. (Isaiah 17:7-9)
This is another passage that’s problematic for those who try to consign the whole prophecy to history. There is simply no reason to believe that the Assyrians turned to God following their conquest of Aram and Israel. And far from abandoning their cities because of the Israelites, it was the Israelites who were defeated and dispersed. The yet future Jewish attack on Damascus causing the destruction and abandonment of Syrian cities, and the eventual return of the survivors to their God is a much more likely fulfillment. And it could happen soon.
You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Therefore, though you set out the finest plants and plant imported vines, though on the day you set them out, you make them grow, and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud, yet the harvest will be as nothing in the day of disease and incurable pain. (Isaiah 17:10-11)
Asshur, father of the Assyrians, and Aram, father of the Arameans were both sons of Shem. Aram’s son Uz is the traditional founder of Damascus. (The setting for Job, the Bible’s oldest book, is the Land of Uz.) The knowledge of God in the memories of these patriarchs cannot be questioned. It wasn’t that they never knew Him, but that they had forgotten Him, abandoned Him in favor of the Canaanite gods of the region, Baal and his consort Ashtoreth (aka Asherah, Astarte, Ishtar, Aphrodite, Venus.) Currently Syria is almost totally Moslem. Until they return to their Maker and Savior none of their plans and schemes will prosper in the long run, no matter how promising they seem at the beginning.
Oh, the raging of many nations- they rage like the raging sea! Oh, the uproar of the peoples- they roar like the roaring of great waters! Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters, when he rebukes them they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweed before a gale. In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us. (Isaiah 17:12-14)
Having conquered most of the Middle East including the Arameans and the Northern Kingdom, the Assyrians set their sights on the Southern Kingdom, Judah. Assyria’s King Sennacherib brought his armies almost literally to the gates of Jerusalem, so close his commanders were within speaking distance of the Jewish defenders. On the night before they were to attack, the Lord sent His angel into the Assyrian camp on Mt. Scopus to slaughter 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Before dawn they had packed up and fled, ending 44 years of conquest. (Isaiah 37:36-38) This time in Israel’s history so parallels the Jewish view of the End Times that Sennacherib is seen by them as a type of the anti-Christ, while Judah’s King Hezekiah models the Messiah.
But notice that Isaiah speaks of many nations raging against God’s people, not just Assyria, leading us once again to consider Sennacherib’s defeat as a partial fulfillment of Isaiah’s prohecy.
The phrase “rushing of many waters” is often used to describe the sound of loud voices and today many nations are stirred up about Israel. The cry of anti-Israeli sentiment can be heard around the globe. The various Mid-East “peace” conferences combined with the Gaza war and the recent boarding of the Turkish/Terrorist flotilla have left Israel standing alone against all but irresistible pressure to negotiate away its very existence. Syria and Iran are dead certain that Israel will attack soon, and are preparing accordingly. Israel’s other next-door neighbors are also preparing for war, and indeed many nations are taking sides.
Israel is not blind to these mounting threats, but until lately seems to have been ignoring them. That’s about to stop. Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has told the world he will not apologize for defending his country and will continue to do so even if it results in more confrontations. We can easily envision a scenario that escalates into the final fulfillment of Isaiah 17, the destruction of Damascus. Once again there will be sudden terror in the evening, and before morning they will be gone. If you listen carefully, you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. Updated 06-03-10.
<< The End Times According To Isaiah, Part 4 The End Times According To Isaiah, Part 6 >>
Middle East Flames
Isaiah 17, An Oracle Against Damascus
A Cup of Trembling
What’s Going On In Damascus?
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Monday 25 March 1918 We Lost 2,367
Walter Daniel John Tull
Germans reach near Maricourt while Bapaume and Nesle are lost and after a sturdy defense by the Manchester Regiment German troops occupy the village of Achiet Le Grand.
At Bois Favieres near Maricourt, France when the enemy has penetrated a wood on the right of his line and there is a grave danger that the flank of the entire position will be turned Acting Lieutenant Colonel William Herbert Anderson (commanding 12th Highland Light Infantry) gathers the remainder of his two companies, counter-attacks and drives the Germans from the wood capturing 12 machine-guns and 70 prisoners. Later he will lead another counter-attack which results in the enemy being driven from his position but he is killed at age 36 fighting within the enemy’s lines. He will be awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for these actions. He has three brothers who have already died in the Great War and was the President of the Junior Imperial Unionist prior to the War.
Captain Nigel Duncan Ratcliffe Hunter MC (Royal Engineers) is killed at age 23 near Biefvillers near Bapaume. He is a Great War Poet.
What is a trench?
A place of stench
Swarming with flies,
Crawling with lice,
Half full of mud,
Mingled with blood,
Pounded with shell,
Hotter than hell.
Second Lieutenant Walter Daniel John Tull (Middlesex Regiment) is killed while leading an attack on a German trench at age 29. He is the second black professional football player in history when he joins Tottenham Hotspur. He moves to Northampton Town in 1911 and plays over one hundred games for the two teams scoring nine goals from midfield. He is also the first black officer to be commissioned in the British Army and the grandson of a slave.
The second black professional football player in history, the firsts black officer in the British Army and the grandson of a slave
A Great War poet
A Victoria Cross winner
President of the Junior Imperial Unionist
A 13-victory ace
Multiple families that will lose two, three and four sons in the Great War
A man whose two nephews will be killed in the Second World War
A man whose father died on service at Kroonstad South Africa in 1901
The Master at Leigh School
A member of the Comedie Anglaise Company
A member of the Raynor Repertory Company
Lieutenant Colonel Alan Roderick Haig-Brown DSO (commanding 23rd Middlesex Regiment) is killed at age 40. He is the son of the late Reverend Canon William Haig-Brown Master of Charterhouse.
Lieutenant Colonel William Gemmill DSO (commanding 8th Royal Scots) is killed at age 40.
Captain James Thompson Nesbitt (Royal Field Artillery) is killed in action at age 32. He is the son of Major D A S Nesbitt JP.
Captain Edward Percival Cropper MC (West Yorkshire Regiment) is killed in action. He is the son of the Reverend James Cropper Rector of Wombwell.
Captain Reginald Alderson MC (Lancashire Fusiliers) is killed in action at age 23. He is the son of the Reverend Henry Everingham Alderson Vicar of St James Hope.
Captain Vere Arthur Edmonstone Elliott (Royal Field Artillery) a 24 year old Rhodes Scholar is killed in action.
Captain Valentine Shearman (Royal Scots) is killed at age 30. He is the son of ‘Sir’ Montague (Mr. Justice) Shearman.
Captain Cyril John Patrick Lowry (West Yorkshire Regiment) dies of wounds in the arms of his brother Eric at age 20. His brother will be killed in six months serving as the commanding officer of their battalion. Their only other brother was killed in June 1915 on Gallipoli and both of their nephews, the only sons of their sister will be killed in Burma in World War II.
Captain William James Ewen (Royal West Kent Regiment) is killed action. His brother was killed last year.
Captain Hugh William Eames Barwell MC (Royal Flying Corps) is killed at age 25. His brother was killed last month also serving in the Royal Flying Corps.
Captain James Robert Blake (Worcestershire Regiment) is killed at age 24. He is the son of the Reverend Canon James Edward Huxley Blake Vicar of Bretforton.
Canadian flying Ace Flight Commander Frederick Carr Armstrong DSC (Royal Naval Air Service) is killed in action at age 21. He is officially credited with thirteen victories.
Lieutenant Gordon Smith Mellis Gauld MC (Royal Field Artillery and Royal Flying Corps) is accidentally killed at age 24 while training with Second Lieutenant Alexander Drysdale who is also killed. Lieutenant Gauld is the son of the Reverend William Gauld.
Lieutenant Reginald Alexander Forbes Downie (Cameron Highlanders) is killed at age 19. His brother died of wounds in January 1916.
Lieutenant Raymond Willis (Cavalry Reserve attached Hussars) is killed at age 37. His brother will die on service in July of this year.
Lieutenant Paul Dominie Wilmot (Sussex Regiment) a 29 year old Rhodes Scholar is killed in action.
Lieutenant Edward Gilbert Cunliffe (Lancashire Fusiliers attached Machine Gun Corps) is killed at Ypres at age 24. His brother died of wounds in August 1917.
Second Lieutenant Thomas Noel Heath Stretch MC (Army Service Corps attached Machine Gun Corps) is killed in action at age 24. He is the son of the Right Reverend John Francis Stretch, Bishop of Newcastle, New South Wales.
Second Lieutenant John Battye (Yorkshire Regiment) is killed in action six days prior to his brother being killed. Their father died on service in 1901 in Kroonstad, South Africa while serving as a Color Sergeant in the regiment his son will obtain his commission.
Second Lieutenant Geoffrey Sidebotom Parker Stamper (Sherwood Forester) is killed at age 29. His brother will die on service in November and they are sons of the Reverend William Parker Stamper Vicar of Stonebroom.
Sergeant John MacKenzie MM (Seaforth Highlanders) is killed at age 22. He is the last of three brothers who are killed in the war.
Lance Sergeant Edmund Oldrieve Greenhill (North Staffordshire Regiment) is killed in action at age 41. His is the schoolmaster at Leigh School.
Corporal Victor Holland (Irish Regiment) is killed at age 23. He is a member of the Comedie Anglaise Company as Victor Regent.
Corporal John Harvey Bainbridge Kayss MM (Eastern Ontario Regiment) dies at home on service at age 23. He is the son of the Reverend John Bainbridge KJayss Vicar of Wighton.
Corporal William Bain (Seaforth Highlanders) is killed at age 21. His brother was killed 4 days earlier.
Lance Corporal Melville Chiswell (Lancashire Fusiliers) is killed at age 32. He is a leading member of the Raynor Repertory Company and appeared in Shakespearean revivals under the banner of the late Richard Flanagan at Manchester.
Able Seaman Joseph Missin (Howe Battalion, Royal Naval Division) is killed in action. His brother will be killed in August of this year.
Private C Booth (Machine Gun Corps) is killed in action at age 22. His brother was killed the previous October.
Private Lachlan McLennan (Seaforth Highlanders) is killed in action at age 22. His brother Murdo will also fall.
Private Alfred Cuthbert Gash (Berkshire Regiment) is killed in action at age 21 at Arras. His brother was killed last September.
Private John Hills (Leicestershire Regiment) dies of wounds. His brother will be killed in August of this year.
Private Alex MacGregor (Gordon Highlanders) is killed. His two brothers will lose their lives in the Great War.
Rifleman Alfred Charlewood (King’s Royal Rifle Corps) is killed at age 24. His brother was killed in July 1916.
Private David S U Ross (South African Regiment) is killed at age 14 years and 3 months.
Private John Bater (East Yorkshire Regiment) is killed at age 29. He is the middle of three brothers who are killed in the Great War.
Private John Hills (Leicestershire Regiment) dies of wounds. His brother will be killed in August.
Private Leonard George Bramer (Highland Light Infantry) is killed at age 22. His brother was killed in June 1917.
Private William Kemp (Cheshire Regiment) is killed at age 22. His brother will be killed in September.
Filed Under: Artillery, Canadian Army, Military Cross, Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Naval Division, Victoria Cross
One Comment to “Monday 25 March 1918 We Lost 2,367”
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Tag: Fort McMurray Oil Barons
Scattershooting on a Sunday night after watching Mahomes weave his magic . . .
Don’t forget to remove the transmitter out of your turkey so they can’t track how many guests you have over. #Thanksgiving2020 pic.twitter.com/KA5CNuDwB8
— Lloyd Legalist (@LloydLegalist) November 22, 2020
Hey, junior hockey fans, especially those of you in the west, how’s it going these days? Well, let’s take a look . . .
Let’s start in Manitoba. Oh, wait, there isn’t any hockey being played in Manitoba these days where they are on lockdown. The MJHL, for one, won’t be back until the new year. I have a feeling the junior B and U-18 leagues on hold also will be quiet until 2021.
CBC News: Manitoba is reporting 243 new cases of COVID-19, including 135 in the Winnipeg region. There have been 12 new deaths related to the virus. Manitoba’s 5-day positivity rate is 13.7%. A record 288 people are in hospital, including 52 in ICU.
Moving further west to Saskatchewan, the SJHL continues to play but it postponed a game between the La Ronge Ice Wolves and the Mustangs in Melfort on Saturday night without providing a reason. The Mustangs have experience with COVID-19, having had a player test positive late in September.
Games involving the Flin Flon Bombers also are on hold. With the team based in Manitoba and that province on lockdown, the Bombers are trying to get the OK from health officials to practice in Creighton, Sask., and play all their games on the road.
CBC News: Saskatchewan is reporting 236 new cases of COVID-19 and 90 new recoveries. There are now 2,683 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. Hospitalizations are at a record high with 99 people receiving care, including 19 in ICUs. The 7-day average daily case count has risen to 211.
Sask COVID-19 cases:
October 1st:
– 144 active cases
– 7 hospitalizations
– 24 deaths
November 1st:
– 798 active cases (+654)
– 33 hospitalizations (+26)
– 25 deaths (+1)
– 2683 active cases (+1885)
— Dr. Alec Couros (@courosa) November 22, 2020
That brings us to Alberta where it seems the virus is enjoying a veritable buffet.
The AJHL has had four teams — the Canmore Eagles, Calgary Canucks, Drumheller Dragons and Okotoks Oilers — hit with positive tests in recent days. Drumheller and Okotoks are done through Dec. 3, as are the Olds Grizzlys, who have postponed their games“as a precautionary measure.” . . . As of Sunday night, the AJHL schedule showed 12 games having been “cancelled” from Nov. 20 through Nov. 28.
Despite all the precautions taken by Hockey Canada, the virus found the national junior team’s selection camp and now a number of people, including assistant coaches Michael Dyck and Jason Labarbera, have been isolated. But the camp goes on — Team White beat Team Red, 6-3, in a game on Sunday night.
The 14-team Heritage Junior B Hockey League shut down on Nov. 13 and will remain on pause until at least Nov. 27.
Troy Gillard, rdnewsNOW: Alberta recorded more new cases (Sunday) than both Quebec (1,154) and Ontario (1,534).
– The AJHL is playing now
– 3 weeks until players start arriving for 2021 WJC (Dec 13/14)
– 5 weeks until the 2021 WJC tourney begins (Dec 25)
– 6 weeks until the NHL starts (Jan 1)
– 7 weeks until the 2020-21 WHL season starts. (Jan 8) https://t.co/Wvxtm9TBM1
— Guy Flaming (@TPS_Guy) November 23, 2020
As for B.C., well, we don’t have any fresh numbers — almost everyone in the province but retail workers and the virus takes Saturday and Sunday off — but you can bet there will be some big ones announced Monday afternoon.
Junior hockey? There isn’t any at the moment. It’s all shut down until at least Dec. 7. Just a hunch but perhaps there won’t be any until 2021.
Aside to B.C. politicians and health officials: Why do you continually choose to muddy the waters with your announcements regarding restrictions? It would be a lot easier for everyone if you just said: No games. Period. . . . Or if you said: All games are good to go. . . . But let’s stop with the ‘no travel between communities but you can travel in your region’ and all that junk. . . . It’s all about sending mixed messages. Surely some of you have heard about mixed messages. Surely?
CBC News: Quebec is reporting 1,154 new cases of COVID-19 and 23 additional deaths. 642 people are in hospital, including 103 in intensive care.
CBC News: Ontario reporting 1,534 more COVID-19 cases and 14 new deaths.
CBC News: Nova Scotia is reporting 11 new cases of COVID-19. New restrictions come into effect for much of the Halifax region Monday, including tighter limits on social gatherings. All 11 new cases in Nova Scotia today are in the Central Zone. 6 are linked to previously reported cases; the remaining 5 are under investigation. There are now 44 active cases in the province. No one is currently in hospital. . . . Today marks the province’s highest single-day rise in cases since early May.
CBC News: New Brunswick is reporting 6 new cases of COVID-19. 5 are in the Saint John region; 1 is in the Fredericton region. All of the new cases are self-isolating and under investigation. The province has 77 known active cases, including 1 person in hospital.
CBC News: 3 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Newfoundland and Labrador. 2 of the cases are close contacts of previously identified cases; 1 is travel related. There are 21 known active cases in the province. No one is currently in hospital.
CBC News: 21 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Nunavut. 18 are in Arviat, 1 is in Whale Cove, and 2 are in Rankin Inlet. A news release from the Nunavut government says: ‘There remains no evidence of community transmission in Rankin Inlet or Whale Cove.’
New York Daily News: More than 1M people traveled on planes in U.S. on a single day ahead of Thanksgiving amid the coronavirus pandemic.
BNO Newsroom: Los Angeles County bans all in-person dining at restaurants due to surge in COVID cases.
saved the puppy from getting eaten by an alligator and never dropped his cigar, a true legend pic.twitter.com/ryRSfZqOsy
— juan vidal (@itsjuanlove) November 22, 2020
Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle, on the NBA draft: “How about this: Have the draftee put on an appropriate hat. You get drafted by the Celtics, you put on a green leprechaun derby. Kings, a crown. Warriors, a combat helmet. Spurs, a sombrero or cowboy hat. Bucks, an antler hat. Orlando, a magician’s top hat with a rabbit popping out the top. Charlotte, a hornet’s nest. And so on.”
Ostler, again: “Rae’s Creek? Henceforth it will be known as Tiger’s Creek. Whatever you call that creek, Woods was up it, without a paddle. Does Nike make a paddle?”
Joe Murphy was the first overall selection in the NHL’s 1986 draft. He won a Stanley Cup with the Edmonton Oilers in 1980. Rick Westhead of TSN found him living in the bush near Kenora, Ont., in 2018. Murphy was last seen on the streets of Regina. . . . Westhead has written a book — Finding Murph — about the former NHLer’s slide and a whole lot more. Westhead appeared on CBC’s The Current during the week. There’s a story and link to that show right here. Give it a read and a listen — it’s worth about 30 minutes of your time.
The wife sent me to buy all the fixings for Thanksgiving and I can across this two for one sale, so we are having Thanksgiving dinner for $1. 65 this year. I think she is going to be very proud of me. pic.twitter.com/ChXdocoq72
— Rob Stiles (@robstiles1) November 20, 2020
“Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested on a gun charge in Ohio after he crashed his car and investigating officers discovered a loaded firearm inside,” Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times reports. “Apparently he was on his way to the morning shoot-around.”
Perry also took the time to update some sporting cliches, just for 2020:
• “Playing .500 ball”: Completing as many games as you’ve had canceled by COVID.
• “Grabbing the facemask”: What you’d better do if you want to get into Costco.
• “We sent a message today”: Practice was once again replaced by a Zoom call.
• “Defense wins championships”: Costco rules apply to athletes, too.
A 90 year old man is selling garlic cloves to survive. This young man purchases his entire cart so he can rest for the day. #Humanity pic.twitter.com/S9o6us6mGz
— Travis Akers (@travisakers) November 18, 2020
Headline at TheOnion.com: Man Hasn’t Heard Or Read Single True Thing In 6 Years.
I told a teenager today I used to get 10 CDs for a penny in the mail, and I'm not sure if she thinks I'm lying about what a CD was, what a penny is, or what the mail is or all three.
— Eric Alper 🎧 (@ThatEricAlper) November 20, 2020
COVID-19 CHRONICLES . . .
The annual Apple Cup football game between the Washington State Cougars and Washington Huskies won’t happen this year. It was scheduled for Friday at Washington State. According to a statement from the Pac-12: The decision was made due to “Washington State not having the minimum number of scholarship players available for the game” as a result of positive tests and contact tracing. . . .
The Quinnipiac men’s hockey team has postponed its season-opener against visiting AIC from Tuesday to Dec. 26, and has cancelled games scheduled for Nov. 27 and Nov. 29. The moves were made after two positive tests. . . .
Brazilian soccer star Marta has tested positive and won’t play in friendlies against Ecuador on Nov. 27 and Dec. 1. Marta, 34, plays for Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League. She is a six-time world player of the year.
If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:
Living Kidney Donor Program
St. Paul’s Hospital
6A Providence Building
1081 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6
Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca
Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program – Kidney
Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre
Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street
kidneydonornurse@vch.ca
Or, for more information, visit right here.
LeAnne Jakubeit of Penticton lost her battle with cancer on Saturday. She was married to Andrew Jakubeit, who spent seven years as an on-ice official in the WHL and 10 in the BCHL. He also is a former mayor of Penticton. . . . LeAnne and Andrew owned and operated The Grooveyard, a music store that has been a Penticton mainstay for more than 30 years.
Hanlon: “There are many reasons for my decision. Above all, it is for personal reasons and the development of the corona pandemic at my age that are forcing me to return to my family." 2/2
— MacBeth Report (@MacBethReport) November 22, 2020
With tonight's win in Lloydminster, Gord Thibodeau has reached 900 AJHL wins! Congratulations on a tremendous milestone, Gord! #ymm #AJHL pic.twitter.com/ux18f8hkoD
— McMurray Oil Barons (@MOBHockey) November 22, 2020
JUST NOTES: F Ridly Greig of the Brandon Wheat Kings was on the ice at the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp in Red Deer on Sunday. He had tested positive for COVID-19, but now is out of quarantine and has been cleared to practice. . . . Hey, TSN, how about giving us some MAC football action? In these pandemic nights, we really need a bridge to get us from Monday Night Football to Thursday Night Football. . . . Do you want to be the person to show Ken Norton Jr., the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive co-ordinator, how to properly wear a facemask? . . . Can anyone provide the name of just one singer or group that hasn’t cut a Christmas album? . . . If you’re wondering, Part 3 of my look back at the WHL’s early years will show up here at some point on Monday. Thanks for the great response to it.
Author greggdrinnanPosted on November 22, 2020 Tags Andrew Jakubeit, Dr. Alec Couros, Dwight Perry, Eric Alper, Finding Murph, Fort McMurray Oil Barons, Glen Hanlon, Gord Thibodeau, Guy Flaming, LeAnne Jakubeit, Living Kidney Donor Program, MacBeth Report, Rick Westhead, Ridly Greig, Rob Stiles, Scott Ostler, Travis Akers, Troy Gillard2 Comments on Scattershooting on a Sunday night after watching Mahomes weave his magic . . .
Scattershooting on a Thursday night while waiting to steal the first signs of spring . . .
ESPN continues to use Jessica Mendoza as a baseball analyst despite her being on the payroll of the New York Mets as a baseball operations special adviser. Of course, that is a conflict of interest, something that was very much in evidence on Thursday as Mendoza chose to speak out on at least three ESPN programs about the cheating scandal that has enveloped MLB. . . . She pointed a finger at pitcher Mike Fiers, now of the Oakland A’s, for going public, something that sparked MLB’s investigation. Mendoza later tried to backtrack, but the genie was out of the bottle and her credibility has since taken a terrible beating, as it should have. . . . The Mets, of course, found themselves hip deep in it because their new manager, Carlos Beltran, was involved in the cheating while playing for the Astros. On Thursday, the Mets and Beltran parted company before he had managed even one game. While Beltran may be gone, Mendoza continues to cash cheques from ESPN and the Mets.
It was on Jan. 4 when former WHL player/assistant coach Kevin Sawyer, now a broadcaster for TSN on games involving the Winnipeg Jets, related a story involving a hazing. Sawyer, then an assistant coach with the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs, talked of Saran-wrapping a 15-year-old Jared Spurgeon to a pillar in an arena. Spurgeon wsa “about six feet up in the air . . . he was tiny,” Sawyer said. “He looked like he was 12.” . . . Paul Friesen, a columnist with the Winnipeg Sun, has some questions about all of this but has discovered a cone of silence seems to have been placed over everyone involved. Friesen, however, was able to speak with Akim Aliu, who is no stranger to hazing incidents. . . . Friesen’s column is right here.
Since November 20th..
NHL Head Coach firings: 7
Detroit Red Wings wins: 5
— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) January 15, 2020
All those who dare brave the weather can pick up a game Voucher for any of the next 5 upcoming home game! All of those who couldn’t make it can exchange their ticket to tonight’s game for a ticket to any of the next 5 home games! pic.twitter.com/nTRE6ZvrnA
— Victoria Royals (@victoriaroyals) January 16, 2020
A tip of the Taking Note fedora to a pair of WHL teams — the Prince George Cougars and Victoria Royals. . . . The Cougars announced on Thursday that they now are making sensory kits available at all home games. From a news release: “In partnership with AutismBC, the Cougars have purchased sensory kits that will be loaned out to families, at no cost, that have sensory issues. The sensory kit includes protective earmuffs, colouring book, crayons, ear plugs, sunglasses, and several different fidget / stress items.” . . .
Meanwhile, the Royals, with their home city and environs hit with some ugly weather, are rewarding fans who were able to get to their Wednesday game and ticket holders who couldn’t make it with freebies for a future game. . . . The Royals announced attendances of 2,519 and 2,901 for Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, as they swept the Tri-City Americans, 3-1 and 6-1. However, it’s believed the miserable weather limited the actual attendance at each game to much closer to 1,000 people.
The AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons fired Bob Beatty, their general manager and head coach, on Tuesday. Beatty, a veteran of the junior A coaching scene, was in his first season with the Oil Barons, who were 15-27-2 and in seventh place in the North Division in what is clearly a rebuilding/reloading season. . . . Mike Brodeur and Justin Rose, the team’s assistant coaches, ran things on an interim basis for a couple of days. . . . On Thursday, the Oil Barons announced that Gord Thibodeau had returned to the organization as GM and head coach. He had filled both positions with the Oil Barons for 11 seasons (2003-14). . . . Thibodeau is the winningest coach in AJHL history, having put up number 833 in February 2017 while with the Whitecourt Wolverines. He and the Wolverines parted company shortly after he put up that victory. . . . Thibodeau also has battled non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma on four separate occasions since 1989, most recently in 2016.
Mike Sawatzky of the Winnipeg Free Press tweeted Wednesday that F Connor McLennon will be out of the Winnipeg Ice’s lineup for up to eight weeks with a broken collarbone. . . . McLennon was injured Tuesday night in a 5-1 victory over the visiting Prince George Cougars. He leads the Ice in goals (21), assists (28) and points (49), all in 42 games for the East Division-leading club. . . . Interestingly, the Ice didn’t list its two 2004-born forwards — Matt Savoie and Connor Geekie — on the WHL’s weekly roster report. Savoie, who has five assists in 12 games, is out with a concussion; Geekie, pointless in seven games, has mononucleosis. . . . The Ice selected Savoie with the first overall pick in the WHL’s 2019 bantam draft, and took Geekie with the next selection.
After Seattle had its season come to an end on Sunday in Green Bay, Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch offered some advice for young NFLers: ““It’s a vulnerable time for a lot of young dudes, you feel me? So, you feel me? Start takin’ care of y’all mentals and y’all bodies and y’all’s chicken. So, when y’all ready to, you know, walk away, you be able to do what you want to do.” . . . By chicken, of course, he meant money. . . . All of that got lots of play, and by early in the week you could visit his website (beastmode.com) and purchase hoodies and T-shirts emblazoned with “Take Care Yo’ Chicken” across the chests. . . . Yes, Lynch practises what he preaches.
If you watched the video of the battling goaltenders on Saturday night, you will have noticed Roman Basran of the Kelowna Rockets holding his right arm in a gingerly fashion after he and Dylan Garand of the Kamloops Blazers got up off the canvas, er, ice. . . . Well, the Rockets listed Basran as out day-to-day with an upper-body injury on Tuesday’s WHL roster report. . . . Basran has been the Rockets’ No. 1 goaltender. . . . The Rockets (21-17-3), the host team for the Memorial Cup, are third in the B.C. Division and sixth in the Western Conference. . . . With Basran unavailable, the Rockets have added G Cole Tisdale, 17, to their roster from the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks. Tisdale, an eighth-round pick by the Rockets in the 2017 bantam draft, will back up Cole Schwebius as the Rockets visit the Everett Silvertips tonight (Friday) and then go into Portland for a Saturday-Sunday doubledip with the Winterhawks. . . .
The Rockets also have lost F Liam Kindree, 19, for up to two months — i.e., the remainder of the regular season — with a broken collarbone. He had surgery on Thursday. . . . As well, Kelowna F Nolan Foote showed up on the weekly roster report as being out week-to-week with an undisclosed lower-body injury. . . . Foote was injured in a 4-1 loss in Kamloops on Friday. . . . Kindree went down in a 7-2 loss to the visiting Blazers on Saturday. The Rockets were adamant that it was a second-period hit on Kindree by Kamloops F Jeremy Appelt that resulted in some late-game fisticuffs. Kindree was given a boarding minor on the play.
Here is Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice on the spate of NHL firings:
“It’s a very painful experience. It’s a very personal, yet very public, experience.
“I think this is the best analogy: You’re in a marriage, you love the woman but it’s getting a little bit rocky. Then you come home one day and she says ‘Paul, we’re going in a different direction and there’s gonna be a press conference in three hours and we’re gonna talk about how great the new husband’s gonna be.’
“So, it’s tough. You put your heart and soul into it and then you’re out.”
JUST NOTES: The Minnesota Twins signed 3B Josh Donaldson to a four-year deal said to be worth US$92 million. Donaldson turned 34 on Dec. 8. Hey, gang, it’s only money. . . . Of course, with Donaldson at the hot corner, the Twins now will move Miguel Sanó, who will be 27 in May, to first base. . . . Donaldson hit 37 dingers with the Atlanta Braves last season; Sano hit 34 in only 380 ABs with the Twins. . . . If you’re like me, you’re wondering: How much of Subway does Martha Stewart own? . . . Do the people who had a problem with LSU quarterback Joe Burrow smoking a victory cigar also have issues when championship teams celebrate by pouring beer and champagne all over the place? . . . A final thought on MLB’s latest cheating scandal: Is this a case of a business that has turned a blind-eye — wink! wink!! — to different kinds of cheating over more than 100 years finally having the chickens come home to roost? . . . The first pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report on Feb. 12.
Author greggdrinnanPosted on January 16, 2020 Tags Bob Beatty, Cole Tisdale, Connor Geekie, Connor McLennon, Dimitri Filipovic, Fort McMurray Oil Barons, Gord Thibodeau, Joe Burrow, Josh Donaldson, Kelowna Rockets, Liam Kindree, Marshawn Lynch, Matt Savoie, Mike Sawatzky, Nolan Foote, Paul Friesen, Paul Maurice, Prince George Cougars, Roman Basran, Victoria RoyalsLeave a comment on Scattershooting on a Thursday night while waiting to steal the first signs of spring . . .
WHL asks players to opt out of lawsuit. . . . Yes, Matvichuk wants to keep coaching. . . . Blades sign three 2019 draft picks
D Nick Ross (Regina, Kamloops, Vancouver, 2004-09) has signed a one-year contract with Jegesmedvék Miskolc (Hungary, Slovakia Extraliga). This season, with Innsbruck (Austria, Erste Bank Liga), he had nine goals and 31 assists in 52 games. He was second on the team in assists. . . .
F Dalibor Bortňák (Kamloops, 2008-11) has signed a one-year contract with Košice (Slovakia, Extraliga). This season, with Nitra (Slovakia, Extraliga), he had 10 goals and 21 assists in 54 games. . . .
F Parker Bowles (Tri-City, 2011-16) has signed a one-year contract with Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Lillehammer (Norway, GET-Ligaen), he had 20 goals and 25 assists in 48 games. . . .
F Gilbert Brulé (Vancouver, 2002-06) has signed a two-year contract with Kunlun Red Star Beijing (China, KHL). This season, with Sibir Novosibirsk (Russia, KHL), he had seven goals and 15 assists in 30 games. . . .
D Clint Filbrandt (Tri-City, Kootenay, 2012-14) has signed a one-year contract with DEAC Debrecen (Hungary, Erste Liga). This season, with U of Lethbridge (USports, Canada West), he had two goals and five assists in 25 games. . . .
F Calder Brooks (Calgary, Prince Albert, Spokane, 2011-15) has signed a one-year contract with Lyon (France, Ligue Magnus). This season, with St. Mary’s U (USports, Atlantic University Sport), he had six goals and 15 assists in 29 games. He also had three goals and one assist in three games with the Wichita Thunder (ECHL). . . .
F Danis Zaripov (Swift Current, 1998-99) has signed a one-year contract extension with Ak Bars Kazan (Russia, KHL). This season, he had nine goals and 23 assists in 48 games. He was third on his team in points. . . .
F Milan Jurík (Prince Albert, 2006-07) has signed a one-year contract extension with Mulhouse (France, Ligue Magnus). An alternate captain, he had six goals and 17 assists in 42 games this season. . . .
F Brendan Shinnimin (Tri-City, 2007-12) has signed a two-year contract extension with Växjö Lakers (Sweden, SHL). This season, he had 17 goals and 16 assists in 47 games. He tied for the team lead in goals and points. . . .
F Marek Kalus (Spokane, Brandon, 2010-13) has signed a one-year contract with the Linz Black Wings (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic, Erste Bank Liga), he had 20 goals and 30 assists in 50 games. He led the team in goals and points.
Rick Westhead, TSN’s senior correspondent, reported Tuesday that the WHL “is asking current and former players to opt out of a class-action minimum-wage lawsuit against the league, suggesting that the future of amateur sports in Canada is at risk. The WHL shared its message in an e-bulletin that was sent Tuesday by email to a distribution list that includes current and former players. The group email was obtained by TSN.” . . . Westhead’s complete story is right here.
It began with a report in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette that had Richard Matvichuk, the former head coach of the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, as a candidate for the head-coaching position with the ECHL’s Komets.
Matvichuk wasn’t the favourite, reported Justin A. Cohn, but he was believed to be in the chase.
Then came a rumour that, no, Matvichuk didn’t want to coach, and that he would stay in Prince George and get involved with minor hockey.
Well, it turns out that Matvichuk, a 46-year-old native of Edmonton, isn’t through with coaching. At least, he hopes he isn’t.
As he told Taking Note: “Yes, I want to coach.”
And why shouldn’t he?
A defenceman, Matvichuk played three seasons (1989-92) with the Saskatoon Blades before going on to a professional career that included 796 regular-season NHL games and another 123 in the playoffs. His name is on the Stanley Cup (Dallas Stars, 1998-99).
His coaching career includes two seasons as assistant GM/assistant coach with the Texas-based Allen Americans, who then were in the CHL. He then spent two seasons (2014-16) as director of hockey operations and head coach of the ECHL’s Missouri Mavericks. He was the ECHL’s coach of the year in the second of those seasons.
Matvichuk brought that track record to the Cougars, and he guided them to first place in the B.C. Division with a franchise-record 45 victories in his first season. That marked the first time the franchise had won a WHL banner.
But the Cougars went all-in that season, then were upset in six games by the Portland Winterhawks in the first round of the playoffs.
The Cougars spent the past two seasons trying to get back on track, as often happens to teams that try to seize the moment by going all-in.
General manager Mark Lamb, who was nearing the end of his first season with the Cougars, fired Matvichuk with 16 games remaining this season. Matvichuk’s three-year contract was to have expired following the season.
At the time, the Cougars were 16-30-6 and on an 11-game losing skid. Lamb stepped in as head coach and the slump reached a franchise-record 17 games before it finally ended. The Cougars went 3-11-2 under Lamb to finish at 19-41-8 and out of the playoffs.
During the season, the Cougars’ ownership, having surveyed the damage, reached the conclusion that it would never again go all-in, that the price to be paid just isn’t worth it because, as they found out, there aren’t any guarantees.
It also has to be pointed out that the Cougars’ 2018-19 season, at least in terms of grabbing a playoff spot, was done in by perhaps the worst stretch of scheduling in WHL history.
The Cougars were 11-14-3 in December when they headed into an absolutely bizarre 11-game road trip that was broken up by the Christmas break and included three separate treks into the U.S. Division.
Here’s a bit of what I wrote in February:
“If you’re wondering why things went south in Prince George this season, it may have had something to do with the schedule. As bad as 16-30-6 may sound now, the Cougars were 11-14-3 as they began an insane 11-game road trip that was interrupted by the Christmas break and included three separate jaunts into the U.S. Division. They went 3-8-0 on that trip, came home and beat Kelowna twice, and are 0-8-3 since those victories.
“Team management has since gone on the record as saying it will never again accept such goofy scheduling.”
The Cougars split with the visiting Victoria Royals on Dec. 1 and 2, then didn’t play at home again until Jan. 11 and 12 when they swept Kelowna.
It’s no wonder that Matvichuk doesn’t feel that he is done with coaching.
The WHL will have three of its coaches working benches during the U-17 World Hockey Challenge in November. . . . Michael Dyck, the head coach of the Vancouver Giants, has been named by Hockey Canada as head coach of Team Canada White. . . . Ryan Marsh, the associate coach with the Saskatoon Blades, will be an assistant coach alongside Dyck. . . . Steve O’Rourke, an assistant coach with the Prince George Cougars, is to be an assistant coach on Team Canada Red. . . . The tournament is to be held in Medicine Hat and Swift Current, Nov. 2-9.
@BladesHockey signs and introduces their 1st 3 @TheWHL Bantam Draft picks from 2019…l to r, G Ethan Chadwick, F Hayden Smith and F Brandon Lisowsky. pic.twitter.com/Dpfd3Qf4mo
— Les Lazaruk (@Bladesvoice) May 28, 2019
The Saskatoon Blades have signed three 2019 bantam draft selections to WHL contracts. . . . F Brandon Lisowsky, from Coquitlam, B.C., was taken in the first round, ninth overall. He is the eighth of the 22 first-round selections to sign a WHL contract. This season, Lisowsky had 61 goals and 48 assists in 53 games with the Burnaby Winter Club’s bantam prep team. . . . F Hayden Smith, from Kamloops, was selected in the second round. He had 24 goals and 23 assists in 30 games with the Yale Hockey Academy’s bantam prep team. . . . G Ethan Chadwick, from Saskatoon, was a third-round pick. He had a 2.83 GAA and a .920 save percentage in 22 games with the bantam AA Saskatoon Stallions.
The Regina Pats have signed D Layton Feist to a WHL contract. Feist, from Coldstream, B.C., was selected in the first round, 17th overall, of the WHL’s 2019 bantam draft. This season, he had eight goals and 14 assists in 20 games with the OMAHA (Okanagan Mainline Amateur Hockey Association) North Zone Kings. . . . His older brother, Tyson, is a defenceman with the Pats.
The Medicine Hat Tigers have signed F Brayden Boehm to a WHL contract. He was a second-round selection in the 2019 bantam draft. . . . From Nanaimo, he had 16 goals and 24 in 30 games with the Delta Hockey Academy’s prep green team this season.
The Swift Current Broncos have signed F Caleb Wyrostok to a WHL contract. From Medicine Hat, he was a ninth-round selection by the Broncos in the 2018 bantam draft. . . . Wyrostok, 16, played this season for the Northern Alberta X-Treme elite 15 team, putting up 20 goals and 15 assists in 30 games.
The MJHL’s Swan Valley Stampeders have signed Geoff Grimwood as their new general manager and head coach. Grimwood, from Victoria, spent 2018-19 as the GM and head coach of the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors. Prior to that, he was the GM and head coach of the SJHL’s Kindersley Klippers for three seasons.
Bob Beatty, a veteran junior A coach, has signed on with the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons as an associate coach. For the past two seasons, Beatty has been the head coach of the bantam prep team at the Shawnigan Lake, B.C., School. In Fort McMurray, Beatty will be working alongside Dave Dupas, who is preparing for his first season as general manager and head coach.
Pierre-Paul Lamoureux is the new head coach of the USHL’s Fargo Force. A native of Grand Forks, N.D., he played three seasons (2004-07) with the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels and worked as their associate coach in 2016-17. Lamoureux was the Force’s associate head coach for the past two seasons. . . . Lamoureux, 31, will be the youngest head coach in the league. He takes over from Cary Eades, who stays on as general manager and president of hockey operations.
The 2019/20 #QMJHL schedule is finally here! The boys are back in action in just 114 days. Who's excited about next season 🙌?
The FULL schedule here: https://t.co/rlK8jGcMIe pic.twitter.com/M74xW3sgb4
— #QMJHL50 (@QMJHL) May 28, 2019
Author greggdrinnanPosted on May 28, 2019 Tags Bob Beatty, Brandon Lisowsky, Brayden Boehm, Brendan Shinnimin, Calder Brooks, Caleb Wyrostok, Cary Eades, Clint Filbrandt, Dalibor Bortnak, Danis Zaripov, Ethan Chadwick, Fargo Force, Fort McMurray Oil Barons, Geoff Grimwood, Gilbert Brule, Hayden Smith, Layton Feist, Marek Kalus, Medicine Hat Tigers, Michael Dyck, Milan Jurik, Nick Ross, Parker Bowles, Pierre-Paul Lamoureux, Prince George Cougars, Regina Pats, Richard Matvichuk, Rick Westhead, Ryan Marsh, Saskatoon Blades, Steve O'Rourke, Swan Valley Stampeders, Swift Current BroncosLeave a comment on WHL asks players to opt out of lawsuit. . . . Yes, Matvichuk wants to keep coaching. . . . Blades sign three 2019 draft picks
Halifax quiets Raiders in tourney opener. . . . P.A. off until Monday. . . . New coaches at St. George’s, AJHL
GOAL!!! Cody Glass does it again!!! He gets behind the defense and beats Jeff Glass for the GWG at 14:03 of OT!
Game 1 is in the books!#LastTeamStanding #CHIvsSD
— y-Chicago Wolves (@Chicago_Wolves) May 18, 2019
D Austin Madaisky (Calgary, Kamloops, 2008-12) has signed a two-year contract with the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL). This season, with Kölner Haie Cologne (Germany, DEL), he had four goals and six assists in 48 games.
The Halifax Mooseheads, the host team for the 2019 Memorial Cup tournament, opened with a 4-1 victory over the WHL-champion Prince Albert Raiders on Friday night. . . . The Mooseheads got a goal and an assist from F Samuel Asselin, with linemate Maxim Trépanier drawing three assists. . . . The Mooseheads took a 2-0 first-period lead as Asselin scored once, at 10:49, and set up the other by F Xavier Parent, at 18:44. . . . The game’s first goal came as referee Mario Maillet inadvertently set a pick on Raiders D Zack Hayes, allowing F Raphael Lavoie a passing lane to get the puck to Asselin at the crease. . . . Asselin spent last season with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, so was part of the team that won last season’s Memorial Cup in Regina. He had five goals in four games in that tournament. Traded to the Mooseheads, he led the QMJHL with 48 goals this season. . . . The Raiders were 0-3 on the PP in the first period. . . . F Noah Gregor got Prince Albert to within a goal, at 10:46 of the second period. . . . The Mooseheads got a PP goal from D Jake Ryczek, at 15:52, for a 3-1 lead, then iced it at 18:07 of the third period as F Antoine Morand got an empty-netter. . . . Halifax was 1-6 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-4. . . . G Alexis Gravel stopped 23 shots to record the victory over Ian Scott, who turned aside 33. . . . The Raiders were outshot, 37-24, including 15-4 in the third period. . . . Prince Albert expended a lot of energy and emotion in winning a seven-game series from the Vancouver Giants — the Raiders won Game 7, 3-2 in OT, on Monday night — and then travelled to Halifax on Wednesday. All of that combined with a three-hour time change may have taken a lot out of the Raiders’ legs. They now have a couple of days off and that surely can’t hurt. . . . The OHL-champion Guelph Storm are to meet the QMJHL-champion Rouyn-Noranda Huskies tonight, with Halifax playing Guelph on Sunday. The Raiders are off until Monday when they are to face the Huskies.
Jason Becker, a former WHL player and coach, is leaving the BCHL’s Penticton Vees to coach at St. George’s School in Vancouver. Becker, who had been an assistant coach with the Vees for three seasons, will be the head coach of the midget prep team at St. George’s. . . . Before joining the Vees, Becker had coached for two seasons at the Okanagan Hockey Academy and did a four-season stint as an assistant with the WHL’s Prince George Cougars. As a defenceman, he played with the Saskatoon Blades, Red Deer Rebels, Kamloops Blazers and Swift Current Broncos (1990-95), then spent five seasons with the U of Saskatchewan Huskies. . . . The Vees immediately announced that former captain Patrick Sexton has been hired as the new assistant coach. Sexton played two seasons with the Vees before going on to the U of Wisconsin. He was the Vees’ captain when they won the BCHL’s 2014-15 championship. . . . Naeem Bardal will be Becker’s assistant coach at St. George’s. . . .
St. George’s also announced that Jamie Jackson, who had been an assistant coach with the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express, will be the head coach of the school’s Elite 15 team. Jackson also spent four seasons as head coach of the major midget Vancouver-North East Chiefs, and was the general manager and head coach of the junior B Port Moody Panthers (2011-14). . . . Mike Nardi will be Jackson’s assistant coach. . . .
Todd Harkins, a former GM of the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, will be the head coach of the bantam prep team. Harkins is St. George’s head of hockey. His son, Nicklas, will be the assistant coach. . . .
Stan Sibert returns as the head coach of the bantam varsity team, with Cole Todd his assistant.
Dave Dupas is the new general manager and head coach of the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons. He has been an assistant coach in Fort McMurray for three seasons, after four-plus seasons as head coach of the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings. . . . Dupas had been named the interim GM/head coach a week earlier when the Oil Barons announced that Tom Keca wouldn’t be returning.
The AJHL’s Camrose Kodiak have signed Clayton Jardine as their new head coach. He replaces Boris Rybalka, who stays on as general manager and also will be associate coach. . . . Rybalka had been the head coach since 2001, and an assistant coach before that. . . . Jardine played with the Kodiaks and was the team captain when they won two AJHL titles. . . . This season, Jardine was the SJHL’s coach of the year with the Kindersley Klippers. He also was the GM. From Lacombe, Alta., Jardine was an assistant coach with New England College, an NCAA Division III school, for two seasons before joining the Klippers. . . . Jardine had resigned from the Klippers in April, and was replaced by Garry Childerhose, who had been an assistant GM/assistant coach with the Flin Flon Bombers.
Trump wants to base a new immigration plan on “merit.” To apply, applicants are recommended to have a great education, be a skilled worker, have money, and be a U.S. citizen.
— MAD Magazine (@MADmagazine) May 17, 2019
Author greggdrinnanPosted on May 17, 2019 May 17, 2019 Tags Boris Rybalka, Camrose Kodiaks, Clayton Jardine, Dave Dupas, Fort McMurray Oil Barons, Halifax Mooseheads, Jamie Jackson, Jason Becker, Maxim Trépanier, Noah Gregor, Prince Albert Raiders, Samuel Asselin, St. George's School, Stan Sibert, Todd HarkinsLeave a comment on Halifax quiets Raiders in tourney opener. . . . P.A. off until Monday. . . . New coaches at St. George’s, AJHL
Giants, Raiders head back to P.A. . . . Game 6 scheduled for Sunday. . . . Guelph one win from title in OHL
Covered every game of this final & my fave moments include:
– Fans throwing sex toys on ice for Corey Pecker goals.
– The dressing room shrine of said toys.
– Brandon Cullen waving a dead shark over his head after Game 5.
– Getting into a fight with the lead singer of Train. https://t.co/QktoTlrPYx
— Sunaya Sapurji (@sunayas) May 11, 2019
@Storm_City bussed to game 5 in Ottawa but are flying home tonight after the game to get extra rest in their own beds. Game 6 is Sunday afternoon at 2 at the @sleemancentre
— Paul Osborne (@OsborneEdu) May 10, 2019
The Guelph Storm won its third straight game on Friday night, beating the host Ottawa 67’s, 4-3, to take a 3-2 lead in the OHL’s championship series. . . . They’ll play Game 6 in Guelph on Sunday. . . . Last night, the Storm got a goal and an assist from F Alexey Toropchenko, who has seven goals in his past four games. He has 13 goals in these playoffs. . . . F Tye Felhaber scored twice for Ottawa. He now leads the OHL playoffs, with 17 goals. . . . The 67’s opened the playoffs with 14 straight victories, but now have lost three in a row — for the first time this season — and are facing elimination on Sunday.
#OHLChampionship #OTTvsGUE: @Storm_City are on the edge of glory with a 4-3 road win (Ottawa's 2nd home loss to West opposition this year, 12/15 vs. OS. Become the first team since the 2012 London Knights to record a winning streak of at least 3 games in all four series.
— Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) May 11, 2019
Thank you to the @PGCougars for the beautiful flowers! The entire family is excited for the future! pic.twitter.com/ypASwedUUu
— Jessica MacAdams (@JessicaMacadams) May 10, 2019
The Prince George Cougars and Vista Radio have extended their broadcast agreement through the 2019-20 season. . . . The Cougars’ games, home and away, will again be heard on 94.3 The GOAT. . . . Fraser Rodgers will be back for his third season as the play-by-play voice. . . . Hartley Miller, The GOAT’s sports director, will be the analyst for a seventh straight season.
Sean Murray, a goaltending coach who has worked with the Portland Winterhawks, Vancouver Giants and Prince George Cougars, has signed on with the BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters. . . . Murray, a coach for more than 20 years, spent five seasons (2006-11) with the Giants, and was part of their Memorial Cup title in 2007. . . . He also pent three-plus seasons with the Winterhawks and two working with the Cougars. . . . The Smoke Eaters also have hired Jeff Urekar, who had been the head coach of the major midget North East Chiefs, as assistant GM.
The AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons announced Friday that they have “parted ways” with Tom Keca, who had been their general manager and head coach through four seasons. . . . In a news release, David Fitzgerald, the organization’s president, said: “Unfortunately, we were unable to agree on terms with Tom to extend his contract beyond this season. In light of this, we decided that it was best for the organization to move in a different direction next season.” . . . Before taking over as GM/head coach, Keca had been an assistant coach with the Oil Barons for four-plus seasons. He also spent five seasons (2000-05) on the staff as an assistant before taking over as head coach of the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats. . . . Dave Dupas has stepped in as general manager and head coach “until further notice.” . . . Dupas has been an assistant coach with Fort McMurray for the past three seasons. Prior to that, he was the head coach of the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings for four seasons. . . . This season, the Oil Barons went 32-19-9 to finish fourth in the Viterra AJHL North. They beat the Grande Prairie Storm, 3-1, in a best-of-five first-round series, then lost a best-of-seven affair to the Sherwood Park Crusaders, 4-2.
NOTES: The WHL final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup is headed back to the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert. . . . The Vancouver Giants beat the Raiders, 4-3, on Friday night in Langley, B.C. . . . The Raiders now hold a 3-2 lead in the series. . . . The two teams will climb on to the same plane today and fly to Prince Albert where Game 6 is scheduled for Sunday. . . . A seventh game, if needed, would be played on Monday. . . .
Prior to Game 5, Marc Habscheid, the Raiders’ head coach, told Steve Ewen of Postmedia: “The one thing I know for sure is that you don’t give games away. You have a chance like this, you play this like it’s Game 7. “You want to end it as quick as possible. (Friday) is our Game 7.” . . .
After Game 5, Habscheid told reporters: “If someone had told me at the start of the (season) that we’d have two games at home to try and win the league title, we’d take it.” . . .
This is the third straight WHL final to go six games. . . . Two seasons ago, the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the host Regina Pats, 4-3 in OT, to win that series, 4-2. . . . Last season, it was the Swift Current Broncos winning Game 6, 3-0 over the visiting Everett Silvertips, to take that series, 4-2. . . .
On Friday, at 8:15 p.m. PT, with Game 5 between Vancouver and Prince Albert in the first intermission, Rogers Sportsnet had Plays of the Month on four channels, MLB’s Best on one channel and Highlights of the Night on another. Just sayin’ . . . No, Game 6 of the OHL’s championship final wasn’t on any of the channels earlier in the evening either.
FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS:
Line-ups for @WHLGiants vs. @PARaidershockey….note Martin as a question mark pic.twitter.com/k3zY0ZjtIw
— Steve Ewen (@SteveEwen) May 11, 2019
The Vancouver Giants erased a 2-1 deficit with three-second period goals en route to a 4- 3 victory over the visiting Prince Albert Raiders. . . . The Raiders lead the WHL final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, 3-2, with Game 6 to be played in Prince Albert on Sunday. . . . Game 7, if necessary, would be played on Monday. . . . Last night, the Giants got the game’s first goal, at 7:42 of the first period, when F Brayden Watts (7) deposited a rebound off a shot by F Tristen Nielsen into an empty side. . . . The team scoring first now is 5-0 in this series. . . . The Raiders tied it at 10:44 as F Aliaksei Protas (12) scored from the slot off a rebound from a shot by F Sean Montgomery. . . . The teams then combined for five goals in the second period. . . . The visitors took their only lead at 2:45, just nine seconds after killing off a penalty. F Dante Hannoun came free in front of the Giants’ net and beat G David Tendeck for his WHL-leading 13th goal of these playoffs. . . . Vancouver tied it 50 seconds later as D Bowen Byram (8) skated into the left side of the slot and beat G Ian Scott for his first goal of the series. . . . F Davis Koch (3) put the home boys back out front, putting home a rebound at 9:24. He had gone 12 games without a goal. . . . D Dylan Plouffe (6) upped Vancouver’s lead to 4-2 at 11:13 with a shot from the top of the left circle off a play by F Dawson Holt, who gained possession of the puck with some good work along the boards and then threw out a terrific pass. . . . The Raiders got back to within a goal at 15:54 as F Noah Gregor (11) got a backhand shot through Tendeck after the Giants failed to clear their zone. . . . F Jadon Joseph had two assists for Giants, while Byram added an assist to his goal, as did Watts. . . . The Raiders got two assists from F Brett Leason. . . . Leason and Byram remain tied for the playoff points lead, each with 25, two ahead of Hannoun. . . . Tendeck finished with 37 saves, including 16 in the third period as he helped keep the Raiders off the scoreboard. . . . Scott stopped 26 shots. . . . The Giants were 0-1 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-2. . . . The Raiders had D Max Martin back in the lineup after he missed Games 3 and 4. He was injured in the second period of Game 2 after crashing awkwardly into the end boards. With Martin back in, D Loeden Schaufler came out. . . . The referees were Chris Crich and Fraser Lawrence, with Ron Dietterle and Brett Mackey working the lines.
Steve Ewen of Postmedia has a game story right here.
Giants fans.. YOU set a new hockey attendance record at @LangleyEvents Centre tonight!! 🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/u51jF3KbAH
— xy – Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) May 11, 2019
Russian President Vladimir Putin took a fall as he waved to the crowd during an ice-hockey game in Sochi. He scored eight goals during the exhibition match in what has become a yearly tradition. https://t.co/x0mN62qQoY pic.twitter.com/l6XCRrwsIB
— ABC News (@ABC) May 10, 2019
Author greggdrinnanPosted on May 10, 2019 Tags Aliaksei Protas, Bowen Byram, Brayden Watts, Brett Leason, Dante Hannoun, Dave Dupas, David Tendeck, Davis Koch, Dylan Plouffe, Fort McMurray Oil Barons, Fraser Rodgers, Geoffrey Brandow, Guelph Storm, Hartley Miller, Ian Scott, Jadon Joseph, Jeff Urekar, Marc Habscheid, Noah Gregor, Prince Albert Raiders, Sean Murray, Steve Ewen, Tom Keca, Trail Smoke Eaters, Vancouver GiantsLeave a comment on Giants, Raiders head back to P.A. . . . Game 6 scheduled for Sunday. . . . Guelph one win from title in OHL
Victoria bows out, three remain in running for 2020 Memorial Cup . . . Signings, signings, everywhere a signing . . . Murray Westgate dies at 100
And then there were three . . .
The Victoria Royals bowed out of the race for the 2020 Memorial Cup on Monday, leaving the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Kamloops Blazers and Kelowna Rockets still in the hunt.
Victoria, with Vancouver, will play host to the 2019 World Junior Championship. With the high costs associated with attending events such as the Memorial Cup and the WJC, and considering that the Royals would be asking their ticket-buying public to support both events, you can bet that the organization and the bid committee grew wary of going to the well once too often.
“Everybody wants to be the very, very best. Not just win the bid but win the bid in a way that the Memorial Cup you put on is the best one that’s ever been put on,” Cam Hope, the Royals’ president and general manager, told Marlon Martens, the team’s radio voice. “I think we’re close. I think it’s possible we could win this bid for 2020. But the truth of it is there are a number of boxes that I think we will tick much, much better two or three years down the road.
“Everything from our club and the building of the club, although that’s a secondary issue for us. I think we’ll be competitive in 2020, but the venue . . . there’s some changes we want to make to the arena that would enhance it for the fans and for everybody and the community.
“We are just about to embark on a wonderful World Junior Championship and it’s a significant ask of our fans to buck up every year for season tickets — which they do and our base grows every year — and then go to that market and ask them to pay not an insignificant amount for World Juniors, which is a big tournament, and then ask them again the following season to buck up again for a big tournament like the Memorial Cup.
“Those things are all factors I think we could overcome, but when you combine them we have to think about the reality of the very best time to bid.”
Hope admitted that this decision has been a while coming.
“The bid committee has been working on this for a few months . . . assessing what our bid would look like for 2020 and whether or not we think it’s the right year to go,” Hope said. “The bid committee has decided they are going to focus on 2023.
“We agonized over it . . . spent a lot of time deciding whether or not it was the right thing . . . it’s clearly the right thing to do.”
Martens’ complete interview with Hope is right here.
The Rockets, of course, were the host team in 2004 and it was such a good show that it was the benchmark for Memorial Cup tournaments to that point. Obviously, the city and the organization know what it takes, and there isn’t any doubt but that they would put on a terrific show.
Kelowna’s bid committee is headed up by Tom Dyas, a former president of the city’s chamber of commerce. Paul Mitchell and Bill Winter, who headed up the bid committee prior to the 2004 event, also are heavily involved.
Bruce Hamilton, the Rockets’ president and general manager, has said that the team will foot the bill for the tournament, including about $100,000 to improve dressing rooms in Prospera Place.
“This is the Kelowna Rockets putting this on,” Hamilton said at a news conference in April. “We’ll get some support I’m sure from other areas, but the city is taking no risk at all except they’ll be very involved in helping to prepare the bid.”
The Blazers announced in November that they would be bidding for 2020, which will mark the 25th anniversary of their having won the 1995 tournament.
Norm Daley of Daley and Co., who has been involved in bid committees that have brought numerous events to Kamloops, including the 2016 IIHF World Women’s Championship, heads up the Blazers’ bid committee.
“One thing is, we’ve lost,” Daley told Earl Seitz of CFJC-TV in April. “So we understand we didn’t get the 2013 women’s worlds (curling), we didn’t get the 2009 Olympic curling trials. So we’ve lost.
“So we understand where maybe there’s some shortcomings in what the bid process is when we did it those times . . . so we have that understanding of what it takes to win, so we actually have won a number of other ones . . . so that’s the big thing. We can take the information of what we maybe did wrong in those bids and use it for our advantage in this one.”
In Lethbridge, the Hurricanes, with Bill Reddick of Mercer Wilde Group Charter Accountants chairing the bid committee, have received assurances from city council that it will kick in $750,000, along with $250,000 in in-kind services, should the bid be successful. The in-kind package would include such things as costs, including labour, involved with the use of the ENMAX Centre.
While Kelowna no doubt is alone as the favourite now that Victoria is out, you have to think that Lethbridge is at least a sentimental favourite, even with the tournament having been held in Red Deer in 2016. (Prior to that, it hadn’t been held in Alberta since 1974 when it was played in the Calgary Corral.) After all, it was slightly more than three years ago when the franchise was in dire financial straits. The team had missed the playoffs for six straight seasons and had lost well over $1 million in the process. On top of that, Ron Robison, the WHL commissioner, was urging shareholders to sell to private interests.
Since then, well, Peter Anholt has taken over as the general manager, things are looking up on the ice, where the Hurricanes have reached the Eastern Conference final each of the past two seasons. Anholt and the likes of Terry Huisman, the GM of business operations, have got things turned around to the point where the organization announced a profit of $737,710 for the 2016-17 season.
The Blazers, Hurricanes and Rockets will present their bids to the WHL’s board of governors at a meeting in Calgary on Oct. 3. It is expected that the host city will be named later that same day.
As junior hockey camps across the country really get rolling this week, it's my duty to remind folks that live tweeting on scrimmages is an unpardonable offence and also a fine-able one. Payment to be made to @sunayas or @loosepucks.
— Steve McAllister (@StevieMacSports) August 27, 2018
This is why you won’t find any scrimmage-related news on this site . . . I am retired and can’t afford to pay the fine.
F Kole Gable, who helped the Swift Current Broncos win a WHL title last season, will open this season with the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons. Gable, 20, is from Fort McMurray. . . . Last season, he had six goals and 10 assists in 68 regular-season games with the Broncos, then added one assist in 26 playoff games. . . . Gable was a ninth-round selection by the Edmonton Oil Kings in the 2013 bantam draft. He played 61 games with the Oil Kings before being dealt to the Broncos during the 2016-17 season. . . . In 166 regular-season WHL games, he put up 18 goals and 21 assists. . . . The Broncos have five 20-year-olds on their roster — F Kaden Elder, F Andrew Fyten, Russian D Artyom Minulin, F Tanner Nagel and D Ryan Pouliot. Minulin, who is from Russia, would be a two-spotter should he return.
The Prince George Cougars have signed F Craig Armstrong, a first-round selection, ninth overall, in the WHL’s 2018 bantam draft, to a contract. From Airdrie, Alta., he led his hometown bantam AAA Xtreme in scoring in the regular season and playoffs. He put up 23 goals and 31 assists in 34 regular-season games, then added 14 goals and nine assists in 13 playoff games. He also had three goals and four assists in five games at the Western Canadian bantam AAA championship tournament.
Armstrong’s signing leaves two of the 22 first-round selections without WHL contracts. . . . F Trevor Wong, taken 18th overall by Kelowna, attended the Rockets’ camp but has made a verbal commitment to the U of Denver for 2021-22. . . . The Cougars took G Tyler Brennan of Winnipeg with the second-last pick of the first round and have yet to sign him.
The WHL teams that have signed 2018 first-round bantam draft selections:
1 Edmonton — F Dylan Guenther.
2. Kootenay — D Carson Lambos.
3. Prince Albert — D Nolan Allan.
4. Calgary — F Sean Tschigerl.
5. Kamloops — F Logan Stankoven.
6. Saskatoon — F Colton Dach.
7. Red Deer — F Jayden Grubbe.
8. Lethbridge — F Zack Stringer.
9. Prince George — F Craig Armstrong.
10. Seattle — F Kai Uchacz.
11. Medicine Hat — F Cole Sillinger.
12. Vancouver — F Zack Ostapchuk.
13. Victoria — D Nolan Bentham.
14. Tri-City — D Marc Lajoie.
15. Brandon — F Jake Chiasson.
16. Red Deer — D Kyle Masters.
17. Spokane — D Graham Sward.
19. Portland — F Gabe Klassen.
20. Edmonton — D Keegan Slaney.
22. Moose Jaw — F Eric Alarie.
The WHL teams that have yet to sign their 2018 first-round bantam draft selections:
18. Kelowna — F Trevor Wong (committed to U of Denver, 2021-22).
21. Prince George — G Tyler Brennan.
The Saskatoon Blades have signed Sammy May, 15, to a WHL contract. May, from Richmond, B.C., was an 11th-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft. . . . “Despite his position in the draft, May quickly earned himself an offer on the final day of training camp,” the Blades said in a news release. . . . Last season, with a bantam prep team at the Delta Hockey Academy, he had 11 goals and 10 assists in 28 games. . . . May is expected to get a taste of WHL action when the Blades open their exhibition season against the host Prince Albert Raiders on Thursday.
The Medicine Hat Tigers have signed G Mads Sogaard, who will turn 18 on Dec. 13, and F Caleb Willms, a 16-year-old from Cochrane, Alta. . . . Sogaard, from Aalborg, Denmark, was selected in the CHL’s 2018 import draft. The 6-foot-7, 190-pounder played last season with the NAHL’s Austin Bruins, going 2.64, .909 in 22 appearances. . . . He is expected to push veteran Jordan Hollett, 19, for playing time. . . . Willms, a list player, spent last season with the midget AAA Airdrie CFR Bisons, putting up three goals and seven assists in 35 games.
The Seattle Thunderbirds have signed Slovakian F Andrej Kukuca to a WHL contract. Kukuca, who will turn 19 on Nov. 14, scored 43 goals and added 27 assists in 44 games for Trencin’s team in Slovakia’s U-20 junior league last season. He added 18 goals and 10 assists in 18 playoff games. . . . The Thunderbirds have yet to sign their other 2018 import draft selection — Czech D Simon Kubicek, who is to turn 17 on Dec. 19 — but it is believed that he is getting his paperwork in order before joining them. He was pointless in four games with the Czech U-18 team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup earlier this month.
The Victoria Royals have signed F Trentyn Crane, 15, who was a fifth-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft. From Morden, Man., he had 46 goals and 24 assists in 36 games with the bantam AAA Pembina Valley Hawks, who are based in Morden and play in a Winnipeg league.
The Moose Jaw Warriors have signed D Lucas Brenton, 15, and D Cole Jordan, who will turn 16 on Sept. 21, to WHL contracts. . . . From East St. Paul, Man., Brenton was a sixth-round pick in the WHL’s 2018 bantam draft. Last season, with the bantam AAA Winnipeg Sharks, he had nine goals and 15 assists in 32 games. . . . Jordan, from Brandon, was added to the Warriors’ protected list in January. He had three goals and 15 assists in 46 games with the midget AAA Brandon Wheat Kings last season.
The Spokane Chiefs have signed F Owen MacNeil, 15, to a WHL contract. He was selected in the second round of the WHL’s 2018 bantam draft. . . . From Calgary, he had 15 goals and 32 assists in 35 games with the bantam AAA Calgary Royals, and also had a goal and two assists in five games with the minor midget CRAA Blue.
The Tri-City Americans have signed three players — D Bryan McAndrews, 17, from Edmonton; F Parker Bell, who will turn 15 on Sept. 26, from Campbell River, B.C.; and F Sequoia Swan, 16, from Winnipeg. . . . The 6-foot-5 McAndrews was a fifth-round pick in the 2016 WHL bantam draft. McAndrews played last season with the Okanagan Hockey Academy’s midget prep Red team, putting up five goals and six assists in 25 games. . . . Last season, Bell scored three goals and added seven assists in 20 games with the Yale Hockey Academy’s bantam prep team in Abbotsford, B.C. He was a fifth-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft. . . . Swan, a sixth-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft, had eight goals and 14 assists in 32 games with the Winnipeg-based Rink Hockey Academy’s elite 15s last season.
Dorothy, my wife of 46 years, will celebrate the fifth anniversary of her kidney transplant by taking part in the 2018 Kamloops Kidney Walk. If you would like to support her with a donation, you are able to do so right here.
“With football already underway and hockey starting soon,” writes Jack Todd in the pages of the Montreal Gazette, “it’s a good time to talk about toxic parents on the sideline.” . . . This right here is a good piece, and there are a handful of rules, all of them worth following, at the end of it.
The late Murray Westgate was a huge part of Saturday night hockey in the early days: https://t.co/N2u8deCwjh
— Lance Hornby (@sunhornby) August 27, 2018
Author greggdrinnanPosted on August 27, 2018 Tags Andrej Kukuca, Bryan McAndrews, Caleb Willms, Craig Armstrong, Dorothy Drinnan, Fort McMurray Oil Barons, Kamloops Blazers, Kelowna Rockets, Kole Gable, Lance Hornby, Lethbridge Hurricanes, Mads Sogaard, Medicine Hat Tigers, Murray Westgate, Owen MacNeil, Parker Bell, Prince George Cougars, Sammy May, Saskatoon Blades, Seattle Thunderbirds, Sequoia Swan, Spokane Chiefs, Swift Current Broncos, Trentyn Crane, Tri-City Americans, Victoria RoyalsLeave a comment on Victoria bows out, three remain in running for 2020 Memorial Cup . . . Signings, signings, everywhere a signing . . . Murray Westgate dies at 100
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Christine MacIntyre
Audit Partner
KPMG in Canada
With more than 20 years of experience, Christine brings a unique skill set to the client service team. Christine has a strong technical background and works with a variety of clients and their reporting requirements under International Financial Reporting Standards, Accounting Standards for Private Enterprises, Accounting Standards for Not-for-Profit Organizations and Public Sector Accounting Standards. Her clients include large corporate groups with diverse business portfolios, including real estate, forestry, construction and other resource based industries, partnership structures with similar business ventures, and various special reporting engagements. Christine also brings industry experience from several years working as a chief financial officer in the private sector in Bermuda which provides a unique perspective to bring value added services to her clients.
B.Comm, University of Victoria
CPA, CA
Accounting Standards for Private Enterprises (ASPE)
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
Financial Statement Auditing
Technical Advisor, Coast Capital Savings Innovation Centre, University of Victoria
Mentor, Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria
Alumni Open in new tab or window
© 2021 KPMG LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG global organization of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Limited, a private English company limited by guarantee. All rights reserved.
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المادة 45
2. الممارسة\Section A
Peru
المادة 45 (current)
Section B
Practice Relating to Rule 45. Causing Serious Damage to the Natural Environment
Section A. Widespread, long-term and severe damage
Australia’s Commanders’ Guide (1994) states:
It is prohibited to use methods or means of warfare which are intended or may be expected to cause widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment and thereby jeopardise the survival or seriously prejudice the health or survival of the population.
Australia, Law of Armed Conflict, Commanders’ Guide, Australian Defence Force Publication, Operations Series, ADFP 37 Supplement 1 – Interim Edition, 7 March 1994, § 909.
Australia’s Defence Force Manual (1994) states:
Any method or means of warfare which is planned, or expected, to cause widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment and thereby jeopardise the survival or seriously prejudice the health of the population is prohibited. In this context, “long-term” means continuing for decades. Means or methods which are not expected to cause such damage are permitted even if damage results.
Australia, Manual on Law of Armed Conflict, Australian Defence Force Publication, Operations Series, ADFP 37 – Interim Edition, 1994, § 713.
Australia’s LOAC Manual (2006) states:
Australia, The Manual of the Law of Armed Conflict, Australian Defence Doctrine Publication 06.4, Australian Defence Headquarters, 11 May 2006, § 7.14; see also § 5.50.
The LOAC Manual (2006) replaces both the Defence Force Manual (1994) and the Commanders’ Guide (1994).
Australia’s Criminal Code Act (1995), as amended to 2007, states with regard to serious war crimes that are committed in the course of an international armed conflict:
268.38 War crime – excessive incidental death, injury or damage
(2) A person (the perpetrator) commits an offence if:
(a) the perpetrator launches an attack; and
(b) the perpetrator knows that the attack will cause:
(i) damage to civilian objects; or
(ii) widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment; and
(c) the perpetrator knows that the damage will be of such an extent as to be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated; and
(d) the perpetrator’s conduct takes place in the context of, and is associated with, an international armed conflict.
Penalty for a contravention of this subsection: Imprisonment for 20 years.
Australia, Criminal Code Act, 1995, as amended to 2007, Chapter 8, § 268.38, pp. 327–328.
Australia’s ICC (Consequential Amendments) Act (2002) incorporates in the Criminal Code the war crimes defined in the 1998 ICC Statute, including launching an attack in the knowledge that such attack will cause “widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment … of such an extent as to be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated” in international armed conflicts.
Australia, ICC (Consequential Amendments) Act, 2002, Schedule 1, § 268.38(2).
At the CDDH, Australia stated that the adoption of Article 48 bis of the draft Additional Protocol I (now Article 55) “might well fill a gap in humanitarian law applicable in armed conflicts”.
Australia, Statement at the CDDH, Official Records, Vol. XIV, CDDH/SR.20, 14 February 1975, p. 171, § 2.
During the negotiations on the 1977 Additional Protocol II at the CDDH, environmental aspects were first addressed at the initiative of Australia, which proposed the addition of an Article 28 bis concerning the protection of the natural environment, stressing that “destruction of the environment should be prohibited not only in international but also in non-international conflicts”.
Australia, Statement at the CDDH, Official Records, Vol. XIV, CDDH/III/SR.20, 14 February 1975, p. 176, § 37.
In its oral pleadings before the ICJ in the Nuclear Weapons case in 1995, Australia stated that “in recent times the issue of the protection of the environment in armed conflict has been a particular international concern” and referred to a number of international treaties including the relevant provisions of the 1976 ENMOD Convention, the 1977 Additional Protocol I and the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention. It stated that these instruments provided “cumulative evidence that weapons having … potentially disastrous effects on the environment, and on civilians and civilian targets, are no longer compatible with the dictates of public conscience reflected in general principles of humanity”.
Australia, Oral pleadings before the ICJ, Nuclear Weapons case, 30 October 1995, Verbatim Record CR 95/22, § 31.
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When North Korea’s Foreign Income Runs Dry, the State Will Crumble
Coronavirus Politics & Security
Tsutomu Nishioka
North Korean Bomb Ten Times Stronger than Bomb Used on Hiroshima
On September 3, North Korea detonated a 160-kiloton nuclear payload, intimidating the world with a nuclear warhead 10 times the strength of the Hiroshima atomic bomb.
In April, I wrote that, according to information I had received from inside sources, North Korea would test a miniaturized 100-kiloton-class bomb on April 15, in commemoration of the 105th anniversary of Kim Il-Sung’s birth. I myself thought that the test would only be in the 10-kiloton range, and that 100 kilotons was much too large. However, the actual test—held in September, not April—proved my sources correct.
After my April column, I heard the following, more detailed information:
A nuclear test had been scheduled for the end of April. It would have used a miniaturized warhead of the 100-kiloton class, a strength never tested before. A success would have marked the completion of the miniaturization. But when China was informed of the test just days before the scheduled date, North Korea was threatened with having the border with China closed. Kim Jong-Un’s sister Kim Yo-Jong advised Kim Jong-Un that China was aiming to overthrow the regime, so the test was postponed.
On May 12th, a news report on South Korean broadcaster TBS confirmed that North Korea had informed China of an upcoming nuclear test, and that it had been postponed after China had warned that a test would force them to close their border with North Korea.
New Sanctions Amid Worsening DPRK Relations with China
The nuclear test on September 3 represents Kim Jong-Un’s recognition that relations with China have worsened. To that end, it should be noted that Russia sent the North congratulations on their National Foundation Day on September 9, while China sent nothing.
After the September 3 test, the United States introduced an additional sanctions plan to the UN Security Council, calling for a ban on the exports of oil and gas to North Korea, a ban on the import of North Korean clothing, and a ban on employing North Koreans as overseas workers, among other measures.
Many observers have claimed that the sanctions on North Korea up until now have been ineffective. In response, I have argued that if the foreign black money in Room 39 of the Worker’s Party building—which has funded nuclear missile development, the luxurious lifestyle of the Kim family, and the support of the regime in general—were to dry up, then Kim Jong-Un would give up the fight.
From that perspective, sanctions have been effective since the first Abe cabinet, which instituted the “severe measures” against the Japanese North Korean association Chongryon which continue today. Because of the Abe administration’s hard line against North Korea, a source of funding for the North that reached $1.8 billion annually at its peak has been eliminated.
Next, the conservative Korean prime ministers Lee Myung-Bak and Park Guen-Hye ended their support for the North Korean government. As a result, the more than $7 billion of aid that had been issued since the days of Kim Dae-Jung also disappeared.
New Sanctions Targeting DPRK War Machine—Kim Jong-un’s “Blitzkrieg” Response
The sanctions implemented this past August extinguished the Room 39 fund. Up until this year, Security Council sanctions had no impact on the Room 39 fund, but the August sanctions prohibited the exports of three categories of goods: (1) mineral resources such as coal, (2) iron and iron ore, and (3) marine products.
According to the Korea Trade Promotion Corporation, in 2016, North Korea had $2.8 billion in exports and $3.7 billion in imports, a $900 million deficit. Breaking down the export income into its categories, (1) covers $1.2 billion, while (2) and (3) are $200 million each for a total of $1.6 billion, or 60% of total exports. The blow to North Korea from eliminating these sources of income will be great.
After the new round of sanctions in August, sources tell me that Kim ordered his regime to “proceed with the nuclear tests and missile launches. We must put complete military pressure on the United States and force them to the negotiation table.” This was Kim’s Blitzkrieg. The reason for the rush is that if the Room 39 funds run out, then the regime will not last much longer.
The new sanctions regime affects $2.3 billion, including a 700-million-dollar embargo on clothing. When the sanctions are added together, North Korea will lose over 80% of its exports, and $500 million in annual income from its overseas workers. Hence, the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs threatened that if the sanctions were adopted, “the world will see how we take powerful, continuous action and punish America.”
North Korea is Out of Cards to Play
The North’s dictatorship must be wavering in the face of this lack of foreign cash. Just as it has been pressed into a corner economically, it has also played all its trump cards in the form of ICBM and nuclear tests, and now must face off in negotiations against a different kind of trump: America’s own Trump administration.
President Trump would obviously want to avoid going down in history as the president who allowed nuclear missiles to reach the American continent. If enforcing economic sanctions on the North is not enough to get Kim Jong-Un to drop his nuclear missile program, then Trump will probably proceed with military action, namely a “targeted operation” to remove Kim Jong-Un. The dictator compromises only when he realizes that his own life is at risk. Only at the brink of war will North Korea be brought to negotiate (although they will continue to lie even at the negotiating table).
While Japan is walking in lockstep with America and applying full pressure to Korea, the final negotiations must include a resolution to the abduction issue with the full return of all abductees. The time for decision is now. On September 17, the People’s Assembly for Rescuing the Abduction Victims will be held in Tokyo. In the midst of the nuclear chaos, we intend to broadcast our firm commitment to save all the abductees.
For decades, North Korea has used the state-level policy of abduction to terrorize Japan and many other countries in Asia and around the world. The abduction issue predates the nuclear crisis, and the nuclear crisis, in turn, cannot be understood without recalling the North’s long-running program of state terror by means of kidnapping and forced labor.
As the North Korean dictatorship becomes increasingly desperate—willing even to risk nuclear world war for the sake of its own survival—it will try to reclaim the initiative by acting more and more recklessly.
However, the latest round of sanctions virtually guarantee that the North’s days are numbered. We must counter North Korea’s brinksmanship with firm statesmanship, assessing the situation soberly and using every means available to dismantle the Kim regime’s reign of terror in East Asia piece by piece, bringing all of his hostages home in the process.
Tsutomu Nishioka is a professor at the Institute of Moralogy and the director of Historical Research Office at the Institute of Moralogy. He is also a visiting professor at Reitaku University. He serves as a chairman of the National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea (NARKN).
Japan Must Be Prepared to Intercept and Return Missile Attacks
North Korea Has To Be Stopped, and Here’s How Japan Can Help Do That
Hiroshima, Nagasaki Call for End to Nuclear Weapons, But Won’t Denounce North Korea?
Radio Program That Broadcasts to Japanese Abductees in North Korea Needs Financial Help
Why the US Should Not Depend on China to Sanction North Korea
Related Topics:Kim Jong-unNorth Korean missilenuclear weapon
Tsutomu Nishioka is a senior fellow and a planning committee member at the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals and a visiting professor at Reitaku University. He covers South and North Korea.
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‘This Cabinet Will Work for the People’: Highlights of PM Suga’s First Policy Speech
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Europe Data Protection Digest | Notes from the IAPP Europe, 11 Dec. 2020 Related reading: Notes from the IAPP Europe Managing Director, 20 Nov. 2020
Notes from the IAPP Europe, 11 Dec. 2020
schedule Dec 10, 2020
Kate Colleary, CIPP/E, CIPM IAPP Staff Contributor
Fáilte from Dublin!
I thought it might be interesting to sum up 2020 from the Irish data protection perspective. And what a year it has been! 2020 has been an annus horribilis for most of us. From the first reports from Wuhan about a new virus, to a global shutdown, the dawn of a fresh year is eagerly anticipated.
However, there have also been some wonderful moments during the year. I fondly remember our CEO, J. Trevor Hughes, visiting Ireland in January. We were delighted to welcome him at engagements in and around Data Protection Day. I also remember an excellent KnowledgeNet meeting on Microsoft’s campus in March during which Steve May, Microsoft’s data protection officer, and I presented on issues facing DPOs. Little did we know that would be the last event we would attend for a long time. The next day, Ireland went into lockdown with schools, offices, restaurants and non-essential retail closed. Even St. Patrick’s Day was canceled!
With lockdown, came data protection concerns. Working from home became the norm, and the DPC quickly provided guidance on WFH security issues. Other issues, such as the collection of contact-tracing information and health-related data, became hot topics, with employers collecting temperature readings and symptoms details from employees. Again, the DPC provided practical advice.
In July, the Department of Health launched a COVID-19 contact-tracing app. It consulted at an early stage with the DPC and undertook a robust data protection impact assessment, inviting representatives from digital rights and citizens advocacy groups to consult on the development of the app. The DPIA was published and helped win the trust of a majority of the Irish populace, who downloaded the app to their devices. It highlighted to me the tangible benefits of undertaking a good DPIA early in the development of new technologies with privacy impacts.
No review of 2020 would be complete without a reference to the "Schrems II" decision. On 17 July, the Court of Justice of the EU invalidated the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework, which meant that organizations could no longer rely on Privacy Shield as a lawful mechanism for data transfers to the U.S.
The CJEU’s decision confirmed the validity of standard contractual clauses; however, it added a requirement that EU data exporters must conduct a case-by-case analysis to determine whether the protections afforded in the receiving country meet EU standards for the protection of personal data. This has particular relevance for the U.S. due to the concerns expressed by the CJEU in relation to the U.S. government’s surveillance activity. This may also impact on transfers to the U.K. if we are faced with a no-deal Brexit in January. Guidance from the European Data Protection Board in October did little to assuage the concerns of those managing the operational impacts of these changes.
The "Schrems" saga will not end in 2020. Following the CJEU’s judgment in July, the DPC commenced a statutory inquiry into the lawfulness of Facebook’s data transfers to the U.S. A preliminary draft decision was delivered in August. Facebook then issued judicial review proceedings, focusing on fair procedures. Separately, the DPC is investigating another complaint relating to Facebook's U.S. data transfers made by Max Schrems who has brought another set of judicial review proceedings, listed for hearing 13 Jan. 2021. The DPC also launched statutory inquiries into Facebook’s processing of children’s personal data on Instagram.
The DPC’s decision on its inquiry into Twitter will issue 17 Dec. This is the first time the cooperation procedure under the GDPR was invoked, with Commissioner Helen Dixon commenting that “the process didn’t work particularly well.”
Finally, in October, the DPC welcomed 19.1 million euros in funding for 2021. Given that it has 42 litigation cases ongoing and will have 200 staff in 2021, every cent of that budget will no doubt be spent managing its considerable litigation, investigations and enforcement workload. At the same time, privacy pros are busier than ever with privacy teams struggling to meet demand.
This brings to mind one of the slides that Trevor shared with us in January: “Privacy’s not dead — it’s hiring.” It looks like that trend will continue into 2021 and beyond.
Location Privacy
Notes from the IAPP Europe Managing Director, 20 Nov. 2020
Greetings from Brussels! With all the fanfare last week around the latest EDPB "Schrems II" guidance and "SCCs 2.0," the recent mooting of a potential EU Data Governance Act may have slipped by you. Clearly, there is a lot going on in the field of data protection and privacy in Europe to keep track...
Greetings from Brussels! It’s been a busy week in town, primarily due to the highly anticipated release Wednesday of the European Data Protection Board's "Schrems II" guidance on supplementary measures. The guidance is geared to assist controllers and processors acting as data exporters to navigate...
Notes from the IAPP Europe Managing Director, 6 Nov. 2020
Greetings from Brussels! This week is decidedly one when all our attention is squarely focused on the United States of America. To say that the presidential race is one of the most hotly contested in the history of the country would be an understatement; we are talking fever pitch proportions here....
Notes from the IAPP Europe Managing Director, 30 Oct. 2020
Greetings from Brussels! A particularly sensitive and important debate is taking place in Germany at the moment relating to the current legal framework and structure of its supervisory agencies. Not a new theme, but the question of regulatory centralization after a dormant period is making the roun...
Greetings from Brussels! The Belgian Data Protection Authority by all accounts seems to be particularly active of late on the European landscape. You may recall earlier in October I wrote about their appearance before the CJEU seeking guidance on Facebook’s challenge to its territorial competence r...
library_books Notes from the IAPP Europe Managing Director, 20 Nov. 2020
library_books Notes from the IAPP Europe Managing Director, 6 Nov. 2020
library_books Notes from the IAPP Europe Managing Director, 30 Oct. 2020
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International activity Education Conferences Achievements
KIU will be the first in space!
Kazan Innovative University had a great honor to host a meeting with 2 Russian astronauts – Anton Shkaplerov and Alexey Ovchinin. After returning from International Space Station, they met with KIU students and told them about their adventure.
There is a reason for KIU to become a host of such a historical event. While being in space, Mr. Shkaplerov and Mr. Ovchinin recorded a video message to KIU students. Moreover, they took KIU flag to ISS, so we can say that a part of our university has traveled to space! Now the flag printed with special cosmic stamps is kept in University’s Museum.
No wonder that the guests were greeted with terrific applause. KIU rector Asiya Timiryasova emphasized in her welcoming speech that the astronauts are not just brave modern heroes but also an example of motivation and self-control: they had been waiting for the flight for more than 10 years and overcame numerous obstacles. This proves that there are no formidable barriers for a truly goal-oriented person.
Here’s an interview kindly given by the astronauts.
- How did you decide to become an astronaut?
Anton Shkaplerov: Alexey and I have a similar love story with sky and space which dates back in our childhood. 1970s were a golden age of the Soviet cosmonautics. Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, and the next space discoverers were our compatriots, and we have a lot to be proud of. Not only is Russia the biggest country – believe me, it is really big when you look at it from space – but also it is the greatest one. We became the first in many stages of development of manned space activities, and nowadays we keep the lead in space.
Talking about space flight, we should say that it was our childhood dream. We are both military pilots and have been waiting for this opportunity for more than 40 years. For this flight we had been preparing for almost 10 years, but I would like to say that I was ready to prepare for all my life so that to see our planet from ISS window. You know, you can take thousands pictures of the Earth but there is no such camera that can depict all this beauty you see with your own eyes from the orbit of the Earth. This very moment when you look at our blue planet worth dedicating it all your life.
- Before getting to the orbit the astronauts undergo a number of trainings and tests. Which were the hardest?
Alexey Ovchinin: In fact, preparations take a lot of time. Firstly, a man becomes a candidate for astronaut and for 2-2,5 years prepares for the next stage during which, for example, our group passed 178 theoretical exams. Then we were put into isolation chamber where you can’t see or hear anything. There we had to spend 5 days solving tests, and for the last 3 days we were even not allowed to sleep. It requires a lot of power, because if someone falls asleep he will be excluded from the astronauts’ team. Not all candidates can do this.
Anton Shkaplerov: For me the hardest task was parachute jump. As I said, Alexey and I are both military pilots, and we are obliged to jump with parachute regularly even after becoming members of astronauts’ team. This is a unique practice that is used only in our country. Yet, as a pilot I couldn’t understand why we should jump from a properly functioning plane! But anyway we had to jump, so by now I have done more than 500 jumps.
- How does food in space differ from traditional, and did your gastronomical predilections change there?
Anton Shkaplerov: To be honest, our food is very tasty! Before flight we try all positions of Russian menu and in NASA of American one. I should say that I didn’t like American space food at all, except desserts – they are very nice. At the same time, American astronauts like some dishes from our menu because they are really good. Every Friday we make a collective dinner in Russian or American segment of ISS where we bring our canned food which Americans like a lot, and they treat us with desserts and ice-cream. And the best thing is when a cargo spacecraft delivers spices, fresh fruits and vegetables. At those moments we are thrilled to bits!
- How often do you contact your family while being on the orbit?
Alexey Ovchinin: Now there is no problem with that. We have a modern IP-phone and we can always call to our family and talk to them. On weekends we make video conversations via a special app like Skype which can be installed on a phone or a tablet. Before our families used to go to the special centers to contact us but now they have an opportunity to talk to us right from home. I like to show my daughter some zero-gravity-related tricks. She is over the moon when I do this!
- Have you ever seen any evidence of extra-terrestrial civilizations?
Anton Shkaplerov: No, we haven’t. Although Alexey and I believe that we are not the alone in the Universe. Taking into account its vast size, we think that there is a similar habitable planet.
- What if something goes wrong and you land in another country?
Alexey Ovchinin: Believe me, nothing bad will happen. We are ready for any spontaneous situation and know how to survive in any climate zone. Besides, we have special navigators, satellite phones, food for 3 days, and in the area of our estimated landing special rescue groups are waiting for us. So nothing threatens our life.
- What do you miss the most in space?
Anton Shkaplerov: Most of all I miss my family and friends. I wish I could land on the Earth one or two times a month and meet my family.
Alexey Ovchinin: I’d say, if an astronaut could return to the Earth at least once a month, I would work in space all my life! To be honest, what I really miss the most is meeting my family. Sometimes I even see in dreams how I land on the Earth for a weekend and everyone is surprised to see me.
- Do you feel like you belong to our University?
Anton Shkaplerov: Every astronaut can take along to the orbit only 1 kilo of his own goods. Something that is most valuable and precious. Alexey took the flag of your university. I think it’s very telling. Besides, the Republic of Tatarstan is going hand in hand with space. For instance, your compatriot, native of Bugulma Sergey Ryzhikov is on the orbit now. He is the first astronaut from Tatarstan. Moreover, Dilyara Shaykharatova, student of your university, may become the first woman from Tatarstan in space. Right now she is preparing to become an astronaut. Undoubtedly, this requires incredible stamina and commitment. If a representative of Kazan Innovative University will succeed, this will be a great honor.
- Do you have any superstitious beliefs or traditions?
Anton Shkaplerov: We are ordinary people who have common beliefs – we don’t like a devil's dozen, black cats…
Alexey Ovchinin: But I like black cats!
Anton Shkaplerov: See, there are many exceptions. Jokes aside, there is one custom. Before starting the flight, we watch an old soviet movie “White Sun of the Desert”. For our colleagues from other countries there are English, Italian and Japanese subtitles. A couple of times we didn’t keep up this tradition and the blastoff was delayed due to a technical malfunction. Besides, before every flight we plant trees on a special alley where the oldest tree was planted by Yuri Gagarin himself!
- Thank you for your interview!
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HomeLending and Borrowing: An Overview
Lending and Borrowing: An Overview
February 23, 2007 March 23, 2009 Editor Bankingislamic banking, islamic finance growth, islamic history, islamic insurance
By A.L.M. Abdul Gafoor
Appropriate Technology Foundation
Lending and borrowing between humans has taken place since time immemorial. People borrowed and returned implements, animals, foodstuff, etc from their friends, neighbors and relations. They returned the same after use or in the case of foodstuff consumed and returned the equivalent when they came into possession of similar stuff. When money came into being people borrowed that too and returned. It was all on the basis of mutual help — the borrower today may be the lender tomorrow and vice versa. As time progressed professional moneylenders appeared on the scene, and they demanded a “fee” for the use of their money. This fee is now called interest, but till a few centuries ago it was called usury. In Islam, interest or usury, which in Arabic is called riba, is prohibited. Demanding, receiving, paying, witnessing, and anything connected with these activities are all equally prohibited. There is no controversy over this. Similar prohibitions exist also in the religious laws of Judaism and Christianity. Although other religions may not have written laws explicitly prohibiting usury, their followers do eschew the practice of usury.
1.1 Lending and borrowing: then and now
In earlier times, lending and borrowing was mainly between individuals, and what was meant by usury in these transactions was commonly known and understood. In money matters, any amount over and above the lent sum was defined as usury or riba. The ill consequences of usurious lending — the ruination of individuals and families — were witnessed at the local level and therefore the community held the practitioners in contempt. But the need for capital and loans existed and, in the absence of alternative solutions, the usurious lenders became an indispensable component of the society. They also exercised invisible power over their clients’ resources. If the clients happened to be in authority, the power extended to other areas as well; the greater the client’s authority the extensive the power of the lender.
Kings and nobles needed money to wage war or to live extravagantly. Moneylenders were happy to oblige, not only for the profit it brought them but also for the privileges and concessions they could extract from their royal clients. Mining concessions, special trading licenses, tax exemptions, lucrative contracts for public projects, land grants, and personal privileges such as royal titles and appointments to influential positions are just a few examples. These dealings were carried out discretely and the public was generally ignorant of them. But the citizens paid the price, one way or another.
The most important concession so extracted was the passing of the Usury Law. This law introduced an innocuous term called interest and usury was defined as high rate of interest. Usury was still prohibited, in deference to the Church, but “reasonable” interest was made permissible. What is reasonable and what is high was to be determined by the parliament! Now that interest is legal, kings may lose their thrones, soldiers may lose their lives, families may lose their livelihoods, but the country must pay its debts with interest. Moneylenders extracted their pound of flesh.
In recent times, presidents and ministers have replaced kings and nobles, and corporate and international financial institutions the individual moneylenders. The same game, only new names and wider settings. It is now global, the suffering is universal, and the statistics are in the public domain. Yet, hardly anyone dares to point the finger at the real culprit — usury, whatever the legal name it may assume. Neither are the real needs objectively looked at. Consequently, no meaningful alternatives are offered.
1.2 Lender, borrower and the Church: different goals
Governments, businesses and individuals need money for various purposes. The methods of catering for these needs must match the purpose for which the money was needed. A mismatch can lead to disastrous consequences, but this requires much thought and effort. Borrowing is an attractively easy solution, and this is what the moneylender would recommend for all situations, for it is the most profitable one from his point of view. When the borrower is impatient or desperate and the only game in town is the moneylender, borrowing from him is the only option and the consequences are inevitable. To avoid disasters, then, we have to first study the different purposes for which money is needed and then devise methods most appropriate to each purpose. We have to provide more alternatives. The moneylender has only one purpose and concern: his profits and benefits. But the society has more and larger concerns, for it is its responsibility to cater for and protect all its members, individually and as a whole, those living now and those still to come. In this connection, it is well to remember that all the basic rules, methods, procedures and laws relating to banking and finance were either formulated by the moneylenders themselves or they had a hand in their design and/or execution.
When the usury law was proposed, it was argued that the merchants needed financing, they made profit using the borrowed funds and, therefore, they had the ability to pay the financiers a portion of that profit. Very reasonable. The trouble was, once the law was passed, it was applied to all situations — whether the borrowed funds brought about a profit or not. The Church had become too weak but still dogmatic, and the merchants and moneylenders too strong. The Church could not grasp the new need, brought about by the increased trade in Europe, and failed to provide an appropriate solution. Nor could it argue successfully to limit the application of the new law to trade financing only. Neither did it demand that the law should not be applied to non-profit-creating loans intended for basic consumption needs. It seems that the Church granted the moneylenders a blank cheque on a platter, by default — by its all‑or‑nothing insistence on a complete prohibition and by failing in this dogmatic stance.
1.3 Islamic approach: different consequences
In Islam, the situation was different. First, from the beginning of the history of Islam in the seventh century, the (large-scale) merchants’ need for (additional) funds was fully recognized and provided for. There were two ways in which a merchant could finance his trade. One: two or more merchants could pool their funds together and conduct the business together and share the profit or loss according to their (financial) contribution. This was called musharaka, similar to the present-day partnership company. Two: a merchant could obtain his funds from one or more financiers and share the profit with his financiers in an agreed proportion. But he has full freedom in the conduct of his business, and any genuine financial loss must be borne entirely by the financiers. This was called mudaraba, similar to the present-day shareholder companies.
Consequently, while the riba-prohibition of Islam related to all lending and borrowing operations, it took special note of the financing needs of traders and businessmen as well as the investment and income generation needs of those who possessed extra funds. It does not mean that riba is acceptable in these cases; it is prohibited here too. But a different and equitable solution was already available in Arabia when the Qur’an was revealed; so it approved of it and went onto prohibit riba in all cases. Therefore, the merchant-need-based and return-on-investment-based arguments of Europe were not relevant or valid in the case of Islam and Muslim lands. It is necessary to recognise this fact. That is, the all-embracing usury-prohibition law of the Church and the riba-prohibition law of Islam are not exactly equivalent, despite the similarity of appearances.
Second, throughout the long history of Islam, Muslim caliphs, kings and nobles have, by and large, kept away from borrowing at interest. Even though many of them had their share of shortcomings — in common with their counterparts elsewhere — their belief in after-life and the strong words used by the Holy Book against the dealers in riba kept them away from it. The same applied to all would-be moneylenders as well. This saved the Muslim masses and the society from many of the ills experienced by other societies, even though this blessing goes generally unrecognised and unappreciated. Even under colonialism they have enjoyed this benefit. However, it would be naïve to believe that there existed absolutely no riba-based lending and borrowing, but it certainly was personal, local, small, isolated, discrete and unorganised.
Only in the second half of the twentieth century, especially after many countries became independent, established their own governments, and had to run the affairs of the country on their own, that they began to experience the claws of interest through the banking system. They needed the banking system because it provided the various services needed by the different sectors of modern society. But the moneylenders had developed it for their own benefit, based on the all-embracing usury law. It did not make the differentiation the Qur’an had made. Muslims had slumbered through the formative years of the modern world, and failed to build on the head start they had and shape a business and banking model to suit modern needs. Yet their desire to comply with the commandments of their Creator did not die. Their leaders and intellectuals have awoken to the demands of their constituents, experiments with Islamic banking have begun, but there is still a long road to travel.
1.4 Lending with and without interest
Before we travel further, let us state clearly what we mean by interest and riba and then note the difference between lending/borrowing with and without interest, usury or riba. Limiting ourselves to monetary dealings only,[1] any benefit demanded or received by a lender in addition to the sum he lent is termed riba. This would, however, include both monetary and non-monetary benefits. Interest, on the other hand, would legally limit itself to monetary benefits only. It is useful not to forget this difference and its significance.
When a person lends without any benefits to himself, he is bound to assess the ability of the borrower to pay back the capital as well as to ensure that the capital is to be used for a purpose that he approves of. It is also a condition of such borrowing that the lender and the borrower are known to each other or that a reliable mutual friend/relative/acquaintance has introduced them. In such a situation, there is an unspoken moral/ethical responsibility (and a sense of shame and reluctance, otherwise) in asking, recommending or granting such a loan.
All these restraints are absent when the lending is done at interest. The lender assesses only the borrower’s ability to (or the means to) repay the capital and the interest. A collateral is usually demanded, and by the very nature of interest — its dependence on time — the lender expects that he would eventually be able to acquire the collateral at a favourable price. Both the interest and the possibility of acquiring property at very low cost drive the moneylender to readily accede to request for loans, as well as to encourage such requests. Thus, when riba or interest enters the picture, the attitudes of both the lender and the borrower head in a direction directly opposed to the one prevalent in its absence. This riba-induced change of attitude is remarkable, as are the opposing characteristics of the two attitudes. One discourages debt, and the other encourages it. One restrains expenditure on morally or ethically unacceptable items and purposes; the other places no such restrains. One is open to social control, the other not. One limits both the size of borrowing and its frequency; the other encourages increase in both. One encourages short-term loans; the other thrives on long-term arrangements.
The last two are very interesting. For since more and larger loans would bring more profit to the lender he would try to acquire more funds. This eventually led the moneylender to borrow from others at low rates of interest and use the same funds to lend at higher rates, as if it were his own. The bank’s credit-creation technique was also developed for the same end. Furthermore, long-term loans provide a stable and steady source of income to the moneylender. This and the availability of increased funds led the banks to widen their reach and, in recent times, to enter previously untapped areas such as housing finance and student loans.
1.5 Need for money
Let us now examine the need for money in some detail. To begin with, there are purposes that bring profit, and others that do not. Within these two categories there are necessary, unnecessary and harmful purposes. In the modern world one has to also make a difference between the needs of individuals, business organisations and governments. Let us take them in turn.
1.5.1 Extravaganza and vanity
When the borrowing is for extravaganza or vanity, the borrowed fund produces no profit. Therefore, if the borrower is unable to repay the loan and interest from his other income sources, the interest would keep on mounting and the moneylender would eventually confiscate the collateral. All religions and sages throughout the ages have condemned extravaganza and vanity, and have advised against it. The Qur’an has specifically prohibited spending in vanity. Here the reference is to one’s spending from his own resources, and the onus is on the individual. As such, if one engages in such spending using borrowed money, he is seeking his own doom. Yet, by making the riba-prohibition applicable to both the lender and the borrower, Islam seeks to protect people against their own selves. If there is no borrower there will be no lender; if there is no lender there will be no borrower. This closes all doors to doom. Thus there is no need to find any other solutions to the apparent need of the extravagant.
1.5.2 Housing and education loans
Housing and education are real needs, and therefore their financing deserves close attention. Building or purchasing a house is obviously a capital acquisition. So is education, though it does not seem that obvious. Capital acquisition has always been done using one’s own savings or wealth. It should continue to be so. House-owning leads to individual and collective independence. In turn they add to national wealth and well-being. This fact is recognised by wise governments and they actively encourage private initiatives. Free education has produced wonderful results in the twentieth century.
However, the modern trend, especially in the developed world, is to have them financed by long-term bank loans. But unlike the loans for commercial purposes these loans produce no immediate profit to the borrower. Yet, to a moneylender a loan is a loan, and from his point of view these have some attractive advantages, including a secured regular return guaranteed for a long period. In many developed countries the fiscal laws encourage borrowing and discourage saving/investment/capital acquisition by taxing the interest/dividend received from the latter and granting tax exemption to the interest paid on loans. These laws enable the banks to price the products very attractively and encourage mortgages, but the subsequent experience of the borrower and the effect on the nation are different.
For example, a house-owner who bought it on mortgage remains a debtor for practically the rest of his working life and ends up paying several times the original price. On the other hand, if he fails to pay his instalments on time, he is kicked out as if he were only a tenant. A student forced to take a loan for his education leaves college/university with a certificate and a millstone round his neck. He may become a government administrator, business executive, politician or any other, but he is still a bonded man. And a bonded person cannot think or act independently. Anyone whose parents are too poor or unwilling to pay for his education, and himself refuses to be bonded, is denied higher education. It is a national tragedy. These characteristics of housing and education set them apart from other needs. Therefore these require special treatment.
1.5.3 War
Wars, in general, bring only death and destruction to people and property — never any profit. The winner and the loser are both losers in the end. If a war is fought by borrowing money at interest, win or lose the country will have to pay the debt with interest, and borrow again to rebuild. Whether the war was an offensive one or a defensive one, in the end, only the moneylenders celebrate — on both sides. Consequently, in history as well as in the present time moneylenders have played an important behind-the-scenes role in both beginning and prolonging wars. Only a total prohibition of riba on both the lenders and borrowers and its adherence at all levels, especially at the highest levels, could eliminate this factor in the war equation. Since everyone is a loser in a war, it is in everybody’s interest to avoid any war; eliminating its financing by funds borrowed at interest will go a long way in this effort. Therefore we need not seek any other solution to this contingency.
1.5.4 Government expenditure
Government expenditure consists of two types: capital and current. The funds for both are expected to come from taxation. So a government’s ability to acquire capital goods — to buy equipment and material and to build roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, communication infrastructure, etc — are dependent on, and limited by, the tax revenue. However, the current expenditure, such as salaries of government officers, supplies and maintenance, has priority over capital expenditure. Often, like in the case of an individual, little is left over from the tax revenue for capital expenditure. Consequently, since all capital expenditure cannot be postponed indefinitely, there arises a budget deficit. A budget deficit is financed by printing money, borrowing, or both. Printing money leads to inflation, which is a tacit form of taxing the population. Borrowing increases national debt and interest payment. Credit creation by banks based on the new money (printed or borrowed) increases inflation even further.
1.5.4.1 Government bonds
Government bonds is one of the instruments used for borrowing money. Since capital expenditure on infrastructure does not produce any profit, borrowing at interest leads to additional current expenditure in the form of interest payments. This in turn requires curtailment of other current expenditure or further borrowing. Government bond is big business, it provides those who have money to spare with a great source of guaranteed return. But the public debt it creates keeps mounting. So does the interest on it. And the inflation generated by money-printing and credit creation add onto the interest rate and lead to further increase of the public debt.
Thus once a government begins to spend more than its tax income, or fails to tax sufficiently to cover its essential expenditures, it gets into a vicious cycle of borrowing to spend and spending to borrow. To tax sufficiently the country must produce enough, and taxes are always unpopular. Borrowing is the easy way out and the country finally ends up in the grip of the moneylenders — national and international — no matter which party or person runs the government. The debt is open and legally binding but the grip — do this or return the loan, do that or no more loans — is unseen, undeclared and least understood, and hence more hideous. It is a great mystery, though, that developed countries with very large national debts keep on prospering, while underdeveloped countries with much smaller debt burdens crumble under it. However, this is no place to probe into that mystery.
1.5.4.2 Treasury bills
It is a time-honoured practice of any individual to spend on his needs from what he has earned. If there is no more money left, he either curtails his spending or postpones it till he comes into sufficient funds. If his income is fixed and regular, such as that of a salaried employee, and he finds himself short of money at the end of the month, he must curtail his expenditure. Otherwise he will find himself at a worse position next month because his income is not going to increase next month, but the gap would have doubled. If, instead, he borrows to bridge the gap he will have to borrow the next month and the following month too — an increasing amount every subsequent month. Eventually he will have to borrow to eat, and pay the loan as soon as he receives the salary and then borrow again for the expenses of the next month. Suppose he borrows at interest, then he will be bankrupt very soon on account of the interest payments, even though he continued to work and earn. One could get out of this situation only by earning more or selling some property and paying off all the debts and begin to live within the income and spend only from already earned income. Or by severely curtailing his expenditure, save and pay off the debts, and by living within one’s means from then on.
In the case of government current expenditure too, somewhere along the line, they threw away the time-honoured practice of spending from realised earning (collected tax) and began to borrow and spend, expecting to repay when the tax revenue came in. This committed them to an interest payment cycle. An instrument called the Treasury Bill was developed for this purpose. This, in effect, is a three-month loan, interest paid in advance. The funds are used to pay the current expenditure for the next three months and the loan is paid from the taxes collected at the end of the quarter. New treasury bills are issued every quarter, month or week. The cycle goes on. An elaborate set of financial tools and markets are built around this. So elaborate that no one remembers when, how or why it started in the first place, or how it keeps perpetuating itself. It is a given in Finance and Government, and theory and practice have canonised it. Moneylenders (private individuals, banks, financial institutions, insurance companies, pension funds, etc) thrive on it, and a whole army of professionals service it. But the general public pays for it, suffers the consequences, and is blissfully unaware of what is happening to it. Enlightening the public further on this point is not within the purview of this essay.[2]
1.6 Islamic banking confusion
Islamic banking is rooted in the facts that riba is prohibited and trade is permitted, and the profit resulting from trade is permissible income. By extension, it was argued that interest, which is equated to riba, must be replaced by profit. To achieve this, lending transactions must be replaced by trading transactions. This simple concept is religiously applied to all situations. Where the difference was not clear, legal devices were adopted to dress it up as trade and profit. One may cheat himself, but can you fool God? He may be amused by our poor attempts, but does He approve of it? Whatever God does or does not, others are laughing at us. Sincerity is supposed to be the bedrock of our relationship with God. If we are sincere in our efforts to obey His commands, He will certainly show us the right way.
When the commands were issued 1400 years ago, they were directly understood in the context of the social and economic environment then prevailing, and their application was easily achieved. Today, the environment has changed and that makes the application seem difficult. But the solution is not through legal devices, but through our studying and understanding the new environment and sincerely seeking to apply the commands without any adulteration. Trade and profit have their place, but it is not appropriate for all occasions. We have to explore other options. If our intention is sincere, He will certainly guide us to the right solution.
1.7 Solutions
By looking at the needs of society, we can identify three different kinds of needs — investment and finance, banking and loans, and charity — and they each need be handled using a different technique. Moneylenders offered one solution for all three needs because it was to their advantage, but the society has to cater for larger concerns and therefore must offer more appropriate solutions. The Qur’an points out these different needs and presents us with different techniques to suit each need. It is for us to translate them into present-day “language” and set up appropriate institutions. Outlines of such institutions are presented in another essay (see Meeting the Financial Needs of Muslims: A comprehensive scheme). Other essays elsewhere expand on these outlines.
Properly dealing with lending and borrowing transactions requires an understanding of the meaning of modern bank interests in relation to usury and riba. In an essay entitled, Interest, Usury, Riba, and the Operational Costs of a Bank, the history of interest, its relation to usury and riba, the origins of dogmas and theories that prohibit or justify its practice, and the meaning of interest in the modern setting of banking are explored. It also presents a general model of interest in which several scenarios — from person-to-person lending to modern commercial bank lending — become sub-models. This enables one to separate riba from the operational costs of a bank and thus to devise a riba-free system of commercial banking that is both viable and compatible with the conventional one.
Inflation has become a fact of life, it erodes the value of capital — depositors’ savings, banks’ loans, cash-in-hand. It has also been offered as an excuse for charging and accepting interest. But the main cause of modern-day inflation is not in the short-term supply-demand pull-push tensions, but in the long-term effects of increased money supply. The basic cause of this increase is the de-linking of the currency-gold relationship. It occurred gradually over time, but the final blow was dealt in 1971 when the US dollar was de-linked from gold and the promise to redeem every dollar for 1/35th of an ounce of fine gold was withdrawn, reneging on the Bretton Woods Agreement of 1945. US dollar was allowed to float (meaning more dollars were printed without the constraint of the 35 dollars per ounce of gold ratio), and the other currencies, which were all linked to gold through the dollar, also started their free-floats, each in its own pace. Today, at 350 dollars an ounce, gold is ten times more costly. It is said that the price of gold has gone up; but the reality is that the currency has depreciated that much. Re-linking all currencies directly to gold, and strictly adhering to the agreed currency-gold ratio, is the proper solution to this problem. But a global agreement on this is not going to occur anytime soon. In the meantime savings, loans and cash-in-hand are going to lose their purchasing power. To neutralise the effect of inflation (due to currency depreciation) on capital, without recourse to increasing the interest rate, a new mechanism is necessary. Such a mechanism is presented in a book entitled, Commercial Banking in the presence of Inflation. This mechanism is applicable in person-to-person lending-borrowing transactions as well. It is straightforward and not difficult to implement.
1. Emry, Pastor Sheldon, Billions for the Bankers – Debts for the People. Free distribution booklet, undated. Also available at: http://www.justiceplus.org/bankers.htm, and downloadable from: Billions.exe.
2. Gafoor, A.L.M. Abdul, Commercial Banking in the presence of Inflation. Groningen, the Netherlands: Apptec Publications, 1999. Published in Malaysia by A.S. Noordeen, Kuala Lumpur.
3. ……….., Interest, Usury, Riba, and the Operational Costs of a Bank. Article available at the author’s websites: www.IslamicBanking.nl and http://users.bart.nl/~abdul/
4. ……….., Meeting the Financial Needs of Muslims: A comprehensive scheme. Article available at the author’s websites: www.IslamicBanking.nl and http://users.bart.nl/~abdul/
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HomeIslamic Banking: Interest Rate Free or Interest Rate in Another Name – A study on Islamic Banking
Islamic Banking: Interest Rate Free or Interest Rate in Another Name – A study on Islamic Banking
January 5, 2010 January 6, 2010 Editor Case Studies
The research done by Beng ,Soon Chong , Ming-Hua Liu argues that Islamic banking is not different from conventional banking practically. The study done in Malaysia elaborates that only a negligible portion is PLS based.
A unique feature
of Islamic banking, in theory, is its profit-and-loss sharing (PLS)
paradigm. In practice, however, we find that Islamic banking is not
very different from conventional banking. Our study on Malaysia shows that only a negligible portion of Islamic bank financing is strictly PLS based and that Islamic deposits are not interest-free, but are closely pegged to conventional deposits. Our findings suggest that the rapid growth in Islamic banking is largely driven by the Islamic resurgence worldwide rather than by the advantages of the PLS paradigm and that Islamic banks should be subject to regulations similar to those of their western counterparts.
Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
Faculty of Business, Auckland University of Technology, New
Zealand.
A unique feature of Islamic banking, in theory, is its profit-and-loss sharing (PLS) paradigm. In practice, however, we find that Islamic banking is not very different from conventional banking. Our study on Malaysia shows that only a negligible portion of Islamic bank financing is strictly PLS based and that Islamic deposits are not interest-free, but are closely pegged to conventional deposits. Our findings suggest that the rapid growth in Islamic banking is largely driven by the Islamic resurgence worldwide rather than by the advantages of the PLS paradigm and that Islamic banks should be subject to regulations similar to those of their western counterparts.
The first modern experiment with Islamic banking can be traced to the establishment of
the Mit Ghamr Savings Bank in Egypt in 1963. During the past four decades, however, Islamic banking has grown rapidly in terms of size and the number of players. Islamic banking is currently practiced in more than 50 countries worldwide.1 In Iran, Pakistan, and Sudan, only Islamic banking is allowed. In other countries, such as Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan and Malaysia, Islamic banking co-exists with conventional banking. Islamic banking, moreover, is not limited to Islamic countries. In August 2004, the Islamic Bank of Britain became the first bank licensed by a non-Muslim country to engage in Islamic banking. The HSBC, University Bank in Ann Arbor and Devon Bank in Chicago offer Islamic banking products in the United States. Recent industry estimates
show that Islamic banking, which managed around US$250 billion worth of assets worldwide as of 2004, is expected to grow at the rate of 15% per annum.The rapid growth of Islamic banking raises a series of important questions: Is the growth in Islamic banking a result of the comparative advantages of the Islamic banking paradigm or is it largely attributable to the worldwide Islamic resurgence since the late 1960s? Should Islamic banks be regulated differently from their western counterparts? Thus, an important question in understanding the growth â” as well as the regulation and supervision â” of Islamic banking is how and to what extent it differs from conventional banking.
To answer these questions, our study focuses on Malaysia, where a full-fledged Islamic banking system has developed alongside a conventional banking system. The dual banking system in Malaysia, in particular, provides a unique setting for us to compare Islamic banking practices with those of conventional banking. In addition, Malaysia, which is reported to have the largest Islamic banking, capital, and insurance markets in
the world (World Bank, 2006), is an ideal representative of Islamic banking practices in general.
From a theoretical perspective, Islamic banking is different from conventional banking
because interest (riba) is prohibited in Islam, i.e., banks are not allowed to offer a fixed rate of return on deposits and are not allowed to charge interest on loans. A unique feature of Islamic banking is its profit-and-loss sharing (PLS) paradigm, which is predominantly based on the mudarabah (profit-sharing) and musyarakah (joint venture) concepts of Islamic contracting. Under the PLS paradigm, the assets and liabilities of Islamic banks are integrated in the sense that borrowers share profits and losses with the banks, which in turn share profits and losses with the depositors. Advocates of Islamic banking, thus, argue that Islamic banks are theoretically better poised than conventional banks to absorb external shocks because the banksâ™ financing losses are partially absorbed by the depositors (Khan and Mirakhor, 1989; Iqbal, 1997). Similarly, the risk-sharing feature of the PLS paradigm, in theory, allows Islamic banks to lend on a longer-term basis to projects with higher risk-return profiles and, thus, to promote economic growth (Chapra, 1992; Mills and Presley, 1999).
The PLS paradigm, moreover, subjects Islamic banks to greater market discipline. Islamic banks, for example, are required to put in more effort to distinguish good customers from bad ones because they have more to lose than conventional banks. The banks also need to monitor their investments and borrowers more closely to ensure truthful reporting of profits and losses. Islamic bank depositors, furthermore, are required to choose their banks more carefully and to monitor the banks more actively to ensure that their funds are being invested prudently. Advocates of Islamic banking, therefore,
argue that a primary advantage of PLS banking is that it leads to a more efficient allocation of capital because the return on capital and its allocation depend on the productivity and viability of the project (Khan, 1986).
In practice, however, do Islamic banks operate according to the PLS paradigm? Our
study finds that Islamic banking, as it is practiced today, tends to deviate substantially from the PLS paradigm. First, we find that the adoption of the PLS paradigm of Islamic banking in Malaysia has been much slower on the asset side than on the liability side. On the asset side, only 0.5% of Islamic bank financing is based on the PLS paradigm of mudarabah (profit-sharing) and musyarakah (joint venture) financing. Islamic bank financing in Malaysia, in practice, is still based largely on non-PLS modes of financing that are permissible under the Shariah (Islamic law), but which ignore the spirit of the usury prohibition.2 On the liability side, however, mudarabah (profit-sharing) deposits, which account for 70% of total Islamic deposits, are more predominant.
Second, the mudarabah (profit-sharing) deposits, which are structured according to the PLS paradigm, are supposed to be interest-free and equity-like in theory. In practice, however, we find new evidence that shows that the Islamic deposits are not really interest-free, but are very similar to conventional banking deposits. More specifically, we find that, contrary to expectation, the investment rates on Islamic deposits are mostly
lower and less volatile than that of conventional deposits.3 Also, using the Engle-Granger error correction model, we show that (a) changes in conventional deposit rates cause changes in Islamic investment rates, but not vice-versa, (b) the Islamic investment rates are positively related to conventional deposit rates in the long-term, and (c) when the Islamic investment rates deviate far above (below) the conventional deposit rates, they will adjust downwards (upwards) towards the long-term equilibrium level. Those results imply that the Islamic banking deposit PLS practices are actually closely pegged to the deposit rate setting practices of conventional banking.
Our overall results, thus, suggest that Islamic banking, as it is practiced today in Malaysia, is not very different from conventional banking, and the alleged benefits of Islamic banking exist in theory only. There are two important implications associated with this finding: First, the key reason for the rapid growth in Islamic banking worldwide during the past decades is unlikely to be associated with the attributes of the Islamic PLS banking paradigm. Instead, its rapid growth is most likely spurred by the worldwide Islamic resurgence since the late 1960s, which leads to a heightened demand by Muslims for financial products and services that conform to their religion.4 Second, Islamic banks in practice are similar to conventional banks, and, as such, should be regulated and supervised in a similar fashion. For example, according to the prudential regulatory and supervisory standards on capital adequacy for Islamic banking institutions, which has been issued by the Islamic Financial Services Board (2005) and adopted by Bank Negara Malaysia, all assets that are funded by mudarabah deposits (or profit sharing investment accounts) would be excluded from the calculation of the denominator (or risk-weighted assets) of the capital adequacy ratio (CAR) because it is deemed (in theory) that 100% of the credit and market risks of such assets are borne by the mudarabah depositors (or investment account holders) themselves. However, our study shows that the mudarabah
deposits, in practice, are similar to conventional banking deposits and, therefore, should not be treated any differently. As such, all assets that are funded by mudarabah deposits (or profit sharing investment accounts) should not be excluded from the calculation of
the denominator (or risk-weighted assets) of the CAR.5
The rest of the paper is organised as follows: Section 2 provides a description of Islamic banking concepts and practices. Section 3 details the Engle-Granger error-correction methodology used to study the long-term relation and short-term dynamics between Islamic investment rates and conventional deposit rates. Section 4 analyzes the results, and the final section concludes the paper.
2.Islamic Banking Concepts and PracticesIn this section, we first examine basic Islamic concepts as well as the profit-and-loss sharing (PLS) paradigm in Islamic banking. We then provide a discussion of Islamic banking practices in Malaysia.
2.1Islamic Banking Concepts and Paradigm
In Islam, there is no separation between mosque and state. Business, similarly, cannot
be separated from the Islamic religion. The Shariah (Islamic law) governs every aspect of a Muslimâ™s religious practices, everyday life, and economic activities. Muslims, for example, are not allowed to invest in businesses considered non-halal or prohibited by Islam, such as the sale of alcohol, pork, and tobacco; gambling; and prostitution.6 In Islamic contracting, gharar (uncertainty and risk) is not permitted, i.e., the terms of the contract should be well defined and without ambiguity. For example, the sale of fish from the ocean that has not yet been caught is prohibited.7 The prohibition of gharar is designed to prevent the weak from being exploited and, thus, a zero-sum game in which one gains at the expense of another is not sanctioned. Gambling and derivatives such
as futures and options, therefore, are considered un-Islamic because of the prohibition of gharar. More importantly, Muslims are prohibited from taking or offering riba. What constitutes riba, however, is controversial and has been widely debated in the Islamic community. Some view riba as usury or excessively high rate of interest. But the majority of Islamic scholars view riba as interest or any pre-determined return on a loan. The basis for the prohibition of riba in Islam may be traced to the common medieval Arabic practice of doubling the debt if the loan has not been repaid when due. This practice in its extreme form had led to slavery in medieval Arabia because of the absence of bankruptcy legislation that protects the borrower from failed ventures.8 Therefore, the prohibition of
riba can be viewed as part of Islamâ™s general vision of a moral economy.
In Islamic economics, the lender should bear the risk of the venture with the borrower
because it is deemed that neither the borrower nor lender is in control of the success or failure of a venture. Thus, a unique feature that differentiates Islamic banking from conventional banking, in theory, is its profit-and-loss sharing (PLS) paradigm. Under the PLS paradigm, the ex-ante fixed rate of return in financial contracting, which is prohibited, is replaced with a rate of return that is uncertain and determined ex-post on a profit-sharing basis.9 Only the profit-sharing ratio between the capital provider and the entrepreneur is determined ex-ante. PLS contracts, in general, allow two or more parties to pool their resources for investment purposes and to share the investmentâ™s profit and loss.
The PLS paradigm is widely accepted in Islamic legal and economic literature as the bedrock of Islamic financing. Islamic bank financing, which adheres to the PLS principle, is typically structured along the lines of two major types of contracts: musyarakah (joint venture) and mudarabah (profit-sharing).
Musyarakah contracts are similar to joint venture agreements, in which a bank and an entrepreneur jointly contribute capital and manage a business project. Any profit and loss from the project is shared in a predetermined manner. The joint venture is an independent legal entity, and the bank may terminate the joint venture gradually after a certain period or upon the fulfilment of a certain condition.
Mudarabah contracts are profit-sharing agreements, in which a bank provides the entire capital needed to finance a project, and the customer provides the expertise, management and labour. The profits from the project are shared by both parties on a pre-agreed (fixed ratio) basis, but in the cases of losses, the total loss is borne by the bank.
Most theoretical models of Islamic banking are based on the mudarabah (profit-sharing) and/or musyarakah (joint venture) concepts of PLS (Dar and Presley, 2000). There are, however, other financing contracts that are permissible in Islam but not strictly PLS in nature. Such financing contracts, for example, may be based on murabaha (cost plus),
ijarah (leasing), baiâ™ muajjal (deferred payment sale), baiâ™ salam (forward sale), and istisna (contract manufacturing) concepts.
Murabaha financing is based on a mark-up (or cost plus) principle, in which a bank is authorized to buy goods for a customer and resell them to the customer at a predetermined price that includes the original cost plus a negotiated profit margin.10 This contract is typically used in working capital and trade financing. Ijarah financing is similar to leasing. A bank buys an asset for a customer and then leases it to the customer for a certain period at a fixed rental charge. Shariah (Islamic law) permits rental charges on property services, on the precondition that the lessor (bank) retain the risk of asset
ownership.Baiâ™ muajjal financing, which is a variant of murabaha (cost plus) financing, is structured on the basis of a deferred payment sale, whereby the delivery
of goods is immediate, and the repayment of the price is deferred on an instalment or lump-sum basis. The price of the product is agreed upon at the time of the sale and cannot include any charge for deferring payments. This contract has been used for house and property financing. Baiâ™ salam is structured based on a forward sale concept. This method allows an entrepreneur to sell some specified goods to a bank at a price determined and paid at the time of contract, with delivery of the goods in the future.
Istisna contracts are based on the concept of commissioned or contract manufacturing,
whereby a party undertakes to produce a specific good for future delivery at a pre-determined price. It can be used in the financing of manufactured goods, construction and infrastructure projects.11The acceptability of the above non-PLS modes of financing, however, has been widely debated and disputed because of their close resemblance to conventional methods of interest-based financing. Many Islamic scholars, including Pakistanâ™s Council of Islamic Ideology, have warned that, although permissible,
such non-PLS modes of financing should be restricted or avoided to prevent them from being misused as a âœback doorâ for interest-based financing.
2.2Islamic Banking in Malaysia
Islamic banking was implemented in Malaysia following the enactment of the Islamic Banking Act in April 1983 and the subsequent establishment of its first Islamic bank, Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (BIMB), in July 1983.12 The Islamic Banking Act of 1983 provides Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the central bank of Malaysia, with powers to regulate and supervise Islamic banks. To disseminate Islamic banking nationwide, BNM introduced the Interest-free Banking Scheme in March 1993, which allows existing banking institutions to offer Islamic banking services using their existing infrastructure and branch network. Furthermore, a second Islamic bank, Bank Muamalat Malaysia Berhad, was established in October 1999, and three new Islamic bank licences were issued to Islamic financial institutions from the Middle East in 2004 to enhance the diversity and depth of players in the Islamic financial system. As of end-2004, there were 29 Islamic financial institutions in Malaysiaâ™s banking system, which offer a
full range of Islamic banking products and services.13
Today, Malaysia is widely believed to have the most developed Islamic financial system
in the world that operates side-by side with a conventional banking system. Besides the Interest-free Banking Scheme, Malaysia has a well-developed Islamic interbank money market, Islamic government debt securities market, and Islamic insurance market. The Islamic interbank money market, introduced in January 1994, allows Islamic banking institutions to trade in designated Islamic financial instruments among themselves. The Mudharabah Interbank Investments (MII) mechanism, moreover, allows a deficit Islamic banking institution to obtain investment from a surplus Islamic banking institution on a mudarabah (profit-sharing) basis. The Government Investment Issues (GII) market, which was introduced in 1983, is the Islamic equivalent of a conventional Treasury bill and bond market. Islamic insurance, or takaful, was first introduced in 1985 when the first takaful operator was established to fulfil the publicâ™s need for insurance
products that are Shariah-compliant.
The growth in the Islamic banking sector in Malaysia has been rapid since the establishment of Islamic Banking Act in1983. Figure 1 captures the exponential growth
in the total assets under the management of the Islamic banking system. Starting from a small base of RM0.4 billion in 1983, the total Islamic banking assets expanded rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s at an average rate of 31% and 44% per annum, respectively. More recently, over the period of 2000 to 2004, the average growth rate in Islamic banking assets has moderated to 19% per annum, but continues to outpace the rest of
the banking system.
The total Islamic banking assets amounted to RM95.0 billion as at end-2004, accounting
for 10.5% of the total assets of the entire banking system. Table 1 provides a further breakdown of the percentage of banking assets that are under the management of the Islamic banking system by type of institutions. Islamic banks, in general, are restricted from participating in the conventional banking system, while the other financial institutions can participate in both the conventional banking system and Islamic banking system. Commercial banks, finance companies, merchant banks, and discount housesâ™ participation in Islamic banking is through the Interest-free Banking Scheme. Thus, we find that for Islamic banks, all their assets are managed under the Islamic banking system. For the other financial institutions, the percentage of their assets that are
under the management of the Islamic banking system is relatively small in comparison. Islamic banking assets only accounts for 7.3%, 11.4%, 6.0%, and 18.6%, respectively, of commercial banks, finance companies, merchant banks, and discount housesâ™ total portfolio of assets. Among the commercial banks, we find that Islamic banking assets accounts for a larger share (8.5%) of the domestic banksâ™ asset portfolio than that of foreign banks (3.7%). This finding may be explained by the foreign commercial banksâ™ lower participation rate (31%) in Islamic banking, compared with that of the domestic commercial banks (90%).
Figure 2 plots the market share of Islamic banking assets by various financial institutions
as at end-2004. Despite having only a small percentage of their asset portfolio in Islamic banking, commercial banks actually held the largest market share (56.7%) of the total Islamic banking assets. Islamic banksâ™ market share, in contrast, is at 26.2%, while finance companies, merchant banks, and discount housesâ™ market share is at 8.2%, 2.7%, and 6.3%, respectively.
Although Islamic banking is said to have made significant inroads in Malaysia, we find
that, in practice, the adoption of the PLS paradigm of Islamic banking in Malaysia has been much slower on the asset side than on the liability side. Table 2 provides a breakdown of the types of Islamic financing and Islamic deposits in Malaysia. Total financing in the Islamic banking sector amounts to RM57.9 billion as of the end of 2004. The Islamic banking sector, in general, has been expanding much more rapidly than
the conventional banking sector.14 This has resulted in an expansion of the market share for Islamic financing to 11.3% of total banking sector financing as of the end of 2004.
A breakdown of the total Islamic financing in Panel A of Table 2 shows that financing
is predominantly based on the baiâ™ muajjal (deferred payment sale)15 and ijarah (leasing) concepts, which account for 49.9% and 24.0% of total financing. Murabaha
(cost plus), istisna (contract manufacturing) and other non-PLS financing account for a further 7.0%, 1.2%, and 17.4%, respectively. The mudarabah (profit-sharing) and musyarakah (joint venture) financing modes, in total, amount to only 0.5% of total Islamic financing. Thus, Islamic bank financing in Malaysia, in practice, does not appear
to be very different from conventional bank lending. PLS modes of financing account for only a negligible portion of total Islamic bank financing. Islamic bank financing in Malaysia, in particular, is still largely based on the non-PLS modes of financing that are permissible under the Shariah law, but ignore the spirit of the usury prohibition.16
The adoption of the PLS paradigm, however, appears to be faster on the liability side of Islamic banking. Total Islamic banking deposits in Malaysia amount to RM72.9 billion, or 11.2% of total banking sector deposits as of the end of 2004. The breakdown of the Islamic banking deposits by type in Panel B of Table 2 shows that demand deposits, saving deposits, investment deposits, and negotiable instruments of deposit (NID) account for 17.7%, 11.6%, 57.6%, and 12.3%, respectively, of total Islamic deposits.
Demand deposits and saving deposits are structured under the al-wadiah (savings with guarantee) concept, in which a bank guarantees the repayment of the depositorsâ™ money when demanded. The depositors of al-wadiah accounts are not entitled to any share of the bankâ™s profits, but the bank may â” at its absolute discretion â” provide returns or gifts (hibah) to the depositors periodically as a token of appreciation.
Investment deposits and NID are term deposits that operate under the mudarabah (profit-sharing) concept. Theoretically, such mudarabah deposit accounts are much riskier than conventional-banking fixed deposits for a number of reasons. First, Islamic banks guarantee neither the depositorsâ™ capital nor the return on the deposits. Second, profit sharing under mudarabah contracts is asymmetric, i.e., the depositors share the investment profits with the bank but bear all the losses.17 Finally, mudarabah deposit accounts are equity-like from a residual claimant perspective, but the depositors of such accounts do not have any of the management and control rights typically accorded to shareholders of a bank.
The mudarabah deposits accounts, in theory, should be interest-free from an Islamic banking perspective. In practice, however, are such mudarabah contracts, which form the bedrock of the Islamic banking PLS paradigm, truly interest-free? Also, are the returns on al-wadiah (savings with guarantee) deposits independent of interest rates? To address these questions, we examined the relation between the investment rates offered by Islamic deposits and the corresponding deposit rates offered by conventional bank deposits. The next section describes the Engle-Granger error correction methodology used to study such a relation.183.
The Methodology
To determine the long-run relation as well as short-run dynamics between conventional
deposit rates and Islamic investment rates, we first carried out the bivariate Granger causality test to determine the dependent and independent variables. The following two null hypotheses were tested: (i) changes in the Islamic investment rate do not Granger cause the conventional deposit rate to change and (ii) changes in the conventional deposit
rate do not Granger cause the Islamic investment rate to change. To further ascertain that the relation between the conventional deposit rate and Islamic investment rate is not spurious, we then carried out unit root and cointegration tests. Unit root tests were based on the standard Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) and Philips Perron (PP) procedures, and
the cointegration test was done using the Johansen procedure. Once cointegration between the two time series was established, we then estimated their long-term relation and short-term dynamics on a maturity-matched basis.First, the long-term relationship between two time-series variables was modelled as follows:
where represents the endogenous variables, denotes the exogenous variable, and is the
disturbance term. The degree of pass-through in the long run, , measures the extent to which a change in the independent variable gets reflected in the dependent variable. The long-run pass-through is considered complete when is equal to one and incomplete when it is less than one. Second, we used the following error-correction representation to examine the short-term dynamics:
(2)where denotes the first difference, measures the short-term pass-through rate, and
is the error term. , which is the residual term associated with the long-term relation given by Equation (1), represents the extent of disequilibrium at time (t ï 1). ï¢2, therefore, captures the error correction adjustment speed when the rates are away from their
equilibrium level. In the mean reverting case, the sign of is expected to be negative. Also, following Hendry (1995), the mean adjustment lag of a complete pass-through can be calculated using the following equation:(3)
4.Data and Results
Our data on the monthly series of Islamic investment rates and conventional deposit
rates were collected from the Monthly Statistical Bulletin, which is published by the Bank Negara Malaysia. The series of monthly data are aggregated and reported based on the average rates across all financial institutions.19 The sampling period was from April
1995 to April 2004. The sample size was 109 for each time series. For robustness, we examined the rates provided by two types of financial institutions: banks and finance companies.20 For each type of institutions, we compared Islamic investment rates and conventional deposit rates on savings deposits as well as time deposits of various maturities, ranging from one month to 12 months.
Table 3 provides the descriptive statistics for the sample data. The summary statistics, in particular, show that the Islamic investment rates are, on average, significantly lower than the conventional deposit rates. This finding is true for both the banks and the finance companies. Furthermore, the volatility and the minimumâ“maximum range of Islamic investment rates are significantly lower than those of conventional deposit rates, except
for the investment rates on Islamic banksâ™ savings deposits. These results are counterintuitive because the Islamic deposits, based on the PLS theory, should have higher risks than conventional deposits. A possible reason for the above results is that, in practice, the returns on Islamic deposits are administratively linked to the deposit rates offered by conventional banking. The last column of Table 3, in particular, shows
that the Islamic investment rates are highly correlated with the conventional deposit rates on a maturity-matched basis. The correlation coefficients, for example, range from 0.89 to 0.97 for the banks and from 0.88 to 0.94 for the finance companies. However, to rule out the possibility of spurious correlations, we next conducted several standard econometric tests to determine Granger causality, unit root, and cointegration.
The Granger causality test was carried out to determine if changes in Islamic investment
rates cause adjustments in the conventional deposit rates and if changes in the conventional deposit rates cause adjustments in the Islamic investment rates. Table 4 reports the results of the pair-wise Granger causality test. The results show that for each of the six maturity-matched cases, we cannot reject the null hypothesis that changes in Islamic investment rates do not cause adjustments in the conventional deposit rates. On
the other hand, we can reject the null hypothesis that changes in the conventional deposit rates do not cause adjustments in Islamic investment rates. This is true for both the banks and the finance companies. In other words, changes in conventional deposit rates cause Islamic investment rates to change, but not vice versa.
Having determined the endogenous and exogenous variables, we then carried out the standard stationarity and cointegration tests. We applied both the Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) and Philips-Peron procedures to test the null hypothesis of unit root against the alternative hypothesis of stationarity. Although not reported, both ADF and Philips-Peron test results show that all the data series are non-stationary in levels and stationary in first differences. The results of the cointegration tests are reported in Table 5. The Johansen cointegration test results show that all the Islamic investment rates are cointegrated with their corresponding maturity-matched conventional deposit rates at the 5% significance level for Islamic banks and at 10% for Islamic finance companies. The cointegration test results, hence, show that there is a long-term relation between the Islamic investment rate and the conventional deposit rate for both the banks and the finance companies.
The estimated coefficients of the long-term relation (Equation 1) are reported in Table 6. The results show that there exists a long-term positive relation between Islamic investment rates and maturity-matched conventional deposit rates. The adjusted R2 is very high. In the case of the banks, 79% to 93% of the variation in Islamic investment rates can be explained by changes in conventional deposit rates. The degree of long-term pass-through (ï¡1) is about 76%. In the case of finance companies, 76% to 87% of the variation in Islamic investment rates can be explained by changes in conventional deposit rates. The degree of long-term pass-through (ï¡1) is about 64%. For both banks and finance companies, the degree of pass-through for savings deposits is higher than that of time-deposits.21
The results of the short-term dynamics and the mean adjustment lags are reported in Table 7.22 The ï¢2 estimates in Table 7, which are all significantly negative, indicate a mean-reverting process. This implies that when the Islamic investment rate is above its long-term equilibrium level, it will adjust downwards. When it is below its long-term
equilibrium level, it will adjust upwards. The mean adjustment lag (MAL) results, furthermore, show that for banks, the short-run adjustment process takes about 3.9 months to complete. For finance companies, the MAL ranges from 1.4 to 5.6 months. The MAL, moreover, is shorter for savings deposits than for the various time deposits.
Our overall results, thus, suggest that the Islamic deposits, in practice, are not very different from conventional deposits. In particular, we found that the Islamic investment rates for both the banks and the finance companies are closely pegged to the conventional deposit rates. In theory, mudarabah deposits are structured based on a âœprofit-sharingâ basis, whereas the al-wadiah savings deposits are structured based on the âœsavings with guaranteeâ concept. In practice, however, we found that both the mudarabah deposits and the al-wadiah savings deposits are not âœinterest-free,â and their investment rates are closely linked to conventional deposit rates.
Furthermore, the mudarabah deposits, in theory, are supposed to be equity-like because of their PLS paradigm. Our results show that the mudarabah deposits are more debt-like than equity-like. For robustness, we examined if there is any long-term relation between the various Islamic investment rates and the return on the Malaysian benchmark KLCI equity index. Although not reported here, our results show that none of the Islamic investment rates is cointegrated with the return on the KLCI equity index and, hence, there is no long-term relation between them.23 An interesting question that arises, therefore, is why are the Islamic deposits not interest-free in practice? One explanation is that the actual implementation of the PLS paradigm is constrained by competition from conventional banking practices. Religion notwithstanding, individuals can choose to bank with an Islamic bank and/or a conventional bank. Thus, in terms of best practices, Islamic banking practices often cannot deviate substantially from those of conventional banking because of competition.
Obaidullah (2005), for example, commented that: âœIslamic financial institutions
face a kind of âœwithdrawal riskâ that mainly results from the competitive
pressures an Islamic financial institution faces from existing Islamic or conventional counterparts. An Islamic bank could be exposed to the risk of withdrawals by its depositors as a result of the lower rate of return they would receive compared to what its competitors pay. Faced with this scenario Islamic financial institutions, operating in mixed systems, may pay their investment account holders a competitive âœmarketâ return regardless of their actual performance and profitability ⦠Failure to do this might result in a volume of withdrawals of funds by investors large enough to jeopardize the bankâ™s solvency.â
The Governor of the Central Bank of Malaysia, Dr. Zeti Akhtar Aziz, in fact acknowledged in her keynote address on February 15, 2006 at the 2nd International Conference on Islamic Banking, Kuala Lumpur that âœ[profit-and-loss sharing] places a higher degree of fiduciary risk on the Islamic financial institutions in ensuring that the investment deposits funds are managed in the most effective and efficient manner. This is further compounded by competition in managing the liquidity in the system. The profit share distributed needs to be competitive relative to that earned and paid by the conventional banks. This is important to avoid a shift of deposits and to retain the funds in the system ⦠Given the dual banking environment, as the one in Malaysia, the ability to maximize risk-adjusted returns on investment and sustain stable and competitive returns is an important element in ensuring the competitiveness of the Islamic banking system.  Consistent with the above competition explanation, our study shows that, because of competition from conventional banking, the returns on the Islamic deposit accounts are effectively pegged to the returns on conventional banking deposits. Our results, for example, show that changes in the conventional deposit rates cause Islamic investment rates to change, but not vice versa. Estimates of the long-term relation between the two rates of return, moreover, show that many of the changes in Islamic investment rates can be explained by changes in conventional deposit rates. Short-run dynamic analysis, in addition, shows that the Islamic investment rates are mean-reverting, i.e., when Islamic investment rates deviate far above (below) conventional deposit rates, they adjust downwards (upwards) toward the long-term equilibrium level.
Another possible explanation on why the Islamic deposits are not interest-free is that, contrary to Islamic banking PLS theory, the depositorsâ™ funds are mostly invested in non-PLS financing in practice. Under the aforementioned asset-liability matching explanation, the risk and return characteristics of Islamic deposits should be similar to that of the Islamic bankâ™s financing (investment) portfolio. We are unable to study this relation directly because the return data on Islamic bankâ™s financing as far as we know is not available to the public. However, anecdotal evidence shows that, contrary to the asset-liability matching explanation, the Islamic bank depositors in practice do not fully share in the financing losses incurred by Islamic banks. The Bank Islam Malaysia Berhadâ™s depositors, for example, continued to receive âœmarketâ investment
rate of returns despite the bankâ™s reported loss of RM480 million (US$127 million) as at June 30, 2005 due to non-performing loans. Moreover, the above asset-liability matching explanation cannot explain why the Islamic investment rates are pegged to conventional deposit rates. More specifically, it cannot explain why the changes in the conventional deposit rates cause Islamic investment rates to change, but not vice versa. Finally, the asset-liability matching explanation cannot explain why Islamic investment rates are, on average, significantly lower and less volatile than comparable conventional deposit rates, given that Islamic banksâ™ financing portfolio tend to be riskier than those of conventional banks. For example, Bank Islam Malaysia Berhadâ™s non-performing loans (NPL) ratio of 12.46 percent as at June 30, 2005 is significantly higher than the banking industry average of 5.1 percent.24
In this paper, we attempted to establish whether Islamic banking is really different from conventional banking. In theory, a unique feature that differentiates Islamic banking from conventional banking is the PLS paradigm. In practice, however, we found that Islamic banking is not very different from conventional banking from the perspective of the PLS paradigm. On the asset side of Islamic banking, we found that only a negligible portion of financing is based on the PLS principle. Consistent with Islamic banking experiences
elsewhere, a large majority of Islamic bank financing in Malaysia is still based on non-PLS modes that are permissible under the Shariah law, but ignore the spirit of the usury prohibition. On the liability side, the PLS principle is more widely adopted in structuring Islamic deposits. Our study, however, provides new evidence, which shows that, in practice, Islamic deposits are not interest-free. There are several possible reasons for the poor adoption of the PLS paradigm in practice. First, unlike conventional banking, PLS financing encounters severe principalâ“agent problems. Moral hazard problems associated with ex-post information asymmetry, for example, are especially significant in PLS financing because the entrepreneur (borrower) has incentive to under-declare or artificially reduce reported profit (Mills and Presley, 1999). Also, in the case of mudarabah (profit-sharing) contracting, the entrepreneur has an incentive to undertake high-risk projects because the entrepreneur is actually given a call option whereby he or she gains on the upside but bears no losses at all on the downside. PLS financing, thus, requires more costly monitoring. Second, the adoption of PLS financing is disadvantaged by a lack of management and control rights (Dar and Presley, 2000). In mudarabah (profit-sharing) financing, for example, the bank provides all the risk capital, but the management and control of the project is mostly in the hands of the entrepreneur. The lack of management and control, in particular, accentuates the principalâ“agent problems associated with PLS financing. Finally, our study suggests that the adoption of the PLS paradigm is constrained by competition as well as by best practices from conventional banking. Religion notwithstanding, individuals can choose to bank with an Islamic bank and/or a conventional bank. Thus, in terms of best practices, Islamic banking practices often cannot deviate substantially from those of conventional banking because of competition. In particular, our study shows that the returns on the Islamic deposit accounts are effectively pegged to the returns on conventional banking deposits because of competitive reasons.
Badawy, Manuela,
2005. Islamic finance growing but regulation is an issue. Reuters News, 26 April 2005.
Chapra, M. Umer, 1992. Towards a Just Monetary System, Liecester: The Islamic Foundation.Chong, Beng Soon, Ming-Hua Liu, and Keshab K. Shrestha, 2005. Monetary transmission via the administered interest rates channel. Journal of Banking and
Finance 30, 1467-1484.
Dar, Humayon A. and John R. Presley, 2000. Lack of profit loss sharing in Islamic
banking: Management and control imbalances. International Journal
of Islamic Financial Services 2, No. 2.
Engle, Robert F. and C. W. J. Granger, 1987. Cointegration and error correction: representation, estimation and testing. Econometrica 55, 251â“176.
Granger, C.W.J. and Paul Newbold, 1986. Forecasting economic time series, London:
Academic Press.Heffernan, Shelagh A., 1997. Modelling British interest rate adjustment: An error correction approach. Economica 64, 211â“31.Hendry, David F., 1995. Dynamic econometrics, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Islamic Financial Services Board, 2005, Capital Adequacy Standard for Institutions (Other Than Insurance Institutions) Offering Only Islamic Financial Services.
Iqbal, Zamir, 1997. Islamic financial systems. Finance & Development 43, 42â“45.
Khan, Mohsin S., 1986. Islamic interest-free banking. IMF Staff Papers 33,
1â“27.
Khan, Mohsin S., and Abbas Mirakhor, 1989. Islamic banking: Experiences in the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan. IMF Working Paper No. WP/89/12,
Washington DC: International Monetary Fund.
MacKinnon, James G., Alfred A. Haug, and Leo Michelis, 1999. Numerical distribution
functions of likelihood ratio tests for cointegration. Journal of Applied Econometrics 14, 563â“577.
Mills, Paul S. and John R. Presley, 1999. Islamic finance: Theory and practice,
London: Macmillan.
Obaidullah, Mohammed., 2005. Rating of Islamic financial institutions: some methodological suggestions. Working Paper – Islamic Economics Research Centre, King
Abdulaziz University.
Scholnick, Barry, 1996. Asymmetric adjustment of commercial bank interest rates:
evidence from Malaysia and Singapore. Journal of International Money
and Finance 15, 485â“496.
Usmani, Maulana Taqi, 2005. Salam and Istisna, Online publication by accountancy.com.pk.
World Bank, 2006. Country brief report: Malaysia. (http://siteresources.worldbank.org/
INTEAPHALFYEARLYUPDATE/Resources/550192-1143237132157/malaysia-March06.pdf).
source : DOCFTP
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Home » Breaking Music News » “I am Michael Alago,” a Music Industry Veteran’s Story About Changing the Landscape of Heavy Metal, Battling Addiction and Beating Death
“I am Michael Alago,” a Music Industry Veteran’s Story About Changing the Landscape of Heavy Metal, Battling Addiction and Beating Death
Posted by Bryan Joe Corder in Breaking Music News, Entertainment News, Featured Entertainment // 0 Comments
Music industry veteran Michael Alago’s new autobiography, I am Michael Alago, is available today in print and digital formats via Backbeat Books.
“I am very excited to finally have my book available,” Alago says. “A lot of hard work was put into this project, and it brought back a lot of memories of great times and the lowest times.”
Alago can be credited with changing the landscape of heavy metal – and rock ‘n’ roll as a whole.
The quintessential New Yorker with an “only in New York” career, Alago is passionate about music, art, and literature, legendary music executive and published photographer. He is also known for his extraordinary work with Metallica, White Zombie, John Lydon, Cyndi Lauper and Nina Simone.
In I am Michael Alago, Alago shares his successes in the music industry, such as signing Metallica to their first major label recording contract, while battling 1970s and ‘80s stereotypes, addiction and life-threatening illness.
“Extraordinary life, any way you look at it,” wrote heavy metal bible BraveWords.
Alago grew up in Brooklyn, in a large, spirited, and devoted Puerto Rican family. Through his early passion for music, art, theater, and photography, he soon found himself rubbing elbows with many downtown NYC scene makers, from Stiv Bators to Jean Michel Basquiat, Cherry Vanilla and Wayne County to Deborah Harry and Robert Mapplethorpe. As an underage teenager going to Max’s Kansas City, CBGB and various art galleries, Alago also began running the Dead Boys’ fan club.
A few years later, Alago became the assistant music director for legendary nightclubs the Ritz and the Red Parrot. “I met Michael in 1980,” says Jerry Brandt of The Electric Circus/The Ritz. “He walked into my office at The Ritz and I knew instantly that his kid was going to do great things.”
At age 24, he began a storied career as an A&R executive at Elektra Records that started with signing Metallica in the summer of 1984, changing the entire landscape of rock ‘n’ roll and heavy metal. Alago continued to work in A&R for both Palm Pictures and Geffen Records. He was thrilled to executive-produce albums by Cyndi Lauper, Public Image Ltd, White Zombie, and Nina Simone.
In the late 1980s, Alago was diagnosed with HIV, which manifested into full-blown AIDS 10 years later, a diagnosis that equaled death at that time. But with the advancement of medical science and the foresight of a brilliant doctor, he survived and continued his music career. In 2005, he left music to pursue his other love: photography. Alago went on to publish three bestselling books: Rough Gods, Brutal Truth and Beautiful Imperfections with German-based publisher Bruno Gmünder.
Alago has also since overcome his longtime addiction to drugs and alcohol. In his clean and sober life, he has reconnected with his family, continues to be a working photographer as well as record producer, and only through the grace of his 12-Step program is he able to live this big, beautiful life. Who the Fuck Is That Guy? The Fabulous Journey of Michael Alago, a 2017 documentary directed by Drew Stone and produced by Michael Alex on Alago’s wildly successful career in music, was released in theaters and on Netflix, where it is now in its third year. The film is also now available on Amazon Prime Video.
“Michael Alago was my first genuine connection to the real world of music,” says bassist Jason Newsted. “He is a key player and lynchpin in the early careers of Flotsam and Jetsam, and Metallica, and more importantly; a greatly respected lifelong friend, loved and admired by the people that make up these legendary acts. He’s a fan. We’re all fans.”
I am Michael Alago was co-written with Laura Davis-Chanin. I am Michael Alago is available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, IndieBound and Rowman & Littlefield.
About Backbeat Books:
Since 1991, Backbeat Books have been favorites among passionate music fans and musicians. Known for their depth, spirit, and authority, Backbeat offers a diverse range of books – from biographies and memoirs, critical examinations and histories, to authoritative volumes on musical instruments and instruction – covering all areas of rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, and beyond.
About Bryan Joe Corder (4023 Articles)
Concert Photographer at heart, Love listening to music and going to shows to try to capture the magic on the stage with my imagery.I also review albums and live concerts.
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Sensata Technologies, Chinese Government Agree on Expansion in Jiangsu Province
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ALMELO, Netherlands, Jan. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --
Sensata Technologies Holding N.V. (NYSE: ST), a leading manufacturer of sensors and controls, has signed an agreement with the Baoying government in China's Jiangsu Province to increase its investment in Baoying.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20070227/CLTU192LOGO )
Under the agreement, the government will make land adjacent to Sensata's existing facility available for constructing a five-story building totaling 350,000 square feet. The government is responsible for erecting the building. Sensata will lease the facility for up to 15 years and then assume full ownership. Construction is expected to begin in February 2011 and be completed at year-end.
In turn, Sensata plans to invest US$50 million in capital from 2011 - 2015 contingent on continued growth in demand for its products in China's domestic market and worldwide. Sensata's investment will be in the form of cash, equipment, or intellectual property.
"This agreement will lay the groundwork for further expansion of our manufacturing capacity in Baoying and will enable us to meet growing demand for our products both in China and around the world," said Richard Dane, senior vice president of Sensata's global operations. "We've been manufacturing in Baoying since 1996, and we value the strong working relationships Sensata has with local and provincial governments in Jiangsu Province."
Sensata and Chinese officials signed the agreement at a ceremony in Yangzhou on January 19.
Sensata's Baoying facility recently received the prestigious Jiangsu Quality Award for performance excellence. The award recognizes businesses with high levels of quality and quality management, innovation, and use of advanced technology. A combination of controls and sensors are manufactured at the site for a number of different market segments both in China and around the world.
About Sensata Technologies Holding N.V.
Sensata Technologies Holding N.V. is one of the world's leading suppliers of sensing, electrical protection, control and power management solutions. Majority-owned by affiliates of Bain Capital Partners, LLC, a leading global private investment firm, and its co-investors, Sensata employs approximately 10,000 people in nine countries. Sensata's products improve safety, efficiency and comfort for millions of people every day in automotive, appliance, aircraft, industrial, military, heavy vehicle, heating, air-conditioning, data, telecommunications, recreational vehicle and marine applications. For more information, please visit Sensata's web site at www.sensata.com
Linda Megathlin
Investor Relations Director
mmorris2@sensata.com
lmegathlin@sensata.com
SOURCE Sensata Technologies Holding N.V.
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ḠANĪ, QĀSEM
ḠANĪ, QĀSEM (b. Sabzavār, 3 Ramażān 1310/21 March 1893; d. San Francisco, 9 Farvardīn 1331 Š./29 March 1952; Figure 1), physician, diplomat, and well-known scholar on the poet Ḥāfeẓ. He was a prolific writer and, during his many years abroad, corresponded with several eminent figures of the time. His diaries, notebooks, and letters have been compiled and edited in twelve volumes under the general supervision of his son, Cyrus Ghani (Yāddāšthā-ye Doktor Qāsem Ḡanī/The Memoirs of Dr. Ghassem Ghani, London, 1980-84; see under Memoirs below). His eye for the telling detail, and his habit of jotting down daily events immediately, and methodically recording the date and place of encounters and incidents, make these volumes a valuable documentary source for his life and that of many of his contemporaries.
Ḡanī was born into a moderately prosperous family of small landholders. On the maternal side some of his close relatives were prominent members of the Bahai faith, a fact that caused him some consternation early in his political career (S. Ḥ. Amīn, “Doktor Qāsem Ḡanī,” Yaḡmā 24, 1350 Š./1972, pp., 599-606, p. 602) He was first educated in his hometown’s traditional maktabs. Around 1908 he was sent to Tehran to continue his education. He attended Tarbīat, a Bahai school (see BAHAI FAITH v.) with a modern curriculum and then enrolled in Dār-al-Fonūn (q.v.), where he studied for two years. In 1913 he set out for Beirut for further studies. He first attended a French pre-medical school run by the Jesuits (Yāddāšthā I, pp. 101-5) and after the closure of the French educational institutions in Lebanon during the First World War, he learnt English and transferred to the American University of Beirut in 1915, where he received a medical degree in 1919. He gives an affectionate account of his teachers and student days in his memoirs (Yāddāšthā I, pp. 105-84).
Ḡanī’s career can be divided into three distinct if somewhat overlapping periods. In the first, he was devoted to his profession as a physician. Soon after graduation he returned to his native city and began practicing medicine. He established a hospital there and spent most of his time serving the local community. He set out for Paris in early 1923 and for about two years received specialized training in internal medicine. He spent the latter part of 1925 and much of 1926 back in Sabzavār, working as a physician. In 1926 he returned to Paris for a further two years. There, he met Moḥammad Qazvīnī, who became a lifelong mentor and friend. Their correspondence, included in his memoirs along with additional biographical sketches of Qazvīnī, is a valuable source for the study of this important scholar (Yāddāšthā V, pt. 2, pp. 163-328). In 1928, Ḡanī returned to Persia and resumed his medical practice, first in Sabzavār and subsequently in Mašhad and Tehran.
He attended more and more to his literary vocation, and thus began the second phase of his life, which extended well into the mid-1930s. By then he had developed friendships and corresponded with the renowned musician and composer ʿAlī-Naqī Wazīrī and with the great painter Moḥammad Ḡaffārī, Kamāl-al-Molk (q.v.). As in the case of Qazvīnī, the correspondence and other documents concerning Kamāl-al-Molk’s life and works (Yāddāšthā V, pt. i, pp. 10-162; X, pp. 677-748) are highly informative. He also collaborated with other outstanding scholars. He assisted ʿAlī-Akbar Fayyāż (q.v.) with his first edition of Tārīḵ-e Bayhaqī (Tehran, 1324 Š./1945); and similarly helped Moḥammad-ʿAlī Forūḡī (q.v.) in editing Robāʿīyāt-e Ḵayyām (Tehran, 1319 Š./1930) and ʿAbbās Eqbāl Aštīānī (q.v.) with the publication of the literary journal Yādgār. Most important of all is the support he gave in later years to Qazvīnī in collecting and collating manuscripts, in their well-known critical edition of Ḥāfeẓ in 1941, reprinted several times and regarded by many scholars as a major landmark in the history of editing classical Persian texts. The three above mentioned editions were all published under joint names. The late 1920s and the 1930s were therefore Ḡanī’s most prolific years as a writer and scholar. Nearly all of his books were written in this period.
During most of these years, he also taught at the Faculty of Medicine at Tehran, where he lectured on medical ethics. Subsequently, he began to teach at the Faculty of Theology (Dāneškada-ye maʿqūl o manqūl). His lectures on psychology in these two institutions, in which he outlined major paradigms of psychology in the West, were later published (Maʿrefat al-nafs, Tehran 1316 Š./1937).
The third period of Ḡanī’s life began in the mid-1930s when he entered politics. Beginning in 1935, he served for about seven years as a Parliamentary representative from Mašhad (Yāddāšthā XII, p. h). In 1938 he went to Egypt to assist in the arrangements for the marriage of Princess Fawzīya to the Persian crown prince, Moḥammad-Reżā, and in April 1939 he went back as part of the royal entourage to celebrate the wedding (Yāddāšthā VII; VIII, passim). His proficiency in Arabic and his friendship with Maḥmūd Jam (q.v.), prime minister at the time, were both apparently instrumental in ensuring his membership in the Persian delegation (Cyrus Ghani, interviewed by the author, 9 July 1999).
In 1941 Ḡanī was minister of health for a couple of months. In 1944, he was appointed minister of education but he resigned from the post less than a month later. In April 1945, he was part of the Persian delegation to the San Francisco conference which drew up the Charter of the United Nations (Yāddāšthā II, pp. 34-54). In May 1947 he was appointed ambassador to Egypt with the specific mandate of facilitating a reconciliation in Moḥammad-Reżā Shah’s troubled marriage to Fawzīya. When these attempts failed, he was instructed to work out the details of the divorce. He also helped with the transportation of Reżā Shah’s remains, hitherto temporarily interred in Egypt, to Persia. An important and enduring part of his memoirs, described in volumes VII and VIII, are his first-hand accounts of these activities. In August of 1948 he was appointed ambassador to Turkey, where he again kept a personal diary noting down daily events both there and at home, including a long and moving obituary of Qazvīnī (Yāddāšthā III, pp. 146-73). While still in that post in 1949, he was asked to travel to the United States as part of Moḥammad Reżā Shah’s entourage. The invitation further strengthened his expectation to be named as ambassador to the United States, a position he greatly coveted (Yāddāšthā XII, p. 407) and thought he had been all but been promised (Yāddāšthā XII, p. 411). When after months of waiting the appointment again failed to materialize, Ḡanī, embittered, resigned his diplomatic post in Turkey and chose self-imposed exile in the United States. His own analysis of the factors which prevented him from gaining the post reveals his anti-British and pro-American sentiments (Y. Mahdawī, “Negāh-ī be Ḵāṭerāt-e Doktor Ḡanī,” Āyanda 8, 1361 Š./1982, pp. 553-61). Britain’s manipulations of the ambassadorial post were, according to him, related to the British policy of preventing the United States from gaining influence in Persia (Yāddāšthā XII, p. 411), and British ‘mercenaries,’ most of whom he regarded as his own personal political enemies, are cited by him as a factor for the dire state of the country (Yāddāšthā XI, p. 186; XII, p. 435). The last years of his life were spent traveling, reading and writing as well as convalescing from numerous health problems. He died in San Francisco and was buried nearby, at the Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery (Yāddāšthā XII, p. 516).
Ḡanī’s writings cover a wide range (for a partial bibliography see Yāddāšthā XII, p. z-ḥ; Āyanda 8, 1361 Š./1982, p. 61). His first published work dealt with the life and works of Avicenna (Ebn Sīnā, Tehran, 1315 Š./1936). He went on to write on such diverse topics as the virtues of eugenics, the history of medicine in Islamic societies, and also translated into Persian, with extensive annotations, three novels by Anatole France: Thaïs, La rôtisserie de la reine Pédauque, and La révolte des anges (Tāʾīs, Tehran, 1308 Š./1929; ʿEṣyān-e fereštagān, Tehran, 1309 Š./1930; Berīyān-pazī-e Maleka-ye Sabā, Tehran, 1310 Š./1931). His last published essay in his lifetime dealt with the philosophical foundations of Sufism (Baḥṯ-ī dar taṣawwof, Tehran, 1331 Š./1952).
The Memoirs. The whole corpus of his at times important memoirs is a patchwork of historical documents, diaries, correspondence and personal observations, sometimes in a vituperative style. For example some contemporary and potential political rivals are lampooned in short but biting sketches, as in the case of Ṣādeq Reżāzāda Šafaq (Yāddāšthā XI, pp. 23-24). In another entry, several important contemporaries, including Moḥammad-ʿAlī Forūḡī and Naṣr-Allāh Enteẓām (qq.v.) are vilified in quick succession (Yāddāšthā VIII, p. 38). The former is dismissed as ineffectual and politically naive while the latter is, here and elsewhere, the target of much more acerbic treatment (Yāddāšthā XI, p. 61; XII, p. 411). Ḡanī’s gradual feelings of frustration in his political ambitions also affected the way his erstwhile political patrons, most notably Ḥosayn ʿAlā, rise and fall in his estimation. Early passages of adulation where he is showered with fulsome praise as “one of the best and noblest of all present-day Iranians” (Yāddāšthā II, pp. 75-76) give way to savage and frequent vilification of his wife and her immediate relations (Yāddāšthā XI, pp. 156-58) and later by downright contempt for ʿAlā’s supposedly feeble character, dismissing him either as safīh (i.e devoid of mental faculties; Yāddāšthā XI, pp. 40, 192) or at best possessing the mental age of a ten year old deficient in knowledge and comprehension apart from fluency in French and English (Yāddāšthā XI, p. 151). A less controversial and perhaps more enduring aspect of the importance of Ḡanī’s writings for social history was his persistent attempt to collect reminiscences of other political and literary luminaries, including their domestic and family life and relationships. Also of particular significance are the brief memoirs of ʿAbbāsqolī Golšāʾīān (q.v.), found in Ḡanī’s library in 1337 Š./1958 by his son Cyrus, and published for the first time as part of the Memoirs. They provide important information on Reżā Shah’s last days of rule and the character of ʿAlī-Akbar Dāvar (q.v.; Yāddāšthā XI, pp. 517-604).
The editing of the volumes reflects the disparate nature of the material, and follows a thematic rather than chronological arrangement. The early volumes suffer greatly from careless and deficient editing resulting in many errors leading to the necessity for the inclusion of the long corrigenda (Yāddāšthā XI, p. d; XII, pp. 321-93). Volume 6 is a meticulous attempt at literary detection to locate the original lines of Ḥāfeẓ used by Gertrude Bell (q.v.) in her fine but free translations, Poems from the Divan of Hafiz (Ḡanī used the 1928 ed., see E. Yarshater, preface to volume VI, p. 2). Volume 8 of the diaries has a separate publishing history of its own. The manuscript of this volume had been discovered in an antique shop in Tehran by Moḥammad-ʿAlī Ṣawtī who published it several years later with a preface by Moḥammad-Ebrāhīm Bāstānī Pārīzī as Ḵāṭerāt-e Doktor Qāsem Ḡanī (Tehran, 1361 Š./1982). It was reissued again as volume 8 with a preface by Cyrus Ghani (London, 1982). It should also be pointed out that the published volumes contain some omissions of names and passages for a variety of reasons which are explained in the prefaces by the different editors (M.-ʿA. Ṣawtī’s preface to Ḵāṭerāt-e Doktor Qāsem Ḡanī, p. 8; preface to Yāddāšthā I, p. 3).
Contribution to the study of Ḥāfeẓ. Ḡanī’s pioneering work on the life and times of Ḥāfeẓ (Baḥṯ dar āṯār o afkār o aḥwāl-e Ḥāfezá, 2 vols, Tehran, 1321-22 Š./1942-43) is a useful compilation of documents for the poet’s biography. Ḡanī has enough historical acumen to remind his readers frequently about the anecdotal nature of much of the historical accounts presented. His marginalia on the Dīvān has also been published (Yāddāšthā-ye Doktor Ḡanī dar ḥawāšī-e dīvān-e Ḥāfeẓ, Tehran, 1358 Š./1979). In fact throughout Ḡanī’s life and writing, Ḥāfeẓ has a constant presence. The abundant allusions and quotations from his poetry, juxtaposed with the account of daily events in the Memoirs, are clear textual traces of this influence and presence.
(Abbas Milani)
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Episode Title: Trick or Trick - Halloween Special
Skylanders Academy
Follow the heroic adventures of the Skylanders team, a group of heroes with unique elemental skills and personalities who travel the vast Skylands universe, protecting it from evil-doers and showing…
Meet the most beloved sitcom horse of the 90s – 20 years later. BoJack Horseman was the star of the hit TV show “Horsin’ Around,” but today he’s washed up,…
Natsuki Subaru, an ordinary high school student, is on his way home from the convenience store when he finds himself transported to another world. As he’s lost and confused in…
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back in an all-new animated series on Nickelodeon! Surfacing topside for the first time on their fifteenth birthday, the titular turtles, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael…
Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Kids, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Panty and Stocking are nasty angels who were banished from the pearly gates for being foul-mouthed bad girls! Now they spend their days hunting ghosts in the lecherous abyss between…
In the crime-ridden, mafia-governed city of Ergastulum, Worick and Nicolas are two “handymen” known as “Benriya” who would take any dirty job from either police or mafia — for a…
Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Crime, Drama
Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Den City is a city with advanced network systems in which a VR space called LINK VRAINS was created by SOL Technologies. The Knights of Hanoi, a group that hacks…
When Kouichi Sasakibara transfers to his new school, he can sense something frightening in the atmosphere of his new class, a secret none of them will talk about. At the…
Bob’s Burgers follows a third-generation restaurateur, Bob, as he runs Bob’s Burgers with the help of his wife and their three kids. Bob and his quirky family have big ideas…
The “Seven Deadly Sins”—a group of evil knights who conspired to overthrow the kingdom of Britannia—were said to have been eradicated by the Holy Knights, although some claim that they…
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KOWB, AM 1290KOWB, AM 1290
Larry Nance, Jr. Selected As Pre-Season Conference Player Of The Year
Jerrad Anderson, Townsquare Media
University of Wyoming senior Larry Nance, Jr. has been chosen as the pre-season Mountain West Player of the Year for the upcoming men's basketball season.
The conference released it's pre-season media poll and all-conference team today.
Nance, Jr. was a First-team All-MW selection in 2013-14 despite suffering a season-ending knee injury that forced him to miss the final five conference games. At the time of his injury, he led the team and ranked among league leaders in MW-only games in points (14.5), rebounds (7.8), defensive rebounds (6.5), field goal percentage (50.4), steals (1.7), blocks (2.8) and minutes played (37.9). He scored in double figures in 11 of his 13 conference games last season with two 20-point efforts and three double-doubles.
Nance's injury news
Nance becomes the first Cowboy on a pre-season all-conference team since Brandon Ewing in 2008-2009. He's also the first Cowboy tabbed as a conference pre-season player of the year since Ewing in 2007-2008.
Nance is joined on the pre-season all-conference squad by Boise State's Anthony Drmic, Colorado State's Daniel Bejarano and San Diego State's Winston Shepard and Dwayne Polee II.
As a team, the Wyoming Cowboys have been picked to finish sixth in the MW in 2014-15 season.
Defending regular season champion San Diego State was selected as the pre-season favorite to win the Mountain West regular season title again. They garnered 34 of the 35 first place votes.
The Aztecs are followed by Boise State, New Mexico, UNLV and Colorado State.
You can find the complete MW Men's Basketball pre-season poll by clicking here. More information on the all-conference team is available here.
For more UW Sports News
Filed Under: Basketball, Boise State Broncos, College Basketball, Colorado State Rams, Cowboy Basketball, Mountain West, MW Preseason All-Conference Team, NCAA Basketball, New Mexico Lobos, Player of the Year, Pre-Season Poll, San Diego State Aztecs, University Of Wyoming, UNLV Rebels, Wyoming Cowboys
Categories: News, Sports, University Of Wyoming Sports
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Home » Country Music News (page 3)
79 Years Ago: Glen Campbell Is Born in Delight, Ark.
Happy birthday, Glen Campbell! The singer was born on this day, April 22, in 1936. Continue reading…
26 Years Ago: Clint Black Makes His Grand Ole Opry Debut
Twenty-six years ago today (April 22, 1989), Clint Black achieved a huge career milestone. It was on this day that the singer made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry, just as his first single, “A Better Man,” from his freshman album, Killin’ Time, was climbing the charts. Continue reading…
Todd Grebe & Cold Country, 'Box of Wine' — Exclusive Premiere
Todd Grebe & Cold Country‘s new record Citizen will be available on April 23, but they are giving The Boot’s readers an early preview with the premiere of the track “Box of Wine.” Continue reading…
Story Behind the Song: Rascal Flatts, 'Here'
Rascal Flatts released “Here” in September 2008, as the fifth single from their Still Feels Good album; it became a No. 1 song on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart in January 2009. The tune was written by songwriters Jeffrey Steele and Steve Robson, shortly after Steele lost his 13-year-old-son Alex in an accident on Jan. 28, 2007. Inside, Steele tells The Boot …
News Roundup: Jake Owen Talks New Music, Luke Bryan Defends Blake Shelton's ACM Awards Actions
The Boot rounds up today’s top stories from our news partners. Continue reading…
A Look Back at Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's Relationship [PICTURES]
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have been married for almost 20 years and have three daughters together, but their romance is still as hot as ever. Continue reading…
Thomas Rhett Offers Encouraging Words for Aspiring Artists: 'Just Keep on Trucking'
Thomas Rhett grew up surrounded by music. The son of Rhett Akins, he still had to pay his own dues, performing in small clubs and venues, trying to get noticed on his own merit. Continue reading…
Tim McGraw Earns Spot on 'Time' 100 Most Influential People of 2015 List
Tim McGraw is in good company these days. The singer has earned a spot on Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2015 list, which includes movie stars, politicians, CEOs and more, joining an impressive array of notable personalities. Continue reading…
Garth Brooks Explains How He Wound Up on Stage With Justin Timberlake
Garth Brooks joined Justin Timberlake on stage at the pop star’s show in Nashville last winter, and Brooks is letting fans in on the story of how the performance happened. Continue reading…
Easton Corbin Announces Release of Third Album
Easton Corbin has announced the release of his third studio album, About to Get Real. Continue reading…
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Home/Latest News/LASG FLAGS-OFF THIRD BI-MONTHLY CASH TRANSFER IN EPE
LASG FLAGS-OFF THIRD BI-MONTHLY CASH TRANSFER IN EPE
oolasunkanmiJanuary 7, 2021
… Beneficiaries Receive N10,000 For September, October 2020
In continuation of the Cash Transfer initiative of the Federal Government to eligible residents of the State, the Lagos State Government, through the Ministry for Wealth Creation and Employment, began the payment of the third bi-monthly payment at Epe Local Government Area.
Speaking at the disbursement of the N10,000 each to beneficiaries for the months of September and October 2020, the Honourable Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mrs. Yetunde Arobieke said the payment will be made to the designated household caregivers who will, in turn, utilise the money for better living of the household.
The Commissioner lauded the efforts of the Federal Government, through the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, for their support in the establishment of the cash transfer unit in Lagos State, while also expressing her gratitude to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his commitment and assistance in making the implementation a success.
She noted that the process of enrolment of the beneficiary households commenced in April 2020 with the most vulnerable, aged and indigent citizens identified, stressing that the money made available by the Federal Government would be paid six times every year to beneficiaries.
According to her, “The process of enrolment of about 8,147 households captured by the State Cash Transfer Office was approved by the Governor and commenced in the month of April 2020 to fast-track the conditional Cash transfer to beneficiary households in order to alleviate the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable”.
While noting that the beneficiaries were painstakingly selected by the Cash Transfer Office in six pilot Local Government Areas and validated through the issuance of identification cards in order to partake in the exercise, the Commissioner appealed to those that have not registered to key into the programme in order to benefit from the palliative measures.
“I will like to appeal to Lagosians that this is a continuous exercise and in case you are yet to be captured in this batch, there are more opportunities that would be cascaded to the rest of the Local Government Areas in the State. We have come today to pay September and October, let me tell you that by next month, we shall be here again to pay November and December by God’s grace”, she said.
His Royal Highness, Alara of Ilara, Oba (Dr) Olufolarin Olukayode Ogunsanwo Telade VI, expressed his appreciation to both the State and Federal governments for the laudable initiative while applauding the efforts of the Ministry of Wealth Creation, saddled with the disbursement of the funds.
The Executive Chairman of Eredo Local Council Development Area, Mr. Adeniyi Saliu Razaq, conveyed his gratitude to the State Government for choosing the Local Government as a beneficiary of the initiative, just as he encouraged those that are yet to benefit to be patient as all of them would be enrolled to benefit from the opportunity.
He also thanked the Federal and State Governments for the laudable initiative, expressing confidence that it will help to alleviate the suffering of the poor and most vulnerable in the community.
Recall that the Household Uplifting Programme (HUP), otherwise known as Conditional Cash Transfer, was introduced in 2016 as one of the four social investment programmes anchored by the Federal Government to tackle poverty and hunger, focusing on a more equitable distribution of resources to the vulnerable population, including the aged and physically challenged.
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Oren Harman
Oren Harman is the Chair of the Graduate Program in Science, Technology and Society at Bar Ilan University. He was trained in history and biology at the Hebrew University, Oxford, and Harvard, and is a historian of biology and a writer. His books include The Man Who Invented the Chromosome (Harvard, 2004), Rebels, Mavericks and Heretics in Biology [with Michael Dietrich] (Yale, 2008), Outsider Scientists [with Michael Dietrich] (Chicago, 2013), and The Price of Altruism (W.W. Norton, 2010) (Bodley Head/Random House, 2010), which won the 2010 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for the Best Book of the Year in Science and Technology, and was an American Library Association and New York Times Notable Book of the Year. He is a contributing editor at Haaretz Magazine, and the co-creator of the Israeli Oscar-nominated documentary series "Did Herzl Really Say That?". His work has been featured in The New York Times, The London Times, Nature, Science, The Economist, Forbes, The New Republic, New Scientist, Scientific American, Times Higher Education, Discover, The Huffington Post, RADIOLAB and many others. He grew up in Jerusalem and now lives in Tel Aviv.
"Chance and Necessity" Revisited
How does Albert Camus’s friendship with a molecular biologist unlock a key moment in 20th-century thought?...
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Poll: What Is Country Music’s Best Mom Song?
Micheal Buckner, Getty Images
Evan Paul is the host of Taste of Country Nights, a syndicated radio show heard on more than 100 country radio stations nationwide. Producer Amber co-hosts the show with him every night from 7PM to midnight. Together they play the best new country music and interview today's top stars, like Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Brantley Gilbert, Lady A, Maren Morris, Miranda Lambert + more!
With Mother's Day quickly approaching, some people will be trying to come up with last-minute gift ideas. This is where country music can really come into play.
Of course, we all know that country music is great at telling stories. Whether it's a story about being in love, losing a love, or appreciating a certain person in your life, country music has it all!
Thankfully, there are also a good number of songs honoring one's mother. For me, my go-to is Garth Brooks' "Mom." Garth says it's one of his favorite songs he ever recorded, and it's my favorite song to play for my mom every Mother's Day.
What is country music's best mom song?
This Is How Some of Country's Biggest Stars Are Living:
Source: Poll: What Is Country Music’s Best Mom Song?
Categories: Taste of Country Nights
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Missions Giving - To Show our Heart - Acts 4:32-5:11
Pastor Kevin Hampton
I am an adopted son of the MostHigh, a husband of a beautiful wife, father of three amazing P's, and a Discipleship Pastor in South Carolina
Our second lesson in this series deals with giving towards missions. The Bible says in Matthew 6:21 that where your treasure is, there your heat will be also. If we live as if our treasure is something we can store up here on earth, we will not give as God commands. But, if we see our treasure as something we can put in the bank of eternity, then our giving will reflect that. Our giving shows where our heart is. Do we give anything? Do we give up to the 10% tithe? Do we give more, over our tithe as an offering? Today’s lesson will delve deeper into this and will show us why we should have a heart for giving to God.
Division #1: The church is unified in its faith and its heart.
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.
As we study missions, central to our understanding is that that missions cannot be accomplished without the financial resources to accomplish such. Jesus himself gave the church His marching orders when He gave us our Great Commission:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19
The church and each believer within it are tasked with this directive, so we must agree that it is our job to go, but it is implied in the text that we must also give. The reality is that whenever we go, it costs us money. It costs money just to drive to the store, much less fly around the world. To take the good news to people groups who have never come into contact with the good news of Jesus’ Salvation is expensive. It is giving that we will study today, specifically giving towards missions, and how that is a reflection of our heart.
In our first division, we take a look at the early church, and how they viewed their possessions. It is plain to see in this text that they were not greedy, and they looked at everything they had as something else that could be used to further God’s kingdom. Their belongings were not things to hoard, but things to use to keep the church growing and to use to minister to others. The first verse shows the depth of the church’s spiritual conviction and understanding. Now, it needs to be stated that this was not an early form of “Communism” as some suggest. Each maintained their own houses, their own jobs, but they saw everything God had given them as a tool to further the work of His church, and they were obliged to minister to those they saw in need, from the conviction of the Holy Spirit to each individual. They did not do this as a requirement, but out of love. They loved with their hearts and acted on that with their wallets. The verb tense used here proves this. It does not imply that upon becoming a Christian, they sold everything in one lump sum, and then donated it to the church. They managed their assets, were truly one with the body of Christ, and if a need arose that they could help with, they would liquidate something and bring the money to the church, for the apostles to deliver as the Holy Spirit guided them. Greed was not a word that was used with these believers.
We can learn from this. They held on to their possessions with an open hand. When they saw a need, either on their own or identified by the apostles, they would spring into action. If we take this text in its entirety, we see a spiritual truth that we can trace most sin back to pride. Greed’s origin is pride. We in America have been so blessed. We have so much that it’s easy to forget God; instead, we take the credit for getting what we have. We take pride in what we have, what we can do, what we say, what we learn, the friends we have, the social circles we run in, and attribute it to our own superiority, our own accomplishments. This is what the Bible warns us against. This is exceptionally dangerous! Everything we have was given to us to steward for God. When He asks us to give back, that’s exactly what it is, giving back. He gave it all to us, we should be more than happy to just give back a portion.
Think about it this way. When you give your money to the bank, you expect it to gain interest, and 100% of it to be available to you anytime you want it. God gives us everything we have and only asks that we pass back a small percentage. The spiritual truth to this is that the more we give back to him, the more he gives to us to steward.
We see these early believers totally understanding this. Luke shows us that these church members were so wrapped up in being “On Mission” to their local area, that when they saw a sister or brother hurting or in need, they sprang to action. Scripture tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:12 that we are all part of the same body of believers. In Romans 12:4 we see the same thing. Just like if you have a cut on your arm, you dress the wound, care for it, put a Band-Aid on it, and rejoice when it heals; this church operated the same way. When one member was hurting, when a need arose to send assistance to other churches, or to spread the mission of the church, this church took action and met the need.
It is also important for us to understand the literary work of Luke, who is the author of Acts. He was a masterful writer and usually introduces us to a character in a minor way, to then expound on them later in his writings. He does this in verses 32-37. He not only introduces us to Barnabas, but he also sets the stage for the next chapter, which is meant to be a stark contrast to the lives and hearts of these believers.
1: Believers who entrust everything to God and who share everything with each other will never have to worry about provision. God’s design is for each of us to be a community project.
Application Question: Do I manage my possessions to be used for the furtherance of God’s kingdom? If not, what changes can I incorporate in my life to be able to “give like no one else”?
Division #2: Barnabas the Levite.
36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”) 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.
To begin our second division, we will learn a little about who Barnabas was. We are told that he was a Levite, so he was of the priestly lineage. He would have been familiar with the internal operations of the temple, which may have been why he and Paul got along so famously. We also learn he was from the island of Cyprus, so he was from outside the borders of Israel, but had moved back to Jerusalem. He may have moved back to Jerusalem due to the political climate in Cyprus. A few years later Roman Emperor Claudius would even issue an edict to expel all the Jews from Rome. Historically, from the writings Suetonius in his “Life of Claudius” we know this edict happened in 49 AD, and was because the Jews were arguing and rioting concerning some person called “Chrestus”. (His writing could be referring to Christ) Rather than let the Jewish disagreement and rioting affect the country, Claudius required all the Jews to leave Italy. He may also have moved to Jerusalem during Jesus’ life, and just stayed because of his Christian conversion and stayed with the growing church.
We also see that his given name was Joseph, but we see that the apostles surnamed him, Barnabas. They must have known him already because giving him this surname implied that they knew him well enough to do so. There is non-biblical information (from the writings of Clement of Alexandria) that seems to speculate that Joseph (Barnabas) was among the seventy-two that Jesus sent out in Luke 10:1, but that cannot be confirmed within the words of Scripture. People even today change their names or give people nicknames, though not to the extent it was done in Biblical times where names were “officially” changed. We do however give people pet names or nicknames, because of something they do or are. In 1985, the Chicago Bears football team went to the Superbowl to play against the New England Patriots. This team, more than any, knew the power of the media. Before the internet, before Facebook and YouTube, they produced a song called “The Superbowl Shuffle” and it “went viral”. On that team was a guy who got an awesome nickname, much the way Barnabas got his. His name was William Anthony Perry. Born in Aiken, South Carolina, during his college years he played football on the
National Championship winning Clemson Tigers team in 1981, and was later drafted into the NFL in the first round in 1985. During his freshman year at Clemson, he and teammate Ray Brown were getting on an elevator. When Brown couldn’t fit in it with Perry he said: “Man, you're about as big as a refrigerator.” From then on, Anthony was dubbed “The Refrigerator”. You might know him as William “The Fridge” Perry.
In much the same way, Joseph, known for his encouraging spirit, was dubbed “Barnabas” by the apostles, and that name stuck. We also see God changing people’s names in the Bible as well. While the main persecutor of the church “Saul of Tarsus”, was on his way to Damascus to arrest some Christians, Jesus met him on the road and his name was later changed to Paul. In Genesis, God met with a foreigner from Ur, and changed his name from Abram to Abraham.
There is also a matter of the word that is translated encouragement in the NIV. This word in Greek is parakaleo (par-ak-al-eh'-o) which means imploration, hortation, solace, comfort, consolation, or exhortation. So it can be translated that he was a brother known for consolation or encouragement. It could also be possible that it is translated that he was a great speaker, recognizing his ability or giftedness as a preacher or missionary, as we see later in Acts 13:1-5 as he teaches at the church in Antioch and then again as he becomes a missionary to his home island of Cyprus.
We lastly learn that he sold land that was his property. This is of particular importance because we learned that he was a Levite, and Levites were not allowed to own land. Numbers 18:20 tells us: “Then the Lord said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel.” And Numbers 18:24 says “For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they offer as an offering to the Lord, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance; therefore I have said concerning them, ‘They shall have no inheritance among the sons of Israel.” So how was a Levite allowed to own property? We can guess that either the restriction for a Levite to own property did not extend to property located outside of the Promised Land, or that by this time the Jews no longer observed that law, as evidenced in Jeremiah 32:6-15 where God tells Jeremiah (a Levite) to purchase land from his uncle.
It also says he laid the donation at the feet of the apostles. Elsewhere in Scripture, a person’s feet were the personification of their power and influence. If you fell at a person’s feet, it was a sign of respect and compliance. We see this in Esther 8:3 and 1 Samuel 25:24. In the same action, he laid the gift at their feet, which was acknowledging that he was entrusting them with all authority and power over the gift and that he was subservient to them as well. It is this picture of Barnabas that is so beautiful. What he had to donate, he did. He did not earmark it for a certain thing, he just gave and let the apostles under the direction of the Holy Spirit use it accordingly.
1: We should be known by our encouragement, not discouragement, of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Application Question: What changes in my attitude and speech could make others look at me as an encourager in Christ?
Division #3: Integrity in giving to God.
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. 7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” 9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
Moving into our last division, it is important to understand that when the Bible was written, they did not write in chapter and verse, it was one long letter. As we see the beginning of Chapter five, it is really the next paragraph in this story that Luke is telling, and it seems that it was meant to be a warning and in contrast to the earlier story about the early church and Barnabas.
We start this chapter and we are introduced to a husband and wife named Ananias and Sapphira. It is implied that they too were active members of the church, and were known by both members of the church and the apostles. Specifically, Luke knew them and their names, and Peter also knew them and knew about them. They might have been well off since they did have a piece of property that they sold. Their wealth is not important, but their actions, which were in stark contrast to Barnabas’, tells us about their motives and desires, and is a caution to us about misrepresenting ourselves and letting ourselves be used as a tool by the evil one.
Because Luke records this, we learn about how we should give, and what our real motives should be. Up to this point in Luke’s writing, he has told us about the church is off to an awesome start, with everyone united in its mission; but now in one moment the church is attacked from within and without. Verse 2 tells us that Ananias and Sapphira had a valuable piece of land, they sold it and, and then with full knowledge of Sapphira, Ananias gave a portion of it to the church. He also, exactly like Barnabas, laid the gift at the feet of the apostles. If the story stopped right here, Luke may have written about Barnabas and this couple in the same sentence, but that is not what happened. Where Barnabas had laid the offering down as a picture of humbly returning gifts entrusted by God, theirs was a picture of prideful attention seeking, shouting, “look at me!” They sold it for a certain amount of money and then brought a portion of it to the church, but in a grand show of bringing this offering, he told everyone that they were bringing the entire amount of the sale. They lied.
Greed is a powerful motivator. 1 Timothy 6:10 tells us: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs”. There is a similar story about greed and judgment in the Old Testament in Joshua Chapter 7. Achan, in direct disobedience to God’s commands, kept some spoils of war. He found a robe, silver, and gold after the Battle of Jericho, and hid it in his tent. God’s anger burned against the entire nation of Israel, and when Joshua finally found out who the guilty party was, he, his family, and all his possessions along with the plunder were stoned and burned. God knows that greed is a trait that must be dealt with.
Verse 3 records Peter’s reply. We do not know how Peter knew all the details. The Holy Spirit could have given him this discernment, or he could have been privy to land exchange details, or maybe another church member was the purchaser, or he might have gone through the estate sale records the night before. Regardless of how Peter was informed of the details, I can only imagine the look on Ananias’ face when Peter challenged him with the truth. Peter’s word here are especially pointed and very clear, Ananias’ heart had been filled by Satan. WOW! Imagine the bystanders here looking at each other and saying, “Did Peter just say what I think he just said?” There are two points that should be detailed. The first is the verb Peter uses for filled (pleroo) is the same verb used in Ephesians 5:18 that says we should be filled with the Holy Spirit. The second point is that this is the first recorded appearance of Satan since the death and resurrection of Jesus, and here Satan is attacking the church. This attack came from within, from Ananias, and from without, by Satan. This shows how scared Satan was of the early church. He was using any of his schemes to derail what was going on there. Peter also said that by misrepresenting the gift, Ananias had lied to God. So, Ananias was filled with Satan and lied to God. In one grand move, he has gone from a grand giver with an inflated ego to being exposed as a greedy liar.
The following verse tells us that Peter then questioned the motives for the lie. “Wasn’t it yours to do with as you wanted?” he asks. Why come here and make a big show and lie about it? You could have just kept the money, you didn’t have to bring a portion here and lie about what you were giving! Since we cannot read the inflections of his voice, he could either be speaking very accusatory here, or he could be really speaking with a voice of heartbreak. This has disrupted the harmony within the church. Peter knew the implications here, he was no fool. He knew this was a big deal, and I think it broke his heart. Peter had spent so much time with these people, shepherding and pastoring them under the influence of the Holy Spirit, and it probably pained him deeply not only to be lied to his face, to be forced to call this guy out, in front of others, as a liar to not only the church and him but more importantly to the Holy Spirit and God. However, regardless of how much it pained him to do so, he acted in the best interests of the church by confronting the lie. It is easy for Christians to look the other way, to not treat sin as hurtful as it actually is. We should never forget that we are accountable to a holy and perfect God, and He takes sin VERY seriously. He took it so seriously that He sent His Son to die an agonizing death on a Roman cross for our sin.
Upon Peter finishing his sentence, Ananias fell down dead. Scripture does not tell us the details, only that upon hearing the words Peter spoke, his heart stopped and Ananias went on to eternal judgment, as defined in Hebrews 9:27: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment”. To look at the original language of this verse, we also see that the verb used here for Ananias’ death (ekpsucho) is not usually the verb used for a natural death or heart attack, but it is the verb seemingly reserved for death by a divine judgment. This is the same verb that is used in Acts 12:23 when Herod Agrippa I is dealt with by God, for not giving God the glory He is due.
Verse six gives us a picture of some young men who were standing nearby, possibly helping out with church business, when this event took place. Showing the church was bonded in unity, they were willing to assist in any way they could. Because Jewish custom was for bodies to be buried on the same day they died, these young men quickly took the body away and buried Ananias. While it is unusual for the spouse to know nothing of the death and burial, it can be assumed that the speed by which Ananias’ body was dealt with was because he had been dealt with by God. There is a scriptural precedent to this as shown in Leviticus 10:1-5 when Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu offered “profane fire” at the altar, were struck dead by God and were immediately taken outside of the camp with no time of mourning before their burial.
A period of 3 hours lapsed and Sapphira enters the scene. Why she is here we are not told, she might have been looking for Ananias or she may have been summoned to come before Peter. Maybe she thought she was coming to receive some honor for giving that monetary offering. I can imagine her strutting into where Peter was, anticipating the pats on the back and the praise that she had seen Barnabas receive earlier. Maybe she was a bit stunned to not see Ananias anywhere, but she might have thought he was with someone else important, receiving his own accolades of generosity. Peter asked her directly if the amount offered was the entire sum that they had sold the land for. I imagine that the moment that question left Peter’s mouth, her heart began to beat fast. This could go one of two ways, either they know Ananias and she were lying, or they wanted to make a spectacle of their generosity. In all honesty, the literal moment of truth was upon her, and she, like her husband, had an epic fail; she lied too. Again, this must have stung Peter harshly. Here was someone he knew, lying not only to his face but to God too. Imagine how deep this must have penetrated his heart. Imagine the pain in his voice. You see, Peter had lied too. All four Gospel accounts record in detail that when Jesus was on trial for his life, Peter lied three times, saying and swearing that he did not know Jesus. Peter might have seen Jesus’ eyes when he lied, seen the hurt of how his lies hurt Jesus. For sure in John 21 we see that in contrast, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him. When I play that scene in my mind, I see the breakfast that Jesus cooked there by the shore, I see Jesus and Peter sitting across each other by the fire, and each time Jesus asks Peter “do you love me?”, Peter recounts each lie he told, and in Jesus’ eyes, he sees not only Jesus’ pain but also Jesus’ forgiveness. Because this issue was so close to Peter’s history, I hear his words to Sapphira so filled with hurt. “How could you…” he said. Peter then told her that, like her husband, she has lied to God, only this time he says she has lied to the Holy Spirit.
This is an interesting choice of words Peter chose because this verse confirms that the Holy Spirit and God are both equal, both divine, both are God. In the same way, he uses “God” when he spoke to Ananias, he used “Holy Spirit” with Sapphira. Like her husband before her, as soon as Peter responds to her lie, she falls down dead from God’s judgment, and the same young men that carried out her husband, carry her out and bury her as well.
The main point is that their sin was not in their giving; it was the lying about their giving. They were grandstanding in front of everybody, making a grand donation and saying they had given all, but they really didn’t. Their heart was full of greed when it should have been full of the desire to help others. Like King Agrippa, they wanted the glory and were not content to give it to God who alone is due all glory. When we have been asked if we give our tithe, should we worry about how we have responded in the past? Do we need to ask forgiveness for those times we have acted like we tithe, knowing that we do not? What processes can we put in place so that when we are asked if we tithe, we can say with all honesty, with a clean conscious, and with the Holy Spirit as our witness and that, yes, we do tithe?
The application here is that they wanted the honor Barnabas received in the previous chapter, but they lied. They claimed they gave it all, but they didn’t. Pretending to hold to moral standards or beliefs without conforming behavior is the dictionary definition of “hypocrisy”, and it is hypocrisy that is the real danger.
3: If believer’s hearts are filled with the Holy Spirit, then hypocrisy and selfish motives have no room in their hearts to dwell.
Application Question: Am I honest when asked about my tithing or offerings to God and His church? If not, what can I do to make my giving congruent with how I want to answer the question about my tithing and offerings?
Missions at the Right Time - Acts 8:25-40
By Pastor Kevin Hampton
Missions at Work - Acts 18:1-28
Missions at Home - Acts 16:13-40
Doubting your Salvation
Priorities and Prayer, Matthew 14:22-23
The Four "C"'s of Leadership
Grief after a Miscarriage
When You Give to Charity
By Anna Watson
Madeleine's Mission
By Evelyn
Paint My Heart. Act Six
By Jade George Anibor
Paint My Heart. Act Three.
Paint My Heart. Act Eight.
Understanding Six Principles of Giving
By Gicky Soriano
Paint My Heart. Act Five.
Paint My Heart. Act Nine.
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Crime | April 12, 2017
Top 10 Bizarre Alibis Criminals Used To Explain Their Crimes
Radu Alexander
“Alibi” used to mean some sort of evidence that proved a person was elsewhere when a criminal act had taken place. However, thanks mostly to police shows, the term has become so prevalent that both the Oxford and Cambridge Dictionary consider it, informally, an excuse for something bad. That prevalence has made most criminals think they always need to have an alibi at the ready. In some cases, they were better off keeping their mouths shut.
10 Dieting
Photo credit: AP
July 2010, US Army Reserve sergeant Rashad Valmont walked into the Fort Gillem office of his supervisor, Master Sergeant Pedro Mercado, and shot him six times. He then went looking for another superior, Sergeant Tracy Mosley, who fled when she heard the shots. When he couldn’t find her, Valmont got in his car, drove to a nearby police station, and turned himself in. He was facing a premeditated murder charge, but during his trial, his lawyer, William Cassara, presented an odd reason for Valmont shooting his supervisor six times: his diet.
According to Cassara, Valmont had been on a crash diet over the last few weeks and was suffering from diminished capacity. Furthermore, he claimed that Sgt. Mosley told Valmont to lose additional weight over the required minimum in order to be eligible for a course that the Reserve sergeant wanted to attend. According to his attorney, all of this effort left Valmont “dehydrated, exhausted and delirious.”
The prosecution painted a different picture. They said Valmont was a lazy soldier who had received several poor reviews in the past. The weight loss was necessary for him to meet standard military requirements, and Valmont finally snapped when Mercado denied him a vacation request. The jury didn’t buy the dieting defense, and Valmont was sentenced to life without parole.
9 Lycanthropy
One night in May 2011 at the Timber Ridge Campground in Brownhelm Township, Ohio, a 20-year-old man named Thomas Stroup drank a lot of vodka and started getting into fights with other people. By the time deputies arrived, Stroup had left, but they didn’t have to go far to find him. They found him passed out in his trailer, surrounded by swords, knives, and other bladed weapons.
The deputies woke Stroup up and placed him under arrest when the man started to growl at them. When he did attempt to speak, Stroup could only muster a few slurred words in a fake Russian accent.
After the man sobered up a bit, he calmly explained the reason for his late-night violent outbursts: He was a werewolf. He was scratched by a wolf on a trip to Germany, and he would now turn into a monster and “[go] on the attack when the moon’s out.” As a strange sidenote, Stroup also warned one of the arresting deputies that he was going to kill the deputy’s cousin, Keith, even though the deputy had no cousin by that name.
Police checked Stroup’s passport and confirmed that he had indeed traveled to Germany. That was the only part of the story they believed.
8 Sleepwalking
Photo via My Life of Crime
On the night of January 16, 1997, Phoenix, Arizona, resident Scott Falater stabbed his wife Yarmila 44 times. He was quickly charged with murder and made no attempt to deny his actions, but Falater claimed that he had been sleepwalking throughout the entire ordeal.
According to Falater, during his somnambulistic state, he believed he was repairing the pool, except that he was really using a hunting knife instead of a screwdriver. When his wife approached to check up on him, she startled Falater, who began stabbing her.
This story alone didn’t sound so far-fetched. Sleepwalkers can have violent outbursts if startled, and people had been acquitted using the homicidal sleepwalking defense in the past. However, prosecutors pointed out that after killing Yarmila, Falater proceeded to take off his bloody clothes and boots and stash them in a plastic container along with the murder weapon. He then hid them inside the tire well of his car. These actions were too complex and too specific for a sleepwalker and indicated premeditation. Judge and jury agreed, and Falater was sentenced to life in prison.
7 Nutmeg
In accordance with Swedish laws, the following 28-year-old criminal has remained unnamed, although he was referred to by the media as the “llama-man.” This is because on a previous occasion, he began accosting strangers in the city of Gavle and spitting on their faces like a llama.
The llama-man faced charges of harassment after sending rude comments and death threats via text to two sisters. During his trial in 2012, it was revealed that he’d had a violent outburst in a hospital and was responsible for assaulting two guards.
When the llama-man was acting wildly, hospital staff attempted to sedate him. This only enraged the man, who attempted to make a break for it. In the process, he tried to strangle one guard and dislocated the leg of another. His reason for his actions: a nutmeg-induced frenzy. Nutmeg contains myristicin, a psychoactive drug which the llama-man blamed for his rage. He was eventually sentenced for a multitude of charges.
6 Bondage
Photo credit: WKRN-TV
At first glance, Rebecca Bargy’s explanation for her husband’s death in 2008 seemed plausible. They were just a couple of consenting adults who liked to engage in bondage, which resulted in James Bargy’s accidental asphyxiation. According to her version of the story, Rebecca first gagged her husband, taped over his mouth and eyes, and then wrapped a bandage over his head. Afterward, she tied his arms and legs behind his back. Rebecca claimed this was something the couple did regularly and that James consented to all of this.
This was believable. Detectives, however, found it harder to believe the events that followed. After her husband had been gagged and immobilized, Rebecca left home for 20 hours. Moreover, police suspected she left so that she could meet another man in a local motel. By the time she came back, James Bargy had died of suffocation.
Police charged Rebecca with reckless homicide with the possibility of upgrading it to murder if they found evidence that the act was premeditated. However, the lesser charge stuck, and a judge sentenced her to 18 months in jail for negligent homicide.
5 The Matrix
Photo credit: Warner Bros.
In 2000, 27-year-old San Francisco State University student Vadim Mieseges confessed to a grisly crime. He had killed, skinned, and chopped up his 47-year-old landlady, Ella Wong, and scattered her body parts across town.
Mieseges made the grim confession after being picked up by mall security guards for wandering around with a knife. Given the amount of meth the Swiss student had on him, police believed the murder to be a drug-induced killing. However, Mieseges had a more novel explanation: He was afraid of getting sucked into “the Matrix.”
According to the eponymous hit movie, this world is just a simulation, an idea that played well into Mieseges’s paranoid personality. He had already been institutionalized in his native Switzerland. It was this delusion compounded by his crystal meth addiction that finally pushed Mieseges over the edge and led to him attacking his landlady for emitting “evil vibes.”
The strategy worked, sort of. Mieseges was declared insane and institutionalized. Two years later, Tonda Lynn Ansley used a similar excuse after shooting her landlady in the head. Ansley believed she was already in the Matrix, and therefore, her actions had no real consequences. She was also declared unfit to stand trial.
Photo credit: St. Mary’s Police Department
Compared to other entries on this list, 26-year-old Richard Relliford’s crimes seem small-time. However, the sheer audacity of the alibi he provided in his defense prompted the St. Mary’s Police Department in Georgia to make an incredulous Facebook post mocking his brazenness.
In 2015, Relliford was pulled over by police during a traffic stop. Officers then found a sandwich bag in his car with 455 grams (1 lb) of marijuana. Instead of simply admitting to his deed, Relliford actually tried to convince trained law enforcement officials that the green, leafy stuff was a salad he had just purchased from the store.
It’s hard to say whether Relliford was trying to trick police into thinking the marijuana was actually salad or if he was suggesting that the salesman gave him cannabis instead of his desired salad greens. Either way, cops didn’t buy it, and Relliford was convicted and sent to jail for drug possession.
3 Bollywood
Romantic movies can often be unrealistic. They tend to show us that persistence always pays off and that nothing solves relationship troubles faster than over-the-top, crazy gestures that would carry significant consequences in the real world. One man used this exact argument as his defense against two stalking charges in Australia in 2015.
Sandesh Baliga, a 32-year-old security guard originally from India, was accused of stalking one woman in 2012 for 18 months and another one in 2013 for four months. Even after they told him to leave them alone, Baliga kept calling and texting them, even approaching them in public and repeatedly referring to the women as his “girlfriends.”
Baliga’s lawyer asserted that the security guard’s doggedness came courtesy of Bollywood movies, which taught men that going after a woman over and over again will eventually make her say “yes.” He also claimed that Baliga’s behavior was “quite normal” for Indians. The judge agreed, to an extent. He let Baliga go, on the condition that he behave himself for the next five years.
2 Obama
Photo credit: Pete Souza
In 2015, Pamela Downs was arrested for paying at a store with a counterfeit $5 bill. Both the clerk and the police officer on-scene immediately spotted the bill as fake. It was clearly printed on normal paper using a regular printer, and the two sides were glued together poorly. When the cop searched Downs’s handbag, he found another fake $100 bill, which wasn’t even printed using green ink.
The woman never denied printing the counterfeit bills. When she found herself under arrest, Downs replied, “I don’t give a s—t, all these other b—ches get to print money, so I can too.” Later on, when Downs was asked to elaborate on what she was talking about, she said that President Obama passed a new law which allowed people on a fixed income to print their own money.
After police found a Walmart receipt for a new printer and copy paper in her bag, they realized Downs was serious. They searched her apartment and found up to $50,000 in counterfeit money. The “law” Downs was referring to came from an article from satirical publication The Skunk. According to the piece, Obama’s plan for the economy was to distribute a printing press to every American so that they could print US currency in their own home. Downs was charged with counterfeiting and criminal simulation.
1 Evil Twin
There have been more than a few people who’ve tried the “evil twin” defense in order to get away with various dirty deeds. The reasoning is that police and prosecution have to determine exactly which twin was responsible for the crime, as they cannot send the innocent twin to prison. Unless they can establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, the judge has to declare both men innocent.
In reality, though, the strategy rarely works because the innocent twin often has an alibi. In 2013, Colorado war hero Aaron Lucas was charged with sex crimes against minors and tried to blame his brother, Brian. Pennsylvania robber Steven Felton also attempted to pass the blame for ten heists to his “evil twin.” Neither strategy worked, and the men received 20 and 60 years of jail time, respectively.
Interestingly enough, the tactic worked in a 2009 drug trafficking case in Malaysia. Either Sathis or Sabarish Raj was caught transporting 166 kilograms (364 lb) of cannabis and 1.7 kg (3.7 lb) of opium. A conviction meant mandatory execution. Fortunately for the brothers, police didn’t know they were dealing with twins and failed to note which Raj drove the car and entered the house where the drugs were stashed. During the trial, each brother blamed the other one. The judge acknowledged that one of the twins was undoubtedly guilty, but it was impossible to determine which one. Both brothers walked away free.
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Author: Sam Harris
22 years old with CP. Graduated from Uni of Herts with a 2:1 in Journalism & Media Cultures with Sports Studies. Play disability football for St Albans City Youth. Watford FC and Leeds Rhinos fan. Interested in being a sports journalist.
sam_harris96
When the Williams sisters played in four straight Slam finals
By: Sam Harris | August 23, 2020 August 22, 2020
Between 2002 and 2003, Serena Williams and Venus Williams faced each other in four successive Grand Slam finals. Here, Last Word on Tennis is recounting their encounters at the highest level. French Open 2002 By the time Serena Williams arrived in Paris in 2002 she had yet to add to her maiden slam title of […] READ MORE
Serena vs Venus Williams: 1999 Miami Open Final
Serena and Venus Williams are two of the best ever players and have faced each other. The pair have contested plenty of memorable matches since their first meeting in 1998. Here, Last Word on Tennis recounts their first meeting in a final–at the Miami Open in 1999. Background The Williams sisters were both still teenagers […] READ MORE
How the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy Shaped a Generation of Greats
By: Sam Harris | August 4, 2020 August 10, 2020
What do Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova all have in common? Well, for one thing, all four won multiple Grand Slam titles and reached the #1 ranking. For another, all four trained at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida. In fact, those four are just a handful of the stars […] READ MORE
The Rise and Fall of Eugenie Bouchard
By: Sam Harris | July 26, 2020
Eugenie Bouchard showed her talent at an early age, winning the Canadian Under-18 Indoor Championship in Toronto aged just 15. She then reached back-to-back Australian Open junior semifinals in 2011 and 2012, before claiming her first junior Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2012. That made her the first Canadian, junior or professional, to win a Grand […] READ MORE
Best players who never completed the career Grand Slam
By: Sam Harris | July 16, 2020 July 16, 2020
Completing the career Grand Slam and winning the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open is no mean feat with the varying surfaces of hard court, clay and grass. Only the very best achieve this with some surprising names not managing it so Last Word on Tennis has decided to look at the […] READ MORE
The Five Best Women’s Grand Slam Finals of the 2000s
By: Sam Harris | July 5, 2020 July 10, 2020
Tennis fans are still eagerly awaiting the return of the sport after the suspension of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic. But with that return now on the horizon, what better time is there to look back at some of the great matches of yesteryear. The 2000’s saw some particularly thrilling women’s finals at […] READ MORE
Andre Agassi’s Career Golden Slam
By: Sam Harris | June 28, 2020 July 10, 2020
Andre Agassi is seen as one of tennis’ best ever players, winning eight Grand Slams and managing to win every Slam during his career. The American became the first player to complete a Career Golden Slam when he won the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open along with an Olympic Gold medal […] READ MORE
Steffi Graf’s Golden Slam
By: Sam Harris | June 22, 2020 July 3, 2020
Steffi Graf is seen as one of tennis’ best ever players, winning 22 Grand Slams but 1988 was the year that will never be beaten. The German star competed a Calendar Golden Slam when she won the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open along with an Olympic Gold medal. Last Word on […] READ MORE
The French Open dominance of Justine Henin
By: Sam Harris | June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020
If Rafael Nadal is known as the ‘King of Clay’ then, for a period in the mid 2000s, Justine Henin was almost certainly the Queen. She won three straight titles from 2005, the only person to achieve that feat apart from Monica Seles in 1992. French Open 2005 Embed from Getty Images The Belgian star […] READ MORE
Yannick Noah – The last Frenchman to triumph at Roland Garros
By: Sam Harris | June 9, 2020 June 6, 2020
With the French Open meant to have taken place currently, Last Word on Tennis decided to fill the void by revisiting some famous matches at Roland Garros. Our second trip down memory lane is to the 1983 tournament when Yannick Noah became the first Frenchman to win his home Slam in 37 years. Background Noah […] READ MORE
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Children’s School Lunches: Their History and Potential Future
Posted on February 2, 2017 August 12, 2020 by Chad Johnson
By Alexis Juergens for BiolawToday.org.
In 1946, Congress passed the National School Lunch Act. This act states that “It is hereby declared to be the policy of Congress, as a measure of national security to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation’s children and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities and other food, by assisting the States, through grant-in-aid and other means, in providing an adequate supply of food and other facilities for the establishment, maintenance, operation, and expansion of nonprofit school lunch programs.”[1] Once this act was passed, programs expanded to help feed more children and Presidents Eisenhower and Nixon both increased the budgets for school lunch programs.[2]
However, in 1981, this drastically changed when the Reagan administration cut Federal school lunch spending by $1.5 billion. This shrank the sizes of children’s lunches, and classified ketchup as a vegetable in order to meet the nutrition standards. Because there was less federal support, school lunches in the 1980s and 1990s became increasingly privatized and nutrition standards were essentially forgotten. [3]
In 2010, Congress passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act which allowed the Department of Agriculture to revamp school meals in order to meet better nutrition standards.[4] This Act proposed separating fruits and vegetables into different categories to increase the total amount offered to kids.[5] Specifically, the USDA stated that at least once a week, lunches were to offer one half-cup serving of each of the following: dark green vegetables (spinach, broccoli), orange vegetables (carrots, squash), legumes (chickpeas, kidney beans), starchy vegetables (white potatoes, corn) and “other vegetables,” including tomatoes.[6] The USDA also wanted to see at least half of the grain servings within lunches be whole grain.[7]
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As these new guidelines were being developed by the USDA, there was a large push to change the way tomato paste was defined and measured as a vegetable.[8] Under current regulations, “one eighth of a cup of tomato paste counted as one half cup of vegetables, essentially inflating its serving size, making it easier for pizza to be made with ingredients that have a serving of ‘vegetables.’”[9] This classification of tomato paste captured headlines because with tomato paste counting as a half cup of vegetables, school lunches were technically able to consider pizza as a “vegetable” due to the tomato paste present on the pizza. In January of 2011, the USDA proposed to change this rule to count purees, such as tomato paste, based on “volume as served” so schools were no longer able to count the tomato puree as a half vegetable serving.[10] However, Congress adjusted the bill to preserve tomato paste’s “special treatment.”[11]
Although this classification of tomato paste still stands, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 has indeed improved the nutrition of school lunches.[12] “97% of schools have embraced updated, healthier meal standards; kids are now eating at least 13% more of their entrees, at least 16% more vegetables and 23% more fruit at lunch; and nearly 4 million children have access to healthy food in the summer when school is out and meals are scarce.”[13]
While this Act was ultimately beneficial, it expired on September 30, 2015. Luckily, these child nutrition programs continue to operate because the reauthorization of these programs is not required for them to continue.[14] In 2016, there was a Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill on the Hill; however, due to large policy differences between the House and Senate Versions of this bill, it was not enacted.
So, what does the future look like for school lunches under a Trump presidency? Although President Trump has yet to weigh in on school meal regulations, he is known to be a large patron of fast-food.[15] Now that the Healthy, Hungry-Free Kids Act of 2010 has expired, there may be potential for these healthy food regulations to change drastically. Republican Robert Aderholt of Alabama states that he “would be very surprised if [I] don’t see some major changes on the school lunch program.”[16] Although President Trump still has not commented on school meal regulations, there is the potential for all the progress that has been accomplished under the Healthy, Hungry-Free Kids Act of 2010 to change dramatically.
Alexis Juergens is currently a second year law student. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Northern Arizona University with a B.S. in Criminology and Criminal Justice with a double minor in English and Biology. While also studying at Northern Arizona University, Alexis was a Division I swimmer and named All American National Strength & Conditioning Association Athlete of the Year in 2015. She is interested in litigation with a focus on Intellectual Property law, and worked with Maschoff Brennan over her 1L summer. Alexis is involved with many organizations at the law school including president of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund, secretary of Student Litigation Society, and the 2L representative for the Student Intellectual Property Law Association and Sports Law Club.
[1] https://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp/history_5
[2] http://time.com/4496771/school-lunch-history/
[5] http://articles.latimes.com/2011/nov/28/health/la-he-school-lunch-nutrition-20111128
[8] http://www.foodpolitic.com/how-pizza-became-a-vegetable/
[10] http://www.foodpolitic.com/how-pizza-became-a-vegetable/
[11] http://articles.latimes.com/2011/nov/28/health/la-he-school-lunch-nutrition-20111128
[12] http://time.com/4163451/healthier-school-lunch-study/
[13] https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAOC/bulletins/141ee38
[14] http://frac.org/leg-act-center/cnr-priorities/
[15] http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/will-trump-fast-food-fan-remake-healthy-school-lunches/
LABS Blog | Center for Law and Biomedical Sciences
← President Trump Reinstates the Mexico City Policy a.k.a “Global Gag Rule”
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The viewpoints and opinions expressed in this blog are primarily those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law or the Center for Law and Biomedical Sciences. Thoughtful responses are welcome.
Patents and Coronavirus – The Research Exemption in the U.S.
By Jorge Contreras This was originally posted for the AU infojustice.org blog. The recent COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has raised numerous legal issues around the world. In this series of posts, Professor Jorge Contreras of the University of Utah (Salt Lake City, USA) discusses some of the patent and other intellectual property law implications arising from […]
Do You Own Your Genetic Test Results? What About Your Temperature?
A Groundbreaking Medical Procedure and Insurance
“Everyone’s Game.” Bridging the Inventorship Gender Gap
Protecting Young Athletes From Poor Air Quality
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Home Business Law Pennsylvania Chester County
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Kathleen M Hyneman
Chester County, PA Business Law Lawyer with 31 years of experience
(610) 524-3250 298 N Cote Circle
Exton, PA 19341
Free ConsultationBusiness
Graduated from University of Virginia School of Law in 1989 in top 10% of class. Worked in corporate department at Saul Ewing in Philadelphia, assisting in all manners of business transactions. Joined the Corporate Legal Department at Comcast Corporation, working with Business Development on acquisitions and sales and joint ventures. Moved to the venture capital arm of Comcast Corporation as its General Counsel, overseeing legal aspects of portfolio investments.
Karim P. Husain
(610) 308-9747 535 N Church St
West Chester, PA 19380
Business, Bankruptcy, Probate and Tax
Villanova University School of Law and University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Karim P. Husain concentrates his practice in the areas of Wills, Trusts & Estates, Bankruptcy, Business Consulting & Commercial Litigation and Tax Controversies & Tax Litigation. Formerly a senior associate with a private law firm and a Big 4 accounting firm, he also served as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Charles A. Lord of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania and to the Hon. Robert A. Latrone of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. A long-time resident of the Philadelphia area, Mr. Husain received his Master of Laws in Taxation from the Villanova University School of Law, Juris Doctorate...
Christopher C. Carr
Chester County, PA Business Law Attorney with 29 years of experience
(610) 380-7969 3240 Tyning Lane
Downington, PA 19335
Free ConsultationBusiness, Bankruptcy, Consumer and IP
Ohio State University - Columbus
I am a Federally designated Debt Relief Agency Attorney, with experience in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, Mortgage Modification, Debt Settlement, Fair Debt Collection/Debtors Rights. I also work in Small Business, Intellectual Property (including software licensing and entertainment law) and Elder Law. I take a compassionate view on all problems presented to me and many of my clients past and present have become personal friends. I am also an MBA with several years of practical experience as a Financial Planning Analyst with the NCR Corporation and this background provides me with unique insights into the economics of law which most...
Murray Eckell
(215) 925-4435 113 East Evans Street Matlack Bldg, Suite D-1
As head of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) practice, Murray began the practice of law in the City of Chester in 1959 following his graduation from the Law School of the University of Pennsylvania. His undergraduate work was completed in 1956 at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
After practicing at the law firm of Snyder and Snyder for three years, Murray practiced alone for a short time. Thereafter, he, along with Don Sparks, formed Eckell & Sparks in the spring of 1964 which was the genesis of the present law firm. During his first 15 years of practice, Murray engaged in the...
Mr. A. Duie Pyle
(484) 948-1428 105 E. Evans Street
Business, Real Estate and Tax
Duie represents clients in business transactions and corporate matters, with an emphasis on privately held and family businesses. His practice spans the business life cycle, from initial business planning and the formation of corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and other entities, to business sales, workouts, and windups. Duie also provides general representation in day-to-day business matters such as contract preparation, review, and negotiation. He frequently advises clients on shareholder, buy/sell, and other owner agreements, lending and finance, construction contracts, employment and non-compete agreements, and other business matters. Duie works with closely held business owners in their estate and succession planning, particularly...
George J. D'Ambrosio
Business, Estate Planning and Real Estate
George J. D’Ambrosio, Of Counsel in the Firm’s West Chester Office, has more than 45 years of experience in offering a wide range of legal services, including complex commercial litigation, personal injury, franchise, real estate and municipal law.
He started his legal career with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, where he successfully prosecuted over 60 homicide cases. Throughout his career, Mr. D’Ambrosio has represented clients in the purchase and sale of franchises, has counseled clients in corporate transactions, and has extensive experience offering estate planning, estate and trusts administration and probate services.
For over 30 years, he was a...
James J. Ruggiero Jr.
(610) 889-0288 Paoli Corporate Center - Suite 211
16 Industrial Boulevard
Paoli, PA 19301
Business, Elder, Estate Planning and Probate
Since 1990, Mr. Ruggiero has been helping families and business owners create estate plans aimed at transferring their legacy successfully to the next generation. He is owner of Ruggiero Law Offices LLC with offices in Paoli, and Center Valley, where he practices in the area of estate planning, estate administration, elder law, business law and real estate. His planning experience includes the use of wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, IRA trusts, and life insurance trusts. From an administration perspective, he has overseen the administration of estate of varying degree of complexity including insolvent estates to those values exceeded $20...
John Rafferty
Chester County, PA Business Law Attorney
(484) 412-0617 17 E Gay St
Free ConsultationBusiness and Insurance Claims
I am a litigator and focus my practice on civil and business litigation matters. If there's a dispute brewing that may involve an agreement (even a handshake or verbal promise) or a contract, I'd love to help you identify a resolution, or if necessary, bring the case to trial before a judge or jury.
My extensive trial experience includes work at the Chester County District Attorney’s office where, as an Assistant District Attorney, I managed multiple cases from investigation through trial, prosecuting serious criminal matters, including homicides and assaults.
My career began in the U.S. Navy, where I served as a...
Bruce L. Baldwin
(610) 436-8300 13 W. Miner Street
Business and Personal Injury
Bruce L. Baldwin was born June 6, 1959 in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Souderton Area High School in 1977. Mr. Baldwin attended West Chester University, graduating in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts in Literature, Summa Cum Laude. Following his undergraduate work, Mr. Baldwin studied at Villanova University School of Law, where he was active in the Moot Court Board, and earned his Juris Doctor in 1984. Mr. Baldwin began his practice of law in Collegeville before coming to Pottstown in 1987, where he has practiced law with firm founder Jack Wolf ever since. Mr. Baldwin...
Karen Elizabeth Eichman
(855) 529-3276 8 Federal Road
West Grove, PA 19390
Business, Employment and Estate Planning
Creative Problem Solver, with a personal touch.
Michael Maroto
(610) 579-3986 142 West Market Street
Business, Divorce, Estate Planning and Family
Widener University Delaware School of Law and Widener University Delaware School of Law
Like many of the Firm’s attorneys, Mr. Maroto brings a multi-faceted approach to his cases and draws upon a solid understanding of legal, financial and tax issues germane in today’s complex litigation matters. Throughout his entire career, he has specialized in business and financial issues and how those issues relate to a client’s pending legal action. Because of his unique back-ground, Mr. Maroto is involved in many of the Firm’s complex litigation and business matters.
Mr. Maroto primarily concentrates his attention on the Firm’s growing business and estate law areas of practice and caters to those clients whose cases present problems...
Terence P. Ruf Jr.
(484) 786-9203 37 West Gay Street
Free ConsultationBusiness, Construction, Consumer and Criminal Defense
Terence earned his undergraduate degree from the Pennsylvania State University in 1998. Terry began his legal career soon after garduating from Penn State. His professional experiences prior to and during law school include positions as a trial technology technician at a national litigation support firm in Washington D.C, as a paralegal for a Philadelphia defense firm, as a paralegal for staff counsel for one the largest insurers in North America, and as a law clerk at a Plaintiff’s firm in Chester County. While working full time as a paralegal, he attended the Widener University, School of Law, where he earned...
John A. Gallagher
(610) 647-5027 5 Great Valley Parkway
Malvern, PA 19355
Free ConsultationBusiness, Civil Rights and Employment
I am an employment lawyer helping individuals in Chester County, Montgomery County, Delaware County and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I am President of Gallagher Law Group, LLC. We handle all types of employment related claims, such as for wrongful termination, discrimination, sexual harassment, disability benefits, unemployment benefits, Family and Medical Leave, Americans With Disabilities, wage and overtime claims, whistleblower claims, etc. We are devoted to prompt and vigorous prosecution of employment discrimination claims and employment retaliation claims. We focus on prompt and extensive communication with our clients so that they know exactly what is going on in their...
Timothy J. Trott
(610) 431-3300 882 S. Matlack St, #101
Free ConsultationBusiness, Criminal Defense, DUI & DWI and Social Security Disability
Tim brings a unique variety of legal and business experience to his practice. Since 1992, he has practiced in the following areas of law: criminal/DUI defense, social security, bankruptcy. Before becoming a lawyer, Tim had a successful business career. He was a Vice President at Ketchum Advertising in Philadelphia, and was a Marketing Vice President at CoreStates Bank of Delaware. Tim represents people in need of legal services in Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Berks and Lancaster Counties. A former Marine, Tim is a graduate of Fordham University in New York. He earned his...
James S. Tupitza
Chester County, PA Business Law Lawyer
(610) 696-2600 212 West Gay Street
Business, Appeals, Construction and Energy
Villanova University School of Law and Widener University Delaware School of Law
Mr. Tupitza has been an attorney since 1976. His practice is primarily in the area of real estate and business law. He is experienced in oil and gas leases, title insurance matters, commercial/industrial real estate, residential real estate and farm issues. He handles transactions and litigation. He teaches numerous CLE courses including courses on the following topics: Boundary Law, Litigating Failure to Disclose Issues, Lien Priority, Lien Divestiture, Tax and Sheriff's Sales, Deeds, Trial Tactics, Title Insurance, Tax Issues Impacting Real Estate and more.
Paige Simmons Esq.
Chester County, PA Business Law Lawyer with 9 years of experience
(484) 301-6800 667 Exton Cmns
Free ConsultationBusiness, Estate Planning and Real Estate
The Simmons Law Firm is led by Paige Simmons, Esq. Paige has provided legal counsel to businesses, community associations, management companies, and building owners for close to a decade. She has also spent several years defending and suing Fortune 500 companies like Staples, Home Depot, Benihana, KB Homes and Richmond American Homes. In addition, Paige has handled hundreds of commercial and residential landlord-tenant disputes, judicial foreclosures, personal judgments, and liens.
Paige brings years of business acumen and insurance knowledge to the firm. Prior to embarking on her legal career, Paige was a licensed all-lines claims adjuster for a national...
J. Christopher Erb
(610) 993-2690 20 South Valley Road, Suite 100
Business, IP and International
Temple University Beasley School of Law and Georgetown University Law Center
Chris Erb is a corporate attorney focusing primarily on small and mid-sized international companies doing business in the United States, particularly in the areas of computer, internet, and privacy/data security law. Chris also assists with the structuring and formation of corporations, negotiation of contracts and agreements, and with the transfer of personnel to support the new US corporation. With his knowledge of European, particularly German, business practices and law, Chris can assist clients in understanding the similarities and differences between the European and US business environment, and with recognizing and avoiding the risks associated with the often litigious US market.
Bruce W. Laverty
(610) 645-4504 701 E. Lancaster Avenue
Downingtown, PA 19335
Business, Consumer, Criminal Defense and DUI & DWI
Matthew J. Bilker
Business, Family, Insurance Claims and Personal Injury
Matthew is an associate in the litigation department of Eckell Sparks in Media, PA. Matthew joined Eckell Sparks in September of 2013 after finishing a judicial clerkship with the Honorable John P. Capuzzi, Sr., in the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas. In 2015, he was appointed as the Editor of the Delaware County Legal Journal.
Matthew currently serves as an Assistant County Solicitor in Delaware County’s Office of the Solicitor. Previously, he acted as Solicitor for the Marple Township Zoning Hearing Board.
Matthew is a member of both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Bars. He has conducted CLEs...
Scott M. Klein
(610) 436-4400 118 W. Market Street
Free ConsultationBusiness, Criminal Defense, DUI & DWI and Domestic Violence
Andrew J. Bellwoar
(610) 314-7066 126 W Miner St #1
Business, Estate Planning, Municipal and Real Estate
Andrew Bellwoar has been practicing law for over 30 years; representing individuals, businesses, and public entities. His areas of practice consist of Wills/Trusts/Estate Administration, Business Contracts, Real Estate/Land Development/Zoning, and Municipal Law. In the beginning of his career, he served as an Assistant District Attorney at the Delaware County District Attorney's Office. After serving as an Assistant District Attorney, he went on to work in a law firm out of Delaware County. In 1998, Mr. Bellwoar then became a partner in a law firm, where he represented many clients. Andrew has won the Top Lawyer Award for many consecutive years,...
Seamus M Lavin
(484) 887-0779 101 East Evans Street
Walnut Building - Suite A
Business, Estate Planning, Probate and Real Estate
Villanova University School of Law, Villanova University School of Law and Rutgers School of Law-Camden
Seamus Lavin joined Wetzel Gagliardi & Fetter LLC in 2014. Seamus has been representing individuals, families and businesses in a variety of transactional and litigation settings for over a decade. Seamus’ transactional practice is focused towards assisting clients in the acquisition, protection and transfer of wealth. He achieves these goals by means of effective estate planning, business formation, real estate management, contract negotiation, and the efficient resolution of unavoidable litigation. His emphasize on the use of in-depth consultations enables him to implement estate plans tailored to each client's specific needs and goals. ...
Harry Metka
(610) 813-4994 1055 Westlakes Drive, Ste 300
Berwyn, PA 19312
Business, Estate Planning, Probate and Tax
Joseph F. Aceto Ph.D., Esq.
(484) 880-8428 1617 Newark Road
Kennett Square, PA 19348
Free ConsultationBusiness, IP and Patents
John Stone Bagby Jr
(610) 889-1550 43 Leopard Road
Paoli Executive Green II, Suite 301
Free ConsultationBusiness, Administrative, Appeals and Civil Rights
Dickinson School of Law
As founder and principal of Bagby & Associates, LLC, John Bagby has over thirty years of experience in federal and state courts throughout the region. He is directly responsible for the firm’s client relationships, including the supervision of all aspects of the firm’s professional services. A graduate of the University of Virginia and the Dickinson School of Law, John has prepared and tried complex, multiple party litigation throughout the country. He currently represents individuals, businesses, and corporate entities in complex business matters and litigation. His practice has been varied, with an emphasis on technical and engineering issues in the area...
Vincent Carosella
(610) 431-3300 882 South Matlack Street
Carosella and Associates, P.C. is a law firm licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Our attorneys are experienced in Business Law, Criminal Law, Family Law, Real Estate, Estate Law and Immigration. We help our clients with incorporations, business contracts, real estate contracts, business buy/sell agreements, business succession planning, estate planning, wills, trusts, probates, real estate, leases, contracts, divorce, adoptions, bankruptcy issues and a lot more.
Thomas A. French
(610) 423-4200 29 Dowlin Forge Road
Business and IP
Thomas French is recognized as a leading business and corporate trial attorney. He is one of Harrisburg's most experienced commercial litigators, having tried numerous cases to verdict and appeal over the course of his thirty+ year career. He represents prominent area and national companies in their most important business disputes, including intellectual property, patent, trademark, copyright, trade secrets, non-compete and non-disclosure agreement cases. He frequently represents shareholders and other business owners in ownership and control disputes, business valuation issues, commercial fraud cases and disputes arising in connection with the sale of businesses. Counted among Mr. French’s clients...
Jason Eric Murtagh
(610) 408-2000 10 South Leopard Road
Business, Appeals, Arbitration & Mediation and Employment
Pamela Ann Crowther
Free ConsultationBusiness, Appeals, Divorce and Elder
Pamela Crowther is an experienced attorney whose practice involves criminal and civil litigation including family law, business litigation, constitutional challenges, securities enforcement and government compliance, health care fraud, criminal defense, and civil and criminal appeals. With over twenty years of experience, she is a seasoned litigator with clients who run the gamut from the individual seeking advice on custody to a large corporation facing product liability claim. Her practice covers a wide-range of civil and criminal matters in federal and state courts and before administrative tribunals. She has represented numerous corporations and individuals in product liability cases; complex commercial and...
Jeffrey J. Valocchi Esq.
(610) 269-0900 342 E. Lancaster Ave.
Business, Divorce, Family and Insurance Claims
Date of Birth - December 4, 1952 (Downingtown) Married - Wife: Beth E. Valocchi Children: Twin Daughters - May 26, 1989 Alexandra - American University Anastasia - St. Joseph's University Born and Raised in Downingtown One of Eleven Children Parents: Ben A. & Amina C. Valocchi Residence of E. Brandywine since 1985 Member of St. Joseph's Parish
James Metka
(610) 813-4994 600 Eagleview Blvd, Ste 300
Free ConsultationBusiness and Employment
Brendan D. Hennessy, Esquire concentrates in employment law on behalf of employees and employers. In the past decade, he has handled hundreds of cases, appearing in court and before the EEOC and the PHRC regarding discrimination and retaliation. He also represents clients at unemployment compensation hearings, reviews severance agreements and assists in drafting employment handbooks. Mr. Hennessy teaches a class on Employment Law at Villanova. He graduated from Devon Prep, St. Joseph’s University and Temple School of Law where he served on Temple Law Review and the Moot Court Board. He is licensed to practice in...
Keith Nicholas Renaldo
(610) 918-1339 218 North Church Street
Business, Collections, Construction and Consumer
Mr. Renaldo has been a practicing lawyer for over twenty years (sixteen of them in Chester County). Mr. Renaldo's practice has been concentrated in civil litigation, business law, personal injury including worker's compensation and commercial real estate transactions. Mr. Renaldo also obtained his broker’s license and is an active broker focusing on large commercial tracts of land for subdivision, development and redevelopment. Mr. Renaldo graduated from American University, The Washington College of Law, receiving his J.D. Prior to that he attended East Stroudsburg University, receiving a double major in Economics and Management with a minor in Accounting
Jay G Fischer
(610) 269-0900 342 East Lancaster Ave
Free ConsultationBusiness, Bankruptcy, Elder and Estate Planning
Phillip A Simon
(484) 883-4294 391 Wilmington Pike
Suite 3, #424
Glen Mills, PA 19341
Business, Collections, Criminal Defense and DUI & DWI
Brian Leinhauser
Business, Appeals, Education and Employment
Erica Intzekostas
(610) 993-2690 Suite 100
Philadelphia, PA 19301
Villanova University School of Law and Brooklyn Law School
Joshua D. Macel
Business, Employment, Landlord Tenant and Personal Injury
Josh Macel is a litigation attorney in Wolf, Baldwin, & Associates' Pottstown office. Mr. Macel represents several local businesses and individuals in breach of contract, employment, real estate, property dispute, and personal injury actions.
Mr. Macel strives to effectively communicate with his clients to understand their needs and explain how the legal process can work to help them. He believes in a holistic approach to resolving disputes, crafting a strategy that zealously advocates for his clients' best interests while considering the financial and often personal nature of the issues at hand. This style results in the best outcomes...
Wayne Von Lyon
Free ConsultationBusiness, Appeals, Asbestos and Family
Wayne Lyon is a versatile litigator, focusing his practice on complex civil litigation, with an emphasis in areas such as business litigation, wrongful death, insurance coverage litigation, and contract disputes. Wayne utilizes his unique analytical skill set to offer his clients efficient and effective representation. He has a uniquely diverse background with extensive experience representing clients in both the private and public sector. Wayne has represented insurance policyholders, insurers, risk retention groups and insurance professionals in complex insurance litigation and transactional insurance matters. He draws on this comprehensive, broad-based experience to offer his clients creative and effective solutions in all...
Stephen Kelly
(610) 444-4848 213 E. State Street
Business, Criminal Defense, Divorce and Personal Injury
Steve earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics at the University of Delaware and his law degree from the Delaware Law School. After serving as a senior trial attorney with the Chester County District Attorney's Office for over 25 years, Steve now represents many individuals and businesses in all areas of litigation.
Business Attorneys in Nearby Cities
The OneCLE Lawyer Directory contains lawyers who have claimed their profiles and are actively seeking clients. Find more Chester County Business Lawyers in the Justia Legal Services and Lawyers Directory which includes profiles of more than one million lawyers licensed to practice in the United States, in addition to profiles of legal aid, pro bono and legal service organizations.
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How to Write a Bill for State Legislature
How to Propose a Law
••• m-imagephotography/iStock/GettyImages
How to Write a Bill Proposal
How to Write a Legislative Proposal
How to Write a Trial Court Memo
Writing a bill for your state legislature is one way for concerned citizens or groups to have a direct impact on government. While citizens or organizations cannot introduce a bill – only a legislator can do that – writing a bill is a good way to begin the legislative process. What you write can affect the way state senators or representatives make decisions. The more preparation you put into a bill before presenting it to legislators that you want to sponsor it, the more likely they will be to help with your cause.
Research Existing Legislation
Research any previous legislation on the issue that is the subject of your bill. This could include laws in your own state, laws in other states, and federal laws regarding similar issues. For example, a law in one state banning the sale of fireworks might be a model for a similar law in your state. If you do find laws in other states similar to the law you want, try to find out how effective such laws have been.
Find Relevant Background Information
Look up background information pertaining to your issue. For example, if you wanted to write a bill to provide incentives for keeping businesses in the state, relevant background information might include unemployment rates, corporate taxes and data about businesses moving out of the state.
Contact Lawmakers to Sponsor Your Bill
Contact several lawmakers who might be willing to sponsor your bill. In state legislatures, many bills that are introduced never even get voted on by either of two houses of the legislature. Many bills never get out of committee and get to the floor of either house.
The more sponsors you can get, the better the chances that the bill will be treated seriously, recommended by committees, put to a vote by the full state Senate and the full lower house (which in most states in called the House of Representatives) and passed into law.
Begin with the Preamble
Begin the bill with a preamble, briefly explaining the reasons behind the bill. Since a bill should be presented as a legal document, clauses should begin with "Whereas," followed by the reason.
Write the Body of the Bill
Write the body of the bill. This should be broken into sections, with each section outlining a specific provision of the bill. For example, the first section might be the name of the bill, and each section that follows it would be a single piece of the bill.
Finish with an Enactment Clause
Finish the bill with an enactment clause, which can be a section of the body of the bill. This states when the bill would take effect if it is passed.
Before you start writing your bill, get some copies of existing bills before the legislature to give you some ideas on how to structure you bill and what sort of wording to use.
Before offering your bill to potential sponsors, you might want to show it to someone who knows a lot about the legislative process and who knows a lot about your state legislature. Such a person should be able to give you helpful advice.
Dummies.com: Building a Bill in Congress; by David Silverberg
Harvard: https://harvardjol.com/2016/10/24/a-beginners-guide-to-legislative-drafting/
House Office of the Legislative Counsel: HOLC Guide to Legislative Drafting
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Tag Archives: Wild Turkey
What did the gold miners eat? (Part 1: Bush food in Beechworth)
Posted by Jacqui Durrant in Aboriginal, Bush Food, Gold rush, Gold rush food
Australian bustard, Emily Skinner, Freshwater Mussels, Murray Crayfish, Seweryn Korzelinski, Trout Cod, Wild Turkey, William Howitt
Ask anyone what the miners of the Spring and Reid’s Creek gold rushes ate, and they will tell you it was boiled mutton and damper, washed down with plenty of black tea. While this isn’t exactly incorrect; it is a fantastic over-simplification. So for the next few posts, I want to look more closely at what the gold diggers ate. In this post, I will start with wild or ‘bush’ foods.
An Australian Bustard or ‘Wild Turkey’ (image from birdwallpapers.com)
One of the reoccurring themes seen in letters and diaries from the early gold rush period (1852-3) is that of the diggers telling us what animals they’d caught. Initially I glossed this as newcomers to a strange land, fascinated with Australia’s unusual flora and fauna. However, eventually, I began to wonder why diggers so frequently remarked upon hunting and fishing. Only when I considered the broader social context of the period did this really make sense: In Britain, the right to hunt game had been restricted to the aristocracy and gentry from 1671 until 1831. After this, anyone could hunt, but a game licence was required — a ploy which once again restricted all but the wealthy. So it seems that the gold diggers in Australia were remarking out of sheer amazement: that anyone could hunt and fish, and do it for free!
When we think about wild food around Beechworth in 1852, we have to imagine the forests without Samba or Red deer, wild pigs, goats or rabbits; and the streams without trout or carp. There weren’t even honey bees (the Australian native bees that produce honey only live in warmer climates), nor edible mushrooms like the saffron milk cap or slippery jack. Still, there was plenty to eat.
Miners either hunted game themselves (usually on a Sunday when their gold licenses compelled them to down tools) or bought it — either from European or Indigenous suppliers (1). Mary Spencer, who stayed on Bontharambo Station during the gold rush, explained, ‘We are kept well supplied with quantities of fish and game; such as wild duck, turkeys, waterfowl, geese and black swan. The fish is very fine; fresh water trout, cod and a kind of salmon and various other kinds.’ (2)
The favourite feathered game species of the period seems to have been Wild Turkey, otherwise known as the Australian Bustard (Ardeotis australis). One of Australia’s largest birds, it became regionally extinct as its grassland habitat was taken over by grazing pasture. Hunting saw the end of local populations around Victoria, just as it had with Britain’s Great Bustard in the 1830s. However, the Australian Bustard can still be found inland today, and I’m reliably told that they taste like chicken.
The rivers and streams were abundant with delicious fish, shellfish and crustaceans. There are 38 species of freshwater crayfish in Victoria (27 of which are now threatened). Murray crayfish (Euastacus armatus) can still be found in Spring Creek, along with, of course, the humble Yabby (with the magnificent scientific name of Cherax destructor), which is more common in billabongs. Sometimes diggers could get a pail of Freshwater Mussels (Velesunio ambiguous), which are native to the Murray-Darling River system. Apparently they are tougher to eat than salt water mussels, being more like a clam in texture.
While en route to the Spring Creek diggings in late 1852, English author William Howitt wrote of how ‘The boys amused themselves with fishing, and caught what they call black-fish and trout, to us quite new fish, and a brilliant blue crawfish, with prickles all down each side of its tail.’ (3) He was probably referring to (in order) River blackfish (Gadopsis marmoratus), Trout cod (Maccullochella macquariensis) which was originally widespread in the south-east corner of the Murray Darling River system, and has spots like a rainbow trout (during the gold rushes, it was often called ‘bluenose cod’), and finally, the Central Highlands Spiny Crayfish (Euastacus woiwuru). Other prized fish included Golden Perch (Yellow Belly) (Macquaria ambigua), Murray Cod (Maccullochella peelii), and Short-finned Eel (Anguilla australis), which Indigenous people had been trapping and preserving by smoking, for millennia. Today Trout Cod is endangered, and it is prohibited to take them across the whole of Victoria, with the exception of two lakes at Beechworth: Lake Sambell and Lake Kerferd.
[Since writing this blog post, I had a conversation with fresh water fish ecologist Dr Paul Humphries, in which I learned that two species other were found in the local billabongs of the Ovens and Murray Rivers in North East Victoria, which were very good eating, and perhaps as a consequence, are no longer found here: Freshwater Catfish (Tandanus tandanus), and Silver Perch (Bidyanus bidyanus).]
When it came to red meat, possum was a popular meal. Seweryn Korzelinski, a Polish digger who visited Spring Creek in 1853, said of the diggers, ‘Some carry a gun and shoot cockatoos and possums on moonlit nights, which they bake on wooden skewers. Possums can be shot only at night, because they spend their days in holes in the trees. Only natives know how to find them in the day time.’ (4)
[Once again, since writing this original blog post, I have learned that local Aboriginal people sometimes wrapped the possum in clay before slow-baking them in an oven. Possums were the ‘go-to’ meal for most Aboriginal people of North East Victoria, although dozens of animal species were eaten — from Emu (with its deliciously oily skin that could be roasted until crispy), to slow-moving echidna which were only considered to be fair game for equally-slow moving elderly people. Even a humble handful of tadpoles could make a quick meal.]
But bush foods weren’t all about blood and guts. Miner’s wife Emily Skinner collected Pink-flowered Native Raspberry (aka Small Leaf Bramble) (Rubus parvifolius) while living in the Woolshed Valley in the mid 1850s. She said, ‘The best of the native berries that I have seen is the wild raspberry, which nearly resembles its namesake in appearance, but its taste is more like the blackberry. We used to gather it in sufficient quantities to make tarts, a change from the preserved fruits.’ (5) Although Pink-flowered Native Raspberry is not as prolific now as the introduced blackberry, it can still be found in the Mount Pilot section of the Chiltern Mount Pilot National Park. And it’s not even the only native fruit: if you’re keen, you can try the red succulent stalk of the fruit of the Cherry Ballart (Exocarpos cupressiformis), along with the fruit of the Hairy Geebung (Persoonia rigida).
Fred Cahir’s Black Gold: Aboriginal People on the Goldfields of Victoria, 1850-1870 (Australian National University, 2012) is comprehensive in providing firsthand period accounts of Indigenous people supplying gold miners with food.
Mary Spencer, Aunt Spencer’s Diary (1854): A Visit to Bontharambo and the North-east Victorian Goldfields, Neptune Press, Newtown, 1981, p.46.
William Howitt, Land, Labour and Gold, or Two Years in Victoria, Volumes 1 & 2, Sydney University Press, 1972 [first edn: 1855]. This reference: Volume 1, p.40.
Seweryn Korzelinski, Memoirs of gold-digging in Australia, translated and edited by Stanley Robe, foreword and notes by Lloyd Robson, University of Queensland Press, 1979, p.63
Edward Duyker (ed.), A Woman On The Goldfields, Recollections of Emily Skinner, 1852-1878, Melbourne University Press, 1995, p.69
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Home Maps Resources Calendar About ☰
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Cape Anguille, NF
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Cape Anguille Lighthouse
In 1860, John Page, Chief Engineer for the Department of Public Works of the Province of Canada, visited some twenty sites along the St. Lawrence River and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and reported about their comparative advantages as locations for lighthouses. Some of these sites were in Newfoundland, outside the jurisdiction of the Province of Canada, but Page noted, “It should also be kept in view that it is the interest of the Province, to aid and facilitate the navigation of both outlets from the St. Lawrence to the Ocean. For although Steamships generally pass through the Straits of Belle-Isle, and between Labrador and the Island of Anticosti, the greater number of sailing vessels use the channel lying South West of both Anticosti and Newfoundland.”
Original fog alarm building, tower, and double dwelling
Photograph courtesy Canadian Coast Guard
At that time, there was no lighthouse marking the southwest extremity of Newfoundland, and Page noted that a light there had “always been regarded by mariners and others, more or less conversant with the navigation by that route, as one of the most important that could be established.” Page inspected four points in southwest Newfoundland: Cape Anguille, Cape Ray, Point Enragée, and Duck Island, before concluding that if two lighthouses were to be built, they should be at Duck Island or Point Enragée and Cape Anguille, but if only one was deemed sufficient, it should be located at Cape Ray. Cape Ray was eventually selected, but a light was not established there until 1871, four years after confederation.
Cape Anguille, the most westerly point in Newfoundland, forms the southwest point of St. George’s Bay and is situated eighteen miles northeast of Cape Ray. Page had proposed that the light at Cape Anguille be constructed either at the extremity of the cape, on ground 250 feet above the sea, or atop a plateau, a few miles to the southeast, that was 25 feet above the water. “Strictly,” Page wrote, “there would be little or no difference in the actual outlay required at either place, as the greater height of tower necessary on the less elevated ground, would, as regards expense, be fully counterbalanced by the cutting and formation of a road, as a means of access to, and around such buildings as might be erected on the higher ground.”
After several decades, Cape Anguille was once again considered as a location for a lighthouse, and it was determined that a tall tower would be built at the lower of the two sites proposed by Page. By this time, major towers were being built of reinforced concrete, and it was decided that a flying buttress lighthouse, a design used in nine Canadian lighthouses completed between 1908 and 1912, would be erected at Cape Anguille.
Construction started on the fog alarm building and tower in 1906, and the following description of the work appeared in the 1907 Annual Report of the Department of Marine and Fisheries:
The fog alarm building and reinforced steel concrete tower, mentioned in last year's annual report as under construction, were practically completed during the present year. The tower is octagonal in plan, 10 feet in diameter, sup- ported with eight flying buttresses, and will be surmounted by a circular iron lantern. The height of the tower, from its base to the apex of the lantern is 105 feet. The fog alarm building is a wooden structure 54 x 32 feet, 15 feet high to the wall plate, and is built on solid concrete foundations. A 5-inch diaphone plant was furnished by the Canadian Fog Signal Company, of Toronto, for $5,600, and the machinery is now being installed. In addition to the above works a dwelling for the fog alarm engineer, a flag house, and an oil store were also erected the whole being done by day labour, under the supervision of the Quebec agency.
Flying buttress tower in 1921
Photograph courtesy Library and Archives Canada
The tower and fog alarm building were completed and placed in operation in 1908, after the boiler for the fog alarm had been landed at the station the previous year. A revolving third-order Fresnel, manufactured in Paris, France by Barbier, Benard & Turenne, produced the following light characteristic every ten seconds: 0.525-second flash, 1.35-second eclipse, 0.525-second flash, 7.6-second eclipse. The illuminant for the l00,000 candlepower light was petroleum vapour burned under an incandescent mantle.
A double dwelling was built to house the families of the keeper and the fog alarm engineer. Each side of this duplex had a kitchen, pantry, dining room, and living room on the main floor, with three bedrooms located in the upper, half-storey. Alfred Patry, a bilingual resident of Quebec City, was appointed the first keeper in October of 1908. According to his son Laurier, who would later become keeper himself, the relationship between the two families occupying the double dwelling rapidly deteriorated after the station opened, and the engineer soon moved to nearby Codroy. Patry opened up doors between the two halves of the dwelling, and his family enjoyed the additional space for many years. By 1923, Alfred and his wife Catherine had fifteen children, so the extra space was much needed and appreciated.
Catherine Patry passed away in April 1943, and that year Alfred fell ill, leaving the care of the lighthouse to his son Laurier. Laurier was officially made head keeper of Cape Anguille Lighthouse in 1945, and his father passed away two years later.
Between 1958 and 1960, a new octagonal, reinforced concrete tower and a fog alarm building were built by R. G. McDougall Ltd. Of Sydney, and the 1908 lighthouse, which had started to deteriorate, was demolished. The new tower, which was designated a Recognized Federal Heritage Building in 2007, stands fifty-nine feet tall and displays a white flash every five seconds. In 1965 and 1968 new bungalows were built for the keepers. Laurier Patry vacated the old double dwelling in 1968 and moved his family into one of the new residences.
After keeping the light for forty years, Laurier retired on December 31, 1983, and Henry Reid, who had been serving as an assistant since 1959, was promoted to replace Laurier. Keeper Reid retired in 1991, and in early 1992 Leonard Patry, son of Laurier and head keeper of the Channel Head Lighthouse at Port aux Basques, was transferred to Cape Anguille to carry on the tradition of lightkeeping at Cape Anguille that his grandfather had started over eight years earlier. Though the station was de-staffed in June of 1992, it was later re-staffed, and Leonard was back at the station.
In 2009, the Coast Guard announced it would gradually remove personnel from the remaining fifty-one staffed lighthouses in Canada, twenty-three of which were in Newfoundland and Labrador. Due to pushback from maritime interests and concerned individuals, a Senate committee looked into the planned de-staffing and in 2010 visited several of the staffed lighthouses. The committee published their findings in December 2010, and the following March, Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, announced the de-staffing had been cancelled.
A reporter contacted Leonard Patry when the announcement was made. “I read the email this morning,” Leonard told the reporter, “And it looks so definite. But still, I’ve worked with them for quite a few years and still in the back of my mind I wonder what time this is going to be back on again, eh? Because it did happen before — it was on, it was off, then it was on and off again… Anyway, I don’t know what it’s got to do with, maybe it’s got something to do with elections or something?” Still, Leonard was pleased his job was secure for the present.
In 2002, the station, minus the tower and a small office adjacent to it, were turned over to the Southwest Coast Development Association. Two years later, Linkum Tours opened Cape Anguille Lighthouse Inn, a sister property to the lighthouse inn it operates on Quirpon Island. The duplex, which was declared a provincial Registered Heritage Structure in 2003 and is the only surviving original building at the station, is used to host guests along with a more modern dwelling.
Keepers: Keepers: Alfred Patry (1908 – 1943), J. Laurier Patry (1943 – 1983), Henry Reid (1984 – 1991), Leonard Patry (1991 – 2006 ), Dale Lomond (at least 2020).
Photo Gallery: 1 2
Annual Report of the Department of Marine and Fisheries, various years.
“Cape Anguille Lightkeeper’s Residence,” Canada’s Historic Places.
“Lasting Light,” Martin Connelly, Theindependent.ca, March 25, 2011.
Located on Cape Anguille, the westernmost point of Newfoundland.
For a larger map of Cape Anguille Lighthouse, click the lighthouse in the above map.
From Port aux Basques, drive north on Highway 1 for 23.6 km (37.8 miles) and then turn west onto Route 406 just south of Doyles. Follow Route 406 for 22.4 km (14 miles), and you will find Cape Anguille Lighthouse at the end of the road. The head keeper's dwelling and a second, smaller dwelling are operated as Cape Anguille Inn by Linkum Tours.
The lighthouse is owned by the Canadian Coast Guard. Grounds open, tower closed.
Find the closest hotels to Cape Anguille Lighthouse
Copyright © 2001- Lighthousefriends.com
Pictures on this page copyright Kraig Anderson, used by permission. email Kraig
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Legarda: Make Our Laws Work to Avert Disasters Gov’t and Citizens Must Engage in Heightened Flood Prevention, Disaster Preparedness Measures
SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA TODAY EXPRESSED GRAVE CONCERN OVER THE CONDITION OF VARIOUS COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY THE PRESENT WEATHER DISTURBANCE THAT HAS CAUSED MASSIVE FLOODING IN MANY PARTS OF METRO MANILA AND NEARBY PROVINCES, AND CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO MAKE THE NATION’S LAWS WORK TO AVERT DISASTERS.
Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change and author of several environmental laws, stressed that both the government and the citizenry should engage in heightened flood prevention measures and other disaster preparedness efforts.
“Despite experiences of the past, flooding persists. Now we ask, was there declogging of esteros? Was garbage in open dumps collected? Were roads that needed repair done? Is flood control implemented? Are there updated flood warning protocols for dam water releases? With flooding comes sickness, loss of livelihood and chaos. Laws and policies are in place but when will the executive start implementing our laws and when will people follow laws enacted?” the Senator remarked.
Legarda said that laws such as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003), Clean Water Act (RA 9275), Climate Change Act of 2009 (RA 9729), and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 (RA 10121), if fully implemented, are enough to avert the disasters that have been plaguing many parts of the country every time a natural hazard strikes.
She added that with the present condition of communities in Metro Manila, the government should urgently undertake an NCR-wide clean up of drainage, waterways, and riverbanks; engage in more tree-growing activities; craft and implement comprehensive flood prevention and mitigation program in NCR; and create a program to address the problem of ground subsidence.
“No to open dumps. We must clean esteros and canals, segregate garbage, plant trees on vacant lots and roadsides, relocate urban settlers living in vulnerable areas, do rainwater catchment basins so that water is stored during rains and used during dry season,” Legarda said.
The Senator also stressed that agencies of government, particularly the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the Climate Change Commission (CCC), the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and all local government units (LGUs) should coordinate closely with one another for disaster prevention, effective disaster risk communication, and disaster response.
“Government must make the National Climate Change Action Plan and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan work. Adopted more than a year ago, they should serve as blueprints in mainstreaming climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in the government’s plans and programs, from the national down to the local level, not just in paper but in practice,” she explained.
“We now experience the ‘new norm’ and disaster response preparedness, such as warning and alert for evacuation, rescue and relief, can never be enough in this era of weather uncertainty brought by climate change,” Legarda concluded.
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The New Enforcer
In his 2nd State of the Nation address, President Noynoy Aquino announced the appointment of former Chief Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales as Merceditas Gutierrez’ successor as ombudsman. The former administered the incumbent President’s inauguration last June 30 after PNoy refused to be administered by Chief Justice Renato Corona, whose appointment PNoy had opposed.
The new ombudsman of the Republic of the Philippines, Conchita Carpio-Morales
Carpio-Morales is a daughter of a former judge, Lucas Carpio. She boasts a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of the Philippines (UP) and a bachelor’s degree in laws at the UP College of Laws. Upon earning her degrees, she started a law firm in Manila where she was assistant secretary. Thanks to her former professor from the University of the Philippines, Morales started a career at the Department of Justice. She was special assistant to Secretary of Justice Vicente Abad Santos. Conchita then worked her way from assistant to becoming a lawyer, researcher, assistant special lawyer and senior state counsel before becoming a judge in 1983.
During the Marcos administration, Morales was appointed as trial court judge in Pili, Camarines Sur. In the succeeding administration of Cory Aquino, she held the same post but in Pasay City. Morales enjoyed her first real break when she waqs appointed as head of the 7th Division of the Court of Appeals by then-President Fidel Ramos.
As an enforcer of the law, Conchita kept a vigilant eye on suspicious government activities. During the administration of Gloria Arroyo, she had questioned the constitutionality of the Mining Act which allowed mining on indigenous lands. She also criticized then NEDA chairman Romulo Neri for invoking executive privilege in order to avoid divulging the true score of the NBN-ZTE scandal. At the height of the midnight appointment controversy of the twilight days of the Arroyo administration, Morales condemned the Supreme Court ruling that the rule on midnight appointments does not cover the judiciary.
While Conchita holds a firm stance on honest public service, she received the highest number of opposition out of the candidates for the ombudsman role. One of her critics being none other than the former president, Gloria Arroyo. Yet despite all the opposition, PNoy entrusted his faith on the 70-year old.
In a country where majority of the people are yearning for justice, becoming the watchdog for corruption can be a very tense job. It may be the 3rd highest position in the land, but the job title the ombudsman fulfils makes it much more essential. The ombudsman is considered the tanod of the nation, the enforcer and watchdog. In her newfound profession, Conchita Carpio-Morales will go toe-to-toe with the nation’s corrupt in the world of politics. Though the task may be intimidating, especially with the private armies prevalent among these influential and well-off people, our new enforcer must realize that who she has behind her is a more potent ally – the truth.
As Mrs. Carpio-Morales steps into the battlefield of anti-corruption, she must lament the fact that her performance is vital to PNoy’s ‘daang-matuwid’ vision. If we are indeed to move out of the ‘dark days’, we must ensure corruption will not spoil our efforts ever again. In truth, corruption is the biggest factor that slowed down our country’s growth; the only thing that hinders us from achieving our potential. If business confidence is on a high lately, this is because investors have such high expectations on the Aquino government to stamp out corruption. More investments equate to more jobs, something the Filipino people drastically need today. Ergo, the ombudsman plays a key role in keeping momentum in the economy as well.
The people are growing tired of the government - it is up to Mrs. Morales to reinvigorate them.
For the next seven years, newly-appointed Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales will be the tanod of the nation against corruption. Whether she delivers or not, we have to wait and see. It is up to her, not only to bring the corrupt to justice, but to win back the trust of a people that seemed to have lost hope in their government. So to you Mrs. Morales, I wish the best, because one cannot stress the enormity of the task you have at hand.
Tags: conchita carpio-morales, exiled blogger, louie jerome, new ombudsman, noynoy aquino, state of the nation addressCategories: Philippine Issues
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Rainy Day Melancholia
November 7, 2008 mari anjeli
It’s been a lazy day and I thought I’d do some writing before the semester starts. Didn’t know that the story would end up this way. But I’m happy with it. Feel free to leave your comments about the story. (^^)
Through the Storm
The rain was pouring outside. In front of Abigail lay an open suitcase, sitting amid a cluttered mess of clothes, papers, stationery, stuff toys, and some unidentifiable objects. One unidentifiable object, hidden beneath some towels and sweaters, was letting out strains of melancholic melodies. The object in actuality was Abigail’s laptop, and was apparently trying to fill the room with music from Lisa Gungor, Brooke Fraser, and Nicole Nordeman. It was, however, considerably failing, since it was being buffered by the pieces of fabric sitting on top of it – and of course – by the rain.
Abigail let out a deep sigh as she turned to gaze at the rain falling on her window pane. It had started out as a mere drizzle that morning, but it was now coming down in sheets, threatening to annihilate the forsythia buds which were just beginning to emerge from the shrubs planted outside her window. She wished that the rain didn’t have to fall so hard. Then she wouldn’t have to worry so much about her beloved forsythia. And maybe then, she could go outside and dance in the rain, as she had done so many times before, during her childhood.
Still, the rain continued to come down in torrents, pouring over her beloved shrubs. Poor forsythia. Oh well. At least the survivors would have a story to tell once the storm had passed. Her eyes surveyed the poor forsythia buds which were desperately trying to stay alive in the midst the storm. She tried not to worry about them so much. They’ll survive, she thought to herself.
She turned her gaze towards the cluster of pine trees that sat on the open field just outside their house and saw an outline of a little girl standing beneath one of the trees. The girl was bright, bubbly, and full of anticipation, just like the forsythia shrubs planted outside her window. And, just like them, she too had faced some storms of her own, yet was strong enough to get through all of them.
The little girl, Abby, had always been a lover of the rain. Many people hated the rain but Abby simply adored it. Whenever summer would end and the weather would show the first signs of the rainy season, she would rush outside, without any umbrella or raincoat, and twirl around as the rain would start to fall upon her face and then continue to wash over her entire being.
Abby would often be interrupted by the sound of her mother’s voice ringing loudly through the pattering of the rain. “Abby! Get inside! You’ll catch a cold if you’ll stay out there! You have to remember that school starts in a few days! You can’t risk getting sick during times like these!”
Whenever her mom would call out to her, Abby would simply block out the nagging maternal voice and say, “I’ll be inside in a minute, Mom!” and continue with her fairylike plight.
Her mom would be outside in a few minutes, an umbrella in one hand and a towel in the other. She would wear a stern expression in her face as she would say, “Abby, it’s time to get inside.”
Abby never liked hearing those words, but, being an obedient daughter, she would consent and get inside as her mother lectured her about the health risks brought about by playing in the rain.
But Abby would never hear those words from her mom ever again.
She was 11 years old when her mom was diagnosed with cancer. Breast cancer, the doctor said. Abby never really understood any of it. All she knew was that she wanted her mom to live. She even made a promise to God that she would never to go outside in the rain again, if only He would allow her mom to live.
But God didn’t. A year later, one cold June afternoon, just as Abby was beginning her first year in high school, Abby’s mom passed away. Just like that. Despite a year’s work of treatment, she just… died. Just like that.
The rainy season began a few days after the funeral. Abby rushed outside at the first sign of rain. She had promised God that she would never go outside in the rain ever again – but that was if He had allowed her mother to live. She was dead. So what good was that promise now?
Her eyes were blurred by the mixture of rain and tears as she rushed towards the cluster of pine trees just outside her family’s house. The rain began pattering more intently upon her now, drenching her hair, soaking through her clothes. She threw herself on the ground and wept. It was the first time that she had ever felt such an unexplainable loss. And she didn’t know how to deal with it. All she had right now were her tears and the rain.
The rain fell violently on Abby as a figure made its way toward her. She lifted her eyes and thought, Mother? She blinked a few times and saw that she was mistaken. It wasn’t her mother. It was actually her father who was making his way towards her.
Her father.Abby never really took much notice of her father. Right now, she saw that his face was stricken with grief, but was filled with much compassion. He was coming towards her, soaked through and through, but with arms opened wide. “Hey, Abby… Don’t worry. Daddy’s here.”
With tears streaming down her face, Abby leapt towards her father and the two wept together as the rain poured over their grieving souls.
That moment under the torrents of the harsh June rain was a turning point in Abby’s life. It was the moment that she suddenly realized that she had a father.
It wasn’t because her father had been distant and unconcerned. Far from it. Abby recalled fragments of memory when her father would be looking outside with a smile on his face whenever she would go outside to dance under the rain. She also recalled instances when she would get home from school and he would be sitting on his easy chair reading the paper. He would always look up and smile at her, ready to hear about her day, but she would often just pass him by, thinking that her day was too mundane to share with such an important person as her father. And, during those days when her mother turned sickly, her dad would always look at her with compassion, but she never took notice of the comfort that she could have found in her father’s eyes.
But that moment, as he held her tight as sobs arose from her chest, she regretted all those times that she left her father unnoticed. But it didn’t matter now. Because he was there. And she was there. And Abby felt comfort knowing that she wasn’t alone in the world. She had a father.
“Abigail? How’s your packing getting along?”
A voice suddenly snapped Abigail out of her distant reverie. She turned and saw a man with graying hair standing by her bedroom door.
“My packing? It’s getting along…” Abigail smiled sheepishly as she wiped away a tear that had fallen to her cheek.
“What’s wrong honey?”
“Nothing… I was just thinking about Mom.”
10 years had passed since her mother’s death. Abby, who was now known as Abigail to most people, passed through high school and college carried in the arms of her father. He helped her through those tough times of adolescence, through those times of uncertainties, guiding her through every major decision. It was strange how someone whom she had taken little notice of for 12 years now had a big, big impact on her life.
Perhaps… perhaps like Abigail, it would take loss… or the death of someone to draw us close to people whom we have taken for granted for so long. Or perhaps it would take some unexplainable sadness… to open up our eyes to a Compassion that had always been there all along.
Abigail’s father sat down beside her and took some of her towels and sweaters, uncovering her laptop, allowing Lisa Gungor to sing “Paradox of Faith” without any hindrances or buffers. He placed them carefully inside her suitcase and said, “I’m sure Mom will be very proud of you right now.”
A few more tears fell upon Abigail’s cheeks. She was going to India in a few days to teach kids at the orphanages. It had always been her mother’s dream to see her daughter going to the nations, bringing them sound education and good news.
“Yeah, I’m sure she will,” Abigail replied as she turned to look at her father’s compassionate eyes.
He looked steadily into hers. “And I am too. I’m proud of you, Abby.”
The rain was no longer pouring outside. The sun slowly began to peer out from the clouds and began shining on the survivors of Abigail’s forsythia shrubs. They too had survived the storm.
2 thoughts on “Rainy Day Melancholia”
='(
‘was touched… sniff, ='(
… heheh, =)
fiddlerontheroof says:
awww… :)
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Tag Archives: Disenfranchised Grief
Death of Fiancee, Disenfranchised Grief, Military
Fiancees Find Themselves Another Casualty Of War
November 11, 2010 MaryMac 2 Comments
As we honor the servicemen and woman who bravely defended our nation and its people, and gave the ultimate sacrifice, I am reminded of this article from several years ago which gave a very telling view of the disenfranchised grief a fiancee find themselves after their beloved was killed.
At Becky Reid’s flower shop, just across the bay from Mobile, Ala., the wedding season extends well into fall. In normal years, Becky is exuberant about business as she works late on Thursday and Friday nights twisting roses and lilies into bridal bouquets.
But this is not a normal year.
Her fiance, a gentle giant of an Alabama National Guardsman named Christopher M. Taylor, 25, was killed Feb. 16 by a bomb while on a convoy in Baghdad.
She quickly learned that the emotional trials and practical challenges of being a war victim’s survivor, without the official status of “widow,” placed her in a uniquely vulnerable group. But it’s the emotional struggles that hurt most.
Now, late on Thursday and Friday nights, Becky can be seen through the windows of her shop bending over her tables with a cell phone propped between her shoulder and her ear, chit-chatting with her friend Laura or her father while she crafts corsages and bouquets.
She desperately needs the distraction of a conversation to keep her heart from aching over what her hands are doing.
To chase off worries during the nine months Chris was in Iraq, she dreamed on nights like this about the floral arrangements she would make for their wedding. Now she’s making corsages for other brides, reminders of the nuptials she and Chris will never have.
“OK, so, I don’t want to sound like this Southern gal who’s telling you about losing the love of my life,” says Becky, 24. “I had the normal dating life — five years of fending off dirtballs and jerks. Then I finally met a man who knew how to treat me right and would help me on with my jacket at a restaurant, or help start my car. Well, he’s gone now. He’s not coming back from Iraq. Eight months later, I’m still devastated, but all my girlfriends are asking why I’m not dating yet.”
This is just one of many emotional challenges for fiancees or steady girlfriends of soldiers killed in Iraq, a generally ignored group of survivors. Because they fail to meet the Department of Defense’s technical requirements for next of kin, fiancees do not qualify for the generous death and insurance benefits awarded to immediate families.
The families of their fiances often reject them as financial threats or painful reminders of the son they lost. Girlfriends insist they should “get over it” by starting to date right away. Men consider the grieving fiancees uniquely vulnerable and lunge at them at parties or in bars.
“This is a group of survivors from military deaths who . . . fall through the cracks,” says Bonnie Carroll, an Air Force Reserve major who founded a nonprofit organization, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, after her husband was killed in an Army National Guard helicopter crash in 1992.
TAPS has created a national network of peer support mentors, hot lines and chat rooms that support families and friends affected by a military death, and has even persuaded Veterans Affairs to accept fiancees and other survivors for counseling and grief therapy.
“The Department of Defense is forced by its regulations to look at very fixed things,” Carroll says. “Who is legally authorized to receive benefits? Who is legally authorized to receive a body? Well, fiancees, siblings, even the parents of a married soldier just aren’t included in these legal definitions. But their problems can sometimes be just as great as the next of kin and they can take years to heal.”
There’s little doubt that the fiancees left behind by soldiers killed in action in Iraq already number in the hundreds. Morten Ender, a sociology professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point, prepared a 1996 study of “nontraditional families” left behind by soldiers killed in action, and this summer he surveyed 1,000 servicemen in Iraq during a stint with a civil-affairs unit.
“It’s clear that at least 25 percent of active duty personnel are either engaged or have a strong attachment to a significant other,” Ender says. “In Iraq alone, we’re talking about 25,000 soldiers with a connection back home that’s very meaningful if they are injured, missing or killed. The results can be both emotionally and financially devastating, especially if it is, say, a woman back home relying on a soldier for financial support.”
TOGETHER THEN SEPARATE
Sara Patch, a dormitory manager at Connecticut College in New London, who lost her fiance in a Marine helicopter crash in 2001, grew closer to her fiance’s family after his death.
She is familiar with all of the social problems Becky Reid experienced and points out another problem that often occurs with military fiances. She and her fiance were planning to share the house he had bought in North Carolina just before he was killed, and she already had quit an earlier job at Smith College to join him there.
“I suddenly found myself homeless and unemployed, but I had a wonderful family to support me,” Patch says. “But what about the thousands of military dependents who don’t have that? The reality is that, today, after people are engaged they are already living together, [they’ve] bought a car and are already one. But if you’re not officially the widow after your partner is killed, no one really knows what you’re going through. There’s nothing for you.”
Patch also got in touch with TAPS and participated in its chat rooms. Now she is active in the organization and helped organize, and will run in, the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington on Sunday to raise funds for the group.
Meanwhile, Becky Reid is still working late Thursday and Friday nights, crafting flowers into bridal bouquets. She still struggles with memories and regrets about Chris. Eight months after he was killed, she’s convinced she’ll never find someone else like him, and worries that she hasn’t progressed more with her grief. She feels lonely and misunderstood when her girlfriends goad her to start dating again.
But one thing has changed. Becky has started regular visits to a grief counselor at the Veteran Affairs center in Mobile, free consultations that were arranged through TAPS. Recently, she told her counselor that she was feeling low again, stalled in her grief. Should it take this long?
“My counselor told me that she lost her husband 13 years ago, and she’s still working on all the issues,” Reid said. “Do you know how great that felt? Somebody is telling me that I’m normal. I’m not all alone.”
Death of FianceeDisenfranchised Griefgriefgrievingmilitary deathUnited States MilitaryVeteran's Day
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As Fair Trade ( Fair Trade English ) is a controlled trade referred to, in which the producers will be paid at least one fixed by Fair Trade Organisations minimum price of the traded products, which is set above the world market price. This will allow for the producers a higher and more reliable incomes than in conventional trade. The height of a fair price is a millennia -discussed topic of business ethics. These will also attempt to establish long-term " partnership " relationships between traders and producers. In production, in addition to international and prescribed by the organizations environmental and social standards are met.
The Fair Trade movement is mainly focused on goods that are exported from developing countries to developed countries. Fair trade includes agricultural products as well as products of traditional crafts and industry and is expanding rapidly into new areas such as tourism under the name of " fair travel " from. Offered are fairly traded products in health food stores and world as well as in supermarkets and in restaurants.
According to the umbrella organization Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International benefiting over 1.4 million farmers from fair trade.
3.1 Areas of Fair Trade
3.2 labeling and certification
3.3 Fair trade and political content
3.4 Fair Trade in the free economy
3.5 Studies on the impact of Fair Trade
3.6 Accounting policies on fair trade 3.6.1 European policy
3.6.2 World Bank
The informal working group FINE - consisting of the international umbrella organization of fair trade FLO, IFAT, News! and EFTA - agreed in 2001 to the following definition of Fair Trade:
Fair trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. By better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers - especially in the countries of the South - does Fair Trade contribute to sustainable development. Fair Trade organizations ( which are supported by consumers) are actively engaged in supporting producers, raising awareness and fighting for changes in the rules and practicing the conventional international trade. The strategic intent of fair trade consists of the following points:
Targeted work with manufacturers and workers who have been marginalized in order to move from a very weak position to security and self-sufficiency
Strengthen producers and workers as partners within their own organizations
To actively seek to play a greater role in the global arena to achieve greater equity in international trade.
Specifically, proponents of fair trade generally support the following principles:
Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers Fair Trade is a strategy to alleviate poverty and promote sustainable development. He aims to create opportunities for producers who have been economically disadvantaged or from the existing trading system marginalized.
Payment of a fair price: The price is to be set in the dialog between trading partners and independent of fluctuations in world market prices always cover the production costs, secure the existence of the producers, enabling a socially just and environmentally sustainable production. In addition, is often paid a premium to the farmers or workers can implement collaborative projects to help long-term improvement of their situation. If necessary, pre-financing granted.
Socially acceptable working conditions: The work environment must be safe and health- friendly. Exploitation, child and slave labor is prohibited. Trade union freedom must be given.
Equality of women: women are getting paid appropriately for their contribution in the production process and strengthened within their respective organizations.
Capacity building and know -how: Fair trade aims to make the producers of independent and enable them to compete effectively in the market.
Transparency and accountability: Fair trade means transparent management and commercial relations to deal fairly and respectfully with trading partners.
Environment: Ecological agriculture is not mandatory, but is encouraged. Certain particularly environmentally damaging pesticides are prohibited in cultivation.
Fair trade can be seen as a variant of trade in branded goods, with the added value of the brand is represented by the fact that with the added price paid by the consumer, should be helped economically weaker people. Unlike eg Wohlfahrtsmarken but this assistance should benefit not uninvolved third party, but the producers, so that the relation is maintained between performance and income.
The first Fair Trade organizations were founded by the North American Mennonite and Brethren in Christ in 1946, Ten Thousand Villages (formerly Self Help Crafts) and the project SERRV International, founded in 1949 by the Church of the Brethren. Both organizations arose in the church environment, and are still active today. Ten Thousand Villages is still in connection with the Mennonite Central Committee today. The products were initially almost exclusively craft, which ranged from made of jute goods up to the so-called embroidery. However, these first activities were often part of charitable projects and have not had the world trade dimensions as today. The first Fair Trade shop was opened in the U.S. in 1958.
Social movements (1959 to 1980)
The European Fair Trade movement was formed in the 1960s. Fair Trade has been often considered to be the time as a sign against the neo-imperialism: radical students began to criticize international corporations that business models came out, which would severely impaired in the traditions. The global model of a free market economy was increasingly attacked during this time and developed ideals of fair trade, after which the price is directly linked to the actual cost and what all the manufacturers are entitled to fair and equal access to markets. The slogan this time of " Trade not aid " (engl.: " Trade not Aid " ), won 1968 recognition, as took him the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD ), the emphasis on the on the establishment of fair trade relations with to put developing countries.
The Steun Foundation voor Onderontwikkelde Streken (SOS, dt " support for underdeveloped regions " ) in the Netherlands was founded in 1959 as the first so-called alternative trading organization. She was not profit-oriented, but imported craft of not very wealthy countries from the southern hemisphere. In 1967 this organization with the trade of products from the so-called Third World. In April 1969, the first fair trade shop was opened in the Dutch town of Breukelen, the products offered as a retailer that had been made in these " underdeveloped regions". It was run by volunteers and was so successful that soon dozens of similar shops, opened Germany and other Western European countries in the Benelux countries. Worth mentioning, however, remains that the majority of the products that were sold at the time in the world shops, still came from the craft. 1973, the world's first fair-trade coffee was sold in the Netherlands. In the same year launched the sale of by SOS in Germany imported coffee - by the action 365 that sells this until today. 1980, these fair trade organization was S.O.S. in S.O.S. Wereldhandel renamed.
During the sixties and seventies important parts of this movement were working on finding markets for products from those countries, which had been for political reasons isolated from major world trading programs. So sold thousands of volunteers, for example, coffee from Angola and Nicaragua in world shops, churches, around the home and in booths in public places.
Crafts / Agricultural Products ( 1980 )
In the early eighties, the alternative trading organizations took a major challenge: The "New " to the fair trade products was more and more lost, the sales figures stagnated and crafts began at the market very old-fashioned and no longer to look modern. As the market for craft products further decreased, the supporters of fair trade were forced to rethink their business model and to find innovative solutions to the ongoing crisis in this industry.
Goods from agriculture made it the perfect replacement for dwindling market for craft products: They offered a renewable source of income and were easy to sell, since each individual consumer was a potential customer. The first agricultural products that had been sold in the fair trade coffee and tea, which dried fruits, cocoa, sugar, fruit juices, rice, spices and nuts were quickly followed.
In 1983 there was a total of about 2,500 action groups in Fair Trade. In November 1985, there were about 350 world shops, 70 of which were organized at this time in the AG3WL. 1986 were located in Germany about 400 world shops and about 4,000 action groups. In 1988, the club Third World partners Ravensburg was founded, which today is Germany's third largest importer of fair trade products. In the same year was introduced by the Dutch organization Solidaridad, the Max Havelaar fair trade.
In 1989, the International Federation for Alternative Trade ( IFAT ) was founded as the World Association of alternative import organizations, about 100 fair trade organizations belonged to 1998, including Germany Third World partners Ravensburg, El Puente, GEPA and TEAM. In 1990, the European Fair Trade Association (EFTA ) was founded as an association of eleven alternative import organizations.
Rise of the Fair Trade label (first half of the 1990s )
The sales of Fair Trade, however, came only really turned heads when the first initiatives for fair trade label emerged. Fair trade had indeed get through ever-increasing sales uplift, but he was largely confined to smaller world shops that were scattered throughout Europe and to a lesser extent in North America. Many were of the opinion that these stores are far too disconnected from the rhythm and the lifestyle of contemporary developed societies and.
The only way to increase sales opportunities, was to offer fair trade products where the customers normally go, in larger chain stores. The problem that arose in this case was that the distribution of the goods should be made as to by the customer should trust fair trade products and their respective origins unconditionally. After it had come in the ensuing period of debate within the circles of fair trade, 1988, the first logo "Max Havelaar " (see above) was introduced by the Dutch organization Solidaridad. This independent certification made it possible for the products outside world shops to sell and thus to enter the mainstream, creating a wider range could be addressed to customers and increased sales of fair trade then clear. The logos often differed from country to country. While " Max Havelaar " has been used in countries such as Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark and France, the products have been awarded the " TransFair " seal in other countries such as Germany, Austria and Italy, the UK and Ireland to put on the seal " Fairtrade Mark ".
On 12 June 1992, the organization TransFair International was founded as an institution of the European Fair Trade seal of the EFTA and TransFair Germany in Göttingen. In the early summer of 1993, UNICEF was 27 TransFair member. The Network of European World Shops ( NEWS!, German " Network of European World Shops ") was established at the European World Shops Congress in Utrecht. In autumn 1994, TransFair announced 33 member organizations, it was the first TransFair sealed tea on the market. In the year 1994 5.000 tonnes of green coffee were imported under TransFair conditions.
Second half of the 1990s
In early 1996, Chocolate ( cocoa and sugar) and cocoa products with the TransFair seal was introduced. Found on 11 May 1996, organized by the Network of European World Shops, the first European Fair Trade Day under the slogan Africa in European World Shops - breakfasts with Africa! instead.
In April 1997, several international organizations joined to seal the joint umbrella organization Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO ), headquartered in Bonn. In May 1997, TransFair had 37 member organizations. From 2 to 6 June 1997, the World Summit of fair trade coffee in Tutzing was conducted on Lake Starnberg. On 6 June 1997, the first edition, edited by Misereor and BDKJ, three-week information service world & trading appeared - information service for Fair Trade.
In summer 1997 sweets came with the TransFair seal on the market. On 5 July 1997, the Urgent Action of the Clean Clothes Campaign launched for claiming a social fund for Thai Näharbeiterinnen. She turned to the corporations, C & A, Karstadt, Metro, Neckermann, Otto and source. In October 1997, the GEPA and the Otto-Versand began a collaboration. Various Crafts GEPA were offered to give two sides of the Otto catalog Beautiful. From 6 to 12 October 1997, the action was more right than cheap - performed FAIR trade bananas. Around 130 world shops take the banana action days of BanaFair eV part.
On January 17, 1998, the Asia group of the Global March Against Child Labour went in Manila on the way to Geneva. On 25 February 1998, the Group launched America in Sao Paulo, and on March 21 the Africa Group in Cape Town. On May 9, the same year the third European Fair Trade Day was held under the motto made in dignity - instead of in the garment industry production conditions. In Rome, the eighth European Weltladen conference was held in the same year.
On 8 May 1999, the fourth European Fair Trade Day was conducted. This was also the start of the three -year campaign land power satellite.
2001 to today
In 2002, 17 national labeling organizations agreed on a common logo, which will in future facilitate the international movement of goods and public relations. Furthermore, the European Commission announced that it would support fair trade. The World Bank also has a positive attitude towards fair trade. According to the commentary to a published her study in 2003 to fair trade coffee have advantages.
The year 2004 was declared by the United Nations to the rice year. In the Netherlands celebrated the 45th anniversary of the Fair Trade Organization in 2004. Organizations increasingly trying to integrate Fair Trade with the economically weaker partners in the WTO rules, but this is controversial. On March 23, 2004, a European conference on " Fair Trade - A contribution to sustainable development? " At the European Parliament in Brussels, the leading role of EURO COOP, NEWS! and EFTA was organized.
2005 was proclaimed by the United Nations as the International Year of Microcredit financial systems. In 2006 launched the NGO " Weed " an initiative on fair trade with computers. With the project " PC global" maladministration in the computer manufacturing to be uncovered.
Within the last ten years, fair trade boomed worldwide. FINE estimated that sales of fair trade products, both those with and those without seal Seal, earned about 260 million euros. 2005, the sum of 660 million euros has been estimated, which meant an increase of 154% and a steady increase of about 20 % per year. Similarly, the sale in America and the Pacific countries developed; there is increased sales of 291 million in 2003 to 376 million in 2004.
Important Fair trade importers are now BanaFair, dwp eG, El Puente and the GEPA. Fair -traded products are sold on a large scale among others, the Body Shop, Hess Natur and Living Crafts.
Since the year 2013, starting from the Fair Phone initiative Fairtrade aspects play a greater role in the IT and electronics production for the first time.
Areas of Fair Trade
Traditionally, fair trade deals with agricultural products that are exported from developing countries to developed countries. The certification system of the FLO today includes coffee, (ice ) tea, bananas and other fresh and dried fruit, juices, cocoa and chocolate, (cane ) sugar, honey, nuts, vegetable oil, rice, spices, cotton products and wine. Besides, are predominantly in world shops, offered products of traditional crafts Fair Trade. For hand -made rugs there own label as Rugmark, especially since the problem of child labor in this area by cases like Iqbal Masih is known. Also for cut flowers has existed since 1998, a seal of its own under the name Flower label, which is assigned by the non-profit association Flower Label Program.
More recently, fair trade is extended to industrial products such as clothing and soccer balls, and there are initiatives him to computers that oil or diamonds (see also: Blood Diamond ) want to expand. However, this is not without controversy within the fair trade movement. Even in tourism fair trade is increasingly the subject. Given declining milk prices in Europe there are few approaches that aim to ensure " fair prices " for European dairy farmers.
Labeling and certification
So-called label or labels make Fair Trade products for consumers recognizable as such. The largest organization that is responsible for the certification of products and producers and the independent verification of compliance with the criteria, is the international umbrella organization Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International ( FLO). In her numerous national fair trade organizations are members. The FLO- Fair-trade label is the internationally standardized fair trade label. National Labelling Initiatives are TransFair in Germany, Fairtrade Austria in Austria and Max Havelaar in Switzerland.
In addition to these major labels some less common there are labels that are restricted to certain companies / organizations on particular countries, regions or products. These include BanaFair eV for bananas, Rugmark for carpets from India or the Flower label, which is assigned by the Flower Label Program eV. The Flower Label Program works in the field of certification of flower farms in part related to TransFair. Farms that are certified under the Fairtrade standards may apply on the basis of this examination, the FLP membership. To avoid duplicate testing. In contrast to TransFair, however, the FLP does not control the entire chain of cut flowers, but only the socially and environmentally responsible production. FLP flowers are traded on the international cut flower market after the mechanism of supply and demand. Thus, there is also the opportunity for florists FLP flowers to obtain and make them available in their stores. In contrast, bouquets with the Fair Trade label are available in major supermarket chains.
In addition to the general criteria - respect for human rights and the ILO Conventions concerning freedom of association, prohibition of child labor and slavery in production, in turn, contribute a stipulated "fair" price that covers the cost of production and ensures the existence of the producers - are for the individual products set specific criteria, particularly in respect of the installation and the corresponding ecology. Organic farming is not compulsory for most labels, although some pesticides are prohibited.
Fair trade and political content
Parts of the Fair Trade movement connecting the actual trade with political content by consumers background information about the situation in the countries of origin of the products and about the world economy will be taught. So criticized the campaign for the processed in Tanzania Ujamaa Coffee in Switzerland in the 1970s, the " charity mentality " of development aid, and the promotions for jute bags from Bangladesh were also directed against a deemed ecologically harmful consumption and throw-away mentality.
Part of political movements in the countries of origin are systematically supported. The best known were the campaigns for the Nica Nica Coffee and bananas so-called, with their sale the Sandinistas were assisted in Nicaragua. Today, various initiatives for example, promote the sale of coffee Zapatista cooperatives in Chiapas (southern Mexico).
Fair Trade in the free economy
As long as Fair Trade is without coercive measures, subsidies or tax initiatives, fair trade is fully compatible with a free market economy. Fair trade is subject to the same duties, restrictions like any other trade in goods, especially imports from non-EU countries. However, it requires a willingness of customers to accept higher prices.
Just like any commercial enterprise, the Fair Trade companies must compete on the often highly competitive market. In Germany, the market share of fair trade coffee in approximately 2% (as of 2012) is located. Contrary to the trend of declining coffee consumption, fair trade, however, is able to claim. The sales figures slowly and steadily increasing. In addition to traditional providers such as GEPA, El Puente, dwp eG or claro fair trade, meanwhile, offer supermarkets and retail chains goods with labels for fair trade, in addition to their conventional offering.
The Bremer economist Hans -Heinrich Bass expects the market segment of fairly traded goods will continue to grow as accepted by the consumer quality seal to a self-reinforcing growth process would lead: If more vendors to participate in the growing market segment, will the quantity and diversity of range increase - it träten economies of scale and economies of scope (economies of scale and scope ) on. This in turn would be more buyers purchase goods from this segment - which in turn more providers call on the plan. The German Society for International Cooperation speaks even of them that now is a " sleeping giant " awoke.
Studies on the impact of Fair Trade
Two analyzes from the years 2008 and 2009 that have evaluated numerous studies on fair trade, come to the conclusion that the Fair Trade bar a significant contribution to development and most improve the lives of those involved in the production people and families. So many studies have shown that fair trade self-confidence, dignity and social capital of farmers to promote, but this is only elusive. Most studies suggest better economic circumstances, albeit not always clear in a sufficient to cover the basic needs level. Particular emphasis of economic stability and better access to credit. Fair Trade correlate significantly with improved health, greater food consumption and frequent school. He promotes stable, durable institutions, improve market access and lead to more diversified production. However, the degree of success depends often upon the circumstances. So bring fair trade with more developed countries barely economic but rather institutional advantages for producers. Hardly had explored the extent to which Fair Trade effecting environmental improvements. Least fair trade have contributed to the oft-expressed goal of improving the gender equity. Fair Trade alone can not solve complex problems of marginalized regions, but should be seen as part of a differentiated development strategy. The time available for such analyzes selection of studies is, however, still generally regarded as unsatisfactory or not addressed. Four studies will be carried out by way of example in more detail below.
2002 dealt Loraine Ronchi of the Poverty Research Unit at Sussex University on the impact of Fair Trade on the Coocafe - cooperative in Costa Rica. She found out that fair trade strengthened producer organizations and concluded that " it is possible to look back say to the coffee crisis of the early nineties, that Fair Trade has achieved its objectives to improve the income of small producers and as well as their quality of life positive impact on the welfare of the organizations that represent them at local, national and beyond this level. ".
In 2003, the Research Group for Fair Trade at Colorado State University Board held seven case studies with coffee producers in Latin America ( UCIRI, CEPCO, Majomut, Las Colinas & El Sincuyo La Selva, Tzotzilotic and La Voz ), who is committed to fair trade, and finally came to the conclusion that fair trade " have improved the well-being of the smaller coffee farmers and their families within a short time." In particular, these different case studies found that they had at Fair Trade achieved greater access to credit. Also described in the studies that these manufacturers have easier access to education compared to ordinary coffee producers. Similarly, families are more likely to be intact and children have better access to education than children from families that produce conventional coffee.
A 2005 by Nicolas Eberhart conducted for the French non-governmental organization Agronomes et Veterinarians Without Borders case study that deals with producers of fair trade coffee from Bolivia, came to the conclusion that the certification of fair trade has had a positive impact on the price of coffee in the region Yungas, hence it economically all coffee producers benefited, regardless of whether they had been awarded or not. Similarly, the Fair Trade should have strengthened the manufacturer organizations and increased their political influence.
In 2007, Sandra Imhof and Andrew Lee a study on the impact of Fair Trade in Bolivia conducted on behalf of SECO ( Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs). The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of fair trade on poverty reduction in the small coffee farmers ( both those who produce under Fairtrade conditions, such as those who produce under conventional conditions ) to examine how the conflict prevention. The authors came to the following conclusions: (1) Fair trade can reduce horizontal inequalities and thus could potentially have a positive effect on conflict prevention. ( 2) Fair Trade promotes "capacity building ", which leads to poverty reduction. ( 3) Fair Trade Creates competitive effects in the local market, poverty could be reduced in the conventional producers. (4 ) The effect on the mass market of fair trade could have reduced poverty indirectly. However, the authors emphasize that these four hypotheses need to be tested in other market and conflict situations continue to make more precise statements about the impact of fair trade can.
Fairtrade sat around with Nicaraguan farmers that they change their production to organic coffee, which resulted in a higher price but lower income of farmers due to higher costs and lower yields.
Attitude of the policy on Fair Trade
European policy
In June 2006, the Green MEP Frithjof Schmidt, the Development Committee, the report Fair Trade and development before.
The report highlights that the sales increases in fair trade were largely achieved labeled products with a seal of approval and has been that in most European countries developed initiatives for labeling. The report was followed by a resolution that urged the European Commission to make a recommendation for Fair Trade, and urging them to promote fair trade. The report also includes a set of minimum criteria that should be met by a product in order to be consistent with the fair trade.
" This resolution responds to the impressive growth of Fair Trade and demonstrates the growing interest of European customers to responsibly buy ," says Frithjof Schmidt. Peter Mandelson, EU Commissioner for External Trade, responded that this resolution would generally very well accepted by the Commission. " Fair Trade brings the customer to think and is therefore even more valuable. We need to develop a coherent framework for the policy and this resolution will help us. ".
The resolution was adopted on 6 July 2006.
The World Bank has a positive attitude towards the fair trade. According to their study on sustainable coffee markets from 2003 can sustainably produced coffee bring such an improved use of natural resources with them ( both Fair Trade as well as ecological agriculture) " benefits; in producing less agricultural chemicals are required, which reduces costs and health risks. Moreover, the use of rural labor, which is more work there for those who desperately need a rises. "
A criticism of the fair trade is often the lack of transparency of price composition of products of fair trade: For the consumer is often not understand exactly who gets what share of the added prices in the value chain. The price difference of fair trade products in comparison to conventionally traded is significantly higher than the additional amount that will receive the producers - the remaining part will partly skimmed from retailers, partly explained by the management and control costs of the organizations, which is, however, difficult to verify from the outside. Also the structure of the value chain from south to north is hardly touched. The label " Fair Trade " is above all an instrument of price discrimination, so the price did not reflect the marginal costs and the additional income for producers. Costa Coffee offered a cup of fair trade coffee for 10 pence more expensive as conventionally traded coffee. This would suggest the customer, the price difference would be of use to coffee farmers, however, amounts to the actual additional income only half a penny per cup. This is due above all to the low share of coffee beans at the cost of a cup of coffee. Nine and a half pence per cup went so maybe at Costa Coffee. After Costa Coffee was asked about it, the company began in late 2004 to offer fair trade coffee at no extra charge.
Another point of criticism is that the producers have to partly pay high prices to get the seal of approval, and the fragmentation of the market is promoted. This could ultimately lead to a decline in wages in the non- fair trade chain.
From an economic perspective it is criticized that the price is not completely controlled by pricing mechanisms, but is set by organizations partially. Since a fair price is not objectively ascertainable, the price determined is arbitrary. Furthermore, there is a danger of corruption and inefficiency, because the success of producers no longer depends on their productivity, but by membership in a fair trade- certified organization.
Especially in connection with the temporary, much caused by overproduction fall in coffee prices ( coffee crisis ) the criticism has been variously expressed that guaranteed by fair trade higher prices would encourage the farmers to increase their production volume and thus increase the problem of overproduction. Coffee farmers are especially so poor because too much coffee would be produced, which should not be further encouraged by fair trade prices.
Fair trade is an instrument according to Paul Collier of charity, the peasants put an incentive to continue their poverty promotional production. The movement reflecting an anti- modern idyll, as the farms have to be small and family-run and modern agricultural technologies such as mechanization, economies of scale, pesticides and genetic engineering are neglected and even actively avoided.
The concept of fair trade is criticized as such. For a " fair trade " ( "fair trade" ) is the term not protected by law. Secondly, it is "a certain potential to prejudice formation ( or affirmation ) ... can not be denied "; because this term implies any other trade is unfair, both in the external and internal trade. In this way, not only would all producers that are not fair trade certified, disadvantaged and damaged but also and above all, any dealer does not carry Fair Trade products, discriminated against. The ( agricultural) markets of the industrialized countries that are currently protected from competition by high tariff barriers should be some better open to all producers from developing countries view them instead of giving privileged access through tools such as fair trade, few producers. Also, there are those who view required by the fair trade environment and social standards as discrimination of developing countries in trade and as a disguised protectionism.
One of many proponents of fair trade - in particular by representatives of the "Alternative trade " - criticism stating that the fair trade run by the increasing focus on mass markets and the cooperation with large corporations risk to move away from its original goals and ideals. Within the Fair Trade movement, there are different views as to whether the trade fair aimed at the highest possible market share and revenues, or should be limited to a small but effective market niche. The international Clean Clothes Campaign about is not on individual products to be marked with labels, but would like to achieve compliance with fair working conditions across the apparel industry.
Just price Ecuador World Fair Trade Organization Network of European Worldshops Brethren in Christ Church Neocolonialism International Fairtrade Certification Mark Fairphone GoodWeave International Fair Wear Foundation Digital Object Identifier Foreign Affairs Integrated Authority File
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Districts & Directors
35th Annual Educators Conference
22nd Annual Youth Leadership Conference
Author: Dariusm
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Metco Directors@MetcoDirectors·
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Workshop Presenter Bios
D r. Stefani Harvey
Dr. Stefani Harvey is a community activist and educator who specializes in social justice and equity in education, particularly in addressing disparities for youth of color. As Roxbury native, Stefani has been a leader and a firm believer in the advocacy of positive growth and development in youth for over 15 years. As a former Dean of Students, Stefani has found that proactive measures are more productive to support student’s social emotional development than punitive measures. She has promoted Restorative Practices as a means to dismantle the school to prison pipeline in several schools. Through professional development for teachers, school leaders, and community members she has worked tirelessly to implement plans for school communities to bring a unified and collective approach to educating children. Dr. Harvey’s philosophy in educating children spans farther than the educational components which students receive during “school hours”. Holding positions such as, Teacher, Program Director, Director of Family and Community Engagement, Safe and Welcoming Schools Specialist, Director of Restorative Culture and currently Assistant Principal. Dr. Harvey has been able to connect with the youth through motivational speaking, youth conferences, and her relentless work and support with LGBTQ self-identified youth. Stefani holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, a Masters Degree in Urban Education and Leadership, a K-6 Principal License and a Doctorate degree in Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leading. Stefani encourages children to BE the change they would like to see in this world.
Hayden Frederick Clarke
Mr. Frederick-Clarke is the Director of Strategy in the Office of Opportunity Gaps and the founder of BlackPrint Education Consulting. He is also the editor of the Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Practices (CLSP) Continuum. His work in Boston Public Schools focuses on removing barriers to student success, identifying opportunity gaps and recommending practice and policy shifts for the district. Previously, Mr. Frederick-Clarke served as the Director of Cultural Proficiency for BPS, adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and as a guest lecturer at Tufts University. Before joining district administration, he was a Math instructor at Charlestown High School in the DiplomaPlus program, of which he was a founding member and the principal designer.
He is presently a doctoral candidate in education leadership at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2014, he won the Facing History and Ourselves International Teacher Recognition Award. Born to Trinidadian immigrants and raised by an incredible mother, Hayden is a son of Roxbury, a proud graduate of Boston Public Schools and refers to himself as a “Pan-Africanist super nerd.”
Kimberly Thomas
Kimberly is deeply committed to educational access, equity and transformation and to the challenging, but critical work of ensuring that marginalized students have access to rigorous, transformative educational experiences.
Before joining Equal Opportunity Schools, Kim served as Managing Director of Kitebridge, Inc. Tacoma, an international boarding school program that provided acculturation support, college advising and housing for students from China and South Korea. Previously, Kim was the Director of the Premajor Studies Program at Seattle University, where she worked with hundreds of students to discover who they are, what drives them, their values and their joy. During her tenure, Kim was twice nominated for Advisor of the Year and nominated by the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) to serve as the chair of their Undecided & Exploratory Students Commission. Kim is also the Founder and Owner of empower! College Advising Services, serving high school students in Tacoma and Pierce County, Washington.
Kim received her Master of Education in Multicultural Education from the University of Washington and her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Puget Sound. She serves on the boards for The Amandla Project and Friends of the Children – Tacoma and as a mentor for Palmer Scholars.
Gary Bailey, DHL, MSW, ACSW is the Assistant Dean for Community Engagement and Social Justice at Simmons University College of Social Science, Public Policy and Practice(CSSPP). He is a Professor of Practice at Simmons School of Social Work where he directs the Urban Leadership Certificate Program. He has a secondary appointment at the Simmons College School of Nursing and Health Sciences where his area of focus is Inter-Professional Education.
Professor Bailey has a Faculty Affiliate appointment at Harvard Medical Schools Center for Primary Care; he is a Scholarly Stakeholder, LGBTQ Patient and Family Advisory Council. Brigham and Women’s Hospital; and is a consultant to Fenway Health’s Department of Behavioral Health.
He is a past President of the International Federation of Social Workers. He is the first person of color to hold this post. He is a past president of the Massachusetts Chapter of NASW and of NASW National-Washington DC.
He was the Chairperson of the National Social Work Public Education Campaign. He was a member of the Council on Social Work Educations Commission on Global Social Work Education and sits on its Committee on Human Rights. He served on the executive committee of the North American and Caribbean Association of Schools of Social Works board representing the Council On Social Work Education.
In May 2009 he was selected as a Fulbright Specialist for the United States-Israel Educational Foundation (USIEF), where he gave a series of workshops and speeches throughout Israel as a part of the Funds outreach to African American leaders to visit Israel.
In 2017, he was appointed by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker (R-MA) as a member of the Massachusetts LGBT-Q Youth Commission. In 2009 Professor Bailey was appointed by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick(D-MA) to the serve on the board of the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA); he was reappointed in 2013.. At MEFA he chairs the Audit Committee and is a member of the Executive Committee.
He is a past President of the board of the AIDS Action Committees (AAC), Inc.; was a member of the AAC Advisory Council; and the AIDS Action Committees Program Committee; and was a member of the Gay and Lesbian Advocate and Defenders (GLAD) board of Ambassadors.
Professor Bailey is Vice Chair of the Board of Women of the Dream, Inc. (WOD), based in Camden N.J. Women of the Dream, Inc. is a national nonprofit organization that enables socially and financially disadvantaged girls, ages 12-18, to achieve their fullest potential and lead purposeful, healthy lives with guidance and education. Professor Bailey is the President of the NASW- Assurance Services Inc. (ASI). ASI is headquartered in Frederick MD. He also served as the board treasurer. In that capacity, he serves as chair of the Audit Investment committee; and was a member of the Executive and Compensation committees.
He is President of the board of the Fenway High School; is a member of the of the Friends of Harriet Tubman Park; the Friends of Titus Sparrow Park. He is President, Church Council of Boston’s Union United Methodist Church, and is a member of the Union United Methodist Church Leadership Team.
He is a member of the board of For Our CommUnitieS,Inc. (FOCUS,Inc. ) whose purpose is to promote the development of affordable housing in Massachusetts; and is a member of United South End Settlements(USES) board of directors.
He is a past member of the Leadership Council, Success by 6 campaign at United Way of Massachusetts Bay; and was the co –chair, Boston Children’s Hospital Community Advisory Board. He is a past member of the Commissioner’s Professional Advisory Committee at the Massachusetts Department of Social Services (DSS now DCF); and he was a member of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Professional Advisory Committee for Child and Adolescent Services. Professor Bailey has been named by Get Konnected (GK)as one of Boston’s 25 Most Influential People of Color in 2018; and in 2019 as a GK25 LGBTQ+ Pioneer .
Rebecca Smoler
Rebecca Smole holds an MS in Educational Leadership and Master of Arts in Teaching from Simmons College and a BA in English and Cinema Studies from Northeastern University. She has been an English Language Arts educator in Boston suburbs for the last twelve years. In 2010, after taking a course on antiracist teaching practices, she returned to her classroom and school with a new commitment to equity and justice. She is currently an instructor at Initiatives for Developing Equity and Achievement for Students (IDEAS) and the English Language Arts Coordinator 6 – 12 for Sharon Public Schools. Rebecca has taught courses and presented on a range of topics relating to antiracist education, including bias, white fragility, engaging in difficult conversations on race, and enacting systemic change in educational institutions. She lives in Wayland with her husband, daughters & their dog, Tonks.
Ronald Walker
Ron Walker has over 45 years of experience serving as a teacher, principal, staff developer, and consultant in various educational communities. Currently, Ron serves as the Executive Director and is a founding member of the Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color (COSEBOC). The mission of COSEBOC, founded in 2007, is to connect, inspire, support and strengthen school leaders dedicated to the social, emotional and academic development of boys and young men of color.
Under his leadership COSEBOC is impacting over 600 schools across the nation with a combined student population of over 300,000. COSEBOC has been recognized for its work on changing the negative narrative often perpetuated by the media and others to a positive counter narrative that lifts up the gifts, talents and promise possessed by boys and young men of color. COSEBOC is recognized as a critical organization in the efforts to eliminate the academic achievement gap. In this regard recognition has come from many organizations such, the Council of Great City Schools, Education Trust, Cities United, The Center for Law and Social Policy, The Panasonic Foundation, The Kirwan Institute, Harvard University and the American Public Health Association just to name a few. COSEBOC has been awarded major national grants by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Open Society Foundation.
Ron has also grown the visibility of COSEBOC and has made many presentations on the national and state level. He has presented to the U.S. Department of Education, College Board, California Association of African American Administrators and Superintendents, The American Public Health Association, The Council of Urban Boards of Education as well being interviewed by Soledad O’Brien on symposium on Educating Black Males. Ron is a Fellow with the Campaign of Black Male Achievement (CBMA) and a 2018 recipient of the Forward Promise Fellowship for Leaders.
He was also invited to attend President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Forum held at the White House. Ron has been recognized for his service in education by the Boston Public Schools, Boston College-School of Education, Temple University-School of Education, The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. and many community groups. He was nominated for Ebony’s Magazine Manifest Award for individual making substantial contributions in the field of education. Ron has authored two publications on leadership and is featured in numerous education articles. In 2018, Ron authored Solomon’s Plan: Gift of Education from a Father to His Son. He remains steadfastly committed to high quality education for children and particularly boys and young men of color and other underserved populations.
Ron attributes any success that he has gained to his unrelenting belief in God, the lessons taught by his parents Solomon and Delores Walker and the faith that his wife Toni, children and grandchildren placed in him.
Edward Walker
Edward Walker has committed his entire professional career to the realm of education. Over the past 17 years, Ed has served as an Acting Director of Multicultural Recruitment, Director of Alumni Relations and an Associate Director of College Counseling. In 2014, he joined the Guidance Counseling Department at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School; simultaneously serving as an Instructor/Teacher Coach at IDEAS (Initiatives for Developing Equity and Achievement for Students).
In 2008, Ed founded and serves as the President at Independent Consultants of Education, a consortium of educators devoted to closing the gaps to educational access, by helping underserved individuals and organizations to achieve higher education through customized curriculum and innovative educational workshops.
Finally, Ed has established himself as an influential inspirational speaker, known as Ed “Inspire for Higher” Walker, who has had a positive impact on the lives of thousands of youth and adults at over 50 secondary-schools and colleges. For his efforts, he was presented with the College Board Academic Leadership Award, given to one individual each year for their demonstration of excellence in secondary and post-secondary education and also featured on the cover of the Boston Globe’s Diversity magazine, as one of the 12 individuals identified as a Diversity Champion, in the city of Boston. He obtained his Bachelors degree in African American Studies with a concentration in English and a Masters in Education in School Psychology and Counseling.
Dr. Jamilia Blake
Dr. Jamilia Blake is an Associate Professor in Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University. Dr. Blake’s research examines the developmental trajectory of peer-directed aggression bullying, and victimization in socially marginalized youth and racial/ethnic disparities in school discipline. Dr. Blake has published studies examining the social and psychological consequences of aggression and victimization for African-American girls and students with disabilities and the disparate impact of school discipline for African-American girls. She is author to more than 40 publications. Her work on the inequitable discipline experiences of Black girls has been featured in the New York Times, Huffington Post, on NPR, and CBS. She is the co-PI of a federally funded grant to examine the relation between school discipline and disproportionate minority contact in juvenile justice centers for immigrant youth. Dr. Blake is the co-editor of the American Psychological Association book, Psychological Assessment and Intervention for Ethnic Minority Children, and is the lead researcher for the Center’s report, Girlhood Interrupted: The Erasure of Black Girls’ Childhood. In her role as a Senior Scholar at the Center, Dr. Blake is continuing to explore the perception of Black girls’ innocence and stereotype-based experiences.
Registration Inquiries
Registration closes Wednesday, November 13th, 2019
All changes and cancellations must be made by Friday, November 15th.
Should you have any questions or concerns please contact our Registrar, Margaret Credle-Thomas:
Phone: (781) 316-3566; or
Email: at metcodirectors.conference@gmail.com
PDP’s
If you have registered for professional development points (PDPs), the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) authorized product is required. Attendees may choose from the following two options:
Complete a Reflection Paper addressing how what you have learned will impact your practice or instruction. Be sure to indicate how you will use your newly acquired strategies and information gained from the conference.
Submit a completed Lesson Plan Outline signed by your supervisor verifying completion of an additional 4-hour preparing and sharing learned information within your district, i.e., professional learning communities (PLC), department meetings and or faculty meetings.
To receive your PDP certificate, the qualifying options must be emailed to metcodirectors.conference@gmail.com by Friday, February 7, 2020.
Dr. Christopher Emdin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology at Teachers College, Columbia University; where he also serves as Director of the Science Education program and Associate Director of the Institute for Urban and Minority Education.
He is an alumni fellow at the Hutchins Center at Harvard University and served as STEAM Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State and Minorities in Energy Ambassador for the U.S. Department of Energy.
Dr. Emdin is a social critic, public intellectual and science advocate whose commentary on issues of race, culture, inequality and education have appeared in dozens of influential periodicals including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post.
Dr. Emdin holds a Ph.D in Urban Education with a concentration in Mathematics, Science, and Technology; Masters degrees in both Natural Sciences and Education Administration, and Bachelors degrees in Physical Anthropology, Biology, and Chemistry.
He is the creator of the #HipHopEd social media movement, and a much sought-after public speaker on a number of topics that include hip-hop education, STEM education, politics, race, class, diversity, and youth empowerment. He is also an advisor to numerous international organizations, school districts, and schools.
He is the author of the award winning book, Urban Science Education for the Hip-hop Generation and the New York Times bestseller, For White Folks Who Teach In the Hood and the Rest of Ya’ll too.
Learn more about Dr. Emdin here
MDA Youth Conference Registration
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Published: Sunday, 22 November 2020 23:21
Carlton Ubaezuonu has signed a new contract with Galway United.
The 22-year-old scored four times for United in 2020 and he began to rediscover some of his best form after an injury-hit season in 2019.
Ubaezuonu netted an eye-catching second half hat-trick against former club Longford Town in October before scoring an important last minute winner against Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds to keep the Tribesmen in the play-off hunt.
John Caulfield believes it's time for the pacey winger to truly begin to fulfil his potential and he's looking forward to working with Ubaezuonu in a full time capacity in 2021.
Galway manager Donal Ó Fátharta has named his team to face Dublin in the All-Ireland U20 Football Final tomorrow afternoon in Croke Park. The team shows three changes from the team that beat Kerry in the Semi-Final with Cathal Sweeney in for Jack Kirrane,…
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What Now? One Year Since Leaving the LDS Church.
BH Roberts On Book of Mormon Historicity
Hebraisms & Chiasmus In The Book of Mormon?
Alma 42 and Jonathan Edwards Jr.
Ethan Smith’s “View of the Hebrews”
Gilbert Hunt’s “The Late War”
SPIRITUAL WITNESSES
The Mormon Memo
A Potent Representation of How The Book of Mormon Follows Popular (But Ultimately Falsified) Early 19th Century Beliefs About the Native Americans (And a Possible Direct Source of Influence For Some Specific Book of Mormon Content)
In 1922 LDS leader BH Roberts stated the following:
“Did Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews furnish structural material for Joseph Smith’s Book of Mormon? It has been pointed out in these pages that there are many things in the former book that might well have suggested many major things in the other. Not a few things merely, one or two, or a half dozen, but many; and it is this fact of many things of similarity and the cumulative force of them that makes them so serious a menace to Joseph Smith’s story of the Book of Mormon’s origin.” (Studies of the Book of Mormon, pg. 240)
“The material in Ethan Smith’s book is of a character and quantity to make a ground plan for the Book of Mormon …Can such numerous and startling points of resemblance and suggestive contact be merely coincidence?” (pg. 242)
For more on BH Robert’s concerns in this regard you can see my post HERE. After reading View of the Hebrews and becoming familiar with the environment from which this book emerged, I too found myself with significant concerns. Those whom I had seen speak to the issue had only refuted a caricature or “straw-man” version of the issues that troubled me. They talked about “plagiarism” and cited the differences between the books as if my concern was that this book was some sort of lost manuscript that did the significant work of actually creating the Book of Mormon, or something that someone actively or consciously referenced while creating the Book of Mormon. But those weren’t my concerns.
Here’s the thing. I would have found this book troubling even if we had definitive proof that Joseph never encountered it. Why? Because above all else this book served as a potent representation of the fact that the Book of Mormon’s very self-conception and foundational narrative seem to be based on the popular—but false and ultimately abandoned—early 19th century views of the Native Americans. It’s about understanding the environment the BoM came out of, and the “common knowledge” of the day. It’s something like looking at the ideas of the Babylonians/Mesopotamians to understand where the ideas in Genesis came from–an exercise that shows that the myths in Genesis were derived from and responding to cultural ideas of the day; An exercise that makes it harder to view these things as revealed knowledge from God, or as historical truths. When I learned about the common beliefs of the day regarding the Native Americans, and came to understand how and why these beliefs had developed, it suddenly became very difficult for me to see the Book of Mormon as anything but a product of its time—a book with its very foundations built upon false ideas of its time. View of the Hebrews played a major role in that process.
I don’t think Joseph was consciously “plagiarizing” this book. I don’t think it would have crossed his mind that he was “plagiarizing” it. I don’t think he was actively referencing this book during the creation of the Book of Mormon. However, I do feel that Joseph almost certainly encountered this book, and that his exposure to this book’s ideas and content very likely “influenced” the Book of Mormon in many respects—and perhaps even helped formulate the Book of Mormon’s big picture narrative and self conception. Decide for yourself. But let’s again be clear: That issue is very much secondary to the one stated in the previous paragraph. It is certainly true that Joseph could have encountered the general thrust of this book’s ideas in other sources, and could have reached conclusions similar to those in View of the Hebrews. On the other hand, some foundational concepts of the Book of Mormon do seem to be uniquely exemplified in View of the Hebrews. Either way, exploring View of the Hebrews made it hard for me not to see the Book of Mormon as a product of its time—concerns that only deepened when I sought further answers in early church history.
Even if you ultimately believe the Book of Mormon is based on a legitimate historical document, perhaps this writeup will help you begin to accurately understand just one of the issues that leads others to different conclusions.
A full PDF of View of the Hebrews can be found HERE, and it is the source of the page number references in this document.
IMPORTANT BACKGROUND INFO
Ethan Smith’s “View of the Hebrews” was first published in 1823 in Poultney, Vermont. Ethan Smith was Oliver Cowdery’s pastor. The book was popular enough that a second edition was published in 1825.
In summary, the book first thoroughly reviews for readers the “scattering of Israel,” and then the prophesied “gathering of Israel” in the last days (which he repeatedly insists must be understood as a “literal” gathering). It quotes a lot of scripture regarding these issues—especially Isaiah. It then proceeds to quote all kinds of sources in support of the notion that the Native Americans are “lost Israelites” (although ultimately proven wrong, it was a widely accepted belief at the time). Along the way he proposes a basic narrative of how he believes the Israelites likely arrived in America—though his proposal differs from that of the Book of Mormon in that he believes they came 100 years earlier, and via the Bering Strait rather than by boat. The key overarching goal and theme of the book is to awaken Christians to their duty to help “gather” and “Christianize” the Native Americans, and to help them understand their “true” identity as Israelites.
A bit of background regarding the “common knowledge” of Joseph’s day regarding the Native Americans will be crucial in helping people to fully appreciate the significance of this book. Like so many others of the time, Ethan Smith accepted two very common (but ultimately proven false) assumptions prior to creating it. First, although the idea was ultimately abandoned and eventually even disproven by DNA, it was the norm in Joseph’s day to identify the Native Americans as “lost Israelites.” It made perfect sense to them due to their belief in a literal flood which would have wiped out any previous inhabitants, as well as their biblical interpretations regarding “scattered Israel.” See HERE for my quick introduction to how common these beliefs were at the time.
Second, in Joseph’s day it was also “common knowledge” that there must have previously been another more civilized (and most also believed more “white”) group of natives who had been exterminated by the supposedly “savage,” “lazy,” and “dumb” natives who remained. For them it was the only reasonable way to explain the impressive “Indian Mounds” and other complex works being discovered in the Americas. I feel it is very important for readers to have at least a brief introduction to how these ideas were so commonly expressed at that time, so to streamline that effort I’ve provided a brief sampling of quotes HERE. Of course, the “Mound Builder Myth” of a “lost race” was debunked by about 1890 when archeologists found that it was in fact the “Indians” who had built the Indian Mounds. It was about that time when John Wesley Powell wrote a piece called “The Indians Are The Moundbuilders.” But of course this false “common knowledge” of Joseph’s time fits quite nicely with the concepts of the Nephites and Lamanites—and it is notable that Joseph once recounted in a letter to Emma that he was…
“…wandering over the plains of the Nephites, recounting occasionally the history of the Book of Mormon, roving over the mounds of that once beloved people of the Lord.”
But if the “Mound Builder Myth” didn’t spell out the foundational (but false) concepts of the Book of Mormon clearly enough, Ethan Smith’s book spelled them out even more explicitly.
THE MAJOR PARALLELS BETWEEN THE TWO BOOKS:
From View of the Hebrews…
“It is highly probable that the more civilized part of the tribes of Israel, after they settled in America, became wholly separated from the hunting and savage tribes of their brethren; that the latter lost the knowledge of their having descended from the same family with themselves; that the more civilized part continued for many centuries; that tremendous wars were frequent between them and their savage brethren, till the former became extinct. This hypothesis accounts for the ancient works, forts, mounts, and vast enclosures as well as tokens of a good degree of civil improvement, which are manifestly ancient…” (pg 72)
“These partially civilized people became extinct. What account can be given of this, but that the savages extirpated them after long and dismal wars? …. No other hypothesis occurs to mind, which appears by any means so probable. The degrees of improvement, demonstrated to have existed among the authors of these works, and relics, who have ceased to exist, far exceed all that could have been furnished from the north-east of Asia, in those ancient times. But however vindictive the savages must have been; however cruel and horrid in extirpating their more civilized brethren; yet it is a fact that there are many excellent traits in their original character. There is in the minds of the native Americans a quality far superior to what is found in the minds of most other heathen on earth; and such as might have been expected from the descendants of the ancient Israel of God…” (pg 72)
“…Israel brought into this new continent a considerable degree of civilization; and the better part of them long labored to maintain it. But others fell into the hunting and consequent savage state; whose barbarous hordes invaded their more civilized brethren, and eventually annihilated most of them, and all in these northern regions!” (note: the final battles in the Book of Mormon also took place in “the land Northward”) (pg 77)
“But the savage tribes prevailed; and in time their savage jealousies and rage annihilated their more civilized brethren.” (pg 72)
“Of some of these I shall give a concise view, as additional arguments in favor of my theory, that some of the people of Israel who came into the western continent maintained some degree of civilization for a long time; but that the better part of the outcast tribes of Israel here finally became extinct, at least in North America, under the rage of their more numerous savage brethren.” (pg 78)
“Look at the origin of those degraded natives of your continent, and fly to their relief…Teach them the story of their ancestors; the economy of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob….showing them what has been done for their nation; and what is yet to be done by the God of their fathers, in the line of his promise. Teach them their ancient history; their former blessings; their being cast away…and the promise of their return….” (pg 102)
I don’t think I need to point out the very obvious and foundational parallels between the Book of Mormon and the text above. It is hard for me to view it as a coincidence that both books would just happen to contain these popular concepts of the time period which happen to have ultimately been abandoned and shown to be false. Whether Joseph encountered these concepts in View of the Hebrews or just in the general environment around him isn’t all that important to me. In either case it makes it hard for me to view the Book of Mormon as anything but a 19th century creation.
Although I do find the parallels above to be particularly significant and foundational, there are many others worth exploration. As BH Roberts noted, the number of parallels and their “cumulative force” should also be considered. There are far more of them than I care to try to present here. Obviously they will all vary in significance, and I certainly wouldn’t insist that they all definitely influenced the Book of Mormon, but below I’m going to highlight some that I feel are worth noting and exploring.
ADDITIONAL PARALLELS WORTH EXPLORING
Some Natives Were Imagined to Have Had A “Urim and Thummim” Which Included a “Breastplate”
In this portion of the book Ethan Smith is actually quoting James Adair’s work—a very popular resource at the time for information regarding the Native Americans.
“In resemblance of the Urim and Thummim, the American Archimagus wears a breast plate made of a white conch-shell with two holes bored in the middle of it, through which he puts the ends of an otter skin strap, and fastens a buck horn white button to the outside of each, as if in imitation of the precious stones of the Urim.” (pg 63)
Numerous References to the Native American God as “The Great Spirit”
I stopped counting the number of these references when I got to 50. Possibly an inspiration for the same term in Alma 18, 19, and 22?
References to Native American “Fortifications” that Sound Very Much Like Those In The Book of Mormon
Quoting the “Archaeologia Americana,” View of the Hebrews describes these fortifications as “these military works—these walls and ditches,” which “owe their origin to a people far more civilized than our Indians.” (pg 78)
Perhaps coincidence, but “walls and ditches” sound like the fortifications in the Book of Mormon. To further illustrate the point, the popular resource by James Adair called “History of the American Indians” (which is often quoted in View of the Hebrews) also describes the fortifications in a way that is strikingly similar to the Book of Mormon:
“Through the whole continent… are traces of their ancient warlike disposition…We frequently met with great mounds of earth…having a strong breast-work at a distance around them, made of the clay which had been dug up in forming the ditch on the inner side of the inclosed ground, and these were their forts of security against an enemy.”
Another description was given as follows: “A broad deep ditch inclosed those two fortresses, and there they raised an high breastwork, to secure their houses from the invading enemy.”
Compare to Alma 50:1-5, Alma 49:18, Alma 53:3. Consider that Joseph explicitly connected these North American “mounds” with the Nephites in a letter to Emma.
The Native Americans Are Said To Be Part of the “Stick of Ephraim” Referenced In Ezekiel 37:15-17
Ethan Smith argued that this prophecy had not yet been fulfilled, and includes the Native Americans as part of the 10 tribes who are the “stick of Ephraim”:
“The reunion of the two branches of that people follows, by the figure of the two sticks taken by the prophet. Of the one he writes, ‘For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions.” Upon the other, “For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions’…. it is here expressed that the Jews and those Israelites, their companions, were symbolized by one stick; and Ephraim, all the house of Israel, (the whole ten tribes,) by the other stick. These sticks miraculously become one in the prophet’s hand.” (pg. 24)
“The ten tribes, as well as the Jews, belong to the ‘nation scattered and peeled, and terrible from the beginning.’ Yes, the stick of Ephraim is to become one in the hand of the prophet, with the stick of the Jews; Ezek 37:15.—If it is a fact, that the aborigines of this ‘land shadowing with wings,’ are the tribes of Israel; we perceive at once what can be done to fulfill the noted demand of God, as it relates to them.” (pg. 101)
As a bit of a sidenote, the text also explicitly reviews the concept of a great “apostasy,” specifically referencing Amos 8:11-12, and 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Perhaps coincidence, but these are all very important verses in LDS thought and teaching.
The Legend of Quetzalcoatl is Discussed
The legend is described in the text as one of a “white and bearded man” whom the Great Spirit gave “immortality.” It is said that “he appeased by his penance divine wrath.” He is offered “the reigns of the government.” He “dwelt twenty years among them.” He “ordered fasts.” He “preached peace to men, and would permit no other offerings to the Divinity than the first fruits of the harvests.” He “disappeared, after he had declared to the Cholulans that he would return and govern them again, and renew their happiness.” (see pg 85). Interestingly, Ethan Smith proposes this was all a remnant of ancient tradition of Moses that was brought from the old world—though many modern LDS folks believe it describes Christ’s visit to the Americas, and Joseph certainly could have thought the same (though I’ll note that even LDS scholars of Mesoamerica such as Brant Gardner and Mark Wright say there can be no real connection between Jesus Christ and Quetzalcoatl. See HERE for one example).
The Text Proposes That Some Natives Had Changed Their Government From a Monarchy to a Republic—a Theme That Arises in the Book of Mormon
“‘But the Mexican small colonies, wearied of tyranny, gave themselves republican constitutions.’ Now it is only after long popular struggles that these free constitutions can be formed. The existence of a republic does not indicate a very recent civilization. Here, like a wise politician, he was showing that the Mexicans from ancient date, were a civilized people, at least, in good degree.” (pg 76)
The Text Is EXTREMELY Heavy on the Importance of a Prophesied “Literal Gathering” or “Restoration” of the Lost Tribes of Israel
Interesting that a concept that was such a prominent issue among early 19th century Christians happens to have also been a key concern of the Book of Mormon and the early church. A debated issue of the day was whether the “gathering” of Israel was to be literal or figurative. In fact a key section outlined in the Table of Contents of View of the Hebrews is “Arguments in favor of a literal restoration,” which is followed by an outline of 5 reasons that it should be “expected to be literal.” Of course the Book of Mormon just happens to have explicitly settled this debate. Speaking of the gathering of Israel, Nephi of course asks the question:
“Behold, are they to be understood according to things which are spiritual, which shall come to pass according to the spirit and not the flesh? …Wherefore, the things of which I have read are things pertaining to things both temporal and spiritual;…” (1 Nephi 22:1,3)
Here is one brief taste of such themes in the book (it truly is all throughout):
“so it is to have a kind of literal fulfillment, upon a much greater scale, in the missions, which shall recover the ten tribes from the vast wilderness of America… as the wilderness of Judea in a small degree rejoiced and blossomed as the rose, when John the Baptist performed his ministry in it; so the wilderness and solitary place of our vast continent, containing the lost tribes of the house of Israel, will, on a most enlarged scale, rejoice and blossom as the rose, when the long lost tribes shall be found there and shall be gathered to Zion…. (pg 106-107).
Joseph of course connected the “blossoming as a rose” with the Lamanites as well (D&C 49:24). One final interesting tidbit is that the book specifically suggests that biblical prophecy about even those on the “isles afar off” being gathered had reference to the Native Americans. “Where can these ‘isles afar off’…. where can they be so naturally found as in America?” (pg 95). Nephi happens to have specifically identified his people as being one of those referred to as being on an “isle of the sea” (2 Nephi 10:20-21)
The Book’s Key Purpose Is To Awaken Christians to Their Duty to “Gather” or “Christianize” the Natives
The book’s readers are to:
“Look at the origin of those degraded natives of your continent, and fly to their relief… Teach them the story of their ancestors; the economy of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…. showing them what has been done for their nation; and what is yet to be done by the God of their fathers, in the line of his promise. Teach them their ancient history; their former blessings; their being cast away…and the promise of their return…. Tell them what their ancient fathers the prophets were inspired to predict in their behalf; and the charge here given for their restoration…. That the Great Spirit above the clouds now calls them by you to come and receive his grace by Christ… to whom the people must be gathered. Inform them that by embracing this true seed of Abraham, you and multitudes of other Gentiles, have become the children of the ancient patriarch… Go, though nation highly distinguished in the last days; save the remnant of my people…” (pg 102)
Compare to the Book of Mormon and D&C which repeatedly declare that the Book of Mormon is supposed to come forth to the “remnant of our seed” so they’ll “be restored unto the knowledge of their forefathers,” and “know that they are of the house of Israel,” and know that they are “descendants of the Jews.” It says they are a “remnant of the house of Joseph.” It says “so that the Lamanites might come to the knowledge of their fathers.” (2 Ne 30:3-6; 1 Ne 15:14; D&C 3:16-20)
The Text Discusses Perceived Anointing of the Indian “High Priests” and The Placement of the Holy Garments Upon Them
“As the high priest in Israel was inducted into office by various ceremonies, and by anointing; so is the Indian high priest by purification, and by anointing. When the holy garments are put upon him, bear’s oil is poured on his head. And it is stated that the high priest have their resemblances of the various ornaments worn by the ancient high priests; and even a resemblance of the breast plate.” (pg 51)
The Text Suggests Evidence that the Gospel of Jesus Christ Had Long Ago Been Preached In the Americas
From the book:
“They persuaded them that the gospel had in very remote times, been already preached in America. And they investigated its traces in Aztec ritual… It is a noted fact that there is a far greater analogy between much of the religion of the Indians, and Christianity, than between that of any other heathen nation on earth and Christianity.”
This was an idea that was held by many of the time. In their “History of New York,” John Yates and Joseph Moulton claimed the Natives were “Retaining some ceremonies of Christian worship.” Jeremy Belnap stated: “If the gospel was designed for an universal benefit to mankind, why was it not brought by the Apostles to America? To solve this difficulty it has been alleged that America was known to the ancients; and that it was enlightened by the personal ministry of the Apostles.” But this sort of belief goes back much further. Thomas Thorowgood proposed it in his 1650 book. In 1727 Samuel Sewell suggested that the Bible verses about Jesus preaching to “the spirits in prison” were about the “going of Jesus Christ into America” to preach to them. He suggests the “other sheep” in John 10:16 were the “sheep belonging to this American fold.” Previous to that, many Spanish and Portuguese priests had (mistakenly) attributed Christian motifs to the Natives–for example, many mistakenly saw the sacred tree of the Maya as a Christian cross.
All this being the case, it would be perfectly fitting for Joseph’s narrative to propose his own mechanism for the arrival of Christianity in ancient America.
The Text Extensively Suggests The Presence of Metallurgy Among the Native Americans
Many pages (79-82) are dedicated to discussing how much metallurgy the natives supposedly had—proposing that only Israelites could have had such technology. Perhaps this influenced Joseph to include metallurgy in the Book of Mormon even though no metallurgy whatsoever has been found in Mesoamerica prior to about 700 AD (not even gold work).
The Text Proposes That The Native Americans Had Once Believed in the Trinity
Despite the fact that a fully developed concept of “Father, Son, and Holy Ghost” is not only completely absent from all pre-Christian Israelite records, but also wasn’t even fully developed among the earliest Christians, the Book of Mormon presents it as a belief held even by ancient pre-Christian Native Americans. View of the Hebrews proposes that the Natives once had the same knowledge, and that remnants could still be seen of their belief in “one God”—who was also simultaneously understood to be “triune” (a trinitarian concept of one God but three persons). From View of the Hebrews:
“One more argument I will adduce from facts furnished in the Archaeology, to show that the American natives are from the tribes of Israel. The argument is a tradition of a trinity in their Great Spirit… An Indian article called by this writer a “triune vessel,” and noted as a religious article, and an emblem of their gods, was found… But this triune vessel is one entire thing. It must rather then have been designed to represent one god with something like three facts, or characters…. The numerous ancient inhabitants on the Mississippi were the same race with those of Mexico and Peru. And the latter have exhibited similar ideas of the triune God…. And the writer of the Archeology speaks of the native South Americans as having three principal gods…. But who does not discover also, that what the writer calls the three principal gods of the South Americans, is truly but one God?… And it has been universally testified of the great body of the Indians of America, that they hold to but one God, there is something in him threefold…. No rational account can be given of these various and distinct triune emblems of their Great Spirit, but that they were derived from ancient revelation in Israel, which did throughout present the one God of Israel as God; the Lord; and the Spirit of the Lord.” (pg 87-89)
Interestingly, the Book of Mormon is surprisingly Trinitarian in its language. See for example Alma 11:38-39, Mosiah 15:1-4, Ether 3:14-15, Mosiah 16:15, 2 Nephi 31:21. More significantly, the 1830 version was even more explicitly trinitarian in its language, but some passages have been changed in our current edition. Compare 1 Nephi 11:21 and 1 Nephi 13:40 to the original version in “Skousen’s Earliest Text.” This is more significant given that Joseph’s accounts of the first vision don’t mention 2 personages until his 1838 account, and that his earliest account only mentions seeing “the Lord.”
Other Broad Considerations
I have no intention of trying to cover all the parallels in this summary, but the book repeats all the same “evidences” that were put forth in so many other sources of the time that suggested the natives must be Israelites. The book heavily quotes James Adair and numerous others. Claiming for example that: Their “language appears clearly to be Hebrew.” That they practiced circumcision and other mosaic rituals. That they told stories of the flood and the confounding of languages. That all the natives are believed to “have one origin” in terms of their ancestry, and so on… Given all of these common (but mistaken) claims of the time, one can understand why non-believers would feel that the Book of Mormon is simply wrongly attributing all these same sorts of things to ancient Native Americans, and feel that the book is simply a product of the early 19th century.
I have to ask the same question as B.H. Roberts:
“Can such numerous and startling points of resemblance and suggestive contact be merely coincidence?
Perhaps the evidence will lead you to feel (as BH Roberts did) that it is very reasonable to suggest this book as something that “could well have furnished structural outlines for the book of Mormon.” He proposed that:
“it could with reason be urged, which, given the suggestions that are to be found in the ‘common knowledge’ of accepted American antiquities of the times, supplemented by such a work, as Ethan Smith’s View of the Hebrews, would make it possible for him to create a book such as the Book of Mormon is… and a person of vivid and constructive imaginative power in contact with it, there is little room for doubt that it might be possible for Joseph Smith to construct a theory of origin for his Book of Mormon in harmony with these prevailing notions; and more especially since this ‘common knowledge’ is set forth in almost handbook form in the little work of Ethan Smith…” (pg 152-154, Studies of the Book of Mormon)
Or perhaps you’ll feel as believer Blake T. Ostler that these were most likely two independent reflections of early 19th century thought:
“The prophecies of America and the role of a gentile nation in the Book of Mormon can most reasonably be explained, in my opinion, as popular nineteenth-century concepts inserted in the text by Joseph Smith (1 Ne. 13:10-20). In short, similarities between View of the Hebrews and the Book of Mormon do not require the dependance of one upon the other but are most easily explained as two reflections of common nineteenth-century assumptions about the American Indians.” (pg. 70 HERE)
Although it is certainly true that Joseph would have encountered the general thrust of these ideas in countless other sources of the time, my personal feeling is that some foundational concepts of the Book of Mormon do seem to be uniquely exemplified in View of the Hebrews—making a direct connection seem more likely. However, although this is an interesting question worth some consideration, in the end it really isn’t that important to me whether Joseph encountered these concepts in View of the Hebrews or just in the general environment around him. First and foremost, I found this book significant for Book of Mormon studies because it awoke me to the fact that the Book of Mormon’s very self-conception and foundational narrative seem to be based on the popular early 19th century views of the Native Americans. Am I to believe that it was just by chance that the Book of Mormon’s foundational narrative happens to so aptly follow the popular (but false and ultimately abandoned!) ideas of the day regarding Native American origins? Ultimately it was just one consideration among many, but it was a significant factor that caused me to begin suspecting the book was a non-historical product of its time.
As seen in quotes above, LDS scholars such as Blake Ostler and Brant Gardner attempt to account for the prevalent 19th century material in the Book of Mormon by classifying these things as Joseph’s unconscious “expansions” or extremely loose translations of a legitimate historical text. I appreciate that they acknowledge that much of the Book of Mormon text cannot reasonably be considered ancient in nature, and must be identified as modern “expansions” by Joseph. There are certainly some aspects of the Book of Mormon that could be reasonably accounted for in this way while preserving the possibility of an underlying ancient text. As for myself, I tried desperately for some time to be comfortable with such an approach, but for me it simply couldn’t account for the depth of the issues. In my view the 19th century content is in many cases too foundational to even the book’s very self-conception and big picture narrative to be accounted for as “expansions” or products of a “loose translation.” And in other cases, when I tried to account for various claimed “expansions” during translation, I was left having a really hard time trying to imagine what any legitimate underlying ancient text could have possibly looked like if those “expansions” were removed, because those issues were often so integral to the stories and narratives that surround them.
In any case, I propose that View of the Hebrews is an extremely important book for those seriously interested in Book of Mormon studies.
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Search results for "2000"
Mercy (2000)
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LAFC: Breaking ground. A branding masterclass. (Part 2)
With branded shovels at the ready, labourers, politicians, club owners, celebrities, and even the mayor joined with fans of Los Angeles Football Club to celebrate construction on the club’s future $350m home.
#LAFCStadiumGroundBreaking
Now this day could easily have passed without notice. It was just another day. An announcement would have sufficed. A simple press release would have done. Simply even a Tweet.
But this day has been a long time coming – and while a lot more left to do before a full debut in 2018 – the club made a point of remembering this day with gusto: August 23rd was an occasion, it was an event to be part of, #LAFCStadiumGroundBreaking day.
When the world zigs, zag.
This is a club that recognises making their gestures matter, really matters. So when others may have announced this as something standard or expected, LAFC made a gesture: they turned a start date into a community engagement event.
Let’s not forget this is a club who not only haven’t kicked a ball yet, they are a club without any players. But that doesn’t matter when you have fans. So this is a club laying out its stall for fans to gather for something bigger than the game, to allow them to feel rewarded for, and part of, the journey so far. This is about building a fan base around building a story for Los Angeles.
And you don’t do that conventionally.
You do it around culture.
That is what this is about – uniting a city, around a culture. In this instance, through an event. And it was an event with real ambition; it was a showpiece.
Amplified in the run up to it on Twitter seeding soundbites around the type of things which will set this stadium apart from the rest of them, and what fans can expect from it. On the day itself, appearances from the worlds of entertainment, sport and big business added some vim – in particular, LAFC co-owners, former basketball star Magic Johnson, and actor Will Ferrell playing for the cameras, operating heavy machinery and joining fans to shovel the first mounds of dirt from the ground. All of this going out on Facebook Live. They had bands, they had speeches, they had branded shovels and branded hard-hats, they had merchandise, they had TV cameras.
As far as marketing tactics go, they mastered it: an event, a comedy show, a performance. It was a culture to be a part of.
If you build it, they will come.
And for a club still only an idea back in 2014, they have come a long way.
They clearly studied the type of culture their fans might of wanted to be a part of and then what it is they could provide that would inspire that culture to invite it in. Because without fans, there is no football.
So LAFC operate on the principle that their fans are the originators of this club in whatever form that takes (last year they gave them a voice in the creation of the team’s colours and their identity through an initiative on Twitter; this year, their fans literally help lay the foundations of their future home).
And in doing this? The club have demonstrated there isn’t a limit to the size of the conversation they can have when they show the positive contribution they can make to that culture and invite their fans to actively participate in it with them.
Posted on September 4, 2016 September 5, 2016 Posted in UncategorizedTagged #LAFCStadiumGroundBreaking, Facebook Live, Gensler, LAFC, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Football Club, Magic Johnson, Major League Soccer, MLS, Twitter, Will Ferrell By dfc605
Previous PostLAFC: Breaking ground with more than a soccer-specific stadium (Part 1)
Next PostMiami 2019. Almost Confirmed.
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Ghanaians urged to support double track system to succeed
Tue, 11 Sep 2018 Source: ghananewsagency.org
Reverend Stephen Kwarteng-Amaning, Senior Pastor of the St. John’s Baptist Church has urged Ghanaians to support the double track system being introduced in some Senior High Schools (SHS) throughout the country.
He said the new system would not only help in reducing overcrowding in classrooms but would also employ more qualified teachers, who are currently unemployed.
Rev. Kwarteng-Amaning, who made the call in an interview with Ghana News Agency in Accra, on Sunday, said the lack of infrastructure necessitated the introduction of the system as a lot of SHSs are faced with infrastructure challenges.
He noted that the only difference with the policy and what currently pertains is the prolonged vacations, but was confident that the system would improve and also motivate students to do a lot on their own.
The system, he said, will allow 400,000 students who have qualified to enter SHS to do so in a rotational semester manner, adding that, government had taken time to brainstorm on this process with all the necessary stakeholders to ensure its success.
Dr Adutwum said about 19,000 more teachers would be recruited to help provide quality tuition for the students, who would be on the two rotational semesters from September, this year.
Rev. Kwarteng-Amaning said the church was building a four-storey classroom block to complement government’s efforts of providing quality education for all Ghanaians.
On the National Cathedral, Rev Kwateng-Amaning called for more consultations from stakeholders to know where the cathedral should be sited.
He said the church had been offering scholarship to the needy but brilliant students over the years and would expand it wings by awarding more scholarships to the people in other communities.
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Congresswoman McCollum Gaveled Down During House Pro Forma Session; GOP Continues to Burden America’s Middle Class
October 19, 2012 Press Release
For Immediate Release: October 19, 2012
Congresswoman McCollum Introduces Legislation Expanding the Jurisdiction of the House Committee on Small Business to include Nonprofit Organizations (H. Res. 768)
August 6, 2012 Press Release
For Immediate Release: August 6, 2012
Congresswoman McCollum Decries Farm Bill’s Harsh Cuts to Nutrition Programs
July 12, 2012 Press Release
For Immediate Release: July 12, 2012
2 to 3 million low-income Americans will have food assistance eliminated
McCollum's eNewsletter: A New Greenhouse in St. Paul, St. Paul Harbor, and More
June 4, 2012 e-Newsletter
Congresswoman McCollum, Mayor Chris Coleman, BrightFarms, Inc., and J&J Distributing Welcome a New Greenhouse in St. Paul
Paulsen and McCollum Introduce Legislation to Help Minnesota Seniors Utilize SNAP Benefits
March 29, 2012 Press Release
CONTACT: Rep. Betty McCollum - Maria Reppas, (202) 225-6631 or Maria.Reppas@mail.house.gov
Bill makes it easier for homebound seniors to purchase food and medicines
Congresswoman McCollum: President Obama Has Given Congress a Blueprint for Action, So Let’s Get to Work
January 24, 2012 Press Release
Washington, DC – Tonight, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) issued the following response to President Obama's State of the Union address to Congress.
Congresswoman McCollum's Statement on Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act (H.R. 1633)
December 8, 2011 Statements For the Record
Mr. Speaker, I rise to strongly oppose H.R. 1633, the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act. Regrettably, the House Republican majority is choosing to waste precious floor time debating this political statement instead of allowing a vote on President Obama's American Jobs Act.
Contrary to the claims of my Republican colleagues, H.R. 1633 has nothing to do with job creation or economic growth. This legislation addresses a nonexistent issue since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated repeatedly it has no intention of regulating "farm dust."
Congresswoman McCollum's Statement on the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act 2012, H.R. 2112
November 17, 2011 Statements For the Record
I rise today in support of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act 2012 (H.R. 2112). This legislation combines three fiscal year 2012 appropriations measures: Agriculture; Commerce-Justice-Science; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. H.R. 2112 also includes a short-term continuing resolution that will fund the remainder of the federal government through December 16.
Congresswoman McCollum Supports Increased U.S. Commitments to Relieve Famine in the Horn of Africa
August 31, 2011 Press Release
St. Paul, MN – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) issued the following statement as the head of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi announced a new U.S. commitment to famine relief at a University of Minnesota forum.
Congresswoman McCollum's Statement on H.R. 2112, Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
June 13, 2011 Statements For the Record
Mr. Speaker, I rise to strongly object to the Republican majority's mean-spirited $650 million cut to vulnerable women, infants and children. The Republican's Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture Appropriations legislation, H.R. 2112, chooses to make this drastic reduction to the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program at a time of economic crisis for millions of American families. WIC is a proven strategy to guarantee that lower-income expectant and breastfeeding mothers and their children up to five years of age receive nutritious food.
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101 Murders Recorded in St James in 2018
Jamaica Crime News, St James: The year 2018 ended in the parish of St James, with a total of 101 persons been murdered.
The St James police have now reported that this figure, compared to 335 persons being killed in the previous year, is a massive decline and one of the largest declines in murders to take place in the island’s history.
The most recent victims have been identified as 59-year-old Delroy Stephenson of Gutters district and an unidentified male whose body was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds in the Cambridge policing area.
Stephenson was shot and killed by unknown assailants on December 28, in the vicinity of his home at Guinep Way in Gutters. The unidentified male, who some persons say is from Lucea in Hanover, was shot and killed in Seven Rivers farm area of Cambridge, about 4:30 p.m. last Wednesday.
The police say the unidentified man who suffered a broken left arm which was in a cast, was discovered lying in his back, in a ditch, with gunshot wounds to his eye and mouth.
The victim appears to be in his early thirties and was clad in shorts, red underpants, and a yellow, black and green polo shirt.
Prior to those two murders, 27-year-old Mark Reynolds, laborer of Buena Vista district in Anchovy policing area, was shot and killed in his community by gunmen, just days before Christmas.
Reports by the police are that about 1:00 p.m., Reynolds was walking along the roadway in his community, when he was ambushed and shot by two armed men.
The police have reported that during the last eight weeks of 2018, they have seen a rise in murders committed, especially in and around the Barnett Street policing area.
With only a few weeks remaining for the State of Public Emergency in the parish, the Area One High Command is now back at the drawing board, forming new crime fighting methods, with which to approach the months ahead.
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Jamaica Fire Brigade to Get Mini Fire Trucks
Jamaica News, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, says more money will be spent to upgrade the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), as the Government seeks to strengthen the Brigade’s capabilities to respond to emergencies.
Speaking at a ceremony to officially open the Montego Bay Fireboat Station in St. James on December 28, the Minister said the Government is seeking to add mini pumper fire engines to the fleet of the JFB’s emergency department.
Mini pumper fire engines are designed as more mobile counterparts to the full-size fire trucks and are used to respond to emergencies in areas that larger units are unable to reach.
According to Minister McKenzie, the Ministry has been in dialogue with the Board of the JFB for the acquisition of the mini fire units.
“We have had communities expanding, but yet we didn’t have any expansion of the services of the Jamaica Fire Brigade. This Administration is mindful of it, and we have been having discussions with the Board to look at establishing what we would call mini response units across the country,” the Minister added.
He informed that a team from the JFB is to visit Canada in 2019 to get a first-hand view of the mini fire units, and, if satisfied, Government will move to purchase the trucks.
“The Brigade has been invited by a company to visit Canada to have a look at some of those units. Once the Brigade agrees that these units can assist in their fighting capabilities, I will make the necessary request for the funding to secure some of these trucks to complement the work of the Jamaica Fire Brigade,” the Minister said.
In the meantime, Mr. McKenzie has praised the Jamaica Fire Brigade for the work it has been doing.
“I believe that the JFB is easily one of the most effective agencies of Government, and I want to congratulate the men and women who are serving and those who served previously,” he said.
The new Montego Bay fireboat station will be manned by 34 firefighters.
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Dreams About Storms – Meaning and Interpretation
Always present in the dream experiences of many people, the storm represents a natural event impossible to tame that, due to its strength and potential, is easily associated with the omnipotent image of God and universal power.
Usually a source of turmoil for those who dream of it, the storm could in some cases instead represent a moment of excitement for the dreamer who sees an event of similar magnitude as a regenerative force more powerful than the destructive one to which most individuals associate this event air pollution.
According to very ancient popular beliefs, dreaming of a storm was an omen of negative events that would soon mark the life of the dreamer.
To this day the interpretation of this dream has definitely changed by placing more emphasis on compressed energies that the unconscious tries to reveal through the dream experience.
These energies, as always happens when we speak of strength, must then be channeled in the right way and, to do so, understanding them is absolutely necessary.
Dreams about Storms – Meaning
Hail, storms, temporal and hurricanes in dreams, what do they mean? Generally speaking, in the world of dreams, dreaming of the rain will bring to the surface feelings of discontent and anxiety, it is your subconscious that tries to tell you something, you are probably experiencing a period that is not exactly positive, you feel sad and depressed.
The rain, however, let’s not forget that it is also a symbol of regeneration and growth, it is able to “wash” away, bad things, it could be time for a new beginning, a renewal.
Wind in dreams: it is not very common, it can symbolize a change or an inner transformation in the life of the dreamer. For Jung the wind is mostly led to a divine force, therefore to the manifestation of God, in other cases it is the symbol of something that is changing in your life and that could lead the dreamer to a different path than the one he is following.
What does it mean to dream the wind? Well, first of all it is necessary to consider the type of wind, that is, was it a light breeze? a strong and annoying wind? were they flurried? All this can surely reveal to us the entity of the dream in a more specific way.
Dreaming of a wind storm, in dreams probably announces a change, usually after the storm the quiet returns. In other cases, you are experiencing strong emotions from a sentimental point of view, something has moved in your heart.
Dreaming of a strong wind is probably the beginning of a change that could turn your life upside down, it can concern the working environment or the loving one, based on what you feel you can connote the positive or not entity of the dream.
Dreaming of a strong wind if you dream of a very strong wind, which almost drags you, presumably you are going to face a forced change, and therefore you feel transported and almost forced to go in a certain direction, which you really don’t want to go.
Dreaming of a wind and rain storm is certainly not a good sign. You are almost certainly living a period that is not entirely positive, you are going through a moment of great turmoil and change and this brings a great confusion inside you.
The perfect storm, unlike the storm, is never announced. However, even the storm can enter right into the possible images related to the storm, especially if the dreamer reports numerous lightning during the incessant rain.
Dreaming of a storm of this kind could have something to do with a not so rosy period in which the dreamer is doing the accounts.
At the base there could be a strong discontent for some aspects of one’s life that cannot be changed or even a strong distrust in the future.
Like all thunderstorms, however, after the most difficult moment the improvement is always ready with which to cover all that has happened with different eyes.
The idea of a thunderstorm to which the serene follows could therefore be linked to the possible resolution of the dynamics that the unconscious brought to the surface through this strong dream image.
The dream of a real destructive storm may have to do with the tumult of the most visceral passions, be they negative (as in the case of violent quarrels or unexpected and painful changes) or positive (as in the case of a strong passion for love).
Dreaming of a storm is also typical of young adults whose unconscious sends a similar dream signal to face and overcome the strong change in the transition from adolescence to adulthood, made up of new responsibilities and commitments.
Whoever dreams of a storm could also have recently undergone the end of a love bond or feel guilty about something he knows he is responsible for.
In this sense the storm would act as catharsis, a “natural” purification to atone for one’s sins.
However, the idea of creating new things, in line with the archetype of death and rebirth, is also linked to the idea of the storm that destroys and annihilates. Reading the dream of a storm in this light would therefore lead to a very different interpretation for which the dreamer is ready for a completely new beginning.
If in the dream of a storm the wind is a strongly characterizing element, most likely the dreamer is experiencing a phase of emotional instability in which his ego is deeply worried about possible slander about him. These rumors are in fact associated with the atmospheric event of the wind and the storm all around is shown in a dream to emphasize the strong conditioning that the dreamer is experiencing.
When the pivotal element of a dream storm is hail, the dreamer is probably discouraged by the many blows that fate, like what storm does when incessantly striking things and people, has dealt him in the last period.
This dreamlike image therefore refers to the subject’s current inability to defend itself against the most adverse and harsh situations, learning to draw useful lessons for the future.
Dreams about Storms – Symbolism
Dreaming of a storm at sea, or dreaming of a stormy sea – The sea in dreams, very often represents what we have inside, dreaming of a sea storm, it means that something inside us is in motion, we feel confused or in other cases you need something that gives you emotions and makes you feel alive.
Dreaming of a black tornado – Dreaming of a black tornado, could herald a negative event, which could soon loom over the dreamer’s life, a big emotional upheaval is coming.
Dreaming of Hurricane – The hurricane generally takes away everything it finds on the road, for the dreamer it could symbolize a strong change of life or in other cases reflect the desire to completely turn around or the fear of being overwhelmed by something bigger than itself and not having control over it.
Dreaming about the coming storm – it is connected to difficulties and problems, to the fear that they magnify and become insuperable and swallow their daily life, their habits, their trust in hope. It represents the awareness of a danger and the need to recognize the extent of the difficulties and the obstacles that are emerging. It is equivalent to becoming aware of a difficult and problematic reality.
Dreaming of storm and wind – the wind combined with the storm in dreams can indicate the corollary of voices, thoughts, slander, conditionings that are shaking, caring and changing the dreamer’s situation.
Dreaming of storm and rain – the torrential rain of the storm in dreams alludes to the difficulty that influences the emotions of the dreamer, to the sadness to live and accept, but also to the next overcoming of this state, of this phase: the storm that is discharged with the rain will soon have an end.
Dreaming of a thunderstorm with storm – the dreamer finds himself in the midst of the difficulties and the “blows of fate” that can damage him if he does not learn to defend himself from the harshness of the situation by trying to protect himself and find alternatives.
Dreaming lightning storms – it alludes to the awareness of the difficulties that are being faced, to unexpected and sudden events, to feeling itself a victim of destiny, but also to the possible “illuminations” to the clarifications related to one’s own situation, to the truths of which one must be aware.
Dreaming of thunderstorms and thunder – thunders in dreams are the echo of all the fears that remain inside that are not expressed and that, for this reason acquire strength and power, together with the temporal signal the immanence of the difficulties and the weight that these can have if no action is taken:
They announce and shake the consciousness and awareness of the dreamer.
Dreaming of a thunderstorm with the sun – it is a positive image that alludes to the end of the difficulties and to a new beginning. The sun as a masculine principle can also indicate a concrete help and solver.
Dreaming of a storm on the sea – can refer to the influence of external difficulties and events on one’s emotional system.
To highlight the vulnerability of the dreamer the need to take care of himself, to show the reality of a disturbing and unpleasant situation, potentially harmful, which can put into turmoil, bring confusion in one’s emotional world and in one’s own value system.
Dreaming of time in the home – as above, but the image is even clearer and centered on the dreamer’s operating system on the structure of his personality that is shaken and invaded by the temporal symbol of external problems having the power to excessively influence the dreamer.
Or it may indicate that the problem is already inside, that the temporal is the image of an inner turbulence, of aspects of the personality that are in conflict and are bringing uncertainty and chaos.
Thunderstorms and storms in dreams participate in the symbolism of the “violent waters” signal of anger and universal adversity and are part of the vast symbolic repertoire of violent atmospheric disturbances, among which we remember lightning and lightning, wind and hail, storms, typhoons, tornadoes and cyclone.
Dreaming of storm and storm alludes to as much violence in the human energies compressed, denied and relegated to the unconscious when they manage to escape the control of the conscience and are unleashed.
The symbolic meaning of temporal dreaming and dreaming of storms at a first examination seems to coincide, but in the collective imagination it has different timing and intensity: the storm in dreams is announced, appears on the horizon as if it were a sort of warning, while the storm overwhelms, rages and offers no respite.
In ancient times, dreaming of storms and storms was a sign of bad luck that would have overwhelmed the dreamer, for the moderns it represents something looming and potentially harmful, but also full of energizing and regenerating force.
Dreams About Toilets – Interpretation and Meaning
Dreams About Hair – Meaning and Interpretation
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Spotify: how much do artists really cash in?
Spotify pays about 70% of its earnings in rights paid to record companies, which equates to an average for each artist, ranging from $ 0.006 to $ 0.0084 per audience. These are some of the data that the famous music streaming service has provided with a dedicated website. It's called The Spotify Artists and is aimed at musicians, who are told about the revenue from the publication of their songs on the music platform of the moment.
Spotify therefore decided to open the doors in the name of transparency and explain to everyone how its business model works. The initiative seems to be taken for the recent complaints of some famous composers. An example of everything is Thom Yorke, leader of Radiohead, who tweeted this summer: "Don't make mistakes: Spotify won't pay for the new artists you discover with streaming". But the streaming music service responds by explaining that, in the countries where it is present, revenues for musicians and record companies are growing. They have already paid more than a billion dollars in fees, half of which was paid only in 2013.
The revenue from the music industry has fallen in recent years. The reasons are different, from changes in listening habits to the reduction of leisure time expenses. However, even the bet of digital music seems to be the only hope to recover some of the lost earnings. Although the web has not reported the gains of the past to the record market, the trend is uphill. In fact, data from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) reveal that the total revenue of the music industry has decreased, from $ 23.2 billion in 2004 to $ 16.5 billion in 2012. However, digital music in the same period is has grown, going from a gain of only 400 million dollars to 5.6 billion last year.
Who are really the curators of the Spotify playlists: Let's know them better
Why Spotify Playlists are so important
The Music Market Resumption
Spotify Vs Radio
The Importance of Increasing Your Spotify Follower
Aiuto ed assistenza
Play local get viral
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Tom Ball/ April 9, 2019
Is Belarus Putin’s Next Land Grab?
Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 sparked an international crisis.
Vladimir Putin with Alexander Lukashenko (Maxim Malinovsky/AFP/Getty Images)
Last summer, in a small town overlooking the Russian border, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko made a stark and pointed pronouncement. “If we don’t survive these years—if we fail,” he said, “it means we will have to become part of some other state, or they will simply wipe their feet on us. God forbid they unleash another war, like in Ukraine.”
Lukashenko was referring to Russia.
In March 2014, Russia responded to the ousting of pro-Russia Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych by annexing Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula. The seizing of Crimea provoked widespread condemnation from the international community along with a wave of ongoing sanctions against Russia. Since then, NATO has redoubled its military presence in Eastern Europe, particularly in the Baltic states where, as in Crimea, a large ethnically Russia population could provide enough context for another land grab. The last few months, however, have raised the question of whether they may be focusing on the wrong places. In February, NATO’s general secretary, Anders Rasmussen, warned of a “repetition of the Ukrainian scenario” not in the Baltics, but in Belarus.
As Lukashenko is known for dramatic outbursts, his speech—which might have caused an international incident coming from any other leader—was baldly reported on the national news wire and quickly forgotten about. Ten months later, the president’s words do not sound quite as absurd as they did back in June. While Lukashenko has accused Putin’s government of trying to topple him many times in recent years, the prospect of Russian annexation, one way or another, no longer seems the stuff of conspiracy theories. In December 2018, at the meeting of the Belarus-Russia Union State Council of Ministers, Russian prime minister Dmitri Medvedev broached the topic, suggesting integrating the two countries via a joint judiciary and customs service, a common currency and, above all, a Union State constitution. The notion of deeper integration between Russia and Belarus has been bandied around since the mid-2000s. But Medvedev this time was not proffering a suggestion, but an implicit ultimatum: Russia is contemplating changes to its oil industry regulations, which would force Belarus to start buying Russian oil at non-subsidized rates—a blow that Minsk estimates will cost them around $10 billion by 2024. The message was clear: Either unite, or suffer an economic disaster.
While the Russian constitution bars Putin from serving two consecutive terms, a new union constitution could enable him to serve beyond 2024.
Lukashenko has angrily pushed back against the threat, and at a meeting with Putin in February, he made a point of stressing “the holy sanctity” of his nation’s independence. The question is how determined Russia is to see through its plans for a union, and how far it will go to achieve it. Belarus is no Ukraine, with whom Minsk stood in solidarity in 2014 over Crimea—a defiant signal against similar incursions into their own territory. Whereas Ukraine suffered for its attempts to escape Moscow’s grasp, Belarus will suffer from the fact that it has, throughout its post-Soviet history, clung too tightly to the Muscovite breast. Unlike other nations in the region, whose post-Soviet pathways have varied from western-style liberalism to steroidal capitalism, Belarus differs little from its former communist self and continues to view the old mothership as protector and patron. In a country routinely, even somewhat blithely, labelled a “Soviet theme park,” a state-run economy is still very much alive, but is largely reliant on the largesse of the Russian state, which remains one of its very few foreign investors and trade partners.
From the Kremlin’s perspective, integration is a logical step. With recession looming, why bother spending money propping up an ailing regime which could simply be absorbed? Belarus is also a keystone in Russia’s defensive strategy, buffering against NATO’s increasing presence in eastern Europe. Since the interference in Ukraine, Lukashenko has resisted Russian attempts to build military bases in his country, much to Putin’s chagrin. A union would do away with that problem.
The most salacious theory, and the one favored by Western critics, is that absorbing Belarus is all part of Putin’s retirement—or non-retirement—plan: While the Russian constitution bars Putin from serving two consecutive terms, a new union constitution could enable him to serve beyond 2024.
We remain a long way from anything of a similar kind to the use of force exhibited in 2014, or in 2008 when Russian troops shelled and occupied various towns in Georgia. Despite his swashbuckling public image, Putin is, for the most part, fairly risk averse, and any military interference in Belarus would be highly risky, requiring an enormous operation. Even if the west fails to respond in kind—it’s hard to predict with a mercurial U.S. president at the helm—a long and costly war might well ensue: Unlike in Crimea, while many Belarusians feel a fraternal affection for Russia, they do not want to become part of it. Independence is relatively new to Belarus, which, apart from a few months in 1918, has always existed as the territory of a bigger state. And however qualified that independence might presently be, it is one that ordinary citizens will not give up without a fight.
Belarusians are perhaps unusually sensitive to the possibility of invasion, having served throughout its modern history as the corridor for Polish, French and German armies. All over Belarus, old bits of military hardware can be found scattered among the fields. In a land which hosted some of the fiercest fighting of the Second World War, the surplus of tanks, planes and rockets from those years now serve as memorials to the dead—a reminder of the devastation Belarus suffered in the crossfire of two advancing armies, killing over a quarter of the populace, a proportion more than double that of any other nation in World War II.
But Lukashenko, a near-dictator in his own right, who has made himself absolute ruler through 25 years of constitutional revision and suppression of the opposition, may also be exploiting public opinion on this matter. Domestically, external enemies can have their use, particularly for a president facing a sinking economy and occasional outbursts of dissent. Internationally, Lukashenko has proved himself a master tightrope walker between east and west, courting Europe to extract concessions from Russia and vice versa. By stoking fears over the potential for a second Ukraine, he may hope to intensify the growing volume of trade with the European Union and elicit more investment from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. And while Belarus—the only state on the continent to still carry out the death penalty—becoming an EU member is highly unlikely anytime soon, Minsk is happy to hold talks with the west to give the impression that it might.
That is not to say that Russian annexation is a figment of Lukashenko’s imagination. The union is something that Moscow has pushed for, albeit tentatively, since the late 1990s. In the past few months, with the threat of recession and rising oil prices, it has become no longer notional, but possible. Who would have thought in 2013 that a year later Crimea would be a Russian territory? The same might be said for Belarus, though the process would not happen overnight nor occur with the same brute force. Any potential union will, instead, be the product of a series of calculations—the first of which it is clear we are now witnessing.
Tom Ball @tomfball
Tom Ball is a journalist based in London.
Foreign Affairs, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko
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Alcohol restrictions extended in Harju, Ida-Viru counties until Thursday ({{contentCtrl.commentsTotal}})
A bartender making a cocktail. Source: Priit Mürk/ERR
The Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) have extended late night alcohol sales restrictions in Harju and Ida-Viru counties until Thursday, September 24. A month-long nationwide ban will enter into force on Friday.
The current ban stops alcohol being sold between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. and has been in place for the last few weeks to limit the spread of coronavirus after a cluster of outbreaks began in bars and clubs.
The Health Board's risk analysis shows coronavirus is being diagnosed in young people. In the last week, new cases have decreased the most among the 20-29 and 30-39 age groups but two-thirds of new cases are still diagnosed in these age groups.
Data from the Health Board shows Tallinn is the area with the highest risk in Estonia in terms of population and population density.
As of Thursday, 187 people were infected with the coronavirus in Tallinn and Harju County. The infection rate is 29 per 100,000 inhabitants as a two-week average in Harju County and 34 in Tallinn.
Prefect of the Eastern region Tarvo Kruubi said the data does not give a reason to change the current measures in Ida-Viru County either.
"The latest data of the Health Board shows that the infection rate in Ida-Viru County is currently almost 48 per 100,000 inhabitants, which is almost twice as high as the Estonian average," he said.
"We have the power to stop the spread of the virus, and to that end, I decided to extend the restriction for another week. I ask all residents of Ida-Viru County to take the situation seriously and to give up risky behavior and to use disinfectants, masks and gloves when visiting public places."
On September 17, the government approved a nationwide restriction on the sale of alcohol, which will take effect on the night of September 24, beginning on September 25 at midnight (00.00a.m.).
The ban on the sale of alcohol at night applies from midnight to 10 a.m. in all places where alcohol is sold. Read the government's official announcement here.
Alcohol sales ban could be supplemented by consumption restriction
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Kipriotis Conference Center To Host ABTA Conference
Tag: ABTA, Association of British Travel Agents, c17207c, conference, convention center, European Federation of Conference Town, Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO), Hippocrates Palace Hotel, ICCA, International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), Kalymnos, Kipriotis Village's KICC centre, Kos, Matina Gika, Nisyros, Patmos, Turkey
With Greece’s largest conference center to date, the Kipriotis Group on the island of Kos will host the Association of British Travel Agents’ (ABTA) annual conference, to be held October 27-31. Greece was chose over several of its Mediterranean competitors including up-and- coming Portugal, which has submitted bids to host the event of three occasions. Some 2,500 representatives of UK travel agents will fly directly to Kos for the convention.
Although Kipriotis spokesperson Matina Gika noted that the successful bid was a combined effort involving Kipriotis, local authorities and the Greek Tourism Organization (EOT), she said that better coordination was needed between state and local bodies. She said that among other things, transfers of conference participants still had to be organized as well as official events such as the welcoming dinner of EOT’s part. The cost of organizing the convention is estimated at 1 billion drachmas.
Ms. Gika invited local authorities and tourism entrepreneurs from regions throughout Greece to take part in the conference’s travel fair, which will be held in conjunction with the ABTA meeting. A number of Mediterranean countries, such as Spain, have confirmed that they intend to set up promotional stands, but there is a glaring lack of Greek interest, with just five months left until the fair.
At the same time, efforts to lengthen Kos’ tourist season have paid off with 50 days already set aside next winter for conventions and business meeting. Britons and Germans appear to be expressing interest in Kos beyond Greece’s largest conference centre.
The newly-built 3,000-square meter Kos International Convention Centre, with as total seating capacity of 5,500, was opened in May Last year and is already proving a popular venue of international medical conferences and business meeting whose organizers seek inspiration for participants with the fact that the island in the birthplace of Hippocrates.
According to its owner, Kos-based Kipriotis Hotels, the complex’s 2,200-seat conference room is the largest in southeastern Europe. The three-storey structure was built by the group and is located 50m from its four-star, 651-room Kipriotis Village unit. Kipriotis’ other Kos properties are the four-star, 200-room Hippocrates Palace Hotel and the five-star, 350-room Panorama View Hotel, which is due to open in spring next year.
Ms. Gika pointed out there was a rapidly rising demand in Europe for modern, large conference venues, and that British, Scandinavian and German firms in particular were inquiring about the Kos centre. She said that the companies wanted to learn more about convention venues in Greece generally.
Kos is also selling its capabilities as a conference destination through its membership of the European Federation of Conference Towns and the International Congress and Convention Association. Apart from its conference-organizing abilities, Ms. Gika said Kos has much to offer in terms of alternative forms of tourism. Its marina has been fully upgraded and will cater to 250 yachts when completed, as planned, this month.
She added that the third largest Dodecanese island though it’s being plugged as “Kos-small is beautiful” – is ideal as a jumping-off point for day trips to other isles in the group, such as Nisyros, Patmos and Kalymnos while visitors can also take in a visit to Turkey, as boats leave daily for the neighbouring country. “A convention could conceivably be held in both Greece and Turkey,” she suggested.
Mediterranean Travel Fair Spotlights Greece
Biggest And Best Tourism Panorama
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Q&A with Dan Shore
Business School announces Tata gift; two initiatives
Harvard's Chief Financial Officer Dan Shore: "With an 11 percent investment return on the endowment, you can be lulled into a sense that whatever we went through in the past no longer presents challenges for the University. But the reality is that our primary sources of funding all face considerable uncertainty ..."
File photo by Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer
Harvard’s chief financial officer details findings in annual report
Harvard University’s latest annual report reflects the effects of difficult strategic choices made during tumultuous economic times. The results are encouraging, but Chief Financial Officer Dan Shore says that Harvard will need to continue managing its expenses cautiously as it works through the lingering ramifications of the Great Recession. Shore spoke with the Gazette about the latest snapshot of University finances.
GAZETTE: This report represents the first full fiscal year after Harvard had to make some adjustments to meet changed financial circumstances. What’s the bottom line?
SHORE: I think the year went very well. The most important thing we needed to do was to realign our organization and our finances with the reality of the endowment having lost 27 percent in fiscal 2009. We were able to do that in very significant ways. We reduced our overall spending. But perhaps even more impressive, we reduced our controllable, nonsponsored spending by 6 percent year over year, and in the process saved $130 million — the equivalent of a new $2.6 billion gift to the endowment. That was a major success for the year, and it’s something that everyone should be very proud of. It took a lot of coordinated work across the entire University to achieve our budgetary objectives.
GAZETTE: There were a number of difficult choices made as the University worked through its financial challenges: wage freezes for faculty and exempt staff, work force reductions. Did those measures have a direct effect on the operating results for the past fiscal year?
SHORE: Yes, you can absolutely see that the mandated belt-tightening, as well as some of the more difficult steps, made a big difference. Expenses related to supplies and equipment declined by 11 percent, utility and maintenance costs dropped by 19 percent, travel expenses were down 13 percent. In total, expense-management efforts yielded about $88 million in savings. Personnel costs were trimmed by 3 percent, for about $31 million in savings.
GAZETTE: Now, the operating result was still a $4.7 million deficit, and of course a deficit never sounds like good news. But can you put that in perspective relative to the overall size of the University’s budget?
SHORE: The University’s overall budget is $3.7 billion, and if you take that as the context, then $4.7 million is a shade over a tenth of 1 percent of that budget. You never want to have a negative operating margin, but if you’re going to have it, you might as well have one of this magnitude. We have achieved an approximately break-even result, which is a good place to be, given everything we needed to get done this past year.
GAZETTE: There were a lot of questions around the risk factor in the University’s portfolio after the previous annual report. Is Harvard in a more conservative position now?
SHORE: We are. There are two dynamics to look at. One is our endowment, and Harvard Management Company’s judgments about the optimal risk profile and management approach for our endowment funds. I’d refer you to [President and CEO] Jane Mendillo’s excellent report on the Management Company’s strategies, and her successes for the year.
The second area in which we think about portfolio risk is what we have invested alongside the endowment. This year, we are in a better position. We have reduced risk in our operating accounts by converting some of our related investments into cash and other highly liquid securities held outside the long-term investment pool. From a liquidity-management standpoint, this is a safer posture for the University.
GAZETTE: That makes the University a little more nimble in a volatile financial climate, so that it can react more quickly to any challenges that may present themselves.
SHORE: That’s exactly right. If the Management Company is charged with looking at a very long-term investment horizon, you want to have financial resources somewhere else at the University with a much shorter investment horizon, and over the past couple of years we have been doing more of this. We will continue to think about the best investment mix for the University — one that optimizes our long-term investment returns without jeopardizing our ability to satisfy nearer-term spending needs.
GAZETTE: While there have been checks on spending in many areas, the report says that financial aid increased by 4 percent. Given the change in the University’s economic circumstances, are such increases sustainable?
SHORE: That is a very important priority for the institution. We are committed to making sure that we can attract the best candidates for our degree programs and that a Harvard education is accessible to all qualified students, regardless of their economic circumstances. To the extent that requires further investments in financial aid, we will do whatever we can to accommodate those incremental funds in our budget. Offering robust grant aid is a very strong institutional commitment that we have every expectation of continuing into the future.
GAZETTE: Are there any other parts of the report that you would like to highlight?
SHORE: Well, I would point to our success in earning sponsored awards from the federal stimulus program. That is a testament to the quality of researchers that we have across the University. We were able to get awards that over the next several years will provide almost $200 million worth of revenue. In the past year, we spent about $50 million of that amount. At a time when reduced endowment payouts might have meant something very different to our labs, the stimulus funding allowed them to continue to thrive.
The other thing that’s noteworthy in our financial statement this year is the slowed growth in debt. It went from $6 billion at the end of 2009 to $6.3 billion at the end of fiscal 2010. That is the result of a very conscious set of decisions to bring our capital program into closer alignment with our financial circumstances and our core academic priorities.
We will continue to think about opportunities to use debt advantageously, particularly because we are still in a very attractive environment for interest rates. But we’ll be judicious as a general matter with our overall debt load.
GAZETTE: What challenges do you see facing the University over the next year or two?
SHORE: With an 11 percent investment return on the endowment, you can be lulled into a sense that whatever we went through in the past no longer presents challenges for the University. But the reality is that our primary sources of funding all face considerable uncertainty: The endowment is very dependent on macroeconomic conditions and capital markets that continue to be volatile; research funding is largely subject to budgetary uncertainties at the federal government level; and most of our incremental tuition revenue gets plowed back into financial aid.
All three of those funding sources easily could be under considerable pressure over the next several years, and so we will continue to think about smart things that we can do to operate more efficiently, and thereby free up budgetary capacity.
Harvard Business School has received a gift of $50 million from the Tata Trusts and Companies. This marks the School’s largest international donation in its 102-year history. Ratan Tata (from left), the chairman of Tata Sons Ltd., meets with Harvard President Drew Faust and Harvard Business School Dean Nitin Nohria.
Photo by Susan Young/Harvard Business School
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Nationwide Launches World Bond Fund
Columbus, OH - Nationwide is adding to its menu of global fixed income funds that will offer investors the opportunity to diversify their bond exposure with the Nationwide Amundi World Bond Fund that will launch today.
“The fixed income markets have become increasingly global, which offers investors the opportunity to combat home bias and generate returns beyond the United States,” said Mike Spangler, president of Nationwide Funds. “This fund will provide investors with diversification within their core bond exposure and an allocation that may anchor a portfolio during periods of market stress.”
The Nationwide Amundi World Bond Fund (Class A: NWWWX; Class C: NWXMX; Institutional Class: NWWYX; Institutional Service Class: NWWZX) invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in fixed-income securities. These securities may include U.S. government securities and foreign government bonds, as well as U.S. and foreign corporate bonds, mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed securities. The Fund normally invests in issuers located in at least five countries (of which one may be the United States) and may invest in both developed and emerging market countries. The investment objective for the Fund is to deliver total return.
The Fund is managed by P. Adrian Helfert and Jerome Barkate, CFA, who are responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management of the Fund.
This will be third Nationwide fund subadvised by Amundi Smith Breeden. Last November Nationwide launched the Nationwide Amundi Global High Yield and the Nationwide Amundi Strategic Income Fund.
Amundi Smith Breeden in Durham, N.C., serves as the North American investment headquarters for Amundi, a $1.24 trillion global asset manager with six investment centers across the U.S., Europe and Asia. Widely recognized for its 32-year commitment to developing proprietary fixed-income research, Amundi Smith Breeden provides investment solutions managing portfolios for corporate and public pensions, foundations, endowments, insurance companies, private banks and sovereign funds with some relationships extending more than 20 years.
“The Nationwide Amundi World Bond Fund offers investors a way to further diversify their portfolio away from concentrated U.S. duration exposure where the threat of rising rates continues to loom large,” said Spangler.
A strategic partner to advisors, Nationwide provides a full family of subadvised mutual funds designed to help meet the unique investment goals and risk tolerances of investors. Nationwide currently manages 116 funds with approximately $61 billion in assets, excluding fund of funds.
Investors interested in learning more about Nationwide’s mutual funds should contact their financial professional or click here. Financial professionals interested in learning more should call the Nationwide Funds Group sales desk at 877-877-5083, option 3, or visit the website.
Call 800-848-0920 to request a summary prospectus and/or a prospectus, or download prospectuses at nationwide.com/mutualfunds. These prospectuses outline investment objectives, risks, fees, charges and expenses, and other information that you should read and consider carefully before investing.
The Fund is subject to the risks of investing in fixed-income securities (including high-yield bonds), and including default risk and interest rate risk. Funds that invest in high-yield securities are subject to greater default risk, liquidity risk, and price fluctuations than funds that invest in higher-quality securities. The prices of high-yield bonds tend to be more sensitive to adverse economic and business conditions than are higher-rated corporate bonds. Increased volatility may reduce the market value of high-yield bonds. They are also subject to the claims paying ability of the issuing company. The Fund may invest in sovereign debt (a governmental entity may delay or refuse to pay interest or repay principal). The Fund also is subject to the risks of investing in foreign securities (currency fluctuations, political risks, differences in accounting and limited availability of information, all of which are magnified in emerging markets). The Fund may concentrate on specific countries, subjecting it to greater volatility than that of other mutual funds. The Fund may hold larger positions in fewer securities and financial instruments than other funds; therefore a change in value of a single security or instrument may have a substantial impact on the Fund's value and total return. The Fund may invest in more-aggressive investments such as derivatives (many of which create investment leverage and illiquidity, and are highly volatile). Please refer to the most recent prospectus for a more detailed explanation of the Fund’s principal risks.
Nationwide Funds Group (NFG) comprises Nationwide Fund Advisors, Nationwide Fund Distributors LLC and Nationwide Fund Management LLC. Together they provide advisory, distribution and administration services, respectively, to Nationwide Funds. Nationwide Fund Advisors (NFA) is the investment adviser to Nationwide Funds.
Nationwide Funds distributed by Nationwide Fund Distributors LLC (NFD), member FINRA, King of Prussia, Pa. NFD is not affiliated with any subadviser contracted by Nationwide Fund Advisors (NFA), with the exception of Nationwide Asset Management, LLC (NWAM).
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Home > The G20 Embraces Green Finance
By:News Network
The G20 Embraces Green Finance
BEIJING – The G20’s finance ministers and central-bank governors have begun to undertake a stunning shift in mindset. They have become increasingly convinced that “green finance” – financing environmentally sustainable growth – should be at the center of economic-development strategies. Such an idea, until recently confined to a fringe of academics and policymakers, is potentially one of the most important new “truths” of the twenty-first century.
The conventional economic-development model viewed environmental protection as a “luxury good” that societies could afford only after they became rich. Such thinking explains why the dramatic growth in global income, 80-fold in real terms during the last century, has been accompanied by a decline, according to the United Nations Environment Programme, in natural capital in 127 of 140 countries.
But natural capital is not just an abstract concept; it supports lives, livelihoods, and societal wellbeing. The environmental destruction that our activities are wreaking – greenhouse-gas emissions add energy to the Earth system at a rate equivalent to the detonation of four nuclear bombs every second – has concrete consequences, which are already being borne by millions of people.
Since 2008, an average of 26.4 million people have been displaced from their homes by natural disasters each year – equivalent to almost one person every second. One-third of the world’s arable land is now jeopardized by land degradation, which causes economic losses of $6.3-10.6 trillion per year. And 21 of the world’s 37 largest aquifers have passed their sustainability tipping point.
The downsides of the conventional approach to economic development, which favors income and employment over environmental protection, are particularly apparent in China. By some measures – in particular, per capita income and GDP growth – China’s development process has been an extraordinary success. But it has also brought lethal levels of air pollution and extensive contamination and depletion of land and water.
The good news is that Chinese leaders now seem to recognize that they must safeguard the environment before China achieves high-income status. Indeed, they have moved to the forefront of the green-finance movement.
To be sure, the challenge facing China is monumental. Success will require an estimated $600 billion in investment each year, in areas including environmental remediation and protection, renewable energies and energy efficiency, and sustainable transportation systems. Given that less than 15% of that finance will come from public sources, China will also have to retool its financial system to support private investment.
But China is already taking concrete steps in the right direction. On August 30, President Xi Jinping presided over a decision by the Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms to transform China’s financial system to facilitate green investment. The so-called “guidelines for establishing a green finance system” adopted at the meeting represent the world’s first attempt at an integrated policy package to promote an ambitious shift toward a green economy.
More to click; https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/g20-embraces-green-finance-by-ma-jun-and-simon-zadek-2016-09
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Press Release -- October 3rd, 2012
Source: Megapath
MegaPath Completes National Ethernet over Copper Rollout, Adding to the Largest EoC Footprint in the United States
Company Provides High-Speed, Cost-Effective Alternative to Both Slower Consumer-Grade and More Expensive Business Solutions
PLEASANTON, Calif., Oct. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MegaPath, one of the leading providers of managed data, voice, security and hosted IT services in North America, today announced that the company has completed its aggressive nationwide Ethernet over Copper (EoC) network expansion, further solidifying its position as the largest EoC provider in the United States. The service is now available in the top 50 national markets.
Ethernet over Copper provides organizations with a high-bandwidth, reliable and cost-effective alternative to expensive high-speed alternatives. Backed by MegaPath's Secure to the Core™ MPLS network, it also enables users to gain the competitive advantages offered by the company's Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities when supporting bandwidth intensive or performance critical applications. Already delivering the nation's largest EoC footprint, MegaPath now offers the service through 693 Central Offices around the country. Most recently, the company added availability in the Las Vegas, Nev.; Richmond, Va; San Antonio, Texas; Hartford, Conn; and Jacksonville and Tampa, Fla. markets.
"Now more than ever, businesses need communications services that deliver the best performance and reliability available," said Dan Foster, President, Business Markets, MegaPath. "With our nationwide investment in this game changing service, MegaPath is leading the way in providing customers with cost-effective high-performance options that can be tailored to meet their specific needs, which is not possible today with traditional access solutions. EoC not only offers higher bandwidth than a traditional T1 or Bonded T1, but it is also priced lower than these solutions, which is a huge benefit, especially for our SMB customers."
MegaPath now offers EoC on its network in top 50 major markets nationwide, including Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Dallas, Miami and San Francisco, reaching millions of businesses with symmetrical speeds up to 45 Mbps.
For more information on MegaPath's EoC services, visit www.MegaPath.com/data/Ethernet.
About MegaPath
MegaPath operates one of the largest end-to-end communications networks in the country, providing both commercial and wholesale services. The company provides a full range of data, voice, security and hosted IT services for small, medium and enterprise businesses nationwide, as well as wholesale solutions to the carrier and service-provider markets through one of the largest end-to-end networks in the country. MegaPath helps businesses easily and securely communicate between their headquarters, employees and business partners to lower costs, increase security and enhance employee productivity. To learn more about MegaPath's managed IP data, voice, security and hosted IT services, please visit www.megapath.com.
Tony Welz
Welz & Weisel Communications
tony@w2comm.com
SOURCE MegaPath
Previous: Sovernet Fiber Corp Selects Ciena’s Packet Networking and 100G Solutions for Statewide Network Deployment
Next: Integra Telecom Launches Hosted Voice Service
MegaPath Now the Largest National Operator of Ethernet Over Copper in the U.S.
MegaPath Partners with ADTRAN to Deliver Nation’s Largest Ethernet Footprint
MegaPath Completes Sale of Covad Wireless Subsidiary to TelePacific
MegaPath’s Ethernet Service Provides Small-to-Medium Sized Businesses with a Smart Start for 2011
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Microsoft Study Guide
Microsoft 365 Enterprise Administrator Expert
Microsoft 365 Security Administrator Associate
Microsoft 365 Modern Desktop Administrator Associate
MenuHomeMicrosoft 365 » Microsoft 365 Enterprise Administrator Expert » Microsoft 365 Security Administrator Associate » Microsoft 365 Messaging Administrator Associate » Microsoft 365 Modern Desktop Administrator Associate » Microsoft 365 Teams Administrator AssociateAzure » Azure Solutions Architect Expert » Azure Administrator Associate » Azure Security Engineer Associate » Azure Data Engineer AssociateAbout
Dec 31 2019 2019-12-31 2020-05-17 by admin
Posted in Azure Solutions Architect Expert
AZ-300: Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies is part of the requirements for the Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
The official exam document are published here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/az-300
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1myyD_cGVQ
Books covering the exam
Exam Ref AZ-300 Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies, 1st Edition
Author(s): Mike Pfeiffer, Derek Schauland, Nicole Stevens, Timothy L Warner
https://www.amazon.com/AZ-300-Microsoft-Azure-Architect-Technologies/dp/0135802547
Video training for the exam
https://app.pluralsight.com/paths/skills/microsoft-azure-architect-technologies-az-300
by Scott Duffy, Software Architect CA
https://www.udemy.com/course/70534-azure/
by Nick Colyer, Skylines Academy
https://www.udemy.com/course/microsoft-az-300-azure-architect-technologies/
Microsoft Learn (free)
Architect great solutions in Azure
https://docs.microsoft.com/learn/paths/architect-great-solutions-in-azure/
Architect network infrastructure in Azure
https://docs.microsoft.com/learn/paths/architect-network-infrastructure/
Architect storage infrastructure in Azure
https://docs.microsoft.com/learn/paths/architect-storage-infrastructure/
Architect compute infrastructure in Azure
https://docs.microsoft.com/learn/paths/architect-compute-infrastructure/
Architect infrastructure operations in Azure
https://docs.microsoft.com/learn/paths/architect-infrastructure-operations/
Architect a data platform in Azure
https://docs.microsoft.com/learn/paths/architect-data-platform/
Architect message brokering and serverless applications in Azure
https://docs.microsoft.com/learn/paths/architect-messaging-serverless/
Architect modern applications in Azure
https://docs.microsoft.com/learn/paths/architect-modern-apps/
Architect API integration in Azure
https://docs.microsoft.com/learn/paths/architect-api-integration/
Architect migration, business continuity, and disaster recovery in Azure
https://docs.microsoft.com/learn/paths/architect-migration-bcdr/
OpenEdx (free)
Deploying and Configuring Infrastructure
https://openedx.microsoft.com/courses/course-v1:Microsoft+AZ-300.1+2019_T1/about
Implementing Workloads and Security
Understanding Cloud Architect Technology Solutions
Creating and Deploying Apps
Implementing Authentication and Secure Data
Developing for the Cloud
Microsoft Learning Partner
Course AZ-300T01-A: Deploying and Configuring Infrastructure
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/courses/az-300t01
Course AZ-300T02-A: Implementing Workloads and Security
Course AZ-300T03-A: Understanding Cloud Architect Technology Solutions
Course AZ-300T04-A: Creating and Deploying Apps
Course AZ-300T06-A: Developing for the Cloud
Deploy and configure infrastructure (40-45%)
Analyze resource utilization and consumption
Configure diagnostic settings on resources
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/blog/azure-monitor-multiple-diagnostic-settings/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/monitoring-and-diagnostics/monitoring-overview-of-diagnostic-logs
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/monitoring-and-diagnostics/monitoring-enable-diagnostic-logs-using-template
Create baseline for resources
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/monitoring-and-diagnostics/monitoring-alerts-dynamic-thresholds
Create and test alerts
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/monitoring-and-diagnostics/monitor-alerts-unified-usage
Analyze alerts across subscription
Analyze metrics across subscription
Create action groups
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/platform/action-groups
Monitor for unused resources
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/advisor/advisor-overview
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/billing/billing-getting-started
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/billing/billing-understand-your-bill
Monitor spend
Report on spend
Utilize Log Search query functions
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/log-analytics/log-analytics-queries
View alerts in Azure Monitor logs
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/log-analytics/log-analytics-solution-alert-management
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/monitoring-and-diagnostics/monitoring-overview-unified-alerts
Visualize diagnostics data using Azure Monitor Workbooks
Create and configure storage accounts
Configure network access to the storage account
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/blog/announcing-virtual-network-integration-for-azure-storage-and-azure-sql/
Create and configure storage account
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/common/storage-quickstart-create-account?tabs=portal
Generate shared access signature
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/common/storage-dotnet-shared-access-signature-part-1
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/storage-dotnet-shared-access-signature-part-2
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/eventhub/generate-sas-token
Implement Azure AD authentication for storage
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/announcing-the-preview-of-aad-authentication-for-storage/
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-storage-support-for-azure-ad-based-access-control-now-generally-available/
Install and use Azure Storage Explorer
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/features/storage-explorer/
Manage access keys
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/key-vault/key-vault-ovw-storage-keys
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/common/storage-account-manage
Monitor activity log by using Azure Monitor logs
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/log-analytics/log-analytics-activity
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/monitoring-and-diagnostics/monitoring-activity-log-alerts
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/monitoring-and-diagnostics/monitoring-overview-activity-logs
Implement Azure storage replication
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/common/storage-redundancy
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/common/storage-redundancy-grs
Implement Azure storage account failover
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/account-failover-now-in-public-preview-for-azure-storage/
Create and configure a VM for Windows and Linux
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/tutorial-availability-sets
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/manage-availability
Configure monitoring
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/tutorial-monitoring
Configure networking
Configure virtual machine size
Implement dedicated hosts
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/introducing-azure-dedicated-host/
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/virtual-machines/dedicated-host/
Deploy and configure scale sets
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/tutorial-create-vmss
Automate deployment of VMs
Modify Azure Resource Manager template
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/apps/cd/azure/build-azure-vm-template?view=vsts
Configure location of new VMs
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/quick-create-portal
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/tutorial-manage-vm
Configure VHD template
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/create-vm-specialized
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/prepare-for-upload-vhd-image
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/resources/templates/201-vm-specialized-vhd-new-or-existing-vnet/
Deploy from template
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/ps-template
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/linux/create-ssh-secured-vm-from-template
Save a deployment as an Azure Resource Manager template
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/lab-services/devtest-lab-use-resource-manager-template
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/download-template
Deploy Windows and Linux VMs
https://azure.microsoft.com/id-id/services/virtual-machines/
Create connectivity between virtual networks
Create and configure Vnet peering
http://www.msserverpro.com/configuring-azure-vnet-peering-using-azure-portal/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/vpn-gateway-howto-vnet-vnet-resource-manager-portal
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/vpn-gateway-vnet-vnet-rm-ps
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/tutorial-connect-virtual-networks-portal
Create and configure Vnet to Vnet connections
Verify virtual network connectivity
Create virtual network gateway
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/vpn-gateway-about-vpngateways
https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/canitpro/2017/06/28/step-by-step-configuring-a-site-to-site-vpn-gateway-between-azure-and-on-premise/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/create-routebased-vpn-gateway-portal
Implement and manage virtual networking
Configure private IP addressing
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/virtual-networks-static-private-ip-arm-pportal
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/virtual-network-ip-addresses-overview-arm
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/virtual-network-network-interface-addresses
Configure public IP addresses
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/public-ip-address-prefix
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/virtual-network-ip-addresses-overview-arm#public-ip-addresses
Create and configure network routes
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/virtual-networks-udr-overview
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/tutorial-create-route-table-portal
Create and configure network interface
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/virtual-network-network-interface
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/virtual-network-network-interface-vm
Create and configure subnets
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/subnet-extension
Create and configure virtual network
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/quick-create-portal
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/quick-create-powershell
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/quick-create-cli
Create and configure Network Security Groups and Application Security Groups
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/security-overview
Manage Azure Active Directory
Add custom domains
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/fundamentals/add-custom-domain
Configure Azure AD Identity Protection
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/active-directory/identity-protection/enable
Configure Azure AD Join
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/active-directory/user-help/user-help-join-device-on-network
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/active-directory/authentication/concept-sspr-howitworks
Implement conditional access policies
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/active-directory/conditional-access/app-based-mfa
Manage multiple directories
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/fundamentals/active-directory-administer#how-can-i-add-and-manage-multiple-directories
Perform an access review
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/active-directory/governance/access-reviews-overview
Implement and manage hybrid identities
Install and configure Azure AD Connect
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/active-directory/hybrid/whatis-hybrid-identity#install-azure-ad-connect
Configure federation
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/active-directory/hybrid/whatis-hybrid-identity
Configure single sign-on
Manage and troubleshoot Azure AD Connect
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/active-directory/hybrid/how-to-connect-post-installation
Troubleshoot password sync and writeback
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/authentication/howto-sspr-writeback
Implement solutions that use virtual machines (VM)
Provision VMs
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/quick-create-powershell
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/quick-create-cli
Create Azure Resource Manager templates
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/templates/template-syntax
Configure Azure Disk Encryption for VMs
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/disk-encryption-overview
Implement Azure Backup for VMs
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/backup/backup-overview
Implement workloads and security (25-30%)
Migrate servers to Azure
Migrate servers using Azure Migrate
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/migrate/migrate-services-overview
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/site-recovery/migrate-tutorial-on-premises-azure
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/site-recovery/physical-azure-disaster-recovery
Configure serverless computing
Create and manage objects
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/overview/serverless-computing/
Manage a Logic App resource
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/logic-apps/
Manage Azure Function app settings
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-functions/functions-how-to-use-azure-function-app-settings
Manage Event Grid
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/event-grid/
Manage Service Bus
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/service-bus-messaging/
Implement application load balancing
Configure application gateway
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/application-gateway/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/application-gateway/application-gateway-introduction
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/application-gateway/application-gateway-ilb-arm
Configure Azure Front Door service
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/frontdoor/front-door-overview
Configure Azure Traffic Manager
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/traffic-manager/traffic-manager-overview
Integrate on premises network with Azure virtual network
Create and configure Azure VPN Gateway
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/vpn-gateway-tutorial-create-gateway-powershell
Create and configure site to site VPN
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/vpn-gateway/vpn-gateway-howto-site-to-site-resource-manager-portal
Configure Express-Route
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/expressroute/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/expressroute/expressroute-howto-circuit-portal-resource-manager
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/expressroute/expressroute-howto-routing-portal-resource-manager
Configure Virtual WAN
Verify on premises connectivity
Troubleshoot on premises connectivity with Azure
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/enterprise/connect-an-on-premises-network-to-a-microsoft-azure-virtual-network
Implement multi factor authentication (MFA)
Configure user accounts for MFA
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/authentication/howto-mfa-getstarted#enable-azure-multi-factor-authentication
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/authentication/howto-mfa-userstates
Configure fraud alerts
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/authentication/howto-mfa-mfasettings#fraud-alert
Configure bypass options
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/authentication/howto-mfa-mfasettings#one-time-bypass
Configure trusted IPs
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/authentication/howto-mfa-mfasettings#trusted-ips
Configure verification methods
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/authentication/howto-mfa-mfasettings#selectable-verification-methods
Manage role based access control (RBAC)
Create a custom role
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/role-based-access-control/custom-roles
Configure access to Azure resources by assigning roles
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/role-based-access-control/role-assignments-portal
Configure management access to Azure
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/users-groups-roles/directory-admin-roles-secure
Troubleshoot RBAC
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/role-based-access-control/troubleshooting
Implement Azure policies
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/governance/policy/overview
Assign RBAC roles
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/role-based-access-control/role-assignments-portal#grant-access
Create and deploy apps (5-10%)
Create web apps by using PaaS
Create an Azure App Service Web App
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/app-service-cli-samples
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/scripts/app-service-cli-deploy-staging-environment
Create documentation for the API
Create an App Service Web App for containers
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/app-service/containers/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/containers/
Create an App Service background task by using WebJobs
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/webjobs-sdk-get-started
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/websites-dotnet-deploy-webjobs
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/web-sites-create-web-jobs
Enable diagnostics logging
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/troubleshoot-diagnostic-logs
Design and develop apps that run in containers
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/overview/containers/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/containers/
Create a container image by using a Dockerfile
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/uk_faculty_connection/2016/09/23/getting-started-with-docker-and-container-services/
https://docs.docker.com/docker-for-azure/deploy/
Create an Azure Kubernetes Service (ACS/AKS)
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/kubernetes-service/
Publish an image to the Azure Container Registry
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-get-started-docker-cli
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-registry/container-registry-tutorial-quick-task
Implement an application that runs on an Azure Container Instance
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/container-instances/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/container-instances/container-instances-quickstart
Manage container settings by using code
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/samples/container-service-python-manage/
Implement authentication and secure data (5-10%)
Implement authentication
Implement authentication by using certificates, forms-based authentication, tokens, or Windows-integrated authentication
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/app-service/app-service-authentication-overview
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/develop/authentication-scenarios
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-websites-authentication-authorization/
Implement multi-factor authentication by using Azure AD
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/authentication/concept-mfa-howitworks
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/videos/multi-factor-authentication-for-azure-ad/
Implement OAuth2 authentication
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/integrate/get-started/authentication/oauth?view=azure-devops
Implement Managed identities for Azure resources Service Principal authentication
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/managed-identities-azure-resources/overview
Implement secure data solutions
Encrypt and decrypt data at rest and in transit
Encrypt data with Always Encrypted
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/transparent-data-encryption-or-always-encrypted/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sql-database/sql-database-always-encrypted
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sql-database/sql-database-always-encrypted-azure-key-vault
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/azure-security-data-encryption-best-practices
Implement Azure Confidential Compute
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/introducing-azure-confidential-computing/
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-confidential-computing/
Implement SSL/TLS communications
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/common/storage-security-tls
Create, read, update, and delete keys, secrets, and certificates by using the KeyVault API
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/key-vault/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/key-vault/key-vault-overview
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/key-vault/key-vault-whatis
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/key-vault/about-keys-secrets-and-certificates
Develop for the cloud and for Azure storage (15-20%)
Configure a message-based integration architecture
Configure an app or service to send emails
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/service-bus-messaging/service-bus-to-event-grid-integration-example
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/blog/azure-service-bus-now-integrates-with-azure-event-grid/
Configure Event Grid
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/event-grid/custom-event-to-hybrid-connection
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/event-grid/monitor-virtual-machine-changes-event-grid-logic-app
Configure the Azure Relay service
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/service-bus-relay/relay-what-is-it
Create and configure a Notification Hub
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/notification-hubs/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/notification-hubs/notification-hubs-push-notification-overview
Create and configure an Event Hub
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/event-hubs/event-hubs-about
Create and configure a Service Bus
Configure queries across multiple products
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/videos/azure-service-bus-event-hubs-101-with-dan-rosanova/
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/events-data-points-and-messages-choosing-the-right-azure-messaging-service-for-your-data/
Develop for autoscaling
Implement autoscaling rules and patterns (schedule, operational/system metrics)
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/features/autoscale/
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/monitoring-and-diagnostics/monitoring-overview-autoscale
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/auto-scaling
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/windows/autoscale
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/platform/autoscale-overview
Implement code that addresses singleton application instances
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-functions/durable/durable-functions-singletons
Implement code that addresses transient state
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/architecture/best-practices/transient-faults
Develop solutions that use Cosmos DB storage
Create, read, update, and delete data by using appropriate APIs
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/cassandra-introduction
Implement partitioning schemes
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/partitioning-overview
Set the appropriate consistency level for operations
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/consistency-levels
Develop solutions that use a relational database
Provision and configure relational databases
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sql-database/sql-database-paas-vs-sql-server-iaas
Configure elastic pools for Azure SQL Database
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sql-database/sql-database-elastic-transactions-overview
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sql-database/sql-database-elastic-pool
Implement Azure SQL Database managed instances
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sql-database/sql-database-managed-instance-index
Create, read, update, and delete data tables by using code
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sql-database/sql-database-connect-query-vscode
Tags:AzureAzure Solutions Architect
Azure Azure Administrator Associate Azure Data Engineer Associate Azure Security Engineer Associate Azure Solutions Architect Microsoft 365 Microsoft 365 Enterprise Administrator Expert Microsoft 365 Messaging Administrator Associate Microsoft 365 Modern Desktop Administrator Associate Microsoft 365 Security Administrator Associate Microsoft 365 Teams Administrator Associate Microsoft 365 Teamwork Administrator Associate
Copyright © 2021 Microsoft Study Guide. Proudly powered by WordPress. BoldR design by Iceable Themes.
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Size of the Moon
Amperland, NY
Pinegrove on Audiotree Live
Phase (Acoustic Version)
Moment (Acoustic Version)
The Alarmist (Acoustic Version)
Alcove (Acoustic Version)
Endless (Acoustic Version)
boygenius
About Pinegrove
Blending ragged, emo-tinged indie rock with Americana and folk influences, New Jersey combo Pinegrove built a sturdy grassroots following through several well-received independent releases before signing with Run for Cover Records to release their 2016 breakout album, Cardinal. Just as their momentum was building, the band took a year-long hiatus, delaying the release of their third album, Skylight, which finally appeared in late 2018. They later signed with Rough Trade and kicked off the new decade with their fourth album, Marigold.
Led by singer/songwriter Evan Stephens Hall, along with core members Zack Levine (drums) and his brother Nick Levine (guitar), Pinegrove first emerged out of the city of Montclair in 2010 with a self-released EP called Mixtape One. Their debut album, Meridian, arrived in 2012, followed by a pair of independently released EPs, & and Mixtape Two. In early 2015, all of their previous releases were collected in an anthology called Everything So Far, which soon caught the attention of Boston's Run for Cover Records, and the label reissued the album later that year. With a new record deal in place and a full-time seven-member lineup, Pinegrove made their label debut in early 2016 with Cardinal, their second proper full-length. It proved to be a breakout for the band, landing on the year-end lists of a number of prominent critics and leading to their first headlining U.S. tour as well as their first European tour. A year later, Run for Cover reissued their compilation Everything So Far in a deluxe vinyl edition, followed in 2017 by the live album Elsewhere.
In November 2017, with their third studio completed and already being teased, Hall posted a statement on Pinegrove's Facebook page that detailed allegations of "sexual coercion" against him by an unnamed woman. The announcement came in the midst of the #MeToo movement and subsequently led the group to cancel all immediate touring plans and delay the release of their latest album, Skylight. Following what ended up being a year-long hiatus, Skylight was released digitally by the band in November 2018 with a physical release following in February of 2019. Touring hard, Pinegrove regained some of their lost momentum and signed with Rough Trade later that year. Their fourth album, Marigold, came out in January 2020. ~ Timothy Monger
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Hospitals’ Rocky Rollout of Covid Vaccine Sparks Questions of Fairness
It can be republished for free.
Last week, after finishing inoculations of some front-line hospital staff, Jupiter Medical Center was left with 40 doses of precious covid vaccine. So, officials offered shots to the South Florida hospital’s board of directors and their spouses over age 65.
But that decision sparked outrage among workers left unvaccinated, including those at one of the hospital’s urgent care clinics, or who believe the hospital was currying favor with wealthy insiders before getting all its staffers protected, according to a hospital employee who spoke on the condition of not being named.
The move also prompted dozens of calls from donors looking to get vaccinated.
The hospital received 1,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine two days before Christmas, fewer than half of what it requested from the state to cover its workforce. Officials prioritized delivering the vaccine to front-line medical workers who requested it, performing inoculations on Christmas Eve or the holiday weekends.
Patti Patrick, a hospital vice president, said the hospital acted appropriately in its offerings of the vaccine, which has a short shelf life once vials are opened. Neither she nor other administrators who don’t work directly with patients were included in this first round of shots.
“This was a simple way to move 40 doses very quickly” before it spoiled, she said.
She added that all front-line staff from the health system, including the clinics, were given the opportunity to get the shots.
Jupiter is not the only hospital in the nation facing questions about its handling of the vaccines. The initial rollout — aimed at health care workers and nursing home residents — has been uneven at best because of a lack of a federal strategy on how it should work, with states, hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies often making decisions on their own about who gets vaccinated and when.
In some hospitals, administrators and other personnel who have no contact with patients or face no risk at work from the virus are getting shots, while patients — and even front-line staff — who are at heightened risk for covid complications are being passed by. Some administrators who have been working remotely throughout the pandemic have been vaccinated, especially at hospitals that decided to allocate doses by age group rather than exposure risk.
Although states and federal health groups laid out broad guidelines on how to prioritize who gets the vaccine, in practice what’s mattered most was who controlled the vaccine and where the vaccine distribution was handled.
Stanford Health Care in California was forced to rework its priority list after protests from front-line doctors in training who said they had been unfairly overlooked while the vaccine was given to faculty who don’t regularly see patients. (Age was the important factor in the university’s algorithm.)
Members of Congress have called for an investigation following media reports that MorseLife Health System, a nonprofit that operates a nursing home and assisted living facility in West Palm Beach, Florida, vaccinated donors and members of a country club who donated thousands of dollars to the health company.
At least three other South Florida hospital systems — Jackson Health, Mount Sinai Medical Center and Baptist Health — have offered vaccines to donors in advance of the general public, while administering the shots to front-line employees, The Miami Herald reported.
Like Jupiter Medical, the hospitals insist that those offered shots were 65 and older, as prioritized by state officials.
Staffing Problems at Hospitals
An advisory board to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designated hospitals and nursing homes to get covid vaccines first because their workers and residents were considered at highest risk, and most states have followed that recommendation. But in many cases, the health institutions have found demand from staffers, some of whom are leery of the voluntary shot, is less than anticipated.
In addition, the arrival of promised shipments has been unpredictable. While the federal government approved the first covid vaccine on Dec. 14, some hospitals did not receive allotments until after Christmas.
That was the case at Hendry Regional Medical Center in Clewiston, Florida, which got 300 doses from the state. The hospital vaccinated 30 of its 285 employees between Dec. 28 and Jan. 5, said R.D. Williams, its chief executive officer. Some employees preferred to wait until after New Year’s weekend out of concern about side effects, he said.
The vaccine has been reported to commonly cause pain at the injection site and sometimes produce fever, lethargy or headache. The reactions generally last no more than a few days.
“I’m happy with how it’s going so far,” Williams said. “I know many of our employees want to be vaccinated, but I don’t see it as a panacea that they have to have it today,” he said, noting that staffers already have masks and gloves to protect themselves from the virus.
The hospital is also trying to coordinate vaccination schedules so 10 people at a time get the shot to ensure none of the medication is wasted after the multidose vials are thawed. Once vaccine is thawed, it must be used within hours to retain its effectiveness.
As of Jan. 6, Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C., had vaccinated slightly more than 900 health workers since its first doses arrived Dec. 14. It has received 3,000 doses.
Success has been limited by reluctance among workers to get a vaccine and a lack of personnel trained to administer it, CEO Anita Jenkins said.
“We still have a hospital to run and have patients in the hospital with heart attacks and other conditions, and we don’t have additional staff to run the vaccine clinics,” she said.
While some hospitals offer the vaccine only to front-line workers who interact with patients, Howard makes it available to everyone, including public relations staff, cafeteria workers and administrators. Jenkins defended the move because, she said, it’s the best way to protect the entire hospital.
She noted such employees as information technology personnel who don’t see patients may be around doctors and nurses who do. “Working in a hospital, almost everyone runs into patients just walking down the hallway,” she said.
At Eisenhower Health, a nonprofit hospital based in Rancho Mirage, California, 2,300 of the 5,000 employees have been vaccinated.
“Our greatest challenge has been managing the current patient surge and staffing demands in our acute and critical care areas while also trying to ensure we have adequate staffing resources to operate the vaccine clinics,” said spokesperson Lee Rice.
A Non-System of Inequitable Distribution
Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, said hospitals should not be inoculating board members ahead of hospital workers unless those people have a crucial role in running the hospital.
“That seems, to me, jostling to the head of the line and trying to reward those who may be potential donors,” he said. But he acknowledged that the hospitals’ vaccination systems are not always rational or equitable.
Covid vaccines need to get out as quickly as possible, he added, but hospitals can give them only to people they are connected with.
Caplan noted he was vaccinated at an NYU outpatient site last week, even though his primary care doctor hadn’t yet gotten the vaccine because his clinic had not received any doses.
Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
This story can be republished for free (details).
Posted in COVID-19, Florida, hospitals, public health, States, Vaccines
Previous: Roche’s Tecentriq/Avastin combo improves survival in liver cancer
Next: IO Biotech raises $155m to develop breakthrough cancer vaccine
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MBPJ Train #1132
to HOBOKEN
View the Main/Bergen County Line schedule
20:50 - SUFFERN
20:52 - MAHWAH
20:55 - RAMSEY ROUTE 17 STATION
20:59 - RAMSEY
21:02 - ALLENDALE
21:05 - WALDWICK
21:08 - HOHOKUS
21:12 - RIDGEWOOD
21:15 - GLEN ROCK MAIN LINE
21:19 - HAWTHORNE
21:23 - PATERSON
21:28 - CLIFTON
21:31 - PASSAIC
21:34 - DELAWANNA
21:37 - LYNDHURST
21:39 - KINGSLAND
21:47 - SECAUCUS JUNCTION
21:59 - HOBOKEN
November 9th, 2020 at 8:07pm
Main/Bergen County Line
MBPJ train #1132, the 8:50 PM from Suffern, is cancelled due to engineer availability. Please take train #1134, the 9:50 PM from Suffern.
September 21st, 2020 at 8:09pm
MBPJ train #1132, the 8:50 PM Suffern departure is cancelled due to a mechanical problem. Please take train #1134, the 9:50 PM Suffern departure.
MBPJ train #1132, the 8:50pm from Suffern is up to 20 min. late due to equipment availability.
MBPJ train #1132, the 8:50pm from Suffern, was cancelled due to equipment availability. Customers to train n#1134, the 9:50pm from Suffern.
September 9th, 2019 at 7:42pm
MBPJ train #1132, the 8:50pm from Suffern is cancelled Monday, 9/9 due to engineer availability. Customers to train #1134, the 9:50pm from Suffern.
MBPJ train #1132 the 8:50pm from Suffern is cancelled Monday, 5/13 due to manpower shortage. Customers to train #1134 the 9:50pm from Suffern.
May 7th, 2019 at 9:11pm
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail
MBPJ train #1132 the 8:59pm from Ramsey is up to 10 min. late due to an earlier mechanical problem.
MBPJ train #1132 the 8:52pm from Mahwah is up to 35 min. late due to earlier equipment availability.
September 24th, 2018 at 5:29pm
MBPJ train #1132, the 8:50pm from Suffern is cancelled Monday, 9/24 due to engineer availability. Customers to train #1134, the 9:50pm from Suffern.
July 24th, 2018 at 9:53pm
MBPJ train #1132 the 9:02pm from Allendale is up to 55 min. late due to accommodating customers from an earlier cancelled train.
MBPJ train #1132, the 9:28pm from Clifton is up to 15 min. late due to signal problems .
MBPJ train #1132 the 8:50pm from Suffern is up to 20 min. late due to an earlier mechanical problem.
December 7th, 2017 at 9:39pm
MBPJ Train #1132 the 9:12pm from Ridgewood is up to 30 min. late due to a trespasser incident ahead.
UPDATE: MBPJ train #1132 the 8:59pm from Ramsey is up to 30 min. late due to earlier police activity.
MBPJ train #1132 the 8:59pm from Ramsey is delayed due to policy activity. An update will follow.
April 18th, 2016 at 9:29pm
MBPJ train #1132 the 9:08pm from Ho-Ho-Kus is up to 20 min. late, due to an earlier late train.
January 7th, 2016 at 9:51pm
Update: MBPJ train #1132 the 9:23pm from Paterson is up to 35 min late, due to single tracking, resulting from a motor vehicle struck by a train in Paterson
MBPJ train #1132 the 9:23pm from Paterson is delayed,, due to single tracking, resulting from a motor vehicle struck by a train in Paterson. Update to follow.
MBPJ train #1132 the 9:05pm from Suffern is up to 20 min. late due to an earlier delayed train.
October 6th, 2015 at 9:10pm
MBPJ Line train #1132 the 8:52pm from Mahwah is subject to up to 30 min. late, due to mechanical problem.
Update: MBPJ train #1132, the 9:32pm from Paterson, is now up to 25 min. late due to an operational issue.
MBPJ train #1132, the 9:32pm from Paterson, is up to 15 min. late due to an operational issue.
July 3rd, 2014 at 10:06pm
Main-Bergen County Line train #1132, the 9:50pm Suffern departure, up to 20 min. delay due to extreme weather conditions.
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A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
A bank of clouds was assembling on the not-so-distant horizon, but journalist-mountaineer Jon Krakauer, standing on the summit of Mt. Everest, saw nothing that “suggested that a murderous storm was bearing down.” He was wrong. The storm, which claimed five lives and left countless more – including Krakauer’s – in guilt-ridden disarray, would also provide the impetus for Into Thin Air, Krakauer’s epic account of the May 1996 disaster.
By writing Into Thin Air, Krakauer may have hoped to exorcise some of his own demons and lay to rest some of the painful questions that still surround the event. He takes great pains to provide a balanced picture of the people and events he witnessed and gives due credit to the tireless and dedicated Sherpas. He also avoids blasting easy targets such as Sandy Pittman, the wealthy socialite who brought an espresso maker along on the expedition. Krakauer’s highly personal inquiry into the catastrophe provides a great deal of insight into what went wrong. But for Krakauer himself, further interviews and investigations only lead him to the conclusion that his perceived failures were directly responsible for a fellow climber’s death. Clearly, Krakauer remains haunted by the disaster, and although he relates a number of incidents in which he acted selflessly and even heroically, he seems unable to view those instances objectively. In the end, despite his evenhanded and even generous assessment of others' actions, he reserves a full measure of vitriol for himself.
Into Thin Air Quotes
“The slopes of Everest did not lack for dreamers in the spring of 1996; the credentials of many who’d come to climb the mountain were as thin as mine, or thinner. When it came time for each of us to assess our own abilities and weigh them against the formidable challenges of the world’s highest mountain, it sometimes seemed as though half the population at Base Camp was clinically delusional. But perhaps this shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Everest has always been a magnet for kooks, publicity seekers, hopeless romantics, and others with a shaky hold on reality.”
“Above the comforts of Base Camp, the expedition in fact became an almost Calvinistic undertaking. The ratio of misery to pleasure was greater by an order of magnitude than any other mountain I’d been on; I quickly came to understand that climbing Everest was primarily about enduring pain. And in subjecting ourselves to week after week of toil, tedium, and suffering, it struck me that most of us were probably seeking, above all else, something like a state of grace.”
“Unfortunately, the sort of individual who is programmed to ignore personal distress and keep pushing for the top is frequently programmed to disregard signs of grave and imminent danger as well. This forms the nub of a dilemma that every Everest climber eventually comes up against: in order to succeed you must be exceedingly driven, but if you’re too driven you’re likely to die.”
The Headspace Guide to …
The Worst Journey in the World
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By Staff on May 30, 2020
What happened to New York City when the coronavirus came calling
In February, whispers of a deadly virus began to intensify. By March, the whispers had become a crescendo, the only thing anyone could hear. Coronavirus infiltrated the city and suddenly, within days, New York became the nation’s epicenter of the viral pandemic. Emergency tents popped up in Central Park, a Navy hospital ship docked at Pier 90, and refrigerated trucks parked outside hospitals.
This year’s NYCityLens team began covering the city in January, eager to report on the five boroughs and tell their stories. In time, it turned out there would be just one story—the Coronavirus pandemic. Here’s how the story of a city under siege unfolded.
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Superoxide: A Super Sink of Ocean Oxygen
By Amanda Semler ⋅ April 27, 2020 ⋅ Post a comment
Filed Under biogeochemical cycling, microbes, oxygen, photosynthesis, superoxide
Citation: Sutherland, K. M., Wankel, S. D., & Hansel, C. M. (2020). Dark biological superoxide production as a significant flux and sink of marine dissolved oxygen. PNAS, 117(7), 3433-3439. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1912313117
Many marine microbes (as well as humans) need oxygen to survive, but a byproduct of oxygen consumption – superoxide – can wreak havoc on living organisms. In spite of this fact, scientists have discovered several beneficial uses for superoxide, and now estimate that up to one-fifth of the ocean’s oxygen is spent on producing this mischievous (and misunderstood) molecule.
What is Superoxide?
Figure 1: Structure of superoxide. The extra electron (in red) is the one responsible for its toxicity.
Superoxide (O2–, Figure 1) is a compound that forms when a single, unpaired electron grabs ahold of oxygen gas (O2) in a process called reduction. (“Reduction” because the charge of oxygen is reduced by adding an electron.) The unpaired electron can damage living cells, making superoxide toxic at high concentrations. But despite its toxicity, nearly all animals and plants on Earth – as well as many marine microbes – make superoxide, because it’s a necessary byproduct of oxygen reduction to water. An enzyme called superoxide dismutase helps us break down excess superoxide before it can do any damage. And traditionally, superoxide has only been seen as evil – a compound to just get rid of.
However, recent investigations have suggested that superoxide functions in a lot of beneficial ways when exported outside the cell. In certain plants, for example, it may help repair wounds. In marine microbes, it’s thought to regulate growth rate, and in corals, it may be an indication of stress. With these new ideas in mind, scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts set out to measure the extent of superoxide’s role in the ocean – and more specifically, its global production rate.
Measuring Superoxide Concentrations
Figure 2: A diatom (one of the photosynthetic algae measured in this study for superoxide production) under the microscope (NOAA).
To do this, the scientists measured superoxide production rates for individual marine microbes in the lab. They examined “photosynthetic” microbes, which make their energy from sunlight; “heterotrophic” microbes, which make their energy from organic material; and photosynthetic algae (Figure 2). Each species was grown in a separate culture until it reached its exponential growth phase – the point at which it was growing fastest. The scientists then injected a luminescent chemical into the culture, which reacted with superoxide to create a light signal. The strength of this signal allowed the scientists to measure the amount of superoxide produced by each marine microbe over time (Figure 3). In general, rates for photosynthetic microbes and algae far exceeded those of non-photosynthetic bacteria, though superoxide production appears to be very species-specific.
By combining the superoxide production rates of each group with previous estimates of its abundance in the ocean, the scientists were able to calculate a global rate of superoxide production – 3.9 x 10^15 moles/year. But what does this number mean exactly, and why is it important?
Figure 3: Extracellular superoxide production rates for various marine microbes: photosynthetic bacteria in green, photosynthetic algae in orange, and heterotrophic bacteria in blue (Sutherland et al., 2020; Figure 1).
An Underrated Role in the Marine Oxygen Cycle
In the marine oxygen cycle, there are both sources and sinks. The major source of oxygen is photosynthesis, which produces 1.09 x 10^16 moles/year. Marine scientists have long assumed that the major sinks are respiration and photorespiration – respiration that occurs in some photosynthesizers – because so many ocean organisms respire oxygen for energy. (A few examples are whales, fish, krill, and many marine microbes.) But if the superoxide sink was measured at 3.9 x 10^15 moles/year, superoxide production alone takes up 36% of the oxygen.
Most of the superoxide produced gets quickly recycled back to oxygen, so the authors estimate that the net ocean oxygen sink via superoxide production is only 6-18% of marine photosynthesis, rather than 36%. But this is still an enormous, previously unaccounted-for amount of lost oxygen. And this estimate only took into account the superoxide produced by a few major microbial groups!
The authors argue that as a result of their work, rates of respiration and photorespiration in the ocean are probably far lower than we’ve previously estimated. And their findings also highlight how prolific superoxide is in the marine environment. Clearly, there’s much we still don’t know about this complex and misunderstood molecule.
Amanda Semler
I’m a PhD candidate in Earth System Science at Stanford University, and I study how microbes in deep ocean sediments produce and consume greenhouse gases. I’m a native of the landlocked state of Minnesota, so I’ve always been fascinated by the ocean. When I’m not in the lab, I love to race triathlons, forward “The Onion” articles to friends and family, and hike with my hound dog Banjo.
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Why Fund Research?
By Area of Research
By Recipient Name
Katherine Fuh, MD, PhD
Katherine C. Fuh, MD, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Washington University, St. Louis. She received a BA in Biology at Johns Hopkins University. She received her MD from Georgetown Medical School and her PhD in Cancer Biology from Stanford University Medical School with Amato Giaccia as her PhD advisor. She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stanford Hospital and then entered the combined Gynecologic Oncology fellowship program at Stanford and University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). In 2013, she was awarded a position as a scholar on the NICHD K12-Reproductive Scientist Development Program (RSDP) with Greg Longmore, MD in Medical Oncology as her mentor. Her research interests and laboratory focuses on identifying and validating therapeutic targets in ovarian cancer metastasis in the context of the tumor microenvironment. Her work has been recognized with awards such as the American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant, Washington University Siteman Cancer Center Cancer Frontier Fund, RSDP Research Support and Seed Grants (supported by American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists-ACOG, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, March of Dimes), and Mary Kay Foundation. She is faculty member in the Molecular Cell Biology Ph.D. Program in the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (DBBS) at Washington University, a member of the Cell-to-Cell Communications in Cancer Research Program (C4P) at Siteman Cancer Center, associate member of the Integrating Communications within the Cancer Environment (ICCE), and a member of the Center for Reproductive Health Sciences (CRepHS).
Research Projects:
Inhibition of Metastasis in BRCA2-associated Ovarian Cancers
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IT worker shortage and asylum seekers boost migration to OECD countries
OECD Observer
Migration flows into the OECD area have risen markedly in recent years, in part because of a IT workers. In 2000 a shortage of around 850,000 technicians was reported in the US and nearly 2 million in Europe. This is the key trend to emerge from the OECD’s latest annual Trends in International Migration. The report also shows that the range of nationalities involved in migration has widened and flows, particularly into Europe, have been boosted by asylum seekers.
Migration involving qualified and highly qualified workers rose sharply between 1999 and 2000, helped by better employment prospects and the easing of entry conditions. Instead of granting initial temporary work permits only for one year, as in the past, some OECD countries, particularly in Europe, have been issuing them for up to five years and generally making them renewable. Countries such as Australia and Canada, where migration policies were mainly aimed at permanent settlers, are also now favouring temporary work permits valid for between three and six years.
In addition to a general increase in economic prosperity, one of the main factors behind the recent increase in worker migration has been the development of information technology, a sector where in 2000 there was a shortage of around 850,000 technicians in the US and nearly 2 million in Europe, according to estimates cited by the OECD.
The survey also finds that more women are migrating.
©OECD Observer December 2001
For more on this from the OECD Newsroom
News brief Q2 2016
News brief November 2015
News brief September 2015
News brief– April 2015
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Tag Archives: hearing voices
Children’s Book To Summon Demons!
Posted by elim21 in ABOMINATIONS, BIBLE PROPHECY, CHRISTIAN NEWS, INVENTORS OF EVIL THINGS, NEWS FOR ARABS, NEWS FOR CATHOLICS, NEWS FOR JEWS, PROPHECY, SIGNS IN THE EARTH, TARGETING, TARGETING CHILDREN, TRUE NEWS, UNCATEGORIZED, WORLD NEWS
A Children’s Book of Demons, Aaron Leighton, Amazon, Anna Elizabeth Michel, Anneliese Michel, Barnes and Noble, Bible prophecy, Catholic Church, Catholic priest John Szada, children’s book to summon demons, Christine Taylor, demon possessed, demon possessed girl climbs wall, demon possession, demoniac, demons, depression, end times, end times prophecy, epilepsy, exorcism, Harrisburg, hearing voices, John Szada, last days Bible prophecy, Michael Taylor, Now Prophecy, Now Prophecy Wordpress, occult, Ouija Board, Pennsylvania, prophecy, Roland Doe, satan worship, Satanism, Spiritual Activity Increasing prophecy, Target, The Exorcist
Aaron Leighton published a book called A Children’s Book of Demons. The book encourages children to conjure up demons by drawing each particular demon’s sigil, or sign, with a certain color associated with that demon, which is sure to conjure up a demon for them!
The book is available through retail outlets such as Barnes and Noble, Target, Amazon…
Who in their right mind would want to allow their children to conjure up demons?
The movie, The Exorcist, was based on an actual account of “Roland Doe’s” (a pseudonym) demonic possession. The victim was a boy, not a girl, who was introduced to his aunt’s Ouija board at a young age and after he used it, he became demon possessed in one of the most notorious cases of demonic possession. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exorcism_of_Roland_Doe
There are many such cases of demonic possession, including the accounts of Anna Elizabeth “Anneliese” Michel and Michael Taylor cited below.
Anna Elizabeth “Anneliese” Michel was originally diagnosed with epilepsy, then depression. By the time she was 20, she was intolerant of religious objects and she said she “heard voices.” She stopped eating and eventually died of starvation and dehydration. She actually died of demonic possession and neglect, because no one was able to cast out the demon(s), nor did the Catholic priest involved and her parents seek medical intervention to feed/hydrate her in the meantime!
Photos of Anna Elizabeth “Anneliese” Michel before and after
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anneliese_Michel
Catholic Priests tried to perform an exorcism on Michael Taylor in 1974, but were not successful. Taylor went home and killed his wife, Christine, with his bare hands. He tore out her eyes and tongue, nearly tearing her face off, then he strangled their poodle. A policeman found him in the street naked and covered in blood. He was later released by a psychiatric hospital, “cured.”
Michael Taylor and his wife Christine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Taylor_(demoniac)
I participated in two exorcisms and the victims behaved so bizarrely that their appearance changed; one stopped eating, and the voice of the other changed. There is no mistake in telling whether or not someone is demon possessed. Some demons, such as in these cases, will not come out, except through fasting and prayer; and the prerequisite to that is being filled with the Holy Ghost:
“And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, ‘Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely, for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.’ Then Jesus answered and said, ‘Oh faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.’ And Jesus rebuked the demon and it came out of him, and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your unbelief, for assuredly I say to you, if you have faith as in a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting’” Matthew 17:14-21
Again, why would anyone in their right mind want to make such a dangerous book available to children? Such books and implements like Ouija boards and tarot cards are portals to the supernatural satanic realm and could be an invitation not only for demonic possession, but the literal death of a child/victim.
Just recently, a Catholic priest, John Szada (I call no man “Father” [Matthew 23:9]), of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, gave testimony of some exorcisms, which were “hair raising” encounters.
Szada said,
“A person was possessed and it took four fully grown men to hold this person down.”
Another incident took place at a hospital, where a girl was admitted.
“Doctors couldn’t figure out what was going on. Tranquilizers were not working. They stepped out to consult, they came back in and found her climbing up the wall, literally, like Spider-Man!”
One victim, who couldn’t speak a word of Latin, was able to answer Szada fluently in that language. The same thing occurred in the “Roland Doe” case. Demons are very powerful and they perform miraculous things. https://www.newsmax.com/thewire/exorcism-devil-satan-god/2020/02/14/id/954164/
The recent incidents described here are a fulfillment of prophecy (see the Spiritual Activity Increasing prophecy: https://signswonders.home.blog/2019/10/19/10-19-19-update-spiritual-activity-increasing/), and there will be more to come, as we near the return of Jesus.
“12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” Matthew 24:12-14 NKJV
The gospel has already been preached in every nation throughout the world by satellite, radio and other distributions. All the prophecies that need to be fulfilled preceding the return of Jesus have come to pass. Are you ready?
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1 Yahweh sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, “There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and raised. It grew up together with him, and with his children. It ate of his own food, drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was like a daughter to him. 4 A traveler came to the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to prepare for the wayfaring man who had come to him, but took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”
5 David’s anger burned hot against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As Yahweh lives, the man who has done this deserves to die! 6 He must restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity!”
7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man. This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that would have been too little, I would have added to you many more such things. 9 Why have you despised Yahweh’s word, to do that which is evil in his sight? You have struck Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 10 Now therefore the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised me, and have taken Uriah the Hittite’s wife to be your wife.’
11 “This is what Yahweh says: ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did this secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’ ”
13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against Yahweh.”
Nathan said to David, “Yahweh also has put away your sin. You will not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to Yahweh’s enemies to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you will surely die.” 15 Nathan departed to his house.
Yahweh struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it was very sick. 16 David therefore begged God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the ground. 17 The elders of his house arose beside him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, and he didn’t eat bread with them. 18 On the seventh day, the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he didn’t listen to our voice. How will he then harm himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?”
19 But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; and David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?”
They said, “He is dead.”
20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his clothing; and he came into Yahweh’s house, and worshiped. Then he came to his own house; and when he requested, they set bread before him, and he ate. 21 Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child was dead, you rose up and ate bread.”
22 He said, “While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows whether Yahweh will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ 23 But now he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”
24 David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her, and lay with her. She bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. Yahweh loved him; 25 and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah,* for Yahweh’s sake.
26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. 27 Joab sent messengers to David, and said, “I have fought against Rabbah. Yes, I have taken the city of waters. 28 Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it; lest I take the city, and it be called by my name.”
29 David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it. 30 He took the crown of their king from off his head; and its weight was a talent† of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David’s head. He brought a great quantity of plunder out of the city. 31 He brought out the people who were in it, and put them under saws, under iron picks, under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick kiln; and he did so to all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
*12:25 “Jedidiah” means “loved by Yahweh”.
†12:30 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces
2Sam.12
Previous 2 Samuel 11
Next 2 Samuel 13
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Tag: Andy Burnham
Written by a former Greater Manchester police officer, retired Inspector David Sutcliffe, an email circulated amongst key influencers in regional and central government has piled even more pressure on beleaguered Mayor Andy Burnham and his chief constable, Ian Hopkins.
Others caught in the crossfire are Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling, about much has already been written elsewhere on this website (read more here), and the most senior civilian in the force, Assistant Chief Officer Lynn Potts.
This is the full text of the email, published on social media on 14th December, 2020, edited for typos, syntax and legal reasons [text in square brackets]:
“Home Secretary / Greater Manchester MPs,
“You will all be aware of the recent national criticism of Greater Manchester Police and their crime recording and victim care issues. I noted that GM Mayor Andy Burnham and his Deputy, Bev Hughes, both feigned ignorance as to this issue. This can only be due to laziness, incompetence or [alleged] corruption, or a combination of all three.
“In 2014, I was a police inspector with numerous commendations for bravery/leadership and arrests made. I was mentioned in a Parliamentary debate after being the first inspector in the country to utilise the Dispersal Order and Premises Closure powers. Also, unlike [some] senior officers, I worked on operations and went out on my own and arrested people.
“After refusing an officer extra overtime, I was then subjected to a number of criminal allegations. The IPCC investigated and exonerated me on all counts, whereupon I tried to rid the [Greater Manchester] Police of [allegedly] corrupt individuals. They, however, and a number of senior officers (who had potential criminal culpability) were never subjected to any scrutiny and all documentation they have was either lost/destroyed or is being illegally withheld.
“I have spoken in person to Mr Burnham about this [alleged] corruption, posed a public question at one of his “Ask the Mayor” sessions (about his lack of scrutiny of senior officers and their actions within GMP), which is recorded on the internet, and sent him numerous documents detailing blatant criminality within the Force.
“Burnham and Bev Hughes’s response is [allegedly] to ignore everything. The persons perpetrating criminality were sent the evidential documents by Bev Hughes to reply to. So incompetent is she that she got those whom the allegations were against to provide the information for her reply!!!
“DCC Pilling, the man in charge of Professional Standards (and the crime recording issue) within GMP, has [allegedly] ensured that all evidence relating to his Department’s criminality, and that of senior officers with potential criminal allegations against the, has been destroyed/lost, or illegally withheld.
“Pilling authorised the promotion of senior officers who had potentially [and allegedly] committed serious criminal offences and ensured that investigations in relation to serious criminality by GMP officers had been quashed – and that as to whether racial bias had [allegedly] been a factor as to whether an officer was investigated.
“ACO Lynn Potts (who had a major part to play in this debacle) and the Chief Constable have also not disclosed any documents, as required to do so under GDPR.
“Hughes and Burnham have also [allegedly] broken the law in relation to non-disclosure under GDPR.
“Pilling’s attitude is typical of the arrogance and [alleged] criminality that pervades within the senior echelons of GMP: “lets go to court”, where they can waste public money to protect the indefensible.
“I have previously pointed out to Andy Burnham that more money has been spent hiding corruption in this case than would have been required to solve the city’s homelessness problem. Mayor Burnham espouses the rights of the people of Liverpool , but when it comes to the people of Greater Manchester he uses the same tactics as he constantly criticised South Yorkshire Police for, to obstruct justice.
“Burnham / Pilling/ Hopkins/ Hughes ( who are all of the main protagonists in this [present] crime recording debacle), you are all unfit to hold public office and your adherence to the Nolan principles is [allegedly] non-existent. Your attempts to evade any culpability are sickening.
“I am sure that you will pay lawyers to try to silence me. But instead why not publicly debate the issue? Let’s reveal all the evidence (including that you have illegally withheld) and let the people of Greater Manchester judge. We could do this next week!!!! You can get your well paid advisors and researchers to assist you and I will tell the truth!!!! If not, I hope that next year’s Mayoral elections are not cancelled, so that I will have a public platform to expose your ineptitude.
“I have attached a copy of the IPCC report in relation to my personal exoneration and as you can see that there are a number of potential liars initially exposed and I can assure you that there are even more involved in the subsequent “cover up”.
I hope this assists, David Sutcliffe.”
Those familiar with the inner workings of GMP and the Mayor’s office, including me (writes Neil Wilby) will not be, in any way, surprised at the contents of Mr Sutcliffe’s blistering condemnation. An officer highly rated by those who served with him in Stockport (J) Division.
Disclosure failings by both are well-evidenced, repeated and scandalous. Either by way of the Data Protection Act, General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) or Freedom of Information Act. The simple fact is, proven many times over, that Messrs Burnham and Hopkins place themselves above Parliament and it’s long overdue for the House to redress the balance and put the operations of both into special measures.
As for the rest of the Sutcliffe allegations; incompetence, corruption, cover-up, cronyism and racism, Burnham and Hopkins (or Mrs Hughes or Pilling) cannot feign ignorance of them, either. Particularly, by way of this piece, ‘Catalogue of Policing Scandals that shame the two-faced Mayor‘ (read in full here) published in August, 2019.
Grounded in its entirety upon protected disclosures to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) made by a well known police whistleblower.
The force’s horrendous crime recording and victim care failings received wide publicity very recently (read more here and here).
The headline of the first linked piece was very apposite in present circumstances: ‘The Beginning of the End‘. For that is what it is, for both the Mayor and chief constable. Their positions are untenable as public confidence ebbs away and the Home Secretary has expressed serious concerns, in writing, over the actions, or more accurately, inactions of both.
Burnham’s response to Priti Patel was to claim that an excoriating report by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, the latest in a lengthening line and at the centre of the most recent scandal, also one of many, “presented an unfair picture”.
The Mayor also, incredibly, sought to defend the disastrous IT Transformation Programme, known colloquially as iOPS. The system has been plagued with problems since its much-delayed launch in July, 2019. A budgeted cost of £27 million is expected to, eventually, be closed off at a figure closer to £100 million (read more here).
Serving officers claim on social media that some of the software problems relating to operational matters are incapable of remedy. The force, and the contractors responsible for installation, commissioning and maintenance, deny that such problems exist.
Within hours of this article being published, the local and regional press reported another complete outage of the iOPS system, with call centre operators once again having to take down crime details on pieces of paper. In the force’s response, which sought to downplay the issue, the word ‘victim’ did not appear
This is a developing news story and will be updated. Follow Neil Wilby on Twitter here, and on Facebook here.
Page last updated: Wednesday 15th December, 2020 at 1245 hours
Picture credit: PA
© Neil Wilby 2015-2020. Unauthorised use, or reproduction, of the material contained in this article, without permission from the author, is strictly prohibited. Extracts from, and links to, the article (or blog) may be used, provided that credit is given to Neil Wilby Media, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Author Neil WilbyPosted on December 16, 2020 December 19, 2020 Categories Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Greater Manchester Police, HMICTags Andy Burnham, Bev Hughes, Catalogue of Policing Scandals that shame the two-faced Mayor, David Sutcliffe, DCC Ian Pilling, Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary, Ian Hopkins, IPCC, Lynn Potts, Neil Wilby, Neil Wilby Journalist, police whistleblower, South Yorkshire Police, The Beginning of the End1 Comment on Hidden in plain sight
In August last year, I assisted in breaking one of the biggest policing scandals in recent times. ITV led their regional news bulletin with this package (view here) and it went out later across the network.
It concerned a technology upgrade at one of the country’s biggest police forces that had gone badly wrong. On the evidence it appears that the original budget estimate of £27 million was now dwarfed by actual costs of £80 million and rising (read more here).
More crucially, it was putting officers’ and public lives at risk, according to the local Police Federation Chair, Stuart Berry.
A furious chief constable, Ian Hopkins, tried to deflect criticism and play down the defects of the system known colloquially as iOPS (Integrated Operational Policing System) and monumental extra cost to the taxpayer.
Allowing his force to ‘beta test’ a module of the system known as ‘Police Works’ had backfired grotesquely.
One journalist/broadcaster who criticised iOPS publicly, quite correctly describing it as ‘a disaster’, was pursued by Hopkins in an ugly vendetta and lost his job as a result. The out of control chief described me as ‘an odious man‘ for having the temerity to go public with a damning document, leaked to me, that revealed the scale and reach of the technology failings.
Earlier today, it was revealed that the new IT system was largely responsible for the failure to record more than 80,000 crimes in the year ending June, 2020 (an average of 220 per day). Thousands of cases were also without proper investigation say Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC).
The watchdog say that beleaguered Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) service to victims of crime was a “serious cause of concern”. Ms Billingham might well have said service was virtually non-existent if she had actually spoken to some.
In its routine ‘jam tomorrow’ response, Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling said it had “robust plans” to address the issues and, incredibly, sought to blame the CO-VID19 crisis for the problems.
Robust plans is, broadly, the response to every other crisis or scandal that besets GMP, on an almost weekly basis. It is police management speak for ‘cover our a***s’.
DCC Pilling is at the very heart of most of the more serious force failings. Not least this one, upon which I reported extensively, concerning the outfall from the Grainger Inquiry (read here).
During the period reviewed by HMIC, it was estimated that GMP had recorded 77.7% of reported crimes, a reduction of 11.3% from the corresponding period in 2018, prior to the launch of iOPS. Previous HMIC inspections of GMP in 2016 and 2018 were also critical of crime recording practices and were very largely ignored by the force leadership.
The toothless watchdog also noted that one in five of all crimes and one in four violent crimes reported to GMP were not recorded – and found officers prematurely closed some investigations on the false premise that victims did not support police action.
Zoe Billingham, who signed off the HMIC inspection, says: “In too many of these cases, the force did not properly record evidence that the victim supported this decision,
She added, “It is simply not good enough that, despite being urged by the watchdog to improve in 2016, concerns have not been addressed for over four years”.
Here is a graphic and prime example of a case where the investigation was closed just 12 hours after it was reported where the allegations include aggravated burglary and attempted murder. Good descriptions of the perpetrators and their vehicle were given to the call handler (read in full here).
A further inspection by HMIC is scheduled to take place within the next six months. Whistleblowers say that the problems inherent in iOPS are so deep rooted that they may never be fixed without ripping out PoliceWorks and starting again. A matter repeatedly denied by the force, the suppliers and the contractors involved in the installation and implementation of the system.
The force has NOT referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct over these serious failings.
Greater Manchester’s Deputy Mayor for Policing, Beverley Hughes, said the HMIC findings were “extremely disappointing”, but has given no indication of any holding to account of the chief constable over these latest catastrophic revelations. She sees her role, and has done since the day she was appointed, of pouring oil on troubled waters, making excuses and covering up for Ian Hopkins. That, essentially, is how the force has descended into such a desperate state.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, is as usual, missing in action when these class of scandals reach the public domain (read more here). Trains, trams and cycle paths take priority over the risk to safety of every single one of his constituents via an utterly failed police force in the region.
He also approved a new two year contract, negotiated by his Deputy, for his perennially disgraced chief constable, at the very height of the iOPS, crime recording, risk to victims and officers scandal.
When asked, during a recent CO_VID19 press conference, the Mayor refused to confirm whether he maintained confidence in Ian Hopkins or whether his contract will be renewed in June, 2021.
The Police Federation, for their part, appear to have been absent from any criticism of iOPS since the time that problems were first identified.
Also absent since the scandal broke, and now routine when the force comes under fire, was CC Hopkins (read more here). An ugly trait made many times worse by being first on the scene if there is an personal glory to be squeezed out of any given situation.
The HMIC report can be read in full here. Following its publication, the Home Secretary has written to the Mayor to express her concern, not just over iOPS but the other reported failings of the force, and demand sight of the chief constable’s action plan to recover the situation.
It is the beginning of the end for Ian Hopkins. Andy Burnham has also belatedly realised that the failure to hold the worst chief constable in the country to account will cost him the Mayoral election in May, 2021.
Page last updated: Saturday 11th December, 2020 at 0645 hours
Author Neil WilbyPosted on December 10, 2020 December 12, 2020 Categories Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Greater Manchester Police, HMICTags Andy Burnham, Beverley Hughes, Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, DCC Ian Pilling, Neil Wilby, Neil Wilby Journalist, Stuart Berry, Zoe Billingham2 Comments on The beginning of the end
Pledge loses its shine?
Following the introduction of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act, 2011, police authorities, comprised very largely of elected councillors, were dissolved. Replaced by a new elected policing body, known as Police and Crime Commissioners.
It was a controversial move, rejected almost entirely by the electorate, and one that has been dogged by ineptitude and scandal ever since.
During the very first election campaign in 2012, a number of prospective PCCs made promises regarding re-distribution of what were considered excessive salaries.
One of those was Labour politician Mark Burns-Williamson, who was duly elected in West Yorkshire. He had previously served, without distinction, as chairman of the police authority for the previous nine years.
His pledge was confirmed via the local media, in these terms, during the week after his election victory:
“The salary level has been set by a pay review body, independently.
“I will set aside £5,000 for a separate account to support victims of crime”.
Not a particularly generous offer compared to, for example, Andy Burnham, who donates 15% of his £110,000 salary as Greater Manchester Mayor to the homeless. A gesture fulfilled every year since he was elected in 2017.
Nevertheless, if PCC Burns-Williamson had kept his promise, over the intervening 8 years, then a not insignificant sum of £40,000 would have been donated.
Via a freedom of information request, it has been established that the Burns-Wiliamson promise has not been kept. Far from it.
This is a list of all the donations he has made since 2012:
2012/13 National Police Memorial Fund £500
2012/13 Care of Police Survivors £100
2013/14 Bradford Safeguarding Board £1000
2013/14 Shelter £50
2013/14 War Memorial Trust £100
Total donations made: £1,750
Total set aside and donated to victims of crime, as pledged: Zero
Total unaccounted for: £38,250
A further information request has been made regard the status of the ‘separate account’, who administers it and its present balance.
The PCC’s press office has been contacted separately, requesting an explanation from Mark Burns-Williamson over the discrepancies. Burns-Williamson’s representative claims that he has made other donations via a private bank account but refuses to provide dates, amounts recipients.
When challenged further about the unsatisfactory response and failure to meet a high profile public pledge a curt response stated that no other information would be provided.
A complaint is being prepared with a view to submission to the Police and Crime Panel for West Yorkshire. A poorly run ‘scrutiny body’ hosted by Wakefield Metropolitan District Council, that is, itself, frequently caught out when failing to meet its statutory obligations on disclosure.
Page last updated at 0715hrs on Wednesday 2nd December, 2020.
Photo credit: Stephen Bradbury
© Neil Wilby 2015-2020. Unauthorised use, or reproduction, of the material contained in this article, without permission from the author, is strictly prohibited. Extracts from, and links to, the article (or blog) may be used, provided that credit is given to Neil Wilby, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Author Neil WilbyPosted on November 5, 2020 December 10, 2020 Categories Greater Manchester Combined Authority, WYPCCTags Andy Burnham, Bradford Safeguarding Board, Care of Police Survivors, Mark Burns-Williamson, National Police Memorial Fund, Neil Wilby, Neil Wilby Journalist, Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act, Shelter, War Memorial TrustLeave a comment on Pledge loses its shine?
Search for the truth
An investigation that began several months ago, in Oldham, into allegations made by a local political activist of a large-scale, multi-agency cover-up is nearing completion, with most of the key players interviewed or spoken to.
The claims are repeatedly made by Raja Miah, who posts and broadcasts on social media under the style ‘Recusant Nine‘ and blogs under the ‘Welcome to Oldham‘ banner. He has a substantial following on Facebook, and his trenchant views appear to find favour, particularly, on the right wing of the political spectrum; there is a lesser presence on Twitter, a gap filled by an account with the handle, Oldham Eye.
Many believe the latter social media account is controlled, or influenced greatly, by Raja, but the actual identity of the operator is a closely guarded secret amongst camp followers. Who provide almost identical answers when asked.
Earlier this week, a meeting took place with a well-known survivor of child sexual abuse in Oldham, Samantha Walker-Roberts. She has waived her legal right to lifetime anonymity and it was an important stepping stone in the investigation, adding significantly to the information matrix. It also emphasised how brave Samantha, and those other survivors who speak out, really are.
But the meeting only took place after local police were involved to ensure that a safe space could be created for Samantha, and, to a much lesser extent, myself. Their response was speedy, appropriate and professional.
This was considered necessary, because on the previous evening Raja Miah had made public the intended meeting as part of an incessant smear campaign with which he appears to be currently obsessed. Against a background of sustained, highly personalised abuse being directed at me by a group of his supporters, who took exception to two articles published about their ‘leader’ in the past week or so (read here and here).
As evidenced by their responses to those articles, the Recusant Nine fanatics are, it seems, immune to any reasoned argument, facts or evidence – and far too ready to attack, in seriously unpleasant terms, those who question their party line.
The police are already well aware of Miah and he is currently the subject of investigations into complaints made by local MP, Deborah Abrahams, by way of section 106 of the Representation of the People Act, 1983 and at least one other made against him under the Protection of Harassment Act, 1997.
Soon to be at least two, as a further package of evidence is being prepared, by me, for submission to the detective chief inspector in Oldham who is leading the extant investigations over Miah’s recent course of conduct.
The threshold for a journalist to take such action is high; we expect criticism as part of our vocation, often in robust terms. But what has been experienced over the past ten days, goes far beyond that – and is perceived to be a campaign very much intended to cause distress and alarm, to the extent where coercing discontinuance of the Oldham investigation is the primary aim.
Another Oldham MP, James McMahon, has stated publicly, and at length, that Miah is running a deliberate campaign of harassment and abuse against him, also, and at least some of the comments he makes are ‘blatantly defamatory’ (read more here). The impact on both his professional and personal life is said to be considerable.
Samantha, it was disclosed to me at our meeting, has asked her lawyer to advise on the merits of a privacy, data breach claim against Raja Miah as she has no recollection of giving permission for her story to be published on the Recusant Nine website. She cannot trace any messages, either, where such permission was either sought or given.
She is also concerned, and has expressed publicly, as well as to me in more detailed terms, that Miah is running his ‘CSE cover-up’ campaign for his own personal and political ends and not with complainants, victims and survivors at its centre.
On any independent view, there is considerable merit in what Samantha says: The focus is, plainly, the vendetta (his own word) that Miah is running against those he perceives to have done him wrong. Particularly, Jim McMahon, over his part in the investigation into a shocking catalogue of failures at schools that Raja founded and ran in the Manchester area. Those failures include operational and infrastructure shortcomings, low Ofsted ratings, large-scale financial irregularities, low staff morale, safeguarding failures, and the grooming of a 14 year old girl at one of the schools. Raja Miah denies any or all wrongdoing.
For clarity, my investigation into the CSE allegations, made by Raja Miah, does not in any way replace, or intend to trespass too greatly on, the Assurance Review presently in progress in Oldham, headed by two of the country’s leading child sexual exploitation experts, Malcolm Newsam and Gary Ridgway. Although some minor crossover is inevitable, as the wider online allegations made against Oldham council (and the police) form part of their terms of reference. The Review was commissioned by the Greater Manchester Mayor.
Their report is expected to be finished within the next few weeks and go out for consultation with interested parties. It is very keenly awaited, particularly in the wake of their widely acclaimed Review, also commissioned by Andy Burnham and published in January 2020, into widespread failings by police and councils in Rochdale and South Manchester.
Even in that light, Raja Miah has consistently sought to undermine the efficacy of the Oldham CSE investigation, without any regard for the integrity and track record of the two investigators, their high standing, professionally, or the toxic atmosphere, created almost entirely by him, that may have discouraged witnesses coming forward to give evidence to the Review or provide Newsam and Ridgway with viable lines of enquiry.
It is anticipated that my own findings on the merits of the Miah allegations, and the background to them, will be published within the next week or so. Raja grounds his campaign, that only began in the Autumn of last year, on a dossier leaked to him by a former councillor, Hugh McDonald.
In simple terms, its centre-piece is a one-eyed view of an email, sent to Jim McMahon over seven years ago by BBC journalist, Kevin Fitzpatrick, in which a number of other senior councillors are copied, including Mr McDonald. I have previously challenged Raja, publicly, on his Facebook page on that very point. He did not respond to that plainly expressed enquiry. Indeed, that was one of the tipping points, as it was becoming tiresome asking for evidence and/or substantiation and being blanked. I am, of course, now blocked from viewing any of his posts.
From information now in my possession, and taking a wider, much more enlightened view of local and national intelligence that was being fed into the Gold Group of partner agencies, at that time, it is evident that the ‘Lee Rigby’ golden nugget, weighted so heavily by the discredited Oldham activist in his criticism of Mr McMahon, and others, has lost a great deal of its lustre: There were credible policing grounds, to those who needed to know, to support the postponement of certain actions until the funeral of the fallen soldier had taken place.
More of that, and a closer scrutiny of the rest of the Recusant allegations, will follow. In the meantime, the author’s eye is drawn to this statement by much-criticised Leader of Oldham Council, Sean Fielding: “What disturbs me is that the comments on social media [led by Raja Miah] piece together historic incidents, much of which is in the public domain, over a long period of time to give the impression that the allegations relate to young people at risk today.”
Right of reply has again been offered to Raja Miah.
Page last updated: Wednesday 14th October, 2020 at 2055 hours
Author Neil WilbyPosted on October 14, 2020 October 14, 2020 Categories Greater Manchester Police, Oldham MBCTags Andy Burnham, Cllr Sean Fielding, Debbie Abrahams, Deborah Abrahams, Hugh McDonald, James McMahon, Jim McMahon MP, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Neil Wilby, Neil Wilby Journalist, Raja Miah, Sam Walker Roberts, Samantha Walker-Roberts, Sean Fielding5 Comments on Search for the truth
Even more rotten
On 21st August, 2020 an article was published on this website, headlined ‘Rotten to its Core‘ (read here). It referred to the actions of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in the eight years following the shooting of an unarmed man, Anthony Grainger, in a supermarket car park in Culcheth, Cheshire by a GMP armed response unit.
Within the piece were exclusive revelations concerning a corrupt detective who had worked on that undercover police operation, codenamed ‘Shire’. The officer also worked on the predecessor drugs investigation, Operation Blyth, but cannot be named for legal reasons and great care was, and is, being taken to avoid any possibility of ‘jigsaw identification’, in order not to prejudice any future proceedings against the officer, even though s/he has not yet been charged and, also, to protect unwitting others who are now dragged into the scandal.
The officer’s identity is, however, well known within GMP, not least because of the elite unit in which s/he was posted and there is a also relative who works for the force. Some colleagues were present when the arrest was made.
Not unnaturally, it created a great deal of public comment, opprobium and, indeed, alarm on social media, although completely ignored by the local and regional press. The most troubling aspect of the case is the genesis of the investigation: The subject officer allowed a packet of drugs to fall from a jacket pocket whilst dropping off a child at school (the location of which is now known but not disclosed here), left the scene without picking it up and the drugs were ultimately found by a pupil, handed to a teacher at the school, who called the police. The arrest followed, at the detective’s workplace, during which more drugs were found – and a search at home found yet more drugs and a cache of ammunition. The latter strongly suggests links to at least one organised crime group. The officer is presently suspended on full pay.
On 16th August, 2020 Gail Hadfield Grainger, the bereaved partner of Anthony, wrote to the Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, who has a dual role as Police and Crime Commissioner for the region. This is the communication, in redacted form:
“Subject: Another corrupt officer attached to Operations Blyth and Shire.
It is with some dismay that I have to write to you, yet again, over concerns related to the ‘investigations’ that ultimately led to Anthony’s death.
There is, apparently, no-one holding the chief constable to account, including yourself and Bev Hughes, and that is why GMP is widely, and quite correctly, labelled ‘rotten to the core’.
The latest revelation concerns [name redacted] whom, as you may know, featured strongly in both the subject investigations involving Anthony. [Gender redacted] has been arrested and is presently under investigation by the IOPC (believe it or not) over drugs offences.
Both the Daily Mirror and the Daily Star have been trying to get the story past their lawyers. So far, unsuccessfully, because of the very limited response from the GMP press office. The facts are that [name redacted], when dropping off a child at school, inadvertently allowed some Class A drugs to fall from [gender redacted] pocket. These were picked up and handed to a teacher, who called the police.
GMP officers found ammunition and a further supply of cocaine at [gender redacted] home address (more than for personal use). [Name redacted] also had drugs on [gender redacted] person when searched at [Name of office building redacted]. The offending is, apparently, common knowledge amongst the [name of unit redacted], of which [Gender redacted] is part.
Now to the important part. My information, from two sources, is that GMP are going to cut a deal with [name redacted] so that the story doesn’t get into the public domain and, they thought, reach my ears. [Gender redacted] won’t be prosecuted and misconduct proceedings will be held in private. [Gender redacted] will, of course, be on full pay for as long as [name of staff association redacted] can spin this out and then, of course, receive [gender redacted] pension.
It is not confirmed yet, but I have reason to believe that [name redacted] lives in the [name redacted] area. [sentence redacted].
In these circumstances, I require from you a firm undertaking that this officer will be prosecuted and sentenced with the same rigour as any other member of the public and that you properly and fully hold the chief constable to account over this disgraceful situation. Those orchestrating the cover-up should also face the full force of the law. You were noisy enough on that very same point when grandstanding for the Hillsborough families.
In the absence of you taking all the necessary and correct steps to put right this series of wrongs then I will go public and you will be doorstepped if you won’t face the cameras and answer questions.
A copy of a letter sent to all Greater Manchester MPs, including of course my own, is attached. The contents are self-explanatory. Your failure to hold the chief constable and his corrupt police force to account has been expressed within.
Gail Hadfield Grainger
Bereaved family member and victim – Anthony Grainger”
The Deputy Mayor’s response amounted to just five short, sterile paragraphs. It is completely absent of any empathy or sympathy for the distress and alarm these latest developments have brought to Gail and her family. In Ms Hughes’ familiar style she relies entirely on what the police have told her without making her own, independent, enquiries.
She quite correctly opens by saying that she is limited to what she can say because of an ongoing criminal investigation. But she omits to say for how long this investigation is ongoing. It is believed to have been running for over six months. The letter goes on to say that there are simultaneous investigations being conducted, misconduct by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and a criminal investigation led by the GMP Head of Professional Standards Branch (the very same PSB unit that has led the sustained ‘cover-up’ over Anthony Grainger’s death since March, 2012). The investigation was sent back to PSB, by the IOPC, rather that the watchdog take the more logical and transparent step of inviting another large metropolitan force to get to the bottom of what could be widescale corruption of which the subject officer may only form a part.
Ms Hughes says, despite the lengthy and troubled background to the Grainger case, that she is ‘assured that there is no question that a deal is being done with the officer’. But she gives no clue as to the source of that ‘assurance’ making it, in the event, worthless. She adds that any decision to hold a misconduct meeting in private would be made by the Panel Chair. Omitting to mention that the Mayor decides which legally qualified Chairs form part of his standing list from which a selection is made each time a misconduct hearing is deemed necessary.
She concludes by saying that ‘I am assured that the investigation will be conducted in a thorough and professional manner through to its conclusion and all available evidence presented to the CPS and any misconduct panel’. Again there is no clue whatsoever of the identity of the officer giving the assurance.
It is true to say that Gail Hadfield Grainger was surprised, disappointed and not a little angry that Andy Burnham had not responded himself and, more particularly how weak and supine the response was, after careful analysis.
Accepting, of course, the limitations of the Mayoral response in order to protect the integrity of the investigation (Gail has a Masters degree in law), there was no mention of:
– The ‘Rotten to its core’ label now widely attached to Greater Manchester Police.
– Why the investigation is taking so long? A member of the public found with drugs and ammunition, during and post-arrest, would have been charged, put before the local Magistrates’ and committed for trial at Crown Court within hours, not months.
– What safeguarding measures are being/were put in place at the school and whether counselling for the children and staff unwittingly involved in these crimes was offered?
– The danger this bent cop, and the missing firearm for which the ammunition was acquired, poses to the public of Greater Manchester, and serving colleagues, whilst still at large.
– The fiasco surrounding the investigation of every other officer accused of criminal offences and/or misconduct and involved in either the killing of Anthony Grainger, or the grotesque and sustained ‘cover-up’, by GMP, that followed.
– The fact that a key member of her own team, Paul Gilfeather, was convicted of Class A drugs offences in December, 2018 (read here).
Since that exchange of correspondence, other information has been shared by insiders that adds considerably to the risk that the public are being placed under. It is alleged that the subject officer has, before the suspension from duty:
– Unlawfully accessed police computer systems.
– Had involvement with at least one organised crime group. It is generally accepted that, where there is OCG drugs and firearms offending, as in this case, it usually follows that trafficking, extortion, robbery, theft to order, money laundering are also adjacent.
– Tipped off criminals as drug busts and other disruptive police activity in the locality were being ‘blown’ regularly. Senior officers, prior to arrest of their colleague, were said to be perplexed as to how this series of failed operations had come about.
Other matters more broadly connected to this troubling case include:
– One of the Mayor’s key political allies is said to be a recreational cocaine user. GMP should be aware, as the dealer is said to be a police informant. However, there is no suggestion whatsoever that Andy Burnham is adjacent to that fact. That is also the case with his now dismissed PR Guru, Gilfeather.
– It is alleged that an officer who worked on Operation Blyth was prosecuted for stealing drugs from the police force exhibits store.
The attempt by Beverley Hughes to downplay the case, and its wider ramifications, should trouble every single person in Greater Manchester and beyond. Her suitability to be be holding any police officer to account, given her own highly questionable ethics and professionalism, is just another part of the factual matrix. As is the total reliance on anonymous sources, within a corrupt police force, for her ‘assurances’ that everything will turn out well for the public in the region. The damning evidence already heard at the Manchester Arena Inquiry again expose the frailty of that proposition, as the rank incompetence of the senior leadership is again exposed, unchecked by any form of accountabilty from the Mayor’s office.
The last word, for now, goes to Gail Hadfield Grainger:
“Since this officer’s arrest was first brought to my attention it has caused great anguish to both my family and myself. The role played in the two operations that led to Anthony’s death cannot be erased from history and is a significant trigger. Nor can the terrible mistakes that preceded that utterly tragic event or the cover-up engineered by the police almost from the moment Officer Q9 pulled the trigger.
“With very good reason, I do not trust either the police service, or the Independent Office for Police Conduct, or the CPS, to bring to book this latest GMP criminality, without fear or favour and, unfortunately, the inactions of the Mayor, and this recent letter from his deputy, do nothing to dispel that deep rooted concern. The case should have been given to another police force to investigate”.
The Mayor’s and the police press office have been invited to comment.
Page last updated: Wednesday 9th September, 2020 at 1735 hours
Photo Credits: Greater Manchester Police, ITV News, Derby Telegraph (Stockphoto)
Author Neil WilbyPosted on September 4, 2020 December 29, 2020 Categories CPS, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Greater Manchester Police, IOPC, Miscarriages of JusticeTags Andy Burnham, Anthony Grainger, Beverley Hughes, Gail Hadfield Grainger, Neil Wilby, Neil Wilby Journalist, Operation Blyth, Operation Shire, Paul Gilfeather, Rotten to its Core4 Comments on Even more rotten
Disaster-prone chief constable exits Twitter
To all intents and purposes it appears as though Ian Hopkins, beleagured Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, has either suspended or deleted his account on the well-known social media platform, Twitter.
Yesterday morning, not being able to access his account, I mistakenly believed that Hopkins had ‘blocked’ me. An action he has taken against a number of his critics recently, particularly former GMP police officers whom, like myself as an investigative journalist, has direct access to hard evidence of wrongdoing, both by him and the wider police force he purports to lead.
Upon checking more thoroughly yesterday evening, the matter took a rather more sinister turn. His ‘tweets’ appeared not to be accessible to anyone and a search for his Twitter ‘handle’ (@CCIanHopkins) revealed that ‘This account doesn’t exist’:
Soon afterwards, I contacted the GMP press office and, given the highly significant public interest in this matter, asked for a statement from Ian Hopkins ‘as a matter of priority’. At the time of publishing this article the email remained unacknowledged [there is still no response from GMP or Hopkins two weeks later].
The man in the street, particularly if he is a precept payer in the Greater Manchester region, might reasonably have expected such a public statement to accompany his departure from Twitter, a platform upon which he has relied heavily in his past.
But, in my extensive experience of Hopkins dating back to when I met him, briefly, in 2013, reasonable, or perceptive, infrequently enters his thinking or that of, more collectively, the GMP Command Team of the moment. He is a man consumed by his own arrogance, sense of entitlement and a blame-avoidance obsession that permeates through almost his every action. He has never, seemingly, understood that respect is earned – and not a trinket that goes with the job.
For months now, I have publicly characterised Hopkins as ‘the worst chief constable in the country’. Which is a considerable achievement when one considers the cabal of highly-paid, politically correct, sycophantic, box-ticking incompetents occupying the top job elsewhere.
Following his abject, and cowardly, handling of the publication of the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s Independent Assurance Review of Responses to Child Sexual Exploitation (read in full here), others have now raised their head above the parapet. Two blistering pieces in the normally supine Manchester Evening News, by Jennifer Williams, will have certainly raised heads in London, let alone around the police force’s own operational area.
Maggie Oliver, whose whistleblowing was a major factor in the unravelling of the Rochdale CSE scandal, told me last night that Ian Hopkins was, reportedly, furious following her extensive, and widely acclaimed, interviews in local and national press – and on network television in which her actions were totally vindicated. A point also made, with emphasis, by the Mayor at his launch press conference.
In September last year, I wrote a lengthy, forensic piece highlighting a large number of GMP failings, which is now the best read article ever published on my website. Despite some others resting there for almost five years (grab a cup of coffee and read the full piece here). Hopkins was offered right of reply, but declined. As did the Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, whose almost complete abdication of his statutory role of holding the chief constable to account has become an uncomfortable joke. Not at all aided by this form of self-promotion:
There may well be another reason for the Hopkins exit from Twitter and that is one of his other nemeses: The distastrous failure of the Integrated Policing Operating System (iOPS for short) about which I wrote several articles (read more here) and appeared on ITV’s Granada Reports to break the story.
In the event, the newly appointed Home Secretary, Priti Patel, ‘persuaded’ the Deputy Mayor, the perenially useless Beverley Hughes, to appoint Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC) to conduct an inspection of the iOPS project and produce a report of his findings. I’m told, from a normally reliable source, that the draft report was made available to the Mayor’s office in December, 2019 and it is being stalled by Hopkins as a result of the reputational damage it is likely to cause to both the force and its chief constable. Hopkins has resolutely, and one might say mindlessly and obsessively, defended the £80 million project – and its £20 million overspend – whilst, along the way, rubbishing his critics. Notably, with a quite extraordinary, and wholly unwarranted, public attack on the ITV journalist who interviewed me, Matt O’Donohue, for the Granada Reports broadcast. That was followed up by a formal complaint to ITV in which I was also name-checked.
Once the iOPS report is published, attention would undoubtedly have returned to those tweets by Hopkins and the outpouring of well-aimed (and justified) criticism on social media would, very likely, have been considerable and persistent.
In my highly informed view, adjacent to many of the relevant facts, Hopkins is now ‘a dead man walking’. In post, but not in power. Hearing only the arch-sycophants who surround him. A figure of ridicule and scorn amongst the rank and file and retired GMP officers. A man with whom the local Police Federation Chair was, allegedly, prepared to engage in a physical confrontation following a heated argument over iOPS and the danger it represented to Fed Members. A chief constable who describes reasoned and well-evidenced criticism of the force’s many catastrophic failings as a ‘hate campaign’ against him.
Time to go, Mr Hopkins, and the honourable thing to do would be to authorise the publication of the HMIC iOPS report soonest – and then fall on the sword that you thought was destined to touch your shoulder.
Page last updated at 0715 on Tuesday 28th January, 2020.
Photo credit: Twitter
Author Neil WilbyPosted on January 16, 2020 January 28, 2020 Categories Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Greater Manchester Police, HMICTags Andy Burnham, Beverley Hughes, Ian Hopkins, Jennifer Williams, Maggie Oliver, Matt O'Donohue, Priti Patel3 Comments on Disaster-prone chief constable exits Twitter
Another Durham debacle as chief constable snubs Manchester Mayor
Much has already been written about the Operation Mackan fiasco, over which the now-retired chief constable of Durham Constabulary, Michael Barton was Gold Commander (read more here).
The central theme has been the sub-optimal, one-eyed investigation carried out by his Silver Commander, civilian investigator Darren Ellis, into complaints raised against the chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, Ian Hopkins. It is alleged that, not for the first time, he responded dishonestly to press criticism.
Durham were asked to investigate by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, on his behalf, after a grotesquely failed ‘investigation’ carried out by his deputy, Beverley Hughes.
An appeal by the complainant, to the police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission, against the outcome, signed off by Hughes, unsurprisingly succeeded. The so-called investigation amounted to nothing more than a single phone call to Hopkins, of which there was no note or record.
The complainant is Peter Jackson, a retired superintendent and now a nationally known police whistle blower, having been the source for a large number of regional and national newspaper stories, over the past two years, plus a regular round of TV appearances. Most recently on ITV Granada Reports where he broke a massive scandal concerning information technology failures at GMP from which, the Police Federation say, lives of police officers and members of the public are at risk.
It was also Jackson who was the source for The Times article at the heart of the complaints.
The Durham investigation outcome, accompanied by a 66 page report, littered with errors, is now also subject to appeal to the IOPC. Its receipt was ackowledged on 2nd August, 2019 and the Casework Manager, who gave his address as the Sale office of the police watchdog, anticipated being in a position to complete his assessment ‘within 15 working days, subject to any senior manager or lawyer input’.
‘Casework Manager’ is a very junior role in the IOPC, often held by inexperienced recruits, with little or no experience in police matters and no investigative experience or qualifications. The watchdog do themselves yet another disservice by not having this appeal, against a highly controversial investigation, analysed and assessed under the direct control of one of their Regional Directors.
It is hard to envisage the handling of a complaint, outside the realm of a death following police contact, that continues to drain confidence in the police complaints system as much as this Jackson, Hopkins, Burnham farrago.
In April 2019, Peter Jackson made a multi-faceted complaint to the Mayor’s office, via his Deputy Director for Policing, Clare Monaghan, regarding the conduct of Darren Ellis. It concerned both his questionable performance and competencies as a detective, and a series of alleged ethical breaches that included disrespect, discourtesy, neglect of duty, partiality and discreditable conduct. Jackson is well placed to assess the merits of a police investigation, particularly how it is framed and progressed, as he was Manchester’s leading murder detective before he retired. He had investigated serious crime for most of his 31-year police career.
The following month Andy Burnham wrote to the Durham chief constable, passing on the Jackson complaints against Ellis to him, as the appropriate authority, to make a decision whether to record them under the Police Reform Act, 2002. Bizarrely, Burnham did not support the whistle blower’s request for the removal of Ellis from the investigation. A decision likely to prove very costly; both in terms of public funds and further damage to his already failing reputation as an elected representative capable of holding a police force to account.
Jackson wrote to Barton, just before he retired in June, to enquire about the status of his complaints. His email was ignored. The Operation Mackan outcome was sent to Burnham a few days later. Jackson describes it as one of the worst he has ever seen, with, he says, a large catalogue of basic investigative errors and a highly partial approach virtually throughout. His appeal to the IOPC reflects those points.
Questions about the recording of the Jackson complaints, raised via the Durham press office in the course of researching this article, also drew a blank. Although separate enquiries to the Professional Standards Department did reveal that Ellis is still employed by the force. The clear inference at this point is that they have not been recorded. Strongly backed up by the fact that there has been no contact at all from Durham PSD to the complainant since the Burnham letter to Barton.
In the light of that information, Peter Jackson wrote to Barton’s successor as chief constable, Jo Farrell, to again enquire whether the complaints have been recorded. He has not even received an acknowledgement.
Even allowing for the apparent absence of ethical and professional standards in Durham Constabulary, cascading down from the top of the force, it is very poor conduct by Ms Farrell towards a retired police officer with an exemplary record across 31 years of service. This echoes dealings I had with her during her stint as deputy to Barton. Her portfolio responsibilities at that time included PSD. Our contact concerned an attempt to establish the directing mind in the response to a freedom of information request in which Durham gratuitously libelled me (read more here)
Members of the public, some with very serious issues indeed, have come forward to complain of the same disdainful culture within Durham. Typified in every way, it must be said, by Darren Ellis, as well as others across the ranks of this “grubby little police force”.
Alarming though it is, the protection of Ellis by Barton, and now, it seems, Farrell, does not just extend to the Jackson complaints. He is also under complaint over the most appalling conduct towards two Irish journalists, Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney in an operation codenamed Yurta that resulted in the two reporters being arrested and their properties searched over a TV documentary they filmed, and produced, about the infamous Loughinisland massacre. Barton, described by his own Durham colleagues as “a nutter”, resolutely defended Ellis in a televised broadcast from the Policing Board of Northern Ireland and continued to do so through other media, up to the day of his retirement.
The next step for Jackson is to appeal the non-recording of his complaints by Durham to the IOPC. Very determined that they will be appropriately and proportionately investigated, however long that takes, he is, of course, acutely aware that such an investigation, or local resolution, is unlikely to happen within the Durham force: Chief constables, past and present, are already implicated in a ‘cover-up’ and Darren Ellis, it seems, is still able to exert considerable influence within the very department that would deal with the complaints against him.
Peter Jackson’s merry-go-round predicament is another perfect example of why the police complaints system, and the statutory framework governing it, is in such urgent need of radical overhaul; a re-structure that should find no place for police officers, and forces, investigating themselves.
The seriously flawed IOPC should also be confined to the dustbin of history, alongside its three disgraced incarnations, the Police Complaints Board (1977-1985), the Police Complaints Authority (1985-2004) and the Independent Police Complaints Commission (2004 – 2018). Each one worse than its predecessor, which is, arguably, something only the UK Home Office could achieve.
Page last updated: Monday 12th August, 2019 at 0715 hours
Author Neil WilbyPosted on August 9, 2019 August 12, 2019 Categories Durham Constabulary, FOI and DPA, Greater Manchester Police, IOPC, IPCCTags Andy Burnham, Barry McCaffrey, Beverley Hughes, Clare Monaghan, Darren Ellis, Durham Constabulary, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Greater Manchester Police. Metropolitan Police, Grubby little police force, IOPC, IPCC, ITV Granada Reports, Jo Farrell, Loughinisland, Michael Barton, Mike Barton, Operation Mackan, Police Complaints Authority, Police Complaints Board, Policing Board of Northern Island, Trevor BirneyLeave a comment on Another Durham debacle as chief constable snubs Manchester Mayor
Disgraced Durham detective to face further scrutiny
An appeal against the outcome of an investigation into alleged dishonesty of Greater Manchester Police chief constable was lodged with the Independent Office of Police Conduct on 16th July, 2019.
The allegations focus on the truthfulness and nature of a vitriolic, ad hominem public response by Ian Hopkins to an article written in the The Times by Crime Editor, Fiona Hamilton. It centred on GMP’s mishandling of surveillance of a known and active paedophile, Domenyk Noonan, who was also a key player in a serious and organised crime network in the Manchester area (read the background to the complaint and The Times story here).
The investigation report, running to 66 pages, plus a large number of appendices, was signed off by the now retired Durham Constabulary chief constable, Michael Barton. It has come in for withering criticism from the complainant, Peter Jackson, a nationally-known police whistleblower who retired at the rank of temporary superintendent. The core finding is that Hopkins has ‘no case to answer’.
Littered with grammar and spelling mistakes, it mirrors a previously published report authored and signed off by Barton. This was into another largely-failed Durham investigation concerning Police Scotland. It conveys an impression of amateurs doing a professional’s job.
Which begs the question: Why, over the past three years, has a small county force, with very limited resources, been involved in four very high profile ‘outside force’ investigations: Two for GMP, including this one. The other being the ‘Titgate’ scandal, in which the Durham investigation resulted in Rebekah Sutcliffe, controversially, NOT being sacked. The other is the highly vexed Operation Yurta. An investigation for the Police Service of Northern Ireland around the Loughinisland massacre, in which PSNI were conflicted over a previous outcome that was found to be corrupt.
Mr Jackson descibes the investigation into his former boss, codenamed Operation Mackan, in general terms, as ‘one of the worst investigations I have come across in a police career that spanned over 30 years, most of which were spent as a front line detective investigating serious crime‘.
His more specific grounds of appeal, as submitted to the IOPC, are reproduced here:
“The investigation conducted by Durham Constabulary was not fair, not independent and not objective. The Senior Investigating Officer (SIO), Darren Ellis from Durham Constabulary, whom, despite his status as a civilian officer, conducted the investigation on behalf of the Mayor [of Manchester] refused to speak to or gather evidence from witnesses identified by myself, the complainant.
“Mr Ellis was defensive, aggressive, belligerent, sarcastic and antagonistic in his dealings with both myself and those witnesses identified. My complaint had been initially dealt with by the Deputy Mayor Bev Hughes in a very defensive and dismissive manner and I felt that Mr Ellis exhibited confirmation bias from the outset.
“The witnesses I identified could provide further evidence in relation to CC Hopkins making [allegedly] untruthful statements previously. Significant similar past behaviour of [allegedly] being misleading and dishonest. Throughout the investigation I have not been properly consulted or kept informed.
“The SIO, Mr Ellis. agreed with me at the outset ‘to go where the evidence took him’, but then refused to do this. He has completely ignored the evidence contained within my witness statement. The final report produced is biased, the conclusion of ‘no case to answer’ completely at odds with the evidence provided. The SIO has cherry picked certain information to try to support his conclusions and ignored compelling evidence in doing so. It is essentially a ‘whitewash’ and as the complainant I signalled my concerns at an early stage with a vote of no confidence [in Ellis] to the Mayor Andy Burnham, who allowed the SIO to continue.
“There has been little transparency throughout, and transparency provides confidence and demonstrates integrity, of which there has been none. The Mayor has refused to provide copies of appendices referenced in the report, despite my repeated requests. I would like to see these to strengthen my appeal.
“I have other documentary evidence I wish to submit but cannot attach to this online folder. I will provide them if given a contact name and contact details“.
[The text of the Jackson appeal has been modified slightly to mitigate any complaint or application by Mr Hopkins, prior to final findings being made where dishonesty allegations are asserted, but unproven].
The further evidence referred to by Peter Jackson, in his on-line appeal form, was supplied to the North Casework team at the IOPC’s Sale Office a short time afterwards.
He has not, as yet, been notified of the name of the IOPC caseworker, or analyst, who will assess his appeal. In ordinary circumstances, that would be an officer very much in the lower echelons of the organisation.
The IOPC operates a triage system, but it is not known if the Jackson appeal has been graded as high priority. Given the potential for further reputational damage to the police service, it may be a case they wish to slow this case down rather than speed it up.
To be clear, the police watchdog does not carry out an investigation, or re-investigation, as part of the appeal process. It is largely an administrative, statistical, box-ticking process with an exercise of discretion available. For example, they have the power to order a new investigation, or part of an investigation.
Given the type of appeal process to be undertaken by the IOPC, a re-incarnation as police watchdog of the highly discredited IPCC, the issue of prejudice does not arise by disclosing the Jackson appeal submissions. The same might not be said about GMP and/or the Mayor’s office leaking details of the Durham investigation to their ‘friendlies’ in the local media, prior to the expiry of the period for lodging an appeal. Which both must have been certain would follow. Or, by giving the chief constable a pat on the back and a new contract before the investigation process was exhausted.
Bizarrely, Hopkins was given the two-year extension to his contract, by Burnham, on the very same day the investigation report was sent to Jackson. In the face of proceedings that are still live and his alleged misdemeanours severity assessed by Barton as ‘gross misconduct’.
A summary of the investigation outcome was, it appears, also given to the Manchester Evening News on the same day. As one has come to expect, their coverage of the investigation, and contract extension, read like a glowing school report and lacked any sense of the appropriate rigour when reporting on a chief constable who staggers from one very serious confidence-sapping crisis to the next, on an almost weekly basis.
Although fronted by Mike Barton, whose recent ‘retirement’ from the police service, also poses more questions than answers (read more here), the Durham investigation, instigated at the invitation of the Mayor, was carried out by a team of three civilian detectives. Led by the now infamous Darren Ellis. The ‘whitewash’ outcome, and the allegedly erratic, partial, deficient, inadequate Ellis investigation that underpins it, was foretold in earlier articles published on this website (read more here). Neither Durham, nor Ellis, have challenged the validity of those articles, despite the latter referring to them frequently.
Since the articles appeared, the Ellis investigative frailties, and notably arrogant, unpleasant demeanour, were ruthlessly exposed at the High Court in Belfast, in a very high profile claim brought against Durham and the Police Service of Northern Ireland by two highly respected journalists, Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey. The case, which centred on their No Stone Unturned documentary about the infamous Loughinisland massacre, was covered widely in the national press on both sides of the Irish Sea.
The Irish Times reporting of the unlawful arrest scandal included these quotes, which resonate strongly with what is already known about the Hopkins investigation:
“During the hearing it emerged that Darren Ellis, the officer from Durham who led the investigation, did not appear to have a high opinion of journalism. Barry MacDonald QC, who represented McCaffrey, said the motivation for the arrests could be found in Ellis’s attitude. He said that earlier this year after McCaffrey and Birney held a meeting with Grahame Morris, a Labour MP in Durham, to discuss their case, Morris received a call from someone “purporting to be Darren Ellis”. The caller was “foul and abusive” to his staff and had “ranted” about the MP having met “terrorists and criminals” [referring to Messrs McCaffrey and Birney], MacDonald said.
“The court also heard that Ellis had noted he “had concerns that the obvious networks between the suspects [the two journalists], politicians, the legal community and the journalistic/media representatives [The NUJ] may be complex, challenging and obstructive and thus threaten justice”. [Mr McDonald] described Ellis’s stance as “a staggering proposition” and evidence of the “warped mindset” of the police officer driving the process”.
He went further and said: “Ellis, of Durham Constabulary, was “a man on a mission” against the Ombudsman and investigative journalists, who had “put words in the mouth of a suspect [of the Loughinisland murders]”. The court found Mr McDonald’s submissions, and those of Gavin Millar QC, representing Mr Birney, persuasive – and readily found in favour of the journalists (and a wider free press it must be said).
The warrants for arrests and property searches against the two journalists were quashed. The Durham chief constable was equally culpable as Gold Commander of this catastrophically failed, lop-sided Loughinisland investigation. He apologised publicly to the Policing Board of Northern Ireland (in a televised broadcast from which I live tweeted) but, incredibly, defended the behaviour of Darren Ellis. He also refused, point blank, the request of Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly to apologise to the journalists. The abrasive attitude of both Barton and PSNI’s chief, George Hamilton, also now retired, throughout that Policing Board meeting caused offence and upset to the families bereaved by the Loughinisland massacre. As did the fact that Ellis had, apparently, had a meeting with the named chief suspect of the murders and attempted to turn him into a victim of ‘oppression’ by the two journalists.
Chief constable Barton was, of course, also Gold Commander of the Hopkins investigation which was running in tandem with the Loughinisland probe from December, 2018 onwards.
A personal interest in this investigation, and subsequent appeal to the IOPC, is declared, as I was one of the witnesses of fact called upon by Peter Jackson, and named as such in his evidential witness statement. This was based on my extensive dealings with GMP, particularly since Ian Hopkins became chief constable, and the discovery of an apparent culture of dishonesty and cover-up that appears to cascade down from the senior leadership team. Read more articles here.
It is true to say that I was contemptuously dismissed by Ellis, in a manner that has given rise to a misconduct complaint. As were the only two other Jackson witnesses: Paul Bailey, a serving GMP detective, and a retired inspector from the same force, Scott Winters.
The chief constable’s repeated assertion, over which Ellis places great store, of ‘never intentionally lying’ would have been unsustainable in the face of evidence from the three Jackson witnesses.
In an investigation spanning six months, no witness statement was taken from Fiona Hamilton at The Times, either. The same can be said about a senior BBC employee, closely involved in the Manchester: Night of the Bomb documentary, was also subjected to Hopkins’ particular brand of vitriol, by way of an attacking, and ill-founded, rebuttal of the film’s content and conclusions. He/she was prepared to give evidence to the Mackan investigation, on the condition of confidentiality, but Ellis chose to ignore him/her completely. Yet, one of the two IOPC press officers who gave an account was granted confidentiality. As was one of the GMP press officers.
Nick Hitchens, the duty IOPC press officer on the day, is named in the report. Part of the IOPC evidence included this: ‘The response made by GMP (to the Times article) was personalised and used emotive language from CC Hopkins‘. A nod to the unvarnished, unwarranted and highly offensive attacks on the integrity of Peter Jackson and Fiona Hamilton, by Hopkins. Mr Hitchens told investigators ‘that some of the bits weren’t strictly true, or an interesting interpretation of what happened’. He also complained strongly, and justifiably, that the IOPC had not been consulted on the issue of the press release by GMP, despite events concerning the watchdog being central to it.
Steve Noonan, Deputy Director of the IOPC’s Major Investigations Team, expressed similar concerns when giving his account to the Durham investigation. The claim by Hopkins, and others in GMP, that they were working to a deadline, has no basis in fact.
Evidence was taken, conversely and perversely, from a significant number of GMP officers supporting, and, indeed, shaping, the Hopkins narrative. Other witnesses, whose accounts did not fit, appeared to have their evidence tailored to suit, by Ellis, using only highly selective snippets and, even then, several seemed to have their context fully stretched. Two of those witnesses are actually employed in the IOPC press office, which presents an unusual dilemna as one of their own watchdog colleagues will be assessing the merits of their evidence. Some of which will most certainly impact on the outcome of the appeal.
There is no indication that GMP or Mayoral emails were scrutinised or diaries, day books seized concerning what the police force declared a ‘critical incident’ on the morning of the appearance of the damaging article in the The Times, with all the resource and scrutiny implications that follow. There is not even a simple chronology. Or an analysis of Hopkins’ phone calls or location (he had started the day with breakfast in a hotel in Gateshead). Unless, of course, they are contained within the, so far, undisclosed appendices. The movements of Chief Constable Hopkins are crucial in piecing together what happened on the day in question and either validitating, or undermining, the account he gave to the Durham investigators. Which, essentially, is that he delegated the matter to on-duty chief officer, Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson (no relation to Peter). That, perhaps unsurprisingly, differs from the Hopkins account given in the previous attempt to dispose of the complaint against the chief constable. No mention is made of delegation, or ACC Jackson, in the decision letter sent to Peter Jackson dated 21st September, 2018.
During the investigation, it emerged that the complaint history of Ian Hopkins does reveal that he received informal ‘words of advice’ from Tony Lloyd, previously the Police and Crime Commissioner and then Mayor of Greater Manchester, following a Radio 4 interview broadcast in February 2016. A complaint was made on the 8th February that year. As can be seen from his decision letter of 5th May 2017, PCC Lloyd came to the conclusion ‘that the Chief Constable did not deliberately lie on the programme and that he acted in good faith following briefings which he was given’. Lloyd concludes by saying ‘In future, I have advised the Chief Constable to be more thorough in checking briefings provided to him prior to interviews’.
Controversially, Hopkins also misled the public in much more dramatic fashion in November, 2015 when an entire front page of the Manchester Evening News was devoted to a sham statement about an alleged investigation into his own discredited Professional Standards Branch by the Metropolitan Police Service. This was not covered by the LLoyd investigation and Hopkins has, subsequently, relied again on the ‘didn’t intentionally mislead‘ defence. The core of the evidence I will give to the IOPC, as part of their appeal assessment of the Durham investigation, will undermine the chief constable’s position. The Met’s purported robust six-week investigation shrunk to a critical friend peer review. The whole exercise was shrouded in deceit and cover-up.
A local newspaper reported on 20th June, 2019 that Amanda Coleman, the GMP Corporate Communications Director at the time the offending press release was broadcast, was placed under investigation and placed on restricted duties. That was within a week of the Op Mackan investigation report arriving at GMP HQ. It is not known if the two events are connected. A source very close to the force asserts that Ms Coleman has left GMP.
Earlier this year she said on her own well-populated blog: “Police communication has been my focus for 20 years and I remain as passionate about it today as I was when I eagerly arrived for my first day on the job in 1999.”
Her Twitter account has been silent since March, 2019 and there has also been a pause in her blogging over a similar period. Which, on occasions, appeared at the rate of one publication per day.
Another huge scandal surfaced in the last days of July, 2019 which impacts directly on the Durham investigation. It is reported that GMP ‘chief officers’ (they are not named) misled the Deputy Mayor for Policing, Beverley Hughes over surveillance of disabled protesters and reports made to the Department of Work and Pensions, by the police, of their presence at rallies. The force press office also did an about turn on the same issue. Having first put out a denial, four months later they reverse that decision. The core point is that the only police officer with legal proximity to the Deputy Mayor is Ian Hopkins with whom she is obliged to hold regular policing oversight meetings. In some forces that happens weekly. It is not known how often these two meet. A more complete article on this topic will appear on this website, presently. But its importance as evidence supporting the Jackson complaint cannot be lightly dismissed.
The controversial Deputy Mayor, found to be untruthful both in her parliamentary days as an MP, and more recently, and relevantly, when the Hopkins complaint surfaced. She did, of course, claim, in writing, to have carried out an ‘investigation’ of her own when the reality was she had done no such thing. The Durham investigation into Hopkins’ alleged dishonesty came about after an earlier successful appeal to the IOPC by Peter Jackson. The watchdog directed Hughes to disclose her investigation report and it turned out there wasn’t one. Her ‘investigation’ had been an informal phone chat with Hopkins, about which there were no records at all.
If the watchdog fudges the appeal and matter reaches the next stage, Peter Jackson is confident that a pre-action application for disclosure, accompanying a judicial review claim form, would succeed. The sharply honed instincts of an effective and highly regarded murder detective also guide Jackson’s view that the annexes to the report will reveal further flaws in the investigation. Which is put forward as the reason why the Mayor, Andy Burnham, through the medium of Deputy Director of Policing, Clare Monaghan, is so keen to conceal them.
Burnham’s conduct throughout this process, which includes the proposterous assertion that his Deputy “acted with the utmost integrity” in the earlier stages of this particular complaint (there has been a number of others) has been utterly reprehensible. To the extent that this, Peter Jackson contends strongly, taken together with complete inaction over a very large number of other serious incompetence or corruption scandals (25 at the latest count), is a resignation issue for the Mayor.
Those reading the follow-up article to this one may well agree with that position.
Andy Burnham, the IOPC, Durham Constabulary and Greater Manchester Police have all been approached for press comment.
The Mayor’s office were asked to confirm if they stand by their decision not to release the full documentation relating to the report and also, if they are aware of GMP policy relating to restricting duties of officers under gross misconduct investigation. It will be a miracle, close to turning water into wine, if any response is received from Mrs Monaghan. With regard to knowledge of the subject policy, extensive dealings with the Mayor’s office has revealed a genuinely alarming lack of knowledge of process, and record-keeping, where GMP is concerned. Mrs Monaghan costs the taxpayer around £170,000 pa for that level of inefficiency and ineffectiveness. She it at the core of many of the oversight failures, including the legacy issues emanating from her time working for the Mayor’s policing predecessor, Tony Lloyd.
Durham press office were asked to confirm whether serious complaints against Darren Ellis, referred by Andy Burnham to chief constable Barton in May, 2019, have been recorded by Durham in accordance with the Police Reform Act, 2002 and severity assessed by way of Police (Conduct) Regulations, 2012. They responsed promptly and suggested that the press request might be better approached via a freedom of information application. In journalist parlance, that very likely means that the complaints have not been recorded, but the force is unwilling to admit that fact.
Darren Ellis has not taken up the offered right of reply. Remarkable for a man who has plenty to say on almost any topic. Most particularly, about himself.
A statement was requested from Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling, via the GMP force press office, concerning force policy and the evidence he and ex-head of their Professional Standards Branch, Chief Superintendent Annette Anderson, gave to a recently concluded employment tribunal. Since this article was first published, GMP’s press office has notified the absence from the force of DCC Pilling. It is said that he may provide a statement when he returns from holiday.
GMP has, so far, refused to provide a copy of the force disciplinary policy. They suggested making a freedom of information request. Presently, on the WhatDoTheyKnow website there are unfulfilled requests dating back to February, 2019.
The IOPC has confirmed that they are currently dealing with the appeal, but ‘do not give timescales for their assessment and subsequent publication of the outcome’.
Picture credit Getty Images, Liam McBurney, PA
Page last updated: Thursday 8h August, 2019 at 0625 hours
Author Neil WilbyPosted on August 3, 2019 August 13, 2019 Categories Durham Constabulary, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Greater Manchester Police, IOPC, IPCCTags 'Bev', Amanda Coleman, Andy Burnham, Annette Anderson, Barry McCaffrey, Barry McDonald QC, Boobgate, C/Supt Annette Anderson, Clare Monaghan, Darren Ellis, DCC Ian Pilling, Domenyk Noonan, Domynyk Noonan, Durham Constabulary, Fiona Hamilton, Gavin Millar QC, Gerry Kelly, GMCA, Ian Pilling, Loughinisland, Manchester Evening News, Michael Barton, Mike Barton, Neil Wilby, Neil Wilby Journalist, Nick Hitchens, No Stone Unturned, NUJ, Operation Mackan, Operation Yurta, Paul Bailey, Peer Review, Peter Jackson, Picture credit Getty Images Liam McBurney PA;, Police Service of Northern Ireland, PSNI, Rebekah Sutcliffe, Russ Jackson, Scott Winters, Sinn Fein, Steve Noonan, Titgate, Tony Lloyd, Trevor Birney1 Comment on Disgraced Durham detective to face further scrutiny
Barton beats an unexpected retreat
Earlier this week Durham Constabulary announced the retirement of its chief constable, Mike Barton, both on social media and via a press release issued to local, regional and national media. The story attracted little attention, given the controversial figure he has frequently cut.
But this announcement took many people by surprise, not least policing colleagues whom he had told that he wanted to complete 40 years police service before contemplating retirement. That would have taken him through to at least 2020, having joined Lancashire Police in 1980.
In a typically robust Sunday Mirror article (read here), published hours before the retirement announcement, there was absolutely no inkling that the Durham chief was about to abandon his post and the high profile, and hugely important, war on knife crime.
Born into a farming family, Mike Barton became a constable with his local force in Blackpool, where his beat included the resort’s famous Golden Mile. He was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal in 2014.
Now aged 62, and a self-proclaimed ‘maverick’, Mr Barton agreed a five-year contract extension in November 2016 (read more here). That arrangement was intended to take him to the end of the current Police and Crime Plan agreed with his employer, the Durham Police Crime and Victims Commissioner, Ron Hogg,
For reasons that are unclear, for the present at least, the Sunderland Echo reported that Barton’s contract extension was only three years, and that ‘he had worked beyond his intended retirement date’.
News of chief Barton’s departure also came as a shock to those closely involved with Operation Lackan, a misconduct investigation into alleged dishonesty and disreputable conduct of Ian Hopkins, chief constable of under-siege Greater Manchester Police. The complainant is retired GMP superintendent, Peter Jackson. Currently, the country’s best known, and most widely reported, police whistleblower. The author of this article is, also, a deponent in those proceedings.
Mr Barton is Gold Commander of that highly vexed probe. A role he accepted at the very end of last year from Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the appointed body to deal with complaints against the region’s chief officer. At the present rate of progress, with terms of reference taking, it seeems, twelve weeks to agree, it is difficult to see Barton signing off the investigation outcome before he retires.
The question also hangs in the air as to why he took on the highly significant Manchester investigation if retirement was front of mind. His temporary replacement as chief will be present Deputy Chief Constable, Jo Farrell. Nothing in her police record, or via other open source material, suggests that she has experience of heading up such a controversial gross misconduct investigation. The major significance of that apparent deficiency unfolds as the sudden, and unexplained, departure of another chief constable is analysed later in this piece.
In these circumstances, the statement issued by his police force press office is worthy of further scrutiny: It begins by saying that the chief constable confirmed his retirement, in writing, that morning (11th March). Suggesting that he had already told his employer, verbally, that he was leaving the force. A leaving date of 7th June might imply that such a conversation took place during the previous week, on 7th March.
The usual valedictory prose pads out a substantial portion of the rest of the statement – and it is much nearer the beginning than the end where the reason for the sudden exit is given: Mr Barton wants to ‘spend more time in his greenhouse and with his grandchildren‘.
Earlier in the statement he is quoted thus: ‘There remain many challenges in policing that I would have relished tackling, but there comes a time when one should hand the baton to the next generation of talented and committed people who will bring their own style, thinking and approach’. Which is an oddity, of itself, as the National Police Chiefs Council, of which Mike Barton is a very prominent, outspoken member, openly admit there is a troubling, and worsening, dearth of senior officer talent in this country.
But above all, he said, the role as Durham’s chief constable had been ‘exciting’ and ‘enormous fun‘. His police colleagues in Durham, and possibly elsewhere, refer to him as a ‘nutter’. In the comedic sense, one assumes?
The statement concludes by saying that details of the procedure to recruit the next chief constable will be announced by the PCC’s office over the coming months. Which precludes any handover, by Barton, to his successor in the top job. The role currently attracts a remuneration of £134,400 per annum, plus the use of a pool car for private use and generous pension benefits.
This unexpected, and largely unexplained, departure is in a similar mode to that of a another experienced, long-serving, recently retired chief, the enigmatic Dave Jones, who ended his service at neighbouring North Yorkshire Police. Except that Jones did what was, effectively, a ‘moonlight flit‘. On the day his departure was announced, 9th April, 2018, after a period of annual leave over the Easter period, he put in a three month sick note and never appeared at force HQ again. NYP were then forced to seek a successor in his absence, with no smooth transition period, and the consequent cost and operational penalties.
Pertinent public interest questions put to the disgraced North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Julia Mulligan, concerning proposed action over a possible contract breach, drew the usual blank. Jones’ had willingly committed to remain at NYP until May, 2020. Turning his back on around £350,000 in salary and benefits to ‘spend more time with his family‘. His three months of sick leave was worth over £40,000 in pay and benefits.
It is worth noting, in a wider context, that Dave Jones spent the first 21 years as a Greater Manchester Police officer and was, at one stage, a CID colleague of Peter Jackson.
Mike Barton has walked away from a similarly large sum, and given much the same reason for doing so. Which, in both cases and taken at their face, appears scarcely credible.
Jones was facing a mounting series of operational problems, adverse inspection reports, quite astonishing criticism from an appeal court judge, and other serious questions about his competence and integrity posed in the media. Other possible reasons for his departure are explored in another article on this website (read here).
But Barton has, previously, faced none of the sort of relentless journalistic scrutiny which came the way of North Yorkshire Police before, and during, the Dave Jones era, and he appears to have an excellent relationship with local and national media. Basking in the glory of being rated as the country’s best police force, according to Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, and being a ‘colourful character’ to boot. Relations between chief constable and police commissioner also appear to be always positive. A situation that could not be said of Jones and his own controversial, and soon to depart, PCC.
But taking on the Hopkins investigation has brought about a different type of scrutiny, not least from this quarter, from whence, and with ample justification, Durham Constabularly is frequently referred to as “a grubby little police force” – and it is already very clear that Durham are not enjoying the oversight. Blocking posts on social media would be a particularly peurile, and futile, example. If a detective chief inspector, and a senior professional standards officer to boot, doesn’t want to hear the truth about the failings of her police force, then Victoria Martin might reflect on her Oath of Constable and whether she is, in fact, deployed in the right vocation.
Operation Lackan is very likely to turn out to be highly toxic and Mike Barton has appointed as his Silver Command an officer who appears, on all the evidence seen so far, to neither have the requisite competencies, judgement, resilience or the temperament, to cope with what faces him across the Pennines: Investigating the chief officer of a police force beset with very serious organisational and leadership issues, at least six times the size of his own. A journey so arduous he has, on at least one occasion, required the services of both a detective sergeant AND a driver.
Darren Ellis, a civilian investigator who appears to be Barton’s favoured bag-carrier, has already been placed on written notice concerning some of the professional failings identified, so far, and reacted to reasoned, and well evidenced, criticisms with a grotesquely unprofessional, spiteful, childish response. Ellis also appears to be highly sensitive to fair, and plainly expressed, comment on social media. Even though, surprisingly, and for one who has such an extraordinarily high opinion of himself, he appears to have no presence on Twitter. He was, also, previously a close working colleague of DCI Martin (and may well still be a subordinate in her department). Which may well imply a cultural, or organisational, issue within Durham Constabularly in dealing with hard truths.
The obsession, stoutly maintained by Ellis, of the existence of a partnership, or other influential or advisory arrangement, between Peter Jackson and Neil Wilby does him no credit. He has been told, repeatedly, by both, it simply does not exist. There is simply no evidence to support his near-frenzied repetition.
Neither does his bizarre authorisation of the release of lengthy, and unredacted, email correspondence between complainant and police investigator, to an investigative journalist, and all the consequent breaches of the Data Protection Act.
In a previous investigation in which Darren Ellis was closely involved, as lead investigator, Durham Constabularly were criticised, for apparent lack of understanding of data legislation, by Police Scotland’s Deputy Chief Constable, Rose Fitzpatrick. In the same letter, which can be read in full here, she also noted that Durham had stepped outside of the agreed terms of reference.
The Lackan investigation, conducted with appropriate rigour, and following the evidence, will see the end of the career of Hopkins, if he hasn’t already joined the ranks of disgraced senior officers from the Manchester force who have either resigned, or retired over the past few years. These include ACC Rebekah Sutcliffe (Titgate), ACC Steve Heywood (lied to Grainger Inquiry; forged policy log entries), ACC Terry Sweeney (Operations Poppy 1, 2 and 3), ACC Garry Shewan (Operation Redbone; Operations Lamp/Redhill; £70million iOPS failure).
Sweeney’s departure, whilst facing gross misconduct investigations, including the Shipman body parts scandal, infuriated many policing commentators and, actually, led to a change in the law. The other three departed on Hopkins’ watch as chief constable. He was deputy chief when Sweeney slid out the back door of GMP HQ.
Two of their replacements are already mired in controversy, ACC Mabs Hussain (read more here) and T/ACC Annette Anderson, who is currently on a three month absence from the force, whilst attending a senior leaders’ course at the College of Policing. Hopkins is directly involved in the former and, indeed, created it. His deputy, DCC Ian Pilling is closely involved with the Anderson scandal and is also the subject of robust, well-evidenced, criticism over a series of alleged ‘cover-ups’ that have already featured, regularly, elsewhere on this website. He presently faces no misconduct proceedings, but will definitely be cited in evidence supporting the section of the Jackson complaint that deals with institutionalised deceit.
Ex-ACC Dawn Copley could also, feasibly, be added to the list of controversial ex-Manchester retirees. She became the shortest ever serving chief constable in police service history when her tenure lasted just 24 hours at South Yorkshire Police. It has been well reported that ‘Big Dawn’, as she is commonly known, and Peter Jackson, clashed a number of times, as he repeatedly insisted that an investigation should be launched by another police force concerning the ill-starred Operation Nixon (read more here).
Both Copley and Pilling are former Lancashire Police colleagues of Mike Barton, and therein at least part of the answer to the latter’s sudden departure may lie. If, as might be expected, the dishonesty complaint against his chief constable colleague, Ian Hopkins, widens to examine an institutionalised culture of deceit and ‘cover-up’ that cascades down from the top of the Manchester force. A point presciently made in one of a series of articles by The Times journalist, Fiona Hamilton, who is also likely to give witness evidence in the Lackan investigation.
On any independent view, Greater Manchester Police, absent of any meaningful oversight from those public bodies responsible, principally the Deputy Mayor and the perenially hopeless Independent Office for Police Conduct, is a ‘bandit’ police force that, to maintain public confidence, requires urgent intervention from the Home Office. Reminiscent of the dark days of the infamous Leeds City Police in the late 1960’s and eary 1970’s. In slightly different terms, The Times newspaper has twice called for a public inquiry, via its hugely influential leader column. Read by every Prime Minister since 1788.
Which poses a second question concerning Mike Barton: In the twilight of what is reported to be a long, illustrious, and decorated, police career would the Durham chief want to risk being dragged, wittingly or unwittingly. into a situation that has already stained the careers of so many other senior police officers – and likely to end several more?
Comment about any investigation would normally, and quite properly, be reserved until its outcome is published, so as not to engage prejudice. But this particular matter is wholly exceptional, as it has almost entirely been played out in the public domain. The complainant is a very high profile police whistleblower and the misconduct complained of concerns the chief constable of the UK’s fourth largest police force. Two of the witnesses are journalists. Another one is a retired police officer, a fourth is a serving police officer. There are a large number of national newspaper articles, and publicly accessible investigation reports, concerning the Jackson disclosures, which date back to 2014. Indeed, Operation Lackan centres around one of those articles, published by The Times in June, 2018; the Hopkins response; and two follow-ups in The Times that destroyed both the police statement and one made in support of it by the Deputy Mayor of Manchester, Beverley Hughes.
In my own extensive and informed knowledge, there can only be one conclusion: Hopkins has, on any view of the facts, misconducted himself and, with it, brought disrepute to the door of his force. The only matter to be determined is one of degree. Which may be the third reason why Mike Barton has decided to go.
Fourthly, Operation Lackan promises to be neither ‘exciting’ nor the ‘great fun’ that the Durham chief says is his more familiar experience in police HQ at Aykley Heads. Far, far from it. There is likely to be a some banging of heads against brick walls dealing with the Manchester Mayor’s office and Barton may have decided, after his experience of the Police Scotland investigation, that enough is enough (read more here).
By way of another curious coincidence, a gross misconduct investigation, carried out on behalf the the Cheshire police commissioner, into another chief constable, Simon Byrne, was one of the reasons mooted for the abrupt departure of Dave Jones. Described by John Beggs QC as ‘sub-optimal’, at the subsequent disciplinary hearing, the much-feared barrister was being uncharacteristicly over-generous. As the public hearing unfolded in Warrington Town Hall, it became clear that Jones had been out of his depth: The investigation was a shambles, almost from start to finish. He had previously told the commissioner, David Keane, that he was experienced in such matters. It appears as though he was not. What was not disclosed to Mr Keane was that Jones and Byrne had a professional association, via the Scrutiny Board of the National Police Air Service. A member of that same body, at the material time, will say that the two ex-chiefs were friends. Both Byrne and Jones were also senior ex-Greater Manchester Police officers.
By contrast, there is no doubt at all that, given a free hand, Mike Barton could, and very probably would, investigate the Hopkins allegations effectively, and report back efficiently, with appropriate findings. But the big issue is, whether his terms of reference from the Manchester Mayor’s office, where knowledge of the applicable statutory framework appears seriously limited, would have allowed him such liberty. That could be advanced as the fifth and most crucial reason. Who wants to conduct an investigation with their hands tied behind their back? But now, with Barton’s impending retirement, we will never know.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority, on behalf of the Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, confirmed, in a press statement dated 15th March, 2019, that Chief Constable Hopkins would not be either suspended, or placed on gardening leave, whilst the misconduct investigation is in progress. That strongly implies that Mayor Burnham has not passed the matter over to Durham Constabulary as a ‘gross misconduct’ investigation, but a much lesser one of ‘misconduct’. GMCA has not confirmed, as yet, whether a Regulation 15 notice has been served on the chief constable. Enquiries to Greater Manchester Police press office on this subject were referred to the Mayor’s office.
Terms of reference for the investigation have now been disclosed by Durham (read here), after unnecessary delay, apparently as a result of invervention by Darren Ellis, and, put shortly, fall well short of what Ellis promised the complainant in correspondence with him and, it appears from that email chain, assurances given in the face-to-face meeting they had. Peter Jackson has emphasised two key points throughout his contact with Ellis:
– Firstly, that a term of reference be included to the effect that the investigation will ‘go where the evidence takes it’. In layman’s terms, that means if other offences, either misconduct or criminal, are uncovered during the taking and examining of the evidence, then the investigating officers would pursue those appropriately.
– Secondly, Jackson has maintained that the very public and deliberate smearing of himself, Fiona Hamilton and her newspaper by Chief Constable Hopkins cannot amount to anything other than an abuse of his position, and conduct that brings disrepute to both his own force and the wider police service. Hopkins has made no attempt to put the record straight with a correction statement and that fact simply adds an aggravating feature to the offences.
Allowing the scope to be limited in this way, after a delay of what appears to be almost three months, does not bode well for the efficacy of the Mike Barton investigation. Neither does the secrecy surrounding his sharp exit from it.
The acquisition of further knowledge behind the Durham chief’s retirement decision, and the PCC’s enthusiastic endorsement of it, are now the subject of two searching freedom of information requests (read here and here).
Page last updated on Sunday 24th March, 2019 at 1335hrs
Picture credit: Durham Constabulary
Author Neil WilbyPosted on March 15, 2019 March 25, 2019 Categories Durham Constabulary, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Greater Manchester PoliceTags 'Bev', Andy Burnham, Annette Anderson, C/Supt Annette Anderson, Chief Constable Dave Jones, Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Chief Constable Mike Barton, Darren Ellis, Dave Jones, David Keane, DCC Ian Pilling, Durham Constabulary, Fiona Hamilton, Garry Shewan, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary, Ian Hopkins, Ian Pilling, Jo Farrell, John Beggs QC, Julia Mulligan, Mabs Hussain, Mike Barton, National Police Chiefs Council, Pete Jackson, Peter Jackson, Rose Fitzpatrick, SCC2019, Simon Byrne, Steve Heywood, Victoria Martin1 Comment on Barton beats an unexpected retreat
Chief constable faces investigation over ‘false’ statement
Greater Manchester Police is the fourth largest force in the country. It has been the subject of a barrage of well aimed press criticism over the past year or so. Almost all of it by the leading ‘serious’ newspaper in the United Kingdom, The Times.
The ‘newspaper of record’ has also taken the unusual step of calling for a public inquiry into police corruption in Greater Manchester, by way of its hugely influential leader column. Read by every Prime Minister since William Pitt the Younger.
The source of most of the articles has been disclosures made by a retired Manchester detective, Peter Jackson. At the time of his retirement, he was a superintendent heading up GMP’s murder investigation team. Popular with both his peers and subordinates, he served the public in his home city with dedication, and distinction, for 31 years.
One of these articles made the front page of The Times on Saturday 23rd June, 2018 (read here). It exposed serious failings by senior officers who watched a thirteen year old boy enter the home of a suspected paedophile, and notorious career criminal, Dominic Noonan, and allowed the child to remain in the property with the villain, and an accomplice, for two hours. The covert surveillance was part of a wider investigation into Noonan (now known by the name of Domenyk Lattlay-Fottfoy) codenamed Operation Nixon. GMP has a long history of being given the runaround by Noonan and tried unsuccessfully, in 2006, to block the airing of a TV documentary featuring his gangster family (view here).
The officer in charge of the Noonan covert police operation, Dominic Scally, was promoted afterwards and now heads up the North West Counter Terrorism Unit. A role to which a significant number of serving, retired and ex-GMP officers, with hundreds of years service between them, feel he is entirely unsuited.
Following the article, and acting with unusual alacrity, GMP chief constable, Ian Hopkins, issued a controversial press statement on the very same day (read here). The central theme was that The Times splash, background spread and leader were “wholly misleading and unfair”. It was an unvarnished, and unattractive, attack on the widely respected journalist, Fiona Hamilton, her venerable newspaper, and Pete Jackson. It went far beyond the acceptable, and was, on any independent view, a clear abuse of his authority as a senior police officer. To the extent that it may amount to disreputable conduct, as referenced in Police Regulations. Equally crucially, there was no rebuttal of the core allegations of serious police force failings, highlighted by Miss Hamilton.
Central to the defence of his officers, and their actions, was the claim by Hopkins that the force had referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (now rebadged as Independent Office for Police Conduct) over the alleged Op Nixon failings and his confidence in the ‘completely independent’ police watchdog to provide effective oversight. In this particular case, the misconduct probes were codenamed Operation Poppy 1 and 2. (Read IPCC outcome reports here). As with so many IPCC investigations, indeed almost all that could be classified as high profile, Poppy took so long it went to seed and was condemned as a ‘whitewash’ by many of those close enough to the seat of the action.
Unfortunately for Hopkins, a whistleblower came forward with a tape recording of a meeting in police HQ, at which the chief was plainly heard to say that the IPCC were “abysmal” and incapable of carrying out “thorough investigations“. The timing was important as the chief constable’s comments were made the year before the first Poppy investigation was launched. These revelations, unsurprisingly, led to a follow-up article in The Times, three days later, in which the damning audio was embedded (read and listen here). Hopkins was, quite rightly, put to the sword by the tenacious crime and security editor, Fiona Hamilton.
The chief constable refused to provide a statement explaining his disparaging comments, but was reported at the time, by police insiders, to be in a rage over the article – and obsessed with hunting down the source of the leak to the newspaper.
In October, 2018 a third, and even more devastating, article on this same topic was published by The Times. Evidence showed that Hopkins’ central claim in his June 23rd statement was false. The force did NOT refer the investigation to the IPCC. They had, in fact, spent eighteen months doing everything they could to avoid any scrutiny of the Noonan failings. The fact is, Operation Poppy was brought about following disclosures made to the police watchdog by Peter Jackson. The defensiveness of the force, and its senior officers, together with the propensity to bury wrongdoing was exactly as Miss Hamilton had foretold in her preceding articles.
There has been no public response by Hopkins, or the GMP press office, to these latest revelations.
Unsurprisingly, and following the third newspaper article, Peter Jackson filed a formal misconduct complaint against his former colleague, Ian Hopkins. The core matter in issue is straightforward: The chief constable was not truthful in his 23rd June, 2018 press statement over the IPCC referral. He claims it was not deliberate, but, it must be noted, he took almost six months to come up with his defence. There is no mention of, or apology for, the highly damaging abuse meted out to whistleblower and reporter.
The policing body that has oversight responsibility for chief constables is the police and crime commissioner (PCC) for the area, or region. It is, in almost every case, a post elected by the public at the ballot box. Greater Manchester is one of the exceptions: It has an elected Mayor, Andy Burnham, whom, in turn, and in theory, selects a suitably experienced and capable official to the role of Deputy Mayor for Policing.
Unfortunately, in this particular case, the Mayor’s pick could scarcely have been worse. A 68 year old ex-MP crony, Dame Beverley Hughes, whose Parliamentary career was dogged by controversy. Including misleading the House in 2004, claiming she hadn’t seen a report when it was later proved that she had. An incident that has now come back to haunt her, in a number of ways. Burnham and his Deputy worked together in the Home Office in the early 2,000’s and were both protégés of the then Home Secretary, David Blunkett.
The only career experience of Beverley Hughes, remotely connected to policing, was spending six years as a Merseyside probation officer, over forty years ago, whilst she continued her university studies in tandem.
Remarkably, this particular police commissioner, elected or otherwise, is what is known within the relevant statutory framework as the ‘Appropriate Authority’ for the disposal of complaints against a chief constable. The presumption is that she would know the applicable laws and regulations, maintain the necessary impartiality and have unimpeachable personal and professional integrity. Regrettably, Beverley Hughes, on all the evidence I have seen, does not tick any of those boxes.
It is uncontroversial to say that the Jackson complaint was dealt with entirely inappropriately by ‘Bev’, as she likes to be known, and, as is often the case with PCC’s, the ‘cover-up’ of alleged misconduct by chief constables becomes the story. Essentially, a phone call between Ian Hopkins, and the Deputy Mayor, was the entirety of what she claims was an ‘investigation’ that led to a ‘local resolution’ of the complaint. In which Hopkins was found, by Bev, to have done nothing wrong: In the unseemly rush to get the press statement out, he claims an inadvertent error was made over who made the IPCC referral.
Those familiar with the chief constable’s micro-management style, particularly in relation to the force’s PR output, will argue strongly against the likelihood of a genuine mistake. As will those with close knowledge of the acrimony, and controversy, amongst the key players in the lead up to the Op Poppy investigations. Hopkins as deputy chief constable at the material time was central in that drama.
Bev Hughes’ actions or, more accurately, inactions, drove a coach and horses through the relevant statutory framework and not one single legal, or ethical, requirement was followed throughout the process. Overlaid by misleading the complainant from start to finish over how the matter was being progressed.
Those shocking procedural failures could well have been connected to either Bev’s overly-cosy relationship with a chief constable, over whom she has a statutory duty to provide oversight, or the fact that she also issued a troubling, and plainly co-ordinated, statement attacking the The Times article. She described it as “deplorable, totally unjustified and completely wrong”. No attempt to issue a correction can be traced.
‘Bev’ also had the temerity to reference the deaths of two young female police officers in an attempt to slur Peter Jackson, when the reality is that both may well still be alive if his own warnings to fellow senior officers, regarding the deranged killer, had been heeded at the time.
It is understood that a second Jackson complaint, this time against the Deputy Mayor, is due to be lodged with the Greater Manchester Police and Crime Panel (PCP) over her handling of the complaint against the chief constable. The complaint will allege misconduct in public office, a criminal offence that will require a mandatory referral to the police watchdog (the IOPC), by the PCP, for a decision as to if, or how, the complaint is to be investigated. They are the appointed body – packed tight with even more of Andy Burnham’s Labour Party cronies – designated to deal with such issues.
The Mayor’s original stance was, incredibly, that his Deputy had acted “with complete integrity” over the Jackson complaint. It is not known if he intends to maintain that entirely erroneous position.
Following a robust response from Pete Jackson to the outcome of his complaint against Hopkins, and a merciless shaming of Burnham, Hughes and their Deputy Director for Policing, Clare Monaghan, on social media, Burnham finally intervened, in spite of his apparent confidence in the Hughes ‘investigation’, and referred the matter to the IOPC for a method of investigation decision. As a result, Durham Constabulary was contacted substantively by Mrs Monaghan on 24th December, 2018, with an invitation to investigate the Jackson complaint on behalf of the Greater Manchester Mayor. The latter having taken over conduct of the matter from his hapless Deputy.
In a police operation now codenamed Mackan, Durham chief constable, Mike Barton, will have overall responsibility, and sign off the investigation into Ian Hopkins, as Gold Commander. Silver Commander is Durham’s former head of professional standards, Darren Ellis, now employed by the force as a civilian investigator
A Durham Constabulary spokesman said: “Whilst some information has been received [from the Manchester Mayor’s office] there is a need for more to be forwarded at this stage.
“As the ‘instruction’ to engage with us is in the very early stages we are not in receipt of any preliminary assessments from GMP, nor any specific terms of reference.
“Until Durham Constabulary are fully ‘read in’ to matters and fully understand what is expected we will not move forward. To assist with this, we have arrangements in place to speak to an involved party in the near future.
“Until matters progress we are unable to estimate how long this piece of work will take.”
Which, de-coded, appears to say that Durham stand ready, but neither GMP, nor the Mayor’s office, despite the passage of five weeks, have given them the tools necessary to do the job. Given all that has gone before, that should surprise no-one. It is assumed that the ‘involved party’ is Peter Jackson, as his consent would be needed to allow Durham to proceed with evidence gathering.
Mike Barton, whom Durham colleagues variously describe as a “nutter” and a “maverick” (read more hereand here) also undertook the ‘outside force’ investigation, in 2016, into the gross misconduct allegations against GMP’s Assistant Chief Constable, Rebekah Sutcliffe, over the notorious ‘Titgate’ scandal. It is not known, at this stage, if Mr Ellis was involved. Ms Sutcliffe received a final written warning before a disciplinary hearing, chaired by Rachel Crasnow QC (who also chaired the recently concluded hearing into bullying allegations against ex-Cheshire chief constable, and former GMP deputy chief, Simon Byrne). The repentent Ms Sutcliffe made full and frank admissions from the outset, so that particular investigation was, on any view, rather less taxing than the present renewal (read more here). The curious might enquire why, with 42 other police forces to choose from, Durham’s turn has come around again so quickly*.
[UPDATE* A plausible answer may be that Greater Manchester’s portfolio holder for professional standards, Deputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling, and Barton were colleagues at Lancashire Constabulary. Both started their careers in that force, in 1980 and 1990 respectively. They would have been closely involved in the Sutcliffe investigation, as Pilling led the mob baying for her dismissal from the police service. Pilling’s predecessor as GMP PSB portfolio holder was also a former long-serving Lancashire officer, Dawn Copley. She joined in 1987 and left to join GMP as an assistant chief constable in 2010. She was never far from controversy, it is fair to say, and became the shortest ever serving chief constable in police service history after joining South Yorkshire Police. The intervention of two journalists, both of whom I know well, led to her removal after less than 24 hours.]
Nevertheless, given my own interaction with Durham Constabulary, there are serious and well-grounded concerns over their capability, or willingness, to carry out robust, thorough and impartial investigations on behalf of other police forces, or policing bodies. Indeed, my views are well rehearsed both on this website, the What Do They Know website, and on social media: “A grubby little police force that does favours for other police forces.” Durham is very well aware of that stance – and the well evidenced reasons upon which it is grounded. Much of which is set out in forensic detail here. Those robust allegations stand unchallenged by their controversy-courting chief constable whom, it must be said, is not usually backward in coming forward, as we say in Yorkshire.
Durham Constabulary also seriously, gratuitously and repeatedly, libelled me. Aided and abetted, incredibly, by the National Police Chiefs Council and, less surprisingly, North Yorkshire Police, over a freedom of information request that, ultimately, revealed a badly organised and shamelessly poor fraud investigation, carried out by Durham, on behalf of the latter, that is still, to this present day, the subject of a multi-agency ‘cover-up’.
Over £2,500 was spent in legal fees preparing a defamation claim against Mike Barton and Durham, but that was abandoned on counsel’s advice which was, essentially: ‘They have plainly libelled you, but will bleed you white on costs’.
A prescient remark, given what has transpired subsequently in other legal proceedings between us: Mr Barton and I will face one another in county court later this year. A claim under section 13(2) of the Data Protection Act, 1998 rests, presently, with Durham County Court (the third court to have dealt with the matter). He has, already, tried to circumvent the court’s mediation process on *three* separate occasions, and, instead, spent around £5,000 on legal fees, with a large Sheffield law firm and a London barrister, in a hopelessly misconceived defence of the claim. Which he would be perfectly entitled to do, of course, if it was his own money he was squandering. But it isn’t. It belongs to the hard-working precept payers of County Durham and Mr Barton should, in all truth, take better care of it.
[UPDATE ** Five days after this article was published I received an email from Small Claims Mediation Service (SCMS) to say the chief constable had, yet again, rejected mediation, in spite of a judge’s Direction to seek resolution by those means.]
The final cost, if the matter goes to trial, and Barton being cross-examined, by me, is something to be relished if it does, is likely to be well in excess of £10,000. To settle the claim would require a fraction of that cost, together with an admission of the breach, and an apology.
But there we are, that is how money-no-object, don’t-blame-me policing operates at the highest levels in this country. I see it every day with the three Yorkshire police forces with whom I’m closely involved.
For all these reasons, and the fact that I propose to provide a relevant, and collateral, witness statement to Durham, regarding well-evidenced integrity concerns around Ian Hopkins’ stewardship of GMP, in which I am both a significant stakeholder and a target for harassment by GMP senior managers, an even more keen eye than usual will be kept on the investigation into this complaint against the under-siege Greater Manchester chief constable. Made by, arguably, the country’s best known police whistleblower.
[***UPDATE. Information has been passed to me, by a bereaved complainant, of another sub-optimal Durham PSD investigation where dishonesty and/or deception may well be a factor. The evidence includes covert tape recordings of telephone conversations and meetings. Taken at their face they are concerning, to say the least.]
[****UPDATE. More information has come to light from another complainant who has very strong evidence of alleged, and potentially very serious, breaches of Standards of Professional Behaviour by Durham PSD. Darren Ellis is well aware of these as he, personally, refused to meet with the complainant. A sensible, measured, reasonable, but doggedly persistent, individual.]
[*****I wrote to Silver Command, civilian investigator Darren Ellis, on 20th February, 2019, to express concerns over both his own conduct and Durham’s suitability to carry out this investigation. His response was controversial to say the least (read more here)]
Greater Manchester Police and the Mayor’s office have been approached for comment. It will be something akin to turning wine into water if the latter even acknowledge the request.
Peter Jackson has declined to do so, in order to preserve the integrity of the Durham investigation.
Page last updated on Friday 22nd February, 2019 at 0020hrs
Picture credit: Scottish Parliament TV
Author Neil WilbyPosted on February 2, 2019 April 9, 2019 Categories Durham Constabulary, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Greater Manchester Police, IPCCTags Andy Burnham, Bev Hughes, Beverley Hughes, Boobgate, Darren Ellis, Dominic Scally, Fiona Hamilton, Ian Hopkins, Mike Barton, Operation Mackan, Operation Nixon, Operation Poppy, Peter Jackson, Rachel Crasnow QC, Rebekah Sutcliffe, Simon Byrne, Titgate2 Comments on Chief constable faces investigation over ‘false’ statement
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Tag Archives: wkbf tv 61
A Ghoul Power Journey, 20 Years On…
APRIL 2, 2019 EDIT: It is with a heavy heart that I must report Ron “The Ghoul” Sweed passed away last night, following a massive heart attack he suffered several months ago. Let this article be an enduring tribute to the man that shaped so much of my sense of humor and outlook on life. I could never thank him enough for the many nights he kept me company, even if it was just from the television screen. RIP, Ron; your Ten Star Ghoul Power Generals will never forget you.
CAUTION: Long, drawn out personal memories forthcoming! (Also, it will probably help if you have at least some working knowledge of The Ghoul beforehand.)
The man himself, during a 1999 book signing.
July 10th marked the 20th anniversary of The Ghoul’s return to Cleveland airwaves, courtesy of our WBNX TV-55. (Yes, I’m well aware the majority of August is now over.) 20 years?! It’s almost shocking how quickly time has passed; it (figuratively) seems like only yesterday that I was writing about the 15th anniversary of the occurrence. I don’t know what troubles me more: the fact I’ve kept my silly blog going for five years now, or that I’ve let 20 years slip by without accomplishing anything of lasting importance.
Nevertheless, allow me now to do some reminiscin’ of Ron Sweed’s legendary late night horror host. The time is right, and besides, while I’ve related some of these tales before, it’ll be nice to present them again in an updated (i.e., better written) manner. Bear with me here group, this’ll be a long one…
Backstory:
Ron Sweed was a young associate of the legendary Ernie “Ghoulardi” Anderson (he of Cleveland horror hosting legend) in the 1960s, and it was by Anderson’s permission that Sweed resurrected the character in the 1970s, albeit with a change in name. Sure, with the fright wig, one-lens sunglasses, fake beard and mustache, and button-adorned lab coat, they looked the same. And yes, with declarations of “Stay Sick,” “Turn Blue” and “Ova Dey” and a similar penchant for blowing things up with firecrackers and adding various drops-in, video and audio, to the (admittedly) terrible movies he ran, they even shared some of the same traits. BUT, The Ghoul developed his own manic persona. His was wild, he was wacky, he was destructive, and his sense of humor was decidedly warped. With his declarations of “Ghoul Power!” he was hero to kids and the hip and enemy to those with supposedly “good taste.” The Ghoul was something special.
He first started hosting horror movies in Cleveland in 1971, on the independent WKBF TV-61, and through the magic of syndication also hit in other markets around the country. Indeed, he was just as big in Detroit as he was in Northeast Ohio. Thanks to viewer complaints and a station on the brink, his first run here came to an end in 1975, though he came back on 61’s successor, WCLQ, in 1982 and enjoyed a few more years in the Cleveland market. Add to that various runs outside of Ohio, and you had a host that really got around across the decades.
That was all before my time, however.
Despite having a vague knowledge of Ghoulardi, knowing of Superhost in my formative years, and having occasionally watched Big Chuck & Lil’ John prior, I was really just learning about the fine art of horror hosting in full in 1997, when I was 11 years old. It was actually a nationally broadcast show out of Minneapolis, Mystery Science Theater 3000 on the Sci-Fi Channel, that introduced me proper to the concept of bad-movie-mockin’, and which in turn led me to The Son of Ghoul Show on The CAT 29/35.
Now, the internet was around then, and we had it (ah, the days of slow, clunky, will-it-or-won’t-it-connect dial-up!), but it wasn’t nearly what it is now. As such, I was very much discovering all of this stuff for myself first-hand, as it beamed from the cathode ray tubes of our television and directly into my brain. In other words, if I didn’t see it aired, I may have had, at best, only the most passing knowledge on a given local subject. To think, there was a time when I wasn’t aware of The Ghoul!
Fast forward to the summer of 1998, when a relative passed along a newspaper clipping that she thought I might find interesting…
The Discovery:
My first glimpse, indeed my first knowledge, of The Ghoul came from an Akron Beacon Journal article covering his return to Northeast Ohio TV. This was fascinating stuff! A new (but not really) host for me to check out! As a 12 year old heavily into this sort of thing by then, this was exciting news! I was also curious; obviously I didn’t know what to expect. How could I? Like I said, this was all new to me.
The fateful newspaper article that led me to Ghoul Power…
You know, one of my favorite things in my entire horror host collection is actually that old Akron Beacon article. As you can see here, it’s yellowed a bit; that’s because it hung on the fridge for awhile. And the picture used wasn’t originally in color; I did that myself some time later prior to, obviously, having him sign it at a personal appearance somewhere (more on those later).
No, it’s not in “mint condition,” and it’s not archival quality in the slightest. I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to collecting this stuff, but here, none of that matters. Why? Because this article and the history that goes with it, that’s all part of my personal Ghoul Power story, that’s why! Today, it proudly resides in a scrapbook I have dedicated to these sorts of things, and there it shall remain.
ANYWAY, thanks to that article I now had some background knowledge on the man, but I still didn’t know how this was going to play out. I was used to a certain way of local horror hosting, so how exactly was this going to work? It was a curious anticipation, to be sure.
A still from WBNX’s original promo spotlighting The Ghoul’s return.
In the days (weeks?) leading up to the July 10 debut, WBNX began running a promo for the return, and this was my first glimpse of The Ghoul “in action.” There he was, hopping down the street on a bouncy ball, waving at cars, all while the expected “I’m back!” type voiceover gave the pertinent details. Okay, this was different!
So Friday, July 10, 11:30 PM rolls around, and I was…well, actually, I can’t remember if I was there watching it live or if, thanks to the magic of VHS, I first checked it all out the next day. Honestly, I’m remembering it both ways, and I’m not sure which scenario is the truth and which is just my mind playing tricks on itself. And I’ve got a pretty good memory, too!
The first episode was 1993’s Ghost in the Machine, not really my kinda movie but a bit of “B” movie fare typical of WBNX’s offerings at the time. The Ghoul’s segments were a mix of old and new material, mainly his new segments introducing old ones. The following week (1983’s Up From the Depths) continued the trend.
Annnnnd that’s kinda where I dropped off. Over the following months, I’d check in occasionally, but the sad fact of the matter is I wasn’t an instant fan of The Ghoul. It was more of a progressive fandom; the more I watched, the more I appreciated. The good news is, when I finally ‘got’ it, man, I really got it!
The Fandom:
It was in the waning months of 1998 that I really started finding my Ghoul Power voice (I even went as him for my grade school’s Halloween party that year), and by early ’99, I was a young-but-dedicated “Ten Star General in the Ghoul Power Army.”
At a time when I was still very much developing my own sense of humor, The Ghoul displayed to me a “chaotic absurdity.” The destructive tendencies, firecracker-induced or otherwise, humor that was often positively non-sequitur-ish, it was all incredibly appealing to a 12/13 year old kid. (More than a few G.I. Joes met their demise in my backyard thanks to the influence of The Ghoul, by the way.) There was a warped sense of humor running throughout the entire show; even something as simple as using a toilet as a regular seat on his set was, to me, fantastic. Still is!
The man himself, staying sick and turning blue on set!
Like Ghoulardi before him, The Ghoul would often mock fellow local television personalities. News anchorwomen Denise Dufala (and her then-recent CD) and Wilma Smith were regular targets, as were Big Chuck & Lil’ John, who were running directly against The Ghoul over on WJW TV-8 at the time. It’s important to note that this was all in good fun; there was no real animosity there.
Some of my favorite moments were the simple ones, when he was merely sitting on the set, ostensibly talking about something but really just goofing around and cracking the crew up. Like Soupy Sales used to do, when The Ghoul had the crew laughing at something he said or did, it just made things all the funnier. And add an almost “familial” touch to the proceedings, too!
Indeed, one of my absolute favorite examples of this was “egg in a bottle,” from March 1999.
Some weeks prior, The Ghoul had demonstrated a trick in which an egg was sucked into a milk bottle by lighting a piece of paper and setting the egg over the opening – and it worked! Well, a few shows later, he revisited the bit, this time with the goal of not only getting the egg in the bottle, but then getting it out as well.
The problem was that nothing went correctly that second time around. The lit paper would be dropped in, and the egg would start to ‘go’ but then stall. Multiple failed attempts soon devolved into throwing the eggs around between him and the crew and lotsa ad-libbing. After several minutes of failing to achieve the first part of the goal, The Ghoul coolly stated “I don’t care if we don’t show the rest of the movie…” which caused the crew to crack up. And when the paper wouldn’t stay lit afterwards, he wondered aloud if they had any lighter fluid, which got another boisterous response.
Finally, he just pushed the egg down into the bottle and then sucked it back out with a straw, which was the purpose of the bit in the first place. It wasn’t so much the activity itself that was funny, but the interplay and goofing around between The Ghoul and his crew that summed up exactly how much fun this show could be. Even today, the whole segment is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.
Froggy being bombarded with some “raven residue.”
Oh, and how could I forget The Ghoul’s nemesis, Froggy! A small frog doll with a red coat and bow tie, Froggy was originally a 1940s & 1950s children show character, and who was later appropriated by The Ghoul for any number of destructive purposes. Summoned by being implored to “plunk you magic twanger, ova dey” and continuously spouting “hiya hiya hiya,” over the years Froggy was subject to being fried, chopped, blown up, immolated, thrown, kicked, stomped, and any other number of indignities The Ghoul reveled in bestowing upon him.
(There was also a full-sized Froggy, as in costumed adult, that appeared frequently on the show.)
It’s also to The Ghoul’s credit that, in the more-jaded late-90s/early-2000s, a lot of the stuff that would have raised eyebrows in the 1970s and even 1980s but would seem tame in the 1990s (especially when compared to, say, professional wrestling or whatever was airing on MTV or Comedy Central) still managed to work. Of course, the guy had been doing this sort of thing since 1971, it was probably all second-nature by that point, and The Ghoul went about it all with such a zeal that even some bits that didn’t quite work were still worth watching.
But you know, I fully realize that The Ghoul was/is a phenomenon that not everyone would get. (Same goes for Ghoulardi, Chuck & John, etc. etc. etc.) Unless you’re from Northeast Ohio or one of those areas that ‘got’ the humor (as Detroit wisely did), there’s a chance that if I were to show you an old episode right this moment, you’d watch and then say “okay…?” The declarations of “Boffo Socko,” “Zowie Scowie,” “Turn Blue,” and constant jabs at news anchorwoman Denise Dufala (“The secret word is DUFALA!”) probably would have left most outsiders scratching their heads.
That was the beauty of regional horror hosts though; their humor was aimed at a specific target audience. Someone in L.A. most likely wouldn’t get it, but they weren’t supposed to. This type of programming instilled a connection, and dare I say local pride, with the audience that, outside of nightly newscasts, seems to be a dying art form nowadays. The Ghoul excelled at it though.
And he fit so well into the vibes of late-90s Northeast Ohio, at least from the perspective of a 12/13 year old. Ernie Anderson’s passing in 1997 and The Drew Carey Show being a comedic force on a national scale, there seemed to be a renewed local interest in all of this stuff that made us, well, us. That feeling seemed to subside as the 2000s dawned and television in general went through increasingly radical changes (even Drew, for his last two seasons, was first moved to a terrible Monday night time slot and then burned off during the summers), but it was a wonderful ride while it lasted.
Over my years with The Ghoul, there were lotsa memorable moments. Beyond the surface stuff of anticipating a new old bad movie and seeing what he had in store for a given week, there are particular high points that stick out in my mind, both from back in the day and in retrospect.
When it began, The Ghoul Show had new host bits with the main maniac, but much of the focus was on the old material from the 70s and 80s. The Ghoul would come on in newly-filmed segments, and then introduce a clip from the past. I was entranced by these moments, and my early reluctance towards the show was almost-certainly due to the fact that the new stuff didn’t look like the old stuff. The material from the 1970s and 1980s, to me, it just looked like how a horror host show should look. The new Ghoul stuff (obviously) had a more modern look, with computerized titles and graphics. These graphics have aged well for the most part, but I wasn’t thinking of that at the time. Anyway, luckily, I came to my senses and realized that all Ghoul Power was good Ghoul Power. That’s why we’re here right now!
When new material took precedence, the 1970s & 1980s sketches were relegated to (usually) a single moment during the show: The Ghoul’s Vault of Golden Garbage. The Vault was a feature going back decades, and given its possibility to introduce me to old bits I wasn’t around for the first time, it quickly became one of my most-anticipated moments each week. (As the years went by, newer 1990s/2000s segments could occasionally show up in the Vault feature; that was always disappointing to me, because, hey, I was probably around for them the first time!)
The Vault, both in that early going and later when it was a separate segment, introduced me to the original usage of the “Ghoulzooka,” Chef Curdle, C. Miller, Froggy destruction, The Ghoul’s MDA telethon Jell-O jump, and other assorted bits of wackiness. I loved so much of it. But, being a Japanese giant monster movie fan, I think my favorite examples were the ones in which The Ghoul interacted with Gamera.
The Ghoul with Gamera, on two separate occasions…
Gamera movies were evidently well-known entities on The Ghoul Show in the 1970s, and The Ghoul took it upon himself to give them some extra-skewerin’ at least twice. The first known to me was the top image to your right: some fans sent in a “rocket powered” Gamera model, which The Ghoul and crew then launched across the studio. It was a very funny bit, mainly because it involved more joking around than anything, including The Ghoul losing it when Gamera’s head fell off during a demonstration of what was going to happen prior to launch.
The second occurrence known to me (but apparently happened first, given The Ghoul’s early set) was even ‘bigger’ and is what you’re seeing in the bottom-right shot: The Ghoul “interviewed” Gamera himself! Another very funny moment, mainly because The Ghoul had to tell Gamera how bad his movies were, much to Gamera’s embarrassment. The segment then ended with The Ghoul pulling Gamera around the set on a dolly, as if to mimic his flying. Simple, goofy, and irresistible. I loved (and love) stuff like that.
Ah, but probably the most memorable moment for me was a then-new one. Understandably, it was the time he opened a package I sent him on the air. I later wrote him emails that made it on, but the first was definitely the biggest and best.
The setting was July 23, 1999, the movie Bride of the Gorilla (a new one to me at the time; bonus!), and following one commercial break, I got probably the biggest thrill I ever got watching the show.
This particular life goal? ACHIEVED.
I had loaded this package up. First was what I deemed a “Parma Yo-Yo,” which was just a cut-out from a box of pierogies with a string taped to it, and which you were supposed to lamely bounce up and down. The Ghoul cracked up, seemed to get a big kick out of it (“And if it don’t do that, you got a bad one!”), but surprisingly I never saw it on the show again.
Then, there was a big “Ghoul Power” banner. I found a huge piece of paper somewhere and had decorated it with a whole bunch of phrases from the show. I think my hope was that it would make it onto the permanent set, and while The Ghoul seemed to like it too, I never saw it again, either.
BUT, the piece de resistance came at the end: I had gotten a cheap, terrible Jackie Chan movie from Best Buy’s fabled $2.99 VHS section, and despite two attempts at enjoying it, it was just too awful. So, what better way to dispose of it than by asking the main maniac to blow it up?
The Ghoul happily obliged, and in spectacular fashion.
I was positively flipping out during all of this. I was cracking up, literally jumping and down, I was so excited. (Hey, I was 13.) It, along with the time Letterman read one of my letters on the air, was probably one of my biggest “TV moments,” even if the two aren’t comparable on a viewership scale. It was, and is, certainly among my top favorites anyway.
Lotsa Time Slots:
As noted, The Ghoul debuted on Friday, July 10, 1998 at 11:30 PM, in what was a 2 1/2 hour time slot. For a good part of that first year, that was how long he ran, and let me tell you, by the time the show ended in the wee hours, it almost felt like you had finished running a marathon or something. It was like a bit that had happened at the top of the show felt like it had taken place eons ago by the time it was all over. It was pretty great.
At some point in 1999, I want to say slightly before the 1st anniversary but maybe slightly after, the time slot was shortened to a straight 2 hours (I recall the 1st anniversary special being 2 1/2 hours and thinking that it was a nice throwback). While this sort of took away the aforementioned “marathon” aspect, the truth is it didn’t hurt the program all that much at all. The Ghoul still packed a ton into those 2 hours, and you know, probably the only real difference was more editing to the movies!
The number of running gags, recurring jokes, and general momentum was a lot of fun to watch build and grow week after week, and by September 2000, the amount of things that had been built upon, expanded, and so on was not inconsiderable. But it was all about to take a serious hit.
Announced on September 15, 2000 (the movie was Karloff’s The Ape) and commencing on September 24, WBNX moved The Ghoul to Sunday nights at 12 AM (technically Monday morning). I had lived for those Friday nights, The Ghoul was such a great way to kick off the weekend, and now, it was being taken away from me! Summer and holidays were one thing, but during the school year (when you needed that dose of Ghoul Power the most!), my staying up for the show just wasn’t feasible. I had a hard enough time getting up in the morning as it was! Still, that’s why they invented VCRs. I was unhappy with the situation, but this was livable – I guess.
Until I saw that first Sunday show, anyway. The movie was 1993’s direct-to-video comedy Remote. There were no sound effects, no drop-ins, and The Ghoul’s host segments were severely scaled back. I was crushed. All that momentum, seemingly gone in one fell swoop. I still remember the day I discovered this; I had to run out to the garage for something, and I have this memory of being in there, sun streaming through the windows, and just feeling totally deflated.
An example of The Ghoul’s changing movie fare and time slot when he was moved out of Friday nights.
If you’ve read this old article (and if you haven’t, don’t bother; it sucks), you’d recall I was pretty down on the “Sunday era.” Now of course it wasn’t like it was when The Ghoul was on at 11:30 PM Fridays, but in retrospect, it wasn’t all bad. While a wider-range of movies was the norm (cheapo action flicks, comedies, dramas, more-modern horror and sci-fi, even the occasional animated fare, most of it without his famous during-movie-drop-ins), some of these actually worked pretty well on the show, especially the “B” action flicks from the likes of PM Entertainment and such. And when The Ghoul got a healthy amount of host segments throughout, it was all the better.
And, once in awhile, he’d do an “old style” show. That is, an old cheapie ‘classic’ loaded with drop-ins and plenty of Ghoul segments. Despite the lack of this happening on a regular basis, when it did occur, The Ghoul hadn’t lost a step.
It was in the midst of that Sunday night/Monday morning era that the world forever changed. I very much tend to look at many things as pre-9/11 and post-9/11, especially things (in this case, television) from the few years both immediately preceding and immediately following the travesty. It seems that pre-9/11, there was an undefinable air of innocence, I suppose, that was taken away afterwards. It was in that darkest of times that comfort was found in those aspects of our life that had become, well, almost a part of us, I guess you could say. I wish The Ghoul hadn’t been so inaccessible to me, a freshman in high school, at the time, because it was shows like his that helped bring a temporary comfort to a world gone mad.
I actually dug out one of my old Ghoul tapes recently, and it featured the episode right before 9/11, and what appeared to be the first one after. The first one was normal enough, but then the one after, where there’s the appropriate tributes and shows of solidarity during the commercials, it was and is heartbreaking. How quickly things can change.
The Ghoul on his “Breakfast Club” set.
It was in that post-9/11 world that the “Ghoul Power Good Morning Breakfast Club” experiment began. On October 8, 2001 to be exact, after the show moved to 1 AM Monday mornings the week prior. Technically a worse slot, though my circumstances didn’t really change one way or the other; I still couldn’t stay up to watch it. The movie was Street Crimes, a low budget action flick from PM Entertainment and starring Dennis Farina that was a good example of what made up a good chunk of The Ghoul’s fare during that time period. It actually worked pretty well with the show – though I suppose your viewpoint on that would largely depend on how tolerant you are of “B” action flicks in the first place.
The gag of the “Breakfast Club” was that at 1 AM, it was Cleveland’s earliest morning show, thus starting your day off right before anyone else. Filmed on a different set and with humorous looks at traffic and weather and guests sharing coffee (typically associates and characters that tended to be on anyway), it was an interesting idea that worked far better than it had any right to, but it only lasted for maybe 6-8 months; certainly by the summer of ’02, the show was back to its normal set and structure.
In September of ’02, The Ghoul was finally moved out of the Sunday/Monday hole and back to Friday nights/Saturday mornings…early Saturday mornings; it was slotted at 3:30 AM! I can’t decide if this was more or less accessible than before. On one hand, it didn’t coincide with a weekday, but man, depending on the movie, you’d be finishing up at around 5:30/6:00 AM. Look, I’m a habitual night owl, but even that goes a little too far for me.
(The final “Sunday era” broadcast was on September 2, 2002 with House on Haunted Hill; one of those “old style” Ghoul shows, loaded up with drop-ins and host segments. When he resurfaced in this new, uber-late time slot, the movie was 1996’s Yesterday’s Target.)
Sadly, and I hate to admit this, it was around that time (fall 2002) that I fell away from watching. Well, taping; the sad fact of the matter was that I kept recording for years, but rarely got around to watching the shows. Heck, I rarely got around to even checking/labeling the tapes! They just kept piling up! Teenagers do dumb things, and in hindsight, I wish I would have stuck with the program (it wound up running through the end of 2003), but at 16 years old, I guess you’re not that forward-thinking.
I never stopped liking The Ghoul though. Some of my happiest TV-viewin’ memories are of those Friday nights at 11:30 PM, watching him fool around against that black backdrop with the hazy border or goofing off on that junk-laden set. Indeed, I still have this very clear memory: summer of ’99, relaxing to The Ghoul on a Friday night, all alone, the window behind me open, cool breeze filling my nostrils with the scent of nearby bonfires. It was such a great feeling.
I have memories of tuning in on Sunday nights as well, but they’re not as numerous or as, erm, memorable, for obvious reasons.
I really have no idea why WBNX moved The Ghoul out of Friday nights 11:30 PM or why his movie choices were, to a large degree, altered. Was it a ratings-issue, an attempt at giving him the all-around of Big Chuck & Lil’ John, or…? I just don’t know.
The Ghoul in a local Norton Furniture ad.
A fun addendum to The Ghoul’s 1990s/2000s Cleveland revival: in the mid-00s, he appeared in a few local commercials for Norton Furniture, an establishment that specialized (specializes?) in late night advertising. Often of a surreal nature anyway, the two (I think there were only two) spots featuring The Ghoul had him chasing around store owner Marc with the intent of cutting off his ponytail for a new phony beard. (The second spot featured a cameo by Froggy, too!)
Airing around 2004/2005, these Norton Furniture ads were some of the last times, to the best of my knowledge, that The Ghoul appeared on Northeast Ohio television in a regular capacity. (And lest you think commercials shouldn’t qualify as “regular capacity,” bear in mind Norton Furniture ads were all over late night TV in these parts at the time; if you liked staying up late as I did/do, you’d almost have to be trying to not see one!)
The Movies:
Because The Ghoul was on a channel that regularly picked up movie packages (and was affiliated with the WB Network to boot), his movie choices could really run the gamut. Sure, the usual public domain cheapies from the 1930s through the 1970s showed up, as is typical of horror hosted shows, but ‘real’ movies were also part of the regular rotation. A lot of newer, “B” grade flicks popped up on the station, even outside of The Ghoul. Because I was (am) a movie fan as much as I was (am) of the show itself, it was a real trip seeing so many new-to-me flicks week after week, and the announcement of the next week’s movie was a moment of high anticipation for yours truly. The possibilities were (seemingly) endless!
Of course, you didn’t really tune into this show to see a full-fledged movie; the film was just part of the experience. Because The Ghoul would pack so much material into a show, there were times when a movie would be edited beyond comprehension, and indeed, there was so much insanity going on, the movie sometimes seemed almost like an afterthought. Make no mistake though, that was all part of the fun! For 2-2 1/2 hours, it was like you were tuned into an incredibly weird televised circus – and I mean that in the best way possible.
And naturally, one of the main draws as far as the movies were concerned were the various audio and video drop-ins. Inappropriate and/or nonsensical music, sounds effects (who could forget “OW OW OW!“ when someone got hurt, or the loud BURP whenever a character took a drink?), silly old film clips inserted into the film, and funny “facts” that would pop-up not unlike VH1’s then-popular Pop-Up Video, all were regularly featured throughout a given movie during the earlier years of the show.
My tastes in movies were all over the place around that time. I liked the pioneering silent films in the horror and sci-fi genres (some of them, anyway), the classics and poverty row flicks of the 1930s and 1940s, and the cheesy sci-fi of the 1950s and 1960s; that’s the stuff I ‘started’ with. By the time of The Ghoul, those tastes were expanding to also include the grindhouse and Eurotrash junk of the late-1960s, 1970s and beyond, and even though it wouldn’t peak until the mid-2000s, looking back I guess I had a slight inclination towards the slashers, too. The Ghoul covered them all, in varying degrees of visibility; only one silent I can think of (Metropolis, appropriately the first show of 2000), a healthy dose of 1940s through 1960s stuff, lots of obscure 1970s garbage, and plenty of low-rent 1980s & 1990s fare.
An example of the type of film The Ghoul would show during his stay at 11:30 PM, Fridays…
Nowadays, I pretty much like what I did in the first place: some silents, the classics and the poverty row offerings of the 1930s and 1940s, cornball 1950s/1960s sci-fi and horror, the giant monster flicks out of Japan. My interests wane considerably after Night of the Living Dead, both because NOTLD is a masterpiece and legitimate contender for greatest horror film of all-time (in other words, how y’all gon’ top it?), and more importantly because later, more ‘extreme’ horror films may have been bloodier, nastier, but they didn’t have the brains or heart behind them, barring some exceptions, such as the original Dawn of the Dead (though I still prefer Night…)
Yep, The Ghoul’s movie selections of the late-90s/early-00s were certainly wide-ranging, and I have plenty of favorites from those years. The 1930s and 1940s flicks featured (alliteration), some being staples of these types of shows, are movies I particularly enjoy. Three Bela Lugosi films come to mind: The Devil Bat, Invisible Ghost, and White Zombie. Also, Boris Karloff’s The Ape (a movie I didn’t much care for at the time but have really warmed up to in recent years) and the 1941 Monogram wartime poverty row opus King of the Zombies. 1950s cornball drive-in fare like Indestructible Man, The Screaming Skull and The Giant Gila Monster and ultra-cheap trash like 1966’s Curse of the Swamp Creature also get high marks from yours truly.
There weren’t many Japanese monster movies shown, and those were/are a favorite genre of mine. But, Attack of the Mushroom People made it on, and that was a big, big one (a far darker film than that American title implies). The 1956 Daiei opus Warning From Space (the second anniversary show movie) also stands out.
From later years, Best of the Best 3, Ring of Fire III, and Street Crimes stick out as favorite low budget action flicks; I genuinely enjoyed all three. And, my first full viewings of Deliverance, Cocoon and Poltergeist came via The Ghoul. Even with the appropriate editing-for-television, they made for great Ghoul Power features.
And when it came to Christmas, The Ghoul went all out, especially in 1999, when the entire month of December was dedicated to the holiday. 1964’s Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is my go-to “bad Christmas movie” flick, and that’s the only time I saw him run it. Also, 1935’s Scrooge, my personal favorite movie version of A Christmas Carol.
Oh, my least favorite films featured (alliteration) on the show? Of the “classics,” try as I might, I could never really get into Gorgo, which was the subject of his first anniversary show. The special effects are terrific, granted, but as a whole it’s nowhere near as fun as a comparative Japanese release. Frankly, Gorgo bores me. Also, and this may be anathema to admit, but House on Haunted Hill (which I believe The Ghoul ran at least three times over the course of his run) is a movie that has just never done much for me. I don’t actively dislike it, but I don’t really like it, either. Even when I first saw it at 12/13 years old (after much hype from family members and when I was an easy audience for this sort of movie), I was left severely neutral on the subject. If it wasn’t for Vincent Price, well…
Nowadays, I don’t like slasher movies at all, so the Leprechaun flicks (if they’re even considered slashers; I think of them in the same territory, if nothing else) are in retrospect not to my personal tastes – though I kinda liked them back then. (The Ghoul ran several entries over the course of his run.) And a lot of the newer movies that made it onto the show such as Pumpkinhead II, Hellraiser IV, Pinocchio’s Revenge, Doppelganger, Ghoulies, the 1989 Phantom of the Opera, my views on those range from severe disinterest to outright dislike. 1985’s Eternal Evil is also a terrible, terrible movie – and not in a fun, Ghoul Power way, either.
A lot of 1970s stuff hasn’t worn well for me, though I took an interest in them then. Mainly the European films; Lots of people love ’em, but I’m not one of them, not anymore. Flicks like Lady Frankenstein were/are so covered in depressive grime, forget wanting to take a shower; I feel like I should go soak in some 91% isopropyl for 17 hours after watching that one.
Also, I know he has his fans, but from a strictly personal standpoint, I just don’t get the love for Paul Naschy movies; every one I’ve seen has been essentially unwatchable. The Ghoul ran Werewolf vs. the Vampire Woman, and even he couldn’t save it! And isn’t that considered a top-tier Naschy film? *shudder*
Personal Appearances:
I had the great benefit to meet The Ghoul in person not once but several times. I can tell you, each and every time, he was absolutely phenomenal with the fans. Not only was he energetic and ‘on’ the entire time, but he really spent time with his admirers; he’d talk, he’d joke, he was everything you hope for when you meet a celebrity.
There’s yours truly with the main maniac in 1999; evidently I wasn’t always the suave hepcat I like to imagine myself to be.
My first meeting with him was in 1999, at the Chapel Hill Borders Books where he and Mike Olszewski were signing copies of The Ghoul (S)crapbook, a terrific collection of old photos, information, hate mail and general wackiness. As you’d expect of The Ghoul, basically. (While very informative, it also came off as the warped counterpart to the 1997 Ghoulardi: Inside Cleveland TV’s Wildest Ride book – again, as you’d expect of The Ghoul.)
There was quite a line to meet him that night, and while it wasn’t like I had to stand in it for 8 hours or anything, there was a bit of a wait. When I finally got to meet him, it was obvious why: The Ghoul really gave you his attention, spoke with you, all while staying in character. And you know what? The saying “you can be anything you want to be” is endlessly repeated to us in grade school, but I can tell you from experience that it means so much more when it comes from The Ghoul.
Truth be told, I can’t remember how many times I met The Ghoul. It feels like more than what I’m writing about here, but that might be my memory playing tricks on me – or maybe I really am forgetting an appearance or two. Anyway, the next one that comes to mind is his appearance at B-Ware Video in Lakewood, OH, on April 14, 2000. B-Ware was run by “Sick” Eddie and his wife, both of whom worked on The Ghoul’s show. Man, in those days before anything and everything had been issued (or reissued) on DVD, B-Ware was a haven of weird, out-of-print, obscure horror and science fiction titles on VHS, some for sale, some for rent. Seriously, the only place to get some of this stuff was eBay – and certain titles were selling for mighty dollars at the time. Even though I was only there once, B-Ware was amazing.
In addition to Mike Olszewski, there were even more of The Ghoul’s crew there at this appearance. Froggy, Jungle Bob, Jeff “The Sickie,” even Dinky, the big pink flamingo mascot of Destination, the heavy metal band who did The Ghoul’s opening music at the time (he even gave me a free CD of theirs!). Aside from The Ghoul and Olszewski, it was my first time meeting all these people, and everyone was ridiculously friendly. And The Ghoul, who as I recall it had had not one, not two, but three personal appearances that day, of which this was the third, showed no signs of running out of gas.
I’ll never forget this: he didn’t know me in the least, but when they brought the camera in to film for the show, Olszewski implored me to get up front and get on. I’ll never forget how nice that was of him, and thanks to his insistence, I showed up in the crowd when the bits aired a few weeks later during Indestructible Man (and one of them repeated during the second anniversary special that summer, as well). You don’t get to see a screenshot because I was a goofy lookin’ 14 year old (even goofier than the pic you just saw of me a bit ago), but nevertheless, it was a thrill.
Next: the grand opening of High Point Furniture in the Midway Plaza in Akron, where I met him one night, and then again the next. I could be wrong, but I think it was the fall of 2000; I’m pretty sure this was where I asked him about the whole move to Sunday nights. (His suggestion was a VCR, which, you know, what else could he say?)
[EDIT: This appearance was apparently in the fall of 1999, not 2000, which means I couldn’t have asked him about the Sunday move, as it hadn’t happened yet. I definitely did ask him about it once, and I sure *remember* it as being inside High Point, but unless it was at the appearance you’ll read about after this one, there was another time I met The Ghoul that is otherwise totally slipping my mind.]
This isn’t a pic from that grand opening; I went and snapped it specifically for this article. This Midway Plaza location still stands, but has been closed for a number of years now.
I don’t remember a whole lot about that first night, other than they had free Domino’s Pizza, pop, and a KISS tribute band in the parking lot. I sure remember the second night though, when I went back. (This wasn’t exactly a four hour round trip; Midway Plaza was pretty close by.)
I had a box of stuff for the show that would have been prohibitively expensive to ship (and I had even less money then than I do now), so I brought it all direct to The Ghoul. It really was a bunch of junk, I don’t think any of it made on the show (I wouldn’t blame him if none of it made it beyond the dumpster that night!), although methinks the replica of Rodin’s “The Thinker” mocked up to sorta look like The Ghoul was at least semi-clever.
I wasn’t expecting him to open the box there, but he did, and when he was done sifting through it, he stood up and presented me to the sizable line of people waiting to meet him. Right then and there, he declared me to the crowd as a Ten Star General in the Ghoul Power Army – and they cheered for me! It was an incredible surprise, and to me it sums up just how fantastic The Ghoul was with his fans. He didn’t have to go that extra mile, but he did, and I will always be grateful for it.
The Ghoul promoting Frightvision 2001 on his show.
Finally, there was Frightvision 2001. Now, truth be told, I don’t know if I met him there, I don’t recall doing so, but having been to the previous two Frightvision conventions held in Akron, it was still pretty cool when The Ghoul was announced as host of the third (in Cleveland). Frightvision was my first horror & sci-fi convention in 1999, and by 2001 I had long realized what a bastion of collectibles it was. If I didn’t take advantage of the numerous celebrities in attendance that year (and I didn’t; I don’t think I met any of them at the show), it’s only because I was so focused on netting me some cool winnins from the dealers there.
Speaking of cool winnins…
Memorabilia:
I’m a collector of pop culture, especially as it pertains to broadcasting, television broadcasting specifically. Mugs, glasses, shirts, keychains, assorted promotional memorabilia related to this sort of thing, I’m almost always interested in that – especially when it hails from the 1960s through the 1980s.
While I take an interest in television in general, local broadcasting is a facet that really perks up my ears. I don’t necessarily mean local to me; local TV from across the U.S. is something I find endlessly fascinating. BUT it goes without saying that the area of my greatest interest lies in Northeast Ohio’s television history. And since I’m a big fan of horror movie hosts, that’s the sort of memorabilia I’m always, always after.
That was my long-winded way of saying I’ve amassed a sizable Ghoul collection over the years, both first-hand and online. T-shirts, autographed photos promo flyers, articles, assorted things like that are littered throughout my collection. Here now are just a few of the items that help keep the Ghoul Power burnin’.
Endlessly pushed on the show for much (all?) of his WBNX run, Turn Blue Ghoul Brew was The Ghoul’s very own beverage, and it really turned you blue! Well, your tongue anyway. I got this bottle during the Borders Book appearance, and since he signed it to me, I never had the heart to open and drink it. I did try the stuff though; it was basically blue root beer. Non-alcoholic and pretty tasty, I wish they still made it. They later came out with “Froggy Squeezins,” a green lemon-lime drink. Besides personal appearances, you could only get these at select locations in Northeast Ohio.
Luckily, one of those locations was mere minutes away from me: DeVitis & Sons Italian Market. In fact, during our 8th grade fundraiser for a trip to Washington DC, one of my grade school’s stops was the Acme that was next to DeVitis at the time (it’s a Save-a-Lot now). Ostensibly we were supposed to be selling hots dogs and hamburgers, but I don’t remember really having all that much to do. At one point, I broke away to DeVitis, where I purchased my first bottle of Froggy Squeezins. It was pretty good, but I unfortunately never got another, and I stupidly didn’t keep the bottle. Mistake! I didn’t really like that trip to Washington, but at least I got a bottle of Froggy Squeezins out of the deal.
Turn Blue Ghoul Brew’s bottle went through a couple label variations. Originally it had a simpler label and was in a brown bottle (it looked like a beer), which was then switched to the variant you’re seeing here. (They occasionally sold old “brown bottle” variants, as collectors items, at personal appearances; I’m this sure I got one at Frightvision 2001, but if I did, I can’t find it. EDIT: Of course I found it after this article had been published!) The third label variant (that I know of) switched up the font and added a hypnotic swirl behind the Ghoul caricature.
I really wish they still made this stuff.
Hey, remember how I told you I loved the Vault of Golden Garbage segment on the show? Well, in the late-1990s, The Ghoul released a VHS tape that was nothing but the Vault of Golden Garbage! I had to have it, and as you can see, I did.
I haven’t watched this since probably 2000 and I can’t remember if it was all 1970s material or a mix of 1970s and 1980s, but I do remember it as being terrific. My only complaint? I don’t recall there being any Froggy skits included! I guess I could play it, but knowing my luck, that would be the exact moment my VCR decides to start eating tapes, despite having never shown an inclination for such things prior.
As you can see, I got this signed by the man himself at a personal appearance somewhere. I don’t remember which one, but I’m positive it wasn’t Borders or Frightvision. It might have been B-Ware Video, I know had some stuff with me to get signed, but I’m guessing this was the first night at High Point Furniture. (I take solace in the fact none of this really matters to anyone but me.)
Hey, dig this: an original program and wristband for Frightvision 2001! Yes, as proof that I always saved everything pertaining to this sort of thing (except that Froggy Squeezins bottle apparently), I still have the wristband from this show. Call it hoarder-ish if you like, but since there’s a real possibility that the number of people who still own these number in the single digits and I’m one of them, that means I win. Right?
I’m not going to go through it page-by-page, I don’t think anyone that has stayed with me this whole time (yeah, sure) will care, but I will say they had a pretty great line-up of guests that year. I wish I had taken advantage of that, but I didn’t, and now I have to live with it.
“Hiya gang! Hiya hiya hiya!”
This little (4 or 5 inches in height) Froggy doll isn’t an official Ghoul product, but rather something hailing from 1948! A whopping 70 years old! Yes, this is an original Froggy, made of rubber and fittingly manufactured in (where else?) Akron. Rempel put these out in conjunction with Smilin’ Ed McConnell’s Buster Brown Show, which is what Froggy is originally from. There were two versions of this doll that I know of: this smaller one, and a larger 9″ model. Both were made of rubber and squeaked when you squeezed them, though the squeaky feature of mine is long gone. Not that I really care about that; I just want my own Froggy to plunk his magic twanger whenever I come calling.
My brother actually bought this for himself years ago, and knowing what a Ghoul fan I am, gave it to me for Christmas sometime later. In the years since he first purchased it (it wasn’t cheap, but it wasn’t unreasonable either), these things have really gone up in price, especially if they still squeak and are in decent shape. And if you’ve got the original box, the pricey meal is on you tonight! The larger 9″ one is my new personal chaser; I could pathetically reenact Ghoul skits all by my lonesome with it if I so desired! (Minus the destruction, of course; these guys cost too much!)
This item is something I myself found in an antique store several years ago. They had gotten a load of old magazines, newspapers, and the like. Man, I cleaned up. Music mags with Springsteen on the cover, M*A*S*H final episode tributes, and the big find, this: a 1983 Scene Magazine featuring The Ghoul! This was one of those cases where you find something, and you’re so excited that you immediately become overly-protective of it, as if someone is gonna take it away from you. At least, I tend to get that way. (Is it just me?)
Oddly enough, I still haven’t read the Ghoul article in it; I’ve spent all my time finding a safe, flat place for the issue, with an eye towards getting it framed at some point in the future. Plus, with old newsprint, especially large-sized as in this case, I like to handle with the figurative kid gloves.
I have old promo cards from the WKBF days, but this artifact that popped up on eBay about two years ago is interesting enough to share here. I’ve never seen one before or since, so I had to snap it up. According to the seller, this flyer hails from the Halloween season and the gimmick was for kids to pin them to their costumes while trick-or-treating so they’d be more visible in the dark. Not a bad idea, and since it was The Ghoul, you know, it just fit with the season!
And dig that: “Courtesy of Clarkins.” Talk about a blast from Northeast Ohio’s past! I have no idea what year this flyer is from or how many times The Ghoul appeared at Clarkins (that or any other location), but the WKBF-TV notation is obvious proof it hails from somewhere in the 1970s.
And finally, a small piece of memorabilia, but one that gets more ‘use’ than anything else I’ve just shown you: a 35th anniversary Ghoul keychain, which proudly hangs with my keys. (As you’d expect of a, uh, keychain.) It’s about the size of a quarter, maybe a little larger, and man is it snazzy! (Of course, I have two of them; this one, and one still sealed brand new in its cute lil’ baggie.)
My pic makes it a little hard to see, but these were released in 2006, in conjunction with The Ghoul’s (say it with me) 35th anniversary. He was unfortunately no longer on local airwaves by that point, but nevertheless, he certainly came out with a boffo socko keepsake!
Looking Back:
The Ghoul really exemplified what I like to call “Cleveland Style Horror Hosting.” Sure, there was a general ‘spooky’ look and feel to the proceedings, but unlike many other hosts nationwide who tried to play into the vibes of their look and/or movies they were presenting, here it was all just a vehicle for wacky comedy. Not that comedy was anything new to horror hosting, it goes back to its earliest days, but just like there was a style of Polka music commonly deemed “Cleveland Style” (yes there was), around these parts there was a specific set of ingredients. Yes, there were the sets and the films presented, but underneath it all was a cacophony of (innocent) ethnic jokes, wild behavior and homemade lingo that gave our guys a specific “flavor.”
Sure, that can be leveled at other hosts outside of Ohio, but you know what? We’ve had such a preponderance of them, going back to the revolutionary Ghoulardi, that I’m calling it our own. Your mileage may vary, naturally.
Even though he’s out of Chicago, Rich Koz’s Svengoolie actually does a good job of presenting to a nationwide audience what I’m talking about. Sure, he has the look and movies down (better movies than anyone else, in fact), but comedy is the ultimate goal. It makes sense though; there’s a very real Ghoulardi/Cleveland connection with Sven. The original Svengoolie, Jerry G. Bishop, was a Cleveland disc jockey when Ghoualrdi ruled the town, and when Bishop started Svengoolie in Chicago in the early-1970s, the influence was apparent. He wasn’t a beatnik vampire, he was a hippie vampire. Instead of “Parma,” it was “Berwyn.” And so on and so forth. (I don’t mean to claim Bishop was a copy or rip-off of Ghoulardi in the least, just that Ghoulardi’s influence reached wider than the Northeast Ohio area.)
In fact, while I don’t find much of the current Svengoolie’s humor to my personal tastes, I appreciate that he keeps these ideals in play. Underneath that horrific exterior is a mostly-comedic interior. Also, the fact he keeps things relatively-light (whereas many current internet hosts go for an ‘extreme’ look and feel) recalls the “classic era” of horror hosting, of which he hails from anyway, and that I certainly like.
Anyway, The Ghoul, perhaps more than any other save for Ghoulardi, was a “Cleveland Style” host. At first glance, you’ve got this guy in an appropriately ghoulish get-up, but then you start really watching; he’s wild, he’s wacky, he’s got his own language, his own madcap style, and you realize there’s so much more to him than a “mere horror host.”
I would have loved to have grown up with him in the 1970s and 1980s, when his style of humor wasn’t only hip and dare I say subversive, but also capable of eliciting complaints from certain viewers in that more-staunch time period. When I began watching in the 1990s, no one was going to pitch a fit over blowing up a model car with a firecracker or making a gigantic mess of food as Chef Curdle.
What he instead attained was a level of, as I like to call it, “comforting mania.” It was a welcome respite from the real world, from school life, from more conventional comedy. Tuning in each week was a carnival of fireworks, wacky catchphrases, and terrible movies, and it was irresistible.
I couldn’t be there beforehand, but I’m appreciative of the years I did spend with The Ghoul. He mangled my medulla on a regular basis, and as a Ten Star General in the Ghoul Power Army, I’m grateful for that.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some glass to scratch and walls to climb…
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged 1990's, 1998, 2000s, ad, advertisement, akron, akron television, akron tv, article, b-ware video, b-ware video lakewood, bumper, channel 55, channel 61, clarkins, clarkins store, clarkins the ghoul, cleveland, cleveland television, cleveland tv, commercial, ernie anderson, ernie anderson ghoulardi, film, ghoulardi, horror host, horror movie host, intro, kaiser broadcasting, late night, movie, movie host, northeast ohio, Ohio, ohio television, ohio tv, outro, overview, promo, review, revival, ron sweed, ron sweed the ghoul, ron the ghoul sweed, teaser, television, the ghoul, the ghoul cleveland, the ghoul detroit, the ghoul horror host, the ghoul revival, the ghoul show, the ghoul show 55, the ghoul show akron, the ghoul show wbnx, the ghoul wb55, the ghoul wbnx, the ghoul wbnx 55, theater, trailer, tv, tv-55, tv-61, wclq, wclq 61, wclq tv 61, wkbf, wkbf 61, wkbf tv 61 on August 24, 2018 by neovideohunter.
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Home Article Fortnite Early Access Explained
Fortnite Early Access Explained
Dan Hastings
We are about a fortnight away from the release of the Fortnite early access and there are a lot of things that seem a little bit unclear about the game. It is being called free to play, yet it costs money to buy. It releases on the 25th, but there is an early access to the early access. Here are some things you need to know about the game.
When does Fortnite Launch?
Fortnite will release worldwide on Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC on the 25th of July. If you purchase one of the special editions you will gain access to the Founders Pack. This will give you access to the game on the 21st. Early access to the early access. It is being called a “Head Start”, so there isn’t anything special about it, you just pay a little extra money to play the game before others get to play it.
So is this just an open beta that costs money? Yes, this is pretty much an open beta that you must pay for in order to help the development. It is going to leave a sour taste for some people, but you of course, do not have to purchase it if you are unhappy about this.
Why isn’t Fortnite Free?
This is the tricky one and it is most definitely going to cause some anger in the future. Fortnite is officially a free to play game, but the game is not officially being released yet. This is the “Early Access” release of the game. This early access is going to cost money, likely used to fund the rest of the games development. When the game officially releases in 2018, it will be a free to play game and will not cost any money to play. If you do not want to pay money for this game, wait until 2018, if you want to play it now, you need to pay a bit of money for it. The standard edition is quite cheap, but there does seem to be good value in purchasing a copy of the game that comes with the founders pack as the bonus in game items will be incredibly useful early on in the game.
Does Fortnite Support Cross Platform Play?
This is a common question and the answer is no. PS4 gamers will not be able to play with PC or Xbox Live, all platforms are isolated. This may change in the future and it is likely that PC and Xbox live will allow for cross play. Sony are strictly no crossplay, so it is unlikely we will ever see this.
There is cross platform progress enabled for the PS4 and PC though. This means if you gain a few levels and build up a character on the PS4, you can then log into the PC version of the game and all of your character progression will be available to you on the PC. This feature is not enabled on the Xbox Live version of the game.
I found this video FAQ to be particularly helpful with a lot of common questions people have about the game. Watching over this video should get you up to speed with everything you need to know about the Fortnite early access. If you have any further questions, checkout the Fortnite FAQ on the site, where you can ask a question of your own.
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Home Celebrities I can never get sick of watching ‘Jawaani Jaaneman’ says Alaya F
I can never get sick of watching ‘Jawaani Jaaneman’ says Alaya F
New Delhi, July 24 (IANS) Alaya F says her debut film will always hold a special place in her heart, and its thoughts will always make her happy.
Alaya made an impressive debut earlier this year in the rom-com “Jawaani Jaaneman”. Recalling the film, she said: “This journey started the moment I signed the film. Everything has just been so exciting and so new for me, and so fresh. Everything has had so much learning in it, and so much fun and satisfaction in so many ways.”
“I’m just so grateful that I had the opportunity to do this film in the first place. I’m so grateful that it was this exact film because I don’t think I would have wanted it to be any other film as my first one. I’ve already watched it so many times, but I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of it. I think it’ll always be something that excites me and just makes me feel so happy,” she added.
The daughter of Pooja Bedi continued: “From the deepest depths of my heart, it just makes me just so happy and so grateful. And I think it always will. I don’t think there ever will be a time where I watch ‘Jawaani Jaaneman’ and don’t feel over the moon about it.”
The film stars Saif Ali Khan as a 40-year-old man, who traces his relationship with his teenage daughter (Alaya). Tabu features as the girl’s mother, in a special role. “Jawaani Jaaneman” will air on Zee Cinema.
Alaia F
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Next articleTV actors are considered incapable in Bollywood, says Helly Shah
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Feb. 7
Justice Committee on Feb. 7th, 2011
Evidence of meeting #46 for Justice and Human Rights in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was treatment.
Bill C-54, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sexual offences against children)
Ed Fast
Marlene Jennings
Serge Ménard
Joe Comartin
Stephen Woodworth
Derek Lee
Bob Dechert
Brent Rathgeber
Rick Norlock
Daniel Petit
Andrew McWhinnie Andrew McWhinnie Consulting, As an Individual
Michael Spratt Director, Criminal Lawyers' Association
Leonardo Russomanno Member, Criminal Lawyers' Association
Lianna McDonald Executive Director, Canadian Centre for Child Protection
Signy Arnason Director, Cybertip.ca, Canadian Centre for Child Protection
Karyn Kennedy Executive Director, BOOST Child Abuse Prevention and Intervention
Pearl Rimer Manager of Research and Training, BOOST Child Abuse Prevention and Intervention
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Is there a timeline on it?
Executive Director, Canadian Centre for Child Protection
Lianna McDonald
There is not one yet.
That will include public education.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The Chair Conservative Ed Fast
We'll move over to Mr. Woodworth for seven minutes.
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
I'd like to give my thanks to all of the witnesses who are here today. I know that for some of you, your work is intensely difficult and painful, and we appreciate you sharing that with us. I don't think that two people or two groups or two interests will ever agree on everything, but it is good for us as legislators to hear a diversity of points of view.
Mr. Russomanno, there was one thing I think I heard you say that I did agree with. I just want to be sure that I heard you expressing my thought as well, and that is that the courts have decided that jail is the appropriate sentence for sexual offences, especially for those involving the exploitation of children. Am I correctly perceiving what you said on that? Because that's what squares with my experience.
Member, Criminal Lawyers' Association
Leonardo Russomanno
Yes. The abundance of case law, including the cases from the Ontario Court of Appeal, suggests that when the victim is a child, and in particular when the offender is in a position of trust or authority, jail is the norm.
I don't think they would say that it's in 100% of cases. These were in circumstances where a conditional sentence was imposed and then it was overturned by the court of appeal, and that was because the court of appeal said that you can't achieve deterrence with a conditional sentence in these cases.
I won't ask you to get into too much detail. I just wanted to say that I agree that, in my experience—I should say, just so you know, and I think everybody else knows, that I practised criminal law for almost 30 years--indeed, jail is the norm. But I would draw perhaps two different conclusions from that than you might.
The first conclusion is that I think it takes a bit of wind out of the sails of those whose dissertation is that there's no point to mandatory minimum penalties because in fact the courts have in fact said that jail should be the norm. Everybody in the system knows it. And if that induces more trials, the courts are willing to accept that. If that induces more guilty pleas, the courts are willing to accept that. If jail is not a deterrent, the courts think that there are other reasons for jail in these cases. I must say that I do too, and our government does too.
The second conclusion I might draw that you might not agree with is that I happen to believe that the elected representatives of Canadians are in as legitimate a position to make such decisions as judges are, and that it is legitimate for the government to say that jail should be the norm. In fact, jail should be the unvarying norm.
I wanted to just comment briefly on Mr. Spratt's eloquent defence of judicial discretion. I only wish you had been here when we were debating the multiple-murder discount bill. We were trying to give judges the authority to impose stiffer sentences. I sometimes think that whether you like judicial discretion depends on whether you want stiffer sentences or not so stiff sentences. To be unvarying in it, as you propose, I hope is at least consistent.
Briefly, Mr. McWhinnie, I want to say that I'm very grateful for your work with circles of support and accountability. I hope you're aware that last year, not too many months ago, our government in fact did renew and increase funding for the national circles of support program. I happen to be aware of that because I was contacted by the Mennonite Central Committee, which advocated strongly for that. However, our government believes in a balanced approach, not only on issues regarding rehabilitation and prevention but also with respect to appropriate deterrence.
I want to just suggest a different point of view to you regarding the question of harm that comes to families from putting people in jail. I'm old enough to remember 30 years ago when that was exactly the argument we used to make regarding wife-beaters. If you know about spousal abuse, you know that women are very great advocates for their abusers. But society has changed. Over the years we've determined that even though putting a wife-beater, a spousal abuser, in jail or penalizing him may take away from the dependants of the victim, we still do it. I think we're at the point where we should do the same regarding incest.
Regarding the courts' views on sentencing, I want to bring to the attention of the criminal lawyer people that the Alberta Court of Appeal, about two months ago, rendered a judgment by five judges of the Alberta Court of Appeal indicating that “wide disparities in sentencing are precipitating a crisis of confidence in the justice system.... Trial judges must be restrained from injecting their personal views and predilections into the sentencing process... The vast sentencing discretion currently enjoyed by trial judges 'makes the search for just sanctions at best a lottery, and at worst, a myth'” and in fact “inevitably causes prosecutors and defence lawyers to 'judge shop'”. All of that rings very true, from my experience, and is a good reason for mandatory minimum penalties.
Do you know how many criminal lawyers there are in Ontario, by the way?
February 7th, 2011 / 4:40 p.m.
I don't offhand, no.
There are probably a lot more than just a thousand.
I would think so, yes.
Your organization represents a thousand criminal lawyers in Ontario, correct?
Director, Criminal Lawyers' Association
Michael Spratt
How many submissions did you get from your members regarding Bill C-54?
Bill C-54?
Yes, that's the one we're studying today.
It was canvassed extensively.
How many submissions?
I don't know the exact number of submissions. It was canvassed extensively. We've spoken to many criminal lawyers who aren't members of our organization, and the universal opinion of all the criminal lawyers I've talked to is that mandatory minimum sentences accomplish none of the goals—
I'm asking about Bill—
—that your government has reported that they accomplished.
Sorry to interrupt you, but I have to stick with Bill C-54 because that's the bill we're here to study today.
How many lawyers did you speak to regarding Bill C-54?
I don't have a count off the top of my head. I'd be happy to provide you with names.
No, I don't need names, but I would be grateful to know how many submissions your organization received from its members regarding Bill C-54.
And how many lawyers were involved in the preparation of your submissions for today?
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Difference between revisions of "Coptic Calendar"
Revision as of 00:48, March 1, 2010 (view source)
Inistea (talk | contribs)
Revision as of 01:21, October 17, 2010 (view source)
==The date of [[Christmas]]==
The choice of [[December 25|25 December]] to celebrate the Nativity of [[Christ]] was first proposed by Hippolytus of Rome (170–236), but was apparently not accepted until either 336 or 364. [[Dionysius of Alexandria]] emphatically quoted mystical justifications for this very choice:
The choice of [[December 25|25 December]] to celebrate the Nativity of [[Christ]] was first proposed by [[Hippolytus of Rome]] (170–236), but was apparently not accepted until either 336 or 364. [[Dionysius of Alexandria]] emphatically quoted mystical justifications for this very choice:
:[[March 25]] was considered to be the anniversary of Creation itself. It was the first day of the year in the medieval Julian calendar and the nominal vernal equinox (it had been the actual equinox at the time when the Julian calendar was originally designed). Considering that Christ was conceived at that date turned March 25 into the Feast of the [[Annunciation]] which had to be followed, nine months later, by the celebration of the birth of Christ, Christmas, on December 25.
Revision as of 01:21, October 17, 2010
The Coptic Calendar, also called the Alexandrian Calendar, is used by the Coptic Orthodox Church. It is based on the Ancient Egyptian calendar. Egyptians were the first to calculate time. They divided the year into 12 months, according to their knowledge of the stars. Each of the 12 months was 30 days long, and they added five more days, which they called the 'small month'. Therefore, their year became 365 days long. To avoid the calendar creep of the Ancient Egyptian calendar, a reform of the calendar was introduced at the time of Ptolemy III (Decree of Canopus, in 238 BC), which consisted in the intercalation of a 6th epagomenal (auxiliary) day every fourth year. However, this reform was opposed by the Egyptian priests, and the idea was not adopted until 25 BC, when the Roman Emperor Augustus formally reformed the calendar of Egypt, keeping it forever synchronized with the newly introduced Julian calendar. To distinguish it from the Ancient Egyptian calendar, which remained in use by some astronomers until medieval times, this reformed calendar is known as the Coptic calendar. Its years and months coincide with those of the Ethiopian calendar [1], but the latter has different Amharic month names.
1 The Coptic year
2 The date of Christmas
3 The date of Easter
4 Coptic months
5 Sources and external links
The Coptic year
The Coptic year is the extension of the ancient Egyptian civil year, retaining its subdivision into the three seasons, four months each. The three seasons are commemorated by special prayers in the Coptic Liturgy. This calendar is still in use all over Egypt by farmers to keep track of the various agricultural seasons. (Egypt used the Coptic Calendar till the Khedive Ismael adopted the Western Gregorian Calendar in the nineteenth century and applied it in Egypt's government departments.)
The Coptic calendar has 13 months, 12 of 30 days each and an intercalary month at the end of the year of 5 or 6 days, depending whether the year is a leap year or not. The year starts on 29 August in the Julian Calendar or on the 30th in the year before (Julian) Leap Years. The Coptic Leap Year follows the same rules as the Julian Calendar so that the extra month always has six days in the year before a Julian Leap Year.
The Feast of Neyrouz marks the first day of the Coptic year. Its celebration falls on the 1st day of the month of Thout, the first month of the Coptic year, which for AD 1901 to 2098 usually coincides with 11 September, except before a Gregorian leap year when it's September 12. Coptic years are counted from AD 284, the year Diocletian became Roman Emperor, whose reign was marked by tortures and mass executions of Christians, especially in Egypt. Hence, the Coptic year is identified by the abbreviation A.M. (for Anno Martyrum or "Year of the Martyrs"). The A.M. abbreviation is also used for the unrelated Jewish year (Anno Mundi).
Every fourth Coptic year is a leap year without exception, as in the Julian calendar, so the above mentioned new year dates apply only between AD 1900 and 2099 inclusive in the Gregorian Calendar. In the Julian Calendar, the new year is always 29 August, except before a Julian leap year when it's August 30. Easter is reckoned by the Julian Calendar in the Old Calendarist way.
To obtain the Coptic year number, subtract from the Julian year number either 283 (before the Julian new year) or 284 (after it).
The date of Christmas
The choice of 25 December to celebrate the Nativity of Christ was first proposed by Hippolytus of Rome (170–236), but was apparently not accepted until either 336 or 364. Dionysius of Alexandria emphatically quoted mystical justifications for this very choice:
March 25 was considered to be the anniversary of Creation itself. It was the first day of the year in the medieval Julian calendar and the nominal vernal equinox (it had been the actual equinox at the time when the Julian calendar was originally designed). Considering that Christ was conceived at that date turned March 25 into the Feast of the Annunciation which had to be followed, nine months later, by the celebration of the birth of Christ, Christmas, on December 25.
There may have been more practical considerations for choosing 25 December. The choice would help substitute a major Christian holiday for the popular pagan celebrations around the winter solstice (Roman Saturnalia or Brumalia). The religious competition was fierce. In 274, Emperor Aurelian had declared a civil holiday on December 25 (the Festival of the birth of the Unconquered Sun, or Sol Invictus) to celebrate the birth of Mithras, the Persian Sun-God whose cult predated Zoroastrianism and was then very popular among the Roman military. Finally, joyous festivals are needed at that time of year, to fight the natural gloom of the season. Whatever the actual reasons were for choosing a December 25 celebration, the scriptures indicate that the birth of Jesus of Nazareth did not even take place around that time of year, since there were in the same country sherperds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night (Luke 2:8). During cold months, shepherds brought their flocks into corrals and did not sleep in the fields. That's about all we know directly from scriptures, besides wild speculations.
Until the 16th century, 25 December coincided with 29 Koiak of the Coptic calendar. However, upon the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582, December 25 shifted two weeks earlier in comparison with the Julian and Coptic calendars. This is the reason why Old Calendarists (using the Julian and Coptic calendars) celebrate Christmas on January 7, two weeks after the New-Calendrists (using the Gregorian calendar), who celebrate Christmas on December 25.
The date of Easter
According to Christian tradition, Jesus died at the ninth hour (that is, the canonical hour of nona or 'noon' in Middle English - 3:00 pm) of the first full day of Pesach, when that day fell on a Friday; and arose from the dead at or by the first (canonical) hour of that Sunday. The day of Pesach (Pascha or Passover, Nisan 14), is always at the first or second full moon following the vernal equinox. At the First Ecumenical Council, held in 325 at Nicea, it was decided to celebrate Easter on the Sunday following the so-called Paschal full moon. The Paschal full moon is an arithmetical approximation to the first full moon after the vernal equinox. It may be expressed as follows in terms of the so-called Golden number (G) and Century term (C):
Paschal full moon (PFM) = (19 April, or 50 March) - (C+11G) mod 30
Except in two cases where the PFM is one day earlier than this, namely:
When (C+11G) is 0 modulo 30, PFM = 18 April (not 19 April).
When (C+11G) is 1 modulo 30, and G=12, PFM = 17 April (not 18).
The Golden number (G) is the same for both Julian and Gregorian computations, but the Century term is constant (C = +3) in Julian computations:
C is -4 from 1583 to 1699, -5 from 1700 to 1899, -6 from 1900 to 2199, -7 from 2200 to 2299 etc... As the Sunday following the PFM, Easter is one week after the PFM when the PFM happens to fall on a Sunday. One must work with the Julian calendar (C = +3) to find when Easter is celebrated by Orthodox churches.
At the Council of Nicea, it became one duty of the Coptic Pope of Alexandria to determine the exact dates of Easter and to announce it to the rest of the Christian churches (see Pope Demetrius the Vinedresser, 3rd cent.). This duty fell on this officate because of the erudition at Alexandria he could draw on. The precise rules to determine this are very involved, but Easter is usually the first Sunday after a full moon occurring no sooner than March 21, which was the actual date of the vernal equinox at the time of the First Council of Nicea. Shortly before Julius Caesar reformed the calendar, the vernal equinox was occurring on the "nominal" date of March 25. This was abandoned at Nicea, but the reason for the observed discrepancy was all but ignored (the actual tropical year is not quite equal to the Julian year of 365¼ days, so the date of the equinox keeps creeping back in the Julian calendar).
See also: Computus, Julian Calendar, Revised Julian Calendar
Coptic months
Thout
Thout also known as Tout is the first month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between September 11 and October 10 of the Gregorian calendar. The month of Thout is also the first month of the Season of 'Akhet' (Inundation) in Ancient Egypt, where the Nile floods cover the land of Egypt. The name of the month of Thout comes from Thot, the Ancient Egyptian God of Wisdom.
Paopi
Paopi also known as Baba is the second month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between October 11 and November 10 of the Gregorian calendar. The month of Paopi is also the second month of the Season of 'Akhet' (Inundation) in Ancient Egypt, where the Nile floods cover the land of Egypt. The name of the month of Paopi comes from Hapy, the Ancient Egyptian Nile God.
Hathor also known as Hatour is the third month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between November 11 and December 9 of the Gregorian calendar. The month of Hathor is also the third month of the Season of 'Akhet' (Inundation) in Ancient Egypt, where the Nile floods cover the land of Egypt. The name of the month of Hathor comes from Hathor, the Ancient Egyptian Goddess of Beauty and Love.
Koiak
Koiak also known as Kiahk is the fourth month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between December 10 and January 8 of the Gregorian calendar. The month of Koiak is also the fourth month of the Season of 'Akhet' (Inundation) in Ancient Egypt, where the Nile floods cover the land of Egypt. The name of the month of Koiak comes from Ka Ha Ka, which means Good of Good, a name of the Ancient Egyptian sacred Apis Bull.
Tobi also known as Touba is the fifth month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between January 9 and February 7 of the Gregorian calendar. The month of Tobi is also the first month of the Season of 'Proyet' (Growth) in Ancient Egypt, where the Nile floods recede and the crops start to grow throughout the land of Egypt. The name of the month of Tobi comes from Amso Khem, a form of the Ancient Egyptian God Amun Ra. The Hebrew word tobi means 'goodness'.
Meshir also known as Amshir is the sixth month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between February 8 and March 9 of the Gregorian calendar. The month of Meshir is also the second month of the Season of 'Proyet' (Growth) in Ancient Egypt, where the Nile floods recede and the crops start to grow throughout the land of Egypt. The name of the month of Meshir comes from Mechir, the Ancient Egyptian God genius of wind.
Paremhat
Paremhat also known as Baramhat is the seventh month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between March 10 and April 8 of the Gregorian calendar. The month of Paremhat is also the third month of the Season of 'Proyet' (Growth) in Ancient Egypt, where the Nile floods recede and the crops start to grow throughout the land of Egypt. The name of the month of Paremhat comes from Mont, the Ancient Egyptian God of War.
Paremoude
Paremoude also known as Barmouda is the eighth month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between April 9 and May 8 of the Gregorian calendar. The month of Paremoude is also the fourth month of the Season of 'Proyet' (Growth) in Ancient Egypt, where the Nile floods recede and the crops start to grow throughout the land of Egypt. The name of the month of Paremoude comes from Renno, the Ancient Egyptian God of severe wind and death.
Pashons
Pashons also known as Bashans is the ninth month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between May 9 and June 7 of the Gregorian calendar. The month of Pashons is also the first month of the Season of 'Shemu' (Harvest) in Ancient Egypt, where the Egyptians harvest their crops throughout the land of Egypt. The name of the month of Pashons comes from Khenti, a form of Horus and the Ancient Egyptian God of metal.
Paoni
Paoni also known as Baona is the tenth month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between June 8 and July 7 of the Gregorian calendar. The month of Paoni is also the second month of the Season of 'Shemu' (Harvest) in Ancient Egypt, where the Egyptians harvest their crops throughout the land of Egypt. The origin of the name of the month of Paoni remains unknown.
Epip
Epip also known as Abib is the eleventh month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between July 8 and August 6 of the Gregorian calendar. The month of Epip is also the third month of the Season of 'Shemu' (Harvest) in Ancient Egypt, where the Egyptians harvest their crops throughout the land of Egypt. The name of the month of Epip comes from Apida, the serpent that Horus killed.
Mesori
Mesori also known as Mesra is the twelfth month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between August 7 and September 5 of the Gregorian calendar. The month of Mesori is also the fourth month of the Season of 'Shemu' (Harvest) in Ancient Egypt, where the Egyptians harvest their crops throughout the land of Egypt. The name of the month of Mesori comes from Mes-o-ri, an Ancient Egyptian word that mean Birth of Sun.
Pi Kogi Enavot (Nasii)
Pi Kogi Enavot also known as El Nasii is the thirteenth and last month of the Coptic calendar. It lies between September 6 and September 10 of the Gregorian calendar. That month is also incorporated in the Season of 'Shemu' (Harvest) in Ancient Egypt, where the Egyptians harvest their crops throughout the land of Egypt. The name Pi Kogi Enavot means the little month.
Sources and external links
Coptic Calendar article in pdf. Article sketching the history and development of the Coptic Calendar, and provides the ancient Alexandrian method of the Easter Computus.
An introduction to the Coptic calendar - Includes an online Coptic Holidays and Easter calculator
The Coptic Calendar and Church of Alexandria - by the Very Rev. Fathers Tadros Y. Malaty and Matta El-Meskeen (PDF)
The Orthodox Ecclesiastical Calendar
Ancient Egyptian Calendar and Coptic Calendar
Section on Coptic Calendar at the Web site of St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Coptic Orthodox Synaxarium
Coptic Calendar (Wikipedia)
Retrieved from "https://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Coptic_Calendar&oldid=95790"
Egyptian Saints
Liturgics
Non-Chalcedonian Saints
Categories > Church History > Canon Law > Ecclesiology > Jurisdictions > Oriental Orthodox
Categories > Church Life
Categories > Liturgics
Categories > People > Saints
Categories > People > Saints > Egyptian Saints
Categories > People > Saints > Martyrs
Categories > People > Saints > Non-Chalcedonian Saints
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