pred_label
stringclasses 2
values | pred_label_prob
float64 0.5
1
| wiki_prob
float64 0.25
1
| text
stringlengths 44
986k
| source
stringlengths 37
43
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
__label__wiki
| 0.513352
| 0.513352
|
Essay on atlantic slave trade. The Atlantic Slave Trade
The principal carriers were the Portuguese and their Brazilian colony Benin, however, restricted Portuguese influence and somewhat limited the trade in human beings. Slavery and Slave Trade occurred in variety of cultures for over thousand of years. Other smaller carriers including the Danes and the Americans share the rest of the trade. As a result of the slave trade, five times as many Africans arrived in the Americas than Europeans. False and negative views of Africa and Africans were used to justify the Transatlantic Slave Trade and colonization.
Essay on The Atlantic Slave Trade - Words | Bartleby
The Transatlantic Slave Trade
The Atlantic Slave Trade
The transatlantic slave trade: introduction
A Study On Atlantic Slave Trade
Simons Island in Africans were sold with little secrecy.
Today there are tens of millions of people of African origin who, as a consequence of the forced removal of their ancestors, live in the Caribbean, the United States, Brazil and other countries in the Western Hemisphere, as well as elsewhere outside Africa.
Cambridge University Press, Figures for Upper Guinea," Paiduema, 39, Prior to the Atlantic Slave Trade, Slavery had stood alive and…. In addition, the slave trade contributed to the growth of banking and insurance in Europe and provided the finance to develop European capitalist economies further.
On the African side most captives were traded from only a few ports: In addition to the millions of able-bodied individuals captured and transported, the death toll and the economic and environmental destruction resulting from wars and slave raids were startlingly high.
Military goods, principally firearms, were also exchanged for captives. Others came from the Bight of Biafra and the Windward Coast. They still exist today in the form of racial stereotypes and prejudices and racist violence, as well as Eurocentric views about Africa, its peoples and their cultures.
Their status reflected essay on cafe terrace at night enslaved status of their mothers, no matter who their father might have been. So far slaves were being transported in small numbers to Portugal, Spain, as well as the Atlantic islands. In the Americas, besides the considerable riches their free labor created for others, the importation and subsequent enslavement of the Africans would be the major factor in the resettlement of the continents following the disastrous decline in their indigenous population.
Besides its demographic toll, the slave trade, and the Africans' resistance to it, led to profound social and political changes. Their presence was especially pronounced in Louisiana, to which many Manding people - almost all males - had been transported.
The Middle Passage On the first leg of their three-part journey, often called the Triangular Trade, European ships brought manufactured goods to Africa; on the second, they transported African men, women, and children to the Americas; and on the third leg, they exported to Europe the sugar, rum, cotton, and tobacco produced by the enslaved labor force.
Cassell AcademicLovejoy, Paul E. Identity in the Shadow of Slavery London: The Clotilda landed more than a hundred men, women, and children from Benin and Nigeria in the summer of at Mobile, Alabama. Resistance started in Africa, continued during the so-called Middle Passage and broke out again throughout the Americas.
One million people 7.
Judicial and religious sanctions and punishments removed alleged criminals, people accused of witchcraft, and social misfits through enslavement and banishment. Women made up a relatively high number among those groups. However, an illegal trade continued for many years, and slavery itself was not abolished in some countries until the s. The slave trade was closely linked to the Europeans' insatiable hunger for gold, and the arrival of the Portuguese on the " Gold Coast" Ghana in the s tapped these inland sources.
In addition, European powers intervened in the political process to prevent the rise of the Essay on atlantic slave trade centralized states that would have hampered their operations. The jihad led to two major political transformations: The trade was a high-risk enterprise.
In Louisiana, they labored on sugarcane plantations. Since the slave trade went across political and cultural frontiers, there was little recourse to courts and governments in the event of commercial dishonesty.
Finally, the increased exchange with Europeans and the fabulous wealth it brought enabled many states to cultivate sophisticated artistic traditions employing expensive and luxurious materials.
Haiti's constitution was the first to recognise the human rights of all its citizens. Addiction to European commodities was the bait used in their strategy in which alcohol and firearms played a key role.
Most of them were kidnapped on the coast of Northern Senegambia, notably in Wolof and Berber villages, and put to work on the Iberian islands where the Moors had previously developed rice and sugar cane plantations, using African and European slaves. Cambridge University Press, Traders could benefit immensely from theft, plunder, kidnapping, ransoming, and the sale of human beings as commodities.
Baltimore Klein, Herbert S. The jihad movement continued into the nineteenth century, especially with the outbreak of war in in the Hausa states northern Nigeria under the leadership of Sheikh Usman dan Fodio. There was also a direct trade between Brazil and Angola that did not include the European leg. Therefore, nearly 90 percent of the Africans in these two major regions came from only four zones in Africa.
In the process, their technological and economic development was hindered as they devoted their energy to hiding and defending themselves. Muslims were particularly concerned with protecting the freedom of their co-religionists.
By the close of the fifteenth century, 10 percent of the population of Lisbon, Portugal, then one of the largest cities in Europe, was of African origin. For the first one hundred years, captives in small numbers were transported to Europe.
It was during this time when the beginning of the Black Diaspora would begin to manifest itself with the exportation of millions of the African populace to the Americas. But at a higher level, the political fragmentation - many small centralized states and federations governed through secret societies - made it virtually impossible to develop methods of government that could effectively resist the impact of the slave trade.
These individuals were human pawns who could be enslaved if debts were not paid.
Africa could not satisfy it since the slave market was too narrow. A Caribbean Perspective Philadelphia: West African Strategies Athens: Over time, the Portuguese vessels added another commodity to their cargo: However, in the 19th century some enslaved Africans were also transported across the Atlantic from parts of eastern and south-eastern Africa.
Europeans, on the other hand, generally exported essay on atlantic slave trade items such as alcohol, textiles and guns to Africa to be exchanged for African captives. The most significant of all these acts of resistance and self-liberation was the revolution in the French colony of St Domingue, now Haiti, in Dwellings were set on fire to increase confusion.
With the exception of the Gold Coast wars, guns played little role at first in local conflicts, due in part to the difficulty of keeping powder dry in tropical regions.
African states eager to augment their treasuries in some instances even preyed upon their own peoples by manipulating their judicial systems, condemning individuals and their families to slavery in order to reap the rewards of their sale to European traders.
Miller, Joseph C. Cambridge University Press2nd ed. The corresponding impact on Africa was intensified as larger parts of west and central Africa came into the slavers' orbit.
The production of such items, as well as the construction of ships, shackles and other items connected with the slave trade, certainly contributed to the development of manufacturing in Europe. The Portuguese first saw the coast of Senegambia in In all probability, a large number of the many Africans whose origins are not known actually came from this area.
The personal identity of the captives was denied. Most came from the west-central area of Angola and Congo where languages - Kikongo, Kimbundu and culture often referred to as Bantu were closely related. Their goal was also to connect directly with the Asian market of silk and spices from which Europe was barred with the rise of the Ottoman Empire which controlled the Eastern Mediterranean sea.
The discovery of the New World boosted the European economy and marked the starting point of what one can call the "African nightmare. The demand for labor resulted in numerous innovations, encouraged opportunists and entrepreneurs, and accrued deceptions and barbarities, upon which the slave trade rested. Images, maps of transatlantic slave trade routes, statistical data, critical analysis, and educational resources are available http: The slave trade resulted in the essay on happiness is considered very important in life of predatory regimes, as well as stagnation or regression.
The U. Slave Trade Act, enacted by a vote of 63 in favor and 49 against in Februarywas a half victory for the slavers because it specified that the Africans illegally brought to slaveholding states would still be sold and enslaved. These nine ports accounted for at least half of all the Africans deported to the Americas.
Constitution stipulated that "The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or essay on happiness is considered very important in life may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.
As recounted by a slave smuggler, it was an easy task: When these millions of people were physically removed from their homelands, they took with them their languages, beliefs, craftsmanship, skills, music, dance, art and other important elements of culture. New York: Herskovits, Melville J.
Brazil, Cuba, and Puerto Rico were essay on atlantic slave trade principal destinations for Africans, since they could no longer legally be brought into North America, the British or French colonies in the Caribbean, or the independent countries of Spanish America. Other smaller carriers including the Danes and the Americans share the rest of the trade.
Senegambia in the Era of the Slave Trade Madison: Impact of the Slave Trade on Africa The negative impact of the international slave trade on Africa was immense.
However, in reality, the Ancient civilizations of Egypt… The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Words 3 Pages The Trans-Atlantic slave occurred during the early sixteenth century and lasted until the beginning of the all the way to nineteenth century.
Forests of Gold: Depending on the times, upwards of 20 percent died from various epidemics or committed suicide. Ultimately, the international slave trade had lasting effects upon the African cultural landscape. Traders referred to the Africa-Americas part of the voyage as the " Middle Passage" and the term has survived to denote the Africans' ordeal.
The preservation and adaptation of African cultural forms to respond to the new needs of the enslaved population was also an act of resistance to the imposition of European norms. From the fine silver- and goldwork of Dahomey and the Asante court to the virtuoso wood carving of the Chokwe chiefdoms, these treasures are a vivid testimony of this turbulent period in African history.
In Angola and Senegambia, European merchants married or otherwise cohabited with local women, and these women sometimes amassed considerable fortunes as agents and merchants in their own right. Their mixed offspring became an intermediate class of merchants along the coast, but especially concentrated along the Upper Guinea Coast as far as Senegambia, and in Luanda, Benguela, and their commercial outposts in the interior of Angola.
From Slave Trade to "Legitimate" Commerce: Alcohol essay on happiness is considered very important in life regarded as a luxury, except in Muslim communities, where it was prohibited.
Klein, Martin. Working from their permanent colonies at Luanda, Benguela, and other coastal points, the Portuguese conducted joint military ventures into the hinterlands with their African allies. In the end, the slave trade left the continent underdeveloped, disorganized, and vulnerable to the next phase of European hegemony: Half came from west-central Africa, and more than 40 percent were originally from the Bights of Benin and Biafra, and Southeast Africa - Mozambique and Madagascar.
On board slave ships, essay on atlantic slave trade the midst of their oppression, the Africans, who were often as much strangers to each other as to their European captors, forged the first links with their new American identities. These slavers took advantage of African political troubles, religious differences, legal technicalities, economic crises, and outright callousness to exploit helpless individuals.
short essay on my favourite film
essay and letter writing books pdf
CV Example | StudentJob UK
Photographies | Marion Dubier-Clark
English Essay Topics | Owlcation
Boarding House Business Plan – WORDSBY
Business plans | aksarayguncel.com
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Career Change Cover Letters, Explained
Difference between Public and Private Transport
Ut austin homework
Problem solving using equations of motion - Pwiki
Sick Leave Application Sample for Employee
Essay on my dream city bangalore
Student Life is Golden Life-Short Essay | Essay
Why the Spanish Armada was defeated in - A-Level English - Marked by aksarayguncel.com
How to Write a Method Section of an APA Paper
Class of AP Language and Composition at GHS: On Seeing England for the First Time
Short essay my classroom
Gantt chart template Research | Gantt Chart example Dissertation
Art is long, life is short Essay
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line0
|
__label__cc
| 0.568501
| 0.431499
|
Argentine Armenians Thank Pope for Genocide Recognition
Pope Francis (far right) during a mass commemorating the Armenian Genocide in April
BUENOS AIRES, Agrentina (Agencia Prensa Armenia)—A Mass and a prayer service of gratitude to Pope Francis for his recognition of the Armenian Genocide were held at the Catedral Metropolitana of Buenos Aires on Wednesday June 24.
The ceremony, carried out by Cardinal Mario Poli, Archbishop Kissag Mouradian and Bishop Vartan Boghossian, was attended by the Undersecretary for Human Rights and Cultural Pluralism City Claudio Avruj, Dr. Leon Carlos Arslanian, Ambassadors of Armenia, Lebanon and other diplomats as well as most of the leaders of the Armenian community in Argentina.
The choir sings during the Mass of gratitude for the Pope in Buenos Aires
“The unforgettable Pontifical Mass on Sunday April 12 at the Basilica of San Pedro and the acceptance of the figure of St. Gregory of Narek among the doctors of the Universal Church were historic events that carried comfort and reinforced the hurted hearts of Armenians in the commemoration of the Centennial,” said a letter to the Pope that was signed by all the institutions of the Armenian community. Cardinal Mario Poli, meanwhile, stressed the “courageous stance” taken by Pope Francis to condemn three genocides of the twentieth century: the one perpetrated by Turkey, Stalinism and Nazi Fascism. The ceremony ended with a chorus of a hundred voices evoking the centenary of the genocide.
The recognition by Pope Francisco in April served as the basis and foundation for further recognitions such as the European Parliament, also in April, or the Federal Senate of Brazil on last June 2.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line4
|
__label__cc
| 0.517655
| 0.482345
|
Atlantipedia
An A-Z Guide To The Search For Plato's Atlantis
I have now published my new book, Joining The Dots, which offers a fresh look at the Atlantis mystery. I have addressed the critical questions of when, where and who, using Plato's own words, tempered with some critical thinking and a modicum of common sense.
size of atlantis
Fundamentalist Atlantology
Fundamentalist Atlantology is a term that I use to describe the idea that everything written about Atlantis by Plato, must be taken at face value. In other words when he refers to 9,000 years, this along with all the other numbers he uses in relation to the dimensions of the plain of Atlantis, its structures or its military manpower should be accepted literally! Such an acceptance flies in the face of both common sense and science, particularly in the case of Plato’s dating of Atlantis, while the dimensions he has for the ditch surrounding the plain of Atlantis were deemed incredible (his word) by Plato himself (Crit.118c), he felt obliged out of deference to Solon’s reputation he recorded the details as he received them.
Without wishing to offend anyone, I believe that acceptance, for example, of Plato’s/Solon’s numbers is comparable with the belief of religious fundamentalists who hold that creation’took just six days.
Although it is understandable that researchers have accepted Plato’s details without question, there has been extensive research over the past century into seeking more rational explanations for many of those more difficult passages in the Atlantis narrative which has produced alternative explanations that are compatible with both science and common sense.
While Plato’s 9,000 years were initially, rather glibly dismissed as a transcription error and that hundreds and not thousands had been intended, it has been demonstrated that the ancient Egyptian priesthood used a lunar calendar so that the ‘ýears’ were in fact months, which was noted in the 4th century BC by Eudoxus of Cnidos and repeated by Manetho and Diodorus Siculus. This would reduce the timeline by a factor of twelve. Another explanation was put forward by Rosario Vieni who proposed that the ‘years’ actually referred to seasons of which there are three in the Egyptian solar year. These, as far as I am aware, are the principal alternatives suggested in place of a literal reading of 9,000 years. After all, neither Athens or Egypt was home to anything more than primitive societies 9,000 years before Solon’s visit.
A further example concerns the size of Atlantis, which Plato consistently referred to as an island and never a continent and is described by him as greater than Libya and Asia combined. Irrespective of how extensive in size the Libya and Asia in question were, the Greek word for greater – meizon, actually relates to greater in strength, power or influence not extent. A few years ago Thorwald C. Franke pointed out that the traditional enemies of Egypt came from Libya and Asia, so that to describe the threat from Atlantis as greater than Libya and Asia combined indicates how great the threat from Atlantis was.
The more contentious issue of the actual location of the Pillars of Heracles, I will not go into here, suffice it to say that a number of valid competing arguments have been put forward in favour of locations other than the Strait of Gibraltar. In fact all of them could have been correct at different times, changing their position as the Greek colonists and traders gradually moved westward. Eventually, I believe that at some point in time the term simply became a metaphor for the limits of the world as generally known to the Greeks.
My point is that understandable difficulties exist in the Atlantis texts and that a number of sensible alternative explanations have been put forward, which will be individually tried and tested until a consensus emerges, in the same way that the idea of a geocentric universe was gradually replaced by the simple fact that our little planet revolves around the sun.
Tagged Asia, Athens, continent, Dating Atlantis, Diodorus Siculus, Egypt, Eudoxus of Cnidos, Libya, Manetho, Pillars of Heracles, Plain of Atlantis, Rosario Vieni, Seasons, size of atlantis, Solon
Thera is an ancient name for today’s Aegean archipelago of Santorini, which are the remains of a volcanic island.
Only two of the islands are inhabited, the main island, Santorini and Therasia, which had been joined before the 16th century BC eruption. Recent excavations have revealed a pre-eruption settlement on Therasia(x).
Pre-eruption Thera
Although it exhibited low-level activity in 1939-41 and 1950-51, it was in 1926 when it last erupted violently, destroying many hundreds of buildings in less than a minute. Eruptions of similarity intensity occurred in 1650, 1707 and 1866. It was also the site of probably the most powerful and destructive volcanic explosion in the Mediterranean during the Bronze Age. Although the exact date of this event is still the subject of some controversy the most recent evidence(a) indicates a date around 1613 BC ±13years, while archaeologists are more supportive of a date circa 1500 BC. Professor Floyd McCoy is currently planning an eighteen-month study of the matter in Greece, in the hope of resolving this dating conflict. There was clearly a series of eruptions that ended with a final enormous explosion that has been linked to the ending of Minoan civilisation on Crete, the Plagues of Egypt and agricultural failures throughout the Eastern Mediterranean. For a geologist’s view of the island’s dramatic history, Walter Friedrich’s book[428]is hard to beat. His book supports a 1640 BC date for the eruption although he has subsequently revised this to 1613 BC. Sturt W. Manning supports[957] a 1628 BC date and Mike Baillie has offered dendrochronological evidence for a 1628 BC eruption date at the 2011 Quantavolution conference in Athens(j). This converges with McCoy’s date above. However, the dating of the eruption continues to be controversial as this December 2012 link(i)demonstrates. At the heart of the problem is that acceptance of an early 17th century BC date for the event conflicts with established Egyptian chronology. While the exact year of the eruption continues to be debated, there is now scientific evidence that it occurred in early summer(s).
A 2014 paper published in Antiquity by Paolo Cherubini would appear to confirm the 16th century BC as the date of the catastrophic eruption ruling out an earlier date as untenable(o). In the same year, the University of Birmingham published a report(u) that supported the 1625 BC date. The earlier Antiquity paper prompted a response by a group, led by Sturt Manning later in 2014(y).
In August 2018, an interdisciplinary group led by dendrochronolist Charlotte L. Pearson published a paper(ab), which concluded that the eruption of Thera took place in the 16th century BC. This conclusion was the result of using a combination of dendrochronology along with high-resolution radiocarbon dating methods.
October 2018 saw further evidence for an early 16th century BC date for the eruption emerge after the radiocarbon dating of some olive wood found on Therasia, one of the Santorini group(z). The same month saw the publication of a paper on the ResearchGate(aa) website date the event to 1727-1600 BC!
The doctoral thesis of Dr. David Sewell explores the cultural effects of the Theran eruption and can be read online(h).
The volcanic ash deposited by the Theran eruption was centuries later to be used in huge quantities to manufacture cement for the construction of the Suez Canal. It was during the mining of this material that workmen encountered large stone blocks under the layers of pumice, indicating buildings of a great age.
It is claimed by many that a garbled Egyptian description of this devastating event was the basis for the story of the destruction of Atlantis. Louis Figuier was the first, in 1872, to publicly link the demise of Atlantis with the explosion on Thera. Opponents of this theory counter it by pointing out that Plato describes the inundation of an island much larger than Santorini or Crete, located in the Atlantic following an earthquake, not a volcanic eruption many thousands of years earlier. Various attempts have been made to reconcile the Minoan Theory with these apparent inconsistencies with Plato’s text. They are discussed separately under
Date of Atlantis’ Collapse
Pillars of Heracles
It was announced at the end of February 2010 that the BBC was about to air a dramatisation of the Theran disaster as well as a documentary on the eruption as its influence on the development of Plato’s story of Atlantis. June 2010 saw the historian, Bettany Hughes, front a disappointing BBC Timewatch Special, which also promoted the idea of the eruption on Thera as the inspiration for Plato’s story of Atlantis. The material introduced as evidence was highly selective and, for me, unconvincing. A few parallels between Thera and Plato’s description were trotted out, while the more numerous differences were ignored!
Alain Moreau has written a highly critical review(v) of the idea that the island of Thera/Santorini had been home to Atlantis.
Dr. Dora Constantinidis who studied under Prof. Christos Doumas delivered a lecture in Melbourne on May 29th 2014 with the inviting title of Unravelling the Atlantis Myth at Akrotiri. However, the primary purpose of the talk was not to advance our knowledge of Atlantis but to encourage the sale of Bronze Age inspired merchandise(p).
Another twist on the Thera explosion is offered by Andis Kaulins who suggests that there is a connection between that event and the Biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah(g), while Riaan Booysen has linked two separate Theran eruptions with two Exodus events in the Bible(k), offering as evidence, the existence of two distinct Theran ash fallout areas, caused by different wind directions at the time of the events.
Initially, it was thought that the collapse of the Theran caldera generated very destructive tsunamis, but new studies have concluded(w) that instead that it was the violent entry of pyroclastic flows into the sea that triggered the tsunamis.
A further possible consequence of the Theran eruption(s) was proposed after the discovery of the Nebra Sky Disk(n), which was buried about 3,600 years ago. This is suggested to have resulted from the volcanic ash generated by the eruption blotting out the sun for up to 25 years. It is thought that the Disk had been used to synchronise the lunar and solar calendars(l) and when this was no longer possible the Disk was buried as some form as offering. A contrary view is offered elsewhere on the Internet(m), as well as further controversy(t) led by Peter Schauer from the University of Regensburg.
Andis Kaulins has also written an extensive paper on the Nebra Sky Disk. A 2014 update(r) on the Disk was posted by Claudia Bracholdt.
An extensive bibliography of books and articles on the subject of Thera can be found on the Internet(b).
(a) http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/April06/Bronze.age.AK.html
(b) http://www.dartmouth.edu/~prehistory/aegean/?page_id=873
(f) http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2010/02_february/26/atlantis.shtml
(g) http://www.lexiline.com/lexiline/lexi58.htm
(h) http://www.santorini-eruption.org.uk/ (offline June 2016)(see Archive 2199)
(i) http://www.heritagedaily.com/2013/10/debate-still-rages-over-date-of-thera-eruption/66777 (offline June 2015 see Archive 2200)
(j) http://www.qconference-athens-2011.grazian-archive.com/michaelbaillie/index.html
(k) http://www.riaanbooysen.com/thera
(l) http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=2146413876
(m) http://www.sis-group.org.uk/news/nebra-speculation.htm
(n) http://www.dw.de/bronze-age-sky-disc-deciphered/a-1915398-1
(o) http://greece.greekreporter.com/2014/03/08/greek-island-of-santorini-volcano-erupted-in-16th-century/
(p) http://neoskosmos.com/news/en/akrotiris-link-to-atlantis
(q) http://www.megaliths.net/nebraskydisk.pdf
(r) http://nautil.us/blog/the-amazing-sky-calendar-that-ancients-used-to-track-seasons
(s) http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/08/130822-santorini-atlantis-akrotiri-volcanic-eruption-insects/
(t) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6722953.stm
(u) https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141009100924.htm
(v) http://www.mondenouveau.fr/continents-disparus-les-fausses-atlantides-de-santorin-partie-2/
(w) http://www.livescience.com/56791-santorini-tsunamis-caused-by-volcanic-flow.html
(x) http://www.tornosnews.gr/en/greek-news/culture/27727-santorini-island-excavation-unearths-bronze-age-settlement.html
(y) https://dendro.cornell.edu/articles/Manningetal_Antiquity_2014.pd
(z) https://www.archaeology.org/news/7086-181022-greece-thirasia-wood
(aa) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7136349_Santorini_Eruption_Radiocarbon_Dated_to_1627-1600_BC
*(ab) http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/8/eaar8241/tab-pdf*
Tagged Andis Kaulins, Antiquity, Atlantis, Bettany Hughes, Bronze Age, Christos Doumas, Claudia Bracholdt, Crete, David Sewell, Dora Constantinidis, earthquakes, Floyd McCoy, Louis Figuier, Mike Baillie, Minoans, Nebra Sky Disk, Paolo Cherubini, Peter Schauer, Pillars of Heracles, Plagues of Egypt, Plato, Riaan Booysen, Santorini, size of atlantis, Stur W. Manning, Suez Canal, Thera, tsunamis, Walter Friedrich
Tagged Andis Kaulins, Antiquity, Atlantis, Bettany Hughes, Bronze Age, Charlotte L. Pearson, Christos Doumas, Claudia Bracholdt, Crete, David Sewell, dendrochronology, Dora Constantinidis, earthquakes, Floyd McCoy, Louis Figuier, Mike Baillie, Minoans, Nebra Sky Disk, Paolo Cherubini, Peter Schauer, Pillars of Heracles, Plagues of Egypt, Plato, Riaan Booysen, Santorini, size of atlantis, Sturt Manning, Suez Canal, Thera, Therasia, tsunamis, Walter Friedrich
Copyright © Tony O'Connell
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line5
|
__label__wiki
| 0.750629
| 0.750629
|
ABCA Hall of Fame
By Year Inducted
Criteria & Nominations
Lefty Gomez Award
By Year of Award
Banquet Ceremonies
ABCA.org
Award criteria and nomination information
Induction to the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed by the organization. The ABCA was founded in 1945 and the Hall of Fame began in 1966. The honorees are inducted to the ABCA Hall of Fame during the ABCA/Diamond Hall of Fame/Coach of the Year Banquet at the annual ABCA Convention each January.
The ABCA Hall of Fame Committee meets at the convention each January to select the Hall of Fame class which will be inducted the following year.
Criteria for Nomination to Hall of Fame
Eligible nominees should meet the following prerequisites:
Have served as a head baseball coach for a minimum of 15 years.
Have demonstrated active membership in the ABCA for a minimum of 15 years.
Have made professional and personal contributions to the ABCA (e.g., committee service, clinician, officer, etc.)
Have significantly contributed to the advancement of baseball at the local, national or international level.
Should be representative of: (a) High moral character and ethical standards, (b) Excellence recognized beyond the local level and (c) Demonstrated leadership abilities.
Nominations should be turned in to the ABCA National Office by mail prior to September 15 to be considered by the Hall of Fame Committee at the upcoming convention. The completed nomination form and all required documentation must be received for consideration.
DOWNLOAD: Hall of Fame Nomination Form & Check List (pdf)
Lefty Gomez Award Nomination/Information
The ABCA/Wilson Lefty Gomez Award is one of the most prestigious awards in all of amateur baseball. Named after the great Lefty Gomez, this award is presented by the American Baseball Coaches Association and Wilson Sporting Goods each year to an individual who has distinguished himself amongst his peers and has contributed significantly to the game of baseball locally, nationally and internationally.
The ABCA/Wilson Lefty Gomez Award is presented each year at the ABCA/Diamond Hall of Fame/Coach of the Year Banquet at the ABCA Convention.
NOMINATIONS:
Those wishing to nominate an individual for the ABCA/Wilson Lefty Gomez Award should contact committee chair Bob Whalen, of Dartmouth College, by May 1, to be considered by the committee at the following convention.
The committee chair will indicate the necessary materials, including a complete biography and three letters of recommendation, which will be due by June 1. Complete nominations received after the deadline will be considered for the following year.
The ABCA/Wilson Lefty Gomez Award is presented by Wilson Sporting Goods.
ABCA Awards
Lefty Gomez Award - Wilson
Nominate for Hall of Fame & Lefty Gomez
Coaches of the Year - Diamond
All-Americans - Rawlings
Gold Glove Awards - Rawlings
Association Links
Hall of Fame Banquet
ABCA Convention
ABCA Partners
Clinic Videos
Contact ABCA Staff
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line8
|
__label__wiki
| 0.519257
| 0.519257
|
Click To Access
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) National Institutes of Health
6001 Executive Boulevard
Bethesda, MD 20892-9561
www.drugabuse.gov
NIDA's mission is to bring the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction. NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The NIDA website includes a vast array of educational materials about specific drugs as well as the consequences, prevention and treatment of drug abuse. The site includes resources for young people, parents, teachers, researchers, physicians and other health professionals.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) National Institutes of Health
5635 Fishers Lane
www.niaaa.nih.gov
NIAAA provides leadership in the national effort to reduce alcohol-related problems. The website has extensive resources including fact sheets about a wide range of alcohol-related topics, as well as a variety of publications for researchers and health professionals.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation P.O. Box 2316
College Road East and Route 1
www.rwjf.org
This foundation is the largest philanthropic organization devoted to improving the health and health care of all Americans.
Resources Al-Anon/Alateen 1600 Corporate Landing Parkway
Tel: 888-4AL-ANON / 757-563-1600
www.al-anon.alateen.org
Al-Anon and Alateen Family Groups offer support and fellowship to relatives and friends of individuals with alcohol problems. Mutual support groups meet worldwide.
Alcoholics Anonymous P.O. Box 459
Tel: Check your phone book for local listings
www.alcoholics-anonymous.org
Alcoholics Anonymous offers support and fellowship to individuals with an alcohol problems through its Twelve Steps program. AA meetings are completely anonymous and open to anyone of any age who wants to achieve and maintain sobriety.
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry 345 Blackstone Boulevard
2nd Floor - RCH
www.aaap.org
Professional association of addiction psychiatrists.
American Medical Association - Office of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Abuse Prevention 515 North State Street
Tel: 312-464-4202 / 312-464-4024
www.ama-assn.org
The nation's largest society of physicians.
American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) 4601 North Park Avenue
Arcade Suite #101
Chevy Chase, MD 20815-4520
www.asam.org
The nation's medical specialty society dedicated to educating physicians and improving the treatment of individuals suffering for alcoholism and other drug addictions.
Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse 75 Albert Street
Ottawa, ON K1P 5E7
www.ccsa.ca
CCSA is Canada's national addictions agency, with the mission of providing objective, evidence-based information and advice to help reduce the health, social, and economic problems associated with substance abuse and addictions.
Center of Alcohol Studies Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
607 Allison Road
Piscataway, NJ 08854-8001
www.alcoholstudies.rutgers.edu
The Center for Alcohol Studies is the first interdisciplinary research center devoted to alcohol use and alcohol-related problems and treatment. Its library, one of the world's largest collections of alcohol research and clinical and professional literature, is open to the general public.
Center for Antisocial Drug Dependence University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
4200 East Ninth Avenue, C268-35
ibgwww.colorado.edu/cadd/
A collaborative center that studies genetic influences on, and treatment of, drug dependence.
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention 5600 Fishers Lane
Rockwall II Building
www.prevention.samhsa.gov
CSAP provides national leadership in the federal effort to prevent alcohol, tobacco, and other drug problems. CSAP promotes a structured, community-based approach to substance-abuse prevention by designing and implementing public education programs.
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) Tel: 240-276-2750
www.csat.samhsa.gov
The federal government's CSAT promotes the quality and availability of community-based addiction treatment services for individuals and families who need them. CSAT works with state and community-based groups to improve and expand existing substance-abuse treatment and recovery services under the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Program.
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) 625 Slaters Lane
Tel: 800-54-CADCA
www.cadca.org
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) is a national non-profit organization representing the interests of over 5,000 community-based coalitions by providing advocacy, training, technical assistance, conferences and special events, and communications support. CADCA coalitions bring all sectors of the community together to strategically address local problems related to the illegal use of alcohol and drugs.
Drug Strategies 1616 P Street, NW
www.drugstrategies.org
Drug Strategies is a nonprofit research institute that promotes more effective approaches to the nation's drug problems and supports private and public efforts to reduce the demand for drugs through prevention, education, treatment, law enforcement, and community initiatives.
Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems George Washington University
www.ensuringsolutions.org
A health initiative at the George Washington University Medical Center, Ensuring Solutions works to reduce the burden of untreated alcohol problems on communities, businesses, families, and individuals by providing information and tools to increase access to effective and affordable screening and treatment.
Faces & Voices of Recovery 1010 Vermont Avenue NW #708
www.facesandvoicesofrecovery.org
Faces & Voices of Recovery is a national campaign of people in long-term recovery, families, friends and allies and organizations that advocate to end discrimination, broaden social understanding, and achieve a just response to addiction as a public health crisis.
Guide to Mutual Support Resources facesandvoicesofrecovery.org/resources/support_home.php
A comprehensive guide to mutual support and 12-step resources for people in or seeking recovery from addiction, their family members and friends with background information about the role of mutual support in recovery.
Johnson Institute 613 Second Street, NE
www.johnsoninstitute.org
The Johnson Institute works to improve the public's understanding of addiction as a treatable illness, and to promote the possibility of recovery from alcoholism and other drug addiction through early intervention, appropriate care, family involvement, and community support.
Join Together One Appleton Street
www.jointogether.org
www.alcoholscreening.org
Join Together, a program of the Boston University School of Public Health, is the nation's leading provider of information, strategic assistance, and leadership development for community-based efforts to advance effective alcohol and drug policy, prevention and treatment. Through extensive online information resources and national policy panels, Join Together helps community leaders understand and use the most scientifically valid prevention and treatment approaches.
Legal Action Center 225 Varick Street
www.lac.org
The Legal Action Center is a non-profit law and public policy organization which fights discrimination against people with histories of addiction, HIV/AIDS, or criminal records, and to advocate for sound public policies in these areas.
Medical University of South Carolina Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs
www.muschealth.com/cdap/
www.musc.edu/neuroscienceinstitute/
The Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs, known as CDAP, is one of the nation's premier academic centers for the study and treatment of alcohol and substance abuse. The center is based in the Institute of Psychiatry (IOP) at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). CDAP is multifaceted and includes research, treatment, training, and community outreach and education components.
Narcotics Anonymous P.O. Box 9999
www.na.org
Narcotics Anonymous is an international, community-based association of recovering drug addicts.
National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment, Inc. (NAABT) P.O. Box 333
www.naabt.org
NAABT educates the public about opioid addiction and the buprenorphine treatment option; helps reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with patients with addiction disorders and serves as a conduit connecting patients in need of treatment to qualified treatment providers.
National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA) 11426 Rockville Pike
www.nacoa.org
A national, non-profit membership organization working on behalf of children of alcohol and drug dependent parents. Advocates for all children and families affected by alcoholism and other drug dependencies.
National Association of Drug Court Professionals 4900 Seminary Road
www.nadcp.org
This organization provides information and technical assistance to people working in drug courts and in planning, implementing and enhancement of drug courts. The National Drug Court Institute provides training to drug court professionals.
National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) 633 Third Avenue
www.casacolumbia.org
CASA brings together a coalition of professional disciplines to study and combat substance abuse. Its programs vary from policy development and analysis to studies concerning substance-abuse treatment.
National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information 11300 Rockville Pike
www.ncadi.samhsa.gov
This federal agency provides extensive information about addiction prevention, treatment and recovery. It has a staff of English- and Spanish-speaking information specialists who are available 24/7 to recommend appropriate materials. They also have copies of "Know Your Rights" a guide for people who have had trouble getting help.
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence 22 Cortlandt Street
Tel: 212-269-7797 / 800-NCA-CALL
www.ncadd.org
NCADD advocates prevention, intervention, and treatment of alcoholism and drug addiction through a nationwide network of affiliates. They also operate a toll-free Hope Line (800-NCA-CALL) for information and referral, as well as a National Intervention Network (800-654-HOPE) to educate and assist the families and friends of addicted people.
Parents. The Anti-Drug. Tel: 800-729-6686
www.theantidrug.com
TheAntiDrug.com was created by the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign to equip parents with the tools they need to raise drug-free kids.
Partnership for a Drug-Free America 405 Lexington Avenue
www.drugfree.org
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America is a nonprofit coalition of communication, health, medical, and educational professionals working to reduce illicit drug use and help people live healthy, drug-free lives.
Research Society on Alcoholism 7801 North Lamar Boulevard
Suite D-89
Tel: 512- 454-0022
www.rsoa.org
Serves as a communications point for scientists and addiction field professionals to share and disseminate information and research findings.
SMART Recovery 7537 Mentor Ave.
www.smartrecovery.org/
SMART Recovery® offers free face-to-face and online mutual help groups. SMART Recovery® (Self-Management And Recovery Training) helps people recover from all types of addictive behaviors, including: alcoholism, drug abuse, substance abuse, drug addiction, alcohol abuse, gambling addiction, cocaine addiction, and addiction to other substances and activities.
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration 1 Choke Cherry Road
Tel: 800-662-HELP
www.samhsa.gov
SAMHSA is focused on building resilience and facilitating recovery for people with or at risk for mental or substance-use disorders.
Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov
SAMHSA provides an online resource for locating drug and alcohol abuse treatment programs. It includes private and public facilities that are licensed, certified, or otherwise approved for inclusion by their state substance abuse agency, as well as treatment facilities administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Indian Health Service, and the Department of Defense.
Treatment Research Institute (TRI) 600 Public Ledger Building
www.tresearch.org
TRI is a nonprofit research and development organization dedicated to reducing the devastating effects of alcohol and drug abuse on individuals, families, and communities by employing scientific methods and disseminating evidence-based information.
UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs 1640 S. Sepulveda
www.uclaisap.org
ISAP coordinates substance abuse research and treatment under authority of the Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. The institute is a division of the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, housed within the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. The integrated components of ISAP include four organizations:
Pacific Node of the NIDA Center for Clinical Trials Network (CCTN)
Matrix Institute on Addictions
UCLA Addiction Studies Neurobiology Unit (ASNU)
UCLA Addiction Clinic
Women for Sobriety P.O. Box 618
Quakertown, PA 18951
www.womenforsobriety.org
Women for Sobriety is an organization and self-help program for women with alcoholism.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line11
|
__label__wiki
| 0.605679
| 0.605679
|
Joseph Dow's History of Hampton: MASON AND RANDOLPH
Back to previous section -- Forward to next section -- Return to Table of Contents
MASON AND RANDOLPH
Robert Mason was far from being unmindful of his interest in New Hampshire, but for several years after the return of the commissioners, little attention was paid him by the English government. Mason, however, was not idle; and at a favorable opportunity, he again petitioned the king to put him in possession of his rights. This petition was referred to the attorney-general and the solicitor-general, for their opinion. In due time they reported, that "John Mason, Esq., grandfather to the petitioner, by virtue of several grants from the Council of New England, under their common seal, was instated in fee in sundry great tracts of land in New England, by the name of New Hampshire; and that the petitioner being heir-at-law to the said John had a good and legal title to said lands."
In March, 1676, the Massachusetts government was ordered to send agents to England within six months, to answer to the complaints of Mason and Gorges. This order, with copies of the complaints, was sent over by Edward Randolph, a relative of Mason. He was also directed by the Lords of Trade and Plantations, to inquire into the state of the country.
Having delivered to the governor of Massachusetts the documents entrusted to him, he came into New Hampshire, in July, where he openly proclaimed the object of his visit, and publicly read a letter addressed by Mason to the inhabitants, and endeavored to excite a feeling of disaffection towards the government. He found individuals ready to complain of Massachusetts, and to seek to be released from her jurisdiction; but the great body of the people preferred to remain as they were, and were indignant at Randolph's proceedings.
The people of Dover, in town meeting assembled, September 1, denounced Mason's claims, professed satisfaction with the government of Massachusetts and appointed Major Waldron to petition the king to let them remain as they were.
The same day, at a town meeting in Portsmouth, it was voted that a similar petition signed by the inhabitants of that town be sent to the king, and four leading citizens were appointed to draft and forward it.
The next day, at a town meeting in Hampton, Mr. Seaborn Cotton, pastor of the church, and Samuel Dalton were appointed "to draw up a declaration or testimony, concerning their desires to continue under the Massachusetts government, and to clear themselves from having any hand in damnifying Mr. Mason, either in his lands or government; and for the full vindication of their rights, to request the General Court to prosecute the same to full effect."
By these instructions to their committee, the town probably intended to declare that they did not consider Mason's claims as having any validity; and, consequently, neither in refusing to pay him rents, nor in their allegiance to Massachusetts, did they at all interfere with his rights either of property or jurisdiction, or in any way do him an injury. On the contrary, their own rights rather than his had been invaded: and these, they called upon the government to vindicate and protect.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line12
|
__label__wiki
| 0.803796
| 0.803796
|
Taking Up Time: Pamela Fitzgerald Keeps Town's Memorial Clock Going
Pamela Fitzgerald Keeps Town's Memorial Clock Going
By Aubry Bracco
Hampton Union, Friday, June 12, 2009
[The following article is courtesy of the Hampton Union and Seacoast Online.]
The Ellen T. Brown clock, which sits atop the Hampton Falls Baptist Church, was a gift to the town in 1894.
[Aubry Bracco photo]
HAMPTON FALLS -- Every three days Pamela Fitzgerald tends to "Ellen."
For those who have never visited Ellen, the trek can be tricky, but to Fitzgerald, the journey is second nature. After she opens a trap door above her head, Fitzgerald heaves herself up a ladder to a landing surrounded by insulation and dust motes before resuming the climb on a second ladder, which leads to the platform where Ellen lives.
The 115-year-old, Ellen is accustomed to Fitzgerald's routine, and Fitzgerald is attuned to Ellen's every need.
Ellen T. Brown is the town of Hampton Falls' Memorial Gift Clock, which resides at the top of the Hampton Falls Baptist Church. Pamela Fitzgerald is the woman who ensures the clock keeps ticking.
While some would consider winding the clock a chore, Fitzgerald doesn't view the task as such.
"It's not (a chore) if you take care of someone," Fitzgerald said. "I take care of Ellen. I don't say 'I wind the clock.'"
Fitzgerald, who has lived in town for 41 years, assumed the position on Jan. 17, 2006, and has continued to wind the clock "three years in faith."
Memorial gifts and 'The White Spire'
Although there are some conflicting accounts, historical records uncovered by Assistant Director of the Lane Memorial Library Bill Teschek and Hampton history volunteer John M. Holman indicate Ellen T. Brown was born Ellen Theresa Knapp on June 23, 1833. On July 19, 1855, 22-year-old Ellen married 24-year-old John T. Brown, who worked as a merchant. Records indicate they both resided in Newburyport, Mass.
A year after Ellen T. Brown's death in 1893, her husband gave a tower clock to Hampton Falls in memory of his wife. The clock faces, visible just below the steeple of the Hampton Falls Baptist Church, do not bear standard analog clock numbers, but letters that, when read clockwise, spell the phrase: "Memorial Gift."
"It's a great love story," Fitzgerald said.
John T. Brown also gifted similar clocks to Hampton and Newbury in honor of Ellen. The Hampton clock resided in the Odd Fellows Block building in Hampton until the building burned down on Jan. 27, 1990. The clock was saved, but is no longer on display.
The Memorial Clock, which was designed by the E. Howard Clock Company of Waltham, Mass., was one of the company's No. 2 tower clocks, which were designed in two models for tower clocks with different size dials and bells.
John T. Brown's donation to the town isn't the only gift that was made in a loved one's memory.
According Warren Brown's "History of Hampton Falls," the church's bell, located a level above the platform that accommodates the clock, was presented to the church by the wife of John Dodge in his memory in 1892.
The clock and bell are also accompanied by the Hampton Falls Baptist Church steeple, which was built in 1859. According to Fitzgerald, the steeple was known as the "white spire because it was the first lit steeple in New England."
In the days before the trees had obscured the view, Fitzgerald said men working on the salt marshes could see the steeple and view the time as they harvested hay. According to Fitzgerald, the clock face facing the marshes was purposely made larger for easy reading.
Taking care of Ellen
When she winds the clock so the mechanism regulating the time continues to run, Fitzgerald must crank the metal key between seven and 11 times. The mechanism, which operates the clock's chimes, requires between 98 and 107 rigorous rotations.
As a warning to keep up the every-three-day routine, Fitzgerald doesn't need to look much further than a wooden post adjacent to the clock, which bears a message from a resident who learned what happens when the clock is left unwound for a week or more.
Fitzgerald points out the message scratched into the post in pencil.
"Wayne Barker," it reads, "247 winds."
Fitzgerald said she laughs to herself when she sees people around town jogging or bicycling.
"I can show them real exercise," she said.
In addition to the strenuous process of repetitive winding, the room where the clock is kept can be stifling in warmer weather. Fitzgerald said she has developed "rippling muscles" from her work at the top of the church. According to Fitzgerald, the mechanism was "definitely intended for a man's body."
Although many have tended to the clock over the years, including Francis Ferreira Jr., Wayne Barker, Charlie Akerman, Harold Follansbee, David Burditt, Bernie Mark and Gene Heal, Fitzgerald said that to her knowledge, she is the first female to assume full-time clock-winding responsibility.
Evidence of the town's past clock winders can be viewed on the walls of the clock room. Habitual, first-time and one-time clock winders have inscribed their names on the wood of the original clock box, which lines the walls of the space where the Ellen T. Brown clock is kept.
Fitzgerald credits Hampton Falls' strong culture of service and dedicated volunteers for taking the time to preserve the clock and keep the time running. In particular, Fitzgerald said Ferreira has been "very good and very faithful." Fitzgerald said Ferreira "does a lot for this town and never wants credit."
"He is the example I follow," she added.
In addition to individual volunteers, the town has worked to maintain the clock over the years. According to town reports from 2004 and 2005, voters approved a total of $12,000 that was used to reconstruct the clock's faces.
"The clock is quite a gift," Fitzgerald said. "I'm glad the town has kept it up."
At some point, Fitzgerald admitted, she would love if the town would look into purchasing an "auto wind."
For the time being, Fitzgerald intends to keep winding the clock until another volunteer decides to take over. According to Fitzgerald, education is the first step in preserving pride in Hampton Falls' historical resources, one of which is the Ellen T. Brown memorial clock.
"We need to continue to take care of what our forefathers gave us," she said. "It's a gift.
"When you are given a gift you don't put it in the attic, you put it on display and take care of it," she said.
Pamela Fitzgerald, the keeper of the Ellen T. Brown clock at the Hampton Falls Baptist Church, tends to the clock's inner workings.
Pamela Fitzgerald has been keeper of the Ellen T. Brown clock at Hampton Falls Baptist Church since Jan. 17 2006.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line13
|
__label__cc
| 0.605993
| 0.394007
|
Chris Sarns Wed, 01/06/2010 - 12:28pm
Summary and Analysis of "National Security Alert" by Chris Sarns
Citizens Investigation Team
national security alert
Pentagon Flyover
12-31-09 revised 7-12-10
Like many others I was impressed with the Citizen Investigation Team (CIT) video "National Security Alert" (NSA) when I saw it for the first time. I thought that the unanimous testimony of the witnesses confirmed the north flight path of American Airlines flight 77, but I could not see how that in any way proved their "flyover theory". I did not give the "flyover" theory much thought because it seemed to be a minor point. As it turns out, the strong evidence for the north flight path was just the "hook", and "flyover" was actually their main point.
Chris Sarns's blog
Kevin Fenton Wed, 12/16/2009 - 9:26am
NSA Deputy Director: What Al-Qaeda Meeting?
Barbara McNamara
Gordon Lederman
Lorry Fenner
The most senior NSA official interviewed by the 9/11 Commission with a memo of interview in the recently released batch is undoubtedly Barbara McNamara. She joined the agency in 1963 and held a series of senior management positions, culminating in being deputy director from 1997 to 2000, before being put out to pasture as the NSA’s representative to London.
This is quite the most remarkable passage of the memo:
She does not recall being personally [asked] to provide about transcripts or raw data for [counterterrorism]. NSA has analysts posted across the community. But sharing of raw data is not done routinely by NSA unless they get a specific request for a specific item. She said that she does not remember people asking for raw data, but if they wanted it NSA would have provided it, particularly if they were called by the [CIA Director] or [Deputy CIA Director] or [Assistant CIA Director for Collection].
NSA Drafted 'Retrospective' on 9/11 Failings after Attacks
The National Security Agency drafted a "9/11 Retrospective" following the 2001 attacks, according to a document recently released by the National Archives.
Although an unclassified version of the Justice Department inspector general’s report into the FBI’s performance before 9/11 was published in full in 2006 and the executive summary of a parallel report by the CIA inspector general was released in 2007, this is the first known mention of any NSA review about its failings before the attacks.
The document released by the National Archives is an undated memo of an interview conducted by the 9/11 Commission of an unnamed NSA manager. The manager served as a congressional liaison in the late 1990s and then as a counterintelligence chief from 2000 to 2003. The memo was released last week and was also uploaded to the 9/11 Document Archive at Scribd by History Commons contributor Erik Larson.
Jon Gold Fri, 06/19/2009 - 9:56am
Did Cheney Receive Information About 9/11 From The NSA Prior To 9/11?
Thanks to www.historycommons.org
(Spring 2000): NSA Does Not Inform FBI Hijacker Almihdhar Is in US, Reason Unclear
loose nuke Tue, 06/09/2009 - 11:24pm
The Current Battle against State Secrets Privilege: ‘Sanitization’ is not the answer By Sibel Edmonds
Al-Haramain
Al-Masri
Binyam Mohamed
Douglas Dickerson
Mark Zaid
Richard Barlow
Sibel Edmonds
state secrets privilege
Posted in full for posterity; please visit the original and support Sibel Edmonds, 123realchange.blogspot.com and NSWBC.org:
http://123realchange.blogspot.com/2009/06/current-battle-against-state-secrets.html
During the past few months I have been actively following the latest activity on the state secrets privilege (SSP). First, I was pleasantly surprised to see that this issue of extreme importance to our civil liberties and constitutional rights was finally getting long-over-due and deserved attention from the media. After all, the memories of fighting SSP in the federal courts all the way up to the Supreme Court, holding press conferences together with the ACLU to bring needed media attention to this draconian abuse, making the rounds in Congress to have them address this ‘privilege’ through legislation to restrict its misuse and abuse, are still fresh and vivid for me.
loose nuke Thu, 04/16/2009 - 7:09am
N.S.A.’s Intercepts Exceed Limits Set by Congress
illegal spying
james risen
warrantless wiretapping
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/us/16nsa.html?_r=1&hp
By ERIC LICHTBLAU and JAMES RISEN
WASHINGTON — The National Security Agency intercepted private e-mail messages and phone calls of Americans in recent months on a scale that went beyond the broad legal limits established by Congress last year, government officials said in recent interviews.
Several intelligence officials, as well as lawyers briefed about the matter, said the N.S.A. had been engaged in “overcollection” of domestic communications of Americans. They described the practice as significant and systemic, although one official said it was believed to have been unintentional.
Reprehensor Wed, 03/11/2009 - 7:38am
"Eavesdropping on the World" - Mark Gaffney takes a look at Bamford's 'Shadow Factory'
E-4B
James Bamford
Mark Gaffney
(When Mark Gaffney first published his article on "The 9/11 Mystery Plane" at the Journal of 9/11 Studies (PDF), representatives from CNN contacted him and asked Gaffney to "pull it", supposedly due to his use of some CNN screen captures. The article did eventually go back up, and a couple of months later, Anderson Cooper covered the E-4B's appearance on his CNN show. Can you say, "Damage Control"? Cooper covered the 9/11 blogospheric links mentioning Gaffney's article, [including some free advertising for 911blogger], while somehow studiously avoiding any mention of Gaffney's article or the Journal. Ultimately, this only inspired Gaffney to write one of the best books on 9/11 to be published in the last six months, "The 9/11 Mystery Plane: And the Vanishing of America". If you can afford to in this troubled economy, please purchase a copy to show some support for Mr. Gaffney and his publisher, TrineDay. In the piece below, Gaffney provides his observations on Bamford's latest NSA book, which like Kevin Fenton's, are very critical of Bamford's support of the official 9/11 story. -rep.)
Eavesdropping on the World
James Bamford’s new book comes up short on 9/11
by Mark H. Gaffney - March 11, 2009
In January 2009, during Israel’s ferocious attacks on Gaza, there were numerous reports on the Internet that Israeli Prime Minister Olmert had boasted about “wagging the US dog.” Supposedly Olmert bragged that he had pulled Bush off a stage while the president was making a speech and demanded that Bush block a UN Security Council cease-fire resolution. The US had already vetoed an earlier cease-fire resolution in late December, but by the eighth of January, with the death toll rapidly mounting in Gaza, Israel’s war against Hamas was wearing thin. For days US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice had been working with Arab and European governments to craft a cease-fire resolution that every member of the Security Council would support, including the US.
Reprehensor's blog
Mixed Reaction to James Bamford’s Spy Factory – Precious Truths Surrounded by a Body of Secrets
Alec Station
Doug Miller
Mark Rossini
I just watched PBS Nova’s Spy Factory with James Bamford and I have a number of comments about it, both good and bad.
Starting off with the good, having been writing about al-Qaeda’s communications hub in Yemen for the last two years, I was thrilled to actually see it on the screen. Bamford actually went to Yemen and filmed it from the outside, shame he didn’t go in.
(snip)
The first and most glaring omission is Alec Station deputy chief Tom Wilshire, who was not mentioned at all in the programme. It went into some detail about the blocking of the cable written by Doug Miller, an FBI detailee to Alec Station, to FBI headquarters about Almihdhar’s US visa, but this was attributed merely to the CIA officer we refer to as “Michelle.” Wilshire was her boss, she blocked the cable on his orders, and Bamford knows this well—he wrote it in the book this programme was based on.
LeftWright Wed, 02/04/2009 - 7:50am
PBS "NOVA: Inside The Spy Factory" comment forum is now open!
(You can watch the documentary here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/spyfactory/program.html )
In case anyone didn't already know, PBS broadcast a very slick and almost unbelievable hour long attempt to reinforce the "incompetence theory" of 9/11.
Comments are now open and registration is pretty straightforward.
Kyle Hence has made a good start, let's give him plenty of support!
http://discussions.pbs.org/viewforum.pbs?f=257
I think we should also demand an hour to correct the record, email the ombudsman at PBS, Michael Getler, at:
http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/feedback.html
or call him at:
Be civil, have your facts in order and keep it short and to the point.
Let's let PBS know that we are watching, brothers and sisters, and that we don't buy the BIG LIE.
The truth shall set us free. Love is the only way forward.
LeftWright's blog
Reprehensor Sun, 01/04/2009 - 3:06pm
Israeli Wiretappers, the NSA, and 9/11
Amdocs
Christopher Ketcham
Gerald Shea
(James Bamford has done another great deed for the public by revealing the extent of the NSA's wiretapping on U.S. soil, and how the NSA sub-contracts the vast majority of its work to Israeli high-tech firms bristling with "former" Israeli military intelligence agents, and in the case of Verint, a company with serious corruption issues. It was Bamford who popularized the existence of Operation Northwoods in his 2001 book, Body of Secrets. In The Shadow Factory, he sheds light in the secret rooms of Verizon and AT&T, and shows the NSA to be a very poor custodian of the nation's security.)
Bamford Brings the Goods
On October 14, 2008, James Bamford talked about some of the shocking research in his new book on Democracy Now!, with Amy Goodman;
(Continued below the fold...)
Shumonik Wed, 10/15/2008 - 6:56am
James Bamford's dubious sense of irony when it comes to Israeli firms cornering the market on NSA's major "mass surveillance"
Michael Hayden
Verint
Although I am quite happy Amy Goodman is covering this stuff and that Bamford has at least put this on the table, there is definitely an odd way that Bamford has of using the word irony. He actually uses it correctly (semantically that is) when talking about the alleged hijackers living across the highway from Hayden's NSA office. That exchange is here:
AMY GOODMAN: You say that they set up their final base of operations almost next door to the NSA headquarters in Laurel, Maryland?
Shumonik's blog
Jon Gold Tue, 10/14/2008 - 8:24pm
James Bamford On DemocracyNOW
James Bamford: “The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America”
Click Here (RealPlayer)
AMY GOODMAN: Jim Bamford, can you talk about how the NSA picked up the very first clues about the 9/11 attacks well before the 9/11 attacks?
JAMES BAMFORD: Well, the very first clue to the 9/11 attack occurred in late December 1999, when the NSA picked up a message from a house in Yemen. The house was being used by bin Laden as his operations center. He didn’t have much capability to operate out of Afghanistan, so all the phone calls, all the messages, email and all that would go to this house in the city of Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. NSA had been eavesdropping on that house for a number of years, and in late December 1999, it picked up a particular intercept, picked up a particular phone conversation.
Shumonik Sat, 09/20/2008 - 3:58pm
WeAreChangeLA confronts CIA Director Michael V. Hayden on the controlled demolition of the Constitution and 9/11 treason
On September 16, 2008, CIA Director and former Director of the NSA Michael V. Hayden came to speak to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council. WeAreChangeLA decided to go and join the conversation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D1wThnJo3Y
Stewart Howe, taking the civil approach while referencing a speech Hayden gave to the CFR last year, asked the Director whether, in the post-9/11 United States of America, we were, in fact, witnessing the controlled demolition of the Constitution and Bill of Rights under the guise of a War on Terror.
Kevin Fenton Tue, 07/29/2008 - 1:21am
Main Core Can Be A Key to 9/11
Main Core
Salon recently published an article entitled Exposing Bush's historic abuse of power about a database known as Main Core. The article was focused on domestic surveillance in the US and connected up with a lot of other threads I have noticed swirling around 9/11. It strikes me that this could be the key to uncovering how the intelligence agencies, in particular the NSA, failed in the run up to 9/11 (and a lot more besides), and I will try and explain here how and why I think Main Core could be linked to the attacks.
Given that the article also said that lawmakers are considering the launch of an investigation modelled on the Church Committee into the programme, as well as other aspects of surveillance, this represents a very decent chance of getting to the bottom of what actually happened.
Continued at the History Commons Groups blog.
loose nuke Sat, 05/10/2008 - 4:13pm
Film Exposes the Seduction of Secrecy
abuse of secrecy
Congressional Quarterly
CQPolitics
Jeff Stein
By Jeff Stein, CQ National Security Editor
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=hsnews-000002721511&parm1=5&cpage=1
"Eight years later came 9/11, famously labeled a failure to “connect the dots.” Eyewash. The CIA, FBI and others had dots. They hoarded them like marbles."
So, was the "failure to prevent" an intentional act to further an agenda, as well as treason and mass murder by US policy makers- or more like manslaughter, only involving "incompetence", criminal negligence, dereliction of duty and horrendous administrative and policy decisions rooted in ignorance, territoriality, ego, partisanship, spite, suspicion- or just the inevitable, "blameless" result an institutionalized culture of secrecy that "supposedly" has been changed? Instead of pursuing these questions, he continues with secrecy issues, the subject of the film being reviewed (in CQ Politics). Article has a nice summary of the bin Laden satellite phone-1998 NSA leak publication-Bush propaganda. In reference to abuse of secrecy:
"Well, that’s the problem, isn’t it? A government of men, as it were, not laws.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line14
|
__label__wiki
| 0.735843
| 0.735843
|
rock alternative rock alternative indie rock indie Add to favorites
The Raconteurs are an alternative rock band, formed in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in 2005. The band consists of Jack White (vocals, guitar), Brendan Benson (vocals, guitar), Jack Lawrence (bass) and Patrick Keeler (drums). The band considers themselves to be a "new band made up of old friends" and the members are also members of other rock groups: White was a member of The White Stripes (and, along with Lawrence, is also a member of The Dead Weather), Benson is a solo singer/songwriter and Lawrence and Keeler are members of The Greenhornes.
The band has released three albums, 2006's "Broken Boy Soldiers", 2008's Consolers of the Lonely and 2019's Help Us Stranger.
Dean Fertita from The Waxwings did live keyboards for the band in 2006; he also played in Brendan Benson's band and is now touring with Queens Of The Stone Age, and is a member of White and Lawrence's band The Dead Weather.
The band had to change their name in Australia, since there already was a band named The Raconteurs there. The band is referred to as The Saboteurs in Australia.
1) Steady, as She Goes
2) Salute Your Solution
3) Hands
4) Consoler of the Lonely
5) Level
6) Broken Boy Soldier
7) Blue Veins
8) Together
9) Old Enough
10) Store Bought Bones
11) Intimate Secretary
12) Many Shades of Black
13) Top Yourself
14) Yellow Sun
15) You Don't Understand Me
16) Call It a Day
17) Carolina Drama
18) The Switch and the Spur
19) Hold Up
20) Attention
21) Five on the Five
22) Rich Kid Blues
23) These Stones Will Shout
24) Pull This Blanket Off
25) Now That You're Gone
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line15
|
__label__wiki
| 0.922421
| 0.922421
|
The Drill: Overall contenders at Tour de France
Tejay van Garderen leads Americans into Tour de France
OVERALL CONTENDERS AT TOUR DE FRANCE
A look at the top contenders for overall victory in the 103rd Tour de France, which starts Saturday at Mont-Saint-Michel:
Chris Froome: The overwhelming favorite after his victories in 2013 and 2015, Froome is aiming to join an elite club of just seven riders who have won cycling's biggest event at least three times.
Born in Kenya and representing Britain, the 31-year-old Froome will be supported by a Sky squad that is considered the sport's best.
Froome enters in top form, having won the Criterium du Dauphine warmup race — just as he did before his two Tour victories.
Nairo Quintana: A pure climber and a two-time runner-up at the Tour, Quintana is looking to make his breakthrough in the Grande Boucle. Having finished second to Froome in his Tour debut in 2013 at age 23, Quintana won the Giro d'Italia in 2014 and returned to the Tour in 2015, only to finish second to Froome again.
Alberto Contador: At 33, Contador could be in his last chance to take a third Tour victory.
Last year, the Spaniard with the Tinkoff team made a declared attempt to follow up his Giro victory with a Tour triumph and finished only fifth, acknowledging he ran out of steam.
This year, Contador has built his entire season around the Tour, finishing fifth in the Dauphine, 35 seconds behind Froome, and winning the Tours of Catalunya and Basque Country.
Richie Porte and Tejay van Garderen: Australian standout Porte and top American rider van Garderen are joint co-captains of the BMC team.
Previously with Sky, the 31-year-old Porte was the top support rider for both of Froome's Tour wins and for Bradley Wiggins' yellow jersey ride in 2012. Now he has a chance to challenge Froome.
First, though, Porte may have to battle van Garderen for leadership within BMC. The 27-year-old Van Garderen was in third place when he had to abandon last year's race in tears due to illness during Stage 17.
Romain Bardet and Thibaut Pinot: Bardet and Pinot represent the best chance to give France its first home winner since Bernard Hinault's fifth and final win in 1985.
Riding for the AG2R La Mondiale team, Bardet finished second behind Froome in the Dauphine.
FDJ rider Pinot, who placed third in the 2014 Tour, has shown improved time trial performance this season.
Fabio Aru and Vincenzo Nibali: At 25, Aru is attempting to win the Tour on his race debut. A climbing specialist, Aru won the Spanish Vuelta last year and has also achieved two podium results at the Giro in his short but successful career.
Aru is expecting to be paced through the mountains by fellow Italian Nibali on the deep Astana team. Fresh off a dramatic Giro win where he took the pink jersey on the penultimate stage, Nibali is meant to use the Tour as preparation for the Olympics. But having won the Tour in 2014, Nibali could take over team leadership if Aru struggles.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line21
|
__label__wiki
| 0.53604
| 0.53604
|
DR. PAUL C. SCHNOEBELEN
Dr. Paul C. Schnoebelen graduated from St. Ambrose in 1909, completing with
honor his work in the Classical Course. The following year he entered St. Louis University, beginning his studies in pre-medics. Later he took up medicine and in 1916
received his M. D. degree. While a student at the University he was prominent in all
activities. Among the many honors conferred upon him there, were the appointment
as Archon of the Phi Beta Pi Fraternity in 1914, the office of Class President in 1915,
and the Editorship of the Archive in the same year. On the Varsity football teams of
'14, '15 and '16 he was one of the stars.
After his graduation from the Medical Department of the University, he was chosen
as an interne at St. John's Hospital and there served during 1916 and 1917. When
war was declared with Germany, he enlisted in the Medical Corps and received the
appointment to a lieutenancy. He was, however, placed in the Reserve and the conflict was over before he was given an opportunity to see service. During this time he
was one of the Medical Advisory Board of St. Louis.
In 1918 Dr. Schnoebelen entered into a partnership with Drs. Engleback and
Tierney, and at present the three are engaged in the practice of internal medicine.
They have complete control of the x-ray work of St. John's Hospital, one of the best
and largest hospitals in St. Louis. Dr. Schnoebelen, in June, 1919, was chosen as a
member of the staff of this institution, and, at the present time, he and his partners are
engaged in the very successful prosecution of their medical work.
Transcript DR. PAUL C. SCHNOEBELEN Dr. Paul C. Schnoebelen graduated from St. Ambrose in 1909, completing with honor his work in the Classical Course. The following year he entered St. Louis University, beginning his studies in pre-medics. Later he took up medicine and in 1916 received his M. D. degree. While a student at the University he was prominent in all activities. Among the many honors conferred upon him there, were the appointment as Archon of the Phi Beta Pi Fraternity in 1914, the office of Class President in 1915, and the Editorship of the Archive in the same year. On the Varsity football teams of '14, '15 and '16 he was one of the stars. After his graduation from the Medical Department of the University, he was chosen as an interne at St. John's Hospital and there served during 1916 and 1917. When war was declared with Germany, he enlisted in the Medical Corps and received the appointment to a lieutenancy. He was, however, placed in the Reserve and the conflict was over before he was given an opportunity to see service. During this time he was one of the Medical Advisory Board of St. Louis. In 1918 Dr. Schnoebelen entered into a partnership with Drs. Engleback and Tierney, and at present the three are engaged in the practice of internal medicine. They have complete control of the x-ray work of St. John's Hospital, one of the best and largest hospitals in St. Louis. Dr. Schnoebelen, in June, 1919, was chosen as a member of the staff of this institution, and, at the present time, he and his partners are engaged in the very successful prosecution of their medical work.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line23
|
__label__wiki
| 0.555922
| 0.555922
|
bbs.english.sina.com » Current Affairs » NJ chemist convicted of fatally poisoning husband
NJ chemist convicted of fatally poisoning husband
A chemist accused of fatally poisoning her estranged husband with a toxic metal she got at work was convicted Tuesday of murder.
Tianle Li, a former employee of New York City-based biopharmaceuticals company Bristol-Myers Squibb, also was found guilty by a Middlesex County jury of hindering prosecution. Li, 43, will be sentenced to 30 years to life in prison when she returns to court in September, prosecutors said.
Li killed Xiaoye Wang, a computer software engineer, while they were divorcing by giving him thallium, a tasteless, odorless poison, which she ordered through work in 2010. The heavy metal, which has been used in rat poison but is banned for consumer use in the United States, can be fatal in tiny doses and is difficult to detect in lab tests.
The government accused Li of slipping the chemical into her husband's food in the weeks before he died on Jan. 26, 2011, because she didn't want the divorce.
Wang, 39, admitted himself to a hospital in Princeton on Jan. 14, 2011, the day their divorce was to be finalized. He complained of abdominal pain and numbness in his hands and feet. Tests completed the day before he died determined he had been poisoned with thallium.
Li's lawyer said there was no proof she had poisoned her husband. Li's denial that she had obtained thallium through her job led to the hindering conviction.
Wang, who was from China, met his future wife while earning a doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania. They lived in the central New Jersey town of Monroe and had a young son.
The couple had been involved in a series of domestic disturbances starting in early 2009.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line25
|
__label__wiki
| 0.848139
| 0.848139
|
/ MIT researchers to receive awards from the Society for Neuroscience
MIT researchers to receive awards from the Society for Neuroscience
Julie Pryor | McGovern Institute for Brain Research
Fang Zhang, Sung-Yon Kim, Tomaso Poggio
Three neuroscientists at MIT have been selected to receive awards from the Society for Neuroscience (SfN).
Tomaso Poggio, a founding member of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, will receive the Swartz Prize for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience; Feng Zhang, a member of the McGovern Institute and an assistant professor in the departments of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Biological Engineering, will receive the Young Investigator Award; and Sung-Yon Kim, a Simons postdoctoral fellow of the Life Sciences Research Foundation at MIT, will receive the Donald B. Lindsley Prize in Behavioral Neuroscience.
The awards will be presented during Neuroscience 2014, the SfN’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
Swartz Prize for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience
The $25,000 Swartz Prize for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience, supported by the Swartz Foundation, recognizes an individual who has produced a significant cumulative contribution to theoretical models or computational methods in neuroscience.
“Dr. Poggio’s contributions to the development of computational and theoretical models of the human visual system have served to advance our understanding of how human systems learn from experience,” said Carol Mason, president of SfN. “It is an honor to recognize him as a founder and driving force in the field of computational neuroscience.”
Poggio, the Eugene McDermott Professor in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and the director of the Center for Brains, Minds and Machines, develops computational models of the brain to understand human intelligence. Specifically, he has developed models that mimic the ways that humans learn to recognize objects, such as faces, and actions, such as motion — applications now present in digital cameras and some cars. Poggio is currently working to develop more complex models that mimic the forward as well as feedback signals that the human brain uses during visual recognition. The ultimate goal of this research is to better understand how the brain works and to apply this technology to build intelligent machines.
Young Investigator Award
The SfN has also named two winners of this year’s Young Investigator Award: Feng Zhang of MIT and Diana Bautista of the University of California at Berkeley.
The $15,000 award recognizes the outstanding achievements and contributions by a young neuroscientist who has recently received his or her advanced professional degree.
“Drs. Zhang and Bautista are two young neuroscientists who have demonstrated remarkable dedication to their work,” Mason said. “Their creative research is advancing their respective fields, and their commitment to helping other scientists succeed is an inspiration to us all.”
Zhang, who is also a core member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and the W. M. Keck Career Development Professor in Biomedical Engineering, uses synthetic biology methods to study brain disease.
As a graduate student at Stanford University, Zhang was instrumental in advancing the development of optogenetic technology, which allows researchers to manipulate genetically modified neurons with light. More recently, Zhang was a leader in the development of the CRISPR-Cas9 method for genome editing – a powerful new technology with many applications in biomedical research, including the potential to treat human genetic disease.
Donald B. Lindsley Prize in Behavioral Neuroscience
The SfN will award the Donald B. Lindsley Prize to Sung-Yon Kim, a postdoc in Kwanghun Chung’s lab at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory.
Supported by The Grass Foundation, the prize recognizes an outstanding PhD thesis in the area of general behavioral neuroscience.
Kim, who earned his PhD at Stanford University, used optogenetics to study the brain circuits underlying anxiety.
“The Society is pleased to honor Dr. Kim’s groundbreaking research in the neuroanatomical basis of anxiety behavior,” said Mason. “His approach to behavioral neuroscience will likely have a broad and lasting impact on biology and medicine.”
Understanding how we recognize objects using visual data
Video courtesy of MIT's ILP program
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line27
|
__label__cc
| 0.659137
| 0.340863
|
European network on applications of Atomic Force Microscopy to NanoMedicine and Life Sciences acronym: AFM4NanoMed&Bio
The main objective of the COST Action is to further develop and transfer the biophysical achievements of Atomic Force Microscopy to NanoMedicine and clinical research.
Atomic Force Microscopy AFM) has become an enabling platform in nanotechnology. It has provided a great impact in Life Sciences and is becoming indispensable also in NanoMedicine. NanoMedicine is an emerging area, which focuses in imaging, early diagnosis, pathological tissue analysis, and drug delivery. Although significant efforts have been devoted to enhancing the performance of AFM, full exploitation of its capabilities has been hampered by the uncoordinated relationship between researchers active in fundamental sciences, and users in the biomedical field. In addition, due to the swift development of AFM, Life science scientists depend on collaboration with experts in physical sciences to utilize the power of AFM instrumentation. This COST Action aims at bundling the expertise of the most active European AFM laboratories with the biomedical scientific environment into a network to foster further enhancement of AFM instrumental development, and explore and support its extensive applications in Life Sciences and Nanomedicine. Similar to the evolution of the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance technique, which has evolved to enabling Magnetic Resonance Imaging and its widely use in clinical diagnosis, AFM holds the promise to perform the same transition. The result of this COST Action would be to shorten the transition period.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line28
|
__label__wiki
| 0.713134
| 0.713134
|
Equivalents in other units Click here to hide this
square miles
square inches
square centimeters
square kilometers
square millimeters
circular inches
circular mils
thousands of circular mills
dunams
square perches
virgates
feddans
arpents
nanoacres
Rollover a unit to see the conversion
How big is 423.60 square yards?
Closest first | Highest first | Lowest first
It's about as big as an IMAX screen.
An IMAX movie theater screen measures 22 m (72 ft) by 16 m (52 ft) for a total area of 423.60 square yards. Because the film used in an IMAX movie is more than eight times larger than regular film, the platters of a two-and-a-half hour feature film can weigh up to 250 kg (550 lbs).
Measurement source | Link to this result | How do I report a mistake on this? | How do I cite this?
It's about one-and-one-third times as big as a Tennis court.
In other words, 423.60 square yards is 1.35769230 times the size of a Tennis court, and the size of a Tennis court is 0.736543910 times that amount.
(per ITF specification; for doubles)
Per International Tennis Federation Rules of Tennis 2009, a doubles tennis court should measure 23.7744 m long by 10.9728 m, for a total area of about 311.866360 square yards. Courts may be surfaced with crushed red stone, shale, brick, hard-soil grass, or asphalt.
It's about seven-tenths as big as a Basketball court.
In other words, 423.60 square yards is 0.7146016870 times the size of a Basketball court, and the size of a Basketball court is 1.3993809670 times that amount.
(per NBA regulation)
Per NBA rules , a basketball court should measure 29.5656 m long by 16.764 m wide, for a total area of 592.77777780 square yards. The first basketball game, held in a Springfield Massachusetts YMCA, was played on a court half the size of today's NBA standard and ended with a score of 1-0.
It's about three-tenths as big as Fort Knox.
In other words, the size of Fort Knox is 3.330 times 423.60 square yards.
(a.k.a. the United States Bullion Depository, a.k.a. "Gold Vault") (Kentucky)
The United States Bullion Depository, commonly referred to by the metonym "Fort Knox" (in spite of the fact that the Depository is not located on the Fort proper), measures 32.0 m (105 ft) by 36.9 m (121 ft), for a total area of about 1,410 square yards. The Depository is most famous for housing the largest portion of the national gold reserve, but has also temporarily housed the original US Declaration of Independence, an original copy of the US Constitution, and other important documents, kept there for safe keeping during World War II.
It's about one-fourth as big as a Hockey rink.
In other words, 423.60 square yards is 0.2335026630 times the size of a Hockey rink, and the size of a Hockey rink is 4.28260640 times that amount.
(per NHL specification)
Per National Hockey League Official Rules, a hockey rink should measure 60.96 m long by 25.908 m wide with a corner arc radius of 8.5344 m, for a total area of about 1,814.112070 square yards. Ice hockey is believed to have developed from field hockey after players began holding games on ice rinks, which had been traditionally used for the sport of curling.
It's about one-fifteenth as big as Bill Gates' Home.
In other words, 423.60 square yards is 0.07916 times the size of Bill Gates' Home, and the size of Bill Gates' Home is 12.630 times that amount.
(Medina, Washington)
One of the largest homes in the world, Bill and Melinda Gates' home has a total area of 5,351 square yards, including 7 bedrooms, 24 bathrooms, 6 kitchens, 6 fireplaces, a 275.10 square yards gym, a 107.60 square yards dining room, and a 227.20 square yards library. It was designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, the same architectural firm responsible for the design of one of Apple Inc's flagship stores on Fifth Avenue in New York City.
It's about one-fifteenth as big as a Football field.
In other words, 423.60 square yards is 0.0661875 times the size of a Football field, and the size of a Football field is 15.108593010 times that amount.
(American) (per NFL regulation)
Per NFL rules, a football field should measure 109.728 m (120 yards) long by 48.768 m wide, for a total area of 6,400 square yards. Due to a blizzard, the first NFL playoff game in 1932 was held indoors in Chicago Stadium (it was also the first indoor game) on a field measuring just 55 m by 40.0 m, for a total area of 2,631.1781020 square yards.
Results Pages:
< 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 >
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line32
|
__label__cc
| 0.599351
| 0.400649
|
by Becky "Qapla'!" Topol
The straightforwardly-named Trains is based on a deck building mechanic, wherein you try to build up an efficient deck and use it to construct the largest, most powerful rail network possible. While the deck building component seems to be very similar to that of Dominion, Trains also incorporates the use of a two-sided board, with one side representing the Osaka region of Japan and the other side representing Tokyo. These hex-based boards allow you to physically place trains, stations, and the various other attractions and locations that your railways run to, rather than simply representing them with cards. As such, Trains also incorporates aspects of area control into the deck building formula. The ability to play in two different locations promises to further increase the replayability of this highly variable game. If you like rail games, deck building games, or want to see what else the deck building mechanic is capable of, Hisashi Hayashi’s Trains is definitely worth a look.
The Scoundrels of Skullport expansion for the super-popular Lords of Waterdeep is here! This highly-anticipated expansion is actually two expansions in one box. Skullport and Undermountain are both inspired by the criminal haven beneath the bustling city of Waterdeep, but each puts a unique new spin on the game. Skullport adds a new resource called Corruption, while Undermountain brings bigger quests and more ways to get adventures. Players can choose to add one or both of these expansions to their base game. It also includes new Lords, buildings, and everything you need to include a sixth player. Think you can control the criminal underworld of Waterdeep? Pick up Scoundrels of Skullport and find out!
Star Trek: Attack Wing combines the basic movement functions of Star Wars: X-Wing with the click wheel of Heroclix, all in the Star Trek universe. There are already a TON of models in the store, with ships from the Federation, the Romulan Empire, the Klingon Empire, and the Breen, each with its own set of special cards to add to the game. There’s a Corbomite Maneuver option, Tribble Tokens to gum up the works (especially if you have Klingon crew), and yes, the Kobayashi Maru is a mission option. Attack Wing can handle a huge number of players: If you have a ship, you can join in. If you have a grudge to settle, you can even pit Picard against Kirk as captains of opposing ships and settle once and for all who is superior. This game promises a wealth of characters and options that Trekkies will love (want to play as Scotty? Khan?), so grab some ships, build your fleet, and boldly go where no one has gone before!
New Arrivals This Week 8/27/13 to 9/2/13
The First 10 Minutes
New Arrivals This Week 8/6/13 to 8/12/13
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line37
|
__label__cc
| 0.67297
| 0.32703
|
March 23, 2019 Featured
Written by Charmaine
Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32* -
(…) Jesus continued, “There was a man with two sons. The younger said to his father, ‘Give me my share of the estate.’ So the father divided his property between them.
Some days later, the younger son gathered all his belongings and started off for a distant land, where he squandered his wealth in loose living. Having spent everything, he was hard pressed when a severe famine broke out in that land. So he hired himself out to a well- to-do citizen of that place, and was sent to work on a pig farm. So famished was he, that he longed to fill his stomach even with the food given to the pigs, but no one offered him anything.
Finally coming to his senses, he said, (…) I will get up and go back to my father, and say to him, Father, I have sinned against God, and before you. I no longer deserve to be called your son. Treat me then as one of your hired servants.’ With that thought in mind, he set off for his father’s house. He was still a long way off, when his father caught sight of him. His father was so deeply moved with compassion that he ran out to meet him, threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. The son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But the father turned to his servants: ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Bring out the finest robe and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet! Take the fattened calf and kill it! We shall celebrate and have a feast, for this son of mine was dead, and has come back to life; he was lost, and is found!’ And the celebration began. Meanwhile, the elder son had been working in the fields. (…) He called one answered, ‘Your brother has come home safe and sound, and your father is so happy about it that he has ordered this celebration, and killed the fattened calf.’ The elder son became angry, and refused to go in. His father came out and pleaded with him. (…) The father said, ‘My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But this brother of yours was dead, and has come back to life; he was lost, and is found. And for that we had to rejoice and be glad.’”
“Everything I have is yours.”
In reading this beloved parable, we typically focus on the remorse of the prodigal son, and the gratuitous mercy of his father. But another aspect of the story comes into focus when we consider the context. Jesus tells this story in reply to the “muttering” of the Pharisees and teachers of the law who were scandalized by Jesus’ welcome to sinners. Their counterpart in the story is the “elder son,” who looks on resentfully at the abundance of the Father’s love. In this context the story of God’s mercy has a more polemical edge.
It’s message is not so much directed at sinners, assuring them of God’s love and forgiveness—but against the righteous, religious people who would draw a circle around God’s love, one that includes them but excludes everyone else. Jesus does not exclude them—“you are always with me and everything I have is yours”—but how can he fail to rejoice that one who was dead has come back to life?
There are many things to feel indignant about. But the mercy of God is not one of them. Indignant as we are, that mercy extends to us, as well.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2019
Published in Daily Gospel
Latest from Charmaine
More in this category: « March 22, 2019 March 24, 2019 »
MUSIC MINISTRY RESOURCES
8 Mayumi St., U.P. Village, Diliman, Quezon City 1101
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line46
|
__label__wiki
| 0.838815
| 0.838815
|
Facebook Hints That Oculus Rift Isn’t Shipping This Year
The clues are piling up that the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset will not launch in retail by the end of the year.
Speaking on Facebook’s most recent quarterly earning call, the company’s chief financial officer David Wehner said that it has not announced any specific plans for shipment volumes in 2015 related to Oculus. “Oculus is very much in the development stage, so it’s very early to be talking about large shipment volumes,” Wehner said.
Oculus founder and inventor of the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset Palmer Luckey previously said that something would have to go “horribly wrong” to prevent the device from an official launch in 2015.
However, Luckey changed his position on the matter while speaking at an SXSW 2015 panel.
“I did say that before we made a lot of changes to our roadmap and we’ve expanded a lot of the ambition we had around the product and what we wanted to do,” Luckey said. “Us partnering with Facebook allowed us a lot of things that we wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise, like hire 300 people to be working on getting the Rift out as quickly as possible at the level we want it. I can’t comment on the date one way or another in either direction but I can say that nothing is going horribly wrong. Everything is going horribly right.”
Oculus could still surprise us and announce a release date for 2015, but given these two statements, that seems less likely.
Other competitors in the VR space have more firm plans. Valve and HTC’s VR headset, Vive, is set to launch this year, Sony’s Project Morpheus is set to launch in the first half of next year, and you can already buy the Innovator Edition of Samsung’s Gear VR (made in partnership with Oculus) at Best Buy.
Facebook Hints Isn't Oculus Rift Shipping This Year
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line47
|
__label__cc
| 0.612075
| 0.387925
|
Coastal amusement park in Sindhudurg: 7 yrs on, state starts land acquisition for ‘Sea World’
According to the original plan, the government had decided to acquire 1,390 acres for the core ‘Sea World’ as well as for the development of ancillary tourism facilities such as hotels, resorts and restaurants around it.
Seven years after it was first conceived, the BJP-led Maharashtra government has decided to give a push to the ambitious proposal of setting up a ‘Sea World’ or a coastal amusement park in Sindhudurg and started the land acquisition process.
The state government has decided to acquire 418 acres from landowners directly, instead of going through the district collector, to set up a tourist attraction on the lines of the US-based chain of water-themed amusement parks. The project was stalled for several years mainly due to resistance from local residents for land acquisition.
A senior official with the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation said, “We decided to deliberately acquire land through the private purchase route as the compensation can be as high as 3.75 times, so the landowners get a larger benefit. Also, it will expedite the entire process of land acquisition as a lot of procedural delays can be avoided.”
The ultra-mega project, expected to cost about Rs 6,300 crore, will come up in the villages of Tondavali and Vayangani in Sindhudurg district in the Konkan region, 471 kilometres away from Mumbai. The state government will implement the project on a public-private-partnership model. Officials estimated that the land acquisition would cost at least Rs 180 crore to Rs 200 crore and take at least a year to be completed.
The previous Congress-NCP government had first initiated the project in 2009, but faced stiff opposition from local villagers who did not wish to give up their lands. The two local gram sabhas had even passed resolutions against the project.
However, the Devendra Fadnavis-led government last year decided to scale it down to 350 acres, considering the local sentiments and dropped plans for land acquisition to create a tourism eco-system around the amusement park.
“We studied models all over the world and realised that such amusement parks can be comfortably built on land even smaller than 350 acres,” said a senior official with the state tourism department.
Accordingly, the government plans to acquire 350 acres for the sea world, another 50 acres to set up a skill development institute and the rest for beautification and a marina.
The official added that the government had started preliminary discussions with landowners, and except for at least 15 percent, the rest were on board.
Source: Indian Express
Read More: http://bit.ly/2miTaFV
Labels: buy land in India, expat projects, expat properties bangalore, expat properties feedback, invest in land
Coastal amusement park in Sindhudurg: 7 yrs on, st...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line50
|
__label__wiki
| 0.798583
| 0.798583
|
Randall J. Newsome Oral History Collection
NBA.011
University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library: National Bankruptcy Archives
Newsome, Randall J. (Randall Jackson), 1950-
77 audiotapes
Randall J. Newsome (b. 1950) graduated from the University of Cincinnati Law School in 1975. In 1998, Newsome was appointed to the Northern District of California's bankruptcy court, where he became Chief Judge in 2004. Randall Newsome has served as a faculty member for the Federal Judicial Center since 1987. He joined the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges in 1983, serving as President from 1998-1999. He is a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy. The collection (1993-2004) includes audio cassette tapes of interviews with important figures in bankruptcy law, conducted by Newsome.
[Identification of item], in the Randall J. Newsome Oral History Collection, National Bankruptcy Archives, NBA.011, Biddle Law Library, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia, PA.
http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017/d/ead/upenn_biddle_WpennlawbllarchivesfindingaidsPULNBA011eadxmlUSPUL
Randall J. Newsome was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1950. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati Law School in 1975. In 1982, Newsome was appointed judge to the United States Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of Ohio, where he remained until 1988. In 1998, Newsome moved to the Northern District of California's bankruptcy court, where he became Chief Judge in 2004.
Randall Newsome has served as a faculty member for the Federal Judicial Center since 1987. He joined the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges in 1983, serving as President from 1998-1999. He is a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy.
Newsome has contributed to a number of bankruptcy manuals, including Chapter 11: Theory and Practice and Collier on Bankruptcy. Starting in the early 1990s, Newsome used his position as both scholar and historian of bankruptcy law to interview a number of important bankruptcy figures.
The Randall J. Newsome Oral History Collection (1993-1998 and 2004) includes audio cassette tapes of interviews with important figures in bankruptcy law, conducted by Newsome.
University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library: National Bankruptcy Archives, 2006
The archives reserves the right to restrict access to materials of sensitive nature. Please contact the department for further information.
Acquisitions Information
Received from Randall J. Newsome in October 2006.
Processed and encoded by Jordon Steele, October 2006.
Existence and Location of Copies note
Digital reproductions of these oral histories are available electronically at http://www.law.upenn.edu/bll/archives/bankruptcy/digicoll/oralhistories.html.
American College of Bankruptcy
National Bankruptcy Conference (U.S.)
National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (U.S.)
Audiotapes
Oral histories (document genres)
Countryman, Vern
Duberstein, Conrad B., 1915-2005
Forman, Leon S., 1915-2006
Herzog, Asa S. (Asa Shaffer), 1903-1996
Kennedy, Frank R.
King, Lawrence P., 1929-2001
Lee, Joe, 1925-
Morton, Robert B. (Robert Ball), 1912-2005
Patchan, Joseph
Treister , George M., 1923-
Oral Histories, 1993-1998, 2004.
Arrangement note
Alphabetical.
Box Object
Babbit, Roy, 1994 May 3.
Countryman, Vern, 1995 June 2.
Coutrakon, Basil H., 1996 October 19.
Cyr, Conrad, 1994 October 8.
Danning, Curtis B., 1994 November 3.
Duberstein, Conrad, 1994 May 4.
Edwards, Don, 1996 November 19.
Forman, Leon, 1993 November 17.
Gross, Jack, 1996 April 23.
Herzog, Asa, 1993 October 23.
Horsky, Charles, 1994 May 11.
Hughes, Robert, 1996 January 20.
Kahn, A. David, 1994 April 13.
Kaplan, Jerome, 1994 May 15.
Kennedy, Frank, 1996 October 17.
King, Lawrence, 1993 October 19.
Lee, Joe, 1994 December 30.
Macey, Morris W., 1994 April 14.
Miller, Robert, 1998 October 23.
Morton, Robert, 1998 October 24.
Nachman, Norman, 1994 December 22.
Ordin, Robert, 1994 November 5.
Paskay, Alexander, 1994 April 12 and 1995 October 30 (?).
Patchan, Joseph, 1993 November 18.
Palmeri, Victor, 2004 October 26.
Rosen, Leonard, 1994 May 2.
Ryan, Edward, 1996 April 22.
Shapiro, Bernard, 1994 October 30.
Treister, George, 1994 July 9.
Trost, J. Ronald, 1994 May 2.
Watson, Chandler, 1994 October 7.
Weintraub, Benjamin, 1994 May 3.
White, Harold F., 1996 October 18.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line53
|
__label__wiki
| 0.748847
| 0.748847
|
La sécurité automobile est votre première priorité
Trump denies Russian income despite letter showing $100 million from Russian sources
Trump 'ready to resolve North Korea issue one way or another'
Pilot ejects from jet on U.S. aircraft carrier headed to Korea
North Korea Decides Against Starting World War III, At Least Today
UK: Royal Navy escorting 2 Russian warships through Channel
Pak court hands down death sentence to Kulbhushan Jadhav for spying
Trump veut verrouiller l'accès à l'asile
Le ministre de l'Education Rafi Peretz suscite l'indignation en Israël — Homosexualité
Donald Trump maintient ses attaques racistes contre quatre élues démocrates
Le maire de New York critiqué pour son absence — Panne d'électricité géante
Nétanyahou exhorte l'UE à ne pas sauver l'accord — Nucléaire iranien
PLUS DE NOUVELLES CATÉGORIES CE
CAL THOMAS: What price separation from Europe?
If you oppose Trump's decision to withdraw from the agreement, you're not alone. Thomas Oppermann , head of the Social Democrats' parliamentary group, tol...
Cavaliers vow more aggressive, decisive play against Warriors
And it worked splendidly for the two-time reigning MVP and Kevin Durant in their first Finals together. The Warriors got 14 offensive rebounds in Game 1 and a...
Israel condemns 'horrific' London terror attacks that killed 7
Holly Jones, a BBC reporter at the bridge when the incident happened, said a van had swerved off the road into a crowd of pedestrians. Around 50 people were ...
Pressure To Postpone UK Election After London Attacks
The three attackers had been wearing what looked like explosive vests that were later found to have been hoaxes. Police in the British capital said that a dea...
Apple set to expand Siri, taking different route from Amazon's Alexa
Google has its own smart speaker that was released in response to the Echo , though the Google Home clearly isn't putting much of a dent in Alexa speaker sa...
Hussain Nawaz sitting in JIT's interrogation room, leaked photo goes viral
A three-member bench comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Azmat Saeed Sheikh and Justice Ijazul Ahsan observed that "relationship alone with the politica...
China detains undercover activist probing Ivanka shoe supplier
Ivanka Trump has yet to comment. Trump is only one of the retailers that sell products made in the plant, but her unique position as the daughter of the USA ...
Apple readying Siri-powered home assistant
People familiar with the matter have said that Apple employees are already testing such devices at their homes . Speculation over what Apple will do to...
Eight Jurors, All White, Selected for Cosby Trial
The jury now consists of seven men and four women - all but one of them white - in a case that Cosby says may have racial undertones. When jurors were asked i...
Does President Trump Believe In Climate Change? Aides Won't Say
President Trump's triumphant Rose Garden ceremony announcing his withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement sent a message loud and clear to his supporters: ...
Michael Bloomberg pledges to pay USA share of Paris climate funding
Mr Trudeau tweeted that "we are deeply disappointed that the United States federal government has chose to withdraw form the Paris Agreement ", after Mr Tru...
North Korea: Kim Jong-Un Claims Ballistic Missile Ready For Mass Production
The South's Yonhap news agency said around 90 rounds were fired from a machine-gun at the object. North Korea has flown drones over the border in the past. Th...
France's Macron vows 'immediate retaliation' to Syria chemical attacks
Though he welcomed President Vladimir Putin to Versailles with a relatively brief and friendly handshake on Monday, Macron challenged the Russian presiden...
Leading UK election candidates answer TV audience questions
ICM for The Sun on Sunday gives the Tories a healthy 11-point lead, despite a slight tightening, with the Conservatives down one on 45% and Labour up two on...
London Bridge incident "terror related"
Several witnesses also reported hearing gunshots around London Bridge. Grande, who visited victims of the Manchester attack in the hospital on Friday, found...
Senior ministers say income tax 'will not rise' under Tories
This has always been a thorny topic for Corbyn, his views are somewhat detached from official party policy, and perhaps also a good chunk of the public. He said...
Iconic US diplomat Zbigniew Brzezinski dies at 89
The Polish-born academic was Carter's national security adviser during the Iranian hostage crisis. A registered Democrat once considered to be the answer to R...
Kevin McKenna: Impressive Corbyn betrayed by Scottish Labour charlatans
But she was accused by one audience member having "called an election for the good of the Conservative Party, and it's going to backfire on you". Mrs May to...
Ex-CIA Chief says to be wary of Kushner-Russia Claims
Although Trump regularly denies associations with Russia , he, his Trump Organization and his family have had financial relationships with Russians in the ...
May seen 13 seats short of majority - YouGov
There were dozens of seats "switching between us and them in key battlegrounds", a senior strategist for the Conservatives told Business Insider. Although, ...
Grande to return to stage today for Manchester benefit show
Ariana Grande's Manchester tribute concert will go ahead "loudly" and "with greater purpose" after Saturday's terror attack in London . "I am pleased to...
Jitters over pound give stock market a boost
While the model showed May's lead was narrowing, it estimated her Conservative party would still win 355 seats in the 650-seat parliament. Earlier in the sess...
NY officer dragged by car, critically injured; 2 in custody
After arriving, the officers found a party at the location and determined the sounds were really fireworks. Several people of interest are being interviewed, ...
May and Corbyn grilled on social care and defence by voters
Mr Corbyn said he would not "make any deals" with other parties. Asked if he would still like to be finance minister after the election, Hammond told the BBC:...
Manchester bomber 'acted alone in lead-up to atrocity'
More than 100 other concert-goers were wounded in the savage May 22 attack and authorities have arrested 16 people since the bombing . Numerous bomber's mov...
Defying Trump, US states, cities and firms unite behind Paris accord
Trump aides refused to say Friday whether the president still believes climate change is a hoax . "Generations from now, Americans will look back at Donald...
All the details of Ariana Grande's Manchester benefit concert
The benefit concert which was organised to raise funds for the benefit of the victims of the Manchester attack on May 22nd is scheduled to take place at the E...
Sinkhole closes vehicle entrance to Granville Island
City of Vancouver engineers have assessed the site and crews are beginning repairs to some sort of waterline break. Spokesperson Scott Fraser says vehicles he...
French people among London attack casualties
The attack occurred near the borough market and Vauxhall. There, they jumped out of the van and stabbed people, including a British Transport Police officer w...
London Mayor: Some injured in attack are in critical condition
Britain's general election will go ahead on Thursday, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sunday after a auto and stabbing attack in central London left at l...
South Africa's Jacob Zuma Denies Owning $25m Dubai Palace
Ngqulunga also said that the president had not received or seen emails mentioned in the article - and furthermore, he had "no knowledge of them". "If the Presid...
Former Juventus Star Oliseh Hails Real Madrid's UCL Win
In a sizzling first half, Cristiano Ronaldo put Real ahead before Mario Mandzukic's incredible overhead kick, one of the great European Cup final goals, deser...
Emmanuel Macron demande à Washington d'éviter toute décision précipitée — Climat
Le discours le plus attendu était celui de Donald Trump: le président américain a appelé les pays de l'Otan à se concentrer sur le terrorisme et " les men...
Sanders slams Trump for insulting Germany, publicly attacking Merkel
He also chided Trump for criticizing a "longstanding ally" after tweeting that Germany is not adhering to its North Atlantic Treaty Organisation military ...
London Bridge terror attack: Identity of attackers not known by police
Police boats were searching the Thames River - apparently looking for people who may have been thrown off the bridge. Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs a...
London Bridge attacks: What We Know So Far
INCIDENT TWO - Borough Market - Officers then responded to reports of stabbings in Borough Market - a busy area of pubs and restaurants. Theresa May is fa...
Macron Reveals 'Moment of Truth' Behind Hand Pump With Trump
The setting for a rematch was an outdoor photo op of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation leaders. In an interview with Journal du Dimanche , Macron said the...
Killed in Vehicle and Stabbing Incidents in London
Witnesses reported a vehicle hitting pedestrians and injured people on the ground. "We saw injured people on the road, injured people on the pavement", witnes...
London terror attack: Death toll rises to seven
The killings on Saturday night were the second terrorist atrocity to hit the country in as many weeks after 22 were killed at an Ariana Grande concert in Manche...
World leaders pledge to boost climate efforts after Trump move
The main road to the US Naval Station in Norfolk, Virginia, the world's largest naval base, experiences chronic flooding, and electric and water utilities suppo...
Awkward! Donald Trump 'Shoves' Montenegro PM For Photo-Op, Roasted Online
They spoke after Trump declined to pledge allegiance to Article 5 of the Nato treaty on mutual defence and complained that most allies were not spending eno...
London Terror Attack Leaves 6 Dead, Scores Hurt In Van, Stabbing Rampage
Will Haven, managing editor of The Spectator in London , told Sky he "certainly saw people who looked like they'd been run over". Six people have been killed...
Fresh Venezuela clashes after man set alight
According to Lucena, Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE) has made a decision to hold the National Constituent Assembly elections in late July, while r...
Theresa May approval rating sinks as UK election race tightens
Most ended up agreeing that they had paid too much attention to enthusiastic young voters, ignoring the fact that these young voters often don't actually vote ...
Philippines army air strike accidentally kills 11 soldiers
He initially said 10 soldiers died but national military spokesman Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla later confirmed 11 were killed. "If it didn't rain we...
Six dead, at least 48 injured, police kill three attackers
USA president Donald Trump has hit out at Mayor of London Sadiq Khan after the London Bridge terror attack, criticising "political correctness" in apparent bi...
With Senate done, House ready to debate budget ideas
We've all been talking about the problems and how you confront them in this state. Patrick says the House didn't complete their sunset review process in time. G...
London's Mayor Says 'We Will Never Let These Cowards Win' After Attack
She said they were wearing what appeared to be explosive vests, but police determined those were only meant to sow panic and fear. Multiple witnesses report...
May's Decision to Skip TV Debate Slammed by Party Leaders
The BBC has been accused of "left wing bias" following last night's election debate between the parties by those on the right and some on social media who ...
Two Australian citizens caught up in London attacks-PM
One witness, Will Heaven, told Sky News he saw people who had been struck and at least one of them was placed inside an ambulance. "He hit about two people in...
Arrière 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 538 539 540 541 542 543 544 545 546 547 548 549 550 551 552 553 554 555 556 557 558 559 560 561 562 563 564 565 566 567 568 569 570 571 572 573 574 575 576 577 578 579 580 581 582 583 584 585 586 587 588 589 590 591 592 593 594 595 596 597 598 599 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 611 612 613 614 615 616 617 618 619 620 621 622 623 624 625 626 627 628 629 630 631 632 633 634 635 636 637 638 639 640 641 642 643 644 645 646 647 648 649 650 651 652 653 654 655 656 657 658 659 660 661 662 663 664 665 666 667 668 669 670 671 672 673 674 675 676 677 678 679 680 681 682 683 684 685 686 687 688 689 690 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 698 699 700 701 702 703 704 705 706 707 708 709 710 711 712 713 714 715 716 717 718 719 720 721 722 723 724 725 726 727 728 729 730 731 732 733 734 735 736 737 738 739 740 741 742 743 744 745 746 747 748 749 750 751 752 753 754 755 756 757 758 759 760 761 762 763 764 765 766 767 768 769 770 771 772 773 774 775 776 777 778 779 780 781 782 783 784 785 786 787 788 789 790 791 792 793 794 795 796 797 798 799 800 801 802 803 804 805 806 807 808 809 810 811 812 813 814 815 816 817 818 819 820 821 822 823 824 825 826 827 828 829 830 831 832 833 834 835 836 837 838 839 840 841 842 843 844 845 846 847 848 849 850 851 852 853 854 855 856 857 858 859 860 861 862 863 864 865 866 867 868 869 870 871 872 873 874 875 876 877 878 879 880 881 882 883 884 885 886 887 888 889 890 891 892 893 894 895 896 897 898 899 900 901 902 903 904 905 906 907 908 909 910 911 912 913 914 915 916 917 918 919 920 921 922 923 924 925 926 927 928 929 930 931 932 933 934 935 936 937 938 939 940 941 942 943 944 945 946 947 948 949 950 951 952 953 954 955 956 957 958 959 960 961 962 963 964 965 966 967 968 969 970 971 972 973 974 975 976 977 978 979 980 981 982 983 984 985 986 987 988 989 990 991 992 993 994 995 996 997 998 999 1000 1001 1002 1003 1004 1005 1006 1007 1008 1009 1010 1011 1012 1013 1014 1015 1016 1017 1018 1019 1020 1021 1022 1023 1024 1025 1026 1027 1028 1029 1030 1031 1032 1033 1034 1035 1036 1037 1038 1039 1040 1041 1042 1043 1044 1045 1046 1047 1048 1049 1050 1051 1052 1053 1054 1055 1056 1057 1058 1059 1060 1061 1062 1063 1064 1065 1066 1067 1068 1069 1070 1071 1072 1073 1074 1075 1076 1077 1078 1079 1080 1081 1082 1083 1084 1085 1086 1087 1088 1089 1090 1091 1092 1093 1094 1095 1096 1097 1098 1099 1100 1101 1102 1103 1104 1105 1106 1107 1108 1109 1110 1111 1112 1113 1114 1115 1116 1117 1118 1119 Avant
DERNIERES NOUVELLES
Tweets xénophobes : Trump persiste et signe, les démocrates répliquent
Des dégâts et des affrontement sur les Champs-Elysées — Gilets Jaunes
Un militaire issu du RICM de Poitiers se donne la mort en marge des cérémonies du 14-Juillet à Saumur
Orages : la Haute-Corse en vigilance orange
Des dizaines de Boeing 737 MAX cloués au sol (En images)
Tchernobyl va officiellement devenir un site touristique (vidéo)
Le ministre américain du Travail démissionne
"Vive l'Algérie": liesse des supporters des Fennecs sur les Champs-Elysées
New York : brève panne d'électricité géante, Times Square dans le noir
À Bordeaux, des lycéens bloquent un restaurant McDonalds — Climat
SUIVRE NOTRE JOURNAL
Dans une interview accordée à Business Insider US, Noam Brown, cherche...
Lors de la présentation de l'Apple Watch, la Pomme avait mis en avant ...
En misant sur la réalité augmentée , Mojang compte frapper fort et ...
Elle a également ajouté qu'elle l'utilisait généralement uniquement po...
Ils seraient même à l'origine des noyaux actifs de galaxies dont la ...
Beyoncé a notamment annoncé, dans une interview pour la chaîne ABC, q...
Harry Styles donnera-t-il de la voix pour le film? On sait que l'équi...
Ce sont des appartements de la République, ça devrait être géré autrem...
Des suites de Captain Marvel et Black Panther sont prévues, ainsi ...
C'était notamment le cas le samedi 13 juillet 2019. Des danseuses du...
La fortune de Bernard Arnault continue de croître grâce à la vitalité ...
Pour l'heure, 13 États dont l'Espagne et le Royaume-Uni l'ont déjà rat...
Le prix de la Model 3 est ramené à 38.990 dollars. Le constructeur d...
La jeune fille était au restaurant de la rue Denison Est avec sa famil...
De brandweer is met meerdere voertuigen ter plaatse en heeft een boot ...
© 2019 campdesrecrues.com, CampDesrEcrues
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line59
|
__label__cc
| 0.525995
| 0.474005
|
custom homes, silverton real estate
Burn After Reading: Second Home in Silverton, Colorado
Some towns are like pristine surf spots or hidden powder stashes. You know you have no right to feel ownership of them, yet there’s a part of you that wants to keep them a secret. At the same time, there’s a drive to share something so extraordinary.
Silverton, Colorado, is one such place. Located 50 miles due north of Durango, Silverton is a small town with a big history and even bigger views. Once part of Ute Indian land, the Utes were unable to fend off the hordes of prospectors that came into the silver and gold rich territory in the late 1800’s. The boom and bust cycle synonymous with so much of the American West prevailed in Silverton until the last mine closed in the 1990’s and tourism took over as a reliable constant.
Today, Silverton has over 500 full-time residents, with artists, athletes and a funky cast of characters direct from that old television show, Northern Exposure. The winters are long, but chock full of snow. Silverton Mountain ski area put the town in the national spotlight about a decade ago for its black-run-only terrain. Summers and fall are gorgeous, with hiking, mountain biking, wildflower-seeking and relaxing above 9300-feet. When Durango and the nearest towns get too hot, Silverton is reliably comfortable.
Real estate – vacant land and small homes to remodel – in Silverton is of the most affordable in all of the Colorado Rockies. It’s about an hour drive from Durango, or an hour and half from either the Durango or Montrose airports — perfect for a weekend get-away or second home in the mountains.
Silverton is one of my personal favorites, so there’s a part of me that wants to keep it a hidden gem. But there’s also a part of me that wants to share its beauty with the world. I’m enthralled with its rich history of mining, of Native American exploration, of Victorian “virtues” going head-to-head with the lawless “vices” of the Old West, and of the renaissance of a town finding its footing in the realm of active tourism. To that end, I strive to honor that rich existence in my building work up in in Silverton. Much of my design work has been influenced by the history of the region, and our hope is that homes built by Black Canyon Builders in Silverton will stake a place in honoring the past and helping to shape the town’s future.
By : Brook Sutton
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line66
|
__label__cc
| 0.508672
| 0.491328
|
Sister Helen Garvey, former LCWR president, dies at 82
Pope Francis meets retired Pope Benedict, says ‘we’re brothers’
Vatican releases Pope Francis’ schedule, details of surprise visits
Argentineans paint Pope Francis as kind, outspoken, good administrator
Pope pledges renewed ties to Jewish community
U.S. interfaith leaders congratulate pope, look forward to leadership
Papal Transition • World News
In hindsight, Pope Benedict’s resignation seems almost predictable
Twitter Facebook Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn Email Print
By Francis X. Rocca • Catholic News Service • Posted February 12, 2013
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As much as he astonished the world when he announced his resignation Feb. 11, Pope Benedict XVI’s decision seems almost predictable in hindsight. Given his previous statements on the subject and his recent signs of aging, one might say that people should have seen it coming.
The real mystery now is not why Pope Benedict chose to step down, it is how this almost-unprecedented action will affect the papacy and the church.
In 2010, Pope Benedict told the German journalist Peter Seewald that “if a pope clearly realizes that he is no longer physically, psychologically, and spiritually capable of handling the duties of office, then he has a right and, under some circumstances, also an obligation to resign.”
The signs of fatigue and difficulty walking that have struck most papal observers in recent months led him to conclude, as he told an assembly of cardinals two days before Ash Wednesday, that “strength of mind and body … has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.”
Many people today associate unexpected resignations with scandal or crisis. In the immediate aftermath of Pope Benedict’s announcement there was predictable speculation that he might be stepping down under pressure of some grave problem in the church, perhaps one yet to be revealed.
It is probably no coincidence that Pope Benedict waited to resign until after he had observed the 50th anniversary of the opening of Second Vatican Council last October. If his papacy has had a single unifying project, it has been his effort to correct interpretations of Vatican II as a radical break with the past, in favor of a stress on the continuity of the council’s teachings with the church’s millennial traditions.
But if Pope Benedict declined to resign at the height of the controversy over clerical sex abuse in late winter and early spring of 2010, when some accused him of personally mishandling cases of pedophile priests in Germany and the U.S., it is hard to imagine what sort of crisis he might deem disturbing enough to resign over now.
As he told Seewald later that same year: “When the danger is great one must not run away. For that reason, now is certainly not the time to resign. Precisely at a time like this one must stand fast and endure the difficult situation. That is my view. One can resign at a peaceful moment or when one simply cannot go on. But one must not run away from danger and say that someone else should do it.”
Pope Benedict may have judged the eve of Lent a particularly good moment to announce his resignation since, as the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, told reporters at a briefing shortly afterward, the timing practically ensures that the church will have a new pope by Easter.
It is probably no coincidence, and certainly fitting, that Pope Benedict waited to resign until after he had observed the 50th anniversary of the opening of Second Vatican Council, last October. If his papacy has had a single unifying project, it has been his effort to correct interpretations of Vatican II as a radical break with the past, in favor of readings that stress the continuity of the council’s teachings with the church’s millennial traditions.
Now, Pope Benedict has made his own dramatic innovation in church tradition. Of the several men, perhaps as many as 10, who have resigned the papacy in the history of the office, only one other did so freely: Pope Celestine V, in 1294.Given how much the papacy and the world have changed in the seven centuries since, there is practically no precedent for Pope Benedict’s new role.
Father Lombardi told reporters that Pope Benedict will retire to a monastery inside the walls of Vatican City, where he will dedicate himself to study and prayer. The Vatican spokesman said he expected the former professor and prolific author to continue writing and communicating with the outside world. Asked whether the presence of a living former pope would present any danger of division within the church, Father Lombardi replied that it would be entirely out of character for Pope Benedict to say or do anything that might undermine his successor.
That assumption seems more than fair, but Pope Benedict’s humility and discretion may be beside the point. In the age of the Internet, it is not hard to imagine critics excitedly claiming, on the authority of anonymous sources, that the former pope privately disapproves of this or that among his successor’s decisions. Father Lombardi might find himself busy debunking such assertions, and even soliciting the occasional disclaimer from Pope Benedict himself.
Even if the presence of a living former pope poses no threat to the new pope’s leadership or teaching authority, it will add complexity to the emotional and spiritual bonds that millions of Catholics enjoy with the successor of Peter. After all, the special devotion that many of the faithful feel for Pope Benedict today will surely not cease the moment a new pope is elected. That attachment would be a liability for Pope Benedict’s successor, if the papacy were a secular political office. By the lights of faith, however, the prayers of a former pope and all those united with him ought to make the papacy that much stronger.
PREVIOUS: Pope Benedict’s pontificate marked by teaching, call to return to faith
NEXT: Pope to live in Vatican monastery established by Blessed John Paul
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line67
|
__label__wiki
| 0.543686
| 0.543686
|
Center for Strategic Assessment and forecasts
Autonomous non-profit organization
Politics and geopolitics
09-07-2019 27-06-2019 Huawei called on developers to create the perfect ecosystem without Android 26-06-2019 Musk has predicted the decline of humanity by 2050 18-06-2019 17-06-2019 Artificial intelligence is causing tremendous harm to the ecology of the planet
Home / Politics and Geopolitics / Present and future of Europe / Articles
Eurabia: the integration of migrants into the European community?
Print version Material posted: Publication date: 01-11-2016
Currently Europe is experiencing a serious migration crisis.
With the beginning of the Arab spring, particularly the Syrian conflict in 2011, a huge mass of people went to Europe, and if the difference between the number of refugees and migrants in 2010 and 2011, is not so great, in the future it is growing steadily, reaching its peak in 2015 (see histogram[1]).
A similar number of asylum applications Europe has not seen since 1992, According to Eurostat (Eurostat) as of September 2016 in Europe came about 1 million people[2]. It should be noted that, despite the agreement of the EU with Turkey on controlling the flow of refugees and migrants within the Turkish border and partial closing of the borders of Greece and Italy, in Europe penetrate hundreds of thousands of asylum-seekers. From this we can conclude that by the end of this year the number of arrivals would be about the same as last year, if the situation in the middle East is a dramatic change for the worse.
The main flow of refugees and migrants coming from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq (as of 2015, 378, 193, and 127 thousand people respectively), as well as from troubled African countries (Nigeria, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Guinea, etc.). Their penetration in Europe takes place on 4 main routes (see Fig.)[3]:
1) the Western Mediterranean. This path is sent migrants from North Africa to the Iberian Peninsula. Their ultimate goal is to Spain, France and Italy;
2) Eastern Mediterranean. Migrants and refugees from Egypt and Middle East countries come to Greece by sea via Cyprus and overland through Turkey and Bulgaria;
3) the Central Mediterranean. Flow is directed from the North and East (Somalia, Ethiopia) Africa through Libya towards Italy and Malta;
4) Through the Eastern border of the EU. Penetration in Europe is through the EU border with the former republics of the USSR.
Now, however, the settlers learned of the existence of another route to Europe through Russia. Migrants learn a new way to Finland and Norway through Murmansk oblast. This route takes 3 days and costs only$ 2500, much cheaper than through the Mediterranean sea, Italy and Greece.
But we should not forget that there are other flows of migrants composed of Europeans. They are formed by citizens of the republics of the former Yugoslavia, the Baltic States and Eastern Europe, therefore, when determining the total number of immigrants to be dismissed.
Destinations of refugees and migrants are Sweden, Hungary, Austria, France, but the leading position holds that Germany[4], which has a rather lenient immigration policy ("Willkommenspolitik") and high social benefits that give the opportunity not to work, but to enjoy all the benefits.
As for the age criterion, in Europe run mostly husbandranks (72%), the vast majority of which range in age from 18 to 34 years. The proportion of children accounts for about 15%, women 13% age 18 to 50 years[5].
The confessional basis for those seeking asylum in Europe is Islam. This can be judged on the basis of data on the religious affiliation of refugees and migrants in Germany in 2015, as this country took their largest number (442 thousand). Almost 75% of visitors to Germany are Muslims, 14% – Christian 10% – other religions.
Rocked Europe's migration crisis – unprecedented by the standards of modern European history, which complicates the forecasting and study. This crisis, as well as ineffective actions on the part of the member countries of the EU and the inaction of the Brussels bureaucracy has led to a number of negative consequences.
In the first place has been severely undermined the unity of Europe. Began the process of disintegration, as evidenced by Brexit, where 52% of those who took part in the referendum in June 2016 (with a turnout of 72%) voted to secede the United Kingdom from the Union[6]. The catalyst of this process was in many ways the situation of migrants and refugees, which Britain had to accept under the Dublin agreement.
Secondly, decisions on the issue of refugees and migrants are not approved by the overwhelming majority of the population (see histogram[7]), which may indicate the growth of protest potential among the European population. Increasingly rallies against refugees in all EU countries.
Then we can talk about big financial expenses for the maintenance of refugees. For example, in 2016 in Germany was allocated 6 billion euros for refugees, and the total maintenance costs in the current year will amount to about 10 billion euros (a quarter of the annual military budget of Germany), which is 4 times more than the similar indicator in 2014 (2.4 billion euros)[8]. When Germany hosted the record number of refugees, it is expected that the inflow of migrants will increase the stability and strength of the German economy. However, the funds spent on the workers, not kompensiruet in fact, since the economic benefit from such cheap labor is very insignificant on the background caused by the refugee problem. In practice, it is beneficial to only a few representatives of major European and in particular German business.
The current immigration policy of the largest countries in the EU not only leads to social tensions, and increasing crime rates. Many refugees accused of theft, causing bodily harm, crimes of a sexual nature. The network has a large number of videos showing attacks on refugee women and the elderly. In the past new years eve riots in the German cities (Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Frankfurt-on-main) are proof of that.
Of course, one of the major problems related to continuous and poorly controlled flow of migrants – is the growth of the terrorist threat. The widespread belief that migrants along with the penetration of terrorists and recruiters, not without reason, because more than 50% – are young men from conflict areas, which already arrived in Europe to join the ranks of fighters that make up the so-called "sleeper cells" whose members were born in Europe or have long been living on its territory. After that, their possible activation, for example, at the command DAIS (banned in Russia) for terrorist attacks in the future, when there will come any moment. Terrorist acts in France, Belgium, Germany are proof of that.
There is one serious danger, which is often silent. We are talking about the different kinds of epidemics. Total medical examination of the huge flow of migrants at the borders is technically impossible. Usually hospitals send people with obvious signs of disease.
Diphtheria, measles, tuberculosis, AIDS, HIV is not a complete list of diseases that are themselves refugees. According to the world health organization in 2014, migrants from different regions are expected polio, tropical malaria, cholera (from Afghanistan), yellow fever, meningococcal disease (from Ethiopia), leishmaniasis, leprosy (from Syria), etc. [9]
Speaking about specific cases, we can mention mass infection of measles in some shelters in Germany in September 2014. The disease began with a high speed to spread among the local population, mainly among adults.
Doctors are sounding the alarm and urging everyone to be careful and follow all the necessary steps to prevent infection. The main recommendation is "stay away from potential sources of infection, that is, from shelters for refugees"[10].
Thus, we can say that the EU has no clear strategy for ensuring internal security and controlling the spread of extremist views, and European intelligence agencies do not have sufficient required information to effectively counter and parry threats.
Europe is trying to resolve the crisis in the following ways. First, it is the erection of protective walls, often with barbed wire, as well as the outfits of the police to prevent illegal border crossing. Some countries have closed their borders (Macedonia, Slovenia) and Croatia, for example, has imposed a ban on the transit of migrants and refugees through its territory. Secondly, the demolition of the refugee camps in places of their mass congestion. So, in the French city of Calais on 27 October began the demolition of the camp migrants, inhabited by approximately 5.5 million people[11]. Thirdly, it is stemming the flow of refugees within the borders of Turkey, what is planned to allocate a total of € 3 billion. Fourthly, the involvement of NATO forces, which provide information to the coast guard of Greece and Turkey to more effectively do their jobs. Also in March 2016, the European Commission presented the plan to rescue the Schengen area[12], which provides measures to eliminate control deficiencies at the external borders of Greece, as well as the termination of admission of refugees by member countries of the EU through its territory to other countries of the Union.
However, despite the measures taken, the flow of migrants and refugees is not reduced, which suggests that Europe cannot speak with one voice, and the actions are mostly governed by Berlin and Brussels, who are in favor of open borders within the EU.
As noted by the President of the European Council Donald Tusk: "We Europeans are currently not able to manage our common external borders, as a result, some States have decided to protect themselves by closing their national borders. Since the protection of the European community is our first duty and responsibility, we have failed on this front"[13].
Overcoming great and tangled skein of the problem will depend largely on whether migrants see themselves as part of the European community, to adopt its dominant norms and values, that is, from the success of the processes of integration and adaptation.
Crucial for the process of entry of migrants into the receiving society are knowledge of the language of the country where they settle, and focus on cultural convergence.
However, the training of migrants in regular schools is impossible for them to organize special language courses, which require a large number of fully trained staff of Oriental and African languages. But keep in mind that European States do not have enough free resources to teach all the newcomers. For the full deployment of educational and cultural integration programs for immigrants requires the redistribution of budget funds of Eurozone countries that are in crisis.
From integration courses (language learning, acquisition of basic knowledge about the country, familiarization with state structure and legal system) and the distribution of "reference books of migrants" (the manual, which outlines basic information concerning the host country and vital information) some EU countries have moved to solving the problems of integration and assimilation at the legislative level.
An example would be a law on the admission of migrants, adopted by Germany in July 2016, which stipulates that a country has the right to refuse long-term shelter for those who will not put in enough effort to integrate, in particular, for learning the German language, which is necessary for a temporary stay in its territory.
However, despite the measures taken, only a small percentage of immigrants willing to adjust to a new cultural environment, to change their values and to dissolve in the host country's population. Migrants face a number of challenges, so community solidarity becomes a means of self-defense, in particular Muslims have exacerbated the sense of belonging to the Muslim world. Migrant ghettos are formed, which become fertile soil to the preachers of radical Islamism, of recruiters from various extremist groups, and therefore pose a serious security threat.
Migrants distanciruemsa from the norms and values of the host population and do not wish to be accepted in a new society for them and live according to his cultural norms. Thus, a "cultural distance".
Under the cultural distance refers to "a certain distance between different cultures, especially in basic and instrumental value systems of different peoples, in their preferred norms and ideals, and standards of conduct and way of life"[14]. It is given to ethnic and racial identity, language, religion, cultural norms, values, level of education, etc. is largely determining the success of social and economic adaptation of migrants. Conventionally, migrants can be divided into culturally similar to the indigenous ethnic population and cultures[15]. In this case, mass migration has a cultural character.
Religion also becomes a factor in ensuring preconditions for confrontation, because Islam (the dominant among migrants), as a rule, is more rigid and conservative. For the first time in a long time the target of attacks in Western Europe have become Christians as a religious group. The murder of a priest in France in August 2016, on purely religious grounds can serve as an alarming signal that anti-Christian practice of terror is gradually wanders to Europe.
The demographic situation in Europe, too, leaves much to be desired. The birth rate among the indigenous population of Europe is falling, so there is a tendency to "replacement" migration, that is, to liberalize migration legislation and attract large numbers of migrants.
However, when estimating the future number of Muslims in Europe should be aware that in a few years the migrants exercise the right to family reunification and brought from their homeland relatives. The scale and cultural nature of migration contribute to the fact that within 2-3 generations the ethnic structure of the population of Europe will change radically. In this case, the process of Islamization will no longer hypothetical, but very real, and in 30-40 years, Europe will turn into Eurabia, that is, acquire a distinct Arabic flavor (about 10.5% of the European population will be Muslims[16]), which will inevitably lead to aggravation of contradictions between the autochthonous population and migrants.
If 10-20% of Europe's population is of European descent (immigrants from the Middle East in tandem with the African brothers in the faith), then this part will be able to dictate their will, because their demands cannot be ignored. Their influence on the political environment and the political system will increase, as they will create their own political parties. But if they will not be heard, various acts of intimidation are repeated regularly.
In world history there were precedents, when the bulk of the indigenous population was wiped out by immigrants (Indians (USA), aborigines (Australia), Maori (New Zealand)), culture, and public education destroyed, while the remnants of these communities are the minority and occupy a subordinate position[17]. Such a scenario cannot be excluded in Europe.
The conflict between Europeans and migrants can be considered on larger scale. Now we can talk about clear signs of a "clash" of Western and Muslim civilizations (since the vast majority of refugees and migrants are Muslim). Was considered by the American sociologist and the political scientist Samuel Huntington, in the XXI century the main source of conflict will be civilizational differences rather than Economics or ideology. In this context, one should pay attention to the stability of cultural codes and archetypes inherent in civilizations.
You can say that at present there is a blurring of European identity, its cultural code is weakened. This process occurs due to the rupture with the spiritual foundations of European civilization, values which are becoming increasingly secular, and the society is becoming more atheistic.
But as the saying goes, a Holy place is never empty. The revival of Islam once again gave Muslims confidence in the unique character of their civilization, and that their moral values are superior to Western. With the growth of the Muslim population in Europe, the proportion of the population professing Christianity, is gradually reduced, simultaneously displacing and replacing, thus, and European culture. The scenario where both religions co-exist peacefully, it is unlikely because, on the one hand, indigenous tolerance towards immigrants dries up, on the other hand, millions of migrants from Muslim countries, ozadivka Europe, do not accept secular values. Moreover, the desire of the West to impose its values and institutions, and to maintain economic and military superiority cause sharp hostility and violent outrage among Muslims.
Summing up we can conclude the following:
Mmigratsionniy crisis faced by Europe, carries risks not only to the worsening economic situation and lower the level of public safety, but the risk of the geopolitical weakening of the EU revealed by the crisis due to internal contradictions as States pursue national interests, following the lead from Brussels.
One of the main mistakes of the guidelines of the European States is distancing from the Christian tradition, and not recognizing the fundamental difference between Christianity and Islam. Moving away from the Christian religion, Europe is trying to approach the solution of problems of migrants from the standpoint of tolerance and multiculturalism, believing that the settlers, having tasted its fruits, will give preference to secular values that is fundamentally wrong.
Migrants from Muslim countries identification with the host state is weak. You can talk about what their ethnic and religious identity prevails over the state.
The existence of numerous areas of compact residence of migrants, together with the reluctance of the majority of immigrants to assimilate not integrate them into the European community.
The atheist or nominally Christian population of Europe can hardly resist the cultural-religious expansion of the visitors. In this case, integration is more likely if workers are to accept the dominant European norms and values.
[1] Pew Research Center. URL: http://www.pewglobal.org/2016/08/02/number-of-refugees-to-europe-surges-to-record-1-3-million-in-2015/pgm_2016-08-02_europe-asylum-01/
[2] Eurostat. URL: http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=migr_asyappctzm&lang=en
[3] URL: http://tass.ru/infographics/8268
[4] Migrant crisis: Migration to Europe explained in seven charts. 04.03.16. URL: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34131911
[5] European security: Sat. scientific. Tr. T. S. Kondratieva. The migration crisis in Europe: causes and consequences. - M.: INION Russian Academy of Sciences, 2016. P. 218
[6] Britain out of the EU. 24.06.16. URL: https://ria.ru/world/20160624/1450655984.html
[8] Strigunov K. Migration impact in Europe. Lessons for Russia. 22.09.2015. URL: http://riss.ru/mail/20645/
[9] Refugees "reward" the Baltic States diphtheria, leprosy, worms and Ebola. URL: http://svpressa.ru/world/article/140774/
[10] Refugees are in Europe death. URL: http://politrussia.com/world/bezhentsy-nesut-v-314/
[11] In Calais began to demolish the camp of migrants. 27.10.16. URL: https://ria.ru/world/20161027/1480101342.html
[12] the EC prepared a plan of salvation of Schengen. 03.03.16. URL: http://vz.ru/news/2016/3/3/797735.html
[13] Vestnik MSLU. Vol. No. 17 (756). Vavilov A. I. Migrant "flood" in Europe. S. 129. URL: http://www.vestnik-mslu.ru/Vest-2016/17_756_indd.pdf
[14] the Center for military-political studies. URL: http://eurasian-defence.ru/?q=node/3419
[15] Rubanov I. N. Immigration in modern history.20.04.15. URL: http://riss.ru/demography/demography-science-journal/12341/
[16] Europe is projected to retain its Christian majority, but religious minorities will grow. 15.04.16. URL: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/15/europe-projected-to-retain-its-christian-majority-but-religious-minorities-will-grow/
[17] Cm. link 15
Zarechneva Pauline
Tags: Europe , geopolitics , A.Snesariev's competition
RELATED MATERIALS: Politics and Geopolitics
14-06-2019The electronic state of the future
11-03-2019How to change the world, when the Earth's population will reach 10 billion
09-09-2018Le Monde (France): We come to the point where globalization is too expensive
02-05-2018Technology: 35-forecasts to 2018
22-03-2018"Digital state": how they have evolved
All materials...
04-07-2012Russia cooking oil blockade and the collapse of the scenario of the 80-ies
23-12-2012The Vedic understanding of state policy
22-11-2013In the archives of the "world government"
08-01-2014Of a mega-Church and their communication strategies
08-11-2012The main threat to peace or a recipe for success
Related books:Politics and Geopolitics
Most popular:DayWeek
16-07-2019 Russia was surrounded (113)
28-03-2017 The war in Syria: when will this end? (38)
02-11-2015 Russian-Chinese military-technical cooperation as an important component of the strategic partnership between the two countries: theoretical and practical dimension (38)
25-06-2017 Point of view: where did the nonconformists from the city streets (36)
02-09-2011 Syria: Turkey vs. Iran (36)
14-11-2017 Blocking Internet content: the situation on the world stage (34)
10-12-2016 Strange way of General A. E. Snesarev in modern Russian literature (33)
10-11-2017 The Syrian conflict as an arena of confrontation of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (32)
09-08-2014 China strengthens position in Latin America (31)
17-10-2014 Why the American F-35 is a sitting duck for Russian su-30 (31)
12-07-2019The language of security: the mythology of government and society (479)
09-07-2019Theorist of Russian military counterintelligence (274)
10-12-2016Strange way of General A. E. Snesarev in modern Russian literature (240)
09-07-2019The management of socio-economic indicators of development of state-based associative analysis (232)
16-07-2019Russia was surrounded (208)
10-11-2017The Syrian conflict as an arena of confrontation of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (203)
28-03-2017The war in Syria: when will this end? (179)
02-11-2015Russian-Chinese military-technical cooperation as an important component of the strategic partnership between the two countries: theoretical and practical dimension (179)
10-11-2014The Arab-Israeli conflict: causes, mechanisms and major events (160)
28-03-2017Six declassified operations of the GRU of the General staff of the USSR armed forces (155)
Grinyaev Sergey Alexander_Fomin Sergey_Nebrenchin Hrachya Kamran admin Pankratenko Igor N. Fostiychuk Juliana xenia catherine OlegVal sokolov oleg Medvedev Dmitry dragana Zarochintsev Sergey Ponomarenko Oleg J. Alhosain Eyad Hassan Ghada Adliger alex valery krivelskaya alexandr Engelhardt Gornova Anna M. grnp13 Воронин А.Д. PolarFox Anikovich Vladimir V. Shirokov Sergey Sergeev Vladimir A. rozanov88 Valentin andrey oleg1 vitaly vyacheslav lawrmax98 efimovich petr alexander David19701 vladimir igor1 georgy Viktor panshuso ilich Mitko Stoykov novikov vsevolod tatyana romanenko Zlobber rudometkin savchuk tikhon pavel Fi11 нетбез-Ж+ответада gvozdnekit gfpepe Lenshin VOWK zlata Кроки vershinin Kast23 Гулов diana urpomoshua nabil kabanov Alina icore0003 jar05lav@yandex.ru tyrkin007 katya.gladysheva92@gmai.com nap1812 salyaev kokarev Виталий Алматы1956 kudkate petrovich strannik Nataly petukhova-anna@mail.ru ship egorkin avanyan Eszhan.isabekov@bk.ru FullFlex bishop1985 rudinskydenisv NewsPR666 Willi obggimn 216petrov mklosch v.udiloff Gromov germanngref germanngref guleroman Ya shahrudinova Timoschuk vbkfyfJaby mandarinka
On the national idea Russia - Germany: a new alliance? Russian-Armenian partnership Causes and nature of the current crisis New technologies in the financial markets Formation of the innovation system in Russia The future of Russia and the world: estimates and projections New in the military Causes and consequences of abnormal heat in summer 2010 China and its role in the new world order The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation: yesterday, today and tomorrow Markets: estimates and projections Russia and Belarus: estimates and projections Future of the Information Society Iraq: Lessons and Conclusions New in Science Great Arab Revolution Revolution of the XXI century: nonviolent methods Analytical work: the experience of Russian and foreign experts Present and future of Europe Arctic and Antarctic in modern geopolitics Culture and art in the geopolitical context The tragedy of Yugoslavia: Lessons and Conclusions Special Operations: Theory and capabilities Equipment and armament: yesterday, today and prospect Ukrainian myatezhevoyna The financial system of a new era Civil war in Syria: preliminary conclusions and lessons Sea policy
DARPA aviation Azerbaijan analytical work Anna Gornova Antarctica Arctic Armenia APEC Afghanistan Africa Balkans security Byelorussia Exchange bitcoin Near East BRICS UK AME water war armed forces gaz geopolitics Germany Georgia dolphins Eurasia Europe Egypt gold Israel India innovation information war information Society Iraq Iran irregulars artificial intelligence art Yemen Caucasus Kazakhstan Caspian Sea China climate DPRK A.Snesariev's competition space crisis round table culture Libya pilot providing Masons medicine Sea doctrine Sea policy Marine mammals seaport soft power drugs NATO science national idea oil CSTO UN Experience of ice swimming assessment assessment missile defense forecasts winner work of a competition of A.E.Snesarev religion resources Russia fishery Saudi Arabia Singapore Syria CIS union Special Forces USSR strategy USA Tajikistan tactics tank terrorism technology Turkey coal threat Uzbekistan Ukraina physics financial center finances France chemistry Central Asia PMC SCO ecology economy energy Yugoslavia Japan
Sea policy
Civil war in Syria: preliminary conclusions and lessons
The financial system of a new era
Revolution of the XXI century: nonviolent methods
Site designed by MaybeWorks
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line70
|
__label__cc
| 0.671098
| 0.328902
|
The Approach to the City (1)
By mid-afternoon he was driving through a sinuous valley that wove through a range of low, rounded hills. On the summits and slopes the leaves had just opened and in the uncertain light were still pale and tender and shaking lightly in the breeze. Every few miles the road forded another slow-moving stream or a little stony brook. The names of these watercourses, marked on signs on the abutments of the bridges over which he crossed them, were in a language he couldn't pronounce, but he was sure he passed over some of the same ones more than once. On one of the surrounding hills there was an active quarry -- for gravel or some kind of ore he couldn't guess -- and only a thin protective shell of the lower hillside had been left standing between the pit and the thoroughfare. Other than that he saw few signs of human habitation, though he knew there must be perfectly ordinary little towns not far distant, concealed behind the hills. A solitary red-tailed hawk swooped into view, crossing the highway low and just a few yards ahead of him. Perhaps startled by his approach, all at once it flared its tail and darted higher and out of sight.
He came upon the great river sooner than he expected. The road bent again, and at first he didn't realize that the new green line of ridge that now appeared directly ahead of him in the distance was already the summit of the far shore. The road began a steady descent, but until he was almost at the water's edge the river itself remained hidden from the highway. All at once it opened out, broad and stately and opaque beneath the overcast sky. On the far shore, spreading out along either side of the long, low bridge, were densely packed constellations of red brick or white stone buildings, from one or two to perhaps as much six or seven stories high, alternating with thick clusters of trees. The heights above were unbuilt and green, except in a few bare spots where outcroppings stood open to the sky. A little somnolent marina lay before him, and a flotilla of small white boats puttered near the opposite shore, but the wide gray expanse of the central channel was empty and undisturbed by the wakes of oceangoing vessels, though he little doubted that the river's great depths were ample for their drafts.
From here on he could proceed only by foot. He exited, parked his car in an adjoining, mostly unoccupied lot, pocketed the keys, and crossed to the bottom of the long, concrete ramp that ascended from the shore and out over the water. Avoiding the center of the roadway, disused but in good repair, he kept to the narrow pedestrian lane, bordered by rigging and cables, that traversed its seaward outer edge. Heights did not bother him, particularly -- he had been a bit of a climber in his youth -- but the further out he went the more the wind picked up and buffeted him. His head down, sheltered in the raised-up collar of his coat, he barely nodded at the scant few figures who passed him going the other way.
It was two miles, perhaps a little more, to the other side. Just past the halfway point the climb became more arduous, as the roadway arched up over the deepest part of the channel to allow for the passage of ships. Here the sun broke through the clouds for a few moments, casting a column of shimmering light on the water below. He looked down, and precisely at that moment the river beneath him suddenly broke open and an enormous sturgeon, heading upriver, thirty feet in length if not more, raised its antediluvian snout and arched its massive armored back into the air, seeming to hover on the water's surface for an instant before plunging out of sight. The water rippled out on either side and chopped against the supports of the bridge, but as long as he watched the creature did not re-emerge.
(To be continued...)
Labels: City, Tales
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line76
|
__label__cc
| 0.715814
| 0.284186
|
Prime Minister of Canada: "A Voice for Global Employee Engagement?"
This article is sponsored by Enterprise Engagement University and Expo, April 18-19, 2017, Chicago
Employee engagement pioneer David Zinger recently brought to his community’s attention excerpts from the recent speech by Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a post he entitled “Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: A Voice for Global Employee Engagement.” We share his excerpts with you below because Trudeau is the second world leader we know of after former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron to address the issue of employee engagement and whose influence helped launch the Engage for Success movement in Great Britain.
While Trudeau does not use the word engagement, his remarks all but enumerate key principles of enterprise engagement. What’s noteworthy is that both these leaders define the engagement of people in ways that are good for business, consumers, and society, and not as a new reason to impose government regulation.
While his speech includes political leadership principles as well, we have excerpted those that relate to business. Click here for the complete transcript.
Editor’s note: The Enterprise Engagement Alliance is a non-partisan organization. We believe that the economics of enterprise engagement provide justification enough for organizations and that government involvement generally is not involved. That said, government leaders can spur positive change in business and for that reason we highlight these remarks.
“For business leaders, it’s about thinking beyond your short-term responsibility to your shareholders. You have an equally important responsibility to your workers, their families, and the communities that support you. It’s time to pay a living wage. To pay your taxes. And give your workers the benefits – and peace of mind – that come with stable, full-time contracts.
You can’t build loyalty into corporate culture when people feel overworked and undervalued. You must give your workers avenues to update and modernize their skills for a changing world.
You must be part of the communities where you operate, realizing that these towns and cities support you, and you must, in turn, support them. And when you hear that an employee is expecting a child, congratulate her, don’t make her question whether or not she’ll have a job to come back to. And you must ensure your workplace, and especially your boardrooms, reflect the full diversity of society. It’s time to take a broader view of employee-employer relationships. One that treats workers as partners in success.
“Now, I fully appreciate the irony of preaching about the struggles of the middle class to a sea of tuxedoes and ball gowns, while wearing a bow-tie myself. But this discussion needs to happen. We need to realize our collective responsibility – to the people who elected us. To the people who put their faith and trust in us. The answers are not in this room. They’re out there. We all need to leave this place, and truly listen to people who are anxious about their futures. Hear first-hand about their concerns, work with them to develop solutions, and actually implement them.
The hard work of change begins with each and every one of us – around our boardrooms, our water coolers, and our Parliaments.”
This content sponsored by:
The Enterprise Engagement University and Expo, April 18-19, 2017. Master the principles of engagement across the enterprise. For more information go to EEAExpo.com or contact Nick Gazivoda at 914-591-7600, ext. 238.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line80
|
__label__cc
| 0.717171
| 0.282829
|
Digitised Newspapers
Search Term Visualiser
Saved Citations
Microfilm Catalogue
Articles from the Singapore Press Holdings and Mediacorp Press Limited publications provided herein, can be obtained by requesting the National Library Board, Singapore, to provide the same, in strict compliance with the current provisions of the Singapore Copyright Act provisions. The user agrees to comply with this legal condition, the breach of which is contrary to the Copyright Act, Computer Misuse Act and the National Library Board Act. Kindly confirm your understanding of this condition by clicking on the 'I Agree' button.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line82
|
__label__cc
| 0.70558
| 0.29442
|
Little Fluffy Clouds
The whole Boston-based crew–me, Carynne, Chris, Bart, Bradley, and Courtney–went north for the July 4th vacation week. Ziggy stayed in the city and said goodbye to me with an enthusiasm for the experience of being apart that I think I was finally starting to understand. Now that I was no longer terrified that while we were apart everything was automatically going to fall apart (although there were still some paranoid moments–this is me, after all), I could see the appeal of looking forward to a reunion. That makes sense, right?
Besides, we both had stuff to do.
I spent a lot of time in the basement with the Mac and the DX7 and a couple of guitars. Just fucking around. I wrote some things that might be songs if I worked on them enough. I found a software program that tested ear training and made myself do it a bunch although it was a lot harder to hear what the intervals were with the fake sounds the computer made than real instruments, but maybe that was good for training purposes.
Oh, yeah, Colin’s reaction to my hair. “Did you bleach out pieces of it and then dye them?”
“Uh, no. They’re fake. Um, don’t pull my hair while we fuck and it’ll be fine.” I should mention we were in bed as I said this.
Colin’s idea, I swear. It went fine. I decided it would be weird to ask him to make a decision about coming with us to South America while we were naked so I didn’t.
Okay I should tell you one more thing about sex with Colin. After having frequent sex with Ziggy for several weeks at that point, I had forgotten what Colin was like. It wasn’t just that he was a tall person with a big dick who naturally took charge, which was a contrast to what I’d gotten used to, it was also that everything felt almost unfamiliar, as if we hadn’t had plenty of sex before? It came back to me after a bit but it was like playing electric again after months of not touching the Strat. I hadn’t expected to forget the sensations so quickly. This wasn’t a bad thing, just unexpected.
On July 4th itself we all went to Bart’s for an all day party. “We all” meant the crowd as listed above, plus Colin, plus a couple of extra people. One of them was a booker for the Lyons brothers who was a friend of Carynne’s and whose name I forgot within an hour, but she spent a lot of the party hitting on Chris, which made him feel pretty good about himself even if in the end it didn’t lead to anything. There was also a guy from the hotel and restaurant industry who was a cousin of Michelle’s but he left around sundown.
There was the usual barbecue and beer except this was a party Bart was in charge of so there were all kinds of exotic beers and meats. He couldn’t just serve Bud and make burgers and hot dogs. He had lamb chops and beef shish kabob and three flavors of chicken wings and–apparently–ostrich kabobs but I think I mistook them for beef and so I can’t really say I noticed the difference.
At one point I went into the kitchen looking for something that wasn’t meat to eat and ran into Bradley and Chris talking.
Bradley was saying, “I just don’t feel like I’m keeping up.”
Chris had just said, “Look, we can work on–” when he looked up and noticed me.
“Hey,” I said as I opened the fridge, then shut it again in favor of taking a brownie from the container sitting on the counter. “You guys okay?”
Bradley looked at Chris, then at me, in that wide-eyed stare of his, and then mumbled an excuse and hurried out of the room.
“Okay, what was that about?”
Chris opened the fridge and poured himself some seltzer. “That is Bradley still being in sink-or-swim mode and convinced he’s gonna sink.”
“That’s what it sounded like. But shouldn’t he tell me that?”
Chris cracked open the seltzer and then had to hold it over the sink because bubbles (and water) went everywhere. “He’s afraid to disappoint you.”
“He’s doing fine, though.” And he was. Musically everything wasn’t perfect but I wasn’t pushing for it to be perfect yet when we still were going to have another few weeks of rehearsal.
“It’s good he’s looking up to me for advice, I guess,” Chris said. “Since he’s afraid to talk to you about it.”
“I do not get this ‘afraid of me’ thing. That, honestly, is my only worry about him at this point.”
Chris plopped a lime wedge into his glass from the cutting board where lemons and limes were sitting with a small knife. “It’s just nerves. I think he’ll get over it. I figure him and me and Bart can do some rehearsals on our own, just to keep it fresh, while you’re gone.”
“Speaking of which, you and me and Bart should rehearse tomorrow.” I thought for a second. “Or maybe the day after. Hey, pour me some of that.”
“You going to stick to not drinking even though Ziggy isn’t here?” Chris asked.
“Yeah, but Bart isn’t.” The pile of empties by the back door was already getting pretty big. So we’ll see if he feels up to rehearsing tomorrow or not.”
I ate the brownie and washed it down with seltzer and lime, and then got into some kind of crazy two-person video game with Colin that kept seeming weirder and weirder. I thought I knew the rules but they seemed to me to be changing as we went along. I figured it was just me and I would figure it out eventually if I just concentrated harder on what was going on. The screen was really huge, the room was dark, and Bart had put in surround sound.
“Daron, are you all right?” Colin asked at one point.
“You seem a little…”
Just then Chris stuck his head into the game room. “It’s almost time for the fireworks. Concert’s starting shortly.”
“Come on.” Colin took me by the hand and led me up to the roof deck where the sky seemed very surreal with blimps flying through it and lights shining from the direction of the Esplanade. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Um.” Come to think of it, I was feeling a lot like the video game had leaked out and enveloped the real world. “Everything’s weird.”
“And you’re really quiet.”
“Oh, shit,” Bart said. “Did I forget to label which ones were the hash brownies?”
I’m not exactly sure how the logic went this way, but upon discovering that I was accidentally high on hash oil, the rest of the group decided the solution was they should all join me. So pretty soon everyone except for Chris, who was continuing to abstain from drugs, was catching up with me.
Then a kind of time dilation occurred and it took forever to get to the actual fireworks. The1812 Overture took a really long time, but it was neat to hear all the church bells ringing, standing there on the roof of Bart’s townhouse. It occurs to me now that the sound of the orchestra wasn’t reaching us live from the Esplanade–Bart had to have hooked up speakers on the roof–but the church bells ringing and the cannons firing, that you could hear in the open air. Church bells all ringing at the same time from all over the city like that probably would’ve made the hair on my body stand up even if I wasn’t high.
Fireworks make me feel like a child again. But in a good way. The excitement to see them, the anticipation–it’s almost painful in the way that raw childhood emotions always are. But maybe the hash or maybe my recent change in outlook on life had me enjoying the rawness of it. It’s easier to enjoy anticipation when you’re not fearful that someone’s going to yank it away, whatever it is.
The fireworks were bright and beautiful and synchronized to the music–no, that wasn’t my drug addled imagination, that was how they designed it. In fact I think I was sobering up by that point because I finally felt like talking again.
“Hey Bart,” I said. “You know we predicted this.”
“Predicted what? Oh, that we’d do July 4th on my roof if we didn’t have other gigs? I thought you made it our vacation week on purpose because of that.”
“Oh. Maybe I did without totally realizing it. Good job, Daron.” I patted myself on the back with my right hand.
When the fireworks were over the party became a dance party on Bart’s roof, where we all just danced because why the fuck not dance. And when it was time to be quiet nobody really felt like going home so we ended up sleeping on couches and in guest rooms and on floors in various rooms because that’s just what made sense. I woke up early in the morning on a pulled out couch with Colin wrapped around me and Bradley curled up on the loveseat next to us, like a lost puppy. It seemed to me that when I opened my eyes, he opened his.
“It’ll be all right, puppy,” I said, and then I closed my eyes again and went back to sleep. Hopefully Bradley did, too.
(Time for me to remind you all I’m collecting your images and suggestions for who you’d “cast” in DGC! Who do you picture when you imagine the various characters? Email daron.moondog @ gmail.com with your suggestions. Also a reminder if you have a blog or social media and would like to be part of the cover reveal or launch blitz for DGC Volume 9, OR you would like to review DGC Volume 9 on Amazon or Goodreads, sign up on this form here: http://goo.gl/forms/N4fYgFHHFH5wbFek1 -ctan)
(A song that we definitely heard that day. -d)
« I Wanna Be Adored
Next: Hard to Handle »
Well, at least you figured out the weirdness between you and Colin. Oh, wait.
I still can’t find anyone to cast as Colin. I want this ‘casting call’ to be real, though. We have enough material from the story to make at least 10 seasons of a TV show… and it’s way more interesting than most of the shit on TV right now.
Ahaha. Yeah.
Here’s Matthew Lillard doing a passable imitation of Colin in his younger days.
I’ll tell you who I’d cast these days when ctan gets around to actually doing the post.
Ok yeah, I can see that. I have an image in my head, I just haven’t found the right combination of words to Google to find it, I guess. The rest of you were much easier to find.
Posted 17 May 2016 at 2:56 pm ¶
I’m wondering how this will jibe with Ziggy’s not so subtle hints and the closeness you have been feeling with him. I understand the concept you mentioned a long time ago about sex for simple pleasure and I know Ziggy said he would never be upset about you with Colin, but…
I’m glad you said it was fine, but will it be later? I’m still hoping for the best because of the growth you and Ziggy have experienced, apart and together. You’ve already done the meltdown and separate for an extended period of time and hate and destroy each other so I’m not seeing that again, but I need to see what this Colin situation will bring out.
I have to admit I had a mini freak out when I saw that you and Colin were together. I guess I will try to take your word for it, it’s fine…***skeptical, worried face***
TJ Reply:
Second “***skeptical, worried face***”
It’s May so why do I hear ice cracking?
As long as we’re both on the same page, it’s fine and that page is we know something’s up but we haven’t actually talked about it. *nods*
May 17th, 2016 at 11:01 pm
I don’t think they’re worried about you and Colin so much as what screwing him will mean for you and Ziggy and whether Ziggy is really as okay with it as he claims. You know most of us are all about you and Z-man, right?
Apparently. Ultimately #TeamDaron is all I can worry about, though.
sanders wrote:
I’m not skeptical for once. Colin is… not poised to be a complication. He’s a comfort and a sort of neutral space in knowing how to handle both you and Ziggy. What I am concerned about is Colin developing feelings for either or both of you and how that might change the dynamics at play. If he’s emotionally involved, does he become less appealing or more to you, Daron? I suspect that’s what’s happening with him, but I could be wrong. For the record, I’m here for the potential of you and Ziggy working long-term, and would love to see Colin continuing to play a large role in that as lover, friend, and stabilizing force for both of you. I see it as both/and, never a choice between them.
I definitely think Colin has some deep feelings for Daron and I’m oddly more curious than worried about it at the moment. Ziggy always seems to know what’s up with people and their attractions/feelings. Hard to believe he wouldn’t realize how Colin/Daron feel about each other. Jealousy can be an ugly thing when it strikes though. We can only hope it won’t.
I can’t see Ziggy being jealous for exactly the reason G names below: Colin’s the type to stay a respectful distance from the workings of Daron and Ziggy’s relationship and not the kind to come between anyone (unless it’s sexually, in which case, yes, please, sandwich time). I think Ziggy knows that and knows it well, and he knows Colin is the absolute last person Daron would ever get jealous over. We have ample evidence there, and evidence, too, of Colin never seeming to engage in Ziggy and Daron’s obvious drama. He just doesn’t comment on it, offers comfort, and keeps moving. I just really don’t think it has to be complicated if they can all be mindful of each others’ feelings.
Playing Devil’s Advocate: That is a BIG IF. Colin as we know him is not a threat, but feelings, especially love, can change the way people behave. If Colin falls in love with Daron (assuming he hasn’t already, which might be a dumb assumption), he may not be able to remain quite so objective. Don’t tell me you haven’t seen a very level-headed person lose their shit completely over love, because I’ll call bullshit. It happens all the time. I’m not saying it would in this case, but it’s a possibility we can’t discount.
Ziggy does get jealous. We saw it over Mitch (and it was adorable). He says he’s fine with Colin, and he may very well be logically, but he is a very emotional person and we often can’t control our emotions. We can control how we express them, but not how we feel. And has he figured out how deeply Daron cares for Colin? Because Daron hasn’t. He’s refusing to look too closely at that at the moment. Also, things have changed quite a bit between Daron and Ziggy since he first said he was okay with Daron and Colin (hello, marriage? ambiguous exclusivity talks?). Again, I’m not saying Ziggy will freak out, but I’m not saying he won’t either.
For the record, I’m very much amused by the way the last few chapters went. Holy whiplash, Batman. Ziggy, Ziggy, Ziggy, Ziggy, Ziggy, life-altering experience, Ziggy, Ziggy, marriage?, oooh let’s fuck Colin. Wait, what?
I never said Ziggy doesn’t get jealous, just that he has to know how pointless it would be to be jealous over Colin when he’s had him, too. He knows that dynamic, he knows what Colin has to offer, and he knows there’s no point at which he can use Colin to force Daron into anything. Those are the things that place Colin in a wholly different category to Mitch or Carynne, or any of the others who’ve come along. Colin just sort of is, and already a part of them that doesn’t need to be some dramatic event.
Daron’s perceived allusions to marriage really don’t change anything. Polyamory is a valid option that doesn’t take anything away from making a commitment to Ziggy, and I really think all three of them already know that, even if Colin may be uncertain where he stands.
When Ziggy slept with Colin he was a COMPLETELY different person than he is now. All I’m saying is knowing something and feeling something are very different things. And being able to handle what you are feeling is another thing altogether.
Regarding polyamory: I know it can happen with the right people. My only question is are these the right people?
Also, I’m still wondering in the back of my mind WHY Ziggy told Daron to bring Colin on the tour. I don’t believe in altruism, especially not where Ziggy is concerned. So what’s in it for him?
You need to take it down a notch, lady, and stop capslocking at me. It ain’t that serious.
I have faith in these three to figure things out, and I’m just not on the bandwagon with pushing for monogamy or freaking out that Ziggy’s going to have a meltdown over it all. It’s exhausting to keep expecting the worst of him, especially when he’s shown a lot of growth past it. You can’t say he’s completely different now than he was while also arguing he’s going to behave in the same way he would have in the past.
I’m so not freaking out on this. Sorry if that’s how it sounds. As I said, I was just tossing out possible scenarios. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ziggy freaked out and I wouldn’t be surprised if he did. Same with Colin. Love fucks with peoples’ heads, you know? Makes them do crazy shit. And I know you know me better than to think I expect the worst of Ziggy. Not a chance, my friend. That boy hung the moon.
It’s only whiplash if you think Colin is some kind of “opposite” to Ziggy instead of directly adjacent to him. Which since you’re a mono type person and not a poly type person, s, that’s the kinda idea you’d get, but it’ a realllllly skewed worldview from where I’m standing. Ziggy’s right there. Colin’s right next to him. No whiplash at all, in fact I can see them both without moving my head at all.
Oh I freely admit I don’t get it, but that doesn’t really matter. It’s not my life. From my perspective I see potential problems that may or may not exist in your world. For example, you said in a comment that if Ziggy wants to be exclusive all he has to do is promise the same. Does that include Colin? What if he decides it does? You crying in Colin’s arms because you don’t want to give him up tells me that might be an issue.
As I said before, I’m curious not worried. My curiosity is what led me to your story in the beginning and now I’m just along for the ride, love.
Wait, when did I cry about not wanting to give Colin up? I don’t think that ever happened…??
I agree with both of you. I am remembering how Daron cried with Colin. But, as I’ve said before, Colin is a good guy and I think he tends to give people what they need at that time (he has with Ziggy and with Daron) and doesn’t force the issue. I can see him as a person Daron and Ziggy care for (Daron more than Zig) but who stays a respectful distance from their relationship. I don’t think I see him as someone who would come between anyone; he just doesn’t read that way to me at all. I certainly don’t see him having a jealous meltdown, unlike two other people I will not name…
Agreed. As I just said to Stef, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Triads function this way all the time. I do worry about who is taking care of Colin, but I suspect that’s a role Marilyn (I think I’m spelling her name wrong) is filling to some extent.
Unfortunately, I think it’s already complicated, whether it doesn’t have to be or not. It was jealousy (Carmen) that drove Ziggy first into Daron’s arms and bed. Jealousy played a role in Ziggy’s brief fling with Carynne. Definite jealousy of Mitch.
BTW, does anybody still believe that Colin is 90% heterosexual? His protestations notwithstanding, his actions put him in a Kinsey Scale range of 2.5-4.
Colin isn’t remotely like any of the other situations, though. He’s a well-known entity between them both and someone for whom they both understand the appeal. The same can’t be said for Carynne or Mitch, or anyone else either of them have been with.
I’m pretty sure no one but Colin ever believed he was all that straight.
Feelings are definitely developing and we’re as scared of the consequences of feelings as we ever are, of course. I’m not reading more into it than that. I still don’t really know or understand what Colin really wants or needs, you know? So that’s a concern unto itself.
I hope we all get some clarity on what he wants and needs. He’s so good to you, but we really haven’t gotten a sense of what he needs or who’s there for him, because he doesn’t really ask that of you. So who’s supporting him? Who’s looking after his emotions?
Posted 18 May 2016 at 3:01 am ¶
holidays can be fun
this isn't exactly a vacation but it's nice
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line84
|
__label__cc
| 0.519881
| 0.480119
|
By dinner time the dancers had been released for the evening and we’d made some strategic and logistical decisions. For example, we cut a song from the final segment of the set and moved it to the encore.
That took a tiny bit of the pressure off me, but only a tiny bit. Considering that we made that decision while I was soaking my hand in a bucket of epsom salts, every minute helped.
Flip brought me my medicinal shot of whiskey as we were finishing dinner. “You would pick the one kind that’s the hardest to find,” he faux-complained.
I knew he was just ribbing me to keep things light but I couldn’t just take it, for some reason. “Oh, come on, you know I’m fine with Jack or–”
“Daron. Chill. Drink up.”
I downed what he gave me–a scant shot, a mouthful–and it felt like the elephant that had been sitting on my chest got up to walk around. Weird, but that’s how stress works, I guess. I felt better before I’d even swallowed it. At this point in my life my alcohol tolerance was quite high, comparatively speaking, so I barely felt a shot like that. I didn’t feel tipsy at all. Not even a little bit drunk. Just…relieved somehow.
“Thanks,” I said, as I handed him back the plastic cup. “Sorry I’m such a pain right now.”
He gave me a self-indulgent smile and made a free throw of the cup into a distant garbage can. “You and Remo are the two easiest guys to babysit on Earth. I keep waiting for the real off-the-wall requests to start and they never do.”
“How about this one. Play guitar in the opening act.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, pull the other one.”
“I mean it.” I jammed my left thumb into the stiff places in my right palm. “It’s kind of alt-prog with a fair bit of Guitar Craft thrown in. We’re going to work on it later tonight with Jordan Travers. Don’t tell me you weren’t planning to bring an NST guitar for yourself anyway.”
Flip was not the type to back down from a challenge. “Okay, sure. But not everyone can learn a set overnight like you can, you know.”
“It’s going to be five songs, max, and you won’t have to learn a lot of parts,” I assured him. At that point I honestly didn’t know exactly what he was going to play, either, but I felt like it was better to have him than not. “You’re still a better guitar player than I am singer.”
The band then worked that last quarter to a third of the show, including the encore, for about two hours. They were all getting it down pretty good. I wasn’t. I was faking my way through. Because it’s me, my faking sounded kind of okay, at least to casual listeners, but I knew it wasn’t all there, and Ziggy knew it wasn’t all there.
But like I said, the only thing I know how to do is keep pushing the rock up the hill. Keep trying.
And still no one had breathed another word about the acoustic part of the set. Ziggy had clearly told them all not to bring it up. He’d probably told them that we–meaning he and I–had it covered.
The reality that we were now something like 48 hours from getting on a plane and the entirety of our preparation had been a single insomniac run-through of one song was hitting me very hard. Tomorrow we’d have to show everyone what we had. If I hadn’t just medicated, I would have felt ill thinking about it. Instead I just felt helpless.
One thing at a time, though, eh? My next task was to get through figuring out the Star*Gaze stuff…
No, wait, first there had to be a small meltdown about Colin. Very small. So small I thought I’d kept it between us. It was just one more me saying “I’m sorry” and squeezing his hand really hard.
But I think Ziggy had seen it or sensed it or something. “You’re being ridiculous,” he said to me, his annoyance peaking. “You’re being totally effing ridiculous.”
And because guilt is the thing that makes me the least rational of all–it fucks me up much worse than any drugs or alcohol–I said something I was sure I was going to regret, but I threw it out there anyway. “Why don’t you come with us to Jordan’s tonight?”
“I thought you didn’t want anyone to see what a wreck it is.”
“I thought you wanted to be there to cheer me on.”
We stared at each other. I…won? Lost by winning? He capitulated: “All right. I’ll come along.”
Barrett made a disapproving noise and may have said something about Ziggy needing sleep, but that was Barrett’s job. “If we’re not back to the apartment by one in the morning, send Tony for him,” I said, and miraculously everyone seemed to think that was a perfect solution.
I took Colin by the hand again. “You’re a computer guy. You might be able to help, too.”
“Whatever you want, boss,” he said. His laugh was throaty. “It’s not like I have some other plans.”
So we went to Jordan’s. All of us. Well, to the studio, which was fortunately not in use that night.
I went and shut myself in a toilet stall before we started. You know, sometimes that takes longer than it should. (Especially when one is on Vitamin F, I later found out.)
After a while Jordan came in. “Daron?”
“Are you reading the New York Times in there or something?”
I had been done for a while, actually, but I’d somehow failed to go back out there. “No. Just, um, almost done.” I flushed the toilet for realism.
“I know it’s hard,” he said. Just that. No other words, no reference to what, exactly, was hard. Just “I know it’s hard.”
That almost made me lose it right there, despite my medical calm. That’s how stressed out I was. Those words struck a nerve. “How’d you know?”
“You always ask me that, and I always tell you I know you,” he answered. “And I know you a lot better now than I did four years ago, or two years ago, for that matter. You work best under pressure.”
I don’t think I do, I thought. We were having this conversation through the closed door of the stall, remember. “I think I sometimes pull a diamond out of my ass under pressure but it’s not the only way to work.”
“But it’s the way we’re working now,” he said reasonably. “So come pull a diamond out, all right?”
(Kickstarter backers take note! Packages have started shipping! If you changed your address between last summer and now, please make sure you’ve given me your new address so your rewards can go to the right place! -ctan)
« Tighten Up
Next: Words »
Pressure is definitely the right title for this one. Everything on your shoulders (and in your head) all in one place. Funny how you’re really the only one freaking out about it though. I think Ziggy summed it up nicely. Maybe Ziggy and Colin should just talk really quickly and leave you out of it, everyone do their thing with the music, and you just focus on playing and getting your part right. Get your shit together; everyone else is cool.
I’m freaking out about it because I’m the reason it’s not done yet, not ready, and they’re not the ones who will have to stand on that stage (or sit, as the case may be) alone with him and make something happen. And if I weren’t injured, I know I could. They aren’t worried because they figure I’m just going to pull it off no matter what, but I’m not so sure about that.
Still winding yourself up I see…
Btw “just…relieved somehow” is your body’s reaction to receiving the drug it is addicted to and craving. Thought you should know.
In other news, I can no longer listen to songs like “Have a Cigar” without picturing Douchebag Mills talking to you and Ziggy. So yeah, this story changed the way I listen to songs on top of all the other ways it’s changed my life. Love you all.
Yeah. And it’s obvious to everyone else, I guess, that it’s me doing it to myself? But from inside my own head it’s never as obvious as it should be. Until later.
“By the way, which one’s Pink?” We had a couple of moments like that with various people, i.e. “Which three are they?” :-P
Anton von Webern, probably the best serial musician in history, was criticized for the brevity of his compositions. His reply:
“Some people work in coal mines, some people work in diamond mines.”
You’re a diamond miner.
That is priceless. Must remember that.
Kunama wrote:
“you didn’t wany anyone”
Thanks phone. That typo report, ‘wany’ should be ‘want’. Feel free to delete both my comments when it’s fixed.
Thanks! Fixed now. Clearly my fingers were already trying to type “anyone” before I was done typing “want.”
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line85
|
__label__cc
| 0.55521
| 0.44479
|
Vendor lock-in
In economics, vendor lock-in, also known as proprietary lock-in, or more simply, lock-in, is a situation in which a customer is dependent on a vendor for products and services and cannot move to another vendor without substantial switching costs, real and/or perceived. By the creation of these costs to the customer, lock-in favors the company (vendor) at the expense of the consumer. Lock in costs create a barrier to entry in a market that if great enough to result in an effective monopoly, may result in antitrust actions from the relevant authorities (the FTC in the US).
Vendor lock-in is often used in the computer industry to describe the effects of a lack of compatibility between different systems.
Different companies, or a single company, may create different versions of the same system architecture that cannot interoperate. Manufacturers may design their products so that replacement parts or add-on enhancements must be purchased from the same manufacturer, rather than from a third party (connector conspiracy). The purpose is to make it difficult for users to switch to competing systems. Examples include the various EBCDIC character sets by IBM, the several slightly different implementations of various open standards, the many variations of Unix, Microsoft Office's file formats, and also Microsoft's software in general.
This approach is not limited to the computer industry, however. For example, as of 2004 Sony digital cameras typically use add-in memory that can only be acquired from Sony, and this memory is typically much more expensive than alternatives available from multiple sources. Vendor lock-in for higher-end cameras takes the form of incompatible systems of lens mountings: a photographer who has purchased lens and other equipment from one manufacturer may find switching to a rival brand prohibitively expensive.
Lock-in may eventually also be damaging to the company or industry in question. In the Unix wars, various Unix vendors battled so hard to lock their customers into their version of Unix that the entire Unix market was seriously affected. Sun Microsystems' unwillingness to open Java to external standardization bodies and the lack of multiple competing Java runtime implementations is widely held to be the reason Java has failed on the desktop.
One way to create artificial lock-in for items without it is to create loyalty schemes. For example, frequent flyer miles that can only be used with one airline create a perceived cost of switching airlines, as do supermarket "discount" cards.
The Microsoft example
Microsoft software carries a high level of vendor lock-in, based on its extensive set of proprietary APIs.
The European Commission, in its March 24, 2004 decision (http://europa.eu.int/comm/competition/antitrust/cases/decisions/37792/en.pdf) on Microsoft's business practices, quotes, in paragraph 463, Microsoft general manager for C++ development Aaron Contorer as stating in a February 21, 1997 internal Microsoft memo drafted for Bill Gates:
"The Windows API is so broad, so deep, and so functional that most ISVs would be crazy not to use it. And it is so deeply embedded in the source code of many Windows apps that there is a huge switching cost to using a different operating system instead...
"It is this switching cost that has given the customers the patience to stick with Windows through all our mistakes, our buggy drivers, our high TCO, our lack of a sexy vision at times, and many other difficulties [...] Customers constantly evaluate other desktop platforms, [but] it would be so much work to move over that they hope we just improve Windows rather than force them to move.
In short, without this exclusive franchise called the Windows API, we would have been dead a long time ago."
Combating vendor lock-in
In the 80s and 90s, public, royalty-free standards were hailed as the best solution to vendor lock-in. The weakness of such standards was that if one software vendor achieved a dominant market share, "embrace, extend and extinguish" (EEE) tactics could be used to obsolete the standard.
Since the late nineties, the use of free/open source software (FOSS) has been pushed as a stronger solution. Because FOSS software can be modified and distributed by anyone, the availability of functionality cannot tie a user to one distributor. Also, FOSS tends to cling to standards. The ineffectiveness of distributor lock-in means there's no incentive for FOSS developers to invent new data formats if usable (royalty-free) standards exist.
In particular, copylefted FOSS is particularly resistant to the above mentioned "EEE" tactics since anyone distributing modified versions must also distribute the source code to their modifications.
As of 2004, IBM is promoting and contributing to the development of certain FOSS projects to weaken the market dominance of competitors such as Microsoft. This is interesting, not only because IBM was once one of the biggest users of the vendor lock-in tactic, but also because IBM is simultaneously funding and promoting software patentability and "trusted computing", the two biggest impediments to FOSS development.
Network effect
Embrace, extend and extinguish
Vendor lock-out
Retrieved from "http://footwww.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Vendor_lock-in"
Categories: Economics | Technology | Anti-competitive behaviour | Anti-patterns | Marketing strategies and paradigms | Marketing | Strategic management | Business
This page was last modified 11:09, 23 Jun 2005.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line87
|
__label__cc
| 0.687303
| 0.312697
|
eLaws | eCases | United States Code | Federal Courts |
Federal Courts »
Home » Presidential Documents
2017-28144 To Take Certain Actions Under the African Growth and Opportunity Act and for Other Purposes
2017-28160 Adjustments of Certain Rates of Pay
2017-27899 A Federal Strategy To Ensure Secure and Reliable Supplies of Critical Minerals
2017-27925 Blocking the Property of Persons Involved in Serious Human Rights Abuse or Corruption
2017-28026 Delegation of Authority Under Sections 506(a)(2)(A) and 652 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
2017-28027 Suspension of Limitations Under the Jerusalem Embassy Act
2017-27716 Wright Brothers Day, 2017
2017-27181 Presidential Determination Pursuant to Section 1245(d)(4)(B) and (C) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012
2017-27160 Reinvigorating America's Human Space Exploration Program
2017-27033 Human Rights Day, Bill of Rights Day, and Human Rights Week, 2017
2017-27034 Revising the Seal for the National Credit Union Administration
2017-27037 Delaying Submission of the Small Business Administration Report Under the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015
2017-26948 National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, 2017
2017-26832 Recognizing Jerusalem as the Capital of the State of Israel and Relocating the United States Embassy to Israel to Jerusalem
2017-26709 Modifying the Bears Ears National Monument
2017-26714 Modifying the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
2017-26355 National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, 2017
2017-26358 World AIDS Day, 2017
2017-25845 Delegation of Authority Under the Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act of 2016
2017-25492 National Family Week, 2017
1 2 3 4 ... 14 Next > Go to Page
2017 275 (Selected)
Copyright © 2019 by eLaws. All rights reserved.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line90
|
__label__wiki
| 0.976152
| 0.976152
|
You are here: Home»Home»Philippines»Mom, 6 kids killed in Tacloban tent fire
Mom, 6 kids killed in Tacloban tent fire
Photo shows the fire’s 6-year-old survivor, John Mark Ocenar, who would later die of complications from third degree burns.
MANILA — An overnight fire razed a tent used as a temporary shelter by survivors of Typhoon Haiyan, killing a woman and all six of her children, including a 4-month-old girl.
The tragedy highlights the slow progress in the resettlement of tens of thousands of survivors of Haiyan, which struck more than six months ago killing at least 6,300 people and displacing more than 4 million.
The fire was caused by a kerosene lamp and quickly consumed the canvas tent just after midnight last Tuesday, Tacloban City disaster management officer Derrick Anido said.
The shelter was one of 40 in a “tent city” in San Jose district, which was wiped out by tsunami-like storm surges and fierce winds from Typhoon Haiyan in November.
Five of the children who died outright from burns and suffocation ranged in age from 4 months to 12 years old, Anido said.
The woman died soon after she was rushed to a government hospital.
Her 6-year-old son, who doctors declared in critical condition with burns all over his body, died later last Wednesday, he said.
“It happened around 12:20...but it was so fast that by 12:30 it was over,” Anido said, adding that everyone was sleeping when the fire broke out.
“Unfortunately, after surviving (the typhoon), they were killed in a fire.”
Anido, quoting investigators, said the family apparently had trouble opening the tent’s zipper door.
“The problem is that so many people are still living in tents and we have been saying all along that these tents are fire hazards,” Anido said.
“And we have been requesting (the national government) to relocate them to safer shelters.”
He said only 1,000 temporary houses made of wood with galvanized iron roofing had been built so far, while 14,000 families in the city still live in vulnerable coastal villages and need to be relocated.
Anido also said the site where the tents donated by the United Nations are located is prone to flooding.
“It is almost June and it will soon be rainy season in Tacloban, and this will again be a problem,” he said.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line91
|
__label__wiki
| 0.999877
| 0.999877
|
Al Fatihah 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 1
Al Baqarah 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50
51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,
75,76,77.78.79.80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99,100
101,102,103,104,105,106,107,108,109,110,111,112,113,114,115,116,117,118,119,120,
161,162,163,164,165,166,167,168,169,170,171,172,173,174,175,176,177,178,179,180
181,182,183,184,185,186,187,188,189,190,191,192,193,194,195,196,197,198,199, 200, 201,202,203,204,205,206,207,208,209,210,211,212,213,214,215,216,217,218,219,220
281,282,283,284,285,286 2
Ali Imran 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
76.77.78.79.80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99,100
141,142,143,144,145,146\,147,148,149,150,151,152,153,154,155,156,157,158,159,160,
181,182,183,184,185,186,187,188,189,190,191,192,193,194,195,196,197,198,199,200 3
An Nisa 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99,100
161,162,163,164,165,166,167,168,169,170,171,172,173,174,175,176 4
Al Maidah 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Al An'am. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
161,162,163,164,165 6
Al 'Araf 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,08,09,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
76.77.78.79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99,100
181,182,183,184,185,186,187,188,189,190,191,192,193,194,195,196,197,198,199,200, 201,202,203,204,205,206, 7
Al Anfal 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,08,09,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
At Taubah 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,08,09,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
121,122,123,124,125,126,127,128,129 9
Yunus 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,08,09,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
76,77,78,79.80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99,100
101,102,103,104,105,106,107,108,109 10
Hud 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,08,09,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
121,122,123 11
101,102,103,104,105,106,107,108,109,110,111 12
Ar Ra'd . 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,08,09,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43 13
Ibrahim 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,08,09,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
51,52 14
Al Hijr 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,08,09,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
76.77.78.79.80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99 15
An Nahl 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,08,09,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75
76,77.78.79.80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99,100
121,122,123,124,125,126,127,128, 16
Al Isra' 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,08,09,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Al Kahfi 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,08,09,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
101,102,103,104,105,106,107,108,109,110, 18
Maryam 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,08,09,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
76.77.78.79.80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97,98, 19
Taahaa 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
76.77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99,100
121,122,123,124,125,126,127,128,129,130,131,132,133,134,135 20
Al Anbiya 01,02,03,04,05,06,07,08,09,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
101,102,103,104,105,106,107,108,109,110,111,112 21
Al Hajj 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Al Mukminun 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
101,102,103,104,105,106,107,108,109,110,111,112,113,114,115,116,117,118, 23
An Nur 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64, 24
Al Furqaan 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Ash Shua'ra' 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
181,182,183,184,185,186,187,188,189,190,191,192,193,194,195,196,197,198,199,200, 201,202,203,204,205,206,207,208,209,210,211,212,213,214,215,216,217,218,219,220
221,222,223,224,225, 226,227 26
An Naml 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Al Qasas 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88, 28
Al Ankabut 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69, 29
Ar Rum 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60 30
Luqman 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34 31
As Sajdah 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
26,27,28,29,30, 32
Al Ahzab 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,,23,24,25
51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73 33
Saba ' 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
51,52,53,54, 34
Fathir 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45 35
Yasin 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83 36
As Saffat 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
181,182 37
Sad 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Az Zumar 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,3536,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50
Mu'min 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85, 40
Al Fussilat 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Ash Shuraa 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
51,52,53, 42
Az Zukhruf 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89 43
Ad Dukhan 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Al Jathiyah 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37, 45
Al Ahqaf 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Muhammad . 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38 47
Al Fath 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
26,27,28,29 48
Al Hujurat 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18 49
Qaf 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Adh Dhariyat 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
At Tur 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49, 52
An Najm 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62 53
Al Qamar 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Ar Rahman 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
76,77,78 55
Al Waqi'ah. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96 56
Al Hadiid 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Al Mujadila 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22, 58
Al Hashr 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24, 59
Mumtahanah 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13, 60
Saaf 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 61
Al Jumuah 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 62
Al Munaafiqun 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 63
At Taghabun 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18 64
At Talaq 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 65
At Tahrim 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 66
Al Mulk 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
26,27,28,29,30 67
Al Qalam 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Al Haaqah 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
51,52, 69
Al Ma'aarij 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44 70
Nuuh 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Jinn 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Al Muzzammil 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20, 73
Al Muddasir 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
51,52,53,54,55,56 74
Al Qiyamah 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40 75
Al Insan 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Al Mursalat 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50 77
An Naba. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
An Naziat 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Abasa 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42 80
At Takwir 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Al Infitar 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19 82
Mutaffifin 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36 83
Al Inshiqaq 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25 84
Al Buruj 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22 85
At Tariq 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17 86
Al A'la 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19 87
Al Ghasiyah . 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26 88
Al Fajr 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25
Al Balad 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 90
Asy Syam 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15 91
Al Layl 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21 92
Adh Dhuha. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 93
Al Inshirah 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 94
At Tin 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 95
Al Alaq 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19
Al Qadr 1,2,3,4,5 97
Al Bayina 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 98
Al Zalzalah 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 99
Al Adiyat 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 100
At Qaria 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 101
At Takathur 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 102
Al Asr 1,2,3 103
Al Humaza 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 104
Al Fil 1,2,3,4,5 105
Al Quraish 1,2,3,4 106
Al Maun 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 107
Al Kauthar 1,2,3 108
Al Kafirun. 1,2,3,4,5,6 109
An Nasr 1,2,3 110
Al Lahab 1,2,3,4,5 111
Al Ikhlash 1,2,3,4 112
Al Falaq 1,2,3,4,5 113
An Nas 1,2,3,4,5,6 114
Adam Pramuja mengatakan...
Assala,ualaikum..
Om boleh minta scrift yang ini ga..
raapramuja@gmail.com
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line94
|
__label__cc
| 0.722531
| 0.277469
|
Other available languages: FR DE
IP/05/1178
Brussels, 22 September 2005
The European Commission proposes strengthening the common air security rules
The Commission today proposed revising the air security regulation adopted following the attacks on 11 September 2001 which was intended to establish common standards between all EU States to deal with the terrorist threat. This legislation, which has been in force for nearly three years, has made it possible to strengthen security in the aviation sector and harmonise control. However, the 40 or so inspections carried out by the European Commission since February 2004 to check for proper application have identified a number of shortcomings and needs and the Commission is therefore today proposing this revision. Community competence will be extended to cover in-flight security measures and air traffic from third countries. In the words of Jacques Barrot, Vice-President responsible for transport: “The protection of aviation against terrorist attacks has considerably improved since the 2001 attacks. Nonetheless, the new regulation will enable us to be more effective and react faster to a threat which is constantly changing. I therefore confirm that priority has been given to the safety and security of transport”.
Today’s proposal follows on from the Commission’s annual report on the implementation of the 2002 Regulation,[1] which draws conclusions from the inspections carried out by the Commission since February 2004. These have shown that, despite some shortcomings, security in European Union airports has been substantially strengthened and harmonised through the establishment of the Community regulation. However, the report underlines a number of possible improvements:
Firstly, to be more effective and respond quickly to the threat, it must be made easier to modify the more technical aspects of the legislation to adapt to technological progress and make adjustments based on inspection findings and the lessons learnt from combating terrorism.
Secondly, some common requirements need to be clarified and simplified to make the rules more coherent and easier to apply and to prevent the shortcomings found in some airports, which often required urgent remedial action, from being reproduced.
Thirdly, existing rules need to be extended to be able to lay down common rules for freight and in-flight security, as is the case with passenger controls at airports, and to allow for a common response to measures requested by third countries, where necessary.
For the record, the current legislation requires Member States to adopt national security and quality control plans and to guarantee that minimum common standards are applied by airport authorities and airlines. It also empowers the European Commission to carry out inspections and ensure that Community rules are properly applied. More than 40 inspections have been carried out since February 2004 enabling considerable improvements to be made. The Commission intends to pursue this course of action with vigour.
[1] Regulation (EC) No 2320/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2002 establishing common rules in the field of civil aviation security, Official Journal L 355, 30.12.2002.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line97
|
__label__cc
| 0.593832
| 0.406168
|
Infrastructure Imaginaries: Informal Urbanism, Creativity, and Ecology in Lagos, Nigeria: Global Urban Humanities Fall 2018 Colloquium
Colloquium | October 9 | 12-1:30 p.m. | 170 Wurster Hall
Sponsor: Global Urban Humanities
"Infrastructure Imaginaries: Informal Urbanism, Creativity, and Ecology in Lagos, Nigeria"
Charisma Acey, Assistant Professor of City & Regional Planning
Ivy Mills, Lecturer in History of Art
12-1:30pm
170 Wurster
Charisma Acey is an assistant professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning. Her background includes work, research and travel to countries in West Africa, southern Africa and Central America. Her work focuses on local and regional environmental sustainability, with a focus on poverty reduction, urban governance and access to basic services. Her work relies on both quantitative and participatory, qualitative research approaches to understanding individual and household demand for improved infrastructure and environmental amenities. Current and past research projects, teaching and service learning courses have focused on addressing barriers to sustainable development such as human-environment interactions at multiple scales in urban areas around the world, poverty and participatory approaches to governance and development, the financing and sustainability of publicly provided services and utilities, local and regional food systems, environmental justice, and urbanization domestically and globally.
Ivy Mills is a lecturer in the Visual and Literary Cultures of Africa and the African Diaspora in the History of Art Department at the University of California, Berkeley. She conducted Fulbright-funded research on Senegalese cultural production and taught university courses during a four-year residency in Dakar, Senegal; she then completed her PhD in UCB's African Diaspora Studies program in 2011. Her first book project, provisionally titled Iconographies of Exclusion: Gender, Animality, and the Limits of Community in Senegalese Visual Culture, argues that contemporary figurations of abjection and violability cohere through a referencing of the logics and symbols of older Wolof hierarchies of caste and slavery. In this tradition, the limits of humanness and therefore of communal protection are imagined through queer, socially dead figures like the hyena and donkey. Other research interests include comedic whiteface performance; the visualization of gendered piety and virtue in Wolof melodrama and contemporary Senegalese art; ecology and sacred architecture in urban visual culture; and popular cultural flows between Senegal and India. She co-curated the Bernice L. Brown Gallery exhibition Love across the Global South: Popular Cinema Cultures of India and Senegal, and has moderated conversations with artists and curators for the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco and the Berkeley Art Museum.
Event contact: CA, sarahhwang@berkeley.edu, 3604488322
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line98
|
__label__wiki
| 0.921824
| 0.921824
|
The Big Brother is still watching you...
Post subject: The Big Brother is still watching you...
Actually, it will watch you closely, more and more:
The original awareness thread got corrupted:
http://www.zappa.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9011
Schwarzenegger says "hasta la vista" to RFID bill
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger gave RFID technology a shot in the arm last week. On Sept. 30, Schwarzenegger vetoed a state bill that would have placed serious limitations on the use of RFID throughout the state. The decision should pump up the pace of RFID adoption in California, where some projects had stalled while the bill's fate was being determined.
In terminating the Identity Information Protection Act of 2006, Schwarzenegger suggested that the bill was somewhat premature and might contradict federal mandates for the Real ID Act, which was passed by President Bush last year and might incorporate RFID technology into future federal ID cards.
California State Senator Joe Simitian, the bill's sponsor, vowed that the bill would be back, most likely reintroduced in January. A statement released by Simitian's office said that he was "both surprised and disappointed by the veto," noting that "the final version of the bill was the result of more than a year of negotiations with the RFID industry. Most industry representatives had dropped their opposition to the bill."
The California bill was a scaled-back version of a measure proposed last year, which sought to bar RFID technology from use in public areas for three years.
If passed, the latest bill would have done several things to limit the use of RFID technology in public settings, like libraries, state universities and the California public transportation system. The bill sought to ensure that state identification documents such as drivers licenses and health benefit cards would include protective features that safeguarded people's personal information. Second, it would have made it illegal to "skim" or read a person's government-issued identification without his or her knowledge. It also would have required the California Research Bureau to provide the legislature with expert information to guide future policy decisions about the use of RFID technology in government-issued documents.
"I think that Governor Schwarzenegger's comments were right on target," says Patrick Sweeney, chief executive officer of RFID solutions provider ODIN technologies, which has several government contracts. "His comments are very much in line in that it doesn't make any sense whatsoever to specifically [limit] a single technology."
The veto indicates that some of the recent efforts to educate lawmakers may be starting to pay off. Last month, AIM Global hosted its third annual RFID Executive Summit and Legislative Fly-In. Sixty industry executives from around the world attended the event in Washington, D.C., which included over 40 meetings with Senate and House staffers. Earlier this summer, senators Byron Dorgan (D- N.D.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) convened a congressional caucus in Washington to discuss RFID. The event included a panel discussion with industry experts and vendor demonstrations, all aimed at educating U.S. policymakers on RFID technology and its potential applications.
"I hope this sets the tone for other states," says Sweeney. "We've got several clients out there that would have had to look at how they comply or didn't comply with the law. They are very much appreciative of the decision."
http://www.dcvelocity.com/articles/rfidww/rfidww20061004/rfid_ca.cfm
Biometric technology uses computerised methods to identify a person by their unique physical or behavioural characteristics.
Developments and uses have increased with demand to match concerns over international, business and personal security.
Biometrics is more personal than a passport photo or Pin, using traits such as fingerprints, face or eye "maps" as key identifying features.
Uses range from building access and laptop security to identity cards and passports.
However, there are concerns about the storing of biometric data and its possible misuse.
Total Information Awareness Is Back
Remember Total Information Awareness?
In November 2002, the New York Times reported that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) was developing a tracking system called "Total Information Awareness" (TIA), which was intended to detect terrorists through analyzing troves of information. The system, developed under the direction of John Poindexter, then-director of DARPA's Information Awareness Office, was envisioned to give law enforcement access to private data without suspicion of wrongdoing or a warrant.
TIA purported to capture the "information signature" of people so that the government could track potential terrorists and criminals involved in "low-intensity/low-density" forms of warfare and crime. The goal was to track individuals through collecting as much information about them as possible and using computer algorithms and human analysis to detect potential activity.
The project called for the development of "revolutionary technology for ultra-large all-source information repositories," which would contain information from multiple sources to create a "virtual, centralized, grand database." This database would be populated by transaction data contained in current databases such as financial records, medical records, communication records, and travel records as well as new sources of information. Also fed into the database would be intelligence data.
The public found it so abhorrent, and objected so forcefully, that Congress killed funding for the program in September 2003.
None of us thought that meant the end of TIA, only that it would turn into a classified program and be renamed. Well, the program is now called Tangram, and it is classified:
The government's top intelligence agency is building a computerized system to search very large stores of information for patterns of activity that look like terrorist planning. The system, which is run by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, is in the early research phases and is being tested, in part, with government intelligence that may contain information on U.S. citizens and other people inside the country.
It encompasses existing profiling and detection systems, including those that create "suspicion scores" for suspected terrorists by analyzing very large databases of government intelligence, as well as records of individuals' private communications, financial transactions, and other everyday activities.
The information about Tangram comes from a government document looking for contractors to help design and build the system.
DefenseTech writes:
The document, which is a description of the Tangram program for potential contractors, describes other, existing profiling and detection systems that haven't moved beyond so-called "guilt-by-association models," which link suspected terrorists to potential associates, but apparently don't tell analysts much about why those links are significant. Tangram wants to improve upon these methods, as well as investigate the effectiveness of other detection links such as "collective inferencing," which attempt to create suspicion scores of entire networks of people simultaneously.
Data mining for terrorists has always been a dumb idea. And the existence of Tangram illustrates the problem with Congress trying to stop a program by killing its funding; it just comes back under a different name.
[url=http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/10/total_informati.html]Schneier on Security
A weblog covering security and security technology.[/url]
DNA Collection of babies in Australian hospitals
Short video talking about guthrie cards and blood (dna) samples being stored in databases around Australia.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v3kHXhnsto
What do you think of surveyance cameras?
Security cameras raise rights worry in NY: report
Reuters | December 13, 2006
NEW YORK - The security cameras are watching, a New York rights group warned on Wednesday.
Security cameras have increased fivefold in parts of New York City and have become so pervasive that they threaten the rights of privacy, speech and association, the New York Civil Liberties Union, or NYCLU, said in a report.
Moreover, there was no evidence the cameras deterred crime, the group said.
In 2005 there were 4,176 cameras in three districts of southern Manhattan, up from 769 cameras in a 1998 survey, the report said.
"Unregulated video surveillance technology has already led to abuses in New York City, including the police department's creation of visual dossiers on people engaged in lawful street demonstrations and the voyeuristic videotaping of individuals' private and intimate conduct," the group said.
Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A 1998 study conducted by the NYCLU found 2,397 video surveillance cameras visible from street level in Manhattan. The report said that same number of cameras can be now found in the neighborhoods of Greenwich Village and Soho alone.
Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:06 am
The Microchip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMtut_Zm278
X-ray cameras on lampposts plan
AFP | January 29, 2007
The Government is considering installing X-ray cameras on lampposts to spot armed terrorists and other criminals.
According to a leaked memo seen by The Sun, "detection of weapons and explosives will become easier" if the scheme drawn up by Home Office officials is adopted.
However, officials acknowledged that it would be highly controversial as the cameras can "see" through clothing.
"The social acceptability of routine intrusive detection measures and the operational response required in the event of an alarm are likely to be limiting factors," the memo warned.
" Privacy is an issue because the machines see through clothing."
The Sun reported that the memo, dated January 17, was drawn up by the Home Office for the Prime Minister's working group on security crime and justice.
It noted that some technologies used for airport security had already been used in police operations searching for drugs and weapons in nightclubs.
"These and other could be developed for a much more widespread use in public places ," it said.
"Street furniture could routinely house detection systems that would indicate the likely presence of a gun for example."
A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We don't comment on leaked documents".
http://www.breitbart.com/news/na/paXrayMon03Xraycameras.html
punknaynowned
Post subject: this appeared in gmail today
U.S. 'threatened' alleged NASA hacker, defense says
By Colin Barker, ZDNet (UK)
Published on ZDNet News: February 16, 2007, 10:49 AM PT
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6160 ... &subj=zdnn
The fate of Gary McKinnon, the alleged NASA hacker, is hanging in balance after his appeal against extradition to the U.S. was adjourned at the Court of Appeal in London on Wednesday evening.
Over two days in court, McKinnon's defense team presented new evidence that it said meant the judges should reject his extradition to face charges of breaking into and damaging U.S. government computers.
The Court of Appeal is the court of last resort under U.K. law, and usually it will only find for or against the appellant. But the defense argued on Tuesday and Wednesday that evidence brought to light by the McKinnon case raised serious questions about the U.S. government's case.
The defense has urged the Court of Appeal to consider referring McKinnon's case back to the U.K. government, or to allow a further appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, if it will not reject the extradition outright.
The evidence centered on what was or was not said to McKinnon when he was being offered a plea bargain. More well-known in the U.S., and now also used on an informal basis in the U.K., a plea bargain is when the prosecution offers a reduced sentence or other incentive, in return for a defendant's agreement to cooperate.
In this case, if McKinnon agreed to cooperate with them, the U.S. authorities said they would agree to a reduced sentence of three years or less. They would also let him serve the sentence in a U.K. prison and not in an American "super high-security prison," as Edmund Lawson, a lawyer appearing for McKinnon's defense, put it.
All parties appear to agree on that part of the description of what happened. But what was said next became the main source of controversy in court. According to McKinnon and his counsel, a U.S. member of the prosecution team then "threatened" McKinnon that if he did not agree to the bargain, they would push for the highest possible penalties and that he would be "turned over to New Jersey authorities to see him fry."
And the defense further alleged that the U.S. said that if McKinnon did not agree to the deal, there would be no chance of his serving his sentence in the U.K. near his friends and family.
This quickly became known as the "fry" statement. The defense said it could be taken to mean a threat on McKinnon's life, should he be handed over to New Jersey rather than Virginia, the two states where McKinnon was alleged to have damaged IT systems.
In fact, if it was a threat, it may be something of an idle one. Although both states have the death penalty, New Jersey has not executed anyone in 20 years, while Virginia is still active in executions. In any case, under European law, McKinnon cannot be extradited from the U.K. to the U.S. if there is a risk of execution.
Despite this, Lawson argued that the overt nature of the threat was an infringement on McKinnon's human rights. If so, it could be a matter for the European Court of Human Rights, as could be the threat to withdraw the possibility of serving his sentence in the U.K.
The prosecution lawyer, Max Summers, dismissed the points immediately. None of the evidence on the "frying" allegation could be allowed into court since any words spoken during the alleged offer were only done so in confidence, he said.
There is no automatic right for an extradited prisoner to serve a sentence back in his own country and the majority do not, especially those extradited from the U.K. to the U.S. As it was, the U.S. was in no position to refute the allegations over "frying," since none of the relevant American staff involved are currently in the U.K., let alone in court this week.
If this evidence was to be considered at all, Summers argued, then the U.S. government would need notice and time to get witnesses organized, and so a recess would be required.
The defense and prosecution teams and the two judges hearing the appeal discussed the legal consequences of taking the McKinnon case into new legal territory for an extradition hearing for an hour. The court was adjourned at 4:20 p.m. on Wednesday for the Appeal Court judges to consider the options.
They could find in favor of the U.S. authorities, meaning McKinnon would soon travel to the U.S., or they could uphold the appeal and allow McKinnon to go free. Alternatively, they could refer the case back to British Home Secretary John Reid, who decided in July 2006 that the extradition should go ahead, or reject McKinnon's appeal but allow a further appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. A decision is expected next week.
McKinnon himself did not attend the appeal, and saw a doctor on Wednesday following heart palpitations.
Colin Barker of ZDNet UK reported from London.
" . . . On the outside now . . ."
Public to shape smart tag policy
By Mark Ward
Technology correspondent, BBC News website, Hanover
European citizens are getting the chance to shape policy on smart tags.
The European Commission is setting up a group made up of citizens, scientists, data protection experts and businesses to discuss how the tags should be used.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags store data about the objects they are attached to, and are already used by some firms and supermarkets.
The new group is a result of a year-long consultation to assess European feeling towards radio tags.
The stakeholders may eventually draft new regulations to police the tags, but, for now, the commission proposes no new laws to govern their use.
"We must not over-regulate RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)," said Viviane Reding, information society and media commissioner, during a news conference at the Cebit show, where the results of the 12-month consultation were unveiled.
Ms Reding said the market for the radio tags had to be given the chance to grow without interference from the European Commission.
"Europe is very strong in this domain," said Ms Reding. "I think we are in the driving seat."
Smart radio tags typically unite a small chunk of computer memory with a radio transmitter. Businesses see huge advantages to labelling goods with these tags as they will streamline delivery networks and help manage stocks on shelves.
Ms Reding said that smart tags had already generated about 500m euros (£340m) in revenues across Europe, and this was expected to grow to more than 7bn euros (£4.7bn) within 10 years.
Ms Reding warned that heavy-handed regulation could stunt this growth.
Instead, she said, industry had to get the chance to "go for it".
"It's the whole application of these chips to solve problems in our society that will be of the utmost importance," she said.
"But, we must also make the industry be aware of the fact that the 'internet of things' has to become an 'internet for people'."
The RFID Stakeholder Group will help to oversee the growing use of smart radio tags and look into ways for consumers to protect themselves from the potential casual surveillance that they make possible.
Ms Reding said the group would aim to produce recommendations by the end of 2008. These could include amendments to existing e-privacy directives or guidelines for businesses on how RFID tags can be used when they affect consumers.
While businesses using RFID tags to mark such things as shipping containers may not have to think about consumers, others will have to take this into account, said Ms Reding. She cited the example of German retail giant Metro, which had run trials in which shoppers deactivated any tags on the goods they had bought at the checkout.
Ms Reding said the stakeholder group would also drive European Commission efforts to educate people about smart tags and their potential uses.
One of the most striking results from the year-long consultation, she said, was the 60% of respondents who said they simply did not know enough about the technology to know whether it would be good or bad.
Despite this, 55% of the respondents to the consultation said regulations would be needed to police the use of the tags.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6453931.stm
Soon it will be your turn!
Biometric cash machines bring joy
By Amarnath Tewary
Vaishali, Bihar
These days Mahendra Sahni, a daily wage worker in India's most backward state of Bihar, struts up to a gleaming new cash machine in his village to withdraw his hard earned money.
Biometric cash machines promise to change banking in rural India
The middle-aged, illiterate fish farmer from Vaishali district makes about 2,000 rupees a month ($44).
For years he used to waste nearly a day getting to the bank and queuing up to get his wages.
Now, when he inserts a cash card into the machine, he is greeted with an voice instruction in Hindi: "Please put your thumb on the specified space."
When he does that, crisp currency notes roll out of the machine with the voice saying, "Your cash is ready. Please accept it."
Sahni and 14 other poor daily wage workers from Vaishaligarh and neighbouring areas are among the first villagers in Bihar to have access to biometric cash machines to withdraw their money.
"This shows how science has made progress and can be used for poor village people like us," says Sahni.
The biometric cash machines are custom-made for people who cannot read or write and use features like fingerprint verification and voice guided animated screens and easy navigation.
The federal government has now announced that everybody in Vaishali employed under its ambitious new National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme will get their wages through these new cash machines.
The scheme promises some 60 million households in India a level of financial protection through guaranteed work or unemployment benefit.
Banking made easy
For the moment, the cash machine run by the state-run Central Bank of India, is targeting some 210 daily wage workers in the area.
"It is basically for poor workers like Sahni who cannot read or write their names. Banking for them will become easy with these cash machines," says the bank's local manager Pranay Kumar.
The biometric cash machines work through a series of processes.
First, the fingerprint of an account holder is captured through a scanner at the time of the opening of the account.
A template is created for each fingerprint and stored in the cash card given to the customer.
When Sahni goes to the cash machine and inserts the cash card, his fingerprint is captured using an inbuilt scanner and it is matched with the impression stored in the cash card.
Central Bank's executive director K Subramanyam says biometric devices will go a long way in offering banking services in India's villages where 70% of its people live.
Payment through cash machines will also protest the workers from local contractors who routinely extract a cut from their wages in return of getting them on the list of government employment schemes.
For the moment, Sahni and his neighbours are happy to have discovered a hassle-free way of withdrawing their meagre savings.
The entire procedure of cycling to the branch and going through the paperwork with help from others and waiting in the queue for the money took up valuable work time.
The other day, he picked up 1,000 rupees in five minutes flat from the cash machine and cycled back home to begin work again.
"Withdrawing money couldn't be a better experience," he says.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6478627.stm
Post subject: CIVILIZATION, PHAZE III
Government Report: Bio-Weapons Could Be Used To Combat Overpopulation
MoD dossier outlines nightmare vision of new world order, ethnic cleansing, class warfare, brain chips by 2035
Prison Planet | April 9, 2007
Paul Joseph Watson
A British government Ministry of Defence report outlines a nightmare future society in which the population are forced to accept brain chips, immigration and urbanization ravages communities, class warfare ensues, and biological and neutron weapons are used to combat overpopulation.
The MoD's Development, Concepts & Doctrine Center drew up the document to crystallize the "future strategic context" likely to face Britain's armed forces, according to a report in the London Guardian today.
Since every deliberate action of government and industry is working to realize this future, we should look at this as a strategy plan rather than a warning of things to come.
The report hypothesizes what the world will be like in under 30 years and is an "analysis of the key risks and shocks" the planet is likely to face. It's predictions include;
- The development of neutron weapons that destroy living organs but not buildings and "make a weapon of choice for extreme ethnic cleansing in an increasingly populated world." Such weapons would be dispersed by means of unmanned vehicles, leading to "application of lethal force without human intervention, raising consequential legal and ethical issues."
- Within 30 years implanted brain chips as standard for all citizens in developed nations.
- A mass revolt on behalf of the middle classes of the developed world in opposition to rampant immigration, an urban under-class and the deterioration of social order.
- The revival of Marxism as a replacement for religion in an increasingly morally relativist age.
- Unchecked globalization that effectively ends the nation state and leads to wars based on territorial belief systems rather than country against country.
- A sharp decline in the population of white Europeans but an 81% increase in the population of sub-Saharan Africa and that of Middle Eastern countries by 132%.
- Endemic unemployment, instability and threat to the social order as a result of population increase.
- The emergence of a "terrorist coalition," an alliance of belief systems that oppose the state, from environmentalists to "ultra-nationalists" and remnants of religious groups.
The clear implication from this report is that any political or religious group that expresses opposition to the atheistic and dictatorial agenda of the state will be collectively demonized as terrorists and targeted for elimination and ethnic cleansing.
This is the very new world order that the establishment have sought to create by allowing rampant immigration, using the progress of technology to enslave us, launching endless war and shaping the course of history to construct a prison planet.
The elite are deliberately steering world events and engaging in psychological warfare to achieve this self-fulfilling apocalypse. They are hell-bent on manufacturing an end-times scenario similar to that described in Revelations, and whether you believe in the Bible or not, our future is being decided by maniacal psychopaths sworn to destroy humanity.
Every time we study government white papers and strategy documents, whether it be RAND, PNAC or any other major think tank, we come across an obsession with thinning the population by means of horrific acts of ethnic cleansing. In this instance, the plan isn't even veiled under the umbrella of terrorism, it clearly implies that states will deploy weapons of mass destruction to wipe out huge swathes of the population, and particularly those who express opposition to government.
"...advanced forms of biological warfare that can target specific genotypes may transform biological warfare from the realm of terror to a politically useful tool."
Who wrote these words in their own strategy document? The Nazis? The regime of Pol Pot?
No, it was Paul Wolfowitz, Dick Cheney, William Kristol, Donald Rumsfeld and the rest of the Neo-Con collaborators that formed the Project For a New American Century - the ideological framework of the Bush administration.
Armed Forces Journal, a mouthpiece for the military-industrial complex, last year carried a strategy plan for completely redrawing the borders of the Middle East written by retired Major Ralph Peters.
The document cites peak oil, an economic crash in 2008 and global warming as reasons for a chaotic convergence that will require harsh action on behalf of government.
"Oh, and one other dirty little secret from 5,000 years of history," writes Peters, "Ethnic cleansing works."
"There will be no peace. At any given moment for the rest of our lifetimes, there will be multiple conflicts in mutating forms around the globe. Violent conflict will dominate the headlines, but cultural and economic struggles will be steadier and ultimately more decisive. The de facto role of the US armed forces will be to keep the world safe for our economy and open to our cultural assault. To those ends, we will do a fair amount of killing."
Ethnic cleansing is also popular amongst the establishment scientific community who advocate mass scale eugenics programs to "cull" humanity down to manageable levels. One such example is Dr. Erik Pianka, who made headlines last year when he gave a speech to the Texas Academy of Science in which he advocated the need to exterminate 90% of the population through the airborne ebola virus. The vast majority of his audience, students, scientists and professors alike, stood and cheered when Pianka labeled humanity a bacteria that had to be eliminated.
Similar sentiments are echoed by people like Prince Philip, who in the foreword to his 1986 book If I Were an Animal, wrote, "In the event that I am reincarnated, I would like to return as a deadly virus, in order to contribute something to solve overpopulation."
"The simplest answer is that the world's population should be about two billion, and we've got about six billion now," media mogul Ted Turner told E Magazine, an environmentalist publication.
Turner went even further in an interview with Audubon Magazine.
"A total world population of 250-300 million people, a 95% decline from present levels, would be ideal."
In a 1991 interview with the UNESCO Courier, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the famous Emmy award winning film producer who went on to be a kingpin of the environmental movement said,
"It's terrible to have to say this. World population must be stabilized and to do that we must eliminate 350,000 people per day."
The global elite and the military-industrial complex have already sworn to inflict genocide to ethnically cleanse world population down to levels that are more easy to control and enslave. This is the ultimate end game of the New World Order - giving birth to the apocalypse and manufacturing hell on earth.
No longer can this be dismissed as a paranoid conspiracy theory when the very architects of this horror are openly discussing it on a regular basis in their own planning documents.
Revolution, flashmobs, and brain chips. A grim vision of the future
Richard Norton-Taylor
Information chips implanted in the brain. Electromagnetic pulse weapons. The middle classes becoming revolutionary, taking on the role of Marx's proletariat. The population of countries in the Middle East increasing by 132%, while Europe's drops as fertility falls. "Flashmobs" - groups rapidly mobilised by criminal gangs or terrorists groups.
This is the world in 30 years' time envisaged by a Ministry of Defence team responsible for painting a picture of the "future strategic context" likely to face Britain's armed forces. It includes an "analysis of the key risks and shocks". Rear Admiral Chris Parry, head of the MoD's Development, Concepts & Doctrine Centre which drew up the report, describes the assessments as "probability-based, rather than predictive".
The 90-page report comments on widely discussed issues such as the growing economic importance of India and China, the militarisation of space, and even what it calls "declining news quality" with the rise of "internet-enabled, citizen-journalists" and pressure to release stories "at the expense of facts". It includes other, some frightening, some reassuring, potential developments that are not so often discussed.
New weapons
An electromagnetic pulse will probably become operational by 2035 able to destroy all communications systems in a selected area or be used against a "world city" such as an international business service hub. The development of neutron weapons which destroy living organs but not buildings "might make a weapon of choice for extreme ethnic cleansing in an increasingly populated world". The use of unmanned weapons platforms would enable the "application of lethal force without human intervention, raising consequential legal and ethical issues". The "explicit use" of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons and devices delivered by unmanned vehicles or missiles.
By 2035, an implantable "information chip" could be wired directly to the brain. A growing pervasiveness of information communications technology will enable states, terrorists or criminals, to mobilise "flashmobs", challenging security forces to match this potential agility coupled with an ability to concentrate forces quickly in a small area.
"The middle classes could become a revolutionary class, taking the role envisaged for the proletariat by Marx," says the report. The thesis is based on a growing gap between the middle classes and the super-rich on one hand and an urban under-class threatening social order: "The world's middle classes might unite, using access to knowledge, resources and skills to shape transnational processes in their own class interest". Marxism could also be revived, it says, because of global inequality. An increased trend towards moral relativism and pragmatic values will encourage people to seek the "sanctuary provided by more rigid belief systems, including religious orthodoxy and doctrinaire political ideologies, such as popularism and Marxism".
Pressures leading to social unrest
By 2010 more than 50% of the world's population will be living in urban rather than rural environments, leading to social deprivation and "new instability risks", and the growth of shanty towns. By 2035, that figure will rise to 60%. Migration will increase. Globalisation may lead to levels of international integration that effectively bring inter-state warfare to an end. But it may lead to "inter-communal conflict" - communities with shared interests transcending national boundaries and resorting to the use of violence.
The global population is likely to grow to 8.5bn in 2035, with less developed countries accounting for 98% of that. Some 87% of people under the age of 25 live in the developing world. Demographic trends, which will exacerbate economic and social tensions, have serious implications for the environment - including the provision of clean water and other resources - and for international relations. The population of sub-Saharan Africa will increase over the period by 81%, and that of Middle Eastern countries by 132%.
The massive population growth will mean the Middle East, and to a lesser extent north Africa, will remain highly unstable, says the report. It singles out Saudi Arabia, the most lucrative market for British arms, with unemployment levels of 20% and a "youth bulge" in a state whose population has risen from 7 million to 27 million since 1980. "The expectations of growing numbers of young people [in the whole region] many of whom will be confronted by the prospect of endemic unemployment ... are unlikely to be met," says the report.
Islamic militancy
Resentment among young people in the face of unrepresentative regimes "will find outlets in political militancy, including radical political Islam whose concept of Umma, the global Islamic community, and resistance to capitalism may lie uneasily in an international system based on nation-states and global market forces", the report warns. The effects of such resentment will be expressed through the migration of youth populations and global communications, encouraging contacts between diaspora communities and their countries of origin.
Tension between the Islamic world and the west will remain, and may increasingly be targeted at China "whose new-found materialism, economic vibrancy, and institutionalised atheism, will be an anathema to orthodox Islam".
Iran will steadily grow in economic and demographic strength and its energy reserves and geographic location will give it substantial strategic leverage. However, its government could be transformed. "From the middle of the period," says the report, "the country, especially its high proportion of younger people, will want to benefit from increased access to globalisation and diversity, and it may be that Iran progressively, but unevenly, transforms...into a vibrant democracy."
Casualties and the amount of damage inflicted by terrorism will stay low compared to other forms of coercion and conflict. But acts of extreme violence, supported by elements within Islamist states, with media exploitation to maximise the impact of the "theatre of violence" will persist. A "terrorist coalition", the report says, including a wide range of reactionary and revolutionary rejectionists such as ultra-nationalists, religious groupings and even extreme environmentalists, might conduct a global campaign of greater intensity".
There is "compelling evidence" to indicate that climate change is occurring and that the atmosphere will continue to warm at an unprecedented rate throughout the 21st century. It could lead to a reduction in north Atlantic salinity by increasing the freshwater runoff from the Arctic. This could affect the natural circulation of the north Atlantic by diminishing the warming effect of ocean currents on western Europe. "The drop in temperature might exceed that of the miniature ice age of the 17th and 18th centuries."
Big Brother is watching us all
By Humphrey Hawksley
BBC News, Washington
The US and UK governments are developing increasingly sophisticated gadgets to keep individuals under their surveillance. When it comes to technology, the US is determined to stay ahead of the game.
Humphrey Hawksley's data is captured by a camera in one second
"Five nine, five ten," said the research student, pushing down a laptop button to seal the measurement. "That's your height."
"Spot on," I said.
"OK, we're freezing you now," interjected another student, studying his computer screen. "So we have height and tracking and your gait DNA".
"Gait DNA?" I interrupted, raising my head, so inadvertently my full face was caught on a video camera.
"Have we got that?" asked their teacher Professor Rama Challapa. "We rely on just 30 frames - about one second - to get a picture we can work with," he explained.
Tracking individuals
I was at Maryland University just outside Washington DC, where Professor Challapa and his team are inventing the next generation of citizen surveillance.
They had pushed back furniture in the conference room for me to walk back and forth and set up cameras to feed my individual data back to their laptops.
Gait DNA, for example, is creating an individual code for the way I walk. Their goal is to invent a system whereby a facial image can be matched to your gait, your height, your weight and other elements, so a computer will be able to identify instantly who you are.
How you walk could be used to identify you in a crowd
"As you walk through a crowd, we'll be able to track you," said Professor Challapa. "These are all things that don't need the cooperation of the individual."
Since 9/11, some of the best scientific minds in the defence industry have switched their concentration from tracking nuclear missiles to tracking individuals such as suicide bombers.
My next stop was a Pentagon agency whose headquarters is a drab suburban building in Virginia. The Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) had one specific mission - to ensure that when it comes to technology America is always ahead of the game.
Its track record is impressive. Back in the 70s, while we were working with typewriters and carbon paper, Darpa was developing the internet. In the 90s, while we pored over maps, Darpa invented satellite navigation that many of us now have in our cars.
"We ask the top people what keeps them awake at night," said its enthusiastic and forthright director Dr Tony Tether, "what problems they see long after they have left their posts."
"And what are they?" I asked.
He paused, hand on chin. "I'd prefer not to say. It's classified."
"All right then, can you say what you're actually working on now."
"Oh, language," he answered enthusiastically, clasping his fingers together. "Unless we're going to train every American citizen and soldier in 16 different languages we have to develop a technology that allows them to understand - whatever country they are in - what's going on around them.
"I hope in the future we'll be able to have conversations, if say you're speaking in French and I'm speaking in English, and it will be natural."
"And the computer will do the translation?"
"Yep. All by computer," he said.
"And this idea about a total surveillance society," I asked. "Is that science fiction?"
Opinion polls, both in the US and Britain, say that about 75% of us want more, not less, surveillance
"No, that's not science fiction. We're developing an unmanned airplane - a UAV - which may be able to stay up five years with cameras on it, constantly being cued to look here and there. This is done today to a limited amount in Baghdad. But it's the way to go."
Interestingly, we, the public, don't seem to mind. Opinion polls, both in the US and Britain, say that about 75% of us want more, not less, surveillance. Some American cities like New York and Chicago are thinking of taking a lead from Britain where our movements are monitored round the clock by four million CCTV cameras.
In Britain we are monitored 24/7 by four million CCTV cameras
So far there is no gadget that can actually see inside our houses, but even that's about to change.
Ian Kitajima flew to Washington from his laboratories in Hawaii to show me sense-through-the-wall technology.
"Each individual has a characteristic profile," explained Ian, holding a green rectangular box that looked like a TV remote control.
Using radio waves, you point it a wall and it tells you if anyone is on the other side. His company, Oceanit, is due to test it with the Hawaiian National Guard in Iraq next year, and it turns out that the human body gives off such sensitive radio signals, that it can even pick up breathing and heart rates.
"First, you can tell whether someone is dead or alive on the battlefield," said Ian.
"But it will also show whether someone inside a house is looking to harm you, because if they are, their heart rate will be raised. And 10 years from now, the technology will be much smarter. We'll scan a person with one of these things and tell what they're actually thinking."
He glanced at me quizzically, noticing my apprehension.
"Yeah, I know," he said. "It sounds very Star Trekkish, but that's what's ahead."
From Our Own Correspondent was broadcast on Saturday, 15 September, 2007 at 1130 BST on BBC Radio 4. Please check the programme schedules for World Service transmission times.
The most spied upon people in Europe
Germany's highest court has ruled that spying on personal computers violates privacy, but governments across Europe are under pressure to help their security services fight terrorism and organised crime[OK...].
Here, BBC reporters give a snapshot of the extent of surveillance across Europe.
Last Updated: Wednesday, 27 February 2008, 14:33 GMT
"The threat of terrorism has forced the German government to take stricter measures"
Paul Kirby on Germany
"Privacy campaigners say the UK has some of the world's leading surveillance systems"
Dominic Casciani on the UK
"On the whole, the French are not big fans of surveillance equipment."
Emma Jane Kirby on France
"Italians are among the most spied upon people in the world, says the Max Planck Institute"
David Willey on Italy
"Greece has such strong constitutional protection against state sponsored spying"
Malcolm Brabant on Greece
"CCTV monitoring, while extensive in other parts of Europe, is not widespread"
Julian Isherwood on Denmark
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7265212.stm
The FBI is gonna get your number...
Camera 'looks' through clothing
A camera that can "see" explosives, drugs and weapons hidden under clothing from 25 metres has been invented.
All objects emit terahertz radiation
The ThruVision system could be deployed at airports, railway stations or other public spaces.
It is based on so-called "terahertz", or T-ray, technology, normally used by astronomers to study dying stars.
Although it is able to see through clothes it does not reveal "body detail" or subject people to "harmful radiation", according to the designers.
"It is totally and utterly passive - it receives only," said a spokesperson for Thruvision.
The portable camera, which has already been sold to the Dubai Mercantile Exchange and Canary Wharf in London, will be shown off at the Home Office scientific development branch's annual exhibition later this week.
Unlike current security systems that use X-rays, the ThruVision system exploits terahertz rays, or T-rays.
This electromagnetic radiation is a form of low level energy emitted by all people and objects.
These are able to pass through clothing, paper, ceramics and wood but are blocked by metal and water.
The system works by collecting these waves and processing them to form an image which can reveal concealed objects.
"If I were to look at you in terahertz you would appear to glow like a light bulb and different objects glow less brightly or more brightly," said the firm's spokesperson.
"You see a silhouette of the form but you don't see surface anatomical effects."
In addition, the system does not involve any of the "harmful radiation associated with traditional X-ray security screening", according to the firm.
The company has made previous versions of the camera, but the T5000, as it is known, is the first that works both indoors and out.
The system exploits technology originally developed at the government owned Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) in Oxfordshire.
"Astronomers use T-ray cameras that can see through dust and clouds in space, revealing what lies beyond," explained Dr Liz Towns-Andrews, of the Science and Technology Facilities Council which runs RAL.
Other terahertz systems, developed by companies such as TeraView, are used to probe the structure of *SPAM* compounds.
The Biometric Cataloging of Americans at Home
"Avoid the hassle of airport security every time you fly."
This is the rhetoric being used to entice U.S. citizens to voluntarily provide their biometric information to the U.S. government.
The program, called "clear," is being installed at airports around the country now. For a little background on this, view a post at this website from September 2005, called Securitizing the Global Norm of Identity: Biometric Technologies in Domestic and Foreign Policy.
In Fallujah, the cataloging of human beings has been involuntary since the U.S. siege of that city in November 2004. Having retina scans, fingerprinting and bar-code IDs is mandatory there for Iraqis.
But now, in the "homeland" of the United States, you too can join the happy club of those giving their biometric data to the federal government. Just bring two forms of government issued identification to your local Clear airport or various downtown location, enroll, pay the $128 fee, wait 2-3 weeks, and then if you are accepted, step up to your nearest scanner, and try not to blink as your retina is scanned.
These kiosks are planned for airports in New York, Denver, Oakland, and many others.
So, no need to be intimidated by the government’s desire to use biometric data to catalog U.S. citizens, (or Iraqis for that matter), as you can rest more peacefully knowing you are now more secure.
You can learn more about this safe, fast, and helpful way to get through airport security in four minutes or less, here.
http://www.infowars.com/?p=787
DNA test ‘puts innocent at risk’ of convictions
A new DNA technology hailed as having the potential to solve thousands of murders, rapes and other serious crimes could lead to innocent people being convicted, one of Britain’s most respected forensic scientists has warned.
DNAboost, a computer software program that unravels DNA samples where a surface or material has been touched by more than one person, should be subject to widespread testing among the scientific community before it is introduced for use by police across Britain, according to Professor Allan Jamieson, director of the Forensic Institute in Glasgow. His concerns about another method of DNA detection, low copy DNA, led to the collapse last year of the trial of Sean Hoey, the Omagh bomb suspect, and to the technique being suspended by police forces. He said that the future success of DNAboost could be put at risk by a “cavalier” approach to its use.
The software has already been piloted by four police forces in northern England, at least one of which has praised it publicly and claims it has provided more “hits” on possible suspects. It has been hailed for its crime-fighting potential by Tony Blair, while experts have said that it could identify up to 6,000 extra suspects each year.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article3607485.ece
BRAVO SIERRA
The only CLEAR I like IS SPIRIT
"I'm interested in the capitalistic way of life, and the reason I like it better than anything else I've seen so far is because competition produces results."
feetlightup
Location: Closer than I Appear
BRAVO SIERRA wrote:
I say TOOO MUCH business is WRONG fo you, Bay-Bay....
(dwee-dah, dwee-dah)
There's TOO MANY DEALS in the day
Hey He-eyyyy
Let's hear it again for the London Philharmonic Orchestra!
Lidl, the Big Brother supermarket, is watching you
Roger Boyes in Berlin
The Stasi secret police may have died with communism but its surveillance methods are still alive at Lidl, the German supermarket chain.
George Orwell's Big Brother, it seems, stalks the aisles between the cornflakes and the canned dogfood. Detectives hired by Lidl - which has more than 7,000 stores worldwide, including 450 in Britain - have been monitoring romance at the cash till, visits to the lavatory and the money problems of shelf-stackers.
Several hundred pages of surveillance records have been passed on to Stern magazine, causing outrage among the unions and data protection officials. Verdi, the powerful service sector union, is offering legal help to Lidl workers who want to sue the company for invasion of privacy.
The secret monitoring of staff seems to have taken place only in Germany, though there have been reports of something similar from Lidl outlets in Eastern Europe. Lidl UK declined to comment yesterday. In Britain Lidl has gained the reputation of being a sharp competitor to chains such as Tesco and Sainsbury but staff have complained in the past of long hours and low wages. Lidl Germany says that the cameras were placed “to secure our goods against shoplifting and not to watch our employees”. Even so, spokeswoman Petra Trabert said that the surveillance helped to “establish any possible wrong behaviour.”
Detectives hired by Lidl in Germany would install ten covert matchbox-sized cameras at strategic points in a supermarket every Monday and observe the store for a week. What emerges from the mass of accumulated material is a portrait of an intrusive employer; no information is too trivial for the watchers
Here is Observation period 9-14 July, 2007 at a branch near Hanover: “Saturday 10.10am Ms J tells Ms L that she has never paid her television licence fees because she is still registered with her parents, even though she lives with her boyfriend. The detective's end-of-week advice to management is that Ms J is a security risk.”
Ms J's days with Lidl, one suspects, could be numbered. But a Lidl spokeswoman told Stern: “All the people named in the transcripts are still employed with Lidl with the exception of five workers. Two were released after the end of their probation period, another three offered to resign.”
Little escapes Lidl. Above all there is a fascination with lavatory behaviour. “Ms R has been leaving the till to go to the toilet every 15 minutes, despite waiting customers,” says one report.
Watching two staff at a cash till in northern Germany, detectives spotted a budding romance. “Friday 13.50. The relationship between Ms L and Mr H should be investigated since they seem to have become close. When Mr H counted up Ms L's takings he drew a little heart on the receipt.”
Among the crates of cheap German beer at Lidl's Brixton branch, there would be plenty of places to hide cameras. The store's deputy manager, who declined to be named, told The Times that he had no knowledge of any covert surveillance in his branch. He said that the rows of roof-mounted cameras are there only for security.
For Peter Schaar, the government ombudsman for data protection, the Lidl revelations are deeply disturbing. Federal data protection law, he says, is strict about surveillance in public spaces such as supermarkets. Hidden cameras like those used by the Stasi are banned. “They count as clandestine surveillance which is forbidden.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3628660.ece
Spy-in-the-sky drone sets sights on Miami
MIAMI (Reuters) - Miami police could soon be the first in the United States to use cutting-edge, spy-in-the-sky technology to beef up their fight against crime.
A small pilotless drone manufactured by Honeywell International, capable of hovering and "staring" using electro-optic or infrared sensors, is expected to make its debut soon in the skies over the Florida Everglades.
If use of the drone wins Federal Aviation Administration approval after tests, the Miami-Dade Police Department will start flying the 14-pound (6.3 kg) drone over urban areas with an eye toward full-fledged employment in crime fighting.
"Our intentions are to use it only in tactical situations as an extra set of eyes," said police department spokesman Juan Villalba.
"We intend to use this to benefit us in carrying out our mission," he added, saying the wingless Honeywell aircraft, which fits into a backpack and is capable of vertical takeoff and landing, seems ideally suited for use by SWAT teams in hostage situations or dealing with "barricaded subjects."
Miami-Dade police are not alone, however.
Taking their lead from the U.S. military, which has used drones in Iraq and Afghanistan for years, law enforcement agencies across the country have voiced a growing interest in using drones for domestic crime-fighting missions.
Known in the aerospace industry as UAVs, for unmanned aerial vehicles, drones have been under development for decades in the United States.
The CIA acknowledges that it developed a dragonfly-sized UAV known as the "Insectohopter" for laser-guided spy operations as long ago as the 1970s.
And other advanced work on robotic flyers has clearly been under way for quite some time.
"The FBI is experimenting with a variety of unmanned aerial vehicles," said Marcus Thomas, an assistant director of the bureau's Operational Technology Division.
"At this point they have been used mainly for search and rescue missions," he added. "It certainly is an up-and-coming technology and the FBI is researching additional uses for UAVs."
SAFETY, PRIVACY CONCERNS
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been flying drones over the Arizona desert and southwest border with Mexico since 2006 and will soon deploy one in North Dakota to patrol the Canadian border as well.
This month, Customs and Border Protection spokesman Juan Munoz Torres said the agency would also begin test flights of a modified version of its large Predator B drones, built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, over the Gulf of Mexico.
Citing numerous safety concerns, the FAA -- the government agency responsible for regulating civil aviation -- has been slow in developing procedures for the use of UAVs by police departments.
"You don't want one of these coming down on grandma's windshield when she's on her way to the grocery store," said Doug Davis, the FAA's program manager for unmanned aerial systems.
He acknowledged strong interest from law enforcement agencies in getting UAVs up and running, however, and said the smaller aircraft particularly were likely to have a "huge economic impact" over the next 10 years.
Getting clearance for police and other civilian agencies to fly can't come soon enough for Billy Robinson, chief executive of Cyber Defense Systems Inc, a small start-up company in St. Petersburg, Florida. His company makes an 8-pound (3.6 kg) kite-sized UAV that was flown for a time by police in Palm Bay, Florida, and in other towns, before the FAA stepped in.
"We've had interest from dozens of law enforcement agencies," said Robinson. "They (the FAA) are preventing a bunch of small companies such as ours from becoming profitable," he said.
Some privacy advocates, however, say rules and ordinances need to be drafted to protect civil liberties during surveillance operations.
"There's been controversies all around about putting up surveillance cameras in public areas," said Howard Simon, Florida director of the American Civil Liberties Union.
"Technological developments can be used by law enforcement in a way that enhances public safety," he said. "But every enhanced technology also contains a threat of further erosion of privacy."
(Reporting by Tom Brown; Editing by Michael Christie and Eddie Evans)
http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSN1929797920080326
Your Internet provider is watching you
Fine print reveals that you have fewer rights than you might realize
By Peter Svensson
updated 1:08 p.m. ET April 4, 2008
The Comcast case is a rare example of the government getting into the ISP contract nitty-gritty. "There really should be an onus on the regulators to see this kind of thing is done correctly," said Bob Williams, who deals with telecom and media issues at Consumers Union.
NEW YORK - What's scary, funny and boring at the same time? It could be a bad horror movie. Or it could be the fine print on your Internet service provider's contract.
Those documents you agree to — usually without reading — ostensibly allow your ISP to watch how you use the Internet, read your e-mail or keep you from visiting sites it deems inappropriate. Some reserve the right to block traffic and, for any reason, cut off a service that many users now find essential.
The Associated Press reviewed the "Acceptable Use Policies" and "Terms of Service" of the nation's 10 largest ISPs — in all, 117 pages of contracts that leave few rights for subscribers
"The network is asserting almost complete control of the users' ability to use their network as a gateway to the Internet," said Marvin Ammori, general counsel of Free Press, a Washington-based consumer advocacy group. "They become gatekeepers rather than gateways."
But the provisions are rarely enforced, except against obvious miscreants like spammers. Consumer outrage would have been the likely result if AT&T Inc. took advantage of its stated right to block any activity that causes the company "to be viewed unfavorably by others."
Jonathan Zittrain, professor of Internet governance and regulation at Oxford University, said this clause was a "piece of boilerplate that is passed around the corporate lawyers like a Christmas fruitcake.
"The idea that they would ever invoke it and point to it is nuts, especially since their terms of service already say they can cut you off for any reason and give you a refund for the balance of the month," Zittrain said.
AT&T removed the "unfavorably by others" wording in February after The Associated Press asked about the reason behind it. Subscribers, however, wouldn't know that it was gone unless they checked the contract word for word: The document still said it was last updated Oct. 8, 2007.
Most companies reserve the right to change the contracts at any time, without any notice except an update on the Web site. Verizon used to say it would notify subscribers of changes by e-mail, but the current contract just leaves that as an option for the company.
This sort of contract, where the subscriber is considered to agree by signing up for service rather than by active negotiation, is given extra scrutiny by courts, Zittrain said. Any wiggle room or ambiguity is usually resolved in favor of the consumer rather than the company.
Yet the main purpose of ISP contracts isn't to circumscribe the service for all subscribers, but rather to provide legal cover for the company if it cuts off a user who's abusing the system.
"Without the safeguards offered in these policies, customers could suffer from degradation of service and be exposed to a broad variety of malware threats," said David Deliman, spokesman at Cox Communications.
The language does matter: In a case involving a student accused of hacking, a federal appeals court held last year that subscribers should have a lower expectation of privacy if their service provider has a stated policy of monitoring traffic.
But these broadly written contracts still don't provide all the legal cover ISPs want. Comcast Corp. is being investigated by the Federal Communications Commission for interfering with file sharing by its subscribers. The company has pointed to its Acceptable Use Policy, which said, in general terms, that the company had the right to manage traffic. Since the investigation began, it has updated the policy to describe its practices in greater detail, and recently said it would stop targeting file-sharing once it puts a new traffic-management system in place late this year.
The Comcast case is a rare example of the government getting into the nitty-gritty of one of these contracts.
"There really should be an onus on the regulators to see this kind of thing is done correctly," said Bob Williams, who deals with telecom and media issues at Consumers Union.
If there were more competition, market forces might straighten out the contracts, he said. But most Americans have only two choices for broadband: the cable company or the phone company.
Williams himself knows that it's tough to pay attention to the contracts. He recently had Verizon Communications Inc.'s FiOS broadband and TV service installed in his home. Only after the installation was completed did he get the contract in the mail.
He could have read some of the terms earlier, when placing the order online, but he just clicked the "Accept" button.
"I'm a hard-nosed consumer advocate type ... I really should have examined it better than I did," he said. But, he added, he acted like most consumers, because of the lack of alternatives. "You click the 'Accept' button because it's not like you're going somewhere else."
Other common clauses of ISP contracts:
ISPs can read your e-mail
Practically all ISPs reserve the right to read your e-mails and look at the sites you visit, without a wiretap order. This reflects the open nature of the Internet _ for privacy purposes, e-mails are more like postcards than letters. It's also prompted by the ISPs' need to identify and stop subscribers who use their connections to send spam e-mails.
Some ISPs, like AT&T Inc., make clear that they do not read their subscriber's traffic as a matter of course, but also that they need little or no excuse to begin doing so. Cablevision, a cable operator in the Northeast, says one of the reasons it might look at what a customer is doing online would be to help operate its service properly.
The federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act protects e-mail and other Internet communications from eavesdropping, but several of its provisions can be waived by agreements between the ISP and the subscriber. Also, the law is mainly aimed at making it difficult for the government, not companies, to snoop.
Wiretapping laws may also apply, but the situation is unclear. A federal appeals court panel in 2004 dismissed charges against a company that provided e-mail services for booksellers and snooped on their Amazon.com order confirmations. The charges of illegal wiretapping were reinstated by the full appeals court the next year, but the case hasn't been tried.
ISPs can block you from Web sites
Or at least they would like to think so. In a clause typical of ISPs, Comcast reserves the right to block or remove traffic it deems "inappropriate, regardless of whether this material or its dissemination is unlawful."
The ISP sees itself as the sole judge of whether something is appropriate.
Broad enforcement of this kind of clause for business purposes other than protecting users is likely to draw attention from regulators like the FCC, as is happening in the Comcast file-sharing case.
ISPs can shut you down for using the connection too much
For cable ISPs, up to 500 households may be sharing the capacity on a single line, and a few traffic hogs can slow the whole neighborhood down. But rather than saying publicly how much traffic is too much, some cable companies keep their caps secret, and simply warn offenders individually. If that doesn't work, they're kicked off.
It's difficult to reach these secret bandwidth caps unless users are downloading large amounts of high-quality video from the Internet, but the advent of high-definition Internet video set-top boxes like the Apple TV and the Vudu could make it more common.
Oddly, some ISPs, like Cox, say it's the responsibility of subscribers to ensure that they don't hog the traffic of other subscribers, a determination that's impossible for a home broadband user. Cox, however, does make the monthly download and upload limits public on its Web site.
Time Warner Cable Inc. has said it will test putting public caps on how much new subscribers in Beaumont, Texas, can download per month, and charge them more if they go over.
Digital subscriber line providers like AT&T and Verizon aren't as concerned about bandwidth hogs, because phone lines aren't shared among households.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23957172
Fears over advert system privacy
By Darren Waters
Technology editor, BBC News website
Online advert system Phorm could make the net less secure and breaches human rights, the service's creators have been told.
Phorm is a controversial system of internet advertising
Phorm's bosses met with members of the public in London to discuss concerns around its controversial deployment.
Kent Ertugrul, Phorm's chief executive, defended the service, saying it would be a crucial revenue source for ISPs and website owners.
BT, Virgin and Carphone Warehouse have signed up to trial Phorm.
Phorm works by connecting a users' web surfing habits to a series of advertising channels in order to target adverts.
Keywords in websites visited by a user are scanned and connected to advertising categories, and then matched to particular adverts.
It means a user who has been visiting web pages with lots of references to cars, for example, could then see adverts for cars when visiting a website that has signed up to Phorm's service.
But concerns have been raised about privacy implications.
Dr Richard Clayton, treasurer of the Foundation for Information Policy Research and a professor at Cambridge University, told the meeting the architecture of Phorm made the internet potentially less secure.
"I don't think it improves the stability of the internet," he said.
Dr Clayton carried out an assessment of the architecture of Phorm following an invitation from the company. (...)
Crudblud
Well GG, I've had a lot of catching up to do since I've been away. Great thread, tons of interesting articles and links.
This one goes to old Flatulus:
1984; WILL YOU LET IT COTROL YOUR LIFE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line103
|
__label__wiki
| 0.561067
| 0.561067
|
Meji's Report Card
by RobertMontrose » March 6th, 2015, 12:29 pm
So... What ever happened to Meji's project and her graduation anyway? I mean, she did more or less complete the project she set out on, and within the deadline to boot! I would think that even if she never showed up to submit her report, the academy would have bent over backwards to award her at least an honorary diploma.
As for higher education, perhaps she should be a [snerk] Doctor of Divinity [chuckle]?
Because badass action girl is as badass action girl does.
RobertMontrose
Joined: March 5th, 2015, 2:52 pm
Re: Meji's Report Card
by Graybeard » March 6th, 2015, 6:21 pm
RobertMontrose wrote: So... What ever happened to Meji's project and her graduation anyway? I mean, she did more or less complete the project she set out on, and within the deadline to boot! I would think that even if she never showed up to submit her report, the academy would have bent over backwards to award her at least an honorary diploma.
We don't know for sure, but when the Senilisized Meji went to see her professor, his response to her project was ... unsatisfying. That, and the ensuing sequence with her bouncing him off walls, etc., was the last we heard of it. Presumably, after the big battle in Praenubilus Astu, she decided she had other things to do than argue about her grades.
by RobertMontrose » March 10th, 2015, 11:33 pm
Well, I'm pretty sure if I had ever come to my one of my professors' office hours mysteriously glowing and half-dressed to whine and bitch about mistakes in his or her curriculum, their first impulse would probably be to call security. Telekinetically lifting them into the air would probably make him or her even less likely to discuss my grades (especially if it happens to be a physics professor ) .
Given that the Academy is at the secondary school level, I find most teachers at that stage aren't terribly concerned with whether the material is right or wrong when it comes to grading. If she sat down to have a more reasoned discussion with the administration, she might actually get somewhere. If that doesn't work, given her statement after killing Ian that she could stop everyone's hearts in her general vicinity, she could almost certainly defeat the entire faculty, without injuries, with not so much as a microjoule of effort.
Personally, I'd think it would end up like how it did with Harvard giving Bill Gates an honorary law degree 30 years after he dropped out. Even for an institution that prestigious, there's still a lot of bragging rights to be had.
by Graybeard » March 11th, 2015, 6:01 pm
Well, sure, she "could," quote unquote, take on the whole Sashi Mu faculty, turn Yukiri into a human pizza, and make the rest of them into toppings. But why bother? Remarkably enough, Meji grew up some during Errant Story, and by the end, she had bigger things on her mind than passing the class, which was pretty much irrelevant by then.
One of the things about Errant Story that attracted a particularly thoughtful fandom during its long run, particularly the second half -- see practically all of the threads on the modern forum -- was the way Poe managed to pose subtle, interesting, and above all, thought-provoking behavioral and ethical questions that defied simple answers. I know of few if any other webcomics that did or do that half as well. It is therefore rather sad that this little throwaway happened just as it was finally winding down after its long run, because the question "so what does an all-powerful near-divine being do when she goes away for 'several very tense weeks', as Sarine puts it, to clear her head?" is one of those things ripe for serious discussion that unfortunately didn't occur. I devoutly hope that some day soon, Poe gets back to drawing the Errant World, and maybe sheds some light on that question. At the minimum, that she didn't bother hamburgerizing Sashi Mu (at least we can infer she didn't; Sarine would presumably have said something about it if she had) suggests that her priorities were definitely elsewhere -- and it would be fascinating to know where.
by RobertMontrose » March 14th, 2015, 5:14 pm
Call me crazy, but I think there's value in finishing what you set out to do, no matter how much interest you may lose near the end. I agree that she's definitely beyond the point of, "I'll show them, I'll show them all!", but I think she would at least return to settle issues, apologize for the earlier incident, and close out her academic transcript. I can believe that she would decline to attend the graduation ceremony for fear of literally outshining everyone else in her class, but honestly I'd like to see Poe make an Errant Tale surrounding Meji's graduation. I think it would be doable artistically, and it would tie up that loose thread.
Errant Story is, fundamentally, a bildungsroman for Meji. Most stories in that genre also include guides, which we have, but a true mentor is conspicuously absent. I think it is quite obvious that Meji wouldn't even have been in this story without the challenge Sashi Mu issued to her and her class, and she certainly wouldn't have lasted through the twist and turns of the plot without the education and training she already recieved from that fine institution. No ship can sail the seas without having first been built on land, and I think Sashi Mu deserves some credit for having helped shape Meji from a child into a fine young woman.
Furthermore, I think it would say a lot about how Meji has matured internally if she were invited as an honorary speaker at graduation, and she gave an address that was not at all bitter or concieted, but rather was gracious and deferential to the faculty, staff, and students of Sashi Mu, kind of like a famous person coming back to give the a speech at their old alma mater. She could say that each and every one of her peers has the potential within them to exceed her own acheivements some day with commitment, dedication, and a few good friends.
In the background, Poe could also use the names and/or faces of his favorite teachers, professors, mentors, and guides from his own life, who all helped to bring up an artist with the talent and vision to create such a magical world.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line104
|
__label__cc
| 0.529239
| 0.470761
|
Contributor Spotlight: Oliver de la Paz
MEME: 5 Albums that were the soundtrack to Furious Lullaby + bonus tracks
(So I figured, since this was a blog post, I’d do a very blogger-like thing and post a meme.)
When I write, I listen to music. This is, from what I understand, a not-so-common practice. I’ve always been able to write to some kind of music, whether it’s in the background, or whether I’m consciously putting a set of headphones on my head and cranking the juice on the stereo.
From what I understand, a lot of people hear the music competing with their own poetic composition. I treat the music, in some way, as a guiding principle for the syntax of my poems. Mind you, I do go back later to my poems and “repair” them, but for the initial generative moments, I listen to music with my headphones on. I’d otherwise be distracted into doing some other task . . . like vacuuming. Believe me, it’s true. I’d clean my whole damn house just to keep away from the writing desk. I suppose the practice of listening to music at the writing desk was employed specifically because I needed a distraction that would keep me with my head down typing away. When, exactly, I started listening to music while writing poems I don’t know.
Anyway, I wanted to share with you some of the albums that I listened to while I was composing Furious Lullaby, my second manuscript. In slightly chronological order, here they are:
1. I See a Darkness—Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy. Just after Names Above Houses (my first book) was selected as a Crab Orchard Award Series winner, I was writing these tiny, spare poems. I was stuck. I was having a hard time coming back to writing after living with my first book for so long. I was also about to leave Arizona for a cross-country trip to south central Pennsylvania for a visiting writer appointment at Gettysburg College.
2. Songs for Egon Schiele—The Rachel’s. Not much to say about this album except that listening to it inspired me to write large chunks of Furious Lullaby. There’s something about the strings and the tones in this particular album that just got me writing . . . a lot. There’s also a narrative. Mind you, it’s all instrumental/classical, but there was a palpable story.
3. Horse Stories—The Dirty Three. One song out of this album, in particular, stands out for me—“Sue’s Last Ride.” Check it out. It starts out slowly and then builds in tempo until you’re at a full gallop. I wrote “Aubade with Constellations, Horses, and Snow” to this song. The whole album, though, is lovely.
4. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots—The Flaming Lips. There had seemed to be something missing from my manuscript when I got my hands on this album in 2002. I was about ¾ done with Furious Lullaby when I realized that I needed a character to wed/fuse some of the disparate elements in my book. So I created a devil character which was a direct response to 1) an editor saying I needed a villain and 2) a whole week where I did nothing but listened to The Flaming Lips through my headphones.
5. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot—Wilco. Another “thematic” album. First, though, I have to brag a little. I managed to see Wilco in New York with my good friend, Joseph Legaspi, while they were filming part of their documentary, I’m Am Trying to Break Your Heart. Thought I’d share. Anyway, I listened to this album quite obsessively. What’s remarkable is how static or the sense of static unified the album. Listening through it, it felt like I was turning the dial on a radio. I wanted that sort of progression throughout my own manuscript—you could hear echoes, samples of previous poems, but you were definitely on a new station.
I always like listening to CD’s (do we still buy CD’s nowadays?) and finding the “hidden track,” so here are some hidden tracks.
“French Vacation” The Walkmen—Wrote “Aubade with Bread for Sparrows” while listening to this.
“A Sorta Fairytale” Tori Amos—No reason. I just like Tori Amos. Got a problem?
“Break You Off” The Roots—Wrote “Aubade with a Heel of Bread, a Heart, and the Devil” this.
“Tom Traubert’s Blues” Tom Waits—I listened to a lot of Tom Waits while I was revising.
Oliver de la Paz is the author of two collections of poetry, Names Above Houses, and Furious Lullaby, both published by Southern Illinois University Press. He is the chair for the advisory board of Kundiman.org, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the creation, cultivation, and promotion of Asian American Poetry. His work has appeared in journals and anthologies such as Asian American Poetry: The Next Generation, Quarterly West, Tin House, Virginia Quarterly Review, North American Review, and elsewhere. He teaches creative writing at Western Washington University. A series of his poems is forthcoming in HFR issue #44.
Elizabeth April 27, 2009 Contributor News, Contributor Spotlight, Issues 41-50, Poetry
Unusual Calls for Submissions
Beth Staples April 28, 2009 Submissions
News Around the Net
Dani April 24, 2009 News
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line108
|
__label__wiki
| 0.751109
| 0.751109
|
Tougher penalties planned for drink-drivers
An interlock device is a breath-testing machine that prevents a car being started if the driver has alcohol in their breath. Under current Victorian law, “disqualified drivers found to be over 0.15, repeat offenders or those under the age of 26 who record 0.07 are required to have the devices fitted”. However, the Government has introduced the Road Safety Amendment Bill 2014 into the Legislative Assembly, which would tighten the rules so that they apply to disqualified drivers over 0.07, first offenders over 0.07, and probationary licence holders over the legal limit. According to the Transport Minister, Terry Mulder, “drink-drivers are responsible for 25 to 30 percent of deaths and 11 percent of serious injuries on our roads, while repeat drink-drivers make up 20 percent. Thirty per cent of drink-drivers involved in fatal crashes are repeat offenders.”
Brandis backing down on race law changes
Attorney-General George Brandis is reportedly “preparing to water down a controversial plan to scrap sections of the Racial Discrimination Act that restrict racist insults and hate speech”. A draft bill was released for public comment in March. As a result of lobbying, protests, petitions and written submissions, the Attorney-General is now rewriting the proposal, saying, “We did not engage in a period of both private and public consultation without intending to listen to what people had to say to us“. The government received more than 5300 submissions on the bill. (My submission is available here.)
Treasurer to test “politics” defence to defamation
Commonwealth Treasurer Joe Hockey is suing the Fairfax media company for defamation over articles published in its newspapers under the headline, “Treasurer for sale: Joe Hockey offers privileged access”. The articles described expensive fundraising dinners that allowed people to secretly contribute up to $22,000 to the Liberal Party, bypassing donation disclosure laws. Hockey claims the articles suggested he was corrupt, and that he has been “greatly injured, shunned and avoided” as a result. If the matter goes to trial (which is by no means certain), it will require the court to apply the precedent set by Lange v ABC: publication of defamatory matter is protected if it relates to political issues, is reasonable, and is not motivated by malice.
Domestic violence requires jail for deterrence
Section 5 of the Sentencing Act 1991 (Vic) sets out five principles for sentencing in Victoria: punishment, deterrence, rehabilitation, denunciation and protection of the community. Each of these might be more or less significant in a particular case. The Court of Appeal today ruled: “General deterrence is of fundamental importance in cases of domestic violence.” Their Honours explained: “The victims of such violence are often so enveloped by fear that they are incapable of either escaping the violence or reporting it to the authorities. The key to protection lies in deterring the violent conduct by sending an unequivocal message to would-be perpetrators of domestic violence that if they offend, they will be sentenced to a lengthy period of imprisonment so that they are no longer in a position to inflict harm.” This decision forms a precedent that will need to be followed by courts sentencing for domestic violence in future. The Court upheld the man’s 8 year head sentence, with a non-parole period of 6 years, for breaking his de facto wife’s arms.
Leaked transcript breached right to silence
In today’s Lee v The Queen judgment, the High Court unanimously ordered a retrial over drug and firearms charges, in an important decision upholding the privilege against self-incrimination. Two men had been forced to answer questions by the NSW Crime Commission under special powers that suspend the “right to silence”. The men were later charged by the DPP, and the prosecutor obtained a copy of the Crime Commission transcript, breaching a suppression order. The High Court ruled: “It is a … departure in a fundamental respect from a criminal trial which the system of criminal justice requires an accused person to have, for the prosecution to be armed with the evidence of an accused person obtained under compulsion concerning matters the subject of the charges.” Barrister Edward Greaves points out that the decision will force all investigative bodies with compulsory examination powers to ensure they keep their records out of the hands of prosecutors. The High Court said if leaks occurred, trials should only go ahead when “another prosecutor and other DPP personnel, not privy to the evidence, were engaged.”
Justice Kirby “answers anything” about North Korea
Former High Court judge, Michael Kirby, was appointed by the UN to head a Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the DPRK (North Korea). Based on testimony from refugees, the commission’s report found that terrible human rights abuses were committed in North Korea, and warned that its leaders faced prosecution for crimes against humanity. North Korea responded with a personal attack on Kirby. Last week, The Guardian organised an Ask Me Anything session on the Reddit forum, and Kirby fielded questions on the commission’s process and findings, and his views on what should occur next. Although he was realistic about the prospect of Kim Jong-Un facing trial—“There is absolutely no possibility that the present Supreme Leader of North Korea would appear voluntarily before the ICC”—he nevertheless remained hopeful that the report, shared by clandestine internet connections, would have an impact: “I suspect that the only thing [the DPRK leaders] respect and fear is the spreading of information about the truth in their country. And especially the risk that this information will get into the hands of the local population. … In the upshot, the truth will out. Truth is a great cleansing agent. North Korea must be opened to the truth. I hope, now that the COI report has been translated into the Korean language, it will become increasingly available to the citizens of DPRK.” The Guardian has collated ten highlights from the Kirby AMA.
Budget cuts impact on access to justice
The federal budget has been criticised for cutting $15 million from legal aid. According to the Law Council of Australia, “In Victoria alone cuts in grants of legal aid over the last three years mean that an additional 11,000 people will confront the legal system without legal aid and without the means to pay for legal representation themselves”, and the new cuts will exacerbate the problem. Law Institute of Victoria president Geoff Bowyer said, “Vulnerable Victorians will be even worse off with this cut. … Denying access to justice is to deny a basic human right to Victorians. It is a disgrace.” The budget also cut another $6 million from community legal centres. Community Law Australia chair Liana Buchanan said, “Having to close outreach offices and stop providing family violence support lawyers at court are just some of the actions centres will have to take because of these cuts.” The Attorney-General has previously stated that public funding for legal services should focus on direct assistance, rather than policy and law reform advocacy; however, a draft Productivity Commission report on Access to Justice last month found that “advocacy should be a core activity of LACs and CLCs” because addressing problems at a systemic level is more cost effective than handling individual disputes.
Good behaviour bond for violent vigilantes
Two Melbourne men have avoided a recorded conviction for an assault, despite inflicting a fractured skull, brain haemorrrhaging and hearing loss on their victim. After seeing a man punch a woman, they followed him down the road and took vigilante action. Magistrate Kate Hawkins took into account their remorse, and the circumstances of the attack. She said “it’s desirable to encourage young men to come to the aid of women who are being assaulted by men in the street”, but their “great error of judgment was taking the law into your own hands.” The men were placed on adjourned undertakings (commonly called good behaviour bonds) with conditions to attend positive lifestyle and anger management courses. According to Sentencing Advisory Council statistics, this is an exceptionally rare outcome for a charge of causing serious injury recklessly, which carries up to 15 years jail. The third man was earlier sentenced to a community correction order for his assault on the woman.
Pink Batts Royal Commission “crumbling” democracy?
The Royal Commission into the Home Insulation Program remained controversial this week, as former prime minister Kevin Rudd was called to give evidence. Although criminal prosecutions held the installation companies responsible for workers’ deaths, and the risk of fire fell under the program, the Abbott Government nevertheless established a royal commission to investigate whether the processes of government contributed to the problems. Controversially, cabinet documents were handed to the Commission, despite a convention that they be kept confidential for thirty years. The Government then tried to use cabinet confidentiality to censor Kevin Rudd’s evidence. The Australian’s legal affairs editor, Chris Merritt, suggests this marks a “turning point when some of the fundamental planks of the Australian system of government started to crumble.” He argues that the people delivered their verdict by electing a new government, and that is how Westminster accountability ought to work: “The existence of this royal commission implies that the Westminster method of accountability does not go far enough. The decision to call this inquiry creates a new and dangersous system in which all future governments can be held accountable not just to parliament and the people but to their successors in the executive.”
Budget sets up federation fight
The Commonwealth budget appears to be using deep cuts to health and education funding to push for a renegotiation of federal responsibilities. “Arguing that the states run schools and hospitals and should therefore have full autonomy, the budget says the cuts will ‘generate momentum’ for funding reforms in health and education, which will be devised by the white papers the government has commissioned into tax reform and federation.” The Victorian and NSW governments have indicated their opposition to the changes. In an interview on 7.30, Treasurer Joe Hockey was asked, “Are you starving the states so they beg you, effectively, to raise the GST?” He replied, “That’s up to them, they are responsible for schools and hospitals.” Under current arrangements, revenue raised by the GST is provided to the States as untied funding, to address vertical fiscal imbalance. The recent Commission of Audit recommended significant changes to the federal structure, including the restoration of States’ income taxing power, which was effectively removed by inconsistent Commonwealth legislation during World War II.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line110
|
__label__cc
| 0.554768
| 0.445232
|
Get CityMaps2Go
Asia, United Arab Emirates, Dubai
Dubai Museum (Arabic: متحف دبي) is the main museum in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is located in the Al Fahidi Fort (Arabic: حصن الفهيدي), built in 1787 and is the oldest existing building in Dubai. The museum was opened by the ruler of Dubai in 1971, with the aim of presenting the traditional way of life in the Emirate of Dubai. It includes local antiquities as well as artifacts from African and Asian countries that traded with Dubai. It also includes several dioramas showing life in the emirate before the advent of oil. In addition to artifacts from recent discoveries as old as 3000 B.C. In 2007, Dubai Museum welcomed 1,800 visitors daily, with a yearly total of 611,840. In March 2008, the Museum had 80,000 visitors. The most popular times are from August to April.
© 2019 Ulmon GmbH. All rights reserved. Terms of Service Privacy Policy Imprint Support
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line116
|
__label__wiki
| 0.895793
| 0.895793
|
Ajith's Viswasam breaks All time TRP record to become most viewed Tamil Film
Tags : , , ,
Viswasam is Thala Ajith's latest film to release. It had Nayanthara, and Anikha in the lead roles apart from Ajith, while Thambi Ramaiah, Robo Shankar, Yogi Babu, Vivek, and others played crucial supporting roles. This family drama was directed by Siva, and produced by Thiagarajan under the banner Sathya Jyothi Films. The film did extremely well at the Box Office to become a blockbuster film. Viswasam had D Imman scoring the music, and Vetri handling the visuals. The Television premiere of the film took place a few days back, as it was aired on Sun TV. Broadcast Audience Research Council India is an organisation that owns and manages a transparent, accurate, and inclusive TV audience measurement system. According to measurement by BARC, the program that got the maximum TRP all over India was Ajith's Viswasam. It achieved an impression of 18,143, thereby crossing Tamil movies like Pichaikaaran, Baahubali 2, and Sarkar. It also broke the record for highest viewership for a Tamil film. Stay tuned for more updates.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line118
|
__label__wiki
| 0.539236
| 0.539236
|
Players by ALPHABETICAL LISTING
A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R
S · T · U · V · W · X · Y · Z
Players by TEAM ROSTER
Select team... American League Arizona Atlanta Baltimore Boston Chi. White Sox Chi. Cubs Cincinnati Cleveland Colorado Detroit Houston Kansas City LA Angels LA Dodgers Miami Milwaukee Minnesota National League NY Yankees NY Mets Oakland Philadelphia Pittsburgh San Diego San Francisco Seattle St. Louis Tampa Bay Texas Toronto Washington
Player Pos Num Height Weight DOB Salary
Acuna Jr., Ronald LF 13 6'0" 180 lbs 12/18/97 $560,000
Albies, Ozzie 2B 1 5'8" 165 lbs 1/7/97 $575,000
Blevins, Jerry (L) RP 50 6'6" 190 lbs 9/6/83 $1,500,000
Camargo, Johan 3B 17 6'0" 195 lbs 12/13/93 $575,000
Culberson, Charlie LF 8 6'0" 200 lbs 4/10/89 $1,395,000
Dayton, Grant (L) RP 75 6'2" 210 lbs 11/25/87 $585,000
Donaldson, Josh 3B 20 6'1" 210 lbs 12/8/85 $23,000,000
Flowers, Tyler C 25 6'4" 260 lbs 1/24/86 $4,000,000
Freeman, Freddie 1B 5 6'5" 220 lbs 9/12/89 $21,000,000
Fried, Max (L) SP 54 6'4" 190 lbs 1/18/94 $565,000
Gausman, Kevin (R) SP 45 6'3" 190 lbs 1/6/91 $9,350,000
Inciarte, Ender CF 11 5'11" 190 lbs 10/29/90 $5,000,000
Jackson, Luke (R) RP 77 6'2" 210 lbs 8/24/91 $585,000
Joyce, Matt LF 14 6'2" 200 lbs 8/3/84 $1,000,000
Keuchel, Dallas (L) SP 60 6'3" 205 lbs 1/1/88 $21,210,000
Markakis, Nick RF 22 6'1" 210 lbs 11/17/83 $4,000,000
McCann, Brian C 16 6'3" 225 lbs 2/20/84 $2,000,000
Minter, A.J. (L) RP 33 6'0" 215 lbs 9/2/93 $575,000
Newcomb, Sean (L) RP 15 6'5" 255 lbs 6/12/93 $575,000
O'Day, Darren (R) RP 56 6'4" 220 lbs 10/22/82 $9,000,000
Riley, Austin LF 27 6'3" 220 lbs 4/2/97 $555,000
Sobotka, Chad (R) RP 61 6'7" 225 lbs 7/10/93 $565,000
Soroka, Mike (R) SP 40 6'5" 225 lbs 8/4/97 $555,000
Swanson, Dansby SS 7 6'1" 190 lbs 2/11/94 $585,000
Swarzak, Anthony (R) RP 38 6'4" 215 lbs 9/10/85 $8,000,000
Teheran, Julio (R) SP 49 6'2" 205 lbs 1/27/91 $11,000,000
Tomlin, Josh (R) RP 32 6'1" 190 lbs 10/19/84 $1,000,000
Toussaint, Touki (R) RP 62 6'3" 185 lbs 6/20/96 $555,000
Webb, Jacob (R) RP 71 6'1" 200 lbs 8/15/93 $555,000
Wilson, Bryse (R) SP 46 6'1" 225 lbs 12/20/97 $565,000
Ynoa, Huascar (R) RP 73 6'3" 175 lbs 5/28/98 $555,000
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line119
|
__label__wiki
| 0.566037
| 0.566037
|
Los Angeles – If you’ve been watching porn in the past ten years, you may be familiar with performer Ray Black. Ray started his career in 2007, and decided to take a hiatus in 2012. Well, his fans will be pleased to know that he’s decided to make a return to the industry and is ready to take his career and new exciting levels.
Ray quickly gained popularity when he first started in the business, and was one of the first male performers to have their own webcam studio. He holds the honor of performing in X-Art’s first interracial scene, and is the proud recipient of the 2009 Urban X Award’s Best Male Newcomer. Ray then made the move behind the camera, directing, producing, and starring in two POV films, Ray’s House and the follow up, Ray’s House 2. These DVDs, along with additional content, were released through his own production company and website, SoonXXX.
Ray is excited to return to the industry, and has signed with Society 15 to take his career to exciting new levels. He’s already shot several scenes for DogFart, and is looking forward to working with new production companies in the future.
Ray Black is represented by Society 15 and is ready and available for BG scenes. To book Ray, please contact Society 15 their website.
Ray can be found on Twitter and Instagram.
Will They or Won’t They? Layton Benton Returns to Jack Thriller on www.thisis50.com
BANG! Names Honey Gold December Ambassador of the Month
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line126
|
__label__wiki
| 0.814808
| 0.814808
|
2019 Panther Coaches & Staff
Mark Fleetwood, Head Coach
Coach Mark Fleetwood is in his 2nd year at Huntsville High. His first year at Huntsville High, Coach Fleetweed led the Panthers to the first round of the Alabama High School Association State playoffs - the first time since 2013. Additionally, nine of Coach Fleetwood's seniors class of 2018 signed to play college football.
He comes to Huntsville High from Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, Ga. where his teams made the play-offs five out of six years compiling a 41-27 record.
Coach Fleetwood grew up in Decatur, Ga. where he attended Lakeside High School and played for the legendary Wayman Creel. Fleetwood attended the University of South Carolina from 1979-1983 and was three-year starter as a placekicker where he earned a B.S. degree in Distributive Education. He also has a Masters degree in Education Administration from Jacksonville State University.
Fleetwood was a free agent selection by the Dallas Cowboys in 1984. Coach Fleetwood is entering his 32nd year in the coaching profession. His career has included coaching stints at Jacksonville State University, Troy University, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Habersham Central High School, The Citadel, Cartersville High School and Peachtree Ridge High School.
Coach Fleetwood is married to former Kimberly Gilmore of Eufaula, Alabama and they have a daughter, Irelan, who is a graduate of Huntsville High, class of 2018.
Chris Hancock, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
Chris Hancock has been coaching for 16 years and is beginning his 2nd year at Huntsville High School. He began his coaching career at Riverton Middle School as a football, softball, and baseball coach for three years. He spent the next 9 seasons as a defensive line coach, defensive coordinator and head football coach at Buckhorn High School and was an assistant coach for the 2005 State Runner-up Bucks football team. He spent one season as defensive coordinator at Sparkman High School before taking the Columbia High School head football coaching position where he spent three years. He is a graduate of Jacksonville State University and played for the Gamecock football program under Bill Burgess. He teaches PLTW Engineering at Huntsville High School. He is married to Susan and they have a daughter Macy.
Terrance Young - Corners
Coach Young graduated from Munford High School and earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Mathematics Education from Alabama A&M University. He is beginning his 18th year at HHS and is currently teaching Geometry. He is also the Head Track and Field Coach. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Alecia McNeal, from Talladega, Alabama. They have three boys; twins, Terrant and Terrell (14 yrs. old) and Tyson (10 yrs. old).
Tyler Johnson - Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach
Coach Johnson enters his 4th year at Huntsville High. Coach Johnson is a 2008 Huntsville High School graduate and is very happy to be back "home". He previously coached at Columbia High School for two years where he was the offensive line coach and offensive coordinator for one of those years. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama in Secondary Education in 2013. In 2014, Tyler married his wife Amber and they have a dog named Dixie.
John Barnes - Running Backs
Coach Barnes enters his 3rd year teaching and coaching at Huntsville High. He previously coached at Columbia High School for two years where he coached wide receivers and defensive backs. He received his Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Alabama, his teaching certificate through Athens State University and his Master's degree in Social Studies Education from the University of West Alabama. While at the University of Alabama, Coach Barnes worked in the Athletic Departmet for the football team assisting with coach's film, recruiting film and football equipment. While there, he was an integral member of three National Championship teams and two southeastern Conference Championship teams. Coach Barnes is a 2008 graduate of Huntsville High School.
Ty Cox - Tackles
Coach Cox is entering his 2nd year at Huntsville High School teaching and coaching football. Previously, Coach Cox served as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach New Hope High School for three years. While attending the University of Alabama he served under Coach Saban as a student assistant for the football team for three years. Coach Cox is orginally from Russellville, AL where he played for three state championships, was a team captain and was voted offensive team captain by his teammates. He is also the son of Alabama High School Hall of Fame football Coach Don Cox.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line128
|
__label__wiki
| 0.608949
| 0.608949
|
Search this timeline only
Home » Timelines by Topic » Regions » Asia » Afghanistan » Complete 911 Timeline
We are planning some big changes! Please follow us to stay updated and be part of our community.
Complete 911 Timeline
Project: Complete 911 Timeline
Open-Content project managed by matt, Derek, Paul, KJF, mtuck, paxvector
add event | references
Page 8 of 74 (7307 events)
previous | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74 | next
November 13, 1995: Al-Qaeda Bombing in Saudi Arabia, US Realizes Bin Laden Is More than Financier
Destruction at the Saudi National Guard training center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. [Source: CNN]Two truck bombs kill five Americans and two Indians in the US-operated Saudi National Guard training center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Al-Qaeda is blamed for the attacks. [Associated Press, 8/19/2002] The attack changes US investigators’ views of the role of bin Laden, from al-Qaeda financier to its leader. [Miller, Stone, and Mitchell, 2002, pp. 150] The Vinnell Corporation, thought by some experts to be a CIA front, owns the facility that has been attacked. [London Times, 5/14/2003]
Entity Tags: Osama bin Laden, Central Intelligence Agency, Al-Qaeda, Vinnell Corporation
Category Tags: Warning Signs, Saudi Arabia
November 13, 1995: Islamic Jihad Kills Egyptian Official Investigating Al Taqwa Bank
Egyptian diplomat Alaa al-Din Nazmi is shot and killed as he is returning to his house in Geneva, Switzerland. While he is officially said to be negotiating with the World Trade Organization on economic matters, the Independent will later report, “Political sources suggested that Nazmi was working under diplomatic cover, and that his real job was to track down members of Egyptian Islamist armed groups in Europe who have sworn to overthrow President Hosni Mubarak’s regime. Nazmi’s murderers [say] as much two days later,” when they take credit for the killing, using an alias for Islamic Jihad. [Independent, 12/6/1995] Swiss authorities seem uninterested in vigorously pursuing political connections to the murder, which is never solved. However, it will later be reported, “According to various sources close to the investigation, the Egyptian diplomat had been handling several sensitive files relating precisely to the financial resources of the Muslim Brotherhood, of which $200 to $500 was managed by various financial organizations” in Switzerland. The diplomat had played a major part in an attempt to recover these funds. He was focusing on the Al Taqwa Bank on the Swiss-Italian border, known to be a major bank for the Muslim Brotherhood. [Labeviere, 1999, pp. 63-68] A few months earlier, Nazmi apparently had been in secret discussions with the Egyptian militant Talaat Fouad Qassem, who was then abducted by the CIA and executed in Egypt (see September 13, 1995). So Nazmi’s assassination is seen as revenge for the death of Qassem. [Labeviere, 1999, pp. 70-71]
Entity Tags: Alaa al-Din Nazmi, Al Taqwa Bank, Islamic Jihad, Muslim Brotherhood, Talaat Fouad Qassem
Category Tags: Terrorism Financing, Al Taqwa Bank, Alleged Al-Qaeda Linked Attacks
November 19, 1995: Islamic Jihad Attacks Egyptian Embassy in Pakistan
Rescue workers removing bodies from the Egyptian embassy in Islamabad. [Source: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]The Islamic Jihad blows up the Egyptian Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan. Two cars filled with explosives crash through the embassy gates, killing the bombers and sixteen others. Ayman al-Zawahiri will later write in a book, “The bomb left the embassy’s ruined building as an eloquent and clear message.” Islamic Jihad is already closely tied to al-Qaeda by this time. [New Yorker, 9/9/2002] The Egyptian government had recently dispatched up to 100 government agents to London with the task of eliminating militants opposed to the Egyptian government. The Independent will later report, “Sources in Cairo said that several of the dead embassy officials were working under cover as diplomats to help the Pakistani authorities track down” militants. In the wake of the attack, plans to send more Egyptian government agents to Pakistan to hunt militants in that region are scuttled. [Independent, 12/6/1995] Some of the money for the bombing operation was apparently raised by al-Zawahiri on a fundraising trip to the US (see Late 1994 or 1995). One suspect, a Canadian citizen named Ahmed Said Khadr, will be arrested in Pakistan a short time after the bombings. He will soon be released at the request of the Canadian prime minister, but will later be revealed to be a founding member of al-Qaeda (see January 1996-September 10, 2001).
Entity Tags: Ayman al-Zawahiri, Ahmed Said Khadr, Islamic Jihad
Category Tags: Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Alleged Al-Qaeda Linked Attacks
Late 1995: Bin Laden Said to Consider Asylum in Britain
Michael Howard. [Source: BBC]Osama bin Laden is said to be unhappy with his exile in Sudan, where authorities are making noises about expelling him. Consequently, he requests asylum in Britain. Several of his brothers and other relatives, who are members of the bin Laden construction empire, own properties in London. He has already transferred some of his personal fortune to London, to help his followers set up terror cells in Britain and across Europe. Bin Laden employs Khalid al-Fawwaz, a Saudi businessman described as his “de facto ambassador” in Britain (see Early 1994-September 23, 1998), to assess his chances of moving there. British Home Secretary Michael Howard later says, “In truth, I knew little about him, but we picked up information that bin Laden was very interested in coming to Britain. It was apparently a serious request.” After Home Office officials investigate bin Laden, Howard issues an immediate order banning him under Britain’s immigration laws. [London Times, 9/29/2005] Bin Laden ends up going to Afghanistan instead in 1996 (see May 18, 1996). There are also later press reports that bin Laden travels frequently to London around this time (see Early 1990s-Late 1996), and even briefly lived there in 1994 (see Early 1994).
Entity Tags: Osama bin Laden, Michael Howard, Khalid al-Fawwaz
Category Tags: Hunt for Bin Laden, Osama Bin Laden, Londonistan - UK Counterterrorism
(Late 1995): Al-Qaeda Leader Allowed to Live in Britain Despite Being Wanted for Attempting to Assassinate Egyptian President
In June 1995, al-Qaeda sponsors a failed assassination attempt on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (see June 26, 1995 and Shortly After June 26, 1995). Some time in 1995, al-Qaeda leader Anas al-Liby moves to Britain and applies for political asylum. Not long after he arrives, Egypt asks the British government to extradite him for his alleged role in the assassination attempt. They send a detailed file on him, including information on how he had fought with Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and then moved with him to Sudan. But the extradition request is refused. British officials question whether al-Liby could get a fair trial in Egypt and fear he could face the death penalty. The next year, British intelligence hires al-Liby, a Libyan, to assassinate Libyan ruler Colonel Mu’ammar al-Qadhafi (see 1996). Al-Liby will continue to live openly in Britain until 2000 (see Late 1995-May 2000 and May 2000). [Times (London), 1/16/2003]
Entity Tags: Osama bin Laden, Anas al-Liby, Hosni Mubarak, Al-Qaeda
Category Tags: Londonistan - UK Counterterrorism, Counterterrorism Action After 9/11
Late 1995-September 11, 2001: Bin Laden’s Brother-in-Law Khalifa Still Active in Southeast Asia
Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, bin Laden’s brother-in-law, apparently continues to visit Southeast Asia and fund militant attacks there. Khalifa had run a number of charity fronts in the Philippines (see 1987-1991) until he was arrested in the US in late 1994 (see December 16, 1994) and then let go in 1995 (see April 26-May 3, 1995). It has been widely assumed that he did not risk returning to the Philippines after that, but a 2006 book on terrorism funding will state that he “returned occasionally [to the Philippines] and was often seen elsewhere in Southeast Asia.” [Burr and Collins, 2006, pp. 191] Presumably, these travels come to an end shortly after 9/11 when the Saudi government prohibits him from leaving the country until 2007 (see January 30, 2007). [Guardian, 3/2/2007] Khalifa is also is frequent phone communication with militant groups in the Philippines and elsewhere, at least through the late 1990s (see Late 1990s).
Entity Tags: Mohammed Jamal Khalifa
Category Tags: Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, Philippine Militant Collusion, Al-Qaeda in Southeast Asia
Late 1995 and After: Spanish Intelligence Merely Watches Madrid Cell Commit Variety of Crimes to Raise Money for Al-Qaeda
Spanish intelligence is monitoring an al-Qaeda cell in Madrid led by Barakat Yarkas (see 1995 and After). By late 1995, Spanish authorities discover the cell members are taking part in a variety of criminal acts, including credit card theft, stealing bank account numbers, and selling stolen cars. Some of the money raised is being used to send recruits to al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan. However, the authorities are content to merely watch this criminal activity and collect information. None of the cell members will be arrested until after 9/11, six years later. [Irujo, 2005, pp. 23-40]
Entity Tags: Al-Qaeda, Centro Nacional de Inteligencia, Barakat Yarkas
Category Tags: Counterterrorism Action Before 9/11, Al-Qaeda in Spain, Remote Surveillance
(Late 1995-Spring 1996): French Intelligence Money Used to Purchase Weapons for Militants’ Training
While training at al-Qaeda’s Afghan camps (see Mid 1995-Spring 1996), French intelligence informer Omar Nasiri uses money given to him by his handler to purchase supplies for the training camps. Nasiri received $16,500 from the Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure (DGSE) for the mission and gives much of this to Khaldan camp leader Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi for food, ammunition, and other supplies. [Nasiri, 2006, pp. 99, 178-9, 249]
Entity Tags: Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure, Omar Nasiri, Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi
Category Tags: Counterterrorism Action Before 9/11, Algerian Militant Collusion, Other Possible Moles or Informants
December 1995: Caspian Sea Said to Contain Two-Thirds of World’s Known Oil Reserves
The American Petroleum Institute asserts that the states bordering the Caspian Sea, north of Afghanistan, contain two-thirds of the world’s known reserves, or 659 billion barrels. Such numbers spur demand for an Afghan pipeline. However, by April 1997, estimates drop to 179 billion barrels. [Middle East Journal, 9/22/2000] This is still substantial, but the estimates continue to drop in future years (see November 1, 2002).
Category Tags: Pipeline Politics, US Dominance
December 1995: British Domestic Intelligence Tells Police that Islamist Militant Threat Is ‘Greatly Exaggerated’
A memo from MI5, Britain’s domestic intelligence agency, to the heads of police Special Branches says: “Suggestions in the press of a world-wide Islamic extremist network poised to launch terrorist attacks against the West are greatly exaggerated.… The contact between Islamic extremists in various countries appears to be largely opportunistic at present and seems unlikely to result in the emergence of a potent trans-national force.” [Daily Telegraph, 10/5/2009] MI6 is Britain’s foreign intelligence agency, and presumably, it would be more knowledgeable and concerned about Islamist militants world-wide than MI5 is.
Entity Tags: UK Security Service (MI5)
Category Tags: Counterterrorism Policy/Politics
December 1995: Bin Laden and KSM Travel to Brazil Together
Bin Laden and Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (KSM) apparently travel to Brazil together. After KSM will be captured in 2003, documents in his possession will show he had a twenty-day visa to Brazil during December 1995. Brazilian intelligence sources will later claim that bin Laden travels with KSM, and is caught on video at a meeting in a mosque in the Brazilian town of Foz do Iguacu. This town is in the tri-border area of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina, which has the largest Muslim population in South America and has long been known to be a haven for criminal activity. Bin Laden is said to appear in the video with a goatee instead of his usual full beard. [Agence France-Presse, 5/4/2003] In 1996, US intelligence will learn that KSM and bin Laden traveled together to a foreign country in 1995 (see 1996). It is not known if that is a reference to this trip or if they made other trips together. The Brazilian government will later claim that it told the US about this trip in late 1998. [Reuters, 3/18/2003]
Entity Tags: Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Osama bin Laden
Timeline Tags: 9/11 Timeline
Category Tags: Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Osama Bin Laden
Late 1995-May 2000: Al-Qaeda Leader Connected to British Intelligence Lives Openly in Britain
Anas al-Liby. [Source: FBI]Anas al-Liby, member of a Libyan al-Qaeda affiliate group called Al-Muqatila, lives in Britain during this time. He had stayed with bin Laden in Sudan (see May 18, 1996). In late 1995, he moves to Britain and applies for political asylum, claiming to be a political enemy of the Libyan government (see (Late 1995)). He is involved in an al-Qaeda plot (see Late 1993-Late 1994) that will result in the bombing of two US embassies in Africa in 1998 (see 10:35-10:39 a.m., August 7, 1998). The British government suspects he is a high-level al-Qaeda operative, and Egypt tells Britain that he is wanted for an assassination attempt of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (see (Late 1995)). In 1996, he is involved in a plot with the British intelligence agency to assassinate Libyan leader Colonel Mu’ammar al-Qadhafi (see 1996), and presumably his ability to live in Britain is connected to cooperation with that plot. [Observer, 11/10/2002; Times (London), 1/16/2003] After the failed assassination attempt in 1996, the British allegedly continues to support Al-Muqatila—for instance, the group openly publishes a newsletter from a London office. [Brisard and Dasquie, 2002, pp. 97-98] Whistleblower David Shayler, a British intelligence agent, gives British authorities details of this Libya plot in 1998 and again in 1999, and later will serve a short prison sentence for revealing this information to the public (see November 5, 2002). [Observer, 8/27/2000] In late 1998, al-Liby is monitored calling an al-Qaeda operative in the US and discussing their ties to one of the African embassy bombers, but this results in no action against al-Liby (see Shortly After August 12, 1998). He lives in Manchester until May of 2000. In 2002, it will be reported that he eluded a police raid on his house and fled abroad. [Observer, 11/10/2002] However, in a 2011 book, FBI agent Ali Soufan will claim that al-Liby actually was arrested and then let go (see May 2000). His asylum application will still be under review at the time of his arrest. [Times (London), 1/16/2003] An important al-Qaeda training manual is discovered in the raid on his Manchester residence (see May 2000). The US will later post a $25 million reward for al-Liby’s capture. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2002; Observer, 11/10/2002]
Entity Tags: United Kingdom, Mu’ammar al-Qadhafi, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Osama bin Laden, Anas al-Liby, Al-Muqatila, Al-Qaeda, David Shayler
Category Tags: Counterterrorism Action Before 9/11, 1998 US Embassy Bombings, Londonistan - UK Counterterrorism
Shortly After November 19, 1995: Key Al-Qaeda Charity Front Closed in Pakistan, but Operations Continue Under New Names
Shortly after Islamic Jihad blows up the Egyptian Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan in November 1995 (see November 19, 1995), Makhtab Al-Khidamat/Al-Kifah, a very crucial al-Qaeda charity front based in Pakistan, is shut down. This entity is not only helping to fund al-Qaeda, but is also involved in sending recruits to training camps in Afghanistan. But there are no arrests and activities are redirected to other charity fronts. As one book will later note, “[the] recruiting and military training circuit, perfected during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, was never dismantled, neither at the end of the war nor after the office was officially closed.” [Jacquard, 2002, pp. 59]
Entity Tags: Maktab al-Khidamat
Category Tags: Terrorism Financing, Al-Kifah/MAK
December 9-12, 1995: Bojinka Plotter Arrested in Malaysia, Rendered to US
Bojinka plotter Wali Khan Amin Shah is arrested in Malaysia and rendered to the US. Shah had been on the run in Asia for almost a year, since escaping a Philippine jail (see January 13, 1995). He is missing three fingers on his left hand, and someone notices this and alerts the authorities. [Ressa, 2003, pp. 43] The FBI had hunted him through around half a dozen countries. After his arrest by Malaysian authorities, at the FBI’s request, he is rendered to the US. He will later be given a long prison sentence for his role in the Bojinka plot. [New York Times, 12/13/1995; Lance, 2004, pp. 326-7; Grey, 2007, pp. 245] Before his arrest, leading Southeast Asian militant Hambali had supplied Khan with a new identity and cover in Malaysia, where he lived on the resort island of Langkawi using the alias Osama Turkestani. However, a 2002 article will say that officials claim they only learn this “years later.” [Los Angeles Times, 2/7/2002]
Entity Tags: Hambali, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wali Khan Amin Shah
Timeline Tags: Torture of US Captives
Category Tags: Hambali, 1995 Bojinka Plot
December 14, 1995: Militant Leader’s Death Reveals Links between Bosnian Government and Al-Qaeda Leaders
Anwar Shaaban, an Islamist militant in charge of logistics for mujaheddin fighting in Bosnia, is killed in Croatia. Shaaban had been based at the Islamic Cultural Institute mosque in Milan, but managed to avoid arrest when it was raided (see Late 1993-December 14, 1995). On December 14, 1995, the same day a peace accord is signed ending the Bosnian war, Shaaban is killed by Croatian troops in what mujaheddin claim is an ambush. Shaaban’s diary is found, and it cites regular meetings between al-Qaeda leaders and leaders of the Bosnian Muslim government, including General Staff Chief Rasim Delic and Interior Minister Bakir Alispahic. [Schindler, 2007, pp. 216-217] Shaaban, a leader of the Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya militant group, had been in regular contact with Sheikh Omar Abdul-Rahman and al-Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri. [Schindler, 2007, pp. 163-164]
Entity Tags: Rasim Delic, Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya, Anwar Shaaban, Omar Abdul-Rahman, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Bakir Alispahic
Category Tags: Al-Qaeda in Balkans, Al-Qaeda in Italy
December 14, 1995: Dayton Accords Brings End to Bosnian War
In the front row from right to left: Slobodan Milosevic, Franjo Tudjman, and Alija Izetbegovic, sign the Dayton accords. In the back row stands, from right to left, Felipe Gonzalez, Bill Clinton, Jacques Chirac, Helmut Kohl, John Major and Viktor Tchernomyrdine. [Source: Reuters] (click image to enlarge)A peace agreement between the Bosnians, Croats, and Serbs fighting in Bosnia is signed in Paris. Known as the Dayton Accords, the agreement was hammered out in Dayton, Ohio, the month before (see November 1-22, 1995). As part of the agreement, thousands of NATO troops begin arriving in Bosnia immediately to help keep the peace. UN peacekeepers turn their job over to NATO forces on December 20. The peace does hold in the Bosnia and Croatia regions, thus ending a war that began in 1992 (see April 6, 1992). It claimed more than 200,000 lives and made six million people homeless. [Time, 12/31/1995] Fifty-one percent of Bosnia goes to an alliance of Muslims and Croats and 49 percent goes to a Serbian republic. [New York Times, 10/20/2003] As part of the deal, all foreign fighters are required to leave Bosnia within 30 days. In practical terms, this means the mujaheddin who have been fighting for the Bosnian Muslims (see January 14, 1996). [Washington Post, 3/11/2000]
Entity Tags: Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Croatia
Category Tags: Al-Qaeda in Balkans
Late 1995: Illness of Saudi King Generates Long-Term Power Struggle
Crown Prince Abdullah. [Source: Corbis]King Fahd of Saudi Arabia suffers a severe stroke. Afterwards, he is able to sit in a chair and open his eyes, but little more. He slowly recovers from this condition. The resulting lack of leadership begins a behind-the-scenes struggle for power and leads to increased corruption. Crown Prince Abdullah has been urging his fellow princes to address the problem of corruption in the kingdom—so far unsuccessfully. A former White House adviser says: “The only reason Fahd’s being kept alive is so Abdullah can’t become king.” [New Yorker, 10/16/2001] This internal power struggle will continue until King Fahd dies in 2005 and Abdullah becomes the new king (see August 1, 2005).
Entity Tags: Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz
Category Tags: Saudi Arabia
1996: British Intelligence and Al-Qaeda Allegedly Cooperate in Plot to Assassinate Libyan Leader
Al-Muqatila, a cover for a Libyan al-Qaeda cell, tries to kill Libyan leader Colonel Mu’ammar al-Qadhafi. Al-Qadhafi survives, but several militants and innocent bystanders are killed. [Dawn (Karachi), 10/30/2002] According to David Shayler, a member of the British intelligence agency MI5, and Jean-Charles Brisard and Guillaume Dasquié, authors of the controversial book The Forbidden Truth, the British intelligence agency MI6 pays al-Qaeda the equivalent of $160,000 to help fund this assassination attempt. Shayler later goes to prison for revealing this information and the British press is banned from discussing the case (see November 5, 2002). [New York Times, 8/5/1998; Observer, 11/10/2002] Anas al-Liby, a member of the group, is given political asylum in Britain and lives there until May 2000 despite suspicions that he is an important al-Qaeda figure (see Late 1995-May 2000). He is later implicated in the al-Qaeda bombing of two US embassies in Africa in 1998 (see Late 1993-Late 1994; 10:35-10:39 a.m., August 7, 1998). [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2002; Observer, 11/10/2002]
Entity Tags: Al-Muqatila, UK Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Mu’ammar al-Qadhafi, United Kingdom, Al-Qaeda, UK Security Service (MI5)
1996: Radical London Imam Bakri Establishes Organization Later Linked to Terror Attacks
London imam Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed establishes the radical Islamist organization Al-Muhajiroun, which will go on to be linked to several terror attacks (see Early 2003-April 6, 2004 and April 30, 2003). Bakri, who works as an informer for British intelligence at some point (see Spring 2005-Early 2007), had fled Syria in 1982 after taking part in a failed Muslim Brotherhood rising against the government and had been expelled from Saudi Arabia as an Islamist dissident in 1985. He had previously headed the British branch of the international movement Hizb ut Tahrir, but had split with its international leaders. Al-Muhajiroun becomes known for touring university campuses and shopping precincts to look for recruits and also for holding marches and rallies across Britain. In addition, Bakri establishes Britain’s first Shariah court, which has no legal standing, but which enables him to settle disputes for a fee. [O'Neill and McGrory, 2006, pp. 105-107]
Entity Tags: Al-Muhajiroun, Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed
Category Tags: Omar Bakri & Al-Muhajiroun, Londonistan - UK Counterterrorism
1996: Asian Countries Unite to Counter US Influence
The “Shanghai Five” is formed in Shanghai with China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan as its founding members. Its purpose is to resolve old Soviet-Chinese border disputes between the countries and ease military tension in the border regions. An agreement titled “Treaty on Deepening Military Trust in Border Regions” is signed at this time. The five members are said to be bound together by mutual distrust of US hegemony in the region. [BBC, 6/21/2001; Jane's Intelligence, 7/19/2001; GlobalSecurity (.org), 7/4/2005] In early 2001 the group will morph into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (see June 14, 2001).
Entity Tags: Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
Timeline Tags: US confrontation with Iran
Category Tags: US Dominance
1996: 9/11 Hijacker Atta Appears to Participate in Petty Fraud
9/11 hijacker Mohamed Atta and some of his associates appear to participate in financial fraud in Germany. The Chicago Tribune in 2004 claims that in 1995 Atta gives a Muslim baker named Muharrem Acar living in Hamburg, Germany, roughly $25,000 to help him open his own bakery. The newspaper calls this “noteworthy act of generosity to someone he barely knew.” However, the Wall Street Journal in 2003 presents a completely different story. Acar was sued and ordered to pay $6,500 in 1996. Atta and Acar worked together to backdate documents and manage a bank account to make it appear that Atta had loaned Acar over $20,000. This allowed Acar to claim he had no money and a large debt to Atta, and thus couldn’t pay the money he owed as part of the lawsuit against him. The Wall Street Journal notes Atta’s behavior conflicts with his media representation as “an ideologically pure Islamic extremist” and concludes, “It is increasingly evident that Mr. Atta and the other young men in Hamburg were typical of Islamist extremists in Europe, engaging in petty crime and fraud to make ends meet…” [Wall Street Journal, 9/9/2003; Chicago Tribune, 9/11/2004]
Entity Tags: Mohamed Atta, Muharrem Acar
Category Tags: Mohamed Atta, Key Hijacker Events
1996: Chechen Rebels Threaten to Fly Airplane into Kremlin
Movladi Udugov. [Source: Public domain]According to Nikolai Patrushev, head of Russian intelligence, “In 1996, one of the ideologists of Wahhabism, Movladi Udugov stated that an air attack on the Kremlin was possible and even then we treated that statement seriously.” Udugov is considered the chief public spokesperson for the Chechen rebels. He threatens that the rebels would hijack a civilian airplane and then have a suicide pilot fly it into the Kremlin to protest Russian actions in Chechnya. Fighting between Russia and the rebels is particularly intense in 1996, which is the end of the first Chechen war from 1994 to 1996 (see December 11, 1994 and August 1996). [United Press International, 9/15/2001] The Chechen rebels and al-Qaeda are loosely linked at the time, especially through Chechen leader Ibn Khattab (see 1986-March 19, 2002).
Entity Tags: Nikolai Patrushev, Movladi Udugov
Category Tags: Warning Signs, Islamist Militancy in Chechnya
1996: Germans Start Money Laundering Investigation into Al-Qaeda Hamburg Cell Figures Darkazanli and Zammar
In 1996, German authorities begin investigating Mamoun Darkazanli, Mohammed Haydar Zammar, and four others for money laundering. The investigation apparently begins with Darkazanli and four unnamed others, and grows to incorporate Zammar. Darkazanli and Zammar are friends, and both are closely linked to the al-Qaeda Hamburg cell. The investigation is run by the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA), Germany’s federal crime investigation agency. In late 1998, Darkazanli will be increasingly suspected for various other terrorism ties. But in early 2000, chief federal prosecutor Kay Nehm will refuse to initiate terrorism investigation proceedings against him, saying there is not enough evidence. Prior to 9/11, German law makes it hard to convict anyone for a terrorism offense unless it can be proven they were involved in an attack on German soil. However, Der Spiegel will later note that while that was true, Darkazanli could have been charged with money laundering instead. The money laundering investigation will resume shortly after 9/11. [Der Spiegel (Hamburg), 10/29/2001]
Entity Tags: Mohammed Haydar Zammar, Kay Nehm, Bundeskriminalamt Germany, Mamoun Darkazanli
Category Tags: Mamoun Darkazanli, Mohammed Haydar Zammar, Al-Qaeda in Germany
1996: FBI Fumbles Flight School Investigation; Murad and Eleven Other Al-Qaeda Pilots Trained in US
Finding a business card for a US flight school in the possession of Operation Bojinka plotter Abdul Hakim Murad, the FBI investigates the US flight schools Murad attended. [Washington Post, 9/23/2001] He had trained at about six flight schools off and on, starting in 1990. Apparently, the FBI closes the investigation when they fail to find any other potential suspects. [Insight, 5/27/2002] However, Murad had already confessed to Philippine authorities the names of about ten other associates learning to fly in the US, and the Philippine authorities had asserted that they provided this information to the US. Murad detailed how he and a Pakistani friend crisscrossed the US, attending flight schools in New York, Texas, California and North Carolina. The Associated Press reports, “He also identified to Filipino police approximately 10 other Middle Eastern men who met him at the flight schools or were getting similar training. One was a Middle Eastern flight instructor who came to the United States for more training; another a former soldier in the United Arab Emirates. Others came from Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. None of the pilots match the names of the 19 hijackers from Sept. 11.” An assistant manager at a Schenectady, New York, flight school where Murad trained later recalls, “There were several [Middle Eastern pilot students] here. At one point three or four were here. Supposedly they didn’t know each other before, they just happened to show up here at the same time. But they all obviously knew each other.” However, US investigators somehow fail to detect any of these suspects before 9/11, despite being given their names. [Associated Press, 3/5/2002]
Entity Tags: Abdul Hakim Murad, Al-Qaeda, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Category Tags: Warning Signs, 1995 Bojinka Plot
1996: Vulgar Betrayal Investigation Launched
Vulgar Betrayal, the most significant US government investigation into terrorist financing before 9/11, is launched. This investigation grows out of investigations Chicago FBI agent Robert Wright had begun in 1993 (see After January 1993), and Wright appears to be the driving force behind Vulgar Betrayal. He later will say, “I named the case Vulgar Betrayal because of the many gross betrayals many Arab terrorists and their supporters” committed against the US, but the name will later prove to be bitterly ironic for him. Over a dozen FBI agents are assigned it and a grand jury is empanelled to hear evidence. Wright will be removed from the investigation in late 1999 (see August 3, 1999), and it will be completely shut down in early 2000 (see August 2000). [Federal News Service, 6/2/2003; Chicago Tribune, 8/22/2004; LA Weekly, 8/25/2004; Judicial Watch, 12/15/2004] The investigation will first identify suspected terrorism financier Yassin al-Qadi as a target in 1997, but it will run into many obstacles in investigating him and others. Assistant US attorney Mark Flessner, the lead prosecutor for Vulgar Betrayal, will later claim that supervisors at the Justice Department’s headquarters obstructed the investigation because it appeared to trace terrorism financing to important figures in Saudi Arabia, a key US ally. Wright will later state that had the leads into al-Qadi and others been fully investigated, “I believe the FBI could have identified other significant links to Osama bin Laden, links which may have been addressed to prevent future attacks against the United States by bin Laden and his terrorist trainees.” [Federal News Service, 6/2/2003; Chicago Tribune, 8/22/2004]
Entity Tags: Mark Flessner, Robert G. Wright, Jr., Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Department of Justice, Vulgar Betrayal
Category Tags: Robert Wright and Vulgar Betrayal, Terrorism Financing, Counterterrorism Action Before 9/11
1996: Mossad Supposedly Plans to Kill Bin Laden
Israeli spy agency Mossad supposedly plots to kill Osama bin Laden. According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Aharonoth, it recruits a female confidante of his and assigns her the mission of killing him. Mossad has been trailing bin Laden while assisting the US and Egypt in investigating a failed assassination attempt on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (see Shortly After June 26, 1995). But the plan is aborted due to tensions between Israel and the woman’s country. [Associated Press, 1/27/2006]
Entity Tags: Osama bin Laden, Israel Institute for Intelligence and Special Tasks (Mossad)
Category Tags: Hunt for Bin Laden, Israel
1996: US Intelligence Learns that KSM and Bin Laden Have Traveled Together
Prior to this year, US intelligence has been uncertain whether Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (KSM) is connected to al-Qaeda. But this changes when a foreign government shares information that bin Laden and KSM had traveled together to a foreign country the previous year. [US Congress, 7/24/2003] The country may have been Brazil, since it has been reported that KSM and bin Laden traveled to Brazil together in 1995 (see December 1995).
Entity Tags: US intelligence, Osama bin Laden, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Al-Qaeda
Category Tags: Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
1996: Attempted Supression of Bin Laden WMD Report Leads to Division between CIA’s Bin Laden Unit and CIA Leaders
CIA leadership allegedly suppresses a report about Osama bin Laden’s hunt for weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), and only disseminates the report after pressure. After the CIA’s bin Laden unit, Alec Station, is created in early 1996 (see February 1996), one of its first tasks is to see if bin Laden is attempting to acquire WMDs.
Bin Laden a Bigger Threat than Previously Realized - Michael Scheuer, head of the unit in its early years, will later say that the unit soon discovers bin Laden is “much more of a threat than I had thought.… It became very clear very early that he was after [WMDs], and we showed conclusively at that point that he didn’t have them. But we had never seen as professional an organization in charge of procurement.” Scheuer will later tell Congress that when the unit finds detailed intelligence in 1996 on bin Laden’s attempts to get a nuclear weapon, superiors in the CIA suppress the report. Only after three officers in the CIA knowledgeable about bin Laden complain and force an internal review does the CIA disseminate the report more widely within the US intelligence community.
Incident Leads to Bunker Mentality - The incident contributes to a bunker mentality between the bin Laden unit and the rest of the CIA (see February 1996-June 1999). According to Vanity Fair, the CIA’s “top brass started to view Scheuer as a hysteric, spinning doomsday scenarios.” Some start referring to him and the bin Laden unit as “the Manson family,” in reference to mass murderer Charles Manson and his followers. [Vanity Fair, 11/2004]
Entity Tags: Osama bin Laden, Alec Station, Central Intelligence Agency, Michael Scheuer, US intelligence
Category Tags: Hunt for Bin Laden, Counterterrorism Policy/Politics
1996: Tip from Turkey Points German Intelligence to Hamburg Cell Member Zammar
Mohammed Haydar Zammar. [Source: Knut Mueller]Turkish intelligence informs Germany’s domestic intelligence service that Mohammed Haydar Zammar is a radical militant who has been traveling to trouble spots around the world. Zammar has already made more than 40 journeys to places like Bosnia and Chechnya, and in 1996 he pledges his allegiance to al-Qaeda during a trip to Afghanistan (see 1991-1996). Turkey explains that Zammar is running a dubious travel agency in Hamburg, organizing flights for radical militants to Afghanistan. As a result, by early 1997, German intelligence will launch Operation Zartheit (Operation Tenderness), an investigation of Islamic militants in the Hamburg area. The Germans will use a full range of intelligence techniques, including wiretaps and informants. [Stern, 8/13/2003; Vanity Fair, 11/2004] Operation Zartheit will run for at least three years and connect Zammar to many of the 9/11 plotters (see March 1997-Early 2000).
Entity Tags: Mohammed Haydar Zammar, Bundesamt fur Verfassungsschutz
Category Tags: Mohammed Haydar Zammar, Al-Qaeda in Balkans, Al-Qaeda in Germany, Islamist Militancy in Chechnya
1996: Radical Imam Abu Hamza Obtains Foothold in Small British Mosque
Abu Hamza al-Masri, who was present in both Afghanistan and Bosnia during the wars there (see 1991-Late 1993 and 1995), is given his first regular preaching slot in Luton, a town to the north of London. Authors Sean O’Niell and Daniel McGrory will comment: “Luton gave him a base, and he launched himself like a hurricane on the Islamic circuit. Young men flocked to hear him and his reputation grew, drawing students from the Islamic societies of London universities to his Friday sermons.” [O'Neill and McGrory, 2006, pp. 32-33]
Entity Tags: Abu Hamza al-Masri
Category Tags: Londonistan - UK Counterterrorism, Abu Hamza Al-Masri
1996: FBI Agent Begins Building File on Ali Mohamed
FBI agent Jack Cloonan is given the task of building a file on double agent Ali Mohamed. Mohamed is living openly in California and has already confessed to working for al-Qaeda (see May 1993). He has been monitored since 1993 (see Autumn 1993). [Lance, 2006, pp. 138] Cloonan is part of Squad I-49, a task force made up of prosecutors and investigators that begins focusing on bin Laden in January 1996 (see January 1996). Mohamed has been an informant for FBI agents on the West Coast of the US (see 1992 and June 16, 1993), though when he stops working with them exactly remains unknown. Cloonan and other US officials will have dinner with Mohamed in October 1997 (see October 1997), but Mohamed will not be arrested until after the 1998 African embassy bombings (see September 10, 1998).
Entity Tags: Ali Mohamed, Jack Cloonan, I-49
Category Tags: Counterterrorism Action Before 9/11, Ali Mohamed
1996: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia Said to Make Secret Deals with Taliban and Al-Qaeda
In June 2004, the Los Angeles Times will report that, according to some 9/11 Commission members and US counterterrorism officials, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia cut secret deals with the Taliban and bin Laden before 9/11. These deals date to this year, if not earlier, and will successfully shield both countries from al-Qaeda attacks until long after 9/11. “Saudi Arabia provid[es] funds and equipment to the Taliban and probably directly to bin Laden, and [doesn’t] interfere with al-Qaeda’s efforts to raise money, recruit and train operatives, and establish cells throughout the kingdom, commission and US officials [say]. Pakistan provide[s] even more direct assistance, its military and intelligence agencies often coordinating efforts with the Taliban and al-Qaeda, they [say].” The two countries will become targets of al-Qaeda attacks only after they launch comprehensive efforts to eliminate the organization’s domestic cells. In Saudi Arabia, such efforts won’t begin until late 2003. [Los Angeles Times, 7/16/2004] However, such allegations go completely unmentioned in the 9/11 Commission’s final report, which only includes material unanimously agreed upon by the ten commissioners. [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004]
Entity Tags: Saudi Arabia, Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda, Taliban, Pakistan
Category Tags: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the ISI, Terrorism Financing
1996: Spanish Intelligence Links Al-Qaeda Leader to Hamburg Cell
Mustafa Setmarian Nasar. [Source: Public domain]Spanish intelligence learns that al-Qaeda leader Mustafa Setmarian Nasar, a.k.a. Abu Musab al-Suri, has visited Mamoun Darkazanli in Hamburg this year. Darkazanli is an associate of the 9/11 hijackers living in Hamburg. The Spanish are aware of Nasar due to his links to Barakat Yarkas, as Yarkas and his Madrid cell are being monitored (see 1995 and After). It is unknown if the Spanish realize that Nasar is an important al-Qaeda leader at this time, but they do learn that he met Osama bin Laden. [National Review, 5/21/2004; Brisard and Martinez, 2005, pp. 109-110, 195] Nasar receives $3,000 from Darkazanli while living in Britain in 1995 through 1996. This is according to German police documents, and it is unknown if German and/or Spanish authorities are aware of this link at the time. [Chicago Tribune, 7/12/2005] In 1998, the Spanish will discover that Darkazanli and Yarkas are in frequent phone contact with each other. They share their information with the CIA (see August 1998-September 11, 2001). Nasar leaves Britain in 1996 after realizing the British authorities suspect his involvement in a series of 1995 bombings in France (see July-October 1995). [National Review, 5/21/2004] He will be arrested in Pakistan in 2005 after the US announces a $5 million reward for his capture (see October 31, 2005).
Entity Tags: Barakat Yarkas, Centro Nacional de Inteligencia, Mustafa Setmarian Nasar, Mamoun Darkazanli
Category Tags: Mamoun Darkazanli, Al-Qaeda in Germany, Al-Qaeda in Spain, Remote Surveillance
1996: Saudi Regime Goes to ‘Dark Side’
The Saudi Arabian government, which allegedly initiated payments to al-Qaeda in 1991 (see Summer 1991), increases its payments in 1996, becoming al-Qaeda’s largest financial backer. It also gives money to other extremist groups throughout Asia, vastly increasing al-Qaeda’s capabilities. [New Yorker, 10/16/2001] Presumably, two meetings in early summer bring about the change. Says one US official, “[19]96 is the key year.… Bin Laden hooked up to all the bad guys—it’s like the Grand Alliance—and had a capability for conducting large-scale operations.” The Saudi regime, he says, had “gone to the dark side.” Electronic intercepts by the NSA “depict a regime increasingly corrupt, alienated from the country’s religious rank and file, and so weakened and frightened that it has brokered its future by channeling hundreds of millions of dollars in what amounts to protection money to fundamentalist groups that wish to overthrow it.” US officials later privately complain “that the Bush administration, like the Clinton administration, is refusing to confront this reality, even in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks.” [New Yorker, 10/16/2001] Martin Indyk, Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs, will later write, “The Saudis had protected themselves by co-opting and accommodating the Islamist extremists in their midst, a move they felt was necessary in the uncertain aftermath of the Gulf War. Since Saddam Hussein remained in power, weakened but still capable of lashing out and intent on revenge, the Saudis could not afford to send their American protector packing. Instead, they found a way to provide the United States with the access it needed to protect Saudi Arabia while keeping the American profile as low as possible.… [O]nce Crown Prince Abdullah assumed the regency in 1996 (see Late 1995), the ruling family set about the determined business of buying off its opposition.” Saudi charities are “subverted” to help transfer money to militant causes. “[T]he Clinton administration indulged Riyadh’s penchant for buying off trouble as long as the regime also paid its huge arms bills, purchased Boeing aircraft, kept the price of oil within reasonable bounds, and allowed the United States to use Saudi air bases to enforce the southern no-fly zone over Iraq and launch occasional military strikes to contain Saddam Hussein.” [Foreign Affairs, 1/1/2002]
Entity Tags: Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, National Security Agency, Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda, Bush administration (43), Saudi Arabia, Clinton administration
Category Tags: Saudi Arabia, Terrorism Financing
1996: Mayor Giuliani Creates Office of Emergency Management
Jerome Hauer [Source: Public domain]New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani establishes the city’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM). This is tasked with coordinating the city’s overall response to major incidents, including terrorist attacks. [Gotham Gazette, 9/12/2001; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 83-284] It will also be involved in responding to routine emergencies on a daily basis. [9/11 Commission, 5/18/2004 ] OEM comprises personnel drawn from various City agencies, including police and fire departments, and emergency medical services. It begins with a staff of just 12, but by 9/11 this will have increased to 72. Its first director is counterterrorism expert Jerome Hauer. [New York Times, 7/27/1999] Richard Sheirer will take over from him in February 2000 and will be OEM director on 9/11. [New York Magazine, 10/15/2001; Jenkins and Edwards-Winslow, 9/2003, pp. 12 ; 9/11 Commission, 5/18/2004 ] OEM is responsible for improving New York’s response to potential major incidents by conducting regular training exercises involving various city agencies, particularly the police and fire departments (see 1996-September 11, 2001). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 283] According to Steven Kuhr, its deputy director from 1996 to 2000, one of the key focuses of the office is counterterrorism work, “responding to the consequence of a chemical weapons attack, a biological weapons attack, or a high-yield explosive event.” [CNN, 1/16/2002] Furthermore, OEM’s Watch Command is able to constantly monitor all the city’s key communications channels, including all emergency services frequencies, state and national alert systems, and local, national, and international news. It also monitors live video feeds from New York Harbor and the city’s streets. [9/11 Commission, 5/18/2004 ; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 283, 542] In June 1999, Giuliani will open the OEM’s Command Center on the 23rd floor of World Trade Center Building 7 (see June 8, 1999).
Entity Tags: Rudolph (“Rudy”) Giuliani, Office of Emergency Management, Jerome Hauer, Richard Sheirer
Category Tags: Counterterrorism Action Before 9/11
1996: Al-Qaeda Supposedly Loses Trust in Ali Mohamed
The New York Times will later report that Ali Mohamed “[runs] afoul of the bin Laden organization after 1995 because of a murky dispute involving money and [is] no longer trusted by bin Laden lieutenants.” This is according to 1999 court testimony from Khaled Abu el-Dahab, the other known member of Mohamed’s Santa Clara, California, al-Qaeda cell (see 1987-1998). [New York Times, 11/21/2001] Another al-Qaeda operative in another trial will claim that in 1994 al-Qaeda leader Mohammed Atef refused to give Mohamed information because he suspected Mohamed was a US intelligence agent (see 1994). However, despite these accounts, it seems that Mohamed continues to be given sensitive assignments. For instance, later in 1996 he will help bin Laden move from Sudan to Afghanistan (see May 18, 1996), and he will be in contact with many of operatives in Kenya planning the US embassy bombing there until 1998, the year the bombing takes place (see Late 1994). The Associated Press will later comment that it is “unclear is how [Mohamed] was able to maintain his terror ties in the 1990s without being banished by either side, even after the Special Forces documents he had stolen turned up in [a] 1995 New York trial.”(see February 3, 1995) [Associated Press, 12/31/2001]
Entity Tags: Ali Mohamed, Al-Qaeda
Category Tags: 1998 US Embassy Bombings, Ali Mohamed
1996: Saudi Government Refuses to Help CIA Capture High-Ranking Hezbollah Figure
Imad Mugniyah, holding gun, in a 1985 TWA hijacking. [Source: ABC News]The CIA gains intelligence that could lead to the capture of Imad Mugniyah, one of the world’s most wanted people, but the Saudi government refuses to help. Mugniyah is a leader of the Hezbollah militant group and is wanted for a role in bombings that killed US soldiers in Lebanon (see April 18-October 23, 1983). He also allegedly met Osama bin Laden in 1994 (see Shortly After February 1994). In 2008, counterterrorism “tsar” Richard Clarke will claim that in 1996, the CIA learns that Mugniyah has boarded a commercial airplane in Khartoum, Sudan, that is due to stop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. US officials appeal to Saudi officials to arrest him when he arrives, but the Saudis refuse. Clarke will claim: “We raised the level of appeals all the way through Bill Clinton who was on the phone at three in the morning appealing to [Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah] to grab him. Instead, the Saudis refused to let the plane land and it continued on to Damascus.” Mugniyah will remain free until 2008, when he will be assassinated. [ABC News, 2/13/2008]
Entity Tags: Richard A. Clarke, Hezbollah, Imad Mugniyah, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud
1996: Al-Qaeda Linked Financier Reportedly Gives Money to Bosnian Muslim President Izetbegovic
In 2006, popular Sarajevo magazine Slobodna Bosna will report that Bosnian Muslim President Alija Izetbegovic received nearly $200,000 from Yassin al-Qadi, who will later be officially designated a terrorist financier (see October 12, 2001). Bosnian authorities reportedly discovered the money transfer from a British bank while investigating the Muwafaq Foundation, a charity headed by al-Qadi. The investigation also learned that Muwafaq channeled $15 to 20 million to various organizations, and at least $3 million of that went into bank accounts controlled by Osama bin Laden. [AKI, 9/8/2006] Muwafaq reportedly helped finance the mujaheddin during the Bosnian war, especially supporting a mujaheddin brigade fighting for Izetbegovic’s government that was also called Muwafaq (see 1991-1995).
Entity Tags: Alija Izetbegovic, Muwafaq Foundation, Yassin al-Qadi
Category Tags: Al-Qaeda in Balkans, Terrorism Financing
1996-2000: Bin Laden Visits Friendly Government Officials in Qatar
Bin Laden reportedly visits Qatar at least twice between the years of 1996 and 2000. He visits Abdallah bin Khalid al-Thani, the country’s religious minister who later becomes the interior minister. [New York Times, 6/8/2002; ABC News, 2/7/2003] In 1999, the New York Times reports that bin Laden visited al-Thani “in Qatar twice in the mid-1990s.” [New York Times, 7/8/1999] Presumably one of these times is in May 1996, when bin Laden stops by Qatar while moving from Sudan to Afghanistan, and is reportedly warmly greeted by officials there (see May 18, 1996). Former CIA officer Robert Baer will later claim that one meeting between bin Laden and al-Thani takes place on August 10, 1996. [Baer, 2003, pp. 195] Al-Thani is known to shelter Muslim extremists. For instance, the CIA narrowly missed catching al-Qaeda leaders Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (KSM), Ayman al-Zawahiri, and Mohammed Atef at his farm in May 1996 (see January-May 1996). Al-Thani is a member of Qatar’s royal family, but ABC News will later report, “One former CIA official who preferred to remain anonymous said the connection went beyond al-Thani and there were others in the Qatari royal family who were sympathetic and provided safe havens for al-Qaeda.” [New York Times, 6/8/2002; ABC News, 2/7/2003] Al-Thani will reportedly shelter al-Qaeda leaders like KSM even after 9/11 (see March 28, 2003), but the US has not taken any action against him, such as officially declaring him a terrorism financier.
Entity Tags: Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda, Abdallah bin Khalid al-Thani, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Robert Baer
Category Tags: Hunt for Bin Laden, Osama Bin Laden, Other Government-Militant Collusion
1996-1997: Ptech Begins to Get US Government Contracts
Ptech logo. [Source: Ptech]Ptech is a Boston computer company connected to a number of individuals suspected of ties to officially designated terrorist organizations (see 1994). These alleged ties will be of particular concern because of Ptech’s potential access to classified government secrets. Ptech specializes in what is called enterprise architecture. It is the design and layout for an organization’s computer networks. John Zachman, considered the father of enterprise architecture, later will say that Ptech could collect crucial information from the organizations and agencies with which it works. “You would know where the access points are, you’d know how to get in, you would know where the weaknesses are, you’d know how to destroy it.” Another computer expert will say, “The software they put on your system could be collecting every key stroke that you type while you are on the computer. It could be establishing a connection to the outside terrorist organization through all of your security measures.” [WBZ 4 (Boston), 12/9/2002] In late 1996, an article notes that Ptech is doing work for DARPA, a Defense Department agency responsible for developing new military technology. [Government Executive, 9/1/1996] In 1997, Ptech gains government approval to market its services to “all legislative, judicial, and executive branches of the federal government.” Beginning that year, Ptech will begin working for many government agencies, eventually including the White House, Congress, Army, Navy, Air Force, NATO, FAA, FBI, US Postal Service, Secret Service, the Naval Air Systems Command, IRS, and the nuclear-weapons program of the Department of Energy. For instance, Ptech will help build “the Military Information Architecture Framework, a software tool used by the Department of Defense to link data networks from various military computer systems and databases.” Ptech will be raided by US investigators in December 2002 (see December 5, 2002), but not shut down. [Wall Street Journal, 12/6/2002; CNN, 12/6/2002; Newsweek, 12/6/2002; Boston Globe, 12/7/2002] A former director of intelligence at the Department of Energy later will say he would not be surprised if an al-Qaeda front company managed to infiltrate the department’s nuclear programs. [Unlimited (Auckland), 12/9/2002] Ptech will continue to work with many of these agencies even after 9/11. After a Customs Department raid of Ptech’s offices in late 2002, their software will be declared safe of malicious code. But one article will note, “What no one knows at this point is how much sensitive government information Ptech gained access to while it worked in several government agencies.” [WBZ 4 (Boston), 12/9/2002]
Entity Tags: White House, US Department of Defense, US Department of the Air Force, US Department of the Navy, US Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, US Postal Service, Federal Aviation Administration, US Department of the Marines, Internal Revenue Service, US Congress, Ptech Inc., John Zachman, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, US Congress
Category Tags: BMI and Ptech, Terrorism Financing
1996-1997 and After: Bin Laden’s Brother-in-Law Khalifa Said to Fund Al-Qaeda Linked Group in Yemen
Osama bin Laden’s brother-in-law, Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, helps fund a militant group in Yemen that will later take credit for the 2000 USS Cole bombing. The group, the Islamic Army of Aden, is apparently formed in 1996 or 1997, but is not heard from until May 1998, when it issues the first of a series of political statements. The group will kidnap 16 mainly British tourists in December 1998 and four of the tourists will be killed during a shootout with police. The remaining hostages are rescued. [Yemen Gateway, 1/1999] Evidence ties Khalifa to the 1995 Bojinka plot and other violent acts, though he has denied all allegations that he is linked to terrorist groups. Vincent Cannistraro, former head of the CIA’s Counterterrorist Center, later claims that not only did Khalifa fund the Islamic Army of Aden, but that 9/11 hijacker Khalid Almihdhar had ties to the group as well. (A San Diego friend of Almihdhar’s will later say that Almihdhar told him he was a member of the group (see Around October 12, 2000).) [Wall Street Journal, 9/19/2001] Cannistraro further notes that Khalifa went on to form the group after being deported from the US in 1995. “He should never have been allowed to leave US custody.” [San Francisco Chronicle, 10/24/2001] The group praises bin Laden and uses a training camp reportedly established by him in southern Yemen. But the group is more clearly tied to Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Masri, a handless, one-eyed Afghan war veteran living and preaching openly in London. [Washington Post, 9/23/2001]
Entity Tags: Vincent Cannistraro, Abu Hamza al-Masri, Islamic Army of Aden, Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, Khalid Almihdhar
Category Tags: Abu Hamza Al-Masri, Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, 2000 USS Cole Bombing, Terrorism Financing, Yemeni Militant Collusion, Bin Laden Family
1996-2001: 1989 Speech by Milosevic Wildly Distorted by Western Media
Slobodan Milosevic speaking in Kosovo on June 28, 1989, to commemorate the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo. [Source: Tomislav Peternek/ Polaris] (click image to enlarge)Professor Gil White will point out in 2002 that Slobodan Milosevic’s 1989 speech in Kosovo in front of a huge crowd is consistently misrepresented as a call to ethnic war, when in fact it was the exact opposite—a call for racial tolerance and reconciliation. [Gil-White, 2/9/2002] In the speech itself, Milosevic said, “Equal and harmonious relations among Yugoslav peoples are a necessary condition for the existence of Yugoslavia… Serbia has never had only Serbs living in it. Today, more than in the past, members of other peoples and nationalities also live in it. This is not a disadvantage for Serbia. I am truly convinced that it is its advantage. The national composition of almost all countries in the world today, particularly developed ones, has also been changing in this direction. Citizens of different nationalilties, religions and races have been living together more and more frequently and more and more successfully… Yugoslavia is a multinational community and it can survive only under the conditions of full equality for all nations that live in it.” Milosevic ended the speech, saying “Long live peace and brotherhood among peoples!” [National Technical Information Service, 6/28/1989; BBC, 6/28/1989] In 1996, the New York Times describes this speech as follows: “In a fervent speech before a million Serbs, [Milosevic] galvanized the nationalist passions that two years later fueled the Balkan conflict” [New York Times, 7/28/1996] On the anniversary of the speech in 1998 the Washington Post reports, “Nine years ago today, Milosevic’s fiery speech [in Kosovo] to a million angry Serbs was a rallying cry for nationalism and boosted his popularity enough to make him the country’s uncontested leader.” [Washington Post, 7/29/1998] In 1999, the Economist described this as “a stirringly virulent nationalist speech.” [Economist, 6/5/1999] In 2001, Time Magazine reported that with this speech, “Milosevic whipped a million Serbs into a nationalist frenzy in the speech that capped his ascent to power.” [Time (Europe), 7/9/2001] Also in 2001, the BBC, which in 1989 provided the translation of Milosevic’s speech quoted above, claims that in 1989, “on the 600-year anniversary of the battle of Kosovo Polje, [Milosevic] gathered a million Serbs at the site of the battle to tell them to prepare for a new struggle.” [BBC, 4/1/2001] Richard Holbrooke repeats these misrepresentations in his 1999 book, referring to the speech as “racist” and “inflammatory.” Holbrooke even calls Milosevic a liar for denying the false accusations. [Holbrooke, 1999, pp. 29]
Entity Tags: Slobodan Milosevic, Richard Holbrooke
1996-1999: Albanian Mafia and KLA Take Control of Balkan Heroin Trafficking Route
Albanian Mafia and KLA take control of Balkan route heroin trafficking from Turkish criminal groups. In 1998, Italian police are able to arrest several major traffickers. Many of the criminals involved are also activists for the Kosovo independence movement, and some are KLA leaders. Much of the money is funneled through the KLA (see 1997), which is also receiving support and protection from the US. The Islamic influence is obvious in the drug operations, which for example shut down during the month of Ramadan. Intercepted telephone messages speak of the desire “to submerge Christian infidels in drugs.” [Agence France-Presse, 6/9/1998; Corriere della Sera (Milan), 10/15/1998; Corriere della Sera (Milan), 1/19/1999] Testifying to Congress in December 2000, Interpol Assistant Director Ralph Mutschke states that “Albanian organized crime groups are hybrid organizations, often involved both in criminal activity of an organized nature and in political activities, mainly relating to Kosovo. There is evidence that the political and criminal activities are deeply intertwined.” Mutschke also says that there is also strong evidence that bin Laden is involved in funding and organizing criminal activity through links to the Albanian mafia and the KLA.(see Early 1999) [US Congress, 12/13/2000 ]
Entity Tags: Kosovo Liberation Army, Ralph Mutschke, Osama bin Laden
Category Tags: Al-Qaeda in Balkans, Drugs
1996-2001: Moussaoui Recuits Muslims to Fight in Kosovo and Chechnya
In 1996, Zacarias Moussaoui begins recruiting other young Muslims to fight for Islamic militant causes in Chechnya and Kosovo. [Time, 9/24/2001] He recruits for Chechen warlord Ibn Khattab, the Chechen leader most closely linked to al-Qaeda (see August 24, 2001). Details on his Kosovo links are still unknown. For most of this time, he is living in London and is often seen at the Finsbury Park mosque run by Abu Hamza al-Masri. For a time, Moussaoui has two French Caucasian roommates, Jerome and David Courtailler. The family of these brothers later believes that Moussaoui recruits them to become radical militants. The brothers will later be arrested for suspected roles in plotting attacks on the US embassy in Paris and NATO’s headquarters in Brussels. [Scotsman, 10/1/2001] David Courtailler will later confess that at the Finsbury Park mosque he was given cash, a fake passport, and the number of a contact in Pakistan who would take him to an al-Qaeda camp. [London Times, 1/5/2002] French intelligence later learns that one friend he recruits, Masooud Al-Benin, dies in Chechnya in 2000 (see Late 1999-Late 2000). Shortly before 9/11, Moussaoui will try to recruit his US roommate at the time, Hussein al-Attas, to fight in Chechnya. Al-Attas will also see Moussaoui frequently looking at websites about the Chechnya conflict. [Daily Oklahoman, 3/22/2006] Moussaoui also goes to Chechnya himself in 1996-1997 (see 1996-Early 1997).
Entity Tags: Abu Hamza al-Masri, Masooud Al-Benin, Hussein al-Attas, Ibn Khattab, David Courtailler, Jerome Courtailler, Zacarias Moussaoui
Category Tags: Al-Qaeda in Balkans, Zacarias Moussaoui, Londonistan - UK Counterterrorism, Abu Hamza Al-Masri, Islamist Militancy in Chechnya
1996 and After: Many Yemeni Government Officials Allegedly Assist Al-Qaeda and Other Militant Groups
Many high-ranking Yemeni government officials help al-Qaeda and other militants, beginning in 1996, according to Abdulsalam Ali Abdulrahman, a Yemeni official who will be captured after 9/11 and sent to the US prison in Guanatanamo, Cuba. Abdulrahman is a section chief in Yemen’s Political Security Organization (PSO), the Yemeni equivalent of the FBI, until his arrest in 2002 (see September 2002). His 2008 Guantanamo file will state: “Detainee stated that since 1996, numerous high-ranking employees in the Yemeni government and PSO were involved in aiding al-Qaeda and other extremists through the provision of false passports and by giving them safe haven out of the country under the guise of deportation. These PSO officials included detainee; Mohammed al-Surmi, deputy chief of the PSO; Ghalib al-Qamish, director of the PSO; Colonel Ahmad Dirham, commander of the Deportation Department in the PSO; and Abdallah al-Zirka, an officer in the Yemeni Passport Authority. According to detainee, the second highest ranking person in the Yemeni government, Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, was aware of the involvement of al-Surmi and al-Qamish in these activities since at least 1999.” An analyst notes in the file that Mohsen is the (half) brother of Yemeni President Saleh. [US Department of Defense, 9/24/2008] Note that this is based on Guantanamo files leaked to the public in 2011 by the non-profit whistleblower group WikiLeaks. There are many doubts about the reliability of the information in the files (see April 24, 2011). However, it should also be noted that other information corroborates the charges, including the involvement of some names mentioned by Abdulrahman (for instance, see Spring-Summer 1998, After July 1994, December 26, 1998, and April 27, 2005).
Entity Tags: Ghalib al-Qamish, Abdallah al-Zirka, Abdulsalam Ali Abdulrahman, Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, Mohammed al-Surmi, Ahmad Dirham, Yemeni Political Security Organization
Category Tags: 2000 USS Cole Bombing, Yemeni Militant Collusion
1996 and After: Al-Qaeda Revives Bosnia Connections through Saudi Government Charity; US Fails to Shut Charity Down
Saber Lahmar. [Source: Public domain]Author Roland Jacquard will later claim that in 1996, al-Qaeda revives its militant network in Bosnia in the wake of the Bosnian war and uses the Saudi High Commission (SHC) as its main charity front to do so. [Jacquard, 2002, pp. 69] This charity was founded in 1993 by Saudi Prince Salman bin Abdul-Aziz and is so closely linked to and funded by the Saudi government that a US judge will later render it immune to a 9/11-related lawsuit after concluding that it is an organ of the Saudi government. [New York Law Journal, 9/28/2005]
In 1994, British aid worker Paul Goodall is killed in Bosnia execution-style by multiple shots to the back of the head. A SHC employee, Abdul Hadi al-Gahtani, is arrested for the murder and admits the gun used was his, but the Bosnian government lets him go without a trial. Al-Gahtani will later be killed fighting with al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. [Schindler, 2007, pp. 143-144]
In 1995, the Bosnian Ministry of Finance raids SHC’s offices and discovers documents that show SHC is “clearly a front for radical and terrorism-related activities.” [Burr and Collins, 2006, pp. 145]
In 1995, US aid worker William Jefferson is killed in Bosnia. One of the likely suspects, Ahmed Zuhair Handala, is linked to the SHC. He also is let go, despite evidence linking him to massacres of civilians in Bosnia. [Schindler, 2007, pp. 263-264]
In 1997, a Croatian apartment building is bombed, and Handala and two other SHC employees are suspected of the bombing. They escape, but Handala will be captured after 9/11 and sent to Guantanamo prison. [Schindler, 2007, pp. 266]
In 1997, SHC employee Saber Lahmar is arrested for plotting to blow up the US embassy in Saravejo. He is convicted, but pardoned and released by the Bosnian government two years later. He will be arrested again in 2002 for involvement in an al-Qaeda plot in Bosnia and sent to Guantanamo prison (see January 18, 2002).
By 1996, NSA wiretaps reveal that Prince Salman is funding Islamic militants using charity fronts (Between 1994 and July 1996).
A 1996 CIA report mentions, “We continue to have evidence that even high ranking members of the collecting or monitoring agencies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Pakistan - such as the Saudi High Commission - are involved in illicit activities, including support for terrorists” (see January 1996).
Jacquard claims that most of the leadership of the SHC supports bin Laden. The SHC, while participating in some legitimate charitable functions, uses its cover to ship illicit goods, drugs, and weapons in and out of Bosnia. In May 1997, a French military report concludes: ”(T)he Saudi High Commission, under cover of humanitarian aid, is helping to foster the lasting Islamization of Bosnia by acting on the youth of the country. The successful conclusion of this plan would provide Islamic fundamentalism with a perfectly positioned platform in Europe and would provide cover for members of the bin Laden organization.” [Jacquard, 2002, pp. 69-71]
However, the US will take no action until shortly after 9/11, when it will lead a raid on the SHC’s Bosnia offices. Incriminating documents will be found, including information on how to counterfeit US State Department ID badges, and handwritten notes about meetings with bin Laden. Evidence of a planned attack using crop duster planes is found as well. [Schindler, 2007, pp. 129, 284] Yet even after all this, the Bosnian government will still refuse to shut down SHC’s offices and they apparently remain open (see January 25, 2002).
Entity Tags: Salman bin Abdul-Aziz, Al-Qaeda, Paul Goodall, Ahmed Zuhair Handala, Central Intelligence Agency, William Jefferson, Abdul Hadi al-Gahtani, Saber Lahmar, Saudi High Commission
Category Tags: Al-Qaeda in Balkans, Counterterrorism Action Before 9/11, Saudi Arabia, Terrorism Financing
Early 1996: KSM Said to be Building a Bomb
In early 1996, while US officials are waiting from approval from officials in Qatar so they can arrest Khalid Shaikh Mohammmed (KSM) there, the Qatari government tells the US that it fears KSM is constructing an explosive device. They also say that he possesses more than 20 different passports. [Los Angeles Times, 12/22/2002] By this time, the US is aware of KSM’s involvement in the 1995 Bojinka plot involving explosives (see January 6, 1995) and his role in the 1993 WTC bombing (see March 20, 1993).
Entity Tags: Qatar, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
Category Tags: Warning Signs, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
Between 1996 and September 11, 2001: FBI Directly Monitors Militants in Afganistan with Hi-Tech Phone Booth
I-49, a squad of FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors that began focusing on bin Laden in 1996 (see January 1996), is upset that the NSA is not sharing with them data it has obtained through the monitoring of al-Qaeda. To get around this, the squad builds a satellite telephone booth in Kandahar, Afghanistan, for international calls. The FBI squad not only monitors the calls, but also videotapes the callers with a camera hidden in the booth. [Wright, 2006, pp. 344] It has not been revealed when this booth was built or what information was gained from it. However, the New York Times will later paraphrase an Australian official, who says that in early September 2001, “Just about everyone in Kandahar and the al-Qaeda camps knew that something big was coming, he said. ‘There was a buzz.’” Furthermore, also in early September 2001, the CIA monitors many phone calls in Kandahar and nearby areas where al-Qaeda operatives allude to the upcoming 9/11 attack (see Early September 2001).
Entity Tags: I-49, National Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Osama bin Laden
Category Tags: Remote Surveillance
January 1996: Richard Perle Says Arming of Bosnians Is of ‘Vital Interest’ to US; Suggests Turkey Should Help
Prominent neoconservative Richard Perle tells the Turkish Daily News that the arming and training of Bosnian Muslims is of “vital interest” to the US and suggests that “among the NATO allies Turkey is [the] number one candidate for the job.” He says that Turkey would need perhaps $50 million in financing to do the work. [Turkish Daily News, 1/22/1996]
Entity Tags: Richard Perle
January 1996: CIA Report Exposes Militant Charity Fronts in Bosnia; Ties to Saudi Arabia and Other Governments Discovered
International Islamic Relief Organization logo. [Source: International Islamic Relief Organization]The CIA creates a report for the State Department detailing support for terrorism from prominent Islamic charities. The report, completed just as the Bosnian war is winding down, focuses on charity fronts that have helped the mujaheddin in Bosnia. It concludes that of more than 50 Islamic nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in existence, “available information indicates that approximately one-third… support terrorist groups or employ individuals who are suspected of having terrorist connections.” The report notes that most of the offices of NGOs active in Bosnia are located in Zagreb, Sarajevo, Zenica, and Tuzla. There are coordination councils there organizing the work of the charity fronts. The report notes that some charities may be “backed by powerful interest groups,” including governments. “We continue to have evidence that even high ranking members of the collecting or monitoring agencies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Pakistan - such as the Saudi High Commission - are involved in illicit activities, including support for terrorists.” The Wall Street Journal will later comment, “Disclosure of the report may raise new questions about whether enough was done to cut off support for terrorism before the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001… and about possible involvement in terrorism by Saudi Arabian officials.” [Central Intelligence Agency, 1/1996; Wall Street Journal, 5/9/2003] The below list of organizations paraphrases or quotes the report, except for informational asides in parentheses.
The International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO). “The IIRO is affiliated with the Muslim World League, a major international organization largely financed by the government of Saudi Arabia.” The IIRO has funded Hamas, Algerian radicals, Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya (a.k.a. the Islamic Group, an Egyptian radical militant group led by Sheikh Omar Abdul-Rahman), Ramzi Yousef, and six militant training camps in Afghanistan. “The former head of the IIRO office in the Philippines, Mohammad Jamal Khalifa, has been linked to Manila-based plots to target the Pope and US airlines; his brother-in-law is Osama bin Laden.”
Al Haramain Islamic Foundation. It has connections to Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya and helps support the mujaheddin battalion in Zenica. Their offices have been connected to smuggling, drug running, and prostitution.
Human Concern International, headquartered in Canada. Its Swedish branch is said to be smuggling weapons to Bosnia. It is claimed “the entire Peshawar office is made up of [Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya] members.” The head of its Pakistan office (Ahmed Said Khadr) was arrested recently for a role in the bombing of the Egyptian embassy in Pakistan (see November 19, 1995). (It will later be discovered that Khadr is a founder and major leader of al-Qaeda (see Summer 2001 and January 1996-September 10, 2001).)
Third World Relief Agency (TWRA). Headquartered in Sudan, it has ties to Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya. “The regional director of the organization, Elfatih Hassanein, is the most influential [charity] official in Bosnia. He is a major arms supplier to the government, according to clandestine and press reporting, and was forced to relocate his office from Zagreb in 1994 after his weapons smuggling operations were exposed. According to a foreign government service, Hassanein supports US Muslim extremists in Bosnia.” One TWRA employee alleged to also be a member of Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya carried out a suicide car bombing in Rijeka, Croatia (see October 20, 1995).
The Islamic African Relief Agency (IARA). Based in Sudan, it has offices in 30 countries. It is said to be controlled by Sudan’s ruling party and gives weapons to the Bosnian military in concert with the TWRA. (The US government will give the IARA $4 million in aid in 1998 (see February 19, 2000).)
Benevolence International Foundation (BIF) (the report refers to it by an alternate name, Lajnat al-Birr al-Islamiyya (LBI)). It supports mujaheddin in Bosnia. It mentions “one Zagreb employee, identified as Syrian-born US citizen Abu Mahmud,” as involved in a kidnapping in Pakistan (see July 4, 1995). [Central Intelligence Agency, 1/1996] (This is a known alias (Abu Mahmoud al Suri) for Enaam Arnaout, the head of BIF’s US office.) [USA v. Enaam M. Arnaout, 10/6/2003, pp. 37 ] This person “matches the description… of a man who was allegedly involved in the kidnapping of six Westerners in Kashmir in July 1995, and who left Pakistan in early October for Bosnia via the United States.”
Maktab al-Khidamat (MAK), a.k.a. Al-Kifah. This group has ties to Ramzi Yousef, Osama bin Laden, Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya, and possibly Hezbollah. Both the former director of its Zagreb office [Kamer Eddine Kherbane] and his deputy [Hassan Hakim] were senior members of Algerian extremist groups. Its main office in Peshawar, Pakistan, funds at least nine training camps in Afghanistan. “The press has reported that some employees of MAK’s New York branch were involved in the World Trade Center bombing [in 1993].” (Indeed, the New York branch, known as the Al-Kifah Refugee Center, is closely linked to the WTC bombing and the CIA used it as a conduit to send money to Afghanistan (see January 24, 1994).
Muwafaq Foundation. Registered in Britain but based in Sudan, it has many offices in Bosnia. It has ties to Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya and “helps fund the Egyptian Mujahedin Battalion in Bosnia” and “at least one training camp in Afghanistan” (see 1991-1995).
Qatar Charitable Society, based in Qatar. It has possible ties to Hamas and Algerian militants. A staff member in Qatar is known to be a Hamas operative who has been monitored discussing militant operations. (An al-Qaeda defector will later reveal that in 1993 he was told this was one of al-Qaeda’s three most important charity fronts (see 1993)).
Red Crescent (Iran branch). Linked to the Iranian government, it is “Often used by the Iranian [intelligence agency] as cover for intelligence officers, agents, and arms shipments.”
Saudi High Commission. “The official Saudi government organization for collecting and disbursing humanitarian aid.” Some members possibly have ties to Hamas and Algerian militants (see 1996 and After).
Other organizations mentioned are the Foundation for Human Rights, Liberties, and Humanitarian Relief (IHH) (a.k.a. the International Humanitarian Relief Organization), Kuwait Joint Relief Committee (KJRC), the Islamic World Committee, and Human Appeal International. [Central Intelligence Agency, 1/1996]
After 9/11, former National Security Council official Daniel Benjamin will say that the NSC repeatedly questioned the CIA with inquiries about charity fronts. “We knew there was a big problem between [charities] and militants. The CIA report “suggests they were on the job, and, frankly, they were on the job.” [Wall Street Journal, 5/9/2003] However, very little action is taken on the information before 9/11. None of the groups mentioned will be shut down or have their assets seized.
Entity Tags: Muwafaq Foundation, Muslim World League, National Security Council, Saudi High Commission, Red Crescent (Iran branch), Qatar Charitable Society, US Department of State, Third World Relief Agency, Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, Islamic World Committee, Islamic African Relief Agency, Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya, Al Haramain Islamic Foundation, Ahmed Said Khadr, Benevolence International Foundation, Central Intelligence Agency, Daniel Benjamin, Elfatih Hassanein, International Islamic Relief Organization, Kuwait Joint Relief Committee, Human Appeal International, Foundation for Human Rights, Hamas, Saudi Arabia
Category Tags: Al-Qaeda in Balkans, Counterterrorism Action Before 9/11, Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, Robert Wright and Vulgar Betrayal, Saudi Arabia, Terrorism Financing, Al-Kifah/MAK, BIF
Between 1996 and August 1998: FBI Squad Threatens to Build Antenna Because NSA Won’t Share Monitoring of Bin Laden’s Phone Calls
I-49, a squad of FBI agents and Justice Department prosecutors that began focusing on bin Laden in 1996 (see January 1996), is upset that the NSA is not sharing its monitoring of bin Laden’s satellite phone with other agencies (see December 1996). The squad develops a plan to build their own antennas near Afghanistan to capture the satellite signal themselves. As a result, the NSA gives up transcripts from 114 phone calls to prevent the antennas from being built, but refuses to give up any more. Presumably, this must have happened at some point before bin Laden stopped regularly using his satellite phone around August 1998 (see December 1996). [Wright, 2006, pp. 344] Also presumably, some of these transcripts will then be used in the embassy bombings trial that takes place in early 2001 (see February-July 2001), because details from bin Laden’s satellite calls were frequently used as evidence and some prosecutors in that trial were members of I-49. [CNN, 4/16/2001]
Entity Tags: Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Security Agency, I-49, Osama bin Laden
January 1996: Muslim Extremists Plan Suicide Attack on White House
US intelligence obtains information concerning a suicide attack on the White House planned by individuals connected with Sheikh Omar Abdul-Rahman and a key al-Qaeda operative. The plan is to fly from Afghanistan to the US and crash into the White House. [US Congress, 9/18/2002]
Entity Tags: US intelligence, Al-Qaeda
Category Tags: Warning Signs, Sheikh Omar Abdul-Rahman
January 1996: Squad Uniting Prosecutors and FBI Agents Begins Focusing on Bin Laden
Jack Cloonan. [Source: PBS]The Justice Department directs an existing unit called Squad I-49 to begin building a legal case against bin Laden. This unit is unusual because it combines prosecutors from the Southern District of New York, who have been working on bin Laden related cases, with the FBI’s New York office, which was the FBI branch office that dealt the most with bin Laden -related intelligence. Patrick Fitzgerald effectively directs I-49 as the lead prosecutor. FBI agent Dan Coleman becomes a key member while simultaneously representing the FBI at Alec Station, the CIA’s new bin Laden unit (February 1996) where he has access to the CIA’s vast informational database. [Lance, 2006, pp. 218-219] The other initial members of I-49 are: Louis Napoli, John Anticev, Mike Anticev, Richard Karniewicz, Jack Cloonan, Carl Summerlin, Kevin Cruise, Mary Deborah Doran, and supervisor Tom Lang. All are FBI agents except for Napoli and Summerlin, a New York police detective and a New York state trooper, respectively. The unit will end up working closely with FBI agent John O’Neill, who heads the New York FBI office. Unlike the CIA’s Alec Station, which is focused solely on bin Laden, I-49 has to work on other Middle East -related issues. For much of the next year or so, most members will work on the July 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800, because it crashed near New York and is suspected to have been carried out by Middle Eastern militants (July 17, 1996-September 1996). However, in years to come, I-49 will grow considerably and focus more on bin Laden. [Wright, 2006, pp. 240-241] After 9/11, the “wall” between intelligence collection and criminal prosecution will often be cited for the failure to stop the 9/11 attacks. But as author Peter Lance will later note, “Little more than ten months after the issuance of Jamie Gorelick’s ‘wall memo,’ Fitzgerald and company were apparently disregarding her mandate that criminal investigation should be segregated from intelligence threat prevention. Squad I-49… was actively working both jobs.” Thanks to Coleman’s involvement in both I-49 and the CIA’s Alec Station, I-49 effectively avoids the so-called “wall” problem. [Lance, 2006, pp. 220]
Entity Tags: Mike Anticev, Tom Lang, US Department of Justice, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, Kevin Cruise, Dan Coleman, Carl Summerlin, Alec Station, Louis Napoli, Mary Deborah Doran, John Anticev, Jack Cloonan, I-49, Federal Bureau of Investigation
1996-Early 1997: Probe of Suspicious Company with Saudi Ties Is Stalled
A 1996 CIA report shows that US intelligence believes that the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO), a Saudi charity with strong ties to the Saudi government, is funding a variety of radical militant groups (see January 1996). However, no action is taken against it. Also in 1996, Valerie Donahue, a Chicago FBI agent who is presumably part of Robert Wright’s Vulgar Betrayal investigation, begins looking into Global Chemical Corp., a chemical company that appears to be an investment fraud scheme. The company is jointly owned by the IIRO and Abrar Investments Inc. Suspected terrorism financier Yassin al-Qadi has investments in Abrar Investments and he is also director of its Malaysian corporate parent. Donahue finds that Abrar Investments gave Global Chemical more than half a million dollars, and the IIRO gave it over $1 million. Further, the Saudi embassy has recently sent $400,000 to the IIRO. The president of Global Chemical is Mohammed Mabrook, a Libyan immigrant and suspected Hamas operative. Mabrook had previously worked for a pro-Palestinian group led by Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk. (Marzouk is in US detention from 1995 to May 1997, but he is apparently merely held for deportation and not questioned about matters like Global Chemical (see July 5, 1995-May 1997).) Donahue discovers that Global Chemical is keeping a warehouse full of highly toxic chemicals, but they do not seem to be selling them. In late 1996, a chemical weapons expert examines the chemicals and opines that they appear to be meant for a laboratory performing biochemistry or manufacturing explosives. While no direct evidence of bomb making is found, investigators know that a Hamas associate of Marzouk, Mohammad Salah, had previously trained US recruits to work with “basic chemical materials for the preparation of bombs and explosives.”(see 1989-January 1993) In January 1997, the FBI raids Global Chemical and confiscates the chemicals stockpiled in the warehouse. Mabrook is questioned, then let go. He moves to Saudi Arabia. Abrar Investments vacate their offices and cease operations. In June 1999, Mabrook will return to the US and will be prosecuted. He will be tried on fraud charges for illegal dealings with the IIRO and given a four year sentence. Meanwhile, the IIRO ignores an FBI demand for accounting records to explain how it spent several million dollars that seem to have gone to the IIRO and disappeared. In January 1997, Donahue requests a search warrant to find and confiscate the records, saying that she suspect IIRO officials are engaged in “possible mail and wire fraud… and money laundering.” Apparently, the probe stalls and the financial records are never maintained. Some investigators believe the probe is dropped for diplomatic reasons. [Wall Street Journal, 11/26/2002; Wall Street Journal, 12/16/2002; Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 10/29/2003] Investigators will later be prohibited from investigating a possible link between al-Qadi and the 1998 US embassy bombings (see October 1998). After 9/11, the US will apparently have ample evidence to officially label the IIRO a funder of terrorism, but will refrain from doing so for fear of embarrassing the Saudi government (see October 12, 2001).
Entity Tags: Valerie Donahue, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mohammed Mabrook, Global Chemical Corp., International Islamic Relief Organization, Yassin al-Qadi, Vulgar Betrayal, Abrar Investments
Category Tags: Robert Wright and Vulgar Betrayal, Terrorism Financing
January-May 1996: US Fails to Capture KSM Living Openly in Qatar
Abdallah bin Khalid al-Thani. [Source: Fethi Belaid/ Agence France-Presse]Since Operation Bojinka was uncovered in the Philippines (see January 6, 1995), many of the plot’s major planners, including Ramzi Yousef, are found and arrested. One major exception is 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (KSM). He flees to Qatar in the Persian Gulf, where he has been living openly using his real name, enjoying the patronage of Abdallah bin Khalid al-Thani, Qatar’s Interior Minister and a member of the royal family (see 1992-1996). [ABC News, 2/7/2003] He had accepted al-Thani’s invitation to live on his farm around 1992 (see 1992-1995). The CIA learned KSM was living in Qatar in 1995 after his nephew Ramzi Yousef attempted to call him there while in US custody (see After February 7, 1995-January 1996). The Sudanese government also tipped off the FBI that KSM was traveling to Qatar. Some CIA agents strongly urged action against KSM after his exact location in Qatar was determined, but no action was taken (see October 1995). In January 1996, KSM is indicted in the US for his role in the 1993 WTC bombing, and apparently this leads to an effort to apprehend him in Qatar that same month. FBI Director Louis Freeh sends a letter to the Qatari government asking for permission to send a team after him. [Los Angeles Times, 12/22/2002] One of Freeh’s diplomatic notes states that KSM was involved in a conspiracy to “bomb US airliners” and is believed to be “in the process of manufacturing an explosive device.” [New Yorker, 5/27/2002] Qatar confirms that KSM is there and is making explosives, but they delay handing him over. After waiting several months, a high-level meeting takes place in Washington to consider a commando raid to seize him. However, the raid is deemed too risky, and another letter is sent to the Qatari government instead. One person at the meeting later states, “If we had gone in and nabbed this guy, or just cut his head off, the Qatari government would not have complained a bit. Everyone around the table for their own reasons refused to go after someone who fundamentally threatened American interests….” [Los Angeles Times, 12/22/2002] Around May 1996, Mohammed’s patron al-Thani makes sure that Mohammed and four others are given blank passports and a chance to escape. A former Qatari police chief later says the other men include Ayman al-Zawahiri and Mohammed Atef, al-Qaeda’s number two and number three leaders, respectively (see Early 1998). [Los Angeles Times, 9/1/2002; ABC News, 2/7/2003] In 1999, the New York Times will report that “Although American officials said they had no conclusive proof, current and former officials said they believed that the Foreign Minister [Sheik Hamed bin Jasim al-Thani] was involved, directly or indirectly” in tipping off KSM. [New York Times, 7/8/1999] KSM will continue to occasionally use Qatar as a safe haven, even staying there for two weeks after 9/11 (see Late 2001).
Entity Tags: Ramzi Yousef, Mohammed Atef, Hamed bin Jasim al-Thani, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Abdallah bin Khalid al-Thani, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Louis J. Freeh, Osama bin Laden
Category Tags: Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Counterterrorism Action Before 9/11, Other Government-Militant Collusion
1996-Early 1997: Moussaoui Fights with Militants in Chechnya
According to British intelligence, Zacarias Moussaoui fights in Chechnya with Islamist militants there. Using previously gained computer skills, he mostly works as an information specialist. He helps militants forge computer links and post combat pictures on radical Muslim websites. It is not known when British intelligence learns this. [USA Today, 6/14/2002] Moussaoui also helps recruit militants to go fight in Chechnya (see 1996-2001). He likely assists Chechen warlord Ibn Khattab, the Chechen leader most closely linked to al-Qaeda (see August 24, 2001).
Entity Tags: Ibn Khattab, Zacarias Moussaoui
Category Tags: Zacarias Moussaoui, Islamist Militancy in Chechnya
1996-August 2000: Ahmed Alghamdi and Other Hijackers Reportedly Connected to US Military Base
After 9/11, there will be media accounts suggesting some of the 9/11 hijackers trained at US military bases (see September 15-17, 2001). According to these accounts, four of the hijackers trained at Pensacola Naval Air Station, a base that trains many foreign nationals. One neighbor will claim that Ahmed Alghamdi lived in Pensacola until about August 2000. This neighbor will claim that Alghamdi appeared to be part of a group of Arab men who often gathered at the Fountains apartment complex near the University of West Florida. She will recount, “People would come and knock on the doors. We might see three or four, and they were always men. It was always in the evening. The traffic in and out, although it was sporadic, was constant every evening. They would go and knock, and then it would be a little while and someone would look out the window to see who it was, like they were being very cautious. Not your normal coming to the door and opening it.” [New York Times, 9/15/2001] It is not known when Alghamdi is first seen in Pensacola. However, he uses the address of a housing facility for foreign military trainees located inside the base on drivers’ licenses issued in 1996 and 1998. Saeed Alghamdi and Ahmed Alnami also list the same address as Ahmed Alghamdi on their drivers license and car registrations between 1996 and 1998. Other records connect Hamza Alghamdi to that same address. However, the Pensacola News Journal reports that “The news articles caution that there are slight discrepancies between the FBI list of suspected hijackers and the military training records, either in the spellings of their names or in their birth dates. They also raise the possibility that the hijackers stole the identities of military trainees.” [Washington Post, 9/16/2001; Pensacola News Journal, 9/17/2001] It is unclear if these people were the 9/11 hijackers or just others with similar names. The US military has never definitively denied that they were the hijackers, and the media lost interest in the story a couple of weeks after 9/11.
Entity Tags: Hamza Alghamdi, Saeed Alghamdi, Ahmed Alghamdi, Ahmed Alnami
Category Tags: Other 9/11 Hijackers, Alleged Hijackers' Flight Training
1996-December 2000: Majority of 9/11 Hijackers Attempt to Fight in Chechnya
A young Ahmed Alnami in Saudi Arabia. [Source: Boston Globe]At least 11 of the 9/11 hijackers travel or attempt to travel to Chechnya between 1996 and 2000 (see 1999-2000):
Nawaf Alhazmi fights in Chechnya, Bosnia, and Afghanistan for several years, starting around 1995. [Observer, 9/23/2001; ABC News, 1/9/2002; US Congress, 6/18/2002; US Congress, 7/24/2003 ]
Khalid Almihdhar fights in Chechnya, Bosnia, and Afghanistan for several years, usually with Nawaf Alhazmi. [US Congress, 6/18/2002; Los Angeles Times, 9/1/2002; US Congress, 7/24/2003 ]
Salem Alhazmi spends time in Chechnya with his brother Nawaf Alhazmi. [ABC News, 1/9/2002] He also possibly fights with his brother in Afghanistan. [US Congress, 7/24/2003 ]
Ahmed Alhaznawi leaves for Chechnya in 1999 [ABC News, 1/9/2002] , and his family loses contact with him in late 2000. [Arab News, 9/22/2001]
Hamza Alghamdi leaves for Chechnya in early 2000 [Washington Post, 9/25/2001; Independent, 9/27/2001] or sometime around January 2001. He calls home several times until about June 2001, saying he is in Chechnya. [Arab News, 9/18/2001]
Mohand Alshehri leaves to fight in Chechnya in early 2000. [Arab News, 9/22/2001]
Ahmed Alnami leaves home in June 2000, and calls home once in June 2001 from an unnamed location. [Arab News, 9/19/2001; Washington Post, 9/25/2001]
Fayez Ahmed Banihammad leaves home in July 2000 saying he wants to participate in a holy war or do relief work. [Washington Post, 9/25/2001; St. Petersburg Times, 9/27/2001] He calls his parents one time since. [Arab News, 9/18/2001]
Ahmed Alghamdi leaves his studies to fight in Chechnya in 2000, and is last seen by his family in December 2000. He calls his parents for the last time in July 2001, but does not mention being in the US. [Arab News, 9/18/2001; Arab News, 9/20/2001]
Waleed M. Alshehri disappears with Wail Alshehri in December 2000, after speaking of fighting in Chechnya. [Arab News, 9/18/2001; Washington Post, 9/25/2001]
Wail Alshehri, who had psychological problems, went with his brother to Mecca to seek help. Both disappear, after speaking of fighting in Chechnya. [Washington Post, 9/25/2001]
Majed Moqed is last seen by a friend in 2000 in Saudi Arabia, after communicating a “plan to visit the United States to learn English.” [Arab News, 9/22/2001]
Clearly, there is a pattern: eleven hijackers appear likely to have fought in Chechnya, and two others are known to have gone missing. It is possible that others have similar histories, but this is hard to confirm because “almost nothing [is] known about some.” [New York Times, 9/21/2001] Indeed, a colleague later claims that hijackers Mohamed Atta, Marwan Alshehhi, Ziad Jarrah, and would-be hijacker Ramzi Bin al-Shibh wanted to fight in Chechnya but were told in early 2000 that they were needed elsewhere. [Washington Post, 10/23/2002; Reuters, 10/29/2002] Reuters later reports, “Western diplomats play down any Chechen involvement by al-Qaeda.” [Reuters, 10/24/2002]
Entity Tags: Hamza Alghamdi, Ahmed Alghamdi, Ahmed Alhaznawi, Ahmed Alnami, Marwan Alshehhi, Fayez Ahmed Banihammad, Mohand Alshehri, Mohamed Atta, Khalid Almihdhar, Ziad Jarrah, Nawaf Alhazmi, Waleed Alshehri, Salem Alhazmi, Wail Alshehri, Majed Moqed, Ramzi bin al-Shibh
Category Tags: Other 9/11 Hijackers, Islamist Militancy in Chechnya
After 1995: Algerian Militant Group GIA Gains Influence in Key Al-Qaeda Mosque in Italy
The Algerian Groupe Islamique Armé (GIA) gains more influence in the Islamic Cultural Institute, a militant mosque in Milan, Italy, following the death of its former head, Anwar Shaaban. Under the leadership of Shaaban, who died in the Bosnian war, the mosque had been built up into a key European logistics center for militant Islamists. [Chicago Tribune, 10/22/2001] The mosque is described as “the main al-Qaeda station house in Europe” (see 1993 and After), but the GIA is said to be infiltrated by government informers at this point and is losing strength in Algeria due to the penetration (see October 27, 1994-July 16, 1996).
Entity Tags: Groupe Islamique Armé, Islamic Cultural Institute
Category Tags: Al-Qaeda in Italy, Algerian Militant Collusion
Mid-Late 1990s: Pakistani-Based Proliferation Network Begins to Use Turkish Fronts in US
A Pakistani-based proliferation network centered around nuclear scientist A. Q. Khan and the ISI intelligence agency begins to use Turkish fronts to acquire technology in the US. This move is made because it is thought Turks are less likely to attract suspicion than Pakistanis. At one point the operation is headed by ISI Director Lt. Gen. Mahmood Ahmed. According to FBI whistleblower Sibel Edmonds, intercepted communications show Mahmood and his colleagues stationed in Washington are in constant contact with attachés at the Turkish embassy. Edmonds will also say that venues such as the American Turkish Council (ATC), a Washington-based lobby group, are used for handovers, and packages containing nuclear secrets are then delivered by Turkish operatives, using their cover as members of the diplomatic and military community, to contacts at the Pakistani embassy in Washington. Edmonds will also allege: “Certain greedy Turkish operators would make copies of the material and look around for buyers. They had agents who would find potential buyers.” [Sunday Times (London), 1/6/2008]
Entity Tags: Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, American-Turkish Council, Mahmood Ahmed, Sibel Edmonds
Category Tags: Sibel Edmonds, Pakistan and the ISI, Pakistani Nukes & Islamic Militancy, Mahmood Ahmed
Mid-Late 1990s: French Ask British Authorities to Ban Militant Newsletter, British Decline
At some point in the mid-to-late 1990s, French authorities ask their counterparts in Britain to ban the militant newsletter Al Ansar, which is published in Britain by supporters of the radical Algerian organization Groupe Islamique Armé (GIA). Authors Sean O’Neill and Daniel McGrory will describe the newsletter: “This was handed out at mosques, youth clubs, and restaurants popular with young Arabs. It eulogized atrocities carried out by mujaheddin in Algeria, recounting graphic details of their operations, and described in deliberately provocative language an attack on a packed passenger train and the hijacking of a French airliner in December 1994 which was intended to be flown into the Eiffel Tower.” They add that its past editors “read like a who’s who of Islamist extremists,” including Abu Hamza al-Masri, an informer for the British authorities (see Early 1997 and Before October 1997), Abu Qatada, another British informer (see June 1996-February 1997), and Rachid Ramda, the mastermind of a series of attacks in France who operated from Britain (see 1994 and July-October 1995). The newsletter is also linked to Osama bin Laden (see 1994 and January 5, 1996). However, British authorities say that the newsletter cannot be banned. [O'Neill and McGrory, 2006, pp. 112-113]
Entity Tags: Groupe Islamique Armé
Category Tags: Londonistan - UK Counterterrorism, Algerian Militant Collusion
1996-September 11, 2001: New York Office of Emergency Management Practices for Terrorist Attacks, but Not Using Planes as Missiles
New York City’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) holds regular interagency training exercises in the years preceding 9/11, aiming to carry out a tabletop or field exercise every eight to 12 weeks. Mayor Rudy Giuliani is personally involved in many of these. The exercises are very lifelike. Giuliani will later recall, “We used to take pictures of these trial runs and they were so realistic that people who saw them would ask when the event shown in the photograph had occurred.” Scenarios drilled include a sarin gas attack in Manhattan, anthrax attacks, and truck bombs. One exercise, which takes place in May 2001, is based on terrorists attacking New York with bubonic plague (see May 11, 2001). Another, conducted in conjunction with the New York Port Authority, includes a simulated plane crash. Just one week before 9/11, the OEM is preparing a tabletop exercise with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, to develop plans for business continuity in New York’s Financial District—where the World Trade Center is located—after a terrorist attack (see (September 4, 2001)). OEM staffers are actually preparing for a bioterrorism exercise on the morning of 9/11 (see (Shortly After 8:46 a.m.) September 11, 2001 and September 12, 2001). Jerome Hauer, OEM director from 1996 to February 2000, will recall, “We looked at every conceivable threat that anyone on the staff could think of, be it natural or intentional, but not the use of aircraft as missiles.” He will tell the 9/11 Commission: “We had aircraft crash drills on a regular basis. The general consensus in the city was that a plane hitting a building… was that it would be a high-rise fire.… There was never a sense, as I said in my testimony, that aircraft were going to be used as missiles.” [Time, 12/22/2001; Giuliani, 2002, pp. 62-63; Jenkins and Edwards-Winslow, 9/2003, pp. 15, 30 ; 9/11 Commission, 5/19/2004; 9/11 Commission, 5/19/2004 ] The OEM was created in 1996 by Giuliani to manage New York’s response to major incidents, including terrorist attacks (see 1996). [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 283-284]
Entity Tags: Office of Emergency Management, New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Rudolph (“Rudy”) Giuliani, Jerome Hauer
Category Tags: Military Exercises, Counterterrorism Action Before 9/11
1996-September 11, 2001: Enron Gives Taliban Millions in Bribes in Effort to Get Afghan Pipeline Built
The Associated Press will later report that the Enron corporation bribes Taliban officials as part of a “no-holds-barred bid to strike a deal for an energy pipeline in Afghanistan.” Atul Davda, a senior director for Enron’s International Division, will later claim, “Enron had intimate contact with Taliban officials.” Presumably this effort began around 1996, when a power plant Enron was building in India ran into trouble and Enron began an attempt to supply it with natural gas via a planned pipeline through Afghanistan (see 1995-November 2001 and June 24, 1996). In 1997, Enron executives privately meet with Taliban officials in Texas (see December 4, 1997). They are “given the red-carpet treatment and promised a fortune if the deal [goes] through.” It is alleged Enron secretly employs CIA agents to carry out its dealings overseas. According to a CIA source, “Enron proposed to pay the Taliban large sums of money in a ‘tax’ on every cubic foot of gas and oil shipped through a pipeline they planned to build.” This source claims Enron paid more than $400 million for a feasibility study on the pipeline and “a large portion of that cost was pay-offs to the Taliban.” Enron continues to encourage the Taliban about the pipeline even after Unocal officially gives up on the pipeline in the wake of the African embassy bombings (see December 5, 1998). An investigation after Enron’s collapse in 2001 (see December 2, 2001) will determine that some of this pay-off money ended up funding al-Qaeda. [Associated Press, 3/7/2002]
Entity Tags: Atul Davda, Enron Corporation, Taliban, Central Intelligence Agency
Category Tags: Pipeline Politics
January 2, 1996: New Republic Editors Say Bosnian Intervention Aimed at Increasing US Influence in Middle East
The New York Times publishes an op-ed piece by Jacob Heilbrunn and Michael Lind titled, “The Third American Empire,” in which the authors assert that US military involvement in the Balkans should not be seen as the assertion of US influence in Europe, but as part of a strategy to exert US dominance in the Middle East and Central Asia. “[W]e should view the Balkans as the western frontier of America’s rapidly expanding sphere of influence in the Middle East,” they write. [New York Times, 1/2/1996]
Entity Tags: Jacob Heilbrunn, Michael Lind
Category Tags: Al-Qaeda in Balkans, US Dominance
January 5, 1996: British Newspaper Links Bin Laden to 1995 Wave of Militant Attacks in France
Rachid Ramda. [Source: Public domain]The London Times publishes one of the first Western newspaper articles about Osama bin Laden. The article says, “A Saudi Arabian millionaire is suspected of channeling thousands of pounds to Islamic militants in London which may have bankrolled French terrorist bombings.” Bin Laden is referred to as “Oussama ibn-Laden.” It says that he sent money to Rachid Ramda, editor in chief of Al Ansar, the London-based newsletter for the radical Algerian militant group the GIA. However, government sources say that the money ostensibly for the newsletter was really used to fund a wave of militant attacks in France in 1995 (see July-October 1995). Ramda was arrested in London on November 4, 1995 at the request of the French government. [London Times, 1/5/1996] Two other people working as editors on the Al Ansar newsletter in 1995, Abu Qatada and Mustafa Setmarian Nasar, will later be found to be important al-Qaeda leaders (see June 1996-1997 and October 31, 2005). It will take ten years for Britain to extradite Ramda to France. He will be tried in France in 2005 and sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 1995 French attacks. [BBC, 10/26/2007] Bin Laden may have met with Ramda while visiting Britain in 1994 (see 1994). It will later be revealed that the 1995 attacks in France were led by an Algerian government mole (see July-October 1995), and the GIA as a whole was run by a government mole (see October 27, 1994-July 16, 1996).
Entity Tags: Mustafa Setmarian Nasar, Osama bin Laden, Groupe Islamique Armé, Rachid Ramda, Abu Qatada
Category Tags: Osama Bin Laden, Londonistan - UK Counterterrorism, Algerian Militant Collusion, Abu Qatada
January 1996-September 10, 2001: Canada Takes No Action Against Founding Al-Qaeda Leader, Despite Evidence Against Him
Ahmed Said Khadr in a hospital bed during his hunger strike, being visited by journalists. [Source: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]In late 1995, Ahmed Said Khadr is arrested in Pakistan for a suspected role in the November 1995 bombing of the Egyptian embassy in that country (see November 19, 1995). Khadr was born an Egyptian and became a Canadian citizen, and is an employee of Human Concern International (HCI), a Canadian-based charity. [Burr and Collins, 2006, pp. 276-277]
Smuggling During the Afghan War - The Canadian government was already aware of Khadr’s militant ties before the bombing. In the late 1980s, a federal Canadian official was asked by a diplomat in Pakistan about Khadr. The official did not know who that was, so the diplomat explained that Khadr was involved in smuggling Saudi money into Afghanistan while using HCI as a cover. This person further said that, “For months, the Afghan scene in Islamabad buzzed with this and other information” about Khadr. This was passed on to other parts of the Canadian government, but no action was taken. [National Post, 9/6/2002]
Khadr Released Due to Hunger Strike - After his late 1995 arrest, Khadr begins a hunger strike from within a Pakistani prison. In January 1996, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien visits Pakistan and, in response to popular pressure caused by the hunger strike, asks the Pakistani government to release him. Khadr is released several months later. He returns to Canada and stops working with HCI, but starts a new charity called Health and Education Project International. [Burr and Collins, 2006, pp. 276-277]
HCI Linked to Al-Qaeda - A January 1996 CIA report claims that the entire Peshawar, Pakistan, HCI branch that Khadr heads is staffed by Islamist militants and that its Swedish branch is smuggling weapons to Bosnia (see January 1996). In a June 1996 interview with an Egyptian weekly, Osama bin Laden surprisingly identifies HCI as a significant supporter of al-Qaeda. [Emerson, 2006, pp. 398, 423]
Monitoring Khadr's Associates - Also around 1996, the Canadian intelligence agency CSIS begins monitoring several suspected radical militants living in Canada. The CSIS will later call one of them, Mahmoud Jaballah, an “established contact” of Khadr. [Canadian Security Intelligence Service, 2/22/2008 ] Another, Mohamed Zeki Mahjoub, will also be called a contact of Khadr. [Canadian Security Intelligence Service, 2/22/2008 ] The CSIS has yet to reveal details of when such contacts are made, except in the case of Mohamed Harkat. It will be mentioned that in March 1997 Harkat is recorded saying that he is about to meet Khadr in Ottawa, Canada. [Canadian Security Intelligence Service, 2/22/2008 ]
Wanted Again in Pakistan - On September 5, 1998, the Globe and Mail will report that Khadr is wanted in Pakistan again for his role in the Egyptian embassy bombing. A Pakistani official says that Khadr is living in Afghanistan, has contacts with Osama bin Laden, and is using his charity as a cover for smuggling and banking transactions. The executive director of HCI tells the newspaper that Khadr was last seen in Ottawa, Canada, about three months earlier, and, “We do learn once in a while that he was in Pakistan or Canada or moving back and forth.” [Globe and Mail, 9/5/1998]
Listed by UN - In January 2001, the United Nations places Khadr on a list of those who support terrorism associated with bin Laden. [Canadian Security Intelligence Service, 2/22/2008 ]
But despite all this, there is no evidence the Canadian government attempts to arrest or even indict him before 9/11. (The Egyptian government does pressure the Pakistani ISI to capture him in the summer of 2001 (Summer 2001).) Khadr will be killed in Pakistan in October 2003. It will eventually emerge that he was a founding member of al-Qaeda and an important leader of that group (see October 2, 2003).
Entity Tags: Ahmed Said Khadr, Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Health and Education Project International, Jean Chretien, Al-Qaeda, Mohamed Zeki Mahjoub, Osama bin Laden, Mahmoud Jaballah, Human Concern International, Mohamed Harkat
Category Tags: Counterterrorism Action Before 9/11, Remote Surveillance
January 14, 1996: Mujaheddin Required to Leave Bosnia by This Date
As part of the peace agreement ending the Bosnian war (see December 14, 1995), all foreign fighters are required to leave Bosnia by this time, which is thirty days after the signing of the peace agreement. Effectively this refers to the mujaheddin who have been fighting for the Bosnian Muslims. [Time, 12/31/1995] However, Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic kicks out the Serbians living in the small village of Bocinja Donja 60 miles north of the capital of Sarajevo and gives the houses there to several hundred mujaheddin. Most of them marry local women, allowing them to stay in the country (see January 2000). [Washington Post, 3/11/2000]
Entity Tags: Alija Izetbegovic
Shortly Before February 1996: CIA Already Aware of Term ‘Al-Qaeda’ as It Sets Up Bin Laden Unit
David Cohen. [Source: Ting-Li Wang / New York Times]David Cohen, head of the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, wants to test the idea of having a “virtual station,” which is a station based at CIA headquarters and focusing on one target. He chooses Michael Scheuer to run it. Scheuer is running the Islamic Extremist Branch of the CIA’s Counterterrorist Center at the time and had suggested creating a station to focus just on bin Laden. The new unit, commonly called Alec Station, begins operations in February 1996 (see February 1996). The 9/11 Commission will later comment that Scheuer had already “noticed a recent stream of reports about bin Laden and something called al-Qaeda.” [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 109] It has been widely reported that US intelligence was unaware of the term al-Qaeda until after defector Jamal al-Fadl revealed it later in 1996 (see June 1996-April 1997). But Billy Waugh, an independent contractor hired by the CIA to spy on bin Laden and others in Sudan in 1991 to 1992, will later claim that the CIA was aware of the term al-Qaeda back then (see February 1991- July 1992). And double agent Ali Mohamed revealed the term to the FBI in 1993 (see May 1993). The term will first be used by the media in August 1996 (see August 14, 1996).
Entity Tags: Michael Scheuer, Counterterrorist Center, Central Intelligence Agency, Al-Qaeda, Alec Station, David Cohen
Category Tags: Counterterrorism Action Before 9/11, Counterterrorism Policy/Politics
February 1996: CIA Forms New Counterterrorism Bin Laden Unit
The CIA’s Counter Terrorism Center creates a special unit focusing specifically on bin Laden. It is informally called Alec Station. About 10 to 15 individuals are assigned to the unit initially. This grows to about 35 to 40 by 9/11. [US Congress, 9/18/2002] The unit is set up “largely because of evidence linking [bin Laden] to the 1993 bombing of the WTC.” [Washington Post, 10/3/2001] Newsweek will comment after 9/11, “With the Cold War over, the Mafia in retreat, and the drug war unwinnable, the CIA and FBI were eager to have a new foe to fight.… Historical rivals, the spies and G-men were finally learning to work together. But they didn’t necessarily share secrets with the alphabet soup of other enforcement and intelligence agencies, like Customs and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and they remained aloof from the Pentagon. And no amount of good will or money could bridge a fundamental divide between intelligence and law enforcement. Spies prefer to watch and wait; cops want to get their man.” [Newsweek, 10/1/2001] Michael Scheuer will lead the unit until 1999. He will later become a vocal critic of the US government’s efforts to combat terrorism. He later recalls that while bin Laden is mostly thought of merely as a terrorist financier at this time, “we had run across bin Laden in a lot of different places, not personally but in terms of his influence, either through rhetoric, through audiotapes, through passports, through money-he seemed to turn up everywhere. So when we [created the unit], the first responsibility was to find out if he was a threat.” [Vanity Fair, 11/2004] By the start of 1997, the unit will conclude bin Laden is a serious threat (see Early 1997).
Entity Tags: Osama bin Laden, Michael Scheuer, Alec Station, Al-Qaeda, Counterterrorist Center
Category Tags: Hunt for Bin Laden
February 1996-June 1999: CIA’s Bin Laden Unit Has Conflicts with CIA Superiors and Other Intelligence Agencies
During Michael Scheuer’s time as head of the CIA’s bin Laden unit Alec Station from 1996 to 1999 (see February 1996 and June 1999), the unit has conflicts with other parts of the US intelligence community. Scheuer has an angry and dogmatic style that sometimes alienates people.
Conflict with Counterterrorism 'Tsar' Clarke - Scheuer and Richard Clarke, the US counterterrorism “tsar,” do not get along, even though both are among the first people in government to take the Osama bin Laden threat seriously. Clarke can also be abrasive. One former CIA insider will later say, “I can say that, among individuals that I tend to trust, Clarke was regarded as more serious about terrorism in the 1990s than just about anybody else in the US government, but he was a truly painful individual to work with.” Clarke will later similarly criticize Scheuer, saying: “Throwing tantrums and everything doesn’t help.… [You shouldn’t be] so dysfunctional within your agency that you’re making it harder to get something done.” And Scheuer will later criticize Clarke, saying: “[He] was an interferer of the first level, in terms of talking about things that he knew nothing about and killing them.… He was always playing the FBI off against us or us against the NSA.”
Conflict with the FBI - The bin Laden unit does not get along with some FBI agents assigned to it as well. From the very start, some FBI officials, including bin Laden expert John O’Neill, resist cooperating with the unit. CIA official John MacGaffin will later claim, “O’Neill just fought it and fought it [cooperating with Alec Station].” O’Neill and Scheuer “were at each other’s throats.” On one occasion an FBI agent at the bin Laden unit is caught hiding CIA files inside his shirt to take them back to O’Neill. Scheuer will also claim that the FBI rarely follows up leads the bin Laden unit sends it. Furthermore, the FBI never shares information. “I bet we sent 700 or 800 requests for information to the FBI, and we never got an answer to any of them,” Scheuer says.
Conflicts with CIA Higher-Ups - The bin Laden unit also has conflicts with others within the CIA, including powerful superiors. An incident in 1996 leads to a breakdown of trust between Scheuer and his superiors (see 1996). John MacGaffin, who is a top CIA official for clandestine operations at the time, will later say of Scheuer, “He’s a good guy, [but] he’s an angry guy.”
Situation Improves after Scheuer - In June 1999, Richard Blee replaces Scheuer as head of the bin Laden unit, and he will stay involved in the bin Laden issue until after 9/11 (see December 9, 2001). Vanity Fair will later comment that Blee “was just as heated up over bin Laden as Scheuer had been, but obviously less likely to cause the kind of friction that would discomfit the [CIA director].” [Vanity Fair, 11/2004]
Entity Tags: John MacGaffin, Alec Station, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Richard Blee, Richard A. Clarke, John O’Neill, Michael Scheuer, Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency
February-September 11, 1996: Investigation of Bin Laden Family Members Is Opened; Then Closed
On the left: 5613 Leesburg Pike, address for WAMY’s US office. On the right: 5913 Leesburg Pike, the 2001 address for hijackers Hani Hanjour and Nawaf Alhazmi. [Source: Paul Sperry]The FBI begin an investigation into two relatives of bin Laden in February 1996, then close it on September 11, 1996. The FBI wanted to learn more about Abdullah Awad bin Laden, “because of his relationship with the World Assembly of Muslim Youth [WAMY]—a suspected terrorist organization.” [Guardian, 11/7/2001] Abdullah Awad was the US director of WAMY and lived with his brother Omar in Falls Church, Virginia, a suburb of Washington. They are believed to be nephews of Osama bin Laden. The coding on a leaked FBI document about the case, marked secret, indicates the case related to national security. WAMY’s office address is 5613 Leesburg Pike. It will later be determined that at least two of the 9/11 hijackers lived at 5913 Leesburg Pike for much of 2001 at the same time the two bin Laden brothers were working only three blocks away (see March 2001 and After). WAMY has been banned in Pakistan by this time. [BBC, 11/6/2001; Guardian, 11/7/2001] The Indian and Philippine governments also will cite WAMY for funding Islamic militancy. The 9/11 Commission later will hear testimony that WAMY “has openly supported Islamic terrorism. There are ties between WAMY and 9/11 hijackers. It is a group that has openly endorsed the notion that Jews must be killed.… [It] has consistently portrayed the United States, Jews, Christians, and other infidels as enemies who have to be defeated or killed. And there is no doubt, according to US intelligence, that WAMY has been tied directly to terrorist attacks.” [9/11 Commission, 7/9/2003, pp. 66] A security official who will later serve under President Bush will say, “WAMY was involved in terrorist-support activity. There’s no doubt about it.” [Vanity Fair, 10/2003] Before 9/11, FBI investigators had determined that Abdullah Awad had invested about $500,000 in BMI Inc., a company suspected of financing groups officially designated as terrorist organizations (see 1986-October 1999). [Wall Street Journal, 9/15/2003] The Bosnian government will say in September 2002 that a charity with Abdullah Awad bin Laden on its board had channeled money to Chechen guerrillas, something that reporter Greg Palast will claim “is only possible because the Clinton CIA gave the wink and nod to WAMY and other groups who were aiding Bosnian guerrillas when they were fighting Serbia, a US-approved enemy.” The investigation into WAMY will be restarted a few days after 9/11, around the same time these two bin Ladens will leave the US (see September 14-19, 2001). [Palast, 2002, pp. 96-99] (Note that Abdullah Awad bin Laden is Osama bin Laden’s nephew, and is not the same person as the Abdullah bin Laden who is Osama’s brother and serves as the bin Laden family spokesperson.) [Palast, 2002, pp. 98-99; Wall Street Journal, 9/15/2003] WAMY’s Virginia offices will be raided by US agents in 2004 (see June 1, 2004).
Entity Tags: Abdullah Awad bin Laden, Omar bin Laden, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency, World Assembly of Muslim Youth, Clinton administration
Category Tags: Saudi Arabia, Bin Laden Family, Terrorism Financing
February 1996-May 1998: CIA’s Bin Laden Unit Asks NSA for Full Transcripts of Al-Qaeda Communications, NSA Refuses
Barbara McNamara. [Source: National Security Agency]Alec Station, the CIA’s bin Laden unit, and other senior agency officers repeatedly ask the NSA to provide verbatim transcripts of intercepted calls between al-Qaeda members. Alec Station chief Michael Scheuer will explain, “[V]erbatim transcripts are operationally useful, summaries are much less so.” [Atlantic Monthly, 12/2004] According to PBS, Alec Station believes that “only by carefully studying each word will it be possible to understand [Osama] bin Laden’s intentions.” This is because al-Qaeda operatives sometimes talk in a simplistic code (see (October 1993-November 2001)). Scheuer will say: “Over time, if you read enough of these conversations, you first get clued in to the fact that maybe ‘bottle of milk’ doesn’t mean ‘bottle of milk.’ And if you follow it long enough, you develop a sense of what they’re really talking about. But it’s not possible to do unless you have the verbatim transcript.” [PBS, 2/3/2009] Scheuer will also complain that the summaries “are usually not timely.” [Atlantic Monthly, 12/2004] Author James Bamford will say that the summaries are “brief” and come “once a week or something like that.” [Antiwar, 10/22/2008] Alec Station’s desire for verbatim transcripts will intensify when it discovers the NSA is intercepting calls between bin Laden and his operations center in Yemen (see December 1996). However, the NSA constantly rejects its requests. Scheuer will later say: “We went to Fort Meade to ask then the NSA’s deputy director for operations [Barbara McNamara] for the transcripts, and she said, ‘We are not going to share that with you.’ And that was the end.” He will add that McNamara “said that the National Security Act of 1947 gave her agency control of ‘raw’ signals intelligence, and that she would not pass such material to CIA.” [Atlantic Monthly, 12/2004; Antiwar, 10/22/2008; PBS, 2/3/2009] McNamara will tell the 9/11 Commission that “She does not recall being personally [asked] to provide… transcripts or raw data” for counterterrorism, but if people wanted raw data, “then NSA would have provided it.” [9/11 Commission, 12/15/2003, pp. 5]
Entity Tags: National Security Agency, Michael Scheuer, Central Intelligence Agency, Alec Station, Barbara McNamara
Category Tags: Remote Surveillance, Yemen Hub, Counterterrorism Action Before 9/11
Shortly After February 1996: Saudis Fail to Give CIA Bin Laden Documents before 9/11
Bin Laden’s Saudi passport photograph. [Source: Public domain]Shortly after the CIA’s Alec Station is created to go after bin Laden (see February 1996), the CIA asks the Saudi government to provide copies of bin Laden’s records such as his birth certificate, passports, bank accounts, and so forth. But the Saudis fail to turn over any of the documents. By 9/11, the CIA will still not even be given a copy of bin Laden’s birth certificate. [Risen, 2006, pp. 185]
Entity Tags: Saudi Arabia, Central Intelligence Agency, Alec Station
Early 1996: Future 9/11 Hijackers Begin Attending Radical Mosque Possibly Monitored by German Authorities
The Al-Quds mosque in Hamburg. [Source: Knut Muller]Future 9/11 hijacker Mohamed Atta and other members of the Hamburg cell begin regularly attending the Al-Quds mosque. Atta becomes a well-known figure both there and at other mosques in the city. He grows a beard at this time, which some commentators interpret as a sign of greater religious devotion. The mosque is home to numerous radicals. For example, the imam, Mohammed Fazazi, advocates killing non-believers and encourages his followers to embrace martyrdom (see 1993-Late 2001 and Early 2001).
Atta Teaches Classes at Al-Quds - After a time, Atta begins to teach classes at the mosque. He is stern with his students and criticizes them for wearing their hair in ponytails and gold chains around their necks, as well as for listening to music, which he says is a product of the devil. If a woman shows up, her father is informed she is not welcome. This is one of the reasons that, of the 80 students that start the classes, only a handful are left at the end.
Other Hijackers and Cell Members Attend Al-Quds - One of Atta’s associates, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, also teaches classes at the mosque. 9/11 hijackers Marwan Alshehhi and Ziad Jarrah start attending the mosque at different times and possibly first meet Atta there. Other mosque attendees who interact with the future hijackers at the mosque include Said Bahaji, and al-Qaeda operatives Mamoun Darkazanli and Mohammed Haydar Zammar.
Is the Mosque Monitored? - According to author Terry McDermott, German investigators notice Bahaji meeting frequently with Darkazanli and Zammar at the mosque, so they presumably have a source inside it. [PBS Frontline, 1/2002; Burke, 2004, pp. 242; McDermott, 2005, pp. 1-5, 34-37, 72] The German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung will later report that there probably is an informer working for the LfV, the Hamburg state intelligence agency, inside the mosque by 1999. Somehow, the LfV is very knowledgeable about Atta and some his associates, and their behavior inside the mosque (see (April 1, 1999)). [Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Frankfurt), 2/2/2003] Radical imam Fazazi will continue to preach at the mosque until late 2001 (see Mid-September-Late 2001).
Entity Tags: Said Bahaji, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Mohammed Haydar Zammar, Mohammed Fazazi, Ziad Jarrah, Marwan Alshehhi, German State Office of Constitutional Security, Mohamed Atta, Mamoun Darkazanli
Category Tags: Key Hijacker Events, Marwan Alshehhi, Mohamed Atta, Ziad Jarrah, Mamoun Darkazanli, Other Possible Moles or Informants, Mohammed Haydar Zammar, Ramzi Bin Al-Shibh, Al-Qaeda in Germany
Spring 1996: 9/11 Hijacker Hanjour Stays in Florida
9/11 hijacker Hani Hanjour, who returned to his native Saudi Arabia after a previous stay in the US (see October 3, 1991-February 1992), now arrives in the US for the second time, and will spend much of the next three years in the country. Hanjour first stays in Miramar, Florida with a couple that are longtime friends with Abulrahman Hanjour, his eldest brother: Adnan Khalil, a Saudi professor at a local college, and his wife Susan. Susan Khalil later remembers Hani Hanjour as socially inept, with “really bad hygiene.” She says, “Of all my husband’s colorful friends, he was probably the most nondescript. He would blend into the wall.” The Washington Post later reports: “Hanjour’s meek, introverted manner fits a recurrent pattern in the al-Qaeda network of unsophisticated young men being recruited as helpers in terrorist attacks. FBI agents have told people they have interviewed about Hanjour that he ‘fit the personality to be manipulated and brainwashed.’” Yet, Susan Khalil says, “I didn’t get the feeling that he hated me or hated Americans.” Hanjour, she says, “was very kind and gentle to my son, who was 3 years old.” He prays frequently, at their home and at a nearby mosque. After staying for about a month he leaves the Khalil’s, having been accepted at a flight school in California (see April 30-Early September 1996). [Associated Press, 9/21/2001; St. Petersburg Times, 10/2/2001; Washington Post, 10/15/2001; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 226] Many of the hijackers will later live in this part of Florida. A nearby mosque is run by radical imam Gulshair Shukrijumah, who possibly associates with Mohamed Atta and Marwan Alshehhi in 2000 and 2001 (see 2000-2001 and May 2, 2001). [New York Times, 3/22/2003]
Entity Tags: Gulshair Shukrijumah, Hani Hanjour, Adnan Khalil, Susan Khalil
Category Tags: Hani Hanjour, Hijacker Visas and Immigration
Early 1996: FBI and Philippine Agents Bungle Capture of KSM
Bandido’s bar in Manila. This may be the restaurant frequented by KSM. [Source: Public domain]In January 1995 the Bojinka plot is foiled in the Philippines and on February 7, 1995, Ramzi Yousef is arrested in Pakistan (see February 7, 1995), but Yousef’s uncle Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (KSM) continues to live in the Philippines much of the time. KSM remains confident that he will not be arrested, and eats at a particular restaurant in Manila at roughly the same time almost every night. In early 1996, the FBI and Philippine authorities attempt to arrest KSM at Bandido’s restaurant. But counterterrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna will later claim the “operation failed apparently due to the visibility of the FBI and other agents working on the case.” KSM flees to Qatar, where he was been living off and on since 1992 (see 1992-1996). But Gunaratna claims KSM continues to live part of the time in the Philippines as well until about September 1996. [Gunaratna, 2003]
Entity Tags: Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Ramzi Yousef, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Category Tags: Counterterrorism Action Before 9/11, 1995 Bojinka Plot, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
March 1996: Movie Features Planned Suicide Attack with Commercial Jet
Executive Decision. [Source: Warner Bros.]Executive Decision, a military action film, has a plot about a group of Arab terrorists who hijack a transatlantic jet to gain the release of their leader, who is imprisoned in the United States. But what looks initially like a traditional hijacking is in fact a suicide mission. The plane carries a huge load of nerve gas that has been smuggled out of Russia, which the terrorists intend to explode over Washington, killing millions. The release demand is a ruse to convince US authorities to let the plane approach Washington unharmed. But thanks to an intelligence analyst who has been following the group’s efforts to obtain chemical weapons, the ruse is unraveled and the Pentagon considers asking the president for permission to shoot down the plane over the Atlantic. However, a Special Ops commander proposes a daring plan to avert a shoot down. Using a new Stealth fighter plane, he offers to board the jet in mid-air and disable the bomb. [New York Times, 3/15/1996] This movie is one of many works of fiction that will be remembered after 9/11 for their eerie similarity to the attacks. [New York Times, 9/13/2001]
Category Tags: Other Pre-9/11 Events
March-May 1996: US, Sudan Squabble over Bin Laden’s Fate
US demands for Sudan to hand over its extensive files about bin Laden (see March 8, 1996-April 1996) escalate into demands to hand over bin Laden himself. Bin Laden has been living in Sudan since 1991, at a time when the Sudanese government’s ideology was similar to his. But after the US put Sudan on its list of terrorism sponsors and began economic sanctions in 1993, Sudan began to change. In 1994, it handed the notorious terrorist “Carlos the Jackal” to France. In March 1996, Sudan’s defense minister goes to Washington and engages in secret negotiations over bin Laden. Sudan offers to extradite bin Laden to anywhere he might stand trial. Some accounts claim that Sudan offers to hand bin Laden directly to the US, but the US decides not to take him because they do not have enough evidence at the time to charge him with a crime. [Washington Post, 10/3/2001; Village Voice, 10/31/2001; Vanity Fair, 1/2002] Counterterrorism “tsar” Richard Clarke later will call this story a “fable” invented by the Sudanese and Americans friendly to Sudan. He will point out that bin Laden “was an ideological blood brother, family friend, and benefactor” to Sudanese leader Hassan al-Turabi, so any offers to hand him over may have been disingenuous. [Clarke, 2004, pp. 142-43] CIA Director George Tenet later will deny that Sudan made any offers to hand over bin Laden directly to the US. [US Congress, 10/17/2002] The US reportedly asks Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan to accept bin Laden into custody, but is refused by all three governments. [Coll, 2004, pp. 323] The 9/11 Commission later will claim it finds no evidence that Sudan offers bin Laden directly to the US, but it does find evidence that Saudi Arabia was discussed as an option. [9/11 Commission, 3/23/2004] US officials insist that bin Laden leave Sudan for anywhere but Somalia. One US intelligence source in the region later will state: “We kidnap minor drug czars and bring them back in burlap bags. Somebody didn’t want this to happen.” [Washington Post, 10/3/2001; Village Voice, 10/31/2001] On May 18, 1996, bin Laden flies to Afghanistan, and the US does not try to stop him (see May 18, 1996).
Entity Tags: Egypt, Sudan, United States, Jordan, George J. Tenet, Osama bin Laden, Richard A. Clarke, Saudi Arabia, Central Intelligence Agency, Hassan al-Turabi
March 8, 1996-April 1996: US Asks Sudan for Its Files on Al-Qaeda, Then Declines to Accept Them
Omar al-Bashir. [Source: PBS]In 1993, the US put Sudan on its list of nations sponsoring terrorism, which automatically leads to economic sanctions. Sudanese leader Hassan al-Turabi espoused radical militant views, and allowed bin Laden to live in Sudan. But, as the 9/11 Commission later will note, “The Sudanese regime began to change. Though al-Turabi had been its inspirational leader, General Omar al-Bashir, president since 1989, had never been entirely under his thumb. Thus as outside pressures mounted, al-Bashir’s supporters began to displace those of al-Turabi.” In 1995, the US begins putting serious pressure on Sudan to deal with bin Laden, who is still living there. [Observer, 9/30/2001; 9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 61] On March 8, 1996, the US sends Sudan a memorandum listing the measures Sudan can take to get the sanctions revoked. The second of six points listed is, “Provide us with names, dates of arrival, departure and destination and passport data on mujaheddin that Osama Bin Laden has brought into Sudan.” [New York Times, 9/21/1998; Washington Post, 10/3/2001] Sudanese intelligence had been monitoring bin Laden since he’d moved there in 1991, collecting a “vast intelligence database on Osama bin Laden and more than 200 leading members of his al-Qaeda terrorist network.” The files include information on their backgrounds, families, and contacts, plus photographs. There also is extensive information on bin Laden’s world-wide financial network. “One US source who has seen the files on bin Laden’s men in Khartoum said some were ‘an inch and a half thick.’” [Observer, 9/30/2001] An Egyptian intelligence officer with extensive Sudanese intelligence contacts says, “They knew all about them: who they were, where they came from. They had copies of their passports, their tickets; they knew where they went. Of course that information could have helped enormously. It is the history of those people.” To the surprise of US officials making the demands, the Sudanese seem receptive to sharing the file. This leads to a battle within the US government between top FBI officials, who want to engage the Sudanese and get their files, and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Susan Rice, her assistant secretary for Africa, who want to isolate them politically and economically. The National Security Council is also opposed. The US decides to increase its demands, and tells Sudan to turn over not just files on bin Laden, but bin Laden himself (see March-May 1996). Ultimately, the US will get Sudan to evict bin Laden in May 1996 (see May 18, 1996), but they will not press for the files and will not get them. [Washington Post, 10/3/2001; Vanity Fair, 1/2002] An American involved in the secret negotiations later will says, “I’ve never seen a brick wall like that before. Somebody let this slip up.… We could have dismantled his operations and put a cage on top. It was not a matter of arresting bin Laden but of access to information. That’s the story, and that’s what could have prevented September 11. I knew it would come back to haunt us.” [Village Voice, 10/31/2001] Vanity Fair magazine later will opine, “How could this have happened? The simple answer is that the Clinton administration had accused Sudan of sponsoring terrorism, and refused to believe that anything it did to prove its bona fides could be genuine.” [Vanity Fair, 1/2002] The US will continue to refuse Sudan’s offers to take the files (see April 5, 1997; February 5, 1998; May 2000).
Entity Tags: Susan Rice, National Security Council, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hassan al-Turabi, Omar Al-Bashir, Madeleine Albright
March 13, 1996: Clinton Administration Criticized for Meetings with Radical Muslim Activist
President Clinton meeting with Abdulrahman Alamoudi in the 1990s. [Source: PBS]Counterterrorism expert Steven Emerson, head of the Investigative Project on Terrorism, criticizes the Clinton administration for its ties to Abdulrahman Alamoudi in a Wall Street Journal editorial. Alamoudi is a prominent Muslim activist and heads an organization called the American Muslim Council (AMC). Emerson notes that on November 9, 1995, President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore met with Alamoudi as part of a meeting with 23 Muslim and Arab leaders. And on December 8, 1995, National Security Adviser Anthony Lake, met with Alamoudi at the White House along with several other American Islamic leaders. Emerson notes that Alamoudi openly supports Hamas, even though the US government officially designated it a terrorist financier in early 1995 (see January 1995), and he has been the primary public defender of high ranking Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzouk, who the US declared a terrorism financier and then imprisoned in 1995 (see July 5, 1995-May 1997). He notes that Alamoudi’s AMC also has close ties to other Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, and in 1994 the AMC co-sponsored a trip to the US for Sudanese leader Hasan al-Turabi, a well-known radical militant who is hosting Osama bin Laden in Sudan at the time. Emerson concludes, “The president is right to invite Muslim groups to the White House. But by inviting the extremist element of the American Muslim community—represented by the AMC—the administration undercuts moderate Muslims and strengthens the groups committing terrorist attacks.” [Wall Street Journal, 3/13/1996] It will later be reported that in 1994, US intelligence discovered that the AMC helped pass money from bin Laden to Sheikh Omar Abdul-Rahman, but it is not known if Clinton was aware of this (see Shortly After March 1994). But Alamoudi’s political influence in the US will not diminish and he will later be courted by future President Bush (see July 2000). He will eventually be sentenced to a long prison term for illegal dealings with Libya (see October 15, 2004).
Entity Tags: William Jefferson (“Bill”) Clinton, Steven Emerson, Mousa Abu Marzouk, Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Abdurahman Alamoudi, Albert Arnold (“Al”) Gore, Jr., Hassan al-Turabi, Anthony Lake, American Muslim Council, Clinton administration
Category Tags: Terrorism Financing
Spring 1996-December 23, 2000: United Arab Emirates Army Pays for Hijacker Alshehhi’s Studies
A poor photocopy of Marwan Alshehhi’s United Arab Emirates passport. [Source: FBI]Marwan Alshehhi, a United Arab Emirates (UAE) national, volunteered for the UAE army shortly after leaving high school (presumably in late 1995, based on his age). After going through basic training, in the spring of 1996 he is granted a college scholarship to Germany, paid for by the UAE army. Alshehhi is to learn German, then study marine engineering. The scholarship is accompanied by a monthly stipend of around $2,200. The UAE army declares him a deserter in April 2000, shortly before he quits school and moves to the US (see April 1, 2000). It is not clear why. Curiously, Alshehhi will continue to receive this stipend despite being a deserter, and even after he drops out of school in Germany and begins attending flight school in the US. The stipend comes to an end in December 2000. [9/11 Commission, 8/21/2004, pp. 132 ; McDermott, 2005, pp. 53-56, 196]
Entity Tags: Marwan Alshehhi, United Arab Emirates
Category Tags: Marwan Alshehhi
March 26-May 21, 1996: French Monks in Algeria Kidnapped and Killed by Algerian Intelligence Working with Compromised Islamic Militants
A photo montage of the seven murdered monks from Tibhirine. [Source: Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance] (click image to enlarge)On March 26, 1996, a group of armed men break into a Trappist monastery in the remote mountain region of Tibhirine, Algeria, and kidnap seven of the nine monks living there. They are held hostage for two months and then Djamel Zitouni, head of the Groupe Islamique Armé (GIA), announces that they were all killed on May 21, 1996. The French government and the Roman Catholic church state the GIA is to blame. But years later, Abdelkhader Tigha, former head of Algeria’s military security, will claim the kidnapping was planned by Algerian officials to get the monks out of a highly contested area. He says government agents kidnapped the monks and then handed them to a double agent in the GIA. But the plan went awry and the militants assigned to carry it out killed the monks. Furthermore, it will later be alleged that Zitouni was a mole for Algerian intelligence (see October 27, 1994-July 16, 1996). [Independent, 12/24/2002; United Press International, 8/20/2004] In 2004, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika will reopen the controversy when he says of the monks’ deaths, “Not all truth is good to say when [the issue is still] hot.” [United Press International, 8/20/2004] He will also say, “Don’t forget that the army saved Algeria. Whatever the deviations there may have been, and there were some, just because you have some rotten tomatoes you do not throw all of them away.” [Daily Telegraph, 4/7/2004]
Entity Tags: Abdelkhader Tigha, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Département du Renseignement et de la Sécurité, Ali Touchent, Groupe Islamique Armé, Djamel Zitouni
Timeline Tags: Alleged Use of False Flag Attacks
Category Tags: Algerian Militant Collusion, Alleged Al-Qaeda Linked Attacks, Other Possible Moles or Informants
April 1996: US Aware of Al-Qaeda Cell in Kenya, Begins Monitoring It
It will later be revealed in a US trial that, by this time, US intelligence agents are aware that an al-Qaeda cell exists in Kenya. (In fact, it may have been aware of this since late 1994 (see Late 1994)). [East African, 1/1/2001] Further evidence confirming and detailing the cell is discovered in May and June of 1996 (see May 21, 1996). By August 1996, US intelligence is continually monitoring five telephone lines in Nairobi used by the cell members, such as Wadih El-Hage. The tapping reveals that the cell is providing false passports and other documents to operatives. They are sending coded telephone numbers to and from al-Qaeda headquarters in Afghanistan. The surveillance is apparently being conducted without the required approval of either President Clinton or Attorney General Janet Reno. [Associated Press, 12/19/2000; East African, 1/1/2001] Prudence Bushnell, the US ambassador to Kenya, will be briefed about the cell in early 1997, but will be told there is no evidence of a specific threat against the embassy or American interests in Kenya. [New York Times, 1/9/1999] Ali Mohamed, an al-Qaeda double agent living in California, will later admit in US court that he had been in long distance contact with Wadih El-Hage, one of the leaders of the cell, since at least 1996. It will also be revealed that US intelligence had been wiretapping Mohamed’s California phone calls since at least 1994 (see Late 1994), so presumably US intelligence is recording calls between Mohamed and the Kenya cell from both ends. The Nairobi phone taps continue until at least August 1997, when Kenyan and US agents conduct a joint search of El-Hage’s Nairobi house (see August 21, 1997). [United States of America v. Ali Mohamed, 10/20/2000; Associated Press, 12/19/2000; East African, 1/1/2001]
Entity Tags: Al-Qaeda, Ali Mohamed, Prudence Bushnell, Wadih El-Hage
Category Tags: 1998 US Embassy Bombings, Remote Surveillance, Ali Mohamed, Wadih El-Hage
April 1996-March 1997: Yousef Communicates with Islamic Militants from within Maximum Security Prison Using Telephone Provided by FBI
Gregory Scarpa Jr. [Source: Publicity photo (mafiason.com]Ramzi Yousef, mastermind along with Khalid Shaikh Mohammed of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the Operation Bojinka plots, is in a maximum-security prison, sentenced to hundreds of years of prison time for his plots. However, he can communicate with Gregory Scarpa Jr., a mob figure in the cell next to him. The FBI sets up a sting operation with Scarpa’s cooperation to learn more of what and whom Yousef knows. Scarpa is given a telephone, and he allows Yousef to use it. However, Yousef uses the sting operation for his own ends, communicating with operatives on the outside in code language without giving away their identities. He attempts to find passports to get co-conspirators into the US, and there is some discussion about imminent attacks on US passenger jets. Realizing the scheme has backfired, the FBI terminates the telephone sting in late 1996, but Yousef manages to keep communicating with the outside world for several more months. [New York Daily News, 9/24/2000; New York Daily News, 1/21/2002; Lance, 2003, pp. 280-82; Harmon, 2009, pp. 187-188,199-201]
Entity Tags: Gregory Scarpa Jr., Ramzi Yousef, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Category Tags: Warning Signs, Ramzi Yousef, 1995 Bojinka Plot
April 11, 1996: 9/11 Hijacker Atta Makes Will
The al-Quds mosque in Hamburg, where Mohamed Atta made his will. [Source: Der Speigel]Future 9/11 hijacker Mohamed Atta makes his will in Germany. It is not clear that the text of the will is actually written by Atta. For example, author Lawrence Wright will say that Atta merely signs a “standardized will” he gets from the Al-Quds mosque in Hamburg, and journalists Yosri Fouda and Nick Fielding will say that the will is a “printed-out form devised by the mosque.” Atta apparently makes it as he is angered by new reports of an Israeli operation against Lebanon, which begins on this day. [Fouda and Fielding, 2003, pp. 81-2; Wright, 2006, pp. 307] Although the act of making a will is not that unusual for a 27-year old Muslim, the content of the will is unusual, perhaps reflecting the radical environment of the mosque (see Early 1996). For example, it says: “… [6] I don’t want a pregnant woman or a person who is not clean to come and say good bye to me because I don’t approve it… [9] The person who will wash my body near my genitals must wear gloves on his hands so he won’t touch my genitals… [11] I don’t want any women to go to my grave at all during my funeral or on any occasion thereafter.” The will is witnessed by Abdelghani Mouzdi and Mounir El Motassadeq, who also make wills around the same time. [Atta, 4/11/1996; Burke, 2004, pp. 242; McDermott, 2005, pp. 49, 245-7, 274]
Entity Tags: Abdelghani Mzoudi, Mounir El Motassadeq, Mohamed Atta
Category Tags: Mohamed Atta, Al-Qaeda in Germany
April 25, 1996: New Anti-Terrorism Law Passed
President Clinton signs the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, which the New York Times calls “broad legislation that provides new tools and penalties for federal law-enforcement officials to use in fighting terrorism.” The Clinton administration proposed the bill in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City terrorist bombing (see 8:35 a.m. - 9:02 a.m. April 19, 1995). In many ways, the original bill will be mirrored by the USA Patriot Act six years later (see October 26, 2001). Civil libertarians on both the left and right opposed the legislation. Political analyst Michael Freeman called the proposal one of the “worst assaults on civil liberties in decades,” and the Houston Chronicle called it a “frightening” and “grievous” assault on domestic freedoms. Many Republicans opposed the bill, and forced a compromise that removed increased wiretap authority and lower standards for lawsuits against sellers of guns used in crimes. CNN called the version that finally passed the Republican-controlled Congress a “watered-down version of the White House’s proposal. The Clinton administration has been critical of the bill, calling it too weak. The original House bill, passed last month, had deleted many of the Senate’s anti-terrorism provisions because of lawmakers’ concerns about increasing federal law enforcement powers. Some of those provisions were restored in the compromise bill.” [CNN, 4/18/1996; New York Times, 4/25/1996; Roberts, 2008, pp. 35] An unusual coalition of gun rights groups such as the National Rifle Association (NRA) and civil liberties groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) led the opposition to the law. [New York Times, 4/17/1996] By the time Congress passed the bill, it had been, in the words of FBI Director Louis Freeh, “stripped… of just about every meaningful provision.” [Roberts, 2008, pp. 35] The law makes it illegal in the US to provide “material support” to any organization banned by the State Department. [Guardian, 9/10/2001]
Entity Tags: William Jefferson (“Bill”) Clinton, Louis J. Freeh, National Rifle Association, American Civil Liberties Union, Clinton administration, Michael Freeman, USA Patriot Act, US Congress
Timeline Tags: Civil Liberties, US Domestic Terrorism
Category Tags: Counterterrorism Policy/Politics, Terrorism Financing
Late April 1996: US Monitors Al-Qaeda Canceling Singapore Plot
According to counterterrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna, US intelligence monitoring al-Qaeda communications learn that al-Qaeda is canceling an attack on Western targets in Singapore. On April 18, 1996, 108 Lebanese civilians seeking refuge at a UN camp in Qana, Lebanon, are killed by mortars fired by Israeli forces. Bin Laden “was keen not to dissipate what he envisaged as widespread revulsion against Israel’s action and hence called off the strike in Southeast Asia. Al-Qaeda’s team in question was very determined to go ahead, having spent years preparing the attack, and according to the intercepts it proved difficult for Osama to convince it otherwise.” Gunaratna claims the US learned this through the NSA’s Echelon satellite network (see Before September 11, 2001) “and other technical monitoring of their communications traffic.” [Gunaratna, 2003, pp. 133-134] If true, this case supports other evidence that the US was successfully monitoring bin Laden’s communications from an early date (see Early 1990s) and that al-Qaeda’s Southeast Asia operations were penetrated years before an important al-Qaeda summit in Malaysia discussing the 9/11 plot (see January 5-8, 2000).
Entity Tags: Echelon, Al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, National Security Agency
Category Tags: Remote Surveillance, Al-Qaeda in Southeast Asia
April 30-Early September 1996: Hani Hanjour Studies English in Northern California; Enrolls at Aeronautics Academy
Hijacker Hani Hanjour moves from Florida to the San Francisco Bay area in California, staying with an unidentified family. He lives with them from late April to early September. For most of this time he takes English lessons in an intensive program requiring 30 hours of class time per week, at the ELS Language Center at Holy Names College in Oakland. He reportedly reaches a level of proficiency sufficient to “survive very well in the English language.” Yet in 2001, managers at an Arizona flight school will report him to the FAA at least five times, partly because they think his level of English is inadequate for him to keep his pilot’s license. Due to his poor English, it will take Hanjour five hours to complete an oral exam meant to last just two hours (see January-February 2001). At the end of this period, Hanjour enrolls on a rigorous one-year flight training program at the renowned Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, in Oakland. However, he only attends the 30-minute orientation class, on September 8, and then never returns. [CBS 5 (San Francisco), 10/10/2001; San Francisco Chronicle, 10/10/2001; Associated Press, 10/11/2001; Cape Cod Times, 10/21/2001; Star-Tribune (Minneapolis), 12/21/2001; Associated Press, 5/10/2002]
Entity Tags: Hani Hanjour, Sierra Academy of Aeronautics
Category Tags: Hani Hanjour, Alleged Hijackers' Flight Training
May 1996: Al-Qaeda Begins Using Vital Communications Hub in Yemen
A close-up of Al-Qaeda’s communications hub in Sana’a, Yemen. [Source: PBS / Nova]Al-Qaeda begins using an important communications hub and operations center in Yemen. [Gunaratna, 2003, pp. 2-3, 16, 188] The hub is set up because al-Qaeda is headquartered in Afghanistan, but requires another location that has access to regular telephone services and major air links. It is located in the Yemeni capital of Sana’a, in the neighbourhood of Madbah. Ahmed al-Hada, an associate of Osama bin Laden’s who fought in Afghanistan, runs the hub and lives there with his family. [Bamford, 2008, pp. 7-8] Terrorism analyst Rohan Gunaratna will say that the hub is used as a switchboard to “divert and receive calls and messages from the [Middle East] region and beyond.” [Gunaratna, 2003, pp. 2-3, 16, 188] FBI agent Mark Rossini will say, “That house was a focal point for operatives in the field to call in, that number would then contact bin Laden to pass along information and receive instruction back.” [PBS, 2/3/2009] Author James Bamford will add: “[T]he house in Yemen became the epicenter of bin Laden’s war against America, a logistics base to coordinate attacks, a switchboard to pass on orders, and a safe house where his field commanders could meet to discuss and carry out operations.” Bin Laden himself places many calls to the house, and it is used to coordinate the attacks on US embassies in East Africa in 1998 and the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000. Future 9/11 hijacker Khalid Almihdhar also lives at the house at some point in the late 1990s with his wife Hoda, al-Hada’s daughter. [Bamford, 2008, pp. 8]
Entity Tags: Mark Rossini, Al-Qaeda, Ahmed al-Hada, James Bamford, Rohan Gunaratna
Category Tags: Alhazmi and Almihdhar, Remote Surveillance, Yemen Hub, Yemeni Militant Collusion
May 1996: US Seeks Stability in Afghanistan for Unocal Pipeline
Robin Raphel. [Source: Mark Wilson / Agence France-Presse]Robin Raphel, Deputy Secretary of State for South Asia, speaks to the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister about Afghanistan. She says that the US government “now hopes that peace in the region will facilitate US business interests,” such as the proposed Unocal gas pipeline from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan to Pakistan. [Coll, 2004, pp. 330]
Entity Tags: Unocal, Robin Raphel, Russia
May 1996: Saudis and Al-Qaeda Allegedly Strike a Secret Deal
French intelligence secretly monitors a meeting of Saudi billionaires at the Hotel Royale Monceau in Paris this month with the financial representative of al-Qaeda. “The Saudis, including a key Saudi prince joined by Muslim and non-Muslim gun traffickers, [meet] to determine who would pay how much to Osama. This [is] not so much an act of support but of protection—a payoff to keep the mad bomber away from Saudi Arabia.” [Palast, 2002, pp. 100] Participants also agree that Osama bin Laden should be rewarded for promoting Wahhabism (an austere form of Islam that requires literal interpretation of the Koran) in Chechnya, Kashmir, Bosnia, and other places. [Fifth Estate, 10/29/2003 ] This extends an alleged secret deal first made between the Saudi government and bin Laden in 1991. Later, 9/11 victims’ relatives will rely on the “nonpublished French intelligence report” of this meeting in their lawsuit against important Saudis. [Star-Tribune (Minneapolis), 8/16/2002] According to French counterterrorism expert Jean-Charles Brisard and/or reporter Greg Palast, there are about 20 people at the meeting, including Saudi intelligence head Prince Turki al-Faisal, an unnamed brother of bin Laden, and an unnamed representative from the Saudi Defense Ministry. [Fifth Estate, 10/29/2003 ; Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 10/29/2003] Palast will claim that Saudi businessman Abdullah Taha Bakhsh attends the meeting. Bakhsh saved George W. Bush’s Harken Oil from bankruptcy around 1990. Palast will claim the notorious Saudi billionaire Adnan Khashoggi also attends the meeting. [Democracy Now!, 3/4/2003; Santa Fe New Mexican, 3/20/2003] In a somewhat tongue-in-cheek manner, Slate will claim that Khashoggi is a “shadowy international arms merchant” who is “connected to every scandal of the past 40 years.” Amongst other things, he was a major investor in BCCI and a key player in the Iran-Contra affair. [Slate, 12/4/2000; Slate, 11/14/2001; Slate, 3/12/2003] Palast, noting that the French monitored the meeting, will ask, “Since US intelligence was thus likely informed, the question becomes why didn’t the government immediately move against the Saudis?” [Palast, 2002, pp. 100]
Entity Tags: Al-Qaeda, Greg Palast, Turki al-Faisal, Abdullah Bakhsh, Adnan Khashoggi, France
Category Tags: Saudi Arabia, Terrorism Financing, BCCI, Bin Laden Family
May-June 1996: FEMA Considers Use of Airborne Operations Center at Atlanta Olympics
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reportedly considers using an E-4B National Airborne Operations Center during the Atlanta Olympics. The reason for this is not known, but it could be related to terrorism fears, including a possible air attack (see January 20, 1997). [Federal Computer Week, 6/2/1996] An aviation website will later show a picture of an E-4B taking off from Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia on May 14, “after crew attended meeting with FEMA prior to ‘96 Atlanta Olympics.” [Airliners.net, 2000] However, there are no reports on whether an E-4B is actually used during the Olympics.
Entity Tags: Federal Emergency Management Agency, E-4B National Airborne Operations Center
Between May and December 1996: NSA Discovers Al-Qaeda Communications Hub
The NSA discovers a communications hub al-Qaeda uses to coordinate its global operations. The hub was set up in May 1996 by Ahmed al-Hada, a close associate of Osama bin Laden (see May 1996), and is discovered at some time in the next six months. [Bamford, 2008, pp. 16] According to a PBS documentary, the NSA discovers the hub by monitoring bin Laden’s calls from his satellite phone in Afghanistan (see November 1996-Late August 1998): “Once he starts dialing from Afghanistan, NSA’s listening posts quickly tap into his conversations.… By tracking all calls in and out of Afghanistan, the NSA quickly determines bin Laden’s number: 873-682505331.” According to CIA manager Michael Scheuer, bin Laden’s satellite phone is a “godsend,” because “[i]t gave us an idea, not only of where he was in Afghanistan, but where al-Qaeda, as an organization, was established, because there were calls to various places in the world.” As bin Laden’s phone calls are not encrypted, there is no code for the NSA to break. Instead, NSA voice interceptors and linguists translate, transcribe, and write summaries of the calls. In addition, human analysts plot out which numbers are being called from bin Laden’s phone and how frequently. [PBS, 2/3/2009]
Entity Tags: National Security Agency, Michael Scheuer
May 11, 1996-August 2001: Canadian Intelligence Monitors Islamic Jihad Operative Communicating with High-Ranking Militants
Mahmoud Jaballah. [Source: Public domain via Toronto Star]Islamic Jihad operative Mahmoud Jaballah enters Canada on May 11, 1996 and applies for refugee status. There is evidence Canadian intelligence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), begins monitoring him shortly after his arrival. A 2008 CSIS report mentions details of phone calls Jaballah makes to high-ranking Islamic Jihad leaders as early as June 1996. The CSIS will later conclude that his “primary objective incoming to Canada was to acquire permanent status in a country where he would feel secure in maintaining communications with other [Islamic Jihad] members.” Jaballah is wary his calls may be monitored, and uses code words to discuss sensitive topics. But the CSIS is able to figure out many of the code words, for instance the mention of clothes to refer to travel documents.
Jaballah frequently calls Thirwat Salah Shehata, one of nine members of Islamic Jihad’s ruling council; the Egyptian government will later also call Shehata “a key figure in bin Laden’s organization.” They are in regular contact until August 1998, when Shehata moves to a new location in Lebanon but does not give Jaballah his new phone number.
Jaballah also stays in frequent contact with Ahmad Salama Mabruk, another member of Islamic Jihad’s ruling council. Mabruk is arrested in 1998.
Jaballah is also in frequent contact with Ibrahim Eidarous and Adel Abdel Bary, two Islamic Jihad operatives living in London and working closely with Khalid al-Fawwaz, Osama bin Laden’s de facto press secretary. He calls them over 60 times between 1996 and 1998. Bin Laden is monitored by Western intelligence agencies as he frequently calls Bary, Eidarous, and al-Fawwaz until all three are arrested one month after the 1998 African embassy bombings (see Early 1994-September 23, 1998). Jaballah presumably becomes more suspicious that he is being monitored in September 1998, when Canadian officials interview him and tell him they are aware of his contacts with the three men arrested in London.
The CSIS will later call Jaballah an “established contact” for Ahmed Said Khadr, a founding al-Qaeda member living in Canada. Khadr had been arrested in Pakistan in 1995 for suspected involvement in an Islamic Jihad bombing there, but he was released several months later after pressure from the Canadian government. After returning to Canada, Khadr ran his own non-profit organization, Health and Education Projects International (HEPI), and allegedly used the money he raised to help fund the Khaldan training camp in Afghanistan. If the CSIS was aware of Khadr’s activities through Jaballah, it is not clear why no action was taken against him or his charity before 9/11.
Essam Marzouk is an al-Qaeda operative living in Vancouver, Canada. During one call, Jaballah is asked for Marzouk’s phone number. He says he does not have it, but gives the name of another operative, Mohamed Zeki Mahjoub, who is known to be in contact with Marzouk. Marzouk will later leave Canada to train the African embassy bombers, stopping by Toronto to visit Mahjoub on the way out of the country.
Jaballah is monitored communicating with other Islamic Jihad operatives, including ones in Germany, Yemen, and elsewhere in Canada.
He is arrested in March 1999, but after his arrest his wife warns him to reduce his communications and offers to help obtain information from his associates. He acquires a post office box in August 1999 and uses it to continue communicating with militants overseas. He is released in November 1999 and the CSIS will later claim he continues to communicate with other militants until he is arrested again in August 2001. [Canadian Security Intelligence Service, 2/22/2008 ]
Entity Tags: Khaldan training camp, Thirwat Salah Shehata, Mohamed Zeki Mahjoub, Osama bin Laden, Khalid al-Fawwaz, Ahmad Salama Mabruk, Ahmed Said Khadr, Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Mahmoud Jaballah, Adel Abdel Bary, Ibrahim Eidarous, Islamic Jihad, Essam Marzouk
May 18, 1996: Sudan Expels Bin Laden; US Fails to Stop His Flight to Afghanistan
After pressure from the US (see March-May 1996), the Sudanese government asks bin Laden to leave the country. He decides to go to Afghanistan. He departs along with many other al-Qaeda members, plus much money and resources. Bin Laden flies to Afghanistan in a C-130 transport plane with an entourage of about 150 men, women, and children, stopping in Doha, Qatar, to refuel, where governmental officials greet him warmly. [Los Angeles Times, 9/1/2002; Coll, 2004, pp. 325] The US knows in advance that bin Laden is going to Afghanistan, but does nothing to stop him. Sudan’s defense minister Elfatih Erwa later says in an interview, “We warned [the US]. In Sudan, bin Laden and his money were under our control. But we knew that if he went to Afghanistan no one could control him. The US didn’t care; they just didn’t want him in Somalia. It’s crazy.” [Washington Post, 10/3/2001; Village Voice, 10/31/2001] US-al-Qaeda double agent Ali Mohamed handles security during the move. [Raleigh News and Observer, 10/21/2001]
Entity Tags: Somalia, Osama bin Laden, Sudan, Elfatih Erwa, Al-Qaeda, Ali Mohamed
Category Tags: Hunt for Bin Laden, Ali Mohamed, Osama Bin Laden
After May 18, 1996-September 1996: Bin Laden Quickly Alligns With the Taliban After Arrival in Afghanistan
Bin Laden arrives in Afghanistan on May 18, 1996 after being expelled from Sudan (see May 18, 1996). Initially, bin Laden stays in an area not controlled by the Taliban, who are fighting for control of the country. But by the end of September 1996, the Taliban conquer the capital of Kabul and gain control over most of the the country (see September 27, 1996). Bin Laden then becomes the guest of the Taliban. The Taliban, bin Laden, and their mutual ally Gulbuddin Hekmatyar then call for a jihad against Ahmed Shah Massoud, who retains control over a small area along Afghanistan’s northern border. As bin Laden establishes a new safe base and political ties, he issues a public fatwa, or religious decree, authorizing attacks on Western military targets in the Arabian Peninsula (see August 1996). [Coll, 2004, pp. 326-328]
Entity Tags: Osama bin Laden, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Ahmed Shah Massoud
May 21, 1996: Boat Accident Helps Alert CIA to Al-Qaeda Cell in Kenya
A passenger ferry capsizes on Lake Victoria in East Africa and one of the more than 800 who drown is Abu Ubaidah al-Banshiri, al-Qaeda’s military commander (his job will be taken over by Mohammed Atef). Al-Qaeda operatives Wadih El-Hage and Fazul Abdullah Mohammed (a.k.a. Haroun Fazul) show up at the disaster scene to find out if al-Banshiri is still alive. There are many journalists covering the disaster and a Western investigator recognizes Fazul and El-Hage when they happen to appear in some of the widely broadcast footage. [Washington Post, 11/23/1998] El-Hage sends a computer file about the drowning to double agent Ali Mohamed in California. Mohamed’s computer hard drive will be copied by US intelligence in 1997 (see October 1997-September 10, 1998). The CIA already has much of El-Hage’s biography on file by this time. It appears this event, along with the defection of Jamal al-Fadl (see June 1996-April 1997), only strengthen knowledge of the Kenya cell gained earlier in the year (see April 1996). By August 1996, if not earlier, the phones of El-Hage and Fazul in Nairobi are bugged and closely monitored by the CIA and NSA. Apparently, not much is learned from these phone calls because the callers speak in code, but the CIA does learn about other al-Qaeda operatives from the numbers and locations that are being called. This information is shared with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), and the JTTF becomes “convinced that flipping El-Hage [is] the best way to get to bin Laden.” [Miller, Stone, and Mitchell, 2002, pp. 200]
Entity Tags: Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, Central Intelligence Agency, Ali Mohamed, Abu Ubaidah al-Banshiri, Joint Terrorism Task Force, Wadih El-Hage, National Security Agency
Category Tags: Wadih El-Hage, 1998 US Embassy Bombings, Remote Surveillance, Key Captures and Deaths
Summer 1996-August 1998: British Mole Penetrates Militant Islamic Circles in London
Finsbury Park mosque. [Source: Salim Fadhley / Public Domain]Omar Nasiri, an agent of the British intelligence services MI5 and MI6, and the French service Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure (DGSE), penetrates radical Islamic circles in London, getting close to leading imams Abu Qatada and Abu Hamza (see Mid 1996-October 1997), learning about the Algerian Groupe Isamique Armé (GIA) (see November 1996), and dealing with al-Qaeda manager Abu Zubaida in Pakistan (see (Mid-1996) and (Mid-1996 and After)). Nasiri’s main task is to attend the main locations where radicals gather, Abu Qatada’s Four Feathers center and Abu Hamza’s Finsbury Park mosque, get close to senior operatives there to obtain information, and identify militants, even though the mosques, as Nasiri will later put it, are already “crawling with spies.” The British services are mostly interested in whether the radicals intend to attack in Britain, but, although they come close to inciting such attacks, they never cross the line. Nasiri will later comment: “[Abu Hamza] was inciting his followers to attack just about everywhere else, but never within England. He came very close to this line many times. He incited his followers to attack anyone who tried to claim Muslim land. He said many times that British soldiers and colonizers were fair game.” Nasiri, who previously received explosives training at al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan (see Mid 1995-Spring 1996), also gets his associates in Afghanistan to send him his notebook from an explosives course and passes this on to his handlers, who are impressed at how sophisticated the formulae are. However, after a couple of years the radicals realize he is an informer. In addition, on the day of the African embassy bombings (see 10:35-10:39 a.m., August 7, 1998) he is so upset that he switches his mobile phone off for the first time since he received it, so MI5 stops trusting him. He will later write: “They must have worried that I was, in fact, a sleeper and that I had disappeared to pursue some mission. I couldn’t blame them of course. I was a trained killer. From the very beginning they hadn’t trusted me; I knew that.” He has to leave Britain and his career as an informer is practically over. [Nasiri, 2006, pp. 259-303]
Entity Tags: UK Security Service (MI5), UK Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), Abu Hamza al-Masri, Finsbury Park Mosque, Omar Nasiri, Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure, Abu Qatada
Category Tags: Abu Hamza Al-Masri, Abu Qatada, Other Possible Moles or Informants, Londonistan - UK Counterterrorism, Algerian Militant Collusion
June 1996: Informant’s Clues Point to KSM
Wali Khan Amin Shah. [Source: Peter Lance]While al-Qaeda operative Jamal al-Fadl gives a treasure trove of useful information on al-Qaeda to US intelligence (see June 1996-April 1997), one person he describes in detail is Wali Khan Amin Shah. Shah was one of the plotters of the Operation Bojinka plot (see February 7, 1995). Al-Fadl reveals that Shah has al-Qaeda ties. Author Peter Lance notes that US intelligence should have concluded that Shah’s fellow Operation Bojinka plotter, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (KSM), also has al-Qaeda ties. However, there is no new effort to find KSM, and he later goes on to mastermind the 9/11 attacks. [Lance, 2003, pp. 330-31]
Entity Tags: Peter Lance, Wali Khan Amin Shah, Al-Qaeda, Jamal al-Fadl, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
Category Tags: 1995 Bojinka Plot, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Other Possible Moles or Informants
June 1996: Bin Laden Meets with Pakistani Military Leaders
Mushaf Ali Mir. [Source: Paknews.com]According to controversial author Gerald Posner, Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda leader Abu Zubaida meet with senior members of Pakistan’s military, including Mushaf Ali Mir, who becomes chief of Pakistan’s air force in 2000. Bin Laden moved to Afghanistan the month before, and the Pakistanis offer him protection if he allies with the Taliban. The alliance will prove successful, and bin Laden will call it “blessed by the Saudis,” who are already giving money to both the Taliban and al-Qaeda. [Posner, 2003, pp. 105-06; Time, 8/31/2003] Perhaps not coincidentally, this meeting comes only one month after a deal was reportedly made that reaffirmed Saudi support for al-Qaeda. Bin Laden is initially based in Jalalabad, which is free of Taliban control, but after the deal, he moves his base to Kandahar, which is the center of Taliban power. [Asia Times, 9/17/2003]
Entity Tags: Osama bin Laden, Taliban, Mushaf Ali Mir, Abu Zubaida
Category Tags: Abu Zubaida, Pakistan and the ISI, Saudi Arabia
Key Day of 9/11 Events (102)Key Hijacker Events (145)Key Warnings (95)
Day of 9/11
All Day of 9/11 Events (1393)Dick Cheney (57)Donald Rumsfeld (37)Flight AA 11 (145)Flight AA 77 (152)Flight UA 175 (87)Flight UA 93 (243)George Bush (131)Passenger Phone Calls (74)Pentagon (140)Richard Clarke (35)Shanksville, Pennsylvania (25)Training Exercises (56)World Trade Center (91)
The Alleged 9/11 Hijackers
Alhazmi and Almihdhar (343)Marwan Alshehhi (134)Mohamed Atta (206)Hani Hanjour (72)Ziad Jarrah (74)Other 9/11 Hijackers (172)Possible Hijacker Associates in US (79)Alleged Hijackers' Flight Training (73)Hijacker Contact w Government in US (33)Possible 9/11 Hijacker Funding (42)Hijacker Visas and Immigration (135)
Alhazmi and Almihdhar: Specific Cases
Bayoumi and Basnan Saudi Connection (51)CIA Hiding Alhazmi & Almihdhar (120)Search for Alhazmi/ Almihdhar in US (39)
Al-Qaeda Malaysia Summit (172)Able Danger (60)Sibel Edmonds (61)Phoenix Memo (27)Randy Glass/ Diamondback (8)Robert Wright and Vulgar Betrayal (67)Remote Surveillance (241)Yemen Hub (75)
Before 9/11
Soviet-Afghan War (105)Warning Signs (466)Insider Trading/ Foreknowledge (53)US Air Security (77)Military Exercises (86)Pipeline Politics (67)Other Pre-9/11 Events (64)
Counterterrorism before 9/11
Hunt for Bin Laden (158)Counterterrorism Action Before 9/11 (225)Counterterrorism Policy/Politics (255)
Warning Signs: Specific Cases
Foreign Intelligence Warnings (35)Bush's Aug. 6, 2001 PDB (39)Presidential Level Warnings (31)
The Post-9/11 World
9/11 Investigations (661)9/11 Related Criminal Proceedings (22)9/11 Denials (30)US Government and 9/11 Criticism (67)9/11 Related Lawsuits (24)Media (47)Other Post-9/11 Events (80)
Investigations: Specific Cases
9/11 Commission (257)Role of Philip Zelikow (87)9/11 Congressional Inquiry (41)CIA OIG 9/11 Report (16)FBI 9/11 Investigation (150)WTC Investigation (111)Other 9/11 Investigations (135)
Possible Al-Qaeda-Linked Moles or Informants
Abu Hamza Al-Masri (103)Abu Qatada (36)Ali Mohamed (78)Haroon Rashid Aswat (17)Khalil Deek (20)Luai Sakra (12)Mamoun Darkazanli (36)Nabil Al-Marabh (41)Omar Bakri & Al-Muhajiroun (25)Reda Hassaine (23)Other Possible Moles or Informants (169)
Other Al-Qaeda-Linked Figures
Abu Zubaida (99)Anwar Al-Awlaki (17)Ayman Al-Zawahiri (81)Hambali (39)Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (139)Mohammed Haydar Zammar (44)Mohammed Jamal Khalifa (47)Osama Bin Laden (229)Ramzi Bin Al-Shibh (105)Ramzi Yousef (67)Sheikh Omar Abdul-Rahman (57)Victor Bout (23)Wadih El-Hage (45)Zacarias Moussaoui (159)
Al-Qaeda by Region
"Lackawanna Six" (13)Al-Qaeda in Balkans (168)Al-Qaeda in Germany (189)Al-Qaeda in Italy (55)Al-Qaeda in Southeast Asia (149)Al-Qaeda in Spain (121)Islamist Militancy in Chechnya (50)
Specific Alleged Al-Qaeda Linked Attacks or Plots
1993 WTC Bombing (73)1993 Somalia Fighting (13)1995 Bojinka Plot (78)1998 US Embassy Bombings (121)Millennium Bomb Plots (43)2000 USS Cole Bombing (114)2001 Attempted Shoe Bombing (23)2002 Bali Bombings (36)2004 Madrid Train Bombings (82)2005 7/7 London Bombings (87)
Miscellaneous Al-Qaeda Issues
Alleged Al-Qaeda Linked Attacks (89)Alleged Al-Qaeda Media Statements (102)Key Captures and Deaths (124)
Geopolitics and Islamic Militancy
US Dominance (112)Alleged Iraq-Al-Qaeda Links (255)Iraq War Impact on Counterterrorism (83)Israel (61)Pakistan and the ISI (470)Saudi Arabia (249)Terrorism Financing (312)Londonistan - UK Counterterrorism (322)US Intel Links to Islamic Militancy (69)Algerian Militant Collusion (41)Indonesian Militant Collusion (20)Philippine Militant Collusion (74)Yemeni Militant Collusion (47)Other Government-Militant Collusion (23)
Pakistan / ISI: Specific Cases
Pakistani Nukes & Islamic Militancy (37)Pakistani ISI Links to 9/11 (73)Saeed Sheikh (59)Mahmood Ahmed (30)Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region (179)2008 Kabul Indian Embassy Bombing (10)Hunt for Bin Laden in Pakistan (154)
Terrorism Financing: Specific Cases
Al Taqwa Bank (29)Al-Kifah/MAK (54)BCCI (37)BIF (28)BMI and Ptech (21)Bin Laden Family (62)Drugs (71)
'War on Terrorism' Outside Iraq
Afghanistan (299)Drone Use in Pakistan / Afghanistan (53)Destruction of CIA Tapes (92)Escape From Afghanistan (61)High Value Detainees (179)Terror Alerts (50)Counterterrorism Action After 9/11 (353)Counterterrorism Policy/Politics (432)Internal US Security After 9/11 (125)
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line129
|
__label__cc
| 0.637035
| 0.362965
|
Naina Devi Temple
Nine Devi Temple Tour
Nine Devi Temples of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu region is an all season Devi Pilgrimage itinerary where devotees visit all major Devi temples in Himachal Pradesh with Vaishnodevi such as Mansadevi, Naina Devi, Chintpurni, Jawalamukhi, Vaishnodevi, Vrajeshwari, Chamundadevi, Kalika Devi and Shakumbhri Devi.
Naina Devi Temple is one of the fifty-one Shakti Peeths in India. Situated 60 km from Bilaspur district in Himachal Pradesh, Naina Devi Temple is one of the highly venerated Shakti Temples in India. According to Hindu mythology, sati, consort of Lord Shiva,
Temple Tour Vaishno Devi
Temple tour Vaishnodevi Mandir is one of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Shakti, located in the hill of Vaishno Devi, Jammu and Kashmir, India. In Hinduism, Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani and Vaishnavi, is a manifestation of the Mother Goddess.
Other Temples
Baijanath Jharkhand
The Temple of Lord Baijnath is situated in Jharkhand On the rail route from Patna to Kolkata is a place called Keeul. About 100 kms south-east of this place is Devghar - where this ancient Temple is situated.
Bhimashankar Pune
Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga is situated in the north of Pune, It is from here that the Bhima River flows. It is believed that Lord Shiva was pleased by the devotion of a king named Bhimak of the sun Dynasty and is called the Jyotirlinga in the place.
Grishneshwar Near Ellora Caves
The Jyotirlinga named Grishneshwar, Ghurmeshwar or Ghushmeshwar is situated in a village called Verul which is 20 km away from Daulatabad and approximately 100 kms from Manmad station just adjacent to the famous Ellora Caves.
Mahakaleswar Ujjain
Mahakaleshwar is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas Temples in India, the lingam at the Mahakal is believed to be swayambhu (born of itself), deriving currents of power (Shakti) from within itself as against the other images and lingams which are ritually established and invested with mantra-shakti.
The temple of Lord Mallikarjuna is situated in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The temple is situated in the town of Srisailam on the banks of River Patalganga Krishna. Srisailam mountain is looked upon reverentially as the Kailash of South.
Nageshwar Gujarat
The jyotirlinga enshrined in the temple of Nagnath is known as Nageshwar Mahadev and attracts thousands of pilgrims all round the year. This powerful jyotirlinga symbolizes protection from all poisons and those who pray to the Nageshwar Linga therefore become poison free.
Omkareswar
The Temple of Lord Omkareshwar is situated on the banks of River Narmada, in between Indore & Khandwa.Lord Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga Temple is situated by the banks of Narmada river in the Malva area.
Rameshwar Rameswaram
The consecration of the temple of Lord Rameshwar was done by none other than Lord Rama himself, and thus acquired his name. It is situated in a large island surrounded by sea in the southern side of India.
Someshwara Somnath
Temple of Lord Somnath is situated near the town of Veraval in Western part of Gujarat. The temple is dedicated to Someshwara, the Lord Shiva, with moon on his head. There is an interesting story associated with the emergence of this Jyotirlinga, mentioned in the Purana.
Tryambakeshwar Temple
Tryambakeshvar literally means the abode of the three eyed one i.e. Lord Shiva, is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas Temples(self emanated lingas). It is situated in the eastern spur of the Sahyadri and is 30 Kms. away from the pilgrimage center, Nashik.
Vishwanath Varanasi
Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga Temple is situated at Kashi (Banaras) and famous by the name of Shiv Vishwanath Kashi. It is said in the scriptures that when the earth was submerged under water (Pralaya).
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line130
|
__label__wiki
| 0.540325
| 0.540325
|
Small Business Server (SBS) 2000 articles, fixes and updates - letter V
chronological list: 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006/12 11 ... 2003
alphabetical list: A B C D E F H I L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y
This list contains all of the known Microsoft Knowledge Base articles, howtos, fixes, hotfixes, webcasts and updates of Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) 2000 starts with letter V that have been released. The list is daily updated.
308691 Virus Protection and Security Patch Information for Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0 Q308691 KB308691 September 27, 2007
317235 Virus Alert About the w32.Myparty@mm "My Party" Worm Virus Q317235 KB317235 July 30, 2007
319652 Virus Alert About the W32.Gibe@mm Worm Virus Q319652 KB319652 February 1, 2007
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line134
|
__label__wiki
| 0.78113
| 0.78113
|
Tag: Drug Conviction
The truth behind why a US Army vet was deported to Mexico
Posted on March 30, 2018 March 30, 2018 by Kevin Whiteman
The Establishment Media is absolutely apoplectic over ex-soldier Miguel Perez-Montes, 39, of being deported back to his native Mexico.
Just a few of the breathless headlines (Read: Clickbait) from the Leftie media;
CNN – US Army veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan has been deported to Mexico
New York Times – Afghanistan War Veteran’s Deportation Is a ‘Shocking Betrayal,’ Senator Says
Time – Veteran Who Served in Afghanistan Deported to Mexico
CBS News – U.S. Army veteran who served two tours in Afghanistan deported to Mexico
Los Angeles Times – Afghan war veteran deported to Mexico and left ‘homeless and penniless,’ his family says
It’s enough to break your heart, isn’t it? However, something about this just didn’t pass the smell test.
Being a retired Marine, I know that non-US citizens can join the armed forces as enlisted men, and they must be legal aliens.
But it was still nagging at me as why and how a Green Card holder would find himself deported. All I could come up with was a case of fraudulent enlistment (which is a crime), with the understanding that he could have faked his paperwork.
As it turns out, this wasn’t the case.
Julia Manchester of the everything political TheHill.com has a headline that’s actually factual; Army veteran deported to Mexico after drug conviction
As anyone with a lick of common sense knows, anyone applying for naturalization with a felony drug bust under their belt simply wouldn’t stand a chance in hell.
“Perez-Montes has been in ICE custody since Sept. 23, 2016, when he was transferred from the Hill Correctional Center in Galesburg, Illinois, after he completed his prison sentence,” (ICE spokeswoman Nicole Alberico) said.
Perez-Montes was sentenced to 15 years in prison and had his green card taken away after he was found guilty of delivering cocaine to an undercover cop, CNN reported. He had served half of his sentence when deportation proceedings took place.
And not just a little of the white stuff. It was a felony drug conviction.
In fact, he was busted while attempting to sell 4.4 pounds of coke to an undercover cop. Keep in mind, that much cocaine is worth roughly $80,000.
In the meantime, the Chicago Tribune reported that Perez-Montes has been lobbying Gov. Bruce Rauner (R-Il) for clemency. If that were to happen, then obviously, there would be no legal reason to deport him.
Also cited by the Tribune;
The Cook County state’s attorney’s office opposes Perez’s petition for clemency, a legal request filed with the state for leniency or forgiveness of a past crime.
“We cannot lose track of the specific facts of this case, which is why we are opposing executive clemency,” assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Peter Goutos told the review board Thursday. “We must hold the big drug dealers accountable.”
While Perez was convicted of delivering less than 100 grams of cocaine, Goutos said he was arrested for delivering much more and received a reduced sentence after a plea deal.
Also noted;
If the 4.4 pounds of cocaine Perez delivered had ended up on the streets, it “would have affected tens of thousands of people once distributed throughout our community,” Goutos said.
One other tid-bit Lawyer Goutos mentioned, Perez-Montes never received an Honorable Discharge when he was eventually kicked out of the Army.
He received a General Discharge after being found guilty of… wait for it… illegal drug use.
It really is a shame that no one ever taught Perez-Montes about actions and consequences. Either that, or he was taught, but elected to ignore the lesson.
When he chose to join the Army, he chose wisely.
But when he chose to sell 4.4 pounds of cocaine, well, the really old knight describes it best;
Posted in News Tagged Afghanitan, Deported, Drug Conviction, Felon, Veteran 1 Comment
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line137
|
__label__wiki
| 0.760326
| 0.760326
|
12 Titanic Lessons for Christians: Lessons to Motivate, Challenge and Empower
by Jr. Charles C. Hagan
The Titanic disaster of April 15, 1912 has been described as one of the most fascinating single events in human history. The sinking of the Titanic has left an indelible impression and vast psychological impact on the world. Titanic has spawned books, plays, poems, films, drama films, songs, concerts, musicals, novels, video games, newsreels, slideshows, multimedia works, and works of art. It has been noted that Titanic spawned the largest number of songs regarding… (more)
The Titanic disaster of April 15, 1912 has been described as one of the most fascinating single events in human history. The sinking of the Titanic has left an indelible impression and vast psychological impact on the world. Titanic has spawned books, plays, poems, films, drama films, songs, concerts, musicals, novels, video games, newsreels, slideshows, multimedia works, and works of art. It has been noted that Titanic spawned the largest number of songs regarding any disaster or event in American history. The event became a popular theme for balladeers, blues, bluegrass and country singers in the Southern United States. British songwriters commemorated the disaster with appeals religious, chauvinistic, and heroic sentiments. One person has suggested that the reaction to the Titanic can only be compared to the assassinations of Lincoln and Kennedy. The three most written about subjects since April 1912 are Jesus, the American Civil War, and Titanic. The story of the RMS Titanic has been interpreted in numerous ways-as a symbol of technological hubris, a classic disaster tale, an indictment regarding class divisions of the society at that time, a kind of morality play, a romantic tragedy, and somewhere between a Greek and Elizabethan tragedy. There have been so many books written about the Titanic that there are very few that will tell you anything new, but every now and then you find an absolute gem. Charles Hagan's book adds to the Titanic story with his 12 Titanic Lessons for Christians! There are danger lessons, time lessons, and motivational lessons all culled from the disaster that was Titanic!
Non-Fiction Religion Christianity History of Religions Social science Transportation Ships & Shipbuilding History
Publisher: Legacy Residential Partners Inc (April 15, 2014)
Religion >
Social science >
Ships & Shipbuilding >
Feedbooks SAS
RCS Nanterre B 498 994 623
54 rue de Paradis
By email : collectivites@feedbooks.com
By phone : +33 (0)6 63 28 59 69
Follow Feedbooks
© Feedbooks 2006-2019
Retail website
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line140
|
__label__wiki
| 0.795517
| 0.795517
|
LimKitSiang.com
Donate to DAP
Pak Lah’s inaugural blog most welcome but is he prepared to consistently take up the cudgel to champion moderation against baneful developments like the upsurge of intolerance and extremism and the sedition dragnet which have created a climate of fear
Former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s inaugural blog on Malaysia Day yesterday is most welcome, especially as it addressed the biggest issue haunting Malaysia since his premiership – the rearing of the ugly head of intolerance and extremism among a raucous few preaching the politics of hatred and falsehoods, causing the worst racial and religious polarization in the history of plural Malaysia.
As a result, we have the sad spectacle yesterday of the former Higher Education Minister, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, who as Chief Executive Officer of the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation (GMM), which is one of the initiatives of Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who have to ask for no media coverage of a forum on the country’s future co-organised by GMM because of the climate of fear engendered by the recent selective and malicious sedition dragnet.
Although the “no media coverage” was to protect the participants at the GMM forum from falling victim to the current sedition spree, there is the feeling that even Saifuddin himself may not be safe from the sedition dragnet, although he was former Deputy Minister and hand-picked by the Prime Minister himself to be the CEO of GMM!
It would appear that the only persons who need not fear the sedition dragnet are those who had since Abdullah’s premiership and who have become more blatant in the Najib premiership been inciting racial and religious hatred and conflict through lies and falsehoods, the very people who had succeeded in forcing Abdullah’s early retirement as the fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia in the first place.
In his inaugural blog themed “The meaning of Independence and Unity”, Abdullah rightly said that Malaysians cannot only be united when celebrating something or in facing tragedy or disaster and warned against using the disastrous politics of fear to foster unity.
He said that the May 13, 1969 racial riots should be a lesson to all but not something to be brought up all the time.
He said: “Stop bringing it up. We should look ahead towards the future.”
It is sad and tragic, and an ominous sign of the recent times, that no top government leader, from the current Prime Minister to key Ministers, had spoken up against the irresponsible and unscrupulous exploitation of the May 13 tragedy, spinning a whole tissue of lies and falsehoods in furtherance of the politics of fear, utterly reckless of their adverse consequences on nation-building and promoting national unity out the diverse races and religions in the country.
Public funds were even expended to demonise the Opposition in the film Tanda Putera.
Abdullah lamented that the focus now is no longer on the nation’s diversity but differences in the form of political thinking, race, religion, social status, which have resulted in quarrels.
He blogged: “Tolerance and respect have declined. The freedom to express which we have now is used to express hatred in the social media and internet.
“I am saddened by what is happening in our beloved country although there are efforts to foster unity among the races.”
The former Prime Minister’s concerns are most valid and justified.
But is he prepared, through his blogs, to consistently take up the cudgel to champion moderation against baneful developments like the upsurge of intolerance and extremism and the sedition dragnet which have created a climate of fear in country, as if we are in the midst of a “white terror” in a prelude to Ops Lalang 2?
Lim Kit Siang DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Gelang Patah
Media statement by Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, 17th September 2014
DapMalaysia.org
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line147
|
__label__cc
| 0.675462
| 0.324538
|
"Love In The Time Of Cholera," The Movie
Who is Gabriel García Márquez?
"Love In The Time Of Cholera," one of the greatest novels in any languange written by Colombian Nobel Prize winning author Gabriel García Márquez, is coming to a theatre near you.
The Nobel Prize honor bestowed upon García Márquez is one of the most celebrated milestones in Latin American history. The book was first published in 1985, and follows the heartbroken-struggles of Florentina Ariza as he sets out to win the heart of Fermina Daza. It takes Ariza 51 years, nine months and four days to satisfy his aching heart.
Garcia Marquez has sold millions of copies of his books over the course of his career, initially gaining international literary fame with his 1967 novel "One Hundred Years of Solitude," which was recently described by Bill Clinton as "the greatest novel in any language since William Faulkner died."
Another fan of Gabriel García Márquez is popular daytime talk show host, Oprah Winfrey, whose has so graciously included Gabriel Garcia Marquez's epic work, "One Hundred Years of Solitude" in her popular book club, listed as a must read. This has been great in promoting authors whom have yet to be discovered by readers who have not been exposed to the great works in Latin literature. The books, an often confusing but magnetic story, "One Hundred Years of Solitude" is the tale of the mythical village of Macondo and its longtime inhabitants, the Buendia family. It has sold more than 10 million copies and has been translated into more than a dozen languages.
Up to now García Márquez has always resisted the temptation to allow any high-budget English language films of his works to be produced. The most commercial adaptation of his books to hit the screen was the 1987 Italian version of Chronicle of a Death Foretold, directed by Francesco Rosi and starring Rupert Everett
As change has come to Colombia, García Márquez has also experienced a change of heart and allowed for his novel "Love In The Time Of Cholera" to be produced into a major Hollywood motion picture slated for the big screen.
Adapted for the screen by Oscar winner Ronald Harwood (The Pianist) and directed by Mike Newell (Donnie Brasco, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire).
“Love In the Time Of Cholera” examines the tale of two lovers, Florentino Ariza (Javier Bardem) and Fermina Daza (Giovanna Mezzogiorno), one more obsessed than the other, who part ways at an early age to live two very different lives. The film then tracks each over the years (circa, late 19th century through the first decades of the 20th century), while Fermina settles down with a doctor (Benjamin Bratt) her father forces her to wed and Florentino engages in 622 affairs in an attempt to mask the pain he feels due to the one that got away. Also starring in this sure-to-be-an-Oscar-contender are Liev Schreiber. Including John Leguizamo, the very lovely (and talented) Catalina Sandino Moreno and Hector Elizondo.
”Love In The Time Of Cholera” arrives in theaters on November 16.
Check out the behind-the-scenes video regarding the making of "Love In The Time Of Cholera" which was shot in Cartagena, Colombia over a period of five months.
What a great way to experience Colombia!
You have to give the producers a lot of credit for shooting the movie on location and employing a large number of locals. Also a great way to contribute to the local ecomomy.
The cast has nothing but great things to say about their experience in Colombia and more importantly, the people of Colombia.
"Love In The Time Of Cholera" will get its world premiere during the Rio International Film Festival, which is one of Latin America's biggest film festivals.
Hope you enjoy the video.
Colombia: The New Panama?
COLOMBIA: AN IDEAL COUNTRY FOR THOSE IN THE MARKET FOR A SECOND HOME?
The following Bill is scheduled to be presented to the Colombian Congress.
Medellin, September 6, 2007 – In the following days the office of Treasury Ministry and Public Financing will present for consideration, to the Congress of Republic, a proposal aimed at stimulating the economy in Colombia, with an emphasis on promoting the development of a new real estate market designed to attract foreigners interested in purchasing property in Colombia.
The proposed Bill has taken into consideration the improved security in Colombia to help sell the plan, among other benefits including; affordable medical services, advanced telecommunications, warm climate, sandy beaches, wonderful landscapes, recently added airline connections from varies carriers. The Bill also provides generous benefits to both the land developer as well as those purchasing investment properties.
The National Council of Political and Social Economic Department has already approved the general guidelines for the proposal submitted by The Treasury Ministry and Public Financing department for the development and stimulation of the Colombia’s economy. The NCPSED have also recommended that the Bill allow for more elaboration of the plans proposed framework before it is submitted to Congress for approval.
The Bill is aimed at Colombian citizens living abroad and foreign investors with the objective of purchasing an investment property as a second or vacation home. It also includes plans and provisions for those who want to retire in Colombia sometime in the future. The new Bill includes many incentives to lure retirees from around the world to consider Colombia as a retirement option. The purchase of a property can also make for a profitable and safe alternative investment with regards to income property.
The objective of the Colombian Government is to enter into the investment market that has recently developed in Central and South American. Thanks to the positive advances that Colombia has made in recent years it has encouraged investors form North America as well as Europe to look at Colombia as having great investment potential outside of their respected countries. Investments from foreigners will help improve the economy and aid in the development and improvement of the Colombia’s infrastructure.
The benefits for investors
In order to develop a successful program in the second house market in Colombia it is necessary to approve benefits for these urban projects for potential investors.
An investor will not have to pay taxes on the purchase of the property.
The import of home furnishings, personal property, one automobile, will not be taxed as long as they are not sold in Colombia to another party.
You will not be taxed if you decide to rent your property to tourist visiting Colombia.
There is also an exemption on rent income originated outside of Colombia.
In order for investors to receive these benefits a person must demonstrate a minimum income whose amount you would need to meet which would be established by DIAN. They can not deny or refuse proposals with the exception being of national interest and security.
Sorry Columbia. I Mean Colombia!
An Apology From America
Dear Citizens of Colombia,
We the people of the United States are embarrassed, but most of all, we are deeply sorry.
On July 2, 2007, our Democrat-controlled House Ways & Means Committee released a letter stating that the majority Democrat trade policy would be to not ratify a free trade agreement with Colombia. It states that:
"With regard to the Colombia FTA, the House of Representatives recently passed the 2008 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, which redirects U.S. foreign assistance in Colombia. All of us regard Colombia as a crucial ally in a region that deserves our active engagement, and the bill represents an effort to have U.S. funds help address the root of numerous problems there. There is widespread concern in Congress about the level of violence in Colombia, the impunity, the lack of investigations and prosecutions, and the role of the paramilitary. Issues of this nature cannot solely be resolved through language in a trade agreement.
“We believe there must first be concrete evidence of sustained results on the ground in Colombia, and Members of Congress will continue working with all interested parties to help achieve this end before consideration of any FTA. Consequently, we cannot support the Colombia FTA at this time."
We recognize that the great nation and republic of Colombia has suffered a traumatizing civil war for nearly five decades. Guerrilla rebels, narco-trafficking, and political corruption have contributed to the hundreds of thousands of deaths, kidnappings, and human rights abuses during this time. Violence has undoubtedly been a problem in Colombia’s history.
Yet, despite what U.S. Congressional leaders say, we know that this trend has been reversed dramatically in the last few years. There is great evidence of “sustained results.” Since 2005, tens of thousands of right-wing paramilitaries have disarms, while the Marxist revolutionary guerrillas have been forced deep into the jungles. Terrorist attacks including bombings are down 61 percent; murders of labor leaders is down 75 percent; of mayors 58 percent; and journalists by 73 percent. Expatriates are returning to their homeland to rebuild. And most importantly, you can walk down the street without the constant fear of a bomb exploding or being kidnapped.
You have fought courageously for the day when you and your families can live safe and fulfilling lives.
Colombia has been the Unites States’ greatest ally in Latin America, working closely on a number of mutual strategic interests for years despite the heavy rebuke it must often retain from other neighbors. When no other country would back us up, you would.
We know that you have been counting on us to support you as well. A free trade agreement would open up both of our markets for mutual benefit. Capital investment from the United States would lead to unprecedented growth, job creation, and government revenues for Colombia. Yet when the time came to support you, to display our unbreakable bond and friendship, our Congressional leaders embarrassed us by failing to do so. There are simply no words to express the remorse we feel for the erroneous decisions made.
This is especially saddening because the United States of America was founded on the principles of freedom, democracy, and equality. Our Democratic Congress did not treat your country on the basis of a fair, equal partnership, with the respect that you duly deserve. It treated you as a servant, like some banana republic rather than the great and proud nation that you are.
We are committed to you, our dear friends and allies. The American people are outraged that our leaders made such a terrible decision with such dubious reasoning. You deserved better — a lot better — and our leaders let you down. Nothing is more important to us than maintaining this close bond and regain the trust that we lost. We ask that you give us the another opportunity, so that we in the United States may work to ensure that Colombia gets the respectful treatment that it deserves for its years of unwavering friendship.
The Citizens of the United States of America
Entourage In Medellin, Colombia
VINCENT CHASE is PABLO ESCOBAR in "MEDELLIN"
The premier episode of HBO's series Entourage is based on the filming of Medellin, a movie on the life of Pablo Escobar and the filming took place on location in Colombia.
Season four of the HBO drama Entourage starring Adrien Greiner and Jeremy Piven changed scenes from Hollywood, California to the jungles of Colombia as the group of actors shoots scenes of the fictional movie Medellin about the life of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.
Escobar (1949-1993) was one of the original leaders of the Colombian drug trade in the 70’s and was listed as 7th on the list of Forbes richest people. His gang worked out of his birthplace of Medellin, Colombia, in the northwest part of the country. He ruthless, brutal and anyone who opposed him disappeared. He had the government so paid off that he was even elected a member of Congress under the Colombian Liberal Party. Escobar bought cocaine from Bolivia and Peru (not Colombia) and made his money transporting it to the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. At its height his empire controlled eighty percent of the world market. He was well loved by Colombia’s poor in Medellin and helped set up public works projects, built a number of churches and soccer stadiums.
For fear of death by the Cali cartel or being extradited to the United States, Escobar turned himself in to Colombian authorities under the condition that he is not extradited and serves a maximum of five years in prison. His luxurious jail, called La Catedral, was built of his own design and Escobar was often seen around town shopping, at soccer games, and at parties. When the government got word he escaped which brought about an international manhunt. A group known as Los Pepes, which was financed by the Cali cartel began a massacre of anyone who was associated with Escobar and more than 300 of his associates, friends, and family members were soon killed. Escobar himself was killed in a shootout with police on December 2, 1993 when he was found staying in a middle class home in Medellin.
The cast and crew actually went to Entourage to film the single episode, which pseudo behind the scenes look at the filming of the entire movie which was said to have taken 6 months. The filming is said to have taken place in Bogota, the capital city, although it is impossible to tell. Bogota is in an area of high mountains in the center of the country and the film set looked of lush tropical jungle, which could have been a number of places around the country.
Much of the episode, which originally aired June 17, 2007 and is entitled “Welcome to the Jungle,” deals with Producer Eric and director Billy Walsh arguing over costs and the filming schedules, mixed in with Walsh’s lusting after the Colombian co-star played by Sofia Vergara.
Discover Cartangena, Colombia
It seems like one of the most frequently asked questions I've been asked about my trip to Colombia is, "if it's true that Colombian women are some of the most beautiful women in the world?"
To be honest it's a tough question for me to answer because I've only been to Colombia twice, specifically Medellin, Colombia. But what I can say is that whomever coined the popular phrase, "Blonds Have More Fun" had obviously never travelled to Colombia.
I've also received several comments regarding the lack of color on my blog from a few friends and visitors as well.
So, I decided to kill two birds with one stone by adding a photo from the amazingly talented Colombian photographer ZUAN. Hopefully this will answer a few questions as well as help to improve the overall look of my blog.
The Taste Of Medellin, Street Vendors
Found on street DEAD!
In anticipation of my third trip to Medellin I started taking care of a few things around my home. The most important choir was to take care of the housekeeping that really needed to be done, since I'm the world's greatest procrastinator. I got it all done, that's all that matters. Afterwards I started setting out a few of the things that I plan to take with me on this next trip. After all that work I started getting hungry and came to the conclusion that I needed to go out to eat, since I didn't have any food in the house. As I was trying to decide where to go, I remembered that one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago recently opened a new restaurant very close to my home. It was decided, I was going to "Las Tablas" , which is on my list as one of the top five restaurants in Chicago. Las Tablas in owned and operated by real live Colombianos and the food is as close as you can get to typical Colombian cuisine.
The place was a bit more upscale than their original restaurant. I was greeted by a young man dressed all in black. The place wasn't too busy so I got to choose where I wanted to sit. I chose a seat by the window. After the waiter poured me a tall glass of ice-water, I order two Empanadas. I browsed through the menu as I waited for my Empanadas. Everything on the menu looked soooo delicious!! I decided that I was going to order the Matromonio plate which consists of a wonderful combination of grilled New York strip steak and a chicken breast to go along with sweet plantain, yuca, and a potato with chimichurri sauce.
Oh good. The Empanadas arrived and the waiter took my order. Wow! The Empanadas tasted so good!!
Perfect timing, my meal arrived as I took my last bite. I savored evey bite.
The steak was cooked perfectly, it was extremely delicious. I've never been a big fan of yuca but I found if I added a little bit of chimichurri sauce that it tasted better than I had remembered from my last effort to enjoy the yuca. The sweet plantain, was o' so sweet. How can you go wrong? The potato was small, which was perfect because at this point I didn't think I would be able to finsih my whole meal. I was right. After taking a small sample of the chicken breast I decided I better get a doggy-bag because at this point I was very satisfied with my meal and over-eating tends to spoil every great meal.
I asked the waiter for a doggy-bag and he promptly returned, with the check as well. Something that usually takes extra time in Colombia, any Latin country for that matter. After I paid my bill I slowly got up from my seat. I stopped at the door to read a sign which promoted "Live Music Every Weekend" and I knew that I would be back for another great meal and the next time I was going to have the opportunity to enjoying listening to Colombian music.
If you're ever in Chicago stop by "Las Tablas" for great typical Colombian cuisine.
I can't wait for my next trip to Medellin, Colombia!!
Here are some great Colombian recipes (Spanish)
Feel free to comment on your favorite Colombian restaurant in your hometown.
Posted by Medellin Traveler at 2:52 PM 2 comments:
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line159
|
__label__cc
| 0.530616
| 0.469384
|
Home » About Us » Meghalaya » About Meghalaya
Meghalaya, 'the Abode of Clouds' is one of the North Eastern states of India. It was carved out of Assam to become an autonomous district on April 2, 1970 and was declared a full fledged state of the Indian Union on January 21, 1972. It lies between latitudes 25°02’ and 26°07’ N and longitudes 89°49’and 92°50’E, with a geographical area of 22,429 sq. Km and an elevation range from 60m to 1961m asl ( Laitkor Peak at 1961m is the highest).
The state is characterised by mountainous terrains with rolling grasslands interspersed by rivers, valleys and can be broadly divided into three natural sectors, the Central Plateau, the Southern slopes bordering Bangladesh and the Northern slopes bordering Assam.
The State has a 496km long international boundary with Bangladesh in the South and West. It is bordered by Assam in the north and East. The Eastern Part is bound by the Karbi Hill which is part of the Meghalaya plateau. On all sides of the state lies an extensive plain drained by the river Brahmaputra (in the North and West) and the river Surma and its tributaries (in the South).
The climate is of monsoon type with distinct warm-wet and cold dry periods. The period between May and October is wet. The dry period extends from November to February. The western and Southern parts of the state are warmer than the central upland where mean temperature stands at 20°C. Average maximum and minimum temperatures and annual rainfall in the state varies from 5°C to 32°C and 4000mm to 11,436mm, respectively. Cherrapunji and Mawsynram, located in the southern part are the rainiest spots of the world.
Meghalaya is predominantly a tribal state and inhabited by mainly 3 tribal communities, namely Khasis, Jaintias and Garos who account for 89% of the total population. There are however other tribes like the Kochs, the Hajong, the Rabhas, the Mikirs and others who are also the aboriginals of the state.
The Khasis inhabiting the eastern part of Meghalaya were immigrants somewhere from the Cambodian region and from the banks of the Mekong river. Their language is an Austro-Asiatic type of the far East.
The Garos inhabiting the western part of Meghalaya are the Tibeto-Burman stock that drifted into Eastern India and Burma across Tibet. Their language retains similarity with Tibetans. Khasi, Garo and Jaintia communities are matrilineal consisting of different exogamous clans. Woman holds the property in this State.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line160
|
__label__wiki
| 0.523274
| 0.523274
|
Memorable Manitobans: Donna Margaret Louise Crosland Blight (1936-2008)
Nurse, community activist.
Born in Calgary, Alberta on 30 September 1936, daughter of George and Mabel Crosland, she graduated from the Calgary General Hospital, Queen’s University (BNS) and University of Manitoba (MA). While nursing in Saskatoon, she met her husband, moving soon after to Winnipeg where she worked briefly for the VON prior to raising her family. She returned to work as a nursing instructor and registrar at the St. Boniface Hospital School of Nursing and as registrar with the Manitoba Association of Registered Nurses.
She was a long-time member of the Alpine Club of Canada, and she served as a member of the Manitoba Environmental Council. She was actively involved with the University Women’s Club of Winnipeg (President, 1995-1997) and the Provincial Council of Women of Manitoba, serving on a variety of committees and as president of both organizations. The latter organization honoured her in 2007 at its first Celebration of Women. Married to Dr. William J. Blight with whom she had two sons, Stephen and David, she was a sister-in-law of Elizabeth Blight of Winnipeg.
She died on 5 February 2008, and was buried at Oakville.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 9 February 2008.
Page revised: 11 February 2015
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line165
|
__label__wiki
| 0.722022
| 0.722022
|
National Council of Churches Recognizes Three Outstanding Faith Leaders at Christian Unity Gathering
October 25, 2018 Steven Martin
On Tuesday, October 16, three outstanding leaders of the ecumenical and interreligious movements were recognized for their achievements by the National Council of Churches (NCC). Mrs. Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, Rabbi David Saperstein, and Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland Tune were honored in a banquet held as part of the NCC’s “Christian Unity Gathering” in College Park, MD, October 14-17.
The J. Irwin Miller Award for Excellence in Ecumenical Leadership was given to Mrs. Jacquelyn “Jackie” Dupont-Walker. The J. Irwin Miller Award is given to a layperson who has demonstrated a commitment to church unity, and who, by living out this commitment through action in the world, has been a witness to justice and other values affirmed by our common faith in Jesus Christ.
A long-time friend of the Council, Mrs. Jacquelyn “Jackie” Dupont-Walker has been a strong voice for justice within ecumenical circles in the US. She has served on the NCC’s governing board, and earlier this year she was co-chair of the steering committee for the “A.C.T. Now to End Racism” initiative, launched by a series of events that took place in Washington, DC, April 3-5, 2017.
Her commitment to community service, and to the belief that civic engagement leads to community empowerment, has manifested itself in many ways: as founding president of the Ward Economic Development Corporation in Los Angeles, which was responsible for building and managing low income housing in the city; a member of Bank of America’s Social Policy Board, which sought to define banking needs in the community; and a member of the California Housing Partnership Corporation Board, the LA City Council Re-Districting Commission, and the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles.
A lifetime of commitment to justice includes her role with the African Methodist Episcopal Church’s Social Action Commission. Mrs. Dupont-Walker is said to be “one of the most highly respected and influential laypersons” in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
The National Council of Churches Award for Excellence in Interreligious Leadership was given to Amb. David Saperstein. Since its beginning, the National Council of Churches has been involved in interfaith relations. This pioneering history has included interfaith dialogues: one of our first partners was the Jewish community, and dialogue with the Muslim community began some four decades ago. Today our dialogues with other faith groups include the Hindu and Buddhist communities. Recognition of key partnerships is one way we encourage and foster interreligious friendship.
Among our long-time and prominent partners has been Rabbi David Saperstein. As the Director of the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism (RAC), Rabbi Saperstein partnered with NCC leaders in countless initiatives. This partnership continued after Rabbi Saperstein left the RAC in 2015 to serve 2 years as the US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. Among his many affiliations over the years, he has been on the board of the NAACP and the National Religious Partnership on the Environment. Today he is a senior advisor to the Union for Reform Judaism for Policy and Strategy. Newsweek Magazine named him “the most influential rabbi in America.”
The President’s Award for Excellence in Faithful Leadership was given this year to Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland Tune. With a lengthy relationship to the ecumenical movement, Rev. Dr. Copeland Tune served as the NCC’s Assistant Director for Justice and Advocacy in the 2000s. She again served the NCC as the Director of Mobilization for the “A.C.T. Now to End Racism” events earlier this year.
Currently, Rev. Dr. Copeland Tune serves as the Director of Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice, an annual conference that brings 1,000+ religious activists to Washington, DC to explore current justice issues and to advocate in congressional offices. Rev. Copeland-Tune brings many years of advocacy experience and spiritual zeal to her leadership of this event. She has served in various capacities with the Ecumenical Poverty Initiative; the NCC’s Special Commission for the Just Rebuilding of the Gulf Coast; and Faith in Public Life. She has also served the Conference of National Black Churches as well as Grace and Race Ministries, which seeks to foster dialogue and understanding on race among Christians.
The President’s Award for Excellence in Faithful Leadership is given as a way to reward, promote, and encourage faithful, risk-taking leadership among faith leaders, and particularly among younger faith leaders, in our midst.
The NCC revived the practice of awarding outstanding leaders in 2017. Dr. Iva Carruthers of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Dr. Sayyid Syeed of the Islamic Society of North America, and three leaders from the clergy protest against white supremacists in Charlottesville — Rev. Osagyefo Sekou, Brittany Caine-Conley, and Rev. Seth Wispelwey — were all honored for their outstanding contributions.
Christian Unity Gathering 2018
Funeral Arrangements for Senior Bishop McKinley Young
Faith Leaders Declare Opposition to War With Iran
Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland-Tune Joins NCC Staff
Ecumenical Leaders Organize Support of Striking Workers in Rhode Island, Massachusetts
WASHINGTON: Today, top faith leaders gathered in Washington, DC, to declare their opposition to war with Iran. For weeks, the...
The National Council of Churches is pleased to announce the hiring of Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland-Tune as the organization’s Chief...
Rev. Steven D. Martin National Council of Churches WASHINGTON: In one of the shortest and most effective strikes in recent...
NCC proudly supports WSCF-NA
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line170
|
__label__wiki
| 0.988771
| 0.988771
|
Page last updated at 09:06 GMT, Monday, 28 April 2008 10:06 UK
Star red-faced over photo shoot
Hit show Hannah Montana has a huge teenage fanbase in the US
Miley Cyrus, star of Disney's Hannah Montana, has apologised over photos of the teen star which are due to be published in Vanity Fair magazine.
Cyrus, 15-year-old daughter of singer Billy Ray, said she was embarrassed by the Annie Leibovitz photos.
"I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be 'artistic' and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed."
"I apologise to my fans who I care so deeply about," she said in a statement.
In the images Cyrus, who said she was "thrilled" to work with celebrity photographer Leobovitz, appears wrapped in a blanket, apparently topless.
'Manipulation'
The Disney Channel, which airs hit show Hannah Montana, accused the magazine of trying to manipulate the young star.
"A situation was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines," said a statement released by Disney.
But in a statement to US TV show Entertainment Tonight, Vanity Fair defended itself.
"Miley's parents and/or minders were on the set all day," it said.
"Since the photo was taken digitally, they saw it on the shoot and everyone thought it was a beautiful and natural portrait of Miley."
Cyrus has also apologised over a second set of photos currently circulating on the internet.
Most of all, I have let myself down
The images show Cyrus draped over the lap of a former boyfriend, while another shows her revealing part of a green bra.
"I appreciate all the support of my fans, and hope they understand that along the way I am going to make mistakes and I am not perfect," she said.
"Most of all, I have let myself down. I will learn from my mistakes and trust my support team. My family and my faith will guide me through my life's journey."
The Disney show sees Cyrus playing a girl who leads a double life as a teenager and a pop star. A film version, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds, topped the US box office in February.
Leibovitz is best-known for her images of a naked John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono, and the 1991 shot of then-pregnant actress Demi Moore.
Naked Lennon tops magazine poll
18 Oct 05 | Entertainment
Montana star Cyrus to write book
23 Apr 08 | Entertainment
Hannah Montana tops US box office
04 Feb 08 | Entertainment
TOP ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
U2 reschedule US and Canada dates
Cheryl 'on the mend' says Simon Cowell
Zsa Zsa Gabor taken to hospital
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line173
|
__label__wiki
| 0.992039
| 0.992039
|
Page last updated at 07:53 GMT, Tuesday, 5 August 2003 08:53 UK
Kirsty Wark joined the BBC as a graduate researcher in 1976 for BBC Radio Scotland, going on to become a producer in radio current affairs.
After a spell on Radio 4's The World At One, Kirsty moved to television in 1983 - working as a producer on Reporting Scotland and later producing and presenting the current affairs weekly Seven Days.
Kirsty has interviewed many top politicians, but her most memorable interview was in 1990 when she conducted a headline-making interview with the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.
Kirsty has presented Scotland's General Election coverage since 1987 and several major OB's including the opening of the Tate Modern and the Opening of the Scottish Parliament.
From 1990-1993 she presented the arts programme The Late Show and in 1993 fronted the popular BBC heritage series One Foot In The Past - a role she continued into 2000.
In October 1993 she joined BBC Two's Newsnight and, since 2001, also regularly presents Newsnight Review.
Kirsty also presents an occasional series of interviews for BBC Four with guests as wide ranging as Toni Morrison, Hannan Ashrawi and Woody Allen. She also presents the prestigious Man Booker literary awards for BBC Two and BBC Four.
Forming the independent television production company Wark Clements & Co with Alan Clements in 1990, she has presented much of the company's output, including Words With Wark, Restless Nation, Building A Nation, The Kirsty Wark Show, Lives Less Ordinary and her latest series Tales from Europe.
Kirsty was named journalist of the year by BAFTA Scotland in 1993 and Best Television Presenter in 1997.
In addition, Kirsty was chosen as Scot of the Year 1998 - sponsored by Scotland On Sunday & Glenfiddich - and was awarded the 1999 News and Current Affairs prize by Carlton Women in Film and Television.
She was also nominated for the prestigious Richard Dimbleby Award for Best Television Presenter (Factual, Features and News) in the BAFTAS 2000.
Kirsty was born in Dumfries and educated in Kilmarnock. She is married to Alan Clements and has two children.
WATCH HIGHLIGHTS
Merkel opposes Greece euro exit
A look back at career of BBC boss Mark Thompson
Archbishop: 'Gay relationships are friendships'
The lost children of East Timor
Bishop Nazir Ali on the need for morality
NEWSNIGHT BLOGS
Economics: Paul Mason
Diplomacy: Mark Urban
Science: Susan Watts
Politics: Michael Crick
US: Peter Marshall
BBC News profiles
Find out about your favourite presenters and correspondents
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line174
|
__label__cc
| 0.591985
| 0.408015
|
Psychological effects of taking selfies
Hans India 2019-02-12 02:27:30
Think twice before you take that selfie! Selfies are notorious not only for causing injuries and death among people lost in the act of clicking themselves with a phone camera; they also have disastrous psychological impact, leaving selfie-takers feeling more anxious, less confident, and less physically attractive.
The feelings of inadequacy are intense enough to drive many of them to undergo cosmetic surgery to change their facial appearance. These are the findings of a landmark study conducted by The Esthetic Clinics involving 300 patients who presented themselves at its branches in Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad for cosmetic surgery procedures.
The study found that people posting selfies untouched without using any filters saw a significant increase in anxiety and decrease in confidence. Those posting untouched and even retouched selfies also experienced a significant decrease in feelings of physical attractiveness. Generally, taking and posting a selfie on social media resulted in lowered mood and worsened self-image.
Participants who had the opportunity to retake and modify their selfie before posting it to social media still experienced decreases to mood and anxiety. Significantly, majority of people posting selfies wanted to undergo cosmetic surgery and procedures to change their looks.
Given that men and women between 16–25 years of age spend up to 5 hours per week taking selfies and uploading them to their personal profiles, these findings have clinical implications for the prevention and treatment of mental health difficulties and raise significant concern about social media use and well-being.
Facial plastic and facial cosmetic surgeon Dr Debraj Shome, director, The Esthetic Clinics said, “This first-of-its-type study in India, conducted across four cities, has found that the process of taking, altering and posting selfies negatively affects self-esteem and body image perception, and promotes body dysmorphia.
There is significant negative effect of taking and posting selfies on changes to mood and feelings of physical attractiveness. Harmful effects of selfies were found even when participants could retake and retouch their selfies. We found that the act of selfies being taken and posted contributes to significant feelings of inadequacy over looks, and a strong desire to change looks through cosmetic surgery and procedures.”
“Posting selfies to social media has adverse causal effects on the self-image and mood of young women and men, and could make them more vulnerable to clinical eating, mood swings and anxiety disorders. Frequently taking selfies could be considered a body checking behaviour, such as repeated weighing and recurrent checking of one’s reflection in mirrors. This should be considered a risky online health-related behaviour in terms of mental health, especially if it triggers weight and shape dissatisfaction,” added Dr Debraj Shome.
The findings about negative psychological impact of selfies on people were the most marked in Delhi, followed by Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kolkata, in that order, both for men and women. In the overall India study that observed behaviours of people after posting their selfies on social media platforms, 60 per cent men and 65 per cent women showed an increase in anxiety.
Of all the respondents, 61 per cent men and 70 per cent women recorded a decrease in confidence after posting their selfies. There was significant decrease in feelings of physical attractiveness in 61 per cent of the men and 67 per cent of the women, leading to a desire to change looks through cosmetic surgery in 62 per cent men and 65 per cent of the women studied.
In Hyderabad, 59 per cent men and 60 per cent women showed an increase in levels of anxiety after posting their selfies on social media, and 56 per cent men and 70 per cent women showed a decrease in self-confidence. Their feelings of physical attractiveness also recorded a dip, with 62 per cent men and 67 per cent women feeling dissatisfied with their looks. This led to a desire to change looks through cosmetic surgery in 59 per cent men and 65 per cent women in Hyderabad.
Dr Debraj Shome said, “High body dissatisfaction is the primary risk factor for the development of eating disorders and is correlated with low self-esteem and depression. Interventions that aim to diminish or eliminate the harmful effects of social media engagement on one’s psychological makeup need to be validated and implemented. Addiction to phones and selfies may create a mentally unstable next generation”.
Tags: Psychological Effects, Selfies, Esthetic Clinics
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line175
|
__label__cc
| 0.654464
| 0.345536
|
Why Are Protesters at the National Spelling Bee?
By Kristi Oloffson June 04, 2010
Rahul Malayappan, 10, (L) and Brian King, 13, stretch during the 2010 National Spelling Bee in Washington June 4, 2010.
Molly Riley / Reuters
File under bizarre, but true.
A quartet of protesters at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington are protesting the difficultly of the English language and its non-phonetically-friendly terms. They argue words should be spelled the way they sound. Like “you” should be “yoo.” And “said” should be “sed.” Either it’s a battle several centuries too late, or it’s a straight-up play for attention. Either way: u-n-l-i-k-e-l-y. (via The Washington Post)
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line176
|
__label__wiki
| 0.57352
| 0.57352
|
mulocalhistoryprojects
More NEPA History
Ambassadors of Goodwill
Emergency Peace Campaign 1936
Shipboard Orientation 1947
Quakers Sail to Vietnam 1967
Vietnam Summer 1967
Project Bibliography
Main St. Pittston
Mapping Historic Pittston
A History of Pittston’s Best Dressed
The Churches of Pittston
Pittston’s Local Government
Mayors of the City of Pittston, 1894- 2016
Main Street Pittston Contributors
Mining the Past
Exhibit Introduction
Patriotism and Politics
Religious and Family Life
Contributors to Mining the Past and Oral Histories
Great Depression Perseverance
The End of Anthracite in the Wyoming Valley
HIS462
Misericordia University
DHP@MU
- More NEPA History
- Emergency Peace Campaign 1936
- Shipboard Orientation 1947
- Quakers Sail to Vietnam 1967
- Vietnam Summer 1967
- Project Bibliography
- Main St. Pittston
- - Introduction
- - Mapping Historic Pittston
- - Flatiron Building
- - A History of Pittston’s Best Dressed
- - The Churches of Pittston
- - Pittston’s Local Government
- - Mayors of the City of Pittston, 1894- 2016
- - Main Street Pittston Contributors
- Mining the Past
- - Exhibit Introduction
- - Business and Industry
- - Entertainment and Leisure
- - Patriotism and Politics
- - Religious and Family Life
- - Contributors to Mining the Past and Oral Histories
- - Great Depression Perseverance
- - The End of Anthracite in the Wyoming Valley
Home / Oral Histories / The End of Anthracite in the Wyoming Valley
A View from Pittston: The End of Anthracite in the Wyoming Valley
By: Rebecca Schnable (2015)
The anthracite industry in the Wyoming Valley reached its peak production while the wartime economy created by World War I was still booming. At this peak of production in 1917, it is estimated that the industry produced a record 100 million tons of coal.[1] Even at this peak of production following World War I, it quickly became evident that the anthracite industry was in decline, especially in the Wyoming Valley. There were many reasons for this decline including the rising price of anthracite, the development of alternative fuel sources, and the cost effectiveness of new home heating options. Perhaps the most significant reason for the decline of the anthracite industry in the Wyoming Valley, though, were problems within the industry itself. Plagued by mine subsidence, explosions, and other disasters, the anthracite industry was not only accident ridden but it was becoming increasingly corrupt. After years of these mining disasters and increased competition, the Wyoming Valley anthracite industry was on its last leg by 1959. The final nail in its proverbial coffin however, came with the Knox Mine disaster in January of 1959. The Knox Mine disaster officially ended the anthracite era in the Wyoming Valley and is the most significant mining disaster in the history of the region. Through the study of multiple local history texts, newspaper articles, and oral histories, it becomes clear that the Knox Mine disaster not only ended the anthracite industry, but continues to affect northeastern Pennsylvania almost sixty years later.
The first evidence of the ailing anthracite industry was the constant mining accidents. Most specifically, in the years leading up to the Knox Mine disaster, the Wyoming Valley and cities like Pittston and Port Griffith saw increased incidences of mine subsidence. Mine subsidence, according to an article titled “Caves Caused by Robbing Coal Pillars” which appeared in the Pittston Gazette, was caused by the robbing of coal pillars in older mine tunnels. According to the article, “when coal miners started on a new working, they dug out the rock to get at the coal… they built brattice work to hold up the roof and they bypassed certain layers of coal to help in supporting the roof to prevent caves.” The article goes on to say, though, that “coal operators became greedy, and if coal production was low, would tell miners to rob some of the pillars.”[2] By robbing the pillars, which were made of coal, the companies were able to make a profit, but at the expense of the safety of the miners and the town. These poor mining practices caused frequent cave-ins throughout the Wyoming Valley, especially in towns like Pittston. This process of robbing coal pillars is extremely dangerous because it can generate small earthquakes. Holes can open up in the ground that are wide enough to fit an automobile and hundreds of feet deep. The robbing of coal pillars caused numerous incidences of mine subsidence in the early and middle 1900s and the issue still plagues the Wyoming Valley even to this day.
In an oral history with Mr. James Kozloski of Pittston, he describes one instance in 1943, when a cave-in actually caused the destruction of the Pittston High School. Mr. Kozloski described his experience as a student attending the high school at the time saying, “I went to Pittston High School…[and] when I was going to high school it had a cave in, so I had to go up to the Junction to school, which was about two or three miles away.” Later in the interview, when Mr. Kozloski was asked why the school had caved in he simply stated, “The mines.”[3] Subsidence was, unfortunately, common place during this period and frequently affected both public buildings and private residences because of the coal mine tunnels that ran under most of the city and many homes.[4] Though there were protective laws in place that were supposed to prevent mining companies from digging under certain protected buildings, these laws went largely unheeded and unenforced, which allowed for the cave-in of a working school building, as Mr. Kozloski described. Following the cave-in at the Pittston High School, the Pittston Gazette published an article titled “Mine Cave in 1943 Hits 500 Homes.” In the article, the Gazette explains that Pittston High School was not the only building affected, but also numerous public buildings and residences including the newly constructed Mt. Carmel Church. Further, the Gazette article goes on to say that classes in the damaged building were suspended until further notice, just as Mr. Kozloski described. The article says, “There were 1,800 students in the senior, junior, sophomore, freshman and grade classes of the school. Students had to be sent to other school buildings of the district and had to use other public buildings.”[5]
Subsidence in the mines caused not only property damage, but also took the lives of many local residents. In an oral history done with Ms. Sally Scott of Pittston, she describes one incident when she remembers a young girl, around her age, losing her life because of a cave-in. Ms. Scott says, “A little girl about my age, her name was Jule Ann Fulmer, and she was walking along the sidewalk and the sidewalk caved in and she went down in the mines, never to be found. They never, ever found her, and she was about my age.”[6] Though Sally is not entirely correct, and the body of little Jule Ann Fulmer was eventually found[7], this memory proves that subsidence was a very real threat to the lives and property of people throughout the Wyoming Valley anthracite region. On the day after this tragedy, the Pittston correspondent for the Times Leader Evening News, stated “Little Jule Ann Fulmer, 2 years old, died yesterday in what should be the safest place in the world today—the streets of an American city.”[8] This memory of Ms. Sally Scott’s only serves to solidify the detrimental impact poor, dangerous mining practices have had on the local region. Based on this information, it is no wonder that the anthracite region, with all of its dangerous practices and greed, was in decline throughout the Wyoming Valley by the 1950s.
Even with the constant threat of mine subsidence and the loss of human life associated with the anthracite industry, it continued to chug along until one fateful day: January 22nd, 1959. On that day, the anthracite mining industry in the Wyoming Valley took its last breath as a giant hole opened up in the Knox Coal Company’s River Slope mine shaft, releasing the swollen, ice laden Susquehanna River into the mines below. Eighty-one men had reported to work that morning, and were down in the mines when the river crashed through.[9] The mine was fully evacuated, but twelve men never made it out. After more than a day of the water continuing to flow into the mine, it became clear that there would be no miracle to save these men, and they had been the victims of another terrible mining accident.[10]
Even through the mourning of these men, the local community still had a very real problem on their hands. They needed to find a way to plug the giant hole which was even now creating a whirlpool in the torrent Susquehanna River. According to the Wolensky siblings conjoined work “Voices of the Knox Mine Disaster: Stories, Remembrances, and Reflections on the Anthracite Coal Industry’s Last Major Catastrophe: January 22, 1959”, during the very peak of the disaster, “an estimated 2.7 million gallons of water per minute streamed underground” and “in total, 10.37 billion gallons coursed into the River Slope and surrounding mines.”[11] The magnitude of these numbers surpasses every other mining disaster in the history of the era, making it the worst mining disaster Wyoming Valley anthracite had ever seen.
In an oral history done with Mrs. Gayle Gromala of Pittston, she elaborated on her experience and memories of the Knox Mine Disaster from the perspective of a child. Gayle described her experience saying:
We were right… If you walked across the street from our house, and if you went through the neighbor’s yard, and went straight, you were right on top of the mine. You could look down. And I was a year old, about a year old. And my mom… They all congregated up there, cause they all looked down and watched what happened. They were throwing railroad cars in the hole. Just like… The whole river… They wouldn’t… The supervisors wouldn’t listen to the miners when they said that they were too close to the river, and the engineers, and they kept having to dig right there. You know with the pick axes. You could actually hear them in our basement, our cellar. You could hear the pick axes… My mother said that when that river just went through it was a huge hole. It was like a whirlwind. Like a whirlpool. And they started throwing railroad cars in to fill it. It was amazing.[12]
Even as a child at the time, Gayle understood the magnitude of this disaster and its effects. She explained that the workers were ordered to dig far too close to the river bed.[13] Ultimately, the thin layer of rock between the river and the mine was too weak to hold back the swollen Susquehanna. The robbing of coal pillars in the area over the decades compromised the already fragile integrity of the mine shaft, only further weakening the ceiling.[14] Gayle also very succinctly describes some of the measures the responders to the disaster used to attempt to fill the cave-in and deal with the swollen Susquehanna River. A railroad track ran parallel to the river and workers “cut and bent the railroad track toward the river and used a railroad engine to push about sixty coal hopper cars—fifty-ton behemoths called gondolas—into the void.” Then, with the assistance of cranes and dump trucks they added another “four hundred one-ton coal cars as well as some 25,000 cubic yards of dirt, rock, and boulders.”[15] Their temporary patch worked to stop the whirlpool, but they knew it was temporary and could not stop the water from seeping underground.[16]
Though the Knox Mine disaster caused the loss of twelve human lives and a large whirlpool in the middle of the Susquehanna River, its less immediate consequences are what make it the greatest and costliest mining disaster in Wyoming Valley history. As mentioned previously, the water from the Susquehanna River flowed into the River Slope mine shaft and spread throughout the surrounding mines. The spreading was not limited to the immediate surrounding area, though. As Ellis Roberts explains in his book The Breaker Whistle Blows, “most of the underground mines were interconnected by drainage tunnels. There were few barriers to halt the surging waters from running mine to mine throughout the entire valley.”[17] That is exactly what happened and the Wolensky siblings describe this phenomenon in their writing:
As water flowed out of the River Slope into adjoining workings, mine after mine closed down. The Pennsylvania Coal Company and the Lehigh Valley Coal Company owned most of the mines in the areas and decided to permanently close all operations, most of which has been leased out. Within a matter of months, all mines in the middle portion of the northern field, around the city of Pittston, were permanently idled.[18]
Because of the Knox Mine Disaster, the main industry of the Wyoming Valley was devastated. The true damage came not from the disaster itself, but from the economic consequences for the entire valley.
The economy of the Wyoming Valley was in peril because it relied almost entirely on the coal industry and, largely as a result of the Knox Mine disaster, the coal industry was no longer functioning. According to Wyoming Valley historian Sheldon Spear, “Population in Luzerne County had fallen from 441,518 in 1940 to 391,226 in 1950, a drop of 11.4 percent (during the same period the population of the state had risen by six percent).”[19] This startling statistic only serves to prove that the Wyoming Valley was the only one suffering from this economic depression, unlike the rest of the state which was seeing a steady growth in population. For the rest of the 1950s and 1960s the area had to deal with depression and rampant unemployment. In Luzerne County alone, mining employment plunged from “10,200 in 1958 to 2,100 in 1970”[20] eliminating over four-fifths of its workers and causing unemployment to skyrocket caused the anthracite region to become known as a “depressed area.” The regional depression caused hundreds of residents to move to other states and regions to secure permanent employment. According to Sheldon Spear’s work Wyoming Valley History Revisited, “In spite of the stimulus of the Korean War, Wilkes-Barre remained one of two areas in the nation with an unemployment rate exceeding twelve percent (Scranton remained the other).”[21] Though the rest of the country was seeing the economic boom that accompanies wartime, the Wyoming Valley and Scranton area were in a severe depression brought on by the loss of the anthracite industry. The significance of the Knox Mine disaster cannot be found in the loss of human life or the cost to fill in a mine subsidence. The significance of the Knox Mine disaster is that it killed the economy of the Wyoming Valley and officially ended the anthracite era.
In the years leading up to the Knox Mine Disaster, the anthracite region of the Wyoming Valley had to deal with constant mining accidents and subsidence was rampant. This was caused by neglectful, greedy mine owners and managers, who ignored safety conditions and regulatory laws in order to get the most possible profit. These problems were further exacerbated because of the ailing infrastructure that made up the mining tunnels and the dangerous practice of robbing coal pillars. Because of these practices, the anthracite industry was already in decline by 1959 when the Knox Mine Disaster struck the final blow, ending the anthracite era. The significance of this disaster was not the loss of human life, though those 12 men will always be remembered.
The Knox Mine Disaster is significant because it caused the destruction of the entire economy of the Wyoming Valley which, during the period, was still entirely dependent on coal. This disaster is also just one example of what can happen to a region when its main economic industry is destroyed.
Further, local Pennsylvanians are still dealing with the ramifications of the anthracite industry. Disasters like the Knox Mine disaster have scarred the local collective memory and made it difficult for residents to welcome new energy industries into the Wyoming Valley. This can be seen most directly in the resistance of locals to the Marcellus Shale and gas industry over 50 years later.[22] Many of the arguments against the Marcellus Shale industry are based on the very negative and traumatizing experience the Wyoming Valley had with the rise and fall of anthracite. Local residents do not want a repeat of the economic and environmental detriments caused by the greed of energy officials. Further, residents are reticent to dig underneath their houses and public buildings, because they have already experienced just how destructive underground mining can be.
Through the information about local anthracite history including oral histories, memories, and writings of people who actually lived through it, we can better understand our current economic environment, especially in respect to the Marcellus Shale industry. If it was not for the oral histories and primary newspaper articles written during the Knox Mine disaster, historians would have a much more limited understanding of what exactly happened at the River Slope mine and how it affected the local community. This traumatizing experience is still influencing the local community and the country as a whole. The collective memory of the mining industry is forever scarred by terrible incidents such as the Knox Mine disaster. If it was not for the Knox Mine Disaster, the Wyoming Valley of today and the United States mining industry as a whole, would most likely be vastly different.
[1] Zbiek, Paul. 1988. Luzerne County: History of the People and Culture. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: Wyoming Historical and Geological Society.
[2] Bassacco, Jim, ed. 1995. A History of Pittston’s Coal Mining Era. Pittston, Pennsylvania. p. 174
[3] James Kozloski, Oral history interview (9/27/15), Collections of the Greater Pittston Historical Society.
[4] Bassacco, Jim, ed. 1995. A History of Pittston’s Coal Mining Era. Pittston, Pennsylvania. p. 223.
[5]Bassacco, Jim, ed. 1995. A History of Pittston’s Coal Mining Era. Pittston, Pennsylvania. p. 224.
[6] Sally Scott, Oral history interview (9/27/15), Collections of the Greater Pittston Historical Society.
[7] Following Jule Ann’s fall into the hole, the fire department was called but when they descended into the hole, they could not find the child. They eventually decided to use a steam shovel to remove over 550 tons of rock, coal, sand, and dirt. After this material was removed the small hand of Jule Ann appeared along the side of the excavation. The child’s body was nearly 20 feet below the surface and took searchers nearly 30 hours to unearth. Jule Ann Fulmer was only two years old when mine subsidence claimed her life. This information came from Roberts, Ellis. 1984. The Breaker Whistle Blows. Scranton, Pennsylvania: Anthracite Museum Press. p.134
[8] Ibid, p.134
[9] Wolensky, Robert, Kenneth Wolensky, and Nicole Wolensky. 2005. Voices of the Knox Mine Disaster: Stories, Remembrances, and Reflections on the Anthracite Coal Industry’s Last Major Catastrophe: January 22, 1959. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Historial & Museum Commission. p. 3.
[10] There were rescue operations in place to save these last 12 miners, and hope did remain alive. “Fr. Edmund Langan of St. John’s Church in Pittston even arrived to bless the mine and lead prayers” for the safety of those miners still trapped inside. But, by January 23, methane gas began to rise from the mine. It was clear that the miners, even if they were still alive, would soon run out of air, if they hadn’t already. Because of this, government officials decided to halt all rescue operations, in an attempt to protect the lives of the rescue teams. Ibid, p. 5
[11] Wolensky, Robert, Kenneth Wolensky, and Nicole Wolensky. 2005. Voices of the Knox Mine Disaster: Stories, Remembrances, and Reflections on the Anthracite Coal Industry’s Last Major Catastrophe: January 22, 1959. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Historial & Museum Commission.
[12] Gayle Gromala, Oral history interview (9/27/15), Collections of the Greater Pittston Historical Society.
[13] State mine inspectors had “red-lined” a point on the mine maps beyond which mining was prohibited. They were originally supposed to stay at least 50 feet from the river bed, but this number was eventually lowered to 35 feet. It is estimated that by the time of the Knox Disaster, there was only 19 inches between the miners and the river. Roberts, Ellis. 1984. The Breaker Whistle Blows. Scranton, Pennsylvania: Anthracite Museum Press. p. 145
[14] Ibid, p. 145-146
[15] Wolensky, Robert, Kenneth Wolensky, and Nicole Wolensky. 2005. Voices of the Knox Mine Disaster: Stories, Remembrances, and Reflections on the Anthracite Coal Industry’s Last Major Catastrophe: January 22, 1959. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Historial & Museum Commission. p. 8-9
[16] In the spring of 1959, construction crews began the process of permanently sealing the hole created by the Knox Mine subsidence. In order to do this, they diverted the river and built “an earthen cofferdam around the hole.” They then “drained the dam to expose the river bottom” and “drilled several boreholes into the mine through which they poured 1,200 cubic yards of concrete and 26,000 cubic yards of sand.” This permanently fixed the hole so that water from the river could no longer flow from the river into the mine. It did not remove the water that had already seeped into the mine, though. Ibid, p. 9-10
[17] Roberts, Ellis. 1984. The Breaker Whistle Blows. Scranton, Pennsylvania: Anthracite Museum Press. p. 146.
[18] Wolensky, Robert, Kenneth Wolensky, and Nicole Wolensky. 2005. Voices of the Knox Mine Disaster: Stories, Remembrances, and Reflections on the Anthracite Coal Industry’s Last Major Catastrophe: January 22, 1959. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Historial & Museum Commission. p. 10
[19] Spear, Sheldon. 1994. Wyoming Valley History Revisited. Scranton, Pennsylvania: Haddon Craftsmen. p. 225
[20] Ibid, p. 17
[21] Ibid, p. 225
[22] Perry, Simona L. “Development, Land Use, and Collective Trauma: The Marcellus Shale Gas Boom in Rural Pennsylvania.” Culture, Agriculture, Food & Environment 34, no. 1 (June 2012): 81-92. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed December 15, 2015).
Bassacco, Jim, ed. 1995. A History of Pittston’s Coal Mining Era. Pittston, Pennsylvania.
Bassacco, Jim, ed. 1995. A History of the City of Pittston. Pittston, Pennsylvania.
Gayle Gromala, Oral history interview (9/27/15), Collections of the Greater Pittston Historical Society.
James Kozloski, Oral history interview (9/27/15), Collections of the Greater Pittston Historical Society.
Perry, Simona L. “Development, Land Use, and Collective Trauma: The Marcellus Shale Gas Boom in Rural Pennsylvania.” Culture, Agriculture, Food & Environment 34, no. 1 (June 2012): 81-92. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed December 15, 2015).
Roberts, Ellis. 1984. The Breaker Whistle Blows. Scranton, Pennsylvania: Anthracite Museum Press.
Sally Scott, Oral history interview (9/27/15), Collections of the Greater Pittston Historical Society.
Spear, Sheldon. 1994. Wyoming Valley History Revisited. Scranton, Pennsylvania: Haddon Craftsmen.
Wolensky, Robert. 2010. “The Pennsylvania Coal Company and the Anthracite Leasing System: Development and Resistance.” Canal History and Technology Proceedings.
Wolensky, Robert, Kenneth Wolensky, and Nicole Wolensky. 2005. Voices of the Knox Mine Disaster: Stories, Remembrances, and Reflections on the Anthracite Coal Industry’s Last Major Catastrophe: January 22, 1959. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Historial & Museum Commission.
Zbiek, Paul. 1988. Luzerne County: History of the People and Culture. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: Wyoming Historical and Geological Society.
The text on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The images on this site remain the intellectual property of the copyright holders and may not be reproduced or distributed without permission.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line178
|
__label__cc
| 0.746715
| 0.253285
|
Home > About the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Alliance > News & Media > News > ADVANCE East Central Indiana to host Regional Summit June 9th
ADVANCE East Central Indiana to host Regional Summit June 9th
The Regional Summit for the ADVANCE East Central Indiana planning effort will be hosted June 9th, from 6 to 8pm at the Horizon Convention Center, 401 South High Street, in downtown Muncie. Anyone from Blackford, Delaware, Henry, Jay, Madison, and Randolph counties interested in providing input that will help shape the future of the region should attend. The program includes sharing the State of the Region report, discussing potential projects for inclusion in the regional development plan, and generating big ideas for the future of the region.
As part of the Regional Cities Initiative, the state of Indiana is asking communities to develop regional plans that identify assets, including talent-base, infrastructure, business climate, quality of place amenities and more. The initiative’s incentive program could bring additional resources and attention to East Central Indiana.
The summit is a key part of the ADVANCE East Central Indiana regional planning process and is an opportunity to build on current assets and think BIG about the future of East Central Indiana. According to steering committee member and president of the George and Frances Ball Foundation, Tom Bracken, “Through the Regional Cities Initiative, the State has challenged us to think strategically and to work collaboratively to develop a plan that will make East Central Indiana an attractive destination for the talented individuals who will drive our region’s economic future.”
The Steering Committee has made a commitment to an open process and anyone with an interest in the continued prosperity of the region is encouraged to get involved. “This Summit will be interactive and informative and represents a really special opportunity for folks across the six counties to come together,” said Corey Murphy, steering committee member and President/CEO at New Castle Henry County Economic Development Corporation.
Three county stakeholder roundtable meetings were conducted over the week of May 5th with Delaware, Henry, and Madison counties. The participants discussed the important initiatives happening within their communities and how these projects fit within a regional development framework. Scheduling for the remaining counties is ongoing.
The state legislature set aside $84 million to be invested in projects over the next two years that are identified in regional cities plans across the state. These grants will be awarded on a competitive basis. To be eligible to compete for portions of this funding, a community must be part of a regional cities plan.
More information on the project and the Regional Summit is available on the project’s website, www.advance-eci.org, where you can also RSVP for the event. If you would prefer to call or email your RSVP, contact Ashley Surpas at 765.751.9116 or asurpas@muncie.com.
The program’s research and facilitation efforts are being led by Ninigret Partners of Providence, Rhode Island and planningNEXT of Columbus, Ohio. Phase 1 of the work will be completed by July 1st.
For more information please contact Kyle May, Project Consultant, with planningNEXT, kyle@planning-next.com.
Jay Julian
Chief Economic Development Officer, President/CEO
Jay is a native Hoosier, born and raised in Marion, IN. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Millikin University, Decatur, IL in 1979. Jay joined the Muncie Chamber of Commerce on July 1, 2009. Julian is the former Executive Director of Development Services with City of Marion, IN. Prior to this, he was the Planning Director for the City of Anderson, IN. Jay has received awards for IACT Economic Recovery, Historic Preservation Commission Award, and Indiana Black Expo Chairman’s Award.
Traci Lutton
Vice President, Economic Development
In her role at the Economic Development Alliance, Ms. Lutton leverages economic development resources to sustain and enhance the economic growth, vitality and global competitiveness of Muncie-Delaware County as a superior business location. Lutton markets the community locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally to private investors, corporations, and site selectors through recruitment trips, website, tradeshows and other methods. Traci has knowledge and experience with a range of site selection and development services.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line179
|
__label__cc
| 0.708243
| 0.291757
|
Home > About the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Alliance > News & Media > News > Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance Reports Vision 2016 Year Two Results
Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance Reports Vision 2016 Year Two Results
(Muncie, April10, 2014 ) The Muncie-Delaware County, IN Economic Development Alliance held a breakfast event at the Horizon Convention Center to report on the year two progress of the Vision 2016 Economic Development Program. The event as attended by program investors, elected officials, and community leaders.
The results for the first 24 months of the Vision 2016 program included: $222 million in new capital investment, 1,043 new and endangered jobs saved, and more than $40 million in new payroll. Existing business and new business attraction highlights from 2013 included Magna Powertrain and Bell Aquaculture expansions, and the relocation of Townsend Corporation, DD Dannar, LLC to Muncie-Delaware County. It was also reported a 50,000 square foot expandable “shell building” at Interestate-69 Exit 234 was completed, several workforce development initiatives such as the HIRE and RAMP programs are underway, and a new site certification is in its final stages.
The Keynote was presented by Larry Gigerich, a nationally-recognized economic development leader with more than 20 years of local and state government, not-for-profit , and private sector experience. The Managing Partner of Ginovus, an Indianapolis-based site location firm, Gigerich discussed “Changing Trends in Site Selection.”
“2013 was a big year, and 2014 has started off just strongly, with projects such as enhancements to the city’s gateways, the new Nebo Commons auto-mall, and the assisted living facility on Tillotson Avenue, which will result in infrastructure improvements to the south side of Muncie. Also underway are neighborhood redevelopment efforts, the new development occurring near the mall, anchored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, and of course the new downtown hotel project. It is an exciting time in Muncie-Delaware County,” said Alison Quirk, Chairman of the Board, Delaware Advancement Corporation.
About the Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance
The Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance (EDA) is a private economic development organization dedicated to the growth and prosperity of Muncie-Delaware County, Indiana. The Alliance’s purpose is to allocate and leverage economic development resources to sustain and enhance the economic growth, vitality and global competitiveness of Muncie-Delaware County as a superior business location. The EDA’s administrative entities are Delaware Advancement Corporation and the Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce.
About Vision 2016
Vision 2016 is the name of Muncie’s current five-year economic development program. This public/private partnership represents the most comprehensive economic development plan in the history of the county. The program, which runs from 2011 through the end of 2016, has six goals with corresponding objectives. Vision 2016 is seeking to create 2,000 primary income jobs with an annual payroll of more than $13.2 million to the community. Vision 2016 will focus on the attraction of $250 million in new capital investment.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line180
|
__label__wiki
| 0.904512
| 0.904512
|
Rebels rebound in a big way, 64-55
Blogs Runnin' Rebels Steve Guiremand Top News UNLV — 10 February 2013
It wasn’t a pleasant week to be a UNLV basketball player … until Saturday night, that is.
Picked to battle for the Mountain West title, the Runnin’ Rebels suffered embarrassing back-to-back road losses at Boise State and Fresno State to fall to just 4-4 in league play.
But the sports talk shows, text messages and letters to the editor figure to be a whole lot kinder for UNLV players and coaches following a convincing wire-to-wire 64-55 win over Mountain West leader New Mexico on Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.
At least until Wednesday night’s fourth place showdown at Air Force.
Freshman forward Anthony Bennett scored 17 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked three shots and guards Bruce Dejean-Jones and Katin Reinhardt added 16 points apiece to lead the Rebels (18-6, 5-4), who snapped a two-game losing streak and moved into a tie for fourth place with the Falcons in the Mountain West.
(STORY CONTINUES BELOW)
Sophomore center Alex Kirk had 17 points and 16 rebounds for New Mexico (20-4, 7-2), which remained a half-game ahead of idle Colorado State (19-4, 6-2) in first place in the Mountain West.
“Safe to say the last seven days weren’t the highlight of the season for us,” UNLV coach Dave Rice said. “Certainly it was a very tough week, a very tough game at Fresno State on Wednesday. We talked about learning from it (and) all we can do is move forward. And we did that. We beat a very, very good basketball team tonight.”
“I believe it’s the best we played as a team so far,” Dejean-Jones said. “Guys were tired of losing. Everybody just came together and said we wanted to improve as a team. We took (that attitude) into practice and I think that it showed.”
Bennett had five dunks en route to his ninth double-double of the season, the final one gave UNLV its largest lead of the game, 53-37, with 8:58 remaining. The Lobos, who defeated the Rebels, 65-60, in the first meeting at The Pit in Albuquerque on Jan. 9, never got any closer than seven points the rest of the way.
“Losing isn’t fun, especially if it’s against Boise State or Fresno State,” Bennett said. “We just went out there and practiced and practiced hard and listened to what the coaches had to say and came together.”
The loss snapped a three-game win streak for New Mexico, which has now dropped seven of the last eight regular-season games with UNLV at the Thomas & Mack Center.
The Lobos shot just 33.9 percent from the field and drew head coach Steve Alford’s ire for settling for too many 3-pointers. New Mexico finished 4-of-22 beyond the arc (18.2 percent).
“Our effort was good but we didn’t show a whole lot of poise,” Alford said. “That’s not who we are, and we allowed their pressure to get us out of character.”
Spurred on by a near-sellout crowd of 17,738, UNLV looked nothing like the team that seemed to go through the motions in a 64-55 loss at Fresno State three nights earlier, jumping out to a 24-10 lead in the first 12 minutes behind the shooting of Dejean-Jones. He scored 13 points during the spurt, including three 3-pointers.
New Mexico, which had 10 turnovers in the first half, closed to within eight points, 31-23, on a Hugh Greenwood steal and layup with 2:23 remaining. But the Rebels went into the locker room with a 14-point lead after Reinhardt nailed a pair of 3-pointers to put UNLV up 37-23.
GAME NOTES: Dwayne Morgan, a 6-foot-7 forward from St. Frances Academy in Baltimore who is ranked the No. 18 overall prospect for the Class of 2014 by ESPN.com, attended the game on an official visit. Indiana, Missouri and Maryland are among the other schools recruiting Morgan. … Point guard Anthony Marshall, despite grimacing on several occasions with what appeared to be a bruised quad, also had a big game for the Rebels, scoring 11 points to go along with six assists and three steals. … UNLV’s perimeter defense held New Mexico guards Greenwood, Kendall Williams and Tony Snell to a combined 18 points on 7-of-26 shooting.
Steve Guiremand was born in southern California and graduated from the University of Southern California in 1978. He has covered college and professional sports as well as recruiting for over 30 years for several publications including the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, The National Sports Daily, the Long Beach Press-Telegram and the Las Vegas Sun. He moved to Las Vegas in 1998 and has covered UNLV football and basketball as well as the old Las Vegas Stars triple-A baseball team. He’ll blog about UNLV sports and recruiting.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line184
|
__label__wiki
| 0.803839
| 0.803839
|
< 10 Once Upon a Time in Springfield
12 Boy Meets Curl >
11 Million Dollar Maybe
Homer and Marge are scheduled to do a singing toast at their cousin Valerie's wedding, causing Marge to become nervous, due to her fear of embarrassment. Homer tells her not to worry, saying that he will make sure they do not mess up. Homer gets a fortune cookie stating that today will be his lucky day, but he does not believe so. However, he starts to believe this occurs when he crashes into a vending machine causing all of the snacks to fall out on him, and finds an Emerson, Lake & Palmer CD in the parking lot. He sings along to "Lucky Man", driving recklessly to the synthesizer solo. He then goes to the Kwik-E-Mart for a lottery ticket, even though he has to go to the wedding and sing with Marge. After a long wait, Homer gets his lottery ticket, only to find out the wedding has ended. When he takes his eyes off the road for a second, he crashes off the ramp. Homer wakes up in the hospital after the crash, and realizes he won a million dollars in the lottery. Homer does not want Marge to know he missed the wedding to get a lottery ticket, and has Barney pose as the winner. So that Marge does not know he won the money, he secretly leaves gifts for his family members. However, when Homer tries to get money out of the tree where he hid the money, Bart discovers that he won the lottery. Threatening to tell Marge, Bart demands that Homer publicly embarrasses himself, does unethical tasks, and becomes a victim of his own son. Eventually, Homer decides to tell Marge himself and get it over with. Taking Marge on a hot-air balloon, he reveals he won the lottery, causing Marge to become very glad and not furious about his absence at the wedding; he tells her he spent it all, leaving them poor as usual. However, Marge does not care, saying at least they have each other. Homer then reveals he spent the last of the money on a giant cherry blossom grove in the shape of Marge's face with the words "Love of my Life". They then sing the song they were supposed to sing at the wedding together, off in the sunset.
In the sub-plot, Lisa discovers that the senior citizens at Grampa's nursing home do not have any entertainment, and decides to buy them a digital TV converter. However, while at the store to buy it, she discovers Mr. Burns feeling very happy playing Funtendo Zii Sports. She decides to buy this for the senior citizens, hoping they will feel younger and happier. When playing the Zii, the senior citizens feel very happy and feel younger. This forces the nurses at the home to work extra hard after their workout, prompting them to wash the Zii in the dishwasher, causing it to break. Lisa becomes angry at the nurses for doing it on purpose, thus showing their disregard for the senior citizens. However, the nurses blow her off. The senior citizens then return to their boring selves, staring at TV static.
Watch The Simpsons Season 21 episode 11 Million Dollar Maybe online for free
10 Once Upon a Time in Springfield
12 Boy Meets Curl
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line188
|
__label__wiki
| 0.660929
| 0.660929
|
2019 Trade Deadline Preview: Penguins’ Values, Part 1
Posted on January 22, 2019 by The66thDopefish
It’s that time of year again: the All-Star break is nearly upon us, and that means we’re weeks away from the trade deadline! It always fascinates me to watch the annual ebb and flow of power in the NHL, and the trade deadline is usually the point at which teams must make a choice between gearing up for the playoff push, shedding money and expiring contracts to prepare for next year, or accept their fate and make their way forward with what they’ve got. Since the Penguins have a bit of time between now and their next game, I hope to fill at least a couple of days with a trade deadline preview.
Ramblin n Gamblin
As usual for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the focus is on winning the Cup as soon and as often as they can while the core of the team is still productive. For four straight seasons the Penguins have traded away their first round pick to try and sweeten a deal for an interested party. In 2015, their first round pick and Rob Klinkhammer brought David Perron from St. Louis to the Penguins, but the Penguins failed to get out of the first round, and the pick turned out to be 16th overall which the Islanders used to select Mathew Barzal. Their 2016 first round pick went to Toronto as part of the blockbuster Phil Kessel trade, and we know how that went.
Oh yeah baybee
I’m going to briefly pause my recap of where these first round picks have gone to go over my list from last year, namely the players who aren’t going to be on my list this year due to their departure from the franchise entirely. I want to mention that I am again going to focus on Penguins on the active roster, including the injured ones. With that said, here are the guys who were on my list last year but are gone, listed by their ranking:
Daniel Sprong (2018: 6b): traded to Anaheim this season for Marcus Pettersson
Conor Sheary (2018: 7b): traded to Buffalo this past offseason for a conditional 2019 fourth-round pick
Ian Cole (2018: 8b): traded to Ottawa last season for Derick Brassard, et al.
Matt Hunwick (2018: 9c): traded to Buffalo this past offseason for a conditional 2019 fourth-round pick
Carl Hagelin (2018: 10b): traded to Los Angeles this season for Tanner Pearson
Carter Rowney (2018: 11a): free agent; went to Anaheim
Tom Kuhnhackl (2018: 11b): free agent; went to New York Islanders
Ryan Reaves (2018: 12a): traded to Vegas last season for Tobias Lindberg
Tristan Jarry (2018: 6a): demoted to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
So, unpause: general manager Jim Rutherford made the uninspired decision to acquire Reaves and St. Louis’ second round pick in exchange for Oskar Sundqvist and Pittsburgh’s first round pick. Reaves was pretty useless for the Penguins, although he’s been better with Vegas, but Sundqvist has also been good for a fourth line center and Pittsburgh could really use a shot in the arm in that department.
That brings us to the 2018 first round pick, which went to Ottawa with Cole and goaltender Filip Gustavsson in exchange for Derick Brassard, Vincent Dunn (who?) and a third-round pick. Brassard was acquired to be the replacement for Nick Bonino, who was vital in the Penguins’ two straight Cup wins in 2016 and 2017, but Brassard was dealing with an injury last year and has massively underperformed this year, although he scored as many points in the past month as he did in the two months prior.
WE need this BrassHARD
Brassard’s negative regression since joining the Penguins could be a fluke, and he could be turning a corner as the Penguins have over the last few weeks. The Penguins are paying him to be the third center and then they have either Riley Sheahan or Matt Cullen as the fourth center. Sheahan has been a wash, which is fine for a fourth liner, and Cullen has actually been pretty productive, so Brassard really needs to continue producing he’s going to remain useful to the Penguins.
With all that said, let’s start the rankings. Once again, I’m focusing on Penguins who are on the active roster, including the injured ones, and the players will be ranked from top to bottom in terms of trade value. They are arbitrarily paired, with two exceptions, so don’t read anything into that. Those at the top and in Part 1 are the franchise cornerstones and the most productive players on the team; unless Rutherford can really pull off a fleecing, trading these guys would be a monumental mistake. In Part 2, I’ll cover the bottom of the list which are the guys with the least value, the players who often need sweeteners, like prospects or draft picks, attached to them to move them. In the middle are the players who are most likely to be moved, and those players will be in Part 3. Today, we’ll start with the guys at the top. (For the players on the roster from last year, I have last year’s ranking in parentheses.)
1a and 1b: Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin (2018: 1a and 1b)
No surprises here: Crosby and Malkin were numbers 1a and 1b on my list last year, and there’s no indication that either of them will be usurped soon. Crosby is on pace for 100+ points for the first time in a few years, and he’s steadily improving his defensive game to the point where he might get serious Selke consideration. Malkin is having something of a down year thus far, but he’s always been a more serious second half player and he’s only two years removed from leading the playoffs in points. I’m not worried about him, are you?
2a: Matt Murray (2018: 2a)
The goaltender of the Penguins’ future had a rough 2017-18 and this season wasn’t looking very good either, but a lower body injury (that Murray said wasn’t bothering him) seemed to be bothering him and after a short injured list stint, Murray has come back with a vengeance, winning eight straight starts, allowing just ten goals and posting a .963 save percentage. That’s exactly the Matt Murray the Penguins have needed him to be and hopefully that’ll be the last time we have to worry about Murray’s performance. At 24 years old, and still with two years left with restricted free agent status, this two-time Cup winner is a contract extension away from being a key member of the Penguins’ core for years to come.
2b: Jake Guentzel (2018: 2b)
The legend of Jake “The Snake” only continues to grow, and the soon-to-be $6 million man will be riding in the top six in Pittsburgh for the next five years. At 24 years old, Guentzel has already made a name for himself as a key offensive contributor, and he’s on track for 35+ goals and 75+ points. He’s the #wingerforSid that people have been clamoring for years for, as he’s an excellent finisher and playmaker. Remarkably, even while the Penguins were eliminated from the playoffs in the second round, Guentzel’s 21 points (tied with Crosby) held up to be tied for fifth-most in the playoffs. What a great find for the Penguins, as the 77th overall pick from 2013 is coming upon the peak of his abilities with no sign of being slowed down.
3a: Kris Letang (2018: 5b)
The first change from last year to these rankings is a defenseman who is as mercurial as ever, and right now it’s in a good way. Letang has put up a Norris-caliber performance in the first half with a very good offensive performance (tied for seventh in points amongst defensemen) and perhaps an even better defensive performance. It does help to have teammates like Sidney Crosby and Brian Dumoulin on the ice with him at the same time, as they are both very skilled in the defensive end in their own right, but regardless Letang is at or near the top of the League in the three shots-for relative percentages; in other words, the Penguins take more shots than they allow when Letang is on the ice. Considering that Letang is near the top of the League in offensive production from a defenseman, it’s easy to see just how valuable he is in both ends of the ice. Jim Rutherford sounded particularly confident that Letang would have a bounce-back year this season, and there’s no denying that has happened.
3b: Phil Kessel (2018: 3b)
It’s looking like another big season from one of the most consistent and healthy players in the League, with Phil on track for another 30+-goal/50+-assist season to go with maintaining his regular season active games played streak, now tied with Jay Bouwmeester for eighth. While Phil had spent much of the first half on Malkin’s line, head coach Mike Sullivan has tried getting Derick Brassard and Riley Sheahan going by putting Kessel on their wings. It did work somewhat, but as Kessel is getting older his assists numbers seem to be going up, and guys like Brassard and Sheahan have never been very good at putting pucks in the net. Another item of some concern on that front is that the percentage of points Kessel contributes on the power play has been in the low-to-mid-40s for the last few seasons, meaning those even strength minutes aren’t as productive for Phil as the power-play minutes. Lately Sullivan has abandoned that “Kessel out of the top-six” experiment, and it coincided with the last few games looking really bad for Kessel and Malkin. A blip?
4a: Patric Hornqvist (2018: 4a)
The tough-as-nails Hornqvist has had a tough, injury-hampered season, with another concussion putting the right-winger on the shelf for the few games preceding the Penguins’ loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. In spite of only playing thirty of the team’s forty-eight games, Hornqvist has managed to remain consistent in his productivity; in fact, he’s on pace for his best scoring rate since his first year in Pittsburgh and his second-best overall. This, of course, comes with the caveat that Hornqvist hasn’t been seeing as much time on the power-play as he had been in years past, and while he’s been no less productive when given that time, he’s also been on the ice for some of the many shorthanded goals against. Hornqvist has never been the most durable forward, given his propensity for parking in front of the opponents’ goaltenders, and there’s good reason to question his ability to keep producing for the next four seasons.
4b. Brian Dumoulin (2018: 7a)
There’s been no denying that the tandem of Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin have been stellar this season, and while much of that has been Letang’s doing there’s no denying that Dumoulin is a very good defender in his own right. In fact, so far as I can tell, only one player on the team, Tanner Pearson, sees his productivity improve without Brian Dumoulin, and among active Penguins Pearson has spent the second-fewest minutes on the ice with Dumoulin, so it’s hard to tell if that’s an indictment of how the two actually perform together.
Beyond that, it also stands to be noted that Dumoulin is already three points away from matching his career high of eighteen, and while most of those points are secondary assists (increasingly dismissed in advanced stats circles), he is nevertheless second on the team amongst defensemen in points. (Never mind that it probably wouldn’t be the case if Justin Schultz had been healthy.) The Letang-Dumo combo may not be broken up any time soon, even when Schultz comes back, but they work so well together that it’s hard to see a reason why not.
DO IT GRAMPY
← RECAP 48: The House Wins
The Not-So-Big ASG Post →
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line191
|
__label__wiki
| 0.83342
| 0.83342
|
New Bin Laden Tape
For some additional insight, we turn to CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen. He’s here in Washington. And also Nail al-Jubeir. He’s director of information for the embassy of Saudi Arabia here in Washington, as well.
Nail, let me begin with you. You obviously speak Arabic. Have you heard this tape?
NAIL AL-JUBEIR, DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION, SAUDI ARABIAN EMBASSY: No, I haven’t heard the tape. So that’s just — so people are aware, I have not heard it. I’ve listened to the reports on it. I wouldn’t be surprised that it is him.
BLITZER: Has your government made an assessment of this tape, based on what you know?
AL-JUBEIR: Not yet. We’re still looking into the tape, where the emphasis, what he’s saying. Are there any hidden messages that he’s sending out?
We have elections in February so that may be part of his message that he’s trying to send out to the world.
BLITZER: Is he directly aiming, in your assessment, Saudi Arabia right now, which is his birth place, his home — he’s a Saudi — is he going after Saudi Arabia? Is that his first and foremost objective?
AL-JUBEIR: That was always his foremost objective. We were al Qaeda’s first target. We will continue to be his target. Now he’s focusing on it. He’s trying to take advantage of the situation in Saudi Arabia, thinking that he’s going to gain the rally.
But he doesn’t have support in Saudi Arabia. If he had it, he wouldn’t be hiding somewhere in the mountains of Afghanistan. He’d be sitting in Riyadh by now.
BLITZER: But he must have a little support if he launched this attack against the U.S. consulate in Jeddah.
AL-JUBEIR: It doesn’t take many people to commit a criminal act. And that’s what it was.
There are some remnants inside Saudi Arabia. We’re not denying it. We’re going after them. They are on the run. The fact that they did strike the U.S. consulate, one of the most secure places and they failed. Killing innocent people on the outside does not make a victory.
BLITZER: Most of the people they killed were non-American workers at that consulate, including some Saudis.
AL-JUBEIR: That’s correct. But the intent was he did not get to the heart of the consulate. The intent to go after Americans failed. He was — the idea was to kill. And you make headlines.
That message that came out is right before the Christmastime, and is to bring fear, not only to people inside Saudi Arabia but as well as the west.
BLITZER: And so just to be precise, you have no reason to believe this is not — this is a fake or anything like that?
AL-JUBEIR: No. We shouldn’t — he comes out with these tapes. The surprise is it did come out that quickly, which means that he has the ability to send out these messages.
But running an organization out of — on the Internet is not difficult. He can hide anywhere and upload it somewhere, which makes it more difficult. I think it’s more difficult nowadays to deliver a tape than it is to uplink something like that.
BLITZER: All right. Let’s talk to Peter Bergen. He’s analyzed a lot of these tapes over the years.
This looks different to me in a certain degree. Most of the tapes that I am familiar with, whether it’s Ayman al Zawahiri, the No. 2 al Qaeda leader or Osama bin Laden, usually they deliver it to Al Jazeera somehow.
And then it’s sort of censored by Al Jazeera. We get a chunk of that. We further censor it, and we only put a little bit of that on the air. But this time all 70 minutes is made available to anyone who wants to download it.
PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Yes. The debate over whether Al Jazeera is a good or bad thing, which often you hear in this country, has sort of been obviated by the fact that, with the Internet, you don’t need Al Jazeera.
I mean, bin Laden, this tape is being broadcast everywhere around the world. And as Mr. Al-Jubeir has pointed out, it’s a relatively easy thing to do, to put it on the Internet.
By my count, his is the 29th videotape or audiotape we’ve had from either bin Laden or Ayman al-Zawahiri since 9/11. That’s an extraordinary number. Every six weeks, the top leaders of al Qaeda deliver a significant statement.
BLITZER: But I think what’s significant this time, as Nail al- Jubeir and as David Ensor just pointed out, this was very quick, right after that Jeddah attack at the U.S. consulate.
BERGEN: Yes.
BLITZER: All of a sudden he’s talking about it.
BERGEN: This is the fastest turnaround of any tape that I — that I can remember. I mean, this is — this is quick.
BLITZER: So what does that mean?
BERGEN: Well, I think it shows he feels very secure about where he is, wherever he is. I mean, the conventional wisdom, that he’s probably in Pakistan, but he’s — he’s producing these tapes. I mean, there are more tapes, rather than less tapes.
And clearly the chain of custody of these tapes is the one way guaranteed to find him. And American intelligence and other intelligence agencies have been doing a rather poor job, I think, of tracing back these tapes. Presumably they’re doing it but without much effect.
BLITZER: I mean, to say that he’s hiding in some sort of cave right now in very primitive conditions sort of would go against the notion of at least somebody in his organization has access to the Internet, a computer. And they can download a 70-minute tape like that, which requires a certain degree of computer sophistication.
BERGEN: I’m very skeptical that he’s in a cave. I mean, if you look at the last videotape we have from bin Laden, it was well produced. He was talking about very recent current events. He’s clearly well informed. You don’t get newspapers or the Internet or even electricity in the remote tribal areas.
Every senior member of al Qaeda who’s been found so far has been in a city in Pakistan. I believe that it’s more likely, perhaps, that bin Laden is in some urban area. Going to your point, that it’s suggesting some, you know, Internet access, et cetera.
BLITZER: Let me bring David Ensor back in. Because David, you and I have — we’ve gone over these tapes a lot. We’ve interviewed a lot of intelligence officials who make a career out of studying every little nuance.
This is 70 minutes, an audiotape. Give our viewers a little flavor of what specifically experts in the U.S. government, in the intelligence community, are going to be looking for in trying to get a better understanding of Osama bin Laden, his whereabouts, his capabilities, based on this 70-minute tape.
ENSOR: You know, sometimes there’s a tendency, particularly in the news media to look for the visual clues or the verbal clues, in this case, as to where he might be.
But the analysts at the Central Intelligence Agency and elsewhere who look at these tapes, they look at the content more than anything else. What’s he saying? Are there any clues as to what might be the next targets for al Qaeda? Is there some particular angle he’s going on? Is he after economic targets now? What’s up?
Because sometimes there have been indications in these tapes as to what al Qaeda might try to strike next. That is obviously what they care about more than anything else in U.S. intelligence.
BLITZER: Nail al-Jubeir, usually — correct me if I’m wrong — after one of these tapes is released, this audiotape or videotape, some sort of operation occurs. Is that right?
AL-JUBEIR: Well, they happen to — where you have some operations after that. Whether that is a message that he’s sending out or not, we have to wait and see.
I think there is the biggest advantage of for him to send these things out is more psychological. This is the — for the west, the travel season. People go shopping. And when they can bring in some fear into it, the better for him.
BLITZER: So is your government telling westerners, Americans specifically, stay away from Saudi Arabia right now?
AL-JUBEIR: No, we’re not. We welcome anybody who wants to come to Saudi Arabia. We have a terrorism conference taking place in February. We have the elections coming in February. We have the Hajj coming in January. And we welcome anyone to come in.
BLITZER: Now, the Hajj, you’ll get millions of Muslims coming to Saudi Arabia. How many millions?
AL-JUBEIR: We expect about a million-plus to come from outside the country. It is a logistical nightmare, to be honest with you. But we’ve been working with all the other countries in the region in trying to make it a safe Hajj.
This is what we’re fearing, that he will take advantage of it. Luckily so far he hasn’t taken advantage of the Hajj.
BLITZER: What do you — you think this is one of those moments, Peter, the Hajj in January, is that right?
AL-JUBEIR: Yes.
BLITZER: That Osama bin Laden could strike specifically in Saudi Arabia, when have you all these Muslims trying to get to Mecca and Medina?
BERGEN: I think it would be unlikely that he would want to do that, since it would so counter his claim to be a religious leader to interfere with the Hajj.
But I think the one thing we can predict from these tapes is the call for attacks on Iraqi and Saudi oil installations that are in these tapes, I think we’re going to see a lot more of that. Bin Laden/al Qaeda has a desire to jack up the price of oil. For them that’s a strategic success. Creating a so-called fear premium on the price of oil is something they’re very much interested in doing. So I think, unfortunately, we’re going to see more of these attacks in Iraq and in Saudi Arabia as a result of this tape.
BLITZER: Do you agree, Nail?
AL-JUBEIR: I think that’s the idea, is to undermine the world economy. That’s why he’s been trying to attack Saudi Arabia.
But there was — I believe there comes a point where the world premium sort of starts to disappear, because the ability of the world market to produce more oil somewhere else, not as much as he were to strike at Saudi Arabia, but oil installations are safe. He has not, luckily, struck against the Saudi oil installations so far.
BLITZER: Nail al-Jubeir from the embassy of Saudi Arabia, thanks very much.
Peter Bergen, thanks to you.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line192
|
__label__cc
| 0.588867
| 0.411133
|
Home / Current Fellows / Paul Tran
Paul Tran
Entering Year: 2017
Hometown: San Diego, California
Paul Tran earned a B.A. in twentieth century U.S. civil rights history from Brown University in 2014. They’re the Poetry Editor at The Offing and Chancellor’s Graduate Fellow in the Writing Program at Washington University in St. Louis. Paul’s work appears in The New Yorker, Prairie Schooner, RHINO, which gave them an Editor’s Prize, and elsewhere. A recipient of fellowships and residencies from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Kundiman, Voices of Our Nation Arts Foundation, Poets House, Lambda Literary Foundation, Napa Valley Writers Conference, Home School, Vermont Studio Center, The Conversation, Palm Beach Poetry Festival, Miami Writers Institute, and Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Paul is the first Asian American since 1993 to win the Nuyorican Poets Café Grand Slam, placing Top 10 at the Individual World Poetry Slam and Top 5 at the National Poetry Slam.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line194
|
__label__wiki
| 0.744795
| 0.744795
|
Alastair Borthwick: A Legendary Style Lives In
Alastair Borthwick graced the earth with his existence in February of 1913. Born and raised in Scotland, he spent his high school years in Glasgow during which time he also participated as a member of the Officer Training Corps. He launched his career in media at the tender age of 16 obtaining a position at the local office of a regional rag that he helped put on the relatively global map. At the Glasgow Evening Herald, he was found to exhibit personable, insightful, and dependable personality traits. He soon took on several responsibilities beyond his initial assumption as the communications directionalist. These roles included but were not limited to covering and contributing to various sections of this relatively thick news journal. Alastair Borthwick saw to the engaging development and interactive read of the Children’s Page, Crossword Compilations, Film Reviews, Readers’ Letters, Readers’ Queries, and the Women’s Page as both editor and writer. He also performed as a reliable contributing writer for the Herald’s cover story page. He would later work with the paper’s Open Air Page detailing his adventures in mountain climbing. His mostly meteoric media career would later involve a short stint at The Daily Mirror but would again take off positively per his unique manner and voice in radio broadcasting.
Though he would also embark upon successful tours of duty on challenges on the frontline and in intelligence roles during WW2, Alastair Borthwick and his wife and son welcomed the benefits of his radio broadcasting career realized from the mid-1930s through the mid-1990s. Despite the surge of television in the early 1950s, he was able to retain lucrative positions because of his flexibility, engaging manner of sharing his life experiences, popular radio personality, and by using his writing skills in the advent of teleprompter technology.
Alastair Borthwick published his historically decisive avant-garde oeuvre, the book “Always a Little Further,” in 1939. In it he shared the ins and outs of daily concerns of the less financially affluent in places such as Clydebank and Glasgow. Through his personal observances and participation with locals in everday activities, he eloquently detailed the people’s personalities, angsts, joys, and hopes as expressed through their styles of extracurricular engagements such as camping and mountain climbing. Rich in character and relatable human dilemmas, “Always a Little Further” enjoys a steady printing since its very first, encouraged by boardmember T.S. Eliot himself, by Faber and Faber, Ltd. based in the U.K.
Some of Alastair Borthwick’s famous quotes constitute words that many can live by, especially those of us depending on our liberal arts talents for income and stability. Two of the more famous include the following:
“One cannot sweat and worry simultaneously.” ; and
“I always believed the ideal life was to write a thousand words
in the morning and catch a salmon in the afternoon.”
Another of Alastair’s world renowned works, “Sans Peur,” originally published in 1946 presents a facund account of WW2 from the perspective of an infantryman. Its relevance and impact remains profound enough today that it warranted republishing in 1994 under the title “Battalion.”
https://medium.com/alastair-borthwick-always-a-little-further
Alastair Borthwick, Doing What He Loved
April 19, 2019 / waseem / 0 Comments
Alastair Borthwick was a world class leader, journalist, writer, broadcaster, and soldier in his often eventful life. His life is filling with many interests and his work is a reflection of this reality. As a writer perspectives can be taken from his work as it was mostly about war, mountaineering, and battles through the perspective of a soldier. When he did his time in the Second World War he did not recall his experiences as violent or combative but rather lonely even though he came face to face with death many times during his career. He started out as a private but then quickly worked his way all the way to corporal. His acts of valor became the clearest when he led a whole division of six hundred men through the darkness located behind enemy lines in order to evade and survive.
This was done successfully and many times more afterwards did Alastair Borthwick manage to prove his capabilities in war. Perhaps this kind of behavior could be associated with his axiom of pushing oneself a little further each time one is faced with an obstacle. His life did not start in war but in the world of writing and eventually broadcasting as well. At the age of six teen Alastair Borthwick decided to drop out of high school to work at the local newspaper in his town. His jobs varied as the demands of service varied but after going forth into writing for the Daily Mirrior he soon took up the role of broadcasting instead. His job as a broadcaster became something of a passion because although his writings complimented his broadcasting work it was his speaking abilities that made him so unforgettable. Even one of his colleagues claimed that the way he performed on the microphone was the standard for the way broadcasting ought to be done.
While broadcasting to most was an opportunity to revel in the status and elevation of power Alastair Borthwick did not see his work as such as his efforts stemmed from a place of genuinely loving what it was that he did which was broadcasting.
https://gazetteday.com/2018/12/recounting-life-alastair-borthwick/
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line195
|
__label__wiki
| 0.815635
| 0.815635
|
There are two misconceptions held by many Americans. The first is that communism ceased to be a threat when the Soviet Union imploded. The second is that the New Left of the Sixties collapsed and disappeared as well. "The Sixties are dead," wrote columnist George Will ("Slamming the Doors," Newsweek, Mar. 25, 1991)
Because the New Left lacked cohesion it fell apart as a political movement. However, its revolutionaries reorganized themselves into a multitude of single issue groups. Thus we now have for example, radical feminists, black extremists, anti-war peace activists, animal rights groups, radical environmentalists, and gay rights groups. All of these groups pursue their piece of the radical agenda through a complex network of organizations such as the Gay Straight Lesbian Educators Network (GSLEN), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), People for the American Way, United for Peace and Justice, Planned Parenthood, Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), and Code Pink for Peace.
Both communism and the New Left are alive and thriving here in America. They favor code words: tolerance, social justice, economic justice, peace, reproductive rights, sex education and safe sex, safe schools, inclusion, diversity, and sensitivity. All together, this is Cultural Marxism disguised as multiculturalism.
Birth of Multiculturalism
In anticipation of the revolutionary storm that would baptize the world in an inferno of red terror, leading to its rebirth as the promised land of social justice and proletarian equality-Frederich Engels wrote,
"All the...large and small nationalities are destined to perish...in the revolutionary world storm... (A general war will) wipe out all...nations, down to their very names. The next world war will result in the disappearance from the face of the earth not only reactionary classes...but...reactionary peoples." ("The Magyar Struggle," Neue Rheinische Zeitung, Jan. 13, 1849)
By the end of WWI, socialists realized that something was amiss, for the world's proletariat had not heeded Marx's call to rise up in opposition to evil capitalism and to embrace communism instead. They wondered what had gone wrong.
Separately, two Marxist theorists-Antonio Gramsci of Italy and Georg Lukacs of Hungary-concluded that the Christianized West was the obstacle standing in the way of a communist new world order. The West would have to be conquered first.
Gramsci posited that because Christianity had been dominant in the West for over 2000 years, not only was it fused with Western civilization, but it had corrupted the workers class. The West would have to be de-Christianized, said Gramsci, by means of a "long march through the culture." Additionally, a new proletariat must be created. In his "Prison Notebooks," he suggested that the new proletariat be comprised of many criminals, women, and racial minorities.
The new battleground, reasoned Gramsci, must become the culture, starting with the traditional family and completely engulfing churches, schools, media, entertainment, civic organizations, literature, science, and history. All of these things must be radically transformed and the social and cultural order gradually turned upside-down with the new proletariat placed in power at the top.
In 1919, Georg Lukacs became Deputy Commissar for Culture in the short-lived Bolshevik Bela Kun regime in Hungary. He immediately set plans in motion to de-Christianize Hungary. Reasoning that if Christian sexual ethics could be undermined among children, then both the hated patriarchal family and the Church would be dealt a crippling blow., Lukacs launched a radical sex education program in the schools. Sex lectures were organized and literature handed out which graphically instructed youth in free love (promiscuity) and sexual intercourse while simultaneously encouraging them to deride and reject Christian moral ethics, monogamy, and parental and church authority. All of this was accompanied by a reign of cultural terror perpetrated against parents, priests, and dissenters.
Hungary's youth, having been fed a steady diet of values-neutral (atheism) and radical sex education while simultaneously encouraged to rebel against all authority, easily turned into delinquents ranging from bullies and petty thieves to sex predators, murderers, and sociopaths.
Gramsci's prescription and Lukacs' plans were the precursor to what Cultural Marxism in the guise of SIECUS, GSLEN, and the ACLU--acting as judicially-powered enforcers--later brought into American schools.
Building a base
In 1923, the Frankfurt School-a Marxist think-tank-was founded in Weimar Germany. Among its founders were Georg Lukacs, Herbert Marcuse, and Theodor Adorno. The school was a multidisciplinary effort which included sociologists, sexologists, and psychologists.
The primary goal of the Frankfurt School was to translate Marxism from economic terms into cultural terms. It would provide the ideas on which to base a new political theory of revoltuion based on culture, harnessing new oppressed groups for the faithless proletariat. Smashing religion, morals, It would also build a constituency among academics, who could build careers studying and writing about the new oppression.
Toward this end, Marcuse-who favored polymorphous perversion-expanded the ranks of Gramsci's new proletariat by including homosexuals, lesbians, and transsexuals. Into this was spliced Lukacs radical sex education and cultural terrorism tactics. Gramsci's ‘long march' was added to the mix, and then all of this was wedded to Freudian psychoanalysis and psychological conditioning techniques. The end product was Cultural Marxism, now known in the West as multiculturalism.
Additional intellectual firepower was required: a theory to pathologize what was to be destroyed. In 1950, the Frankfurt School augmented Cultural Marxism with Theodor Adorno's idea of the ‘authoritarian personality.' This concept is premised on the notion that Christianity, capitalism, and the traditional family create a character prone to racism and fascism. Thus, anyone who upholds America's traditional moral values and institutions is both racist and fascist. Children raised by traditional values parents, we are told to believe, will almost certainly become racists and fascists. By extension, if fascism and racism are endemic to America's traditional culture, then everyone raised in the traditions of God, family, patriotism, gun ownership, or free markets is in need of psychological help.
The pernicious influence of Adorno's ‘authoritarian personality' idea can be clearly seen in some of the research that gets public money.
"In Aug., 2003, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the results of their $1.2 million tax-payer funded study. It stated, essentially, that traditionalists are mentally disturbed. Scholars from the Universities of Maryland, California at Berkeley, and Stanford had determined that social conservatives...suffer from ‘mental rigidity, dogmatism, and uncertainty avoidance,' together with associated indicators for mental illness." http://www.edwatch.org/ "Social and Emotional Learning" Jan. 26, 2005)
The Orwellian cast of the pathologies named shows how far Gramsci's long march has led us.
A corresponding and diabolically crafted idea is political correctness. The strong suggestion here is that in order for one not to be thought of as racist or fascist, then one must not only be nonjudgmental but must also embrace the new moral absolutes: diversity, choice, sensitivity, sexual orientation, and tolerance. Political correctness is a Machiavellian psychological command and control' device. Its purpose is the imposition of uniformity in thought, speech, and behavior.
Critical theory is yet another psychological ‘command and control' device. As stated by Daniel J. Flynn,
"Critical Theory, as its name implies, criticizes. What deconstruction does to literature, Critical Theory does to societies." (Intellectual Morons, p 15-16)
Critical Theory is an ongoing and brutal assault via vicious criticism relentlessly leveled against Christians, Christmas, the Boy Scouts, Ten Commandments, our military, and all other aspects of traditional American culture and society.
Both political correctness and Critical Theory are in essence, psychological bullying. They are the psycho-political battering rams by which Frankfurt School disciples such as the ACLU are forcing Americans to submit to and to obey the will and the way of the Left. These devious devices are but psychological versions of Georg Lukacs and Laventi Beria's ‘cultural terrorism' tactics. In the words of Beria,
"Obedience is the result of force...Force is the antithesis of humanizing actions. It is so synonymous in the human mind with savageness, lawlessness, brutality, and barbarism, that it is only necessary to display an inhuman attitude toward people to be granted by those people the possessions of force." (The Russian Manual on Psychopolitics: Obedience, by Laventi Beria, head of Soviet Secret Police and Stalin's right-hand man)
Double-thinking ‘fence-sitters', otherwise known as moderates, centrists, and RINOs bear the imprint of these psychological obedience' techniques. These people-in some cases literally afraid of incurring the wrath of name-calling obedience trainers--- have opted to straddle the fence lest they be found guilty of possessing an opinion, one way or another. At the merest hint of displeasure from the obedience-trainers, up goes the yellow flag of surrender upon which it is boldly written:
"I believe in nothing and am tolerant of everything!"
Cultural Determinism
The linchpin of Cultural Marxism is cultural determinism, the parent of identity politics and group solidarity. In its turn, cultural determinism was birthed by the Darwinian idea that man is but a soulless animal and therefore his identity is determined by for example, his skin color or his sexual and/or erotic preferences. This proposition rejects the concepts of the human spirit, individuality, free will, and morally informed conscience (paired with personal accountability and responsibility) because it emphatically denies the existence of the God of the Bible.
Consequently, and by extension, it also rejects the first principles of our liberty enumerated in the Declaration of Independence. These are our "unalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Cultural Marxism must reject these because these principles of liberty "are endowed by our Creator," who made man in His image.
Cultural determinism, states David Horowitz, is
"identity politics-the politics of radical feminism, queer revolution, and Afro-centrism-which is the basis of academic multiculturalism...a form of intellectual fascism and, insofar as it has any politics, of political fascism as well." (Mussolini and Neo-Fascist Tribalism: Up from Multiculturalism, by David Horowitz, Jan. 199
It is said that courage is the first of the virtues because without it fear will paralyze man, thus keeping him from acting upon his moral convictions and speaking truth. Thus bringing about a general state of paralyzing fear, apathy, and submission-the chains of tyranny-is the purpose behind psychopolitical cultural terrorism, for the communist Left's revolutionary agenda must, at all costs, be clothed in darkness.
The antidote is courage and the light of truth. If we are to win this cultural war and reclaim and rebuild America so our children and their children's children can live in a ‘Shining City on the Hill' where liberty, families, opportunity, free markets, and decency flourish, we must muster the courage to fearlessly expose the communist Left's revolutionary agenda to the Light of Truth. Truth and the courage to speak it will set us free.
Feb. 2007@Linda Kimball
Slouching Toward Gomorrah, by Robert H. Bork
Intellectual Morons, by Daniel J. Flynn
Written by Linda Kimball On July 7, 2019 In Cultural Marxism
Your Soul: Cost of Admission to Progressivism’s City of Man (New Sodom and Rome) →
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line196
|
__label__cc
| 0.510875
| 0.489125
|
Arts & Culture Interview Life & Style
Miguel Maza: “Consistently Astonishing Photography”
Nitelife Team 27 February 2016
One of the great things about Miguel Maza’s adopted city of Galway is that it attracts people like Miguel – creative types with a story to tell. Folks from far-flung corners of the world come here to what Miguel describes as a “bohemian” town. Artists, musicians, writers all flock to this tiny city on the West coast of Ireland to try and pave their way in an often cruel, unstable field such as Miguel’s chosen profession: photography.
Model: James Jenkins
Born in Venezuela, Maza started work at age ten, doing graphic design and photography for various newspapers and agencies, eventually starting up his own company to do exactly that. Over time, the political and economic situation in Venezuela became too difficult to work in (inflation doubled prices in December and tripled them the following January!). So when he heard his cousin was shipping out to Canada, Miguel decided to follow suit, and an agent recommended Galway due to creativity and artistic endeavour being ingrained in its culture.
Media is a difficult field for a person to find their feet in, to get a decent foothold so they can get themselves off the ground. When asked how he accomplished such a feat, Miguel reveals: “It’s really unstable, to be honest. Basically, in the very beginning, you have to struggle a lot. And many photographers are struggling. I’d say it’s like everything nowadays; you get a camera and you think you’re a photographer and then you want to work as a photographer. The same as graphic design; somebody goes and learns Photoshop and they think they’re a graphic designer. And they go for it and that’s what’s happening in many markets right now.”
“many photographers are struggling”
Model: Evelyn – The Dirty Circus
When Miguel started here in Ireland, he was earning very little hard cash, just enough to survive: “It was hard, but I said ‘I’m not going to give up, I’m going to keep working’, and I started setting goals. I said, ‘this month, I need this amount of money’, and I worked to get that amount of money. Then I increased my goals every month and I started getting more money and more money and talking to people.”
Previously, Miguel did a lot of nightlife photography. But, he had to stop because he started getting panic attacks. He just couldn’t handle dealing with drunken people in pubs and clubs calling him a “fu***ing bastard”, and screaming at him to take a picture of them, but then turning around and demanding to know why he was taking pictures of them! So he stopped that particular line of work, and started doing more graphic design and advertising work. Da Roberta’s Ristorante in Salthill, Galway was a regular customer and he started doing a little more food photography. But, mostly, his income came from graphic design.
Miguel Maza with President Micheal D. Higgins in Da Robertas Ristorante, Salthill, Galway.
These days, he does more portrait, beauty and fashion photography and he says, “it’s going good now actually”. He even gave a portraiture workshop in N.U.I.G for the photography society and shot all the portraits for the Strictly Come Dansoc event at the college, as well.
Miguel loves people – a man who revels in conversation and meeting new characters. And he’s got a funny story about meeting people: at an event in Dublin with a friend, there happened to be a few ministers in attendance, including an Taoiseach Enda Kenny. However, Miguel had no idea who Kenny was! So his friend dared him to go up and talk to “the prime minister”, and Miguel, being a daring sort of chap, accepted. So up he goes with his camera, up to Enda, and takes a shot. They get to talking, for a full half an hour, getting along really well but Miguel had to excuse himself so he could go find the Taoiseach! He eventually found his friend and expressed his apologies: “I’m sorry, I couldn’t find the guy”, and his friend offered to introduce them. lo and behold, his friend, subsequently, introduces Enda Kenny – the man he had been talking to for a half an hour!
It’s this love of people that attracted Miguel to portrait photography, believing there is something beautiful in everyone. It’s this penchant for individuality that leads him to travel this fair green isle of ours, photographing faces to “show their awesomeness, their beauty”. For example, when people ask Miguel what’s his best picture that he has taken, he always picks one of a particular gentleman who has very low self-esteem. And he has photographed many people with similar issues. The Son of South America quotes a particular photographer, Peter Hurley: “I’m 90% therapist and 10% photographer”. Building up another’s self-esteem and improving the subject’s self image is as much a part of Miguel’s job as getting the perfect shot. And it’s, arguably, the most important part of his job.
“When I’m shooting, I don’t tell them, ‘this is a half an hour shoot, this is a one hour shoot’; I tell them, ‘we’re gong to be here for all the time we need for me to get your picture’”. Miguel says he could be there until 2:00 am in order to get the perfect picture! Describing himself as “very fussy, very perfectionist”, Miguel likes to do a great job. He relates a tale wherein he was training a girl to do a voice-over. 160 takes later he was finally satisfied! This persistence and ambition comes through in his consistently astonishing work.
“I love freedom. I have tried before to do a…9-5 type of job and I just can’t!”
Being a freelance photographer, Miguel takes full advantage of the creative liberties his profession allows. “I love freedom. I have tried before to do a like, 9-5 type of job and I just can’t!”. He is, however, quite content to follow directions when given them during commission work. “They hire me for my style, because they like my photography style. And that’s what they expect”.
Miguel studied Journalism at Universidad Católica Andrés Bello. Art and history – particularly the history of art – he says was very important to him. It was at University that Miguel had his first exhibition, where he learned “a lot about how to write, and how to talk to people, how to organise your ideas”, as well as collaborating with some of the university’s societies: graphic designs, photography and artistic advisor. But, he left college, despite feeling that it was a very good experience. One day, a drunken friend literally gave him a push and told him to start up his own business! And so he did. A visit to the register office was paid and Miguel was on his way.
On a minimal budget he started networking and getting the best advertising possible – word of mouth. The clients steadily came through the door, because they liked the fact that Miguel’s work was different. That, and while most companies offered one type of advertising to their customers, Miguel’s company offered five. “Also my graphic designs were different, they were not the exact same thing as everyone: a plain background and a picture got from the internet, No, I started getting photographers to take pictures of the business”. Despite not finishing the degree, a lot was learned.
Model: Dylan Chambers / MUA: Sarah Naughton
And there’s bigger and better things on the horizon for this talented soul. His self-discipline and hard work has paid off, big time. “At the moment I am meeting lots of people, and actually building a big team of creative people: artists, hair stylists, wardrobe stylists, creative directors, art directors and retouchers as well. And, we’re planning to do big editorial photoshoot for magazines in London, New York, Toronto, L.A. What we’re planning right now is something like, really, really cool and I’m really excited to start shooting next week; a few really class photoshoots. It’s gonna be more fashion, more beauty, and my style is going to be a little more classic, go a little more painter-y style. It’s really really class”. So watch this space.
No doubt this guy is going to be a big name in the photography world, stay tuned!
For more information on Mr Maza, check out his website, like his work on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter.
Galway City Interview James Jenkins Miguel Maza Photography
Nitelife Team
Read more posts from Nitelife Team
Why Each Zodiac Sign Feels Like They Have No Friends
R.S.A.G talks to TLMT about drumming, his influences, approach and more – The Last Mixed Tape
“The power of the message lies in the vocals” Wyvern Lingo – Wyvern Lingo – The Last Mixed Tape
“I hope Girls Rock Dublin will provide a safe space for young girls to share their own experiences of the world” Girls Rock Dublin talk to TLMT
New Festival in DublinTown – Gin Experience Dublin
“Triumph and tragedy” Paddy Hanna – Frankly, I Mutate – The Last Mixed Tape
The best theatre shows this week
The Girl Talk speak to TLMT ahead of their Soma show tonight – The Last Mixed Tape
He Tasted Like All The Poetry I’ve Ever Written
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line199
|
__label__wiki
| 0.583592
| 0.583592
|
The NRA, Gun Owners, Advocates for Gun Control: Why Not Work Together?
Exploring the New Frontier: Space Mining
Proof One Person Really Can Make a Difference
By Lisa in Awareness Building, General Information, One Person Changing the World
It occurred to me the other day that we really ask a lot of the people who read our website. At the end of our posts we always ask you to do something to make a difference or to get involved in some way. And I personally love that about our site. But I know that can be somewhat overwhelming at times. It’s hard to imagine that an average person could change the world in a meaningful way. I know I certainly feel overwhelmed at times. But there has been an amazing story in the news recently highlighting just how much one person really can do.
That person is Bayli Silberstein from Orlando, Florida. She is a bisexual 8th grader at Carver Middle School. Bayli is openly bisexual and is attempting to start a Gay Straight Alliance in her school. Unfortunately she has a received a lot of push back from the school itself as well as the Lake County School Board. They know they cannot reasonably deny her request for a club under the current rules, so the School Board is voting soon on new rules that would restrict the number and focus of clubs within the Middle Schools in the district. But rather than accept that, this courageous 8th grader has decided to fight back against the School Board. People throughout her community as well as the ACLU have gathered to support her cause and discourage the School Board from passing the new restrictive laws.
A vote has not yet taken place on the issue. So we don’t know exactly how this situation will playout. But even if Bayli is not successful in creating her club, she has nothing to be ashamed of. Her actions have given voice to so many others who were too afraid and too bullied to speak up. She has brought attention to an issue that many people don’t think to address. And has attempted to create a safe space for ALL the people in her school. Not just certain groups of people. Even if Bayli and her supporters lose this initial vote I’m willing to bet that the new restrictive rules will not stand. Other school boards in Florida have recently allowed GSA clubs in their districts even after initial resistance to it. And the same thing will likely happen with the Lake County district. So in the end, this one 8th grade girl will have made a difference in her own life, the lives of other LGBT students in her district, and in the lives of LGBT students around the nation.
It’s a shame that we still face issues like these in today’s world. But unfortunately that’s just the reality we live in. But people like Bayli give me hope. She was brave enough to stand up and not accept the status quo. And what’s equally wonderful, people decided to stand up with her. They saw what she was doing was right and decided to support her. We really all can be changemakers. We can have a sustainable impact on society. And Bayli has demonstrated one of the best way to do that. Her GSA club will continue affecting the students at her school long after she graduates. She started the movement but happily it will continue on even without her direct involvement. But she also created an opportunity for other people to make a difference with her. She was the catalyst but this GSA club will happen because of all the people who supported her and the movement they created.
So anytime you start feeling discouraged, just think of Bayli Silberstein. She stood up against injustice. She changed the lives of the people around her. And you can too.
Bayli Silberstein, bisexual, changemakers, Community Change, GSA, sustainable development
Elisabeth Arnold is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in political science with a focus in American Politics and with a minor in Chinese. In her coursework, she has specialized in social movements, policy analysis, and legal studies. Elisabeth is a Program and Research Intern with the SISGI Group focused on US race relations and incarceration, women’s rights, and US immigration policy.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line200
|
__label__cc
| 0.687231
| 0.312769
|
Sharon R. Eckstein
March 27, 1960 - January 30, 2019
To follow Sharon's Story, enter your email.
Back to Sharon's story
Sharon R. Eckstein of Sunman was born on March 27, 1960, in Batesville, a daughter to Raymond and Dorothy Batta Roell.
After graduating from Batesville High School, she earned her degree from Marian College in accounting with a minor in Spanish.
Sharon married John Eckstein on April 16, 1983, at St. Louis Catholic Church. She was happy to stay home and raise their four sons, which she did while helping with the Crisis Pregnancy Hotline and Sunman Food Pantry, tutoring children and being very active at St. Nicholas Church. Sharon was a member of the Ladies Sodality at St. Nicholas as well as the Knights of St. John Ladies Auxiliary. She was also a teacher's aide and a child advocate.
In her spare time, she liked to read, cook, garden, paint and draw and make baskets.
On Wednesday, January 30, 2019, she passed away at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati.
Those surviving who will cherish Sharon's memory include her husband, John Eckstein Sr.; sons John Jr. of Sunman, Bobby (Sarah Calkins) of Versailles, and Chris (Rachel Gehring) of Morris; three brothers: Jim (Marsha) Roell of Batesville, Earl Roell (Jennifer Foreman) of Batesville, and David (Joyce) Roell of Indianapolis; brother-in-law Steve Todd of Sunman; and several nieces and nephews.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by a son, Sam Eckstein; her sister, Marilyn Todd; and two infant siblings.
Friends may visit with the family on Sunday, February 3, 2019, from 2 until 6 p.m. at Cook Rosenberger Funeral Home, 107 Vine Street, Sunman. Rosary will be recited at 6 p.m. Father Shaun Whittington will officiate a Mass of Christian Burial on Monday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Nicholas Church. Sharon will be laid to rest in the church cemetery.
Memorial donations can be directed to the St. Nicholas Heritage Project, the Crisis Pregnancy Hotline or to the Sunman Food Pantry. To sign the online guestbook, please visit www.cookrosenberger.com. The staff of Cook Rosenberger Funeral Home is honored to care for the family of Sharon Eckstein.
To plant a tree in memory of Sharon R. Eckstein, please visit Tribute Store.
Plant a tree in memory
of Sharon
Cook Rosenberger Funeral Home
Restore this Guestbook to share a memory or message of condolence of your own.
4 Day Extend $4
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line202
|
__label__wiki
| 0.54684
| 0.54684
|
iDoms Dominican App
Application: iDoms App
New Vice Provincial of Ibn-e-Mariam, Pakistan
fr. Younas Shahzad as the new Vice Provincial
The Master of the Order, fr. Bruno Cadorè has confirmed last March 1, 2019 the election of fr. Younas Shahzad as the new Vice Provincial of Ibn-e-Mariam, Vice Province, Pakistan.
Fr Younas was born on March 3, 1967 in Yousafwala, Pakistan. He entered the Dominican Order on February 1, 1991, made Solemn Profession on January 7, 1994, and was ordained to the priesthood on September 27, 1996. He obtained his Licentiate Degree in Systematic Theology from the Gregorian University in Rome last 2002. He taught Christology at the National Catholic Institute of Theology in Karachi from 2002 to 2015, and was Master of Students at the Dominican House of Studies in Karachi for 13 years. From 2015 till his election, fr. Younas served as Parish Priest of Holy Rosary Parish in Warispura of the Diocese of Faisalabad. He also served as promoter of permanent formation and economic administrator of the Vice Province for the same period. As an author, he has published five books in the Urdu language.
Fr. Younas accepted his election on March 2, 2019
Publication Date: 2019-03-04 11:34:11
Site: Dominican Order - News | Categories: News, | Views: 154
View the original article: http://www.op.org/en/content/new-vice-provincial-ibn-e-mariam-pakistan
Copyright (c) 2016 iDoms.org. All rights reserved. Template design by Free CSS Templates.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line206
|
__label__cc
| 0.564487
| 0.435513
|
Caltech Home > Welcome > Speeches & Writings > Letters to Friends of Caltech > April 2017 Letter to Friends of Caltech
April 2017 Letter to Friends of Caltech
Dear Friends of Caltech,
As part of Break Through: The Caltech Campaign, I have been crisscrossing the country, meeting with Caltech alumni and friends. It is a wonderful time for science and engineering, with major questions ripe for breakthroughs: Does life exist elsewhere in our solar system or on planets orbiting other suns? Can we elucidate the architecture of the human brain to reveal how we make decisions, to alleviate human suffering, and to inspire new approaches to computation? What are the quantum devices that will transform energy and cybersecurity and revolutionize technology in the century to come? It is the signature Caltech combination of fundamental science and technical prowess that positions the Institute to take a leading role in these major research efforts, to marshal the evidence and to pose the questions that will define new fields of inquiry.
The endeavors of the Caltech alums and friends I meet are emblematic of these qualities. The Institute's focus on problems that matter, its intensity, and its intellectual intimacy create a culture that defines those who pass through its portals and inspires those who share its values. For those who know us well, there is an urgency to the research questions that transcends the particular and influences our outlook on life. Together we share the opportunity to be part of history.
At its heart, this is what the Break Through campaign is all about. It is a campaign about people who want to change the world. It is about those who are inspired by heady scientific and technological opportunities but know that progress is grounded in the efforts of individuals: scientists and engineers bouncing ideas off their colleagues and building new kinds of instruments to interrogate nature. Breakthroughs are not predictable, but they can be nucleated and nurtured and supported. They have emerged preferentially at Caltech because we make big bets on talented people who are fearless in attacking consequential problems. We provide them with generous and flexible resources, and we expect them to succeed.
This campaign about people, moreover, is a campaign for the long term. Deciphering the secrets of the universe and improving the human condition demand no less. Through gifts to endowment, we have the ability to support undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, and faculty members, this century and next, influencing lives one by one for generations.
The large philanthropic investments that capture the headlines—and we have been fortunate to inspire three $100 million gifts already in the Break Through campaign—forever change an institution through the cohorts of researchers at every academic level who are empowered to seize new opportunities. Every level of investment in our students and faculty, the engines of the research enterprise, similarly drives progress. A single scholarship, fellowship, or professorship creates a cohort over time as it propagates from one academic generation to the next. We are grateful for your support as we work hand in hand to secure Caltech's and our world's future.
Thomas F. Rosenbaum
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line208
|
__label__cc
| 0.721206
| 0.278794
|
it’s fight week (and tons of other stuff)
every day, fight, friendsBy roxyfighter September 1, 2014
Heya heya! It’s been over a week since I last wrote. I haven’t really been inspired to write anything lately. When I get stressed out, I tend not to write. ^_^;; *laugh* I train, go home, zonk out to watch anime, and fall asleep.
Fight prep is going splendidly. As I hope you know by now, I’m fighting in Invicta 8! In Kansas City, Mo! Watch on UFC Fight pass! Or a friend’s Fightpass. Or fly out there. I’m leaving on Wednesday.
Well, last week I tweeked two things and I was heavier than I had wanted to be, and I was freaking out. But now I feel super healthy and I dropped a few pounds, so I’m happy again.
omg x_x;;
Well, I wrote three, no, four articles for mmasucka.com! Please read them after my entry because I worked really hard translating Kanehara’s and Tamada-san’s, and then collecting interviews from my fellow fighters!
I used to train at the AACC in Japan, with Megumi Fujii and Yasuko Tamada, who is headlining Invicta: http://mmasucka.com/2014/08/13/yasuko-tamada-prepared-face-hardest-fight-date-invicta-fc-8/
I had switched gyms to Groundslam, where I trained with Masanori Kanehara, who will debut in the UFC on Sept. 20th: http://mmasucka.com/2014/08/28/stage-dreams-masanori-kanehara-takes-alex-caceres-ufc-japan/
aaaaaand this one just came out! I interviewed Michelle Ould, Tonya Evinger, and Jodie Esquibel.
http://mmasucka.com/2014/09/01/evinger-esquibel-ould-preview-invicta-fc-8/
AND I interviewed Rin Nakai, but that hasn’t come out yet.
Last Saturday, assistant coach John Heath instructed me, Fanny, Jamie and Liz on wrestling stuff. It was SUPER HELPFUL. I feel like I’ve learned SO much from coach John Wood already, that little questions I got answered this day were like icing on the cake. I’m super confident now.
Thanks, John!
Heather gave me this rash guard. I love it because it says “Hakai” in Japanese, which means “destruction.” XD
oh did I mention Vinny promoted me one stripe on my purple belt? I mean, I’ve been grappling for like 15 years, but I haven’t put on the gi so much since I started MMA. :/ So I didn’t really expect to be promoted, but it’s nice that I’m one step closer to my goal (of black belt).
My bestie HEATHER CLARK came out of the TUF house! 😀 We’ve been hanging out a bit! and with Miesha, too! 😀 <3
I like going to the Alehouse at Town Square and watch fights there. 🙂 This past Saturday I hung out with my friend Perry, Bootsy, Liz and John H. 😀
Anime-wise, I had started GTO, ironically on the same day kids went back to school in Vegas.
Watching that show (about a retired thug trying to become a middle/high school teacher) makes me feel nostalgic and yearn to go back to an academic setting. Then I remind myself how crappy the salary is compared to the level of stress and effort I inevitably put into it. -_-; and how many hours of unpaid overtime I used to do, because I wanted needed to do a good job?
Then I stumbled upon Mushishi, “The Bugmaster.” I love it!
It’s not action – it’s like mystical creatures and folk-tales. The main character is cool. I like him. And I found the live-action movie and the MAIN ACTOR IS ODAGIRI JO! He’s kind of hot. *_* I saw him in the live-action “Basilisk.” Ironic how I hardly ever watch live-action movies and the two I decide to watch have my favorite actor. XD
And I’m also getting back into Heroes season 3. Yeah, as most people said, it’s getting super weird and the writers are REALLY stretching the plot. x_x But I like it.
Don’t forget to check out my articles I mentioned above! 😀…
23456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200201202203204205206207208209
215216217218219220221222223224225226227228229230231232233234235236237238239240241242243244245246247248249250251252253254255256257258259260261262263264265266267268269270271272273274275276277278279280281282283284285286287288289290291292293294295296297298299300301302303304305306307308309310311312313314315316317318319320321322323324325326327328329330331332333334335336337338339340341342343344345346347348349350351352353354355356357358359360361362363364365366367368369370371372373374375376377378379380381382383384385386387388389390391392393394395396397398399400401402403404405406407408409410411412413414415416417418419420421422423424425426427428429430431432433434435436437438439440441442443444445446447448449450451452453454455456457458459460461462463464465466467468469470471472473474475476477478479480481482483484485486487488489490491492493494495496497498499500501502503504505506507508509510511512513514515516517518519520521522523524525526527528529530531532533534535536537538539540541542543544545546547548549550551552553554555556557558559560561562563564565566567568569570571572573574575576577578579580581582583584585586587588589590591592593594595596597598599600601602603604605606607608609610611612613614615616617618619620621622623624625626627628629630631632633634635636637638639640641642643644645646647648649650651652653654655656657658659660661662663664665666667668669670671672673674675676677678679680681682683684685686687688689690691692693694695696697698699700701702703704705706707708709710711712713714715716717718719720721722723724725726727728729730731732733734735736737738739740741742743744745746747748749750751752753754755756757758759760761762763764765766767768769770771772773774775776777778779780781782783784785786787788789790791792793794795796797798799800801802803804805806807808809810811812813814815816817818819820821822823824825
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line220
|
__label__wiki
| 0.757889
| 0.757889
|
Teaching New and Alternative Religious Movements
Teaching New and Alternative Religious Movements: Guest Editors’ Introduction
by Eugene V. Gallagher, Connecticut College and Benjamin E. Zeller, Lake Forest College
Topics falling within the category of “new religious movements” have become increasingly prominent in religious studies classrooms over the past few decades. Often tracking media coverage, students have particular interest in groups such as Scientologists, the Westboro Baptist Church, the Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints and their Yearning for Zion Ranch, and various New Age gurus ebbs and flows, but their overall fascination with new and alternative religiosity has remained a common feature in our classrooms. Yet instructors face the question of how to translate student interest in these groups into actual student learning. While such a task falls most obviously on those teaching courses focusing on new or alternative religious movements, instructors teaching on a wide array of topics and multiple subfields may wish to engage students in the critical study of this topic. The essays gathered in this issue of Spotlight on Teaching directly consider the question of how to teach about new religious movements in a variety of contexts.
Interest in teaching and learning about new religions reflects important transformations of our field over the last 50 years. One prominent trend in teaching about religion in higher education since the Abington v. Schempp decision by the US Supreme Court in 1963 has been the broadening of the subject matter that has fallen under the purview of the academic study of religion. In 2008, the American Academy of Religion’s “White Paper on the Religion Major and Liberal Learning” characterized that trend as a shift from a “seminary model” for the religion curriculum—in which the study of Christianity was virtually coextensive with the study of religion—to a “comparative” model in which many different religions come under consideration. Of course, that transition has been gradual and very uneven across institutions. In many institutions courses about Christianity still dominate the religious studies curriculum, whether there is an explicit argument for that preponderance or not. There has also been vigorous discussion about the continuing effects of the privileging of Christianity as the primary example of “religion.”
At virtually the same time that the discipline and teaching of religious studies were being reshaped, public attention was being drawn to an array of new religious movements that appeared to be sweeping the United States. The passage of the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act lifted restrictions on immigration and promoted the movement of a variety of religious teachers to the United States, particularly from Asia. Various trends in the counterculture of the 1960s also promoted interest in new religious movements. As groups like the Children of God, which started in Huntington Beach, California, in 1968, and the Unification church, which sent its first missionaries to the United States in 1959 and whose leader Rev. Sun Myung Moon relocated to the United States in 1971, attracted adherents especially from the burgeoning youth culture, they also provoked hostile reactions from a loose aggregation of parents of members, various mental health professionals, and other activists. The contemporary anti-cult movement, which was especially suspicious of many new religious groups and which often, in its early years, promoted forcible removal of group members and their “deprogramming,” first surfaced in organizational form with the formation of FREECOG (Free the Children of God) in the early 1970s. The ensuing “cult wars,” which soon spread internationally, dominated the 1970s and have continued, though sometimes in muted form, to this day. The 1978 murder-suicides of the members of Jim Jones’s People Temple in Guyana, the 1993 storming and subsequent fire at the Branch Davidian’s Mount Carmel Center outside of Waco, Texas, and the 1997 suicides in California of all active members of the Heaven’s Gate UFO group injected a new focus on violence and death into popular and academic discourse on new religions.
The apparent proliferation of new groups drew the attention not only of the public, which seemed to have an unshakeable appetite for dramatic tales of loss and rescue, but also of social scientists interested in the dynamics of social movements, including the processes of recruitment, conversion, and departure from groups. Those various research programs eventually coalesced into a distinctive subdiscipline of new religions studies. And that research began to find its way into the classroom where it often found an audience of students eager to learn more about those saffron-robed members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness who they encountered hawking literature in airports and other public places, the perplexing mass weddings held in well-known venues like Madison Square Garden, and the apparent affinity between various movie and TV stars and the Church of Scientology.
By 1999–2000, more than 18% of the institutions participating in the survey of undergraduate programs by the American Academy of Religion reported that they offered courses on new religious movements (see p. 10). The study of new religions had thus clearly begun to participate in the diversification of teaching about religion in higher education. As a group, the essays in this issue of Spotlight show how material about new religions can be used, not only in courses dedicated to the topic, but in a variety of the most frequently taught courses in the undergraduate curriculum. They clearly show how the study of new religious movements can be productively introduced into a variety of pedagogical settings.
Catherine Wessinger shows how material about new religions can enrich the teaching of religious studies generally. She argues that the study of new religions promotes students’ religious literacy, and she describes how exploring themes such as millennialism and women’s leadership from a new religions perspective illuminates our understanding of religion in historical and current contexts. Jeremy Rapport makes the case that studying new religions gives students multiple opportunities to cultivate the types of skills that are central to a liberal arts education, including critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. Marie Dallam focuses on the fundamental processes of evaluating source materials, particularly in a comparative context. Her assignment that requires students to contrast memoirs of members or former members and more scholarly treatments of a religious group encourages students to identify and evaluate critically the point of view from which an author writes, the multiple perspectives that can be brought to bear on a group, event, idea, or person, and to develop an understanding of the complexities of rendering an accurate account of any group based on multiple sources of information.
Lydia Willsky shows how course design strategies can be used to promote higher-order thinking and uses William Perry’s well-known scheme of cognitive development as a guide to devising constructive comparisons between groups and alternative stories about them. Her strategy of juxtaposing cases that are usually thought of as being quite different is echoed by Megan Goodwin’s emphasis on the marginality, rather than the novelty, of various new religious movements. By putting familiar groups like Peoples Temple and Scientology alongside Roman Catholics and Signs Following (“serpent handling”) Protestants, she also enlarges the comparative context for understanding new religions by showing how much they have in common with other religious groups that have been assigned minority status.
All of the contributors share the concern of getting students to understand new religions precisely as religions rather than aberrations of various sorts. They share Carole Cusack’s skeptical attentiveness to how the category of “religion” can be constructed to include some forms of religion as legitimate but to raise questions about others, as the application of the term “cult” in English-speaking countries and “secte” or “sekte” in French and German-speaking countries respectively, has done for a very wide range of religious groups. W. Michael Ashcraft’s adaptation of the site visit also serves as a way of encouraging students to view the members of new religions as human beings like them. Ashcraft also shows how the multisensory environment of the site visit promotes forms of learning that cannot be easily duplicated in the classroom.
As a group, these essays show that the study of new religions can lead students into fundamental questions about topics such as the nature and definition of religion, the roles of charismatic leaders in religious movements, the complex relations between religions and gender, and numerous other topics. Accordingly, the study of new religions can be incorporated into many of the courses typically offered in religion curricula: from surveys of world religions and courses on religions in America or any other geographical area to classes focusing on women and religion and courses specifically dedicated to new religions, such as those discussed by Jeremy Rapport and Carole Cusack. In fact, adding treatments of new religions to courses where students might not expect them offers the chance for instructors to challenge students’ assumptions about the fundamental categories and concepts that we study. New religions offer many topics on which students can hone their critical reading, thinking, and writing skills, their abilities to render accurately the concerns, practices, and commitments of others who may be very different from them, and their capacities to make informed judgments on topics of broad concerns, among many other skills that are central to undergraduate education.
New religions are good to think with not only because they offer an array of provocative and intriguing case studies but also because they bring into the classroom material with which students are familiar from other contexts. From South Park’s mockery of Tom Cruise and the Church of Scientology, through Marilyn Manson’s association with Satanism, to movies like The Craft and TV shows like Charmed that introduce elements of witchcraft and contemporary Paganism, new religious movements play an important role in the popular culture with which most college students are familiar. Incorporating some of that material not only grabs students’ attention, but also gives teachers the opportunity to show how the study of religion can help students develop a more sophisticated understanding of the worlds in which they live.
Taken together, these essays show how attention to new religions can enrich the academic study of religion at the same time that it helps teachers and students pursue some of the most general and important learning outcomes of an undergraduate education. The AAR “White Paper” mentioned earlier discusses the four essential learning outcomes for an undergraduate education proposed by the American Association of Colleges and Universities in its 2007 report, College Learning for the New Global Century. They are 1) knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world, 2) intellectual and practical skills, 3) social and personal responsibility, and 4) integrative learning. As W. Michael Ashcraft, Catherine Wessinger, and Megan Goodwin emphasize, encounters with new and alternative religious movements clearly demonstrated the richness and diversity of human culture on such fundamental questions as human sexuality, gender roles, definitions of the family, the role of work, and the meaning of history. Jeremy Rapport, Lydia Willsky, and Marie Dallam show how working on materials from new religions can help students to refine fundamental intellectual and practical skills. Considering the role of the state in events like the assault on the Mt. Carmel Center or Wounded Knee or the denial of Aboriginal rights and immigration rights in Australia certainly offers fertile ground for the consideration of many topics of personal and social responsibility. And the essays give multiple examples of how the study of new religions can promote integrative learning, from Jeremy Rapport’s and Marie Dallam’s paper assignments to W. Michael Ashcraft’s site visits.
In both the public arena and in the classroom, new religions of every sort deserve careful consideration precisely as religions. That they have frequently incited prejudicial responses in broader society calls for careful consideration and careful analysis rather than simple affirmation or rejection. Studying new religions offers students opportunities to grapple intellectually, and morally, with the dynamics of the origination, reception, and transformation of religious traditions. In itself, that grappling argues for their inclusion in undergraduate religion curricula.
Eugene V. Gallagher is the Rosemary Park Professor of Religious Studies at Connecticut College. He teaches a course on new religious movements annually and uses material about new religions in his introductory courses, “Religion and Globalization” and “Holy Books: Scripture in the Western Tradition,” among other courses. Among his publications on new religions is Reading and Writing Scripture in New Religious Movements: New Bibles and New Revelations (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014). He is a co-general editor of Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions and associate editor of Teaching Theology and Religion.
Benjamin E. Zeller serves as assistant professor of religion at Lake Forest College, in the Chicago metro area. His research and teaching focuses on religion in America, specifically on religious currents that are new or alternative including new religions, the religious engagement with science, and the quasi-religious relationships people have with food. He is author of Prophets and Protons: New Religious Movements and Science in Late Twentieth-Century America (New York University Press, 2010), Heaven’s Gate: America’s UFO Religion (New York University Press, 2014), and coeditor of Religion, Food, and Eating in North America (Columbia University Press, 2014) and The Bloomsbury Companion to New Religious Movements (Bloomsbury, 2014). He is co-general editor of Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions.
Header Image: Snake handling at Pentecostal Church of God, Lejunior, Harlan County, Kentucky, September 15, 1946 (National Archives and Records Administration ARC Identifier 541335). Photo by Russell Lee. In the Public Domain.
*Correction, Feb. 6, 2015, 1:00 p.m.: This article originally mischaracterized Catherine Wessinger's essay as one that focused on teaching new religions as world religions. The text has been changed to better reflect Wessinger's emphasis that studying millenialist and women's roles in new religions can help develop students' religious literacy.
Download full-text PDF of this issue
Teaching New and Alternative Religious Movements: Guest Editors' Introduction
Eugene V. Gallagher, Connecticut College
Benjamin E. Zeller, Lake Forest College
Integrating New Religions Scholarship into Religious Studies Courses
Catherine Wessinger, Loyola University New Orleans
Teaching New Religions at a Liberal Arts College
Jeremy Rapport, College of Wooster
Using Memoirs to Learn about NRMs in the "Mini Review Essay"
Marie W. Dallam, University of Oklahoma
Accepting Ambiguity: A Conscious Style of Course Design and Comparison for Teaching New Religious Movements
Lydia Willsky, Fairfield University
Everything New is Old Again: New Religious Movements as American Minority Religions
Megan Goodwin, Bates College
Making Familiar the Unfamiliar: Teaching RLST 2626 “Witchcraft, Paganism, and the New Age,” at the University of Sydney
Carole M. Cusack, University of Sydney
Field Trips in the Course on New Religions
W. Michael Ashcraft, Truman State University
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line221
|
__label__cc
| 0.584112
| 0.415888
|
Winnipeg 2018 University Panel
Vivin Simon
Vivin Simon is a first-year medical student at the University of Manitoba. He completed a three-year BSc. in Biochemistry at the University of Winnipeg. During his final year, he played for the University of Winnipeg Ultimate team - the Ewoks. In a gap year before medical school, he worked under the supervision of Dr. Athar Ata in natural products research. His research project focused on isolating sesquiterpenoids from bulks extracts of Sphaeranthus indicus and attempted to evaluate their antibacterial activity. Outside of academics, he enjoys volunteering at different community healthcare organizations such as Deer Lodge and the Saul and Claribel Simkin Centre, in addition to keeping active playing Ultimate Frisbee during the summer months. Vivin hopes to become a sports medicine physician one day, based on his interest in athletics and pathologies of the musculoskeletal system
Ifrah Zohair
Ifrah Zohair just completed her final year at the University of Manitoba and will be graduating in June with a Bachelor of Science, major in psychology and a minor in biology. Although she started off intending to complete a 3-year general science degree, her interest in psychology led her to pursue it as a major. Throughout her university experience, she has been involved with the University of Manitoba’s Student Leadership Development Program, Volunteer Program, Muslim Students’ Association and served as an UMSU councillor for the Science Students’ Association. Currently, Ifrah works with W.I.S.E. (Women in Science and Engineering) Kidnetic Energy which combines her love for science and teaching. Ifrah has also worked as a research assistant at the Kleyson Institute for Advanced Medicine, with Mini U programs and as a summer intern at the Children’s Rehabilitation Foundation. Her goal is to enter the field of medicine and one day become a pediatrician. Passionate about social issues and many recent bills that have either been passed or heavily debated in parliament, she has done various interviews with CBC Radio. Ifrah is currently an orange belt in karate, enjoys reading books and mentoring young girls at the local mosque.
Megha Kaushal
Megha is currently a first year pharmacy student who completed one year of undergrad at the University of Manitoba before being accepted to the College of Pharmacy. She has recently been elected to be the Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns (CAPSI) Junior Representative for the U of M on the national CAPSI council for the upcoming school year. She has been interested in a career in Pharmacy since high school when she realized Pharmacy was the perfect field that combined her love for talking to people along with studying the life sciences, especially chemistry. She hopes to work as a hospital pharmacist upon her graduation from the program and wants to pursue a career as a professor later on in her career so she can pass on her knowledge to the future generation of pharmacists. She also plans to attain her PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) degree at the University of Alberta upon the completion of her B.Sc. (Pharm) at the U of M. In her free time, Megha enjoys finding new music to listen to, watching Bollywood movies, catching up with friends and snuggling up with a good book.
Alayna Alambra
Alayna is a first year dental student who completed two years of undergrad at the University of Winnipeg before being admitted into the College of Dentistry at the University of Manitoba. This summer she will be starting a B.Sc. Dental research project on the Assessment of Maxillary Sinus Lifting Using Different Grafting Materials: Retrospective Study in Manitoba under the supervision of Dr. Reda Elgazzar, from the Department of Oral Surgery. During her undergrad experience, she volunteered at the Health Sciences Centre as well as with Let’s Talk Science. She has continued volunteering while in dentistry as a member of CanU. Alayna decided that she wanted to be a dentist at a young age. Through her undergrad years focusing on sciences, and her volunteer work where she had the opportunity to interact with patients and youth, she decided to pursue a career in dentistry. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, staying active, and spending time with family and friends.
Justin Lin is a first year science student at the University of Manitoba. Justin is 1 of 6 recipients of the prestigious Leader of Tomorrow Scholarship, the largest scholarship offered by the University of Manitoba. Throughout high school, Justin spent much of his time in research labs, working on cardiac fibrosis and ALS, which subsequently led to him to superior performances at the Canada Wide Science Fair, earning a gold medal at the national in his final year. This will be his second year with Project Pulse Winnipeg as he was the Professional Panel Director for Project Pulse 2017. He is very excited to share with all the participants his experience transitioning from high school to unversity since it is still fresh in his mind.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line222
|
__label__cc
| 0.726509
| 0.273491
|
inspiring women and celebrating achievements
Top 10 Inspirational Quotes About Women’s Empowerment
By Samuel Warde on March 8, 2015 celebrating women, celebrte international women's day, connecting women from all around the world, Inspirational, Inspirational Quotes, inspirational quotes about women's empowerment, inspirational quotes by women, inspiring women and celebrating achievements, International Women's Day, our country was built by strong women, Quotes, the collective efforts of all who care about human rights, the heroes who raise their children and head their household, The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization, Top 10 Inspirational Quotes About Women's Empowerment, top ten inspirational quotes, Women are leaders everywhere you look, women are the largeset untapped reservoir of talent in the world, women have always been the strong ones in the world, women who develop a strong voice, Women's issues Human Interest, Quotes, Women's Issues
Share on Facebook Twitter Google+ E-mail Reddit The world celebrates International Women’s Day this Sunday, March 8th. According to the official website for International Women’s Day, “Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women […]
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line231
|
__label__wiki
| 0.941106
| 0.941106
|
Tim Burton Gets Personal with Frankenweenie
Tim Burton may now be considered a filmmaking visionary, and one of a fairly small number of directors working inside the Hollywood studio system to still legitimately be called an auteur, but his unique genius wasn’t always embraced and celebrated. When Burton first conceived of the idea for Frankenweenie, based on a dog he loved during his childhood, he envisioned it as a full-length stop motion-animated movie. Owing to budget constraints and a lack of enthusiasm for that form on the part of his employer Disney, however, Burton instead made drawings of how he imagined the characters and directed it as a live-action short in 1984, starring Shelley Duvall and Daniel Stern. The plan was for the film to debut theatrically pegged to a re-release of Pinocchio, but Disney fired Burton before the movie was completed — feeling the project was too scary and weird — and for years it was shelved. Flash forward almost three decades later, and Burton is now set to debut the full realization of one of his first and most personal filmmaking visions — and to do so for Disney. For the full feature piece, over at ShockYa, click here.
Decoding Deepak
A best-selling author, lifestyle coach and proponent of Eastern medicinal practices, Deepak Chopra is known to and beloved by millions. Of course, he’s also just a man — and a sometimes distant and curious one to his son, Gotham Chopra. Decoding Deepak, then, is a documentary devoted to unraveling a bit of the myth surrounding the public figure, as the younger Chopra follows his father for a year, chronicling his brokered ordainment as a Buddhist monk in Thailand and subsequent book tour for a fictionalized autobiography of Muslim prophet Muhammad. Smart, warm-hearted and inquisitive, it digs into one of the under-examined (and ongoing) difficulties we all face — recognizing and understanding our parents as actual people, and not just a mom or dad.
Chopra recognizes and respects his father’s intelligence and drive, but his relationship with him is also leavened by skepticism, and a certain disconnection from what he eventually characterizes as Deepak’s insatiable hunger to be relevant on a grand scale. Like any son or daughter, he’s frustrated when his father thinks he has nothing left to learn, and he sketches out the contours of their relationship thusly: for engagement, follow him into his work, and listen to him talk about… whatever.
A lack of something to say is certainly not a condition normal to Deepak, who is adept at elegantly phrased, bite-size morsels of wisdom, and a master of wrapping philosophical poetry around terrible moments of human despair or depravity. In Gotham’s view, his father can turn “any mundane question into a talking point for a book,” so ripples of an understated adolescent longing for more personal connection come bubbling to the surface by way of his innocent needling of his dad over the lack of his books at a train station kiosk (“You’re not as popular as The Secret“) during a trip to India.
The film doesn’t quite crack the ineffable remoteness of its subject, but it is humanizing. The portrait that emerges is an interesting and engaging one — of Deepak as a perhaps deep but also innately restless thinker, not a phony, really, but a spiritually-minded guru who also enjoys many of the material pleasures of life. He’s a man of contradictions, like us all. This is always why he can be seen as pondering the big questions of life, while still obsessed with both his Blackberry and a contentious Nightline debate with professional skeptic Michael Shermer from months earlier.
As a kind of well-captured travelogue, Decoding Deepak is of course quite specifically about its namesake subject, but it also has a much wider reach and sense of reflection and purpose than that. The film actually shares a good deal in common with Doug Block’s superb, little seen 2009 documentary The Kids Grow Up, and Agnès Varda’s slightly better known The Beaches of Agnès, both of which were highly reflective nonfiction self-portraits refracted through the lens of modern parenting, and by degrees about the difficult but necessary notion of evolving familial relationships. If life is about answering but a few questions and the process of discovering more and more with which to grapple, Decoding Deepak suitably captures that. For the full, original review, from ShockYa, click here. For more information on the movie, and to view its trailer and information about its availability on VOD platforms, visit its website by clicking here. (Snag Films, unrated, 74 minutes)
Catherine O’Hara on Beetlejuice, Frankenweenie… Health Care?
Befitting a comedienne of her talents, Catherine O’Hara is many different things to fans of different generations. To most in her peer set and perhaps six or seven years in either direction, she’s best known as an award-winning writer and performer on SCTV, the influential sketch comedy show which started north of the border and eventually migrated to NBC. To plenty of younger fans, she’s Kate McCallister, the beleaguered matriarch of the Home Alone films. Urban cineastes and others probably know her best, meanwhile, from her four ensemble collaborations with multi-hyphenate Christopher Guest. And then, of course, family film fans will recognize her distinctive voice, from animated movies like Chicken Little, Over the Hedge, Monster House and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
That last title is also related to another thread or ribbon running through O’Hara’s filmography — her relationship with Tim Burton. She first worked with him on 1988’s groundbreaking Beetlejuice (and also met her husband, production designer Bo Welch, on the project), and then Nightmare, which was produced by Burton. Now, in Burton’s new stop motion-animated Frankenweenie, about a misunderstood boy who uses his love of science to re-animate his beloved, recently deceased dog, O’Hara voices three different characters. I recently had the chance to speak to the Canadian-born actress one-on-one, about Burton, Beetlejuice, Frankenweenie, how she muffed an audition to play Robert De Niro’s wife and, yes, even her thoughts on health care. The conversation is excerpted over at ShockYa, so click here for the read.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line235
|
__label__wiki
| 0.850246
| 0.850246
|
Giants rookie receiver Slayton catches coach's eyes
By JIM HAGUE
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) It's rare for a team's fifth-round draft pick to catch the eye of a head coach in minicamp, well before NFL training camps begin in earnest late next month.
Rookie wide receiver Darius Slayton has certainly made his presence felt for the New York Giants, however - especially when Slayton struggled with some dropped passes during the rookie minicamp in April.
In fact, Slayton was matched up Thursday with first-round draft pick DeAndre Baker, much like the two were for three years in the highly competitive world of the SEC with Slayton at Auburn and cornerback Baker at Georgia.
Although the two were not in full equipment Thursday, giving Slayton a bit of an advantage, Slayton simply ran away from the defender on two long passes, causing coach Pat Shurmur to take notice.
"I think the guy who's made huge improvements in my eyes has been Slayton," Shurmur said. "He's done a really good job. I think we were all here during rookie minicamp when he had the yips, drops and whatnot. He's really smoothed it out and has been making plays. He's the first guy that comes to mind in my eyes. This time of year, it's more about throwing and catching and less about blocking and tackling."
Slayton was very appreciative of the coach's kind words.
"It's definitely huge in my eyes and I'm glad he said what he did," said Slayton, who was a high school state sprint champion in the 100- and 200-meter dashes in Georgia, much like new teammate Jabrill Peppers was in New Jersey during his high school days. "I'm trying to get better, so it means a lot to me that he took notice. It's huge for me."
Slayton was a big-play receiver for Auburn, averaging more than 20 yards per catch during his three seasons, scoring 13 touchdowns. He also has good size, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 190 pounds.
But Slayton dropped to the fifth round of the draft after he could have returned to Auburn for another year. He then suffered through rookie minicamp.
"The first day (of rookie minicamp), I think I was trying too hard as a rookie, wanting to be super," Slayton said. "Definitely, the one thing I never lost sleep over was my speed. I know other guys can run, so it comes down to what guy has the best technique."
Slayton knew that he struggled and needed to make an impact this week. With Baker covering him during one portion of the workout, fellow rookie and top draft pick Daniel Jones hit Slayton with two big passes. One was deep down the sideline and another was across the middle that Slayton also took for a touchdown.
"A couple of times, I caught the ball and ran down the field and said to myself, `Yeah, I can do this,'" Slayton said. "I got some beautiful throws from Dan. It was a beautiful play to be able to run away from people."
And once again, Slayton found himself embroiled with cornerback Baker, who has impressed Giants coaches so much that he was running a good portion of the workout with the starters, alongside veteran Janoris Jenkins.
"He's a very good player," Slayton said of Baker. "He's sneaky strong. He might not look like much in street clothes, but he's a lot stronger than I thought. I thought he was the best cornerback in the draft. The last two years, I saw a lot of him. I always thought he was a good cornerback. He's so physical."
Slayton said that he likes the chemistry he has with Jones.
"He's a strong guy who throws a great ball," Slayton said. "It's easy to work with a guy like that. I just have to get open and he's going to get the ball to me."
The two went to the Rookie Premiere for three days in Los Angeles last month, with the NFL Players Association hosting 40 of the top rookies for trading card photos and other merchandising, courtesy of Fanatics and Panini America, the trading card partner of the NFLPA.
"It was a good experience for me," Slayton said. "I got to know Dan better. We were the only two Giants out there. I'm not much of a picture taker, so it was all new to me. It was the first time I was ever to the West Coast. We did a lot of talking together out there."
Baker was admittedly not at the top of his game against Slayton because he wasn't in full uniform.
"We're definitely at a disadvantage, because if the receiver gets a free release without pressing, it's kind of hard to do anything," Baker said. "It makes you better with your different techniques. You really can't get your hands on them (receivers) in minicamp. So it's all off-coverage and mirroring the guy and getting your feet better. That's all you can do right now.
"We're out there competing. They won some battles and I won some battles. It's all good to compete. It's a good atmosphere, the DBs versus the wide receivers. Let's see what I can do before the pads come on."
Shurmur also likes what he's seen of Baker thus far.
"He is very competitive and he's very tough," Shurmur said. "The corners are at a little bit of a disadvantage because there is no bump and run. Part of his charm was his ability to play up on a receiver and bump him. We think we are going to see more good stuff once training camp gets going. He's very competitive, he picks things up and he works hard. Those are the things you need to see."
NOTES: Tackle Nate Solder, still recovering from late offseason ankle surgery, is happy to be part of an improved offensive line this season. The Giants traded for veteran guard Kevin Zeitler from the Cleveland Browns and signed free agent tackle Mike Remmers from the Minnesota Vikings. "Kevin brings awesome intensity to our group," Solder said. "I like having him as a teammate. I'm excited about having him with us. The more you get to know someone, the better you feel about him." Second-year OG Will Hernandez agreed. "Me and Nate, we have been clicking together and understand each other well. We can read each other's mind now. Me and him, we've come a long way together and we're ready to get it going. Kevin is an awesome guy and a great teammate. He's the lead guard here and I'm going to learn a lot from him.".The Giants were slated to resume OTAs next Wednesday, but they pushed the workouts up a day to Tuesday instead.
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/tag/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP-NFL
Updated June 6, 2019
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line238
|
__label__wiki
| 0.960072
| 0.960072
|
Newsweek – September 04, 2006
WORLDS AWAY – by Lorraine Ali
As Hollywood starts getting heavy again, the intense, globe-trotting ‘Babel’ tries
making art out of tears and fears.
It’s three in the morning and thick clouds of dust roll across the rural Mexican dirt road like New England fog. Nearby, strings of bare-bulbed lights illuminate an outdoor fiesta where dozens of Tecate locals in cowboy boots and chunky heels dance to the rowdy ranchero band Los Incomparables. But not everyone’s having fun. A cameraman on the perimeter of the set has had it with all the errant chickens underfoot. “Get the f— out of here!” he orders, but this chicken doesn’t speak English. “¡Silencio, por favor!” yells a stage manager from the other side of the clapboard fence, and the bird stops in its tracks.
Communication breakdowns and cultural rifts drive Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Babel,” a film that spans three continents, seven languages and many leagues’ worth of buried emotion. It’s his latest in a trilogy that includes “Amores Perros” and “21 Grams,” but this time, the Mexican director’s overlapping stories have gone global. Two Moroccan brothers testing their dad’s rifle accidentally shoot an American tourist named Susan (Cate Blanchett), and in an instant dozens of lives are intertwined. Susan and her husband, Richard (Brad Pitt), are forced to rely on rural villagers—and each other—as she
fights for her life. The Arab boys’ humble family pays the price when the shooting is interpreted as a terrorist incident with international implications.
Meanwhile, the American couple’s children are supposedly safe at home in California, except that their Mexican nanny, Amelia (Adriana Barraza), has taken them to Baja for her son’s wedding, where she runs into trouble at the border, thanks to her smart-mouthed nephew Santiago (Gael García Bernal), who’s chauffeuring her around. In Tokyo, the deaf-mute teen Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi) and her father, a businessman who once gave his rifle away to a local on a Moroccan hunting trip, are perilously drifting apart after her mother’s suicide. “I kept saying to myself, ‘If this doesn’t work, it will be one of the
most horrible disasters in film history’,” says Iñárritu. “It’s four short stories that have nothing to do with each other. There’s no one apparent connection, so it all could look like a National Geographic special on global cultures.”
Iñárritu has been resting easier since “Babel” won best director at Cannes this past May. The film, written by Guillermo Arriaga, is compelling, intense and emotionally draining, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. “By the end there’s a moment similar to ‘The Pianist’,” says Blanchett. “The whole vision of that film had been in small rooms and internal spaces, and suddenly, he climbed over the wall and saw the shattered remnants of Berlin, and you were taken to this epic place. I think what Alejandro has done is supremely masterful. What could have been a mission statement is really very subtle and sophisticated in an almost subterranean way.”
Most of the folks in “Babel” are not actors but locals from the areas where the film was shot (“Alejandro always picks the best places: dusty, difficult and beautiful,” says Bernal, a longtime friend). In Japan, Iñárritu found many of the girls at a school for the deaf. In Morocco, he had muezzins make announcements from the minarets of mosques (“Want to be in a movie?”) and in Mexico, his casting agent scoured weddings and marketplaces. They found Alfredo Macias, 19, in a local club. He plays the groom. “My character is explosive, unpredictable,” says Macias. “He loves women and getting into fights. He’s just like me.” Claudia Sylvia Mendoza, who plays the groom’s grandma, was spotted at an Ensenada market. “I’ve always admired great actresses in soap operas,” she says. “Sometimes they play my own life. I watch and imagine which one I could be.”
Real people with unbleached teeth certainly make for more authentic characters, but it wasn’t always easy working with novices. On the set in Tecate, Iñárritu spent two hours and most of his patience trying to get one of his drunk nonactors to simply stay within the camera’s frame. During a wrenching scene in Morocco, Blanchett’s character is fighting for her life, but the villager tapped to play her caregiver kept smiling at the camera. “It was very dispiriting to see Cate giving me take after take with all her heart, killing herself,” says Iñárritu. “I think we finally got it on take number 32.”
Pitt, Blanchett and Bernal had of course read the script, but it was almost impossible to pull back and see the big picture that the director was attempting to draw: all the plotlines seemed so disconnected. “I thought, ‘I’m sure it will be great whatever it is’,” says Bernal, whose first film was “Amores Perros.” “But it’s like walking in blindfolded. Only Alejandro really knows the big spectrum. I’m just a humble servant working here. I know what my one function is; it’s very specific.” He smiles. “I’m just the chauffeur in the Brad Pitt movie.” Sure. And “Babel” is just a little local movie—that conjures up the world.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line246
|
__label__wiki
| 0.556152
| 0.556152
|
The end of an era for sure
Posted by Editor at 12:49 PM .
Labels: Indian Cricket, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, V V S Laxman
Although cricket is a game of uncertainty and nothing could be predicted or assessed surely but when it comes to the Indians going downhill everything becomes very clearly predictable.
When the Indians are not on top of their game it means catastrophe for them for all practical purposes because nothing comes to save them. When Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s side was whitewashed in England last summer there was a feeling that the injuries to key players contributed decisively to their downfall.
But the manner in which their full strength has been bulldozed in Australia now the message is loud and clear that their batting stalwarts are over the hill and the trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and V V S Laxman needs to be shown the door.
The greatness of Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman can never be doubted but they have done enough disservice to their team by not being able to save a single Test match in last eight attempts overseas.
Call it shameful or disgraceful losing eight Tests on a trot away from home is a blot for what used to be the top ranked side before. The team which used to win Test matches at the strength of its batters in every corner of the world is now unable to force even a draw on the most placid of pitches.
The trio of Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman served the cause of the Indian cricket in their heydays but they have been under the hammer for the past eight months. They have failed miserably in the challenging conditions of England and Australia where they used to score freely in the past.
The Indian selectors as well as their think-tank seemed to have missed a trick by not having taken the preventive measures. Another factor to have contributed in their downward journey appears to be the absence of Garry Kirsten, who had excelled in the role of a coach.
Duncan Fletcher must be having credentials to be a competent coach but he’s nowhere near to the class of the brainy Kirsten who suited the Indians in many ways and was chiefly responsible for taking them to the top of the ladder.
Obviously in a country like India where cricket is much more than just a sport, it’s never easy or even practical to make tough calls. That’s why the Greg Chappell theory of institutionalization didn’t work in his stint as the Indian coach.
Some other countries might have dumped Tendulkar and Laxman right away after the disastrous tour of England but it might not have been possible doing it in India as the matter could easily have been taken to the parliament or people would turned to streets in protest.
If India had to lose all four Tests in Australia, they would have been better off doing it with a young brigade. Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma could have scored more than Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman as Virat Kohli proved.
Kohli’s start to Test career wasn’t an impressive one but he has improved in leaps and bounds lately. Sharma and Raina, both of them natural stroke-makers, could have also benefited greatly if given a chance there.
▼ Jan (5)
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line249
|
__label__wiki
| 0.537531
| 0.537531
|
VIDEO: Army Football Team Carries French Flag Onto The Field
Normally, a college football game between two teams that are 2-7 wouldn’t get our attention, but it was the gesture from the Army football team before their matchup with Tulane today that did it.
It’s not uncommon for the team to come running onto the field carrying the colors of the American flag before games, but it was a different red, white, and blue flag that is making headlines today. The tremendous support that the world has shown France following the tragic events that occurred in Paris yesterday made its way to West Point today as the Black Knights ran onto the field carrying the French flag, along with the American flag, to show the solidarity with our allies across the pond.
Army takes the field with American & French flag pic.twitter.com/N94dZOK7TW
— Gus Kattengell (@Gkatt_17) November 14, 2015
In case you’re wondering, Army lost the game, 34-31, but on a day like today, does it really matter?
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line250
|
__label__wiki
| 0.914617
| 0.914617
|
Take a deep dive with the monthly newsletter by our team in Beijing and London.
北京和伦敦编辑部将在每个月末为您提供深度海洋资讯
By subscribing, you agree with our Privacy Notice. 关于我们如何处理您的数据及其他相关信息，请阅读我们的 隐私声明。
Will large protected areas save the oceans or politicise them?
Are marine parks driven more by geopolitics than conservation, asks Fred Pearce writing in Yale Environment 360
Fred Pearce April 25, 2019
Marine Protected Areas (dark blue) cover 7.59% of the world’s oceans. (Image: UNEP-WCMC / IUCN)
How can we save the oceans? They cover two-thirds of the planet, but none are safe from fishing fleets, minerals prospectors or the insidious influences of global warming and ocean acidification.
In the past decade, there has been a push to create giant new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). They now cover nearly 9.7 million square miles (25 million square kilometres), equivalent to more than the land area of North America. Cristiana Pașca Palmer, executive secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, says the world is on course to reach the convention’s target of having a tenth of the oceans protected by next year.
But questions are being raised. The growth has been driven by the formation of giant MPAs bigger than many countries, often in remote regions where the threat to biodiversity is lower. So, critics are asking, are countries creating big distant MPAs to distract attention from the harder task of protecting trashed coastal ecosystems closer to home? And is there a geopolitical game afoot, a stealth rush to control the oceans for political ends? And does that explain why half of the ocean waters covered by MPAs are in the hands of the United States and two former European colonial powers, Britain and France?
Most ocean scientists see the rush to create vast MPAs as a boon to marine conservation. They are cost effective, connect different marine ecosystems and encompass larger parts of the ranges of migrating species such as whales and tuna, protecting “corridors of connectivity among habitats in ways not afforded by smaller MPAs” says Bethan O’Leary, a marine scientist at the University of York in the United Kingdom.
But the geography of the new large MPAs seems to reflect politics as well as ecology. The biggest American MPAs are in the 200 nautical mile (370 kilometre) internationally recognised exclusive economic zones (EEZs) off Alaska and around the Hawaiian archipelago. And France and Britain are busy asserting their control over wide stretches of oceans in EEZs around tiny islands that they hung onto at the close of the European colonial era.
Britain has fully protected less than only 2.9 square miles (7.5 square kilometres) of its domestic waters, but has promised 1.5 million square miles (3.88 million square kilometres) of “enhanced marine protection” around its territories in remote oceans by 2020. That is more than 16 times the size of the UK itself. The waters earmarked include three of the 12 largest MPAs declared to date: around the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, Pitcairn Island in the Pacific and South Georgia in the Southern Ocean, to be followed by Ascension Island, St. Helena and Tristan da Cunha, all in the South Atlantic.
France is not far behind, promising 850,000 square miles (2.2 million square kilometres) by 2020, including waters around New Caledonia and French Polynesia, as well as Reunion and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean.
These giant MPAs are a relatively new phenomenon. Most have been created since 2010, when the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted its 10% target. Until then most were small, and about half of the world’s 15,000 MPAs still measure only a few square kilometres.
NOAA scientists approaching a young North Atlantic right whale they disentangled off Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Image: NOAA)
But the case to go big has been growing. While small safe spaces for nature may protect particular habitats like coral reefs and sea grasses, their impact on wider marine ecosystems and migrating fish stocks is bound to be small, marine ecologists argue. Partly because of this, and partly through bad design and poor enforcement, a recent meta-analysis of the impacts of existing MPAs by Graham Edgar, a senior research scientist at the University of Tasmania, found that “most of the MPAs studied… were not ecologically distinguishable from fished sites”.
Some scientists also say that with coastal MPAs, local fishers often lose out. Their livelihoods are disrupted as their fishing activities are declared illegal, while big commercial fishers just move on and damage somewhere else. There have been calls for codes of conduct to protect such communities. Nathan Bennett, an ocean geographer at the University of British Columbia, said in a Yale Environment 360 interview two years ago that protecting the interests of coastal communities could “make the difference between the success and failure of marine conservation”.
So will large MPAs do better? Most are in remote, near-pristine areas with lots of marine life to save. The US’s Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in the Hawaiian archipelago, for instance, is more than twice the size of Texas and supports 7,000 species, a quarter of them endemic. The 250,000 square mile (647,497 square kilometre) MPA declared by the British around the Chagos archipelago in the Indian Ocean is “the world’s largest contiguous undamaged [coral] reef area”, according to the former chief scientific advisor for the area, Charles Sheppard of Warwick University. It includes the largest atoll in the world, the Great Chagos Bank, and has 310 species of coral, 821 of fish (including 50 shark species) and 355 of molluscs. The MPA there has created the world’s largest “no-take” zone, where all commercial fishing is banned.
But some say the progress on protecting the oceans this way has been hyped. Enric Sala, a marine ecologist at the National Geographic Society, recently called the claim to be close to achieving protection for 10% of the world’s oceans “false and counterproductive”. While 7% of the oceans have so far been earmarked for some protection, only 5% have actually had plans implemented and only 2% ban commercial fishing.
Among MPAs where commitments remain unimplemented, Sala notes, two of the biggest are New Zealand’s Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary and French New Caledonia’s Coral Sea Nature Park. And when the departing Bush administration in 2009 created the Marianas Trench National Marine Monument near the US territory of Guam in the western Pacific, it ceded to pressure from the Northern Mariana Islands to allow fishers to continue their activities there.
But O’Leary says most designated large MPAs have management plans either in place or in preparation, and the development of drone, radar and satellite technology will make them easier to police than in the past.
A diver swims in French New Caledonia’s Coral Sea Nature Park, a Marine Protected Area in the South Pacific. (Image: Simon Ager)
A second concern of critics is that the massive coverage of MPAs may not be addressing the urgent task of protecting marine species and ecosystems from real and current threats.
Most large MPAs are in remote areas. The US, for instance, has instituted strong or full protections in less than 1% of seas in its waters around the continental US, compared with 43% in remote waters, according to a recent study that O’Leary co-authored.
Luiz Rocha of Hope for Reefs, a campaigning initiative of the California Academy of Sciences, says large remote MPAs “invariably exclude the only areas that would benefit from spatial protection, those close to the shore. They protect areas that nobody uses, and that changes nothing.” In fact, it is worse than nothing, he argues, because by allowing countries to hit UN targets, these remote MPA’s reduce the pressure to provide real protection where it is needed.
Even bigness provides few benefits, Rocha contends. “The media and the public love announcement of reserves ‘the size of Belgium’, but for species like tuna, the size of Belgium is like the size of your backyard.”
But O’Leary and other advocates for large MPAs counter that big protected areas provide more protection for migrating species than small areas. And even if they don’t counter urgent current threats, O’Leary says, they do provide “proactive protection of ocean wilderness areas against future exploitation” in the same way as protected terrestrial wildernesses.
Some critics charge that many big MPAs are as much about geopolitics as conservation. This particularly applies to the post-colonial MPAs of Britain and France, in which tiny, sometimes unpopulated, mid-ocean islands once occupied as refuelling stops for naval vessels, become the twenty-first century basis for what some are calling “ocean grab”. Britain has declared an MPA around South Georgia, which is claimed by Argentina, and, just as controversially, has also done so around the Chagos archipelago in the mid-Indian Ocean.
In colonial times, the archipelago was administered by Britain from adjacent Mauritius. However, in 1965, three years before granting independence to Mauritius, the British separated it off and signed a deal with the US for a major American military base on the largest of its 60 islands, Diego Garcia. As part of the deal, the British subsequently forcibly removed some 1,500 Chagossians. Living in exile in Mauritius and the UK, they have been campaigning to be allowed to return and resume economic activities such as fishing.
That was made more difficult when in 2010, Britain created a giant “no-take” MPA around the archipelago, excluding only Diego Garcia. A message from the US Embassy unearthed and published by Wikileaks, said British officials had said that “establishing a marine park would, in effect, put paid to resettlement claims”. The British government has repeatedly denied any such motive.
Things came to a head last month when, after decades of legal dispute, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the UN’s highest court, declared British control of the Chagos to be a “wrongful act”. The islands, including the MPA, should be handed back to Mauritius “as rapidly as possible”, the court ruled.
It is far from clear if the British government will accede to this demand. Mauritius’ London embassy did not respond to requests to clarify its plans for the MPA. But in the past it has said that while it had no problem maintaining an MPA, a no-take zone would “not be compatible” with its plans for returning Chagossians and exploiting marine resources.
Whatever the future for such contested waters, the bigger prize of saving oceans remains. Scientists have argued that the world should aim to protect not 10%, but 30% of the oceans. That would require concerted international efforts to protect the two-thirds of the oceans that lie outside national EEZs.
Reef assessment and monitoring in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. (Image: Scott Godwin/NOAA)
Just 0.5% of these “high seas” are currently covered by MPAs. These are in areas covered by regional or international treaties. The largest is the Ross Sea MPA off the coast of Antarctica, which covers an area almost the size of Alaska and is one of the world’s most productive marine ecosystems, though concerns have mounted because of a krill fishery allowed there under the terms of the Antarctica Treaty. Others include the Charlie-Gibbs MPA, a biodiversity hotspot in the mid-north Atlantic where polar and tropical waters meet. It is managed by the Ospar Convention on the north-east Atlantic marine environment.
But many more may be established if the UN finalises a new High Sea Treaty on schedule in 2020. Talks on the treaty were scheduled to resume in New York in March. Its provisions will almost certainly include creating MPAs in international waters. Candidates include the Sargasso Sea, a zone of sluggish waters in the north Atlantic off the British territory of Bermuda that is full of floating seaweed among which both American and European eels breed.
The question then becomes who will fund and manage MPAs on the high seas. The moving forces behind them will likely be the same as those that helped trigger the recent spurt of large national MPAs: American and other conservation groups backed by private philanthropists.
Conservation International helped mastermind the French MPA around New Caledonia. The Switzerland based Bertarelli Foundation helped establish those around French Polynesia and Chile’s Easter Island. In the Seychelles, The Nature Conservancy raised money from US philanthropists, including actor Leonardo DiCaprio, to buy up national debt in return for the creation of two large marine reserves. The Louis Bacon Foundation, established by a US hedge fund manager, is to pay for policing a British MPA around Ascension Island.
Biggest of all is the Pew Charitable Trusts, which says it has already “helped safeguard 5.2 million square kilometres – an area 10 times the size of Central America”. Pew first proposed and helped fund British MPAs at Chagos and Pitcairn, as well as pushing for US initiatives such as the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument. In a joint initiative with the Bertarelli Foundation, Pew recently appointed former US Secretary of State John Kerry and former British Prime Minister David Cameron as “ocean ambassadors”.
Elizabeth Karan, a senior manager at Pew, said in an email interview that her organisation is helping “identify important areas for biodiversity on the high seas, and work[ing] with governments [to] develop proposals”. Policing of these non-national MPAs would be done by treaty signatories regulating their industries.
Some see such philanthropists as planetary saviours; others as agents of a creeping privatisation of one of the last great global commons. Either way, it is a big task.
This article was first published in Yale E360
Fred Pearce
Fred Pearce is a freelance author and journalist based in the U.K. He is a contributing writer for Yale Environment 360 and is the author of numerous books, including "The Land Grabbers, Earth Then and Now: Potent Visual Evidence of Our Changing World," and "The Climate Files: The Battle for the Truth About Global Warming."
Nature Conservancy unveils US$1.6 billion scheme to save the oceans
“Blue bonds” initiative will refinance the debt of coastal and island nations in exchange for the protection of critical habitats
Jessica Aldred
How Latin America’s ‘Southern Cone’ is leading the way for marine protection
The move will benefit biodiversity, fisheries resilience and carbon sequestration
Fermín Koop
Marine protection
Governments thrash out treaty to save the high seas
Talks must overcome a web of vested interests before a biodiversity charter can be agreed, writes Chen Jiliang
Chen Jiliang
Searching for solutions to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
Stemming the tide of plastic and other waste in the ocean
Addressing our rising seas and acidifying ocean
Protecting and restoring marine ecosystems
Cooperating to protect the ocean commons
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line253
|
__label__wiki
| 0.728053
| 0.728053
|
I am a Nut Job Scores at Prestigious Columbia University
So did anyone come out smelling like roses yesterday? I noticed that the Nut Job's remarks about homosexuals are getting a lot of coverage, although I would have to say that his assertion that Iran has no homosexuals is probably correct. The regime murders them all.
I haven't seen much reaction on the "progressive" bloggers front yet to that little gem. Strange that, since defending gays is one of their strong suits. They must be terribly conflicted. However, it's early yet, so we'll have to wait and see.
I also noticed that some commenters on some blogs are praising Columbia's President Lee Bollinger for accusing Nut Job of being a wretched slime bucket. Well, good for President Bollinger, but I'm sorry to say I do not agree. Columbia does not deserve praise for giving this monster a platform and the institution has been sorely stained for having allowed it.
The Jerusalem Post, quite naturally, has a lengthy article about the event, from which come these pertinent passages (emphasis is mine):
Ahmadinejad rose, also to applause, and after quoting from the Koran said Bollinger's opening was "an insult to information and the knowledge of the audience." He accused Bollinger of giving in to the media and politicians.
The dean of Columbia Law School, David Schizer, has been expressing opposition to the decision to invite Ahmadinejad.
On Sunday, Schizer joined Jewish groups and others in criticizing the invitation.
"Although we believe in free and open debate at Columbia and should never suppress points of view, we are also committed to academic standards," Schizer said in a statement. "A high-quality academic discussion depends on intellectual honesty but, unfortunately, Mr. Ahmadinejad has proven himself, time and again, to be uninterested in whether his words are true."
The best comment I have read to date, though, comes from The Belmont Club blog comments. None other than Wretchard himself sums it up quite nicely.
"The principle here is very simple. Ahmadinejad is a thug like Al Capone. Columbia is, whatever else you may think it, a well-regarded institution of higher learning; a place which has generated it's fair share of Nobel Prize winners, etc.
When Al Capone speaks at Columbia, Al Capone always wins. Capone can provide no prestige for Columbia that Columbia doesn't already have. But Capone's association with Columbia, however slight, will always benefit Capone.
This is why, for example, Presidents shouldn't associate with known criminals, except in a diplomatic capacity. The former confers a legitimacy on the latter. It doesn't do the cause of virtue any good to say "the president of Columbia debated Al Capone". But Al Capone can always claim to his advantage, "I wunze debated the Presdunt of Columbine, you know that fancy school in New York?"
What a shame that the people back in Iran will likely never hear a word about what actually happened on this platform at Columbia University. If they do hear anything, it will no doubt be in the same vein as Nut Job's Holocaust denial screeds.
Labels: Ahmadinejad, Columbia, universities
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line256
|
__label__cc
| 0.717939
| 0.282061
|
Category: Technology & Industry
Ever since the early days of the industrial revolution, industry has been totally dependent on technology, and both are dependent on science. Industry, by being the production of an economic good or service within an economy, has the power of generating the necessary resources for supporting technology, science and skilled labour. As a result of the industrial revolution, manufacturing industry went through many successive advances in technology, e.g. steel and coal, for supporting production and labour especially in Europe and North America. At a later stage, in particular after WWII, and with the increasing attention to the importance of education, science and technology as well as an accelerating access to the global natural resources, e.g. oil and mineral resources, combined with increasing globalisation and open market economy, many other major economic powers started to emerge and to grow very fast, e.g. Asia, India, China and South America. However, technology as an instrument of making, modifying, using tools, machines, techniques, crafts and systems as well as compilation of knowledge to solve and improve solutions of problems as well as to perform specific functions (input-output) has already long history. There are several prehistoric examples demonstrating the very nature of humans to invent new technologies, e.g. control of fire, agriculture, food and animal production, invention of wheel. The 21st century will be gradually shaped by new, clean and resource-effective technologies through further progress in ICT, nanotechnology, renewable energies and other inventions for more industry-based sustainable solutions what regards the conservation of natural resources. Gained knowledge on strengths and weaknesses in previous/existing technologies will allow us to move faster for achieving sustainable socio-economic developments.
Is Activism a Democratic Tool to Solve the Existing Enormous Disparities in the World? Or is it a beginning of a Global Civil War?
Is Climate Change issue turning the world into an increasingly organized activism that can trigger global waves of new fanaticism. After the case of the Swedish 16-years climate activist ‘Greta Thunberg’ waves of mass global protests took and are taking place. Yet, new preparation of massive school protests against politics and politicians are on the way and more are likely to take place. In The Guardian we can read the following: What we want is more learning in schools and less activism in schools’, prime minister Scott Morrison yells after being asked a question about school students participating in a climate change strike. Greens MP Adam Bandt asked if the PM would ‘listen to these kids, who are demanding your government to keep coal in the ground?’ Morrison’s response was that they should stay in school and leave politics to those ‘outside of school’ (https://www.theguardian.com/global/video/2018/nov/27/scott-morrison-tells-kids-going-on-climate-strike-to-get-back-to-school-video). Then the question to Morrison is why do you ask the citizens to vote? Would Morrison encourage people in the U.K. to stay at home and not participate in political elections or be engaged in political decisions and policies?
Scientistswarning.org, as is given on their home-page, is a Union of Concerned Citizens with a mission for protection and preservation of life on Earth. This organization is giving their total support for school protests (https://youtu.be/R6s8YgRH5T0). The essence of their mission is a protest against Consumerism, with its cast of advertising executives, bankers and economists, corporate CEOs, politicians, etc. It is all about the evolving of defective ‘operating system’ that insists on infinite, accelerating economic growth despite the ecological costs – namely the destruction of Nature. Many scientists have signed or endorsed what is displayed on the home-page of Scientistswarning.org to avoid the worst of ecological destabilization that we have inflicted on Mother Earth. We are all, as is said on their home-page “therefore de facto members of what we are calling the Union of Concerned Citizens of Earth”.
The ongoing school protests triggered by activists supported by international and national organizations are likely to expand to uncontrolled protests on diverse and global wider scales as there are million if not billions of less-privileged-people. Climate Change action is only one goal of the seventeen UN-SDGs. If our focus will continue to be focused on only one goal we are likely to run in huge trouble in the future. We can expect some sort of global civil wars that may include avalanches and waves of brutal activities around the world. That if things grow out of control. The Climate Change issue, though is certainly of global importance, is only a small part of the UN-SDGs (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/) with 17 goals and 169 targets that summarize the global defects in the socio-economic-environment systems around the world. The UN-SDGs is global comprehensive agreement that are designed by all world countries, they are shaped to mitigate and solve multi-layered disparities ranging from poverty, hunger, education, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth for all, reduced inequalities, responsible production and consumption, acceptable global quality of life on land and under water, peace/justice/strong institutions and partnership for goals. By being signed by all countries around the world give the global citizens the right to protest and to be activist.
The ongoing school protests in the developed countries are primarily focused on solving the energy issue “the so-called Paris Agreement (https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/what-is-the-paris-agreement), i.e. moving away from fossil fuel and turning over to renewables. The withdrawal of USA “Trump Administration” from the Paris agreement (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_withdrawal_from_the_Paris_Agreement) and the silent/passive acceptance of the world community of the USA action has indeed caused massive latent anger of the world citizens. The same scenario that caused enormous tragedies in the MENA region because of the Iraqi war (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War).
The school protests initiated by climate activists, initially by Greta Thunberg’s family are not taking in their consideration the whole web of the UN-SDG thus are likely to trigger new series of violent protests around the world such as those took place in the MENA region in 2011, the Arab Spring.
Can UN-GDGs and the Paris Agreement be Achievable with Current Population Growth Projections?
Much of the world attention ⚠️ is currently focused on the reduction of carbon dioxide in atmosphere primarily through replacing fossil fuel by the use of renewables. In theory this seems to be essential for tackling the ongoing global warming and thereby mitigating climate change impacts and the associated threats on all life forms on Earth. However, this alone in not realistic for several reasons and will not result in achieving the goals of the Paris agreement what concerns the Climate action.
Indeed, climate change and the sustainable development goals are inextricably linked. Despite this fact, there is no formal interrelationship between their designated international processes, namely, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This represents a major obstacle for the successful and inclusive implementation of the UNFCCC (http://17goals.org/paris-agreement-sdgs/).
Both the Paris Agreement and UNSDGs are not likely to be achieved if the growth of world population continue to accelerate as it is by todays rate (https://youtu.be/1sP291B7SCw). We have already serious global failing of housing policies (
https://www.citylab.com/equity/2018/04/the-global-housing-crisis/557639/) which indeed is not related to further expansion of urbanization, more and more buildings but rather increasing economic imparities (https://youtu.be/IRs6B69z8Jk). We have still a global tabu what concerns to discuss the reasons behind the population growth and what policies and actions are needed to regulate the world growth in order to achieve the UNFCCC and the UNSDGs.
Suggest a Solution?
Sweden’s Foreign Minister versus Canada’s Psychology Professor – Should Science be met by Political Insult?
In science, it is all about validated facts and reliable knowledge, the so-called Scientific Theory (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_theory), no more no less. It is not about opinions (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion) and emotions but it is rather about facts (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fact). Science is the main driver of validated knowledge as being deduced from validated hard facts (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fact) and it is the very bases of any healthy democracy. Opinions come and go but the domain of science is always based on hard facts and remains to be an ultimate reference based on neutral knowledge. However, in social sciences there are no absolute global facts as such as human diversity can be quite complex depending on many parameters. In exact science such as mathematics, physics and chemistry facts can be universal, absolutely correct and exact with high quantitative precision which is not the same as non-exact and qualitative sciences that can not be directly measured with calibrated instruments. In the later case observations can be bases in best cases on comprehensive compilation and statistical treatments of intensive arbitrary data.
Both politics and science should inform the public about how democratic decisions are made and how the public taxes are used to settle conflicts and disputes in the society. If both the Canadian professor Peterson and the Swedish Foreign minister Wallström were, as they are indeed, citizens like us they would demand to know what are the hard facts behind their arguments. Professor Peterson did, to a great extent, explain by “validated” science his views, indeed he has, to large extent, the scientific community behind him. The Swedish foreign minister Margot Wallström, on the other hand, did not raise any logic arguments and replied with an insult (https://youtu.be/7dJFa_cgero). The other members of the panel did not share the Minister views. I learned that “To think free is great, but to think rightly is greater”, this statement is written over the entrance of Uppsala University. Free thought and the right to express ourselves freely is absolutely fundamental but does not deserve insulation, it deserves free, ethical and fair debates. In this context, the question is, is the validated, or at least to large extent validated, science of Professor Peterson wrong? If so why? This was never explained by the Swedish Foreign minister and she even went on by insulting the people that listen, including university students around the world, to Professor Peterson. Well, the matter is so simple, if I was a politician, I would require an investigation about the facts stated by Professor Peterson. There are psychologists in Sweden and if professor Jordan Peterson is wrong then why the Swedish minister does not get a second opinion from the Swedish psychologists and just turn this matter to an open academic and social debate? That was much better than acting emotionally as she did. The same applies to Anne Lööf, the leader of the Swedish Center party, where she protested (https://youtu.be/Bv3ZNeoutjo) against Professor Peterson with a short statement by saying “WE” don’t agree with that? We, who is WE? Is it all the Swedish people? It is all the people of the Center Party? Or is it the liberals or the Alliance? This was not enough from her as she did not give any further explanations on why she does not agree on scientific facts and the reasoning of Professor Peterson? Even the host, journalist and leader of the Norwegian TV program, Fredrik Skavlan, did not do any follow-up events to find out which is which and why science and politics are in dispute? Unfortunately, any information that appear on the Internet spreads so fast and any corrections by experts my come with considerable delay. This was also the case here.
The topic of “Equal Outcome” and “Equal Opportunity” is very much discussed in literature and the basic definitions and explanations have been known for longtime (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equality_of_outcome). It turns out that there are great differences between the two concepts, i.e. “Equal Opportunity” and “Equal Outcome” in terms of politics (http://www.valuesandcapitalism.com/equal-opportunity-vs-equal-outcome/), i.e. to the left or to the right. As far as I know psychology is politically a neutral science and is always needed in democratic societies, it is the essence of healthy social fabrics. Psychology went through considerable advances, progress and developments and most of the content of modern psychology is still yet unknown to the public. Still the science itself is subject to several limitations by not being an exact science, as is the case in mathematics, physics and chemistry. Human behavior (psychology, sociology and anthropology) can not be modeled or parameterized, i.e. described by mathematical equations. The impacts of the two concepts, “Equal Opportunity” and “Equal Outcome” and their implementation, whether scientifically or politically based, on the society are enormous on several socio-economic and even socio-economic-environment levels. These differences should be explained to the citizens on every detail as at the end of the day the citizens should base their decisions and votes on what is what, why is why and how is how?
Definitely there is a big disagreement between science and politics on the highest levels (https://nyheteridag.se/swedish-foreign-minister-wallstrom-says-jordan-b-peterson-shouldve-stayed-under-a-rock/) though both are related. For us as citizens in a democratic society, we need to know what is the good science (correct and trustful news) and what is pseudoscience (bad and fake news). Science is always the main driver of healthy democracies and both science and politics are very much dependent on each other. Now, if politics continue to discredit science without validated facts then we will be in a very problematic situation for years to come. This will end up with an accelerating spiral of mistrust in science, research and education. It is a green light from politicians to the public to be suspicious about our education system. This is already taking place and it remains to see what type of society would be have in the future? Of course constructive criticism is very healthy for science and there is nothing wrong to question knowledge but this can not be on loose arguments, emotional opinions and definitely not through insulting the scientific community.
This said, there are still media-based concerns about Professor’s Jordan Peterson political argumentation (https://medium.com/s/story/a-field-guide-to-jordan-petersons-politicalarguments-312153eac99a). What concerns non-exact sciences, they have to be strictly validated and reproducible on several scales and levels as well as over very long periods of time. In this case, human science, they should be done preferably over generations. So, it is healthy to get a balanced debate of what is addressed by Professor Peterson but again through validated facts and fair debates from both sides, i.e. politics and science. Logically the scientific community should be more and more engaged in media debates as this in-fact one of the three duties and tasks of the universities and academies, i.e. research, teaching and outreach activities. Unfortunately, many universities and academies, if not all, are very passive in performing their third duty, and systematically ignore their third task, which indeed counterproductive what regards promoting and achieving sustainable societies. By being part of the scientific community I have to explain what science dedicates without mixing up science and politics. Then the citizens and voters have to take all these facts in their consideration to achieve more sustainable future for the coming generations as well. Very important questions in this context are: Do we need science? If, the political answer is yes, which indeed is, then we can ask is science a bad or a good compass for politics? Would “Equal Opportunity” or “Equal Outcome” be the best for promoting Circular Economy and sustainable societies.
Education Versus Politics – Our collective Suicide
There are no questions or doubts that we have serious conflicts and misconceptions around the world between Education and Politics. These conflicts are deeply rooted in the perception of the role of science and technology as essential and imperative drivers for sustainable developments and promotion of sustainable societies.
On the one side, politicians use (misuse) the outcome of science and technology to achieve, in best cases, short-term benefits not in favor of future generations. Also, politics is imposing restrictions on the mission of science and technology for the sake of improving the life quality of the global citizens. This has been the case for generations as it is evident from the great degradation in life quality on Earth in terms of air and water qualities as well as the accelerating abuse and decline of natural resources. These issues have severe impacts on future generations but also on current populations as well. Meanwhile, politics continue to contribute in the growing failure in education systems, in particular the higher education at universities (https://youtu.be/OReAF9qwMkY; www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6447626326525513728), including the associated mistrust in education to lead to successful long-term careers and real jobs. On the other side, it is also clear from how the citizens trusted, and still do so, that science and technology can bring better future for them, as they still go to schools and struggle day and night to join higher education. Of course, not all but the wealthy and lucky ones who have inherited advantages to support their education and to scape modern slavery of the imperatives of a failing growth economy. The citizens have also no other choice other than to follow political policies and growth economies that fail to meet their needs in particular to deliver security and safety for the future generations worldwide (https://youtu.be/Xwnqy51BJNM; https://youtu.be/GiD04TRwebQ). The perception of science and technology is dependent on what they bring to humanity and the society in terms of socio-economic opportunities with reference to the boundary conditions of life on planet earth, i.e. the environment and climate conditions on local, regional and global levels.
The political controversy on whether or not we need science and technology to run our societies is taking the same route as the classical conflict between the Church and science in the sixteenth’s century that resulted in a trial against Galileo Galilei and led eventually to his house arrest under the rest of his life. At that time, this was considered a generous punishment for his scientific work by being not along the mainstream catholic belief, i.e. that the earth was the center of the universe. The Church at that time was the political power that controlled the society, directed the track of science and even decided its outcome. The popular narrative would say that the Catholic Church feared Galileo’s truth and silenced him. Though all these restrictions, Galileo Galilei continued his scientific work which laid down the foundation for the successful work of Isaac Newton and his findings of a theoretical force (gravity) and a mathematical system (calculus) that when used together allowed astronomers to accurately predict the movements of our solar system. This all together gave us the hope that all natural occurrences are explainable in mathematics. Both Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton contributed in diverting the track of science in hybrid direction orchestrated by Albert Einstein.
These summaries illustrate the powerful role of conservative politics that restricts the scientific endeavors by being the collective outcome of the individual scientific works to the search for truth. But science always wins inspite of all political obstacles and restrictions. For the church to admit Galileo was right was to also say every other scholar for the past 1,500 years was wrong. This is the same for our politicians to admit that all life forms on planet earth are under huge threat. It is to also say that the current growth economy and the associated trends forced by business as usual in production and consumption are all wrong. Politicians even do more serious attacks on science as an excuse to go on with the same failing economic policies. If politicians continue to ignore science, as is currently the case, the mistrust in global education systems will face an increasing spiral of degradation. Also, politicians will force science and technology to proceed in supporting growth economies and halt many efforts to promote and implement circular economies as a consequence of an increasing mistrust in the role of higher education to support rapid transformation to a circular economy based societies.
Please, visit my Instagram and follow @sustain.earth
Immigration-Integration Dilemma: An Inconvenient Truth in Swedish Politics
Since the end of the Second World War WW-II Immigration-Integration politics have been of importance for Europe especially during the early stages of the internal collective focus on building up a strong European economy. During this period, the foreign labor felt appreciation from the employers and the state by being an important part of an ongoing collective movement that will allow them to build their individual economies and to improve their future as well. Most of the foreign labor during this period came from other parts of Europe with great excitement and motivation to improve their economies and social status. A small part of the foreign emigrant came for the sake of education with great motivation to improve their own Career-Development-Plans. Later on, for the sake of creating social European integrity and during the formation of the European Union 🇪🇺, it was where most of success, or failure, in the integration process took place. Meanwhile, as Europe started to become economically strong and focused on the internal issues to form the European Union, the demography of the foreign labor and emigrants changed and shifted dramatically as a consequence of attitude changes in the labor market in Europe. Much sharper competition on jobs with new reforms of the immigration policies oriented more and more meet the new condition in the labor market. Along the way of these periods, there have been great variations in how individual countries in Europe succeeded in integrating foreign workers in their labor, social and economic structures (https://www.economy.com/dismal/analysis/commentary/258390/Europes-Biggest-Challenge-Since-World-War-II/).
Generally speaking, successful integration requires workable policies on anti-discrimination, family reunification, equal access to education, political participation, permanent residence, and above all, labour market integration. Other essential issues that were, and still, rarely considered include inclusive social participation and interaction in cultural, tradition and folklore activities. The last mentioned ones are typical engagement in free time, weekends and vacations where most emigrants, in countries with less successful integration, feel very much isolated from the rest of the society. The language that most emigrants acquire (especially during the first years of residence) is, not seldom, limited to integrating them in the labor market, as is the case in Sweden during the past decades. Here the state or the employers have, because of budgetary restrictions, very little resources to offer in this respect. Putting language learning and linguistic developments in practical and real social communication situations are, also, very important and can even be of central importance. Humans have natural explicit needs to express and understand feelings and to support social thinking and problem-solving for developing and maintaining relationships. This is where understanding and using the language is imperative to enjoy the deep social, cultural and folkloric roots in any society. This is how to turn “workers” to “citizens”, no one would really appreciate or like to stay a worker, a machine or a robot all his/her life. These are simple facts in sociology and psychology. This is the very reason why most foreigners/emigrants feel outsiders in new cultures even after relatively long time of residence. This can end up in gradual transformation of early stage cultural chocks of individuals to permanent and collective social trauma. It is, also, the core reason of the social segregation that took place in some places with minority groups in Sweden, in particular Malmö, Göteborg, Stockholm and Uppsala. This represents also obstacles and difficulties to enjoy working by being an essential path for complete social integration (sometimes understood as assimilation) and not only a wheel in the machinery of production and economy.
This said, the only way of integrating immigrants is that officials should recast the short-term threats into long-term benefits. It is a political and economic minefield and though immigration could stop the population decline of many European countries, including Sweden, integrating foreign workers will be costly, politically and socially sensitive. However, simple economic facts and basic rules of entrepreneurship tell us as that no gains without investment and the outcome and gains are always related to the level of investments assuming that proper planning, careful, tight and continuous management actions are being applied (https://ec.europa.eu/futurium/sites/futurium/files/jrc107441_wp_kancs_and_lecca_2017_4.pdf).
Ideally, there should be no marked difference between the unemployment rate of foreign-born and native-born workers, nor in their wages. This is true only in the Czech Republic, and to a lesser extent in the U.K. and Ireland. However, the unemployment rate of foreign-born workers exceeds that of native-born workers in nearly all EU states, especially in Sweden, Spain and France. In 2014 and beyond, Sweden had the widest gap between native and immigrant joblessness rates among OECD countries. But Sweden’s generous social policy, originally designed to help immigrants integrate, is partly to blame for widening the gap. The gap between domestic and foreign workers’ wages in Sweden was the second highest in 2014 after Luxembourg and still. While, Cyprus, Germany, and to a lesser extent the U.K. and Finland successfully integrated foreign workers into their labour markets, Greece, Spain and Sweden struggled. Indeed, the lack of political action by all political parties and for very longtime have caused draining on public funds and worsening social tensions.
Another aspect that did not get enough attention by Swedish politicians is proper management of the inflow of migrants as decisions should be driven by the structural requirements and the underlying needs of the host economy and, labor conditions as well as the social fabrics. Unlike the U.K. and the industry-oriented Germany, Greece, France, or the Nordic countries are, however, struggling to integrate emigrants into their service-driven economies. European leaders are focused on migrant quotas, but the social and economic integration of those already present is urgent. No simple and common solution fits all countries “one-size-fits-all”, but job-finding assistance, language and social programs would help (https://www.economy.com/dismal/analysis/commentary/258390/Europes-Biggest-Challenge-Since-World-War-II/kr).
Following the political debates in Sweden during the past decades and the culmination of the political situation that resulted in the emergence of “extreme” right, the Sweden Democrats SD, as a major political party with 20% of the Swedish population (about two millions of people) is a simple reminder of what needs to be done. During the same period the Immigration-Integration policies were being, and still, debated by all parties but with insufficient actions and measures to deal with the core reasons of the pile-up of the impacts that caused the emergence of the “extreme” right. Whether or not there are direct or indirect reasons for such shift (https://www.dn.se/nyheter/sverige/forskare-alliansen-och-finanskrisen-orsak-till-sds-framgang/; https://www.dn.se/debatt/repliker/sds-okning-drivs-av-invandringsmotstand/) there remain urgent and serious needs for collective political actions and solutions. So far, all political parties including SD are in agreement for partial solutions, i.e. increase of the number of police, that will not necessarily result in the final solution the Immigration-Integration dilemma in Sweden. There are much more to be done. Flighting “fire” 🔥 by increasing the number of “firemen” 🚒 will not simply remove the core reason for the existence and expansion of “fire”. At least the Immigration-Integration issue should be appropriately and carefully assessed and detailed on the national level with active involvement of research councils. So far, research councils have passive involvement thus leaving the politicians and policy-makers to act more or less randomly without clear and validated data of the underlaying reasons. Another important aspect is how to effectively involve emigrants in finding the best practices for long-term and secure Immigration-Integration policies.
This said, globalization and the UN-SGD are calling for strong partnership that can be developed in sustainable manner when all Immigration-Integration policies consider win-win “employer-employees-citizenship” appreciation. These issues will remain to be central and imperative in national and global socio-economies, they are without hesitation the core of any future healthy and wealthy sustainable society.
Politics and Management of Planet Earth – Enslaving OR Empowering the Planet
A very basic phenomena in many elections around the world 🌍 is the struggle between the left, the right politics and anything in between, on political power and the associated manipulations with arguments to get the votes 🗳. The economic issues are always of central importance in all global elections. On the other-side it is interesting to know how the political, and thereby socio-economic-environment, ideologies of different parties are being perceived by “WE THE PEOPLE”, especially in the short time window where all the competing parties are actively engaged in a common public debate, i.e. just before the end of the voting period. Another very strategic question, not yet central in many elections or even absent, is the impacts of political systems and debates therein on the public what regards Planet Earth itself. Indeed, Planet Earth 🌏 and its subunits have no possibilities (tools or means to empower it legal rights) to vote and the only means is to actively illuminate all the critical and central issues, about the natural functioning and metabolism on Planet Earth, to the citizens. In principle, such possibilities/rights are delegated to someone else, but is it delegated to the politicians? or to “WE THE PEOPLE”?, this is not clear or even unknown. Another issue is the quality, transparency, the will and knowledge of the politicians on the one hand and the political maturity and the socio-economic-environment awareness of “WE THE PEOPLE” on the other.
In any case, in political elections someone else is taking decision or has the VETO, on behalf of the Earth. As we are in the geological era of the Anthropocene we have to re-consider the role of politics on Planet Earth and its performance in this regard as this on the long-run will have serious impact on all future generations. This is logic as we are getting more and more dependent on a Planet Earth and not the reverse. A degenerating Planet with declining resources in terms of quantity and quality. Let us analyse these issues.
The functioning and metabolism of Planet Earth, or the Earth’s system, as a unique organism in the solar system, can be understood (on its own merits or alternatively with consideration of the interference of humans) in several ways depending on how it is divided into subunits, subsystems or sub-spheres (all of these involve climatic zones with geographical boundaries and thereby counties). Before doing this, we must appreciate the imperative importance of the solar radiation 🌞, in particular the “sunshine”, i.e. the light 🌈 and the heat 🔥from the sun, for planet Earth.
From the biodiversity point of view, The Earth, as it is, is mainly composed of living things with essential biological processes. Without living things our planet could be anything else, of an empty physical space (as other planets), other than a home 🏡 for living things. We would even not have realized its and our existence, as we wouldn’t be here in the first place. Yet, we wouldn’t exist if there were no living things other than us. So, the diversity of living things is a pre-request for our survival. As our survival is dependent on other living things then we can at least appreciate that other living things need each other for their survival as well. Now let us examine the other needs of living things, i.e. the biosphere. First of all our biosphere is ruled by several boundary conditions that are primarily driven by what we have around us in terms of quantity and quality as well as the processes regulating, or being involved, in their functioning, metabolism and ecology. The living things, as they breath, need air but not any air, it must be of the certain suitable composition and quality that can support the life of the living things on planet Earth. That is what we know as the atmosphere and it has really what is needed for all living things (in particular oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide) providing that its composition and quality are kept within the requirements to support and sustain the life of the living things. As the atmosphere has active interactions with other sub-spheres, subunits or subsystems of the Earth, therefore, there are no guarantees that its composition will remain optimal for living things in particular with consideration to the enormous interference of humans through manipulating all the existing natural resources on planet Earth and beyond (think about colonisation of space and intensive use of airplanes). This however, has contributed in changing the atmospheric composition is such away that the temperature of the Earth is increasing and started to surpass what can be considered for safe living on the planet. Also, the air quality available for world population is not any longer as good as before and for some parts of the world, in particular cities, it is getting worse and unacceptable.
The living things on Earth need water 💦(hydrosphere) as it is the essence of the generation, regeneration and the diversity of living things. The underlying process for life on planet Earth is photosynthesis (whether on land or in the aquatic systems of surface and marine waters). Water and carbon dioxide are the basic components for the generation and regeneration of living things on planet Earth through photosynthesis and by being fueled by the sun ☀️ . Yet, other elements/compounds must be available in water in particular nutrients but with appropriate amounts, not too little and not too much. Fortunately, water is a perfect carrier for such elements “trace elements” and the balance between the atmosphere and the hydrosphere (including global exchange processes of carbon dioxide) was so far appropriate for healthy photosynthesis on land and in aquatic systems. However, water is also a solvent for other harmful elements/compounds, so water through its journey in global environmental systems can be also a source of threat as well. Water like air, in this sense, needs to have certain content of life promoters, i.e. nutrients, to support and sustain life. The hydrosphere (including surface water, groundwater and the ocean 🌊) as the atmosphere has been exposed to serious degradation in quality because of the severe interference of humans with both the atmosphere and the hydrosphere through the three main revolutions, i.e. agricultural, industrial and rechnological. This has loaded, and for some regions overloaded, both the atmosphere and the hydrosphere with several pollutants and waste remains. The water cycle, in variable degrees and scales, has also started to deviate from what can be considered safe for our living.
For several reasons we need land (lithosphere) for our living, where else can we live? The survival of living things, in particular humans, need healthy ecosystems with suitable and appropriate living environments on the first hand. Modern urbanization including the vast expansion of cities that have developed very rapid on the expense of natural ecosystems such as forests, river and lake catchments, islands, oceans and marine coasts. Though cities are important form of living yet they generally need to be up-graded to fulfill modern sustainability requirements in terms of supporting the economic, environment and social needs of the citizens. In many parts of the world cities are either over-aged or mainly built (modern cities) to serve mostly (and in best cases) working and economic needs of the citizens with little consideration to the environmental and social needs of well-balanced mix of people of different ages, interests, origin and requirements, and in particular to support the diverse needs of families. This however, evolved with heavy price of mental instabilities, stress, segregation, social isolation, limited mobility, insecurity, loneliness, lack of transparency, ……….. etc. Most seriously is the growing lack of multi-layered integration of rural (villages, desert 🐫 and agricultural communities) and urbanized areas (cities and industrial centres) though the considerable advance of technology in particular transportation and ICT. The land, also, provide several other basic services, i.e. the same way ecosystems provide services, for humans. Mining, for example, of natural resources is among these services which also developed in such a way that it can produce enormous amounts of diverse waste and pollution. This is of course, in addition to draining the Earth in unsustainable manner, from its natural resources. In several parts of the world, the living conditions of the communities that are dependent on mining for their living are indeed not acceptable. Agriculture and land-use consume over 70% of our freshwater resources, yet food is becoming insufficient for the growing world population, also climate change and global warming can hit hard and further worsen the situation.
With this said, the political debates around the world are very much similar in one sense. In terms of sustainability they show how politics failed to manage Planet Earth and the needs of its future inhabitants. The situation as we have it today on Planet Earth, on any level from individuals to countries is to forget about the future generations, live now and take a “selfie”. To avoid to take responsibility for what went wrong or can be a threat for future generations and just blame it on others: it is simply not our failure; it is someone’s else. The same story we hear everywhere and at anytime. The politics now is about putting our world, including the global population, in competition (for more consumption) to see who is the best to make himself, a group of people, a piece of land, a culture, an ideology or ……. or …….. Great Again and for some populations it is to re-invent a future that brings back the Great distant past Again. This is done, unfortunately, with little consideration to the consequences to the rest of the world. “FIFA” did it good, again and again, and made our world happy, let us have politics a la FIFA’s model. Nature played it good according to Darwin, so if FIFA’s model would not work, let us do nothing and let the “natural selection” fix it all and for ever. In the world of politics, it would not work these ways, would it? It is getting confusing and the world politicians are in despair what to do, or precisely what not to do, as the problems we created for Planet Earth are by far much complex, larger and deeper than we can ever imagine.
The arguments of the coming politicians, or on their way to enter politics and take over, are the ones that say “those before us were not good and we can do it better”. It is all about new experiments of the same old versions but with different facade, who knows. We can only judge by the outcome after they leave the political theater and by that time it is late or even too late, this is how the state of Planet Earth as we have today developed.
What politicians did so far is to Take power over the citizens for the purpose to represent them. To represent them for whom? and for what? Is Planet Earth existing in the political equation of affairs? Take over our fate, Take over the management of all the natural resources on Planet Earth that were the result of billions of years of evolution with arguments to create jobs and multiply the economic gains. But this has resulted in an accelerating deterioration and degradation of Planet Earth. Has Planet Earth ever existed in any political managent model? , i.e. including Taking control over national capital and wealth and Taking decisions to shape the future of all coming generations, to form new pathway of competition for more consumption (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/15/neoliberalism-ideology-problem-george-monbiot). All of these created more and more barriers, frustrations, caused degeneration of planet Earth and stripped it out of its natural resources. At the same time degraded the quality of all life forms on Planet Earth. Humans on planet earth are reproducing themselves and generating new copies of the same old ones with politics that support and promote these trends. More of the same with increasing numbers where the typical route of success is to do like others, be part of a main stream culture to consume more and carry on to produce more and more waste and pollution.
The collective global results and the overall sum of all political transformations over the past generation, regardless how, where and when they were originated, developed and performed have definitely resulted in a major trend towards complete consumption of all the natural resources on planet Earth including enslaving its population.
We need a political well to empower Planet Earth against deteriorating the living conditions and the quality of life on Earth. Yes, it is probably late but definitely not too late as much of the human achievements on Planet Earth are indeed reversible with the help of innovation. It is all about one goal and one mission that can be summarized in one word “Sustainability” no more no less.
The final question to politicians (including capital based policy-makers, is: would the management of planet Earth empower OR enslave it? Is current and future politics and associated economic policies, are still tuned for an ever increasing unconditional consumption. If so who would promote and implement the UN-SDGs, if not how would the UN-SDGs be promoted and implemented? The UN-SDGs are currently looking like a huge vessel in a stormy ocean with little fuel and unorganized staff with no pilot on charge. It is hoped that the passengers on the vessel “WE THE PEOPLE” will anyhow and by any means navigate it peacefully to its final destination. May be or may be not who knows, those who constructed the vessel “THE POLITICIANS and CAPITAL OWNERS” are not actively and promptly prepared to revise and restore whatever goes wrong which unfortunately resulted in what we have today.
Is Death on Planet Earth our Common future?
Many media sources are reporting severe and serious disasters around the world because of the emerging and ongoing threats of extreme weather events in the summers of the Northern Hemisphere, e.g. heat waves, forest fires, hurricanes, sandstorms, floodings, intensive haze and humidity events. If we still do not believe in what global research and predictions that are bring made during several decades by international climate expertise there are no other means to be convinced than experiencing the harsh and deadly consequences that we can not run away from them. Welcome to a planet heading to a definitive death. Photos @CNN
Why our weather is getting wild?
The consequence of the global cancer that mother earth got because of the global warming (increase in the global average temperature) is growing rapidly in the earth’s body and the impacts of the such fever is causing the global weather to be wild as can be observed and felt everywhere and anywhere around the globe.
Follow us on Instagram @sustain.earth where we will share with you the situation and observations in the Gulf region where the temperature is expected to increase to above 60 degrees Celsius in the future. How would life looks like at such extreme temperature?
The Marina of Dubai, UAE, with its haze in the background. The temperatures now, in summer 2018, is still just above 40 degrees Celsius which is more or less within the range of affordable living.
Categories, Posts & Discussions
Technology & Industry
Transport & ICT
Other Natural Resources
Forestry & Land-use
Urbanization & Household
Politics & Infrastructure
Protection Instruments
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line257
|
__label__wiki
| 0.917755
| 0.917755
|
Happy New Year: What's on TV?
Not everyone wants to be out celebrating on New Year's Eve. Don't worry; there's plenty to watch if you're staying in.
NBC: No "Jay Leno Show"; it's pre-empted for Carson Daly's annual extravaganza. Daly, usually seen in the wee hours of the morning, will get a chunk of prime time, kicking off at 10 PM, taking a half-hour break for local news, and then resuming at 11:30 PM. He'll feature musical guests Rihanna, Jay-Z and Green Day, as well as a performance from the cast of the Broadway musical "Hair."
ABC: "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest" will ring in the New Year with a massive three-hour show with Jennifer Lopez, Daughtry, the Black Eyed Peas, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Keri Hilson, Colbie Caillat, Orianthi and Robin Thicke. "Dancing with the Stars" finalist Melissa Rycroft will report live from Times Square, while Black Eyed Pea Fergie is the Las Vegas correspondent. The program kicks off at 10 PM, with a break at 11 PM for the nightly news. And, yes, Clark himself will be on hand for the midnight ball drop.
CBS: As usual, the Eye Network skips the festivities. Catch a David Letterman rerun from November with Robert Pattinson, stupid human tricks and musical guest Ray Davies, followed by a rebroadcast of Craig Ferguson with Morgan Freeman and Overtone.
FOX: If you're counting the days 'til "American Idol" returns in January, you'll want to join Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta for "Billboard New Year's Eve Live," starting at 11 PM. They'll be joined by Sean Kingston and Carmen Electra.
PBS: What's with all of this newfangled "rock music"? Turn it down! And, kids, get off my lawn!!! Public TV offers a "Live from Lincoln Center" special, "New York Philharmonic New Year's Eve: Hampson, Gershwin, Copland & Broadway," with baritone Thomas Hampson, from 10 PM-midnight.
E!: "Chelsea Lately" offers a new program with guest Snoop Dogg and panelists Josh Wolf, Chris Franjola and Arden Myrin.
CNN: Despite, or maybe because of, the scandal she caused last year, Kathy Griffin will be back on the air this year with Anderson Cooper. (If you want to relive the magic of 2008, Bravo will rebroadcast the episode of Griffin's "My Life on the D List" that features the incident, along with a slew of Griffin stand-up specials.)
FOX News Channel: It's a red state New Year's Eve with country singer Lee Greenwood, U.K. pop star turned Vegas crooner Matt Goss, and the usual FOX suspects, including Bill O'Reilly, Shepard Smith, Glenn Beck and Greta Van Susteren.
MTV: After broadcasting a live show starring Miley Cyrus last year, MTV is skipping the festivities this time around and will show a "Top 9 of '09" countdown at 11 PM, featuring "the year's biggest stories." My guess: heavy on the Michael Jackson and "Twilight," not so much on Afghanistan and health care reform efforts. Over on VH1, Chris Jericho will host "100 Most Shocking Music Moments."
Merry Christmas from Talk Show News: it's Conan's yule log and Paul Shaffer as Cher!
Conan O'Brien and I would like to wish you a merry Christmas... and it'll be a very creepy Christmas if you spend too much time watching this:
And while Alec Baldwin was hilarious on last night's show, it was so very disappointing that we didn't get to see Paul Shaffer doing his impression of Cher singing "O Holy Night," because it just isn't Christmas without that bit. Turns out it was trimmed from the broadcast, but it is available on CBS.com as a web exclusive:
And here is a YouTube clip featuring actual footage of the Sonny & Cher Christmas special! (If you want to hear Cher singing the carol, there's a recording here.)
Holiday Fun Time: 10 best talk show appearances of the decade
Movieline has made its choices for the top 10 talk show moments of the past decade, including expected faves like Joaquin Phoenix and post-prison Paris Hilton on "Letterman," and a few surprises (who knew the critically reviled Jay Leno would be responsible for three of the top clips?).
I would have to agree with the choice of Warren Zevon's final "Letterman" appearance -- that was truly an unforgettable show -- but in terms of moments that didn't make the list, I'd say Jimmy Kimmel and ex-girlfriend Sarah Silverman produced a best-of-the-decade-worthy bit with "I'm F*@#ing Matt Damon," part of the ABC host's ongoing feud with the "Bourne" star. You know you wanna watch it again:
Do you have a favorite talk show moment from the past decade? Nominate it in the comments.
Jay Leno: Worst show of 2009?
Good thing Jay Leno doesn't care what the critics say, because it looks like his "Jay Leno Show" is becoming a staple of "Worst of the Year" lists. Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker chooses his program as the very worst of 2009, behind even Glenn Beck (he's at #2). "By any measure — comedy, interviews, ratings — this prime-time experiment has failed," writes Tucker. "There's an odd listlessness to Leno's performance these days, as though he's tired of being the public face of NBC's 10 p.m. audience shrinker."
The Washington Post's Hank Stuever also declares Leno the worst of 2009: "10 o'clock's bold experiment? Phhhfffft. Our bedtime isn't that early, after all."
While most critics list five or 10 shows as the worst of the year, Tom Maurstad of the Dallas Morning News doesn't even bother -- he names one show, and you guessed it, it's Leno: "'The Jay Leno Show' is train-wreck TV that just keeps going and going. Its ratings are dismal and it's obliterated what had been the time slot for some of the most beloved and important shows in TV history. "
Time writer and blogger James Poniewozik puts Leno on his list along with other worst-list staples like "Jersey Shore" and "Osbournes: Reloaded." "Didn't some idiot newsmagazine call this 'the future of TV'? Well, yes, and it remains so, as a sign of the cost-cutting and product-placement-ization of the declining big-network medium. But we did not necessarily mean this as a compliment."
TV Squad's Allison Waldman also disses Leno, calling his show "retro in a bad way."
Better luck in 2010, Jay.
Talk Show News Book Club: Paul Shaffer, "We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives"
A few years ago, I got a job transcribing tapes for an author who had been hired to ghostwrite the autobiography of a former teen idol and movie star. As I worked on the seemingly endless hours of recordings, I realized that the job of a ghostwriter is to convince readers that if the performer could write as well as he can act and sing, this is the book he would have produced. Of course, it's highly unlikely that Paul Shaffer can craft a sentence as well as he can play a Hammond B3 organ, but co-writer David Ritz has done an excellent job of channeling Shaffer's voice for this smooth-as-silk memoir.
If you sat down to recount your life story, chances are you wouldn't tell it all the way through in perfect chronological order -- there would be digressions and anecdotes told out of order. That's captured in We'll Be Here For the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Show-biz Saga, as, for instance, Paul interrupts a narrative of his college years to talk about his obsession "with the marvelous yearly telethons put on by Mr. Jerry Lewis." A reminiscence about the first time he heard James Brown turns into a story about how he bought "a number of choice items" from the late singer's estate in 2008. Shaffer's early infatuation with soul man Wayne Cochran leads to a story about "the first time I met David Letterman," who, it turns out, was also a fan.
Most of the chapters are short, making the book hard to put down ("just one more chapter!"). You'll read about Paul's boyhood in Thunder Bay, Ontario; his friendships with future stars like Gilda Radner and Martin Short in Toronto; his experiences on "Saturday Night Live" and working with Belushi & Aykroyd on "The Blues Brothers"; and, of course, his years on "Late Night" and "Late Show." The book is stuffed with celebrity anecdotes about everyone from Britney Spears to Don Ho.
Refreshingly, Shaffer isn't afraid to tell it like it is. He talks about times in his life that he goofed, recounting some embarrassing moments with Eric Clapton and Sammy Davis Jr., and shares an anecdote about how his temper got the best of him after a Christmas "Late Show" taping -- unbeknownst to him, his tantrum went out over a live microphone to the audience. Paul comes across as a pretty humble guy, someone who is happy to be a sideman and Letterman's foil. "I'm happy to be the guy who backs up the singers, the strippers, the rockers, and the rollers," he writes. If you've been watching this most swingin' of cats on TV for all these years, his autobiography will be a groovy treat.
If you've read the book, feel free to share your opinions in the comments.
Stephen Colbert gives Sports Illustrated the Colbert Bump
How cool is this -- Stephen Colbert is on the cover of Sports Illustrated! The caption promises "a truthy tale of a sport getting the Colbert Bump," referring to Stephen's campaign to have his "nation" of loyal viewers sponsor the U.S. Speedskating team. (Thanks to No Fact Zone for the cover pic.) According to the Associated Press, fans have donated over $250,000 so far. Talk Show News chipped in 25 bucks -- have you ponied up some cash for our Lycra-clad heroes yet? If not, you can click on the "Donate" link at ColbertNation.com.
The magazine is due to hit newsstands on Wednesday, Dec. 16.
Sarah Palin to appear on "Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" tonight
The New York Times is reporting that a certain rogue will be appearing with Conan O'Brien tonight: Sarah Palin will make "a surprise walk-on appearance," writes TV reporter Bill Carter. (Oops -- guess Carter spoiled the surprise.) No word yet on what Palin will be doing on the show. Also due to be guests tonight: Zach Braff, Bear Grylls and Tony Bennett.
Here are a few of O'Brien's best Palin gags, from About.com Political Humor:
"According to a new poll, 42% of Americans say they would vote for Sarah Palin for president in 2012. They also said they'd support her decision to step down in 2013."
"In Sarah Palin's new book, she says when she first laid eyes on her future husband, she said out loud, 'Thank you, God,' which is the same thing the Democrats said when they first laid eyes on Sarah Palin."
"In a recent study, the United States was ranked the 114th happiest country in the world. Then Sarah Palin stepped down. Now we're at 17."
And don't forget William Shatner's hilarious reading of Palin's resignation speech.
Update: Shatner figured in last night's sketch, too; here's a link in case you missed it.
Jimmy Fallon's Christmas sweater giveaway
In the Battle of the Jimmys, I'll admit that I choose Kimmel over Fallon every time -- I find the name of the NBC host's Twitter feed, latenightjimmy, is something of a provocation since there are in fact two late night Jimmys (yeah, I realize it's the name of Fallon's show) -- but I must give props to Fallon's Christmas countdown featuring horrifyingly ugly holiday sweaters. Seeing men put on too-small bedazzled sweaters is always good for a laugh, and as a lover of Christmas kitsch, from lousy music to insanely over-the-top lighting displays, I'm enjoying the unveiling of this dirty dozen of dreadful garments.
Jay Leno: Three months, 1,000+ product placements
Time.com reporter and blogger James Poniewozik writes that Nielsen has released its year-end list of TV's top shows -- for product placement. In first place? Jay Leno, whose show was conceived to be "advertiser friendly." According to Nielsen, there have been 1,015 plugs since the show launched in September.
By the way, that number refers to paid product placements -- such as the frequent shout-outs to Ford (used in the Green Car Challenge) -- as well as unpaid plugs for movies and the like; Nielsen doesn't distinguish.
There were no other talk shows in the top 10. Following Jay were "WWE Monday Night Raw" (with 787 sponsor mentions), "The Biggest Loser" (704), "American Idol" (553), and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (483).
David Letterman, Craig Ferguson and other late night stars say goodbye to Diane Sawyer
Signing off after over a decade on the popular AM show, Diane Sawyer said goodbye today to "Good Morning America." Offering their best wishes were five late night TV hosts: David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon (who invited Diane over for "Scattergories and Sambuca at my house"), Stephen Colbert and Craig Ferguson. Watch the segment here.
Sawyer is leaving "GMA" to replace Charles Gibson as the anchor of ABC's "World News." She'll begin her new early-evening gig on Dec. 21. George Stephanopoulos will replace Sawyer starting Monday on "GMA."
Craig Ferguson: His 1,000th show is coming up!
On Tuesday, Dec. 15, "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" will celebrate its 1,000th telecast with a special lineup of guests -- and puppets. Here's who will be partying with Craig that night:
The show will be hosted by Wavy the puppet. Joining the alligator are humans Kristen Bell, Maria Bello, Jason Schwartzman, and L.A. pop band the Broken West. And from the movie "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," Jason Segel will appear along with his puppet Dracula.
Ferguson became the third "Late Late Show" host on Jan. 3, 2005. The program was previously hosted by Tom Snyder, who presided over 777 shows between 1995-1999, and Craig Kilborn, who holds the record with his 1,190 broadcasts between 1999-2004.
David Letterman: A Christmas tradition
There's nothing better during the holidays than tradition, is there? For fans of "Late Show with David Letterman," one of the most beloved traditions is the annual Christmas appearance of Jay Thomas and Darlene Love, so I just wanted to reassure Dave fans that they are scheduled to be guests on the Dec. 23 episode. Also on that night: actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, promoting her new film "Crazy Heart." (Edited 12/16 to add that Maggie will now be appearing on Monday's show, and Alec Baldwin is due to take her place on Wednesday.)
Here's a 1995 clip of Love performing "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home") on "Late Show":
Colbert's new nemesis: How do you pronounce "DeSeve"?
On last night's "Colbert Report," Stephen featured a "Who's Attacking Me Now?" segment which took to task White House advisor G. Edward DeSeve. While poking fun at the administration's Recovery.gov web site, Colbert singled out Recovery Act Coordinator G. Edward DeSeve as particularly untrustworthy, pronouncing his last name as "Deceive."
A few days ago, DeSeve struck back, referring to the Comedy Central host as "Stefan Colburt." "Not only did he call me out, but he perverted the pronunciation of my name," said DeSeve, perverting the pronunciation of Colbert's name.
"You're just steamed because I nailed you hot and hard, and neither Stephen Colbert or Stefan Colburt back down," the faux pundit fired back. But how do you pronounce DeSeve? It took some Internet searching, but I finally found a 2002 interview with DeSeve, then a professor at the University of Maryland, from NPR's "Talk of the Nation." Host Neal Conan introduced "Ed DeSeve," pronouncing "Seve" in such a way that it rhymes with the first syllable of "heaven" or "Kevin" -- or like "seven" without the "n."
You're welcome, G.E.D.
Bonnie Hunt: Saying goodbye to her talk show?
Just a couple hours ago, my husband and I were watching a TiVo'd episode of "The Bonnie Hunt Show" -- we're not regular viewers, but recorded it today because one of our favorite comedians, Patton Oswalt, was on. "This show is really cheap-looking, like something on public access," said my spouse. (It didn't help that Oswalt was promoting a movie, "Big Fan," which currently exists in something of a netherworld -- no longer in theaters, not yet out on DVD.) Hunt herself is a reliably good talk show guest and has a pleasant personality, but the program never seemed to catch on. Another likable blonde, Ellen DeGeneres, gets all the daytime buzz.
And now, TV blogger Josef Adalian is reporting that "The Bonnie Hunt Show" will finish out its second season, but after that, it's bye-bye Bonnie. "Bonnie Hunt has told her staffers that her daytime talk show will end its two-season run in September," he reports. "Indeed, many syndicated insiders have considered 'Bonnie' a dead show walking since the middle of last season, when it became clear that the show's ratings weren't improving." In addition, stations airing "Bonnie" must pay a licensing fee to producer Warner Bros., instead of the more desirable barter fee (stations would rather not pay up front for a show, especially one like "Bonnie" that draws middling ratings; with the barter system, they split ad revenues with the syndicator).
Adalian states that the show's ratings haven't improved -- "Bonnie" has averaged around a 0.9 rating this fall, the same as last year. By comparison, "Ellen" scored a 2.3 in the same period, according to Broadcasting & Cable.
Jimmy Kimmel: Costco cover boy
Talk Show News always likes to spotlight the latest magazine covers featuring late night stars. So far, we've seen hosts on the covers of publications like Playboy, Entertainment Weekly and Time. Maybe membership warehouse store Costco's magazine, The Costco Connection, doesn't have the same prestige, but Jimmy Kimmel is a self-described Costco fanatic and had even expressed the desire on his show to have his mug on the cover.
The article, which is available online for non-members, features Kimmel's shopping tips and musings on his love for the store. "This is my Disneyland," Jimmy told reporter Steve Fisher. "This is where I realize it's great to be an American, when I walk through Costco." Kimmel, a member since 1994, reveals that he bought his ex-wife's engagement ring at the store, and says his last wish is to be buried in a Costco casket.
Conan's feeling Comcastic
Earworm of the day: listen to Conan O'Brien's musical salute to Comcast's acquisition of NBC, and just try to get it out of your head. It's "Com-com-com-Comcastic!"
Jimmy Kimmel: Adam Lambert uninvited from his show
"American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert had been scheduled to appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Dec. 17 to perform songs from his new album For Your Entertainment. However, following his controversial performance on ABC's "American Music Awards," it's obvious that someone at the network doesn't want to give the singer any more air time. Along with the nixed "Kimmel" spot, he has also been removed from the lineup of "Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Eve."
However, NBC is more than happy to give the star a place on its airwaves. The Twitter feed for "The Jay Leno Show" announced earlier today that Lambert will be appearing on that program on Dec. 21, and the publicist for "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" just sent out a new set of listings which included the "Idol" favorite on Dec. 14.
And Lambert hasn't been completely banned from the Alphabet Network -- Barbara Walters will be interviewing him for her "Most Fascinating People" special, to air Dec. 9 at 10 PM, along with fellow pop provocateur Lady Gaga.
Jay Leno: Move him to 8 PM?
Now that Comcast has acquired NBC Universal from the Sheinhardt Wig Company -- uh, I mean General Electric -- TV writers are pondering what it could mean for the suffering Peacock Network. Of course, the deal could take 18 months to finalize thanks to regulatory hurdles, but why not speculate?
Last month, I suggested that a slimmed-down "Jay Leno Show" could work at 11 PM. Now, Josef Adalian of TV MoJoe comes up with another idea: put Jay on at 8 and move "serious, groundbreaking drama" back to the 10 o'clock hour. Apparently, NBC initially suggested this to Leno, who vetoed the plan, but Adalian says, "If Leno objects, NBC should simply break up with him." Jay's sagging ratings at 10 "are clearly hurting local newscasts and, worse, deny [Conan] O'Brien any chance at success (CBS' 10 p.m. shows give David Letterman three times as many viewers as a lead-in and promotional base)."
Of course, it's not like NBC has any "groundbreaking" dramas in its pipeline, so it would take a while to get that plan up and running.
Monday night's overnight ratings brought more bad news for Jay: a new broadcast came in third, after reruns of "Castle" and "CSI: Miami," with an anemic 1.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic.
Get well soon, Reege!
Who doesn't love Regis Philbin? The 78-year-old talk show host, who holds the Guinness World Record for having logged more hours than any other TV personality, had a successful hip surgery and should be back on the air early next year. In the meantime, Kelly Ripa will co-host with a variety of substitutes, from frequent Reege replacements Anderson Cooper and Jeff Probst to her hubby Mark Consuelos and, on Friday's show, actor Christian Slater.
In case you missed it last week, here's Regis taking over "Jimmy Kimmel Live":
Jay Leno preempted by the Prez
For the first time since it began airing in September, "The Jay Leno Show" will be preempted tomorrow night, due to the President's speech on the war in Afghanistan. The speech will air at 8 PM Eastern time, while "The Biggest Loser," one of NBC's few genuine hits, will run from 9-11.
According to The Live Feed blog, Leno's ratings have stabilized. "For the past 11 episodes in a row, Leno's program has either maintained or improved its adult demo rating compared to the previous week," writes James Hibberd. "Often, 'Leno Show' has increased despite a declining lead-in as the holidays approach. And last week was Leno's most-watched since mid-October." Of course, that "doesn't change the fact that on any given evening, his shows is usually the lowest-rated program on a major broadcast network."
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that Leno's biggest competition isn't other 10 PM shows like "CSI" and "The Mentalist": it's recorded programs. "With one-third of American TV households now equipped with DVRs like TiVo, the 10 p.m. hour is emerging as a popular time for people to catch up on what they missed earlier in the evening, or earlier in the week," says the AP's David Bauder.
Beginning in mid-January, people who long to see more drama at 10 PM without relying on their TiVos can simply switch over to the USA Network. In what looks an awful lot like an attempt to provide counterprogramming, USA (which is owned by NBC Universal) is putting some of its most popular programs on the air in the 10 o'clock hour: freshman series "White Collar" will air on Tuesdays, "Psych" returns for the second half of its fourth season on Wednesdays, and spy drama "Burn Notice" finishes up its third season on Thursdays.
Turkey time TV: NBC, Lopez say no to reruns
One of the most common search phrases that people use to find this site is, "Why is [name of show] in reruns?" That shouldn't be such a mystery; everyone needs a vacation, even highly-paid talk show hosts (and their less-highly-paid staffs). Thanksgiving is a day off for most people, but some shows will be airing brand-new episodes for the benefit of viewers who want to spend the night relaxing in front of the TV.
NBC will feature a full slate of new shows. Jay Leno and guest Megan Fox will entertain a studio audience made up of members of the U.S. military. Conan O'Brien follows that up with Pee-wee Herman, actor Donald Faison and Bon Jovi, and then Jimmy Fallon will sit down with Robin Williams and "Parks & Recreation" actress Rashida Jones. Finally, Carson Daly and Weezer are on at 1:35 for anyone who hasn't yet fallen into a tryptophan-induced slumber.
Over on TBS, George Lopez offers up a new broadcast with "New Moon"'s Taylor Lautner, "The Hills'" Kristin Cavallari and electro-hop musicians LMFAO.
The next night, Jay, Conan and Carson will be showing reruns, but Fallon has a new program with "SNL" cast member Fred Armisen, actress Carey Mulligan and chef Daniel Boulud (with ideas for Thanksgiving leftovers, perhaps?).
TSN Holiday Gift Guide: Presents for the talk show fan in your life
Only five and a half weeks 'til Christmas! If you're shopping for a talk show lover, here are some great gift ideas:
Late Night with David Letterman: The Book: Sure, it was published way back in 1984, but copies are available on Amazon.com for a penny, and it would make a fun present for the Dave fan in your life who was too young to watch his old NBC broadcast -- or the nostalgic older fan. You can't watch these segments, since the show is out of circulation, but you can read them: "Hotel Etiquette," starring Larry "Bud" Melman! "Dave's Video Funhouse"! "The Museum of the Hard to Believe"! And so much more.
Dueling Memoirs: What Craig Ferguson enthusiast wouldn't adore the audio book version of American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot, read by Craig himself? If your friend is a Paul Shaffer fan, pick up the keyboard player's unabridged recording of We'll Be Here For the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Showbiz Saga.
Chelsea Handler's Playboy Cover: It's only available on newsstands, but if you can't find it in your local store, MyMags will sell you the individual issue.
Conan O'Brien fans who can't get enough of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog will enjoy the rude canine's talking key chain toy, which spouts signature phrases like "I keed!" and "You're a great friend, for me to poop on." There's more Triumph madness on this double feature DVD, which includes a "best of Triumph" and O'Brien's tenth anniversary special.
If your friend likes Jay Leno, or bad movies, he might be amazed to know that the host co-starred with "Karate Kid"'s Pat Morita in a film called "Collision Course." The 1989 flick never got a theatrical release, due to the bankruptcy of distributor De Laurentiis Entertainment, but it's still in print on DVD! Leno plays Detroit cop Tony Costas, who teams with a Japanese detective (Morita) to track down a stolen engine prototype.
Regis Philbin and his wife, Joy, have recorded a new CD called Just You. Just Me. With standards like "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face" and "This Guy's In Love With You" (featuring special guest Paul Shaffer!), this might be just the ticket for your grandma.
Anyone who misses Jimmy Fallon's old "SNL" sketches, like "Barry Gibb Talk Show" and "Sully & Denise," will appreciate his "best of" DVD. A CD by Fallon's house band, The Roots, will please hip-hop fans.
For the future correspondent, pick up a "Daily Show" desk set, with a spiral notebook, pen, and sticky notes. Any Colbert fan would want their very own "On Notice" dry-erase board. Also, Stephen's 2007 book, I Am America (And So Can You!), is finally out in paperback. For the intellectual, Stephen Colbert and Philosophy: I Am Philosophy (And So Can You!) features chapters like "Is Stephen Colbert America's Socrates?" and ponders questions such as "Has truthiness taken the place of truth?"
G'day, Chelsea! Handler goes down under
Next week, "Chelsea Lately" will air a series of shows shot in Australia.
"The shows will be recorded at Sydney’s Foxtel Studios in front of a live audience, will feature Australian guests, and will be broadcast to a worldwide TV audience," according to an E! press release. "For the sharp-tongued star, this will be her first trip to Australia and the first time E! has ever shot a series of talk shows outside the US. Local celebrities shall be put on notice, as Chelsea seeks out the best and worst of Australian popular culture for her inimitable, frank and always funny verdict.
"Says Handler about the upcoming trip to Australia, 'I am so excited to turn the tables on a country and finally be the one going down instead of the one being gone down upon...I love kangaroos.'"
(Incidentally, this may be the "the first time E! has ever shot a series of talk shows outside the US," but another one of the channel's stars, "The Soup"'s Joel McHale, went to Australia last spring, and taped a special "Soup" episode for broadcast down under.)
Chelsea's Aussie guests will include talk show host Rove McManus, "True Blood" actor Ryan Kwanten, and nature program host "Ranger Stacey" Thomson.
Lou Dobbs, VP Joe Biden to sit down with Jon Stewart next week
Lou Dobbs will be the guest on next Wednesday's "Daily Show."
Dobbs has been in the news since he abruptly quit his CNN talk show a couple days ago -- there's even been speculation that the reason he walked away was because he wants to run for president.
It won't be Dobbs' first public chat since leaving CNN, though; he'll be appearing on Monday's Bill O'Reilly program.
In other big TDS guest news: vice president Joe Biden will be visiting Jon on Tuesday the 17th. It won't be Biden's first appearance on the Comedy Central program, but it will mark the first time a sitting vice president has visited. (The closest Stewart could come to Dick Cheney was his wife, Lynne, in October 2007.)
The rest of TDS's upcoming guest lineup: author Jake Adelstein on Monday and rock band Jack's Mannequin, for some reason, on Thursday.
David Letterman and Andre Agassi: Bye-bye hairpiece
On tonight's "Late Show with David Letterman," Dave speaks to Andre Agassi about something the host calls "more stunning than the drug revelation" -- the tennis player's mullet hairpiece.
"That is not my hair," the now-bald Agassi admitted when Letterman displayed a 1990 photo of the star with flowing blond locks.
"It's not a wig, it's a system, is that what we have going on there?" asked Dave.
"It's a weave system," said Agassi. "The night before the French Open final, I used the wrong conditioner and it started to come off... I've never prayed for a result in my life. I prayed that day for that wig to stay on. I had about 50 bobby pins holding it down."
One lucky lady winds up with a souvenir!
David Letterman Case: Dueling lawyers!
ABC's "Good Morning America" featured an 8-minute interview with the lawyers involved in the David Letterman extortion case: Gerald L. Shargel, Joe Halderman's attorney, and defending Dave, Daniel J. Horwitz. You can watch the entire segment here.
As I mentioned yesterday, Shargel's point is that Halderman was simply a man trying to sell a story -- he had a First Amendment right! -- and Dave could have paid for it, or not.
Shargel couldn't understand why Halderman bringing the offer to Letterman's car at 6 AM was such a big deal. "There's nothing illegitimate about going to the car where he knew he could effectively deliver the proposal. He knew Letterman's driver, he gave the package to the driver. He didn't break into the car. I don't quite know why people are focusing on that. Would it have been better if he sent it Federal Express? I think that's silly... He had a First Amendment right to create that property, to develop that property."
"This was not a legitimate business transaction," countered Horwitz. "Who negotiates a business transaction at 6 in the morning in the shadows of somebody's apartment building? Who says 'your world's about to collapse'? Who threatens their personal and professional lives? And who says at 6 in the morning, 'I need an answer in 2 hours'? Those are not the earmarks of a legitimate business transaction. Those are the earmarks of classic blackmail."
"I'm sitting here at 3 in the morning in Santa Monica in the dark, so in one sense, that rings hollow," said Shargel, who was appearing via satellite.
Naturally, both attorneys ended with, "I'll see you in court!" "David Letterman is fully prepared to go all the way here, and that means testifying at a trial if necessary," said Horwitz.
"I look forward to that time when I will cross examine David Letterman," responded Shargel.
Ratings News: Leno's low, good start for Lopez and Sykes
Bad ratings news for Jay Leno: last night's show had a disastrous 1.2 rating, his lowest to date, in the coveted™ 18-49 demographic. NBC had insisted that Leno only needed a 1.5 rating to be profitable, since the show is so cheap to produce. However, the Monday night football games on ESPN are taking a bite out of Leno's male audience, and ABC's "Castle" and CBS's "CSI: Miami" are also attracting many viewers.
According to the New York Times, Leno's woes are affecting the rest of NBC's late night franchises: "Conan O’Brien on 'The Tonight Show' fell to just a 1.7 rating in the overnight household ratings and the preliminary 18-49 ratings put him well below his main competitor, David Letterman on CBS... Jimmy Fallon hit his lowest number to date Monday night in those household ratings, a 0.9, well behind his main competitor, Craig Ferguson on CBS, who scored a 1.7."
Things are looking cheerier for new entrants Wanda Sykes and George Lopez. The debut of TBS's "Lopez Tonight" was a big hit with young demos: "Lopez managed to surpass the season averages for shows starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Jon Stewart and Craig Ferguson and in some cases even Conan O’Brien and David Letterman." 1.02 million 18-49 viewers tuned in, "which beat the regular performances of those first four hosts. He also had 608,000 viewers between the ages of 18 and 34."
Of course, Leno started strong, too. The question is whether the people who were curious enough to tune in last night will stick around.
Sykes' first outing on FOX averaged a 2.2 rating in the overnights. Meanwhile, NBC's "Saturday Night Live," featuring guest host Taylor Swift, scored a 5, one of its best of the year so far.
David Letterman Case: It wasn't extortion, honest!
Now it can be revealed: the legal tactic that Joe Halderman will use to assert his innocence. According to the New York Times, Halderman "was simply trying to sell a story, not extort money."
His lawyer, Gerald L. Shargel, is seeking to have the attempted grand larceny charge against his client dismissed. “This was a commercial transaction,” he told reporters at the courthouse. “It was nothing more.”
Writes the Times' John Eligon: "What Mr. Halderman did was legal because the information he possessed had its own independent value – meaning that, even without going to Mr. Letterman first, a third party, such as a book publisher or movie producer, would have paid for it, according to the motion."
So Halderman wasn't trying to blackmail Letterman -- he was simply trying to peddle a heartwarming tale of a talk show host... and the women who loved him. If Dave had said no, he probably could have sold it to "Law & Order."
The broadcaster's lawyer, Daniel J. Horwitz, stated that despite his client's three decades in the biz, Letterman has never been accused of sexual harassment. “Mr. Letterman is not on trial,” Mr. Horwitz said. “Any attempt to focus attention on Mr. Letterman, who’s the victim in this case, is an attempt to divert attention away from Mr. Halderman.”
George Lopez: Did you watch?
So apparently no one in the vast Talk Show News reading public watched Wanda Sykes' new talk show, as there were no comments on that post. Based on the comments that do come in, there are lots of Conan and Dave fans in my audience. But did anyone click over to TBS before "Tonight" or "Late Show" kicked off to watch the debut of "Lopez Tonight"?
I'm no Lopez fan, but I forced myself to watch at least the first half hour (the things I do for this blog). He kicked off with a 10-minute monologue that was very light on topical references, except a couple remarks about Sammy Sosa's oddly bleached skin and the swine flu. It seemed like his usual stand-up fare, with lots of gags about his family and ethnic background, which makes me wonder how he'll be able to sustain it over the course of weeks and months. Maybe he'll gradually fold in more of the usual late night talk show topics.
After a brief appearance by a nightshirt-clad Ellen DeGeneres (she was trying to sleep next door, but the Lopez audience was just having too much fun!), the comedian brought a couple of audience members up on stage to play a race-based game show. Interestingly, Wanda Sykes did a similar thing on her program -- slides of Asian celebrities were shown and her celebrity panel had to guess which country they were from. Lopez's duo had to watch brief man-on-the-street clips of minorities being interviewed by a show staffer and guess how they would respond to certain stereotypical questions: had the black dude ever been in jail? Did the Asian guy have a small penis? Hee-larious!
There was something self-congratulatory about the whole affair, as if Lopez thought he was the Sonia Sotomayor of talk show hosts. Maybe once he relaxes a bit, the show will find its groove, but I definitely won't be watching unless he has a guest I'm just dying to see. Maybe I'll tune in for Lisa Lampanelli tomorrow. Scheduled to appear tonight: Jamie Foxx and Marc Anthony; Wednesday, Queen Latifah and Oscar De La Hoya, along with the divine Miss L; and on Thursday, Larry David and Kelly Osbourne.
What did the nation's TV critics have to say? The Boston Herald's Mark A. Perigard was harsh, criticizing Lopez's monologue ("a relentless volley of duds") and the ethnic-stereotype bit ("a cringeworthy segment that seemed never-ending"). AdAge.com's Laura Martinez wrote a piece titled "I Might Be Mexican, but I Don't Have to Like 'Lopez Tonight'": "I might be missing something here, but I don't find jokes about Mexican food and the gases it produces really funny... To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld, still one of my favorite comedians, Mr. Lopez's comedy doesn't offend me as a 'minority'; it offends me as a funny person."
EW.com's Ken Tucker was friendlier, complimenting Lopez's "disarming, relaxed air that puts him ahead of, say, Jimmy Fallon’s jittery opening night." Eric Deggans of the St. Petersburg Times called it "a standard, if entertaining hour... Lopez took [Arsenio] Hall's vision of a funky good time and blew it up to enormous proportions." The Onion AV Club's Todd VanDerWerff gave the show a B minus: Lopez was "[a]n alert and interested interviewer," but said his "jokes all went to fairly expected places."
Wanda Sykes: Did you watch?
Looks like Wanda Sykes' debut on Saturday night got decent ratings -- "up 16 percent from MADtv’s fourth-quarter average in 2008," according to preliminary Nielsen numbers.
I tuned in, and was surprised at how boldly partisan Sykes' monologue was; if any conservative FOX News aficionados happened to be watching, they probably weren't for long. In a world of late night TV monologues where the hosts usually try to strike a balance between jokes about the GOP and the Dems, Sykes is unabashedly liberal. That might turn some people off, but I found it rather refreshing to see such a strong point of view. Wishy-washy she's not.
Then there was a pretaped comedy bit which might just have been the raunchiest thing I have ever seen on network television, in which Sykes tried to recycle a box of old sex toys and promote environmentally friendly new ones, such as a solar-powered vibrator and reusable condoms. I'm amazed that one got OK'd by the censors.
A segment in which Sykes and sidekick Keith Robinson riffed about a girl at an Obama rally did not elicit any chuckles, but I did laugh at her remarks about Nicolas Cage's recent money troubles -- his bad financial decisions included buying a mansion made up of hundreds of smaller mansions.
The best part of the show, I thought, was actually the panel discussion, where Mary Lynn Rajskub, Daryl "Chill" Mitchell and Phil Keoghan, cocktails in hand, chatted about a few lightweight news stories, such as a hotel in space that will cater to people willing to pay $4.5 million for the privilege of visiting. Of course, I'm a total sucker for Keoghan, the charming "Amazing Race" host (that space hotel would make a killer pit stop), but the discussion was fast-paced and funny.
In short, if you were already a Wanda fan, you'll probably like the show; I don't think she'll be making any new converts. Reviews of the program were mostly mixed to negative, with Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker calling the show "awkward," and USA Today's Robert Bianco panning it as a "strained, strident hour that seemed underfunded and, despite all the time put into it, underrehearsed." The St. Petersburg Times' Eric Deggans was a little friendlier, saying the debut was "distinguished mostly by the fact that it didn't suck out loud," and that her "unerring standup comedy style... saved a lot of borderline moments."
Wanda Sykes and George Lopez: New Talk Show Alert!
Two new talk shows are getting ready to launch: "The Wanda Sykes Show" on FOX, and and George Lopez's "Lopez Tonight" on TBS. Sykes' program will only be airing on Saturdays, while Lopez will be on four nights a week, beginning Monday.
What can viewers expect? There will be guests, of course -- Eva Longoria-Parker, Ellen DeGeneres and Kobe Bryant on Lopez's show; Mary Lynn Rajskub, Daryl "Chill" Mitchell and "Amazing Race" host Phil Keoghan are slated to appear on the debut of "Sykes."
According to an Associated Press story, "Lopez promises to bring 'the party back to late-night,' signaling a looser, hipper hour in the tradition of 'The Arsenio Hall Show,' said analyst Bill Carroll of media buyer Katz Television in New York. Sykes is planning Bill Maher-type panels with both lighthearted and serious discussion of politics and culture as part of her mix."
Sykes gave TV Guide's Natalie Abrams a rundown of what she's got in store: "I will do a monologue. There's a piece with my friend Keith [Robinson]. This is the first time you'll actually see me with someone who knows me. I can't fake it with Keith, he knows me and he calls me on my bullshit. It'll be great to have that relationship. Also, we have what we call Wandarama, which is the weekend review. We'll have a lot of video clips and it'll end with a big produced three-minute piece. We have the panel guests with my other friend Porsche, who's a drag queen. I treat this show as my time where I can also hang out with my friends. There might not be some big celebrities come through, but it'll be my real friends."
Lopez told Access Atlanta blogger Rodney Ho that he "will have the basic tenets of a talk show: monologue, skits, interviews, musical acts. But he said the set will resemble a comedy club and he will move around the stage. He will use hand-held cameras to generate more of a party atmosphere."
Jay Leno: Could his show be moving to 11 PM?
It's only a rumor, of course, but what is the Internet for if not to spread unfounded rumors? Tom Jicha of South Florida's Sun-Sentinel passes on this possible scoop, which he heard from "a friend with inside ties to the TV business" -- if Comcast winds up buying a controlling stake in NBC, "The Jay Leno Show" could wind up moving to 11 PM, clearing the way for local newscasts at 10. That would leave Conan O'Brien's "Tonight" with the midnight slot, and bring back the head-to-head competition between David Letterman and his ol' rival Jay.
"The affiliates are justifiably upset that Leno's low-rated 10 p.m. show is hurting their late newscasts," writes Jicha. "Giving them a 10 p.m. news window in front of Leno alleviates that and gives local stations an hour with a substantially larger available audience." Presumably, the newscasts, now 35 minutes long, would expand to fill the entire 10-11 slot; a lot of FOX affiliates already do this, and many of them compete quite effectively with the network programs airing at that hour.
Jicha suggests that if Jay's show is airing between 11 and midnight, he could go back to frontloading it with Headlines and Jaywalking, signature features that are now relegated to the last 10 minutes of his program, in order to give him a "35-minute jump on David Letterman." Of course, that might mean people would watch Jay's monologue and comedy bits, and then switch over to Dave at 11:35 rather than endure the Green Car Challenge, 10 @ 10, or the other less-popular filler segments that Leno has introduced.
I have a better idea. Give the affiliates 10-11 PM; air an abbreviated "Jay Leno Show" from 11-11:35; and keep Conan in his current time slot. It seems obvious (to me, anyway) that moving "Tonight" to midnight would be a huge loss of prestige for the franchise, and not exactly a vote of confidence from NBC. But why on earth does Jay Leno need a full hour? He's never been a particularly good interviewer. He's a comedian. Monologue, Headlines, another short comedy segment, and out. The affiliates are happy, Leno doesn't have to pretend to be interested in what Sandra Bullock has to say, and Conan won't lose face.
You're welcome, NBC.
Stephen Colbert and Speedskating: Joey Cheek to appear on Thursday
On Monday's show, Stephen Colbert announced that the "Colbert Nation" would be sponsoring the U.S. Speedskating team, which had been left in the lurch after its biggest donor, Dutch bank DSB, declared bankruptcy in October. Speedskater Dan Jansen appeared on that episode, and on Thursday's "Report," another star of the sport will help Colbert plug his fund raising effort: Olympic gold medalist Joey Cheek. Cheek is a friend of the show, having appeared on Aug. 12, 2008, to promote his Team Darfur coalition.
Last night, Colbert reported that viewers had already donated $40,000 to the team. The show is hoping to raise $300,000, the amount that had been pledged by DSB.
According to an Associated Press story published before Colbert's campaign began, despite the fact that speedskating is responsible for more U.S. gold medals than any other Olympic sport, the athletes don't have it easy. "They work part-time jobs. They scrimp to pay the bills. Some even have filed for food stamps to make sure they get enough to eat."
Even before DSB went out of business, U.S. Speedskating already was planning to suspend its athlete stipends at the end of March, giving the organization a chance to reassess finances and decide how much it could afford to dole out at the start of the new fiscal year June 1.
"After March, everything shuts down," said Robert Crowley, the executive director of U.S. Speedskating. "We told the athletes, 'This is where it's going to end, so budget yourself accordingly.' We've tried to be real upfront and fair with them."
Hopefully, the heroes in the Colbert Nation will come through and support the athletes. "We're highly optimistic that the country is going to get behind this and get behind the Colbert Nation and support this amazing team," Crowley told the AP after his appearance on the "Report." "I don't have any idea if it's going to make $5 or $500,000. I couldn't tell you."
Colbert is reportedly considering taking his show on the road to Vancouver for next year's Winter Games.
According to this Time article, Colbert's staff contacted U.S. Speedskating and proposed the deal. Crowley wanted to make sure the show knew the sport was no laughing matter: "We stressed to the Colbert staff that we have exquisite athletes who have trained their entire lives for that Olympic platform. They can't minimize that. They get it, and they recognize that."
If you would like to help the cause, and feel that extra burst of patriotic pride when you see the Colbert Nation logo on the speedskaters' uniforms, you can make a donation at the US Speedskating web site.
Jey Leno's Rope-a-Dope Strategy
In his recent interview with Broadcasting & Cable, Jay Leno spoke candidly about all sorts of things. However, it did leave me with a couple of questions.
Number one: "Jay, are you having fun?" For all the talk about laughs at 10 PM, Leno appears to approach his job with a kind of grim determination. A couple illustrative quotes: "I think people like a fighter. And if you just keep swinging, eventually people are going to get tired of hitting you. They're going to say, 'We've been beating this guy up for six months, let's move on.'" And: "I get a certain amount of satisfaction from pounding my head against the wall."
Those statements made me think of Muhammad Ali's old "rope-a-dope" strategy, in which a fighter allows himself to be punched until his opponent tires out and starts making mistakes. It may be effective in certain circumstances, but you still wind up bruised and battered.
The only indication in the article that Leno enjoys what he's doing is this: "I like being on TV and writing jokes." Not exactly a passionate statement. If Jay had worked at a supermarket instead of becoming a comedian, he probably would have been like that 104-year-old who still stocked the shelves well into his eleventh decade, or a lottery winner who keeps his routine factory job after his big score. I admire his work ethic; I also wish his show was funnier.
Number two: "What's it like to be married to Jay Leno?" Forget about the Obamas, I want the dirt on the Leno marriage. Mavis Leno is, by all accounts, not one of those Beverly Hills ladies-who-lunch who fills her days with pilates classes and appointments with her plastic surgeon; she has been active for over 10 years in the Feminist Majority Foundation's Campaign to Stop Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan. Still, considering Jay's workaholism, as well as his time-consuming hobby of tinkering with old cars, this must be a woman who spends a lot of time on her own. Jay famously claims never to vacation; if he ever did go on a pleasure trip, he'd probably be one of those guys who plans the entire thing from a guidebook before he leaves home: "If we leave the Louvre by noon, we can get to the Eiffel Tower by one!" Does Mavis go off and see the world by herself or with girlfriends? David Letterman may not be a candidate for Husband of the Year, but at least he spends his breaks with Regina and Harry in Montana or St. Barts instead of playing Vegas showrooms or appearing at corporate gigs.
I did find one brief interview with both Lenos, and she alludes a couple times about the difficulty of adjusting to Jay's job at "Tonight" ("[H]e was gone a lot, and it was not only a new situation for him, it was a situation I had never experienced"). Since they're celebrating their 30th anniversary next year, she obviously managed to find a way to deal with it.
Jay Leno: "I never say 'no mas'"
In a lengthy interview with Broadcasting & Cable, Jay Leno talks about the reaction to his new show, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, and much more. A few highlights:
On negative press coverage: "You don't take it personally because there's really no fun in an upbeat story. The fun is, they did this and let's watch it fall. I enjoy being the underdog."
On "Tonight": "Would I have preferred to stay at 11:30? Yeah, sure. I would have preferred that. I think it's too soon to say whether I regret anything or not….My thing is, I did 'The Tonight Show' for 17 years, that's what I did. It's like the America's Cup; you won it, they can't take it away from you. So now you try this and you see what happens. Do I enjoy the battle? Yes, I get a certain amount of satisfaction from pounding my head against the wall."
On feeling satisfied because of Conan's lower ratings: "No. There is nothing that kills creativity more than bitterness. You get no satisfaction from that at all. You really, really don't."
On Letterman: "He's not being a hypocrite; Dave has never set himself up as [a model citizen]. If it were me, it would kill me. I'm the guy who's been married 29 years. But Dave has never pretended to be Mr. Moral America, he's never set himself up that way. He's not a hypocrite. I don't know how it will be viewed. He doesn't do corporate days like me, he's not as advertiser-friendly as I am. I'm the guy when Coke or Pepsi is here, I come down and shake hands and take pictures, but he doesn't do that. I don't think it will have a big effect at all."
On the affiliates: "I called a bunch of them last week. Unless they are the greatest actors in the world, they seem to be hanging in there and say they are in it for the long haul. I called Baltimore, Boston, the head of the affiliate board. They don't see it as dire as a lot of people are making it out to be….I think they seemed pleased that someone on at 10 o'clock is concerned about their well-being and their lead-in."
On his relationship with NBC: "I have the same friends I had in high school, and these [at NBC] are acquaintances. You have a business relationship; as long as you are making money for someone, you are friends. And when you're not making money for someone, you're not friends. I get it….As long I'm making money for the company, I will be here. When I'm not making money for the company, I won't be here, and I understand how that works."
Jay curses! Who knew? "I look at what makes other competitors weak: alcohol, drugs, sex, instability emotionally. And I go, 'OK, let me make myself strong by being the long-distance guy.' So I try to fashion myself on the fact that emotionally I can take it. Physically I tried boxing and I got the shit kicked out of me. But emotionally I can take body shots all day long and that doesn't really bother me. I realize that's where my strength is. I see other comics say, 'Fuck that, I'm not going back to that club, they treated me...' [And I say], 'Great, I got that one.'"
On giving up: "I never say 'no mas.' It's not my call. I've never walked away from anything in my life….This is what I do. You keep plowing ahead. If someone wants to take you out, I'm out."
Halloween Talk Show Round-up
It's November 1. You probably woke up either with a hangover or surrounded by discarded Fun Size Snickers wrappers -- or both. But did you have time on Halloween to catch up on all the ways our favorite talk shows celebrated the holiday? If not, now's the time to sit back and enjoy some clips.
Picking on Jay Leno is so tiresome, but honestly, his "new Halloween products" sketch was not ready for prime time -- or even public access, for that matter. There were a couple of major malfunctions, including a Balloon Boy costume that didn't inflate. It's no surprise that the video clip on NBC.com only shows the first half of the segment.
In the Talk Show News household, it's not Halloween without David Letterman's annual trick or treat sketch. Even if the costumes are just so-so, the bit is always worth watching just for Dave's interactions with the kids, and to see which "treats" he's handing out. Best costume this year: the junior Joaquin Phoenix. It was also fun to see the kids boogieing in the background as musical guest Weezer played -- kudos to them for convincing Paul Shaffer and the gang to dress in Weezer Snuggies. The clips are available on the "Late Show Video" page.
The most elaborate Halloween celebrations are always on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and "Live with Regis and Kelly." Kimmel, his band and Guillermo (sadly, Uncle Frank is ill and was absent this year) dressed as Muppets -- Jimmy, in a Big Bird outfit, welcomed guest Paris Hilton, who was clad as Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz." The vapid Paris is not one of my favorite guests, but it was funny to see her admit to Jimmy that she had no idea who Alex Trebek was (he was asking her which celebrities would be let in to her Halloween party without an invitation) and bragging that she's bowled a 600. As for musicians Slipknot, well, every day is Halloween for this band that always plays in costumes and masks. Watch the show here.
Meanwhile, Regis and Kelly win the Most Costume Changes prize -- in their Reality Bites special, they dressed up as Jon and Kate, "Bachelor" Jason and Melissa, Susan Boyle and Lady Gaga, "Biggest Loser" trainers Bob and Jillian, and more. Check it out here.
There are only so many hours in the day, so I wasn't able to watch everything -- did anyone out there catch Conan, Craig or Jimmy's Halloween antics?
Craig Kilborn: Bearded Craiggers turns up in St. Paul
In my ongoing series on Craig Kilborn's whereabouts, here's a new report from a source in Minnesota:
I met Craig Kilborn last night in a restaurant in St. Paul, MN. He looked different but I recognized him even with his beard. I talked with him and his friend he was with about the great job he use to do on TV. I asked if he was going to be coming back anytime soon and he said, "Yes, very soon I'll be back." He seemed genuine about and I am looking forward to his return. I asked him where he was living now and he said L.A. For the people that think he is pompous or full of himself, I'm sure that was part of his "character" on the Late Late Show. This guy was cool, laid-back and extremely friendly. I met the Craiggers and it was awesome.
Kilborn grew up in Hastings, MN, so presumably he was in the area visiting family. Anyone else have a Craiggers sighting to report? You know where to send 'em.
A few months after posing nude for Allure magazine, "Chelsea Lately" star Chelsea Handler is at it again: this time, she's appearing on the cover of newsstand copies of Playboy. (Subscribers will see "Dancing with the Stars'" Joanna Krupa instead.)
Chelsea won't bare all, though. According to the New York Daily News, the mag "features the star covered up by an apron and mini dress while preparing a vodka-soaked Christmas meal with her sidekick Chuy."
The cover was unveiled on last night's "Jay Leno Show." After telling Leno that "my dad is probably going to love it because he thinks I'm very sexual," Handler said she hadn't yet seen the cover shot. Jay told her that he'd gotten a copy from Hugh Hefner.
"I don't want to see it for the first time on here. Honestly, I don't," she protested.
"Nobody cares what you think. You are too used to getting what you want. What you need is a guy to say no," said Leno.
"Oh really, is that what I need? This is a very interesting side of you, Jay. Everybody is finally starting to realize that you are exactly like David Letterman," Handler shot back. "Shame on you!"
Leno unveils a huge reproduction of the cover, and asks Chelsea to duplicate her pose. "I can't do that pose again. We'd need the guy who airbrushed me to come back."
Here's the clip:
ABC has announced that on Nov. 20, Jimmy Kimmel will welcome the three stars of the forthcoming film "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," along with soundtrack performer Death Cab for Cutie.
Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner will make their first interview appearance together on Kimmel's couch on the same day the movie is released.
Death Cab will perform their single from "The Twilight Saga: New Moon's" original motion picture soundtrack, "Meet Me on the Equinox."
David Letterman: Why I Don't Still Care About His Affair
A commenter on this post asks: "After reading this article, do you remain unconcerned by the revelation of Letterman's affairs?"
First and foremost, one thing I think got lost in the initial tabloid feeding frenzy (remember the New York Post's "Dirty Dave's Harem" headline?) is that Letterman was the victim here. A CBS employee was trying to gouge him for $2 million. As much as Joe Halderman's showboating lawyer Gerald Shargel would like to make the case all about Dave, the truth is that in the eyes of the law, Letterman committed no crime. In fact, Worldwide Pants' sexual harassment guidelines do "not prohibit sexual liaisons in the office, provided they're not 'unsolicited and unwelcome.'"
By all accounts, Letterman's relationship with Stephanie Birkitt was entirely consensual. None of Dave's other alleged paramours have come forward to accuse him of being a cad or a scoundrel. If it hadn't been for Halderman, it's likely we never would have known about Letterman's affairs.
But what about his wife, Regina Lasko? Isn't he a dog for cheating on her? As far as I'm concerned, that's between the two of them. As I stated previously, Letterman has never held himself up as a poster boy for monogamy. After his first marriage ended in divorce, he resisted making a return trip to the altar for over three decades. That doesn't exactly seem like the behavior of someone who is eager to commit to one woman. Yes, sneaking around on Lasko was a bit sleazy, if indeed that's what happened, but you know what? I still watch "30 Rock" despite the fact that Alec Baldwin called his daughter a "thoughtless little pig" on that leaked voice mail, and I didn't throw out my Roxy Music CDs when lead singer Bryan Ferry dumped his wife of 20 years for a woman half his age.
Having said that, I do believe that Nell Scovell makes some valid points about the difficult work environment that can result when the boss is messing around with his female underlings. Of course, Scovell worked for Letterman during his NBC tenure, when the staff was no doubt much smaller compared to the current Worldwide Pants empire. Judging from the recent New York magazine article, the Letterman of today is a man who has walled himself off from the world, dealing only with a handful of trusted employees. Many of his closest staffers, such as Barbara Gaines and Jude Brennan, are women. I think the fact that they have stayed loyal to Dave for decades speaks for itself.
No other figure has influenced my sense of humor, and in some ways, my very outlook on life, like David Letterman. I feel kind of sorry for the younger generation who never had the opportunity to watch his old "Late Night," when he was practically redefining the talk show genre on a nightly basis. Indeed, I stopped watching "Late Show" regularly when he settled into a more conventional talk show groove; despite the cranky charm he displays during his chats with Paul Shaffer, I can't help but miss the brilliant stunts and innovation of the old days. I hope someday, Letterman takes a page from his mentor Johnny Carson and makes his old shows available for purchase.
But despite my appreciation for Letterman the comedian, I've never had much interest in Letterman the man. Unlike, say, Stephen Colbert or Craig Ferguson, he's not someone I could imagine myself having a cup of tea with. It was probably his refusal to be a jovial gladhander like his former time slot rival Jay Leno that lost him the "Tonight Show" gig he so coveted. For his audience, the only thing that should matter is that one hour a day when Letterman is on TV. If you enjoy watching him, you should keep on doing it, even if he isn't a paragon of morality and good behavior in his personal life; if you don't, well, Conan O'Brien appears to be happily married.
I do agree with Scovell that it would be nice to see more female writers on late night shows. Hiring people other than white males doesn't necessarily have to be a sop to mediocrity or tokenism; look at "The Daily Show," which used to get a lot of criticism for its on-air roster of white men (plus Samantha Bee). The show responded by hiring the extremely funny and talented Wyatt Cenac and Aasif Mandvi, who have both brought a different and hilarious perspective to the broadcast, and made a good thing even better. "Daily" has two female writers and the writers' assistant is also a woman, a sign that they're interested in nurturing female talent. There are plenty of funny women out there, and they should be welcomed into the writing rooms.
Remember NBC's "52-week strategy" with "The Jay Leno Show," where the program would likely be hammered in the ratings by new dramas on CBS and ABC but would show strength against reruns? As last night's "Leno" guest, Dr. Phil McGraw, might say, "How's that workin' for ya'?"
Not so well, apparently -- the good doctor couldn't help Jay beat a rerun of "CSI: Miami." In fact, Leno could only dredge up a series-low 4.62 million viewers.
Advertising Age's Simon Dumenco takes a page from Jay's former time slot rival in presenting "Top 10 Lessons to Learn from NBC's Failing Leno Strategy." "NBC executives, in marketing Leno's move to prime time, tried to position him as a beloved broadcast institution -- like they were bestowing a comedic gift on America -- as a cover for their entirely cynical cost-cutting," writes Dumenco. "In reality, though, it was clear all along that late-night Leno functioned as a sort of utility: an easy, default pre-bedtime diversion literally not ready for prime time, even after 17 years. NBC used to offer substantive entrees at 10 ('ER,' 'Law & Order'), and figured that viewers could be forced to switch to comfort food. But Leno at 11:35 wasn't ever really even meatloaf; he was more like that stale bag of Funyuns in the back of the cupboard you were willing to settle for because mindless late-night snacking is ... mindless."
David Letterman: A female writer speaks out about "hostile work environment"
Former "Late Night" writer Nell Scovell writes for Vanity Fair about the "hostile work environment" she found during her brief tenure at the show (she "walked away from [her] dream job" after a few months). "I’d seen enough to know that I was not going to thrive professionally in that workplace," says Scovell. "And although there were various reasons for that, sexual politics did play a major part."
Without naming names or digging up decades-old dirt, let’s address the pertinent questions. Did Dave hit on me? No. Did he pay me enough extra attention that it was noted by another writer? Yes. Was I aware of rumors that Dave was having sexual relationships with female staffers? Yes. Was I aware that other high-level male employees were having sexual relationships with female staffers? Yes. Did these female staffers have access to information and wield power disproportionate to their job titles? Yes. Did that create a hostile work environment? Yes. Did I believe these female staffers were benefiting professionally from their personal relationships? Yes. Did that make me feel demeaned? Completely. Did I say anything at the time? Sadly, no.
Dave asked her why she was quitting, but "with [his] rumored mistress within earshot, I balked. Instead, I told him I missed L.A. Dave said, 'You’re welcome back anytime.'" She went on to write for "Coach," "Monk," "NCIS," and many other shows, and she was the creator of the long-running sitcom "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch."
About the dearth of female writers on late night programs ("Late Show," "Jay Leno" and "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" have not a single woman on their writing staffs), "the shows often rely on current (white male) writers to recommend their funny (white male) friends to be future (white male) writers. Targeted outreach to talented bloggers, improv performers, and stand-ups would help widen the field of applicants."
...getting fucked by a unicorn dot net. DOT NET!
Jon mentioned this URL as part of his segment on net neutrality on last night's "Daily Show":
From Here to Neutrality
Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis
Naturally, I was curious if it actually existed. And here it is:
http://jonstewartsheadonmariolopezsbodygettingeffedbyaunicorn.net/
(It just redirects you to "The Daily Show" home page.)
Turns out some clever joker has registered the .com:
http://jonstewartsheadonmariolopezsbodygettingeffedbyaunicorn.com/
David Letterman: New York magazine reports on his troubles
Was it only last month when New York magazine ran its "Leno Who?" cover, featuring Letterman triumphant? Now comes a much darker piece, "The Devil in David Letterman," written by Robert Kolker. After a slew of hyped-up articles with no new revelations (we're looking at you, Entertainment Weekly), this one actually contains some fresh meat, including numerous interviews with unnamed sources at the show.
Because the host is such a recluse, we learn that he and his many assistants are effectively walled off from the rest of the staff -- "[t]o the rank and file of the show... Dave is almost a nonentity now." And that has led to "a new level of palace intrigue." Says one ex-staffer: “There’s a level of mind games and chess that goes on, starting from the top down. They rule by fear. You don’t want to make Dave mad or so-and-so mad, so you better do a good job. Everyone there is scared of their shadow all the time.”
Some staffers apparently wish Dave had just paid Joe Halderman the $2 million in hush money: “Some people are thinking, ‘Aw, man, I can’t believe Dave did this to us. We were just winning in the ratings, we were really doing good, and he had to come out and make this a pissing match between him and Joe?’” Kolker posits that Halderman thought Letterman's ultra-private personal life meant "he would never allow the revelations about Birkitt to become public. But what Halderman hadn’t counted on was that the other side of Letterman, the self-loathing Letterman, won out. It always does. 'Dave is like, "No one fucks with me. You fuck with me, you die,"' says a source. 'All Dave cares about is his career.'"
One of Kolker's sources believes that Letterman's wife Regina never suspected that Dave and Stephanie were having an affair. Her relationship with Halderman "made her less threatening to Regina. 'Stephanie was someone she trusted,' the source continues. 'I’m sure Dave’s wife felt some comfort because Stephanie lived with her boyfriend that she was clearly over the moon for. I think Regina let down her guard. You have to know Stephanie. She just doesn’t seem like the kind of person who’d be sneaking around with your husband behind your back.'"
The whole story is definitely worth a read for anyone who's been following this case.
Paul Shaffer fans, take note. David Letterman's musical director spent the rerun week plugging his new book, We'll Be Here For the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Show-biz Saga. He turned up on rival Jimmy Kimmel's talk show last Tuesday, leading Kimmel's band, Cleto and the Cletones, and also chatting with Jimmy. It was such a great episode that they're rerunning it tonight.
For a megadose of Shaffer, check out Adam Carolla's hour-long podcast with the bandleader. Paul talks about his early musical influences, his feud with John Belushi, a hilarious encounter with Britney Spears, his ill-fated 70s sitcom "A Year at the Top," and much more.
One thing Shaffer declines to discuss: David Letterman's recent legal troubles. He told Carolla that he's not allowed to talk about it.
Merry Christmas from Talk Show News: it's Conan's ...
Holiday Fun Time: 10 best talk show appearances of...
Talk Show News Book Club: Paul Shaffer, "We'll Be ...
Stephen Colbert gives Sports Illustrated the Colbe...
Sarah Palin to appear on "Tonight Show with Conan ...
David Letterman, Craig Ferguson and other late nig...
Colbert's new nemesis: How do you pronounce "DeSev...
Jimmy Kimmel: Adam Lambert uninvited from his show...
TSN Holiday Gift Guide: Presents for the talk show...
Lou Dobbs, VP Joe Biden to sit down with Jon Stewa...
David Letterman and Andre Agassi: Bye-bye hairpiec...
Ratings News: Leno's low, good start for Lopez and...
David Letterman Case: It wasn't extortion, honest!...
Wanda Sykes and George Lopez: New Talk Show Alert!...
Stephen Colbert and Speedskating: Joey Cheek to ap...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line260
|
__label__wiki
| 0.941334
| 0.941334
|
Hurricane Florence starts flooding parts of the Carolinas
Hurricane Florence, which is nearing the US East Coast, could kill "a lot of people", officials warn.
The latest weather predictions show the storm slowing to a near standstill as it pummels the coast with "copious amounts of rain" from Thursday night to Saturday, said Mr Long.
Experts agreed that despite Florence losing some power, it was still poised to sow just as much destruction - if not more.
The National Hurricane Center said Florence will eventually break up over the southern Appalachians and make a right hook to the northeast, its rainy remnants moving into the mid-Atlantic states and New England by the middle of next week.
Mr Schleifstein also advised people to "keep an axe" in their attic, in case people break in after the storm.
Given the likelihood of rain being measured in feet, rather than inches with Florence, widespread inland urban, small stream and major river flooding are anticipated in the Carolinas.
"With this storm, it's a (Category 1) but the storm surge and the flooding is going to be that of a category 4", CNN Meteorologist Jennifer Gray said Thursday night.
Almost 1.8million people have been ordered to evacuate from coastal areas.
Hurricane-force winds are getting closer to North Carolina's Outer Banks and the coastal southeastern portion of the state, the NHC said.
The fates of the region's furry, feathered and finned friends were also up in the air, as staffers scrambled to secure zoos, aquariums and animal shelters.
"We are now still beyond the three day prediction envelope and the cone of uncertainty that we have of where the storm will go is very big so I'm really hesitant to make any predictions about what it's going to be like here in Western North Carolina", says Young.
Zookeepers and veterinarians resolved to hunker down with the creatures and see them through the storm.
More than 22,600 people in North Carolina were housed in 150 shelters statewide, including schools, churches and Wake Forest University's basketball arena. "That's why we're begging for assistance". The vivid presentation - powered by the Unreal Engine, most commonly used in video games - seems likely to serve as a more pressing demonstration of the storm's threat than a mere written warning, and that's vitally important for folks in impacted areas.
Some people, such as Jennie, are refusing to heed evacuation warnings.
Empty stores and packed houses alike sit boarded up and bolstered with sandbags, and the streets are empty with curfews in effect in many areas.
After landfall, the storm is expected to linger over the area for a few days, which would result in rising river levels and lakes.
Even the thousands of emergency workers on scene - ranging from power workers to National Guardsmen to cops, many of them volunteers from across the country - could only sit and wait for Florence to do its worst before they could do their best.
"We're recommending people to stay here".
New Bern's mayor told CNN that 4,200 homes were damaged in the city. "They need to shelter in place".
The police chief of a barrier island in Florence's bulls'-eye said he was asking for next-of-kin contact information from the few residents who refused to leave.
"For our customers, I know they normally expect to see us immediately after the storm rolls through, but it's not safe for us to be out there working", he said.
Winds bent trees toward the ground and raindrops flew sideways as Florence moved in for an extended stay, with enough of its killer winds swirling overseas to maintain its power.
Tourists injured after rockfall at popular Greek beach
At least seven people were injured when sections of sheer cliff collapsed on to a popular beach on Greek island of Zakynthos. O'Connell described the piece of rock that fell as being as big as a four-storey building, crashing down onto the beach .
Experts are saying Florence, a "monster", could be one of the most powerful storms to ever hit the East Coast. Abigail Darlington , covers the city of Charleston for the South Carolina Post and Courier.
But Liverpool's victory on Saturday and their surge to the top of table is about more than the money they have spent. Alisson is in goal again, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson in defence.
However, that was scrapped after Canelo failed a drug test for the banned substance, clenbuterol. A relaxed-looking Golovkin later took a verbal jab at his Mexican rival after the face-off.
US Imposes Sanctions on N. Korean IT Firms
The U.S. said that the companies targeted are also linked to the organizations involved in North's weapons program. Haley and other diplomats claim that Russian Federation pressured the independent monitors to amend the report.
SC governor gives update on Florence response at 2:30 PM
It said it also provided assistance to local governments for clean-up efforts following the storm, including building repairs. Cooper cited a National Weather Service forecast that said almost the entire state could be covered in several feet of water.
Waffle House is Preparing to Stay Open During Hurricane Florence
No matter what Hurricane Florence brings to Myrtle Beach, the Waffle House off Highway 501 will be open, doing all they can. Within the occasion that they're originate however luxuriate in a restricted menu, that is yellow ", he talked about.
Tottenham's Mauricio Pochettino won't blame Michel Vorm for Liverpool opener
After two weeks of an worldwide break both sides will be looking to maintain their early season momentum. We previously achieved it in both 1978-79 and 1990-91.
Alli and Lloris to miss Liverpool match, Poch discusses Lloris drink-driving
Speaking to the press ahead of Spurs " game against Liverpool on Sunday, Pochettino said: "He apologised to everyone. The Belgian defender looked set for Manchester United after he failed to agree a new contract.
Poland to not support European Union sanctions against Hungary
The Czech government stands behind Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban , Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Thursday. However, because this step has never been taken before, it is not clear what will happen next, or when.
Among the people who spoke were Sundar Pichai, Google's chief executive, and Ruth Porat, Alphabet's chief financial officer. I have heard from some conservative Googlers in the past few days that they haven't felt comfortable.
Meanwhile, many were experiencing a complete blackout as the storm damaged infrastructure, utility poles and transmission lines. Two other people died in North Carolina's Carteret County, according to the county's emergency management services office.
Only because after the first season the players understood the difficulty of this kind of match. John Terry is Chelsea's most successful captain, leading the Blues to 14 major trophies.
GM recalls over 1 million pickups, SUVs for power steering problem
Eric Trump Says Bob Woodward Wrote Book To Make 'Shekels'
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line267
|
__label__cc
| 0.718804
| 0.281196
|
S: (n) scleritis (inflammation of the sclera)
S: (n) inflammation, redness, rubor (a response of body tissues to injury or irritation; characterized by pain and swelling and redness and heat)
S: (n) adenitis (inflammation of a gland or lymph node)
S: (n) alveolitis (inflammation of the alveoli in the lungs caused by inhaling dust; with repeated exposure the condition may become chronic)
S: (n) alveolitis, dry socket (inflammation in the socket of a tooth; sometimes occurs after a tooth is extracted and a blood clot fails to form)
S: (n) angiitis (inflammation of a blood vessel or lymph duct)
S: (n) aortitis (inflammation of the aorta)
S: (n) appendicitis (inflammation of the vermiform appendix)
S: (n) arteritis (inflammation of an artery)
S: (n) balanitis (inflammation of the head of the penis)
S: (n) balanoposthitis (inflammation of both the head of the penis and the foreskin)
S: (n) blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids characterized by redness and swelling and dried crusts)
S: (n) bursitis (inflammation of a bursa; frequently in the shoulder)
S: (n) carditis (inflammation of the heart)
S: (n) catarrh (inflammation of the nose and throat with increased production of mucus)
S: (n) cellulitis (an inflammation of body tissue (especially that below the skin) characterized by fever and swelling and redness and pain)
S: (n) cervicitis (inflammation of the uterine cervix)
S: (n) cheilitis (inflammation and cracking of the skin of the lips)
S: (n) cholangitis (inflammation of the bile ducts)
S: (n) cholecystitis (inflammation of the gall bladder)
S: (n) chorditis (inflammation of the vocal cords)
S: (n) chorditis (inflammation of the spermatic cord)
S: (n) colitis, inflammatory bowel disease (inflammation of the colon)
S: (n) colpitis (inflammation of the vagina)
S: (n) colpocystitis (inflammation of the vagina and bladder)
S: (n) conjunctivitis, pinkeye (inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eye)
S: (n) corditis (inflammation of the spermatic cord)
S: (n) costochondritis (inflammation at the junction of a rib and its cartilage)
S: (n) dacryocystitis (inflammation of the lacrimal sac causing obstruction of the tube draining tears into the nose)
S: (n) diverticulitis (inflammation of a diverticulum in the digestive tract (especially the colon); characterized by painful abdominal cramping and fever and constipation)
S: (n) encephalitis, cephalitis, phrenitis (inflammation of the brain usually caused by a virus; symptoms include headache and neck pain and drowsiness and nausea and fever (`phrenitis' is no longer in scientific use))
S: (n) encephalomyelitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord)
S: (n) endarteritis (inflammation of the inner lining of an artery)
S: (n) endocervicitis (inflammation of the mucous lining of the uterine cervix)
S: (n) enteritis (inflammation of the intestine (especially the small intestine); usually characterized by diarrhea)
S: (n) epicondylitis (painful inflammation of the muscles and soft tissues around an epicondyle)
S: (n) epididymitis (painful inflammation of the epididymis)
S: (n) epiglottitis (inflammation of the epiglottis; characterized by fever and a severe sore throat and difficulty in swallowing)
S: (n) episcleritis (inflammation of the sclera of the eye)
S: (n) esophagitis, oesophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus; often caused by gastroesophageal reflux)
S: (n) fibrositis (inflammation of white fibrous tissues (especially muscle sheaths))
S: (n) fibromyositis (local inflammation of muscle and connective tissue)
S: (n) folliculitis (inflammation of a hair follicle)
S: (n) funiculitis (inflammation of a funiculus (especially an inflammation of the spermatic cord))
S: (n) gastritis (inflammation of the lining of the stomach; nausea and loss of appetite and discomfort after eating)
S: (n) glossitis (inflammation of the tongue)
S: (n) hydrarthrosis (inflammation and swelling of a movable joint because of excess synovial fluid)
S: (n) water on the knee (hydrarthrosis affecting the knee)
S: (n) ileitis (inflammation of the ileum)
S: (n) iridocyclitis (inflammation of the iris and ciliary body of the eye)
S: (n) iridokeratitis (inflammation of the iris and cornea of the eye)
S: (n) iritis (inflammation of the iris)
S: (n) jejunitis (inflammation of the jejunum of the small intestine)
S: (n) jejunoileitis (inflammation of the jejunum and the ileum of the small intestine)
S: (n) keratitis (inflammation of the cornea causing watery painful eyes and blurred vision)
S: (n) keratoconjunctivitis (inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva)
S: (n) keratoiritis (inflammation of the cornea and the iris of the eye)
S: (n) keratoscleritis (inflammation of the cornea and sclera of the eye)
S: (n) laminitis, founder (inflammation of the laminated tissue that attaches the hoof to the foot of a horse)
S: (n) laryngitis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the larynx; characterized by hoarseness or loss of voice and coughing)
S: (n) laryngopharyngitis (inflammation of the larynx and pharynx)
S: (n) laryngotracheobronchitis (inflammation of the larynx and trachea and bronchial passageways)
S: (n) lymphadenitis (inflammation of lymph nodes)
S: (n) lymphangitis (inflammation of a lymph vessel)
S: (n) mastitis (inflammation of a breast (or udder))
S: (n) mastoiditis (inflammation of the mastoid)
S: (n) metritis, endometritis (inflammation of the lining of the uterus (of the endometrium))
S: (n) myelitis (inflammation of the spinal cord)
S: (n) myositis (inflammation of muscle tissue)
S: (n) myometritis (inflammation of the myometrium)
S: (n) neuritis (inflammation of a nerve accompanied by pain and sometimes loss of function)
S: (n) oophoritis (inflammation of one or both ovaries)
S: (n) orchitis (inflammation of one or both testes; characterized by pain and swelling)
S: (n) osteitis (inflammation of a bone as a consequence of infection or trauma or degeneration)
S: (n) otitis (inflammation of the ear)
S: (n) ovaritis (inflammation of the ovaries)
S: (n) pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas; usually marked by abdominal pain)
S: (n) parametritis (inflammation of connective tissue adjacent to the uterus)
S: (n) parotitis (inflammation of one or both parotid glands)
S: (n) peritonitis, peritoneal inflammation (inflammation of the peritoneum)
S: (n) phalangitis (inflammation of a finger or toe)
S: (n) phlebitis (inflammation of a vein (usually in the legs))
S: (n) pneumonitis (inflammation of the lungs; caused by a virus or an allergic reaction)
S: (n) posthitis (inflammation of the foreskin of the penis; usually caused by bacterial infection)
S: (n) proctitis (inflammation of the rectum; marked by bloody stools and a frequent urge to defecate; frequently associated with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis)
S: (n) prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland characterized by perineal pain and irregular urination and (if severe) chills and fever)
S: (n) rachitis (inflammation of the vertebral column)
S: (n) radiculitis (inflammation of the radicle of a nerve)
S: (n) retinitis (inflammation of the retina)
S: (n) rhinitis, coryza (an inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the nose (usually associated with nasal discharge))
S: (n) sinusitis (inflammation of one of the paranasal sinuses)
S: (n) salpingitis (inflammation of a Fallopian tube (usually the result of infection spreading from the vagina or uterus) or of a Eustachian tube)
S: (n) sialadenitis (inflammation of the salivary glands)
S: (n) splenitis (inflammation of the spleen)
S: (n) spondylitis (inflammation of a spinal joint; characterized by pain and stiffness)
S: (n) stomatitis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the mouth)
S: (n) synovitis (inflammation of the synovial membrane that lines a synovial joint; results in pain and swelling)
S: (n) tarsitis (inflammation of the eyelid)
S: (n) tendinitis, tendonitis, tenonitis (inflammation of a tendon)
S: (n) thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid gland)
S: (n) tonsillitis (inflammation of the tonsils (especially the palatine tonsils))
S: (n) tracheitis (inflammation of the trachea)
S: (n) tracheobronchitis (common respiratory infection characterized by inflammation of the trachea and the bronchi)
S: (n) tympanitis (inflammation of the inner ear)
S: (n) ulitis (inflammation of the gums)
S: (n) ureteritis (inflammation of the ureter)
S: (n) uveitis (inflammation of the uvea of the eye)
S: (n) uvulitis (inflammation of the uvula)
S: (n) vaginitis (inflammation of the vagina (usually associated with candidiasis))
S: (n) valvulitis (inflammation of a valve (especially of a cardiac valve as a consequence of rheumatic fever))
S: (n) vasculitis (inflammation of a blood vessel)
S: (n) vasovesiculitis (inflammation of the vas deferens and seminal vesicles; usually occurring with prostatitis)
S: (n) vesiculitis (inflammation of a seminal vesicle (usually in conjunction with prostatitis))
S: (n) vulvitis (inflammation of the vulva)
S: (n) vulvovaginitis (inflammation of the vulva and the vagina)
S: (n) shin splints (painful inflammation of the muscles around the shins; frequent among runners)
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line276
|
__label__wiki
| 0.565705
| 0.565705
|
For laughing out loud
By The Caribbean Camera Inc. on April 25, 2018 Comments Off on For laughing out loud
Tayana Jacques and Brian Mann
When next you visit Montreal, be careful how you laugh.
If you laugh too loudly, you could end up having to pay $444.
And that is no laughing matter
Not for Tayana Jacques, a black woman of Haitian descent, and her white boyfriend, Brian Mann.
According to media reports, the couple was walking on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, near Jacques’ home, on their way to get breakfast on the morning of April 7 last.
They were chatting and laughing loudly when they say two police officers pulled up beside them and told them that they were being too loud. Mann, the executive director of Concordia University Television (CUTV), said he asked the officers if there was a law against talking and laughing. They said they would decide what defines too loud, Mann said.
Saying she was fearful of their aggressive tone, Mann’s girlfriend, turned around to walk to her nearby home. The officers jumped out of the car and threw her against the hood of their vehicle, she said, then roughly searched and handcuffed her, and would not say why there were arresting her.
Once in the police cruiser, they asked her several times how many drugs she had taken, and if she was a drug addict. They seemed surprised to learn she had a good job and spoke English and French fluently, said Jacques, a web developer.
Speaking at a news conference on Saturday organized by the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR), Mann said he asked the police officers why they were arresting his girlfriend, and was told he would be arrested shortly.
Two more police cars arrived, and Mann said three officers ran toward him, grabbed his arms, kicked him in the back of the knee, punched him in the face and knocked him to the ground. Handcuffed and restrained by his legs, he was then pepper sprayed, he said. As a result of the arrest, he suffered torn ligaments in his shoulder, and has reduced sensation in the back of his left hand.
Mann’s girlfriend was issued a $444 ticket for making excessive noise and released. Mann was given a similar ticket and released.
The couple plans to file complaints with the Montreal police’s ethics board and the Quebec Human Rights Commission.
They alleged Montreal police racially-profiled them, and used excessive force during the arrest.
“Honestly, I don’t think this could have happened if I was a white woman who had been walking down the street with her boyfriend,” Jacques said.
For laughing out loud added by The Caribbean Camera Inc. on April 25, 2018
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line283
|
__label__cc
| 0.519882
| 0.480118
|
Jamaicans urged to ‘ partner with each other’ to build their homeland
By The Caribbean Camera Inc. on June 1, 2017 Comments Off on Jamaicans urged to ‘ partner with each other’ to build their homeland
Janice Miller High Commissioner Senator Kamina Johnson Smith
“One han caan clap.”
That was the message from Jamaica’s foreign affairs minister, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, at the Canadian launch on Tuesday night of the Jamaica 55 Diaspora Conference.
Addressing more than a hundred Jamaicans at the Eaton Chelsea hotel in Toronto, the foreign minister noted the theme of the conference: “Partnering for growth.”
“This theme acknowledges the importance of working collaboratively to build our beloved homeland,” she said.
“As Jamaicans we are known for our strong sense of identity and affinity – we have a love and passion for Jamaica and all things Jamaican. My fellow Jamaicans, we do need each other to grow and thrive,” she told the gathering.
” We must partner with each other for the robust and sustainable growth and development of our common heritage – Jamaica , land we love,” she said.
The foreign minister pointed out that this year’s Diaspora Conference, to be held in Kingston, Jamaica July 23-27, ” present a platform to achieve our goal of deepening the involvement of Jamaicans overseas in transformational growth and nation building.”
Senator Johnson Smith reported that “the process of strengthening the institutional mechanisms to engage the Diaspora has begun in earnest.
Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Kamina Johnson Smith (right) receives gift from Ms
Aliecia Taylor of the Jamaica Consulate in Toronto
“A Diaspora Engagement Task Force has been established by the Economic Growth Council (EGC) with a focus on harnessing the skills, expertise and knowledge of our Diaspora worldwide.
“As part of our efforts to streamline this process, the membership of this Task Force is broad-based, comprising various Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as Diaspora representatives.”
She also reported that The Task Force is currently pursing recommended growth initiatives contained in the EGC’s Call to Action, “such as the establishment of a Fast-Track/ One-Stop Shop coordinating agency of all the major government agencies to address all Diaspora and investor requests and initiatives; the implementation of the Global Immigration Service Card, as well as assessing how the relationship between the Diaspora and Jamaica can be optimized. ”
The foreign minister reminded Jamaicans that this year’s Conference comes at ” a very significant juncture, coinciding with the commemoration of Jamaica’s 55th year of Independence.
“Fifty five years of nationhood is an important milestone to acknowledge, to take stock and celebrate our resilience and achievements as a people..”
She also noted that in recognition of the importance of the Diaspora, the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport designated the year’s theme as “Celebrating Jamaicans at home and abroad”.
Our Ministry is therefore working in partnership with the Jamaica 55 Secretariat of that Ministry, to promote the celebratory events and Legacy Projects of Jamaica 55 and to include it as part of the Conference agenda.
” Two outstanding examples of that collaborative process which also include other Ministries, are: the ‘Adopt-A-Clinic Initiative’; and the ‘Pledge 2 Build Campaign’ projects, which will be highlighted during the Conference, to garner your increased support for Jamaica’s health and education sectors, respectively.
Among government officials present at the Canadian launch of the Diaspora Conference were Janice Miller , Jamaica’s High Commissioner, to Canada, Lloyd Wilks, Jamaica’s Consul General in Toronto and Ambassador Sharon Saunders, Acting Under Secretary, Diaspora, Protocol and Consular Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.
Jamaicans urged to ‘ partner with each other’ to build their homeland added by The Caribbean Camera Inc. on June 1, 2017
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line284
|
__label__wiki
| 0.933843
| 0.933843
|
The Diplomatic Society
Weekly Digital Newsletters
Foreign Relations Spotlight
The Democratic Republic of Congo
Diplomatically Speaking
Diplomatic Travel
National Days 2015
Mar-Apr
Feb-Mar 2015
November-December
Nov/Dec
Articles - National Days
National Day Photos 2011
Diplomatic Representation
Foreign Representatives in South Africa
South African Missions Abroad
Việt Nam wins seat on United Nations Security Council with landslide vote
NEW YORK — With near unanimous approval, Việt Nam has secured a seat on the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member for the 2020-2021 tenure.
Photo: (second row right to left) Vietnam Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Acting Director General of the International Organizations Department, Vietnam MOFA Do Hung Viet.
According to the results announced at 11:10pm (New York time), after the very first round of votes were counted, Việt Nam earned approval from 192 out of 193 voting countries and territories late on Friday during the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The result represented a record, with the landslide one of the largest in the history of the United Nations.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh tweeted that Việt Nam is “proud and honoured to be elected” and that the country would “undertake the duties of a Council member to the best of our abilities to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security.”
After the results were announced, deputy foreign minister Lê Hoài Trung at the UN headquarter received congratulations from many countries. He later held talks with the foreign press to express Việt Nam’s gratitude and to reaffirm Việt Nam’s commitments to become a constructive and responsible member of the council, and live up to the confidence the international community has placed in Việt Nam.
Trung said for its term as a Council member, Việt Nam will focus on promoting multilateralism and international law, cooperation between the Council and regional organisations, post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding, as well as civilian protection during conflicts.
This marks the second time Việt Nam has won the position on the council, following its first stint during the 2008-2009 period.
Among the six candidates, two are from Africa, one from Latin America, one from Eastern Europe, and one from Asia-Pacific.
As the only candidate representing Asia-Pacific, Việt Nam was set to replace Kuwait at the UNSC from January 1, 2020.
As one of the six major UN organs, the UN Security Council has 15 members, including five permanent and the remaining 10 with two-year tenures. It is the only UN organ to have the right to assess threats to peace and propose or decide on measures to restore global peace and security.
The Asia-Pacific countries’ nomination and eventual voting of Việt Nam to the position reflects their recognition of its active, substantial and responsible contributions to the world’s largest multilateral organisation over the past 42 years, especially in the UN’s pillar fields such as peace maintenance and building, protection of human rights and development promotion.— VNS
The other countries who were elected to the UNSC included Estonia, Niger, Tunisia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Does Alibaba buy Netflix? 10 July 2019 For sure this was one of the stunning theses offered by one of the speakers of this year’s MCMS Congress held in Budapest: Alibaba will buy... <|> <|> <|> <|> Korea - The Land of the Morning Calm The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Pretoria is hosting the 1st photographic exhibition of photographer, Mr LEE Jung Jae from 7-12 November 2016.... <|> <|> <|> The history of Italian enterprise in over 50 objects “50+! The great industry game” Itinerant exhibition narrating Italy in South Africa An iconographic exhibition narrating Italian design,... <|> International bazaar Food and Handicrafts from all over the world in Pretoria An International Bazaar and Family Fun day will be hosted in Pretoria on 20 May, as a charity fundraising... <|> <|>
Home | About Us | References | Advertise | Letters to the Editor | Contact Us | Site Map
© copyright 2011-2017| The Diplomatic Society| All Rights Reserved.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line285
|
__label__wiki
| 0.557781
| 0.557781
|
-Rwanda National Parks
Home / Rwanda -
Akagera National Park is found in Rwanda and has animals like buffalos, lions, hippos, giraffes, zebras, topis and a great boat ride on lake ihema. Located in Rwanda on the Eastern side of the country bordering with Tanzania,Akagera National Park covers an area of 1112sqkm and was founded in 1934 mainly to protect the animals and the vegatation cover of the area.The hilly areas,the swamp and the savannah.The Akagera National Park was named after the Akagera River which flows along the eastern boarder spreading the water into 10 lakes all found with in the park.
Volcanoes National Park is found in Northwestern part of Rwanda, also alled pac des volcans. The park is famous for its rare mountain gorillas and borders with the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. Volcanoes National Park consists of a dense rain forest situated along 5 extinct volcanos. It is also home to half of the world's remaining mountain gorilla population.
Nyungwe forest National Park located in the south west of Rwanda is famous for chimpanzees, congo nile trail walk and the great canopy walk. A 5hrs drive will take you to Nyungwe forest National Park from Rwanda's Capital Kigali.The park is located in the south western part of Rwanda covering an area of over 1000Sq Km about 600square miles. The area was gazzetted as a reserve forest in 1934 and was first called the Rujeje forest by the first forest duellers. It was declared a National Park in 2005 by the Rwandan Government.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line288
|
__label__cc
| 0.619578
| 0.380422
|
Five lessons ROOTS taught me about life
6.06.2016 in life - Post a Comment
Last week, a powerful four-part miniseries named Roots premiered on three separate channels, (History, A&E, and Lifetime) and slavery once again was thrust into the limelight. Originally made in 1977, and based off of Alex Haley's novel, Roots: The Saga of an American Family, this contemporary remake tells the story of Kunta Kinte, a teen kidnapped from Africa and sold into slavery, and seven generations of his descendants. First considered "Faction" due to the conversations and activities, there was controversy when when book was released, as Alex Haley said that the novel was actually a history of HIS family. After much debate, Haley finally said that most of books's portrayal of slaves, were actually based on facts of what surrounded the slaves in the South. And critics now consider the novel Historical Fiction.
In my opinion, if the story is real or not, it doesn't matter. Sure it was wrong of Haley to go around saying that it was HIS FAMILY'S story, but it's still a good book, and historians say that it was an accurate description on what slavery in the South was really about. And through watching the miniseries last week, I learned five valuable lessons about life.
Live each day like it's your last
Many slave families were born, raised, and died as slaves, and most of the time they lived on the same farm. Unfortunately though, they didn't have any type of stability. If an owner needed money, it was in his right to sell one of his slaves. It wasn't uncommon for a family to be torn apart, and not to have any type of advance notice, so once the work day was finished (usually sundown), slaves spent time with their families. And they increased their family size. They helped each other, and didn't let anyone bring them down.
Stay true to your convictions
Though out the miniseries, Kunta Kinte stayed true to himself. He refused to take on the name that his white slave owner's wife had given him, and was even whipped for it. After a brutal whipping, he finally answered to the name "Toby", but to anyone he met, he introduced himself as Kunta Kinte. Why? Because he believed that his name was all he had; that it was his identity. Through his name he attempted to hold on to his heritage, and would often talk about his home in Africa, along with his parents, and the fact that he was a Mandinka warrior. Eventually he conceded to the truth that he was a slave, and would most likely never see Africa again, but that didn't stop him from making sure his Mandinka ways weren't passed down his his daughter.
Sometimes you need to suck up your pride
Slaves didn't like the fact that they were slaves, and who would? But they often would realize that if that sucked up their pride and didn't retaliate, their lives would be somewhat better. They learned to grow "a thick skin". At a point in the miniseries, Kunta Kinte comes face to face with his previous owner, who steps on his foot and tells him that instead of cutting off his foot (for his multiple escape attempts), he should have just lynched him. Kunta Kinte balls up his fist, but looks down at his daughter for a moment. He then smiles and says something along the lines of "Yessa, Masser, I understand". In that moment, Kunta Kinte realized that his family was more important than settling a pissing match. Because if Kunta Kinte would have punched the white man, he could have been lynched; and his family sold off, just because. Sure, this example really doesn't match up to today's standards, but the essence is this: sometimes when faced with a situation, getting even is not the answer; nothing good can come from it.
You don't need materialistic things
Slaves lived in deplorable conditions on the Master's plantation, their clothes were ratty as anything, and they didn't have materialistic things; they didn't have access to them and they didn't need them. They would have small things- like songs of their forefathers or a bead necklace handed down through the generations, but that was all. They didn't need expensive things or clothes to make them happy. All they really cared about was each other.
At times in their lives, I can guarantee that slaves thought about taking the easy way out, and even though some did, the majority didn't. They chose to try to live their life to the fullest, well, as much as they could. Once the work day was done, even though they were tired and beaten down, they wouldn't let it stop them from laughing and celebrating. They played music, they danced, they told stories. From sundown to sunup, they relished in feeling like they were human beings, instead of animals. They spent time with loved ones, and didn't fight about stupid things.
Roots also taught me alot about slavery. Throughout school, you are taught that slavery was bad, and the classes usually cover the majority: like kidnapped Africans riding in a boat for 2-3 months, being sold to white owners, white owners being able to do what they wanted, etc. You learn that twelve of our great nation's Presidents actually owned slaves, but it was Abraham Lincoln who freed them. You learn about the atrocities that slaves had to endure, but what you don't see is the perseverance that slaves exhibited. From learning to swallow their pride to never giving up, slaves, as people themselves, can teach everyone valuable lessons.
If you are interested in watching the miniseries, you can do that here or if you want to learn more about the history of slavery, you can do that here.
Have you even been interested in knowing your own roots? The History channel is running a "Know Your Roots" Sweepstakes. The grand prize is a DNA kit from 23andMe and a trip for two to a geographical region in your genetic makeup. AND 100 second prize winners will win a DNA kit from 23andMe. You can enter here to win --> HERE.
Did you watch Roots? If so, what did you think?
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line289
|
__label__cc
| 0.562866
| 0.437134
|
Stories from Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Putnam Scanner for Nov. 19, 2008 (Police Logs ~ 11/19/08)
Sheriff's Department The following accidents were reported to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office. Rhoda Adam of Bainbridge was traveling north on U.S. 231 at 2:25 p.m. Nov. 6 when she approached a vehicle driven by Luke Gerhardt of Roachdale slowing for a vehicle to make a turn. Adam reported she braked but due to the slick road, she hit the rear of Gerhardt's vehicle. There was an estimated $1,001 to $2,500 in damages...
Robert Warren Barnes (Obituary ~ 11/19/08)
Robert Warren "Pennsylvania Bob" Barnes of North Cataract Road passed away at home Monday morning, Nov. 17, 2008 of congestive heart failure. He was born Dec. 7, 1942 at Ellwood City, Pa., the son of Dave Barnes and Helen Jayne Graham Barnes. He was employed at Townsend Steel and Halstead Copper Industries in Zelienople after high school graduation and worked in maintenance at Cook Forest State Park. ...
John David Stinson (Obituary ~ 11/19/08)
John David Stinson, 75, of Reelsville passed away Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008 in St. Vincent Hospital, Indianapolis. Born Jan. 23, 1933, he was the son of John K. Stinson and Lera M. (Whitt) Stinson Cook. Survivors include sister Betty Jean Allee of Reelsville and four brothers, Harry Glen Stinson of Cloverdale, James Stinson and wife Wanda of Stilesville, Hansford "Hank" Stinson and wife Rhonda of Fillmore and Robert Stinson of Brazil...
Ronald C. Horner (Obituary ~ 11/19/08)
Ronald C. Horner, 81, of Poland passed away Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008 at St. Vincent Clay Hospital, Brazil. Born April 16, 1927 in Indianapolis, he was the son of Sam and Margaret Ethel (Chamberlain) Horner. He married Ethel (Howell) Horner on April 12, 1980 and she survives...
Holiday Tour (Local News ~ 11/19/08)
The home of Jim and Loretta Maxwell is one of six that will be featured in Delta Theta Tau's 26th annual Holiday Home Tour, slated for 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 23. The Maxwell's home, located at 133 Hilltop Lane, Greencastle, is a one-story brick house they had built in 1999 as their seasonal retirement home. ...
Author explains Native American life prior to 1492 (Local News ~ 11/19/08)
U.S. National Academy of Sciences' Keck Award-winning author and Science journalist Charles C. Mann spoke to a filled room at DePauw University's Pulliam Center Tuesday evening. Mann's acclaimed book "1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus," gives a new perspective to Native American life and the landscape of America prior to 1492 and contact with Europeans...
Prindle Institue wins LEED award (Local News ~ 11/19/08)
The Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics recently earned a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) New Construction Gold 2.2 rating by the American Institute for Architects Indiana during the 2008 Design Awards. It is the first new building to achieve gold...
Cloverdale to make use of Community Work Experience (Local News ~ 11/19/08)
CLOVERDALE -- Cloverdale Town Council agreed to utilize the Community Work Experience Program for local residence currently receiving Temporary Assistance of Needy Families (TANF) benefits. Maria Bonilla said any individual is only eligible for TANF benefits for two years of their life...
County Council approves 2009 county budget (Local News ~ 11/19/08)
The Putnam County Council made final adjustments to and approved the 2009 county budget Tuesday night. The adjustments to the budget mainly had to do with salary issues in various departments. The longest discussion pertained to salaries of deputies in the assessor's office. Because all county assessment will now be centrally handled in the county office rather than by individual township assessors, the extra appropriations are now required to that portion of the budget...
Tiger Cubs continue strong start to season (High School Sports ~ 11/19/08)
By CAINE GARDNER Sports Editor For the Greencastle girls' basketball team it's been an impressive beginning to the season. They opened the season with a 23-point win and followed that with an 11-point victory over visiting Southmont Tuesday. Tuesday's game was a low-scoring affair, but it was the fashion in which the Tiger Cubs got the win that was notable. ...
Debra K. Conner (Obituary ~ 11/19/08)
Debra "Debbie" K. (Baker) Conner, 50, of Cloverdale died at Summerville Healthcare Center on Monday, Nov. 17, 2008. She was born June 27, 1958 in Bloomington to Joe and Diana Baker. She lived most of her life in Putnam County. She graduated from South Putnam High School in 1967. She drove a school bus for Cloverdale Community Schools for several years. She was a cook at the Greencastle schools and also cooked at the Cloverdale Nursing Home...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line297
|
__label__wiki
| 0.952557
| 0.952557
|
Brad Smith/isiphotos.com
Fabian Johnson on Bruce Arena: "We Had a Nice Talk"
The top-ranked player in the ASN 100 spoke to American Soccer Now about his December meeting with Bruce Arena, his return to health, Christian Pulisic, and his belief that the Yanks will qualify for Russia.
AMERICAN SOCCER FANS received some positive news Friday: Fabian Johnson is back training with Borussia Monchengladbach after missing the club’s recent trip to Spain.
Johnson, 29, is among the best American soccer players in the game right now but there is no question that he struggled, mostly due to injury, during the second half of 2016—for both club and country.
He battled an Achilles issue that limited his time on the field and the United States men's national team opened the Hexagonal in disastrous fashion, costing Jurgen Klinsmann his job.
Meanwhile, Broussia Monchengladbach was eliminated from the Champions League in the group stages and the club now sits in a disappointing 14th place in the Bundesliga—just three points from safety. As a result, Monchengladbach also changed managers, bringing in Dieter Hecking during the annual winter break.
That's a lot of change to process, but Johnson is determined to keep a positive outlook. He admitted that it “is a tough situation” at Monchengladbach but he is ready for a new chapter and believes the team will make a climb in the standings.
"I think so,” Johnson told American Soccer Now when asked if he was going to be ready to kick off Monchengladbach’s second half of the season against Darmstadt on January 21. “I am feeling better every day. I am doing well. I will be with the team when they come back from training camp on Friday.”
While club obligatons prevent Johnson from paticipating in the U.S. national team's January camp, he will no doubt play a prominent role when the Americans play two crucial World Cup qualifiers in March. And he will be doing so, of course, for new U.S. boss Bruce Arena.
Johnson was somewhat surprised that Klinsmann was fired after the Costa Rica defeat.
“There were rumors about it that there might be a change with the manager,” Johnson said. “I wasn't expecting anything. It's always different when you get a new coach. Throughout my career I think it is not always good if you change coaches a lot. It doesn't look good for the team but also the players are in the driver’s seat. At the end of the day, we have to perform on the pitch.”
Johnson added that he was “thankful” Klinsmann gave him a chance to play international soccer. Johnson’s first-ever international call-up came less than a month after Klinsmann was hired in 2011. The two did not always have a positive relationship, however, as Klinsmann publically questioned Johnson's ability to play through an injury in the 2015 CONCACAF Cup and dismissed him from the team ahead of a friendly. Still, Johnson prefers to remember his time under Klinsmann in a positive light.
Arena, recognizing the importance of Johnson and several other Bundesliga-based players, flew to Germany shortly after he was hired to introduce himself and establish a dialogue. Not surprisingly, the topic of Johnson's preferred position came up.
Under Klinsmann, Johnson typically played left back although he was moved to right back for the 2014 World Cup and performed well. Johnson played sparingly on the wing for the U.S., which is where he plays the overwhelming majority of the time for Monchengladbach. Klinsmann realized that Johnson was primarily a midfielder although the temptation to play Johnson at left back was too great given the Yanks' lack of options at that position.
So where will Johnson play under Arena?
“I met with Fabian in Germany,” Arena said in December. “His answer to me was, 'I can play either position but I would just like to play one of them and have a little consistency with where I play for the national team.' We're going to evaluate him over the next few months and take into account where he is playing with Gladbach...but obviously he is going to play on the left side of the midfield or at left back."
Johnson said he appreciated meeting with Arena.
“I knew that he used to coach the team and I knew he was the former coach of the L.A. Galaxy. That's about it,” Johnson said. “We had a nice talk. We talked about my situation and the situation with the national team. We got to know each other in person because it is quite difficult over the phone. It was five or 10 minutes. It was quite short.
“He was just asking me what my best position is and where I feel most comfortable. I said I am playing on the wing. Sometimes it is hard to adjust in three days to a different role of playing and a different position. Sometimes it sounds easier than it is. I told him I feel more comfortable if I play the same position as I do for my club team with the national team.”
Nothing will be known for certain about how Arena plans to use Johnson—or any of his European-based players—until the crucial qualifier against Honduras on March 24. But there is a chance that the attack could feature Johnson and Borussia Dortmund teenage phenom Christian Pulisic on the wings.
“I think Christian is a very talented player,” Johnson said of his U.S. teammate. “I think he can help the team very much. I think sometimes it is harder because too many people are expecting too much from an 18-year-old. I think we should just let him play and let him improve. He's getting better and better every time he's on the field.”
The big question now: Will the U.S. national team get better and better every time it takes the field? At this point, Johnson doesn’t care how the team plays so long as it wins—which he predicts will happen.
“I think the only thing we have to worry about is that we have to get the points,” Johnson said. “It does not matter how we are going to play, if we are going to play pretty. I think it is just that we need to win. It doesn't matter how.”
“I think we are still very positive,” he concluded. “It's important to win the home games. There are still eight games to go. We still have it all in our hands. We just have to get the job done.”
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line298
|
__label__wiki
| 0.613872
| 0.613872
|
The Greatest Invention that Was Never Invented*
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”
— Ludwig Wittgenstein, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus
The Unfolding of Language sets out to be an entertaining historical evolutionary mystery tour and analysis of languages. It is about history but do not expect chronology: it investigates the general principles of the changes as they may have unfolded in the past. The relatively recent past. It starts the detective work from what the author calls the "me Tarzan" period—that is to say when lexemes already existed. So strictly speaking the book is not concerned with the unfolding of language per se, but more about the evolution of structures. It explores how grammatical building blocks developed, got streamlined overtime, how words got strung together, how the system became as endlessly subtle and complicated as it is today. Arguably, grammar is not half as sexy a word as language is, so it is not entirely surprising that grammar has not made it into the title of the book—even though, strictly speaking, the book is more concerned with the evolution of the grand structures, changing dynamics and self-amplifying complexity between words strung together i.e. structures usually thought of as grammar.
The evolutionary process of agglutination in the Indo-European languages and the vowel template in Semitic languages covered in the book do not include all language evolution, as the title might make you think. Some of the principles are demonstrated however, even if it does not aim to be comprehensive.
The subtitle of the book asserts that language is mankind's greatest invention. The term 'invention' in the subtitle is to grab your attention—but it is not to be taken seriously. The book itself extensively argues that language has in fact never been invented. "Language is mankind's greatest invention—except, of course, that it was never invented." (p.1)
The book feels like a 101 (intro) course for some (lucky) linguistics students at university, but one which has been rewritten to make it accessible for the general lay audience. The two audiences are, however, different in reality, and hence the book feels occassionally like two books not quite welded into one. The style of the book is—most of the time— light-hearted and entertaining on the one hand, with in-depth and quite heavy-duty readings on the other. Terminology is used sparingly and explained, but not always in the main body of the text. This means that lay readers would have to consult the glossary at the end of the book, which requires a different type of reading experience.
The narrative is journalistic, at times verging on thriller mode. Yet the book comes with a long list of academic references and further readings, essentially footnotes in the form of extensive endnotes. The postmodern variety of genres within the book can be quite enjoyable if the reader cottons on, rather than gets frustrated, that it calls for a non-linear, hyper-book reading style. The primary metaphor-network of the book is, not surprisingly, from the world of geology. It is argued with evocative and tactile imagery.
Conversation with Guy Deutscher
Zsuzsanna Ardó (ZA): Although the title, The Unfolding of Language, could equally refer to the future and the past, the book does not try to answer—or even raise—the questions implied in the coda. Although it does not extrapolate about future trends, it is very successful at leaving the reader with many questions to think about. The Unfolding of Language sets out to be an entertaining historical evolutionary mystery tour and analysis of languages. It is in search of not exact chronology but the general principles of the changes as they may have unfolded in the past. The relatively recent past. You start the detective work from what you call the "me Tarzan" period—that is to say when lexemes already existed. Is it then fair to say that strictly speaking the book is not concerned with the unfolding of language per se, but more about the evolution of grammatical structures? It explores how grammatical building blocks developed, got streamlined overtime, how words got strung together, how the system became as endlessly subtle and complicated as it is today. Arguably, grammar is not half as sexy a word as language is. Is this the reason grammar has not made it to the title of the book, even though, strictly speaking, the book is more concerned with the evolution of the grand structures, changing dynamics and self-amplifying complexity between words strung together i.e. structures usually thought of as grammar?
Guy Deutscher (GD): Well, 'unfolding' is not the same as 'emergence.' The book is not about the first emergence of words: I don't speculate about what happened when early hominids came down from the trees and started making their first grunts. I start from a stage when there were already words around, but language was still very primitive, with simple 'sentences' such as 'bring water' or 'mammoth die.' And from there, I try to show how complex language unfolds, or in other words, develops. I do this by looking at the way languages change today, and projecting that back onto the past. I talk about the 'structure' of language in the book, not about 'grammar,' because grammar often has the connotations of 'right' and 'wrong.' 'Grammar' for most people means the correct grammar they learnt in school. (Or the incorrect grammar they were given bad marks for.) But the structure of language has little to do with the often arbitrary norms of standard written languages. It is much more fundamental than that. And it is mastered by people who have never seen a grammar book in their life (or even any book at all).
ZA: The subtitle of the book asserts that language is mankind's greatest invention. Is it possible that the term 'invention' in the subtitle is misleading, considering that the book itself extensively argues that language has never been invented? As you say right at the beginning: "Language is mankind's greatest invention—except, of course, that it was never invented." (p.1) Why then the subtitle, one might muse.
GD: Well, the whole book revolves around the question of 'invention'—so it is quite fitting that 'invention' should appear in the title, don't you think? In one sense, language is our greatest invention, in that it is—I believe—our greatest cultural creation. But as I say on the very first page, this 'invention' was actually never consciously invented. Although the sophisticated structure of language looks like the work of a master architect, it must have somehow developed of its own accord. And the whole book is an attempt to explain how.
ZA: You seem to take it for granted that language is the 'greatest' invention (that never was invented) that makes us primarily human. Regarding our privileged position on the top of the food chain, how does language compare with the significance of tools? Art? Emotions? Are we not first and foremost psychological and social animals—and only then language users?
GD: Tools came before language—there is no question about that. Chimpanzees use tools, sometimes quite sophisticatedly, but they are not human. But I believe that practically everything we consider as distinctly human, including art, came from language. We cannot prove it, of course, because the people who made those cave paintings did not leave voice recordings behind them. But most scholars believe that the capacity for symbolic representation (Art) could only develop once the capacity of symbolic communication (language) was already in place. What's more, it seems clear that language and brain have co-evolved for a very long time. So even important elements of the genetics of our humanity are closely dependent on language.
ZA: The style of the book is remarkably light-hearted and entertaining on the one hand, with in-depth and quite heavy-duty readings on the other. Terminology is used at times but not always explained in the main body of the text. The narrative is journalistic, occassionally verging on thriller mode. Yet the book comes with a long list of academic references and further readings, essentially footnotes in the form of extensive endnotes. The postmodern variety of genres within the book can be enjoyed if the reader cottons on, rather than gets frustrated, that it calls for a non-linear, hyper-book reading style. You can dig deeper if you like but the whole of the narrative is generally not burdened with the footnotes or zillions of cross-references embedded in the text. How did this multi-genre and eclectic style approach 'unfold' as you were planning-writing-editing the book?
GD: I actually avoided jargon almost completely, and the extremely little terminology I did use is all explained - either in the text itself or in the glossary at the end. So I don't agree with you there. (Actually, a few linguists have criticized me for it—and claimed I should have introduced the readers to much more linguistic terminology.) But my aim was to make the book an interesting and entertaining read not just for academics, but for the general public. Still, I wanted to have scientific 'meat' in it, but I kept it mostly for the end-notes and the appendices. As for the 'postmodern variety of genres'—well, I think you refer mostly to the fact that one whole chapter is suddenly written as a sort of dialogue. I actually started writing it as a 'normal' text. But quite quickly, I realized that my argument in that chapter was essentially dialectic, and that it would be a sort of hidden dialogue anyway, in the form of, I say this, then someone objects that, etc. So I thought: if the argument is really a platonic dialogue, why try to hide it? Then I dressed it up a bit, of course. But essentially it was the content that dictated the form.
ZA How does the genre-style you opted for reflect the kind of audience you had in mind as you were writing? The book feels like a 101 (intro) course for some (lucky) linguistics students at university, but one which has been rewritten to make it enjoyable for the general lay audience. Would you agree that the two audiences are, however, different in reality, and hence the book feels like two books not quite welded into one?
GD: Indeed, the two audiences are different, and while I want both students and the general public to enjoy it, my priority was ultimately with the general public (hence not introducing much terminology). My idea was that students could 'cope' with the lack of complex jargon, whereas the general audience would just give up if there was much of it. Ultimately, the 'idealized reader' I had in mind was myself at the age of 18. I was trying to answer many of the questions that fascinated me then, and which ultimately made me go and study linguistics.
ZA: The primary metaphor-network of the book is, not surprisingly, from the world of geology. It is argued with evocative and very physical, tactile imagery. Terms like erosion, devastation, decay, destruction crop up again and again. This means though that the book constructs language change as a negative, destruction narrative—only to turn it around at the very end, Hollywood movie-style. We come a full cycle in the end: creation comes from destruction itself. But is it possible that by this time the reader is saturated with the negative terms of destruction? Could it not be argued that language change could be framed in terms of streamlining rather than destruction and devastation?
GD: There is quite a long tradition in linguistics of borrowing concepts and images from geology. In fact, one of the most important pillars of modern linguistics, as I say in the book, is the idea that 'the present is the key to the past,' which is of course originally a geological insight, used to explain the features of the earth today not by some divine catastrophic events, but by very slow processes occurring over a very long period of time.
As for 'streamlining' - I would say that 'streamlining' is the result of the combination of the forces of destruction and the forces of creation. I tried to show in the book that 'erosion' (caused e.g. by sloppy pronunciation) can bring about changes that are very different from mere 'decay.' Erosion is not only a negative influence on language, which tears away and rips apart existing structures. In combination with other forces of change (e.g. our natural expressive urge to pile up of words to make 'stronger' phrases), erosion is also a regenerative force that constantly creates new and leaner structures from overweight multi-word phrases. Erosion is a highly useful compacting mechanism which allows us to convey ideas faster and more efficiently. Erosion checks the excesses of expressiveness, just as expressiveness repairs the excesses of erosion.
ZA: You argue that only small, isolated, primitive societies kept their fossilized languages. However, Hungarian for example, is neither small, nor is it primitive or isolated. Quite the contrary. Hungarian has incorporated a wide variety of influences in abundance yet it survived in its relatively fossilized form right in the busy cross-roads of Central Europe. How revealing is Hungarian (and other Finno-Ugrian languages) about language change in terms of having survived in a relatively fossilized state in the midst of rapid and constant language change around them? You argue that it is exactly pattern-defying examples that give us insight into the past. Are languages such as Hungarian then the proverbial Popperian white ravens one is looking for as a researcher?
GD: It is true that Hungarian has remained as a separate language, and has not 'drowned' in the languages around it. However, Hungarian has by no means remained isolated. It shows substantial influence (borrowed words, for instance, as well as convergent grammatical features) from many languages in the region, from German to Turkish. But again, that is by no means unusual. Practically every other language in Europe has developed over the last millennia under influence of its neighbouring languages. The only difference is that Hungarian is not Indo-European, that is, originally they came from a different ancestor language from the rest of the languages of Europe.
ZA: Is there correlation between the degree of agglutination preserved in a language (e.g. in the Finno-Ugrian ones) and its degree of fossilization in as far as it gives insight into early stages of development?
GD: Well, there are different questions involved here, all very complex. One is: do all languages change roughly at the same rate? Or are some much more conservative. And if there are different rates of change, what is responsible for that. We have no simple answer. But it seems that contact certainly helps changes, and that intense contact results in quick changes (e.g. as happened in England after 1066).
ZA: You state on p 25 that "even in today's languages, it is fair to say that arranging the bricks in a particular order is still the most important element in the art of sentence construction." Compare this statement with Hungarian for example, where you can be almost as free as you like with the word order, to emphasize subtle shades of meanings inherent in a sentence. Here, you cannot really go wrong, unlike, for example, in English where it can make a slight difference whether you say "The dog bit the man." or "The man bit the dog." in the classic example
You are, for example, perfectly free to rearrange the word order in many different mutations in the sentence below, for the same sentence in English.
Én szeretném megvenni most ezt a könyvet neked ajándékba.
I would like to buy you this book now as a present.
GD: Of course, some languages like Hungarian are much freeER in word order than English. I show similar things with Russian and modern Aramaic on pp. 33-34. And there are some Australian aboriginal languages which are even freer than Hungarian, Russian, Latin, and so on. BUT—no language is entirely free in word order. The fundamental word order principles I talk about on pp. 214-224 of the book are at the basis of all languages, without which communication would just collapse.
Just as one example, there is no language where the Caesar's phrase 'veni vidi vici' could just be juggled without changing the meaning of the sentence. The whole point about it is that the order of words here reflects the order of events in reality: *first* I came, *then* I saw, and *finally* I conquered. Of course, you can add a word to the sentence and say 'BEFORE I conquered, I came and saw'. But there is no single language where you can simply juggle the words around without severe consequences for the meaning. This is one basic principle of word order that is called 'time iconicity'. But there are others, as I show. Word order is never entirely free.
ZA: A biological physicist reader of the book I was discussing it with was impressed by the scientific evidence in the book but came away with the question: does the evolutionary process of agglutination in the Indo-European languages and the vowel template in Semitic languages cover all language evolution?
GD: The processes I demonstrated in Indo-European and Semitic are indeed universal, and in that sense cover the whole evolution of language, not just that of Indo-European and Semitic. But that does not mean I covered every single aspect of linguistic structure. For example, I said no single word about tone and tonal languages, where different tones or intonations are used to differentiate between words. (This happens in East Asian languages, African languages, but also to some extent in Swedish and Norwegian). So no, I didn't talk about everything. But what I was saying is that I've tried to show the basic principles, and in that way argue that the rest of the details could be filled along similar lines.
ZA: The coda of your book mentions that out of the approximately 6000 languages—although this varies according to sources—one dies bi-weekly. Firstly, how are these numbers arrived at? Secondly, do you find this as an ultimately down-ending narrative?
GD: The figure of 'two languages dying every month' is something that has become a standard phrase among linguists, but, as you rightly sense, it is ultimately based on very vague estimates. There is no other way: after all, there are even languages dying today which we don't even know exist! In my book, this question is mentioned only in passing in the very end, so I don't go into the details.
ZA: The issue of language death is dealt with in the literature elsewhere, but I am wondering if you'd care to sum up your view as to how the death rate is arrived at, and what the real implication of this evolutionary process is. If a language dies bi-weekly it means, if the statement is as unqualified as it is, that the number of languages in the end will be reduced to a handful. So my question on dialect vs language with army and navy was actually meant to be not about proliferation of languages (e.g. Serbo-Croatian splitting into two), but the opposite end of the spectrum i.e. the world of languages (hence armies and navies) reduced to a couple or just one.
GD: Well, *if* it is indeed 2 languages a month, that means around 24 languages a year, and so 2400 languages in the next 100 years. There are estimated to be about 6000 languages in the world today, so that would still leave more than half of them. However, this figure is an extremely vague estimate, and possibly quite a low one. In fact, I think this estimate was derived 'backwards' - not from knowing how many languages are dying every month, but by estimating, globally, how many languages will die within a generation or two, and then dividing it up to years/months etc. The global estimates are generally based on factors such as size of the population, level of existing bilingualism, and level of retention in the new generation (there are many small languages which are still spoken by a fair amount of people (a few hundred, or even more), but these people are old, and younger people have already switched to another language. This is a certain indication of imminent language death).
ZA: The fascinating question not raised in the book but well worth asking is this: where is this paradigm pointing to?
GD: This question has both political and scientific dimensions. The political dimension is rather vexed: on the one hand, there are many people who think (and say) that we will all be better off if there are fewer languages around, since it will be easier to communicate. We are, in effect, undoing Babel. I don't agree with these people, but I can understand their point of view. My own opinion is that bilingualism or multilingualism is an equally effective way of facilitating global communication, but much less corrosive of other things that many people hold dear. After all, life is not just about economic success. Language is the carrier of a people's culture, and when a language dies, people often feel robbed of their identity. (And if they don't, then their children or grandchildren will, as we know, for instance, from the thousands of Native Americans who are today desperately trying to relearn the languages which their parents or grandparents forsook.) The scientific dimension is grim but fairly simple: we are irrevocably losing a vast resource of knowledge, about language itself, about human culture, and about the relation between them. The little we can do is to try and document as many languages as we can, as thoroughly and reliably as we can, before they are forgotten. But it's fairly hopeless race, because documenting even one language properly takes years of intense effort.
ZA: If languages have such a dizzying death-rate, is it only a question of time when the thousands of languages will be reduced to only a few—indeed, only one perhaps? If so, which one(s) will it (they) be? And, perhaps more importantly, why is this the case in your view?
GD: I don't think we will get just one language in the foreseeable future, not even a handful. But it's not a great secret which languages will go and which will stay: it's ultimately a question of numbers. The languages that will go are overwhelmingly those of small societies, of 'simple' unindustrialized peoples, with rich oral tradition but no writing, so there will be so little so show for themselves. The safest languages are the ones with the largest number of speakers. Perversely, at least from the point of view of linguistics, it would have been much better if English and the major European languages were to disappear instead. We know too much about them already...
ZA: How will this scenario impact on culture, identity, society, literature and so on? What are the political implications and the power dynamics implicit in this forecast? Who will be able to read the libraries of books in various languages if in a couple of generations we will be speaking just one language?
GD: Well, I don't think we would all be speaking just one language in a hundred years time. Not even two. And the overwhelming majority of languages that will die are unwritten ones. So in that respects, libraries are not critically threatened. Having said this, even today, scientific literature is becoming predominantly monolingual: in English. The rich scientific tradition in languages such as German or French, for instance, has become largely inaccessible to a large number of academics in the Anglo-Saxon world (not to mention the general public).
ZA: In the wider context of the above, that is to say the trend of rapidly vanishing languages, what is your view of the statement, credited to the linguist, Max Weinreich, from the opening session of the 19th Annual YIVO Conference in New York City in 1945, that "a language is a dialect with an army and a navy"?
GD: He (I think he claimed it was actually someone in the audience in one of his lectures) got it spot on. There are no hard and fast rules for determining when two 'dialects' become different languages (as we see with Serbian and Croatian, which were 'dialects' before the war in former Yugoslavia, but different languages after). It ultimately boils down to what the speakers feel. And those with an army and a navy are more likely to feel they are speaking an independent language.
© Zsuzsanna Ardó
*First published by the TJ Vol 11 No3 2007. Zsuzsanna Ardó reviews Guy Deutscher about The Unfolding of Language, Arrow Books, 2005.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line301
|
__label__wiki
| 0.596865
| 0.596865
|
The Open Work
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
(Redirected from Opera aperta)
Related e
Wiki Commons
Train wreck at Montparnasse (October 22, 1895) by Studio Lévy and Sons.
Opera aperta (1962, rev. 1976 - English translation: The Open Work (1989) is a book by Umberto Eco.
In the early 1960s, Eco began seriously developing his ideas on the "open" text and on semiotics, writing many essays on these subjects, and in 1962 he published Opera aperta (translated into English as "The Open Work").
In it, Eco argued that literary texts are fields of meaning, rather than strings of meaning, that they are understood as open, internally dynamic and psychologically engaged fields. Literature which limits one's potential understanding to a single, unequivocal line, the closed text, remains the least rewarding, while texts that are the most active between mind and society and life (open texts) are the most lively and best—although valuation terminology is not his primary area of focus. Eco emphasizes the fact that words do not have meanings that are simply lexical, but rather, they operate in the context of utterance. I. A. Richards and others said as much, but Eco draws out the implications for literature from this idea. He also extended the axis of meaning from the continually deferred meanings of words in an utterance to a play between expectation and fulfilment of meaning. Eco comes to these positions through study of language and from semiotics, rather than from psychology or historical analysis (as did theorists such as Wolfgang Iser, on the one hand, and Hans-Robert Jauss, on the other).
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "The Open Work" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on original research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
Retrieved from "http://www.artandpopularculture.com/The_Open_Work"
About The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
MediaWiki & Wordpress Hosting by NG Communications
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line302
|
__label__wiki
| 0.875848
| 0.875848
|
Judith Jarvis Thomson
For the playwright, see Judith Thompson.
October 4, 1929 (1929-10-04) (age 89)
Barnard College (B.A.)
Cambridge University (B.A., M.A.)
Columbia University (Ph.D.)
Contemporary philosophy
Notable ideas
The "violinist" argument
Judith Jarvis Thomson (born October 4, 1929) is an American moral philosopher. She was elected a Member of the American Philosophical Society in 2019.
1 Childhood and education
2 Later career
3 Research areas and publications
4 "A Defense of Abortion"
5 Selected publications
Childhood and education[edit]
Born in New York City, on October 4, 1929, Judith (Jarvis) Thomson was the second child of Theodore Jarvis (Javitz), an accountant, and Helen (Vostrey) Jarvis, an English teacher. Her mother was of Catholic Czech extraction, and her father was descended from a line of Eastern European rabbis, including Rabbi Hayyim Eliezer Wachs of Kalish and Rabbi Jacob Emden. Raised in an observant family on the Lower East Side, Theodore Javitz changed his name to Jarvis in 1918. His relationship with his wife, which began at socialist summer camp, was a source of tension for both their families.[1]
Helen Jarvis died when Judith was six, and Theodore Jarvis remarried two years later. His second wife had two children. She was a successful interior designer and an arts and antique dealer and importer.[2]
Judith attended elementary school in New York City and in Yonkers, graduating from Hunter College High School in January 1946. She went on to receive a B.A. from Barnard College in 1950, a second B.A. from Cambridge University in 1952 (at Newnham College, Cambridge), an M.A. from Cambridge in 1956, and a Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1959, all in philosophy.[3]
In 1962, she began teaching at Barnard College, and in 1962 she met and married the British philosopher James Thomson, who was a visiting professor at Columbia University. After spending 1962–1963 at Oxford, the couple moved to Boston, where James Thomson was appointed professor of philosophy at MIT. Judith Thomson taught for a year at Boston University and, in 1964, was appointed to the faculty at MIT, where she is currently Laurence S. Rockefeller Professor of Philosophy. The Thomsons were separated in 1976 and divorced in 1980; they remained colleagues until James Thomson’s death in 1984.[4]
Later career[edit]
Judith Thomson has been visiting professor at the University of Pittsburgh (1976), the University of California at Berkeley Law School (1983), and Yale Law School (1982, 1984, 1985), and has held fellowships from the Fulbright Foundation (1950–1951), the American Association of University Women (1962–1963), the National Endowment for the Humanities (1978–1979, 1986–1987), the Guggenheim Foundation (1986–1987), and the Center for Advanced Study in Oslo, Norway (1996). In 1989, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in 1992–1993 she served as president of the American Philosophical Association (APA), Eastern Division. In 1999, she gave the Tanner Lectures on Human Values on "Goodness and Advice," at Princeton University,[5] and in 2003, she gave the Paul Carus Lectures on "Normativity," at the APA Central Division meetings.[6] She taught at MIT for the majority of her career, remaining there as professor emerita.
In 2012, she was awarded the Quinn Prize by the American Philosophical Association.[7]
In 2015, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Cambridge,[8] and in 2016 by Harvard University.[9] In 2016, she was elected to a Corresponding Fellowship of the British Academy.
Research areas and publications[edit]
Thomson's main areas of research are moral philosophy and metaphysics. In moral philosophy she has made significant contributions to meta-ethics, normative ethics and applied ethics. Her contribution to her book with Gilbert Harman, Moral Relativism and Moral Objectivity (1996) defends the objectivity of morality against Harman's relativism. The papers collected in Rights, Restitution and Risk (1986) include discussions of assisted suicide, abortion, self-defense, and preferential hiring. And her work published in Goodness and Advice (2001) and The Realm of Rights (1992) cover basic issues in normative moral theory concerning the basis of moral rights and an account of goodness. Her work in metaphysics focuses on issues concerning action and events, time and parthood.
"A Defense of Abortion"[edit]
Main article: A Defense of Abortion
One thought experiment for which Thomson is especially well-known occurs in her paper A Defense of Abortion:
You wake up in the morning and find yourself back to back in bed with an unconscious violinist. A famous unconscious violinist. He has been found to have a fatal kidney ailment, and the Society of Music Lovers has canvassed all the available medical records and found that you alone have the right blood type to help. They have therefore kidnapped you, and last night the violinist's circulatory system was plugged into yours, so that your kidneys can be used to extract poisons from his blood as well as your own. ... To unplug you would be to kill him. But never mind, it's only for nine months. By then he will have recovered from his ailment, and can safely be unplugged from you.
The scenario is meant to suggest that the human right not to be killed can be trumped by another person's right to control her own body, when these two rights come into conflict.
In this paper, Thomson argues on the basis of the violinist thought experiment that "the right to life consists not in the right not to be killed, but rather in the right not to be killed unjustly." Therefore, to show that abortion is morally impermissible, "it is by no means enough to show that the fetus is a person and to remind us that all persons have a right to life—we need to be shown also that killing the fetus violates its right to life, i.e., that abortion is unjust killing. And is it?" Thomson's article defends abortion rights and functions primarily as an argument by analogy in regards to the idea of mother/fetus consanguinity.
The paper meets reactions and criticisms from many different philosophers and bioethicists. Philippa Foot, a prominent Aristotelian ethicist argued that negative non-provision of service, as in the case of the violinist, is different from active killing, or interference, as in abortion (see Foot's book Moral Dilemmas, 86–87). Thomson's thought experiment has also been replied to by Oxford philosopher John Finnis in "The Rights and Wrongs of Abortion: a reply to Judith Thomson".[10] Thomson in turn replied to Finnis in her paper, "Rights and Deaths", reprinted in her volume of essays, Rights, Restitution, and Risk.
Selected publications[edit]
"A Defense of Abortion," Philosophy and Public Affairs 1 (1971): 47–66.
"The Right to Privacy," Philosophy and Public Affairs 4 (1975): 295–314.
Thomson, Judith Jarvis (1976). "Killing, Letting Die, and the Trolley Problem". The Monist. 59 (2): 204–217. doi:10.5840/monist197659224.
Acts and Other Events (Cornell University Press, 1977).
Rights, Restitution, and Risk (Harvard University Press, 1986).
On Being and Saying: Essays for Richard Cartwright. Cambridge/MA: MIT Press. November 1987. ISBN 978-0262200639.
The Realm of Rights (Harvard University Press, 1990).
"Goodness and Utilitarianism," (Presidential Address) Proceedings and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association 67.2 (1993): 145–159.
Moral Relativism and Moral Objectivity (with Gilbert Harman) (Blackwell, 1996).
Goodness and Advice (Princeton University Press, 2001).
Fact and Value: Essays on Ethics and Metaphysics for Judith Jarvis Thomson
The fat man version of the trolley problem
Violinist (thought experiment)
List of American philosophers
^ "Jewish Women's Archive".
^ "Lecture Library - The Tanner Lectures on Human Values - The University of Utah". tannerlectures.utah.edu. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
^ "Carus Lectures - The American Philosophical Association". www.apaonline.org. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
^ "American Philosophical Association honors Judith Jarvis Thomson". MIT School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. 2012.
^ "Honorary Degrees 2015". University of Cambridge. 2015.
^ "Honorary Degrees". 2016.
^ John Finnis, "The Rights and Wrongs of Abortion: a reply to Judith Thomson" in Human Rights and the Common Good <https://www.jstor.org/pss/2265137>
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) — Judith J. Thomson
Boston Review (1995) — "Abortion", Judith J. Thomson
Fellows of the British Academy elected in 2016
Trevor Allan
Julia Barrow
Stephen Broadberry
Robin Burgess
Robyn Carston
Patricia Clavin
Sean Connolly
Paul Crossley
Jonathan Dancy
Jane Duckett
Nancy Edwards
Martin Eimer
Ewan Ferlie
Judith Freedman
Miranda Fricker
Douglas Gale
Matthew Gandy
Simon Goldhill
Hilary Graham
John Hudson
Lorna Hutson
Kelvyn Jones
Simon Keay
Susanne Küchler
Nilli Lavie
Elizabeth Eva Leach
Michael MacDonald
Catherine Merridale
Catherine Morgan
Michael Power
Sophie Scott
Duncan Snidal
Judy Wajcman
Patricia Waugh
Fiona Williams
Michael Wright
Patrick Wright
Corresponding
Pauline Allen
Susan Athey
Peter Bellwood
Gráinne De Búrca
Esther Duflo
Kathleen Eisenhardt
Laura Engelstein
Denis Feeney
Jane M. Jacobs
Joel Mokyr
Elizabeth J. Perry
Derek R. Peterson
Robert J. Sampson
Núria Sebastián Gallés
Wolfgang Streeck
Judith Thomson
Michael Walzer
Sir Paul Nurse
Kate O'Regan
Lord Sainsbury of Turville
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Judith_Jarvis_Thomson&oldid=905308346"
Hunter College High School alumni
American women philosophers
Jewish philosophers
Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty
Moral philosophers
Metaphysicians
20th-century American philosophers
21st-century American philosophers
Guggenheim Fellows
Barnard College alumni
Alumni of Newnham College, Cambridge
Columbia University alumni
Members of the American Philosophical Society
Use mdy dates from February 2015
Place of birth missing (living people)
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line306
|
__label__wiki
| 0.658198
| 0.658198
|
Home » Actress » Ellen Barkin Husband or Boyfriend, Dating and Plastic Surgery
Ellen Barkin Husband or Boyfriend, Dating and Plastic Surgery
Date: 26 Apr, 2018 Report This
Ronald Perelman (m. 2000–2006), Gabriel Byrne (m. 1988–1999)
Yes (Twice)
$60 Million Dollars
5 Feet 7 Inches (170 cm)
Romy Marion Byrne (Daughter), Jack Daniel Byrne (Son)
“It's difficult to get into trouble if you don't take yourself too seriously.”
Born on April 16, 1954, in The Bronx, New York, Ellen Barkin has already proved herself as capable and, successful actress in the Hollywood industry.
She has worked in many movies and TV show which have given her the height of success. She is best known for her role in “Before Women Had Wings” and “Switch.”
She was interested in this field from her young age. After graduating from Hunter College majoring in history and drama, she decided to start her career as an actress.
She made her debut from the movie “Up in Smoke.” She did not get a chance to prove herself for one decade. She played small roles in the TV movies as well as films.
In 1988, she got a chance to work in the TV movie “Clinton and Nadine” where she played the role of Nadine Powers. Her role was appreciated by the audience, and she was also nominated for CableACE Award for Best Actress in a Movie.
After that, she got a chance to work in “Jonny Handsome,” “Sea of Love” and “Switch.” All these movies were one of the best movies she has ever played and from these movies; she got nominated for various prestigious awards such as Golden Globes Award and Chicago Film Critics Award.
She worked in “The Fan” in 1996 as Jewel Stern for which she won the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actress.
Her career picks up its height when she got an offer to play the role of Glory Marie Jackson in the TV movie “Before Women Had Wings.”
She won Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries and Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also got nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Lately, she has worked in “Very Good Girls” as Norma Berger. She is now filming “Hands of Stone” which will be released in 2015.
Her notable works on TV are “King of the Hill,” “Modern Family” and “The New Normal.” She has given more than four decades in this industry. So, she wants to involve in this industry as long as she can.
She is 5 feet 6 inch tall and has the weight of 53 kg. She has often come in the news because of her hairstyles.
Her blond hair is one of the trademarks which are very popular among the fans. She has maintained her body properly, and she has still got excellent body measurements.
Her sexy legs still captivate many viewers around the world. She has also done many nude scenes in the movies which have also made her popular with the audience. She married her boyfriend, Gabriel Byrne, in 1993.
But their relation did not last long, and they got a divorce in 1999. They have got two children. Later, Ronald Perelman, a businessman, became her husband.
But they also got divorced in 2006. She started dating with Sam Levinson in 2011 who is a director as well as a writer by profession.
She has done plastic surgery to look younger. Her hot bikini pictures can also be found on the web. If you want to follow her, you can visit her account on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
THAT'S OUR GIRL!!!“@Byrneperfection: Romy has that same fiery spirit Ellen Barkin & #GabrielByrne have..
THAT'S OUR GIRL!!!“@Byrneperfection: Romy has that same fiery spirit Ellen Barkin & #GabrielByrne have #RomyByrne pic.twitter.com/Awo4NXFfzm”
— Ellen Barkin (@EllenBarkin) July 30, 2014
Her interviews, TV shows, as well as the movies, can be watched on YouTube. You can find her full biography in Wikipedia as well as IMDB.
Rachael Taylor Wiki, Boyfriend, Dating and Net Worth
Katie Holmes Husband, Divorce, Boyfriend, Dating and Net Worth
Elizabeth McGovern Wiki, Husband, Divorce and Plastic Surgery
Amanda Bynes Wiki, Boyfriend, Dating and Net Worth
Hannah Hart Boyfriend, Girlfriend, Lesbian and Dating
Minnie Driver Married, Husband, Divorce or Boyfriend
Siobhan Finneran Wiki, Husband, Divorce and Net Worth
Mariann Gavelo Wiki, Bio, Age, Boyfriend and Dating
Rachel Ticotin Wiki, Husband, Divorce, Boyfriend and Net Worth
Piper Curda Wiki, Bio, Boyfriend, Dating and Ethnicity
Hannah Ware Wiki, Husband, Divorce, Boyfriend and Net Worth
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line307
|
__label__cc
| 0.659801
| 0.340199
|
About the Region What to see and do Useful Information
Prague is seen as the cultural capital of Czech Republic. This is a city that host different musical festivals like Prague Spring International Music Festival, the Prague Autumn International Music Festival, the Prague International Jazz Festival and so on.
Commissioned by King Charles IV in 1357, Prague’s most stunning bridge spans 16 arches and is lined with 30 Baroque statues of religious figures. The bridge’s 1,700 ft. (520 m) of cobblestone are used for wholly temporal purposes. Each afternoon, painters and hot-dog vendors fight for space with — and custom from — the hordes of tourists who are themselves elbowing one another for the best views of the Vltava River. If you arrive at dawn, you’ll beat the crowds and enjoy a glorious scenery.
Roughly the size of seven football fields, Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world. Built and renovated during 13 centuries, the complex includes churches, gardens, alleyways and royal residences that would take days to appreciate. Don’t miss the St. Vitus Cathedral. In addition to Art Nouveau stained-glass windows and a wooden depiction of the crucifixion, it houses treasures like the tomb of St. John of Nepomuk — a blinding two-metric-ton vault that is held up by an army of silver angels.
See the Treasures of St. Vitus Cathedral
St. Vitus cathedral is one of the attractions located in the castle grounds. It is visible from all around the city of Prague. Although the cathedral looks many hundreds of years old, it was in fact completed in 1929. Many treasures await visitors including the tomb of St John of Nepomunk, the splendid Chapel of St. Wenceslas and the magnificent art nouveau stained glass.
Museum of Communism
Under communist rule, authorities arrested more than 200,000 Czechs and shot 327 others dead as they tried to flee across the border. The simple but stirring Memorial to the Victims of Communism captures that agony with six sculptures of a man in progressive decay. Just as moving are the literal depictions of state-sponsored terrorism, told through photos, propaganda and videos at the Museum of Communism — although here the story ends on a high note, with galleries on the peaceful “velvet revolution” that ended the nightmare.
Infant Jesus of Prague
Located in the Mala Strana in the heart of the city, the Infant Jesus of Prague (also known as the Child of Prague) is a Roman Catholic statue of Jesus Christ as an infant. Everyday hundreds of believers pay a visit to this shrine to pray, bow and make wishes hoping that they will come true. The statue itself is encased in an ornate gilded shrine and while the origin of the figure is unknown, it has been dated back to the 16th Century.
Explore the Old Town Square
Despite Prague’s lively history of invasions, the Old Town Square has remained relatively untouched since the 10th Century. Swarms of tourists crowd the historical streets, packing out the alfresco restaurants every day. The square itself is the perfect place to admire the wonderful architecture Prague has to offer and if that isn’t your thing then the various street performers, musicians and merchants that line the streets here will certainly keep you entertained.
Drink a world-famous beer (or two) and visit the Czech Beer Museum
The Czechs claim to have the best beer (pivo) in the world and Prague is a great place to test their claim. The huge choice of bars in the city offer famous Czech lagers such as Budvar and Staropramen alongside craft beers from the top microbreweries in the country. Most Czech beers are light beers, brewed naturally from hand-picked hops. Increasingly, breweries are producing a dark ale too as an alternative, but most Czechs like their beer light, nicely chilled and with a tall head. Beer aficionados should also ensure a visit to the Prague Beer Museum which offers more than 31 quality beers on tap.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line309
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.