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
| 0.924707
| 0.924707
|
ASSEMBLY BUSINESS/
Brexit Brief/
Brexit Brief Newsletters/
Issue 6 / February 2019
Brexit Brief Newsletter
This February 2019 issue of the Brexit Brief summaries the month’s events including the Prime Minister’s meetings in Brussels and the votes in the House of Commons on the PM’s approach to Brexit on 14 and 27 February. You can read more on the Government’s statements on trade arrangements in a no deal scenario and implications for trade and business of a no deal Brexit as well as plans for agreeing new free trade agreements including a role for the devolved administration.
PRIME MINISTER MEETS THE COMMISSION PRESIDENT AND THE TAOISEACH
On 7 February the Prime Minister met with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to discuss the next steps in the Brexit process. The joint statement said “The Prime Minister described the context in the UK Parliament, and the motivation behind last week's vote in the House of Commons seeking a legally binding change to the terms of the backstop. She raised various options for dealing with these concerns in the context of the Withdrawal Agreement in line with her commitments to the Parliament.
President Juncker underlined that the EU27 will not reopen the Withdrawal Agreement, which represents a carefully balanced compromise between the European Union and the UK, in which both sides have made significant concessions to arrive at a deal. President Juncker however expressed his openness to add wording to the Political Declaration agreed by the EU27 and the UK in order to be more ambitious in terms of content and speed when it comes to the future relationship between the European Union and the UK. President Juncker drew attention to the fact that any solution would have to be agreed by the European Parliament and the EU27.
The discussion was robust but constructive. Despite the challenges, the two leaders agreed that their teams should hold talks as to whether a way through can be found that would gain the broadest possible support in the UK Parliament and respect the guidelines agreed by the European Council. The Prime Minister and the President will meet again before the end of February to take stock of these discussions.”
The Prime Minister met with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on 8 February. A spokeswoman said. “She’ll be emphasising what we are looking for: seeking the legally binding changes to the withdrawal agreement that Parliament said it needs to approve the deal.”
Also on 8 February, the Attorney General Geoffrey Cox, met his Irish counterpart, Séamus Woulfe, for talks on the backstop, the insurance policy intended to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland if no permanent agreement can be reached.
JOINT STATEMENT BY FIRST MINISTERS OF SCOTLAND AND WALES
On 7 February, ahead of the meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations), the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales issued a joint statement “Last week, the Scottish and Welsh Governments were invited to attend a UK Government Cabinet Committee for the first time…….
The point has been reached where there is now no time to waste. We therefore renew our call for the Prime Minister to make clear that she and her Government will ensure ‘no deal’ is taken off the table. This should include putting forward secondary legislation now to remove 29 March 2019 as Exit Day from the EU (Withdrawal) Act.
The Prime Minister must also request an extension from the EU of the Article 50 deadline. We call on the Prime Minister to request such an extension immediately to put an end to the threat of the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal in only eight weeks’ time.
The EU has made it clear that in terms of negotiations on the future relationship, it would respond favourably if the Prime Minister was to drop her “red lines”. We therefore further call on the UK Government to abandon those red lines, which the EU has repeatedly said, severely restrict the possible outcomes of Brexit.”
CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN LABOUR LEADER AND THE PRIME MINISTER
On 7 February, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wrote to the Prime Minister setting out the changes the Labour Party would like to see in the Government’s policy for the Brexit negotiation. These included: a permanent and comprehensive UK-wide customs union; close alignment with the Single Market; dynamic alignment on rights and protections; clear commitments on participation in EU agencies and funding programmes; and unambiguous agreements on the detail of future security arrangements.
On 10 February, the Prime Minister responded to Jeremy Corbyn’s letter. Mrs May argued that her own Brexit plan “explicitly provides for the benefits of a customs union” in terms of avoiding tariffs, while allowing “development of the UK’s independent trade policy beyond our economic partnership with the EU”.
She wrote: “I am not clear why you believe it would be preferable to seek a say in future EU trade deals rather than the ability to strike our own deals?”
PRIME MINISTER’S STATEMENT ON PROGRESS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS
On 12 February, the Prime Minister updated the House of Commons on the progress of the negotiations. She said that EU and UK negotiation teams will continue to meet and she will meet again with Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker before the end of February. She confirmed that if no deal has been agreed by 26 February then she will lay an amendable motion in the House with a vote taking place on 27 February on the next steps.
With regard to the time remaining before exit day, Dominic Grieve MP asked “…Can she explain to the House how we will comply with the provisions of section 20 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 if there is a deal? How will we implement the withdrawal agreement and implementation Bill and still leave on 29 March? Is it not the case that looked at realistically, there will have to be an application to extend the article 50 process, even if my right hon. Friend is successful in getting some kind of agreement through the House?”
In response, the Prime Minister said “As my right hon. and learned Friend said, the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 makes clear that the provisions of the 2010 Act apply to the withdrawal agreement and require it to be laid before Parliament for 21 sitting days. In most circumstances, that period may be important for the House to have an opportunity to study a piece of legislation, but in this instance, MPs will already have debated and approved the agreement as part of the meaningful vote. While we will follow normal procedure if we can, where there is insufficient time remaining following a successful meaningful vote, we will make provision in the withdrawal agreement Bill, with Parliament’s consent, to ensure that we are able to ratify on time to guarantee our exit in an orderly way.”
May’s spokesman, James Slack, told reporters the premier’s plan is to fast-track Brexit legislation if and when her deal is ratified via a so-called meaningful vote in Parliament. That could involve overriding a requirement - enshrined in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 - for there to be 21 parliamentary sitting days between striking an international agreement and passing it into law.
“Once we have a meaningful vote, the Prime Minister thinks the British public will want us to leave on time,” Slack said. He said a clause would be included in the bill to essentially repeal the 21-day requirement, and it will be up to Parliament to pass it.
COMMONS VOTE ON BREXIT NEXT STEPS
On 14 February, the House of Commons voted by 303 to 258 against a motion which would endorse the Prime Minister’s approach to Brexit. The motion stated “That this House welcomes the Prime Minister’s statement of 12 February 2019; reiterates its support for the approach to leaving the EU expressed by this House on 29 January 2019 and notes that discussions between the UK and the EU on the Northern Ireland backstop are ongoing.”
The Prime Minister was not in attendance.
The Speaker selected three amendments, those in the name of Jeremy Corbyn; Ian Blackford; and Anna Soubry. Ms Soubry did not move her amendments and the other two were both defeated.
SCOTTISH RESPONSE TO BREXIT VOTE
On 19 February, Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations Mike Russell made a statement in response to the vote in Westminster on 14 February. He said “The Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to preparing as best we can and to safeguarding the interests of businesses and communities in Scotland as far as possible. However, the way in which this has been approached by the Prime Minister is reckless and irresponsible. It is now clear beyond any doubt that the Conservative Party and the UK Conservative Government pose a real danger to Scotland. The only sensible solution now available is a delay to article 50, a ruling out of a no-deal exit and a people’s vote. We will continue to press for those things with every legislative and political tool and with every ounce of energy at our disposal.”
BREXIT SECRETARY AND ATTORNEY GENERAL VISIT BRUSSELS
Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay and Attorney General Geoffrey Cox met EU officials on 18 February in an effort to find a way to break the deadlock. They held further talks on 20 February where they discussed the precise legal wording and form of a new assurance on the backstop.
QUESTION ON CHANGES TO THE BACKSTOP PROPOSAL
On 19 February Shadow Solicitor-General Nick Thomas-Symonds tabled an urgent question asking the Attorney General if he will make a statement on options for legally binding changes to the Northern Ireland protocol of the EU withdrawal agreement, which contains the backstop arrangement. Answering the question, Solicitor General Robert Buckland said “. On the 12th February, the Prime Minister set out ways in which legally binding changes to the backstop could be achieved. The Prime Minister explained the UK and the EU would hold further talks to find a way forward. These discussions are ongoing. It would not be appropriate to provide a running commentary."
PRIME MINISTER VISITS BRUSSELS
The Prime Minister met European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on 20 February. Speaking in advance of the meeting, Commission chief spokesman Margaritis Schinas said “The EU will not reopen the Withdrawal Agreement. We cannot accept a time limit to the backstop or a unilateral exit clause….”
“Further talks will be held this week to see whether a way through can be found that would gain the broadest possible support in the UK Parliament and respect the guidelines agreed by the European Council.
“We are listening and working with the UK Government to see how we can work for an orderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union on March 29. That is where we are.”
Following the meeting, the Prime Minister and President Juncker released a joint statement. “The two leaders agreed that talks had been constructive, and they urged their respective teams to continue to explore the options in a positive spirit. They will review progress again in the coming days, seized of the tight timescale and the historic significance of setting the EU and the UK on a path to a deep and unique future partnership.
President Juncker and Prime Minister May agreed to talk again before the end of the month.”
Speaking on 21 February Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said “I think the accord is being hammered out now, without having to go to Sharm El-Sheikh to do it - there’s contact all the time….. The EU’s position is that the treaty won’t be reopened, but can be interpreted, or complemented with explanations that may be satisfactory,"
Speaking to the BBC on 21 February, Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond said "I am not denying the possibility [of no deal]. The possibility is very clearly there and it is that possibility that is focusing minds on the compromise that is needed to get the deal through Parliament.
"I fully recognise that it is very uncomfortable that we are as close to the wire as we are but I am afraid that is just a feature of this kind of negotiation. We are making progress."
Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay and Attorney General Geoffrey Cox also travelled to Brussels to meet the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier for further talks on 22 February.
It has also been reported that the EU is keen that Parliament will vote on any proposed deal before the EU leaders are gathered together for a summit to sign off on the deal. The EU’s idea is that Parliament would have a non-binding vote on the changes, the Council could then sign off the deal at a meeting in March and then it would go back to Parliament for formal ratification.
DELAY TO COMMONS VOTE ON THE BREXIT DEAL
On her way to attend the EU-League of Arab States summit in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh with about 20 EU leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on 24 February, the Prime Minister said the UK negotiating team would return to Brussels on 26 February for further talks and said "As a result of that, we won't bring a meaningful vote to Parliament this week, but we will ensure that that happens by 12 March."
The Prime Minister made a statement to the Commons on 26 February on the Government’s work to secure an agreement which can command the support of the House.
She confirmed that the UK and the EU have agreed to consider a joint work stream to develop alternative arrangements to ensure the absence of a hard border in Northern Ireland. “This work will be done in parallel with the future relationship negotiations and is without prejudice to them. Our aim is to ensure that, even if the full future relationship is not in place by the end of the implementation period, the backstop is not needed because we have a set of alternative arrangements ready to go. …. President Juncker has already agreed that the EU will give priority to this work, and the Government expect that this will be an important strand of the next phase ..… We will also be setting up domestic structures to support this work, including ensuring that we can take advice from external experts involved in customs processes around the world from businesses that trade with the EU and beyond—and, of course, from colleagues across the House. This will all be supported by civil service resource as well as funding for the Government to help develop, test and pilot proposals that can form part of these alternative arrangements.”
Acknowledging the concerns of some MPs, the Prime Minister made three commitments:
i. A second ‘meaningful vote’ on a deal would be held by 12 March 2019
ii. If the deal is rejected in that meaningful vote, the Government will table a motion to be voted on by 13 March on whether the House supports leaving the EU without a deal.
iii. If the House rejects both the deal and the motion on leaving with no deal, the Government will bring forward a motion on 14 March on whether Parliament wants to seek a short, limited extension to article 50, and, if the House votes for an extension, seek to agree that extension approved by the House with the EU and bring forward the necessary legislation to change the exit date commensurate with that extension.
The Prime Minister regards such a short extension as being not beyond the end of June 2019.
She said “But let me be clear—I do not want to see article 50 extended. Our absolute focus should be on working to get a deal and leaving on 29 March. An extension beyond the end of June would mean the UK taking part in the European Parliament elections. What kind of message would that send to the more than 17 million people who voted to leave the EU nearly three years ago now? And the House should be clear that a short extension—not beyond the end of June—would almost certainly have to be a one-off. If we had not taken part in the European Parliament elections, it would be extremely difficult to extend again, so it would create a much sharper cliff edge in a few months’ time. An extension cannot take no deal off the table. The only way to do that is to revoke article 50, which I shall not do, or to agree a deal. “
The vote on the motion took place the following day on 27 February. The wording of the motion was “That this House notes the Prime Minister’s statement on Leaving the European Union of 26 February 2019; and further notes that discussions between the UK and the EU are ongoing.”
The Speaker selected five amendments out of the 12 tabled for voting
a) This amendment in the name Jeremy Corbyn (Lab) pushed for inclusion of the Labour Party’s proposals for Brexit including a permanent and comprehensive customs union with the EU;
(k) This amendment in the name of Ian Blackford (SNP) sought to rule out exiting the EU without a deal no matter the exit date;
(c) This amendment in the name of Dame Caroline Spelman (Con) sought to ensure that, by 18 March, the House would have approved either a negotiated withdrawal agreement; leaving without a deal; or the Prime Minister having requested an extension to Article 50. It also called for MPs to have time to put in place a legislative process to ensure that a commitment from the Prime Minister to give MPs a vote on extension Article 50 is legally binding.
(b) This amendment in the name of Alberto Costa (Con) required the Prime Minister to seek a joint UK-EU commitment to adopt the part of the draft Withdrawal Agreement relating to citizens’ rights and ensure its implementation prior to exit day regardless of the outcome of the negotiations.
The Government accepted this amendment and it had significant cross party backing from 141 MPs including Labour and the DUP.
Mr Costa resigned his job as an aide to Scottish Secretary David Mundell, because, he told MPs, of a convention that members of the Government should not amend Government motions.
f) This amendment in the name of Yvette Cooper (Lab) sought to have the Prime Minister’s three commitments of the previous day on giving the House of Commons a vote on a deal, no deal or an extension attached to the motion and binding on the Prime Minister.
The Government accepted this amendment.
Amendments a) and k) were not agreed to and Dame Spelman didn’t move her amendment.
The amendment in the name of Alberto Costa passed without a vote and amendment f) in the name of Yvette Copper was agreed to by 502 to 20 votes, a majority of 482. Conservative MPs were whipped to support the amendment but 20 Conservative MPs voted against. Around 88 Conservative MPs abstained, including Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab and Jacob Rees-Mogg.
The final wording of the motion agreed to by the House was:
“That this House notes the Prime Minister’s statement on Leaving the European Union of 26 February 2019; and further notes that discussions between the UK and the EU are ongoing; and requires the Prime Minister to seek at the earliest opportunity a joint UK-EU commitment to adopt part two of the Withdrawal Agreement on Citizens’ Rights and ensure its implementation prior to the UK’s exiting the European Union, whatever the outcome of negotiations on other aspects of the Withdrawal Agreement; and further notes in particular the commitment of the Prime Minister made in this House to hold a second meaningful vote by 12 March and if the House, having rejected leaving with the deal negotiated with the EU, then rejects leaving on 29 March without a withdrawal agreement and future framework, the Government will, on 14 March, bring forward a motion on whether Parliament wants to seek a short limited extension to Article 50, and if the House votes for an extension, seek to agree that extension approved by the House with the EU, and bring forward the necessary legislation to change the exit date commensurate with that extension.”
Following the vote, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said “We will back a public vote in order to prevent a damaging Tory Brexit or a disastrous no deal outcome. ….. We will also continue to push for the other available options to prevent those outcomes, including a close economic relationship based on our credible alternative plan or a general election."
FARMING JUNIOR MINISTER RESIGNS
George Eustice, Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), resigned on 28 February. In his resignation letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Eustice said “It is with tremendous sadness that I have decided to resign from the Government following the decision this week to allow the postponement of our exit from the EU. Since Parliament is now in direct control of events, I want to be free to participate in the critical debate that will take place in the weeks ahead.”
He also says in his letter “I will vote for your withdrawal agreement when it returns to the House and I very much hope that the attorney general succeeds in securing final changes so that others might too.”
CROSS PARTY SUPPORT FOR BILL TO FORCE BREXIT TIMETABLE
A cross party group of MPS have published a Bill which would seek to delay Brexit if there’s no deal by mid-March. The European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 4) Bill was presented to Parliament by Labour’s Yvette Cooper on 13 February and is backed by Tory MPs Caroline Spelman, Oliver Letwin, Nick Boles and Dominic Grieve.
Writing on the Bill, Yvette Cooper said “… we have published a cross-party bill which would force the Prime Minister to take key decisions by the middle of March, rather than taking brinkmanship games right up to the line.
If a deal isn’t approved by 13 March, she would have to choose whether she wants the default option to be no-deal or whether – and for how long – to request an extension of article 50, and Parliament will get to vote on her choice. It provides a chance to pause for breath if we have run out of time, and a chance for the Prime Minister to finally admit that her approach isn’t working and reset the debate.
The bill doesn’t revoke article 50, block Brexit or resolve the question of what kind of deal we should have. It is just a common sense safeguard to prevent a last-minute crisis or no-deal by accident on 29 March. The Government isn’t behaving responsibly, so MPs of all parties will have to do so, so that we can try to find a sensible way through the chaos before it is too late.”
In her statement to the House on 26 February, the Prime Minister set out three commitments in relation to timescales for decisions of the House and said “These commitments all fit the timescale set out in the private Member’s Bill in the name of Yvette Cooper.” In response Oliver Letwin tweeted:
THE ‘INDEPENDENT GROUP’
Seven MPs have left the Labour Party and will now sit in an ‘Independent Group’ in Parliament. Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Angela Smith, Gavin Shuker, Mike Gapes, Ann Coffey and Chuka Umunna made their announcement on 18February and issued a launch statement which included this reference to Brexit – “Labour now pursues policies that would weaken our national security; accepts the narratives of states hostile to our country; has failed to take a lead in addressing the challenge of Brexit and to provide a strong and coherent alternative to the Conservatives’ approach; is passive in circumstances of international humanitarian distress; is hostile to businesses large and small; and threatens to destabilise the British economy in pursuit of ideological objectives.”
Labour MP Joan Ryan also joined the group and on 20 February, Conservative MPs Anna Soubry, Heidi Allen and Sarah Wollaston followed.
The group, nicknamed the ‘TIGgers’, met formally this week to work out who will speak for them at Parliamentary occasions, such as responding to the Chancellor's Spring Statement, and who will take on the job of whip, to organise their voting in Parliament. Following the meeting, the group issued a ‘statement of independence’. The group has assigned portfolios to its members as below:
FARMING IN A NO DEAL SCENARIO
Speaking at the National Farmers’ Union conference in Birmingham on 19 February, Environment Secretary Michael Gove said “We have been clear - across Government - that we will not lower our standards in pursuit of trade deals, and that we will use all the tools we have at our disposal to make sure standards are protected and you are not left at a competitive disadvantage.”
The Government will announce tariffs that would apply in the case of a no-deal Brexit this month. Mr Gove said “I can’t pre-empt the announcement that should be made later this week, but one thing I can reassure you is that it will not be the case that we will have zero-rate tariffs on food products,” Gove said. “There will be protections for sensitive sections of agriculture and food production. Beyond that I can’t say at the moment.”
TRADE ARRANGEMENTS IN A NO DEAL SCENARIO
In a written statement laid in Parliament on 21 February, Secretary of State for International Trade Dr Liam Fox, provided details of guidance published that day by the Government on progress of trade contiguity agreements which are likely and unlikely to be concluded by exit day.
“To date, the Government has signed trade agreements with Switzerland, Chile, the Faroe Islands, members of the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) Economic Partnership Agreement, Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
The Government is also close to formal agreement on text with Fiji and Papua New Guinea (Pacific) and arrangements are being made for their signature. It is likely these agreements will be transitioned in time for day one of exit.
We have also signed Mutual Recognition Agreements that allow continuity of trade with Australia and New Zealand, and the United States. ……..
If the full parliamentary scrutiny processes to ratify some UK-third country agreements have not concluded by the end of March, we are considering whether there are other means through which we can bring their provisions into effect to provide the same certainty and continuity to business and stakeholders from day one……..
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, some agreements will not be concluded in time and therefore will not be in place for exit day. There are a range of reasons for this. Those agreements that will not be in place for exit day are Andorra, Japan, Turkey, and San Marino.”
The Government’s guidance provides information on existing trade agreements in no deal scenario including details of trade agreements; agreements with countries that are closely aligned with the EU; and mutual recognition agreements
IMPLICATIONS FOR BUSINESS AND TRADE OF A NO DEAL BREXIT
On 26 February, the Government published Implications for business and trade of a no deal exit on 29 March 2019
This paper summarises Government activity to prepare for no deal as a contingency plan, and provides an assessment of the implications of a no deal exit for trade and for businesses, given the preparations that have been made.
On preparedness, the paper says “Despite communications from the Government, there is little evidence that businesses are preparing in earnest for a no deal scenario, and evidence indicates that readiness of small and medium-sized enterprises in particular is low. ….
Evidence suggests that individual citizens are also not preparing for the effects that they would feel in a no deal scenario. UK citizens travelling to or living in the EU would need to complete a number of administrative tasks to ensure that their interactions with the EU are as unaffected as possible. …. As of February 2019, despite a public information campaign encouraging the public to seek out the Government’s advice on preparing for a ‘no deal’, noticeable behaviour change has not been witnessed at any significant scale. …”
In relation to Northern Ireland, the paper says:
“Overall, the cumulative impact from a ‘no deal’ scenario is expected to be more severe in Northern Ireland than in Great Britain, and to last for longer. This is because of Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances, including in particular its geographical position as the only part of the UK with a land border with the EU, and the current lack of an Executive in Northern Ireland.
The Government has been clear that it is committed to avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland in any scenario. The Government will shortly publish further details on its immediate, temporary, arrangements for trade between Northern Ireland and Ireland in a no deal scenario. The Government would need to work urgently with the Irish Government and the EU to find any sustainable longer term solution.
In a no deal scenario there is an expectation of disruption to closely interwoven supply chains and increasing costs that would affect the viability of many businesses across Northern Ireland. There is a risk that businesses in Northern Ireland will not have sufficient time to prepare. This could result in business failure, and/or relocation to Ireland with knock-on consequences for the Northern Ireland economy and unemployment. Northern Ireland is particularly vulnerable given its high proportion of, and reliance upon SMEs (75% of all private sector employment) and the number of businesses who trade directly with Ireland (Northern Ireland’s largest international export market).
The agri-food sector is a disproportionately large part of Northern Ireland’s economy and located predominantly in border / rural areas. It is particularly vulnerable given its reliance on cross-border supply chains in the production stage and in finished products. Disruption could also include impacts for the single electricity market (SEM), cross-border cooperation on areas such as crime and security, and potential for community tensions to be heightened. Groups could seek to exploit gaps in law enforcement and any divergence between Northern Ireland and Ireland, which may lead to increases in smuggling and associated criminality. The Government is committed to restoring an Executive in Northern Ireland but in this context this would become more challenging.
Case Study - Single Electricity Market. The Single Electricity Market (SEM) between Northern Ireland and Ireland is integrated more than any other cross border wholesale market. In the first instance, even in a no deal scenario, the UK would seek to agree with Ireland a continuation of the SEM, which would minimise impact on exit. This relies on cooperation with Ireland and the EU, which is not within the UK’s gift to unilaterally control or mitigate.”
NEW FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS AND ROLE OF DEVOLVED ADMINISTRATIONS
On 28 February, the Department for International Trade published a command paper Processes for making free trade agreements after the United Kingdom has left the European Union. The paper sets out how the Government plans to deliver an independent trade policy and also includes detail on engagement with the devolved administrations and proposals for the role of Parliament in scrutinising future free trade agreements.
In relation to the devolved administrations and legislatures, the paper says
“The Government is committed to working closely with the devolved administrations to deliver a future trade policy that works for the whole of the UK. It is important that we do this within the context of the current constitutional make-up of the UK, recognising that international treaties are a reserved matter but that the devolved governments have a strong and legitimate interest where they intersect with areas of devolved competence.
….. We are also continuing to discuss with the devolved administrations their role in future free trade agreements (FTAs) with a view to agreeing new arrangements in the coming months. These arrangements will complement the existing Memorandum of Understanding for devolution
As part of this work we have recently announced our intention to form a new Ministerial Forum for international trade. This will ensure there is a regular and formal structure to support discussion and engagement between the UK Government and the devolved administrations on trade agreements.
…… Where a new FTA requires legislation in order to implement it, the UK Government will continue to respect the devolution settlements and work with the devolved administrations to secure legislative consent for UK-wide legislation where appropriate
We recognise that the devolved legislatures also have a strong and legitimate interest in future trade agreements. It will be for each devolved legislature to determine how it will scrutinise their respective Governments as part of the ongoing process. Equally, the means by which our Parliament in Westminster works with its devolved counterparts is a matter for the legislatures themselves, in line with their existing interparliamentary ways of working. Where appropriate UK Government ministers may engage directly with the devolved legislatures ……”
JOINT MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE (EUROPEAN NEGOTIATIONS)
The Joint Ministerial Committee (European Negotiations) held its 16th meeting on 7 February 2019. The Chair, David Lidington MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office provided an update on the UK’s exit from the EU. The Committee discussed recent developments. The Committee also discussed domestic issues, including updates on operational readiness, the EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill and common frameworks. They also noted the publication of the second EU Withdrawal Act and Common Frameworks report.
ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMON FRAMEWORKS – SECOND REPORT
The Government has published The European Union (Withdrawal) Act and Common Frameworks – the second report on the steps it is taking, with the devolved administrations, to establish common frameworks and the use of the powers in Section 12 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 to temporarily freeze devolved competence.
The first report was laid before Parliament on 13 November 2018 covering the period from 26 June to 25 September 2018.
This second report details the progress made in the second reporting period (26 September to 25 December 2018) as required under Schedule 3 to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. The report states “On the basis of this continuing joint progress and collaboration on future frameworks which ensures the statute book is ready for exit day, the UK Government has again concluded that it does not need to bring forward any section 12 regulations at this juncture. In addition, the Scottish and Welsh Governments have re-confirmed their commitment not to create divergent policy in ways that would cut across future frameworks, where it has been agreed they are necessary or where discussion continues. “
UK AMBASSADOR TO IRELAND MESSAGE ON THE COMMON TRAVEL AREA
On 6 February, the Government published an op-ed piece from the UK’s Ambassador to Ireland, Robin Barnett CMG on the Common Travel Area (CTA).
“…. I can assure all British citizens living in Ireland and all Irish citizens in the UK: you don’t need to take any action to protect your status under the CTA, or the rights associated with it….
British citizens in Ireland and Irish citizens in the UK will continue to be able to live and work in each other’s countries, and to access healthcare, education, social welfare and benefits including state pensions. They will also still be able to vote in certain elections in the other’s country as they do now. The UK has taken steps to ensure legal certainty of the status of Irish citizens in the UK, and to provide clarity for them.
The Immigration and Social Security Coordination Bill that is currently before the UK Parliament preserves the rights that Irish citizens have in the UK. This reaffirms the UK Government’s intention to protect these arrangements and preserve the special relationship we have with Ireland after the UK leaves the EU. Where new domestic legislation in the UK is needed to ensure the continuation of the CTA and the rights that come with it, my Government is taking urgent action to put it in place before 29 March.
On Friday 1 February, the UK and Irish governments signed an agreement guaranteeing continued access to state pension and benefits for UK and Irish nationals and their qualifying family members when in the other’s state. The agreement ensures that the rights of UK and Irish nationals living and working in each other’s state are protected after the UK leaves the EU….”
FORMER TAOISEACH GIVES EVIDENCE TO THE COMMONS BREXIT COMMITTEE
Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern gave evidence to the House of Commons Exiting the EU Committee on 13 February as part of the Committee’s over-arching inquiry examining the progress of the UK’s negotiations on EU withdrawal.
The Committee focused on the impact that Brexit has had on British-Irish relations and examined the implications of the various possible outcomes of the Brexit process for Ireland, as discussions between the UK Government and EU continue.
You can find details of this Committee’s inquiry and other Brexit related inquiries in the House of Commons, House of Lords, Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly on the inquiry tracker on the Northern Ireland Assembly Brexit Brief homepage.
NORTHERN IRELAND PARTY REPS GIVE EVIDENCE ON THE BACKSTOP
The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee will hear from representatives of local political parties as part of its inquiry into the implications of the EU withdrawal agreement and the backstop for Northern Ireland.
On 6 March, the Committee will take evidence from Sammy Wilson MP (DUP), Gerry Carroll MLA (People Before Profit Alliance), Clare Bailey MLA (Green Party) and Jim Allister MLA (TUV).
A further session with other political representatives is expected on 20 March 2019.
STRONGER TOWNS FUND
The Government has launched a ‘Stronger Towns’ fund which will be used to boost less affluent towns in England post Brexit. The Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government made the announcement on 4 March. The press release states “The Stronger Towns Fund will be targeted at places that have not shared in the proceeds of growth in the same way as more prosperous parts of the country.
It will be used to create new jobs, help train local people and boost economic activity – with communities having a say on how the money is spent.”
The £1.6 billion fund includes £1 billion to be shared out using a needs-based formula and £600 million for which communities can bid. The money will be spread over seven years.
The press statement says “The government will also seek to ensure towns across Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will benefit from the new funding.”
ALL-ISLAND CIVIC DIALOGUE ON BREXIT
The fifth All-Island Civic Dialogue on Brexit took place in Dublin on 15 February. First held in November 2016, the Irish Government organised the series of meetings in order to hear directly about the all-island implications of Brexit, from a variety of stakeholders and across a wide range of sectors.
IRISH GOVERNMENT BREXIT PREPARATIONS
The Irish Government has put forward legislation to allow for ongoing cross-border healthcare, electricity, transport, student grants and pension payments to mitigate against the effects of Brexit.
Richard Bruton, Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment briefed TDs on emergency legislation to prevent potential abuses of the Single Electricity Market post Brexit. Under the proposal the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) would be given the ability to speedily modify licences related to the SEM. He told TDs that "issues the regulator may need to address urgently include unusual market behaviour or abuse of market power in the context of a disorderly Brexit".
Children's Minister Katherine Zappone gave a separate briefing in which she said that young people want work, travel and study opportunities to be maintained. Ms Zappone outlined three areas where Brexit will potentially affect her department's work, including an EU regulation on children in the care of member states, recognition of qualifications in relation to social work and peace funding for youth services.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, speaking in Brussels on 18 February, said Ireland was spending "hundreds of millions of euros" on preparing for a no-deal Brexit and it would be a "crazy outcome" after three years of EU-UK negotiations.
The Irish Government published the ‘Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2019’ on 22 February. The legislation cuts across the remit of nine Government departments and is made up of 15 parts ‘to prepare Ireland for a disorderly Brexit’. The Government say “This Omnibus Bill focuses on protecting Irish citizens, supporting businesses and jobs, and securing ongoing access to essential services and products.”
The Bill includes parts on the heath service, industrial development, electricity regulation, student support, taxation, financial services, harbours, bus services, social welfare, insolvency, extradition and immigration.
The Bill will have its Committee, Report and Final Stage in the Dáil in the week beginning 4 March and move to the Seanad the following week.
BREXIT LEGISLATION
As at 28 February 2019, the Government has laid 464 Brexit Statutory Instruments (SIs) before Parliament, and is now three-quarters of the way towards its estimate of approximately 600 Brexit SIs needed to prepare the statute book for exit day on 29 March. 88% of the time available to lay the SIs before exit day has now elapsed; but only 77% of the minimum number of SIs the Government says are needed for Brexit have been laid before Parliament.
Of the 464 Brexit SIs laid before Parliament so far, 212 (46%) have completed their passage through Parliament.
Assembly Research and Information Services has launched a tool to track Brexit related statutory instruments relevant to Northern Ireland.
The Government is introducing a suite of legislation to deal with Brexit. A summary of the status of some of this legislation is below. A full list of Bills before Parliament is available here
Agriculture Bill – awaiting report stage in the House of Commons.
Animal Welfare (Sentencing and recognition of sentience) Bill – not yet introduced. Consultation responses to draft Bill published August 2018
Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill 2018 - draft clauses published 19 December 2018
Financial Services (Implementation of Legislation) Bill (only required in the event of a no deal Brexit) – Commons debate scheduled for 4 March has been deferred.
Fisheries Bill – awaiting report stage in the House of Commons
Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill – Report stage in the House of Lords begins 12 March 2019
Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill – Committee stage in the House of Commons 5 March 2019.
Trade Bill - Report Stage in the House of Lords is scheduled to begin on 6 March.
EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill – not yet introduced
Acts of Parliament (i.e. are now law)
EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018
Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Act 2018
Nuclear Safeguards Act 2018
Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018
Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2114
|
__label__wiki
| 0.556566
| 0.556566
|
On Exhibit during July 2019
A Walk on the Moon: The 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing
Come be a part of the world wide celebration of our nation’s space history and learn about the role New Mexico played in it.
On display will be the Mercury Space Capsule 12B, created as a backup for the mission and on loan from the Smithsonian Institute, which illustrates the series of one-manned exploration missions leading up to the Apollo 11 lunar 8-day mission and first moon landing.
Esteban: The African Slave Who Explored America
Please join Dennis Herrick, Author; Lecturer Emeritus of Journalism, UNM, for our July Friends of History lecture series event.
When Pueblo Indians say, “The first white man we saw was a black man,” they are referring to Esteban, who came to New Mexico in 1539.
Books about the history of America have ignored Esteban or belittled his importance, often using his Spanish slave nickname, Estebanico. This book gives the African Esteban full credit for his courage and his skill as a linguist and cultural intermediary, who was trusted and respected by Indians from many tribes across the continent.
Fun with the Sun
Here comes the sun! We are going to play with light, colors and solar radiation. Experiment with heliographic prints; make a photochromic bracelet with beads that change color in the sun, and more. Bring your own pre-washed white canvas shoes or a t-shirt.
Free with admission; space is limited.
The Land that Enchants Me So: Picturing Popular Songs of New Mexico
Please join James Keller, writer, lecturer, and curator of the museum’s exhibit titled “The Land That Enchants Me So” for a talk on Elizabeth Garrett (1885-1947), the daughter of Sheriff Pat Garrett, of famously killed Billy the Kid. Ms. Garrett was a remarkable figure in New Mexico’s musical history, an accomplished singer, pianist, and composer and is most remembered for writing the official state song, “O, Fair New Mexico.” Several years ago, James Keller unearthed and acquired the only known recording of Elizabeth Garrett, which she made in 1924. We will look at her remarkable career and her talents as a venerated figure in New Mexico’s cultural landscape. As a part of this lecture, Keller will offer the first modern hearing of the “B-side” of that record, on which Garrett performs another of her songs, “Señorita.”
“The Past and Future of Manned Space Exploration”
Please join Rick Wallace, Ph.D., who will discuss early space exploration, the Apollo moon landing missions, as well as current and future manned space exploration efforts.
NASA videos will provide a feeling of what it is like to live in space, take a shower and eat dinner on spacecraft, as well as work aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
He will also discuss the plans of private companies interested in establishing bases on the moon and Mars and the prospect of mining asteroids for natural resources that are becoming scare on Earth.
Additionally, the audience can view a variety of scaled model rockets on display for the talk.
Free Auditorium event-bottled water only please.
Native American Portal Youth Summer Program
10:00 am to July 21, 2019 4:00 pm
Begin collecting art, jewelry, pottery and more from the next generation of Native American artists and craftspeople. Children and grandchildren of artists associated with the Palace of the Governors’ Portal Program will demonstrate and sell their own arts and crafts.
Free Courtyard event. Enter through the “blue gate” on Lincoln Ave.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2115
|
__label__wiki
| 0.692152
| 0.692152
|
Spain U21 VS Belgium U21, Spain U21 will get a victory
UEFA U21Spain U21 VS Belgium U21, Spain U21 will get a victory
Submit by tipster ChauForever
Match Time: 6/20/2019 00:30 Thursday (GMT+8)
UEFA European U-21 Football Championship --- Spain U21 VS Belgium U21
Spain U21: Need three points ( Recent Form: W D W W L )
To a certain extent, the 1: 3 defeat of the "Hispanos" to kick off Italy was a symbol of the past years in Spanish football. Despite alleged advantages in terms of technology or game intelligence, the team of coach Luis de la Fuente was shown by a sometimes pomadiges and too slow game forward the limits. Although the Spaniards took the lead after just ten minutes thanks to a dream goal from Dani Ceballos, the 2017 finalist never got the necessary control over the match. Shortly before half time Federico Chiesa equalized to 1: 1. After a good hour, the same player brought the hosts 2-1 in front. The final point for 3-1 final Pellegrini sat with a converted penalty in the closing stages. Against a self-sacrificing "Azzurrini" as well as the enthusiastic audience, the emotionless Spanish way of playing soccer, which has been repeatedly criticized in the past, did not stand out at all, which is why the semi-finals have already become a long way off after 90 minutes. In order to even save the hopes of the round of the last four, a threesome in the second group match against Belgium is no alternative. In our eyes, it can be assumed that the undoubtedly existing strengths of the individually well-trained "Toros Rojos" can be much better developed against the coming counterparty. The Belgians will give the de la Fuente-Elf more spaces in midfield as they have to play for victory themselves. For this reason, the pointer should turn out in favor of the favorite in the first round, which will also pack at least a shovel in terms of concentration and focus. The preparation for this tournament was with three wins and a draw in November 2018 and March 2019 absolutely on schedule. The qualification was also mastered sovereign, which is why we have a premature K.O. one of the most talented junior teams in this European Championship finals is unlikely after two games. Coach de la Fuente has the luxury of being able to make personnel changes without the undisputed quality of the starting line-up. The squad is - from a technical point of view - very homogeneous and those players who were sitting on the bench at the beginning are now pushing for an assignment. On balance, we think it's quite possible that in Spain against Belgium on Wednesday the tip on a half-time leadership of the Iberians and a later victory contains a passable value.
Belgium U21: Three straight defeats ( Recent Form: W D L L L )
The disillusionment in the Belgian U21 selection was great last Sunday. At the start of the European Championship finals, the "young devils" suffered an unexpected 2: 3 defeat to underdog Poland, which has dramatically reduced the likelihood of reaching the semi-finals. Strictly speaking, coach Johan Walem's team would need a miracle on the next two matchdays to win the group victory or qualify for the semifinals as the best runners-up. This already quite uncertain scenario is further complicated by the fact that the offspring of the World Cup third on the tournament favorites from Spain or Italy. Therefore, it is quite a question of whether the players still believe in themselves or were surprised by how weak they appeared in the first game against Poland. This psychological factor is on Wednesday evening before the duel Spain vs.. Belgium definitely to be considered in the forecast. The Belgians were in the lead on Sunday after 16 minutes 1-0 by Aaron Leya Iseka befitting. Everything seemed to take its expected course, but with the Polish equalizer to 1: 1 after almost half an hour tipped the mood. After the break, the Red-Whites raised to 2: 1 and shortly before the end to 3: 1. The first goal by Dion Cools only had the character of the result cosmetics. Not only the result, but above all the weak performance on the defensive raises questions. With only four shots on goal, the outsider scored three goals and benefited time and again from carelessness and individual stabs of the defenders. That this trend did not occur only at this European Under-21 Championship, show the latest three internationals, in which the "Young Devils" also conceded three goals each time. The bottom line is thus twelve received hits in four games. This apparent weakness in the defense, which is certainly also due to a (too) high level of offensive urgency, should be confirmed on Wednesday evening in the match between Spain vs. Spain. Belgium will keep an eye on all quotas in favor of the Toros Rojos. Similar to his counterpart De la Fuente, Johan Walem will make changes in the starting eleven.
After all, although U21 Belgium is a young team with extremely unpleasant gameplay, but with a lot of quality players at the moment, Spain U21 is assessed to pass Belgium's Under-21s.
Spain U21 - Belgium U21
Pick: Spain U21 -0.75
Previous: Aalesund FK VS Molde, go for away side
Next: Spain U21 VS Belgium U21, Spain U21 will get a victory
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2122
|
__label__wiki
| 0.660666
| 0.660666
|
Q&A: How First-Year NFL Players Get The Business At The NFLPA Rookie Premiere
Monday, May 13, 2013 at 01:17PM
May 13, 2013: The NFL is a $10 billion business, and commissioner Roger Goodell said he wants the league to become a $25 billion business by 2025.
Which means that young stars such as Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, Albert Morris and Colin Kaepernick will play a big role in that growth over the next decade. It also means that rookies such as Geno Smith, Manti Te'o, Matt Barkley, E.J. Manuel, Eric Fisher, Tyrann Mathieu and Luke Joeckel have to hit the ground running when it comes to understanding not only the play books but the business of pro football.
Some 40 rookies will be together in Los Angeles this week at the NFL Players Assn. Rookie Premiere. Hosted by NFL Players Inc., which is the marketing and licensing division of NFLPA, the four-day event is where the league's incoming players will participate in activities and seminars to learn about the "business of football." The first three days, being held in the Lowes Hollywood Hotel May 15-17, include one-on-ones with NFL Players Inc. marketing and media partners, sponsors and licensees; and attending business seminars.
Marketing partners that will activate during the event include Topps, Panini America, Pepsi NEXT, Nike, EA Sports, Fandeavor, FedEx, SB Nation, TheraPearl and Élevée. Other NFL partners, including McDonald's, will use the event to gauge the value of participating in future NFLPA Rookie Premieres.
On May 18, the rookies will head to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena to take their first official photos and signing autographs for NFL-partner trading card companies Topps and Panini (and its Score division).
NYSportsJournalism spoke with Keith Gordon, who has been president of NFL Players Inc. since 2009, about the challenges, advantages and marketing potential of being a rookie in the NFL.
NYSportsJournalism.com: What do you see as the biggest challenges facing NFL rookies?
Keith Gordon: The Rookie Premiere is the first time we talk to a late group of rookies, this year it will be 40 players about the fact that, even though they have realized a childhood dream of playing in the NFL, they're about to be hit in the face with the biggest reality of all: This is a business. Each player is one component of a very lucrative, $10 billion business. And according to commissioner Roger Goodell, he wants to build the NFL to a $25 billion business by 2025. They have an aggressive plan to do that. And it doesn't happen when you don't run a business like a business. So it's part of our job to show these rookies that, even though they are playing a game them love, they are part of a business. We explain to them that the reality of this could come after their first injury, or the first time they get cut by a team or they are in a salary dispute. We want to stress to them the difference between having a job as player in the NFL and having a career as an NFL player.
NYSJ: How important is the Rookie Premiere to the players?
KG: We started to formerly do this in 1995. But it really stated as a photo shoot for the trading card companies in 1993. NFL Players Inc. was formed in 1994. Because rookie cards were driving the business, the companies needed to get rookie cards out into the market as soon as they could after the NFL Draft, to get the cards out there into packs for collectors and fans to get them. What we've done since then is to turn a one- or two-day photo shoot into a four-day event during which we've compressed the photo shoot into one day (this year it will be May 18 in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena) and use the rest of the time for orientation meetings, programs that explain the NFLPA and what it means to join a union. DeMaurice Smith, our executive director, will be present on the first day. Then we go into sessions where we talk to players about the business of football. We talk to them, essentially, about their rights as a player and how the union will fight for them.
NYSJ: How have you dealt the the rise of social media and the access that players have to Twitter or Facebook to express themselves?
KG: Our concern is not on how [what they say via social media] would reflect on the league but how it would reflect on the individual and on the individual's marketability. We do have media training, and people from our Player Services department discuss examples of from previous years of players who have done everything from being arrested for DUI to making off-color comments or sending pictures during the emotion of a moment that should not have gone public. So we work with them to make sure they understand that every time they do something like that, it can have a negative impact on them and on their value. At the Rookie Premiere, we have players speak with the executives from companies, with the CMOs and marketing vps. And we have these executives talk about what type of player makes the best spokesman and also what are the detriments that would prevent a company from signing a player to a deal. If they hear that from us, it is one thing. But we have found that it makes a huge impact when they hear it directly from a company that could be signing their endorsement checks.
NYSJ: What roles do the sponsors have during the Rookie Premiere?
KG: As part of the message about having a career as an NFL player, we set up one-on-one sessions with companies, ewe have engagement opportunities between players, sponsors and players and licensees and players and media. We have NFL partners come in that might not be activating at the Rookie Premiere so that they can gauge the importance to them of being a future Rookie Premieres. McDonald's, for example, will be there to look at the property to see how they might benefit from it. We want to provide a lot of different opportunities for players to engage with partners.
NYSJ: What are the biggest things that players and companies get out of these opportunities?
KG: Activating sponsors are able to get video and photo content, autographs for memorabilia, and other activation potentials. But perhaps even more important, the sponsors and licensees there want to understand if these young, hungry guys who have not experienced the marketing or business side like Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III did, might at some point be able to represent their brand. You have to remember that many of these companies have invested millions into their partnership with the NFL, and they want to know if their investment with a particular player would be worth it to them, or would be a good fit to their target demographics. From the players' side, we give them the opportunity to see how these companies work, what they are saying through their corporate and marketing messages, which audiences they are trying to reach with their goods, products or services.
NYSJ: Would we see deals between players and companies signed during Rookie Premiere?
KG: It's not necessarily a time when deals are signed. But if you look back over the years, it is a time where a lot of relationships have started. As an example, when Mark Sanchez was at the Rookie Premiere (in 2009), his marketing rep already had conversations with several companies. At that time, Pepsi was looking to form player relationships to support their Rookie of the Year platform. So Pepsi and Mark's rep began to talk, and soon after it turned into a national deal in which Mark became the face for Pepsi. You will also see a lot of local deals begin to form, where a player drafted by a team begins to form a relationship with the local division of a national sponsor.
"We want these guys to understand how short their NFL lifespan could be. They have to understand how they are part of a business . . . They have to take advantage of all the opportunities being offered to them."
NYSJ: How involved is NFL Players Inc. involved in these deals?
KG: NFL Players Inc. is the for-profit licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFLPA. We oversee group player licensing rights, so that means six or more players being used in one marketing campaign. So in the soft drink category where Pepsi is a partner, if Coke wanted to use NFL players, they could sign up to five players. But when they sign a sixth, they would be in violation unless they were a partner of NFL Players Inc. The same would be true for a national company using players in local markets. If they have one player in five different markets, they are okay to do so. But if they go for a sixth, they would need to have a deal with NFL Players Inc. On the flip side, because Pepsi wants to do a number of national deals as well as local deals — I believe they currently have separate deals with 14 of the NFL's 32 teams — they would use group player rights for their local deals. It's convenient for companies that want to use six or more players, and it's also a system of checks-and-balances because it prevents a competitor from creating an association that isn't there.
NYSJ: Are players coming into the league more polished and with more media and business savvy then before?
KG: One of the realities we deal with is that every year a new group of 300 players come into the league, and every year we lose 300 guys through retirement. For us, it's a matter of constantly re-educating another group of players, and making sure that the education of the previous group of players never stops. We have a network of what we call 'player advocates.They are usually former players, and in some cases player representatives inside the locker room. They are out there not only talking to players in the NFL, but they are also talking to people at the college level, trying to develop a relationship with a lot of these guys, who we really do envision are future members of the NFLPA. We try to connect with them early, even, in some cases as early as high school if they appear to be that promising. These are all efforts for us to reach our membership ahead of time and make sure they have the skills necessary to perform at not only the highest level physically but, more importantly, mentally.
NYSJ: How has the NFLPA dealt with the fact that the NFL has moved into more parts of the calendar beyond the season, with the Scouting Combine, NFL Draft and rookie orientation camps taking up big chunks of time between the Super Bowl and NFL training camps?
KG: The slowest time for us is during the season. One of the main reasons is that the players are busy with their jobs. For us, the busiest time is January through the end of May. We have a number of event at which we want to have a substantial presence: The Collegiate Bowl, the Pro Bowl, we have a number of events surrounding the Super Bowl, then we get ready for the Scouting Combine. We have a players' board of director's meeting in March. We do an event the night before the NFL Draft in New York. We do the Draft. Then we do Rookie Premiere. And after that we are able to catch our breath a little. There is no shortage of activities. One of the most important things for us, and really from both sides, from a business perspective, if we don't know more about the players than anybody else, we can't do our job. There is a reason why my wife puts up with me having to be on the road so much. Any time we have an opportunity to be with the players — the NFL Draft, the Pro Bowl, at Super Bowl, the Scouting Combine — we want them to see a face that they know.
NYSJ: How important is that?
KG: In an environment where people change every year on the NFL side, the constant is always seeing that familiar face at NFLPA and Players Inc. and knowing that these guys are here to make sure that they feel comfortable, that they're safe. And, again, every engagement, every opportunity is a chance for us to know more about our players. So that when our partners are asking for someone who can meet their marketing needs, we can immediately identify a group of players who we need to consider, and also identify a group of players who would not meet those particular needs.
NYSJ: With the unique aspect of Super Bowl XLVIII in MetLife Stadium and its close proximity to New York, have you been getting more interest in using NFL players for marketing than past Super Bowls?
KG: Absolutely. The majority of interest we have seen to this point revolves around the ability of marketers to conduct business in New York and reward their key customers. Without giving away specific details, it could be a brand that is based in New York or has distributors in New York and that's their most successful market. So they want to look at the game Super Bowl as an opportunity not only to entertain and reward their clients but they also want to look at player engagement opportunities, which is where we do a lot of business during the Super Bowl. We create customized hospitality events, were someone could come in a host 200 of their top clients and ask to have five NFL players come in and speak to them. Mingle with advertisers. Sign autographs. Tell a few stories. And the next think you know, it's the best experience these guys have ever had. We've also done things that are a bit more built out. We've done Fantasy Fitness Camps where a guy and his son can be catching footballs thrown by an NFL quarterback. Really cool things that support what our partners want.
NYSJ: If NFLPA and NFL Players Inc. had a business mantra, what would it be?
KG: Our belief is that every business problem has a possible NFL player solution. So when we approach partners, whether it's through Rookie Premiere or if its someone new looking to form a relationship with the NFL and NFLPA and looking to use players, it's important for us to fully understand what their plan is and to understand what their problem is before we even throw out the first recommendation.
NYSJ: Ambush marketing is a big problem for organizations and leagues that are trying to protect themselves and their partners, which pay a lot of money for marketing rights. How big a problem is it for the NFL and how involved is the NFLPA in guarding against it?
KG: There are things that can cost players and the NFL a lot of money. We are constantly on the lookout for counterfeiting or a scam of the week. We are very aware of those things. And we work in concert with the NFL to try to prevent and stop those things from happening.
NYSJ: How would you describe the relationship between the NFL and commissioner Goodell and the NFLPA?
KG: Fortunately, from my perspective, I'm able to stay out of the majority of labor issues. [Laughs.] The best way to think about the relationship is that the NFL is that the NFL is management and the NFLPA is labor. On the business side, NFL Players Inc. has a relationship with the NFL that dates back to 2003. We've been business partners ever since. We have an arrangement where they have exclusive sponsorship rights from us. They can then pass those through to their official sponsors. That enables them to sign deals with sponsors in which it's a one-stop shop for player rights. And in exchange, we are well compensated. But there is also a non-compete. So in the particular case of sponsorships, it actually benefits both parties more to have a relationship and a partnership to build that category.
NYSJ: How would you describe this year's group of rookies?
KG: They seem like a pretty cool bunch of guys. What I always tell people is don't let any of the individuals in the draft class fool you. For every Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck, there's always a Russell Wilson, a Colin Kaepernick or an Alfred Morris. Those are the guys you want to pay attention to. Not just because of what they do on the field. It's the overall perspective. It's how they handle themselves. it's how interested they are in the programs that you have. It's how well and how genuinely they connect with the partners.
NYSJ: We've heard about Geno Smith, Manti T'eo, Matt Barkley, Eric Fisher and Luke Joeckel. Do you have any under-the radar guys coming in?
KG: There's a player from North Carolina, Giovani Bernard (2nd round No. 37 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals). I had an opportunity to speak with him at the NFL Draft, and several times since. He's a really good kid with a great head on his shoulders. He's very grounded. I wouldn't be surprised if he's one of the next breakout running backs in the NFL next season.
NYSJ: If nothing else, what do you want rookies to understand going into the NFL?
KG: At many positions, the average career for an NFL player could be three and a half years. So we want these guys to understand how short their NFL lifespan could be. But if they do what they should have been doing all along, understanding how they are part of a business and making their life beyond playing in the league a top priority, they can turn that three and a half years into a career. They have to take advantage of all the opportunities being offered to them.
tagged Andrew Luck, Geno Smith, Manti Te'o, NFL, NFL Players Assn., Robert Griffin III, sports marketing in Q&A, NFL Print Article Email Article
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2123
|
__label__wiki
| 0.912309
| 0.912309
|
David Mearns
End of long hunt for Centaur
By treasures | On 01/03/2010 | In World War Wrecks
By Tuck Thompson - Courier Mail
Australia's top political and military officials will lead the public in a national service of remembrance today for the 332 victims and survivors of the sinking of the AHS Centaur.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Premier Anna Bligh, Governor-General Quentin Bryce, Chief of Army Ken Gillespie and Chief of Navy Russell Crane are among those expected to attend the service at St John's Cathedral on Ann St in Brisbane's CBD on Tuesday, March 2, at 11am.
The wreck of the hospital ship, torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in May 1943, was found before Christmas about 50km east of Moreton Island.
The discovery and marking of the war grave has brought closure for hundreds of Centaur family members around Australia, many of whom will attend the service. Centaur survivor Martin Pash of Melbourne, 87, will be among the speakers.
Centaur Primary School pupils will read the names of 268 men and women non-combatants lost on the hospital ship.
Following a campaign by The Courier-Mail in August 2008, the Commonwealth and Queensland governments jointly agreed to a $4 million search. Family members had spent more than a decade lobbying for a search without success, as some within government feared a rift with Japan.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2125
|
__label__wiki
| 0.929281
| 0.929281
|
Introducing Sea Shepherd’s newest old ship, SSS Sam Simon
By treasures | On 12/12/2012 | In Miscellaneous
By Mike Schuler - gCaptain
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society on Tuesday unveiled its newest addition to the fleet, the SSS (as in Sea Shepherd Ship) Sam Simon.
Named after the man who gave Sea Shepherd the money to purchase it – Sam Simon is co-creator of The "Simpsons" - the SSS Sam Simon was unveiled today in the port of Hobart, Tasmania where it is preparing to depart on Sea Shepherd’s newest campaign, “Operation Zero Tolerance.
The all white, 56- meter vessel is registered in Melbourne, Australia, and will carry a crew of 24 international volunteers who are ready to brave the Southern Ocean – and the infamous Sea Shepherd antics – in order to seek out and shut down the illegal Japanese whaling fleet.
The vessel itself was built in 1993 by IHI shipyard in Tokyo and was formerly used as a research ship by the Japanese Government – go figure !
The Sam Simon features an ice-strengthened hull and was operated by the Maizuru Meteorogical Observatory, a department of the Japan Meteorological Agency, up until 2010.
Full article...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2126
|
__label__wiki
| 0.74312
| 0.74312
|
Singapore is made up of a multi-racial demographic with many different cultures and social customs. A small island, this relatively young country has developed into a bustling hub of technology, arts and finance in the centre of Southeast Asia within decades. One can easily adapt to its diverse culture, lifestyle, customs, food and activities. All international festivals and occasions are celebrated with equal enthusiasm and excitement. International cuisines of different nationalities are also available at various food outlets.
It's natural for anyone to take some time to adapt to a new environment and culture. The following address a few points to help make the process a little easier.
A person relocating to Singapore for better opportunities should get acquainted with our native languages for better communication. Singlish is a predominant slang here - a local form of English which also consists of words from different languages like Malay and Chinese, as well as Chinese dialects like Hokkien and Cantonese. For example, sentences here may be accented and ended with ‘lah', in similar fashion to how some Canadians may end their sentences with ‘eh'.
Most expatriates are often offered competitive salaries with additional benefits like bonuses and recreational facilities. Other examples of said benefits include an entertainment allowance, payment of school fees, housing, childcare and a transportation allowance. With these subsidies, expatriates may find housing, transportation, food and education costs relatively cheaper than in their own countries.
Taxes & Taxable Income
Taxes in Singapore are regulated by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). All Singaporeans and expatriates employed here are required to pay income tax. The income that is taxable comprise of profits earned from profession and business, income from fulltime as well as part-time work, interest earned from annuity and pension, dividends earned from company shares, property rent and royalty.
Housing in Singapore
When moving to Singapore for the first time, Expatriates usually rent a private apartment or house. With this in mind, it's not surprising to find expatriates concentrating in certain areas that have a wide variety of condominiums to choose from.
Consider the following factors when looking for a property for the first time in Singapore:
- Budget for rental
- Type and size of property you want to live in
- Distance to work and transportation links
- Proximity to international schools if you have any young children
- Restaurants and entertainment options to spend your free time in the neighbourhood
- Distance to the airport, if you or your partner plan or have to travel often
Budget and Property Prices
Rental prices fluctuate heavily depending on the supply and demand of available units. With constant development and upgrading within such a small land area, home and property prices can be rather steep, with many expatriates opting to rent instead. These prices vary greatly, depending on many different factors like location, amenities, and size of the home.
The following table gives a rough idea of the current price range you can expect:
LOCATION PROPERTY TYPE RENTAL RANGE
Central (Newton, Holland Village, River Valley, Orchard, Tanglin)
1-bedroom apartment S$3,000 - S$7,000
3-bedroom apartment S$4,500 - S$10,000
Penthouse / 4+ bedrooms S$6,000 - S$20,000
Terraced House S$6,000 - S$25,000
Bungalow S$15,000 - S$60,000
East Coast & Bukit Timah
Penthouse / 4+ bedrooms S$3,200 - S$8,000
Bungalow S$8,000 - S$20,000
For the latest prices, check our rental listings at PropertyGuru.com.sg
Property Type - House vs. Apartment
Typical condominiums in Singapore have a multitude of facilities - e.g. swimming pools, gyms, tennis courts, playgrounds, BBQ pits, etc. They are also usually within a walled compound with security guards. Do note that because plot sizes here are relatively small, only the very luxurious landed properties have pools and other facilities.
For somebody moving from a colder climate, please remember that Singapore has a tropical climate, with more small animals and insects around than what you may normally be used to. These tend to cause more problems in landed properties, especially those close to high density areas of flora. If your budget allows however, there are also some nice bungalows that will give you the luxury and privacy that a condominium would not be able to.
Various reliable housekeeping agencies here offer quality cleaning services for offices, apartments and homes. The two prominent housekeeping services companies in Singapore are the Housekeeper's Management Services and the Association of Singapore Housekeepers.
Singapore has one of the most modern and efficient public transportation systems in the world, and travelling from any point on the island to another does not take long under normal conditions.
Car ownership can be expensive here, but the roads are well maintained and somewhat less congested than in many other cities. Public transportation is also very effective, but tends to be more concentrated in areas where locals live (HDB estates). In any case, unless you live along the edge of Singapore, your commute would rarely exceed one hour.
The main options for getting around are:
Mass Rapid Transport (MRT)
Singapore's metro/underground train system currently has three lines, with the fourth partially finished. The map below shows the locations of each MRT station as well as details of the distance to the closest MRT station for each listing. Fares range from S$1 to S$2.10, depending on the distance travelled, and if you've had to switch from a bus, and vice versa. The map can be found at http://www.smrt.com.sg/trains/images/tn_networkmap_big_030811.jpg
Singapore also has an extensive bus network that covers a much larger area than the MRT. Calculated by the distance travelled, fares can range from S$0.71 to as high as S$4, depending on differing factors like distance travelled, and the type of bus service taken. More details on the bus services and the routes covered can be found at http://sbs.streetdirectory.com.sg/sbs/sbsindexsn.jsp?map=1.
Taxis here are generally plentiful and relatively cheap, compared to many other developed countries. Fares can start from S$2.80 to S$5.00, depending on the type of taxi one hails or calls. This would probably be the transport of choice for most single professionals living close to the city centre. It can sometimes be difficult to get one during peak periods, and additional charges apply for phone bookings and certain hours.
Private Cars
Owning a car here is more expensive, compared to many other countries, and is not really necessary here on a whole. Most save money by using a taxi; however, owning a car gives you the freedom to move around - and heading up to Malaysia every now and then for a round of golf might be a strong enough reason to get one.
Singapore is densely populated and traffic may slow down especially during peak hours. However, the infrastructure helps to smooth out some of the issues and public transportation on the whole is still considerably better than in some of the neighbouring countries. If you still intend on purchasing a car however, but be aware of additional charges that comes with owning one:
Purchase Price - Cars here are probably the most expensive in the world due to import duties and Certificate of Entitlement (COE - a permission to own a car for 10 years, after which it has to be renewed).
Road Tax - Depending on the size of the engine, you need to pay road tax annually. This can vary from a few hundred for a small car to thousands for an SUV.
Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) - A fee is charged during peak hours (from S$0.50 to a few dollars) to access certain roads and areas (mostly in the Central Business District (CBD)). ERP locations can be found at
www.lta.gov.sg/motoring_matters/motoring_erp_location_cbd.htm
Parking - Though there are parking charges in most locations in Singapore, please note that parking in the CBD can be especially expensive. Condominiums usually have parking charges included in the maintenance fee (which is paid by the landlord).
Petrol - It may come as a surprise, but petrol is probably the smallest component of your car ownership costs. It is currently around S$1.80 / litre.
You will also need to convert your driver's license into a Singaporean one within the year. This is a relatively straightforward process, but will require you to take the basic theory test. Please note that the traffic flow in Singapore is on the left side of the road (as in UK and Malaysia).
There are a multitude of schools of great repute in Singapore, including over 370 childcare centres, offering affordable and high quality childcare services.
We also have many international schools in Singapore to cater to the needs of expatriate children. For most large groups, you have a choice of sending your children to a school which follows your national curriculum while being taught in your native tongue. We've listed the main international schools in Singapore below - please check their websites for more information.
Australian International School
1 Lorong Chuan, Singapore 556818
http://www.ais.com.sg/
Bhavan's Indian International School
11 Mt Sophia Blk E, Singapore 228461
http://www.biissingapore.org/
Canadian International School
5 Toh Tuck Road, Singapore 596679
http://www.cis.edu.sg/
Chatsworth International School
37 Emerald Hill Road, Singapore 229313
http://www.chatsworth-international.com/
Dover Court Preparatory School
301 Dover Road, Singapore 139644
http://www.dovercourt.edu.sg/
36 Aroozoo Avenue, Singapore 539842
http://www.dps.com.sg/
51 Broadrick Road, Singapore 439501
http://www.etonhouse.com.sg/
German School
72 Bukit Tinggi Road, Singapore 289760
http://www.gess.sg/
Hollandse School
http://www.hollandseschool.org/
International Community School
514 Kampong Bahru, Singapore 099450
http://www.ics.edu.sg/
ISS International School
21 Preston Road, Singapore 109355
http://www.iss.edu.sg/
Japanese Kindergarten
251 West Coast Road, Singapore 127390
Japanese School (Primary)
95 Clementi Road, Singapore 129782 (Clementi Campus)
11 Upper Changi Road North, Singapore 507657 (Changi Campus)
Japanese School (Secondary)
KGS International Pre-School (Japanese)
16 Ramsgate Road, Singapore 437462
http://pachome1.pacific.net.sg/~yoko/kinder/kgs.html
Lock Road Kindergarten
10 Lock Road, Singapore 108938
Lycee Francais De Singapour
3000 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3, Singapore 569928
http://www.lyceefrancais.edu.sg/
Norwegian Supplementary School
c/o Royal Norwegian Embassy, 16 Raffles Quay #44-01 Hong Leong Bldg, S048581Tel:
25F Paterson Road, Singapore 238515
http://www.ofs.edu.sg/
Rosemount Kindergarten
25 Ettrick Terrace, Singapore 458588
http://www.rosemount.com.sg/
Rosemount International School
461 Telok Blangah Road, Singapore 109022
Sekolah Indonesia
20A Siglap Road, Singapore 455859
Singapore American School
40 Woodlands Street 41, Singapore 738547
http://www.sas.edu.sg/
Singapore Korean School
74 Lim Ah Woo Road, Singapore 438134
http://www.koreansingapore.org/
Swedish Supplementary Education School
c/o Swedish Embassy, 111 Somerset Road #05-01 Singapore Power Building,
Swiss School
38 Swiss Club Road, Singapore 288140
http://www.swiss-school.edu.sg/
Tanglin Trust School
95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299
http://www.tts.edu.sg/
United World College of South East Asia
1207 Dover Road, Singapore 139654
http://www.uwcsea.edu.sg/
Waseda Shibuya Senior High School
57 West Coast Road, Singapore 127366
http://www.waseda-shibuya.edu.sg/
We have provided some other useful websites for additional school matters:
Directory of Local Schools - http://app.sis.moe.gov.sg/schinfo/SIS_DirSvc.asp
Studying in Public Schools - www.croxxing.com/english/info_overview.html - in german
Fee Structure Public Schools - www.croxxing.com/english/info_fees.html - in german
Ministry of Education - www.moe.edu.sg/
Foreign Student Information - www.moe.gov.sg/esp/foreign/ and www.moe.gov.sg/csc/csc_admission.htm#Foreign
Foreign Student Admission Application Form - http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/admissions/international-students/
CQT Application Form - www.moe.gov.sg/esp/foreign/CQTForm.pdf - not working and can't find a replacement
Advice for Expatriates to Place Children in Local Schools - www.moe.gov.sg/esp/eduinfo/
School Terms and Holidays - http://www.moe.gov.sg/schools/terms-and-holidays/
Pet Relocation
There are certain restrictions imposed for the relocation of a pet brought from places other than England, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. These pets are quarantined for around thirty days. The completed license has to be submitted two weeks in advance before the import. An amount of S$50 is charged for every pet.
There is also a ban on Pit Bulls, Tosas, Akitas, Dogo Argentinos, Fila Brazilieros and Neapolitan breeds in Singapore. The Animal, Meat & Seafood Regulatory Branch in the Singapore government can be approached for obtaining detailed information on import regulations.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2132
|
__label__cc
| 0.707835
| 0.292165
|
William Horace Herndon, a descendant of both Masons and Harts, was born in 926 in Robertson County, Tennessee, on a Red River farm within a mile of the junction of Buzzard Creek and Red River. His early years were spent in the same vicinity and included the first three years of grade school at West Point, a one room, one teacher school. He attended there with numerous Mason and Hart descendants and other neighbors until the school was closed and all were bused to Cedar Hill School in 1935. Horace, as he was first called, spent two years in the army in Wyoming and other states and became known as William or more often Bill. After obtaining a law degree from the University of Tennessee he became an attorney and worked as a claim superintendent for an automobile insurance company. His first wife, Anne, mother of their daughters Carole, Sara, and Margaret died in 1992. He now lives with his second wife, Lynne, in Nashville, Tennessee
Masons and Harts of Buzzard Creek and Red River
Case Laminate, 96 pages, 7x10
ISBN: 978-1-935271-48-2 $35.00
Between 1870 and 1908 there were born, mostly or wholly in Robertson County, Tennessee, 20 children who comprised a complex group of siblings, half siblings, double first cousins, and a step brother. The author's grandfather, William Mason, son of Mark Mason, was one of this group. This book covers the Mason and Hart ancestry from the earliest generation of which we can be relatively certain up to the generation of William Mason and what is known of him and all his descendants, and leaves additional space in hope that the descendants of each of the others of William's generation will add information on their ancestor and his or her descendants.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2136
|
__label__cc
| 0.574143
| 0.425857
|
Build up of Russian War Fleet in Syria Largest Since the Cold War
Many in the West see the war in Syria through the prism of the Arab Spring. But this rose colored frame is the result of war propaganda. The situation is in fact much more explosive
The build up of Russian military power in the East Mediterranean is dating back at least 18 months
Reposted from May 18, 2013
The war is Syria is in essence a battle between Shia and Sunni Islam over the hegemony of the Islamic Middle East. On the one hand there's Iran and her proxies - Assad's Socialistic regime and Hezbollah - and on the other end of the divide, the Sunni autocracies of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.
The West has no dog in this fight. Or has it? NAVO Special Forces have long been operational in Turkey and Jordan, despite denials on the part of the participating states. We are in fact already involved in this war, if only covertly!
The Muslim Brotherhood connection
The 'Free Syrian Army' consists of irregular Sunni Jihadists that are aligned to Al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood. Indeed they picked an American naturalized Syrian, Ghassan Hitto to lead to Interim Government; he is as close to the Muslim Brotherhood as it gets. Morally they are no better than the Iranian Republican Guard and thugs like the Basij.
Turkey is a party to this war and would love to use the power of NATO for its own imperialistic interests in the region. Arms have been filtering into Syria for a long time from Turkey and Jordan. The Benghazi scandal that has the Obama administration in its grip, was in fact a cover up of arms shipments from Libya to the Syrian rebels.
Russia plays chess
This very complex situation has become critical due to the involvement of the Russians, who support the Shia side of the equation. Moscow is a staunch ally of Iran and has been involved in Syrian politics since the Assad dynasty came to power.
Russia has a marine base in the port of Tartous. Putin just sent 12 war ships to the Mediterranean to patrol the waters of Syria. It is meant as a message to the West not to pull another trick like they did in Bosnia, Kosovo and Lybia: interference in a historically Russian sphere of influence under the cover of a humanitarian invention (JWT) .
In that light is the Russian military build up - the largest since the Cold War - of geo strategic importance. Another purpose is to repatriate tens of thousands of Russians living and often married to Syrians, if the need arises.
Israel strikes Hezbollah
American commentators have predicted that the build up will lead to more Israeli strikes on missile depots of Hezbollah. The missiles are a great danger to Israel and American war ships in the region. The Russian missiles can easily be handed over to Hezbollah militants in a matter of hours.
Russia and the US are publicly working towards a peaceful settlement of the war in Syria, but neither is expecting any results. On the contrary, tensions are mounting by the day. Obama does not want to join battle overtly, but has signaled that the use of chemicals weapons by the Assad regime constitutes a red line. The Pentagon meanwhile has drawn up contingency plans should the war spill over into Turkey or Jordan, both Western allies.
Russia stepping up arms deliveries
The military build up by Moscow signals that the Russians want to hold on to Tartous in case of regime change in Syria and that it means to defend its sphere of influence in the region.
Putin has communicated last week that the delivery of an advanced long range surface-to-air missile system to Syria via the port of Tartous, will be brought forward to the end of May. The S-300 is able to shoot down guided missiles as well as jets.
Update Aug. 27, 2013: in a recent interview with Izvestiya, Assad has said that all Russian contracts have now been executed, meaning that he has taking delivery of the S-300 shipments.
This constitutes a fresh dilemma for Israel, which has already attacked three such Hezbollah weapon depots. It has so far managed to avoid attacking Assad's assets directly. The Russians have fiercely condemned Israel's defensive actions.
The Russian fleet
Russia conducted military exercises in the East Med and the Black Sea region in January 2013 on a scale not seen since the end of the Cold War. It involved 21 vessels and three submarines. In the last three months no less than 10-15 war ships have been spotted in the Syrian port of Tartous.
Moscow has at the moment got some 11 vessels in the East Med, comprising three task forces of destroyers, frigates, auxiliary and intelligence collection ships. Another group of three landing ships is on its way to the region and will be deployed between Cyprus, Lebanon and Turkey.
Russia intends to defend its traditional sphere of influence in the Mediterranean. The military build up is signalling that Russia has drawn a line in the sand and means business!
The situation just got even more complicated!
America's Navy:
The multi-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), along with embarked Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26th MEU) arrived in Eilat, Israel for a regularly scheduled port visit, May 14. While in port, the officers, Sailors and Marines will meet with local officials, participate in community engagement projects and experience the rich history and culture of the region. This visit is not associated with, nor a reaction to, any world events.
Zerohedge:
(...) in a historic event, the Russian Pacific fleet, for the first time in decades, crossed the Suez Canal and entered the Mediterranean, direction Cyprus' port of Limassol, Cyprus in what is now the loudest implied warning to the US and Israel amassing military units across Syria's border that Russia will not stand idly by as Syria is used by the Israeli "Defense" Forces for target practice. “The task force has successfully passed through the Suez Channel and entered the Mediterranean.
It is the first time in decades that Pacific Fleet warships enter this region,” Capt. First Rank Roman Martov said. This is what is also known as dropping hints, loud and clear. The group, including the destroyer Admiral Panteleyev, the amphibious warfare ships Peresvet and Admiral Nevelskoi, the tanker Pechenga and the salvage/rescue tug Fotiy Krylov left the port of Vladivostok on March 19 to join Russia’s Mediterranean task force.
Live Blog Syria
Confirmed: SA-7 Missiles Are in Terrorist Hands
Read the Uncut Interview with Dutch Jihadists
What is the Benghazi Scandal? A Simple 10 Point Explanation
Build up of Russian War Fleet in Syria Largest Sin...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2139
|
__label__cc
| 0.600702
| 0.399298
|
Using Modern Communications Technology: Turning On, Not Turnin...
John Childs,
Technical Services Branch
Queensland Department of Primary Industries
When we consider the sophisticated equipment and electronics used, and indeed necessary, for communication today it's amazing we ever did it at all previously. Now we almost presume that if we aren't using electronics, satellites and computers we can't be communicating effectively. But the medium cons us that the message is sound. In fact, TV is not an important or respected medium in technology or information transfer in the primary producer sector as shown by recent studies of communication.
In analysing communications systems and designing strategies which will be effective, we must initially ignore the methods; the technology. We must look for a sound basis in theory or principle on which to base our communication strategies.
The basic theories for information and technology transfer prior to and early in the 1970s were linear in concept (1) (2). They portrayed information as moving from a sender through an intermediate medium (mechanism or person) to a receiver. Various factors influenced the rate of flow, and feedback mechanisms could be made part of the process (3). But these were sequential over time and space. Similarly, the early theory for technology adoption, the Adoption-Diffusion of Innovation Theory (1) was linear and subsequential.
Figure 1. The linear concept of information flow.
This model was found applicable in simple production and marketing systems, for example fixed price markets or for simple technical packages such as plant varieties.
Evidence showed that where the situation involved complexity; technical in production systems or social and cultural because of diverse and integrated attitudes and beliefs, the simple linear model could not adequately explain the transfer process or provide an adequate basis for designing strategies of technology or information transfer.
A major weakness in the Adoption-Diffusion of Innovation model and its practice is that it condoned following the path of least resistance; benefitting those farmers best able to help themselves and neglected those in most need but who are hardest to reach (4). Other weaknesses including a pro-innovation bias, an assumption of homogeneity of the population in terms of need for the technology and an excessive emphasis on "people faults" as causes of lack of change, all led to the rejection of the Adoption-Diffusion of Innovation theory as a basis for effective communication and technology transfer (5).
Of course diffusion still occurs, as do the inequities that are related to it. The process is still used, for example in the Training and Visit System in developing countries.
Efforts to develop effective methods of communications and technology transfer were centred on modification of the Adoption-Diffusion model to counteract its weaknesses. For example, particular homogeneous sub-groups in the population were targeted with technology and information specifically tailored for them. Communication and extension methods were specifically tailored for those homogeneous sub-groups. This approach introduced the marketing concept of target categories in a population; identifying homogeneous groups with respect to information and technology need.
Since the concept of tailoring the content of the message to the target audience was found effective, it was obvious that the development of the technology must be similarly influenced. Acceptance of the notion that research might be designed to fit the conditions of target categories has been limited. However, the power of influence which client groups can have over research and extension agencies has increased. This increase in the power to influence has resulted in target/client groups demanding appropriate services, knowledge, information and technology (4).
Where these strongly participative interactions and collaborations have been encouraged, developments in communications and technology transfer have been considerable. In Victoria, Salmon (7) found evidence of the effectiveness of the application of a Resource Model in knowledge development. In this model knowledge is accepted as a community resource and the process of its development, communication and utilisation can be facilitated and made more relevant by the interactive involvement of the community in the process. Underwood (8) modified this model to demonstrate that the basis for knowledge and information acquisition of Queensland dairy farmers is one of self directed learning. The farmers influence their own communication requirements for information, knowledge and technology and the methods they use to acquire them.
In the 1980s we now have a better conceptual basis on which to develop strategies of information, knowledge and technology exchange which is more suited to the cultural and attitudinal situation in the community.
The Agricultural Knowledge Systems approach (4) is based on participation according to need and capacity to contribute in an interactive way.
This basis for communication has been found effective in technology and knowledge transfer where the technology is complex and undeveloped, where many components of a system have to be considered and when knowledge is in the process of development. The focus is on effectiveness of achievement not on how the communication process is organised and conducted. Emphasis is on functionality not role definition of the participants.
It is important that the conceptual basis for communication and learning be sound. If not, effort and dollars will be wasted. And we will continue to hear the cry "Why don't the silly blighters do what's good for them".
Communications technology can facilitate these processes of participation, communication and learning. Sometimes it is best just to sit down around a table and talk. But generally we want the information from a number of sources and in a number of ways so as to see it from a number of perspectives.
Technology which assists communication
There are many forms of technology at our disposal sometimes not always obvious in their impact.
It is essential to view the people involved in the communication as a critical component. Socialising in its many forms is a considerable aid to communication and its effectiveness.
One of the major forces in communication enhancement has been the capacity to travel. Visits interstate and especially internationally have made a major contribution to information and technology exchange. Technologies which enhance interaction, such as teleconferencing, allow remote group interaction and exchange. They are being used in business and farmer organisations.
The Medium
The systems of storage and delivery of information and technology are of critical importance to the effectiveness of communication.
There are many obvious technologies which enhance communication. Perhaps the most important and most frequently used have been those which enhance the ability to speak to one another. Hence technologies which have enhanced telephone networks and made them simple and easy to use have had the major impact on information exchange. The use of enhanced land-based and satellite networks in the expansion of STD and ISD facilities almost throughout Australia have had an impact on obtaining market, technology and knowledge reference information from a much wider base of people and institutions. The expansion of the facsimile network and facilities is rapidly increasing the exchange of documents to enhance information transfer.
The more widespread ownership of video cassette recording equipment and the increasingly wide scope of enhanced television reception have provided opportunities for demonstration of complex technology and skills training which have not yet been fully utilised.
With the enhancement of these communication facilities the capacity to store and access information has been put under considerable strain. Libraries and organisations have had to develop data bases which can feed these enhanced communication facilities. There is now considerable emphasis on the development of data bases which are readily accessible at low cost and are easy to search. In particular an emphasis has been placed on the development of computer software which is more attuned to the needs of users. Programs have to cope with subjectivity and qualitative data. An increased effort is needed in this area.
A major study of communication recently found that people in agricultural industries considered that there was not too much information but that it was extremely difficult to know what information was valuable. With increased access the volume of information and its availability has increased exponentially. The real challenge is how to analyse the massive amount of information available to determine what is useful to the particular person seeking the information and to present it in a style which is easily understood and used.
Considerable effort is being expended on the development of computer software and models which enhance the analysis of information and knowledge in ways the user can control. In particular the application of Expert Systems software and technology must continue to be expanded and developed.
User involvement and control in the development of information system designs has been inadequate. This is an area to which considerable resources must be applied. Consideration must be given to the formats and styles of information presentation as well as the particular machinery and technology used to deliver it. The considerable developments in technology involved in the storage and delivery of messages will not be fully exploited until such time as the presentation component is developed beyond its present state.
The appropriate technology and systems
We often say that the needs of the users are paramount in developing information and communication systems and strategies. But we all too often ignore the detail involved in accepting this concept. It is essential to target particular groups in the community and involve them in the design of systems suitable to them. Target groups can differ greatly in their communication situations and needs.
For example in the extensive grazing industries the people in production units are widely separated. The population of townships serving them are generally small. The people are widely dispersed, very individualistic in the way they function and live. They are strongly influenced by cyclical changes in seasonal conditions and profitability. Their productivity is generally not high and their production systems are simple. Their ability to have frequent access to agri-business and other organisational support is generally low. News media access is restricted.
By contrast, intensive cropping industries are located in closely settled and integrated communities. There is generally a high degree of family, social and cultural integration within these settled communities. In many parts of Australia they are influenced by involvement of migrants from other countries and their cultural and social attitudes and beliefs.
Production is intensive with a high level of inputs and a frequent need for decision support. They are generally highly productive but oft n with fluctuating profitability. They generally have good access to a range of media and agri-business and organisational support.
Interestingly, in studies undertaken of these communities many aspects of their communication systems are similar. Studies by Childs (9) the extensive grazing industries of south-west Queensland and Underwood (8) of intensive dairying areas of Queensland, found that neighbours and respected people in the industry locally were major components in the communication systems of both. Whenever communication strategies are designed this component must be an integral part.
There remain considerable constraints to obtaining knowledge and information. These include the high initial capital outlay to acquire equipment used in modern communication. While the relative cost of equipment is falling it still remains a considerable initial outlay. Access to particular sources of information can be influenced by commercial factors. For example, commercial media interests are based on the size of the audience for advertising. Hence, TV and newspaper networks are generally based on large city or near city areas rather than in widely scattered rural communities.
There is also the cost in acquiring information and therefore a cost to be recovered in making it available. It can be an important capital asset from which returns can be made in making it available to others. This can influence who can or cannot obtain such information.
A study by Anderson (10) also found that there were social and personal advantages to possessing information. He found that certain groups of producers communicated in a very closed and small, intimate circle and did not make their particular knowledge and information available outside that group. This can severely inhibit the exchange of important knowledge and information of value to the rest of the community. The role of technology in accessing expert knowledge has not been adequately explored.
There have been considerable changes in legislation and community attitudes which have increased the accessibility of information. Freedom of information legislation has made access much easier and has improved the climate within which information can be sought and obtained.
The attitudes of the scientific community to access to information are an important factor. Many scientists withhold information until such time as it can be published to their own advantage. This is not unreasonable since their own recognition and rewards are dependant on it. However, the present system of releasing such scientific information is inhibitive and restrictive. It is probable that most knowledge and information obtained by scientific endeavour is not made available to the community in general. Just as the general community is more demanding in its access to information generally, so it will become more demanding of the information possessed by the nation's scientists. The scientific community should tackle this crucial and important issue, and consider how modern communication technology might enhance both scientific reward and community access.
A recent study of communication effectiveness for the CSIRO Division of Tropical Crops and Pastures in Queensland found that the main inhibitors to effective communication in the rural sector were that the knowledge and information could not be assessed in terms of its value to the particular user. In addition, most research was considered to be irrelevant and not locally applicable. There is a huge gap between the findings of research and their development into commercially applicable technology and knowledge. Additionally, the sectors in the communication system used and valued different communication media. For producers the rural and local press and local individuals were the most respected and used sources of information. For extension and research workers it was their own peer groups who were most important. Since we don't adequately respect other people's most important sources of information we tend not to use them and thereby create communication blocks. These must be explored and deliberately overcome.
Major emphasis will be placed on getting the "humanware" right. That is, we must understand what people need and use in their communication and how to appropriately meet those needs. This will involve the development of knowledge systems based on interactive participation. It will involve a reduced fear of losing control of the development of knowledge. Researchers must except that users of information and knowledge have a right to influence the development of that knowledge and technology. They also have a right to the information and knowledge acquired. Modern technology increases the capacity to influence information acquisition and to access it.
There must be a major emphasis on the development of computer based software to enhance understanding of the information and knowledge currently available. This must enhance the analysis and processing of information. It must take account of risk and uncertainty and qualitative assessments and judgements related to that information. It must enhance the development and assimilation of technology. The emphasis to date has been on hardware; "computers, telephones, videos, satellites". This technology is available beyond our capacity to utilise it. The software component is the area requiring particular emphasis and investment.
Studies have shown there is not too much information, but it is difficult to determine what is useful and locally relevant. There is more than adequate technology available to communicate well. We must apply ourselves to understanding which communication technology is most appropriate and how to use it.
We must use the technology to enhance the participation of end users in developing, storing and presenting information, knowledge and technology in relevant ways.
1. Rogers, E.M. 1971. 'Diffusion of Innovations' (New York:Free Press).
2. Berlo, D.K. 1960. 'The Process of Communication' (Holt, Rinehart and Winston:New York).
3. Havelock, R.G. 1969. 'Planning for Innovation through the Dissemination and Utilisation of Knowledge' (Ann Arbor:University of Michigan, CRUSK).
4. Roling, N. 1985. Sociologia Ruralis XXV (3/4):269-89.
5. Rogers, E.M. 1976. Communications Research. III (2):213-240.
6. Kotler, P. 1975. 'Marketing for Non-Profit Organisations' (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.:Prentice Hall).
7. Salmon, P.W., Bock, I.M., Turnbull, E. and Trethewie, R. 1977. 'The Human Crisis Change in Agriculture'. University of Melbourne.
8. Underwood, C.A. and Salmon, P.W. 1980. 'Nature and Extent of Self Directed Learning in Agriculture'. University of Melbourne.
9. Childs, J.R. and Salmon, P.W. 1978. 'Studying Property Management'. University of Melbourne.
10. Anderson, A.M. 1981. 'Farmers Expectations and Use of Agricultural Extension Services". Hawkesbury Agricultural College.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2142
|
__label__wiki
| 0.544792
| 0.544792
|
Court Filings Show Immigration Officials Issue Detainers Against U.S. Citizens
Posted: November 17, 2015|Category: Discrimination Racial/Ethnic Discrimination Due Process Immigration
In the space of a dozen years, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials issued to Rhode Island Department of Corrections’ (DOC) administrators 462 “immigration detainers” against individuals who are identified in the ACI’s computer system as U.S. citizens. That is one of the many facts disclosed in briefs (motion for summary judgment brief against the Federal Defendants, motion for summary judgment brief against Defendant Wall) filed on Friday by the ACLU in its lawsuit on behalf of Ada Morales, a North Providence resident who has twice been the target of baseless immigration detainers as a deportable “alien” even though she is a U.S. citizen. The lawsuit, filed in 2012, alleges ICE and Rhode Island officials often bypass Constitutional requirements and safeguards when they detain individuals on immigration grounds. As a result of these detainers, as happened in Ms. Morales’ case, individuals have been held at the ACI for no other reason than to allow ICE officials to investigate their immigration status.
In February 2014, U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. ruled that there are critical constitutional limits on the power of immigration and corrections officials to detain people while investigating their immigration status, and that Ms. Morales “set forth plausible allegations that she was unconstitutionally detained solely based on her national origin and Hispanic last name.” In July of 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit upheld that ruling. The briefs filed by the ACLU on Friday ask the court to reject all the remaining arguments that ICE and the DOC have raised in an effort to avoid liability for their illegal detention of Ms. Morales.
Among the other facts disclosed in the ACLU brief is that the immigration official responsible for issuing the detainer against Ms. Morales didn’t bother to run her Social Security Number through a database that would have confirmed her citizenship status, and that the former field director of ICE’s regional office acknowledged that “an ICE agent does not have to make a determination that a person is in the country illegally before issuing a detainer.”
In May 2009, Ms. Morales, who was born in Guatemala and naturalized as a United States citizen in 1995, was taken into custody on unrelated criminal charges. While being held at the ACI, an ICE “immigration detainer” was lodged against her. Even though a judge ordered Ms. Morales released, the R.I. Department of Corrections held her in custody for an additional 24 hours because of the ICE detainer. “I told the Rhode Island officials that I’m a U.S. citizen, and I offered to show them my naturalization certificate and passport, but no one would listen. They just assumed they could hold me because of my Guatemalan background and the color of my skin,” Ms. Morales said. An ICE official later apologized to Ms. Morales for her wrongful detention, but acknowledged that it could happen again. In fact, she had been unlawfully detained in similar circumstances once before, in 2004.
An ICE detainer is a document that requests that state or law enforcement officials detain a person to give ICE extra time to take the person into federal custody for deportation purposes once state or local custody ends. The suit alleges that ICE officials issue detainers “without a sufficient investigation to determine whether arrestees who are perceived to be ‘foreign’ (based on their place of birth, race or ethnicity, foreign-sounding last names, and/or English language ability) are in fact U.S. citizens.”
ICE agents and state and local officials typically treat a detainer as authorizing continued imprisonment, even if no state or federal charges are pending and no deportation proceedings have been brought. Unlike a criminal warrant, immigration detainers are issued by ICE itself, and are not based upon a probable cause determination by a neutral judicial officer.
No date is set on when the judge will rule on the ACLU’s motion. The briefs were filed by Kate Desormeau of the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project and volunteer attorneys from the law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr in Boston.
Category: DiscriminationRacial/Ethnic DiscriminationDue ProcessImmigration
ACLU Settles Lawsuit Over Smithfield Anti-Medical Marijuana Ordinance July 02, 2019 - Read more >
Groups Applaud Commissioner of Ed Ruling Barring Schools from Charging for Field Trips April 24, 2019 - Read more >
ACLU and R.I. Legal Services Appeal Decision Undermining Rights of English Language Learners April 11, 2019 - Read more >
ACLU Settles Legal Actions on Behalf of Students with Disabilities Affected by School Bus Strike February 25, 2019 - Read more >
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2143
|
__label__cc
| 0.654989
| 0.345011
|
Review: Compromising Miss Tisdale by Jessica Jefferson
Publisher: Soul mate Publishing (November 5, 2013)
From Goodreads.com: Ambrosia Tisdale is the very picture of propriety and the epitome of what a respectable young lady should be. Haunted by a memory and compelled by her family, she pursues perfection to a fault.
The Earl of Bristol, Duncan Maddox, has returned to London after years of familial-imposed exile. As the second son, he has led a life filled with frivolity, leisure, and a healthy dose of debauchery. Now his older brother has died, leaving the family’s flailing legacy in Duncan’s unwilling arms.
At the behest of his uncle, Duncan is advised to do the one thing that could provide instant fortune and respectability—he must marry. But there is only one prospect who meets the unique requirements to solve all the Earl’s problems—the lovely Miss Ambrosia Tisdale. But securing the prudent daughter of a Viscount’s hand proves to be more challenging than this scandal-ridden second son of an Earl has bargained for.
With scandal, extortion, treachery, and even love itself threatening to keep him from his goal, will Duncan succeed or find himself compromised by Miss Tisdale?
My Review: I have so many mixed feelings about this novel. To begin with, I often found myself annoyed with the heroine, which is never a good thing. While I admire her "desire to remain proper at all times", I felt that her actions were inconsistent with who the author wanted her to be. Straightaway, we find her kissing Duncan in the library.. without evening knowing his name! Later on in the story, he finds her alone out in her own garden (during a party no less), and not only bares her breasts, but kisses them; once again leaving me shaking my head and wondering who this girl was and why, if she considered herself the epitome of "propriety", would she allow this to happen.
The majority of this story is fairly slow going (and somewhat repetitive). Miss Tisdale gives Duncan the cold shoulder. Duncan gets a rise out of her, they find some sort of common ground, Duncan oversteps her "boundaries" (when they show up), and they find themselves at odds, only to repeat the process again. Being that this was a historical romance novel, I knew they would end up together in the end, I just wish there had been more detail about them actually falling in love, and less of them being at odds and suddenly discovering their love for each other.
I found that although the last few chapters held some surprises, overall, it felt a bit rushed and thrown together. I wish there had been more depth to the events that took place, and more leading up to the "big reveal" (for lack of a better word).
Compromising Miss Tisdale is available for purchase from Amazon.com
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2149
|
__label__wiki
| 0.972541
| 0.972541
|
ICC introduces stricter sanctions for ball-tampering
Tampering with the ball could now lead to a ban of up to six Tests or 12 ODIs after the International Cricket Council (ICC) made it a level 3 transgression besides adding obscenity and personal abuse to the list of offences in a bid to ensure better behaviour on the field.
Dubai: Tampering with the ball could now lead to a ban of up to six Tests or 12 ODIs after the International Cricket Council (ICC) made it a level 3 transgression besides adding obscenity and personal abuse to the list of offences in a bid to ensure better behaviour on the field.
At the end of its annual conference in Dublin, the world body came up with its plan to curb unruly behaviour on the field that has been under the scanner for a while now in the 'gentlemen's game'.
Upgrading ball-tampering from a level 2 to a level 3 offence has come in the wake of the row earlier this year when Australian cricketers Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were found guilty of changing the condition of the ball during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town.
"I and my fellow Board directors were unanimous in supporting the recommendations of the Cricket Committee and Chief Executives' Committee to drive improved behaviour across our sport," ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar said.
"It is vital that there is a strong deterrent to both players and administrators to ensure we have high standards of conduct in our game," he added.
Under the existing Code of Conduct back in March, the ICC had fined Smith for one Test and that had led to calls for a tougher punishment.
"I'd like to thank the Cricket Committee and the Chief Executives for their commitment to improving player behaviour in the game and supporting the introduction of new offences and greater sanctions," said ICC chief executive Dave Richardson after the five-day meet.
"There is a clear desire here to reclaim cricket's unique proposition as a game that people can trust in and for us all to live the spirit of cricket in a way that is relevant in the 21st century," said the South African.
Even last month, Sri Lankan skipper Dinesh Chandimal copped a one-Test suspension for ball-tampering during the second Test against the West Indies in St. Lucia.
The Australian cricketers including captain Smith did not receive severe punishments form the ICC but Cricket Australia stepped in to slap a one-year ban on Smith and Warner following the incident that rocked the entire country. Bancroft was handed a nine-month suspension.
The ICC Board also recommended the introduction of offences covering personal abuse (Level 2, 3), audible obscenity (Level 1) and disobeying umpire's instructions (Level 1).
"Attempting to gain and unfair advantage (cheating, other than ball-tampering) will now be considered a Level 2 or 3 offence," said the ICC in a statement.
"Players or support staff wanting to appeal a decision will now be required to lodge an appeal fee in advance which will be fully refundable if the appeal is successful. Stump microphone guidelines will also be changed to allow the stump microphone audio to be broadcast at any time, including when the ball is dead," it added.
Now, even the concerned member board could be held liable for its players' behaviour.
"The Board also agreed to consider how Member Boards can be held liable for its players' behaviour with appropriate sanctions to be imposed on boards when the accumulated number of offences by its players exceed certain thresholds."
The ICC Board also agreed on measures to enable Zimbabwe Cricket to stabilise its business and allow cricket to flourish in the country.
The ICC management will work with Zimbabwe Cricket to develop a plan for managing its cricketing, management and financial structures which will be reviewed regularly.
Besides, the ICC agreed to allow a representative of the Sri Lankan Sports Minister to sit as an observer to its Board and Full Council. The ICC requested that elections for Sri Lanka Cricket are held within six months, failing which SLC's Membership status would be considered.
tampering dubai ban cricket international cricket council obscenity abuse world australia steve smith david warner guilty south africa punishment people spirit african sri lanka suspension cricket australia cheating guidelines audio broadcast zimbabwe business sports sri lanka cricket
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2151
|
__label__cc
| 0.643788
| 0.356212
|
A Tickle in the Heart (film & discussion)
16 Tishri 5777 – October 18, 2016 Temple Sinai
Time and memory are woven through the captivating documentary A Tickle in the Heart, coming to Temple Sinai as part of the Saratoga Jewish Community Arts on Sunday, October 30, 7 p.m.
An international smash hit and the world’s most popular film about klezmer music, it captures the story of the Epstein Brothers – Max, Willie, and Julius – klezmer legends on a joyous (and hilarious) international tour.
The brothers are natural performers, and their sense of life, music, and family as they tour through places they love – from Poland to Brooklyn to Florida – is as life affirming and intoxicating as the joyous music they play. There is a patented smoothness to the Brothers’ sound that epitomizes Jewish soul at its best.
Klezmer music, a traditional form of instrumental folk rooted in Eastern European Jewish culture, was thought all-but-extinct after World War II, abandoned after massive emigration to the U.S. But Stephan Schwietert’s winning documentary, A tickle in the Heart, found it alive and well in the 90’s in an unlikely place: a quaint, colorless Florida retirement community, home of the then living legends, the Epstein Brothers.
Klezmer is a fusion of Eastern European folk tunes with jazz and other influences. It was (and is) the preferred celebratory music of Eastern European Jewry around the world and has enjoyed a new upswing in popularity. In fact, it is popular in places and among groups far beyond its Gypsy/Jewish origins earlier in the 20th century.
The klezmer that grew so popular in America is very different from the simplistic Chasidic melodies that characterized much Israeli klezmer. In fact, the “American klezmer” inspired the music to Fiddler on the Roof.
“The klezmer followed in this film exemplifies something very American,” says Phyllis Wang, Coordinator of Saratoga Jewish Community Arts, “and, it is impossible for someone who has grown up Jewish in America not to immediately begin to dance around the floor or wistfully enter a reverie for family and events of an earlier time. However, it is not clear that a European hearing the music would feel that same sense of familiarity.”
Not only has klezmer become well enough known so that riffs from it are heard in a song by folk/country musician Emmylou Harris, but it is now quite fashionable in Germany, which is where this documentary was made. The Epstein Brothers formed one of the oldest klezmer bands who were still playing into the 21st Century.
This screening of A Tickle in the Heart is sponsored by Saratoga Jewish Community Arts, with a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York and can be seen on October 30, 7 p.m., at Temple Sinai, 509 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, followed by a panel discussion and dessert reception. A $5.00 donation is requested. For reservations or information, please call 518-584-8730, option 2.
← SELICHOT PROGRAM at Temple
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (film & discussion) →
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2153
|
__label__wiki
| 0.630108
| 0.630108
|
The Ultimate Myrtle Beach Golf Vacation
L-R Matthew Pfister President CEO of idealapeel, Inc._ Dwight Clark_ and Grand Prize Winner Toby McNight
THE ULTIMATE GOLF AND BEACH GRAND PRIZE WINNER TEES IT UP WITH SUPER BOWL CHAMPION DWIGHT CLARK
Winner Selected From More Than 10,000 Entries
May 12, 2010, Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Representatives from The Divine Dining Group, Better Brands, Inc. - Anheuser-Busch Distributor, The Myrtle Beach National Company and idealapeel, Inc. recently introduced the winner of The Ultimate Golf & Beach Getaway. Myrtle Beach resident Toby McKnight won the contest which included an opportunity to play golf with five-time Super Bowl champion Dwight Clark.
McKnight is currently serving in the U.S. Air Force and is stationed in Tacoma, Wash. Nearly 10,000 people entered to win the contest and vacation package which included oceanfront accommodations at The Breakers Resort, dinner at several of The Divine Dining Group’s premier restaurants and golf at River Club, Willbrook Plantation and The Dunes Golf & Beach Club.
As an added bonus, McKnight’s grand prize included a round of golf with Super Bowl champion and Clemson graduate Dwight Clark. Clark is best known for a play simply known as “The Catch” during the 1982 NFC Championship game which allowed the San Francisco 49ers to defeat the Dallas Cowboys and advance to an eventual win in Super Bowl XVI.
“I was so excited to have been chosen for the Ultimate Myrtle Beach Golf and Beach Getaway,” said McKnight. “I have always loved living and playing golf in Myrtle Beach. To experience it as the winner of the Ultimate Golf and Beach Getaway, and to be able to tee it up with Dwight Clark at The Dunes Club was the absolute thrill of a lifetime.”
McKnight won the contest last October, but due to his military obligations he was unable to take the vacation until this past weekend. He and Clark played a round of golf at The Dunes Beach & Golf Club on May 7.
About The Divine Dining Group
The Divine Dining Group is the largest, locally owned restaurant management company in the Myrtle Beach area. Innovators of family and fine dining experiences since 1989, The Divine Dining Group has earned numerous national, regional and local awards. They currently own and operate 10 totally different dining concepts at 21 locations, with offerings that range from casual pizzas and burgers to some of the finest steaks and seafood on the Grand Strand. Their restaurants include Ultimate California Pizza, River City Café, Bubba’s Fish Shack, Roy and Sid’s, City Grill, Divine Prime, Bovine’s, Divine Fish House and Blue Crab. Visit The Devine Dining Group's Website
About Better Brands, Inc. – Anheuser-Busch DistributorIn 1965, years before the golf and condo boom propelled the Grand Strand into one of the hottest year-round resorts in the nation, John T. Stanko sensed the Strand’s imminent growth and set out to build a Myrtle Beach-based wholesale beverage distribution operation company. His goal was to be the best beverage distribution in the country. Today, nearly 40 years later under the guidance of Chairman Brenda Spadoni, President Mike Riley , and On-Premise Sales Manager Kelly Lewis, John Stanko’s dream is a reality. Today, Better Brands, Inc. distributes over 70 different products, including the full line of Anheuser-Busch products, and is a major sponsor of numerous community events and celebrations along the Grand Strand. Visit Better Brand's Website
About Myrtle Beach National Company
The Myrtle Beach National Company has evolved into one of the leading golf course ownership and now management companies in the Southeast, featuring many of the most well-respected signature courses along the Grand Strand. The company was formed in 1971 with the construction of the Arnold Palmer-designed original 54-hole golf complex, which includes the West Course, SouthCreek (both designed by Francis Duane and Arnold Palmer) and King’s North, also an Arnold Palmer design that has achieved national notoriety. Myrtle Beach National has grown to include the Robert Trent Jones designed Waterway Hills, Jack Nicklaus’ Long Bay, Tom Jackson’s River Club and Aberdeen Country Club, Dan Maple’s Willbrook Plantation, Willard Byrd’s Litchfield Country Club, Gary Player’s Blackmoor Golf Club, Clyde Johnston’s Wachesaw Plantation East, Ron Garl’s Tradition Golf Club, and Jeff Brauer, Larry Nelson, Tom Fazio’s TPC Myrtle Beach, and Willard Byrd’s Wild Wing Plantation, all premier Myrtle Beach area signature courses.
Myrtle Beach National has hosted tournaments for men, women, senior or junior golfers for more than 35 years to help grow the game of golf. Every November, Myrtle Beach National-sponsored George Holliday Memorial Tournament, recently named one of the top-ranked junior tournaments by the Heritage Classic Foundation, draws more than 300 prep golfers to the Grand Strand. During the spring, Myrtle Beach National welcomes more than 150 junior golfers to the area during Easter weekend for the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Shootout Tournament. In the fall, Myrtle Beach National welcomes women golfers and couples to the Grand Strand for “The Carolina Couples Classic”. For more information, Visit MBN.com or call 1-800-882-2614.
About idealapeel, Inc.
idealapeel is a privately held direct-marketing company headquartered in the Carolinas, specializing in the production and distribution of the highest quality Guest Check-In Materials, including their signature VIP Guest Check-In Packets and magnetic Room Key Cards, for hotel, motel and resort properties throughout the United States. Visit idealapeel's website
Posted by Thomas Muse at 6:40 AM
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2154
|
__label__wiki
| 0.858317
| 0.858317
|
Bothalia - African Biodiversity & Conservation
Bothalia (Online) vol.49 n.1 Pretoria 2019
http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/abc.v49i1.2333
SHORT COMMUNICATION
How far and how old: Longevity and displacement records from the South African Bird Ringing Scheme for Ardeidae, Threskiornithidae and Ciconiidae
Sanjo RoseI; Hans-Dieter OschadleusII, III; Dane PaijmansI
IFitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, South Africa
IIAnimal Demography Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
IIISchool of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
BACKGROUND: Understanding the movement and displacement of individuals within avian species is important for conservation. Herons, Storks and Egrets are especially important as they are migratory species and are potential indicator species. It is therefore valuable to set life history baselines to understand survival.
OBJECTIVES: To establish baseline longevity and displacement values for the avian families Ardeidae, Threskiornithidae and Ciconiidae using the South African Bird Ringing Scheme (SAFRING) data for Africa and to highlight gaps in the SAFRING database for these families.
METHOD: We used data archives of ringed and subsequently reported individuals to determine maximum displacement and longevities from the past seven decades for each species within these three families. Displacement was estimated by the straight-line distance between subsequent records for the same individual. Longevity is the measure of time elapsed in records for the same individual.
RESULTS: Displacement and longevity data were available for 17 of the 24 species in the focus families. Individuals of most of the species were ringed as nestlings so displacement records may represent dispersal. Displacement ranged from a maximum of 10 114 km for a White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) to 2.5 km for a Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus). Several species are poorly sampled, resulting in longevity records of just a few days. Despite that, longevity values were > 5 years for 16 species, and the highest value was 25.3 years for a White Stork.
CONCLUSION: It was possible to determine longevity values for most of the species within the three families investigated. Based on the displacement profiles for species with sufficient records, there are large differences in movement between species. Certain common species such as Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) have very few ringing records, which indicate a need for further species-specific research as the longevity values are not representative. This could greatly benefit studies aiming to use these species as ecosystem health indicators as well as identify which species are at risk.
The families Ardeidae, Threskiornithidae and Ciconiidae are small to large birds, typically associated with wetland habitats. Some species migrate whilst others are resident with most species being nomadic to some extent, following rainfall patterns and seasonal habitat distribution (Hockey et al. 2005). This adaptable group, with species that have large global distributions, can colonise novel and anthropogenically altered environments. Nest site flexibility in White Storks (Ciconia ciconia), for example, has enabled them to utilise urban chimneys and telephone poles (Tryjanowski et al. 2008).
Understanding avian dispersal, migration and survival is crucial for species conservation as it informs which members of the population are most vulnerable and helps identify important nesting, feeding and resting locations. This is particularly important as globally certain historical migration behaviours are changing, driven by factors such as altered food sources (Rotics et al. 2017), earlier onset of spring (Jenni & Kery 2003) and rapid land alteration (Lemoine et al. 2007). For example, a recent study found that some juveniles of the White Stork are opting to remain in Europe, closer to their natal grounds, as they can exploit the open-air dumps (Rotics et al. 2017). This has important implications for land-use management practices if these storks are to be protected.
In the past few decades dispersal has been widely studied either through Global Positioning System or satellite tracking (e.g. Berthold et al. 2002; Chevallier et al. 2011; Rotics et al. 2017; Van der Winden, Poot & Van Horssen 2010). Although highly effective, this method can be costly, which constrains sample sizes. Ringing is an alternative, less costly method. It is cruder, only indicating the initial and final location; however, it is still very useful, and several studies still use it for dispersal analysis (e.g. Bartolome 1996, Little Egrets [Egretta garzetta] in Spain; Fasola et al. 2002, Little Egrets in France).
Here we summarise seven decades of data from the South African Bird Ringing Scheme's (SAFRING) database on displacement and longevity for the families Threskiornithidae, Ardeidae and Ciconiidae. Although a few single-species studies have been published with respect to dispersal and longevity in these families (Kopij 2017, Cattle Egret [Bubulcus ibis], Clark & Clark 1979, African Sacred Ibis, [Threskiornis aethiopicus]), a broader assessment of the species is lacking. Such an assessment will identify gaps in the data and provide insights into where further research could be focused and could clarify whether or not movement is dispersal or migration by noting age at ringing and subsequent records.
The ringing, recapture, resighting and recovery records of Ardeidae, Threskiornithidae and Ciconiidae were extracted from the SAFRING database in October 2017. Twenty-four species in these families that occur in southern Africa were included in the assessment. From these data the maximum displacement and longevity values were determined. Maximum displacement was calculated as the greatest direct distance (in kilometres) between the initial ringing and subsequent reporting for an individual. To understand if displacement represents postnatal dispersal or migration, the age associated with the records was noted. Longevity is the time elapsed between date of ringing and final subsequent report for the individual. Consequently, longevity values are minimum values. All maximum records were verified by the original reports submitted to SAFRING. Records noted as only 'rings found' or well-decomposed carcass found, were not used because of the uncertainty of the date of death.
The final data set included some records of birds originally ringed in Europe. Location of ringing is indicated in the 'ring number' column of Table 1 by the country name in brackets. To give an indication of how many ringed individuals were re-recorded, a reporting rate was calculated for each species. This rate is simply the percentage of initial ringing records reported at least once (distinct records) after the ringing event. A high percentage would indicate that ringed birds of a particular species are likely to be located at a later point. Many of the secondary records for the three families do not clearly state whether records are resightings or retraps. As these species are rarely retrapped, most of these secondary records are probably resightings.
Displacement profiles were generated for those species with more than 100 subsequent reports (retraps, resightings and recoveries) to investigate the distance moved by individuals at a finer level. These included the African Sacred Ibis, Hadeda Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash), Black-headed Heron (Ardea melanocephala) and Cattle Egret. As a result of a limited number of adult initial records, only records where the initial report involved pulli (nestlings, chicks ringed in the nest) and juvenile birds were used for the profiles.
A total of 29 842 records (26 651 initial, and 3191 records made up of retraps, resightings and recoveries) were reported for all 24 species within Ardeidae, Threskiornithidae and Ciconiidae (Table 1). Black-headed Heron, Cattle Egret, White Stork, African Sacred Ibis and Hadeda Ibis are the most ringed species, with over 1000 ringing records each (Table 1). Species with no subsequent records were Slaty Egret (Egretta vinaceigula), Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea), Dwarf Bittern (Ixobrychus sturmii), White-backed Night-heron (Gorsachius leuconotus), Eurasian Bittern (Botaurus stellaris), Saddle-billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) and Yellow-billed Stork (Mycteria ibis) and as a result no displacements or longevities could be calculated (Table 1).
The greatest distances travelled were 10 114 km for White Stork, 4233 km for Cattle Egret and 1465 km for African Sacred Ibis (Table 1). The species for which the smallest maximum displacement was measured (2.5 km) was the Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) (Table 1). Longevity records of > 5 years exist for 16 species, with the maximum longevity being 25.3 years (White Stork) (Table 1).
Most initial records were pulli or chicks and juveniles (90.3%, n = 24 070) with the remainder listed as either 'unknown' or adults (9.7%) (Appendix 1 and 2). For Saddle-billed Stork, Black Heron (Egretta ardesiaca), Abdim's Stork (Ciconia abdimii), Dwarf Bittern, Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides), Green-backed Heron (Butorides striata), Little Bittern and Hadada Ibis, most individuals ringed were recorded as adults (Appendix 1 and 2).
Most Ardeidae and Threskiornithidae chicks were reported again close (< 50 km) to the original ringing site. 90.4% of the displacement records for storks were over 500 km. For individuals reported dead, 28.2% had known finding details: sick or injured subsequently died (17.5%), shot (16.8%), collision (fence, line or wire) (15.6%), victim of weather (5.1%), killed or attacked by bird (4.3%) and electrocuted (2.9%).
This study attempted to provide maximum longevity and displacement values for the 24 species of Ardeidae, Threskiornithidae and Ciconiidae occurring in southern Africa. Longevity data were available for 17 species (see Appendix 2 for top three values). In addition, this study updated some of the data published in Underhill et al. (1999). For example, longevity values for two species were updated: Green-backed Heron (0-12 years) and Hadeda Ibis (5-10 years).
Most individuals for all species were ringed as chicks, with very few ringing records for adults, so it was not possible to investigate the relationship between age and displacement. The lack of ringing records for adult individuals could well be explained by their large size, which makes these species difficult to trap in mistnets. As most ringers in southern Africa are hobbyists who typically use mistnetting, members of the Ardeidae, Threskiornithidae and Ciconiidae are rarely caught. Species in Ciconiidae have high European ringing totals but they were also ringed mainly as chicks. Bittern species are also difficult to locate, resulting in few casual ringing events. As some species in these families, such as Little Egret and Grey Heron, are common, it would be beneficial to establish baseline data sets for them to use as indicators of ecosystem health changes such as has been done elsewhere.
There is some evidence for movement of pulli in all three families based on displacement records (Table 1). As the data are biased towards ringed chicks, with poor adult representation it was not possible to determine whether the dispersal of young birds represents postnatal dispersal or migration. Puglisi and Bretagnolle (2005) found that Great Bittern chicks from sites in Italy and France moved at most 5.5 km from a nest, which they argued was far given that the average distance between nests measured at two sites was 148 m and 149 m. This suggests that the scale of dispersal could be very small in some species. In a southern African context, little is known about the migration or movement of many species in the three families, with the exception of those in the family Ciconiidae, which are known to migrate large distances. Some movement traits are known in the same species occurring in Europe, for example overwintering Eurasian Bitterns in England have been noted to return to the same wetland (Gilbert, Tyler & Smith 2005). For species like the Purple Heron, the picture appears to be complex. Although Palearctic migrants make it to North and West Africa (Van der Winden et al. 2010), there is no evidence to suggest that they migrate to southern Africa (Hockey et al. 2005; Martin 1997).
The displacement profiles generated were unsurprising (Figure 1); Hadeda Ibis are known not to migrate as a rule although young may disperse (Skead 1951). The high number of chicks recovered less than 5 km from the site of ringing in African Sacred Ibis could represent pulli that die at a colonial nesting site. There is a clear indication of some movement of Cattle Egret in Figure 1, which supports the knowledge that this species does not regularly migrate, although it may track seasonal rainfall (Hockey et al. 2005). Juvenile Egrets may disperse short distances from the nesting roost whilst foraging although tracking of individual birds will provide a clearer picture. No clear pattern emerged for the Black-headed Heron, although few travelled more than 500 km.
The increase in urban populations of some species such as Sacred Ibis and Hadeda Ibis has raised concerns about noise and water pollution. As a result, various efforts are made to control or cull populations, such as egg-oiling in Australia (Martin et al. 2007). For these methods to be effective and managed responsibly, the life history of these birds needs to be well understood. It is also important to establish which range changes are caused by direct human intervention and which are 'natural' in response to habitat change.
Where longevity data do exist, individuals in several species such as Grey Heron, Black-headed Heron and Cattle Egret appear to be long-lived, which justifies the effort in trapping, ringing and monitoring. Many of the species included in the study are also found in Europe, where intensive ringing programmes have been operating since the early 1900s. Greater ringing effort over a longer period of time seems to have translated into greater longevities in many instances and in several species, long lifespans have been recorded where no reasonable value exists in the SAFRING data. For example, European data for Purple Heron gives longevity as 25 year 5 months, for Squacco Heron as 5 year 10 months, for Eurasian Bittern as > 11 years 4 months and for Black Stork as 18 years 7 months (Fransson et al. 2010). Only one species, the Cattle Egret, has a greater value in South Africa of 23 year 4 months (Table 1) compared to the European value of 18 years 5 months (Fransson et al. 2010). Cattle Egrets in South Africa were the focus of an intense effort to ring many individuals in the 1970s, indicating that dedicated projects could deliver worthwhile data.
Using ringing data from SAFRING, longevity and displacement values are presented for avian families Ardeidae, Threskiornithidae and Ciconiidae. Longevity data exist for 17 of the 24 species, although some of the values are not realistic because of poor sample sizes. The data set is biased towards juvenile and chick data, which leaves many questions around adult movement and longevity unanswered. Dedicated research is required to better understand the basic biology of species in the three families as well as how these species are responding to land use and climate change.
We wish to thank all SAFRING ringers for submitting their ringing data to SAFRING. A special note of thanks too to the foreign schemes who provided data where necessary. At the time of submission, S.R. was supported by the National Research Foundation-Department of Science and Technology. We also thank all the reviewers who provided valuable inputs and suggestions.
The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.
The motivation for the study was initiated by all authors. D.P. did most of the data extraction and analysis. S.R. did most of the data verification. S.R. wrote the bulk of the manuscript. H-D.O. assisted with the entire process.
Bartolome, J., Fernandez-Cruz, M. & Campos, F., 1996, 'Band recoveries of Spanish little egrets, Egretta garzetta', Colonial Waterbirds 19, 220-225. https://doi.org/10.2307/1521859 [ Links ]
Berthold, P., Bossche, W.V.D., Jakubiec, Z., Kaatz, C., Kaatz, M. & Querner, U., 2002, 'Long-term satellite tracking sheds light upon variable migration strategies of White Storks (Ciconia ciconia)', Journal für Ornithologie 143, 489-493. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02465604 [ Links ]
Chevallier, D., Le Maho, Y., Brossault, P., Baillon, F. & Massemin, S., 2011, 'The use of stopover sites by Black Storks (Ciconia nigra) migrating between West Europe and West Africa as revealed by satellite telemetry', Journal of Ornithology 152, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-010-0536-6 [ Links ]
Clark, R.A. & Clark, A., 1979, 'Daily and seasonal movements of the sacred ibis at Pretoria, Transvaal', Ostrich 50, 94-103. [ Links ]
Fasola, M., Hafner, H., Kayser, Y., Bennetts, R.E. & Cezilly, F., 2002, 'Individual dispersal among colonies of Little Egrets Egretta garzetta', Ibis 144, 192-199. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1474-919X.2002.00060.x [ Links ]
Fransson, T., Kolehmainen, T., Kroon, C., Jansson, L. & Wenninger, T., 2010, EURING list of longevity records for European birds, viewed 14 November 2017, from https://euring.org/data-and-codes/longevity-list. [ Links ]
Gilbert, G., Tyler, G. & Smith, K.W., 2005, 'Behaviour, home-range size and habitat use by male Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris in Britain', Ibis 147, 533-543. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919x.2005.00424.x [ Links ]
Hockey, P., Dean, W. & Ryan, P., (eds.), 2005, Roberts birds of Southern Africa, 7th edn., The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa. [ Links ]
Jenni, L. & Kéry, M., 2003, 'Timing of autumn bird migration under climate change: Advances in long-distance migrants, delays in short-distance migrants', Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 270, 1467-1471. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2003.2394 [ Links ]
Kopij, G., 2017, 'Migratory connectivity of South African Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis, Ciconiiformes, Ardeidae)', Zoological Journal 96, 418-428. https://doi.org/10.7868/S0044513417040079 [ Links ]
Lemoine, N., Bauer, H., Peintinger, M. & Bohning-Gaese, K., 2007, 'Effects of climate and land-use change on species abundance in a Central European bird community', Conservation Biology 21, 495-503. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2006.00633.x [ Links ]
Martin, A.P., 1997, 'Purple Heron', in J.A. Harrison, D.G. Allan, L.G. Underhill, M. Herremans, A.J. Tree, V. Parker et al. (eds.), The Atlas of Southern African Birds, vol. 1, p. 48, BirdLife South Africa, Johannesburg. [ Links ]
Martin, J.M., French, K. & Major, R.E., 2007, 'The pest status of Australian white ibis (Threskiornis molucca) in urban situations and the effectiveness of egg-oil in reproductive control', Wildlife Research 34, 319-324. https://doi.org/10.1071/WR07005 [ Links ]
Puglisi, L. & Bretagnolle, V., 2005, 'Breeding biology of the Great Bittern', Waterbirds: The International Journal of Waterbird Biology 28, 392-398. https://doi.org/10.1675/1524-4695(2005)028[0392:BBOTGB]2.0.CO;2 [ Links ]
Rotics, S., Turjeman, S., Kaatz, M., Resheff, Y.S., Zurell, D., Sapir, N. et al., 2017, 'Wintering in Europe instead of Africa enhances juvenile survival in a long-distance migrant', Animal Behaviour 126, 79-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.01.016 [ Links ]
Skead, C.J., 1951, 'A study of the Hadedah Ibis Hagedashiah hagedash', Ibis 93, 360-382. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.1951.tb05440.x [ Links ]
Tryjanowski, P., Kosicki, J.Z., Kuźniak, S. & Sparks, T.H., 2008, 'Long-term changes and breeding success in relation to nesting structures used by the White Stork, Ciconia ciconia', Annales Zoologici Fennici 46, 34-38. https://doi.org/10.5735/086.046.0104 [ Links ]
Underhill, L.G., Tree, A.J., Oschadleus, H.D. & Parker, V., 1999, Review of ring recoveries of Waterbirds in Southern Africa, Avian Demography Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town. [ Links ]
Van der Winden, J., Poot, M.J.M. & Van Horssen, P.W., 2010, 'Large birds can migrate fast: The post-breeding flight of the Purple Heron Ardea purpurea to the Sahel', Ardea 98, 395-402. https://doi.org/10.5253/078.098.0313 [ Links ]
Sanjo Rose
sanjojenkins@gmail.com
Received: 07 Dec. 2017
Accepted: 22 Aug. 2018
Table 1- A1 - Click to enlarge
AOSIS Publishing
Postnet Suite #110, Private Bag X19, Durbanville, Cape Town, Western Cape, ZA, 7551,
Tel: +27 21 975 2602, Tel: 086 1000 381
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2155
|
__label__cc
| 0.635858
| 0.364142
|
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Applications
Vol. 6, Issue 4-1, Jul.
Vol. 3, Issue 3-1, Jun.
Vol. 3, Issue 2-1, Mar.
Vol. 3, Issue 1-1, Jan.
Vol. 3, Issue 1-3, Feb.
Home / Journals / Physics / International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Applications / Article
A Model for Design Optimization of Electrochemical Mechanical Polishing Polish Pad
Volume 5, Issue 4, August 2017, Pages: 223-227
Received: Jul. 11, 2017; Accepted: Jul. 19, 2017; Published: Aug. 11, 2017
Views 1845 Downloads 98
Bian Yanfei, The 54th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, Shijiazhuang, China
Wang Zhenxuan, The 54th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, Shijiazhuang, China
Cai Meng, The 54th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, Shijiazhuang, China
Wang Ruofu, The 54th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, Shijiazhuang, China
Tian Jingqun, The 54th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, Shijiazhuang, China
The polishing pad plays a vital role in achieving the desired removal rate and level of surface planarity during the electrochemical mechanical planarization (ECMP) process. Material removal rate (MRR) and within wafer non-uniformity (WIWNU) are two important factors in determining the polishing performance. In this work, a theoretical model for predicting the radial distribution of tribasic ammonium citrate (TAC) concentration on the wafer is proposed. The experimentally measured MRR was found as a function of the TAC concentration in the slurry. Hence, the model could not only predict the removal rate at a given point on the wafer surface, but also reflect the WIWNU. Model predictions are in good agreement with the experimental data. The proposed model are used to perform an analysis of the effect of pad designs on the MRR and WIWNU of the wafer.
Electrochemical Mechanical Polishing, Polish Pad, Removal Rate, Within Wafer Non-Uniformity, Model
To cite this article
Bian Yanfei, Wang Zhenxuan, Cai Meng, Wang Ruofu, Tian Jingqun, A Model for Design Optimization of Electrochemical Mechanical Polishing Polish Pad, International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Applications. Vol. 5, No. 4, 2017, pp. 223-227. doi: 10.11648/j.ijmea.20170504.16
Copyright © 2017 Authors retain the copyright of this article.
This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
K. Mahadevaiyer, J. W. Nalaskowski and L. M. Cook: Chem. Rev. Vol. 110 (2010), p 178.
J. Y. Lin, S. W. Chou: Electrochimica Acta. Vol. 56 (2011), p 3303.
L. Zhang, B. G. Zhang, B. C. Pan and C. W. Wang: Applied Surface Science. Vol. 422 (2017), p 247.
F. Q. Liu, T. Du, A. Duboust, S. Tsai and W. Hsu: J. Electrochem. Soc. Vol. 153 (2006), p 377.
F. Gao, H. Liang: Journal of Electronic Materials. Vol.41 (2013), p 624.
G. S. Kristin, C. W. Alan: Journal of Applied Electrochemistry. Vol. 39 (2009), p 1719.
J. J. Murata, K. S. Yodogawa and K. Ban: INT J MACH TOOL MANU. Vol. 114 (2017), p 1.
Y. J. Oh, G. S. Park and C. H. Chung: J ELECTROCHEM SOC. Vol. 153 (2006): G 617.
H. Kim and H. Jeong: J ELECTRON MATER. Vol. 33 (2004), p 53.
F. Tyan: IEEE T SEMICONDUCT M. Vol. 20 (2007), p 451.
Y. F. Bian, W. J. Zhai and Y. Y. Cheng: J CENT SOUTH UNIV T. Vol. 21 (2014), p 2191.
Y. F. Bian, W. J. Zhai and Y. Y. Cheng: Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China. Vol. 23 (2013), p 2431.
F. Gao, H. Liang: Journal of Electronic Materials. Vol. 40 (2011), p 134.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2156
|
__label__wiki
| 0.938198
| 0.938198
|
Wed, Jun 21, 2017 - Page 12 News List
Nan Ya upbeat over rising demand
By Kuo Chia-erh / Staff reporter
Nan Ya Plastics Corp (南亞塑膠), the nation’s largest plastics maker, yesterday gave a relatively optimistic outlook for the rest of the year, supported by rising demand for copper products, oil and ethylene glycol.
“The demand for electric material and ethylene glycol has been improving,” chairman Wu Chia-chau (吳嘉昭) told reporters on the sidelines of an annual shareholders’ meeting in Taipei, citing strong growth momentum in the global electric-vehicle market.
Nan Ya has set a sales target of 69.65 million copper-clad laminates and 2.35 million tonnes of ethylene glycol this year, the firm said.
Wu said that Nan Ya is working on four capacity expansion projects this year, as part of its near-term efforts to sustain competitiveness and meet growing demand.
The company’s board last month approved a NT$5.37 billion (US$176.6 million) proposal to build a new plant in Taiwan to expand production capacity for copper foil, aiming to satisfy increasing global demand for lithium-ion batteries, a key component of electric vehicles.
The plant is to produce 18,000 tonnes of copper foil per year, lifting the company’s annual capacity from 90,000 tonnes to 108,000 tonnes, the plastics maker said.
Nan Ya, a key member of the Formosa Plastics Group (台塑集團), runs several copper foil plants in Chiayi County and Kunshan City in China’s Jiangsu Province.
Nan Ya’s board also approved a plan to expand its production capacity of high value-added synthetic paper, a company filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange showed.
The plan, which is to cost NT$1.19 billion, is expected to raise its annual capacity from 65,000 tonnes to 87,000 tonnes.
As for overseas markets, Nan Ya is to build a new plant to produce ethylene glycol in Texas, eyeing cheaper natural gas costs there.
Nan Ya said it is also to construct a new plant in Jiangsu, which would manufacture faux leather for Chinese automakers, without providing a timetable.
Shareholders approved a proposal to distribute cash dividends of NT$4.5 per share, the highest in the past six years, based on a net profit of NT$48.84 billion last year, or earnings per share of NT$6.16.
Profit last year surged 36.7 percent from a year earlier, but sales over the same period fell 8.2 percent to NT$275.29 billion, primarily due to lower crude oil prices in the first three quarters of last year.
The company attributed the better-than-expected earnings performance to profits from selling its shares of DRAM chipmaker Inotera Memories Inc (華亞科技) to Micron Technology Inc.
This story has been viewed 10291 times.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2169
|
__label__wiki
| 0.819447
| 0.819447
|
‧Editorials
Home / Editorials
Wed, Jul 20, 2011 - Page 8 News List
Refusing to aid Taiwan is illogical
By Reuben Johnson
Observing daily life in Rio de Janeiro, the most famous of Brazilian cities, one is instantly aware that Brazil’s economy is booming and that Rio, in particular, is about to be the scene of two mammoth international sporting events: the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games.
Brazil feels that it is now reaching its rightful position in the world community — one of the so-called “BRIC nations” — and that the international recognition of Brazil as an up-and-coming nation is an achievement it has largely reached as part of its partnerships with European nations — most specifically France.
Thus, when it comes to modernizing the economy in general and the military in particular, Brazil feels no sense of exclusivity about its relationship with the US. During Brazil’s period of military dictatorship, the nation was under a US embargo forbidding any trade in armaments, putting the Brazilian military in a difficult position.
Even when the embargo was lifted and US firms were free to sell their wares to Brazil, there was resistance to building a closer relationship with Washington on the grounds that US technology export guidelines were far more restrictive than European arms producers and there could always be another US embargo someday.
Not surprisingly, there is not a groundswell to “buying American” when it comes to purchasing new weaponry.
In contrast, Taiwan has never had anything but a positive and enthusiastic attitude about purchasing arms from the US. Its flirtations with European suppliers have proved to be unhappy ones. The air force’s decision to procure Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft has proven to be an expensive experiment.
The air force is probably going to have to mothball these aircraft because of the excessive costs and other problems associated with obtaining spare, so the focus of the Taiwanese military’s procurements has almost always been very pro-US.
Therefore, as someone who has been writing about the defense industry and arms exports for more than two decades, I find myself asking why the US is pulling out all the stops to sell up to 120 of one of its most advanced combat aircraft, the twin-engine F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, to the Brazilian air force, while at the same time US President Barack Obama’s administration is refusing to sell 66 of the smaller, single-engine and — in some respects — less capable F-16C/D aircraft to Taiwan.
Aside from being one of the US’ oldest and most traditional allies, Taiwan is one of US’ best trading partners. US trade with Taiwan was US$59 billion in 2009, at a time when the world was trying to recover from the fourth quarter 2008 economic crash and trade was in free fall. Last year, Taiwan was the US’ 13th-largest goods export market and the US also buys 50 percent more from Taiwan in most years than it does from Brazil. Clearly, Taiwan is as important to the economic well-being of the US as Brazil, or even more so.
The nature of the proposed sales to Brazil and Taiwan could also not be more different.
Brazilian policymakers are intent on using the purchase of the new fighters as a way to substantially increase the capability of the country’s aerospace industry and provide considerable work in the form of licensed production. Most of the aircraft they want to buy would be assembled in Brazil. Moreover, the Brazilian government would also like to be able to assemble aircraft for sale to other nations as part of the bargain. In other words, there is not a lot for the US aerospace worker to do in the Brazil deal.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2170
|
__label__wiki
| 0.559345
| 0.559345
|
Court Diissolves Ex-Super Eagles' Coach Adegboye Onigbinde's 30-Year Marriage
A Customary Court sitting in Mapo, Ibadan, has dissolved the 30-year-old marriage between former Super Eagles coach Adegboye Onigbinde and Anne due to irreconcilable differences.
Onigbinde had approached the court, asking it to dissolve the marriage because his wife was wasteful while also describing her as a troublemaker.
While delivering his ruling, president of the court, Ademola Odunade, directed the veteran coach to give N5,000 to his former wife to enable her to move her belongings out of his house.
Onigbinde had pleaded with the court that at 79, he could not continue to “die in silence” because of Anne’s problems, although Anne pleaded to the court to allow the marriage to stay.
He said, “My lord, with my 79 years of age, I cannot continue to die in silence of Anne’s litany of problems. Among many other troubles I have encountered in the hands of Anne, I have also suffered uncountable financial losses during the process of trying to give Anne means of livelihood so that she wouldn’t be idle.
“On three separate occasions, I have established business ventures for her and on each occasion, Anne wrecked the businesses. I can’t continue in such wastage. For many years, Anne has been a thorn in my flesh through ceaseless trouble-making as it is one day, one trouble in my home. Can you imagine that it was not until only one week to the wedding ceremony of the only daughter she had with me that she informed me? In fact, Anne has openly turned her daughter against me because she doesn’t take any instructions from me.”
Onigbinde said Anne no longer had good relationship with his other children, He also accused Anne and her daughter of failing to sympathise with him when he lost his younger brother.
“The list of her misbehaviour is endless, please terminate our union,” said Onigbinde.
In denying the allegations, Anne told the court that the former FIFA instructor changed after he married another wife 10 years ago, stressing that she had made attempts to manage the marital crisis but got frustrated by Onigbinde’s behaviour.
She said, “In the interest of the child between us, I have nowhere to go, please, help save my marriage. I have done everything possible to please my husband, but he is refusing to be pacified. Ever since he got married to another wife 10 years ago, things have changed from bad to worse, as I no longer know how to do things in his presence. My lord, it was never in our agreement to be parting ways in this manner.”
Labels: News, Relationship & Counseling
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2171
|
__label__wiki
| 0.979709
| 0.979709
|
Glenn Greenwald becomes focus of Brazil press freedom debate
By ANNA JEAN KAISER Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO — Several weeks after publishing explosive reports about a key member of Brazil's far-right government, U.S. journalist Glenn Greenwald was called before a congressional committee to face hostile questions.
"Who should be judged, convicted and in prison is the journalist!" shouted congresswoman Katia Sastre, an ally of President Jair Bolsonaro.
And by some accounts that wasn't an empty threat: A conservative website reported that federal police had requested that financial regulators investigate Greenwald's finances. The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and his Brazilian husband also say they have been receiving detailed death threats, calls for his deportation and homophobic comments in an increasingly hostile political environment.
Greenwald, an attorney-turned-journalist who has long been a free-speech advocate, has found himself at the center of the first major test of press freedom under Bolsonaro, who took office on Jan. 1 and has openly expressed nostalgia for Brazil's 1964-1985 military dictatorship — a period when newspapers were censored and some journalists tortured.
"It's a very concerning moment for press freedom in Brazil, especially those covering something so divisive as politics. We've seen an administration that vocally criticizes journalists with an open anti-press rhetoric," said Natalie Southwick, the Central and South American program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Greenwald's The Intercept news website last month published text messages purportedly showing then-judge and now Justice Minister Sergio Moro had improperly advised prosecutors in the corruption trial that jailed former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The Intercept also alleged political bias by Moro and prosecutors in a sweeping corruption investigation that brought down many of the country's business and political elite and turned Moro into a hero to many. The website said it got the leaked messages from an anonymous source and that it has "vast archive" of information it has not released.
Moro has dismissed its reports as sensationalist and said a "criminal group" was aiming to invalidate convictions handed down when he was a crusading anti-corruption judge. He later tweeted that The Intercept was "a site aligned with criminal hackers."
The reports infuriated Bolsonaro's backers.
During the June 25 hearing at the chamber's Human Rights and Minorities Commission, lawmaker Carla Zambelli told Greenwald: "If you don't prove this information, it is fake and you're a liar. If it's true, then you're a criminal because you hacked someone's phone."
Greenwald responded: "The government's party evidently has a lot of confusion about the journalism we did."
Bolsonaro has repeatedly lashed out at the news media as untruthful, biased toward the left and for publishing "fake news," though he has sometimes said he believes in a free press.
When the Supreme Court tried to censor a critical story about one of its justices, Bolsonaro conceded to reporters, "It's better to have a press that's sometimes flawed than to not have a press at all. ... To the Brazilian press: We're in this together."
A special target of Bolsonaro's ire has been the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper. He sent a video message a week before the election saying that if he won, Brazil would be "without lies, without fake news and without the Folha de S.Paulo."
He has also referred to Globo, Brazil's largest media company, as "the enemy" in WhatsApp messages that were leaked to the press.
As for The Intercept's reporting, Bolsonaro has defended his justice minister, saying what Moro did for Brazil as an anti-corruption judge was "priceless."
"We don't know ... how far they're willing to go to fulfill this authoritarian vision that Bolsonaro has spent the last 30 years advocating," Greenwald told The Associated Press, referring the president's record in congress.
"They were elected based on a promise to change Brazil in multiple ways, including eroding core freedoms that a democracy requires in order to survive — and one of those is a free press," said Greenwald.
While provincial journalists sometimes face grave dangers in Brazil — two owners of local media outlets were recently shot and killed in a coastal town outside Rio de Janeiro — the federal government in recent decades has rarely tried to stifle reporters. One exception was when then-President da Silva briefly tried to deport New York Times correspondent Larry Rohter in 2004 after a report that suggested he drank heavily.
Greenwald, who lives in Rio de Janeiro, is now accompanied by private security guards and says he and other staff at The Intercept have received sophisticated, detailed death threats that sometimes include private personal information.
Being the center of controversy is nothing new for Greenwald, who was part of a team at The Guardian newspaper that won a Pulitzer for reports about government surveillance programs based on classified documents disclosed by Edward Snowden.
At recent nationwide demonstrations, backers of Bolsonaro and Moro repeatedly denounced Greenwald — often by focusing on his sexuality and his husband, leftist Brazilian congressman David Miranda. Bolsonaro himself has famously said that he would rather have a dead son than a gay son.
"GlennGreenwald, get out of Brazil! You are disgusting," read one sign. An online campaign with the hashtag #DeportGlennGreenwald was popular on Brazilian Twitter.
Pro-Bolsonaro members of Brazil's congress have called for Greenwald's imprisonment and deportation.
"I'm a good villain for this right-wing campaign," Greenwald said. "I'm not a Brazilian citizen and therefore can be called a foreigner. I'm also a gay man in a country where anti-gay has become an important part of the political climate, and my husband is member of the socialist party ... so it kind of checks off every box."
When the website O Antagonista reported that police were asking financial regulators to investigate Greenwald's finances, a Brazilian court ordered the regulators and the ministry that oversees them to clarify. The official responses left unclear whether there was an investigation.
Southwick said such a probe would be "an escalation of the attempts to delegitimize and undermine the Brazilian press."
"At the very least it's designed to intimidate, to create climate of tension and fear so that not just me and the journalists I'm working with, but all journalists think that if they report on powerful political officials they can be targeted by law enforcement and suffer retribution," Greenwald said.
Ivana Bentes, a communications professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, said the Bolsonaro camp is zeroing in on Greenwald, trying to put him into "the gallery of public enemies of Bolsonaro. They're treating him as a political enemy when he is a journalist, which is very serious. They want to criminalize a journalistic investigation."
Greenwald says he's not sure when he'll feel safe to go out in public in Brazil without security guards, if ever.
"Bolsonaro ran against the media, he talked about the Brazilian media as being agents of communism," he said. "I think they see this as a very important test case to create a precedent and environment and climate that sends a strong signal that whoever opposes them through journalism or activism will suffer serious consequences."
The Latest on tensions in the Persian Gulf amid a crisis between the United States and Iran (all times local):
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2172
|
__label__wiki
| 0.638472
| 0.638472
|
Trump asks Supreme Court to unfreeze border wall money
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court to lift a freeze on Pentagon money it wants to use to build sections of a border wall with Mexico.
Two lower courts have ruled against the administration in a lawsuit over the funding. Last week, a divided three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco kept in place a lower court ruling preventing the government from tapping Defense Department counterdrug money to build high-priority sections of wall in Arizona, California and New Mexico.
At stake in the case is billions of dollars that would allow Trump to make progress on a major 2016 campaign promise heading into his race for a second term. Trump ended a 35-day government shutdown in February after Congress gave him approximately $1.4 billion in border wall funding, far less than the $5.7 billion he was seeking. Trump then declared a national emergency to take cash from other government accounts to use to construct sections of wall.
The money includes $3.6 billion from military construction funds, $2.5 billion from Defense Department counterdrug activities and $600 million from the Treasury Department's asset forfeiture fund. The Treasury Department funds have so far survived legal challenges, and the transfer of the military construction funds has not yet been approved.
At issue in the case before the Supreme Court is just the $2.5 billion in Defense Department funds, which the administration says will be used to construct more than 100 miles of fencing. The lawsuit challenging the use of those funds was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the Sierra Club and Southern Border Communities Coalition. Late Friday, Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan gave the groups until the afternoon of July 19 to respond in writing to the Trump administration's filing.
The administration wants the Supreme Court to lift the freeze on the Department of Defense money while it continues its case at the appeals court and, if necessary, appeals to the Supreme Court. The administration says the trial judge who initially heard the case and put a freeze on the funds was wrong and that the groups bringing the lawsuit don't have a right to sue.
Federal prosecutors have told a judge in New York they have concluded their investigation into campaign finance crimes committed by President Donald Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen.
Washington negotiators are closing in on a budget and debt deal that would stave off the chance of a government shutdown this fall and allow Congress to speed through legislation to increase the government's borrowing cap.
Lawyers for Indiana's attorney general argue that allegations he drunkenly groped four women during a party don't meet the legal standard of a misuse of power.
Trump v. Dems: 'Racist' and 'socialist' lines drawn for 2020 • National
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2173
|
__label__wiki
| 0.559244
| 0.559244
|
Report start date: 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 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Report end date: 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 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2180
|
__label__cc
| 0.648682
| 0.351318
|
Minicab Arosfa Hotel Wc1 To Elmers End Br Br3
Transfer Arosfa Hotel Wc1 To Elmers End Br Br3
We provide minicabs and taxis transfers to and from Arosfa Hotel Wc1 to Elmers End Br Br3 with up to £10.00 discount only at TransferDepot.co.uk. Our vehicles are clean and comfortable, fully licensed and insured vehicles with professional and helpful drivers.
Offer Ends
30th of November 2017
Journey Date & Time
HH 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 MM 00 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55
Ret. Date
Ret. Time
Please SelectUK AirportSeaport/HarbourLondon HotelsLondon StationsPostcode/UK ZipPostcode Help
(Please select from)
(Please select to)
Diversions?
Passenger Details
Passenger Luggage Hand Lugg. Baby Seat
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 0 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 0 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 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
ENTER YOUR DISCOUNT CODE HERE:
Arosfa Hotel Wc1 To East Croydon (br) Cr0 | Arosfa Hotel Wc1 To Ascot Hotel W2 | Arosfa Hotel Wc1 To Jenkins Hotel Wc1 | Arosfa Hotel Wc1 To Bounds Green N10 | Arosfa Hotel Wc1 To O Callaghans Hotel Sw1 | Arosfa Hotel Wc1 To Earls Court Sw5 | Arosfa Hotel Wc1 To Rectory Road (br) N16 | Arosfa Hotel Wc1 To Ventures Hotel W2 | Arosfa Hotel Wc1 To Feltham (br) Tw14 | Arosfa Hotel Wc1 To East Dulwich (br) Se22 | More Transfers...
Home | About Us | Our Service | Our Fleet | Terms | Faq | Account | Driving Jobs | Contact Us | Sitemap
Copyright © 2019 TransferDepot
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2181
|
__label__wiki
| 0.657988
| 0.657988
|
Profiles of Success 2019
HALL OF FAME AWARD
This award is given in recognition of life-long dedication to Latino issues through efforts that have significantly impacted the lives of many in a positive way and beyond expectations. This honoree’s contributions are of general knowledge to the community in which he/she lives.
Frank Barrios
Arizona native Frank Barrios worked in hydrology most of his career, both with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Arizona Department of Water Resources. He was appointed to the CAWCD Board of Directors in January 2003 and served until December 31, 2006.
Frank Barrios’ career was always closely linked to CAP and Arizona water issues. It started in 1966, when the young engineer was looking for work and found an open job with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR).
“I grew up with the whole issue of the Central Arizona Project,” said Barrios. “It just appealed to me, the idea of working, although at the time none of it had been authorized.”
So after graduation and a brief road trip, Barrios started work at the BOR Phoenix Development Office, which focused on planning for CAP. He was part of a training program that exposed him to a little bit of everything, and upon completion of the program, he chose hydrology, which ended up being his life’s work. In fact, he was still with BOR when the Colorado River Basin Project Act was signed in 1968.
He left BOR in 1975 and moved across the street…literally…to the newly created state office called the Arizona Water Commission, later renamed the Arizona Department of Water Resources, where he worked for Wes Steiner on a project to help save money so the taxpayers of CAP wouldn’t have to pay as much. He spent time as a Director for both the Pinal and Phoenix Active Management areas, focused on groundwater management. Then he worked in Colorado River Planning where he stayed until he retired in 1998.
But his career linked to CAP wasn’t over. In 2003, Governor Janet Napolitano appointed him to the CAWCD Board of Directors, where he served for three years.
When he reflects back, the importance of much of his work is clear: Plan 6, Arizona Water Settlements Act, groundwater management.
So what surprises this third-generation Arizonan? The exceptional growth that has occurred.
“If you’d have told me Phoenix would have been the fifth largest city in the United States, no way I would ever have believed that,” said Barrios.
But the state’s sustainable growth has only been possible because of the tireless work of Barrios and others in the water community.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2187
|
__label__cc
| 0.719831
| 0.280169
|
Victoria Blatterman Bio
About Victoria Blatterman Bio
Giving Back to Those Who Need Her: The Life of Victoria Blatterman
When people think about Victoria Blatterman, there is sometimes the tendency to think she is all about the work, but she is not all work and no play. Victoria Blatterman spends as much free time as possible on the water near Charleston. As an avid sailor and racer, she is a longtime member of the Transpacific Yacht Club. Victoria has also taught sailing over the past ten years, and she has even coached several racing teams.
These days, Victoria can be found assisting attorneys and clients as a law clerk with Charleston. South Carolina law firm, George Sink, PA Injury Lawyers. She seems to have found her groove working in the legal field and she loves working with a firm that works hard to fight for those who find themselves at a major disadvantage through no fault of their own. It is Victoria Blatterman’s firm belief that when someone has been seriously injured due to someone else’s negligence, the victim shouldn’t have to pay to get well again. Instead, that should be the responsibility of the negligent party who caused the accident in the first place. Victoria works hard to assist accident victims with finding doctors and others who can work to make sure they are made whole again.
Besides finding the right doctors and other professionals the accident victim needs to get well, Victoria Blatterman and the attorneys at her firm also try to get compensation from the negligent party or parties to make up for lost wages and to pay to fix many other problems that injured parties suffer, both physical and and emotional. In short, Victoria understands that accident victims need plenty of competent legal help to make them whole, so she does what she can to help.
Victoria Blatterman Works Hard to Improve her Clients’ Post-Accident Lives
Victoria Blatterman started her legal voyage as a law clerk at the Anastopoulo Law Firm, where she helped a great many accident victims get the compensation they needed and deserved for injuries caused by others. It is clear that Victoria’s decision to enter the legal field was geared to helping people in Charleston and throughout South Carolina recover their lives after an accident caused by the negligence of another.
She continues to do that type of work in the same city for the prominent law firm, George Sink, PA Injury Lawyers. There, Victoria Blatterman helps the Sink attorneys fight hard for the underdog. No one should ever have to deal with insurance companies alone, which is why Victoria helps do that for them. A native of the Charleston, South Carolina area, Victoria Blatterman has always had a passion to give back to that community. In fact, ever since she graduated from Ashley Ridge High School, she has been looking for ways to give back. She even went to college in the same are for a while and also spent three years as a special education teacher there.
Victoria Blatterman is a Law Clerk in Charleston, SC
Often, insurance companies will write a check to an accident victim, as a way to settle things, and it will always be far less than the accident victim needs to pay their bills. Their goal is to make the case go away. Victoria Blatterman helps accident victims avoid that trap. When someone has been seriously injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, it is the job of personal injury lawyers and their supporting staff, like law clerk Victoria Blatterman, to get them the compensation they deserve.
There are many reasons Victoria Blatterman chose to enter the legal field, but the main reason is to help people in her community. Her penchant for helping people means she understands the only way accident victims can be made whole is through competent legal help, so she assists with providing that. Accident victims can’t be expected to negotiate with insurance companies and parties with deep pockets and a team of lawyers without getting legal help. That’s why Victoria Blatterman and the attorneys will do everything they can to get people whose only goal is to pay out as little as possible to pay enough to make the client whole once again.
A Profile of Victoria Blatterman, Legal Professional
Perhaps it is Victoria Blatterman’s background that leaves her well-suited to being a law clerk in Charleston, South Carolina; one who has a passion for clients. She was born, raised and has always lived in the Charleston, South Carolina area. She graduated from Ashley Ridge High School when she was a teen, then went to college. She followed that up by spending three years as a special education teacher for the state of South Carolina beginning in 2010, all before she decided to go into the legal field, so she could do even more to help people.
From her working role as a law clerk with George Sink, PA Injury Lawyers in Charleston, South Carolina, Victoria Blatterman plays a critical role in a great many cases in which people need help to recover from their injuries, as well as to recover for their injuries and other damages from the people who are responsible for the accident that felled them. She helps the firm’s attorneys maneuver through the legal red tape and deal with insurance companies to get the best possible recovery for clients and she also helps clients arrange the assistance they need to rebuild their lives and recover from their serious injuries.
Among other things, Victoria Blatterman plays a key role in helping injured clients account for their damages and losses, including medical bills, lost wages and other lost income and help them deal with the insurance adjusters and the other side’s attorneys in a way that should bring them the best possible settlement or the best possible verdict, should the case ever have to go to court. Prior to her time at the Sink Law Firm, she also spent time at the Anastopoulo Law Firm, also in Charleston.
Injury Law Clerk – Victoria Blatterman
Being a law clerk requires one to have a servant’s heart. The job requires the employee to be helpful to both clients as well as the attorneys and to be quick to see a need and meet that need. George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers is a place where people can go to receive the legal help they need when an injury is involved. Victoria Blatterman prides herself on her abilities to serve and help those around her who need it which has made her a great law clerk. Being in her line of work, it gives her the chance, when given the opportunity, to be able to assist both clients and attorneys as they go through cases as well as has given her the place to thoroughly enjoy helping people. The combination of these things allows her to take great pride in her work.
Victoria Blatterman is currently a law clerk at George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers. She began her employment there in 2015 and immediately felt right at home with the firm. Victoria Blatterman easily fit in to this career where she can utilize the majority of her talents in her position within the company. She now uses the skills she gained as a special education teacher of patience, creativity, understanding and more in addition to her time as a law clerk at a previous firm to benefit the company, its attorney as well as its clients.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2189
|
__label__wiki
| 0.559332
| 0.559332
|
New Torchwood Trailer - SPOILERS!
By atomickarma
“Every child has stopped. Every single child in the whole world.”
Torchwood are up against it in Children of Earth – a new mini series on BBC One this summer featuring a full-blown alien invasion of Earth.
With just three-man Torchwood between mankind and the aliens and a corrupt government department, Torchwood finally comes of age, throws down the shackles of puberty and looks setto live up to its reputation.
Why not check out the all-new HD trailer of Torchwood: Children of Earth, above?
With a superb set of guest stars – Peter Copley (Cracker, Coronation Street, Life on Mars) and Peter Capaldi (The Thick of It, Doctor Who) key among them – Torchwood: Children of Earth has got all the makings of a TV sci-fi classic.
John Barrowman and Eve Myles return with Gareth David Lloyd as Captain Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones to fend off an alien invasion that has happened once before – back in the 1960s.
There’s a suggestion that Jack was somehow involved last time around and a certain government department knows all about this, leading to a terrible assault on the Torchwood team.
Written by Russell T Davies, James Moran (Doctor Who, Primeval) and John Fay (Clocking Off, Coronation Street, Robin Hood) and directed by Euros Lyn (whose most notable credits include Doctor Who’s The Girl in the Fireplace and Planet of the Dead) Torchwood: Children of Earth is rumoured to air from Monday June 15th – a special preview showing has been organized at the National Film Theatre on Friday June 12th.
I'm Christian Cawley, a massive fan of UK fantasy television (particularly Doctor Who) and British Comedy.
"Quintessentially British" is my look at those two very British flavours of sci-fi/fantasy and comedy.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2190
|
__label__wiki
| 0.542146
| 0.542146
|
Sunday 22 September 2019 (other days)
Come, ring out our joy to the Lord; hail the God who saves us, alleluia.
Year: C(I). Psalm week: 1. Liturgical Colour: Green.
Other saints: St Maurice and the Theban Legion (d. 287)
Maurice (a name which means ‘black’) was a native of Thebes in Lower Egypt. When he was young, he was conscripted into the Roman army together with many youths of his area, and sent, for military service, to Switzerland. Before battle, the emperor ordered his soldiers to offer sacrifice to the Roman gods but the Theban Legion, headed by Maurice, refused. They remained steadfast even after being asked several times to apostatize, in loyalty to the emperor. Their allegiance to Christ earned them the crown of martyrdom in the year 287.
Second Reading: St Augustine of Hippo (354 - 430)
Augustine was born in Thagaste in Africa of a Berber family. He was brought up a Christian but left the Church early and spent a great deal of time seriously seeking the truth, first in the Manichaean heresy, which he abandoned on seeing how nonsensical it was, and then in Neoplatonism, until at length, through the prayers of his mother and the teaching of St Ambrose of Milan, he was converted back to Christianity and baptized in 387, shortly before his mother’s death.
Augustine had a brilliant legal and academic career, but after his conversion he returned home to Africa and led an ascetic life. He was elected Bishop of Hippo and spent 34 years looking after his flock, teaching them, strengthening them in the faith and protecting them strenuously against the errors of the time. He wrote an enormous amount and left a permanent mark on both philosophy and theology. His Confessions, as dazzling in style as they are deep in content, are a landmark of world literature. The Second Readings in the Office of Readings contain extracts from many of his sermons and commentaries and also from the Confessions.
Liturgical colour: green
The theological virtue of hope is symbolized by the colour green, just as the burning fire of love is symbolized by red. Green is the colour of growing things, and hope, like them, is always new and always fresh. Liturgically, green is the colour of Ordinary Time, the season in which we are being neither especially penitent (in purple) nor overwhelmingly joyful (in white).
1 John 4:16 ©
We ourselves have known and put our faith in God’s love towards ourselves. God is love and anyone who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him.
Galatians 6:7-8 ©
What a man sows, he reaps. If he sows in the field of self-indulgence he will get a harvest of corruption out of it; if he sows in the field of the Spirit he will get from it a harvest of eternal life.
(Galatians 6:9-10) ©
We must never get tired of doing good, and then we shall get our harvest at the proper time. While we have the chance, we must do good to all, and especially to our brothers in the faith.
Saint Bridget of Sweden, Patroness of Europe
Scotland - Motherwell
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2192
|
__label__cc
| 0.650532
| 0.349468
|
Junior Sailing Pics
You are here: Home About UYC Becoming a Member
About UYC
Sail Fleet Races Photos
Lake Info
Fri Jul 19 @10:30AM - 12:00PM
Sat Jul 20 @ 8:00AM - 05:00PM
UYC Summer Concert
Sun Jul 21 @10:30AM - 01:00PM
Chapel and Brunch
Raft Up
Sun Aug 04 @10:30AM - 01:00PM
Fri Aug 16 @10:30AM - 12:00PM
UYC is a family oriented private club that has been in existence since 1951, prior to the creation of Lake Lanier. UYC is a truly unique organization. It should not be confused with other marinas on Lake Lanier nor, for that matter, with other yacht clubs around the Southeast or even across the nation. At UYC, members and their families enjoy a special bond of friendship and camaraderie that is difficult to describe but readily apparent throughout the Club and our many activities.
UYC has often been described as a “family organization” and it is indeed that. We maintain and enjoy a very wholesome atmosphere where our Members and their families, including children and grandchildren, are welcome and involved in almost every aspect of the Club’s activities. Member’s enjoyment is further enhanced by the location of the Club facilities on what is arguably the most beautiful spot on Lake Lanier
The emphasis at UYC is on recreational boating, as a hobby and as a discipline, and as a means of engaging and involving family and friends in an amicable social relationship. It has always been this way, and is expected to continue to remain so for the foreseeable future.
The purpose of membership booklet below is to introduce you to our Club and give you a brief overview of who we are, what we care about, and why we treasure our membership in UYC. This booklet also provides information about how to become a member, including financial responsibility of membership.
We hope to pique your interest in University Yacht Club. If so, we look forward to hearing from you soon!
Membership Chairman:
Reg Davis
c/o University Yacht Club
6649 Yacht Club Road
(Click to download and open the latest Prospective Member Information Packet.)
Copyright© 2019 University Yacht Club
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2193
|
__label__wiki
| 0.809959
| 0.809959
|
BLUES & BREWS | Suzie Vinnick & The Blues Doctors
Presented By: South Carolina Festival of Discovery
Location: Arts and Visitors Center at the Federal Building
Description: Join us for an evening of BLUES & BREWS during the South Carolina Festival of Discovery! This year's event will feature the bluesy tunes of Suzie Vinnick and The Blues Doctors! A food and brews bar will be provided by Montagues Resturaunt! This event is part of the Greenwood Blues Cruise - featuring a full line-up of bands in Uptown Greenwood, July 12 - 15, 2018! For more information, please visit: festivalofdiscovery.com
When: Friday, July 12
Suzie Vinnick @ 6:00 - 6:45 pm
The Blues Doctors @ 7:00 - 8:00 pm
Admission: FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Suzie Vinnick | A Saskatoon native transplanted to the Niagara Region of Ontario, Suzie Vinnick is the proud owner of a gorgeous voice, prodigious guitar and bass chops, and an engagingly candid performance style. Her career has seen triumph after triumph. Among her most recent successes: being nominated for a 2018 Canadian Folk Music Award for Producer of the Year with herco-producer, Mark Lalama. Suzie achieved finalist status in the Solo/Duo Category at the 2013 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN; received the 2012 CBC Saturday Night Blues Great Canadian Blues Award and the 2012 Sirius XM Canada Blues Artist of the Year. Suzie has won 10 Maple Blues Awards (she has been nominated for 22 so far!), won the 2011 Canadian Folk Music Award for Contemporary Vocalist of the Year and is a 3X Juno Nominee. Suzie has toured nationally with Stuart McLean’s The Vinyl Café and the John McDermott Band, and performed for Canadian Peacekeepers in Bosnia and the Persian Gulf. She was also the voice of Tim Horton’s for 5 years. Suzie has just released her latest album, a full-band roots and blues extravaganza entitled Shake The Love Around.
The Blues Doctors | Adam Gussow and Alan Gross, a.k.a. The Blues Doctors, are Mississippi-based blues veterans who play a mix of Delta standards and urban grooves from the Texas-to-Chicago axis with some New Orleans funk thrown in. They're a two-man band with a big, bold sound: Gussow on harmonica and drumset, Gross on guitar, with both men sharing vocals. Their debut, Roosters Happy Hour (2013), spent several months at #1 on Amazon's "Hot New Releases in Acoustic Blues" chart and hit #10 on the Living Blues national radio airplay chart. Same Old Blues Again is their second album. Recorded at the Hill Country Recording Service in Water Valley, Mississippi, it swings, struts, and grooves hard, beginning with a bluesed-up remake of "Tequila" that features Gussow's squealing high notes. "Rollin' and Tumblin'" introduces a new sound for the duo: cigar-box guitar, handmade by Gross, with slide and harp paired Delta-style. The title track, driven by a loping New Orleans beat, sings of a young man betrayed by love, drinking heavily and drifting downward towards despair. Classic compositions by Mississippi masters Elmore James ("Cry For Me, Baby") and Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup ("That's All Right") anchor the album, which ends with a three-track live set recorded at the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic and powered by Jimmy Reed ("You Don't Have to Go"), Muddy Waters ("Take You Downtown"), and Robert Johnson ("Crossroads Blues"). The bittersweet sounds of soul-jazz show up in "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" and Gussow's minor-key original, "Blues For Hank," both of which feature jazz bassist Bill Harrison, a Chicago veteran. The album's big surprise is "Magic," Olivia Newton John's 1980 pop hit, arranged as a quiet but urgent blues-pop incantation. Atlanta-based R&B vocalist Zaire Love shadows and dances around Gussow's voice and harmonica, creating a haunting sonic tapestry, casting a spell. Lonely hearts and endless grooves. Same Old Blues Again
Event Contact: artscentergreenwood@gmail.com | 864.388.7800
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2195
|
__label__wiki
| 0.738782
| 0.738782
|
washingtonpost.com > World > Middle East
Peace Prize Awarded Based on Achievement or Aspirations
By Glenn Kessler
Friday, October 9, 2009; 3:14 PM
There are essentially two kinds of Nobel Peace Prizes -- achievement-based and "aspirational." President Obama is the first sitting U.S. president to win an aspirational peace prize. He might one day come to view it as a straitjacket.
Only two other sitting presidents have won the Nobel peace prize, and they both won it for actual achievements. Theodore Roosevelt won in 1906 for his role in ending the Russo-Japanese war and Woodrow Wilson won in 1919 for founding the League of Nations and helping frame post-World War I peace.
An aspirational Nobel is designed to promote a cause, and sometimes it backfires spectacularly. One example is the 1994 prize given to, among others, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for promoting Middle East peace. Few today would question the conclusion that the prize was awarded prematurely, especially because the peace talks cited by the committee later collapsed in a spasm of violence that Arafat indirectly -- or some say directly -- promoted.
Obama's award, announced Friday, is a classic case of an aspirational award. The committee cited his "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples" -- an acknowledgement that those efforts have yet to yield results. It also mentioned his push to eliminate nuclear weapons, a dream that Ronald Reagan also had but failed to achieve. Even Obama has conceded that this lofty goal likely will not happen during his presidency.
"Let be clear," Obama said Friday in a speech at the White House, after the prize was announced, "I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people of all nations."
Even so, Obama will now be judged forever by this new yardstick. And he might find it a burden, especially as he must always keep U.S. interests -- not worldwide acclaim -- at the forefront of his policies.
Consider the long list of actions that Obama has promised: closing the facility at Guantanamo Bay within a year; achieving Middle East peace; ending the war in Iraq and defeating al-Qaeda in Afghanistan; halting Iran's possible drive to acquire a nuclear weapon; persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.
Many of these have proven to be very difficult challenges. Obama appears likely to miss the deadline to close Guantanamo. The Middle East peace push is nearly off the rails, with Obama shifting course last month after failing to persuade Israel to agree to even a temporary settlement freeze. The North Korea talks have been moribund.
Obama has on his desk a proposal to boost the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan by 40,000 or more, a decision that could extend the fighting there for many years.
Iran is perhaps the most vexing challenge. Some progress toward a negotiated solution was made last week in Geneva, but it is too early to tell whether that will be sustainable. The diplomatic efforts may fail, forcing the president to consider sanctions that may bring suffering to the Iranian people. Ultimately, he may find on his desk a Pentagon proposal for a military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. Or he may get a call from an Israeli prime minister saying such a strike is imminent.
An attack on Iran may be in the U.S. interests. But is it something a Nobel peace prize winner would authorize?
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2198
|
__label__wiki
| 0.921286
| 0.921286
|
Pigeons falling out of the sky in India: Bird-flu continues its explosive pandemic around the globe
The map above shows the explosion across the globe of avian-flu, the yellow square indicate bird only outbreaks, while the red squares indicate where the virus has spread to humans.
Humans can be infected with avian and other zoonotic influenza viruses, such as avian influenza virus subtypes A(H5N1), A(H7N9), and A(H9N2) and swine influenza virus subtypes A(H1N1) and (H3N2).
Human infections are primarily acquired through direct contact with infected animals or contaminated environments, but do not result in efficient transmission of these viruses between people.
There is no evidence that the avian or zoonotic influenza viruses can infect humans through properly cooked food. Avian and other zoonotic influenza infections in humans may cause disease ranging from mild conjunctivitis to severe pneumonia and even death.
The majority of human cases of A(H5N1) and A(H7N9) infection have been associated with direct or indirect contact with infected live or dead poultry. WHO.
As bird-flu continues its explosive pandemic around the globe I have yet to hear any mention of it on MSM even as new outbreaks are happening continuously on a daily basis.
In India nearly a hundred pigeons have died in a far-flung village in Odisha's Kendrapara district, triggering panic in the wake of the bird flu scare gripping the state.
A district veterinary official said on 16 January that avian species are dying almost daily along the seaside in Mahakalpada tehsil.
Last week, the deaths of chickens was reported in nearby areas.
Similarly, a rare breed of sheep is thought to have died from bird-flu.
The death of animals and winged species has made people apprehensive as they fear that bird flu has hit the localities in Mahakalpada tehsil, said former Sarpanch, Bijoy Shukla.
After death of pigeons was reported, a team of veterinary surgeons has rushed to the village to take stock of the situation.
Blood samples have been collected for laboratory test of the samples, Sethy said.
After the pathological test, the exact cause of the pigeons' death could be ascertained, however avian-flu is suspected.
Also in India, State Animal Animal Husbandry department personnel culled 150 birds found positive with avian influenza infection on Thursday night.
"Their samples were sent to Bhopal one week ago and in the meanwhile the samples have tested positive," said Municipal Medical Officer (health) Dr Bhavin Solanki on Friday. He said the birds included guinea fowls and ducks.
Birdflu has broken out in the central part of Uganda, a senior ministry of agriculture official said on Saturday.
Connie Acayo, the spokesperson of the ministry told Xinhua by telephone that confirmatory test of dead birds on Lutembe beach on the shores of Lake Victoria and in Masaka district showed that the disease had broken out.
"It is a very serious disease and the minister of agriculture will be issuing out a statement on Sunday," she said.
Uganda is among the countries in sub-Saharan Africa that face a high risk of a bird flu outbreak because it is crisscrossed by several routes for migratory birds, which are carriers of the virus.
In Europe Spain reported a case of the highly contagious H5N8 bird flu virus in wild geese in the northern part of the country, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Thursday, citing a report from the Spanish ministry of agriculture.
Two infected wild geese were found dead in the Castile and Leon region, the ministry said, adding that it had increased surveillance of poultry farms in the area.
The H5N8 strain, which is deadly for poultry but has not been found in humans, has spread across Europe and the Middle East since late last year, leading to the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of poultry and the confinement of flocks indoors. Italy also declared a first outbreak of H5N8, detected in a wild duck, on Thursday.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2202
|
__label__wiki
| 0.909831
| 0.909831
|
Town planning firm England and Lyle expands into Tyneside
By Jez Davison
Town planning consultancy England and Lyle have opened their first Tyneside office
One of the region’s largest town planning consultancies has made its first foray into Tyneside with the opening of a new office in Newcastle.
Darlington-headquartered England and Lyle made the move after winning a clutch of contracts in the northern part of the region.
Launched in 1995, it has expanded rapidly in recent years, securing work in Teesside and Yorkshire and opening offices in Preston and Sheffield. With the economic recovery in full swing, it has now strengthened its hand in the Tyneside and Northumberland markets, which will be serviced by the Newcastle office.
England and Lyle is currently working on several projects in the north of the region, including an initial application for 140 new homes as part of a wider mixed-use scheme on vacant industrial land in Sunderland. It has also been appointed to promote the extension of urban developments in Washington, Morpeth and Ponteland.
Set to open within weeks, the Newcastle office will be headed up by senior planner Jason Whitfield, who previously held private sector roles in Newcastle and Durham. He brings to the role more than ten years’ experience of a range of planning disciplines, particualarly in the residential housing market.
Whitfield said: “We are seeing significant investments by volume housebuilders in the region. In the last 12-18 months more confidence has returned to the market. We’ve developed a lot of greenfield sites in Middlesbrough and parts of Yorkshire and that buoyancy has spread to the north of the region in places like Newcastle and Sunderland.
“The residential housing market has been a particularly strong area for us. Part of that has been down to Government schemes like Help to Buy, which has helped more first-time buyers get onto the property ladder.
“Another reason is the shortage of homes. The politicians say we need to build about 500,000 new homes a year [to satisfy demand] and as a country we’re building about half that amount.”
As well building up a strong track record in the residential property market, England and Lyle is also active in other sectors including retail and leisure, renewable energy, health and education and rural development.
The company, which has ten staff, deals with a range of planning issues from initial site assessments and submission of planning applications to community consulation exercises. It represents individuals on small-scale domestic issues and works on multi-million pound projects for international organisations.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2203
|
__label__cc
| 0.642357
| 0.357643
|
The Talking Dog
« May 3, 2013, Dep't of hand wringing | Main | May 22, 2013, What'll it cost, man... what'll it COST? »
May 9, 2013, TD Blog Interview with Jan Kitchel
TD Blog Interview with Jan Kitchel
Jan Kitchel is an attorney with the Portland, Oregon firm of Schwabe, Williamson and Wyatt. since 2005, he has represented a Moroccan national detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. On May 7, 2013, I had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Kitchel by telephone. What follows are my interview notes, as corrected by Mr. Kitchel.
The Talking Dog: Where were you on Sept. 11, 2001, and to the extent you can answer, please tell me where your GTMO-detained client was?
Jan Kitchel: I was at home (in Portland, Oregon), and getting ready for work. According to my client, he was living on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan.
The Talking Dog: Please identify your present and former GTMO-detained client or clients by name, nationality, and current whereabouts. To the extent you can, please tell me something about your clients, such as their age, family status, personality, circumstances of their capture, or anything else you believe of relevance.
Jan Kitchel: My client is Younous Chekkouri, a Moroccan national. He is in his early 40's. He was picked up in Pakistan in late 2001. He had left Afghanistan, and traveled to Pakistan, where he was arrested by Pakistani police, and we assume that he was given over to American forces in exchange for a cash bounty.
The Talking Dog: Please tell me the status of his habeas litigation, be it "habeas petition pending,"petition denied and appeal pending" or whatever else is applicable, and to the extent applicable, if you can identify who the judge involved is and if there is any published decision or decisions of note.
Jan Kitchel: Although Younous has been cleared for release (or "transfer"), his habeas case, as far as I know, is not stayed. I understand that the district court judge (Judge Friedman) still has the case under advisement. The habeas hearing is complete.
The Talking Dog: Can you please tell me the last time you visited your client at Guantanamo, and can you describe the circumstances of your visit. If you could, can you contrast that visit with what you found at earlier visits, including the condition of your client(s), the restrictions on you as counsel and on your clients during your visit, the condition in which you found your clients, and anything else you believe relevant.
Jan Kitchel: I was last in Guantanamo about two summers ago-- and that is the last time I spoke with Younous in person, though I do communicate with him in writing from time to time. He was healthy, and in good physical and mental condition at that time, considering the fact he’s been in prison since 2001.
The Talking Dog: Can you tell me if your client is participating in the present hunger strike, and whether they have participated in prior hunger strikes? Is there anything of relevance viz a viz detainees' grievances, or the military's treatment of the prisoners, or anything else of relevance that you can tell me about that situation, including, if possible, the current condition of your clients, as far as you know?
Jan Kitchel: That is not something I can comment on.
The Talking Dog: Can you tell me, in light of the subject of the recent letter you signed on to directed to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, whether you believe the government's recent (increasingly repressive) actions at and involving Guantanamo are a pretext by the government, for example, to cut off adverse publicity from GTMO, or perhaps to intercept communications between prisoner and counsel? Why do you think the government relented toward getting the flights reinstated?
Jan Kitchel: My answer to the bulk of this is "I don't really know." As each military administration at Guantanamo changes, new guards and new commanders, entirely unfamiliar with what is actually going on there, are brought in, and initially, given what they are told, they get fearful and try to clamp down. Unfortunately, any change in administration leads to a tendency to do that.
At present it is unknown if the current pressure that has led to the unrest there is coming from any higher than the base commander. I truly don't understand why conditions at Guantanamo have been getting worse under the Obama Administration, but they are. My view on the overall situation is colored by the fact that my client is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet-- he is an easy going man-- religiously devout but by no means zealous or extremist-- just the nicest guy to sit down and talk to. I was very pleased a couple of years ago when he could get out of solitary confinement and into a group living arrangement with more recreation opportunities... I'm very unhappy that it appears that things have changed back in the direction they were in before.
The Talking Dog: Can you comment on media coverage, in particular, of events at Guantanamo in calendar year 2013, and previously, and in particular, with respect to your own clients and representation?
Jan Kitchel: Lots of members of the media have given good coverage of Guantanamo (certainly, Carol Rosenberg of the Miami Herald comes to mind). The overall coverage has decreased over time... Americans are focused on the story of the moment, and attention has flagged over time.
The hunger strike has certainly increased attention to Guantanamo, and put attention and pressure on Obama to get more action going toward his stated goal of closing the institution, or at least taking steps to do so. Obama is largely driven by media attention-- he will talk about issues that he thinks are important to the public. He will certainly be more vocal if attention is focused on an issue-- although, of course, we can't know for sure if he'll actually do anything about it.
The Talking Dog: We have reached the point where more men have died at Guantanamo (and invariably under suspicious circumstances) than have been "convicted" under the controversial "military commissions," and a number of those "convicted" have actually been released, while the majority held are actually "cleared for release." President Obama has been handily reelected, notwithstanding the utter failure of his "close Guantanamo within one year" promise and evident decision to continue the logical arc of policies he inherited from the Bush/Cheney Administration. Further, Justice Stevens has retired, replaced with Obama's own former solicitor general, who might or might not continue recusing herself from any Guantanamo related litigation. And so, in light of all that, do you have any predictions for Guantanamo, "preventive detention" and related issues for, say, the remainder of Barack Obama's Presidency?
Jan Kitchel: There likely will be more terror incidents in the United States "homeland" during the remainder of Barack Obama's presidency. This likely will have a negative impact on civil rights. This washes over into a public antipathy for “going easy” on the perceived enemy. As to Guantanamo, it is really hard to predict. We can assume that some more inmates cleared for release will actually be released at least to their own countries (such as the Yemenis, to Yemen). At the moment, unfortunately, it does not look like there will be a lot of third party countries stepping up accepting transfers of men who are not their own citizens.
The Talking Dog: Can you tell me how your Guantanamo representation has effected you personally, be it professionally, emotionally, spiritually, or any other way you'd like to answer?
Jan Kitchel: I filed my petition for Younous in March of 2005, and if memory serves, I began work on it in January or February of 2005, so it has been a while. Professionally, the representation has had little to no impact, other than expending time and money to do it, as well as to give a few talks on the subject. From an educational standpoint, I have certainly elevated my own consciousness about politics and politicians, the struggle against terror, how our military fits into it and into our society, and I suppose it has made me more cynical than I already was.
The Talking Dog: Is there anything else that you believe I should have asked but didn't, or that the public needs to know concerning these issues?
Jan Kitchel: What I tell people is that in the United States, everyone is supposed to get a fair trial. If our government locks you up, no matter who you are, you get to have an attorney, due process, appropriate hearings and a fair trial. And if the government has no grounds to keep you locked up, you get released.
Frankly, I've been shocked at how the courts, especially the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, have handled the Guantanamo habeas cases: even when district court judges have ruled in favor of inmates, the D.C. Circuit has blocked any meaningful action toward their actual release from prison. This is dismaying, to say the least.
In the United States now, you don't get a fair trial, and if you win, you don't get justice. This is scary and discouraging.
The Talking Dog: I join all my readers in thanking Mr. Kitchel for that interesting interview.
Readers interested in legal issues and related matters associated with the "war on terror" may also find talking dog blog interviews with former Guantanamo military commissions prosecutors Morris Davis and Darrel Vandeveld, with former Guantanamo combatant status review tribunal/"OARDEC" officer Stephen Abraham, with attorneys Eric Lewis, Cori Crider, Michael Mone, Matt O'Hara, Carlos Warner, Matthew Melewski, Stewart "Buz" Eisenberg, Patricia Bronte, Kristine Huskey, Ellen Lubell, Ramzi Kassem, George Clarke, Buz Eisenberg, Steven Wax, Wells Dixon, Rebecca Dick, Wesley Powell, Martha Rayner, Angela Campbell, Stephen Truitt and Charles Carpenter, Gaillard Hunt, Robert Rachlin, Tina Foster, Brent Mickum, Marc Falkoff H. Candace Gorman, Eric Freedman, Michael Ratner, Thomas Wilner, Jonathan Hafetz, Joshua Denbeaux, Rick Wilson,
Neal Katyal, Joshua Colangelo Bryan, Baher Azmy, and Joshua Dratel (representing Guantanamo detainees and others held in "the war on terror"), with attorneys Donna Newman and Andrew Patel (representing "unlawful combatant" Jose Padilila), with Dr. David Nicholl, who spearheaded an effort among international physicians protesting force-feeding of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, with physician and bioethicist Dr. Steven Miles on medical complicity in torture, with law professor and former Clinton Administration Ambassador-at-large for war crimes matters David Scheffer, with former Guantanamo detainees Moazzam Begg and Shafiq Rasul , with former Guantanamo Bay Chaplain James Yee, with former Guantanamo Army Arabic linguist Erik Saar, with former Guantanamo military guard Terry Holdbrooks, Jr., with former military interrogator Matthew Alexander, with law professor and former Army J.A.G. officer Jeffrey Addicott, with law professor and Coast Guard officer Glenn Sulmasy, with author and geographer Trevor Paglen and with author and journalist Stephen Grey on the subject of the CIA's extraordinary rendition program, with journalist and author David Rose on Guantanamo, with journalist Michael Otterman on the subject of American torture and related issues, with author and historian Andy Worthington detailing the capture and provenance of all of the Guantanamo detainees, with law professor Peter Honigsberg on various aspects of detention policy in the war on terror, with Joanne Mariner of Human Rights Watch, with Almerindo Ojeda of the Guantanamo Testimonials Project, with Karen Greenberg, author of The LeastWorst Place: Guantanamo's First 100 Days, with Charles Gittings of the Project to Enforce the Geneva Conventions, and with Laurel Fletcher, author of "The Guantanamo Effect" documenting the experience of Guantanamo detainees after their release, to be of interest.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2207
|
__label__cc
| 0.730016
| 0.269984
|
Although Hermione didn't cycle with Time to Cycle, she still cycled all the way to Paris to take action against climate change. Thank you for sharing your story too.
I don’t need to spell it out: COP21 is almost certainly the biggest environmental event for a decade. It’s going to put climate change back into the minds of mainstream society.
I didn’t like the idea of just sitting on the sidelines, reading the headlines, wondering what would be done. I wanted to find a way that I could contribute and influence change. I wanted to make sure that I could, at the very least, look back and say that I tried my best.
Almost two-thirds of people know they can personally help to reduce climate change by changing their behaviour, but only one in seven are doing something about it. That’s frustrating, and it sends a bad message to our leaders.
So I decided to try and change this, by asking people to show their support for climate action through their own action - pledging to do things like switch to a green energy supplier, waste less food, or cycle to work. But I needed an eye-catching ‘excuse’ to ask them to do this.
So that’s why I’m cycling to Paris. Along with 30 other riders, I’m asking people to support my ride by making a pledge on Do Nation. So far, over 400 pledges have been made, together saving as much carbon as 404 flights from London to Paris! You can see it here: dg4b.com/cycletoparis.
Through this, we hope to show our governments and our business leaders that people care about climate change so much that they’re changing their lifestyles to help combat it. Surely that sends a message that’s hard for them to ignore?
But at the very least, these actions will have a lasting impact of their own – helping our supporters to reduce their carbon footprint, improve their health, and save them some money. It should also help to change their attitudes towards sustainability, helping them to see the positive impact their actions can have, and, in turn, this could affect their decisions. And if they work in positions of influence, that could have a huge impact.
And ultimately, it’ll show people that we’re far from powerless when it comes to this battle against climate change.
Watch Hermione's TED Talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJM3Id1xt98
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2210
|
__label__cc
| 0.634971
| 0.365029
|
Look carefully at the B-17 and note how shot up it is – one engine dead, tail, horizontal stabilizer and nose shot up..
It was ready to fall out of the sky.Â
Then realize that there is a German ME-109 fighter flying next to it.
(This is a painting done by an artist from the description of both pilots many years later.)
Now read on, I think you’ll be surprised …
          Â
               B-17 pilot Charlie Brown
 Charlie Brown was a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 379th Bomber Group at Kimbolton , England . His B-17 was called ‘Ye Old Pub’ and was in a terrible state, having been hit by flak and fighters. The compass was damaged and they were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton.
 After flying the B-17 over anenemy airfield, a German pilot named Franz Stigler was ordered to take off and shoot down the B-17. When he got near the B-17, he could not believe his eyes. In his words, he ‘had never seen a plane in such a bad state’. The tail and rear section was severely damaged, and the tail gunner wounded. The top gunner was all over the top of the fuselage. The nose was smashed and there were holes everywhere.Despite having ammunition, Franz flew to the side of the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown, the pilot. Brown was scared and struggling to control his damaged and blood-stained plane.
              BF-109 pilot Franz Stigler
Aware that they had no idea where they were going, Franz waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees.
Franz escorted and guided the stricken plane to, and slightly over, the North Sea towards England .
He then saluted Charlie Brown and turned away, back to Europe . Â
When Franz landed he told the CO that the plane had been shot down over the sea, and never told the truth to anybody.
Charlie Brown and the remains of his crew told all at their briefing, but were ordered never to talk about it.
More than 40 years later, Charlie Brown wanted to find the Luftwaffe pilot who saved the crew.
After years of research, Franz was found. He had never talked about the incident, not even at post-war reunions.
They met in the USA at a 379th Bomber Group reunion, together with 25 people who are alive now – all because Franz never fired his guns that day.
(L-R) German Ace Franz Stigler, artist Ernie Boyett, and B-17 pilot Charlie Brown.
When asked why he didn’t shoot them down, Stigler later said, “I didn’t have the heart to finish those brave men.
I flew beside them for a long time. They were trying desperately to get home and I was going to let them do that.
I could not have shot at them. It would have been the same as shooting at a man in a parachute.”
Both men died in 2008
Want more? Read the detail resulting from Bill MacLoughlin half hour documentary for the CKUA network, in which Luftwaffe fighter ace Franz Stigler and B-17 pilot Charlie Brown take turns relating the unlikely details of their first meeting.
Posted by TMR on March 19th, 2011
TMR says:
Thanks very much Bill.
This added detail goes a long way toward maintaining an accurate record of a remarkable piece of history.
It’s a great story. This particular version has a key fact wrong: there was no 180 degree turn.
I interviewed both men on tape, at great length, for a documentary.
Brown:”I was just looking for water. I wanted to get the hell out of Germany. I said give me the most direct route to the North Sea.”
Stigler: “And then I tried to point him toward Sweden, because it was only a half an hour flight to Sweden. But as we came out over water, he made a left turn.”
Brown: “He thought we would turn toward Sweden. When I turned towards England, he said, stupid guy, I hope he makes it, and waved us off, gave us a little salute, and left.”
Stigler: “I knew he wanted to fly home. I didn’t think he’d make it, and we were over water, so it didn’t matter, one way or the other, if I shot him down.”
What Stigler did…remains an astonishing act of compassion (and courage). Thanks for posting the story!
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2211
|
__label__wiki
| 0.91544
| 0.91544
|
A selection of the shows made by Topical Television.
Click on the images below to find out more...
Caught Red Handed
The £1 Houses:
Britain's Cheapest Street
Close Calls On Camera
The One Show
Real Rescues
Brits in Bangkok
City Hospital
Behind Bars Live
The King Of Stonehenge
Tell It To Me Straight
On Stage:
Tale Of Two Theatres
Topical Television is one of Britain's longest established independent production companies. Since its inception, Topical's award-winning team has produced nearly 2000 hours of network television programming, including many long-running series ranging from 20-600 episodes. They’ve been described as a 'large company masquerading as a small one- - and have been listed by Broadcast Magazine as one of the 'top ten biggest airtime providers to the BBC'.
Topical has produced television programmes for all the major channels and across all genres – including live OB, documentary, factual, game show and entertainment. The company has worked with an array of the best-known and most popular talent on television. They’ve won Royal Television Awards in Features and Factual Entertainment categories and for Innovation.
The company formed in 1992. It has built a reputation as a live television specialist and for access programmes. The company has pioneered the use of presented live documentary, including the award-winning daily BBC television series City Hospital, which ran weekdays for 9 years. And Topical’s BBC series Behind Bars - a week of daily OB programmes presented live from inside a prison, was a world first. Other unusual projects include a live spacebridge on both sides of the Atlantic with an American talk shows for July 4th, a discussion of nudity with a naked audience live from Brighton beach, Britain’s first live birth on TV, and a studio event series with Carol Vorderman which, uniquely, was transmitted by both BBC One and ITV in the same quarter.
Current productions include the two highly successful returning BBC series Caught Red Handed and Close Calls On Camera, following on from the one hundred episodes of the emergency series Real Rescues, for BBC One daytime and peak, presented by Nick Knowles. Topical is also one of the main suppliers of strands, involving hundreds of film features, for the BBC’s flagship series The One Show.
In 2009, Topical became part of Avalon Entertainment Ltd.
If you would like to get in touch please use the following details:
post@topical.co.uk
Devonshire House
61 Devonshire Road
SO15 2GR
Copyright © Topical Television 2018
Dominic Littlewood presents this popular BBC show looking at how the Police and the public are taking the fight to the criminals - using CCTV evidence and undercover operations to catch crooks red-handed.
Series 1 - 10 x 30 min (BBC1) TX Mar 2013
Series 2 - 20 x 30 min (BBC1) TX Dec 2013/Mar 2014
Series 3 - 20 x30 min (BBC1) TX Sept 2014/Jan 2015
Series 4 - 20 x 30 min (BBC1) for TX Oct 2015
Series 5 - 20 x 30 min (BBC1) TX 2016
The £1 Houses: Britain’s Cheapest Street
Liverpool City Council are selling off derelict houses – for just £1 each. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime for struggling first-time buyers who might otherwise never get an opportunity to own their own home – and a clever way for Liverpool City Council to rebuild a rundown neighbourhood, at little cost to themselves. This series, filmed over two years, captures the highs and the lows of the people taking on the challenge. People must invest their own money to do up the houses within 12 months – or the Council could take the houses back. And they must commit to living in the houses for five years – in an area known for crime and anti-social behaviour. But nightmare houses are transformed into dream homes – much to the delight of the buyers who have got themselves a mortgage-free house, for less than the price of a sandwich...
Every day, people survive moments of real danger, where life hangs in the balance and the outcome can go either way. Popular One Show host Alex Jones presents dramatic tales and original footage of people who have had a close call that was caught on camera.
Series 1 - 15 x 30 min (BBC1) TX Oct/Nov 2014
Series 2 - 20 x 30 min (BBC1) TX July 2015
Series 3 - 20 x 30 mins (BBC1) TX Jan 2016
Topical is one of the principal suppliers of film features for this hugely successful series, which regularly attracts 5m viewers daily. We have produced hundreds of factual, factual entertainment and historical films for the programme and won 5 Royal Television Society awards for our original strand features.
Real Rescues goes behind the scenes of the Emergency Services - the Fire, Police and Ambulance Services - together with the Coastguard, The RNLI, Mountain Rescue etc. The long-running series has won two Royal Television Society awards for the quality of its features. Presented by Nick Knowles, Chris Hollins and Louise Minchin.
For tourists, Bangkok is an overwhelming city, filled with sky scrapers, shrines, titty bars and temples. But beyond the tourist trail is another world that has made Bangkok Asia’s hottest city – the new Dubai - and the destination for go getting Brits. This amusing ob doc entertainment series follows a group of ex pats who swapped Britain for Bangkok, in search of a better life...
3 x 60 mins – Channel 5
Gethin Jones and Louise Minchin present dramatic real-life insights from the world of the police and prisons. With Gethin behind bars at historic Bristol Prison and Louise on the beat with West Midlands Police Force, together they chart the changes in crime and punishment over the last sixty years in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year. The end of the death penalty for murder, the first use of DNA profiling to solve crime, the effects of illegal drugs and guns all feature, plus the revolution in the way convicted criminals live in jail.
10 x 45 mins – BBC1
A ground-breaking format broadcast live from three major hospitals – Southampton General and Guys and St Thomas’ in London, sharing the experiences of both staff and patients. The 18 series highlighted the latest medical science, live operations - and many TV firsts including the first and first live Caesarian and first live natural birth. A wide range of celebrities and well known public figures hosted in 660 programmes over eight years, including Nick Knowles, Kate Humble, Gaby Roslin, Nadia Sawalha, Philip Schofield, Anton du Beke, Paul O Grady and Eamonn Holmes. The series won an RTS award for Innovation.
18 series - 660 x 60 mins
For five days, Nick Knowles and Nadia Sawalha present a live show from behind bars with the staff and the inmates of two city prisons - Cardiff Men’s Prison and Drake Hall Women’s Prison near Stafford. A unique look at day today life inside prison - as it actually happens.
5 x 45 mins
Successful BBC City Hospital spin-off series, taking a more indepth look at the more serious and unusual medical cases through the doors at Southampton General Hospital.
Topical cameras were there to witness one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of recent years – the Amesbury Archer.
What do your friends say about you when they don’t know you’re listening? And what schemes can they come up with to correct your little faults...
55 x 45 mins
On Stage: Tale Of Two Theatres
On Stage celebrates the diversity of theatre production in England. It takes TV audiences backstage at England’s regional theatres and tells their stories, from traditional playhouses to innovative projects.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2212
|
__label__cc
| 0.53596
| 0.46404
|
TATTOOS AND ART
BLACK & GREY TATTOOS
ART AT TEMPLES
Claudia Fanti - Woman at Work Tattoo PRIVACY POLICY
Claudia Fanti - Woman at Work Tattoo (the “Company”) is committed to protecting the privacy of its users. This Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”) is designed to help you understand what information we gather, how we use it, what we do to protect it, and to assist you in making informed decisions when using our Service. Unless otherwise indicated below, this Privacy Policy applies to any website that references this Privacy Policy, any Company website, as well as any data the Company may collect across partnered and unaffiliated sites.
For purposes of this Agreement, “Service” refers to the Company’s service which can be accessed via our website at http://www.womanatworktattoo.com or through our mobile application. The terms “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to the Company. “You” refers to you, as a user of Service.
If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy or the practices of this Site, or wish to withdraw your consent for the continued collection, use or disclosure of your Personal Information, please contact us by sending an email to fantitattoo@gmail.com.
Last Updated: This Privacy Policy was last updated on Thu May 24 2018.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2215
|
__label__wiki
| 0.968971
| 0.968971
|
Al-Khaldi Recants
ICSFP Staff
Ahmad Al-Khaldi has become the third individul to retract fatwas he issued encouraging terrorism.
Saturday evening Saudi Arabian Televitsion broaddcast an interview of Al-Khaldi oin which he said his fatwas approving armed resistance against the police and intelligence officers were based on “wrong assumptions”.
Al-Khasldi said he was “deeply moved” when he heard about the explkosion in the Al-Muhayam compound on Nov. 8 which left 17 people dead. He said, “I was shocked to see how easily Muslim blood was spilt.”
"We tell them (militants) that they must obey God within themselves, that they must lay down their arms and return to society, their brothers and their families," Khalidi said.
"There are no enemies here for them to carry arms against and there is no jihad here and no fighters. We only have those (non-Muslims) under the protection of the state and Muslims whose blood, wealth and honor should be safeguarded."
Asked about calls by al Qaeda's leader, Saudi-born Osama bin Laden, to rid the Arabian peninsula of Jews and Christians, Khalidi said it was for the government, not individuals, to decide the issue.
Al-Khaldi was arrested along with Nasser Al-Fahd and Ali Al-Khudair after they urged Saudis not to cooperate with security forces trying to track down suspects behind the May bombings in Riyadh.
The broadcast of the Al-Khaldi interview, similar to that of Al-Fahad and Al-Khudair, are part of Saudi Arabia's battle to combat the militant violence that has occurred in the Kingdom.
Mon 15 Dec 2003
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2221
|
__label__wiki
| 0.826791
| 0.826791
|
The Story of Arab Apartheid.
The Story of Arab Apartheid
Posted by Ben-Dror Yemini on Jun 4rd, 2011
The real “nakba,” the Palestinian-termed great “catastrophe” of the creation of Israel, is the story of Arab apartheid. Tens of millions, among them Jews, suffered from the “nakba,” which included dispossession, expulsion and displacement. Yet only the Palestinians remained refugees because they were treated to abuse and oppression by Arab countries. Below is the story of the real “nakba.”
In 1959, the Arab League passed Resolution 1457, which states as follows: “The Arab countries will not grant citizenship to applicants of Palestinian origin in order to prevent their assimilation into the host countries.” That is a stunning resolution, which was diametrically opposed to international norms in everything pertaining to refugees in those years, particularly in that decade. The story began, of course, in 1948, when the Palestinian “nakba” occurred. It was also the beginning of the controversy of the Arab-Israeli conflict, with the blame heaped on Israel, because it allegedly expelled Palestinian refugees, turning them into miserable wretches. This lie went public through academe and the media dealing with the issue.
In previous articles on the issue of the Palestinians, I explained that there is nothing special about the Israeli-Arab conflict. Here’s why:
First, Arab countries refused to accept the proposal of Israel-Palestine partition, and they launched a war of annihilation against the State of Israel, which had barely been established. All precedents on this matter show that the party that starts the war — and with a declaration of annihilation — pays a price for it.
Second, this entails a population exchange: indeed, between 550,000 and 710,000 Arabs fled the area (the most precise calculation is that of Prof. Ephraim Karash, who calculated and found that their number ranges between 583,000 and 609,000). A minority were expelled because of the war, and a larger number of about 850,000 Jews were expelled or fled from Arab countries (the “Jewish nakba”).
Third, the Palestinians are not unique in this story. Population exchanges and expulsions were the norm at that time. They occurred in dozens of other conflict points, and about 52 million people experienced dispossession, expulsion and uprooting (see: ”And the World Is Lying”).
And fourth, in all the population exchange precedents that occurred during or at the end of an armed conflict, or against the backdrop of either the establishment of a national entity or the disintegration of a multinational state and the establishment of a national entity, there was no return of refugees to the previous region, which had turned into a new national state. The displaced persons and the refugees, with almost no exceptions, found sanctuary in the place in which they joined a population with a similar background. For example, the ethnic Germans who were expelled from Central and Eastern Europe assimilated in Germany, the Hungarian refugees from Czechoslovakia and other places found sanctuary in Hungary, the Ukrainians who were expelled from Poland found sanctuary in Ukraine, and so forth. The affinity between the Arabs who originated in mandatory Palestine and their neighbors in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, was, in fact, similar or even greater than the affinity between many ethnic Germans and Germany, sometimes after a disconnect of many generations.
Only the Arab states acted completely differently from the rest of the world. They crushed the refugees, despite the fact that they were their coreligionists and members of the Arab nation. In the words of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader: “The Arab armies entered Palestine to protect the Palestinians from the Zionist tyranny, but instead they abandoned them, forced them to emigrate and to leave their homeland, imposed upon them a political and ideological blockade and threw them into prisons similar to the ghettos in which the Jews used to live in Eastern Europe” (from the official journal of the PLO, Falastin el-Thawra, “What We Have Learned and What We Should Do,” Beirut, March 1976).
They Arab states, not Israel, instituted a régime of apartheid. So, we must remember that the “nakba” was not caused by actual dispossession, which had also been experienced by tens of millions of others. The “nakba” is the story of the apartheid and abuse suffered by the Arab refugees (it was only later that they became “Palestinians”) in Arab countries.
Apartheid in Egypt
Throughout many eras, there was no real distinction between the inhabitants of Egypt and the inhabitants of the coastal plain. Both were Muslim Arabs, who lived under Ottoman rule. According to the researcher Oroub El-Abed, commercial ties, mutual migration, and intermarriage between the two groups were commonplace. Many of the residents of Jaffa (now in Israel) were defined as Egyptians because they arrived in many waves, like the wave of immigration to Jaffa during the rule of Muhammad Ali and his son over many parts of the coastal plain. Inhabitants of the Ottoman Empire, which became mandatory Palestine, did not have an ethnic or religious identity that differed from that of the Egyptian Arabs.
Various records from the end of 1949 show that 202,000 refugees went to the Gaza Strip, primarily from Jaffa, Beer Sheva and Majdal (Ashkelon). That number may be exaggerated because the local poor also joined the list of aid recipients. The refugees went to the place where they were part of the majority group from all standpoints: ethnic, national and religious. Egypt, however, did not think so. At first, back in September 1948, a “government of all Palestine” was established, headed by Ahmad al-Baki. However, it was an organization under Egyptian auspices due to the rivalry with Jordan. The nascent Palestinian government gave up the venture after a decade.
What happened to the people in the Gaza Strip? How did the Egyptians treat them? Strangely, there is almost no research dealing with those days. But it is a bit difficult to hide that not so distant past. The Gaza Strip became a closed camp. It became almost impossible to leave Gaza. Severe restrictions were imposed on the Gazans (the originals and the refugees) in everything connected with employment, education and other matters. Every night, there was a curfew until dawn the next day. There was only one matter in which the Egyptians assisted to the best of their ability: the school books contained serious incitement against Jews. Already in 1950, Egypt notified the UN that “due to the population crowding,” it would not be possible to assist the Palestinians by resettling them. That was a dubious excuse. Egypt thwarted the UN proposal to resettle 150,000 refugees in Libya. Many of the refugees who had fled in the earlier stages and were within Egypt were also forced to move to the giant concentration camp that was forming in the Gaza Strip. In effect, all the settlement arrangements proposed for resettling the refugees were blocked by the Arab countries.
Despite the absolute isolation, there is testimony about what happened in the Gaza Strip during those years. The important American journalist Martha Gellhorn paid a visit to the refugee camps in 1961. She also went to the Gaza Strip. It wasn’t simple. Gellhorn described the bureaucratic ordeal involved in obtaining an entry permit to the Gaza Strip and the days of waiting in Cairo. She also described the “sharp contrast between the amiability of the clerks, and the anti-Semitic propaganda that blossomed in Cairo.” “The Gaza Strip is not a hole,” Gellhorn stated, “but rather one big prison. The Egyptian government and is the warden.” She described a harsh military régime with all the elite of the Gaza Strip expressing enthusiastically pro-Nasser positions. Thus, for example, “For 13 years (1948-1961) only 300 refugees managed to obtain temporary exit visas.” The only thing that the Egyptians gave the Palestinians was hate propaganda.
That is not the only testimony. In 1966, a Saudi newspaper published a letter by one of the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip:
I would be happy if the Gaza Strip would be conquered by Israel. At least that way we would know that the one violating our honor, hurting us and tormenting us – would be the Zionist oppressor, Ben Gurion, and not an Arab brother whose name is Abdel Nasser. The Jews under Hitler did not suffer the way we are suffering under Nasser. In order to go to Cairo or Alexandria or other cities, we have to go through an ordeal.
Radio Jedda in Saudi Arabia broadcast the following:
We are aware of the laws that prohibit Palestinians from working in Egypt. We have to ask Cairo, what is the Iron Curtain that Abdel Nasser and his gang have raised around the Gaza Strip and the refugees? The military governor in Gaza has prohibited every Arab from traveling to Cairo without a military permit, which is valid for only 24 hours. Imagine, Arabs, how Nasser, who claims to be the pioneer of Arab nationalism, treats the wretched Arabs of Gaza, who are starving to death while the military governor and his officers enjoy the riches in the Gaza Strip.
Even assuming that those were exaggerated descriptions in the struggle between Saudi Arabia and Nasser, we are still left with an oppressive régime of two decades. And it is worth noting another fact: when Israel arrived in the Gaza Strip, the life expectancy there was 48 years of age. After a little over two decades, the life expectancy has jumped to 72 years of age, past that of Egypt. More than the fact that this awards points to Israel, it also shows the abyss in which the Gaza Strip found itself during the days of the Egyptian régime.
Refugees from mandatory Palestine also lived in Egypt itself. Many of them did not even feel that they were Palestinians and preferred to assimilate. The Egyptians prevented them from doing so. Except for a short period of time that was considered the “golden age,” during some of the years of Nasser’s rule, which did not include the Gaza refugees. Even those who were in Egypt suffered from restrictions on purchasing land, engaging in certain professions and education (for example, there was a prohibition on the establishment of a Palestinian school). The Egyptian citizenship law allowed citizenship for someone whose father was Egyptian, and later, the law was expanded to anyone whose mother was Egyptian. In actuality, however, restrictions were imposed on anyone considered a Palestinian. Even the decision of an Egyptian court canceling the restrictions did not help.
The new régime in Egypt has recently promised change. The change, even if it happens, cannot erase many years of discrimination, which was tantamount to collective punishment. Thus, for example, in 1978, Egyptian Minister of Culture Yusouf al-Shib’ai was murdered in Cyprus by a member of Abu Nidal’s group. In reprisal, the Palestinians suffered a new wave of attacks, and the Egyptian parliament renewed legislation restricting the Palestinians in education and employment services.
Apartheid in Jordan
Precisely like the identification and unity between the Arabs of Jaffa and southern Israel and the Arabs of Egypt, similar identification exists between the Arabs of the West Bank and the Arabs of Jordan. Thus, for example, the Bedouin of the Majalis (or Majilis) tribe from the al-Karak region are originally from Hebron. During the days of the Ottoman Empire, Eastern Jordan was part of the Damascus district, like other parts of what later came under the auspices of the British Palestinian Mandate. According to the Balfour declaration, the area now called Jordan was supposed to be part of the Jewish national homeland.
The initial distress of the refugees on both sides of the Jordan River was enormous. For example, Iraqi soldiers controlled the area of Nablus, and there is testimony about “the Iraqi soldiers taking the children of the rich for acts of debauchery and returning the children to their families the next day, the inhabitants are frequently arrested.” Indeed, Arab solidarity.
It seemed that Jordan treated the refugees differently. Under a 1954 Jordanian law, any refugee who lived in the area of Jordan between 1948 and 1954 was given the right to citizenship. However, that was only the outward façade. Below is a description of the reality under the Jordanian régime in the West Bank:
We have never forgotten and we will never forget the nature of the régime that degraded our honor and trampled our human feelings. A régime that was built on an inquisition and the boots of the desert people. We lived for a long time under the humiliation of the Arab nationalism and it hurts to say that we had to wait for the Israeli conquest in order to become aware of humane relations with civilians.
It should be noted that these statements were published in the name of critics of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank in an interview with the Lebanese newspaper Al Hawadith on April 23, 1971.
As in all other Arab countries, Jordan did not do a thing to dismantle the refugee camps. While Israel was absorbing hundreds of thousands of refugees from Europe and the Arab countries in similar camps (transit camps), and undergoing a punishing process of rehabilitation, building new settlements and dismantling the camps, Jordan did exactly the opposite and prevented any process of rehabilitation. During those same two decades, not one institution of higher learning was established in the West Bank. The flowering of higher education began in the 1970s, after the Israelis took control.
Even the citizenship that was given to the refugees was mainly for the sake of appearances. Despite the fact that the Palestinians number over 50% of the inhabitants of Jordan, they hold only 18 seats – out of 110 – in the Jordanian parliament, and only 9 senators out of 55, who are appointed by the king. It should also be recalled that during just one month, September 1970, in one confrontation, Jordan killed many more Palestinians than all the Palestinians who have been hurt in the 43 years of Israeli rule over the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Apartheid in Syria
The first Congress of Muslim-Christian Associations, the first Palestinian Arab conference, was held in Jerusalem in 1919. At the conference, it was decided that Palestine, which had just been conquered by the British, was southern Syria — an integral part of greater Syria. Over the years of the mandate, the immigration from Syria into the British mandate territory increased, for example, the Al-Hourani family, which arrived from the Houran in Syria. The idea of “greater Syria,” which included mandatory Palestine, was also reflected in the growing involvement of Syrians in the great Arab rebellion and in the gangs that arrived from Syria during the War of Independence. The refugees, therefore, were not strangers politically, religiously or ethnically. To the contrary, their fate should not have been different from the fate of other ethnic groups who were expelled to a place in which they constituted the national and cultural majority.
Between 70,000 and 90,000 refugees arrived in Syria, the decisive majority of them from Safed, Haifa, Tiberias and Acre. Thus, in 1954, they were granted partial rights, which did not include political rights. Until 1968, they were prohibited from holding property. Syrian law enables any Arab citizens to obtain Syrian citizenship, provided that his permanent residence is in Syria and he has a proven capacity for economic subsistence. However, the Palestinians are the only ones outside the applicability of the law. Even if they are permanent residents and possess means, the law prevents them from obtaining citizenship.
// We are aware of the laws that prohibit Palestinians from working in Egypt. We have to ask Cairo, what is the Iron Curtain that Abdel Nasser and his gang have raised around the Gaza Strip and the refugees? The military governor in Gaza has prohibited every Arab from traveling to Cairo without a military permit, which is valid for only 24 hours. Imagine, Arabs, how Nasser, who claims to be the pioneer of Arab nationalism, treats the wretched Arabs of Gaza, who are starving to death while the military governor and his officers enjoy the riches in the Gaza Strip.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2229
|
__label__wiki
| 0.639422
| 0.639422
|
‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world;
indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’
Sean Condon
Sean brings 10 years of social enterprise experience to this role, as the founder of Megaphone, a magazine sold on the streets of Vancouver and Victoria by homeless and low-income vendors. Sean helped build Megaphone into an award-winning social enterprise that works with more than 300 marginalized people ever year and puts more than $100,000 annually into the pockets of vendors.
Kelly Chapman
With over 15 years of marketing, sales, and project consulting within sustainable real estate development and co-operative financial services, Kelly brings a comprehensive and compassionate perspective to her work with the 312 Main team. She is inspired by the project through the core values of coworking – Community, Collaboration, Openness, Accessibility and Sustainability. Born in Victoria and raised in the Lower Mainland, Kelly has lived in and visited most of BC. While she loves to travel, she is always happy to call Vancouver home. She spends her time being an active participant in community events, and enjoying family life with her husband and her son.
iris yong
Coworking and Membership Manager
iris aspires to work, play and live in a society based on equity, free from discrimination, full of compassion and activism. Having spent all of her teenage and adult life working and volunteering within community and non-profit organizing, she has a passion for learning and understanding the complexities of community engagement and mobilization, while fostering her desire to provide accessible and inclusive resources that meet the needs of our diverse communities.
Vanessa Richards
Community Engagement Advisor
Vanessa Richards, born in Vancouver, first started working in the heart of the city in a Gastown restaurant while in high school. The DTES’s independent music and art scene of the 1980’s is where she began as a musician to understand the relationships between city planning, social change, and community. These days her practise is interdisciplinary and focuses on creativity and participatory culture as central to sustainability. As a community engagement facilitator Vanessa has devised and delivered initiatives with The Portland Hotel Society, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver Coastal Health, Public Dreams Society, Broadway Youth Resource Centre, The Arts Club Theatre Company, Vancouver International Children’s Festival, Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Capilano University, and Vancouver Park Board, among others. She is the founder and song leader for the Woodward’s Community Singers, a drop-in, no-cost, low-barrier choir, and director of Creative Together, a song based facilitation process.
Daniyah Shamsi
Events and Programs Specialist
In 1995, Daniyah’s family immigrated to Canada from Saudi Arabia. Daniyah (she/they) brings a deep intersectional awareness of issues affecting people across socio-economic demographics having lived the majority of her life on the traditional, occupied, and unceded lands of the musqueam, tseil-wateuth, squamish, and qayqayt peoples and work/playing in BIPOC and LGBTQ2+ communities. More tenacious than horseradish, Daniyah has spent years contributing to solid frameworks of accountability and operations within organizations, coorganizing dance parties and festivals with harm reduction, diverse representation, and social equity as foundational values, cocreating peer supported learning spaces to bridge activism and arts and, otherwise creatively engaging folks in radical ways such as being involved in tent city with Occupy Vancouver and the occupation of Trump tower in February 2017, organizing large events with the Vancouver Pride Society, DJing the Official Lady Gaga Afterparty multiple years in a row, or simply taking the initiative to shovel the icy sidewalks in her neighbourhood where transit and city services fail to serve the community. They are also an organizer with the Diversity: Arts Music & Entertainment project; hosts of open decks, workshops and trainings on anti-o, Ableton for DJs, decolonizing music and more in a collaborative space supporting like-minded folks who are working to address and overcome barriers to their creative endeavours. Also a peer trainer with the Toward The Heart program, you can find Daniyah passionately engaging with harm reduction efforts in the city to address the fentanyl crisis or volunteering nightlife harm reduction support at events and festivals with KARMIK. Daniyah also brings a knowledge of coworking to their toolkit as one of the original special agents from Subculture at Creative Coworkers and moving onto the role of Community Manager at 312 Main.
Husain Vahanvaty
Husain has developed a deep understanding of the various community engagement principles through his extensive work within social work communities. During this time, Husain has developed a deep passion in working toward strategies for more efficient mental health support and trauma informed care specifically with high-risk youth and individuals suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
Husain seeks to become a better person than he was yesterday. To remain inspired and to inspire others; passionate passion.
Sonam Swarup
Sonam is driven by good storytelling, big picture thinking and doing things with a socially conscious mind. She has spent the last 10 years working with various social impact organizations including The Wellbeing Project, The Discourse and The Urban Worker Project. Previously, she co-founded a social venture that focused on engaging immigrant women and their transition to the Canadian workforce through cultural cooking classes. She earned her BA from Simon Fraser University and has studied internationally at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. She has received multiple awards for her work including HSBC Women Leader of Tomorrow for Western Canada and an AMEX Emerging Innovator.
Dave Gerow
Building Maintenance Technician
As a lifetime resident of Vancouver, Dave, our Building Maintenance Technician has seen the evolution of this vibrant community. With over 10 years of custodial and maintenance experience, as well as 15 years of commercial construction experience, Dave is more than qualified for this role. He brings a quiet determination to make this facility a coworking showcase and an interactive community hub that brings respite and connection to all those who enter.
Vive Wong
Resilient Neighbourhoods Project Coordinator
Vive Wong is a youth advocate, community developer and social justice educator with the passion in engaging and learning with Indigenous communities. As a second generation Chinese-Canadian, Vive has extensive experience working in the public education sector, non-profits, community engagement and youth service provision to promote community capacity building and youth empowerment through the lens of social justice.
We’re building a diverse team of staff and volunteers at 312 Main who are committed to community economic development through collaborative social innovation. Want to join us? Opportunities will be posted below as they become available.
For more information and updates
Name**
©2019 312 Main. All Rights Reserved.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2231
|
__label__wiki
| 0.50557
| 0.50557
|
U2.com Limited Editions
Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of Lyrics
Beautiful Day (Live) Lyrics
New York (Live) Lyrics
'You gotta stand up straight, carry your own weight/ These tears are going nowhere, baby...'
A song rooted, lyrically, in the sudden death of Michael Hutchence, Bono has explained that he wrote the words in the form of an argument that he wished he had with his friend about the foolishness of suicide.
The second single from All That You Can't Leave Behind, it went on to win a Grammy in 2002.
Mick Jagger had originally been in the studio to record some backing vocals for the album version of the song and although they didn't feature on the final mix, a few years later, at the 25th anniversary of the Rock'nRoll Hall of Fame in 2009, Jagger teamed up with Bono to perform a live duet of the track.
Brian Eno and Danny Lanois
Richard Rainey
Recorded At:
HQ, Windmill Lane Recording Studios, Westland Studios and Totally Wired in Dublin, and South of France
ALL ALBUM VIDEOS
Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of (All That You Can't Leave Behind)
You must be a logged-in member to add comments.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2232
|
__label__cc
| 0.733295
| 0.266705
|
Game Time Announced for Alabama vs Mississippi State
Alabama will return home to Bryant-Denny Stadium for the first time in nearly a month when it hosts Mississippi State on November 10.
The Crimson Tide will have played two road games and taken the bye week since the 39-10 win over Missouri on October 13. Next Saturday's matchup with the Bulldogs will be the first of three straight home games to close out the regular season and it's a rematch of a near-upset one year ago.
The Southeastern Conference announced the kickoff times for week 11 and this SEC West showdown will get CBS' SEC Game of the Week slot at 2:30 p.m.
Pregame coverage for the game will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a live broadcast from Rounders on the Strip. Join us at World of Beer in downtown Tuscaloosa for a live postgame show after the Crimson Tide Sports Network goes off the air. As always, everything can be heard on our free app.
Categories: Alabama Crimson Tide, Local News
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2234
|
__label__cc
| 0.631279
| 0.368721
|
Win a Trip to See Pink Live in L.A. on Valentine’s Day Weekend
Digital Vision / Scott Barbour, Getty Images
There's pink – the color of Valentine's Day cards and warm winter sunsets over downtown L.A. And then, of course, there's Pink – a legendary performer and a singer who never fails to prove she's among the hottest on the planet.
We're bringing all three of these things together, and wrapping them up in a neat little Valentine's Day bow. Enter below to win a trip to L.A. to see Pink live in concert, two tickets to the show, and as a bonus, $500 to blow any way you want.
Perfect for a nice Valentine's Day date in the City of Angels.
The prize also includes a guitar, signed and sealed (and by that, we mean autographed) by Pink. With lots of love, of course.
To enter the contest, you must be a Point Insider. But you really should do that anyway – sign-up is free, and qualifies you for tons of contests like this one, plus games, prizes, and exclusive content.
Filed Under: pink, The Point Contests
Categories: The Point Contests
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2235
|
__label__cc
| 0.673567
| 0.326433
|
“and the animals will love it if you do” (another sunday photoessay)
I do not live in my favorite part of London. It’s no great tragedy; these things happen. But my favorite part is rather large. Basically, if you sketched it, it would look like one of those WMD dispersion maps after a weapon of some sort went off at Waterloo station on a day when the wind was blowing NNW. Or N and then NW and then N again – as the area in question hangs a rather sharp left turn at Euston Station and then a right at Regent’s Part and heads toward Hampstead and….
… Jesus, why am I making this so hard on myself? Radiation dispersion? What’s wrong with me? Basically, I like the run of the Northern Line (Charing Cross and Edgeware Branches) from Waterloo to Hampstead! Southbank, the Strand, the bit below the British Museum, Bloomsbury, Regent’s Park, Belsize Park and South End Green, Hampstead and the Heath.
Just about smack in the middle of this cloud or scatter or Underground continuation lies the London Zoo. It’s on the north side of Regent’s Park. This is, of course, the park where one of the best scenes in modernist literature takes place, the bit when Peter Walsh walks past Septimus and Rezia and both recognizes and utterly misrecognizes the scene that he’s seeing:
“But I am so unhappy, Septimus,” said Rezia trying to make him sit down.
The millions lamented; for ages they had sorrowed. He would turn round, he would tell them in a few moments, only a few moments more, of this relief, of this joy, of this astonishing revelation—
“The time, Septimus,” Rezia repeated. “What is the time?”
He was talking, he was starting, this man must notice him. He was looking at them.
“I will tell you the time,” said Septimus, very slowly, very drowsily, smiling mysteriously. As he sat smiling at the dead man in the grey suit the quarter struck—the quarter to twelve.
And that is being young, Peter Walsh thought as he passed them. To be having an awful scene—the poor girl looked absolutely desperate—in the middle of the morning. But what was it about, he wondered, what had the young man in the overcoat been saying to her to make her look like that; what awful fix had they got themselves into, both to look so desperate as that on a fine summer morning? The amusing thing about coming back to England, after five years, was the way it made, anyhow the first days, things stand out as if one had never seen them before; lovers squabbling under a tree; the domestic family life of the parks. Never had he seen London look so enchanting—the softness of the distances; the richness; the greenness; the civilisation, after India, he thought, strolling across the grass.
Jesus! Amazing! He’s goes on to do the 1918-1923 bit. Go read it for yourself. What a brilliant woman she was. Anyway, I was Septimusy a lot recently, despite not having had my buddy blown up in front of me, but I’m feeling a lot better now. And so we went to the Zoo today, a fine fine day, but I’m a little short on snaps because, don’t know, nothing was really doing it for me in the clique clique sort of way. And I guess I was having enough fun with my daughter that I wasn’t reaching for the Nikon every thirty seconds. Photoessay without pictures – there’s a concept! More later…
Here’s another picture of that canal with which I started the post.
It’s the Regent’s Canal, built during the early nineteenth century like almost all canals, and now (or latterly anyway) seems to be mostly something along which to build posh condo complexes in Camden town. The Zoo abuts the canal, which gives it all a bit of an inland island sort of feel.
I’ve been starting to think more and more about the fact that so many leisure areas / tourist attractions seem to descend in terms of layout and design from some sort of general “pleasure garden” sort of place from the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century. Worth looking into a bit, but there’s a way that all of these things, Disney World and the London Zoo and Central Park and, I don’t know, lots of other things have the same phenotype, carry some basic layout principles deep in their DNA. More to come, when I’ve got more to say on the topic.
I’m starting to recognize distinctively English florascapes as such. I am very sensitive to such things. I am absolutely positive that if you blindfolded me and dropped me in the middle of the woods in Northern NJ, I’d know instantly just where I was, from the trees and the plants and the skyshape and, I don’t know, the color of the dirt and the low roar of I-80 somewhere in the background. London, or the thing underneath London that pushes its way up through the city wherever it is allowed to, I’m just starting to see and sense.
Yeah, Jesus – fortunately this isn’t in the zoo itself. I guess I could have taken some pictures of animals, huh? We didn’t really look at all that many. One of the best things about having a zoo membership is that you don’t really feel any pressure to see much of anything. Saw the gorrilas, the penguins, some bearded pigs, and the giraffes, yes, but mostly played in the playgrounds and rode the carrousels and ate a halfassed pizza in the cafe (should have gotten the hotdog outside. Always get hotdogs at zoos! It’s like one of the fundamental rules of life!)
But here’s a brand new Foxton’s estate agent office in Camden Town. Not sure exactly when it was completed, but we think the last few months, as my wife didn’t recognize it from the last time she was at the zoo. And it seems to be the last and best of its breed. A full espresso bar, wall-to-wall plasma screens scrolling available properties, and an utterly ridiculous color-scheme.
The truth of the boom somehow appears most vividly in the last things that it spawns, the things that it makes that are born obsolete and obscene in their obsoleteness. You can imagine this branch office closing a few months after it opens. The color scheme will seem even more garish, more tacky, as the next few months pass.
Ah that’s better. We had a stroller-sleeping child on our hands, so we stopped at a pub for a half-hour. I am befuddled, still, by the kid-in-the-pub thing. Sometimes it’s fine – some of them are like day-care centers on Sunday afternoons. Walk into another with a sleeping child and you’ll be asked to leave before you even clear the door. We sat outside at this one, which clearly wasn’t for kids. (Hmmm… The Spread Eagle... I guess not, eh?)
Bits of Camden Town are awful reminders of the worst bits of the West Village in New York. But other bits – just like the best bits of the West Village – are lovely. This part, the Parkway part, is AOK. But soon, as is wont to happen on Sunday afternoons, it was time to go home.
I’m shitting myself about work this week. Not a nice week at all. I should have spent the weekend, part of it, working, but I did the parks and zoos and lunches instead. I will wake at 6 AM tomorrow, I will try to make every minute count. I promise! I promise!
There was a sign by the gorilla house in the zoo that described a day in the life of the gorilla, and ended with (approximately) Snacking, wandering around with friends, taking rests in the grass. Wouldn’t you love to be a gorilla… at least if it weren’t for the difficulty of finding food and the possibility of being killed by a poacher? Hmm. Maybe. I’d settle for being one of my cats. At least I think I would. Cats don’t know the sadness of Sunday afternoons. Unless, as I suspect, having spent my whole life with cats, it’s sort of always like that for them, just not in a work-related way…. This is my prized Brooklyn stray who knows no father but me. What do you think? Does she look anxious?
Ah, but there’s a post that I really want to and have to write very soon about Gerhard Richter, a fabulous set of things that you can see here, and a few other things. Among those things, I am going to write about what it means for GR to rub out and deface personal images, pictures of his family, what the difference is between rubbing them out and thematically distorting them, and lots else. Coming soon! Too big to write quickly!
Posted in london, photoessay
« credit crunch ulysses
public dream 1 »
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2236
|
__label__wiki
| 0.601149
| 0.601149
|
Block_Ehlers_Promotion
Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition Promotes Block and Ehlers
Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition
PRINCETON, N.J. (May 9, 2013)—Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition announced today the promotions of Dr. Elliot Block to the position of Research Fellow, Animal Nutrition, and Dawn Ehlers to the position of Assistant Marketing Manager.
Dr. Block joined the ARM & HAMMER® team in 1999. During his tenure, Dr. Block has secured eight patents, developed and launched three new industry-changing products and improved the base research portfolio on the entire line of Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition products. He joins only two other researchers at Church & Dwight Co., Inc., the parent company of ARM & HAMMER, who have the elite distinction of Research Fellow.
“In addition to being an outstanding asset to our business, Elliot has established himself as a world leading authority on rumen animal health and nutrition, as evidenced by authoring more than 65 peer-reviewed articles and more than 140 peer-reviewed abstracts presented at scientific meetings, writing chapters in three different textbooks, and being an invited guest speaker at more than 40 scientific meetings held around the world,” says Scott Druker, Director, Animal Nutrition.
“Elliot will continue to serve as the key technical expert for ARM & HAMMER, and will also focus on identifying and developing new technology platforms,” Druker adds. “His work will be crucial in helping us achieve our growth objectives.”
Dr. Block received his Ph.D. and Master of Science in Animal Nutrition with a minor in Biochemistry from Penn State University and his Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Cornell University.
Dawn Ehlers joined the ARM & HAMMER team in 2003. As Assistant Marketing Manager, Ehlers is responsible for managing critical marketing and business activities for all Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition product lines. She actively supports all marketing efforts as well as business processes in the areas of logistics, packaging/labeling, freight, pricing and more.
“Dawn is the glue that holds our business together,” says Druker. “I am very pleased to announce that Dawn has been promoted to Assistant Marketing Manager. During her tenure, Dawn has shown significant initiative and excelled in her duties. Her involvement in developing and executing our marketing initiatives will continue to drive growth and move our business forward.”
Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition, with headquarters in Princeton, N.J., is a North American leader in offering a complete family of innovative, research-proven dairy feed ingredients to improve producer profitability. To learn more about Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition, visit AHDairy.com, PeakReportOnline.com or YouTube.com/AHDairy.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2238
|
__label__wiki
| 0.719238
| 0.719238
|
Alexsander Pushkin
Alexsander Pushkin (1799 - 1837) was considered the founder of modern Russian literature and one of the greatest Russian poets in the genre of Realism. He was born into a noble family which, incredibly, ascended to that status just two generations earlier. His great-grandfather was brought as a slave from Africa and rose to become an aristocrat. Pushkin published his first poem at the age of fifteen, and wrote his most famous play, Boris Godunov (1825) while under the surveillance of the Tsar's political police, which banned him from publishing it and other works.
Pushkin's well-known short stories include The Shot (1831) and The Queen of Spades (1834), a story about human avarice, later adapted for opera and film.
Pushkin must have set a record among his peers for engaging in the most duels to defend his honor. His twenty ninth duel cost him his life by the fatal shot of Georges-Charles de Heeckeren d'Anthès, a French officer who tried to seduce Pushkin's wife who was considered one of the most beautiful woman at the imperial court in St. Petersburg. Pushkin's premature death at the age of 37 in 1837, was devastating to Russian literature. Certainly more dramatic than the infamous duel involving another "Alexander," the American Alexander Hamilton was mortally wounded by Aaron Burr in 1804.
Pushkin is featured in our favorite Russian Writers
Doubrovsky
Boris Godunov
Kirdjali
The Coffin-Maker
The Egyptian Nights
The Postmaster
The Queen of Spades
The Snowstorm
My Demon
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2240
|
__label__wiki
| 0.75031
| 0.75031
|
Dexter’s Encore Theatre gets ready to play ‘A Little Night Music’
September 13, 2018 September 13, 2018 / Jenn McKee
The cast of Encore Theatre’s “A Little Night Music.” (Photo by Michele Anliker)
Director/choreographer Matthew Brennan is gearing up for a kind of “Sondheim hat trick” at Dexter’s Encore Theatre.
In 2016, Brennan helmed (and performed as Lee Harvey Oswald in) Encore’s award-winning rendition of “Assassins”; in 2017, he labored for months to bring his searing, unique vision for “Sweeney Todd” to life on Encore’s modest stage (and earned accolades and awards again); and now, he’s running rehearsals for “A Little Night Music,” experimenting and making adjustments.
“We’re doing a run with British dialects tonight, just to ramp up the comedy of manners,” said Brennan. “But it’s working so well, I’m thinking maybe we’ll leave it in, or at least leave a little of that flavor. I always thought it was so weird when (‘Night Music’ productions) did that. I mean, I get that it makes it feel more otherworldly. But the story takes place in Sweden!”
Indeed, Hugh Wheeler (book) and Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) adapted the show’s story from a film (“Smiles of a Summer Night”) made by one of Sweden’s most iconic artists, Ingmar Bergman.
(Photo by Michele Anliker)
“Night Music” focuses on a middle aged actress (Desiree) who, while touring with a show, runs into a former lover (Fredrik) and his much younger trophy wife (Anne). Passion reignites between Desiree and Fredrik, but when Desiree’s mother hosts a weekend in the country – inviting family members, lovers, servants and spouses – love lines between several people get hopelessly crossed.
“This is like the ‘Dallas’ of musical theater, or ‘Real Housewives of Stockholm,’” said Brennan. “We’re just drawn to watching people who seem to have it all act like they’re at a frat party, where, by the end of the night, you see things like a grown woman who’s in tears because a guy danced with somebody else.”
Though Brennan has established a bit of a reputation at Encore for developing unique, singular approaches to Sondheim shows, he said that with regard to ‘Night Music,’ “I feel like this show should just be what it is, so we’ve mostly stuck with the traditional stuff. If anything, we’re bringing out more of the show’s comedy – the contrast of these elegant, well-mannered people acting like buffoons. … As a kid, I found (‘Night Music’) devastating and sad and terrible, because everyone’s lying to each other, and marriages are falling apart. But when I revisited it as an adult, … I just thought, ‘Oh, this is hilarious!’”
For Brennan, that’s just as much a credit to Wheeler, the show’s book writer, as it is to the far-more-famous Sondheim. (One of Sondheim’s all-time biggest commercial hits, “Send in the Clowns,” is part of “Night Music”’s score.)
“I give Hugh Wheeler a lot of credit on this one,” said Brennan. “All the music is beautiful and smart, of course, but man, if (Wheeler) didn’t put together an honest and funny and sad sort of dissection of love, it just wouldn’t work like it does. … With this show, everyone can relate to somebody on some level. … It’s just a really frank examination of what love does for us, and what we do for love; but it’s also a crash course in how to laugh at ourselves and our pasts.”
“A Little Night Music” plays at The Encore Theatre, at 3126 Broad St. in Dexter, from September 20-October 14. For showtimes and ticket information, visit www.theencoretheatre.org, or call 734-268-6200.
← REVIEW: Slipstream’s ‘A Night of Stars, with Tennessee Williams,’ now at Theatre Nova, is a small wonder
REVIEW (We Love Ann Arbor): Theatre Nova’s ‘The Totalitarians’ lampoons American politics →
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2242
|
__label__wiki
| 0.546455
| 0.546455
|
#DefendDACA now by supporting the Dream Act
DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Admissions) was the response to a broken political system that failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform. It was a way to provide relief to more than 800,000 young people who are American in every way but their papers. The decision by the Trump Administration to terminate DACA demonstrates that instead of leading and doing what is best for our country and these young Dreamers, the administration is treating them as political bargaining chips. We need you to take a few minutes now to demand that Congress act to pass the Dream Act S.1615/H.R.3440.
DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Admissions) was the response to a broken political system that failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform. It was a way to provide relief to more than 800,000 young people who are American in every way but their papers. The decision by the Trump Administration to terminate DACA demonstrates that instead of leading and doing what is best for our country and these young Dreamers ...
Find your local rep
As your constituent, I write today to ask you to support the Dream Act of 2017 (S.1615/H.R.3440). With 800,000 young people at risk, the failure of the Trump administration to protect DACA means Congress must step in. DREAMers who have demonstrated countless contributions to our country as teachers, doctors, workers and first responders in times of crisis and who are also boosting our economy, are every much as American as those who were born here. Suspending DACA, when DREAMers have only ever known America as their home, stands against our values and all that we hold dear. Please act now by adding your name as a co-sponsor and demanding that congressional leadership take up the bill.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2243
|
__label__wiki
| 0.849564
| 0.849564
|
Law enforcement unions speak out against Lykos
These groups represent 10,000 officers in Harris County and they say DA Pat Lykos is not effective, and should not be re-elected.
Judge Lykos is seeking another term, and the officers say this unprecedented uniting of various agencies should send a message to citizens when it comes to their vote.
Among their claims is that Lykos has "shirked her duties," has an "antagonistic relationship with law enforcement," and is not allowing cases that could be stacked to go through the court system, to keep offenders off the streets.
While they acknowledge that crime has not gone up during her tenure, the officers allege that it could be going down.
Specifically, they complained about so called "trace cases" involving drug residue found on pipes. Such cases, they say, are not being prosecuted the way the officers believe they should be. According to these officers that is putting the public is at risk.
"We do not support the actions of District Attorney Pat Lykos," said Eric Batton, vice president of the Harris County Deputies Organization. "It is our genuine belief that the integrity and professionalism of the Harris County District Attorney's Office, as well as the safety and welfare of the public, are being compromised."
"We need to bring back a felony, as the Texas legislature said it has, to have possession of a crack pipe with residue in Harris County and we don't have that now," said Ray Hunt, president of the Houston Police Officers Union.
We did seek a response from the DA's office. They said they will have a response later today after they've had a chance to go through the allegations. Also Zack Fertitta, a former prosecutor, announced his run for the DA's office, however the group assembled says is not endorsing Fertitta or anyone else at this time.
The five unions at Tuesday's press conference were:
Houston Police Officers Union
Harris County Deputies Organization
Houston Police Retired Officers Association
Baytown Police Officers Association
Pasadena ISD Police Officers Union
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2244
|
__label__cc
| 0.655747
| 0.344253
|
Andrija Puharich - Mushrooms, Parasols and Crowns
Out of body
Andrija has assumed that the mushroom is literal, but it too is symbolic.
The Sacred Mushroom – Andrija Puharich
The Smith Surgical Papyrus seemed to be the most promising. It was written in the seventeenth century BC, and according to the opinion of Breasted this medical document was probably already in circulation at the time that the Great Pyramid was being built (ca. 2700 BC). This was helpful in that it coincided with …. the earliest Pyramid Texts.
On June 6th, 1954, the Ra Ho Tep personality had described the preparation of a mushroom unguent that was to be applied to the top of the head at the site of the anterior fontanel, or the "soft spot" (on the head of an infant). Curiously enough the Buddhists of India and Tibet call this same spot the Aperture of Brahma and believe that the soul exits from the body at this point.
We have no record of a similar belief in ancient Egypt. But in The Smith Surgical Papyrus we find a word that describes the anterior fontanel as AHT or weak-place. This word is not found in any other Egyptian document. Another rare word in this text is UHNN, which is descriptive of the crown of the head. ….
In the Egyptian book entitled The Ceremony of the Opening of the Mouth, a funerary text giving instruction for the proper spiritualization of the deceased body, we find a vignette for the Ninth Ceremony which shows [a parasol over a head]…………
The Smith Surgical Papyrus uses another word for the crown of the head, which is of more common usage, UPT. UPT is represented by the picture of a set of ox horns, and the Tep sign.
A word derived from UPT has the set of ox horns combined with the door sign spelling AP, and this means to open or free. It struck me as curious that the top of the skull, a pair of ox horns, and a door sign should be combined to form the verb, to open, or to free.
This made sense only by considering the closed top of the skull as containing an important opening such as is found in the concept of the Aperture of Brahma. This suspicion was confirmed by finding that a few more signs added to the root signs - the ox horns and the door - yield a word UPU-TAU which means messengers.
A variation of this word by the addition of the SHU sign spells UP SHU which means to brighten or to illuminate.
Following this clue furnished by the ox horns on the top of the head, and the door sign (as the root AP), leading to UPU-TAU – messengers - and UP SHU - to brighten or illuminate - I found a rare word from the Pyramid Texts, PR, which means to come out.
But the word PR as used in … the Pyramid Texts means to ascend (to heaven). Thus this series of signs and words which refer to the crown of the head clearly suggests that the Egyptians had some such concept as the Aperture of Brahma as an exit point for the soul from the body.
Twin horns
Activity not known
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2250
|
__label__wiki
| 0.522974
| 0.522974
|
Artist and sculptor
Books, sutras and myths
Business and political leaders
Explorer or adventurer
Film directors and screenwriters
Ill or disabled
Musician or composer
Mystic groups and systems
Ordinary person
Other spiritually gifted people
Sources returnpage
Steiner, Rudolf
Category: Mystic
Rudolf Steiner (25 February 1861– 30 March 1925) was an Austrian philosopher, literary scholar, educator, artist, playwright, social thinker, and esotericist. He was the founder of Anthroposophy, Waldorf education, biodynamic agriculture and anthroposophical medicine and the new artistic form of Eurythmy.
He characterized anthroposophy as follows: “Anthroposophy is a path of knowledge, to guide the spiritual in the human being to the spiritual in the universe…. “
And he was also a mystic.
Steiner had much the same beliefs as all mystics seeing the universe as essentially an indivisible unity of spirit, but that our 5 senses divides it into the sense-perceptible world, on the one hand, and the spiritual world accessible with our mind - through our Higher spirit. He saw that thinking itself can be strengthened and deepened sufficiently to penetrate all that our senses do not reveal to us. Steiner thus explicitly rejected all justification for a division between 'faith' [that revealed via the Higher spirit] and 'knowledge' [that revealed via our 5 senses].
He believed that the apparent duality we experience of physical and non physical is conditioned by the structure of our consciousness, which separates the 5 senses and perception on the one hand, and memory and reason on the other, but these two set of functions give us two complementary views of the same world; neither has primacy and the two together are necessary and sufficient to arrive at a complete understanding of the world. In thinking about memory and reason (the path of science) and perceiving the process of perception (the path of spiritual training), it is possible to discover a hidden inner unity between the two poles of our experience.
Steiner believed in Darwin’s and Haeckel’s evolutionary theories but extended this beyond its materialistic consequences. He believed that evolution included the evolution of spirit - function, as well as the form based world we see with our 5 senses. He also believed it was not possible to fully understand the process of evolution without an understanding of the spiritual underpinnings of the form based universe, as 'chance' mutations could not account for the changes that took place. As function and form are closely interwoven, a change of function necessitated a change of form - function change drove form based change. Or to provide a simple example, if you want to 'fly' [function] you need wings [form].
Steiner believed that through freely chosen ethical disciplines and meditative training, anyone could develop the ability to experience the spiritual world, including the higher nature of oneself and others. He believed that such discipline and training would help a person to become a more moral, creative and free individual - free in the sense of being capable of actions motivated solely by love.
Steiner graduated from the Vienna Institute of Technology, where he studied mathematics, physics, and philosophy, he also earned a doctorate in philosophy at the University of Rostock in Germany. But according to his autobiography, at 21, on the train between his home village and Vienna, he met a simple herb gatherer, Felix Kogutski, who spoke about the spiritual world "as someone who had his own experiences of it...." This herb gatherer introduced Steiner to a person that Steiner only identified as a "master", and who had a great influence on Steiner's subsequent development.
In 1899 Steiner experienced what he described as a life-transforming inner encounter with the being of 'Christ'. Previously he had little or no relation to Christianity in any form. Then and thereafter, his relationship to Christianity remained entirely founded upon personal experience, and thus both non-denominational and strikingly different from conventional religious forms.
The fruits of these influences first appeared publicly in an article published in 1899 that Steiner wrote for Magazin für Literatur, titled "Goethe's Secret Revelation", which described the symbolic nature of Goethe's fairy tale, The Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily.
From this point on Steiner, until his death in 1925, articulated an ongoing stream of experiences of the spiritual world. His objective became that of applying his training in mathematics, science, and philosophy to produce rigorous, verifiable presentations of those experiences.
The Anthroposophical Society
Steiner Waldorf school in Stavanger
Steiner for a while followed the Theosophical movement, but the Anthroposophical Society was founded when Steiner and the majority of members of the German section of the Theosophical Society broke off to form a new group. Despite the major convergences between Theosophy and his own system, Steiner stated that his movement had different aims and that his philosophy was “an integrated whole that came from direct spiritual insight." And indeed the movement did develop along very different lines driven by Steiner's vision.
Steiner was particularly influenced by Goethe. He developed his studies of Goethe’s ideas in several books, including The Theory of Knowledge Implicit in Goethe's World-Conception (1886) and Goethe's Conception of the World (1897).
Eventually Steiner's ideas gelled around the six main activities that are still active today. The concept was an integrated one, all would be spiritually driven and complement one another. To be spiritually open and creative, one needed to be healthy thus medicine formed one key plank but also plants, as his farming methods were based on what we would now term sustainable organic farming of plants that heal through their nutrient value and boost the immune system.
The education aspect of his approach was also intended to be close to that which I have described in Home schooling, in other words, learning how to learn and observe and using project based methods to teach a cross section of skills. In effect one learns from practical application and problem solving.
Melbourne's Steiner school
His educational ideals have received a constant battering from educationalists keen to instill their own ideas and beliefs in the young, and there have been compromises over the years, but much still remains. What has probably been lost is the system whereby belief systems were constantly questioned. In an exam based education system, questioning the veracity of what one is taught does not help! One of the major and important things to be retained, is the use of Beauty, music and art as well as Communing with nature in all age groups, not just the young, as a means of opening up creative thought and promoting relaxation.
Eurythmy was intended to be a sound and movement approach that both healed through music and healed through keeping the person fit. It was not really intended for performance, but had similar aims to Gurdjieff's sacred dances.
The architecture arm was geared towards creating a sacred geography, sacred spaces aligned with nature that gave people a greater sense of belonging and peace, as well as providing a reminder of the universal symbol system and trying to recreate 'heaven on earth'.
The final plank was that of 'Social good', which put in its simplest form is simply practising LOVE as opposed to HATE! In essence Steiner was advocating Suppression based activities and his thinking and approach have been a very big influence on how I have organised this site.
The School of Spiritual Science
During the Anthroposophical Society's Christmas conference in 1923, Steiner founded the School of Spiritual Science, intended as an open university for research and study. This university, which has various sections or faculties, has grown steadily; it is particularly active today in the fields of education, medicine, agriculture, art, natural science, literature, philosophy, sociology and economics.
Below: Linuwel Steiner school
Biodynamic agriculture
Biodynamic agriculture, or biodynamics, comprises an ecological and sustainable farming system, that includes many of the ideas of organic farming (but predates the term).
In 1924, a group of farmers concerned about the future of agriculture requested Steiner's help; Steiner responded with a lecture series on agriculture. A central concept of these lectures was to "individualize" the farm by bringing no or few outside materials onto the farm, but producing all needed materials such as manure and animal feed from within what he called the "farm organism".
Other aspects of biodynamic farming inspired by Steiner's lectures include timing activities such as planting in relation to the movement patterns of the moon and planets and applying "preparations", which consist of natural materials which have been processed in specific ways, to soil, compost piles, and plants with the intention of engaging 'elemental forces'.
Steiner believed that the introduction of chemical farming was very detrimental. Stating "Mineral manuring is a thing that must cease altogether in time, for the effect of every kind of mineral manure, after a time, is that the products grown on the fields thus treated lose their nutritive value. It is an absolutely general law."
Even as far back as the 1920s , Steiner was warning about the dangers we faced from the way we were using pesticides and insecticides and wrote a prophetic book on bees warning that what we were doing would eventually kill bees and would have utterly catastrophic results.
Anthroposophical medicine
From 1910, Steiner worked with doctors to create a new approach to medicine. In 1921, a group of pharmacists and physicians under Steiner's guidance created the Weleda pharmaceutical company, which now distributes natural medical products worldwide. At around the same time, Dr. Ita Wegman founded the first anthroposophic medical clinic in Arlesheim, Switzerland (now called the Wegman Clinic).
Steiner also created, as part of the Anthroposophical medicine movement a broad range of supportive therapies. Homes for children and adults with developmental disabilities based on his work (including those of the Camphill movement) are widely spread.
The principle of his medical approach was largely based on homeopathy - tiny doses to get people back in balance and only short term treatment because the intention was to heal. In effect it was true medicine designed to treat causes of illness not symptoms - see Healing yourself.
Waldorf schools
As a young man, Steiner supported the independence of educational institutions from governmental control. In 1907, he wrote a long essay, entitled "Education in the Light of Spiritual Science", in which he described the major phases of child development and suggested that these would be the basis of a healthy approach to education. In 1919, Emil Molt invited him to lecture on the topic of education to the workers at Molt's factory in Stuttgart. Out of this came a new school, the Waldorf school. During Steiner's lifetime, schools based on his educational principles were also founded in Hamburg, Essen, The Hague and London; there are now more than 1000 Waldorf schools worldwide.
Eurythmy
Together with Marie Steiner-von Sievers, Rudolf Steiner developed the art of Eurythmy, sometimes referred to as "visible speech and visible song". According to the principles of Eurythmy, there are archetypal movements or gestures that correspond to every aspect of speech - the sounds, or phonemes, the rhythms, the grammatical function, and so on - to every "soul quality" - laughing, despair, intimacy, etc. - and to every aspect of music - tones, intervals, rhythms, harmonies, etc.
Steiner also founded a new approach to artistic speech and drama. Various ensembles work with this approach, called "speech formation" (Ger.:Sprachgestaltung), and training exists in various countries, including England, the United States, Switzerland, and Germany. The actor Michael Chekhov extended this approach in what is now known as the Chekhov method.
Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School
It is worth adding that this form of music and movement has been found to also have great healing potential and a number of Pubmed papers exist which show the beneficial effects.
I have included some of these papers on the site linked to this section, as by classifying them under the PubMed heading they would have got lost.
As a playwright, Steiner wrote four "Mystery Dramas" between 1909 and 1913, including The Portal of Initiation and The Soul's Awakening. They are still performed today by Anthroposophical groups.
Titirangi Early Childhood School
His paintings and drawings have been exhibited in museums and galleries, and he influenced Joseph Beuys and other significant modern artists. As a sculptor, his works include The Representative of Humanity (1922). This nine-meter high wood sculpture was a joint project with the sculptor Edith Maryon; it is on permanent display at the Goetheanum in Dornach.
Steiner designed 17 buildings, including the First and Second Goetheanums. These two buildings, built in Dornach, Switzerland, were intended to house the University for Spiritual Science. Three of Steiner's buildings, including both Goetheanum buildings, have been listed amongst the most significant works of modern architecture. Other anthroposophical architects have contributed thousands of buildings to the modern scene. Examples of the designs for schools are in this section. Steiner was keen to incorporate into all his designs the ideas that form should mirror function, and that it should always be a Safe House [or its equivalent] - a threat free environment.
First Goetheanum
One of first institutions to practice ethical banking was an anthroposophical bank using Steiner's ideas.
Steiner’s spiritual path is described in Knowledge of Higher Worlds (1904/5). In the book, he describes his conception of a path of spiritual development, detailing many principles of life (openness, positivity, respect for others), spiritual exercises (control of thought and will, directed imaginations) and experiences likely to arise on this path (trials and spiritual perceptions).
The techniques
Many of Steiner’s techniques are encapsulated in his book How to Know Higher Worlds: A Modern Path of Initiation (1904-5)
The book may make confusing reading for someone used to direct instructions and obvious step by step methods. This is because Steiner’s approach is not based on ‘one-off’ techniques, it is a way of life and thus incorporates many approaches which some may regard as ‘moral stuff’ when in fact they are essential ‘spiritual stuff’.
He uses no drugs and very few of the techniques one might associate with spiritual experience – no staring at objects, no sex, no severe deprivation. He was particularly against the use of drugs.
How to Know Higher Worlds – Rudolf Steiner
[they] cannot lead to anything positive, but will only undermine health, happiness, and peace of mind. If we do not wish to entrust ourselves to dark powers, whose true nature and origin we do not know, we shall do well to leave [these other] approaches alone.
His system is a system for life, you live it and thus the techniques have to be workable on an on-going basis capable of being used as part of your way of living as opposed to one-off techniques.
These practical rules are not arbitrary. They are based on age-old experience and wisdom. They are given in a similar manner wherever ways to higher knowledge are taught. All true teachers of spiritual life agree upon the content of these rules, though they may not always express them in the same words. Any apparent differences are only minor and are due to facts we need not discuss here.
No true teacher of spiritual life exercises dominion over other human beings by means of such rules.
Such teachers do not seek to restrict anyone’s autonomy. Indeed there is no better judge and guardian of human independence than a spiritual researcher
But, he emphasises time and again that all the techniques can be learnt by anyone………….
In actuality, inner knowledge is no different from other kinds of human knowledge and ability. It is a mystery for the average person only to the extent that writing is a mystery for those who have not yet learned to write. Just as, given the right teaching methods, anyone can learn to write, so too anyone can become a student of esoteric knowledge, and yes, even a teacher of it, if he or she follows the appropriate path. Ordinary knowledge and ability differ from esoteric knowledge in one respect only. A person may not have the possibility of learning to write because of the cultural conditions or poverty he or she is born into, but no one who seeks sincerely will find any barriers to achieving knowledge and abilities in the higher worlds.
One of the difficulties with his system is that he wrote so much [see references] that one never knows whether one has captured all the mechanisms and techniques he did espouse, but I hope in the cross references I have provided that I have described the main ones. Of the techniques some are worthy of especial mention…………….
The Steiner school in Melbourne, Australia
Steiner is one of the few more modern teachers to emphasise the usefulness and validity of Ordinary dreaming…………
We cannot perceive anything in our waking state because the [spiritual] impressions made upon us in that state are weak. The reason for this is similar to why we do not see the stars by day. Namely, their light is too weak when compared with the powerful light of the sun. In the same way, the weaker impressions of the spiritual world count for very little when compared to the powerful impressions of the physical senses.
When the doors of the outer senses are closed during sleep, these impressions from the spiritual world light up at random. As they do, so we then become, as dreamers, aware of experiences in the other world.
At first, of course, these experiences consist of no more than what the sense bound mind imprints on the spiritual world….. But our dreams [after some time] lose their meaningless, disorderly and disconnected character and begin to form an increasingly regular, lawful and coherent world. As we evolve further, this new dream born world not only becomes equal of outer sensory reality with regard to inner truth, but also reveals facts depicting, in the full sense of the word, a higher reality
Steiner understood the importance of cutting down on our objectives and obligations and becoming more introspective, but on the whole he was not too prescriptive about how it should be achieved.
Steiner Litle Yarra school
This consists in our learning to surrender ourselves less and less to the impressions of the outer world and develop instead an active inner life. If we chase after amusements and rush from one sense impression to the next, we will not find the way to esoteric knowledge. Not that .. students should become dull or unfeeling toward the outer world; rather, a rich inner life should orient us in responding to impressions.
Steiner’s is a good system. It is kind and workable, capable of being sustained, but it is very short of prescriptive descriptions. He understood the aims and the mechanisms, and he is good on the ‘what’ but not very good on the ‘how’. And at 350 volumes, reading up on what he said and did is a lifetime’s work.
Newcastle waldorf school
For example, dreaming is good – but how do you dream productively, how can you tell a learning dream from a memory formation dream? The Steiner schools should help, but for those who want to forge their own path, this may not be what they want, for those willing to immerse themselves in one philosophy it is a very good option.
I have done my best to distill his ideas on this site, but there is inevitably going to be something I have missed.
Readers of the Berkshire Record have voted Great Barrington
Rudolf Steiner School (GBRSS) the best school in the Berkshires
The more than 350 volumes of Steiner's collected works include about forty volumes containing his writings as well as over 6000 lectures. Steiner's collected works include books, essays, plays ('mystery dramas'), mantric verse and an autobiography.
His collected lectures make up another approximately 300 volumes. Notable books include:
Philosophy of Freedom (1893) (also translated as Philosophy of Spiritual Activity): his chief philosophical work.
Theosophy: An Introduction (1904), in which he sets forth his ideas of the body-soul-spirit constitution of the human being, reincarnation, and the unity of the spiritual and sense-perceptible ("as two sides of a single coin").
Knowledge of Higher Worlds (1904/5), in which he describes his conception of a path of spiritual development, detailing many principles of life (openness, positivity, respect for others), spiritual exercises (control of thought and will, directed imaginations) and experiences likely to arise on this path (trials and spiritual perceptions).
An Outline of Esoteric Science (1910), in which he describes a vast panorama of cosmic evolution, the spiritual hierarchies that guide this evolution, and the path of spiritual development that leads to such perceptions.
Truth and Knowledge doctoral thesis, (1892)
Mysticism at the Dawn of Modern Age (1901/1925)
Cosmic Memory: Prehistory of Earth and Man (1904)
How to Know Higher Worlds: A Modern Path of Initiation (1904-5)
The Education of the Child, (1907)
Four Mystery Dramas (1913)
The Renewal of the Social Organism (1919)
Reordering of Society: The Fundamental Social Law (1919) (article)
Fundamentals of Therapy: An Extension of the Art of Healing Through Spiritual Knowledge (1925)
The Story of my Life (1924-5) (autobiography)
Nature Spirits – collected lectures on the topic
For iPad/iPhone users: tap letter twice to get list of items.
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - A land of milk and honey
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - A swarm of bees, an image of the human soul flying away from the body
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - Bee venom cure or killer - 2?
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - Bee venom cure or killer?
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - Beekeeping makes human beings strong
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - Honey and its healing effects for the elderly
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - Honey is the regurgitated product of the worker bees
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - Honey, infertility and rickety babies
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - Queens, Eggs and the Sun
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - Revering the existence and conduct of bees
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - Something terribly shocking about horses that do calculations
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - Stinging is not a pleasant experience for a bee
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - Swarms as a symbol of reincarnation
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - The artificial breeding of bees
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - The different bee types and their times to reach maturity
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - The milk and honey cure for children
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - The nuptial flight of the virgin queen
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - The sensory system of a bee
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - The soul connection between bees and good beekeepers
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - The whole is always greater than the sum of the parts
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - Too much honey upsets the acid/alkaline balance
Bees – Lectures by Rudolf Steiner - What has consciousness?
PubMed - Steiner Anthroposophic health care - an assessment
PubMed - Steiner Eurythmy - And ADHD
PubMed - Steiner Eurythmy - And Asthma
PubMed - Steiner Eurythmy - And Cancer therapy
PubMed - Steiner Eurythmy - And children with chronic diseases
PubMed - Steiner Eurythmy - And Chronic Back Pain
PubMed - Steiner Eurythmy - And chronic disease
PubMed - Steiner Eurythmy - And Depression
PubMed - Steiner Eurythmy - And migraine
PubMed - Steiner Eurythmy - Brain tumour therapy
PubMed - Steiner Eurythmy - Sleep deprivation and stress
PubMed - Steiner Eurythmy - Stress and chronic disease
PubMed - Steiner Eurythmy - Stress, anxiety and trauma
Steiner, Rudolf - Elemental Beings of Earth and Water [3/4/1912] lecture notes
Steiner, Rudolf - Elemental Spirits and the Plant World
Steiner, Rudolf - Gnomes, Undines, Sylphs and Salamanders
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - Abide in calm single mindedness
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - Auras
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - Awakening the spirit
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - Beyond Birth and Death
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - Chakras and the Aura
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - Developing an active inner life
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - Devotion and reverence
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - Do I need a guru?
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - Effects of the spiritual life
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - Exercising your will
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - Finding your destiny
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - Good health is key to spiritual experience
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - Higher spirit
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - Inner speech
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - Names
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - On humility
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - Patience
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - The benefits of communing with Nature
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - The functions of plants
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - The importance of symbols in dreams
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - The lust for power and how to combat it
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - The need for courage
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - The potion of oblivion
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - The understanding of the ecstatic
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - The value of dreams and dreaming
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds - Understanding the vision
Steiner, Rudolf - How to Know Higher Worlds – The Symbol System
Steiner, Rudolf - Nature spirits - Animals have souls
Steiner, Rudolf - Nature spirits - Architecture, design, function and form
Steiner, Rudolf - Nature spirits - Cycles of time
Steiner, Rudolf - Nature spirits - Fire spirits
Steiner, Rudolf - Nature spirits - How flowers grow
Steiner, Rudolf - Nature spirits - Lunar Pitris
Steiner, Rudolf - Nature spirits - On creation and destruction
Steiner, Rudolf - Nature spirits - Perception and evolution
Steiner, Rudolf - Nature spirits - Sylphs
Steiner, Rudolf - Nature spirits - The Earth band
Steiner, Rudolf - Nature spirits - The forces of Nature
Steiner, Rudolf - Nature spirits - The misuse of power
Steiner, Rudolf - Nature spirits - The spirits of minerals, viruses and bacteria
Steiner, Rudolf - Nature spirits - Thoughts
Steiner, Rudolf - Phantoms Spectres and Demons
Steiner, Rudolf - Redemption and the Elementals [1909] - Fire
Steiner, Rudolf - Redemption and the Elementals [1909] - The Elements
Steiner, Rudolf - The disembodied souls who are too good for the bodies of a subordinate order and for the other bodies too bad
Steiner, Rudolf - The Inner Nature of Music and the Experience of Tone 1906
Steiner, Rudolf - The Portal of Initiation - Johannes speech
Youtube video - Eurythmy and Waldorf Education - excerpt from Eurythmy DVD
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2251
|
__label__wiki
| 0.726881
| 0.726881
|
Click to copyhttps://apnews.com/5883c1e234c54151b29006efdc44e868
Students protest Italy’s spending plans, burning effigies
By COLLEEN BARRYOctober 13, 2018
Protesters burn lookalike dummies of Italian deputy premiers Matteo Salvini, left, and Luigi Di Maio, during a students protest, in Turin, Italy, Friday, Oct.12, 2018. Italian students across the country demonstrated against the failure of the government’s spending plans to include promised allocations for schools, in the first widespread show of dissident against the new populist government. Students demonstrated in 50 cities, including the capital Rome, and in Turin, where students burned effigies of deputy premiers Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio. (Alessandro Di Marco/ANSA via AP)
MILAN (AP) — Students across Italy demonstrated against the government’s education funding plans, in the first widespread show of dissidence against the new populist government.
Students demonstrated in 50 cities, including some 3,000 who ended their protest outside the Education Ministry in Rome. Hundreds gathered in the northern city of Turin, where protesters burned effigies of deputy premiers Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio.
A student leader told Radio 24 that the education ministry had not accepted their request to meet.
“We reject the ‘savings’ campaign regarding schools,” said Giammarco Manfreda, a protest leader. “If the government isn’t afraid of change, show it by investing in education.”
Students were critical of a lack of funds for textbooks, transport and improvements to school buildings, many of which have not undergone serious upgrades in years due to spending cuts. Students also protested for the right of children of foreigners born in Italy to be granted automatic citizenship, and not wait until their 18th birthdays to apply, and against suggestions by Salvini to restart the draft.
Salvini reacted angrily to the protests, saying that burning effigies and hanging them on street lamps “is disgusting.”
“These ‘democratic’ students, coddled by social centers and by some professors, need many lessons in civic education,” Salvini said on Twitter.
Di Maio, who is economic development and labor minister, responded by saying that the ministry’s doors were open. “Let’s build a new school together,” he said.
The Italian parliament has approved the government’s spending plan, which includes money to roll back a pension reform, to offer a basic salary to some job-seekers and to lower taxes. All of these measures were top campaign promises.
The government calculates that the boost in spending will increase its deficit to 2.4 percent of GDP, which has worried investors and other countries that share the euro as a currency with Italy.
Italy’s economy minister has been attempting to reassure international partners, most recently meeting with the U.S. Treasury Secretary on the sidelines of an IMF-World Bank meeting in Bali.
The Economics Ministry said in a statement Friday that Giovanni Tria told his U.S. counterpart, Steven Mnuchin, during a meeting in Bali that the aim of the 2019 budget is “to reinforce growth in the Italian economy.”
Mnuchin told reporters Saturday that Tria had given him a “good overview” of Italy’s plans and he was comfortable with it.
The statement said Tria also “underlined the determination to follow a path to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio, and he confirmed the intention to continue constructive dialogue with the EU commission and eurozone countries.”
Italy’s plan to boost spending has created concern that the eurozone’s third-largest economy won’t be able to bring down its high debt. Italy insists that the measures will boost economic growth, eventually bringing the deficit back down, but investors appear skeptical. They have pushed up Italy’s borrowing costs in bond markets, a sign of caution.
With the spending plan approved by Parliament, the government’s next move is to outline a draft budget to send to the EU headquarters by Monday. The EU Commission is expected to push back on the budget.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2253
|
__label__wiki
| 0.785178
| 0.785178
|
Health Canada approves imaging agent for use with suspected Parkinson’s disease
By Staff News Brief
DaTscan™, a radiopharmaceutical adjunct imaging agent for the evaluation of patients suspected of having a parkinsonian syndrome such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple system atrophy, and progressive supranuclear palsy, has been approved by Health Canada. Approval was received in early January 2018, according to its manufacturer, GE Healthcare of Chalfont St. Giles, UK. It will be available commercially throughout Canada in early 2018.
DaTscan (loflupane I 123 Injection) is a radioactive drug that is injected into the bloodstream to image the striatum of the brain using a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) camera. GE Healthcare stated that the imaging agent is not designed to differentiate among different forms of parkinsonian syndrome.
Parkinson’s disease alone affects an estimated 100,000 individuals in Canada. More than five million people worldwide are estimated to have this disease. GE Healthcare stated that with the availability of DaTscan, this offers an additional tool to help radiologists address the challenges of Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
Health Canada approves imaging agent for use with suspected Parkinson’s disease. Appl Radiol.
By Staff News Brief| February 07, 2018
Staff News Brief
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2255
|
__label__wiki
| 0.738741
| 0.738741
|
Lao People's Democratic Republic (12)
macroeconomic stability
Lao People's Democratic Republic x
IMF Staff Country Reports x
Keywords: foreign exchange x
IMF Executive Board Concludes 2012 Article IV Consultation with the Lao People’s Democratic Republic »
Source: Lao People's Democratic Republic : Staff Report for the 2012 Article IV Consultation
Keywords: inflation, macroeconomic stability, foreign currency, foreign exchange
Against the backdrop of generally sound policies and abundant natural resources, Lao P.D.R. has made impressive progress in developing its economy and reducing poverty. The key challenge going forward is to ensure...
Lao People's Democratic Republic : Recent Economic Developments »
Keywords: banking, commercial banks, banking system, nonperforming loans, foreign exchange
This paper describes economic developments in Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) during the 1990s. Economic reforms in Lao PDR that started in 1986 were supported by IMF arrangements in 1989-97. During those ye...
Keywords: commercial banks, foreign exchange, banking, foreign currency, banking system
This paper reviews economic developments in Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) during 1992-95. To highlight in more detail the factors that contributed to Lao PDRs macroeconomic performance during 1992-95, the...
Keywords: investors, foreign investors, foreign exchange, foreign investment, direct investment
This report discusses major developments in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR), and updates the statistical tables on recent economic developments and provides an overview of the real sector. Factors that h...
Lao People's Democratic Republic : Staff Report for the 2012 Article IV Consultation »
Lao People's Democratic Republic »
Source: Lao People's Democratic Republic : Recent Economic Developments
Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Staff Report for the 2012 Article IV Consultation—Debt Sustainabilityanalysis »
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2257
|
__label__wiki
| 0.800948
| 0.800948
|
WHO, Pharma, Gates and Government: Who’s Calling the Shots?
Weekly Health Quiz: Dehydration, Light Bulbs and CBD
Why Snopes Gets an 'F'
The World Health Organization (WHO) has ranked “vaccine hesitancy” as one of the top 10 Threats to Global Health in 2019
Since 2011, pharmaceutical companies have no liability for injuries and deaths caused by the vaccines they sell in the U.S. that are government recommended and mandated
A joint investigation by the British Medical Journal and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism revealed that three key scientists who influenced WHO’s decision to declare a swine flu influenza pandemic in 2009 and recommend all countries use and stockpile vaccines and pandemic flu drugs had financial ties to pharmaceutical companies profiting from the WHO recommendations
The Gates Foundation has donated more than $3 billion to Gavi. Between 2000 and 2013, only 10 percent of total funding provided by Gavi was used to strengthen health systems in developing countries, while nearly 80 percent was used to purchase, deliver and promote vaccines
The National Institutes of Health and other U.S. federal health agencies give millions of dollars in taxpayer dollars to academic institutions and vaccine manufacturers to improve vaccine technology, find new lucrative vaccine markets and boost vaccine marketability. The U.S. government also partners with the Gates Foundation to develop and promote vaccine use
By Barbara Loe Fisher
The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a report on January 16, 2019 ranking "vaccine hesitancy" as one of the top "10 Threats to Global Health in 2019," alongside air pollution and climate change, noncommunicable diseases, global influenza pandemic, antimicrobial resistance and infectious diseases such as ebola, dengue fever and HIV.1
Throughout history, the greatest contributors to disease and early death in human populations have been poverty, poor sanitation and poor nutrition,2,3,4 but infectious diseases with pharmaceutical solutions dominated this list.
And, there was no mention of the major opioid addiction crisis crippling and killing tens of thousands of people in the U.S. and Europe,5,6 or the iatrogenic medical error epidemic that every year claims more than 750,000 lives in Europe7 and 250,000 lives in the U.S., where it is the third leading cause of death.8
The immediate mainstream media response to the WHO's announcement was to focus on "vaccine hesitancy," with The Editorial Board of The New York Times declaring January 19 that "anti-vaxxers" are "the enemy" and calling on the U.S. government to "get tough" by waging a "bold and aggressive" pro-vaccine campaign that includes "tightening restrictions around how much leeway states can grant families that want to skip essential vaccines."9
By January 23, The Hill announced Washington state had declared a state of emergency because of 23 cases of measles reported in an "anti-vaccination community" near Portland, Oregon,10 and there was a public call in the U.K. for social media platforms to "clamp down on fake news" and censor "misleading information and negative messaging around vaccination."11,12
The New York Times' editorial headline, "How to Inoculate Against Anti-Vaxxers," was a theme repeated in articles reacting to the WHO's suggestion that people wanting to make informed, voluntary decisions about vaccination are a global menace. One doctor suggested that parents who don't vaccinate their children are selfish: "[I]t's a matter of 'I don't care about other people in the community, I only care about the health and welfare of my own child.'"13
There was no discussion about institutionally acknowledged gaps in vaccine safety science14,15 or the fact that most parents dutifully follow the advice of pediatricians and public health officials and only became vaccine safety critics after the risks of vaccination for their children turned out to be 100 percent.16,17
There was no discussion about the fact that since 2011, pharmaceutical companies have no liability for injuries and deaths caused by the vaccines they sell in the U.S. that are government recommended and mandated.18
Instead, parents of vaccine injured children and others concerned about vaccine safety, who for decades have been asking government and industry to produce better quality vaccine science and more humane vaccine policies that respect genetic and biological diversity, were stereotyped as "anti-vaxxers" and demonized as a "threat" to public health.
The Editorial Board of The New York Times explained, "It's no mystery how we got here. On the internet, anti-vaccine propaganda has outpaced pro-vaccine public health information."
Authoritatively, "the Board, its editor and the publisher" of The New York Times stated that, "Scientists, especially, are uncomfortable with black and white statements, because science is all about nuance. But, in the case of vaccines, there are some hard truths that deserve to be trumpeted. Vaccines are not toxic, and they do not cause autism. Full stop."
There was no discussion about why people are legitimately concerned about vaccine ingredients19 and Pharma paying the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fast track new vaccines to licensure without adequate testing.20
There was no discussion about the fact that doctors giving children 69 doses of 16 vaccines starting on the day of birth21 — three times as many vaccinations as they got in 198322 — cannot explain why so many highly vaccinated children in the U.S. today are sicker, not healthier today: 1 child in 6 is learning disabled23 and 1 in 40 has autism.24
Millions more suffer with asthma, diabetes, severe allergies, epilepsy, cancer, schizophrenia, depression and other chronic disease marked by chronic inflammation in the body.
The CDC states that "90 percent of the $3.3 trillion in annual health care expenditures are for people with chronic and mental health conditions."25 The largely unexplained chronic disease and disability epidemic in the U.S. is bankrupting the U.S. health care system and there is no research being funded to investigate the role that ever-increasing numbers of vaccines given to infants, children and adults may be playing.
Multinational pharmaceutical corporations26,27 in command of a global $34 billion vaccine market28,29 are holding billion-dollar contracts with mass communication companies30 and public-private partnerships with governments to purchase vaccines and create vaccine marketing campaigns31,32,33,34 that dwarf the relatively small number of websites and blogs labeled "anti-vax" simply for criticizing vaccine science and government policy.35
Yet, there is no recognition by mainstream media articles of the fact that wealthy corporations and philanthropic foundations with political agendas,36,37 well-paid medical doctors38,39,40 and government health officials in charge of operating the vaccine system41 are in privileged positions of power with a distinct advantage over ordinary people subjected to vaccine laws that place an unequal risk burden on individuals with genetic and biological susceptibility to suffering harm from vaccination.42,43
'Bio-Populism' Blamed for Vaccine Hesitancy in Europe
In the U.K., The Economist published an article entitled, "The Campaign Against Vaccination," in which an anonymous author declared, "Across Europe, the rise of populism is damaging public health. A common feature is skepticism of vaccines."44
Pointing to Italy, Austria and France as hotbeds of political support for "parental choice" about vaccination, the author attempted to politically tie growing public support for vaccine choice to a fear of migrants and coined a new term: "bio-populism," saying:
"It is increasingly clear that Europe's populists want for the body what they want for the nation: purity, unity and self-governance. Populist health policies mean citizens being free from outside influences — whether vaccines devised by doctors, regulations invented by politicians or diseases supposedly carried by migrants — and in control of their own epidemiology."
He (or she?) went on to explain that bio-populism is a "combination of me-first libertarianism and anti-expertise herd mentality." Quoting Italian medical professor Dr. Roberto Burioni, who has stated authoritatively that "Vaccines are not an opinion" and offered an explanation for "Why science can't be democratic," The Economist article ended with a warning that, "At least one pandemic will probably sweep the interconnected world in the next decade. Viruses, after all, know no borders."
There was no discussion of the fact that most parents and physicians calling for better quality vaccine science and informed consent protections in vaccine laws are ideologically diverse and do not all identify with one particular political party. In fact, a 2015 Pew Research Center survey revealed that age and parenthood had more to do with vaccine hesitancy, with young adults and parents with children under age 18 being less supportive of mandatory vaccination.45
Vaccines, Autism, Erosion of Trust in Drug Companies and Doctors
In the U.S., Live Science trumpeted: "Anti-Vaccine Movement Joins Ebola, Drug Resistance on List of Top Global Threats."46 A doctor at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security was quoted as saying the reason that noncommunicable diseases and not infectious diseases made the WHO's top 10 global threat list is "a testament to how powerful vaccines are."
Pointing to the jubilant public response to the release of polio vaccine in the 1950s, he commented, "We need to get back to that era when vaccines were celebrated the way a new iPhone [is]."
The headline People Magazine chose was "World Health Organization Names Anti-Vaxxers As a Top Threat to Global Health in 2019."47 At the beginning of the article, the following statement appeared: "There is no scientific link between vaccines and autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control."
It ended with the statement, "To tackle the rising levels of vaccine hesitancy, WHO plans to push forward with the goal of eliminating cervical cancer with greater application of HPV vaccine …"
U.S. News & World Report ran this headline: "WHO: Anti-Vaccine Movement a Top Threat in 2019."48 That author stated, "So-called anti-vaxxers refuse the required shots for their children on religious or philosophical grounds. An increase in unvaccinated children has, in part, been tied to the medically discredited belief that vaccines cause autism spectrum disorder."
Pointing out that a recent U.S. survey found that public trust in vaccination is on the decline, she added, "The heightened mistrust, researchers said, was especially prevalent in small pockets of people in insular communities or like-minded communities online."
Pacific Standard asked, "Are Anti-Vaxxers a Major Health Threat? The World Health Organization Says Yes."49 This article included a quote from a pediatrician:
"The ongoing erosion of trust in the medical establishment as a whole is also to blame, as frequent reports of dubious financial relationships between physicians, professional medical societies, and the pharmaceutical industry leave many questioning whether or not physicians can be trusted. Unsure of what to do and whom to listen to, many seek answers to their questions elsewhere, or simply rely on their gut feeling …"
Salon created the most sensational headline that asked the foreboding question, "The Anti-vaxxocalypse: What Happens to Humanity if Vaccine Hesitancy Continues?"50 The author explained to readers, "In other words, the anti-vaccination movement, which has inspired many in first-world countries to refuse or hesitate vaccination for easily-preventable diseases, is now a threat to global health and, ergo, stability."
The exaggerated response to the WHO announcement by corporations owning mainstream media outlets has been curiously uniform. Often using identical talking points, perspective from parents and physicians in the U.S. and Europe rationally calling for reform of the vaccine policies and laws is left out.51
The politics of vaccination are in full swing, but where is the money coming from to fund these vaccine marketing campaigns using name calling, threats, shaming and misinformation to demonize and call for discrimination against those who criticize vaccine science and government policy?
The WHO Markets Vaccines
Immediately after World War II in 1945, the United Nations (U.N.) voted to establish a new international health organization. In 1948, WHO was founded by the U.N. after ratification by 26 member states and given a budget of $5 million.
WHO is a specialized agency of the U.N. headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and is composed of six regional offices operating in different parts of the world, including the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Washington, D.C.
Today, 194 member states of the U.N. are impacted by the activities of the WHO, which has a broad mandate to "act as the directing and coordinating authority on international health work."52
The WHO Constitution, revised in 2006, states that its objective "is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health," and health is defined as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."53
The WHO Constitution also states that "Informed opinion and active co-operation on the part of the public are of the utmost importance in the improvement of the health of the people." The top priorities of the WHO when it was founded 70 years ago were malaria, tuberculosis, venereal diseases, maternal and child health, sanitary engineering and nutrition.
During the first 30 years of WHO's operation, the U.N. agency spearheaded a global smallpox eradication campaign (1958 to 1980); prevention and control of yaws, endemic syphilis, leprosy, trachoma, cholera and yellow fever (1960s); fertility regulation and birth control (1970s); childhood vaccination programs (initiated 1974); and the institution of primary health care of all national health systems (initiated 1978).54
Today, the WHO is the world's largest and most influential public health agency with an annual budget for 2018 to 2019 of $4.4 billion.55 Slightly more than 21.6 percent ($956.9 million) of the WHO budget is funded by assessments on member states and the remaining is funded by "voluntary contributions."
The biggest individual programs funded by WHO are for polio eradication vaccine campaigns ($903 million); vaccine campaigns for other communicable diseases ($805 million); and corporate services/enabling functions ($715.5 million).
Currently, the top 10 U.N. member state annual funders of WHO are the governments of the U.S. ($125 million); Japan ($49 million); China ($40 million); Germany ($33 million); France ($27 million); United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ($23 million); Brazil ($19.5 million); Italy ($19 million); Canada ($15 million) and Australia ($12 million).56
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest non-state funder of the WHO, having donated more than $2 billion in earmarked grants to the international health agency since 1998, and is the second largest WHO funder overall (after the U.S. government). Because Gates Foundation grant money is earmarked for specific programs, such as vaccine purchase, delivery and promotion, the Gates Foundation significantly influences the setting of WHO's program priorities.57
In 2010, after a joint investigation by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in collaboration with the London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism, an article was published in the BMJ revealing that three key scientists — who influenced the WHO's decision to declare a swine flu (H1N1) influenza pandemic in 2009 and recommend that all countries use and stockpile vaccines and pandemic flu drugs — had financial ties to pharmaceutical companies profiting from the WHO recommendations (GlaxoSmithKline and Roche).
WHO was also criticized for lack of transparency for refusing to release the identities of the 16 members of an emergency committee formed in 2009 to guide pandemic policy.58
The 2009 pandemic H1N1 vaccine, which was rushed to market to address a WHO declared pandemic that did not happen, triggered an autoimmune reaction in more than 1,300 people in Europe who got GSK's Pandemrix vaccine and left them with narcolepsy, an incurable immune mediated neurological disorder.59
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Marketing Vaccines
The WHO and the U.S. government are founding partners of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. In 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provided $750 million in seed money to spearhead the creation of Gavi, a public-private partnership and multilateral funding mechanism involving the WHO, governments, the vaccine industry, the World Bank, philanthropic foundations and civil society groups to "improve access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the world's poorest countries."60
Of the more than $15 billion raised by Gavi since 2000 to vaccinate the world's children, U.S. government contributions have totaled $1.9 billion or 12 percent of all contributions received by Gavi. The United Kingdom has contributed $2.2 billion or 14 percent of Gavi's total contributions.
The single biggest funding source for Gavi is the Gates Foundation, which has donated more than $3 billion or 20 percent of Gavi's total income.61 Between 2000 and 2013, only about 10 percent of total funding provided by Gavi ($862 million) was used to strengthen health systems in developing countries, such as improving sanitation and nutrition, while nearly 80 percent was used to purchase, deliver and promote vaccines.62
Gavi is headquartered in Geneva with an office in Washington, D.C. that carries out day-to-day operations, and one of Gavi's core goals is to "shape markets for vaccines and other immunization products."
In 2008, Gavi announced that five countries — Italy, Norway, Canada, the U.K. and Russia — had joined the Gates Foundation to pledge $1.5 billion in Advance Market Commitments (AMC) to accelerate access to pneumococcal vaccines with donors providing up-front funding commitments to support vaccine purchase and speed the introduction and use of vaccines in countries partnering with Gavi.
Currently, the AMC incentivizes vaccine manufacturers to sign contracts to provide pneumococcal vaccine to developing countries at lower per dose prices and be reimbursed by Gavi funds. By March 2015, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline had received more than $1 billion from Gavi's AMC funds.63
CDC officials provide Gavi with technical support and guidance. In 2015, the U.S. Congress pledged to appropriate $1 billion to Gavi that was spread over four years (2015 to 2018).64
At the World Health Summit in Berlin on October 16, 2018, Gavi CEO Dr. Seth Berkley announced that 11 heads of the world's leading health and development organizations had signed a "landmark commitment" to find new ways to accelerate achieving goals of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals created in 2015.
The new Global Action Plan vaccine marketing initiative is being coordinated by the WHO.65 Relating Sustainable Development Goals to vaccination of all the people in the world, Gavi states that:66
Immunization protects people from being forced into poverty by high out-of-pocket expenses
Vaccines protect child health and support cognitive development, allowing children to perform better at school and have more opportunities
Vaccinated healthy children grow into a productive workforce and become strong contributors to the economy, and healthy children free up parents' time so they are able to work
Vaccines are critical to building people's resilience to and mitigating the risk of disease outbreaks tied to climate change
Good health is a critical determinant of peace and well-being in a society. People-centered health systems are core social institutions in every country, and immunization is often the first point of contact between these systems and the population
In 2016, Berkley and other Gavi executives came under criticism in the U.K. for taking excessively high salary packages. According to an investigative news report:67
"Seth Berkley has taken home more than £2 million over the past four years as chief executive officer of Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi), which has been given £1.5 billion by Britain. Another official at the Geneva-based group collects a pay package of more than £500,000 a year. Incredibly, Dr. Berkley was given a housing allowance on top of his £623,370 pay package."
In December 2018, Berkley told CNN that "while measles is one of the few diseases we could potentially eradicate, that will never happen if wealthy countries like the United States can't maintain herd immunity. Because a measles case anywhere is a threat everywhere."
He said parents in the U.S. are delaying their children's vaccinations "perhaps because they believe in immunization but are worried by some of the anti-vaccine scaremongering. This needs to stop."
Echoing the idea that parents who don't go along with the vaccine program are selfish, he added, "In countries like the United States we need to stop thinking about vaccination as something you only do to protect the ones you love, and instead view it also as a goodwill act for the benefit of others."68
According to the CDC, in 2017 to 2018 "vaccination coverage among kindergarteners remained high," with 94 percent of children having received two doses of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine; four or five doses of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP) vaccine; and two doses of varicella zoster (chickenpox) vaccine (among many other vaccines required by states for school attendance). Only 2 percent of kindergarteners had an exemption from one or more state required vaccines.69
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Marketing of Vaccines
The Gates Foundation was established in 2000 by Microsoft Corporation founder Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda.70
Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the Gates Foundation is the largest philanthropic foundation in the world with a $43.5 billion trust that makes grant payments of more than $3 billion annually to advance the foundation's goals for reforming education systems, such as the institution of Common Core curriculum in all U.S. schools,71 and funding public health initiatives, primarily global vaccination programs.72
A major goal of the Gates Foundation is to make sure every child in the world is vaccinated.73 Investor businessman Warren Buffet, who took control of textile manufacturer Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. in 1965 and went on to amass a personal fortune of more than $60 billion, pledged $31 billion and became a co-director of Gates Foundation in 2006.74
In 1998, the same year that the U.S. Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft Corporation,75 Bill and Melinda Gates committed $100 million to create the Bill & Melinda Gates Children's Vaccine Program. One purpose of that program was to establish an international consensus on vaccine use recommendations:
"Efforts will be made to support international conferences and the development and dissemination of strong international consensus statements and recommendations for the use of the new vaccines."76
The homepage of the Gates Foundation proclaims ALL LIVES HAVE EQUAL VALUE and states77
"We believe we can save lives by delivering the latest in science and technology to those with the greatest needs. We work with partners to provide effective vaccines, drugs and diagnostics and to develop innovative approaches to deliver health services to those who need it most. And we invest heavily in developing new vaccines to prevent infectious diseases that impose the greatest burden."
In 2016, Global Justice Now published an investigative report, "Gated Development: Is the Gates Foundation always a force for good?" Authors were critical of the unchecked political power and influence on global health programs and agricultural policies of Bill Gates and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF):78
"To say that the BMGF has become an important actor in international development would be an understatement. When it comes to global health and agriculture policies, two of its key grant areas, the BMGF has become probably the most influential actor in the world.
It is also likely that Bill Gates, who has regular access to world leaders and is in effect personally bankrolling hundreds of universities, international organizations, NGOs and media outlets, has become the single most influential voice in international development.
But the BMGF's increasing global influence is not being subjected to democratic scrutiny. Unlike governments, which are formally accountable to their electorates, the BMGF is a private U.S. foundation, and remains unaccountable to public bodies (except for tax reporting purposes).
Even worse, the BMGF appears to have bought the silence of academics, NGOs and the media who might otherwise be expected to criticize aspects of the foundation's work."
Congress appropriated nearly $90 billion to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2018, and the biggest line item in the CDC's $11 billion budget was the Vaccines for Children program (VFC) ($4.5 billion), which was created by Congress in 1993.79
Under the VFC program, the federal government purchases CDC recommended vaccines from vaccine manufacturers to administer to children who are on Medicaid, are uninsured or whose health insurance plans do not fully cover CDC recommended vaccines.80,81 Hundreds of millions of dollars are additionally allocated in the HHS budget for vaccination programs, including $700 million for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
One of the most politically powerful public-private partnerships in the world today is the lucrative one that has been forged by the pharmaceutical industry with government,82,83,84,85,86 mainstream media87 and wealthy philanthropic foundations with political agendas.88,89
In the past decade, these public-private partnerships have come under scrutiny by public policy analysts. In 2015, authors of a special report published by the Global Policy Forum observed:90
"However, it is not only 'big business' but also 'big philanthropy' that has an increasing influence in global development policy, particularly large philanthropic foundations. The scope of their influence in both past and present discourse and decision-making processes is fully equal, and in some cases goes beyond that of other private actors.
Through the sheer size of their grant-making, personal networking and active advocacy, large global foundations, most notably the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have played an increasingly active role in shaping the agenda-setting and funding priorities of international organizations and governments."
For example, the Gates Foundation has given Johns Hopkins more than $100 million in research grants since 2015, including for vaccine development and promotion.91 At the same time, Johns Hopkins University receives more than $2 billion per year in funding from U.S. government agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), to conduct research, including for vaccine development and vaccine use promotion.92
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal health agencies give millions of dollars in taxpayer dollars to academic institutions and vaccine manufacturers to improve vaccine technology, find new lucrative vaccine markets and boost vaccine marketability.93 The U.S. government also partners with the Gates Foundation to develop and promote vaccine use.
For example, in 2013, the CDC Foundation received three grants totaling $13.5 million from the Gates Foundation to globally "advance the implementation" of meningitis and rotavirus vaccine programs.94
The Centers for Disease Control and the CDC Foundation have received more than $167 million from the Gates Foundation.95 Vaccine manufacturers have also received millions of dollars in grants from the Gates Foundation, including GlaxoSmithKline (over $50 million);96 Merck ($1.4 million);97 Pfizer ($16.5 million);98 and Sanofi Pasteur ($3.6 million).99
Big Media: Under the Influence
Mass media corporations also are under the influence of Big Pharma and Big Philanthropy money. For example, National Public Radio has received $20 million in grants100 and Solutions Journalism Network has received $4 million101 in grants from the Gates Foundation. Recently, Gates' Microsoft Corporation partnered with NewsGuard Technologies Inc.,102,103 a new corporation that is rating websites and online publications to "fight false news, misinformation and disinformation."104,105,106
The NewsGuard corporation is also collaborating with other corporations, such as Google,107,108 which owns over 90 percent of the internet search market.109 One of the biggest investors in NewsGuard is Publicis, the oldest advertising company in the world and the third largest mass communications company today.110
Publicis is paid billions of dollars by pharmaceutical companies to market vaccines,111 including a $1.5 billion media contract with GlaxoSmithKline.112 PDI, a Publicis health company, states:113
"Vaccination coverage in the United State is high, but in the face of the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as pertussis and measles, the existing gaps in the vaccination coverage of the U.S. population have become worrisome.
Gaps exist because not every patient who needs a vaccination gets it at the recommended age. Moreover, the recommendations for new vaccines, including vaccines for influenza and human papillomavirus (HPV), have been expanded ...
PDI's field-based medical sales representatives and inside medical sales representatives from our health care contact center can increase adoption of vaccines by responding to questions and concerns ... To increase immunization rates, we must build sustainable systems for vaccination within the context of a changing health care system.
Here [are] some recommended steps toward achieving this goal: assessment of the actual vaccination rate in a provider's practice; consistently making recommendations for timely vaccinations to both the parents of pediatric patients and adult patients; standing orders for non-physician personnel to carry out vaccinations at the scheduled time without physician involvement; educating physicians on emerging research of vaccine risks and on how to interact with parents who are concerned about the detrimental effects of the MMR and HPV vaccines; and educating physicians about state-sponsored and other programs that can help patients overcome financial barriers to vaccination."
It is clear that mass media communication today is being controlled by corporations financially tied to pharmaceutical companies and influenced by powerful political institutions in society. It goes a long way to explaining why mainstream media outlets have been nearly united in attacking parents and physicians who defend the ethical principle of informed consent, including informed consent to vaccination, and are calling for vaccine exemptions to be severely restricted or eliminated.114
The five largest companies in the world today are Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook.115 These and other technology corporations dominate online communications and sales and are positioned to join together to aggressively market vaccines and promote "no exceptions" vaccine use policies endorsed by the WHO and governments.
The threat to autonomy and freedom of thought and speech posed by these companies, especially in censoring online public conversations about vaccination and health, is considerable.116,117
The People Are Not Represented
Today, everybody knows somebody who was healthy, got vaccinated and was never healthy again. The people whose lives are being impacted by business deals between governments, Big Pharma and Big Philanthropy increasingly are being marginalized in the top-down public policymaking process by wealthy and powerful institutions in society financing the global multibillion-dollar vaccine industry.118
This is evident when the people raise their voices to ask for better vaccine science and more humane public health policies and are demonized, discriminated against and punished by those in control of those wealthy and powerful institutions.
A system that will not bend will break. The responsibility for the crisis of trust in the global vaccination system lies squarely at the feet of those who operate the system and refuse to acknowledge the suffering of the people harmed by vaccines.119,120
1 See All References
Previous Article Weekly Health Quiz: Dehydration, Light Bulbs and CBD
Next Article Why Snopes Gets an 'F'
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2260
|
__label__wiki
| 0.526091
| 0.526091
|
HANSARD 1803–2005 → 1990s → 1990 → January 1990 → 25 January 1990 → Lords Sitting
Courts and Legal Services Bill [H.L.]
HL Deb 25 January 1990 vol 514 cc1230-97 1230
§ House again in Committee.
§ Clause [The Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct]:
§ Lord Rawlinson of Ewell moved Amendment No. 96: Page 13, line 13, leave out ("Lord Chancellor's") and insert ("Lord Chief Justice's").
§ The noble and learned Lord said: In moving Amendment No. 96 I shall speak also to Amendments Nos. 97, 100, 102, 107, 109, 112, 116 and 118 to 120. All of those amendments stand in my name. I informed my noble and learned friend earlier of this intention.
§ Before I am rebuked by those with less parliamentary experience than I, I should say that I shall speak to all of those amendments as they are consequential on the principle of what I am now proposing in Amendment No. 96. We have now reached Clause 16 in this Bill. It is appropriately being debated on the night when half the Palace of Westminster appears to be blowing down and gales are whipping up the Thames beside this Chamber. Clause 16 concerns the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct. The functions of that committee appear on pages 66 to 68 in Schedules 1 and 2. Its specific functions are set out particularly in Schedule 2. It is stated in Schedule 2 that the advisory committee will: keep under review the education and training of those who offer to provide legal services". It is further stated that the advisory committee will consider the need for "continuing education and training". The advisory committee will also concern itself with the training: of those who offer to provide legal services … relevant to the needs of legal practice and to the efficient delivery of legal services to the public". The advisory committee will also deal with training in advocacy. It will consider what: form of initial academic and practical training is necessary". The advisory committee will also deal with the: further training for persons exercising such rights". It will also deal with training in the "conduct of litigation". It will consider: what form of initial academic and practical training is necessary to ensure that those who qualify … are adequately trained". All the functions of the advisory committee could be called technical and practical. They are based on the education and training of potential and future practising lawyers. The field of the advisory committee is the law. Its object presumably is to produce better and brighter lawyers than we have ever had in the past. I assume that that is the case as the word "develop" has been kept in the Bill. The advisory committee is a body corporate and it will consist of 15 members.
§ The first thing I ask the Chamber to consider is that the advisory committee has nothing to do with the exercise of government powers or with the practice of government policy. However, it has everything to do with how lawyers are trained, what they should learn, the theory of law on which they should base their training and, above all, their practice in the courts. Their training will be laid 1232 down in the same way as it is for people in other disciplines such as medicine, science and archaeology who devote their lives and careers to a particular discipline. Therefore, highly skilled and technical matters are involved within the duties of the advisory committee. It will be much concerned with the conduct, practice and procedure in court; namely those matters which are the concern not of Ministers, not of government, not of the Executive or of civil servants but of judges. The latter will eventually be drawn from those whose education and training has been controlled by this governmental committee.
§ It is the judges who will have to rely, as judges do in the practice of the English forensic style, on the integrity, knowledge and skill of advocates. Anyone who has even sat in a minor capacity in a judicial function realises that a great deal depends upon the skill of the advocate, not as regards persuading a jury to acquit a villain but in his skill in presenting complex points of law and making sure that all the authorities are before the court in which they are pleading. Yet we are invited to formulate a committee and agree to a committee which is to consist of people nominated by a Minister who will be a member of the Cabinet.
§ A Minister is to nominate people, the majority of whom have no real experience of the practice of law. It is stated in Clause 16(5) that some members of the committee will have had some experience in or knowledge of: the provision of legal services". However, that does not mean to say that they know much about the law. Clause 16(5) further states that the members of the committee will have some experience in or knowledge of: civil or criminal proceedings and the working of the courts". Those are the people who will be nominated by a Minister sitting in consultation with those who advise him. There are to be two approved barristers on the committee. They will not be barristers selected by the professional body, the General Council of the Bar. However, they have to be approved. They have to be approved so that the Minister can give his imprimatur to whether or not he approves of the people who have been selected. That is rather like the Chief Whip approving his supporters.
§ The advisory committee will also contain two approved solicitors. However, the real vice of the system is that the committee will be a Minister's committee. Every member of the committee which is to deal with the training of advocates, their conduct in court and with the education of lawyers will owe their position to the grace of a Minister. It must be accepted that the committee will be a government body.
§ If one assumes the necessity of having to have such a body —I indicated earlier this afternoon that I do not think there is such a necessity —and the committee is approved, let us consider its functions. Why does it have to be a government creature? Is it right that it should be a government creature? Its proper concern is the education generally and the conduct of would-be advocates or those who are advocates and their skill in court. To whom on 1233 the face of the matter should the committee be answerable? It should be answerable to the judges.
§ My purpose in moving Amendment No. 96 and the subsequent amendments to which I referred is to substitute for the Minister the judiciary —the Lord Chief Justice. Amendments Nos. 97 and 102 reduce the number of laymen on the advisory committee to five, thus giving a majority on that purely technical body dealing with legal education, practice and conduct to those who know something about the subject.
§ It may be said that the Lord Chief Justice is not answerable to Parliament and it should be the Lord Chancellor since he is answerable to Parliament. However, none of the functions set out in the Bill are functions which directly concern Parliament. They are functions which directly concern the judiciary —conduct in court and skill in court. What have they to do with government policy? There may be governments which will take a very stern view about how the lawyers of the country should perform in the courts. The Executive is here taking upon itself powers which there is no doubt properly lie with the judiciary.
§ I say to those who subscribe to Tory principles and who believe that the Executive should be cabined, cribbed and confined that the Executive should not be permitted to have powers which are not necessary for the exercise of its policy. Those who subscribe to those principles ought to be very reluctant indeed to grant such powers to a Minister.
§ To that extent the matter that I have raised is of some constitutional importance. Why should we give the Minister those powers? They ought to be given to the Lord Chief Justice and the judges who will preside over the courts in which the advocates will appear. It is with those considerations in mind that I put down the amendments standing in my name. I beg to move.
§ Lord Rippon of Hexham
I rise to support the amendments proposed by my noble friend Lord Rawlinson. In the interventions which I have made in the course of the discussions on the Bill, I have expressed concern, as have others, about the width of the powers given to the Lord Chancellor and the Executive, frequently under subordinate legislation. I welcome the amendment because it gives the Committee the chance to consider the proper role of the Lord Chancellor in regard to a Bill which has considerable constitutional implications.
With no written constitution we have to rely on the well established conventions that have hitherto protected the independence of the judiciary and the legal profession. The Scots struck a good bargain with the Treaty of Union. They protected their trade, their kirk, their law and their lawyers. I hope that they will find that provision of help when the Committee comes to consider the amendments proposed as regards Scotland.
The Lord Chancellor is both the head of the judiciary and a Cabinet Minister. He has a vital and often delicate role to play in sustaining the rule of law. Sometimes, as his predecessors have found and as I have seen in Cabinet, those roles may be in 1234 conflict. Lord Chancellors are not there just to promote the policy of the government of the day. Although since the war the Lord Chancellor may no longer frequently preside over the judicial sittings of this House, his fundametal responsibility under the constitution is to maintain at all costs the independence of the judiciary and the legal profession.
I find it a pity that those in the Conservative Government who have so warmly embraced Professor Hayek's liberal economic views have not also adopted his political liberal constitutional views. In his great work Law, Legislation and Liberty he describes how we have moved away from the doctrine of the separation of powers as the grand secret of liberty and good government towards the concept of an ideal of government controlled by popular assembly free to take any action of which that assembly approves. He concludes: We can have a rule of law or a rule of majority but it is difficult to have both unless certain constitutional proprieties are maintained". In this Bill the Lord Chancellor seeks to go beyond those constitutional priorities.
In the debate on Clause 1, I was chided by the noble Lord, Lord Henderson, because I made the usual comment that while we have every confidence in the present Lord Chancellor, one does not know what his successors may do. I do not think that that is good enough. As my noble and learned friend has said, this is a Bill which has to last for a long time. I do not believe that he should be given the powers that he is given in this Bill and in particular in this section. We may tinker with it, we may make useful and mitigating amendments, but the whole concept will be fatally flawed if we give the Lord Chancellor, as a Minister of the Crown, the wide powers that are sought.
If the reforms which my noble and learned friend proposes are necessary or desirable then I, like my noble and learned friend Lord Rawlinson, would prefer the Lord Chief Justice to be in charge, in association with his judical colleagues and the representatives of the legal profession, rather than the Lord Chancellor acting as, I suggest, a Minister of Justice.
I have noticed that in the course of these proceedings a number of speakers have asked why we should have the temerity as laymen to intervene in what is essentially a matter that affects lawyers. Some people, as we know, do not like lawyers. One of the troubles with the quantity of legislation which we have today is that the company directors turn up for the company law, the local government people turn up for the local government law, and now the lawyers have turned up to see what is to happen to them.
Many of us in many debates in this Chamber have drawn attention to the increasing number of nominated, non-elected bodies which the Government are introducing right across the board. That is a very dangerous tendency. Of course, when somebody says that the Government must control the body which develops or supervises the BBC, there will be people who will come along and say that it is an extension of power. Unfortunately, it is 1235 not only the people who listen to the debate who take part. When I first entered Parliament, my noble friend Lord Thorneycroft said to me, "Geoffrey, it is perfectly all right, always vote if you do not know what you are voting about. Above all, do not listen to the argument". I thought in our Division tonight that the whole weight of the argument was with the people in attendance, but —not perhaps to the same extent as in the other place —the troops marched in.
I should like to quote two paragraphs of the judges' response to the Green Paper. I believe that they should be written on tablets of stone. They should certainly be written into the record. They say: It is of fundamental importance that the existing degree of separation of powers and functions of the Judiciary from those of Parliament and the Government, evolved gradually over the centuries, should be maintained. The independence of the Judiciary and of advocates is perhaps more important now than ever, because one of the great constitutional tasks of the courts today is to control misuse of power by Government Ministers and departments. The Government is proposing that in future the Lord Chancellor should make the final decision on standards of education and training for advocates, prescribe the principles to be embodied in codes of conduct for advocates, and be empowered to make decisions on rights of audience in the High Court and Court of Appeal by means of subordinate legislation". I believe that the judges rightly concluded that those proposals represent a grave breach of the doctrine of the separation of powers.
We should take due note of the fact that until now no government has sought such powers as the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor now seeks. We know that his two immediate predecessors are not enamoured of the Bill. On Second Reading, the noble and learned Lord, Lord Hailsham, castigated the methodology by which the Bill had been constructed. I quoted him in relation to Clause 1. My noble and learned friend pointed out to me that my noble and learned friend Lord Hailsham was talking about Part II. I accept that.
We should also take due note that lawyers in America have been highly critical of the way many new and proposed forms of government control over the legal profession were to be found in the Green Papers, the White Paper and now in the Bill. It is significant that the American Bar Association has consistently and successfully opposed the regulation of the practice of law by the Executive or legislative bodies, whether they be national, state or local.
Much of the mischief of the Bill would be removed if the amendments of my noble and learned friend Lord Rawlinson were accepted, at least in relation to the proposed advisory committee, all of whose members, as he said, are to be appointed by my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor.
I do not believe that assurances of consultation, however well meaning or well intentioned, are sufficient. None of the debates that we have had in the House and none of the assurances given by my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor have any validity in the courts. We cannot quote what happened in debates in our courts of law. It is difficult, although we sometimes get away with it. Whatever happens, I do not think that consultation is enough.
1236 At the very least —I do not want to make another speech on further amendments —it should be provided, as the noble and learned Lord, Lord Oliver, suggests in a later amendment, that the powers sought by the Government should be exercised only with the consent of my noble and learned friend the Lord Chief Justice and the judiciary. The judges have been right from the outset in saying that it is only in that way that the necessary separation of the proper powers of the judiciary from the Executive can be preserved.
§ The Earl of Onslow
In this debate I have listened to lawyers who were educated in the 1930s, the 1940s and the 1950s. My noble and learned friend Lord Alexander of Weedon just tipped into the 1960s, so he tells me. I therefore ask my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor what, if anything, is wrong with the present legal education system if it produces advocates of the quality that we have heard in all the debates on the Bill? If there is nothing wrong with it, why should we change it? I am in some ways a reasonably conservative sort of chap and that seems to me to be a sound conservative doctrine. If there is nothing wrong with something, we should not muck it about. However, one has the impression that there is an urge to tinker, muck about and fiddle. I have not yet been shown that there is any need to change the legal education system.
§ Lord Boardman
My noble and learned friend Lord Rawlinson and my noble friend Lord Rippon laid considerable stress on the constitutional issue —the independence of the judiciary—which I understand. I fully support that, but I wonder whether they have overlooked the eventual supremacy of Parliament, which is above all other considerations. The role of the Lord Chancellor is a very special role here. I should have thought that the constitutional position is perhaps not as strong as they make out in suggesting that the role of the Lord Chancellor should be taken over by the Lord Chief Justice.
With respect, I would not for one moment suggest that. I only say, as I believe my noble and learned friend said, that the chairmanship of and responsibility for the advisory committee should be taken over by the Lord Chief Justice and the judiciary. My noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor will remain in full control of all the responsibilities that he already possesses.
§ Lord Rawlinson of Ewell
I hope that I had made it clear that, because those tasks given to the committee affect only education, training and conduct in court, it seemed to me apt and proper that it should be controlled by the judiciary.
I understand those points, but both my noble friends made considerable play of the constitutional importance of the appointment.
However, the point that I wish to make —I shall do so briefly —is that the constitutional importance of Parliament in the role of my noble and learned 1237 friend the Lord Chancellor exercising those important powers, which both my noble friends stressed were of supreme importance, should be supreme.
§ Lord Alexander of Weedon
This is nothing to do with the supremacy of Parliament. It is to do with who is responsible for educating and training in areas where the maximum knowledge is needed and where it is important to preserve the separation of powers.
Perhaps I may seek to draw an analogy. The General Medical Council is, as I recollect it from days when I used to do work before its disciplinary committee, fully seized of the training and education of doctors. It is comprised of members who are not appointed by the Minister for Health. I should not have thought it right for them to be appointed by the Minister for Health.
Inevitably the phrase "Lord Chancellor" connotes someone who holds the office of both a Minister of the Crown and head of the judiciary. That office has been an extremely delicate one to hold in recent years. I mean no criticism of my noble and learned friend when I say that in the last year, inevitably perhaps, the impetus has been seen within the profession of the Lord Chancellor being constrained to act as a Minister of the Crown.
I for one was deeply disappointed that my noble and learned friend, as head of the judiciary, felt unable to respond at all to the principles which his judges set out in their response to the consultation paper. I understand the constraints upon him but within the boundaries of those constraints I believe that the profession increasingly sees the holder of that office as a Minister of the Crown. I do not believe that it is right that a Minister of the Crown —I agree that for the title "Lord Chancellor" we should read the word "Minister" — should be the person responsible for the education and training of lawyers. That has nothing to do with the separation of powers. Surely the person in whom we could repose confidence to set up an advisory committee in this area, wholly free from political pressures, is the Lord Chief Justice of England.
§ Lord Ackner
I referred to an excerpt from the Civil Justice Quarterly which contained a speech by my noble and learned friend Lord Hailsham when he was Lord Chancellor. That part should be recorded because we talk so frequently of the desire and need for judicial independence as if it were supported by everyone. On page 312 he said: But, surely, it will be asked, everyone supports judicial independence? Oh, do they? Certainly not the public or the backbenchers in the House of Commons who constantly revile, frequently from inconsistent standpoints, individual judges, or particular decisions, or what they imagine to be judicial policies, and who daily demand that individual judges be directed or rebuked (presumably by the Executive Government) to move in this direction or that, or even should be removed from office. Certainly not the opposition, whichever party happens to be on the Speaker's left. Certainly not party conferences of any hue". Perhaps I may emphasise the next sentence: And, least of all, I may assure you, individual members of the cabinet, whose departmental interests from time to time basically conflict not only with the views of the judiciary where they are 1238 entitled to differ, but in the provision of the means necessary to enable the courts to discharge their functions". That was said by, I imagine, the most experienced former Lord Chancellor of this century. It must be borne in mind because we take the so-called support for judicial independence for granted, and it is not there to be taken for granted.
§ The Lord Chancellor
The function of the Lord Chancellor has been referred to. For my part, I completely support and endeavour to act upon the principle that the Lord Chancellor has a responsibility to uphold the independence of the judiciary and of the judicial process. I believe that that responsibility has been taken seriously by all my predecessors and I certainly seek to do the same.
However, as was pointed out, the Lord Chancellor is not only a Minister of the Crown; he has the responsibility of the presidency of the Supreme Court. I believe that the Lord Chancellor's Office and my predecessors in office —I am not now speaking of my own term of office but the terms of office of people before me —have a considerable record in appointing to offices for which they have responsibility people of a proper calibre to carry out those responsibilities.
For example, I know that in relation to inquiries in other fields one of the assurances which people thought would secure the independence of inspectors and so on was that they should be nominated by the Lord Chancellor. I shall do my best to maintain that standard. Let me take the example of the noble Lord, Lord Murray of Epping Forest. As he pointed out earlier in this debate, he was appointed by the Lord Chancellor to the Committee of the Bar which deals with this matter. The Bar asks the Lord Chancellor to nominate people for that purpose because the Bar has confidence —and I am glad to say that that confidence is still extended by the Bar to me —that appointments made by the Lord Chancellor will be made in the best interests of justice and the public.
I have the greatest possible respect for the present holder of the office of Lord Chief Justice of England. I have every confidence in appointments that he might make. But my responsibility is in relation to the whole of the Supreme Court. His responsibility is in relation to the Queen's Bench Division and to the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal. My noble and learned friend the Master of the Rolls has responsibility for the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal. The President of the Family Division has responsibility for that division. The Lord Chancellor, who is the vice-chancellor, is responsible for the Chancery Division particularly.
I must humbly say that it seems to me that the responsibility for making those appointments should lie appropriately with the Lord Chancellor. First of all, as I said, I believe that the Lord Chancellor's Office —I speak about my predecessors and hope to follow their good example —has a good record in obtaining the right people and not being influenced by any kind of improper consideration. Secondly, I believe that it is important that this should be a matter for which the appointing person is responsible to Parliament. Parliament has an interest in the proper administration of justice and in the proper 1239 provision of legal services, their nature and suitability; and, of course, the public have an interest in that.
For the moment I shall not go into the detail of the advisory committee and its powers. However, I should like to say that my noble friend Lord Rippon, in reading from the comments of the judges on the Green Papers, is dealing with the system that was proposed in those Green Papers, which I have modified fundamentally in order to take account of those very criticisms. The Lord Chancellor no longer has the final decision in any of these matters. In this case the balance is that the professions must propose —so far as concerns the Law Society and the Bar it is their respective governing bodies —and approval is required not only from the Lord Chancellor but from all the heads of division.
This is an advisory committee and I believe that it is appropriate that the Lord Chancellor should make the appointments for which he is responsible to Parliament. I firmly believe that this is the correct constitutional position and in the light of my remarks I hope that my noble and learned friend Lord Rawlinson will feel able to withdraw his amendment.
There is a great difference between the appointments which the Lord Chancellor recommends, for instance, to the High Court Bench. He makes that recommendation because obviously it has to come from a Minister. If it is not the Lord Chancellor in the future, then it could be a Minister of Justice. Someone has to do that and it has to be a Minister. But to pretend that nowadays the Lord Chancellor knows all the people whom he appoints is, if I may say so with respect, absurd. How many candidates for silk over the past 10 years have been known personally to the Lord Chancellor who made the recommendations? Of course the Lord Chancellor does not know them. He knows the senior judiciary. When the noble and learned Lord took up his office, he had sat on the judicial committee and seen various counsel who appeared before him then. Obviously, because it is only common sense, he has to have consultations and rely upon the advice that he is given.
We are dealing with matters which are not of such grand importance. It concerns something which is completely domestic to the independent profession of the law. If I may say so, the Lord Chancellor's responsibility is not only for the independence of the judiciary but also for an independent profession. I mentioned earlier this evening what some Poles had said to me a few days ago and it still rings in my ears. They said that they had got off their backs the agencies of government and the Ministers who were controlling them, appointing them, telling them how they should be educated and indeed putting some of them into prison. They were relieved to think that now they had their own profession with their own professors of law. They had their own skilled people able to practise in the courts.
What has this to do with government? What has this to do with the Minister? The purpose of my 1240 amendment is to hand back to the judges that which they ought to be doing, which is to control those people in their courts, to control their behaviour and ensure that they are educated and trained. What has a Minister of the Crown to do with that? My noble friend Lord Alexander of Weedon referred to the medical profession. What has the Minister of Health to do with their training? What has the Minister of Works to do with archaeology and the training of its practitioners? What has the Department of Education or the Department of Trade to do with appointing and training scientists?
These are people who have to learn how to be able to perform and conduct themselves in court before judges. It is the responsibility of the judges to take that upon themselves. I am therefore disappointed that my noble and learned friend should, as it were, brush aside this matter. Of course he did it with the grace that he always displays. Nevertheless it was brushing aside something which he has not fully explained. Why is it necessary that this matter should be the responsibility of a Minister and not be kept in the hands of the judges and be exercised by the proper professional bodies of the law?
I shall not press this matter to a Division. I shall not withdraw the amendment. Doubtless it will be negatived, but let it be negatived by those who shout "Not-content".
§ On Question, amendment negatived.
§ Lord Rawlinson of Ewell had given notice of his intention to move Amendment No. 97: Page 13, line 16, leave out ("14") and insert ("12").
§ The noble and learned Lord said: I have spoken to Amendments Nos. 97, 100, 102, 107, 109, 112, 116, 118, 119 and 120, which are grouped together. Having spoken to them, and Amendment No. 96 having been negatived, I do not propose to move these amendments.
§ [Amendment No. 97 not moved.]
§ Lord Ackner moved Amendment No. 98: Page 13, line 16, leave out ("14") and insert ("15").
§ The noble and learned Lord said: I hope that I have transmitted to my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor indirectly that the amendments grouped together (Amendments Nos. 98, 103 and 110), which relate to the desirability of a stipendiary magistrate being a member of the advisory committee, come much more appropriately with the next amendments which will be moved by my noble and learned friend Lord Oliver; namely, Amendments Nos. 99, 104 and 105. He proposes the appointment of two more senior judicial members of that body; namely, a presiding judge and a circuit judge. I wholly support that proposal. With the concurrence of my noble and learned friend and the Committee, perhaps we may discuss all the amendments together, otherwise there will be an unreality about the situation. I shall put forward my point briefly on the assumption that the debate in respect of Amendments Nos. 99, 104 and 105, which relate to the advisory committee en bloc, can be taken at the same time.
Certainly.
I am grateful. My proposal which, as one would expect, is modest, is that there should be added a member of the judiciary —in all probability the senior stipendiary magistrate —because the magistrates' courts are likely to be one of the main recipients of the advocacy of those who have not yet received entitlement to advocate.
I do not know which bodies are likely to ask for and obtain advocacy certificates, advocacy licences or advocacy permission via the advisory committee, but let it be said to be probation officers, ex-justices of the peace or perhaps a mechanical engineer who is involved in the science of street accidents and running-down cases. There may be many other classes of persons, but if they are thought to be of the type who should be advocating in the magistrates' courts, there will be no legal representative on the advisory committee to advise the laymen, who, ex hypothesi, will know nothing about the problems of running and controlling magistrates' courts.
My modest contribution to the debate at this stage is merely to say that among the judicial members—and I support in advance the proposition that there should be more than a judge of the Supreme Court or a Lord of Appeal —there should be a stipendiary magistrate to speak of the problems and experience which he and other magistrates have to offer to the lay body which will make the decisions —often the majority decisions —on this difficult subject.
I accept the fact that the senior stipendiary magistrate is a person worthy of consideration in this connection and that a number of others will be suggested. Perhaps my noble and learned friend will allow me to consider all the proposals.
I believe that one must have in mind three main principles: first, that the committee should be of a reasonable size; secondly, that there should be a lay majority; thirdly, that the committee should be capable of functioning in a way that embraces considerable knowledge of the profession under a senior judicial chairman. I am happy to consider all the issues that have been raised.
There are two distinct aspects: first, who might be the members of the committee; secondly, the considerations that one should have in mind in considering the lay persons. I am content that we should discuss those aspects and I undertake to consider them all. However, I do not have it in mind to accept any of the amendments this evening.
My noble and learned friend said that there should be a lay majority on the committee. Can he tell us why?
I too wish to ask my noble and learned friend why he is convinced that there must be a lay majority on the committee. Why must there be a lay majority on a committee which must deal with the education of the discipline and science of the law, the training of advocates and the conduct of advocacy? I do not see that it is so 1242 important as my noble and learned friend seems to suppose. It has been said that the Cabinet has decided on that but I should like to know the reason behind the decision. It is a committee which is technical and which deals with conduct and training. Therefore, why must there be a lay majority when there are many experts? Why should there not be half a dozen professors of law?
I shall seek to answer both those questions. As was pointed out by the noble Lord, Lord Hutchinson of Lullington, it is difficult for lay people to understand exactly the conditions under which lawyers operate. Therefore, it is extremely useful that they should have assistance in the formulation of the rules. I believe that lay people of appropriate experience can bring forward advice on such issues. After all, the courts and the legal services exist in order to provide for a need which the public has. Under our existing structure the profession will set the rules, subject to the approval of the senior judges and the Lord Chancellor. They will be the people who have the responsibility; the committee is advisory only. I believe that, where the chairman of an advisory committee is a judge, it is appropriate that the balance should be for a lay majority. I have indicated that simply because it is a consideration which I have in mind and I wished to set it out at the beginning of the debate. Like everything else, it is open to discussion.
I wish to remind my noble and learned friend of what he said on Second Reading: The key aims are to ensure that the voice of the user of legal services can be heard when questions of the provision of legal services are decided: to make sure that those who make decisions are answerable for them; and that they take them with the benefit of full and considered advice". —[Official Report, 19/12/89; col. 126.] There is no suggestion made that the lay voice must dominate. While there is an opportunity for the lay voice to be heard, I share the puzzlement expressed by my noble and learned friend Lord Rawlinson and other noble Lords as to why there must be a majority.
§ Lord Murray of Epping Forest
I had not intended to intervene in the dispute, but I should like to comment on the way in which I see the balance between lay people and others on the committee. I have doubts about the committee as such; it has astonishingly wide terms of reference and an enormous amount of hard work will be involved. The way in which the best candidates will be obtained remains to be seen. However, as the noble and learned Lord has said, it is critically important to get the composition right.
The people who will make the advisory committee work are those who have experience in the legal system. They know what needs to be done and how to go about doing it. No one knows better the needs of lay people than the judges before whom such people appear. Judges have direct contact with them, listen to them and are conscious of the difficulties and problems faced by lay people in threading their way through the sometimes tortuous legal system. I was astonished to note that there was no proposal to include judges in the composition of the committee.
1243 I realise that, if one adds all the people suggested in the various amendments, the result will be a majority of people with a legal background. However, I do not see that there is a particular case for a lay majority. There will be no question of voting on the committee; it will be death and destruction if its members ever think about voting. There are in fact only two lay representatives on the Bar Council's professional conduct committee. But in effect we have a veto. I sometimes think that the fact that our number is so small gives us an unfair advantage over the majority of barristers who serve on that committee.
I believe that eight lay people on the committee is quite adequate. I would be happy to see that number reduced, but I believe that the committee would be enormously strengthened in terms of competence, ability and sensitivity if there were added to it a presiding judge, a circuit judge and a stipendiary magistrate. If it were necessary to accommodate them by reducing the number of lay people, I do not believe that that would be a fatal flaw.
§ 9 p.m.
May I add a word to that? My noble and learned friend said a few minutes ago something with which I think we would all agree. It is often difficult for lay people to understand the processes of the law. I am sure that we all agree that we as lawyers must seek to reduce those difficulties as much as we can. But if that is the starting point, it is hard to see how lay people should dominate a committee engaged in these technical activities.
The noble Lord, Lord Murray, referred to his experience on the Bar Council. I shall always be grateful to him for agreeing, when I was chairman of the Bar, to join our disciplinary committee, which established a principle that, although there was a majority of professionals supplying expertise, we never dismissed a complaint without the consent of both lay members. Therefore, we had a balance there.
May I speak from another aspect of experience, which was my two-year chairmanship of the Takeover Panel. There we had a mix of professionals and independent members. The independent members, of whom I was one, I hope provided a useful perspective. We were a minority —a significant minority —but I am absolutely sure from the perspective of the two years of that work that the system would not have worked as well in these technical areas if the lay members had been in a majority.
With those experiences and with the comments that have been made, except perhaps for a covert appeal to the popular acceptance of the Committee, I have heard no argument that seems to support the desirability of a lay majority. In the light of the views that have been expressed and the concern that this is a committee dealing with technical aspects which affect the welfare of the public, I would hope that my noble and learned friend would reconsider this 1244 important point and appoint a significant and highly skilled minority of laymen but not put the committee in the hands of a lay majority.
While I agree with much that my noble friend has said with regard to his experience, which I share, I think that we should be careful about carrying this argument too far. If we carried it to the conclusion that would flow from the argument of the noble Lord, Lord Murray, it would mean that government of this country would be run by the civil servants, who know all the intricacies of government —and goodness only knows, they are far greater—and not by the vast lay majority that occupy both Houses.
§ Lord Oliver of Aylmerton
The amendment that has been proposed and the discussion that has followed have largely stolen the thunder that I was proposing to loose on the amendment that stands in my name on the Marshalled List, which is to much the same effect as Amendment No. 97 proposed by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Rawlinson. It approaches the matter from an angle which is, I hope, practical rather than constitutional, although I do not for one moment ignore or underplay the constitutional aspects that have already been emphasised.
The question is one of considerable importance. I must therefore ask the Committee to be patient if I take up a little time with the reasoning behind these amendments, which has already been adumbrated in the speeches that have been delivered. These amendments are part of a series that have the purpose of altering and, it is hoped, improving the constitution of the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee, for which the clause provides.
I say straight away that for may part I am not seeking to quarrel with the establishment of such a body or with the functions that it is intended to perform. I am simply anxious, as indeed I am sure the Committee is that if this body is to be established it should be properly equipped to do the job for which it is established. What I question and have questioned previously in debates in the House on the Green Paper and on the Second Reading of the Bill is whether the committee is sensibly constituted as the clause currently stands.
May we take just a few moments to consider the important purposes for which this committee is being established. As a preliminary it will be observed —and I feel sure that we shall be told again, as we have already been told more than once —that this is only an advisory committee. I stress the word "advisory". It is not to do anything but merely to tender advice. Therefore, it will be argued, it is of less importance than the decision-making body, with the implication that its composition does not matter all that much so long as it consists of reasonably sensible people.
Of course that is right in theory because the Lord Chancellor, the designated judges and the authorised bodies do not have to follow the advice that is tendered. But when we come to consider the breadth of the detail of what the committee is expected to 1245 deliberate and advise on, it is obvious to anybody with half an eye that this will be and is intended to be in practice a decision-making body and that what it says will go.
It would be disingenuous to suggest that the Government are in the business of setting up and funding a body of this sort if they considered that there was any practical possibility of its advice not being followed. Effectively this is the body that is going to dictate not just the framework and the detail of the education, training standards and discipline of all those who provide legal services in our courts but the very way in which these services are to operate.
Let us take the briefest look at what it is intended to do. Under Clause 17 it is to assist, in the maintenance and development of standards in the education, training and conduct of those offering legal services". The details of that are set out in Schedules 2 and 4 to the Bill.
To begin with, the committee has the permanent duty of keeping legal education and training under review; though I confess I am not aware that any criticism has been levelled at legal education and training or of what shortcomings it is thought there are in that branch. The committee is to consider what form the initial and further academic practical training should take. That must mean, if it is to have any meaning at all, what subjects shall be studied; to what standard; how they are to be examined, what practical training is required for appearance in court; what other non-legal or quasi-legal disciplines are to be embraced in training, and so on. It is to advise—perhaps that word should be in quotes —all the authorised professional bodies on these matters, including the Law Society and the General Council of the Bar. It is to consider and keep under review schemes relating to the specialised areas of legal practice. It is to consider the qualifications and the rules of conduct —that must include the disciplinary procedures —of all bodies which seek to become authorised bodies for the purpose of granting rights of audience and the right to conduct litigation.
If any authorised body, including the Law Society and the General Council of the Bar, wishes to make any change in its rules relating to qualifications or conduct, those changes have to be submitted to and considered by the committee. It is to the committee that any proposal has to be submitted for the revocation of the designation of a body as a body authorised to grant rights of audience or rights to conduct litigation.
This is therefore a very important body and a body which is to operate in a highly specialised area of professional activity where technical and practical knowledge is absolutely essential to a proper and intelligent exercise of its functions. One might say that it is the apex of the structure of the legal profession, supervising every important aspect of professional practice and training.
I accept straight away —I am sure we all accept —that the profession does not exist for its own sake. It is there to serve the public and the public has a strong interest in ensuring that it is properly served. But just as the public has an interest 1246 in ensuring the proper provision of medical services, that proper standards are retained by accountants and actuaries, that buildings are properly designed and constructed, that doctors, dentists, architects and other skilled professional men are properly qualified and behave properly, so it is entirely right and proper that the public should be represented and consulted on the bodies which regulate these professions. I ask, however, is it sensible that the body which regulates all professional activities in a highly technical sphere should be dominated by people whose very qualification for being there is that they do not have expertise in the very profession which it is their function to oversee?
The noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor, or the civil servants who advise him, may know of some other profession somewhere else in the world whose education, training, practice and ethics are dictated by persons without any professional experience or qualification. I confess that for my part I do not. I can well imagine the outcry that there would be if, for instance, a proposal were brought forward to replace the General Medical Council by a lay-dominated body appointed by civil servants or by a Minister.
I am sure we will be told that the legal profession is different. I confess that I do not for the life of me see why or how. Nor has the why or: low ever been explained. Paragraph 7.3 of the While Paper states that: many members of the legal profession were concerned that the majority of the advisory committee's members would be non-lawyers". The White Paper goes on to inform us that: the Government has considered these views with great care". No doubt that will be a great comfort to other noble Lords, as it is to me. However, what it does not do is provide any explanation of why the Government consider that, in addition to having available the no doubt very valuable views of what are referred to as "knowledgeable non-lawyers", those knowledgeable non-lawyers should in effect dictate every facet of legal education, training and practice. Subsection (5) sets out seven areas of experience or knowledge to which the Lord Chancellor is to have regard in selecting the lay majority. These are alternatives —they are not cumulative —and only three involve any acquaintance at all with the law or its practice.
I am sure that we will be told that of course the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor will make only the most informed and sensible choices in selecting suitable people and that of course the people selected will defer to the proper opinions of that minority of members of the committee who do have the proper expertise. If that is right, why do we need a lay majority? It can only be because it is envisaged that at some stage circumstances will require that their ex hypothesi non-expert view on education, training and professional conduct must prevail over the expert views of the qualified members of the committee.
I fully expect to be told that I am making a mountain out of a molehill; that it will be perfectly open to the noble and learned Lord the Lord 1247 Chancellor to nominate, say, three responsible justices of the peace, two retired High Court judges, two retired solicitors and a past president of the Institute of Arbitrators, and what could be more reasonable than that? The answer is of course, nothing. We are being asked to take an awful lot on trust. For my part I believe that we should approach this very far-reaching legislation with an eye on the future as well as on the present, and on the worst scenario that could occur rather than on an optimistic forecast of what is intended in the immediate future.
We are being asked to bet very heavily on the good sense and good intentions of some future Lord Chancellor years hence and operating in a political climate perhaps very different from that which prevails today. Therefore, I hope that I shall not be thought disrespectful if I ask the Committee to set aside for a moment any pro-or anti-lawyer preconceptions and to look at this matter as a matter of ordinary horse sense. That was once defined as the instinct which prevents horses from betting on men.
We are very fortunate in having at present a Lord Chancellor of charm with, sagacity and integrity. We may feel every confidence in his possession of that ability which the traditions of his high office demand to withstand the political pressures of the moment. But it has not always been thus and it may not always be thus in the future. This advisory committee has been described by some as a sinister body. I do not use that adjective and I am quite certain that it is not sinister in intention.
Nevertheless the fact remains that, as the Bill stands at present, it is an instrument by which the executive can, in a very large measure, control a legal profession which until now has been self-regulatory, and by which it can, by the creation of new classes of practitioners in the courts, secure an even greater control than it enjoys at the moment over the composition and of course, ultimately, the conduct of the judiciary at all levels.
There is never any guarantee that any executive-appointed body will not be packed with political placemen. But, accepting for the moment —which I do only with the very greatest reluctance —that it is right in principle that so influential a body should be totally executive-appointed, I do urge that at least a majority of those appointed should be possessed of the skills which they are to supervise and upon the exercise of which they are to advise.
As drawn at the moment, Clause 16 of the Bill provides for a judicial chairman and 14 members, of whom eight are to be non-lawyers. That may be a touching tribute to the British spirit of amateurism, but does it really make sense? The legal element consisting of the four practising lawyers may by definition all be employees of banks or building societies. In addition there are two academics. The interests of the existing professional bodies are to be protected only by a process of consultation. As matters stand at the moment, the chairman is a toothless watchdog with no casting vote and he is the only judicial representative. In particular there 1248 is no place on the committee either for the persons who above all others have their fingers on the pulse of the practical administration of the law —namely, the presiding judges —or for that branch of the judiciary which has the closest contact with the courts to which it is the very purpose of this Bill to steer the major volume of litigation —that is the circuit judges.
Therefore I suggest first that, having regard to the great importance of the committee to the administration of justice and the influence that it is going to wield, the appointment of the members of the committee should not be in the hands of the Lord Chancellor alone, but should be with the concurrence of the person who perhaps has his finger most on the pulse of the administration of the courts: the Lord Chief Justice. It is perfectly true that he is responsible for the Queen's Bench Division and the criminal courts. Above all I believe that he probably knows more of what goes on in the courts than anyone.
Secondly, the rational composition for such an important body, designed as it is to govern the development of the entire legal profession for the foreseeable future, would embrace at least an equality of voting power between professional and lay members, with a casting vote —if voting is appropriate —in the professional chairman. Thirdly, the committee should include places at least for one presiding judge and one circuit judge. Fourthly, those members who are to represent the branches of the practising profession should be nominated by them rather than merely appointed after consultation with them.
§ Lord Hacking
I do not know whether my thunder has been taken from me. This amendment is tabled in my name also. I rise at this time because I wish to address the Committee on the proposal that there should be also included among the candidates for the advisory committee a legal executive appointed after consultation with the Institute of Legal Executives.
The Committee has considered in some detail the composition of the advisory committee, and proposals have been put forward by the two noble and learned Lords who have just spoken. I do not know whether the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor wishes to deal with those representations before he hears my submissions. The noble and learned Lord indicates that it is convenient for me to address the Committee on Amendment No. 98 and on Amendments Nos. 103 and 108A.
These amendments concern the Institute of Legal Executives. Noble and learned Lords will remember from their days of practice the managing clerk. I dare say that before that creature, the litigation partner, had been created in the London law firms, noble and learned Lords principally received their instructions for major and minor cases from managing clerks.
The Institute of Legal Executives was incorporated in November 1928 as the Solicitors' Managing Clerks Association, and became the Institute of Legal 1249 Executives in January 1960. No fewer than 50,000 solicitors' clerks currently serve in the law, working in a variety of solicitors' offices. Of members of the institute there are 20,000, and of those 5,000 are fellows.
In view of the importance of the composition of the advisory committee I shall delay the Committee a little longer to explain that, in order to achieve fellowship of the institute, four general papers in law and practice and three further papers on substantive law have to be taken. When those qualifications have been achieved, the candidate will not only be eligible for fellowship of the institute but he will have the necessary educational requirements to enable him to be exempted from most of the CPE examinations. He can then apply to take the Law Society examinations and become an admitted solicitor.
One of the important roles of the institute is to provide a route into the profession for those young men and women who did not have the educational attainment to enable them to enter the law through the Law Society qualification for articled clerks. As well as the educational side, the institute has a code of conduct and good practice. It arranges courses in practical advocacy and its disciplinary tribunal regulations are approved by the Master of the Rolls. The three main members of its disciplinary tribunal are appointed by the Master of the Rolls.
Members of the institute have by long practice a right of audience before judges, master and registrars in chambers. They have a limited right of audience under the County Courts Act 1961 for unopposed applications for adjournments and applications for judgments by consent in the county court. They have a few other minor rights. A fellow is entitled to manage a branch office of a solicitor's practice.
In this amendment, which is the paving amendment, and in the substantive amendment, Amendment No. 108A, the institute seeks a place on the advisory committee. While I in no way denigrate the candidature of the three judicial candidates, I want to put the case for the legal executive. In doing so, I should say that I am not seeking to upset the balance of lay and professional persons on the committee. If accepted, my proposal would therefore cause minor adjustment only so as to keep a balance of lay persons over the legal representatives on the committee. Further, I do not seek to overload the committee; indeed, I am only asking for one more candidate.
The reason why I am asking that legal executives should have their place on the committee is first that they represent a large part of the legal profession's workforce. Secondly —and this is why I enumerated to the Committee the education, training and disciplinary background —last year more than 15,000 members took the examination in the education and disciplinary requirements. They play an active part in the profession.
The noble and learned Lord, Lord Oliver, drew the Committee's attention to Schedule 2(1). I too draw the attention of Members to those provisions. I also draw attention to the closely related role that legal executives play.
1250 It is true that legal executives could be appointed as lay members under subsection (4)(d), because they do not fall under the disqualification of a practising solicitor, which I believe is defined in subsection (10) of this clause. However, if they were to take a place by that route that would upset the balance, because to all intents and purposes they are practising lawyers. Moreover, those of us who have worked with them know that they are very knowledgeable and experienced practising lawyers.
For all the above reasons, I ask the noble and learned Lord to take a different view when approaching the matter. I ask him to adopt a different approach to legal executives —that is, different from the way he approached the question of the other three judicial candidates. Before the debate I took the step of forwarding to the noble and learned Lord a copy of the institute's memorandum and articles of association and also a copy of its disciplinary tribunal regulations. I did so to enable him to have those documents available to him before considering my proposal to the Committee.
§ Lord Hailsham of Saint Marylebone
I shall again speak briefly. Of course, technically we are only speaking about the number of members of the advisory committee. However, that has perfectly properly allowed a number of excellent speeches to be made about amendments which follow as to its possible composition. I do not conceal from my noble and learned friend the fact that. I am against this structure. I think that the variety of speeches which have been made show cumulatively the kind of danger into which he has fallen by adopting this structure.
But, having said that, I wish to address one or two points which have a bearing on what has been said. I was very disappointed to hear my noble and learned friend say, some time ago now, that he regarded the lay majority as one of his essential requirements. I say this although I know that it could be said fairly against me that in appointing the Civil Justice Review Committee I deliberately chose to place a lay majority in it and that I also appointed a layman to the chair. I did so quite deliberately because within my professional experience there had been more or less 14 legally-composed committees set up to decide upon civil justice, practice and procedure. They had all ultimately, almost without exception, come to nothing. However, the Civil Justice Review Committee was an ad hoc body and it produced six reports of, I think, very considerable value. Moreover, I hope to see some of the recommendations put into effect one way or another in the near future.
However, we are now talking about a standing body of a quite different kind, which is designed to perform the functions laid down in the statute. We are really discussing what will happen if the members of such a committee try to do the work laid out in Schedule 2 and, for that matter, in Schedule 4 to the Bill.
I venture to repeat a point that I made on Second Reading. How do we visualise that body working in practice? What sort of people will be able to give their time to do that kind of work with any sense of 1251 conscientiousness? I believe that I know the answer, and I shall try to give it. The picture is painted of a committee of placemen appointed by some future and ogreish Lord Chancellor who would wish to pack the committee with nominees of his own choice. That would be constitutionally very objectionable indeed, and of course legally it would be perfectly possible if that structure were adopted. I do not believe that is a realistic view to take when considering the constitutional value of the committee and the consequences of making it subject to the Executive.
Can I imagine the present Lord Chancellor or myself being able to discover from our own knowledge of the world of affairs the persons enumerated in Clause 16 in each class from (a) to (d), excluding the excluded classes of those who know something about the subject? I can tell the Committee clearly from my experience that I should have no such ability; and I say with great respect to my noble and learned friend that I doubt whether he has, nor do I imagine that the ogreish figure of the future, who has been painted as a possible danger to our constitution, will.
What in practice will happen is that the Civil Service will tell the Lord Chancellor whom to appoint. It will have chosen, as best it can, the names of the great and the good from some large list which it has of people who have nothing better to do than to interfere with other people's affairs. That is the reality of the matter. The idea that an independent profession should effectively be governed by such a ludicrous body, of which we have seen only too many examples in the past 25 years of my experience of Parliament, is one too terrifying to imagine. Those people will have too much to do.
I wonder whether my noble and learned friend has considered how many meetings such people will have to hold every year and for how long the meetings will last to do even the minimum of the tasks imposed upon them by Schedule 2 with Schedule 4 added onto it. The proposal seems extraordinary. I do not conceal my hostility to it, but there are constitutional objections of a much more practical and serious kind than that of any imaginary Lord Chancellor of the future seeking to fill the committee with hot-headed placemen with their own particular brand of politics. We shall see a number of superannuated old ladies and gentlemen, who have nothing better to do, nominated by the Civil Service which has persuaded the Lord Chancellor to appoint them because there is no one else to appoint.
§ Lord Beloff
Since the noble and learned Lord, Lord Ackner, was good enough to quote what I said in the debate on the Green Paper about a lay majority on the advisory committee, I should perhaps make it clear that nothing I have heard subsequently has made me change my mind. I am still waiting, and waiting patiently, as I believe other Members of the Committee probably are, to find out what the argument is for a lay majority. I can see the argument for a lay voice. It was expressed by the noble Lord, Lord Murray of Epping Forest, and other noble 1252 Lords. There is a great difference between saying that it is useful on occasion to have a non-professional voice, and saying, "That voice must have a majority". We can eliminate what is sometimes put forward in certain quarters as a reason for this concentration on the lay element; namely, that the public as a whole has a great interest in the effective running of the legal system. In that sense, they are—though I dislike the word very much —consumers. Passengers in a liner have an enormous interest in the safe navigation of the vessel. Yet when I have travelled in a liner, I have always found a notice saying, "Access to the bridge is not permitted to passengers".
I feel therefore that we have to abandon these simple explanations and ask ourselves again and ask the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor, I am afraid, to explain the reasons for overriding the various considerations —which were given impressively, if I may say so, by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Oliver —and the rather different but practical considerations given by my noble friend, the former Lord Chancellor. He replied effectively to the noble Lord, Lord Boardman, who tried to equate civil servants with experts, by saying that to demand expert membership of a body which deals with professional matters is equivalent to saying that we should leave things to civil servants. It is the opposite. Lay people, because of their ignorance of the substance, are likely to be more amenable to the wishes of civil servants. As I said in the debate on Second Reading, that is the equivalent of appointing civil servants.
There is one other point which I made on Second Reading and which, with the indulgence of Members of the Committee, I should like to repeat, because I think it is illustrative. It concerns the catastrophe which has befallen the universities under the regime of the new funding council which has a heavy ignorant lay element. Since my speech on Second Reading, I have had occasion to discuss this with the present vice-chancellors of universities and other people eminent in the university world. They have all come to the conclusion —and this bears out something which the noble and learned Lord, Lord Hailsham, said —that one cannot explain the operation of a complicated set of institutions to persons who can only spare a couple of hours once a month to be briefed.
In the space of a few short months, it has already been proved that the experiment of giving this lay preponderance on the funding councils has been enormously damaging to the unversities. The relevance of this point is that it makes one ask again: what is the passion which this Government have for getting away from the historic self-reliance and self-governance of our institutions and our professions in favour of what can only be called populism? That is to say, the constant pleas of the ignorant that ignorance is in some sense a virtue. There are newspapers which proclaim this almost daily.
After all, we are dealing with an enormously serious subject, as Members from all sides of the Committee have reminded us. We are entitled to the 1253 explanation which has not been forthcoming of why the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor gives such a dominant place in his considerations to the notion of a lay majority. Unless we are satisfied on that point, I do not see how we can usefully discuss the make up of the Committee; the kind of individuals whom the profession might wish to have; how they should be chosen. All these are secondary. The important question is: why should there be a lay majority on a body whose task—whether it is education or the formulation of rules of conduct —is wholly professional?
§ Lord Mishcon
I shall immediately answer the challenge of the noble Lord, Lord Beloff, and others who have asked what the case is for a lay majority on the advisory body. I was entranced, as I always am, by the speech made by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Hailsham. I shall tell him why he entranced me, as he usually does.
I can remember when the noble and learned Lord graced the Woolsack and endeavoured to bring to the Chamber reforms in regard to both the law and to the way in which the law should be dealt with. He heard the representations which I tried to make on behalf of the Law Society and he heard representations from the Bar Council. He dealt with those representations, which were contrary to his own wishes, by saying time and time again from the Woolsack —he looked at me with great indignation when I represented the rules of the Law Society —that mine was the most conservative profession he had ever come across. He said that my profession never wanted change or reform. He said that he was trying to introduce reforms which he thought were for the good of justice and the nation, but that my profession always stood in his way.
What did the noble and learned Lord do as a result of his experience? He did what, in sheer honesty, he has told the Chamber today. He found that he had to deal with courts that were apparently not being terribly well administered, with justice that seemed to be delayed and with the clogging machinery of the law. He did exactly what he has explained, in frankness, to the Chamber this evening. He decided that lawyers had looked at the reforms time and time again and, as he told the Chamber, had produced nothing by way of reform. He considered what he should do to improve the machinery of justice which exists for the purposes of the public. He considered what he should do to improve the training of lawyers who should be trained in a practical way. He considered the various subjects they should study and their codes of conduct, not in relation to those specific matters but in relation to the running of the machinery of the law. He decided to appoint a body to conduct a Civil Justice Review. That body was to consider various aspects of the law and was to be composed of a lay majority.
Having regard, as I said, to the noble and learned Lord's castigation of what he called the most conservative profession he had ever come across, although he was such a luminary with regard to that self same profession, and to his castigation of those who were standing in the way of his reforms, and to 1254 the way he himself had formed such an important review body which consisted of a body of laymen, I was amazed tonight to hear him of all people argue against all that he had stood for when he spoke from the Woolsack stating that he must get rid of the conservative views of the legal profession. However, the noble and learned Lord differentiated his remarks this evening by stating that the advisory committee was a standing body.
The noble and learned Lord said from the Woolsack that he must get a fresh view on the subject of the law and that when he set up a Civil Justice Review to look at the whole working of the machinery of the law it had better have a lay majority.
§ Lord Rees
I suspect that my noble, and learned friend the Lord Chancellor faces in this debate a somewhat delicate dilemma. If, to assuage the legitimate anxieties that have been expressed by almost every speaker in this debate he tells us that the committee is only an advisory committee and that its advice can, and will be, regularly overriden, we can dismiss the establishment of the committee as a delicate political charade and we can pack our bags and go home. However —my next point is perhaps another dimension of the point made so forcibly by my noble and learned friend Lord Hailsham —if he tells us that, he will find it extremely difficult to find people of weight and experience to serve on the advisory committee.
If on the other hand he says candidly and honourably, no, the advisory committee will be the predominant voice when it comes to the regulation of these professional matters —and he may take some comfort from a clause which was no doubt considered by him and his colleagues in the legislative committee of the Cabinet, although I do not know whether that is the case —then I believe that we are entitled to say that there is an element of absurdity in making it a predominantly lay committee.
The committee will not just consider the machinery of justice. The machinery of justice is probably outside its purview. It is being asked to control a wide professional field. Even a very cursory glance at Schedule 2 demonstrates that, with the doubtful exceptions of paragraphs 4 and 5, those are all matters of professional concern.
No one, even with a legal background, would say that lay people should not offer a view. They are the clients and the consumers and are certainly entitled to a view. However, should a professional field of such delicacy and intricacy be subject to the predominant voice of a committee which will be controlled by lay members?
I know that my noble and learned friend has been pressed on the issue in various debates. I hope that he will forgive me for pressing the matter again. I am sure that it would assist the Committee enormously in coming to a conclusion on this and related amendments if he could tell us what other professional fields are regulated by a majority of laymen or under plans of this Government which have not yet been disclosed are to be regulated by a 1255 majority of laymen. If he cannot produce a fair analogy in other professional fields we shall conclude that he is wrong and that he is in some extraordinary way discriminating against the very profession which bred him.
I shall find it very, very difficult to go along with the Government's proposals on this and related matters.
§ Lord Campbell of Alloway
Perhaps I may very briefly, to save time, register a very firm protest for the reasons that have been given by noble and learned Lords and by my noble friend who has just spoken against the lay-dominated advisory committee. What on earth is the justification for it in view of the reasoned criticisms that have been given from all sides of the Chamber?
§ Lord Donaldson of Lymington
I should like to register one short word of protest in response to the noble Lord, Lord Mishcon. People reading his speech will think that it is an accepted fact that the judiciary and senior members of the two branches of the profession are dyed-in-the-wool reactionaries who have no new ideas. They will think that it was for that reason that my noble and learned friend Lord Hailsham appointed a lay majority on the Civil Justice Review. I cannot speak for his reasons, but that just is not true.
There is scarcely an idea put forward in the Civil Justice Review which had not already been discussed by the judges or by members of the two branches of the profession or often by all three. Many of the ideas have developed from pilot schemes which have been run in the national industrial relations court, the commercial court and other courts.
I can well understand the desirability of having a large lay element on a body such as the Civil Justice Review and possibly a majority lay element. The product has to be sold outside the professions and one wants a balance. That is the only justification. It would be quite wrong for anybody to think —I speak particularly for the judiciary, but also for the two branches of the profession who are the future judiciary —that they are other than highly innovative. The lay representation helps them to sell their ideas to government.
Before the noble and learned Lord the Master of the Rolls sits down, will he take it from me that the last thing in the world that I should want to do is to say that the leaders of my profession, of which I am proud to be a member, do not act in a progressive way? I made that abundantly clear and the noble and learned Lord, Lord Hailsham, with his usual reaction to speeches of that kind, smiled at me with some indulgence. I did not take that to be an acceptance of all that I said, but he did not say what the noble and learned Lord the Master of the Rolls has now said. He gave a reason as to why he appointed a majority of laymen. It was, he said, because the previous bodies consisting of lawyers who had looked at those matters had —I paraphrase him —produced nothing. That was why he appointed 1256 the lay majority. I faithfully repeated what the noble and learned Lord said. I do not therefore think that I quite deserved the words that the noble and learned Lord the Master of the Rolls chose to utter.
I apologise if I misrepresented the situation. I understood my noble and learned friend Lord Hailsham to say that nothing had resulted from the deliberations. This was not a criticism of the members but perhaps of their persuasiveness. I would not dream of casting the slightest aspersion in the direction of the noble Lord, Lord Mishcon.
§ Lord Griffiths
Whichever Lord of Appeal in Ordinary or judge of the Supreme Court ultimately has the awesome responsibility of chairing the committee, he will need all the consumer assistance that he can get. But who are the consumers of advocacy? They are the unfortunate judges who are on the receiving end of it day after day. I say in all seriousness that it is quite ridiculous that he should not have the assistance on the committee of those who are at the receiving end of advocacy, who know the standards of advocacy and who know what our system of legal education produces. There should surely be there available to assist him the presiding judge and the circuit judge suggested by my noble and learned friend Lord Oliver. It is not good enough to say, "You can call them in and get their evidence". One wants them there to be available to discuss matters day in, day out and to help one frame the questions that should be asked. They are absolutely essential to the proper operation of such a committee.
My noble and learned friend has still not explained to me or the Committee what is wrong with the present legal education system. Please will he do so.
§ Lord Peyton of Yeovil
I was much impressed when the noble Lord, Lord Mishcon, said that he was entranced, as I have always been, by what my noble and learned friend Lord Hailsham said. I have frequently —in fact always —found myself entranced by the words of the noble Lord, Lord Mishcon, but every now and then there lurks in the back of my mind just a suspicion —the barest suspicion —that he might not always be wholly right.
Having mentioned that outlandish and far-fetched supposition, perhaps I may detain noble Lords for a moment on this point. Clause 17, which I know we are not here discussing, states that: The Advisory Committee shall carry out that general duty by performing the functions conferred on it by Schedule 2". I speak as an amateur and a lapsed lawyer who long ago ceased even_to try to practise. Perhaps we may examine for a moment the words in Schedule 2. I very much hope that my noble and learned friend will be able to draw aside the veil of anonymity which conceals the identity of the person who drafted that schedule.
1257 Paragraph 5 of the schedule, headed "General advisory functions", states that: (1) The advisory committee may make such recommendations with regard to any matters which it is required to keep under review or consider as it thinks appropriate". Quite apart from the fact that the one commodity of which this country is not short at the moment is advice, that does not start the advisory committee off with a big boost.
I invite the Committee's attention to the next paragraph —I could not have dreamt it up —which states: Any such recommendation may be made — (a) by being included in the Advisory Committee's annual report". I ask the Committee to pause and ask itself the simple question: how many noble Lords devote avid attention to anybody's annual report? Any body which is given a heavy responsibility and then, having deliberated in all its wisdom, is given the privilege to expose its thoughts in its annual report will not feel comforted or encouraged.
Another way in which such a recommendation can be made is: by being addressed to any professional body or group of professional bodies". It is very difficult for me. I am faced with an alternative: either this advisory committee will have such overwhelming power that those professional bodies will not only listen but stand to attention and do what they are told or they will take no notice at all and will make use of that most useful item of modern furniture, the waste paper basket, or perhaps even use the shredder.
Then, in case those two methods are not any good, the third way in which this body—
I hesitate to interrupt the noble Lord but we have a long haul ahead of us tonight and the analysis of Schedule 2 has not reached us. Could we keep our discussions to the composition of the advisory committee and not go through an analysis of Schedule 2 at this stage?
I am deeply indebted to the noble Lord for his advice. Perhaps he would just bear with me for a moment. It seems to me that in considering the advisory committee we are entitled to take into account the powers that it is given and the way in which it will carry out its duties. I should hate to find myself having a difference of opinion with the noble Lord but if I do I shall have to endure the pain.
The third way in which this body is able to voice its opinions is: in such other manner as it thinks fit". I do not have the vocabulary of the noble Lord, Lord Mishcon, and lack the gifts of noble and learned Lords on the Cross-Benches. I do not think that I am capable of expressing myself so eloquently. However, I do not think I have seen in my life so flabby a schedule. I hope very much that my noble and learned friend will not try to force it down our throats.
My noble friend no doubt will accept that the schedule which he criticises was drafted by a lawyer or lawyers. Does he agree that, in his claimed role as a layman, his contribution is of great value? The criticism that he makes on the drafting of lawyers might be a point in support of having lay members or a majority of lay members on this committee.
My noble friend is entitled to his view but I have never allowed ray respect for lawyers to carry me to the lengths of praising the drafting of any of the measures which have come before us in Parliament in my recent memory.
§ 10 p.m.
It is most unfair that the draftsmen should be criticised. There are only 45 draftsmen who are paid an average salary of £32,000 per year. They must deal with a mass of legislation under the direction of the Minister. Sometimes Ministers, such as the late Lord Duncan-Sandys under whom I served, liked to draft all the legislation themselves. That is not necessarily a good idea. However, the Minister is responsible and the Lord Chancellor must take responsibility for the drafting.
Does my noble friend agree —and he must know it from his own knowledge as a former head of department—that instructions for the draftsmen are not given by Ministers? They are given by civil servants within the broad and rather vague ambit of policy laid down by Ministers.
I should like to deal with some of the issues that have been raised. My noble and learned friend Lord Oliver quoted from the White Paper. The reason advanced in the White Paper at paragraph 7.10 for the majority being lay persons is that the balance aims to ensure that the committee primarily represents the views and interests of the user of legal services, but contains wide representations from those who have practical experience of providing them.
My noble and learned friend Lord Hailsham has described his way of selecting lay people to serve on a committee. I venture to think that. with his usual humility, he is under-estimating the amount of concern that he took in making the appointments. For example, it is apparent that the Civil Justice Review appointments were excellent and that the lay people, as well as the distinguished lawyers who served on that body, produced a report which commanded general acceptance and on which we have sought to take action in Part I of the Bill.
Secondly, my noble friend Lord Beloff told the Committee that when he is on a boat he is not allowed on the bridge. I have no doubt that that is true, although perhaps from time to time he has been privileged to be allowed on the bridge to see what is happening. However, I wish to point out a feature of our legal system which distinguishes it from any other. Every disputed fact in a criminal trial in this country is ultimately decided by lay people, except in a case where the trial judge is a stipendiary 1259 magistrate. They are the ultimate consumers of legal services. If the judge receives legal services, those people have the responsibility of judging in criminal trials. They are lay people who above all are concerned in relation to the provision of advocacy services by solicitors. The lay element in our system of justice in this country is extremely strong and it is not the same as the navigation of a ship to which my noble friend referred.
I wish to say a few words about the importance of the committee in answer to my noble friend Lord Rees. I regard the committee as being extremely important because it will give advice to which the professional bodies will be required to have regard. However, the ultimate decision-making will be in the hands of the two branches of the profession and with the necessary concurrence of the judges, including the Lord Chancellor, whom I hope I can describe in that way. The ultimate decision-making will be in the hands of the profession.
In that situation I suggest to the Committee that it is right that the balance in the advisory committee should be in favour of the users of legal services, taking that term in its broadest sense.
My noble and learned friend Lord Oliver speaks about the technical matters. My noble and learned friend Lord Rawlinson has done that too. I accept that there are highly technical matters involved; but there are also questions of what people want. Before you start to design a particular service, you must have some idea of what people require. It is for that element —the element of stating what is wanted; the services desired —that a lay majority is stipulated. It represents the views and interests of the users of legal services; those who want legal services; those who know the kind of service they want.
The idea is to try to match what will be provided both in education and training with what is required. It is the same concerning conduct. I should also like to emphasise, with great respect, the shrewd point made by my noble and learned friend the Master of the Rolls. Where there is a question of selling the rules of conduct of the legal profession to others, it is important that they can be fashioned in a way that intelligent lay people can understand.
I have referred already to the passage in the speech of the noble Lord, Lord Hutchinson of Lullington, on that matter. How difficult it is for lay people to understand, in the way we have expressed them up to date, the delicacies of the duties that, for example, counsel carry. There is no question in my mind but that a lot of people have the idea that the legal profession is dominated by restrictive practices. The contention to which my noble friend Lord Alexander of Weedon referred, which has been going on for much too long, between the Bar and the Law Society on rights of audience in the Supreme Court gives a kind of appearance of high probability to that which it is one of my aims in these proposals to try to resolve. The structure that I have proposed gives the best hope that we have of reaching a sensible resolution of these matters in such a way as to commend them to the general public.
1260 Just in case there is any mistake about it, I entirely agree with the view that the cab rank rule is nothing in the nature of a restrictive practice at all, but that is not the sort of rule that people think of. It is rules about rights of audience, and restrictions on rights of audience, that people think of when they imagine that there are restrictive practices in the legal profession.
From my experience, I know perfectly well that many of these things that others describe as restrictive practices have considerable justification; but it is important that they should be expressed in a way that takes account of that. What I believe is a good, lay voice of the balance that we have here in the structure of the education, training and rule-making of the legal profession will be beneficial to the cause of justice and to the interests of both branches of the profession.
I have already referred to the Civil Justice Review. My noble and learned friend Lord Hailsham said, "But that was an ad hoc committee with a single task". That was true of course, but there was also a proposal made during the time that my noble and learned friend was Lord Chancellor to have a Legal Aid Board. This of course is a standing board, and the recommendation that was accepted by Her Majesty's Government while my noble and learned friend was on the Woolsack was that the Legal Aid Board should have a permanent lay majority.
In my judgment, the necessity is that this body should have a degree of unity and commitment, the one to the other. I believe that we have a good chance of securing that in a structure of this kind.
I am entirely open to suggestions as to the people who should be on the body. A number of suggestions have been made already, and I think there is at least one other amendment suggesting yet another possible person for it. I should love to see, within the constraints that I have mentioned, all of these people on the body. But one has to have regard to its overall size and effectiveness. It may be that one can achieve some of these aims by getting someone who is common to more than one branch. However, the Committee may take it that all of these suggestions will receive further consideration.
Before the noble and learned Lord sits down, he may recall that I put a question to him before I concluded. I should be most grateful if he could give me an answer. Will he tell the Committee which other professions are regulated by a committee dominated by laymen?
I thought I explained in answer to that question that this is not a body which is to regulate, it is a body to give advice. I know of no other profession in which such an important part of the decision-making, to which the profession is devoted, is taken by lay people. As I said, a significant feature of our system —of criminal justice particularly—is that the decisions on all disputed matters of fact are for lay people to take. However, above all I am making the point that the advisory committee is not for regulating the professions. The 1261 advisory committee is to give advice to those who regulate the professions, which I entirely agree will be very important and I hope very good.
§ Lord Simon of Glaisdale
Having listened to this debate, I have been strongly under the impression that a high balance of argument —not merely numbers, but the weight of argument —has been against my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor. I do not know where we go from there because there is a safe majority outside the Chamber. As Disraeli said, a majority is the best repartee.
However, it disturbs me that as on Tuesday, at a very late hour, Clause 8 of the Bill was absolutely torn to shreds but was still carried by the firmness —I was going to say obduracy —of my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor. It seems to be a great pity that he has not shown more sensitivity to the weight of argument that has been put forward.
I wish to make one other point. The noble Lord, Lord Mishcon, endorsed the view —it was his justification of the lay element —that lawyers are incapable themselves of initiating reform. With his skill as an advocate, he endeavoured to quote my noble and learned friend Lord Hailsham in support. Now is not the time to go into that. However, I hope without embarrassing my noble and learned friends I can mention the revolutionary changes and improvements in the procedures of the Chancery Division which we owe to my noble and learned friend Lord Oliver and also my noble and learned friend the Master of the Rolls who made the Commercial Court a court of international resort, so efficient did he make it. Since becoming Master of the Rolls he has utterly transformed the state of business in that court.
There is also the Bar Council with the free representation unit. I confess that it is many years since I worked closely with the Law Society, as I did at one time; but at that time there was no lack of reforming zeal and reforming capacity. However, that is merely seeking to correct what seems to be an injustice in this debate. In the end it comes to this: listening to this debate, the argument has been so overwhelmingly on one side that one can only despair at the way in which this Bill is being dealt with.
§ 10.15 p.m.
§ Lord Allen of Abbeydale
I have been reluctant to intervene. I have been listening more or less patiently to this very long discussion, in which I have heard some rather astonishing things. I do not accept for a moment that Clause 8 was torn to shreds the other evening. Some of the descriptions of the role of civil servants and their relationship to Ministers bears very little relation to my experience over quite a long period of years.
Though we have discussed the size of the advisory committee and its make-up as between legal and lay representatives, there is a strong body of opinion which is wholly in favour of the view which the noble and learned Lord has put for a majority on that body having regard to the role of the committee as set out in the Bill. Though it is very natural, having 1262 so many eloquent lawyers present this evening, to find that the views that have been expressed have on the whole been against the Government's proposals, I should not wish anyone to go away thinking that those views necessarily command wide support outside this Chamber.
I have an amendment which will be discussed later regarding the lay aspect of representation on the advisory committee relating to consumer affairs. The amendment is designed to go a little further than the provision in the Bill as at present drafted, which requires attention to be called to the need for consumer affairs to be represented. The justification for what I have been suggesting is the statement right at the beginning of the White Paper that the legal profession exists for the benefit of its clients. It seems important that the views of the clients should be well represented.
In order to save time I say straight away that I am not proposing to move my amendment but rather to rest on the undertaking which the noble and learned Lord gave an hour and a half ago that he will consider the various points raised on the suggested amendments as to the composition of the advisory committee. I am very content that the point which is implicit in the amendment which I have tabled should be taken care of in that review, This evening I shall be perfectly happy to leave the matter there.
I am sure that the Committee is anxious to make progress. In the course of this Bill I have grown used to finding myself cast in the shy, retiring and self-effacing role. Therefore, I feel it is appropriate for me to say that, having listened to my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor, I remain wholly unconvinced. As my amendment was designed to act as an appendage to the main group of amendments advanced by my noble and learned friend Lord Oliver, I propose to withdraw it at this stage, reserving the opportunity to bring it up again at the Report stage. The amendment refers to the stipendiary magistrate. I take this course in the confident hope that my noble and learned friend will adhere to what he has so eloquently said regarding his amendment.
§ Baroness Elles
With the leave of the Committee and the permission of my noble and learned friend, and following on the example of the noble Lord, Lord Allen of Abbeydale, perhaps it will be convenient if I speak now to Amendment No 117A. This amendment too refers to the composition of the advisory committee. If there is no objection I shall introduce it briefly, so that my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor may take into account this particular aspect of the composition of the committee.
I remind the Committee that on Tuesday of this week, 23rd January, there was a report in the Financial Times of a case before the Queen's Bench Division. There was a request for an order for security of costs. The court was not able to make the order because the rule of the Supreme Court was in contravention of Article 7 of the EC treaty. This is one example of the effect of Community law on national courts.
1263 I should like to quote from a recent report on the application of European Community law. It says: The effectiveness of European Community law depends to a great extent on national courts. The application of EC law falls within the jurisdiction of national courts in all cases where the Community institution is not a party". The competence of national courts will be increased considerably in the coming years, particularly with the vast amount of legislative measures being introduced into national law in accordance with the 1992 programme. It would therefore seem reasonable that practising lawyers at whatever level should have some elementary knowledge of the principles, procedure and practice of European Community law.
My amendment proposes that at least one member of the advisory committee should have some expert knowledge and interest in this subject and that it should be included as a compulsory subject for any aspiring lawyer. With regard to the amendment itself, I put it to my noble and learned friend that it may possibly not be suitable for inclusion as one of the areas set out in subsection (5) of Clause 16 but could possibly be applied to one of the academics who would be appointed under subsection (4)(c). Perhaps I may leave it to my noble and learned friend to take this into account when deciding on the final composition of the advisory committee.
I thought that it was intended to deal with my Amendment No. 98. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
§ Lord Oliver of Aylmerton moved Amendment No. 99: Page 13, line 16, leave out ("14") and insert ("16").
§ The noble and learned Lord said: I have already spoken to this amendment. It is a paving amendment to lead the way for subsequent amendments. I beg to move.
Ackner, L. Murray of Epping Forest, L
Addington, L. Oliver of Aylmerton, L. [Teller.]
Alexander of Weedon, L.
Beloff, L. Onslow, E.
Byron, L. Peyton of Yeovil, L.
Carlisle of Bucklow, L. Rawlinson of Ewell, L.
Camock, L. Rees, L.
Dilhorne, V. Renton, L. [Teller.]
Donaldson of Lymington, L. Rippon of Hexham, L.
Foot, L. Russell, E.
Griffiths, L. Seear, B.
Hailsham of Saint Marylebone, L. Selkirk, E.
Simon of Glaisdale, L.
Hutchinson of Lullington, L. Templeman, L.
Lloyd of Kilgerran, L. Wilberforce, L.
Meston, L. Winterbottom, L.
Monson, L.
Adrian, L. Hooper, B.
Allen of Abbeydale, L. Huntly, M.
Ampthill, L. Joseph, L.
Arran, E. Kinnoull, E.
Belstead, L. Long, V.
Blatch, B. Mackay of Clashfern, L.
Boardman, L. Mishcon, L.
Brougham and Vaux, L. Morris, L.
Carnegy of Lour, B. Oxfuird, V.
Coleraine, L. Ponsonby of Shulbrede, L.
Cowley, E. Prys-Davies, L.
Davidson, V. [Teller.] Reay, L.
Denham, L. [Teller.] Romney, E.
Elles, B. Shackleton, L.
Elton, L. Strathmore and Kinghonne, E.
Ferrers, E.
Gisborough, L. Taylor of Gryfe, L.
Glenarthur, L. Thomas of Gwydir, L.
Gray, L. Trefgarne, L.
Henderson of Brompton, L. Trumpington, B.
Henley, L. Ullswater, V.
Hives, L.
I beg to move that the House do now resume.
The noble Lord the Leader of the House is here. If he indicates that he will accept the Motion I shall sit down. I shall do so pretty quickly, because I have moved the Motion to give him a chance to say how he envisages that matters should go. I hope that he will not say that a long time was taken on one amendment —the last one —because about eight amendments were discussed at the same time. They raised different issues and some were mentioned merely to indicate that they would not be moved. Having proposed the Motion, and having a chance no doubt to reply if necessary, I give way to the noble Lord the Leader of the House.
§ Moved, That the House do now resume. —(Lord Simon of Glaisdale.)
§ The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Belstead)
Perhaps I may just say a word in reply to the noble and learned Lord. I understand the concern that he has expressed. The Committee has laboured long and hard today and it has not been a day which has been easy for anyone in this country in view of the weather. We have got through a lot of business.
There is one important point that I should repeat which is left over from a day or so ago. Many Members are under the impression, whether they are here or have left, that we shall reach the end of Part II. It may or may not be possible to do that, but to cut off now would not be reasonable. Therefore, perhaps I may suggest —this is entirely for the Committee to decide —that we should go on at least for a bit longer to see how we get on and what progress we make. I know that there are a number of amendments to come which have already been spoken to. If the noble and learned Lord feels that the Leader of the House is being unreasonable, I shall be here on the Bench and ready to reply again.
§ Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede
I believe that the noble Lord the Leader of the House was not quite right. The intention was to reach the end of Part II at the finish of business on Monday, and today to reach Clause 30, which ends the question of representation.
I should perhaps indicate that to reach the end of Clause 30, as will be seen, involves Schedule 4, which contains a wide variety of alterations. I am not prepared to concede a lack of vitality to anyone, but I am bound to say that the Law Lords begin a great deal earlier in the day. This week to prepare myself for the debates I was in at 7 a.m. on Monday; 7.30 a.m. on Tuesday; 8 a.m. on Wednesday and 7.15 a.m. today. The Bill is concerned with the administration of justice. If the Committee wants an input from the judges, some slight modification from the usual resilience might be shown.
§ Lord Belstead
Before the noble and learned Lord, Lord Simon of Glaisdale, decides what to do with the Motion, perhaps I may apologise to the noble Lord, Lord Ponsonby, who is correct: the target is to reach the end of Clause 30. Despite listening to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Ackner, I feel that we ought to go on a bit, see how we go and try to reach a target which noble Lords both inside and outside the House believe we would reach in order to start at a certain position on Monday.
I should certainly not wish the word "unreasonable" to be put into my mouth in relation to the noble Lord, the Leader of the House. I was going to ask him what he meant when he said the first time that we should "go on a little bit", and the second time "go on a bit". Will he give some indication as to what hour he thinks it reasonable to expect the Committee to continue to sit to in consideration of a Bill which is accepted in all quarters as of high constitutional and social importance?
Let me put it like this. I should have thought that a reasonable time at which to look again at how we were doing would be at about a quarter to midnight. Perhaps I may say to members of the Committee that I believe that the debate on the last amendment took just under an hour and three-quarters. It is for the Committee to decide how long it wishes to take on particular amendments. However, if we are to get anywhere near the kind of target which it was thought would be reasonable at the end of today, I should have thought that it would be not unreasonable to see where we were at about a quarter to midnight.
The noble Lord the Leader of the House was not here when we debated this. About eight amendments were taken in the last debate and when I moved my amendment at 8 o'clock, I spoke to 11 amendments altogether. So we have not spent an hour on one amendment. The noble Lord the Chief Whip shakes his head, but I am trying to explain that we were dealing with a great number of amendments. Only one was called 1266 by the Lord Chairman, but we were discussing a great many of the amendments which we dealt with. Of course they took an hour, but it is a very difficult Bill. Only one was called by the noble Lord the Deputy Chairman. However great the huff and puff of the Front Bench, it is a difficult and complicated Bill, to which this Committee must pay a great deal of attention.
One misunderstanding arose the other day as to the number of days allotted to the Committee stage. I had always understood that agreement had been reached on about six days, but now the indication is that it is five. I am bound to say that I think that that is totally unreasonable and that on a matter of this kind an agreement through the usual channels ought not necessarily to be regarded as in any way binding.
§ The Deputy Chairman of Committees (Lord Ampthill)
Does the noble and learned Lord, Lord Simon, wish to press his Motion or to withdraw it?
I think it ought to be withdrawn. I beg leave to withdraw the Motion.
§ Motion, by leave, withdrawn.
The Deputy Chairman of Committees
Does the noble and learned Lord, Lord Rawlinson, wish to move Amendment No. 100?
The amendment was discussed with Amendment No. 96 and I do not press it.
§ [Amendment No. 100 not moved.]
§ Lord Oliver of Aylmerton had given notice of his intention to move Amendment No. 101: Page 13, line 17, at end insert ("with the concurrence of the Lord Chief Justice").
§ The noble and learned Lord said: I shall not move the amendment, but I reserve the liberty to reconsider the matter in the light of what was said.
§ [Amendments Nos. 101 to 108 not moved.]
§ Lord Mishcon had given notice of his intention to move Amendment No. 108A: Page 13, line 24, at end insert — ("( ) I shall be a practising legal executive appointed after consultation with the Institute of Legal Executives;")
§ The noble Lord said: I know that the noble Lord, Lord Hacking, spoke to Amendment No. 108A in regard to legal executives. I am sure:hat what he said has been noted by the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor and I therefore propose not to move the amendment.
§ [Amendments Nos. 108A and 109 not moved.]
§ Lord Lloyd of Kilgerran moved Amendment No. 109A: Page 13, line 28, after ("appropriate") insert— ("( )—I shall be a practising patent agent appointed after consultation with the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents; and").
§ The noble Lord said: In moving this amendment, I wish to speak also to Amendments Nos. 112A, 113A and 212A. Amendment No. 109A attempts to add another member to the advisory committee, without affecting the position or the control of the other lay members. The amendment states that, a practising agent appointed after consultation with the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents should be appointed to the advisory committee. I apologise at this stage that these amendments were tabled rather late. I wish to emphasise the practical importance of this amendment in the public interest, having regard to the great number of technical advances and innovations now taking place. These technological advances have been so important that recently the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor agreed to the appointment of a new patents court. Having regard to the rights of audience of the members of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents to this new court, I wish to emphasise why it is so important to have a patent agent on the advisory committee.
§ However, I must say with great respect that I felt that the procedure over the past two hours was somewhat confused in the number of amendments that were spoken to on a somewhat ad hoc basis. I do not believe that the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor gave an undertaking that he would consider all the amendments that dealt with proposed additions to the advisory committee. I am most anxious to help in shortening this debate, so if the noble and learned Lord were to say at this stage that, without hearing my reasons for the amendment, it would be convenient for him to consider whether or not the inclusion of a member of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents on the advisory committee would be helpful, I shall gladly resume my seat and not go through the presentation which I had prepared. However, I do not believe the noble and learned Lord gave that undertaking, although a Member of the Committee said that he had.
I shall respond to that point before the noble Lord sits down, and therefore before the amendment is put. I said that I would consider these matters —I tried to show the framework in which I was seeking to operate—because there were a number of candidates involved. I should like to know why the noble Lord considers that a patent agent should be included on the advisory committee. He may find it convenient to make representations to me on another occasion, although he is perfectly entitled to do so here if he wishes. That is a matter entirely for him.
§ Lord Lloyd of Kilgerran
I am much obliged to the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor. He said that I could make representations to him on another occasion before Report. It would save at least half an hour of the Committee's time if I accepted that undertaking. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
§ [Amendment No. 109A not moved.]
§ [Amendments Nos. 110 to 112A not moved.]
§ Lord Boardman moved Amendment No. 112B: Page 13, line 29, leave out ("8") and insert — ("2 shall be persons with experience in and knowledge of commercial affairs, appointed after consultation with such organisations representing industrial users of legal services as the Lord Chancellor considers appropriate; and (ee) 6").
§ The noble Lord said: With this amendment, and the others which are grouped with it, I wish to canvas the merits of candidates to appear on the advisory committee. I shall do so briefly because I think that the case will be well known to my noble and learned friend. It is to promote from the list of those who can be considered under the terms of Clause 16(5) those whose interests must be represented on the advisory committee under the earlier part of the clause. The amendment refers to two candidates who have: experience in and knowledge of commercial affairs". They are to be appointed after consultation by my noble and learned friend with bodies representing. industrial users of legal services", such as the CBI and the Association of British Chambers of Commerce. I am sure that my noble and learned friend will be well aware of the vast importance to industry and commerce of the efficient administration of justice. They are regular users of legal services.
§ There is one special consideration which I hope my noble and learned friend will bear in mind; that is the impact of 1992 on the legal system. The industrial and commercial worlds are more familiar than most with what is happening in courts overseas, in which they themselves are so often involved.
§ I am sure that my noble and learned friend will know how much those organisations now contribute and the extent of the legal and quasi-legal advice that they give to government from time to time. I am sure that they will make a valuable addition to the committee. I hope that he will feel able to appoint them in their own right instead of as an optional extra.
§ I am quite content to leave it to my noble and learned friend to take their case into consideration with that of the other candidates to which he will be referring. I shall not press the amendment if that is the line which he proposes to take. I beg to move.
Lord Morris
Perhaps on the back of this amendment I may take up the invitation which my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor proffered to the noble Lord, Lord Lloyd of Kilgerran.
Without even a glance at me, the noble Lord, Lord Mishcon, did not move Amendment No. 108A, although I had added my name to it. I therefore had no opportunity to speak to it. Perhaps I may suggest to my noble and learned friend that I might make representations to him as to the merits of that case. I should be very happy so to do.
I apologise to the noble Lord, Lord Morris. I did not see him in his seat. It was obviously my error. The noble Lord, Lord Hacking, asked me to deal with the amendment in his absence. I am sure the noble Lord acquits me of any discourtesy.
Certainly I shall be happy to receive the further enlightenment on the Institute of Legal Executives that my noble friend will provide.
So far as concerns the amendment of my noble friend Lord Boardman, I shall certainly have regard to what we can do in relation to those matters. I shall not be very keen to allocate places in the lay part of the committee to particular interests. However, I certainly want to have as wide a spectrum as possible in which to examine and consult, and to take account of these matters in that way.
I hope that in giving that undertaking my noble and learned friend will also bear in mind that that illustrates the point that I sought to make. There will be a lay majority on the committee, and a certain number of professionals are specified. Representation on the committee will have to cover crime, magistrates' courts, county courts and family courts, including the whole business of matrimonial jurisdiction. It will have to include personal injuries cases, which is the bread and butter of some of our divisions. It will have to include employers' liability. As the noble Lord, Lord Lloyd of Kilgerran, reminded us, it will have to include patent agents and copyright specialists. It will also have to include income tax specialists and numerous other persons whose names do not immediately arise. I can think at once of probate and admiralty cases, defamation and all the specialties which come before the courts. Where shall we be if they are all to serve on the committee which at this Committee stage is limited to 14 members in all plus a chairman?
In response to my noble and learned friend, in case there is any misunderstanding, I indicated at the outset that I would consider the proposals. I indicated the general considerations concerning the committee which I have in mind. I have no intention whatever of proposing a committee on which every possible sectional interest is represented. Otherwise it would be almost a Committee of the Whole House.
In view of the comments of my noble and learned friend Lord Hailsham, perhaps I may point out that industry and commerce are involved in all those matters that he listed with the exception of family courts and matrimonial matters, so they would be ideal candidates. In view of the comments of my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
§ [Amendments Nos. 113 to 114ZA not moved.]
§ The Lord Chancellor moved Amendment No. 114A: Page 13, line 34, leave out ("(2)") and insert ("(4)").
§ The noble and learned Lord said: This amendment is simply intended to correct a printing error in the Bill in the reference to the subsection. I beg to move.
§ Baroness Elles moved Amendment No. 1 17A: Page 13, line 43, leave out ("or").
§ The noble Baroness said: I have already spoken to Amendments Nos. 117A and 117B which stand in my name but I should like an assurance from my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor that he will take into account the proposal for the inclusion of Community law within the matters that should be represented on the advisory committee.
Before my noble and learned friend replies perhaps I may add to what my noble friend Lady Elles has said. There is an increasing commitment on the part of both branches of the legal profession in this country to practise on the Continent of Europe. That will increase still further as the years go by. My noble friend has made an important point which I hope my noble and learned friend will consider sympathetically.
Yes, certainly.
I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
§ [Amendment No. 117B not moved.]
§ Lord Mishcon moved Amendment No. 117C: Page 13, line 45, at end insert ("; or (h) the desirability of ensuring equality of appointments for women and people of different ethnic and national origins to enter the legal profession and to become judges and teachers of law").
§ The noble Lord said: I shall deal with the amendment very briefly. I am not sure whether the English of the amendment is entirely clear by virtue of the fact that it is governed by the preliminary words of subsection (5) which state: In appointing any member who falls within subsection (2)(d), the Lord Chancellor shall have regard to the desirability of appointing persons who have experience in, or knowledge of". It then goes on to deal with the question of desirability.
§ The purpose of the amendment is plain. I know that the noble and learned Lord and all Members of the Committee realise how important it is that in the entry into the profession, the training within the profession and the appointments within the profession the idea of equality of appointments for women and people of different ethnic and national origins is taken into account. If the noble and learned Lord agreed with the principle, I should ask the leave of the Committee to withdraw the amendment and put the matter into a proper form on Report unless the Government wanted to come forward with their own amendment.
§ Lord Hutchinson of Lullington
I strongly support the amendment. As the noble and learned Lord knows very well, for the last four years I have been a member of the committee which has been trying to improve the ethnic minorities' position in the criminal process. The result of that inquiry, which is still going on, has been to show the most remarkable lack of realisation and perception of the 1271 hidden and often unconscious racial prejudice and the lack of racial representation of ethnic minorities in all the agencies in the criminal process. It is a matter about which I know that the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor is particularly concerned and in which he has shown a particular interest. I should like to support this amendment. In doing so, I hope that it will receive sympathetic attention.
I am very grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Hutchinson, for his remarks. I am extremely interested in trying as best as I can to promote these matters. I think it is also fair to say that the General Council of the Bar and the Law Society are concerned about other aspects of racial discrimination. I am considering whether anything can be done in relation to this Bill to deal with those problems.
While I am entirely sympathetic to the matter that the noble Lord wishes to advance —and it may go a little beyond the English —I am not certain whether the way in which it is being done here is necessarily the right way. I shall certainly consider whether something can be done about it, perhaps in relation to the terms of reference of the committee, or something of that kind.
However, the noble Lord may take it that I should like to do anything that I reasonably can to advance this cause. If he accepts that from me, he might feel able to withdraw the amendment, although from what I know about it so far I doubt whether that is quite the appropriate way to do it.
It was not only a matter of trying to encourage this generally but I was looking at the membership of the advisory committee itself in order to see that that principle was carried through. Maybe the noble and learned Lord, in his great kindness, would write to me between this stage and Report. We can either agree then upon something to be put in the Bill or I can move my amendment at Report stage and have it considered.
In the circumstances —the noble and learned Lord has nodded and I wish to record that in Hansard—I ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
§ Clause 16, as amended, agreed to.
§ Clause 17 [Duties of the Advisory Committee]:
§ Lord Prys-Davis moved Amendment No. 117D: Page 14, line 23, at end insert ("and the maintenance of access to common standards of representation of litigants irrespective of means".
§ The noble Lord said: This amendment widens the duty of the advisory committee by requiring it to assist in maintaining equal access to justice. When this Bill is enacted we fear that many litigants, in particular those who are on low incomes, will turn not only to friends and relatives (which we very much support) but also to remunerated non-lawyers. I believe that to be one of the main aims of the Bill. 1272 I can recall the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor praising lawyer-free litigation as a desirable end in itself.
§ As the Bill frees and opens up the market, I think that one should also accept that there is need to protect the vulnerable consumers, in particular those who will be seeking assistance from the second tier, if I may use that term, that is manned by the remunerated non-lawyers. That is why we say in this amendment that it should be a task of the advisory committee to ensure the maintenance of access to common standards of representation of litigants, irrespective of means.
§ We believe that that is a safeguard which should be built into the system from the outset and not arise at some point in the future, possibly after some years of abuse. I very much hope that this amendment can be accepted by the noble and learned Lord as being non-controversial. I beg to move.
While I perfectly understand the aim of the noble Lord, I do not think that I can accept this amendment. The committee and the framework created in this part of the Bill deal with the question of the structure of the profession and the services provided. It is not intended to deal with the level of remuneration, for example, that should be paid to professional advisers. The effect of the proposed amendment could lead the advisory committee into seeking to stipulate rigid standards to apply to all clients whatever their status, their means or the sums at stake. Wealthier clients would not, for example, be entitled to employ additional counsel in particularly important cases. The object of the Bill is to remove any unnecessary restrictions which inhibit the quality of service, and not to impose them. If the service is freed from any unnecessary restrictive practices, the result will be an increase in client choice. I have been accused in the past of seeking to subject the profession to undesirable influence from the Executive. But the amendment seems to suggest that the advisory committee should advise rigid controls which would probably be deleterious to an independent profession. I suggest that it would be best to let the advisory committee concentrate on legal education and conduct.
I am sure that both branches of the profession will desire to attain the best possible service for clients of differing financial circumstances. The Bar already makes provision for free representation, as has already been mentioned. I am sure that the Law Society will seek to do the same. However, such an arrangement is a matter for the profession in the light of its general structure.
§ Lord Prys-Davies
I thank the noble and learned Lord for his response. We must consider in particular whether his reassuring words address the mischief which those who instruct us believe should be met by the wording of the amendment. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
§ Clause 17 agreed to.
§ Lord Prys-Davies moved Amendment No. 117E: After Clause 17, insert the following new Clause:
§ ("Regional Legal Services Committees.
§ .—(1) The Lord Chancellor shall establish committees to be known as Regional Legal Services Committees to promote the development of legal and advice services in such areas of England and Wales as he considers appropriate.
§ (2) Regional Legal Services Committees shall consist of local representatives of consumers and providers of legal and advice services, and others interested in the work of the committees.
§ (3) Regional Legal Services Committees shall inform professional bodies, Government and others of the needs and wishes of consumers of legal and advice services, and shall consider and promote —
(i) innovative ways of providng legal and advice services;
(ii) improvements in the education, training and conduct of those offering legal and advice services;
(iii) improvements in the way courts meet the needs of litigants in their area.
§ (4) In addition to their other activities, Regional Legal Services Committees may undertake research and conduct pilot schemes at the request of the Advisory Committee or the Lord Chancellor.
§ (5) The Lord Chancellor shall provide funds to Regional Legal Services Committees to enable them to perform their duties.".
§ The noble Lord said: If one is concerned to improve access to legal services and develop new ways of providing such services, there is the need to evolve ways in which the consumers of legal services in different localities can represent their needs and views to the providers of such services.
§ That has been done by the north-western regional legal services committee. It is a group of lawyers, advice centre workers, academics, court staff, police and probation officers, voluntary organisations and others who are committed to improving legal services. The committee initiated the successful accident leaflet scheme which informed people about their right to claim compensation after an accident. The committee also encouraged people to see a solicitor. Solicitors were offering a free interview. I understand that the scheme has now been taken up by the Law Society and is being promoted throughout the country.
§ My attention has been drawn to the fact that the Government's Green Paper criticised the Law Society for not "adequately underlining the importance" of written professional standards. Again, the north-western regional committee has taken the lead in that area. It has produced leaflets informing clients of what they have a right to expect from their solicitors. It also encourages centres to refer only to those solicitors who abide by the recommended standards. I understand that the Law Society is considering using the leaflet. I could elaborate on other helpful projects which are undertaken by the committee.
§ The north-western regional committee survives on a grant of approximately £50,000. It covers a full-time secretary and travelling and administrative expenses. Currently the grant is paid by the Legal Aid Committee. But that committee is considering withdrawing the grant. A similar committee has been established in the North-East, but has yet to find the necessary funding. That is also the position in South Wales where a steering committee has been set up 1274 but it cannot make progress because it is without funds.
§ I think it is generally accepted that the regional legal services committees are a cost-effective way of achieving the objectives of Part I and Part II of the Bill. The object of this particular amendment is to call on the Lord Chancellor to establish a number of such committees, representative of consumers and providers of legal services, in different parts of England and Wales.
§ It should also be said that the advisory committee that we have been discussing could benefit greatly from the advice it would receive from such a committee because it would not be advice in the abstract but advice based on realistic, practical experience of consumers who are very much on the receiving end of legal services. I believe that this amendment introduces a simple but important improvement that should be built into any system of reform introduced by the Bill. I beg to move.
We discussed regional legal services committees at the Committee stage of the Legal Aid Act 1988. I said then that the Legal Aid Board already had power under the Legal Aid Act to establish and fund regional committees, should it be found desirable to do so. The Legal Aid Board has already given some consideration lo the role of legal services committees, but needs snore time to develop its own relationship with the providers of legal services. It would not be sensible to pre-empt this work.
Moreover, the effect might be to establish two —or perhaps three—levels of responsibility for legal services. The Lord Chancellor has a ministerial responsibility in this connection. Section 4(1) of the Legal Aid Act gives the board the general function of securing that advice, assistance and representation are available in accordance with this Act. This amendment would require regional legal services committees to: promote the development of legal and advice services. That would have two thoroughly difficult consequences. First, responsibility for legal services would be apt to be somewhat of a muddle. The additional obligation on regional committees introduced by this amendment would seem to be an unnecessary fifth wheel. The second undesirable consequence of this amendment is that it would make these committees responsible for promoting legal and advice services. This would seem to mean all advice services, including generalist advice services such as citizens advice bureaux. This would go far beyond the remit of this Bill and beyond my responsibilities.
In any event, the Legal Aid Board is, even now, looking at the provision of legal advice arid assistance under the Green Form Scheme with a view to enhancing existing standards. I expect them to report to me with their proposals early in 1992. In the meantime it would be wasteful of resources to establish any body with responsibility for advice services while that work is going on. I believe that the Legal Aid Board is pursuing this with a good deal of vigour.
When the noble and learned Lord refers to the good work of these services committees and says that a body is pursuing this with vigour, I refer him to the record of the debate to which he referred. It was on 14th January 1988, which is now over two years ago. When my noble and learned and much lamented friend Lord Elwyn-Jones moved an amendment for this to be dealt with under the Legal Aid Act, the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor, on 14th January 1988, said: I have already explained that power to do what is suggested in this amendment is available to the board subject to the approval of the Lord Chancellor. I also sought to explain that it is a matter of seeing what is required in the view of the board when the board is set up".—[Official Report, 14/1/88/; col. 1438.] One assumed from that —I think justifiably —that something was to be done, if not in 1988 then in 1989; and if not in 1989 then it would be done by the beginning of 1990. I am sure the noble and learned Lord, who does not like delays, will have some opportunity, as a result of what is said now, of expediting these proceedings.
Perhaps I may say something in a lighter vein. I notice that at col. 1438 my late noble and learned friend Lord Elwyn-Jones replied to those observations in the following way: I confess that I was not giving my undivided attention to the earlier consideration of this matter. I therefore may have let something very important pass by in the odd moments when one is allowed relaxation. I shall bring no tears to anyone's eyes but I have sat in this Chamber since three o'clock in the afternoon". My noble and learned friend said that at one minute before 10 o'clock.
In view of what I have said —and reminding him of his observations of over two years ago —will the noble and learned Lord undertake to see that this matter of consideration by the Legal Aid Board is expedited so far as is possible. From what he said in 1988 it is clear that in his own mind he thought that something would be done along those lines, or recommendation made, well before now. If he could give such an undertaking I would willingly ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
I had in mind in that debate that it was a matter for the Legal Aid Board, but of course it could not do anything until it was set up. The primary function that it has had since it was set up is to try to improve the administration of the existing scheme so as to get applications for legal aid certificates dealt with quickly. I believe that the board is looking at these matters with as much expedition as possible.
I certainly undertake to look at the matter to see how the board is getting on. I know that its members are working hard and, I believe, with a certain amount of success already. I know they are concerned that the provisions of the Legal Aid Act should be as effective as possible. Perhaps with that comfort the noble Lord will feel able to withdraw the amendment.
It is indeed a grain of comfort and, at this stage, I ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
§ Lord Renton moved Amendment No. 120A: Page 64, line 42, leave out sub-paragraph (4).
§ The noble Lord said: In the absence of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Simon of Glaisdale, who not surprisingly finds, again, that he suffers from the lateness of the hour, I beg to move Amendment No. 120A which stands in his name and mine. I suggest that we take with it Amendments Nos. 120B to 120F. I go even further, in the hope of saving the time of the Committee, and suggest that we also refer to Amendments Nos. 139ZC to 139ZF, amending Schedule 3, which deal with the same point to which I referred rather late on Tuesday night. I make no apology for the fact that we are bringing up this matter again. The Committee will see that in the amendments I shall move that the consent of the Treasury is required on no fewer than nine occasions with regard to relatively minor details in the Bill. These are matters which are within the responsibility of my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor but in relation to each of them the references noted on the Marshalled List state that he is required to obtain the approval of the Treasury or sometimes its consent.
§ When different words are used in the same statute there is a rule of interpretation by the courts that they are said to have different meanings. If the word "approval" has a different meaning and effect to the word "consent", I believe that we should be told what it is; otherwise our legislation is sloppy. I refer to the particular occasions when the consent of the Treasury is required in Schedules 1 and 3. Schedule 1 at paragraph 7(1)(b) on page 64 of the Bill refers to the payment to members of the advisory committee and those who are co-opted of, such remuneration, and such travelling and other allowances, as may be determined by the Lord Chancellor".
§ In subparagraph (4) we find that, The approval of the Treasury shall be required for the making of a determination", by him. Under the heading "Staff" and paragraph 8(1) of Schedule 1: The Advisory Committee may, with the approval of the Lord Chancellor as to terms and conditions of service, appoint such staff as it may determine". This time the consent of the Treasury is required at subparagraph (5) on page 65. In paragraph 9(1) under the heading "Accounts and audit" we find that, The Advisory Committee shall keep accounts and shall prepare a statement of accounts". In subparagraph (2): The accounts shall be kept, and the statement shall be prepared, in such form as the Lord Chancellor may … direct", but again with the approval of the Treasury. So it goes on and I am not going to weary the Committee with the details of all the occasions.
§ I raised this matter on Tuesday evening and it appears at col. 1042 of the Official Report. My noble and learned friend told the Committee, There are some things which the Lord Chancellor is prepared to help with and some which he would rather leave to others". With respect to the noble and learned Lord, it appears from the parts of the schedule that I have read out that he is not leaving these matters to the 1277 Treasury. He has to make his own determination and he has to draw up his own form of accounts. After doing that he has to obtain the approval of the Treasury.
§ On Tuesday evening I suggested that it was rather extraordinary for a great officer of state such as the Lord Chancellor to have to obtain the approval of what appears to be minor officials of the Treasury. It is not the approval of the Chancellor of the Exchequer that is sought but of the Treasury. My noble and learned friend explained to me: The normal procedure is that an order made under a clause such as this would be signed by the Lord Chancellor and a certificate would be signed by two Lords Commissioners of the Treasury as concurring". We all know that two Lords Commissioners of the Treasury would be not very senior Government Whips and they would know little or nothing about what the Lord Chancellor had in mind. It would be a kind of formality and a piece of mumbo-jumbo. Yet Parliament is asked to write this matter of administration within the Government into the statute so that it becomes part of the statute law of the land.
§ My noble and learned friend Lord Simon of Glaisdale and I, sometimes with the support of others with great experience in politics, have pointed out that this is a misuse of primary legislation. It has gone on for years. It seems to us to be nonsensical. It is time to stop it. I hope that the present Chancellor of the Exchequer, for whom I have a very special admiration and respect because he took over my old constituency 11 years ago, will have the wisdom and the practical sense to stop it and that he will be assisted in making the change by my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor. I move this amendment in the hope —I hope that it is not a despairing hope —that we shall stop legislating in ways which merely concern the somewhat formal internal administration of the Government. I beg to move.
Provisions allowing payment of fees and allowances to be paid out of money provided by Parliament normally require the rates to be set with the consent of the Treasury. It is important that a consistent approach is maintained so that particular fees and allowances do not fall out of step and create pressure for increases elsewhere. The Treasury is responsible to Parliament for the proper administration of moneys voted by Parliament not only in respect of the total amount but in respect also of the ways in which they are disbursed. This reflects the proper care which the Government should have in dealing with what is, after all, the taxpayers' money.
The opening sentence of my previous response was intended as a reply to the concluding words of my noble friend Lord Renton asking that I should do something. It was not really directed to the substance of the amendment.
This is the standard practice. As my noble friend said, it has been going on for a considerable time. I have a note of a similar Motion being made in 1960, 1278 so there is a fairly long history to this. That is my understanding of the position and I regret that I cannot accept the amendment.
When my noble and learned friend refers to having a consistent approach, would he agree that it is a consistent approach within the Government where there is Cabinet responsibility? Is he saying that that consistency cannot be achieved without asking Parliament to write this into the statute? Will he also answer my question, which is a quite serious drafting question? What is the difference between "consent" and "approval"?
On my noble friend's second point, the question concerns the most appropriate word in the context. The essence is consent. Sometimes the appropriate way to express it is by using the word "approval". Sometimes it is "consent" and sometimes it is "concurrence". It depends on the nature of the context. These phrases are included in recognition of the Treasury's responsibility to Parliament for that aspect of the subject matter.
We have dealt with this matter only briefly at this late hour. I shall go on trying to get some sense in this matter and in relation to other matters written into statute which are part of the internal administration of government. Having said that, and having made the point again briefly tonight, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment on the understanding that I shall come back to it time and time again.
§ [Amendments Nos. 120B to 120D not moved.]
§ Lord Mishcon moved Amendment No. 120E: Page 66, line 18, at end insert— ("(1A) Such grants shall include money for the commissioning of research.").
§ The noble Lord said: In moving this amendment I shall, with the leave of the Committee, speak also to Amendment No. 121 B which it will be seen gives power to the advisory committee—noble Lords may think a very necessary power—to fund research so that it may carry out its voluminous and very responsible duties under this paragraph. The members of the advisory committee should obviously have such a power and the provision contained in Amendment No. 120E gives them the money, such grants coming from the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor with the approval of the Treasury, for the commissioning of research".
§ I beg to move.
I have a good deal of sympathy with the intention of this amendment but I doubt whether it is a matter which should be dealt with in the Bill. My intention is that the advisory committee should be enabled to conduct a modest programme of research. Paragraph 2 of Schedule 1 gives the committee power to regulate its own procedure, and I think that decisions on whether part of the grant-in-aid should be used for research 1279 in any particular year are matters for the committee itself to decide in the light of the matters which are remitted to it for consideration.
There is a great deal of information about legal services already in the public domain. It will be very important for the advisory committee to decide whether it is able or wishes to use that quarry or whether original work, with its attendant delays, is required in deciding how to plan its work. In the light of that indication, I hope that the noble Lord will feel able to withdraw the amendment.
I hope that I shall be able to maintain my patience throughout these long proceedings. But I say with all due respect to the Committee and to the noble and learned Lord, when the advisory committee has to undertake a job of this nature and tender advice to which regard must be paid by the professional bodies, it will look at the powers which it has been given. Under the schedule the members of such a committee are not given powers to commission research; they are not given the funds to pay for it; and they are not given the means to pay for the expenses connected therewith.
The noble and learned Lord said that the committee will be able to carry out research because such provision is contained elsewhere in the Bill. Such words merely say, if I may paraphrase them, that the members of the committee must carry out the work and they must do so in accordance with their duties as set out under the schedule.
I ask the noble and learned Lord, if a provision makes a matter transparently clear, instead of one having to search in order to find precisely a place in the Bill where the power may exist, is it not sensible to put it in the Bill? It does no harm; it only makes the matter clear. I do not know why the noble and learned Lord obstructs the inclusion of such words merely on the basis that the power could be inferred from something else. Quite honestly, that may lead to further argument at a later stage.
I ask the noble and learned Lord at least to say that he will consider whether what is proposed should be accepted. It could be included as a specific provision in the Bill and a specific grant could be given to the advisory committee in this respect. If he utters those honeyed words —as they will be to me at this late hour —I shall then ask him and the Committee for leave to withdraw the amendment. However, if he tells me that what I consider to be a very necessary amendment will not be included in the Bill, although he agrees that the committee should be able to carry out research, he will put me in a difficult position. Of course I know that that is the last thing in the world he would want to do.
I think that I shall have to leave the noble Lord in such a difficulty at least for the present time.
That is a harsh reply and completely untypical of the noble and learned Lord. We must all be affected by the lateness of the hour. I say that because I know that if I had pleaded with 1280 him in these terms at an earlier hour he would have granted my request. However, on Report we may find that the noble and learned Lord will be in a more amenable mood. In those circumstances, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment at this stage but I shall return to the issue at the Report stage.
§ [Amendment No. 12F not moved.]
§ Schedule 1 agreed to.
§ Schedule 2 [Specific Functions of the Advisory Committee.]:
§ Lord Mishcon moved Amendment No. 120G: Page 67, line 4, at end insert ("including disadvantaged members of the public.").
§ The noble Lord said: I shall move the amendment with the same brevity as I did the previous one. The Committee will see at the top of page 67 of the schedule that the advisory committee is to give certain advice with regard to the needs of legal practice and the efficient delivery of legal services to the public.
§ It will be an important part of the committee's work to see that those services and that advice is available to disadvantaged members of the public. So that that requirement is brought to the attention of everyone, including the advisory committee, the amendment seeks to add those words to the schedule. I beg to move.
I am happy to consider further how this matter should be dealt with. The "public" of course includes all those who are disadvantaged. The general includes the particular. I can see a possible advantage in having a specific reference to that group of people. If the noble Lord will allow me, I should like to consider the matter further.
I gladly observe a change of tone and mood. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
§ Lord Rawlinson of Ewell had given notice of his intention to move Amendment No. 121: Page 67, line 36, leave out ("the Law Society and other authorised bodies").
§ The noble and learned Lord said: This is the first of a series of amendments to the schedule which are consistent with the opinions that I have expressed during the course of the debates on the Bill. The amendment follows my belief that the right of audience should be limited to those who are barristers. It is to that end that I tabled the amendment and Amendments Nos. 122 to 131 and 132 to 135.
§ The noble Lord the Leader of the House is at this moment entering the Chamber. We had an altercation about an hour and a half ago about the time spent on debating one amendment. We had in 1281 fact debated a dozen or more. That is what we shall be doing with the present amendment. We did not spend all that time debating one amendment; we were dealing with a series. I hope that he will understand that. He is a man of great moderation and understanding.
§ I am not happy to move amendments at this time in a Chamber of this size. Does the noble Lord believe that it is consonant with the importance of the Bill that we should discuss serious matters at so late an hour? The noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor has been sitting on that Bench —most of us have been on these Benches likewise —speaking to amendments since something like three o'clock. It was apparent a short time ago that the pressure of that duty was beginning to affect even so resilient a person and so able a debater as the noble and learned Lord.
§ Parliament is not being served if we continue with these debates this evening. In moving the first of the amendments I shall be dealing with a point that goes to the very heart of the matter. It is a long trail that I am blazing. I am aware that it is so and I do not expect it to be successful.
§ However, I am continually reminded by my noble and learned friend Lord Ackner, that every man is a debtor to his profession and I was not going to see this Bill passed without having my say and keeping up my opposition to the bitter end. Those are the principles in which I believe.
§ The proposal is that only the General Council of the Bar, rather than the Law Society and other authorised bodies, should have control over the rights, duties, learning, teaching and the conduct of the advocacy. That is not because someone like the noble Lord, Lord Mishcon, could not easily and properly be Lord Chancellor. It is not because I think the noble Lord, Lord Goodman —who, understandably at this late hour, has left the Chamber —could not be Lord Chancellor. That is not the point. The point is that there should be one body controlling with one discipline the rights and duties of the advocate.
§ This is a series of amendments. I do not think it compatible with the dignity of the House that we should enter into these discussions at this time. I should have hoped that the Leader of the House would allow us to go away and come back on Monday. I shall return to the amendments at another stage of the Bill and, in accordance with that intention, I shall not move Amendments Nos. 121, 122 to 131 and 132 to 135. I give the assurance that I shall bring them back at another time when there are more Members present to consider the argument. I shall not move the amendments.
Before my noble and learned friend sits down, in the presence of the Leader of the House I wish to say that by sitting at this late hour we are merely piling up business for the Report stage. If we sat in Committee at a more reasonable hour and had 1282 perhaps one more day, we would not pile up so much more for the Report stage, which will now last that much longer.
§ Lord Mishcon moved Amendment No. 121 A: Page 67, line 43, leave out ("to the extent that it applies in relation to matters connected with advocacy or the conduct of litigation.").
§ The noble Lord said: The Committee will observe that, in Schedule 2, paragraph 5(4), at the bottom of page 67, it is provided that any body to which a recommendation of the advisory committee is addressed or which is given advice by the advisory committee is to have regard to it. Then these limiting words occur: to the extent that it applies in relation to matters connected with advocacy or the conduct of litigation". In other words, as regards anything else that the committee usefully has to say, it looks as though the bodies which are being advised need have no regard to it at all. Why these limiting words occur I know not. That is why I hope that the amendment is usefully moved. I beg to move.
The committee has a general advisory function, but in relation to advocacy and litigation it has a particular and more central function. That role would be weakened if its advice on advocacy and litigation matters carried no more weight than that on other legal services issues. The Government remain committed to the principle that in the first instance the maintenance of standards in legal services is a matter for the professional bodies themselves. The general objective in this part of the Bill of developing legal services gives the advisory committee a role to play. But that role has been carefully drawn so as not to impinge unduly on the independence of the professions. I consider that the correct balance between complete professional independence and the right of the users of legal services to have their voice heard in advice through the medium of the committee is struck with the present requirement that the professional bodies should be under an obligation to have regard to the committee's advice only to the extent that it relates to advocacy or litigation, because that is the statutory matter that is central to its role. It is for that reason that this limitation is included, and that I do not feel able to accept the amendment. I hope that in the light of that explanation the noble Lord may feel able to withdraw it.
I share the concern addressed by the noble Lord, Lord Mishcon. It appears that we have two kinds of advice, some one has regard to and some one does not have regard to. I am not sure that I have followed the explanation of ray noble and learned friend.
The matter is even worse than that, if I may say so, because the inference is that if the advisory body seeks to give advice or make a recommendation to one of the bodies which does not come within the description of advocacy or the conduct of litigation, the statute states one should 1283 not have regard to it. It is almost mandatory not to take any notice of it at all and to throw it into what I believe was wittily called by a Member of the Committee opposite a furniture receptacle: namely, a waste paper basket. That inference seems rather extraordinary, but if the noble and learned Lord persists in his view that he does not even wish to consider the matter, I shall obviously have to sit down.
It is no doubt the effect of the approach of the witching hour that I find myself drawn to support my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor. It seems to me that the advisory committee has an excess of diet. It will suffer from indigestion, but for heaven's sake do not let it be worse unless it is fatal. If it is likely to be fatal, I would support the amendment.
With such help I believe the noble and learned Lord could do without, if the Committee will forgive the English of that expression. As I said before, I wonder whether in view of the exclusion, which presumably every professional body will have to have to any advice given upon any other matter, the noble and learned Lord might consider that the provision is a little odd and that the wording might be rather different. However, if he persists in his view, I shall have to take a certain course. I hope he will make an observation on what I have just said.
I have explained the position as I see it. It is something worth waiting for to have my noble and learned friend on my side. That is extremely pleasant. I have sought to explain the matter, but the real point is to deal particularly with advocacy and the conduct of litigation. That does not imply that we do not have regard to that in other circumstances; it just means that there is no particular statutory obligation to have regard to it.
In view of the hour, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
§ [Amendments Nos. 121E to 131 not moved.]
The Deputy Chairman of Committees (The Viscount of Oxfuird)
I must advise that if Amendment No. 131A is agreed to, the Committee cannot speak to Amendment No. 132 due to pre-emption. I now call Amendment No. 131A.
§ The noble Lord said: Rather to my surprise the amendment seeks to leave out sub-paragraph (6) whereas I thought I had tabled the amendment in such a way as to leave out paragraph 6 of Schedule 2 which occupies most of page 68.
§ This is a probing amendment anyway, and whether the peg on which I hang my remarks is sub-paragraph (6) or paragraph 6 makes little difference. The point is this that here —this is the only point in the Bill at 1284 which it occurs —we come to the matter of specialisation schemes. At Second Reading, in relation to the reference in the Green Paper to specialisation, I threw some doubt on whether or not specialisation could be overdone. The noble Lord, Lord Goodman, with his great experience as a solicitor, agreed with me.
§ We have a rather strange position regarding the scheme set out on page 68. The advisory committee will be given power: to consider whether specialisation schemes should be established by any representative body in any particular area of legal services; and to keep under review specialisation schemes maintained by representative bodies". In the next sub-paragraph we find "a specialisation scheme". It is: a scheme for recognising those members of the body who —
(a) have undergone training relevant to the area of legal services to which the scheme relates;
(b) have acquired expertise in that area; and
(c) specialise in providing legal services in that area".
§ We find, and the next subparagraphs lead up to it, that all that the advisory committee can do is to make a suggestion to the representative body. For all practical purposes we are talking about the Law Society and the Bar Council.
§ There are well-recognised and laudable forms of specialisation, especially at the Bar and to a lesser extent among solicitors. Indeed, the divisions of the High Court reflect those degrees of specialisation. However, it would not be in the public interest or the interests of justice for over-specialisation to become the rule. Indeed we should not be able to find High Court judges, or I dare to say even suitably qualified Lord Chancellors, if nearly all members of the Bar were to specialise.
§ I know that at the Scottish Bar there is not very much specialisation. They are splendid people who have to take whatever comes within the law. I remember that my noble and learned friend Lord Hailsham and I, who practised in the same chambers, never specialised. We took what came. I am sure that that is true of many members of the Bar. I say that without any discredit to those who do specialise.
§ The point that arises under the scheme in the Bill is this. When the representative body is given the advice by the advisory committee under subsection (6) what is it to do? There obviously cannot be anything akin to direction of labour. It must obviously be something that will be done voluntarily. Then there is the question of any cost that would be required if it was found that people were not prepared to do it voluntarily but had to be persuaded to carry on a particular specialisation. They might not do it unless the cost of setting up chambers, or something of that kind, were offered to them.
§ I am puzzled as to how the scheme will work out in practice. I should have thought that it might be better not to have a scheme of this kind but to leave the matter to the law of supply and demand, or, in the modern jargon, to the market. Be that as it may, I should be so grateful if my noble and learned friend would say what he really has in mind and what he thinks the representative bodies would do when the 1285 advisory committee has recommended that some form of specialisation should be initiated in a particular part of the country. I beg to move.
I had assumed that my noble friend intended to leave out the whole of paragraph 6 because it did not seem sensible to me that he should leave out only sub-paragraph (6), but he has explained that that is what he intended.
I considered the specialised schemes in paragraph 6 to be the duty of the advisory committee with its majority of lay members who would examine some of the most complicated and difficult specialisations of the law. As I understand it, they will decide whether it will be established. They will decide whether to keep the various schemes under review. They will give the Bar Council or the Law Society advice on those schemes. They therefore require an expertise which they will clearly not have. There will be a judge. As I understand it, numbers will be increased by perhaps having another judge but those majority of laymen, who are totally ignorant of the law, will examine specialisation schemes and then give advice to the Bar Council and the Law Society; in other words to people who have spent their lives in the practice of the law.
This is just another example of the impractical nature of the scheme. It is living in Cloud-cuckoo-land for that wretched committee with its laymen to look at such matters as specialisation schemes. I do not see how it can conceivably work. I see what my noble friend has in mind, but it will not work.
It is for my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor to deal with that point, but perhaps I may make a small contribution from the point of view of the solicitors' profession, subject of course to correction by the noble Lord, Lord Mishcon.
I am aware that thought has been given in the solicitors' profession to setting up specialist panels and possibly backing them with conditions on the practising certificates. Members of the Bar may think of specialisation in wholly different terms from those thought of by the solicitors' profession. It has caused a good deal of concern to me and the Law Society in the field of personal injuries, which a barrister would regard as being the most generalised practice. However, it is vital that the solicitors who handle such cases know a good deal about how one handles personal injury claims. From the point of view of someone who is preparing litigation that is a speciality.
We in the courts certainly find that delays are caused by solicitors who meet personal injury claims fairly infrequently. In the large centres where there are industrial premises, solicitors will of course become familiar with them, but that is not so outside. Only the other day I met a lady solicitor who was trying to cope with a personal injuries case in the Court of Appeal. The case was reduced to farce because she said that she had no idea how to handle it. Of course, the situation was coped with, but it 1286 was brought home to me that here is quite a different case for specialisation in the solicitors' profession from that at the Bar. Perhaps the measure has something to do with that.
I am not in favour of over-specialisation, but I am in favour of consideration being given to specialisation in certain areas. One of the functions of the advisory committee, and particularly of those members who are familiar with requiring legal services, is to advise on that kind of question. For example, in what kind of areas should people exhibit specialisations? Personal injuries is a good example. One of the points that comes to my notice as Lord Chancellor concerns letters from Members of Parliament complaining about a delay in handling a case for a client who is a constituent. Quite often the delay is due to the client having gone originally to someone who was not familiar with the area of law in which the claim arose. That perhaps is primarily a matter that arises in a solicitor's practice.
So far as concerns the Bar, I personally believe that there is a great deal to be said for encouraging specialisation in places other than London. For example, advice on that kind of matter and a consideration of the machinery under which it might be promoted would come under this general power. I believe that directing attention to the possibilities of specialisation is an important point and it is right to include it as one aspect of the committee's work.
I expect the lay people on the committee to be people who will know what sort of legal services are required and then the other part of the committee will be helpful in seeing how the services that are being provided are tailored to meet that situation. I believe that to be valuable and something which will be an appropriate development of our legal practice.
In what my noble and learned friend said the operative word is "tailored". When the advisory committee has pointed out to the Bar Council or to the Law Society that the people, say, in Norfolk will lack certain specialisations, what is it expected that the Bar Council or Law Society will do about it? Will they merely draw attention to this, give publicity to it and hope that somebody will then go to Norfolk or that some of the people in Norfolk will start up the specialisation? If so, it may be useful advice which might be acted upon. But if the word "tailored" is to have effect, it would seem to indicate that maybe some kind of financial help in establishing chambers or, in the case of solicitors, in taking on staff to help to pursue the speciality would be needed.
If it is mere exhortation, let us be absolutely plain and let us understand —let everybody, the public and the consumers understand —that it is mere exhortation. Well and good. Exhortation can be of value sometimes. But we need to know if that is all that my noble and learned friend has in mind when he uses the word "tailored".
I suppose that I could have used some other word but what I have in mind is advice to the professional bodies in relation to particular specialisations, the need for them, the way in which they should be recognised, what particular aspects the service should have, and so on —a fairly general remit —and it is advice on these matters to the professional bodies that is in question.
I ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
§ Clause 18 [The Legal Services Ombudsman]:
§ Lord Coleraine had given notice of his intention to move Amendment No. 135AZA: Page 14, line 29, leave out ("the Legal Services Ombudsman") and insert ("the Commissioner for the Legal Services Professions").
§ The noble Lord said: We now come to the five clauses of the Bill which deal with the legal services ombudsman. I express my personal regret that these very important matters are being dealt with at this time of night, especially as I see that the noble Lord, Lord Allen of Abbeydale, who has an amendment of some interest tabled in his name and who speaks for consumers on matters which concern consumers, is not in his place. I believe it to be the wish of the Committee that I do not move the first amendment standing in my name but take it away and bring it back on Report when it can be discussed at greater length with a fuller Chamber.
§ [Amendment No. 135AZA not moved.]
§ Clause 19 [Ombudsman's functions]:
§ [Amendment No. 134ZA not moved.]
§ 12 midnight
§ Lord Mishcon moved Amendment No. 135ZB: Page 15, line 3, after ("body") insert ("or was such a member at the time to which the complaint relates").
§ The noble Lord said: I can put the matter shortly. At present the Bill provides that the function of the ombudsman shall relate to: an authorised advocate, authorised litigator, licensed conveyancer, recognised body or notary who is a member of that professional body". That would mean that somebody who had tactfully resigned knowing that the complaint was coming forward would not be a member at the time of the complaint. Therefore, the ombudsman would have no jurisdiction. In order to cover that lacuna we suggest the insertion of the words in the amendment: or was such a member at the time to which the complaint relates".
I have much sympathy with the sentiment behind the amendment, although I recognise that in practice it may be difficult for the ombudsman to pursue such cases or to achieve a result of real benefit to the client. If the noble Lord agrees to withdraw the amendment I shall consider whether we can do something effective about the matter.
I add an observation only to assist the noble and learned Lord. There are many professional bodies which include those words deliberately so that they can discipline a member for a professional offence committed during his membership. However, the complaint may be dealt with only after the member has resigned from that professional body. Usually, the provision is included in order not to rob the ombudsman —and much worse the complainant before him —of his rights to look into a matter.
Where a complaint properly arises, I do not believe that the noble and learned Lord would want it to fail merely because there had been a resignation and the ombudsman no longer had the powers. I had anticipated that the noble and learned Lord would immediately accept the amendment. However, he has said that he will consider it and I hope that the word "favourably" will be introduced. Again, the noble and learned Lord nods his head and, therefore, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
In reconsidering the matter I invite the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor to take into account representations which have been made during the past few days by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. It states that it needs powers over ex-solicitors. Following the keeping of the roll regulations, it is now possible for a solicitor who has seen Nemesis on the horizon to cease to be a solicitor overnight merely by failing to pay £15. It is a convenient way of disappearing from the roll.
By contrast, the present position at the Bar is that one must ask to be taken off the roll and people then start to look round before they agree. However, under the keeping of the roll regulations, saving £15 may be saving a great deal more.
I shall also look into that matter. There are a number of amendments to solicitors' legislation for which the Law Society has asked. We shall be considering them and this point will be kept in mind. I am grateful to my noble and learned friend.
§ The Lord Chancellor moved Amendment No. 135ZC: Page 15, line 33, after ("which") insert ("is being or").
§ The noble and learned Lord said: The amendment will prevent the ombudsman from examining issues which are being determined by a court or professional disciplinary tribunal. I beg to move.
§ Lord Mishcon moved Amendment No. 135ZD: Page 15, line 33, after ("by") insert ("or is raised in proceedings before").
§ The noble Lord said: The noble and learned Lord may have noticed that the amendment which I tabled covers precisely the same point as the amendment which he has just moved. I hope that he will think that I have tabled at least one sensible amendment. I beg to move.
I have already indicated in the most practical manner possible that quite a number of amendments put down were extremely sensible, because I have accepted some of them. I entirely accept the point that the noble Lord has made. Perhaps I should have said it earlier.
May I mention in the briefest possible terms, using this as a convenient peg, that either the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor will have to make an order under the subsection, or there must be express reference in the Bill to the position of the visitors as the appellate body from the disciplinary tribunal of the Council of the Inns of Court? If I may declare an interest, may I suggest that the same might be done for me as the appellate body in some respects from the solicitors disciplinary tribunal?
I beg leave to withdraw my amendment.
§ Lord Mishcon moved Amendment No. 135ZE: Page 15, line 42, at end insert— ("(7A) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (7) the Ombudsman may investigate any issue which is raised in proceedings before a court if he is satisfied that substantial hardship is likely to be caused to the person making the complaint or the person with respect to whom the complaint is made by the likely delay in the determination of the issue of the court.").
§ The noble Lord said: I hope that I can briefly deal with this amendment. It is right that, as a general rule, the ombudsman should not be looking into matters which are before the court. But where there is a case of extreme hardship —I think "substantial hardship" are the words used in the amendment —which would be caused if the matter was delayed, he ought to be given a power.
§ The sort of case that I have in mind, and it may be rare, is where a writ is deliberately issued and not really proceeded with when it is known that a complaint is going to go before the ombudsman. This would cause grave hardship to a complainant and would stop the ombudsman from being able to look into the complaint. Where such a rare case occurs and where substantial hardship would be caused, he ought to be given this special power. I beg to move.
While I see the point that the noble Lord makes on the second amendment, I regret that I do not think it would be right to accept this, and indeed it would not be right to give it favourable consideration. The fact that somebody has been bogged down, or gagged, by a legal process 1290 is something where the court is the best forum. If the situation arose that the noble Lord suggested where, just in order to prevent something being dealt with by the ombudsman, somebody took out a writ, there might well be power in the court to regard that as an abuse of process.
There are dangers in an overlap and in allowing the ombudsman to have jurisdiction in a case which is being pursued in the court. I hope that the noble Lord on reconsideration may feel that that is an important principle, and that there might be better ways than his of alleviating the problem that he, I quite appreciate, sees.
I thought that this would be an exceptional case, but if the noble and learned Lord would consider, for example, a writ being issued and an appearance being entered and then no statement of claim delivered for some time, a defendant in those circumstances could apply to the court for the action to be struck out. But months could elapse before anything like that was effected. In the meantime, and in the very special case, hardship could be caused to the complainant.
This is only a rare case, but I would have thought that it was wise to give this special power to the ombudsman in such a case to deal with the matter. I leave these thoughts with the noble and learned Lord, and ask him if, in his kindness, he will consider them. In the meantime, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
§ [Amendments Nos. 136 and 137 had been withdrawn from the Marshalled List.]
§ Lord Renton moved Amendment 1" o. 137A: Page 16, line 16, at end insert— ("(10A) The Ombudsman may investigate any allegation with respect to the manner in which a complaint made about the administration of the Courts has been dealt with by the Lord Chancellor's Department or by any official of that Department.").
§ The noble Lord said: On Tuesday night, fairly late at 11 p.m., the noble Lord, Lord Hacking, moved an amendment and in the course of discussion the possibility of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration considering the administration of the courts and of the Lord Chancellor's Department was referred to. My noble and learned friend said: The administration of my department is already subject to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration". He later added: I entirely agree with the view that it would probably be more appropriate, if anyone is to oversee this area, for it to be the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, who acts on request by Members of the other place, rather than the legal services ombudsman".—[Official Report, 23/1/90; col. 1045.] I must say that I tend to agree with that and therefore the Committee may wonder why I move this amendment about complaints made to the ombudsman about his department. The reason is that the department of my noble and learned friend only yesterday issued a press notice which made 1291 clear that the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration would have jurisdiction to investigate maladministration by court staff. There are other references but the statement by my noble and learned friend refers to investigation by court staff and to court administration. However, it does not specifically refer to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration doing what my noble and learned friend said the other night he felt the commissioner should do; namely, consider the administration of his own department.
§ It is because of the rather narrow terms of the statement he made yesterday and of the press notice that I thought, as I had this amendment on the Marshalled List, I should ask him possibly to clarify the position. I beg to move.
Certainly I shall do my best. On Tuesday night I said that the administration of my department is already subject to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, but the administration of the courts —although staff are supplied to the courts by the Lord Chancellor —is not part of the administration of the Lord Chancellor's Department because the courts are a distinctly separate institution. It is that which has caused the difficulty.
In no way do I wish to protect staff provided by me from any investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, but because of my responsibility for the independence of the judiciary and the judicial process I cannot agree, in view of the terms of the Act of Parliament, that the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration should have under the present law any jurisdition to deal with the administration of the courts.
However, it is apparent that some administration in the courts is nearer to the judicial process than others and therefore I am looking for a formula that will enable the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration to investigate administrative acts of officials provided by the Lord Chancellor to the court service so long as that investigation does not prejudice the independence of the judiciary and the judicial process. Somewhat similar considerations will apply to tribunals. That is the kind of amendment that I am looking for. I cannot be absolutely certain yet that we shall achieve a good formulation of that boundary. I certainly hope that we shall be able to do so.
§ 12.15 a.m.
I did not quite understand what the noble and learned Lord said and I am sure it is my fault. On the last occasion I did not understand whether he was seeking a formula which would be incorporated in this Bill or whether he was seeking one which might lead to an amending Act.
I intend to propose an amendment to this Bill if I can find the right formula. I believe it is within the scope of this Bill to deal with 1292 the extent to which the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration should have access to administrative staff provided by the Lord Chancellor for the administration of the courts. So it is in this Bill that I am proposing to introduce the measure, assuming that I can achieve a reasonable amendment. I said that in response to the amendment tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Hacking, which appears towards the end of Part I of the Bill.
And which I was going to move. I am very interested in this matter. I wonder whether the noble and learned Lord can give an indication as to the course he proposes to take. If he is not ready with his own proposals on this matter at Report stage, in order to bring it to a final conclusion, it would not be helpful to table an amendment. However, if the noble and learned Lord felt that a government amendment could be tabled by Third Reading, and there is an undertaking to that effect, one would wait until then. If the noble and learned Lord does not think it unhelpful, I was considering returning with the amendment at Report stage in the hope that, if he did not accept it, he would have one in substitution.
As matters stand at the moment, I am certainly hoping that I shall have an amendment ready at Report stage. I have not yet been able to ascertain completely how difficult the drawing of the boundary line may be. I am certainly hopeful. I have had discussions with a number of interested people about the matter. I shall keep in touch with the noble Lord and with the noble Lord, Lord Hacking, in view of the fact that he brought forward the amendment. If my noble friend likes to ask me about it I shall be happy to say how I stand at the moment of questioning.
I am most grateful to my noble and learned friend —as I am sure is the Committee —for the clarification and assurances that he has given. It is satisfactory to know that the matter can eventually be dealt with in this Bill. I believe that he has got the matter right. It is better that the Parliamentary Commissioner should have this responsibility rather than that we should try to fasten it on the ombudsman. With those assurances, I am very glad to withdraw the amendment.
§ The Lord Chancellor moved Amendment No. 137B: Page "16, line 23, after ("subsection") insert — (" "recognised body" means any body recognised under section 9 of the Administration of Justice Act 1985 (incorporated practices) or under section 32 of that Act (incorporated bodies carrying on business of provision of conveyancing services)").
§ The noble and learned Lord said: These amendments are intended to deal with the definition of "recognised body". The definition can be found in the definition clause of the Bill, but on fuller consideration we see that is not satisfactory for every purpose. The single definition is not appropriate. Accordingly, the first amendment applies a 1293 definition to Clause 19. I am referring to Amendment No. 137B. The second amendment incorporates a definition currently included in Clause 81, the interpretation clause, and Clause 24 which deals with advocacy rights. It is the only clause to which it applies. The third amendment removes the definition from Clause 81 where it is no longer needed. That is the explanation to this amendment and to Amendments Nos. 141A and 209A when we come to them. I beg to move.
§ Clause 20 [Recommendations].
§ Lord Mishcon had given notice of his intention to move Amendment No. 139ZA: Page 16, line 42, at end insert ("provided that no recommendation may be made under this paragraph in respect of a complaint against any person which concerns an aspect of his conduct in relation to which he has immunity from any action in negligence or contract").
§ The noble Lord said: This is much too complex a matter to bring before the Committee at such a late hour. I shall therefore not move the amendment at this stage.
§ Lord Coleraine moved Amendment No. 139ZAB: Page 17, line 25, leave out subsection (8).
§ The noble Lord said: I am very sorry that I cannot completely follow the time-saving course of my noble colleague Lord Mishcon, but I shall speak very briefly to the amendment in the hope that my noble and learned friend may do for it what he mentioned to the noble Lord, Lord Mishcon, a few minutes ago in connection with other amendments, and accept it.
§ The ombudsman has power to investigate not only complaints made by clients against the way in which their complaints had been investigated and dealt with by professional bodies, but also the substantive complaints being made against the practitioner concerned. The Bill provides that the ombudsman will give his conclusions and make his recommendations to the practitioner, which may involve the payment of substantial compensation to the client. Under subsection (7), the practitioner is required, before the end of the period of three months beginning with the date on which the report was sent, to notify the ombudsman of the action which he has taken, or proposes to take, to comply with the recommendation.
§ With most complaints that come before the ombudsman the practitioner will realise that the ombudsman has investigated fairly and will comply with the ombudsman's requirements. However, it must be remembered that what the ombudsman is doing is carrying out an investigation. He is not holding a hearing. He is, in effect, coming to his own private conclusion that, prima facie, there is a good 1294 case to be answered by the practitioner. It may be that the practitioner will decide not to comply with the recommendation. This is a voluntary scheme.
§ I now come to subsection (8) which I seek to persuade my noble and learned friend should be deleted. It provides that any person, who fails to comply (whether wholly or in part) with a recommendation under subsection (2) shall publicise that failure, and the reasons for it, in such manner as the Ombudsman may specify". It seems very curious indeed that where the practitioner is not obliged, because this is a voluntary system, to fall in with the ombudsman's requirements, he should be obliged in this way to don, as it were, the red badge of shame himself and pay for the cost of advertising his decision not to comply with the ombudsman's requirements. I see no reason why the ombudsman should not make it clear that the practitioner has taken this course. But there does not seem to be any reason why the practitioner should have to do this.
§ I could understand a compulsory scheme provided that it had suitable safeguards and a suitable way for the complaint to be heard so that the practitioner was provided with what was equivalent to a hearing. But in this case it seems that the clause seeks somehow to get round the fact, in what is really an underhand way, that this is a voluntary scheme by imposing a considerable liability on what may be a small practice or a single practitioner; and in circumstances where that practitioner has already had the substance of the complaint investigated by his professional body, no doubt at great expense, and the essence of the finding by the professional body was that the complaint was not substantiated. I beg to move.
This type of provision is not unique and I am certainly not aware that it has caused any difficulties elsewhere. I believe that something along the lines of subsection (8) is needed to ensure that a recommendation of the ombudsman may not be ignored by the practitioner or the professional body.
There is a fine balance to be drawn here. It is not appropriate for the ombudsman to have the powers to award compensation that will be given to a disciplinary tribunal or to a court. At the same time it is essential that he should have authority and that his recommendations should be given due respect. Indeed, this power recognises that the ombudsman may on occasion make recommendations which are not appropriate. It therefore gives the practitioner an opportunity to put his side of the story forward publicly. Should the ombudsman's requirements be too onerous, they will always be open to judicial review.
One of the frequent criticisms of the lay observer has been that the ombudsman lacks the power to enforce his recommendations. This provision will ensure that the recommendations of the ombudsman are heeded by the practitioner. If they are reasonable then it is surely right that they should be followed and the publicity sanction will be sufficient to ensure that the practitioner thinks twice before ignoring them. If they are unreasonable, the practitioner will 1295 be able to put his point of view satisfactorily. With this amendment the ombudsman's powers would be severely compromised and I believe that his whole jurisdiction would be seriously damaged. For that reason I regret to say that I am unable to accept the amendment. However, in the light of my explanation, it may be that my noble friend will feel able to withdraw the amendment.
§ Lord Coleraine
I would not wish to withdraw my amendment before asking my noble and learned friend to inform the Committee of the precedents. I am aware that in paragraph 10.24 of the White Paper the analogy with the building societies scheme is drawn, but I am sure that if he takes the matter away and refers carefully to that scheme he will see many points of principle which differentiate between that and what is proposed here.
There may be other cases where this sort of provision is used in these kind of circumstances, but I hope that my noble and learned friend can enlighten the Committee while I am deciding what to do with the amendment.
As I already said, there are a number of schemes in which the ombudsman has a power of this kind. If my noble friend feels that all these can be distinguished, I shall be happy to consider the matter further. However, I believe that this is a fairly general feature in ombudsman schemes.
Obviously I shall have to try to find some of the schemes to which my noble and learned friend referred. However, I shall return to the matter on Report. In the circumstances, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
§ Clauses 21 and 22 agreed to.
§ Clause 23 [Extension of Ombudsman's remit]:
§ Lord Morris moved Amendment No. 139ZB: Page 18, line 32, at end insert — ("( ) No regulations shall be made under subsection (1) above unless a draft of the regulations has been laid before and approved by a resolution of both Houses of Parliament.").
§ The noble Lord said: I can deal very quickly with this amendment. It is the first of a series of purely drafting amendments of such simplicity that they are even within my grasp. In moving Amendment No. 139ZB I should like to speak also to Amendments Nos. 147A, 148A, 176A, 209C, 209D and 209E. All these amendments are linked.
§ I think it would help the Committee to follow my argument if Members would turn to Clause 82 of the Bill, which covers regulations and orders. There is a lacuna in the side note on page 61 in that it refers only to "Regulations and", with no mention of the word "orders". However, it is quite clear 1296 from subsections (3) and (4) that there are only five clauses in the whole of the Bill which call for affirmative resolution in both places. In the interests of clarity —although I admit not in the interests of brevity —I think that those instructions with regard to the affirmative resolution should lie within the body of the section.
§ Noble Lords will no doubt remember the misunderstanding which was caused in connection with Clause 1 because such a provision was omitted from the body of the clause. The resultant confusion wasted a considerable amount of the time of this Chamber. It is purely a matter of drafting style. Where clarity in drafting is in conflict with brevity, clarity must prevail. I beg to move.
I am in favour of clarity where it can be attained, but with the greatest respect to my noble friend, I doubt whether he has gone any real distance towards achieving it.
We have gathered 11 those powers which require the affirmative procedure and stated what they are. My noble friend said that we had some difficulty with Clause 1, and I accept that. The question that arose on Clause 1 was whether there was power to make a separate order under subsection (1) and subsection (4). If my noble friend's method had been provided for under Clause 1, I doubt whether that point would have been resolved. The argument about ambiguity and confusion would have been the same whether his or our method has been adopted. I am doing what I can to put the position of Clause 1 beyond doubt. I shall probably propose an amendment on Report to deal with that matter.
With the greatest respect my noble friend, there is a great deal to be said for having one reference point to which one can go to discover which procedure applies to a particular power. I hope that with that explanation my noble friend will feel able to withdraw his amendment. It is a matter of drafting practice, and I believe that the method that we have followed is that generally followed, which is both economical, as he has accepted, and widely understood.
I am grateful for that explanation. I was astonished at the number of people who know more about the construction of statutes than I do who did not go to the root of the matter in Clause 82, which relates to regulations and orders, before they considered Clause 1. My amendment was purely an attempt to improve the Bill. I am now a great deal wiser than I was a few moments ago. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
§ On Question, Whether Clause 23 shall stand part of the Bill?
Before we pass finally from the substantive clause dealing with the legal services ombudsman perhaps I may refer the Committee to something that my noble and learned friend said on Second Reading. He said that the Law Society was 1297 seeking an extension to its present powers to deal with complaints against solicitors. He was hoping to draft clauses to introduce in Committee. If we are to have a useful discussion about the legal services ombudsman on Report it will depend upon our seeing those clauses in good time. I wonder whether my noble and learned friend can give me any indication as to when they may be tabled.
Work is proceeding on those clauses. I cannot give an undertaking at present that we shall have them in time for Report. I should like to have a chance to see how far we get with those matters. It is a question of co-operation in their preparation between the Law Society and my department. Perhaps I may write to my noble friend when I have had a chance to examine the present situation. I hope that he will find that satisfactory.
§ Schedule 3 [The Legal Services Ombudsman]:
§ Lord Renton had given notice of his intention to move Amendment No. 139ZC: Page 69, line 26, leave out ("with the approval of the Treasury").
§ The noble Lord said: I have already spoken to the amendment and the following three and I shall not move any of them.
§ [Amendment No. 139ZC not moved.]
§ [Amendments Nos. 139ZD to 139ZF not moved.]
§ Viscount Ullswater
§ Moved accordingly, and, on Question, Motion agreed to.
§ House resumed.
Back to Trade Union Act 1984 (Amendment) Bill [H.L.]
Forward to London Local Authorities Bill [H.L.]
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2276
|
__label__wiki
| 0.969182
| 0.969182
|
Edith J Hawthorne
Grave site information of Edith J Hawthorne (1896 - 1980) at Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery in Hartford City, Blackford, Indiana, United States from BillionGraves
Register to get full access to the grave site record of Edith J Hawthorne
Find more about Edith J...
We found more records about Edith J Hawthorne.
Pirl H Hawthorne
Grave Site of Edith J
Edith J Hawthorne is buried in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery at the location displayed on the map below. This GPS information is ONLY available at BillionGraves. Our technology can help you find the gravesite and other family members buried nearby.
Life timeline of Edith J Hawthorne
Edith J Hawthorne was born in 1896
Edith J Hawthorne was 9 years old when Albert Einstein publishes his first paper on the special theory of relativity. Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics. His work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science. He is best known to the general public for his mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc2, which has been dubbed "the world's most famous equation". He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect", a pivotal step in the development of quantum theory.
Edith J Hawthorne was 16 years old when The British passenger liner RMS Titanic sinks in the North Atlantic at 2:20 a.m., two hours and forty minutes after hitting an iceberg. Only 710 of 2,227 passengers and crew on board survive. RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in the early hours of 15 April 1912, after colliding with an iceberg during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. There were an estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard, and more than 1,500 died, making it one of the deadliest commercial peacetime maritime disasters in modern history. RMS Titanic was the largest ship afloat at the time it entered service and was the second of three Olympic-class ocean liners operated by the White Star Line. It was built by the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast. Thomas Andrews, her architect, died in the disaster.
Edith J Hawthorne was 33 years old when Babe Ruth becomes the first baseball player to hit 500 home runs in his career with a home run at League Park in Cleveland, Ohio. George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "The Bambino" and "The Sultan of Swat", he began his MLB career as a stellar left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, but achieved his greatest fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. Ruth established many MLB batting records, including career home runs (714), runs batted in (RBIs) (2,213), bases on balls (2,062), slugging percentage (.690), and on-base plus slugging (OPS) (1.164); the latter two still stand as of 2018. Ruth is regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture and is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time. In 1936, Ruth was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its "first five" inaugural members.
Edith J Hawthorne was 43 years old when Adolf Hitler signs an order to begin the systematic euthanasia of mentally ill and disabled people. Adolf Hitler was a German politician, demagogue, and Pan-German revolutionary, who was the leader of the Nazi Party, Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 and Führer ("Leader") of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945. As dictator, Hitler initiated World War II in Europe with the invasion of Poland in September 1939, and was central to the Holocaust.
Edith J Hawthorne was 45 years old when World War II: The Imperial Japanese Navy made a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, intending to neutralize the United States Pacific Fleet from influencing the war Japan was planning to wage in Southeast Asia. World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although conflicts reflecting the ideological clash between what would become the Allied and Axis blocs began earlier. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of total war, the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.
Edith J Hawthorne was 61 years old when Space Race: Launch of Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth. The Space Race refers to the 20th-century competition between two Cold War rivals, the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United States (US), for dominance in spaceflight capability. It had its origins in the missile-based nuclear arms race between the two nations that occurred following World War II, aided by captured German missile technology and personnel from the Aggregat program. The technological superiority required for such dominance was seen as necessary for national security, and symbolic of ideological superiority. The Space Race spawned pioneering efforts to launch artificial satellites, uncrewed space probes of the Moon, Venus, and Mars, and human spaceflight in low Earth orbit and to the Moon.
Edith J Hawthorne was 68 years old when The Beatles make their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing before a "record-busting" audience of 73 million viewers across the USA. The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential music band in history. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later experimented with several musical styles, ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock, often incorporating classical elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways. In 1963, their enormous popularity first emerged as "Beatlemania"; as the group's music grew in sophistication, led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, the band were integral to pop music's evolution into an art form and to the development of the counterculture of the 1960s.
Edith J Hawthorne was 82 years old when Jim Jones led more than 900 members of the Peoples Temple to mass murder/suicide in Jonestown, Guyana, hours after some of its members assassinated U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan (pictured). James Warren Jones was an American religious cult leader who initiated and was responsible for a mass suicide and mass murder in Jonestown, Guyana. He considered Jesus Christ as being in compliance with an overarching belief in socialism as the correct social order. Jones was ordained as a Disciples of Christ pastor, and he achieved notoriety as the founder and leader of the Peoples Temple cult.
Edith J Hawthorne died in 1980 at the age of 84
Browse > United States > Indiana > Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery > Edith J Hawthorne
Grave record for Edith J Hawthorne (1896 - 1980), BillionGraves Record 23178886 Hartford City, Blackford, Indiana, United States
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2280
|
__label__wiki
| 0.970537
| 0.970537
|
William Dale Tripp
Life timeline of William Dale Tripp
arrow_back Back to William Dale Tripp
William Dale Tripp was 72 years old when Columbine High School massacre: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 people and injured 24 others before committing suicide at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado. The Columbine High School massacre was a school shooting that occurred on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, in the Denver metropolitan area. In addition to the shootings, the complex and highly planned attack involved a fire bomb to divert firefighters, propane tanks converted to bombs placed in the cafeteria, 99 explosive devices, and car bombs. The perpetrators, senior students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 12 students and one teacher. They injured 21 additional people, and three more were injured while attempting to escape the school. The pair subsequently committed suicide.
William Dale Tripp was born on 30 Sep 1927
William Dale Tripp was 1 years old when Walt Disney character Mickey Mouse premieres in his first cartoon, "Plane Crazy". Walter Elias Disney was an American entrepreneur, animator, voice actor and film producer. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film producer, Disney holds the record for most Academy Awards earned by an individual, having won 22 Oscars from 59 nominations. He was presented with two Golden Globe Special Achievement Awards and an Emmy Award, among other honors. Several of his films are included in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Walt Disney character Mickey Mouse premieres in his first cartoon, "Plane Crazy". Walter Elias Disney was an American entrepreneur, animator, voice actor and film producer. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film producer, Disney holds the record for most Academy Awards earned by an individual, having won 22 Oscars from 59 nominations. He was presented with two Golden Globe Special Achievement Awards and an Emmy Award, among other honors. Several of his films are included in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
William Dale Tripp was 2 years old when The New York Stock Exchange crashes in what will be called the Crash of '29 or "Black Tuesday", ending the Great Bull Market of the 1920s and beginning the Great Depression. The New York Stock Exchange, is an American stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street, Lower Manhattan, New York City, New York. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at US$21.3 trillion as of June 2017. The average daily trading value was approximately US$169 billion in 2013. The NYSE trading floor is located at 11 Wall Street and is composed of 21 rooms used for the facilitation of trading. A fifth trading room, located at 30 Broad Street, was closed in February 2007. The main building and the 11 Wall Street building were designated National Historic Landmarks in 1978. The New York Stock Exchange crashes in what will be called the Crash of '29 or "Black Tuesday", ending the Great Bull Market of the 1920s and beginning the Great Depression. The New York Stock Exchange, is an American stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street, Lower Manhattan, New York City, New York. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at US$21.3 trillion as of June 2017. The average daily trading value was approximately US$169 billion in 2013. The NYSE trading floor is located at 11 Wall Street and is composed of 21 rooms used for the facilitation of trading. A fifth trading room, located at 30 Broad Street, was closed in February 2007. The main building and the 11 Wall Street building were designated National Historic Landmarks in 1978.
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (d. 2002) Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and the only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II. Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (d. 2002) Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and the only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II.
World War I veterans begin to assemble in Washington, D.C., in the Bonus Army to request cash bonuses promised to them to be paid in 1945. World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. Contemporaneously described as the "war to end all wars", more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history. Over nine million combatants and seven million civilians died as a result of the war, a casualty rate exacerbated by the belligerents' technological and industrial sophistication, and the tactical stalemate caused by gruelling trench warfare. It was one of the deadliest conflicts in history and precipitated major political change, including the Revolutions of 1917–1923 in many of the nations involved. Unresolved rivalries at the end of the conflict contributed to the start of the Second World War twenty-one years later. World War I veterans begin to assemble in Washington, D.C., in the Bonus Army to request cash bonuses promised to them to be paid in 1945. World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. Contemporaneously described as the "war to end all wars", more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history. Over nine million combatants and seven million civilians died as a result of the war, a casualty rate exacerbated by the belligerents' technological and industrial sophistication, and the tactical stalemate caused by gruelling trench warfare. It was one of the deadliest conflicts in history and precipitated major political change, including the Revolutions of 1917–1923 in many of the nations involved. Unresolved rivalries at the end of the conflict contributed to the start of the Second World War twenty-one years later.
Adolf Hitler announces that the expansion of Lebensraum into Eastern Europe, and its ruthless Germanisation, are the ultimate geopolitical objectives of Third Reich foreign policy. Adolf Hitler was a German politician, demagogue, and Pan-German revolutionary, who was the leader of the Nazi Party, Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 and Führer ("Leader") of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945. As dictator, Hitler initiated World War II in Europe with the invasion of Poland in September 1939, and was central to the Holocaust. Adolf Hitler announces that the expansion of Lebensraum into Eastern Europe, and its ruthless Germanisation, are the ultimate geopolitical objectives of Third Reich foreign policy. Adolf Hitler was a German politician, demagogue, and Pan-German revolutionary, who was the leader of the Nazi Party, Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 and Führer ("Leader") of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945. As dictator, Hitler initiated World War II in Europe with the invasion of Poland in September 1939, and was central to the Holocaust.
Charles Manson, American cult leader and mass murderer (d. 2017) Charles Milles Manson was an American criminal, cult leader, and singer-songwriter. In the late 1960s, he formed what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune in California. Manson's followers committed a series of nine murders at four locations in July and August 1969. In 1971, he was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of seven people, all of which members of the group carried out at his instruction. Manson was also convicted of first-degree murder for two other deaths. Charles Manson, American cult leader and mass murderer (d. 2017) Charles Milles Manson was an American criminal, cult leader, and singer-songwriter. In the late 1960s, he formed what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune in California. Manson's followers committed a series of nine murders at four locations in July and August 1969. In 1971, he was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of seven people, all of which members of the group carried out at his instruction. Manson was also convicted of first-degree murder for two other deaths.
Adolf Hitler orders Germany to rearm herself in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Conscription is reintroduced to form the Wehrmacht. Adolf Hitler was a German politician, demagogue, and Pan-German revolutionary, who was the leader of the Nazi Party, Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 and Führer ("Leader") of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945. As dictator, Hitler initiated World War II in Europe with the invasion of Poland in September 1939, and was central to the Holocaust. Adolf Hitler orders Germany to rearm herself in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Conscription is reintroduced to form the Wehrmacht. Adolf Hitler was a German politician, demagogue, and Pan-German revolutionary, who was the leader of the Nazi Party, Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 and Führer ("Leader") of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945. As dictator, Hitler initiated World War II in Europe with the invasion of Poland in September 1939, and was central to the Holocaust.
King George V of the United Kingdom dies. His eldest son succeeds to the throne, becoming Edward VIII. The title Prince of Wales is not used for another 22 years. Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January 1936 until his abdication on 11 December the same year, after which he became the Duke of Windsor. King George V of the United Kingdom dies. His eldest son succeeds to the throne, becoming Edward VIII. The title Prince of Wales is not used for another 22 years. Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January 1936 until his abdication on 11 December the same year, after which he became the Duke of Windsor.
The Duke and Duchess of York are crowned as King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Westminster Abbey. George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was the last Emperor of India and the first Head of the Commonwealth. The Duke and Duchess of York are crowned as King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Westminster Abbey. George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was the last Emperor of India and the first Head of the Commonwealth.
Adolf Hitler demands autonomy and self-determination for the Germans of the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. Adolf Hitler was a German politician, demagogue, and Pan-German revolutionary, who was the leader of the Nazi Party, Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 and Führer ("Leader") of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945. As dictator, Hitler initiated World War II in Europe with the invasion of Poland in September 1939, and was central to the Holocaust. Adolf Hitler demands autonomy and self-determination for the Germans of the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. Adolf Hitler was a German politician, demagogue, and Pan-German revolutionary, who was the leader of the Nazi Party, Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 and Führer ("Leader") of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945. As dictator, Hitler initiated World War II in Europe with the invasion of Poland in September 1939, and was central to the Holocaust.
World War II: Pope Pius XII makes a Christmas Eve appeal for peace. World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although conflicts reflecting the ideological clash between what would become the Allied and Axis blocs began earlier. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of total war, the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war. World War II: Pope Pius XII makes a Christmas Eve appeal for peace. World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although conflicts reflecting the ideological clash between what would become the Allied and Axis blocs began earlier. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of total war, the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.
World War II: The German Luftwaffe begins the Blitz, bombing London and other British cities for over 50 consecutive nights. World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although conflicts reflecting the ideological clash between what would become the Allied and Axis blocs began earlier. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of total war, the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war. World War II: The German Luftwaffe begins the Blitz, bombing London and other British cities for over 50 consecutive nights. World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although conflicts reflecting the ideological clash between what would become the Allied and Axis blocs began earlier. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of total war, the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.
World War II: The German Luftwaffe launches a bombing raid on Nottingham and Derby. World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although conflicts reflecting the ideological clash between what would become the Allied and Axis blocs began earlier. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of total war, the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war. World War II: The German Luftwaffe launches a bombing raid on Nottingham and Derby. World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although conflicts reflecting the ideological clash between what would become the Allied and Axis blocs began earlier. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of total war, the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.
World War II: Operation Pedestal: The SS Ohio reaches the island of Malta barely afloat carrying vital fuel supplies for the island's defenses. World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although conflicts reflecting the ideological clash between what would become the Allied and Axis blocs began earlier. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of total war, the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war. World War II: Operation Pedestal: The SS Ohio reaches the island of Malta barely afloat carrying vital fuel supplies for the island's defenses. World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although conflicts reflecting the ideological clash between what would become the Allied and Axis blocs began earlier. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of total war, the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.
World War II: Japanese forces evacuate New Georgia Island in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although conflicts reflecting the ideological clash between what would become the Allied and Axis blocs began earlier. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of total war, the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war. World War II: Japanese forces evacuate New Georgia Island in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although conflicts reflecting the ideological clash between what would become the Allied and Axis blocs began earlier. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of total war, the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.
World War II: The Battle of Cherbourg ends with the fall of the strategically valuable port to American forces. World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although conflicts reflecting the ideological clash between what would become the Allied and Axis blocs began earlier. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of total war, the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war. World War II: The Battle of Cherbourg ends with the fall of the strategically valuable port to American forces. World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although conflicts reflecting the ideological clash between what would become the Allied and Axis blocs began earlier. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of total war, the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.
World War II: The Battle of Iwo Jima ended, but small pockets of Japanese resistance persisted. World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although conflicts reflecting the ideological clash between what would become the Allied and Axis blocs began earlier. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of total war, the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war. World War II: The Battle of Iwo Jima ended, but small pockets of Japanese resistance persisted. World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although conflicts reflecting the ideological clash between what would become the Allied and Axis blocs began earlier. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of total war, the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.
Sylvester Stallone, American actor, director, and screenwriter Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is well known for his Hollywood action roles, including boxer Rocky Balboa in the Rocky series (1976–2015), soldier John Rambo in the four Rambo films (1982–2008), and Barney Ross in the three The Expendables films (2010–2014). Stallone wrote or co-wrote most of the 14 films in all three franchises, and directed many of the films. Sylvester Stallone, American actor, director, and screenwriter Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is well known for his Hollywood action roles, including boxer Rocky Balboa in the Rocky series (1976–2015), soldier John Rambo in the four Rambo films (1982–2008), and Barney Ross in the three The Expendables films (2010–2014). Stallone wrote or co-wrote most of the 14 films in all three franchises, and directed many of the films.
The Princess Elizabeth marries Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, who becomes the Duke of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey in London. Elizabeth II is Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. The Princess Elizabeth marries Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, who becomes the Duke of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey in London. Elizabeth II is Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms.
William Dale Tripp was 20 years old when Mahatma Gandhi is assassinated by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu extremist. Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on 30 January 1948 in the compound of Birla House, a large mansion. His assassin was Nathuram Vinayak Godse, a right-wing advocate of Hindu nationalism, a member of the political party the Hindu Mahasabha, and a past member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which he left in 1940 to form an armed organization. Godse had planned the assassination. Mahatma Gandhi is assassinated by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu extremist. Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on 30 January 1948 in the compound of Birla House, a large mansion. His assassin was Nathuram Vinayak Godse, a right-wing advocate of Hindu nationalism, a member of the political party the Hindu Mahasabha, and a past member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which he left in 1940 to form an armed organization. Godse had planned the assassination.
Pablo Escobar, Colombian drug lord and narcoterrorist (d. 1993) Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was a Colombian drug lord and narcoterrorist. His cartel supplied an estimated 80% of the cocaine smuggled into the United States at the height of his career, turning over US$21.9 billion a year in personal income. He was often called "The King of Cocaine" and was the wealthiest criminal in history, with an estimated known net worth of between US$25 and US$30 billion by the early 1990s, making him one of the richest men in the world in his prime. Pablo Escobar, Colombian drug lord and narcoterrorist (d. 1993) Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was a Colombian drug lord and narcoterrorist. His cartel supplied an estimated 80% of the cocaine smuggled into the United States at the height of his career, turning over US$21.9 billion a year in personal income. He was often called "The King of Cocaine" and was the wealthiest criminal in history, with an estimated known net worth of between US$25 and US$30 billion by the early 1990s, making him one of the richest men in the world in his prime.
India and Pakistan sign the Liaquat–Nehru Pact. India, also called the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast. It shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia. India and Pakistan sign the Liaquat–Nehru Pact. India, also called the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast. It shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.
After being postponed since 1943 due to World War II, the first Pan American Games opened in Buenos Aires, Argentina. World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although conflicts reflecting the ideological clash between what would become the Allied and Axis blocs began earlier. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of total war, the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war. After being postponed since 1943 due to World War II, the first Pan American Games opened in Buenos Aires, Argentina. World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although conflicts reflecting the ideological clash between what would become the Allied and Axis blocs began earlier. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of total war, the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.
George VI of the United Kingdom (b. 1895) George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was the last Emperor of India and the first Head of the Commonwealth. George VI of the United Kingdom (b. 1895) George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was the last Emperor of India and the first Head of the Commonwealth.
William Dale Tripp was 26 years old when Jonas Salk announced the successful test of his polio vaccine on a small group of adults and children (vaccination pictured). Jonas Edward Salk was an American medical researcher and virologist. He discovered and developed one of the first successful polio vaccines. Born in New York City, he attended New York University School of Medicine, later choosing to do medical research instead of becoming a practicing physician. In 1939, after earning his medical degree, Salk began an internship as a physician scientist at Mount Sinai Hospital. Two years later he was granted a fellowship at the University of Michigan, where he would study flu viruses with his mentor Thomas Francis, Jr. Jonas Salk announced the successful test of his polio vaccine on a small group of adults and children (vaccination pictured). Jonas Edward Salk was an American medical researcher and virologist. He discovered and developed one of the first successful polio vaccines. Born in New York City, he attended New York University School of Medicine, later choosing to do medical research instead of becoming a practicing physician. In 1939, after earning his medical degree, Salk began an internship as a physician scientist at Mount Sinai Hospital. Two years later he was granted a fellowship at the University of Michigan, where he would study flu viruses with his mentor Thomas Francis, Jr.
William Dale Tripp was 27 years old when The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education, outlawing racial segregation in public schools because "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal" and therefore unconstitutional. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest federal court of the United States. Established pursuant to Article Three of the United States Constitution in 1789, it has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all federal courts and state court cases, involving issues of federal law plus original jurisdiction over a small range of cases. In the legal system of the United States, the Supreme Court is generally the final interpreter of federal law including the United States Constitution, but it may act only within the context of a case in which it has jurisdiction. The Court may decide cases having political overtones, but does not have power to decide nonjusticiable political questions, and its enforcement arm is in the executive rather than judicial branch of government. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education, outlawing racial segregation in public schools because "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal" and therefore unconstitutional. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest federal court of the United States. Established pursuant to Article Three of the United States Constitution in 1789, it has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all federal courts and state court cases, involving issues of federal law plus original jurisdiction over a small range of cases. In the legal system of the United States, the Supreme Court is generally the final interpreter of federal law including the United States Constitution, but it may act only within the context of a case in which it has jurisdiction. The Court may decide cases having political overtones, but does not have power to decide nonjusticiable political questions, and its enforcement arm is in the executive rather than judicial branch of government.
William Dale Tripp was 28 years old when Disneyland Hotel opens to the public in Anaheim, California. The Disneyland Hotel is a resort hotel located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, owned by the Walt Disney Company and operated through its Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products division. Opened on October 5, 1955, as a motor inn owned and operated by Jack Wrather under an agreement with Walt Disney, the hotel was the first to officially bear the Disney name. Under Wrather's ownership, the hotel underwent several expansions and renovations over the years before being acquired by Disney in 1988. The hotel was downsized to its present capacity in 1999 as part of the Disneyland Resort expansion. Disneyland Hotel opens to the public in Anaheim, California. The Disneyland Hotel is a resort hotel located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, owned by the Walt Disney Company and operated through its Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products division. Opened on October 5, 1955, as a motor inn owned and operated by Jack Wrather under an agreement with Walt Disney, the hotel was the first to officially bear the Disney name. Under Wrather's ownership, the hotel underwent several expansions and renovations over the years before being acquired by Disney in 1988. The hotel was downsized to its present capacity in 1999 as part of the Disneyland Resort expansion.
Anthony Bourdain, American chef and author (d. 2018) Anthony Michael Bourdain was an American celebrity chef, author, travel documentarian, and television personality who starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the human condition. He was considered one of the most influential chefs in the world. Anthony Bourdain, American chef and author (d. 2018) Anthony Michael Bourdain was an American celebrity chef, author, travel documentarian, and television personality who starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the human condition. He was considered one of the most influential chefs in the world.
Queen Elizabeth II becomes the first Canadian monarch to open up an annual session of the Canadian Parliament, presenting her Speech from the throne in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Elizabeth II is Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. Queen Elizabeth II becomes the first Canadian monarch to open up an annual session of the Canadian Parliament, presenting her Speech from the throne in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Elizabeth II is Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms.
Michael Jackson, American singer-songwriter, producer, dancer, and actor (d. 2009) Michael Joseph Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he was one of the most popular entertainers in the world, and was the best-selling music artist during the year of his death. Jackson's contributions to music, dance, and fashion along with his publicized personal life made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. Michael Jackson, American singer-songwriter, producer, dancer, and actor (d. 2009) Michael Joseph Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he was one of the most popular entertainers in the world, and was the best-selling music artist during the year of his death. Jackson's contributions to music, dance, and fashion along with his publicized personal life made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades.
Kevin Spacey, American actor and director Kevin Spacey Fowler is an American actor, producer and singer. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s before obtaining supporting roles in film and television. He gained critical acclaim in the 1990s that culminated in his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the neo-noir crime thriller The Usual Suspects (1995) and an Academy Award for Best Actor for the midlife crisis-themed drama American Beauty (1999). Kevin Spacey, American actor and director Kevin Spacey Fowler is an American actor, producer and singer. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s before obtaining supporting roles in film and television. He gained critical acclaim in the 1990s that culminated in his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the neo-noir crime thriller The Usual Suspects (1995) and an Academy Award for Best Actor for the midlife crisis-themed drama American Beauty (1999).
Jeffrey Dahmer, American serial killer (d. 1994) Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer, also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster, was an American serial killer and sex offender, who committed the rape, murder, and dismemberment of 17 men and boys from 1978 to 1991. Many of his later murders involved necrophilia, cannibalism, and the permanent preservation of body parts — typically all or part of the skeleton. Jeffrey Dahmer, American serial killer (d. 1994) Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer, also known as the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster, was an American serial killer and sex offender, who committed the rape, murder, and dismemberment of 17 men and boys from 1978 to 1991. Many of his later murders involved necrophilia, cannibalism, and the permanent preservation of body parts — typically all or part of the skeleton.
Diana, Princess of Wales (d. 1997) Diana, Princess of Wales was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, the heir apparent to the British throne, and the mother of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Diana, Princess of Wales (d. 1997) Diana, Princess of Wales was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, the heir apparent to the British throne, and the mother of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.
Tom Cruise, American actor and producer Thomas Cruise Mapother IV is an American actor and producer. He started his career at age 19 in the film Endless Love (1981), before making his breakthrough in the comedy Risky Business (1983) and receiving widespread attention for starring in the action drama Top Gun (1986) as Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. After starring in The Color of Money (1986) and Cocktail (1988), Cruise starred opposite Dustin Hoffman in the Academy Award for Best Picture-winning drama Rain Man. For his role as anti-war activist Ron Kovic in the drama Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Cruise received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama and his first Academy Award for Best Actor nomination. Tom Cruise, American actor and producer Thomas Cruise Mapother IV is an American actor and producer. He started his career at age 19 in the film Endless Love (1981), before making his breakthrough in the comedy Risky Business (1983) and receiving widespread attention for starring in the action drama Top Gun (1986) as Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. After starring in The Color of Money (1986) and Cocktail (1988), Cruise starred opposite Dustin Hoffman in the Academy Award for Best Picture-winning drama Rain Man. For his role as anti-war activist Ron Kovic in the drama Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Cruise received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama and his first Academy Award for Best Actor nomination.
Michael Jordan, American basketball player and actor Michael Jeffrey Jordan, also known by his initials, MJ, is an American former professional basketball player. He played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s. He is currently the principal owner and chairman of the NBA's Charlotte Hornets. Michael Jordan, American basketball player and actor Michael Jeffrey Jordan, also known by his initials, MJ, is an American former professional basketball player. He played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s. He is currently the principal owner and chairman of the NBA's Charlotte Hornets.
Jeff Bezos, American computer scientist and businessman, founded Amazon.com Jeffrey Preston Bezos is an American technology entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist, and the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Amazon, the world's largest online retailer. Jeff Bezos, American computer scientist and businessman, founded Amazon.com Jeffrey Preston Bezos is an American technology entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist, and the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Amazon, the world's largest online retailer.
Winston Churchill, English colonel and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1874) Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was a British politician, army officer, and writer, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. As Prime Minister, Churchill led Britain to victory in the Second World War. Churchill represented five constituencies during his career as Member of Parliament (MP). Ideologically an economic liberal and British imperialist, he began and ended his parliamentary career as a member of the Conservative Party, which he led from 1940 to 1955, but for twenty years from 1904 he was a prominent member of the Liberal Party. Winston Churchill, English colonel and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1874) Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was a British politician, army officer, and writer, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. As Prime Minister, Churchill led Britain to victory in the Second World War. Churchill represented five constituencies during his career as Member of Parliament (MP). Ideologically an economic liberal and British imperialist, he began and ended his parliamentary career as a member of the Conservative Party, which he led from 1940 to 1955, but for twenty years from 1904 he was a prominent member of the Liberal Party.
Queen Elizabeth II opened the Severn Bridge, hailing it as the dawn of a new economic era for South Wales. Elizabeth II is Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. Queen Elizabeth II opened the Severn Bridge, hailing it as the dawn of a new economic era for South Wales. Elizabeth II is Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms.
William Dale Tripp was 42 years old when During the Apollo 11 mission, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon. Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that landed the first two people on the Moon. Mission commander Neil Armstrong and pilot Buzz Aldrin, both American, landed the lunar module Eagle on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC. Armstrong became the first person to step onto the lunar surface six hours after landing on July 21 at 02:56:15 UTC; Aldrin joined him about 20 minutes later. They spent about two and a quarter hours together outside the spacecraft, and collected 47.5 pounds (21.5 kg) of lunar material to bring back to Earth. Michael Collins piloted the command module Columbia alone in lunar orbit while they were on the Moon's surface. Armstrong and Aldrin spent 21.5 hours on the lunar surface before rejoining Columbia in lunar orbit. During the Apollo 11 mission, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon. Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that landed the first two people on the Moon. Mission commander Neil Armstrong and pilot Buzz Aldrin, both American, landed the lunar module Eagle on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC. Armstrong became the first person to step onto the lunar surface six hours after landing on July 21 at 02:56:15 UTC; Aldrin joined him about 20 minutes later. They spent about two and a quarter hours together outside the spacecraft, and collected 47.5 pounds (21.5 kg) of lunar material to bring back to Earth. Michael Collins piloted the command module Columbia alone in lunar orbit while they were on the Moon's surface. Armstrong and Aldrin spent 21.5 hours on the lunar surface before rejoining Columbia in lunar orbit.
Tonya Harding, American figure skater Tonya Maxene Price is a retired American figure skater. Tonya Harding, American figure skater Tonya Maxene Price is a retired American figure skater.
Charles Manson and three female "Family" members are found guilty of the 1969 Tate–LaBianca murders. Charles Milles Manson was an American criminal, cult leader, and singer-songwriter. In the late 1960s, he formed what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune in California. Manson's followers committed a series of nine murders at four locations in July and August 1969. In 1971, he was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of seven people, all of which members of the group carried out at his instruction. Manson was also convicted of first-degree murder for two other deaths. Charles Manson and three female "Family" members are found guilty of the 1969 Tate–LaBianca murders. Charles Milles Manson was an American criminal, cult leader, and singer-songwriter. In the late 1960s, he formed what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi-commune in California. Manson's followers committed a series of nine murders at four locations in July and August 1969. In 1971, he was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of seven people, all of which members of the group carried out at his instruction. Manson was also convicted of first-degree murder for two other deaths.
Eminem, American rapper, producer, and actor Marshall Bruce Mathers III, known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, and actor. Eminem, American rapper, producer, and actor Marshall Bruce Mathers III, known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, and actor.
William Dale Tripp was 46 years old when Elizabeth II, in her capacity as Queen of Australia, formally opened the Sydney Opera House on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour. Elizabeth II is Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. Elizabeth II, in her capacity as Queen of Australia, formally opened the Sydney Opera House on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour. Elizabeth II is Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms.
William Dale Tripp was 48 years old when India's first satellite Aryabhata launched in orbit from Kapustin Yar, Russia. India, also called the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast. It shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia. India's first satellite Aryabhata launched in orbit from Kapustin Yar, Russia. India, also called the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast. It shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives. India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.
Tom Brady, American football player Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He is one of only two players to win five Super Bowls and the only player to win them all playing for one team. Tom Brady, American football player Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He is one of only two players to win five Super Bowls and the only player to win them all playing for one team.
William Dale Tripp was 51 years old when Jim Jones led more than 900 members of the Peoples Temple to mass murder/suicide in Jonestown, Guyana, hours after some of its members assassinated U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan (pictured). James Warren Jones was an American religious cult leader who initiated and was responsible for a mass suicide and mass murder in Jonestown, Guyana. He considered Jesus Christ as being in compliance with an overarching belief in socialism as the correct social order. Jones was ordained as a Disciples of Christ pastor, and he achieved notoriety as the founder and leader of the Peoples Temple cult. Jim Jones led more than 900 members of the Peoples Temple to mass murder/suicide in Jonestown, Guyana, hours after some of its members assassinated U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan (pictured). James Warren Jones was an American religious cult leader who initiated and was responsible for a mass suicide and mass murder in Jonestown, Guyana. He considered Jesus Christ as being in compliance with an overarching belief in socialism as the correct social order. Jones was ordained as a Disciples of Christ pastor, and he achieved notoriety as the founder and leader of the Peoples Temple cult.
A package from Unabomber Ted Kaczynski begins smoking in the cargo hold of a flight from Chicago to Washington, D.C., forcing the plane to make an emergency landing. Theodore John Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber, is an American domestic terrorist. A mathematics prodigy, he abandoned an academic career in 1969 to pursue a primitive lifestyle. Then, between 1978 and 1995, he killed three people and injured 23 others in an attempt to start a revolution by conducting a nationwide bombing campaign targeting people involved with modern technology. In conjunction, he issued a social critique opposing industrialization and advancing a nature-centered form of anarchism. A package from Unabomber Ted Kaczynski begins smoking in the cargo hold of a flight from Chicago to Washington, D.C., forcing the plane to make an emergency landing. Theodore John Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber, is an American domestic terrorist. A mathematics prodigy, he abandoned an academic career in 1969 to pursue a primitive lifestyle. Then, between 1978 and 1995, he killed three people and injured 23 others in an attempt to start a revolution by conducting a nationwide bombing campaign targeting people involved with modern technology. In conjunction, he issued a social critique opposing industrialization and advancing a nature-centered form of anarchism.
William Dale Tripp was 53 years old when Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington, United States, killing 57 people and causing $3 billion in damage. Mount St. Helens or Louwala-Clough is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Portland, Oregon and 96 miles (154 km) south of Seattle, Washington. Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a friend of explorer George Vancouver who made a survey of the area in the late 18th century. The volcano is located in the Cascade Range and is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a segment of the Pacific Ring of Fire that includes over 160 active volcanoes. This volcano is well known for its ash explosions and pyroclastic flows. Mount St. Helens erupts in Washington, United States, killing 57 people and causing $3 billion in damage. Mount St. Helens or Louwala-Clough is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Portland, Oregon and 96 miles (154 km) south of Seattle, Washington. Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a friend of explorer George Vancouver who made a survey of the area in the late 18th century. The volcano is located in the Cascade Range and is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a segment of the Pacific Ring of Fire that includes over 160 active volcanoes. This volcano is well known for its ash explosions and pyroclastic flows.
William Dale Tripp was 54 years old when The first launch of a Space Shuttle (Columbia) takes place: The STS-1 mission. The Space Shuttle was a partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program name was Space Transportation System (STS), taken from a 1969 plan for a system of reusable spacecraft of which it was the only item funded for development. The first of four orbital test flights occurred in 1981, leading to operational flights beginning in 1982. In addition to the prototype whose completion was cancelled, five complete Shuttle systems were built and used on a total of 135 missions from 1981 to 2011, launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Operational missions launched numerous satellites, interplanetary probes, and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST); conducted science experiments in orbit; and participated in construction and servicing of the International Space Station. The Shuttle fleet's total mission time was 1322 days, 19 hours, 21 minutes and 23 seconds. The first launch of a Space Shuttle (Columbia) takes place: The STS-1 mission. The Space Shuttle was a partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program name was Space Transportation System (STS), taken from a 1969 plan for a system of reusable spacecraft of which it was the only item funded for development. The first of four orbital test flights occurred in 1981, leading to operational flights beginning in 1982. In addition to the prototype whose completion was cancelled, five complete Shuttle systems were built and used on a total of 135 missions from 1981 to 2011, launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Operational missions launched numerous satellites, interplanetary probes, and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST); conducted science experiments in orbit; and participated in construction and servicing of the International Space Station. The Shuttle fleet's total mission time was 1322 days, 19 hours, 21 minutes and 23 seconds.
Michael Jackson's sixth solo studio album, Thriller is released worldwide. It will become the best-selling record album in history. Michael Joseph Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he was one of the most popular entertainers in the world, and was the best-selling music artist during the year of his death. Jackson's contributions to music, dance, and fashion along with his publicized personal life made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. Michael Jackson's sixth solo studio album, Thriller is released worldwide. It will become the best-selling record album in history. Michael Joseph Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he was one of the most popular entertainers in the world, and was the best-selling music artist during the year of his death. Jackson's contributions to music, dance, and fashion along with his publicized personal life made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades.
Donald Glover, American actor, rapper, producer, and screenwriter Donald McKinley Glover Jr. is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, rapper, and DJ. He performs music under the stage name Childish Gambino and as a DJ under the name mcDJ. Donald Glover, American actor, rapper, producer, and screenwriter Donald McKinley Glover Jr. is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, rapper, and DJ. He performs music under the stage name Childish Gambino and as a DJ under the name mcDJ.
Prince Charles calls a proposed addition to the National Gallery, London, a "monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend", sparking controversies on the proper role of the Royal Family and the course of modern architecture. Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent to the British throne as the eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II. He has been Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay since 1952, and is the oldest and longest-serving heir apparent in British history. He is also the longest-serving Prince of Wales, having held that title since 1958. Prince Charles calls a proposed addition to the National Gallery, London, a "monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend", sparking controversies on the proper role of the Royal Family and the course of modern architecture. Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent to the British throne as the eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II. He has been Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay since 1952, and is the oldest and longest-serving heir apparent in British history. He is also the longest-serving Prince of Wales, having held that title since 1958.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro GOIH ComM is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Italian club Juventus and the Portugal national team. Often considered the best player in the world and regarded by many as one of the greatest players of all time, Ronaldo has a record-tying five Ballon d'Or awards, the most for a European player, and is the first player to win four European Golden Shoes. He has won 26 trophies in his career, including five league titles, five UEFA Champions League titles and one UEFA European Championship. A prolific goalscorer, Ronaldo holds the records for most official goals scored in Europe's top-five leagues (395), the UEFA Champions League (120), the UEFA European Championship (9), as well as those for most assists in the UEFA Champions League (34) and the UEFA European Championship (6). He has scored over 670 senior career goals for club and country. Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro GOIH ComM is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Italian club Juventus and the Portugal national team. Often considered the best player in the world and regarded by many as one of the greatest players of all time, Ronaldo has a record-tying five Ballon d'Or awards, the most for a European player, and is the first player to win four European Golden Shoes. He has won 26 trophies in his career, including five league titles, five UEFA Champions League titles and one UEFA European Championship. A prolific goalscorer, Ronaldo holds the records for most official goals scored in Europe's top-five leagues (395), the UEFA Champions League (120), the UEFA European Championship (9), as well as those for most assists in the UEFA Champions League (34) and the UEFA European Championship (6). He has scored over 670 senior career goals for club and country.
William Dale Tripp was 58 years old when Space Shuttle program: STS-51-L mission: Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts on board. The Space Shuttle program was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which accomplished routine transportation for Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo from 1981 to 2011. Its official name, Space Transportation System (STS), was taken from a 1969 plan for a system of reusable spacecraft of which it was the only item funded for development. Space Shuttle program: STS-51-L mission: Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts on board. The Space Shuttle program was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which accomplished routine transportation for Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo from 1981 to 2011. Its official name, Space Transportation System (STS), was taken from a 1969 plan for a system of reusable spacecraft of which it was the only item funded for development.
Lionel Messi, Argentinian footballer Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both Spanish club Barcelona and the Argentina national team. Often considered the best player in the world and regarded by many as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won a record-tying five Ballon d'Or awards, four of which he won consecutively, and a record five European Golden Shoes. He has spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he has won 33 trophies, including nine La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions League titles, and six Copas del Rey. Both a prolific goalscorer and a creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most official goals scored in La Liga (385), a La Liga season (50), a club football season in Europe (73), a calendar year (91), El Clásico (26), as well as those for most assists in La Liga (149) and the Copa América (11). He has scored over 600 senior career goals for club and country. Lionel Messi, Argentinian footballer Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both Spanish club Barcelona and the Argentina national team. Often considered the best player in the world and regarded by many as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won a record-tying five Ballon d'Or awards, four of which he won consecutively, and a record five European Golden Shoes. He has spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he has won 33 trophies, including nine La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions League titles, and six Copas del Rey. Both a prolific goalscorer and a creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most official goals scored in La Liga (385), a La Liga season (50), a club football season in Europe (73), a calendar year (91), El Clásico (26), as well as those for most assists in La Liga (149) and the Copa América (11). He has scored over 600 senior career goals for club and country.
Virat Kohli, Indian cricketer Virat Kohli is an Indian international cricketer who currently captains the India national team. An elegant right-handed batsman, Kohli is regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world. He plays for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and has been the team's captain since 2013. Virat Kohli, Indian cricketer Virat Kohli is an Indian international cricketer who currently captains the India national team. An elegant right-handed batsman, Kohli is regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world. He plays for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and has been the team's captain since 2013.
William Dale Tripp was 62 years old when The tanker Exxon Valdez spilled 10.8 million US gallons (260,000 bbl; 41,000 m3) of oil into Prince William Sound, Alaska, causing one of the most devastating man-made maritime environmental disasters. A tanker is a ship designed to transport or store liquids or gases in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and gas carrier. Tankers also carry commodities such as vegetable oils, molasses and wine. In the United States Navy and Military Sealift Command, a tanker used to refuel other ships is called an oiler but many other navies use the terms tanker and replenishment tanker. The tanker Exxon Valdez spilled 10.8 million US gallons (260,000 bbl; 41,000 m3) of oil into Prince William Sound, Alaska, causing one of the most devastating man-made maritime environmental disasters. A tanker is a ship designed to transport or store liquids or gases in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and gas carrier. Tankers also carry commodities such as vegetable oils, molasses and wine. In the United States Navy and Military Sealift Command, a tanker used to refuel other ships is called an oiler but many other navies use the terms tanker and replenishment tanker.
William Dale Tripp was 62 years old when Nelson Mandela is released from Victor Verster Prison outside Cape Town, South Africa after 27 years as a political prisoner. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by tackling institutionalised racism and fostering racial reconciliation. Ideologically an African nationalist and socialist, he served as President of the African National Congress (ANC) party from 1991 to 1997. Nelson Mandela is released from Victor Verster Prison outside Cape Town, South Africa after 27 years as a political prisoner. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by tackling institutionalised racism and fostering racial reconciliation. Ideologically an African nationalist and socialist, he served as President of the African National Congress (ANC) party from 1991 to 1997.
Ed Sheeran, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Edward Christopher Sheeran, is an English singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actor. Sheeran was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk. He attended the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford as an undergraduate from the age of 18 in 2009. In early 2011, Sheeran independently released the extended play, No. 5 Collaborations Project. Ed Sheeran, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Edward Christopher Sheeran, is an English singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actor. Sheeran was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk. He attended the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford as an undergraduate from the age of 18 in 2009. In early 2011, Sheeran independently released the extended play, No. 5 Collaborations Project.
Cardi B, American rapper Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper. Born and raised in The Bronx, New York City, she first attracted attention for discussing her career as a stripper on social media; coupled with her "no filter attitude", she became an Internet celebrity through Instagram. From 2015 to 2017, she appeared as a regular cast member on the VH1 reality television series Love & Hip Hop: New York, and released two mixtapes—Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. Cardi B, American rapper Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper. Born and raised in The Bronx, New York City, she first attracted attention for discussing her career as a stripper on social media; coupled with her "no filter attitude", she became an Internet celebrity through Instagram. From 2015 to 2017, she appeared as a regular cast member on the VH1 reality television series Love & Hip Hop: New York, and released two mixtapes—Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.
Pablo Escobar, Colombian drug lord Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was a Colombian drug lord and narcoterrorist. His cartel supplied an estimated 80% of the cocaine smuggled into the United States at the height of his career, turning over US$21.9 billion a year in personal income. He was often called "The King of Cocaine" and was the wealthiest criminal in history, with an estimated known net worth of between US$25 and US$30 billion by the early 1990s, making him one of the richest men in the world in his prime. Pablo Escobar, Colombian drug lord Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was a Colombian drug lord and narcoterrorist. His cartel supplied an estimated 80% of the cocaine smuggled into the United States at the height of his career, turning over US$21.9 billion a year in personal income. He was often called "The King of Cocaine" and was the wealthiest criminal in history, with an estimated known net worth of between US$25 and US$30 billion by the early 1990s, making him one of the richest men in the world in his prime.
William Dale Tripp was 67 years old when The Rwandan genocide begins when the aircraft carrying Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira is shot down. The Rwandan genocide, also known as the genocide against the Tutsi, was a genocidal mass slaughter of Tutsi in Rwanda by members of the Hutu majority government. An estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 Rwandans were killed during the 100-day period from 7 April to mid-July 1994, constituting as many as 70% of the Tutsi population. Additionally, 30% of the Pygmy Batwa were killed. The genocide and widespread slaughter of Rwandans ended when the Tutsi-backed and heavily armed Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) led by Paul Kagame took control of the country. An estimated 2,000,000 Rwandans, mostly Hutus, were displaced and became refugees. The Rwandan genocide begins when the aircraft carrying Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira is shot down. The Rwandan genocide, also known as the genocide against the Tutsi, was a genocidal mass slaughter of Tutsi in Rwanda by members of the Hutu majority government. An estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 Rwandans were killed during the 100-day period from 7 April to mid-July 1994, constituting as many as 70% of the Tutsi population. Additionally, 30% of the Pygmy Batwa were killed. The genocide and widespread slaughter of Rwandans ended when the Tutsi-backed and heavily armed Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) led by Paul Kagame took control of the country. An estimated 2,000,000 Rwandans, mostly Hutus, were displaced and became refugees.
The manifesto of "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski was published in The Washington Post and The New York Times, almost three months after it was submitted. Theodore John Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber, is an American domestic terrorist. A mathematics prodigy, he abandoned an academic career in 1969 to pursue a primitive lifestyle. Then, between 1978 and 1995, he killed three people and injured 23 others in an attempt to start a revolution by conducting a nationwide bombing campaign targeting people involved with modern technology. In conjunction, he issued a social critique opposing industrialization and advancing a nature-centered form of anarchism. The manifesto of "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski was published in The Washington Post and The New York Times, almost three months after it was submitted. Theodore John Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber, is an American domestic terrorist. A mathematics prodigy, he abandoned an academic career in 1969 to pursue a primitive lifestyle. Then, between 1978 and 1995, he killed three people and injured 23 others in an attempt to start a revolution by conducting a nationwide bombing campaign targeting people involved with modern technology. In conjunction, he issued a social critique opposing industrialization and advancing a nature-centered form of anarchism.
American rapper Tupac Shakur was shot by an unknown assailant in Las Vegas, dying from his injuries six days later. Tupac Amaru Shakur, also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. He is considered by many as one of the best rappers of all time. American rapper Tupac Shakur was shot by an unknown assailant in Las Vegas, dying from his injuries six days later. Tupac Amaru Shakur, also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. He is considered by many as one of the best rappers of all time.
Diana, Princess of Wales (b. 1961) Diana, Princess of Wales was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, the heir apparent to the British throne, and the mother of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Diana, Princess of Wales (b. 1961) Diana, Princess of Wales was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, the heir apparent to the British throne, and the mother of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.
Jahseh Onfroy, Plantation, FL American rapper (d. 2018) Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy, known professionally as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Jahseh Onfroy, Plantation, FL American rapper (d. 2018) Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy, known professionally as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper, singer, and songwriter.
William Dale Tripp was 72 years old when Columbine High School massacre: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 people and injured 24 others before committing suicide at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado. The Columbine High School massacre was a school shooting that occurred on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, in the Denver metropolitan area. In addition to the shootings, the complex and highly planned attack involved a fire bomb to divert firefighters, propane tanks converted to bombs placed in the cafeteria, 99 explosive devices, and car bombs. The perpetrators, senior students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 12 students and one teacher. They injured 21 additional people, and three more were injured while attempting to escape the school. The pair subsequently committed suicide. Columbine High School massacre: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 people and injured 24 others before committing suicide at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado. The Columbine High School massacre was a school shooting that occurred on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, in the Denver metropolitan area. In addition to the shootings, the complex and highly planned attack involved a fire bomb to divert firefighters, propane tanks converted to bombs placed in the cafeteria, 99 explosive devices, and car bombs. The perpetrators, senior students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 12 students and one teacher. They injured 21 additional people, and three more were injured while attempting to escape the school. The pair subsequently committed suicide.
William Dale Tripp was 74 years old when The September 11 attacks, a series of coordinated suicide attacks killing 2,996 people using four aircraft hijacked by 19 members of al-Qaeda. Two aircraft crash into the World Trade Center in New York City, a third crashes into The Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, and a fourth into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The September 11 attacks were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda against the United States on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. The attacks killed 2,996 people, injured over 6,000 others, and caused at least $10 billion in infrastructure and property damage. Additional people died of 9/11-related cancer and respiratory diseases in the months and years following the attacks. The September 11 attacks, a series of coordinated suicide attacks killing 2,996 people using four aircraft hijacked by 19 members of al-Qaeda. Two aircraft crash into the World Trade Center in New York City, a third crashes into The Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, and a fourth into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The September 11 attacks were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda against the United States on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. The attacks killed 2,996 people, injured over 6,000 others, and caused at least $10 billion in infrastructure and property damage. Additional people died of 9/11-related cancer and respiratory diseases in the months and years following the attacks.
William Dale Tripp died on 29 Jun 2002
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2281
|
__label__wiki
| 0.920893
| 0.920893
|
19 Aug 1900 - Nov 1985
The ssdi of John Cassidy. Cemetery: , Location: . Birth: 19 Aug 1900, Death: Nov 1985.
Register to get full access to the grave site record of John Cassidy
Born: 19 Aug 1900
Died: Nov 1985
BillionGraves
Find more about JOHN...
We found more records about John Cassidy.
Other Sources for John Cassidy
John A Cassidy
Headstone Record
19 Aug 1900 - 12 Nov 1985
Life timeline of John Cassidy
John Cassidy was born on 19 Aug 1900
John Cassidy was 12 years old when The British passenger liner RMS Titanic sinks in the North Atlantic at 2:20 a.m., two hours and forty minutes after hitting an iceberg. Only 710 of 2,227 passengers and crew on board survive. RMS Titanic was a British passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in the early hours of 15 April 1912, after colliding with an iceberg during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. There were an estimated 2,224 passengers and crew aboard, and more than 1,500 died, making it one of the deadliest commercial peacetime maritime disasters in modern history. RMS Titanic was the largest ship afloat at the time it entered service and was the second of three Olympic-class ocean liners operated by the White Star Line. It was built by the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast. Thomas Andrews, her architect, died in the disaster.
John Cassidy was 29 years old when Babe Ruth becomes the first baseball player to hit 500 home runs in his career with a home run at League Park in Cleveland, Ohio. George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "The Bambino" and "The Sultan of Swat", he began his MLB career as a stellar left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, but achieved his greatest fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. Ruth established many MLB batting records, including career home runs (714), runs batted in (RBIs) (2,213), bases on balls (2,062), slugging percentage (.690), and on-base plus slugging (OPS) (1.164); the latter two still stand as of 2018. Ruth is regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture and is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time. In 1936, Ruth was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its "first five" inaugural members.
John Cassidy was 39 years old when World War II: Nazi Germany and Slovakia invade Poland, beginning the European phase of World War II. World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although conflicts reflecting the ideological clash between what would become the Allied and Axis blocs began earlier. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of total war, the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.
John Cassidy was 45 years old when World War II: Hiroshima, Japan is devastated when the atomic bomb "Little Boy" is dropped by the United States B-29 Enola Gay. Around 70,000 people are killed instantly, and some tens of thousands die in subsequent years from burns and radiation poisoning. World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although conflicts reflecting the ideological clash between what would become the Allied and Axis blocs began earlier. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most global war in history; it directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. In a state of total war, the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.
John Cassidy was 57 years old when Space Race: Launch of Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth. The Space Race refers to the 20th-century competition between two Cold War rivals, the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United States (US), for dominance in spaceflight capability. It had its origins in the missile-based nuclear arms race between the two nations that occurred following World War II, aided by captured German missile technology and personnel from the Aggregat program. The technological superiority required for such dominance was seen as necessary for national security, and symbolic of ideological superiority. The Space Race spawned pioneering efforts to launch artificial satellites, uncrewed space probes of the Moon, Venus, and Mars, and human spaceflight in low Earth orbit and to the Moon.
John Cassidy was 64 years old when The Beatles make their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing before a "record-busting" audience of 73 million viewers across the USA. The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential music band in history. Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later experimented with several musical styles, ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock, often incorporating classical elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways. In 1963, their enormous popularity first emerged as "Beatlemania"; as the group's music grew in sophistication, led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, the band were integral to pop music's evolution into an art form and to the development of the counterculture of the 1960s.
John Cassidy was 73 years old when Vietnam War: The last United States combat soldiers leave South Vietnam. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, and in Vietnam as the Resistance War Against America or simply the American War, was a conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam and the government of South Vietnam. The North Vietnamese army was supported by the Soviet Union, China, and other communist allies; the South Vietnamese army was supported by the United States, South Korea, Australia, Thailand and other anti-communist allies. The war is considered a Cold War-era proxy war by some US perspectives. The majority of Americans believe the war was unjustified. The war would last roughly 19 years and would also form the Laotian Civil War as well as the Cambodian Civil War, which also saw all three countries become communist states in 1975.
John Cassidy died on Nov 1985 at the age of 85
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2282
|
__label__cc
| 0.651575
| 0.348425
|
Big data, 3-D printing and robots: Marine Corps Commandant touts ONR S&T
By Bioengineer Last updated May 10, 2016
ARLINGTON, Va.–Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC) Gen. Robert B. Neller recently visited the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to get a close-up look at some of the latest technologies being developed for the U.S. Marine Corps–from autonomous systems to virtual reality training devices.
During his visit, Neller met with Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Mat Winter, as well as department heads and program officers, and expressed his appreciation for the science and technology being designed for the future force.
“The Marine Corps and the Office of Naval Research have a long, great history of working together to improve the operational capability of our force, and make sure that on any battlefield, we’re going to come out on top,” he said.
Before going into briefings, the CMC reviewed some of the research and technologies being advanced at ONR, designed to ensure technological dominance for the Marines of today–and tomorrow. Some of those programs included swarming unmanned air vehicles, mobile laser weapons and virtual reality training technologies.
“From a warfighter’s perspective, our ONR mission is quite simply to ensure our Marines and Sailors have the technological advantage in every engagement,” said Winter after the meeting. “We are dedicated to making sure our men and women on the front lines have the unmatched technological edge over any adversary.”
Neller reflected on some of the technological capabilities that will be vital to the Marine Corps of the future. That includes better management of big data–that is, the massive influx of information available to today’s warfighters through shipboard sensors, remote satellites, unmanned vehicles, intelligence collection and other data sources.
“The ability to access big data through our autonomous intelligence” will be of paramount importance, he said.
ONR is currently working on a number of programs on the big data front that could be of great importance for future Marine Corps operational requirements. The data-focused Naval Tactical Cloud, for instance, will integrate large volumes of incoming data from multiple sources; provide afloat intelligence analysis capabilities for Navy and Marine Corps intelligence teams; and provide tactical intelligence support for expeditionary warfare planning and execution, among other uses.
Other priorities highlighted by the CMC include new capabilities in three-dimensional printing–everything from manufacturing difficult-to-find replacement parts for weapons or vehicles, all the way up to creating shelter for Marines in theater, rather than having to find and secure existing facilities. The possibilities for 3D printing that ONR is looking into could also serve to lighten the load for both the individual Marine as well as Marine platforms, a longstanding priority for ONR and the USMC.
And robotic devices and unmanned systems, Neller said, could perform duties that will help reduce risk for Marines on land, at sea or in the air.
Ultimately, he suggested, it will be the front-line users who will best determine what works for the Marines, and what doesn’t.
“We have an active duty Marine Corps unit where we’re going to give these Marines some of these capabilities–like small unmanned air systems with cameras and sensors, certain communications capabilities, certain mobility capabilities–and let them go out and tell us if they have utility or not, give them operational advantage or create a logistical burden,” he said.
Any new technologies will need to be reliable and mobile, he emphasized.
“At the end of the day, they’ve got to be able to be put on a ship, come off a ship, and go ashore.”
@usnavyresearch
http://www.onr.navy.mil
The post Big data, 3-D printing and robots: Marine Corps Commandant touts ONR S&T appeared first on Scienmag.
Penn bioengineers show why lab-made stem cells might fail: Errors in DNA folding
Nuclear DNA gets cut and activates immune system to attack cancer cells
3D-printed organ-on-a-chip with integrated sensors
Researchers open hairy new chapter in 3-D printing
3-D printing of patterned membranes opens door to rapid advances in membrane…
‘On-the-fly’ 3-D print system prints what you design, as you design it
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2283
|
__label__cc
| 0.70686
| 0.29314
|
Tag Archive for: UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Children, Global Poverty, Human Rights, United Nations
10 Ways the UNCRC Helps Children Around the World
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), passed in 1989, is the most widely accepted human rights treaty. This landmark piece is the first international treaty to ensure the civil, political, social, cultural and economic rights of all children under eighteen.
The treaty has 42 articles that are guided by four main principles. First, all children are equal and have the same rights. Second, every child has the right to have his or her basic needs fulfilled.
Third, every child has the right to protection from abuse and exploitation. Fourth, every child has the right to express his or her opinion and be respected.
All member states, except for the U.S. and South Sudan, have ratified the UNCRC. Here are ten ways in which the UNCRC supports children around the world:
1. It changed the way lawmakers and governments view children. Prior to the passing of the treaty, it was acceptable to view children as passive objects that were products of their parents. Through the UNCRC, children are viewed as distinct individuals with lives, needs and opinions separate from that of their parents.
2. It gives power to international bodies to intervene to support children’s rights. The passage of the UNCRC gives aid agencies and relief operations more power, particularly with regards to children’s health, safety and well-being. Since 1998, for example, UNICEF has been able to rescue more than 100,000 child soldiers.
3. It empowers international organizations into holding nations accountable. When nations are pressured or face sanctions for human rights violations, they are more likely to make efforts to fix things.
Furthermore, it enables international bodies to create regulatory framework to ensure children’s rights are protected outside of their country, such as with refugees, immigrants, trafficking victims and asylum-seekers.
4. It acknowledges that children exist and have the rights of citizens. Articles mandate that children have a right to documentation and their culture, even if it is not the culture supported by their country.
This is especially important for children of marginalized ethnic groups and populations, such as the Rohingya in Myanmar and the Yadizis living under ISIS territory.
5. It addresses children with disabilities. Children with disabilities worldwide are often excluded and marginalized, particularly when it comes to education. By saying that all children are entitled to the same rights, it empowers children whose voices are frequently silenced.
6. It improves the quality of life for children around the world. By bringing children into the spotlight, it raises awareness for children’s rights. Working to improve the lives of children in developing countries is an indication that progress is being made.
In the fight against global poverty, people are often fighting for the children. The UNCRC helped make impoverished children a more visible population for policymakers and governments to consider.
7. It explicitly states that children have the right to go to school. As education becomes increasingly powerful as a means for empowerment, especially in developing countries, it is critical that everyone has the opportunity to go to school. Education leads to knowledge, employment and potential income, which benefits all families.
By not excluding certain children from education (girls, special-needs children, children of marginalized ethnic groups), communities develop more power to fight global poverty at home and worldwide.
8. It prohibits forced labor. Many articles mandate that children working is only acceptable if they are not exposed to hazardous conditions or violence and if the work does not interfere with their education. Most importantly, the children working must choose to; their parents cannot force them.
9. It empowers children directly. Articles in the UNCRC state that children have the right to be heard. The old tenet that “children should be seen, not heard” is seen as an infringement against a child’s rights. A child knowing that they can stand up for themselves is a powerful thing.
10. With it now comes the World’s Children’s Prize! Established in 2000, the World’s Children’s Prize (WCP) holds annual elections in which children vote on a children’s rights hero.
More than 36.5 million children have cast their vote in the WCP; more than 60,000 schools in 113 different countries take part in the opportunity to educate children about their rights and let them choose a hero for their cause. Past winners of the WCP include Nelson Mandela and Malala Yousafzai.
The UNCRC was a landmark human rights treaty that empowers children and those who help them. A quarter of a century later, progress still needs to be made, but much is to be celebrated.
More children receive access to health care, birth registration, nutrition and schooling, and reductions have been made in infant mortality, children trapped in forced labor, and children recruited into the armed forces.
Let’s hope that further support from policymakers, governments and international organizations continue to promote children’s rights worldwide.
– Priscilla McCelvey
Sources: Amnesty International, UNICEF, United Nations Human Rights, The World’s Children’s Prize
September 16, 2015 /by Borgen Project
https://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/The_Borgen_Project_Logo_small.jpg 0 0 Borgen Project https://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/The_Borgen_Project_Logo_small.jpg Borgen Project2015-09-16 01:30:562017-11-27 05:54:3210 Ways the UNCRC Helps Children Around the World
Children, Education, Global Poverty, Health
The Status of Orphans in Developing Countries
Losing a parent is undoubtedly a traumatic experience for any child. It is an experience that will follow that child, likely playing a large role in their development and the opportunities they will have later in life.
Globally, 153 million children are orphans; the number of orphans in developing countries is enormous: 132 million. Here are 5 facts about the 132 million orphaned children in developing nations.
1. The large amount of orphans in developing countries is a result of many negative circumstances. Among these are natural disasters, famine and war. However, AIDS is the most significant reason children in a developing country lose their parents. In 2007 alone, AIDS left 15 million children orphaned after one or more of their parents passed away from the disease.
More than 24 percent of orphaned children had parents taken from them by AIDS. In 2008, 430,000 children were infected with the disease as well.
2. Asia holds the largest number of orphaned children, at 71 million – India alone is home to 31 million orphans. This is followed by Africa, which harbors 59 million.
3. Each day, 39,000 children are forced from their homes alone because of the death of a parent, family illness or abuse and abandonment.
4. After losing parents, circumstances for children drastically decline. They typically lack basic needs, like food and shelter. Education, however, is the first to be sacrificed, especially for older children who stop attending school to care for their younger siblings. These children try to provide for themselves and their younger siblings, often endangering their health.
The International Labor Organization reports that orphans are often found working in commercial agriculture, as well as street vending and housekeeping. Seven percent of orphans are stolen and sold into the sex industry.
5. The number of orphans is growing. Predictions for the next five to 10 years show the trend moving upward. By 2020, more than 200 million children could find themselves orphaned. This is almost three percent of the world population.
Despite the harsh reality of being orphaned in a developing country, it’s important to note that the rate of children becoming orphans in developing nations is finally slowing. The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child has become the most rapidly and widely ratified human rights treaty in world history. It lays down a set of rights for each child and, as nations struggle to bring much needed care and protection to their orphans, provides pathways and options for each nation to do so.
– Rachel Davis
Sources: Humanium, Moju Project, UNICEF
Photo: The Guardian
August 1, 2014 /by Borgen Project
https://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/The_Borgen_Project_Logo_small.jpg 0 0 Borgen Project https://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/The_Borgen_Project_Logo_small.jpg Borgen Project2014-08-01 11:53:092018-03-12 13:35:46The Status of Orphans in Developing Countries
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2285
|
__label__wiki
| 0.696817
| 0.696817
|
Malaysia eyes OEM sector for growth
12 June 2013 | News | By BioSpectrum Bureau
The majority of the medical devices currently produced in Malaysia belong to Class 1 non-invasive and Class 2 semi-invasive products, according to a report
Singapore: Riding on the annual double-digit percent increase in domestic medical device consumption and overseas demand, Malaysian medical device manufacturers and distributors, including Dispo-Med, and UWC Holdings, are aiming for growth as original equipment manufacturers (OEM).
Kuala Lumpur-based Dispo-Med, which manufactures Class 2 capnography equipment used to monitor the concentration of carbon dioxide in respiratory gases, expects its revenue to hit $3.60 million (RM11.5 million) in 2014 from $2.30 million (RM7.5million) this year. Besides capnography equipment, Dispo-Med also manufactures respitory care, anesthesiology and infusion therapy instruments under its Dispo-Med. "The overseas market in the United States and Australia contributes 95% of our revenue, while the domestic sector generates the remainder," Mr N C Leow, managing director, Dispo-Med, told a leading Malaysian publication. Leow added that the firm is currently exploring the possibility of providing OEM services for US-based medical device companies.
To tap into the US market, Dispo-Med will exhibit its new capnography equipment at the American Society Anesthesiology Exhibition in San Francisco in October and at the Medica Exhibition in Dusseldorf in November.
Precision component and electro-mechanical part manufacturer UWC Holdings is also emerging as an OEM for medical devices in the country. Group managing director Mr Datuk Ng Chai Eng said the projects included lifters and diffusion pumps. "We are working with US companies to design and develop lifters and produce diffusion pumps, which are Class A low-risk medical devices," Mr Datuk Ng Chai Eng told the publication. He added that UWC was also currently negotiating with a Finnish company to produce dental chairs.
According to the latest Association of Malaysian Medical Industries, or AMMI, report, the medical devices market in Malaysia is worth 1 percent of the total US market. The domestic consumption of medical devices is expected to grow by 50.4 percent to reach US$1.7 billion (RM5.2 billion) in 2015, from $1.13 billion (RM3.44 billion) in 2010, according to the report. This means the local market is growing at about 10 percent annually, with a domestic consumption of about $1.46 billion projected for 2013. "More than 85 percent of the medical devices in Malaysia are imported, mostly from the US. The majority of the medical devices currently produced in Malaysia belong to Class 1 non-invasive and Class 2 semi-invasive products." the report stated.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2286
|
__label__wiki
| 0.620536
| 0.620536
|
The Art of Grieving (Part 1 of 3): Art Prize 9 Artist Lisa Nawrocki
“Sometimes I start painting in the morning shortly after my husband leaves and I can’t believe it when he walks through the door 8 hours later that all that time passed. I get lost in art,“ says Lisa Nawrocki, an art teacher at West Catholic High School whose work Simply Put ... Our Mom is Love is featured in Art Prize 9.
But she couldn’t do that as much on this project. This time around, she found she could only work for a few hours at a time on it.
“Usually I get lost in the artwork – but this time I was lost in my mom.”
This year’s Art Prize entry is unlike any of her prior entries.
In years past, Lisa would include pictures and links on Facebook to her Art Prize entries and talk excitedly with students and family and friends about it. But this year, she didn’t take pictures of it or make cards and when people asked what she was working on for Art Prize, all she said was that it was a tribute to her mom.
“I couldn’t share it. Part of it was that it was evolving. And part of it was that I was grieving while working on it.”
Lisa’s mom died suddenly this past spring. “My birthday was Easter Monday. My parents called and wanted to go to lunch that day. I was making lasagna, I had a million and one things to do, I wanted to get a run in, and I had no time for lunch -- but I said yes. We went to lunch, my parents went home and my mom laid down for a nap. While she was napping she suffered a hemorrhagic brain stroke and essentially never woke up. She never regained consciousness and she passed away the next day."
Her death was totally unexpected.
Ironically, just weeks prior to her mom’s death, Lisa was on spring break and reading a book called A Grace Revealed: How God Redeems the Story of Your Life by Gerald Lawson Sittser, and another by Sittser as well titled A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows Through Loss. “Loss is loss, whatever the circumstances. All losses are bad, only bad in different ways. No two losses are ever the same. Each loss stands on its own and inflicts a unique kind of pain. What makes each loss so catastrophic is its devastating, cumulative, and irreversible nature.” Lisa had no way of knowing then how profoundly prophetic those words would turn out to be.
For Lisa, the loss of her mom was devastating.
She received four books about grief from various friends and couldn’t read any of them. An avid runner, she took her grief to the pavement after the memorial service. But she found herself crying on the side of the road and had to stop running.
She needed an activity to do to work through her grief, and so she turned to that which is most familiar and most comforting: art.
At the same time, she was starting to think about what she wanted to do for Art Prize 9. She’d entered pieces in prior Art Prize competitions and usually spent her summers off from teaching working on her Art Prize entry.
The stack of sympathy cards Lisa received from friends and family was huge, and she kept returning to that stack of cards. She decided that she would somehow incorporate these into her piece and that her piece would be a work that paid tribute to her mom.
So Lisa got out all of the cards and spread them on the table.
“I wanted people to see parts of these many cards and words I received. I thought I’d layer them and paint overtop of them."
"My mom loved flowers and knew the names of all the flowers so I knew I had to represent her with a flower. I wanted people to be able to read some parts of the cards so I put those in the frame and I collaged the cards as the backdrop of the actual piece.”
Lisa wrote and delivered her mom’s eulogy, and practiced it over and over again in her head when she was out running for 3 days leading up to the memorial service, and those words continued to surface in her mind as she was creating this piece.
She thought about including just a few words and phrases from the eulogy, but when she first painted the lily it was hard to see with the colors behind it. So she wrote the words over it and liked how the flower came to life with the darker background.
“I really feel like it was God-inspired and led … the very idea of it, and the fact I didn’t line it and I just started writing it. At first I didn’t like it because the words had such a curve, but when I got done it was the perfect angle.”
One of the phrases that stands out from the written eulogy is our mom is love. That’s what stands out for Lisa when reflecting on her mom’s life and legacy too.
“She loved life. She loved her kids and she spoiled each one of the 8 of us -- especially when we were older. My parents have the keycode to our garage and often on birthdays and holidays or after a good sale – my mom would just "break in" and leave a little something on our kitchen counter for us. She was always there and always supportive. She LOVED kids and babies and met her first great-grandchild weeks before she died.”
“I keep reminding myself that some people don’t feel like this when they lose somebody. All this pain is because of all the love we had before it.”
For Lisa, this Art Prize piece and the creative process was cathartic in several ways. The cards and people’s words on those cards were a tangible reminder of how much community and friends and family support she had.
And expressing her grief through this work of tribute was in itself part of her journey of grieving and mourning the loss of her mom.
“When I was working on this I was crying too, but it was kind of like a scheduled grief. I could get it out and grieve and cry, and then put it away again until the next time I worked. It was almost scheduling time to grieve – I can see that now looking back a few months ago. That’s what was happening. And that was good for me to do because I needed to be able to express it and it needed to come out and nothing else allowed me to process through it like this piece did.”
As for the plans for the piece after Art Prize ends, Lisa originally planned to cut it into 9 squares, with pieces for herself, her 7 siblings, and her dad. But then her dad saw the finished piece and wanted to keep it intact.
Lisa told him, “You can do what you want with it. For me it’s done what I needed it to do.”
How about you? Have you found comfort while grieving a loss through artistic or other forms of expression? How has it helped you?
This is the first in a 3-part series exploring the expression of grief through art. Subscribe to our blog by clicking the "subscribe" button below this to have the next artist's story delivered to your inbox.
Newer PostThe Art of Grieving (Part 2 of 3): Wendy Cross, Art Prize 9 Artist
Older PostJoanne: Honoring a Legacy (Part 7 of 7)
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2291
|
__label__wiki
| 0.770977
| 0.770977
|
General Santos City or “GenSan”
General Santos City is in the province of South Cotabato in the Philippines. It is a highly urbanized city located at the southern portion of South Cotabato, but perhaps its biggest claim to fame is that boxer Manny Pacquiao is a native. It is known as “The Tuna Capital of the Philippines”. General Santos is also home to a lot of media practitioners and media companies.
One thing consistently present in history since the arrival of Christian settlers is the vast potential of the city. This has continually become more attractive until now… with the presence of world class infrastructures, its fast growing economy and continued government dynamism and civil society support. On February 27, 1939, the Christian settlers landed on the shores of the beautiful Sarangani Bay led by General Paulino Santos with the 62 first batchers. In January 1948, Buayan District became a full pledged municipality as provided by Republic Act #82 with NLSA Hospital Administrator, Ireneo I. Santiago as its first mayor. The municipality was renamed – in honor of its great pioneer – to General Santos. The administration Mayor Pedro Acharon, Sr. concerned itself with the barrio programs of President Magsaysay. Through the PACD (Presidential Assistance for Community Development), feeder roads connecting the remote barrios to the national highways were built. Artesian wells were established to solve the problem of water supply among the rural folks. Likewise, he finished the projects started by mayor Santiago particularly Makar Wharf which was declared an open port of entry in 1959. The Buayan airport was also rehabilitated from the ruins of the war during his term. Economic growth however, gained a very significant momentum when Mayor Lucio A. Velayo took over from 1963-1967. during this time, multi-million agri-based corporations such as Dole Phils., General Milling Corp. and UDAGRI started operations in the area.The City of General Santos was officially created on July 8, 1968 by virtue of Republic Act 5412. Knowing the people’s desire to keep the name of General Santos, Hon. Congressman James L. Chiongbian worked for the approval of Republic Act 5412…converting the municipality of General Santos into a city without changing its name. The city was then inaugurated on September 5, 1968 with its incumbent mayor — Hon. Antonio C. Acharon as the first City Mayor. From that time until 1986, Mayor Acharon led the progress of Gen. Santos from a Third Class City to First Class A. The agriculture and fishing industry flourished during his time. This earned a place for General Santos City in the international market.
The historic EDSA Revolution, in February 1986, changed the political history of General Santos City. Mayor Acharon was relieved by the Ministry of Local Government and Hon. Dominador A. Lagare was appointed as OIC City Mayor. With the local government’s dynamism and support under the leadership of Hon. mayor Rosalita T. Nuñez, GenSan became a Highly Urbanized City. The city earned for itself the nickname “Boom City of the South” and also firmed up its mark in the international market as an exporter of tropical fruits, yellow fin tuna, prawn and copra.
GenSan continued to grow as an influential economic center from 1992-1995 through the expertise in planing and economics of Hon. Mayor Adelbert W. Antonino. He promoted the SOCSKSARGEN, (South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos) growth region – a unified force with redefined geographical boundaries and economic borders. this is further boosted by the implementation of the Philippine Assistance Program (PAP) Projects like the New General Santos International-Standard Airport, Makar Wharf Development, Agro-Fishing Port Complex and a well-paved road network connecting General Santos City to South Cotabato and Sarangani.
During the May 8, 1995 elections, former mayor Rosalita T. Nuñez returned as Mayor. With the use of paper and pen, she contributed to the improvement of relationship between Christians and Muslims through her book “Roots of Conflict in Mindanao”. The medium term development plan, GENSAN 2000: War Against Poverty, directed sustainable development through the implementation of its core programs: the Social Reform Agenda, Economic Reform and Environmental Reform.
Hosting of the Palarong Pambansa and the 1st BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games in 1996 highlighted the city’s capability for social and economic growth, and as an active partner in national development endeavors. the EAGA Games was participated by the eight focus areas of the BIMP-EAGA member countries namely: Brunei Darussalam, East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, North Sulawesi of Indonesia, Labuan, Sarawak, Sabah of Malaysia and Mindanao-Palawan of Philippines. these events were economic development “boosters” which has a net effect of promoting the city as a tourist destination and investor’s haven for manufacturing, exports, services and real estate.
In the May 11, 1998 elections, Mayor Adelbert W. Antonino returned as City Mayor of General Santos. His administration was guided by Project FIRST – Fast Integrated Reform for Social Transformation. This concept anchors on improving accessibility to basic social services and ensuring that development becomes sustainable. The means will be through Shelter, Health, Education, Environment and Peace and Order or SHEEP Program. A new program — Developing Rural Investments and Village Enterprises (DRIVE) — was also developed as his administration’s support to national economic development.
The ongoing clash between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Moro rebels in some portions of Mindanao reached the commercial district of the city. Alleged Moro rebels penetrated the GSC Hall with the explosion of 2 bombs on May 3, followed by several simultaneous bombs at the commercial district on May 6 and some other minor attacks and failed attempts. The City immediately established a Crisis Center, strengthened its security and intelligence efforts.for some time then, the impression of peace and order problem haunted the city with its local and international bad publicity. But the fundamental advantage with its world-class infrastructures, wide and well designed road network, fast growing economy and continued government dynamism and civil society support cannot be rocked by this bombing.
In the national scene, January 20, 2001, then Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took oath as the 14th president of the Philippines. This was the result of the People Power II or massive call for then President Joseph Ejercito Estrada to resign triggered by disrupted 1st Impeachment Trial in Asia.
On February 2, 2001, Hon. Mayor Adelbert W. Antonino resigned as the duly elected City Mayor of General Santos. It was his symbolic way of concluding his political life, but not closing the door for public service. Then Hon. Vice Mayor Pedro “Jun” B. Acharon, Jr. took-over as the City Mayor. Mayor Acharon vowed to continue his predecessor’s programs under his own advocacy – General Santos City First. This is guided by his three-point program of government (Social and Community Development Program, Economic Development Program and good Governance). Hon. Pedro Acharon Jr. was then elected as Mayor during the may 2001 election and took oath last June 29, 2001. He was joined by the majority of his partymates in the City Council. The new representative for the 1st District of South Cotabato and Gen. Santos City is Hon. Darlene magnolia r. Antonino-Custodio.
In May 2004, Hon Mayor Acharon and his partymates were successfully re-elected including Rep. Darlene A. Custodio. This second term has opened new economic opportunities for the whole constituents with the re-establishment of the KCC Mall and the expansion of Gaisano Mall Major city thoroughfares were expanded. The Population and Basic Services (PBS) Integrated survey were held in the later part of the year.
The 2nd Yaman Gensan and 5th National Tuna festival saw renewed confidence from the local economic players and visitors. 2005 was a year marked by important milestones for the city having hosted important national-level events: Mindanao ICT Congress, Philippines Society of Agricultural Engineers and United Architects of the Philippines National Conventions. The country’s leading fast food chains have opened markets in the city. In 2005, it witnessed the re-opening of the Lion’s Beach to the public for beach and outdoors reveling. The new Eusebio Bulaong Public Transport Terminal was officially opened. The City’s program on Total Quality Service (TQS) was also institutionalized.
For the third time. Hon. Mayor Jun Acharon won the local mayoral race together with his ticketmate , Hon. Vice-Mayor Florentina Congson. Eleven (11) councilors under their tickets were also elected. This year also saw the institutionalization of the City Development Strategies (Good Governance, Livability, Competitiveness and Bankability) as implemented in accordance with the GENSAN S.H.E.E.P (Social Transformation, Human Empowerment, Economic Diversification, Environment Regeneration, and Participatory Governance) Agenda.
To improve city competitiveness and livability, a new traffic system was put in place along the junctions of Magsaysay Avenue and Pioneer Avenue as wee as in P. Acharon Boulevard. The General Santos City Children’ s Park was also opened to the delight of the kids and their families. The year was also happily intersped by four flagship festivals. During the first quarter, the “Kalilangan” festival was celebrated in February to the mark the city 68th Foundation Anniversary.
The month-long business celebration dubbed as “yabong Maliit na Negosyo” or “yaman GenSan” formally opened on June 22, 2007 in the premiere port of General Santos City.
September 5, 2007 remarked the “39th Charter anniversary of General Santos City. It also serves as the culmination of the week-long 9th Tuna Festival which honors the industry that has placed the million people in the map.
The simultaneous lightning up of the Christmas tree displays and pavilions at the city oval plaza ushers the start of the Christmas festival or the “pasko sa GenSan” 2007 on the night of December 3, 2007.
In June 2010, Hon. Mayor Darlene Magnolia R. Antonino-Custodio, after serving the First District of South Cotabato for nine years, won as the new mayor of General Santos City, together with Hon. Vice-Mayor Shirlyn Bans-Nograles and councilors. Then the City Mayor for nine years, now Congressman Hon. Pedro B. Acharon, Jr. is the new Represenattive of the First District – South Cotabato and General Santos City.
Source: Gensan Official Website
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2292
|
__label__cc
| 0.681807
| 0.318193
|
Home Entertainment BU-Community Orchestra to Perform Free Concert
BU-Community Orchestra to Perform Free Concert
Nick Cellucci
The Bloomsburg University-Community Orchestra will perform a free concert at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 1. The annual Young Persons’ Concert will be held at BU’s Haas Center for the Arts in Mitrani Hall.
This year’s theme is “Music from Around the World,” and the program will feature “Hoedown from Rodeo” by Copland, “Fantasia Para Un Gentilhombre” by Rodrigo, Introduction to Act III of “Lohengrin” by Wagner and “The Great Gate of Kievby” by Mussorgsky with Larry Vojko as narrator and Matthew Slotkin on guitar.
Slotkin is an acclaimed performer, teacher, and scholar, and has appeared in leading venues throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
The BU-Community Orchestra is made up of students, faculty, staff and area musicians who perform a repertoire ranging from classical to popular. The concert is intended both for area school groups and individuals. Call the BU music office at (570) 389-4284 to make a reservation.
Nicholas Cellucci is in the class of 2016 at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. He is studying Mass Communications and is a BUnow staff writer in addition to serving as Executive Producer for BUnow Radio. He also works as a communications assistant in BU’s Office of Marketing and Communications
Previous articleHow Dreadful!: School’s Rejection of Girl’s Hairstyle Sparks National Outcry
Next articleFall into Autumn: Part 1
On Campus Editor, Head of Radio Production & staff writer for BUnow. Creative Communicator, Mass Communications major / Professional Writing minor, BloomU Class of 2016.
Keep it or Delete it: Zombie Booth
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2293
|
__label__wiki
| 0.769564
| 0.769564
|
Home » The Willkie Buttons: The use of Campaign Buttons during the 1940 Presidential Election
The Willkie Buttons: The use of Campaign Buttons during the 1940 Presidential Election
During the 1940 Presidential election, the Republican Party nominated lawyer and corporate executive, Wendell Willkie, as their nominee for President. Willkie, who had no prior experience in politics, was seen as a surprising choice for receiving the nominee. Willkie’s opponent, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, had already been President for two-terms by this point and seemed likely to achieve it once again. Though it would prove to be an uphill battle, Willkie’s campaign remained formidable throughout as a result of their aggressive merchandising tactics. Specifically, Willkie’s use of buttons to demonstrate his points and ideas proved immensely popular. Indeed, Willkie’s extensive use of buttons during his campaign was unprecedented at the time, and would mark a change in the ways that campaigns would spread their message going forward.
An Unlikely Candidate
Willkie’s nomination came as a surprising development during the election season. Willkie’s lack of experience proved to be a divisive issue amongst voters. His opponent, however, was not without controversy either. Come the 1940 election, Roosevelt had now officially served almost two-terms in office. Though there was no policy at the time that forbid a third-term in office, it was considered un-traditional to seek more than the standard eight years in power. Roosevelt, however, argued that it was his duty to continue to serve in order to lead the country through the rising crisis in Europe, where the threat of Nazi Germany was escalating. Willkie’s campaign largely rested on opposition to Roosevelt seeking another term in office, as well as his New Deal programs, a series of economic and financial policies and reforms that were created in response to the Great Depression.
Buttons for every Issue
The Willkie Campaign released numerous buttons that attacked President Roosevelt on any issue that might prove detrimental to his campaign. These buttons not only attacked Roosevelt but his family as well. One example comes from a controversy surrounding Roosevelt’s son, Elliot. Elliot, who had enlisted in the United States Air Corps was quickly given the rank of Captain, bypassing the standard procedure necessary for receiving the title. When the story became public, Willkie and his supporters distributed buttons that read “I Wanna be a Captain too” as an attack on Roosevelt and the perceived special treatment that his family was receiving. Another example pertains to the Willkie campaigns attack on the President’s wife, Eleanor Roosevelt. The First Lady was an active participant in her husband’s administration, giving press conferences and speaking out on issues, such as human rights, racial discrimination, and women’s rights. The First Ladies active role in the administration was ridiculed by many. Willkie supporters attacked both the President and the First Lady for seeking another four years in office. Willkie’s use of buttons warranted democrats to put out their own button that said “All you get from Willkie are buttons.”
The Bold Merchandising Campaign
The Willkie campaign promoted itself on several items, including neckties, chewing gum, and cowbells. Yet the buttons were always the principal means of selling Willkie as the better candidate. The flurry of buttons to come out of a single campaign was unheard of at the time of the election. Campaign buttons had only traditionally come out right before a campaign. Willkie had buttons released from the start, vastly outmatching Roosevelt’s button operation. According to a September 1940 issue of Life, the campaign season of 1940 was responsible for the production of roughly thirty million buttons, most of which are thought to be in support of Willkie. Many Willkie supporters, affectionately known as Willkiettes, often distributed buttons in many areas throughout the country. The magazine declared that the campaign was the showiest affair in more than one hundred years.
The Election Results
Despite their best efforts, the Willkie Campaigns merchandising efforts were not enough to secure Willkie the presidency. Willkie would end up losing the popular vote with 54.74% of the vote going towards Roosevelt while Willkie himself secured 44.78% of the votes. The electoral college was also not in his favor, with 449 votes for Roosevelt and 82 for Willkie. Despite having lost the election, Willkie, to the surprise of many in his party became an unlikely ally to the President. Between 1941 and 1943, Willkie served as the President’s informal envoy by embarking on numerous trips abroad. Willkie would return to campaign once again in the 1944 election, though was forced to abandon it upon suffering a series of heart attacks. Willkie would finally succumb to a heart attack and died in that same year at the age of fifty-two.
The 1940 election is considered to be one of the greatest spectacles to have ever graced American politics. Though Willkie did not succeed in achieving the presidency, his campaign tactics proved to be effective in spreading his message in new ways. The Willkie Campaigns use of buttons to attack Roosevelt’s aspirations for a third term were perhaps instrumental to a degree in the passing of 22nd Amendment, which limited presidents to only two terms in office. As a result, Roosevelt is the first and only president to have ever served more than two terms. Buttons, in particular, were seen more than ever as efficient tools in spreading awareness to a greater number of people. The 1940 election would change how political campaigns were marketed, while also changing the way that buttons were incorporated into campaign culture.
To see all of the Button Museum's Willkie related buttons: http://buttonmuseum.org/search/node/willkie
All pictures are from the September 1940 issue of Life Magazine
Hamburger, P., & Maloney, R. (1940, August 31). The Talk of the Town: Willkie Buttons. The New Yorker. Retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1940/08/31/willkie-buttons
The Challenge-M'Nary to Willkie (August 30, 1940). The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.libproxy.noctrl.edu/docview/176515947/8CBC35...
Willkie is way ahead in Battle of Buttons. (1940, September 30). Life. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=C0oEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA82&dq=willkie%20but...
Ross, Hugh. (1962, June) Was the Nomination of Wendell Willkie a Political Miracle? Indiana Magazine of History. Vol. 58. No. 2 Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27788982?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
Edwards, P. (2015, October 9). Today’s presidential campaigns are fought on Twitter. In 1940, they used… buttons. Vox. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/2015/10/9/9486799/willkie-buttons
Research and text by Adam Prestigiacomo
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2294
|
__label__wiki
| 0.874635
| 0.874635
|
Stanback, Roberson, Miller named CFL's top players for Week 4
The Canadian Press July 9, 2019, 4:39 p.m. UTC
TORONTO — Montreal running back William Stanback, Calgary defensive back Tre Roberson and Winnipeg fullback Mike Miller are the CFL top performers for Week 4. Stanback accumulated 249 yards from scrimmage with a career-high three touchdowns in the Alouettes 36-29 victory over the East-leading Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Thursday.Roberson had two tackles and two interceptions, including a 48-yard interception return touchdown, in the Stampeders' 37-10 victory in Saskatchewan on Saturday.Miller recorded seven special teams tackles, becoming only the seventh player in league history to accomplish the feat, in the Blue Bombers' 29-14 victory over Ottawa on Friday. Miller added a reception for 14 yards to help keep the Blue Bombers undefeated.The Canadian Press
TORONTO — Montreal running back William Stanback, Calgary defensive back Tre Roberson and Winnipeg fullback Mike Miller are the CFL top performers for Week 4.
Stanback accumulated 249 yards from scrimmage with a career-high three touchdowns in the Alouettes 36-29 victory over the East-leading Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Thursday.
Roberson had two tackles and two interceptions, including a 48-yard interception return touchdown, in the Stampeders' 37-10 victory in Saskatchewan on Saturday.
Miller recorded seven special teams tackles, becoming only the seventh player in league history to accomplish the feat, in the Blue Bombers' 29-14 victory over Ottawa on Friday. Miller added a reception for 14 yards to help keep the Blue Bombers undefeated.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2295
|
__label__cc
| 0.685372
| 0.314628
|
Economics and Business Senior Individualized Projects
Marketing and an Analysis of Television Advertisements During the Super Bowl
Park, Philip S.
The opening section will give a general overview of the field of marketing. The first part will deal with marketing strategies. Positioning and distribution within intermediaries will then be examined. The final portion will explore the three primary means of marketing: advertising, sales promotion, and personal selling. Within advertising, the initial step is to set a company's objective. It will then want to set up a budget, choosing one of the several approaches, such as the affordability method, matching the competition, a percentage-of-sales approach, and an objective-and-task method. A company must finally select one or more of the many advertising mediums, which include television, radio, billboards, etc. The advantages and disadvantages of each will be highlighted. Among sales promotions, a company can implement several types among consumer and trade promotions. It can choose among the several objectives and tools available to them by using samples, rebate, premiums, specialty items, etc. The final determinants are the way to deliver the promotion and to set the length of it. In personal selling, a company must begin by establishing a sales force. Then, it must determine the structure of the sales staff. Lastly, the steps used in the selling process by a sales department will be examined. The next segment will deal with Sports Radio 1130 AM, WDFN. To open, the 4-year company history will be explored. This 24-hour sports talk radio station has successfully established itself in the Detroit area; the reasons behind their prosperity will be investigated. The final portion will show the benefits of the station's overall use in marketing as a factor for WDFN's success. The final section will explore Super Bowl advertising. The first piece will examine the reasons and strategies behind companies who choose to put up the dollars; with the huge investment in time and money, companies hope to cash in on their 30 seconds. The decision to run a spot and then to put it together begins months before the game takes place on the field. The last part will give an overview of several companies who have advertised on Super Bowl Sunday.
Economics and Business Senior Individualized Projects [1120]
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2296
|
__label__cc
| 0.59951
| 0.40049
|
No posts for some time, for several mundane reasons that I won’t bore you with here…
I am, slowly, collecting biographies of the photographers I publish, to add a little context to the publications. If you are, or know a photographer I’ve published, please send / ask if they could send a brief biography (not a CV, and up to 500 words, including web link). I’ll add it to this and the Café Royal Books website. Along with the general bio, I’m collecting brief information about how the work I publish came to exist. Not descriptions of the images, more reasons why the images exist.
If you are a photographer I’ve published, you can add info here: https://forms.gle/tExDw1o4wg5iEVjt5
I began photographing the project, that I later called “Housing Estates”, in the spring of 1979 soon after starting work as a photographic technician at Southport College of Art. The Estate I began to photograph was relatively new and had been constructed on the sand-dunes around Ainsdale, Southport. My Father, who had worked his way up from a young apprentice to Managing Director in a refrigeration firm, bought a plot of land, designed and self-built a house on this estate, for his family. We lived in it from 1972.
I pre-visualised, this set of photographs, as having high contrast with dark shadows. I found the estate to be slightly surreal and wanted the photographs to reflect this. Not many people were visible until the week-end when cars were washed, lawns were cut and watered. I used 35mm, a red filter, underexposed and overdeveloped the film to make the shadows black and to emphasise the graphic shapes of the window frames, walls and painted barge-boards.
The work was shown at Impressions gallery, York in 1980 and at The Open Eye Gallery in 1981, my second exhibition at the gallery.
In 1980 I attended a week-long workshop with Lewis Baltz at the Photographers Place, run by Paul Hill. I was aware of The New Topographics work, especially photography by Lewis Baltz, Joe Deal, Robert Adams and Stephen Shore. However, attending the workshop, listening to Lewis Baltz, having work critiqued and looking at his proof copy of Park City, was very influential. This workshop was a seminal moment and made me re-evaluate my approach to the subject matter of my photographs.
I realised that for me the subject should be paramount and that technique should allow the subject to be shown in the clearest possible way, without stylizing the images.
It seems an obvious statement to make, but photography is bound to technique and process. Photographers have a huge choice in approach to the subject: choice of formats, cameras, colour, black and white, film or digital, re-use of old processes etc etc.
The other choices, which can be overlooked, are light and weather conditions. Usually I went out to photograph when time allowed, regardless of light or conditions.
In early 1980, for what became the second set of Housing Estate photographs, I deliberately went to photograph in very grey, overcast light conditions, still using black and white, but with no filter and no pronounced technique. Sometimes I photographed the same areas I had photographed for the first set.
A selection of these were shown in a variety of venues as part of The North-West Photography Group shows.
By late 1980 I had furthered the project by using 5×4 and black and white film. I had used 5×4 for a project on Southport Pleasureland out of season (published by Café Royal books as “Keep off Sexy Drugs”) started in my last year at Manchester Polytechnic in 1978 and completed and shown at The Open Eye Gallery, my first exhibition, in May 1979.
I found the seamless quality of 5×4 well suited to describing the subtleties and details of the estates. Very soon I started using colour 5×4 film because of the added information that colour provided.
I also photographed other estates in the Southport area, but wasn’t sure (and I’m still not sure) whether these work as well. My familiarity with the Ainsdale landscape, architecture and location has maybe influenced the visual success of these pictures.
Having a variety of approaches to the same subject became interesting. To emphasise the differences and to organise the photographs I divided the work up into “Sets”:
Set One: the 35mm, high contrast black and white, graphic photographs.
Set Two: the 35mm grey, flat, descriptive photographs.
Set Three: the 5×4 black and white and colour.
A selection from these three ‘sets’ was published by Café Royal in 2014, with a second print run in 2017.
A further development in the work started when I moved closer into the house frontages, photographing the details of decoration, house names, window details and front gardens. For this I needed greater portability and used medium format cameras. This work became Set Four, most recently published by Café Royal in July 2018.
Another set of work was ongoing during 1983 to 1985. This set dealt with the “Edges“ of the estates. Looking at where the boundaries of various estates were defined and met the countryside. Made using 5×4 and in colour and black and white these photographs became Set Five.
In 1983/1984, partly because of the ongoing Housing Estate work, I was commissioned by Merseyside Arts to photograph Skelmersdale New Town. The work was a mix of portraits and environmental photographs and the resulting exhibition was very well received. Interest in the project was revived when Café Royal published the work in 2014.
Although the work was a success I was never comfortable photographing people and an area that was suffering from social deprivation and economic problems. I felt I was an interloper exploiting the residents of Skelmersdale for my own career aspirations. I had no easy answer to this other than I felt I was making a record of a time and a place that may have some future importance. Other photographers deal with this issue and accusations of exploitation on their own terms.
With the Housing Estate project I was not an interloper, I was documenting my home environment, photographing an area where I lived and had a relationship with. I wasn’t often questioned by the residents about my motives for photographing their homes, but was occasionally asked if I was “casing the joint” for a burglar, I did point out that if I was I wouldn’t be using a 5×4 view camera and a tripod!
As Robert Adams has said the best photography is a mix of autobiography, geography and metaphor. I’m not sure about the metaphor, perhaps metaphor should be fostered by the viewer – I prefer the idea “that the subject is what the subject is”. However, autobiography and geography are still very strong guides for my work.
The Housing Estate photographs are calm and ordered images of maybe a bland and bourgeois environment – a view not always made visible; they are a counterpoint to the images of joblessness and social strife so often used to illustrate Merseyside in the 1980’s. But this was my daily reality and as much a testament to the era as photographs documenting poverty.
http://mccoywynne.co.uk
Stephen McCoy — Housing Estates Set 4. 1985
Housing Estates 1979–1981 — Stephen McCoy
Jazz Legends brings together five decades of work by leading British photographer Sefton Samuels. The collection is the result of a lifetime spent by Sefton hanging around smoke-filled jazz clubs in the north of England – capturing the biggest names as they performed.
Caught up-close are the likes of Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Courtney Pine, Dizzy Gillespie, Ronnie Scott and Duke Ellington. The photographs are distinguished by an intimacy which captures the soul of the performances – perhaps testimony to the passion for the music from behind the camera.
Sefton Samuels enjoyed a brief career as a jazz drummer himself before taking up photography. He has scores of images in the National Portrait Gallery and Victoria and Albert Museum – and has exhibited at the Barbican, King’s Place and Proud Galleries.
Hailed as “Manchester’s finest” by Time Out, Sefton is the author of the best-selling photo book ’Northerners’. Despite the drumming career never quite taking off, Sefton remains a jazz addict.
Tim Samuels.
Sefton Samuels — Jazz Legends, is available here.
Dublin at the beginning of June 1984 was warm and sunny. ‘Star Wars – The Empire Strikes Back’ was playing in Dublin cinemas and ironically Ronald Reagan who named his country’s defence system after the sci-fi film was in town. He did not receive a warm welcome from his ancestral home.
The protests against his visit were country-wide and brought together a diverse alliance of people who might not normally join forces. Left groups marched alongside nuns and priests. What united them was Reagan’s foreign policies, mainly those in Central and South America.
I photographed the Dublin protests — the march of over 10,000 people to the Dáil and a picket on the US embassy — and I have two regrets about the photographs I took or rather didn’t take that day. Instead of going to the night-time vigil when thousands of people surrounded Dublin Castle where Reagan was being feted and dined by the powers-that-be, I was persuaded by my partner of that time to do a spot of baby-sitting for him. So, while protesters formed a chain around the castle, beating drums and cat-calling to the president into the night, I was sat at home. Obviously, my feminist sensibilities required some honing at that stage…
That same night something else was happening outside the US ambassador’s residence in the Phoenix Park. This brings me to my second regret which is deeper than the first.
A group, Women for Disarmament, had set up a camp in the Park days before just yards from the entrance to the residence. The women were part of the international anti-war movement and comprised upwards of seventy women who camped out in expectation of Reagan’s arrival. They were not breaking any laws but the police, under pressure from the US Secret Service, twice gathered them into police vans and drove them into the city. The women, of course, regrouped and returned to their camp.
I was a political snob then and I have to admit I found the WFD group irritating but nevertheless, in the days before, I, along with other women, prepared pots of stew in the Women’s Centre on Dame Street and brought them to the women in the Park. What I did not bring was my camera and so did not capture any images of their circular camp which was both good-humoured and earnest. And I bitterly regret this for these women suffered for their protest.
On the night of the Dublin Castle vigil, they painted their hands red and imprinted them on the ambassador’s gates. The Secret Service were incensed. Pressure was exerted and the local police arrived in greater numbers than before and formally arrested the protesters. The women were brutally removed. One disabled woman was dragged away by the heels.
They were imprisoned in the Bridewell Garda Station, illegally as it emerged, for between one and two nights in crowded, dirty cells. They remained there until Airforce 1 rose into the air taking the president back from whence he had come.
The empire knew how to strike back!
Rose Comiskey — Reagan Protest Dublin 1984, available here
Here’s the third post in the series of unknown length and duration, around reasons why I started publishing.
I’m not sure where to start this, so I’m going to write and see how it goes. Here are some terms, or genres I’m involved in/with. Each very different. Each a different crowd, generally. A different market, in a business sense. A different process in terms of making, and certainly different reasoning. Often, a different outlet or final place for the work to ‘be’:
Genres — Artist’s Book / Zine / Photobook
Sections — History / Culture / Photography / Gift
Reasons — Nostalgia / Collection / Archive / History / Dissemination /Presentation
Fitting in. I’ve never been a conformist. I’m not sure why. I don’t think it’s rebellion, although at times possibly it is. I think it’s more that I like to question things as they are. I’m never comfortable accepting that ideas as they are, are the best way. For example, procedure, hierarchy, method, answer…I never like to take a set of rules and agree, ‘that’s how it’s done.’ I’d rather find my way of getting it done. I don’t like the term, ‘creative’, when applied to a person, but I think artists, designers, photographers, ‘creatives’ generally, question rules. Often get accused of disobeying, quite negatively. Questioning, I think, is better.
When I’m not in the office/studio, editing, sourcing, replying to emails, packing post etc, I’m at book fairs, talking about the books and selling the books. Artist’s Book and zine fairs are the ones I started taking part in, 13 years ago. The first was Manchester Zine Fair, at what was then Urbis. Leeds, BABE in Bristol, Small Publishers, London Zine Symposium…Fairs in Lithuania, China, Korea, Japan, Australia…When I can’t go, I send a box of books. See previous post about ease of transporting.
More recently (past seven years), I’ve taken part in photobook fairs. Bristol, London, Glasgow, Paris, Rome, New York…The mindset is different. Not better or worse. Perhaps more focussed, because the subject is tighter. Photography includes photography. Photo books include photographs. ‘Artist’s books’ is perhaps a vaguer term, which is useful. Artists work in a multitude of ways so I think the term artist’s book refers more to the book as a container, the function and form of the book, as well (or can be) as the content. Photobooks can be more fetishised, more ‘collected’, more valuable and in some ways seen as more ‘prestigious’. A word I don’t like much. There are cross overs though, Ed Ruscha’s photographic books, for example. Artist’s will discuss them as artist’s books. Photographers as photobooks. There is, of course, a problem with categorising anything, but things do get categorised so I’ll go with it.
The bookshops that sell Café Royal Books vary in terms of the shelf on which the put the books. Photography is an obvious and appropriate one. History, Culture, Gift, are others — all just as appropriate. They have been exhibited, cited and discussed as examples of artist’s book, photobook, archiving, re/presenting work, zines, collections, cultural/social history…
Each term, in every case, has its own audience. The more terms one crosses, the wider the potential audience, and in this case, the more eyes that can see the images I publish. So that’s good. More people who perhaps didn’t know the photographers or their work, or a particular series of work, now do.
The main thing with all of this, is that the books (if that’s what they are…) don’t fit in. They float around a bit. Today, I have sent books to a gallery in New York. A library in San Diego. Someone in the UK, along with a note to say ‘Happy Birthday’ from the person who bought it. A biker on the Isle of Man, a playwright in London and a lawyer in the USA. The years I spent painting and exhibiting in a fairly formal way, I think has put me off sticking to one thing or place. So Café Royal Books helped me to make one thing, but be a part of several ‘networks’ (another word I don’t like.) I’m easily bored, and although ultimately I do just make one type of thing, it’s useful to be able to discuss it as several things, depending on where the books are, or where I am.
Image: One of the last paintings I made, 2005.
David Hurn — Wales Steel & Coal
The other new title is By David Hurn, Wales Steel & Coal, the final book of the Wales 1970–2010 box set I published last year, now in second print. Both available at the link.
Further reading: David Hurn on the Magnum website, and definitely read, On Being a Photographer — an excellent, very easy to read conversation between Hurn and Bill Jay.
Stephen McCoy — Plight of the Trolley 1990
One of this week’s new titles, Stephen McCoy — Plight of the Trolley 1990, available at the link.
Further reading: McCoy Wynne
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2297
|
__label__cc
| 0.524658
| 0.475342
|
Category : History
10 Of History’s Most Cartoonish Deaths
The universe has a morbid sense of humor. We’ve known this ever since apes were allowed to have consciousness. However, the universe sometimes feels the
10 Things You Might Not Know About The Incas
The Inca Empire lasted only around 100 years, until they were overrun by the invading Spanish in the 16th century. The last Inca emperor, Atahualpa,
10 Moments In American History, As Seen From The Other Side
There are two sides to every story. The version of history we hear is the one told by the country that comes out on top,
10 Nightmares Lurking Just Behind History
For the most part, history is a lie. Like Disney conveniently forgetting Sleeping Beauty’s rape, scholars have spent a great deal of time trimming the
10 Strange Stories From Isaac Newton’s Descent Into Madness
At his peak, Isaac Newton had one of the most rational minds in human history. His was a brain unlike any other, one that allowed
10 Young People Who Defied Hitler
The Third Reich, under the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler, ruled Germany for 12 years. Their reign of terror changed the world forever. Many Germans were
10 Facts About Ancient Rome That Are Rarely Covered In School
The ancient Romans are well-known for keeping an abundance of written records about their society. Sometimes, it almost seems as though we know more about
Worst Blizzards U.S. History
You’ve probably heard or read the word blizzard a few times in the last few weeks. Just recently, the Northern states and East coast were
Greatest Warriors
As long as there have been civilizations, there have been unending wars for power and land. These wars have produced some of the fiercest warriors
Famous Last Words and Quotes
One of the greatest mysteries of life surrounds the process of death. No one can be sure what happens when you die, but the final
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2298
|
__label__cc
| 0.72978
| 0.27022
|
← “And we all know why.”
How you know it’s not the Year of the Quarterback. →
June 4, 2014 · 11:30 AM
Too much fun
I know some of you are going to eat this up…
Everyone received reps and worked under Pruitt’s direct attention. Poor reps were corrected and repeatedly. No one sat out and watched. This was a dramatic shift in intensity from how the defensive backs had been working in practices prior to this past spring.
“It’s different, because they’re working the whole time,” Herrera said. “You’re not getting the chance to joke around. You’re not getting a chance to talk like that anymore. … They have to change. They can’t have all the fun like they used to. They can’t joke around like they used to. They’ve got to be serious and ready to work every day. And that’s everybody, really.”
Wiggins actually referenced the lack of fun he was having in a statement released to 247Sports when he left Georgia’s team.
“I am looking for a team who will embrace my personality, someone who is a jovial, carefree and a bit of a jokester but who knows when to put jokes aside, get focused and become a true competitor, especially when on the field,” Wiggins said.
Returning players attribute some of this to simple youth and lack of maturity. This may have been corrected with time and experience anyway.
But at the same time, the overall approach has clearly changed now, says Mason.
“You deal with a lot of egos. Kids come in because of these recruiting websites, and their heads are all blown up,” Mason said. “You need a coach that’s going to lay the law down and not be able to get away with stuff that maybe some guys have gotten away with, just as far as a disrespectful type of attitude over the past couple of years. It’s just good to see a guy who’s going to implement the law and lay it down and say ‘Look, it’s team. It’s not me.’
“Guys that can’t get along with that, as you can see, they’re gone.”
Now entering his senior season, Herrera says he’s optimistic — and confident — about what is taking place with a new defensive staff
“I know what’s going to happen,” Herrera said. “I know how things have changed.”
So what’s going to happen?
“We’re going to be better than we were last year.”
… but I think I’ve heard that last line before.
48 responses to “Too much fun”
heyberto
This is one of those things that I like to hear, but in no way does it make me think that all of sudden things are going to be inherently better. I like the recognition of needing to shake things up, to bring in a new philosophy, and seeing the reaction of that in practice. If this doesn’t shake the mentality of the team up for the better, I have no idea what will. Either way, some eggs have been broken to make this omelet, and I don’t mind that.
spot the ball already
all this waiting is killing me
The secondary has been a problem for years; the last truly dominant secondary that I can remember us having was when Martinez was the secondary coach, which was a really long time ago (am I mistaken in that?). We haven’t had a game changer back there who could turn the game around with a hit or a pick and return, and there’s a good reason we were so easily able to move from “3rd and Willie” to “3rd and Grantham.”
Also, hasn’t the secondary (not just at UGA but in general) generally been full of guys with big egos? It’s a glamorous spot where you can make big plays and get lots of attention, but if you go for a kill shot instead of the ball or tackle, you’re going to get burned. That’s happened a lot, and it’s why we see so many big plays back there.
And it doesn’t help that they’ve also been poorly coached the past few years and have been consistently out of position or doing something stupid off the field, too.
Ah…I’d say the Boykin-Rambo-Williams era we just left was pretty good. I love these changes, frankly, and think we are in a much better position than we were last year. I’m going to go out on a limb and predict our secondary cracks the top 40 this year…the happy talk is being backed up by believable accounts of a more workmanlike attitude in practice and the dismissals that prove things are changing. I was never comfortable with all the attitude and flashiness we were hearing last spring about the incoming freshmen before any of them had played a down back there, and I think Grantham’s departure is gonna be worth 15 points a game no matter who’s back there.
Pass the Kool-Aid…
Eventually it’s going to be worth significant points but I think the real fruits of it will be felt late season (we might actually improve during the season as opposed to prior years) and in to 2015. I wouldn’t expect dramatic improvement immediately.
You’re right; somehow I’d forgotten about those guys. And you know why? Because they weren’t flashy or “Me First” guys; they went out, played ball, and made the team better.
Thanks for pointing them out.
(also, I think it’s because it felt like Boykin had been there since the days when Willie was just a secondary coach, so my mind was playing trick on me)
This was the day Boykin probably became my all-time favorite Dawg:
http://atlanta.sbnation.com/georgia-bulldogs/2011/10/6/2474490/brandon-boykin-mark-richt-and-things-that-are-not-possible
He’s just having a great time being a Georgia Bulldog – that right there is what you hope all those kids – even the vertically challenged ones – are feeling about playing for their school. I don’t know anything more about him, really, except he was a blast to watch play football, but if he ever gets in trouble I will probably take it personally… 😉
Skeptic Dawg
I like what I have read and heard about Pruitt and his style/beliefs/coaching techniques. If some talent is lost due to a change in methodology/philosophy then so be it. With that being said, what in the world has Richt been doing a HC? Assuming the defense under Grantham was exponentially worse behind closed doors than what we saw on Saturdays, why in his right mind would Richt not have kicked Grantham to the curb? Further more, did Richt expect a sea change this season based on what happened the previous 2 seasons? I know that many will write me off as a Richt hater. I am just curious (and slightly angry) as why Richt is either A) Unwilling to make changes when he sees there are glaring issues or B) Blind to the fact that there are issues.
And why did Richt and Grantham settle for a secondary coach (Lakatos) who operated this way????
I think this all started even before Grantham arrived. After BVG left (who was a big proponent of physical intense practices regardless of the number of injuries), we had a slew of injuries one season and Richt opted for less contact and less intense practices.
As Mason alluded to in the video posted here yesterday, the players who were not on the two deep roster (the freshman whom you expected play later in their careers) did a lot of standing around at practice and were not progressing and not ready to play when their time eventually came.
The way you practice is the way you play.
Scott, I tend to agree with your belief that this began prior to Grantham. And that’s what I find to be maddening. Why would Richt let these issues and practices/philosophies continue through not one but two DC’s? At what point does Richt shoulder the responsibility for the overall team? Prior to 2011 Richt had earned the right to be fired. Then he did the unthinkable and pulled this program out of the ditch in 2012. He has squandered many a opportunity due to his lack of knowledge, or his unwillingness to acknowledge the problem. I know he will not be fired, nor does he deserve to be at this point. But at what point does it stop?
Maybe Richt didn’t see a problem; remember, he wasn’t going to can Grantham, but Lakatos (who was the secondary coach) left for “personal reasons”, and then there was a chance to maybe fix what was happening back there. It’s weird to me, though, that Grantham will be coaching DBs at Louisville; if he was so good at it, why didn’t he do that at UGA? Unless, of course, he was going to, and that was the “personal reason” that Lakatos left.
The guy came from UConn, and he was surrounded by talent when there. Ogletree, Boykin, and Rambo were just outstanding players, and they’d probably make most of us here look pretty smart, too. When it came to developing players and managing egos, maybe that just didn’t mix at UGA the way it needed to.
Jack Klompus
Richt Hater!!!!! Just kidding. It was well said. I’ve pondered your points countless ties over the past 3 years.
I’ve got a pen for you.
Both ties and times.
Hackerdog
Obviously, none of us can speak for Richt. But, Grantham was under contract. Even if Richt wanted him gone, firing him would mean dipping into the reserve fund to pay off the remainder of his contract while paying a top DC at the same time. That’s probably not something that McGarity would readily allow.
Cojones
At the same time there were actions by McGarity that undermined Richt somewhat. The mindset that some on here had was Grantham to succeed Richt as soon as we finished burning him at the stake. I think McGarity didn’t want to admit that scenario, but the door open to the conference room incident was enough to convince me. I think that McGarity didn’t want to fire someone that he hired and where Richt was placed on the process sideline. It would have played out (Grantham taking over) except for Richt (plus Bobo) winning 10 games in the great comeback. Grantham was given too much credit for that deed whereas his D had good SEC rankings.
All of the Grantham-induced crap is coming home to roost hopefully on McGarity’s conference room doorstep.
I guess this explains why our secondary seemed so confused all of the time.
Gatriguy
Inmates were running the asylum. It’s disgusting, last year’s seniors deserved better than that.
Sockmonkey
So, the players weren’t all practicing during practice? Wow, just wow.
Go watch that Mason video from yesterday. Its enlightening. There was only one offensive and defensive unit practicing at any given moment, with everyone else standing and watching (and apparently joking and carefree).
F your personality, Shaq. You know what’s fun? Winning’s fun. Not being punked by every second rate receiver in the SEC is fun… to say nothing of being able to compete with the top tier guys. That’s a lot of damn fun. We’re looking for football players who appreciate that first and are willing to let their personality wait until they’re Bulldogs on a Saturday night in Athens. That’s fun, too.
about a quadbazillion.
Was supposed to be a +.
obliviously this is the time of year where we start getting these quotes.
last year those guys were lazy, but this year, man, everyone is getting all the reps. working hard. focused. staying late. first to arrive, last to leave. 100 participation.
am I missing any?
UGA either fields a top 25 defense or they dont.
Just a couple…lunch pail, Thermos®, go to work every day, blue collar, Junction Boyz, salt pills, salt blocks, 110%, put some tape on it, quitters never win, tape an aspirin to it, Jeremy’s spoken, thin the herd, baloney sandwich in lunch pail, cull the herd, opportunity is nowhere at the ten meter platform, The Pruitt Way, get on the bus, addition by subtraction, bust a flock, the covers on the defensive playbook are not too far apart, get off the bus, winners never quit
forgot the energy vampires…that one was classic.
This was needed.
Irwin R Fletcher
I don’t care if they are the same quotes every year, Armarlo doesn’t deserve to be patronized in any way with the way he busts tail every play.
When I start to hear guys like Mason talk about ‘team first’ and Herrera talk about energy and attitude I get excited…sure the results will be the results, but I don’t think there is any doubting that these two guys know what they are talking about because they’ve lived it…I’m not sure there is a better example of energy and leadership than Herrera and I’m certain Mason is the definition of ‘team first’ having sat behind Murray for the last several seasons.
It’s fine to be cynical about what the results may be…but be careful not to doubt the sincerity of their words. These two young men should have earned our respect.
Good point. Also, don’t forget that walk-ons who bleed red and black will always play better than 5-star kids who don’t. Saban is an idiot for recruiting so hard and trying to get the best class in the country. What he and Richt should do is just take a class full of small, slow legacies that can be coached up. We’ll be a dynasty before you know it.
Also, if Pruitt doesn’t work out as DC, we should hire Pollack.
Hell we all talked about how the TEAM was going to be better because we didnt have Stafford and Moreno making so many plays another.
pass the kool-aid and dont skimp on the good stuff.
It’s a journey not a destination. Just because we are headed in the right direction doesn’t mean that we’ll see results Labor Day weekend. It’s interesting to see this cultural shift though. I always got the sense that being “players coaches” was part of what was being sold to recruits. I would say that since Vince retired that we’ve been long on talent and short on toughness. I don’t know how many of you are old enough to remember but Vince was not a great recruiter. We won with toughness and discipline not so much with talent. Beating auburn at their place with a back up qb and a roster that included not one guy that would have started at auburn was a Vince Dooley special. Same with the ’85 cocktail party. Of course, we didn’t win a ton of titles either without Herschel. Recruiting top talent to a “no fun” program will be tougher to do. You better get results and quick.
I’m a little confused. Is Alabama a “Fun” program? They don’t seem to have any problems attracting talent.
Bama gets a few mulligans every year that we don’t, they should be awash in talent. Not saying they don’t do things better than us in some ways but come on, that is a huge head start they have….every year. And that edge builds. I think it is fun because of the winning but I doubt Shaq’s attitude would have worked under Little Nicky either.
They’ve got a lot of recent crystal balls to attract the talent. We don’t. There are a limited number of recruits. We are fishing in the same pond as Bama. They have “no fun” and a bunch of trophies. If we have “no fun” and none of the trophies… This is why I said “you better get results and quick” otherwise you start to get diminishing returns in recruiting. If being hard assed were the key to success, tell me how pete carroll did it? Urban meyer, Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer etc., etc., etc…. The point is that too many of us buy into the easy answer. The truth is almost always more complicated. I hope the new path works. I want us to win. I just have enough common sense to know that being disciplinarians is not the key to getting a no. 1 recruiting class, the key is winning. Heretofore we could sell a contrast to bama, Now we may have the same pitch without a similar attraction. Better get busy winning.
Even with the dismissal (or perhaps because of them) I still think the defense will be much better. DL will be awesome, LBs are better and DBs can be worse. More pressure from the front seven will make it easier on the DBs.
We will win the East 2014. Gonna be a fun ride.
diving duck
what’s this program coming too?
Debby Balcer
It is funny to seed the Richt basher’ s grabbing onto these quotes to tear him down. Some kids can be told over and over they need to focus more just because they weren’t doing does not mean they were not being taught. If they other watched their teammates and learned it would have helped. I think they thought They could be star plays with just raw talent like they were in high school. They were all going to be Jarvis Jones’ only he worked his tail off. That is not on Richt that is on those players. They have been on the offense and defense. The detractors would fine if they stayed on the team if they helped us win national championship.
See not seed
But….but….but, you asking them to be held accountable for their actions and attitude. Where might they have learned that before? I think the coddling for many of them begins early in life and gets amplified by a permissive society that worships sports success. You are right, they are given a marvelous opportunity to do something special with their life but many choose to waste it. We see that in so many areas of our society these days. Very troubling.
You might as well be talking about the baby boomer generation.
No “might” about it, I am. The major responsibility for the downfall of the US falls directly on my generation, happened on our watch. The “me” generation, thought we knew how to change things.
Fascinating book that I read in the early 90s: Generations, The History of America’s Future. What goes around comes around with each generation’s experiences shaping/influencing the next until a circle is formed. After every 4th generation (approximately 88 years give or take), a major crisis is faced. We are right on schedule, and due another….I think it is imminent. If that sounds like I am shirking our responsibility because it is inevitable, I am not. We walked straight into it and have to face up to what we have done with our kids’ futures.
Garrison Smith comments on the dismissal:
http://www.macon.com/2014/06/04/3132471/former-georgia-defensive-player.html
Programs with true accountability do not go to the media to boast about it.
Cheez, Senator! Throwing meat into the dogpound?
Right? One thing that Garrison commented on was coming right out of HS as a Big Shot and then going right into a starting job. It probably does a four or five star 18 year old good to get his dick knocked into the dirt by a bad ass mofo junior or senior that teaches them how to REALLY play. That didn’t happen to the Trigga, Shaq or JHC. Unfortunately, it sounds like Grantham wanted to be the cool Dad at practice rather than the guy that was going to humble them and, I’m speculating, but all of the above led to this. Sounds like Pruitt knocked the TRSHJHC’s dicks in the dirt and they didn’t like it. Good for him.
Oh, they got schooled all right – it was just juniors and seniors wearing different colored jerseys.
IveyLeaguer
Lots of good posts and comments in this thread. I think this article is simply further confirmation that the change we’ve needed for so long is real. And I expect it to produce results. But I love the comment and dialogue, it’s just good to see guys involved in really thinking about it.
For the last 8 years we’ve come close to winning several Titles, both SEC and National. And that was with a cancerous culture (of varying degrees over that time) that enabled entitlement, poor mentality, lack of discipline, poor work ethic, and all the rest.
This is why I’m so excited. Having watched it and vented about it for so long, the frustration that came with it may soon come to an end. There’s nothing worse than being capable and then consistently beating yourself. And that’s the kind of play that culture naturally produces.
I’ve said all along that if we ever get back to where we were in the VanGorder years, and continue to recruit well, we’ll win our share of everything and then some. It just comes with the territory, along with the solid defense we’ve been missing.
So it’s exciting. Sure there’s any number of ways to get it done from a head coach perspective. But the bottom line is, champions play hard for that coach. And no matter how easy going or how much of a players coach, you can bet somewhere on that staff is an enforcer, somebody who will crack the whip and insist on discipline. More often than not, it’s a coordinator.
Occasionally, championships have been won by the poorly cultured, but inherently talented. But even on those teams, somehow the work got done. Those teams usually end up falling apart, because you can’t have cohesion very long with “Me” guys. And I suspect that’s more true in college ball. Miami got away with it for about as long as anybody, with superior talent and soft schedules. But even they eventually self-destructed.
One of the things I wrote so much about over these years is the need to set a high standard of expectation and DEMAND that it be met. I have no idea why Mark Richt tolerated this culture as long as he did. I think we all have wondered that.
I suspect it snuck up on him, and he didn’t realize how bad it was until sometime late in 2009. Since then, he’s been trying to deal with it (the cleaning house of early 2011 was an example). His hiring of Grantham was supposed to be a big part of the solution. But Grantham wasn’t wired that way.
We’ll probably never know the whole story, and I suspect Mark & Katharyn Richt are the only ones who do. The thing is, Richt cannot be what he is not. He can be tough when he needs to be, he can get angry and chew guys out, but that is not his usual personality. So he needs, like so many other head coaches, somebody on his staff to be that guy, because without him there isn’t the proper balance that you need within the staff.
In the early years, Richt had BVG. Dooley had Erk for his balance, but it wasn’t like some think. Dooley’s players were scared to death of him, but had tremendous respect for him. With Dooley, they always knew they got nothing but the truth. Erk, they just plain loved. The result was those players played their hearts out for both of them. But Erk was the player’s coach, not Dooley.
I can see how it was tough for Richt to dictate to Grantham, and even Martinez. Not saying he shouldn’t have, just that it’s tough for a head coach to meddle, much less dictate to a coordinator as to how to deal with players, run their practices, and so on.
Regardless, it sure looks like Richt has finally found his man. There seems to be that ‘balance’ again on the staff. I suspect it’s the best staff of Richt’s career. And I’m hoping Pruitt will be that man for quite a while. I think he might, even though he’ll undoubtedly be tempted with head coaching offers. I just suspect he loves coaching and doesn’t want to do all the other things a head coach has to do. That his personality is best suited for DC, and he knows it.
We’ll see. But I expect to see a different defense, and a different team for that matter, come this fall. We may not win as many as we’d like. But I think we’ll have a chance to win every game because we’ll have the consistency that comes with some discipline and a high standard of expectation.
Compared to that, the loss of a half dozen dumb-a$$es, however athletically talented, isn’t even worth a mention.
This is another very good development, IMHO.
I think I’ve heard that last line before.
So have I. Many times. But I’ve never seen it backed up by action. Not since 2004, anyway.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2302
|
__label__cc
| 0.576794
| 0.423206
|
A comparison of generic drug prices in seven European countries: a methodological analysis
Olivier J. Wouters1Email author and
Panos G. Kanavos1
BMC Health Services ResearchBMC series – open, inclusive and trusted201717:242
Received: 19 October 2016
Policymakers and researchers frequently compare the prices of medicines between countries. Such comparisons often serve as barometers of how pricing and reimbursement policies are performing. The aim of this study was to examine methodological challenges to comparing generic drug prices.
We calculated all commonly used price indices based on 2013 IMS Health data on sales of 3156 generic drugs in seven European countries.
There were large differences in generic drug prices between countries. However, the results varied depending on the choice of index, base country, unit of volume, method of currency conversion, and therapeutic category. The results also differed depending on whether one looked at the prices charged by manufacturers or those charged by pharmacists.
Price indices are a useful statistical approach for comparing drug prices across countries, but researchers and policymakers should interpret price indices with caution given their limitations. Price-index results are highly sensitive to the choice of method and sample. More research is needed to determine the drivers of price differences between countries. The data suggest that some governments should aim to reduce distribution costs for generic drugs.
Pharmaceutical policy
Many European countries are facing severe cost pressures on health-care budgets, in part due to rising drug spending. In this context, the savings from greater use of generic drugs can help pay for other health-care services. Yet recent European Commission reports point to market failures for generic drugs [1, 2]. It is therefore important to regularly compare generic drug prices in countries with similar income levels in order to give public and private insurers a sense of whether they are over-paying for generic drugs or not. Such comparisons can serve as barometers of how pricing and reimbursement policies are performing [3–15].
Previous comparisons of generic drug prices have found that prices varied markedly across European and North American countries [16–24]. However, the studies often relied on different methods and samples, making it difficult to compare findings. In addition, most of the analyses had small sample sizes, which may have biased the results. Some earlier findings are also likely out of date given how often pricing and reimbursement regulations are changed.
As important, the impact of distribution margins and taxes on generic drug prices has been underexplored, even though studies indicate that those costs can account for more than 90% of the retail price of a generic drug, i.e., the price charged by pharmacists to patients or third-party payers [1]. Nearly all studies have looked at ex-manufacturer prices, i.e., those charged by manufacturers to wholesalers, which do not account for distribution costs.
In this study, we compared the ex-manufacturer and retail prices of a large sample of generic drugs in seven European countries. We calculated all commonly used price indices to outline the methodological challenges to comparing generic drug prices. It is critical that policymakers are aware of the advantages and limitations of these types of analyses, given that the results of price comparisons might be used to justify changes to pharmaceutical policies.
We acquired 2013 data from IMS Health on volumes and sales of 200 off-patent active ingredients in seven countries with similar income levels: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden. These ingredients were available in 3156 strength-form combinations.1 Volumes were recorded in doses and grams of active ingredient.2 Sales were recorded in euros based on average exchange rates for the year.3 We excluded 213 products (6.7%, 213/3156) with missing volume data.
We restricted our analysis to the 110 active ingredients sold in all seven countries, which accounted for 54 (Italy) to 87% (Sweden) of total generic spend in each country. For each ingredient, we calculated the average price per dose and the average price per gram, both at the ex-manufacturer and retail levels. To do this, we divided total sales in euros across strength-form combinations by number of doses or grams sold.4
We then calculated four indices — unweighted, Paasche, Laspeyres, and Fisher — using prices per gram and prices per dose [25]. Unweighted indices (IU) were calculated as
$$ {I}_U=\frac{{\displaystyle {\sum}_i}{p}_i^c}{{\displaystyle {\sum}_i}{p}_i^b} \cdot 100 $$
where p was the price of active ingredient i in the comparator country or the base country. We selected Germany as the base country, which takes a value of 100 in all indices.
The other indices were weighted to account for consumption patterns. Paasche (IP) and Laspeyres indices (IL) were computed as
$$ {I}_P=\frac{{\displaystyle {\sum}_i}{p}_i^c{q}_i^c}{{\displaystyle {\sum}_i}{p}_i^b{q}_i^c} \cdot 100 $$
$$ {I}_L=\frac{{\displaystyle {\sum}_i}{p}_i^c{q}_i^b}{{\displaystyle {\sum}_i}{p}_i^b{q}_i^b} \cdot 100 $$
where q was the quantity in the comparator or base country (i.e., doses or grams). Finally, Fisher indices (IF) were calculated as
$$ {I}_F=\sqrt{I_P\cdot {I}_L} $$
Sensitivity and subgroup analyses
The results of Laspeyres indices can vary depending on which country is selected as the base, since this determines which quantity weights are used. For instance, atorvastatin, a cholesterol-reducing drug, was only the 40th most prescribed generic drug in Germany, in terms of number of doses sold, whereas it was one of the ten most prescribed generic drugs in three of the other countries. As a sensitivity analysis, we re-calculated all the price indices with France as the base country.
The results of price indices can also differ depending on whether exchange rates or purchasing power parities (PPPs) are used to convert monetary values to a common currency. Since exchange rates are sensitive to currency fluctuations, we re-calculated all of the indices based on PPP conversion factors. PPPs, which are measured in national currency units per US dollar, account for cross-country differences in the prices of goods and services. In this way, they equalize the purchasing power of different currencies.
Finally, we compared the prices of generic drugs in different therapeutic subgroups. To do this, we categorized the 110 active ingredients by anatomical main groups using the ATC/DDD system developed by the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology. Additional file 1: Appendix 1 shows the breakdown of active ingredients by group. We excluded ingredients that belonged to more than one group. For example, timolol is a beta blocker used to treat both high blood pressure (ATC group C) and glaucoma (ATC group S). We then compared the prices of the active ingredients belonging to the two largest groups in our sample: Cardiovascular system drugs (n = 25) and nervous system drugs (n = 29). The subgroup analysis used exchange-rate conversions and Germany as the base country.
The full results of the sensitivity and subgroup analyses can be found in Additional file 1: Appendices 2–4.
Ex-manufacturer vs. retail prices
Table 1 summarizes the main results with Germany as the base country. Prices varied markedly across countries. Denmark and Sweden consistently had the lowest ex-manufacturer and retail prices among the seven countries, while France and Italy had the highest in most of the weighted indices. In the Laspeyres (dose) index, for example, the Italian ex-manufacturer prices were, on average, 1.6 times the German ones and 2.6 times the Danish ones. Figure 1a shows that while Belgium, France, and Spain all had higher ex-manufacturer prices than Germany, the opposite was true about their retail prices, based on a Laspeyres dose index.
Ex-manufacturer and retail prices with Germany as the base country (2013)
Ex-manufacturer
Unweighted-D
Unweighted-G
Laspeyres-D
Laspeyres-G
Paasche-D
Paasche-G
Fisher-D
Fisher-G
D doses, G grams of active ingredient
Source: IMS Health 2013 (Pricing Insights database)
Results for different price indices in 2013 with Germany as the base country. For ease of interpretation, the unit of volume is doses in all the price indices. a Comparison of retail and ex-manufacturer prices (n = 110) in a Laspeyres index. b Contrast of ex-manufacturer prices (n = 110) in a Laspeyres index with German versus French weights. c Ex-manufacturer prices (n = 110) in weighted and unweighted indices. d Comparison of ex-manufacturer prices of cardiovascular system drugs (n = 25), nervous system drugs (n = 29), and all drugs (n = 110) in a Laspeyres index. (Source: IMS Health 2013, Pricing Insights database)
Unit of volume (doses vs. grams of active ingredient)
The results of the unweighted indices fluctuated widely depending on which unit of volume was used (Table 1). By contrast, most of the weighted results remained similar across the two units of volume.5 There were some exceptions: In the Laspeyres indices, for example, the French ex-manufacturer prices were lower than those in Italy when doses were used, whereas they were higher when grams of active ingredients were used (Table 1).
Weighting (Laspeyres vs. Paasche vs. Fisher)
The Paasche indices were always lower than the Laspeyres indices at both the ex-manufacturer and retail levels (Table 1 and Fig. 1b). The Fisher results — which are the geometric means of the Laspeyres and Paasche indices — fell between the latter two.
Figure 1c shows that the Laspeyres values dropped in all countries, except Denmark, when the French weights were used.6 This indicates that those drugs which were more highly consumed in France than in Germany were also cheaper in most of the other countries.
Currency conversion (exchange rates vs. purchasing power parities)
The results were largely unchanged when PPPs — rather than exchange rates — were used to convert sales in local currencies to a common unit. This suggests that variation in drug prices between these seven countries was, for the most part, not due to differences in the costs of goods and services.
Subgroup analyses
Figure 1d shows the ex-manufacturer prices of cardiovascular system drugs and nervous system drugs. The amount of price variation differed across therapeutic groups. In the full sample, there was a 2.5-fold difference in prices between the countries with the highest and lowest prices. By comparison, there were 3.1 and 3.5-fold differences in the prices of nervous system and cardiovascular drugs, respectively. Germany had the second highest prices for nervous system drugs, whereas it had among the lowest prices for cardiovascular system drugs.
In this analysis, we explored differences in the ex-manufacturer and retail prices of generic drugs across seven countries in 2013 using various price indices.
The ex-manufacturer and retail prices varied widely across countries. This is consistent with earlier studies comparing the prices of patented drugs at both levels [1, 13, 14]. More research is needed to disentangle the impact of supply- and demand-side policies, such as pricing, reimbursement, prescribing, and substitution rules, on the ex-manufacturer and retail prices of generics [26]. Prices variation is also likely due, in part, to differences in the regulation of wholesaler and pharmacy margins [1].
There are various methods for comparing drug prices across settings [25, 27], and they often produce remarkably different results. For example, the ex-manufacturer Laspeyres index (dose) in Table 1 suggests that the sample of generic drugs was about 60% more expensive in Italy than in Germany. On the other hand, the ex-manufacturer Paasche index (grams of active ingredient) indicates that the sample was about 35% cheaper in Italy than in Germany.
There were even larger differences between some of the weighted and unweighted indices. It might be especially important to use weighted indices when comparing generic drug prices, since studies suggest that these prices are closely linked to volume [28, 29]. Earlier studies have shown that the results of unweighted and weighted indices can differ sharply [4, 25], which is consistent with our findings. Extreme prices can skew the results of unweighted indices, so these indices are generally considered less reliable than weighted ones for comparing drug prices [25].
There is no consensus on which weighting method is most appropriate for comparing drug prices, as each has advantages and disadvantages [12, 25]. Academic and government studies have variously calculated unweighted [9, 10], Fisher [11], Paasche [4, 25], and Laspeyres indices [4, 17, 25, 30], often using different units of volume and/or base countries. The likely reason why Paasche results are usually lower than Laspeyres results, a finding which has been reported in previous drug price indices [4, 25], is that patients tend to consume more of the drugs that are cheaper in their countries. Therefore, when prices are weighted by local consumption, the indices show lower average prices — relative to the base country — than when prices are weighted by consumption in the base country.
The choice of unit of volume can influence the results if there are large, systematic differences between countries in the average strength per dose [25]. For example, previous studies have found that price-index results for Japan vary significantly depending on whether number of doses or grams of active ingredient serve as the unit of volume [3, 4, 17, 18, 25]. The authors of those studies attributed this finding to the tendency of Japanese clinicians to prescribe higher quantities of lower-strength products.
Despite such methodological challenges, it is still possible to glean useful information from price indices. In particular, it is important to look for consistency across indices. As an example, our results indicate that Denmark and Sweden had the lowest ex-manufacturer prices in nearly all weighted indices, regardless of whether Germany or France served as the base country. This strongly suggests that generic drugs were cheaper in Denmark and Sweden in 2013 than in the other five countries. By contrast, the French and Italian ex-manufacturer prices were among the highest in all weighted indices. Ideally, the results of price indices should be interpreted alongside other quantitative and qualitative data about the impact of individual policies on drug prices. On their own, price indices do not provide causal evidence on the effects of pricing and reimbursement rules, generic substitution laws, and other factors on the prices of generic drugs.
The findings in this study raise questions which merit further research. Both Sweden and Denmark operate tender-like systems for generic drugs,7 which may account for the low prices observed in each country [31, 32]. Tendering refers to the bulk purchase of generic drugs from the manufacturers that offer the lowest prices [33]. More work is needed to understand the impact of tendering on drug prices, and whether any observed price reductions can be sustained over time. There is concern that relying exclusively on tendering to procure generic drugs could create product shortages, drive generic drug firms out of business, and lead to higher generic drug prices over time [33]. There is little evidence, however, on the long-term effects of tendering.
It is also important to examine why there are large differences in the prices of drugs in various therapeutic areas, both within and between countries. Such variation may, in part, reflect market factors. For example, the marketing exclusivity for a drug can expire at different times across high-income countries depending on when the drug was approved in each jurisdiction. Also, some studies have observed an inverse relationship between the number of competitors in the market and generic drug prices [34, 35]. The speed of generic entry, in turn, has been found to be correlated with how much brand-name firms record in revenue in the years leading up to patent expiry [36, 37]. In other words, generic firms tend to prioritize more lucrative drug markets.
This study has limitations, most of which are inherent to drug price indices.
First, the data did not account for confidential discounts, which can be as high as 50% for some generic drugs in certain countries [38]. All list prices may, therefore, not have corresponded to the actual prices paid. However, if profits from discounts accrue to wholesalers or pharmacists, then list prices are more important to payers.
Second, Paasche and Laspeyres indices are underpinned by assumptions about the relationship between generic drug prices and usage which may not always hold. Specifically, the results of Laspeyres indices are valid if demand for prescription medicines is price inelastic. While empirical findings contradict this assumption [39, 40], the Paasche index instead assumes that the consumption pattern in the base country would look exactly like that of the comparator country if both had the same prices. The latter assumption might be less likely to hold true, since there are differences between countries in standards of care, disease prevalence rates, prescription drug coverage, and patient preferences — all of which can affect demand [25].
Third, by restricting the analysis to a common sample of drugs, we reduced the sample size. In some previous price indices for patented drugs, researchers instead conducted a series of comparisons between the base country and one other country at a time, looking at the drugs available in both countries. Such comparisons, which are called bilateral analyses, maximize the sample size for each country pair. We chose to instead calculate what are known as multilateral indices, which compare the prices of a sample of drugs available in all study countries. Multilateral indices provide information on how prices compare across all the countries rather than just between each pair. While a common sample might over-represent older, internationally available products [25], this is less of a concern when comparing generic drug prices. However, it is important to note that two countries with identical prices could show up as having differing price levels in a Paasche index if consumption patterns differ. Thus, multilateral price comparisons using Paasche indices should be interpreted with caution.
Fourth, we used common units of volume to aggregate data across formulations of active ingredients [25]. In using prices per dose, however, we assumed that a dose of a drug provides the same therapeutic benefit to any patient, regardless of strength-form combination. By contrast, prices per gram of active ingredient are sensitive to the selection of drugs, given that drug strengths often vary considerably between drugs [11]. The price per defined daily dose is an alternative metric. A defined daily dose is the “assumed average maintenance dose per day for a drug used for its main indication in adults.” [41] We could not identify this dose for each drug in our dataset, as we did not have information about drug indications. However, defined daily doses are not always of equal therapeutic value to all patients, and they may not accurately reflect consumption patterns [25]. For example, a defined daily dose is not adjusted for differences in the duration of treatment. They are, therefore, not necessarily a better unit of comparison than doses or grams of active ingredient [25, 41]. Also, because defined daily doses are specified in terms of grams of active ingredient per day, indices based on defined daily doses and indices based on grams should generate similar findings if the average number of treatment days are fairly consistent across countries for most drugs [4].
Fifth, the drugs were listed by active ingredient, and no information was available on the indications for which the drugs were prescribed. However, a prior study found that the results of price indices were “virtually unchanged” when products were defined by active ingredient instead of active ingredient plus indication [25].
Lastly, we had to exclude 6.7% of drugs (213/3156) due to missing volume data.
Generic drug policy is an important topic given rising drug expenditures and concerns about the financial sustainability of many health-care systems. More research is needed to better understand the causes of variation in the prices of generic drugs across countries. This will help to identify which measures are most effective at reducing prices. Our findings suggest that some countries should focus on containing the distribution costs for generic drugs.
There are a number of methodological issues that can arise when trying to compare drug prices internationally. Drugs often differ across countries in terms of names, pack sizes, formulations, strengths, and manufacturers. They can also vary in terms of whether they are sold over-the-counter or through prescriptions, and whether they are sold in hospital or retail pharmacies. There is a trade-off between matching all of these factors — which produces more accurate price comparisons of individual products — and the sample size.
Once a sample of drugs has been chosen, there are various ways of calculating price indices to aggregate the data, each with its own advantages and disadvantages, as discussed in this paper. There is no gold standard for comparing drug prices. Our results showed that such comparisons are highly sensitive to the choice of method — for example, Laspeyres versus Paasche indices — which is consistent with the findings of earlier studies of patented drugs.
Overall, price indices are a useful statistical approach for comparing drug prices across countries, but policymakers and researchers should interpret price indices with caution given their limitations.
The dataset excluded generic drugs sold in hospital pharmacies, off-patent originator drugs, parallel-traded products, and off-patent biological drugs.
IMS Health refers to doses as “standard units.”
These values were calculated by multiplying the number of packs sold of each product by the corresponding prices on a quarterly basis. For these calculations, IMS Health relied on the latest prices in each quarter from validated sources, such as government price lists and wholesaler invoices, excluding value-added taxes.
If sales of either <1,000 doses or < €1,000 were recorded in a country for a drug, we decided a priori to exclude the sales figures for that country, as was done in previous studies. Those values may reflect data-entry errors or inconsistencies in reporting across countries.
For the common sample of 110 active ingredients, the average number of grams of active ingredient per dose ranged from 0.09 grams in Sweden to 0.19 grams in Spain.
For ease of comparison to the other results, all prices are expressed in relation to those in Germany (index value = 100).
National government authorities in Denmark and Sweden operate tender-like systems: the relevant authority in each country asks drug makers to offer their best prices, and, in most cases, the cheapest products are the only ones which public payers will reimburse. This bidding process is repeated every two and four weeks in Denmark and Sweden, respectively. Payers in Germany and Spain also tender for generic drugs, but the tender results were kept confidential in 2013. The data, therefore, did not reflect tendering outcomes in either country.
ATC/DDD:
Anatomical therapeutic chemical classification system with defined daily doses
OECD:
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
PPP:
Purchasing power parity
We thank Joshua Chauvin, Olina Efthymiadou, Jeroen Luyten, Alessandra Ferrario, Nicola Foster, Erica Visintin, and Martin Wenzl for feedback on early versions of the manuscript.
We are grateful to Claire Machin and Per Troein (IMS Health) for supplying data. The statements, findings, conclusions, views, and opinions contained and expressed in this article are based in part on data obtained under license from the following IMS Health information service: Pricing Insights database, January - December 2013, IMS Health Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. The statements, findings, conclusions, views, and opinions contained and expressed herein are not necessarily those of IMS Health Incorporated or any of its affiliated or subsidiary entities.
The data that support the findings of this study are available from IMS Health but restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which were used under license for the current study, and so are not publicly available. Data are however available from the authors upon reasonable request and with permission of IMS Health.
OJW devised the study. OJW analyzed the data and interpreted the findings. PGK supervised the study. OJW drafted the manuscript. Both authors revised the manuscript and agreed on the final version of the paper before submission.
Ethics approval was not required for this manuscript since it does not contain any data collected from human subjects.
Additional file 1: Appendix 1. List of the 200 most-prescribed off-patent active ingredients in Europe in 2013 (anatomical main group in parentheses). Appendix 2. Ex-manufacturer and retail prices with France as the base country (2013). Appendix 3. Ex-manufacturer and retail prices based on PPP adjustments with Germany as the base country (2013). Appendix 4. Ex-manufacturer and retail prices of cardiovascular and nervous system drugs with Germany as the base country (2013). (DOCX 58 kb)
LSE Health, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE, UK
Kanavos P, Schurer W, Vogler S. The pharmaceutical distribution chain in the European Union: structure and impact on pharmaceutical prices. Brussels: European Commission; 2010.Google Scholar
European Commission. Pharmaceutical sector inquiry - final report. Brussels: European Commission; 2009.Google Scholar
Danzon PM, Furukawa MF. Prices and availability of biopharmaceuticals: an international comparison. Health Aff. 2006;25(5):1353–62.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
Danzon PM, Chao LW. Cross-national price differences for pharmaceuticals: how large, and why? J Health Econ. 2000;19(2):159–95.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Martikainen J, Kivi I, Linnosmaa I. European prices of newly launched reimbursable pharmaceuticals - a pilot study. Health Policy. 2005;74(3):235–46.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Kanavos P, Ferrario A, Vandoros S, Anderson GF. Higher US branded drug prices and spending compared to other countries may stem partly from quick uptake of new drugs. Health Aff. 2013;32(4):753–61.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
Cameron A, Ewen M, Ross-Degnan D, Ball D, Laing R. Medicine prices, availability, and affordability in 36 developing and middle-income countries: a secondary analysis. Lancet. 2009;373(9659):240–9.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Vogler S, Kilpatrick K, Babar ZUD. Analysis of medicine prices in New Zealand and 16 European countries. Value Health. 2015;18(4):484–92.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Prescription drugs: companies typically charge more in the United States than in the United Kingdom. Washington: U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO); 1994. p. 56.Google Scholar
U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Prescription drugs: companies typically charge more in the United States than in Canada. Washington: U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO); 1992. p. 42.Google Scholar
U.S. Department of Commerce. In: Administration IT, editor. Pharmaceutical price controls in OECD countries: implications for U.S. consumers, pricing, research and development, and innovation. Washington: U.S. Department of Commerce; 2004. p. 125.Google Scholar
U.K. Office of Fair Trading (OFT). The pharmaceutical price regulation scheme: an OFT market study. London: U.K. Office of Fair Trading (OFT); 2007.Google Scholar
Garattini L, Motterlini N, Cornago D. Prices and distribution margins of in-patent drugs in pharmacy: a comparison in seven European countries. Health Policy. 2008;85(3):305–13.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Kanavos PG, Vandoros S. Determinants of branded prescription medicine prices in OECD countries. Health Econ Policy Law. 2011;6(3):337–67.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Lee D. The pharmaceutical price regulation scheme - 11th report to parliament. London: Department of Health; 2012.Google Scholar
Kanavos P. Measuring performance in off-patent drug markets: a methodological framework and empirical evidence from twelve EU member states. Health Policy. 2014;118(2):229–41.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Danzon PM, Furukawa MF. International prices and availability of pharmaceuticals in 2005. Health Aff. 2008;27(1):221–33.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
Danzon PM, Furukawa MF. Prices and availability of pharmaceuticals: evidence from nine countries. Health Aff. 2003;22(6):W521–36.Google Scholar
Simoens S. International comparison of generic medicine prices. Curr Med Res Opin. 2007;23(11):2647–54.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Mansfield SJ. Generic drug prices and policy in Australia: room for improvement? a comparative analysis with England. Aust Health Rev. 2014;38(1):6–15.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Gooi M, Bell CM. Differences in generic drug prices between the US and Canada. Appl Health Econ Health Policy. 2008;6(1):19–26.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Law MR. Money left on the table: generic drug prices in Canada. Healthcare Policy. 2013;8(3):17–25.PubMedPubMed CentralGoogle Scholar
Aho E, Johansson P, Rönnholm G. International comparison of medicine prices 2015 [in Swedish]. Stockholm: Tandvårds- och läkemedelsförmånsverket; 2015. p. 88.Google Scholar
Brekke KB, Holmås TH, Straume OR. Comparing pharmaceutical prices in Europe: a comparison of prescription drug prices in Norway with nine western European countries. Bergen: The Institute for Research in Economics and Business Administration; 2011.Google Scholar
Danzon PM, Kim JD. International price comparisons for pharmaceuticals. Measurement and policy issues. PharmacoEconomics. 1998;14 Suppl 1:115–28.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Panteli D, Arickx F, Cleemput I, et al. Pharmaceutical regulation in 15 European countries review. Health Syst Transit. 2016;18(5):1–122.Google Scholar
Machado M, O'Brodovich R, Krahn M, Einarson TR. International drug price comparisons: quality assessment. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2011;29(1):46–51.PubMedGoogle Scholar
Dylst P, Simoens S. Does the market share of generic medicines influence the price level? a European analysis. PharmacoEconomics. 2011;29(10):875–82.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Danzon PM, Furukawa MF. Cross-national evidence on generic pharmaceuticals: phamacy vs. physician-driven markets. NBER Working Paper 17226. Cambridge: National Bureau for Economic Research; 2011.Google Scholar
Aho E, Johansson P, Rönnholm G. International comparison of medicines prices - An analysis of swedish medicine prices in relation to 15 European countries [in Swedish]. Stockholm: Tandvårds- och läkemedelsförmånsverket; 2014. p. 81.Google Scholar
Tandvårds- och läkemedelsförmånsverket. Prices in our database. 2017. http://www.tlv.se/In-English/price-database/.
Danish Medicines Agency. Medicine Prices. 2017.Google Scholar
Dylst P, Vulto A, Simoens S. Tendering for outpatient prescription pharmaceuticals: what can be learned from current practices in Europe? Health Policy. 2011;101(2):146–52.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Reiffen D, Ward MR. Generic drug industry dynamics. Rev Econ Stat. 2005;87(1):37–49.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
Wiggins SN, Maness R. Price competition in pharmaceuticals: the case of anti-infectives. Econ Inq. 2004;42(2):247–63.View ArticleGoogle Scholar
Bae JP. Drug patent expirations and the speed of generic entry. Health Serv Res. 1997;32(1):87–101.PubMedPubMed CentralGoogle Scholar
Costa-Font J, McGuire A, Varol N. Price regulation and relative delays in generic drug adoption. J Health Econ. 2014;38:1–9.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Vogler S, Zimmermann N, Habl C, Piessnegger J, Bucsics A. Discounts and rebates granted to public payers for medicines in European countries. Southern Med Rev. 2012;5(1):38–46.Google Scholar
Ellison SF, Cockburn I, Griliches Z, Hausman J. Characteristics of demand for pharmaceutical products: an examination of four cephalosporins. Rand J Econ. 1997;28(3):426–46.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
Gemmill MC, Costa-Font J, McGuire A. In search of a corrected prescription drug elasticity estimate: a meta-regression approach. Health Econ. 2007;16(6):627–43.View ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology. DDD: Definition and general considerations. 2009. http://www.whocc.no/ddd/definition_and_general_considera/.
Utilization, expenditure, economics and financing systems
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2303
|
__label__cc
| 0.50842
| 0.49158
|
‘Watch What Happens Live!’: Joe Jonas picks Demi Lovato over other Disney alum
Andy Cohen, Joe Jonas, Jonas Brothers July 24, 2013
Who knew that Joe Jonas was willing to actually talk about his past … and who knew that he would ever appear on “Watch What Happens Live!” in the first place? We’d have sympathy for some of these guests who go on Andy Cohen’s show and then are forced to talk about their personal lives, […]
Ratings: Joe Jonas can’t save ‘The Next’; ‘Time Machine Chefs’ so-so
Joe Jonas, The CW, The Next, Time Machine Chefs August 17, 2012
There were some new series or specials across the board on Thursday night, but for most of them one thing was constant — a failure to perform in the ratings. We’re actually going to start with The CW, who aired their much-hyped singing show “The Next.” Despite having a popular lead in Joe Jonas, the […]
‘The Next’: Joe Jonas previews new CW series
Joe Jonas, The CW, The Next August 16, 2012
Just in case we didn’t have enough singing shows on TV, The CW is getting ready to enter the fray Thursday night courtesy of “The Next” — a show that features four music stars working to mentor contestants while completely immersing themselves in their world. The artists live with them, work alongside them, and really […]
2012 Teen Choice Awards red carpet: Joe Jonas, Tyler Posey, and more
Joe Jonas, Teen Choice Awards, Tyler Posey July 22, 2012
The 2012 Teen Choice Awards are just about here! While we wish that Fox had actually made their red carpet available to fans the way in which many others are, we are at least going to do our best to point out some of the fashion highlights that we are seeing and hearing talked about […]
Ratings: Joe Jonas fails to help Fox’s ‘The Choice’ rise vs. NBA Finals
Joe Jonas, NBA Finals, Take Me Out, The Choice June 15, 2012
At this point, do you wonder if Fox regrets canceling the “So You think You Can Dance” results show? Based on some of the new numbers that are starting to creep in, they may very well feel this way. Fox – First and foremost, “Take Me Out” plummeted down to a meager 1.1 rating in […]
Fox’s ‘The Choice’ review: Joe Jonas and Parker Young stay classy
Cat Deeley, Fox, Joe Jonas, Parker Young, The Choice June 14, 2012
Following the equally cheesy “Take Me Out,” Cat Deeley came out with a new attempt to make “The Choice” something more than a derivative cattle call for superficial people. (When she said that name “Melanie” at one point early in the episode, we had a nightmare that Melanie Moore — the winner of last season’s […]
Fox’s ‘The Choice’ preview: Joe Jonas looks for a date (video)
Cat Deeley, Fox, Joe Jonas, The Choice June 14, 2012
On Thursday night’s new episode of “The Choice,” it’s likely that you have not heard of every male member of the celebrity panel — then again, it is pretty likely that you have heard of Joe Jonas. The middle child within the Jonas Brothers (at least of the ones in the band) is going to […]
Joe Jonas, Nelly sign on to new CW singing competition
Joe Jonas, The CW June 4, 2012
The CW is putting their all into making a big splash in the singing-competition genre — after all, they just hired one of the Jonas Brothers as a mentor. On Monday, the network announced that Joe Jonas and Nelly are going to be joining Gloria Estefan and John Rich on “The Next: Fame Is at […]
Joe Jonas, Rob Kardashian, and former ‘Bachelorette’ to judge Miss USA
Joe Jonas, Miss USA, Rob Kardashian, The Bachelorette May 24, 2012
When we spoke to Andy Cohen and Giuliana Rancic recently about the upcoming Miss USA Pageant, the judges for the June 3 show (airing on NBC) were not yet announced. Thankfully, we don’t have to wait any longer. On Thursday, the pageant announced that the judges for this year will include Jonas Brothers member Joe […]
Fox’s ‘The Choice’ lands Joe Jonas, ‘Jersey Shore’ stars, Rob Kardashian
Fox, Jersey Shore, Joe Jonas, Rob Kardashian, The Choice May 8, 2012
We now know the full list of celebrities taking part in the upcoming Fox reality series “The Choice” — and to our surprise, there are actually some genuinely famous people attached to this show (which is essentially “The Voice” but with dating). According to Entertainment Weekly, the following stars are going to be sitting behind […]
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2308
|
__label__cc
| 0.507992
| 0.492008
|
Short and long videos from our 2012 Conference – Susan Ryan
Published September 14, 2012 September 17, 2012 by Castan Centre in Australian Law, Discrimination law, Right to Work
The Hon Susan Ryan AO is Australia’s first ever Age Discrimination Commissioner. We were fortunate enough to host her at our annual conference on 20 July this year and have posted two videos below.
In this 5 minute Q&A Susan Ryan discusses the prevalence of age discrimination, whether or not Australian law adequately protects older people and the lack of media coverage of age discrimination. She also talks about the need for a society-wide change in focus from age to competency.
Ms Ryan notes that elder discrimination is the most common form of discrimination in the workforce, and that it is often subconscious discrimination. “Sometimes employers think there’s nothing wrong with it”, she says. “They say…’you’ll be thinking of retiring [soon], why don’t you take a redundancy?’ without giving that person the chance to say ‘what about my performance? Can I have some more training? Is it possible to negotiate part time work?’”
More generally on the topic of age discrimination in the workforce, Ms Ryan concedes that “not everyone is fit for everthing all the time”, but adds that “the mere fact that someone has reached a certain age should not of itself be the cut off, the cut off should be when you are longer competent to do whatever the task is”. She concludes by commenting that “the Australian population is getting older but it is getting healthier in old age…so what might have been justified back in the 1950s isn’t justified now”.
This longer piece is the full video of Susan Ryan’s talk at our annual conference.
Abstract: Commissioner Ryan gives a brief outline of the Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Cth) and how it operates. She discusses gaps in the ADA and other laws and policies which discriminate on the basis of age. Commissioner Ryan outlines opportunities to address these issues, including the federal government’s consolidation of anti-discrimination laws and the Australian Law Reform Commission inquiry into barriers to work for older persons.
Bio: Susan Ryan was appointed as Australia’s first Age Discrimination Commissioner on 30 July 2011 for a five year term.
Up until her appointment as Commissioner, she had been Women’s Ambassador for ActionAid Australia and chaired the Australian Human Rights Group since 2008. She had also chaired the Australian Human Rights Act Campaign Inc. since 2005.
Immediately prior to commencing as Commissioner, Susan was also the Independent Chair of the IAG and NRMA Superannuation Plan and had been President of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees from 2000 to 2007, a member of the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors from 2001 to 2007, a member of the ASX Corporate Governance Council from 2003 to 2007 and CEO of the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia from 1993 to 1997.
Susan has also held a number of positions at the University of New South Wales. She was Pro-chancellor and Council member from 1998, Chair of the UNSW Risk Committee from 2002 and Chair of the Advisory Council FASS UNSW since 2010.
From 1975 to 1988, Susan was Senator for the ACT, becoming the first woman to hold a Cabinet post in a federal Labor Government. She served in senior portfolios in the Hawke Government as Minister for Education and Youth Affairs, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the Status of Women and Special Minister of State. As Education Minister, Susan saw school retention rates double and universities and TAFEs grow significantly without the charging of tuition fees. She also pioneered extensive anti-discrimination and equal opportunity legislation, including the landmark Sex Discrimination Act 1984 and the Affirmative Action Act 1986.
In 1990, Susan was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia for her contribution to Parliament.
She published her autobiography, Catching the Waves, in 1999 and has been a frequent media commentator on her areas of expertise.
The Castan Centre for Human Rights Law seeks to promote and protect human rights through the generation and dissemination of public scholarship in international and domestic human rights law. In pursuit of this mission, the Centre brings the work of human rights scholars, practitioners and advocates from a wide range of disciplines together in the Centre’s key activities of research, teaching, public education (lectures, seminars, conferences, speeches, media presentations, etc), applied research, advice work and consultancies.
Previous Post Previous post: Short and long videos from our 2012 conference – Allan Asher
Next Post Next post: “The Innocence of Muslims”: Rights, Responsibilities, and Cultural (and Political) Impositions
Lois Roberts November 24, 2014 / Reply
What happens when you’re over sixty, live in the country (no public transport systems in place in many smaller country towns) and have to feed clothe and house yourself on less than $250 per week. How do you pay the bills to live an ordinary sustainable life? How do you meet your Centrelink required commitments when the costs of running a low quality vehicle are exhorbitant? What if you’re white Anglo-Saxon and male plus over sixty – you’ve become part of the forgotten race. All there is to look forward to in the future is premature illness and premature suffocation…
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2309
|
__label__cc
| 0.539063
| 0.460937
|
home Doune castle tours Doune Castle tours
By Dave Posted in Doune castle tours
Doune Castle, built in the 14th century, consists of two strong towers linked by a lower range. Doune Castle tours can be booked on 07305-294773 or contact us online .
Doune Castle is unique in that it actually has four claims to movie fame –
the Outlaw King ( Netflix)
Doune Castle was widely used in Monty Python and the Holy Grail as the castle of Guy de Lombard .
Take the audio tour of the castle narrated by Monty Python’s Terry Jones.
The two towers form two sides of a courtyard, the other sides enclosed by a high curtain wall. Other ranges were planned to surround the whole courtyard, but were apparently never built. The curtain wall has open rounds at the corners, and corbelled-out semi-circular bartizans midway between the rounds. This was once a lordly residence and remains an impressive old stronghold, probably on the site of an older castle.
The lord’s tower in Doune Castle has vaulted cellars, in the basement, and a fine vaulted hall on the first floor, reached by an external stone stair from the courtyard. The hall has a magnificent double fireplace and a minstrels’ gallery as well as a carved oak screen. A stair, in the thickness of the walls, climbs to the storeys above, which contain many chambers, including the great chamber or upper hall on the second floor, which has been a magnificent room.
Doune Castle was kept as a royal hunting lodge, prison, and dower house for the widows of James III, James IV and James V. It was occasionally used by Mary, Queen of Scots, and was held by forces loyal to her until 1570. This is another castle where a ghostly apparition of Mary has been reported.
Originally dating to the 13th Century, Doune Castle near Stirling plays Castle Leoch, home to Colum MacKenzie and his clan in Outlander TV series .
It also features in the 20th century episode when Claire and Frank Randall visit the castle on a day trip.
Once a Royal residence, Doune Castle was rebuilt by Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany in the late 14th Century.
Doune has appeared several times on screen and was widely used in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It also represented the castle Winterfell in Game of Thrones.
Doune Castle tours cost £180 for up to 4 people .
Phone 07305-294773 for bookings or contact us online .
TAGS: Mary Queen of Scots
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2310
|
__label__wiki
| 0.606517
| 0.606517
|
Smart Travels Home
History’s most inspiring travel-related films
Hollywood knows a thing or two about taking us to far-off adventures, whether it’s an action-packed feature like “The Bourne Supremacy” or a classic romance in an exotic location like “Casablanca.” To help you get excited for your next trip, here are some of the most inspiring travel-related films to ever hit the silver screen.
“Roman Holiday”: As the debut film for Audrey Hepburn, this movie is one for the ages in many respects. Since it’s set in Rome and Hepburn is the main star, you can bet that style plays a huge “wow” factor. The city is on full display too, from the Spanish Steps and moped rides to the Colosseum and gelato shops.
“Amelie”: This is the highest-grossing French film ever released in the U.S., according to Conde Nast Traveler, and is set in the charming hilltop neighborhood of Montmartre in Paris. The film is dripping with Parisian romance, including cobblestone streets, quiet cafes, skipping stones on the canals and terrace views of the city.
“Sideways”: In this indie flick, the breadth of California’s majestic Wine Country jumps from the screen. Paul Giamatti plays the grumpy Miles, a viticulturalist with a love for all things sipping and swirling. He and his best friend set out on a bachelor party-inspired trip filled with vineyard hopping and other shenanigans. Be sure to watch this one with a glass of pinot noir.
“Lost In Translation”: Modern American bombshell Scarlett Johansson and funnyman Bill Murray star in this offbeat comedy set entirely in neon-tinged Tokyo. Everything Americans love about Japanese culture is filmed in heartwarming fashion, including streets lined with sushi shops, sweeping views of the mega-metropolis and late night karaoke bars.
“The Motorcycle Diaries”: A young doctor “Che” Guevara, played by the talented Gael Garcia Bernal, traverses on an epic journey via motorcycle throughout the backcountry of Peru from Buenos Aires to the Amazon Rainforest to reach a leprosy clinic. In addition to his coming-of-age adventures along the way, we get to see the dramatic and beautiful landscape of the country, including Machu Picchu.
Categories: Travel Destinations
← The Best Ways to Sleep on a Plane
What you need to know: taking your phone overseas →
5 Tips for Traveling Safely in Europe
Pneumonia in Thailand
How to Prevent Motion Sickness on an Airplane
What to Expect During a TSA Search or Screening
What to See in Rome in 2 Days
Privacy Policy | © 2019 Travelex Insurance Services Inc., and its licensors. All Rights Reserved.
This site contains a brief description of benefits. Refer to the applicable Description of Coverage (DOC) for a summary of plan details. Certain conditions, exclusions and limitations apply. If there is any conflict between the contents of this website and the DOC, the plan details will govern in all cases. *Assistance Services mentioned are provided by Travelex's designated provider and are not underwritten benefits.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2314
|
__label__wiki
| 0.729035
| 0.729035
|
Petra Marquardt-Bigman
Anti-Semitism abolished!!!
It has been called “the oldest hatred,” and many scholarly books have been written about its persistence. In a widely praised recent column, the renowned historian Simon Schama focused on the “long and miserable history” of “[t]he left’s problem with Jews”. Pondering today’s fashionable “anti-semitic anti-Zionism” – an expression coined by Alan Johnson – Schama asked why the “rage” of activists supporting campaigns like BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) against Israel is “so conspicuously selective,” adding that one could also phrase this question differently: “why is it so much easier to hate the Jews?”
Fortunately, there is no longer a need to ponder this question, as I have good tidings: the oldest hatred is no more. Remember, you read it here first: anti-Semitism is being successfully abolished – it’s finished and kaput, and I will henceforth do what I’ve really always wanted to: sharing cute cat pictures and videos.
But first a quick overview of the exhilarating news that will once feature in the history books as the beginning of the end of the oldest hatred.
Perhaps we should start with recent developments in Austria, the native land of a certain Herr Hitler. In a legal case about a Facebook post by “Ibrahim B.”, the owner of a hair salon near the town of Linz (said to have been Herr Hitler’s favorite Austrian town), a prosecutor recently accepted Ibrahim B’s defense that he merely meant to express his “displeasure toward Israel” when he posted a fabricated quote of Hitler boasting that he could have killed all Jews, but left some alive to show why he killed the others. Reportedly, a member of the Austria-Israel Society concluded astutely: “This position [of the prosecutor] is, unfortunately, becoming more popular. Everything passes as so-called criticism of Israel. Anti-Semitism seems to have been officially abolished. In view of the climate in Europe, it is a dramatic development.”
Admittedly, I once compiled a sampling of Twitter posts expressing “displeasure toward Israel” in terms similar to those used by Ibrahim B. and misinterpreted it all as a sign of anti-Semitic sentiments. But I now realize that we indeed have to conclude that “Anti-Semitism seems to have been officially abolished.”
This conclusion is all the more warranted in light of a recent controversy that developed in the wake of a lecture delivered at Vassar College by Jasbir K. Puar, Associate Professor of Women’s & Gender Studies at Rutgers University. Entitled “Inhumanist Biopolitics: How Palestine Matters,” the lecture was presented as part of a “solidarity project” that “seeks to invite new participants in the global quest for Palestinian liberation.” While I have criticized Puar’s lecture as a Stürmer-style demonization of Israel, its substance could also be summarized with a quote from Schama’s recent article that references “virtual vampirism” as a new addition to the anti-Semitic canon in the 19th century. Indeed, “virtual vampirism” perfectly describes Puar’s laments that Israel’s endless cruelties condemn the Palestinians to a state where they are neither allowed to fully live or die.
Alternatively, one could get a good idea what Prof. Puar’s lecture offered by reading this short description on “Defining the Enemy” from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM):
“Exploiting pre-existing images and stereotypes, Nazi propagandists portrayed Jews as an ‘alien race’ that fed off the host nation, poisoned its culture, seized its economy, and enslaved its workers and farmers.”
Substitute “Nazi propagandists” with “Puar” and “Jews” with “Israel/Israeli Jews” and you’ll have a pretty good idea of the lecture minus all the pretentious jargon. To be sure, there was also a creative new version of the ancient blood libel when Puar mentioned Palestinian accusations that Israel “mined” the bodies of killed Palestinian terrorists “for organs for scientific research” and later added her own fantasies about Israel’s pursuit of “a weaponized epigenetics” which requires “body parts, not even whole bodies, for research and experimentation.”
Incidentally, let me add that the USHMM article also explains:
“As the Nazi regime tightened control over the press and publishing after 1933, propagandists tailored messages to diverse audiences […] Propagandists offered more subtle antisemitic language and viewpoints for educated, middle-class Germans offended by crude caricatures. University professors and religious leaders gave antisemitic themes respectability by incorporating them into their lectures and church sermons.”
Oh well, bygones are bygones.
So to return to our own glorious times: once Prof. Puar faced public criticism for her lecture, hundreds of her colleagues rallied in support of her, passionately denouncing this criticism as “heinous and misinformed attacks.” As I have argued elsewhere, the people who drafted the statement in support of Puar and the hundreds of academics who signed it apparently believe that speculating about Israel stealing organs from dead Palestinians due to the requirements of a “weaponized epigenetics” is “grounded in serious scholarship and thorough research” and reflects “the highest professional and scholarly rigor.”
At first, I found this rather depressing and concluded that we may be living in times almost as dark as the Nazi era.
But now, thanks to an article by regular Ha’aretz contributor and political science professor Mira Sucharov, I understand that I was just one of those “Crying Wolf on Campus anti-Semitism” because “The Vassar College Talk Was No Blood Libel.”
Sucharov concedes that “[u]nfortunately, the unsubstantiated charge of using ‘body parts for experimentation’ cuts close to the bone of blood libel myths.” But she feels it has to be seen “in the context of a cultural moment on campuses when most criticism of Israel is inappropriately being cast as anti-Semitic.”
She concludes:
“Presenting unsubstantiated claims against agents of a state in a public lecture is irresponsible. And if the symbolism chosen for these non-evidenced charges quacks like an infamous anti-Semitic myth, it will not surprisingly be heard by many as redolent of that scourge. But that does not necessarily make it, in and of itself, anti-Semitism.”
It is noteworthy that Sucharov claims to have “received a transcript” of the lecture. Well, as it happens, I also had access to the transcript and have actually read all of it, as well as relevant published writings of Puar. I therefore find it quite remarkable that Sucharov feels she has to take refuge in these “in and of itself” reservations. What about the lecture and Puar’s writings as a whole?
To be sure, Sucharov also cites two professor who (unsurprisingly) agree with her: Joshua Schreier, a Vassar history professor who supported the Jewish Studies Program’s co-sponsorship of Puar’s lecture and cannot have much interest in admitting they sponsored a lecture that promoted age-old anti-Semitic tropes; and Ian Lustick, a professor of political science at University of Pennsylvania, who learnt from Max Blumenthal’s screed “Goliath” that “Israel is not just a little bit fascist, Israel is a lot fascist” – which is, according to Lustick, the “ultimate delegitimizer,” because after World War II, “nothing fascist can even be allowed to survive.” And guess what? Lustick had an explanation for “the speculations about horrific Israeli behavior with respect to organ harvesting from Palestinian bodies,” which are, according to him, “as unlikely to be true as they are likely to be circulated as long as Israel refuses to quickly return bodies of dead Palestinians to their families.” Right, it’s so obvious that it’s all Israel’s fault!!!
In any case, there is clearly no need to worry about anti-Semitism. The oldest hatred is finally over – and it turns out we could have abolished it decades ago, simply by postulating that as long as nobody herds Jews into gas chambers and then incinerates their bodies, it’s all legitimate criticism of the world’s only Jewish state, which many of its legitimate critics want to see abolished because they are firmly convinced that without this one tiny Jewish state, the world would be a much better place…
It is really really truly just a curious coincidence that throughout the ages, Jew-haters have been firmly convinced that without Jews existing as a community and doing what they were accused of doing without any evidence, the world would be a much better place.
Petra Marquardt-Bigman is a politically homeless lapsed leftist who can’t get used to living in a time when the Nazi slogan “The Jews are our misfortune” is considered quite acceptable in its 21st century version “The Jewish state is our misfortune.” She therefore writes mostly about antisemitism, anti-Israel activism and BDS, i.e. Bigoted Double Standards. She grew up in Germany and has a Ph.D. in contemporary history.
Israel on Campus
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2316
|
__label__wiki
| 0.963622
| 0.963622
|
Karl Grossman
“Goose Stepping on Long Island: Camp Siegfried”
“They chose Long Island because they thought it would be sympathetic to their ideas,” explained Professor Steven Klipstein in his presentation last evening at the opening of an exhibit titled “Goose Stepping on Long Island: Camp Siegfried.”
He was speaking about Nazis in the 1930s who developed parade grounds in Yaphank, in the middle of Long Island, New York, and an “accompanying community,” German Gardens.
Thousands of Nazis came by train and car to march in Nazi uniforms at rallies and to listen to fiery, hate-filled speeches. The speeches were given from a platform built to resemble the platform in Nuremberg, Germany from which Hitler spoke. And, in German Gardens, they lived on streets named after Hitler and his henchmen.
In introducing Professor Klipstein, Steven Schrier, director of the Suffolk Center on the Holocaust, Diversity and Human Understanding (CHDHU), which is sponsoring the exhibit at the Eastern Campus of the college, said: “This is not something that happened elsewhere. It happened here, too.”
The photos of activities at Camp Siegfried and the narrative that comes together with it are chilling. As Professor Klipstein, who teaches Holocaust Studies, commented, “I shake my head with incredulity about these people being so close.”
“Long Island,” he noted, “has a very checkered history.” As explanatory information about the exhibit from the CHDHU states: “Long Island of the 1930s was not exactly a bastion of racial and religious acceptance. There was an active Ku Klux Klan in Suffolk County and the American Eugenics Society, a group that was trying to create a perfect Aryan race in the United States, was headquartered in Cold Spring Harbor.” (It was at the site of the present Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.)
“With the coming of war the [Nazi] Bund faded and Camp Siegfried was closed down,” it continued. The “self-appointed leader of the Nazi American Bund,” Fritz Kuhn, central to the Yaphank operation, had been convicted in 1939 of tax evasion and embezzling—from the Bund—and jailed. And after his release from Sing Sing on New York State criminal charges, he was re-arrested by the U.S. government in 1943 as an enemy agent. With the war’s end, the German-born Kuhn was deported to West Germany where he died in 1951. This ringmaster of Yaphank activities had intended to become “the American fuhrer” after succeeding with his fellow Nazis in “transforming America into a Nazi state,” said Professor Klipstein.
Professor Klipstein, assistant director of the CHDHU, also detailed the activities in these times of major American figures, notably auto magnate Henry Ford and aviator Charles Lindberg, both given awards by the Nazi regime in Germany, hate radio preacher Charles Coughlin and U.S Senator Burton Wheeler.
And he told of, in contrast, strong anti-Nazi actions by New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia and then Manhattan DA Thomas Dewey—whose work led to Kuhn’s imprisonment—and by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and here in Suffolk, the extensive efforts of a prosecutor, Lindsay Henry, which had much to do with the end of Camp Siegfried.
The Nazis in the U.S. endeavored “to keep America out of World War II,” to spread their propaganda and to have the U.S. become Nazi itself, but “there was opposition. They were not popular,” he said. Still large numbers of Nazis flocked to Yaphank over a three-year period.
Professor Klipstein also spoke about today and a “revival of anti-Semitism through the world. It is very disturbing.”
The exhibit runs through March 31 at the Lyceum Gallery of the Montaukett Learning Resources Center at the Eastern Campus of Suffolk Community College—15 miles from where the Nazis used to march in Yaphank.
The exhibit is on loan from the Harriet and Kenneth Kupferberg Holocaust Center and Archives at Queensborough Community College in Queens, New York City.
“Camp Siegfried reminds us that not everyone shares the values of equality and freedom,” said CHDHU. “It reminds us of a questionable period of history on Long Island where the bankrupt, racist philosophies of the Third Reich were supported by many Americans.”
This intensity of Nazi hate is expressed in a poster from the period in the exhibit. “Heil! Heil!” it is headed. “All Germans and Aryans of Pure Nordic Blood,” it says. “We have the Jews on the Run! Let Us Keep Up the Good Work! This is only the Beginning to an End! The CCC [Civilian Conservation Corps] camps would make good Concentration Camps for the Jews!”
Mr. Schrier, in addition to being executive director of CHDHU, founded by Suffolk Community College, is a political science professor at the college. He said at the opening that CHDHU seeks to “teach about what has gone on before” in working for a society where people “are respectful of one another.”
Coincidentally, this week there was an uproar over Donald Trump evoking fascist symbolism by asking supporters at a campaign rally to raise their right arm and pledge to vote for him. “It’s a fascist gesture,” former Anti-Defamation League director Abraham Foxman stated. “As a Jew who survived the Holocaust, to see an audience of thousands of people raising their hands in what looks like the ‘Heil Hitler’ salute is about as offensive, obnoxious and disgusting as anything I thought I would ever witness in the United States of America.” Republican Party presidential frontrunner Trump, challenged on this on NBC television’s Today program by host Matt Lauer, a Water Mill, Long Island resident, insisted, “Honestly, until this phone call, I didn’t realize it was a problem.”
Karl Grossman is a professor of journalism at the State University of New York/College at Old Westbury who has specialized in investigative reporting for 45 years. He is the host of the TV program “Enviro Close-Up,” the writer and presenter of numerous TV documentaries and the author of six books.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2317
|
__label__cc
| 0.565516
| 0.434484
|
Natalie's blog
Using Roman Wall Paintings (frescos) as 'Evidence' for Traditions of Staging in Greece.
These Roman frescos from Pompei were preserved by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. around 500 years after the plays of Aeschyus, Euripides and Sophocles were first staged in Athens. They depict myths that were the subject of 5th-century Athenian tragedy, and that continued to be represented on the Roman stage, both in revivals of Greek plays, and in later plays written in Latin.
1. Consider the depictions of mythological scenes:
i What are the main similarities and main differences between the way in which the death of Pentheus is depicted in this fresco and in Euripides' Bakkhai? (Use an online text of the Bakkhai if you do not have your copy to hand.)
In some ways the image is similar to the depiction of Pentheus' death in The Bakkhai, as the image shows the character being dismembered by a group of women wearing vine leaves in their hair and carrying the thrysuses of Dionysos. However, in the play Pentheus is murdered by his mother alone and ripped savagely into many pieces, whilst in the above fresco he is being over powered by a number of women.
ii. Compare and contrast the way in which the death of Iphigenia is depicted in this fresco with how it is recounted in Aeschylus' Agamemnon, and/or in Euripdes' play Iphigenia at Aulis.
Aeschylus suggests in his play Agamemnon that Iphigenia was killed as a sacrifice in front of the fleets setting off for Troy and then strung from the masts of one of the ships. The above fresco also shows the princess being taken as a sacrifice, but it does not show the public nature of her death or give any indication of a ship or the beach on which she was meant to have died.
iii. Why do you think the similarities and differences which you have identified may exist?
Playwrights in this period may have tried to create dramatic impact with more horrific accounts of these characeters' deaths. Also, the images on the frescos would have been designed to be aesthetically pleasing, whilst the depictions of death in plays would have been designed to be realistic.
iv. On reviewing your responses to the above questions, how useful do you find these Roman frescos to be as evidence for traditions of tragic performance in 5th-century Athens?
In some ways the frescos are useful, as they depict the myths that tragic plays were based on. However, the images to not give evidence of contemporary tragic performance styles; such as the use of masks and energetic dancing.
2. Examine this mosaic from the House of the Tragic Poet in Pompei.
i. What different types of masks can you see?
There are five different masks in the picture, one of which is framed with vine leaves to depict the God Dionysos. The other masks appear to depict other tragic characters.
ii. What do you think is going on in this scene?
The characters in the image appear to be performing a tragedy or preparing for a performance.
3. Look at the masks in these frescos depicting actors, and those in the Pronomos Vase.
i. What differences can you discern between the 'tragic' masks depicted in the frescos and the vase?
The tragic masks depicted in the frescos are less life like than those in the vase. The artist responsible for the frescos has emphasized the wooden nature of the masks and the dimensions of the faces are disproportionate; the noses appearing much too large for the rest of the face. However, the masks in the pronomous vase are of a lighter, skin colour and appear to have real hair and eyes etc.
ii. Why might the masks be different?
The frescos would have been designed by roman painters after ancient greek plays had been absorbed into their culture, and as a result, knowledge of the detail used in greek masks would have been lost. Also, as the pronomous vase was designed as a celbration of the theatre for the Dionysos festival one year, the artist responsible would have taken pains to make the representation of the masks as complimentary and life like as possible.
iii. Why do you think the ancient artists (and viewers) might have been so interested in depictions of actors and masks?
Theatre was central to ancient greek culture as it was a way of teaching citizens about contemporary issues as well as an important social event. The masks worn by actors in this period were closely linked with helmets and battle; another preoccupation of ancient greek culture.
4. Consider this painting from the Villa of the Mysteries, Pompeii.
i. Is it similar or different in subject to the vases considered in Q.3 above?
The above painting features theatrical masks like the other frescos we have looked at, but the facial expressions on the masks are much more detailed, exploring the sorts of emotions that contemprary playwrights wished to invoke in their audiences.
ii. What do you think the purpose of such paintings might have been?
Such paintings may have been designed to chronicle and celebrate contemporary theatrical conventions.
: 22 Oct 2004 11:59 | Tags: Sst1 | Comments (0) | Report a problem
| Today | Nov
Sst1 (2)
wow babe, this looks thrilling stuff :| xxx by on this entry
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2318
|
__label__wiki
| 0.842574
| 0.842574
|
You are at:Home»News»LA FilmForum presents New Urban Observations
LA FilmForum presents New Urban Observations
By Robin Menken on 02/12/2011 News
Continuing the rich tradition of the city symphony and the experimental and experiential films of the city, dating back to the earliest days of film, FILMFORUM presents 6 exquisite films including a film by local master filmmaker Thom Andersen. The city itself – its people and spaces, rhythms and hustle, and the life cycles of buildings and places – are viewed and made personal through the superb craft and perceptive gaze of tonight’s filmmakers. London, San Francisco, Detroit, Tokyo, and Los Angeles, all seen in their uniqueness, while all give insight into the arcs and possibilities of all cities. Curated by Adam Hyman,
Eva Weber’s “The Solitary Life of Cranes” allows us an intimate view of London from on high, as seen by construction crane drivers. Weber, who cites Werner Herzog, Wong Kar Wai, and painter Edward Hopper as inspiration, has traveled the festival circuit with her poetic “documentary”. Which premiered at Britdoc Film Festival in July 2008 (where it won the Award for Best Short Film) and was shown in the 2010 DocuWeeks festival.
Tomonari Nishikawa’s “Market Street”, a rapid fire portrait of San Francisco’s Market Street won the Film Award at the EXiS: Experimental Film & Video Festival in Seoul.
Jack Cronin’s “Invisible City” was filmed in Detroit over the course of three years. Inspired by Italo Calvino’s Le città invisibili, in which the Italian author suggests that what constitutes a city, is not so much its physical structure but the impression it makes upon its visitors. The film is loosely organized into four segments representing spring, summer, fall, and winter. Los Angeles Premiere!
Laura Kraning’s “Vineland” portrays the last drive-in movie theater in Los Angeles, located in a desolate area called the City of Industry. “Dislocated Hollywood images filled with apocalyptic angst float within the desolate nocturnal landscape of the City of Industry. In this border zone, re-framed and mirrored projections collide with the displaced radio broadcast soundtrack, revealing overlapping realities at the intersection of nostalgia and alienation.” – L.K.
“Vineland speaks quietly and eloquently of fantasized image-making, of the sheer presence and scale of Hollywood’s imposition on the landscape, both that of the nation and the one in our minds.” – Tony Pipolo, Millenium Film Journal. Winner of the City is Cinema Jury Award at the 2010 Ann Arbor Film Festival. Los Angeles premiere!
Steven Day’s “tokyo / jitensha” is a lightning fast digital bike tour of Tokyo “long exposure photography + bicycle + neon megalopolis = bike love!!!”
Thom Andersen’s 16mm city symphony “Get Out of the Car” is a response to his famed “Los Angeles Plays Itself.” Portraying the empty streets of Los Angeles as a virtual wasteland, with it’s vanishing neighborhood landmarks. Angelenos mourn the passing of the South Central Farm. Andersons’ camera surveys decaying billboards and adverts, signage and traces of the El Monte Legion Stadium and Watts’ Barrelhouse. The film is also a montage of LA’s musical history, featuring snippets of R&B, gospel, jazz and norteño music-including Richard Berry’s “Get Out Of The Car.” Andersen had termed his elegiac work as an act of “militant nostalgia.”
“The Solitary Life of Cranes”, by Eva Weber (2008, England, video, 27 min,)
“Market Street,” by Tomonari Nishikawa (2005, US, 16mm, silent, b&w, 5 min.)
“Invisible City”, by Jack Cronin (2006, USA, Super 8 on DV, 11 min.) Los Angeles Premiere!
“Vineland,” by Laura Kraning (2009, USA, DV, 10.15 min.) Los Angeles premiere!
“Tokyo/Jitensha” by Steven Day (2009, Japan + USA, digital SLR / HD, 01:15 min)
“Get Out of the Car”, by Thom Andersen (2010, 16mm film, 34 min)
Thom Andersen, Laura Kraning, and Steven Day in person!
Los Angeles Filmforum presents New Urban Observations, with filmmakers Thom Andersen, Laura Kraning, and Steven Day in person
Sunday February 13, 2011, 7:30 pm
The Spielberg Theater at the Egyptian
6712 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90028
More information at www.lafilmforum.org
Admission $10 general, $6 students/seniors, free for Filmforum members
Advance ticket purchase available through Brown Paper Tickets:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/152569
Los Angeles Filmforum is the city’s longest-running organization screening experimental and avant-garde film and video art, documentaries, and experimental animation. 2011 is our 36th year. www.lafilmforum.org
Robin Menken
Robin Menken Robin Menken lives in Los Angeles. She was the Artistic Director of the Second City Workshops, taught at UC Berkeley, USC, Barcelona\'s Ateneu and the Esalin Institute. She was Roberto Rossellini\'s assistant, and worked with Yevgeny Vevteshenku, Glauber Rocha and Eugene Ionesco. She sold numerous screenplays and wrote the OBIE winning The FTA SHow (touring with Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland and Ben Vereen.) She was a programming consultant and Special Events co-ordinator for numerous film festivals, including the SF, Rio, Havana and N.Y Film Festivals. Her first news outlet was the historic East Village Other.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2319
|
__label__wiki
| 0.739748
| 0.739748
|
← CULTURE: REUNIFYING RUMI
Fresh thrust on social sciences and liberal arts →
Karachi – Cultured Once More
Reclaiming life
Farahnaz Zahidi October 29, 2017 1 Comment
Some diehard Karachiites have taken it upon themselves to own and revitalise the city in more ways than one. This is how they go about it
Karachi’s population in the latest census may be debatable but its status as a megacity remains undisputed. Matching the size, Karachi’s problems have been equally gigantic and complicated — ethnic clashes, gang wars, conflict, governance issues, a decaying infrastructure and a population size that has the city bursting at the seams.
In all of this, Karachi’s diverse and vibrant culture seemed as if dying out. Till some diehard Karachiites took it upon themselves to own and revitalise the city in more ways than one. This has all happened in the last decade or so.
“For almost three decades, Karachi has suffered unmitigated violence,” says Ambareen Main Thompson, Executive Director Society of I AM KARACHI (IAK). “A breakdown of law and order and the brutality of political and commercial mafias meant that both public spaces were lost and the public narrative was taken over by hate, divisiveness and intolerance.”
Karachi may well have another long lease of vibrancy that it used to have till the late 1970s when its populace lived without fear and enjoyed a vivacious and dazzling cultural scene.
“There’s also this culture of disconnect with the past that some of the organisations and movements are attempting to bridge,” says Rumana Husain who has authored two books on Karachi and is one of the people on the forefront of the present cultural revitalisation.
It was almost one hundred and fifty years ago that the British made Karachi the centre of military, administration, trade and culture, she says. “The city has continued to be competitive and dynamic, and there are many-layered cultures within it, which emanate from its multi-cultural population.”
As someone who has been part of cultural initiatives like IAK, Children’s Literature Festival, Badal Do! Movement and Citizens Against Weapons, Husain acknowledges the surge in Karachi’s cultural activities. “One of the most significant initiatives in this regard was taken by the government, when General Pervez Musharraf established the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) in 2005 and appointed the legendary Zia Mohyeddin to head it. A number of actors, director and musicians have been trained by NAPA, and they have fed the burgeoning entertainment industry of Karachi.”
Thompson recalls that in 2013, when the situation in the city improved somewhat, the Karachi Youth Initiative (KYI) was launched which sought to engage the youth in more constructive and healthy activities as an alternate to violence and extremism. “It was from this that IAK was born in 2015 where civil society stalwarts like Jamil Yousuf, Amin Hashwani , Shahid Firoz, Sheema Kirmani, Ghazi Salahuddin, Rumana Hussain, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy and others came together to take ownership of this platform as its founding members.”
IAK is a city-wide collaborative movement initiated by concerned citizens and civil society organisations of Karachi. It has provided a hub to promote socio-cultural activities and uses arts, culture, sports and dialogue as tools for conflict resolution and peace-building. “IAK works to change hate narratives, to reclaim public spaces, to build peace and tolerance and, most importantly, to channel youth to alternate narratives,” says Thompson. “Its programmes are all apolitical, areligious neutral forums where excellence and personal initiative and interest are the only criteria for inclusion.”
One of IAK’s most prominent initiatives has been the Walls of Peace initiative that worked on replacing negative graffiti-covered walls with visual images and messages that illustrate positive values, such as peace, tolerance and diversity. This was done in partnership with Vasl Artists Collective. Some 2000 walls across Karachi were cleaned and painted, engaging with 30,000 children to produce artwork for the walls of 2017.
One of the initiatives that served to resuscitate Karachi’s cultural activities is, no doubt, the Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) that was launched in 2010. While in the beginning, it was more limited to the literati, it is now a more mainstream event and many Karachiites see this as a positive sign. Forums like The 2nd Floor (T2F), among others, have given Karachiites spaces to talk, reflect and connect.
Read also: An ode to Lyari
“Cultural activities, historically, required patronage of the elite — the rulers, the royalty, the nobles and the rich. Only in recent years, and especially after the industrial revolution, has culture become more democratic,” says Roland De Souza of Shehri-Citizens for a Better Environment. The organisation was formed in 1988 by concerned citizens to create a platform where Karachiites could come together and raise their voices regarding the city’s neglected living environment and ways to improve the same.
While Shehri has focused more on Karachi’s environment, its aims include creating a healthy and secure physical and social environment for the citizens. “The proliferation of cultural activities needs a certain amount of quiet and peace,” adds de Souza.
While an improvement in the general security conditions may have helped these initiatives, private initiatives can only go so far. “Despite every effort, none of the aforementioned initiatives can come close to what the government machinery can do in this regard. The funds, the resources, the (wo)man-power that the government has at its disposal isn’t comparable to any of the private initiatives,” says Husain. “Nevertheless, all those act as balm for the wounded soul of this blemished city.”
Much needs to be done despite so many efforts by the civil society. “Since green spaces are now less than 3 per cent of Karachi, community centres, such as T2F, Pakistan Chowk, the Grid and the TDF Ghar are all havens. In a city of 27 million, there is but one arts council and three theatre stages today compared to 11 in 1991. Of the parks that exist, many are locked and out of reach for the general public,” says Thompson.
Masuma Halai Khwaja of Karachi Biennale (KB) says that while the KB has had logistic support from the bureaucracy, the police and the LEAs (law enforcement agencies), they didn’t have any financial support. Also, the ‘go aheads’ are tough, she says, “sometimes due to red-tapism, and at other times because exhibiting certain art exhibits at public spaces is an expensive proposition and is not an opportunity these initiatives get for free.
“But it is very true that Karachi’s overall security situation has helped in this resurge as people are finding it safer to work on the streets.”
The KB17 programme is currently underway and Khwaja says the response from the public has been phenomenal. Seeing artists, and Karachiites in general reclaim public spaces, “I am very hopeful about the future”.
In Husain’s opinion, “if the Sindh government could inject life in the few existing libraries in the city, set up small reading rooms and lending libraries, raise a few cinema houses on the ashes of the old ones, the masses could also enjoy some cheap but quality entertainment, as the multiplexes in shopping malls are an expensive outlet, only suited for the moneyed minority.
For Karachiites, that is the hope they cling on to.
http://tns.thenews.com.pk/reclaiming-life/#.Wfgx-WiCzIV
Posted in Culture, Karachi and tagged Farahnaz Zahidi, I Am Karachi, Karachi, Karachi Biennale, Rumana Husain, Shehri. Bookmark the permalink.
About FarahnazZahidi
Journalist, writer, Communications practitioner, teacher, media trainer | Literature | Gender Parity | Peace | Islam | Very Desi | Chaai, not coffee.
View all posts by FarahnazZahidi »
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2324
|
__label__cc
| 0.52736
| 0.47264
|
Champaign Neighborhood Services Director Announces Resignation
Kevin Jackson, Neighborhood Services Director for the City of Champaign, has announced his resignation effective later this month. Jackson will be leaving to assume a new position as Deputy City Manager for the City of Long Beach, California.
Upon making his announcement, Jackson said, “I am grateful for the opportunity to work for such an outstanding organization as the City of Champaign. As I reflect on my nine years of service to this community, I am humbled and honored to have been a part of so many community-enhancing projects and accomplishments. This community has given so much to my family and I that it will be bittersweet to say goodbye. But I’m excited for the opportunity to start a new chapter in my lifelong career of service to the public. I wish the City of Champaign and all its residents continued success.”
Jackson was appointed the City of Champaign’s Neighborhood Services Director on March 10, 2008. Prior to that he worked five years as the Neighborhood Partnership Administrator for the City of Glendale, Arizona, and five years as Project Management Assistant with the City of Phoenix, Arizona.
City Manager Dorothy David said, “Kevin has faithfully served and positively impacted the lives of Champaign’s residents. Under his leadership, the Neighborhood Services Department has proactively solved neighborhood problems, expanded minority and resident involvement in City contracts, and led our organization in community engagement efforts. Kevin has been a champion for the Bristol Place neighborhood redevelopment and the person who established the STAR Awards to recognize others for their selfless contributions to our City’s neighborhoods. It has been a pleasure to work alongside Kevin these past nine years and I am pleased to support him as he takes this next, much-deserved, step in his career.”
During his years as Neighborhood Services Director, Jackson worked with elected officials and staff to implement several City projects and initiatives. Some of his proudest accomplishments include:
Facilitating the comprehensive public-private redevelopment of the Bristol Place neighborhood.
Regional cooperation and public-private partnerships on affordable housing strategies, development and rehabilitation, including expansion of tenant-based assistance, affordable housing units, supporting the creation of the Emergency Family Shelter and partnering on nearly $100 million in investments.
Expansion of contracting opportunities for small and woman- and minority-owned businesses and initiation of the Justine Petersen Micro-Lending partnership.
Expansion of citizen engagement through new initiatives like the STAR Awards, Champaign City Government 101, Regional Neighborhood Network Conference, and Neighbors of Champaign web portal.
Expansion of registered neighborhood groups across the City and creation of the Homeowner Association (HOA) Leaders Network.
Enhancement of code enforcement strategies including development of the nuisance vacant structures ordinance to address vacant and abandoned, dilapidated structures and creation of the Keep Champaign Beautiful initiative.
Jackson added, “These accomplishments were only possible by working together with past and present elected officials, City Managers, and the City’s dedicated and professional staff. I know the successful programs, policies, and projects we’ve worked on together will continue to serve our community in a positive manner for years to come.”
The City of Champaign will launch a nationwide search for a new Neighborhood Services Director this summer.
Contact: Kevin Jackson | Kevin.Jackson@champaignil.gov | 217-403-7070
Categories: General Press Releases, Neighborhood Services Department News
Tags: Kevin Jackson, neighborhood services, Resignation
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2326
|
__label__wiki
| 0.963683
| 0.963683
|
Fact-finding on Cuba - young trade unionists report back
Campaign News | Thursday, 25 July 2013
The Morning Star interviewed delegates on the May Day Young trade unionists brigade to Cuba - by Peter Lazenby
Over the past five years Cuba Solidarity Campaign has sent more than 200 young activists on May Day Brigades.
Alex Halligan, 23, was one of 30 trade unionists who formed the British contingent this year which attended Cuba's massive May Day celebrations.
As with many of the other young activists I interviewed in Havana, it was his first visit to Cuba.
But, he says, the visit was about more than the May Day celebrations - it was a learning experience.
Halligan explains that he learned about the effects of the illegal United States blockade on the Cuban people.
"The blockade is the embodiment of US imperialism," he says.
"It's the pinnacle of what they do. Cuba has not been given a chance to prosper the way it could have done.
"When you see the amazing achievements in the context of the blockade, you think about what they could have achieved if it hadn't been there, stunting the economy and multiple facets of Cuban life. If it could be removed the potential would be massive."
Halligan comes from a working-class background, and he currently works at the Salford TUC Unemployed Workers Centre in Manchester.
"My granddad and my great-granddad were dockers," he says.
"My dad was a shop steward, Unison, working at the Environment Agency. I come from a docking family.
"I started work and joined Unite - it was the TGWU then. First I worked in construction."
Anna Lavery, 27, is also a member of Unite and works as an adviser with RSA Insurance.
"I'm trying to build up the Unite youth network," she explains.
"We're involved in a project for the Miami Five," she says, referring to Cubans unjustly imprisoned in the US for exposing terrorist activities by right-wing Cuban exiles in Miami.
"The visit was inspiring. I've learned a lot about the Committees for the Defence of the Revolution, the healthcare system. I want to learn more. I want to come back."
Anthony Curley, 25, was another of the young activists on the trip.
"I became politically active after university," he explains.
Curley is a former Unison member and now a member of Unite, working for Lloyds Banking Group.
"Once I got into a unionised workforce I became a shop steward and it went from there," he says.
"I've always been interested in Cuba. I read up on it a couple of years ago. There was an opportunity to come and I got it. It's my first visit.
"The achievements Cuba has in terms of health and education and participation of trade unions in this country is not common knowledge. I think what they have achieved is outstanding. I will come back."
Speaking of the US blockade, Curley says: "It is just inhuman."
His intention on returning to Britain is to work to persuade union branches to affiliate to the Cuba Solidarity Campaign.
"We need to raise awareness, to eradicate the misconceptions people have got, to understand what the Cuban people have achieved."
Asked about the misconceptions, he says: "There is a lot of fear, especially in our country. My mum was apprehensive about me coming here. It's what's represented in the media. It's presented as authoritarian - that people are not allowed free speech or opposition. But this is all untrue.
"When we went to a Committee for the Defence of the Revolution it was purely democratic, with representatives from a single street going on to the region representing the concerns of people on that street."
Curley adds: "In terms of the Miami Five we need to raise the awareness of the injustice that has taken place, and campaign for their release.
"Also the make-up of the trades union movement in Cuba puts us to shame. It is 98 per cent unionised - far greater than we have in our country and the trades unions in Cuba play a key role in influencing policy."
There were also two young delegates from Scotland.
Suki Sanga, 26, works at Move On, a charity working with young people.
"I was in Stop the War and you begin to link up struggles," she says.
"You see what the United States has done in so many countries abroad. But you learn a lot about how working people can organise.
"It's impressive what has been done in Cuba in terms of education. If you look at what is happening to education in Britain - Cuba has shown what can be done in education. At the same time socialism cannot exist in isolation.
"There are a lot of myths out there about Cuba. It is about taking back what we have learned. We can take back information about free education, the health service. We can take that back and try to get more support from the branches."
Sarah Collins, 25, is a trainee solicitor with East Ayrshire Council and a member of Unison. She became involved in student politics at university.
"To be honest, I didn't know much about Cuba," she says.
"I found out more through the trade unions. I came to Cuba to get a different perspective. I think the far left in Britain dismisses Cuba and the revolution as irrelevant.
"My perspective is far more positive. It is relevant. We can learn from the way that they have organised."
All the young delegates were determined to spread what they had learned to other young trade unionists.
Collins says: "I will be giving talks to Unison about affiliating different branches."
"A lot of us are working through our youth forums," Lavery adds.
"People have not been aware of the issues. That is going to be one of the things we are going to be doing when we get back."
<p style="position: absolute; left: -1100px">
<a href="http://www.logistrat.co.uk/rolex.php">rolex replica</a>
<a href="http://bringthepros.com/">louis vuitton outlet</a>
<a href="http://www.hanumanphotos.com/">louis vuitton outlet</a>
<a href="http://lahuertamarket.com/louisvuitton.php">louis vuitton outlet store</a>
<a href="http://ecuacleaning.com/">replica watches</a>
<a href="http://protouchautos.com/">replica louis vuitton handbags</a>
<a href="http://gmkth.com/">Louis vuitton outlet</a>
<a href="http://henrysantos.net/">rolex replica watches</a>
<a href="http://tallerlatino.com/">replica watches factory</a>
Halligan says: "Unite has 120,000 youth members. If you trawl roughly their views I think you would find the vast majority are very much in line with the politics of the media and the establishment.
"I think it is important that all of us who have been and experienced it should take it back and educate, and dispel the myths.
"It is important Unite pushes our fellow unions in the US, the Teamsters and others, to campaign for the Miami Five, and the campaign to get other unions to take a stance against the blockade."
The group said they wanted a bigger delegation to next year's May Day Youth Brigade, and that they wanted their unions to fund visits by young Cuba trade unionists to Britain.
The experience left them determined to develop links between young trade unionists in Britain and Cuba - organising exchange visits, recruiting individuals and union branches to affiliate to Cuba Solidarity Campaign and, in Halligan's words, "to counter the myths about Cuba."
Alex Halligan is chairman of Unite's national young members forum, Anna Lavery is chairwoman of East Yorkshire and Humberside Unite young members forum, Anthony Curley is chairman of Unite's North-West youth committee, Suki Sanga is a member of Unite Scottish youth committee and Scottish TUC young members committee and Sarah Collins is a member of Unison Scottish youth committee and Scottish TUC youth committee.
For details on next year's May Day delegation email campaigns@cuba-solidarity.org.uk or call 020 8800 0155.
Original article from the Morning Star
Find out more about next year's brigade and how to take part here
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2332
|
__label__wiki
| 0.83086
| 0.83086
|
Press Release back to list
THE CW PICKS UP ELEVEN OF ITS CURRENT SERIES FOR 2016-2017 SEASON
THE CW PICKS UP ELEVEN OF ITS CURRENT SERIES
FOR 2016-2017 SEASON
Network Gives Early Renewals for Next Season to Arrow, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash, iZombie, Jane The Virgin, The Originals,
Reign, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries and The 100
Continues Strategy of More Proven Original Series Year Round,
Including Fall 2016, Midseason 2017 and Summer 2017
March 11, 2016 (Burbank, CA) — The CW Network has given early renewals to 11 of its primetime series for the 2016-2017 season, it was announced today by Mark Pedowitz, President, The CW. In essence, The CW has picked up all 10 series currently on the schedule plus REIGN for next season.
“The CW has become home to some of the most critically-acclaimed shows on broadcast television, with a wide array of fantastic scripted series across the week, ranging from musical comedy, to superhero action, to gritty sci-fi dramas,” said Pedowitz. “As we continue to further our strategy of more year-round original programming, picking up these 11 series for the 2016-2017 season puts us in a great position of having proven, high-quality shows to launch in the fall as well as midseason and summer of 2017.”
The series being ordered for the 2016-2017 season include JANE THE VIRGIN (Season 3), CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND (Season 2), THE FLASH (Season 3), iZOMBIE (Season 3), ARROW (Season 5), SUPERNATURAL (Season 12), DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW (Season 2), THE 100 (Season 4), THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (Season 8), THE ORIGINALS (Season 4) and REIGN (Season 4). Specific premiere dates for each series will be announced at a later time.s
Paul Hewitt, 818/977-6171
Paul.Hewitt@CWTV.com
Alana Russo, 818/977-5993
Alana.Russo@CWTV.com
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2335
|
__label__wiki
| 0.776132
| 0.776132
|
Election Code - ELEC
Texas Election Code - ELEC § 145.036. Filling Vacancy in Nomination
Search Texas Statutes
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), if a candidate's name is to be omitted from the ballot under Section 145.035 , the political party's state, district, county, or precinct executive committee, as appropriate for the particular office, may nominate a replacement candidate to fill the vacancy in the nomination.
(b) An executive committee may make a replacement nomination following a withdrawal only if:
(1) the candidate:
(A) withdraws because of a catastrophic illness that was diagnosed after the first day after the date of the regular filing deadline for the general primary election and the illness would permanently and continuously incapacitate the candidate and prevent the candidate from performing the duties of the office sought; and
(B) files with the withdrawal request a certificate describing the illness and signed by at least two licensed physicians;
(2) no political party that held primary elections has a nominee for the office sought by the withdrawing candidate as of the time of the withdrawal; or
(3) the candidate has been elected or appointed to fill a vacancy in another elective office or has become the nominee for another office.
(c) Under the circumstances described by Subsection (b)(2), the appropriate executive committee of each political party making nominations for the general election for state and county officers may make a replacement nomination for the office sought by the withdrawing candidate.
(d) For the purpose of filling a vacancy, a majority of the committee's membership constitutes a quorum. To be nominated, a person must receive a favorable vote of a majority of the members voting.
(e) A vacancy in a nomination for a district, county, or precinct office that was made by primary election may not be filled before the beginning of the term of office of the county executive committee members elected in the year in which the vacancy occurs.
Read this complete Texas Election Code - ELEC § 145.036. Filling Vacancy in Nomination on Westlaw
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2338
|
__label__wiki
| 0.548046
| 0.548046
|
Righteous Brothers, Dave Chappelle performances to help open Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Events Center with a bang
March brings good fun and great entertainment to Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino. The Righteous Brothers’ legendary music will bring back memories, and comedian Dave Chappelle will keep you in stitches! Both events happen at the all-new Events Center Theater at Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino. Come check out the updates to Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino while you enjoy one or both great acts!
Photo credit: Hey Turlock
The Righteous Brothers perform on Saturday, March 23, at 8 p.m. Members Bill Medley and Bucky Heard have released many favorite tunes over the years, including “Unchained Melody” and “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration.” Another one of their popular hits, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” is the most played song in radio history, according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted the Righteous Brothers as honorees in 2003. Doors open at 7 p.m. for their show, which is sure to please and is recommended to all ages.
Photo credit: InMaricopa
Next, comedian Dave Chappelle takes the stage for two shows, on April 5 and 6, at 8 p.m. A stand-up comedian, actor, writer and producer, Chappelle started his film career in the favorite movie Robin Hood: Men in Tights. He also appeared in hilarious flicks like The Nutty Professor, Con Air, You’ve Got Mail, and Undercover Brother. On TV, Chappelle starred in the shows Brothers and Chappelle’s Show. After leaving Chappelle’s Show, he resumed performing stand-up comedy around the country. Known for his trademark wit and sharp, irreverent social comedy, Chappelle will keep you laughing all night!
Tickets for the Righteous Brothers and both Dave Chappelle shows are available online at Ticketmaster.com. Get your seats now, before they sell out!
The brand-new Events Center at Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino seats 2,000 and is part of the property’s overall expansion, expected to be completed in April. Other improvements include a 12-story hotel tower, new restaurants, a 730-space parking garage and updates to the casino. Come check out all the great improvements to Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino!
Related TopicsAk-Chin CircleAk-Chin Indian CommunityDave ChappelleFeatureHarrah’s Ak-Chin CasinoRighteous Brothers
Meet David Trujillo, Promotions and Events Manager for UltraStar Multi-tainment Center!
Beer tasting, live music on tap at Arroyo Grille
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2342
|
__label__wiki
| 0.798378
| 0.798378
|
Various types of biological warfare have been practice repeatedly through history such as biological agents e.g. microbes and plants as well as biotoxins e.g. venoms derived from them. Before the 20th century, biological agents took the form of deliberate contaminates to food and water with poisonous or contagious material, the use of microbes, biological toxins, animals or plants in a weapon system and the use of biologically inoculated fabrics. In the 20th century, as technique in virology and bacteriology greatly improved so did the production of significant stockpiles of weaponized bio-agents grow such as bacterial agents e.g. Anthrax, Brucella, Tularemia, etc., viral agents e.g. Smallpox, Viral hemorrhagic fevers, etc. and toxins e.g. Botulinum, Ricin, etc. After the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Iraq admitted to the United Nations inspection team to having made 19,000 liters of concentrated botulinum toxin including 10,000 liters of which was loaded into weapons and much of which was never accounted for. The amount produced is three times what is needed to kill the entire human population by inhalation even though the delivery unless protected from oxygen would make it impossible to distribute due to deterioration in storage. According to the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment, eight countries are reported to have run unofficial biological warfare programs in 1995 which includes China, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Libya, North Korea, Syria and Taiwan and five countries have admitted to running offensive weapon or development programs in the past which includes United States, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Programs in Iraq under the guidance of the Coalition Forces and United Nations were dismantled after the Gulf War in 1991 even though Iraqi military bio-weapons programs continued to operate in defiance of the international agreement until the program was abandoned in 1995 and 1996.
Several past instances deliberate and unintentional, public and top-secret have involved some form of bio-weapons research or actual use. On September 18, 2001 and a few days after, several letters containing intentionally prepared anthrax spores were sent to member of Congress and American media outlets killing five of 22 people sickened by the spores. The identity of the bioterrorist remained unknown until 2008 when an official but dead suspect was named. Suspicion of ongoing Iraqi bio-weapons programs could not be confirmed in the wake of the March 2003 invasion. In 2008, according to U.S. Congressional Research Service report, China, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Russia, Syria and Taiwan to varying degrees have some bio-weapon capability, however by 2011, 165 countries officially signed the BWC pledging to disavow biological weapons. Besides individual and foreign sources of potential biological risk, the United States has performed numerous experiments on human test subject considered unethical even illegal without the consent, knowledge or informed consent of the test subjects in question. The experiments include the deliberate infection of people with deadly or debilitating diseases, exposure of people to biological and chemical weapons, human radiation experiments, injection of people with toxic and radioactive chemicals, surgical experiments, interrogation/torture experiments, tests involving mind-altering substances, and a wide variety of others. Many of these experiments were performed on children, the sick, and mentally disabled individuals, often under the guise of “medical treatment” with a large portion of these subjects being poor, racial minorities, or prisoners.
The funding for these projects came from the United States government especially the Central Intelligence Agency, United States military and federal or military corporations. The research was often highly secretive and kept until many years after the studies were finished. The ramifications of such research had ethical, professional and legal implications in the United States medical and scientific community leading to many institutions and politic to ensure future human subject research in the United States would follow ethical and legal standards. Public outrage over the discovery of government experiments on human subjects force numerous congressional investigations and hearing to be open into the nature of these experiments including the Church Commission, Rockefeller Commission, and Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments, amongst others. As of 2007, no U.S. researcher has been prosecuted in connection to these experiments and the many victims have not received compensation or acknowledgement from the government for what was done to them.
According to the World Health Organization, Infectious diseases also known as transmissible or communicable diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, protozoa, aberrant proteins called prions or fungi spreading directly or indirectly from one person to another, while zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases of animals that can cause disease when transmitted to humans. In some cases, the infectious disease may not present itself in the traditional definition and may even be asymptomatic for a given host and the disease may only be defined as such in the secondary host after contact with an asymptomatic carrier. The infectivity is the ability to survive and multiply in he host, while the infectiousness refers to the comparative ease with which the disease is transmitted to other hosts. The path by which transmission occurs varies including physical contact, contaminated food, body fluids, objects, airborne inhalation, or through vector organisms. Contagious diseases are a subset of infectious diseases as they are especially infective or easily transmitted e.g. influenza, but does not include specialized routes of infection such as vector or sexual transmission as they do not require medical isolation or quarantine of the victim.
Despite incredible advances in medical technology and treatments during the 20th century, infectious diseases remain the leading cause of deaths worldwide due to the emergence of new infectious diseases, re-emergence of old infectious diseases and persistence mismanagement of infectious diseases. The top three single agent or disease killers of today include HIV/ AIDS, TB and malaria, however there has been a decline in the number deaths due to two of the three diseases listed with HIV/AIDS increasing fourfold. Childhood diseases include pertussis, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, measles and tetanus with children also making up a large percentage of lower respiratory and diarrheal deaths. Compared to the medical profession of the past and advancements in medical technology, the world is better prepared to deal with a global epidemic or pandemic than in the past. Here are some stats on historical pandemics that managed to wipe out large geographical areas of the globe:
Plague of Justinian, from 541 to 750, killed between 50% and 60% of Europe’s population.
The Black Death of 1347 to 1352 killed 25 million in Europe over 5 years. The plague reduced the world population from an estimated 450 million to between 350 and 375 million in the 14th century.
The introduction of smallpox, measles, and typhus to the areas of Central and South America by European explorers during the 15th and 16th centuries caused pandemics among the native inhabitants. Between 1518 and 1568 disease pandemics are said to have caused the population of Mexico to fall from 20 million to 3 million.
The first European influenza epidemic occurred between 1556 and 1560, with an estimated mortality rate of 20%.
Smallpox killed an estimated 60 million Europeans during the 18th century (approximately 400,000 per year). Up to 30% of those infected, including 80% of the children under 5 years of age, died from the disease, and one-third of the survivors went blind.
In the 19th century, tuberculosis killed an estimated one-quarter of the adult population of Europe;by 1918 one in six deaths in France were still caused by TB.
The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 (or the Spanish Flu) killed 25-50 million people (about 2% of world population of 1.7 billion). Today Influenza kills about 250,000 to 500,000 worldwide each year.
Many factors play into the emergence of new disease or the spread of existing diseases to new areas. In most cases, the microorganism lives within the host via mutual or commensal interactions and only when the existing parasite becomes pathogenic or when new pathogenic parasites enter a new host can disease emerge. Coevolution between to the two may make the host resistant to the parasite or the parasite may become virulent leading to immunopathological disease. Of course one of the biggest factors is human activity in the emergence of infectious disease as changes in the environment enable parasites to occupy new niches therefore wider distribution and potential new host organisms. The process of zoonoses enables parasites to jump from nonhuman to human hosts potentially causing the invading parasite to become pathogenic int he new host. Several human activities have led to the emergence and spread of new diseases as follows:
Encroachment on wildlife habitats. The construction of new villages and housing developments in rural areas force animals to live in dense populations, creating opportunities for microbes to mutate and emerge.
Changes in agriculture. The introduction of new crops attracts new crop pests and the microbes they carry to farming communities, exposing people to unfamiliar diseases.
The destruction of rain forests. As countries make use of their rain forests, by building roads through forests and clearing areas for settlement or commercial ventures, people encounter insects and other animals harboring previously unknown microorganisms.
Uncontrolled urbanization. The rapid growth of cities in many developing countries tends to concentrate large numbers of people into crowded areas with poor sanitation. These conditions foster transmission of contagious diseases.
Modern transport. Ships and other cargo carriers often harbor unintended “passengers”, that can spread diseases to faraway destinations. While with international jet-airplane travel, people infected with a disease can carry it to distant lands, or home to their families, before their first symptoms appear.
According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, emerging diseases include previous unknown disease or known disease who incidence in humans has significantly increased in the past two decades. Re-emerging diseases are known diseases that have reappeared after a significant decline in incidence. Within the past two decades, innovative research, improved diagnostic and detection methods have allowed the discovery of formerly unknown human pathogens e.g. within the last decade, chronic gastric ulcers were found to be a result of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and not stress or diet. Due to human demographic, behavior, land use, etc., new infectious diseases continue to evolve and emerge as changing transmission dynamics has brought people closer and in more frequent contact with pathogens. Examples of this include exposure to animals or arthropod carriers of disease, the increasing trade of exotic animals as pets, and exotic animals as a food source contributing to the rise in opportunity for pathogens to jump from animal to humans e.g. close contact with exotic rodents imported to the U.S. as pets resulted in a monkey pox outbreak and the use of exotic civet cats for meet in China resulted in SARS coronavirus making the transition from animal to human. In addition to new pathogen discoveries, old infectious diseases have re-emerged due to natural genetic variations, recombinations and adaptations allowing new strains of known pathogens to appear resulting in a slow response from the immune system e.g. influenza. A factor as previously stated, the role of human behavior, has caused the development of resistant pathogens making many diseases formerly treatable to make a resurgence due to the increased and overuse of antimicrobial drugs and pesticides e.g. tuberculosis, malaria, nosocomial, and food borne infections. Furthermore, the decrease compliance with vaccination policy has led to re-emergence of the measles and pertussis pathogens which were under control. The use of deadly pathogens such as smallpox or anthrax as bioterrorism agents is an increasing threat to civilian populations as many important infectious diseases have never been managed on the national or international level. Even more troublesome is the fact that infectious diseases once confined to developing countries pose an ongoing health problem for the United States e.g. food- and waterborne infections, dengue, West Nile virus.
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in the journal of Emerging Infectious Diseases has identified the following factors contributing to disease emergence:
Microbial adaptions; e.g. genetic drift and genetic shift in Influenza A
Changing human susceptibility; e.g. mass immunocompromisation with HIV/AIDS
Climate and weather; e.g. diseases with zoonotic vectors such as West Nile Disease (transmitted by mosquitoes) are moving further from the tropics as the climate warms
Change in human demographics and trade; e.g. rapid travel enabled SARS to rapidly propagate around the globe
Economic development; e.g. use of antibiotics to increase meat yield of farmed cows leads to antibiotic resistance[citation needed]
Breakdown of public health; e.g. the current situation in Zimbabwe
Poverty and social inequality; e.g. tuberculosis is primarily a problem in low-income areas
War and famine
Bioterrorism; e.g. 2001 Anthrax attacks
Dam and irrigation system construction; e.g. malaria and other mosquito borne diseases
While the devastation from these invisible enemies has altered human history and caused millions of deaths, there have been positive developments resulting in a better understanding of these invisible invaders. It’s often thought that the course of history hinges on great battles where the stars are a few powerful individuals such as presidents, monarchs and dictators whose actions can influence the direction society develops, yet some influential actors are nasty, ruthless and microscopic. In his book Twelve Diseases That Changed Our World, Irwin Sherman, a professor emeritus of biology at the University of California Riverside, explains how bacteria, parasites, and viruses have virtually wiped out populations and crumbled cities, felled great leaders and thinkers and transformed politics, public health and economies. U.S. News & World Report spoke with Sherman about how 12 key diseases—smallpox, tuberculosis, syphilis, AIDS, influenza, bubonic plague, cholera, malaria, yellow fever, two noninfectious diseases hemophilia and porphyria, and the plant disease behind the Irish Potato Famine—have altered history.
While some of these epidemics and pandemics have been halted, others continue to remain a constant problem for public health professionals and the greater population. Smallpox is the only infectious disease that has been eradicated through vaccination and the medical science of vaccination is a direct result of the smallpox devastation as studies in immunity and vaccines emerged from studies of smallpox. The struggle to fight tuberculosis led to the quest for antibiotics promoting pasteurization in order to kill TB and other pathogens in milk as well as prompted the building of sanitariums to isolate and treat those infected. Syphilis inspired the discovery of chemotherapeutic agents e.g. the sexually transmitted disease prompted chemotherapy pioneer Paul Ehrlich to find a magic bullet which turned out to be the drug salvorsan. No discussion of disease can occur without mentioning HIV/ AIDS as Irwin Sherman has said,”It’s also a disease that is modern and yet has its parallels with the past in the kind of reactions that populations have when there’s an unforeseen epidemic.” While chemotherapy cocktails have been effective when available in reducing the number of deaths associated, there is no known cure and can only be controlled by controlling behavior. Influenza is one of few in human history that has had such a widespread effect on the number of deaths in the modern world and remains a major threat globally despite the existence of a vaccine. The disease may have actually influenced the course of World War I as many soldiers became sickened even died from the flu, while the military healthcare system struggled to treat all of those infected. Like HIV/AIDS, no discussion is complete without the bubonic plague which led to the idea of quarantining or isolating those infected or potentially infected as a way to stem the spread of disease. Similar to HIV/ AIDS, the popular reaction to the plague in medieval times was similar to HIV/ AIDS in the modern era as fear, ignorance, anxiety, prejudice, isolation and panic can all result from not understanding the nature of the disease. Cholera though not a problem in the developed world as clean water and sewage systems are readily available, the disease still runs rampant in parts of the world where sanitation systems do not exist. One of the most persistent and lethal infectious diseases in history, Malaria, has caused over 300 million cases worldwide and 3 million deaths a year. It’s one of the best examples, according to Sherman, of the importance of controlling vectors in this case mosquitoes which are the insect carriers in preventing transmission of the disease. Like Malaria, Yellow Fever another mosquito borne illness hasn’t been eradicated and never will be according to Sherman. The disease even influenced the construction of the Panama Canal, the Louisiana Purchase and pre-World War II development in the southern United States. Sherman explains,”The stereotypes of the lazy, drawling southerner and the energetic, bright northerner were typical characterizations due to disease or the absence of disease. In the North, mosquitoes couldn’t survive overwintering, so there wasn’t yellow fever. In the South, on the other hand, you had a population that was either decimated or debilitated by the disease.” The potato blight which caused the Irish Potato Famine did not directly affect humans but what humans eat as the staple food that fed much of Ireland in the mid-1800s was profoundly devastated. Like the Potato Famine of the past, many modern agricultural economies focus on one crop, so a single disease could be a significant threat and major game changer. The Irish famine influence America by generating an influx of Irish immigrants to U.S. cities which led to the expansion of the Democratic party, development of labor unions and molded the nation’s character in other ways.
As mentioned above, pandemics are epidemics of infectious disease spread through human populations across large regions e.g. multiple continents or worldwide. Throughout history there have been many pandemics such as smallpox and tuberculosis with more recent pandemics including the HIV pandemic and the H1N1 pandemics of 1918 and 2009. The World Health Organization has a six stage classification to describe the process by which the influenza virus moves from the first infected humans to pandemic as follows: This starts with the virus mostly infecting animals, with a few cases where animals infect people, then moves through the stage where the virus begins to spread directly between people, and ends with a pandemic when infections from the new virus have spread worldwide. This general guideline can be used to describe most epidemiological cases of pandemics. As new and old diseases continue to emerge and re-emerge, some diseases have the potential in the future of becoming a major threat to human populations and possible pandemics such as viral hemorrhagic fevers (e.g. Lassa fever virus, Rift Valley fever, Marburg virus, Ebola virus and Bolivian hemorrhagic fever), antibiotic resistant microorganisms or “superbugs” (e.g. multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, Staphylococcus aureus, Serratia marcescens, Enterococcus, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ), SARS, Influenza and H5N1 also known as Avian Flu.
The use of infectious diseases against enemies in times of war have occurred throughout history making the following historical events some of the first known uses of biological warfare. In 1346, the bodies of Mongol warriors who died of the plague were thrown over the walls of the Crimean city of Kaffa now Theodosia which has been speculated to be the arrival of the Black Death in Europe. The Native American population was devastated after contact with the Old World due to different fatal diseases. One documented case of germ warfare involves British commander Jeffrey Amherst and Swiss British officer colonel Henry Bouquet whose correspondence referred to the idea of giving smallpox infected blankets to Indians as part of the Pontiac’s Rebellion occurring during the Siege of Fort Pitt 1763 in the French and Indian War. During the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), Unit 731 of the Imperial Japanese Army conducted experiments on thousands of Chinese, while the Japanese army used biological weapons on Chinese soldiers and civilians. Plague fleas, infected clothing and infected supplies were encased in bombs and dropped on various targets resulting in 400,000 Chinese civilian deaths due to cholera, anthrax and plague. Diseases considered for or known to be used as weapons include anthrax, ebola, Marburg virus, plague, cholera, typhus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, brucellosis, Q fever, machupo, Coccidioides mycosis, Glanders, Melioidosis, Shigella, Psittacosis, Japanese B encephalitis, Rift Valley fever, yellow fever, and smallpox.
Because of the recent use of anthrax laced letters to members of Congress and President Obama, chemical and biological weaponry also known as “the poor man’s atomic bomb” have become worrisome in the minds of the public. The ability to manufacture such weapons are relatively cheaper and easier to produce due to the widespread availability of chemical and biological agents compared to nuclear therefore future terrorist attacks might utilize biological weapons similar to anthrax. According to Adam Rotfeld, former Director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), biological warfare is the “intentional use of disease-causing microorganisms or other entities that can replicate themselves (e.g., viruses, infectious nucleic acids and prions) against humans, animals or plants for hostile purposes…it may also involve the use of toxins: poisonous substances produced by living organisms…plants…and animals. If they are utilized for warfare purpose, the synthetically manufactured counterparts of these toxins are biological weapons.” The delivery system can range from sending a letter or package via mail i.e. anthrax to a sophisticated chemical warhead to other possibilities such as contaminating the water supply or air dispersal in the form of gas. As Rotfeld explains, chemical and biological weapons development presents a trickier ethics case as biotechnology is applied commercially every day with the dual use potential of most technology involved in the research and development of biotechnology complicating the issue. Dual use means anything made for the public could be used by the military and visa versa e.g. researching vaccines means researching and possibly developing weapon agents.
The use of such weapons comes down to a fundamental question whether it is ever morally acceptable and ethically responsible to do harm to another person. In this case, the destruction of human life therefore biological and chemical weapons is for the most part unacceptable. Like nuclear weapons, the potential for mass destruction poses a significant threat as targeting specific small groups is difficult. Because of the threat of such attacks exist, it is also important to develop the technology to fight it using countermeasures where necessary to ensure the safety and health of the general population. While ultimately the development of weapons agents is unethical, it is important to develop vaccines to cure them. With a better understanding of disease in the 20th century, comes the emergence of new forms of chemical and biological weaponry e.g. during World War I poisonous gases and anthrax applications were used by German operatives, while recently radical groups have implemented various chemical agents such as the release of sarin nerve gas in the subway system of Japan in March 1995. Due to the significant impact on human life, stopping these activities would be ideal, however this has proven to be difficult as rogue parties and states continue to develop chemical and biological weaponry.
In 1992, to curb the proliferation of chemical and biological agents, members of the United Nations agreed upon the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction formerly known as the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). It is considered an extension of the Geneva Protocol of 1925 and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention of 1972 (BTWC). The Geneva Protocol called for the prohibited use of chemical and biological weapons in war, the BTWC outlawed biological and toxin weapons even requiring their destruction and the CWC provided specific information regarding actual chemicals and assistance if chemical weapons are used on a cooperating state. Vaccine research is allowed under the protocols.
The field of biotechnology has led to both harmful and beneficial outcomes due to the idea of dual use research. The same technology used for genetically engineered medicine can be used for military weapons. A 2001 Australian research study illustrates the dual use dilemma where a deadly mouse pox (a virus equivalent to human smallpox) virus was created by accident while developing a contraceptive vaccine for purposes of pest control according to one research on the project, Ronald J. Jackson. As he explains, “It would be safe to assume that if some idiot did put human IL-4 into human smallpox they’d increase the lethality quite dramatically.” When the convention banned such weapons, the world did not think these weapons had a military use but with recent terrorist and scientific developments stronger measures are needed. The capability to engineer weapons to target ethnic groups e.g. the Human Genome Diversity Project and agriculture e.g. regions where monoculture is the norm pose a real threat making it more important than ever to impose a stronger code of ethics to prevent harmful applications of biotechnology. One proposal put forth by some nations including the U.S. is to institutionalize a code of ethics for scientist working on potentially dangerous pathogens and toxins requiring scientists to discontinue research or redirect research if there is a potential dangerous application of their work. As of 2002, according to a SPIRI online survey, only 11% of 71 international scientific organizations and 12% of 267 national or regional scientific organizations have a code of ethics. The proposal requires scientist to look into the future in order to determine if their work has harmful applications which when put into practice is impossible as history has shown us. A man called Einstein had no idea that his work would lead to the atomic bomb. Education and resources are needed in ethics to bring awareness to the potential devastation dual use research poses.
Biological weapons have many features which make them attractive to military strategists as the attack will cause no harm to infrastructure or physical property. The applications are numerous from incapacitating guerrilla attacks to fatal epidemics that sweep enemy populations. The fact that these types of weapons are cheap and easy to manufacture compared to nuclear weapons makes them great alternatives for low-budget countries and pack a punch. They are impossible to trace to their source making them suitable to covert operations. However biological weapons are unpredictable and could injure the wrong populations. The global community has condemned their use so to use them would cause the offending country to be ostracized therefore impact their economic and political livelihood. Genetically modified agents could also mutate and spread out of control in the global population even impact the environment infecting wildlife in the target area and potentially upsetting the ecosystem. Though biological agents on their own are good candidates, the modification of these pathogens could make them more efficient at killing or incapacitating enemy populations i.e. recombinant DNA could lead to a longer lived, more virulent germ capable of being weaponized inside a bomb or floated through the air over enemy territory. Of course, to have the desired effect, weather permitting, most biological agents must be ingested or inhaled. Before 1969, almost every superpower in the world including the United States and Soviet Union had a defensive biological weapons program. However in 1969, Richard Nixon announced that the U.S. biological stockpiles would be destroyed.
The atomic bomb of biological warfare may have already been created in the lab and measures are being taken to prevent this mutated pathogen from falling into the wrong hands, according to the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity. American authorities have asked two scientific journals (Science and Nature) to withhold information from two separate research teams, one led by Yoshihiro Kawaoka at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the other led by Ron Fouchier at Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, who managed to mutate the H5N1 virus known as the bird flu to a dramatically more dangerous strain.have tinkered with H5N1, otherwise known as bird flu. The original strain unlike its Spanish sister is not easily transmitted to humans or between them, but if the virus evolved could hop effectively from person to person wreaking havoc on large populations. This worse case scenario now has the potential to occur due to the research done by these two separate teams. Each team engineered the virus to transmit through the air from ferret to ferret which are good proxies for humans through natural evolution and a few engineered mutations. After several generation, the virus was able to go airborne with five mutations in two genes which have never been found in one strain of the virus but found separately in nature. The fear is that if researchers describe the genetic changes needed and the precise method then terrorist or mischief makers will be able to copy the technique with the potential for a biological atomic bomb. The NSABB has asked only enough information be published to encourage further understanding and responsible research but not allow the researchers’ methods to be used. The censorship of this research, Dr. Alberts, the editor of Science, argues would be counterproductive to developing new treatments to combat this lethal form.
The ripple effect of such research may require scientists to put publication of similar studies and presentations on hold if the NSABB has anything to do with it. The research itself would continue as usual, but the three-month moratorium on publication and presentation would allow scientists to weigh the risks and benefits of releasing such research to the public according to Paul Klein, a microbial geneticist at Northern Arizona University and chair of the NSABB. Of major concern to Laurie Garret, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, is some deadly viruses such as smallpox are kept in secure facilities, while new strains are not as well protected. The labs where they reside are rated at bio-saftey level 3 enhanced where the Spanish flu was resuscitated, however this is a notch below level 4 where the nastiest bugs are handled. The problem therefore does not lie with terrorist but the accidental release of this potentially lethal strain due to human error.
The portrayal of such catastrophic accidents was best seen in the British sci-fi film 28 Days Later which opens with animal rights activists breaking into the Cambridge Primate Research facility to free chimpanzees (infected with genetically modified pathogens) used in a secret weapons program and once released, the infected chimpanzees attack everyone unleashing a plague of unimaginable proportions. Despite the fictitious scenario, this grim, cautionary tale holds several kernels of truth as potential threats to safety loom on the horizon. According to the Dark Government website, the sixth anniversary of the murder of British biological weapons expert Dr. David Kelly on July 17, 2003 helped to expose more than just government lies that led to the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, but exposed the germ warfare research programs of Britain and the United States. Along with the 2001 anthrax attacks in American that killed five people and exposed some 10,000 others to weaponized bacteria, Kelly’s highly questionable death focused attention on the West’s bio-weapons establishment that includes a network of medical researchers, corporate grifters and Pentagon weaponeers working with deadly microorganisms.
The production of biological weapons was officially banned in the Biological Weapons Convention of 1975, yet the absence of any formal verification regime has taken away from the effectiveness of the treaty. As the Dark Government website points out, a giant loop-hole allows the production of “small quantities” of pestilential agents “for medical and defensive purposes,” however, these agents are not prohibited but rather the transformation into “weapons, equipment or means of delivery … for hostile purposes or in armed conflict.” After the September 11 and anthrax attacks, the United States began systematic and reckless research into the creation of these prohibited weapons dubbing their program “biodefense” to avoid breaching the BWC which allowed for new facilities and upgrades to take place along with a huge funding increase. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) report in May 2009 estimated that overall government spending had “increased from $690 million in FY2001 to $5.4 billion in FY2008.” According to the Washington D.C.-based Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, since the 2001 terrorist attacks “the U.S. government has spent or allocated nearly $50 billion among 11 federal departments and agencies to address the threat of biological weapons. For Fiscal Year 2009 (FY2009), the Bush Administration proposes an additional $8.97 billion in bioweapons-related spending, approximately $2.5 billion (39%) more than the amount that Congress appropriated for FY2008.” The bulk of these funds according to the Center have gone to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA ($31.5 billion), the Defense Department ($11.8 billion), Department of Homeland Security ($3.3 billion) and Project BioShield ($5.5 billion).
However according to numerous studies, deadly pathogens will more likely spread due to laboratory accidents than terrorists as more and more Biosafety Level 3 and 4 facilities are being built across the United States. A BL-3 lab facilities is capable of handling indigenous or exotic agents that may cause serious or potentially lethal disease after inhalation e.g. tuberculosis, anthrax, West Nile virus, SARS, salmonella, and yellow fever. While a BL-4 lab facilities handles the most deadly pathogens known to humankind which are aerosol transmitted infectious agents that cause fatal disease and have no known treatments e.g. Marburg virus, Ebola virus, Lassa fever and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. CRS researchers reported that “Non-federal entities have also expanded or constructed additional high-containment laboratories. In addition to the threat of bioterrorism, an increasing awareness of the threat posed by emerging and re-emerging diseases has led to the proliferation of high-containment laboratories internationally, as the technologies used are widely available.” The number of labs is unknown, however CRS has determined that BL-4 labs have increased twelve fold since 2004. Much of the work is being done by private corporations with little oversight with some prominent firms receiving the greatest funding for BSL-3 and 4 work including Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Battelle Memorial Institute, Southern Research Institute, and others.
According to the Dark Government website, during the 2007 hearings before Congress’ Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, committee Chairman Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) said:
“These BSL–3 and 4 labs are the facilities where research is conducted on highly infectious viruses and bacteria that can cause injury or death. Some of the world’s most exotic and most dangerous diseases are handled at BSL–3 and 4 labs, including anthrax, foot-and-mouth disease and Ebola fever. The accidental or deliberate release of some of the biological agents handled at these labs could have catastrophic consequences. Yet, as we will hear from the Government Accountability Office, GAO, no single Government agency has the ultimate responsibility for ensuring the safety and securing of these high-containment labs. However, GAO states there is a major expansion of the number of BSL laboratories is occurring both in United States and abroad but the full extent of that expansion is unknown. “(“Germs, Viruses and Secrets: The Silent Proliferation of Bio-Laboratories in the United States,” Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. House of Representatives, October 4, 2007, Serial No. 110-70, pp. 1-2)
The hearings revealed that no one “in the Federal Government even knows for sure how many of these labs there are in the United States, much less what research they are doing or whether they are safe and secure.” Neither “safe” nor “secure” such facilities however, are highly profitable. During 2007 alone, some 100 “incidents” were reported; however, “there are indications that the actual number of incidents may be much higher,” according to Rep. Stupak. Reporting guidelines are so lax that dangerous pathogens such as hantavirus, SARS and dengue fever “are not on the select agent list” nor are there requirements “that the theft, loss or release of these agents … be reported to Federal officials.”
According to Edward Hammond, director of the now-defunct Sunshine Project, some 20,000 people working at more than 400 sites in the U.S. conduct research on organisms that can be used as bio-weapons representing a tenfold increase in employment at such facilities since the 2001 anthrax attacks. Using the Freedom of Information Act, Hammond obtained records from several university bio-safety committees stating that some of the deadliest pathogens had escaped containment due to poor safety practices resulting in accidental infection of lab works. Some of these included plague, anthrax, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, brucellosis and Q fever. Scientists have warned for many years that mishandling of these lethal pathogens increases the probability of mishaps occurring and Hammond reports the following well publicized incidents:
*Texas A&M University: workers were exposed to Q fever when it escaped containment;
*University of New Mexico: one worker was jabbed with an anthrax-laden needle while another was stuck with a syringe filled with an undisclosed, genetically altered microbe;
*University of Ohio Medical Center: workers are exposed to and infected with Valley Fever;
*University of Chicago: a syringe puncture of a lab worker with an undisclosed substance that required heavy containment, most likely anthrax or plague;
*University of California at Berkeley: workers handled the air-borne toxin Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever without containment. It had been mislabeled as “harmless”.
As of recent, the Global Security Newswire reports that an inventory at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) at Fort Detrick, Md., “found nearly 10,000 more vials of potentially lethal pathogens than were known to be stored at the site.” Claiming that there are “multiple layers of security,” Ft. Detrick’s deputy commander Col. Mark Kortepeter said it was “extremely unlikely” that any of the center’s samples had been smuggled out. “Unlikely,” but not impossible. Amongst the 9,200 extra samples uncovered during the inventory were “bacterial agents that cause plague, anthrax and tularemia; Venezuelan, Eastern and Western equine encephalitis viruses; Rift valley fever virus; Junin virus; Ebola virus; and botulinum neurotoxins.” Any one of these pathogens should they escape or made to “disappear,” could be transformed into a doomsday weapon.
In Emerging Technologies: Genetic Engineering and Biological Weapons, researcher Edward Hammond described how “Genetic engineering can contribute to offensive BW programs in a variety of ways. With genetic manipulation, classical bio-warfare agents such as anthrax or plague may be made more efficient weapons. Barriers to access to agents such as smallpox, Ebola or the Spanish flu are being lowered by genetic and genomic techniques.” Recombinant DNA research has allowed enterprising corporations to exploit the process for less than noble purposes as Hammond explains the “access to highly virulent agents and strains is increasingly regulated and restricted,” with lethal toxins such as the smallpox virus “eradicated outside the laboratory more than 20 years ago … it is only a question of time before the artificial synthesis of agents or agent combinations becomes possible.” In 2002, poliovirus was synthesized by researchers at the University of New York in Stony Brook. Hammond writes that “researchers built poliovirus ‘from scratch’ through chemical synthesis. Starting with the gene sequence of the agent, which is available online, the researchers synthesized virus sequences in the lab and ordered other tailor-made DNA sequences from a commercial source. They then combined them to form the full polio genome. In a last step, the DNA-sequence was brought to life by adding a chemical cocktail that initiated the production of a living, pathogenic virus. The experiment was funded by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).” Although poliovirus is not well suited for bio-weapon purposes, the experiment makes it possible for similar techniques to be used for smallpox.
The potential for an engineered smallpox virus as a bio-weapon strikes fear in the hearts of many, however the bigger concern of late is the fact U.S. researchers, led by a Pentagon pathologist, have genetically reconstructed the Spanish Flu responsible for the 1918-1919 pandemic. “In one experiment” Hammond informs us, “a partially reconstructed 1918 virus killed mice, while virus constructs with genes from a contemporary flu virus had hardly any effect.” During the 1918-1919 outbreak some 40 million people died in the global pandemic. Hammond reports that a sample of lung tissue from a 21-year-old soldier who died in 1918 at Ft. Jackson in South Carolina “yielded what the Army researchers were looking for: intact pieces of viral RNA that could be analyzed and sequenced. In a first publication in 1997, nine short fragments of Spanish flu viral RNA were revealed. Due to the rough tissue preparation procedure in 1918, no living virus or complete viral RNA sequences were recovered.” By 2002 according to Hammond, “four of the eight viral RNA segments had been completely sequenced, including the two segments that are considered to be of greatest importance for the virulence of the virus.”
A look into America’s dark and secretive past reveals one facility that has played a major role in the American Cold War bio-weapons program, the 840 acre Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC). Under the control of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Plum Island shares close ties to the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) at Fort Detrick, Md., the Dark Government website reports. According to numerous reports by researcher Mark Sanborne, Plum Island’s “spiritual godfather” was none other than one Dr. Erich Traub, “a Nazi scientist with a fascinating history.” Traub spent the pre-war years as a scientific fellow at the Rockefeller Institute in Princeton, N.J., “studying bacteriology and virology, while still finding time to hang out at Camp Sigfried, headquarters of the American Nazi movement in Yaphank, Long Island, 30 miles west of Plum Island.” According to Michael Christopher Carroll’s Lab 257, when war broke out Traub returned to Germany becoming the head of the Insel Riems, a secret Nazi biological research facility located in the Baltic Sea. A fanatical Nazi, Traub tested germ and viral sprays over the occupied Soviet Union “while reporting directly to Heinrich Himmler.” Due to the sinister nature of Traub’s research, most would suspect that he ended up dead or in jail, however this was not the case according to Carroll:
“After the war Traub worked briefly for the Soviets before escaping into the embrace of Operation Paperclip, Washington’s covert employment program for useful Nazi scientists. As Werner von Braun was to rockets, Traub was to germs: He promptly went to work for the Naval Medical Research Institute and gave operational advice to the CIA and the bio-warriors at Fort Detrick. Indeed, his detailed description of his work at Insel Riems probably helped inspire the selection of Plum Island by the Army: both the German and U.S. facilities were situated on islands where the prevailing winds blew (mostly) out to sea.” (Mark Sanborne, “‘Bionoia’ Part 3: The Mystery of Plum Island: Nazis, Ticks and Weapons of Mass Infection,” World War 4 Report, No. 121, May 1, 2006)
Carroll builds a compelling case for the 1975 outbreak and pandemic spread of Lyme Disease, suggesting that the debilitating disease began with experimentation at Plum Island and that more than just tick research occurred. This tick borne illness was first identified in Old Lyme, Connecticut “just 10 miles across Long Island Sound from Plum Island.” Since 1975 there has been 300,000 reported cases in 49 states with the CDC estimating that only one in 10 cases are recognized as such due to its ability to imitate other diseases and multi-symptom manifestation meaning that three million Americans may have been infected. Why would the military be interested in a disease that does not kill but debilitated its victims? According to Sanborne, a wounded soldier puts greater stress on an army than a dead one, “gradually sickening a population places greater economic and social stress on a society than simply killing a limited number of people with a more direct and virulent attack.” The ability of the disease to transmit via natural vectors like ticks and mosquitoes allows for greater deniability making it even more attractive as a weapon. Carroll found that entomologist Dr. Richard Endris and African swine fever team leader Dr. William Hess traveled to Cameroon and other African locations to hunt for ticks and by the time they had finished amassed over 200,000 hard and soft ticks of multiple species. However due to unsafe lab containment practices, the pair was fired in 1988 and the tick colony destroyed. There is also evidence that the island experimented with more than ticks as Carroll declares,
“Dr. Endris also conducted experiments with sand flies on Plum Island in 1987 to test transmission of leishmaniasis, a bacterial ailment that if left untreated, has a human mortality rate of almost 100 percent. It is characterized by irregular bouts of fever, substantial weight loss, and swelling of the spleen and liver. The work was performed under contract for Fort Detrick, and serves as another example of a deadly germ warfare agent worked on at Plum Island for the Army, with no public knowledge or public safety precautions taken.” (Michael Christopher Carroll, Lab 257: The Disturbing Story of the Government’s Secret Germ Laboratory, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2005, p. 24)
The New York Times reported in 2004 that “the highly contagious foot and mouth virus had briefly spread within the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in two previously undisclosed incidents earlier this summer.” The lab spokesperson Donald W. Tighe told the paper that “the virus had remained within the laboratory’s sealed biocontainment area. He said there had been no risk to humans or animals inside or outside the laboratory.” An investigation “is continuing.” Alarmingly, in 1991, Hurricane Bob knocked out power on the island for several hours and disabled the air pressure systems that contained the viruses. At the time, lab spokespersons assured the public “they were safe.”
Despite lax oversight and $50 billion going to universities, corporations and the military, since 2002 the National Institute of Health has spent billions on constructing new BSL-3 and 4 facilities. Ultimately plans are in place to close the facility and build a new $450 million facility on the Kansas State University campus under the direction of the Department of Homeland Security, the Global Security Newswire reports. The New York Times discovered that additional costs would bring the total to $630 million. The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBADF) would have “safety built into every square inch,” DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano assured critics. One Boston resident, alarmed by the prospect that Boston University Medical Center officials were building “a biological defense laboratory in one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods” told the Los Angeles Times, “We heard anthrax and Roxbury-South End,” she recalled. “Then we heard Ebola. The last thing we heard was bubonic plague. We looked at each other and said, ‘No way are they bringing that … into our community.’”
“Seven years later, the $198-million lab complex stands completed between an apartment building and a flower market. But state and federal lawsuits by anxious residents, backed by skeptical scientists, have blocked the opening until late next year at the earliest.
The battle marks the first major setback in the vast growth since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks of labs authorized to research the world’s most dangerous diseases. It also underscores a growing debate over the safety and security of such labs–and whether so many are needed.” (Bob Drogin, “Biodefense Labs Make Bad Neighbors, Residents Say,” Los Angeles Times, May 17, 2009)
According to a 2008 University of California budget document the Board of Regents wanted $3,998,000 for a project to renovate and “upgrade” the existing laboratory facility “for programs that require Bio-safety Level 3 (BSL3) containment” on the U.C. Davis campus. “The BSL3 space is needed” we are informed, “for research programs utilizing infectious and pathogenic organisms.” Indeed, “the facility would be designed to accommodate research studies involving in-vitro experimentation utilizing infected avian, murine, arthropod hosts, and the development of genetic markers for a wide range of disease agents that require BSL3 containment.”
The antinuclear bay Area watchdog group Tri-Valley CAREs (TVC) has been monitoring and protesting the expansion of America’s nuclear weapons complex with particular focus on the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). A partner with U.S. national security, LLNL is a “limited liability corporation” comprised of five partners: the University of California, Bechtel, BWX Technologies, Washington Group International and Battelle–all heavy-hitters in the biotech, construction, defense, energy, nuclear and security worlds. As a result of the Freedom of Information Act, the group obtained government documents demonstrating that LLNL violated federal regulations and carried out restricted experiments that were later discovered by the Center for Disease Control inspection in August 2005. The CDC, Department of Energy and LLNL covered up the inspector’s report.
“Restricted experiments are experiments utilizing recombinant DNA that involve the deliberate transfer of a drug resistance trait to select agents that are not known to acquire the trait naturally. Select agents, which include anthrax and plague, are biological agents and toxins having the potential to pose a severe threat to public health and safety.
Because of the dangers involved in transferring drug resistance to select agents, restricted experiments require approval from the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Livermore Lab did not have that approval, but ran the experiments anyway.” (“Livermore Lab Caught Conducting Illegal Restricted Bio-Experiments,” Tri-Valley CAREs, Press Release, May 26, 2009)
According to the watchdog group, the experiments happened at the same time the accidental release of anthrax occurred in August-September 2005 exposing five people to the deadly pathogen and resulting in a $450,00 fine. TVC noted that “the relevant details of the 2005 anthrax accident were kept from the public at the time, just as happened with the illegal experiments that are coming to light today.”
LLNL has opened a BSL-3 facility and is planning to experiment with pathogens that can be used as offensive weapons. Activities contemplated include, “aerosolizing (spraying) pathogens such as plague, tularemia and Q fever, in addition to anthrax. Moreover, government documents disclose that planned experiments in the BSL-3 include genetic modification and potentially novel manipulation of viruses, prions and other agents.” According to Battelle Memorial’s website, the firm’s national security brief includes what they euphemistically call “vaccine and therapeutic product development.” Battelle “specialists” at their Aberdeen, Maryland research facility (adjacent to USAMRIID’s Ft. Detrick bioweapons complex) “study aerosolized microorganisms that may be possibly used in terrorist attacks.”
Indeed, Ft, Detrick is currently undergoing the largest expansion in its history. Investigative journalists Bob Coen and Eric Nadler revealed in Dead Silence: Fear and Terror on the Anthrax Trail that the recently opened “National Biodefense Analysis Countermeasures Center … contains heavily guarded and hermetically sealed chambers in which scientists will simulate terrorist attacks and use lethal germs and toxins.” Coen and Nadler confirms, “this, remember, is the facility that officialdom claims was the source of the only significant germ war attack on US soil.” Conveniently enough, “Battelle has the $250 million contract to manage the operation.” During an interview with constitutional law scholar Francis Boyle, a University of Illinois professor and acknowledged expert on the Biological Weapons Convention, Boyle told the investigative sleuths that the “Pentagon is ready to wage anthrax war.” “Look at the Department of Defense’s Chemical and Biological Defense Program Report to Congress, April 2007, page 22, Table 2-5. Information Systems Modernization Strategy, Mid FY09-13,” Boyle told Coen and Nadler. “Here you find a study” Boyle asserted, that estimates the “human effects from a 5,000 weapon worldwide strike; to predict fatalities and incapacitation, both initial and delayed and to accommodate population moves including area evacuations or sheltering in place. Now how does that strike you?”
National Intelligence Estimate: The Global Infectious Disease Threat and Its Implications for the United States, by David F. Gordon, Donald L. Noah, and George Fidas, explains the growing threat of new and reemerging diseases on the global stage and their subsequent impact:
“Infectious diseases are a leading cause of death, accounting for a quarter to a third of all deaths worldwide. The spread of infectious diseases results from both human behavior such as lifestyle choices, land-use patterns, increased trade and travel, and inappropriate use of antibiotic drugs, as well as mutations in pathogens. These excerpts from a January 2000 National Intelligence Estimate highlight the rising global health threat of new and reemerging infectious diseases. The National Intelligence Council argues that the infectious disease threat will complicate U.S. and global security over the next twenty years. These diseases will endanger U.S. citizens at home and abroad, threaten U.S. armed forces deployed overseas, and exacerbate social and political instability in key countries and regions in which the United States has significant interests, according to the report.”
5 thoughts on “Bio-Warfare: Modern Day Trojan Horse”
Kari Gullatte says:
Burt Gasperi says:
Girly blog - fashion, art and stuff... says:
…Recent Blogroll Additions
[…]you made running a blog glance[…]
خرید اینترنتی says:
[…]The whole glance of your web site is fantastic, let well as the content![…]
Movie says:
[…]the time to study or check out the content or web sites we have linked to below the[…]
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2344
|
__label__cc
| 0.673696
| 0.326304
|
Tag Archives: manufacturing
January 28, 2013 by craftymcclever
Nazi Goebbels’ Step-Grandchildren Are Hidden Billionaires – Bloomberg
Nazi Goebbels’ Step-Grandchildren Are Hidden Billionaires – Bloomberg.
In 1945, Harald Quandt, 23, a German Luftwaffe officer captured by the Allies received a farewell letter from his mother Magda Goebbels, the wife of Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. The letter was to inform him that weeks earlier his mother and her husband along with their six children has committed suicide by cyanide capsule in Adolf Hitler’s bunker in Berlin. In 1947 Quandt was released and seven years later, he and his half brother Herbert inherited their father’s, Guenther Quandt, industrial empire that made Mauser firearms and anti-aircraft missiles for Hitler. Among the assets acquired by the brothers the most valuable were the stake in car manufacturer Daimler AG and then BMW a few years later. The brothers have long since passed away, but the family legacy still endures. Herbert’s widow, Johanna Quandt, 86, and their children Susanne Klatten and Stefan Quandt, have remained in the public eye as BMW’s dominant shareholders. The billionaire daughters of Harald Quandt — Katarina Geller-Herr, 61, Gabriele Quandt, 60, Anette-Angelika May-Thies, 58, and 50-year-old Colleen-Bettina Rosenblat-Mo — have kept a lower profile. The four sister inherited $760 million after their mother died in 1978. The rise of the Quandt family fortunes is paralleled to Germany and Hitler’s Third Reich in the 20th century. Quandt and Magda married in 1921 then divorced in 1929 when two years later she married Joseph Goebbels who served as head of propaganda for the growing Nazi Party. When the Nazis took power in 1933 Adolf Hitler appointed him the propaganda minister in fact Hitler was his best man at his wedding. Guenther Quandt became a member of the party that same year and became the key supplier for the German war effort. In 1937, he earned the title of Wehrwirtschaftsfuehrer, the name given to members of an elite group of businessmen who were deemed beneficial to the production of war materials for the Third Reich. From 1940 to 1945, the Quandt factories were staffed with more than 50,000 forced civilian laborers, prisoners of war and concentration camp workers. After the war, Guenther Quandt served in an internment camp in Mossburg an der Isar for more than year before being judged as a “Mitlaeufer” meaning that he was not formally involved in the regime’s crimes in 1948 with no repercussions to follow. After the report was published in 2011, cousins Gabriele and Stefan Quandt acknowledge their family’s ties and involvement with the Third Reich in an interview with Germany’s Die Zeit newspaper. Sad reality is the family will have to live with what they have done and what their name represents to the German people. They made their riches from violence, corruption and greed.
Posted in 2013, business, controversial, crime, economy, goverment, history, news, people, picture, politics, tragedy, video, world
Tagged Adolf Hitler, arms production, billionaire, business news, Goebbels, Joseph Goebbels, Joseph Goebbels Adolf Hitler, Joseph Goebbels Billionaires, Joseph Goebbels Heirs, Joseph Goebbels Heirs Billionaires, Joseph Goebbels Nazi, Joseph Goebbels Nazi Propaganda Minister, Joseph Goebbels Step-Grandchildren, Joseph Goebbels Step-Grandchildren Billionaires, manufacturing, news, picture, video, WWII
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2345
|
__label__cc
| 0.712326
| 0.287674
|
Eileen Gittins
Co-founder and CEO, Bossygrl
By Jonathan Cassell
@Jonathan Cassell
ManufacturingMediaStartups
Eileen Gittins is the co-founder and CEO of Bossygrl, a startup that empowers female entrepreneurs to grow real e-commerce businesses via their phones.
The Mistake:
This mistake happened at my last company, Blurb, a self-publishing platform. I spent a decade of my life building the company. I started as the sole founder with credit-card debt and took the company to an over $75 million run-rate business.
The idea for Blurb arose from some photography work I wanted to share with fellow entrepreneurs. As I was doing this, I finally thought, this is crazy — why am I making all these prints? Why don’t I just make a book?
So I wanted 40 copies of the book for the 40 people who were the subject of the book. I found out that was not possible to do in 2005. To print a book at that time, you had to do an offset print run of 1,000 copies or more.
These entrepreneurs were great friends — but not 1,000 copies worth.
I then went into a mode of trying to figure out how to do that. And I ended up building a company to do it.
We found that people really relished the idea of being able to create genuinely beautiful books. These were not little photo albums or tchotchkes; they were proper books, with proper bindings.
So it really took off.
But, here’s where the mistake came in: By 2012, e-books had been taking up all the oxygen in the publishing world for 18 to 24 months. Then iPads and tablets started to become more ubiquitous.
And as they did, the notion of an e-book expanded from just reflowable text to include other kinds of content, like audio, video and live links to other information on the web.
We thought we could be not just an adopter of rich-media e-books — but the market leader. So we spent a year building this product that allowed customers to make these kinds of e-books.
We put the technology out there. We launched with great press, media spend and marketing. And then we waited to see how many fabulous e-books we were going to see.
But it was not a tsunami; it was a trickle at best.
So our chief product officer and I were literally pulling our hair out. Our first thought was the product: Maybe it’s not easy enough to navigate, or maybe it’s not as simple to do as we thought.
Finally, I remember sitting in a conference room with her over coffee and saying, “You know what? Maybe this isn’t what our customers want. Maybe the magic here for the customers was to get a printed book.”
Once we said it and put it out on the table, it was like, “Of course!” It was the genesis of the company: It’s magic to hold a beautifully bound and printed book in your hand and know you’re an author.
Talk to your customers before you build and ship product.
The Lesson:
The lesson I learned is to talk to your customers before you build and ship product. Get inputs from them. Be relentless about really understanding what they want.
Don’t fall in love with your idea. Fall in love with what your customers really need from you.
Bossygrl is on Twitter: @bossygrlHQ.
Photo courtesy of Bossygrl
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2346
|
__label__cc
| 0.503182
| 0.496818
|
University Libraries and Crystal Bridges Launch ‘Apples’ Digital Collection
Crystal Bridges Hosts Norman Rockwell Exhibition
One of the most popular American artists of the past century, Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) was a keen observer of human nature and a gifted storyteller. His paintings graced more than 300 covers of the popular Saturday Evening Post magazine and he is one of the best-loved illustrators in the history of American art. A traveling exhibition of Rockwell’s paintings will open at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art on Saturday, March 9. American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell features 50 original Norman Rockwell paintings and a complete set of all 323 of Rockwell’s Saturday Evening Post covers, and will be on view through May 27.
The exhibition also includes several beloved and well-known images, including Triple Self-Portrait (1960), Girl at Mirror (1954), Going and Coming (1947), and The Art Critic (1955). Also included are portraits of presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy.
American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell was organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, Mass. This exhibition is made possible with the generous support from National Endowment for the Arts, American Masterpieces Program; the Henry Luce Foundation; Curtis Publishing Company; Norman Rockwell Family Agency; and the Stockman Family Foundation.
This exhibition is sponsored at Crystal Bridges by the Bob Bogle Family, Cadillac of Bentonville, the Paul and June Carter Family, ConAgra Foods, Hallmark Cards, Inc., NWA Media/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and Harriet and Warren Stephens, Stephens Inc.
Timed, reserved tickets will be required to view American Chronicles. Tickets are complimentary for members; $12 for non-members. Thanks to our sponsors, youth admission to American Chronicles is free.
Exhibition Overview:
“Rockwell’s images helped bring art to a broad segment of the public,” said Kevin Murphy, Crystal Bridges curator of American art. “His illustrations are so recognizable and popular that they helped make painted images part of mainstream visual culture.”
The exhibition also includes materials from the Norman Rockwell Museum’s archives demonstrating how the artist worked: proceeding from preliminary sketches, color studies, and detailed drawings to finished paintings. Also included are several posed and costumed photographs Rockwell staged as references for the figures in his paintings, often using himself and family members as models. In addition, the exhibition points out some of the artistic and cultural references that were often encoded in Rockwell’s work.
“Rockwell understood his place in popular culture of the time,” explained Murphy. “He understood that he had been adopted as an interpreter of the American dream, and he wanted his work to engage in the larger tradition of Western art, so he would put in references to great works of art through history. Sometimes they’re obvious, sometimes they’re not. It was a way for him to connect with great art of the past.”
Over time, Rockwell’s illustrations have come to symbolize an idealized American dream; representing the hopes and ideals of a bygone era. However, Rockwell was keenly aware of the social and political issues of his time. Murder in Mississippi, an illustration for Look magazine about the 1964 murder of three young civil rights workers, showcases his engagement with the civil rights struggle. The magazine eventually chose to use a preliminary sketch for publication, rather than the final painting. The original unpublished painting, as well as the oil sketch used for publication, are both included in this exhibition.
American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell presents an opportunity for families to talk, across generations, about the works and what they meant to readers of the Saturday Evening Post in the post-World War II era.
“Rockwell’s artwork is highly recognizable to a large audience—even if they have had limited opportunities to visit art museums,” said Crystal Bridges Director of Education and Exhibitions Niki Stewart. “By bringing American Chronicles to Crystal Bridges, we are creating an opportunity for people of many generations to see the original artworks, learn more about Rockwell’s process, and enjoy something that is both familiar and fascinating.”
Exhibition Extras:
Also on view in the Crystal Bridges Library will be letters and manuscripts belonging to Norman Rockwell, which are part of the Crystal Bridges Library collection. The materials will be rotated throughout the run of the exhibition and includes a series of five letters between Norman Rockwell and journalist David Cusick, in which they discuss topics ranging from photography to Rockwell meeting folk musician Bob Dylan in Woodstock, N.Y.
Crystal Bridges’ first pop-up shop, featuring Rockwell memorabilia and more, will open alongside the exhibition. The shop includes fixtures designed by the Fayetteville-based firm Marlon Blackwell Architect, which also designed Crystal Bridges’ award-winning museum store.
A wide range of public programs are offered in conjunction with the exhibition, including lectures, gallery talks, art workshops for a variety of ages, and more. An audio guide is available for visitors at no charge on a first-come, first-served basis, and a printed family guide is available as well.
More details on the exhibition, program offerings, and tickets can be found on the exhibition page.
Angels & Tomboys: Girlhood in 19th-Century American Art
June 29 through September 30
In the aftermath of the Civil War, the American girl seemed transformed—at once more introspective and adventurous than the previous generation. Although the culture still prized the demure female child of the past, many saw a bolder type as the new, alternate ideal. Girlhood was no longer simple, and the complementary images of angel and tomboy emerged as competing visions of this new generation. Angels & Tomboys: Girlhood in 19th-Century American Art explores the myriad ways artists portrayed young girls: from the sentimental, innocent stereotype to the free-spirited individual. The exhibition includes approximately 80 masterworks, including paintings, sculpture, prints, and photographs. Works by John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer, and Thomas Eakins, together with those by leading women artists, such as Cecilia Beaux and Mary Cassatt, reveal a new, provocative psychological element not found in early Victorian portraiture; while the mischievous tomboys in Lilly Martin Spencer’s paintings and the pure angels in the works of Abbot Handerson Thayer underscore the complexity of girlhood. Angels & Tomboys: Girlhood in 19th-Century American Art was organized by the Newark Museum.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2347
|
__label__cc
| 0.521689
| 0.478311
|
How Much Is That DUPpy In The Window? – The Dutch Want One Too
Posted on July 13, 2017 August 4, 2018 by gskaye
Theresa May goes shopping
Even from this side of the North Sea, it’s pretty obvious that, after the elections, Theresa May bought herself and her party 10 Democratic Union Party votes, costing 150 million quid a piece, in order to survive the Queen’s speech and get “back to work”. The question that must now be asked is if Theresa has got herself a bargain. Well, she’s certainly bought herself time (excuse the pun), but I’d be interested to see how much pounds per minute that will all come down to – and then convert the price into Euro’s so that we, on the continent, can all have a good laugh and a whip round to help you out.
The fact that what she did is so obvious to everybody might be the sole reason why she’s going to get away with it. We are all standing here gob-smacked at her audacity and lack of shyness. As a cherry on the cake, the Conservatives came out with the brilliant remark that the money was available anyway. So why not spend it on buying a few parliamentary seats, and then tell the nurses, firemen and police constables that they’ll have to wait another 7 years for that illusive pay-rise. But what is Theresa May going to do with her newly acquired seats – apart from paying more than £60b to the EU, printing over 3 million ID cards and refurbishing scores of council flats? One thing’s for sure, Theresa May’s ego would probably need ten times what she paid for, to keep it fully satisfied. Here’s a woman who is part of two elite clubs of prime-ministers. The first comprises prime ministers such as Winston Churchill who got into office without being elected. The second is formed by those who lead minority governments, such as Harold Wilson in 1974, whose minority labour government lasted a little over 7 months. Well, at least he didn’t have to pay for it, and what’s more astute is that in the october 1974 election, his Labour party won a majority of…3 seats.
Double-Dutch
But I must admit that here in the Netherlands, we could learn something from the speed and efficiency with which Theresa May has formed a new government. Since the March parliamentary elections, various Dutch political parties have been trying to bury their differences and form a working coalition, without success. It just shows you that the old saying that “you get what you pay for” is really true.
But why is it taking the Dutch so long? Part of the answer is that, unlike Theresa May who is prepared to put the peace process in Northern Ireland at risk, in order to mess up the rest of the UK, the Dutch are not prepared to take risks by forming coalitions with more than dubious parties. In refusing to work with the extreme-right-wing PVV and its leader, Geert Wilders, a working coalition comprising at least 4 parties is now required to obtain a majority that has any chance of succeeding. But a hundred-odd days to form a government is nothing to get worried about. In 1977, a full 7 months were needed to get the country ticking again, and that’s really fast-food time compared to the 541 days needed by our mutual friends from Belgium in 2010.
Since 29th March, former health minister Edith Schippers had the unenviable task of presiding over the discussions between the various protagonists in attempt to find out if a working coalition was at all possible. Discussions took place between the 4 biggest political parties – excluding Geert wilders – to see if common ground could be obtained. It won’t surprise you at all to learn that it didn’t. The centre and centre-right parties (VVD, CDA and D66) have a hard time getting on with each other, yet alone the lefties from the GroenLinks party (Green party). On 11th May, Schippers informed the Dutch parliament that negotiations were proving very difficult, if not impossible.
Everyone is aware that the parties concerned display mutually large differences in content. Not for nothing have I qualified the discussions as a substantially difficult task. Furthermore, the reality is that the available budgetary leeway is extremely limited, as was clearly explained by the Finance Minister round the negotiation table. – E. Schippers
Will a Dutch coaliton be formed before Brexit takes place?
By far the biggest stumbling block proved to be immigration, with the GroenLinks party favourable for a more flexible attitude towards migrants. Of course, you can forgive GroenLinks for sticking to their principles. They are all too aware of what happened to the other “lefties” – the socialist PvdA – who, having “slept” with Mark Rutter’s VVD, got kicked out of the bedroom in the last elections.
At the end of May, Edith Schippers couldn’t take it anymore and admitted defeat, saying that “ik ben er klaar mee” (“I’m through with this”), and gave way to the experienced Secretary of State, Tjeenk Willink. Ironically, Willink is a member of the dessimated PvdA, whose total number of members in the next parliament, you can count with two hands – without using one of your pinkies. GroenLinks also decided to call it a day, and were replaced by the ChristenUnie (CU), a Christian democratic party, whose policies on immigration, whilst being tougher that those of GroenLinks, still need to be discussed, in order to reach any sort of coalition agreement.
It is somewhat ironical, that whilst in the UK the Conservatives and DUP have forged an alliance in order for the UK to commit economic suicide, in the Netherlands, the different parties are discussing the rights of individuals to end their life. D66 supports the concept of helping the terminally ill in such a way, whereas the CU strongly opposes this. Further discussions on the subject of climate change and immigration are also taking place, with the various parties no closer to reaching a consensus. For the CDA leader Sybrand Buma, there are signs of progress being made. “It is a big project with four parties and that is very carefully done.” Prime minister Mark Rutte (VVD) also insists that things are being taken “step by step”. At this rate, I really don’t know what is going to happen first – Brexit or the formation of a Dutch government?
Cute puppies
Since discussions with Geert Wilders are out of the question, it seems that if no agreement can be reached before everybody has had enough, Rutte will have to form a minority government and govern as best he can. The alternative, of course, would be to call another general election. However, there is an unlikely alternative alliance that may save the day. A coalition could be formed by the VVD, CDA, D66 and the Party for the Animals (PvdD), who won five seats. Such a coalition would be enough to give Mark Rutte a parliamentary majority of…one seat. It would really be a case of a prime minister being saved not by a few DUPpies as in the UK, but by a handful of puppies. It just goes to show you that animals may really care about humans, after all.
Democracy Elections
Rotten Apples
Brexit Musings (II) – Whistle While You Work
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2348
|
__label__cc
| 0.733904
| 0.266096
|
SOVEREIGN GRACE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
St Cecilia Anglican Parish 64 Quinns Road MINDARIE 6030, WA – SERVICE 3:00 PM CONTACT – PASTOR -REV STEPHEN DESILVA -admin@sgpcinternational.com – ecclesia reformata semper reformanda est. ad fontes—“back to the sources!”
ABOUT SGPC
Food and Cooking tips
Missions to Africa
An Interview with Justin Peters
Q.3. What do the Scriptures principally teach?
January 13: School & Family Catechist, WSC Q. 2
Terms for the Covenant
Mordern Dispensationalism and the Doctrine of the Unity of Scripture
Chris Price on 10 Marks of the Holy Spirit in…
Reformed faith salsa… on From the Word of Faith to the…
possesshispromises on A Pastor’s Wife Breaks Free of…
Deconstructing the K… on Deconstructing the Kingdom of…
STEPHEN on COVENANT THEOLOGY AND DISPENSA…
Escathology
ICAI in AFRICA
NON REFORMED DOCTRINE
Reformed Truth
SGPC Sermons
Sovereign Grace Fellowship
SOVEREIGN GRACE PC
Spiritual Awakening Sermons.
Follow SOVEREIGN GRACE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH on WordPress.com
March 10: Dr. R. Laird Harris
Posted on March 18, 2018 by STEPHEN
10 March, 2018 in March 2018 by archivist | No comments
There was a good deal of serious scholarship which arose from among the early leaders of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and the Bible Presbyterian Synod. And of the many who accomplished so much in their study and defense of the Scriptures, the Rev. Dr. R. Laird Harris was easily among the most notable of these scholars.
Robert Laird Harris was born on 10 March 1911 in Brownsburg, Pennsylvania. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Delaware in 1931, a Th.B. from Westminster Theological Seminary in 1935 and a Th.M. from Westminster in 1937. He was licensed in 1935 by the New Castle Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (PCUSA), and ordained in June 1936 in the Presbyterian Church of America [the original name of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC)] at that denomination’s first General Assembly.
He left the OPC late in 1937 to join the newly formed Bible Presbyterian Church. Harris then received an A.M. degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1941, and was later part-time instructor in Hebrew there from 1946 to 1947. He obtained his Ph.D. from Dropsie in 1947. Biblical exegesis was Dr. Harris’s field and he taught this for twenty years at Faith Theological Seminary, first as instructor (1937 – 1943), then as assistant professor (1943 – 1947) and finally as professor (1947 – 1956).
Dr. Harris served as moderator of the Bible Presbyterian Synod in 1956, the year in which the denomination divided. Harris defended the validity of church-controlled agencies against those who insisted on independent agencies, and he was one of many faculty members to resign from Faith Seminary that year. He became at that time one of the founding faculty members of Covenant Theological Seminary. He was professor there and chairman of the Old Testament department from 1956 until he retired from full-time teaching in 1981. He remained an occasional lecturer at Covenant, and was also a lecturer in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan and a visiting professor in India, Hong Kong and Germany following his retirement, while also working on further revisions to the New International Version translation of the Bible.
He remained active in church leadership, serving as chairman of the fraternal relations committee of the Bible Presbyterian Church, Columbus Synod during the late 1950s, when discussion began concerning union between the BPC, Columbus Synod and the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, General Synod. He remained on that committee through 1965, seeing the effort through to the culmination of ecclesiastical union with the creation of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod (RPCES). In 1982, the RPCES joined the Presbyterian Church in America and Dr. Harris was elected moderator that year for the 10th General Assembly of the PCA.
Harris was not only a teacher and church leader, but a prolific author as well. He published an Introductory Hebrew Grammar, the prize-winningInspiration and Canonicity of the Bible, and additional works such as Your Bible and Man–God’s Eternal Creation. He was editor of The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament and a contributing editor to the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, and wrote articles for the Wycliffe Bible Commentary and Expositor’s Bible. Also, as noted above, Dr. Harris served as chairman of the Committee on Bible Translation that produced the New International Version of the Bible .
Dr. Harris’ first wife, Elizabeth K. Nelson, died in 1980. He later married Anne P. Krauss and they resided for some time in Wilmington, Delaware before declining health prompted a move to the Quarryville Retirement Home in Quarryville, PA. Dr. Robert Laird Harris entered glory on 25 April 2008. The funeral service for Dr. Harris was conducted on 1 May 2008 at the Faith Reformed Presbyterian Church, Quarryville, PA, and internment was on 2 May 2008 in the historic cemetery adjacent to the Thompson Memorial Presbyterian Church, New Hope, Pennsylvania.
Words to Live By:
For those who enter upon the study of the Scriptures, especially at the academic level, there is a hidden pitfall. It is a deadly danger which ultimately springs from pride and the imposition of human intellect upon the very Word of God. By God’s grace, Dr. Harris avoided this pitfall and to his dying day, his heart remained humble before the Lord his God. The Puritan theologian John Owen, in his Biblical Theology, gives an excellent summary of both the problem and the proper, necessary approach that any scholar must maintain in the study of the Scriptures:
“Wherever fear and caution have not infused the student’s heart, God is despised. His pleasure is only to dwell in hearts which tremble at His Word. Light or frivolous perusal of the Scriptures is a sickness of soul which leads on to the death of atheism. He who would properly undertake the study of the Bible must keep fixed in his memory, fastened as it were with nails, that stern warning of the Apostle in Hebrews 12:28-29, ‘Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear; for our God is a consuming fire.’ Truly, ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.’ If this fear is not experienced in the study of the Word, it will not display itself in any other facet of life.’
— Biblical Theology, by John Owen (Soli Deo Gloria, 1996), pp. 699-700.
Categories: Reformed Truth, SOVEREIGN GRACE PC
Published by STEPHEN
I am a International Reformed Christian Pastor ,Teacher , Evangelist and Missionary to Africa and the world .I consider my self a staunch modern day reformer I hope to continue the Reformation that was started by the Reformers and Westminster Divine's i don't know if i will be as great as these Spiritual giants but God willing i hope to make some significant impact to the present generation and the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ. I wish To Minister hope, Peace , Joy and Gods Sovereign salvation and love to all who are thirsty for true life. View all posts by STEPHEN
PreviousWhy You Need to Be in Church this Sunday
NextMarch 21: The “Marrow Men”
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2349
|
__label__cc
| 0.632687
| 0.367313
|
April 11, 2018 by P. James Clark
On the 12th of May, 1706, there was stunning Total Solar Eclipse, with the Path of Totality running through the heart of Europe, from Southern Scandinavia through Spain. The chart for the eclipse in Castiglione Savarese, a town now in Northern Italy looks very ominous indeed. Any astrologer reading this chart would have taken it as a harbinger of things to come, particularly knowing the strategic value of their city and the.extreme turbulence of Europe, involving several powerful countries jockeying for increased wealth and hegemony. This needs to be said because making a prediction of an event that cannot possibly take place, such as a major earthquake in an area that has no significant seismic threat or to push the point further to predict a tsunami in Mongolia. When predictions are made, it is to the great advantage of the practitioner to take realities into account. This includes political realities.
The path of the eclipse also looks like a visual depiction of the Swedish army’s sweep through Europe, over the Alps as it races from one conflict to another. or the French army under Louis d’Aubusson de La Feuillade marching to a decisive and assured victory.
The eclipse was exact for that location at 10.20 AM. The Sun eclipsed by the Moon in the 21st-degree of Taurus, which conjuncts Algol, the most pernicious star in the heavens. Furthermore, Algol is between the eclipsed Sun and Saturn. This configuration in the Tenth House augurs for the fall of Castiglioni. This is not to be confused with the more famous battle at the same location on August 5, 1796.
The history and political intrigue germane to our topic should be understood as part of a series of many, many battles. In one way or another, the conflicts began with the crisis of the Spanish Succession and the hydra head of ensuing conflicts involving several countries in Europe. The details are too many to release here and are not likely to be of great interest to anyone other than a historian of the period. However, a summary of the events that lead up the more than a century, the political and military situation is summarized thus:
Since May 1706 a French army of 48,000 under the said Louis d’Aubusson de la Feuillade was besieging the Savoy capital, Turin. Another army 44,000
Battle of Luzzara, War of the Spanish Succession
under Louis Joseph de Bourbon, duc de Vendôme was employed to bar the Austrians’ path from Lake Garda. However, Vendôme was recalled to Flanders to restore order after the lost Battle of Ramillies, leaving command to the inexperienced Duke of Orléans. Eugene of Savoy exploited the situation and dashed to Turin, forcing Orléans to split his forces. He left 23,000 men under the Count of Médavy near the Adige in case allied reinforcements appeared from the other side of the Alps. The Swedish army under the Crown-Prince and future King Frederick I of Sweden, crossed the Alps and besieged Castiglione. Here, Médavy attacked and totally defeated the Hessians, inflicting a loss of 8,000 killed, wounded, and missing.” These historical facts have been gathered from various sources, all or most of which can be found @ Wiki
We are now in a position to see the progressions and comparisons of the two charts. Saturn has moved to conjunct Mars in the Ninth House and we can fairly read that as indicative of the foreign invaders, particularly with Aries opposing the city’s Ascendant in Libra. The lights are now weak in the 12th House and acting as hidden enemies. Saturn is Almuten of the First and fifth House in the Hour of Saturn. The chart Almuten is Mercury.The Scorpio/Taurus Axis of the Nodes in the Axis of Hades reflects themes of the Eclipse.
This entry was posted in Ancient Astronomy, Eclipses, Traditional Astrology.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2350
|
__label__wiki
| 0.806
| 0.806
|
Neil Young Neil Young (1968), Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969), After The Goldrush (1970), Harvest (1972)
From pitchfork.com
It’s getting hard to keep up with Neil Young. In addition to a new studio LP, 2009 has seen the release of the green-car concept album Fork in the Road, a new live set (Dreamin’ Man Live ’92), and of course the 10-disc Blu-Ray/DVD/CD extravaganza Archives Vol. 1, which documents the first 10 years of his musical life. Not to mention that just over a year ago Sugar Mountain – Live at Canterbury House 1968 came out, so that even seems relatively new. We’re drowning in Neil Young this year, which for hardcore fans (and it seems like the percentage of his fanbase that meets this criteria increases every year) isn’t such a bad thing.
Add to the above the “Neil Young Archives Official Release Series,” which is the umbrella term for the wholesale reissue of Young’s catalog in remastered form. The first four albums, from 1968’s Neil Young to 1972’s Harvest, were released on CD under the banner a few months back, which made the Archives set even more confusing than it seemed initially. Since much of Archives turned out to be previously issued material, with some albums appearing almost in their entirety, it stood to reason that it would serve as the best way to hear these songs for a while. Anyone ponying up between $100 and $300 for Archives surely already had all those albums, and they’ll probably want the better-sounding versions in their original form, too. Young, like Bob Dylan, is almost impossible to read as far as stuff like this goes. It’s easy to say that he’s ripping people off by getting them to buy the same music over and over. But so many of his puzzling moves over the years, such as refusing to put out On the Beach on CD even though fans were clamoring for it, would seem to be to his financial detriment.
Here’s one more for the shelf: the first four albums have been packaged in two limited edition box sets. The CD version is pressed on 24-karat gold discs, and the packaging is new; the vinyl is pressed on 180-gram records (as opposed to 140-gram for the standard issue of the LPs). The vinyl set, which is what I listened to for this review, is going for $150, which certainly isn’t cheap. It packages the records in extra-heavy gatefold sleeves that will probably outlive me, and includes full-size reproductions of the original inserts, but there’s no extra documentation otherwise. For me, there’s an irony in listening to these deluxe versions, because I’ve long regarded used vinyl copies of Harvest as a litmus test for record stores. If they’re selling a used copy in excellent shape for $4 or $5, it’s my kind of shop; if they’re selling it for $8 or $9, I’m probably somewhere in the New York Metropolitan Area. Fact is, Harvest was the #1 selling album of 1972, and it continued to sell all through the 1970s. Literally millions of copies were pressed, and used copies are very easy to find. It’s a record that shouldn’t cost a lot of money.
Which is not to say it’s not a great record. All four of these albums, in fact, are excellent– records that everyone should have in their collection eventually, in whatever format. I say “eventually” because Neil Young is an artist you shouldn’t force yourself to get into; his most devoted fans are so convinced of his genius, and so bent on tracking down every last bootleg, that it’s easy to hear a few songs and decide that Young isn’t such a big deal. Sometimes it can just take a little while to come around to his music, and you need to be in the right frame of mind.
Harvest, whatever your copy ends up costing you, closed out one of the stronger four-album career-opening runs in pop history. Of course, Young had some practice before he went solo, so he had a head start. After gigging around Canada as a teenager in the garage-rock outfit the Squires, he headed out to L.A. and hooked up with the newly forming Buffalo Springfield in 1966. They were a band with a few songwriters, each of whom had their own personality, and Young’s songs (“For What It’s Worth”, the group’s biggest hit, wasn’t one of them) revealed an emerging and distinctive voice. In 1968, he left the band and started his solo career, releasing Neil Young at the end of the year.
The album bearing only Neil Young’s name is the one that sounds least like him. It’s a fine psych-tinged folk-rock set with colorful arrangements and top-shelf instrumental contributors like guitarist Ry Cooder and visionary keyboardist and arranger Jack Nitzsche, who would continue to work with Young periodically through the 70s. But Young himself sounds oddly tentative throughout, as if he weren’t quite sure what he wanted his music to sound like, and this is his most restrained singing on record. There are echoes of the great music to come, like the ballad “The Old Laughing Lady”, and the arrangements are lush and inviting, but Neil Young in a sense represents a road not taken, and it’s most interesting now in comparison to what was to come.
The opening riff to “Cinnamon Girl”, the song that kicks off Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, erases the memory of Neil Young completely in about five seconds. In the months following the release of his debut, Young hooked up with a ragtag trio of musicians from a band called the Rockets, renamed them Crazy Horse, and found his raison d’être. Where the performances on Neil Young were eminently professional, the sophisticated and exacting parts executed with polished precision, Crazy Horse were loose and sloppy, privileging groove and feeling above all. Many of Young’s seasoned contemporaries considered them an embarrassment, but for him they represented a new way of thinking about music, one that favored intuition and stayed true to the moment. A year later he would hook up with the hugely successful Crosby, Stills and Nash; Young would eventually call CSNY his Beatles, while Crazy Horse was his Stones. By this logic, they were making music on the level of Sticky Fingers from the jump.
Discussion of Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere usually gravitates toward the two extended guitar workouts, “Down By the River” and “Cowgirl in the Sand”. Both are masterpieces of rock minimalism, demonstrating the power of repetition as the Crazy Horse rhythm section of Ralph Molina and Billy Talbot cycle through the chords and Young solos endlessly in his grimy, deeply-felt tone, playing off the subtle, prodding rhythm work of guitarist Danny Whitten. But the more compressed and accessible moments on the record are just as powerful. The title track is a brash, rollicking country-rocker in the vein of the Band, while “Round & Round (It Won’t Be Long)” is a gorgeous acoustic ballad that finds Young, Whitten, and violinist Robin Lane engaged in three-part harmony on the achingly slow chorus. Best of all on Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Young sounds comfortable and confident, singing with the versatile (and hugely influential) voice that has changed remarkably little in the 40 years since.
Everybody Knows was a sort of big bang for Young, a dense moment of creative explosion that saw possibilities expanding in every direction. So its follow-up was anything but a retread. With his newfound confidence, Young was poised to stretch, and After the Gold Rush sounds a bit like an overview of the Great American Songbook but with one guy writing almost all the songs. Members of Crazy Horse appear in various combinations on a few of tracks, and songs like “Southern Man” and “When You Dance I Can Really Love” have the hypnotically stoned but sneakily intense groove of the previous record. But more precisely crafted songs like “Only Love Can Break Your Heart”, “Birds”, and especially the astonishing title track, which has become a rock standard, show Young’s gift as a writer of original melodies of extraordinary beauty in full flower. It’s an aspect of Young’s work that can be overlooked: the guy can write a simple tune over a chord change that hollows you out completely. Sure, the record has a phrase or two that might sound a little dippy to those with an aversion to hippies (Young was one of those, though of a very individualistic sort), but After the Gold Rush is basically unassailable. There’s a reason why it’s the favorite Neil Young album for so many.
Which brings us back to Harvest, Young’s mainstream breakthrough. Stepping away from Crazy Horse and hooking up with Nashville session musicians he dubbed the Stray Gators, Harvest finds Young experimenting again with a richer, more painstaking studio sound, but one informed by the spontaneity he’d found so inspiring. It’s probably his best sounding album, and the ear tends to gravitate to the rhythm section in particular, as bassist Tim Drummond and drummer Kenny Buttrey are almost absurdly in the pocket throughout. (Here I should note that, while they certainly cost a lot of money, the vinyl pressings of these four albums live up to the hype: whisper quiet and clear but full and punchy– these records have never sounded better).
But Young’s songs, though not up to the level of Gold Rush, continue his winning streak. “Out on the Weekend” and the title track set the table for a mellow, rootsy, and breezily melodic album, which later songs like “Heart of Gold” and “Are You Ready for the Country” continue, but Harvest has a more tormented side as well. “A Man Needs a Maid”, recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, is one of his stranger creations, an affecting portrait of loneliness undercut with a clumsy, lunkheaded chorus refrain, the sincerity of which has never been quite clear. “Old Man” is something of a signature song, laying out the wizened, long-view outlook that didn’t fit with his chronological age (by the time of the record’s release, Young was 26). And then there’s harrowing and radiant “The Needle and the Damage Done”: at just over two minutes, it’s far too short, almost painfully so, just like the lives of the junkies it was written about. Soon enough, two people close to Young, Crazy Horse’s Whitten and roadie Bruce Berry, would die from drugs.
The unexpected success of Harvest, combined with the grief and guilt Young felt after Whitten and Berry died, would send Young into a dark and raw place with his next few records as he famously “headed for the ditch” to escape the middle of the road. Hereafter, an always-fascinating mix of success and failure would define Young’s career, and along the way he’d make some pretty lousy records along with the great ones. To embrace Young as an artist after Harvest would mean accepting his many flaws (including the questionable business decisions, like the many confusing releases of this year), which have made his career unusually rich and varied as well as maddeningly inconsistent. But all that would come later. Enjoying this brilliant four-album run requires no special commitment.
March 22, 2013 Posted by Jerry | Neil Young After The Goldrush, Neil Young Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Neil Young Harvest, Neil Young Neil Young | Neil Young | Leave a comment
Neil Young After The Goldrush (1970)
From starling.rinet.ru
This is often considered to be Neil’s best, but I can’t really do justice to this rumour, seeing as I haven’t yet heard everything the man pumped out (and he pumped out quite a lot). Out of the albums I own, though, it is really the most solid and melodically rich, though it takes some time to understand it. By 1970, Neil Young had finally figured out his act, and his plans on here are obvious – he is planning to replace Bob Dylan on the singer-songwriting scene, trying to combine the man’s lyrical wit, ‘father-of-the-nation’-personality vibe, and stripped-down arrangements with a more heart-wrenching intonation and an occasional tasty distorted guitar lick now and then.
In a certain sense, he succeeded: this album started rock critique’s lengthy and passionate romance with Neil that lasts up to this day and is as sickeningly overblown as possible. But, musically speaking, he fails: his whiny voice is far better than Dylan’s, and this gives most of the songs an unpleasant, pretentious feel: the title track, even if it is one of the best numbers on the whole record, sounds too prog-rockish to be really representative of ‘the heart of the nation’. If anything, Neil is simply not the perfect candidate for that ‘salt-of-the-earth’ image the critics love to assign him every now and then: he’s far too clever, experimental, and, well, whiny for that status.
However, this does not mean that the album isn’t enjoyable. Like I said, it’s a bit hard to get into, but once you’ve filtered away the filler, the task won’t be so frustrating. Most of the songs look simplistic: ‘ordinary’ acoustic or piano ballads, diversified a little with a couple of moderate rockers, one on each side. Neil is backed by members of the Crazy Horse, his beloved band, but it doesn’t really look like a band effort: if not for the lush harmonies on much of the tracks (sometimes provided by Steve Stills), you wouldn’t really know ’bout no stinkin’ band.
But the album is not ‘folky’ or ‘countryish’, like Harvest; instead, Neil goes for a more pop approach on most of the tracks. Several of the ballads are utterly dispensable, like the loose, sappy, hookless love ballad ‘Birds’ or the cover of Don Gibson’s ‘Oh Lonesome Me’ – can a song like that one truly belong on a classic album? It’s just a by-the-book country number that doesn’t deviate from the ‘standard’ formula not by one iota. And I utterly hate that monotonous ‘pam-pam… pam-pam… pam-pam…’ thump of the emotionless, slow, stuttering waltz ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’, a song that’s as uninspired and formulaic as could be.
But once in a while Neil really hits upon a gold mine: the opening ‘Tell Me Why’, with its sad, wistful and captivating chorus, somehow does manage to convey that gloomy, melancholic feeling of life’s uselessness, even if I’m not sure whether the lyrics really mean it. What could they mean, anyway? Neil isn’t an especially terrible lyricist, but I wonder how many people spent large portions of their lives trying to decipher the lines ‘Is it hard to make arrangements with yourself/When you’re old enough to repay but young enough to sell?’ Whatever, the chorus hits a very sensitive string in my soul, hardened as it is against Neil’s usual whinings.
Of course, the title track beats it to ‘Tell Me Why’ as the most incomprehensible, incoherent set of quasi-poetic visions in this record; the lyrics are clearly Dylan-inspired, but, unfortunately, the mood is as far from Bob as possible. Lucky for the song that it has a pretty, if not breathtaking, melody, and that Neil really is a great singer, which no one can deny; otherwise, I would easily have dismissed it as some kind of second-rate prog-imitating crap. Yeah, Neil succeeds in being as incomprehensible as Bob (that’s no big problem), but he utterly fails in conveying a specific mood with these lyrics.
So forget it and better pay some more attention to ‘Don’t Let It Bring You Down’, a ballad similar in tone but slightly more emotionally resonant. It sounds like its title suggests – some angry and sorrowful lyrics about a dead man lying down by the road and a blind man who lost his cane in the night, but anyway, ‘don’t let it bring you down/It’s only castles burning’, right? Arguably the most disturbing and ‘politically incorrect’ song on the album, even more so than ‘Southern Man’. I love hearing the hidden menace and irony in that one – at least we have something with an edge.
The rockers are also quite interesting, and certainly have nothing to do with each other. ‘When You Dance You Can Really Love’ is, in fact, a conventional pop rocker – with bland love lyrics and a near-dance beat, yet it is quite catchy in its dumbness, and in addition features some incredible piano work from Jack Nietzsche in the final ‘jam’ section. But, of course, the song that causes the most controversy is ‘Southern Man’, a song with some obvious references to slavery and the post-Civil War situation in the South but whose message is rather vague.
Seems like Young is mocking the traditional Southern ideology, but who really cares in this increasingly industrial world of ours? Me, I don’t give a damn ’bout those lyrics, but I sure like the guitar parts on there – a bit tame compared to some of the soloing on Young’s debut album, but certainly the most adrenaline-raising segment of this here record.
Taken together with two tasty short snippets (the jolly piano ditty ‘Till The Morning Comes’ and the countryish send-up ‘Cripple Creek Ferry’), these songs really make up for a normal listening – there’s almost nothing that would lift you off the ground and carry away into the clouds, but there’s at least enough entertainment value to allow you to sit through this without falling asleep. And well, at least it’s stylish. That’s already saying much.
March 11, 2013 Posted by Jerry | Neil Young After The Goldrush | Neil Young | Leave a comment
From Rolling Stone
Neil Young devotees will probably spend the next few weeks trying desperately to convince themselves that After The Gold Rush is good music. But they’ll be kidding themselves. For despite the fact that the album contains some potentially first rate material, none of the songs here rise above the uniformly dull surface.
In my listening, the problem appears to be that most of this music was simply not ready to be recorded at the time of the sessions. It needed time to mature. On the album the band never really gets behind the songs and Young himself has trouble singing many of them. Set before the buying public before it was done, this pie is only half-baked.
“Southern Man” is a good example. As a composition, it is possibly one of the best things Neil Young has ever written. In recent appearances with Crosby, Stills and Nash, the piece has had an overwhelmingly powerful impact on audiences. But the recording of “Southern Man” on After The Gold Rush fulfills very little of this promise. By today’s standards, the ensemble playing is sloppy and disconnected.
The piano, bass and drums search for each other like lovers lost in the sand dunes, but although they see each others’ footprints now and then, they never really come together. Young tries to recover the dynamics of the piece with his voice alone, but can’t quite make it: On this and the other really interesting tunes on the album — “Don’t Let It Bring You Down,” and “I Believe In You” — the listener hears only a faint whisper of what the song will become.
Another disturbing characteristic of the record, oddly enough, is Young’s voice. In his best work Young’s singing contains genuine elements of pathos, darkness and mystery. If Kafka’s story “The Hunger Artist” could be made into an opera, I would want Neil Young to sing the title role. But on this album this intonation often sounds like pre-adolescent whining. The song “After The Gold Rush,” for instance, reminds one of nothing so much as Mrs. Miller moaning and wheezing her way through “I’m A Lonely Little Petunia In An Onion Patch.”
Apparently no one bothered to tell Neil Young that he was singing a half octave above his highest acceptable range. At that point his pathos becomes an irritating bathos. I can’t listen to it at all.
There are thousands of persons in this country who will buy and enjoy this record. More power to them, I suppose. But for me the test of an album is whether or not its quality is such that it allows you to grow into it a little more with each subsequent listening. And I find none of that quality here.
To the 70 or 80 people who wrote to Rolling Stone in total rage that I could be anything but 100% delighted with Deja Vu, I will simply say: this record picks up where Deja Vu leaves off.
March 4, 2013 Posted by Jerry | Neil Young After The Goldrush | Neil Young | Leave a comment
Artistic freedom is a concept that appeals to all performers, musicians, and practitioners of the fine arts. Being a painter myself I can really sympathize with this aesthetic journey of one’s own design. A journey to do whatever you desire in your work. When your work embodies your vision, the feeling you get of knowing that it’s purely your design is majestic.
Sadly not everybody will experience this spiritual release with everything they labor over. Sometimes not everyone can relate to your mind’s eye and certainly nobody thinks like we artistic types do. We are a bit weird at times eh? And when they don’t think on the same wavelength as you do something horrific happens. Your work doesn’t sell. Your quest for individuality was a self-indulgent one, which yields no praise. Many artists fear this stigma and they do their work with other people in mind: Art for the public. They compromise their own dream for a chance at success.
Some artists however continue their “own” work no matter what the cost. Neil Young is one of these brave artists. His career is laden with examples of his disdain for those who try to chain his artistic freedom like his battle with Geffen and even the creation of this album, which Rolling Stone initially declared to be horrendously dull.
This album is far from dull. Though it contains a large amount of slow, piano based they sometimes serve as cool-down songs like Till The Morning Comes and Cripple Creek Ferry. Other tracks are emotionally proactive times for Young to share his introspective lyrics with his audience and play good old-fashioned music, without unnecessary distortion and experimentation. I Believe In You is a frank and open piano ballad accompanied with Young’s trademark higher pitched nasally voice. His voice however carries through the track in a surprisingly comfortable manner and blends with the music. Only Love Can Break Your Heart is almost identical but far less interesting. Birds is haunting track about a break up, hidden in a creative metaphor. Don’t Let It Bring You Down is a much more depressing song which follows a similar format. The lyrics are crushingly sad:
Old man lying
by the side of the road
With the lorries rolling by,
Blue moon sinking
from the weight of the load
And the building scrape the sky,
Cold wind ripping
down the allay at dawn
And the morning paper flies,
Dead man lying
With the daylight in his eyes
The last three tracks can be viewed as the “standard” songs on this album and all three are very good. But they are completely daunted by the more signature tracks of the album. Tell Me Why is a track with some nice guitar with Young’s best country twang to it. When You Dance You Can Really Love is a great high-energy track with some of the “harder” guitar on the album. The lyrics take back-stage on this track and the musicianship on Young and co. Near the end of the track there is a total stop to the singing and the band just jams, with Young playing a quick solo, the piano becomes erratic, and it flows on in this manner until the songs final second. It’s a brilliant track. Oh, Lonesome Me is a depressing song with some pleasant harmonica and a country feel to it. A VERY country feel…this is however not a bad thing and the song is actually one of the better ones on the whole album.
Among this whole album however stands to tracks of mammoth proportions. They are the tracks, which stand above all others on the album and as two of Young’s greatest songs period. Yes I am talking about Southern Man and After The Gold Rush. Southern Man is a monumental politically fueled song that lashes out against the racists and segregationists of the south with an acid tongue. He really unloads a shotgun blast at the hypocrisy and injustice of so-called god fairing men.
better keep your head
Don’t forget
what your good book said
Southern change
gonna come at last
Now your crosses
are burning fast
Lily Belle,
your hair is golden brown
I’ve seen your black man
comin’ round
Swear by God
I’m gonna cut him down!
I heard screamin’
and bullwhips cracking
How long? How long?
Even though I am from the South I still hail this song as Young’s greatest musical achievement and agree with the way he depicts the racism of the South. How can these men sleep at night while they go to work in the morning as preachers, lawyers, teachers, etc. and secretly carry clansmen hoods in their back pockets? How in God’s name can they justify that? I’m not religious either but I’m sure God doesn’t think that the African Americans are less than human. The hatred of men like George Wallace and Jim Crowe will forever be branded on the South, and I am sure that some of these good old southern boy racists are still alive today. Some may claim they are not responsible and that they were brainwashed like Nazi Germany. What a convenient excuse to free them from their shame. This song is strong musically as well, with plenty of impressive guitar solos to boot.
After The Gold Rush is another song with a heavy meaning behind it. It’s a tear jerking piano ballad sung in an abnormally high pitch, even from Young, about how we developed countries have raped the land for all it’s worth. Urbanization runs it’s course too quickly and leaves too many damaging ramifications to our planet. A good American example of this is our rampage to the western coast of the U.S. and how we mowed down land, ravaged wildlife, and annihilated the Indians in the name of “Manifest Destiny”, the concept to control our continent no matter what the cost. Thank god we stopped before we took over Mexico and Canada as well. On a side note, I am sure this song really spoke to the hippie nation of its time as well.
Yet even through this criticism Neil Young stands as an immensely successful artist who never compromised his vision. Even Rolling Stone finally yielded to this albums power and rated it as the 71st greatest album of all time.
February 23, 2013 Posted by Jerry | Neil Young After The Goldrush | Neil Young | Leave a comment
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2351
|
__label__cc
| 0.700024
| 0.299976
|
Are there any restrictions on domains registered with an agent?
While you are free to use the domain as you wish, you will not be able to transfer the domain while using our agent. If at a later stage you meet the local requirements it can be transferred to your ownership.
What do I need to register a domain?
Many Country Code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs) have requirements to protect the integrity of their...
What character restrictions apply to a domain name?
Most domain names have a minimum of 3 and a maximum 63 characters. A domain name may contain...
Can I reserve a domain at Temok?
Unfortunately it is not possible to reserve domains. Until a domain has been registered it is on...
I have ordered for a domain at Temok, why is it not registered yet?
While we do our best to process all applications as fast as possible, there is often a delay with...
Why do I need a domain name?
Domain names are your Internet address. Most domains are registered by businesses as a way of...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2352
|
__label__cc
| 0.615858
| 0.384142
|
Schizophrenia Studies
This trial
a study on Schizophrenia Schizo Affective Disorder Schizoaffective Disorder
for people ages 18-50 (full criteria)
healthy people welcome
study started April 2018
estimated completion March 2021
Neal R. Swerdlow, M.D., Ph.D. (ucsd)
Neal R. Swerdlow
Schizophrenia Schizo Affective Disorder Schizoaffective Disorder Healthy Disease Psychotic Disorders Mood Disorders Memantine
You can join if…
Open to people ages 18-50
diagnosis of schizophrenia OR schizoaffective-depressed OR healthy subjects
ages 18-50 for all subjects
double barrier contraception for all subjects
not pregnant for all subjects
You CAN'T join if...
DSM-IV Axis I or II Diagnosis for for healthy subjects
MEM or amantadine for patients
current substance abuse for all subjects
current recreational drug use for all subjects
history of other significant medical illness (e.g. cancer, diabetes, heart disease, HIV, seizures) for all subjects
open head injury or closed head injury with loss of consciousness > 1 min for all subjects
hearing or visual impairment for all subjects
pregnancy for all subjects
dementia for all subjects
mental retardation for all subjects
Clinical Teaching Facility (CTF-B102) at UCSD Medical Center accepting new patients
San Diego California 92103 United States
Lead Scientist at UC Health
Biography Neal Swerdlow, M.D., Ph.D. is Professor of Psychiatry, Director of the Research Residency Track and Vice Chair of Education and Training in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. Dr. Swerdlow graduated Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Amherst College (Neuroscience) in 1981, received his M.D. and Ph.D.
March 2021 (estimated)
Lead Scientist
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2353
|
__label__cc
| 0.648432
| 0.351568
|
Film review – Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
I seem to be on an action movie kick at the moment, so I thought I might as well finish off the round with this one. Tom Cruise (a man who clearly moisturises) is back for the fifth outing in the Mission Impossible series. The plot (not that it matters a great deal) centres around an organisation set on wreaking chaos across the globe, and destroying the Impossible Missions Force (yes, that’s what they’re called) in the process.
When you hit the fifth film in a series, the trick is not to take yourself too seriously. There are some genuinely funny moments supplied by Simon Pegg, and even Tom Cruise manages a few seconds of slapstick while trying to get into car, having just been revived from drowning. Sean Harris is very convincing as the slightly deranged villain – and thank god I’ve finally remembered where I’ve seen him before! He played the gay assassin in The Borgias! That’s been driving me mad! Anyway, he’s very, very good. A film like this lives and dies by the quality of its principle villain.
Aside from that, there’s not much to tell really. The script is fine, the action sequences are top notch, though I don’t think they’re quite as gripping as the Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, and the ending is predictably satisfying.
If you’re a fan of Tom Cruise then you’ll see it anyway; if not, then I think it’s worth a few hours of your time. It’s not too taxing, and still very entertaining. Another seven out of ten.
Author DomPosted on 4th September 2015 Categories film & tv, reviewsTags actionLeave a comment on Film review – Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
Film Review: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
I always get a little nervous when someone tries to take an okay-ish TV series and tries to make it into a blockbuster movie. Guy Ritchie avoided one obvious pitfall by not trying to update the concept; he left it firmly in the sixties, and the movie was better for it. In case you don’t know, the Man from U.N.C.L.E. is a pretty run-of-the-mill thriller about two spies from opposite sides of the iron curtain, forced to work together to retrieve a nuclear warhead. It stars Henry Cavill as the ever-s0-slightly camp Napoleon Solo, and Armie Hammer as llya Kuriyaken, the near-superhuman Russian agent.
Alicia Vikander brings the fiery glamour and, refreshingly enough, most of the brains.
And that’s all you need to know really. It’s a two-hour treat of car chases, machine-gun fights, sneaking about and folk running for their lives. The script was passable, as was the storyline (but don’t expect it to stretch you). The musical score is excellent and even though the film was shot all over the shop, Guy Ritchie as screenwriter, producer and director, gives it a very British feel (and Hugh Grant pretty much seals the deal – if that’s not too much bad rhyming).
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. offers no surprises, but is, nevertheless, very watchable.
I’m going to give it seven out of ten.
Author DomPosted on 1st September 2015 Categories film & tv, reviewsTags actionLeave a comment on Film Review: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Mad Max was sort of . . . mad
Insane, actually.
This is part four in the Mad Max series, with Tom Hardy taking over the lead from Mel Gibson who last appeared as Max in Beyond Thunderdome (1985, believe it or not).
Nothing much has changed; Max is still the solitary road warrior, still haunted by the deaths of his wife and daughter, still surviving in a post-apocalyptic world where the human race has turned against itself in a battle for oil and water: the only commodities that have any worth.
It’s pretty grim stuff, and the great thing about it is that throughout the non-stop battles between cars and trucks (and I think we must have spent at least 70% of the film chasing around the desert), you were never left with the slightest notion that there was any real hope. The human race was heading for a slow exctinction, and nothing was going to change that.
So everything was just about surviving as long as you could before you were murdered for your car, or you died of hunger and thirst.
The action scenes were some of the very best I’ve seen. Savagely uncompromising and exhausting to watch.
Tom Hardy does a creditable job in the lead role. He does the moody, silent, slightly unhinged thing very well, so I think I would have been a lot more surprised if he’d made a mess of it.
Charlize Theron? Well, I’m always disappointed when I hear she’s been cast in any movie, and then I’m massively shocked at what a great actress she is. This is no exception. Not her greatest play, but a good performance nonetheless.
This is a great film, and if you’re into action flicks with a human touch then it’s well worth seeing. I’m going to give it eight out of ten, and I might actually go see it again.
Author DomPosted on 25th May 2015 Categories film & tvTags action, apocalypseLeave a comment on Mad Max was sort of . . . mad
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2361
|
__label__wiki
| 0.872885
| 0.872885
|
Florida Division of Cultural Affairs Invites Public to Housewarming Event at Brokaw McDougall House
Contact: Chris Cate
Thursday evening event to feature live music, a traveling Dalí exhibit and refreshments
Tallahassee, Florida –
Secretary of State Ken Detzner and the Florida Department of State’s Division of Cultural Affairs is inviting the public to visit the division’s new office space at the Brokaw McDougall House in Tallahassee. The housewarming event is Thursday, July 26, 2012, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sponsored by the Citizens for Florida Arts Inc., the event will feature live music by the Zach Bartholmew Trio, a traveling exhibition of Salvador Dalí prints from the Dalí Museum and refreshments.
"We are excited to welcome the public to our new offices in the Brokaw-McDougall House," said Sandy Shaughnessy, director of the Division of Cultural Affairs. "As Florida’s state arts agency, we understand the importance of this historic structure and feel a responsibility to ensure its preservation and legacy."
The Brokaw-McDougall House is one of the finest remaining antebellum homes in Tallahassee. The house is a Classical Revival building with strong Italianate influences. When first built in or around 1856, it was on the outskirts of town. Its original owner, Peres Bonney Brokaw, ran a prosperous livery stable business downtown and served in city government, the state legislature and in the Confederate Cavalry. His daughter married Alexander McDougall, then a recent immigrant from Scotland. Members of the Brokaw and McDougall families lived in the house until it was sold to the State of Florida in 1973.
About Dalí on Tour
Presented as a retrospective with significant examples from each of Dalí’s four main stylistic periods, the Dalí on Tour exhibit consists of exquisite photographic reproductions of works from the Dali Museum’s permanent collection.
About the Florida Department of State’s Division of Cultural Affairs
The Florida Department of State’s Division of Cultural Affairs is Florida’s legislatively designated state arts agency. The division promotes the arts and culture as essential to the quality of life for all Floridians. To achieve its mission, the division funds and supports cultural programs that provide artistic excellence, diversity, education, access and economic vitality for Florida’s communities. For more information about the division and its programs, visit www.florida-arts.org.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2362
|
__label__cc
| 0.593064
| 0.406936
|
Review of Christopher Smart’s Cat By Igor Webb
Review of Christopher Smart’s Cat
By Igor Webb
Dos Madres Press
Loveland, Ohio, 2018
Review by Tom Miller
This is not a book about a cat. It is an autobiography…sort of. It is also something of a travelogue-- a rumination through literary minds that the author either knew or was attracted to. It is not a chronological journey so the reader has to relax and go along for the ride as Webb tells of his Jewish family’s displacement in 1943 from the village of Malacky (pronounced Malaski) in Slovakia after his grandparents were taken by the Nazis and their sojourn via Ecuador to New York City. He tells of his youth in the Inwood neighborhood where his mother insisted that he pass as a Christian. Being accommodating he became immersed in the Catholic Church somewhat to her chagrin. Webb went on to study at Stanford and do graduate work in London and at some point thereafter became friends with Phillip Roth.
The book is also something of a personal journey in which Webb visits Malacky as if he is trying to gather something of his roots. He describes interesting adventures while there --with references to various village characters from his youth, his family and the surroundings. These stories are told by Reza, his mother’s sister or cousin or someone ,who is perhaps the most interesting character in the book, but as the reader will discover in a footnote on the very last page also is fictional.
Along the way the reader will bump into not only Phillip Roth but Jorge Gorges, Virginia Woolf, Tomas Wolfe, Victor Hugo, W.G. Sebald, Danilo Kis, Milan Kundera, and Ivan Klima either in a personal way or through Webb’s ruminations on their works or their personalities. And of course the reader will be exposed to Christopher Smart and his works. Smart was a perhaps brilliant poet in England in the mid 1700s who had the misfortune to be odd and frequently in debt. Both of these conditions resulted in his imprisonment several times during which he produced widely acclaimed works such as A Song To David and Jubilate Agno as well as anthologies to his cat Jeoffry. (This seems to be the only rationale for the title of the book.)
Webb reflects on various passages from these authors as a memorial or perhaps in a philosophical discourse, and hones in particularly on Smart.
Reading this book is an interesting but perhaps tiring endeavor as Webb jumps forward and backward as thoughts and recollections seemingly strike him. Along the way he just jumps into whatever writer’s work seems applicable to those thoughts, and those may lead to tangents and then back, or perhaps not. At any rate do not try to anticipate where this book is going. It will get to the end simply because it is time to end and not for any other reason.
Labels: Doug Holder, Review of Christopher Smart’s Cat By Igor Webb Tom Miller
The Sunday Poet: Wyn Cooper
Interview with Somerville Poet Dorinda Hale: Autho...
Debris by L.M. Brown. Ink Smith Publishing. 156 p...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0041.json.gz/line2363
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.