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__label__wiki	0.550851	0.550851	Mail order heritage CIRO Jewelry was registered in 1917 in London UK as a mail order company. Customers would detach a pre-print order form from a daily newspaper, fill it and mail it together with a money order to CIRO Jewelry. It was only three years later, in 1920, that CIRO Jewelry would open its first store in Bond Street, London UK. In paying homage to the origins of the brand, CIRO Jewelry today, operates its webshop proud, thorough and with a lot of love and care. Ciro Pearls The CIRO pearl – the world’s first cultured pearl – laid the foundation for the CIRO company in 1917, starting an almost 100-year long tradition. Cultured pearls did not exist at the time and real pearls were very expensive. Therefore the CIRO pearl was the first appealing and affordable alternative to the very popular “real pearl”. Once other cultured pearls entered the market, in the early 1920’s, CIRO already was leading the market. The Cirolit Due to new technologies, CIRO adopted in the 1970’s the “CIROLIT”. Until today it remains rather difficult to differentiate the above triple A classified cubic zirconia from real gemstones. In the 1990’s CIRO operated more than 150 stores worldwide, with over 50 stores in the US. CIRO continues its reputation as a leading producer of high end imitation jewelry in Sterling silver or brass, yellow- or white-gold plated, combined with CIROLIT and Pearls.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line605
__label__wiki	0.801564	0.801564	British Citizenship Tests Chapter 1: The Values and Principles of the UK Chapter 2: What is the UK? Chapter 3: A Long and Illustrious History Chapter 4: A Modern, Thriving Society Chapter 5: The UK Government, the Law and Your Role Life in the UK Test Life in the UK Test 1 Life in the UK Test 10 Chapter 2 0% Chapter 3: Britain since 1945 0% Chapter 3: Early Britain 0% Chapter 3: The 20th century 0% Chapter 3: The Middle Ages 0% Chapter 3: The Tudors and Stuarts 0% Chapter 4: Customs and traditions 0% Chapter 4: Leisure 0% Chapter 4: Religion 0% Chapter 4: Sport 0% Chapter 5: The British constitution 0% Chapter 5: The government 0% Chapter 5: The role of the courts 0% You FAILED the Test! Congratulations you PASSED the Test! When was Ireland split into two countries? In 1921 a peace treaty was signed and in 1922 Ireland became two countries. Who wrote “The Canterbury Tales”? John Barbour Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a series of poems in English about a group of people going to Canterbury on a pilgrimage. This collection of poems is called The Canterbury Tales. Who is responsible for appointing life peers? The monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister The Prime Minister on the advice of the monarch The Prime Minister alone Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister. When did the Queen celebrate her Diamond Jubilee? The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrated in 2012. Which of the following territories does NOT form part of the UK? The Isle of Man The UK is formed by England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Which of the following sports began in the UK? Many famous sports, including cricket, football, lawn tennis, golf and rugby, began in Britain. The Scottish Parliament is constituted by _____ members. There are 129 members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), elected by a form of proportional representation. The rose is the flower associated with: The rose is the flower associated with England. What percentage of the population identified themselves as Buddhist, according to the Citizenship Survey carried out in the UK in 2009? Just over 3% In the 2009 Citizenship Survey, 70% of people identified themselves as Christian. Much smaller proportions identified themselves as Muslim (4%), Hindu (2%), Sikh (1%), Jewish or Buddhist (both less than 0.5%), and 2% of people followed another religion. After the Norman Conquest, the king and his noblemen had spoken Norman French and the peasants had continued to speak Latin. Gradually these two languages combined to become one English language. After the Norman Conquest, the king and his noblemen had spoken Norman French and the peasants had continued to speak Anglo-Saxon. Gradually these two languages combined to become one English language. Which of the following islands is a ‘Crown dependency’? The Isle of Wright There are also several islands which are closely linked with the UK but are not part of it: the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. These have their own governments and are called ‘Crown dependencies’. Who directed the movie ‘The 39 Steps’ in 1935? The 39 Steps (1935) was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Which of the following is NOT a role of the House of Lords? Check laws that have been passed by the House of Commons Propose new laws Suggest amendments to existing laws Represent everyone in their constituency The House of Lords can suggest amendments or propose new laws, which are then discussed by MPs. The House of Lords checks laws that have been passed by the House of Commons to ensure they are fit for purpose and it also holds the government to account to make sure that it is working in the best interests of the people. What name is given to the system used in the UK to elect the Members of the Parliament (MPs)? Instant run-off First past the post MPs are elected through a system called ‘first past the post’. In constituency, the candidate who gets the most votes is elected. How many candles a day are lit during the Hanukkah festival? Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days. On each day of the festival a candle is lit on a stand of eight candles (called a menorah) to remember the story of the festival, where oil that should have lasted only a day did so for eight. When did the ‘Concorde’ aircraft begin to carry passengers? The ‘Concorde’ began carrying passengers in 1976. According to the new Church of England created by Henry VIII, who could appoint bishops and order how people should worship? The Priests In the new Church of England, the king, not the Pope, would have the power to appoint bishops and order how people should worship. Which three countries were granted their independence in 1947? India, Pakistan and Canada India, Pakistan and Bangladesh Pakistan, Bangladesh and Canada India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka In 1947, independence was granted to nine countries, including India, Pakistan and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Pubs in the UK normally open from _______ on Sundays. Pubs are usually open during the day from 11.00 am (12 noon on Sundays). In Youth Courts the parents or carers of the young person being judged are expected to attend the hearing, members of the public are not allowed in them and the name or photographs of the accused young person cannot be published in newspapers or used by the media. This statement is true. When did the first farmers arrive in Britain? 9,000 years ago 14,000 years ago The first farmers arrived in Britain 6,000 years ago. In which British county was Margaret Thatcher born? Margaret Thatcher was the daughter of a grocer from Grantham in Lincolnshire. Which two wives of Henry VIII were cousins? Jane Seymour and Anne Boleyn Catherine Howard and Anne Boleyn Jane Seymour and Catherine Parr Catherine Parr and Catherine Howard Catherine Howard was a cousin of Anne Boleyn. Which TWO of the following place names come from the Viking language? Many of the Viking invaders stayed in Britain – especially in the east and north of England in an area known as the Danelaw (many place names there, such as Grimsby and Scunthorpe come from the Viking languages). Previous 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Next SUBSCRIBE TO THIS CHANNEL FOR MORE VIDEOS Privacy Policy and Legal Advise This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By using our website you agree to our privacy policy and you consent to our use of cookies. OK More information	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line608
__label__wiki	0.50904	0.50904	It’s official. We’re on our way to making a theatrical dance show like no other. THE PRODUCTION OF SWAY IS UNDERWAY! We want to take you on a journey. Take you with us on the road to the big show. We’re documenting the making of SWAY so you can see what it takes to put on a dance show that’s never been done before. Go behind the scenes to find out how the three main parts of the show, anchored by Maks Chmerkovskiy, Val Chmerkovskiy, and Tony Dovolani,will go from concept to reality. In future episodes we’ll take you to production meetings, rehearsals, and include interviews from the entire cast. Plus we’ll check in with our celebrity guests (hint: Zendaya). We may even reveal a surprise or two… or will we? In episode 1, we took the choreographers, David Thomas Moore and Joao Tiago Fernandes, to see the space where the magic will take place, conveniently titled, “The Space.” They discuss plans for the show and potential issues they run into. David and Tiago describe their vision of the dance production that will change the way you look at ballroom and latin dancing. The Space is located in Westbury, NY. This iconic venue first opened its door in November of 1927, and has recently been renovated to include a state of the art sound and lighting system, stylish decor, flexible seating, and four full bars. It’s a perfect venue for a dance show as grand as SWAY. Take a look at the video below and hear first hand from the choreographers the concept of SWAY: A Dance Trilogy! CLICK BELOW TO SHARE WITH FRIENDS!	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line619
__label__wiki	0.899287	0.899287	NASA’s LRO finds diversity in the moon’s past Filed under: Science — Tags: astronomy, Brown University, craters, LRO's Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, NASA, the moon, topographic map — David Kirkpatrick @ 3:11 pm Here’s a release hot from the inbox. (I’m in light blogging mode for the middle of this week due to multiple projects, so I’m taking the easy way out here. Of course presenting the entire release is standard procedure with this blog anyway, so, um, enjoy!) NASA’s LRO Exposes Moon’s Complex, Turbulent Youth GREENBELT, Md., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The moon was bombarded by two distinct populations of asteroids or comets in its youth, and its surface is more complex than previously thought, according to new results from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft featured in three papers appearing in the Sept. 17 issue of Science. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO) (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO) In the first paper, lead author James Head of Brown University in Providence, R.I., describes results obtained from a detailed global topographic map of the moon created using LRO’s Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA). “Our new LRO LOLA dataset shows that the older highland impactor population can be clearly distinguished from the younger population in the lunar ‘maria’ — giant impact basins filled with solidified lava flows,” says Head. “The highlands have a greater density of large craters compared to smaller ones, implying that the earlier population of impactors had a proportionally greater number of large fragments than the population that characterized later lunar history.” Meteorite impacts can radically alter the history of a planet. The moon, Mars, and Mercury all bear scars of ancient craters hundreds or even thousands of miles across. If Earth was subjected to this assault as well — and there’s no reason to assume our planet was spared — these enormous impacts could have disrupted the initial origin of life. Large impacts that occurred later appear to have altered life’s evolution. The approximately 110-mile-diameter, partially buried crater at Chicxulub, in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, is from an impact about 65 million years ago that is now widely believed to have led or contributed to the demise of the dinosaurs and many other life forms. Scientists trying to reconstruct the meteorite bombardment history of Earth face difficulty because impact craters are eroded by wind and water, or destroyed by the action of plate tectonics, the gradual movement and recycling of the Earth’s crust. However, a rich record of craters is preserved on the moon, because it has only an extremely thin atmosphere — a vacuum better than those typically used for experiments in laboratories on Earth. The moon’s surface has no liquid water and no plate tectonics. The only source of significant erosion is other impacts. “The moon is thus analogous to a Rosetta stone for understanding the bombardment history of the Earth,” said Head. “Like the Rosetta stone, the lunar record can be used to translate the ‘hieroglyphics’ of the poorly preserved impact record on Earth.” Even so, previous lunar maps had different resolutions, viewing angles, and lighting conditions, which made it hard to consistently identify and count craters. Head and his team used the LOLA instrument on board LRO to build a map that highlights lunar craters with unprecedented clarity. The instrument sends laser pulses to the lunar surface, measures the time that it takes for them to reflect back to the spacecraft, and then with a very precise knowledge of the orbit of the LRO spacecraft, scientists can convert this information to a detailed topographic map of the moon, according to Head. Objects hitting the moon can be categorized in different “impactor populations,” where each population has its own set of characteristics. Head also used the LOLA maps to determine the time when the impactor population changed. “Using the crater counts from the different impact basins and examining the populations making up the superposed craters, we can look back in time to discover when this transition in impactor populations occurred. The LRO LOLA impact crater database shows that the transition occurred about the time of the Orientale impact basin, about 3.8 billion years ago. The implication is that this change in populations occurred around the same time as the large impact basins stopped forming, and raises the question of whether or not these factors might be related. The answers to these questions have implications for the earliest history of all the planets in the inner solar system, including Earth,” says Head. In the other two Science papers, researchers describe how data from the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment instrument on LRO are showing that the geologic processes that forged the lunar surface were complex as well. The data have revealed previously unseen compositional differences in the crustal highlands, and have confirmed the presence of anomalously silica-rich material in five distinct regions. Every mineral, and therefore every rock, absorbs and emits energy with a unique spectral signature that can be measured to reveal its identity and formation mechanisms. For the first time ever, LRO’s Diviner instrument is providing scientists with global, high-resolution infrared maps of the moon, which are enabling them to make a definitive identification of silicate minerals commonly found within its crust. “Diviner is literally viewing the moon in a whole new light,” says Benjamin Greenhagen of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., lead author of one of the Diviner Science papers. Lunar geology can be roughly broken down into two categories – the anorthositic highlands, rich in calcium and aluminium, and the basaltic maria, which are abundant in iron and magnesium. Both of these crustal rocks are what’s deemed by geologists as ‘primitive’; that is, they are the direct result of crystallization from lunar mantle material, the partially molten layer beneath the crust. Diviner’s observations have confirmed that most lunar terrains have spectral signatures consistent with compositions that fall into these two broad categories. However they have also revealed that the lunar highlands may be less homogenous than previously thought. In a wide range of terrains, Diviner revealed the presence of lunar soils with compositions more sodium rich than that of the typical anorthosite crust. The widespread nature of these soils reveals that there may have been variations in the chemistry and cooling rate of the magma ocean which formed the early lunar crust, or they could be the result of secondary processing of the early lunar crust. Most impressively, in several locations around the moon, Diviner has detected the presence of highly silicic minerals such as quartz, potassium-rich, and sodium-rich feldspar — minerals that are only ever found in association with highly evolved lithologies (rocks that have undergone extensive magmatic processing). The detection of silicic minerals at these locations is a significant finding for scientists, as they occur in areas previously shown to exhibit anomalously high abundances of the element thorium, another proxy for highly evolved lithologies. “The silicic features we’ve found on the moon are fundamentally different from the more typical basaltic mare and anorthositic highlands,” says Timothy Glotch of Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, N.Y., lead author of the second Diviner Science paper. “The fact that we see this composition in multiple geologic settings suggests that there may have been multiple processes producing these rocks.” One thing not apparent in the data is evidence for pristine lunar mantle material, which previous studies have suggested may be exposed at some places on the lunar surface. Such material, rich in iron and magnesium, would be readily detected by Diviner. However, even in the South Pole Aitken Basin (SPA), the largest, oldest, and deepest impact crater on the moon — deep enough to have penetrated through the crust and into the mantle — there is no evidence of mantle material. The implications of this are as yet unknown. Perhaps there are no such exposures of mantle material, or maybe they occur in areas too small for Diviner to detect. However, it’s likely that if the impact that formed this crater did excavate any mantle material, it has since been mixed with crustal material from later impacts inside and outside SPA. “The new Diviner data will help in selecting the appropriate landing sites for potential future robotic missions to return samples from SPA. We want to use these samples to date the SPA-forming impact and potentially study the lunar mantle, so it’s important to use Diviner data to identify areas with minimal mixing,” says Greenhagen. The research was funded by NASA’s Exploration Systems Missions Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. LRO was built and is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. LOLA was built by NASA Goddard. David E. Smith from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and NASA Goddard is the LOLA principal investigator. The Diviner instrument was built and is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. UCLA is the home institution of Diviner’s principal investigator, David Paige. For images and more information about LRO, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/lro Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO Web Site: http://www.nasa.gov/	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line621
__label__wiki	0.789654	0.789654	At Center event in D.C., reviewing namesake Rusk’s arms control legacy Visitors to Tillar House, the Washington, D.C., headquarters of the American Society of International Law, were treated yesterday to a superb overview of emerging security challenges by the U.S. State Department lawyer who leads that portfolio, Mallory Stewart. I was proud both to have Georgia Law’s Dean Rusk International Law Center cosponsor, and also to serve as discussant for this important event. This post and another tomorrow will outline the proceedings. (For the event video, see here.) Today’s post consists of my opening remarks, which aimed to to reacquaint the audience with to the role that our Center’s namesake, Dean Rusk, played in building the arms control framework within which Stewart and her colleagues work. Everyone knows, of course, about Dean Rusk and Vietnam – of his role in championing a foreign conflict that claimed more than a million American and Vietnamese lives between 1965 and 1974. Everyone knows, too, of his pivotal role in averting nuclear catastrophe during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when Rusk famously said, “We are eyeball to eyeball, and the other fellow just blinked.” What may be less well known – or been forgotten – is likewise significant. That is Rusk’s role in the design and implementation of the international arms control regime that has prevailed since the United States dropped atomic bombs on Japan seven decades ago. An Army officer who served in Asia and then in the War Department in D.C., Rusk, like many of his generation, did not fault the military decision. Yet in his memoir, As I Saw It, he wrote (p.122): “[W]e made a mistake with the Manhattan Project from its inception. We should have built in a political task force to consider the ramifications of using the bomb.” That position is consistent with Rusk’s own work, first as a State Department diplomat who championed the United Nations, NATO, and other multilateral postwar efforts, and ultimately as the head of that Cabinet department, for the entirety of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. As Secretary of State, Rusk oversaw the establishment of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, a forerunner of the Bureau for which our principal speaker, Mallory Stewart, now works. Moreover, Rusk was instrumental in the drafting, negotiation, conclusion, or implementation of at least seven major arms control treaties. One was the 1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty, about which Rusk wrote (p. 259): “[A]fter the Cuban missile crisis, it was important to demonstrate that the United States and Soviet Union could coexist. The test ban required careful and extensive negotiations, but we and they did sign a major agreement on the heels of the most horrendous crisis the world has seen. … Such is the legacy of what President Kennedy felt was his proudest achievement.” The other treaties were the Antarctic Treaty, the Outer Space Treaty, the Treaty of Tlatelolco, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Seabed Arms Control Treaty, and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Many of them remain at the core of the U.S. arms control portfolio to this day. Yet with the same modesty that pervades his memoir, Rusk wrote (p. 353): “On the whole, our record on arms control under Lyndon Johnson was respectable.” He did allow himself a light pat on the back (p.353): “In reviewing the accomplishments of the Kennedy-Johnson years, I claim only one for myself: that with the agreements negotiated and our constant talking with the Soviets, my colleagues and I helped add eight years to the time since a nuclear weapon has been fired in anger.” Rusk’s commitment to extending that time continued long after he left government, in 1969, and joined the faculty at the University of Georgia School of Law. Professor Rusk spoke often about arms control, with students, with the larger community, and with the stream of colleagues who consulted with him at his new home. Indeed, as late as 1985 – less than a decade before his death – Rusk welcomed to Athens, Georgia, former British Prime Minister Edward Heath, former Secretary of Defense McGeorge Bundy, former Secretary of State Alexander Haig, and others for a televised discussion entitled “Forty Years Since Hiroshima: What Next for Mankind?” Rusk’s 1990 memoir returned to that question. In the final chapter, entitled “Dean Rusk’s Message to the Young,” he wrote (p. 630): “Your generation will discover in the decades ahead whether mankind can organize a durable peace in a world in which thousands of megatons are lying around in the hands of frail human beings. A world in which collective security – what my generation used to try to curb the obscenity of war – is withering away, and we are not even discussing what shall take its place.” We are here today to put the lie to that last line – that is, to discuss those very issues of global security. I look forward to Ms. Stewart’s remarks. (Tomorrow: Outline of Mallory Stewart’s remarks. Credit for photo at top, of Rusk signing the Outer Space Treaty; credit for photo above of Rusk, standing just to the left of the portrait as President Kennedy signs the Limited Test Ban Treaty) Posted on 3 May 2016 5 May 2016 Author Diane Marie AmannCategories essayTags collective security, Georgia Law, international law, peace, State Department, treaties, weapons control 3 Comments PreviousMay 2 Event in DC: Common Challenges to Diverse Security Threats: A Conversation with Mallory Stewart NextEmerging security challenges require norm development, State lawyer says 3 thoughts on “At Center event in D.C., reviewing namesake Rusk’s arms control legacy” Pingback: Emerging security challenges require norm development, State lawyer says \| exchange of notes Pingback: Emerging security challenges require norm development, State lawyer says « IntLawGrrls Pingback: Emerging security challenges require norm development, State lawyer says \| Diane Marie Amann	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line626
__label__cc	0.673186	0.326814	D.A.T.T. Freedom School Week 5 Summary – Black Feminism Liberation Circle & Reading Summaries from D.A.T.T. Freedom School Summer 2015 – Week 5 Black Feminism The Storify for this topic’s Liberation Circle tweet chat can be found HERE. Summary of “Black Feminist Thought” by Patricia Hill-Collins – Chapter 1 “The Politics of Black Feminist Thought”, Chapter 2 “Distinguishing Features of Black Feminist Thought”, & Chapter 10 “U.S. Black Feminism in Transnational Context” Dr. Collins opens up the first chapter of Black Feminist Thought with the words of Maria W. Stewart in 1831 challenging the notions of white patriarchy limiting the greatness & brilliance of Black women by delegating them to gendered tasks based on hegemonic femininity. “How long shall the fair daughters of Africa be compelled to bury their minds and talents beneath a load of iron pots and kettles?” – Maria W. Stewart, 1831 “Maria Stewart challenged African-American women to reject the negative images of Black womanhood so prominent in her times, pointing out that race, gender, and class oppression were the fundamental causes of Black women’s poverty. In an 1833 speech she proclaimed, “Like King Solomon, who put neither nail nor hammer to the temple, yet received the praise; so also have the white Americans gained themselves a name . . . while in reality we have been their principal foundation and support.” Stewart objected to the injustice of this situation: “We have pursued the shadow, they have obtained the substance; we have performed the labor, they have received the profits;we have planted the vines, they have eaten the fruits of them” (Richardson 1987, 59). Maria Stewart was not content to point out the source of Black women’s oppression. She urged Black women to forge self-definitions of self-reliance and independence. “It is useless for us any longer to sit with our hands folded, reproaching the whites; for that will never elevate us,” she exhorted. “Possess the spirit of independence. . . . Possess the spirit of men, bold and enterprising, fearless and undaunted” (p. 53). To Stewart, the power of self-definition was essential, for Black women’s survival was at stake. “Sue for your rights and privileges. Know the reason you cannot attain them.Weary them with your importunities. You can but die if you make the attempt; and we shall certainly die if you do not” (p. 38).” – “Black Feminist Thought” by Patricia Hill-Collins, p. 1 As you can see here, Black feminism did not begin as an offshoot of waves of white feminism in the US. Like that of all Black resistance, Black Feminism began when the first African was stolen from the continent of Africa for enslavement to colonize the Americas. And the suppression of the intellectual works & thoughts of Black women is no mistake. “The shadow obscuring this complex Black women’s intellectual tradition is neither accidental nor benign. Suppressing the knowledge produced by any oppressed group makes it easier for dominant groups to rule because the seeming absence of dissent suggests that subordinate groups willingly collaborate in their own victimization (Scott 1985). Maintaining the invisibility of Black women and our ideas not only in the United States, but in Africa, the Caribbean, South America, Europe, and other places where Black women now live, has been critical in maintaining social inequalities.” – “Black Feminist Thought” by Patricia Hill-Collins, p. 3 In this chapter Collins points out the legacy of Black feminist intellectual history as well as the experiences of Black women in the US that shapes critical Black feminist theory. Here we can see that slowly over time the intellectual work of Black women began to get a bit more attention in the contemporary but not without struggle against white patriarchy as well as the masculinist biases of Black social and political thought. Black feminist thought challenges the contradictions in the US by pointing to how Black women, other women of color, and LGBTQ* peoples are excluded in what is considered a “democratic” nation. But there are many different ways in which Black feminists challenge oppression in the US. There are diverse responses to many of the key themes that construct Black feminist thought: “Since standpoints refer to group knowledge, recurring patterns of differential treatment such as these suggest that certain themes will characterize U.S. Black women’s group knowledge or standpoint. For example, one core theme concerns multifaceted legacies of struggle, especially in response to forms of violence that accompany intersecting oppressions.” – Patricia Hill Collins in Black Feminist Thought (p.26) Some of the themes of Black feminist thought include analysis of the devaluation of the labor of Black women as workers as well as in the home and their relationship to Black men. Black women as mothers, aunts, sisters, daughters, friends, grandmothers, community leaders, intellectuals, political thinkers, healers, etc.. Another important theme in Black feminist thought is sexuality. “Sexuality signals another important factor that influences African-American women’s varying responses to common challenges. Black lesbians have identified heterosexism as a form of oppression and the issues they face living in homophobic communities as shaping their interpretations of everyday events (Shockley 1974; Lorde 1982, 1984; Clarke et al. 1983; Barbara Smith 1983, 1998;Williams 1997).” – Patricia Hill Collins in Black Feminist Thought (p.27) What these many themes and the diverse ways of responding to these issues reveals is that there is no homogeneous Back woman’s standpoint. The diasporic nature of Black people as well as African women on the continent of Africa points to any notion of essentialism, normal, or standard type is completely false. A collective standpoint of Black women does exist, heavily influenced by the nature of how power has influenced the political, cultural, economic, social, and historical experiences of women of African descent around the world. This situates Black women within a transnational context that acknowledges the connected histories and experiences of women of African descent through slavery, colonialism, imperialism, and migration (p.222). – This summary was written by Shay Ture (@Pundit_Academic) Summary of “Black Macho & The Myth of the Superwoman” by Michelle Wallace – Chapter 1 In this chapter Michele Wallace reviews the relationships between Black men and Black women during the Civil Rights Movement. Much of what Wallace discusses in regards to Black women doing just as much work but not getting the credit they deserved or even fair treatment from fellow Black men is the result of the intersections of white supremacy & patriarchy. Wallace discussed how Black women were no longer preferred as fit partners for Black men during the Civil Rights Movement and into the Black Power Movement. Wallace points out that much of this had to do with how white gender norms influenced the relations between Black men & Black women as well as how their experiences under white supremacy were painted in a way that constructed the Black man as the ultimate victim. Many Black male intellectuals who wrote about the horrors of slavery depicted the Black man as the one who suffered from chattel slavery. The idea was that the Black man truly suffered because white supremacy did not provide him with the true ability to take his place at the head of the house. Enslaved Black women were described as having gotten ahead because they ‘only’ had to be ‘breeders of children’ and hence got the benefit of being the ‘gratifiers of white plantation owners’ carnal desires’ (Roberts Staples, “The Myth of the Impotent Black Male“, Contemporary Black Thought: The Best from the Black Scholar, ed. Robert Chrisman & Nathan Hare New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1973). One of the key components of colonization of Black people in the US is assimilation into white patriarchy, a key component to cultural & social genocide. As the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement progressed so did Black patriarchy. White supremacist racist conceptions of gender influenced how Black men and Black women interacted. And eventually the Moynihan Report came out; effectively giving voice to the frustrations of Black patriarchs. Along with the conceptions of the impact of slavery on Black men (pitting them as the ultimate victims, pitied by all). Hence the Black man was not the victim of white men, instead he was the victim of Black women who didn’t know their place: …”Everybody wanted to cut Daniel Moynihan’s heart out and feed it to the dogs, but he did have a point after all. The black woman had gotten out of hand. She was too strong, too hard, too evil, too castrating. She got all the jobs, all the everything. The black man had never had a chance. No wonder he wanted a white woman. He needed a rest. The black woman should be more submissive and, above all, keep her big, black mouth shut.” – Michelle Wallace in Black Macho & the Myth of the Superwoman (p. 11) “I am saying, among other things, that for perhaps the last fifty years there has been a growing distrust, even hatred between black men and black women. It has been nursed along not only by racism on the part of whites but also by an almost deliberate ignorance on the part of blacks about the sexual politics of their experience in this country.” – Michelle Wallace in Black Macho & the Myth of the Superwoman “Now that freedom, equality, rights, wealth, power were assumed to be on their way, she had to understand that manhood was essential to revolution-unquestioned, unchallenged, unfettered manhood. Could you imagine Che Guevara with breasts? Mao with a vagina? She was just going to have to get out of the way. She had had her day. Womanhood was not essential to revolution. Or so everyone thought by the end of the 196os.” – Michelle Wallace in Black Macho & the Myth of the Superwoman (p. 13) “Perhaps more to the point, there has been from slavery until the Civil Rights Movement a thin but continuous line of black women who have prodded their sisters to self-improvement. These women were of the opinion that being a woman did not exempt one from responsibility. Just like a man, a woman had to struggle to deliver the race from bondage and uplift it. In their time a woman’s interest in herself was not automatically interpreted as hostile to men and their progress, at least not by black people. Day to day these women, like most women, devoted their energies to their husbands and children. When they found time, they worked on reforms in education, medicine, housing, and their communities through their organizations and churches. Little did they know that one day their activities would be used as proof that the black woman has never known her place and has mightily battled the black man for his male prerogative as head of the household. The American black woman is haunted by the mythology that surrounds the American black man. It is a mythology based upon the real persecution of black men: castrated black men hanging by their necks from trees; the carcasses of black men floating face down in the Mississippi; black men with their bleeding genitals jammed between their teeth; black men shining shoes; black men being turned down for jobs time and time again; black men watching helplessly as their women go to work to support the family; black men behind bars, persecuted by prison guards and police; jobless black men on street corners, with needles in their arms, with wine bottles in their hip pockets; black men being pushed out in front to catch the enemy’s bullets in every American war since the Revolution of 1776-these ghosts, rendered all the more gruesome by their increasing absence of detail, are crouched in the black woman’s brain. Every time she starts to wonder about her own misery, to think about reconstructing her life, to shake off her devotion and feeling of responsibility to everyone but herself, the ghosts pounce. She is stopped cold. The ghosts talk to her. “You crippled the black man. You worked against him. You betrayed him. You laughed at him. You scorned him. You and the white, man. Not only does the black woman continue to see the black man historically as a cripple, she refuses to take seriously the various ways he’s been able to assert his manhood and capabilities in recent years.” – Michelle Wallace in Black Macho & the Myth of the Superwoman (p. 15-16) “In addition, many blacks, male and female, were underfed, overworked, and physically abused. Yet somehow the story goes that the black man suffered a very special and particularly debilitating kind of denigration because, as a slave, he was not permitted to fulfill his traditional role as a man, that is as head of his family, sole provider and protector.” – Michelle Wallace in Black Macho & the Myth of the Superwoman (p. 17) “There was more to the protest and furor of the sixties and seventies than an attempt to correct the concrete problems of black people. The real key was the carrot the white man had held just beyond the black man’s nose for many generations, that imaginary resolution of all the black man’s woes and discontent, something called manhood. It was the pursuit of manhood that stirred the collective imagination of the masses of blacks in this country and led them to almost turn America upside down.” – Michelle Wallace in Black Macho & the Myth of the Superwoman (p. 33) Wallace’s chapter reveals that much of what we have seen as just raced is also very much gendered. The intersections of white supremacy & cishetpatriarchy reveal that much of what is considered white and Black (racially) is gendered and sexualized in very particular ways. This is where we see Hegemonic masculinity & Hegemonic femininity come to the forefront (see Patricia Hill-Collins’ “Black Sexual Politics” excerpt here). “Intersectional paradigms view race, class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and age, among others, as mutually constructing systems of power. Because these systems permeate all social relations, untangling their effects in any given situation or for any given population remains difficult.” – Dr. Patricia Hill-Collins, Black Sexual Politics From the 1970 essay “On the Issue of Roles” by Toni Cade Bambara: “It seems to me you find your Self in destroying illusions, smashing myths, laundering the head of whitewash, being responsible to some truth, to the struggle. That entails at the very least cracking through the veneer of this sick society’s definition of ‘masculine’ & ‘feminine.’ … I am beginning to see that the usual notions of sexual differentiation in roles is an obstacle to political consciousness, that the way those terms are generally defined and acted upon in this part of the world is a hindrance to full development.” What Toni Cade Bambara was highlighting is: cishetpatriarchy notions of gender harms Black people. This society’s notions of what qualifies as masculine & feminine within a biological reductionist (everything is reduced to being only biological) binary was only created for domination & when Black people participate in cishetpatriarchy, we hinder our struggles against white supremacy. Due to the fact that white supremacist racism and cishetpatriarchy intersect, participation in one of those systems of hegemony also involves participation in the other and both of those help serve the goal of providing the bottom line of generating capitalist profits through the dehumanization & ‘othering’ of those who are not cishet or white. Summary of “Sister Outsider” by Audre Lorde – The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle The Master’s House In Audre Lorde’s groundbreaking work Sister Outsider (1984), she explains the epistemology underpinning her theory that The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle The Master’s House. As a preamble to this summary, please note the setting in which this significant and timeless presentation occurred. In 1979, Audre Lorde, a black, lesbian feminist was asked to speak at the second annual sexuality and gender conference in New York. During her speech, Lorde illuminates the intersections between feminism and “race, sexuality, class, and age” (p 110)—although it’s incumbent to bear in mind that the intersections are not limited to these types of oppressions as they represent only a partial list. In this chapter, Lorde suggests that removing intersections from the deconstruction of feminism “weakens any feminist discussion of the personal and political”—a two pronged manifestation of patriarchy. Lorde issued two major, albeit interconnected, challenges at the nucleus of her argument. First she asked that reformist feminists became more radical in their praxis. And second, she sought to raise consciousness among feminists by practices of exclusion, absence, and invisibility homogenized the perception and overall landscape of feminist theory. For example, she asserted that, “it is a particular academic arrogance to assume any discussion of feminist theory without explaining our many differences, and without significant input from poor women, Black and Third World women, and lesbians” (p. 110). By representing herself as an “other” woman, Lorde connected the political with the personal indictment of the conference for singularly having her speak on behalf of multiple communities, rather than providing a critical mass of intersectional perspectives. Lorde begrudges, rightfully so, her singular positions as the only black, lesbian feminist at the Sexuality Conference in New York. On page 111, She notes that racism, sexism, homophobia cannot be unspooled because they are politically entwined by the same operating system—White Supremacist cis-heteropatriarchy. A powerful examination of feminism, she decrees, also requires examination of heterosexuality and all intermittent forms of power. Adding, that the divisive “fruits of the same patriarchy” (p. 111) divide white and black, gay and straight, rich and poor, women. White feminism, therefore, must also recognize its place as an interdependent and interloping agent on behalf of White Supremacy that can secure its hierarchy based on societal privilege. Although Lorde focused her speech specifically on feminism, the use of political dynamics that balkanize notions of “feminism”, her inclusion of the uses of power has major relevance to a range of human liberation rhetoric echoed by our previous summaries. By using what Lorde referred to as the “master’s tools” to protest arbitrary co-option by white feminists, liberals ironically reproduce tools of domination, but also become “masters” undistinguishable from those habituated in that role. Thus, Lorde wanted to transform the uses of power by changing what Ture called the “Dialectic of Liberation” (Stokely Speaks, 1965). Not reproduce them in the process of resisting them. Lorde opines that real power is finding shared experiences to expose shared oppression among feminists (but again, this concept isn’t limited to categorized women as victims). Shared victimhood is what Andrea Smith also devised as the mutualistic ethos that will advance against the three pillars of white supremacy and Heteropatriarchy, as “it is this real connection which is so feared by a patriarchal world”, Lorde writes (p. 111). “Interdependency” is the exponent of collective action and anchors the premise that “passive” rather than “active” liberation tactics must follow comments at its intersections. Advocating the mere “tolerance of differences is the grossest reformism” which we often find in education circles by elitist to intend to reduce suspension rates of Black students, rather than eradicate the venal conditions (zero-tolerance, implicit bias training, etc.) that give rise to the school to prison pandemic. In other words, patriarchy—much like White Supremacy—must be understood as consequential for all, before it incites action by all. Nonetheless, it’s paramount to retain nuance in resistance. Meaning, equality of understanding in feminist theory must aspire towards an equity in praxis. Lorde describes mutualism as what Derrick Bell framed in converged interests, but she does distinguish between mutualism and equalism—as white women still enjoy the privileges of Whiteness without sharing those rewards with Black feminists. Moreover, to commodify feminism in the media with aesthetics branding, is to create vestiges of White Supremacy that make it an “acceptable definition of women” (p. 112)—as shaped by White Supremacy Heteropatriarchal modalities. Lorde distills this interception of Black feminist spaces as an attack from “racist feminism” (p. 112-113)—that disbands from Women of Color, poor women, and colludes with a common threat. This “divide and conquer” technique must be reimagined in order to create a more equitable definition of feminism. That definition of must be textured and multi-dimensional, and not limited in scope by [pre-determined] Eurocolonial cispatriarchal capitalistic norms for women. Rather than pleading to the conscience of White feminists, Lorde (much like Ture) warned against those inside the circle of the oppressed: “to look in the mirror and see whose face” they represent. Lorde’s speech considered the implications of tools that liberate only a subset of feminists while extending sanctions to others. Those tools must be defined by the oppressed, in order to free themselves of vestiges from the oppressor. – This summary was written by Arash Daneshzadeh (@A_Daneshzadeh) Summary of “Africa: homophobia is a legacy of colonialism” by Val Kalende In this piece on the guardian, Kalende reviews the colonial history of homophobia, contextualizing homophobia on the African continent as well as among the African Diaspora. As we saw from week 4’s reading of Oyewumi, binary gender under cishetpatriarchy came with colonialism and did not exist in pre-colonial African societies. The social and political institutionalization of homophobia on the African continent came via European colonization. “It is also important to stress that so-called sodomy laws would not have impacted African sexual politics without the influence of Christianity. Christianity was used to whitewash African culture as primitive and to demonise traditional interpretations of African intimacies. The bible became the credo of African morality, disordering African sexuality to missionary positions of heteronormativity (ie. the idea that heterosexuality is the only ‘natural’ sexual orientation).” – Val Kalende Kalende’s piece points to the reality that cishetpatriarchy & homophobia were parts of the colonial process of social and cultural genocide that was needed in order to take over African nations as well as create divides. In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens: Womanist Prose by Alice Walker Black Macho & the Myth of the Superwoman by Michelle Wallace Black Sexual Politics by Dr. Patricia Hill-Collins Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and The Politics of Empowerment by Dr. Patricia Hill-Collins When and Where I Enter: The Impact of Black Women on Race and Sex in America by Paula Giddings Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde The Black Woman: An Anthology by Toni Cade Bambara Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center by bell hooks Feminism Is For Everybody by bell hooks Talking Back: Thinking Feminist, Thinking Black by bell hooks Ain’t I A Woman?: Black Women & Feminism by bell hooks Words of Fire: An Anthology of African-American Feminist Thought by Beverly Guy-Sheftall & Johnnetta Betsch Cole The Will To Change: Men, Masculinity, & Love by bell hooks Shifting: The Double Lives of Black Women in America by Dr. Shorter-Gooden & Charisse Jones Women’s Liberation & the African Freedom Struggle by Thomas Sankara Assata by Assata Shakur Also check out “#BlkWomenSyllabus: Here Are 25 Must Reads for the Empowered Black Woman” Posted in: Black Feminism, DATT Master Post 2 thoughts on “D.A.T.T. Freedom School Week 5 Summary – Black Feminism” Leave a comment › Pingback: Creating Healthy Masculinities \| Decolonize ALL The Things Pingback: Announcing The “Creating Healthy Masculinities” Project \| Decolonize ALL The Things Previous D.A.T.T. Freedom School Week 4 Summary – Cishetpatriarchy, Gender, & Sexuality Next Transitioning Into A Decolonized Masculinity	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line627
__label__wiki	0.644607	0.644607	Molecular Testing for Clinical Diagnosis and Epidemiological Investigations of Intestinal Parasitic Infections Jaco J. Verweij, C. Rune Stensvold Jaco J. Verweij Laboratory for Medical Microbiology and Immunology, St. Elisabeth Hospital, Tilburg, The Netherlands For correspondence: j.verweij@elisabeth.nl C. Rune Stensvold Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark Over the past few decades, nucleic acid-based methods have been developed for the diagnosis of intestinal parasitic infections. Advantages of nucleic acid-based methods are numerous; typically, these include increased sensitivity and specificity and simpler standardization of diagnostic procedures. DNA samples can also be stored and used for genetic characterization and molecular typing, providing a valuable tool for surveys and surveillance studies. A variety of technologies have been applied, and some specific and general pitfalls and limitations have been identified. This review provides an overview of the multitude of methods that have been reported for the detection of intestinal parasites and offers some guidance in applying these methods in the clinical laboratory and in epidemiological studies. Soon after the first publications on the in vitro amplification of DNA by PCR (1, 2), it was predicted that this new technology would lead to a breakthrough in molecular parasitology and in the diagnosis of parasitic infections (3, 4). Until that time, specific DNA probes had been used in basic research and also in diagnostic applications despite being hampered by the limited sensitivity of such direct hybridization assays without a preceding amplification step. It was expected that this could be overcome by the specific amplification of minute amounts of DNA using PCR. In 1995, a large number of papers on DNA-based methods for the detection and identification of a range of parasitic infections were reviewed by J. B. Weiss (5). At that time, the use of PCR was still limited, and most research had been limited to malaria, Leishmania, trypanosome, and Toxoplasma parasites, all of which are tissue parasites. Moreover, except for toxoplasmosis, the experience of using PCR on DNA isolated directly from patient material was limited. Over the last 10 to 15 years, many clinical microbiology laboratories have been provided with facilities for performing molecular diagnostics. Moreover, technical advances, especially the introduction of real-time PCR, have overcome many drawbacks of PCR from the early years, such as contamination risk from amplified products. It also became possible to combine more than one target in a multiplex assay relatively simply. In addition, the implementation of automated DNA/RNA isolation methods has made it possible to use nucleic acid-based detection techniques in a high-throughput format. Molecular detection, differentiation, and genotyping methods for a large number of parasites have been described and implemented in both diagnostic and research settings. In this review, we focus primarily on molecular diagnostics and the molecular epidemiology of intestinal parasites and parasites that reside elsewhere in the body but whose DNA can be detected in fecal samples (e.g., Schistosoma and Paragonimus). PCRFirst described in 1985, PCR allows the in vitro amplification of a specific DNA fragment in a cyclic process of denaturation, hybridization of primers, and elongation of the DNA strand using a thermostable DNA polymerase (1, 2). In nested PCR, amplicons from a PCR are used as the template in a second PCR using one primer (“seminested” or “heminested”) or two primers different from those used in the initial PCR and located within the sequence amplified by the first primer set. Nested PCRs are used to increase sensitivity and specificity but have been more or less abandoned in diagnostic laboratories due to the risk of contamination by PCR products. The amplification products in a conventional PCR are usually visualized with ethidium bromide or alternative, less mutagenic dyes after agarose gel electrophoresis. Specificity is based on the expected size of the PCR product. Multiplex PCRs, combining PCRs for different DNA targets, can be achieved by choosing primers for each target in such a way that different-sized amplicons for each target are produced. Optimization of such conventional multiplex PCRs is difficult, as the efficiency of the PCR is correlated with the size of the amplicon, which can result in preferential amplification of smaller products. Reverse Transcriptase PCRIn reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR), cDNA copies are made of RNA, followed by normal PCR amplification of the desired target. Real-Time PCRIn real-time PCR, the production of amplicons is measured in “real time” during the amplification process (6). Numerous methods have been described, ranging from the use of nonspecific staining of double-stranded DNA using intercalating dyes to the use of fluorescence-labeled DNA probes (7). One of the most commonly used probe-based chemistries is the use of hydrolysis or TaqMan probes (Fig. 1A), in which the 5′-to-3′ exonuclease activity of Taq polymerase cleaves the hybridized probe during the elongation phase of the amplification reaction. In this process, the fluorescent molecule at the 5′ end of the probe is separated from the quencher molecule at the 3′ end of the probe, resulting in a fluorescent signal that can be measured after each amplification cycle. Amplification can also be detected by using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) probes (Fig. 1B), which comprise two adjacent hybridizing probes that are labeled at the 3′ and 5′ ends of the probe with a donor and an acceptor fluorescent molecule, respectively. An additional melt curve analysis (see below) can be used for the detection of point mutations in the probe sites, which can provide additional differentiation of the sequence detected. Another example of probe-based real-time PCR chemistry is scorpion probes (or primers), which are composed of a primer region with a covalently linked probe and a self-complementary stem sequence with a 5′ fluorophore and a 3′ quencher (Fig. 1C). In the amplification process, the loop sequence hybridizes with the complementary internal target sequence, separating the reporter from the quencher and allowing the reporter to fluoresce. Three examples of probe-based real-time PCR chemistry. (A) Hydrolysis or TaqMan probes; (B) fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) probes; (C) scorpion probes. The amplification cycle at which the level of fluorescent signal exceeds the background fluorescence (threshold cycle [CT ] value) is directly correlated with the initial amount of target DNA in the sample, making quantification possible. The absence of a postamplification process reduces the risk of contamination, labor time, and reagent costs. Separate measurement of probes with different fluorophores emitting fluorescence at different wavelengths enables the implementation of multiplex PCRs of similar-sized DNA fragments with the same efficiency. High-Resolution Melt Curve AnalysisIn high-resolution melt curve (HRM) analysis, the decrease of fluorescence of an intercalating dye is measured in the process of the separation of double-stranded DNA by a gradual increase in temperature. Differences in the melting temperature (Tm ) of an amplicon reflect differences in the nucleotide sequence. PCR-Restriction Fragment Length PolymorphismIn PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis, PCR products are digested with restriction enzymes to produce different numbers and sizes of fragments depending on differences in the number and location of restriction sites in the amplicon. Target genes and restriction enzymes are chosen in a way that, for example, different species within a genus produce the same-sized amplicon but reveal different banding patterns by gel electrophoresis after digestion. Random Amplified Polymorphic DNARandom amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) is performed by using single primers with arbitrarily chosen short nucleotide sequences to amplify products from genomic DNA. After optimization, genus-, species-, or strain-specific banding patterns representing different DNA regions throughout the whole genome can be obtained. The use of these nonspecific primers requires DNA from a pure isolate without contamination by DNA from other organisms, which makes it impossible to use this method on genomic DNA isolated from clinical samples. Specific DNA products of interest can be isolated, sequenced, and used for the development of specific assays targeting these products (8). Amplification Fragment Length PolymorphismThe amplification fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technique is based on selective amplification of restriction fragments derived from digested genomic DNA. DNA is digested with restriction enzymes, and oligonucleotide adapters are ligated to the restriction fragments. Thereafter, PCR is used for selective amplification of the restriction fragments, and the amplified fragments are separated by gel or capillary electrophoresis. Similar to the case for RAPD, genus-, species-, or strain-specific banding patterns can be obtained provided that pure isolates are available. Single-Strand Conformation PolymorphismSingle-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) is a mutation-scanning method based on the differential migration in gel electrophoresis of single-stranded DNA molecules of the same size but with different conformations due to differences in the nucleotide sequences. Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe AmplificationMultiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) uses two target-specific oligonucleotides (probes) for each target of interest with a universal primer sequence on the 5′ end of one probe and a sequence of a known length assigned to the target of interest (stuffer sequence) followed by a universal primer sequence on the 3′ end of the second probe. The two hybridized probes are joined together through ligation using a DNA ligase enzyme. The resulting product can be amplified by using primers targeting the universal primer sequences on both ends of the product. The PCR products can be separated on the basis of the different lengths of the unique stuffer sequences using gel or capillary electrophoresis, enabling multiplex detection of a large number of targets (9). PCR-Reverse Line Blot AssayIn PCR-reverse line blot (RLB) analysis, biotin-labeled primers are used to produce a biotin-labeled PCR product and probes that are covalently bound to a membrane. The biotin-labeled PCR product is hybridized to the probes on the membrane, and the hybridization product is visualized on an X-ray film by a biotin-streptavidin-peroxidase-mediated chemiluminescence reaction. Loop-Mediated Isothermal AmplificationLoop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) typically uses four target-specific oligonucleotides to amplify DNA under isothermal conditions (10). The amplified DNA product can be detected by the naked eye as a white precipitate in the reaction tube or under UV light after the addition of a fluorescent intercalating dye. Multilocus Sequence TypingFor multilocus sequence typing (MLST), depending on the degree of discrimination required, a number of housekeeping genes of an isolate are amplified and sequenced on both strands. Each sequence variant within each gene is assigned to a distinct allele, and the combination of alleles within an isolate defines its allelic profile or sequence type (SQT). Basic Local Alignment Search ToolThe Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) is an online algorithm that can be used to compare DNA sequences of interest against several DNA sequence databases. Without an appropriate nucleic acid isolation method, DNA amplification techniques will not be reliable. Basically, there are two essential points that must be kept in mind. First, will the isolation method used be able to release the nucleic acids from the parasitic stage (e.g., cysts, spores, or eggs), which is to be expected in the clinical sample? Second, will the nucleic acids that are isolated be free of substances that may interfere with or inhibit the amplification reaction? It is not hard to imagine that the latter is especially important in the isolation of parasite DNA from a complex matrix such as feces (11). Heating of the stool specimen and the addition of absorbent substances such as polyvinyl polypyrrolidone during the DNA isolation procedure or the addition of inhibition factor-binding substances, such as bovine serum albumin (BSA), or inhibitor-resistant DNA polymerases in the PCR mixture can be used to prevent inhibition of the amplification reaction (12 – 15). However, it remains important to include an internal inhibition control in each reaction mixture. For example, phocin herpesvirus (PhHV) is frequently used and is added to each sample for the isolation procedure, after which a PhHV-specific PCR within the multiplex of the respective targets is performed (16). Because the same amount of virus is added to each sample, it is expected that the fluorescent signal of the PhHV-specific probe will cross the threshold at the same amplification cycle for each sample (CT value). If a higher or no CT value is found in a sample, it suggests inhibition of the amplification reaction. In such cases, DNA isolation and PCR should be repeated using a diluted sample. With regard to the first aspect, it appears that the efficient release of nucleic acids depends on a balanced combination of actions in the DNA isolation procedure. For example, some papers mention specifically that additional mechanical disruption is needed for the efficient isolation of DNA from Trichuris eggs or Entamoeba cysts, while others use a standard isolation protocol without mention of additional rigorous steps to break down the egg shell or cyst wall (15, 17 – 19). Another example is the negative effect of preserving feces in formalin or sodium acetate-acetic acid-formalin (SAF) on the specific amplification of Entamoeba, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium DNAs; this effect increases with the duration of fixation (20 – 23). Species-specific DNA extraction using magnetic beads which capture oligonucleotides specific for Cryptosporidium and Giardia improved (lowered) real-time PCR CT values by averages of 10.7 and 9.7 cycles, respectively (24). Nowadays, more and more commercially available DNA isolation kits and protocols for automated DNA isolation systems are becoming available for DNA isolation from feces (25 – 27). The efficiency of DNA isolation for each target in the expected variety of clinical samples should be verified when such systems are introduced. ASSAY DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION Extensive knowledge of genetic variation across species and genera is paramount in efforts to tailor DNA-based assays to relevant organisms. Alignments of target sequences from related and unrelated organisms are used to aid the design of organism-specific detection assays, and a choice is made of a target sequence that is specific for the organism of interest and does not show sequence variation within the organism. For example, it is important to know that Cryptosporidium assays based on the DnaJ-like sequence, which are quite commonly used in diagnostic settings, will most likely detect C. hominis and C. parvum only, and as a consequence, other rarer Cryptosporidium species will remain undetected. This can be overcome by using an assay based on the small-subunit (SSU) rRNA gene, but it should be taken into account that the SSU rRNA gene is highly conserved among some apicomplexan genera. Thus, other related species, such as Cyclospora and Cystoisospora, could be detected as well. Obviously, in the design of genotype-specific detection assays, target sequences that show genotype-specific variation within the organism are used to design genotype-specific primers and probes (28). Sequence data that are used for the design and evaluation of diagnostic primers and probes using BLAST searches are limited mainly to data available in GenBank (28). Moreover, as pointed out by Stensvold et al. (28) and Burnet et al. (29), the nomenclature in GenBank does not always follow the changing taxonomy, and there are several falsely annotated sequences, so care should be taken when designing primers and interpreting PCR results, whether in silico (i.e., using software to analyze and predict PCR outcomes) or in clinical situations. Such evaluations should not be performed only when a diagnostic assay is introduced but have to be maintained through continuous monitoring of the literature. While in silico evaluation of primer/probe specificity and sensitivity is a key component in the development, integration, and validation of diagnostic assays, extensive laboratory testing using panels of control DNA samples of individual worms, cultured or purified organisms, and isolated fecal genomic DNAs may further challenge the sensitivity and specificity of any given assay. For instance, the SSU rRNA gene is highly conserved among some apicomplexan genera, but the lack of specificity is somewhat balanced by the fact that many of these genera are parasites of nonhuman hosts (28). More than 15 protistan genera are known to parasitize the human intestine. For some genera, only one species has been found in humans, for instance, Balantidium, while humans are natural hosts of several species of Entamoeba, for instance. Human intestinal protists each belong to one of six biologically very different groups: amoebozoans, metamonads, ciliates, apicomplexans, microsporidia, and stramenopiles. Microsporidia and the Apicomplexa are all obligate intracellular parasites and as such are directly responsible for tissue damage that often leads to symptoms in the infected host. Asymptomatic carriage is not uncommon for most parasitic infections; however, treatment of even asymptomatic carriers of, for instance, Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia is important to reduce transmission and episodes of recrudescence. In this review, only species that have been positively linked to disease are included. A positive link means that the parasite may cause dysentery (e.g., Entamoeba histolytica and Balantidium coli) and/or has been identified as a recurring cause of outbreaks of diarrhea (e.g., Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, and Giardia) or multiple sporadic cases of diarrhea, for instance, in immunocompromised individuals (e.g., microsporidia and Cystoisospora belli). In addition to these organisms, Blastocystis and Dientamoeba fragilis have been included, although the pathogenicity of these organisms is the subject of ongoing debate. However, without the routine use of permanently stained fecal smears, these parasites are notoriously difficult to detect, and the use of nucleic acid-based techniques has largely facilitated both detection and differentiation. Thanks to these techniques, we are starting to build a picture of their epidemiology and clinical significance, which is why we have chosen to include them. AMOEBOZOA Entamoeba Entamoeba histolytica is the causative agent of amoebic dysentery and is able to penetrate the gut wall and reach the liver, where it can cause severe damage by lysing liver tissue (30). Worldwide, an estimated 50 million people are infected with E. histolytica, and 40,000 people die annually from the consequences of this infection (31). In 1997, the existence of E. histolytica and Entamoeba dispar as two distinct but morphologically identical species was officially acknowledged, with only the former causing disease and the latter being regarded as a harmless intestinal commensal (30, 32). The global epidemiology of E. histolytica and E. dispar has been reviewed quite extensively, showing large variations in the ratios between E. histolytica and E. dispar in different regions (33, 34). Studies of travelers and immigrants performed in laboratories situated in countries where these organisms are not endemic have shown a 1:10 E. histolytica/E. dispar ratio (35 – 38). which is in agreement with the assumed worldwide ratio (39). In nondiarrheic stool samples, Entamoeba cysts may be identified by, e.g., microscopy of fecal concentrates. Several species of Entamoeba (e.g., E. histolytica, E. dispar, E. moshkovskii, E. coli, E. hartmanni, and E. polecki) are capable of establishing infection in the human intestine, and these species can be separated in part based on morphological analysis of cysts. Mature cysts from Entamoeba species infecting humans are mainly uni-, quadri-, or octanucleated. E. histolytica produces quadrinucleated cysts, which are generally morphologically indistinguishable from cysts produced by some nonpathogenic species of Entamoeba. Demonstration of erythrocytes within trophozoites of E. histolytica (Fig. 2A) is diagnostic but requires the availability of highly specialized personnel and access to freshly passed dysenteric stool samples or the use of fecal fixatives for specimen submission (40). Stool antigen assays appear to be specific and sensitive for the detection of E. histolytica infections in areas of endemicity (41) but lack sensitivity in settings where the disease is not endemic (42, 43). Trichrome staining of an Entamoeba histolytica trophozoite with ingested red blood cells (A), Dientamoeba fragilis trophozoites (C), and the Blastocystis vacuolar stage (D). (B) Giemsa staining of Giardia lamblia trophozoites. (Parasite images courtesy of Marianne Lebbad; reprinted with permission.) Apart from E. histolytica and E. dispar, two additional species producing quadrinucleated cysts, E. moshkovskii and E. bangladeshi, have been identified in humans. E. moshkovskii has been detected frequently by using nested PCRs in mixed infections with E. histolytica and/or E. dispar (Table 1). Although E. moshkovskii is regarded mostly as nonpathogenic, it has been associated with gastrointestinal complaints in some studies (44 – 47). Little is yet known about the genetic presence of virulence factors or the expression thereof in comparison with E. histolytica. The biology, diagnosis, epidemiology, and clinical aspects of infections with E. moshkovskii were recently reviewed (48). PCR-based studies that have included PCR detection of E. moshkovskii rDNA h Recently, E. bangladeshi was identified in stool samples from children in Bangladesh (49). A genus-specific primer pair (50) was used to analyze fecal DNAs from Bangladeshi children with and without diarrhea who were microscopy positive for quadrinucleated cysts but PCR negative for E. histolytica, E. dispar, and E. moshkovskii. Sequencing of PCR products produced evidence of a novel species, named E. bangladeshi. The morphology of cysts and trophozoite stages of E. bangladeshi appears similar to that of E. histolytica (49, 51). Phylogenetic analysis of the relationship between E. bangladeshi and other Entamoeba parasites reveals that, although distinct, E. bangladeshi clearly groups with the clade of Entamoeba parasites infecting humans, which includes E. histolytica, E. dispar, and E. moshkovskii; this “complex” moreover contains two additional species that have not been found in humans so far, namely, E. ecuadoriensis (sewage) and E. nuttalli (nonhuman primates [NHPs]) (52, 53). Of note, E. nuttalli differs from E. histolytica by 2 to 3 bp precisely in the DNA sequence of the E. histolytica detection probe of a widely used real-time PCR based on SSU rRNA genes of E. histolytica and E. dispar (28). As a result, DNA amplification will occur but will probably not be detected by this assay. Whereas E. nuttalli appears to be virulent in nonhuman primates, at present, it remains unclear whether E. nuttalli can infect and cause disease in humans (53 – 57). The genetic universe of Entamoeba is currently rapidly expanding, which is due mainly to the recent application of sequencing of PCR products amplified from DNA extracted directly from feces. This has resulted in the discovery of a large number of novel Entamoeba lineages and subtypes (STs) from human and nonhuman hosts. To date, at least 29 distinct lineages have been identified (50, 58). The search for and ongoing discovery of such new lineages warrant substantial additional sampling in order to identify the clinical significance of each lineage and to enable further intrageneric analysis of Entamoeba. The absence of morphologically apparent differences has made it necessary to develop new diagnostic techniques both for diagnosis and for an understanding of the epidemiology of E. histolytica infections. Laboratory techniques for the diagnosis of E. histolytica infections have been reviewed in detail (59, 60). A range of DNA targets, single- and multicopy genes, have been used in single-round and nested conventional PCRs and real-time PCRs. More recent assays (35, 61 – 64) using (multiplex) real-time PCR or (pyro)sequencing have been based on the SSU rRNA gene, which appears to be the best diagnostic target in terms of sensitivity and specificity compared to real-time PCR assays targeting non-SSU rRNA genes (65). A method for the detection and differentiation of five species of Entamoeba, including E. histolytica, based on Luminex technology was recently developed (66). One of the species targeted was Entamoeba coli, which exhibits remarkable intraspecies variation, and currently, two subtypes are known (ST1 and ST2) (50). Meanwhile, the probes used for detection of E. coli by Santos et al. (66) were identical only to ST1 and might not detect E. coli ST2, which is currently represented in GenBank under accession numbers AF149914 and AB444953. While the approach is appealing, the challenges and limitations of basing diagnostics exclusively on detection probes are evident. Genetic variation within E. histolytica in protein-coding genes, noncoding genes, and short tandem-repeat (STR) loci was reviewed by Ali et al. (33). Although one study in Bangladesh has shown a link between genotypes and symptoms, it appears that most strains of E. histolytica have the ability to invade host tissue and cause disease. While the overall genetic diversity of E. histolytica based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) appears to be low, there is substantial genetic variability in highly repetitive DNA regions and across SNPs in some coding genes. A multilocus sequence typing (MLST) system was recently developed based on 16 polymorphic loci identified by next-generation sequencing of E. histolytica genomes and verified by Sanger sequencing (67). As this system is based on SNPs in protein-coding genes potentially involved in pathogenesis rather than on surrogate markers such as tRNA STR patterns, this method may hold promise for further clinical and epidemiological investigations. However, it remains unclear whether the extensive genetic diversity seen among the isolates analyzed reflects a high rate of evolution by recombination or reassortment events that may drive any observed differences between E. histolytica genotypes in samples isolated from the same geographical area. Hence, although a couple of SNPs in the cyclin-2 locus appeared to be associated with disease, it is not yet clear whether differences in SNPs are associated with differences in clinical outcomes or geographical differences. In summary, genotyping currently has very limited clinical significance and is not used in a diagnostic setting but for epidemiology research only. PCRs for the detection and differentiation of E. histolytica and E. dispar were probably some of the first parasite PCRs to be widely introduced into routine diagnostic laboratories and are now typically used in situations where quadrinucleated cysts have been found in stool samples for species identification, sometimes in addition to serology testing. PCR technology also facilitates efforts toward identification of E. histolytica in samples other than stool, e.g., aspirates from liver abscesses, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and urine (51, 68 – 70). The wider availability of real-time PCR platforms has paved the way for the routine use of PCRs for this and other parasite targets as first-line diagnostic methods. Indeed, E. histolytica-specific gene targets have been integrated into several recent high-throughput multiplex assays aiming to detect a steadily increasing number of enteropathogens (Table 2). Examples of multiplex pathogen detection approaches including parasitic targets m METAMONADS Giardia The genus Giardia comprises multiple species whose taxonomy is in a state of flux. Giardia lamblia (synonyms, G. duodenalis and G. intestinalis) (Fig. 2B) is one of the most common intestinal parasites of humans (71); in some cohorts, for instance, Cuban children, the prevalence may exceed 50% (72). Transmission is by the fecal-oral route, and the parasite has a simple life cycle comprising excystation in the duodenum; colonization by rapidly multiplying, noninvasive trophozoites on the mucosal surface of the small intestine; and, eventually, the production of environmentally resistant cysts that are shed with host feces. Food- and waterborne outbreaks have frequently been reported (73). Symptoms may include late-onset and persistent diarrhea (rather than acute diarrhea), abdominal cramps, bloating, steatorrhea, malabsorption, weight loss, and stunting (74 – 76). Stools from symptomatic carriers may be mushy, greenish, and foul-smelling. Persistent symptoms due to, or following, Giardia infection take a significant toll on human health. Reappearance of symptoms, including abdominal symptoms and fatigue, can result from reinfection, recrudescence, perturbation of the gut flora, or postinfection syndromes (77). In developed countries, such sequelae may have a vast impact on quality of life; in developing countries, particularly in children, they add yet another burden to already disadvantaged populations (77). Several conventional and real-time PCRs for the primary diagnosis of giardiasis that target the SSU ribosomal DNA (rDNA), β-giardin, triosephosphate isomerase (TPI), and intergenic spacer (IGS) regions have been reported (21, 78 – 81). Many targets are being used for further genotyping directly on DNA from fecal samples or from Giardia isolates. SSU rRNA, glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), TPI, β-giardin, IGS region, and elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1-alpha) gene amplification products are used for direct sequencing or RFLP in post-PCR analysis (82 – 85). Recently, novel sequence information was used to identify new assemblage A- and B-specific loci. Two assemblage-specific PCRs based on these loci showed an excellent performance when used on DNAs extracted from feces (86, 87). The molecular epidemiology of Giardia and genotyping methods have recently been reviewed (88, 89). Genotypes of Giardia are traditionally named “assemblages,” which are identified by analysis of single or multiple loci such as SSU rDNA, β-giardin, TPI, and GDH; the SSU rRNA and GDH genes appear to be the genes that are most easily amplified (84, 90). Humans host mainly assemblage B, while assemblage A is less common; both assemblages are shared with many other mammals (91). Monis and coworkers have suggested using G. duodenalis for assemblage A and renaming assemblage B Giardia enterica. Assemblages C and D are found mainly in canids and have been referred to as Giardia canis; assemblage E, found in livestock, has been referred to as G. bovis; assemblage F, found in cats, has been referred to as G. cati, and assemblage G, found in rodents, has been referred to as G. simondi, but for assemblage H in marine vertebrates, no species name has yet been proposed (88, 89, 92 – 95). The zoonotic potential of both assemblages A and B is evident when studied at the levels of assemblages and subassemblages and even at each single locus. However, when genotypes are defined by using a multilocus sequence typing scheme, only 2 of 84 multilocus genotypes (MLGs) of assemblage A and none (n = 99) of assemblage B appear to have zoonotic potential (88, 96, 97). While molecular markers for assemblage A appear to produce robust and easy-to-read sequences, the allelic heterozygosity shown to exist at the single-cell level in assemblage B isolates and sometimes further complicated by other coinfecting assemblage B subgenotypes (91) makes precise identification impossible. Therefore, development of alternative genotyping methods appears to be relevant. Findings on the clinical significance of different assemblages have been contradictory; assemblage B was recently shown to be associated with flatulence in children, and assemblage B appears to be more common in patients with suspected treatment failure (98). Homan and Mank found that assemblage A isolates were detected solely in patients with intermittent diarrhea, while assemblage B isolates were present in patients with persistent diarrhea (99). In Saudi children, a strong correlation between the presence of assemblage B and symptoms was found, while assemblage A was found mainly in cases of asymptomatic giardiasis (85). In contrast, a study in Australia found assemblage A to be associated with diarrhea, while assemblage B was found mainly in asymptomatic children (100). In a study among Rwandan children, assemblage A was associated with vomiting and abdominal pain (101). There are also examples of studies where clinical differences associated with the two assemblages were not identified (102, 103). As for other parasites, the introduction of PCR-based diagnostic assays for Giardia took place about a decade ago. Until then, state-of-the-art diagnosis included mainly microscopy of fecal concentrates (cysts), permanent staining of fixed fecal smears (trophozoites), and antigen detection by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) or direct fluorescent-antibody (DFA) tests typically integrated into an assay also enabling the detection of Cryptosporidium. DNA amplification techniques have excellent sensitivity and specificity compared with microscopy and antigen detection (27, 78, 79, 81, 101, 104 – 108). Giardia-specific DNA detection (including all assemblages) is increasingly being incorporated into multiplex assays, which are listed in Table 2. Dientamoeba fragilis Dientamoeba fragilis (Fig. 2C) was first described in 1918 as an amoeba of the intestinal tract of humans (109). Later, by means of antigen and ultrastructural studies and analysis of rRNA, however, the organism was reclassified as a trichomonad flagellate although lacking external flagella (110 – 112). Since its discovery, the pathogenicity of this organism has remained controversial. Although in recent years, several authors have reported the clinical importance of D. fragilis as a cause of gastrointestinal symptoms (113, 114), a consensus on its pathogenicity is lacking, mainly because so many D. fragilis infections remain asymptomatic (115 – 118). D. fragilis appears to be extremely common and may have a cosmopolitan distribution, although there are large variations in prevalence. D. fragilis has been linked to intestinal symptoms, especially in children (119, 120). Some studies report a higher prevalence in patients with intestinal symptoms than in healthy individuals (121), while others report the reverse situation (122). Dientamoeba infections are potentially chronic (123), which is one of the reasons why dientamoebiasis has been speculated to be a neglected differential diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (124). It was found that metronidazole was capable of eradicating D. fragilis in 60% of 25 positive patients fulfilling the Rome III criteria for IBS; however, microbiological and clinical cures were not associated, and the study did not support a hypothesis of a simple association between D. fragilis and IBS. The SSU rRNA gene of D. fragilis was amplified and completely sequenced for the first time in 1996 (110). Phylogenetic analysis of housekeeping genes such as the SSU rRNA, EF1-alpha, and actin genes consistently reveals Histomonas, a potentially invasive parasite causing blackhead disease in birds, as the closest relative (110, 125). Possibly due to insurmountable methodological challenges, such as obtaining sufficient amounts of DNA from axenic cultures, genomic data from Dientamoeba are not yet available, and this precludes studies aiming to predict the existence of virulence factors and other effector proteins. Although one recent paper describes the existence of a cyst stage of D. fragilis (112), the apparent absence of a cyst stage has always meant to date that microscopy of fecal concentrates was not applicable, and traditional parasitological detection of D. fragilis relies on morphological detection of trophozoites by light microscopy of fixed and permanently stained fecal smears. The sensitivity of a single examination is not high because the day-to-day variation of D. fragilis trophozoites in feces seems to be even more irregular than that observed in other intestinal protozoan infections such as G. lamblia and E. histolytica (113, 126). A number of PCRs have been developed for diagnosis of and research into Dientamoeba (Table 3). Conventional PCRs have been used mainly for confirmation of microscopy results and subsequent characterization of the Dientamoeba ribosomal genes in human fecal samples. A real-time PCR targeting 77 bp of the SSU rRNA gene was the first molecular assay developed as a screening tool, potentially replacing expensive and time-consuming parasitological diagnosis (127). Interestingly, with a real-time PCR targeting the 5.8S ribosomal gene, which also included an internal process control, it was shown that no reduction in amplification efficiency could be detected when comparing fresh material with material that had been stored unpreserved at 4°C for 8 weeks (128). Primer and probe sequences for PCR-based assays for detection and molecular characterization of Dientamoeba fragilis a RFLP analysis has been used to distinguish between the two genotypes currently known and which differ by 2% across the SSU rRNA gene (129 – 131). Genotyping has also been performed by analysis of SNPs detected by PCR and pyrosequencing (132). The Bi/PA strain (GenBank accession no. U37461) is commonly acknowledged as a representative of genotype 2. Although there are still few studies of genotypes, genotype 1 appears to account for the vast majority of cases (130, 131, 133). The value of sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region for typing studies of D. fragilis is limited due to intrastrain genetic heterogeneity (133). A profiling method using the variability within ITS1 of D. fragilis was developed by Bart et al. (134) as a means of extracting useful data from sequenced ITS clones, but so far, little is known regarding its applicability and epidemiological relevance. Studies of other housekeeping genes, such as EF1-alpha and actin, may prove useful in terms of obtaining a higher resolution than can be obtained by studies of SSU rRNA genes alone, as demonstrated for other metamonads (e.g., Giardia and Trichomonas) (125). Given the high prevalence of the parasite (135) and the recently discovered potential for zoonotic transmission (90), high-resolution markers for distinguishing between strains are warranted. However, a preliminary study of D. fragilis in 40 patients revealed that the EF1-alpha and actin genes appear to be remarkably conserved among patient isolates (136), but the clinical and epidemiological utility of multilocus sequencing of housekeeping genes can be fully determined only after comparing D. fragilis isolates from symptomatic cases to those from asymptomatic carriers. The clinical significance of the two known genotypes of D. fragilis needs further investigation. Is the rarer genotype more virulent than the other, and could this possibly contribute to the differences in clinical perceptions regarding the organism's pathogenicity? Until a few years ago, humans were the only known hosts of Dientamoeba, but recently, the parasite was discovered in nonhuman primates (gorillas) and pigs as well (90, 137, 138). Unfortunately, no comparisons were made between sequences obtained from humans and those obtained from gorillas, while analysis of Dientamoeba ribosomal sequences from pigs showed that these sequences were identical to those of genotype 1 commonly found in humans (90). Microscopic examination of permanent stains of fixed fecal smears is insensitive compared to nucleic acid-based techniques: in a study comparing microscopy and real-time PCR, Bruijnesteijn van Coppenraet et al. showed D. fragilis prevalences of 17% and 31%, respectively (27). Reported prevalence figures may reflect differences in diagnostic modalities as well as geographical variation or age variation in study cohorts (135). Whether or not routine detection of D. fragilis should be part of an overall parasitological screen for patients suspected of having intestinal parasitic disease is a matter of contentious debate, mainly due to the predicament that guidelines as to when to try and eradicate the parasite are still to be defined. However, the fact that D. fragilis detection can now be easily integrated into multiplex nucleic acid-based detection techniques (Table 2) means that it is relatively inexpensive and straightforward to implement D. fragilis PCR in a routine diagnostic panel. First and foremost, this can provide accurate data on possible differences in prevalence and infection intensity between symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers, which can also be exploited in randomized controlled treatment studies for evaluation of treatment efficacy. Moreover, positive DNAs can be stored and used for epidemiological analyses of the prevalence and significance of the two genotypes. APICOMPLEXA Some apicomplexan parasites belonging to the suborder Eimeriorina can complete their life cycles in the human intestinal tract and hence can be found in human feces; these parasites include Cryptosporidium (Cryptosporidiidae), Cyclospora (Eimeriidae), Cystoisospora, and Sarcocystis (Sarcocystidae). Cryptosporidium Cryptosporidium has emerged as an important cause of diarrheal illness worldwide, particularly in young children (<5 years old) and immunocompromised patients (139). At least 6,000 Cryptosporidium-caused cases of gastroenteritis occur annually in the United Kingdom, where Cryptosporidium is the most common protozoan agent involved in acute gastroenteritis (140). Infections in immunocompetent individuals are self-limiting but may last for 1 to 2 weeks; asymptomatic shedding of oocysts may be common (141). Cryptosporidiosis may be chronic and particularly debilitating in patients with T-cell immune deficiencies, with complications such as sclerosing cholangitis and, rarely, biliary cirrhosis and pancreatitis (140). Transmission is by the fecal-oral route by accidental ingestion of mature oocysts containing infectious sporozoites (140). As the oocysts are immediately infectious, unlike those of Cyclospora, infection may result from direct exposure to mammalian (including human) feces, but food and water contaminated by oocysts may also represent a significant vehicle of transmission. Food- and waterborne outbreaks are not uncommon (142) but may be identified only by chance and after ruling out other causes (143). While treatment options remain limited, nitazoxanide, which is subject to availability and often requires a special license/approval, may reduce the severity of symptoms, which may include watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, mild fever, and loss of appetite (144). Affected children in developing countries may suffer from malnourishment, and in some nonindustrialized countries, cryptosporidiosis may be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality (145, 146). The introduction of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) for immune reconstruction has dramatically reduced the incidence and severity of cryptosporidiosis in patients with HIV/AIDS (140). In 2010, 6,605 laboratory-confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis were reported by 21 European Union/European Economic Area countries; however, 4 countries reported zero cases, and 9 countries failed to report (http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications/Publications/Annual-Epidemiological-Report-2012.pdf). It is likely that in countries where Cryptosporidium infections are not notifiable, diagnostic methods are far from standardized. Individual national prevalence estimates can be difficult to obtain, and even when they are available, they should be interpreted carefully due to variability in diagnostic modalities. In other countries, surveillance systems include sub- and genotyping of laboratory-confirmed cases, which is useful for epidemiological and outbreak investigations (147). The genus Cryptosporidium comprises over 20 established species (Table 4), of which the morphologically indistinguishable species C. parvum and C. hominis (previously C. parvum genotype H or genotype 1) account for most human cases (for a list of loci used to discriminate the two species, see reference 148). However, geographical variation may be seen, and both immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals may be infected by unusual species and genotypes (149). Cryptosporidium meleagridis, in particular, appears to be an emerging pathogen and was found at a rate of 12% in a large study of Peruvian HIV-infected cryptosporidiosis patients (150). In some countries, around 10% of all human cryptosporidiosis cases are due to species other than C. parvum, C. hominis, and C. meleagridis (150, 151). C. parvum may be seen more commonly in mixed infections in humans than C. hominis (152). Human infections due to C. canis, C. cuniculus, C. felis, C. ubiquitum, and C. viatorum, as well as other species and unusual genotypes, are also emerging (150, 153 – 155; M. Lebbad, personal communication). It appears that these genotypes are found more frequently in asymptomatic carriers than in patients with symptoms, which suggests that some “unusual” genotypes may be more common than thought (140). The risk of C. parvum infections is higher during spring, while C. hominis infections peak in late summer and autumn (140). In contrast to human infection by C. parvum, infections due to C. hominis may result not only in diarrhea but also in nausea, vomiting, malaise, and nonintestinal sequelae (156). Species and genotypes of Cryptosporidium found in humans, listed according to frequency of reporting a Similar to many other types of intestinal parasitic disease, symptoms due to cryptosporidiosis are nonpathognomonic, and diagnosis should be confirmed by laboratory tests. Cryptosporidiosis should be suspected in any patient with acute gastroenteritis, particularly in young children and if symptoms are prolonged (140). As a consequence, cryptosporidiosis should be a differential diagnosis to other causes of gastroenteritis, including Giardia, Cyclospora, Cystoisospora, microsporidia, noro- and rotaviruses, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, and enterohemorrhagic E. coli, such as E. coli O157 (141). However, in many laboratories, Cryptosporidium is not traditionally included in test panels for gastroenteritis. Clinical samples appropriate for laboratory diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis were recently reviewed by Davies and Chalmers (140) and include biopsy specimens (jejunal/gastric), bile (obtained by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography [ERCP]), sputum samples (if respiratory symptoms are present), and antral washouts (in high-risk patients with unexplained sinusitis), in addition to stool samples. Traditional diagnosis relies on microscopy of modified acid-fast-stained fecal concentrates (Fig. 3A) or auramine-phenol staining and/or antigen detection by DFA or immunochromatographic assays. (A and D) Modified Ziehl-Neelsen acid-fast staining of Cryptosporidium parvum/C. hominis oocysts (A) and a Cystoisospora belli oocyst (D). (B and C) Unstained wet mounts for UV fluorescence microscopy showing autofluorescence of Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts (B) and a Cystoisospora belli oocyst (C). (Parasite images courtesy of Marianne Lebbad; reprinted with permission.) The vast number of species reported to infect humans makes a genus-specific PCR assay the most appropriate diagnostic approach in routine clinical laboratories. DNA samples can be stored for later epidemiological analysis in research and surveillance laboratories. The main targets for diagnostic PCRs typically include the SSU rRNA gene, the Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein (COWP) gene, or the DnaJ-like protein gene (157 – 159). While partial SSU rRNA gene sequences are available for all species of Cryptosporidium known to infect humans, surprisingly, only a fraction of these species are currently represented by complete SSU rDNA sequences in GenBank (Table 4). COWP sequences are readily available, but for some other loci, for instance, the DnaJ-like protein used in widely used diagnostic assays (27, 79, 87, 104, 107, 158, 160 – 162), sequence data are not available for most species other than C. parvum and C. hominis, and other Cryptosporidium species may go undetected by this assay. Because there is little genetic variation across Cryptosporidium SSU rRNA genes, the design of primers/probes targeting the entire genus is relatively straightforward, but there are limited targets for designing species-specific primers/probes. Therefore, other loci have been targeted, such as COWP and the LIB13 locus (a coding region of unknown function) (Table 4), for the differentiation of Cryptosporidium species. A few published assays include both genus- and species-specific primers, enabling not only sensitive screening but also real-time identification of at least some species. One such example is a PCR targeting 125 bp of the SSU rRNA gene designed to amplify and partially differentiate Cryptosporidium species pathogenic to humans (152). Scorpion probes were designed to enable differentiation between C. parvum, C. meleagridis, and other species. The assay had a detection limit of 500 to 5,000 oocysts/g feces and was validated against microscopy and antigen detection; species identification by scorpion probes was validated by using RFLP analysis of amplicons, using VspI digestion specific for C. hominis. A generic TaqMan assay targeting the SSU rRNA gene and additional TaqMan assays for subsequent distinction between species infecting humans and those infecting cattle were reported recently by Burnet et al. (29). Some of the challenges associated with developing standardized, “one-size-fits-all,” nucleic acid-based tests are exemplified in an interesting paper by Hadfield et al., who introduced a PCR assay based on two duplex reactions. One reaction targeted the entire genus by amplification of the SSU rRNA gene coupled with a reaction targeting the C. parvum-specific LIB13 locus (163). The second reaction targeted the C. hominis-specific LIB13 locus and also included an internal process control. Hence, the assay allowed direct detection of C. hominis and C. parvum, and in the event of a positive genus-specific (SSU rDNA) result in the absence of a positive result from either of the two LIB loci, the 300-bp-long SSU rRNA gene product could be sequenced for identification of the species present. It has been argued that SSU rDNA PCR is compromised in its ability to detect mixed species due to preferential amplification of the predominant species in a sample (153, 163, 164). Therefore, the setup developed by Hadfield et al. does not circumvent this potential problem, since this genus-specific PCR is based on SSU rRNA gene amplification. Interestingly, detection and differentiation of C. hominis, C. parvum, and C. meleagridis in human fecal samples can be performed by using high-resolution melting curve analysis of amplicons of the ITS2 region (165). Using this assay, C. hominis, C. parvum, and C. meleagridis were detected in 97, 44, and 2 samples, respectively, of 143 Cryptosporidium oocyst DNA samples originating from Australians with clinical cryptosporidiosis, and the results were in agreement with results previously obtained by single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis. Melting curve analyses in assays using intercalating dyes to distinguish between C. parvum and C. hominis were also reported by Tanriverdi et al. (166, 167). Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) probes (Fig. 1B) have also been used to distinguish between C. parvum and C. hominis (168), but there are issues regarding diagnostic sensitivity and potentially impaired performance in terms of species resolution in mixed infections. For phylogenetic analysis and molecular epidemiological and outbreak investigations, PCR-RFLP or PCR-sequencing analysis of various loci, including SSU rDNA, COWP, GP60, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), actin, thrombospondin-related adhesive protein, and many other gene targets, has been useful (169, 170). Although GP60 remains the locus most widely targeted, the ideal combination of loci for molecular epidemiological purposes remains to be identified (169, 171). Surprisingly, there are a number of species and genotypes for which complete SSU rRNA gene sequences are not available (Table 4), including the recently described species C. cuniculus and C. viatorum. This may be due to the fact that phylogenetic analysis of Cryptosporidium isolates are often carried out by using only partial SSU rRNA genes (despite the fact that variation is seen across the entire gene) and sometimes in conjunction with phylogenetic analysis of, for example, HSP70 and actin genes (172, 173). PCR is slowly gaining a foothold in clinical microbiology laboratories, and the main approach has been the application of generic primers/probes used alone or multiplexed in assays targeting other relevant parasites; typically, these are used as a first-line screening tool as an alternative to traditional diagnostics (Table 2). DNA-based diagnostics offer improved diagnostic sensitivity, as shown by Morgan et al. in 1998 (12) and in a multitude of other studies. One example is seen in a study by Amar et al., who found that PCR resulted in a 22-fold increase in the detection of Cryptosporidium and Giardia versus conventional microscopy (174). An increased detection rate was found by using a DnaJ-like gene-based TaqMan assay (158) compared to commonly used commercial kits such as Merifluor Cryptosporidium/Giardia (Meridian Bioscience) and the ImmunCard STAT! Crypto/Giardia Rapid assay (Meridian Bioscience) (175). In a study by Stensvold and Nielsen (162), the multiplex assay was remarkably more sensitive than modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining of fecal concentrates, strongly supporting the implementation of a molecular screening platform for cryptosporidiosis in low-endemicity Denmark: 16/889 samples were positive for Cryptosporidium by real-time PCR, compared to none by modified Ziehl-Neelsen microscopy. Along these lines, Chalmers et al. (176) recently showed that the sensitivity of modified Ziehl-Neelsen microscopy was 75.4% compared to the real-time PCR developed by Hadfield et al. (163). Conversely, comparably high sensitivities were reported for auramine-phenol microscopy and commercial kits based on immunofluorescence microscopy and enzyme immunoassays (176). The validation study was carried out by using Cryptosporidium samples, 97% of which were either C. parvum or C. hominis, and therefore, the diagnostic sensitivity reported there must be interpreted in this light. Cyclospora Species of Cyclospora are obligate intracellular apicomplexan parasites infecting primates and a number of nonprimate hosts, including other mammals, reptiles, and arthropods. Cyclospora cayetanensis is the only species so far known to infect humans and is presumably host specific. Oocysts are excreted in feces, and thereafter, it takes >1 week for oocysts to sporulate in the environment. Infection is due to the ingestion of sporulated oocysts. Sporozoites released from ingested oocysts can infect the duodenum and jejunum. Oocysts are highly resistant to disinfectants used in the food industry (177). Areas where cyclosporiasis is endemic include the Americas, the Middle East, Southeast and South Asia, South Africa, and southern Europe, but the parasite may even be seen in outbreaks in areas where the disease is not endemic, mainly due to the distribution of contaminated food produce such as raspberries, basil, lettuce, sugar snap peas, or other vegetables (178 – 183) or outbreaks in groups of individuals from areas where disease is not endemic who travel to areas of endemicity (184 – 186) or as sporadic cases after travel to areas of endemicity (186). Asymptomatic presentation is not uncommon in areas where the disease is endemic (177), but symptoms related to Cyclospora infection may include low-grade fever, anorexia, nausea, diarrhea, and weight loss and may be seen primarily in children and HIV/AIDS patients in areas of endemicity (177). Recently, a study on population-based active surveillance for Cyclospora infection by the U.S. Foodborne Disease Active Surveillance Network concluded that clinicians should include Cyclospora infection in the differential diagnosis of prolonged or relapsing diarrheal illness and should explicitly request stool examinations for this parasite (187). Traditional diagnostic methods include mainly autofluorescence (Fig. 3B) or, perhaps more commonly, modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining of fecal concentrates in which oocysts of Cyclospora (size, 8 to 10 μm) can be differentiated from those of Cryptosporidium (4 to 6 μm) and Cystoisospora (25 to 30 μm) by morphological characteristics. PCR methods in various formats have been used for direct detection (screening) and confirmation of microscopy results. While the ITS region may offer higher resolution and therefore may be better for molecular epidemiological purposes (188, 189), the SSU rRNA gene has been the primary target for PCR-based diagnosis of Cyclospora in human fecal samples (Table 5). PCR-based assays for detection and molecular characterization of Cyclospora f In 2003, the first TaqMan assays were reported (190, 191), enabling the incorporation of Cyclospora into multiplex screening assays to detect and differentiate multiple genera and species of apicomplexa and microsporidia, with the key driving forces being dramatically increased sensitivity compared to that of microscopy (191, 192) and the fact that these parasites are rarely encountered in clinical samples in areas where the disease is not endemic. A multiplex PCR method to detect Cyclospora, Cystoisospora, and microsporidia in stool samples based on Luminex technology was recently reported (193). While the probe and reverse primer appear to be genus specific, the forward primer might be species specific for C. cayetanensis. The assay could possibly be modified toward the development of a Cyclospora genus-specific PCR. It appears relevant to combine diagnostics for intestinal sporozoa (Cystoisospora, Cyclospora, Cryptosporidium, and microsporidia) in multiplex PCR assays, as these parasites are often waterborne, most can be found in outbreaks, and there may be significant overlap in risk factors and symptoms caused by these parasites. Unfortunately, little has been published on the use of nucleic acid-based tests for the diagnosis of Cyclospora infections in a clinical diagnostic setting. In a small study in Peru, nested PCR detected 57.1% positive results in diarrheal cases (20/35) versus only 18.9% positive results in controls (3/15), compared to only 18.9% and 6.7% positive samples in cases and controls, respectively, by microscopy (192). In Egypt, Cyclospora infections were detected in 35 of 140 (25%) diarrheic children by using nested PCR, compared to 17.8% and 22.2% with modified Kinyoun stain and autofluorescence microscopy, respectively (194). In The Netherlands, 100 stool specimens from returning travelers with diarrhea were screened for the presence of C. cayetanensis by using fluorescence microscopy and real-time PCR. C. cayetanensis was found in five cases by PCR, one of which (20%) could be confirmed by microscopy only after examination of several additional slides; C. cayetanensis was the most frequent parasitic cause of diarrhea after G. lamblia (191). Genotyping has been performed for the differentiation of Cyclospora species by using the ITS region and the SSU rRNA gene. Very few other genes have been explored, and no sequence variation was found in the HSP70 genes of Cyclospora cayetanensis isolates from Nepal, Mexico, and Peru (195). Cystoisospora The apicomplexan genus Cystoisospora (Sarcocystidae; formerly Isospora) comprises species that infect humans, dogs, cats, and other mammals (196, 197). While cystoisosporiasis may be common in nonhuman hosts, human infection by Cystoisospora appears to be relatively rare, and symptomatic infections are probably seen mostly in immunocompromised individuals, including patients with HIV/AIDS or lymphoproliferative disorders, in whom infections are often chronic and severe (198 – 201). Superinfection of the small bowel during administration of systemic corticosteroids for eosinophilic gastroenteritis has been documented (202). Regions of endemicity include tropical Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America; in Western countries, human infections may largely be imported from travel to or origins in countries where the disease is endemic (203). Infection is probably self-limiting in immunocompetent hosts. Symptoms may include diarrhea, steatorrhea, abdominal pain, fever, malaise, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, dehydration, and cachexia (197). Bile duct infection may be seen, while disseminated disease is probably rare but has been reported for AIDS patients. Recurrences are common, and the chronic nature of the illness contributes to morbidity and mortality among these patients (204 – 206). Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim treatment provides a good clinical response and is the drug of choice (207). Mature oocysts are infective and contain two sporocysts, each containing four sporozoites. Sporozoites released into the small bowel by ingested oocysts invade the intestinal epithelium, and once intracellular, the parasites undergo schizogony with merozoite, trophozoite, schizont, gametocyte, and oocyst formation (196, 197). Tissue cysts (lamina propria) may be seen by endoscopy in the absence of fecal shedding of oocysts; tissue cysts may be unizoite (208, 209). Oocysts are oblong and characterized by a thin, transparent shell surrounding the sporocysts and are usually detected in the laboratory by Ziehl-Neelsen staining of fecal concentrates (Fig. 3D) or by phase-contrast or fluorescence microscopy of unstained wet mounts (Fig. 3C). Flotation techniques are sometimes used. There is some indication that oocyst morphology differs from host to host (210). Very few molecular studies have been undertaken to characterize Cystoisospora from humans and other animals, so host specificity and the level of genetic diversity are incompletely known; however, Cystoisospora belli (formerly Isospora belli) is the species that has been reported in humans. While Murphy et al. diligently described how Cystoisospora can be detected by using a broad-specificity primer approach (211), such an approach is not feasible in general practice and on routine screening platforms due to potential requirements such as cloning and low cost-effectiveness. Reports of targeted PCR assays are scarce but include an assay based on nested PCR (212). This nested PCR used an outer primer pair, IsoFO (5′-GTGCCTCTTCCTCTGGAAGG-3′) and IsoRO (5′-GCACTCCACCCAGTTAAGTGC-3′), and an inner primer pair, IsoFI (5′-CGATGGATCATTCAAGTTTC-3′) and IsoRI (5′-ACCACGTACACACCCCTAAG-3′), followed by probe hybridization (IsoOP [5′-GT{T/A}ATGGCTTCGGCCGGCGATGGA-3′]). While this assay could potentially be implemented in a TaqMan format, the primers have not been validated on fecal DNA. A real-time PCR with internal process control was described by ten Hove et al. (213). It uses primers Ib-40F (5′-ATATTCCCTGCAGCATGTCTGTTT-3′) and Ib-129R (5′-CCACACGCGTATTCCAGAGA-3′) and amplifies an 89-bp fragment of the ITS2 region, which is detected by the double-labeled probe Ib-81Taq (5′-FAM [6-carboxyfluorescein]-CAAGTTCTGCTCACGCGCTTCTGG-BHQ1-3′). The assay was shown to be specific for 147 bacterial, parasitic, and fecal control DNA samples and detected C. belli-specific amplification in 21 microscopy-positive stool samples. This assay may be specific for C. belli; at least the probe is located in a region where C. ohioensis exhibits a vast degree of divergence, including an insertion of 3 bases. C. ohioensis is one of several species of Cystoisospora identified in synanthropic carnivores (214). However, for several species of Cystoisospora, no sequence data are available for this particular region, so the specificity of the probe is difficult to determine at present. A multiplex PCR with 4 primer sets to amplify C. cayetanensis, C. belli, Enterocytozoon bieneusi, and Encephalitozoon intestinalis was developed, in which detection of amplicons occurs by specific probes coupled to Luminex beads (193) (Table 2). For C. belli, primers were based on C. belli 5.8S rRNA and ITS2 and amplify a 213-bp sequence. These primers may enable the detection of species of Cystoisospora other than C. belli; currently, only data for C. ohioensis are available in GenBank for this region, and only 1 to 2 mismatches are seen across the primers. The SSU rRNA gene and ITS1 sequences are used to determine the taxonomic status of Cystoisospora isolates (210, 214 – 216). Sarcocystis Humans may serve as both intermediate and definitive hosts of Sarcocystis; only intestinal Sarcocystis infections are briefly discussed here. Although Sarcocystis may include distinct species pathogenic to humans, very little is known regarding host specificity, taxonomy, and overall epidemiology (217). Considering the fairly high prevalence in various cohorts across the globe, as reviewed by Fayer (217), it is surprising that reports on Sarcocystis infections of humans are so scarce. While DNA-based confirmation is still pending, it is possible that intestinal infection by Sarcocystis in humans may be caused by both Sarcocystis hominis and Sarcocystis suihominis and acquired through the consumption of tissue cysts in undercooked beef and pork, respectively (217). Symptoms related to intestinal infection include nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, stomach ache, bloating, diarrhea, dyspnea, and tachycardia; they appear only a few hours after ingestion of tissue cysts and may last for about 36 h. The prepatent period is 5 to 12 days, and patency may last for at least 120 days. Importantly, symptoms overlap those characteristic of acute gastroenteritis (217). Seminested PCR combined with RFLP analysis has been used to detect and distinguish S. hominis, S. fusiformis, and S. cruzi-like organisms (218). Sarcocystis cruzi was included in a real-time PCR assay targeting various coccidia of animal health and zoonotic importance, where organisms were detected and differentiated based on melting curve analysis (219). CILIATES One genus of ciliates is known to be able to infect humans: Balantidium. Balantidium Balantidium has a cosmopolitan distribution and is present generally wherever pigs are present (220). Both B. coli and B. suis infections of pigs have been reported, but molecular studies still remain to be performed to settle whether B. coli and B. suis are in fact separate species. Recent data, however, suggest that B. coli has low host specificity (221). A study from Denmark revealed a prevalence of 100% in some pig cohorts, but so far, cases of human balantidiosis acquired in Denmark remain to be reported. It has been suggested that Balantidium does not readily produce patent infections in humans (220). While asymptomatic infections may be common, dysentery and invasion of the colon have been reported (220, 222). Bowel perforation caused by B. coli, leading to severe peritonitis, was described in France (223). Extraintestinal spread to the peritoneal cavity, genitourinary tract, and lungs has been reported (224 – 227). Transmission occurs by ingestion of cysts contaminating food or drink. Risk factors include contact with pigs and pig excreta (224, 228). In humans, B. coli is the species reported; the same species is known to infect pigs. It is the only ciliate and the largest protozoon known to infect humans, and while human infections may be rare, Balantidium may be extremely common in other hosts, including pigs, causing asymptomatic infections. In fact, a number of ciliates are known to colonize ruminants, to which hosts these parasites are often beneficial, assisting the host in food digestion and carbohydrate metabolism (229). DNA or cysts of Balantidium have been detected in fecal samples from diverse hosts such as humans and nonhuman primates, pigs, ostriches, rats, guinea pigs, salamanders, frogs, and fish (230 – 234) and even in nonfecal human specimens such as bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid (224 – 227). Because the cysts measure 40 to 60 μm and trophozoites might be as large as 200 μm and are easily overstained in iodine-stained wet mounts, they may easily be missed when focusing on finding protozoan cysts by routine microscopy. So far, PCR has been used mainly to characterize Balantidium from various hosts, including humans (221, 232 – 234). Very few Balantidium sequences are currently available in GenBank, and most represent the SSU rDNA or ITS regions of B. coli. Diagnostic PCRs remain to be reported. Application of general, broad-specificity primers targeting nonhuman eukaryotic SSU rDNA may be of significant utility in efforts to cost-effectively screen for Balantidium in clinical samples other than feces (e.g., biopsy specimens and BAL fluid, etc.). MICROSPORIDIA Microsporidia are obligate, intracellular, single-celled fungi that infect a wide variety of vertebrate and invertebrate hosts, comprising >160 genera representing over 1,500 species, at least 14 of which are known to be able to infect humans. Intestinal microsporidiosis in humans is due mainly to Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon species, mainly E. intestinalis and, probably to a lesser extent, E. cuniculi and E. hellem (235 – 238). E. bieneusi is generally the species associated most frequently with human infections, although a recent study on Russian HIV-positive patients found that E. intestinalis was much more common than E. bieneusi in this particular cohort (239). In humans, opportunistic infections associated with persistent diarrhea and weight loss may be seen, especially in individuals with HIV/AIDS and organ transplant patients, while in immunocompetent individuals, symptomatic, self-limiting infection may occur (240 – 245). In HIV-infected patients, a CD4+ T-cell count of <100 cells per μl appears to be a significant risk factor for microsporidiosis (246 – 248), although a study of HIV patients in Nigeria reported microsporidiosis associated with a CD4+ T-cell count of <200 cells per μl (249); in a study of Danish HIV patients with unexplained diarrhea, most of whom were treated with HAART and had CD4+ T-cell counts of >100 cells/μl, no cases of microsporidiosis were detected by PCR for Enterocytozoon and Encephalitozoon (160). Infections due to Encephalitozoon may also cause rhinosinusitis, keratoconjunctivitis, nephritis, hepatitis, and systemic infections. Probably because of the increased attention to microsporidiosis during the AIDS epidemic and the improvement of diagnostic techniques, microsporidiosis is now increasingly being diagnosed in transplant patients, children, the elderly, and travelers (241). Although reports of outbreaks of microsporidia are scarce, both food- and waterborne outbreaks have been reported (250, 251). Most infections in immunocompetent individuals are self-limiting; in immunocompromised patients, primary treatment may include chemotherapeutic intervention with the aim of restoring immunocompetence, such as administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in combination with the use of antibiotics such as nitazoxanide, albendazole, or fumagillin (252, 253). The traditional gold standard for the detection of microsporidia relies on the demonstration of 1- to 2-μm spores by transmission electron microscopy, but this is an insensitive method for finding spores, since the specimen analyzed is relatively small. Detection of microsporidia in stool samples often includes the identification of spores in fecal smears by nonspecific histochemical chemofluorescent agent stains or trichrome stain as well as monoclonal antibody immunofluorescence assays (246, 254 – 256). Even using these staining techniques, detection and identification of microsporidial spores are difficult, and expertise is required. PCR has been shown to be a valuable technique in the diagnosis of these important opportunistic pathogens (238). Moreover, as distinct treatment options are available for different genera, identification to the genus and species levels is clinically important (252). Molecular diagnostic tests for the detection of microsporidia have been reviewed extensively (238, 257, 258). PCR diagnosis for E. bieneusi was developed as early as 1993 (259), and since then, a variety of conventional PCRs for detection and species identification have been described. Meanwhile, relatively few real-time PCR methods have been reported (Table 6). A PCR followed by detection of E. bieneusi, E. cuniculi, E. hellem, and E. intestinalis by microarray has been developed (260). The assay developed by Taniuchi et al. included a multiplex PCR setup along with primers and probes for Cyclospora and Cystoisospora (193). This appears to be a relevant option for the detection of diarrheagenic parasites that are difficult to detect by conventional methods, particularly in susceptible individuals such as HIV/AIDS patients and recipients of organ transplants. PCR-based assays for detection and molecular characterization of microsporidia f Based on the ITS nucleotide sequence of E. bieneusi recovered from feces of infected humans and animals, E. bieneusi comprises a perplexing array of genotypes, several of which have been found in humans. New genotypes keep emerging, and thus, the number of E. bieneusi genotypes today may be well over 100 (37, 249, 256, 261, 262). Some of these genotypes have been recognized as being host specific, while others have been found to infect both humans and other animals, supporting the likelihood of zoonotic transmission (235). Interestingly, pigeons appear to constitute a reservoir for species of microsporidia seen in humans; however, little is known about the potential overlap of genotypes between humans and pigeons (263). Genotype B was the only genotype identified in samples from patients with HIV in Australia and was also the predominant genotype in France and The Netherlands (37, 248, 264). In contrast, a variety of genotypes were identified in HIV-infected individuals in Portugal, Peru, Thailand, Niger, Nigeria, Vietnam, and Gabon and in unselected individuals in Cameroon (247, 249, 265 – 267). Genotype D was recently reported for two Spanish transplant patients (242); in two other studies of organ transplant recipients in Europe, genotype C was the predominant genotype (37, 264). Genotype C was also found to be responsible for a food-borne outbreak in Sweden (250). E. cuniculi infection in humans is rarely reported, while birds, canids, rabbits, and rodents may be common hosts (236, 268). At least four genotypes are known (269), among which genotype II has not been detected in humans to date to our knowledge. While genetic variation in E. intestinalis remains to be described, E. hellem comprises at least 3 genotypes with some intragenotypic variation (269 – 274). Interestingly, analysis of four E. hellem isolates from humans revealed that the C-terminal regions of the spore wall proteins EhSWP1a and EhSWP1b are polymorphic, which is of interest for epidemiological studies (275). While microsporidia may not currently qualify as part of a routine test panel for intestinal pathogens, PCR-based detection appears to be relevant in cases of HIV-related diarrhea, diarrhea in patients undergoing organ transplantation, and unexplained diarrhea in otherwise immunocompromised patients. Genotyping has immediate relevance to outbreak investigations but has also proven useful in surveillance studies of microsporidia in humans and other animals to identify transmission patterns and other aspects of epidemiology. It appears that there is a plethora of genotypes for E. bieneusi, and while ITS sequence analysis may prove valuable for further exploration of the complex epidemiology of microsporidia, it may be relevant to identify alternatives to ITS sequence analysis for a more clinically relevant strain identification approach. Of note, few diagnostic PCRs have been developed for species that potentially may cause systemic infections, and validation studies on DNA extracted from clinical samples other than stool, such as urine and pulmonary samples, remain limited. STRAMENOPILES Stramenopiles encompass a range of very diverse organisms, most of which are free-living. Blastocystis is remarkable in that it has adapted to a strictly anaerobic parasitic life-style and is capable of colonizing a vast variety of mammalian, avian, reptilian, amphibian, and arthropod hosts. Only one other stramenopile is known to be able to cause parasitic infections in humans, namely, Pythium, which is a rare cause of skin disorders and systemic granulomatous disease. Proteromonas lacertae, which is closely related to Blastocystis, can be found in reptiles. Blastocystis Blastocystis (Fig. 2D) is a common, strictly anaerobic, unicellular intestinal parasitic protist of humans and a wide variety of nonhuman hosts (276 – 278). Despite the fact that it is one of the most common microbial eukaryotes to colonize the human intestine and its clinical significance is largely unknown, it remains a relatively little-studied parasite. This may be due in part to a variety of unrelated predicaments: the inconspicuousness of the parasite, which makes diagnosis based on morphology difficult; the difficulties associated with isolation in axenic culture; the resilience of infections, which may be chronic and difficult to eradicate; and the frequency with which the parasite presents itself along with other intestinal microbial eukaryotes, such as Dientamoeba, making it extremely difficult to know whether potential symptoms are due to Blastocystis or another organism. It is not known how to eradicate the parasite, and Blastocystis is not even remotely genetically related to other microeukaryotes that colonize or infect the human intestine, such as other protists and yeasts. Although all the stages involved in the life cycle of Blastocystis have not been fully clarified, transmission is by the fecal-oral route and possibly mostly involves the accidental ingestion of the cyst stage (278). While asymptomatic carriage is common, Blastocystis has been linked to disease in a variety of case reports (279). The parasite exhibits remarkable genetic diversity, and to date, nine genetically distinct lineages, so-called subtypes (STs) (arguably species), have been found in humans, of which ST1 to ST4 account for >90% of human Blastocystis carriage (277). Efforts continue to identify potential associations between subtypes and clinical outcomes of colonization; so far, results are pointing in different directions. Microscopy of fecal concentrates has low diagnostic sensitivity, which has most likely led to substantial underreporting of the parasite (280 – 282), whereas the use of permanently stained smears of preserved stool specimens will increase the rate of detection of Blastocystis (283). The use of molecular tools in Blastocystis research and routine diagnostics has had a crucial impact on our understanding of Blastocystis epidemiology and transmission. The first report of a diagnostic PCR for Blastocystis, in 2006, was partly inspired by the tendency toward screening of fecal DNAs for common intestinal protozoa by PCR as a supplement to or even as a substitute for microscopy of fecal concentrates (284). Primer design was based on sequences available in the NCBI database at that particular time. Analysis of newer data leads to the conclusion that this PCR assay may exhibit preferential amplification of some STs over others due to sequence variation in primer annealing sites, which may impair its use in epidemiological studies. Indeed, the extensive intrageneric diversity of Blastocystis has made the design of a diagnostic genus-specific PCR applicable to fecal DNA templates challenging. Three diagnostic real-time PCR assays have been reported. A real-time PCR based on an unknown Blastocystis gene using FRET probes was validated against ST1, ST3, and ST4 (285). A SYBR green real-time PCR was designed based on the SSU rRNA gene for the detection of Blastocystis-specific DNA and subsequent subtyping by melting curve analysis (286). Low sensitivity can be expected due to the relatively large PCR product (320 to 342 bp, depending on the subtype), and the specificity of the assay is only 95%. The third real-time assay, using a hydrolysis probe based on the SSU rRNA gene, was characterized by 100% specificity (287). The use of real-time PCR in large-scale surveys will assist in identifying whether the development of symptoms is related to infection intensity by simple analysis of threshold cycle (CT ) values for individual samples. Xenic in vitro culture (XIVC) sensitivity ranged between 52 and 79% compared to these real-time PCR assays (286, 287). Previously, XIVC was found to have a sensitivity of 89% compared to conventional PCR (280). Conventional PCR relies on visual evaluation of PCR results, and this PCR was based on primers that amplify a relatively large PCR product (∼550 to 585 bp), which was suitable for sequencing and subtype identification but too large to be relevant for diagnostic PCR, especially in situations where fecal DNAs are of suboptimal purity. An estimate of the number of rRNA gene copies in one Blastocystis cell is not available, although it may lie somewhere between 20 and 100 (287, 288). Generally, two methods have been employed for the genetic characterization (subtyping) of Blastocystis, namely, barcoding (289) and sequence-tagged-site (STS) PCR (290). These two methods were recently evaluated by Stensvold (291), who concluded that barcoding is the method of choice, enabling the detection of novel subtypes and further scrutiny of genetic diversity, including analysis of SSU rRNA alleles, since the barcode region has been validated as a marker of overall genetic diversity of Blastocystis (289, 292). Barcode primers (RD5/BhRDr) amplify 600 bp of the 5′ end of the SSU rRNA gene, and phylogenetic analysis has demonstrated that this region is a valid surrogate genetic marker for complete SSU rRNA gene sequences and even for markers in the genome of the mitochondrion-like organelle (289, 292). The drawbacks compared to the STS method are that sequencing is needed and that mixed-subtype colonization may be difficult to decipher. On the other hand, barcoding enables a more subtle analysis, namely, SSU rDNA allele analysis. A public database is available (http://pubmlst.org/blastocystis/), which includes a sequence depository for barcode sequences and sequences obtained by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) (see below). It also has a BLAST facility, where individual or bulk fasta files can be uploaded and analyzed for quick identification of subtype number, hence obviating the need for phylogenetic analysis (292, 293). SSU rDNA allele analysis is a useful indicator of intrasubtype genetic variation (292), and to date, >35 SSU rDNA alleles for ST3 have been identified, whereas the numbers of SSU rDNA alleles for ST4 and some other subtypes remain much more limited. However, some of the allelic variation in databases is the result of cloning and sequencing of individual genes from strains rather than sequences based on PCR products produced from the whole genome; intragenomic SSU rDNA polymorphism has been reported (288). Subtyping has revealed significant differences in Blastocystis epidemiology: ST4 appears to be common in Europe, while it is generally rare in most other regions. ST6 and ST7 account for about 20% of the cases in Africa, while only sporadic cases are seen in other regions. Independent data from Denmark (294) and Spain (295) show associations between ST4 and diarrhea, and ST4 is also common in United Kingdom patients suffering from IBS (277). Geographical differences in the distribution of subtypes may hamper attempts to identify subtypes specifically linked to disease. “Genotype” has been used by some authors interchangeably with “subtype.” Presuming that Blastocystis subtypes are equivalent to separate species, subtype allele analysis should be regarded as the equivalent of genotyping in other organisms. At this level, there is currently very little information on Blastocystis. However, it is likely that the introduction of the SSU rDNA allele database at PubMLST (http://pubmlst.org/blastocystis/) will greatly facilitate studies of both subtypes and SSU rDNA alleles, enabling rapid analysis of fasta files obtained by barcoding (289). Indeed, allele analysis is likely to be an essential tool in future analyses of the potential zoonotic transmission of Blastocystis. MLST analysis of Blastocystis is currently based on analysis of loci in the mitochondrion-like genome (292); mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is especially useful in MLST analyses due to its haploid structure, hence bypassing problems related to sequence heterozygosity, as seen, for example, in some Giardia MLST loci (91). So far, MLST systems are available for ST3 and ST4, and similar assays for ST1 and ST2 will follow. Analysis of 132 ST3 and ST4 isolates from humans and nonhuman primates recently revealed dramatic differences in intrasubtype diversity. No fewer than 58 sequence types (SQTs) were detected among 81 ST3 samples, while only 5 SQTs were found among 50 ST4 samples belonging to the common genotype (215). ST4 samples obtained from Denmark, England, and Nigeria shared the same SQT. While MLST therefore appears to be a very useful tool for investigating patterns of transmission, at least for ST3, the information obtained by the much simpler SSU rDNA allele analysis can be an extremely cost-effective tool. A recent study of Blastocystis in NHPs representing 30 genera showed that NHPs typically host the same subtypes as humans, apart from the fact that ST4 is rare in NHPs while ST5 and ST8 are rare in humans. However, despite ST1 and ST3 being common, it was noted that many of the ST3 alleles found in NHPs are not found in humans, and the same holds true for ST1 (296). A large overlap, however, appears to be present for ST2 SSU rDNA alleles, but only MLST can confirm whether or not NHP ST2 isolates are indeed identical to human ST2 isolates. Due to limited knowledge of the clinical significance of Blastocystis, implementation of molecular diagnostics in the routine clinical setting may be considered premature. However, since large-scale epidemiological studies of different cohorts represent a simple pathway to knowledge in Blastocystis research, the use of DNA detection methods will most likely prove pivotal in distinguishing between carriers and noncarriers; barcoding can subsequently be used for subtyping and allele identification with no particular a priori knowledge by using the sequence query facilities at the PubMLST website (http://pubmlst.org/blastocystis/) (277, 292, 293). In the event that differences in the clinical outcomes of Blastocystis infections reflect differences in subtypes or strains, nucleic acid-based methods will most likely be implemented as first-line diagnostics (for recent reviews and updates on Blastocystis research, see references 276, 297, and 298). SOIL-TRANSMITTED HELMINTHS Eggs of Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides, Necator americanus, and Ancylostoma duodenale develop into infective eggs or larvae when excreted onto soil, hence the collective name soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) (Fig. 4). New infections are acquired by ingestion of eggs or penetration of larvae through the skin. With a global estimate that hundreds of millions of people are infected, especially in developing countries, these infections are the most common but also the most neglected infections worldwide (299 – 302). Although Strongyloides stercoralis has a similar infection route, it is usually mentioned only as an aside under the STH heading and is therefore perhaps even more neglected (303, 304), which is strange considering that, as a result of autoinfection, this very chronic disease may suddenly derail, for example, through the use of corticosteroids, leading to a fatal outcome (305 – 307). Wet mounts of a Trichuris trichiura egg (A), an Ascaris lumbricoides egg (B), a hookworm egg (C), and Strongyloides stercoralis larva (D). (Parasite images courtesy of Marianne Lebbad; reprinted with permission.) Diagnosis appears to be simple and quite straightforward compared to the difficult microscopic diagnosis of protist infections. However, in Kato-Katz slides, which are often used in epidemiological studies, hookworm eggs will disappear if slides are not read within 30 to 60 min. The diagnosis of S. stercoralis infection is notoriously difficult due to the often very small numbers of larvae in chronic infections; multiple stools have to be tested by using Baermann and coproculture techniques to achieve adequate sensitivity (308). Conventional and real-time PCRs for the detection and quantification of soil-transmitted helminths have been developed but are still used mainly for epidemiological studies in areas of endemicity (Table 7). PCR-based assays for detection and molecular characterization of intestinal nematodes h Trichuris trichiura To date, only two papers have been published on the use of PCR for the detection of T. trichiura-specific DNA with an intended use as a first-line diagnostic tool. This might be due to difficulties in the isolation of parasite DNA from the very robust Trichuris eggs (17, 161). The first PCR targeting the T. trichiura SSU rRNA gene for detection and quantification of T. trichiura infections was incorporated into a real-time PCR in a TaqMan array card format that detected 19 enteropathogens (309). By testing analytical performance using spiked stool samples, the assay showed 100% sensitivity and specificity. Clinical samples from Tanzania and Bangladesh with a variety of known pathogens detected by conventional assays showed T. trichiura-specific DNA amplification in 8 of 8 microscopy-positive samples, and an additional infection was detected in 1 of 80 microscopy-negative samples. In a recent paper, a T. trichiura-specific singleplex real-time PCR designed from the ITS1 sequence was performed as part of a screen of stool samples collected from schoolchildren in rural Ecuador in parallel with seven additional singleplex PCRs for other intestinal parasitic infections (18). PCR detected T. trichiura-specific DNA in 12 of 400 samples, whereas direct wet mount slides identified 3 of 400 samples with T. trichiura eggs only. There was a significant correlation between egg counts measured by the Kato-Katz method and the T. trichiura-specific DNA load quantified by PCR. Phylogenetic analysis of Trichuris SSU, ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2, and mitochondrial genes derived from worms and eggs isolated from different host species has been performed. Although T. trichiura and T. suis cannot be differentiated by using morphological and biometric measurements, the ITS1 and ITS2 sequences of T. trichiura and T. suis isolated from nonhuman primates and different porcine hosts revealed clear differences between the two Trichuris species (310). Phylogenetic analysis of the ITS1, ITS2, and SSU rDNA sequences from various Trichuris species showed that T. trichiura and T. suis are closely related but genetically distinct species (310 – 312). A detailed analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome also confirmed that T. trichiura and T. suis are separate species (313). Sequence analysis of the ITS2 region of Trichuris species collected from pigs and from humans in the Kabale district of Uganda showed that cross-infections of humans with T. suis occurs but that cross-infections of pigs with T. trichiura were not found. The genetic differentiation and the presence of the two species in humans were confirmed by sequence analysis of a part of the β-tubulin gene. In three cases, worms in humans showed both the T. suis and T. trichiura ITS2 genotypes, suggesting the existence of heterozygous worms (314). Combining ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 sequences from adult Trichuris sp. worms isolated from baboons with GenBank records for Trichuris isolated from other humans, other nonhuman primates, and pigs revealed two distinct Trichuris genotypes separated from T. suis infecting baboons and human patients from Cameroon (315). The zoonotic potential of T. suis and different Trichuris genotypes is yet not fully understood, and further studies on these sympatric Trichuris infections are needed. Pyrosequencing assays have been developed for the detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the β-tubulin gene that are associated with benzimidazole resistance. The finding of a benzimidazole resistance-associated codon 200 TAC SNP in T. trichiura might explain the reported ineffectiveness of benzimidazole anthelmintics against Trichuris (316). In Guatemala, by using nested PCR and sequence analysis, nine T. trichiura-positive fecal samples revealed the TTC codon in the β-tubulin gene, which is associated with benzimidazole-sensitive parasites (317). Ascaris lumbricoides Conventional PCR assays targeting the ITS1 region and the cytochrome b gene using gel electrophoresis for the detection of the PCR product were used to detect and genotype Ascaris DNA from coprolites found in pre-Columbian South American archaeological sites and in fecal samples from patients attending a health center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (318). Another PCR for the detection of A. lumbricoides DNA designed from the ITS1 sequence (319) was used in different platforms as part of panels or multiplex assays for the simultaneous detection of several linked pathogens. A multiplex real-time PCR using hydrolysis (TaqMan) probes (18) for the detection and quantification of A. lumbricoides, N. americanus, A. duodenale, and S. stercoralis with an internal control was validated against a large panel of control samples and was used in Malaysia and Indonesia (161, 319 – 321). In two studies in Malaysia, Ascaris was detected by PCR in 6/77 and 12/225 cases, respectively, compared to detection in 3/77 and 7/225 cases by microscopy. Microscopy-negative samples showed higher median CT values (i.e., lower DNA loads) than did microscopy-positive samples. In Indonesia, in a large placebo-controlled study on the effect of albendazole treatment on malarial parasitemia and allergy, Ascaris prevalence and DNA load measured by PCR showed little decrease in the placebo group (n = 466), and although the decline in the albendazole group (n = 423) was much greater, there were still positive cases after treatment 6 times at 3-month intervals. This ITS1-based Ascaris PCR was also validated for use in a TaqMan array card for the simultaneous detection of 19 enteropathogens, including viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and helminths (A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura) (309). The same primer-and-probe design for the detection of A. lumbricoides DNA was incorporated into a multiplex PCR for the detection of three intestinal protozoa and four helminths using probe-based detection with Luminex beads (322). TaqMan probe chemistry with another primer-and-probe design from the ITS1 sequence was used in a study in which an Ascaris PCR was performed in parallel with singleplex PCRs for seven additional parasitic targets (18). Compared to microscopy, only a small number of additional cases were detected by PCR (28/400 versus 22/400). The microscopy-positive samples showed a much higher DNA load than did the PCR-positive/microscopy-negative samples. DNA loads showed an excellent correlation with the egg counts measured by the Kato-Katz method. In an additional group of 125 children who were tested before and after anthelmintic treatment, all initial Ascaris PCR-positive cases tested negative 21 days after treatment. Whole-genome fingerprinting by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis, RFLP analysis, and sequencing of the ITS1 and mitochondrial genes and microsatellites have been used as genotyping methods to study the epidemiology and zoonotic potential of Ascaris. These studies have been reviewed from different angles to elucidate the taxonomic status of A. lumbricoides and A. suum and their zoonotic potential (323 – 325). Several studies using different markers showed zoonotic potential of Ascaris, as humans and pigs were found to share common haplotypes. Although some researchers leave the taxonomic status undefined, Leles et al. concluded that based on nematode cross-infections between humans and pigs, the hybridization between A. lumbricoides and A. suum, and the high levels of genetic similarity between the complete mtDNA genomes, there is a single interbreeding population of Ascaris, and those authors recommended synonymizing the two species with the name A. lumbricoides Linnaeus 1758 (326). The codon 200 TAC SNP in the β-tubulin gene was not found in any of the A. lumbricoides samples (n = 38) tested by using a pyrosequencing assay for the detection of SNPs in this gene that are associated with benzimidazole resistance (316). In Guatemala, sequence analysis of the β-tubulin gene of microscopy-positive A. lumbricoides samples showed the TCC codon that is associated with benzimidazole-sensitive parasites in all samples (317). HookwormAs reviewed by Gasser et al., species-specific markers defined in the ribosomal and mitochondrial genes were validated for species identification of adult hookworms and were later employed in epidemiological studies using conventional PCR for the detection of species-specific hookworm DNA in fecal samples (327). Primers and probes designed from the ITS2 sequences of N. americanus and A. duodenale showed high specificity (100%) and sensitivity (98.5% to 100%) using a range of controls and field samples from northern Ghana in a multiplex real-time PCR for the detection of N. americanus, Ancylostoma, Oesophagostomum bifurcum, and an inhibition control (328). Moreover, there was a good correlation between egg counts and parasite-specific DNA load. In an area of low N. americanus endemicity in southern Ghana, the detection rate by PCR for a single fecal sample almost equaled that of Kato examination of three fecal samples. Additionally, N. americanus infections were detected in 8 of 31 microscopy-negative cases by PCR using three consecutive fecal samples (329). The same primer-and-probe design from the ITS2 sequence was used in multiplex TaqMan-based assays targeting different helminth infections, in singleplex assays tested in parallel with other targets, and in a multiplex PCR combined with probe-based detection with Luminex beads (Table 7). Considerable numbers of additional N. americanus and Ancylostoma cases were detected with a helminth pentaplex real-time PCR targeting the ITS2 sequences of N. americanus and A. duodenale in microscopy-negative fecal samples in two studies in Malaysia (161, 320). N. americanus DNA was detected in 21/76 and 20/225 microscopy-negative samples, and Ancylostoma DNA was detected in 11/76 and 14/225 samples. Because of the identity between ITS2 sequences of the different Ancylostoma species, the exact identification of the Ancylostoma species involved in these studies is as yet unclear. Real-time PCR targeting the ITS2 sequence followed by HRM analysis enabled the detection and differentiation of N. americanus, A. duodenale, A. ceylanicum, and A. caninum (330). Moreover, this PCR assay was more sensitive for the detection of N. americanus than was nested PCR for testing of 634 samples from Malaysia. In a study in Cambodia, microscopy was compared with these N. americanus and Ancylostoma PCRs in a singleplex format. Although hookworm-specific amplification was detected in an additional 35 of 166 microscopy-negative fecal samples, both PCRs remained negative for 11 of 52 samples in which hookworm-like eggs were seen by microscopy. Moreover, there was no difference in the PCR CT values (or DNA load) detected in microscopy-negative and microscopy-positive samples (331). The possibility of a less optimal DNA isolation procedure or the misidentification of hookworm-like eggs (e.g., Trichostrongylus) can therefore not be excluded. A SYBR green-based real-time PCR targeting the ITS2 sequence of N. americanus detected one egg in 200 mg of fecal material and detected N. americanus-specific DNA amplification in stool samples from 49 of 261 subjects, compared to 30 cases detected by microscopy (332). PCR-based detection showed large reductions in the percentage of N. americanus-positive subjects as well as in the intensity, measured as N. americanus-specific DNA loads, in stool samples following intensive albendazole treatment compared to placebo in a study in Indonesia (333). Unexpectedly, PCR revealed that A. duodenale and not N. americanus was the most prevalent hookworm infection, and A. duodenale was shown to be a key factor in severe anemia and iron deficiency in Malawian children (334). Infections with moderate and high A. duodenale DNA loads were positively associated with severe anemia, with odds ratios (ORs) of 2.49 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16 to 5.33) and 9.04 (95% CI, 2.52 to 32.47), respectively. Iron deficiency measured in bone marrow was positively associated with an increasing A. duodenale DNA load (ORs of 3.63 [95% CI, 1.18 to 11.20], 16.98 [95% CI, 3.88 to 74.35], and 44.91 [95% CI, 5.23 to 385.77] for low, moderate, and high loads, respectively). Genetic diversity within hookworm species investigated by whole-genome fingerprinting methods such as random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and AFLP analyses, different mutation scanning methods (e.g., SSCP), and sequencing of selected protein-coding mitochondrial genes was reviewed by Gasser et al. (327, 335). Population substructuring was revealed within A. duodenale in China by using PCR-SSCP to detect genetic diversity in the cox1 gene (336). Using adult worms from Africa, Asia, and South America, multiple genetically distinct groups of N. americanus were shown by using AFLP (337), confirming previous findings of ribosomal and mitochondrial genetic variation (327). Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the β-tubulin gene at codons 167 and 200 have been associated with resistance to benzimidazole anthelmintics in several strongylid nematodes of livestock. A real-time PCR for the detection of these polymorphisms in A. caninum, A. duodenale, and N. americanus was performed on hookworm specimens from schoolchildren in Uganda for whom a reduced response to treatment with mebendazole was observed. However, polymorphisms in codons 167 and 200 of the β-tubulin gene were not detected in any of these samples (338). Amplification and sequencing primers for pyrosequencing were designed to detect and identify benzimidazole resistance-associated SNPs in the β-tubulin genes of N. americanus, A. lumbricoides, and T. trichiura (339). Recently, new-generation sequencing and analysis of the N. americanus transcriptome revealed 18 predicted drug targets, which did not have homologues in the human host (340). Strongyloides stercoralis Strongyloides stercoralis is endemic to many tropical and subtropical regions; it is estimated that 30 million to 100 million people worldwide are infected, with prevalence rates in some cohorts being as high as 50% (299, 303, 341). S. stercoralis behaves differently than other intestinal nematodes; rhabditiform larvae are excreted in the stool but can already develop into infective filariform larvae in the gut and then penetrate the intestinal mucosa or perianal skin, resulting in a prolonged cycle of autoinfection, which can continue for many decades (342 – 344). Chronic strongyloidiasis may result in hyperinfection or systemic strongyloidiasis and is often seen in immunocompromised hosts such as transplant patients, patients receiving chemotherapy, and patients treated with corticosteroids (303, 305, 345 – 347). Laboratory diagnosis is based mainly on serology and the detection of S. stercoralis larvae by microscopic examination of fecal samples. Microscopy is labor-intensive and, especially in chronic infections, the sensitivity is low due to the often very small number of larvae, and even after formalin-ether concentration, the use of the Baermann method, or coproculture, multiple samples have to be examined to achieve ample sensitivity (348 – 352). Recently, a S. stercoralis real-time PCR with primers and FRET probes designed from the 28S gene was described and showed high specificity and specificity using controls and spiked samples, but it was not evaluated further on clinical samples (353). Another real-time PCR with primers and a hydrolysis probe based on the SSU rRNA gene sequence of S. stercoralis was 10 to 100 times more sensitive than assays designed from cox1 and a S. stercoralis-specific sequence. The assay showed 100% specificity when used on a large panel of DNAs from fecal samples and controls. When applied to stool samples (n = 212) from northern Ghana, the sensitivity of the SSU rRNA PCR compared to the Baermann test or coproculture was 86% or 91%, respectively. In samples with positive Baermann and coproculture results, PCR showed 100% sensitivity, but lower sensitivity was achieved in samples with discrepant results by the Baermann and culture methods (354). A lower sensitivity of PCR for patients with lower larval counts was also found in a study in Bangladesh using the same PCR method. A positive PCR result was found in all Harada-Mori culture-positive samples with high and moderate larval loads, whereas only 15% of the samples with a low larval load were found to be positive by PCR (355). The PCR design was evaluated in asymptomatic schoolchildren in Cambodia (n = 218) and showed 88.9% sensitivity and 92.7% specificity compared to the combination of the Baermann method and Koga agar culture as the gold standard; a lower sensitivity was found for samples with discrepant results by conventional methods. Additional PCR-positive samples, however, were found in Baermann- and Koga agar-negative samples as well (331). The SSU rDNA primer-and-probe set (354) has been incorporated into multiplex assays on a variety of different platforms (18, 309, 319, 320, 322) (Table 2). In two studies in Malaysia, S. stercoralis DNA was detected in 21/76 and 28/225 microscopy-negative samples (161, 320). The SSU rRNA gene was also used as a target in a duplex real-time FRET PCR combined with melting-curve analysis for the simultaneous detection of Opisthorchis viverrini and S. stercoralis (356) and showed 100% sensitivity and specificity compared to the agar plate culture method, detecting S. stercoralis in 32 of 66 stool samples and 30 controls (356). A conventional PCR designed from the 5.8S rRNA gene amplified S. stercoralis-specific DNA in all 16 agar plate-positive samples and in 5 of 30 microscopy-negative samples in a survey of 782 individuals in Iran (357). An early study using a PCR-RFLP approach targeting the ITS and a partial 23S rRNA gene using larval DNA revealed species-specific amplicon sizes for S. stercoralis, S. fuelleborni, and S. ratti. RFLP showed identical patterns for human isolates of S. stercoralis from different parts of the world and differentiated these from a dog isolate of S. stercoralis (358). Sequencing of the SSU rRNA gene of larvae isolated from fecal material collected from orangutans and a human working with orangutans identified S. stercoralis and S. fuelleborni. The ITS1 sequences of 17 S. fuelleborni isolates showed high variability, falling into two clusters, without differentiating the orangutan and human isolates (359). Considering the rather laborious and time-consuming concentration and stool culture methods that have to be applied on multiple fresh stool samples to achieve ample sensitivity in the diagnosis of S. stercoralis infections, which are relatively rare in the Western clinical setting, molecular diagnostics appear to be a worthwhile alternative screening method. In a study using stool samples from returning travelers (n = 2,591), real-time S. stercoralis SSU rDNA PCR detected 21 positive cases, compared to only 3 cases detected by using microscopy of Baermann sediments (107). The higher sensitivity of the PCR could be explained by the detection of DNA from larvae that died before arrival of the samples by regular mail, whereas Baermann tests or coprocultures are dependent on the presence of live larvae. In a small study in Argentina, using 17 positive stool samples from strongyloidiasis patients that were confirmed by agar plate culture of the first, second, or third additional sample collected at 1-week intervals, a PCR using the same primers and a PCR with a novel primer set designed from the SSU rRNA gene performed on the first sample showed positive results in all 17 cases (360). FOOD-BORNE TREMATODES Food-borne trematode infections are zoonotic infections and are caused by >80 different trematode species (361). The species considered of public health importance are the liver flukes Clonorchis sinensis, Opisthorchis spp., and Fasciola spp.; the lung flukes Paragonimus spp.; and a number of intestinal flukes. The small liver flukes C. sinensis, O. viverrini, and O. felineus are endemic to East and Southeast Asia and central northern Eurasia, and western Eurasia (362). Increasing inland fish production causes a local increase in the number of food-borne trematode infections, and increasing international travel, human migration, food trade, and changing eating habits may cause an increase in the number of cases diagnosed in countries where the disease is not endemic (363 – 365). Infections with liver and lung flukes are rarely fatal, but the burden of disease is considerable, and moreover, C. sinensis and O. viverrini infections may lead to cholangiocarcinoma (366, 367). Although Fasciola spp., Paragonimus spp., and intestinal flukes are found worldwide, higher rates of transmission are known for certain areas, such as the Andean region, Africa, and Asia (366). Detection and differential diagnosis based on microscopic detection of eggs in feces and sputum (only for lung flukes) are notoriously difficult because eggs of different species resemble each other and are often present in very small numbers (362, 366). DNA-based methods for the detection and differentiation of food-borne trematodes have been used, including PCR, nested PCR, real-time PCR, and LAMP, designed based on the O. viverrini-specific repetitive DNA fragment, mitochondrial DNA, ITS1, ITS2, and the SSU rRNA gene (Table 8). A real-time PCR with primers and a hydrolysis probe based on the O. viverrini-specific repetitive DNA fragment showed positive results in liver tissue samples from Thai patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. O. viverrini-specific DNA was not detected in 7 control liver specimens from nonprimary liver cancers (368). The ITS2 sequence of C. sinensis was used to develop a TaqMan real-time PCR to detect C. sinensis-specific DNA in fecal samples. Beside cross-reacting with O. felineus, the assay showed high specificity and 100% sensitivity using samples (n = 74) with >100 eggs per gram of feces (epg) and 91.4% sensitivity using samples (n = 70) with ≤100 epg. Three additional positive samples were detected out of 26 samples in which no eggs were found by microscopy. The CT values were strongly correlated with the intensity of infections, as determined by egg counts in Kato-Katz smears (369). A similar approach with primers and a hydrolysis probe designed from the C. sinensis ITS1 sequence showed specific (with the exception of O. viverrini) and sensitive detection of C. sinensis in a small number of fecal samples and fish tissue samples (370). A multiplex real-time PCR based on the 2 DNA sequences of C. sinensis and O. viverrini was developed by using FRET probes and melting curve analysis. C. sinensis-specific DNA and O. viverrini-specific DNA were amplified and detected in 8 and 30 C. sinensis- and O. viverrini-positive stool samples, respectively. Surprisingly, no correlation was found between the CT values and the intensity of infection determined by C. sinensis and O. viverrini egg counts in stool samples (371). An interesting approach, using MLPA, was used for the identification of C. sinensis, O. viverrini, and O. felineus and differentiation from other closely related species with three probe pairs derived from the ITS1 sequence. The assay was validated by testing DNA samples from adult C. sinensis flukes and fecal samples from C. sinensis-infected rats (372). The performance of this technique has not yet been validated on clinical samples from areas where C. sinensis, O. viverrini, and O. felineus are endemic. PCR-based assays for detection and molecular characterization of food-borne trematodes c Primer sets for the detection of O. viverrini DNA in stool samples using LAMP were designed from the mitochondrial nad1 sequence and from the ribosomal ITS1 sequence of O. viverrini (373, 374). The ITS1-based LAMP assay showed a 100% sensitivity compared to microscopy when tested on stool samples (n = 50) from schoolchildren from an area of endemicity in Thailand, compared to a remarkably low sensitivity of only 24% using conventional PCR on the same target (373). The phylogenetic relationship between C. sinensis and Opisthorchis is not yet clear. There are only small differences between C. sinensis and Opisthorchis across the SSU rDNA, ITS2, and 28S sequences. Based on the ITS1 sequence, O. viverrini and O. felineus group together and are closely related to C. sinensis, whereas analysis of ITS2 and cox1 sequences suggests that O. felineus is more closely related to C. sinensis than to O. viverrini. In contrast, the ninth intron of the paramyosin gene (Pm-int9), which is more variable than nuclear markers, showed a closer relationship between O. viverrini and C. sinensis (375, 376). Microsatellite DNA analysis of O. viverrini in Thailand using 12 microsatellite loci revealed the existence of genetic diversity and population substructuring in O. viverrini, which can be a useful tool to study transmission dynamics and control (377, 378). Molecular tools for the detection, differentiation, and genetic characterization of Fasciola spp. have been reviewed recently (379). Molecular approaches based on ITS1, ITS2, nad1, and cox1 have been used mainly for the differentiation of adult flukes of F. hepatica, F. gigantica, and the novel “intermediate Fasciola” (i.e., hybrid form between F. hepatica and F. gigantica) and to detect genetic variation among Fasciola spp. The assays have not yet been fully validated in population-based studies or for patient diagnosis. DNA-based methods are not widely used for the diagnosis of paragonimiasis in human cases; PCR and PCR followed by (pyro)sequencing, usually targeting the ITS2 sequence, are used primarily for the detection and identification of Paragonimus species from metacercariae, crabs, and experimentally infected animals or for confirmation of eggs found in sputum or stool samples (Table 8). A LAMP assay using primers targeting the ITS2 sequence detected Paragonimus westermani-specific DNA in 17 microscopy-positive pleura and sputum samples, and no P. westermani-specific DNA was detected in the negative-control sputum samples (380). Recent outbreaks of opisthorchiasis after eating raw fillets of tench (Tinca tinca) in Italy, with cases found in Italy, Austria, and The Netherlands (381), are only one example that urges the need for specific and sensitive diagnostic tools in a clinical diagnostic setting. In such cases, usually only very small numbers of the very small eggs are present, which makes molecular diagnostic tools such as real-time PCR a very appealing and worthwhile approach to confirm the clinical diagnosis. SCHISTOSOMA Although adult schistosome worms reside, depending on the species, in the blood vessels around the intestine or urinary bladder and are therefore strictly blood parasites, the eggs of Schistosoma mansoni are excreted in feces through the intestinal wall, and the eggs of Schistosoma haematobium pass through the bladder wall into the urine. The number of eggs, especially for travelers, is often very small, and therefore, large quantities of feces and/or urine are concentrated to improve the sensitivity of microscopic examination. Due to the often very light infections in settings where the disease is not endemic, serology is much more sensitive than microscopy for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis in travelers (382). Recent studies have shown that the detection of Schistosoma-specific DNA can achieve a higher sensitivity for the diagnosis of acute schistosomiasis than serology (383, 384). The S. mansoni and S. haematobium tandem-repeat sequences described by Hamburger et al. (385, 386) have been used in a large number of studies using conventional and real-time PCR for the detection of Schistosoma-specific DNA in stool, urine, and serum samples as well as the SSU rDNA, 28S, and ITS sequences and mitochondrial genes (Table 9). In areas of endemicity, Schistosoma-specific PCR performed on DNA isolated from a small amount of urine or feces has been shown to be more sensitive than microscopic examination (387). In an area of low endemicity in Brazil (n = 149), the detection rate of a conventional PCR designed from the S. mansoni 121-bp tandem-repeat sequence and performed on DNA isolated from one stool sample (38.1%) was higher than the detection rate found after microscopic examination of Kato-Katz thick smears of three stool samples (30.9%) (388). Although the sensitivity of a genus-specific real-time PCR targeting the Schistosoma ITS2 sequence using DNA isolated from 200 μl of urine from schoolchildren in Ghana with ≤50 eggs/10 ml was only 85.2%, the overall detection rate found for PCR was 20.8%, compared to 15.4% for microscopy with 10 ml urine. The higher sensitivity of the real-time PCR resulted in much higher negative predictive values than for microscopy (389). A higher sensitivity of PCR in samples with low egg counts might be achieved by the use of larger volumes of urine samples and filter-based DNA isolation methods (390 – 393). Latent class analysis of hematuria, microscopy, and PCR targeting the S. haematobium-specific DraI repeat sequence using DNA isolated from one-quarter of a filter paper after filtration of 50 ml of urine showed sensitivities of 87%, 70%, and 100%, respectively (392). ten Hove et al. performed a multiplex real-time PCR targeting the cox1 genes of S. mansoni and S. haematobium on a selection of duplicate stool samples from 88 subjects in northern Senegal. S. mansoni-specific DNA and S. haematobium-specific DNA were amplified, and DNA loads showed a significant correlation with microscopic egg counts for S. mansoni in stool and S. haematobium in urine; however, the sensitivity of PCR was slightly lower than that of microscopy (394). Real-time PCR targeting the Schistosoma ITS2 sequence performed on vaginal lavage samples proved to be a promising tool in the notoriously difficult diagnosis of genital schistosomiasis (395, 396). S. haematobium DNA in vaginal lavage samples was highly associated with genital mucosal manifestations typical of female genital schistosomiasis (395). PCR-based assays for detection and molecular characterization of Schistosoma infections f Recently, there has been increased interest in the detection of Schistosoma DNA in serum samples for the (early) diagnosis of schistosomiasis. Already in 2002, amplification of the S. mansoni tandem-repeat sequence using conventional PCR was shown in sera from two schistosomiasis patients (387). High sensitivities for the detection of Schistosoma DNA using a real-time PCR targeting the S. mansoni tandem-repeat sequence have been reported, using DNA isolated from 10 ml plasma from patients with chronic disease infected with S. mansoni, S. haematobium, and S. japonicum and from patients with Katayama syndrome. Amplification of the S. mansoni tandem-repeat sequence was shown up to 58 weeks after treatment (397). In a cluster of travelers (n = 13) from Rwanda, all presenting with acute schistosomiasis, the same PCR approach using 2 ml of serum detected Schistosoma DNA in all 13 serum samples, whereas eggs of S. mansoni were found in 9 stool samples, and antischistosome antibodies were detected in 10 patients (383). In a multicenter study, the Schistosoma tandem-repeat sequence was amplified in 35 of 38 patients (92%) with acute schistosomiasis, compared to sensitivities of 70% and 24% using serology and microscopy, respectively (384). However, for patients (n = 140) who presented at an outpatient clinic in Antwerp, Belgium, using a real-time PCR developed to target the 28S rDNA sequence, Schistosoma-specific DNA was detected in all microscopy-positive stool (n = 67) and urine (n = 4) samples and additionally in microscopy-negative stool (n = 9) and urine (n = 1) samples, whereas the Schistosoma 28S target was amplified in only 2 of 38 serum samples of patients with confirmed schistosomiasis (398). CESTODES The impressive length of tapeworms has made them among the most well-known and evocative parasites to the general public. Although the pathology of intestinal cestodes is usually minor, if metacestode stages occur in human tissues, pathology and morbidity can be severe. Several species are known to infect humans, with Taenia solium (pork tapeworm), which can cause neurocysticercosis when metacestode stages develop in the brain after infection with eggs; Taenia saginata (beef tapeworm); Hymenolepis nana (dwarf tapeworm); and Diphyllobothrium latum (broad or fish tapeworm) being the most common (399). Frequently, the diagnosis has already been made when patients notice the presence of proglottids in their feces. Parasitological differentiation based on morphological criteria might be difficult due to degeneration or the juvenile stage of the proglottids found. Microscopic detection of eggs in feces from patients with Taenia infections is known to be insensitive, as eggs expelled from proglottids are not equally distributed in the feces. Immunodiagnostic tests for the detection of Taenia antigens in stool samples have been used mainly in epidemiological studies, and DNA-based methods are used mainly for species discrimination (Table 10) (400, 401). Primarily, conventional (multiplex) PCR and PCR-RFLP designed based on the HDP1 repeat, HDP2, mitochondrial 12S rDNA, cox1, the pTsol9 repeat, and the Tso31 sequence have been used for species discrimination using DNA isolated from proglottids and have been tested only on small numbers of usually known positive and negative stool samples (Table 10). Recently, Bayesian modeling was used to estimate and compare the performances of microscopy, coproantigen ELISA, and multiplex real-time PCR for the detection of Taenia carriers by using stool samples (n = 871) collected in two Zambian communities where the disease is endemic. Specificities were 99.9%, 92.0%, and 99.0% and sensitivities were 82.5%, 84.5%, and 82.7% for microscopy, ELISA, and PCR, respectively (402). In a study comparing LAMP and a conventional multiplex PCR based on the cox1 sequence using 43 known positive fecal samples, LAMP was more sensitive than PCR, 88.4% and 37.2%, respectively (403). PCR-based assays for detection and molecular characterization of cestode infections g Molecular diagnostics have proven to be extremely valuable in the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis (404 – 406). In a group of 121 patients with confirmed neurocysticercosis, PCR targeting the pTsol9 repetitive element performed on DNA isolated from CSF samples showed the highest sensitivity (95.9%) compared to antibody detection by ELISA or immunoblotting and HP10 antigen detection by ELISA, with sensitivities of 90.1%, 53.7%, and 81%, respectively (405). Species-specific PCRs for non-Taenia tapeworm species have not been widely used. A multiplex PCR targeting the cox1 sequence with a general reverse primer and four species-specific forward primers was used for the specific amplification of Diphyllobothrium latum, D. dendriticum, D. pacificum, and D. nihonkaiense DNAs from adult worms, plerocercoid larvae, and eggs (407). PCR followed by sequencing using universal primers to amplify the ribosomal ITS1, ITS2, 5.8S, and SSU rDNA sequences or mitochondrial genes is used to identify and confirm the species identity of tapeworms found in individual cases as well as interspecies variation to construct phylogenetic relationships (408 – 411). Sequence analysis of the ITS1, cox1, and paramyosin gene sequences from H. nana isolates from northwest Australia provided genetic support that the life cycle involves mainly human-to-human transmission (412). A large number of studies using a variety of nucleic acid-based techniques have contributed to our understanding of the genetic diversity, epidemiology, and clinical relevance of intestinal parasites. For obvious reasons, in a routine setting, standardization and harmonization of protocols are essential for cost-effective implementation of these new techniques. A syndrome-driven approach that includes the detection of the most likely pathogens in a particular setting using a single overall technique can be facilitated by the use of multiplex real-time PCR. Such an approach offers a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic alternative to labor-intensive microscopy in clinical laboratory practice for the diagnosis of intestinal pathogens. As molecular diagnostic facilities in general microbiology laboratories are already widely available, an increasing number of laboratories have implemented real-time PCR for the first-line diagnosis of intestinal parasitic infections. The implementation of nucleic acid-based tests is particularly useful for diarrhea-causing protists when used in combination with additional panels for the detection of bacterial and viral enteritis agents (106, 413). In comparison with microscopic examination, the rate of detection of parasitic infections when the targets are included in a multiplex PCR is considerably high (27, 87, 104, 107, 162, 414). However, parasites that are not included as targets in the multiplex PCR will not be detected, which is one of the arguments that is frequently raised against the use of molecular diagnostics in parasitology. Although true, it is good to realize that, diarrhea-causing protists aside, the prevalence of other parasitic pathogens detected by microscopy of stool samples submitted to most general microbiology laboratories in industrialized countries is extremely low (27, 162, 328, 413, 415 – 418). Even in travelers, additional parasites are found by microscopy in only a small minority of cases, with the highest detection rates in travelers to high-risk areas (107, 419). The use of additional diagnostic methods for the detection of those parasitic infections that are not included in a standard fecal PCR panel may therefore be limited to a select group of patients. For some laboratories, this would probably mean that there are only a few cases in which additional tests are needed, whereas, for example, in laboratories located in large metropolitan areas with large immigrant populations and serving many travelers, it would be more efficient to employ a more elaborate PCR panel and/or to perform additional microscopy on all samples submitted. This approach is similar to algorithms that are used where PCR is not a method of choice for the routine diagnosis of parasitic infections. Decisions on a standard screening technique to employ are based on the general patient population profile of the laboratory, including travel (immigration and adoption), immune status, eosinophilia, larva currens, persistent symptoms, and so on, with or without additional techniques for the diagnosis of other infections (27, 417, 420). For example, in immunocompromised patients with diarrhea, an additional method for the detection of opportunistic pathogens such as microsporidia and C. belli may be appropriate. This could be performed by optical white staining and acid-fast staining, respectively, or by using a multiplex PCR for the detection of both pathogens. Molecular techniques are ideally suited for automation, and following the rapid growth of nucleic acid-based techniques for a large variety of targets, automation of the diagnostic process is currently being implemented in many laboratories. Automation of nucleic acid isolation, PCR setup, and PCR, when integrated through middleware with a laboratory information management system (LIMS), facilitates a rapid sample-to-answer process. This could be seen by some as another step in the separation of the laboratory, the clinician, and the individual patient. However, in this process, primary screening through a general algorithm can be followed by additional techniques decided upon during medical authorization based on individual clinical records and patient history. Obviously, just as quality assessment schemes are common practice for microscopy-based diagnosis, the application of molecular diagnostics requires quality assurance as well. Initiatives to this end have been taken (421). Since 2012, Quality Control for Molecular Diagnostics (QCMD) (http://www.qcmd.org/) provides a yearly quality assessment scheme for gastrointestinal diseases, including a panel for intestinal protozoa. The Dutch Foundation for Quality Assessment in Medical Laboratories (SKML) (http://www.skml.nl/) has started an international scheme for molecular diagnosis of intestinal protozoa as well. Throughout the world, including developing countries, real-time PCR is available in an increasing number of research centers, and molecular diagnosis of parasitic infections can be applied to large-scale epidemiological and more fundamental research. One major advantage is the possibility of an integrated high-throughput approach for the detection of a range of parasitic, bacterial, and viral targets using the same technique and for which samples can be collected and transported to central laboratories. Moreover, samples can be stored and used later for testing of additional targets when new research questions arise or, for example, for detection of mutations that are associated with drug resistance. Although, at first glance, PCR is more expensive than conventional microscopy-based techniques, this must be weighed against the complexities of organizing the prolonged stay of a large team of technicians and support staff in the field, sometimes under primitive conditions. In a number of European countries, (automated) multiplex PCRs, which are usually in-house tests, are routinely used in clinical diagnostic laboratories. Commercial multiplex PCRs for the detection of a range of enteropathogens, which are already optimized and validated for a variety of instruments, as well as kits to be used on more extended multiplex platforms, such as Luminex, and variations on microarrays are all available (413, 422 – 424). This trend will make it easier for laboratories that are just starting to use molecular diagnostics to catch up with the rapid developments in this field. The first FDA-approved multiplex gastroenteric panel will lead to the more widespread use of nucleic acid-based tests in the United States as well (Table 2). Test formats that combine sample processing and DNA amplification of enteropathogens for single or multiple samples into one device have recently been launched or are still under development (e.g., BDmax [Becton, Dickinson and Company] and FilmArray [Biofire Diagnostics]) and will make it feasible for smaller laboratories to implement nucleic acid-based diagnostics. The cost-effectiveness of such an approach compared to in-house or commercially available high-throughput platforms, however, needs to be investigated. Another interesting approach is the use of an extended-range PCR screening strategy for the detection of bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic organisms in complex cases with a broad differential diagnosis; this has been reported in a case of cystoisosporiasis and in a case of neurocysticercosis (211, 425). While there is no doubt that molecular diagnostic methods will continue to rely on the detection of genus- or species-specific DNA or RNA, new-generation sequencing platforms, which as yet are used primarily for research, will become more user-friendly and will be applied in a diagnostic setting. This will enable, for example, screening of fecal DNAs using broad-specificity primers for in-depth analysis of the microbially diverse populations present in such samples (426). In addition to targeting microorganisms, the host factors potentially involved in pathogenesis can also be explored. We thank Marianne Lebbad, Public Health Agency of Sweden, Solna, Sweden, for providing the parasite pictures in Fig. 2 to 4. We greatly acknowledge Graham Clark, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, for his critical comments on the manuscript. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved. 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Infect. 138:1459–1467. doi:10.1017/S0950268810000208. ten Hove R, Schuurman T, Kooistra M, Moller L, . 2007. Detection of diarrhoea-causing protozoa in general practice patients in the Netherlands by multiplex real-time PCR. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. 13:1001–1007. doi:10.1111/j.1469-0691.2007.01788.x. Islam M, . 2010. Prevalences of Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium parvum infection in adults presenting with chronic diarrhoea. Ann. Trop. Med. Parasitol. 104:505–510. doi:10.1179/136485910X12786389891209. Ott A, Kesztyüs B, . 2010. Improved detection of five major gastrointestinal pathogens by use of a molecular screening approach. J. Clin. Microbiol. 48:4140–4146. doi:10.1128/JCM.01124-10. Vervoort T, van den Ende J, . 2009. Molecular diagnostics of intestinal parasites in returning travellers. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 28:1045–1053. doi:10.1007/s10096-009-0745-1. Calderaro A, Gorrini C, Montecchini S, Peruzzi S, Piccolo G, Rossi S, Gargiulo F, Manca N, Dettori G, Chezzi C . 2010. Evaluation of a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for the laboratory diagnosis of giardiasis. Diagn. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 66:261–267. doi:10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2009.10.004. Jepps MW, Dobell C . 1918. Dientamoeba fragilis n.g., n. sp., new intestinal amoeba from man. Parasitology 10:352–367. doi:10.1017/S0031182000003929. Silberman JD, . 1996. Dientamoeba fragilis shares a recent common evolutionary history with the trichomonads. Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 76:311–314. doi:10.1016/0166-6851(95)02516-2. Camp RR, Mattern CF, Honigberg BM . 1974. Study of Dientamoeba fragilis Jepps & Dobell. I. Electronmicroscopic observations of the binucleate stages. II. Taxonomic position and revision of the genus. J. Protozool. 21:69–82. Munasinghe VS, Vella NG, Windsor PA, Stark D . 2013. Cyst formation and faecal-oral transmission of Dientamoeba fragilis—the missing link in the life cycle of an emerging pathogen. Int. J. Parasitol. 43:879–883. doi:10.1016/j.ijpara.2013.06.003. Johnson EH, . 2004. Emerging from obscurity: biological, clinical, and diagnostic aspects of Dientamoeba fragilis . Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 17:553–570. doi:10.1128/CMR.17.3.553-570.2004. Barratt J, Roberts T, Harkness J, Ellis J . 2010. A review of the clinical presentation of dientamoebiasis. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 82:614–619. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2010.09-0478. Farthing MJ . 2006. Treatment options for the eradication of intestinal protozoa. Nat. Clin. Pract. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 3:436–445. doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep0557. Okhuysen PC, White AC . 1999. Parasitic infections of the intestines. Curr. Opin. Infect. Dis. 12:467–472. doi:10.1097/00001432-199910000-00009. Okhuysen PC . 2001. Traveler's diarrhea due to intestinal protozoa. Clin. Infect. Dis. 33:110–114. doi:10.1086/320894. Gendrel D, Treluyer JM, Richard-Lenoble D . 2003. Parasitic diarrhea in normal and malnourished children. Fundam. Clin. Pharmacol. 17:189–197. doi:10.1046/j.1472-8206.2003.00169.x. Bosman DK, Benninga MA, van de Berg P, Kooijman GC, van Gool T . 2004. Dientamoeba fragilis: possibly an important cause of persistent abdominal pain in children. Ned. Tijdschr. Geneeskd. 148:575–579. (In Dutch.) Preiss U, Ockert G, Brömme S, Otto A . 1990. Dientamoeba fragilis infection, a cause of gastrointestinal symptoms in childhood. Klin. Padiatr. 202:120–123. doi:10.1055/s-2007-1025503. Girginkardeşler N, Coşkun S, Cüneyt Balcioğlu I, Ertan P, Ok UZ . 2003. Dientamoeba fragilis, a neglected cause of diarrhea, successfully treated with secnidazole. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. 9:110–113. doi:10.1046/j.1469-0691.2003.00504.x. de Wit MA, Koopmans MP, Kortbeek LM, van Leeuwen NJ, Vinjé J, van Duynhoven YT . 2001. Etiology of gastroenteritis in sentinel general practices in the Netherlands. Clin. Infect. 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Evaluation of three diagnostic methods, including real-time PCR, for detection of Dientamoeba fragilis in stool specimens. J. Clin. Microbiol. 44:232–235. doi:10.1128/JCM.44.1.232-235.2006. Mulder B, Poell B, van Middelkoop D, van Lieshout L . 2007. Real-time PCR for the detection of Dientamoeba fragilis in fecal samples. Mol. Cell. Probes 21:400–404. doi:10.1016/j.mcp.2007.05.006. Johnson JA, . 2000. Cryptic genetic diversity in Dientamoeba fragilis . J. Clin. Microbiol. 38:4653–4654. http://jcm.asm.org/content/38/12/4653.long . . 2005. Prospective study of the prevalence, genotyping, and clinical relevance of Dientamoeba fragilis infections in an Australian population. J. Clin. Microbiol. 43:2718–2723. doi:10.1128/JCM.43.6.2718-2723.2005. Peek R, Reedeker FR, . 2004. Direct amplification and genotyping of Dientamoeba fragilis from human stool specimens. J. Clin. Microbiol. 42:631–635. doi:10.1128/JCM.42.2.631-635.2004. Dinesen K, Sorensen JF, Molbak K, . 2007. Prevalence of Dientamoeba fragilis genotypes in different Danish populations as assessed by PCR and SNP genotyping. Trop. Med. Int. Health 12:182. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3156.2007.01867.x. . 2006. Internal transcribed spacer dimorphism and diversity in Dientamoeba fragilis . J. Eukaryot. Microbiol. 53:188–192. doi:10.1111/j.1550-7408.2006.00092.x. Bart A, van der Heijden HM, Greve S, Speijer D, Landman WJ, . 2008. Intragenomic variation in the internal transcribed spacer 1 region of Dientamoeba fragilis as a molecular epidemiological marker. J. Clin. Microbiol. 46:3270–3275. doi:10.1128/JCM.00680-08. Simonsen J, Mølbak K . 2013. Dientamoeba fragilis in Denmark: epidemiological experience derived from four years of routine real-time PCR. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 32:1303–1310. doi:10.1007/s10096-013-1880-2. Röser D . 2013. Limited intra-genetic diversity in Dientamoeba fragilis housekeeping genes. Infect. Genet. Evol. 18:284–286. doi:10.1016/j.meegid.2013.05.003. 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__label__wiki	0.767389	0.767389	Pernigotti: how Rome’s corporate rescues hurt Italy News • Business • 12.11.2018 • Eugenio Vaccari/University of Essex Promotional image posted on the Pernigotti Facebook page COMMENT: “Gianduiotti? Pernigotti!”. It’s one of Italy’s most enduring advertising slogans, entreating lovers of trapezoidal chocolate pralines to buy them from the company that invented them more than 90 years ago – Pernigotti. Most people have heard of Ferrero, which is also made in the northern Italian province of Piedmont. However, Pernigotti has a far longer history of innovation and excellence. Pernigotti had been the official supplier of the Italian Royal Family for over 60 years before Ferrero was established. For Italians, Pernigotti is to chocolate as Ferrari is to cars. In future, anyone indulging on the company’s range of chocolates, spreads and Easter eggs may no longer be buying Italian. The controlling Toksöz Group has announced it is closing the famous factory in the small Piedmontese city of Novi Ligure in north-west Italy and moving manufacturing to its native Turkey. The people are up in arms – and Pernigotti is trying to find a way to keep production within Italy. Novi Ligure has immediately lost 100 jobs, with another 100 still to go. The timing is particularly bad for the 20,000-strong population, who have only just breathed a sigh of relief after the local Ilva steel factory was saved in September, rescuing 755 jobs. Cases like these have become all too common in a country whose industries often struggle to successfully compete, particularly with developing countries. And in spite of jobs being saved at Ilva, they both also reveal serious problems with Italy’s approach to rescuing companies. It is a major drag on the economy, and desperately needs to be reformed. Pernigotti melts away Founded in 1861 as a grocery shop, Pernigotti became one of the leading Italian producers of chocolate treats. The company survived the destruction of its main production plant at the end of World War II, moving headquarters to the current factory in central Novi Ligure. But ever since two family heirs died in a car crash in 1980, the company has found it increasingly difficult to compete. It sold the Sperlari candy brand to Heinz in 1981 and then everything else to beverages group Averna in 1995, ending the Pernigotti family’s involvement. In 2013 Averna sold to Toksöz, which has interests in everything from food to pharmaceuticals. Toksöz promised to internationalise Pernigotti, but the chocolate maker has since lost roughly £50m and changed chief executives four times. With high fixed costs, an outdated factory, and competition from giants including Nestlé, Lindt and the Piedmontese Ferrero, times remain tough. This situation might have been avoided were there concrete mechanisms in Italian law to help restructure larger companies earlier. In the UK, for example, insolvent businesses that may still be viable can avoid the formal insolvency process by asking their creditors to enter into a company voluntary arrangement (CVA). This can make debt restructuring possible in a way where the owner retains control and trading continues. House of Fraser recently went through the CVA process, as has Jamie’s Italian. But in Italy, the most common option for large insolvent companies like Pernigotti is to enter into amministrazione straordinaria. This is similar to British administration – except that where in England an administrator is appointed in law to act purely in the interests of the company, an Italian commissario giudiziale is a political appointment. As a viable bigger group, Toksöz will probably never need to relinquish control of Pernigotti through amministrazione straordinaria. One wonders, however, if it might have attempted a CVA for the company at an earlier stage if it were possible – perhaps saving the factory in the process. Politics and Italian rescues Many other high-profile Italian collapses have had no choice besides amministrazione straordinaria. Apart from Ilva, which is the country’s largest steelmaker, examples include food group Parmalat (2003), white goods maker Indesit (2008), the shipping company Tirrenia (2010) and the airline Alitalia (2008 and 2017). The heavy political involvement in amministrazione straordinaria is particularly problematic. Take Ilva, whose collapse was triggered by a court decision in 2012 to close Europe’s biggest steel plant in Taranto, southern Italy, amid a criminal investigation over pollution. The company was recently sold to Indian-owned ArcelorMittal. This was only possible after Luigi Di Maio, the deputy prime minister (and economic development minister) obtained a written promise from ArcelorMittal to employ 10,700 of Ilva’s 13,500 workers – as opposed to the 10,300 in the plan negotiated by the previous government. This sounds like an achievement, but not really. Ilva only went into amministrazione straordinaria three years after the court decision in 2015 – and no serious restructuring has since been undertaken. Successive politicians insisting on influencing the deal have led to delays costing the Italian economy an estimated €16 billion (£13.9 billion). There is also a troubling environmental dimension. Shortly after the court decision, the Italian government issued a decree allowing the activities and the pollution to continue regardless. And there has been no environmental redevelopment of the affected areas since. Alitalia is another notorious case. Between 1974 and 2014, the government is estimated to have pumped some €7.4 billion into the troubled airline – not including the last loan of €900 million granted during the amministrazione straordinaria of 2017. It’s an example of how too many medium and large companies are propped up by financial and political support from local and central authorities in Italy. Like Pernigotti, Alitalia has been punished for being insufficiently international. Too focused on regional flights, it has been hit hard by low-cost carriers like Ryanair. The business overhaul during the 2008 amministrazione straordinaria didn’t go far enough to prevent a second collapse. And, since last year’s amministrazione straordinaria, no business plan has been submitted because the commissari giudiziali (the Italian equivalent of English administrators) are waiting to see what the government wants to do with the company – renationalisation is one option. The purpose of this Italian administration has not been to restructure, but to save jobs and share the loss with the country’s taxpayers. Though there are cases, such as Parmalat, where amministrazione straordinaria produced a decent turnaround, this only usually happens when the underlying business is very strong and little restructuring is required. Had Ilva and Alitalia gone through purely judicial administrations, there would probably have been quicker sales of good assets at a considerably lower cost to taxpayers. Alas, Italy has just missed an opportunity for a rethink. The recent approval of a comprehensive reform of corporate rescue and liquidation procedures has not introduced any changes for large enterprises in crisis. A reform of amministrazione straordinaria was discussed in a separate bill that was not approved by the Senate. Even then, it would have streamlined the procedure but neither addressed political involvement nor the requirement for a company to be insolvent (and not simply in crisis, as is the case for CVAs) to file for amministrazione straordinaria. When the Pernigotti announcement came on Wednesday November 7, local politicians reacted by saying they would fight this “absurd and unacceptable” decision and called for government intervention. The Ministry of Economic Development has already scheduled a meeting with the interested parties in Rome on November 15. When companies run into trouble, Italy never seems to learn. Eugenio Vaccari, Lecturer, University of Essex Eugenio Vaccari • University of Essex • Pernigotti • Ferrero • Alitalia • Ilva • Parmalat • Speakers corner • chocolate • food & drink • Italy • Italian politics • bankruptcy • corporate restructuring Intesa relocates to Ban de Gasperich Sweet success story for much-loved Lux brand Lux chocolate maker is not bankrupt Ferrero closes Nestlé deal	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line631
__label__cc	0.678234	0.321766	What are Terms and Conditions Terms and Conditions are a set of rules and guidelines that a user must agree to in order to use your website or mobile app. It acts as a legal contract between you (the company) who has the website or mobile app and the user who access your website and mobile app. It’s up to you to set the rules and guidelines that the user must agree to. You can think of your Terms and Conditions agreement as the legal agreement where you maintain your rights to exclude users from your app in the event that they abuse your app, and where you maintain your legal rights against potential app abusers, and so on. Terms and Conditions are also known as Terms of Service or Terms of Use. This type of legal agreement can be used for both your website and your mobile app. It’s not required (it’s not recommended actually) to have separate Terms and Conditions agreements: one for your website and one for your mobile app. The Intellectual Property disclosure will inform users that the contents, logo and other visual media you created is your property and is protected by copyright laws. A Termination clause will inform that users’ accounts on your website and mobile app or users’ access to your website and mobile (if users can’t have an account with you) can be terminated in case of abuses or at your sole discretion. A Governing Law will inform users which laws govern the agreement. This should the country in which your company is headquartered or the country from which you operate your website and mobile app. A Links To Other Web Sites clause will inform users that you are not responsible for any third party websites that you link to. This kind of clause will generally inform users that they are responsible for reading and agreeing (or disagreeing) with the Terms and Conditions or Privacy Policies of these third parties. If your website or mobile app allows users to create content and make that content public to other users, a Content section will inform users that they own the rights to the content they have created. The “Content” clause usually mentions that users must give you (the website or mobile app developer) a license so that you can share this content on your website/mobile app and to make it available to other users. Because the content created by users is public to other users, a DMCA notice clause (or Copyright Infringement ) section is helpful to inform users and copyright authors that, if any content is found to be a copyright infringement, you will respond to any DMCA takedown notices received and you will take down the content.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line634
__label__cc	0.578846	0.421154	Posts Tagged ‘Rooftop Garden’ Acoustic Syndicate Performs in the Southeast This Fall, Announces Thanksgiving Show Posted in Acoustic Syndicate, Asheville, tagged Acoustic Syndicate, Asheville, Billy Cardine, Black Mountain, bryon McMurry, Cleveland County, family farming, Fitz McMurry, GA, Isothermal Community College, Jay Sanders, Martin Anderson, NC, Pisgah Brewing Company, Riverhawk, Rooftop Garden, Southeast, Spindale, Steve McMurry, Stewart Lerman, Thanksgiving, The Grey Eagle, TOUR DATES, Valdosta, WNCW on August 28, 2014\| Leave a Comment » Acoustic Syndicate. Photo by Lynne Harty. Celebrating the Anniversaries of WNCW & Isothermal Community College in Sept Shows in Georgia and Florida in Early November Annual Thanksgiving Homecoming Show Set for Nov 29th at The Grey Eagle in Asheville With a touring and recording history of more than 20 years, a strong following regionally and beyond, and a history of playing festivals like Bonnaroo and Farm Aid, North Carolina favorites Acoustic Syndicate returned in 2013 with their first record since 2004, Rooftop Garden. The band is set to perform a select number of shows in the southeast this Fall including two shows on September 27th; a daytime performance at the Isothermal Community College (the home of WNCW radio) in Spindale, NC for the college’s 50 Year Anniversary, and another set later that evening at Pisgah Brewing Company’s outdoor stage in Black Mountain, NC to celebrate WNCW’s 25 Year Anniversary on the airwaves. In early November they return to Smith’s Olde Bar in Atlanta before heading on to Lucky’s in Valdosta, GA and the Riverhawk Music Festival in Brooksville, FL. Acoustic Syndicate is also happy to announce their annual Asheville Thanksgiving show at the Grey Eagle in Asheville on November 29th. Having claimed the #6 spot in WNCW’s 2013 year-end Top-100 listener poll with Rooftop Garden, the band is as beloved to the Western North Carolina audience as they’ve ever been. “Acoustic Syndicate has remained one of WNCW listeners’ favorite regional and overall acts ever since they began in the ‘90’s,” says WNCW’s Martin Anderson. “In fact they were one of the Top 10 favorite WNCW artists during our big 20th Anniversary vote in 2009, ranking alongside such A-list acts as the Avett Brothers, the Allman Brothers, and Alison Krauss. When I think of bands that best represent the overall sound of what we do at WNCW – roots music, rock, jamming, harmonizing, songs that tell a good story – it’s hard to think of a better one than Acoustic Syndicate.” Produced by Grammy Award winner Stewart Lerman (Boardwalk Empire, Patti Smith, The Roches, Antony and the Johnsons, Crash Test Dummies), Rooftop Garden features the band’s distinctive blend of rock and acoustic music, all influenced by the players’ love of a wide range of music, from reggae to American roots. “Their modern take on traditional bluegrass and rock values culminates in a glimmering, driving sound rich with acoustic textures and glowing vocals,” writes Paul Kerr on JamBase. They have also branched out into new territory with the album as Glide’s Bryan Rodgers notes, “… in 2010, new songs began creeping into set-lists and the band began a new era. The culmination is Rooftop Garden…The passage of time, dedication to other interests (family, farming, and software engineering for instance) and newfound musical freedom helped the band create their most personal album yet, which is remarkable. All of the music… has a distinctly human touch, with topics like sustainability, the frailty of existence, love, and community. Rooftop Garden is somehow more immediate because of where the band now finds themselves musically: with no one to please but themselves and an even broader range of life experiences from which to cull material.” “The tunes on this album were written with an essentially positive message, one about humanity, earth, responsibility and peace,” said singer/guitarist Steve McMurry. He and his cousin Bryon McMurry (banjo, electric guitar) split the songwriting and lead vocal duties 50/50 on this new album, and are joined by Bryon’s brother Fitz McMurry (drums) for the kind of three part harmony that only close relatives who grew up singing together can conjure up. The band is rounded out by always in-demand bassist Jay Sanders and dobro wizard Billy Cardine; both of whom make use of Moog synthesizers and pedals to craft a unique ensemble sound. The McMurry family has been in family farming in the same region of Cleveland County, NC since the 1700s. Their love of the land and their serious approach to its stewardship is echoed by the love of the music they make and the care with which they make it. Rooftop Garden conveys important things about the environment we all share, grounded in the life experiences of people who truly love what they do. “Through our music, we have tried to maintain a consistent message, a reminder,” says Steve McMurry, “that this Earth is the only one we will ever have. And though we speak of some lofty ideals in our music, my most fervent hope is that when people listen to us or come to our show, they leave with a laugh and a smile and the satisfaction of having been a part of something positive.” Acoustic Syndicate Fall Shows 2014 9/27 Sat – Isothermal CC 50th Anniv. on the Campus Green- Spindale, NC 9/27 Sat – WNCW’s 25th Anniv. Party at Pisgah Brewing Co – Black Mountain, NC* 11/6 Thu – Smith’s Olde Bar – Atlanta, GA 11/7 Fri – Lucky’s – Valdosta, GA 11/8 Sat – Riverhawk Music Festival – Brooksville, FL 11/29 Sat- The Grey Eagle – Annual Thanksgiving show – Asheville, NC * w/ Shane Pruitt Band & Phuncle Sam For more information and other news, please visit www.acousticsyndicate.com, facebook.com/AcousticSyndicate and twitter.com/asyndicate.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line636
__label__cc	0.679796	0.320204	“We are entering a very exciting period in precision medicine where consumers will drive their own health outcomes.” — Shervin Kamkar doc.ai Apr 25 · 9 mins He played in a rock band and conducted medical research. Today, he is driving the precision medicine approach and evangelizing education in healthcare. We are pleased to introduce you to a new addition to the doc.ai team, Shervin Kamkar, VP of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships. Shervin, let’s begin in the early days when you first discovered the world of healthcare. What encourages you to pursue a career in medical science? Well, I grew up in a family that was devoted to medical science. My father was the chief medical technologist at a diagnostic laboratory in Southern California. I was exposed to the world of healthcare at a young age when I would tag along with him at work. During the summers in high school I ended up working there as a lab assistant, running some of the instruments and witnessing firsthand the revolution lab automation was having in diagnostics. Once I entered college, I became fascinated by the field of molecular biology and the potential impact of DNA sequencing. It was still early in genomics in the 90’s, but the promise of what lay ahead is why I pursued a degree in molecular biology at San Francisco State University and UCSF. My graduate work was focused on cancer biology and the identification of tumor suppressor genes in prostate cancer. This was just before the release of the draft human genome and the advent of high throughput next generation sequencing, a very exciting time in genomics. Ironically had these technologies come out a little sooner, I might have finished most of my graduate research in about 5 days (sigh). Nonetheless, I learned about the nature of functional biology by studying, designing and sequencing prospective disease genes “one PCR primer set at a time”. It was a painfully slow process considering the number of gene candidates; but it gave me a tremendous appreciation for when next-generation sequencing entered the market and forever revolutionized the field of genetics. Why are you so passionate about genomics? You know, nothing is more captivating to me than biology and understanding the code of life. I never thought I would have a copy of my entire DNA sequence on a hard drive, but the technological developments across multiple industries that have allowed us to do this is really quite remarkable. I feel fortunate to be part of this field and to have entered it at this moment in human history where we are now starting to see decades of advancements in genomics benefit the patient. I was also extremely fortunate to join Illumina in 2013, the leading DNA sequencing company in the world where I helped develop Illumina’s “Understand Your Genome” symposium (UYG). With UYG we were able to provide a speaking platform for the top thought leaders and visionaries in healthcare, educating interested stakeholders on how best to advance genomics into the clinic. The unique thing about this program was that all participants were able to receive whole genome sequencing directly from Illumina’ labs, as well as a diagnostic grade genetic report looking at ~1,700 medical conditions. This was a really groundbreaking initiative and after 40 such symposiums across the globe, I gained a whole new perspective, not just for the impact of genomics data, but for the breadth of omics data needed for us to build a comprehensive view of our health. Coming back to your path in healthcare: How has your career evolved? Well early on I had every intention of going the med school route, but after dealing with a bit of my own personal health issues in college (from a sports injury), I became more intrigued with the idea of advancing scientific research and less so with becoming a physician; partly due to my own frustrations with the healthcare system and what I saw as the over reliance on pharmaceuticals as the primary treatment options. Deep down I felt I could have more of an impact outside the system. As a result, my career really started on the academic side, but that led me into the biotech and life science industries. Initially I transitioned as a field application scientist with expertise in laser capture microdissection and gene expression, before I jumped into commercial sales for some of the pioneering DNA sequencing companies such as Applied Biosystems, Life Technologies, and Illumina. Once the next-generation sequencing technology matured and became widely adopted in research, I transitioned back to what initially got me interested in science, which was the clinic and diagnostic testing. Since then I have focused on roles that allow me to interact more directly with diagnostic labs, healthcare providers and medical institutions. I’ve been fortunate that my career has allowed me to align many of my passions and given me an opportunity to help evangelize genomics and advance precision health. Ultimately technology development in healthcare was the right career move for me, as I suspect I’d be a frustrated physician in today's healthcare system. What do you consider to be the major problems in the current healthcare system, and how can it be changed for the better, from your perspective? Unfortunately, because of my own personal experiences and what I view as a fragmented system between the providers, payors and often pharma companies, I feel the US healthcare system has failed many of us. The incentives between all these different groups are not always aligned to improve health outcomes before the onset of disease, and as a result our system responds best at the point of no return. Generally speaking, we live in a reactive, intervention-based health system, not a proactive wellness-based health system. For example, today many patients are left with treatments, surgeries and drugs that are designed to alleviate chronic pain and deal symptomatically with illness. This often leaves patients in a cycle of managing chronic pain and more puzzled than ever on what is truly causing the issue, the health issue or the complications from the intervention. It is frustrating on many levels. Including for the physicians and providers, who genuinely would like to offer a greater level of care but aren’t able to devote the time due to their requirements to see a high number of patients. This type of system creates inequities, not just for the patient and provider, but entire families who must act as caregivers for their loved ones, dealing with what are often preventable disorders. This is why many people feel abandoned by the current healthcare system and take it on themselves have to identify alternatives from what the experts are telling them. In fact, to truly thrive in a health system like ours, you are forced to take things into your own hands, to question and research medical information about yourself that your own physician may have overlooked. My own patient experience reinforced this for me and without that drive to improve my own health after my injury, I would never have discovered new treatment options and would be relying on anti-seizure drugs to this day. Ultimately what I learned as a patient is that we are the most motivated stakeholder in improving our own health and that we have to drive the decision making of our treatment options. Now unfortunately, we can’t all become an expert on the health condition that affects us, nor do we have the time, so what really need to scale is our investment in research and medical technologies that will improve our understanding of health so the experts can better diagnosis us. My ultimate hope is that by gathering multi-omic health data, longitudinally at the individual level, across different populations and datasets, we will improve our understanding of health and prevent disease before it manifests. With the advancements in genome sequencing and inherited disease discoveries, there are a lot of people who are hesitant to know too much about themselves because of the fear of the unknown. What do you think about that? I saw this first hand by offering whole genome sequencing at Illumina. Many people preferred not to know anything about their own DNA, because of fears of what it could mean for them, their families, as well as legitimate privacy concerns about discrimination. Ignorance can also be bliss for some and for others, an abundance of information, feels empowering and gives them a sense of control (whether real or not). There are all kinds of people in this world with different risk tolerances. As you can guess, I fall on the side of wanting to know as much as possible and may have a higher tolerance for what might be considered negative information by some. Primarily because I believe digging deeper can provide clues for a new solution or prevent an illness from ever manifesting. Also, DNA is not destiny in my mind. With some exceptions around relatively rare monogenic disorders, most of what we understand in our genome today is a complex interplay of multiple genes and environment. For most of us who have reached adulthood, in relatively good health, by getting sequenced we are generally talking about probabilities of increased or decreased risk for certain disorders. Now there are those who fear genomic testing may give them information on when or how they might die. While this is a possibility if you uncover an extremely rare disorder, the reality is, if genomic testing can help you diagnose or at least detect the possibility of certain diseases, such as cystic fibrosis or a hereditary form of cancer, which can only be prevented in their formative stages, then the benefits could outweigh the harm. That being said, I believe that if the clinical reporting is implemented correctly, genomics can be a cornerstone of a proactive healthcare system and that the sooner we get it done in our lives, the more value we will likely derive out of it. However, we are not quite there today. What motivated you to join doc.ai? doc.ai represents a convergence of some very exciting elements in healthcare which I believe in. From personal aggregation of one’s own health data and the ability to participate in medical research, as well as the opt-ins required to insure privacy and protection of that data. On the consumer side I think we are already witnessing a fundamental shift in how users will limit control of their personal data, especially if companies are the sole beneficiary of the monetization of that data. There is far more awareness of the intrinsic value of our personal data and users deserve a slice of that pie. doc.ai has a very inclusive model that fundamentally puts the user in the driver’s seat and lets them control how, and with whom they want to share their data. Ultimately, we will not even be talking about sharing personal data, but rather the tensors or prediction models derived from that data. We are also entering a time where trackers will soon be measuring more and more real-time data points about our activity and health. How do we tie all this in to our existing physician records, lab data, and image scans with our environmental, diet and phenotypic information? Tools need to be developed to pull all these data points together, but these data points have never been measured with such frequency, nor been aggregated in large populations for analysis. Needless to say, humans simply will not be able to see the patterns and the differing effects between so many variables. Deep learning can and will eventually, with enough exposure to information, identify patterns that we simply cannot. Now I strongly believe this will happen sooner rather than later and that with advancements in AI, increasing access to genome sequencing, fitness trackers, and the shift in health data ownership to the patient, we are entering a very exciting period in precision medicine where consumers will drive their own health outcomes. I joined doc.ai to have a front row seat for this revolution and consider this the next phase of a journey I have always been on. About Shervin Kamkar: Shervin is a business development and market strategy leader with over 20 years’ of experience in genomics, life sciences, and diagnostics. He is passionate about advancing precision medicine and changing the paradigm of care from costly, reactive intervention to proactive, preventative health. Before joining doc.ai, he was at Illumina, the market leader in next-generation genomic sequencing, where he was Commercial Business Head for the Understand Your Genome® (UYG) symposia (an innovative, clinically responsible, experiential education symposium). Shervin also advances the field of precision medicine as a partner in Precision Medicine Advisors, an agency focused on advancing genomics training for health care providers and organizations. Visit Shervin’s LinkedIn profile here. Join the health evolution	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line643
__label__cc	0.677357	0.322643	Youth Pathfinder Spencer Cannon Sergeant, Public Information Officer, Utah County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Spencer Cannon has worked for the Utah County Sheriff’s Office for twenty-nine years. He began his career as a Deputy in Corrections and has worked Patrol, Investigations, Emergency Services, and is currently assigned to the Administrative Services Division. He spent five years as a Search and Rescue (SAR) Coordinator and for sixteen years Sergeant Cannon has been the Public Information Officer for the Utah County Sheriff’s Office. For eight years he was an investigator for the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner. He served four years in the U.S. Army and four years in the Utah Army National Guard. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Utah. He has been married for thirty-seven years, has five children, and five grandchildren. Power General: Search and Rescue – Expect the Unexpected November 9, 2019 8:30 am-9:00 am Search and Rescue – Expect the Unexpected VIEW PROFILE + This session will use several different examples of SAR responses that require us to make adjustments along the way. Adjustments are always a part of SAR operations, but occasionally something happens that is completely unexpected. Spencer will talk about how to reacte to those unexpected things in an effort to help people understand how important […] Advanced Basic	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line645
__label__wiki	0.82302	0.82302	Urban Rambles — Exploring From Confluence to Atwater Along San Fernando Road Los Angeles is often characterized as a city in which one simply cannot exist without a car. And yet, as the millions of Angelenos who bicycle, take public transit, or walk will tell you, driving a car is no way to get to know the city. Since Los Angeles County is even larger than the island of Jamaica, walking everywhere would be a time consuming endeavor but there are highly walkable areas located throughout the nation’s most populous — and most densely-populated — metropolitan area and in the series Urban Rambles, I will explore them. Constructed in 1925, the building served as the W.P. Fuller Paint Co. building Though the efforts of conservationists to revitalize the Los Angeles River probably began back before it was even channelized, the buzz around its reconnection with the city through which it passes seems to be growing exponentially in recent years. Numerous small parks and sections of bike paths have sprung up along its banks and kayaks and canoes have helped changed the way the river is viewed. Much has already been written about the reawakening of the public’s riparian consciousness. I imagine that the many riverside communities will be uniquely affected by the coming changes, and with that in mind I set out to explore a stretch of San Fernando Road near the Glendale Narrows and found several attractions that might appeal to people from beyond the neighborhoods as well. San Fernando Road runs about 40 kilometers, connecting the Eastside neighborhood of Lincoln Heights in the south with the northernmost neighborhood in the city, Sylmar, in the San Fernando Valley. I only walked a short (about 4.5 kilometer) section — between Figueroa Street and Fletcher Drive — that passes through the Northeast Los Angeles neighborhoods of Cypress Park and Glassell Park: two east bank communities nestled in a valley flanked by Mount Washington to the east and the Elysian Hills to the west. The area has a rich history as a transit hub. Between 1920 and 1958 the Los Angeles Railway‘s E (later 5) Line ran up the nearby tree-lined Cypress Avenue, connecting the distant communities of Eagle Rock and Hawthorne. In 1958 Los Angeles Metro Transit Authority took over operations until the rail was decommissioned in 1963. Even closer, on Avenue 28, is the MTA Bus Yard SGV-3. It first opened in 1907 as a rail yard for Division 3 of the Los Angeles Railway. In 1945, Los Angeles Transit Lines‘ motor coaches (buses) began sharing the yard. Today it’s the oldest bus yard still in use in the city. Toonerville Transit mural In the early 20th century, the neighborhoods between Lincoln Heights and Glendale were often referred to as toonervilles. Toonerville Folks was a popular comic strip, the adventures of which followed centered around the so-called Toonerville Trolley. Inter-urban street cars (like the Yellow, Green, and Red Cars, locally) came to be associated with outlying residential developments, and many suburbs around the country came to be nicknamed toonervilles and their local lines, toonerville trolleys. Today the trolleys are long gone (although the name is held onto by a local gang) and this stretch of San Fernando Road is instead served by the Metro‘s 90 and 91 lines, as well as the 794 rapid line. Metrolink train That’s not to say that the area is without rail though. Running parallel and just west of San Fernando are the train tracks currently used by Metrolink‘s Antelope Valley and Ventura County commuter train lines, as well as Amtrak‘s Pacific Surfliner. Just south of the starting point is Metro’s Lincoln Heights/Cypress Park Gold Line light rail station. The Gold Line currently connects East Los Angeles to Pasadena; construction is underway to extend it first to Azusa and ultimately to the distant Inland Empire. The Arroyo Seco Near the southern end of San Fernando Road is the confluence of the Los Angeles River and Arroyo Seco. Arroyo Seco is a 40-kilomter-long river whose headwaters are near Mount Wilson. A stretch of the Arroyo Seco is lined with a trail, the Arroyo Seco Bike Path, which currently ends upstream in South Pasadena Nature Park. The Los Angeles River’s headwaters are in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, and the Los Angeles River bike path currently exists in unconnected sections. This one that begins near the confluence extends north to the Bette Davis Picnic Area in Glendale. Lincoln Heights Jail Just southeast of the angle formed by the confluence of these two rivers is the northwest corner of Lincoln Heights. If you live near this part of town and have ever had your car towed, you’re probably familiar with the LAPD’s dusty Northeast Los Angeles OPG Yard. Other sites of note in the area include the old Lincoln Heights Jail (home to the Bilingual Foundation for the Arts theater company), Lacy Street Studios, Saint Vincent De Paul Thrift Store, and a building whose sign reads “Ca i ornia Nigth Club.” Replacement bridge under construction Just north of the confluence of the rivers (as well as the confluence of the 5 and 110 freeways) is the Riverside-Figueroa Bridge. Though attractive and historic (it’s Los Angeles City Historic Cultural Landmark No. 908), it’s being destroyed and replaced with a new bridge, currently under construction. This work is apparently being done with absolutely no thought given to the bridge’s pedestrian traffic, and to cross it I had to wait for a break in traffic before jogging in the street, ultimately hopping a barrier onto a closed sidewalk. It was either that or walk an 8 kilometer detour through Elysian Park, through Solano Canyon, across the North Broadway Bridge/Buena Vista Viaduct and back. Cypress Park Recreation Center Cypress Park is a mostly Mexican-American neighborhood with a sizable Chinese-American minority. It’s historically important — and I’m not being facetious — for fans of delicious, local restaurant chains, as the birthplace of three great local chains: King Taco, El Atacor, and Yum Yum Donuts. Nearby and parallel, Cypress Avenue is home to a library, La Especial (which has a large mural of Tejana singer, Selena), and a couple of other restaurants and bars. Rio Restaurant — Salvadoran restaurant with a nice mural Between Cypress and San Fernando, on Avenue 28, are more bars (El Recreo Room and Footsies) and the Los Angeles Railway Huron Substation. It’s the city’s second oldest surviving substation, built in 1906 from a design by Edward S. Cobb, and formerly housed equipment that powered the aforementioned Yellow Cars. Today it’s Historic Cultural Monument #404, and primarily used as a filming location, event space, and wedding venue. Los Angeles River Center Inside the Los Angeles River Center Just west of the substation, near the intersection of Avenue 26 and San Fernando Road is the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens. The buildings (which house the offices of several non-profits) were originally operated by Lawry’s, who opened their California Center in 1953 expanded it in 1961, and ultimately closed it in 1992. Continuing north (northwest, really) one enters the neighborhood of Glassell Park. As with Cypress Park, much of the neighborhood’s residents are Mexican-American, although Glassell Park’s largest minority are Filipinos. The east side of the road is dominated by small, aging factories of obscure usage. The west side of the street is home to much larger and varied features. Metrolink CMF The first large operation one encounters on San Fernando Road in Glassell Park is Metrolink Central Maintenance Facility (CMF). Not to be confused with the Metro (who operate Los Angeles County’s largest bus and interurban rail lines), Metrolink is the commuter rail service that serves Los Angeles County and five other Southern California counties. Southern Pacific Railroad’s Dayton Avenue Signal Tower Santa Fe Railroad building Ruins of a railway turntable Taylor Yard Ruins and a chair The facility is located on the former site of a huge pigeon farm that the flooding Los Angeles River washed away in 1914. The area was later home to — and best known for being — Southern Pacific‘s Taylor Yard. The CMF was constructed in 1992 when the system began operation, and is one of Metrolink’s three maintenance facilities. El Río de Los Angeles State Park football pitch Just north of the CMF is El Río de Los Angeles State Park, which opened on part of the abandoned Taylor Yard in 2007. The grounds include sports fields and restored wetlands. Just north of the park are the large Sonia Sotomayor Learning Academies, a campus that includes three LAUSD pilot schools and two independent charter schools. Just south of the park is a parcel that’s currently being developed for affordable, train-yard-adjacent housing. The parcel behind the park remains undeveloped. Taylor Yard ended most operations in 1985, but demolition of last buildings standing didn’t happen until 2009. Just as Dogtown’s River Station finally transformed from an abandoned brownfield into Los Angeles State Historic Park, Taylor Yard is part of a planned transformation into a large park, although unlike “The Cornfield,” most of the former Taylor Yard is still covered with rubble, rusted metal, broken glass, tagged ruins and probably some invisible but pretty serious toxins. Hemphill Diesel Engineering School 1933 San Fernando Road Across from the park is a stretch of San Fernando characterized by small buildings, most of the windows and doors of which have been bricked up. From the outside there’s little indication of whether or not they’re in use beyond the presence or absence of “for lease” signs. Peking Noodle Factory A few, like the Peking Noodle Factory, are obviously in use (since 1924). Others, like the former Hemphill Diesel Engineering School (established in 1933), have been used in the past but seem abandoned — at least from the outside. The building retains a beautiful Art Deco frieze portraying diesel-fuelled machinery, even though it’s perhaps better known for having been, starting in 1945, a Capitol Records pressing plant. Since that operation left in the 1970s, the building was used at least once as an art space. Concord Gallery In fact, on both sides of the river, many of the old factories seem to buzz with artist activity rather than light industry and on the day of my walk I also stumbled upon Concord, the doors of which were open at the time and to which I thus paid a visit. The Theme Hosiery Factory One of the largest re-purposed factories in the neighborhood is the building used since 1992 by Ribét Academy College Preparatory. Constructed in 1923, it was originally the home of the Theme Hosiery Factory. It was first converted into a school in 1960, when the Los Angeles Archdiocese took over and turned it into an all-boys high school. Fletcher Square The intersection of Fletcher and San Fernando was officially designated “Fletcher Square” less than a year ago, in July 2012. The first official city square was Pershing Square, dedicated in 1918. It wasn’t until 1975 that the second city square was designated — Fletcher Bowron Square in the Civic Center section of downtown. Since then the speed of square dedication has increased rapidly. Fletcher Square is the 94th such square. Premier Plaza I’m not entirely sure what the supposed purpose of these markers are, but believe that I heard or read somewhere that they’re meant to instill pride in residents within their vicinity. In Fletcher Square’s case there’s already a strip mall named “Premier Plaza” which boasts an assemblage of international fast food chains. There are also locally-established eateries like Downey-based La Pizza Loca, Hollywood-based Los Burritos, Compton-based Egg Roll King, one of many unrelated places called ABC Donuts and Lupita’s Tamales — there’s another place called Lupita’s in Cypress Park. Just up the street, beginning at Tyburn Street, is the Glendale neighborhood of Tropico. It was its own town until it was annexed by its neighbor to the north in 1918. Now no longer part of the city of Los Angeles, its absence from the Northeast Los Angeles profile stretches like a large bite mark, from Eagle Rock in the East to Atwater Village in the west. Van de Kamp Just west of the Metrolink tracks and north of the 2 Freeway is the Atwater Village neighborhood. Its western edge is the Los Angeles River. There are a couple of nearby buildings of interest. The flashier and more celebrated is the old Van de Kamp Bakery, designed by J. Edward Hopkins to resemble a Dutch 16th century farmhouse. It was built in 1930 and closed in 1990. In 1992 it was designated an Historic-Cultural Monument, and it’s now a location of LACCD satellite location known as the LACCD Van de Kamp International Education and Workforce Development Innovation Center. Frisco Baking Company The area is still home to several other bakeries, including Kermanig Bakery (since 1949), La Morenita Bakery (since 1953), Frisco Baking Co (since 1954 and to San Franciscans’ likely disbelief and horror, was despite it’s name established by actual San Francisco natives). Valley Dairy Company building Across the street from the old Van de Kamp Bakery is another striking building from the same era. The Valley Dairy Company building was built in 1931, and It’s currently home of JM Carden Sprinkler Co., who have been manufacturing fire sprinkler systems since 1953. After that it’s back across the river for me. While I certainly hope that people and pigeons will never again be imperiled by its temperamental alluvial terror, I can barely wait to see it navigate its new course as public space — one hopefully characterized by recreation, nature, and culture. Posted in Uncategorized Atwater VillageCypress ParkGlassell Parklos angeles riverneighborhood explorationNortheast Los AngelesSan Fernando Roadurban explorationUrban Rambles < Previous Pan-Asian Metropolis — East of the Eastside, the Far Eastside Next > Introduction to Subcultural Anthropology: Perry Boys One thought on “Urban Rambles — Exploring From Confluence to Atwater Along San Fernando Road” Daisy Sepe says: I live in Lincoln Heights! Would I be able to find an elaborated version of this info? What came of your exploration of the Santa Fe Railroad’s Taylor Yard?	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line648
__label__cc	0.664065	0.335935	Family Weekend Planned for Oct. 27-29 The Honors Convocation is one of the highlights of Family Weekend. The campus will be buzzing with activity as thousands of Rensselaer families are expected to visit Rensselaer Oct. 27-29 to celebrate Family Weekend. For more than 60 years, parents, family members, alumni, and friends have made the trek to the Troy campus to attend Family Weekend. “The main goal of the Family Weekend tradition is celebrating not only the memories of Rensselaer families and students, but also creating new memories and recognizing student success,” said Shanté Brown, assistant dean in the Office of the First-Year Experience. “Family Weekend is designed to not only reinforce our students’ love of Rensselaer, but to also foster the same feeling of community in family members.” This year, students and families will have an opportunity to get a glimpse of life at Rensselaer through a variety of cultural offerings and performances, academic classroom programs, tours, dinners, film screenings, and athletic events, along with events taking place in the Troy community. On Saturday, Oct. 28, President Shirley Ann Jackson will deliver a presentation of the progress and accomplishments taking place at Rensselaer. The talk will take place in the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center Concert Hall, from 9 to 9:30 a.m. The 24th annual Honors Convocation ceremony, which celebrates the outstanding academic achievements of students and faculty, will immediately follow in the same location. Highlights of this year’s events include a plethora of student performances and exhibitions, family and class-focused dinners, partnerships with student organizations, academic and center open houses, and movie screenings. On the playing fields, events include women’s field hockey vs. SUNY Oneonta beginning at noon; women’s soccer vs. Clarkson University beginning at 2 p.m.; women’s ice hockey vs. Brown University at 3 p.m.; and men’s hockey vs. Union College at 7 p.m. For individuals interested in getting a glimpse of the diverse cultures on campus, the annual International Festival event will showcase over 25 different countries and cultures representing the Rensselaer Union international student organizations and individual members of campus. The event will be held Saturday, Oct. 28, in the Rensselaer Union McNeil Room from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Families also will have an opportunity to attend the annual Fall Fest Celebration. The free community event showcases student demos and activities designed to celebrate the fall season. Area businesses and community organizations also participate. The event will take place at the Houston Field House from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s Family Weekend also includes a nod to Halloween, with Troy Night Out -Halloween Theme on Friday in downtown Troy beginning at 5 p.m., and The Spirits of Rensselaer Ghost Tour Saturday beginning at 8 p.m. “Autumn in Troy is truly a special time,” Brown said. “We want everyone to find a way to share in the culture and rich traditions of Rensselaer.” Click here for a complete listing of Family Weekend events	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line651
__label__cc	0.661913	0.338087	Community Research Initiative HDAP – DRUG ASSISTANCE + INSURANCE OUTREACH + TRAINING SUPPORT CRI PUBLICATIONS + NEWS Please upgrade your browser. Your browser (Internet Explorer) is out of date. It has known security flaws and may not display all features of this and other websites. For the best experience, we recommend using Google Chrome, Firefox, or the newest version of IE. Donation Amount: First Name: Last Name: Email: Phone: Address: City: State: Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Marshall Islands Northern Mariana Islands Palau Puerto Rico U.S. Minor Outlying Islands Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Europe, the Middle East, an Armed Forces Pacific Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland and Labrador Nova Scotia Northwest Territories Nunavat Territory Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon Territory Zip: - If you would like to manage your NeonCRM account (i.e., view and print donation history, update profile, etc.), please create a login name and password below. Your password must be at least eight characters long, and contain at least one number. Create a Login Name: Password: Retype Password: Powered by NeonCRM © 2018 Community Research Initiative of New England. All rights reserved. CRI Schrafft's Center 529 Main Street Suite 301 Charlestown, MA 02129 617.502.1700	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line653
__label__cc	0.714464	0.285536	Home»Entries posted by Admin New Director of Education will be Peter Cantley By Admin on November 29, 2017 News The new Director of Education for the Diocese of Peterborough from 1st January 2018 will be Peter Cantley Peter grew up in Manchester and was educated at Manchester Grammar School, Capernwray Bible School and Warwick University. In his early career, Peter gained experience of both primary and secondary teaching in Church of England schools, as […] New Canon Missioner appointment announced By Admin on October 2, 2017 News It was announced yesterday (1st October 2017) that Bishop Donald has appointed the Revd Canon Sarah Brown as Canon Missioner, a full time residentiary post at the Cathedral which she will take up in January 2018. Sarah is currently Team Vicar of Daventry with Special Responsibility for Braunston, Welton and Ashby St Ledgers and Rural […] Bishop John’s visit to Exton Prayer Garden By Admin on July 21, 2017 News On Tuesday 18 July, Bishop John visited Exton Church of England School to dedicate the new prayer garden, which has been created, by Cathy Dyson (Reader) and a team from Exton. In the busy daily life of a school, the prayer garden provides a space for quiet and reflection for the benefit of both pupils […] Community project launched By Admin on March 10, 2016 News A joint community project between Church Mission Society and Hull Youth for Christ has been given a long term boost with the purchase of a large former vicarage to serve as permanent home for the project. The building, which has been purchased by CMS, will provide security for the community and family projects that have […] The Bishop’s Home Group course By Admin on March 7, 2016 News By Peter Stilling When I mentioned that I was going on a Home group leaders course a couple of people said to me, “Why do you need a course on how to run a group ?” and “You have devised and run, work and church groups so why this?” My answer; From time to time […] Church of England releases prayers for Mothering Sunday, 6 March Three prayers for Mothering Sunday have been released today by The Church of England: Loving God, Thank you for mums and children and for all the joy of family life. Be with those who are grieving because they have no mother; Be close to those who are struggling because they have no children; Be near […] Cherishing Churchyards Week coincides with the Queen’s 90th birthday – Let’s celebrate! By Admin on February 25, 2016 News Why not celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday by running an event with the local community during National Cherishing Churchyard Week, 4th June to 12th June? Every parish church is being encouraged by the Church of England to organise an activity to mark the Queen’s official birthday on the weekend on 10th -12th June. Caring for […] The Queen says she is ‘very grateful’ for the nation’s prayers In a strong statement of faith, the Queen has said that she is ‘very grateful’ to the nation for its prayers for her and that she has felt God’s ‘faithfulness’ during 64 years on the throne. The comments – rare insights into the Queen’s personal thoughts and Christian faith – came in the forward to […] The egg that shares the Easter story This year The Real Easter Egg range has had a makeover and each single boxed egg includes a unique copy of the Easter story in the shape of a pull out 37 cm high cross illustrated by Helen Cann. The Original milk chocolate egg includes images of spring and three crosses on the box with […] Prayer Exhibition at Peterborough Cathedral By Liz Hurst A textile exhibition on the theme of Prayer is in display at Peterborough Cathedral until Monday 28th March 2016. The pieces, made by Jacqui Parkinson, and inspired by passages from the Old and New Testament, are touring the cathedrals of England. Jacqui says about the exhibition: “When I started on this project, […]	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line654
__label__wiki	0.867819	0.867819	With Active M&A Year in the Books, Couche-Tard Continues to Integrate By Melissa Kress - 07/10/2018 On a global front, more than 5,000 sites now display the new Circle K branding. LAVAL, Quebec — As Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. passes the one-year mark of its acquisition of CST Brands Inc., the company's investment in merger-and-acquisition (M&A) activity is paying off. The acquisitions of CST and Holiday Cos. in its fiscal year 2018 made this "a notable year for acquisitions," according to Couche-Tard President and CEO Brian Hannasch. "Our reach is virtually across the entire U.S., with new density and strength in growing markets like Texas, Colorado and the Minneapolis metropolitan area," Hannasch said during the company's fourth-quarter fiscal year 2018 earnings call on July 10. He shared that he is "especially proud of the work we have done with CST." In a short time, the synergies from that acquisition have already reached approximately $153 million, surpassing expectations. These synergies, according to Couche-Tard Chief Financial Officer Claude Tessier, have mainly resulted from reductions in operating, selling, and general and administrative expenses, as well as from improvements in road transportation fuel and merchandise distribution and supply costs. "We expect that our synergies will reach $250 million by the three years following the close of the transaction," Tessier noted. During the fourth quarter, CST stores saw positive same-store merchandise revenues in the United States and Canada for the first time in a number of quarters, both prior to and since the acquisition, Hannasch reported. Among the factors driving the positive change are: Store resets; Adding private label and more impulse items to the front of the store; Narrowing product selection in some areas to get better exposure of key brands; Adding signature items like Polar Pop and Froster beverages; and Pushing target promotions. Learnings From the Midwest The integration of the Holiday convenience store network is not as far along because the deal only closed roughly seven months ago. However, even in this early stage of the efforts, Hannasch said the senior leadership teams have begun sharing best practices and other operational learnings from Holiday. "Holiday's customer journey, digital platforms and extensive food capabilities are bringing important insights into the broader Couche-Tard network," he explained. Similar to the CST convenience stores, Couche-Tard has added several Circle K staples like Polar Pop into the Holiday locations, and the retailer is beginning to introduce private label brands. Looking at reverse synergies, Hannasch said Couche-Tard is focused on bringing three key business aspects from Holiday into the Couche-Tard network: Promotional disciplines, especially strong programs in the cooler and candy category; Operational disciplines, including labor management and store communications; and Features from Holiday's new-to-industry stores. In addition, Couche-Tard remains impressed with Holiday's food program, both in terms of quality and efficiency. "We'll be focused on making it work on a scale in a meaningful way," said Hannasch. Global Circle K The two major acquisitions aside, Couche-Tard was also busy with its global Circle K rebranding efforts in fiscal year 2018. "Our rebranding initiatives hit a milestone as we completed the rebranding of all Statoil sites in Europe with strong brand awareness and customer acceptance," Hannasch said, adding that the initiative has now moved to the Topaz locations in Ireland. "I really couldn't be more pleased with how our teams have implemented the new brand. There has been great local engagement. For a new brand that no one has ever heard of in Europe, acceptance has been great, and aided and non-aided brand awareness is already very high," he explained. According to the chief executive, Couche-Tard currently has more than 3,350 sites in North America and 1,650 in Europe displaying the new Circle K brand. "In the spring of 2018, we launched the project in Ireland and with the tremendous enthusiasm of that team, we are seeing good customer acceptance across the country," Hannasch said. In addition, the new Circle K brand is now in Russia and the stores there have been showing off their FIFA World Cup fever "and love for hot dogs and hamburgers," according to the CEO. In the United States, the company kicked off rebranding efforts of CST's Corner Stores in late June. The goal is to convert roughly 400 Corner Store locations in Texas over the next several months into calendar year 2019, as Convenience Store News previously reported. Growth Spurt In outlining the company's achievements during the past 12 months, Hannasch said in fiscal 2018, Couche-Tard became the largest company in terms of revenue of any Canada-based company. It also grew its North America presence, including expanding to 48 out of the 50 U.S. states and adding more than 2,100 stores through new openings and acquisitions. "M&A continues to remain a core part of our strategy. At the same time, I would characterize the market — particularly in the U.S. — as active but also expensive," he said, reporting that multiples on recent U.S. deals have been high. "We remain active in Asia to find the right management team, the right network for a new growth platform in that part of the world. To date, we are pleased with the progress we are making there," he added. Couche-Tard is based in Laval. As of April 29, its network comprised 10,015 convenience stores throughout North America, including 8,705 stores with road transportation fuel dispensing. Its North American network consists of 19 business units, including 15 in the United States covering 48 states and four in Canada covering all 10 provinces. In Europe, Couche-Tard operates a broad retail network across Scandinavia, Ireland, Poland, the Baltics and Russia through 10 business units. As of April 29, Couche-Tard's European network comprised 2,725 stores, the majority of which offer road transportation fuel and convenience products, while the others are unmanned automated fuel stations that only offer road transportation fuel In addition, under licensing agreements, more than 2,000 stores are operated under the Circle K banner in 14 other countries and territories, which brings the worldwide total network to more than 16,000 stores. Couche-Tard Works to Share Strengths From Recent M&A Deals The company is appointing a senior leader to identify reverse synergies from Holiday Cos. Couche-Tard Updates Status of Circle K Rebranding In the U.S., the new global brand is about to move into the Midwest. Corporate & Store Operations Circle K Stores Begin Piloting Holiday’s Grab-and-Go Concept Rebranding & Integration Remain Tops on Couche-Tard's Agenda Former CST C-stores Turn in Strong Performance for Couche-Tard Couche-Tard's Global Circle K Rebranding Effort Reaches Significant Milestone Circle K Global Rebranding on Pace to Finish in 30 Months Couche-Tard Plots More In-Store Improvements as Company Grows Circle K Rebranding Efforts Near 5,000 Stores Across North America Circle K Parent Makes Strides on Merchandising & Growth Strategies Couche-Tard Mines Reverse Synergy Opportunities From Holiday Cos. Acquisition	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line655
__label__cc	0.695812	0.304188	Celebrities Who Look Totally Different With Their Natural Hair Should We Be Expecting Another Credit Data Breach? 3 Surprising Animals That Can Recognize Faces Top 3 Places in the US to Taste Unforgettable Seafood Sherbet, Gelato, and Frozen Yogurt: A Guide to Summer’s Cold, Creamy Treats Iconic Restaurant Chains That No Longer Exist, Do You Remember Them? With summer once again upon us, a host of familiar sounds return to the world: chirping birds, gurgling garden hoses, and, of course, the roving melody of the ice cream truck. Nowadays, of course, there are far more options for procuring frozen treats than traveling vendors. In the past twenty years, alternatives like sherbet, gelato, and frozen yogurt have grown in popularity. Such diversity begs the question, “What makes these different from one another?” Despite having many similarities, each one has a unique set of characteristics. Sherbet is distinguished from gelato and frozen yogurt in that it must contain fruit and water in addition to cream. This makes the flavor profile for sherbet fresher and fruitier than ice cream and its derivatives. While it isn’t uncommon to see strawberry flavored ice cream, for example, strawberry sherbet is likely to contain more fruit content. Other sherbet flavors, such as pineapple and lime, showcase a bright array of tropical flavors. Because of the higher water content, sherbet tends to have a lighter, icier texture than frozen yogurt or gelato. In fact, this dessert is more closely related to sorbet, according to What’s The Difference, although slight differences do exist. Gelato is a desert of Italian heritage with a famously silky texture. This dessert must contain 3.5 percent butterfat by law, which is only around one-third of what’s required for American ice cream. Since cream helps these desserts absorb air during the churning process, gelato is a denser, more flavorful concoction that will not melt as quickly. According to Culinary Crafts, since gelato stays frozen at relatively higher temperatures, it is often served at warmer temperatures, allowing for flavors to shine through better. In contrast to gelato and sherbet, frozen yogurt didn’t become ubiquitous until the late 1970s. Like gelato, it’s a close cousin of ice cream but has traits all its own. According to My Fearless Kitchen, it tends to have fewer calories than either gelato or ice cream, owing in part to the fact that there’s no butterfat content required by law. Still, many people don’t know that despite its name, frozen yogurt isn’t primarily yogurt. Rather, the ratio of yogurt to other dairy products is 1:4. Whether you prefer a fresh, fruity style dessert, a dense, silky indulgence, or a hip, healthier alternative, frozen treats are a sure way to beat the summer heat. The good news is that with sherbet widely available at grocery stores, gelato becoming increasingly popular at restaurants, and new frozen yogurt shops popping up all the time, you don’t have to choose just one! If you’re lactose intolerant or just not into dairy, try these easy vegan desserts! 3 Foods That Might Technically Be a Sandwich What is Fusion Cuisine, Anyway? Food & Drink • Food and Drinks • Uncategorized The Top 10 Bourbons Of 2018 Top 10 Reasons For Neck Pain And How To Correct Them	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line658
__label__cc	0.544386	0.455614	Home » Archives for March 2002 Articles Posted in March, 2002 Basic Copyright Principles By John Etchemendy TO: Members of the Faculty, Hoover Institution Fellows, Senior Fellows, Department Administrators, Academic Staff (teaching and research) and Library Directors. FROM: John Etchemendy, Provost SUBJECT: Copyright Reminder The attached informational sheets are intended to update and remind the University community of the applicability of copyright law at an academic institution like Stanford. The attached sheets cover: THE FAIR USE DOCTRINE LIBRARY COPYRIGHT CONSIDERATIONS FACE-TO-FACE TEACHING ACTIVITIES OBTAINING PERMISSION TO USE COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL INTERNET AND ELECTRONIC MEDIUM COPYRIGHT CONCERNS THE DIGITAL MILLENNIUM COPYRIGHT ACT RESOURCES ON COPYRIGHT AND FAIR USE If these informational sheets and the listed resources do not address your specific copyright concerns, please feel free to contact the Fair Use Panel at 723-5553 for assistance. The Law. Congress enacted the federal Copyright Act to protect works of authorship. The Act gives the owner of a copyright the exclusive right to do and authorize others to do certain things in regard to a copyrighted work, including: make copies, distribute the work, display or perform the work publicly, and create derivative works. Original Scope of Copyright. The Act applies to nearly all forms of captured content, including traditional works such as books, photographs, architectural drawings, music, drama and sculpture. Expanded Scope of Copyright. The copyright laws have adapted to advancing technology by expanding the scope of protected works to include such things as video, motion pictures, electronic media, software, multimedia works and databases. Test to Determine Copyright. A copyright will attach to an original work that is “fixed in any tangible medium of expression” (i.e., a medium that is captured in an accessible form of content). No Mark or Registration Necessary. Since 1989, works are protected by copyright regardless of whether a copyright notice is attached and regardless of whether the copyright is registered. Public Domain Works. Not all works carry copyrights; those in the public domain may be freely used. Any work published before 1923 is in the public domain. Works published from 1923 through 1978 are protected for 95 years from the publication date, if proper copyright formalities were followed. Since 1978, works generally have copyright protection for the life of the author plus 70 years. If No Exception, Seek Permission. In academia, the three major exceptions to the copyright owner’s right to control the reproduction and use of works of authorship are: the fair use exception, the library exception, and the face-to-face teaching exception. These three exceptions are described below. Unless an exception applies, you must obtain permission to reproduce copyrighted work in any medium for any purpose. Penalties. The penalties for copyright infringement are harsh. A court may award up to $150,000 for each separate willful infringement. Fair Use Defined. The Fair Use Doctrine provides for limited use of copyrighted materials for educational and research purposes without permission from the owners. It is not a blanket exemption. Instead, each proposed use must be analyzed under a four-part test. Fair Use Applied. Unfortunately, the four-part test to determine fair use is necessarily vague and fact-dependent. In some instances, two reasonable people could apply the four factors to the same facts and reach opposite conclusions. If the weighing and balancing analysis below does not provide an answer, please refer to the Copyright and Fair Use Resources section below. Fair Use Four Factor Test. What is the character of the use? Educational, nonprofit and personal use is favored for fair use, while commercial use is disfavored. However, the fact that a use is educational or nonprofit in nature does not in and of itself mean the use is necessarily fair. More important than the educational or nonprofit nature of the use is whether the use is “transformative” in nature. A use is transformative if it builds upon, criticizes, comments on, parodies or otherwise adds something new to the original work. Put another way, the question is whether the new use, in the words of the Supreme Court, merely “supercedes the objects of the original, or instead adds something new, with a further purpose or different character.” What is the nature of the work to be used? Use of a work that is factual in nature weighs toward a finding of fair use. Use of imaginative works is more likely to require permission.What is the amount and substantiality of the portion to be used? Using only a small portion of a copyrighted material tips towards fair use, while using large portions indicates a need for permission. Be careful with this factor, however; a court recently held that copying only 5% of a book into a coursepack was not fair use. Will the use negatively affect the value of the copyrighted material? Where a work is available for purchase or license from the copyright owner, copying all or a significant portion of the work (in lieu of purchasing or licensing a sufficient number of “authorized” copies) would likely be unfair. If only a small portion of a work is to be copied, and one would likely forego using the portion if permission were required, then the balance tips towards fair use. Good Faith Fair Use Defense. Even if a copyright infringement occurs, a court may refuse to award damages if the infringer reasonablybelieved that the use was fair. Library Exemption for Reproduction of Copyrighted Works. The Copyright Act establishes certain exemptions for libraries and archives to reproduce copyrighted works. Filing a Course Reserve. Some libraries at Stanford will not accept multiple photocopies of copyrighted materials needed for course reserves without first having permission from the copyright holder. Other libraries on campus will accept a limited number of photocopies for course reserves. Consult individual libraries for their policies. The Green Library policy on course reserve is located at http://www-sul.Stanford.edu/services.html. Allow Several Months for Course Reserve Permission. Note that filling course reserve requirements may take two to three months before the quarter begins if the library does not already have a copy of the publication and copyright permission is needed. Filing an E-Reserve. Some libraries at Stanford allow electronic files to be placed on reserve under limited circumstances in accordance with copyright principles. These e-reserves are access controlled to course participants only. For information about filing an e-reserve, please contact Brigid Welch, Head of Access Services (5-1277 or bwelch@stanford.edu). Contact. For further questions about the library exemption, library policy and course reserves, please contact Brigid Welch, Head of Access Services (5-1277 or bwelch@stanford.edu) or Catherine Tierney, Associate University Librarian (3-2015 or ctierney@stanford.edu). Performance or Display of Copyrighted Materials During Face-to-Face Teaching. In addition to the fair use exemption and library exemption, the Copyright Act does provide an exemption to perform or display copyrighted materials during face-to-face teaching activities. Such use does not require the author’s permission. Note, however, that this exemption does not permit copying or distributing a work—only displaying or performing it. Distance Learning and the TEACH Act. In June 2001, the Senate passed the Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization Act (TEACH), which provides that educators may put limited amounts of copyrighted material onto computer systems to be accessed by students outside of the classroom as part of distance-learning classroom transmission supervised or directed by an instructor. Note that TEACH is currently pending before the House and is not the law. Until this bill becomes law, professors and teaching assistants should continue to exercise caution in posting copyrighted material onto the internet for use outside of the classroom. (The face-to-face teaching exemption does permit the display of internet material inside the classroom.) Also note that TEACH contains many conditions and exceptions, including an exception for textbooks, coursepacks or other works that are typically purchased or acquired by students. Therefore, if TEACH does become law, instructors should seek further guidance before using any copyrighted material in reliance on TEACH. In General. If an exception (such as fair use, the library exception, or face-to-face teaching activities) is not clearly available, permission to use a copyrighted work must be obtained from the copyright holder. A request to use copyrighted material should be sent to the permission department of the publisher of the work. Assume four to six weeks for a request to be processed. Permission requests should contain: Title, author and/or editor, and edition. Exact material to be used. Number of copies to be made. Intended use of the material, e.g., educational. Form of distribution, e.g., hard copy to classroom, posted on internet. Whether material is to be sold (e.g., as part of a coursepack). Journal Articles. The Stanford libraries have blanket copyright permission from many journals. Before forwarding a request for an article, check with the appropriate library to see if there is a blanket permission covering the article you would like to use. Copyright Clearance Center (CCC). The CCC is able to give permission to use a wide number of materials for a fee. Please contact CCC at www.copyright.com or (978) 750-8400. Coursepacks. Many commercial copying services will obtain copyright permission for included materials and add the royalty to the price of the coursepack. Evidence of Permission. Written permission should be obtained and kept by the academic department. If oral permission only is obtained by faculty members, department personnel or library staff, a written record should be kept of the oral permission. Internet and Electronic Medium Copyright In General. Digitally created works and copyrighted works transformed into a digital format and placed on-line or on the internet are protected. Exercise Caution. Be especially careful of copyright/fair use principles when downloading material from the internet. There is growing concern about the ability to pull copyrighted material from the internet without permission. Note too that material may have been placed on the internet without the author’s permission. The Fair Use Doctrine. In 1998, the Conference on Fair Use (CONFU) attempted to form guidelines specifically addressing copyrighted material found on the internet. Unfortunately, there was no consensus at the conference, and many organizations, including Stanford, have not endorsed the guidelines. In addition to the traditional four fair use factors, you should consider the following additional concern: Is access to the material limited or protected? Using material that is password protected or otherwise guarded from general distribution by some device weighs against a finding of fair use. Further, it is a violation of law to circumvent an access control mechanism and use copyrighted material — even if the use would otherwise be fair. See the Digital Millennium Copyright Act information sheet. Conversely, limiting access to the new work to a small audience by using passwords or other access control devices weighs toward a finding of fair use. (Some Stanford libraries will accept e-reserves, which are access controlled and limited to currently enrolled students.) Personal Use. Generally, posting material on the internet by the copyright owner gives an internet user the right to use that material for his or her own personal use. It does not necessarily give the user the right to redistribute that material. Protect the Copyright. Electronic distribution of a copyrighted work should state: This work is protected by copyright laws and is provided for educational instruction only. Any infringing use may be subject to disciplinary action and/or civil or criminal liability as provided by law. In General. The DMCA provides limited protection for Internet service providers from the infringing acts of their users. It also prohibits gaining unauthorized access to a work by circumventing a technological protection measure put in place by the copyright owner to control access to the work. Such circumvention is prohibited even if the use of the work would otherwise be a fair use. The DMCA also prohibits trafficking in technology or devices that are primarily designed to circumvent such a technological protection. COPYRIGHT AND FAIR USE RESOURCES Stanford’s Copyright Ownership Policy. The University’s copyright policy establishes that all rights in copyright, regardless of their form of expression, remain with the creator, except in specified cases where law or University policy require otherwise. For more information, please refer to the policy at http://www.stanford.edu/dept/ DoR/rph/5-2.html Stanford’s Fair Use Resources. Further guidelines and useful material are located at https://fairuse.stanford.edu. Guidelines for Classroom Copying. These guidelines were prepared by the Authors League of America and the Association of American Publishers. 17 USC 107 Guidelines for Educational Multimedia. These guidelines were prepared by the Consortium of College and University Multimedia Centers. http://www.libraries.psu.edu/mtss/fairuse/guidelines.html. Guidelines for Digital Images, Distance Learning, Computer Software. The TEACH Act, currently pending before Congress, would allow educators to put material on-line for use outside of the classroom. Until this bill becomes law, many educators are relying on the Conference on Fair Use Guidelines (CONFU). These CONFU guidelines are located at http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/dcom/olia/confu/. Not all CONFU participants agreed with the developed guidelines and Stanford has not endorsed this policy. Stanford’s policy provides: “In addition to software, all other copyrighted information . . . retrieved from computer or network resources must be used in conformance with applicable copyright and other law.” Administrative Guide Memo 62 (2) (a) (3). http://adminguide.stanford.edu/62.pdf. Computer Software. Please see “Copying of Computer Software,” Administrative Guide Memorandum 62 located at http://adminguide.stanford.edu/ch6contents.html. Section 2(a) of that policy provides: “Computer users must respect copyrights and licenses to software and other online information” and “[a]ll software protected by copyright must not be copied except as specifically stipulated by the owner . . . or otherwise permitted by copyright law. Protected software may not be copied into, from or by any University facility or system, except pursuant to a valid license or as otherwise permitted by copyright law.” The memo further provides that those who violate the policy will be subject to disciplinary action. Further Assistance. Please contact the Fair Use Panel at 723-5553. Posted in: Stanford Updated: June 1, 2015 5:22 pm	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line661
__label__wiki	0.712462	0.712462	How the Specter of Communism Is Ruling Our World: Chapter Eleven by Editor \| Aug 16, 2018 \| How the Specter of Communism is Ruling Our World, Uncategorized EDITORIAL TEAM OF “THE NINE COMMENTARIES ON THE COMMUNIST PARTY” Desecrating the Arts The specter of communism did not disappear with the disintegration of the Communist Party in Eastern Europe The Epoch Times is serializing a translation from the Chinese of a new book, How the Specter of Communism Is Ruling Our World, by the editorial team of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. Read Chapter Ten here 1. Art: A Gift From the Divine 2. Art’s Immense Influence on Humanity 3. Communism’s Sabotage and Abuse of Art a. Art in Communist Countries b. Communist Elements Behind the Avant-Garde c. The Inversion of Traditional Aesthetics: The Ugly as Art d. The Perversion of Literature Human civilization has produced countless books on what constitute true beauty. Theists know that all the wonders in the world come from Heaven. Profound art is an attempt to emulate and display the beauty of Heaven in the human world. An artist’s inspiration comes from the gods. If artists receive the enlightenment and blessings from gods, they can become outstanding figures in their fields. With strong faith and devotion to the divine, great artists during the Renaissance plumbed their ingenuity to create works in praise of gods. Their righteous thoughts and benevolent acts received divine affirmation and blessing. Artists in the mid-Renaissance period, including Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Rafael, grasped techniques that far exceeded their predecessors and their peers, as if by miracle. Their works—including paintings, statues, and architecture—became the timeless classics of the art world. For centuries, these works set a noble example for humanity. By appreciating these works, not only can the artists of later generations study pure artistic technique, but members of the public are also able to truly feel and see the divine presence. When these works, the techniques that created them, and the spirit that infused the artists, are all preserved, human society is able to maintain a connection with the divine. Then, even as human society goes through its period of decadence and decline, there will be hope for a return to tradition and a path to salvation. The same principles prevail in the sphere of music. As the saying, reportedly from a German opera house, goes: “Bach gave us God’s word. Mozart gave us God’s laughter. Beethoven gave us God’s fire. God gave us music that we might pray without words.” For his entire life, Johann Sebastian Bach considered the praise, worship, and devotion to God the highest principle in the creation of his music. On all of his important musical scores, the letters SDG can be seen—an abbreviation of “Soli Deo gloria,” meaning “Glory to God alone.” This is the highest realm an artist can attain—the materialization of heavenly objects in the human realm through revelation from God. The great paintings and statues, the most sublime scores in the early, baroque, and classical canon, were all the work of religious believers and represent the pinnacle of artistic work man can attain. The three most important elements in artistic creation are representation, creation, and communication. All artistic creations contain a theme, that is, the message the author seeks to communicate regardless of the art form, whether poem, painting, statue, photography, novel, play, dance, or film. The artist delivers the theme into the hearts of the reader, listener, or viewer. This process is the communication—the transmission to the recipient of the artist’s mind. To achieve the goal of communication, artists must possess a superb ability to imitate and re-present— with the object of imitation being the world of gods or of man, or even the underworld. On the basis of their target of representation, artists began their creation—a process of refining the deeper or more essential elements of the object, and the strengthening of their own expressiveness or ability to communicate and reach into the heart of their audience. If the artist possesses a righteous faith in the divine and in morality, the divine will endow him with the inspiration of creation. Such works will then be divine, pure, and benevolent—beneficial to both the artist and society. On the other hand, when the artist abandons moral standards, negative elements hijack the creative process, with evil forces exerting influence and using the artist to depict hideous creations and grotesqueries from the underworld. Works of this kind harm their author and the wider society. The value of the orthodox, traditional arts thus becomes clear. Divine culture and art in the East and the West were connections woven between the gods and human civilization, and were meant to bring them into contact. The ideas and messages transmitted through this art are beauty, benevolence, light, and hope. On the other hand, corrupt arts are created by those under the control of evil elements. They drive a wedge between man and God and drag man closer to evil. Great works of art transmit heritage, disseminate knowledge and wisdom, and fortify character. They hold exalted positions in the great civilizations of the East and West. The ancient Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras believed that the secret of music is in its imitation of the harmony of the heavenly bodies, which itself reflects the harmony of the universe. The Chinese held similar views. The Chinese classics “Records of the Grand Historian” and the “Classic of Music” both discuss music’s correspondence with the five elements, and how musical instruments ought to represent and emulate the patterns of heaven and earth. Only in this way can “music of the grandest style” exhibit “the same harmony that prevails between heaven and earth.” [10] In ancient Chinese stories, this music is able to attract the crane and phoenix, and even summon celestial beings. Confucius once said, “The Zhou dynasty has before it the two Ages. How rich in culture! I follow the Zhou.” [2] He admired how the Zhou emperor ruled with ritual and music: “The Sage-Emperor Shun invented a five-stringed musical instrument, which he called qin, sang to its tune about the gentle summer breeze from the south, and lo and behold, his empire was well-regulated [under the benign influence of his music].” [3] The “Music of Prince of Qin Breaking Up the Enemy’s Front,”composed by the first emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin, was respected by the surrounding ethnic minorities. The “New Book of Tang” recorded that on the journey to seek Buddhist scriptures from the West, monk Xuanzang was told by a king in one of the principalities, “Your Emperor must be a saint, for he composed Music of Prince of Qin Breaking Up the Enemy’s Front.” [4] During the reign of Louis XIV, the French royal court displayed high elegance through dance and art. Dance contains not only the techniques of movement, but also social etiquette and norms. Louis XIV inspired Europe through the art and culture of his court and was emulated by other courts and the population at large in Europe. Not only was Frederick the Great of Prussia an outstanding king, but he was also an accomplished musician, composer, and flutist. He ordered the construction of the Berlin Opera House, personally supervised the opera, and opened it to a wider set of social classes. To this day, opera remains an important part of German culture. These few examples make clear the long-lasting influence that orthodox art can exert on society. Orthodox art conforms to natural law, imitates divine wisdom, and brings with it special energy and effects. It has a beneficial impact on people, both physically and spiritually. Orthodox artists work not only at the physical, technical level, but also, more importantly, at the spiritual level, in their communion with the theme of the work. Such artists sometimes express a sense of experiencing a higher force beyond this physical world. The effect is similar to that of singing an ode to God—a solemn and divine experience that transcends human language. For those who appreciate fine art, it is a special vehicle for communion with the divine. Behind art lies the accumulated wisdom of a people, their creativity, and inspiration. There are often profound meanings that go far beyond what is seen on the surface. Some works transmit a special kind of spiritual energy. All of this has an effect on viewers at a deep, spiritual level. The effect is singular and irreplaceable by any other means. A good artist can influence the morality of society by instilling values into people’s hearts through touching stories and images. Even those without deep learning or education can gain insight, inspiration, and the moral lessons that traditional art conveys. In traditional societies, consider how many learned right from wrong, good from evil, through the medium of folk tales such as “The Little Mermaid” and “Snow White.” How many Chinese learned from the four masterpiece novels of Chinese history and from the traditional arts of storytelling and drama? Such works display heavenly principles to man, allow man to feel divine greatness, and make him yearn to assimilate to heavenly principles. Degenerate values also exert an invisible influence through art. Professor Robert McKee wrote in his book Story: “Every effective story sends a charged idea out to us, in effect compelling the idea into us, so that we must believe. In fact, the persuasive power of a story is so great that we may believe its meaning even if we find it morally repellent.” [5] In both positive and negative terms, art can have a tremendous impact on human morality, thought, and behavior. This is no exaggeration. Modern society bears many examples for study. “The Mozart effect,” for instance, has attracted worldwide attention. The scientific community has conducted a number of studies on the positive influence of Mozart’s music on people and animals. In 2016, a more in-depth study of the Mozart effect found that Mozart’s music has a positive effect on human cognitive function and behavior. Surprisingly, playing Mozart’s music in reverse has a completely opposite effect. Arnold Schoenberg’s modern atonal music has a similar effect as playing Mozart backward—demonstrating its damaging character. [6] Compared with atonal music, rock music has an even more negative effect. A researcher compiled data from two similar cities: The city in which the radio and television broadcast a large number of rock songs saw 50 percent more cases of pregnancy out of wedlock, dropouts, youth deaths, crimes, and so on. [7] Some rock music even makes suicide seem reasonable. “Its dark rhythms and depressing lyrics certainly can be taken as an encouragement for suicide, and it is an irrefutable fact that young people have snuffed out their lives while listening to it repeatedly.” [8] It is not uncommon for teens who commit suicide to do as described in the rock lyrics, and numerous rock musicians have descended into depression, drug abuse, and suicide themselves. Another well-known negative example is the nationalist Nazi movie “Triumph of the Will.” Despite the director, Leni Riefenstahl, arguing that she had created a documentary, the propaganda movie exhibited superb artistic mastery. The grand scenes and displays of strength made audiences resonate with the energy and power behind it. A number of the methods in camerawork and editing influenced film for decades to come. Yet the work also became a crucial piece of propaganda for Hitler and Nazi Germany, and is known as one of the most successful propaganda films in history. The British newspaper The Independentwrote in 2003: “‘Triumph of the Will’ seduced many wise men and women, persuaded them to admire rather than to despise, and undoubtedly won the Nazis friends and allies all over the world.” [9] Understanding the great power of art can help us better understand the importance of traditional art and why evil elements want to undermine and sabotage human art and cause it to degenerate. Since art has such a tremendous effect on changing society, it’s not surprising that communism uses art in its aim of socially engineering man. Communist parties know the power of art and use it to brainwash people and turn all art forms into tools to advance their brainwashing. Many people have ridiculed the CCP for having singers and actors as military generals. They wonder how civilians who have neither undergone military training nor been trained in arms or warfare could be qualified to be generals. The CCP believes that the people in such roles are just as important as trained military men in promoting and upholding the communist cult—perhaps they are even more crucial. In this sense, their military rank is perfectly in conformance with Party principle. As Mao Zedong said, “We must also have a cultural army, which is absolutely indispensable for uniting our own ranks and defeating the enemy.” [10] Artistic performances in communist countries are designed to have people forget the miseries they suffer under communist rule, and to cultivate their loyalty to the party through art. This propaganda effect—called “thought work”—cannot be achieved by mere martial power. Compare the CCP’s grand opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, which was put on at enormous taxpayer cost, North Korea’s large-scale song and dance festival Arirang, and the former Soviet Union’s ballet troupes. All serve the needs of the party. In September 2011, when the CCP’s Ministry of Culture held a so-called Chinese culture festival, China: A Nation’s Art series, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., it performed the CCP’s classic ballet model “Red Detachment of Women,” which promotes class hatred and communist violence. If orthodox art that was close to the divine and promoted traditional values were to exist simultaneously with party-controlled art used for brainwashing the public, then the latter would lose its monopoly and have no effect. This is why all communist countries have a strict censorship system for the arts and the publishing industry. For centuries, classical art has been passed down from generation to generation. This tradition continued until the 20th century, when it came to an abrupt end. The transmission and inheritance of art was replaced by a radical avant-garde and began quickly degenerating. As artist Robert Florczak says, “The profound, the inspiring and the beautiful were replaced by the new, the different, and the ugly. … Standards declined until there were no standards. All that was left was personal expression.” [11] Humanity thus lost its universal sense of the aesthetic. The source of this battery of new artistic movements is closely connected to ideological trends influenced by communism. Many of these artists are either straight communists or para-communists of one kind or another, or they have been subject to the sway of these ideologies. Georg Lukacs, the Hungarian cultural commissioner of the Communist International and founder of Western Marxism, founded the Frankfurt School. One of its tasks was to establish a “new cultural form” by abandoning traditional culture. This new cultural form set about excluding art that sought to represent the divine. As Herbert Marcuse, a German socialist and a representative of the Frankfurt School wrote: “[A]rt both protests these [given social] relations, and at the same time transcends them. Thereby art subverts the dominant consciousness, the ordinary experience.” [12] That is, they enlist art in the revolt against the divine and the subversion of morality. Views of this sort dominate the direction of modern art. Gustave Courbet, the founder of the French realist school, was one of the participants in the Paris Commune. He was elected as a committee member of the Commune and the chairman of the radical Federation of Artists. Courbet devoted himself to transforming the old system and establishing new artistic directions. He ordered the Federation to demolish a neoclassical building, the Vendôme Column (which was later rebuilt). Courbet denied that human beings were created by God, and was determined to use art to express the worldview of the proletariat, as well as materialism. He is known for remarking, “I have never seen either angels or goddesses, so I am not interested in painting them.” [13] Courbet believed reform of the arts was really a revolution. In the name of painting what he called reality, he replaced beauty with ugliness. His nude paintings, for instance, focused in particular on depicting the female genitalia, a supposed revolutionary act, as a way of rebelling and transgressing against tradition and somehow further inciting communist activism. The thinking and life of Courbet is an illustration of the close link between the communist ideology of revolution and modern art. Under the influence of modernist thought, the revolutionary fervor of artists from the late 19th century brought about a series of movements in the art world. Unlike traditional schools of artistic expression, these were avant-garde movements that explicitly sought to rupture tradition. The term “avant-garde” was first used by socialist scholars to describe artistic movements that matched their own political aspirations. In the late 19th century, these influences brought about impressionism. Ever since, modern artists have abandoned the demands of traditional oil painting, including the need for precision, proportion, structure, perspective, and transitions between light and shade. Neoimpressionism (pointillism) and postimpressionism then came along, centering their works on the exploration of the personal feelings of the artist. Representative figures in this school include Georges-Pierre Seurat and Vincent van Gogh, both of whom were involved in socialism. [14] Van Gogh abused absinthe and suffered mental illness, and his paintings seem to reflect these tendencies. Works of art contain the messages their creators want to convey and are the media by which their authors communicate to their audiences. The artists during the high Renaissance conveyed compassion and beauty to their audiences. Compare this to contemporary artists, who exude negative and dark messages. Modern artists abandon their own thoughts and allow themselves to come under the control of low-level and ghostly entities. They themselves are often incoherent and confused, and their works are similar — dark, negative, hazy, gray, depressed, decadent, and disordered. After impressionism came expressionism and fauvism, followed by Picasso’s cubism. In 1944, Picasso joined the French Communist Party. In his letter “Why I Became a Communist,” he said: “My joining the Communist Party is a logical step in my life, my work and gives them their meaning. … But during the oppression and the insurrection, I felt that that was not enough, that I had to fight not only with painting but with my whole being.” [15] Picasso encouraged a break with the classical methods of painting. For him, everything was a piece of dough to be picked up and shaped as he pleased. The more eerie his works became, the happier he was. The process of creating monstrous images is the process of destroying an image, to the point where no one can understand it. Even Georges Braque, the modern artist who co-founded cubism with Picasso, didn’t like his “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” and claimed that Picasso must have taken a swig of petroleum and spat fire on the canvas. [16] Marcel Duchamp, the founder of the dada art movement, also sought to subvert and rebel against tradition with his display and use of readymade objects. He repurposed found or factory-made items and turned them into so-called art installations. Duchamp was called the father of conceptual art, and advocated the idea that anything could be called art. The dadaist movement is itself a communistic project, as evidenced by the manifesto of the Berlin dadaists, who called for an “international revolutionary union of all creative and intellectual men and women on the basis of radical Communism,” as well as “the immediate expropriation of property” and “immediate regulation of all sexual relations according to the views of international Dadaism through establishment of a Dadaist sexual center.” [17] Dada’s criticism of tradition evolved into surrealism in France, as represented by the communist André Breton, who advocated revolution. He was against the supposed suppression brought by reason, culture, and society—typical perspectives for modern artists in Europe at the time. The artistic movements that extended these principles include abstractism, minimalism, and pop art. Abstractism is about the emotional expression of rebellion, disorder, emptiness, and escapism. All of these schools are a kind of postmodernism, which sets out to overturn all rules, reasoning, and morality. [18] At their most outrageous, these artists create works that openly desecrate the image of Mary, the mother of Jesus. [19] Not all modern artists support left-wing politics, but there is a clear ideological commonality with communist thought—that is, the rejection of the divine, and the attempt to replace God as the starting point for understanding human life. These isms came to exert increasing influence in the public sphere and have ultimately come to completely marginalize classical art. The numerous schools of modern art that have appeared and developed share several things in common: They invert conventional aesthetics. They take ugliness as beauty, and they aim to shock, even to the point of being as ghastly as the artist’s imagination allows. Marcel Duchamp signed his name on a urinal and named it “Fountain,” to be put on display for the public in New York. Though display of the object was refused, the gesture was considered a clever joke among Duchamp’s peers in the art world, and later artists and academics have thought it the height of creativity. This is the environment in the art world whereby classical easel painting was marginalized, and installation art rose to prominence. In 1958, Yves Klein held the Void exhibition at the Iris Clert Gallery in Paris—the displayed works turning out to be empty walls. A major figure of the postwar German avant-garde, Joseph Beuys, covered his head with honey and gold leaf in 1965, murmuring nonstop for three hours with a dead hare in his arms, in the work “How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare.” In Beuys’s view, everyone could be an artist. One anecdote goes that a dubious onlooker could not help but question him: “You talk about everything under the sun, except art!” Beuys’ reported response: “Everything under the sun is art!” [20] In 1961, Piero Manzoni, a key figure of the avant-garde, put his own feces in 90 cans, called them artworks, and put them up for sale under the name “Merda d’artista” (Artist’s Shit). In 2015, one of the cans was sold in London for a record price of 182,500 pounds, or about $US240,000, hundreds of times the price of the same weight in gold. He also signed his name to the buttocks of a nude woman, calling the piece “Sculture viventi” (living sculpture). In China, there was the nude “artist” who coated his body with honey and fish oil to attract flies. Desecration of the body seems intended to communicate the idea that life is cheap, ugly, and disgusting. In the BBC documentary “Beijing Swings” about “extreme artists” in China, so-called performance art included the performative consumption of the corpse of a dead fetus. Waldemar Januszczak, host of the documentary, commented, “China is producing the most outrageous and darkest art, of anywhere in the world.” [21] In fact, this is a result of the pursuit of demon nature. Some of these so-called modern artworks are so filthy and shameless that they exceed the mental endurance of normal people. Such behavior of the avant-garde is the Cultural Revolution of the art world. Those who support modernism have taken to the trend like a duck to water, but painters truly proficient in the technical skill of painting have a tough time. Painters and sculptors who adhere to strict tradition, who master their craft through painstaking practice, have been squeezed out of the art world. John William Godward, the English Victorian neoclassicist painter associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, felt that he was discriminated against given that his style of realistic classical painting fell out of favor with the rise of Picasso’s modernist works. In 1922, he committed suicide, and was said to have written in his suicide note: “The world is not big enough for myself and a Picasso.” [22] Similar methods were adopted to ruin music. Authentic music conforms with musical theory and order. Musical tuning and the keys and modes it produces all derive from harmonious natural patterns. The universe created by the divine is harmonious. Humans are able to appreciate and participate in the harmony of the universe, and thus create beauty, since humans are also created by the divine. Modern atonal music rejects ideas like tonality, chords, and melody, and lacks order in its structure. Such music is a revolt against divinely imparted classical music. Atonal music violates the harmony in the universe, which is why many audiences find it unpleasant. Modernist musicians argue, based on their warped theories of aesthetics, that audience members must train their ears to get used to such music, so they, too, will enjoy it. Arnold Schoenberg, one of the founders of modern music, introduced the “twelve-tone system,” a fundamentally atonal structure that marked the creation of anti-classical musical technique. Schoenberg’s music was considered the negation of all German musical culture until then, the betrayal of taste, feeling, tradition, and all aesthetic principles. His music was called “cocaine” by Germans at the time: “To perform Schoenberg means the same as to open a cocaine bar for the people. Cocaine is poison. Schoenberg’s music is cocaine.” [23] In later generations, a music critic assessed him thus: “It is a measure of the immensity of the man’s achievement that, fifty years after his death, he can still empty any hall on earth.” [24] What led to the widespread acceptance of Schoenberg was the musical theories of Theodor W. Adorno, an important figure in the Frankfurt School. In Adorno’s 1949 work, “Philosophy of Modern Music,” he attempted to use theory to demonstrate that Schoenberg’s twelve-tone method was the peak of musical composition. This set the stage for the widespread acceptance of Schoenberg’s system by later generations of composers and music critics. [25] Since then, numerous musicians have emulated Schoenberg, and his avant-garde style has had a major impact on the postwar music world. After destroying tradition with modern music, avant-garde art used rock-and-roll to supplant the role of classical music in people’s lives. Sidney Finkelstein, the leading music theorist of the Communist Party USA, openly declared that the boundaries between classical and popular should be eliminated. [26] At around the same time, strongly rhythmic rock music was gaining an increasing foothold in the United States, as classical and traditional music was squeezed out and marginalized. [27] The characteristics of rock-and-roll include inharmonious sounds, unstructured melody, strong rhythmic beats, and emotional conflicts and contradictions—quite similar to the communist idea of struggle. According to the “Records of the Grand Historian” by China’s foremost ancient historian Sima Qian, only when sound conforms to morality can it be called music. Typically, the lives of rock-and-roll musicians are full of sex, violence, and drugs. After rock-and-roll, other forms of music, like rap, appeared in the United States and gained popularity. Rap lyrics are replete with swear words and obscenities, and the music makes plain its rebellion against tradition and society through the use of drugs, violence, swearing, and promiscuity. [28] As the morality of society as a whole declines, such “art forms,” previously regarded as subcultures, have made their way into the wider society and are even sought after by mainstream performance venues. We have so far focused on the current circumstances in the worlds of art and music. In fact, the entire artistic world has been greatly impacted, and the influence of the modern art movement can be seen in the deviation from traditional ideas, methods, and skills in areas like sculpture, architecture, dance, decoration, design, photography, movies, and more. Many people who are engaged in modern art are strongly influenced by communist ideology. For example, the founder of modern dance, Isadora Duncan, was bisexual and atheist. She objected to ballet, calling it ugly and unnatural. She and one hundred students performed in Moscow for Lenin and used “The Internationale” as the main dance theme. [29] As for why these deviations exist, become a trend, or even become mainstream, this is closely related to how communism has corrupted traditional arts that were divinely inspired. On the surface, of course, this is not apparent, and the situation seems to be a form of self-deception that has been widely accepted—the notion that if there’s a theory behind it, it’s art. If people look closely at the differences between avant-garde art and traditional art, they will find that the artists of the Renaissance not only used art to praise God, but also to an even greater extent presented beauty in a manner that engendered feelings of truth and goodness in the human heart, and in so doing, maintained the morality of society. On the other hand, the various mutated forms of avant-garde art try to reverse all the achievements of the Renaissance. They lead people to be attracted to ugliness, which brings forth demonic nature in people: Dark, decadent, depraved, violent, evil, and other negative thoughts gain ascendency. The modern slander of the divine has led people today to be alienated not only from God but also from their own inner divinity, community, traditional values, and morality. [30] Literature is a special art form. It uses language to pass on wisdom that the divine has bestowed to mankind, and also records mankind’s precious living experiences. The two great epics of the ancient Greek world, “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey,” both portrayed the complex historical story around the time of the Trojan War, vividly portraying gods and men and painting a grand canvas of history. The virtues of courage, generosity, wisdom, justice, and temperance praised in the epics became an important source of the value system of the Greek and the entire Western civilization. Due to the great influence that literature has on people, evil elements control people, especially lost humans who seek fame and fortune, to cook up and promote works of literature that impart the ideology of communism; slander traditional culture; destroy people’s morality; and spread pessimism, rubbish, and an attitude of passivity and meaninglessness toward life. Literature became one of the key tools communist elements use to control the world. Some influential works directly promote communist ideology. After the Paris Commune was suppressed, commune member Eugene Pottier wrote “The Internationale,” which said, “There has never been any saviour of the world, nor deities, nor emperors on which to depend.” It threatened, “The old world shall be destroyed!” “The Internationale” became the official song of the First and Second International and became the official song of the Chinese Communist Party. It is widely used during gatherings and in works of literature in communist countries around the world. During the history of the Soviet Union and the CCP, in order to brainwash the general public, the respective communist parties instructed their intellectuals to portray, using traditional techniques, the life of the proletariat and the concept of class consciousness in order to explain the ideology and policies of the communist party. This gave birth to a large number of literary works, including the Soviet novels “The Iron Flood” and “How the Steel Was Tempered,” and the CCP works “The Song of Youth,” “The Sun Shines on the Sanggan River,” and the like, all of which had enormous propaganda impact. The Communist Party calls this style of work “socialist realism.” Mao Zedong generalized the function of this type of literature as “serving the workers, farmers, and soldiers” and “serving the proletariat.” [31] The ability of this type of literature to instill ideology is obvious and well-understood. However, the methods by which communism uses literature to destroy humanity is not limited to this. The following summarizes some of the major effects of communist-influenced literature. Using Literature to Destroy Tradition. A major step in the destruction of humanity has been to slander the traditional civilization that the divine bestowed on mankind. Whether in China or the West, communist elements use intellectuals with modern thoughts to create and promote works that distort or slander traditional culture. During China’s New Culture Movement, the author Lu Xun became famous for viciously attacking tradition and denouncing Chinese antiquity. In his first novel, “A Madman’s Diary,” he utilized the protagonist to declare that the entire Chinese history could be summed up in two characters: “man eating.” Lu Xun was praised by Mao Zedong as “the greatest and most courageous ensign of the new culture army,” and “commander of China’s cultural revolution.” Mao also said, “The road he took was the very road of China’s new national culture.” [32] In Europe in 1909, Italian poet Marinetti published “Futurist Manifesto,” calling for the total rejection of tradition, a celebration of machinery, technology, speed, violence, and competition. Russian poet and communist Vladimir Mayakovsky published “A Slap in the Face of Public Taste” in 1913, also expressing his resolve to break off from Russian traditional literature. Defending Hideous Portrayals as ‘Reality.’ Today, intellectuals and artists use literature and the arts to portray things or scenes that are ugly, strange, and terrifying, using the excuse that they are merely showing things as they are. Traditional art conveys harmony, grace, clarity, restraint, propriety, balance, universality, and ideals, which require selection and choice. In the view of modern artists, such works cannot be considered real. Such views actually originate from a misunderstanding of the origin and function of art. Art originates from everyday life, but it should transcend everyday life so as to both delight and instruct. Because of this, artists must select, refine, and process what they want to portray during the creative process. Blindly focusing on “realism” artificially restricts the boundaries of life and art. If this type of absolute realism is art, then what everyone sees and hears is all art—in which case, why spend time and money training artists? Using Literature to Corrupt Moral Values. Pretexts such as “expressing one’s true self,” “stream of consciousness,” and the like lead people to abandon traditional moral standards and indulge in the demonic side of human nature. An example is what the French communist and poet André Breton wrote in “Surrealist Manifesto,” defining his new literature: “Psychic automatism in its pure state, by which one proposes to express—verbally, by means of the written word, or in any other manner—the actual functioning of thought. Dictated by thought, in the absence of any control exercised by reason, exempt from any aesthetic or moral concern.” [33] The “stream of consciousness” writing and surrealist “automatic writing” are closely related. Influenced by Sigmund Freud’s psychopathology, some writers in the West started to experiment with the stream of consciousness writing style from the beginning of the 20th century. Such writings usually have simple storylines and focus on the inner and private thought processes of insignificant characters (anti-heros) through narratives composed of free thoughts. Human beings simultaneously contain the potential for both kindness and evil. A life should be dedicated to the constant elevation of moral standards and cultivation of virtue through self-restraint. In modern society, many people experience ill thoughts and desires. Simply putting them on display for public consumption is equivalent to polluting society. Unleashing Man’s Dark Side as ‘Criticism’ and ‘Protest.’ Writers and artists in the Western free world, under the influence of anti-traditionalist sentiment, consider all laws, regulations, and moral codes to be restrictions and suppressions. They see problems with modern society and the weaknesses of human nature, but instead of dealing with them rationally, they promote extreme individualism via criticism and protest, indulging in their personal desires. They use degenerate means to express so-called resistance, while strengthening the dark side of their nature, indulging in hatred, laziness, desire, lust, aggression, and pursuit of fame. The lack of moral self-restraint won’t solve any social issues but instead will worsen them. During the counterculture movement of the 1960s, the American poet Allen Ginsberg became the representative of the Beat Generation and is still worshiped today by those who wish to rebel against society. His poem “Howl” depicts extreme lifestyles and mental states, including alcoholism, sexual promiscuity, drugs, sodomy, self-mutilation, prostitution, streaking, violent assault, theft, vagabonding, and madness. As the counterculture movement became institutionalized, “Howl” came to be regarded as a literary classic and was included in numerous literature collections. Ginsberg admitted that he was a communist in his early years and that he had no regrets. [34] He idolized Fidel Castro and other communist dictators and widely promoted homosexuality and pedophilia. Ginsberg is a clear manifestation of the common ground between communism and extreme individualism. Spreading Pornography Through Literature. Since the beginning of the 20th century, explicitly sexual content began to appear in literary works, some of which were filled with such content, yet were still praised as classics. Many commentators and scholars abandoned their social responsibilities and praised such pornographic works as real, artistic masterpieces. We know that many traditional moral values function via abstinence. Breaking such restrictions, with whatever noble-sounding justification, undermines and destroys morality. Dehumanizing People Through Literature. In the past several decades, as the culture became more and more confused, a great deal of genre fiction surfaced, including thrillers and works of horror, the supernatural, and fantasy. Through such works, low-level elements can control people’s minds and bodies, resulting in the dehumanization of human beings. People say that “ice that is 3 feet thick is not the result of one day of coldness.” It also takes a long period of time and the involvement of many fields for literature to degrade so far that it becomes used as a tool for evil. Romanticism widened literature’s coverage of people’s lives, while some ugly and bizarre phenomena, including extreme and insane human mental states, were presented for public consumption. Several British Romantic poets were dubbed “The Satanic School” because of the immoral content of their poems. Realism uses the excuse of presenting reality to express the degenerate side of human nature. Certain works emphasize warped thoughts and immoral conduct. One critic called realism “romanticism going on all fours.” [35] The philosophy of naturalism, as promoted by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, for instance, attributed the decline in human morality to the social environment and family genetics, thus removing the individual’s moral responsibility. Aestheticism calls for “art for art’s sake,” claiming that art is meant to simply provide sensory stimulus and carries no moral imperative. In fact, all art has subtle, profound, and long-lasting effects on the moral sense. Denying art’s moral responsibility is to open the door for immoral things to come in. We can’t deny the fact that different schools of literature generated some high-quality works, but awful works are mixed in. Although we can’t say that communist elements directly manipulated these trends in literature, the negative elements are obviously the result of declining moral standards. They paved the road for communist ideology to destroy mankind via literature. When a person writes, his moral standard and mental state are reflected in his work. With the overall decline of human morality, the negative mindset of writers takes a dominant stance. This has created numerous works that, instead of seeking to bring out the kindness in people, pull people down toward hell. The power of art is enormous. Good art can rectify the human heart, elevate morality, harmonize the yin and yang, and even enable humans to be connected to heaven, earth, and divine beings. In the past century, the specter of communism took advantage of man’s demon nature and malice, prompting the creation of an enormous variety of “art.” People were led to revolt against and blaspheme God, oppose tradition, and overturn morality. This had the ultimate effect of turning large parts of society demonic, which would be deeply shocking to anyone living in a previous era. Compared to the beauty of traditional arts, modern arts are extremely ugly. Human aesthetic standards have been destroyed. Avant-garde art has become mainstream and commands vast sums of money. Traditional, noble arts have become a laughing stock. Arts have been manipulated into a vehicle for people to indulge in their desires and vent their demon nature. The boundary between beauty and ugliness, grace and vulgarity, kindness and evil, has been blurred or even erased. Grotesqueness, chaos, and darkness have taken the place of universal values. Human society is filled with demonic messages, and human beings are being steered on a path of decadence and destruction. Only by elevating morality and returning to faith and tradition will humankind be able to see another renaissance in the arts. Only then will we all see the beauty, nobility, and splendidness of what art can be, and what it was meant to be. Read Chapter Twelve here. [1] “Record of Music,” Classic of Rites, Chinese Text Project, https://ctext.org/liji/yue-ji?filter=435370&searchmode=showall#result [2] Confucius, Lunyu, 3.14 [3] Sima Qian, “A Treatise on Music,” Records of the Grand Historian, Vol. 24. [4] Ouyang Xiu and Song Qi, New Book of Tang, Vol. 237. [5] Robert McKee, Story: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting (New York: Harper-Collins Publishers, 1997), 129–130. [6] Yingshou Xing, et al., “Mozart, Mozart Rhythm and Retrograde Mozart Effects: Evidences from Behaviours and Neurobiology Bases,” Scientific Reports Vol. 6, Article #: 18744 (2016), https://www.nature.com/articles/srep18744. [7] David A. Noebel, The Marxist Minstrels: A Handbook on Communist Subversion of Music, (Tulsa, Okla.: American Christian College Press, 1974), 58–59. [8] David Cloud, “Rock Music and Suicide,” Way of Life Literature, December 20, 2000, https://www.wayoflife.org/reports/rock_music_and_suicide.html. [9] Val Williams, “Leni Riefenstahl: Film-maker Who Became Notorious as Hitler’s Propagandist,” The Independent, September 10, 2003, https://web.archive.org/web/20090830045819/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/leni-riefenstahl-548728.html. [10] Mao Tse-tung, n.d., “Talks at the Yenan Forum on Literature and Art,” accessed July 10, 2018, https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-3/mswv3_08.htm. [11] Robert Florczak, Why Is Modern Art So Bad? PragerU, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNI07egoefc [12] Herbert Marcuse, The Aesthetic Dimension: Toward a Critique of Marxist Aesthetics (Boston: Beacon Press, 1978), ix. [13] “Gustave Courbet Quotes,” http://www.azquotes.com/author/3333-Gustave_Courbet. [14] Tony McKenna, “Vincent van Gogh,” Taylor & Francis Online, Critique: Journal of Socialist Theory, 2011, “Vincent van Gogh,” Critique Vol. 39 (2), 2011: 295–303, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03017605.2011.561634. [15] Pablo Picasso, “Why I Became a Communist,” https://blogs.cul.columbia.edu/schapiro/2010/02/24/picasso-and-communism/. See also “Picasso, the FBI, and Why He Became a Communist \| On Archiving Schapiro,” accessed July 11, 2018, https://blogs.cul.columbia.edu/schapiro/2010/02/24/picasso-and-communism/ [16] Robert Hughes, The Shock of the New: The Hundred-Year History of Modern Art—Its Rise, Its Dazzling Achievement, Its Fall (London: Knopf, 1991), 24. See also https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/pablo-picasso-les-demoiselles-davignon-paris-june-july-1907 [17] Richard Huelsenbeck and Raoul Hausmann, “What Is Dadaism and What Does It Want in Germany?” in Robert Motherwell, ed., The Dada Painters and Poets: An Anthology, 2nd ed., (Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press, 1989). [18] Michael Wing, “Of ‘-isms,’ Institutions, and Radicals: A Commentary on the Origins of Modern Art and the Importance of Tradition,” The Epoch Times, March 16, 2017, https://www.theepochtimes.com/of-isms-institutions-and-radicals_2231016.html. [19] Katherine Brooks, “One of The World’s Most Controversial Artworks Is Making Catholics Angry Once Again,” Huffington Post, May 13, 2014, https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/13/piss-christ-sale_n_5317545.html. [20] “Joseph Beuys: The Revolution Is Us,” Tate, https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-liverpool/exhibition/joseph-beuys-revolution-us. [21] Ben Cade, n.d., “Zhu Yu: China’s Baby-Eating Shock Artist Goes Hyperreal,” Culture Trip, accessed July 26, 2018, https://theculturetrip.com/asia/china/articles/zhu-yu-china-s-baby-eating-shock-artist-goes-hyperreal/. [22] Brad Smithfield, “‘The World Is Not Big Enough for Me and a Picasso’: The life and Artwork of John William Godward,” The Vintage News, January 10, 2017, https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/01/10/world-not-big-enough-picasso-life-artwork-john-william-godward/. [23] Walter Frisch, ed., Schoenberg and His World (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1999), 94. [24] Norman Lebrecht, “Why We Are Still Afraid of Schoenberg,” The Lebrecht Weekly, July 8, 2001, http://www.scena.org/columns/lebrecht/010708-NL-Schoenberg.html. [25] Golan Gur, “Arnold Schoenberg and the Ideology of Progress in Twentieth-Century Musical Thinking,” Search: Journal for New Music and Culture 5 (Summer 2009), http://www.searchnewmusic.org/gur.pdf. [27] David A. Noebel, The Marxist Minstrels: A Handbook on Communist Subversion of Music, 44–47. [28] Jon Caramanica, “The Rowdy World of Rap’s New Underground,” New York Times, June 22, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/22/arts/music/soundcloud-rap-lil-pump-smokepurrp-xxxtentacion.html. [29] “Politics and the Dancing Body,” Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/politics-and-dance/finding-a-political-voice.html. [30] Michael Minnicino, “The New Dark Age: The Frankfurt School and ‘Political Correctness,’” reprinted from Fidelio Magazine (Winter 1992), accessed Aug. 13, 2018, http://archive.schillerinstitute.org/fid_91-96/921_frankfurt.html. [31] Mao Zedong, “Talks at the Yenan Forum on Literature and Art,” 1942, Selected Works of Mao Tse-Tung, (Marxists.org), https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-3/mswv3_08.htm. [32] Mao Zedong, “On New Democracy,” 1940, Selected Works of Mao Tse-Tung (Marxists.org), accessed August 13, 2018, https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-2/mswv2_26.htm. [33] André Breton, “Manifesto of Surrealism,” https://www.tcf.ua.edu/Classes/Jbutler/T340/SurManifesto/ManifestoOfSurrealism.htm. [34] Allen Ginsberg, “America,” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49305/america-56d22b41f119f. [35] Irving Babbitt, Rousseau and Romanticism (Boston: Houghton Mifflin,1919), 104.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line662
__label__cc	0.574914	0.425086	Rodriquez Jacquees Broadnax (1994-04-15) April 15, 1994 (age 25) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. R&B, hip hop Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter Rodriquez Jacquees Broadnax[1] (born April 15, 1994), better known monomously as Jacquees, is an American R&B singer and songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia. In 2014, he signed a recording and management contract with Cash Money Records.[2] His 2016 single, "B.E.D.", was on the Billboard charts for 7 weeks, peaking at number 69.[3] His debut album, 4275, was released on June 15, 2018. Jacquees has worked with numerous other artists in the genre, including Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Donell Jones, T.I., Jermaine Dupri, Young Thug and Wale. 1 Career 2 Discography 2.1 Studio albums 2.2 Extended plays 2.4.1 As lead artist 2.4.2 As featured artist 3 Awards and nominations Career[edit] In 2007, Broadnax met a former manager, Orlando Grind. He performed in a variety of talent shows before he finally met Russell “lock" Spencer, who is a founder and then-CEO of Block Entertainment. He then later worked in various different recording studios, however, he merely was blended with the team that did not offer him the opportunity to show his true talents. Block's focus was only rap music, not R&B. Jacquees later began working closely at the Block Entertainment's recording studio, gaining some more exposure with a release of a track, "Krazy", featuring Atlanta rapper T.I.[4] On March 25, 2014, Jacquees independently released his second EP, 19, which debuted at number 15 on the US Billboard Top R&B Albums.[5] The 11-track EP features guest appearances from Chris Brown, Rich Homie Quan, Lloyd,and Trinidad James.[6] On October 1, 2014, Jacquees announced that he had signed a recording deal with Cash Money Records.[7] In May 2016, he did a collaboration with a label-mate Birdman, on an EP, titled Lost at Sea.[8] He has found recent mainstream success with his 2016 single "B.E.D.", charting so far at number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100. Discography[edit] Studio albums[edit] List of studio albums with selected details Released: June 15, 2018[9] Label: Cash Money, Republic Records Format: CD, digital download Round II Expected: July 19, 2019 Extended plays[edit] List of extended plays with selected details Extended play details I Am Jacquees Label: Self-released Format: Download Released: March 25, 2014[10] (with Birdman) Label: Cash Money This Time I'm Serious Mixtapes[edit] List of mixtapes with selected details Round of Applause Released: August 11, 2011[12] Fan Affiliated Quemix Released: May 1, 2013[14] Quemix 2 Released: January 6, 2015[15] Released: January 25, 2016[16] Since You Playin' Fuck a Friend Zone (with Dej Loaf) Released: February 10, 2017[18] TBA[19] (with Chris Brown) To be released: TBA Label: Cash Money, Republic Lost At Sea 2 Released: November 15, 2018 Singles[edit] As lead artist[edit] List of singles as a lead artist, showing year released and album name Peak chart positions R&B/HH "Someone like You"[22] (featuring Bandit Gang Marco) 2012 — — Fan Affiliated "Feel It"[23] (featuring Rich Homie Quan and Lloyd) 2014 — — 19 "Iz Dat You"[24] — — Non-album single "Pandora"[25] — — Mood "Come Thru"[26] (featuring Rich Homie Quan) 2015 — — "Like Baby"[27] "Ms. Kathy (Make Up)"[28] "Lost at Sea"[29] 2016 — — Lost at Sea "B.E.D."[30] RIAA: Platinum[31] Mood and 4275 "Good Feeling"[32] "Outta Line" (featuring Tink) "At the Club"[33] (featuring Dej Loaf) 2017 86 40 The Cash Money Story: Before Anythang Original Motion Picture Soundtrack "You"[34] RIAA: Gold[31] 4275 and Lost at Sea 2 "Your Peace" [35] (featuring Lil Baby) 2019 — — Round II "Who’s"[36] As featured artist[edit] List of singles as a featured artist, showing year released and album name "Addicted"[37] (Bpace featuring Jacquees) 2014 Non-album single "Sex Shit"[38] (DC DaVinci featuring Jacquees) G.H.O.S.T. (Grind Hard Or Starve Trying) "Pull Up"[39] (Rich Gang featuring Jacquees, J-Soul, Ralo Stylz, Derez Lenard and Birdman) "Scarlett Rose"[40] (Ke'Ondris featuring Jacquees) "Work Sumn"[41] (Kirko Bangz featuring Tory Lanez & Jacquees) 2018 TBA "Freaky With You"[42] (Nelly featuring Jacquees) All Work, No Play Awards and nominations[edit] 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards[43] R&B Song of the Year B.E.D. Nominated ^ Jacquees at AllMusic ^ "Cash Money Records - Information On The Label & Artists". LilWayneHQ. Retrieved October 19, 2015. ^ "B.E.D. \| Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2017. ^ "Music/Emerging Artist: Jacquees feat. T.I. – U Must Be Crazy". ThisisRnB. February 25, 2010. Retrieved October 9, 2016. ^ C.M., Emmanuel (January 29, 2016). "The Come Up: Jacquees". XXL. Retrieved October 9, 2016. ^ "19 by Jacquees". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved October 9, 2016. ^ Malbin (October 1, 2014). "Jacquees Signs to Cash Money Records/Rich Gang". Fashionably-Early. Retrieved October 9, 2016. ^ "Lost At Sea". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved January 25, 2017. ^ "4275 by Jacquees". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved May 17, 2018. ^ "19 by Jacquees on iTunes". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved April 4, 2018. ^ "Jacquees Finally Releases "This Time I'm Serious" EP Featuring Wale & T-Pain". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved April 4, 2018. ^ "Jacquees - Round Of Applause - DJ Spinz". LiveMixtapes. August 11, 2011. Retrieved October 19, 2015. ^ "Jacquees - Fan Affiliated - DJ Scream, DJ Spinz". LiveMixtapes. Retrieved October 19, 2015. ^ "Jacquees - Quemix - NoDJ". LiveMixtapes. Retrieved October 19, 2015. ^ "Jacquees - Quemix 2 - NoDJ". LiveMixtapes. Retrieved October 19, 2015. ^ "Jacquees - Mood - DJ Spinz". LiveMixtapes. Retrieved January 25, 2017. ^ "Jacquees - Since You Playin'". HotNewHipHop. January 13, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2017. ^ "Jacquees & DeJ Loaf - Fuck A Friend Zone". DatPiff. Retrieved February 10, 2017. ^ Espinoza, Joshua (January 11, 2018). "Chris Brown and Jacquees Have a Joint Mixtape on Deck". Complex. Retrieved April 4, 2018. ^ "Jacquees – Chart History (Billboard Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2017. ^ "Jacquees – Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 29, 2017. ^ "Some One Like You (feat. Bandit Gang Marco) - Single by Jacquees". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved October 14, 2016. ^ "Feel It (feat. Rich Homie Quan & Lloyd) - Single by Jacquees". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved October 14, 2016. ^ "Iz Dat You - Single by Jacquees". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved October 14, 2016. ^ "Pandora - Single by Jacquees". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved October 14, 2016. ^ "Come Thru (feat. Rich Homie Quan) - Single by Jacquees". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved October 14, 2016. ^ "Like Baby - Single by Jacquees". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved October 14, 2016. ^ "Ms. Kathy (Make Up) - Single by Jacquees". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved October 14, 2016. ^ "Lost at Sea - Single by Jacquees & Birdman". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved October 14, 2016. ^ "B.E.D. - Single by Jacquees". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved October 14, 2016. ^ a b "Gold/Platinum: Jacquees - RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 18, 2019. ^ "Good Feeling - Single by Jacquees". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved October 14, 2016. ^ "At the Club (feat. DeJ Loaf) – Single by Jacquees". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved November 9, 2017. ^ "Jacquees on Twitter: "New single #You all over ya radios! #4275 go get it on iTunes!!!"". Retrieved December 4, 2018 – via Twitter. ^ ‎Your Peace (feat. Lil Baby) - Single by Jacquees on iTunes, retrieved 2019-07-15 ^ ‎Who's - Single by Jacquees, retrieved 2019-07-15 ^ "Addicted (feat. Jacquees) - Single by Bpace". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved October 14, 2016. ^ "Sex S**t (feat. Jacquees) - Single by DC DaVinci". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved October 14, 2016. ^ "Pull Up (feat. Jacquees, JSOUL, Ralo Stylz, Derez Lenard & Birdman) - Single by Rich Gang". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved October 14, 2016. ^ "Addicted (feat. Jacquees) - Single by Ke'Ondris". SoundCloud. Retrieved March 11, 2017. ^ "Kirko Bangz, Tory Lanez and Jacquees Link on New Song "Work Sumn"". XXL.com. Retrieved July 25, 2018. ^ "Nelly Calls On Jacquees For New Bedroom Banger "Freaky With You"". HotNewHipHop.com. Retrieved July 25, 2018. ^ Atkinson, Katie (March 11, 2018). "iHeartRadio Music Award Winners 2018: Complete List". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2018. Cash Money Records Bryan "Birdman" Williams Ronald "Slim" Williams "Tapout" "Lifestyle" Young Money Entertainment We the Best Music Group MusicBrainz: 1def2cdc-a6ec-4972-8614-204e13301650 Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jacquees&oldid=906332710" 21st-century American singers African-American male singers American male singers African-American singer-songwriters African-American songwriters American hip hop singers American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters American soul singers Musicians from Atlanta Southern hip hop musicians Songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state) 21st-century male singers Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line663
__label__wiki	0.789147	0.789147	Chand Nawab چاند نواب 1963 (age 55–56) Mirpurkhas, Pakistan Poly Technical College Chand Nawab (born 1963) is a Pakistani journalist and actor from Karachi, Pakistan.[1][2] Chand Nawab was born in Mirpurkhas, Pakistan later his family moved to Karachi. He started his career by joining Indus News where he worked as a journalist and anchor. He gained public recognition by a video uploaded by his colleagues in 2008. In the video, Nawab tried to record a film to camera on a stairway at a railway station but he was repeatedly interrupted by passengers. The unedited video became viral on social media.[3][4] Kabir Khan, the director of the film Bajrangi Bhaijaan, added Chand Nawab's role to that film. Nawab was played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui. After the release of the film, Nawab became more prominent. In an interview to Hindustan Times, Nawab said that he started receiving job offers and roles in TV commercials from various TV channels and companies,But I am not interested in TV shows and filmography.[5][6] Bajrangi Bhaijaan Indus News ^ Entertainment Desk (22 July 2015). "Chand Nawab is now a hero back home, I am thrilled: Kabir Khan". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 17 August 2015. ^ "Pak news reporter gets famous with 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan'". AP News Corner. Retrieved 17 August 2015. ^ Akhtar Blouch (27 July 2015). "Chaand Nawab's route to stardom: A viral video, lost jobs and Bajrangi Bhaijaan". DAWN. Retrieved 17 August 2015. ^ "Nawazuddin Siddiqui's role in Bajrangi Bhaijaan, inspired from Chand Nawab, made Nawab a star". Dunya News. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015. ^ Rezaul H Laskar (23 July 2015). "Thanks to Bajrangi Bhaijaan, I've been offered roles in TV ads: Chand Nawab". hindustan times. Retrieved 17 August 2015. ^ First Post (21 July 2015). "Nawazuddin's role in Bajrangi Bhaijaan inspired by hilarious real-life Chand Nawab". First Post. Retrieved 17 August 2015. Chand Nawab's Viral Video on YouTube Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chand_Nawab&oldid=862005788" Pakistani male journalists Journalists from Karachi This page was last edited on 1 October 2018, at 15:22 (UTC).	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line664
__label__wiki	0.805264	0.805264	Czechoslovak declaration of independence (Redirected from Czech independence) Declaration of independence from the Austro-Hungarian empire Czechoslovak National Council Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk To announce and explain separation of Czechoslovakia from Austria-Hungary The Czechoslovak Declaration of Independence or the Washington Declaration (Czech: Washingtonská deklarace; Slovak: Washingtonská deklarácia) was drafted in Washington, D.C. and published by Czechoslovakia's Paris-based Provisional Government on 18 October 1918.[1] The creation of the document, officially the Declaration of Independence of the Czechoslovak Nation by Its Provisional Government (Czech: Prohlášení nezávislosti československého národa zatímní vládou československou), was prompted by the imminent collapse of the Habsburg Austro-Hungarian Empire, of which the Czech and Slovak lands had been part for almost 400 years, following the First World War. 2 The declaration See also: Origins of Czechoslovakia In the autumn of 1918, the Austro-Hungarian monarchy was collapsing. As one of his Fourteen Points, U.S. president Woodrow Wilson demanded that the nationalities of the empire have the "freest opportunity to autonomous development". On 14 October 1918, Foreign Minister Baron István Burián von Rajecz[2] asked for an armistice based on the Fourteen Points. In an apparent attempt to demonstrate good faith, Emperor Charles I issued a proclamation two days later which would have significantly altered the structure of the Austrian half of the monarchy. The Imperial Austria was to be transformed into a federal union composed of four parts—German, Czech, South Slav and Ukrainian (Galicia would be allowed to secede). Each of these was to be governed by a national council that would negotiate the future of the empire with Vienna, and Trieste was to receive a special status.[citation needed] However, on that same day, a Czecho-Slovak provisional government joined the Allies. This provisional government had begun drafting a Declaration of Independence on 13 October and completed its task on 16 October. The document was drafted by Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and American sculptor Gutzon Borglum[3] (Borglum hosted future soldiers of a Czecho-Slovak army on his farm in Stamford, Connecticut.[4]) On 17 October, Masaryk presented it to the U.S. government and the president. It was published in Paris 18 October 1918 with authorship attributed to Masaryk.[citation needed] On the same day, United States Secretary of State Robert Lansing replied that the Allies were now committed to the causes of the Czechs, Slovaks, and South Slavs. Therefore, Lansing said, autonomy for the nationalities – the tenth of the Fourteen Points – was no longer enough and Washington could not deal on the basis of the Fourteen Points any more. The Lansing note was, in effect, the death certificate of Austria-Hungary.[citation needed] The national councils had already begun acting more or less as provisional governments of independent countries. With defeat in the war imminent after the Italian offensive in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto on 24 October, Czech politicians peacefully took over command in Prague on 28 October (later declared the birthday of Czechoslovakia) and followed up in other major cities in the next few days.[5] On 30 October, the Slovaks followed with the Martin Declaration and the Austro-Hungarian state was dissolved the next day.[6] The declaration[edit] Much of the declaration catalogues a litany of grievances against the Habsburgs. The latter portion of the document declares a Czechoslovak Republic with freedom of religion, speech, the press and the right of assembly and petition, separation of church from the state, universal suffrage, and equal rights for women. The declaration calls for a parliamentary political system with respect for rights of national minorities shall use equal rights. Social, economic, and land reform is announced along with the cancellation of aristocratic privileges. The declaration uses the term "Czechoslovak nation" (národ československý), which deviates from formulations Cleveland and Pittsburgh Agreements, which defined two separate Czech and Slovak nations. The declaration is signed Masaryk (as Prime Minister and Minister of Finance), Milan Rastislav Štefánik (as Minister of National Defense) and Edvard Beneš (as Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Interior). R.W. Seton-Watson: A History of the Czechs and Slovaks, Archon Books, 1965 C.A. Watson: Hungary: A Short History, Edinburgh University Press, 1966 Leo Valiani: The End of Austria-Hungary, Secker & Warburg, 1973 Declaration of Independence of the Czechoslovak Nation ^ Declaration of Independence of the Czechslovak Nation By Its Provisional Government. New York. 18 October 1918. ^ "Hungarian foreign ministers from 1848 to our days". Mfa.gov.hu. Retrieved 24 March 2012. ^ Kovtun, G.J. (1985). The Czechoslovak Declaration of Independence: A History of the Document. Washington, D.C. pp. 46–8. ^ Herbert Francis Sherwood. "A New Declaration of Independence". The Outlook. 120 (September–December 1918). p. 406. ^ PRECLÍK, Vratislav. Masaryk a legie (TGM and legions), váz. kniha, 219 str., vydalo nakladatelství Paris Karviná, Žižkova 2379 (734 01 Karviná) ve spolupráci s Masarykovým demokratickým hnutím (Masaryk Democratic Movement in Prague), 2019, ISBN 978-80-87173-47-3, page 19 - 25, 84 - 99, 128, 129, 132 - 146, 164 - 171 ^ Mametey, Victor S. (2000). "Martin Declaration". In Frucht, Richard C. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Eastern Europe: From the Congress of Vienna to the Fall of Communism. Garland Pub. p. 483. ISBN 978-0-8153-0092-2. Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Czechoslovak_declaration_of_independence&oldid=903104892" Czechoslovak law 1918 in Czechoslovakia Dissolution of Austria-Hungary 1918 in politics Slovak independence movement Articles containing Czech-language text Articles containing Slovak-language text	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line665
__label__wiki	0.949216	0.949216	Dinnerladies (TV series) This article is about the sitcom. For the job, see Lunch lady. dinnerladies The title card from the first episode, showing the canteen in which the show is set Geoff Posner Thelma Barlow Andrew Dunn Duncan Preston Anne Reid No. of series Philip McIntyre David Tyler Production location(s) BBC Television Centre Multi-camera Pozzitive Television[1] Universal Playback (DVD) 576i (4:3 SDTV) 12 November 1998 (1998-11-12) – 27 January 2000 (2000-01-27) dinnerladies is a British television sitcom created, written and co-produced by Victoria Wood. Two series were broadcast on BBC One from 1998 to 2000, with 16 episodes in total. The programme is repeated on Gold,[2] and the complete series was released on DVD in November 2004.[3] 4.1 Main characters 4.2 Recurring characters 4.3 Guest stars 5 Themes 6.1 Writing 6.2 Filming 8 Theatre 9 Home media The series is set entirely in the canteen of HWD Components, a fictional factory in Manchester, featuring the caterers and regular customers as the main characters. It depicts the lives and social and romantic interactions of the staff, and is centred around the main character Brenda Furlong (Wood). The first series won the 1999 Rose d'Or Press Award[4] and "Best New TV Comedy" at the 1999 British Comedy Awards,[5] and the second won "Best TV Comedy" in 2000.[6] The show has also been nominated for the British Academy Television Award for "Best Comedy (Programme or Series)" and the "Situation Comedy Award" in 1998 and 1999 respectively.[7] It came 28th in the BBC's Britain's Best Sitcom poll in 2004.[8] Main article: List of Dinnerladies episodes 1 6 12 November 1998 17 December 1998 2 10 25 November 1999 27 January 2000 At the beginning of the first series, we are introduced to the main characters, a group of mostly female and middle-aged canteen workers in Northern England: the main character is the kind and dependable Brenda 'Bren' Furlong (played by Victoria Wood), whose relationship with sarcastic and exhausted canteen manager Tony Martin (Andrew Dunn), develops through the show.[9] The prim and prudish Dolly Bellfield (Thelma Barlow) and her waspish friend Jean (Anne Reid) are also featured, as well as the younger pair of the snarky Twinkle (Maxine Peake), who is always late, and the ditzy but mild-mannered Anita (Shobna Gulati).[10] Stan Meadowcroft (Duncan Preston) is an opinionated and easily provoked (but well-meaning) maintenance man who is responsible for cleaning the factory and fixing equipment. The new cheery but disorganised human resources manager Philippa Moorcroft (Celia Imrie) is from the South and doesn't fit in well with the rest of the staff; she moved to Manchester because of her relationship with senior member of staff Mr Michael (Christopher Greet).[10] Julie Walters also appears in nine episodes[a] as Bren's disadvantaged, delusional and manipulative mother who lives in a caravan behind a petrol station. She abandoned Bren at an orphanage, and often turns up to ask for favours. In the first series, Bren and Tony's relationship begins to develop, and she supports him as he undergoes chemotherapy. Philippa tries to organise team-building activities, the factory receives a royal visit, Bren's mother causes a scandal in the factory, the team bring their mothers to work, HWD Components merges with a Japanese company and Tony is temporarily replaced due to his treatment.[11][12] Throughout the second series, Bren and Tony's relationship develops further; the canteen takes on a work experience girl named Sigourney (Joanne Froggatt), Jean goes to stay with her sister after she is put in a foul mood by her unfaithful husband, a murderer escapes from a local prison and Bren's fear of needles is mistaken for pregnancy. Jane (Sue Devaney) organises a holiday to Marbella, on which Bren and Tony want to go together. After a mixup, Bren manages to get a place, but she ends up giving the money to her mother instead. Their colleagues bet on when Bren and Tony will "get it on", and they finally get together after Tony puts on a surprise birthday party for Bren, who was born on Christmas Eve. Later in the series, Philippa cannot attend the Millennium Meal she organises, and Anita has a baby; after leaving it anonymously for Bren to care for, she takes it back and goes on maternity leave; she is replaced temporarily by Christine (Kay Adshead), who is disliked by the rest of the dinnerladies. As the staff plan to move on with their lives, Bren goes on the game show Totally Trivial, but loses her chance to win after she cannot attend due to her mother's death. It is revealed that her mother left her a large amount of cash, and Bren and Tony use the money to move to Scotland.[13][14] Characters[edit] Main characters[edit] Victoria Wood as Brenda "Bren" Furlong (born 24 December 1957)[15] Bren is the deputy manager of the canteen, and arguably the most reasonable of the characters. She had an unhappy childhood as her mother had her taken into foster care, and married unhappily to an alcoholic of whom she was afraid. She is very good at solving her colleagues' problems but often doubts her ability to overcome her own hardships and has low self-esteem. She is somewhat scattered, often forgetting adjectives and making other malapropisms, and has a near-encyclopedic knowledge of film, which she makes many metaphorical references to, and gets as her subject on the quiz show Totally Trivial. Several times in the first series it is hinted that she has feelings for Tony, though nothing comes of this until halfway through the second series. She moves to Scotland with Tony at the end of series 2. Andrew Dunn as Tony Martin The divorced canteen manager, whose battle against cancer is a running storyline in the first series, prompting him to want to do more with his life than running a canteen in the second. He is often frustrated when the others aren't working, and tends to be sarcastic. Though he talks and thinks about women a lot, he has very little luck with them. He is attracted to Bren, but is too shy to reveal this to her for a long time. He is also a smoker and uses this as an excuse to escape uncomfortable or surreal situations. Thelma Barlow as Dolly Bellfield (born 8 April)[15] Something of a social climber, Dolly is the cattiest of the dinnerladies, often making bitchy remarks about others. Prim and prudish, she previously worked at the upscale Café Bonbon. She frequently snaps at people for using bad language and frowns on the sexual shenanigans of Twinkle, whom she is convinced did not have to work for her catering qualification. She is a Daily Mail reader, and prone to making remarks of questionable political correctness. She is fixated on her weight and dieting, although she is tempted to snack on Mars bars in stressful situations and it is revealed in several episodes that she was formerly obese. She has been married for thirty years to her husband Bob (Jack Smethurst), and hopes to move to the nearby upmarket suburb of Mobberley after her retirement. Her constant regret is that her son Stephen lives with a male marine biologist. Anne Reid as Jean Dolly's best friend, Jean is very often the stooge for her mordant remarks. She has a somewhat bawdy sense of humor and is long-sighted, but refuses to wear her glasses, so often misinterprets headlines when reading magazines. She is unhappily married to cheating husband Keith at the start of the series (with a grown-up daughter, Lisa), but in series two he leaves her for a Welsh dental hygienist called Bronwyn. After getting over the shock, and rediscovering self-confidence that she'd forgotten she ever had, she has a fling with a security guard (Barry "the love muscle") before settling down with Stan after she accepts his proposal in the final episode. Maxine Peake as Twinkle The youngest member of the team, she turns up late every day and tries unsuccessfully to borrow cigarettes from Tony. Despite her snarky attitude, she regards the other members of staff as friends; particularly Bren, to whom she turns for help on several occasions, such as when she thinks she is pregnant. She lives with her wheelchair-bound mother, for whom she acts as carer, and often spends her evenings getting drunk and falling into skips. Something of a recalcitrant delinquent who often skipped school, she speaks with a heavy Manc accent. She is also a closeted football fan. Shobna Gulati as Anita (born 15 September 1975)[15] Pleasant, but rather dim and forgetful, Anita is a kind and loyal friend to her colleagues, empathising with them and often helping them to solve their problems without even realising it. She is somewhat desperate to have a family and children, becoming pregnant in the second series after a one-night stand with a visiting decorator and, terrified of the implications, leaves the baby on the fire escape on Millennium Eve, attaching a note asking Bren to look after him. However, she quickly returns to take the baby back. She is a big fan of Celine Dion and is of a South Asian background. Duncan Preston as Stan Meadowcroft The handyman of the factory who lives with his father, a retired Desert Rat of whom he often speaks. In the episode "moods", Stan reveals that his mother ran off with a piano tuner in 1954, which his father never got over. He is particularly close to Bren as she seems to be the only one who knows how to successfully handle his changeable moods. After his father's death he decides to get his life going again, embarking on a brief relationship with a nurse before dating, and ultimately proposing to, his colleague Jean, which she accepts in the final episode. Although he is well-meaning, Stan's behaviour can occasionally verge on being chauvinistic, believing that he should perform physical labour. This stems from his belief that such tasks (among others, such as seeing animal carcasses) are not suitable for, as he puts it, "female women". Celia Imrie as Philippa Moorcroft The scatty and disorganised manager of the Human Resources department, having apparently landed the job because she was having an affair with the factory manager, Mr Michael, who she refers to as Mikey. Her well-meaning attempts to relieve the dinnerladies' stress or help them in their personal lives generally have the opposite effect: in the first episode, she tries to organise Scottish country dancing sessions. In the second series she decides to break up with Mr Michael, and later begins a relationship with a colleague, Tom Murray. Philippa is the only character in the series who comes from the south of England. Julie Walters as Petula Gordeno Bren's selfish, manipulative, and delusional mother, who had Bren taken into foster care as a child because she was "cramping her style", and claims that she lost the address of the orphanage. She sometimes seems to forget that Bren is her daughter, and usually turns up looking for money or a favour. She often claims to be a close friend (and usually lover) of the rich and famous, but in reality is a down-and-out who lives in a caravan behind a petrol station. In the first series, she has an affair with a 16-year-old boy. In the second series, she gets involved with an Asian petrol station attendant and claims to be pregnant with his child. In the final episode, she dies off-screen on 29 February 2000, after having been admitted to hospital on 7 February 2000 with three weeks to live, and it is revealed that her real name was the same as Bren's; Bren muses that she "can't have hated [her] that much" if she named her after herself. Recurring characters[edit] Sue Devaney as Jane A member of the planning department, she had only a minor role in the first series, usually ordering the toast round for meetings. In the second series, she played a much more major part, having an ongoing wager with the canteen staff on whether Bren and Tony would "get it on" by Christmas Eve. She has a drunken snog herself with Tony whilst on holiday in Marbella. Andrew Livingston (series 1) and Adrian Hood (series 2) as Norman Delivers bread to the canteen. Norman is dour, work-shy, agoraphobic and "technically" a bigamist. He often attributes his condition to an incident when he "fell off a diving board in Guernsey". He also developed a fear of bread in the second series. Sue Cleaver as Glenda A bread supplier who often takes over Norman's duties when his agoraphobia is plaguing him. She underwent bladder surgery, the nature of which is never directly mentioned. Tony often jokes that she is a transsexual and once referred to her as having resemblance to Desperate Dan. Christopher Greet as Mr Michael Senior staff member of HWD Components; it is hinted that he is a manager or even managing director. He was in a relationship with Philippa, which was the reason she moved to Manchester. He is a fan of trad jazz, jigsaws, custard and Garibaldi biscuits. Kate Robbins as Babs Petula's guest to the Christmas Party and Tony's blind date in series one. Very slow and often mentions that she's from Urmston. She is very knowledgeable in catering appliances, and made a brief appearance in series two: after witnessing Petula's caravan exploding, she was sent to ask for Bren's holiday money. Peter Lorenzelli as Keith Jean's husband, who appears at the Christmas party, but later leaves Jean for a "lipless dental hygienist from Cardiff". Bernard Wrigley as Bob Bob is a factory worker who appears at the counter in a number of episodes, usually asking for bacon or liver. He takes a mild interest in canteen gossip. Jack Smethurst as Bob Bellfield Dolly's husband who is selectively deaf and, according to his wife, spends most of his time "in the shed." He appears in the series one episode 'Party'. Steve Huison as Steve Greengrass An unlucky and mundane worker who can't mix his foodstuffs. He had a patella fracture when he slipped on some orange juice spilt by Anita, allowing Bren to go on holiday. Guest stars[edit] Single episode or occasional characters were played by guest actors, including Joanne Froggatt, Tina Malone, Eric Sykes, Dame Thora Hird, Dora Bryan, Lynda Baron, Elspet Gray, Janette Tough (from The Krankies) and Kenny Doughty. Themes[edit] Humour is mostly derived from the conversation and banter between characters, regarding their lives and popular culture, most commonly film and television: dialogue often features humorous misunderstandings, malapropisms and sexual innuendos. The series also features various surreal situations, often involving Bren's mother. There is also a counterpoint of sadder themes, including deaths in the families of two of the main characters, a painful divorce, one of the characters living with cancer, one character becoming a single parent, and the heartache in Bren and Tony's relationship. Writing[edit] "I do get very lonely and I nearly jacked it in [...] I thought it was very bad and I couldn't write comedy any more." — Victoria Wood[16] The series was written entirely by Victoria Wood, with no additional contributors or script editor. Wood approached writing by allowing plots to develop from interactions between characters, rather than fitting characters into pre-determined storylines.[17] She wrote the whole six-episode first series in one month; however, she found the second series much harder to write, and even though it had only four more episodes, it took her six months. Wood has attributed this to pressure to do everything herself and loneliness, and has said that she even considered giving up because she thought her scripts were of low quality.[17] Wood deliberately ended the programme after two series, and the final episode of the second was designed to conclude it. She has said that she "[doesn't] normally do anything twice", but felt that a second series was necessary to do the show justice, and that she knew where to take the show after seeing it air and understanding "what people [have] taken from it". She mentioned the short run of Fawlty Towers when explaining why she planned not to continue the series further.[16] However, in a televised BBC TV documentary about the history of situation comedy at the corporation, Wood complained that the series had been axed by the BBC, despite it being what she described as "a show they couldn't kill". Filming[edit] Involving only one set throughout its run (with the exception of quiz show and hospital sets which are both seen on a television screen in the last two episodes), Dinnerladies was entirely filmed at BBC Television Centre in front of a live studio audience,[16][18] employing a multiple-camera setup.[19] Other locations such as characters' homes and other parts of the factory are only referred to in conversation. The set was intended to be as realistic as possible, and even featured a functioning catering toaster from which the studio audience were served toast during filming.[20] Jokes were generally delivered at a fast pace with dialogue usually only pausing to allow audience laughter to settle. Each episode was filmed twice in front of two separate audiences, once on a Friday and again on a Saturday. This gave cast members two attempts to perfect a scene and, if necessary, the opportunity to correct mistakes without having to repeat a joke to the same audience.[16] This also gave Wood the opportunity to make script changes that she felt may improve each episode.[16] The series' director and producer was Geoff Posner, and the executive producers were Philip McIntyre and David Tyler;[21] the programme was co-produced by Victoria Wood's production company Good News and Posner's Pozzitive Television. The show's theme music was composed by Victoria Wood. It is usually played without lyrics, but at the end of the episodes "Minnellium" and "Toast", vocals which were also written and performed by Wood were included. When Victoria Wood was a guest on Parkinson, she performed the programme's theme song with a grand piano. Dinnerladies was generally well-received, and was praised by critic Tom Paulin.[17] The viewing figures for series 1 peaked with its premiere at 12.24 million viewers, and series 2 peaked with "Minnellium", which aired on 31 December 1999 and reached 15.33 million viewers.[22] Theatre[edit] A play based on the series premiered in London in April 2009. The play was based on three episodes of the second series of the TV show, and concentrated on the romance between Bren and Tony.[23] It was directed by David Graham, who also adapted Victoria Wood's original TV scripts for the stage. Gulati and Dunn reprised their original roles from the TV series.[24] The show toured the UK during 2009. A second show called Dinnerladies: Second Helpings toured in 2011 with a new script,[25] once again featuring Dunn, joined by original series cast member Sue Devaney. Shobna Gulati left to return to the soap opera Coronation Street.[26] Home media[edit] The entire series of Dinnerladies on VHS and DVD via BBC Worldwide and Universal Playback distribution. DVD (Region 2) Monday/Scandal/Royals (series 1) 29 November 1999 N/A N/A N/A Moods/Party/Nightshift (series 1) 29 November 1999 N/A N/A N/A The Complete First Series 15 November 2004 15 November 2004 30 April 2007 N/A The Complete Second Series 17 November 2003 17 November 2003 27 August 2007 N/A The Complete Collection N/A 15 November 2004 13 November 2006 6 November 2013 ^ "Monday", "Scandal", "Moods", "Party", "Trouble", "Holidays", "Christmas", "Gravy" and "Toast" ^ "dinnerladies (1998–2000) Credits". BFI Screenonline. Retrieved 29 August 2012. ^ "Dinnerladies". UKTV Gold. Retrieved 28 August 2012. ^ "Dinnerladies – The Complete Collection DVD 1998". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2012. ^ "Awards for "Dinnerladies"". IMDb. Retrieved 28 August 2012. ^ "Past Winners 1999". British Comedy Awards. Retrieved 28 August 2012. ^ "Awards Database: Search Results for "Dinnerladies"". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved 29 August 2012. ^ "Britain's Best Sitcom: Top 11–100 Sitcoms". BBC. Retrieved 31 August 2012. ^ "DINNERLADIES". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 29 August 2012. ^ a b Dinnerladies at the BFI's Screenonline ^ "dinnerladies : Episode Guide (Series 1)". Phill.co.uk. Retrieved 29 August 2012. ^ "DINNERLADIES: SERIES 1 – First broadcast 1998". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 28 August 2012. ^ "DINNERLADIES: SERIES 2 – First broadcast 1999 & 2000". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 28 August 2012. ^ a b c DinnerladiesHQ. "Dinnerladies - Series 2 - Episode 6 - Part 2" – via YouTube. ^ a b c d e Rees, Jasper. "Dinnerladies is served". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2012. ^ a b c "Dinnerladies". UKTV. Retrieved 29 August 2012. ^ Cohen, Rebecca. "Sue Devaney on....Dinnerladies". WhatsOnStage.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2012. ^ Walker, Tim (2 February 2011). "The return of the sitcom". The Independent. London. Retrieved 28 August 2012. ^ "Making a date with the ladies who do lunch". This is Hull and East Riding. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2012. ^ "Dinnerladies: Monday". BBC. Retrieved 29 August 2012. ^ Weekly Top 30 Programmes Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (It is necessary to input the relevant dates.) ^ "Dinnerladies actor Andrew Dunn – Exclusive Interview". North East Life. Retrieved 31 August 2012. ^ "Dinnerladies: The stage show". Chortle. Retrieved 29 August 2012. ^ "Second helpings for stage version of canteen sitcom". This is Staffordshire. Retrieved 31 August 2012. ^ "Dishing up a second serving of dinnerladies". Sunderland Echo. Retrieved 31 August 2012. Wikiquote has quotations related to: Dinnerladies (TV series) Dinnerladies at BBC Online Dinnerladies at British TV Comedy Guide Dinnerladies on IMDb Dinnerladies at British Comedy Guide Sketch shows The Summer Show (1975) Wood and Walters (1981) Victoria Wood as Seen on TV (1985) Julie Walters and Friends (1991) Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast (1992) Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings (2000) Victoria Wood's Mid Life Christmas (2009) In at the Death (1978) Talent (1978) Good Fun (1980) Acorn Antiques: The Musical! (2005) That Day We Sang (2011) Nearly a Happy Ending (1980) Happy Since I Met You (1981) Pat and Margaret (1994) Housewife, 49 (2006) Eric and Ernie (2011) Loving Miss Hatto (2012) Situation comedies Victoria Wood (1989) Dinnerladies (1998) Television documentaries Victoria Wood's Big Fat Documentary (2004) Victoria's Empire (2007) Victoria Wood's Nice Cup of Tea (2013) Acorn Antiques Victoria Wood As Seen On TV documentaries Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dinnerladies_(TV_series)&oldid=903498041" 1998 British television programme debuts 2000 British television programme endings 1990s British sitcoms 1990s British workplace comedy television series BBC television sitcoms Fictional cafeteria workers Screenplays by Victoria Wood Television shows set in Manchester EngvarB from September 2013 Use dmy dates from September 2013	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line666
__label__wiki	0.985675	0.985675	Final Fantasy IV (2007 video game) (Redirected from Final Fantasy IV (Nintendo DS)) North American box art for Nintendo DS release Matrix Software Takashi Tokita Tomoya Asano Hiroyuki Ito Akira Oguro Junya Nakano Kenichiro Fukui Nintendo DS, iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows JP: December 20, 2007 NA: July 22, 2008 AU: September 4, 2008 EU: September 5, 2008 WW: December 20, 2012 WW: June 4, 2013 WW: September 17, 2014 Final Fantasy IV[a] is a Nintendo DS role-playing video game and an enhanced remake of the 1991 SNES game, Final Fantasy IV, also known as Final Fantasy II in America for the SNES. It was released as part of the Final Fantasy series 20th anniversary celebrations on December 20, 2007 in Japan, on July 22, 2008 in North America, and on September 5, 2008 in Europe. The game was developed by Matrix Software, the same team responsible for the 3D Final Fantasy III remake, and was supervised by members of the original development team: Takashi Tokita served as executive producer and director, Tomoya Asano as producer, and Hiroyuki Ito as battle designer. Animator Yoshinori Kanada wrote the new cutscenes. The game was well received by critics and fans alike; it was praised for being sufficiently faithful to the original while expanding on many gameplay and story elements.[1][2][3] The game was released for iOS on the App Store in 2012, for Android in 2013 and for Microsoft Windows in 2014.[4] Cecil walking through Kaipo Main article: Final Fantasy IV § Gameplay Final Fantasy IV retains the original Active Time Battle System from the initial Super Nintendo release. Similar to the previous remake of Final Fantasy III on the Nintendo DS, the control of stylus is limited and optional in order to retain the same control input while allowing other players to use the Nintendo DS's unique touch control scheme. However, the remake features a new ability system known as the "Augment System", or the "Decant Ability System" (デカントアビリティシステム, Dekanto Abiriti Shisutemu) in the Japanese version. The system allows for certain character-only abilities to be transferred to other characters who did not have them in the original and previous re-releases of Final Fantasy IV. Up to three abilities can be transferred to temporary party members. When leaving the party, temporary characters will yield abilities of their own, the number of which is dependent on how many abilities they were given. There are also other abilities; some scattered around the world, and some that become available after certain story events. This new system entails another new feature: command menu customization. All commands in a character's battle menu, except the "Items" command, can be replaced with augments. This includes individual abilities that are ordinarily contained in a group (e.g. "Curaga" can be added directly to Rosa's command list, rather than only being accessible through the White Magic sub-list). The Augment System was devised to replace the system in Final Fantasy IV Advance where the characters that were temporary in the original version became playable again at a certain point, as the developers felt that this system changed the game too much.[5] Other exclusive enhancements to the DS version of the game include Minigames. Unlike the main game, minigames are stylus-control only. Their function is to increase the power of Rydia's personal Eidolon, Whyt (ポーチカ, Pōchika, Pochika in the Japanese version), who takes her place in the battle line-up, and acts under computer control according to abilities assigned to him by the player. The minigames can be played in either single-player or wireless (not online) multiplayer modes. The game also features a New Game Plus.[6] This allows players to start a new game with certain enhancements, such as rare or secret items and equipment, carried over from a previously completed game. Certain other new features are only available in a New Game Plus, such as hidden bosses on the face of the moon and the summit of Mt. Ordeals. Because of the voice-acted scenes, Namingway cannot change any character's name as he did in the original game. After realizing this, he travels the world, changing his own name to fit each occupation he takes up. Examples of his name changes include "Mappingway" (charting the maps on the lower screen), "Campingway", and "Weddingway". Following Namingway around the world and engaging in his sidequest yields numerous rewards. With the removal of the limit on items that the player can carry, Fat Chocobo no longer stores items, and instead can be called on in order to access the new bestiary and the video and music player, as well as the Whyt minigames. Main article: Final Fantasy IV § Plot The original storyline of Final Fantasy IV is retained, and some of the previously missing script has been worked into the DS version in the form of flashbacks, including Golbez becoming Zemus's pawn and the childhoods of Cecil, Kain, and Rosa. Similar to Final Fantasy III for the DS, Final Fantasy IV features an opening full motion video sequence with an orchestrated theme song. The official developer blog (maintained by producer Tomoya Asano) has outlined several key features of the remake. As in the original, players can reform their party with whomever they choose as party leader. When the player enters the menu, the party leader will now appear on the bottom screen where the player can read their thoughts about what is happening in the story at that time (the development team suggests players check this feature often for humorous anecdotes).[7] Other developer blog entries have focused on the art and programming of the game. According to the art director, Matrix tried to make each location of the game feel unique. For example, the desert kingdom of Damcyan has taken on a Middle-Eastern flair, Fabul has been given a Chinese feeling, and Eblan has been given the feeling of a Ninja residence, which was not possible in the Super Famicom edition due to limited data capacity.[8] The game displays more characters and enemies on screen during battle compared to Final Fantasy III, which required the modeling team to reduce the number of polygons per character.[9] The main programmer also suggests that the game is much larger than Final Fantasy III from a data standpoint, and compressing all the data to fit on a 1Gb ROM was difficult, largely due to the voice data.[9] According to director Takashi Tokita, the scenario writer and lead game designer of the original release, three quarters of the original script had been left out of the original Super Famicom version.[6][10] In a Q&A feature on the official Square Enix Members page, Tokita corrected this by saying that the original story script was never cut, but during the development of the original release, the game's text could not fit and had to be revised to a quarter of its intended size.[11] Main article: Music of Final Fantasy IV In June 2007, Square Enix held a casting for a vocalist to sing a rendition of Final Fantasy IV's "Theme of Love" composed by Nobuo Uematsu.[12] Megumi Ida was selected from approximately 800 applicants to perform the song[13] "Tsuki no Akari" (月の明り, literally "moonlight") The song was arranged by Kenichiro Fukui, with the lyrics penned by scenario writer Takashi Tokita.[14] It only appears in the Japanese release of the game, over the ending credits - international versions cut the song in its entirety and replace it with a music track from the game itself. Aggregate scores GameRankings DS: 85%[15] Metacritic DS: 85/100[16] iOS: 89/100[17] Famitsu 35 / 40[18] GamePro [19] GameSpot 9 / 10[20] GameSpy [3] GameTrailers 9.2 / 10[21] GameZone 9 / 10[22] IGN 8.7 / 10[2] Nintendo World Report 9.5 / 10[23] TouchArcade iOS: [24] As of July 9, 2008, the game has sold 612,044 copies in Japan.[25] Worldwide it has sold 1.1 million copies.[26] Final Fantasy IV was well received by critics. It was a nominee for Best RPG on the Nintendo DS in IGN's 2008 video game awards.[27] Writing for TechRadar, Christian de Looper and Emma Boyle called the remake one of the best Nintendo DS games and said it “cements FF4 in the memory books as one of the best RPGs ever.”[28] Dorkly’s Tristan Cooper placed the game at #20 on a list of the best Nintendo DS games and said the remake made Final Fantasy IV feel even more epic.[29] Lifewire’s Alex Williams called the game one of the best role-playing games on the Nintendo DS and highlighted the “complex, character-driven plot.”[30] List of Square Enix franchises Book: Final Fantasy series ^ Japanese: ファイナルファンタジーIV, Hepburn: Fainaru Fantajī Fō? ^ Anderson, Lark (July 11, 2008). "Final Fantasy IV Review". GameSpot. Retrieved December 11, 2009. ^ a b Bozon (July 9, 2008). "Final Fantasy IV Review". IGN. Retrieved December 11, 2009. ^ a b Di Fiore, Elisa (July 25, 2008). "Final Fantasy IV". GameSpy. Retrieved December 11, 2009. ^ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.square_enix.android_googleplay.FFIV_GP ^ "Official Blog: Character Abilities". Square Enix. October 5, 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-09-22. Retrieved October 5, 2007. ^ a b "Final Fantasy IV Update". IGN. May 17, 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2007. ^ "Official Blog: Party Leader Thoughts". Square Enix. September 19, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-12-12. Retrieved September 19, 2007. ^ "Official Blog: Art Direction". Square Enix. October 12, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-12-17. Retrieved October 12, 2007. ^ a b "Official Blog: Programming". Square Enix. October 27, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-12-24. Retrieved October 27, 2007. ^ x3sphere (May 16, 2007). "Final Fantasy IV DS remake not just pretty graphics". exophase.com. Retrieved September 30, 2007. ^ Square Enix (September 5, 2008). "Final Fantasy IV Fan-powered Q&A Part 1". Square Enix. Archived from the original on 2008-10-12. Retrieved September 27, 2008. ^ Square Enix staff (May 1, 2007). 「愛のテーマ」ヴォーカリスト募集要項 (in Japanese). Square Enix Japan. Archived from the original on July 3, 2007. Retrieved May 12, 2007. ^ "Megumi Ida performs Theme of Love". Matrix Software. November 16, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-12-25. Retrieved November 16, 2007. ^ "'Tsuki no Akari' a highlight of Final Fantasy IV DS". Siliconera. July 20, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2008. ^ "Final Fantasy IV for DS". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 25, 2018. ^ "Final Fantasy IV for DS Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 25, 2018. ^ "Final Fantasy IV for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 25, 2018. ^ "List of Weekly Famitsu software Hall of Fame". Geimin.net. Retrieved April 24, 2013. ^ Will Herring (July 21, 2008). "Final Fantasy IV". GamePro. Archived from the original on May 6, 2009. Retrieved April 24, 2013. ^ Lark Anderson (July 11, 2008). "Final Fantasy IV Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 24, 2013. ^ "Final Fantasy IV". GameTrailers. Viacom Entertainment Group. July 23, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2013. ^ Eduardo Zacarias (August 4, 2008). "Final Fantasy IV Review". GameZone. GameZone Online. Archived from the original on April 25, 2009. ^ Jonathan Metts (August 12, 2008). "Final Fantasy IV". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved April 24, 2013. ^ Ford, Eric (January 2, 2013). "'Final Fantasy IV' Review – An Excellent Port of a Remake of a Classic". TouchArcade. Retrieved August 25, 2018. ^ "Weekly Sales Figures". Weekly Famitsu (1020). ^ "Results Briefing: Fiscal Year ended May 31, 2009" (PDF). Square-Enix.com. May 19, 2009. Retrieved July 21, 2009. ^ "IGN DS: Best RPG 2008". IGN.com. December 15, 2008. Retrieved December 19, 2008. ^ Christian de Looper and Emma Boyle. "The 22 best Nintendo DS games". TechRadar. Retrieved 14 May 2019. ^ Tristan Cooper. "The 20 Greatest Nintendo DS Games Of All-Time". Dorkly. Retrieved 14 May 2019. ^ Alex Williams. "The 8 Best Nintendo DS Role-Playing Games". Lifewire. Retrieved 14 May 2019. 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__label__wiki	0.814201	0.814201	Yolande de Polastron (Redirected from Gabrielle de Polastron, comtesse de Polignac) This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (August 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Duchess of Polignac Portrait by Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, 1782 9 December 1793(1793-12-09) (aged 44) Vienna, Austria, Holy Roman Empire Jules de Polignac (m. 1767–1793) ; her death Aglaé de Polignac Armand de Polignac Jules de Polignac Camille de Polignac Jean François Gabriel de Polastron Jeanne Charlotte Hérault Yolande Martine Gabrielle de Polastron, Duchess of Polignac (8 September 1749 – 9 December 1793) was the favourite of Marie Antoinette, whom she first met when she was presented at the Palace of Versailles in 1775, the year after Marie Antoinette became the Queen of France. She was considered one of the great beauties of pre-Revolutionary society, but her extravagance and exclusivity earned her many enemies.[1][2] 1.1 Appearance 1.2 Versailles 1.3 Governess of the Children of France 1.4 Children 1.5 In England 1.6 Revolution 1.7 Exile 2 Progeny Yolande Martine Gabrielle de Polastron was born in Paris in the reign of King Louis XV. Her parents were Jean François Gabriel, Count of Polastron, seigneur de Noueilles, Venerque and Grépiac, and Jeanne Charlotte Hérault de Vaucresson. As was customary with aristocrats, most of whom bore more than one Christian name, she was generally known by the last of her names (Gabrielle).[3] She was born into a family of ancient aristocratic lineage, but by the time of Gabrielle's birth the family, despite its exalted ancestry, was encumbered by many debts, and its lifestyle was far from luxurious.[4] While Gabrielle was still an infant, her parents moved to the family Château of Noueilles, in the province of Languedoc in southern France. When Gabrielle was 3, her mother died and her welfare was entrusted to an aunt, who arranged for her to receive a convent education. At the age of 16, Gabrielle was betrothed to Jules François Armand, comte de Polignac, marquis de Mancini (1746–1817), whom she married on 7 July 1767, a few months short of her 18th birthday.[5] Polignac's family had a "well-bred" ancestry similar to Gabrielle's family, and was in equally uncomfortable financial straits. At the time of his marriage, Polignac was serving in the Régiment de Royal Dragons ("1er régiment de dragons"), on an annual salary of 4,000 livres.[6] Within a few years of the marriage, Jules and Gabrielle had two children: a daughter Aglaé and a son. Two more sons followed several years later, including Jules, prince de Polignac, who became the prime minister of France in 1829, under Charles X. Most surviving portraits show her to be pretty. One historian said that Gabrielle, in her portraits by Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, generally looks "like some harvested and luscious fruit."[7] She had dark brunette hair, very pale white skin, and, perhaps most unusually, lilac or violet-coloured eyes.[8] Compiling the contemporary accounts of her, one modern historian has summarised her physical appearance thus: Her particular freshness of appearance [gave] an impression of "utter naturalness" ... with her cloud of dark hair, her big eyes, her neat nose and pretty pearly teeth, [she] was generally likened to a Madonna by Raphael.[9] Versailles[edit] Marie Antoinette was instantly "dazzled" by the duchess of Polignac When her sister-in-law Diane de Polignac invited her to the Court at Versailles, Gabrielle came with her husband and was presented at a formal reception in the Hall of Mirrors in 1775, at which time she was formally presented to the Queen of France, Marie Antoinette, who was instantly "dazzled" by her,[10] and invited her to move permanently to Versailles. The cost of maintaining oneself at the court of Versailles was ruinous, and Gabrielle replied that her husband did not have the money to finance a permanent move to the palace.[11] Determined to keep her new favourite by her side, the Queen agreed to settle the family's many outstanding debts and to find an appointment for Gabrielle's husband. Once she was installed in the palace, near the Queen's apartments, Gabrielle also won the friendship of the King's youngest brother, the comte d'Artois, and the approval of King Louis XVI himself, who was grateful for her calming influence on his wife and encouraged their friendship.[12][13] Gabrielle was, however, resented by other members of the royal entourage, particularly the Queen's confessor and her chief political adviser, the Austrian ambassador. In a letter to the Queen's mother, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, the ambassador wrote, "It is almost unexampled that in so short a time, the royal favour should have brought such overwhelming advantages to a family."[14] Charismatic and beautiful, Gabrielle became the undisputed leader of the Queen's exclusive circle and ensured that few entered without her approval.[15][16] Gabrielle was considered by many of her friends to be elegant, sophisticated, charming, and entertaining.[17] The entire Polignac family benefited enormously from the Queen's considerable generosity, but their increasing wealth and lavish lifestyle outraged many aristocratic families, who resented their dominance at Court. Ultimately, the Queen's favouritism towards the Polignac family was one of the many causes which fueled Marie Antoinette's unpopularity with some of her husband's subjects (especially Parisians) and members of the politically-liberal nobility.[18] In 1780, Gabrielle's husband was given the title duc de Polignac, thus making Gabrielle a duchesse, a further source of irritation to the courtiers. By the late 1780s, thousands of pornographic pamphlets alleged that Gabrielle was the Queen's lesbian lover, including accusations that the pair had engaged in tribadism. Although there was no evidence to back up these accusations,[19][20][21] they did immeasurable damage to the prestige of the monarchy, especially given the deep-rooted suspicion of homosexuality held by the bourgeoisie and urban working-classes at the time.[22] Several historians have suggested that reports of Gabrielle's extravagance have been greatly exaggerated, and they point out that, during her 14-year residency at Versailles she spent as much as Louis XV's mistress, Madame de Pompadour, had spent in one.[23] Others have contended that to some extent she deserved her negative reputation because, despite the inaccuracies of the claims that she was sexually disreputable, other criticisms of her were valid: she was cold, self-centred, self-indulgent, and masked a love of gossip and intrigue behind a sweet-toned voice and flawless manners. This argument was particularly championed by the author and biographer Stefan Zweig, who wrote: "Not even Madame de Maintenon, not even the Pompadour, cost as much as this favourite, this angel, with downcast eyes, this modest and gentle Polignac. Those who were not themselves swept into the whirlpool, stood at the marge contemplating it with astonishment ... [as] the Queen's hand was invisibly guided by the violet-eyed, the lovely, the gentle Polignac."[24] Another critic is Elisabeth de Feydeau.[25] Governess of the Children of France[edit] In 1782, the Governess to the Children of France, Victoire de Rohan, princesse de Guéméné and wife of Henri Louis de Rohan, had to resign her post due to a scandal caused by her husband's bankruptcy. The Queen replaced the princess with Gabrielle. This appointment generated outrage at court, where it was felt Gabrielle's social status was insufficient for a post of that magnitude.[26] A more formal portrait of the Duchesse de Polignac by Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun As a result of her new position, Gabrielle was given a 13-room apartment for herself in the palace. Technically, this was within the acceptable limits of etiquette, but the size of the apartment was unprecedented, particularly in a place as overpopulated as Versailles. Royal governesses had previously been quartered in four or five room apartments. Gabrielle was even given her own cottage in Marie Antoinette's favorite pastoral refuge, the Hameau de la Reine, built in the 1780s on the grounds of the Petit Trianon in the park of Versailles. Gabrielle's marriage was cordial, if not successful; it was typical of aristocratic arranged marriages. For many years, she was apparently in love with the captain of the Royal Guard, Joseph Hyacinthe François de Paule de Rigaud, Comte de Vaudreuil, although many of her friends considered Vaudreuil too domineering and too uncouth for the kind of society in which Gabrielle moved.[27] It was rumored at Versailles that Gabrielle's youngest child was actually fathered by Vaudreuil. However, the exact nature of Gabrielle's relationship with Vaudreuil has been debated by some historians,[according to whom?] who doubted the liaison was sexual. This theory has recently been resurrected by Catholic novelist and commentator Elena Maria Vidal.[28] Despite the claims that they were lovers, Gabrielle showed no hesitation in distancing herself from Vaudreuil whenever she felt her own social position was threatened by the Queen's dislike of the manipulative courtier. There are hardly any letters surviving from the couple, who either in reality may not have been sufficiently close to write to each other when separated, or may just have been very careful in masking their communications for political reasons. Their letters may have been subsequently destroyed either by themselves or others for precaution's sake.[citation needed] Children[edit] Aglaé Louise Françoise Gabrielle de Polignac (7 May 1768, Paris; 30 March 1803 in Edinburgh). Married the duc de Gramont et Guiche. Nicknamed Guichette by her family. Married at Versailles 11 July 1780 Armand Jules Marie Héracle de Polignac, duc de Polignac (11 January 1771, Paris; 1 March 1847 in Paris). Second duc de Polignac Jules, prince de Polignac, prince de Polignac (10 November 1780, Paris; 30 March 1847 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye). Third duc de Polignac. Married first Barbara Campbell (1788–1819); second Mary Charlotte Parkyns (1792–1864); was French Prime Minister from 1829 to 1830, under the government of Gabrielle's friend, Charles X, the former comte d'Artois. Camille Henri Melchior de Polignac, comte de Polignac (27 December 1781 in Versailles; 2 February 1855 in Fontainebleau). Married Marie Charlotte Calixte Alphonsine Le Vassor de la Touche (1791–1861) Note: Source for children's birthdates Gastel Family Database In England[edit] Perhaps due to the Queen's intense dislike of the Comte de Vaudreuil, whom she found rude and irritating, Gabrielle's influence over Marie Antoinette temporarily waned after 1785, when the Queen's second son was born.[29] The Queen was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the ambition of her favourites, especially when they championed a politician whom the Queen despised.[30] Marie Antionette confided to another lady-in-waiting, Henriette Campan, that she was "suffering acute dissatisfaction" over the Polignacs. Wrote Campan: "Her Majesty observed to me that when a sovereign raises up favourites in her court she raises up despots against herself".[27] Eventually, Gabrielle felt Marie Antoinette's displeasure and decided to visit friends in England, particularly Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was the leader of London high society and one of Gabrielle's closest friends.[31] During her time in England, she earned the nickname "Little Po," due to her delicate constitution. Revolution[edit] Pamphlet against the duchesse de Polignac printed in 1789, after her escape to Switzerland The months leading up to the July 1789 outbreak of the French Revolution saw the Queen and the duchesse de Polignac become close again. Politically, Gabrielle and her friends supported the ultra-monarchist movement in Versailles, and Gabrielle became increasingly important in royalist intrigues as the summer progressed, usually in partnership with her friend, the comte d'Artois, the King's youngest brother. The marquis de Bombelles, a diplomat and politician, remembered Gabrielle's ceaseless work to promote hardline responses against the emergent revolution. Together with the baron de Breteuil, Bombelles' godfather and former diplomat, and the comte d'Artois, Gabrielle persuaded Marie Antoinette to work against the King's popular minister of finances, Jacques Necker. However, without the necessary military support to crush the insurrection, Necker's dismissal fuelled the serious violence in Paris, culminating in the attack on the Bastille fortress. After the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, all the members of the Polignac family went into exile. On Louis XVI's express orders, the comte d'Artois left, as did Breteuil; Gabrielle went with her family to Switzerland, where she kept in contact with the Queen through letters. After Gabrielle had left, the care of the royal children was entrusted to the Marquise de Tourzel.[citation needed] Exile[edit] After her departure from France, she and her family lived an ambulating life, travelling from one place to another. She kept in contact with Marie Antoinette through correspondence, by which her place of residence can be traced. The Polignac family travelled through Switzerland, Turin, Rome and Venice (where she attended the wedding of her son in March 1790), and from Italy to Vienna in Austria in 1791. She was reportedly present in the Austrian Netherlands during the Flight to Varennes, and in July 1791, she is noted as one of the extravagantly dressed women who attended the émigrée court of the count of Provence in Koblenz.[32] The emigree court in Koblenz was however dissolved after the Battle of Valmy in 1792, and she returned to Austria, where she died. Gabrielle developed a terminal illness while living in Switzerland, although she had arguably been in poor health for several years. She died in Austria in December 1793, shortly after hearing of Marie Antoinette's execution. Gabrielle's family simply announced that she had died as a result of heartbreak and suffering. Most historians have concluded that she died of cancer, and contradictory royalist reports of her death suggested consumption as an alternative cause. No specific mention of her disease was made in the various allegorical pamphlets which showed the Angel of Death descending to take the soul of the still-beautiful duchesse de Polignac. Her beauty and early death became metaphors for the demise of the old regime, at least in early pamphlets and in subsequent family correspondence, the duchess's beauty was a much-emphasised point. Progeny[edit] Her son Jules Auguste Armand Marie de Polignac, prince de Polignac. Gabrielle was the mother of Jules, prince de Polignac, who became Prime Minister for Charles X (the former comte d'Artois) in 1829. She was also the mother of Aglaé de Polignac, duchesse de Guiche, who died in 1803, in an accidental fire. Two of her grandsons were Camille Armand Jules Marie, Prince de Polignac and Prince Edmond de Polignac. Her great-great-grandson, Count Pierre de Polignac, was the father of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco. Her descendants can also be found in France and in Russia, where her granddaughter, daughter of "Guichette", married a nobleman, Aleksandr Lvovich Davydov.[citation needed] Gabrielle de Polastron's mark in history can be seen in history books, novels, movies, and other media. She is one of the major characters in The Rose of Versailles (1979), a shōujo manga/anime created by Riyoko Ikeda She is played by Claudia Cardinale in two-part film La Révolution française (1989) She is portrayed by Rose Byrne in the film Marie Antoinette (2006) She is portrayed by Virginie Ledoyen in the film Farewell, My Queen (2012) Her critics among historians have argued that the Duchesse de Polignac typified the aristocratic hangers-on at the court of Versailles before the French Revolution and that she embodied the exclusivity, the obliviousness, and the selfish extravagance of the ruling class. However, more sympathetic historians, such as Pierre de Nolhac and the Marquis de Ségur, agree that most of the problems originated with her entourage and that she was certainly no worse than many of the aristocrats or favourites who had preceded her at Versailles.[citation needed] Assessments of her character aside, it is generally agreed that she was one of the key figures in the ultra-monarchist movement throughout the early summer of 1789, acting under the influence of her friend, the Comte d'Artois.[18][33] ^ Schama, S. Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution. pp. 181–3. ^ Zweig, Stefan & Paul, E. (Editor) & Paul, C. (Translator) (1938). Marie Antoinette: The portrait of an average woman (1988 ed.). London: Cassell Biographies. pp. 121–4. ISBN 0-304-31476-5. CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link) ^ Zweig, Stefan & Paul, E. (Editor) & Paul, C. (Translator) (1938). Marie Antoinette: The portrait of an average woman (1988 ed.). London: Cassell Biographies. ISBN 0-304-31476-5. CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link) Chapter 15: "The New Society". ^ Lever, E. Marie-Antoinette: The Last Queen of France. pp. 99–100. ^ Gastel Family Database Archived 2012-02-18 at the Wayback Machine ^ Cronin, V. Louis and Antoinette. p. 133. ^ Schama. Citizens. p. 183. ^ Zweig, Stefan & Paul, E. (Editor) & Paul, C. (Translator) (1938). Marie Antoinette: The portrait of an average woman (1988 ed.). London: Cassell Biographies. p. 124. ISBN 0-304-31476-5. CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link) ^ Fraser, Lady Antonia. Marie Antoinette: The Journey. p. 155. ^ Cronin. Louis and Antoinette. p. 132. ^ Hardman, J. Louis XVI: The Silent King. describes the King's support of Gabrielle. ^ Fraser, Lady Antonia. Marie Antoinette: The Journey. pp. 155–6. Describes Madame de Polignac's impact on Marie Antoinette. ^ Foreman. Georgiana. pp. 166–7. ^ Mossiker. The Queen's Necklace. pp. 132–3. ^ Cronin. Louis and Antoinette. pp. 149–150. ^ a b Price, Munro (2003). The Road from Versailles: Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and the Fall of the French Monarchy. Macmillan. pp. 14–15, 72. ISBN 0-312-26879-3. ^ Fraser. Marie Antoinette. p. 131. ^ Cronin, V. Louis and Antoinette. pp. 138–9. ^ Mossiker. The Queen's Necklace. p. 167. ^ Hunt, Lynn (1991). Eroticism and the Body Politic. Johns Hopkins University Press. ^ Zweig, Stefan & Paul, E. (Editor) & Paul, C. (Translator) (1938). Marie Antoinette: The portrait of an average woman (1988 ed.). London: Cassell Biographies. pp. 122 and 124. ISBN 0-304-31476-5. CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link) ^ Feydeau, Elisabeth. A Scented Palace: The Secret History of Marie-Antoinette's Perfumer. ^ a b Campan, Jeanne-Louise-Henriette; Jean François Barrière (1823). Memoirs of the Private Life of Marie Antoinette: To which are Added Personal Recollections Illustrative of the Reigns of Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI. University of Michigan: H. Young and Sons. pp. 195–196, 185–191. ISBN 1-933698-00-4. ^ "Madame de Polignac and Politics". Tea At Trianon. ^ In her memoirs, Madame Campan, the Queen's First Lady of the Bedchamber, recounted that the Queen had finally abandoned all pretence of being pleasant to Vaudreuil, after he broke one of her ivory billiard cues at a party in Gabrielle's apartments. In the American edition of Madame Campan's memoirs, her account of the Queen's reaction can be found on p. 195-6 ^ Madame Campan. The Private Life of Marie Antoinette: A Confidante's Account. Chapter XII. ^ Foreman, A. Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire. p. 195. sometimes published as The Duchess. ^ Langlade, Émile. Rose Bertin: Creator of Fashion at the Court of Marie Antoinette (London: John Long, 1913). ^ Bombelles, Marc Marie; Grassion, Jean; Durif, Frans (1977). Journal: marquis de Bombelles. Genève: Droz. p. 297. ISBN 2-600-00677-X. Jones, Colin (2002). The great nation: France from Louis XV to Napoleon. London: Allen Lane. ISBN 0-7139-9039-2. Court offices The Princess of Guéméné Governess of the Children of France The Marquise of Tourzel BNF: cb10104584j (data) Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yolande_de_Polastron&oldid=891701761" People from Paris Countesses of Polignac Dukes of Polignac Polignac family French royal favourites Governesses to the Children of France Ancien Régime office-holders French Roman Catholics 18th-century French people 18th-century French women Articles lacking in-text citations from August 2016 Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from May 2018	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line668
__label__cc	0.564071	0.435929	Hall County, Nebraska County in the United States Hall County Courthouse in Grand Island Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska Nebraska's location within the U.S. Augustus Hall 112.7/sq mi (43.5/km2) Central: UTC−6/−5 www.hallcountyne.gov Hall County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 58,607,[1] making it Nebraska's fourth-most populous county. Its county seat is Grand Island.[2] The county was formed in 1858; it was named for Augustus Hall, an early judge of this territory.[3] Hall County is part of the Grand Island, NE Metropolitan Statistical Area. In the Nebraska license plate system, Hall County is represented by the prefix 8. Hall County had the eighth-largest number of vehicles registered in the county when the license plate system was established in 1922. 1.1 Major highways 1.2 Adjacent counties 1.3 Protected areas 3 Communities The Platte River flows northeastward across the lower portion of Hall County; the South Loup River flows northeastward across the NW corner of the county; both flowing to their eventual drainage into the Missouri River. According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 552 square miles (1,430 km2), of which 546 square miles (1,410 km2) is land and 5.9 square miles (15 km2) (1.1%) is water.[4] Hall County has the highest density of tornado activity in Nebraska, with 121 tornadoes per 1,000 square miles (2,600 km2), about 4 times the state average. Major highways[edit] U.S. Route 30 U.S. Route 281 Nebraska Highway 2 Nebraska Highway 11 Adjacent counties[edit] Merrick County – northeast Hamilton County – east Adams County – south Kearney County – southwest Howard County – west Buffalo County – north Protected areas[edit] Cheyenne State Recreation Area[5] Cornhusker State Wildlife Management Area[6] Denman Island State Wildlife Management Area (part)[7] Hannon Federal Waterfowl Production Area[8] Loch Linda State Wildlife Management Area[9] Martins Reach State Wildlife Management Area[10] Mormon Island State Recreation Area[11] Wood River West State Wildlife Management Area[12] Est. 2017 61,519 [13] 5.0% US Decennial Census[14] 1790-1960[15] 1900-1990[16] 1990-2000[17] 2010-2013[1] As of the 2000 United States Census,[18] there were 53,534 people, 20,356 households, and 14,086 families in the county. The population density was 98 people per square mile (38/km²). There were 21,574 housing units at an average density of 40 per square mile (15/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.67% White, 0.36% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 1.09% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 8.19% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. 14.00% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 20,356 households out of which 34.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.90% were married couples living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.80% were non-families. 25.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.08. The county population contained 27.20% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 28.30% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $36,972, and the median income for a family was $43,963. Males had a median income of $29,158 versus $20,576 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,386. 12.00% of the population and 9.20% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 15.50% of those under the age of 18 and 8.30% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. Communities[edit] Cameron[19] Grand Island (county seat) Hall County has been a Republican Party stronghold for most of its history at the presidential level. In only four presidential elections from 1900 to the present has a Democratic Party candidate carried the county, the most recent being Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. Presidential election results Presidential election results[20] 2016 65.3% 14,408 28.5% 6,282 6.2% 1,370 2012 62.5% 12,646 35.4% 7,161 2.1% 422 1996 52.5% 10,183 34.6% 6,708 13.0% 2,525 1992 44.7% 9,341 26.6% 5,558 28.8% 6,014 1972 72.3% 10,987 27.7% 4,218 1968 61.0% 8,457 33.0% 4,571 6.0% 833 1964 44.8% 6,715 55.2% 8,273 1928 66.6% 6,862 32.9% 3,391 0.5% 53 1904 65.7% 2,508 21.4% 817 12.9% 493 National Register of Historic Places listings in Hall County, Nebraska ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2013. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 7 June 2011. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 147. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2014. ^ Cheyenne State Recreation Area, Wood River NE Google Maps (accessed 21 January 2019) ^ Cornhusker State Wildlife Management Area, Grand Island NE Google Maps (accessed 21 January 2019) ^ Denman Island State Wildlife Management Area, Wood River NE Google Maps (accessed 21 January 2019) ^ Hannon Federal Waterfowl Production Area, Wood River NE Google Maps (accessed 21 January 2019) ^ Loch Linda State Wildlife Management Area, Grand Island NE Google Maps (accessed 21 January 2019) ^ Martins Reach State Wildlife Management Area, Wood River NE Google Maps (accessed 21 January 2019) ^ Mormon Island State Recreation Area Google Maps (accessed 21 January 2019) ^ Wood River West State Wildlife Management Area, Wood River NE Google Maps (accessed 21 January 2019) ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved 21 January 2019. ^ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 8, 2014. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved December 8, 2014. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 8, 2014. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 8, 2014. ^ "American FactFinder". US Census Bureau. Retrieved 31 January 2008. ^ Cameron NE Google Maps (accessed 21 January 2019) ^ Election Results Hall County official site Nebraska Tornado Density Places adjacent to Hall County, Nebraska Howard County Merrick County Kearney County Adams County Clay County Municipalities and communities of Hall County, Nebraska, United States County seat: Grand Island Shelton‡ South Loup South Platte Hansen‡ Lincoln (capital) Lt. Governors Speakers of the Legislature Congressional districts maps Seal of Nebraska Grand Island metropolitan area Kearney Micropolitan Statistical Area Lincoln metropolitan area Omaha metropolitan area Rainwater Basin Wildcat Hills Deuel Dundy Keya Paha Coordinates: 40°52′N 98°30′W / 40.87°N 98.50°W / 40.87; -98.50 Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hall_County,_Nebraska&oldid=905413474" Nebraska counties Grand Island micropolitan area 1858 establishments in Nebraska Territory	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line669
__label__cc	0.51829	0.48171	Sabine Lepsius Self-portrait of Sabine Lepsius in 1885. Auguste Sabine Graef (1864-01-15)January 15, 1864 November 22, 1942(1942-11-22) (aged 78) Bayreuth, Germany Reinhold Lepsius Portrait of Stefan George at the Stefan George Museum in Bingen am Rhein Sabine Lepsius (15 January 1864, Berlin – 22 November 1942, Bayreuth) was a German portrait painter.[1] 2 Writings She was the daughter of portrait painter Gustav Graef and Franziska Liebreich (1824-1893), a lithographer. She studied with her father and, in 1892, married the painter Reinhold Lepsius. She and her husband were held in equal regard and were very popular with the business community and the wealthy. Her brother was the art historian Botho Graef. She was also a close friend and follower of Stefan George.[2] Her son Stefan (1897-1917), who was killed in World War I, was named after him. She published a book about their friendship in 1935; where she attributed her brother Botho's fatal heart attack to the news of her son's death. Lepsius exhibited her work at the Woman's Building at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois.[3] Her salon in Berlin-Westend was considered a major social gathering point. Georg Simmel, Wilhelm Dilthey, August Endell and Rainer Maria Rilke were among those who attended. She was one of the founding members of the Berlin Secession and exhibited with them until 1913. Most of her approximately 280 portraits were of people in the Jewish community and were lost or destroyed during World War II.[4] Writings[edit] Vom deutschen Lebensstil; Leipzig: Seemann & Co. 1916 Stefan George : Geschichte einer Freundschaft. Berlin: Verlag Die Runde 1935 Ein Berliner Künstlerleben um die Jahrhundertwende :Erinnerungen; Munich: G. Müller 1972 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sabine Lepsius. List of German women artists ^ Benezit Dictionary of Artists ^ Annette Dorgerloh, "Sie war wenigstens amüsant". Sabine Lepsius und Stefan George – eine Freundschaft "sans phrase"?, in: Ute Oelmann, Ulrich Raulff (eds.), Frauen um Stefan George, Wallstein, Göttingen 2010, Pgs. 104–116. ISBN 978-3-8353-0513-7 ^ Nichols, K. L. "Women's Art at the World's Columbian Fair & Exposition, Chicago 1893". Retrieved 24 November 2018. ^ A. Rittmann: Sabine Lepsius, in: AKL, 2014, S. 175 Irmgard Wirth: Berliner Malerei im 19. Jahrhundert; Siedler Verlag, Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-572-10011-9, pg.349. Ruth Glatzer: Das Wilhelminische Berlin; Siedler Verlag, Berlin 1997, ISBN 3-88680-561-1, pg.192. Annette Dorgerloh: Das Künstlerehepaar Lepsius. Zur Berliner Porträtmalerei um 1900. Akademie Verlag, Berlin 2003, ISBN 3-05-003722-9 (Digitalized by Google Books) Annette Dogerloh: Sabine Lepsius. In: Britta Jürgs: Denn da ist nichts mehr, wie es die Natur gewollt. Portraits von Künstlerinnen und Schriftstellerinnen um 1900. AvivA Verlag, Berlin, 2001, ISBN 3-932338-13-8; pgs.216-232 Literature by and about Sabine Lepsius in the German National Library catalogue SNAC: w6zd1649 Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sabine_Lepsius&oldid=873168116" 19th-century German painters Artists from Berlin German salon-holders German women painters Alumni of the Académie Julian 20th-century German women artists Wikipedia articles with RKDartists identifiers	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line670
__label__cc	0.637876	0.362124	This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 11 July 2019. This page is about the physical concept. In law, commerce, and in colloquial usage weight may also refer to mass. For other uses see weight (disambiguation). The force on a mass due to gravity A spring scale measures the weight of an object. Common symbols W {\displaystyle W} SI unit newton (N) pound-force (lbf) In SI base units kg⋅m⋅s−2 Extensive? Intensive? Conserved? Derivations from other quantities W = m g {\displaystyle W=mg} W = m a {\displaystyle W=ma} M L T − 2 {\displaystyle {\mathsf {MLT}}^{-2}} In science and engineering, the weight of an object is related to the amount of force acting on the object, either due to gravity or to a reaction force that holds it in place.[1][2][3] Some standard textbooks[4] define weight as a vector quantity, the gravitational force acting on the object. Others[5][6] define weight as a scalar quantity, the magnitude of the gravitational force. Others[7] define it as the magnitude of the reaction force exerted on a body by mechanisms that keep it in place: the weight is the quantity that is measured by, for example, a spring scale. Thus, in a state of free fall, the weight would be zero. In this sense of weight, terrestrial objects can be weightless: ignoring air resistance, the famous apple falling from the tree, on its way to meet the ground near Isaac Newton, would be weightless. The unit of measurement for weight is that of force, which in the International System of Units (SI) is the newton. For example, an object with a mass of one kilogram has a weight of about 9.8 newtons on the surface of the Earth, and about one-sixth as much on the Moon. Although weight and mass are scientifically distinct quantities, the terms are often confused with each other in everyday use (i.e. comparing and converting force weight in pounds to mass in kilograms and vice versa).[8] Further complications in elucidating the various concepts of weight have to do with the theory of relativity according to which gravity is modelled as a consequence of the curvature of spacetime. In the teaching community, a considerable debate has existed for over half a century on how to define weight for their students. The current situation is that a multiple set of concepts co-exist and find use in their various contexts.[2] 1.1 Newton 1.2 Relativity 2 Definitions 2.1 Gravitational definition 2.2 Operational definition 2.3 ISO definition 2.4 Apparent weight 3 Mass 3.1 SI units 3.2 Pound and other non-SI units 4 Sensation 5 Measuring 6 Relative weights on the Earth and other celestial bodies Ancient Greek official bronze weights dating from around the 6th century BC, exhibited in the Ancient Agora Museum in Athens, housed in the Stoa of Attalus. Weighing grain, from the Babur-namah[9] Discussion of the concepts of heaviness (weight) and lightness (levity) date back to the ancient Greek philosophers. These were typically viewed as inherent properties of objects. Plato described weight as the natural tendency of objects to seek their kin. To Aristotle, weight and levity represented the tendency to restore the natural order of the basic elements: air, earth, fire and water. He ascribed absolute weight to earth and absolute levity to fire. Archimedes saw weight as a quality opposed to buoyancy, with the conflict between the two determining if an object sinks or floats. The first operational definition of weight was given by Euclid, who defined weight as: "weight is the heaviness or lightness of one thing, compared to another, as measured by a balance."[2] Operational balances (rather than definitions) had, however, been around much longer.[10] According to Aristotle, weight was the direct cause of the falling motion of an object, the speed of the falling object was supposed to be directly proportionate to the weight of the object. As medieval scholars discovered that in practice the speed of a falling object increased with time, this prompted a change to the concept of weight to maintain this cause effect relationship. Weight was split into a "still weight" or pondus, which remained constant, and the actual gravity or gravitas, which changed as the object fell. The concept of gravitas was eventually replaced by Jean Buridan's impetus, a precursor to momentum.[2] The rise of the Copernican view of the world led to the resurgence of the Platonic idea that like objects attract but in the context of heavenly bodies. In the 17th century, Galileo made significant advances in the concept of weight. He proposed a way to measure the difference between the weight of a moving object and an object at rest. Ultimately, he concluded weight was proportionate to the amount of matter of an object, and not the speed of motion as supposed by the Aristotelean view of physics.[2] Newton[edit] The introduction of Newton's laws of motion and the development of Newton's law of universal gravitation led to considerable further development of the concept of weight. Weight became fundamentally separate from mass. Mass was identified as a fundamental property of objects connected to their inertia, while weight became identified with the force of gravity on an object and therefore dependent on the context of the object. In particular, Newton considered weight to be relative to another object causing the gravitational pull, e.g. the weight of the Earth towards the Sun.[2] Newton considered time and space to be absolute. This allowed him to consider concepts as true position and true velocity.[clarification needed] Newton also recognized that weight as measured by the action of weighing was affected by environmental factors such as buoyancy. He considered this a false weight induced by imperfect measurement conditions, for which he introduced the term apparent weight as compared to the true weight defined by gravity.[2] Although Newtonian physics made a clear distinction between weight and mass, the term weight continued to be commonly used when people meant mass. This led the 3rd General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) of 1901 to officially declare "The word weight denotes a quantity of the same nature as a force: the weight of a body is the product of its mass and the acceleration due to gravity", thus distinguishing it from mass for official usage. Relativity[edit] In the 20th century, the Newtonian concepts of absolute time and space were challenged by relativity. Einstein's equivalence principle put all observers, moving or accelerating, on the same footing. This led to an ambiguity as to what exactly is meant by the force of gravity and weight. A scale in an accelerating elevator cannot be distinguished from a scale in a gravitational field. Gravitational force and weight thereby became essentially frame-dependent quantities. This prompted the abandonment of the concept as superfluous in the fundamental sciences such as physics and chemistry. Nonetheless, the concept remained important in the teaching of physics. The ambiguities introduced by relativity led, starting in the 1960s, to considerable debate in the teaching community as how to define weight for their students, choosing between a nominal definition of weight as the force due to gravity or an operational definition defined by the act of weighing.[2] Definitions[edit] This top-fuel dragster can accelerate from zero to 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph) in 0.86 seconds. This is a horizontal acceleration of 5.3 g. Combined with the vertical g-force in the stationary case the Pythagorean theorem yields a g-force of 5.4 g. It is this g-force that causes the driver's weight if one uses the operational definition. If one uses the gravitational definition, the driver's weight is unchanged by the motion of the car. Several definitions exist for weight, not all of which are equivalent.[3][11][12][13] Gravitational definition[edit] The most common definition of weight found in introductory physics textbooks defines weight as the force exerted on a body by gravity.[1][13] This is often expressed in the formula W = mg, where W is the weight, m the mass of the object, and g gravitational acceleration. In 1901, the 3rd General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) established this as their official definition of weight: The word weight denotes a quantity of the same nature[Note 1] as a force: the weight of a body is the product of its mass and the acceleration due to gravity. — Resolution 2 of the 3rd General Conference on Weights and Measures[15][16] This resolution defines weight as a vector, since force is a vector quantity. However, some textbooks also take weight to be a scalar by defining: "The weight W of a body is equal to the magnitude Fg of the gravitational force on the body."[17] The gravitational acceleration varies from place to place. Sometimes, it is simply taken to have a standard value of 9.80665 m/s2, which gives the standard weight.[15] The force whose magnitude is equal to mg newtons is also known as the m kilogram weight (which term is abbreviated to kg-wt)[18] Measuring weight versus mass Left: A spring scale measures weight, by seeing how much the object pushes on a spring (inside the device). On the Moon, an object would give a lower reading. Right: A balance scale indirectly measures mass, by comparing an object to references. On the Moon, an object would give the same reading, because the object and references would both become lighter. Operational definition[edit] In the operational definition, the weight of an object is the force measured by the operation of weighing it, which is the force it exerts on its support.[11] Since, W=downward force on the body by the centre of earth, and there is no acceleration in the body. So, there exists opposite and equal force by the support on the body. Also it is equal to the force exerted by the body on its support because action and reaction have same numerical value and opposite direction. This can make a considerable difference, depending on the details; for example, an object in free fall exerts little if any force on its support, a situation that is commonly referred to as weightlessness. However, being in free fall does not affect the weight according to the gravitational definition. Therefore, the operational definition is sometimes refined by requiring that the object be at rest.[citation needed] However, this raises the issue of defining "at rest" (usually being at rest with respect to the Earth is implied by using standard gravity[citation needed]). In the operational definition, the weight of an object at rest on the surface of the Earth is lessened by the effect of the centrifugal force from the Earth's rotation. The operational definition, as usually given, does not explicitly exclude the effects of buoyancy, which reduces the measured weight of an object when it is immersed in a fluid such as air or water. As a result, a floating balloon or an object floating in water might be said to have zero weight. ISO definition[edit] In the ISO International standard ISO 80000-4(2006),[19] describing the basic physical quantities and units in mechanics as a part of the International standard ISO/IEC 80000, the definition of weight is given as: F g = m g {\displaystyle F_{g}=mg\,} , where m is mass and g is local acceleration of free fall. When the reference frame is Earth, this quantity comprises not only the local gravitational force, but also the local centrifugal force due to the rotation of the Earth, a force which varies with latitude. The effect of atmospheric buoyancy is excluded in the weight. In common parlance, the name "weight" continues to be used where "mass" is meant, but this practice is deprecated. — ISO 80000-4 (2006) The definition is dependent on the chosen frame of reference. When the chosen frame is co-moving with the object in question then this definition precisely agrees with the operational definition.[12] If the specified frame is the surface of the Earth, the weight according to the ISO and gravitational definitions differ only by the centrifugal effects due to the rotation of the Earth. Apparent weight[edit] Main article: Apparent weight In many real world situations the act of weighing may produce a result that differs from the ideal value provided by the definition used. This is usually referred to as the apparent weight of the object. A common example of this is the effect of buoyancy, when an object is immersed in a fluid the displacement of the fluid will cause an upward force on the object, making it appear lighter when weighed on a scale.[20] The apparent weight may be similarly affected by levitation and mechanical suspension. When the gravitational definition of weight is used, the operational weight measured by an accelerating scale is often also referred to as the apparent weight.[21] Mass[edit] An object with mass m resting on a surface and the corresponding free body diagram of just the object showing the forces acting on it. Notice that the amount of force that the table is pushing upward on the object (the N vector) is equal to the downward force of the object's weight (shown here as mg, as weight is equal to the object's mass multiplied with the acceleration due to gravity): because these forces are equal, the object is in a state of equilibrium (all the forces and moments acting on it sum to zero). Main article: Mass versus weight In modern scientific usage, weight and mass are fundamentally different quantities: mass is an intrinsic property of matter, whereas weight is a force that results from the action of gravity on matter: it measures how strongly the force of gravity pulls on that matter. However, in most practical everyday situations the word "weight" is used when, strictly, "mass" is meant.[8][22] For example, most people would say that an object "weighs one kilogram", even though the kilogram is a unit of mass. The distinction between mass and weight is unimportant for many practical purposes because the strength of gravity does not vary too much on the surface of the Earth. In a uniform gravitational field, the gravitational force exerted on an object (its weight) is directly proportional to its mass. For example, object A weighs 10 times as much as object B, so therefore the mass of object A is 10 times greater than that of object B. This means that an object's mass can be measured indirectly by its weight, and so, for everyday purposes, weighing (using a weighing scale) is an entirely acceptable way of measuring mass. Similarly, a balance measures mass indirectly by comparing the weight of the measured item to that of an object(s) of known mass. Since the measured item and the comparison mass are in virtually the same location, so experiencing the same gravitational field, the effect of varying gravity does not affect the comparison or the resulting measurement. The Earth's gravitational field is not uniform but can vary by as much as 0.5%[23] at different locations on Earth (see Earth's gravity). These variations alter the relationship between weight and mass, and must be taken into account in high precision weight measurements that are intended to indirectly measure mass. Spring scales, which measure local weight, must be calibrated at the location at which the objects will be used to show this standard weight, to be legal for commerce.[citation needed] This table shows the variation of acceleration due to gravity (and hence the variation of weight) at various locations on the Earth's surface.[24] Equator 0° 9.7803 Sydney 33°52′ S 9.7968 Aberdeen 57°9′ N 9.8168 North Pole 90° N 9.8322 The historic use of "weight" for "mass" also persists in some scientific terminology – for example, the chemical terms "atomic weight", "molecular weight", and "formula weight", can still be found rather than the preferred "atomic mass" etc. In a different gravitational field, for example, on the surface of the Moon, an object can have a significantly different weight than on Earth. The gravity on the surface of the Moon is only about one-sixth as strong as on the surface of the Earth. A one-kilogram mass is still a one-kilogram mass (as mass is an intrinsic property of the object) but the downward force due to gravity, and therefore its weight, is only one-sixth of what the object would have on Earth. So a man of mass 180 pounds weighs only about 30 pounds-force when visiting the Moon. SI units[edit] In most modern scientific work, physical quantities are measured in SI units. The SI unit of weight is the same as that of force: the newton (N) – a derived unit which can also be expressed in SI base units as kg⋅m/s2 (kilograms times meters per second squared).[22] In commercial and everyday use, the term "weight" is usually used to mean mass, and the verb "to weigh" means "to determine the mass of" or "to have a mass of". Used in this sense, the proper SI unit is the kilogram (kg).[22] Pound and other non-SI units[edit] In United States customary units, the pound can be either a unit of force or a unit of mass.[25] Related units used in some distinct, separate subsystems of units include the poundal and the slug. The poundal is defined as the force necessary to accelerate an object of one-pound mass at 1 ft/s2, and is equivalent to about 1/32.2 of a pound-force. The slug is defined as the amount of mass that accelerates at 1 ft/s2 when one pound-force is exerted on it, and is equivalent to about 32.2 pounds (mass). The kilogram-force is a non-SI unit of force, defined as the force exerted by a one kilogram mass in standard Earth gravity (equal to 9.80665 newtons exactly). The dyne is the cgs unit of force and is not a part of SI, while weights measured in the cgs unit of mass, the gram, remain a part of SI. Sensation[edit] See also: Apparent weight The sensation of weight is caused by the force exerted by fluids in the vestibular system, a three-dimensional set of tubes in the inner ear.[dubious – discuss] It is actually the sensation of g-force, regardless of whether this is due to being stationary in the presence of gravity, or, if the person is in motion, the result of any other forces acting on the body such as in the case of acceleration or deceleration of a lift, or centrifugal forces when turning sharply. Measuring[edit] Main article: Weighing scale "Weigh" redirects here. For other uses, see Weigh (disambiguation). A weighbridge, used for weighing trucks Weight is commonly measured using one of two methods. A spring scale or hydraulic or pneumatic scale measures local weight, the local force of gravity on the object (strictly apparent weight force). Since the local force of gravity can vary by up to 0.5% at different locations, spring scales will measure slightly different weights for the same object (the same mass) at different locations. To standardize weights, scales are always calibrated to read the weight an object would have at a nominal standard gravity of 9.80665 m/s2 (approx. 32.174 ft/s2). However, this calibration is done at the factory. When the scale is moved to another location on Earth, the force of gravity will be different, causing a slight error. So to be highly accurate, and legal for commerce, spring scales must be re-calibrated at the location at which they will be used. A balance on the other hand, compares the weight of an unknown object in one scale pan to the weight of standard masses in the other, using a lever mechanism – a lever-balance. The standard masses are often referred to, non-technically, as "weights". Since any variations in gravity will act equally on the unknown and the known weights, a lever-balance will indicate the same value at any location on Earth. Therefore, balance "weights" are usually calibrated and marked in mass units, so the lever-balance measures mass by comparing the Earth's attraction on the unknown object and standard masses in the scale pans. In the absence of a gravitational field, away from planetary bodies (e.g. space), a lever-balance would not work, but on the Moon, for example, it would give the same reading as on Earth. Some balances can be marked in weight units, but since the weights are calibrated at the factory for standard gravity, the balance will measure standard weight, i.e. what the object would weigh at standard gravity, not the actual local force of gravity on the object. If the actual force of gravity on the object is needed, this can be calculated by multiplying the mass measured by the balance by the acceleration due to gravity – either standard gravity (for everyday work) or the precise local gravity (for precision work). Tables of the gravitational acceleration at different locations can be found on the web. Gross weight is a term that is generally found in commerce or trade applications, and refers to the total weight of a product and its packaging. Conversely, net weight refers to the weight of the product alone, discounting the weight of its container or packaging; and tare weight is the weight of the packaging alone. Relative weights on the Earth and other celestial bodies[edit] Main articles: Earth's gravity and Surface gravity The table below shows comparative gravitational accelerations at the surface of the Sun, the Earth's moon, each of the planets in the solar system. The “surface” is taken to mean the cloud tops of the gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune). For the Sun, the surface is taken to mean the photosphere. The values in the table have not been de-rated for the centrifugal effect of planet rotation (and cloud-top wind speeds for the gas giants) and therefore, generally speaking, are similar to the actual gravity that would be experienced near the poles. Earth gravity Surface gravity Sun 27.90 274.1 Mercury 0.3770 3.703 Venus 0.9032 8.872 Earth 1 (by definition) 9.8226[26] Moon 0.1655 1.625 Mars 0.3895 3.728 Jupiter 2.640 25.93 Saturn 1.139 11.19 Uranus 0.917 9.01 Neptune 1.148 11.28 Look up gross weight in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Human body weight weight the English unit ^ The phrase "quantity of the same nature" is a literal translation of the French phrase grandeur de la même nature. Although this is an authorized translation, VIM 3 of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures recommends translating grandeurs de même nature as quantities of the same kind.[14] ^ a b Richard C. Morrison (1999). "Weight and gravity - the need for consistent definitions". The Physics Teacher. 37: 51. Bibcode:1999PhTea..37...51M. doi:10.1119/1.880152. ^ a b c d e f g h Igal Galili (2001). "Weight versus gravitational force: historical and educational perspectives". International Journal of Science Education. 23: 1073. Bibcode:2001IJSEd..23.1073G. doi:10.1080/09500690110038585. ^ a b Gat, Uri (1988). "The weight of mass and the mess of weight". In Richard Alan Strehlow (ed.). Standardization of Technical Terminology: Principles and Practice – second volume. ASTM International. pp. 45–48. ISBN 978-0-8031-1183-7. ^ Knight, Randall D. (2004). Physics for Scientists and Engineers: a Strategic Approach. San Francisco, USA: Addison–Wesley. pp. 100–101. ISBN 0-8053-8960-1. ^ Bauer, Wolfgang and Westfall, Gary D. (2011). University Physics with Modern Physics. New York: McGraw Hill. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-07-336794-1. CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link) ^ Serway, Raymond A. and Jewett, John W. Jr. (2008). Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics. USA: Thompson. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-495-11245-7. CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link) ^ Hewitt, Paul G. (2001). Conceptual Physics. USA: Addison–Wesley. p. 159. ISBN 0-321-05202-1. ^ a b The National Standard of Canada, CAN/CSA-Z234.1-89 Canadian Metric Practice Guide, January 1989: 5.7.3 Considerable confusion exists in the use of the term "weight". In commercial and everyday use, the term "weight" nearly always means mass. In science and technology "weight" has primarily meant a force due to gravity. In scientific and technical work, the term "weight" should be replaced by the term "mass" or "force", depending on the application. 5.7.4 The use of the verb "to weigh" meaning "to determine the mass of", e.g., "I weighed this object and determined its mass to be 5 kg," is correct. ^ Sur Das (1590s). "Weighing Grain". Baburnama. ^ http://www.averyweigh-tronix.com/museum accessed 29 March 2013. ^ a b Allen L. King (1963). "Weight and weightlessness". American Journal of Physics. 30: 387. Bibcode:1962AmJPh..30..387K. doi:10.1119/1.1942032. ^ a b A. P. French (1995). "On weightlessness". American Journal of Physics. 63: 105–106. Bibcode:1995AmJPh..63..105F. doi:10.1119/1.17990. ^ a b Galili, I.; Lehavi, Y. (2003). "The importance of weightlessness and tides in teaching gravitation" (PDF). American Journal of Physics. 71 (11): 1127–1135. Bibcode:2003AmJPh..71.1127G. doi:10.1119/1.1607336. ^ Working Group 2 of the Joint Committee for Guides in Metrology (JCGM/WG 2) (2008). International vocabulary of metrology — Basic and general concepts and associated terms (VIM) — Vocabulaire international de métrologie — Concepts fondamentaux et généraux et termes associés (VIM) (PDF) (JCGM 200:2008) (in English and French) (3rd ed.). BIPM. Note 3 to Section 1.2. ^ a b "Resolution of the 3rd meeting of the CGPM (1901)". BIPM. ^ Barry N. Taylor; Ambler Thompson, eds. (2008). The International System of Units (SI) (PDF). NIST Special Publication 330 (2008 ed.). NIST. p. 52. ^ Halliday, David; Resnick, Robert; Walker, Jearl (2007). Fundamentals of Physics. 1 (8th ed.). Wiley. p. 95. ISBN 978-0-470-04473-5. ^ Chester, W. Mechanics. George Allen & Unwin. London. 1979. ISBN 0-04-510059-4. Section 3.2 at page 83. ^ ISO 80000-4:2006, Quantities and units - Part 4: Mechanics ^ Bell, F. (1998). Principles of mechanics and biomechanics. Stanley Thornes Ltd. pp. 174–176. ISBN 978-0-7487-3332-3. ^ Galili, Igal (1993). "Weight and gravity: teachers' ambiguity and students' confusion about the concepts". International Journal of Science Education. 15 (2): 149–162. Bibcode:1993IJSEd..15..149G. doi:10.1080/0950069930150204. ^ a b c A. Thompson & B. N. Taylor (March 3, 2010) [July 2, 2009]. "The NIST Guide for the use of the International System of Units, Section 8: Comments on Some Quantities and Their Units". Special Publication 811. NIST. Retrieved 2010-05-22. ^ Hodgeman, Charles, ed. (1961). Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (44th ed.). Cleveland, USA: Chemical Rubber Publishing Co. pp. 3480–3485. ^ Clark, John B (1964). Physical and Mathematical Tables. Oliver and Boyd. ^ "Common Conversion Factors, Approximate Conversions from U.S. Customary Measures to Metric". National Institute of Standards and Technology. Retrieved 2013-09-03. ^ This value excludes the adjustment for centrifugal force due to Earth’s rotation and is therefore greater than the 9.80665 m/s2 value of standard gravity. Science of underwater diving Ambient pressure Amontons' law Archimedes' principle Breathing performance of regulators Charles's law Combined gas law Dalton's law Gay-Lussac's law Hydrophobe Hydrostatic pressure Metre sea water Molecular diffusion Oxygen fraction Partial pressure Permeation Psychrometric constant Snell's law Supersaturation Torricellian chamber Underwater vision Artificial gills (human) Blood–air barrier Blood shift CO₂ retention Cold shock response Dead space (physiology) Decompression (diving) Decompression theory Diving reflex Equivalent narcotic depth Hypocapnia Maximum operating depth Normocapnia Oxygen window in diving decompression Patent foramen ovale Physiological response to water immersion Physiology of decompression Respiration (physiology) Respiratory exchange ratio Respiratory quotient Systemic circulation Tissue (biology) Work of breathing Altitude diving Benign water diving Confined water diving Ice diving Muck diving Open water diving Penetration diving Recreational dive sites Algal bloom Breaking wave Current (stream) Ekman transport Halocline List of diving hazards and precautions Rip current Surge (wave action) Thermocline Tidal race Undertow (water waves) Upwelling Categories: Underwater diving physiology Underwater diving physics Indexes: dive sites Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Weight&oldid=905819801" Wikipedia articles needing clarification from June 2011 All accuracy disputes Articles with disputed statements from June 2010	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line671
__label__wiki	0.71245	0.71245	Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 8.djvu/381 This page has been validated. CONFEDERATE MILITARY HISTORY. distinction as a debater on all the leading issues of the day. He was so skillful in his wielding of figures and statistics that he frequently vanquished more eloquent men by the strong array of facts which he presented. In this way he was regarded as a formidable opponent in debate. To be a Whig at that day was to be for the Union. This sentiment Zollicoffer held in common with his party; but the continual agitation of the slavery question finally drove him, as it did many other devoted Unionists of the South, into the ranks of the State rights men. He was devoted, however, to the Union, and was convinced that its preservation could be secured through the policy advocated by the political followers of Bell and Everett. Therefore he earnestly advocated the election of these two leaders in 1860 on the brief platform, "The Constitution, the Union and the enforcement of the laws," and canvassed the State of New York for that ticket, declaring that the election of Abraham Lincoln on the platform adopted by the Republican party would result in a sectional war. Having, as he thought, done what he could to avert such a calamity, when the issue was squarely made, he did not hesitate to espouse the cause of the South. He had some experience in military affairs, having been first a private soldier, and then a commissioned officer in the Seminole war. He assisted in the organization of the provisional army of Tennessee, and was appointed one of the major-generals of State forces, May 9, 1861. He received his commission as brigadier-general in the provisional army of the Confederate States, July 9, 1861, and was assigned to command in east Tennessee. He was beset by many difficulties, but acted with great justice and moderation. His efforts to overcome the hostility to the Confederate cause which existed in so large a part of his department met with considerable success. He issued conciliatory orders, and declared that no act or word would be tolerated on the part of officers or men, which was calculated to alarm or Retrieved from "https://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=Page:Confederate_Military_History_-_1899_-_Volume_8.djvu/381&oldid=7698782"	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line672
__label__cc	0.52908	0.47092	4.6- Temperature This state indicator represents the change in annual average temperature in time series, globally and in Turkey. The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces in 2017 was 14.7°C, which was 0.42 °C above the 1981-2010 average (14.3°C). Annual mean temperature for Turkey in 2017 is 14.2°C, which is 0.7°C above the 1981-2010 average (13.5°C). Lowest temperature in 2017 was in February as -31.9°C in Ağrı while highest temperature was observed in August as 46.9°C in Cizre. From 1971 to 2017, highest mean temperature in Turkey was recorded in 2010 as 15.5°C while the lowest was in 1992 as 11.8°C. There have been positive temperature anomalies in Turkey since 1994 (except 1997 and 2011) [26]. GRAPH 18- ANNUAL MEAN TEMPERATURE TRENDS IN THE WORLD AND TURKEY For World data; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/ U.S. Department of Commerce (NOAA). For Turkey data; Ministry of Agriculture And Forestry, Turkish State Meteorological Service	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line675
__label__cc	0.549302	0.450698	Wired News - Vedanta to Acquire Majority Stake in AvanStrate, A Glass Substrate Manufacturer ACCESSWIRE December 29, 2017 Stock Monitor: Uranium Energy Post Earnings Reporting LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / December 29, 2017 / Active-Investors.com has just released a free research report on Vedanta Ltd (NYSE: VEDL). If you want access to this report all you need to do is sign up now by clicking the following link www.active-investors.com/registration-sg/?symbol=VEDL as the Company's latest news hit the wire. On December 27, 2017, the Company announced that through its subsidiary, Cairn India Holdings Limited, it has acquired a controlling stake in Japan-based LCD glass substrate manufacturer AvanStrate Inc. for $158 million. AvanStrate is a leading global manufacturer of glass substrates for small and medium-sized TFT LCD panels which are currently used in multiple devices from the likes of smartphones to camera and laptops. Register today and get access to over 1000 Free Research Reports by joining our site below: www.active-investors.com/registration-sg. Active-Investors.com is currently working on the research report for Uranium Energy Corp. (NYSE American: UEC), which also belongs to the Basic Materials sector as the Company Vedanta. Do not miss out and become a member today for free to access this upcoming report at: www.active-investors.com/registration-sg/?symbol=UEC. Active-Investors.com is focused on giving you timely information and the inside line on companies that matter to you. This morning, Vedanta most recent news is on our radar and our team decided to put out a fantastic report on the company that is now available for free below: www.active-investors.com/registration-sg/?symbol=VEDL/. The Agreement Under the terms of the agreement, Vedanta will assume $151 million in existing AvanStrate debt with face value of $299 million from banks. The Company, through its subsidiary, Cairn India, will acquire about 51% of the equity stake of ASI from the Carlyle Group. Moreover, the Company has agreed to grant an extension of $7 million loan to ASI. Vedanta is a diversified natural resources company, and it is involved in the production of oil and gas, zinc, silver, copper, iron ore, aluminium, and commercial power. Vedanta has a multinational presence across India, Namibia, South Africa, Australia, and Ireland. Vedanta has been interested on entering the LCD manufacturing business, and back in February 2016, the Company had announced setting up India's first integrated manufacturing facility in Nagpur for about $10 billion in five phases. AvanStrate is a leading supplier of glass substrate to small and medium-sized TFT LCD panels, used in multiple mobile device where India is an important consumer of such devices. Currently, Carlyle Group owns a majority stake in AvanStrate, which is headquartered in Japan and has operational presence in Korea and Taiwan. The Company reported a net profit of $1.4 million on a turnover of $169 million for the full-year ended March 31, 2017. Vedanta views this acquisition as a step to enhance its presence in the LCD manufacturing business, where the agreement will enable it to build an in-house expertise to scale up the manufacturing output. Also, the agreement will help Vedanta provide basic materials concerning technology applications, for the development of India and other emerging markets. Company Growth Prospects On November 10, 2017, Vedanta announced its Board of Directors' approval concerning the brownfield growth projects in the Cairn Oil & Gas Business and an expansion project in the copper business. The oil & gas business, according to the Company, commenced its next phase of growth, eventually resulting in additional production of 100 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (kboepd), where the Company plans to scale up the production to 275-300kboepd by FY20. Moreover, the Company, under its project portfolio stated that it would deploy latest fracking technologies to recover oil and gas from tighter reservoir formation. In addition, on November 10, 2017, the Company's Board approved the expansion of its copper smelter unit at Tuticorin to double its capacity from 400 thousand tonnes(kt) p.a. To 800kt p.a., with a capex of $717 million of which $141 million has already been spent. The completion of this project is expected to place this location as one of the world's largest single-location copper smelting complexes. The project according to the Company, from the particular date, had an execution timeline of 24 months, with the commissioning and stabilization of the plant to be expected in FY20. Stock Performance Snapshot December 28, 2017 - At Thursday's closing bell, Vedanta's stock rose 3.18%, ending the trading session at $21.12. Volume traded for the day: 489.31 thousand shares, which was above the 3-month average volume of 389.86 thousand shares. Stock performance in the last month - up 12.22%; previous three-month period - up 10.23%; past twelve-month period - up 70.87%; and year-to-date - up 70.05% After yesterday's close, Vedanta's market cap was at $19.43 billion. The stock has a dividend yield of 5.68%. The stock is part of the Basic Materials sector, categorized under the Industrial Metals & Minerals industry. This sector was up 0.4% at the end of the session. 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If you're a company we are covering and wish to no longer feature on our coverage list contact us via email and/or phone between 09:30 EDT to 16:00 EDT from Monday to Friday at: Email: info@active-investors.com Phone number: 73 29 92 6381 Office Address: 6, Jalan Kia Peng, Kuala Lumpur, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia SOURCE: Active-Investors Why salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE:CRM) Could Be Worth Watching Why These 3 Silver Stocks Are Soaring Today Why Western Digital, Turquoise Hill Resources, and Range Resources Slumped Today Will Recent IPO Chewy Bite Investors With Its First Earnings Report? These 2 Companies Just Set the Tone for Industrial Earnings Season How US Production Is Affecting WTI Crude Oil Prices Natural Gas Price Prediction – Prices Tumble as Hurricane Scare Fades	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line676
__label__wiki	0.549407	0.549407	Daily Archives: Jul 9, 2019 60 Unrestricted NYC Taxi Medallions to Hit the Auction Block – 28 Corporate Mini-Fleets in Total Available National News Desk - Jul 9, 2019 CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y., June 9, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Maltz Auctions, a premier full-service auction company serving the New York Metropolitan region, announced it will auction on behalf of a Secured Party, sixty New York City taxi medallions ("Medallions"), all of which are corporate mini-fleets, and which will be sold by the mini-fleet, at the NY LaGuardia Airport Marriott Hotel, on Wednesday, July 17, 2019 at 4 p.m. with registration commencing at 3 p.m. ORLANDO, Fla. /Florida Newswire/ -- Unmanned Safety Institute (USI) announced today that they will be establishing the first-in-the-nation Unmanned Safety Institute - Center of Excellence, a remote pilot training and safety certification center, at Gulf Coast State College (GCSC) in Port St. Joe, Florida. Legacy Global Development Announces Release of 4 New Bungalow Homes at ORCHID BAY, BELIZE SAN DIEGO, Calif., July 9, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Legacy Global Development today announced the release of four new Bungalows at its luxurious Orchid Bay, Belize property. Beachfront Bungalows make owning a home in Belize attainable to a wider pool of potential buyers, as they have a more affordable price point than Orchid Bay's other homes. Joe Iadanza’s third album ‘Common Man’ brings beloved 1970s singer-songwriter aesthetic into the 21st century Jennifer Hedly - Jul 9, 2019 LONG ISLAND, N.Y., July 9, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- After a 6-year hiatus, Long Island-based singer/songwriter Joe Iadanza announced his return with the release of a 1970's inspired folk-rock love letter titled, "Common Man." Joe Iadanza is hitting the road this summer to support "Common Man," including two full-band album-release shows. The Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene in Italy proclaimed UNESCO World Heritage Site SOLIGHETTO, Italy, July 9, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- The UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Assembly has officially declared the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene the 55th Italian "World Heritage Site." Innocente Nardi, President of the Consortium for the Protection of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG, expressed, "Our profound satisfaction and immense joy at the declaration of the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene as a World Heritage Site." State Allocation Revives the Massachusetts Center for Employee Ownership CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 9, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Following a meeting with state officials at the Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD), the Massachusetts Center for Employee Ownership (MassCEO) is pleased to announce it has secured $50,000 in state funding for its annual operating budget. Lynne B. Wilson Lists a Lake Arrowhead Masterpiece Built by Ron Dolman LAKE ARROWHEAD, Calif., July 9, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Lynne B. Wilson and Associates, Inc. has announced a one-of-a-kind showplace nestled on a secluded 1.03 acres in the exclusive, gated Cedar Ridge Estates offered for $2.5 Million. The perfect abode is one where a sense of comfort is paramount; a property which not only fuses seamlessly with its stunning landscaped and manicured surrounds, but embraces you with its soulful, timeless design.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line677
__label__cc	0.501563	0.498437	Russia’s weird flying AK-47 drone is as useless as it is interesting Alex Hollings No Comments Military Aviation, News Defense journalist Steven Trimble caught the attention of aviation nerds and gun aficionados alike with the discovery of a patent for what appears to be a simple AK-47 drone filed by Russian arms manufacturer Almaz-Antey last year. Trimble took to Twitter with his discovery, pointing out that the rifle in the image does look quite a bit like a barely modified AK platform. Russian air defense manufacturer Almaz-Antey last year patented a small UAV built around what looks like a 7.62mm Kalashnikov rifle. pic.twitter.com/fq7TNGn7eW — Steve Trimble (@TheDEWLine) March 12, 2019 Subsequent images of the drone in question, acquired from the patent filed with Russia’s Institute of Industrial Property, support the assertion that this drone was built to house an off-the-shelf-looking Kalashnikov 7.62x39mm assault rifle. It also seems to lack any obvious means of propulsion, begging a number of questions about how this low-tech UCAV ever hopes to get off the ground. Two large stabilizing fins with bulbs jutting out from the front of the flying wing design look like they could potentially house electric engines. This could power propellers that would stick out of said bulbs, but nothing in the patent sheds any light on such a possibility. It does seem especially unlikely that this armed drone would be designed for use as a glider. The idea of building a simple airframe around a powerful weapon system isn’t at all unheard of. According to legend, the close air support-providing A-10 Thunderbolt II was effectively built around its incredible GAU-8 Avenger 30mm hydraulically driven cannon. This effort, though, seems more akin to the flying grenade launcher Belarus unveiled a few years ago…which is really just a rocket-propelled grenade launcher outfitted with a few rotors for lift. Captured from Belarus video by C4ISRNET. Like that low-tech UCAV, this flying AK-47 likely wouldn’t offer any meaningful tactical use other than making for one hell of a crazy-looking distraction. The patent doesn’t show where a camera or a targeting apparatus would be mounted on the AK-47 drone, and because it relies on a winged shape rather than helicopter-like rotors to fly, it would need to continue moving in a forward direction at all times. With no ability to reload, this AK-47 drone—if equipped with a standard magazine—could offer only 30 rounds of 7.62, or approximately three seconds of sustained fire, and absolutely no means of aiming that burst. Any target large enough to hit (i.e. heavy vehicles, buildings) would suffer little from the barrage of small-arms fire, and any target small enough to wound or kill (individual soldiers) would be nearly impossible to effectively engage. In other words, these pictures may be interesting to look at, but it seems unlikely that Almaz-Antey will put such a foolish platform into production. Then again, with other defense initiatives like nuclear-powered cruise missiles that don’t work, robotic infantry drones that don’t work, and stealth aircraft that lack stealth, maybe these useless drones could find their way onto the Kremlin’s wish list after all. Images courtesy of RU Patent (11) 113562 Alex Hollings Alex Hollings writes on a breadth of subjects ranging from fitness to foreign policy, all presented through the lens of his experiences as a U.S. Marine, athlete and scholar. A football player, rugby player and fighter, Hollings has spent the better part of his adult life competing in some of the most physically demanding sports on the planet. Hollings possesses a master's degree in communications from Southern New Hampshire University, as well as a bachelor's degree in Corporate and Organizational Communications from Framingham State University. Russia actually built their insane AK-drone – watch it dogfight a remote control airplane The Air Force’s new stealth drone has a huge advantage over Russian and Chinese air defenses Is the US government lying about being behind Russia and China in hypersonic technology? Watch: Ever see an F-16 fly itself? Take a ride in this fighter’s empty cockpit Watch: Russia releases new launch footage of their ‘Avangard’ hypersonic missile	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line681
__label__wiki	0.775582	0.775582	New on Video MENU New Movie Reviews New on Video Commentary Trailers About Us Contact Us Film Racket Movie Reviews Connect Profiles In Theaters: 09/18/2015 On Video: 02/16/2016 By: Bill Gibron Pull my fingah. Buy It From Amazon Buy It On DVD Buy It On Blu-Ray If Johnny Depp and Joel Edgerton were not present, if their roles had been cast with actors of lesser stature, ability, and charisma, Black Mass would be nothing more than a slightly above average crime thriller. It tells a compelling story, but has none of the panache of a Goodfellas, or a Godfather. With the duo essaying Jimmy “Whitey” Bulger and Jimmy Connolly respectively, the movie still fails to be a masterpiece. But what it does become is a performance duel, two amazingly skilled stars ramping up their game, giving everyday material a whole lot of bravado and buzz. South Boston is also a part of the ensemble. Black Mass centers on the neighbor and staying loyal to those you grew up with. For Bulger, that means handling his business in a way that maintains his cash flow while keeping his crimes from affecting his state Senator brother Billy (Benedict Cumberbatch). Of course, with the Italians putting pressure from the North, and crocked cops with their hand out, this mobster is finding it hard to handle his mid-’70s business. So when FBI agent Connolly walks into his life, looking to make him a specialized informant, it’s a deal too good to pass up. While the government believes it is getting all the inside information on the rackets in the city, Bulger instead uses them as a means to destroy his enemies. While his boss (Kevin Bacon) is convinced they are being used, Connolly becomes a bureau star based on his association with Bulger. Naturally, things don’t end well for this partnership. In fact, it’s safe to say that his is yet another example of law enforcement being seduced by a close connection to the underground, and the power that comes with it. For most of its running time, Black Mass is a study in contrasts. As a character, Bulger is given over to fits of hyper-rage, but for the most part, he barely bats an eye as he shoots a scumbag snitch or chokes a cheery prostitute. In fact, the vast majority of his emotion is saved for his prized son, and when tragedy strikes, so does Bulger. As for Connolly, he’s such a wannabe that you could find his picture in the dictionary under “sycophant.” Remembering his days running the South Boston streets with Jimmy and Billy has made him nostalgic for the past. Once he sees where his life could have lead, once he gets a taste of the hands-off hedonism that Bulger controls, he wants in, and wants in badly. Thus begins a ballet that director Scott Cooper does little to redefine. Instead, he nails the period piece particulars, but adds none of the necessary panache to elevate the material. There’s a matter of fact approach that threats to grind things to a halt, and then Depp gets involved in a simple stare down, and suddenly, we are watching a whole different dynamic. It’s the same with Edgerton. Even supporting players like Bacon, Jesse Plemons (as a Bulger flunky), Rory Cochrane (ditto), W. Earl Brown (same), and David Harbour (as a Connolly confidant) bring their A-game, finding a way to amplify what Cooper can’t. Still, this is really a two man tour de force, with both Depp and Edgerton destined to walk away with Awards Season kudos. They really get lost in their characters, creating memorable monsters out of ordinary street kids. Had someone else sat behind the lens, allowing for a more artistic or aesthetically rich approach, Black Mass could have been a classic. As it stands, it’s an effective entertainment buoyed by two men who literally make or break it. Luckily, they do none of the latter. Movie Credits Director: Scott Cooper Writer: Jez Butterworth, Mark Mallouk Cast: Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon, Jesse Plemons, Corey Stoll, Peter Sarsgaard, Dakota Johnson Previous: The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials Next: The Green Inferno Amaurosis MIB International Little (07/09/2019) Dumbo (2019) (06/25/2019) Us (06/18/2019) Captain Marvel (06/11/2019) JT LeRoy (06/04/2019) How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (05/21/2019) The Upside (05/21/2019) Fighting with My Family (05/14/2019) The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (05/07/2019) Her Smell (05/07/2019) Become a Film Critic! Write movie reviews, get paid! Buy the book! Website by Story&Design © Copyrights FilmRacket 2013	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line682
__label__wiki	0.639895	0.639895	Archives for posts with tag: soccer Italian Soccer for Kids Me and my friends waiting for the game to start. I am number 9. I play soccer with my school team, that is made up of some 5th graders, 4th graders, and 3rd graders. We practice Mondays and Thursdays after school. There is about 36 kids on my team. My coach is named Mr. Hough. He is also a 4th grade teacher. Me, Sam, Nikos, and Loet, waiting between games. Soccer in Rome is much different than soccer in the States. For example, people play much more rough, and we do not wear shin guards. On my first day of school, the first person to be nice to me was named Charlie (who is from Australia). He told me to never play soccer at recess because kids have broken bones on the soccer pitch. At the beginning of school, I was a bit nervous because kids played much rougher than at home and also all the kids speak only Italian when playing soccer. Me, Sam, and Nikos. But I really wanted to play, so after the first week or two, I just started playing. It was weird to see how many shots that seemed impossible the kids tried to make. It turns out that I did get hurt a few times playing soccer at recess, but it was still really fun. I ended up making friends with a lot of kids that I really like now because of playing soccer. Plus I learned how to say a lot of things in Italian (that I can’t write about here because they are inappropriate). A couple of times a month, our coach comes on the pitch to play with us at recess. Our team jerseys have long sleeves, maybe because the Romans always think it’s cold even when it’s hot. In Madison, everyone gets to play in games and the coaches give each kid an equal amount of time on the field, whether you are a better or worse player. But they do not do that in Italy. Here, the coach invites only a few kids on the team to actually play in a tournament. The coach only picks the not bad players to play in games, and before the game you are told if you are a substitute player or starting. My team. At the beginning of the year, I didn’t ever think about really going to play in a tournament because there are too many good players in Italy. But I still really liked going to the practices. I was SUPER happy when Mr. Hough invited me to play in a tournament. But it was cancelled due to snow. Then I got invited to be in another tournament and that is what I am going to talk about here. I have never played on a school team before. Right after I scored my goal, with Nikos and Andrew. Two things surprised me. First, I got to play on the 5th grade team. And second, I scored a goal. I never thought that I would score a goal in a tournament in Italy. I feel like I will always remember this; it was one of the specialist moments of my life. Only three other 4th graders got onto the 5th grade team. All of them are really good friends of mine. They are Nikos, Andrew, and Victor. My friend Nikos assisted my goal. The best players on my team were Hans and Fillipo and Jacopo. Originally, the coach told me that I was going to the tournament as a sub. But when the game started I was sent in as l’attaccante which means striker. I think in Madison we would call it center forward. That is my favorite position to play. Waiting to hear the places. Our team made it through the quarter-finals, semi-finals and made it all the way to the finals. But then we lost in the finals. We got second place in the all-city international schools tournament and we got a trophy. Fillipo got to take the trophy home, because he is the team captain. Getting our trophy, which was filled with candy. One of the greatest things was celebrating the victories after our games. We all ran around the pitch shouting in victory and patting each other on the backs and stuff like that. In the end, it was one of the greatest days of my year in Rome. – Eli Tags Rome, soccer Categories Italian culture, Kids Jerseys: The Sabbatical Collection Robot Chipmunks, Madison, U.S.A. A.S. ROMA, ROME, ITALY Galatasaray S.K., Istanbul, Turkey Juventus F.C., Turin, Italy Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon, France Beitar Jerusalem F.C., Jerusalem, Israel Olympique de Marseille, Marseille, France U.S. Lecce, Lecce, Italy S.S.C. Napoli, Naples, Italy F.C. Kobenhaven, Copenhagen, Denmark Bayern Munchen, Munich, Germany A. C. Milano, Milan, Italy F. C. Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain Tags soccer Categories Kids, Travel	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line683
__label__wiki	0.560744	0.560744	How to Stop Robocalls Once and For All Andrew Tarantola Filed to: How-2Filed to: How-2 You've just sat down to a nice home-cooked meal with your family when the phone rings. Could be Grandma, you think. She still actually uses the phone for talking. But no, it's a robocall shilling for some debt relief scam, the fifth in as many days. You know what? You don't have to put up with it. Here's how to hang up on telemarketers and their mechanical minions. For good. Legal Guardians Unsolicited telemarketing calls have long been a bane of modern life, interrupting evenings with offers of insurance, extended warranties, credit counseling, and a litany of other expensive services that you never needed or asked for. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has governance over landline communications, thought it had fixed the problem in September, 2009, when the agency revised its Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR), banning the use of prerecorded commercial telemarketing calls, aka robocalls, to consumers who have not provided permission previously and in writing. Telemarketers face penalties up to $16,000 per call if caught. "American consumers have made it crystal clear that few things annoy them more than the billions of commercial telemarketing robocalls they receive every year," said Jon Leibowitz, Chairman of the FTC, said at the start of the program. "Starting September 1, this bombardment of prerecorded pitches, senseless solicitations, and malicious marketing will be illegal." The Federal Communications Commission, which regulates cellphone lines, has also tightened its regulations regarding robocalls by eliminating a number of loopholes in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991. Previously, businesses simply needed an "established business relationship" to call you mercilessly. Now, the TCPA amendments regulate the volume and types of prerecorded solicitations that may delivered to a land line phone as well as every auto-dialed call, prerecorded or not, and automated texts to cell phones, emergency numbers, and hospital rooms. The only exceptions to this rule are political calls to land lines (the cost of picking one's political party when renewing your driver's license), purely informational messages like school lock downs, flight cancellations, and emergency weather alerts, and those from companies that you've given written permission. For example, if you've signed up for a checking account, your bank used to be able to legally harass you with insurance offers or other services. Now, though, they must have your written authorization before bugging you (which is why many bury that authorization deep in their Terms of Service). For cell phones, the rules are even more strict: no robocalls or automated text messages, political or not, are permitted without written consent. The two agencies also joined forces to create the National Do Not Call registry, a database of people who have actively opted out of receiving telemarketing calls by which legitimate telemarketers must abide. While these enhanced rules are definitely a step in the right direction, unfortunately they're no match for modern technology, which can spam-dial thousands of phones every minute, and the unscrupulous scammers that use them, who honestly couldn't care less about interrupting your meal much less some $16,000 ticket from the government. Rampant doesn't begin to encapsulate the severity of this problem. "Too many telemarketers, aided by autodialers and prerecorded messages, have continued to call consumers who don't want to hear from them," said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski at an FCC meeting last February. During the 2012 fiscal year nearly four million Americans contacted the FTC to complain about robocalls—a 70 percent jump over the previous year—and that's only the folks that knew about the DNC registry. The two agencies even went so far as to create the $50,000 Robocall Challange, a public competition seeking actionable methods for fighting these phone spammers. Shut It Down So what do you do when you pick up the phone with a synthetic voice on the other end? "Our advice is straightforward. Hang up," Lois Greisman, director of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Marketing Practices Division, told CNN. "There are virtually no legitimate marketers trying to reach you to sell you something using a prerecorded call." Just hang up. Don't press 1 to speak with a live operator, don't even speak. Just put the phone down and slowly back away from the receiver. Once you've hung up, log on to the Do Not Call registry and register your home and cell phone numbers. This won't eliminate robocalls entirely—companies that already have your permission are exempted, for instance—but it will certainly reduce the volume of these calls. To date, more nearly 220 million Americans have signed up. You can also call the FTC's complaint line at 1-888-382-1222 or on the DNC website. Check the Fine Print Also, start reading the Terms of Service for any new program or offer your apply for. You'll likely have to agree to the telemarketing in order to get that loan/credit report/hoagie-of-the-month club membership you want but you'll at least be able to better track who has your permission to bug you. You can also ask your ph0one carrier to block the offending number, so long as the carrier doesn't charge for the service as robocallers frequently change or spoof their originating numbers. If simply hanging up and hoping the telemarketers don't call back isn't quite your style, take a lesson from Alex Ruiz. This 24-year-old put his experience as a Linux systems admin to use by integrating a Rasberry Pi into an analog receiver to create the "banana phone." In this system, incoming callers must punch in a four digit verification number to prove they're human. If they are, the number is stored in a whitelist of phone numbers so that friends and family can reach him immediately. Autodialers on the other hand, with their distinct lack of dialing fingers, are shunted immediately to voicemail. What's more, the system is hardware agnostic and can be integrated with any existing landline or VOIP setup. The Future of Phone Spam Rodriguez's banana phone is one of a multitude of home-brew solutions currently vying for the Robocall Challenge's $50,000 purse. This is definitely a step in the right direction. However, as with digital spam, one step is never enough. As technology progresses, an arms race between scammers looking for new and inventive ways to reach your ears and public-private efforts to shore up home phone defense seems inevitable. There likely will never be a single magic bullet solution to this problem, just as email spam (and the unsolicited Yellow Pages deliveries before them) depend on a plethora of imperfect checks and filters. But if you do, the FTC has 50,000 reasons for you to speak up. [Do Not Call - FTC 1, 2, 3, 4 - FCC 1, 2 - Ars Technica - CNN - MSN - wavebreakmedia & SFC / Shutterstock] Recent from Andrew Tarantola Hey Procrastinators, Here Are the Easiest Ways to File Your Taxes Online All the World's Cows on Treadmills Could Power Six Percent of Earth Say Hello to China's New 11-Barrel Hypersonic Missile Killer	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line688
__label__cc	0.54658	0.45342	Freedom Lodge Changing The Conversation Freedom Lodge and The Black Hills Historical Trauma Research & Recovery Center has changed the conversation about health, healing and recovery in South Dakota and across Indian Country. We believe that each of us has a role to play in the health of tribal nations and Mother Earth. Each of us has a wise contribution to make, and a deep remembering of who we have been. We hold this knowledge in our body as a walking library of our ancestors. As the 8th generation approaches, it is time to look forward, to fully heal our wounds, to reclaim our heritage and to mend the Sacred Hoop of Life. This we do to honor the next seven generations. We invite you to join us. For Seven Meet The Freedom Lodge Team Dr. Ruby Gibson, Executive Director Kara Big Crow, Executive Assistant Ola Thompson, Creative Director Rhonda Akin, RN, Advisory Board Beverly Stabber Warne, MSN, Advisory Board Laura Fragua-Cota, Advisory Board Celeste Gibson, CPA, Board of Directors National Bioneers Conference: Presentation by Dr. Ruby Gibson Marin Center, San Rafael, CA, October 18 – October 20, 2019, 8:00am -6:00pm PDT Registration & Information! Lakota Nation Invitational Rapid City, South Dakota, December 18-21, 2019, Freedom Lodge Booth & Presentation Registration & Information! Generational Brainspotting with Dr. Ruby Gibson Fox Cities Center, 2320 Industrial Drive, Neenah, WI, 54956 May 1-3, 2020 Event Flyer! Mon-Thurs: 8:30a - 5:00p freedomlodge@icloud.com Made possible by the tides foundation for indigenous Peoples! For the past 35 years, Dr. Gibson has been dedicated to the craft and science of Historical Trauma recovery internationally and among our Native Peoples all around Turtle Island. Dr. Gibson developed two intergenerational trauma recovery models Somatic Archaeology© and Generational Brainspotting™. She is the author of My Body, My Earth, The Practice of Somatic Archaeology, and My Body, My Breath Card Deck, a Tool for Transformation, co-designed with Ola Faye Thompson. Identifying our bodies and Mother Earth as parallel sources of biological, emotional and ancestral memory, Dr. Gibson’s techniques were field tested for 25 years with amazing effectiveness. As a mixed-blood woman, Dr. Gibson's life experience and ceremonial life guided her to develop these healing techniques. She has learned how to simplify the complexity of trauma recovery through the inspiration of her spiritual grandmothers and the four worlds of creation. She believes we all have an amazing capacity to reconcile personal and cultural suffering when we have the proper skills. Dr. Gibson is the co-founder and Executive Director of Freedom Lodge nonprofit, and in 2015 opened the Black Hills Historical Trauma Research & Recovery Center in Rapid City, SD. Kara Big Crow was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. She is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and an active member of the Wakpamni District. She is the mother to 3 talented sons, 3 beautiful daughters, she is an honored descendant of Chief Crazy Horse, and a proud member of the Kangi Tanka (Big Crow) Tiwahe. Kara is the Executive Assistant for Freedom Lodge. She has attended various Healing/Self help trainings and seminars over the past three years including Basic and Advanced Mind Body Medicine, as well as Historical Trauma & Healing with Dr. Ruby Gibson. Kara strongly believes that healing oneself is very essential to live a healthy life, and believes that by healing ourselves from the inside out we will help our future generations prosper. Ola Thompson is a dynamic, bi-cultural young woman with contagious enthusiasm. Now working as a licensed Realtor, she has a diverse background in customer service, sales, graphic design, photography, printmaking, human resources, administration and fashion. Born in Colorado, Ms. Thompson graduated from the University of Colorado at Denver with a BFA in Photography and a Minor in Spanish Language. Before relocating to Austin, Texas, she traveled and lived throughout North, Central and South America, Europe, and the Caribbean. Ola enjoys spending time with friends, family and people who inspire her to create. She takes pleasure in making art, practicing yoga, learning new languages and being in nature. Rhonda Akin, RN is a bi-racial, multi-cultural third-generation Japanese American, born at a crossroads of indigenous cultures in the land of New Mexico, and those of Hispanic and European ancestry. Those early experiences led to foster mothering children from Pine Ridge reservation, and a lifetime mission to work within the intertwined arenas of spirituality, holistic health, environmental and social justice. Beverly Stabber Warne was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. She is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. After graduating from St. John’s McNamara School of Nursing in Rapid City, SD, Bev began her nursing career. She also received her Baccalaureate and Masters Degrees in Nursing at Arizona State University during the 1980’s. Bev currently serves as Coordinator/Mentor/Instructor, Native American Nursing Education Center at South Dakota State University College of Nursing, Rapid City SD. Wah-pah-waa-gee, Laura Fragua-Cota is from the village of Walatowa, Jemez Pueblo, NM. She is involved with her tribal community through her family, her work as an artist and as an Art Therapist. She works at a public school near her village and is currently adjunct faculty at the Institute of American Indian Arts, IAIA in Santa Fe, NM. Laura is a graduate of the Freedom Lodge, Historical Trauma Master Class 2018 Cohort, and is a member of Freedom Lodge Advisory Board. An independent Certified Public Accountant, Celeste Gibson has provided tax and accounting services to individuals, farms, and small businesses in southwestern Wisconsin since 1994. Celeste holds degrees as a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration, both earned summa cum laude at Minnesota State University-Mankato. She passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant in 1984, earning an Elijah Watts Sells Award for grades among the top 1% in the nation. Ever a lifelong learner, Celeste pursued a legal education through independent study, earning her JD degree from Taft Law School of Santa Ana, California, in 2013. After passing the California and Wisconsin bar exams, she is licensed to practice law in both of those states. Celeste owns and operates Gibson CPA & Law LLC, a full-service professional firm in Viroqua, Wisconsin. In addition to tax and accounting services, the firm provides legal services in the areas of estate planning, probate, business law, divorce mediations, and nonprofit law. Celeste has two daughters, both of whom are graduates of Minnesota State University-Winona. Her extensive community service background includes service as an elected public school board member and as a court-appointed special advocate. Her favorite hobbies are gardening, hiking, and bicycling. If Celeste had her way there would be strict environmental and consumer protection laws. The size of corporations would be limited and bad corporations would have their charters revoked. Earth would be restored to health and all people would live in loving co-existence.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line692
__label__wiki	0.886973	0.886973	Star Control: Origins Removed From GoG, Steam Amidst Legal Battle Between Stardock And Series Creators Home / Blog / Star Control: Origins Removed From GoG, Steam Amidst Legal Battle Between Stardock And Series Creators Blog Gamers 05 Jan , 2019 0 The legal battle between the original creators of the Star Control series and the company which currently owns this rights to the series, Stardock, continues as a judge denies an injuction from Stardock to block a DMCA takedown notice from the series’ creators to prevent the sale of Stardock’s latest game, Star Control: Origins. For context, you can read our previous coverage of how the dispute began, how the legal battle ensued, and how the current lawsuit came to be. Since then, Star Control creators Fred Ford and Paul Reiche issued a DMCA takedown notice for Star Control: Origins to Valve (which runs Steam) and GOG asking for it to be removed from sale (the game released on September 20 of last year), claiming the game infringed on their (Ford and Reiche’s) copyright of the series. Stardock then issued an injuction to prevent that DMCA from going through, arguing the DMCA would force storefronts like Valve and GoG from selling the game without enough proof and cause Stardock “irreparable harm.” On December 27, a judge ruled against Stardock, stating a DMCA would not force anyone to remove the game from sale, but only advise them to do so in good faith that Ford and Paul had reason to believe it infringed copyright (which means neither Valve or GoG would be “forced” to take the game down). As to the “irreparable harm” such a takedown would cause, the judge ruled this harm is self-inflicted. “As aptly observed by Defendants [Ford and Reiche], Stardock announced the release date and launched its marketing campaign for Origins in June 2018—long after this case was at issue and Stardock was well aware of Reiche and Ford’s allegation that Origins infringed their copyrighted work,” the court order denying the injuction states. In short: Stardock knew it could potentially have a legal battle on its hands when it was making Origins and decided to go spend millions of dollars to develop and promote the game anyway. With that in mind, the court order asserts that ” the harm Plaintiff [Stardock] complains of is indeed of its own making,” and denied Stardock’s injuction to block the DMCA, since, under legal precedent, “If the harm complained of is self-inflicted, it does not qualify as irreparable.” This means Ford and Reiche were free to issue their takedown notice to Valve and GoG. In the wake of the ruling, Stardock announced Origins would no longer be on sale on Steam and GoG, but says it will continue fighting Ford and Reiche’s claims. “Star Control: Origins is our own creation without relying on the work of Reiche or Ford,” Stardock CEO and president Brad Wardell asserted in the announcement. “We spent 5 years working on it making it our own game. It very much plays like you would expect a Star Control game. But that has nothing to do with copyright. It has its own story, setting, plot, and all new characters. It exists in an entirely new universe.” “Stardock, for the record, owns the trademark to Star Control and the copyright to Star Control 3. Even if Reiche and Ford could demonstrate they own the copyrights to SC2, that has nothing to do with us or our game,” Wardell continues. “Anyone who has played the game can, we hope, attest to this.” Wardell also assured players who’ve already bought the game they will continue to have access to the game, while also announcing that, because of the revenue it will likely lose as a result of the takedown, it would be laying off “some of the men and women who are assigned to the game.” As of this writing, Star Control: Origins is not available on either Steam or GoG, though its accompanying DLCs and season pass are. Origins is, however, available for purchase on Stardock’s own website. Ford and Reiche have since issued a statement regarding the matter, stating they plan to continue defending their copyright. They also mention that all Stardock bought from the Atari bankruptcy auction in 2013 were the trademark to the Star Control franchise (which protects “a word, phrase, symbol, and/or design that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others,” according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office), and the “original parts” of Star Control 3. Those things alone, they claim, do not give Stardock any additional assets from the series. “Stardock has subsequently applied for tons of trademarks on names of aliens we invented in SC1 and SC2, but so far, they do not own any of those additional trademarks.” The pair then broke down how Origins is “substantially similar to and/or derivative of our copyrighted game, Star Control II” using a chart comparing concepts, and gameplay elements from Star Control 2, 3, and Origins. “We don’t claim to have a copyright on all interstellar travel, but we do have a copyright on the specific way we expressed interstellar travel in Star Control II,” the pair state. “We see many such examples in Star Control: Origins where its expression is substantially similar to and/or derivative of our copyright-protected work, without our permission.” In response, Wardell took to Twitter to repudiate the claims. “Anyone who has actually played Star Control: Origins knows it’s a wholly new work with its own setting, history, aliens, story, etc.” he said. “We worked for 5 years to create an all new Star Control game. They have no rights to our work.” Anyone who has actually played Star Control: Origins knows it's a wholly new work with its own setting, history, aliens, story, etc. We worked for 5 years to create an all new Star Control game. They have no rights to our work. — Brad Wardell (@draginol) January 1, 2019 Wardell also responded to Ford and Reiche’s chart, with comments from Stardock disputing it by stating the similarities are concepts that can’t be copyrighted, such as the red streams of light that “dash and twist across the screen” during the game. This is t heir chart with our comments next to it. You can review their original chart here: https://t.co/rSX0nK4bAN pic.twitter.com/7bDh7OEgvj I continue to not be a legal expert beyond my ability to read legal documents but make no mistake: this dispute is far from over and still incredibly messy. It cuts a fine line between the difference between a trademark (which is more about distinguishing products on a market) and copyright (which is reserved for artistic works) and what concepts qualify for those distinct protections, a muddy issue even outside of this specific case. I expect this situation to get more tangled before it resolves.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line695
__label__wiki	0.580029	0.580029	FR’s Mission Frank Parlato Domains, Twitter, and Facebook accounts for the Knife (formerly of Aristotle) Of the domains listed by Frank Report that have some relationship to “Knife of Aristotle,” only theknifeofaristotle.com and theknifeofaristotle.net actually connect to anything (.net redirects back to .com) The Knife (formerly of Aristotle) has a Twitter account, @theknifemedia. It has only 87 followers. It has emitted 1419 tweets, the first on January 19, 2017. A number of the older tweets are in Spanish. Almost all the tweets link back to a website, http://ethicalmedia.org. That domain was registered on December 5, 2006 by Carl Hendricks of E-Mallard Web Corporation (Mallard is a street in Clifton Park). E-Mallard is the company name for many NXIVM-related domains. That site redirects to http://www.knifeofaristotle.com, which was also registered by Hendricks and E-Mallard, on August 14, 2014. That site doesn’t actually have the contents of the tweet. But starting about 24 hours ago, the tweets now link to http://theknifemedia.com. This domain was registered on March 28, 2017 through a proxy to hide registration information. This seems to be the new website to supplant theknifeofaristotle.com, since “theknifenews” on Facebook also links to theknifemedia.com Amusingly, there is a Twitter account @theknifenews about an obscure Swedish music group. There is also http://knifenews.com , “Today’s news for knife people.” So it appears like the re-branding (there’s that word again) was a bit hasty. Unlike the older website, which put everything behind a paywall, the new one actually shows you one story for free, and the Knife’s analysis of it for slant, spin, etc. But then you hit your “monthly limit” and it asks for your credit card info. For those who want more than news, there is also “cookies and milk”, said to be Keith Raniere’s midnight snack. [He didn’t get that paunch on an 800 calorie diet. Wisely too, a man needs far more than 800 calories per day. He can become malnourished with such an extremely limited caloric intake.] Keith Raniere vestido de mujer Why Isn’t Nicki Clyne Standing up for Allison Mack? Guest View Is J.Z. Knight an Alcoholic? Frank Report’s founder and lead writer Frank Parlato is one of the internet’s most decorated investigative journalists. His writing and investigations have helped expose major criminal organizations and scandals. Frank’s work has been cited in major publications all over the world, including The New York Times, New York Post, The Daily Mail, VICE News, CNN, Rolling Stone, and more. He is also the publisher and editor-in-chief of Artvoice, The Niagara Falls Reporter, Front Page and the South Buffalo News. krclaviger says: Vanguard knows all about the “cookies and milk.” And, oh, how his Mommy could dance… James Jones says: What does the cookies and milk imply? . I’ve seen i in several posts. Reader wants to know: “Is Allison Mack going psycho?” Frank Report is Back – after 1 1/2 day hiatus for fact gathering About Frank Parlato Frank Parlato is an investigative journalist. His work has been cited in major publications all over the world, including The New York Times, The Daily Mail, VICE News, CNN, Fox News, Rolling Stone, People Magazine, and more. Frank Report is dedicated to Frank's investigative journalism and the pursuit of truth. Read more about Frank Report's mission. If you have a tip for Frank Report, send it here. Email: frankparlato@gmail.com Phone / Text: (716) 990-5740 Archives Select Month July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 March 2017 February 2017 December 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 Why Weren’t Some Potential Witnesses Called By The Prosecution? Will Allison Mack Draw More Jail Time Than Lauren Salzman? About Frank Report Frank Report is one of the internet’s last destinations for true, unfiltered, hard-hitting journalism. Since 2015, articles published by Frank Parlato on Frank Report have exposed major scandals and criminal enterprises (including the NXIVM Cult). Artvoice Frank Report The Niagara Reporter Copyright © 2015-2019 Frank Report.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line697
__label__cc	0.623587	0.376413	Home > Global Affairs > Africa > US launches effort to counter China’s economic influence in Africa US launches effort to counter China’s economic influence in Africa •Eleven African leaders are at the US-Africa Business summit in Maputo. But South Africa is only represented by its ambassador. Peter Fabricius The US is launching a big push to counter China’s large economic influence in Africa at the US-Africa Business Summit in Maputo this week. Eleven African heads of state or government and more than 1,000 business leaders have been attending the summit, hosted by the Mozambican government and the Corporate Council on Africa, a US organisation advocating more American engagement with the continent. The South African government, however, does not seem to be represented even at ministerial level. This seems odd when President Cyril Ramaphosa is trying hard to attract $100-billion of investment in five years. Two major new initiatives to boost US trade and investment on the continent are being launched. One is the $60-billion US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) which will more than double the amount of money available for US investment in low- and middle-income countries than was previously available through the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (Opic) and the Development Credit Authority (DCA). Many of the countries supported by this new agency will be in Africa. The other is Prosper Africa, an inter-agency initiative which aims to help double US trade and investment with Africa in five years, mainly by mitigating risk and improving the environment for private sector business. It will help African governments create more predictable business regulations and strengthen institutions. The initial budget request for Prosper Africa is expected to be at least $50-million for the financial years 2020 to 2022; not much but it could be larger. It will also work through the US DFC’s much larger budget. US officials say the emphasis will be on helping the private sector to grow business with Africa and so the US Chamber of Commerce and its branches throughout the continent will play a vital role. The Maputo summit is also creating opportunities for US and African business leaders to meet and make deals. “Prosper Africa represents a departure from the unilateral model of development assistance,” says Anthony Carroll, senior associate, Center for Strategic Studies in Washington and vice-president of Manchester Trade. “It builds upon the successes of MCC (the Millennium Challenge Corporation, an independent US foreign aid agency) in terms of assistance being a mutually beneficial and mutually funded exercise. “And it will solicit more US private sector engagement in Africa.” The shift away from classic development assistance to enabling normal commerce with Africa is expected to be followed later by the US negotiating normal reciprocal free trade agreements with individual African countries. They will eventually replace the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) which allows eligible African countries to export their products to the US duty-free or at preferential rates, without having to raise their import tariffs on US imports. Officials say 18 US government agencies will be involved in Prosper Africa and so it will take a whole-of-government, one-stop-shop approach to development. They also say it will focus on trade and investment in sectors which have been neglected in the past such as IT, manufacturing and infrastructure. Meanwhile, the US DFC, created through the bipartisan-supported BUILD Act of 2018, will allow the US government to make overseas equity investments for the first time and will increase technical assistance and oversight on development projects. It will also more than double the US investment limit to $60-billion. This, perhaps not coincidentally, is the amount of Chinese financial support to Africa which China’s President Xi Jinping announced at last year’s Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (Focac) in Beijing. At the previous Focac summit, in Johannesburg in 2015, he announced the same amount for the next three years. Aubrey Hruby, a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center and co-author of the book The Next Africa, has told Al Jazeera that the US DFC with its larger investment cap, provides an opportunity for the US to reframe the way it does development in Africa. She said it was “utterly surprising” that this was happening under President Donald Trump, who has been criticised for derogatory comments about Africa and who previously proposed scrapping funding for Opic, which provided US companies with investment guarantees. She said in many ways, more resources had been put into Africa and US companies in Africa under the Trump administration than any other. However, the volume of US government financial commitment to Africa will still remain small versus China’s. Even the goal of Prosper Africa doubling current trade and investment to the continent over five years will not bring it up to levels reached before the 2008 global financial and economic crisis, one analyst said. He also pointed out, though, that much of the trade then was in oil, which has declined steeply as the US taps more of its own shale gas. There is also talk in Washington that Trump is closing the Africa offices in the National Security Council and in Exim, the Export-Import Bank, which supports US foreign exports and imports. The US government frequently counters criticism that it is being outspent by China in Africa by stressing that its investments are financially sound and affordable – in part because they come from the private sector – compared to large state-led investments from China which the US claims often land African countries in debt traps because they can’t afford to repay them. This narrative infuriates the Chinese government. Last year the Chinese ambassador to South Africa, Lin Songtian, rejected the accusation and insisted that Chinese companies only loaned money after feasibility studies had shown the projects being financed were potentially profitable. He challenged US and EU companies to show the same transparency by demonstrating where their financing in Africa had gone. The African leaders at the summit are presidents Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Hage Geingob of Namibia; Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, José Mário Vaz of Guinea-Bissau; Peter Mutharika of Malawi; Edgar Lungu of Zambia; Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana; Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe; and Teodoro Obiang Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, plus King Mswati III of Eswatini and Ugandan Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda. Credits\| Daily Maverick Tagged Corporate Council on Africa Economic influence Maputo US-Africa Business Summit US-Africa economic summit Trump administration unveils its new Africa strategy — with wins and snags 11 fundamental problems breeding insecurity, worsening insurgency in Nigeria–Intersociety ANRP to Buhari: Your security chiefs are tired Buhari signs new Executive Order to collect taxes on foreign assets of Nigerians The international implications of Italy’s referendum IPOB: Nigeria will collapse when i give testimony- Kanu	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line699
__label__cc	0.657367	0.342633	Bird Flies With The Rockets in NBA Live 95 by Andrew on Sun Aug 30, 2015 11:32 am In our latest 20th Anniversary of NBA Live feature, I recall something fun I once did with NBA Live 95, mainly just to share one of the most hilariously bad photo editing jobs you'll ever see. I’ve never been a big online basketball gamer, but that doesn’t mean I’ve always played them alone. Back in high school, my cousin – also a huge basketball fan and hoops gamer – would come to stay with us every school holidays. Whenever we weren’t watching basketball, or out in the backyard emulating the moves of our favourite players, we were playing basketball video games. NBA Live and NBA Jam were our titles of choice, and as the years rolled by and my collection grew, we had a few different versions of NBA Live to choose from. At one point, we started replaying the 1995 season in NBA Live 95 PC, with the Houston Rockets. We always used to play co-op, because we preferred being on the same team and trying to win as many games as we could, together. Of course, when it’s two human users vs. the CPU, you need to find ways to keep things fresh, challenging, and interesting. In our NBA Live 95 season, we did that in the usual manner: making a few trades, aiming for certain statistical marks and records, and trying to blow out the CPU by the largest margin possible. Oh, and Larry Bird made a comeback for our Houston Rockets, part of the way through the season.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line701
__label__cc	0.680839	0.319161	Alyc Helms Alyc Helms fled her PhD program in anthropology and folklore when she realized she preferred fiction to academic writing. She lives above a dive bar in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she's a project manager for Macmillan, a freelance editor, and a volunteer copy editor for Nightmare Magazine. In addition to writing, she dabbles in corsetry and costuming, dances Scottish Highland and Irish Ceili at Renaissance and Dickens fairs, rants about social justice issues, and games in all forms of media. She sometimes refers to her work as "critical theory fanfic," which is just a fancy way to say that she is obsessed with liminality, gender identity, and foxes. She's a graduate of Clarion West 2012, and her short fiction has appeared or will appear in Daily Science Fiction, Crossed Genres, Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies. Her first novel, The Dragons of Heaven, will be published by Angry Robot Books in April 2015. She can be found on Twitter @alychelms or at www.alychelms.com. Alyc Helms reading 11/7/2014 11:00 PM - 11:30 PM	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line702
__label__cc	0.659445	0.340555	Rodney Bingenheimer Posted in Music, Rock and Roll History by guittard on May 14, 2008 From my journal on May 5, 2004 – Dallas Texas I went to see the movie about Rodney Bingenheimer called “The Mayor of Sunset Strip.” He is a guy that hung with many of the core music people of the 1960s and 1970s. Rodney was Davy Jones’ double for the Monkees Television series. Rodney knew Sonny and Cher and the Beatles. He is most known for being the groundbreaking radio DJ for KROQ 106.7 in Los Angeles. He was first in putting on “the Runaways, Blondie, the Ramones, Social Distortion, Van Halen, Duran Duran, Oasis, the Donnas, No Doubt, Coldplay, Dramarama, the Offspring, the Go-Go’s, the B-52’s, X, the Vandals, and others.”1 The movie is a nostalgic documentary that shows much of my old stomping ground: the Tower Records on Sunset Blvd., Canter’s Deli on Fairfax Avenue, and the Denny’s Restaurant on Sunset Blvd. near the Guitar Center. There’s even a bit showing a crippled guy who polishes the stars along Hollywood Boulevard.2 Rodney also made his own English Disco Club that operated for awhile in Los Angeles. To me, Rodney’s a strange guy. I’ve never met him but I had a friend in L.A. that knew him well. Some people have talked bad about him but my friend said he was nice. I respect his great knowledge of music. It seems that music was and still is his salvation. I can relate a bit. As a kid, I often locked myself in the bedroom and listened to the Beatles or Elvis. They were my heroes and took me to different places. At school, I was a freak and even loner, I suppose: the only guy with sideburns when I was sixteen years old. That was in 1990. Sideburns weren’t very in style then. There was one time in the school cafeteria when I was sitting at the table alone and this bully behind me at the next table made fun of me. He yelled and got my attention. I looked over and he was holding two napkins up to both sides of his face like they were sideburns and laughing. I just ignored him. He was some punk clown. In my high school days, I read biographies about rock and roll. I read one called Life With Elvis by his kid step-brother David Stanley. At the age of sixteen, David Stanley found himself at the top of the world, traveling from city to city as a personal aide to his stepbrother Elvis Presley. Touring with the king of rock ‘n’ roll, Dave lived life in the fast lane – a way of living most people only dream about. On August 16th, 1977, tragedy struck when Dave found the king of rock ‘n’ roll lying facedown on his bathroom floor, dead at age forty-two. Life With Elvis tells Dave Stanley’s compelling story about growing up with Elvis, the dangers and disillusionment of life in the fast lane, and how he discovered true meaning in life through faith in God. — from book’s dustjacket. It’s an interesting read. The book has a bit about how hoods often hastled Elvis about his sideburns in the boys’ room. One time at Humes High in Memphis, Elvis’ future bodyguard, Red West, stepped in to help Elvis. This was the time when short hair and flat tops were in style. Elvis styled his hair after truckdrivers. Elvis eventually became a truck driver for awhile before recording “That’s Alright Mama.” From Elvis’ ’68 Comeback Special It was natural that I picked up the guitar in the 9th grade and never looked back. Music was my way of relating to the chaotic world around me. Things would explode and erupt but the music remained with me. It is proof that music is power. I really hope that the kids these days can put good stuff in their heads to empower. Elvis, along with many others, instilled in me a philosophy of hope and trust. I don’t think the kids are getting this message today. What do you think? Me – With the Highlander Band 1991 up1Wikipedia contributors. Rodney Bingenheimer. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. May 9 2008, at 15:05. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_Bingenheimer. Accessed May 14, 2004. up2I spoke to him a few times en route to the Musicians’ Institute that I was attending. Tagged with: 1960s, 1970s, Bullies, Elvis Presley, Freaks, Guitar, Influence, Life, Loner, Los Angeles, Music, Outcasts, Punk, Radio, Rock and Roll, Rodney Bingenheimer, Sunset Strip The Ragas Press Packet Posted in Music, Neo-psychedelia, Psychedelic by guittard on March 17, 2007 I am putting in a bit of my history. It’s been about five years since I was living in Los Angeles. Today, I can only think that I am really fortunate to have experienced, firsthand, the 1960’s music revival in its re-birth. The following is the letter Henry and I used when contacting clubs. Sunset Blvd. RE: Booking Dear Club: The Ragas duo was formed in mid-March 2000 after discovering a major musical chemistry between us. I moved to Los Angeles from Texas to pursue my musical passion. Henry was born here in L.A. Henry is the son of 60’s icon, Roger McGuinn of the Byrds. We are influenced by the Beatles, the Byrds, Bob Dylan, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Gram Parsons and incorporate 12-String guitars, and vocal harmonies in our songs. We play both cover songs and original songs. We focus on musicianship rather than cool grooves or beats. The old school sounds are what we are focused on. Our songs range from jazz rock, country- rock, folk-rock, psychedelic, and raga-rock to name a few. At present, we are searching for a bassist and drummer to complete our band. In mid-June, we will have two English fellows visit us to most likely join the band. We switch off with lead guitar. We are so excited to be involved in the music scene in Los Angeles. We can be reached at 323-###-#### and at our address in Hollywood, California. Please find our demo tape included. Thanks For Your Consideration, Jim Guittard and Henry McGuinn Here’s one of our setlists that I scanned. *The starred songs are the ones we played. We did not play too many shows back then but we sure went to see a lot of shows by the Beachwood Sparks, the Brian Jonestown Massacre, the Quarter After, Sunstorm, smallstone, the Tyde, the Belle Isle, Whiskey Biscuit, the Snakes, and the Warlocks. Many of these bands are still around today. Smallstone evolved into the Electromagnetic led by James Ambrose. The Belle Isle disbanded and Cliff Magreta now leads Minutes Til Midnight. Beachwood Sparks unofficially disbanded in 2003 and other groups were formed in its wake such as All Night Radio with sometimes BWS drummer Jimi Hey and BWS lap steel and organist Farmer Dave. Mystic Chords of Memory was formed by BWS leader Chris Gunst and Frausdots was BWS bassist Brent Rademaker’s. Brent continued to play in the Tyde with his brother Darren. I am hopeful in seeing the Beachwood Sparks get back together. We’ll see. The Ragas – June 2000 Los Angeles, California You can listen to the show here: The Ragas Live 2000 http://www.archive.org/download/TheRagasLiveAtTheCrookedBarHollywoodCalifornia2000/TheRagasAtTheCrookedBarJune72000.mp3 Tagged with: 1960s Revival, Beachwood Sparks, BJM, California, Henry McGuinn, Jim Guittard, Los Angeles, Minutes Til Midnight, Neo-psychedelia, Psychedelic, Rickenbacker, Roger McGuinn, smallstone, Sunset Strip, The Byrds, The Electromagnetic, The Quarter After, The Ragas, the Tyde, The Warlocks, Whiskey Biscuit	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line703
__label__wiki	0.633851	0.633851	New English Language Test For UAE Companies The British Council has released a new English language assessment tool called Aptis to assist multinational firms in the UAE. The British Council has released its latest English proficiency assessment tool, Aptis, to the UAE market to help companies test the competency of their employees’ English. Aptis is a test for adults which can be used to assess ability in four English skills including speaking, listening, reading and writing. It can also be customised to test one or more specific skills, allowing organisations to assess factors relevant to their needs. The content of Aptis can also be adapted to suit a specific domain, such as for teaching or travel and tourism, the British Council said in a statement. Philip Rylah, director, Examinations MENA, said: “Companies are increasingly driving demand for English in the region, and this is in particular the case for multinationals. “Industries such as IT and software development, maritime and airfreight, telecommunications, banking and finance, as well as tourism and hospitality have the highest need for English-speaking employees. “Three quarters of English speakers today are second language speakers and half of employees in international companies globally use English every day at work,” he added. Aptis uses an interactive platform which develops, manages, delivers and monitors the test simultaneously. The platform also allows organisations to administer the test themselves. It can be delivered by computer, telephone, or pen and paper, and results are available in 24 hours. The marking system of Aptis is task-based, meaning that in one task, several people in different locations around the world mark different items within the test, all through the online platform. The business-to-business assessment service is available only to organisations, not individuals. Andrew Mackenzie, head of Assessment Services at the British Council, said: “The British Council is a world authority in the English language. We work across a wide range of English teaching and assessment services, as well as with ministries of education to improve the English language teaching in education institutions around the world.” The British Council already has existing language tests such as IELTS, ESOL and IDP: IELTS Australia. Almost 60% Of UAE Firms To Hire In Q1 2013 Don’t Fall Foul Of UK Bribery Act MENA English Speakers Earn More Revealed: Top 10 Companies In Oman Revealed: Top 10 Companies In Saudi Arabia Revealed: Top 10 Companies In The UAE Rosetta Stone To Open First Middle East Office The Middle East’s Top Green Companies UAE Among World’s Top 5 Education Destinations – Survey	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line704
__label__cc	0.555628	0.444372	Totem-Poles-Ninstints-60-NAI-1098.jpg Historic Haida Mortuary Totem Poles at Ninstints (UNESCO World Heritage Site) on Anthony Island (Skung Gwaii), Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), Northern BC, British Columbia, Canada View This Image's Galleries: UNESCO & National Historic Sites, BC, Historic, Totem Poles, BC, Canada, Gwaii Haanas National Park, BC, Gwaii Haanas (UNESCO), British Columbia, National Parks, British Columbia, Northern British Columbia, Canada, Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), BC 2, aboriginal, ancient, Anthony Island, art, artwork, attraction, BC, British Columbia, Canada, canadian, carving, coastal, color, colour, cultural style, culture, day, decay, environment, First Nations, forest, group, Gwaii Haanas, Haida, Haida Gwaii, historic, historical, history, icon, image, Indian, indigenous, landmark, moody, Mortuary Pole, mysterious, National Park, native, Native American, native art, Ninstints, nobody, North America, northern, old, outdoor, Pacific Northwest, park, photo, picture, pole, Queen Charlotte Islands, Queen Charlottes, rain forest, rainforest, reserve, Skung Gwaii, solitude, summer season, temperate rainforest, totem, totem pole, tourist attraction, tradition, traditional, trees, tribal, two, UNESCO, weathered, West Coast, Western Canada, wood, wooden, World Heritage Site	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line705
__label__wiki	0.925254	0.925254	Pope Francis greets a child as he visits poor, sick people at a centre run by the CasAmica Onlus organization near Rome.Catholic News Service file photo Everyone called – in their own way – to stop human rights violations, Pope says Dec. 10 marks Human Rights Day By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service The fundamental rights of all human beings, especially the most vulnerable, must be respected and protected in every situation, Pope Francis said, marking Human Rights Day, Dec.10. “While a part of humanity lives in opulence, another part sees their dignity denied, ignored or infringed upon and their fundamental rights ignored or violated,” he said. Such a contradiction leads one to ask “whether the equal dignity of all human beings — solemnly proclaimed 70 years ago — is truly recognized, respected, protected and promoted in every circumstance,” he said in a written message. The message was read aloud by Cardinal Peter Turkson, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, at a Dec. 10-11 conference at the Pontifical Gregorian University discussing the “achievements, omissions and negations” in the world of human rights today. The Universal Declaration on Human Rights was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly Dec. 10, 1948. It detailed core principles that guaranteed the fundaments rights of every person. In his message, Pope Francis said, “numerous forms of injustice” still exist in the world today, which seems to have no qualms about exploiting, rejecting and even killing human beings. Those whose basic human rights continue to be violated, he said, include: the unborn, who are “denied the right to come into the world”; those who lack the necessary means to live a decent life; those who are denied an adequate education; those who lack work or are forced to work in slave-like conditions; those who are detained in inhumane conditions, who are tortured or are denied the possibility of redeeming their lives; and victims of “forced disappearances” and their families. In addition, he said, there are those who live “in an atmosphere dominated by suspicion and disdain, who are the targets of acts of intolerance, discrimination and violence because of their race, ethnicity, nationality or religion.” “Finally,” the pope wrote, “I cannot forget all those who are subjected to multiple violations of their fundamental rights in the tragic context of armed conflict while the unscrupulous merchants of death get rich off the price of their brother and sisters’ blood.” Everyone is called to play his or her part “with courage and determination” to stop those ongoing violations of basic human rights and promote respect for the fundamental rights of every person, “especially those who are ‘invisible,’ those who are hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, foreign or detained, those who live on the margins of society or are rejected.” Pope Francis appealed to all world leaders “to put human rights at the centre of their policies,” including policies concerning development, “even when that means going against the tide.” Speaking at the conference, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, said the declaration was intended to “combine the values of humanity with the formulations of rights” to prevent violence and eliminate inequality. “It is not just a question of defining rights on the basis of abstract peaceful coexistence or environmental or climate-based sustainability, but of reflecting on the basic criteria for coexistence between people,” Cardinal Parolin said. However, he said, there are signs that the shared values that were once the fabric of the document are unraveling, so the world must have “the courage to rewrite legislation to bring values back to the centre.” The cardinal, like other Catholic commentators on the universal declarations’ 70th anniversary, noted the push for a recognition of new rights, such as abortion or euthanasia. Perhaps, he said, what is needed is a dialogue about values. “Words like dignity, liberty and responsibility are already in the language and aspirations of the human family; in fact, without them, it is not possible to speak of human rights” or hope for the conditions of peace, security, development and cooperation that should flow from a universal recognition of human rights. “Perhaps the time has come to launch a broad reflection and consultation in the church on human rights, indeed I would say almost on the future of humankind, becoming aware that the classic question, ‘Who are you?’ has been replaced by the highly insidious one: ‘What rights do you want to have?'” Cardinal Parolin said. In Brussels, Pax Christi International marked the anniversary of the human rights declaration, saying the current period in history is a time to celebrate its achievements and to examine current challenges to its implementation. “We have become acutely aware from our partners and friends that human rights and those who seek to protect them are increasingly under attack,” a statement from the Catholic peace organization said. “The tireless guardians of these universal rights are faced with a shrinking space in which to do their work.” Despite the challenges, the organization said it remained hopeful because human rights defenders and people working to protect the environment and toward disarmament “remain steadfast in their nonviolent struggle.” The anniversary gave Pax Christi the opportunity to reiterate its calls to end violence and violent conflicts to stop human rights violations; eliminate nuclear weapons as a human rights issue; demand safeguards for human rights in areas in the mining of vital metal and fuels; support civil society in their nonviolence work for human rights; support the 2030 time frame for the sustainable development goals as a key factor in advancing human rights. Human Rights Day Pope Francis names women as full members of congregation for religious Pope talks with Putin about Russia’s role in Ukraine and other conflicts All of 2019 Fish Fridays Sister Josefina Pollentes Sister Thérèse Turcotte Amarjeet Sohi Archbishop Donald Bolen Georges Vanier Vatican summit	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line707
__label__wiki	0.711518	0.711518	Meet Lara and Terence Itineraries, Tours & Retreats InstagramTwitterFacebookPinterest Tsavo West Isaan Portugal Wine Regions Lower East Side Immigrant Stories at the Tenement Museum We visit the Tenement Museum in the Lower East Side of New York to learn more about the immigrant stories that have shaped the East Village and Alphabet City neighbourhoods where we’re spending our time. The multicultural make-up of the East Village and Alphabet City, our ‘home’ for two weeks on New York’s Lower East Side, is what makes these neighbourhoods so fascinating for us, so we decided to head to the Tenement Museum to better understand their history. As we explore our ‘hood, the main language we hear on the streets and in the grocery stores is Spanish. A large percentage of the local population is from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Ecuador, and every restaurant kitchen seems to be staffed by Mexicans, who chat on the pavements outside the eateries as they smoke cigarettes on their breaks. Historically, the whole area was known as the Lower East Side, or ‘Loisaida’ as the Latinos called it (a name now mainly referring to Alphabet City and specifically Avenue C), although these days the East Village (a name adopted in the counter-cultural days of the 1960s), is separated from the present-day Lower East Side by East Houston Street. We’re spending a lot of time in both areas, and in neighbouring Nolita and Chinatown, where we hear an array of Asian languages on the streets. After the languages, the next most notable aspect of the districts is the architecture, specifically, the tenement building. Punctuated as they now may be by postmodern glass condominiums and the towering low-income housing projects, the narrow nondescript brick buildings, identifiable by their rickety fire escapes, once dominated the streetscapes here. We wanted to learn more about both so we signed up for the ‘Getting By’ tour of the Tenement Museum. Tenement Museum. GTI42691 Built in 1864, the Tenement Museum is located in one of the first tenements built in New York and the only way to experience it is on one of their excellent tours. Our tour begins in the dimly lit stairwell where our guide turns off the lights – it’s pitch black! – to show us how dark it would have been before electricity was introduced. And how cramped – some 22 families lived on the five floors. Our guide points out that everything in the tenement building is the way it was in the late 1800s, from the original imitation leather wallpaper and tin ceilings, to the furnishings and personal mementoes gathered from former residents whose stories are brought to life in each apartment. Before we head upstairs to visit two apartments on the first floor, our guide gives us some background. At the time, the Lower East Side was one of the most densely populated areas on earth – 1.8 million people lived below Fourteenth Street to Chambers Street between the Bowery and the East River. Until the 1830s, the area was populated by American-born workers of Dutch and English descent, along with Irish immigrants and African Americans who made up around 20 percent of the population. Wooden, two- and three-story single-family homes, small factories, and shops lined the dirt roads, until cobblestone paving was laid in the 1850s-60s. The most notorious section of what would become one of America’s most infamous immigrant neighourhoods was the depressing ‘Five Points’, built on swampland. With the lowest rents on the island, the Lower East Side was an obvious home for new immigrants who came by the millions during the 19th century. First, Irish and German immigration soared, the latter creating a ‘Little Germany’ by 1870, then Southern Italians began to arrive, forming their own ‘Little Italy’ after 12,000 arrived in 1880 (growing to 400,000 in 1920). A Chinese community developed in response to anti-Chinese sentiment on the US West Coast, growing to 40,000 by 1940. Eastern European Jews came in 1880. An estimated 135,000 living here by 1890, increasing to 322,000 by 1915, when they’d comprise 60 percent of the population. They were the last major group to arrive before the 1924 Johnson-Reed Act set quotas favouring immigrants from northern and Western Europe. It wasn’t until 1965, when immigration was liberalized that immigrants began arriving again, this time from the Caribbean and East Asia. As the ethnic make-up of the area changed, our guide tells us, so did the landscape. In the 1850s and 1860s, the wooden houses were knocked down to make way for five-and six-story tenements, built to accommodate the poverty-stricken immigrants, who crowded into the dark, dank buildings. Garment and furniture factories were built to take advantage of the cheap labour and a chaotic shopping and entertainment district developed. In 1880, elevated railways were built over Allen Street up to First Avenue and on the Bowery, adding to the bedlam. In the basement of the building, like many, our guide explains, was a ‘saloon’, and the tenants shared their putrid backyard toilets with its patrons. This included residents such as Nathalie Gumpert, whose apartment we visit. A single mother after her husband didn’t return from work one day, Nathalie brought up three children on her own (all slept in the one bed), while eking out a living as a seamstress. Many women in similar positions resorted to prostitution. She had to go downstairs to haul up coal and water for cooking, which she did in her tiny apartment, and she did washing downstairs in the backyard. Living conditions remained bleak until a photographer, Jacob Riis, took photos of the buildings, resulting in the 1901 Tenement House Act and some reforms, including the introduction of internal shafts, windows between rooms to provide ventilation and light (there was still no electricity by this time of course), and gas and water into the apartments. Conditions still remained fairly miserable due to overcrowding – one block nearby was found to be housing 2,200 residents in 1903. Following construction of the Williamsburg Bridge that year and the subway in 1904, immigrants, especially Jews, streamed across to Brooklyn. Deemed unfit for inhabitation many of the tenements were demolished in the 1920s and 1930s to clear the slums and widen streets such as Delancey to build schools and parks. Although the population declined, it still remained the island’s most densely populated neighbourhood, its chaotic streets crowded with peddlars and pushcarts – in the early 1900s, there were some 25,000 pushcarts operators! Interestingly, despite the changes in the neighbourhood, some aspects of Lower East Side life that our guide described still exist. Many tenements still house the same number of people (although now they have bathrooms in their apartments), sweatshops still exist, Asian food stalls dot Grand and Essex Streets in Chinatown, and pushcarts still dot our ‘hood, selling everything from halal food to shaved ice. The tenement building we visit was condemned in 1935, and remained empty until 1988 when the Museum took over. If you’re staying in the Lower East Side, the Tenement Museum is a must-see. And while you’re there, make time to check out the gift shop and the souvenirs I recommend. Tenement Museum Ticket Office 108 Orchard Street www.tenement.org SUBSCRIBE TO THE GRANTOURISMO TRAVELS NEWSLETTER Sign up below to receive our monthly newsletter to your In Box for special subscriber-only content, travel deals, tips, and inspiration. 100% Privacy. We hate spam too and will never give your email address away. Find Your United States Accommodation Shop for related products 2015-10-20T11:48:50+07:00By Lara Dunston\| About the Author: Lara Dunston A travel and food writer who has experienced over 70 countries and written for Australian Gourmet Traveller, Feast, Delicious, The Guardian, National Geographic Traveller, Wanderlust, Get Lost, Travel+Leisure Asia, DestinAsian, The Independent, The Telegraph, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, AFAR, Four Seasons Magazine, Fah Thai, Sawasdee, and more, as well as authored some 40 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, DK, Footprint, Rough Guides, Thomas Cook, and AA Guides. About Grantourismo Get Fuss-Free WordPress Hosting Battambang, Cambodia Pesky Details Grantourismo Travels is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. Socially Connected Web Love ALL MEDIA COPYRIGHT © 2009–2019 GRANTOURISMO \| ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DESIGNED IN APARTMENT RENTALS, HOTELS AND RESORTS AROUND THE WORLD BY GRANTOURISMO MEDIA. ASSEMBLED IN SOUTH-EAST-ASIA. GRANTOURISMO TRAVELS AND ‘MAKING TRAVEL MORE MEANINGFUL AND MEMORABLE’ ARE ™ TO GRANTOURISMO MEDIA. This website uses cookies to improve your experience, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line708
__label__wiki	0.782606	0.782606	Early Ipswich, “A paradise for politicians” By Gordon Harris on December 28, 2014 • ( Leave a comment ) Thomas Franklin Water gave us in Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony a history of the early formation of the government of the Town of Ipswich. THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR TOWN GOVERNMENT Tercentenary sign near the South Green “It was an easy matter, we imagine, for the little handful of original settlers to talk over their affairs and agree on measures of public policy. They might have gathered in a body and selected a spot for their meeting house, located the earliest roads and apportioned themselves home lots and tillage lands. The simplest form of pure democracy was adequate to all their needs; but, as their number increased, some system of representative government was found necessary. The Puritan leaders of the new settlement in Ipswich had to quickly assign lots of land, and formulate laws regarding the responsibilities of the town’s people to the land and each other. The first public official appointed was the Clerk. As the Town Record begins with November, 1634, the Recorder or Clerk had been chosen before that date. The “lot-layers” also appear at this time, a Committee to which was referred the delicate task of assigning lands. The grants, however, were determined in open meeting, and the function of the lot-layers was merely to determine locations, and fix “by metes and bounds” the lot apportioned. “The seven men” are first mentioned under the date of Feb. 20, 1636-7, but they are alluded to in such an incidental way, that it would seem that they were already an established feature of town polity. This first board of government consisted of Mr. John Winthrop, Mr. Bradstreet, Mr. Denison, Goodman Perkins, Goodman Scott, John Gage and Mr. Wade, and they were chosen to order business for the next three months. Mr. Denison was chosen to keep the Town Book, enter the Town orders, and “set a copy of them up in ye meeting house.” He was to keep a record of land grants as well, and a fee of sixpence for every entry was granted him. John Winthrop Jr. But the sturdy democracy seems to have been suspicious of detriment to its own power and dignity, accruing from the new officials, and forthwith it proceeded to hedge in their authority by ordering that “they shall have no power to grant any land in that which is commonly reputed and accounted the Cow Pasture, nor above twenty acres in any other place.” The older board of lot-layers was made to feel its subservience to the popular will, by the addition of Mr. Appleton, Serg. Howlett, John Perkins and Thomas Scott to assist them in laying out the large grants made to “Mr. Dudley, Mr. Bradstreet and Mr. Saltonstall” before the 14th of May 1637. “The seven men” seem to have become “the eleven men” in January 1637-8, but in 1639, “the seven men” reappear, and in Feb. 1640-1, their term of office is specified as six months. Mr. Hubbard, Capt. Denison, Whipple, Good. Giddings, Mark Symonds, John Perkins, and Mr. William Payne were then chosen “for the Town’s business for six months, provided that they give noe lands, nor meddle with dividing or stinting the Commons.” Thus the lengthening of the term of service was balanced by curtailing their authority in regard to lands. In 1642, further “direction to simplify the Town business” was desired, and a committee consisting of the two magistrates, the elders, Mr. Giles Firman and George Giddings was appointed “to prepare for the next meeting of the freemen, what they shall think meet for yearly maintenance and for the way of raising of it.” The “Robert Lord house” on High Street in Ipswich In Feb. 1643-4, Robert Lord was chosen by the Town, “from this time forward to be present at every general meeting of the Town, and of the freemen and of the seven men, and to record in a book what is committed to him by the Moderator of every such meeting, and to tend in some convenient time before the end of the meeting to read over what is written, and he is to have two third parts of the fines for not appearing at meetings, for this service.” He was termed Recorder, but the duties of his office were very similar to those of the Town Clerk of later days. Glimpses are had here of the rigor with which the body of voters directed its own action. In 1648, in general Town meeting, it was ordered that all the inhabitants of the Town. that shall be absent from the yearly meeting, or any other whereof they have lawful warning, shall forfeit a shilling. Robert Lord earned his two-thirds no doubt for doing his duties including ringing the bell, calling the roll, and collecting the forfeit, but twelve freemen were soon called upon to pay a fine of 12 schillings apiece for absence. The Fence Viewer In 1643, the tenure of office was extended to a year, and in 1650, the seven men were called by the familiar name of selectmen. In that year, the elective officials were Selectmen, two Constables, four Surveyors, and a Committee of Five “to make the elders’ rates,” or in plainer language, to apportion the tax for the support of the ministry. The most notable thing of all, yet surely the most natural thing of all, is that the New England settlers of the 17th Century, largely reproduced English institutions in an older shape than they knew in the England of the Seventeenth Century. They gave a new life to many things, which in their older home had well nigh died out. The necessary smallness of scale in the original settlements was the root of the whole matter. It, so to speak, drove them back for several centuries. It caused them to reproduce in not a few points, not the England of their own day, but the England of a far earlier time. The Hog Reeve Thus the government of the town was systematized gradually. Every industry seems to have been supervised by some public functionary and the climax of petty officialdom might well have been reached in 1797, when the list of officers chosen at the Town meeting included Selectmen, Overseers, Town Clerk and Treasurer, Tithing-men, Road Surveyors, Fish Committee, Clerk of the Market, Fence Viewers, Haywards, Surveyors of Lumber, Cullers of Fish, Sealers of Leather, Hog-reeves, Gangers of Cask, Sealers of Weights, Measurers of Grain, Corders of Wood, Firewards, Packer of Pork, and Cullers of Brick. Surely the thirst for public office, which afflicts every American citizen, was easily gratified. The Ipswich of the late 18th Century must have been a paradise for politicians.” Categories: Stories Tagged as: Commons, town government WWII scrap metal collection in Ipswich 1793 and 1818: the “Burden of the Poor” divides Ipswich into three towns	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line711
__label__wiki	0.899812	0.899812	Freedom’s Forgotten Front Lt. Col. Oliver North SEOUL, South Korea — Shortly before we arrived here, the Republic of Korea launched its first Aegis-class destroyer, the King Sejong. A few hours after we landed in this booming metropolis, the North Korean People’s Army “test-fired” several Silkworm anti-shipping missiles into the East Sea between North Korea and Japan. Neither event is related to our FOX News “War Stories” team being here to shoot a Korean War documentary, but surely both “launches” are connected. “In this part of the world, little happens by coincidence. We should have no doubt that the ROK Aegis launch and the North Korean missile ‘tests’ are directly related,” a senior American military officer assigned to U.S. Forces Korea told me. His view is substantiated by press reports here attributed to South Korean and Japanese intelligence sources. According to the media, Pyongyang’s missile “tests” were designed to “send a message to the government in Seoul that their expensive new destroyer is vulnerable to attack.” But that’s not how official Washington is putting it. The King Sejong, a 7,600-ton KDX-III destroyer, is South Korea’s first vessel to be equipped with the vaunted Aegis Combat System — capable of bringing down ballistic missiles. Until now, the United States has licensed this technology to only a handful of nations — the United Kingdom, Japan, Spain and Norway. According to unclassified Pentagon data, Aegis-equipped warships are able to track about 1,000 targets and attack 20 of them simultaneously. The Bush administration regards the U.S. and allied Aegis systems to be essential parts of a worldwide anti-missile defense network. The Japanese and South Koreans are both building additional Aegis-equipped vessels at a cost of more than $1 billion per copy. Given the technological and financial commitments being made by Tokyo and Seoul, the tepid U.S. response to the North Korean threat is inexplicable. “The short-range missile launches are believed to be part of a routine exercise that North Korea has conducted annually on the east and the west coasts in the past,” said a Pentagon statement. And the State Department was even more conciliatory to Pyongyang. “It’s something that they have done on several occasions,” said U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, during an Association of South East Asian Nations meeting in Manila, Philippines. Hill, it must be noted, is the chief U.S. negotiator in the so-called six-party talks with the North Koreans about their nuclear weapons program. In February, four months after the communist regime tested a nuclear weapon, Hill proudly announced that the United States, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Russia and China had all agreed that the despotic regime in Pyongyang would stop building nuclear bombs and that we would all just get along. Unfortunately, the scheme came off the tracks almost immediately — and little has been done to implement the deal. Experts we interviewed for a “War Stories” documentary on nuclear weapons estimate that North Korea already has reprocessed enough plutonium to build 10 to 12 bombs. Neither this lethal material — nor any of North Korea’s nuclear sites — has been open to international inspection. The State Department’s infatuation with talk for the sake of talking is evident in Hill’s assessment of the consequence of the North Korean missile test: “I know that it will not affect the six-party talks.” Meanwhile, here in South Korea, more than 34,000 U.S. military personnel are serving as guardians on freedom’s forgotten front. Many are veterans of service in Iraq and Afghanistan, and most are serving a 12-month tour far from home, family and friends. While the diplomats ponder what a North Korean missile test may or may not mean, these young Americans and their Republic of Korea counterparts have to face reality across the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea. Within 60 miles of the DMZ, Pyongyang has stationed more than 1.2 million active-duty military personnel, 1,600 aircraft and 700 ships, including the world’s largest submarine force. According to the Strategic Digest posted by U.S. Forces Korea, “more than 250 long-range artillery systems are within range of Seoul from their current locations.” Add to that at least 600 SCUD ballistic missiles capable of delivering chemical or biological warheads anywhere on the peninsula and it’s easy to see why the South Koreans decided to build Aegis-equipped warships. Is it too much to hope that our State Department would take the threat just as seriously? Disturbing TV Violence, Unchecked Snow Tells Barletta to ‘Take A Look’ Written By Lt. Col. Oliver North Oliver North is the host of "War Stories" on Fox News Channel, the founder and honorary chairman of Freedom Alliance, and the author of "American Heroes in Special Operations."	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line716
__label__wiki	0.595766	0.595766	Remembering a victim of The world must never forget the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Lawrence Provost As September 11 approaches, it is important to remember the people responsible for the tragedy. This remembrance not only keeps us vigilant in the face of real, existing evil, but also reminds us to celebrate the decency and goodness that exists in America. Andrea Haberman was one of those people. She was never brought up to hate. Andrea loved life and she loved people. Hers is a life to remember. Andrea was brought up in the rural American Midwest, a place many of us think of as storybook, ordinary America. Andrea�??s first job was working for her parents in their restaurant. She went to a Catholic college where she majored in psychology and where she met her fiancé. After graduation, Andrea took a job with Carr Futures. At first, her work was difficult, but she toughed it out and earned promotions along the way. Andrea got engaged to her college sweetheart in the summer of 2001 after, unbeknownst to her, her fiancé asked permission of not only her parents, but of her little sister and grandparents. They all gave an enthusiastic yes. Everything was planned. Andrea and her fiancé bought a house in Chicago. Though her wedding was not until September 2002, almost everything was in place a year before. Andrea�??s wedding dress was bought, the bridal party was set, and the invitations were ready to go. There was no greater time to be alive. Andrea was asked to go to a business meeting in New York at the World Trade Center. She didn�??t want to go to New York. In middle school, Andrea had written a paper about the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center and how much she felt for the victims of that attack. Her teacher remembers the paper to this day. Yet, Andrea said yes to taking a trip to the place she had written of years before. Being the type of person she was, Andrea went to cover for a co-worker who was not able to go. Andrea was set to go to New York on Monday September 10, 2001. Her baggage was checked in Chicago, and though nervous about the trip, she pushed forward. Some things started happening- her first flight was cancelled. She stayed. Her second flight was cancelled. She stayed again. Her third flight would not get her into New York until late. She elected to go because her bags had already gone on to New York. Andrea took the third flight and arrived in New York late on the night of September 10. She stayed one block away from the World Trade Center. Andrea’s meeting was to commence at 9 AM on Tuesday, September 11. The first plane hijacked plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. Andrea was there at 8 am and was one floor too high. The world must never forget Andrea, and we must never forget the motivations and group who were responsible. Road to Damascus Taking on career politicians Written By Lawrence Provost Larry Provost works in Washington, D.C.. He previously worked as a Capitol Hill staffer and as Director of Commuter Affairs at Liberty University after interning with The Marine Corps History Division and FOX News Channel in New York City.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line717
__label__wiki	0.76179	0.76179	May 8, 2019 / 8:47 AM / 2 months ago Saudi Arabia replaces civil aviation head amid airport delays General view of the new terminal of Jeddah airport, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia September 19, 2018. Picture taken September 19, 2018. REUTERS/Stephen Kalin RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia replaced the head of its civil aviation authority on Wednesday, after lengthy flight delays at domestic airports disrupted journeys at the start of a busy annual travel season. A royal decree appointed Abdelhadi al-Mansouri president of the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA), which oversees airport operations across the country. His predecessor was sacked in January. Local media reported cancellations and delays of up to 11 hours over the past five days as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan began, with many people making pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina or visiting family in other cities. Disgruntled travellers took to social media to complain. A photo of an information board at Riyadh airport showed delays on almost every domestic route, and a video showed scores of people crowded outside a state-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) ticket office. One passenger told Reuters that delays on Saudia had forced him to re-book on a different airline two days later. Another traveller said she saw no delays or crowding by Wednesday morning when she flew out of Riyadh with another carrier. Saudia, which seemed to have most of the delays, called them “exceptional” and attributed them to “unusual operation conditions”. A GACA spokesman told Al Arabiya television that weather conditions and technical faults were to blame. GACA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the flight delays and the personnel change. Reporting by Mohamed El-Sherif in Cairo and Marwa Rashad in Riyadh; Writing by Stephen Kalin; Editing by Leslie Adler and Alison Williams	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line722
__label__cc	0.655045	0.344955	Let every person subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (Romans 13:1) As we inaugurate the 45th President of the United States, I’ve been thinking about our concept of separation of church and state. Sometimes I hear this interpreted to mean we are to be free FROM religion, which to my thinking was not the original intent. Sometimes we interpret this to mean the government has no business meddling with people’s religious practices, but the church should be free to meddle in the government. A little research on the subject led me to an excellent article by Dr. Ellen Holmes Pearson, Associate Professor at University of North Carolina. The First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This did not come out of a vacuum, as anyone who paid any attention at all in history class knows. Five hundred years ago this very year the Reformation started an avalanche of change throughout the Western world. The Holy Roman Catholic church began to splinter into dozens and dozens of different new denominations. It seems to be lodged deep with the human DNA to start something new whenever differences of opinion cannot be resolved. So it was that England became an Anglican dominated country for reasons that I will cover in some future blog. But not everyone in England thought that was much of an improvement on the Roman Catholic Church. Such folks sorted themselves into two additional groups: The Puritans who thought the situation could be salvaged with some radical changes and the Separatists, aka Pilgrims, who thought it was hopeless and distance was the only solution. As the Separatists and Puritans emigrated to the new world, they wanted to make sure no government told them how/when/where they had to worship. However, that only applied to them. Other people who came along shortly after their foothold in the New England were expected to fall in line with their way of expressing their freedom of religion. Roger Williams was banned from the Massachusetts Bay for his religious beliefs, which differed from these freedom-of-religion-seeking leaders. In 1636 he went off to found Rhode Island where people of all religions were welcome. The same principle applied in Maryland where Lord Baltimore drafted the Maryland toleration Act in 1649 giving those colonists the right to worship as they pleased. The idea also took hold in Pennsylvania, founded by William Penn in 1681. People were welcome to worship in their own way, but only Anglicans and Quakers were eligible for political positions. According to Dr. Holmes Pearson the term “separation of church and state” first appeared in an1802 letter Thomas Jefferson sent men affiliated with the Danbury Baptists Association of Connecticut. Jefferson wrote religion is “a matter which lies solely between Man & his God” and government ought not have influence over opinions.” He further wrote the legislature should “make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.” Jefferson introduced the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom in 1779, which became law in 1786, thus separating that state’s government from any established church and asserting a person’s religious opinions were not the business of the government. Given the amount of energy we devote to both religious and political issues it occurs to me this issue is still of great importance to us. And, we’re still sorting out what that means for our every day actions. However we interpret that concept, we are free to pray for one another and the future of our country – at least in the privacy of our own homes and worship centers. That seems like a very good thing to do as we inaugurate the 45th President of this great experiment in democracy with promises of liberty and justice for all. Dear God, grant wisdom, compassion, courage, and a sense of cooperation and collaboration to all those we elect to govern us and those we select to lead our faith communities. Amen. ← My New Year’s Non-Resolutions Dance to the Music → Cynthia Vold Forde Signing up!	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line725
__label__cc	0.745436	0.254564	Pittsburg State University Selects Oracle Applications Cloud to Modernize Human Resources, Financials, and Planning and Budgeting Oracle Higher Education Cloud Offers Modern, Stable, Scalable, and Collaborative Platform for Lower Total Cost of Ownership ORACLE OPENWORLD, SAN FRANCISCO and EDUCAUSE, INDIANAPOLIS—Oct 28, 2015 In recent years, the requirements of public higher education institutions have changed drastically, increasing the pressure to modernize their IT and human resources (HR) systems. To help meet these challenges with a modern and scalable platform, Pittsburg State University selected Oracle Higher Education Cloud, part of Oracle Applications Cloud, including Oracle Human Capital Management (HCM) Cloud, Oracle Financials Cloud, and Oracle Planning and Budgeting Cloud. Pittsburg State University was faced with disparate, aging tools, requiring it to rely on manual processes that made it difficult to easily view data across all of its systems. After evaluating several solutions, across all needed functions (HR, finance, and budgeting and planning), Pittsburg State University selected Oracle Higher Education Cloud, including Oracle HCM Cloud, over solutions from other competitors because it is the strongest combined solution, offering the university a reliable and flexible platform for the future. Establishing a long-term favorable total cost of ownership (TCO) is crucial for public universities, and Pittsburg State University selected Oracle Higher Education Cloud in part because it offered lower TCO versus other solutions it reviewed. “Public universities are faced with increased and far more diverse requirements than even just a few years ago,” said Angela Neria, Chief Information Officer, Pittsburg State University. “It was crucial to Pittsburg State University to have a modern platform in place to help us address new challenges, keep costs low, and deliver flexibility as modern education continues to change. Oracle’s commitment to both higher education and the cloud—coupled with strength across multiple functions—made it the right choice for us.” Pittsburg State University, located in the southeast corner of Kansas, is the home of more than 7,000 students and 850 benefit-eligible faculty and staff, including student employees, and has approximately 1,800 total employees, each of which will use the new cloud-based platform. “Oracle Applications Cloud will enable Pittsburg State University to meet the needs of today’s modern campus by delivering the scalability, functionality, and flexibility it needs to support operational excellence and student success now and into the future,” said Cole Clark, global vice president, Education and Research, Oracle. “Pittsburg State University realizes how important its employees are to its future and decided to modernize its digital workforce’s time more efficiently and accurately while at the same time providing new ways to attract and retain its talent, improve workforce performance, increase employee engagement, and impact bottom-line results for the university,” said Chris Leone, senior vice president, Applications Development, Oracle. Oracle Cloud delivers the industry’s broadest suite of enterprise-grade public cloud services, including data as a service (DaaS), software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS). To learn more about HRchitect and how we can help your organization and your Human Capital Management (HCM) technology needs, please visit www.HRchitect.com. As the leader in HCM Systems strategic consulting, we offer end-to-end HR technology consulting services focused around strategic planning, evaluation and selection, change management, implementation, project management and ongoing support of HCM systems of all types including Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Learning Management, Workforce Management, Benefits, Core HR/Payroll, and more. After more than 18 years in business working on over 2100 successful engagements for more than 1000 clients of all sizes and industries across the globe, our experience is vast. We have expertise around all major HCM systems including IBM Kenexa, Oracle, Taleo, WorkForce Software, Ultimate Software, Saba, Benefitfocus, SumTotal Systems, SAP, SuccessFactors, Lumesse, PeopleFluent, Cornerstone OnDemand, Infor, and more. HRchitect is a name you can trust for all of your organization’s HCM technology-related consulting needs. Press releases posted on HCM Tech Vendor News are provided to HRchitect by the technology vendors and posted by HRchitect as a service to our readers.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line726
__label__cc	0.5786	0.4214	whatshot Featured donut_large Topics domain Companies donut_large Markets Investor TV is part of the Think Digital Group. The new rate regime challenge for financial advisors Share a link to this video The new rate regime challenge for financial advisors Edward Kerschner, CFA, Chief Portfolio Strategist I think financial advisors are facing what, for many of them, is going to be the biggest challenge of their career, what we call the new rate regime. I think we're entering a period of normal and we've just been through a period that has been extremely abnormal, in terms of interest rates. Interest rates have been coming down for four decades. And as you know, when rates go down, bond prices go up a little bit. But when rates are high and go down, it's great, because you get your 10% or 8% or 6% yield plus a little gain. All you had to do was you had to play duration, right? You made close to 8.5% a year for about four decades…1981 to 2017, return from the 10-year Treasury, 8.3%. Thirteen years of double-digit returns, four years over 20%, only five negative years.1 So all you really needed to do is be long-duration.2 And you could buy a cheap solution and you could have been a hero. But in the new rate regime where it's, rates aren't going to go down 500 or 600 basis points, because they're not…and look at 3%, you can't go down 600 basis points. So I think as advisors you're going to have to depend upon the other factors that drive return in the bond market. So I think you're going to have to use solutions that incorporate more than duration. Which is what most of us debate today, "Gee, do you think there's duration risk? How much duration risk is there?" When, in fact, there's duration risk and opportunity, but there's also credit, there's also FX currency, there's also inflation. And I think you're going to have to be using more sophisticated solutions. Look, the return from the Agg, 98% of it's duration.3 And going forward, duration's not going to be the total source of return in the bond market. Duration, credit, foreign exchange, inflation: multi-factor solutions that you didn't have to use, I think you're going to have to use to generate returns for your clients. The views expressed are as of December 2018, may change as market or other conditions change and may differ from views expressed by other Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC (CMIA) associates or affiliates. Actual investments or investment decisions made by CMIA and its affiliates, whether for its own account or on behalf of clients, may not necessarily reflect the views expressed. This information is not intended to provide investment advice and does not take into consideration individual investor circumstances. Investment decisions should always be made based on an investor's specific financial needs, objectives, goals, time horizon and risk tolerance. Asset classes described may not be suitable for all investors. Past performance does not guarantee future results, and no forecast should be considered a guarantee either. Since economic and market conditions change frequently, there can be no assurance that the trends described here will continue or that any forecasts are accurate. There are risks associated with fixed-income investments, including credit risk, interest rate risk, and prepayment and extension risk. In general, bond prices rise when interest rates fall and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer term securities. 1 U.S. 10-Year Treasury bond returns, 1981-2017. Source: Bloomberg, Columbia Threadneedle Investments. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. 2, 3 Return from the Agg is 98% duration (interest-rate risk): Source: Blackrock Solutions, Columbia Threadneedle Investments, as of 12/31/18. Based on the risk composition of the index. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. The Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index (U.S. Aggregate) is a broad-based benchmark that measures the investment grade, U.S. dollar-denominated, fixed-rate taxable bond market. The index includes Treasuries, government-related and corporate securities, MBS (agency fixed-rate and hybrid ARM pass-throughs), ABS and CMBS (agency and non-agency). It is not possible to invest directly in an index. A basis point is 1/100th of a percent. Investment products are not federally or FDIC-insured, deposits or obligations of or guaranteed by any financial institution and involve risks, including possible loss of principal and fluctuation in value. Securities products offered through Columbia Management Investment Distributors, Inc., member FINRA. Advisory services provided by Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC. Columbia Threadneedle Investments (Columbia Threadneedle) is the global brand name of the Columbia and Threadneedle group of companies. ©2019 Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC. All rights reserved. 2408147 Many financial advisors are facing the biggest challenge of their career: the new rate regime. In this more challenging investment environment, Ed Kerschner tells advisors, you’ll need more sophisticated solutions to help clients reach their goals. Contact your Columbia Threadneedle Investments representative at 800.426.3750 www.columbiathreadneedle.com/us Columbia Mortgage Opportunities Fund Diversify to defend against portfolio drawdowns Columbia Overseas Value Fund Columbia Select Large Cap Value Fund Investing for Income: Fixed Income Edition Investing for Income: Equity Edition Twin Deficits: Trade and Budget Capital Markets Outlook Looking Ahead: Three Market Scenarios 5 Things You Should Know about Convertible Securities Professional Perspective: Encouraging Clients to Stay Invested Columbia Dividend Income Fund	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line728
__label__cc	0.51217	0.48783	TelevisionGame of Thrones Varys Isn't Betraying Westeros, He's the Only One Trying to Save It Filed to: last night's watchFiled to: last night's watch last night's watch We’ve long seen Varys as a schemer, willing to do anything and betray anyone to secure power for himself. But, as we saw in the latest episode of Game of Thrones, Varys might be the only one doing something right. In “The Last of the Starks,” Lord Varys and Tyrion Lannister wax poetic in Dragonstone’s throne room about committing treason against Daenerys Targaryen. Now that Varys and Tyrion know Jon Snow is actually Aegon Targaryen—and Daenerys is about to butcher all of King’s Landing—Varys thinks it’s time to “Queenslay” the Mother of...well, I guess there’s only one dragon now. Tyrion insists that Dany is still the right choice to be the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. This speaks to his fear of being proven wrong about the only person he’s ever truly believed in, given how he’s spent his life being told he’s a failure who trusts the wrong people. But, unlike Tyrion, Varys doesn’t hesitate over the notion of turning against Dany. If Daenerys isn’t right for the job, he’ll find someone who is. This might seem shocking, another example of Varys being untrustworthy. But Varys isn’t a schemer, only using chaos as a ladder. He genuinely believes in the work he’s doing. In his time at court, Varys has seen the rise and fall of many rulers, like the Mad King, Robert Baratheon, Joffrey, and Tommen. And now, Daenerys Targaryen. And in that time, Varys has never shied away from turning against those rulers, once he thought their interests weren’t serving his own. The Man Behind Game of Thrones’ Languages Taught Us to Say ‘Release the Snyder Cut’ in High Valyrian We all know that one of Game of Thrones’ favorite phrases is “fuck off,” but we haven’t heard it… So, what are his interests, exactly? He clearly has no loyalty toward any one man or woman. What we’ve heard him say over and over again is that he’s looking out for “The Realm.” However, that phrase means different things to different people. Varys himself has debated this several times now: This was actually the fourth time (at least) that we’ve seen Varys debating someone else in a throne room about the nature of authority, destiny, and leadership. He verbally sparred with Petyr Baelish and Oberyn Martell in front of the Iron Throne, and has discussed Daenerys’ shortcomings with Tyrion at Dragonstone...twice. For folks like Oberyn and Tyrion, as well as Daenerys, the Realm is an archaic power structure where nobility is assured. It’s what they were born into, believing they were more worthy than others for nothing more than their family name. However, self-starters like Littlefinger and Ser Bronn—who commented on this very issue during his chat with Jaime and Tyrion—the Realm is total bullshit. It’s a series of fables created by conquerors to try and erase the awful deeds they’ve done. However, this is not what Varys believes. For him, the Realm is not a fairy tale, nor is it a caste system where legacy breeds legacy. The Realm is his life’s purpose, the one thing he truly believes in. A world where the people have a leader they can trust, someone who’s earned their place on the throne. In the season three episode “And Now His Watch Has Ended,” Varys told Tyrion his origin story. As far as we know, he was telling the truth, though sometimes it’s hard to tell with him (some still believe he’s secretly a merman). Varys grew up as a slave in Lys. He started as an actor before being sold to a sorcerer, who brutally and painfully castrated him for a spell, and left him to die in the slums. However, thanks to his willingness to do anything to survive, Varys made it out (when many others did not) and grew to a position of great power. Varys is Westeros’ ultimate self-made man: He even makes a point of telling Oberyn he’s not actually a lord, people just call him that out of politeness. Since then, Varys has dedicated his life, and his secrets, to helping “the people.” Wanting to make sure no one has to suffer at the hands of selfish rulers like he did. He employs children as his “little birds,” which might seem a little harsh, but they would otherwise be starving in the streets. He’s tried to protect women like Ros and Shae from situations where they’d be abused (even though in both situations he failed). He even safeguarded the children after the wights emerged from their crypts during the Battle of Winterfell. He cares about those in need. It’s one of the reasons why he was drawn to Daenerys. She was the Breaker of Chains. She believed in freedom, and he believed in her for it. Game of Thrones' Ultimate Battle Was Incredibly Epic, But Not Quite Perfect After all these years, the White Walkers and their army arrived at Winterfell, where the amassed… Sadly, every ruler he’s served under has eventually failed to live up to his standards. Robert was a terrible king. Joffrey was sadistic and cruel. Tommen was easy prey to those who yearned for power. And Daenerys is falling into bad habits, repeating her father’s mistakes. For comparison, during the events before Robert’s Rebellion, Varys tried to get the Mad King to pardon Ned Stark’s brother, Brandon, who had raised concerns after Rhaegar had “kidnapped” Lyanna. However, the Mad King instead killed him...later burning Brandon and his father in wildfire. Samwell Tarly might sympathize with that situation. This could mean that Varys’ standards are unrealistic, or selfish, and that he’ll always find a reason to move on to his next target. But, I think he honestly believes he’ll one day find the right ruler for Westeros, one who will be there for “the people,” like him. Unfortunately, I don’t think that ruler exists. Not even Jon Snow, who was so “beloved” his own men murdered him. As long as Westeros is ruled by one fallible, imperfect human, Varys’ dream is impossible to achieve. I’m just waiting for the day Varys realizes that democratic rule is a valid option, and the whole Iron Throne comes crashing down. But until then, Varys will keep trying. For the good of the Realm. In the game of thrones, you die...or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. When that day comes, you can bet Varys will be there, once again, ready to replace you. Game of Thrones Stories Turns Out Game of Thrones' Dragons Are Kinda Weaksauce Game of Thrones Enters Its Endgame, and the Slaughter Is Only Beginning Game of Thrones Accidentally Leaves Modern Coffee Cup on Table, Inspires New Meme Whoops, Game of Thrones Allegedly Leaked Again George R.R. Martin Gives a Quick Update on the Game of Thrones Spinoffs That New Jon Snow Theory Sucks, and Here's Why io9 Digs Into Game of Thrones' Epic But Murky Battle of Winterfell How Game of Thrones' Azor Ahai Prophecy Could Still Be Fulfilled These 3 Characters' Destinies Were Finally Fulfilled During 'The Long Night'	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line729
__label__cc	0.529541	0.470459	Michael Kovacs Michael founded Harvest Portfolios Group Inc. in 2009 and is a 30 year veteran of the Investment management business. Since 1991 he has held senior management positions with 4 companies. From 2002 to 2009 as Managing Director of Sentry Mutual Funds and Senior Vice President of Sentry Investments. He was a Vice President with Guardian Capital Group from 1991 to 1995, Vice President of National Sales with AIC Funds from 1995 to 2000 and Vice President of Distribution with ING Funds from 2000 to 2002. Michael began his career as an Investment Advisor and for seven years managed money for individual investors. He is a strong believer in providing individuals with Investment products that have long term fundamental mandates and portfolio transparency. Michael has been featured in the Globe & Mail, National Post and BNN. Michael is also the Chairman of the Board for Harvest. Mary Medeiros Chief Operating Officer & Director Mary is a founding member of Harvest Portfolios Group, having played an integral role in setting up the firm’s operations in 2009. Initially, as Vice President of Operations, Mary oversaw the successful growth of the firm’s operations, systems, administration and key service provider relationships since inception. Ms. Medeiros has over 25 years of Industry experience and managed national administration and sales systems for a Canadian Mutual Fund company and Branch operations for an Investment Dealer. She was licensed as an advisor in 1997, working directly with retail investors until joining a Canadian Investment Fund Manager in 2000. Mary serves on the Board of Directors. Daniel Lazzer, CPA, CA Daniel joined Harvest in 2013 and serves as the Chief Financial Officer. Prior to his current position Daniel was Vice President of Finance from March 2013 to December 2014. Previously, Daniel spent over 12 years in public accounting and close to 10 years with Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP (PwC) in the Audit and Assurance practice. For over half of his tenure at PwC he specialized in the investment management industry where he provided audit services to a diverse client base which included mutual fund companies, asset managers, hedge funds and brokers. Prior to this he serviced various clients in the consumer products and real estate industries. Daniel was also actively involved at PwC through instructing educational programs for partners and staff. Daniel holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the Schulich School of Business at York University and is a Chartered Accountant. Paul serves as the Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager for Harvest. Paul joined Harvest in January 2013 as Vice President of Investments and previously had over 15 years experience in the investment business. Paul was Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Creststreet Asset Management where he was responsible for the management of portfolios with a focus on the Canadian and resource markets and was involved in developing several closed end and tax efficient fund structures. Paul also spent five years at a Canadian investment management firm where he focused on specialty tax investments and was the lead manager of an award winning Canadian natural resource fund. Paul spent three years as an investment associate with a major North American investment firm. Paul obtained a Bachelor of International Finance degree from Griffith University in Australia and holds a CFA charter. David Balsdon David joined Harvest in January 2015 and brings over 25 years of experience through a progressive career in the investment fund management business. Prior to his current position, David was Vice President of Compliance from January 2015 to September 2015. Prior to joining Harvest, David has held positions of Chief Operating Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, Secretary-Treasurer and Director at two investment management firms. During his career, David has worked in the areas of operations, financial reporting, compliance, client service and fund product development. David has spent time sitting on investment fund industry committees and boards of investment funds in various capacities. David has successfully completed senior Canadian Securities Institute courses such as the Partner, Directors and Officers Qualifying Exam and the Chief Compliance Officers Qualifying Exam. Caroline Grimont Vice President Marketing Caroline Grimont is the VP of Marketing at Harvest Portfolios Group, responsible for overseeing the planning, development and execution of the firm’s marketing and advertising initiatives. Caroline has an extensive international background, with over 20 years in Asia, Australia, USA and Europe. A veteran of the financial services industry, Caroline has served as SVP Marketing & Sales for Excel Funds Management Inc (acquired by Sun Life Global Investments), and Head of Business Development at OANDA Corporation, an internet-based foreign exchange trading platform. She was the Publisher & Executive Director of The Asian Banker (Singapore). She is fluently bilingual with extensive experience in the investment & financial services industries; and a successful history of managing sales and marketing teams. Caroline holds a Master’s Degree in International Economics from the National University of Singapore, a Bachelor of Finance (First Class Honors) degree from University College Dublin, and the Canadian Securities Course. Erin Marof, CPA, CA Vice President Finance Erin joined Harvest in September 2018 as Vice President, Finance bringing over 25 years of experience in financial services including 20 years at a privately held investment management firm. Erin brings an operational perspective to accounting, financial reporting and tax compliance for Harvest and its investment funds, responsible for accounting, valuation and continuous disclosure requirements. Erin has participated in various industry committees throughout her career including IFIC, PMAC and the OSC Investment Products Advisory Committee. Erin is a CPA, CA, having earned her work experience as an auditor with KPMG. She is also a graduate of McMaster University where she earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line732
__label__cc	0.630417	0.369583	← 17th Century Fart Jokes Politics vs. Principle: Export-Import Bank Edition → The big regulatory news from last week was the publication of the semiannual Unified Agenda, which lists most upcoming regulations from rulemaking agencies at various stages of the regulatory process. It is one of the most important transparency tools we have for keeping an eye on new regulations, which may explain why it was published just as people are getting ready for the long Memorial Day weekend, and why the user interface is surprisingly difficult to use for such a simple document. Take a look at the Unified Agenda here, and you’ll see what I mean. Last week, 49 new final regulations were published in the Federal Register, after 46 the previous week. That’s the equivalent of a new regulation every three hours and 26 minutes. So far in 2015, 1,166 final regulations have been published in the Federal Register. At that pace, there will be a total of 2,944 new regulations this year, which would be several hundred fewer rules than the usual total of 3,500-plus. Last week, 1,780 new pages were added to the Federal Register, after 1,333 pages the previous week. Currently at 29,819 pages, the 2015 Federal Register is on pace for 75,301 pages. Rules are called “economically significant” if they have costs of $100 million or more in a given year. Nine such rules have been published so far this year, one in the past week. The total estimated compliance cost of 2015’s economically significant regulations ranges from $1.36 billion to $1.44 billion for the current year. 98 final rules meeting the broader definition of “significant” have been published so far this year. New blood transfusion rules. Often, legal cases involving regulatory agencies are not heard in courts of law. They are instead held in the agencies’ own in-house courts, with their own judges and their own procedures. While we’re sure this couldn’t possibly bias proceedings in the government’s favor in any way, the Labor Department has nonetheless updated some rules for its in-house courts. An update to citable legal authorities for Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Revisions to sanctions against Russia related to certain events in Ukraine. The Personnel Management Office revised its health reimbursement program for federal employees. The federal government runs a Biomass Crop Assistance Program. The Social Security Administration has new criteria for evaluating cancer. Two new regulations for preventing collisions at sea. New labeling requirements for tenderized meat.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line739
__label__cc	0.554858	0.445142	Jack Fisher's Official Publishing Blog Tag Archives: awkward teenagers Should Teenagers Be Allowed To Use Sex Robots? There are certain products and activities that society prohibits from teenagers. For the most part, there’s a reason behind that. Teenagers are young, inexperienced, and not mature enough to handle certain things. It’s not an insult, although I don’t blame any teenager for taking offense. It’s just an acknowledgement that most young minds aren’t ready to process the adult world. That said, things get exceedingly tricky when sexuality enters the picture. Unlike smoking, drinking, or wanting to drive a car, sex is an innate desire that every teenager is wired to seek. You don’t need peer pressure, subversive advertising, or heavy metal music to make a teenager think about sex. Chances are they’re already thinking about it. For parents and teenagers alike, it makes for many awkward conversations. Pictured are two people who do NOT want to have that conversation. Thanks to the hormonal onslaught of puberty, a teenager’s sexuality is often in a state of chaos. They have thoughts, feelings, and desires they don’t entirely understand. Their bodies are changing and they’re just trying to keep up. On top of that, the most common refrain from parents and teachers is to repress all those feelings and shame anyone who doesn’t. It’s an awkward situation, to say the least. I’m not a teenager or a parent, but I think most would agree there’s a lot of room for improvement. Improving comprehensive sex education, providing accurate information, and helping teenagers develop a mature understanding of sexuality will go a long way towards this effort. These are all things we can and should be doing now. However, what happens once sex robots enter the picture? It’s a serious question. While I’m sure it’ll elicit awkward laughter from some, I believe this issue is worth contemplating. As I’ve noted before, sex robots are coming. I know that’s a poor choice of words, but it’s true. Some models are already available for purchase. While nobody will mistake them for actual people, the fact you can buy one today shows the market is there. Sex still sells and, like cell phones before it, the technology will improve. Even if we’re decades from something as lifelike as the model in “Ex Machina,” we’re not that far from something that provides realistic sexual experience. While there will be plenty of adults who celebrate this technology, as well as a few who condemn it, what will it mean for teenagers? Will they be allowed to legally purchase sex robots? Even if they cannot purchase one, will they be allowed to use one? If not, then how will we go about policing it? These are relevant questions and the answers don’t entirely depend on logistics. As I noted before, society prohibits teenagers from doing all sorts of activities. There are legitimate legal, social, and even medical reasons for these prohibitions. There are serious, long-term harms associated with teenagers who smoke and drink alcohol. For a healthy society, these prohibitions make sense. With sex, it’s a lot trickier. While there is some research to indicate that viewing pornography affects teenage sexual behavior, it’s not as conclusive as the harms of drug addiction. Some of those harms have more to do with stigma and poor sexual education than the content itself. Once sex robots enter the equation, though, things get even more complicated. Porn, for all its quirks and kinks, is a fantasy on a computer screen. A sex robot is a tangible, human-like figure that people can interact with. On top of that, if the robot has a human-like measure of intelligence, it can also provide a realistic sexual experience that the user can share. Robot or not, this experience can be as intimate and satisfying as anything someone might experience in their personal life. For teenagers, as well as their parents and teachers, this creates both opportunities and risks. Let’s say, for instance, that sex robots are legally accessible for any teenager who wants one. These robots look and feel like any other person. They have a measure of intelligence that allows them to interact and form healthy, beneficial relationships with teenagers. In this environment, every teenager has a sexual outlet, no matter how awkward or unattractive. They have a sex robot who can provide them companionship, teach them about their sexuality, and even help them learn what they want in an intimate partner. Maybe they even help teenagers struggling with their sexual orientation gain a better understanding of who they are. Since these are robots, the risks of pregnancy and disease is not an issue. If these robots are sufficiently intelligent, they’ll be capable of guiding teenagers through their sexual maturation, regardless of gender, orientation, or disposition. Instead of hearing some teacher or parent just lecture them on all these awkward issues, they have a chance to experience it first-hand. For parents, I imagine I’ll still be distressing to think about their teenage son or daughter having sex of any kind. Whether it’s with a person or a robot, it’s going to cause plenty of stress. That’s unavoidable, no matter how much the technology matures. At the same time, sex robots could ultimately be the safest and most satisfying way for a teenager to learn about their sexuality. The ultimate sex ed teacher. All that said, there are risks. In a perfect world, sex robots would ensure that every teenager navigates their adolescence with the benefit of a fulfilling, mature understanding of sexuality. Everyone from the most attractive athlete in high school to the ugliest kid in neighborhood enjoys intimate, satisfying experiences through these sex robots. Sadly, we don’t live in a perfect world. There’s certainly a chance that sex robots could lead to potential harm, which would only be compounded for teenagers. In some situations, sex robots could cause certain individuals to dissociate themselves from other flesh-and-blood people. They may ultimately prefer the company of their sex robot over anyone else, including close friends and family. This could lead to an entire generation of men and women who reject relationships with non-robot partners, intimate or otherwise. They would see sex with other people as this needlessly complicated, needlessly risky endeavor that offers few benefits. Beyond stagnating the population more than it already is, it could make people more distant from one another than they already are. On top of that, there could be issues with the sex robots themselves. Ideally, every sex robot would be calibrated to foster healthy attitudes towards sex, intimacy, and relationships. Since computers are rarely perfect and prone to glitching, it’s a given that a sex robot will malfunction at some point. What will that do to the teenager who uses it? In that case, a faulty sex robot fosters some very unhealthy attitudes in a young, impressionable user. If it’s not caught in time, this person could grow into someone with a very skewed understanding of sexuality. That already happens today with teenagers who are poorly educated on sex. With sex robots, the problems could escalate quickly. Then, there are the parents, teachers, and authority figures themselves. This is one aspect of sex robots that might be the most difficult to contemplate. It’s easy to imagine a scenario where the adults of the world decide that teenagers shouldn’t use sex robots for the same reason they shouldn’t smoke cigarettes. That may just be the path of least resistance at first. Where would you put the warning label? At the same time, it’ll be adults who program, sell, and regulate sex robots. Who’s to say that they’ll do so in a way that has the best interests of teenagers in mind? If anything, people will be more tempted to use sex robots to exert a measure of control over teenagers that even more powerful than controlling their cell phone. Perhaps parents in religious communities configure sex robots specifically designed to mold their teenagers’ sexuality to their liking. That means anything that may involve homosexuality or bisexuality would be strongly discouraged, shamed, or conditioned. The harm that would do to a teenager is difficult to quantify, although we do have some clues. There could also be parents who don’t have healthy attitudes about sexuality themselves. Perhaps parents in abusive relationships program a sex robot to reinforce those relationships to their children. From their perspective, they’re not trying to harm or mold their teenager’s sexuality. They’re just conveying what they think is normal. The (possible) future of normal. There are probably plenty more risky scenarios I could contemplate. I’m sure those reading this have already imagined a few that I cannot put into words. Whatever the possibilities, the question remains. Teenagers are already thinking about sex. In every generation in every time period, part of being a teenager means contemplating sexuality and dealing with sexual urges. It’s impossible to overstate just how impactful sex robots will be to society, sexuality, and how people relate to one another in general. Like it or not, teenagers will be affected. Sex robots can certainly do plenty of good. For some, they may be therapeutic. For others, they’ll be disruptive. For teenagers, it could be all of that and then some. It’s difficult to say, at this point. It’s even harder to determine whether permitting teenagers to use sex robots will do more harm than good. One way or another, teenagers will continue thinking about sex and it’s still going to be awkward for them. No amount of technology will ever change that. Filed under futurism, human nature, psychology, sex in society, sex robots, sexuality, Sexy Future Tagged as abstinence only, abstinence only education, adolescence, awkward teenagers, comprehensive sex education, emerging technology, future of humanity, future of sex, future of society, future society, future technology, futurism, human sexuality, law, puberty, robotics, robots, sex, sex dolls, sex education, sex in society, sex industry, sex robot ethics, sex robot laws, sex robots, sexiness, sexuality, sexy, sexy robots, teen angst, teen issues, teen sex, teenage sexuality, teenagers, youth culture, youth issues How “The Society” Humanizes Teenagers In A Refreshing (And Overdue) Way As someone who hasn’t been a teenager for many years, I admit I have some unflattering perceptions of that demographic. Ask anyone over the age of 30 what they think of teenagers today and chances are you’ll hear more than a few complaints. They’re too obsessed with their phones. They’re too emotionally fragile and prone to outrage. They’re too entitled, coddled, and sheltered from the real world. You’ve probably heard those rants before and not just from Fox News. With those stereotypes in mind, imagine what would happen if a large collection of teenagers were left unsupervised and isolated in a large area for long stretches of time. What do you think would happen? How do you see that playing out? Something like this, probably. I don’t deny that I’d make some unflattering assumptions such a scenario. I would fully expect that they act erratically and irresponsibly. I would also expect for them to falter emotionally if left alone for too long. Having lived their whole lives within some system of authority and supervision, I wouldn’t expect them to function for very long on their own. It’s those very assumptions that that “The Society,” a very binge-worthy Netflix show, dares to challenge. This thriller/mystery/drama is one of those shows that has all the right ingredients to play up every tired trope that teen-centered television show has explored for years. That was certainly what I expected when I discovered the show. I freely admit that those expectations were wrong. The premise of “The Society” is built around a strange mystery that “Lost” fans should appreciate. One day, a large contingent of high school students get on a bus and leave the affluent New England town of West Ham for a 10-day camping trip. For reasons not yet revealed, the buses turn around and drop them off exactly where they picked them up. Upon returning, these teenagers find out that all the adults in their town are gone. Near as they can tell, everyone just picked up and left. To further compound the mystery, they find out that all the paths leading out of the town have become dead ends. There are no neighboring towns to visit. As far as they know, there’s nothing but endless forests in every direction. It’s genuine mystery with distressing implications. While the specifics are only partially explored in the first season, the mystery is only part of what makes the “The Society” such a compelling show. It doesn’t just put a bunch of hormonal, irrational teenagers in an enclosed area and let the drama tell the story. The show dares to humanize teenagers in a way that is exceedingly rare in a TV show. By that, I’m not just referring to a handful of character that are well-developed and fleshed out. While there are certainly plenty of those in this show, it approaches how teenagers conduct themselves with more balance and nuance. It even makes the case that, in dire situations, they can come together and cooperate as well as full-fledged adults. In the beginning, that’s not immediately apparent. When they all return to West Ham and find out the adults are gone, they react the way most would expect of decadent, hormonal teenagers if they were left unsupervised all night. However, the extent of their decadence never goes beyond a certain point. To a point, being the key term. Sure, many drink, they dance, and they hook up. A few just go home and turn in for the night, thinking nothing is amiss. They don’t do anything too outrageous, though. In essence, they conduct themselves the same way most single adults would if they knew there were no police or authority figures to stop them. After that first night, though, things start getting serious. These teenagers, who still come off as kids in the first few episodes, realizes that something has gone very wrong. Their parents are gone. The adults are gone. Their entire town is completely cut off. They have no connection to the world beyond their town. They have a finite supply of food and little experience in terms of governing themselves. It’s a scary situation. Some handle it better than others, but a few start to crack under the pressure. For some, especially Campbell Eliot and Lexie, the situation reveals sides of their personality that probably wouldn’t have otherwise emerged. That tends to happen with most people in extreme circumstances, but being a teenager tends to raise the stakes even more. The fun and games quickly end. People start getting hurt. There are even a few deaths, which has a significant impact on everyone in the town. It sends a clear, unambiguous message. This isn’t just about hanging in there until their parents find them. They have to survive and they can’t do that unless they work together. On paper, it sounds like it can only end in disaster and it certainly comes close, especially towards the end of the first season. Again, these are teenagers. Most people don’t expect them to function beyond a certain point. While “The Society” doesn’t strip away everything in the mold of “Lord of the Flies,” it removes enough to make the situation dire. They still have electricity, running water, and shelter. However, their food supply is finite and there’s a distressing lack of expertise in everything from basic medical care to fixing a car. In order to survive, they must create a system of governance to keep the peace. If they don’t, then everybody suffers. This is where “The Society” really shines, both as a story and as a concept. It’s also where it explores how teenagers, despite their maturity and lack of experience, can come together when they have to. They’re not perfect, but neither are experienced adults. They do find themselves in painful, heart-wrenching situations that include murder, illness, and despair. However, things never totally fall apart. To anyone who has ever tried to explain student loan debt to a teenager, it almost seems absurd. The idea that a bunch of unsupervised teenagers can somehow form a functioning society just doesn’t fit with the common narrative surrounding teenagers. In that narrative, things always tend to devolve until the adults return to impart the proper amount of discipline. Look at any movie, sitcom, or rowdy music video and the themes often come back to teenagers being out of control and needing the discipline of responsible adults. “The Society” makes the case that teenagers can become responsible on their own, albeit after some setbacks. There are still many factors working against them. We’ve yet to see what happens to the citizens of New Ham, as they dubbed it, when the food runs out and they have to start farming the land. We also haven’t seen them endure a harsh New England winter. However, “The Society” never gives the impression that these young people are incapable of overcoming these challenges. By the end of the first season, it’s easy to root for them. The emotional toll is palpable and so are the difficult decisions that many end up facing. Over the course of the show, however, it’s easy to see the progression that they all experience. It’s hard to even see them as teenagers anymore. Some conduct themselves as true, full-fledged adults. While the mystery surrounding “The Society” is still unfolding, complete with fan theories and potential clues, the show’s approach to depicting teenagers is its greatest accomplishment in my opinion. If there is a second season, I’m definitely interested in seeing how these characters and their over-arching story progresses. I doubt “The Society” will change anyone’s current attitudes of teenagers. There will surely be other shows and movies that double down on the many stereotypes surrounding them. If nothing else, “The Society” shows that teenagers are capable of carrying a story without adults complaining about them. Filed under human nature, philosophy, psychology, television Tagged as awkward teenagers, deviance, drama, functioning society, healthy society, Netflix, Netflix Shows, rowdy teenagers, social issues, social psychology, society, sociology, teen drama, teen melodrama, teenage culture, teenage sexuality, teenagers, television, The Society, The Society Netflix, The Society Season 1, The Society Spoilers, Thriller, TV, TV Shows, youth culture, youth issues Lessons From My First (Failed) Crush Being a teenager sucks. Unless you’re a star athlete, an attractive cheerleader, or the child of a filthy rich celebrity, there’s a high probability that you’ll be overwhelmed by the experience. Some people handle it better than others. I can say without question that I was not one of those people. If I were to get a grade on how I handled being a teenager, I probably would’ve gotten a C-minus at best. As rough as it can be, you can learn a thing or two during your teenage years and I’m not just referring to the awkward changes that come with puberty. We don’t have much choice in how our bodies mature with age, but we do have a choice in how we handle the harsh lessons that come our way. In the interest of sharing some personal insights, which I’ve done before, I’d to revisit a lesson I learned about love. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I think it’s fitting. Those lucky enough to have a special someone to spend the day with probably had to endure plenty of hardship to achieve what they had. I’m not afraid to admit that I envy those people. However, seeing as how I am such a romance fan, I’m not bitter. Why else would I spend so much time writing sexy novels and sexy short stories? That said, there’s a difference between being a fan of romance and actually pursuing it. That was part of the lesson I learned with this particular incident. It occurred right around the time I started high school, which was already plenty miserable for me. I’ve already gone on record as saying how much I hated high school and those first few years were some of the worst. There were, however, a select few reasons that made high school worth going to back then. One of those reasons was the first girl I ever had a serious crush on. It’s almost as corny as it sounds, but I won’t apologize for it. I was a lonely, miserable teenager who was just starting to develop a terrible acne problem that would plague me for the next five years. I wanted to connect with someone. On top of that, I was a closeted romance fan. I genuinely wanted to seek the kind of love that I saw in comics, TV shows, and movies. I wanted to be part of my own love story and when I saw this girl, I felt like she could be part of that. I know that sounds like the musings of a love-sick teenage boy who listened to one too many boy bands, but that’s how I felt. I still remember the first, last, and middle name of my first crush. Out of respect, I won’t share it. For the sake of keeping this story coherent, I’ll call her Angela. Without getting too descriptive, I’ll just say she was cute in a way that would always brighten your day. It doesn’t matter if you lost a fight, failed a mid-term, and got detention. One smile from Angela was enough to make everything in your world feel right. I know that’s melodramatic. Again, I was a goddamn teenager who had read too many comics and watched too many movies with romantic sub-plots. That’s just how my brain was wired and the added effects of male hormones didn’t help. All I knew was that I had a crush on this girl. What I didn’t know was how to act on it. This is where I learned a couple critical lessons. The first, and most obvious, realization I had was that my social skills sucked. It’s not just that I was socially awkward. My conversation skills for people outside my immediate family were awful. I struggled to get a conversation going. I struggled even more to keep it going. If I talked long enough, I would often say something stupid. One time, I was sitting next to this girl in a science class and I just blurted out that I tried cat food once. I don’t know how or why I admitted that. It wasn’t even true. All I know was the girl just looked at me weird for the rest of the day and I honestly don’t blame her. I already knew this about myself before I met Angela. As a result, I avoided talking to her at first. We initially met when we got paired up for an English assignment. I thought we got along well. I managed to work with her and not say anything too stupid. While I did learn she had a boyfriend at the time, she actually told me that it was not going well and they were definitely breaking up. At the time, I thought that was a sign that maybe we had something. Looking back on it, I’m pretty sure she was just venting about her own personal issues. I just happened to be there to listen at the time. In my warped teenage brain, though, that was proof that I wanted to pursue this girl. I just didn’t know how and that’s when I learned a few more harsh lessons. Chief among them was that if you’re really interested in someone, you have to be mindful of how you show that interest. If you’re not careful, it can come off as creepy and pathetic. For me, I don’t think I was creepy, but I was definitely pathetic and no woman finds that attractive. I know because it took me almost a year after meeting her to make a move. I’d shared a few classes with her. She knew my name and I knew hers. I’d been friendly with her and she’d even been friendly with me a few times, but I was so shy and awkward that I really didn’t give her a reason to see me as more than just a casual acquaintance. To make matters worse, my way of telling her I had a crush on her didn’t involve a difficult, face-to-face conversation. It involved me leaving a folded-up note in her locker with my email address written on it. Yes, I knew exactly where her locker was. I also took the time to slip it in when nobody else was there to see me. I admit that’s both creepy and a little pathetic. For that reason, and probably others I’ll never know, she didn’t respond. I didn’t hear back from her and, at the time, that was genuinely heartbreaking. It ended making me more reserved and more socially awkward. High school was bad enough with hormones, homework, and acne. My first crush wanting nothing to do with me only made it worse. That’s not to say I never heard from Angela again. About two years later, shortly after she moved away, I actually got an email from her. However, it did not lead to the epic love story I had hoped. It was a very short, very messy email. She just said that she got the note and thanked me for it. I told her who I was and she said she remembered me, but not much else came from it. While not romantic, it still taught me one final lesson that ended up being the most important. When it comes to looking for love, you can’t go about it as though it’s story in a novel or movie. Love in the real world doesn’t work like that, especially with awkward teenagers. You actually have to work on talking to people, building connections with them, and giving them reasons to love you. I never gave Angela enough reasons. I never even showed her that I was someone worth loving. I’d worked under the assumption that if I were just a nice, caring guy that the girl of my dreams would fall for me. That may work in cheesy sitcoms, but not in real life high school. Some of these lessons took a long time to appreciate. It wasn’t until after college that I could look back on my experience with Angela with a more balanced perspective. I honestly wish it hadn’t taken so long. My social skills are still behind the curve. I feel like I held myself back for years, in terms of being a romantically desirable man, and I’m still trying to catch up. While I’m in a much better place now than I was back in high school, I’m glad I went through that difficult experience of my first failed crush. Even though it took me way too long to learn from that failure, it offered insights that are more useful today than it ever was during my awkward teen years. In terms of a first crush, I like to think I got lucky with Angela. She was sweet, caring, and understanding. She didn’t judge me for my social ineptitude or my terrible acne. I don’t blame her for not feeling the same way about me as I did about her. I just wish I’d handled it better. One day, I believe I’ll find someone who will be as attracted to me as I am to her. When that day comes, I’ll be ready and that’s thanks in part to the lessons I learned by having a crush on Angela. While I doubt I’ll ever see her again, I’ll always be grateful to what she taught me about what it means to craft romance in the real world. Filed under Jack Fisher's Insights, romance, sex in society Tagged as awkward teenagers, being a teenager, being in love, failed romance, falling in love, first crush, high school, Jack Fisher, Jack Fisher Books, love, romance, teenage crush, teenage romance, teenagers What I Wish I Learned In Sex Ed I like to think I had a good education in sex growing up. I grew up in an area that heavily promoted comprehensive sex education and did not solely rely on telling horny teenagers to abstain. On top of that, my parents were very upfront and transparent on sexual issues. They did not lie to me and they did not avoid the issue whenever I asked them questions. In that sense, I consider myself luckier than most. I’ve heard way too many horror stories about kids getting a form of sex education that’s downright damaging. At the same time, there are some things I wish my teachers and parents had taught me. I feel like it would’ve saved me a lot of stress, confusion, and uncertainty later on in life. While some things can only be learned through experience, I think in matters of sexuality, insight goes a long way. It’s one of the few acts we’re biologically wired to seek. Even if we find something out on our own, we’re not always going to understand it and that often means making flawed assumptions. That can make things awkward, to say the least. What follows is a list of minor, but relevant aspects about sex that I wish I’d learned more about growing up. Some of these issues are things my teachers probably couldn’t have mentioned in a health class without getting into trouble with parents, but that’s exactly why they’re worth putting out there. I think these are conversations worth having with young people, especially as we enter a new sexual landscape. Number 1: What Orgasms Are And How They Differ With Gender Looking back on my experience with sex education, this feels like the biggest oversight. I learned about male and female anatomy. I learned about pregnancy, contraception, and diseases. I even learned a little about healthy relationship skills. At no point in any of these discussions did orgasms come up. While I knew what they were, no teacher ever said that word or even hinted that they were a normal part of sex. They either avoided the issue or pretended it didn’t exist. They described sexual function the same way my biology teacher described how animals digest food. This led me to wonder that adults were hiding something from me and my peers. Later on, as I learned more about sex outside of school, it gave the impression that adults just didn’t want to tell young people about things that felt good. Never mind that orgasms have a lot of health benefits and are a great way for a couple to bond. Not even mentioning them just sent too many mixed messages that only get more mixed over time. Number 2: Feeling Horny Is Natural (And Not An Affliction) This was especially common in middle school. Granted, most teachers said that thinking about sex is natural. However, actually wanting it might as well have been the same as wanting to steal a car. In any case where someone might have wanted sex outside of marriage, it was framed as something deviant and wrong. Again, this was not a religious school. This was a secular public school in a community that was not overly-religious. Even so, every health teacher gave the impression that being horny was no different than having a violent impulse to choke kittens. I’m thankful my parents did plenty to counter that, but it did leave me feeling more stressed than I already was as a teenager. Number 3: The Sex You See In Porn Isn’t “Real” Sex Most reasonable adults understand that the sex they see in porn isn’t supposed to mirror actual sex. That kind of sex is designed to be shot, edited, and exaggerated for erotic effects. The problem is that too many reasonable adults, some of which teach health classes to teenagers, assume that only adults are watching porn. I knew what porn was when I was a teenager. I knew how to access it. Everyone in my class knew as well and anyone who claimed they didn’t were liars. While there were discussions about sex in the media, it never got beyond things like body image and peer pressure. They never actually explained to uninformed teenagers that porn is not a good representation of what sex is. For men who think they’re supposed to hump for 40 minutes straight and women who think they have to hiss every half-second, it’s an important tidbit that’s worth sharing. It also doesn’t help that porn does a terrible job of depicting romance. Just a simple explanation at how exaggerated it was would’ve gone a long way towards developing a healthy understanding of what non-pornographic sex was. Number 4: Not Having Sex Isn’t The End Of The World This issue is similar to the issues associated with the DARE program that tried to convince teenagers to not do drugs. That program not only doesn’t work. It gave me and my peers a very flawed image of drugs for years to come. The way my health teachers talked about sex wasn’t much different. Beyond skipping the joys of orgasms, they often described sex as this scourge that was spreading disease and misery to countless teenagers. If you weren’t doing it, then something must be wrong with you. At the time, I already had severe self-esteem issues that were compounded by a terrible acne problem that made me feel ugly and unloved. While no teacher ever said that people who don’t have sex are somehow flawed. They only ever framed people who didn’t have sex as safer and less likely to get diseases. That’s not the same as saying it’s okay, it’s not the end of the world, and it’s actually pretty common. That revelation may not seem like much now, but at the time, it would’ve made a world of difference. Number 5: Sex Can Be Emotional, Intimate, And Fun This is a bit more personal for me because I was a closeted romance fan. I’d been a romance fan before I was a teenager and once sex entered the picture, I knew there was a link. My health teachers just did a terrible job of explaining it. They talked about sex as though it was just a formality, like a wedding or a tax refund. Romance and intimacy never entered the picture. Sex was either just a small part of human reproduction or this dangerous thrill sport on par with juggling chainsaws while wrestling a hungry grizzly. There was no emphasis on intimacy, romance, or just the fun of it all. Couples do have sex for fun. There’s nothing wrong with that. My own parents even told me that. My health teachers, on the other hand, gave the impression they were completely unrelated. Number 6: Some People Are Just Wired Differently For Sex This may have been a product of my own teenage angst more than anything else. The way my teachers talked about sex made it seem as though everyone had this scary creature lurking inside them and a good chunk of our lives are spent keeping it at bay. Everyone had to do their part to tame their sexual demons. There was no way around it. However, that’s not how peoples’ sex drives work. Some people just aren’t that sexual. They don’t get as horny as the average people. When they do, the things that satisfy them are wildly different than the things that satisfy others. Some people have elaborate kinks. Some are happy with a quickie in the shower twice a year. This idea that everyone has their own sexual makeup wasn’t even hinted at. It made it seem as though everyone in the world, myself included, had the same sexual proclivities. Even though we can’t agree on gods, the afterlife, or pizza toppings, we’re all somehow in agreement on this. I know it sounds like common sense to an adult. To a teenager, it framed the world in a strange, overwhelming way that I could’ve done without. Number 7: Not Every Woman Goes Crazy On Their Period I know people don’t like talking about women’s bodies, especially when it comes to that time of month. They’ve been taboo for centuries and for a long list of frustrating reasons. When young men learn about what women go through during pregnancy and menstruation, though, they get the impression that their hormones turn them into meth addicts in withdraw. Having grown up in a house with multiple women, sharing a bathroom, and just being around a lot of women in general, I know that most women don’t radically change when they’re on their period. Some do have issues. Most are understandable, treatable, and not a reason to fear an entire gender. In the sex ed I got, I had multiple male teachers joke about how glad they were to not have to deal with periods. These teachers were married, by the way. It made me wonder whether they knew when to leave town or sleep in the basement during certain times of month. It also made me wonder if the women in my family were different because they didn’t seem to go crazy every month. There’s certainly room to talk about women’s issues during sex ed, even among teenage boys. However, a little perspective would’ve gone a long way. It made being around girls more awkward than it already was. I was a teenager. There’s only so much awkwardness I could handle and I handled it poorly. I’m not saying better sex ed would’ve fixed everything, but it sure would’ve helped. Filed under gender issues, Jack Fisher's Insights, men's issues, sex in media, sex in society, sexuality, women's issues Tagged as abstinence only, Advocates for Youth, awkward teenagers, biology, education, female anatomy, female orgasm, health, health class, high school, higher education, human anatomy, human biology, intimacy, love, male anatomy, men's issues, middle school, orgasms, parenting, public education, religion, romance, sex, sex and religion, sex ed, sex education, sex in media, sex in society, sexism, sexual education, sexual feelings, sexual freedom, sexual function, sexual health, sexuality, sexy, teen angst, teen drama, teenage sexuality, teenagers, women's issues, youth issues What “Big Mouth” Gets Right (And Wrong) About Puberty When you’re a platform that has created shows like “House of Cards” and “BoJack Horseman,” the bar for quality is higher than most. That’s the benefit/burden of being successful. Say what you will about how Netflix has evolved over the years, it has produced some amazing content in an age that some call the third golden age of TV. Then, there are shows like “Big Mouth.” I’m not saying that Netflix is lowering the bar for the sake of balance, but I’m still struggling to make sense of this show. When I heard about it, especially with comedian Nick Kroll attached to it, I hoped I had found another show to pass the time in between seasons of “BoJack Horseman.” I’m won’t say I was disappointed, but I do feel like I took the quality of Netflix content for granted. I’m not going to say that “Big Mouth” is a bad show, but I won’t make excuses for it. It’s the kind of show that goes out of its way to be crude for all the wrong reasons and not in the traditions of “South Park” either. It doesn’t go for the cheap laugh or even the mid-priced laugh. It’s a show that just goes out of its way to sensationalize teenagers going through puberty. On paper, it sounds like a great concept. Going through puberty is wrought with all sorts of craziness, some funny and some embarrassing as hell. I’ve shared some on this blog, including a story about the most awkward boner I’ve ever gotten. “Big Mouth” tries to extract humor from similarly awkward situations. It takes a lot of swings and it misses a lot of pitches, but it does manage to hit a few balls here and there. Yes, I also mean that in a literal sense. This show does resort to that kind of humor. It may not be the kind of high-concept insight you get from an episode of “Rick and Morty,” but it does at least try to send a message about the horrors of puberty. Even if the product is crude and exceedingly exaggerated, that message is relevant, so much so that it’s worth talking about. I honestly didn’t expect to write about “Big Mouth” in any capacity, especially when writing about sexy memories from my college years is so much more interesting. However, after gritting my teeth and watching the show, I feel the horrors of puberty are worth talking about, especially with ideas about toxic masculinity being so prevalent lately. “Big Mouth” doesn’t attempt to wade too deeply into those kinds of issues. It’s too crude and too crass a show to even attempt that kind of commentary. However, it does do a good job at showing just how powerful and, at times, overwhelming that flood of hormones can be to a young person. For some, it’s downright traumatic. Throughout the show, the main characters, Nick Birch, Andrew, Glouberman, and Jessi Glaser, are often hounded by literal manifestations of a monster that personifies their hormones. It’s never clear whether the monster is invisible or not, but this creature basically says everything the FCC won’t allow teenagers to say out loud. For the boys, the monster is named Maurice and his advice usually amounts to things like, “Go ahead and jerk off!” or “Look at her tits!” or “Too bad, buddy! You’re getting a boner!” I’m not going to lie. That monster kind of triggered some awkward moments from my teenage years where I found myself thinking thoughts too crude, even for my novels. The girls aren’t spared from that awkwardness either. There’s another hormone monster every bit as crude, but reserved for female characters. Her name is Connie and she embodies all the alpha bitch, hyper-feminine extremes that Sam Kinison ever joked about. She’s emotional, dramatic, and demands that every female character be confused or overwhelmed by her body. That’s basically puberty in a nutshell. In a sense, “Big Mouth” is unique in its balanced approach to showing how boys and girls both struggle to endure puberty. That’s rare in most coming of age stories that either focus on horny guys trying to get laid or bitchy girls trying to get popular. This show doesn’t give a pass to either gender. This is what “Big Mouth” actually gets right about puberty, to some extent. It’s not just overwhelming and frustrating for one gender. The male experience is unique. They have to deal with constant erections and that annoying voice in their head urging them to think dirty thoughts about anything that even looks like a beautiful women. Since I’m a man who has more than his share of bad memories from my awkward teen years, that’s a sentiment I can appreciate. However, it’s the female perspective in “Big Mouth” that I found most intriguing. The idea that girls are just as freaked out about the changes in their bodies, minds, and everything in between shouldn’t be such a novel concept, but this show goes out of its way to belabor it. Now, I don’t know for sure that the girls I went to high school with had an actual hormone monster on their shoulder, telling them to cry irrationally at a moment’s notice or lash out at anyone who dared to look at them the wrong way. It’s just somewhat refreshing to think that teen awkwardness knows no gender. If gender balance is a strength in “Big Mouth,” though, it’s biggest weakness is portraying how the characters deal with it. The show is so over-the-top with the extremes of puberty that it’s hard to glean a meaningful story from it all. It’s not just that puberty takes the form of actual hormone monsters that sound like uncensored commentary from a bad porno. It’s not that the show makes puberty sound overly traumatic either. There’s never a sense that the characters, even Jessi and Nick, actually grow through the experience. That’s kind of a big oversight with puberty. From a purely biological standpoint, puberty is the maturation of a child into adulthood. That maturation part is never even hinted at in the show. After watching the first season of “Big Mouth,” it’s hard to imagine any of the characters involved growing into functioning adults. In the real world, puberty tends to bring out the best or worst in a person. If someone starts becoming an asshole in puberty, they usually stay that way into adulthood. If someone shows an ability to deal with it and grow, as a person, then they’re usually in good shape. It can even get pretty hilarious when both kinds of people have to deal with one another. Unfortunately, we don’t get that with “Big Mouth.” I won’t go so far as to say the show is terrible. It does have its moments and some of those moments are genuinely funny or insightful. It is, as the end of the day, an overly comedic take on the rigors of puberty. It doesn’t try to be coy or deceptive. It doesn’t try to use colorful metaphors involving flowers or cucumbers. It gets right down the dirty, gritty details. I can see the show appealing to those who suffered more during puberty than most. I can even see the show appealing to “South Park” and “Family Guy” fans. It’s hardly a guide or a warning with respect to the rigors of puberty, but it reflects a common truth. Being a teenager sucks and puberty is a big reason why. Filed under gender issues, Marriage and Relationships Tagged as adolesence, awkward teenagers, Big Mouth, coming of age, growing up, high school, human sexuality, Netflix, Nick Kroll, puberty, relationships, romance, sex, sexuality, teenage romance, teenage sexuality, teenagers Support this blog and all my sexy publishing efforts by donating to the following link: Jack’s Sexy Novels Child of Orcus The Escort and the Gigolo The Final Communion The Secrets of Sadfur Island Holiday Heat Passion Relapse Rescued Hearts Follow Jack Fisher's Official Publishing Blog on WordPress.com Jack Fisher’s Weekly Quick Pick Comic: Age Of X-Man Omega #1 Daily Sexy Musings: Intimate Echoes Jack Fisher’s Sexy Sunday Thoughts: Cold Drinks And Hot Days Edition “The Open Road” A Sexy Short Story About Summer Vacations Jack Fisher’s Twitter Feed Jack Fisher's Official Publishing Blog · The official blog for books by Jack Fisher	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line740
__label__cc	0.720184	0.279816	« What’s wrong with this picture / Cherchez l’erreur West Coast Tiki bar roundup » Jim Thompson : The Killer, or not? [FR : Si t’aimes les polars, il est impératif de découvrir Jim Thompson, écrivain vachement noir et nihiliste. Je note quelques livres avec des étoiles.] Jim Thompson, who wrote most of his crime novels in the 1950’s and early 1960’s, is in the news again with the release of a film based on The Killer Inside Me. I discovered him only recently, but he is one of my favorite writers. At his best, he truly shines. He tells a good story and tells it well, while simultaneously conveying his views on society. His unvarnished disgust for humankind, his immorality, his nihilism, his desire to provoke with sex, violence, or anything else close at hand, are forerunners of Last Exit to Brooklyn or A Clockwork Orange. Ahead of his time, he lampoons Americans’ hatred of non-whites, progressives, communists, the working class, the poor, unions, women, educated people, and so forth. Your best bets, out of the 7 novels I’ve read, are: Pop. 1280 (1964) * (and absolutely see the film, Coup de torchon (1981) ) The Grifters (1963) (I have not seen the film (1990)) The Killer Inside Me (1952) * I will not waste your time with superlatives. If you don’t like these 3, there is nothing I can do for you. For the record, here are some minor works of his, with reasons not to read them. After Dark, My Sweet (1955) 1/2 You may be attracted by the exploitation-style title that has nothing to do with the book. There are some classic Thompson themes: the story is told from the point of view of a mentally-ill guy who gets in far over his head when he meets an evil chick (of course) who wants to take advantage of him to carry out a kidnapping. It’s pretty good, but goes slowly at times. The film was made in 1990. The Getaway (1959) A rather lightweight Bonnie and Clyde on-the-run tale without too much depth or character development; it’s mainly a long chase. Ends with an unexpected, surreal purgatory scene. Not bad, but why not read a better one? I am curious to see the film (1972) starring Steve McQueen. A Swell-Looking Babe (1954) 1/2* I saw this one for $3 and bought it by reflex. I did not heed the very important clue on the cover: when the reviewers’ quotes only talk about the writer and do not talk about the book itself, it means that they couldn’t find any positive reviews of the book. Even though it is part of the publisher’s “Crime Masterworks” series, it’s a loser, attempting to combine a sexy chick, the incest theme from The Grifters, the “sickness” theme from The Killer Inside Me, and a gangster story, but winding up rather bland and directionless. I respect that Jim was trying to make his rent and couldn’t always come up with something brilliant. Sorry. Roughneck (1954) 1/2* A biography that covers Jim’s life up until 1942, when he published his first novel. It is notable for his tight, clean writing style, and for fans to have some insight on the origins of a man who wrote such amazing nihilist fiction. Basically this is a Grapes of Wrath type story of a guy caught in the Great Depression, and his fight to survive on a daily basis. Each chapter recounts an anecdote. I can imagine that Thompson was unbeatable at cocktail party conversation. But this book is weak compared to his works of fiction. Filed under: arts, cinéma, literature \| 1 Comment One Response to “Jim Thompson : The Killer, or not?”	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line747
__label__wiki	0.750689	0.750689	Jason in Hollywood's Article Archive Fall fashion and fragrance billboards from around ... Returning TV show billboards filling the skies of ... Debuting Fall season TV billboards invade L.A. in ... Drinks and lifestyle billboards around L.A. in Sep... Cool movie, music and video game billboards around... Oops! I've signed up for the Vancouver Marathon 20... Halloween costume inspiration from previous West H... Boating around Newport Beach Harbour... Candy for your eyes with Cosimo Cavallaro's Jelly ... Fall fashion and fragrance billboards from around L.A. in September 2013... Amongst all the new fall season TV billboards, you also would have seen a parade of fall fashion this past month. Here's a collection of the latest stylish fashion, footwear and fragrance ad creatives lining L.A.'s skyline in September. Fashion billboards Possibly my favourite ad campaign of the season has been Jimmy Choo's fall/winter offering, featuring the A-List Hollywood starlet Nicole Kidman looking edgier and more striking than ever. These ads for the designer footwear and accessories brand continue to make a fashion statement around L.A. this month. Speaking of shoes, Aldo continues to give their all with a new series of cool ad creatives. This month supermodel Kate Moss was back in the skies along the Sunset Strip in some thigh high boots for Stuart Weitzman. L.A.'s skies were also fashionably invaded in September by some New York brand's, including Kate Spade's latest handbags and fall/winter looks. Considering it's still scorching hot here on the West Coast, it's nice to see that this model isn't all bundled up for winter yet. Another New York clothing line gracing Sunset Boulevard was Donna Karan, who had this much more seductive ad creative. And speaking of seduction, Gucci's latest billboard added a rich and fierce statement to the Strip this month, just in time for the start of party season. Meanwhile Hale Bob continued to show off their fresh looks for fall with this very autumnal and chic looking ad creative. And Banana Republic looked to the past to remind people of their heritage, founded in San Francisco in 1978. Plus Gap continued to get back to basics with another creative in their Back to Blue fashion story, this one spied across from their Hollywood & Highland store. They quickly followed that campaign with their latest cute creative in black and white for their Baby Gap range. Also in a mono creative, The Wanted's Max George and swimsuit model Hannah Davis got comfortable on the sofa for Buffalo: David Bitton Jeans. And Christy Turlington showed she still had what it took to be the face and body of Calvin Klein's underwear, 25 years and two children after her original campaign for the designer brand. Fragrance billboards For fragrance, Burberry Brit Rhythm was the new scent on the scene with this cool ad design (these fashion brands certainly do like black and white photography at times), featuring the model drummer from These New Puritans to give it a rocker edge. Meanwhile male model Paul Kelly brings the handsome in this fun new creative for the new Very Perry fragrance from Perry Ellis. And finally actress Natalie Portman may be moving with her family to Paris, but she's back to grace the skies of the Sunset Strip with this unobstructed Miss Dior fragrance billboard. As you can see there have been lots of new fashion billboards in September and the promise of more to come in the weeks ahead. Be sure to return next month for even more fabulous ad creatives. Until then check out Daily Billboard every day for the freshest looks... Posted by Jason in Hollywood at 12:01 AM 0 comments Labels: billboard advertising, billboards Returning TV show billboards filling the skies of L.A. in September 2013... I love every new TV season, not only for the fab new shows and returning series, but also the amazing imagery that the channels and networks use to tempt you to watch their offerings. With a constant supply of freshman challengers coming every season, it makes it even more difficult for shows already on the air to hold onto their audiences, so they have to work all the more harder to capture your imagination for subsequent seasons. TV billboards American Horror Story has produced eye-catching imagery from the first year the anthology horror series debuted in October 2010, but this latest promo poster for the third season of the show, Coven, is my favourite so far and quite possibly the best ad creative of the entire fall TV season. If you like this supernatural white serpent creative, be sure to also take a look at this equally arresting human voodoo doll billboard for American Horror Story: Coven, which if you hadn't guessed is all about witches and dark magical forces this season. Another favourite billboard this fall is for the returning fourth season of The Walking Dead, which continues to keep 'Rick Grimes' as the focal hero of the atmospheric creative, plus hints at the defenses of their prison sanctuary coming down (with the zombie horde not too far behind no doubt). If you're a fan of the ratings winning cable show, be sure to check out these previous season billboards for The Walking Dead (especially now that a spin-off series in the same universe has been announced). After the explosive events of the season two finale, Homeland returns for a third season of terrorism and further craziness. My only hope is that the series doesn't descend into too many shock tactics to keep audiences watching, otherwise the show could start to unravel and become utterly unbelievable. Following an inconsistent first season, Revolution is back for its sophomore season and even though the billboard creative promises 'A new power lights the way', I found the first episode to be a grim affair and I really worry for the future of this post-apocalyptic series, it does not look bright. Another show returning for a second season is Chicago Fire, promising to turn up the heat on the drama and relationships of the hot young firefighters and paramedics. Meanwhile in the world of sitcoms, Zooey Deschanel is no longer the New Girl as her kooky comedy enters its third season, which after a rocky start has really found its feet (and its audience). If you're a fan of the show, be sure to check out these New Girl season one and two billboards from around the streets of L.A. and New York City. The semi-improvised comedy The League is back for a fifth season of sporting humour and also makes its move to the new FXX channel. Back for a third season of funny sketches and characters are comedians Key & Peele, who received this eye-catching special extension billboard for their returning Comedy Central show along L.A.'s Sunset Strip. Quite probably the most deranged and creepy image this month was for Adult Swim's returning live-action Southern Gothic horror series The Heart, She Holler, back for a second season. This surreal creative certainly gets you in the mood for Halloween. And this other billboard for Adult Swim is for the sophomore season of their animated show, China, IL, which is all about the 'worst college in America'. Sadly this fun 'TV sucks' creative was defaced by graffiti before I could get a better shot of it, which is a real shame. Just when you thought you'd seen the last of Danny McBride's 'Kenny Powers' he's back for a fourth and apparently final season of Eastbound & Down. The former baseball star is not content to settle in the suburbs with his family, so he's back on his quest for fame and glory, and from the looks of this giant ad creative the money, fast cars and bikini-clad women are all within reach. If that wasn't enough drama for you, in the world of reality talent competitions the original mentors of the U.S. version of The Voice are reunited for a fifth season. Cee Lo Green and a slimmed down Christina Aguilera return to join Blake Shelton and Adam Levine in the Emmy-winning singing contest, after Usher and Shakira filled in for them last season. Also returning for a phenomenal eleventh season of the daytime chat show is Ellen Degeneres, who proves you can be gay, funny, married, successful and be the idol of millions, and the world doesn't come to an end. And finally here's an Emmy consideration billboard for Jason Bateman for his role in Arrested Development, which returned for a fourth season courtesy of Netflix this year. He may not have won this year, the honour went to Jim Parsons for playing The Big Bang Theory's 'Sheldon Cooper', but it's always nice to be considered, right? If you liked all these ad campaigns for returning television series in the world of horror, comedy, thrillers and animation, be sure to check out all the new challengers to the crown in this round-up of the new fall 2013 TV show billboards. Plus stick around in the days to come for some stylish fall fashion billboards to inspire your wardrobe... Labels: billboard advertising, billboards, TV Debuting Fall season TV billboards invade L.A. in September 2013... There are so many billboards for new TV shows and returning favourite series that I've decided to split the two categories over separate posts and not break the internet with the sheer volume of ad creatives. Here's the first selection of billboards for debuting television shows, everything from movie spin-offs to thrillers, cop dramas, comedy quiz shows, talk shows and more besides. This month Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. got a super-sized boost with this giant billboard along L.A.'s busy Sunset Strip, which probably helped the Marvel movie universe spin-off series secure 11.9 million viewers for its first pilot episode. I thought Joss Whedon did a great solid job of bridging the worlds between the movies like Avengers and Iron Man 3 and episodic TV with this new super-spy series dealing with the fall-out of superheroes and alien invasions, now I'm interested to see how the resurrected 'Agent Coulson' and his Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will further expand the mythology of the Marvel live-action universe. I worried that The Blacklist would just be a rip off of The Silence of the Lambs, with James Spader's master criminal 'Red Reddington', the Concierge of Crime, being a 'Hannibal Lecter'-type character, especially as he'll only speak to new FBI profiler 'Elizabeth Keene' (played by Megan Boone) when he turns himself in. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, it totally is the same basic premise (without the cannibalism so far), but there also seems to be a bit of an Alias super spy quality to the show too, which could prove interesting. Be sure to check out Megan Boone and more celebrities taking part in the Malibu Triathlon in September 2010. Another thriller coming to our small screens this fall season is Hostages, which has this cool American flag gag creative. Toni Collette plays a surgeon whose family is held hostage by Dylan McDermott's rouge FBI agent and ordered to kill the U.S. President when she operates on him, otherwise they'll all die. Hostages sounds like an intriguing premise, although maybe a little hard to sustain beyond one season, but I'm willing to give it a try. It wouldn't be a new season without a TV remake or two, and NBC has dug into its vaults to reboot Ironside for a new generation. This time the wheelchair-bound detective is played by a black actor, Blair Underwood, and the action has moved from the streets of San Francisco to New York City, which is a shame as there are so many cop shows already set in the Big Apple. Meanwhile 2013 seems to be the year of the witch, with movies on the big screen like Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters and Oz The Great and Powerful starring magical spell casters and new TV shows like Lifetime's Witches of East End, and also the third season of American Horror Story: Coven, focusing on witchcraft and the occult. Be sure to check out even more spellbinding billboards for the adaptation of Melissa de la Cruz's Witches of East End book at my Daily Billboard blog. In addition to all the fantasy and crime shows debuting this fall, there's also a boat load of new sitcoms trying their luck. In fact, rather than give them all their own individual billboards NBC decided to lump a few of its new shows with returning favourite Parks and Recreation on the same family billboard. Later in the month due to his star power no doubt (and his wonderful profile-raising guest role on The Good Wife), The Michael J. Fox Show received it's own solo billboards (take that Sean Saves the World and Welcome to the Family). His new show with its very unimaginative title, is partly based on the actor's own circumstances, as he plays a news anchor who put his career on hold to spend more time with his family when he discovered he had Parkinson's disease. Now his character is ready to return to work, and so this sitcom really is art imitating life. Michael J. Fox was a big Hollywood star in the 80's with his Family Ties TV series and the Back to the Future trilogy and Teen Wolf movies, so if you're feeling nostalgic for those times, be sure to check out ABC's new 80's based sitcom, The Goldbergs. This family portrait creative with its matching sweaters really does evoke the time period, with its big hair and retro feel. More family comedy this season comes in the form of Dads, and this rather exasperated looking creative makes me wonder if I'll be rolling my eyes if I watch this father son sitcom. Whilst another child with a worried look on her face was Anna Faris who's starring with Allison Janney in a new dysfunctional mother daughter comedy on CBS. I watched the pilot episode and thought the show was okay, but I wasn't rolling about holding my sides either, so we'll wait and see if this sitcom survives for first round of cancellations. After Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect I can't see Rebel Wilson without smiling, so I'm more than ready to give her new sitcom a try, especially as she's the writer too. In the comedy, the recently promoted junior attorney convinces her equally nerdy friends to break from the norm and have a fun night out, rather than staying together at home, no doubt hence the title, Super Fun Night. To promote the series premiere of Super Fun Night, this billboard actually illuminates at night and neon heart-shapes appear over her breasts, which is certainly an attention grabber, so be sure to check it out in the dark at my Daily Billboard blog. Let's wait and see if this will be a Super Fun Night week after week. And comedian who likes to write and star in his own shows is Ricky Gervais, and his new series Derek has been released in the U.S. on Netflix this month (it's already aired back home in the U.K.). In his new role he plays a simple-minded careworker at an elderly home and at least this ad creative for the new show made me laugh with its matching sweater and wallpaper design. The other half of the comedy equation behind such hits as The Office and Extras is Stephen Merchant, who gets his own HBO comedy series, Hello Ladies, about a gawky single guy trying to find love in L.A. this month. It's not bad to get your own giant-sized billboard, and more smaller ones besides, for your first on screen starring role. Speaking of men dating, this new sitcom about a jilted fiancé and divorced men living in the same apartment building is my top pick for shows to be cancelled this season. We Are Men just sounds old-fashioned and stereotypical, and no amount of jumping into swimming pools looking like you're having fun is going to convince me otherwise. In an effort to attract viewers to the struggling network, NBC launched a new quiz show with the biggest cash prize in gameshow history, but apparently not even this, or host Ryan Seacrest, was enough to attract huge audiences for the 10-night event. Finally this month comedian and actor Arsenio Hall returned to host his own self-titled late-night talk show. Even though the billboard creative is eye-catching, can Arsenio really compete with all the other late-night chat shows already duking it out for rating supremacy. As you can see, there's lots of new shows starting this month and in October to try and get you watching. Not all of them will survive beyond a few episodes and even if they make a full season, their future can still be based on a flip of a coin. Be sure to check out Daily Billboard every day for all the latest new season TV billboards. Stay tuned in the days to come for more TV billboards for all the returning shows, who'll now have to work even harder to keep their audiences with all these rookie challengers vying for your precious time. Let the battle of the TV shows begin... Posted by Jason in Hollywood at 2:18 PM 0 comments Drinks and lifestyle billboards around L.A. in September 2013... Even though L.A.'s skyline has been invaded by hordes of new fall season TV billboards this month, there was still room for some fun, clever and eye-catching ad creatives for drinks, technology and lifestyle brands and organisations. Arts and exhibition billboards I couldn't resist leading with this billboard as the headline itself is an attention grabber - 'Cow poop changed LA.!' The fun ad creative is for the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and it's for their new permanent exhibition, 'Becoming L.A.', which explains how things like floods, the Gold Rush, railroads and cattle helped shape the agricultural and industrial destiny of the region. Drinks billboards On a recent visit to Venice Beach I spied these two ad creatives for Pacifico Beer which is definitely trying to target the surfer community of Southern California. I especially like this fun wetsuit wall mural which is cleverly worked into the actual window design of the building. Meanwhile Michelob Ultra went big this month on the side of the Sunset Vine Tower to assure us their beer is 'refreshingly refreshing', perfect for the hot summer months. And in the world of hard liquor, Johnnie Walker was introducing us to its premium Platinum Label whisky blend. Plus Svedka Vodka continues to roll out its new flavoured vodka varieties, including its new Citron lemon flavoured drink. If you're a fan of the brand, be sure to check out these billboards for Svedka's other flavoured vodkas. And Veev's Vita Frute ready mixed range of cocktails continued to promote its organic and low calorie credentials, as well as being easy to drink from the bottle. Just add ice to enjoy. 'Tis the season of pumpkin everything, and Starbucks is one of the major culprits of pushing pumpkin- themed drinks and treats, and apparently has been doing so for the last decade. Give it a few more months and I'm sure we'll all be sick to be back teeth of pumpkin flavoured everything, for another year at least. This month Pom, the pomegranate based juice, continued to support its new Mango, Coconut and Pineapple variants with more fun special extension billboards targeting parents of small kids and the health conscious. If you like this witty ad for Pom Hula, be sure to also check out the rest of Pom's brand extension ad campaign. And finally for the drinks category, Diet Coke was 'up for being up for anything'. But does anyone else miss the 'Diet Coke Guy' though? Technology billboards The end of September saw Apple inject a burst of bold colour into the L.A. skyline with its new ads for the iPhone 5c, which come in green, blue, yellow, pink and white (and is the tech brand's cheapest ever smartphone). Meanwhile a smartphone app that raised its profile this month was Tinder with this special extension ad along the Sunset Strip. Tinder seems to be a bit of a dating and hook up app, helping you to find casual sex partners (which sounds like the straight version of the Grindr app for gay men). O the times they are a changin. Meanwhile in the gaming market, the big news this month was the launch of Microsoft's new Xbox One games console. Let's hope the software giant has more luck with this hardware launch than they've had with the launch of their Surface tablet (which they were hoping would take on Apple's iPad), whose poor performance resulted in a $900 million loss in 'inventory adjustments', ouch. One of the problems I have with Microsoft is that their ads are always so clinical and product-driven. Where is the magic and creativity? Health billboards One of my favourite billboards in the skies of L.A. recently is this hilarious 'Not ready for parenthood?' ad creative, with its messy kid covered in spaghetti. It's a fun and not preachy way to sell a safe sex message for pregnancy prevention, and most of all it made me smile. On the other end of the scale this tangle of naked bodies also caught my eye for a whole different reason, it's a veritable smorgasbord of body parts and you're not quite sure where one ends of the other begins. This latest risqué Sexual Revolution 2 offering from AIDS Healthcare Foundation is all part of their continuing mission to prevent the spread of HIV and STDs. Miscellaneous billboards And finally these last two billboards look like the belong to the same design family, but I'm not really sure what they are for, but I like their simple and striking creatives. Are they part of an art project, or just a way for the OOH companies to draw attention to their advertising medium? Hmmm, if you know anything, do let me know more. And there you have a really eclectic collection of billboards for the month of September. Be sure to check out this month's movie, music and game billboard round-up and stick around in the days to come for more fashion and television ad creatives that have caught my eye these past few weeks. June 2019's music and film billboards entertaining L.A.'s summer skies... Summer TV billboards standing out in L.A.'s June 2019 skies... New TV show and returning favourite billboards filling L.A.'s May 2019 skies... August 2018's food, drinks, travel, health and other lifestyle billboards around L.A... Hot new Abercrombie & Fitch male model billboard on Sunset Blvd, maybe one of the best so far... May 2019's film, music and podcast billboards entertaining passersby in L.A... June 2019's eclectic mix of lifestyle billboards filling L.A.'s streets and skies... Summer movie billboards gracing the skies of L.A. in July 2014... Fashion billboards making the skies of L.A. stylish in July 2014... Stylish fashion and lifestyle billboards around L.A.'s streets in July 2013... Fall fashion and fragrance billboards from around L.A. in September 2013...Returning TV show billboards filling the skies of L.A. in September 2013...Debuting Fall season TV billboards invade L.A. in September 2013...Drinks and lifestyle billboards around L.A. in September 2013... ~ Jason in Hollywood About Jason in Hollywood Jason in Hollywood British born 40-something 'transplant' to Los Angeles, CA. Enjoys exploring L.A. with Labrador Cooper, running marathons for charity, photographing billboards, going to the movies, celebrity spotting, blogging and more besides... Jason in Hollywood Facebook Jason in Hollywood twitter Daily Billboard Blog Hollywood Movie Costumes and Props PropStore.com Costumers Guide Contact Jason in Hollywood Thanks for visiting my blog. If you have any suggestions, questions or comments that you don't want to post, feel free to email me at: jasoninhollywood@hotmail.com © Jason Morgan, 2008-2019. 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__label__cc	0.652985	0.347015	« How to Begin? On consciousness and foot massage Thank you Jill » Down to the bottom dollar Posted by jembendell on August 27, 2006 In the next couple of months I’ll be adding some material from the past 3 years of pre-blog-life that’s still relevant (or so I think). The following features me in the Sydney Morning Herald squaring up to strategy guru CKP … kinda. Pub: Sydney Morning Herald Pubdate: Wednesday 27th of April 2005 Edition: First Down to the bottom dollar, by Wendy Frew As big companies look for ways to sell to developing countries, Wendy Frew asks if they’re doing right by the poor. NEELAMMA, from the town of Kuppam in south-east India, is one of the US computer giant Hewlett-Packard’s least lucrative customers. But she has become one of its most valuable customers in terms of public relations. The 27-year-old rents a digital camera and printer from the company at market rates, and makes a living charging about 90 cents to take pictures of fellow villagers. Although Neelamma is from one of the poorest regions in the world, she is presented as the future of Hewlett-Packard’s revenue growth. “Neelamma joined the HP Village Photographer program in India, using a solar-powered HP camera and printer to record events in her rural community and take photos for a government program,” its promotional material says. “She has expanded her work, ultimately doubling her family’s income.” Neelamma and 4 billion people like her are the target of a Hewlett-Packard division called “Emerging Market Solutions”, which recognises developing regions “as one of the most significant business growth opportunities of the 21st century”. The 10 biggest of these emerging-market countries spent nearly $US77 billion ($99billion) on computer equipment in 2003. IT sales growth averages 12 per cent in these economies, compared to 5 per cent in developed countries. Elsewhere in India, entrepreneurial villagers can rent a Hewlett-Packard “Digital Rural Theatre”, with a video projector, DVD player and speakers, to show movies in local neighbourhoods. Poor communities can also buy cheap wireless computers that use “cantennas” – antennas made of discarded tin cans – to cut costs. Other multinational companies are following suit. Hindustan Lever, the Indian subsidiary of the world’s largest whitegoods maker, the Dutch giant Unilever, distributes soaps and detergents to villages across the country. The soaps are the same as those marketed to wealthier communities, but are sold in small packages to save costs. Sales representatives drive trucks around the villages, spruiking the products over a microphone. In Brazil, the whitegoods retailer Casas Bahia provides credit to consumers with low and unpredictable incomes. In Mexico, Cemex, one of the world’s biggest cement suppliers, has set up a scheme to help the poor save and invest so they can afford to buy the materials to extend their homes. Is the Western world stooping to a new low in exploiting poorer countries? Or are these enlightened multinational companies figuring out how to help kick-start undeveloped economies and make a buck at the same time? Leading the debate is the US academic and business consultant C.K. Prahalad, whose new book, The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits, promotes the idea that companies can make money and help create jobs in developing countries by doing business with the poor. Prahalad’s views carry weight because he is considered a member of the elite business academia, alongside gurus such as Michael Porter and Gary Hamel. His ideas, which centre on the buying power of the poor, have been described as visionary by some in business and political circles, and were on the agenda at several World Economic Forum seminars. However, sceptics in aid and development circles describe his thesis as simplistic and possibly environmentally unsustainable. But even critics agree his work has started a fresh debate about how to tackle world poverty. The Indian-born academic, who works from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, says the developed world should stop thinking about the poor “as victims or as a burden, and start recognising them as resilient and creative entrepreneurs and value-conscious consumers”. “Four billion poor can be the engine of the next round of global trade and prosperity,” Prahalad says. “It can be a source of innovations … Market development at the bottom of the pyramid will also create millions of new entrepreneurs at the grassroots level – from women working as distributors and entrepreneurs to village-level micro enterprises.” Prahalad defines the bottom of the period as the 4 to 5 billion people in the world who live on less than $US2 a day. Instead of assuming their plight can be alleviated only through aid, businesses should consider them as worthwhile customers. He says the challenge is in finding ways of profitably selling to this group using a combination of high-technology solutions, private enterprise and co-operation between business, government and non-government organisations. To succeed, business has to rethink how to produce, package and distribute goods to the poor, who have volatile earnings and little disposable income. For example, Prahalad says, in the case of consumer goods such as shampoo, the poor are unlikely to be able to afford a standard-sized bottle but will buy a one-wash sachet on an irregular basis. In many countries, the poor are paying up to 30 per cent more for basic necessities because of poor distribution networks, fragmented markets and corruption. The rural poor are particularly disadvantaged because of their distance from markets and the lack of affordable transport to those markets. It is also near-impossible for them to borrow money except at extortionate interest rates from local money lenders. Prahalad concedes the biggest risk to his vision is convincing the business world to change its attitude to the poor. “To approach this market, we have to fundamentally challenge our existing cost assumptions. That means the existing way of going to market is not sacrosanct. That creates some doubt about whether this is possible because we don’t have economic models on how we can create the same features and functionality [for products sold in undeveloped markets]. But once you cross that, the solutions are more obvious than people think.” Success in marketing to the poor will also depend on approaching them as valuable consumers. “The [bottom-of-the-pyramid] consumers get products and services at an affordable price, but, more important, they get recognition, respect, and fair treatment,” writes Prahalad in his book. “Building self-esteem and entrepreneurial drive at the bottom of the pyramid is probably the most enduring contribution that the private sector can make.” Statements such as these have attracted the sharpest criticism from development experts. Atul Wad, a sustainable-business consultant, says Prahalad’s argument that the corporate world needs to go beyond corporate philanthropy is compelling. However, many of the world’s poor suffer not just from a lack of money but from everything from the HIV/AIDS epidemic to civil wars and natural disasters. “These people are not even close to being active participants in any marketplace … selling shampoo to them is not the solution,” he wrote in an article on the website SustainableBusiness.com. “Though the collective purchasing power of the poor is enormous, buying decisions are still individual. By rampant marketing, a rural household may well end up spending its small disposable income on inappropriate products … It is morally reprehensible to see people as purely consumers for shampoo and beer.” Dr Jem Bendell, a consultant to the United Nations and professor of management at the University of Nottingham’s International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility, says Prahalad’s focus on the poor as consumers overlooks the damage multinational companies could do to employment in poor communities if they do not manufacture locally. Selling goods in much smaller serves also increases the amount of packaging, which puts pressure on environments. “It’s good Prahalad has opened up the door [to such discussions], but we need more work on it.” He says Prahalad risks joining those academics whose main contribution to debate is presenting complicated ideas in a sexy, simplistic package, but that may not help solve long-term problems. “You need a much more critical examination of how corporations can help the poor but still make money.” The chief executive of Opportunity International Australia, Paul Peters, agrees there is money to be made from poorer markets if products are well-priced. “If you go into any slum, the people there buy products at many times the cost that you and I pay here … there are just so many more middlemen in the process. If you just look at the sheer number of people … there is a lot of money being transacted.” However, Peters, whose group aims to create jobs and stimulate business by providing micro-finance to the poor, says businesses face several challenges: finding the right models for the markets they target, and finding local staff with the appropriate skills and a commitment to serving the poor. It is not enough to inject cash into the top of an economy. “Coke can put a bottling plant anywhere. The question is, does the economic benefit of that just sit with the shareholders? Unless you are doing things that will get to the bottom of the market or create wealth at the bottom [it won’t make much of a difference],” he says. Prahalad contends his book was not meant as a solution to all the ills facing the world’s poor. “What I am suggesting is that leaving people in abject poverty without giving them a sense of hope and opportunity creates all kinds of disturbances,” he says. “[The book] provides a fresh perspective to the biggest development challenge we have faced in the past 50 years: subsidies, foreign aid, philanthropy and corporate social responsibility can only take us so far. “We have tried it but the sustainable solution that seems to work is when business gets involved and creates markets.” This entry was posted on August 27, 2006 at 1:50 pm and is filed under Academia and Research, Corporations, Media, Sustainable Development, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. 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__label__wiki	0.677639	0.677639	Next by category → ← Previous by date Next by date → Nick Webb 1949 – 2012 Posted on April 17, 2012 by Jim Williams Nicholas Webb – Publisher and Author – 1949-2012 To know Nick Webb was to fall in love with his wit, intelligence, affability, generosity and self-deprecating charm (“No, no, too much, dear chap. No need to pile it on with a trowel,” I hear him say in his wonderful voice: a deep mix of fruit, honey and chocolate with an occasional distinctive stammer.) To meet him was to see a bearded gentle giant, beaming in a knowing way like the kindest of uncles, whose comforting presence made one wonder for a moment whether one’s parents had been too hasty in blowing the whistle on the old geezer and there was a Santa Claus after all. Nicholas Webb, who died suddenly and unexpectedly on 10 April at the age of 63, was an important figure in English publishing for more than 20 years, not least because he was key to ensuring that the works of Douglas Adams were translated from radio into book form. Given that The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy and its companion works look set to be classics and that their author was famously reluctant to buckle to and actually write, Nick’s service to English literature was inestimable if only for this. As it happens, however, he was an author in his own right. He was entrusted with composing Adams’s official biography, Wish You Were Here; and he also penned The Dictionary of Bullshit and The Dictionary of Political Bullshit. His background was unconventional. On his father’s side he was descended from a raffish strain of Irish gentry, and when in the mood (which was most of the time, since he was a brilliant raconteur) he would tell tales of his paternal grandmother, a critic for the Irish Times, and her many amours. Webb-père, was Bill Webb who, under the names Auger and Solon, was a racing tipster for the Sporting Life. “My dad was very knowledgeable about horses, but addicted to impossible accumulator bets,” Nick reported without rancour. In his youth he would go with his father to the races in some style, only to return penniless. His aunt was Kaye Webb, publisher of Puffin books, who was married to Ronald Searle and by Nick’s account a racy character in her own right. Nick’s mother, Eve, came to England from Germany on a Kindertransport and was taken in by an academic family in Oxford. Her natural family was destroyed in the Holocaust. An effect of her marriage to an Irish racing tipster was that her son had no sense of a Jewish identity, a matter about which he mused occasionally though with no particular regret. Once, in New York, a publishing colleague tried to connect him with this element of his inheritance but failed. “There was simply nothing there – and I really couldn’t get used to gefilte fisch,” he said with a wry smile. In the end the ritualistic side of Jewishness was incompatible with his rationalist, atheist beliefs, though he had a soft spot for Unitarians “because whenever you mention any actual doctrines they start to look shifty.” Nick was brought up in Kew and educated at Tiffins School, Kingston on Thames. He studied philosophy and English at Warwick University before entering publishing. He described his career thus: “For most of my professional life I was a publisher, but not the kind of publisher in a crumpled corduroy suit and a book-lined office. No, I worked for giant corporations with their octopoid fingers up many pies. Actually I preferred it that way; the besetting sin of the publishing business is snobbery, but the organizations for whom I toiled were preoccupied only with the “bottom line”. So I was a commercial publisher with a brow below the socks, and I believed in trustworthy information or a good story rather than smart reviews.” Nick also believed in the old-fashioned publishing virtues of commitment to authors and cultivating budding talent over the long haul, and he was a pleasure to deal with. In the 1970s Nick became Senior Fiction Editor at Pan. “It was a bit of a fib inasmuch as there was no Junior Fiction Editor, but you know how organizations employ such subterfuges to massage the ego in lieu of wages.” Though not a scientist he had a lifelong passion for cosmology and it was this enthusiasm for science and dislike of humbug that underpinned his relationship with Douglas Adams. Their great height and liking for beer and lively conversation also seem to have helped. In 1979 Nick bought the rights and commissioned Adams to convert the radio script for the first series of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy into a novel, and thereafter they remained friends until the latter’s death in 2001. He was modest about his role in the book’s success; as he put it, “We were all taken by surprise. I thought it would do well, but had no idea that it would go utterly bonkers (publishing techy term).” Nick was to work for Penguin, Granada, Hodder & Stoughton, and Sphere where he was Managing Director when the company was acquired by Penguin and later when it was under Robert Maxwell, whom he disliked intensely but was able to handle by responding in tedious detail and at boring length to the latter’s memos. He was also Managing Director of Simon & Schuster UK between 1991 and 1999. Given his convivial nature he found the lifestyle at the top end of the business in this period congenial: “It was great fun, but alas it made my waistline bigger than my IQ.” Typically Nick took no credit for his own success, and, when he lost his job at Simon & Schuster in circumstance that many considered unfair, he commented simply that he had been “found out”, as if he had done nothing in particular for the previous twenty years and the fact had only now been spotted. After Simon & Schuster, Nick found himself increasingly disillusioned by publishing and tired of the ruthlessness of large corporations. He involved himself in a start-up dotcom venture, but it failed after running through the seed money. He was also, for a spell, Editor-in-Chief at Duckworth. For most of the time however he was working on his own literary projects, studying for a Certificate in Astronomy at the University of London and making the occasional progress round the country and abroad to visit his pals. He was also very fond of Deal where he had a second home and yet another circle of friends. It was natural that Nick should be approached to write Douglas Adams’s biography, Wish You Were Here, but he didn’t find it an easy task. “I felt uncomfortable, like some moist reptile from one of our many crap papers. All that private stuff, some of which I never mentioned in the bio, was not for the eyes of some biographer, even a pal.” He struggled with the inherent problem of writing about the recently dead, namely balancing the biographer’s duty to the reader with showing some decent feeling for those who would be affected by what he wrote. He was unconvinced that he had made the right call in deciding how much of the darker, more difficult side of Adams to reveal, and for this reason was frank in saying his book was not the last word on the subject. Perhaps, yet it remains a primary source about the life of a possible genius, and for that reason important. Of The Dictionary of Bullshit (2006) and The Dictionary of Political Bullshit (2010) Nick said, I confess that in my time I have been responsible for disseminating a fair tonnage of BS and would like to make amends.” The books are funny, insightful, and informed by a serious purpose. Nick loved words and despised bullshit because it corrupts the integrity of language as a vehicle for expressing truth. Characteristically he regarded the task as a collaborative effort and invited contributions from anyone who wanted to stick the knife into purveyors of hypocrisy, meaningless blandness and cunningly disguised evil. His friends duly chipped in and this accounts for the uneven length and tone of the entries. However the overall effect is pure Nick Webb. Nick was universally popular (or as near as makes no difference) because he liked people and was kind and encouraging to those who struggled in the difficult business of writing and publishing books. Even the most trivial encounters with him were fun. He was committed in his friendships and always open to new ones. Quoth Nick: “Gather ye sense data while ye may. I don’t hold with this Death malarkey.” How true. Nick was devoted to his family and adored his wife and daughter. He married the author Susan Moore in 1979. Their daughter Catherine is the successful fantasy writer Kate Griffin. They and his mother, Eve, survive him. This entry was posted in Nick Webb and tagged Death, Douglas Adams, Kate Griffin, Nicholas Webb, Nick Webb, Obituary, Publisher, Simon & Schuster, The Dictionary of Bullshit, The Dictionary of Political Bullshit, Wish You Were Here by Jim Williams. Bookmark the permalink. 8 thoughts on “Nick Webb 1949 – 2012” jonathan on April 18, 2012 at 4:24 pm said: I think you’ve done “St Nicholas” proud. The description in the first paragraph is spot on and for the first time since Nick passed away I’ve felt able to smile, although by the end of it I had tears in my eyes, as I can still hear his booming voice utter those words, with which he ended almost every conversation we had, “Hey Ho! Gather ye sense data while ye may”. I’m still coming to terms with loosing my favourite “uncle”. I hope you don’t mind if I copy this text to nickswebbsite.com as the BBC have linked to it. Stephen Green on April 20, 2012 at 9:58 pm said: Dear Jim, you may have heard of me, I’ve certainly heard of you: are you not a whizz on the Manchester ballroom floor with your partner? (Not something that Nick would have aspired to….) I lived round the corner from Nick and Sue, and met them first in the early 80s. Thank you so much for portraying Nick as you did, you really captured the man. And of course the Times thought so too! Perhaps you did just omit his ready ability to recount this tales/shaggy dog stories (bar the ultimate one…), without fear of repetition. And, on a more serious note, did he ever allow friendships beyond Sue and Ferret to go too deep? They were his ultimate rock. I suspect Catherine/Kate/Cat/ferret may find it the most difficult beyond the short term. I guess also someone,somewhere, sometime, should mention his shopalcholic passion for gadgets and technology. We did know them very well, and in the immediate aftermath of the death the domestic goddess with whom I live supported Sue in some of the practicalities. We – Margaret and I – look forward very much to meeting you at the sad yet joyous occasion on the 30th April. A life fully lived and expressed, perhaps ending, as he he predicted, in “an explosion of animal fat”. Let’s talk on the 30th Stephen (and Margaret) First time ever I’ve responded to a blog. Wrinkly or what? Jim Williams on April 21, 2012 at 8:58 am said: The shaggy dog stories and the passion for gadgets (especially coffee makers)! Absolutely! How could I not have included them? I did my best to let Nick’s voice speak in his obituary, otherwise it’s difficult to understand what the fuss is about. And, while it was all fresh to mind, I wanted to create a memento for us all. You are right that the ending was the one he predicted and aspired to, but the bugger did it ten or fifteen years too early, alas. I do look forward to meeting you and Margaret. No doubt we shall feel the presence of a comforting shade giving a deep, warm chuckle. Quoth the shade: “But I’m not really here, dear chap, am I? A bit of a conundrum, that one. One for the cosmology johnnies to figure out after Dark Matter.” Jenz Kjellberg on April 23, 2012 at 5:26 pm said: Beautifully written! Here’s my piece, written for our local paper on April 16: Last Tuesday a good friend suddenly died in London from a stroke. His name is Nick Webb and when I’m in London I always stay with him and his wife. He was the one who, in 1979, signed Douglas Adams to write the Hitchhiker novels, and he then continued on in a varied career that would take him round the most prominent publishing houses in the world. He and Douglas stayed friends until Douglas died in 2001. Nick often said to me: “This mortality business is bollocks, Jenz. God’s teeth, let’s have fun while we’re still here.” He said it rather more frequently and urgently when his wife, Sue, was ill with breast cancer, and I could sense his typed letters trembling with anxiety and worry during that time. And his relief when she came through was no less tangible. The love he and Sue shared was so enviable. Every time I saw them together and heard them talk to each other, I always felt that THIS is how I want me and my wife to be when we grow up. So warm and tender and humorous. Treasure. In no less warm, tender and humorous words did he also talk about his daughter Catherine. His love for his ferret shone through almost to the extent that I KNEW he was going to say something about her even before he had started talking. He very much envied how easy writing came to Cat; he used to say that “She’s in her room typing away like a machine gun. If she wasn’t my daughter I would spit”. I’m going to miss hearing him speak, because that was a treat to anyone who enjoys the English language. His sentence building and, foremost, his vocabulary and choice of words was always a source of great amusement to me. I’m going to miss hearing him saying “Now, Jenz. Can I interest you in a heart stopping breakfast?” He made me promise not to eat those monsters anywhere else but when I was visiting Albion Road. I’m going to miss his HUGELY entertaining emails. I’m going to miss HIM. Nick, the loss of you is monumental. But in the midst of all this grief I am happy for the four days we spent together last month, and the parties we went to then. I will always them and you. Yours, with love Jenz Kjellberg Jenz, Your portrait of Nick perfectly captures his voice and his sentiments. When the The Times printed an abridged form of my obituary, I felt they sucked the life out of it. We were left with a summary of the Great Man’s career, but with no idea why anyone should care. The fact is we loved him and we’ve all been left bereft – though still chuckling when we think of him. gebjohn on June 27, 2012 at 9:53 am said: Dear Jim, Would you be happy for me to reproduce your Obituary in the magazine of the Old Boy’s Association at Tiffin School? Jim Williams on June 27, 2012 at 10:10 am said: Dear Gareth, Thanks for taking an interest in my obituary of Nick. Of course you may reproduce it, with or without acknowledgement of my authorship as seems best to you. ukcampaign4change on November 30, 2012 at 4:05 pm said: Great obit. I only found out about Nick today (30/11/12). The horrible news was made tolerable by your bringing him to life if only for a couple of minutes. Nick published my only 2 books – as he would be the first to say he didn’t get everything right. I saw him only a few times but he was one of the most memorable people I have ever met. He could sum up the most profound things in a couple of witty sentences. What a loss. Thanks for immortalising his memory. I laughed out loud at the quote about unitarians. Tony Collins.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line757
__label__wiki	0.716824	0.716824	King Neptune Blues Piedmont Blues and Early Jazz with a Twist: Soulful, Groovy and Happy The roaring 20’s were called that for a reason. It was a carefree and fun time, and it showed in the music. From the early jazz of Bessie Smith, to the blues of Blind Blake, the 20’s had it all. So how do you go from here to there? “I was studying classical music at Settlement Music School in Philadelphia until I heard Blind Blake. The music was so free compared to the rigidity of the classical repertoire that I had to learn it.” That meant hours next to a record player practicing and writing out the notes. “I couldn’t find any guitar music so I used my classical training to figure out the notes. But I had to really listen and just play along to get the feel.” Eventually he formed a duo with singer Sister Blue, called Rhapsody Ragtime and Blues. “We did a lot of shows in Philly and New York. Mostly Bessie Smith and Memphis Minnie with a bunch of Chicago Blues done on acoustic. It was a lot of fun but eventually, it just kind of ended. I was left with all these great arrangements I came up with, and I refused to let them die.” After finishing college in Minneapolis, King Neptune studied voice so he could sing his arrangements. “It’s been a long trip. I’ve had to learn how to sing in different keys, which meant rearranging a lot of the songs. Some worked, some didn’t. I also decided to focus on Piedmont Blues and Bessie Smith, ‘cause that’s the stuff I like. I mean, that’s what does it for me.” “My whole life I’ve been playing music. Teaching and playing. Different bands, different styles. This is the one thing that stays true.” As a professional musician, that’s meant several cross country tours and shows from Maine to California. Since moving to Illinois in 2010, he has been playing solo under the name King Neptune. “As a musician, you like to think you’re in charge, but you’re not. The music is. And it’s still telling me what to do.” Guitar and voice, playing the music from the golden age of acoustic blues. You’ll understand why his playing has been described as soulful, groovy and happy when you come and see him. And while you’re there, ask King Neptune how he got his name. This entry was posted in Uncategorized on November 11, 2015 by King Neptune.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line762
__label__cc	0.502556	0.497444	TOLL PLAZA LAKHANPUR Toll Plaza, Lakahnpur Modern Toll Plaza had been commissioned at Lakhanpur, Kathua. The foundation of Plaza was laid on 5th of Feb., 1997. The Plaza have all the modern facilities to ensure clearance of vehicles within seconds. The Lakhanpur Toll Plaza is Ist of its kind in the country. There are 15 lanes including 5 for incoming, 4 for outgoing goods traffic beside 2 lanes each for buses, cars and Army traffic. The Entire Process of Toll verification is computerized. INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT OF LAKHANPUR TOWN Lakhanpur town is Entrance of the State. There are offices of Sales Tax, Excise, Traffic Police etc. for checking of vehicles on entering the State to get/assess Sales Tax and Toll tax etc. Presently the town is not properly planned and developed. There are traffic jams due to cris-crossing of loaded vehicles at the Sales Tax post and the stoppage of loaded vehicles at Lakhanpur. The Government has approved a Plan for Integrated Development of Lakhanpur town. 275 kanals of additional land is being acquired for developing Parking site for the loaded vehicles and construction of Sales Tax Complex. There is also a provision for development of Cafeteria, Water Channel and other Civic Amenities for the convenience of the Passengers/Tourists. The Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board has to execute this Project. RAVI TAWI IRRIGATION COMPLEX It is the most prestigious and gigantic Irrigation Project of the State. It is the Biggest Lift irrigation Scheme in the Northern India. The work of this scheme was started in 1975 and Ist Phase was commissioned in 1984-85. Water has been lifted from Ravi for irrigating Kandi Area. But full share of water is not lifted from River Ravi. SHAHPUR KANDI PROJECT As per inter-State Agreement of January, 1955, the share of Jammu and Kashmir State from river Ravi is 0.475 MAF (1150 Cusecs) apart from the water already being got through Kashmir canal. For utilization of this share, Ravi canal has been constructed and Basantpur and Lakhanpur Lift Stations have been constructed. The Lift Stations had been designed with the life span of 20 years and simultaneously in 1977, Punjab Government had agreed to construct Shahpur Kandi Project down-stream of Ranjit Sagar Dam so that our state could get 1150 Cu of water by Gravity. The work on Shahpur Kandi Project has been belatedly taken up but it requires to be completed expeditiously so that we are able to get whole of our share of allotted water. THEIN DAM PROJECT (RANJIT SAGAR DAM) Thein Dam Project is Multi-Purpose scheme for irrigation and generation of Hydro Electric Power located nearly 22 Kms up-stream of Madhopur Headwork (Jammu-Pathankot National Highway). The right flank of the Dam is located in our state. The Dam has been commissioned one and an half year back and it has helped to check wasteful flow of water from Madhopur Headwork. Moreover, water is stored in the Reservoir and is let out as and when required for irrigation purpose. Due to the construction of Dam, an area of 1,11,740 kanals and 4 marlas falling in 22 villages of Basohli and Kathua tehsils has been acquired and compensation of Rs. 83 crores and 67 lakhs have been awarded for acquisition of land. There are some problems with the Punjab Government regarding Thein Dam Project. 30 crores of balance compensation including interest has to be received from Punjab Government. 767 displaced families had to be provided employment, one member each family, but 336 families have not been provided employment as yet by the Dam Authorities. Due to submergence of part of old Basohli road, the distance of Basohli has been increased by 30 Kms and the public of Basohli have been agitating for plying of Motorized Boats across the Dam for the convenience of the people for their movement from Basohli to Lakhanpur and Basohli to Punjab area. There is a lot of potential for development of tourism, Water Sports and Fisheries in the Dam and necessary steps are required to be taken in this regard. The people of Basohli have been agitating for construction of Bridge linking Basohli with Punjab across the Reservior. The Border Road Organization is conducting survey for the same for construction of the Bridge to redress the grievances of the people. The construction of this bridge is required to be taken in hand at the earliest. 6. NATIONAL FISH SEED FARM, KATHUA The construction of National Fish Seed Farm (NFSF) Kathua was initiated during the year 1984 as a Centrally Sponsored Project. This is One of the LARGEST FISH SEED FARM IN INDIA and is the main premier center for development of pond fisheries in Jammu region in particular and state in General. Total area of the FARM at present is 360 KANALS (18 Hect). It is situated in the heart of Kathua town (Behind Police Lines) To produce the quality Fish Seed without depending upon Natural Climatic Conditions To supply the quality culturable Fish Seed to farmers for stocking their private Ponds. To provide seed for stocking community ponds, other ponds, streams, so as to utilize the natural water bodies for productive fish farming. To provide technical guidance and know how to the fish farmers and entrepreneurs for establishing their own farms and seed production units. To disseminate the available production technology. Above all the farm is the nucleus for production of carp seed in the state there by catering to the needs of the State and surplus seed is supplied to neighboring states also. Seed produced is supplied to farmers at subsidized rates. At the same time natural water bodies of the state such as Sars, Streams, Ponds, Pools, Rivers etc are also stocked by the department free of cost. COMMAND AREA DEVELOPMENT Command Area Development was taken in hand in the year 1974 in four blocks of Kathua district alongwith two blocks of Jammu district for increasing the utilization potential of irrigation and developing the thrust area for development of agriculture for setting example in other areas of the State and this project has reduced the gap between irrigation potential creation and utilization with efficient management of irrigation water. Construction of field channels, land leveling, field drains, introduction of Barbandi has been achieved to a larger extent in the Command area. The production of Paddy has been tripled and of other crops doubled from the level of production in 1975-76. The distribution of fertilizers and High Yielding Variety seeds has also been increased five-fold in the command area. POWER PROJECTS ON SEWA RIVER Sewa River is a tributary of River Ravi which flows through the Valley of Bani. The State Government had envisaged construction of three Power Projects over this river. First Power Project of 3 MW was to be constructed up-stream from Bani town. The 2nd was to be constructed 2 Kms downstreams of Bani and 3rd Power Project was to be constructed at Hutt Mashka. So far as 3rd Power Project is concerned, the same of the capacity of 9 MW has been commissioned in June, 2002. The 2nd Power Project being constructed by the NHPC will have the capacity of 120 MW. The Dam Shall be constructed at Gatti near Bani and the Power House shall be constrcuetd at Mashka near Chamera Power Project (HP). The process of land acquistion has been partially completed and work on road and civil works on Dam site have been taken in hand. The work on Ist Power Project has not yet been taken up.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line763
__label__wiki	0.856879	0.856879	Alaska teens charged in 'murder for millions' slaying ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska teens hoping to cash in on a $9 million offer from a Midwest millionaire brutally killed a developmentally disabled woman on a popular trail outside Anchorage, shooting her in the back of the head and dumping her body in a river, authorities allege. The millionaire's only demand for the payout was either photos or video of the slaying, according to court documents laying out first-degree murder and other charges against six people in the June 2 death of 19-year-old Cynthia Hoffman. "This is a truly horrific case that is not the norm for our community," Anchorage Police Chief Justin Doll said at a news conference, the Anchorage Daily News reported . Among those charged is Darin Schilmiller, whom authorities say presented himself as the millionaire Tyler from Kansas, using a fake photograph. "He does not look like the young man he portrayed himself to look like, he is not a millionaire and he lives in Indiana," court documents say. Authorities say Schilmiller, who has been arrested in New Salisbury, Indiana, and will be transferred to Alaska next month, began an online relationship with 18-year-old Denali Brehmer of Anchorage, posing as Tyler. About three weeks before Hoffman was killed, Brehmer and Schilmiller began discussing a plan to rape and murder someone in Alaska, according to court documents. "Schilmiller offered Brehmer nine or more million dollars to carry out the murder and to have photographs and/or videos of the murder sent to him," the documents say. "Brehmer agreed to commit the murder for him." Brehmer then enlisted the help of four friends, including 19-year-old Caleb Leyland, 16-year-old Kayden McIntosh and two other unnamed juveniles, to plan and carry out the murder at Schilmiller's direction, according to the documents. The group met to decide how they would divvy up the money. McIntosh, who is being tried as an adult in the case, was the gunman, prosecutors say. Hoffman was allegedly best friends with Brehmer, and she was chosen by the group as the victim, the documents say. Brehmer and McIntosh used Leyland's pickup on June 2 to take Hoffman on a hike at Thunderbird Falls, a popular location about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Anchorage. According to court papers, the group went off trail and followed a path to the bank of the Eklutna River, where Hoffman was bound, shot and thrown into the river. Officials said there was no indication Hoffman was sexually assaulted. "Digital evidence and statements show Brehmer was communicating with and sending videos and/or photographs of the events surrounding the incident to Schilmiller at his directive through the duration of the event," documents say. Officials allege they destroyed some of Hoffman's clothing, purse and cellphone, and Brehmer texted Hoffman's family to let them know they dropped her off at Polar Bear Park in Anchorage. Two days later, both Brehmer and McIntosh were interviewed. McIntosh was arrested, but Brehmer denied any involvement in the death. Police continued to investigate and interviewed her two days later after Snapchat video appeared, in which she appeared to confess, the documents say. "Brehmer ultimately admitted to being solicited by Schilmiller to commit the murder and that the murder was planned once she realized she had been catfished by Schilmiller," the documents say. Catfishing is when a person creates a fake identity on a social network account to deceive a specific victim. Schilmiller admitted to federal agents and Indiana State Police his role in the plot, saying he chose Hoffman as the victim and he told Brehmer to kill her, according to the court documents. He also told officials Brehmer communicated with him throughout the murder, and sent Snapchat photographs and videos of Hoffman while bound and then after the murder. He also allegedly told authorities that he and Brehmer discussed killing another person, but the plan was abandoned, and he admitted to blackmailing Brehmer into raping people. In a separate federal investigation rising from the investigation, Schilmiller and Brehmer were indicted Tuesday on federal child pornography charges, including production and coercion and enticement of a minor. Federal authorities allege Brehmer produced sexually explicit videos involving a minor and sent them to Schilmiller. "For all the good the internet can do, it can be a very dark place," Bryan Schroder, the U.S. attorney in Alaska, said at a news conference Tuesday. "Parents would be wise to monitor the activity of their children online." The Alaska teens are being represented by the public defender's office, which has a policy of not commenting on cases. Online court records did not list an attorney for Schilmiller. Information from: Anchorage Daily News, http://www.adn.com By MARK THIESSEN	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line772
__label__wiki	0.693386	0.693386	USA Luge is looking for new recruits in Minnesota this weekend, hosting free clinics for kids. The White Castle USA Luge Slider Search is an annual grassroots recruitment program hosted by USA Luge team members and Olympians. They are traveling to about a dozen cities throughout the country this summer, introducing kids to a sport they might not otherwise get to try. "There's only two tracks in the country: one in Lake Placid, New York and one in Park City, Utah," said Aidan Kelly, head of development for USA Luge. "So outside of living in those areas, it's pretty challenging to get on a luge sled or even find out what the sport is about.". The free clinics are for boys and girls age nine to 13. They receive a crash course in luging, then zip down a makeshift course along West River Parkway in Minneapolis using actual luge sleds outfitted with rollerskate wheels. More from KSTP: Duluth Set to Welcome Home Twin Ports Olympians Minnesota Native Takes Home First US Women's Cross-Country Ski Gold Medal "This is mostly just for fun but it would be cool to see if it went somewhere," said 12 year old Seth Damsgard from Maple Grove, who spent Saturday morning luging for the first time. Coordinators told 5 EYEWITNESS News they have recruited several kids from Minnesota in the past, including 14 year old Ashlyn Baker of Victoria, who is now on the USA Luge Junior Development Team. "I came to the clinic in 2017 and didn't really have any expectations," said Baker, while volunteering at Saturday's clinics. "But then I was like, wow this is such a cool sport! I really love it. And a few weeks later, we got an invitation to come down to Lake Placid, New York to train for a week. My long-term goal is to be in the Olympics." Those who show promise in this year's summer program are invited to Lake Placid, NY; Park City, UT; or Muskegon, MI, to try luge on ice at a USA Luge sanctioned training site. The top young athletes from that group will then be selected for next year's development team. For details about USA Luge, the Slider Search program or to register for a clinic, visit: http://www.teamusa.org/usa-luge/slider-search. Alex Jokich	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line773
__label__cc	0.615751	0.384249	Publications Team Variety, Features Black History Month: The Individual The month of February, in my life, has always been a month in which people expect me to speak on behalf of my race and ethnicity. They expect me to be in touch with my African roots, with the culture of Africa and America, all so I can tell them what it means to be African American, should they choose to listen for 28 days. This expectation, while some may say is warranted given the fact that February is Black History Month, put a lot of pressure on me that I neither wanted nor knew how to handle. It saddens me to say that this pressure I felt made me almost resistant to learning about my own cultural background. As I’ve grown older, however, I realize that this month, and all others for that matter, is a time in which I should explore my race and ethnicity in order to facilitate conversations that result in others understandings of what it means to be African American, what it means to be Black. Black History Month typically has a focus on the identity of the race and ethnicity in terms of its group identity, and while this is extremely important to know for several reasons, we sometimes fail to recognize individuals within the racial and ethnic group. Knowing the group identity of African Americans is crucial to the understanding the development and evolution of the culture itself, it’s what gives Black citizens our strong sense of community with one another. However, this communal feeling could be strengthened even more by acknowledging the different types of individuals we have within the African American community. Throughout my life, I’ve noticed that people within my own racial and ethnic group tend to make fun of me or treat me differently. It didn’t take long for me to notice that the jokes made were all mainly focused on, and connected to, the music with which I mainly identify: Indie and Alternative Rock music. This genre, stereotypically speaking, does not fall in line with what I’m expected to listen to as a Black person. I should be listening to more Rap, more R&B, more jazz, and while I do listen to artists and songs from those genres, my default music setting remains to be Indie and Alternative. The teasing that stemmed from the type of music I listen to was the main cause of what made me resistant to learning about my own culture. I wanted to form my own identity, I didn’t want to be seen as a stereotype or be put in a box. Having to live in a world where my Blackness was questioned because I listened to more Arctic Monkeys than Kanye West made the task of forming my own identity to be more difficult than I had imagined. Only a few days ago did I realize I felt like a fish out of water in settings where I should be comfortable; I felt odd around friends that I shared a music connection with because I tended to be the only Black person, and I felt odd around people of my own race because there was a disconnect on a major cultural point: music. This thing that outlines the shape of our lives, forming the bigger picture of the person, was inconsistent with what society expected of me. My music taste being one of the many ways in which I felt out of place. When I felt comfortable around my own race, I would soon be blindsided with the question, “What kind of Black person are you?” when I revealed I didn’t like something I stereotypically should. When I felt comfortable around those who were not of my race, the blindsiding was more frequent, with questions and comments like, “You don’t listen to Drake? I’m Blacker than you,” or simply noticing, on my own, that there were only two or three other people of color that I could see at a festival in Pasadena. Just as I recently realized I felt like an item belonging to the ‘other’ category rather than having a distinct group, I realized why these songs and artists that I listen to mean so much to me. Somewhere along the line, I began to prioritize myself simply as a human first instead of someone belonging to a certain ethnic group. Artists like Walk the Moon bring out the best in me, allowing me to be vulnerable, encouraging me to spread positivity, and most importantly letting me be myself. Songs like Best For Last by Adele, 1612 by Vulfpeck, or Woman by Harry Styles give me the confidence to represent and become familiar with myself first. And in gathering this confidence and understanding of myself, I am now much more comfortable speaking on issues of representation in terms of race and ethnicity. Finding music by Izzy Bizu two weeks ago helped me see that you do not have to isolate your Blackness to find yourself and your humanity. Her music video for Give Me Love demonstrates her own style and hobbies that are similar to my own, but also demonstrates her strong cultural ties that make up a woman I now look up to. African American culture is constantly evolving, and because of this it is extremely important to know where we come from. Knowing what makes our ethnic group unique, what makes it strong, and what makes it tough are all crucial in our understanding of ourselves. Great respect and acknowledgement should go to the work that artists of the Rap, R&B, Hip-Hop, and Jazz genres have created in the transformation of what it means to be Black. Seeing as Black History Month does an incredible job of calling attention to these things, we should also call attention to the individual aspects of African American identity. We must not stop at the much deserved acknowledgement of these music types, we must also recognize how much more we are capable of doing and being. Humans themselves are seen as complex, multifaceted beings, and our racial and ethnic group should be seen in the same way. Janina Baker-Mason, DJ Tagged: Black History Month New Adds: Kendrick Lamar, Justin Timberlake & Prurient! Who is Narx?	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line778
__label__cc	0.502549	0.497451	Home Economy The Extinction Rebellion: A Farting Cow the destroyer of worlds The Extinction Rebellion: A Farting Cow the destroyer of worlds The Extinction Rebellion protesters are doing a great job with disruption. Now the establishment needs to offer solutions. I take my hat off to the protesters, they are highlighting this most important issue we face today ‘CLIMATE CHANGE’, the environment, the planet and the place we all live. But to sell the idea of change we need to feed the capitalist machine with the alternatives. The only alternatives they will listen to are the ones that will still feed their never ending unquenchable greed. Capitalist greed Meet the world’s top destroyer of the environment. It is not the car, or the plane, or even Donald Trump: it is the cow. Cost of a Burger A cow on overage release between 70 and 120 kg of Methane per year. Methane is a greenhouse gas like carbon dioxide (CO2). But the negative effect on the climate of Methane is 23 times higher than the effect of CO2. Therefore the release of about 100 kg Methane per year for each cow is equivalent to about 2’300 kg CO2 per year. Let’s compare this value of 2’300 kg CO2: The same amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) is generated by burning 1’000 litres of petrol. With a car using 8 litres of petrol per 100 km, you could drive 12’500 km per year (7’800 miles per year). Worldwide, there are about 1.5 billion cows and bulls. All ruminants (animals which regurgitate food and re-chews it) on the world emit about two billion metric tons of CO2-equivalents per year. In addition, clearing of tropical forests and rain forests to get more grazing land and farmland is responsible for an extra 2.8 billion metric tons of CO2 emissions per year! According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), agriculture is responsible for 18% of the total release of greenhouse gases world-wide (this is more than the whole transportation sector). Cattle-breeding is taking a major factor for these greenhouse gas emissions according to FAO. Says Henning Steinfeld, Chief of FAO’s Livestock Information and Policy Branch and senior author of the report: “Livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems. Urgent action is required to remedy the situation.” Livestock now use 30 per cent of the earth’s entire land surface, mostly permanent pasture but also including 33 per cent of the global arable land used to producing feed for livestock, the report notes. As forests are cleared to create new pastures, it is a major driver of deforestation, especially in Latin America where, for example, some 70 per cent of former forests in the Amazon have been turned over to grazing. Burning fuel to produce fertiliser to grow feed, to produce meat and to transport it – and clearing vegetation for grazing – produces 9 per cent of all emissions of carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas. And their wind and manure emit more than one-third of emissions of another, methane, which warms the world 20 times faster than carbon dioxide. Livestock also produces more than 100 other polluting gases, including more than two-thirds of the world’s emissions of ammonia, one of the main causes of acid rain. Just a side order Over recent years McDonald’s to announced initiatives on how they intend to take a bite out of carbon footprint with new Science-Based Targets McDonald’s has become the first global restaurant company to set greenhouse gas targets in line with global climate science, it claimed today as it launched a raft of new green commitments. The fast-food giant has pledged to reduce emissions from its restaurants and offices around the world by 36 per cent by 2030, using 2015 as a baseline year – a goal approved by the Science-Based Targets (SBT) initiative. McDonald’s also committed to a 31 per cent cut in emissions intensity across its entire global supply chain over the same period. Altogether, it said its SBT pledges will save 150 million metric tonnes of CO2 by 2030. Under the SBT initiative, companies have to publicly commit to detailed emissions reduction goals, which are then independently verified as being in line with the trajectory suggested by scientists to give the world a reasonable chance of keeping temperature increases below 2C above pre-industrial levels. McDonald’s joins the likes of Gap, Nike, Adobe, Mars and Nokia in making an SBT-approved pledge. But the fast food giant, which has almost 37,000 restaurants worldwide, could prove a controversial addition, given its influence over the global beef market, a major source of global greenhouse gas emissions. In working towards the new goals, McDonald’s said it would prioritise action on beef production and restaurant energy usage, as well as sourcing packaging and waste. It comes as the company marks 10 years of its UK delivery fleet using 100 per cent biodiesel recycled from cooking oil, an initiative which it claims has saved nearly 7,000 tonnes of CO2 every year compared to traditional fleets. All franchised- and company-owned McDonald’s branches in the UK are already run on 100 per cent renewable electricity from a combination of wind and solar power, and 60 per cent of its modular new build restaurants have their own solar panels, it added. This is not a dig at McDonald’s after all they are making the effort unlike some other fast food chains. However McDonald’s are by far the more recognisable here in the UK. Usual order, please! The only real impact would be for McDonald’s to make a dramatic step-change to its menu and remove Beef from the Burger. A few years ago that would have been unthinkable, a fast food restaurant that made its name on Beef Burgers no longer selling Beef. However today there is a positive trend away from the consumption of meat, veggies and vegans are no longer looked upon as the pale lily liveried but active and healthy. The connections to obesity and fast foods cannot be denied. The documentary Super Size Me is a 2004 American documentary film directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker. Spurlock’s film follows a 30-day period from February 1 to March 2, 2003, during which he ate only McDonald’s food. The film documents this lifestyle’s drastic effect on Spurlock’s physical and psychological well-being, and explores the fast food industry’s corporate influence, including how it encourages poor nutrition for its own profit. Of course, the impact on the cattle market industry would be devastating to ranchers and farmers both of whom work damned hard to make a living. That industries contribution to GDP and the state is not meagre. Any radical change would result in a major loss to an important worldwide industry and market. We don’t need hard questions, we need hard answers to bring about solutions. Packed and ready to go! Another main contributor to the destruction of our planet is the scientific wonder of the 20th-century Plastic. The same Plastics that are destroying our seas along with the amazing marine live within them. For the last half-century, plastic has become an integral part of our daily life. From furniture to grocery bags, from vehicle parts to toys, plastic is an unavoidable element of our lives in a variety of forms. However, from being regarded as a very vital presence in the contemporary world, plastic has now come to be looked upon as a material of immense potential destruction and harm. As is commonly known, plastic isn’t biodegradable, which accentuates the threat of lingering waste plastic for years and for generations to come. According to estimates, people around the world throw away almost four million tons of trash every day, of which 12.8% is plastic, polluting land, air and water. While plastic thrown into landfills contaminates the soil and groundwater with harmful chemicals and microorganisms, the effects of marine pollution caused by plastic are immeasurable. People are becoming more aware of our own footprint on the planet with fantastic productions like Blue Planet II that highlights Plastic Pollution Awareness. Sir David Attenborough’s haunting message on plastic pollution in the oceans. Sir David Attenborough was asked: How serious do you think this issue really is? “IT COULD HARDLY BE MORE SERIOUS. “I suppose, for me, the thing that is so galling about plastic pollution in particular is that it is so utterly unnecessary. The plastic in our oceans ought never to have got there in the first place – much of it perhaps ought not to have even been manufactured at all. And yet it is there, in unbelievable quantities, causing untold harm to marine wildlife. “And, of course, once it’s in the sea, it doesn’t really break down properly – it remains there for decades or even centuries. So unless we get to grips with this quickly, we will soon find our oceans completely dominated by plastic. It’s a prospect that hardly bears thinking about.” Do you think we are going in the right direction? “There is no doubt that human beings are having a profound impact on the marine environment. From pollution to climate change to overfishing, we are gradually eroding away at the health of our oceans. “How we tackle these threats is a difficult but important question. I’m afraid I don’t know the answer, but I do take heart in the fact that there are a lot of people out there working on ways that we can deal with plastic waste. It won’t be easy by any means, but as long as we keep building on the momentum we have gained then I am hopeful we can make progress.” What would you encourage readers to do in their own lives, to tackle the problem of plastic pollution? “The obvious answer is that we all need to think – and I mean really think – about how we use plastic. I regularly receive letters from people about their love of wildlife and conservation; and yet even then, even though the writers are ardent nature enthusiasts, they will often put their letter in a plastic folder – to make it look more important I imagine. “So, as strange as it may sound, I would encourage people to treat plastic with respect, because if it escapes into the environment it will remain there for a very long time. If you don’t need it, don’t use it. And if you do use it, be mindful of where you put it.” Fracking for Plastic The Oil & Gas Industry Want to Create New Demand For Plastics As the fracking boom matures, the oil and gas industry is seeking new ways to monetise U.S. shale production. The oil and gas industry no longer pretends that drilling and fracking are about energy independence. New natural gas (liquified natural gas or LNG, not to be confused with NGL) export facilities have come online and more are planned. And now new ethane crackers and petrochemical manufacturing are planned to take advantage of ethane from U.S. fracking. The Centre for International Environmental Law have been reports on plans to build or expand 264 petrochemical plants and increase U.S. plastics production by 1/3. The irony is that the U.S. market for plastics is not projected to increase, so this buildout of new infrastructure will be for plastic for export markets. “It’s s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound Everybody look what’s going down” I think it’s time we stop, children, what’s that sound Everybody look what’s going down HEMP: THE WONDER PLANT It’s useful for everything from cooking oil to cloth. Paper made from it was used to print the Gutenberg Bible, as well as drafts of the American Declaration of Independence. It’s rich in nutrients essential to good health in human and animals alike. It’s touted as having thousands of uses and can be grown without using pesticides. So why aren’t more farmers growing hemp? This ain’t no Cowboy vs Farmer war. This is saving the planet The economist Joseph Schumpeter talked about the process known as “creative destruction” – the way in which inefficient producers are put out of business by disruptive new technologies and that, as a result, transformation happens. I would not be so naive or arrogant to suggest that cattle farmers just switch to growing Hemp but there is opportunity and “money in them there plants!” If we want a sustainable world we are all going to have to make the hard choices and change. Of course, there are viable alternatives to plastic packaging. One I advocate when given the opportunity is Hemp. Yes, the wonder plant hemp! Hemp in packaging. Bioplastics, meaning any plastic that is plant-based, biodegradable, or both, replaces fossil-based carbon in plastic with carbon from renewable sources such as corn or hemp. Tubbs, now manufacturing about a million pounds of hemp-based bioplastic a week, is confident that hemp bioplastic will overtake petroleum-based raw polymer in coming decades. Thanks to a confluence of consumer demand for more sustainable goods, corporate initiatives and falling manufacturing costs, production of bioplastics is poised to take off. By 2020, bioplastics are predicted to control 5 per cent of the plastics market, rising to 40 per cent by 2030, according to Grand View Research. If you want it to succeed you have to sell it to the capitalist, they need to see the money. GLOBAL BIOPLASTICS MARKET PREDICTED TO GROW 350% There is a tremendous opportunity in a growing segment of the largest material market in the world, the plastics market! However, the industry is drastically changing in the developed world as government policies and consumers are pressuring manufacturers to shift towards eco-friendly packaging and a focus on switching from fossil fuels to renewable resources. Companies are shifting to alternative forms of packaging using renewable biomass materials, making “bioplastics”. Companies like Coca-Cola® have introduced their ‘PlantBottle’ made up of 30% plant-based materials. With manufacturers shifting from traditional plastics to bioplastics, analysts are expecting the bioplastic market to grow at CAGRs of 17.5% or more between 2016-2020. But what does this equate to? An industry that will expand globally to $20 billion by 2019 & $324 billion by 2030. But what does this really means on the ground is someone needs to grow the hemp to make the products. The textile industry is one of the largest consumers in the industrial hemp market as it is used in manufacturing apparel, fabrics, denim, fine textiles, and others. It is also used in manufacturing several industrial textile products such as twine, rope, nets, canvas bags, tarps, carpets, and geotextiles. This application segment is expected to grow on account of high strength offered by fibres. The personal care industry is expected to register a revenue-based CAGR of 15.9% from 2018 to 2025 on account of high fatty acid content of the product. Body care products containing seed oil reduce skin discomfort by soothing and restoring dry or damaged skin and also help slow down the ageing process, which is likely to drive demand. Hemp grows to between 1.8 and 4.5 metres tall (dependent on variety/cultivar) in four to five months in the UK. Weeds are almost eradicated due to the dense canopy of shade leaves, eradicating the need for pesticides and herbicides. It can also be grown with no agricultural chemicals, reducing soil toxicity. RESTORES SOIL HEALTH Hemp is so versatile that it thrives in adverse soil conditions. It sends out strong root networks, locking Nitrogen in its leaves. The deep roots provide a binding function, helping to prevent soil erosion, and hemp was also used to clean up the nuclear spill in Chernobyl, Russia. One hectare of industrial hemp can absorb approximately 15 tonnes of CO2 (Lhoist 2016) making it one of the fastest CO2-to-biomass conversion tools. Industrial hemp is the perfect carbon sink because it absorbs more CO2 per hectare, annually than any other commercial crop or commercial forestry. HEMP IS NOT MARIJUANA While they come from the same plant species, Cannabis Sativa, hemp products have only trace amounts of THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana. Industrial Hemp cannot get you high. HEMP HAS A LONG HISTORY IN THE U.K. In 1533, King Henry VIII made hemp cultivation compulsory by law. For every 60 acres, farmers had to grow about 1/4 acre of flax or hemp, or else they would face a fine for breaking the law. They could even pay their taxes with Hemp. PRESENT HEMP SITUATION IN THE U.K. In the UK, it is estimated that the maximum area under cultivation is no more than 810 hectares. By comparison, in 2016, Europe cultivated over 33,000 hectares of industrial hemp an increase of more than 30% on the previous year. HEMP IS MAKING A COME BACK Although the size of the UK hemp cultivation sector is currently extremely small, we are already bringing innovation to the industry through pioneering research at York University and other leading institutions. HEMP FOR HUMANITY Globally, hemp has been recognised for thousands of years as an extremely versatile, robust and environmentally friendly plant delivering considerable societal and economic benefits to people and communities. MAKE HEMP FARMING ACCESSIBLE For hemp to be a viable cash crop for our farmers and processors, we need to be allowed to utilise the entire plant. The BHA’s focus is to contribute to inform, educate and lobby for progressive and environmentally responsible legislative change. You get the picture! The Extinction Rebellion protesters are quite right to bring such attention to the plight of the world Boycott the Burger may have more effect see how fast you get service. Make things happen offer the solutions and demand the change. Previous articleGlobal press freedom under threat, says Reporters Without Borders Next articleTories ‘shocking’ tweet claiming poor parents can feed kids on £10 a week	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line779
__label__wiki	0.636342	0.636342	Home Maine Falmouth Falmouth, Maine Lawyers Find Falmouth, Maine Attorneys by Practice Area Sebastian Okun Falmouth, ME Lawyer (800) 804-2004 43 U.S. Route 1 Free ConsultationMedical Malpractice and Personal Injury University of Maine - School of Law Barry L. Kohler Esq Westbrook, ME Lawyer with 44 years experience (207) 383-3300 97 Brydon Way Westbrook, ME 04092 Free ConsultationArbitration & Mediation Although my current law practice is limited, I am offering Mediation and ADR services, as well as fee-only financial planning as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner. My particular area of interest is in working with individuals and families with complex situations and assisting them in optimizing their resources--financial, family, and personal. Much of my work is in the wealth transfer area, as a member (or leader) of the client's advisory team. Working in a collaborative model brings the best results for the client and is among the most professionally satisfying work I do. Current email = blkconsulting@gmail.com... Mary-Anne E. Martell Westbrook, ME Attorney with 22 years experience 1399 Bridgton Road Free ConsultationBankruptcy, Business, Estate Planning and Landlord Tenant Seacoast Law Founder and Senior Counsel, Mary-Anne Martell is a native Mainer whose varied life and professional experience brings an unparalleled level of understanding and service to her clients. During the 1970s, she worked as a welder, building turbine steam nuclear re-heaters for General Electric in South Portland and was very active in the union. Later, she spent eight years at Burnham & Morrill in Portland. Among other tasks, Mary-Anne spent her first year there "putting the pork" in the cans of beans. It was during her tenure at the bean factory that she found herself the sole... Cumberland Foreside, ME Lawyer with 6 years experience (207) 200-5565 5 Island View Dr Cumberland Foreside, ME 04110 Free ConsultationBusiness, Criminal Defense, Divorce and Family My practice areas include: Family Law - Divorce, Mediation & Child Custody, Business Law - Contracts & Other Legal Agreements, Litigation, New Business Formation, Financing & Acquisitions, Criminal Defense - OUI, OAS, White Collar Crimes, Drug possession, etc., General Litigation - Trials in District & Superior Courts, and Appeals to Maine's Supreme Judicial Court. Client service is my highest priority. Please call for a free 30 minute consultation. Weekend and evening appointments can be scheduled upon request. Phone: 207) 200-5565 email: John@SimpsonLaw.me website:... William Hardy Esq Portland, ME Lawyer with 43 years experience (800) 992-7333 477 Congress Street Free ConsultationEmployment, Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home and Personal Injury Christian Lewis Portland, ME Attorney with 12 years experience 222 Auburn St Duquesne University School of Law Attorney Christian Lewis joined the firm in 2006. He is an active trial attorney handling personal injury and professional negligence cases. He is a graduate of the Duquesne University School of Law, (J.D., 2006), and James Madison University, (B.A., 1996). Christian is a member of the Maine State Bar Association and the Maine Trial Lawyers Association (Board of Governors and Legislative Committee), and Town of Cumberland, Board of Adjustment and Appeals. Before attending law school, Christian was an analyst with the U.S. Department of Justice. While working for the federal government, he attended the Joint Military Intelligence College and earned... Timothy Zerillo (207) 228-1139 1250 Forest Avenue, Ste 3A Free ConsultationCivil Rights, Criminal Defense, Domestic Violence and Personal Injury Representing Good People Who Need Legal Help in Maine - Named "Top 100" lawyer in U.S. Tim Zerillo is a Maine lawyer who handles serious personal injury, state and federal criminal defense and other high stakes litigation matter. He work in both State and Federal Courts. Tim servies on the Board of the "National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers" is a former President of the "Maine Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers." He been recognized by the National Trial Lawyers “Top 100” attorneys. He has been elected to “New England Super Lawyers” every year since 2010. Tim has represented people... Shannon M Esty Westbrook, ME Attorney (207) 591-7880 1399 Bridgton Road William T. Bly Esq (207) 602-1675 19 Commercial St Free ConsultationCriminal Defense, DUI & DWI, Domestic Violence and Juvenile Prior to going back to college at the age of 27, I was a member of the US Army and served in Korea, Saudi Arabia and Ft. Banning, GA as a Cavalry Scout (19D). During my time in service I made my way up through the enlisted ranks and eventually applied to OCA where I was accepted and began officer training. Unfortunately, due a serious injury sustained prior to the final phase of the course, I was unable to complete my training and eventually left the US Army, receiving an Honorable Discharge for my service to this country. Since... Peter Thompson Esq Falmouth, ME Attorney with 24 years experience Peter Thompson has specialized in personal injury, medical malpractice, and employment discrimination law for over 20 years and has successfully resolved thousands of cases for his clients. Peter is "AV Preeminent" rated by Martindale-Hubbell ©, a well-respected peer review organization that rates lawyers based on input from judges and other esteemed members of the legal community. An AV Preeminent rating is awarded to the most outstanding lawyers in a particular field of law and is the organization's highest possible rating. He has also been designated a New England "Super Lawyer"© from 2007 to the present and is listed in U.S.... Sarah McDaniel Esq (207) 591-5747 90 Bridge Street, Suite 100 Free ConsultationAppeals, Environmental, Municipal and Real Estate After receiving her B.A. from College of the Atlantic and her M.E.S. from Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Sarah McDaniel worked in the land conservation and planning department at The Trustees of Reservations, a state-wide land trust in Massachusetts, for three years before graduating Harvard Law School in 2003. Sarah founded Maine Land Law in 2009 after developing a law practice focusing on all aspects of real property law, with a particular emphasis on conservation transactions, civil litigation, and land use permitting. In 2013, Sarah joined with colleagues to co-found Douglas McDaniel & Campo LLC, PA... Dylan R. Boyd Portland, ME Lawyer with 8 years experience (207) 536-7147 6 City Center Free ConsultationCriminal Defense, DUI & DWI, Divorce and Estate Planning Over the course of his career as a Maine attorney, Dylan Boyd has successfully represented clients at all stages of litigation. Inside the courtroom, he has zealously advocated for clients at both jury trials and hearings before judges in both criminal and civil cases. He has also guided clients to successful results outside the courtroom by negotiating advantageous deals and drafting effective legal documents. Dylan Boyd was born and raised in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. He attended the University of Vermont and earned a bachelor’s degree in English in 2006. He returned to Maine to attend the University... (207) 210-6559 2 Union Street Free ConsultationAppeals, Divorce, Estate Planning and Family I graduated with honors from The University of Maine School of Law. My practice focuses primarily on three areas: Family Law, Estate Planning, and Appeals. I set up Port City Legal with the idea that a small law firm effectively serving the regular legal needs of regular people with intelligence ~and~ compassion could do very nicely here in Portland, ME. Six years later, the idea has proved true. Along the way, I have enjoyed many successes both in and out of the courtroom. My client reviews have been excellent. I've won five of... Mark Dunlap (800) 804-2004 92 Exchange St Free ConsultationMedical Malpractice, Nursing Home, Personal Injury and Social Security Disability Mark Dunlap has specialized in personal injury law for over 30 years. Mark has an “AV Preeminent” rating by Martindale-Hubbell, a well-respected peer review organization that rates lawyers based on input from judges and other esteemed members of the legal community. An AV Preeminent rating is awarded to the most outstanding lawyers in a particular field of law and is the organization's highest possible rating. Mark has also been listed in the U.S. News “Best Lawyers in America” directory since 2008 in the area of personal injury law. Having been lead counsel in over 125 jury trials in his career,... Christiana Mann Yarmouth, ME Attorney with 17 years experience (833) 950-0900 781 US Route 1 Yarmouth, ME 04096 Free ConsultationAnimal, Family, Personal Injury and Products Liability Roger Williams University Chrissy has specialized in civil litigation for over 17 years. She is well-regarded as a fair, compassionate and zealous advocate on behalf of her clients. During the first half of her career, Chrissy litigated cases for a preeminent insurance defense firm in Easton, MA. This experience provided her valuable insight into how insurance companies and their attorneys operate. In the years prior to establishing Mann Law, Chrissy was fortunate enough to develop her true passion and help people; advocating for injured individuals throughout New England at a Maine personal injury firm. She is a creative and... David Lourie Esq Cape Elizabeth, ME Lawyer with 44 years experience (207) 799-4922 189 Spurwink Avenue Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107 Free ConsultationLandlord Tenant, Municipal, Personal Injury and Real Estate I have been Corporation Counsel for the City of Portland and other municipalities as well as private clients in land use and related real property, and civil liberties disputes. Fred Bopp III Bankruptcy, Business, Landlord Tenant and Real Estate My legal practice has focused on significant complex commercial civil litigation and negotiations (for plaintiffs and defendants), the pursuit and enforcement of creditors' and debtors' rights and remedies, bankruptcies, reorganizations, insolvencies, liquidations, restructurings, receiverships, workouts, collections, contract review and negotiations, sale transactions, appeals, mediations, arbitrations, and related matters in and out of state and federal court. I am a longstanding trusted legal advisor to banks, other financial institutions, lenders, businesses, asset acquirers and sellers, landlords, tenants, health care administrators, executives, and other individuals and entities. I am admitted in the state and federal courts in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts,... Luke Rioux Esq (207) 956-0403 75 Pearl St. Suite 400 I am a Criminal Defense Lawyer based in Portland, Maine. I defends clients charged with Operating Under the Influence (OUI), Drunk Driving, Operating After Suspension or Habitual Offender Revocation, Drug Possession and Trafficking, Marijuana Offenses, Assault, Sexual Offenses, Prostitution Charges, Probation Violations, Extradition Cases, and all other Criminal matters. I Practice in State and Federal Court at the Trial and Appellate Level and handel cases throughout Cumberland, York and Androscoggin Counties. While, I specialize in Criminal Defense, I work with seven other Lawyers at the FIrm, Fairfield & Associates. Other Attorneys there handel Family Law and divorce, Juvenile Criminal Defense, Personal Injury,... James Beardsley Esq South Portland, ME Attorney (207) 775-3819 343 Gorham Road, Suite 9 James is an experienced trial lawyer and has been lead counsel in dozens of jury trials. Prior to working at Lowry & Associates, James worked for a number of years as a trial lawyer in a large Bangor law firm. He also served on active duty in the United States Marine Corps as a Captain and Judge Advocate. He was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal when serving as a prosecutor for the Second Marine Expeditionary Force. Francis Jackson Esq South Portland, ME Lawyer (800) 524-3339 238 Western Avenue Personal Injury and Social Security Disability Before launching Jackson & MacNichol, Jack practiced general civil and criminal litigation, including employee benefits and personal injury cases. “We narrowed it down to doing Social Security disability cases,” Jack says. “I decided it was something I enjoyed, and I was good at it.” After he had established his Social Security disability practice, a change in federal legislation allowed Jack to expand the firm’s practice areas to include representation of veterans seeking disability benefits. “It’s nice to give back to people who served our country, and it’s an area where people need enormous help and support,” he says. In addition... (207) 699-9957 180 High Street #14, Portland Maine, 04101 Two blocks from the Portland Museum of Art Free ConsultationAppeals, Arbitration & Mediation and IP For artists and creatives: Art law. For creatives, startups, artists, and professionals: ADR, mediation, and dispute prevention services. For lawyers and law firms: As-needed appeals, briefs, motions, and writing, with an emphasis on complex issues of federal law. Adam Wilson practiced for a decade at leading law firms in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco (e.g., Gibson Dunn), where he prepared business-related litigation for mediation, arbitration, trial, and appeals (antitrust, intellectual property, commercial, multi-party complex commercial, and constitutional law). He has also served as a mediator in about 200 small commercial disputes and lawsuits. During a clerkship on the... Matthew Govan Esq Portland, ME Lawyer (207) 774-2414 97 India Street, 2nd Floor Attorney Matthew Govan is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, University of Maine School of Law, and University of Southern Maine at Portland. He most recently obtained his masterâs degree in Social Work at the University of Southern Maine at Portland in May 2012. Attorney Govan enrolled in every course that the University of Maine School of Law offered at the time in the areas of family law and childrenâs advocacy. He and a fellow student created the curriculum for and led a class titled The Child, Family and State. After becoming a member of the Maine Bar... Catherine Miller Esq (207) 899-3544 75 Pearl Street Arbitration & Mediation, Business, Divorce and Family Miller Law & Mediation, LLC is a boutique law firm located in Portland, Maine. Our focus is on the legal needs of individuals, their families, and their businesses. With over fifty years of combined experience, our lawyers offer a customized and practical approach to protect the interests of our clients on legal matters that affect their families and businesses during times of change. Whether you are going through a divorce, need to plan for your future, or need help with your business or real estate plans, we tailor our legal services to offer strategic, creative, yet affordable, solutions. ... Adrienne Hansen Free ConsultationEmployment and Workers' Comp University of Colorado Law School Amy Fairfield (207) 985-9465 115 Middle Street Amy Fairfield is an accomplished and experienced trial attorney. Amy's commitment and determination to protecting the rights of her clients is legendary. Amy's criminal practice has included numerous high profile cases and she has represented thousands of individuals charged with serious felonies and misdemeanors. Amy's family practice focuses on divorce and parental rights and responsibilities. Amy is also a rostered Guardian ad Litem. Allan Townsend Free ConsultationEmployment The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law and University of Texas - Austin Allan has fought to protect workers’ rights his entire career in all types of employment law cases. He has successfully represented clients in court, including in jury trials, and before government agencies. From 2010 to 2018, Allan served as a Senior Trial Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”), Civil Rights Division, in Washington, DC, where he protected the rights of employees of state and local governments as well as military service members. DOJ entrusted Allan to represent the United States in some of its most high profile cases including a large class action challenging the New York City... Misha C. Pride (207) 774-0317 One Monument Way Free ConsultationBusiness, Elder and Estate Planning Misha is a passionate advocate for seniors and committed to providing excellent guidance and education for his clients and potential clients. To that end, Misha is available for house calls and often meets with clients in their homes. He has started his own networking group called the Maine Senior Education Collective, selecting the membership from other entrepreneurs who share his passion for helping seniors stay safe in their homes, or aiding them in the next transition in their lives. Misha went into the private practice of law in February of 2013 and spent his first two years establishing... Robert Montgomery Esq Divorce, Domestic Violence, Family and Juvenile I provide legal advice and representation for all family matters, including divorce, spousal support, child support, domestic violence, paternity and adoption. I graduated from Middlebury College in 1977 and New York Law School (cum laude) in 1983. Family Law has been my specialty for the last 30 years. Regan A. Sweeney (207) 370-0720 70 Winter St. Free ConsultationConsumer, Divorce, Family and Products Liability Elliott R. Teel Esq (207) 228-1870 142 High St Business, Estate Planning, Landlord Tenant and Real Estate UDC David A. Clarke School of Law I provide legal services for individuals and small businesses throughout southern Maine. I offer legal analysis and litigation services on real property issues. I represent buyers and sellers in real estate transactions. For business owners I can assist with formation, contract and general consulting matters. For many matters I offer services at flat-rate pricing. Richard Smith Berne (207) 871-7770 482 Congress Street Suite 402 PORTLAND MAINE CRIMINAL LAWYER & ATTORNEY Mr. Berne has been practicing criminal law for over forty-two years. He received a B.S. degree from Harvard College, cum laude, in 1970 and his law degree from Boston University School of Law in 1974. Prior to establishing his office in Portland, Maine, Mr. Berne served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York and the Northern District of California, where he prosecuted cases involving narcotics, bank fraud, and various white collar crimes. Upon leaving the Government in 1981, he entered private practice with a nationally prominent white collar defense firm... Michael Turndorf Esq Free ConsultationCriminal Defense, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury and Products Liability Highly experienced and highly rated trial attorney. Many jury trials and hearings under his belt. Practice areas include: personal injury, medical malpractice, products liability, criminal defense, family law and litigation. Lisa Butler Esq Lisa has practiced employment law for employees in Maine, Florida and Maryland for over 15 years. For more than a decade she worked with legal services in Maryland and Florida representing migrant farmworkers on employment conditions, wage, health and safety and worker exploitation issues. Since returning to Maine in 2008, Lisa has represented employees on civil rights cases, including discrimination, retaliation and whistleblower claims in State and Federal Courts. Reported decisions on cases which she with co-counsel litigated include Carmichael v. Verso Paper, 679 F. Supp. 2d 109 (D. Me. 2010) and Osher v. University of Maine... Thomas Douglas Esq (207) 591-5747 90 Bridge Street Chad Hansen Esq Free ConsultationCivil Rights, Employment and Workers' Comp Chad represents employees in all manner of employee rights litigation including disability discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, sex discrimination, whistleblower retaliation, sexual harassment, medical leave violations, and failure to accommodate claims. He has both first chaired and second chaired employee rights cases to successful verdicts. Chad is listed in U.S. News "Best Lawyers in America"© directory (Employment Law - Individuals), the oldest and most highly-respected peer review guide in the legal profession. After graduating from the University of Colorado School of Law, Chad worked for the National Organization for Women (“NOW”) National Judicial Education Program which educates the judiciary with regard... Nicholas Walsh Esq Portland, ME Attorney (207) 772-2191 120 Exchange Street Portland, ME 04112-7206 Free ConsultationBusiness, Maritime, Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury A former Coast Guard Officer, commercial fisherman and merchant mariner, since 1988 Nicholas H. Walsh has used his practical knowledge to assist hundreds of New Englanders. The firm has two areas of emphasis: Jones Act work for injured sailors, and injuries occurring because of deficient medical or nursing care (medical malpractice). The “Articles” section of the site nicholaswalsh.com contains useful information on these areas of the law. “From Injury to Judgment: Medical Malpractice Law in Maine” and “Where Does it Hurt: A Survey of Seaman’s Personal Injury Remedies” are just two useful articles. We suggest you review that material, and give... John Scott Logan Esq Free ConsultationBankruptcy Sidney St. F. Thaxter (207) 774-9000 Curtis Thaxter LLC One Canal Plaza, Ste 1000 Sidney St. F. ("Pete") Thaxter is the chair of the firm's Litigation and Administrative Law and Estate Planning and Probate Practice Areas. For over 30 years, he has led the firm's litigation practice, which has focused on business disputes and property rights. Pete also works with multiple generations of the firm's clients and their families to help them through their estate tax and business succession planning. James B. Haddow Esq (207) 775-0200 2 Monument Square, Suite 900 Business, Employment, Environmental and Insurance Claims Alan R. Nye Esq (207) 828-4400 225 Commercial St. Free ConsultationBusiness, Divorce, Estate Planning and Family Sagadahoc County The OneCLE Lawyer Directory contains lawyers who have claimed their profiles and are actively seeking clients. Find more Falmouth, Maine Lawyers in the Justia Legal Services and Lawyers Directory which includes profiles of more than one million lawyers licensed to practice in the United States, in addition to profiles of legal aid, pro bono and legal service organizations.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line782
__label__wiki	0.545968	0.545968	Home Montana Yellowstone County Yellowstone County, Montana Lawyers Find Yellowstone County, Montana Attorneys by Practice Area Find Yellowstone County, Montana Attorneys by City Pompeys Pillar Craig Hensel Yellowstone County, MT Lawyer with 22 years experience (406) 325-7000 1780 N. Shiloh Road University of Montana School of Law Craig C. Hensel has been practicing law in Billings, Montana since 1996. Craig is licensed in all state courts in Montana, all state courts in North Dakota, and Federal Court for the District of Montana. Craig spent over a decade as a prosecutor where he gained extensive courtroom and jury trial experience, trying hundreds of cases to verdict. Craig also has extensive civil experience and represented defendants and insurance companies in personal injury actions for several years, before deciding to switch sides and represent injured individuals. “I used to work for insurance companies, and saw how they would drag out... Eric E Holm Yellowstone County, MT Attorney with 11 years experience (406) 252-2900 115 N. Broadway, Suite 304 Employment, Insurance Claims and Personal Injury Eric Holm is a Montana attorney and founding member of Holm Law Firm, PLLC. Eric enjoys a civil litigation practice in the areas of personal injury, insurance disputes, employment law, business law and commercial litigation, and general civil litigation. He is a member of the American, State and Yellowstone Area Bar Associations and is admitted to practice before all Montana state courts, the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Patrick Beddow Yellowstone County, MT Attorney with 7 years experience (406) 252-8500 2817 2nd Avenue North Energy, Estate Planning, Probate and Real Estate Patrick G.N. Beddow is an attorney licensed in Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming, with a practice concentrating on the areas of real estate, oil & gas, minerals, trusts and estates (planning and probate), and title curative. He has significant depth and diversity of experience in mineral title, curative,and transactions in all three states in which he is licensed, as well as probate administration and real property transactions. Christopher Flann (406) 373-9828 8400 Clark Road Shepherd, MT 59079 Christopher Flann founded and is the principal attorney behind Immigration Law of Montana, P.C. His practice is dedicated to helping individuals and businesses with immigration matters, principally those located in Montana. As a first-generation immigrant who understands the immigration system here in the United States from the inside and the outside, Christopher Flann has a unique insight that he uses to help his clients in the most effective way. As an attorney who enjoys helping people solve problems, Christopher Flann has pursued solutions to his client's immigration problems be they small or large. Once he accepts a client, he works to... James Ragain (406) 651-8888 3936 Ave. B Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury University of Florida and Washburn University School of Law Jim Ragain has over 40 years of substantial trial experience in both state and federal courts and has been nationally recognized by some of the industry's most prestigious awards including Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers. Veronica A. Procter Yellowstone County, MT Lawyer with 7 years experience 2718 Montana Avenue Free ConsultationCivil Rights, Employment, Insurance Claims and Personal Injury Born and raised in Billings, Montana, Veronica A. Procter offers clients a personalized approach to identify and resolve a wide range of legal issues in a timely and cost effective manner. She will explain your legal rights, available remedies and guide you to the best choice to maximize your recovery or minimize your liability. justice, state and federal courts. She is admitted to practice in all Montana state courts, the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Nicholas Owens (406) 272-6425 2702 Montana Ave #204 Criminal Defense, DUI & DWI, Divorce and Landlord Tenant Gonzaga University School of Law Nick was born and raised in Montana, growing up in the Bitterroot Valley. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree, with honors, in Political Science and International Relations from Carroll College before going on to obtain his Juris Doctorate degree from Gonzaga Law School in Spokane, Washington ("let's go Zags!"). During law school, Nick served as the Gonzaga Law Review's Managing Editor and received a CALI Excellence for the Future Award for Legal Research and Writing as well as being awarded "Best Brief" during the school's Linden Cup advocacy competition. ? In addition to... Colin Gerstner (406) 969-3100 2702 Montana Ave Ste 201B Free ConsultationConsumer, Insurance Claims and Personal Injury When Colin Gerstner went to college, he was studying history with no idea of what he really wanted to do with his life. Luckily, one of his professors gave him great advice to go to law school, hoping that he might find his passion. This was exactly the right fit for Colin, as law school gave him a new purpose, and showed him just how much he wanted to help people and be a part of social change. He didn’t become an attorney to get rich, he just enjoys working with individuals and helping them get through whatever problem they are... William Gilbert (406) 254-8903 2718 Montana Ave Appeals, Business, Construction and Personal Injury High Plains Law, P.L.L.C. is a general practice law firm servicing Central Montana from our office in downtown Billings. We are dedicated to giving our clients not only quality legal representation but also outstanding customer service and value. The grandson of Butte miners, Will Gilbert is a fourth generation Montanan. Will graduated from the University of Montana School of Law in 2000 and has been practicing in Montana since that time. Prior to founding High Plains Law, P.L.L.C., he was a partner in a well-respected firm and focused his practice on insurance defense, including personal injury, premises liability, construction... Merry Katherine Marr (406) 272-6986 611 N 31st Street Before venturing into personal injury law, Merry Marr began her legal career working as a Patent Attorney in Washington State. She then expanded her legal skills by working in consumer protection law and later as the supervising attorney at the office of the public defender in Montana. After Merry relocated to Montana in 2011, she chose to dedicate her vast knowledge and experience to the field of personal injury law. Merry can think of no better use of her time, effort, and legal expertise than to help victims who have suffered personal injuries, and she wants nothing more than to... Douglas Day Douglas Day has lived in Montana since 2001 when he and his family moved to Missoula to enter Law School at the University of Montana. Before that, Douglas completed a bachelor of science double major in biochemistry and cellular biology from the University of California, San Diego. It did not take long to fall in love with Big Sky country. After law school, his family moved to Lewistown to clerk for the 10th Judicial District Court for a year. Douglas then joined the Office of Public Defender as a Regional Deputy. He has served as... Amanda O'Shea Tiernan (406) 248-3900 2722 Third Ave North Criminal Defense, Estate Planning and Family Amanda is a Montana girl through and through. She loves spending her time skiing in the winter and camping in the summer. She grew up in Billings and Laurel Montana, and is a proud graduate of Laurel High School. Amanda attended Rocky Mountain College, in Billings, Montana, where she graduated with a Bachelors of Science in History, Political Science, and Professional Communication Studies, with honors. While at Rocky, she was a member of the Debate Team recieving several awards and invaluable experience. During this time she also interned with Senator Tester's office. Amanda attended law school... William A. D'Alton (406) 245-6643 222 North 32nd Street, Suite 903 Free ConsultationDUI & DWI, Employment, Insurance Claims and Personal Injury University of Montana - University of Montana-Missoula Katherine Delaney Berst (406) 248-3900 2722 Third Ave N., Suite 325 A Billings girl born and raised. “I love Billings!” “I love Montana!” I come from a close knit family. My dad is a local Veterinarian, my mom, brothers and I grew up helping and working at my dad’s clinic. From my parents I learned the value of hard work, and that you don’t stop working until a job is, not only done, but done well. My early education took place at Trinity Lutheran School where I learned how important team work is. At West High School I continued to learn how to compete as a team member on... John C. Heenan (406) 839-9091 3970 Avenue D Bankruptcy, Consumer, Legal Malpractice and Medical Malpractice John is a graduate of the University of Montana (honors) and University of Montana School of Law (high honors). After graduating from college, John worked as a truck driver, a fork lift operator and a teamster intern, helping him learn the value of hard work and an honest paycheck. John began his legal practice by serving as a law clerk for United States District Court Judge Richard F. Cebull. Thereafter, he worked in private practice at the Edwards Law Firm, handling both civil and criminal cases, including the case of Ammondson et al v. NorthWestern Corporation et al, which resulted in... Kevin Funyak (406) 259-4545 100 North 27th Street, Suite 700 Moira Murphy (406) 206-6513 2722 3rd Ave N, #240 University of Montana School of Law and University of Montana - University of Montana-Missoula Moira is born and raised in Montana. She has been practicing law since 1995 when she graduated from the University of Montana, School of Law. She specializes in criminal defense and family law (divorce, custody). Robert Stephens JR (406) 245-6182 2910 Minnesota Ave Free ConsultationUniversity of Washington School of Law and Syracuse University College of Law Juliane Lore Yellowstone County, MT Attorney (406) 206-0144 2921 2nd Ave. North Bankruptcy, Business, Consumer and Elder University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law Joseph Cook (406) 651-8888 3936 Avenue B, Suite A2 Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury and Products Liability Phillip R Oliver Yellowstone County, MT Lawyer Ken Wah Choi Stillwater County, MT Lawyer with 15 years experience 6 Woodard Avenue Absarokee, MT 59001 Pepperdine Univ School of Law Ken W. Choi is an Associate of the DiJulio Law Group. Mr. Choi specializes in Business and Real Estate litigation and transactions. He has extensive experience in drafting contracts and forming various types of Corporations, Partnerships, and Limited Liability Companies (L.L.C.), as well as buying, selling, leasing, and constructing million-dollar real properties. Mr. Choi is also a lecturer for high-level government officials, legal and financial specialists, as well as entrepreneurs from China, conducting seminars in the areas of law, business, and public policy. He has extensive personal contacts with various governmental agencies in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Anhui Province,... Briana E. Kottke Missoula County, MT Attorney with 7 years experience (406) 284-1860 234 E. Pine St. Missoula, MT 59802 Free ConsultationAppeals, Cannabis Law, Criminal Defense and Juvenile In August of 2008, Briana began law school at the University of Montana School of Law. While attending law school, Briana was a staff member and then an editor on the MONTANA LAW REVIEW. While on the Law Review, Briana, as Symposium Editor, orchestrated a two-day Symposium on the Montana Constitution, which was heralded as one of the best Symposia that the Law Review has held to date. She was a member of the UM Trial Team during her second year and a member of the Criminal Defense Clinic during her third year. Additionally, she was Professor Cynthia Ford’s research... Lewis And Clark County, MT Attorney with 7 years experience (406) 442-3261 Morrison, Sherwood, Wilson, and Deola, PLLP 401 N. Last Chance Gulch St. Free ConsultationConstruction, Employment, Insurance Claims and Personal Injury Scott was born and raised in eastern Montana. He graduated with honors from the University of Montana Law School in 2011, where he served as the Articles Editor for the Montana Law Review. Scott also interned for a federal magistrate judge, the Honorable Jeremiah Lynch in Missoula. He competed on UM Law’s National Moot Court Team, and his team won both first place brief and first place overall for the Northwest Region. After law school, Scott served as a law clerk for the Honorable Brian Morris, a Justice at the Montana Supreme Court. Since joining private practice, Scott has... Herman Austin Watson IV Gallatin County, MT Attorney with 5 years experience Ste 203A Free ConsultationCriminal Defense, DUI & DWI and Personal Injury University of California - Hastings College of the Law and Leiden Universitat You could say he is well-rounded: Herman was born in Macon, Georgia, where etiquette and manners make an impression. However, he grew up in Montana, settling scores with a friendly punch in the face. As for schooling, the third-generation criminal defense attorney went to preparatory school outside Boston, where he learned well how to read and write, but attended college in Portland, Oregon, where he avoided doing either, choosing instead to invest in the burgeoning beer market; Herman has worked in and managed several bars across the globe. After year-long sojourns in Oxford, England, and Holland, where he studied... Shahid Haque Lewis And Clark County, MT Lawyer with 14 years experience (888) 595-2004 7 W 6th Ave, Suite 2A Shahid Haque dedicates his practice to helping immigrants obtain legal status in the United States and pursue all that the country has to offer. Mr. Haque assists clients with a wide variety of immigration matters, including applications with the consulates abroad and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, representing clients arrested by the Department of Homeland Security, and defending immigrants in deportation proceedings in Immigration Court. Mr. Haque represents well over a thousand immigrants and their families all across Montana, and has been in contact with over a thousand other immigrants in Montana through his advocacy efforts. He has internalized their stories,... Bradley Jay Jones Missoula County, MT Lawyer with 5 years experience (406) 543-3800 416 East Pine Street Free ConsultationDivorce, Family, Personal Injury and Workers' Comp University of Montana School of Law and Willamette University College of Law Bradley J. Jones and his wife Brenda have been married for more than twenty years and are raising their four sons and one daughter in the Bitterroot. Following his first career in construction (carpenter/construction management/contractor) Brad joined Bulman Law Associates PLLC. as an intern in January 2013, and was an associate disability attorney from July 2014 thru December 2017. In January 2018 Brad struck out on his own froming Jones & Cook Attorneys at Law. Taking advantage of past experience, Brad’s practice focuses on workers’ compensation disputes, denial of veterans’ benefits, family law, wills and estates and... Penni Chisholm Flathead County, MT Lawyer with 27 years experience (406) 892-4356 516 First Avenue West Columbia Falls, MT 59912 Free ConsultationDivorce, Family and Personal Injury Penni has been practicing law in Montana since 1992, specializing in litigation and family law. She has successfully tried cases across the state, preserving millions of dollars of assets for her clients in divorce cases and recovering millions of dollars for her clients in injury cases. Penni, her husband and partner Dean Chisholm, and their staff of five are Chisholm & Chisholm, P.C. The law firm represents individuals and businesses in a variety of legal matters throughout Montana. The firm offers the highest quality legal services to its clients in the relaxed atmosphere of its Columbia... Ben Snipes Cascade County, MT Lawyer with 10 years experience (406) 761-5595 725 3rd Ave North Great Falls, MT 59401 Free ConsultationAsbestos, Personal Injury, Products Liability and Workers' Comp Ben Snipes is a plaintiff's personal injury attorney, specializing in serious injury cases. His practice presently focuses on catastrophic workplace injuries, trucking and motor vehicle accidents, asbestos related diseases and mesothelioma cases. In addition to a traditional plaintiffs practice, Mr. Snipes carries a significant Qui Tam/False Claims Act whistleblower and workers' compensation caseload. He is an AV Preeminent rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell® and has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Montana by The National Trial Lawyers® since 2014. In 2018, he was recognized as a Rising Star (for attorneys 40 years or... Martin Judnich Missoula County, MT Lawyer with 16 years experience (406) 721-3354 501 S. Russell Street Free ConsultationCriminal Defense, DUI & DWI, Divorce and Insurance Claims University of Montana alumni. Martin was a Deputy County Attorney prosecuting cases in Cascade County Montana. Marty then used that experience to defend the rights of those accused as a criminal defense attorney. Marty has also been involved in personal injury claims since 1996 and continues to obtain settlements and verdicts for injured claimants. Richard Baskett Missoula County, MT Attorney with 40 years experience (406) 549-1110 210 North Higgins Avenue Michael McKeon Silver Bow County, MT Attorney with 10 years experience (406) 494-8890 600 Dewey Blvd, Ste C Butte, MT 59701 Michael J. McKeon Jr. was born and raised in Butte, Montana. Michael graduated from Butte Central High School in 2000 and then attended Villanova University, graduating with a B.A. in Communications in 2004. Michael attended law school at the University of Montana School of Law and graduated with a Juris Doctorate in May 2008. Throughout his career, Michael’s has focused his practice on representing those who have been injured due to the negligence of others, including claims involving workplace accidents, personal injuries, insurance claims, slip/trip & fall claims, products liability and medical malpractice. Michael is admitted to the Montana and U.S. District... Craig E. Bohn Esq. Flathead County, MT Attorney with 18 years experience (972) 836-8799 685 Leisure Dr. Kalispell, MT 59901 Free ConsultationIP and Patents I grew up in a family business, and graduated from West Point, serving 6 years as an Army Airborne Ranger infantry officer. The combination makes me a consummate team player who instinctively leads and trains team members as needed. My legal expertise is honed from practice in both corporations and law firms, both large and small. My diverse background enables me to cross the lines of the business, administrative, technical, and legal sections of a company, and has taught me to develop and lead teams to set and attain goals harmonized to the business strategies, plans and... Miva VanEngen Missoula County, MT Lawyer (406) 214-3978 1800 S. Reserve St., Suite C-2 Free ConsultationCriminal Defense, DUI & DWI, Divorce and Family Miva VanEngen fights vigorously in her representation of clients who have been injured by others: whether by car crash, negligent acts of others, or at work (personal injury and workers' compensation claims). She also works hard for her clients who have been charged with a DUI or other crime. Finally, she represents a variety of clients in simple and complex divorces, parenting plans, pre-nuptial agreements, post-nuptial agreements and other family law matters. Her clients can be found all over Montana and in other states. Technological advances make it possible to represent clients without the need for travel, depending on the reason... Jenny Jourdonnais (406) 203-1734 3111 Grant Street, Suite B Free ConsultationAppeals, Business, Collections and Real Estate The law is my first passion and second career. In 2008 I left a decade long career in the financial services industry and a comfortable Vice President position at a national bank to pursue my lifelong dream of attending law school. While in law school, I argued in regional and national moot court competitions. I also established an externship in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Montana and briefed and argued a wrongful foreclosure pro se appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. After graduation from the... Santana Kortum (800) 257-1482 1382 Airport Road Free ConsultationMedical Malpractice, Personal Injury and Products Liability Santana Caballero handles injury cases arising out of accidents, medical malpractice, employment, nursing home abuse and neglect as well as wrongful death claims across the state of Montana. Santana brings to the table a strong Montana work ethic and common sense while maintaining result orientated relationships with insurance carriers and opposing counsel. Santana is admitted to practice in Montana Administrative matters, Montana District Courts, Montana Federal District Courts and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. No obligation free initial consultations. Philip Lance McGrady (406) 322-8647 309 Wisconsin Avenue Whitefish, MT 59937 Employment, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury and Products Liability Philip is a graduate of the University of Montana School of Law. He received his undergraduate degree from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. While attending the University of Montana law school, Philip was a member of the National Moot Court Team, he clerked for United States Magistrate Judge Leif Erickson, and also taught first year law students legal research and legal writing. Following graduation, Philip clerked for Superior Court Judge Dan Hensley in Anchorage, Alaska, and then for Yellowstone County District Court Judge Russell Fagg in Billings, Montana, before joining Edwards, Frickle & Culver in 2005. Philip has... Brenda L Wahler Lewis And Clark County, MT Attorney with 16 years experience (406) 449-2060 7 West 6th Ave Arbitration & Mediation, Divorce, Elder and Family Specialties include child custody and parenting plans; equine law. Aaron Neilson (406) 721-7772 310 W. Spruce St. Free ConsultationBusiness, Collections, Construction and Real Estate As a previous executive and general counsel at a leading regional technology company as well as many years of experience in private practice in Seattle and Missoula, Aaron helps telecommunications providers, startups, tech companies, banks, HOAs, contractors, real estate developers, and individuals in Montana and Washington with all their legal needs--e.g., litigation, dispute resolution, business formations and maintenance, contract review and preparation, succession planning, regulatory advice and compliance, employee manuals, business policies, lobbying, cybersecurity and privacy, wills, trusts, estate plans, etc. In his free time, Aaron enjoys fishing, hiking, basketball, baseball, concerts, breweries, and spending time with his wife,... Daniel Z. Rice Custer County, MT Attorney with 8 years experience Miles City, MT 59301 Dan Rice was raised in Miles City, Montana, and graduated from Custer County District High School in 2000. Mr. Rice served in the United States Army and the Montana Army National Guard from 2003-2010. Rice received a BA in Sociology from The University of Montana in 2008, and graduated from The University of Montana School of Law with a Juris Doctorate in 2010. Mr. Rice practices at the Lucas & Tonn, P.C. law firm located at 513 Main Street in Miles City, Montana. The OneCLE Lawyer Directory contains lawyers who have claimed their profiles and are actively seeking clients. Find more Yellowstone County, Montana Lawyers in the Justia Legal Services and Lawyers Directory which includes profiles of more than one million lawyers licensed to practice in the United States, in addition to profiles of legal aid, pro bono and legal service organizations.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line783
__label__cc	0.715599	0.284401	Home Energy, Oil & Gas Law Florida Homestead Homestead, Florida Energy, Oil & Gas Lawyers Roman Tabatchouk Miami Beach, FL Energy, Oil & Gas Law Lawyer with 8 years experience (800) 583-1780 1000 5th Street Energy, Business, International and Real Estate John R. Walker BOCA RATON, FL Energy, Oil & Gas Law Attorney with 29 years experience (561) 990-1699 750 PARK OF COMMERCE BLVD. Free ConsultationEnergy, Insurance Claims, Insurance Defense and Maritime JOHN R. WALKER is a Partner in SBSB's Houston office. For the past almost twenty-five years, it has been my privilege to represent insurance and employer interests focusing on the defense of claims brought under the Longshore and Harbor Act, the Defense Base (DBA), the Non-Appropriated Funds (NAF) Instrumentalities Act, the Jones Act, and General Maritime and Admiralty Law. Additionally, John also has extensive experience in First Party Insurance Defense matters, representing employers, insurance carriers, and third parties in State, Federal and Appellate courts. Prior to joining the firm, John handled First Party Insurance Defense,... Jeffery Ray St. Cloud, FL Energy, Oil & Gas Law Attorney with 7 years experience (855) 473-1818 1320 Louisiana Avenue St. Cloud, FL 34769 Energy, Business, Estate Planning and Real Estate University of Aberdeen, School of Law and Florida A&M University College of Law Jeffery R. Ray is an attorney for the Central Florida law firm of Bogin, Munns & Munns. His areas of practice include Energy Law, Civil Litigation, Real Estate, Business Law, Estate Planning, Immigration, Personal Injury, and Family Law. He received his B.S. in Criminal Justice from Troy University (2008), his J.D. from Florida A&M University, College of Law (2012), and his LL.M. from University of Aberdeen, School of Law (2013) . Mr. Ray has studied at Oxford University where he completed work on his Post Graduate Program in Human Rights Law (2011). He has served in the U.S. military... Thomas Lowe Young Tampa, FL Energy, Oil & Gas Law Lawyer with 19 years experience (813) 251-9706 209 South Howard Avenue Free ConsultationEnergy, Consumer and Environmental The Law Office of Thomas L. Young, P.A. focuses exclusively on representing business owners and individuals under the BP Deepwater Horizon Economic Settlement Program. The firm has brought together a team of attorneys, financial analysts and certified public accountants whose sole mission is to assist our clients in maximizing their claims under the Settlement Agreement. Dr. John Greel Ralls Jr Pensacola, FL Energy, Oil & Gas Law Attorney (850) 324-1210 5201 N. Davis Hwy. Energy, Oil & Gas Attorneys in Nearby Cities Energy, Oil & Gas Attorneys in Nearby Counties The Oyez Lawyer Directory contains lawyers who have claimed their profiles and are actively seeking clients. Find more Homestead, Florida Energy, Oil & Gas Lawyers in the Justia Legal Services and Lawyers Directory which includes profiles of more than one million lawyers licensed to practice in the United States, in addition to profiles of legal aid, pro bono and legal service organizations.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line784
__label__cc	0.690167	0.309833	Carfentanil found after inmate at Sask. Penitentiary hospitalized Carfentanil has been found in Saskatchewan following an incident at the Saskatchewan Penitentiary last month. On Wednesday afternoon the RCMP received confirmation that carfentanil was present in a substance tested by Health Canada after an incident at the penitentiary in Prince Albert. At 9 a.m. on July 15, a 22-year-old male inmate was found unresponsive. Naloxone was administered, and the man was taken to the hospital. The incident was not fatal and RCMP will not be providing an update on his condition. The RCMP is continuing to investigate the incident. This is the first time the presence of carfentanil has been confirmed in Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdiction. “There are severe consequences to being exposed to, possessing or using synthetic opioid drugs. All it can take is being in the presence of carfentanil to put yourself at serious risk of injury or death,” Superintendent Rob Cameron, officer in charge, RCMP federal policing said in a news release. The RCMP is reminding people the conditions under which illegal drugs are made are not controlled, do not meet any safety standards and may be contaminated with other substances and drugs. Carfentanil is often used or mixed with other drugs to make it more potent. The RCMP said it is unknown how much or what chemicals or other substances may have been added to dilute or contaminate drug purity. The RCMP wants to remind people that if they think someone is experiencing an opioid overdose to call 9-1-1 immediately. Teen charged after projectile shot at house Ford F-series trucks are a hot commodity among thieves in Regina	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line785
__label__wiki	0.661329	0.661329	English (SC) Historic peacemaking moves FOOTSTEPS 45 by Andrew Wheeler. The Dinka and Nuer people of Southern Sudan had been in conflict with each other for many years. Cattle raiding, armed fights, abducting women and children and fighting over fishing and grazing rights had resulted in a band of ‘no-man’s land’ 50–100 miles wide between them. This strip of land contained much of the best dry season grazing and fishing. The conflict was causing poverty, despair and also damaging the traditional way of life as power and decision-making were increasingly in the hands of the armed and violent fighting men, often linked to the rival armies of the SPLA and SSIM. After a year of careful planning, about 35 people – including Nuer and Dinka elders, chiefs, religious and church leaders – were brought together in Lokichoggio, Northern Kenya. For the first time, these leaders were able to share stories of the suffering experienced because of the fighting between their peoples. Rather than blame the rival armies, the leaders were willing to take responsibility for the war and for making peace on their own shoulders. They committed themselves to work together for a peace accord and began planning a conference to bring a lasting reconciliation to their people. The conference was held in the tiny village of Wunlit – in the no-man’s land between the Dinka and Nuer. More than 2,000 people attended, including chiefs, elders, women’s leaders, religious leaders and representatives of the military. Traditional storytelling was the main theme of the conference. By encouraging people to tell their stories, people found release from the pain they had suffered. It also highlighted various issues that had to be worked out and solved. A covenant was witnessed by 318 Dinka and Nuer community leaders. It was sealed with the sacrifice of a white bull – binding everyone to observe the covenant agreement, with Christian prayer and with a feast for everyone with meat from the covenant bull. Signs of trust Following the conference, there were many examples of how people showed their trust in the covenant. Thousands of Dinka and Nuer herdsmen moved into the no-man’s land and together visited the traditional sacred places, sacrificing another bull to re-enact the sealing of the Wunlit covenant. Trade was re-established. The church had had a vital role in establishing the peace process and in hosting the first conference. The support and prayer of churches throughout the area was very important. The traditional element was more prominent in the second, larger Wunlit conference. The Wunlit covenant was an achievement of the entire community. This was a great strength and ensured lasting confidence. It also became the centre of a widening peace process. Since then, trade routes have re-opened, marriages have been finalised with abducted women, thousands of Nuer who were displaced by the fighting have returned peacefully and the grazing lands and fishing sites have been shared peacefully. Discussions between the Dinka and Nuer were made easier since both groups shared a common culture and pastoral economy. The people-led peace process has brought great encouragement in the chaos of modern Sudan. It shows that despite what seemed an endless cycle of conflict and revenge, traditional resources, together with the support of the Christian faith, can bring healing and new life. Andrew Wheeler was a mission partner with CMS in Sudan. FOOTSTEPS ISSUES	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line786
__label__wiki	0.783673	0.783673	Beau Wrigley Jr. Beau was the fourth generation member of the Wrigley family to lead the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, a global leader in confections founded in 1891. He began his career with the company in 1985 and, after serving in multiple roles, became the Chairman, President and CEO in 1999. During his leadership, the Wrigley Company tripled in size and expanded its reach to consumers in 180 countries. In 2008, Wrigley was sold to privately held and family-owned Mars, Incorporated. Currently, Beau is Chairman and CEO of Wrigley Management Inc., a family office, and WWJr. Enterprises Inc., an investment company that invests in a range of venture capital and private equity interests. Beau is also Co-Founder and Chairman of higi, a wellness and incentive reward platform that empowers individuals to measure and manage their personal health and well-being. Beau also has significant experience serving on public company, private and not-for-profit organizations’ boards. Beau is an active philanthropist, currently serving as a director for Everglades Foundation, and Co-Chair of Conservation International’s Ocean Health Council. Beau is a 1985 graduate of Duke University with a B.A. in Economics and attended the Wharton School of Business Advanced Management Program in 1994.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line787
__label__wiki	0.662565	0.662565	Learn More About Toxic Tort Law in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Hometoxic tort lawhawaiipearl harbor Toxic Tort Law Lawyers In Pearl Harbor Hawaii What is toxic tort law? Toxic Tort cases involve people who have been injured through exposure to dangerous pharmaceuticals or chemical substances in the environment, on the job, or in consumer products -- including carcinogenic agents, lead, benzene, silica, harmful solvents, hazardous waste, and pesticides to name a few. Most toxic tort cases have arisen either from exposure to pharmaceutical drugs or occupational exposures. Most pharmaceutical toxic injury cases are mass tort cases, because drugs are consumed by thousands of people, many of whom become ill from a toxic drug. There have also been many occupational toxic tort cases, because industrial and other workers are often chronically exposed to toxic chemicals - more so than consumers and residents. Most of the law in this area arises from asbestos exposure, but thousands of toxic chemicals are used in industry and workers in these areas can experience a variety of toxic injuries. Unlike the general population, which is exposed to trace amounts of thousands of different chemicals in the environment, industrial workers are regularly exposed to much higher levels of chemicals and therefore have a greater risk of developing disease from particular chemical exposures than the general population. The home has recently become the subject of toxic tort litigation, mostly due to mold contamination, but also due to construction materials such as formaldehyde-treated wood and carpet. Toxic tort cases also arise when people are exposed to consumer products such as pesticides and suffer injury. Lastly, people can also be injured from environmental toxins in the air or in drinking water. Answers to toxic tort law issues in Hawaii What are a landlord's legal responsibilities regarding lead in rental property? Because of the health problems caused by lead poisoning, the federal Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction... What is a landlord responsibility for environmental hazards such as asbestos and mold? Property owners may be liable for tenant health problems caused by exposure to environmental hazards, such as... What kinds of cases may be suitable for a mass tort lawsuit? In general, mass tort cases involve a large number of individual claimants with claims associated with a single... Federal court opinions concerning toxic tort law in Hawaii 521 US 424 Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company v. Buckley 548 F2d 998 Environmental Defense Fund Inc v. Environmental Protection Agency 629 F2d 180 Gray Panthers v. Administrator Health Care Financing Administration Department of Health and Human Services 643 F2d 835 Romero-Barcelo v. Brown 749 F2d 968 United States v. Hooker Chemicals & Plastics Corp & Ny 768 F2d 1030 Almond Hill School v. United States Department of Agriculture R Tl 781 F2d 394 Jackson v. Johns-Manville Sales Corporation 818 F2d 145 In Re "Agent Orange" Product Liability Litigation Mdl 924 F2d 1500 McKinney v. Anderson 996 F2d 1425 "Agent Orange" Product Liability Litigation Ivy v. Diamond Shamrock Chemicals Company & Th	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line790
__label__wiki	0.693355	0.693355	Posts tagged “The Invisible” Universal Monsters in Review: a monstrous survey For the past nine months, my weekends have had the added benefit of screening a new Universal Monster movie on Saturday or sometimes Sunday nights, from Frankenstein to The Wolf Man and all the lesser known sequels and House specials. The majority of which I had not previously seen. They were new and largely unknown to me. And of those unknowns, yes a few were just god-awful, but for the most part, the majority were intriguing, a few breathtakingly mesmerizing, and fewer still, though odd and unusual, they held a certain charm about them. When watching movies with 86 years of separation between then and now, you’re bound to find conflicts with storytelling and filmmaking that go against how you understand them. Things were done differently then. People held different beliefs and ideology than today. Different cultures and even customs. Some of those things are pleasant reminders of a simpler time, the way dialogue was crafted with care and chivalry, poetic in its own right. And there were also aspects that were uncomfortable to watch, such as sexism and discrimination towards women and those of African or even Asian descent. Remembering the historical context of the films can help relieve some of the conflicts we feel with those nostalgic glitches. When Dracula released in February of 1931, the world was in a state of flux. The economic depression (known as The Great Depression) was setting root in not just America, but all over the world. In Germany, the first pangs of the rise of Nazism was felt. Though defeated by a majority win, in just two years time the elected German president, Hindenburg, will elect Adolf Hitler as chancellor . Eugenics was a pop science in which the sterilization of unfit parents and the “euthanasia” of “the defective” and “useless eaters” is making the rounds, not just in Nazi Germany, but also on the shores of the United States. In 1935, the Nuremberg Laws are passed (the first major steps in annihilation and extermination of European Jewry, ie, The Final Solution). In 1936, the Spanish Civil War begins. In 1937, the Rape of Nanjing, which is basically the systematic rape, torture, and murder of more than 300,000 Chinese civilians by Japanese soldiers as they invade China. 1939, Germany invades Poland, and by December 7th, 1941, the Day that will Live in Infamy, the once “civilized” world is thrown back into global conflict. These were uncertain times, to say the least. And we have to keep in mind that this was the backdrop during the production of the majority of the Universal Monster movies. Intentional or not, history shapes and continues to do so. Every decade, every generation has had a take on the original Universal monsters. Thru the 1950s, into the 60s, 70s, 1980s, 90s, 2000s, and even today, those pillar stories are still being told. And that is a part of what we’ll discuss here today. Those movies we call remakes, the hits of those and the blunders, as well as what waits in store for those of, let’s say, my daughter’s generation. What will the monsters look like tomorrow? This is roughly about 60 years of film history, so we will not tackle each and every monster movie, but rather a survey of each decade. Savvy? Let us begin. When the last of the Universal monsters, The Creature Walks Among Us (1956), aired, a new generation of monsters was born. The 1950s was a strange era, filled with mutated creatures and aliens from other worlds. Big hits during this decade included Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Thing from Another World, Godzilla, Forbidden Planet, and Them! (just to name a few). The classic Universal monsters faded into obscurity in America, becoming cult-B movies for those brave enough to venture into the movie theaters with duel Herman Cohen produced flicks, I Was a Teenage Werewolf and I Was a Teenage Frankenstein and the return of Boris Karloff in Frankenstein 1970, a mashup of classic Universal and atomic age science. While the monsters went B in America, they seem to thrive across the pond in the UK as major productions. Universal monsters were reborn in Hammer Production films and a great majority of these are still some of the best monster movies on the market, even by today’s standards. Movies, such as The Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula, and The Mummy captivated a new generation of monster lovers. The Mummy (1959) starring both Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, I found was especially good and horrific compared to the original Universal films which were not beloved by many. Trends from the 1950s continue on into the 1960s. The majority of monsters are the creations of mad science or invaders from other worlds. Godzilla and Mothra being some of the most popular monsters during this era, and other very unique monster created by a couple of rogue filmmakers in Pittsburg, Night of the Living Dead (1968). But that doesn’t mean the classics Universal monsters had died away, there some… Hammer Productions continued with The Evil of Frankenstein, Frankenstein Created Woman, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, The Brides of Dracula, Dracula: Prince of Darkness, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb, and The Mummy’s Shroud, and NOT FORGETTING the best of the best, The Curse of the Werewolf (1961). In the United States, two classic Universal monsters were melded with the new age craze with the release of Atomic Age Vampire (1960) and Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (1965) and super low-budget flick Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965). Leaving only one major production, a made for children stop-motion animated musical comedy titled Mad Monster Party? (1967) starring Boris Karloff in his last appearance in any of the classic Universal Monster movies as the voice of Victor Frankenstein. Hammer Productions continued to flourish with classic monster films such as The Horror of Frankenstein, Frankenstein, and the Monster from Hell, Taste the Blood of Dracula, Scars of Dracula, Dracula A.D. 1972, The Satanic Rites of Dracula, The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires, and Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb. During this decade we’re introduced to a few well known B-Italian (and German and French included) classic monster movies with Dracula Vs. Frankenstein (starring Lon Chaney in his last reprisal in a “Universal” monster film), The Werewolf Versus The Vampire Women, Frankenstein’s Castle of Freaks, and the very strange Flesh for Frankenstein (aka Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein). Now, for classic Universal monsters in the United States, the 1970s gave birth to a very interesting phase called Blaxploitation. In 1972, on the eve of Blaxploitation, we’re blessed with the likes of Blacula, the tale of an African prince (William Marshall) is turned into a vampire by Count Dracula (Charles McCauley). Sealed in a coffin for several lifetimes, “Blacula” reawakens in 1970’s Los Angeles. Leaving a trail of bloodless victims in his wake. And Blacula returns in 1973 with Scream Blacula Scream. Some other noteworthy Blaxploitation-classic-Universal-monster films include 1974’s Blackenstein and Ganja & Hess. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!!! In 1974, Mel Brooks produced and directed one of the greats spoofs set within the classic Universal monsters lexicon…Young Frankenstein, starring the late great Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Teri Gar, and Marty Feldman (to name a few). Though I am a rabid fan of both Hammer and Blaxploitation films, my love for this era falls directly on Young Frankenstein. The film was absolutely respectful of the roots of Frankenstein and even used what remained of the original set. Not to mention was wonderfully written, directed, and acted. Less not forgetting a few other honorable mentions, Werewolves on Wheels, The Boy who Cried Werewolf, Werewolf Woman, and Legend of the Werewolf are all wonderfully gritty and fun to watch. It’s really hard to hate the 1980s, especially regarding the volumes of horror movies produced during this VHS era. So many monster films and the birth of a new sub-genre, The Slasher, and the reclassification of Universal tropes, whereas the Gillman from the Creature from the Black Lagoon, became Swamp Thing and Toxic Avenger. One of the more obvious “Universal” carry-overs would be Jerry Warren’s Frankenstein Island, starring John Carradine, one of the last surviving members from the original Universal Monster films. But what made this era really great were three films that took the concepts developed by the traditional Universal tropes and created something new from the old.The Howling, An American Werewolf in London and Silver Bullet took what The Wolf Man did in 1941 and set it in a more reality-toned story if you can believe that. The rules of werewolfism became more complex and reminded audiences how fun these kinds of movies can be if done properly. Now…I’d be a horrible film historian/fan if I failed to mention the one single most recognizable “Universal” heavy monster movie from the 1980s. That’s right folks, I’m talking The Monster Squad (1987). This movie took every 80s cliche and every classic Universal Monster cliche, boiled it in a stew and served it with nard pudding. You either love it or you hate, and if you hate you’re probably too terrified to say so, considering how many damn people love this movie! Looking back on the 90s is like looking through a kaleidoscope. There were so much realism and so much snark the 90s is often really hard to separate diamonds from the squares regarding monster flicks. The 90s gave us more creature features, not necessarily mutated or atomic…just…creatures. And as far as the use of classic “Universal” monster tropes, we have two different extremes. On one end, we get Frankenhooker (1990), a raunchy B-movie where a New Jersey mad doctor (James Lorinz) rebuilds his girlfriend (Patty Mullen) with body parts from exploded hookers. And not forgetting (though I wish I could) Mel Brooks directed Dracula: Dead and Loving It. But on the other extreme, we get these melodrama films such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), both of which did their best to follow the source material that inspired the original Universal Monsters. In the middle of all this dueling complexity, we have at least one movie that keeps to both melodramatic and B-ish action, one of my person favorites from this decade, NO, not Monster Mash, I’m talking 1998’s comic to film flick, Blade starring Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristoffer, and Stephen Dorff. And I guess I’d be amiss if I did not mention one of the first more modern remakes directly linked to the Universal Monster classics. In 1999, The Mummy released starring (then loved now somewhat shunned) Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, and America’s favorite weirdo Kevin J. O’Connor. The remake followed most of the basic tenets of the original Mummy while kicking up the action. I remember actually being really impressed with the film and truth be told…I had seen this one before screening the original. Unfortunately, it suffers from what most 1990s movies suffer from, the crappy use of CGI. But overall, The Mummy is still a fun romp on a late night. (Shhhh…if we’re quiet and don’t make any sudden movements, no one will mention 1997’s An American Werewolf in Paris…) The 2000s were not entirely unkind to Universal Monster tropes. Strange…but not unkind. Universal Studios themselves had put out a what should have been a return or at least a nod to the classic hey-day with Van Helsing (2004)…and while they did capture the feeling of watching a Universal Monster flick, the story itself and odd choices with effects and the horribly outdated CGI dropped the bottom out on this movie. It’s amazing how much of a turd Van Helsing is, and it could have been so much more, a virtual House of Dracula, giving audiences werewolves and vampires and hunchbacks and even Frankenstein’s creature but instead filmmakers ignored the lore and added strange new rules that didn’t make sense, making a complete mess of a movie. The decade was not without some gems. I thought Dog Soldiers (2002) was both brilliant and horrifying. There was also Ginger Snaps (2000) and Ginger Snaps II which were both smart. And, though not a lot of folks liked this one, I thought it was fun and an awesome throwback to the classic vibe of Universal Monsters, 2004’s Wes Craven directed Cursed starring Christina Ricci, Jesse Eisenberg, and Joshua Jackson. Another fan favorite during this decade was action-thriller Underworld (2003), starring the very leather-clad Kate Beckinsale and the always magnetic Bill Nighy. Underworld has developed into a series franchise, putting audiences into a world of vampires versus werewolves. The sequel Underworld: Rise of the Lycans released back in 2009. All of which all fun and entertaining, though very obviously films in a post-Matrix world with all that leather and gun-play. Another vampire hit, for me at least, was 30 Days of Night (2007) which shed the “it’s fun to be a vampire” motif and actually allowed them to be monsters. And while sequels are not always a favorite subject matter, we cannot discount Blade II (2002), this round being directed by then up and coming monster director Guillermo del Toro… And be honest here, who doesn’t love a movie with Ron Pearlman in it? But let’s stop there. No need mentioning Blade: Trinity…ugh! And as for the best of the 2000s decade, my hat goes off to Let the Right One In (2008), a Swedish “romantic” horror film directed by Tomas Alfredson, based on the 2004 novel of the same title by John Ajvide Lindqvist about a bullied 12-year-old boy named “Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) living with his mother in suburban Sweden, meets his new neighbor, the mysterious and moody Eli (Lina Leandersson), they strike up a friendship. Initially reserved they slowly form a close bond, but it soon becomes apparent that she is no ordinary young girl. Eventually, Eli shares her dark, macabre secret with Oskar, revealing her connection to a string of bloody local murders.” Let the Right One In was one of those “unknowns,” coming right out of left field. It was a slow burn, but so atmospheric and moody and dark…it gives me the chills just thinking about the movie. Here we are…roughly 70 years of film history. And with just six (nearly 7) years into the new decade, it seems as if those classic Universal monster tropes are making an epic comeback. Or at least, that’s the vibe I’m getting. Let’s start things off here with my favorite, the 2010 direct remake of the original 1941 The Wolf Man, with a star-studded cast including Benicio del Toro, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving, and David Schofield to name a few. Now, I’m not saying the movie didn’t have some flaws. The fight scene between Hopkins and Toro is…well…a little odd, but for the majority of the film, the effects and even added CGI wasn’t too shabby. Considering the original is my preferred archetype regarding werewolf stories, I pretty much fell head over heels for this one. And wait, there’s more! Not only did we get a directly linked werewolf movie, but it looks as if the indie film community was filling in where Hollywood failed to capitalize. Consider this fan-favourite and truly underrated horror flick, Late Phases (2014), about a secluded retirement community plagued by mysterious and deadly attacks until a grizzled blind war veteran moves in, rallies the residents, and discovers a beast is behind the killings. Another unrated flick and extremely well done, Stake Land (2010) gives the classic vampire trope a plague-like treatment. 2013’s Wer was another surprise, giving lycanism a hereditary twist and 2012’s Werewolf: The Beast Among Us wasn’t too shabby for a largely unknown action thriller. And 2013’s Frankenstein’s Army was just bizarre enough to be entertaining. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) was a smart and surprise hit among monster fans, where residents of a worn-down Iranian city encounter a skateboarding vampire (Sheila Vand) who preys on men who disrespect women. And I thought Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012) was good for a late night screening. Now…because I’m a dad (totally using this as an excuse), I have to mention one of my top favorites thus far for this decade before moving on to anything else. Hotel Transylvania (2012) was absolutely brilliant. Fun. Funny. And full of classic monster tropes. The story goes, “When monsters want to get away from it all, they go to Count Dracula’s (Adam Sandler) Hotel Transylvania, a lavish resort where they can be themselves without humans around to bother them. On one special weekend, Dracula invites creatures like the Invisible Man, the Mummy, and others to celebrate the 118th birthday of his daughter, Mavis (Selena Gomez). However, an unforeseen complication unfolds when an ordinary human unwittingly crashes the party and falls in love with Mavis.” Say what you will, but I love this movie! As for the duds…though I still haven’t screened this one, I’ve heard that the steady-cam take on the Mummy monster trope The Pyramid (2014) was not very good. The concept sounded interesting…maybe I’ll give this one a go before passing final judgment. The same for Dracula: Untold (2014), I just haven’t gotten around to watching it, but I’ve heard that it was decently entertaining. And I still haven’t caught up with We Are The Night (2010) or Byzantium (2012), both of which follow a more feminine-centric story trope. One dud that I did actually watch was comic-book based I, Frankenstein (2014). “Two centuries after Dr. Frankenstein assembles and reanimates his creature, Adam (Aaron Eckhart) is still living. He becomes embroiled in a war between two immortal races: gargoyles, the traditional protectors of mankind, and evil demons. Since Adam is neither human nor demon, gargoyle Queen Leonore (Miranda Otto) and demon Prince Naberius (Bill Nighy) each want him for their own purposes. It is up to Adam to discover his inner humanity and the reason for his continued existence.” The movie could have been so much more but casting pretty-boy Eckhart as the monster…well…it seemed to reek of trying too much to be like Underworld to have any real chance of being its own movie. The concept was fun and the addition to the Frankenstein lore…so, at least it had that going for it. Also on my to watch list: What We Do in the Shadows (2015), and Freaks of Nature (2015). It just seems, part of my problem is that there are so many classic films to choice from my tastes typically shy away back to the 1970s or 80s. That’s not to say the 2010s have nothing to offer, just look at the list above and you’ll find more than one blockbuster worthy of your time. And the year is not even over yet. A think, largely, everyone has their own tastes for horror, and this is especially true for those of the classic Universal Monster breed. My biggest disappointment is the lackluster treatment of my favorite Universal Monster, The Mummy. While the 1999 remake did a rather bang-up job, that’s been…what, 17 years now? I have to wonder what the aversion is. I’m assuming it’s because the Mummy is not a “fan favorite.” Vampires and werewolves sell movie tickets, is that it? You put a screenwriter who loves the trope, some solid practical effects, and a director who knows what they’re doing, and I guarantee you a great film will be made. And now…a peek into the FUTURE…. As you’ve no doubt heard, Universal Studios will be reviving from their vaults, the return of the classic Universal Monsters in a new series that will eventually tie together all our beloved baddies. This news has been generating for about two years now and it looks as if they’re finally getting the ball rolling. The first monster up for theatric return will be The Mummy, with a June 2017 release date, and starring none other than Tom “Top Gun” Cruise. It feels fortuitous that my favorite Universal monster will be up first in this new rival. The Wolf Man is said to be next, with a 2018 release date and rumors of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson taking on the lead role. Scarlett Johansson is rumored to be on Universal’s radar for the led in The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Angelina Jolie for Bride of Frankenstein. Johnny Depp for The Invisible Man. And supposedly, Dracula: Untold‘s end sequence opens the door for what all these remakes will be leading towards. At first, I had my reservations. Some of the descriptions for what the producers wanted sounded un-horror and un-betrothed to what the originals were. But it seems those rumors were just that, rumors. As more information has released, the more excited and cautiously optimistic I’ve become. If you’ve tuned into any of the reviews in this series, you’ve no doubt noted how much of a fan I am of the classic Universal Monster. And by-Geroge, I’m glad they’ve finally decided to bring them back to their full glory. Thomas S. Flowers is the published author of several character driven stories of dark fiction. He resides in Houston, Texas, with his wife and daughter. He is published with The Sinister Horror Company’s horror anthology The Black Room Manuscripts. His debut novel,Reinheit, is published with Shadow Work Publishing, along with The Incredible Zilch Von Whitstein and Lanmò His new paranormal series, The Subdue Books, including both Dwelling and Emerging, are published with Limitless Publishing, LLC. In 2008, he was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army where he served for seven years, with three tours serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2014, Thomas graduated from University of Houston Clear Lake with a BA in History. He blogs here at machinemean[dot]org, where he does author interviews and reviews on a wide range of strange yet oddly related topics. Did you like what you read here? Be sure to subscribe to our SPAM FREE newsletter. Keep in the loop with new book releases, sales, giveaways, future articles, guest posts, and of course…a free eBook copy of Strange Authors, an anthology that includes some of the weirdest and vilest writers in the horror community. (click below). September 14, 2016 \| Categories: History, Horror, Reviews \| Tags: 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, 2000's, 2010's, An American Werewolf in London, Blade, Christopher Lee, Dracula, Frankenstein, Gene Wilder, Gillman, Hammer Productions, Horror, horror reviews, Let the Right One In, Mel Brooks, movie reviews, originals, Peter Cushing, Remakes, Reviews, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Curse of the Werewolf, The Invisible, The Mummy, The Wolf Man, Universal Classics, Universal Monsters, Universal Monsters in Review, Universal Studios, Universal Studios Classics, Young Frankenstein \| 2 Comments	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line791
__label__cc	0.602428	0.397572	HomeNew Age Is Western Society Due Another Revolution? January 13, 2018 Terry MacKinnell Age of Aquarius, China, environment, Feminism, Golden Age of Peace, Industrial Revolution, Libra Age-Decan, Martin Luther, New Age, Protestant Reformation communism, fascism, revolution For most people in the western world, astrology is just the sun-sign. Astrologers are not so circumscribed – they know that the sun-sign is just one of a huge number of influential astrological factors including the ascendant, moon signs, aspects and so on that are available in interpreting and predicting events associated with a person, object or event. When it comes to the astrological ages, the situation is, in a way, almost reversed. The average astrologer has usually heard of the Age of Pisces, Age of Aquarius and plus some earlier ages such as the Age of Cancer – with each age somewhere around 2155 years each. This is akin to sun-sign astrology. The astrological age in play at any time in history is just one of many factors of the astrological influences that can be extracted from them. Firstly, each age has three age-decans of almost 720 years each. Secondly, each age has twelve sub-ages of almost 180 years each. These again have three sub-age decans of almost 60 years each and 12 micro-ages of approximately 15 years each – and it does not stop there. Micro-ages have 12 nano-ages of approximately 15 months each, and in the last few years, I have even been employing pico-ages that are only about 5 weeks in length. These pico-ages provide valuable insights into subtle financial market gyrations. (For more details on the mechanics of the astrological ages, see The Age of Aquarius for Dummies. The upshot of all these sub-periods is that when any historical event or current affair is examined, it has to be correlated to the appropriate sub-period of an astrological age, otherwise it is like a client wanting to know their future but only provide their sun-sign! For any astrologer wanting to learn about the sub-periods of the astrological ages, the best sub-periods to commence with are the sub-ages because a new sub-age arrives approximately every 179 years. Compare this to an age of some 2150 years – the common thread that must remain historically relevant for over 2,000 years, is very thin. The common thread associated with a sub-age is far shorter and thicker – and thus easier to identify. The focus in this article is upon the sub-ages that have been experienced within the current Age of Aquarius to date and specifically upon new cultural, social or political movements that have “revolutionised” western society with the arrival of every new sub-age commencing with the 15th century. It seems that the world is always in decay, but decay can be taken only for so long. Since the arrival of the Age of Aquarius there have been three large scale revolutions in western society, and we are again facing the problems and issues of another deterioration of western society requiring another revolution? The three revolutions that have occurred since the arrival of the Age of Aquarius are related to the first three sub-ages within the Age of Aquarius. Capricorn sub-age (1433 – 1612) Sagittarius sub-age (1612 – 1791) Scorpio sub-age (1791 – 1970) The Capricorn Revolution A medieval scene of a cleric, soldier and worker What was life like in 1433 AD at the arrival of the Age of Aquarius? It was medieval! The greatest institution in western society was the Roman Catholic Church that was riddled with extreme corruption and people could purchase their way to heaven by buying indulgences, thus supplying a steady income stream to the church. Society’s perspective was based on the extremely conservative Christian tradition and there was no room for rationality or empirical evidence if the Bible had already commented upon a particular subject. Furthermore, the church was able to dream up dogma on just about anything based on their religious concepts. People lived in a fantasy or what the world was, what it existed in, and how things worked. People could be burnt alive for being witches. It was an abject state of affairs and it made living more difficult than necessary as delusion, corruption and ignorance were accepted as real. So what happened to correct this absurd state of affairs? It all started with the appearance and evolution of Protestantism in Europe commencing in 1529. The term derives from the letter of “protestation” from German Lutheran princes in 1529 against an edict of the Roman Catholic Church Diet of Speyer condemning the teachings of Martin Luther as heretical. In the 16th century, Lutheranism, or associated reformed churches, spread from Germany into most of Northern Europe by such reformers as John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli, and John Knox. Protestants developed their own culture, which made major contributions in education, the humanities and sciences, the political and social order, the economy and the arts, and other fields. The Protestants brought the first modern revolution to western society. In their day, they were the revolutionaries. The changes brought about by Protestantism include a massive drive to educate their youth. For example, when the Puritans arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1628, they founded Harvard College only eight years later. Protestants believed that God gave them the power to reason, greatly contributing to the modern Scientific Revolution. The main part of the Protestant’s moral code was industry, frugality, calling, discipline, and a strong sense of responsibility – all strong Capricorn archetypes. In tune with the arrival of the Age of Aquarius, Protestantism was almost pure democracy in its internal structure compared to the Roman Catholic Church. This new culture underpinned the formation of the USA. It should also be noted that the modern Scientific Revolution appropriately commenced with this Capricorn sub-age but the first Age of Science or Scientific Revolution commenced in Ancient Greece in the previous Capricorn sub-age (551 BC – 370 BC). According to Nick Campion, this previous scientific revolution was “perhaps comparable to that which transformed European though from around 1500 to 1700, from Copernicus to Newton.”[1] The Sagittarius Revolution The bourgeoisie benefited from the Sagittarius sub-age and their “revolution” brought wealth to poverty-stricken western culture. There were many The prototypical bourgeois: Monsieur Jourdain, the protagonist in Molière’s play Le Bourgeois gentilhomme (1670). revolutions in Europe in the early 1600’s because There is nothing which stirs and angers the people more than food shortages and the cost of bread.[2] The common term the “nouveau riche” also applied to the bourgeoisie as a derogatory term by the aristocracy against people that made their wealth from business. In the 17th and 18th century, the bourgeoisie were in battle against the Law of Privilege – the divine right to rule by the nobles and aristocracy. The English Civil War (1642–51), the American War of Independence (1775–83), and French Revolution (1789–99) were partly motivated by the desire by the bourgeoisie to rid themselves of the feudal and royal encroachments on their personal liberty, commercial prospects, and the ownership of property. The extent of the bourgeoisie revolution in England is framed by one history book as “England, Towards a Bourgeois Monarchy”.[3] In tandem with the bourgeoisie revolution was another major Sagittarius archetype – international travel and affairs. This sub-age saw the flowering of the great joint-stock companies which emerged in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Europe which served a leading role in spurring on global commerce and colonization. The two most famous companies were the English East India Company and the Dutch East India Company – both from Protestant countries. The end result of the bourgeoisie revolution was the beginning of the Industrial Revolution leading to the greatest economic boom and population explosion the world has ever experienced. The Scorpio Revolution The two signs strongly related to revolution are Aquarius and Scorpio, so any Scorpio sub-age within the Age of Aquarius is going to be highly revolutionary, and this sub-age lived up to its archetype. The great revolution of the Scorpio sub-age was the Workers’ Revolution who basically took on the baton from the bourgeoisie and virtually eliminated western aristocracy in a little over a century. The plight of workers at the beginning of the Scorpio sub-ages was pitiful. The first excesses of the Industrial Revolution had created factories involving long hours, child workers, dangerous conditions and low pay while too many bourgeoisie owners behaved like Scrooge McDuck. At the beginning of this sub-age in 1791, almost the whole of western society remained firmly under control of monarchs and the aristocracy with the c.1865: Karl Marx (1818-1883), philosopher and German politician. (Photo by Roger Viollet Collection/Getty Images) bourgeoisie making great inroads – the USA being the key exception to monarchy. By 1970, only vestiges of monarchs remained. However, the workers were not just against the aristocracy, they were also against the bourgeoisie – the owners of businesses. The key year was 1848 when there were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in European history. As a result, significant lasting reforms included the abolition of serfdom in Austria and Hungary, the end of absolute monarchy in Denmark, and the introduction of parliamentary democracy in the Netherlands. Austria and Prussia eliminated feudalism by 1850, improving the lot of the peasants. European middle classes made political and economic gains over the next 20 years; France retained universal male suffrage. Russia would later free the serfs on February 19, 1861. A key expression of the Workers Revolution was trade unions. They were banned in the UK in 1799 and severely repressed until 1824. More permanent trade unions were established in the UK from the 1850s. They were finally legalised in 1872 (in the UK). The working class was not content to just being limited to forming trade unions, it was from the excess of extremists elements of the working class that brought the Russian Revolution in 1917 resulting in the communisation of much of the Eurasian land mass by 1950. The workers finally got rid of the nobles, bourgeoisie and church – but this excess has been brought back to earth not long after the arrival of the Libra sub-age in 1970. Nevertheless, something that is never taught in schools is that under the Scorpio sub-age (1791 – 1970), the biggest revolution the world has ever experienced took place. The Libra Revolution Each of the above revolutions arrived due to mass discontent of a significant part of western society against limitations and strictures placed upon them. The limitations usually come from entrenched anti-democratic forces. If history is any guide, then the current Libra sub-age (1970 – 2148) should produce another “revolution”. However what kind of revolution will Libra produce, as it is not a zodiacal sign renown for revolutionary intensity? It may be better to say “evolution” in place of “revolution” but with the understanding that the result is the same – a major change in direction against an entrenched force. What are the problems that exist in western society that require an evolution/revolution to fix? It is not hard to see what the problem is – it is the agenda of most western nations promoting extremists capitalism. The role of capitalism in the world today represents the opposite extreme of communism of the last century which was in reality extremist socialism. Capitalism places money at the top of the totem pole, and this has resulted in the ongoing expansion of climate change due to out-of-control pollution in all of its forms and guises. It has also produced a ridiculous situation whereby as of 2015, the richest 1% of the world’s population now owns 50% of its total wealth.[4] What many people are ignorant about is that when the first western democracy appeared in Ancient Greece (appropriately under the influence of the last Aquarius sub-age), the Athenians were not looking for democracy, they were just looking for a way to prevent utter chaos in their society due to the shenanigans of the rich. The Libra revolution is firmly in place – it started with the Peace movement, hippies and the appearance of post-modernism in the 1960’s and 70’s. So powerful and noticeable was this period that it is taken as granted in the American media that the 1960’s and 70’s was the Age of Aquarius with many contemporary writers and media articles waxing lyrical about the Age of Aquarius as if it was a 20 year age! The 1960’s and 70’s was not the beginning of the Age of Aquarius but the high-point of the Scorpio sub-age and overflow (1791 – 1970 – 2148). Both Scorpio and Aquarius are revolutionary signs, so the revolutionary energies are high (pun not intended). We are not looking at a violent and turbulent revolution because Libra is in the mix. Not only does the Libra sub-age begin in 1970 (coinciding with the This is a poster for the musical Hair. Scorpio sub-age overflow (1970 -2148), but we are also approaching the high-point of the massive Libra age-decan and overflow (1433 – 2148 – 2863) and Libra is opposite in nature to violent Aries. Violent Aries is in for a surprise as Libra grows in strength, as aggression and violence will be replaced by peace and harmony, but not agreement. We can expect a bi-polar world of some sort or another, probably split between totalitarian and democratic states with China at the apex of the totalitarian model (China also has a strong association with Libra). We can also expect by the middle of the 22nd century that western nations will be relatively split between environmentalists with progressive agendas and died-in-the-wool capitalists keen to make a profit, but more constrained than the current free wheeling extreme capitalism that is currently running the world. We are not going to see a perfect world (if such a thing is remotely possible), but a world that has been further tweaked, in the same way that the previous three sub-ages have seriously tweaked western society. One of the reasons why so many people feel anguish at the current state of affairs in the world is that a small but significant percentage of western society has moved their heads into the new reality. From the perspective of the new reality, the current situation of an anachronistic billionaire at the helm of the greatest nation in the world is just pure anathema, which combined with the ongoing and accelerating worldwide environmental disaster, billions spent on armaments when many many millions of people still starve and suffer – is just to hard to bear. Major revolutions and evolutions are a multi-century affairs, and those that have the new consciousness will need to include patience and forbearance into their psychological outlook. The outlook and consciousness of the standard bearers for change in western society will also evolve and develop over the coming century and more. Some years ago a came across the small movement that promoted non-aggressive communication, which was looked upon like veganism as just being an idealistic extremist agenda with little of no relevance for the wider society. Recently, I also heard an interesting personal outlook for the new age that is developing that went something like this: Do not offend anyone. Do not take offence from anyone. Do not retaliate or take revenge against anyone that has offended you. This kind of outlook is the harbinger of the world that is coming. It is a recipe for harmony, understanding and consciousness. It will not be a perfect world, but it will resolve some or many of the problems and injustices that remain prevalent in the world. Most science fiction writers, novels and movies get the future completely wrong. The common Hollywood expectation is either a world with more advanced technology in a corporate fascist environment or a post-apocalyptic world with numerous hardships and privations in an environment of survival of the fittest or most dangerous. Neither of these two scenarios align with the current growing strength of Libra in the world. I have been writing about the good news of where the world is heading for some time, but we will only see the early stages. Already the LGBT community is experiencing the benefits of this change, and the ongoing equalization of the sexes has made another step forward in the Me-Too movement. If you are focused upon where we are going, and avoid focusing upon the inequities in the world carried forward from the past, the world suddenly becomes a better place in your personal bubble. Some of my previous posts on where the world is heading are listed below: Females, Women and Feminists in the Age of Aquarius Will New Agers Rule the World? The Future of Capitalism in the Age of Aquarius A Celebration 7,000 Years in the Making Gemini’s Role in our Modern World (or Battle of the Brains) Is the World a Calamity in Progress? The Progressives’ Lament The Real Revolution in the USA Note: the above was adopted from an article published in the FAA Journal Volume 47 No. 3, June 2017 published by the Federation of Australian Astrologers [1] Nicholas Campion, “The Dawn of Astrology”, Continuum, London, 2008 p.74 [2] “The Collins Atlas of World History”, London, 1987, p 158 [4] Daniel Bentley, “The top 1% now owns half the world’s wealth”, Fortune, Oct 15, 2015, http://fortune.com/2015/10/14/1-percent-global-wealth-credit-suisse/ November 19, 2016 Terry MacKinnell Age of Aquarius, Age of Pisces, big history, Feminism, Golden Age of Peace, Libra Age-Decan, New Age, sexual revolution, USA The perspective from outside of the USA is that Darth Vader from the Evil Empire has just been elected president of the USA. While many Democratic voters are incredulous that such a ‘travesty’ has occurred, many on the other side of the political divide are ecstatic that finally they have someone who can champion the cause of the downtrodden folk, especially in the rust belt. How does this election conform to the long term narrative? The long term narrative is very clear even without recourse to astrology. There is a multi-century sweep of technical, social and political progress and advances but these advances are not uniform and not always in the forward direction in the short term. Hitler and Stalin demonstrated that it is possible to go totally against the current and create incredible havoc, but the current wins in the end. Few can doubt the impressive advance humanity has made over the last 5 centuries despite all the glaring problems and injustices that remain in the world today. Technology, which includes medicine, has made exponential improvements over the last 4 or 5 centuries. Many naïve astrologers believe that the Age of Aquarius arrived in the 1960s and 70s and that the landing of men on the Moon is confirmation. Landing a man on the Moon did not happen overnight but was the result of a long trajectory of scientific advances that commenced in the Scientific Revolution centuries ago. The latest date that is attributed to the beginning of the Scientific Revolution is the publication in 1543 of Nicolaus Copernicus’s “On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres”. The same has occurred in politics. Five hundred years ago the world was run by kings and sometimes queens utilizing the aristocracy as their bureaucracy. Now that the world is ruled by democracies and dictators, kings and queens have been sent scurrying except in some mainly ‘ornamental’ roles like a living piece in a museum. What does the past and present tell us about the world? Simply stated, the world is a work in progress. Since the arrival of the Age of Aquarius in the 15th century, liberal progress has been the overall narrative but progress certainly does not mean advance at every step and turn along the way. Also, many developments combine both advance and regression at the same time. For example the Communist revolutions in the early and mid-20th centuries brought social and economic equality and security to many but also stifling bureaucracy that affected anyone that stepped outside the straight and narrow communist ideology. The Chinese communist government has taken China from being a basket case to the second strongest nation in the world. Is this progress or not? It is a mixture. Science fiction movies generally paint an apocalyptic dystopian future of various sizes and colors. Is this a reflection by many people that bad news in some big way is on the way? Most science fiction movies about the future of the Earth are very pessimistic. Does Hollywood get the future right – is the future a bleak and dreary place? For this to be the case, Libra (or Venus and Libra) must be a beak and dreary planet and sign. However these are not archetypes normally associated with either Venus or Libra. On the negative side of Venus/Libra are many things, but not bleak or dreary. Bleak and dreary belong to Saturn/Capricorn. The big picture narrative of the world is strongly associated with Libra. On the down side this will mean problems associated with too much pleasure and too little willpower such as obesity and illnesses associated with sugar such as diabetes and cardiac diseases. The big problem with Libra is that too much of a good thing can be highly detrimental. Does this sound like living tribally in caves following an apocalyptic cataclysm? Why is Libra so powerful in the world? Each age has three age decans. The three decans of Aquarius are Aquarius, Gemini and Libra. However, precession of the equinoxes, which underpin the astrological ages, travels ‘backwards’ through the zodiac, so when the world arrived at the Age of Aquarius it arrived at the backdoor to Aquarius, as it entered Aquarius from the sign Pisces, not Capricorn! This is why all age decans and sub-periods of the astrological ages such as sub-ages, micro-ages and nano-ages are always in the reverse of their normal order. This also explains why all ages and sub-periods are far stronger at their endings because the beginnings of all signs are strongest at their start. When signs are reversed for the ages, the beginning of a sign becomes the end of an age. When the world entered the Age of Aquarius in 1433, the pre-imminent sign was and remains Pisces because the Age of Pisces had over 2,000 years to build up its momentum to a crescendo in 1433 and then like a tsunami, this Pisces has swept over the world BUT dragging the new kid on the block with it. The new kid is Aquarius. The Age of Aquarius peaks in 2863 and therefore has some way to go! Libra, as the first age-decan in the Age of Aquarius is approaching its peak now. During this over 700 year period, the Libran age-decan (1433-2148) also slowly evolves like the new bud of a plant and it blooms by 2148. While it will be another 1600 years before the Age of Aquarius blooms, Libra’s bloom is just around the corner next century. This is why Libra is so powerful in the world even though Pisces and Aquarius are powered by the more powerful ages. We are racing towards the Libra corner of the Age of Aquarius. Even on an elementary level we can see the strength of Libra currently in the world just by the fact that over the last century or so, females in western democracies have become politically enfranchised, and in many developing countries as well. Political equality does not mean equality and there is a lot further before equality becomes true on many levels. This is because Libra is a work in progress too, and this is why there remain so many problematic issues involving females both in western countries and the rest of the world. Libra is a work in progress, and we will not see its blooming in our lifetimes. Therefore, a huge number of issues related to females will not get resolved in our lifetimes, but for those with perception, we can witness the seed of the final solution. The same situation occurs in politics in general. Since ‘civilization’ arrived, the world has never had it so good as it currently stands. There is no time in the past that any sensible person would want to be transported to in place of today’s world. Firstly, there was a 50% chance you would be dead by 20. Secondly you would not be Cleopatra or Julius Caesar, you would most likely be doing hard labor just to survive in the most basic of circumstances. Though many people had great lives in past times, the lottery of life in those times was against this being a secure reality. One historian noted that Julius Caesar would have given everything he had to be an average person in the modern world! The world today at the beginning of the 21st century is not an end product, it is work in progress. Any study of history will show that social and political evolution is a slow process. For example, in the early 19th century, workers, many who were still children, lived and worked in appalling conditions because at the time, money was more important than people, and to a certain degree, this remains the case. So the workers started to get organised. They were vilified, attacked, killed and persecuted but after a hundred years or more, they basically got their wish. This is a poster for the musical Hair announcing a New Age The 1960s and 70s precipitated another socio-political revolution, not a workers revolution but a new age revolution. The hippies and empathizers introduced a new ethos to Western society, and the majority of this ethos is associated with Libra. The peace symbol is a Libra archetype. “Make love not war” is another Libra expression. This new movement may have started in the 1960s and 70s, but it will not bloom until the middle of next century. Why did this movement appear in the 1960s and 70s? Every age has three decans and 12 sub-ages, so every age-decan has 4 sub-ages. The 4 sub-ages in the current Libra age-decan in chronological order are Capricorn, Sagittarius, Scorpio and Libra. 1970 was the cusp of the Scorpio sub-age (1791-1970) and the Libra sub-age (1970-2148). You should note that every age-decan concludes with a sub-age of the same sign which is why they are stronger at their end compared to their beginning. The 1960s and 70s had revolutionary Scorpio at its peak and Libra much more powerful than is normally the case because the new Libra sub-age is not isolated, it is part of the longer and more powerful Libra age-decan (1433-2148). The ethos of the New Age movement is primarily Scorpio and Libra which also defines the rock music that also came out of this period. The impact of the new ethos has already greatly affected western culture to the point that gay rights have been, or are in the process of, being legally enshrined. Relationships have been deregulated from the clasp of religious dogma, and even many states and countries are either deregulating or legalizing recreational drugs. Of course there is far more to the social revolution of the 1960s and 70s than gay rights, free love and marijuana but underlying it all are the two core archetypes associated with Scorpio and Libra – metamorphic change combined with fairness and tolerance. Whenever there is a progressive change, there will be a reaction, and one aspect of Trump’s recent success is that on the conservative side of politics, the new ethos of the 1960s and 70s is destroying their perception of a proper life and world. However, even on the so called progressive side of politics, Bernie Sanders could not even garner enough support to become the nominee for the Democrats. The new ethos remains a fledgling in western society. In many countries, but not the USA due to its restrictive electoral system, the new ethos is represented by the Green Party. In my country, the Greens get about 10% of the vote. Twenty years ago it would have been lucky to get 5% of the vote. In 2059 the incoming Libra sub-age energy becomes stronger than the outgoing Scorpio sub-age overflow energy, and this will be the time that about 20% of western nations will support the Green party or similar parties with similar liberal new age policies. Twenty percent is the tipping point. Once a group gets to 20%, they have far greater influence upon society than just a 1/5th influence. There will be some striking headway by the new ethos later this century. In the meantime, it is not time. The groundswell or conservative reaction and support for Donald Trump is far stronger than the fledgling new age ethos movement. Even though the dominant change of the last 40 to 50 years has radiated out from the new age ethos, it will take until the middle of the next century to achieve their goals. Even in the middle of the 22nd century, only about 50% of the population will be in the new age ethos camp. However, this should be enough for a Mini Golden Age. One of the reasons I misjudged the US presidential election is that I was very aware of the above long term narrative, and so I mentally live partly in that future, or a small bubble of the future. As of December 2014, the world has entered the most progressive astrological time for over 7,000 years. Why, because it all has to do with earth, air, fire and water. After much research, I have found that whenever an earth or fire sign is dominant, conservative influences predominate. Whenever water and air signs dominate, progressive and evolutionary tendencies predominate. However, water and air signs bring volatility which means big problems while the conservative fire and earth signs usually bring stability – including economic stability – but only on average as Capricorn is an earth sign and always brings big problems. As of December 2014, the world is in the Pisces age overflow and Age of Aquarius (1433-3574), Pisces age-decan overflow and Libra age-decan (1433-2148), Scorpio sub-age overflow and Libra sub-age (1970-2148), Cancer micro-age overflow and Gemini micro-age (Dec 2014-Nov 2029). Notice that all these signs are either air or water. This has not occurred for over 7,000 years. There are only nine 15 year micro-ages in the whole of the Age of Aquarius where this occurs, and as of December 2014, we are in one of them. The next one is not due until the Pisces micro-age overflow and Aquarius micro-age (2073-2088). This is why I erroneously believed Hillary Clinton would become president. If the election had been after 2059, a very different result would have occurred. But prior to 2059, the new ethos remains too weak on the political agenda. However, it can readily be seen that this absolutely highly charged revolutionary 15 years has not disappeared in a whimper, it has channelled its energy through Donald Trump. Remember, water and air signs bring progressive policies and volatility. While I do believe Trump will bring some progress to the conservative side of politics, it is the volatility that is probably going to be the main game. Also, 15 years is a long time in politics, and after Trump, it will not be business as normal. This highly energized Cancer micro-age overflow and Gemini micro-age (Dec 2014 – Nov 2029) will have many more upsets and progress. There is no need to lament at the outcome of the 2016 presidential elections. Social change occurs faster than political change, which is why politicians try so hard to prevent or restrict progressive social evolution. But this is like trying to stop the tide from coming in with a six inch sand wall. Aquarian Age Myths, Fallacies & Distortions March 28, 2016 March 28, 2016 Terry MacKinnell Age of Aquarius, Age of Pisces, Aquarian age, historical periods, New Age, nuclear annhilation, Nuclear Weapons, Peace, population explosion © Terry MacKinnell 2008, 2016 Under the Berne Convention Why do people project Pisces’ archetypes onto the Age of Aquarius? Most astrologers claim that Jesus commenced the Pisces age and most people believe the Age of Aquarius commenced in the 1960s and 70s. However how can both these facts be true if ages are at least 2150 years in length? Most projections of what we can expect in the Age of Aquarius is a paradisiacal age free from all the problems that have encumbered the world in recent millennia. Are your Aquarian friends perfect? Do they stand out as superior to the other 12 signs of the zodiac? Why should the Age of Aquarius be more positive than any other age? The Age of Aquarius has become an urban legend ever since the theatrical production of Hair proclaimed “This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius ….” Most newspapers and comments on blogs clearly relate the dawning of the Age of Aquarius to the 1960’s and 70’s when Hair first appeared. Many people are so disappointed with the direction the world has taken since those inspiring times (for some) of the 60’s and 70’s to the point where the sentiment has become `where is the goddamned Age of Aquarius anyway?’ Some journalists even state that the Age of Aquarius was a 20 year phenomenon applying only the 1960s and 70s and has now died an ignoble death. While people are ready to accept an Aquarian age commencing in the 60’s and 70’s as a fait accompli, rarely does anyone check the sources of such claims about the Aquarian age. The song’s lyrics contain the following: When the moon is in the Seventh House and Jupiter aligns with Mars Then peace will guide the planets And love will steer the stars While it is certainly melodious, from an astrological perspective it is absolute nonsense. The position of the moon in the seventh house, eleventh house or any house has no relationship in any way with the Age of Aquarius. Jupiter aligns with Mars (i.e. a conjunction) every couple of years or so and this has no relationship to the Age of Aquarius either. There is no reason why the Aquarius song should maintain astrological integrity due to poetic license. However this poetic license has continued unabated in the general public’s perception and many astrologers of this urban legend. The above stanza is followed by the following lyrics. In addition, I have underlined the key word or words in each line and assign them the astrological sign that is most commonly associated with the word or phrase. The following is the result: Then peace will guide the planets – Libra And love will steer the stars – Libra Harmony and understanding – Libra, Gemini? Sympathy and trust abounding – Pisces, Pisces Golden living dreams of visions – Leo, Pisces Mystic crystal revelation – Pisces, Pisces, Pisces And the mind’s true liberation – Aquarius? As our hearts go beating through the night – Leo We dance unto the dawn of day – Pisces To be the bearers of the water – Aquarius Our light will lead the way – Leo We are the spirit of the age of Aquarius – Pisces Angelic illumination – Pisces Rising fiery constellation – Aries Travelling our starry courses Guided by the cosmic forces – Pisces Oh, care for us; Aquarius – Pisces Removing repetitive choruses and lines the archetypal information that the song is telling us indicates 11 instances of Pisces, Libra 3, Leo 3, Aquarius 2, Aries 1 and Gemini 1. Of the 21 instances from the above lyrics that can be related to astrological archetypes, 52% relate to Pisces and 10% to Aquarius. Even if some of the above archetypal assignations are incorrect, much the same result of a great focus upon Pisces remains. The lyrics to a song, like poetry, can engage in poetic license. Poetic license has definitely occurred in the song Aquarius because only 10% of it is directed towards Aquarius while over half is directed to Pisces. So why is a song that is directed at the Age of Aquarius full of Pisces metaphors? This issue has an extra edge as the Age of Aquarius follows the age of Pisces. On a simplistic level what this song indicates is that our collective view of the new Aquarian age is so corrupted by our entrenched Pisces sensibilities which will not allow us to accurately project Aquarius. When we wish to project Aquarius we project Pisces. Why, because in the first half of the Age of Aquarius at least, the momentum from the Pisces age is stronger than Aquarius which is the new kid on the block and has not yet had time to age and mature. The poetic license that exists in Aquarius does not end with this song. It has continued unabated over the last three and a half decades with the result that over half the projections of the new Aquarian age actually describe Pisces. Though anecdotal, my observation is that over 90% of the projections of the Aquarian age relate to Pisces. For example, take the following excerpt was obtained online in 2008: This millennium came in with great expectation. Many people thought it was a new age that would usher in the age of Aquarius, the water bearer and the bearer of spirituality. As a result of this transformation the foundational western belief, dualism, would be shaken and give way to a more holistic approach to living. Spirituality would be available to everyone experientially and we would all be enlightened. Perhaps this will happen, but when we take a look around the world right now it’s obvious that it really hasn’t happened yet.[i] The underlined text in the above is those keywords that draw upon Pisces archetypes. In other words, this writer’s expectations of the Age of Aquarius is that it will bring in a Pisces paradise, but paradise belongs to Pisces, not Aquarius. Another excellent example along the same theme is provided by (sic) theeKultleeder in 2008 – the underlining of Pisces archetypes are mine: Some New Age adherents explicitly describe the new age as a return to paradisiacal Eden —… Joel Kramer, in Yoga Journal 1980-Jan, wrote “In the mid-Sixties, many people believed that we were on the verge of an exciting and glorious new age in human evolution. The popular song, ‘Aquarius,’ captured the spirit …. , Many of us naively expected the human race to smoothly and quickly cultivate the earth into a new Eden.” In a poem titled “Age of Aquarius”, a New Age adherent named Cecil Hickman wrote in 2005-Feb: “A future to dream, we live in peace and love. / Glorious time for all of Earths humankind, / Eden reborn as promised from our Lord above. […] United as a planet, love will live, prejudice cease. […][ii] In the above peace and love and United as a planet, love will live evoke Libra. The greatest myth of the Aquarian age is that it will bring in a Pisces paradise with a strong support from Libra. Another typical example is the following from Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi: So, now a New Age has started which is called the Age of Aquarius, meaning the pitcher carrier of spiritual holy water that is the work of Kundalini.[iii] Spirituality is Pisces likewise all psychic phenomena and subtle forces such as Kundalini. It is a fascinating that most comments, statements and expectations about the Age of Aquarius promote Pisces. I am not the only astrologer to notice this extreme contradiction but the momentum of misinformation about the Pisces-colored Age of Aquarius is so strong that it continues like a never ending tragic soap opera – Pisces also rules tragic soap operas! Occasionally someone refers to Aquarius archetypes in their projection of the Age of Aquarius, but they are a small minority. The upshot of this is it is more likely than not that anything anyone states about the Aquarian age is pure (Pisces) myth. The unfortunate repercussion of the myth-laden Age of Aquarius is that the misinformation spread about the Aquarian age prevents people from really seeing the Aquarian age in its own right. Visualize an Pisces wolf in an Aquarian clothing – this is the situation today with the urban myths spread about the Age of Aquarius. The Aquarian age does not need to recreate the mythical Garden of Eden to be a great age. The Aquarian age does not require the comical spectacle of humanity all being enlightened – who will collect the garbage? The Aquarian age can stand on its own feet and display its self-esteem about its Aquarian archetypes that will predominate in the Age of Aquarius. However, of all the signs, Aquarius is the sign of lowest self-esteem as its opposite sign, Leo, vacuums up self-esteem by the spade full leaving scant remnants for Aquarius. The poetic license associated with the Age of Aquarius is so strong that probably in excess of 90% of everything ever stated about the Age of Aquarius is poetic license. In other words, if a concept about the Aquarian age sounds good – it must be true! This approach has not only been maintained by the general public, but also by most astrologers. Why has this situation come about? It is very simple really. The astrological fraternity has not a clue about the Age of Aquarius. Charles Carter, a leading 20th century British astrologer, stated: It is probable that there is no branch of Astrology upon which more nonsense has been poured forth than the doctrine of the precession of the equinoxes Note: precession of the equinoxes is the astronomical source for the ages such as the Age of Aquarius. All astrology has an astronomical source. In the case of the astrological ages, precession of the equinoxes means that the Earth spins like a top but wobbles. This wobble creates a 26,000 year cycle which when divided by 12, allows for the creation of 12 ages per cycle at a little over 2,000 years per age. It is this total lack of clarity amongst astrologers referred to by Charles Carter that has created a knowledge vacuum about the Age of Aquarius. In this vacuum poetic license has filled the gap. So what is the solution to this mixed-up urban myth? The only solution is that nothing should be believed about the Aquarian age (or any other age) unless some proof is tendered that a reasonably intelligent person can understand. Unless some proof is tendered it is more likely than not that anything anyone states about the Aquarian age is pure myth or fallacies even though the astrologers peddling such misinformation are well intentioned – another Pisces archetype! The Aquarian age did not begin in the 1960’s or ’70s Another commonly stated myth about the Aquarian age is that it commenced in the 1960’s or ’70s. Blogs from one end of the world to the other repeatedly discuss the arrival of the Aquarian age in those rebellious and drug-fueled times. Just because the musical Hair proclaimed that `this is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius…’ does not make it so. If all the people in the world jumped up and down in unison declaring this is the beginning of the Age of Aquarius, Aquarius could not care less, even if everyone sang it in key! When it comes to the Aquarian age, astrologers want to eat their cake and keep it. The most common statement on the subject, from those few research astrologers that examine the ages, is that the previous age, the Age of Pisces, arrived with the birth of Jesus Christ. Pisces is the sign of two fish. Since early times Christians preferred the fish symbol for Christianity, so astrologers behave like Homer Simpson and say d’oh – Jesus must have started the Pisces age However if Jesus commenced the Pisces age, the earliest the Aquarian age can arrive is around 2150. Why? Because the cycle of ages takes approximately 26,000 years to make one revolution therefore each age appears for approximately 2150 years each. If the Pisces age commenced with Jesus then the Aquarian age cannot commence before approx. 2150. Furthermore, some astrologers actually believe that the length of an age is taken literally from the size of the zodiacal constellations along the zodiac. For example, the constellation of Pisces is much larger than normal, so therefore the Pisces age must be even longer than 2,150 years. The problem with the Aquarian age arriving in the middle of the 22nd century is how to explain all the Aquarian developments in the world today. Such Aquarian developments include electricity, computers, flight, space travel and democracy. What do these have to do with the Pisces age? To get around this awkward question the solution is easy – just state that we are approaching the cusp of the Pisces and Aquarian ages, and at the cusp there is a blurring of the two influences. Unfortunately no experienced astrologer to my knowledge has ever experienced cusps. Cusps are an urban myth popular with those members of the general public with a little knowledge of astrology and with novice astrologers who do not know any better. In over three decades of studying astrology, I have never encountered a factual explanation of cusps that justify their existence nor heard from any experienced astrologer that cusps have any validity. The above is a good demonstration of irrationality at work. When no justification for the arrival of the Aquarian age before 2150 can be supplied, astrologers have invented a solution that no one has proved or can substantiate. In past times this is called `building your house on sand rather than rock’. The house is going to fall down if built upon the sand. Cusps are made of sand. What else is sand here – something very simple and totally overlooked? There is no doubt that Christianity has a relationship with Pisces. Pisces shares the fish symbol with Christianity and Pisces is also associated with mysticism and mystical religions, and religions based on salvation. But the BIG question is, why should the Pisces age begin with the arrival of the avatar of Western culture? Who said that ages must begin with a famous person? What about Buddha, why could not the Pisces age be already in place when Buddha was alive around six centuries earlier? The whole mess of an Aquarian age not arriving before 2150 is dependent on the unsubstantiated assumption that Jesus began the Pisces age. When I have confronted some astrologers about this anomaly their eyes turn blank and their aura recedes because astrologers are not accustomed to think about the ages in general and the Aquarian age in particular. Astrologers are deep thinkers, but not when it comes to the ages. The astrological age topic is that one area in astrology where astrologers can dream up all manner of unsubstantiated nonsense and pretend it is true. If this is how astrologers behave, no wonder the urban myths on the Aquarian age are in La-La-land. If the Aquarian age arrived, say at 1970, then the Pisces age should have arrived at around 181 BC (1970 AD – 2150 = 181 BC). What happened around 181 BC to indicate a major historical shift in gears? Nothing! There is no reason to believe that the Pisces age arrived around 181 BC. However this does not mean that 181 BC was not in the Pisces age. The upshot of all this is that from a simplistic and obvious point of view the Age of Aquarius has arrived. What have ipods, cell phones, large-screen LCD TVs, super-jumbo jets, Facebook and blogs got to do with Pisces? What astrologers have failed to recognize here is that unless astrology ‘works’ it is useless. Unless the ages ‘work’ why even refer to them. If the evidence suggests that the Aquarian age has arrived, why not investigate this to discover the real truth about the ages in general and the Age of Aquarius in particular? Why not look at the evidence and avoid the idle and unfounded speculation? Will the Age of Aquarius Solve the Problems of the World? What is it about the Aquarian age that makes many people feel history will go against itself and create a problem-free age? Has there ever been a problem-free age? Perhaps every time the Age of Aquarius turns up around every 26,000 years the world takes a sabbatical from wars, violence, anger, catastrophes and natural disasters and creates a totally different age compared to all the other ages? As ridiculous as this sounds, there is an element of truth to this concept. Of all the twelve zodiacal signs, Aquarius is the one sign that is the different, radical or eccentric sign. In other words Aquarius behaves very differently to the other eleven zodiacal signs. Therefore if Aquarius behaves very different to the other signs, and if historically the other ages are full of problems, logic says that in the Aquarian age it should not have these problems. Unfortunately this is faulty logic. The reason that the logic is faulty is that it can be very different in the Aquarian age compared to other ages, but continue to be full of major problems, or problems of a very different nature. How about this for a different kind of major problem – in this age, for the first time in history, the world may be destroyed or severely affected by humans due to the use of their nuclear arsenal or from the effects of pollution. Have humans previously been capable of destroying the world? There is another way of approaching the difference associated with the Aquarian age compared to other ages. If the difference is so fundamental between the sign of Aquarius and the other eleven zodiacal signs represented in the astrological ages then we should also see this with people. Have you noticed that Aquarians stand out from other people as being problem-free or saint-like? If you have then you must know some incredibly rare Aquarian. There is no evidence whatsoever that Aquarians are problem-free or better than the other signs. The great people of the world are not overly represented by Aquarius, if they are then this would be one of the greatest secrets in astrology! Unless there is some evidence to suggest that Aquarius is better than the other eleven zodiacal signs there is no reason to believe that the Aquarian age will be better than any other age. If the Aquarian age is not better than any other age then why would the world be problem-free in the Age of Aquarius? The world is very different in this Aquarian age to date compared to the known historical events of any other age. No other age has seen the human population anywhere near current levels. In no other age could humans light up the world at night (with Aquarius electricity) so that it is observable from space. In no other age could some people fly, watch TV and have all the labor savings devices available in this modern Age of Aquarius. In no other age has any human walked on the Moon. What is noticeable to date from the Aquarian age is that the benefits seem much greater compared to previous ages and the problems see much greater compared to earlier ages. This in itself satisfies the Aquarian archetype that it must be somehow fundamentally different to other ages. The Age of Aquarius is not going to save the world. The Age of Aquarius is not going to raise your consciousness. The future of the world depends upon the sum of all the people in the world. It is what all the people in the world do that will make things happen. Judging by its track record to date, the problems and benefits in the Age of Aquarius will be much greater than previous. However, there is every reason to believe from the evidence provided by astrology that in this age of uncertainty, there is a much higher chance than normal that the world is heading for a mini-golden age associated with the Libra age-decan of the Age of Aquarius that will be firmly in place by around the middle of the next century (the 22nd century). See A Celebration 7,000 Years in the Making Hair poster – By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26559170 Beware the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing by Sam Phillips – http://samphillips.co.nz/wolf-in-sheep-s-clothing-tattoo-print/ Homer Simpson – By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7781941 [i] http://test.proshopsale.com/2008/03/08/the-greatest-teacher-is-nature-and-you/ but no longer available? [ii] http://spelunkingtheeideosphere.blogspot.com/2008/03/unearthing-religious-and-new-age.html but no longer available? [iii] http://www.adishakti.org/age_of_aquarius.htm The 2016 US Presidential Election Part 1 January 30, 2016 January 30, 2016 Terry MacKinnell Age of Aquarius, Baby Boomers, Cancer micro-age (2000-Dec 2014), China, illegal drugs, illegal immigrants, Islam, New Age One of the key signs for the 2016 US presidential election is Cancer (based on the five year Cancer quasi micro-age decan July 2012 – June 2017). During this five year period, it describes what the general public is feeling. The general public is hypersensitive, emotional, changeable and anti-authoritarian. They are moody and most likely will not like any outcome as they are also fickle. They feel their (Capricorn) leaders are their enemies. They are open to female input. They are emotional about Cancer topics, most notably refugees and immigration, and some on the growing strength of China and of course the Middle East and Islam. [For further details, see Cancer – the New Paradigm for the World ] Research over the years has also demonstrated that there are conservative signs and progressive liberal signs (in macro-astrology). The Fire and Earth signs all favor conservative and established mainstream values while the Water and Air signs favor progressive and liberal policies, but the times are generally much more volatile (it cannot be assumed that this directly translates to mundane astrology). Because the current Cancer period is a Water sign this favors the Democrats. A short review of recent decades from the perspective of periods used in Generational Astrology can quickly demonstrate how the pendulum swings between conservative and progressive values (see Table 1). START PERIOD INFLUENCE Feb 1948 Sagittarius -Sagittarius Conservative Jul 1955 Sagittarius -Scorpio Conservative-Progressive Dec 1962 Scorpio-Scorpio Progressive May 1970 Scorpio-Virgo Progressive-Conservative Oct 1977 Virgo-Virgo Conservative Apr 1985 Virgo-Leo Conservative Sep 1992 Leo-Leo Conservative Feb 2000 Leo-Cancer Conservative-Progressive Jul 2007 Cancer-Cancer Progressive Dec 2014 Cancer-Gemini Progressive Jun 2022 Gemini-Gemini Progressive Nov 2029 Gemini-Taurus Progressive-Conservative Table 1 – the pendulum swing between conservative and progressive values What many people may find interesting in Table 1 is that it commences with the post-Second World War conservative times which coincided with the appearance of the first half of the Baby Boomer generation. Baby Boomers can remember the stultifying social and political conservative times when being different in any way meant being ostracized. This was the ‘medieval’ witch-hunt period of McCarthyism in the USA where a veritable kangaroo court made judgements on people’s political convictions without the due process of law. On the economic front, it was a post-war boom time. Conservative times usually promote good economic conditions. From 1955 onwards, with the arrival of the Sagittarius-Scorpio period, the tide commenced to change in preparation of the heady days of the revolutionary 1960s which developed into a full-blown progressive period associated with the Scorpio-Scorpio period commencing December 1962. This quickly turned into a western cultural revolution marked by the arrival of hippies and the New Age movement with their satanic rock-and-roll. The volatility of the times was also on display as many countries were taken over by military juntas or dictators. Even Greece, the cradle of democracy, was unceremoniously taken over by a coup d’état in April 1967 by the Regime of the Colonels. This was the same decade reactionary forces most likely arranged the assassinations of President Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Progressive times such, as the 1960s, breed reactionary forces. People, groups, organizations, religions and political parties do not like seeing their power erode with the incoming progressive tide. Despite all the coups and military dictatorships of the period, looking back, who won? It was certainly not the reactionary forces. Nevertheless, in any progressive time, reactionary forces try to prevent the inevitable. However, the progressive influence of the 1960s was short-lived. After only one short 7 1/2 year progressive period, the pendulum then commenced swinging back to conservative values starting in May 1970. By October 1977, the world had to settle into three consecutive full strength conservative periods before the pendulum slowly started the swing back to progressive values commencing in February 2000. As of July 2007, the world has commenced three consecutive progressive periods. Normally in the pendulum swing, there are three periods of either 100% conservative or 100% progressive periods. Each of these sets of three periods is separated by a transitional period where progressive and conservative tendencies temporarily co-exist. However, every 178 or so years an anomaly occurs, and this last occurred in May 1970 (due to a change in sub-age). When this occurs, instead of three periods of the same flavor existing in a row, it is reduced to one period. The progressive Scorpio-Scorpio period (Dec 1962-May 1970) was a loner, and was tightly sandwiched between solid conservative periods. This is why so many people became disillusioned by the 1960s and early 70s, as it occurred in reaction to the stifling conservatism that dominated the times, but instead of having a solid run over 3 periods Royal Baby Flashback: Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher Celebrate … (about 22 ½ years), it was quickly slowed down commencing in May 1970 after only 7 1/2 years of progressive influence. By October 1977 the conservative backlash was in full swing lasting until February 2000. The peak representatives of this conservative backlash in the West could be represented by Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher and by Leonid Brezhnev in the USSR (Russia) up to 1982. However, the table has again turned. All those starry-eyed hippies of the 1960s and 70s are now beginning to see a continuation of the liberal-progressive narrative so swiftly truncated when they were still young. Even some American states have legalized marijuana and the recent legalization of same-sex marriage in most western nations is an indication of the return to progressive policies. This pendulum swing between conservative and progressive values normally lasting a few decades exists within larger frameworks that also display the same swing but over centuries and millennia. What very few astrologers realize is that as of December 2014, the world has entered a progressive-liberal phase unmatched for over 7,000 years which also insinuates increased social, political and financial volatility. The world is on the cusp of a multi-thousand year volatile-progressive landscape. One way this has manifested is that about 5,000 years ago the opposite pendulum swing occurred and the world seriously went to war, and war has been central to world politics for the last 5,000 years. See A Celebration 7,000 Years in the Making . This does not mean the Democrats will win the presidential elections for the next 7,000 years! Sitting behind the current five-year Cancer period is a major multi-century Scorpio influence that is at the absolute height of its dominance from 1970 to 2059. This Scorpio influence is in the process of replacing the (Sagittarius) capitalist dream with debt, anxiety and a strong feeling of vulnerability from a number of fronts. These include the threat of terrorism, lack of income growth, burgeoning debt, rapid societal dissolution from immigration (legal and illegal) and accelerating change in just about everything. This contributes to the growth of reactionary forces wanting to ‘restore’ the past which is as effective a kids sand wall on the beach to prevent the tide from coming in. Also since December 2014, Aquarius has reared its head after about 74 years of dormancy. The new Aquarius (micro-age decan and overflow) will broadly affect the current period until 2024, and be a strong emergent influence up until 2019. The strongest time for Aquarius will be 2019 to 2024 (see This is the Dawning of the Aquarius Micro-Age Decan ). Aquarius likes extremes, and whenever Aquarius is strong, the extremists’ views at both end of the spectrum become stronger and more people than normal in the middle class will get affected by these more extreme views. This favors all candidates except Hillary as Hillary is the only top-four candidate in the middle. Aquarius breeds reactionary fascism such as ISIS in the Middle East as well as many countries with immature democratic institutions. Even ‘mature’ democratic nations will experience die-hards on the right trying to influence the direction of their nation in undemocratic ways. One impetus is the push to ‘restore values’ but democratic values are conveniently excluded from the values to be restored. All the above periods affect the outcome of the presidential election and explains why the current top four are in their exalted positions. Hillary benefits from being the only female in a Cancer period – Cancer is one of the two key female signs. The other three candidates all benefit from emergent Aquarius – Saunders for his progressive views, and Trump and Cruz for their extremist right wing views. Cancer both helps and hinders Hillary, the female component helps her, but Cancer is anti-authoritarian, and Hillary is from establishment politics. The almost permanent background Scorpio influence indicates that the general public is getting Trump and Cruz impassioned and they want something revolutionary to change the uncomfortable situation they believe they are in. Research shows that Republican voters are far more upset than Democrat voters as they perceive progressive policies are eroding their established values. This may explain why the two leading Republican candidates, Trump and Cruz, are so out there. The background Scorpio influence favors all four candidates as the first female president, the socialist policies of Bernie Saunders, the extreme right wind views of Cruz and Trump as the jack-in-the-box all satisfy the quest for a major change. This is why they are the last four candidates effectively standing. These four may not last until the elections, especially on the Republican side. Finally, referring back to Table 1, it is possible to make a prediction on the outcome of the 2016 presidential election with about 80% accuracy based solely on these 7 ½ year periods’ orientation to either conservative or progressive values, or a combination of both in the transitional periods. Table 2 correlates the US presidents with the conservative-progressive pendulum of Table 1: START PERIOD INFLUENCE PRESIDENT Feb 1948 Sagittarius -Sagittarius CONSERVATIVE Eisenhower C Jul 1955 Sagittarius -Scorpio Conservative-PROGRESSIVE JFK P Dec 1962 Scorpio-Scorpio PROGRESSIVE LBJ P Scorpio-Scorpio PROGRESSIVE R Nixon C May 1970 Scorpio-Virgo PROGRESSIVE-Conservative J Carter P Oct 1977 Virgo-Virgo CONSERVATIVE R Reagan C Apr 1985 Virgo-Leo CONSERVATIVE G H W Bush C Sep 1992 Leo-Leo CONSERVATIVE B Clinton P Feb 2000 Leo-Cancer CONSERVATIVE-Progressive G W Bush C Jul 2007 Cancer-Cancer PROGRESSIVE Obama P Table 2 – excludes presidential elections when an incumbent president wins the election. “P” = progressive and “C” = conservative. The only presidents in Table 2 that were elected in a period where the opposite political influence was stronger were Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton. Maybe this was why Nixon left office in disgrace and Bill Clinton was only the second president to be impeached? It seems to be dangerous territory for any president to be in office in a period favoring the other side of politics. There is no suggestion that Table 2 is statistically relevant due to the small amount of data, but if this is representative of the broader whole, only two of the ten presidents listed were presidents in the ‘wrong’ period. This means that 8 out of 10, or 80% of presidents were originally elected president in a period aligned to their political persuasion. Based on Table 2, there is an 80% chance the 2017 US presidential election will be won by a Democrat. If the election is won by a Republican or right-leaning independent, they will probably court heated controversy of some kind as they will be a duck out of water. From left, presidential candidates Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders From a distance, it seems that the main race for the 2016 presidential election is between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. A similar thing often happens at tennis tournaments when the main two protagonists face off against each other in the quarter or semi-finals, and the winner then just demolishes the last surviving player in the finals but the best match was earlier. It seems the Republican race is just to decide the loser in the presidential elections as the field they have produced seems incapable of attracting middle America. The initial astrological perspective supports this view as do most polls (excluding Fox News). However, this is only the initial conclusion based mainly on the application of 7 ½ years period and their orientation to conservative or progressive values. Part 2 will focus on smaller periods associated with 5 year periods (based on micro-age decans that have already been briefly introduced here in Part 1), 15 month periods (nano-ages) and five month periods (nano-age decans). The smaller periods may not agree with the above perspective. If you want to automatically receive emails of new blogs from this site, sign up at EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION at the bottom of the right hand side of this web page. If you want to participate or closely observe the discussions about the astrological ages and be part of this revolution in astrology focussed upon the astrological ages see the Macro-Astrology Group at Facebook. Fore background details on the mechanics of the astrological ages see Age of Aquarius for Dummies Details of the Book by Terry MacKinnell “The Dawning” is available from Xlibris, Amazon etc Detailed examination of the astrological ages from the Age of Leo to the Age of Aquarius including age-decans www.macro-astrology.com A Funny Thing Happened in the 21st Century – Part 2 March 13, 2015 March 14, 2015 Terry MacKinnell Age of Aquarius, Age of Pisces, Aquarian age, Black Death, environment, Europe, Great Depression, New Age, Pisces age, population explosion, Protestant Reformation, Puritans, Roman Catholic Church, USA 2059, 20th century, 22nd century, Age of Warfare, American Indians, bourgeoisie, capitalism, Capricorn sub-age, Christianity, corporations, Far East, immigration, infertility, ISIS, Islam, Libra age decan, middle class, minimalism, Murphy’s Law, negative population growth, One-Child policy, Pisces sub-age decan, post-apocalyptic future, Puritans, Roman Catholic Church, Sagittarius sub-age, Scorpio sub-age, Scorpio-Libra sub-age, sea level, slaves, Spanish flu, Taliban, tsunami, war, world population The current 21st century from an astrological perspective is a ‘mild’ century. In Part 1, an initial examination of the 21st century was made which proposed that the 21st century is not as dangerous compared to the 20th and 22nd centuries due primarily to the fact that both these centuries have a major sub-age cusp whereas the 21st century does not. The primary influence in the 21st century is from the Scorpio sub-age overflow (1970-2148) and a basic examination of Scorpio archetypes was undertaken. Sub-age cusps are not the only harbingers of disasters and difficulties, and in this post, a deeper examination of the differences between the current 21st century compared to the two adjoining centuries is made. For those readers not familiar with periods used in macro-astrology, you may find your understanding significantly increases if you first read Age of Aquarius for Dummies The 20th century saw both the peak of the Scorpio sub-age wave in 1970 and the peak of the Pisces sub-age decan (the middle decan of the Scorpio sub-age) wave in 1910. Normally a wave associated with a sub-age decan should have only one-third the strength of a sub-age wave – but like the inevitability of Murphy’s Law, there is always an exception. The peak of the Pisces sub-age decan wave in 1910 was the exception to the rule. The greatest wave of all is caused by an age, and that last rolled in on an unsuspecting world in the 15th century. The age cusp in the 15th century marked the boundary of the Pisces and Aquarian ages, but in the 15th century Pisces is the sign of strength while Aquarius is just the new spindly kid on the block. In the 15th century, the Pisces age broke like a tsunami and is currently washing over the world for thousands of years bringing all manner of Pisces archetypes along for the ride. Pisces is traditionally associated with Europe, is the primary sign on the USA’s totem pole, is the sign for corporations (fake bodies) and thus strongly linked to capitalism, and is the apocalyptic sign which is why key Pisces religions such as Christianity and Islam look to the end of the world for salvation. Even many science fiction and futuristic movies often portray a post-apocalyptic future. Pisces is the sign of endings, and many people are convinced about the imminent and messy end of human society or society as we know it. Coincidentally Pisces archetypes include self-deception, delusion and a lack of clarity. Under Pisces’ spell, when Pisces was at its peak the Roman Catholic Church (and the new Protestantism) behaved like the Taliban or ISIS and burnt at the stake many people, exiled or persecuted them by other means due only to their beliefs. There were massive religious wars between the Protestant and Catholic nations (similar to the Sunni and Shiite antagonism currently playing out in the Middle East). The Black Death ravaged Europe. The majority of the American Indians were killed by disease upon contact with their European superiors, if they had not already been murdered or enslaved. Millions of innocent Africans were transported to become slaves with many millions dying a horrible death on route. It was not a pretty picture. There were many developments on the positive side of Pisces at this critical juncture but at this point, I am looking for worse case scenarios. When the tsunami of the Pisces age wave passes over the centuries, if it comes across a significant Pisces sub-period it resonates with the smaller Pisces period creating, for a short time, a far greater impact than can normally be expected from a smaller wave. When the Pisces age wave hit the early 20th century, it resonated with the smaller Pisces sub-age decan wave and reminded the world of what it was like to live under medieval Pisces in earlier centuries. This is why in the first half of the 20th century the world saw two World Wars, the Great Depression and the millions of deaths associated with the Spanish flu in 1918 which killed more people than the First World War. How many hundreds of millions of people were cut down before their time in the first half of the 20th century? Again, I am focusing on the dark side of Pisces only. The first half of the 20th century was the great disaster of modern times, and there is nothing remotely like it indicated in the current 21st century. On the other side of the 21st century, the 22nd century has something that only appears once every age. Each age has three age-decans. The cusp of one age decan coincides with the cusp of the ages so can be discounted, leaving the two remaining cusps. The first of these two age-decan cusps takes on additional role. The first age-decan cusp of any age is of the opposite sign of the second last age overflow and stops it in its tracks! The whole of the Pisces age (732 BC – 1433 AD) was dominated by the Aries age overflow in the same way that the current Aquarius age (1433 – 3574) is dominated by the Pisces age overflow. However when the 15th century arrived unleashing the Pisces age-overflow, the remnants of the Aries age overflow continued to be carried along in the slipstream. Aries brought the Age of Warfare and the continuation of the military madness associated with Aries has carried forward into the modern world – but it has a time fuse attached to it. War is not the only archetype attached to Aries, it is the sign of male-dominated society and sits high on the European totem pole along with Pisces in contrast with the Far East which has a focus upon Libra. Aries has driven the constructive urge in the world where nearly everywhere in the world has numerous examples of spectacular engineering feats. Somehow, all this comes to a screeching halt from the middle of the 22nd century onwards because of the peak of the Libra age decan in 2148 – with Libra countering Aries’ archetypes. Furthermore, age-decan cusps produce serious schisms, and the strength of an age decan cusp is such that even the constitutional integrity of the US government will most likely be compromised (for a short time) before political continuity returns. Major empires and regions have a history of collapsing upon the arrival of an age-decan cusp. Age-decan cusps are serious business. Nothing like this is seen in the current 21st century. Before examining the 21st century in detail, it is important to reiterate what has been investigated so far. The current 21st century, for all its problems, will in no way be comparable to the extreme destruction witnessed in the first half of the 20th century nor what is projected to occur in the 22nd century. The mood however for the 21st century will be desultory and people will feel vulnerable – some will feel very vengeful. A new ethos will grow and develop over the century which can be sourced back to the 1960s and 70s. This has precedence and previous incarnations of this same phenomena occurred with the rise of the workers commencing the early 19th century, and the earlier rise of the bourgeoisie (self-employed businessmen). Prior to that there was the sudden appearance of the Puritans and Protestant Christians. In each case, these movements were associated with sub-ages – the Puritans with the Capricorn sub-age, the bourgeoisie with the Sagittarius sub-age and the workers with the Scorpio sub-age. In all cases there were long germinations times. Each of these sub-ages of the Aquarian age have produced a major new socio-political movement What is the new movement or ethos emanating out of the current Libra sub-age (1970 – 2148)? It is the New Age movement, and the growth of this new environmentally-friendly social ethos is sure to follow the same pattern. We will not experience its culmination in this century. The two key aspects that need to be examined for a top-down view of the 21st century are the influences from the Scorpio sub-age overflow and the newly arrived Libra sub-age (both 1970-2148 and this period can be labelled the Scorpio-Libra sub-age) plus the role of the two sub-age decans cusps that occur in the 21st century. Because of the wave-like nature of all periods in macro-astrology, no period is solely influenced by only one sign. The Scorpio sub-age overflow and Libra sub-age are occurring simultaneously as the Scorpio wave has attained its peak ascendancy in 1970 and ‘breaks’ over the following period while in 1970 the Libra sub-age comes online ready for its 179 years climb to its peak. Abbreviating the period to the Scorpio-Libra sub-age indicates the role of the two signs in this period and the dominance of Scorpio of Libra in the timeframe. The Scorpio-Libra sub-age (1970-2148) has a demarcation line around the year 2059. Before 2059 Scorpio is the absolute dominant sign in the partnership, but from around 2059 Libra becomes noticeably more powerful. The input from Scorpio has already been covered in brief, but there is more to Scorpio than regeneration. The other key archetype associated with Scorpio is reduction including minimalism. Scorpio likes to prune the tree. All the predictions for the world population indicate a continuation of the exponential growth in the number of people in the world. The population explosion was a direct result of the Sagittarius sub-age overflow (1791-1970) and few people will disagree with the association of a booming population with the sign Sagittarius. However it is now Scorpio’s turn, and Scorpio is not expansionary like Sagittarius – in many ways it has an opposite quality. Scorpio wants the population of the world to reduce! How will the world’s population reduce when all the pundits predict the opposite? Most people latch onto apocalyptic scenarios, but this melodramatic view of the future is associated with Pisces, and though Pisces is the primary sign in the world for many more centuries to come, there is no Pisces period of strength in the 21st century to resonate with. The most it can do is prop up the Pisces micro-age and overflow (2059-2074-2089) where it is likely to create another economic bubble which will again crash spectacularly around 2092 to 2097. The fall in population is already occurring but most people cannot see it. Most western nations have had negative population growth for decades which means the number of children being born is less than the number of people dying. The only reason western countries are not shrinking is due to immigration. This population contraction is now not limited to only western nations, many second tier nations are witnessing the same. Furthermore, as the spread of the middle class extends from developed nations to developing nations, population growth falls because middle class families do not need to depend upon their children for their social security and labor as they grow old. Recently, for the first time in history, more people live in urban centers than in rural areas. This is merely confirmation of the worldwide trend towards an urbanized middle class with greater wealth than their average rural counterpart, resulting in families with significantly less children. In addition, China, with 1.3 billion people is the most populace nation on earth and had for many decades an enforced One-Child policy which has drastically affected population growth for a significant proportion of the world’s population. It may be too unrealistic to suggest that all the population contraction will be based solely on economic issues – other mildly catastrophic events may reduce population growth, but if disease, epidemics, pollution, violence and so on become factors that prune the world’s population, it cannot be at the same echelon of disasters that befell the world in the first half of the 20th century. One possible reason for population decline is due appropriately to growing rates of infertility – infertility is in the stable of Scorpio archetypes. Infertility or difficulties for women to become pregnant has substantially increased in western nations since the 1960s.[i] Infertility clinics are becoming as common as McDonalds. The effects of the astrological ages and sub-periods are not uniform around the world but always radiate out from the age-empire or civilization focal point of the time. Since the 15th century this has been the prerogative, for better and worse, of western culture – firstly in Europe, but during the powerful Pisces resonant point in the early 20th century, this was passed on to the USA. The emergent developments will tend to occur first in western nations then radiate out to the rest of the world over the following decades or centuries. The negative population growth of western nations has commenced radiating out past western nations, and though it may not hit Africa for over another century or more, it will ultimately get there. The other big picture association to Scorpio is pollution. Pollution will be a significant factor in world affairs at least until the early 23rd century. When the world arrives at the peak of the Taurus sub-age decan[ii] around 2207, a counterbalancing period lasting many decades will reign in pollution or its effects one way or another. There is no need to review the plethora of dire consequences that environmental scientists predict for the world except for one major aspect that I did briefly refer to in my book published in 2011. Global Warming is real, and currently the heat is not going into atmospheric temperature but into rising oceanic temperature. Apart from melting the ice at the poles, hot water expands. “Can any insight be gained from the astrological ages about the prediction by many scientists of a serious rise in ocean levels due to climate change? Pisces takes control of the oceans, and scientists are stating that the conclusions of the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are too optimistic and conservative. The average ocean levels rose about 17 cm in the twentieth century. Most people are aware that the melting of glaciers and ice sheets is contributing significantly to sea level rise. However, global warming is also causing the existing seawater to expand, thus further increasing sea level rise. Based on the combination of meltwater from melting ice and expanding oceans, some experts believe ocean levels could rise by 1 meter by 2100 CE.” [iii] The scientific evidence suggests that the sea level will rise around one meter (over 3 feet) per century for the next five centuries. Since the 15th century the strongest sign in the world is Pisces and will remain Pisces at least until 2500 – therefore the astrology supports the scientists. This will be an ongoing major catastrophe in slow motion and satisfies the requirement of our current century that detrimental change is here, but not to the destructive level of the early 20th century. Recently I was discussing the issue with a university lecturer in marine biology and he stated that the effects of an average sea level rise of just one inch can push back the shoreline by 20 yards or more. Most of the world’s coastal cities are doomed, but not immediately – how long can Venice survive? In conclusion, both the 20th and 22nd centuries have major astrological precipitators creating extreme situations due to the Pisces sub-age decan resonating with the Pisces age overflow in the early 20th century, and the Libra age-decan cusp in the 22nd century opposing the violent influence carrying over from the Aries age. The funny thing is that nothing on this level occurs in the current 21st century. Each sub-age produces a sub-culture with a new ethos, and I have proposed that the new and emergent sub-culture that will be in a position to deal with the world’s problems will evolve from the New Age movement and Green sympathizers. The population explosion is not only likely to continue to considerably slow down, it may even start reducing the world population as the 21st century unwinds, unless this is totally reserved for the 22nd century. Ages and all sub-periods ‘radiate’ and at this stage of the Age of Aquarius, it is western culture that is the source of the radiation, and its radiating influence will slowly but steadily affect the rest of the world for better or worse (torturing prisoners or highly questionable interrogation tactics such as waterboarding will also radiate out to the rest of the world). On the other extreme is the Peace or New Age movement which was developed within western culture. Finally pollution will increasingly become the issue that must be resolved and the second half of the 21st century looks promising in this regard. The astrology suggests that the current ethos of western culture is incapable of adequately addressing the major issue of pollution due to the overriding focus upon financial profit, and that it will only be due to the growing influence of the New Age/Green movement, or whatever emerges from this movement, that will sufficiently address the problem – possibly as early as 2059 or shortly thereafter. The drive towards addressing pollution and Climate Change will build and develop in the period leading to 2059. [i] http://www.fertility.com/en/stage1/articles/article8/article8.html [ii] This Taurus sub-age decan belongs to the Virgo sub-age (c.2148-2327) [iii] Terry MacKinnell “The Dawning”,Xlibris, 2011, p 237-8 Will New Agers Rule the World Further resources from Terry MacKinnell www.macro-astrology.com – details of purchasing the book available The Age of Aquarius for Dummies – explains the structure and sub-periods associated with the astrological ages Aquarian Age Economics – Examines the relationship between macro-astrology and financial cycles At the Cutting Edge of the Aquarian Age – Cutting edge research into the astrological ages for astrologers FaceBook – keep up to date with what is happening The Online Institute of Macro-Astrology I am pleased to announce that the Online Institute of Macro-Astrology is now accepting enrolments for the mentoring course. This involves the professional mentoring of each student towards a total understanding of all the concepts and structure associated with the astrological ages leading to the documentation of a research project to publication standard by each student. In addition, the development of introductory courses is in the planning stage for those students wanting a more basic and structured course approach to their learning. Further Details: macro-astrology.com/institute/ The Aquarian age did not begin in the 1960′s or ’70s (Revised) September 22, 2011 Terry MacKinnell Age of Aquarius, Age of Pisces, Aquarian age, New Age, Pisces age, Scorpio 1960s, 1970s, revolution, Scorpio subage © Terry MacKinnell 2008, 2011 All Rights Reserved The most commonly stated urban myth about the Aquarian age is that it commenced in the 1960s or ’70s. Blogs from one end of the world to the other repeatedly discuss the arrival of the Aquarian age in those rebellious and drug-fuelled times. Just because the musical Hair commenced proclaiming in the 1960s that ‘this is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius…’ does not make it so. If all the people in the world jumped up and down in unison declaring this is the beginning of the Age of Aquarius, Aquarius could not care less, even if everyone sang it in key! The behind-the-scenes understanding of the Aquarian age, and astrological ages in general, requires some knowledge of astronomy and astrology. However, even in the astrological world, very few astrologers research the subject, while most of the other astrologers have little more knowledge on the astrological ages than the general public. The most common statement on the subject, from those few research astrologers that examine the ages, is that the previous age, the Age of Pisces, arrived with the birth of Jesus Christ. Pisces is the sign of two fish. Since early times Christians preferred the fish symbol for Christianity, so astrologers behave like Homer Simpson and say d’oh – ‘Jesus must have started the Pisces age’. However if Jesus commenced the Pisces age, the earliest the Aquarian age can arrive is around 2150. Why? Because the cycle of ages due to precession of the equinoxes takes approximately 26,000 years to make one revolution. In the approx. 26,000 years cycle each age appears for approximately 2150 years each. Therefore if the Pisces age commenced with Jesus then the Aquarian age cannot commence before approx. 2150. Secondly, many astrologers believe that due to the haphazard sizes of the zodiacal constellation, the Pisces age must be closer to 2600 years in length as the constellation of Pisces is a large constellation on the ecliptic, and takes up more than 30 degrees – the average or standard size assigned to each zodiacal constellation. Based on this approach, many astrologers believe the Aquarian age will not arrive until around the year 2600 – almost six centuries into the future. The problem with the Aquarian age arriving in the middle of the 22nd or much later at the beginning of the 27th centuries is how to explain all the Aquarian developments in the world today. Such Aquarian developments include electricity, computers, flight, space travel and democracy. All these have strong archetypal affinity to Aquarius and no relationship to Pisces. What do these have to do with the Pisces age? The common approach to the astrological ages is a good demonstration of irrationality at work. When no justification for the arrival of the Aquarian age before 2150 can be supplied, astrologers have invented a solution that no one has proved or can substantiate. In past times this is called ‘building your house on sand rather than rock’. The house is going to fall down if built upon the sand. Cusps are made of sand. What else is sand here? Something very simple and totally overlooked. There is no doubt that Christianity has a relationship with Pisces. Pisces shares the fish symbol with Christianity and Pisces is also associated with mysticism and mystical religions, and religions based on salvation. But the BIG question is, why should the Pisces age begin with the arrival of the avatar of Western culture? Who said that ages must begin with a famous person? What about Buddha or Zoroaster, why could not the Pisces age be already in place when Buddha appeared around six centuries earlier? The whole mess of an Aquarian age not arriving before 2150 or much later is dependent on the unsubstantiated assumption that Jesus began the Pisces age. When I have confronted some astrologers about this anomaly their eyes turn blank and their aura recedes because astrologers are not accustomed to think about the ages in general and the Aquarian age in particular. Astrologers are deep thinkers, but not when it comes to the ages. The study of the astrological ages is one area in astrology where astrologers can dream up all manner of unsubstantiated nonsense and pretend it is true. If this is how astrologers behave, no wonder the urban myths on the Aquarian age are in lala land. One of the main reasons that astrologers, and many members of the general public, have a problem aligning astrological ages with history is that, by and large, astrologers and the general public are not historians. For the historical-challenged (i.e. most people), the revolutionary fervent around the 1960s and 70s was strongly evident. Yes there were bohemians well before this time, and beatniks appeared in the 1950s but the intensity of youthful revolutionary passion in the 60s and 70s was awesome in comparison. However the historical problem with a new age arriving in the 60s and 70s is that the revolutionary fervent occurred in a culture in progress that has been developing for many centuries. Historians claim that the modern world is the result of many significant changes that have their seed around the 15th century – often called the Early Modern Period. Even Wikipedia states that: modernity has been associated with cultural and intellectual movements of 1436—1789 and extending to the 1970s or later Some commentators state that the world has recently entered the era of postmodernism, and some claim that we are now in the period of post-postmodernism. The common denominator of Early Modern, modern, postmodernism and even post-postmodernism is that these are all aspects of modernity. The modern world commenced unfolding in the 15th century. Along the way, many significant and major developments have occurred within the unfolding of the modern world, but they are all one continuum. Most people are unaware of the significant historical events that occurred and began in the 15th century. The upshot of all this is that from a simplistic and obvious point of view the Age of Aquarius has not only arrived – it arrived in the 15th century! Another reason why astrologers are unaware of this reality (apart from a lack of historical perspective) is that for over the last 2100 years, the calibration technique adopted by astrologers to determine the astrological ages has been incorrect. Many of the techniques of the ancients have been found faulty, and from the 15th century onwards, scientists and academics have turned upside down ancient science and replaced ancient approximations or incorrect approaches with approaches based on evidence and logic (empiricism). Until recently, the calibration technique adopted by the ancients to measure the arrival of the astrological ages such as the Age of Aquarius has not been closely examined. Though the Aquarian age did not arrive in the 1960s and 70s, an important point within the Aquarian age did occur in 1970. Each age contains 12 sub-ages of around 179 years. In 1970, the Scorpio sub-age came to its end and simultaneously achieved its highest power. Both Aquarius and Scorpio are associated with revolution – so at a Scorpio high point around the 1970s, revolution will be very powerful. For more details of the Scorpio sub-age, refer to SCORPIO – the Sign of the Times. THE DAWNING Shedding New Light on the Astrological Ages March 16, 2011 December 5, 2011 Terry MacKinnell Age of Aquarius, Aquarian age, New Age history The background reference for all the blog entries on this site can be fully comprehended through reading the recently published book (March 2011): The Dawning is published by Xlibris. All books purchased through Xlibris provide the maximum amount of royalty to the author. Xlibris can supply all three versions of the book – ebook, softcover and hardcover. Purchase from Xlibris USA – Amazon USA Powell’s Books UK – Amazon UK – Abebooks.com UK – alibris Canada – Amazon Australia – direct from the author Amazon in various European countries. The Dawning – softcover – ISBN 978-1-4568-8253-2 The Dawning – hardcover – ISBN 978-1-4568-8254-9 This book can be purchased or ordered through major bookstores. This book is aimed towards the general public with an interest in the field, historians interested in an innovative view on history, archeo-astronomers and astrologers (both novices and advanced). History at first glance may seem like a series of chaotic events, but when seen from the perspective of the astrological ages and their subperiods, history follows defined patterns that rhyme with the astrological ages. This book is certainly not the first attempt to do this, but it is the first to do so based on a revised alignment of the astrological ages with the Aquarian age arriving in 1433 AD (or up to a maximum of two years earlier). The 1433 AD arrival of the Aquarian age is not a fanciful claim – it is based solely on the evidence and logic – which is fully explored in the book. However to keep the book palatable to the interested general public, the heavy-duty astrological concepts associated with the astrological ages are relegated to the appendices, but available to the serious researcher. The reason why the Aquarian age arrived in 1433 AD (or up to two years earlier) is based on the sub-periods of the astrological ages. Certainly there is an Aquarian age lasting some 2150 years, but too few people (and researchers) realize that each astrological age has three decanates (decans) of around 717 years each. Each of these three decans in each age has identifiable historical developments associated with them. In addition, each astrological age has 12 sub-ages based on an established practice that has antecedents of over 2,000 years. Each sub-age is approximately 179 years each. These sub-ages contain 12 micro-ages each of approximately15 years each with clearly defined historical developments associated with each and every sub-age. Furthermore, each sub-age has 12 nano-ages of approximately 15 months each. It is through relating nano-ages with historical events that it is possible to rectify the Aquarian age (or any age) to within a maximum error of three years (or about two nano-ages). The Dawning is mainly focused upon the astrological ages of the last 12,000 years, plus the age-decans of the last 5,000 years. Only minor attention is paid to sub-ages and smaller periods in this book, and this information is principally found in the appendices. Hopefully the sub-ages and smaller periods will be fleshed out in future books on the subject. Nevertheless, the argument presented in this book should be convincing to many people. © Copyright Terry MacKinnell 2011 All rights reserved In this book, I attempt to demonstrate how historical developments, events, cultural inclinations, religions, and so on, follow distinct and readily observable patterns and that these patterns synchronize with the astrological ages and associated subperiods. Most of this book examines the past for the purpose of recognizing patterns, which can be extrapolated into the future. The intent of this book is not prediction, but it will incorporate some predictive musings. These predictions will be placed in the context of demonstrated patterns in the past and present. An open-minded reader should be able to understand both the predictive process and the source of the predictions. A proficient astrologer could apply these predictive techniques as demonstrated and make even more detailed predictions. The musical Hair proudly proclaimed in the late 1960s that “this is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.” Since then the Age of Aquarius has become part of our cultural milieu to the extent that many Westerners have an opinion on the Age of Aquarius, including those who are antagonistic to astrology. Occasionally when I express to someone that the Age of Aquarius arrived within a few years of 1433 CE, the reaction is usually one of amazement and sometimes hostility. The most common response is along such lines as, “Isn’t the Age of Aquarius just starting around now or soon?”This is because the ages, or more specifically the Age of Aquarius, have entered into the realm of contemporary mythology. What is the Age of Aquarius and what is its meaning? What came before it? How long does it last? When exactly does the Age of Aquarius start and how long is its dawn? Is there any connection between the ages and the common astrological sunsigns? For example, will someone born with their Sun in Aquarius handle the new Aquarian age better than people without this Aquarian resonance? Despite the acceptance of the Age of Aquarius into our cultural milieu, very little is known about it by the general public. Even astrologers don’t fare much better. It is commonly expressed that the Age of Aquarius will usher in a new era of peace and harmony. This statement assumes that the previous age (which the Aquarian age replaces) was more negative or somehow lower in standard. The age before the Aquarian age is the Pisces age. Is the zodiacal sign Pisces bad and Aquarius good? Many astrologers believe it is absolutely ridiculous to claim that the Aquarian age arrived in a specific year such as 1433 CE. Because ages are so large at around 2150 years each, how can they have an exact start in an actual year? Many astrologers are far more comfortable with the concept that an age dawns over many centuries—or as one tongue-in-cheek online blogger stated—“the yawning of the Age of Aquarius.” This vague and indeterminate approach to the cusp of ages is not supported in any other branch of astrology. Furthermore, astrology, since the time of the ancient Greeks, has followed a highly exact and mathematical approach. Based on this mathematical approach to astrology, any age should have an exact starting date. So while my precision may seem untenable, once the date calibration technique is revealed it becomes obvious. However, I do agree that it is impossible to delineate the exact year of the arrival of a multi-thousand years age based solely upon examining historical correlations to the ages. Historians are good at identifying the approximate century of the start of significant historical periods. Arriving at the correct century is one thing, getting the exact year is another! However, there is absolutely no theoretical reason against doing so. The sign change of the Sun, Moon, or planet can be determined with precision so why cannot an age be determined to a specific year? Ultimately, an age should be determined to even an exact month or perhaps even an exact day and hour! My approach to understanding the astrological ages involved recognizing the input from historians—who are naturally the experts in this field. I therefore turned to historians’ views upon major historical epochs. A large number of historians agree that the fifteenth century CE marked a significant historical shift in the world—coinciding with the Age of Aquarius arriving in the fifteenth century. A whole genre of recent historical research has been focusing upon the last 500 years. Its repetitive theme points to the fact that something momentous occurred around 500 years ago (i.e., the 15th century). The opening statement by the cultural historian, Prof. Richard Tarnas, in his book Cosmos and Psyche is that the “modern self” appeared slightly more than 500 years ago. Tarnas further asserts that, when this modern self appeared, it stood out due to its astonishing impact.[1] This is another example of an association with Aquarius—anything sudden, unexpected, and like a thunderclap is an expression of the Aquarian archetype. Tarnas claims the convulsions of the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Scientific Revolution gave birth to the modern world and the modern mind.[2] Tarnas also states that within a generation mankind moved from their medieval predecessors and assumed superhuman status with the likes of da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Columbus, Luther, and Copernicus.[3] He elevates the achievement of Copernicus as representative of a “fundamental intellectual turning point”—as a highpoint of human reasoning introducing the modern age to the world. The Copernican view of the universe removed humanity from the focal point of the cosmos.[4] These claims by Tarnas propose a highly significant major shift in the fifteenth century, appropriate at the introduction of a New Age. The eminent British historian Arnold Toynbee (1889–1975 CE) in Mankind and Mother Earth states that between c.1400–1550 CE, the traditional picture of social habitats around the world was totally transformed, as knowledge of different cultures became widely available. This is a mighty change. Toynbee states this change was sudden and brought immediate changes of fortunes to many people, some for the better and many for the worse—especially the indigenous inhabitants of the Americas and western Africa. He further states that, in the 200 years since 1563 CE, Western civilization made its greatest spiritual and mental leap forward since the fall of ancient Rome.[5] This is the kind of change expected at the arrival of a New Age. The Collins Atlas of World History places the fifteenth century as one of those turning points in history, emphasizing that this century laid the groundwork of modern capitalism and began the first capitalist age.[6]The Australian historian, Prof. Geoffrey Blainey states that the Middle Ages spanned the period from 500 to 1500 CE, and that the late 1400s marked the time for the mental awakening of Europe, hastened by the invention of the printing press in the mid-1400s. Blainey claims that the last part of the 1400s was the most striking convergence of key events experienced in the world to that time, with its focus upon western Europe. These influential events included printing, the Reformation, the Renaissance, heralding a new approach to painting, and sculpture and architecture. The excitement of those times was infectious and promoted intellectual adventure. Blainey states it is curious that no “all-embracing” name refers to the massive developments around 1500 CE, and that it is probably too late to assign one.[7] The arrival of the Aquarian age fills that gap. [1]Cosmos and Psyche, p. 3 [2]The Passion of the Western Mind, pp. 221–3 [3]The Passion of the Western Mind, p. 224 [4]Cosmos and Psyche, pp. 27–29 [5]Mankind and Mother Earth, pp. 524, 525, 536 [6]The Collins Atlas of World History, pp. 136, 140 [7]A Very Short History of the World, pp. 202,209,213–5 THE DAWNING Shedding New light on the Astrological Ages is available in softcover, hardcover and electronic format at Xlibis	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line792
__label__cc	0.725077	0.274923	Category Archives: Children’s Hope International Latest Turbulence in International Adoption Agencies: Wow Posted on February 15, 2019 by Light Of Day Stories Recent years have seen a lot of discussion about the decline in numbers of international adoptions. Recent days have seen a lot of news about how international adoption agencies are responding to the decline. A relatively minor roil to start: Yesterday, the US State Department announced that Children’s Hope International has “voluntarily relinquished” its Hague accreditation status. Thus, CHI may not independently provide international adoption services. The State Department announcement doesn’t share the news that CHI has merged with Nightlight Christian Adoptions, known perhaps primarily for its controversial “Snowflake embryo adoptions.” CHI thus will continue to operate in international adoptions under the Nightlight umbrella. Nightlight has Hague accreditation, according to the sole accrediting entity, Intercountry Adoption Accreditation and Maintenance Entity. The much bigger news was the merger between two large adoption agencies, Holt International in Oregon and World Association for Children and Parents (WACAP), announced on February 7. You can read Holt’s announcement here, and WACAP’s here. Here’s a quote about the merger from Holt’s CEO, Phil Littleton, who is also an adoptive parent: “By merging with WACAP, we have an unparalleled opportunity to combine our resources and knowledge to help more orphaned and vulnerable children both in the U.S. and in countries around the world. In recent years, many agencies specializing in international adoption have closed and others have struggled. Longevity and sustainability have been especially difficult for some agencies whose primary source of revenue is adoption. But through robust philanthropic efforts, Holt has grown the mission-critical funding we need to continue our increasingly difficult work in international adoption. At the same time, WACAP’s expertise — particularly in finding loving, trauma-informed families for children in the U.S. foster care system — will be an incredible asset and strengthen our efforts to help children here in the U.S.” Here’s a quote from WACAP’s CEO, Greg Eubanks: “For our Board of Directors and our Senior Leadership, many of whom are adoptive parents, it was a choice worth making. We have always held Holt in the highest regard for both its breadth and quality of services as well as its ethical and inclusive practices. When we began to connect with Holt leadership and staff at all levels, we quickly confirmed that we are a good match. By combining our expertise and resources, our mission will go on. As a part of the Holt organization, we will continue to serve children and families, both internationally and in our own communities. We will work to ensure every child has a loving and secure home. This merger will also allow us to continue the expansion of services to children in the foster care system. (Boldface in original) For years, WACAP has found adoptive families for children in foster care, over 800 children as a matter of fact. As we continue that work, and implement innovative recruiting efforts for adoption, we are now seeking families to become foster parents. These families will provide temporary care for children of all ages until they might reunite with birth parents or relatives, or until they are legally free for adoption.” Among the issues that Holt will be dealing with is the lawsuit by Korean adoptee Adam Crapser against Holt and the government of South Korea. In late January, Crapser filed what the Associated Press called a “landmark lawsuit” over “gross negligence regarding the way he and thousands of other Korean children were sent to the United States and other Western nations without accounting for their future citizenship.” Crapser is among thousands of adoptees for whom their parents failed to acquire citizenship; he was deported in 2016 back to Korea. The Adoptee Rights Campaign estimates that there are tens of thousands of other adoptees who do not have citizenship, and could be in danger of deportation. Adoptees have been killed and have died by suicide after being deported. At a minimum, many have been isolated, depressed, and harmed by being returned to countries with which they have no connection, language, work opportunities, family of friends—because they were adopted by Americans to ostensibly have a better life with a forever family. NBC recently aired a segment about these tragic deportations. An adoptee from India, who lived in Oregon for decades having been adopted through Holt International, was deported back to India and has struggled ever since. Neither Holt nor WACAP mentions either deportations nor citizenship issues in their press releases about the merger. Without big and small adoption agencies robustly, frequently, and collaboratively speaking out about deportation and citizenship, as well as about the genuine concerns of international adoptees and first/birth parents, we are not moving ahead in any meaningful way. I feel confident we will see more adoption agencies closing, or merging and then closing. On a certain level, that will only leave more adoptees and birth parents without access to their records, without access to post-adoption services, and without recourse to redress the fraud, trauma, and corruption. Until international adoptees AND first/birth parents (not adoptive parents, not adoption “experts”) have many, many seats at the table in the international adoption agency community, I don’t see how the future of international adoptions can even be considered fully and ethically. Posted in adoptee deportation, Adoptee Rights Coalition, adoptees, Children's Hope International, international adoptees, International adoption, international adoption agency, international birth parents \| Leave a reply New York State Passes Law Allowing Adoptees Access to Original Birth Certificates Larry and Carri Williams’ Appeals Hearing, and the Contrast of Ethiopian Resilience and Hope Larry and Carri Williams Request New Trials And Release From Prison Remembering Hana Williams on the 8th Anniversary of Her Death The Link Among the Brain, the Gut, Adoption, and Trauma strugglingeverafter on The Link Among the Brain, the Gut, Adoption, and Trauma Carolyn on Remembering Hana Williams on the 8th Anniversary of Her Death jacqelinewilson on The Link Among the Brain, the Gut, Adoption, and Trauma Archive Select Month June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 August 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 January 2018 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 Follow LoDS by Email	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line794
__label__cc	0.528384	0.471616	« Egypt gives the Castros good reason to be afraid \| Main \| 'Cuba' is not Spanish for 'Egypt,' but the rulers' fear is the same » Cuba political prisoner Guido Sigler responds with defiance to Castro's blackmail Guido Sigler Amaya Doing the dirty work of Raúl Castro and Cardinal Jaime Ortega, prison guards continue to put the squeeze on 11 prisoners of conscience to accept forced exile in exchange for their "freedom." For example, about midnight on Jan. 20, guards woke up prisoner Guido Sigler Amaya, handcuffed him and took him to an office for a supposed meeting with a senior prison official, according to a report written by Sigler's brother Miguel, who lives in Miami. The official never showed up and instead, Sigler — one of the Group of 11 covered by a deal for their release between the Spain, the Catholic Church and the Cuban dictatorship — was alone in a room with a State Security thug name Orlando Figueroa. For two hours, Figueroa, a familiar figure at the prisons in Matanzas province, threatened and blackmailed Sigler, telling him that if he did not accept exile to Spain, he would have to serve the entire 20-year sentence he received during the "black spring" of 2003. Figuerora also told Sigler that family members in Cuba and in the United States had abandoned him. Sigler realized what was going on and got into a loud argument with Figueroa, which caused Sigler to suffer painful headaches brought on by a rise in blood pressure. But it was Figueroa who gave up the fight, returning Sigler to his cell after about two hours. "These psychological torture, consisting of threats and blackmail, are often used against all political prisoners of conscience Cubans living in the Castro gulag," wrote Miguel Sigler Amaya, who wrote the account after a telephone call from Cuba from his brother Juan Francisco Sigler Amaya. Those methods are being used most harshly against the Group of 11, who are all that stand in the way between the dictatorship and the church and their chance to convince the world that the completion of the lie that prisoner release deal is proof that things have really changed in Cuba. The courage of Guido Sigler Amaya and the other prisoners reveals the truth. Posted by Marc R. Masferrer on January 30, 2011 at 06:18 AM in Cuba, Cuba - Political Prisoner of the Week \| Permalink	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line796
__label__cc	0.66113	0.33887	A Dose of Dodosh Your Rx for Success at Work and in Life About Mark Dodosh You won’t be sorry if you say ‘I’m sorry’ A leader’s ability to set aside their pride and apologize for wrongs they have done can gain them even greater respect from the people they lead. More than 40 years ago, Elton John and his longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin composed a song titled, “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.” (I know I date myself with this reference, but bear with me.) It’s a sorrowful song about a love relationship gone off the rails, but the title holds a broader truth — namely, that the words “I’m sorry” don’t come easily to the lips of many of us. It often is hard to admit when we are wrong because it is a tacit acknowledgment of our imperfection. That’s especially true when something we say or do offends others and merits an apology. People in leadership seem to struggle more that most with uttering Elton’s hardest word. I suspect it is because leaders like to maintain an aura of infallibility. Consequently, they fear any admission that their thoughts or actions were flawed will reveal they are not as infallible as they might want to portray. Yet just as the Apostle Paul wrote to the early church in Corinth that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness, a leader’s ability to set aside their pride and apologize for wrongs they have done can gain them even greater respect from the people they lead. I offer as an example a dear friend who is the owner of a highly successful small business. He is esteemed in his community and much beloved by his dozens of employees. However, my friend had a bad habit that needlessly would deflate his employees’ spirits. If he was fired up about a miscue, he would pound out an email that would berate the employee or employees involved and do so with a liberal use of exclamation points, question marks and words IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. It was a form of written shouting that essentially said to the recipients, “HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID???!!!” I know my friend did not realize how these emails were perceived by his people. That’s because he was genuinely repentant when a consultant he hired to work with his staff saw such an email and would sit down with the owner to tell him how he was belittling the members of his team while undercutting his relationship with them. My remorseful friend told the consultant he had forgotten The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The owner knew he would not want to be on the receiving end of one of his email rants and ceased the practice that very day. He also apologized individually and in person to each recipient of his final email blast. Each of the email recipients was impressed by the owner’s act and was gracious enough to accept his apology. What’s more, all of them enjoy great relationships with the owner to this very day. As the story illustrates, there is great value in acknowledging the error of our ways and seeking the forgiveness of others when we have offended them. However, it takes two to tango in the forgiveness equation, and the issuance of a sincere “I’m sorry, please forgive me” by the offender will fail to produce its healing power unless the aggrieved party is willing to say “I forgive you” and mean it. We will examine the importance of being a good forgiver in the next post. markdodosh humble leadership, managing people 1 Comment September 10, 2018 September 9, 2018 2 Minutes Follow 'A Dose of Dodosh'	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line798
__label__wiki	0.554989	0.554989	Our Primary Team U.S. Market Growth Julie A. Peterson Julie Peterson, Marq Consulting Group’s founding partner, has more than 25 years of economic development and international marketing experience. Prior to launching Marq Consulting Group, Ms. Peterson served with public, private, and nongovernmental organizations, including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Bank, the Institute for Global Engagement, Orion International, and Goodweave. At Orion International, she led business development strategy and execution for the trade and investment company’s offices in Kenya and South Africa. As business development director for GoodWeave, she established industry partnerships while implementing a consumer education campaign for this nongovernmental organization, which works to eliminate child labor in the handmade rug industry in Nepal, India, and Pakistan. And as a seasoned consultant, she has helped clients in diverse industries achieve substantial market gains. Ms. Peterson has served as a trustee for the Center for Public Justice and as a leadership institute fellow with the National Center for Leadership (Washington, DC). In addition to holding memberships in the Washington International Trade Association and the Wine Market Council, she serves as an officer for Women in International Trade (WIIT), which honored her as “Member of the Year” in 2013-14. Ms. Peterson has also been admitted to Les Dames d’Escoffier International, an invitation-only organization for women in the food and wine industry who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in their field. Ms. Peterson earned a B.A. degree in business administration with minors in economics and political studies at Dordt College, which named her a distinguished alumnus in 2003. Patrick Fleming Patrick Fleming, senior consultant, is an experienced leader, organizational psychologist, and entrepreneur. Prior to joining Marq Consulting Group, he had a 14-year career in the national security sector, leading applied research, strategic management, performance measurement, and behavioral science programs. Mr. Fleming was the director of the human dynamics practice of ViaGlobal Group, where he built an industry-leading business supporting clients in the military special operations and intelligence communities. Before joining ViaGlobal, Mr. Fleming also led programs in strategic management, performance measurement, and intelligence analysis for Lockheed Martin, where he sat on the strategic planning council for a $1.5 billion business unit. Mr. Fleming left the defense industry to serve as the interim senior director of the Falls Church Anglican, providing senior executive leadership to a large nonprofit organization. He has built and led initiatives focused on entrepreneur support and networking and made early-stage direct investments in multiple startups in the e-commerce and health spaces. One of Mr. Fleming’s latest investment ventures is The Local Market, a neighborhood grocery store and community bridge – acting as a single degree between consumers and locally grown food. Patrick holds a B.A. in psychology from Wake Forest University and a M.A. in organizational psychology from George Mason University. He currently serves on the board of Gulfstream Capital Corp. of Knoxville, TN, the Falls Church Fellows Program in Falls Church, VA, and the Aunt Kate Foundation of Moberly, MO. Pauline Johnson, project manager, plays a principal role with Marq Consulting Group’s diverse wine industry clients. Currently the lead project manager for the country of Georgia’s US wine market development strategy, she develops market entry and sustainable growth strategies, using her marketing expertise to expand brand visibility for “Wines of Georgia” in the U.S. In 2015, Mrs. Johnson led a partner search and social media campaign for a leading European jewelry company, where she established their trade office and led their market development platform. Prior to joining Marq Consulting Group, she worked with an international relations consultancy in Washington, D.C. and for the fundraising and nonprofit sectors. She holds a Master’s degree in intercultural management and communication from ISIT, a Grande École in Paris, France. She is a native French speaker, has advanced proficiency in Spanish and German, and is a member of the Washington, D.C. chapter of Women in International Trade (WIIT). Sydney Lamb Sydney Lamb, business and project manager, joined Marq Consulting Group in May 2016 and has over a decade of business management experience. Previous to Marq Consulting Group, she was the administrative manager at the Maryland Clean Energy Center and CFO of Lamb Government Solutions, an education consulting firm. Mrs. Lamb holds a Bachelor’s of Science, Technology and Society degree from Pitzer College in Claremont, California. Additionally, she serves on the Board of Directors for the Anne Arundel County Arts Council in Annapolis, Maryland. Allison Slute Allison Slute, senior project manager, specializes in export marketing and market development in the U.S. and Canadian wine industries. Prior to joining Marq Consulting Group, she was export manager at Pillitteri Estates Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, where she managed and developed their international business portfolio of nearly 45 customers in 33 countries on four continents. Ms. Slute has travelled to 23 countries as a wine professional and gained knowledge, expertise, and contacts in the global wine business. She has an intricate understanding of the wine market in the U.S. as it relates to its structure, regulations, consumer engagement, growth opportunities, and strategy development. During her tenure at Pillitteri Estates Winery, Ms. Slute was a member of the National Export Committee for Canada’s wine industry and regularly called upon to advise on the industry’s global export strategy. With a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Guelph in Ontario and a specialization in management economics and industry finance, Ms. Slute also holds her Certified Sommelier certificate through the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers. She is fluent in French and currently pursuing language studies in Spanish. Laura J White Laura J White, senior project manager, specializes in US and international trade policy, market access, and sustainable development with foci on gender and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In collaboration with Ms. Peterson, she identifies business development opportunities and develops core relationships and products. Prior to joining Marq Consulting Group, Dr. White worked closely with global and European trade officials in Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, and the United Kingdom, where she obtained a PhD in politics from the University of Manchester. An active member of the Manchester Centre for Political Theory and Global Political Economy research cluster, she lectured on international relations, comparative political economy, and Chinese politics to over 500 students from 5 continents. Dr. White’s undergraduate and master’s degrees in psychology and political science were awarded from the University of Colorado Denver. During this time, she ran a small textiles business and established a local trading network for micro-enterprises as a Board of Directors member for the Regional Economic Development Incentive. She is a member of the Washington, DC chapters of Women in International Trade (WIIT) and Washington International Trade Association (WITA) and the global chapter of the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWRD) and speaks basic Spanish, Italian, and French. At Marq Consulting Group, we think and work globally. Yet we live and enjoy life locally – in and around the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC. These are a few of our favorite local sights, sounds, and tastes: Sunset over the Potomac River from the terrace at Fiola Mare “Hippie Crack” granola and Stumptown Coffee from our neighbor, Baked & Wired Lunch or dinner in the courtyards of Kafe Leopold, Chez Billy Sud or Bourbon A happy hour walk, run or cycle up the Capital Crescent Trail or Billy Goat Trail along the C&O Canal Paddleboard after work from Jack’s Marq Energie Consulting // 1025 Thomas Jefferson Street NW // Suite 420E // Washington, DC 20007 +1 202 499 4263 // sydney.lamb@marqenergie.com // Contact Us © Marq Energie Consulting	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line799
__label__wiki	0.892094	0.892094	Red Hot Chili Peppers Drummer Chad Smith Contemplates Touring Future + Eventual Retirement Loudwire YouTube Red Hot Chili Peppers have existed as a band for 34 years. That's a long time for anybody to be doing one thing, and drummer Chad Smith, who has been with RHCP for 29 years, may be feeling that duration if you check out his recent comments. The drummer revealed in an interview to SiriusXM's Eddie Trunk on his podcast that the discussion of retirement has been broached. Smith recounted a story of riding with the band. “We were riding in a van after a gig and Flea was like, ‘How much longer do you think we should… How do you think we should end this?',” Smith said. “I was, like, ‘I don’t know!’ I want to make records, I still love making records, but the touring part… I don’t know if we can continue.” He later added, “I mean, three of us are 54 years old — Anthony [Kiedis], me and Flea. Josh [Klinghoffer] is 38 or 39, so he’s a young man. But I don’t know if we can continue to do the long tours — the year, year and a half we normally do. That’s a good question. We all have families and different things, your priorities shift a little bit. You kinda see that what’s gonna work for you maybe doesn’t necessarily work for other bands. But again, we’re just so grateful that people want to come and see us play, and we love to perform. I don’t know in the future how that’s gonna look.” Back in December, Smith joined the young rockers of Babymetal onstage to play some covers of Judas Priest's classics. He showed up in face paint, blending in with the rest of the band's aesthetic, taking his place behind the kit for a ripping rendition of "Painkiller." Time will tell what the Peppers' future will be, but you can't blame Smith for wanting to take it down a notch. RHCP's Chad Smith: I Never Peed on Taylor Hawkins Red Hot Chili Peppers Albums Ranked 18 Years Ago: Red Hot Chili Peppers Release ‘Californication’ Filed Under: Chad Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers Categories: News, Rock	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line802
__label__wiki	0.752554	0.752554	Magnolia Cemetery A Historical Foundation of Beaumont's Past William McFaddin, County Pioneer and Texas War for Independence Veteran, started a private graveyard for his family as well as relatives and friends on some of his land that rested on the highest knoll in Beaumont overlooking Brakes Bayou back in the 1840’s. The first recorded burial was made in 1847 when John D. Gilbert was laid to rest. The first recorded burial on the McFaddin plot was William’s son John Andrew McFaddin killed at the battle of Fordoche Louisiana during the Civil War on September 29, 1863. During the 1860’s another burial area adjacent to the McFaddins was marked for the Odd Fellows Lodge. Then once again shortly after the reconstruction of the South, William saw the need for another addition to the hill so that other Southeast Texans would have a place to bury their loved ones. He deeded two and a quarter acres of his land that was adjacent to his private graveyard to the town of Beaumont in 1876 and was used in the beginning primarily for civil war veterans and their families. Many people rest on the hill including another Texas War for Independence veteran, union soldier, deputy sheriff of Beaumont killed in the line of duty on September 25, 1881, and many victims of the Great Flu Epidemic of 1918. In 1887 some of the prominent citizens of Beaumont gathered together to form a Corporation for benevolent and charitable purposes under the General Laws of the State of Texas. The purpose was “to purchase, improve and subdivide land and grounds for a private cemetery for the citizens of Beaumont and vicinity, and the future maintenance of the grounds by the sale of lots and otherwise as shall be the By- Laws prescribed.” The Corporation was to have five Trustees as the Board of Trustees for the first year, with the five being named as Valintine Wiess, Edward L. Wilson, A.S. John, H.W. Smith and John L. Keith. The Corporation issued capital stock in the amount of ten thousand dollars, divided into four hundred shares of twenty-five dollars each. This Charter application was signed by E.L. Wilson, A.S John and V. Wiess. The Charter was approved by the Texas Secretary of State, August 3, 1887. The Trustees of the Company then went back to their friend William McFaddin to purchase an additional thirteen acres needed to start what is now known as Magnolia Cemetery. In the years 1903 through 1906 the Corporation repurchased the stock sold, and began to operate as a Non Profit Organization. Then, under the leadership of V. Wiess, John N. Gilbert, P.H. Wiess, J.L. Keith and W.P.H. McFaddin, an amended charter was recorded May 9, 1924. The new charter states that the Corporation shall have no capital stock. Members of said Cemetery Corporation and stockholders therein shall have no financial interest in the assets of said Corporation. No dividend of any character shall ever be declared for the benefit of the members or stockholders. All income shall be used exclusively for the maintenance, upkeep, and improvements of the property and the purchase and improvement of additional property as required. As the years have passed Magnolia has continued to expand through land acquisitions from houses, schools, churches and one steel mill to meet the community’s needs. Today here at Magnolia we are still governed by a prominent board though their titles have changed from trustees to directors. We continue to purchase and develop additional acreage as needed. A recent purchase was the Maple Groves Baptist Church where our Serenity Mausoleums stand today. The first structure was built in 1998 and the second building was erected in 2005. We currently have about two hundred fifty crypts available for entombments. Our latest expansion was the purchase of land originally used for the Pipkin School, named after Woodson Pipkin, a pioneer in the education for African Americans. The expansion includes four sections named Garden of Hope, Garden of Peace, Garden of Faith and Garden of Valor, our veterans section to honor those who have served their country. One part of the development is reserved for future development. Lots became available for sale in 2006 and we currently have over two thousand spaces available. The entire cemetery encompasses approximately seventy-five acres and still has spaces available in the original thirteen acres. Although some of our sections have been sold out we still have over six thousand spaces available. Here at Magnolia Cemetery we offer value and peace of mind by providing many preplanning options from traditional burial spaces, community mausoleum crypts, private mausoleums, monuments and all kinds of other memorials, prepaid opening and closing service fees and final inscriptions. We offer zero interest financing for twenty-four months. We are a Non Profit Perpetual Care Cemetery serving Southeast Texas for over one hundred twenty years. When you compare our prices to other cemeteries of our stature you can see the difference. We offer tours of this historical property. Click for Map. Follow Magnolia Cemetery Copyright © 2019 Magnolia Cemetery \| 2291 Pine Street, Beaumont, Texas 77704 \| 409-832-5741 Site by Design Chute \| Log in	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line808
__label__wiki	0.721795	0.721795	⇒ NavigateHome About – Contact – FAQ – History and Mission – Glossary – Staff – I’m New Here Events Support Grace in Practice ⇒ NavigateReligion – Bible – Church – Grace in Practice – Reformation – Suffering – Testimony Social – Addiction – America – Identity – Psychology – Relationships – Technology Week In Review Store Recordings Magazine Film Music Poetry Sports TV A Mockingbird Guide to the World Cup by Win Jordan on Jun 9, 2014 • 2:00 pm 1 Comment I was nine. It was the summer of 2002 in the early hours of the morning that the US shocked Mexico in the Round of 16 in the World Cup to advance to the quarterfinal. The excitement was electric. Nobody had expected it, but the cries of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” filled the room. It was the best the USA has ever done in a World Cup. The World Cup is a sporting event like no other. It ignites more passion than any other, and it starts in less than a week. I realized that this is only the sixth World Cup I’ve lived through and fourth that I can truly remember. The rarity fuels the competition because everyone knows that it will be four years until you get another chance. Even when it’s not my home country playing, I find myself engrossed in the games because of the electricity you can sense from the fans screaming and cheering. So even if you’re the type of person who doesn’t care for sports, or can’t stand soccer because of the sometimes slow pace and the 0-0 draws that occasionally end matches, it may be worth paying attention this upcoming month. In fact, the storylines going into this World Cup (and doubtless the many more that will emerge during play) aren’t all specifically soccer related. They are the same themes of success and expectation that we deal with every day of our lives. 1. Brazil’s Enormous Expectations Last year, during the Confederations Cup (an eight team tournament which serves as a sort of dress rehearsal for the host nation), Brazilian riot police had to drive angry mobs away from the stadiums. It was a shocking sight, especially because Brazil is known for its passion for “The Beautiful Game.” However, these people were protesting terrible conditions that were being ignored by the government in favor of renovating stadiums for the World Cup. Reports have gotten worse in the run-up to the tournament for the host nation. Several high-speed rails that were promised will not be built due to time construction delays, so the infrastructure will not improve. The voices of protests have drowned out the bulldozers plowing through the favelas to make way for parking lots. Amid all of this the national team prepares for the actual games. The government counts on them to win and placate the mobs. Several people think that as long as Brazil is winning, that will keep spirits high and make hosting the tournament seem worth it. If they lose, all hell will break loose. No pressure or anything. Brazil currently holds the number three ranking in the world, but they carry the swagger of a team that is number one by a long shot. “I just can’t see us losing on our home soil. I don’t see a way anyone will beat us. We will win the World Cup,” said midfielder Oscar. The “win at all costs mentality” can be especially difficult and damaging, if it goes wrong as it often does. How Brazil handles this enormous pressure will be very interesting. 2. England’s Not-So-Big Expectations On the flip side, there’s England. In 2006, they were eliminated by Portugal in the quarterfinals when Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo successfully faked a foul that got English striker Wayne Rooney ejected from the match (he soon after winked to the cameras). In 2010, they earned second place in a group they should have won after their goalkeeper let an embarrassing goal through in the game against the USA. They then went on to lose in the Round of 16 to Germany after one of their goals was not counted as the referee determined it had not gone over the line (it had). Needless to say, the English have had a rough go of it lately in World Cups. Entering 2014, their team is aging. Stars like Rooney, Lampard, and Gerrard are seemingly past their prime, and the mood in the country is definitely not one of “win-or-else” like it is in Brazil. This might be exactly what the English need. Normally their team is crushed by giant expectations, but in qualifying for this World Cup, they looked like they were actually having fun–as evidenced by Rooney’s penguin dive after scoring against Poland (above). They are the opposite of Brazil right now. Their freedom to play unfettered by expectation could help them achieve something special. 3. Colombia is Back If you haven’t seen the ESPN “30 for 30” documentary The Two Escobars, put it in your queue. It’s a sad tale of how the drug cartels ran Colombian soccer in the nineties and how the 1994 squad, largely expected to win that World Cup, crumbled and exited in the group stage. Some players were targeted by the cartels, who had lost a great deal betting in the team, for kidnapping, and the star defender, Andres Escobar (who had scored the ‘own’ goal that had essentially eliminated Colombia) was shot and killed outside a nightclub. In 1998, the team also failed to make it out of the group stage. They failed to qualify for the next three World Cups. But now, they’re back. After a history of tragedy and failure, this team has once again revitalized its country and they are ready to play. They are ranked eighth in the world right now but got a tough draw in their group (Japan, Greece, and Ivory Coast). Sports can often be a vehicle for a community to heal. For Colombia, it has often been the opposite. This World Cup, their team is not only playing for the trophy, but for a new identity. This will be a compelling and potentially underappreciated storyline. 4. Spain’s Dominance Tested For decades, Spain had been known as “the perennial underachievers of international soccer.” They were always a team with great potential that inexplicably exited in the Round of 16 or the Quarterfinals in every major international competition. But that all changed in 2008 when they broke through and captured the Euro Cup. They then went on to have a spectacular tournament in the 2010 World Cup and won that as well. If that weren’t enough, in 2012 they repeated as Euro Champions, and have made a case for being the best international squad of all time. A repeat World Cup win in Brazil would certainly cement that title. But “La Roja” is aging, and this might be the last international tournament in which several key players like Xavi and Andres Iniesta play. For years Spain’s identity was the underachiever. They won a new name for themselves in 2008 and have built that reputation up. However, like Brazil now, they must win or the tournament is a failure. How long can they maintain this identity? 5. The Egos Apart from the 0-0 draw frustration, one of the other reasons many friends of mine are loathe to sit down and watch soccer is the flopping and histrionics from so many of the players. Usually it is the most talented players who score a spectacular goal minutes after faking the world’s worst injury. We hate them, then we are in awe of them, then we go back to hating them as they perform an over-the-top celebration. They also have some of the biggest egos in the game as well. Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Italy’s Mario Ballotelli, and Brazil’s Neymar will undoubtedly fall to the ground in apparent agony, then spring up to whine to the referee at least three times each during the tournament. Some can’t stand what they see as obviously inauthentic demonstrations, claiming that it corrupts the game we love watching. But even though these players violate our laws of authenticity, they score spectacular goals that will leave us speechless. The truth is, while we may root for authenticity and talent to go hand in hand, in this tournament, often they will not. 6. The Group of Death There was a groan across America in December when the World Cup draw was announced. The USA had been draw into Group G, in which all four teams had advanced past the group stage in the last World Cup. It’s a group of staggering difficulty and has been dubbed “The Group of Death.” The USA was top in its regional qualifying and looks to assert its new identity as a team that can compete with the best on the international stage. Ghana, who has knocked the USA out of the past two World Cups, made it to the quarterfinals in 2010 and was one controversial handball away from the semifinal. Germany, who is current ranked second in the world, has reached at least the semifinal in each of the last three World Cups and is widely expected to make that four, if not win it all. And Portugal is there as well. They are currently ranked fifth in the world. Each country seems to understand the gravity of the competition it is facing. The most outrageous example of this is that a prominent witch doctor in Ghana is claiming credit for Cristiano Ronaldo’s aching knee injury. There was no ‘grace’ in the draw for these four teams, but it should make for some amazing soccer. 7. Media Created Geo-Political Showdowns One of the first things I heard when the draw was announced was “If the USA and Iran finish first and second in their groups, then each win in the Round of 16, they will meet in the quarterfinals!” The chances of this happening are infinitesimal, but the media will salivate over the possibility anyway. The media loves to see international sporting events as a way of settling conflicts. The 2012 Euro quarterfinal between Greece and Germany was billed as the game to solve the European Debt Crisis. Shockingly, the crisis continued after the final whistle blew. No doubt you’ll hear many political stories on top of the actual soccer, but when the match starts, it’s simply two teams fighting hard for ninety minutes. It’s a competition where international conflicts can be left outside the stadium, and that’s just one of the reasons why it is The Beautiful Game. Tags: Brazil, Colombia, England, Expectation, Identity, Soccer, Spain, sports, USA, World Cup Read more on and from Win Jordan. Or get in touch. This was great. Loved the section on Colombia– glad to see they got the ball rolling against Greece. Like most Americans, I am really looking forward to the USA Ghana game; it will be great to see a fresh, young team with a chance to avenge past World Cup exits. July Playlist Keep On Singing Run the Engines Up High One Way Ticket (To Nowhere) Tuck (How It Feels Away) Another Century Way Out Jesus Like Humans Do Eighth Day Lonely Days I Can't Make It Alone Oh God (Prayer) What I Stand On: Wendell Berry’s Collected Catechisms 07/17/2019 \| No comments The Promise of Scripture “to Come”: Qumran, Derrida, and Unfulfilled Desire, Part 2 Good Luck with Your Marriage Strategy Boys, Please, No Ties on a Thursday I Deleted My Social Media and Didn’t Tell Anyone (Except You) When Football Is Over, It Begins Hopelessly Devoted: Romans Chapter Eight Verses Thirty-One and Thirty-Two (Devotion #2 – Larry Parsley) WHAT: Mockingbird seeks to connect the Christian faith with the realities of everyday life in fresh and down-to-earth ways. WHY: Are we called Mockingbird? The name was inspired by the mockingbird’s peculiar gift for mimicking the cries of other birds. In a similar way, we seek to repeat the message we have heard – God’s word of grace and forgiveness. HOW: Via every medium available! At present this includes (but is not limited to) a daily weblog, weekly podcasts, a quarterly print magazine, semi-annual conferences, and an ongoing publications initiative. WHO: At present, we employ four full-time staff, David Zahl, Ethan Richardson, Margaret Pope and CJ Green, and four part-time, Sarah Condon, Bryan Jarrell, Luke Roland and Marcy Hooker. They are helped and supported by a large number of contributing volunteers and writers. Our board of directors is chaired by The Rev. Aaron Zimmerman. WHERE: Our offices are located at Christ Episcopal Church in Charlottesville, VA. WHEN: Mockingbird was incorporated in June 2007 and is currently in its 12th year of operation. The work of Mockingbird is made possible by the gifts of private donors and churches. Our fundraising burden for 2019 is roughly $360,000, and with virtually no overhead, your gifts translate directly into mission and ministry. Can you help? Please feel free to email us at info@mbird.com if you have any questions or would like more information. As a convenience, we are set up to accept online donations via Paypal. This method will allow you to give with a credit card, in any amount you wish. Simply click on the button below and follow the instructions. © 2019 Mockingbird.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line810
__label__cc	0.698565	0.301435	About this Condition Symptoms and Complications Making the Diagnosis A hernia occurs when a portion of tissue in your body bulges into or penetrates a weakened muscle area. Theoretically, hernias can happen anywhere in your body, but most occur in the abdomen between the rib cage and the groin. There are several types of hernias, some are described below: Hiatus or diaphragmatic hernias occur when a piece of your stomach protrudes through the diaphragm (the muscle that separates the chest region from the abdominal area) via the opening through which the esophagus (food tube) passes into the stomach. Hernias may also occur in infancy because of a weakness in the abdominal wall. They occur more frequently in premature babies. Inguinal or groin hernias occur when part of the abdominal contents (usually part of the intestine or a piece of bowel) protrudes into the groin area. This is the most common type, accounting for around 70% of all hernias. Men are 8 times as likely as women to get them. They often occur after age 50 (on one side of the groin or both). The hernia operation is one of the most common surgery procedures. Inguinal hernia occurs in up to 5% of all newborns and 9% to 11% of premature babies. Umbilical hernias are similar to inguinal hernias but are found in the area of the umbilicus (the navel or belly button area). This occurs most commonly in infants and children. The belly button may bulge outwards, especially when they are crying. Incisional hernias occur when a piece of intestine protrudes through a weakness in the abdominal wall in an area where surgery has been performed. Femoral hernias occur when a piece of intestine protrudes though the passage that is normally used by large blood vessels as they pass between the abdomen and leg. Paraesophageal hernias are uncommon, but can be life threatening because in some cases they can cause the entire stomach to slip into the chest cavity. The cause of some hernias cannot be pinpointed, but many result from increased pressure within the abdomen, a weak spot in the abdominal wall, or a combination of the two. The weakened abdominal wall may be present as a birth defect or develop over time from injury or surgery. Age also plays a factor as hernias are more likely to develop over the age of 50. In adults, hiatus hernias commonly develop in pregnant women and overweight people due to the increased pressure on the abdominal wall. Other stressors may include constipation (straining while having a bowel movement), lifting heavy weights, or prolonged coughing or sneezing. In men, an inguinal hernia will commonly develop in the groin, specifically in a region called the inguinal canal. This is where the spermatic cord and blood vessels to the testicles pass out of the abdominal cavity and into the scrotum. A weakness in the abdominal tissues at this point can allow a loop of bowel to pass out of the abdomen by following the path of the spermatic cord (indirect inguinal hernia) or between the opening into the inguinal canal and the pubic bone (direct inguinal hernia). In women, inguinal hernias are rare, but can develop where the tissue that binds the uterus exits from the abdomen and joins with the tissue surrounding the vaginal opening. Umbilical hernias may be present at birth. In adults, they may develop when there is a weakness in the tissue in the umbilical area combined with increased pressure on the abdominal wall. If you have a hiatus hernia, you usually don't have any symptoms unless the sphincter muscles around the lower end of the esophagus become weak. When this occurs, the valve between the stomach and esophagus (gullet) won't stay closed, and stomach acids will spill into the esophagus. As a result, you may experience heartburn, sharp pain, regurgitation, belching, and sometimes bleeding. At night, you may experience coughing, breathlessness, or a choking sensation. Signs and symptoms of an inguinal (groin) hernia include discomfort while bending over or during lifting. You may feel a small egg-like lump in your groin that may become more prominent with certain activities such as coughing. It will usually disappear when you lie down. Coughing or straining may make it uncomfortable or painful. If the bulge persists and is accompanied by nausea and vomiting or abdominal pain, this can be a sign that the hernia has become obstructed or strangulated. Although rare, an untreated hernia that strangulates may result in gangrene (death of tissue), which is a life-threatening condition and requires emergency surgical attention. Symptoms of strangulation include pain, swelling, discoloured bluish or red skin, vomiting, and an inability to urinate. Children with strangulated inguinal hernias may have fever and vomiting and should be seen immediately by a doctor. Inguinal hernias may not make themselves known until your abdominal wall is weakened after years of straining during bowel movements or from heavy coughing or lifting. Smokers are prone to such hernias. Physical exertion such as lifting may exacerbate a hernia by suddenly causing the weakened abdominal lining to give way. Paraesophageal hernias usually have no symptoms, but if symptoms do occur, the most common are pain, indigestion, nausea, and retching. A hiatus hernia may be diagnosed using X-rays and diagnostic tests such as endoscopy (looking at the stomach via a fiberoptic tube), esophageal manometry (using a special instrument to measure your sphincter pressure), and tests to measure your esophageal acidity. During a routine physical examination your doctor may discover an inguinal hernia. Your doctor will usually diagnose it by feeling the area of the internal inguinal ring, deep in the groin. If there's a bulge in the area, then there's a good possibility that it's due to a hernia and imaging studies are not required. General hernia prevention strategies include avoiding activities that cause abdominal strain (e.g., lifting heavy weights), and if you're overweight, losing weight. In most hiatus hernia cases, treatment consists of relieving the accompanying heartburn with medication and modifying the diet. Losing weight is also recommended as a way to help relieve pressure. If you experience discomfort at night, it may help to sleep with the upper part of your body propped up on pillows or with the head of your bed raised. It is important not to eat for several hours before lying down, so that the stomach has time to empty. Standing straight rather than slouching is also a good idea. Surgery is uncommon and is reserved as a last resort for severe cases if medical and dietary management hasn't helped. If you have an inguinal or umbilical hernia, it is generally repaired by surgery that places the protruding mass back where it belongs and reinforces the weakened area by sewing the muscles together. This is a simple operation that is sometimes performed under local anesthetic. If you have minimal symptoms, your surgeon may suggest waiting to see if your symptoms progress before completing surgery. It's important to go for regular medical follow-up after surgery because of possible complications. Some surgeons recommend restricting exercise; however, most will encourage a speedy return to activities. Hospital stays of 2 or 3 days for surgery have been reduced in the last few years to a same-day discharge. Laparoscopic hernia repair is done through a tiny incision and avoids the need for invasive open surgery. A television screen enables the surgeon to clearly see inside the person's body. Studies have shown that this method of treatment promotes faster healing with less likelihood of recurrence. Wearing a truss is no longer considered an acceptable form of treatment for hernias. In fact, it can even make your hernia worse by weakening tissues. Paraesophageal hernias are generally treated with surgery. All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2019. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/condition/getcondition/Hernia	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line811
__label__cc	0.711931	0.288069	nickwrightwoodworker Austinart 008 — Happy Holidays Nick Wright Jul 11, 2017 · 6 min read We’ve just got back from a holiday of a lifetime, 3 weeks travelling around America. New York, DC and 2,500 miles driven between LA and Vancouver! So much amazing street art throughout the trip — this is just off Venice Beach But this is a woodworking blog so instead of boring you with tales of pancakes and baseball I thought I’d share with you some of the incredible furniture stops we made, which have inspired me as much as the beautiful landscapes and iconic architecture. Let me take you on a journey…. St John the Unfinished This is the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine. It sits just off Central Park in New York, and it’s where our woodworking tour of America begins because it is home to a pretty unique piece of furniture, George Nakashima’s Peace Altar Table. the Cathedral itself is a special place, the largest in the world (tied with Liverpool) it’s still under construction with a few decades left to go, and features a mix of old and new architectural ideas. So, I’m a big Nakashima fan, but as with lots of the greats of furniture making I had only ever seen his work in books or online. Over the last couple of years as I’ve grown in my own work I’ve tried to get out and see as much of other peoples work as I can, and I have seen some great work. Seeing this, the work of a giant of the industry, and a favorite of mine, first hand was pretty special. It’s good to seek out and study good work when you’re learning anything. Find the best work you can. This may not be your style preference, but I hope you’ll agree, it’s impressive. Butterfly Key joinery that Nakashima was known for It’s more impressive still when you realize that this piece was one of his last works and the culmination of a lifetimes practiced skill at his craft. As with so much of his work (a I’m pleased to say you’ll see later) it’s based around large slabs of timber and highlights rather than hides the natural curves of the tree, in this case a 300 year old walnut. wondrous wood grain It was Nakashima’s dream to provide “Altars of Peace” for the seven continents of the world. This is one of three he made before he passed. The other two are in Russia and India. His daughter Mira continues his work and will next be working on a table for Cape Town, South Africa. Well, I did tell you it was a special piece. I spent about a hour photographing it and sketching it from various angles, just trying to take it in more than anything. Moderne Gallery — Philadelphia “George Nakashima: Rare and Unique Works” exhibition The next stop of our holiday was Washington but on the way we stopped off at this wonderful gallery in Philadelphia. I had spoken with the owner before we left the UK to check it was fine to visit. He was great, so knowledgeable, and was happy to give us a tour of his extensive collection. A lot of what he had was Nakashima, his public display was all his work, but he also had work by Sam Maloof (again, more on him later) Wharton Esherick and many others. This is me, so in shock I had to sit down… …don’t make me get up The Peace Altar is amazing, but this was real furniture for the home that you can really relate to, and as such it hits home deeper. It’s also the work of his prime. It’s sharp and precise, and, because of the sheer amount and variety of work on display you can see how consistent that sharp, precise work is, and that’s before you’ve sat in anything. Maloof furniture looks comfortable, and it is, Nakashima’s you’d be forgiven for doubting it’s often harsh lines, but I have to say after sitting in a few chairs of different styles they were all comfortable, surprisingly so. This was a particular favorite of mine that kept calling me over for another look. Its generally sleek and beautiful all over but I especially liked the draw pulls which were recessed into the draw below. So the top draw here is pulled out by a small finger recess which you can get to because of an angled cut out in the draw below. Neat huh? I also liked that his draws weren’t dovetailed. “Not dovetailed!” I hear you cry. I know. I was surprised too, and then reflected on why it was an automatic expectation that they would be. The chair I’m sitting in here is an early Maloof which he made for his daughter. It was dark here, and I appreciate it’s hard to see. It’s not a rocker. It has a padded seat and back and was so comfortable. The edges on the arm rests tapered to a beautifully thin edge. To sit in it was a wonderful experience, I’d have sat there a lot longer if I could. Robert the owner is guarding, and trading in, an Aladins cave of fine furniture that represents quite a slice of history. It’s not just that he keeps watch over this beautiful collection it but his depth of knowledge both about the pieces themselves; their makers and their place in history is extensive. I’m grateful to him for his time and hope we cross paths again some time soon. Sam Maloof Residence The next leg of our tip took us to the west coast where we’d be hiring a car and driving from LA to Seattle stopping at the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Redwood and Portland. Before leaving LA and hitting the road north (or east) we got to visit the Sam Maloof Residence and take a tour of the house he built. Outside the Maloof workshop — note the chair templates in the window The Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts is a wonderful place and it’s a place that is best experienced first hand and not through photographs. That’s just as well really because cameras aren’t allowed in the house, just the gardens, where the picture above was taken. The house is a wonderful place and quite magical to walk around. Not just because it’s full of furniture he made, along with art and crafts by many others. But because it was his home. I was struggling to take it all in if I’m honest but it finally hit home for me as we were coming down stairs. My hand found the wood hand rail, and I thought, wow. Sam walked down these stairs every day on his way to the workshop. The workshop itself is accessible on a different tour which isn’t run the day we were there, but that really didn’t matter, the visit we had was excellent. I feel really lucky to have seen all these wonderful places (and that’s before I think about the rest of our amazing trip). There was lots in nature and architecturally in the big cities that has already inspired ideas for future projects and I’m sure my memories of this place will continue to inspire me in the future. Apprenctice Woodworker, Designing and Making Furniture in a Digital Age	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line813
__label__wiki	0.974165	0.974165	Home \| About Metra \| Our History The Milwaukee West and Milwaukee North lines, which date from the 1870s, are Chicago area remnants of the once-mighty Milwaukee Road, which had a long and storied history that ended in bankruptcy in 1980. At that point, the RTA started operating service on the routes. Metra took over and ended up buying the lines in 1987. One historical oddity is that while Metra owns and operates the Milwaukee lines, dispatching duties are performed by Canadian Pacific in Minneapolis. That was the arrangement in place with CP’s predecessor at the time. Milwaukee West timetables are “Arrow Yellow” for the Milwaukee Road’s Arrow train, while Milwaukee North timetables are “Hiawatha Orange” for the famed Hiawatha trains. Most of this information is taken from official Milwaukee Road histories and from articles in The Milwaukee Railroader, published by the Milwaukee Road Historical Association. The Milwaukee North and Milwaukee West lines are so named because they were once part of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad – known as the Milwaukee Road – the historic railroad system whose financial problems in the 1970s contributed to the creation of Metra. The moniker is more appropriate for the Milwaukee North line, however. When the tracks that make up most of today’s Milwaukee North were laid in 1872, they brought a Wisconsin railroad into Illinois. The railroad that caused those tracks to be laid, the Milwaukee & St. Paul, added Chicago to its name in 1874 after the connection was completed. By contrast, what is now the Milwaukee West line was built by the Chicago & Pacific Railroad, which fell under the control of the CM&StP in 1879. The history of the Milwaukee Road starts in 1847, when a charter was issued for the Milwaukee & Waukesha Railroad. By 1850 that name had changed to the Milwaukee & Mississippi to reflect a more ambitious plan. The first rails were laid on Sept. 12, 1850, and they reached Waukesha by the following February and Prairie du Chien on the Mississippi by 1857. The Panic of 1857, however, caused the M&M and many other railroads to go bankrupt. It was sold in 1861 and reorganized as the Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien, which was soon gathered up with a number of other lines to create the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. By 1868, the M&StP had 825 miles of track, 135 locomotives, more than 130 units of passenger equipment and more than 2,400 freight cars. But it didn’t have a line to Chicago, which had emerged as a major railroad hub with key connections to eastern railroads. So in 1872, it built one, crossing the state line just east of where Interstate 94 now crosses. The newly named CM&StP used a station at Clinton and Carroll until the first Union Station opened in 1881. There were no large towns along the new line, but the railroad did help several smaller towns grow. It also helped establish Morton Grove’s famous greenhouses and Northbrook’s brick businesses (bricks were in high demand following the 1871 Chicago fire). In 1881, a three-mile spur to Libertyville was built from the mainline at Rondout. A second track was added to the mainline in 1892 in time for the World’s Columbian Exposition a year later. By 1895, there were about 17 trains running in each direction between Chicago and Morton Grove, Libertyville or Milwaukee. Extension of the Libertyville spur to Fox Lake and Janesville, Wis., began in 1899. Commuter rail service grew slowly over the years, with the spur to Fox Lake eventually becoming the main commuter route. A 1935 timetable shows seven weekday trains from Chicago to Deerfield, and six more from Chicago to Fox Lake. Today there are 30 inbound and 30 outbound trains on the line each weekday. In 1960, the Milwaukee Road announced that it would start modernizing its Chicago suburban operations by introducing its first double-deck, air conditioned coaches, something the Burlington and Chicago & North Western had started using a few years earlier. The railroad even put out a pamphlet to riders, telling them that buying 75 new coaches at $175,000 each would result in “more seats, shorter trains and speedier suburban service.” The railroad requested, and received, permission from the Illinois Commerce Commission to raise fares for the purchase of the first cars. The Milwaukee Road, of course, was more than a commuter railroad. It was a major freight and intercity passenger railroad with more than 10,000 miles of track in the Upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest. In the 1930s it became famous around the globe when it introduced its 100-mph Hiawatha streamliners. In the 1950s it took over operation of the famous “Cities” trains such as the City of Los Angeles. But the 1950s also marked the start of a slow decline, not only at the Milwaukee Road but at other railroads, due to a variety of factors. Railroads shed their intercity passenger trains after the creation of Amtrak in 1970 and looked to get rid of their unprofitable commuter operations as well. In the Chicago area this led to the creation of the RTA in 1973 to subsidize those operations with purchase-of-service agreements. But the Milwaukee Road still couldn’t stem the tide and filed for bankruptcy in 1977. That set off a long process that led to the RTA assuming direct control of the two Milwaukee commuter routes in 1982 through a new subsidiary, the Northeast Illinois Railroad Corporation, which had also taken over the Rock Island line. A reorganization of the RTA a year later led to the creation of Metra to operate the commuter rail system, either directly or through purchase-of-service agreements.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line819
__label__wiki	0.874151	0.874151	The Hamilton Mixtape is Number One on the Billboard Charts December 12th, 2016 \| By Imogen Lloyd Webber Everyone wants to be in the room where it happens! The Hamilton Mixtape has debuted at number one on the Billboard chart, shifting 187,000 copies in the first week of its release. The original cast recording of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony-winning tuner peaked in the chart's third spot and is 2016’s fifth highest-selling album. Highlights on the Mixtape, which was released on December 2, include Sia, featuring Miguel and Queen Latifah, on "Satisfied," Usher singing “Wait For It,” Ashanti and Ja Rule on “Helpless” and Kelly Clarkson on “It’s Quiet Uptown.” Hamilton, as you already know by now, is playing at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre and features Javier Muñoz as Alexander Hamilton (with Michael Luwoye stepping in for select performances), Brandon Victor Dixon as Aaron Burr, Lexi Lawson as Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, Mandy Gonzalez as Angelica Schuyler, Seth Stewart as Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, Nicholas Christopher as George Washington and Rory O’Malley as King George.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line822
__label__wiki	0.504838	0.504838	Writing With Heart From Behind Bars I teach memoir writing at a prison. One week, the topic was loss. My students really went there — and so did I. By Allison Langer I read this article and found it very interesting, thought it might be something for you. The article is called Writing With Heart From Behind Bars and is located at http://modernloss.com/behind-bars-no-holds-barred/. The 10 students in my memoir-writing class are inmates at the Dade Correctional Institution, a medium-security men’s prison. They are in prison because they have been convicted (rightly or wrongfully) of selling drugs or stealing money to buy drugs or armed robbery while on drugs or, less frequently, for sexual assault or even murder. Every Tuesday when I walk into the prison classroom where I teach, the students greet me warmly with a smile or a handshake or a “thank you” for coming back to teach them. I have come to like each one of my students very much. There is no guard inside the classroom, but in the year that I’ve been teaching there I have never been — or felt — threatened. The author with her class at Dade Correctional Institution (Courtesy of Allison Langer) I recently gave the in-class prompt, “Write about something or someone you’ve lost.” As always, they are allowed to go off topic or veer from the prompt. The only real rule is to write without editing and to keep writing until I say stop. The class is two hours long. I give them 20 minutes to write, which leaves plenty of time for everyone to share what they’ve written. I write too, and then we all share our stories. In response to the “loss” prompt, one man, 53, wrote about losing his freedom and losing his mother, who died while driving home from visiting him in prison. “I didn’t realize how different the world would be without her,” he wrote. Another man, also in his 50s, wrote about losing his son. When he went to prison his wife divorced him, changed the last name of their 9-year-old son and vanished. Still another man, this one 47, chronicled losing himself to poor decisions. He wrote of a conversation with his mom back when he was 10. Their banter is smart, loving and full of hope for a successful life. Then, he describes a series of bad choices and ultimately, his involvement in a robbery turned triple murder. He believed he had lost his chance to be somebody important one day. Each of the three aforementioned students has been in prison for more than 20 years, and each is serving a life sentence. When it was my turn to read, I was hesitant. I’ve been warned — by almost anyone who knows I teach writing in prison — to keep my private life private. “They could come after you one day,” my friends chided. “You have kids. Be careful.” In previous classes, when I shared my own work, it was about my kids and their constant bickering, or about my dad’s fall and his subsequent broken hip. I’d kept it general, surface-level. But given the day’s prompt, how could I write about some bullshit loss like an earring or a favorite coffee mug when these men lost so much? I wrote about losing my daughter. Before I read, I turned to one of the guys. “So, last week, you said I copped out. Well, this time I didn’t.” Allison’s late daughter, Maclain (Courtesy of Allison Langer) “I lost my daughter, Maclain, nine years ago. She was 16 months old when she choked on a French fry,” I read aloud. “She turned blue, was down for 30 minutes.” I wrote about the ride to Miami Children’s Hospital in the front seat of the blaring ambulance, the disbelief that something like this could happen to someone like me. My privilege hadn’t protected me. I wrote about the friends and family who visited with chicken salad, muffins and sad faces. I wrote about the rabbi who came to pray and how I promised to be a good Jew if my baby survived. “We spent five days in the PICU, but 30 minutes without oxygen killed her brain,” I wrote. “I lost my baby girl.” I braced myself, worried I’d revealed too much. As I stared into their sad eyes, I wanted to take it all back. I didn’t want them to feel sorry for me. But it wasn’t pity I saw; it was empathy. Upon hearing my story, the men were compassionate, and complimented my storytelling, even though it was a hurried and very rough first draft. When I asked for critical feedback, one man said he didn’t understand what “down for 30 minutes” meant. Another said he wished I had described in more detail the scene in the hospital so he could feel what it was like that day. They gave me great feedback. Today, back at home, I’m sitting in my office, watching the sprinklers water my garden through the giant sliding glass doors. My kids are in school, and it’s quiet. I think about my students in their prison cells. Before I started teaching in prison, I would have said they deserved to pay, in some cases, with their life for the bad shit that they were convicted of doing. Now that I know them, it’s impossible to feel the same way. Because our storytelling has broken down barriers, and it has connected me to these fellow human beings in powerful, previously unforeseen ways. Allison Langer (Courtesy photo) Allison Langer is a Miami native, photographer and a single mom to three children, ages 8, 10 and 12. Allison teaches memoir writing in prison and has been published in Scary Mommy, Ravishly, SheSaid and 50GS Magazine. Her stories and her voice can be heard on Writing Class Radio, a podcast she co-produces. Tags: Child Loss, Prison, Writing Through Grief	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line823
__label__wiki	0.601731	0.601731	Posts tagged ‘Washington DC anti-SLAPP’ Federici v Pignotti et al: Officially Terminated for All Defendants Including John Does As I have previously noted, on March 4, 2011 the Honorable Gerald Bruce Lee of Eastern District Court of Virginia, aka the Rocket Docket, granted the Motions to Dismiss filed for all named defendants in Federici v Pignotti et al: Monica Pignotti, Jean Mercer, Charly Miller, Linda Rosa, Larry Sarner and Advocates for Children in Therapy. The official order was issued on March 28 and 30 days later, the appeal period expired, thus concluding the case for all named defendants. However, there was one more loose end to tie up: the John Does 1-10. These were the anonymous defendants Federici believed existed. Of course, since they were not named, they were not served and hence, could not file Motions to Dismiss. Thus, on May 11, 2011 the judge issued an order to Plaintiff Ronald Federici to “show cause as to why this civil action as to John Does 1-10 should not be dismissed” and was ordered to respond within 20 days. 20 days later, Domingo Rivera, on behalf of Ronald Federici filed a Motion to Dismiss for the John Does, without prejudice. The Memorandum stated: Despite multiple attempts, counsel has been unable to reach Plaintiff regarding the Court’s May 11, 2011 Order. Additionally, due to certain events not directly related to this litigation, counsel does not believe that he can ethically continue representing Plaintiff in any matter, including the instant case. Granting Federici’s Motion to Dismiss Without Prejudice will allow Federici to seek alternate representation so that he may later continue to prosecute this matter against the remaining defendants. Full document can be viewed here: Memo MTD John Does What does this mean and why was he unable to be reached? Since the memo gives no reason and events in question “not directly related” were not specified, your guess is as good as mine and anything further I could offer would be only speculation, so I won’t. What is factually certain is that on June 1, 2011, the judge granted the Motion to Dismiss for the John Does and the case is now officially concluded and terminated for all concerned. The fact it was dismissed without prejudice with regard to the John Does means that he will have the opportunity to refile against the “remaining defendants” meaning the John Does if he should decide to seek “alternate representation” and do so. My understanding of this is that since the case was dismissed for the named defendants on jurisdiction, any John Does identified would have to be Virginians or individuals who had ties to Virginia which the named defendants did not. The Dismissal Order for the named defendants on the grounds of jurisdiction for all named defendants and failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted for Pignotti and Mercer can be viewed here. Case closed June 1, 2011. PS: Although geographically very close (Eastern District VA is literally across the river from DC), this wouldn’t have helped me with the VA case, but here is some good news on the anti-SLAPP legislation front. Washington DC has just passed some quite extensive anti-SLAPP legislation. The new D.C. statute falls on the more protective end of the spectrum of anti-SLAPP laws. It permits a special motion to strike in lawsuits stemming from acts “in furtherance of the right of advocacy on issues of public interest,” which includes both petitioning the government and addressing issues of public interest in a public forum. It also provides a special motion to quash to those whose personal identifying information is being sought via subpoena, should that information be sought in a matter arising from an act in furtherance of the right of advocacy on issues of public interest. What we ultimately need to protect everyone in all states is legislation like this at the Federal level. This, however, is a big step forward.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line824
__label__wiki	0.787668	0.787668	Albert Einstein’s General Theory By IhorOn March 15, 2019 In EssaysLeave a Comment on Albert Einstein’s General Theory Of all the scientists to emerge from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries there is one whose name is known by almost all living people. While most of these do not understand this man’s work, everyone knows that its impact on the world of science is astonishing. Yes, many have heard of Albert Einstein’s General Theory of relativity, but few know about the intriguing life that led this scientist to discover what some have called, The greatest single achievement of human thought. Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany on March 14, 1874. Before his first birthday, his family had moved to Munich where young Albert’s father, Hermann Einstein, and uncle set up a small electro-chemical business. He was fortunate to have an excellent family with which he held a strong relationship. Albert’s mother, Pauline Einstein, had an intense passion for music and literature, and it was she that first introduced her son to the violin in which he found much joy and relaxation. Also, he was very close with his younger sister, Maja, and hey could often be found in the lakes that were scattered about the countryside near Munich. As a child, Einstein’s sense of curiosity had already begun to stir. A favorite toy of his was his father’s compass, and he often marvelled at his uncle’s explanations of algebra. Although young Albert was intrigued by certain mysteries of science, he was considered a slow learner. His failure to become fluent in German until the age of nine even led some teachersto believe he was disabled. Einstein’s post-basic education began at the Luitpold Gymnasium when he was ten. It was here that he first encountered the German spirit through the school’s strict disciplinary policy. His disapproval of this method of teaching led to his reputation as a rebel. It was probably these differences that caused Einstein to search for knowledge at home. He began not with science, but with religion. He avidly studied the Bible seeking truth, but this religious fervor soon died down when he discovered the intrigue of science and math. To him, these seemed much more realistic than ancient stories. With this new knowledge he disliked class even more, and was eventually expelled from Luitpold Gymnasium being considered a disruptive influence. Feeling that he could no longer deal with the German mentality, Einstein moved to Switzerland where he continued his education. At sixteen he attempted to enroll at the Federal Institute of Technology but failed the entrance exam. This forced him to study locally for one year until he finally passed the school’s evaluation. The Institute allowed Einstein to meet many other students that shared his curiosity, and It was here that his studies turned mainly to Physics. He quickly learned that while physicists had generally agreed on major principals in the past, there were modern scientists who were attempting to disprove outdated theories. Since most of Einstein’s teachers ignored these new ideas, he was again forced to explore on his own. In 1900 he graduated from the Institute and then achieved citizenship to Switzerland. Einstein became a clerk at the Swiss Patent Office in 1902. This job had little to do with physics, but he was able to satiate his curiosity by figuring out how new inventions worked. The most important part of Einstein’s occupation was that it allowed him enough time to pursue his own line of research. As his ideas began to develop, he published them in specialist journals. Though he was still unknown to the scientific world, he began to attract a large circle of friends and admirers. A group of students that he tutored quickly transformed into a social club that shared a love of nature, music, and of course, science. In 1903 he married Mileva Meric, a mathematician friend. In 1905, Einstein published five separate papers in a journal, the Annals of Physics. The first was immediately acknowledged, and the University of Zurich awarded Einstein an additional degree. The other papers helped to develop modern physics and earned him the reputation of an artist. Many scientists have said that Einstein’s work contained an imaginative spirit that was seen in most poetry. His work at this time dealt with molecules, and how their motion affected temperature, but he is most well known for his Special Theory of Relativity which tackled motion and the speed of light. Perhaps the most important part of his discoveries was the equation: E=mc2. After publishing these theories Einstein was promoted at his office. He remained at the Patents Office for another two years, but his name was becoming too big among the scientific community. In 1908, Einstein began teaching party time at the University of Berne, and the following year, at the age of thirty, he became employed full time by Zurich University. Einstein was now able to move to Prague with his wife and two sons, Hans Albert and Eduard. Finally, after being promoted to a professor, Einstein and his family were able to enjoy a good standard of living, but the job’s main advantage was that it allowed Einstein to access an enormous library. It was here that he extended his theory and discussed it with the leading scientists of Europe. In 1912 he chose to accept a job placing him in high authority at the Federal Institute of Technology, where he had originally studied. It was not until 1914 that Einstein was tempted to return to Germany to become research director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics. World War I had a strong effect on Einstein. While the rest of Germany supported the army, he felt the war was unnecessary, and disgusting. The new weapons of war which attempted to mass slaughter people caused him to devote much of his life toward creating peace. Toward the end of the war Einstein joined a political party that worked to end the war, and return peace to Europe. In 1916 this party was outlawed by the government, and Einstein was seen as a traitor. In that same year, Einstein published his General Theory of relativity, This result of ten years work revolutionized physics. It basically stated that the universe had to be thought of as curved, and told how light was affected by this. The next year, Einstein published another paper that added that the universe had no boundary, but actually twisted back on its self. After the war, many aspects of Einstein’s life changed. He divorced his wife, who had been living in Zurich with the children throughout the war, and married his cousin Elsa Lowenthal. This led to a renewed interest in his Jewish roots, and he became an active supporter of Zionism. Since anti-Semitism was growing in Germany, he quickly became the target of prejudice. There were many rumors about groups who were trying to kill Einstein, and he began to travel extensively. The biggest change, though, was in 1919 when scientist who studied an eclipse confirmed that his theories were correct. In 1921, he traveled through Britain and the United States raising funds for Zionism and lecturing about his theories. He also visited the battle sites of the war, and urged that Europe renew scientific and cultural links. He promoted non-patriotic, non-competitive education, believing that it would prevent war from happening in the future. He also believed that socialism would help the world achieve peace. Einstein received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1922. He gave all the money to his ex-wife and children to help with their lives and education. After another lecture tour, he visited Palestine for the opening the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He also talked about the possibilities that Palestine held for the Jewish people. Upon his return he began to enjoy a calmer life in which he returned to his original curiosity, religion. While Einstein was visiting America in 1933 the Nazi party came to power in Germany. Again he was subject to anti-Semitic attacks, but this time his house was broken into, and he was publicly considered an enemy of the nation. It was obvious that he could not return to Germany, and for the second time he renounced his German citizenship. During these early years in America he did some research at Princeton, but did not accomplish much of significance. In 1939 the second World War began to take form. There was heated argument during this time over whether the United States should explore the idea of an atomic bomb. Einstein wrote to President Roosevelt warning him of the disaster that could occur if the Nazi’s developed it first. Einstein did not participate in the development of the bomb, but the idea did stem from his equation E=mc2. Just as he knew that the bomb was under development, he also knew when it was going to be used. Just before the bomb was dropped on Japan. Einstein wrote a letter to the President begging him not to use this terrible weapon. The rest of Einstein’s life was dedicated to promoting peace. After the war ended, he declared, The war is won, but the peace is not. He wrote many articles and made many speeches calling for a world government. His fame, at this point, was legendary. People from all over would write to him for advice, and he would often answer them. He also continued his scientific research until the day he died. This was on April 18, 1955. There is no doubt that he was dissatisfied that he never was able to find the true meaning of existence that he strove for all his life. Albert Einstein – Scientist, Writer And Professor Albert Einstein Paper Good or Evil, Shelly’s Frankenstein Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels Marvell vs Herrick Essay Virgil at Odds Catcher In The Rye-Does Voice Matter A Rose, the Universal Symbol of Love	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line825
__label__wiki	0.812812	0.812812	Charles I, or Charlemagne By IhorOn March 12, 2019 In EssaysLeave a Comment on Charles I, or Charlemagne Throughout history, there have been many good and bad rulers, from the bravery of Alexander the Great, to the madness of George III. None, however, helped shape European feudalism like Charlemagne, King of the Franks, First of the Holy Roman Emperors. His advancements in government were not his only advancements though. He created an educational system for his people. While far behind the public and private educational systems of today, in the 8th and 9th century, it was a start. He also helped spread Christianity throughout Europe. Born in Northern Europe in 752, he was to become one of history’s great leaders, and recursor to the Holy Roman Empire. Brief History of the Line of Frankish kings. In 481, Clovis became king of one of the Frankish tribes. Because of a bet he made with his wife, he became Christian, and he forced 3,000 of his soldiers to become Christian also. This would eventually gain the support of the Catholic Church for both himself and the Franks. However, Clovis’s qualities as a leader were not passed on to his sons, and on Clovis’s death, his sons divided the kingdom that he worked to build. Later Merovingian kings became inept at ruling the kingdom, and eventually became kings in just name only. The business of uling the kingdom was left to the “Mayor of the Palace”. In 751, Pope Zacharias arranged for Childeric III to be sent to a monastery and for Pepin, Mayor of the Palace, to be crowned king. But, the alliance between the Papacy and the Franks would soon be tested. Aistulf, king of the Lombards, captured lands north of Rome and announced his intention to capture Rome itself. In an attempt by the Papacy to prevent this disaster, the Pope sent out to ask Pepin the Short, for his assistance in dealing with the Lombards. He would eventually defeat the Lombards in battle, and the land that was gained was given to the Catholic Church, in the Donation of Pepin which created the Papal States. Birth and Parentage, and Childhood Charles I, or Charlemagne was born in 742. He was the son of Pepin the Short and Bertrada. Little is known about his childhood, other than the fact that he liked riding horses and hunting. He attempted to learn how to write, but was unsuccessful. He did however learn how to speak fluently in Latin, despite his attempt at learning how to write. Charlemagne’s roots can be traced back to Ansegis, Mayor of Austrasia and Begga. His most famous ancestors however, were his father and grandfather, Pepin the Short and Charles Martel, respectively. After the death of Pepin the Short, Charlemagne and his brother Carloman were proclaimed kings by their supporting nobles, and were anointed by their respective bishops. Military Successes During his life In 769, Aquitaine and Gascony broke into rebellion. Charlemagne was forced to try to crush these rebellions without his brother’s assistance. Charlemagne marched his army through Bordeaux and defeated the rebel leader, Hunold. Duke Hunold was to flee to the protection of Lupus, Duke of the Gascons. But Duke Lupus agreed to give up Duke Hunold to Charlemagne, and was granted peace. Hunold was not executed, but was returned to monastic alive. After the reconquest of Aquitaine, his mother tried to get Charlemagne to reconcile with his brother, but he was already making treaties with rulers that surrounded Carloman’s kingdom. To try and seal the peace with Lombardy, he married the daughter of the king of Lombardy, Desiderata. Pope Stephen III did not like this marriage, for they encouraged Frankish kings to weaken the power of the Lombards, whose territories bordered upon it’s own. He then made an alliance with her father, Desiderius, which made the Pope give up his objections to the marriage. However, after one year, Charlemagne divorced his wife and married Hildegarde, a Suabian noblewoman. In 771, there was a fear that Carloman, Charlemagne’s brother, and Desiderata would create an alliance and attack Charlemagne, but in December of that year, Carloman died, leaving Charlemagne in complete control of the Frankish Kingdom. In 772, Charlemage led an army into Saxony, in his first attempt to conquer the region. He then destroyed the Irminsul, a sacred temple and tree grove worshipped by all Saxony. He could have continued his invasion, but winter prevented it, and when he reconvened his army in 773, Charlemagne had hanged his mind and had decided to attack Lombardy. His army marched from Geneva toward Lombardy. Charlemagne’s army was spilt into two groups, one commanded by him and the other by his Uncle Bernard. Although Desiderius had fortified the passes to Lombardy, a flanking maneuver forced him to retreat toward Lombardy. Desiderius’ army came to rest at the city of Pavia. Charlemagne laid siege to the city for several months. He then left a smaller force to siege Pavia, and took the bulk of his army to meet other Lombard threats. He defeated the Lombard prince, and being so close to Rome, visited while Pavia was under iege. In Rome he met other rulers, spiritual and temporal. In meetings with the pope, he reconfirmed the alliance between the Frankish Empire and the papacy. In the summer of 774, Pavia was in a state of famine. Desiderius agreed to surrender as long as the life of his men would be spared. Charlemage, after returning to the siege at Pavia, agreed to the terms, and exiled Desiderius to Neustria afterwards. Charlemagne then had himself declared King of Italy, and from that time onwards he was to be called King of the Franks and Lombards, Roman Patrician. He did not make drastic changes in the government, and left ost of the governors in place. One of the son-in-laws to Desiderius refused to pay homage to Charlemagne, and he tried to restore the exiled prince Adelchis. Charlemagne responded by killing one of the supporters in battle, and would return later to kill the rest. While Charlemagne was fighting the Lombards, the Saxons again revolted, and Charlemagne again marched his armies to Saxony. He started his invasion by attacking Westphalia. Then he marched into Engria, conquered the Mid-Saxons, and then crossed into Eastphalia. It was the Eastphalians who first converted to Christanity, then the Engrians followed. Hostages were taken for securtity for the oaths made. Westphalia was the last to covert, as they were stronger than the other two provinces of Saxony. As an end result of this campaign, three quarters of Saxony were loyal to Charlemagne, but not for long. In 776, Saxony revolted again. He marched his army from Italy to Saxony with amazing speed, and took the Saxons completely by surprise. The hostages that he had taken earlier were killed, and the Saxons sued for Peace. To insure his control, Charlemagne called a council at Paderborn, in the center of Engria. Many Saxons were baptized, and swore oaths to remain loyal to Charlemagne. At the council, ambassadors from Spain had come to show homage to Charlemagne. They proposed that their feudal lords become lords of Charlemagne, if he agreed to give protection. Thinking that Saxony was under control, he accepted the offer and took his army into Spain. After conquering lands there, he learned that there was another revolt in Saxony. He then marched back to Saxony, and defeated the Westphalians. As usual, the Eastphalians and the Engrians submitted without a fight. Charlemagne then divided the Saxons politically and put them under bishops. He published a Saxon code of law, and et some Saxon Chieftains keep rule. Many were baptized in the rivers Elbe and Ocker. After 2 years, the northern tribes of Saxony revolted, and Charlemagne again quelled the revolt. He then rounded up the leaders of the revolt, which was about 4,500 men, and slaughtered them. Immediately after this, there were still revolts in Saxony, but only minor ones, which were easily crushed. Charlemagne then turned his attention to other fronts. He then conquered the Slavs, Avars, the Island of Corsica, Sardinia, and the Baleric Islands. In 792, the Saxons revolted again. It would take 2 years for Charlemagne to stop the ebellion. Life with Charlemagne/ The search for a Capitol Charlemagne was described as a very large person, but with a very squeaky voice. He loved to have people around him. From the beginning of his day, he had people asking for advice, chatting with him, etc. He did not like to waste time, and often had his daily planning session in his bedroom while he got dressed. He was a deeply religious person, and attended mass regularly. But after mass, he turned his thoughts to hunting, the sport he had loved since childhood. Finding game was not a real problem for him, as game was plentiful in the northern forests of Frankland. He loved to eat, and regarded meal times when heart and mind were nourished. He is noted for liking roast meats. Like the Greeks, Charlemagne despised drunkenness in all people, and especially held himself to his standards. After a meal, he would often take a nap in preparation for the day ahead, which was filled with court cases, planning, and other kingly matters. Another pastime that he liked was swimming, and it rivaled hunting for his favorite sport. In the evening, he would attend services in the chapel, before he would eat dinner. He loved his family, and when he was at home, would not sit own to eat without his children being present. He especially cared for his children, Charles, Carloman (who was later given his half-brother’s name, Pepin), and Louis. From the beginning of their lives he always stressed education. In addition to the physical training they received, each one of them accompanied their father on the battlefield, and when each was 13, they were all commanding men. He also gave each of his sons a portion of the kingdom to rule, so that they would gain practical experience in being a leader. Even after they were on their own, Charlemagne kept an eye on them. For example, when he suspected that his son Louis was being frivolous, he sent him out to the Saxon front. He was even more watchful of his daughters. He would only allow them to marry courtiers that lived in the palace. His daughters joined in on all of his activities, from the morning hunt to the various after-dinner discussions. In 791, he choose Aix-la-Chapelle (now know as Aachen) to be the site for his new capitol. He chose this site for several reasons. First, it was known for it’s hot springs. Second, Aix-la-Chapelle was in reach of nearly all of Frankland, and was especially close to Saxony. Third, it was a small town, and this would allow him to exert his own influence in its construction. The capitol was centered on the church and his palace, both in his mind equal. Governmental Reforms In the late 780’s and throughout the 790’s Charlemagne devoted much of his time trying to improve the live of the everyday citizen. He proved himself to be a wise ruler. One of the factors in his success was the establishment of ‘missi dominici’ (the lord’s emmissaries). The missi dominici were people who inspected all regions of the empire, taking notes on how Charlemagne’s orders were being carried out. The’missi dominici’ were really the eyes and ears of Charlemagne, since he could not view his entire kingdom at one time. Charlemagne once remarked “I insist, that my missi are, by their upright behavior, examples of the virtues in which they instruct others in my name. ” Another factor that helped simplify the empire was the use of feudalism. Charlemagne produced a document called “Decree Concerning the Estates” and was a general document to help the tewards run the manor. Charlemagne improved the trade within the empire by improving road conditions, and building new roads. He tried to build a canal onnected the Danube and the Rhine rivers, but was unsuccessful. He was forced to develop a system of money exchange with in the empire because of the new trade. Charlemagne, while being an excellent military tactician, also cared for his intellectual development. Ever since he had been exposed to life in Italy, he started to attack learning as he had attacked the Saxons, with strength and doggedness. He learned how to speak Greek and Latin. Charlemagne started a school at Aix-la-Chapelle, where he invited students from all over the kingdom to learn. Although the school was estalished for sons of nobles, he believed hat all children should have a chance to learn, so he allowed all children to enroll. He often pointed out that the poorer students did better than the students who were better off. The reputation of the Palace School spread throughout Europe. Students from all across Europe came to the school. Charlemagne picked Alcuin, a monk from England to revise the educational system. Alcuin wrote new textbooks to replace the older ones, and started to train new teachers. By the time of Alcuin’s retirement, Charlemagne could offer universal free education. Charlemagne often enjoyed the conversation that Alcuin, and others gave. The school at Aix-la-chapelle soon became a college. Lectures, poetry readings, and conversation was prevalent there. Charlemagne was given the nickname Kind David by most of the members of the academy, probably referring to David’s role in the bible as a prophet. Charlemagne’s interest in education stemmed from his interest in religion. He felt that education opened a person to the religious knowledge that made for salvation of the soul. Charlemagne became interested in religious life of Frankland in other ways. Previously, his sense of religious mission had been confined to his attempts to conquer new converts n the battlefield. His sense of responsiblity began to grow. The king often turned preacher, as he felt that the people, especially the clergy, should live up to the ideals and behaviors that they professed. He started a campaign to clean all the churches in Frankland, he introduced the Gregorian chant to the church services, and he urged priests to get a proper education. Charlemagne also started to get into the theological controversies of the day. He studied the orthodox position, and tried to understand it. He also began to step in when he felt that Pope Hadrian was slacking off in duties. When Charlemagne heard that the Eastern church defended the practice of using images in their worship, Charlemagne wrote a defense of the Western’s Church’s positon. He called a council of Bishops in 794 where he presented his document. They all voted to condemn the eastern practice. Beginning with the death of Pope Hadrian in 795, Charlemagne started down the path to becoming Emperor of the Romans. Hadrian’s successor, Pope Leo, was very unpopular. Roman nobles accused him of adultery. In 799 the Pope was attacked by a group of conspirators who were determined to dispose him. Loyal attendants, who took him to safety, eventually saved him. He sought a more permanent refuge with Frankish ambassadors. Although Charlemagne did not especially like the new pope, he would not stand for this kind of behavior. He sent for Leo to be brought to him. Pope Leo stayed with Charlemagne for a couple months before he was sent back with 2 archbishops and Frankish bodyguards, who were to clear the Pope’s name. While this occured, Charlemagne took a tour of his kingdom. At the end of the tour, his fifth wife, Liutgard, died. He then announced that he was going to Rome so that his oldest legitimate on, Charles, would be proclaimed King of the Franks, as was the tradition for Frankish heirs to be crowned before their predecessors died. While in Rome, he finally cleared Pope Leo’s name of guilt. On Christmas Day, the day he had planned to crown his son King of Franks, he was crowned Emperor of the Romans. Charlemagne accepted the position with humility. Einhard, his biographer, and one of his closest friends remarked the king saying that he would enter St. Peter’s that Day if he had known what the Pope was going to do. Charlemagne as Emperor Charlemagne showed most of his true qualities as Emperor. This was to start his carreer as a diplomat. He turned his attention to the Holy Land. Reports of Moslem attacks on Christian monasteries had been reaching Europe. Charlemagene began efforts to befriend the Muslims. He sent a team of ambassadors to Baghdad, where he befriended the caliph of Baghdad. It worked and the Caliph showered the Emperor with gifts of silk, and even an elephant. In 804, Saxony rebelled, and in an act of great cruelty, Charlemagne ordered that many Saxons to be sent to distant parts of the Frankish kingdom. In his new position came new enemies. His main enemy was the Byzantines. The Byzantine emperors were not happy with Charlemagne being crowned Emperor of the Romans. In the year 805, Charlemagne had a confrontation with the Byzantines over the possession of Venice. But instead of fighting over Venice, Charlemagne ceded it to the Byzantine emperor in favor of better relations. The Normans were becoming more of a problem also. They would use their navy to raid the coastal villages of Frankland. Although the Franks were powerful on land, they were inferior to the Nomans at sea. Charlemagne organized his people to start building a new navy. The conflict in the north was finally ended, but not by superior naval strength, but for the mere reason that the Norman king had died. In 810 the Franks started a campaign against the Normans, and Charles took the elephant he had received from the Caliph of Baghdad with him. While on the campaign, the elephant died. This was only the start of Charlemagne’s troubles. Later in 810, the Frankish Empire was struck by a cattle plague, causing famine. Charlemagne’s son, Pepin, and daughter, Hrodrud, both died that year, and Charlemagne’s health began to fail. Charlemagne started plan how his empire would be split up after is death. He did not want to split his land between his remaining sons, for fear of fighting between them. But, as was Frankish tradition, he did plan to break up his empire, but under the condition that the 3 kingdoms work with each other. Also in his will, he made clear that eleven twelfths was to go to the church. In 811, Charlemagnes’s oldest son, Charles, died. This left only Louis to govern the empire after his death. Many felt that the crown should not be passed to Louis, but rather to one of Charlemagne’s grandsons. But Charlemagne was determined to follow tradition. In 813, he summoned Louis to Aix-la-Chapelle to try and teach him how to govern and empire. In September of that year, Charlemagne crowned his son, Louis the Pious, King of the Franks and Emperor of the Romans. Just a few months afterwards, Charlemagne was killed by a fever after a hunting trip. He was 71 years old. Conclusion Charlemagne by far had the longest rule of any ruler to date in Europe, with a reign of 45 years. He expanded education, and offered free education to his entire kingdom, and he strengthened the papacy. From his military exploits, to his diplomatic ones, he is truly a great man. Salvador Dali Biography Tom Stoppard: A Critic of The Modern Age The Life Of Family Lincoln Thomas Stearns Eliot Robert E. Lee Biography An Exceptional Woman of the Eighteenth Century Max Dupain and Man Ray Kate Chopin Biography Idaho Legislature 2000 Project Fossil Gaps Essay	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line826
__label__wiki	0.872266	0.872266	caret close down arrow left arrow locations my chart my chart refer a patient request an appointment search Arrow Circle Up External Link Health Logo Solid Calendar Date Calendar Search Date Map Location Map Pin Map Search Phone MUSC Health MyChart Doctor/Provider Profile refer a patient request-an-appointment my chart William P. Moran, M.D. Returning Patients Schedule Now — MyChart Referring Providers Degree M.D. School Georgetown University School of Medicine Georgetown Hospital Wake Forest University School of Medicine Internal Medicine: Geriatric Medicine Accepts New Patients No This reflects the average number of days until a new patient appointment is available with this provider. This number will change throughout the workday. For the most up-to-date availability, we recommend you call 843-792-1414 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Learn more about MUSC Health's patient access initiatives. Rutledge Tower 135 Rutledge Avenue Dr. William Moran graduated medical school and completed residency training in internal medicine at Georgetown University. He practiced full time at a community health center affiliated with Boston City Hospital/Boston Medical Center while serving four years for the National Health Service Corp. Dr. Moran then completed a geriatrics fellowship and received an MS in clinical epidemiology from Wake Forest University in 1992. After joining the faculty at Wake Forest, Dr. Moran was a Robert Wood Johnson faculty scholar and became residency program associate director for primary care. Dr. Moran subsequently became chief of general internal medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine, and co-director of the center for health services research and quality. While at Wake Forest, Dr. Moran also served as the clinical director for the North Carolina Medicaid Program northwest region, Central Piedmont Access II. Dr. Moran came to MUSC in 2005 as professor of medicine and director of the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics. Nationally, Dr. Moran is past president of the Association of Chiefs of General Internal Medicine (ACGIM), has served on the ACGIM and SGIM Councils, and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Moran’s clinical and research focus is geriatrics, preventive care in aging and chronic illness management. His recent work has centered on local health system changes which support physician decision making in clinical practice, facilitate interdisciplinary care and improve quality of care. This work includes analysis of existing system characteristics, systematic application of clinical evidence to care processes, and evaluation of impact on process and clinical outcome measures. Focus areas include analysis of the clinical environment, coordination of the clinical team, and informatics infrastructure, sparked by work under the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Building Health Systems project. Is this you? Edit Profile	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line827
__label__cc	0.740583	0.259417	On tour NEW Activity for myDG Members You need to be logged in to watch this material. by Pierre-Laurent Aimard \| September 25, 2014 Dear myDG Members, I will be releasing a series of short videos about Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1 as I tour the work around the world. Join me in discovering this rich and complex masterpiece. Three wishes for my Bach tour In my second video I offer some advice for those listeners who may be new to Bach's masterwork. If you would like to see me playing Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, click here to find out whether I perform in a city near to you. Watch my first report from the Bach tour! I performed the Well-Tempered Clavier in the Wigmore Hall, which is the temple for singers. How to prepare for a tour by Pierre-Laurent Aimard \| December 10, 2014 You have never enough time for this music! For the Well-Tempered Clavier I decided to take a sabbatical, so that all my time, forces, emotions and work would be dedicated to this absolute maestro. Watch my video to find out how to prepare for such a challenge. Pre-performance rituals I try to fight for my freedom every day. Watch the video update to find out what are my pre-performance rituals. by Pierre-Laurent Aimard \| January 06, 2015 To warm up before a concert, is not simply to play the piano. Watch the video update to find out what I think it is the best way of warming up before playing in a concert. The quality of the audience and their reactions are vital when performing on a stage, given the demand of concentration needed to play well. Watch this video to learn more about how should an audience act during a concert in order to cooperate with the musicians. One of the most fascinating aspects of a keyboard is its immense diversity. Watch this video to learn more about how important is that in order to allow composers to write very different harmonies. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier I Pierre-Laurent Aimard again conquers the iconic keyboard repertoire by Johann Sebastian Bach after his hugely successful "The Art of Fugue" recording in 2008. His new album includes the entire "The Well-Tempered Clavier" Book 1. Learn more and get your copy	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line829
__label__wiki	0.562962	0.562962	Greetings again from the darkness. Aladdin … come on down! You are the next participant in Disney’s ongoing mission for live-action remakes of their classic films. And rest easy fans, this time the mega-studio has done right by the original. Now that doesn’t mean there aren’t surprises. How about Guy Ritchie as director? How about a cast of mostly unknowns? How about modernized songs and even a new one sung by Jasmine? And it probably goes without asking, but how about a lot of CGI? Mena Massoud (“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan”) stars as Aladdin, and he gets to showboat early in the film and flash some parkour skills in the familiar and high-octane chase through the village. Aladdin, of course, is labeled a ‘street rat’ and ‘riff-raff’, but he’s also charming, handsome, talented as a thief, and quite warm-hearted. He and his pet monkey Abu – or more accurately, partner in crime – are streetwise and work quite well together, both for theft and love. Naomi Scott (slated to star in the CHARLIE’S ANGELS movie coming out later this year) is a beautiful and ambitious Princess Jasmine, who wants to succeed her father as Sultan of Agrabah, but is instead forced to choose between a steady stream of suitors – each a Prince, as required by law. Ms. Scott has a terrific singing voice and really gets to cut loose on the new woman power song “Speechless”. The blue Genie is played by Will Smith, and this is what has fans of the beloved 1992 animated film so flustered. No, Will Smith is not Robin Williams, and few if any, could match the late great comedian for his energy and comedic flair. But Mr. Smith does a marvelous job of staying true to the original, while also adding his own style … a style that works very well for comedy, music, and dramatic moments. He is not likely to disappoint anyone who has an open mind. So let’s talk about the villain. Marwan Kenzari is Jafar, the man so dissatisfied with being number 2. Personally, I would have preferred a more intimidating bad guy, but given the tone of the film (more on that below), he’s a solid fit. His sidekick and smart-aleck parrot Iago is voiced by Alan Tudyk (it was the distinctive Gilbert Gottfried in the 1992 version). Two other key supporting roles include Nasim Padrad (“Saturday Night Live”) as Dalla, Jasmine’s handmaiden; and Navid Negahban (Abu Nazir in “Homeland”) as the Sultan and Jasmine’s father. It’s been 27 years since Robin Williams’ Genie entertained so many, and the comparisons to that version are inevitable. It’s a relief that Disney opted to keep the film family friendly (Rated PG) and avoid the dark tone that had their recent projects aimed more at adults than kids, rather than the balance they’ve been known for more than 6 decades. Yes, this is the same director that made SNATCH (2000) and SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009), neither of which any decent parent would allow their young kids to watch. But, Mr. Ritchie has delivered a film which entertained (and didn’t overly frighten) kids as young as 5 in the screening I attended. Director Ritchie co-wrote the script with John August, who is best known for his work with Tim Burton (BIG FISH, CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, CORPSE BRIDE, DARK SHADOWS, FRANKENWEENIE). The film runs 2 hours and 8 minutes, 38 longer than the 1992 film … though it doesn’t feel too long. Gemma Jackson’s set design of Agrabah, the Palace, and the Cave of Wonders are all stunning, and then of course, there is the music. Alan Menken won an Oscar for ALADDIN (1992) and his music is back and modernized, and sounds wonderful … especially “A Whole New World” and Jasmine’s new song. With a talented cast of Arab/Middle Eastern/Central Asian/Southern Asian actors, there should be no cries of “foul”, and there really is something special about a movie that can be thoroughly enjoyed by all ages. The Bollywood-type closing number provides a kaleidoscope of color, texture and dancing … and is a nice twist to “You’ve Never Had a Friend Like Me”. And I’ll leave you with this final offer: you can have the monkey, if I can have the magic carpet. Leave a Comment » \| Action, Fantasy, Musical \| Tagged: Alan Menken, Alan Tudyk, Gemma Jackson, Guy Ritchie, John August, Marwan Kenzari, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Nasim Padrad, Navid Negahban, Will Smith \| Permalink Greetings again from the darkness. For an industry that thrives on ego and self-promotion, it could be considered surprising that more movies haven’t focused on its most shameful (and drama-filled) period. The two Hollywood blacklist films that come to mind are both from 1976: Martin Ritt’s The Front (starring Woody Allen) and the documentary Hollywood on Trial. There are others that have touched on the era, but director Jay Roach and writer John McNamara (adapting Bruce Cook’s book) focus on blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo in a film that informs a little and entertains a lot. Director Roach combines his comedic roots from the “Austin Powers” and “Meet the Parents” franchises with his more recent politically-centered HBO projects Recount and Game Change. His subject here is the immensely talented writer Dalton Trumbo, whom Louis B Mayer signed to the most lucrative screenwriting contract of the 1940’s. It was soon after that Trumbo’s (and other’s) affiliation with the American Communist Party came under fire by the House Un-American Activities Committee headed by J Parnell Thomas. The divide in Hollywood was clear. On one side were the staunch Patriots like John Wayne (David James Elliott) and the Queen Muckracker, gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Helen Mirren); on the other were “The Hollywood Ten” … those accused of being traitors simply because they stood up for freedom. What’s interesting here is that despite the dark subject matter, the film has an enormous amount of humor … including multiple laugh out loud moments. This happens because most of the focus is on Trumbo the family man and Trumbo the justice fighter. Of course, as a writer, Trumbo does his best fighting with words … words whose message is “they have no right” to question the thoughts and beliefs of individual citizens. The committee’s mission was to prove treason by linking to the Russian agenda, but in reality these folks were mostly supportive of labor rights … most assuredly not a crime. The investigations, such as they were, seemed to prove the gentlemen were more Socialist than Russian – which makes an interesting contrast to modern day where we have an admitted Socialist running for President. The Hollywood Ten stood their ground, served jail time, and were either forced out of the industry or forced to go “underground” using pseudonyms. Trumbo, while unceremoniously writing under other names, won two Best Writing Oscars – one for Roman Holiday and one for The Brave One. Bryan Cranston delivers a “big” performance as Dalton Trumbo. Everything is big – the glasses, the cigarette holders, the mustache, and definitely the personality. He does his best writing in the bathtub, and is never without a quick-witted comeback … whether sparring with The Duke or the committee. Unfortunately, Hedda Hopper does her most effective work in undermining the rights of Trumbo and his cohorts, including Arlen Hird (Louis CK) and Ian McClellan Hunter (Alan Tudyk). We also see how Edward G Robinson (Michael Stuhlbarg) quietly supports the cause, while also trying to salvage his fading career. Trumbo is by no means presented as a saintly rebel with a cause. Instead, we see him as a loving yet flawed father, husband and friend. Once released from prison, he is so focused on writing and clawing his way back, that his relationships suffer – especially with his eldest daughter Nikola (Elle Fanning) and loyal wife (Diane Lane). It’s the King Brothers Production Company led by Frank (John Goodman) and Hymie (Stephen Root) who give Trumbo an outlet for writing and earning a living. Most were schlock movies, but there were also a few gems mixed in (Gun Crazy). However, it’s Kirk Douglas’ (Dean O’Gorman with an uncanny resemblance) courageous stand for his (and Stanley Kubrick’s) movie Spartacus, and director Otto Preminger (Christian Berkel) and his film Exodus, that put Trumbo’s name back on the screen, effectively ending Ms. Hopper’s crusade. The ending credits feature clips of the real Dalton Trumbo being interviewed, and it brings clarity to Cranston’s performance, while more importantly relaying some incredibly poignant and personal words directly from the man … maybe they really should be “carved into a rock”. It’s an era of which Hollywood should not be proud, and it’s finally time it was faced head-on … and it’s quite OK that they bring along a few good laughs. Leave a Comment » \| Comedy, Drama \| Tagged: Alan Tudyk, Bruce Cook, Bryan Cranston, Christian Berkel, Dalton Trumbo, David James Elliott, Dean O'Gorman, Diane Lane, Elle Fanning, Helen Mirren, Jay Roach, John Goodman, John McNamara, Louis CK, Michael Stuhlbarg, Stephen Root \| Permalink Greetings again from the darkness. After some soul searching, I have decided to turn off the critical side of my brain and concentrate on what is good about this movie. As a baseball and movie fanatic, a bit of trepidation creeps in when the two worlds collide. However, this isn’t really a baseball movie, though the story focuses on what may be the most critical turning point in baseball history. In fact, this turning point was much bigger than the American Pasttime … it was also a key step in the early stages of the Civil Rights Movement. The movie is a reminder of how different things could have been with the wrong man rather than the right one … Jackie Robinson. Writer/Director Brian Helgeland (s/p for L.A. Confidential and Mystic River) takes a look at what occurred in 1945-47, when Brooklyn Dodgers President and GM Branch Rickey (played by Harrison Ford) made the business decision to integrate baseball. We see his selection process … Roy Campanella “too nice”, Satchel Paige “too old”. He settles on Jackie Robinson after their infamous 3 hour meeting where Rickey confronts Robinson with his need for a black player “with the guts NOT to fight back”. Chadwick Boseman portrays Jackie Robinson as a man thoroughly in love with his wife Rachel (played by Nicole Beharie), and one who says he just wants to “be a ballplayer”, while at the same time taking pride in his world-changing role. We see his evolution from his stint as shortstop for the Kansas City Monarchs of Negro Leagues to his time with the Dodgers’ AAA minor league team in Montreal and finally to his introduction to the Major Leagues in 1947. Boseman flashes the charisma and athletic ability to pull off the role … there are times he looks identical to the young Jackie. This is an earnest and sincere movie that removes the complexities of the times and the main characters. Much of it is portrayed as good guys versus bad guys. The good guys are really good and the bad guys are really bad. Alan Tudyk has the unenviable task of portraying Philadelphia Phillies manager Ben Chapman, who famously unleashed an in-game verbal assault of vile racism on Robinson. Mr. Rickey credited Chapman’s public small-mindedness as the single biggest factor in unifying the Dodger team around Robinson. The other famous moment given time in the movie is when beloved shortstop Pee Wee Reese (Lucas Black) put his arm around Robinson, shushing the hostile Cincinnati fans. Of course as a baseball fan, I enjoyed the all too brief antics of Brooklyn manager Leo Durocher (Christopher Meloni) whose place in the Robinson story would have been much more profound had he not succumbed to the weakness of the flesh (so to speak). Other supporting roles include John C McGinley, who is spot on as the Hall of Fame announcer Red Barber, Derek Phillips as an unusually quiet Bobby Bragan, Jesse Luken as Hall of Famer Eddie Stanky, Andre Holland as Wendell Smith (the Pittsburgh Courier reporter assigned to follow Robinson), Peter Mackenzie as Commissioner Happy Chandler and young Dusan Brown as a 10 year old boy who would grow up to be major leaguer Ed Charles. Some comic relief is provided by Hamish Linklater as pitcher Ralph Branca (one of the first who welcomed Robinson to the clubhouse, and who would go down in baseball history as the pitcher who surrendered the 1951 “shot heard round the world” by Bobby Thomson). Filmmaker Helgeland provides a tale of morality and social change, and provides a glimpse at the character and strength required by those involved. The story has much more to do with demonstrating how the times began to change than it does with how Jackie Robinson, an unpolished ballplayer but superior athlete, transformed himself into a perennial all-star and league MVP. And that’s as it should be. As Rickey stated, acceptance will only occur if the world is convinced Robinson is a fine gentleman and a great baseball player. That burden must have weighed heavily at times, but it’s very clear that Robinson was the right man at the right time. **NOTE: the time frame for this story is limited to Robinson’s historic, barrier-crashing major league debut, but it should be noted that Robinson won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, the MVP in 1949, played in 6 all-star games and World Series in his 10 year career,and was a first ballot Hall of Famer in 1962. Prior to his baseball career, he was a four sport letterman at UCLA and also served in the US Army. Robinson died in 1972 from a heart condition and complications from diabetes. His wife is still active and still running the foundation that provides scholarships for youngsters. Quite an amazing lady. Here is a photo of the real Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey: Leave a Comment » \| Drama \| Tagged: Alan Tudyk, Andre Holland, Brian Helgeland, Chadwick Boseman, Christopher Meloni, Dusan Brown, Hamish Linklater, Harrison Ford, Jesse Luken, John C McGinley, Lucas Black, Nicole Beharie \| Permalink	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line834
__label__cc	0.717525	0.282475	Call for Gulf-wide moratorium and arms-length review panel Posted by Annika Chiasson Groups and First Nations in five provinces demand a stop oil and gas activities in the Gulf of St. Lawrence Oceans’ Week starts with call for Gulf-wide moratorium and arms-length review panel Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, June 9, 2014 – Fishermen, environmentalists, First Nations, and others kicked off International Oceans’ Week with a demand to the federal, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick and Quebec governments to immediately place a moratorium on offshore oil and gas exploration and development in the entire Gulf of St. Lawrence. They followed up with a call for an independent Gulf-wide review panel with thorough public consultations on whether offshore oil and gas activities should ever be allowed to proceed in the Gulf. “Since time immemorial, the waters and shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence have been used and occupied by the Innu to the north and the Mi'gmaq to the south, for purposes including fishing, hunting, and travel. Because of these facts, we have rights that are recognized and affirmed by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 and that the federal and provincial governments are obliged to consult and accommodate us in order to avoid any irreparable harm to the exercise of our rights” declared Troy Jerome on behalf of the Innu-Mi'gmaq Alliance for the Protection of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. “Today, the St. Lawrence Coalition is publishing a report on the issue of oil and gas development in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which highlights the fact that the conditions are not in place to allow such activities in this precious and fragile ecosystem. Consequently, a Gulf-wide moratorium seems essential” added Jean-Patrick Toussaint from the St. Lawrence Coalition. “The Gulf is one of the last standing places on earth where no offshore oil/gas activities are underway. We owe it to ourselves and to future generations to protect this beautiful ecosystem and try to restore its ecological integrity” concluded Toussaint. The Gulf of St. Lawrence shores draw millions of visitors a year to the pristine beaches of Prince Edward Island National Park and that of the Magdalen Islands; the majestic vistas of Cape Breton’s Cabot Trail; iconic symbols like Rocher Percé in Gaspé, and the spectacular fjords of western Newfoundland. Fisheries like lobster, eel, and snow crab support thousands of families in all five provinces. Endangered blue whales, bluefin tuna, belugas, the remaining northern cod and many other valued species feed, spawn, mate, and rear young in the waters of the Gulf. All could be at risk from oil and gas exploration and exploitation. “As recently reported in the May issue of National Geographic, the Gulf is still a bountiful, diverse ecosystem, teeming with life. It could remain so if only we took the time and effort to better understand its complexities, and see it as a whole instead of artificially dividing it into provincial jurisdictions” said Ellie Reddin from the PEI Chapter of Save Our Seas and Shores. “The offshore oil industry already has access to 85% of Canada’s east coast waters. Enough is enough. We must declare a Gulf-wide moratorium on oil and gas activities" concluded Reddin. “Marine resources have been under various pressures, such as industrial pollution, acidification, hypoxia and climate change over the past decades. Our fishing efforts have been greatly affected and we have been forced to adapt to this reality. Fishermen and fishing associations have made tremendous efforts to sustain this renewable resource and therefore we are saying no to opening the gulf to the oil/gas industry, which would undoubtedly add yet another pressure to this sensitive ecosystem” said Greg Egilsson, Chairman of the Gulf Nova Scotia Herring Federation. The groups also insist that a review panel and thorough public consultations on this important issue be held across the five provinces to consult with the communities and First Nations about the future of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. “Every year, thousands of residents and visitors to the surrounding communities spend over one billion dollars on recreational and tourism activities focused on the natural and cultural heritage of the Gulf and its scenic shores. Are we willing to risk such national treasures for unproven revenues that aren’t sustainable? That is why it is of utmost importance to us that all communities around the Gulf be consulted on what is a stake here…their future” said John Jacobs from Nature Newfoundland and Labrador. “We must keep in mind that the proposed oil exploration in the Gulf is not happening in a vacuum” commented Matthew Abbott, Marine Program Coordinator with the Conservation Council of New Brunswick. “Canada’s Atlantic coastal waters already face significant stress from climate change, especially due to temperature increases and ocean acidification not to mention existing tanker traffic, offshore drilling in other areas, and a host of other threats. In order to foster resilient ecosystems and maintain critical habitats it is essential that relatively intact regions like the Gulf be left to flourish” concluded Abbott. The groups are also calling into action communities and citizens from all around the Gulf Provinces and across Canada to ask the federal and provincial governments to establish a Gulf-wide moratorium on oil and gas activities, as well as an independent, arms-length review panel on this issue. Sign up onto the call to action at: http://action2.davidsuzuki.org/gulf Download the St. Lawrence Coalition report at: http://bit.ly/1nT5eMT	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line836
__label__wiki	0.94204	0.94204	Kevin Faulk Enjoying Different Type of Fun During 13th Season With Patriots by jeff-howe on Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 1:28PM FOXBORO, Mass. — It’s been a unique season for veteran running back Kevin Faulk, but he’s still having a fun time in his 13th year with the Patriots. “[It’s been] fun in a different way,” Faulk said. “Fun in the aspect of learning different ways in the game of football outside of playing it.” Faulk returned after suffering a torn ACL in 2010 — the worst injury of his playing career — and he’s been an integral leader behind the scenes, even while starting the year on the physically unable to perform list. Aside from a 2010 season that was cut short in Week 2, Faulk has had career lows this year with 17 carries for 57 yards and seven receptions for 34 yards. But he has appreciated his chance to give it another go, especially while helping along the four younger running backs on the roster. Faulk is just happy to be on the field on a daily basis. “The main thing for me after I got injured was I just want to play football again,” Faulk said. “It didn’t really matter at what level or how much. My wife told me, ‘You’re playing football again, play football because of you.'” Have a question for Jeff Howe? Send it to him via Twitter at @jeffphowe or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line840
__label__wiki	0.977167	0.977167	Terry Rozier’s Agent Calls Point Guard ‘Elite,’ Makes Wild Comparisons by Michael McMahon on Thu, Jul 11, 2019 at 11:33PM Terry Rozier will be getting paid like a star player next season. And according to his agent Aaron Turner, he still might be a bargain for the Charlotte Hornets. Rozier has a three-year deal with the Hornets for $56.7 million, and will earn nearly $20 million next season. The former Boston Celtic will run the point in Charlotte, taking over for Kemba Walker, and while some couldn’t believe how much Rozier swung in the deal, Turner believes Rozier deserves to be paid the same as the league’s elite, because he sees the point guard as “right there with the elite.” “Luckily, people respected what he did enough last year when he was a starter to put some faith in him,” Turner told The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach. “People say, ‘Oh, Terry only shot this percentage.’ The Hornets are bringing him in to start. Look at his numbers as a starter. He’s right there with the elite, the [Mike] Conleys, the [Kyle] Lowrys. He’s not far behind Kyrie. He’s elite as a starter, and that’s what they’re bringing him in to do.” In 14 starts last season, Rozier made 42.9 percent of his shots, 40.5 percent of his 3-pointers and 89.5 percent of his free throws, compared with 37.5, 33.7 and 75.7 percent, respectively, as a reserve. In 30 career starts, he averaged 13.1 points while shooting 40.1 percent from the floor and 39.6 percent from the beyond the arc. “I think he’s going to flourish,” Turner said. “I think he’s going to be Terry from the playoffs and more. I think in a year from now, people are going to be like, ‘I can’t believe the Hornets got Terry Rozier for the deal they got him for.’ Right now, people are saying like ‘Wow, people paid that much for Terry?’ I think in a year, the narrative is going to be totally different.” Rozier certainly could take a step forward with extended minutes next season with the Hornets, but he still has a long way to go before he elevates to the level of Mike Conley, and even further to get near Kyrie. But hey, Turner gets paid to pump his client’s tires, so you can’t fault him for doing his job. Now it’s Rozier’s turn to back up the self-created hype. Thumbnail photo via Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports Images Kemba Walker’s Former Coach Gives Guard Rave Review Ahead Of Celtics Tenure	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line841
__label__cc	0.697518	0.302482	Jeffery Reznick John Galsworthy and the Disabled Soldiers of the Great War Manchester University Press 2009 New Books in Arts & LettersNew Books in European StudiesNew Books in HistoryNew Books in Literary StudiesNew Books in MedicineNew Books in Military HistoryNew Books in Peoples & PlacesNew Books in Politics & SocietyNew Books in Science & TechnologyNew Books Network May 18, 2010 Marshall Poe You may not know who John Galsworthy is, but you probably know his work. Who hasn’t seen some production of The Forsyte Saga? Galsworthy was one of the most popular and famous British writers of the early 20th century (the Edwardian Era). He left an enormous body of work, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1932. But Galsworthy was also what we might call a “public humanitarian,” that is, he used his high profile and influence in a great, good cause. The focus of his effort was disabled solders returning from World War I. We, of course, are well acquainted with the remarkable destructive power of modern weaponry. Not a week goes by (alas) in which we do not hear about a soldier being wounded by mines, grenades, artillery fire or bombs (often of the “roadside” variety). But we also have come to expect that soldier, no matter how grievously wounded, will receive medical treatment that will stand at least a fighting chance of saving their lives. And indeed, many wounded soldiers do survive incredibly severe injuries and return to our world. The generation that fought and suffered World War I–or as they called it “The Great War”–were really not familiar with any of this. Europeans and Americans of the nineteenth century were surely used to wars, but they were generally short and decided by pivotal battles (Waterloo, Gettysburg, Sedan). But the Great War was different. Millions of men lived for years at the “front” and under the shells. Many died there and many more were wounded. Thanks to advances in medical knowledge (and particularly the discovery of the germ theory of disease), a goodly proportion of the wounded survived. This presented a new problem: How to re-integrate wounded men into society? This became Galsworthy’s cause. The course of his efforts on the part of wounded soldiers is detailed with great skill and care by Jeffrey Reznick in his John Galsworthy and the Disabled Soldiers of the Great War (Manchester UP, 2009). Reznick shows us Galsworthy attempting to create the modern infrastructure of veterans’ care: special hospitals, rehabilitation programs, work-transition agencies and so on. And we get to read Galsworthy’s writing on the subject, both non-fiction and fiction. All this give us–or gave me–a new understanding of Galsworthy’s literary work. Galsworthy was a great man. But as it turned out he was greater than I knew. We should thank Jeff for bringing his good-works to our attention. Please become a fan of “New Books in History” on Facebook if you haven’t already. https://files.newbooksnetwork.com/history/107historyreznick.mp3	cc/2019-30/en_head_0040.json.gz/line843

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