pred_label
stringclasses 2
values | pred_label_prob
float64 0.5
1
| wiki_prob
float64 0.25
1
| text
stringlengths 145
1.04M
| source
stringlengths 37
43
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
__label__wiki
| 0.937119
| 0.937119
|
Home Sports Guardiola says Man City will not sacrifice League Cup for title race
Guardiola says Man City will not sacrifice League Cup for title race
Holders Manchester City will take Tuesday’s League Cup quarter-final with Leicester City seriously, says manager Pep Guardiola, even though they are in a tight duel with Liverpool for the Premier League title. Guardiola whose Premier League champions trail Liverpool by a point says it is only by winning trophies the club can get better, even if the League Cup is viewed as the third most important domestic trophy in English football. The 47-year-old Spaniard concedes Liverpool may benefit from no longer being involved in the League Cup their next match is against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday and if City progress they will face a two-legged semi-final in January. “We could say yes,” said Guardiola, answering a question at his press conference over whether Liverpool had an advantage in having a lighter fixture list. “But I’d prefer to be in the League Cup than not.
“I cannot imagine going into a game thinking, ‘Oh, it will be better to lose because then we’ll have more time to rest’. I have never thought in that way. “That is the only way a club like Manchester City who 10 years ago were not in this position can grow up, and get better and better. And that’s what we have to do.” Guardiola said that those players who had played on Saturday in the 3-1 win over Everton would probably have to shoulder the responsibility of backing up against Leicester due to a growing injury list. Belgian star Kevin de Bruyne returned against Everton and should play again whilst record goalscorer Argentinian Sergio Aguero could start after a four week absence through injury. “We don’t have many players,” said Guardiola. “We have a lot of injured players. Some players that played Saturday and in the last games have to play. “But it is a chance to reach a semi-final and since I’ve been here my teams have never dropped one game, not even a friendly game. “It is a competition, it must be respected, like we did it last season. We are going to try and win the game.”
Previous articleTexas court rules ObamaCare health law as unconstitutional
Next articlePolice checks on Pete Davidson checked after suicide concerns
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line0
|
__label__wiki
| 0.651677
| 0.651677
|
Even so, the first infomercial of the same type we see on TV today, aired in 1982 and was for a hair growth supplement called “New Generation” which was marketed by entrepreneur Robert E. Murphy Jr. It was such a success that other companies quickly began following suit and purchasing program-length commercial air time. At this time infomercials used to commonly be shown during late night/early morning hours, although stations discovered success showing them at other times when they learned that the majority of purchases were made in the morning, during the day, and around primetime.
Amazon derives many of its sales (around 40% in 2008) from third-party sellers who sell products on Amazon.[129] Associates receive a commission for referring customers to Amazon by placing links to Amazon on their websites if the referral results in a sale. Worldwide, Amazon has "over 900,000 members" in its affiliate programs.[130] In the middle of 2014, the Amazon Affiliate Program is used by 1.2% of all websites and it is the second most popular advertising network after Google Ads.[131] It is frequently used by websites and non-profits to provide a way for supporters to earn them a commission.[132] Amazon reported over 1.3 million sellers sold products through Amazon's websites in 2007. Unlike eBay, Amazon sellers do not have to maintain separate payment accounts; all payments are handled by Amazon.[citation needed]
In June 2017, Amazon announced that it would acquire Whole Foods, a high-end supermarket chain with over 400 stores, for $13.4 billion.[14][41] The acquisition was seen by media experts as a move to strengthen its physical holdings and challenge Walmart's supremacy as a brick and mortar retailer. This sentiment was heightened by the fact that the announcement coincided with Walmart's purchase of men's apparel company Bonobos.[42] On August 23, 2017, Whole Foods shareholders, as well as the Federal Trade Commission, approved the deal.[43][44]
Amazon was never going to be able to compete with Google’s YouTube in user-uploaded video content, and it didn’t have the social infrastructure of Facebook to become a destination where people discuss their lives and share videos from around the web. But what Amazon did have was the resources to purchase a company that was poised to outrun both Facebook and YouTube to a new type of business: live-streaming, in particular video games live-streaming. The pioneer of that market was Twitch, which Amazon purchased in 2014 for just shy of $1 billion.
Categories: Companies in the NASDAQ-100 IndexCompanies listed on NASDAQAmazon (company)1994 establishments in Washington (state)3D publishingAmerican companies established in 1994Android (operating system) softwareArts and crafts retailersBookstores of the United StatesCloud computing providersE-book suppliersInternet properties established in 1994IOS softwareMobile phone manufacturersMultinational companies headquartered in the United StatesOnline music storesOnline retailers of the United StatesRetail companies established in 1994Review websitesSelf-publishing companiesSoftware companies based in SeattleSoftware companies established in 1994Technology companies established in 1994TvOS softwareUniversal Windows Platform appsWebby Award winners
After reading a report about the future of the Internet that projected annual web commerce growth at 2,300%, Bezos created a list of 20 products that could be marketed online. He narrowed the list to what he felt were the five most promising products, which included: compact discs, computer hardware, computer software, videos, and books. Bezos finally decided that his new business would sell books online, due to the large worldwide demand for literature, the low price points for books, along with the huge number of titles available in print.[27] Amazon was founded in the garage of Bezos' rented home in Bellevue, Washington.[25][28][29] Bezos' parents invested almost $250,000 in the start-up.[30]
As it stands today, Amazon employs more than half a million people, more so than any other technology company in the country and second only to Walmart in the US. But the eventual result of its investments in robotics and AI is that technology’s biggest and fast-growing workforce could see that growth start to slow and, perhaps years down the line, even shrink as robots tackle ever more complicated tasks. In the process, the company may develop robots for use outside its fulfillment centers. Amazon has already changed how we shop and, by extension, how we live our lives. Its next big step could be changing how we work.
Junglee is a former online shopping service provided by Amazon that enabled customers to search for products from online and offline retailers in India. Junglee started off as a virtual database that was used to extract information off the internet and deliver it to enterprise applications. As it progressed, Junglee started to use its database technology to create a single window marketplace on the internet by making every item from every supplier available for purchase. Web shoppers could locate, compare and transact millions of products from across the Internet shopping mall through one window.[114]
Depending on which options you choose, using an online marketplace like Amazon can make the fulfillment process easier for new and small businesses. Not only can Amazon interact with customers on your behalf, saving you time while protecting your personal and private information, but it can also handle the entire shipping process, including returns. As a result, owners can concentrate on building their businesses.
Amazon, with its unfettered access to troves of valuable consumer and seller data, came upon a rather interesting business model around 2009, when it launched a private label division under the name AmazonBasics. It started first with the items the company noticed people most often purchased without thinking too hard about the brand name, like batteries and HDMI cables. But as The New York Times reported this past summer, this proved to be a way to fast track a fledgling product category into a massive money-making top seller — AmazonBasics’ AA batteries now outsell Duracell and Energizer on Amazon.com after just a few years.
H&M's business concept is to offer fashion and quality at the best price. H&M has since it was founded in 1947 grown into one of the world's leading fashion companies. The content of this site is copyright-protected and is the property of H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB. H&M is committed to accessibility. That commitment means H&M embraces WCAG guidelines and supports assistive technologies such as screen readers. If you are using a screen reader, magnifier, or other assistive technologies and are experiencing difficulties using this website, please call our TOLL-FREE support line (855-466-7467) for assistance.
Aim for smaller products and travel deals. Some of the best buys on Cyber Monday will surprise you, from apparel to shoes to beauty products, says consumer and money saving expert Woroch. “It’s also a great day to shop for travel deals, specifically airfare sales,” she says. “Apple products and other electronics will be a good deal on this day too.”
Jump up ^ "Pitch Perfect". On The Media. January 1, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-01-09. Retrieved 2010-01-16. He figured out that he could build brand recognition by blanketing the airwaves with cheap direct-to-consumer commercials, and then take the product into retail stores where he slapped an "As Seen On TV" logo on them, which he designed himself. It’s a very lucrative formula, he told me, so that’s what he’s been doing ever since.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line2
|
__label__cc
| 0.618801
| 0.381199
|
Here's how Trump hobbled Obamacare and drove enrollment down this year
By wpadmin | December 16, 2018
The open enrollment period for people to sign up for health insurance next year through the Affordable Care Act ends Saturday in most states, and signups are significantly down from last year.
Donald Trump didn’t repeal and replace former President Barack Obama‘s signature health-care law, more commonly known as Obamacare, he was able to dismantle key parts of it that health policy researchers are blaming for much of the drop.
Sign-ups on the federal health insurance marketplace have fallen 11.7 percent from the same time last year, according to the latest figures from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The number of new people buying the coverage has dropped even more: 19.7 percent.
The lagging numbers also come as the future of the Affordable Care Act is uncertain. A federal judge in Texas ruled late Friday the law unconstitutional, potentially threatening health-care coverage for millions of Americans and setting up a new legal showdown over Obama’s policy initiative. The lawsuit was backed by the Trump administration, and is likely to be appealed — which could mean the legislation will heard anew by the Supreme Court, which upheld Obamacare in a narrowly divided 2012 ruling.
Trump cheered the judge’s decision in a tweet.
As I predicted all along, Obamacare has been struck down as an UNCONSTITUTIONAL disaster! Now Congress must pass a STRONG law that provides GREAT healthcare and protects pre-existing conditions. Mitch and Nancy, get it done!
To be sure, the tight labor market is playing at least some role in lower Obamacare enrollment figures this season, health policy experts say.
Historically low unemployment, which was at 3.7 percent in November and October, is helping reduce dependence on the federal health program as more Americans are getting their health insurance from employers. And while Obamacare doesn’t require small businesses to offer health coverage, more may now be doing so to attract and retain workers.
The ACA’s final enrollment numbers won’t be tallied until next week, but health policy experts say several key changes the Trump administration made to the ACA law are helping drive enrollment down this year.
One factor that health policy analysts say could be depressing enrollment for 2019 is the move by the Trump administration allowing people to remain longer in less-expensive short-term health plans, also sometimes referred to as “skimpy” plans.
The Obama administration had restricted the use of short-term plans — which as a rule offer less comprehensive coverage of benefits — to three months. But the Trump administration is allowing people to stay in short-term plans for up to 12 months. And it is allowing consumers to renew their coverage in such plans twice.
Some policy analysts predict those less-expensive plans could attract healthier customers than people who opt for the more expensive, and more comprehensive, Obamacare plans.
This enrollment season was also the first since Congress repealed the so-called individual mandate as part of Trump’s tax plan. The mandate, which is still in effect for 2018, imposes a tax penalty on people without coverage. It was designed to persuade people to buy insurance instead of paying the extra tax, which came to the greater of $ 695 per adult or up to 2.5 percent of household income, depending on how many months an individual went without coverage.
At the time, Trump claimed the tax plan “essentially” repealed the health-care law, which was false.
But without the mandate, Obamacare exchanges were expected to see fewer sign-ups, especially from younger, healthier people who feel they may not need coverage, said Judy Solomon, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington think tank.
The Obama administration spent $ 100 million for its advertising and promotional budget in its last year. The Trump administration then scaled back that budget by 90 percent to $ 10 million for this year’s enrollment. The administration also steadily cut funding for so-called navigators, customer service representatives who walk people through the enrollment process.
Some researchers say it’s affecting public awareness of the program and deadline to buy coverage. According to the most recent poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 24 percent of Americans ages 18 to 64 are aware of the current open enrollment deadline.
Open enrollment ran for seven weeks this year in most states, much shorter than under the Obama administration. The Trump administration shortened that time period back last year. However, the Obama administration had planned something similar.
Category: News Tags: down, drove, enrollment, Here's, hobbled, Obamacare, This, Trump, Year
← Save Your Skin From the Ravages of Cold Weather How to Get Healthy and Save Money →
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line5
|
__label__wiki
| 0.838884
| 0.838884
|
AMICUS ANTHOLOGIES, PART ONE (1965-1972)
February 23, 2017 Alfred Eaker Leave a comment
With Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors (1965, directed by Freddie Francis and written by Milton Subotsky) Amicus Productions (spearheaded by Subotsky and Max Rosenberg, who previously produced for Hammer and was a cousin to Doris Wishman) established itself as a vital competitor to Hammer Studios. Rather than imitating Hammer’s modernization of Gothic classics, Amicus developed its own niche with omnibus films. They were successful enough to be in full-fledged production for a decade, establishing a reputation as the go-to studio for horror anthologies. This, their introductory portmanteau film, clearly influenced by EC Comics, sets a pattern of to-be-expected unevenness. Still, Amicus installs themselves as a horror studio to be reckoned with, sparing no expense in procuring Hammer’s top actors: Peter Cushing (who would star in all but one of the Amicus anthologies) and Christopher Lee. For its wraparound segment, Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors opens to the duo (among other passengers) on a train. Dr. Schreck 1)“Shreck” is German for “terror,” and a nod to the famous star of F.W. Murnau‘s Nosferatu. (Cushing, saddled with a terrible German accent and glued on brows) pulls out a deck of tarot cards. “Pick a card, any card, and tape it three times,” Schreck tells his fellow passengers. Each participant will hear of a fate that may await them. Among the passengers is Christopher Lee who will, of course, factor into one of the five narratives.
In “Werewolf,” Neil McCallum is an architect renovating an old dark house, which turns out to be cursed. The title monster is featured in this pedestrian tale of ancestral revenge with a “twist.”
With Alan Freeman (better known as the U.K D.J. for “Pick of the Pops”) served up as a snack for a venus fly trap, “The Creeping Vine,” thankfully doesn’t take itself so seriously. It is refreshingly lightheaded hokum.
“Voodoo” is the worst of the lot; badly dated in its stereotypes, with Kenny Lynch belting out a stolen voodoo tune.
“Disembodied Hand,” has elitist art critic Franklin Marsh (Lee) driving artist Eric Landor (Michael Gough) to suicide. Landor’s severed hand returns to exact revenge on the mean critic. It’s in the spirit of The Beast with Five Fingers, among others, and chock-full of two-dimensional caricatures of both artists and critics. It holds no surprises, but with Lee and Gough engaged in a bit of whistling-while-they-work fun, it’s easily the best episode.
“Vampire” feature a young Donald Sutherland who discovers he is married to… a vampire! It barely raises a pulse.
Seen today, Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors is more camp than horror, and its appeal is one of genre nostalgia. Still, the phenomenal box office success of Dr. Terror green-lighted a second portmanteau film in 1967, entitled Torture Garden (directed by Freddie Francis and written by Robert Bloch). It contains no torture nor any garden. Burgess Meredith (in a preposterous disguise, reminding us of the Penguin) is Old Nick himself, going by the pseudonym of Dr. Diablo and moonlighting as a carnival barker who promises a tortuous exhibit that can reveal the future. “You’ll shake, you’ll shiver, but it’s all good fun,” Diablo hammily tells his patrons. Unfortunately, only one of the four tales lives up to that promise.
“Enoch,” is the opening narrative. Michael Bryant’s inheritance money (from an uncle who took his time dying) is going to be spoiled by a mean ol’ puddy tat with a lot of doubloons.
“Over Hollywood” has Beverly Adams discovering the fountain of youth in Hollywood with robotic consequences.
“Mr. Steinway” might be seen as a poor precursor to Stephen King’s “Christine,” replacing a killer car with a killer piano. It’s as absurd as it sounds.
The first three segments are sloppily written and executed with little enthusiasm; each progressively worse, but the final segment single-handedly salvages the anthology.
“The Man Who Collected Poe” finds Jack Palance (playing against type) as an Edgar Allan Poe-obsessed geek who may have found his soulmate in fellow fanatic Peter Cushing. However, somebody’s got something—or someone—hidden in the basement and … somebody’s got the fever, which leads to a fiery finale. Cushing and Palance clearly enjoyed playing opposite one another and their chemistry, along with clever writing, making one wish the previous segments had been as enjoyable.
1970’s The House That Dripped Blood (directed by Peter Duffell and written by Robert Bloch) is a considerable improvement over its predecessors. Duffell lacks the visual astuteness of Freddie Francis, but he has superior stories to work with and a top notch cast. The connecting theme is the titular house, which has a bit of baggage left over from all who have resided there.
In “Method For Murder,” Denholm Elliott is a horror author who writes a character that becomes a tad too three-dimensional, much to his wife’s peril.
“Waxworks” stars Cushing as an uptight retired stockbroker and lifelong bachelor who visits a wax museum, only to see a figure of a woman whom he once was in love with. Obsession and unrequited love naturally go hand-in-hand, or head-on-plate.
In “Sweets to the Sweet,” Nyree Dawn Porter is hired to tutor a young, motherless child (Chloe Franks) who is unloved by her cold-hearted father, Christopher Lee. Without giving too much away, let’s just say the underlying theme is one few filmmakers would dare tackle today.
“The Cloak” is the most famous of the four episodes, remembered fondly for its absurd humor. It stars John Pertwee (best known for his portrayal of Dr. Who) as an actor who mantles the cloak of a purported actual vampire. Hammer favorite Ingrid Pitt bares her fangs and, of course, a bit more.
All four episodes feature strong acting, which is a rarity in contemporary horror and should be a model for genre filmmakers. Elliot’s restrained performance in “Method For Murder” is admirable enough to forgive the predictable “twist.” The stylish “Waxworks” features an equally stylish performance from Cushing, although narratively it is the thinnest episode. “Sweets to the Sweet” is psychologically intense with three powerhouse performances, making it the strongest entry. Although John Pertwee is a bit on-the-sleeve in “The Cloak,” his performance suits the tone; but, he’s no match for Pitt.
Asylum (1972, directed by Roy Ward Baker and written by Robert Bloch) is often cited as the best of the Amicus anthologies. It opens on Dr. Martin (Robert Powell, best known as the blue-eyed Anglo-Saxon savior plopped into the Middle East in Franco Zeferelli’s Jesus of Nazareth) showing up for his scheduled job interview with Dr. Starr for a position at the Dunsmoor Asylum. Martin is met by Dr. Rutherford (Patrick Magee), however, and informed that Dr. Starr is now a patient after going insane and becoming violent. Rutherford devises a test for Martin: he will interview four patients and if he can guess which one is Dr. Starr, then he will be hired. Naturally, this segues into four tales from Mr. Bloch.
In “Frozen Fear,” Walter (Richard Todd) is having a sordid affair with Bonnie (Barbara Parkins). When his wife Ruth (Sylvia Syms) won’t give him a divorce, Walter grabs an axe and fills his basement freezer with prime ex-wife cold cuts. Little does Walter know that the wifey was a voodoo priestess, and when that freezer thaws, big things come a-crawling in small packages—lots of them. This vignette is the most blatantly indebted to EC comics and, as such, it’s probably Amicus’ finest twenty minutes.
“The Weird Tailor” opens with tailor Bruno (Barry Morse) on the verge of being evicted. As luck would have it, Mr. Smith (Peter Cushing) walks into Bruno’s shop and orders a unique suit. With the promise of a hefty commission, Bruno obsessively begins working according to Mr. Smith’s very specific instructions. Unknown to Bruno, the suit is meant to resurrect Mr. Smith’s recently deceased son. Things don’t go according to plan. Previously adapted for Boris Karloff’s “Thriller”, this one can’t match the TV effort. Given a shorter running time for Asylum, Bloch was forced to excise the prologue, and with it gone, the suspense and menace are diminished. The original thriller was actually more perverse in suggesting Bruno’s wife’s sexual attraction to a mannequin. Additionally, Bruno’s character was less sympathetic, bringing a pronounced, and weird, abusive quality that is merely sketched here. Cushing is superb, bringing a sense of pathos to the character, but his part is little more than a cameo. Being more compressed, the schlock quality of the ending is more pronounced. Yet, for all of its comparative flaws, this is a strong second episode.
“Lucy Comes To Stay” is the weakest of the four episodes. Barbara (Charlotte Rampling) has been released from the asylum to the care of her brother, George (James Valliers) and nurse Higgins (Megs Jenkins). However, Barbara has an imaginary friend named Lucy (Britt Ekland) who doesn’t care for George or the nurse. Lucy is also handy with a knife. Disappointingly, it plays out exactly as expected, and isn’t helped by lackluster performances (Rampling being the exception).
Surprisingly, “Mannequins of Horror” is an extension of the wraparound, with the arrival of a new doctor named Byron (Herbert Lom) who has the demonic hobby of placing spirits within miniature robots and imbuing them with life, which serves as a potential gateway to immortality. Dr. Martin returns to uncover Dr. Starr’s identity in a delightfully unpleasant ending. It’s something of a mini-masterpiece that clearly proved an inspiration to later, albeit inferior films.
PART TWO will begin with Tales From The Crypt (1972) and take us to the final Amicus anthology: From Beyond The Grave (1974).
1. ↑ “Shreck” is German for “terror,” and a nod to the famous star of F.W. Murnau‘s Nosferatu.
AnthologyChristopher LeeFreddie FrancisHorrorPeter CushingPeter DuffellRoy Ward Baker
Previous Post271. THE HOURGLASS SANATORIUM (1973)Next PostWEIRD HORIZON FOR THE WEEK OF 2/24/2017
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line8
|
__label__wiki
| 0.502108
| 0.502108
|
David Schildknecht - Wine Advocate (WA)
After a brief stint in academe and several years in the restaurant business, David Schildknecht logged more than a decade as a wine retailer in Washington, DC. with the late Rex Wine & Spirits (from 1982), with Mayflower Wine and Spirits, and lastly with Pearson’s. This was an exciting time to be Washington-based and David, who grew up nearby, rediscovered his personal roots while discovering wine in company with the many luminaries who were then regularly passing through or who, like Robert Parker, were establishing their formidable future reputations from a Capital Area base. It was David’s pleasure to repay some of Bob’s enthusiasm, information and assistance in kind when he regularly assembled and presented wines from German growers for Bob’s reports in the Wine Advocate from 1990 through 1996.
In 1993, David moved the scene of his retail operations and his family of six to the banks of the Ohio River, establishing the wide-ranging wine program at Bellevue, Kentucky-based The Party Source. From 1997-2002, he divided his time between reporting from Austria, Germany and Hungary for Wine & Spirits and the International Wine Cellar, and importing wines of France (as well as fulfilling numerous other roles) for Cincinnati, Ohio-based wine importer and distributor Vintner Select.
Almost from the beginning of his career as a merchant, David has published articles on wine, beginning with a 1984 piece on Alsace for the long-departed magazine Friends of Wine. His commentary began appearing in Stephen Tanzer’s International (then New York) Wine Cellar with coverage of Alsace in 1986 and expanded to include Germany, Bordeaux, and occasionally California and Hungary. His comprehensive vintage reports from Germany (beginning in 1989) and Austria (from 1997) became a staple fixture of that journal.
David's familiarity with and championing of the wines of Alsace, Burgundy, and the Loire has been a constant feature of his quarter century as a merchant. Like Robert Parker, Alsace was the first wine growing region David visited, and in the June, 1990 issue of The Wine Advocate, he was headlined as "The force behind ... this country's greatest selection of Alsace wines." David's fascination with and annual trips to Burgundy began in the early eighties as a result of his contacts with Robert Chadderdon, Robert Haas, Robert Kacher, Becky Wasserman, and other pioneering American importers, and Anthony Hanson, in the second (1995) edition of his seminal book Burgundy, took time to acknowledge and "warmly thank" David. In an October 31, 1995 profile in the Wine Spectator, Matt Kramer wrote "Probably no other retailer so ardently promotes such an array of Loire ... wines as well as Burgundy." Over the past fifteen years, David has also devoted increased attention and travel time to the Languedoc, Roussillon, and Champagne (too often viewed only as a branded celebratory beverage rather than as one of the world's great wine regions).
Always anxious to spot trends, champion little known regions, and lead consumers to unanticipated vinous riches, David enthusiastically accepted Robert Parker's invitation to report on wines from wide tracts of Central Europe and of North America east of the Rockies that have been unjustly neglected by many of the world's wine journals. His report on the wines of New York appeared in the June, 2006 issue of the Wine Advocate and commentary on wines from Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia will soon follow. It is in that same spirit of adventure that David has accepted responsibility for covering wines of New Zealand and South Africa, two growing regions which he will only now visit for the first time.
David has been a James Beard Award finalist for his wine journalism, the recipient of the Vinea Wachau's 2006 Steinfederpreis, and has authored the material on German wines in the newly released 3rd edition of the Oxford Companion to Wine. In recent years, his observations and opinions on wine - soon to include a column as North American correspondent - have begun appearing in The World of Fine Wine (U.K.), and been regularly posted on the ethereal pages of erobertparker.com and jancisrobinson.com. Beginning in Autumn of this year (2006) his musings as a columnist also appear, for a German speaking audience, in Vinaria (Austria). David is currently engaged in bringing his early work in philosophical fields to bear on wine, in which connection he was recently invited as a guest instructor in a pilot course in Aesthetics at U.C. Davis.
David’s inaugural (vintage 2004) reports in the pages of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate were based on his twenty-first annual tasting tour of Germany (averaging more than seventy winery visits) and his ninth to Austria. He seldom breaks a sweat until the number of wines (or their score) breaks three figures, and only once caught himself napping on his numb feet, glass in hand, in the middle of a freezing cellar. Since that day, he has taped thousands of hours of tasting notes with nary another inexplicable silence. With the Wine Advocate as his new sounding board, that record bids fair to continue.
After one memorable mid-‘90s session, Robert Parker wrote to compliment David on his "legendary tasting abilities" and "laser-like precision", concluding: "I am delighted that you are content to be only a part-time wine writer." That will now no longer be the case, but only on account of the unique opportunity afforded him by full time work as a member of Robert Parker's team at The Wine Advocate.
He currently covers the wines of Germany, Austria, Eastern Europe, America’s Eastern & Midwestern wineries, Alsace, Burgundy, the Loire Valley, Languedoc-Roussillon, Champagne, New Zealand and South Africa.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line11
|
__label__wiki
| 0.903029
| 0.903029
|
U.S. Researchers Stung by Claims of AIDS Origin
Review of Dephlogistication ...
Edward Hooper Biography
AIDS Weekly
ETIOLOGY: No AIDS-Related Viruses or Chimpanzee DNA Found in 1950s-Era Polio Vaccine
AIDS Weekly, September 25, 2000
© 2000 AIDS Weekly via NewsRx.com and NewsRx.net
Tests performed by three independent laboratories on 1950s-era polio vaccine samples from The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, failed to find any traces of SIV, HIV-1, or DNA indicating that chimpanzee cells were used to prepare the vaccine, according to the scientist who coordinated the testing.
Dr. Claudio Basilico, chairman of microbiology at New York University Medical Center and head of Wistar's external AIDS/Poliovirus Advisory Committee, announced the findings at a Royal Society meeting in London, England, entitled "Origins of HIV and the AIDS Epidemic."
Taken together, the findings provide strong evidence to refute the theory that an oral polio vaccine prepared at The Wistar Institute and administered to people in the then-Belgian Congo in the late 1950s provided the route of transmission for HIV or HIV related viruses from chimpanzees to humans, as has been proposed by Mr. Edward Hooper in his book The River (Little, Brown and Co., 1999).
A linchpin in Hooper's theory is the supposition that chimpanzee cells were used in the preparation of the vaccine. For this reason, it is significant that the tests identified DNA from only one species of primate - the Asian macaque monkey, not the chimpanzee - in the Wistar vaccine samples. The two former Wistar scientists who developed the vaccines, Dr. Hilary Koprowski and Dr. Stanley Plotkin, have long maintained that no chimpanzee cells were used in their preparation.
"There is nothing in the results from these tests to support the theory that HIV entered the human population during the late 1950s poliovirus clinical trials in Africa," Basilico says. "The different tests performed by the three independent laboratories did not find any evidence of SIV or HIV in the samples nor did they find chimpanzee DNA. In fact, the laboratories were able to determine that all of the Wistar samples were grown in monkey cell cultures rather than chimpanzee cell cultures."
"We want to thank Basilico and the Wistar external AIDS/Poliovirus Advisory Committee, as well as the laboratories who generously donated their resources to this project, for shepherding these tests through to a conclusion," says Dr. Clayton Buck, acting director of The Wistar Institute. "We trust that these results will put to rest any remaining concerns of a link between a Wistar-produced oral polio vaccine and AIDS. The findings should also serve to restore public confidence in the production and administration of vaccines and in the response of science to public inquiry."
For the tests, the Wistar samples were subdivided and coded by Dr. Vincent Racaniello, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York. Sets of the samples were then delivered to the three independent laboratories which had agreed to perform the tests: Dr. Shirley Kwok, Roche Molecular Systems, Pleasanton, California; Dr. Svante Paabo, Max Planck Institute, Leipzig, Germany; and Dr. Simon Wain-Hobson, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France. Kwok tested for the presence of SIV/HIV in the samples; Paabo tested for the presence and species origin of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA in the samples; and Wain-Hobson's laboratory performed both tests.
Additional sets of samples, including control samples, were prepared and coded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Atlanta, Georgia, and delivered to the three testing laboratories. All codes were provided only to Basilico for later interpretation of the results.
The laboratories were selected by the Wistar external AIDS/Poliovirus Advisory Committee. The members of the committee are: Dr. Claudio Basilico, New York University Medical Center, New York, New York; Dr. Clayton Buck, Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Dr. Ronald Desrosiers, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Dr. David Ho, Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, New York, New York; and Dr. Eckard Wimmer, SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York.
Wistar covered costs of about $20,000 associated with the testing, with the participating laboratories contributing additional materials and services estimated to approach $100,000 in total.
This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line21
|
__label__wiki
| 0.888908
| 0.888908
|
THES Review
1959 Manchester Case of Syndrome Resembling AIDS
Dr Hilary Koprowski - The Man of Many Ideas
The Allegation that The River has Damaged Modern Attempts to Eradicate Polio
Scientists Reach no Conclusion on AIDS-Polio Vaccine Connection
Smoke and Mirrors from Stanley Plotkin
Submitted by Ed Hooper on Fri, 08/12/2006 - 1:00am
In the past on this site [for instance in "Plotkin's Chums (1): Eminent scientists sign their names to falsehoods"], I have referred to identical or nearly identical letters written by Stanley Plotkin and his allies to TV executives and film festival organisers, urging them not to show "The Origins of AIDS" documentary. The reason they offer for writing such letters is inherently dishonest, for each letter is based on the false assertion that the OPV theory of AIDS origin has been disproved.
Apart from legal threats delivered through their lawyers, this letter-writing campaign has been one of the major approaches that Dr Plotkin’s group have used in their ongoing attempts to counter, and indeed to suppress, the OPV hypothesis.
I have received copies of many of these letters, which I am holding in reserve for an appropriate moment. However, I have decided that it worth posting details about one such initiative on this web-site, to give readers some idea about how Dr Stanley Plotkin operates.
Plotkin’s latest ploy.
In September 2006 I received an e-mail from Arnie Gelbart, executive producer of Galafilm, the co-producers of "The Origins of AIDS". He said that following a recent broadcast of the film by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), letters of criticism from Dr Mark Wainberg and Dr Stanley Plotkin had been addressed to the head of news, and the executive vice president of CBC. He asked if I could provide any material to send to CBC to help them respond to these claims.
I realised almost immediately that Dr Wainberg was not only, as he described himself, a co-chair of the 16th International Conference on AIDS (the major world conference on that disease, which had just been held in Toronto).
He was also an active member of Dr Plotkin’s team of "OPV theory refuters": one of the nine collaborators who, since 2004, have assisted Plotkin by writing identical or nearly identical letters to TV companies and film festivals, urging them not to show a film ["The Origins of AIDS"] which they claimed was "dangerous" and "misleading". The fact that in this instance the two men had written separately to CBC, as if one was disinterestedly supporting the legitimate concerns of the other, struck me as rather revealing.
However, this latest initiative represents a good example of how Stanley Plotkin has chosen to respond to the OPV theory.
He has never made any sincere attempt to respond to the majority of the points made in, or questions raised by, The River, or in my follow-up articles. And he has never attempted to provide a convincing account of his own involvement, which was significant, in the 1950s OPV trials in the Belgian Congo.
Instead, Dr Plotkin’s approach has been as follows:
a) he has misrepresented certain specific points in the history which he believes cannot be checked; on the basis of these falsehoods he then later asserts that he has "proved Hooper wrong";
b) he has encouraged and assisted the placing of alleged counter-arguments to the OPV theory (such as the negative testing of vaccine samples; phylogenetic dating; and "wrong sub-species" of chimp) in the medical literature; most of these articles have apparently been written by his allies and collaborators, or else by scientists whose grants, and indeed careers, now seem to depend on their continuing to promulgate such arguments;
c) even though the arguments mentioned in (b) may later be revealed as dubious, flawed or bogus, Plotkin ignores all counter-evidence, and instead points to these published articles in order to assert that "Hooper’s allegations have been refuted"; (a surprising number of people, including scientists who should know better, appear to have been taken in by this approach, perhaps basing their reasoning on the assumption that "if it’s good enough for Nature and Science, it’s good enough for me");
d) he has provided copies of the articles cited in (b) to TV stations and film companies, and then pressured them not to broadcast a "misleading" film;
e) he and Koprowski have used a combination of letter-writing and legal initiatives in order to chip away at publishers, conference organisers and journal editors, with the intention of discrediting me personally, and/or eliminating The River and the "Origins of AIDS" documentary from the public domain.
[In these five foregoing points alone, I have used quote marks to indicate the spirit of what has been said, rather than direct quotations from Dr Plotkin.]
Dr Plotkin’s response to the OPV/AIDS theory has relied heavily on the fact that he has developed a predominantly favourable reputation among the virology and vaccine communities during a long career. He uses this existing goodwill as a base which places him in a good position to persuade friends that his claims on this issue ought to be believed, or else on occasions, I suspect, to call in favours.
However, his active role in this debate has also relied heavily on clandestine methods. He and his allies have relied on misinformation, obfuscation, and pressuring witnesses into adapting their stories on significant points - or else into silence. This is a "smoke and mirrors" approach. There is no evidence to indicate or suggest that Dr Plotkin himself is a spook, but the methods he has used have been tried and tested over many years by members of the intelligence community.
In addition, he has been able to employ collaborators or assistants to do much of the dirty work for him. This is an approach that requires access to money, of which both Stanley Plotkin and his former boss, Hilary Koprowski, have acquired a great deal in the course of their long careers. (Plotkin was for many years managing director of the Aventis Pasteur (now Sanofi Pasteur) vaccine house, and is still listed as a consultant to the CEO of that company. There is evidence, moreover, that this company has funded some of the Plotkin group’s more dubious activities in Africa. Koprowski is said to be worth more than $30 million, following his patenting of monoclonal antibodies in the US and Japan. This is a technique that was actually developed by Caesar Milstein at the Medical Research Council in the UK, but for which Koprowski managed to acquire some of the more lucrative patents.)
These are among the tactics which doctors Plotkin and Koprowski have used in a bid to persuade others to accept their "modified" versions of events. As a rule, only people who are backed up against a wall, or who are very worried about potential consequences, resort to such tactics.
I now have many examples in which I can prove that Dr Plotkin, Dr Koprowski and their allies have deliberately misrepresented the truth. If they feel they can disprove this, then perhaps they should sue me for libel or defamation. I will gladly see them in court.
In the past, Dr Plotkin has threatened me with legal action once, and Dr Koprowski has threatened either me, or my publishers and myself in tandem, on at least three occasions. On each occasion, either I or my publishers have responded robustly, and no response has been received from the other side....until (in the case of Koprowski) a few years pass, and he once again threatens litigation in a different form or format.
A study of Dr Koprowski's history reveals that this is a tactic to which he has resorted often during his long scientific career; in fact, he has used the threat of legal action as a device for getting his own way ever since the 1950s. As far as I can determine, he has not encountered very many opponents who are unafraid of him, and who are fully prepared to oppose his legal threats.
In any case, in recent years doctors Plotkin and Koprowski have adopted a different tack. They steer well clear of me, but instead they employ lawyers in a bid to pressure book publishers and television executives into not publishing books, or not broadcasting films, on this subject.
I have decided that enough is enough. I now have so much evidence about the activities of these doctors and about the untruths they have told, especially about their activities in Africa, that I feel it is time to invite them to put up or shut up. If they believe that they have evidence to show that I'm a liar, then let them produce that evidence.
Even though there are strong suggestions that the two doctors read the items posted on this web-site, I do not expect to hear back from them. This is despite the fact that they would clearly love to sue me for libel or defamation. However, as they and their lawyers know, "libel" is not libel if the writer has evidence to support what he claims - which I have, and which they, in very many cases, clearly do not!
In any case, I believe it is vitally important that some of their approaches to modifying the truth are exposed, even if the process, for several reasons, has to be a gradual one. Accordingly, copies of Dr Plotkin’s and Dr Wainberg’s letters to CBC can be read below, as can the three enclosures that accompanied Dr Plotkin's letter. The letter that I wrote to Jerry McIntosh, Director of Independent Documentaries at CBC, in response to the claims in the two doctors’ letters can also be read.
Finally, just to complete the CBC history, I am led to believe that a polite but robust written response from a CBC executive to doctors Wainberg and Plotkin had already been drafted, or possibly sent, even before my letter to CBC arrived. Apparently it was pointed out that "The Origins of AIDS" had raised valid questions about how AIDS might have started. It was also apparently pointed out that, contrary to Plotkin's and Wainberg's claims, neither the bushmeat nor the OPV theory had been proven or disproven, and that it was therefore legitimate for a responsible news organisation like CBC to continue to examine and discuss both theories.
Ed Hooper. November 23rd, 2006; slightly adapted December 8th, 2006.
Re: "The Origins of AIDS" documentary, and subsequent complaints about its recent broadcast by CBC.
Dear Mr McIntosh,
My name is Edward Hooper. I am the author of a book entitled The River, and I featured as a talking head in the later stages of the Galafilm/MFP documentary, "The Origins of AIDS", a film that ends up offering considerable support to the oral polio vaccine [OPV] theory of origin of AIDS. I personally am strongly persuaded that this theory explains how the AIDS pandemic began.
The OPV theory proposes that pandemic HIV-1 arrived in humans via an OPV called CHAT, which was administered to nearly one million colonised Africans in the Belgian Congo and Ruanda-Urundi in the late 1950s and which, uniquely for such a vaccine, was prepared in the cells of the common chimpanzee, the animal that is host to a simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) that is the immediate ancestor of HIV-1.
The documentary has been extremely well-received and has won several awards, which is why opponents of the OPV theory have been trying so hard to suppress it.
My help has recently been sought by Arnie Gelbart of Galafilm, who has sent me a copy of an e-mail to him from your colleague Christine Whalen, together with letters to the executive officers of CBC by doctors Plotkin and Wainberg, and a copy of Dr Plotkin’s editorial in Vaccine, entitled "Chimpanzees and journalists".
I think it's rather important that you (and CBC) have the full picture of what is going on here, which is rather different from what you might assume on the basis of the latter three documents.
I note that Dr Plotkin, in his letter to Dr Burman, describes CBC’s broadcasting of "The Origins of AIDS" as "a wilful act of ignorance and irresponsibility", and that Dr Wainberg, in his earlier letter, describes the OPV theory as one that is "dangerously misleading" and that has been "scientifically refuted".
The first thing to point out is that doctors Plotkin and Wainberg are not just casual allies in this matter. They have been actively collaborating for more than two years, writing a series of identical or near-identical letters to film festival directors, urging them to drop the "Origins of AIDS" documentary from their schedules. I have copies of some of these letters. Moreover I believe, but cannot prove, that these men have also written similar letters to other television executives.
Dr Wainberg is one of a group of eight or nine doctors who have consistently collaborated with Dr Plotkin in this initiative since (at latest) the summer of 2004. The group also includes doctors Beatrice Hahn and Bette Korber (two of the most prominent supporters of the "officially-approved" bushmeat theory of AIDS origin, and both virulent opponents of the OPV theory); Hahn’s former boss Dr Robert Gallo (who has described Plotkin’s former boss, the developer of CHAT vaccine, Dr Hilary Koprowski, as his "mentor"); doctors Robin Weiss and Simon Wain-Hobson (the two surviving organisers of the Royal Society conference on "Origins of HIV and the AIDS epidemic" in 2000); and Dr John Moore, an AIDS vaccine expert with a good command of the English language, who has been metaphorically described by colleagues as a "gun for hire", and who Dr Plotkin seems to have hired as a media and public relations advisor.
[Some further background. The bushmeat theory of origin proposes that pandemic HIV-1 arose via a single zoonotic (cross-species) infection in around 1931, after a bushmeat hunter or seller became infected with chimpanzee SIV, perhaps through a cut. It does not explain why AIDS (and not only the pandemic, but any of the other three known outbreaks) failed to appear before the twentieth century, and there is a 600-mile distance between the place where the bushmeat proponents believe the crucial zoonosis occurred, and Leopoldville/Kinshasa – the place they believe was the cradle of the epidemic. By contrast, the OPV theory can readily explain these two factors.]
If the arguments that Stanley Plotkin’s letter-writers made in their identical letters were proven, or even scientifically or historically reasonable, then one could not take issue with their campaign. But that is emphatically not the case.
Throughout the course of this campaign, their approach has been to present themselves as disinterested scientific “experts” who, because of their expertise, are party to the truth about how AIDS began. The reality, however, is that the letter-writers have a political agenda – that of suppressing open discussion of an uncomfortable alternative theory (OPV), by means fair or foul.
Almost every one of the scientific claims made by these men and women is either speculative, misleading, or just plain untrue. They rely on hypothesis and assertion, but when examined closely, it becomes apparent that their arguments are not supported by sound scientific reasoning. (I shall support these claims in more detail below.)
Their historical claims are based on a series of falsehoods - falsehoods which have been systematically placed in the medical literature in the last eight years, mainly by the same group of doctors and their allies. A group of three Belgian and Dutch scientists who have been working for Dr Plotkin since 2000, and whose work has been financed at least in part by the company of which Plotkin was formerly managing director (Sanofi Pasteur, formerly known as Aventis Pasteur) has pressured several of the witnesses whom I had previously tape-recorded, and quoted in The River, persuading them to adapt their testimony on key points. African collaborators of Dr Plotkin have used financial inducements to encourage certain African witnesses to do the same. Fortunately, not all of those so approached have acquiesced with this process, and I have evidence (much of it documentary evidence) to illustrate what has happened.
Before I go any further, I should provide some brief background about myself. Between 1985 and 1987 I was a Uganda-based freelance journalist working mainly for the BBC and the Guardian (but on a couple of occasions for CBC radio). I first came across the AIDS epidemic by chance in 1986, and I have been researching and writing exclusively about AIDS since 1987. Since 1990 I have written only three or four articles for newspapers or magazines, so it is hardly appropriate for Dr Plotkin and his allies to refer to me as a “journalist”, though it suits them to do so, and thus imply that I merely have a passing interest in the subject. I don’t much like pigeon-holing myself, but since I have spent the last 19 years researching and writing books about AIDS (and the last 16 years about the origins of the condition), I personally feel that the terms "author" and "science writer" are more appropriate.
The great majority of those who have read my work, and in particular The River, would attest, I believe, that I am a careful and conscientious researcher, a good science writer, and a man of integrity. (Of course, the aforementioned scientists would doubtless disagree!) But at the risk of being accused of blowing my own trumpet, I will go further. In recent years, several scientists who are widely considered to be wise and impartial, and who are well-versed in this field, have told me (or others) that I probably know more about the subject of the origin of AIDS, in all its aspects (scientific, historical and political) than anyone else alive. One person who said this to my face was the great evolutionary biologist, Bill Hamilton, who was my mentor, and who wrote the foreword to The River. Sadly, Bill died in 2000, after paying a second visit to the Congo in an attempt to gather further faecal specimens from chimpanzees. After his death, this unassuming man was lionised, with one obituary describing him as "the greatest biologist since Charles Darwin".
Now let me turn to the "Chimpanzees and journalists" editorial by Dr Stanley Plotkin. It should be noted that Dr Plotkin is on the editorial board of Vaccine, in which the editorial appears, and that this little-known journal therefore provides him with a convenient mouthpiece for his views.
He bases his editorial primarily on an article in the same issue of Vaccine written by Dr Paul Osterrieth, which we may presume was commissioned by Dr Plotkin himself. Dr Osterrieth was head of the virology lab at the Laboratoire Medical de Stanleyville [LMS], where the CHAT vaccine experiments were carried out in the late 1950s. Osterrieth’s article is entitled: “Oral polio vaccine: fact versus fiction”, but unfortunately it relies heavily on the latter. Several of the claims that Osterrieth makes in that article are provably untrue, and some of his claims contradict statements he himself has previously made in published writings on this subject.
Dr Osterrieth has for several years been unreliable about what he did and did not do at the LMS. In the one page paper he presented before the Royal Society in 2000, entitled "Vaccine could not have been prepared in Stanleyville", Dr Osterrieth asserted that "[the polio] [v]accine was never handled in my laboratory, and contamination with chimpanzee cells was not possible". But I have seven or eight witnesses, Belgian and African, who state unequivocally that the polio vaccine in question (CHAT) was handled in his laboratory. Several other witnesses have told me that materials (organs and blood) from some of the 450-odd chimpanzees that were sacrificed at Lindi camp (a holding centre for over 500 chimps that was set up in the rain forest, some 15 kilometres from Stanleyville) were routinely brought to Osterrieth’s lab, so clearly contamination (either accidental or through vaccine production) was possible.
Furthermore, the chief LMS lab technician of that period, Pierre Doupagne, told me in 2002 that he himself had routinely prepared chimpanzee tissue cultures and given them to Dr Osterrieth, "to do what with, I do not know". That was a courageous admission for Doupagne (a personal friend of Osterrieth’s) to make, even if he was not prepared to go the whole way and admit what Osterrieth was doing with the tissue cultures. However, African assistants who were working at the LMS, one of them in Osterrieth’s lab, testify that Osterrieth himself was indeed preparing the polio vaccine there. This process was not complicated, for it simply involved the inoculation of a small quantity of the American-made polio vaccine into chimpanzee tissue culture, to make a larger quantity of new vaccine of higher titer, or concentration. (This is similar to the process of seeding a litre of warm milk with a spoonful of old yogurt, to produce a fresh pot of yogurt.) In short, it is clear that the title of Osterrieth’s article is misleading, and that in reality, vaccine could very readily have been prepared in Stanleyville, just as the lab assistants stated.
Supporting this analysis, I have three significant witnesses who held senior roles with respect to the Stanleyville research programme in the 1950s, and who have told me quite simply that Koprowski’s vaccine was being prepared in the cells of the Lindi chimps. Furthermore, I have eye-witnesses who confirm each individual step of the process, from the extraction of kidneys from an anaesthetised but still living chimpanzee (to minimise the risks of bacterial contamination), to the feeding of vaccine that had been made in Osterrieth’s lab to soldiers in the local army camp. Most of these steps are multiply confirmed.
To sum up, I believe there is overwhelming evidence (both documentary and testimonial) to show that Dr Osterrieth is not telling the truth about the work he did at the LMS.
However, in his editorial, Dr Plotkin predicates his entire argument on the assumption that the claims in Osterrieth’s "Fact versus fiction" article should be treated as gospel truth, and therefore as an irrevocable disproof of my claim that CHAT vaccine was being prepared locally, and in chimpanzee cells. Let me now address some of the specific scientific claims made in the Vaccine editorial. Unlike several of Dr Plotkin’s previous contributions on this subject, this article is written in seemingly restrained and reasonable language. However, that title, "Chimpanzees and journalists" gives some sense of the aggression that is bubbling beneath the surface.
[In each case below, I indicate the paragraph of the editorial in which the initial claim appears. I list some appropriate supporting references at the end of this letter.]
a) [Paragraph 2] Plotkin’s assertion that the "physical evidence" presented at two conferences on the origins of HIV-1, held at London and Rome, "was all against the OPV hypothesis" is a falsehood. To explain why, I need first to provide some brief background about those meetings, both of which (though the Plotkin camp might deny it) were convened in direct response to a reawakening of public and scientific interest in the OPV hypothesis, after The River was published in 1999.
The Society meeting held in London in 2000 was carefully choreographed by the above-mentioned doctors, Weiss and Wain-Hobson, in order to present an apparent victory for the medical powers-that-be, and a come-uppance for myself - and was so reported in most press outlets. (Bill Hamilton, who had initially proposed this conference to the Royal Society, was also scheduled to be a co-organiser, but sadly he died before the meeting took place.) Before the conference, the list of speakers was adapted in order to overcome the objections of doctors Plotkin, Koprowski, Hahn and Korber, who had otherwise threatened to boycott the meeting. Dr Weiss insisted that only one epidemiologist (Dr Kevin De Cock, a collaborator of Dr Hahn’s) should be allowed as a full speaker, and at the end of the meeting, Weiss delivered a profoundly biased closing speech.
At the Rome meeting a year later (also initially proposed by Bill Hamilton) I was asked to speak in his place, which was a great honour. Here, the balance of speakers was much fairer. Yet Dr Weiss had again been invited in order to give the closing comments, and again his analysis was one-sided, simply ignoring most of the new information I had presented. I was so disgusted that I found myself rising from my chair and walking out.
In reality, not one single piece of "physical evidence" against the OPV theory was presented at either of these conferences.
None the less, let me examine the evidence that was presented. At the Royal Society meeting, various scientists reported the testing of five or six different American-made pools of the suspect polio vaccine, CHAT, which had belatedly been released by Koprowski’s former institute, the Wistar. They found these CHAT samples to be free of HIV-1, chimpanzee SIV, and chimp DNA – and their negative results were undoubtedly accurately reported. However, doctors Plotkin and Koprowski then falsely claimed that these were the same vaccines that had been used in Africa. In fact, none of these vaccine samples had ever been near Africa, and neither were they from the same vaccine batches that were used in Africa. (A batch represents vaccine made in a single production run. Therefore every vaccine batch is considered homogenous, which cannot be said of every vaccine pool.)
My suspicions about this crucial detail were confirmed in early 2001, when I returned to Africa for eight weeks, and discovered that batches of CHAT vaccine had been locally prepared in Stanleyville/Kisangani. Put simply, the original vaccine had been regrown locally in the cells and sera of common chimpanzees, hundreds of which were available (supposedly merely for testing polio vaccine safety) at Lindi camp. I have since learnt that in the late 1950s it was standard practice for recipient laboratories in places like Europe, Africa and Asia to regrow American-produced polio vaccines in locally available tissue culture cells. This had the effect of boosting both quantity and also titer, or concentration. (However, in the case of the Stanleyville research, there may also have been an experimental aspect to the work.)
Plotkin, Koprowski and Osterrieth have stated that my claims that CHAT was prepared locally in Stanleyville are based on the memories of unreliable African technicians, who didn’t know what was going on. I find this (to say the least) quite condescending. However, since my 2001 trip, further (senior, non-African) sources have confirmed this crucial detail about local preparation in Stanleyville, and it is now apparent that the majority of the CHAT vaccine used in Africa (with the exception of a final campaign in Burundi, which occurred at the start of 1960) was locally prepared.
(One further related point. Plotkin claims that since The River was published, "the author seems to have abandoned the idea that contamination occurred in Philadelphia and now postulates wildcat production of CHAT in chimpanzee cells in Stanleyville". What he fails to say is that my initial belief that the vaccine could only have been made in America or Europe was based almost exclusively on assurances provided by himself and Dr Koprowski, and by doctors Osterrieth and Ninane from the LMS. I can now prove that significant parts of the information provided by these doctors in their early interviews was deliberately misleading. I detected much of this false testimony before The River was published in 1999, but as I say, only obtained confirmation that vaccine had been locally prepared in chimp cells in 2001.)
b) [Paragraph 2] Plotkin, Hahn and Korber claim that the ancestor of HIV-1 existed in or around 1931, long before the polio vaccine trials. However, this is pseudo-science, using a false model to "calculate" the age of the virus. (More than any other organism known to medical science, HIV-1 evolves through recombination, a process whereby two different strains of the virus meet inside a cell – either in a living host, or else in a tissue culture in a laboratory - and exchange genetic material to produce an entirely new progeny. Some have described this process as "viral sex". 90% of HIV-1’s evolution occurs through recombination, and only 10% through mutation, an entirely different process. Yet the dating techniques of the geneticists like Korber are able to measure only mutation. The geneticists’ claims that they can date the age of the HIVs by theoretical calculations are, quite simply, spurious.)
[Paragraph 2] Plotkin claims that "the chimpanzees available to the [Stanleyville] research team in the late 1950s, had they been infected with SIV, would have been infected by strains distant from HIV-1", but this is pure speculation.
Plotkin and Hahn both assert that the true ancestor of pandemic HIV-1 is found only in one sub-species of the common chimp, Pan troglodytes troglodytes [ptt], the range of which begins 800 miles west of Kisangani/Stanleyville. It is true that the genetic analysis of chimp SIVs that has been published to date suggests that SIV-infected Ptt chimps seem to have a virus that is normally about 10% closer genetically to pandemic HIV-1 than the SIV of the Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii [Pts] chimps that are found near Stanleyville/Kisangani. However, fewer than 1 in 200 chimp troops from central Africa have been sampled, and all the sampling carried out to date has been done either by Beatrice Hahn or her collaborators. There is evidence to suggest that certain interesting results that do not fit with her overall thesis may not have been published.
Furthermore, this entire line of enquiry may well be irrelevant. Firstly, because I have recently located a document that proves what I had long suspected from anecdotal accounts: that the Ptt sub-species of chimps was also present among the research animals used at Stanleyville. The second reason is that if pandemic HIV-1 arose through recombination between different chimp SIV strains, as appears increasingly likely, then the SIVs from either sub-species (Ptt or Pts), or indeed both sub-species, could have provided the necessary ingredients.
Lastly, Dr Plotkin raises doubts about whether the Stanleyville chimps would have been SIV-infected. However, roughly 13% of wild chimpanzees (both Ptt and Pts) seem to be naturally infected with SIV, meaning that approximately 50 of the chimps that were specifically used for the polio research are likely to have been SIV-infected upon arrival at Lindi camp. Co-caging and group caging of chimps were practised at both Lindi and the LMS research hangar, which would have readily allowed onward transmission of SIVs, whether from Pts or Ptt, to further chimpanzees of either sub-species.
d) [Paragraph 1] Plotkin writes that: "A correlation between locations where CHAT was administered and early possible cases of AIDS was also proposed [by Hooper], though the supposed correlation was later heavily criticised." The claims by Dr De Cock that there was no epidemiological linkage between the vaccinations and the first appearances of HIV-1 and AIDS were inherently slanted, and all the more so because he inexplicably excluded the vaccinations in Ruanda-Urundi, which made up two-thirds of the total, from his analysis. Plotkin’s own analysis of the data was indeed heavily critical of me, but it was also highly revealing, being littered with mistakes, which served to show both his bias and his ignorance of African geography.
An experienced statistician has since looked at the raw data, and concluded that the correlations between CHAT vaccinations and early HIV-1 are "highly significant" (meaning there is a chance of less than 1 in 1,000 that the findings result from coincidence), and those between the vaccinations and early AIDS are "significant" (a less than 1 in 100 chance of coincidence). These two quite separate epidemiological confirmations are immensely important, and the work will be published soon.
e) [Paragraph 3] Plotkin claims that virologists who visited the LMS in the 1950s state that "Osterrieth’s attempts at simian cell culture [ie making tissue culture] post-date the vaccination campaign in which HIV-transfer supposedly occurred." Yet information obtained from Pierre Doupagne in Belgium, and his assistant in Africa indicates the opposite. They claim that they were preparing chimp cultures from 1956 (the year Lindi camp opened) at latest, and supplying them to Osterrieth. Furthermore, one of Osterrieth’s assistants states that Osterrieth was making polio vaccine in the weeks immediately preceding the key vaccination campaign in Ruzizi (which occurred in February to April 1958).
f) [Paragraph 4] Plotkin suggests that technicians and other persons working at the LMS may have confused "diluting a [vaccine] stock made in Philadelphia" with "making new vaccine". Again, this is disingenuous and misleading. Both contemporary articles and the personal diary of one of the vaccinators reveal that dilution of the CHAT vaccine in Africa took place not in the lab, but in the field, on the morning that the vaccine was to be used. Later, Plotkin writes that: "Those scientists with a technical background sufficient to make the distinction [between diluting vaccine and making vaccine] are unanimous in doubting that a vaccine could have been produced [in Stanleyville]." This claim is absurd. Growing polio vaccine virus in local tissue culture is not a difficult process, provided that all lab tools and glassware are kept sterile. Killed polio vaccines were being produced locally in Africa in the cells of local primates from 1953 onwards, and live vaccines were being similarly produced from 1955 onwards. One of the places where both types of vaccine were being produced was the small veterinary lab of Gabu, in the same Congolese province as Stanleyville. The vaccine-maker was an inconoclastic Polish vet called Alexandre Jezierski, with whose work both Koprowski and his Belgian collaborators were familiar, from (respectively) 1955 and 1954 onwards.
g) [Paragraph 5] Plotkin states that "Although the journalist in question will never abandon his ideas, they have not been confirmed, and it is unfortunate that they have hindered eradication of polio by OPV in Africa." The latter claim, just like similar claims by Dr Koprowski, is false, and is part of a smear campaign designed to present me as the villain of the piece. Different peoples in Africa have been refusing to accept vaccines since the beginning of the last century, and refusing polio vaccines since at least the 1970s. The reasons given are various, and include fears that the vaccines are contaminated with substances such as "family planning drugs", "cancer" and "AIDS". Plotkin and Koprowski’s claims are pure fabrication, for not one of the articles they cite actually blames vaccine refusal on my work. Indeed, one of the articles cited by Koprowski does not even exist! In reality, the recent rejection of polio vaccines in northern Nigeria seems to have been largely based on religio-cultural-political concerns following 9/11.
Furthermore, virologists with whom I have spoken believe that for a variety of technical reasons, complete eradication of poliovirus from the planet may prove to be extremely difficult. It may therefore suit the interests of certain scientists to try to blame the failure to eradicate polio (which was originally scheduled for year 2000) on myself. I should perhaps add that in all my public statements on this issue, I have always stressed that: "as far as is known, modern polio vaccines are safe."
Dr Plotkin asserts that "[t]he journalist in question will never abandon his ideas", but again he is wrong. I am perfectly prepared to abandon my "ideas" if Dr Plotkin or others ever produce a single piece of compelling proof to refute the OPV theory. Up to now, all Dr Plotkin has managed to produce is a mixture of indignation, sloppy science, and false testimonies. There is now so much evidence of false reporting by Plotkin and his collaborators, and by some of the sources he quotes, that no impartial observer could reasonably explain away all the instances as "honest mistakes" or the product of "faulty memories". It is now quite clear that a deliberate cover-up is underway.
In the last seven years this cover-up has been greatly assisted by scientific friends and colleagues of Plotkin and Koprowski, some of whom are quite innocently inclined to "take their word for it". The cover-up has also been assisted by certain defensive virologists and public health officials who believe that an attack on the safety of any vaccine, even an experimental vaccine used only in the late 1950s, constitutes an attack on the safety of vaccination per se.
A major role in the process has been played by the two main pillars of scientific enquiry, Nature and Science, which over the last seven years have regularly published (to great fanfare) new "disproofs" and "refutations" of the OPV theory, not one of which has stood up scientifically. Yet these journals steadfastly refuse to publish the responses of those (including myself) who think differently, or even to allow the theory they are so determined to refute to be laid out, just once, in their pages.
It is surely no coincidence that all major coverage of AIDS in Nature is channelled through Robin Weiss, while major AIDS coverage in Science is apparently routed through another committed defender of Koprowski, Jon Cohen.
I have already written far more than I intended to write. Apart from supplying some supporting references (mainly essays from my web-site, which themselves cite a wide range of references), I will now bring this response to a close.
One thing I should make clear, however, is that I am fully familiar with the libel laws, and that I can support the claims made in this letter.
Dr Plotkin has tried threatening me legally on two occasions, and his old boss, Dr Koprowski, has done so on three occasions. On each occasion, I responded robustly, and never heard from them again.
In reality, these two men will never carry through a legal suit against me, because they are fully aware (a) that even if I had to finance it myself, I would go to court to fight them; (b) that they would not win such a court case; and (c) that so much information directly confounding their claims would come to light that the event would almost certainly arouse considerable media interest.
Their technique, instead, is quietly to pressure people such as television executives, film festival organisers, book publishers and journal publishers with letters of the type you have received, letters which falsely seek to present the debate as one that they have already won, and letters which (in the past at least) have often hinted at the possibility of legal action. Using such clandestine approaches, they have achieved a surprising degree of success in promoting their own fabricated versions of history, and suppressing the OPV theory.
I believe that such smoke and mirrors techniques have traditionally been used in the past by certain corporations, such as those that have been determined to promote the safety of cigarette-smoking, or to present the concept of global warming as a myth.
I estimate that I get to hear about only some 20% to 30% of such approaches - but whenever I have the time, I try - as here - to provide appropriate counter-evidence.
If you do wish to have further details, I would be willing to cooperate, and could, if required, supply supporting material for the claims made in this letter. However, I’m afraid I could only do this if I were paid professional rates for my time. I am 100% independent in my research, and I have placed a lot of my written material in the public domain so that it is feely available, for instance on my web-site, www.aidsorigins.com. However, I am currently busy with my own work, and so would need to charge for any further hours or days spent following up this issue on your behalf.
I hope that this discussion of the Plotkin documents has been of assistance to you.
Edward Hooper
(all of which can be found on www.aidsorigins.com):
1) A response to the alleged scientific "disproofs" of the OPV theory that are claimed by Dr Plotkin and his collaborators:
"The latest scientific evidence strongly supports the OPV theory",E. Hooper; January 2005.
2) An analysis of the slanted nature of the debate at the Royal Society:
The Politics of a Scientific Meeting: The Origin-of-AIDS Debate at the Royal Society , B. Martin, Politics and the Life Sciences 20 (2) 119-130 (September 2005).
3) A response to Dr Plotkin’s claims that The River has endangered the global polio eradication campaign:
"As far as is known, modern polio vaccines are safe", E. Hooper; February 2004.
4) My latest article responding to Dr Beatrice Hahn’s claims that she has discovered the "source" of HIV-1:
"The Hollywooding of Science", E. Hooper; August 2006.
5) If proved, the OPV theory might spark a billion-dollar class-action law suit. For this and other reasons, there are genuine concerns that one of Dr Plotkin’s supporters might be tempted to fabricate "evidence" in a bid to support his position. In the following article, I highlight the genuine concerns that one of these scientists might be tempted to cheat in a big way.
"Three warnings about potential future malpractice by members of 'the bushmeat group’", E. Hooper; August 2006.
6) In this article, I describe how, in 2001, doctors collaborating with Stanley Plotkin smuggled highly relevant 1950s biopsy and autopsy samples out of Kisangani (formerly Stanleyville); nothing has been heard of them since.
"The annexing of the Stanleyville samples", E. Hooper; November 2004.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line22
|
__label__wiki
| 0.761672
| 0.761672
|
Ford announces scrappage scheme for pre-Euro 5 vehicles
Freight & Transport, Passenger Cars
Will Date
Car-giant Ford has announced a car and van scrappage scheme for pre-Euro 5 vehicles, which will offer customers incentives to switch to lower emission Euro 6 models.
Applicable to Ford cars or vans registered before December 2009, the scheme will enable eligible consumers to benefit from of a scrappage incentive of £2,000 which can be used to offset the price of a variety of new petrol or diesel model.
Ford customers can get a £2,000 incentive for scrapping pre-Euro 5 petrol and diesel vehicles registered in 2009 or earlier
The scrappage programme will run to the end of the year and is effective for registrations from 1 September to 31 December 2017.
Announcing the scheme, Andy Barratt, chairman and managing director of Ford of Britain “Ford shares society’s concerns over air quality. Removing generations of the most polluting vehicles will have the most immediate positive effect on air quality, and this Ford scrappage scheme aims to do just that.
“We don’t believe incentivising sales of new cars goes far enough and we will ensure that all trade-in vehicles are scrapped. Acting together we can take hundreds of thousands of the dirtiest cars off our roads and out of our cities.”
According to Ford, all of its new EcoBoost petrol and EcoBlue diesel models meet the Euro 6 standard, which came into effect in September 2015.
The standard sets a maximum emission limit of 0.06g/km for nitrogen oxides from petrol vehicles, 0.08g/km for nitrogen oxides from diesel vehicles and 0.0045g/km particulate matter from diesel.
In order to be eligible for the Ford scrappage scheme, the vehicle is required to have been registered up to 31 December 2009, and must have been registered in the owner’s name for at least 90 days. The trade-in vehicle must be scrapped to receive the incentive.
All new ships should be zero-emission capable by 2025, says DfT
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line25
|
__label__wiki
| 0.605361
| 0.605361
|
Window On The Arctic
Image source: www.abercrombiekent.com
A new observatory at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean will help keeps tabs on the delicate environment of the far north.
Canada’s University of Victoria, which runs the station has stated that the observatory will relay information continuously throughout the year for the first time ever.
The observatory includes an underwater camera, microphone, and a device that can measure ice thickness, coupled with instruments to measure temperature, salinity, and other data that can be used to monitor the health of the environment.
There is also an above-ground weather station to track local weather patterns and climate data.
University of Victoria researchers finished installing the observatory’s instruments in late 2012 before frigid conditions could halt their progress. It’s located in Cambridge Bay, in the Canadian province of Nunavut, north of the Arctic Circle.
The design of the new observatory is based in part on two larger networks of seafloor monitors off the coast of British Columbia’s Vancouver Island, named VENUS and NEPTUNE. The latter is made up of six different instrument stations that gather data on plate tectonics, hydrothermal vents and deep sea creatures.
NEPTUNE Canada, the world’s first regional-scale cabled observatory network, is located off the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The network, which extends across the Juan de Fuca plate, gathers live data from a rich constellation of instruments deployed in a broad spectrum of undersea environments.
VENUS was installed in the Saanich Inlet array in early 2006. The Strait of Georgia Mid-Water node was deployed at 170m in early 2008 and later that year, the Deep Water Node at 287m. The data is transmitted via high-speed fibre optic communications from the seafloor to an innovative data archival system at the University of Victoria. This system provides free Internet access to an immense wealth of data, both live and archived throughout the life of the planned 25-year project.
The new observatory built on Arctic Ocean seafloor in Nunavut, Canada will track climate and ocean data that could be used to sustain the fragile environment.
Written by Jenne Attebery KopalekPosted in Ecology, Science, Society, TechnologyTags: Arctic, Arctic Circle, Meteorology, Underwater observatory, weatherDecember 6, 2013
Learn More About The World With Journey North
Hipped Roof House With Engawa Feature
Oceanic Architecture Of The Future
Beat Indoor Boredom With These Activities For Kids
Commercial Airline Flights To Monitor Weather
The Zero Energy House in Auckland, New Zealand was a project intended to ...
If a 2-wheeled ride is your thing, these practical pathways may be of interest. ...
Diatoms are single‐celled microalgae that have exterior shells. Their shells ...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line27
|
__label__cc
| 0.578558
| 0.421442
|
Home » Search My Neighborhood » Events » Calendar of Events » Somerset County » Upcoming events at TD Bank Ballpark
Upcoming events at TD Bank Ballpark Family Events in Somerset County
31 upcoming events at TD Bank Ballpark
To ensure the best possible experience, please check with the host before attending in case details have changed.
Somerset Patriots vs. York Revolution Sports PG Pick!
The Somerset Patriots will welcome SpongeBob SquarePants to the ballpark to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the premier of the legendary children's show. The team has partnered with the ALS...
When: Wednesday, July 17, 7:05PM-10:05PM
Where: TD Bank Ballpark, 1 Patriots Park, Bridgewater, NJ 08807
Join us at TD Bank Ballpark for a special 11:05 am Day Game. It's a Businessperson Special. Take an extended lunch break and get out of the office for a little fun at the ballpark!
When: Thursday, July 18, 11:05PM-2:05PM
Somerset Patriots vs. Long Island Ducks Sports PG Pick!
Don't miss the Best FIREWORKS Show in New Jersey following the game.
When: Friday, July 26, 7:05PM-10:05PM
When: Saturday, July 27, 7:05PM-10:05PM
The ZOOperstars will entertain fans throughout the game. Come out and enjoy one of the best entertainment acts in minor league baseball! The game features Scout Night with the Somerset Patriots....
When: Sunday, July 28, 5:05PM-8:05PM
Join us at TD Bank Ballpark for Bark In The Park Night. Bring your well-behaved, socialized dog to the game to enjoy a night out with the whole family. Dogs must have all their shots and be...
When: Tuesday, July 30, 7:05PM-10:05PM
The first 1,500 Fans in attendance will receive a Fan Choice Bobblehead when they enter the ballpark. The Somerset Patriots will host Sparkee's Birthday Bash. Come celebrate with Sparkee and all...
Join us at TD Bank Ballpark for a special 11:05 am Day Game. It's a Businessperson Special. Take an extended lunch break and get out of the office for a little fun at the ballpark! It's a Senior...
When: Wednesday, July 31, 11:05PM-2:05PM
When: Thursday, August 1, 7:05PM-10:05PM
Somerset Patriots vs. Sugar Land Skeeters Sports PG Pick!
The first 2,500 Fans in attendance will receive a T-Shirt when they enter the ballpark. The Somerset Patriots will host 90's Night at the ballpark. Fans will be able to enjoy different activities...
When: Friday, August 9, 7:05PM-10:05PM
Come out and enjoy Somerset Patriots Baseball followed by the Best FIREWORKS Show In New Jersey! The game features a Fortnite event at the ballpark. Fans will be able to play the popular survival...
When: Saturday, August 10, 7:05PM-10:05PM
The Somerset Patriots will host a special 30th Anniversary Celebration of the sports comedy classic Major League. Actor Corbin Bernsen, who played 3B Roger Dorn in the movie, will appear at the...
When: Sunday, August 11, 5:05PM-8:05PM
Somerset Patriots vs. Lancaster Barnstormers Sports PG Pick!
The game features STAR WARS Night with the Somerset Patriots. Come out and see your favorite STAR WARS characters at the game. Characters will take pictures during the game on the main concourse....
When: Tuesday, August 13, 7:05PM-10:05PM
When: Wednesday, August 14, 11:05PM-2:05PM
The game features Garden State Agricultural Night. Enjoy a Farmers Fair at TD Bank Ballpark from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
When: Thursday, August 15, 7:05PM-10:05PM
Somerset Patriots vs. Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Sports PG Pick!
The game features Polish Heritage Night at the ballpark. Enjoy food specials, music, and much more celebrating Polish Heritage.
When: Friday, August 23, 7:05PM-10:05PM
Come out and enjoy Somerset Patriots Baseball followed by the Best FIREWORKS Show In New Jersey!
The first 2,000 Fans in attendance will receive a T-Shirt. The game is our annual Veterans of America Day Celebration at TD Bank Ballpark. Arrive early and help us honor our Veterans in a special...
When: Monday, August 26, 7:05PM-10:05PM
The first 2,000 Fans in attendance will receive a Bookmark.
It's a Senior Wednesday at TD Bank Ballpark. All fans 55+ will receive $5.00 Upper Box Tickets at the Box Office for this game. This game is an Unused Ticket or Voucher Exchange Date! Bring any...
When: Wednesday, August 28, 7:05PM-10:05PM
Come out and enjoy Somerset Patriots Baseball followed by the Best FIREWORKS Show In New Jersey! The game features Scout Night with the Somerset Patriots. Bring your Scout Group out to the...
Somerset Patriots vs. High Point Rockers Sports PG Pick!
Don't miss the Best FIREWORKS Show in New Jersey following the game. The game features Knights of Columbus Night at TD Bank Ballpark.
When: Friday, September 6, 7:05PM-10:05PM
The game is Superhero Day with the Somerset Patriots. The first 1,000 Kids in attendance will receive a Superhero Cape. Fans will be able to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of Batman at the game....
When: Saturday, September 7, 7:05PM-10:05PM
The game features a Grandparents Day Celebration at the ballpark! Come out to the ballpark early to meet and get autographs from all the Somerset Patriots players and coaches in the Sunday...
When: Sunday, September 8, 1:05PM-4:05PM
This game is an Unused Ticket or Voucher Exchange Date! Bring any unused tickets or vouchers from this season to the ticket office to exchange them for a ticket to this game.
When: Tuesday, September 10, 6:35PM-9:35PM
When: Wednesday, September 11, 6:35PM-9:35PM
When: Thursday, September 12, 6:35PM-9:35PM
Somerset Patriots vs. New Britain Bees Sports PG Pick!
Somerset Patriots vs. New Britain Bees at TD Bank Ballpark!
When: Friday, September 20, 7:05PM-10:05PM
Don't miss the Best FIREWORKS Show in New Jersey following the game. The game features our annual Irish Heritage Night at the ballpark. There will be a pre-game bag piper playing out front of the...
When: Saturday, September 21, 7:05PM-10:05PM
The game features Halloween Day at the ballpark! Come out to the ballpark early to meet and get autographs from all the Somerset Patriots players and coaches in the Sunday Autograph Session...
When: Sunday, September 22, 1:05PM-4:05PM
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line35
|
__label__cc
| 0.585125
| 0.414875
|
HITMAN from Halifax is a band that should be checked out. Anders Ekdahl ©2018
Let’s start with your latest recording. When you look back at it now what kind of feelings do you have for it?
-We are extremely excited to have our newest recordings finished. Looking back, it feels like a long road to get this EP to where it is now. It actually started off as a full length but due to time restrictions we ended up cutting it into part 1 and part 2. So there will be a second half coming early next year.
We love these songs and are proud of what we have accomplished but are even more excited for the future. We have definitely grown as a band even since starting this EP over a year ago.
I am fascinated by band names. What was it that made you settle on the one you have and what does it mean to you?
-Hitman was originally the title of one of our old songs that we no longer play. We had a show coming up and didn’t have a band name yet so we ended up using it as more of a placeholder just for that show… but as the years went on, all of a sudden we had shirts, CDs and flags. So I guess it stuck, haha.
What does it mean to you that there are people out there that actually appreciate and look forward to what you are doing?
-It’s amazing. It’s the greatest feeling to see someone you don’t know wearing your shirt or someone driving by blasting one of your songs. It’s nice to see the band growing every day and gaining new fans.
How important is image to the band? What impression do you want the fans to get of the band?
-We aren’t a very image driven band. We all wear what is comfortable. I (Sylvain) have played with a few bands who force you to wear the pants, and cut off sleeves and I couldn’t stand it. I much prefer to wear what is comfortable, as do the rest of the guys. We just try to let the music speak for itself. I’ve never really gotten into bands that are overly gimmicky.
I am a huge fan of LP art work. How important is it to have the right art work for your album?
-LP art is definitely very important. It’s the initial thing a potential new fan is going to notice if they are browsing in a record store (those are still a thing right?). When we get our artwork designed, I always try to think of how it would look blown up, or on a shirt. There are always multiple uses for one image. And if you’re lucky someone might get it tattooed on them, who knows! Haha
We live in a superficial world today where you don’t exist if you are not on Youtube and Facebook. Has social media been only beneficial in socializing with the fans or is there a down side to it too?
-I think social media is playing an awesome role in band development. People all over the world can stumble upon your music just by accident now. That would have been pretty much unheard of in the last generation. But with anything so new, there are definitely some downsides, but a lot if it is just learning how to play the same game differently.
When you play in a band does it feel like you are a part of a massive community? That you belong to something that gives meaning to your life?
-Absolutely, I think for all of us in the band, the music we play and the music we listen to and love, has shaped our lives to a sizable extent. For the four of us, music is pretty front and center even when we’re not on stage. Most of the closest people in our lives at this point, we’ve met through music in one way or another. But it’s not only our close circle; all it takes is to go on the road and you quickly see that there is some shared sense of community in the metal scene where ever you go. People we’ve never met before readily show us hospitality and are quick friends. I think because metal and heavier music isn’t so mainstream, that there’s this sense of community and belonging that exists, that may not be there for a lot of other types of music; like you’re in on this cool secret that not everyone is privy to or understands. It’s something that is our own and belongs to us…something that’s not just generically marketed to the masses.
When you are in the middle of it do you notice what state our beloved music scene is in? Is the scene healthy or does it suffer from some ailment?
-There will always be ups and downs. We’ve played packed shows and we’ve played shows where the crowd was a little lacking, haha. One thing I know for sure is that the people that love this kind of music LOVE this kind of music. The passion is definitely not lacking. As an independent touring band somewhat isolated on the East Coast of Canada where there aren’t any huge populations, they key is getting your product… your music… out there before you hit the road. It can be tough getting people to your shows the first time you hit a new city if no one has heard you or heard of you before. Touring and touring and touring some more is one way to get your music and name out there. Wrangling that beast known as social media, like we were talking about before, is another way. As far as the scene on a larger scale, there are metal bands packing stadiums and outdoor festivals around the world so I don’t feel like the scene is on life-support or anything. What’s important is getting these younger and newer bands playing these stadiums and festivals with some of the old guard metal bands that still command an audience. People need to be exposed to these up and coming bands. I’ve heard criticism that it’s a lot of the “older” bands in the scene that are still the main draws, but I can attest first hand that there are many, MANY jaw-dropping, amazing, talented metal bands doing the independent circuit, playing smaller shows, that are more than qualified to carry the torch.
How much of a touring band are you guys? How hard is it to get gigs outside of your borders?
-We are usually on the road quite a bit. This year has been a little slower with our focus on getting this EP finished. Over the last few years we have covered a ton of Canada and ventured over to the States once to play Warped Tour.
This year we’ve just been doing some festivals in Atlantic Canada, laying low to get the album done and planning for a tour in Europe for next summer.
What will the future bring?
-Tons of new fans, tons of tasty beers, lots of sleeping in vans and huge shows if we have a bit of luck.
« MOUNTAINEER
HAMADRIA »
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line37
|
__label__wiki
| 0.501356
| 0.501356
|
Interview with bluesman Steve Freund, a veteran musician where continues to share his love for the blues
Posted by Michael Limnios Blues Network on April 22, 2013 at 4:38pm
"People still have dramatic life experiences, and there are still artists who can express these experiences through music."
Steve Freund: The Flame of Blues Heat
Guitarist, producer and bandleader Steve Freund, praised by Rolling Stone for his "masterful, no-nonsense guitar work" continues to share his feeling for the blues wherever he can. Steve has appeared on over 34 albums, and produced seven. Steve’s third studio album, Lonesome Flight, was released by 9 Below Productions in 2010 and included nine original songs along with four blues classics. He also played on Koko Taylor’s Grammy winning Blues Explosion.
Steve began his career in Chicago as a second guitar behind Hubert Sumlin, Lee Jackson, Homesick James, Louis Myers, and many others. He spent two years working with Big Walter Horton and Floyd Jones, learning the deep blues and the idiosyncrasies that are part of the art. In 1978, he became Sunnyland Slim's main guitarist, playing just about every gig with the piano legend until the time of his death. Freund became the consummate piano accompanist working with Pinetop Perkins, Jimmy Walker, Henry Gray, Erwin Helfer and many more. He also spent nine years working with harmonica legend James Cotton.
Freund's dedication and knowledge of the blues earned him the opportunity to teach accredited courses at Chicago's Columbia College in 1993-94. He moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1990’s. He plays regularly at The Saloon in San Francisco, Cafe Van Kleef in Oakland, Armando's in Martinez and also tours nationally and internationally.
What do you learn about yourself from the blues, what does the blues mean to you?
The blues is the canvas that I paint my feelings on. It changes my emotions. It is a language that I speak.
What experiences in your life make you a GOOD BLUES MUSICIAN and SONGWRITER?
The deaths of my friends and family, love lost, and separation, all have influenced my performing and songwriting.
How do you describe Steve Freund sound and progress, which is your music philosophy?
I seek a clean guitar tone with a bit of "heat" to it. I prefer "round notes". I strive to sing and play with taste and creativity, and hope my sound continues to achieve a higher level each day.
From whom have you have learned the most secrets about blues? What is the best advice ever given you?
Playing with all the legends for many years has unlocked the secrets to me just by association, just by being with them. The best advice came from Floyd Jones and Hubert Sumlin, who both advised me to "just be yourself. Don't try to play like someone else." Fred Below also suggested that I try to play more like a saxophone. All good advice.
I won't mention the worst moment, and there have been several highlights. The most recent was sharing the stage at the San Francisco Blues Festival with Otis Rush.
What is the “feel” you miss most nowadays from the 70s and old days of Blues?
It's hard to explain. There are many great musicians playing today, but very few who had the life experiences of my old friends who came up during the years of racial segregation and bigotry. That is just a feeling.
Are there any memories from Big Walter Horton, Paul Butterfield, and Sunnyland Slim which you’d like to share with us?
Every night with Walter was an event each time we played. Same for Sunnyland and Paul. It was magical. I have no words for it.
Which memory from Hubert Sumlin, Koko Taylor, Homesick James, and Louis Myers, makes you smile?
Homesick James was the first person to ever let me sit in with a band in Chicago. Hubert was the second. Those were huge thrills for me. They treated me very, very well, especially Hubert. We all remained friends for many years. Traveling through Europe and Canada with Koko was an experience each night. One night that stands out with her was a night in Canada when all the water in the hotel toilets were frozen solid. I was on Louis's last recording, and i went to his house several times to rehearse and help arrange songs with him. Sitting in his small apartment in Chicago was a semi-sweet experience for me.
New York, Chicago and San Francisco. What the difference and similarity between the local blues scenes: East and West?
To me, NYC was never a real "blues" town. When I moved to Chicago it was rocking every night, all night long. That seems to have changed nowadays. There are very few bands playing traditional blues there now. The west coast has many bands playing many styles, and you can find some real good down-home blues out here. That's one of the reasons I have stayed here so long.
What’s the best jam you ever played in? What are some of the most memorable gigs you've had?
Jamming with Willie Mabon, Champion Jack Dupree, and Big Mama Thornton all stand out as memorable jams. All my gigs with Sunnyland, Big Walter, Floyd Jones, and Otis Rush are quite memorable.
Some music styles can be fads but the blues is always with us. Why do think that is? Give one wish for the BLUES
Blues is the music of the people. It speaks the truth and it can hypnotize you when it is played right. I wish for young musicians to come after me and continue to honor the traditional styles.
Which things do you prefer to do in your free time? Happiness is……
Gardening, cooking, hiking, biking, and listening to and playing guitar as much as I can.
When we talk about blues, we usually refer to memories and moments of the past. Apart from the old cats of blues, do you believe in the existence of real blues nowadays?
Yes I do. People still have dramatic life experiences, and there are still artists who can express these experiences through music.
Do you believe that there is “misuse”, that there is a trend to misappropriate the name of blues?
Sometimes people think that just because they play a certain progression, say a 12 bar progression, that it's blues. For me there has to be some sort of emotion, some "angst" for me to call it blues. It can still be great music, but without a certain feeling I don't call it blues. Blues is in the ear of the beholder.
Do you think that your progress is as it started out? Or has this changed and are you pointing in a new direction?
I still play the same styles of music that I started out playing, with the addition of some "jazz" or jump blues. I still enjoy the Mississippi style of blues the most, whether it's acoustic or electric.
Which incident of your life you‘d like to be captured and illustrated in a painting?
This is the best question of the interview, and I have thought about it for quite a while. I suppose my birth would make a good painting as I hope my innocence could be captured. That would be like an empty canvas ready to be painted on.
Steve Freund - Official website
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line42
|
__label__wiki
| 0.564083
| 0.564083
|
You are here: Home / Innovations / Internet security program looks to expand
Internet security program looks to expand
December 6, 2012 By Online Editor
By: Tyler Costello
The college’s internet security program looks to increase enrollment and add a fourth year to focus on assessing computer and network security techniques.
Algonquin’s Internet security program, currently in its third year, is already looking to expand in order to meet the demand of a growing industry.
“IT security companies are all lamenting the lack of experienced skilled people in this field,” said Tom Levasseur, who works for CGI Group Inc., one of the largest IT consulting firms in the region and a provider of part-time teaching staff to the program. He also founded and owns HackingAway.org, a website that focuses on cyber security.
“Another year would give the students skills that will make them immediately more useful right from their first job,” said Levasseur.
Right now the program has 24 seats once a year but the college is investigating the possibility of increasing that to around 30 to 48 or running it twice a year, says Patrick Ouellette, program coordinator of the computer systems technician and technology program.
“We’re in the process of putting a proposal together for further training beyond that,” said Ouellette.
Ouellette said he would like to see another year added to the program so that students can gain that more in depth, applied learning.
An additional year would likely focus on penetration testing, a method of evaluating the security of a computer system or network by simulating an attack.
“It would be a good idea to expand it, there have been a lot of breaches going on each and every year,” said Jesse Aboagye, a student in the program. “I would take it if they were teaching those technical skills because the demand is high.”
The field of Internet security is growing quickly because as more people use the Internet more opportunities for security issues arise, says Levasseur.
“The cyber criminals are finding more and more ways to steal data that can be sold at a profit. These criminals are becoming more numerous and more sophisticated, so we defenders must do the same,” said Levasseur.
“There is a problem… but Algonquin is getting to a position where we are starting to train people that will help,” said Ouellette.
Students can enroll in the program after they have graduated from the two-year computer systems technician program.
In those first two years students learn operating systems, hardware and all the components that make up the IT world. After graduating the students have the option of taking a third year with a choice of networking or Internet security.
To be accepted into a third year of Internet security, “You have to have a very high GPA, you have to be an achiever and a go-getter,” said Ouellette.
Once in the program students learn a variety of tools that will help with Internet security such as intrusion prevention, digital forensics and disaster recovery plans.
“They teach us how someone might break into a system in a very controlled way,” said David Corson, the Students’ Association president and a student in the program.
“You’re protecting everything and all the potential ways that somebody could get in, the hacker needs one,” said Ouellette. “Because of that, it’s a very tough game.”
Internet security program looks to expand Reviewed by Online Editor on December 6, 2012 .
By: Tyler Costello Algonquin’s Internet security program, currently in its third year, is already looking to expand in order to meet the demand of a growing industry. “IT security companies are all lamenting the lack of experienced skilled people in this field,” said Tom Levasseur, who works for CGI Group Inc., one of the largest […]
The Algonquin Times is a newspaper produced by journalism and advertising students for the Algonquin College community. Follow us on social media! Algonquin Times Twitter Twitter (Events & Promos) Facebook Facebook (Events & Promos) Instagram Snapchat
Part of me knew this was going to happen.As a…
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line43
|
__label__cc
| 0.506109
| 0.493891
|
Mass media / News
NewRbk.ru. Breaking news
http://newrbk.ru
News NewRbk.ru Latest news of Ukraine, Russia and the world, news of show business, the business news of the day :: NewRbk.ru
Found 1225 items
Event "HIV Test: the Expedition of 2019" will be held in Volgograd region 11.07.2019 at 11:37 New
"HIV Test: the Expedition of 2019". All-Russian action Russian Ministry of health for free anonymous rapid testing for HIV infection will be held in Volgograd region In the Volgograd region will pass the all-Russian campaign "HIV Test: the Expedition of 2019". The aim of the campaign was to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS, reduce discrimination of HIV-positive citizens and motivating people to test for HIV. The action is carried out by the Ministry of health of the Russian Federation together with the Gorky automotive plant (GAZ). Mobile testing (MPT) – branded cars GAS white with a wide red ribbon and the words "HIV Test: Expedition" on the sides will pass through the city 191 40 regions of the Russian Federation. From July 13 to July 17 test for HIV infection...
RTB House announces the appointment of Alexey Chigova for the position of head of representative office in Russia 11.07.2019 at 10:02 New
RTB House, an international company providing advanced technology retargeting to the world's leading brands, announces the appointment of Alexey Chigova for the position of head of the Russian representation of the company. Russia is one of the growing markets for online advertising in the world with an average growth rate of about 18 percent in the first quarter of 2019. Internet penetration among the population of the state is nearly 75.4 percent, based on the ratio to the total number of residents. That is why Russia provides ample opportunities for the growth of e-Commerce and other technology-based businesses. Alex Chizhov will lead the mission of RTB House in Russia, using his more than a decade of experience in digital marketing and advertising. At...
Construction of houses of timber from the company Teremok 11.07.2019 at 09:46 New
Home from a bar: how to choose the materials, a project company? the Construction of houses of timber is the most affordable way to acquire their own housing quickly and inexpensively. Log houses do not require massive foundations, and the cost of the lumber is quite low in comparison with other materials. All this makes the house from a bar is very attractive from the point of view of construction costs. Materials No matter whether you decide to build it yourself or you find it easier to buy a house from timber from a construction company to know about the types of timber needed. There are several types of treated wood – lumber. The organic material determines many of the characteristics of the future house and the final cost of construction. Species...
The most dangerous profession 11.07.2019 at 09:31 New
Last year 1072 Russians died in the workplace. The Federal statistics service (Rosstat) analyzed data on accidents and identified the most dangerous areas of activity. Experts website job search Adzuna.ru studied deaths at work, in terms of risk and financial gain. We present to your attention a rating of the most dangerous professions in Russia. 1. Pilot fatal Victims in 2018 – 24 the mortality rate is 26.5 per 100,000 workers Average salary: 424 000 2. Fisherman fatal Victims in 2018 – 8 the mortality rate: 21.7 per 100 000 employees Average salary: 39 700 rubles 3. The driver of the transport truck fatal Victims in 2018 – 45 the Coefficient of mortality rate of 20.5 per 100,000 workers Average salary: 69 700 rubles 4. Lumberjack fatal Victims in 2018...
RTS-tender will introduce a digital service MICK in the procurement industry of the Sverdlovsk region 10.07.2019 at 22:10 New
July 10, 2019, Yekaterinburg – Federal electronic platform RTS-tender, and the government of Sverdlovsk region signed an agreement on cooperation in the sphere of digitalization of the procurement sector in the region in the framework of the International industrial exhibition "INNOPROM-2019". The agreement involves the introduction of digital services in public procurement, aimed at creating favorable conditions for further support and development of entrepreneurship in the region, increasing its investment potential, as well as ensuring transparency, openness and competitiveness of procurement procedures. Earlier, in the framework of the Russian investment forum in Sochi, a similar agreement has already been signed with 6 regions (Krasnodar Krai...
Dismantling works in St. Petersburg and Leningrad region with low prices 10.07.2019 at 21:41 New
Company "Bystrovym" carries out complex dismantling and debris removal in Saint-Petersburg and Leningrad region. The staff of "Bystrowiana" have extensive experience in the analysis of building structures, doing the job quickly and efficiently. Remaining after dismantling recycling, and the cleared site will be handed over to the customer. is the Dismantling of old buildings – a laborious but important process. You must disable communication to disassemble the roof, walls, floors, steel structures, to liquidate the Foundation. After the dismantling of the piles of garbage remain that need to be urgently removed. Not all companies that are engaged in dismantling, offer services for the removal of debris, which have to spend time searching for another...
Frankly! Anna Mikhalkova emotionally spoke about her daughter 10.07.2019 at 20:03 New
The Actress made the confession on the nature of the five-year Lydia. #Russian stars #children of the stars #motherhood Anna Mikhalkova Anna Mikhalkova with her daughter Lydia Photo: @Instagram anikiti4na Anna Mikhalkova Anna Mikhalkova decided on a surprise to fans confession about his five-year daughter. The actress is excited about what traits most loved in Lydia. The younger the child artist grows very bright personality, able to conquer any adult, including his strict mother. However, given the ancestry of Lydia, this was to be expected."Oh! I love this woman! It is impossible to kiss, she's always hot, she has a million questions, she is guarding me in my sleep, she always hears everything, cunning, comes up, makes big eyes when she is told that it's...
Daria Pogodina: 5 places where you can hide from the heat 01.07.2019 at 13:44
In the midst of summer heat come to the aid of not only a powerful air conditioner, but the permit where the seasons are reversed a bit. Actress Daria Pogodina, who has traveled almost the whole world, there are places where consistently cool in the summer and the ski season is just gaining momentum. Norway In this part of Europe July temperature often does not rise above twenty degrees. In Oslo you can walk all day and not be afraid to heat stroke. One of the main local attractions are the Museum of modern art, sculpture Park and Botanical garden. Lovers of outdoor recreation should not deny myself the pleasure of traveling on the Norwegian Islands – stunning views guaranteed from any angle and in any part of the country. Iceland what to look For in...
The Belarusian participant of "Miss Earth" got in an accident on the electric skateboard in Moscow 01.07.2019 at 07:00
On 12 June at about 23:00 in Moscow, the famous Belarusian model Polly Cannabis https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kannabis,Polly has not coped with management of the hotel Sommer. Arrived on the scene the ambulance took the girl to the hospital, where she was a few stitches on the chin area. Other injuries, fortunately, not found, and the model was sent home. Polly Cannabis used to confidently walk in beauty contests, but, unfortunately, smooth ride electric skateboard at the girl failed. Does not calculate the speed, Polly landed on the ground, damaging the chin. The ambulance took the girl to hospital, where she had minor surgery. However, despite the impressive stitches and a band-aid, a serious risk that injury to the health and appearance of the model is...
No chrysotile asbestos roads are not only expensive, but bad 30.06.2019 at 21:26
In the framework of the meeting of the state Council development roads and traffic safety, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the problem of the procedure for determining prices in the sector of road construction and appealed to relevant agencies to deal with the request in this situation. "is a problem of the procedure for determining prices, which directly affects the accuracy of the cost of road construction. Contractors often overlook the competition, where obviously depressed prices for bitumen, asphalt, asphalt concrete, gravel and other materials, so companies completely refuse from such contracts, or, as they please, and how do you manage, "manage", which negatively affects the quality of the roads, and on the timing of road construction. I ask...
Motul is preparing for the Grand final of the Championship "24 hours Le-Mana" 30.06.2019 at 21:10
Motul is located in a prestigious position of official partner of lubricants along with participants experiencing the excitement and the thrill in the final round of the world Championship on races on endurance. the Grand final of the interesting record 62 participants. Start classic races will be given daily at 15:00 CET on Saturday June 15, the race will end in 24 hours. Motul is sponsoring 14 vehicles, including three prototypes Rebellion Racing and DragonSpeed in the prestigious LMP1 class. Motul supported ten of the LMP2 prototypes from the US and Europe will come in hot and spectacular race, and the Singapore Ferrari of Clearwater Racing team will compete for victory in the championship in the class LMGTE Am. For these 14 racing prototypes used all...
Motul became the official partner of Caterham lubricant 30.06.2019 at 20:51
– Motul has signed multi-year sponsorship agreement with Caterham. – Motul will become the official partner for lubricants, the largest of the European Championship racing in monoclass. – All models of the Caterham Seven series will be tucked lubricants Motul. is fast Enough that you can feel the biting wind, with the perfect combination of speed and control – Caterham Seven offers true driving enthusiast uncompromising passion and drive, which few things can match! These characteristics not only represent the British car manufacturer Caterham, but also reflect the values Motul, whose products are preferred by owners of high performance cars in the world. the Result of the merger of the DNA of two complementary brands has been the conclusion of a...
"Medical sechenovskiy Preuniversity" prepared 217 graduates 30.06.2019 at 20:35
217 Muscovites June 20 received diplomas of secondary education in "Medical Sechenovskiy Produniversal". As told by the rector of the University sechenovskiy Tatiana Litvinova, two years of training these guys have more than 1000 classes, together they have written many scientific articles and has been creating hands-on science projects. Of the 57 graduates — gold medalists. This information is transmitted to the portal "Evening Moscow". In its commentary, the head of the educational Department of Moscow Isaak Kalina reported that on June 20, the city held festivities. They involved the 55,000 patients who have received certificates of graduation. The main graduation party for the seventh time in history took place in Gorky Park. A significant contribution...
Trump: the guilt of the Saudi crown Prince to murder Hackage not proven 30.06.2019 at 20:00
Sharing your opinion on this account, the President of the United States also noted the close cooperation of Washington with the leadership of Saudi Arabia. On this subject, Donald trump said at a press conference held on the first full day of the group of twenty summit in Osaka Japanese.The White house commented on the materials that not so long ago, was prepared by the UN special Rapporteur on the question of extrajudicial executions Agnes Kallamar. In particular, she stated that there are grounds to speak about the involvement of crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman al Saud for the murder of journalist Jamal Hackage. According to Donald trump, he is extremely angry and unhappy due to the fact that such events could happen in Saudi diplomatic mission in...
The new "Bloodhound" to be! Anna Banshchikova brought to the shooting of his 2-year-old daughter 24.06.2019 at 20:04
Actress fans. #shooting #Russian stars #children of the stars Anna Banshchikova View this post on Instagram Arrived in Noumea at the start of filming the new season of "the Hounds"!! The plane immediately on the set ? Let's go!!!))) ? #annaberdiyeva #Noumea #Bloodhound #starmedia shared A post by Anna Banshchikova (@banshikova_anna) on Jun 23, 2019 at 1:17am PDT good news for fans of the popular TV series "Bloodhound" in Gelendzhik started shooting the fourth season. This was stated by the actress Anna Banshchikova, which plays a major role — the chief of criminal investigation Department Alexander Kushnir. "Arrived in Noumea at the start of filming the new season of "Bloodhounds"! The plane immediately on the set. Let's go!" — shared with subscribers of...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line44
|
__label__cc
| 0.690003
| 0.309997
|
Current News, Death and Investigation, The Never-Ending Media War, Trial News
Justice For Michael Will Not Come Without Scars-Pt 1
November 1, 2011 Raven 7 Comments
Are We Back To This Again? Sadly, The Answer Is...Yes
To kick things off with my analysis of the trial, I decided to go back and reprint an article that I wrote on Sept 25th, a few days before the trial commenced. Since this blog was originally posted as a note to my personal Facebook page, I don’t think too many saw it at the time. When I wrote this, I had just come away from reading a CNN headline that had proclaimed this as “The Michael Jackson Trial.” I was very incensed by this, but it did not come as a shocker. Since then, I have noticed the media has been much more sensitive in rightfully calling this either “The Michael Jackson Death Trial” or, more appropriately, “The Conrad Murray Trial.” As morbid as it sounds, I rather like “The Michael Jackson Death Trial” because what that name does is to remind people in a very graphic way that this is homicide trial. But of course we knew from Day One that this trial would be about Michael Jackson-or that at least the defense would try to make it so. In the days leading up to the trial, I had a lot of concerns about how this would be played out in the media. I’ve decided to call this Part One because I’m going to be adding a Part Two and possibly even a Part Three once the verdict comes down.
This week marks the end and yet beginning of what has been a long road for Michael Jackson’s family and fans. It is the start of what we hope will be justice, as the man accused of being directly responsible for his death faces his music at long last-and I don’t mean MJ’s music (okay, haha, not so funny but…)
Anyway, what occurred to me this morning, as I scoured many headlines devoted to this topic, is how the media insists on calling this “The Michael Jackson Trial” rather than “The Conrad Murray Trial.” Rest asured, that is no accident. It certainly makes one want to shout, “Hello people, Michael Jackson had HIS trial back in 2005…this trial is for his accused killer! Last time I checked, Michael Jackson was the victim in this case.” Did they call “The Casey Anthony Trial” the “Caylee Anthony Trial?” Or the OJ Simpson Trial “The Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman Trial? Of course not! So why all this insistence on labeling this case “the Michael Jackson Trial?”
Well, two simple reasons which should be obvious. First of all-and this is how the media would defend it-the name Michael Jackson is the one that grabs headlines, is immediatly recognizable, and that guarantees both ratings and hits. If someone says the Conrad Murray trial, people might scratch their heads and go, “Who?” But call it “the Michael Jackson Trial” and everyone is immediatly on the right page! Now THAT gets attention. Now people will go, “Okay, yeah, I’m with you.”
But it also means something much more subliminal, and insidious. It is also a not-so-subtle reminder that as far as the media is concerned, this IS Michael Jackson’s trial, all over again. What better golden opportunity could they have to recreate the mass ratings of 2005? Let’s face it, justice for Michael Jackson is the least of the media’s concerns. For them, it is just another excuse to present “the freak show” and garner massive ratings as they tear into “analyzing” every aspect of Michael Jackson’s character. We’ve all known this for months, that the price of justice for Michael would be another mass character assasination in the media-the fans have known it; his family knows it. After all, the only defense Murray and his team have is to present MJ in the worst possible light, the same way that the only defense a person accused of rape has is to tear into their victim’s character. We have been gearing ourselves for this for a long time.
Yet, now that the trial date looms just around the corner-this week-the bricks are really starting to sweat. I think a lot of people who have reason to be concerned are nervous. We don’t really know what curves and dodgeballs the defense is going to throw-worse yet, how the media will respond to those throws (second thought, we do know; that’s the scary part). The bottom line is that it’s tough to hear someone you love being assasinated in media headlines. You would think society would be on the victim’s side but these days, in our super hyped up cynicism towards celebrity, it seems to be just the opposite. Ever since the OJ trial, when many were convinced Simpson “got away with it” because of his celebrity status, the public appetite to see some celebrity-ANY celebrity-lynched has been at an all time fever high. These days, it seems almost any celebrity accused is somehow supposed to pay penitence for OJ’s crime, or else they unfairly become the scapegoats. I have always held a deeply seated belief that this was the root cause of the public’s condemantion of Michael Jackson following his acquittal on all counts in 2005. And with all the idiot talking heads spewing their “we let a child molestor off” spiel, is it any wonder the public outcry was at fever pitch?
Now, to add further fuel to that fire, we had the much publicized Casey Anthony trial earlier this year, in which once again, a highly suspect accuser was let off the hook. Casey Anthony wasn’t a celebrity, but the trial certainly made her one, if albeit an infamous one!
From the media’s perspective, it doesn’t seem to matter that now the shoe has been reversed. A celebrity is not on trial for committing a crime-rather, we now have a celebrity who has been the VICTIM of a crime. It is an altogether different dynamic, yet the media seems to be playing by the same rules. It’s a no brainer. Putting the celebrity and the celebrity’s lifestyle on trial is what will guarantee ratings, and no celebrity’s personal life ever made greater copy than Michael Jackson’s! Rest assured, the would-be, yellow journalists and legal analysts have been salivating over this one for-as Led Zeppelin said-“a long, long, lonely long time.”
But as the heat fires up, maybe it is a good idea to take a deep breath and really look at the bigger picture here. We as fans have known from Day One what this process is going to entail. Now it is time to bite the bullet and be strong. Remember that at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what the yammering twits have to say-or shouldn’t. What should ultimately matters is what those twelve men and women on the jury decide. It really comes down to one simple question. Or maybe two. Did Conrad Murray or did he not administer the lethal dose of propofol that killed Michael Jackson, and if so, did he behave negligently in the aftermath, when precious minutes meant the difference between life and death? I think for most reasonable people, the answer to the second question is obvious. What is murkier-and will be the real issue for the jury-is Question #1. The defense, as we know, will try to argue that Michael self administered the propofol and/or demanded it to the point that Murray had no choice. But any reasonable thinking person also knows that Murray DID have a choice. He is a physician who knows his patients’ lives depend on the actions he takes. As to the arguement that Michael self-adminsistered, I think it is a ludicrous defense as the coroner has already pointed out but in the end, it all comes down to how well the defense presents their case-and how well the prosecution can tear it down.
Michael sang about keeping the faith. We have to keep the faith now that justice will prevail. In her own recent and wonderful blog, Deborah Kunesh of Refelections On The Dance reminded us that justice prevailed for Michael in 2005. http://www.facebook.com/#!/note.php?…13875445343716 We can’t really blame the legal system for the fact that the media turned the event into a public lynching. But nevertheless, it did happen, and as a result, left a permanently bitter taste.
So what happens now? I don’t know how the verdict will go, of course. But I have a very strong feeling-and a very strong faith-that justice will be on Michael’s side again. While Murray’s defense will be to bring up every possible mitigating circumstance and every mitigating bit of evidence to cloud the jurors’ minds, the bottomline is that the facts of this case speak loud and clear.
However, it is those very mitigating circumstances and evidence that we know the media will run with. We already know they will be looking to pounce on anything relating to Michael’s character, his alleged drug use, and even the allegations, which will undoubtedly be brought into the mix even though they have no bearing whatsoever on the current case. Ultimatelly, we know it is not the media who decides Murray’s fate or the person Michael Jackson was, for better or worse. But the media DOES have the power to influence and sway public opinion. That’s what they do. Regardless of the eventual verdict, they are going to have a field day with this. It is the last, golden opportunity for them to suck the last drop of blood they can from the name Michael Jackson. Don’t forget, these are the people who hurt him, bullied him, and ran him ragged while he lived. After he died, they felt bad for all of five minutes, paid a few “tributes” and then went right back to their old tricks. It was the same with Princess Diana. The public outrage over the media’s role in her death evaporated quickly to apathy; we were right back to where we started, as if nothing had happened. If the world had heeded the public’s outcry THEN to curb the media’s bloodlust, it’s possible that Michael Jackson might still be alive. Why? Simply because the very things that drove him to depression and chronic insomnia might never have been a factor.
Michael Jackson “won” in 2005, but at what cost? By the end of that trial, his health was wracked, his spirit broken, and his reputation as a beloved superstar forever tarnished. Although he still had fame and money, his life became a sort of vagabond existence. He no longer had a permanent home; he wandered with his children from country to country. Part of that, of course, was a search for respite. He was looking for a safe haven where he could regain his health and replensih his spirit. But what had been done to him in his homeland still haunted him, wherever he went.
Words Michael Wrote In 2005, After The Trial
Likewise now, in 2011, any form of justice for Michael will only come at a very heavy price. By the end of October or early November, when the verdict comes down, Murray may or may not be facing prison time. But even if he is sentenced, I have a feeling that we will be left feeling much as Michael did in June of 2005. The sweet sensation of victory will be tainted by a heavy burden.
I think this trial will probably vindicate Michael on several levels. There will be things that will come out of it that will be in Michael’s favor. On the other hand, I fully suspect a good many things may come out of it that fans really don’t want to hear. That is going to be the nature of the beast. And of course, how the media chooses to present/analyze those things will be crucial. Even though the actual trial will be televised (and hopefully this will eliminate some of the rampant twisting of facts such as what we saw in 2005) the public’s opinion of this trial will, as stated, largely depend on the media’s influence. After all, only the most diehard Jackson fans are going to sit and watch the full trial, minute by minute. I don’t think this is going to carry the same weight as the Casey Anthony trial (where an innocent child was involved, thus inviting a kind of national outrage and vested interest in the case). Of course, Michael Jackson fans will be following it closely. But I think it is safe to say that most Americans, if they watch at all, will be doing so mostly out of a sense of morbid curiosity; they will be tuning in and only casually watching, perhaps, while at work or while multi-tasking their daily household duties; most will probably not watch at all (after all, most of us have to work for a living, and having access to TV and even internet is not an option for everyone)-these are the people who will rely, instead, on evening news broadcasts and legal pundit shows to “fill them in” on what transpired in court that day. And therein lies the danger, because it is those people who will be most apt to fall prey to the media’s manipulation of this case. After all, a testimony that might be viewed one way to a viewer when watching for themselves can be perceived quite differently once that same testimony is filtered and cross examined by the likes of a Nancy Grace or a-God forbid!-Diane Dimond.
To cut to the chase here, we as Michael Jackson fans know that a lot of stones are going to be thrown over the next few weeks. Those stones can’t hurt Michael anymore, but we know how they can still hurt US. We feel their bruises, as surely as Michael did. And because he is no longer here, we have, in essence, taken those stones upon ourselves. I think we have to ask ourselves many crucial questions. How are we going to deal with the insanity of these next few weeks? How are we going to react when trial testimony may reveal things that aren’t exactly pleasant to us? And can we control our gloating when things do go in our favor? The world, after all, is going to be watching us. This is not only a test of faith, but a test of courage and grace under fire as well.
As I said, I do feel strongly that justice will prevail. But yes, it will come at a price, and it will not come without scars. It was that way for Michael. It will be that way for us.
In Part Two, which I hope to have up by mid-week, I will look at how the reality of the media’s treatment of Michael during this trial has stacked up against my initial fears, expectations, and predictions. Has it been as bad as I thought it would be? Or have we seen a subtle shift in the pendulum as more and more damning evidence against Murray has surfaced? Or, at the end of the day, is “Michael Jackson-The Victim” just another cheap tactic for ratings? Also, I will be posting my reactions to and thoughts on those post-mortem photos, the audio tape, the “j” word and many other concerns that have been brought to light since this drama began last September.
We're Baaaaaack!
October 30, 2011 Raven 21 Comments
"Well It's About Damn Time!"
Well, after a very long delay and surviving the worst year of my life, I am finally back and Allforloveblog is back in business-for good this time. Well, sort of. As you can see, I have pretty much had to start the site over from scratch, but do not fear. All of the old content is still safe. As some of you may already know, the old site was back online briefly in a “read only” format. But maintaining the site as it was while trying to get things operational again and uploading to a new host server proved impossible.
This was the only realistically viable solution. But as I’ve stated, everything is still safe. The plan is to provide a direct link to the old site’s content from here. All of that will take some time, so bear with me. However, the upside is that Allforloveblog is now on a paid, permanent host server which means another catastrophe like the one that put me out of commission for most of 2011 will NOT happen again. Ever.
This isn’t the time or place to go into everything that happened to me this past year. Most of you, I’m sure, are well aware from my Facebook updates that I have had a traumatic year of many personal setbacks. Not the least was that in February of this year, only a few days after having posted my last entry for Februray 5th about how to break down a Michael Jackson concert, I was suddenly left without power in the dead of winter and completely stranded. I survived, but for days I had no power, no heat-and no internet. Of course, had that been the worst of it, life could have gotten back to normal once the power was restored. But no, I also had to deal with a situation in which the home computer network was completely down and with no knowledge or expertise in how to restore it or to retrieve my data, I was helpless. I had no one to turn to because even the most knowledgable computer geeks I knew could not figure out the intricacies of our former setup. And frankly, with so many urgent and more pressing issues I had to deal with at the time (the breakup of a 16-year relationship, and struggling to cope with the new pressures of trying to keep my home and to make a living for myself) I don’t think anyone can fault me if I say getting the site back online was a priority that had to take a backseat for awhile. Now that things in my life have finally started to turn around, I can once again bring the kind of focus and dedication to this site that I did before. Of course, now that I have to work full time to make ends meet, I may not be able to update as frequently as I did in the past. But hopefully, the quality will manage to outweigh the quantity.
That’s as much as I’m going to say about me or what happened to me this past year. I realize this site is about Michael, not about me, and that my readers come here to get my latest updates on all things MJ. I will just say that from this point forward, a new page has been turned and I’m really looking forward to embarking on this journey again.
However, there’s nothing like six weeks with no internet to really make one appreciate Michael Jackson on a whole new level. I didn’t realize just how immersed I had become in the whole cyberspace MJ “fan-mily” thing until I had to spend time without it. Suddenly, I had no access to the latest media gossip; no way to know what deviousness TMZ had been up to lately, or what some ill informed hater had to say. I lost touch for a time with the whole back and forth war between the Jacksons and the estate; with the protests against Sony, all of the fan wars, and even with the details of the death investigation and impending Murray trial. So what did I do during that time? How did I pass all of those lonely, winter hours? Well, I listened to my Michael Jackson CD’s. I watched my videos and DVD’s. I read the books I have on him…you know, those quaint, old fashioned things with the hard covers and pages in between; many of which I had been intending to “get around” to reading for ages. I became reacquainted with Moonwalk. On many a chilly March afternoon, I wrapped myself in a blanket and devoured Dancing the Dream.
Taking Some Time To Step Back Can Have Its Own Rewards
In short, I once again got to know Michael Jackson the artist and, perhaps even moreso, Michael Jackson the man. Without the distractions and drama of the internet, I reconnected to the things about Michael that mattered most. And yes, these are the things that do matter most-his own words, his music, his artistry, his dance steps that defied the laws of physics-these are all of the things that will still be here, and will still matter, long after everything else has died away.
But with that being said, I was happy to once again be able to rejoin the cyberspace community. I am eternally grateful for Facebook, which enabled me to stay connected to most of you throughout this ordeal. I am grateful to all of you for your kind words and encouragement, and for never losing faith that Allforlove would return. I am grateful and thankful to my fellow MJ bloggers who kept me in the loop and who kept me on their blogrolls. Of course, if you did remove me, I understand. After all, eight months is a long time to keep up an inactive link. Hopefully, everyone will help spread the word that AFLB is back. As for those of you who were on my previous blogroll, I will add all of you back; it will just take me some time to get everything organized again and back 100% to the way it was. So if you hear me say “bear with me” once, you will probably hear it a million times over the next few weeks, LOL.
Of course my biggest regret is not being able to get the site back up in time to cover the Murray trial. I’d had very high hopes that I would be able to be back online before the trial got underway in September, but due to yet another curveball that life decided to throw us at that point, it did not happen. So here we are, with the trial entering what will most likely be its final week. I was really looking forward to bringing you many, many chapters of Murray’s Believe It Or Not (my own little take on Ripley’s Believe It Or Not) as we weighed through all of the ridiculous defense theories. But at this point, I guess all of that is really moot. Everything that’s been done or said during this trial has already been thoroughly hashed out, scrutinized, analyzed, poked, prodded, inspected, dejected, etc., etc on many, many sites. Once Dr. Paul White is cross-examined by the prosecuton on Monday, it will all be pretty much over save for closing arguements, jury deliberation-and, of course, the verdict.
What I will most likely do is post a general, overall summary of my thoughts on the entire trial, rather than trying to play a desperate game of “catch up” with everything that has transpired. Like most of you, I’ve been glued to my set and to the internet these past four weeks, and boy has it been a rollercoaster of emotions! Over the next week or so, I’ll post my thoughts, analysis, and reflections on this last week of the trial, as well as my summary of the past four weeks overall. I’ll just say there have been a lot of things that have surprised me-pleasantly so, but then a lot of things that were totally in line with what I expected, along with a few shockers, and yes, some moments of total disgust.
In the meantime, I just want you all to know how much your loyalty to me during this difficult time has been appreciated!
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line45
|
__label__cc
| 0.52226
| 0.47774
|
Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
According to information of mass media Armenian side under the pretext of so-called “25th anniversary of the independence” of illegal regime established in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan plans to organize the conference in Yerevan on September 2-3 and take the participants to the seized lands. There are also plans to organize the international youth conference in Khankandi on September 15-18, and other provocative events.
It is well known that Armenia has unleashed war against Azerbaijan, by using force occupied twenty percent of Azerbaijan’s territories and ethnically cleansed about one million Azerbaijanis from those areas, and committed numerous other war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the acts of genocide.
The illegal regime established by Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is ultimately nothing other than the product of aggression and occupation; it is under Armenia’s direction and control and survives by virtue of its military, political, financial and other support, as was also confirmed by the European Court of Human Rights in its judgment of 16 June 2015 on the case of Chiragov and others v. Armenia.
The international community has consistently deplored, in the strongest terms, the use of military force against Azerbaijan and the resulting occupation of its territories. In 1993, the United Nations Security Council adopted resolutions 822 (1993), 853 (1993), 874 (1993) and 884 (1993), condemning the use of force against Azerbaijan and occupation of its territories and reaffirming the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and the inviolability of its internationally recognized borders. In those resolutions, the Security Council reaffirmed that the Nagorno-Karabakh region is part of Azerbaijan and called for immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Other international organizations have adopted a similar position.
Instead of taking constructive steps towards the resolution of the conflict further provocative events planned by Armenia under the pretext of so-called “25th anniversary of the independence” of illegal regime are contrary to the spirit of Vienna and Sankt-Petersburg meetings of the Presidents, undermine the negotiation process mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and detrimental to the efforts to build the durable peace in the region. They only serve for futile efforts of propagating the illegal regime and deliberate provocation.
We do call upon persons who are invited to the activities under the pretext of “25th anniversary of the independence” of illegal regime to respect the norms and principles of international law and to refrain from attending these provocative events and visiting the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The visitors to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan violate the national legislation of Azerbaijan and will be addressed by the Government of Azerbaijan accordingly, including a ban will be put on their future visits to Azerbaijan.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line48
|
__label__wiki
| 0.703561
| 0.703561
|
Prehistoric film proves timeless
By ROBERT CALCAGNO
March 25, 2013 in Film, Lifestyle
It’s interesting when the circumstances surrounding the release of a new film are just as intriguing as the film itself. The latest from DreamWorks Animation, the prehistoric family adventure The Croods, has a lot at stake. Not only is this the first DreamWorks Animation film to be released through 20th Century Fox, but it’s also the production company’s first film since Rise of the Guardians, which disappointed at the box office and partly contributed to the company letting go more than 350 employees earlier in the year.
Caveman rock · A prehistoric family embarks on the world´s first family road trip in The Croods. Once the Croods are out of their cave, their uncivilized natures become pronounced. Be sure to catch the Trojan Marching Band in the opening sequence performing a remix of, what else, “Tusk.” — Courtesy of 2013 DreamWorks Animation LLC
That being said, when it comes to juding a film, it ultimately boils down to whether the film is worthwhile or not. And though there are issues with the character design and the unbalanced approach to the theme of the story, The Croods is saved by a genuinely heartwarming family dynamic, some wonderful creatures and a more jovial approach compared to past DreamWorks features.
The film, directed by Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon and Kirk De Micco), is about the Croods, a modern Stone Age family living in a prehistoric world on the verge of change. The father, Grug (Nicolas Cage), is so overprotective of his family that the family spends days at a time in its cave, away from the outside world. Though the other family members are content with the father’s orders, the eldest daughter Eep (Emma Stone) desperately wants to see the outside world.
One night she comes across Guy (Ryan Reynolds), a journeyman capable of making fire and tools, who warns Eep of an impending catastrophe that he calls “the End,” not an imaginative name, but a name that illustrates a charming aspect of the film — that everyone speaks with a childlike lack of subtlety and etiquette, something which makes the characters more sympathetic.
When an earthquake destroys their cave, the Croods must face a dangerous world to find a safe haven on the other side of the giant mountain in the distance. So, think The Land Before Time except with people rather than talking baby dinosaurs.
An issue with the structure of the plot is that each act seems to have a separate theme: The first act is about the father-daughter relationship between Grug and Eep, the second is about facing the dangers of the world while staying together as a family and the third focuses just on Grug’s effort to “evolve” in order to save his family.
The reason for this might have been because when the film was originally going to be an Aardman Animation production back in 2007, the plot was mostly about the conflict between Grug and Guy. Though this might be the fault of the film’s marketing, which seemed to place Eep as the lead, the shift in focus is unexpected.
The dynamic among the family keeps the film together. Once they’re out of the cave, the uncivilized wild nature of the different members is let loose, like the pudgy Thunk (Clark Duke), the feisty elder Gran (Cloris Leachman) and the ferocious toddler Sandy (Randy Thom). Even the relationship between Eep as Guy goes differently than other young romances, with Eep being the hyper-aggressive super-strong one in the couple and Guy as the startled one.
The world the family inhabits is a world gone wild. The concept design department really brings its A-game to the environments and creatures. Instead of just going with a Flintstones knock-off, the designers created something really interesting and unique.
There should also be a shoutout to the Spirit of Troy marching band, which colloborated with composer Alan Silvestri in an opening chase sequence that proved to be the highlight of the musical score.
It’s a shame, then, that the same inventiveness wasn’t used in the design of the main characters. Instead of just looking like cavemen, the attempts to make them look more “normal” are jarring, like their hyper-realistic eyes or the sharp cheekbones. The look of the characters is way too gentrified, especially Guy’s design.
If you don’t pay attention to that kind of detail, you won’t mind too much. For those who do pay attention to character design, however, no matter how much you end up liking these characters, it’s really hard to get over the flaws in their look. It’s more disappointing when you know Chris Sanders, whose character drawings are some of the most recognizable in the industry, is at the helm.
Looking past the character designs though, The Croods is an enjoyable family adventure with some great-looking animals and a more alternative take on the “modern Stone Age family” than other films in the genre.
It’s not clear if this film is the start of a new successful era for DreamWorks Animation or just another bump in the road for a company that’s already weathered several rough patches lately. Still, if you have a close-knit and partially crazy family, there’s plenty to like about The Croods. And that likely connection with the audience might be this film’s true saving grace.
Tags: alan silvestri, clark duke, cloris leachman, dreamworks, emma stone, Film, film review, Nicolas Cage, randy thom, ryan reynolds, spirit of troy, the croods
Dean Slater goes beyond expectations
New pavilion serves as an indoor space for Spirit of Troy
Michael Fassbender reunites with Ridley Scott on ‘The Counselor’
Nicholas Cage Taunts Police
Film Mistress America honestly portrays millennials
USC Film School announces graduation ceremony speaker
Play sinks teeth into Little Red Fashion comes in all sizes
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line60
|
__label__cc
| 0.592732
| 0.407268
|
9to5to9: Making the content of their character matter more
Submitted by on Wednesday, 5 November 2008 No Comment
The great thing about kids is that they see things differently — or don’t see things at all that the jaded adult eye learns to observe.
Take tiny babies, surround them with playmates of every color and they’ll never notice a difference until someone tells them there is one.
That’s the way it is with Big Guy and his friends. He goes to a richly diverse school with people of many races and ethnic origins. You see Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream daily:
Friday, I watched tiny hands of every hue dig side-by-side in the dirt, working together toward a goal. Even though it was a goal some disagreed with. “I’ll plant broccoli, but I’m not gonna eat it,” Big Guy warned.
And as much as the scene made me hopeful, it also made me sad for the day when they begin to realize that some in the world will judge them more by color than by character.
Tonight, we took a giant step toward delaying that day.
“This is our moment,” President-Elect Barack Obama told supporters in Chicago and viewers across the nation.
“This is our time to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can.”
And people believed we can in the oddest of places.
Places like the West Virginia county I grew up in, ethnic population less than 1 percent. Obama carried it by a slight margin, though he lost the state. But, then, so did Al Gore and John Kerrey.
Places like the entire state of Virginia, which hasn’t gone Democratic in a presidential election in my lifetime. It did today.
Places like the county where I now live, where the fact that Obama trails by less than 0.5 percent with weeks of votes still to be counted is the moral equivalent of a win in this dead-red territory.
No, not everyone believes. There’s a lot of red on the map south of the Mason Dixon Line. But then, the two previous Democractic tickets — which included men from Tennessee and North Carolina — couldn’t make inroads there either.
It never occurred to Big Guy to question whether America would elect an African-American president. He had no prejudice to overcome in voting for Obama in his school’s mock election today.
He chose The Bomber because he thought Obama is nice and John McCain is grumpy. “Will The Cain be nicer now that The Bomber won?” he asked tonight just before bedtime.
And now, he’ll never have cause at all to apply color to question electability.
There’s still more work to be done. One election, no matter how historic, doesn’t erase racism. But for tonight at least, as I look at the sleeping guys, I know we as a country truly are capable of judging someone not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line62
|
End of preview. Expand
in Data Studio
No dataset card yet
- Downloads last month
- 7